1412#pid#[AUTHOR'S INTRODUCTORY NOTE]
The HEAVENLY ARCANA - the matters in Sacred Scripture or the Word of the Lord that have been disclosed - stand in explanatory sections entitled THE INTERNAL SENSE OF THE WORD. As for the nature of that sense, see what has been presented on the subject from experience in `@@@1767-1777`, `@@@1869-1879`, and in addition in the main body of the work, in `@@@1-5`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc64-66`, `@@@167`, `@@@605`, `@@@920`, `@@@937`, `@@@1143`, `@@@1224`, `@@@1404`, `@@@1405`, `@@@1408`, `@@@1409`, `@@@1502` end, `@@@1540`, `@@@1659`, `@@@1756`, `@@@1783`, `@@@1807`.
The MARVELS -- things seen in the world of spirits and in the angelic heaven - have been placed in sections before and after each chapter. In this first volume the sections are:
1. Man's awakening from the dead and his entry into eternal life, `@@@168-181`.
2. The entry into eternal life of one who has been so awakened, `@@@182-189`.
3. Man's entry into eternal life - continued, `@@@314-319`.
4. The nature of the life of a soul or spirit at that time, `@@@320-327`.
5. Some examples of what certain spirits had thought during their lifetime about the soul or spirit, `@@@443-448`.
6. Heaven and heavenly joy, `@@@449-459`.
7. Heaven and heavenly joy - continued, `@@@537-546`.
8. Heaven and heavenly joy - continued, `@@@547-553`.
9. The communities that constitute heaven, `@@@684-691`.
10. Hell, `@@@692-700`.
11. The hells of people who have gone through life hating, desiring revenge, and being cruel, `@@@814-823`.
12. The hells of people who have gone through life committing adultery and acts of unrestrained lust; also the hells of deceivers and witches, `@@@824-871`.
13. The hells of the avaricious; then the filthy Jerusalem and the robbers in the desert. Also the utterly foul hells of people who have lived wholly engrossed in the pursuit of pleasures, `@@@938-946`.
14. Other hells that are different from those mentioned already, `@@@947-970`.
15. Vastations, `@@@1106-1113`.
[NCBSP editor's note: The table of contents for Volume 2 of this translation may be found in section `@@@1114`.]
ppp23841#pid#1. THE BOOK OF GENESIS
The Word of the Old Testament contains heavenly arcana, with every single detail focusing on the Lord, His heaven, the Church, faith, and what belongs to faith; but no human being grasps this from the letter. Judging it by the letter or sense of the letter, nobody views it as anything more than a record, in the main, of external features of the Jewish Church. Yet at every point there are internal features that are nowhere evident in the external, apart from the very few which the Lord revealed and explained to the Apostles, such as that sacrifices mean the Lord; that the land of Canaan and Jerusalem mean heaven, which is therefore called Canaan and the heavenly Jerusalem; and that Paradise is similar in meaning.
ppp23840#pid#2. But that every single detail, even the smallest, down to the tiniest jot, means and embodies matters that are spiritual and celestial is a truth of which the Christian world is still profoundly ignorant, and for that reason it pays insufficient attention to the Old Testament. Nevertheless they are able to know this truth from the single consideration that because the Word is the Lord's and derives from Him, it cannot possibly exist if it does not contain within itself such things as belong to heaven, the Church, and faith. If this were not so it could not be called the Word of the Lord nor be said to have any life within it. For where does its life originate except in those things which belong to life, that is, in having every single detail go back to the Lord, who is life itself? Therefore anything that does not interiorly focus on Him has no life; indeed any expression in the Word that fails to embody Him within itself, or does not in its own way go back to Him, is not Divine.
ppp23839#pid#3. Without such life the Word as regards the letter is dead, for it is the same with the Word as it is with man, who, as the Christian world knows, is internal as well as external. The external man if parted from the internal man is just a body and therefore dead. It is the internal man which lives and imparts life to the external. The internal man is the soul of the external man. The same applies to the Word which as to the letter alone is like the body without a soul.
ppp23838#pid#4. As long as the mind confines itself to the sense of the letter alone one cannot possibly see that its contents are such. Take for instance these first sections of Genesis: From the sense of the letter the only subject matter people recognize is the creation of the world, and the Garden of Eden which is called Paradise, and Adam as the first man to be created. Who thinks anything different? The fact that these things contain arcana however which have never been revealed up to now will be sufficiently clear from what follows - especially clear from the fact that the subject of `Genesis 1bbb0` is, in the internal sense, the NEW CREATION of man, that is, in general his REGENERATION, and in particular the Most Ancient Church. And the subject is presented in such a way that not the smallest part of any expression fails to have a representation, carry a spiritual meaning, or embody something within itself.
ppp23837#pid#5. But unless he has it from the Lord no human being can possibly know that this is the situation. By way of introductory remarks therefore it can be disclosed that in the Lord's Divine mercy I have been allowed constantly and without interruption for several years now to share the experiences of spirits and angels, to listen to them speaking and to speak to them myself. I have been allowed therefore to hear and see astounding things in the next life which have never come to any man's knowledge, nor even entered his imagination. In that world I have learned about different kinds of spirits, about the state of souls after death, about hell (the miserable state of people who do not have faith), about heaven (the very happy state of those who do have faith), and above all else about the doctrine of the faith that is acknowledged in the whole of heaven. In the Lord's Divine mercy more will be told about these matters in what follows.
ppp23836#pid#6. `Genesis 1bbb0`
1. In the beginning God created heaven and earth.
2. And the earth was a void and an emptiness, and there was thick darkness over the face`fff1` of the deep; and the Spirit of God was hovering over the face`fff1` of the waters.
3. And God said, Let there be light; and there was light.
4. And God saw that the light was good; and God made a distinction between the light and the darkness.
5. And God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. And there was evening, and there was morning, the first day.
6. And God said, Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let there be a distinguishing of the waters from the waters.
7. And God made the expanse and He made a distinction between the waters that were under the expanse and the waters that were above the expanse; and it was so.
8. And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening, and there was morning, a second day.
9. And God said, Let the waters under heaven be gathered together to one place, and let the dry land appear; and it was so.
10. And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas; and God saw that it was good.
11. And God said, Let the earth cause tender plants to spring up, seed-bearing plants, fruit trees bearing fruit, each according to its kind, in which is its seed, upon the earth; and it was so.
12. And the earth brought forth tender herbs, seed-bearing plants, each according to its kind, and trees bearing fruit, in which is their seed, each according to its kind; and God saw that it was good.
13. And there was evening, and there was morning, a third day.
14. And God said, Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens, to make a distinction between the day and the night; and they will be for signs, and for set times, and for days and years.
15. And they will be for lights in the expanse of the heavens, to give light upon the earth; and it was so.
16. And God made the two great lights, the greater light to have dominion over the day, and the lesser light to have dominion over the night; and the stars.
17. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth;
18. And to have dominion over the day and the night, and to make a distinction between the light and the darkness; and God saw that it was good.
19. And there was evening, and there was morning, a fourth day.
20. And God said, Let the waters bring forth creeping things, living creatures; and let birds fly above the earth, upon the face`fff1` of the expanse of the heavens.
21. And God created the great sea monsters, and every living creature that creeps, which the waters produced abundantly according to their kinds; and all winged birds according to their kinds; and God saw that it was good.
22. And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas; and let birds be multiplied upon the earth.
23. And there was evening, and there was morning, a fifth day.
24. And God said, Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds, beasts and creeping things and wild animals of the earth according to their kinds; and it was so.
25. And God made wild animals of the earth according to their kinds, and beasts according to their kinds, and everything that creeps along the ground according to its kind; and God saw that it was good.
26. And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and they will have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air,`fff2` and over the beasts, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.
27. And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
28. And God blessed them, and God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air,`fff2` and over every living thing that creeps on the earth.
29. And God said, Behold, I give you every plant yielding seed which is upon the face`fff1` of the whole earth, and every tree in which there is fruit, the tree producing seed will be for you for food.
30. And to every wild animal of the earth and to every bird of the air,`fff2` and to everything creeping over the earth in which there is a living soul, [I give] every green plant for food; and it was so.
31. And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning, a sixth day.
CONTENTS
The six days or periods of time, which are so many consecutive states in man's regeneration, are in general as follows:
`nnn1. literally the faces
`nnn2. literally bird of the heavens (or the skies)
ppp23835#pid#7. The first state is the state which precedes, both the state existing from earliest childhood onwards and that existing immediately before regeneration; and it is called a void, emptiness, and thick darkness. And the first movement, which is the Lord's mercy, is 'the Spirit of God hovering over the face`fff1` of the waters'.
`nnn1. literally, The faces
ppp23834#pid#8. The second state is when a distinction is made between the things that are the Lord's and those that are man's own. Those which are the Lord's are called in the Word 'remnants', and here they are chiefly the cognitions of faith which a person has learned since he was a small child. These are stored away and do not come out into the open until he reaches this state. Nowadays this state rarely occurs without temptation, misfortune, and sorrow, which lead to the inactivity and so to speak the death of bodily and worldly concerns - the things which are man's own. In this way what belongs to the external man is segregated from what belongs to the internal. Within the internal are the remnants, stored away by the Lord until this time and for this purpose.
ppp23833#pid#9. The third state is one of repentance, a state in which he speaks piously and devoutly from the internal man and brings forth goods, like charitable acts which are nevertheless inanimate since he imagines that they originate in himself. They are called a tender plant, then a seed-bearing plant, and finally a fruit tree.
ppp23832#pid#10. The fourth state is when he is moved by love and enlightened by faith. Previous to this he did indeed utter pious words and bring forth good deeds, but he did so from a state of temptation and anguish, and not from faith and charity. Therefore the latter are now kindled in his internal man, and are called the two great lights.
ppp23831#pid#11. The fifth state is when he speaks from faith and in so doing confirms himself in truth and good. What he brings forth at this point are animate and are called the fish of the sea and the birds of the air.`fff1`
`nnn1. literally, birds of the heavens (or the skies)
ppp23830#pid#12. The sixth state is when he utters truths and performs good deeds from faith and consequently from love. What he brings forth at this point are called a living creature and a beast. And because at this point he starts to act from faith and also simultaneously from love, he becomes a spiritual man, who is called an image. The spiritual life of that man finds its delight in, and is sustained by, the things which are associated with cognitions of faith and with charitable acts, which are called his food; and his natural life finds its delight in, and is sustained by, those which belong to the body and the senses. The latter give rise to conflict until love rules and he becomes a celestial man.
ppp23829#pid#13. Not all people who are being regenerated reach this state. Some, indeed the majority nowadays, reach only the first. Some reach merely the second, others the third, fourth, or fifth. Seldom do any reach the sixth, and hardly anybody at all reaches the seventh.
ppp23828#pid#14. THE INTERNAL SENSE
In all that follows the name THE LORD is used exclusively to mean the Saviour of the world, Jesus Christ, and He is called the Lord without the addition of the rest of His names. Throughout heaven He is acknowledged and worshipped as Lord, since He has all power in heaven and on earth. This He also commanded when He said,
You call Me Lord, and you are right, for so I am. `John 13bbb13`.
Furthermore after the Resurrection the disciples called Him Lord.
ppp23827#pid#15. Throughout heaven they do not know any other Father than the Lord, for They are one, as He Himself has said,
I am the way, the truth, and the life. Philip said, Show us the Father. Jesus said to him, Have I been with you so long, and yet you do not know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father. So why do you say, Show us the Father? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in Me? Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me. `John 14bbb6`, `John 14bbbccc8-11`.
ppp23826#pid#16. Verse `Genesis 1bbbccc1`. In the beginning God created heaven and earth. The most ancient times of all are called 'the beginning', and are throughout the Prophets referred to as 'days of antiquity' and also 'days of eternity'. 'The beginning' also embodies within it that first Period when a person is being regenerated, for at that time he is being born anew and receiving life. Regeneration itself is therefore called a new creation of man. Almost everywhere in the prophetical sections 'to create', 'to form', and 'to make' mean to regenerate, though each of these verbs has a different shade of meaning, as in Isaiah,
Every one who is called by My name - I have created him for My glory, I have formed him, I have also made him. `Isaiah 43bbb7`
This is why the Lord is called Redeemer, One who forms from the womb, Maker, and also Creator, as in the same prophet,
I am Jehovah, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King. `Isaiah 43bbb15`.
In David,
A people to be created will praise Jah. `Psalms 102bbb18`.
In the same author,
You send forth Your Spirit; they are created; and You renewest the face`fff1` of the ground. `Psalms 104bbb30`.
'Heaven' means the internal man, and 'earth' the external man prior to regeneration. This will be seen further on.
`nnn1. literally, the faces
ppp23825#pid#17. Verse `Genesis 1bbbccc2` And the earth was a void and an emptiness, and there was thick darkness over the face`fff1` of the deep; and the Spirit of God was hovering over the face`fff1` of the waters. The person who has yet to be regenerated is called 'a void and an empty earth', and also 'ground', in which no good or truth at all has been sown - 'void' where there is no good, and 'empty' where there is no truth. Consequently there is 'thick darkness', or stupidity and lack of knowledge about anything that has to do with faith in the Lord and so anything that has to do with spiritual and celestial life. This kind of person is described by the Lord through Jeremiah,
My people are foolish, they know Me not; they are stupid children, having no understanding; they are wise to do evil, and know not how to do good. I looked to the earth, and, behold, a void and an emptiness; and towards the heavens, and they had no light. `Jeremiah 4bbb22-23`, `Jeremiah 4bbbccc25`.
`nnn1. literally, the faces
ppp23824#pid#18. 'The face`fff1` of the deep' is that person's desires and resulting falsities, of which he consists and in which he is completely absorbed; and because he has no light at all he is like the deep, or something thoroughly obscure. Throughout the Word such people are also called 'the deep' and 'the depths of the sea' which are dried up or laid waste until a person's regeneration starts, as in Isaiah,
Awake as in the days of antiquity, the generations of long ago. Was it not You that did dry up the sea, the waters of the great deep; making the depths of the sea a road for the redeemed to go across? Let the ransomed of Jehovah return. `Isaiah 51bbb9-11`.
Furthermore, when looked at from heaven, this kind of person resembles a darkened mass with no life to it. The same expressions embody within them in general the vastation in man, described many times by the Prophets, which precedes regeneration. For before a person can know what truth is, or be moved by good, the things that hinder and offer resistance must be removed. Thus the old man must die before the new one can be conceived.
`nnn1. literally, the faces
ppp23823#pid#19. 'The Spirit of God' is used to mean the Lord's mercy, which is said 'to hover', like a hen over eggs, over what the Lord stores away in man and which in the Word are frequently called 'remnants'. These remnants are cognitions of truth and good which never come to light or into daylight until external things have been laid waste. These cognitions are here called 'the face`fff1` of the waters'.
`nnn1. literally, the faces
ppp23822#pid#20. Verse `Genesis 1bbbccc3` And God said, Let there be light; and there was light. This is at the outset when a person starts to realize that good and truth are something superior. Thoroughly external people do not even know what good is and what truth is, for they imagine that everything which comprises self-love and love of the world is good, and that everything that panders to those loves is truth. Thus they do not know that the things which they imagine to be good are in fact evil, and that those which they imagine to be true are in fact false. But when a person is conceived anew, first he starts to recognize that the good in him is not really good, and then, when he enters more into light, to recognize the existence of the Lord and that the Lord is good and truth themselves. The Lord Himself says in John that men ought to know He exists,
Unless you believe that I am, you will die in your sins. `John 8bbb24`.
The point that the Lord is good itself, which is life, and truth itself, which is light, together with the consequent point that no good or truth exist except from the Lord, is made once more in John,
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men, and the light shines in the darkness. He was the true light that enlightens every man coming into the world `John 1bbb1`, `John 1bbbccc3-5`, `John 1bbbccc9`.
ppp23821#pid#21. Verses `Genesis 1bbbccc4-5` And God saw that the light was good; and God made a distinction between the light and the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night.
The light is called good, because it comes from the Lord, who is good itself. 'The darkness' is those things which were there prior to the person's new conception and birth. They were seen as light, because evil was seen as good, and falsity as truth. But in reality they are darkness and things proper to that person which are lingering on. All things that are the Lord's, being things of light, are compared to the day, and all that are man's own, being those of thick darkness, are compared to the night, as is done many times in the Word.
ppp23820#pid#22. Verse `Genesis 1bbbccc5` And there was evening, and there was morning, the first day.
What 'evening' means, and what 'morning', is recognized from what is said above. 'Evening' means every prior state, because it is a state of shade, that is, of falsity and of absence of faith, while 'morning' is every subsequent state, because it is one of light, that is, of truth and of cognitions of faith. 'Evening' in general means all the things that are man's own, whereas 'morning' means all those that are the Lord's, as is said through David,
The Spirit of Jehovah has spoken within me, and His word is upon my tongue. The God of Israel has said, the Rock of Israel has spoken to me. He is like the morning light, when the sun is rising on a cloudless morning, shining bright, as when after rain tender grass [springs up] from the earth. `2 Samuel 23bbb4`.
Because 'evening' is a time when there is no faith, and 'morning' when there is, the Lord's Coming into the world is called 'the morning', and the time at which He comes, since faith does not exist at that point, is called 'the evening', as in Daniel,
The Holy One said to me, Up to the evening when it is becoming morning, two thousand three hundred times. `Daniel 8bbb13-14`.
In the Word, 'morning' stands in a similar way for every coming of the Lord, and so is a term describing the new creation.
ppp23819#pid#23. Nothing is more common in the Word than for the word 'day' to be used to mean the particular time at which events take place, as in Isaiah,
The day of Jehovah is near. Behold, the day of Jehovah comes. I will make heaven tremble, and the earth will be shaken out of its place, on the day of My fierce anger. Its time is close at hand, and its days will not be prolonged. `Isaiah 13bbb6`, `Isaiah 13bbbccc9`, `Isaiah 13bbbccc13`, `Isaiah 13bbbccc22`.
And in the same prophet,
Her antiquity is in the days of antiquity. On that day Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, like the days of one king. `Isaiah 23bbb7`, `Isaiah 23bbbccc15`.
Since 'day' stands for the particular time it also stands for the state associated with that particular time, as in Jeremiah, Woe to us, for the day has declined, for the shadows of evening have lengthened! `Jeremiah 6bbb4`
And in the same prophet,
If you break My covenant that is for the day and My covenant that is for the night, so that there is neither daytime nor night at their appointed time. `Jeremiah 33bbb20`, `Jeremiah 33bbbccc25`.
Also,
Renew our days as of old. `Lamentations 5bbb21`.
ppp23818#pid#24. Verse `Genesis 1bbbccc6` And God said, Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let there be a distinguishing of the waters from the waters.
After the Spirit of God, which is the Lord's mercy, has brought out into the daylight cognitions of truth and good, and has shed the light of dawn to reveal that the Lord does exist, and that He is good itself and truth itself, and that no good or truth exists except from the Lord, a distinction is at that point made between the internal man and the external man, and so between cognitions which reside with the internal man and the facts which belong to the external man. The internal man is called 'an expanse, and the cognitions residing with the internal man are called 'the waters above the expanse', while the facts belonging to the external man are called 'the waters below the expanse'.
ttt[2] Until his regeneration starts a person is not aware of even the existence of the internal man, let alone the identity of the internal man. Submerged in bodily and worldly concerns he imagines there is no difference between the two. Furthermore he has submerged in those same concerns the things that belong to the internal man and has made one thorough obscurity out of things that are distinct and separate. For this reason it is first said, 'Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters', and then, 'Let there be a distinguishing of the waters from the waters', and not a distinguishing of the waters. But this is followed immediately by the statement, Verses `Genesis 1bbbccc7-8`, And God made the expanse and He made a distinction between the waters that were under the expanse and the waters that were above the expanse; and it was so. And God called the expanse Heaven.
ttt[3] The second thing therefore that a person notices when being regenerated is that he is starting to become aware of the existence of the internal man, or that what reside in the internal man are goods and truths which are the Lord's alone. And since the external man during regeneration is such as still imagines that he is the source of the good deeds he performs, or of the truth he utters, and since such a person, by means of them, is led by the Lord to do good and to speak truth as if they were his own, therefore the identification of those under the expanse comes first, and the identification of those above the expanse follows. It is also a heavenly arcanum that the Lord uses those things that are man's own - both his illusions of the senses and his desires - to lead and direct him towards the things that are goods and truths. Every single movement of regeneration is accordingly a progression from evening to morning - from external man to internal, that is, from earth to heaven. This is why the expanse, or internal man, is now called 'heaven'.
ppp23817#pid#25. 'Spreading out the earth and stretching out the heavens' is a common expression in the Prophets when the subject is man's regeneration, as in Isaiah,
Thus said Jehovah, your Redeemer, He who formed you from the womb, I am Jehovah who makes all things, who stretches out the heavens Alone, and who spreads out the earth by Myself. `Isaiah 44bbb24`.
Also, when it is speaking of the Lord's Coming,
A bruised reed He does not break off and a smoking wick He does not quench; He brings forth judgement towards truth; that is, He neither shatters man's illusions nor stifles his desires. Instead He bends them towards truth and good. This verse in Isaiah continues,
The God Jehovah creates the heavens and stretches them out: He spreads out the earth and what comes from it: He gives breath`fff1` to the people upon it, and spirit to those who walk on it. `Isaiah 42bbb3-5`.
Such phrases recur several times elsewhere.
`nnn1. literally, soul
ppp23816#pid#26. Verse `Genesis 1bbbccc8` And there was evening, and there was morning, a second day.
What 'evening', 'morning', and 'day' mean, has been shown already at verse `Genesis 1bbbccc5`.
ppp23815#pid#27. Verse `Genesis 1bbbccc9` And God said, Let the waters under heaven be gathered together to one place, and let the dry land appear; and it was so.
Once a person knows of the existence of the internal man and of the external man, and knows that, contrary to appearance, truths and goods flow in from the internal man, or from the Lord by way of the internal into the external, then the things residing in him as cognitions of truth and good are stored away in his memory and registered among the facts there. For anything that finds its way into the memory or the external man, whether natural, spiritual, or celestial, lodges there as known fact, and from that place it is brought out by the Lord. These cognitions are 'the waters gathered together to one place' and are called 'seas'. But the external man itself is called 'the dry land' and immediately afterwards 'earth', as in the verses that follow.
ppp23814#pid#28. Verse `Genesis 1bbbccc10` And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas; and God saw that it was good.
It is very common in the Word for 'waters' to mean cognitions and facts, and consequently for 'seas' to mean a gathering together of them, as in Isaiah,
The earth will be full of the knowledge of Jehovah as the waters covering the sea. `Isaiah 11bbb9`.
And in the same prophet, with reference to a lack of cognitions and facts,
The waters will dry up from the sea, the river will be parched and dry, and the streams will diminish. `Isaiah 19bbb5-6`.
In Haggai, with reference to a new Church,
I will shake the heavens and the earth, and the sea and the dry land; and I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory. `Haggai 2bbb6-7`.
And with reference to someone who is to be regenerated, in Zechariah,
There will be one day - it is known to Jehovah - not day and not night, for at evening time there will be light; and on that day living waters will flow out from Jerusalem, part of them to the eastern sea, and part of them to the western sea. `Zechariah 14bbb7-8`.
In David where the person is described who, having been vastated, is to be regenerated, and to worship the Lord, Jehovah does not despise His bound ones. Heaven and earth will praise Him, the seas and everything that creeps in them! `Psalms 69bbb33-34`.
That 'the earth' means that which receives is seen in Zechariah,
Jehovah is He who stretches out the heavens, and founds the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him. `Zechariah 12bbb1`.
ppp23813#pid#29. Verses `Genesis 1bbbccc11-12` And God said, Let the earth cause tender plants to spring up, seed-bearing plants, fruit trees bearing fruit, each according to its kind, in which is its seed, upon the earth; and it was so. And the earth brought forth tender herbs, seed-bearing plants, each according to its kind, and trees bearing fruit, in which is their seed, each according to its kind; and God saw that it was good.
Once the earth or the individual has been made ready in such a way that he can receive from the Lord heavenly seeds and produce some measure of good and truth, the Lord first of all causes something tender to spring up, which is: called 'a tender plant', then something more useful which reproduces itself and is called 'a seed-bearing plant', and finally something good which bears fruit and is called 'a tree bearing fruit' in which is its seed, 'each one according to its kind'. The person who is being regenerated is at first such as imagines that any good he does comes from himself, and that any truth he utters comes from himself; but the fact of the matter is that all good and all truth come from the Lord. Consequently anyone who imagines that these originate in himself does not as yet have the life that belongs to true faith, though he is able to receive it later on. Indeed he is not yet able to believe that they come from the Lord because his state is one of preparation for receiving the life inherent in faith. That state is represented in these verses by plant life, the subsequent state, when the life inherent in faith is present, by living creatures.
ttt[2] The Lord Himself saw fit to tell us that He is 'the sower', that 'the seed' is His Word, and that 'the earth' is man, `Matthew 13bbb19-24`, `Matthew 13bbbccc37-39`; `Mark 4bbb14-21`; `Luke 8bbb11-16`. He describes the matter again in a similar way,
The kingdom of God is like a man casting seed into the ground, and sleeping and rising night and day, and the seed sprouts and springs up, he knows not how; for the earth bears fruit of itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear. `Mark 4bbb26-28`.
In the universal sense, 'the kingdom of God' is used to mean the whole of heaven, in the less universal sense the Lord's true Church, and in particular every individual who has true faith, that is, who has been regenerated by means of the life that inheres in faith. For that reason the individual is also called 'heaven', for heaven is within him, and 'the kingdom of God', since that too is within him. This the Lord Himself teaches through Luke,
Jesus was asked by the Pharisees, When is the kingdom of God coming? He answered them and said, The kingdom of God is not coming with observation, nor will people say, Behold, here it is! or, Behold, there! for behold, the kingdom of God is within you. `Luke 17bbb20-21`.
This is the third stage of a person's regeneration, a state when he is repentant. It is like passing from shadow into the light, or from evening to morning, and this is why it is said in Verse `Genesis 1bbbccc13`, And there was evening, and there was morning, a third day.
ppp23812#pid#30. Verses `Genesis 1bbbccc14-17` And God said, Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens, to make a distinction between the day and the night; and they will be for signs, and for set times, and for days and years. And they will be for lights in the expanse of the heavens, to give light upon the earth; and it was so. And God made the two great lights, the greater light to have dominion over the day, and the lesser light to have dominion over the night; and the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.
No one can have an adequate understanding of what 'the great lights' are unless he knows what the underlying essence of faith is and how it develops in people who are being created anew. The very essence and life of faith is the Lord alone. In fact it is impossible for anyone who does not believe in the Lord to have life, as He Himself has said in John,
He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not believe in the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God will rest upon him. `John 3bbb36`.
ttt[2] With people who are being created anew faith develops as follows: First of all they have no life, for life does not exist in anything evil and false but in what is good and true. Then they start to receive life from the Lord by means of faith - first by faith existing in the memory, which is factual faith, then by faith existing in the understanding, which is conceptual faith, and after this by faith existing in the heart, which is loving or saving faith. Factual faith and conceptual faith are represented in verses `Genesis 1bbbccc3-13` by the inanimate, but faith made alive by means of love is represented in verses `Genesis 1bbbccc20-25` by the animate. Consequently this is the first point at which love and faith deriving from it, which are called 'lights', are dealt with. Love is 'the greater light which has dominion over the day', and faith deriving from love is 'the lesser light which has dominion over the night'. And because they ought to make one the verb in the phrase 'let there be lights 'is singular and not plural.
ttt[3] Love and faith have their place in the internal man as warmth and light do in the external, bodily man, and for this reason love and faith are represented by warmth and light. Therefore it is said that 'the lights' were set in the expanse of the heavens, that is, in the internal man - the greater light in his will and the lesser in his understanding. Yet they make their appearances in the will and understanding only as sunlight does in the objects it strikes. To the Lord alone belongs the mercy which moves the will with love and the understanding with truth or faith.
ppp23811#pid#31. That 'the great lights' mean love and faith, and are also mentioned as the sun, the moon, and the stars, is clear from various places in the Prophets, as in Ezekiel,
When I have blotted you out, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars, I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light. All the bright lights in the heavens I will make dark over you, and I will put darkness over your land. `Ezekiel 32bbb7-8`.
This refers to Pharaoh and the Egyptians, who are used in the Word to mean the sensory and the factual. The meaning here is that they will have blotted out love and faith by means of sensory evidence and factual knowledge. In Isaiah,
The day of Jehovah for making the earth a desolation; for the stars of the heavens and their constellations`fff1` will not give their light; the sun will be darkened in its rising, and the moon will not shed its light. `Isaiah 13bbb9-10`.
In Joel,
The day of Jehovah is coming, a day of darkness and thick darkness. The earth quakes before Him, the heavens tremble, the sun and moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. `Joel 2bbb10`.
ttt[2] In Isaiah, in reference to the Lord's Coming and the enlightenment of gentiles, and so to a new Church, in particular to individuals who are in darkness but who are beginning to receive the light and be regenerated,
Arise, shine, for your light has come. Behold, darkness is covering the earth, and thick darkness the peoples, but Jehovah will arise upon you, and nations will walk towards your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Jehovah will be for you an everlasting light; your sun will no more go down nor your moon be withdrawn, for Jehovah will be for you an everlasting light. `Isaiah 60bbb1-3`, `Isaiah 60bbbccc19-20`.
In David,
Jehovah makes the heavens by intelligence, He spreads out the earth upon the waters, He makes the great lights, the sun to have dominion over the day, and the moon and stars to have dominion over the night. `Psalms 136bbb5-9`.
And in the same author,
Praise Jehovah, sun and moon, praise Him, all stars of light! Praise Him, heaven of heavens, and waters that are above the heavens! `Psalms 148bbb3-4`.
ttt[3] In all of these places 'the lights' mean love and faith. Because the lights represented and meant love and faith in the Lord, the Jewish Church was commanded to keep a light burning all the time from evening till morning, for every command which that Church received was representative of the Lord. Concerning this light it is said,
Command the sons of Israel that they take oil for the light, to cause a lamp to burn continually. In the Tent of Meeting outside the veil which is before the testimony Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening to morning before Jehovah. [`Exodus 27bbb20-21`]
That this means the love and faith which the Lord kindles and causes to shine in the internal man, and by means of the internal man in the external man, will in the Lord's Divine mercy be shown at that point in Exodus.
`nnn1. literally, orions
ppp23810#pid#32. Love and faith are first called 'the great lights', then love is called 'the greater light' and faith 'the lesser light'. In reference to love it is said that it will have dominion over the day, and in reference to faith that it will have dominion over the night. Because these are arcana and have become hidden, especially at this end of an epoch, in the Lord's Divine mercy let the whole subject be opened up. The reason they have become hidden, especially at this present end of an epoch, is that now is the close of the age, when love is almost non-existent, and consequently faith too, just as the Lord Himself foretold in the Gospels with these words,
The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. `Matthew 24bbb29`.
Here 'the sun' is used to mean love, which is 'darkened', 'the moon' faith which does not give its light, 'the stars' cognitions of faith which fall from heaven, and which are the various 'powers of the heavens'. The Most Ancient Church acknowledged no other faith than love itself; celestial angels as well do not know what faith is except faith which stems from love. Love pervades the whole of heaven, for in the heavens no other life is found except the life that belongs to love. This is the source of all happiness in heaven, a happiness so great that no aspect of it can be described or in any way captured in human concepts. People in whom this love is present love the Lord wholeheartedly. Yet they realize, say, and perceive that all love, thus all life, which belongs exclusively to love, and so all happiness, come from the Lord and nowhere else, and that they derive not one trace of love, life, and happiness from themselves. The Lord's being the source of all love was again represented by the greater light, that is, the sun, at the Transfiguration, for His face shone like the sun, and His garments became white as the light, `Matthew 17bbb2`. What is inmost is meant by His face, and what emanates from the inmost by His garments. Thus His Divinity is meant by the sun or love, and His Humanity by the light or wisdom coming from love.
ppp23809#pid#33. Everyone is capable of knowing very well that no life is possible without love of some kind, nor any type of joy whatsoever except the joy that flows out from the love. Furthermore the nature of the love determines the nature of the life and of the joy. If you took away your loves, and what amounts to the same, your desires (since these stem from love), thought would instantly perish and you would be as one dead. This I have been shown convincingly. Self-love and the love of the world present a semblance of life and of joy, but because they are absolutely contrary to true love, which is loving the Lord above all things and the neighbour as oneself, it is clear that neither of them is love but hatred. For the more anyone loves himself and the world, the more he hates his neighbour and so the Lord. Consequently true love is love to the Lord, true life is the life inherent in love from Him, and true joy is the joy of that life. The existence of more than one true love is not possible. Nor consequently is the existence of more than one true life possible which is the source of all true joy and happiness, such as angels in the heavens enjoy.
ppp23808#pid#34. Love and faith cannot possibly be separated for they constitute one and the same thing. This is why, when first the [great] lights are dealt with and they are taken to be one, it is said [using a singular verb with a plural noun], 'Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens'. Let some marvels relating to this be mentioned here. Since celestial angels possess from the Lord that kind of love, they possess by virtue of that love every cognition of faith, and by virtue of that love the kind of life and light of understanding that almost defies description altogether. On the other hand spirits who without love have a knowledge of the doctrinal matters concerning faith live such cold lives and are in such dull light that they cannot approach even the outer gateway to heaven before running off in the opposite direction. Some claim to have believed in the Lord, but they have not lived according to His teaching. The Lord refers to these people in Matthew as follows,
Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does My will. Many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? and so on. `Matthew 7bbb21-22`-end.
ttt[2] From this is clear that those who have love have faith as well, and so heavenly life, whereas those who claim to have faith and yet have none of the life inherent in love do not. The life of faith devoid of love is like sunlight devoid of warmth, as is the case in wintertime when nothing grows and every single thing is inactive and dies off. But faith deriving from love is like the sunlight in springtime when everything grows and blossoms, for it is the warmth of the sun that brings it out. It is similar with spiritual and celestial things, which are normally represented in the Word by the things found in the world and on earth. An absence of faith, and faith devoid of love, are also compared by the Lord to winter where He foretold the close of the age in Mark,
Pray that your flight may not happen in winter, for those will be days of affliction. `Mark 13bbb18-19`.
'Flight' means the final period, also the time when a person dies; 'winter' is life which is destitute of love, 'days of affliction' his wretched condition in the next life.
ppp23807#pid#35. Man has two inherent powers of will and understanding. When the understanding is governed by the will they then constitute one mind and so one life; for what a person in that case wills and does he also thinks and intends. But when the understanding is at variance with the will, as it is with people who claim to have faith and yet live otherwise, then a mind previously one is split in two. One half seeks to transport itself into heaven, while the other inclines towards hell. And because the will is what accomplishes everything, the whole man would rush straight into hell unless the Lord took pity on him.
ppp23806#pid#36. People who have separated faith from love do not even know what faith is. When they do entertain an idea about faith, some of them see it only as mere thought, others as thought directed towards the Lord, and a few as the doctrine of faith. But faith involves not only knowledge of all the things that the doctrine of faith embraces and the acknowledgment of them; it is first and foremost obedience to everything that doctrine teaches. The primary point that it teaches for men's obedience is love of the Lord and love of the neighbour. Whoever is devoid of this is devoid of faith, a point which the Lord teaches so plainly in Mark as to leave absolutely no room for doubt,
The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord. Therefore you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. The second is also like it, You shall love your neighbour as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these. `Mark 11bbb28-33`.
In Matthew, He calls the former 'the first and great commandment', and says 'on these commandments the Law and Prophets depend', `Matthew 22bbb35-40`. The Law and the Prophets are the doctrine of faith in its entirety and the whole of the Word.
ppp23805#pid#37. As for the statement that 'the lights will be for signs, and for set times, and for days, and for years', this contains more arcana than can be presented at this point, though no arcanum at all is visible in the sense of the letter. For now only this can be said: Change in spiritual and celestial things takes place both on general and on particular scales, and is comparable to changes that take place through the day and through the year. Changes through the day are from morning to midday, from then on to evening, and through the night to the morning. Changes in the year similar, from spring to summer, from then on to autumn, and through winter to spring. These bring changes in temperature and amount of daylight, and so in the fertility of the earth. Compared to such changes are the changes that take place in spiritual and celestial things. Life without changes and variations would lead to sameness, and so no life at all. Good and truth would not be recognized and identified, let alone perceived. In the Prophets such changes are called 'ordinances', as in Jeremiah,
[Thus] said Jehovah who gives the sun for light by day and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for light by night, These ordinances will not depart from before Me. `Jeremiah 31bbb35-36`.
And in the same prophet,
Thus said Jehovah, If I have not established My covenant of day and night, the ordinances of heaven and earth . . . `Jeremiah 33bbb25`.
But these things will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with at `Genesis 8bbb12`.
ppp23804#pid#38. Verse `Genesis 1bbbccc18` And to have dominion over the day and the night, and to make a distinction between the light and the darkness; and God saw that it was good.
'The day' is used to mean good, and 'the night' evil. Consequently goods are called 'the works of the day', whereas evils are called 'the works of the night'. 'The light' is used to mean truth, and 'the darkness' falsity, just as the Lord says,
Men preferred darkness rather than light; he who does the truth comes to the light. `John 3bbb19-21`.
Verse `Genesis 1bbbccc19` And there was evening, and there was morning, a fourth day.
ppp23803#pid#39. Verse `Genesis 1bbbccc20` And God said, Let the waters bring forth creeping things, living creatures; and let birds fly above the earth, upon the face`fff1` of the expanse of the heavens.
After the great lights have been kindled and lodged in the internal man, from which the external man receives its light, a person starts to live for the first time. Till then he can hardly be said to have lived, for he had imagined that the good he had done he had done from himself, and the truth he had uttered he had spoken from himself. And since man functioning from himself is dead - there being nothing in him that is not evil and false - therefore whatever he brings forth from himself is not living. So true is this that of himself he is incapable of doing any good deed that is in itself good. The fact that man cannot begin to think about good or to will it, and so cannot do good, unless the Lord is the source, is clear to everyone from the doctrine of faith, for the Lord says in Matthew,
He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. `Matthew 13bbb37`.
Nor can good come from anywhere else than the one fount itself of all good, as yet again He says,
Nobody is good but one, God. `Luke 18bbb19`.
ttt[2] Nevertheless when the Lord is revitalizing a person, or regenerating him, He does allow him, to begin with, to imagine that good and truth originate in himself, for at that point a person cannot grasp anything else, or be led to believe and finally perceive, that all good and truth come from the Lord alone. As long as he held the former opinion his truths and goods were comparable to 'a tender plant', then 'a plant bearing seed', and after that 'a fruit tree', which are inanimate. But once he has been brought to life by love and faith and believes that the Lord is at work in every good deed he does and in every truth he utters, he is compared first to creeping things from the water and to birds which fly above the earth, and then to beasts, all of which are animate and are called 'living creatures'.
`nnn1. literally, the faces
ppp23802#pid#40. 'Creeping things which the waters bring forth' means facts which belong to the external man, while 'birds' generally means rational concepts and also intellectual concepts, of which the latter belong to the internal man. That creeping things from the waters, or fish, mean facts is clear in Isaiah,
I came, and there was no man. By My rebuke I will dry up the sea, I will make the rivers a desert. Their fish will stink because there is no water and will die of thirst. I will clothe the heavens with darkness. `Isaiah 50bbb2-3`.
ttt[2] This is plainer still in Ezekiel where the Lord describes the new temple, or new Church in general, and the member of the Church, or person who has been regenerated, for every regenerate person is a temple of the Lord,
The Lord Jehovih`fff1` said to me, Those waters which will go out to the boundary eastwards will come towards the sea, having been directed into the sea, and the waters will be fresh. And it will be that every living creature which swarms will live, wherever the water of the rivers reaches, and there will be very many fish, for these waters are going there and will become fresh; and everything will live where the river goes. And it will be that fishermen from En-gedi to En-eglaim will stand beside it, with nets spread out. Its fish according to their kinds will be very many, like the fish of the great sea. `Ezekiel 47bbb8-10`.
'Fishermen from En-gedi to En-eglaim with their nets stretched out' means people who are to teach the natural man about the truths of faith.
ttt[3] In the Prophets 'birds' invariably means rational concepts and intellectual concepts, as in Isaiah,
Calling a bird of prey from the east, a man of My counsel from a distant land. `Isaiah 46bbb11`.
In Jeremiah,
I looked, and behold there was no man, and all the birds of the air`fff2` had fled. `Jeremiah 4bbb25`.
In Ezekiel,
I will plant the sprig of a lofty cedar, and it will bring forth a branch, and bear fruit, and it will become a noble cedar, and under it will dwell every bird of every sort,`fff3` in the shade of its branches they will dwell. `Ezekiel 17bbb23`.
And in Hosea, when the subject is a new Church, or regenerate person,
And I will make for them a covenant on that day, with the wild animals of the field, and with the birds of the air,`fff2` and with things moving on the ground. `Hosea 2bbb18`.
Anyone may see that because the Lord 'is making a new covenant' with them, 'wild animal' is not used to mean a wild animal, nor 'bird' to mean a bird.
`nnn1. The Latin has Jehovah; for the form Jehovih see `@@@1793`
`nnn2. literally, bird of the heavens (or the skies)
`nnn3. literally, of every wing
ppp23801#pid#41. Anything that is man's own has no life in it; and when depicted visually it looks like something hard as a bone and black. But anything that comes from the Lord does contain life. It has that which is spiritual and celestial within it, and when depicted visually it looks human and alive. It is perhaps incredible, but nevertheless absolutely true, that every expression, every idea, and every least thought of an angelic spirit is alive. In even the most detailed areas of his thought there is an affection that comes from the Lord, who is life itself. Consequently all that derives from the Lord has life within it, for it contains faith in Him, and is here meant by 'a living creature'. It then has the outward appearance of a body, meant here by that which is moving, or creeping. To man these matters remain arcana, but since the subject here is the living and moving creature, they ought at least to be mentioned here.
ppp23800#pid#42. Verse `Genesis 1bbbccc21` And God created the great sea monsters, and every living creature that creeps, which the waters produced abundantly according to their kinds; and all winged birds according to their kinds; and God saw that it was good.
As has been stated, 'fish' means facts, here facts quickened and brought to life through faith from the Lord. 'Sea monsters' means those facts' general sources, below which and from which details derive. Nothing whatever exists in the universe that does not depend on some general source for its commencement and continuance. In the Prophets sea monsters or whales are mentioned several times, and in those places they mean those general sources of facts. Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, who represents human wisdom or intelligence - that is, knowledge in general - is called 'a great sea monster', as in Ezekiel,
Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great monster lying in the midst of his`fff1` rivers, who has said, It is my river and I have made myself. `Ezekiel 29bbb3`.
ttt[2] And elsewhere in Ezekiel,
Raise a lamentation over Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and say to him, You are like a monster in the seas, and you have come forth in your rivers, and have troubled the waters with your feet. `Ezekiel 32bbb2`
These words mean people who wish to penetrate the mysteries that are part of faith by means of facts, and so from themselves. In Isaiah,
On that day Jehovah will make a visitation with His hard and great and strong sword upon Leviathan the full-length serpent,`fff2` and upon Leviathan the twisting serpent, and He will slay the monsters that are in the sea. `Isaiah 27bbb1`.
'Slaying the monsters in the sea' means preventing people's knowing facts even in their general aspects. In Jeremiah,
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babel has devoured me, he has troubled me, he has made me an empty vessel, he has swallowed me up like a sea monster, he has filled his belly with my delicacies, he has cast me out. `Jeremiah 51bbb34`.
This stands for the fact that mankind did swallow cognitions of faith, which are 'the delicacies' here, just as the sea monster swallowed up Jonah. In that story the sea monster stands for people who treat general cognitions of faith as mere facts, and behave accordingly.
`nnn1. The Latin means your; but the Hebrew means his which Swedenborg has in other places where he quotes this verse.
`nnn2. i.e. a serpent that is on the move and not coiled up
ppp23799#pid#43. Verse `Genesis 1bbbccc22` And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas; and let birds be multiplied upon the earth.
Everything that has life in it from the Lord is fruitful and multiplies without limit. This does not happen during a person's lifetime, but in the next life it does so to an astonishing extent. In the Word 'to be fruitful' has reference to matters of love, while 'to multiply' has reference to matters of faith. The fruit of love contains the seed by which it multiplies itself to so great an extent. The Lord' s blessing also means, in the Word, fruitfulness and multiplication, for they are the outcome of that blessing.
Verse `Genesis 1bbbccc23` And there was evening, and there was morning, a fifth day.
ppp23798#pid#44. Verses `Genesis 1bbbccc24-25` And God said, Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds, beasts and creeping things and wild animals of the earth according to their kinds; and it was so. And God made wild animals of the earth according to their kinds, and beasts according to their kinds, and everything that creeps along the ground according to its kind; and God saw that it was good.
Man, like the earth, can produce nothing good unless the cognitions of faith have already been sown in him enabling him to know what to believe and do. It is the function of the understanding to hear the Word, and of the will to do it. A person who hears the Word and does not do it is one who claims to believe, but he does not live according to it. Such a person separates hearing and doing, and splits his mind in two directions; and by the Lord he is called 'a foolish man',
Everyone who hears My words and does them I liken to a wise man who built his house upon the rock; but everyone who hears My words and does them not I liken to a foolish man who built his house upon the sand. `Matthew 7bbb24`, `Matthew 7bbbccc26`.
Matters of the understanding, as has been shown, are meant by 'creeping things which the waters produce', and by 'birds over the earth and over the face`fff1` of the expanse'. Matters of the will are here meant by 'living creatures which the earth brings forth', and by 'beasts and creeping things', and also by 'the wild animals of the earth'.
`nnn1. literally, the faces
ppp23797#pid#45. This was how people who lived in most ancient times envisaged matters of the understanding and those of the will. Among the Prophets therefore, and consistently throughout the Old Testament Word, like matters are represented by various kinds of living creatures. There are two kinds of beasts - evil ones, because they are harmful, and good ones, because they are gentle. Evil [and harmful] things in man were meant by such beasts as bears, wolves, and dogs, while good and gentle things were meant by beasts such as calves, sheep, and lambs. As the subject here is those persons who are to be regenerated, 'the beasts' are good and gentle ones, which mean affections. Things of a baser nature that derive from the body are called 'wild animals of the earth'. These are desires and pleasures.
ppp23796#pid#46. That 'beasts' means affections residing with man - evil affections in evil men and good affections in good men - becomes clear from many examples in the Word, as in Ezekiel,
Behold, I am for you, and I will turn to you, so that you will be tilled and sown; and I will multiply upon you man and beast, and they will be multiplied and be fruitful, and I will resettle you`fff1` to be as in your ancient times. `Ezekiel 36bbb9-11`.
This refers to regeneration. In Joel,
Fear not, you beasts of My field, for the dwelling-places of the wilderness have been made green. `Joel 2bbb22`.
In David,
I was stupid, a beast`fff2` was I with God. `Psalms 73bbb12`.
In Jeremiah,
Behold, the days are coming when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and the seed of beast, and I will watch over them to build and to plant. `Jeremiah 31bbb27-28`.
This refers to regeneration.
ttt[2] 'Wild animals' (fera) has a similar meaning, as in Hosea,
I will make for them a covenant on that day, with the wild animals of the field, and with the birds of the air,`fff3` and with the creeping things of the earth. `Hosea 2bbb18`.
In Job,
You will not fear the wild animals of the earth, for your covenant will be with the stones of the field, and the wild beasts of the field will be at peace with you. `Job 5bbb22-23`.
In Ezekiel,
I will make with them`fff4` a covenant of peace, and I will banish the evil wild animal from the land, so that they may dwell securely in the wilderness. `Ezekiel 34bbb25`.
In Isaiah,
The wild animals of the field will honour me, for I have given water in the desert. `Isaiah 43bbb20`.
In Ezekiel,
In its branches all the birds of the air`fff3` made their nests and under its branches every wild animal of the field gave birth, and in its shadow dwelt all great nations. `Ezekiel 31bbb6`.
This refers to Assyria, which means the spiritual man and is compared to the Garden of Eden. In David,
Praise Jehovah, all his angels, praise Him from the earth, sea monsters, fruit trees, wild animals, and all beasts, creeping things, and flying birds! `Psalms 148bbb2-4`, `Psalms 148bbbccc7`, `Psalms 148bbbccc9-10`.
Here the list is precisely the same - sea monsters, fruit trees, wild animals, beasts, creeping things, and birds. Unless they all mean things that are alive in human beings, they cannot possibly be referred to as praising Jehovah.
ttt[3] A careful distinction is made in the Prophets between beasts and wild animals of the earth, and between beasts and wild animals of the field. The practice of calling goods 'beasts' extends to calling people in heaven who are nearest to the Lord 'living creatures', both in Ezekiel and in John,
All the angels stood around the throne, and the elders, and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God.`fff5` `Revelation 7bbb11`; `Revelation ccc19bbb4`.
The expression 'creatures' is also used of people who are to have the gospel preached to them because they are to be created anew, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. `Mark 16bbb15`.
`nnn1. literally, I will cause you to inhabit
`nnn2. literally, beasts
`nnn3. literally, bird of the heavens (or the skies)
`nnn4. The Latin means with you; but the Hebrew means with them which Swedenborg has in other places where he quotes this verse.
`nnn5. The Latin means the Lamb; but the Greek means God which Swedenborg has in other places where he quotes this verse.
ppp23795#pid#47. That these words contain arcana concerning regeneration becomes additionally clear from the fact that verse `Genesis 1bbbccc24` above spoke of the earth bringing forth 'living creatures, beasts, and wild animals of the earth', while in the verse that followed the order was different, namely that God made the wild animals of the earth first and then the beasts. Indeed a person does first produce things so to speak from himself, and continues to do so until he becomes celestial. And so regeneration begins with the external man and moves on to the internal. This is why there is a different order here, with external things coming first.
ppp23794#pid#48. From these considerations it is now clear that the fifth state is one in which a person speaks from faith which is part of the understanding and in so doing confirms himself in truth and good; and that what he produces at that point are the animate things called 'the fish of the sea and the birds of the air.`fff1` It is also clear that the sixth state exists when he utters truths and performs good deeds from faith which is part of the understanding and so from love which is part of the will. What he produces at that point is called a living creature and a beast. And because at that point he begins to act both from faith and from love simultaneously, he becomes a spiritual man, who is called an image; and this is dealt with next.
`nnn1. literally, birds of the heavens (or the skies)
ppp23793#pid#49. Verse `Genesis 1bbbccc26` And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and they will have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air,`fff1` and over the beasts, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.
To people in the Most Ancient Church with whom the Lord spoke face to face, the Lord appeared as Man. (Much can be told about those people, but this is not the time to do so.) For this reason they called nobody man except the Lord and whatever may have been His. They did not even call themselves man, but only the things which they perceived that they had from the Lord, such as every good stemming from love and every truth of faith. These things were said to be human because they were the Lord's.
ttt[2] In the Prophets therefore, in the highest sense, 'man' and 'son of man' are used to mean the Lord. In the internal sense they are used to mean wisdom and intelligence, and so everyone who is regenerate, as in Jeremiah,
I looked to the earth, and behold, a void and an emptiness, and towards the heavens, and behold, they had no light. I looked, and behold there was no man; and all the birds of the air`fff1` had fled. `Jeremiah 4bbb23`, `Jeremiah 4bbbccc25`.
In Isaiah where in the internal sense 'man' means a regenerate person, the Lord Himself as the One Man is meant in the highest sense,
Thus said Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, and He who formed him, It was I that made the earth and it was I that created man upon it; My hands stretched out the heavens, and I commanded all their host. `Isaiah 45bbb11-13`
ttt[3] The Lord was therefore seen by the Prophets as Man, for example by Ezekiel,
Above the firmament in appearance like a sapphire stone there was the likeness of a throne, and above the likeness of a throne, there was a likeness, as the appearance of a Man upon it above. `Ezekiel 1bbb26`.
And the One whom Daniel saw was called 'a Son of Man', or what amounts to the same, Man,
I looked, and behold, with the clouds of heaven One like the Son of Man was coming; and He came even to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. And to Him was given dominion and glory and kingdom; and all peoples, nations, and languages will serve Him. His dominion is the dominion of an age, which will not pass away, and His kingdom one that will not perish. `Daniel 7bbb13-14`.
ttt[4] Moreover the Lord quite often calls Himself the Son of Man or Man, and, as is done in Daniel, foretells His entry into glory,
They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and glory. `Matthew 24bbb23`, `Matthew 24bbbccc30`.
The literal sense of the Word is called 'the clouds of heaven', its internal sense 'power and glory'. The internal sense, in every single detail, focuses exclusively on the Lord and His kingdom. Consequently it is the spiritual sense which contains power and glory.
`nnn1. literally, bird of the heavens (or the skies)
ppp23792#pid#50. What the Most Ancient Church understood by 'the image of the Lord' exceeds everything one can say about it. Man is totally unaware of the fact that the Lord is governing him by means of angels and spirits, and that at least two spirits and two angels are present with everyone. By means of the spirits he is in communication with the world of spirits, and by means of the angels with heaven. Without this communication with the world of spirits by means of the spirits, and with heaven by means of the angels, and so by means of heaven with the Lord, a person cannot exist at all. His entire life depends upon that link, and if the spirits and angels were to withdraw he would perish instantly.
ttt[2] As long as a person remains unregenerate he is governed in an entirely different way from when he is regenerate. As long as he is unregenerate, evil spirits reside with him, who have such dominion over him that angels, though present, can accomplish little more than simply distract him from plunging into utter evil and so divert him towards something good. Indeed they use his own unregenerate desires to divert him towards good, and his illusions of the senses to do so towards truth. At that point he is in communication with the world of spirits by means of the spirits who reside with him, but not in the same way with heaven, for the reason that evil spirits have dominion and angels simply forestall them.
ttt[3] When however he is regenerate it is the angels who then have dominion, and they breathe into him every kind of good and truth, as well as a horror and dread of evils and falsifies. Angels do indeed lead, yet they are but servants, for it is the Lord alone who, by means of angels and spirits, governs a person. Now because this is done through the ministry of angels, it is said here, in the plural first of all, 'Let Us make man in Our image'. Yet because it is still He alone who rules and disposes, it is said in the following verse, in the singular, 'God created him in His image'. This the Lord also states plainly in Isaiah,
Thus said Jehovah, your Redeemer, He who formed you from the womb, I Jehovah make all things, stretching out the heavens Alone, spreading out the earth by Myself. `Isaiah 44bbb24`.
Angels themselves also profess that no power at all resides with themselves but that they act from the Lord alone.
ppp23791#pid#51. As regards what the image is, an image is not a likeness but is 'according to a likeness'. Therefore it is said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness'. A spiritual man is an image, whereas a celestial man is a likeness or exact replica. The spiritual man is the subject in this present chapter, the celestial man in the next. The spiritual man, who is an image, is called by the Lord 'a son of light', as in John,
He who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may be sons of light. `John 12bbb35-36`.
He is also called 'a friend',
You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. `John 15bbb14-15`
The celestial man however, who is a likeness, is called 'a son of God', in John,
As many as received Him, to them He gave power to be sons of God, to those believing in His Name, who were born, not of blood,`fff1` nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. `John 1bbb12-13`.
`nnn1. literally, of bloods
ppp23790#pid#52. As long as someone is a spiritual man, the dominion over him runs from external man to internal man, as is said here, 'They will have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air', and over the beasts, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth'. When however he becomes celestial and does what is good out of love, then the dominion over him runs from internal man to external man. This is how the Lord describes Himself, and so simultaneously the celestial man, who is a likeness of Him, in David,
You have given him dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, flocks and all cattle, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the air,`fff1` and the fish of the sea, and that crossing the paths of the seas. `Psalms 8bbb6-8`.
Here therefore the beasts are mentioned first, the birds next, and the fish of the sea after that, for the reason that the celestial man starts with love which resides in the will. With the spiritual man it is different. With him fish and birds, which have to do with the understanding, the domain of faith, come first, while beasts come afterwards.
`nnn1. literally, bird of the heavens (or the skies)
ppp23789#pid#53. Verse `Genesis 1bbbccc27` And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him. 'Image' is mentioned twice here for the reason that faith, which resides in the understanding, is called 'His own image', while love, which resides in the will, is called 'the image of God'. The latter comes second in a spiritual man but first in a celestial man.
ppp23788#pid#54. Male and female He created them. What 'male and female' is used to mean in the internal sense was very well known in the Most Ancient Church, but when among later generations the interior sense of the Word was lost, so too was this particular arcanum. Marriages gave them their highest forms of happiness and delight; and they used to liken to a marriage anything that could be likened to it, in order that from it they might feel the happiness of marriage. And because they were internal men they took delight solely in internal things. As to external things, they did no more with them than take them in with their eyes, but their thoughts involved what those things represented - so much so that external things meant nothing to them except insofar as they could reflect internal things in them, and in those internal things reflect celestial things, and in so doing reflect the Lord, who was to them everything. Consequently they reflected the heavenly marriage in those things, which, they perceived, was the source of the happiness in their own marriages. For this reason they called the understanding in the spiritual man Male and the will Female, and when the two acted as one, they called it Marriage. From that Church sprang the common usage of referring to the Church itself, because of its affection for good, as 'a daughter', and also 'a virgin' - as in Virgin of Zion, Virgin of Jerusalem - and 'a wife' as well. On these matters however see verse `Genesis 2bbbccc23` of the next chapter, and Chapter `Genesis ccc3bbb15`.
ppp23787#pid#55. Verse `Genesis 1bbbccc28` And God blessed them, and God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air,`fff1` and over every living thing that creeps upon the earth.
Because the most ancient people applied the term Marriage to understanding and will, or faith and love, when joined together, they gave the name Fruitfulness to any good resulting from that marriage, and Multiplication to any truth. For this reason similar expressions occur in the Prophets, as in Ezekiel,
I will multiply upon you man and beast, and they will multiply and be fruitful, and I will resettle you`fff2` to be as in your ancient times, and I will bless you more than in your former times, and you will know that I am Jehovah, and I will cause man to walk upon you, even My people Israel. `Ezekiel 36bbb8-11`.
Here 'man' is used to mean the spiritual man, who is also called Israel, 'ancient times' the Most Ancient Church, 'former times' the Ancient Church which came after the Flood. The reason why 'multiplying', which relates to truth, comes first and why 'being fruitful', which relates to good, follows is that the subject is the person who is to be regenerated, not one who has been regenerated.
ttt[2] When the understanding is coupled to the will, or faith to love, the individual is called by the Lord in Isaiah 'a married land',
Your land will no more be called Desolate, but you will be named My-good-pleasure-is-in-her, and your land, Married; for Jehovah will take His pleasure in you, and your land will be married. `Isaiah 62bbb4`.
The resulting fruits which are matters of truth are called 'sons', and the fruits which are matters of good are called 'daughters'. This recurs very frequently in the Word.
ttt[3] The earth is 'being filled' when there are many goods and truths, for when the Lord is 'blessing' and 'saying' - that is, when He is at work - the increase of good and truth is limitless, as the Lord says,
The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field; it is indeed the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of all plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air`fff3` come and nest in its branches. `Matthew 13bbb31-32`.
'A grain of mustard seed' is the good a person has before he becomes spiritual. It is 'the smallest of all seeds' because he imagines that he himself is the source of the good he does. In reality what he does of himself is nothing but evil, yet because he is in a state of being regenerated there is some element of good, though it is quite 'the smallest of all'. Later on when faith is being joined to love it grows larger and becomes 'a plant'. Once it has finally been joined to love it develops into a tree, and at that point 'the birds of the air,`fff3` which here are truths or intellectual concepts, 'nest in its branches', which are facts.
ttt[4] A person is involved in conflict not only when becoming spiritual, but also when he is spiritual. Hence the statement, 'Subdue the earth, and have dominion over it'.
`nnn1. literally, bird of the heavens (of the skies)
`nnn2. literally, I will cause you to inhabit
`nnn3. literally, birds of heaven (or the sky)
ppp23786#pid#56. Verse `Genesis 1bbbccc29` And God said, Behold, I give you every plant yielding seed which is upon the face`fff1` of the whole earth, and every tree in which there is fruit, the tree producing seed will be for you for food. A celestial man takes delight in none but celestial things, and because these suit his life they are called celestial food. A spiritual man takes delight in spiritual things, and because they suit his life they are called spiritual food. The same applies to a natural man and natural things, and because they suit his life they too are called food, and are chiefly facts. Here, since the subject is the spiritual man, his spiritual food is described by representatives, that is to say, spiritual food is represented by 'the plant yielding seed' and by 'the tree in which there is fruit', which in general are called 'the tree producing seed'. His natural food is described in the next verse.
`nnn1. literally, the faces
ppp23785#pid#57. 'The plant yielding seed' is every truth that looks towards a use. 'The tree in which there is fruit' is the good that accompanies faith. 'Fruit' is what the Lord gives to the celestial man, while 'seed', the source of the fruit, is what He gives to the spiritual man. This is why it is said that 'the tree producing seed will be for you for food'. That celestial food is called 'fruit from a tree' is clear from the next chapter where the subject is the celestial man. Here let just that be mentioned which the Lord spoke through Ezekiel,
Beside the river there is rising up upon its bank, on this side and on that, every tree for food. Its leaf will not fall nor its fruit fail. It is re-born monthly, for its waters flow out from the Sanctuary, and its fruit will be for food, and its leaf for medicine. `Ezekiel 47bbb12`.
'Waters from the Sanctuary' means the life and mercy of the Lord, who is the Sanctuary; 'fruit' means wisdom, which is food for them; 'leaf' is intelligence, which is given them for a use, which is called 'medicine'. Spiritual food however is called 'a plant', as stated through David,
[Jehovah is] my Shepherd, I shall not want; He makes me`fff1` lie down in green pastures.`fff2` `Psalms 23bbb1-2`.
`nnn1. The Latin means You makest me; but the Hebrew means He makes me or, as Swedenborg renders in other places where he quotes this verse, He will make me.
`nnn2. literally, pastures of the plant
ppp23784#pid#58. Verse `Genesis 1bbbccc30` And to every wild animal of the earth and to every bird of the air,`fff1` and to everything creeping over the earth in which there is a living soul [I give] every plant for food; and it was so.
The natural food of this same [spiritual man] is being described here. His natural level is here meant by 'wild animal of the earth' and by 'bird of the air, to which 'the edible and green plant`fff2` has been given for food'. Both kinds of food, natural and spiritual, are referred to in David as follows,
Jehovah causes the grass to grow for the beast, and the plant for man's service, that he may bring forth bread from the earth. `Psalms 104bbb14`.
Here 'beast' stands for both wild animals of the earth and birds of the air,`fff1` both being mentioned in verses `Genesis 1bbbccc11-12` of that Psalm.
`nnn1. literally, bird of the heavens (or the skies)
`nnn2. See `@@@996[3]`
ppp23783#pid#59. The reason only edible and green plants are mentioned here as food for the natural man is this: While a person is being regenerated and becoming spiritual he is involved constantly in conflict, which is why the Lord's Church is called militant. For before regeneration started, evil desires were in control, since the whole person consisted entirely of evil desires and resulting falsities. During the process of regeneration his desires and falsities cannot be done away with instantly, since that would amount to destroying the whole person; indeed he has not acquired any other life for himself. So for a long time evil spirits are left with him to activate his desires, and so release them in countless ways. Indeed the spirits are left there to do this in order that those desires may be turned by the Lord towards something good, and in this way the person may be reformed. In the hour of conflict evil spirits are present who absolutely hate everything that is good and true, that is, every element of love and faith in the Lord - elements that alone are good and true because they contain eternal life. These evil spirits leave a person with no other food than that which is compared to edible and green plants. But the Lord gives him a food as well that is compared to the plant yielding seed and to the tree in which there is fruit. These are periods of peace and calm attended by their forms of delight and happiness. This cycle occurs repeatedly.
ttt[2] If the Lord did not protect man moment by moment, and in every shortest instant, he would immediately perish, for there is such murderous hatred reigning in the world of spirits against all forms of love and faith in the Lord as to defy description. I can positively declare that this is so, because for several years now, although still in the [physical] body, I have also been in the next life in the company of spirits. I have been surrounded by evil spirits, even the worst of them, sometimes by thousands, who have been allowed to pour out their venom and molest me in every possible way, but who nevertheless could do no harm to the tiniest hair on my head, so well did the Lord protect me. From all these years of experience I have become thoroughly informed about the character of the world of spirits and also about the conflict which people who are being regenerated must inevitably undergo if they are to attain the happiness of eternal life. But because nobody from just a general description can be so well informed as to have a faith free from doubt, these matters in the Lord's Divine mercy will therefore be noted in greater detail later on.
ppp23782#pid#60. Verse `Genesis 1bbbccc31` And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning, a sixth day.
This verse says 'very good', whereas previous verses merely said 'good', for now the things of faith make one with those of love. A marriage has accordingly taken place between spiritual and celestial things.
ppp23781#pid#61. Everything that has to do with cognitions of faith is called spiritual, and everything that has to do with love to the Lord and towards the neighbour is called celestial. The former belong to man's understanding, the latter to his will.
ppp23780#pid#62. The stages and states of the regeneration of man - both of mankind and of the individual person - divide into six and are called the days of his creation. Gradually from being no man at all, he first becomes something, though only little, then something more, until the sixth day is reached, when he becomes 'an image'.
ppp23779#pid#63. Meanwhile the Lord is constantly fighting on his behalf against evils and falsities and by these conflicts is confirming him in truth and good. The hour of conflict is the hour when the Lord is at work, which is why in the Prophets a regenerate person is called 'the work of God's fingers'. Nor does He rest until love is playing the leading part, at which point conflict ceases. When that work has reached the point where faith has been joined to love, it is then called 'very good', for the Lord then moves him to be a likeness of Himself. At the end of the sixth day evil spirits go away and good ones take their place; then the person is led into heaven, or the heavenly paradise, which is the subject of the next chapter.
ppp23778#pid#64. This, then, is the internal sense of the Word, its very life, which is nowhere discernible from the sense of the letter. Yet so many are the arcana that several volumes would not be sufficient to explain them all. Here only a very few have been stated, such as may serve to confirm that the subject here is regeneration and that this starts with the external man and moves on to the internal. This is how angels perceive the Word. They know absolutely nothing of what belongs to the letter. They come nowhere near knowing the meaning of one single expression, let alone the names of the lands, cities, rivers, and persons which occur so frequently in historical and prophetical sections. They have a concept only of the things meant by expressions and names. By Adam in Paradise, for example, they Perceive the Most Ancient Church, yet not the Church but that Church's faith in the Lord; by Noah the Church surviving among its descendants, and which lasted down to the time of Abram; by Abraham they in no way perceive the historical character but a saving faith, which he represented; and so on. Angels in this manner perceive matters of a spiritual and celestial nature totally detached from expressions and names.
ppp23777#pid#65. When I was reading the Word certain persons were brought into the outer court of heaven, and from there they spoke to me. They kept on saying that they did not understand the smallest detail of any word or letter in it, only what those things meant in the sense that lies next within it. They declared that these things were so beautiful, so arranged and ordered, and for them so moving, that they called them the glory.
ppp23776#pid#66. There are in general four differing styles in the Word. The FIRST is that of the Most Ancient Church. In their mode of expression, when they mentioned earthly and worldly things their thought was of the spiritual and celestial things which these represented. For this reason they not only expressed themselves by means of representatives but also, to bring them to life, they arranged them in quasi-historical sequence, and this gave them extremely great delight. This style was meant when Hannah prophesied and said,
Speak that which is high, that which is high; let that which is ancient come from your mouth. `1 Samuel 2bbb3`.
In David those representatives are called,
Dark sayings from antiquity. `Psalms 78bbb2-4`.
From the descendants of the Most Ancient Church Moses came into possession of these stories concerning Creation, concerning the Garden of Eden, and of the event, down to the time of Abram.
ttt[2] The SECOND is the historical style, which appears in the books of Moses to describe the time of Abram onwards, and in the books of Joshua, the Judges, Samuel, and the Kings. In these books the facts of history are exactly as set out in the sense of the letter, yet every single one contains something entirely different in the internal sense, which in the Lord's Divine mercy will be dealt with in proper order later on. The THIRD is the prophetical style, the offspring of the style of the Most Ancient Church, a style which they revered. However it is not continuous, nor does it take quasi-historical form as the most ancient style did. Instead it is diffuse and scarcely ever intelligible except in the internal sense where very deep arcana reside, linked together and following in perfect order. These arcana focus on the external man and the internal, the many states of the Church, heaven itself, and inmostly on the Lord. The FOURTH style is that of the Psalms of David, which varies between the prophetical style and ordinary speech. There in the personage of David asking the internal sense deals with the Lord.
ppp23775#pid#67. Genesis 2
Since the Lord's Divine mercy has allowed me to know the internal sense of the Word, and since that sense contains very deep arcana which have never entered the knowledge of anyone before now, and never can unless people know the way things exist in the next life - for most of what is in the internal sense of the Word focuses on, tells about, and embodies those things - I have been given leave to disclose what I have heard and seen during the several years now in which I have been allowed to associate with spirits and angels.
ppp23774#pid#68. I am well aware of the fact that many people will say that nobody can possibly speak to spirits or angels as long as he is living in the body, and that many will call it delusion. Some will say that I have spread these ideas around so as to win people's trust, while others will say something different again. But none of this deters me; for I have seen, I have heard, I have felt.
ppp23773#pid#69. The human being has been created by the Lord in such a way that while living in the body he could at the same time talk to spirits and angels, as actually happened in most ancient times; for being a spirit clothed with a body he is one among them. But because, after a period of time, people have so immersed themselves in bodily and worldly interests that they hardly care about anything different, that path has therefore been closed. But as soon as the bodily interests in which a person is immersed retire into the background, the path is opened, and he finds himself among spirits and shares his life with them.
ppp23772#pid#70. Since I am at liberty to disclose what I have heard and seen these several years, I need now at the out set to state what happens to a person when he is re-awakened, that is, to state the process by which he passes from the life of the body into that of eternity. So that I might know that people do live on after death, I was allowed to talk to and mix with many whom I knew during their lifetime. And this has not been for just a day or a week, but for months and up to a year; I have talked to them and mixed with them just as I did in the world. They were utterly amazed that during their lifetime, like the majority of other people, they were so disbelieving that they thought they would not be alive after death, though in fact scarcely days stand between the death of the body and being in the next life, for it is a continuation of life.
ppp23771#pid#71. Now because these matters would be diffuse and disjointed if they were included among those that have to do with the Word, let them in the Lord's Divine mercy be appended in some order before and after each chapter as sections additional to information included here and there in any chapter.
ppp23770#pid#72. At the end of this chapter let it be told how man is awakened from the dead and enters the life of eternity.
ppp23769#pid#73. `Genesis 2bbb1-17`
1. And the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
2. And on the seventh day God finished His work which He had made, and rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made.
3. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, for on that day He rested from all His work which God had created when making it.
4. These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when He created them, on the day in which Jehovah God made the earth and the heavens.
5. And no shrub of the field was yet on the earth, and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for Jehovah God had not caused it to rain upon the earth; and there was no man to till the ground.
6. And He caused a mist to go up from the earth, and it watered all the face`fff1` of the ground.
7. And Jehovah God formed the man, dust from the ground; and He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life;`fff2` and man became a living soul.
8. And Jehovah God planted a garden in Eden, from the east, and there He put the man whom He had formed.
9. And Jehovah God caused to spring up out of the ground every tree desirable to the sight and good for food; and the tree of life in the middle of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
10. And a river was going out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it divided and became four heads.
11. The of the first is the Pishon; this encompasses the whole land of Havillah, where there is gold.
12. And the gold of that land is good; bdellium is there and the shoham stone.
13. And the name of the second river is the Gihon, that which encompasses the whole land of Cush.
14. And the name of the third river is the Hiddekel. This goes eastwards towards Asshur. And the fourth river is the Phrath.
15. And Jehovah God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden, to till it and to care for it.
16. And Jehovah God commanded the man and said, From every tree in the garden you may indeed eat.
17. But from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it, for on the day that you eat of it you will surely die.
CONTENTS
Verse `Genesis 2bbbccc1` deals next with the man who from being dead has already progressed to being spiritual, and from being spiritual now progresses to being celestial.
`nnn1. literally, the faces
`nnn2. literally, Of lives
ppp23768#pid#74. The celestial man is the seventh day on which the Lord rests, verses `Genesis 2bbbccc2-3`.
ppp23767#pid#75. His factual knowledge and rational discernment are described by the shrub and the plant watered by the mist from the ground, verses `Genesis 2bbbccc5-6`.
ppp23766#pid#76. His life is described by breathing into him the breath of life,`fff1` verse `Genesis 2bbbccc7`.
`nnn1. literally, of lives
ppp23765#pid#77. After that, his intelligence is described by 'a garden in Eden, from the east', where 'the trees desirable to the sight' are perceptions of what is true, and 'trees good for food' perceptions of what is good. Love is described by 'the tree of life'', faith by 'the tree of knowledge', verses `Genesis 2bbbccc8-9`.
ppp23764#pid#78. Wisdom is described by 'the river in the garden', from which came 'four rivers'. The first of these is good and truth; the second is the knowledge of all things constituting good and truth, that is, constituting love and faith, which belong to the internal man; the third is reason, and the fourth knowledge, which belong to the external man. All of these derive from wisdom, which in turn stems from love to the Lord and faith in Him, verses `Genesis 2bbbccc10-14`.
ppp23763#pid#79. The celestial man is a garden such as this. But because it is the Lord's, though he is free to enjoy all things in it he is not free to take possession of them as his own, verse `Genesis 2bbbccc15`.
ppp23762#pid#80. He is permitted by every perception that is from the Lord to become aware of what good and truth are, but not to do so from himself or from the world, that is, to probe into mysteries that are part of faith by means of sensory evidence and factual knowledge which cause the celestial in him to die, verses `Genesis 2bbbccc16-17`.
ppp23761#pid#81. THE INTERNAL SENSE
The subject in this chapter is the celestial man; in the previous chapter it was the spiritual man who progressed to being spiritual from having been a dead man. But since people nowadays do not know what the celestial man is, and scarcely know what the spiritual man is or what the dead man is, let the nature of each one be presented briefly, in order that it may be known how they differ.
First. The dead man acknowledges no other truth or good than that belonging to the body and the world. This he also worships. The spiritual man acknowledges spiritual and celestial truth and good. But he does so not so much from love as from faith, which is also the basis of his actions. The celestial man believes and perceives spiritual and celestial truth and good, and does not acknowledge any other faith than that which stems from love, which is also the basis of his actions.
Second. The dead man has solely the life of the body and of the world as his ends in view. He does not know what eternal life is, or what the Lord is. Or if he does know, he does not believe. The spiritual man has eternal life, and therefore the Lord, as his ends in view. The celestial man has the Lord and therefore His kingdom and eternal life as his ends in view.
Third. The dead man when involved in conflict nearly always gives in. And when there is no conflict evils and falsities reign supreme within him, making him their slave. His bonds are external ones, such as fear of the law, loss of life, wealth, profits, and reputation on account of these. The spiritual man is involved in conflict, but he always conquers. The bonds which restrain him are internal, and are called the bonds of conscience. The celestial man is not involved in conflict. If evils and falsities assail him, he treats them with contempt, and is therefore called a conqueror. No visible bonds restrict him, for he is a free man. His bonds, which are not visible, are perceptions of good and truth.
ppp23760#pid#82. Verse `Genesis 2bbbccc1` And the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
These words are used to mean that the individual has now become spiritual to the point of being the sixth day. 'Heaven' is his internal man, and 'earth' his external. 'The host of them' are love, faith, and cognitions of them, which previously were meant by 'the great lights and the stars'. That the internal man is called 'heaven' and the external 'earth' becomes clear from the quotations from the Word given in the previous chapter, to which the following from Isaiah may be added,
I will make man (vir) more rare than fine gold, and man (homo) than the precious gold of Ophir. Therefore I will strike the heavens with terror, and the earth will be shaken out of its place. `Isaiah 13bbb12-13`.
And elsewhere in Isaiah,
You will forget Jehovah your Maker, who stretches out the heavens and lays the foundations of the earth. But I will put My words in your mouth and hide you in the shadow of My hand, that I may stretch out heaven and lay the foundation of the earth. `Isaiah 51bbb13`, `Isaiah 51bbbccc16`.
These quotations show that both heaven and earth have reference to man (homo). They refer, it is true, to the Most Ancient Church, but the more interior contents of the Word are such that whatever statement is made about the Church is a statement about the individual member of the Church. If he were not the Church, he could not be a part of the Church, just as anyone who is not a temple of the Lord cannot be that which is meant by a temple, namely the Church and heaven. This also is why the Most Ancient Church is called Man (a singular noun).
ppp23759#pid#83. 'The heavens and the earth and all the host of them' are said to be 'finished' when man has become 'the sixth day', for at that point faith and love make one. And when they do make one, love, which is the celestial, starts to be primary instead of faith, which is the spiritual; that is, he starts to be a celestial man.
ppp23758#pid#84. Verses `Genesis 2bbbccc2-3` And on the seventh day God finished His work which He had made, and rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, for on that day He rested from all His work which God had created when making it.
The celestial man is 'the seventh day'; and because throughout the six days it has been the Lord at work, that man is called 'His work'. In addition, because conflict at that point ceases, the Lord is said 'to rest from all His work'. It was for this reason that the seventh day was made holy and was called the Sabbath from a word for 'rest'; and it was in this manner that man was created, formed, and made, as may be seen plainly from the words themselves.
ppp23757#pid#85. That the celestial man is the seventh day, and that the seventh day was for that reason made holy and called the Sabbath from a word for 'rest', are as yet undisclosed arcana. This is because people have not known what the celestial man is, and few what the spiritual man is. In their ignorance they could not avoid making the latter the same as the celestial, when in fact there is a vast difference between them; see `@@@81`. As regards the seventh day and the celestial man's being the seventh day or Sabbath, this is clear from the fact that the Lord Himself is the Sabbath, for which reason He also says,
The Son of Man is Lord also of the Sabbath. `Mark 2bbb28`.
These words embody the concept that the Lord is Man himself, and the Sabbath itself. He gives the name Sabbath, or eternal peace and rest, to His kingdom in heaven and on earth. The Most Ancient Church, which is the subject here, was the Lord's Sabbath more than any subsequent Church.
ttt[2] Every subsequent inmost Church has been a Sabbath of the Lord, and so is every regenerate person when he becomes celestial, since he is a likeness of the Lord. Six days of conflict or labour precede this. In the Jewish Church these things were represented by the work days, and by the seventh which was the Sabbath; for in that Church, everything that had been ordained was representative of the Lord and His kingdom. The Ark too had a similar representation when it was travelling and when it came to rest. Its travels through the wilderness represented conflicts and temptations, and its resting represented states of peace. This is why when it travelled Moses said,
Arise, O Jehovah, and let Your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate You flee from Your face.`fff1` And when it came to rest he said, Return, O Jehovah, to the myriads of the thousands of Israel. `Numbers 10bbb35-36`.
The same portion of Scripture speaks of the Ark 'travelling from the mountain of Jehovah to search out rest for them'. ibid. Verse `Numbers 10bbbccc33`.
ttt[3] The Sabbath is used to describe the celestial man's rest in Isaiah,
If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, so that you do not your desire on My holy day, and you call the things which belong to the Sabbath delights honourable to the Holiness of Jehovah, and you honour it so that you do not your own ways, nor find your own desire and speak your own words, then you will be delightful to Jehovah, and I will have you carried over the high places of the earth, and I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob. `Isaiah 58bbb13-14`.
The celestial man is such that he does not base his actions on his own desires but on what pleases the Lord; this is his desire. In this way he enjoys inward peace and happiness, here expressed by 'being carried up over the high places of the earth'. At the same time he enjoys outward contentment and joy, meant by 'being fed with the heritage of Jacob'.
`nnn1. literally, faces
ppp23756#pid#86. When the spiritual man, already made 'the sixth day', starts to become celestial, which is the subject here at the beginning, it is 'the evening of the Sabbath'. This was represented in the Jewish Church by the holiness of the Sabbath extending from evening onwards. The celestial man, dealt with in what follows next, is the morning.
ppp23755#pid#87. Another reason why the celestial man is the Sabbath or rest is that conflict ceases when he becomes celestial. Evil spirits withdraw and good spirits approach, as do celestial angels. When these are present evil spirits cannot possibly be present too, but flee far away. And because it was not the person himself who fought but the Lord alone on his behalf, it is said that 'the Lord rested'.
ppp23754#pid#88. When the spiritual man becomes celestial he is called 'God's work', because the Lord alone fought on his behalf and created, formed, and made him. This is why it is said here that 'God finished His work on the seventh day', and why it is twice said that 'He rested from all His work'. Time and again in the Prophets man is called 'the work of Jehovah's hands and fingers', as in Isaiah, when someone who is regenerate is the subject,
Thus said Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, and He who formed him, Seek signs from Me concerning My sons, and over the work of My hands command Me. I made the earth, and created man upon it; it was I, My hands stretched out the heavens, and I commanded all their host. For thus said Jehovah who created the heavens and who is God, who formed the earth and made it: He who established it did not create it an emptiness; He formed it to be inhabited. It was I Jehovah, and no god else besides Me. `Isaiah 45bbb11-12`, `Isaiah 45bbbccc18`, `Isaiah 45bbbccc21`.
It is clear from these verses that the new creation, or regeneration, is the work of the Lord alone. Each of the verbs, create, form, and make, is quite different in its usage, as in these verses from Isaiah where it is said that 'He created the heavens, formed the earth and made it'. Also elsewhere in Isaiah,
Every one who is called by My name, I have created him for My glory, I have formed him, I have also made him. `Isaiah 43bbb7`.
The same applies in the previous and in the present chapters, as for example here in verse `Genesis 2bbbccc3`, 'He rested from all His work which God had created when making it'. Wherever these verbs occur the internal sense possesses a distinct concept, as it also does when the Lord is called Creator, or Former, or Maker.
ppp23753#pid#89. Verse `Genesis 2bbbccc4` These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when He created them, on the day in which Jehovah God made the earth and the heavens.
'The generations of the heavens and the earth' are stages in the formation of the celestial man. The fact that the formation of that man is now the subject is also quite clear from the details that follow, for example 'no plant had yet sprung up', 'there was no man to till the ground', then 'Jehovah God formed the man', and after that 'every beast and bird of the air'.`fff1` According to the previous chapter, man, beast, and bird have been formed already, which means that a different man is the subject here. This is further evident from the fact that 'Jehovah God' is now mentioned for the first time, whereas previously, when the subject has been the spiritual man, He is called simply 'God'. Also 'ground and field' are referred to now, whereas previously it was merely 'the earth'. And in the present verse 'heaven' is first of all mentioned before 'earth' and then 'earth' before 'heaven'. This is because 'earth' means the external man and 'heaven' the internal. With the spiritual man, in whom reformation is taking place, the starting point is the earth or external man; but here, where the subject is celestial man, the starting point is the internal man or heaven.
`nnn1. literally, bird of the heavens (or the skies)
ppp23752#pid#90. Verses `Genesis 2bbbccc5-6` And no shrub of the field was yet on the earth, and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for Jehovah God had not caused it to rain upon the earth; and there was no man to till the ground. And He caused a mist to go up from the earth, and it watered all the face`fff1` of the ground.
'Shrub of the field' and 'plant of the field' are used to mean in general everything which his external man brings forth. 'Earth' is the external man while he was spiritual; 'ground', and 'field' as well, is his external man when he is becoming celestial. 'The rain', which is next called 'a mist', is the serenity of peace when conflict comes to an end.
`nnn1. literally, The faces
ppp23751#pid#91. But unless man's state in which, from being spiritual, he is becoming celestial is known, one cannot possibly perceive what these expressions embody, for they are quite deep arcana. When he is spiritual, the external man is not yet willing to comply with and serve the internal man, and so there is conflict. But when he is becoming celestial, the external man starts to comply with and serve the internal. As a result conflict ceases, and tranquillity ensues; see `@@@87`. This tranquillity is meant by 'the rain' and by 'the mist', for it resembles a mist, with which his internal man waters and bathes the external. This serenity which is characteristic of Peace brings forth the things which are called 'the shrub of the field' and 'the plant of the field'. Specifically, these are the rational concepts and the facts that have a celestial-spiritual origin.
ppp23750#pid#92. None but the person who is acquainted with the state of peace is capable of knowing about the serenity of the peace of the external man, which ensues when conflict, the unrest caused by evil desires and by falsities, comes to an end. That state is so joyful that it transcends every idea of joy. It is not just an end of conflict; it is also life coming from an inward peace, influencing the external man in a way that defies description. At that point truths of faith and goods of love are born, which draw their life from the joy that peace brings.
ppp23749#pid#93. This state of the celestial man who has been granted the serenity of peace, who has been recreated by the rain, and freed from the slavery of evil and falsity, the Lord describes through Ezekiel as follows,
I will make with them a covenant of peace and I will banish the evil wild animal from the land, and they will dwell securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods, and I will give them and the places around My hill a blessing, and I will cause the rain to descend in its season. They will be showers of blessing. And the tree of the field will give its fruit, and the earth will give its increase, and they will be there with confidence on their land, and they will know that I am Jehovah, that I will break the bars of their yoke, and I will free them from the hand of those who enslave them. You are My flock, the flock of My pasture. You are man, I am your God. `Ezekiel 34bbb25-27`, `Ezekiel 34bbbccc31`.
And through Hosea He describes the attainment of this on the third day, which has the same meaning in the Word as the seventh,
He will revive us after two days, on the third day He will raise us up, and we shall live before Him. And we shall know, and we shall press on to know Jehovah. Ready as the dawn is His going forth, and He will come to us like the rain, like the latter rain that waters the earth. `Hosea 6bbb2-3`.
And through Ezekiel, when the Ancient Church is the subject, the attainment of that state is compared to the seed of the field,
I gave you to be like the seed of the field; and you grew up and became tall and reached full beauty. `Ezekiel 16bbb7`.
It is also compared to
The shoot of plantings, and the work of the hands of Jehovah God. `Isaiah 60bbb11`.
ppp23748#pid#94. Verse `Genesis 2bbbccc7` And Jehovah God formed the man, dust from the ground; and He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life;`fff1` and man became a living soul. 'To form the man, dust from the ground' is to form his external man, which had not previously been man, for it was said in verse `Genesis 2bbbccc5` that there was no man to till the ground. 'Breathing into his nostrils the breath of life'`fff1` means giving him the life that is inherent in faith and love. By 'man became a living soul' is meant that the external man as well became living.
`nnn1. literally, of lives
ppp23747#pid#95. The subject here is the life of the external man. In the two previous verses it was the life of his faith or understanding, now in this verse the life of his love or will. Previously the external man was not willing to comply with or serve the internal but constantly struggled against it, and so the external man at that time was not man. But now that he has become celestial the external man starts to comply with and serve the internal, and becomes man as well - in particular through the life inherent in faith and the life inherent in love. The life of faith prepares him to be man, while the life of love actually makes him so.
ppp23746#pid#96. The implications of the statement that Jehovah God 'breathed into his nostrils' are as follows: In ancient times, and in the Word, the nostrils meant something that was pleasing by virtue of its odour, which means perception Consequently one reads many times of Jehovah 'smelling an odour of rest' from burnt offerings and from the things which represented Him and His kingdom. And since matters of love and faith are most pleasing to Him, it is said that He breathed the breath of life' through his nostrils. This is why Jehovah's Anointed, who is the Lord, is called 'the-Breath-of-nostrils', `Lamentations 4bbb20`. And this was what the Lord Himself meant by breathing on His disciples, in John,
He breathed and said, Receive the Holy Spirit. `John 10bbb22`.
ppp23745#pid#97. A further reason why life is described as breathing and breath is that members of the Most Ancient Church perceived states of love and faith by means of states of breathing, which states changed step by step in their descendants. To say anything as yet about that type of breathing is not possible since it is completely hidden from men at the present day. The most ancient people were well acquainted with it, and so are people in the next life; but nobody on earth up to now has been acquainted with it. This is why people used to liken the spirit or life to the wind, including the Lord when talking about man's regeneration, in John,
The spirit (or wind) blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is with everyone who has been begotten of the spirit. `John 3bbb8`.
Similarly in David,
By the word of Jehovah were the heavens made, and all their host by the spirit (or wind) of His mouth. `Psalms 33bbb6`.
And in the same author,
You gatherest up their spirit, they breathe their last and return to their dust. You send forth Your spirit, they are created, and You renewest the face`fff1` of the ground. `Psalms 104bbb29-30`.
That 'breath' stands for the life inherent in faith and love is clear in Job,
It is the spirit in a man, and the breath of Shaddai`fff2` makes them understand. `Job 32bbb8`.
Also in the same book,
The spirit of God has made me, and the breath of Shaddai`fff2` has given me life. `Job 33bbb4`.
`nnn1. literally, the faces
`nnn2. Usually translated the Almighty; but see `@@@1992`.
ppp23744#pid#98. Verse `Genesis 2bbbccc8` And Jehovah God planted a garden in Eden, from the east, and there He put the man whom He had formed.
'Garden' means intelligence, 'Eden' love, 'the east' the Lord. 'A garden in Eden, from the east' therefore means celestial man's intelligence which flows in by way of love, from the Lord.
ppp23743#pid#99. The life - that is, the order of life - as it exists with the spiritual man is such that the Lord flows in by means of faith, into his intellectual concepts, his rational concepts, and his factual knowledge. But because his external man is at war with the internal, it seems as though intelligence were not flowing in from the Lord but from himself by way of facts and rational concepts. But life - that is, the order of life - as it exists with the celestial man is such that the Lord flows in by way of love and of faith included with love into his intellectual concepts, his rational concepts, and his factual knowledge. And since there is no resistance, he perceives that this is the case. In this way order which up to now has with the spiritual man been turned upside-down is restored with the celestial. This order, which is man, is called 'the garden in Eden, from the east'. In the highest sense 'the garden planted by Jehovah God in Eden, from the east' is the Lord Himself; in the inmost sense, which is also the universal sense, it is the Lord's kingdom and heaven, where a person is placed on becoming celestial. At this point his state enables him to be with angels in heaven, and to be virtually one among them. In fact, man has been so created that while living on earth he may at the same time be in heaven. In that situation all of his thoughts, all his mental images produced by thoughts, and even his words and deeds lie open, containing what is celestial and spiritual. They lie open all the way from the Lord. Indeed everyone has the Lord' s life within him, enabling him to have perception.
ppp23742#pid#100. That 'a garden' means intelligence and 'Eden' love, is also evident in Isaiah,
Jehovah will comfort Zion, He will comfort all her waste places, and will make her wilderness like Eden and her desert like the Garden of Jehovah. Joy and gladness will be found in her, confession and the voice of song. `Isaiah 51bbb3`.
Here 'wilderness', 'joy', and 'confession' are terms used by the prophet to express the celestial things of faith, that is, things that belong to love. But 'desert', 'gladness', and 'the voice of song' express the spiritual things of faith, which in turn are matters of the understanding. The former relate to 'Eden', the latter to 'a garden'. For throughout this prophet dual expressions for the same thing are constantly occurring, with one expression meaning celestial things, the other spiritual. For more about what the garden in Eden means, see at verse `Genesis 2bbbccc10` below.
ppp23741#pid#101. The Lord is 'the east'. This too is clear from several places in the Word, as in Ezekiel,
He brought me to the gate, to the gate facing the way of the east. And behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east, and His voice was like the voice of many waters, and the earth shone with His glory. `Ezekiel 43bbb1-2`, `Ezekiel 43bbbccc4`.
The Lord's being 'the east' was the reason for the sacred practice in the Jewish representative Church, before the Temple was built, of facing eastwards when praying.
ppp23740#pid#102. Verse `Genesis 2bbbccc9` And Jehovah God caused to spring up out of the ground every tree desirable to the sight and good for food; and the tree of life`fff1` in the middle of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
'Tree' means perception, 'tree desirable to the sight' the perception of what is true, 'tree good for food' the perception of what is good, 'tree of life' love and faith deriving from love, and 'the tree of the knowledge of good and evil' faith derived from sensory evidence, that is, from knowledge.
`nnn1. literally, of lives
ppp23739#pid#103. The reason trees here mean perceptions is that the celestial man is the subject of the spiritual man were the subject the meaning would be different, for the character of the subject determines that of the predicate.
ppp23738#pid#104. Today people do not know what perception is. It is a certain inward feeling, wholly from the Lord, as to whether a thing is true and good. Such perception was fully known to the Most Ancient Church, and with the angels it exists so excellently that they know and recognize what is true and good, what comes from the Lord and what comes from self, and also the character of anyone who approaches them merely from the manner of his approach and merely from a single one of his ideas. The spiritual man has no perception, but he does have conscience. The dead man does not even have conscience. Nor do most people know what conscience is, much less what perception is.
ppp23737#pid#105. 'The tree of life'`fff1` is love and faith deriving from love; 'in the middle of the garden' means in the will of the internal man. The chief place that the Lord occupies in men and angels is the will, which in the Word is called the heart. But since nobody can do good with self as the source, the will or the heart is not man's, even though it is referred to as his. What is man's is evil desire, and this he calls his will. Since the will is the middle of the garden, where the tree of life`fff1` is, and since no will, only evil desire, belongs to man, 'the tree of life'' is therefore the mercy of the Lord, who is the source of all love and faith and consequently of all life.
`nnn1. literally, of lives
ppp23736#pid#106. More will be said later on regarding what the tree of the garden, or perception, is; what the tree of life,`fff1` or love and faith deriving from love, is; and what the tree of knowledge, or faith based on sensory evidence and on knowledge.
`nnn1. literally, of lives
ppp23735#pid#107. Verse `Genesis 2bbbccc10` And a river was going out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it divided and became four heads.
'A river was going out of Eden 'means wisdom deriving from love, which is Eden. 'To water the garden' is to confer intelligence. 'From there to divide into four heads' describes intelligence coming through four rivers, as below.
ppp23734#pid#108. Whenever the most ancient people compared man to a garden they would also compare wisdom and everything connected with it to rivers. Yet they did not merely compare but actually called them such since it was characteristic of their speech to do so. At a later time the Prophets in a similar way sometimes compared them, and sometimes actually called them, by these names, as in Isaiah,
Your light will rise in the darkness, and your thick darkness will be as the daylight; and you will be like a watered garden and like a spring of waters whose waters fail not. `Isaiah 58bbb10-11`.
This refers to people who receive love and faith. Also,
Like valleys that are planted, like gardens beside a river, like aloes`fff1` Jehovah has planted, like cedars beside the waters. `Numbers 24bbb6`.
This refers to people who are regenerate. In Jeremiah,
Blessed is the man who trusts in Jehovah. He will be like a tree planted beside the waters, which will send out its roots above the stream. `Jeremiah 17bbb7-8`.
An instance of regenerate people not being compared to, but actually being called, a garden and a tree beside the rivers occurs in Ezekiel,
The waters caused it to grow, the depth of the waters made it grow tall, the river leading around the place of its planting, and he sent out his lines of water to all the trees of the field. It became beautiful in its greatness, in the length of its branches, for its root was towards many waters. The cedars did not overshadow it in the garden of God, the fir trees were not equal to its branches, and the plane trees were not like its boughs. No tree in the garden of God was equal to it in its beauty. I made it beautiful in the mass of its branches, and all the trees of Eden which are in the garden of God envied it. `Ezekiel 31bbb4`, `Ezekiel 31bbbccc7-9`.
From these quotations it is clear that when the most ancient people likened man, or what is the same, the things that are in man, to a garden, they also added the waters and rivers by which it was watered, and that by 'waters and rivers' they understood the things which would cause growth.
`nnn1. The word used in 1st Latin edition means tents, but in other places where Swedenborg quotes this text a word meaning aloes occurs. In Hebrew the spelling, though not the pronunciation, of the two words is identical.
ppp23733#pid#109. That for all their appearance in man wisdom and intelligence belong, as has been said, to the Lord alone is plainly stated by means of similar representatives in Ezekiel,
Behold, waters were issuing from below the threshold of the House towards the east, for the House faced eastwards. And He said, These waters are issuing out to the boundary towards the east; and they go down over the plain and come to the sea. Having been brought into the sea, the waters will be healed. And it will happen that every living creature`fff1` that creeps, even to everything to which the water of the rivers comes, will live. And beside the river there will rise up upon its bank, on this side and on that, every tree for food. Its leaf`fff2` will not wither, and its fruit will not fail; it is reborn monthly, for these its waters flow out from the Sanctuary, and its fruits will be for food and its leaf for medicine. `Ezekiel 47bbb1`, `Ezekiel 47bbbccc8-9`, `Ezekiel 47bbbccc12`.
Here the Lord is meant by 'the east' and also by 'the Sanctuary from which waters and rivers flowed forth'. Similarly in John,
He showed me a pure river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and of the river, on this side and on that, was the tree of life bearing twelve fruits, yielding its fruit each month; and the leaf of the tree was for the healing of the nations. `Revelation 22bbb1-2`.
`nnn1. literally, every living soul
`nnn2. The Latin means branch; but the Hebrew means leaf which Swedenborg has in other places where he quotes this verse.
ppp23732#pid#110. Verses `Genesis 2bbbccc11-12` The name of the first is the Pishon; this encompasses the whole land of Havillah, where there is gold. And the gold of that land is good; bdellium is there and the shoham stone.
The first river or 'the Pishon' means intelligence which comprises faith deriving from love. 'The land of Havillah' means the mind; 'gold' that which is good; 'bdellium and shoham' that which is true. The reason gold is mentioned twice is that it means the good that belongs to love, and the good that belongs to faith deriving from love. And the reason bdellium and shoham are mentioned is that the first means the truth that belongs to love, and the second the truth that belongs to faith deriving from love. Such is the nature of the celestial man.
ppp23731#pid#111. It is extremely difficult however to present these matters as they stand in their interior sense because nowadays people do not know what faith deriving from love is, what wisdom is, and what intelligence from wisdom is. For external people are hardly aware of anything except knowledge which they call intelligence and wisdom, and even faith. They do not even know what love is. And many people do not know what will and understanding are, or that they comprise a single mind. Yet these are distinct and separate entities, totally distinct and separate. And the whole of heaven is ordered by the Lord quite distinctly and separately according to differences of love and faith, which are countless.
ppp23730#pid#112. It should be recognized however that no wisdom can possibly exist unless it derives from love, and so from the Lord. Nor can any intelligence do so unless it derives from faith, and so again from the Lord. And no good can possibly exist unless it derives from love, and so from the Lord. Nor can any truth do so unless it derives from faith, and so from the Lord. Things which do not derive from love and faith, and so from the Lord, are given the same names, but they are not genuine.
ppp23729#pid#113. Nothing is more common in the Word than for the good that belongs to wisdom or else to love to be meant and represented by 'gold'. All the gold of the Ark, the Temple, the golden table,`fff1` the lampstands, the vessels, and on Aaron's vestments, meant and represented good that belongs to wisdom or else to love. Similarly in the Prophets, as in Ezekiel,
In your wisdom and in your intelligence have made wealth for yourself, and you have made gold and silver in your treasures. `Ezekiel 28bbb4`.
Here it is plainly stated that gold and silver, or good and truth, are the products of wisdom and intelligence, for 'silver' here means truth, as also does the silver of the Tabernacle`fff2` and the Temple. In Isaiah,
A multitude of camels will cover you, dromedaries of Midian and Ephah, all those from Sheba will come. They will bring gold and frankincense, and will proclaim the praises of Jehovah. `Isaiah 60bbb6`.
So too the wise men from the east who came to Jesus after His birth,
And they fell down and worshipped Him, and they opened their treasures, and offered Him gifts - gold, frankincense, and myrrh. `Matthew 2bbb1`, `Matthew 2bbbccc11`.
Here also 'gold' means good, 'frankincense and myrrh' those things that are pleasing, because they derive from love and faith, and are consequently called 'the praises of Jehovah'. 'Gold' is for the same reason mentioned in David,
He will live, and He will give to him from the gold of Sheba, and will pray for him continually, and bless him every day. `Psalms 72bbb15`.
`nnn1. i.e. the table of Shewbread, or the table for the Bread of the Presence
`nnn2. The latin here means the Ark but Swedenborg is clearly referring to the Tabernacle.
ppp23728#pid#114. The truth of faith was also meant and represented in the Word precious stones, for example, those in the breast plate of judgement, and upon the shoulder-pieces of Aaron's ephod. in the breastplate, the gold, blue, purple, double-dyed scarlet, and fine-twined linen represented matters of love, while the precious stones represented matters of faith deriving from love, as did the two stones of remembrance on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod which were made from shoham encompassed with settings of gold, `Exodus 28bbb9-22`. The same point, that the truth of faith is meant and represented by precious stones, is plainly stated in Ezekiel when the subject is the person who possesses the heavenly riches of wisdom and intelligence,
Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty, you were in Eden, the garden of God. Every precious stone was your covering ruby, topaz, diamond, tarshish, shoham, and jasper, sapphire, chrysoprase, and emerald. And gold, the work of your drums and of your pipes, was within you. On the day that you were created they were prepared. You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created. `Ezekiel 28bbb12-13`, `Ezekiel 28bbbccc15`.
Anyone may see that celestial and spiritual things of faith, and not just stones, are meant. Indeed each stone represented a particular essential element of faith.
ppp23727#pid#115. When the most ancient people mentioned parts of the earth they understood the things these meant, just as people nowadays who have the idea that the Land of Canaan and Mount Zion mean heaven do not even think of a land or of a mountain when these locations are mentioned, but only of the things they mean. The same applies hereto the land of Havillah. That land is also mentioned in `Genesis 25bbb18`, where it is said, in reference to the sons of Ishmael, that 'they dwelt from Havillah to Shur which is opposite Egypt as you come towards Asshur'. People who have heavenly ideas perceive from these words nothing else but intelligence and what flows from intelligence. And in the same way by encompassing in the statement 'the river Pishon encompasses the whole land of Havillah' they perceive flowing in. And by the shoham stones on the shoulder-pieces of Aaron's ephod being encompassed with settings of gold, `Exodus 28bbb11`, they perceive that the good of love was flowing into the truth of faith. The same is found many times in other places.
ppp23726#pid#116. Verse `Genesis 2bbbccc13` And the name of the second river is the Gihon, that which encompasses the whole land of Cush.
'The second river', which is called the Gihon, means the cognizance of all things that have to do with what is good and what is true, that is, with love and faith. 'The land of Cush' means the mind, or [mental] power. The mind consists of will and understanding. All that is said about the first river has reference to the will, and all that is said about this [second river] has reference to the understanding, to which the cognitions of good and of truth belong.
ppp23725#pid#117. The land of Cush, which is Ethiopia, also abounded in gold, precious stones, and spices. These, as has been stated, mean good, truth, and pleasing things produced from these, such as those that belong to cognitions of love and faith. This becomes clear from the places quoted already in `@@@113` - `Isaiah 60bbb6`; `Matthew 2bbb1`, `Matthew 2bbbccc11`; `Psalms 72bbb15`. That Cush or Ethiopia, and Sheba too, when used in the Word, have a similar meaning is clear in the Prophets, as in Zephaniah, where also the rivers of Cush are mentioned.
In the morning He will bring His judgement to light. For at that time I will turn to the peoples with a clear language that they may all call on the name of Jehovah, that they may serve Him with one accord.`fff1` From the crossing-point of the rivers of Cush My worshippers will bring My offering. `Zephaniah 3bbb5`, `Zephaniah 3bbbccc9-10`.
And in Daniel, when the king of the north and the king of the south are the subject,
He will have dominion over the secret hoards of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt. And the Libyans and the Ethiopians will follow at his feet. `Daniel 11bbb43`.
Here 'Egypt' stands for facts and 'the Ethiopians' for cognitions.
ttt[2] In Ezekiel,
The traders of Sheba and Raamah, they were your and in every precious stone, and gold. `Ezekiel 27bbb22`.
These [traders] in the same way mean cognitions of faith. In David, when the Lord is the subject, and so the celestial man also,
In his days the righteous man will flourish, and much peace, until the moon will be no more. The kings of Tarshish and the isles will render their tribute; the kings of Sheba and Seba will bring their gift. `Psalms 72bbb7`, `Psalms 72bbbccc10`.
The whole context of this Psalm shows plainly that these words mean things on the celestial side of faith. Similar things were meant by the Queen of Sheba who came to Solomon and posed hard questions, and who brought him spices, gold, and precious stones, `1 Kings 10bbb1-3`. For everything that appears in the historical sections of the Word, no less than in the Prophets, means, represents, and embodies arcana.
`nnn1. literally, with one shoulder
ppp23724#pid#118. Verse `Genesis 2bbbccc14` And the name of the third river is the Hiddekel. This eastwards towards Asshur. And the fourth river is the Phrath.
'The river Hiddekel' is reason or the sharp-sightedness of reason. 'Asshur' is the rational mind. The river's 'going eastwards towards Asshur' means that the sharp-sightedness of reason comes from the Lord by way of the internal man into the rational mind, which belongs to the external man. 'The Phrath' or the Euphrates is knowledge, which is the extremity or boundary.
ppp23723#pid#119. That 'Asshur' means the rational mind, that is, a person's rational, is quite clear in the Prophets, as in Ezekiel,
Behold, Asshur was a cedar in Lebanon, beautiful in its branches, and a forest shade, and of a great height, and its top among thick boughs. The waters caused it to grow, the depth of the water; made it tall, a river leading round about the place of its plantings. `Ezekiel 31bbb3-4`.
The rational is called 'a cedar in Lebanon'. 'The top among thick boughs' means facts in the memory, this being an apt description of them.
This is clearer still in Isaiah,
On that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Asshur, and Asshur will come into Egypt and Egypt into Asshur, and the Egyptians will serve Asshur.`fff1` On that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Asshur, a blessing in the midst of the earth, whom Jehovah Zebaoth will bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt My people, and Asshur the work of My hands, and Israel My heritage. `Isaiah 19bbb23-25`.
Here and in many other places 'Egypt' means knowledge, 'Asshur' reason, and 'Israel' intelligence.
`nnn1. The Hebrew, of this text in Isaiah may be read in two different ways - serve Asshur or serve with Asshur. Most English versions of Isaiah prefer the second of these.
ppp23722#pid#120. Like Egypt, the Euphrates too means knowledge or facts, and also sensory evidence from which facts are obtained. This is clear from the Word in the Prophets, as in Micah, She, my enemy, said, Where is Jehovah your God? A day on which He will build your walls. On that day what has been determined will be absent afar off. That day also He will come to you from Asshur, and to the cities of Egypt and to the River (the Euphrates) `Micah 7bbb10-12`.
The Prophets spoke in this way when referring to the coming of the Lord, who was going to regenerate man so that he would become as a celestial man. In Jeremiah,
What have you to do with the way to Egypt, to drink the waters of Shihor? And what have you to do with the way to Asshur, to drink the waters of the River (the Euphrates)? `Jeremiah 2bbb18`.
Here similarly 'Egypt' and 'the Euphrates' stand for facts, and 'Asshur' for reasonings based on them. In David,
You did cause a vine to journey out of Egypt. You did cast out the nations, You did plant it. You did send out its shoots even to the sea, and its little branches to the River (the Euphrates) `Psalms 80bbb8`, `Psalms 80bbbccc11`.
Here too 'the river Euphrates' stands for sensory evidence and factual knowledge. Indeed the Euphrates was the boundary to Israel's territories in the direction of Asshur, just as factual knowledge in the memory is the boundary of intelligence and wisdom of the spiritual and celestial man. The same is meant by these words addressed to Abraham,
To your seed I will give this land, from the river of Egypt even to the great river, the river Euphrates. `Genesis 15bbb18`.
Both of these two boundaries have the same meaning.
ppp23721#pid#121. The nature of celestial order, or how the things that constitute life progress, becomes clear from these rivers. It is as follows: The progression starts from the Lord who is the east. From Him comes wisdom; through wisdom comes intelligence, and through intelligence reason. Thus facts which belong to the memory are quickened by means of reason. Such is the proper order of life, and such the nature of celestial people. Consequently since the elders of Israel represented celestial people they were called 'wise, intelligent, and knowledgeable men', `Deuteronomy 1bbb13`, `Deuteronomy 1bbbccc15`. So too was Bezalel, who made the Ark, of whom it is said that he was filled with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with intelligence, and with knowledge, and with all workmanship. `Exodus 31bbb3`; `Exodus ccc35bbb31`; `Exodus ccc36bbb1-2`.
ppp23720#pid#122. Verse `Genesis 2bbbccc15` And Jehovah God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden, to till it and to care for it.
'The garden of Eden' means all the qualities of the celestial man which are the subject here. 'Tilling it and caring for it' means that he is allowed to enjoy all these things but not to possess them as his own, since they are the Lord's.
ppp23719#pid#123. By virtue of his perception the celestial man acknowledges that every single thing is the Lord's. The spiritual man acknowledges this too, but in his case it is something oral, because he has learned it from the Word. The worldly and bodily-minded man neither acknowledges nor admits it. Instead he says that everything residing with him is his own, and imagines that if he were to lose it, he would perish completely.
ppp23718#pid#124. The fact that wisdom, intelligence, reason, and knowledge are not man's but the Lord's is quite clear from what the Lord Himself taught, for example in Matthew, when the Lord compares Himself to a householder who planted a vineyard, and set a hedge around it, and let it out to tenants, `Matthew 21bbb33`. In John,
The Spirit of truth will guide you into all the truth, for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak. He will glorify Me, for He will receive from what is Mine and declare it to you. `John 16bbb13-14`.
Also in the same gospel,
Man cannot receive anything unless it is given him from heaven. `John 3bbb27`.
Anyone who has been granted knowledge of merely a few of heaven's arcana knows that this is true.
ppp23717#pid#125. Verse `Genesis 2bbbccc16` And Jehovah God commanded the man and said, From every tree in the garden you may indeed eat.
'Eating of every tree' is recognizing and knowing, from perception, what good and truth are; for, as stated already, 'a tree' means perception. Members of the Most Ancient Church possessed the cognitions of true faith by means of revelations, for they talked to the Lord and to angels. They were also taught through visions and dreams, which to them were supremely delightful and blissful. They received perception from the Lord continually; and as a result of that perception, when they thought from things in their memory they instantly perceived whether these were true and good, insomuch that when anything false came up they not only had nothing to do with it but were also horrified. This is also the state of angels. Later on however knowledge of what is true and good took the place of the perception which the Most Ancient Church enjoyed, a knowledge based on what had been previously revealed, and later, on things revealed in the Word.
ppp23716#pid#126. Verse `Genesis 2bbbccc17` But from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it, for on the day that you eat of it you will surely die. Taken with those that precede them, these words mean that it is allowable, by means of every perception obtained from the Lord, for anyone to discover what truth and good are, but it is not allowable to do so from self and the world, that is, to probe into mysteries of faith by means of sensory evidence and factual knowledge. If he does the celestial in him dies.
ppp23715#pid#127. Men's desire to probe into mysteries of faith by means of sensory evidence and factual knowledge was not only the cause of the downfall of the Most Ancient Church, that is to say, of its descendants - to be dealt with in the next chapter; it is also the cause of the downfall of every Church. For that desire leads not only to falsities but also to evils of life.
ppp23714#pid#128. The worldly and bodily-minded man says at heart, Unless I am taught about faith and about things that belong to faith by means of sensory evidence so that I see for myself, that is, by facts so that I understand for myself, I am not going to believe. And he confirms himself in this attitude from the consideration that natural phenomena cannot be at variance with spiritual. Consequently it is from sensory evidence that he wishes to learn about heavenly and Divine matters. But this is no more possible than for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle. The more he wants by this method to become wise, the more he blinds himself, until in the end he believes nothing, not even in the existence of anything spiritual or in eternal life. This arises out of the basic assumption he makes. This is eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And the more he eats of it, the more dead does he become. But the person who wishes to be made wise not from the world but from the Lord says at heart that he must believe the Lord, that is, those things the Lord has spoken in the Word, because they are truths. This is the basic assumption of his thinking. He confirms himself by means of rational, factual, sensory, and natural evidence. And things that are not confirmatory he sets aside.
ppp23713#pid#129. Anybody can recognize that the basic assumptions a person makes, even when completely false, govern him, and that all knowledge and reasoning buttress those assumptions. For countless flattering ideas occur to him to confirm him in falsities. Consequently when a person's basic assumption is to believe nothing until he sees and understands it, he cannot possibly believe; for spiritual and celestial things are neither visible to the eyes nor comprehensible in mental images. But the true order is for a person to become wise from the Lord, that is, from His Word. In that case everything follows as it should, and he is also enlightened in matters of reason and of fact. Indeed nobody is forbidden to acquire knowledge, since it is useful for life and gives delight. And the person in whom faith resides is in no way forbidden to think and to talk as learned people in the world do. But he does so from the premise of belief in the Lord's Word and of confirming spiritual and celestial truths by means of natural truths, using as far as is possible the terminology of the learned world. Consequently his premise must be the Lord, not self; the former is life, while the latter is death.
ppp23712#pid#130. The person who wishes to become wise from the world has for his 'garden' sensory evidence and factual knowledge. His 'Eden' is self-love and love of the world, his 'east' is the west or himself. His 'river Euphrates' is all his factual knowledge, which is condemned; his 'second river', where Asshur is, is his insane reasoning from which come falsities; his 'third river', where Cush is, is the resulting assumptions he makes consisting of evil and falsity, which are his cognitions of faith; his 'fourth' is the wisdom that results, which in the Word is called magic. This is why Egypt, which means knowledge, after it has become magical, means this kind of person, the reason being that he wants to become wise from self, as shown throughout the Word. Such people are described in Ezekiel as follows,
Thus said the Lord Jehovah, Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great monster lying in the midst of his rivers, who said, My river is my own, and I have made myself. And the land of Egypt will be made into a desolation and a waste. And they will know that I am Jehovah. Moreover he has said, The river is mine, and I made it. `Ezekiel 29bbb3`, `Ezekiel 29bbbccc9`.
People like this are also called in the same prophet where again Pharaoh or the Egyptian is the subject 'the trees of Eden in hell' as follows,
I will cause him to go down into hell with those going down into the pit. Whom have you become like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? You will be made to go down with the trees of Eden into the nether world, in the midst of the uncircumcised, with those pierced by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his horde. `Ezekiel 31bbb16`, `Ezekiel 31bbbccc18`.
Here 'trees of Eden' stands for facts and cognitions drawn from the Word which they profane in this manner by means of reasonings.
ppp23711#pid#131. `Genesis 2bbb18-25`
18. And Jehovah God said, It is not good that the man`fff1` should be alone. I will make for him a help suitable for him.
19. And Jehovah God formed out of the ground every beast of the field, and every bird of the air,`fff2` and He brought it to the man to see what he would call it; and whatever the man called it, the living creature,`fff3` that was its name.
20. And the man gave names to every beast, and to the birds of the air,`fff2` and to every wild animal of the field; but for man there was not found a help suitable for him.
21. And Jehovah God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he fell asleep; and He took one of his ribs, and He closed up the flesh in its place.
22. And Jehovah God built the rib which He took from the man into a woman, and brought her to the man.
23. And the man said, By this change, it is bone from my bones and flesh from my flesh; for this she will be called Wife, because she was taken out of man (vir).
24. Therefore a man (vir) will leave his father and his mother and will cling to his wife, and they will be one flesh.
25. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and they were not ashamed.
CONTENTS
The subject is the descendants of the Most Ancient Church, who set their heart on the proprium.
`nnn1. Unless otherwise indicated man in these verses `Genesis 2bbbccc18-25` represents the Latin homo.
`nnn2. literally, bird of the heavens (or the skies)
`nnn3. literally, the living soul
ppp23710#pid#132. Man's nature being such that he is not content to be guided by the Lord but desires also to be guided by self and the world - that is, from the proprium - the proprium that was granted to him is the subject now, verse `Genesis 2bbbccc18`.
ppp23709#pid#133. First of all he is given to know the affections for good and the cognitions of truth which the Lord has conferred on him. But still he sets his heart on this proprium, verses `Genesis 2bbbccc19-20`.
ppp23708#pid#134. Once he has been brought into a state of the proprium therefore, a proprium is granted to him, which is described as his rib that was built into a woman, verses `Genesis 2bbbccc21-23`.
ppp23707#pid#135. Then it is told how celestial and spiritual life is joined to the proprium, so that this life and proprium appear to be one, verse `Genesis 2bbbccc24`.
ppp23706#pid#136. It is also told how the Lord introduced innocence into that proprium so that it might still be not unacceptable, verse `Genesis 2bbbccc25`.
ppp23705#pid#137. THE INTERNAL SENSE
The first three chapters of Genesis deal in general with the Most Ancient Church, which is called Man, from its earliest down to its final period when it perished. The foregoing section of this chapter dealt with it in its absolute prime when it was a celestial man. The present section deals with those people, and their descendants, who set their heart on the proprium.
ppp23704#pid#138. Verse `Genesis 2bbbccc18` And Jehovah God said, It is not good that the man should be alone. I will make for him a help suitable for him. 'Alone' means that he was not content to be guided by the Lord but desired to have self and the world as his guide. 'A help suitable for him' means the proprium, which, further on, is also called 'the rib which was built into a woman'.
ppp23703#pid#139. In ancient times those who were guided as celestial people by the Lord were said 'to dwell alone', for the reason that evil forces, or evil spirits, were infesting them no longer. This was also represented in the Jewish Church by their dwelling alone after the nations had been driven out. For this reason several times in the Word the Lord's Church is described as 'alone', as in Jeremiah,
Rise up, go up against a nation at ease that dwells securely. It has no gates or bars; they dwell alone. `Jeremiah 49bbb31`.
In the prophecy of Moses,
Israel dwelt securely, alone. `Deuteronomy 33bbb28`.
And plainer still in Balaam's prophecy,
See, a people, it dwells alone, and is not reckoned among the nations. `Numbers 23bbb9`.
Here 'nations' stands for evils. These descendants of the Most Ancient Church did not wish to dwell alone; they did not wish to be a celestial man, that is, to be guided as a celestial man by the Lord, but to be among the nations, as also did the Jewish Church. And since this was what they desired it is said, 'It is not good that the man should be alone'. Indeed when this is what a person desires, he is already under the influence of evil, and his wish is granted.
ppp23702#pid#140. That 'a help suitable for him' means the proprium becomes clear from the nature of the proprium, and from what follows. But because the member of the Church dealt with here was inherently well-disposed, he was granted a proprium. But it [only] appeared to be his own, which is why it is called 'a help suitable for him'.
ppp23701#pid#141. Countless things can be said about the proprium - about what the proprium is like in the case of the bodily-minded and worldly man, what it is like in the case of the spiritual man, and what in the case of the celestial man. With the bodily-minded and worldly man the proprium is his all. He is unaware of anything else but the proprium. And, as has been stated, if he were to lose his proprium he would think that he was dying. With the spiritual man the proprium takes on a similar appearance, for although he knows that the Lord is the life of all, and that He confers wisdom and intelligence, and consequently the ability to think and to act, it is more a matter of something he says and not so much something he believes. The celestial man however acknowledges that the Lord is the life of all, who confers the ability to think and act, because he perceives that this is so. Nor does he ever desire the proprium. Nevertheless even though he does not desire it the Lord grants him a proprium which is joined to him with a complete perception of what is good and true, and with complete happiness. Angels possess a proprium such as this, and at the same time utmost peace and tranquillity, for their proprium has within it things that are the Lord's, who is governing their proprium, that is, governing them by means of their proprium. This proprium is utterly heavenly, whereas the proprium of the bodily-minded man is hellish. But more about the proprium further on.
ppp23700#pid#142. Verses `Genesis 2bbbccc19-20` And Jehovah God formed out of the ground every beast of the field, and every bird of the air,`fff1` and He brought it to the man to see what he would call it; and whatever the man called it, the living creature,`fff2` that was its name. And the man gave names to every beast, and to the birds of the air,`fff1` and to every wild animal of the field; but for man there was not found a help suitable for him.
'Beasts' means celestial affections, 'birds of the air'`fff3` spiritual ones; that is, 'beasts' means things that belong to the will, and 'birds' those that belong to the understanding. 'Bringing them to the man to see what he would call them' means enabling him to know their nature. 'He gave them names means that he did recognize their nature. But even though he knew the nature of the affections for good and the cognitions of truth which the Lord had granted him, he still set his heart on the proprium, which is expressed in the same way as before - 'there was not found a help suitable for him'.
`nnn1. literally, bird of the heavens (or the skies)
`nnn2. literally, the living soul
`nnn3. literally, birds of the heavens (or the skies)
ppp23699#pid#143. Nowadays it may seem strange that 'beasts' and 'animals' in ancient times meant affections and similar things residing with man. But because people had heavenly ideas then, and because such things are also represented in the world of spirits by animals - by such animals in fact as resemble those affections - this alone is what they therefore understood when they spoke in this fashion. And this alone is what is meant in the Word whenever beasts are mentioned in general or in particular. The whole prophetical section of the Word is full of things such as these, and therefore anyone who does not know the particular meaning of any beast cannot possibly understand what the Word contains in the internal sense. But as slated already, there are two kinds of beasts - evil ones, because they are harmful, and good ones, because they are harmless. Good beasts, such as sheep, lambs, and doves, mean good affections. Here, because the subject is the celestial man, or the celestial-spiritual man, the same applies. The fact that 'beasts' in general means affections has been confirmed from several places in the Word quoted already in `@@@45`, `@@@46`. So there is no need of further confirmation.
ppp23698#pid#144. As to 'calling by name' meaning recognizing their nature, it must be realized that the ancients understood nothing else by 'a name than the essential nature of a real thing, and by 'seeing and calling them by name' recognizing the nature of such. This was why they gave their sons and daughters names in keeping with the things that were meant by them; for there was something unique to every name, as a means of knowing the origin and nature of those children, as will also be seen later on where, in the Lord's Divine mercy, the twelve sons of Jacob are dealt with. Since therefore a name embodied a person's origin and nature nothing else was meant by 'calling by name'. This manner of speaking was customary among them; but anyone who does not understand is sure to wonder whether they do have these meanings.
ppp23697#pid#145. In the Word too 'name' means the essential nature of a real thing, and 'seeing and calling by name' knowing characters, as in Isaiah,
I will give you the treasures of darkness and the hoarded riches of secret places, that you may know that it is I, Jehovah, the one calling you by name, the God of Israel. For the sake of My servant Jacob, and of Israel My chosen, and I have called you by name, I have surnamed you, but you do not know Me. `Isaiah 45bbb3-4`.
Here 'calling by name' and 'surnaming' mean knowing his character beforehand. In the same prophet,
You will be called by a new name which the mouth of Jehovah will declare. `Isaiah 62bbb2`.
This stands for his becoming a different person, as is clear from what precedes and what follows these words. In the same prophet,
O Israel, fear not, for I have redeemed you, I have called you by your name, you are Mine. `Isaiah 43bbb1`.
This stands for knowing character. Again in the same prophet,
Lift up your eyes on high and see; who created these? He who brings out their host by number; He will call them all by name. `Isaiah 40bbb26`.
This stands for His knowing them all. In Revelation,
You have a few names in Sardis, who have not soiled their garments. He who conquers will be clad in white garments and I will not blot his name out of the book of life; and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. `Revelation 3bbb4-5`.
Elsewhere in the same book,
Whose names have not been written in the book of life of the Lamb. `Revelation 13bbb8`.
In these places 'names' is in no way used to mean names but people's characters. Nor in heaven do they know anyone's name, only his character.
ppp23696#pid#146. These considerations make plain the connection between the things that are meant. Verse `Genesis 2bbbccc18` said that 'it is not good that the man should be alone, I will make for him a help suitable for him', and directly after that beasts and birds are mentioned even though they have been dealt with already. Immediately after this the statement is repeated that 'for man there was not found a help suitable for him', meaning that when he had been made aware of what he was in character as regards affections for good and cognitions of truth he still had his heart set on the proprium. In fact, people such as desire the proprium begin to despise those things that are the Lord's, no matter how well they are represented and shown to them.
ppp23695#pid#147. Verse `Genesis 2bbbccc21` And Jehovah God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he fell asleep; and He took one of his ribs, and He closed up the flesh in its place.
'A rib', which is a breast bone, is used to mean man's proprium when it contains very little life, a proprium indeed that he cherishes. 'The flesh in place of the rib' is used to mean the proprium when it does contain some life. 'A deep sleep' is used to mean that state into which he was brought so that he might seem to himself to have a proprium. This state resembles sleep because a person in that state is conscious only of living, thinking, speaking, and acting from himself. But when he starts to realize that this is false, he is aroused from sleep so to speak and wakes up.
ppp23694#pid#148. The reason man's proprium - a proprium indeed that he cherishes - is called a rib, which is a breast bone, is that among the most ancient people the breast meant charity, for it has the heart and lungs within it, and bones meant those things that were less valuable because they contain only a very small amount of life. 'Flesh' however meant that which did possess some life. The reason why they had this meaning is a very deep arcanum known to the most ancient people, which will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with later on.
ppp23693#pid#149. In the Word also 'bones' means the proprium, a proprium indeed given life by the Lord, as in Isaiah, Jehovah will satisfy your soul in arid places, and will render your bones free; and you will be like a watered garden. `Isaiah 58bbb11`.
In the same prophet,
Then you will see, and your heart will be joyful, and your bones will flourish like the grass. `Isaiah 66bbb14`.
In David,
All my bones will say, O Jehovah, who is like You? `Psalms 35bbb10`.
This is plainer still in Ezekiel where he describes the bones receiving flesh and having spirit put in them,
The hand of Jehovah set me down in the midst of the valley, and it was full of bones. And He said to me, Prophesy over these bones and say to them, O dry bones, hear the Word of Jehovah: Thus said the Lord Jehovih to these bones, Behold, I am bringing spirit`fff1` into you and you will live. And I will lay sinews upon you and cause flesh to come over you and cover you with skin, and I will put spirit you, and you will live; and you will know that I am Jehovah. `Ezekiel 37bbb1`, `Ezekiel 37bbbccc4-6`.
ttt[2] Man's proprium when viewed from heaven looks just like something bony, lifeless, and utterly misshapen, and so in itself something dead. But once it has received life from the Lord it appears as something having flesh. For man's proprium is something altogether dead, though it has the appearance to him of being something; indeed it appears to be everything. Whatever is living within him comes from the Lord's life; and if this were to leave him, he would fall down dead as a stone. For he is purely an organ of life, though the nature of the organ determines that of the life-affection. The Lord alone possesses Proprium. By His Proprium He has redeemed man and by His Proprium saves him. The Lord's Proprium is Life, and from His Proprium man's proprium, which in itself is dead, is given life. The Lord's Proprium was also meant by His words in Luke,
A spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see Me have. `Luke 24bbb39-40`.
It was also meant by the requirement that no bone of the Paschal lamb be broken, `Exodus 12bbb46`.
`nnn1. or breath
ppp23692#pid#150. The state of a person when caught up in the proprium, that is, when he imagines that he lives from himself, is compared to a deep sleep. Indeed the ancients actually called it 'a deep sleep' while the Word speaks of people having 'the spirit of deep sleep poured out on them,`fff1` and of their sleeping a perpetual sleep.`fff2` The fact that man's proprium is in itself dead, that is, that nobody possesses any life from himself, has been demonstrated in the world of spirits so completely that evil spirits who love nothing except the proprium, and insist stubbornly that they do live from themselves, have been convinced by means of living experience, and have admitted that they do not live from themselves. With regard to the human proprium I have for several years now been given a unique opportunity to know about it - in particular that not a trace of my thinking began in myself. I have also been allowed to perceive clearly that every idea constituting my thought flowed in [from somewhere], and sometimes how it flowed in, and where from. Consequently anyone who imagines that he lives from himself is in error. And in believing that he does live from himself he takes to himself everything evil and false, which he would never do if what he believed and what is actually the case were in agreement.
`nnn1. `Isaiah 29bbb10`
`nnn2. `Jeremiah 51bbb57`
ppp23691#pid#151. Verse `Genesis 2bbbccc22` And Jehovah God built the rib which He took from the man into a woman, and brought her to the man.
'Building means reconstructing that which has fallen down, 'rib' the proprium that has not been given life, 'woman the proprium that has been given life by the Lord, 'bringing her to the man' that a proprium was granted to him. Since the descendants of this Church, unlike their ancestors, did not wish to be the celestial man, but to be their own guides and so set their heart on the proprium, they were allowed to have one. It was however a proprium given life by the Lord, which is why it is called 'a woman', and after that 'a wife'.
ppp23690#pid#152. Anyone paying the matter only scant attention may see that woman was not formed out of the rib of a man, and that the arcana embodied here are deeper than anybody has ever been aware of up to now. And that the proprium is meant by 'the woman may be seen from the consideration that the woman was the one who was deceived, for nothing but the proprium - or what amounts to the same, self-love and love of the world - ever deceives a person.
ppp23689#pid#153. It is said that the rib was built into a woman, and not as previously, when regeneration was the subject, that the woman was created, or formed, or made. The word 'built' is used because building means reconstructing that which has fallen down. This is how it is used in the Word, where 'building' has reference to evils, 'raising up' to falsities, and 'renewing' to both, as in Isaiah,
They will build up the waste places of old, they will raise up the former desolations, and they will renew the waste cities, the desolations of generation upon generation. `Isaiah 61bbb4`.
'Waste places' here and elsewhere stands for evils, 'desolations' for falsities. The expression 'to build' is applied to the former, 'to raise up' to the latter, and this distinction is also carefully observed in other places in the Prophets: in Jeremiah,
Again I will build you, that you may be built, O virgin of Israel. `Jeremiah 31bbb4`.
ppp23688#pid#154. Nothing evil or false can possibly exist that is not the proprium or derived from the proprium. For man's proprium is evil itself, which means that man is nothing but evil and falsity. This has become clear to me from the fact that when the contents of the proprium are presented to view in the world of spirits they look so ugly that nobody can paint any uglier picture. (Those contents vary however according to the nature of the proprium.) As a result when anyone is offered a glimpse of the contents of his proprium he is horrified at himself and wishes to run as though from the devil. On the other hand contents of the proprium which have been given life by the Lord look beautiful and attractive, varying according to the life to which a celestial quality that is the Lord's can be added. Indeed people who have received charity, that is, been made alive by it, look like boys and girls with very attractive faces. And people who have received innocence look like naked small children adorned in different ways with garlands of flowers twined around their breasts, and precious stones in their hair, living and playing in brightest light, with a sense of happiness stemming from the depths of their being.
ppp23687#pid#155. These words, 'a rib was built into a woman', conceal, inmostly, more than anyone can possibly know from the letter. For the Word of the Lord is such that inmostly it focuses on the Lord Himself and His kingdom. This is the source of all the life of the Word. Here likewise it is the heavenly marriage that is focused inmostly. Such is the nature of the heavenly marriage that it exists within the proprium, and such is its nature that a proprium given life by the Lord is called the Lord's Bride, and also Wife. The proprium given life in this way by the Lord is enabled to perceive every good that stems from love, and every truth of faith. It therefore possesses all wisdom and intelligence coupled with an indescribable happiness.
ttt[2] But the nature of this proprium - the Lord's Bride and Wife - that has been given life cannot be described in a few words. Let just this be said, that angels perceive that they live from the Lord, and yet when not reflecting on the matter they have no other idea than that they live from themselves. But there is a universal affection by which they sense that a change has taken place when they retreat only slightly from the good that stems from love, or from the truth of faith. Consequently they experience a peace and happiness that is indescribable when the general perception exists with them that they live from the Lord. It is this proprium too that is meant in Jeremiah, where it is said,
Jehovah has created a new thing on the earth, a woman will surround a man. `Jeremiah 31bbb12`.
It is the heavenly marriage that is meant in this quotation too, the 'woman' meaning the proprium given life by the Lord. The woman is said 'to surround', because the proprium by nature surrounds, just as a rib made flesh surrounds the heart.
ppp23686#pid#156. Verse `Genesis 2bbbccc23` And the man said, By this change, it is bone from my bones and flesh from my flesh; for this she will be called Wife, because she was taken out of man (vir).
'Bone from bones and flesh from flesh' means the proprium belonging to the external man, 'bone' the proprium that has been given not much life, 'flesh' the proprium that has been given life. 'The man' (vir) however means the internal man. And because, as is said in the next verse, the internal man was so coupled to the external man, this proprium previously called 'woman' is now called 'Wife'. 'By this change' means that it happened now, because there had been a change of state.
ppp23685#pid#157. Because 'bone from bones and flesh from flesh' meant the proprium belonging to the external man which contained the internal man, all who could be called one' s own were in ancient times called 'bone from bones and flesh from flesh', whether they came from the same house or from the same family, or had some other family connection, as Laban said of Jacob,
Surely you are my bone and my flesh. `Genesis 29bbb14`.
Referring to his mother's brothers and to 'the family of the house of his mother's father' Abimelech said,
Remember that I am your bone and your flesh. `Judges 9bbb1-3`.
Also the tribes of Israel, in reference to themselves, told David,
Behold, we are your bone and your flesh. `2 Samuel 5bbb1`.
ppp23684#pid#158. That 'man' (vir) means the internal man, or what amounts to the same, one who is intelligent and wise, is clear in Isaiah,
I look, and there is no man, and from these there is no counsellor. `Isaiah 41bbb18`.
['No man'] stands for no wise and intelligent person. In Jeremiah,
Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem and see if you find a man, if anyone is executing judgement and seeking truth. `Jeremiah 5bbb1`.
'Executing judgement' stands for being wise, and 'seeking truth' for having intelligence.
ppp23683#pid#159. It is not easy to perceive however how these matters can be so unless the nature of the state of the celestial man is known. The state of the celestial man is such that the internal man is quite distinct from the external, so distinct in fact that he perceives what belongs to the internal man and what to the external man, and how the external man is governed by the Lord through the internal. But because his descendants desired the proprium, which belongs to the external man, their state became so altered that they no longer perceived any distinction between the internal man and the external. Instead they perceived the internal man as being one with the external, for this is what perception comes to be once man desires the proprium.
ppp23682#pid#160. Verse `Genesis 2bbbccc24` Therefore a man (vir) will leave his father and his mother and will cling to his wife, and they will be one flesh.
'Leaving father and mother' is leaving the internal man, for the internal is that which conceives and gives birth to the external. 'Clinging to his wife' is in order that the internal man may be within the external. 'Being one flesh' means that they are there together. Previously the internal man, and the external man deriving from the internal, were spirit, but now they have become flesh. In this way celestial and spiritual life was joined on to the proprium in order that they might seemingly be one.
ppp23681#pid#161. These descendants of the Most Ancient Church were not evil; they were still good people. And since they desired to live in the external man or proprium, the Lord did allow it; but He mercifully instilled something celestial-spiritual. How the internal and external act as one, or how they appear to be one, cannot be known unless it is known how one flows into the other. To gain some idea of this, take, for example, an action. Unless charity, or love and faith, lies within it, and the Lord within these, the action is not an action that can be called a work of charity or the fruit of faith.
ppp23680#pid#162. All the laws of truth and right stem from celestial sources, that is, from the order of life as it exists with the celestial man; for the whole of heaven is the celestial man, because the Lord alone is the Celestial Man and the All of every single thing in heaven and in the celestial man. This is why they are called celestial. Since every law of truth and right comes down from heavenly sources, that is, from the order of life as it exists with the celestial man - above all the law that concerns marriages - the heavenly marriage ought to be the source of and pattern for all marriages on earth. This marriage consists of one Lord and one heaven, or one Church whose head is the Lord. The consequent law for marriages is that there must be one man (vir) and one wife. When this is the case they represent the heavenly marriage, and are a model of the celestial man. This law was not merely revealed to men (vir) of the Most Ancient Church, but was also inscribed on their internal man. Consequently a man (vir) in those times had but one wife, and they formed one house. But when their descendants fell away from being internal men and became external they began to marry several wives.
ttt[2] Because the men (vir) of the Most Ancient Church by their marriages represented the heavenly marriage, conjugial love was to them like heaven and heavenly happiness. But when that Church went into decline they no longer perceived any happiness in conjugial love, but only in the pleasure obtained from having several wives, which is characteristic of the external man. This the Lord calls 'hardness of heart', on account of which Moses allowed them to marry several wives, as the Lord Himself teaches,
On account of your hardness of heart Moses wrote you this commandment, but from the beginning of creation God made them male and female. For this reason man (homo) will leave his father and mother and cling to his wife, and the two will be as one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together man (homo) must not put asunder. `Mark 10bbb5-9`.
ppp23679#pid#163. Verse `Genesis 2bbbccc25` And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and they were not ashamed. 'They were naked and they were not ashamed' means that they were innocent. To be exact, the Lord had instilled innocence into their proprium to keep it from being unacceptable.
ppp23678#pid#164. As has been stated, man's proprium is nothing but evil, and when presented to view is terribly ugly; but when charity and innocence are instilled into the proprium by the Lord it looks fine and attractive, as stated in `@@@154`. The charity and innocence not only excuse the proprium, that is, a person's evil and falsity, but also virtually do away with it, as anyone may see in the case of young children. When they love one another and their parents, and at the same time a childlike innocence is evident, evil and false traits at such times not only go unnoticed but are even pleasing. From this it can be seen that nobody is allowed into heaven unless he has some measure of innocence in him, as the Lord said,
Let the young children come to Me and do not hinder them; of such is the kingdom of God. Truly I say to you, Whoever has not received the kingdom of God like a young child will not enter into it. Taking them up therefore into His arms, He laid His hands upon them, and blessed them. `Mark 10bbb14-16`.
ppp23677#pid#165. The nakedness of which they were not ashamed means innocence. This is quite clear from what follows. When integrity and innocence left them they were then ashamed of their nakedness, and it seemed disgraceful to them, and so they hid themselves. It is additionally clear from the things represented in the world of spirits that the nakedness of which they were not ashamed means innocence. Indeed when spirits wish to exonerate themselves and prove that they are blameless they present themselves naked to witness their innocence. This is particularly clear with the innocent in heaven, who look like young children, naked, and wearing garlands round them that accord with their particular variety of innocence. But those who do not possess so much innocence appear clothed in splendid and shining clothes - you might call them brightest silk - like angels when seen from time to time by the prophets.
ppp23676#pid#166. Presented above are things which the Word contains in this chapter. Yet those which have been uncovered are few. And since the subject is the celestial man, whom scarcely anyone knows of nowadays, these few things are bound to seem obscure to some people.
ppp23675#pid#167. But if anyone knew how many arcana each particular verse contains, he would be astounded. Each one contains so many arcana that they cannot possibly be numbered off. Yet this is barely evident at all from the letter. In short, the words of the letter, just as they are, are represented vividly in the world of spirits in wonderful array. For the world of spirits is a representative world, and whatever is represented vividly is perceived by angelic spirits in the second heaven even as to the minor details within those representatives. And the things perceived by angelic spirits in this way angels in the third heaven perceive abundantly and fully in inexpressible angelic ideas. In accordance with the Lord's Good Pleasure, they perceive them in complete and boundless variety. Such is the Word of the Lord.
ppp23674#pid#168. MAN'S AWAKENING FROM THE DEAD, AND HIS ENTRY INTO ETERNAL LIFE
Since I am being allowed, as mentioned already,`fff1` to make known step by step how someone passes from the life of the body into that of eternity, and so that it might be known how a person is awakened, I have been shown not by hearing but by actual experience.
`nnn1. i.e. in `@@@70`
ppp23673#pid#169. I was brought into a state where my physical senses were rendered insensible, that is, into the state almost of people who are dying, but with my interior life, together with my ability to think, remaining intact. This was done so that I might perceive and retain in the memory what happens to people who have died and are being awakened, with enough breathing to support life, and after that with a soundless breathing.`fff1`
`nnn1. See `@@@607`, `@@@1118`ff
ppp23672#pid#170. Celestial angels were present occupying the providence of the heart, so that at heart I seemed to be united to them - so united that at length scarcely anything of myself was left apart from thought and resulting perception. This lasted for several hours.
ppp23671#pid#171. In this way my communication with spirits in the world of spirits, who supposed that I had departed the life of the body, was broken off.
ppp23670#pid#172. In addition to the celestial angels who were occupying the province of the heart, two angels were also sitting at my head, and I perceived that this happens to everyone.
ppp23669#pid#173. The angels sitting at my head were completely silent, communicating their thoughts by facial expressions only. From this I perceived that a different face was as it were superimposed over my own, two faces in fact, since there were two angels. When the angels perceive that their own faces are being received they know that the person has died.
ppp23668#pid#174. After they had recognized their own faces, they produced certain changes around the region of the mouth, and in that manner communicated their own thoughts to me; for it is normal for celestial angels to speak by means of the mouth. This enabled me to perceive their non-verbal expression of thought.
ppp23667#pid#175. I began to notice a fragrant odour like that of a corpse that has been embalmed, for when celestial angels are present, anything to do with a corpse smells like something fragrant. But when evil spirits smell it they are unable to go nearer.
ppp23666#pid#176. Meanwhile in the province of the heart I was being kept firmly united to the celestial angels, which I perceived and also felt in my heartbeat.
ppp23665#pid#177. It was instilled into my mind that the angels maintain whatever religious and holy thoughts a person is having at the moment of death. It was also instilled that people who are dying are normally thinking about eternal life and hardly at all about physical health and happiness. The angels therefore uphold them in the thought of eternal life.
ppp23664#pid#178. The celestial angels keep them in this thought for quite a while before withdrawing and giving way to spiritual angels who accompany them next. During all this, they suppose, though dimly, that they are still living in the body.
ppp23663#pid#179. As soon as the interior parts of the body start to grow cold, the vital substances are separated from the person, wherever these may be, even if enclosed in a thousand complicated entanglements. For the effectiveness of the Lord's mercy, which I had already experienced as a living power of attraction, is so great that nothing vital can remain behind.
ppp23662#pid#180. The celestial angels who were sitting at my head were with me for a considerable time after I had so to speak been awakened. When they spoke they did not do so vocally. From their non-verbal expression of thought I perceived that they set all fallacies and falsities at nought, smiling at them indeed not as matters of derision but as if they were not at all interested in them. Their speech is thought that is not verbalized, and is the speech which they start to use with souls whom they are the first to be present with.
ppp23661#pid#181. Up to now the person who has been awakened in this way by celestial angels is in a dim kind of life. When the time comes for him to be handed over to spiritual angels, there is an interval between the arrival of the spiritual angels and the departure of the celestial. I have also been shown how the spiritual angels work so that a person may gain the benefit of light. For the continuation of this subject see the preliminary section to the next chapter.
ppp23660#pid#182. THE ENTRY INTO ETERNAL LIFE OF ONE WHO HAS BEEN AWAKENED - continued
Once celestial angels are present with a person who has been awakened they do not leave him, for they love everybody. But when a soul is such as cannot bear to be with celestial angels any longer, he longs to get away from them. When this happens spiritual angels arrive who provide him with the benefit of light, for up to that point he has not been spectator to anything but merely engaged in thought.
ppp23659#pid#183. I have been shown the way in which these angels function. To open the eye and grant the benefit of light, they seemed to roll away towards the septum of the nose the surface tissues of the left eye. The person himself perceives this altogether as an actual occurrence, but in fact it is an appearance.
ppp23658#pid#184. Once that small membrane of the eye has been rolled away a kind of light appears, though dim, similar to the light which someone sees through the eyelids when first waking up. And he is experiencing a state of calm, for the celestial angels are still protecting him. At the same time a kind of twilight descends, the colour of the sky when one small star is showing. But I have noticed variations in this phenomenon.
ppp23657#pid#185. After this it seems as if something is gently rolled away from the face, and perception is imparted to that person. While this is happening the angels act with utmost care to prevent any idea coming from him except one that is gentle, that is, expressive of love. Then he is enabled to realize that he is a spirit.
ppp23656#pid#186. At this point his life begins. At first it is happy and joyful, for he is conscious of having entered into eternal life. This is represented by a white light turning into a lovely shade of yellow, which symbolizes his initial life, that is to say, that it is celestial as well as spiritual.
ppp23655#pid#187. His being received after this into a community of good spirits is represented by a youth seated on a horse which he is pointing in the direction of hell. But the horse cannot take a single step. The person is represented as a youth because he is among angels the moment he enters into eternal life, and so it seems to him as though he is in the bloom of youth.
ppp23654#pid#188. The next stage of his life is represented by his dismounting from the horse and going on foot, because he is unable to get the horse to move. Then it is instilled into him that he is to be furnished with cognitions of truth and good.
ppp23653#pid#189. After this he sees paths gently sloping upwards. These mean that he is to be led to heaven little by little, by means of cognitions of truth and good and by self-acknowledgement. For without self-acknowledgement and without cognitions of truth and good, nobody can be brought to that place. For a continuation of the subject, see the end of this chapter.
ppp23652#pid#190. `Genesis 3bbb1-13`
1. And the serpent was subtle, more than every wild animal of the field that Jehovah God had made. And it said to the woman, Has God indeed said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
2. And the woman said to the serpent, Of the fruit from the tree of the garden we are to eat.
3. But of the fruit from the tree which is in the middle of the garden God has said, You shall not eat of it nor touch it, or else you will die.
4. And the serpent said to the woman, You will certainly not die.
5. For God knows that on the day in which you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.
6. And the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was appetizing to the eyes, and a tree desirable for imparting intelligence; and she took from its fruit and ate; and she also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.
7. And the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made girdles for themselves.
8. And they heard Jehovah God's voice going to and fro in the garden in the breeze of the daytime; and the man hid himself, and so did his wife, from the face of Jehovah God, in the middle of the tree of the garden.
9. And Jehovah God called out to the man and said to him, Where are you?
10. And he said, I heard Your voice in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.
11. And He said, Who pointed out to you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree concerning which I commanded you that you should not eat from it?
12. And the man said, The woman whom You gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree and I did eat.
13. And Jehovah God said to the woman, Why have you done this? And the woman said, The serpent deceived me, and I ate.
CONTENTS
The subject is the third state of the Most Ancient Church, which set their heart on the proprium, even to the point of loving it.
ppp23651#pid#191. Because at this time, by reason of their self-love or very own love, they were beginning not to believe anything which they did not apprehend through their physical senses, the sensory part is represented by the serpent, self-love or very own love by the woman, and the rational by the man (vir).
ppp23650#pid#192. Consequently the serpent, which is the sensory part, persuaded the woman to probe into matters of faith in the Lord to see whether they were so. This is meant by eating from the tree of knowledge, and the fact that the rational of the member of the Church conceded is meant by the man (vir) eating, verses `Genesis 3bbbccc1-6`.
ppp23649#pid#193. But they perceived that they were under the influence of evil. From the residue of perception left to them, which is meant by the statements about their eyes being opened and their hearing the voice of Jehovah, verses `Genesis 3bbbccc7-8`, and from the fig leaves with which they made themselves girdles, verse `Genesis 3bbbccc7`; also from their sense of shame or hiding themselves in the middle of the tree of the garden, verses `Genesis 3bbbccc8-9`, as well as from their acknowledgement and confession, verses `Genesis 3bbbccc10-13` it is evident that natural goodness remained with them.
ppp23648#pid#194. THE INTERNAL SENSE
Verse 1. And the serpent was subtle, more than every wild animal of the field that Jehovah God had made. And it said to the woman, Has God indeed said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
'The serpent is here used to mean man's sensory perception in which he trusts. 'Wild animal of the field' here, as previously, means every affection that belongs to the external man. 'Woman' means the proprium. 'The serpent said, Has God indeed said, You shall not eat of every tree' means that for the first time they entertained doubts. The subject is the third generation of the descendants of the Most Ancient Church, which began not to believe matters of revelation unless they could see the import of these with their eyes and apprehend them with the senses. Their first state is described in this verse and the next as being a state of doubting.
ppp23647#pid#195. The most ancient people did not compare all things in man to beasts and birds but actually called them such. This was their manner of speaking, which also remained throughout in the Ancient Church after the Flood; and a similar manner of speaking was preserved among the Prophets. Man's sensory powers they called serpents, for just as serpents are next to the ground so do the sensory powers come next to the body. Consequently reasonings based on sensory evidence concerning mysteries of faith they called serpent-poisons, and those who reasoned in that way they called serpents. And it is their basing reasonings so much on sensory evidence - that is, on visual, as is the evidence of earthly, bodily, worldly, and natural objects - that is the reason for the statement 'the serpent was subtle, more than every wild animal of the field'.
ttt[2] A similar usage occurs in David,
They make their tongue sharp, like a serpent. Under their lips is the poison of an asp. `Psalms 140bbb3-5`.
This refers to people who mislead a person by means of reasonings. In the same author,
They go astray even from the womb, in uttering what is untrue; their poison is like serpent's poison; they are like the poisonous deaf-adder which stops up its ear to the sound of those whispering [to it], of the wise one who belongs to the fraternity [of charmers]. `Psalms 58bbb3-5`.
Reasonings whose nature is such that those who resort to them do not even hear that which is wise, that is, do not hear 'the sound of the wise one', are here called 'serpent's poison'. This was the origin of the popular saying with the ancients about 'the serpent stopping its ear'. In Amos,
As if someone went into the house and leaned with his hand against the wall, and a serpent bit him. Is not the day of Jehovah darkness and not light, and thick darkness, and no brightness in it? `Amos 5bbb19-20`.
'His hand against the wall' stands for power that is one's own and trust in sensory evidence, which results in the benightedness described here.
ttt[3] In Jeremiah,
The sound of Egypt will go forth like a serpent, for [her enemies] will go forth in force, and they will come to her with axes, like woodcutters. Let them cut down her forest, says Jehovah, for it will not be explored; they are more numerous than locusts, they are without number. The daughter of Egypt has been put to shame; she will be given into the hand of a people from the north. `Jeremiah 46bbb20`, `Jeremiah 46bbbccc22-24`.
'Egypt' stands for reasoning about Divine matters that is based on sensory evidence and factual knowledge. Reasonings are called 'the sound of a serpent', and the benightedness that results is meant by 'a people from the north'. In Job,
He will suck the poison of asps, the tongue of a viper will kill him; he will not see the brooks, the streams flowing with honey and butter. `Job 20bbb16-17`.
'Streams of honey and butter' are spiritual and celestial things, which reasoners will not see. Reasonings are called 'the poison of asps and 'the tongue of a viper'. For more concerning the serpent, see at verses `Genesis 3bbbccc14-15`, below.
ppp23646#pid#196. In ancient times people who relied on sensory evidence rather than matters of revelation were called serpents. Nowadays the position is even worse, for not only are there people who believe nothing unless they can see it with their eyes and apprehend it with their senses, there are also those who confirm themselves in that attitude by means of facts unknown to the most ancient people, and who in so doing blind themselves very much more. To make known how people who draw conclusions about heavenly things on the basis of sensory evidence, facts, and philosophical arguments, so blind themselves that they subsequently see and hear absolutely nothing, and who are not only the deaf serpents but also the far more deadly flying serpents, mentioned in the Word as well, let their belief concerning the spirit serve as an example.
ttt[2] Anybody who is sensory-minded, that is, whose belief is rooted solely in the senses, denies the existence of the spirit because he does not see it. He says, 'Because I do not feel it, it is nothing; what I see and touch, I know to exist'. Anybody who is factually-minded, that is, who bases his conclusions on factual knowledge, says, 'What is the spirit but perhaps breath, or vital heat, or something else known to me, which is dissipated when it comes to an end? Do not animals as well have a body, and senses, and something analogous to reason? Yet people say that animals are destined to die but man's spirit to live.' In this way they deny the existence of the spirit. Philosophers, men wishing to be more incisive than everybody else, speak of the spirit in terms which they themselves are not clear about since they argue about them. They contend that not a single expression is applicable which in any way derives from what is material, organic, or spatial. In this way they dismiss the spirit from their ideas, and as a result it passes from their notice and becomes nothing at all.
ttt[3] Those among them however who are more sensible say that the spirit is thought, but when they begin to reason about thought they at length conclude, since they separate thought from substance, that it will disappear when the body breathes its last. In this way everyone who reasons on the basis of sensory evidence, facts, and philosophical arguments denies the existence of the spirit, and in denying its existence never believes anything that is said about the spirit or about spiritual things. But if indeed the simple in heart are questioned they say that they know that the spirit exists because the Lord has said that they will live after death. Instead of smothering their rationality they nurture it by means of the Word of the Lord.
ppp23645#pid#197. With the most ancient people, who were celestial, a serpent meant being completely watchful, and so also meant their sensory perception by means of which they were to show vigilance to avoid being harmed by the evil. This is clear from the Lord's words to His disciples,
Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves. `Matthew 10bbb16`.
And also 'the bronze serpent' which was raised up in the wilderness and which meant the Lord's Sensory Perception. He alone is Celestial Man, and He alone is completely watchful and provides for everybody. Whoever beheld it therefore was delivered.
ppp23644#pid#198. Verses `Genesis 3bbbccc2-3` And the woman said to the serpent, Of the fruit from the tree of the garden we are to eat; but of the fruit from the tree which is in the middle of the garden God has said, You shall not eat of it nor touch it, or else you will die. 'The fruit from the tree of the garden' is the good and truth revealed to them from the Most Ancient Church. 'The fruit from the tree which was in the middle of the garden, of which they were not to eat' is the good and truth of faith, which they were forbidden to learn from themselves. 'Not to touch it' means that they were forbidden to think about the good and truth of faith from themselves, that is, from sensory perception and factual knowledge. 'Or else they would die' means that faith, that is, all wisdom and intelligence, would in this way perish.
ppp23643#pid#199. The fruit from the tree from which they were allowed to eat means the good and truth of faith, that is, the cognitions of faith, revealed to them from the Most Ancient Church. This becomes clear from the fact that reference is made to 'the fruit from the tree of the garden' from which they were to eat, and not merely, as previously in `Genesis ccc2bbb16` where the subject was the celestial man or Most Ancient Church, 'from the tree of the garden'. As was stated at that point, the tree of the garden means perception, that is, the perception of good and truth. And because this good and truth are the product, it is here called fruit, as is also the meaning of 'fruit' many times in the Word.
ppp23642#pid#200. The reason the tree of knowledge is now said to be in the middle of the garden, whereas previously in `Genesis ccc2bbb9` the tree of life`fff1` is said to be in the middle of the garden, and not the tree of knowledge, is that 'the middle of the garden' means that which is inmost. And the inmost of the celestial man, or Most Ancient Church, was the tree of life,`fff1` which was love and faith deriving from it. But the middle of the garden, or that which was the inmost of this next generation, that is, of the man who may be called celestial-spiritual, was faith. No further description is possible, for the character of the people who lived in those most ancient times is totally unknown at the present day. Their disposition was entirely different from that which is at all possible with anyone today. To convey some intelligible idea of that disposition, let the point be considered that it was from good that they came to know truth, that is, from love they came to know anything of faith. But when that generation died out another took its place whose disposition was entirely different. That is to say, the new generation did not from good come to know truth, or from love come to know the things of faith, but instead had from truth a knowledge of good, that is, had from the things constituting the cognitions of faith a knowledge of those of love; and with the majority it was scarcely anything more than knowledge. Such was the change which took place after the Flood to prevent the destruction of the world.
`nnn1. literally, of lives
ppp23641#pid#201. Since therefore the kind of disposition which the most ancient people had before the Flood does not occur and is not found nowadays, it is difficult to explain intelligibly what the words here embody in the genuine sense. In heaven it is very well known, for angels and angelic spirits who are called celestial are by disposition like those regenerate people of most ancient times before the Flood, while angels and angelic spirits who are called spiritual are by disposition like those people who were regenerated after the Flood. Among both types there is endless variety.
ppp23640#pid#202. The Most Ancient Church, which was celestial man, was not only forbidden to eat from the tree of knowledge, that is, to learn that which comprised faith from sensory evidence and from facts; it was not even allowed 'to touch that tree', that is, even to think from sensory evidence and from facts about anything that was a matter of faith. This was to prevent them slumping from celestial to spiritual life, and in this way going down further still. The life of celestial angels is also the same. Those of them who are more interiorly celestial do not even allow faith to be mentioned or anything whatever which has a spiritual origin. If others mention it they perceive love instead of faith, with a difference known only to themselves. Thus anything that is a matter of faith they derive from love and charity. Still less do they allow themselves to listen to anything of a rational nature concerning faith, and least of all to anything of a factual nature; for they possess from the Lord by way of love a perception of what good and truth are. From perception they know instantly whether something is so or not so. Consequently when any statement about faith is made their response is either That is so, or That is not so, for they are perceiving from the Lord. This is what the Lord's words mean in Matthew,
Let your words be, YES, YES, NO, NO; anything beyond this is from evil.`fff1` `Matthew 5bbb37`.
The present verse in Genesis says that they were not allowed even to touch the fruit of the tree of knowledge, for if they did touch it, they would be subject to evil, that is, they would consequently die. All the same, celestial angels, like others, discuss various matters among themselves, but they do so in celestial language that is formed by, and derived from, love, a language that is more indescribable than the language of spiritual angels.
`nnn1. or from the evil one
ppp23639#pid#203. Spiritual angels however do discuss faith; they even confirm matters of faith by means of intellectual concepts, rational concepts, and factual knowledge. But they never use these as a means to arrive at a conclusion concerning faith. Those who do that are under the influence of evil. For spiritual angels also have from the Lord a perception of everything that is a matter of faith, but the nature of their perception is not the same as that of celestial angels. The perception that spiritual angels have is a measure of conscience vitalized by the Lord. It seems like celestial perception, but it is merely spiritual perception and not celestial.
ppp23638#pid#204. Verses `Genesis 3bbbccc4-5` And the serpent said to the woman, You will certainly not die. For God knows that on the day in which you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.
'If they ate from the fruit of the tree their eyes would be opened' means that if they did probe into matters of faith from sensory perception and factual knowledge, that is, from themselves, they would see plainly that it was not so. 'They would be like God, knowing good and evil' means that if they did so from themselves they would be like God and could be their own guides.
ppp23637#pid#205. The content of each single verse has to do with a particular state or else change of state within the Church. The initial verses describe how they still perceived that such a course of action was forbidden even though they had an inclination towards it. The two present verses describe how they began to doubt whether it was forbidden them, since they would in that way see whether the things they had heard from the people of earliest times were true, and in that way their eyes would be opened. These two verses finally describe how, since self-love began to reign with them, they were able to be their own guides and so be like the Lord. It is characteristic of self-love that people do not wish to be led from the Lord but from themselves. And when this is so people rely in matters of belief on sensory evidence and factual knowledge.
ppp23636#pid#206. Who are more convinced that they have had their eyes opened and that like God they know what good and evil are than people who love themselves and who at the same time possess worldly learning? Yet is anyone more blind than they are? Merely question them and it will be seen that they do not even know about, let alone believe in, the existence of the spirit. What spiritual and celestial life are, they do not know at all. Nor do they acknowledge the reality of eternal life, for they believe that when they die they will, like animals, cease to exist. The Lord they do not acknowledge at all; they worship themselves and nature solely. Those who wish to be more guarded in what they say speak of a Supreme Being ruling over everything, but do not know what that Being is.
ttt[2] These are their basic assumptions which they confirm in a multitude of ways by means of sensory evidence and of facts which they have at their command. If they dared, they would even do it for all the world to see. Although such people wish to be acknowledged as gods, that is, as sages, they would reply, if asked whether they knew what having no proprium was, that it was having no being, and if deprived of proprium that they would be nothing. If asked what living from the Lord was, they would consider it to be a set of delusions. If questioned whether they knew what conscience was, they would say it is purely a figment of the imagination which can be of service in keeping the common people under control. If questioned whether they knew what perception was, they would do no more than laugh and call it some kind of emotionalism. This is the kind of wisdom they possess; these are the kind of opened eyes they have; and these are the kind of gods they are. Starting from assumptions such as these, which they imagine to be clear as daylight, they go further and in this way reason about mysteries of faith. And what can the outcome be but abysmal thick darkness? More than anybody else these are serpents who mislead the world. But this was not yet the nature of these descendants of the Most Ancient Church. Verses `Genesis 3bbbccc14-19` of this chapter deal with them when they had reached that point.
ppp23635#pid#207. Verse `Genesis 3bbbccc6` And the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was appetizing to the eyes, and a tree desirable for imparting intelligence; and she took from its fruit and ate; and she also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.
'Good for food' means inordinate desire. 'Appetizing to the eyes' means delusion. 'Desirable for imparting intelligence' means base pleasure. These statements refer to the proprium, which is the woman. 'Her husband ate' means that the rational conceded, `@@@265`.
ppp23634#pid#208. This generation of the descendants of the Most Ancient Church which allowed itself to be misled by self-love was the fourth. It was unwilling to believe matters of revelation unless it saw confirmation of them from sensory evidence and factual knowledge.
ppp23633#pid#209. The expressions used here about the tree being good for food, appetizing to the eyes, desirable for imparting intelligence, are such as were applicable to the disposition of the people who lived in those most ancient times. In particular these words have regard to the will, for it was from the will that their evils poured out. When the Word is dealing with those who came after the Flood, such expressions are used as have regard not so much to the will as to the understanding; for the most ancient people possessed from good that which was true, while those coming after the Flood possessed from truth that which was good.
ppp23632#pid#210. What is the proprium? The human proprium consists of everything evil and false that gushes out of self-love and love of the world. It involves people believing not in the Lord or in the Word but in themselves, and their imagining that what they do not grasp through sensory evidence or through facts does not exist at all. They become as a consequence nothing but evil and falsity and so have a warped view of everything. Things that are evil they see as good, and those that are good as evil; things that are false they see as true, and those that are true as false. Realities they imagine to be nothing, and things that are nothing they imagine to be everything. They call hatred love, thick darkness light, death life, and vice versa. In the Word such people are called 'the lame and the blind'. This then is the human proprium which in itself is hellish and condemned.
ppp23631#pid#211. Verse `Genesis 3bbbccc7` And the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked.
'Their eyes were opened' means that from an inner dictate they knew and acknowledged that they were naked, that is, that they no longer dwelt in innocence, as previously, but were under the influence of evil.
ppp23630#pid#212. That 'the eyes becoming opened' means a dictate coming from within is clear from similar usages in the Word, such as that which Balaam adopts when speaking about himself. Because he had visions he calls himself' a man who has had his eyes opened', `Numbers 24bbb3-4`. And in the case of Jonathan when on tasting from the honeycomb he experienced a dictate from within indicating that doing so was evil, it is said that his eyes saw, that is, they were enlightened for him to see the thing he had not known up to then, `1 Samuel 14bbb27`, `1 Samuel 14bbbccc29`. Also, many times in the Word, the eyes stand for the understanding, and so for an inner dictate from the understanding, as in David,
Lighten my eyes, lest I sleep [the sleep of] death. `Psalms 13bbb3`.
'Eyes' here stands for the understanding. In Ezekiel,
They have eyes to see but they see not. `Ezekiel 11bbb2`.
Here they stand for those who do not wish to understand. In Isaiah,
Plaster over their eyes, lest they see with their eyes. `Isaiah 6bbb10`.
This stands for their being blinded to prevent their understanding. Through Moses the people were told,
Jehovah has not given you a heart to know, and eyes to see, and ears to hear. `Deuteronomy 29bbb4`.
'Heart' stands for the will, and 'eyes' for the understanding. It is said of the Lord in `Isaiah 42bbb7` that He will open eyes that are blind; and in the same prophet,
Out of thick darkness and out of darkness the eyes of the blind will see. `Isaiah 29bbb18`.
ppp23629#pid#213. 'Knowing that they were naked' means knowing and acknowledging that they did not dwell in innocence, as they had done previously, but were under the influence of evil. This is clear from the final verse of the previous chapter, where it is said, 'And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and they were not ashamed'. There it may be seen that being naked and not ashamed means being innocent. The contrary is meant when they are ashamed, as in this chapter which says that they sewed fig leaves together and hid themselves. Indeed when innocence is lacking nakedness arouses feelings of shame and disgrace because people are made aware of their own evil thoughts. Consequently nakedness in the Word stands for evil and shame and has reference to a corrupted Church, as in Ezekiel,
She was naked and bare, and was downtrodden in her own blood. `Ezekiel 16bbb7`, `Ezekiel 16bbbccc11`.
In the same prophet,
Let them leave her naked and bare, and let her nakedness be uncovered. `Ezekiel 23bbb29`.
In John,
I counsel you to buy white garments to clothe you, and let not the shame of your nakedness be manifested. `Revelation 3bbb18`.
And in reference to Judgement Day,
Blessed is he who is awake and keeps his garments, so that he may not walk naked, and men see his shame. `Revelation 16bbb15`.
In Deuteronomy,
If a man has found in his wife some nakedness, let him write her a bill of divorce. `Deuteronomy 24bbb1`.
This also was why Aaron and his sons were commanded to have linen breeches to cover their naked flesh when they approached the altar to serve, lest they should bring iniquity upon themselves and die, `Exodus 28bbb42-43`.
ppp23628#pid#214. They are called 'naked' because they were left to their proprium. Indeed people who are left to the proprium, that is, to themselves, no longer possess any intelligence or wisdom, that is, any faith. Denuded of truth and good, they are accordingly under the influence of evil.
ppp23627#pid#215. The proprium is nothing but evil and falsity. This has been made clear to me from the fact that anything spirits at any time have spoken from themselves has been evil and false, and so much so that the moment I was made to realize that it originated in themselves I knew it was false, even though, when they spoke, they were so sure of its being the truth that they were in no doubt about it. The same is true of the person who speaks from himself. Similarly whenever people have started to reason about the things which constituted spiritual and celestial life or about those which comprised faith, I have been allowed to perceive that they doubted, indeed denied, those things; for reasoning about faith amounts to doubting and denying. And because they reason from themselves, that is, from the proprium, they plunge into utter falsities, and therefore into abysmal thick darkness, that is, thick darkness of falsities. At such times the tiniest quibble weighs more heavily than a thousand truths, just as a speck of dust deposited on the pupil of the eye prevents it from seeing the universe and everything it contains. The Lord speaks of these people in Isaiah as follows,
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and in their own sight are intelligent! `Isaiah 5bbb21`
And in the same prophet,
Your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray, and you said in your heart, I am, and there is no one else besides me. And evil will come upon you, whose origin you do not know, and disaster will befall you, which you will not be able to expiate, and vastation will come upon you suddenly of which you know not. `Isaiah 47bbb10-11`.
In Jeremiah,
Every man has been made stupid by knowledge; every metal-caster is put to shame by his statue, for the idol he moulds is a lie, and there is no spirit in those things. `Jeremiah 51bbb17`.
'Statue' stands for the falsity which belongs to the proprium, and 'idol' for the evil which belongs to it.
ppp23626#pid#216. And they sewed fig leaves together and made girdles for themselves.
'Sewing leaves' is excusing themselves, 'fig' is natural good, 'making girdles for themselves' is being filled with shame. This was how the most ancient people spoke and described this generation of the Church, that is to say, that instead of the innocence existing with them previously they now had natural good which; served to conceal their evil, and that because they were in possession of natural good they were moved to shame.
ppp23625#pid#217. That in the Word 'vine' means spiritual good and 'fig' natural good is totally unknown nowadays because the internal sense of the Word has been lost. Nevertheless this is what vine and fig mean or embody whenever they occur, as with the Lord's statements in His parables involving a vineyard and also a fig tree, and in the incident recorded in Matthew,
Jesus seeing a fig tree by the wayside went to it but found nothing on it but leaves only; therefore He said to it, Let no fruit from now on ever be born from you! Therefore the fig tree withered at once. `Matthew 21bbb19`.
This meant that no good, not even natural good, was found on earth. 'Vine' and 'fig' have the same meaning in Jeremiah,
Were they ashamed that they committed abomination? No indeed, they were not at all filled with shame and they did not know how to blush. Therefore I will surely gather them, says Jehovah; there will be no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree; and its leaf has fallen. `Jeremiah 8bbb12-13`.
This means that all good, both spiritual and natural, had perished, for people were such that they were not even capable of being filled with shame, just as nowadays people governed by evil are so brazen that they even boast about that evil. In Hosea,
Like grapes in the wilderness I found Israel; like the first fruit on the fig tree, in the beginning, I saw your fathers. `Hosea 9bbb10`.
And in Joel,
Fear not, you beasts of my fields, for the tree will bear its fruit, the fig tree and the vine will give their full yield. `Joel 2bbb22`.
'Vine' stands for spiritual good, 'fig' for natural good.
ppp23624#pid#218. Verse `Genesis 3bbbccc8` And they heard Jehovah God's voice going to and fro in the garden in the breeze of the daytime; and the man hid himself, and so did his wife, from the face of Jehovah God, in the middle of the tree of the garden.
'Jehovah God's voice going to and fro in the garden' means a dictate which filled them with fear. This dictate is the residue they had of perception. 'The breeze, or breath,`fff1` of the daytime' means a time when the Church still had a residue of perception. 'Hiding themselves from the face of Jehovah God' is being afraid of this dictate, as people conscious of evil normally are. 'The middle of the tree of the garden in which they hid themselves' means natural good; that which is Inmost is called 'the middle', and perception a tree', as stated already. But because only a little perception remained 'tree' is used in the singular, as though only one were left.
`nnn1. literally, spirit
ppp23623#pid#219. 'Jehovah God's voice going to and fro in the garden' means a dictate which filled them with fear. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'voice' in the Word where 'Jehovah's voice' stands for the Word itself, for the doctrine of faith, for conscience, which is inward mindfulness, and also for every expression of disapproval resulting from these. This also is why thunderbolts are called 'Jehovah's voices', as in John,
Then the angel called out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring; and when he called out seven thunders sounded their voices. `Revelation 10bbb3-4`.
This stands for the voice at that time being both external and internal. In the same book,
In the days of the voice of the seventh angel the mystery of God was fulfilled. `Revelation 10bbb7`.
Here the meaning is similar. In David,
Sing to God, make melody to the Lord who rides above the heavens of heavens of old. Behold, He will put forth His voice, a mighty voice. `Psalms 68bbb32-33`.
'The heavens of heavens of old' stands for the wisdom of the Most Ancient Church. 'Voice' stands for revelation and also for an inner dictate. In the same author, The voice of Jehovah is upon the waters; the voice of Jehovah is powerful; the voice of Jehovah is glorious; the voice of Jehovah breaks the cedars; the voice of Jehovah flashes forth flames of fire; the voice of Jehovah causes the wilderness to shake; the voice of Jehovah causes the hinds to calve, and strips the forests bare. `Psalms 29bbb3-5`, `Psalms 29bbbccc7-9`.
And in Isaiah,
Jehovah will cause the excellence of His voice to be heard, for Asshur will be dismayed by the voice of Jehovah. `Isaiah 30bbb30-31`.
ppp23622#pid#220. 'His voice going to and fro' means that only a residue of perception was left, so small as to be solitary and inaudible, so to speak. This is also clear from the next verse in which it is said that Jehovah called out to the man. A similar usage occurs in Isaiah,
The voice of one crying in the wilderness; the voice said, Cry! `Isaiah 40bbb3`, `Isaiah 40bbbccc6`.
'Wilderness' stands for a Church where no faith exists; 'the voice of one crying stands for the declaration of the Lord's coming, in general for every declaration of His coming, as is made to regenerate persons who have this dictate residing in them.
ppp23621#pid#221. 'Breeze, or breath,`fff1` of the daytime' means a time when the Church still had a residue of perception. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'day' and of 'night'. The most ancient people compared states of the Church to the times of the day and of the night. States when the Church still had light they compared to times of the day; therefore this verse speaks of 'the breath' or breeze of the daytime' as when they still had some residue of perception, from which they knew that they were fallen. The Lord too calls a state in which there is faith 'the daytime' and one in which there is none 'the night', as in John,
I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; night is coming when nobody will be able to work. `John 9bbb4`.
The consecutive states of man's regeneration for the same reason were called 'days' in Chapter `Genesis 1bbb0`.
`nnn1. literally, spirit
ppp23620#pid#222. 'Hiding themselves from the face of Jehovah' is being afraid of this dictate, as people conscious of evil normally are. This is clear from their reply in verse `Genesis 3bbbccc10`, 'I heard Your Voice in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked'. 'The face of Jehovah', that is, of the Lord, is mercy, peace, and all good, as is quite clear from the blessing,
Jehovah make His face`fff1` shine upon you and be merciful to you. Jehovah lift up His face`fff1` upon you and give you peace. `Numbers 6bbb15`, `Numbers 6bbbccc26`.
And in David,
God be merciful to us and bless us, and make His face`fff1` shine upon us. `Psalms 67bbb1`.
And elsewhere in David,
Many are saying, Who will cause us to see good? Lift up the light of Your face`fff1` upon us, O Jehovah. `Psalms 4bbb6-7`.
The Lord's mercy is for this reason called 'the angel of His face'`fff1` in Isaiah,
I will cause the mercies of Jehovah to be remembered. He has rewarded them according to His mercies, and according to the abundance of His mercies; and He became their Saviour. In all their affliction there was no affliction, and the angel of His face`fff1` saved them; in His love and in His pity He redeemed them. `Isaiah 63bbb7-9`.
`nnn1. literally, faces
ppp23619#pid#223. Since the Lord's face is mercy, peace, and all good, it is clear that He always looks with mercy on anybody, and never turns His face away from anybody. Instead it is man, when governed by evil, who turns away his face, as the Lord has said through Isaiah,
Your iniquities are what separate you from your God, and your sins what cause His face`fff1` to hide from you. `Isaiah 59bbb2`.
`nnn1. literally, faces
The same applies in this verse which states that 'they hid themselves from the face of Jehovah because they were naked'.
ppp23618#pid#224. Mercy, peace, and all good, which are 'the face of Jehovah', are the cause of the dictate present with people who have perception. They are also the cause, though in a different way, of the dictate present with people who have conscience. And they always operate with mercy, but they are received according to the state which the individual is experiencing. The state of this man, that is, of this generation of the descendants of the Most Ancient Church, was natural good. And people who are in possession of natural good are of such a nature that they hide out of fear and shame at being naked. But people who are not in possession of natural good do not even hide, because they have no sense of shame. These are referred to in `Jeremiah 8bbb12-13`. See what has been said already in `@@@217`.
ppp23617#pid#225. The middle of the tree of the garden' means natural good containing some perception, which is called 'a tree'. This also becomes clear from the garden in which celestial man lived, for everything good and true is called a garden, with variation depending on the person who tends it. Good is not really good unless its inmost is celestial, from which, or rather from the Lord by way of which, perception comes. This inmost is called 'the middle', as also in other parts of the Word.
ppp23616#pid#226. Verses `Genesis 3bbbccc9`, to And Jehovah God called out to the man and said to him, Where are you? And he said, I heard Your voice in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself. What 'calling out' and 'a voice in the garden' mean, and why 'they were afraid because they were naked and hid themselves' have been explained already. Even though the Lord knows everything already. It is a common occurrence in the Word for Him first to ask the man Where? and What? The reason why he is asked is so that he himself may acknowledge and confess.
ppp23615#pid#227. But seeing that the origin of perception, dictate, and conscience needs to be known, it being totally unknown at the present day, let some reference be made to it here. It is a momentous truth that the Lord governs man by means of spirits and angels. When evil spirits start to have dominion, angels set to work to ward off evils and falsities, as a consequence of which conflict arises. And it is by means of perception, dictate, and conscience that a person comes to feel this conflict. These, together with temptations, make it possible for a person to become plainly aware of the fact that spirits and angels are residing with him, provided he is not so totally engrossed in bodily interests that he believes nothing he is told about spirits and angels. Consequently if such people were to experience conflict a hundred times over they would still call them delusions and the result of some mental disturbance. I have been allowed almost constantly for several years now to experience thousands of times these conflicts and the resultant feeling, and also to know who those spirits and angels were, what they were like, where they came from, when they arrived, and when they went away; and I have talked to them.
ppp23614#pid#228. How keen the perception of angels is in detecting whether anything entering in is contrary to the truth of faith and to good springing from love defies description. The nature of that which enters in and the point at which it does so they perceive a thousand times better than man does himself, who knows scarcely anything about it. Angels are able to perceive more in the smallest degree of a person's thought than he himself in the largest; this is indeed incredible but absolutely true.
ppp23613#pid#229. Verses `Genesis 3bbbccc11-13` And He said, Who pointed out to you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree concerning which I commanded you that you should not eat from it? And the man said, The woman whom You gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree and I did eat. And Jehovah God said to the woman, Why have you done this? And the woman said, The serpent deceived me, and I ate.
The meaning of these verses is clear from explanations given already, namely that man's rational allowed itself to be so deceived by the cherished proprium, that is, by self-love, that he believed nothing unless he could see and touch it. Anyone may recognize that Jehovah God did not speak to a serpent, and indeed that there was no serpent, nor even that He spoke to the sensory part of man, which is meant by the serpent. Anyone may recognize that these statements embody something different, namely that men perceived that they were deceived by their physical senses, but because they loved themselves they first desired to know whether what they had heard about the Lord and about faith in Him was true before they were ready to believe it.
ppp23612#pid#230. The predominant evil of this generation of the descendants of the Most Ancient Church was self-love, and not so much love of the world as well, as is the case nowadays; for their lives were confined to their own houses and family groups, and they did not set their heart on the acquisition of wealth.
ppp23611#pid#231. Not believing the Lord or the Word but themselves and their own senses was the evil not only of the Most Ancient Church before the Flood, but also of the Ancient Church after it. It was also the evil of the Jewish Church, and later on of the new or gentile Church established after the Lord's Coming, as well as the evil of the Church of today. Consequently no faith exists, and when no faith exists neither does any love of the neighbour. Everything therefore is false and evil.
ppp23610#pid#232. The situation today is far worse than it was in the past, since people are now able to confirm their incredulity of the senses by means of facts that were unknown to the ancients. The thick darkness that results is so great that it defies description. If man knew how great that thick darkness really was he would be dumbfounded.
ppp23609#pid#233. Investigating mysteries of faith by means of facts is as impossible as it is for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, or for a rib to control the tiniest fibres of the chest and the heart. Just as gross, indeed far more gross, is what is sensory and factual in comparison with what is spiritual and celestial. Anyone who wishes to probe merely the secrets of nature, which are countless, discovers scarcely a single one, and when he starts to probe he sinks, as is well known, into falsities. What then would happen if he wished to probe the secrets of spiritual and celestial life, where thousands and thousands of secrets exist for each one contained in the unseen parts of nature?
ttt[2] To illustrate the point, let just one example be taken. Of himself man is incapable of anything other than doing evil and turning himself away from the Lord. Yet it is not the man who does so but the evil spirits residing with him. Yet again it is not the evil spirits who do it but the evil itself which they have made their own. All the same, man does that evil and turns himself away, and is blameworthy, even though his life comes from the Lord alone. On the other hand man of himself cannot possibly do good and return to the Lord. This is accomplished by angels. Yet the angels cannot do it, but only the Lord. All the same, man is capable as if of himself of doing good and of returning to the Lord. The truth of all this cannot possibly be grasped by the senses, formulated knowledge, or philosophy. If these are consulted they deny those things outright, even though they are inherently true. And the same applies with everything else.
ttt[3] These considerations show that people who consult sensory evidence and factual knowledge in matters of belief plunge themselves not only into doubt but also into denial, that is, into thick darkness. And in plunging into thick darkness they also become immersed in every kind of evil desire, for in believing what is false they also do what is false. And when they believe that the spiritual and the celestial do not exist they believe that only the bodily and the worldly do so. So they love anything that belongs to self and the world, and this is how evil desires and evils themselves arise out of what is false.
ppp23608#pid#234. `Genesis 3bbb14-19`
14. And Jehovah God said to the serpent, Because you have done this, cursed are you, more than every beast, and more than every wild animal of the field; on your belly you will go, and dust will you eat all the days of your life.
15. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will tread down your head, and you will bruise His heel.
16. And to the woman He said, I will greatly multiply your pain and your conceiving; in Pain you will bear sons; and your obedience will be to your husband, and he will have dominion over you.
17. And to the man He said, Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, You shall not eat from it, cursed be the ground on account of you; in great pain you will eat of it all the days of your life.
18. And thorn and thistle will it bring forth for you, and you will eat the plant of the field.
19. With sweat on your brow you will eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you will return.
CONTENTS
The state of the Church down to the time of the Flood is described. And because the Church at that time destroyed itself completely, it is foretold that the Lord will come into the world and save the human race.
ppp23607#pid#235. Because people were no longer willing to believe anything unless they apprehended it with the senses, the sensory part, which is the serpent, brought a curse upon itself and became hellish, verse `Genesis 3bbbccc14`.
ppp23606#pid#236. To prevent therefore the whole of mankind rushing into hell, the Lord promised that He would come into the world, verse `Genesis 3bbbccc15`.
ppp23605#pid#237. The Church is described further still by the woman. This Church so loved itself, that is, the proprium, that it could no longer apprehend any truth at all, even though the rational which was to have dominion was granted to them, verse `Genesis 3bbbccc16`.
ppp23604#pid#238. The nature of the rational is then described, in that it conceded, and in so doing also brought a curse upon itself and became hellish, so that reason remained no longer, but only reasoning, verse `Genesis 3bbbccc17`.
ppp23603#pid#239. The curse and vastation are described, and also their beastly nature, verse `Genesis 3bbbccc18`.
ppp23602#pid#240. Then their turning away from everything of faith and love is described, and that, this being their condition, from being human they ceased to be so any longer, verse `Genesis 3bbbccc19`.
ppp23601#pid#241. THE INTERNAL SENSE
The most ancient people, who were celestial, were by nature such that they did actually see with their eyes whatever objects they beheld in the world or on earth, but their thoughts were focused on the heavenly and Divine things which those objects meant and represented. Their physical sight was only something instrumental, and so consequently was their speech. Anyone may recognize the nature of this from his own experience, for a person who directs his attention to the sense of the words a speaker uses does indeed hear his words, but so to speak does not hear them. He grasps only the sense of them. And anyone who thinks more profoundly does not pay attention even to the sense of the words, only to their fuller implications. This generation of the descendants of the Most Ancient Church, however, who are the subject now, were not like their forefathers when they beheld worldly and earthly objects. Because they loved these objects, their minds were fixed on them. They thought about them, and from them thought about heavenly and Divine things. In this way the sensory part began to be the principal, and not, as it had been with their forefathers, the instrumental. And when the worldly and the earthly become the principal, people reason about heavenly things and blind themselves. The nature of this also anyone can recognize from his own experience; for a person who pays no attention to the sense of the speaker's words but to the words themselves grasps very little of their sense, still less any fuller implications; and sometimes he relies on a single expression or even one grammatical usage to determine the whole of what somebody is saying.
ppp23600#pid#242. Verse `Genesis 3bbbccc14` And Jehovah God said to the serpent, Because you have done this, cursed are you, more than every beast, and more than every wild animal of the field; on your belly you will go, and dust will you eat all the days of your life.
'Jehovah God said to the serpent' means they perceived that their sensory-mindedness was the cause. 'The serpent was cursed, more than every beast and wild animal of the field' means that the sensory part turned away from the heavenly and towards the bodily, and in so doing brought a curse upon itself. 'Beast' and 'wild animal of the field' here, as previously, mean affections. 'The serpent going on its belly' means that the sensory part was no longer able to look up to heavenly things, only downwards to bodily and earthly things. 'It was to eat dust all the days of its life' means that the sensory part had become such as could live from nothing but the bodily and earthly, and so had become hellish.
ppp23599#pid#243. Within the most ancient celestial man the sensory powers of the body were subject to and served the internal man. Beyond that they were not concerned with those powers. But after they began to love themselves, they set the powers of the senses above the internal man. Consequently those powers were separated, became bodily, and so were condemned.
ppp23598#pid#244. 'Jehovah God said to the serpent' means they perceived that their sensory-mindedness was the cause. This has been shown already and so there is no need to pause over these matters.
ppp23597#pid#245. 'He said to the serpent, Cursed are you, more than every beast and more than every wild animal of the field' means that the sensory part turned away from the heavenly and towards the bodily, and in so doing brought condemnation, that is, a curse, upon itself. This becomes quite clear from the internal sense of the Word. Jehovah God or the Lord never curses anyone, is never angry with anyone, never leads anyone into temptation, and never punishes, let alone curses anybody. It is the devil's crew who do such things. Such things cannot possibly come from the fountain of mercy, peace, and goodness. The reason why here and elsewhere in the Word it is said that Jehovah God not only turns His face away, is angry, punishes, and tempts, but also slays and even curses, is that people may believe that the Lord rules over and disposes every single thing in the whole world, including evil itself, punishments, and temptations. And after people have grasped this very general concept, they may then learn in what ways He rules and disposes, and how He converts into good the evil inherent in punishment and the evil inherent in temptation. In teaching and learning the Word very general concepts have to come first; and therefore the sense of the letter is full of such general concepts.
ppp23596#pid#246. 'Beast' and 'wild animal of the field' mean affections. This becomes clear from what has been stated already in `@@@45`, `@@@46`, about 'beast' and 'wild animal', to which let the following quotation from David be added,
You shake down a shower of blessings, O God; Your heritage which is labouring, You strengthen; Your wild animals will dwell in it. `Psalms 68bbb9-10`.
Here also 'wild animal' stands for the affection for good, since it is going 'to dwell in God's heritage'. The reason 'beast' and 'wild animal of the field' are mentioned here, as also in `Genesis 2bbb19`, `Genesis 2bbbccc20`, but 'beast' and 'wild animal of the earth' in `Genesis 1bbb24-25`, is that the subject is the Church, that is, man when regenerate, whereas in Chapter `Genesis ccc1bbb0` the subject is the time when the Church does not exist, that is, when man has yet to be regenerated; for 'field' is a term applying to the Church, that is, to man when regenerate.
ppp23595#pid#247. 'The serpent going on its belly' means that the sensory part was no longer able to look upwards to celestial things, as previously, only downwards to bodily and worldly things. This is clear from the fact that in earliest times 'the belly' meant things closest to the earth, ‘the breast’ those that were above the earth, and ‘the head’ those that were the highest. This is why in this verse the sensory part, which in itself is the lowest part of man since it directs itself to what is earthly, is referred to as ‘going on its belly’. And in the Jewish Church lying flat with the belly on the ground and sprinkling dust over the head had the same meaning. In David it is said,
Why do You hide Your face`fff1` and forget our misery and our oppression? For our soul is bowed down to the dust, and our belly cleaves to the ground. Rise up, as a help for us, and redeem us for Your mercy's sake. `Psalms 44bbb24-26`.
Here too it is clear that when a person turns away from the face of Jehovah he starts to cling with his belly to the dust and the ground. In Jonah also the belly of the great fish into which he was cast means the lower parts of the earth, as is clear from his own prophecy,
Out of the belly of hell I cried, and You did hear my voice. `Jonah 2bbb2`.
Here 'hell' stands for the lower earth.
`nnn1. literally, faces
ppp23594#pid#248. Whenever therefore a person was looking to heavenly things he was said to be walking erect, or what is the same, to be looking upwards or forwards; but whenever he was looking to bodily and earthly things he was said to be bent down towards the ground and to be looking downwards or backwards, as in Leviticus,
I am Jehovah your God, who brought You forth out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves; and I have broken the bars of your yoke and made you go erect. `Leviticus 26bbb13`.
In Micah,
You will not remove your necks from it nor go erect. `Micah 1bbb3`.
In Jeremiah,
Jerusalem sinned grievously, therefore they despised her, for they saw her nakedness; yea, she herself groaned, and turned away backwards. From on high He sent fire into my bones and made me return backwards; He made me desolate. `Lamentations 1bbb8-13`.
In Isaiah,
Jehovah your Redeemer turns wise men backwards and makes their knowledge foolish. `Isaiah 44bbb24-25`.
ppp23593#pid#249. 'Eating dust all the days of its life' means that the sensory part had become such as could live from nothing else than the bodily and the earthly, and so had become hellish. This too is clear from the meaning of 'dust' in the Word, as in Micah, `Micah ccc7bbb14`, `Micah 7bbbccc16-17`.
Shepherd Your people as in the days of eternity. The nations will see and be ashamed at all their might, they will lick the dust like serpents of the earth they will be shifted from their strongholds.
'Days of eternity' stands for the Most Ancient Church, 'nations' for people who put their trust in the proprium, who are referred to as 'licking dust like a serpent'. In David,
Barbarians will bow down before God, and His enemies lick the dust. `Psalms 72bbb9`.
'Barbarians' and 'enemies' stand for those who look solely to earthly and worldly things. In Isaiah,
Serpents, dust will be their bread. `Isaiah 65bbb25`.
Because 'dust' meant people who did not look to spiritual and celestial things but to bodily and earthly, the Lord commanded the disciples to shake the dust off their feet if a city or house was not worthy, `Matthew 10bbb14`. For more on 'dust' meaning that which is condemned and hellish, see at verse `Genesis 3bbbccc19`.
ppp23592#pid#250. Verse `Genesis 3bbbccc15` And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will tread down your head, and you will bruise His heel.
Nobody today is unaware that this is the first prediction concerning the Lord's Coming into the world; indeed it is quite clear from the words themselves. From them and from the Prophets the Jews also know that a Messiah is going to come. But nobody as yet knows what the serpent, the woman, the seed of the serpent, the seed of the woman, the head of the serpent which He will tread down, and the heel which the serpent will bruise, are used to mean in particular. Therefore these must be explained. 'The serpent' is here used to mean in general all evil, and in particular self-love. 'The woman' is used to mean the Church, 'the seed of the serpent 'all faithlessness, 'the seed of the woman' faith in the Lord, 'He' the Lord Himself, 'the head of the serpent' the reign of evil in general, and of self-love in particular. 'Treading down' is used to mean forcing down so that it goes on its belly and eats dust, and 'the heel' the lowest part of the natural which is the bodily, which the serpent will bruise.
ppp23591#pid#251. The reason 'the serpent' is used to mean all evil in general and self-love in particular is that all evil has originated in sensory evidence and also factual knowledge, which are what the serpent meant first. Consequently it now means evil itself, of every kind, and in particular self-love, or hatred of the neighbour and the Lord, which is the same as self-love. Because this evil or hatred is manifold, there being many genera of it and even more species, it is referred to in the Word by means of different kinds of serpents, such as snakes, adders, asps, haemorrhes, presters or fiery serpents, flying as well as creeping serpents, and vipers.
ttt[2] These vary according to differences of poison, which is hatred, as in Isaiah,
Rejoice not, O Philistia, all of you, that the rod which smites you has been broken, for from the serpent's root will come forth an adder, and its fruit will be a flying prester. `Isaiah 14bbb29`.
'Serpent's root' means sensory evidence and factual knowledge, 'adder' evil that is the outcome of falsity arising from these, 'flying prester' desire which is the product of self-love. Similar references appear in the following from the same Prophet,
They hatch adder's eggs, and weave spider's webs; he who eats their eggs dies, and when it is pressed out a viper is hatched. `Isaiah 59bbb5`.
The serpent mentioned here in Genesis is in the Book of Revelation called 'the great fiery-red dragon', and 'the serpent of old', and also 'the devil and satan who leads the whole world astray', `Revelation 12bbb3`, `Revelation 12bbbccc9`; `Revelation ccc20bbb2`. Here and elsewhere devil is never used to mean some devil who is the prince of the rest but the entire crew of evil spirits, and evil itself.
ppp23590#pid#252. The woman' is used to mean the Church. This becomes clear from the heavenly marriage, dealt with above in `@@@155`. The heavenly marriage is one in which heaven, and so the Church, is united to the Lord by means of the proprium, even to the extent of it existing within the proprium itself; for if there is no proprium the union does not exist. And when the Lord from His mercy instills into this proprium innocence, peace, and good, it still looks like the proprium, but it is now something heavenly and richly blessed; see what has been said already in `@@@164`. But the nature of the heavenly and angelic proprium obtained from the Lord on the one hand, and the nature of the hellish and devilish proprium deriving from self on the other, defies description. The difference is like that between heaven and hell.
ppp23589#pid#253. It is by virtue of the heavenly and angelic proprium that in the Word the Church is called woman (mulier) as well as wife, and also bride, virgin, and daughter. That it is called 'a woman' may be seen in Revelation,
A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. And the dragon pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. `Revelation 12bbb1`, `Revelation 12bbbccc4-5`, `Revelation 12bbbccc13`.
Here 'the woman' is used to mean the Church, 'the sun' to mean love, 'the moon' faith, 'the stars' truths of faith, as previously, which things evil spirits hate and persecute with all their might. That the Church is called 'a woman' as well as 'a wife' may be seen in Isaiah,
For your Maker is your Husband,`fff1` Jehovah Zebaoth is His name, and your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the God of the whole earth He is called. For Jehovah has called you like a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit and a wife of youth. `Isaiah 54bbb5-6`.
Here 'Maker' and 'Husband' are plural nouns because the proprium is the subject as well as [the Church]. 'A woman forsaken' and 'a wife of youth' stand in particular for the Ancient Church and the Most Ancient. Similarly in Malachi,
Jehovah was a witness between you and the wife of your youth. `Malachi 2bbb14`.
That the Church is called 'wife' and 'bride' may be seen in Revelation,
I saw the holy city, [the new] Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the lamb `Revelation 21bbb2`, `Revelation 21bbbccc9`.
And calling the Church a virgin and a daughter is a common occurrence in the Prophets.
`nnn1. In the original Hebrew the words meaning Maker and Husband are plural at this point.
ppp23588#pid#254. The seed of the serpent' is used to mean all faithlessness. This is clear from the meaning of 'a serpent' as evil of every kind. Seed is something which brings forth and is brought forth, or which begets and is begotten. And because the subject here is the Church, 'seed' means faithlessness. When in Isaiah the subject is the corrupted Jewish Church it is called 'the seed of evil ones', 'the seed of the adulterer', 'the seed of deceit',
Woe to a sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evil ones, perverted sons! They have forsaken Jehovah, they have challenged the Holy One of Israel, they have turned away backwards. `Isaiah 1bbb4`.
Also,
Draw nearer, sons of the sorceress, seed of the adulterer. Are you not those born of transgression, the seed of deceit? `Isaiah 57bbb3-4`.
And,
You are cast out from your sepulchre like an abominable branch, for you have corrupted your land, slain your people. The seed of the evil ones will not be named forever. `Isaiah 14bbb19-20`.
This refers to the serpent or dragon, which in this chapter is called Lucifer.`fff1`
`nnn1. i.e. `Isaiah 14bbb12`.
ppp23587#pid#255. 'The seed of the woman' is used to mean faith in the Lord. This is clear from the meaning of 'woman' as the Church, the seed of which is nothing else than faith. It is from faith in the Lord that the Church has its being and gets its name. In Malachi faith is called 'God's seed',
Jehovah was a witness between you and the wife of your youth. And not one has done so, though he has a residue of the spirit. And is there one seeking God's seed? But take heed within your spirit, lest he act treacherously against the wife of your youth. `Malachi 2bbb14-15`.
Here 'wife of your youth' is the Ancient Church and the Most Ancient, whose seed or faith is the subject. In Isaiah,
I will pour out waters upon the thirsty land, and streams on the dry. I will pour out [My] Spirit upon your seed and My blessing upon your descendants. `Isaiah 44bbb3`.
This too refers to the Church. In Revelation,
The dragon was angry with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her seed, who kept the commandments of God and bear testimony to Jesus Christ. `Revelation 12bbb17`.
And in David,
I have made a covenant with My Chosen One, I have sworn to David My servant, I will establish your seed even for ever; and I will set up his seed in perpetuity, and his throne as the days of the heavens; his seed will be for ever, and his throne will be like the sun in front of Me. `Psalms 89bbb7`, `Psalms 89bbbccc4`, `Psalms 89bbbccc29`, `Psalms 89bbbccc36`.
Here David is used to mean the Lord, 'his throne' to mean His Kingdom, 'the sun' love, and 'seed' faith.
ppp23586#pid#256. Not only faith but also the Lord Himself is called 'the seed of the woman', because for one thing He alone imparts faith and so is faith itself, and for another He chose to be born, and in particular to be born within a Church which, on account of self-love and love of the world, had sunk completely into a hellish and devilish proprium. He did so in order that from His own Divine Power He might within His own Human Essence unite the Divine Celestial Proprium to the human proprium, so that they became one within Himself. Had He not united them the world would have perished completely. Since the Lord is accordingly 'the Seed of the woman', the seed is called 'He' and not 'it'.
ppp23585#pid#257. 'The head of the serpent' is used to mean the reign of evil in general and of self-love in particular. This becomes clear from its very nature, which seeks not merely to exercise dominion but also to exercise it over everything on earth. Yet it is not satisfied even with that, but seeks to rule over everything in heaven. Nor is it satisfied even then, but seeks to rule over the Lord. And even then it would not be content. This inclination lies concealed within every spark of self-love. If it were shown the slightest approval and the restraint on it were slackened, you would perceive it break out instantly and strive increasingly to achieve that end. From this it is clear how 'the serpent' or evil constituting self-love wishes to have dominion, and how it hates the person it is unable to dominate. This is 'the serpent's head' which rears itself and which the Lord treads on, right down to the ground so that it goes on its belly and eats dust, as described in the previous verse. The serpent or dragon called Lucifer is similarly described in Isaiah,
Lucifer, you said in your heart, I will go up the heavens, above the stars of God I will raise my throne, and I will sit on the mount of assembly, in the uttermost parts of the north. I will go up above the heights of the clouds, I will make myself equal to the Most High. But you will indeed be cast down to hell, to the sides of the pit. `Isaiah 14bbb13-15`.
The serpent or dragon is also described in Revelation,
A great fiery-red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads many jewels; but he was cast down to the earth. `Revelation 12bbb3`, `Revelation 12bbbccc9`.
This describes the height to which it raises its head. In David,
Jehovah said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies as Your foot-stool; Jehovah will send the rod of Your strength from Zion. He will judge the nations, He will fill them with corpses. He has crushed their head over much land. He will drink from the stream by the way, therefore He will lift up his head. `Psalms 110bbb1-2`, `Psalms 110bbbccc6-7`.
ppp23584#pid#258. 'Treading down' or bruising is used to mean forcing down so that it goes on its belly and eats dust. This is clear from this and from the previous verse. A similar usage also occurs in Isaiah, Jehovah has cast down the inhabitants of the height, the lofty city. He will lay it low, He will lay it low even to the ground, He will throw it down even into the dust. The foot will trample on it. `Isaiah 16bbb5`, `Isaiah 16bbbccc6`.
And also,
With His hand He will cast them down to the earth, they will be trodden under foot, the haughty crown. `Isaiah 28bbb2-3`.
ppp23583#pid#259. 'The heel' is used to mean the lowest part of the natural, which is the bodily. This cannot be known unless one knows how the most ancient people looked on the things that are in man. Celestial and spiritual things within him they associated with the head and face. The things that sprang from these, such as charity and mercy, they associated with the breast. Natural things however they associated with the foot, lower natural things with the sole of the foot, and the lowest natural and bodily with the heel. Not only did they associate things within man with parts of the body, they also called them such. The lowest things of reason, namely facts, were also meant by what Jacob prophesied concerning Dan,
Dan will be a serpent on the road, an asp on the path, biting the horse's heels; and its rider falls backwards. `Genesis 49bbb17`.
And the statement in David,
The iniquity of my heels has surrounded me. `Psalms 49bbb5`.
A similar statement is made in reference to Jacob whose hand, as he was being born, was grasping Esau's heel, which was why he was called Jacob, `Genesis 25bbb26`. The name Jacob derives from the word for a heel, for the Jewish Church, meant by Jacob, was to bruise the heel.
ttt[2] The serpent is capable of harming only the lowest natural things in man, but not, unless they are types of vipers, the interior natural, still less the spiritual, and least of all the celestial. These the Lord preserves, and stores away in man without his awareness. The things which the Lord stores away are in the Word called 'remnants'. But how the serpent through sensory-mindedness and self-love destroyed those lowest things with people before the Flood; how it destroyed them with the Jews by means of sensory judgements, traditions, and things of no importance, as well as by self-love and love of the world; and how today it is destroying them and has destroyed them by means of sensory judgements, material facts, and philosophical arguments, along with the same self-love and love of the world, will in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed later on.
ppp23582#pid#260. From these considerations it is clear that it was revealed to the Church of those times that the Lord would come into the world to save them.
ppp23581#pid#261. Verse `Genesis 3bbbccc16` And to the woman He said, I will greatly multiply your pain and your conceiving; in pain you will bear sons; and your obedience will be to your husband, and he will have dominion over you.
At this point 'the woman' means the Church [corrupted] by the proprium, which it loved. 'Greatly multiplying its pain' means conflict and the anxiety that arises out of conflict. 'Conceiving' means every thought. 'The sons' it would bear in pain means the truths it would in this way bring forth. 'Husband' (vir) here, as previously, means the rational which it is to obey and which is to have dominion over it.
ppp23580#pid#262. 'The woman' means the Church, as stated already. At this point it means the Church when corrupted by the proprium, which up to now is what 'woman' has meant, because the subject is the generation of the descendants of the Most Ancient Church which had become corrupted.
ppp23579#pid#263. When therefore the sensory part turns away or brings a curse upon itself, fierce fighting as a consequence begins on the part of evil spirits, and labouring on that of the angels present with that person. For this reason the conflict is described as 'greatly multiplying pain in conceiving and in bearing sons', that is, in thoughts and developments of truth.
ppp23578#pid#264. In the Word references to the conception and bearing of sons are taken in purely a spiritual sense; that is to say, conception stands for the thought and imagination of the heart, and 'sons' for truths. This becomes clear from the following in Hosea,
As for Ephraim, their glory will fly away like a bird, away from birth, and from the womb, and from conception. Even if they bring up their sons I will bereave them so that no human being is left. But woe to them when I shall have departed from them! `Hosea 9bbb11-12`.
Here 'Ephraim' means those who have intelligence, that is, understanding of truth, while 'sons' means truths themselves. A similar reference is made elsewhere in Hosea to Ephraim, that is, a person who has intelligence but has become unwise,
The pains of childbirth have come upon him, he is an unwise son, for now he will not present himself at the mouth of the womb of sons. `Hosea 13bbb13`.
And in Isaiah,
Blush, O Sidon, for the sea has spoken, the stronghold of the sea, saying, I have not gone into labour, I have not given birth, nor have I reared young men nor brought up young women. As when the report comes to Egypt, they will go into labour over the report of Tyre. `Isaiah 27bbb4-5`.
Here 'Sidon' stands for people who have possessed cognitions of faith but have destroyed them by means of facts and have consequently become sterile.
ttt[2] And in the same prophet,
Before she went into labour she gave birth, and before pain came to her she brought forth a male child. Who has heard of such a thing as this? Who has seen such? Does a land give birth in one day? And shall I [bring to the point of birth and not] cause to give birth? said Jehovah. Shall I who cause to give birth shut up [the womb]? said your God. `Isaiah 66bbb7-9`.
This refers to regeneration, 'sons' in a similar way meaning the truths of faith. Because goods and truths are the conceptions and births of the heavenly marriage, the Lord too calls them 'sons' in Matthew,
He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world, but the seed are the sons of the kingdom. `Matthew 13bbb37-38`.
And the goods and truths of a saving faith are called 'the sons of Abraham' in `John 8bbb39`, for as stated in `@@@255`, 'seed' means faith. Consequently 'sons', who are the embodiment of the seed, are the goods and truths of faith. This also is why the Lord, being Himself the Seed, called Himself the Son of Man, that is, the Church's Faith.
ppp23577#pid#265. 'Husband' (vir) means the rational. This is clear from verse `Genesis 3bbbccc6` of this chapter which says that the woman gave to her husband (vir) with her and he ate, meaning that he conceded. It is also clear from what was shown concerning the word 'man' (vir) in `@@@158`, where that word was used to mean a person who is wise and intelligent. Here however, because wisdom and intelligence had perished as a result of eating from the tree of knowledge, it means the rational, for nothing else was left. Indeed the rational is an imitation or seeming likeness of intelligence.
ppp23576#pid#266. Seeing that every law and every precept arises out of what is celestial and spiritual as its true source this law which has to do with marriages therefore does so too, it 'being a law which requires a wife, because she acts not so much from reason, as her husband does, but from desire which belongs to the proprium, to defer to her husband's better judgement (prudentia).
ppp23575#pid#267. Verse `Genesis 3bbbccc17` And to the man He said, Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, You shall not eat from it, cursed be the ground on account of you; in great pain you will eat of it all the days of your life.
'The man's having listened to the voice of his wife' means that the husband (vir), which was the rational, conceded; and because the rational did concede it also turned away, that is, brought a curse upon itself, and so consequently did the whole external man. This is what is meant by the statement 'cursed be the ground on account of you'. That in future his state of life would be wretched is meant by the statement 'in great pain you will eat from it'. 'All the days of his life' means right down to the end of that Church.
ppp23574#pid#268. That 'the ground' means the external man becomes clear from what has been stated already about earth, ground, and field. When a person has become regenerate he is no longer called the earth but the ground, the reason being that celestial seeds have been planted within him. Various other statements in the Word compare him to the ground and actually call him the ground. It is the external man, that is, his affection and memory, in which the seeds of good and truth are planted, not his internal man, for the internal does not have within it anything that is man's own, but only the external. Within the internal there are goods and truths, and when these are seemingly present no longer, he is in that case an external, that is, a bodily-minded person. In actual fact they have been stored away by the Lord within the internal man without his knowing it; for they do not emerge until the external man so to speak dies, which normally happens in times of temptation, misfortune, sickness, and the hour of death. The rational too belongs to the external man, see `@@@118`, and in itself is a kind of go-between for the internal man and the external, for the internal man operates byway of the rational into the bodily external. But once the rational concedes, it separates the external man from the internal, so that neither the existence of the internal man is known any longer, nor consequently what intelligence and wisdom are, which belong to the internal man.
ppp23573#pid#269. Jehovah God, or the Lord, did not curse the ground, that is, the external man, but the external man turned away, that is, separated itself from the internal, and so brought a curse upon itself. This is clear from what has been shown already in `@@@245`.
ppp23572#pid#270. 'Eating from the ground in great pain' means a wretched state of life. This is evident from what comes before and after this, as well as from the fact that 'eating' in the internal sense means living. It is evident also from the fact that this kind of life is the outcome of evil spirits starting to fight, and of angels present with the man who labour and do so increasingly as evil spirits begin to get the upper hand. The evil spirits in this case govern his external man, the angels his internal, of which so little is left that the angels can find scarcely anything therewith which to defend him. This is what gives rise to wretchedness and anguish. The reason 'dead' men rarely experience such wretchedness and anguish is that they are no longer human, though they imagine that they are more human than anybody else. For they no more know than an animal does what the spiritual or the celestial is, or what eternal life is. Like animals they look down towards earthly objects or out towards worldly ones. They favour only their proprium, and give in to their own inclinations and senses, with complete acquiescence of the rational. And being 'dead' men they would not endure any conflict or temptation. Were temptation to come their way, it would be too severe for their lives to bear, and so they would bring an even greater curse upon themselves and would hurl themselves into a state of condemnation even more profoundly hellish. Consequently they are spared this until they have passed into the next life when they are no longer able to 'die' as a result of any temptation and wretchedness. At that time they suffer very grievously, which is likewise meant by the statement about 'the ground being cursed and man's eating of it in great pain'.
ppp23571#pid#271. 'The days of your life' means the last days of the Church. This is recognized from the fact that the subject here is not one particular person but the Church and its state. The last days of that Church were the time of the Flood.
ppp23570#pid#272. Verse `Genesis 3bbbccc18` And thorn and thistle will it bring forth for you, and you will eat the plant of the field.
'Thorn and thistle' are used to mean curse and vastation. 'He was to eat the plant of the field' means that he was to live as a wild animal does. A person lives as a wild animal when the internal man is so separated from the external that it operates into it only in a very general way. For what comes from the Lord by way of the internal man makes a person human, but what comes from the external, which when separated from the internal within him is nothing but a wild animal, makes a person a wild animal. The disposition within him is similar to that of a wild animal, as are the desires, the appetites, the delusions, and the sensations. His organic parts are similar too. His ability however to reason, and as it seems to him, to do so incisively, is the product of spiritual substance, by way of which the Lord's life is able to flow into him, but which is corrupted with that kind of person and becomes a life of evil which is 'death'. This is why he is called a 'dead' man.
ppp23569#pid#273. That 'thorn and thistle' means curse and vastation is clear from the fact that 'harvest' and 'fruitful tree' mean the opposite, namely blessings and increases. It is clear from the Word that thorn, thistle, brier, bramble, and nettle have such meanings, as in Hosea,
Behold, they have gone away on account of the vastation; Egypt will gather them, Moph`fff1` will bury them, their precious things of silver. The nettle will inherit them, the bramble will be in their tents. `Hosea 9bbb6`.
Here 'Egypt' and 'Moph'`fff1` stand for people who rely on themselves and on their own factual knowledge to be wise in Divine matters. In the same prophet,
The high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, will be destroyed. Thorn and thistle will grow up on their altars. `Hosea 10bbb8`.
Here 'the high places of Aven' stands for self-love, 'thorn and thistle on their altars' for profanation. In Isaiah,
They are smiting their breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine; for over the ground of My people the spiky thorn will come up. `Isaiah 32bbb12-13`.
And in Ezekiel,
No more will there be for the house of Israel a pricking brier and a painful thorn from all those surrounding them. `Ezekiel 28bbb24`.
`nnn1. i.e. Memphis
ppp23568#pid#274. 'Eating the plant of the field', or fodder that is wild, is to live like a wild animal. This is clear in Daniel in reference to Nebuchadnezzar,
They will drive you away from human beings, and your dwelling will be with the beast of the field; you will be made to eat the plants like oxen; and seven times will pass over you. `Daniel 4bbb32`.
And in Isaiah,
Have you not heard that I did it long ago and planned it from days of old? Now I have brought it to pass, and it will be that strongholds, fortified cities, will be devastated into heaps; and their inhabitants, shorn of power', were dismayed and filled with shame; they became plants of the field and edible plants, grass on rooftops, and scorched earth before standing corn. `Isaiah 37bbb26-27`.
This makes explicit what 'plants of the field' means, and what 'edible plants, grass on rooftops, and scorched earth' means, for the subject here is the time before the Flood, which is what 'long ago' and 'days of old' are used to mean.
ppp23567#pid#275. Verse `Genesis 3bbbccc19` With sweat on your brow you will eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you will return.
'Eating bread with sweat on the brow' means strong dislike of what is celestial. 'Returning to the ground from which he was taken' is reverting to the external man, such as he was before regeneration took place. 'He was dust and would return to dust' means that he was condemned and hellish.
ppp23566#pid#276. That 'eating bread with sweat on the brow' means strong dislike of what is celestial becomes clear from the meaning of 'bread'. Bread is used to mean everything spiritual and celestial, which is the food of angels, and if they were deprived of it they would cease to live, as a person deprived of bread or food ceases to do. That which is celestial and spiritual in heaven also corresponds to bread on earth, and is also represented by bread, as is clear from many places [in the Word]. That the Lord is Bread, because He is the source of everything celestial and spiritual, He Himself teaches in John,
This is the Bread which came down from heaven; anyone who eats this Bread will live forever `John 6bbb58`.
This also is why bread and wine are the symbols used in the Holy Supper. This same celestial [or spiritual) was also represented by the manna. That what is celestial and spiritual is the food of angels is clear also from the Lord's own words,
Man will not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. `Matthew 4bbb4`, that is, from the life of the Lord, who is the source of everything celestial and spiritual.
ttt[2] The final generation of the Most Ancient Church which came immediately before the Flood and which is the subject here was so perverse and immersed in sensory and bodily interests that they did not wish to hear what the truth of faith was, nor what the Lord's coming to save them would be. And if these matters were ever mentioned they did not like it at all. This strong dislike is described as 'eating bread with sweat on the brow'. It was similar with the Jews; being people who did not acknowledge heavenly things, and who wished for a purely earthly Messiah, they inevitably found the manna distasteful, since it was a ration of the Lord; and they called it worthless bread. This was why serpents were sent among them, `Numbers 21bbb5-6`. Furthermore the heavenly things, which they obtained in adversity, in affliction, and with tears, were called by them the bread of adversity, the bread of affliction, and the bread of tears.`fff1` Those things which men obtained but strongly disliked are described in the present verse as 'the bread of the sweat on his brow'.
`nnn1. See for example `Isaiah 30bbb20`; `Deuteronomy 16bbb3`; `Psalms 80bbb5`.
ppp23565#pid#277. This is the internal sense. Anyone who keeps rigidly to the letter apprehends no more than this, that man was to obtain bread from the ground by means of hard work, that is, with sweat on his brow. 'Man' here however is not used to mean one individual but the Most Ancient Church. Neither is 'the ground' used to mean the ground, nor 'bread' bread, nor 'garden' garden, but things which are celestial and spiritual, as has been shown quite adequately.
ppp23564#pid#278. 'Returning to the ground from which he was taken' means that the Church would revert to the external man, such as it had been before regeneration took place. This is clear from the fact that 'the ground' means the external man, as stated already; and 'dust' means condemned and hellish. This too is clear from what has been stated about the serpent, which, being cursed, would have to 'eat dust', as said. In addition to what has been shown about the meaning of dust, let the following in David be added,
All who go down to the dust will bow down before Jehovah, whose soul He has not made alive. `Psalms 22bbb29`.
And elsewhere in David,
You hidest Your face,`fff1` they are dismayed; You gatherest up their spirit, they breathe their last and return to their dust. `Psalms 104bbb29`.
That is, when they turn away from the face of the Lord, they 'breathe their last', or die, and in so doing 'return to the dust', that is, become condemned and hellish.
`nnn1. literally, faces
ppp23563#pid#279. What all these verses in sequence embody is this: The sensory part turned away from what is celestial, verse `Genesis 3bbbccc14`. The Lord would come into the world to unite them, verse `Genesis 3bbbccc15`. Because the external man turned away, conflict resulted, verse `Genesis 3bbbccc16`. This led to wretchedness, verse `Genesis 3bbbccc17`, condemnation, verse `Genesis 3bbbccc18`, and at length hell, verse `Genesis 3bbbccc19`. These followed consecutively in that Church from the fourth generation down to the Flood.
ppp23562#pid#280. `Genesis 3bbb20-24`
20. And the man called the name of his wife Eve, because she was to be the mother of all living.
21. And Jehovah God made for the man and his wife coats of skin and clothed them.
22. And Jehovah God said, Behold, the man has become as one of Us, in knowing good and evil; and now by chance he will put out his hand and also take from the tree of life`fff1` and eat, and live forever.
23. And Jehovah God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he had been taken.
24. So He expelled the man, and away from the east towards the garden of Eden He caused the cherubim to dwell, and the flame of a sword turning itself this way and that to guard the way to the tree of life.`fff1`
CONTENTS
This section summarizes the Most Ancient Church and those of it who regressed, and so also its descendants down to the Flood, when it came to its end.
`nnn1. literally, of lives
ppp23561#pid#281. The Most Ancient Church itself, which was celestial and which was called 'Eve' and 'the mother of all living' from the life inherent in faith in the Lord, is dealt with in verse `Genesis 3bbbccc20`.
ppp23560#pid#282. The first generation of its descendants among whom celestial-spiritual good existed, and the second and third generations with whom natural good existed, meant by the 'coats`fff1` of skin which Jehovah God made for the man (homo) and his wife', are dealt within verse `Genesis 3bbbccc20`.
`nnn1. literally, coat
ppp23559#pid#283. The fourth generation among whom natural good began to melt away is dealt with in verse `Genesis 3bbbccc22`. Had they been created anew or received instruction in heavenly matters of faith they would have perished, which is the meaning of 'by chance he will put out his hand and also take from the tree of life`fff1` and live for ever'.
`nnn1. literally, of lives
ppp23558#pid#284. The fifth generation's being deprived of everything good and true and being taken back to the state which had been theirs before regeneration took place, which is the meaning of 'being sent out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he had been taken', is dealt with in verse `Genesis 3bbbccc23`.
ppp23557#pid#285. The sixth and seventh generations' being separated from knowledge of good and truth and being left to their own foul loves and persuasions and the consequent provision made to prevent their profaning the holy things of faith, which is meant by 'being cast out and causing cherubim with the flame of a sword to dwell there to guard the way to the tree of life,`fff1` is dealt with in verse `Genesis 3bbbccc24`.
`nnn1. literally, of lives
ppp23556#pid#286. THE INTERNAL SENSE
Up to now the subject has been the most ancient people and their regeneration. Those who lived as wild animals who subsequently became spiritual men were dealt with first, then those who became celestial and constituted the Most Ancient Church. After that the subject concerned those among them, and their descendants, who regressed dealing in order with the first, second, and third generations of these descendants, and finally with those who followed them, down to the Flood. The verses which follow from here to the end of the chapter are a recapitulation concerning members of the Most Ancient Church down to the Flood, and so are the conclusion to all that has gone before.
ppp23555#pid#287. Verse `Genesis 3bbbccc20` And the man called the name of his wife Eve, because she was to be the mother of all living.
'Man' (homo) here is used to mean the member (vir) of the Most Ancient Church, that is, celestial man, and 'wife' and 'mother of all living' the Church. It is called 'mother' because it was the first Church of all, and 'living' because of its faith in the Lord, who is Life itself.
ppp23554#pid#288. That 'man' (homo) is used to mean the member (vir) of the Most Ancient Church, that is, celestial man, has been shown already indeed that the Lord alone was Man, and that from Him every celestial man was Man because he was His likeness. Consequently everyone who belonged to the Church, no matter who and without exception, was called man (homo). And in the end anyone who in body looked like a human being was called man to distinguish him from animals.
ppp23553#pid#289. 'Wife' is used to mean the Church, in the universal sense the Lord's kingdom in heaven and on earth. This too has been shown already, while the fact that 'mother' as well has the same meaning follows from this. In the Word the Church is commonly called 'mother', as in Isaiah,
Where is your mother's bill of divorce? `Isaiah 50bbb1`.
In Jeremiah,
Your, mother has been utterly shamed, she who bore you is covered with shame. `Jeremiah 50bbb12`.
In Ezekiel,
[You are] your mother's daughter who loathes her husband and her sons. Your mother is a Hittite and your father an Amorite. `Ezekiel 16bbb45`.
Here 'husband' (vir) stands for the Lord and everything celestial, 'sons for truths of faith, 'Hittite' for falsity, and 'Amorite' for evil. In the same prophet,
Your mother was like a vine in your likeness, planted beside the waters, fruitful, full of branches by reason of many waters. `Ezekiel 19bbb10`.
Here 'mother' stands for the Ancient Church. The Most Ancient Church is pre-eminently called a 'mother' because it was the first Church, and the only one to be celestial. For that reason it was the Lord's beloved more than any other.
ppp23552#pid#290. It was called 'the mother of all living' from its faith in the Lord, who is Life itself. This too becomes clear from what has been shown already. There cannot possibly be more than one Life from which everyone's life derives, nor can life which really is life possibly exist unless it comes by way of faith in the Lord, who is Life. Neither can faith exist which has life within it unless it comes from Him, and so has Him within it. This is why in the Word the Lord is called the only Living, and the LIVING JEHOVAH, in `Jeremiah 5bbb2`; `Jeremiah ccc12bbb16`; `Jeremiah ccc16bbb14-15`; `Jeremiah ccc23bbb7`; `Ezekiel 5bbb11`; the One living forever, in `Daniel 4bbb34`; `Revelation 4bbb10`; `Revelation ccc5bbb14`; `Revelation ccc10bbb6`; in David, the fountain of life, `Psalms 36bbb9`; in Jeremiah, the fount of living waters, `Jeremiah ccc17bbb13`. Heaven which derives its life from Him is called 'the land of the living' in `Isaiah 38bbb11`; `Isaiah ccc53bbb8`; `Ezekiel 26bbb20`; `Ezekiel ccc32bbb23-27`, `Ezekiel 32bbbccc32`; `Psalms 27bbb13`; `Psalms ccc52bbb5`; `Psalms ccc142bbb5`. And those who have faith in the Lord are called 'the living', as in David,
Who has kept our soul among the living. `Psalms 66bbb9`.
It is also said that those who have faith appear in the Book of Lives, `Psalms 69bbb28`, and in the Book of Life, `Revelation 13bbb8`; `Revelation ccc17bbb8`; `Revelation ccc20bbb15`. This also is why it is said of those who receive faith in Him that they are made alive, `Hosea 6bbb2`; `Psalms 85bbb6`. Conversely those who have no faith were in consequence called 'the dead', as also in Isaiah,
The dead will not live, the Rephaim will not rise. To that end You have visited them and wiped them out. `Isaiah 26bbb14`.
This stands for people who are puffed up with self-love. 'Rising up means entering into life. They are also called 'the slain'`fff1` in `Ezekiel 32bbb23-26`, `Ezekiel 32bbbccc28-31`; and hell is called 'death' in `Isaiah 25bbb8`; `Isaiah ccc28bbb15`. The Lord too refers to them as 'the dead' in `Matthew 4bbb16`; `John 5bbb24`; `John ccc8bbb21`, `John 8bbbccc24`, `John 8bbbccc51-52`.
`nnn1. literally, the pierced
ppp23551#pid#291. This verse describes the initial period when the Church was in the bloom of its youth. As it represented the heavenly marriage, it is for that reason also described as a marriage, and called Eve from a word meaning life.
ppp23550#pid#292. Verse `Genesis 3bbbccc21` And Jehovah God made for the man and his wife coats of skin and clothed them.
These words mean that the Lord furnished them with spiritual and natural good. This furnishing is expressed as 'making' and 'clothing', and spiritual and natural good as 'a coat of skin'.
ppp23549#pid#293. From the letter nobody can ever see that this is the meaning of these words. Yet they obviously enclose quite deep arcana, for anyone may recognize that Jehovah God did not literally make coats of skin for them.
ppp23548#pid#294. That 'a coat of skin' means spiritual and natural good does not become clear to anybody except from the inner sense once it has been revealed, and also after that from similar usages where they occur in the Word. In this verse skin in general is referred to, and is used to mean the skin of kid, sheep, or ram. In the Word these mean affections for good; they also mean charity and things belonging to charity. The same was meant by the sheep used in sacrifices. People are called 'sheep' who are endowed with the good that stems from charity, that is, with spiritual and natural good. And this is why the Lord is called the Shepherd of the sheep, and why people who are endowed with charity are termed 'sheep', as is well known to everyone.
ppp23547#pid#295. The reason they are said to have been 'clothed with a coat of skin' is that [initially] the most ancient people, on account of their innocence, were called 'naked', but that later on, once their innocence had perished, they realized they were dwelling in evil, which is called 'nakedness' as well. So that everything may appear to fit together as history according to the way the most ancient people expressed themselves, they are here said to have been 'clothed' to avoid their being naked, that is, dwelling in evil. That they possessed spiritual and natural good is clear from what has been said and shown about them in verses `Genesis 3bbbccc1-13` of this chapter, and at this point from the statement that Jehovah God made [coats of skin] and clothed them. For the subject here is the first generation, but more especially the second and third generations, of the descendants of the Church, who were endowed with such good.
ppp23546#pid#296. The skins of kids, sheep, goats, badgers, and rams mean spiritual and natural goods. This becomes clear from the internal sense of the Word, where Jacob is the subject, and where the Ark is the subject. Of Jacob it is said that he was dressed in Esau's clothing and on his hands and neck where he was smooth he was covered with kids' skins. And when Isaac smelled it he said, The smell of my son is like that of the field, `Genesis 27bbb22`, `Genesis 27bbbccc27`. That these words mean spiritual and natural goods will in the Lord's Divine mercy be seen when that chapter is reached. Of the Ark it is said that the covering of the tent was made of rams' skins and badgers' skins, `Exodus 26bbb14`; `Exodus ccc36bbb19`. And whenever the tribes were on the move Aaron and his sons had to cover the Ark with a covering of badgers skin. And similarly the table and its vessels, the lampstand and its vessels, the golden altar, the vessels for ministering and those of the altar were to be covered with badgers' skin, `Numbers 4bbb6`, `Numbers 4bbbccc8`, `Numbers 4bbbccc10-11`. That these mean spiritual and natural good will also in the Lord's Divine mercy be seen when that chapter is reached. For everything in the Ark, the Tabernacle, and the Tent of Meeting, and indeed everything that Aaron wore when clothed with the sacred vestments, meant that which was celestial-spiritual. Every tiny detail accordingly had some definite representation.
ppp23545#pid#297. Celestial good is unclothed because it is inmost and is innocent. Good that is celestial-spiritual however is the first to be clothed, and then natural good, for they are more exterior. They are also compared to, and actually called, clothing, as in Ezekiel where the Ancient Church is the subject,
I clothed you with embroidered cloth, shed you with badger, swathed you in fine linen, and covered you with silk. `Ezekiel 16bbb10`.
In Isaiah,
Put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city. `Isaiah 52bbb1`.
In Revelation,
Those who have not soiled their garments will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. `Revelation 3bbb4`, `Revelation 3bbbccc5`.
And in the same book the twenty-four elders were 'clad in white garments', `Revelation 4bbb4`. These references show that goods which are more exterior, as are celestial-spiritual and natural, are clothing. And this also is why people who are endowed with the goods springing from charity are seen in heaven dressed in magnificent robes. In the present context however, because they were still in the body, they had 'coats of skin'.
ppp23544#pid#298. Verse `Genesis 3bbbccc22` And Jehovah God said, Behold, the man has become as one of Us, in knowing good and evil; and now by chance he will put out his hand and also take from the tree of life' and eat, and live for ever.
The reason Jehovah God speaks first in the singular and then in the plural is that 'Jehovah God' is used to mean the Lord, and at the same time the angelic heaven. 'The man's knowing good and evil' means that he became celestial, and so wise and having intelligence. 'He was not to put out his hand and take from the tree of life means that he was not to be instructed in mysteries of faith, for if he were instructed in them he could never at all be saved, which is 'living for ever'.
ppp23543#pid#299. There are two arcana here: the first that 'Jehovah God' means the Lord and at the same time heaven, the second that if they had been instructed in mysteries of faith they would have perished forever.
ppp23542#pid#300. As regards the first arcanum, that 'Jehovah God' is used to mean the Lord and at the same time heaven, it should be recognized that in the Word, always for some hidden reason, the Lord is sometimes called simply Jehovah, sometimes Jehovah God, sometimes Jehovah and God interchangeably, sometimes the Lord Jehovah, sometimes the God of Israel, and sometimes simply God. In `Genesis 1bbb0`, for example, where again an utterance is made in the plural, 'Let Us make man in Our image', God is the only name used. Not until the next chapter, where the celestial man is the subject, is He called Jehovah God-Jehovah, because He alone has Being and is Living, and so from His essence; God, because of His ability to accomplish all things, and so from His power, as is clear in the Word where the two names are used separately, `Isaiah 49bbb4-5`; `Isaiah ccc55bbb7`; `Psalms 18bbb2`, `Psalms 18bbbccc28`, `Psalms 18bbbccc30-31`; `Psalms 38bbb15`. Consequently any angel or spirit who spoke to a person, or who people thought had the ability to accomplish something, they called God, as is clear in David,
God stands in the assembly of God, in the midst of the Gods will He judge. `Psalms 82bbb1`.
And elsewhere in David,
Who in the sky will be compared to Jehovah? Who will be likened to Jehovah among the sons of gods? `Psalms 89bbb6`.
And elsewhere in the same,
Confess the God of Gods; confess the Lord of lords. `Psalms 136bbb2-3`
It is from power that even men are called 'gods', as in `Psalms 82bbb6`; `John 10bbb34-35`. And Moses is spoken of as 'a god to Pharaoh', `Exodus 7bbb1`. And this also is why [in Hebrew] the word for God, Elohim, is plural. But because angels have no power whatsoever from themselves, as they themselves also confess, but from the Lord only, and as there is but one God, Jehovah God is therefore used in the Word to mean the Lord alone. Yet when anything is accomplished through the ministry of angels He is spoken of in the plural, as in `Genesis 1bbb0`. In the present chapter too, since a celestial man, as man, did not bear comparison with the Lord, but with angels, it is therefore said that 'the man has become as one of Us in knowing good and evil', that is, become someone wise and having intelligence.
ppp23541#pid#301. As regards the second arcanum, if they had been instructed in mysteries of faith they would have perished for ever, meant by the words 'Now by chance he will put out his hand and also take from the tree of life`fff1` and eat, and live forever', the position is this: Once people have become reversed orders of life and are unwilling to rely on anything but self and the proprium as the source of their life and wisdom, they are given to reasoning as to whether any matter of faith which they hear about is so or not so. And because self, sensory evidence, and facts are the basis of their reasoning, they inevitably adopt a negative attitude. And when their attitude is negative they also speak blasphemy and practise profanation, and at length do not care whether or not they mingle together unholy things with holy. When man becomes such he stands so condemned in the next life that there is no hope of salvation for him, for the things that have been mingled through acts of profanation remain that way permanently. The moment some idea of what is holy enters in, so does the idea joined to it of what is unholy, and this makes it impossible for that person to live in any but a community of people who are condemned. Anything at all that has been joined to, and is present as, an idea within a person's thought is in the next life perceived very precisely even by spirits in the world of spirits, but more so by angelic spirits. It is perceived so precisely that from merely one idea they know his whole character. Getting rid of unholy things such as are joined on to those that are holy is not possible without hellish torment, which is so intense that if man knew about it he would beware of profanation as of hell itself.
`nnn1. literally, of lives
ppp23540#pid#302. This was the reason why mysteries of faith were never revealed to the Jews. Being what they were they were not even explicitly told that they would live after death, nor explicitly told that the Lord would come into the world to save them. Indeed they were kept in such ignorance and stupidity, and are so still, that as a result they did not know and still do not know of the existence of the internal man, or of anything internal at all. For if they had known it then, or were to know it now, so as to acknowledge it, they would profane it and in so doing would have no hope at all of salvation in the next life. This is what the Lord meant in John,
He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes and understand with their heart, and are converted and I heal them. `John 12bbb40`.
Also, the Lord spoke to them in parables, and without explaining any to them, 'lest seeing they might see, and hearing they might hear, and understand', as He declares in `Matthew 13bbb13`. For the same reason all mysteries of faith were concealed from them and hidden beneath the representatives of their Church, and it was for the same reason that the prophetical style took the form it did. It is one thing however to know and another to acknowledge. Anyone who knows but does not acknowledge is in the same position as one who does not know, whereas anyone who does acknowledge and after that speaks blasphemy and practises profanation is what the Lord was referring to.
ppp23539#pid#303. Man makes a life for himself out of all his convictions, that is, out of what he acknowledges and believes. The things of which he is not convinced, that is, which he does not acknowledge and believe, have no influence at all on his mind. Consequently nobody is capable of profaning holy things except him who has been convinced of them and so acknowledges them and yet denies them. People who do not acknowledge are capable of knowing, but they are in the same position as those who do not know. They are like people who know things which are nothing at all. Of such a nature were the Jews around the time of the Lord's Coming. And when people are such they are in the Word called 'vastated', that is, faith no longer exists. That being so, no harm is done if the inner contents of the Word are disclosed to them, for they are in that case like the people who seeing do not see, and like the people who hearing do not hear and who have a heart made fat, to whom the Lord referred through Isaiah,
Go and say to this people, Hearing hear, but do not understand; and seeing see, but do not comprehend. Make the heart of this people fat and their ears heavy, and plaster over their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and their heart understands, and they turn again to be healed. `Isaiah 6bbb9-10`.
ttt[2] Furthermore mysteries of faith are not disclosed until people reach this point, that is to say, have been so vastated that they no longer believe, the purpose of the vastation being, as has been stated, to make them incapable of profaning. This too the Lord states plainly in Isaiah in the verses immediately following those quoted above,
I said, How long, O Lord? And He said, Until cities are made so desolate that they have no inhabitant, and houses have no man; and the land will be made utterly desolate, and Jehovah will remove man far away. `Isaiah 6bbb11-12`.
'Man' refers to the person who is wise, that is, who acknowledges and believes. Such was the condition of the Jews, as has been stated, around the time of the Lord's Coming. And they are for the same reason still kept by means of their desires, in particular by their avarice, in such a state of vastation that if they heard a thousand times over about the Lord and heard that in every detail the representatives of the Church with them mean the Lord, they would still acknowledge and believe nothing. This then was the reason why the people before the Flood were expelled from the garden of Eden and were vastated, even to the point of their being incapable of acknowledging anything that was true.
ppp23538#pid#304. From these observations it is clear that the following is the meaning of the statement, 'By chance he will put out his hand and also take from the tree of life' and eat, and live for ever'. 'Taking from the tree of life' and eating' is knowing to the point of acknowledging anything that belongs to love and faith, for the plural noun 'lives' means love and faith. Here as previously, 'eating' means knowing, while 'living for ever' is not living forever in the body but living after death in eternal condemnation. The person who is dead is not therefore called 'dead' because he is going to die at the end of life in this world but because he is going to live the life of death, 'death' being condemnation and hell. 'Living' has a similar meaning in Ezekiel,
You hunt souls for My people, and you keep souls alive for yourselves, and have desecrated Me among My people, to slay souls that will not die, and to keep alive souls that will not live. `Ezekiel 13bbb18-19`.
ppp23537#pid#305. Verse `Genesis 3bbbccc23` And Jehovah God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he had been taken.
'Being expelled from the garden of Eden' is being divested of all intelligence and wisdom. 'Tilling the ground from which he had been taken' is becoming bodily-minded, as he had been before regeneration took place. That 'being expelled from the garden of Eden' is being divested of all intelligence and wisdom is clear from the meaning of 'a garden' and of 'Eden', dealt with already. Indeed 'a garden' means intelligence, or an understanding of truth. And because 'Eden' means love it also means wisdom, that is, a will for good. That 'tilling the ground from which he had been taken' is becoming bodily-minded, as he had been before regeneration took place, has been shown already at verse `Genesis 3bbbccc19`, where similar words occur.
ppp23536#pid#306. Verse `Genesis 3bbbccc24` So He expelled the man, and away from the east towards the garden of Eden He caused the cherubim to dwell, and the flame of a sword turning itself this way and that to guard the way to the tree of life.`fff1`
'Expelling the man' is divesting him completely of all will for good and of all understanding of truth, even to the point of his being separated from them, and ceasing to be a human being. 'Causing the cherubim to dwell away from the east' is to provide against the possibility of his entering into any arcanum of faith, for 'the east towards the garden of Eden' is the celestial from which intelligence flows. 'Cherubim' means the Lord's providing against this kind of person entering into things which are matters of faith. 'The flame of a sword turning itself this way and that 'means self-love together with its insane desires and derivative persuasions, which are such that he does indeed wish to enter in but is in fact led away from there towards bodily and earthly interests. And 'guarding the way to the tree of life`fff1`' is guarding against the possibility of his profaning holy things.
`nnn1. literally, of lives
ppp23535#pid#307. The subject here is the sixth and seventh generations, which perished in the Flood. They were expelled outright from the garden of Eden, that is, from all understanding of truth. They ceased so to speak to be human beings and were abandoned to their insane desires and persuasions.
ppp23534#pid#308. What 'the east' means and what 'the garden of Eden' means has been shown already and therefore there is no need to pause over them here. But the fact that 'cherubim' means the Lord's providing against a person's insanely entering into mysteries of faith from the proprium, sensory evidence, and factual knowledge as the starting point, and against his profaning those mysteries, and in so doing perishing, becomes clear from several places in the Word where mention is made of cherubim. Because the Jews were the kind of people who, if they had had any clear knowledge about the Lord's Coming, about the fact that the representatives, or types, in that Church meant the Lord, about life after death, about the inner man, and if they had had any clear knowledge of the internal sense of the Word, they would have committed profanation and would have perished for ever; the Lord's protection against this therefore was represented by the cherubim on the Mercy Seat over the Ark, and by those on the curtains of the Tabernacle, and on its veil, and similarly in the Temple. And the provision of the cherubim meant the Lord's care and protection of them, `Exodus 25bbb18-21`; `Exodus ccc26bbb1`, `Exodus 26bbbccc31`;`1 Kings 6bbb23-29`, `1 Kings 6bbbccc32`, `1 Kings 6bbbccc35`. For the Ark, which contained the covenant, had the same meaning as the tree of life`fff1` does here, that is, the Lord and heavenly things which are altogether His. Consequently the Lord is also many times called 'the God of Israel seated upon the cherubim'; and it was from between the cherubim that He spoke to Aaron and Moses, `Exodus 25bbb22`; `Numbers 7bbb89`.
ttt[2] A plain description of this exists in Ezekiel where the following is stated,
The glory of the God of Israel was raised up from above the cherub over which it had been, towards the threshold of the house. He called out to the man clothed in linen. And He said to him, Pass through the middle of the city, through the middle of Jerusalem, and put a mark upon the foreheads of the men who groan and sigh over all the abominations committed in the middle of it. And to the others He said, Pass through the city after him and smite; let not your eye spare, and show no clemency; slay outright old men, young men, virgins, little children, and women. Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain.`fff2` `Ezekiel 9bbb3-7`.
And later on,
He said to the man clothed in linen, Go into the wheel underneath the cherub, and fill the palms of your hands with coals of fire from between the cherubim and spread them over the city. A cherub stretched out his hand from between the cherubim to the fire that was between the cherubim, and he took [some of it] and put it into the palms of the man clothed in linen; and he took it and went out. `Ezekiel 10bbb1-7`.
From these verses it is clear that the Lord's providence which guards against people's penetrating mysteries of faith is meant by 'the cherubim', and that people were therefore abandoned to their insane desires, which in this quotation are also meant by 'the fire which was spread over the city', and by 'nobody's being spared'.
`nnn1. literally, of lives
`nnn2. literally, the pierced
ppp23533#pid#309. 'The flame of a sword turning itself this way and that' means self-love together with its insane desires and persuasions, which are such that people do indeed wish to enter in but are in fact led away from there towards bodily and earthly interests. This may be confirmed by so many examples from the Word as to fill up page after page. Take simply the following verses in Ezekiel,
Prophesy and say, Thus said Jehovah, Say: A sword, a sword has been sharpened and also polished for a great slaughter, sharpened to flash like lightning. Let the sword be repeated a third time, the sword of their slain,`fff1` the sword of the great slaughter, penetrating the inmost parts of their dwellings that their heart may melt. And it will multiply offences in all their gates; I have given the terror of the sword. Ah! It has become as lightning. `Ezekiel 21bbb9-10`, `Ezekiel 21bbbccc14-15`.
'The sword' here stands for the desolate condition of a person so that he sees no good or truth at all, but sheer falsities and things that are contrary, meant by 'multiplying offences'. And the phrases in Nahum about the horseman mounting, and the flame of a sword, and the lightning-flash of a spear and a multitude of slain,`fff1``Nahum 3bbb3`, refer to people who wish to enter into the arcana of faith.
`nnn1. literally, their pierced
ppp23532#pid#310. Each word in this verse embodies so many very deep arcana that all cannot possibly be disclosed. These arcana are applicable to the disposition of those people who perished in the Flood, a disposition which was entirely different from that of the people who lived after the Flood. In short, their earliest forefathers, who constituted the Most Ancient Church, were celestial people, and so had celestial seed planted within them. Consequently their descendants had seed within themselves which had a celestial origin. Seed which has a celestial origin entails love ruling the whole mind and unifying it. For the human mind consists of two parts, will and understanding. To the will belongs love, or good, and to the understanding faith, or truth. From love or good they perceived what was a matter of faith or a matter of truth, so that their mind was one. When people are of this nature that seed which has a celestial origin remains with their descendants. But if the latter recede from truth and good, it is extremely dangerous, for they so corrupt the whole of their mind that it can scarcely be restored in the next life.
ttt[2] It is different with people who do not have celestial but spiritual seed within them, as was the case with the people after the Flood and with those living today. They have no love within them, and so no will for good; but they can be given faith, or understanding of truth. From faith or an understanding of truth they can be guided into some form of charity, but it is by a different route, by a conscience implanted by the Lord and acquired from cognitions of truth and good arising from it. Consequently their state is entirely different from that of people before the Flood. This state will in the Lord's Divine mercy be described later on. These are the arcana which are totally unknown to people nowadays, for nowadays people do not know what the celestial man is, nor even what the spiritual man is, let alone the consequent nature of man's mind and life, and his consequent state after death.
ppp23531#pid#311. In the next life, the state of those who perished in the Flood is such that they cannot possibly be left alone in the world of spirits, or among other spirits, but are kept in a hell separate from the hells of other spirits, which is situated so to speak below a kind of mountain. This mountain which is seen and acts as a barrier is the product of their dreadful delusions and persuasions. Their delusions and their persuasions are such as so to be wilder other spirits that those spirits do not know whether they are alive or dead. For those who perished in the Flood so deprive these other spirits of all understanding of truth that the latter perceive nothing at all. Such power of persuasion had existed even during their lifetime with those who perished in the Flood. And because in the next life, they would continue to be such that they could not possibly exist with other spirits without bringing a death-like condition upon them, they were all wiped out; and the Lord in His Divine mercy introduced people after the Flood into different states.
ppp23530#pid#312. This verse contains a complete description of the state of these people who came before the Flood.
(1) 'They were expelled', that is, separated from celestial good.
(2) 'Cherubim were made to dwell away from the east towards the garden of Eden. ' Those people being what they were, the wording is 'away from the east towards the garden', words that are applicable solely to them, and not to the people who lived at a later time. The wording as it stands in this verse cannot be used of the latter, but the reverse can, 'away from the garden of Eden towards the east'.
(3) This verse also speaks of 'the flame of a sword turning itself this way and that'. Had the reference been to modern man the phrase would have been 'the sword of a flame', and 'the tree of life 'would have been used instead of 'the tree of lives'. And there are further features to the train of thought here which cannot possibly be explained. They are understood solely by angels to whom the Lord reveals them. Each of these states involves countless arcana, not a single one of which is known to the human race.
ppp23529#pid#313. These facts that have now been stated concerning the first man show that he is not the source of hereditary evil existing in everyone alive today, and that people are wrong if they imagine that no other hereditary evil exists apart from that which emanated from that first man. For the subject here is the Most Ancient Church, which is called 'Man'. When it is called Adam it means that man was taken from the ground; that is, from not being 'man' that Church became man through regeneration from the Lord. This is the derivation' and the meaning of that name. As for hereditary evil the situation is this: Everyone who by his own actions commits sin consequently acquires a certain disposition, and the evil arising from it is implanted in his children and becomes hereditary. Thus what a person inherits from either parent, from his grandfather, great-grandfather, great-great-grandfather and so on back, accordingly multiplies and increases in his descendants, and remains with each one. And with each one it is increased further still by the sins of his own doing. Nor is hereditary evil dispersed and rendered harmless except with people who are being regenerated by the Lord. This anyone can recognize, if he has paid the matter any attention at all, from the fact that the evil inclinations of parents are so noticeable in children that one family, indeed one generation, can be distinguished from another by means of it.
ppp23528#pid#314. MAN'S ENTRY INTO ETERNAL LIFE - continued
After an awakened person, that is, a soul, has been provided with the benefit of light so that he is able to look around him, the spiritual angels mentioned already render him every kindly service he could possibly wish for in that state. They also tell him about the things that exist in the next life, but only insofar as he is able to take it in. If he has had faith, and if he desires it, they also show him the marvels and splendours of heaven.
ppp23527#pid#315. But if he is not the kind who wishes to be told, the awakened person, or soul, is in that case eager to get away from the company of those angels. This the angels are quick to perceive, for in the next life all the ideas constituting a person's thought are communicated. When he is eager to get away from them, it is not they who abandon him, but he who severs his connection with them. Angels love everybody and above all else wish to render kindly services, to inform, and to lead him to heaven. Their chief delight consists in doing these things.
ppp23526#pid#316. Once a soul severs his connection in this way he is then welcomed by good spirits, and while he is in their company they too render him every kindly service. But if in the world his life has been such that he could not abide the company of good persons, he is eager to get away from them as well. This goes on repeatedly until he enters into association with the kind of people who match completely the life he led in the world. With them he so to speak discovers his own life. At that point, astonishingly, he leads a life among them similar to what he had done in the body. But once souls have resumed that life, they then start a new phase of life. Some after a longer, others after a briefer, length of time are conducted from there to hell. But people who have dwelt in faith in the Lord, after the new phase has started, are gradually led towards heaven.
ppp23525#pid#317. Some are brought to heaven more slowly, others more rapidly. Indeed I have even seen some persons raised up to heaven immediately after death. Let just two examples be given.
ppp23524#pid#318. A certain spirit once came and spoke to me. Certain signs made it clear that he had only recently departed the earthly life. Imagining that he was still in the world, he did not at first know where he was; but once he was given to know that he was in the next life and that he no longer had any material possessions, such as a home, wealth, and the like, but was in another realm in which he had been divested of all he possessed in the world, he was greatly distressed, not knowing which way he was to go or where he was going to live. He was told however that the Lord alone provided for him and for everyone. He was at that point left to himself to think in the same way as he had done in the world. He began to think about what he would do now that he had been deprived of all those things that had made life possible (everybody's thoughts in the next life are plainly perceived). But in his distress he was brought into the company of celestial spirits who were from the province of the heart and who rendered him whatever kindly service he desired. After this he was left to himself again, and by virtue of charity began to think about how he could repay so much kindness. All this proved that during his lifetime he had been governed by charity derived from faith. Consequently he was raised up straightaway into heaven.
ppp23523#pid#319. I also saw another who was carried up immediately into heaven by angels, to be accepted by the Lord and shown the glory of heaven. There have been many other experiences, involving others who were carried up to heaven after a space of time.
ppp23522#pid#320. CHAPTER 4
THE NATURE OF THE LIFE OF A SOUL OR SPIRIT
As regards, in general, the life of souls, that is, of people who have recently died and become spirits, much experience has made it clear to me that when a person enters the next life he is not aware of being in that life. He imagines that he is still in the world, indeed that he is still within his physical body, insomuch that when he is told he is a spirit he is absolutely dumbfounded. He is dumbfounded because, for one thing, he is still in every way a man as regards sensations, desires, and thoughts, and for another, he did not during his lifetime believe in the existence of the spirit, or as is the case with some, that the spirit could possibly be such as his experience now proves.
ppp23521#pid#321. A second general consideration is this: A spirit has sensory powers, and the gifts of thought and speech, which are far superior to any that he had when he lived in the body, so superior as to be scarcely comparable at all. This is not something that spirits are aware of however until the Lord enables them to reflect on the matter.
ppp23520#pid#322. Let people beware of falsely assuming that spirits do not possess far keener sensory powers than they did in the life of the body. From thousands of experiences I know that the reverse is true. But if, because of their presuppositions about the spirit, they are unwilling to believe it, let them find out for themselves when they enter the next life, where their own experience will force them to believe it. Not only do spirits have the gift of sight, since they are living in light; good spirits, angelic spirits, and angels also live in a light so bright that the light of this world at midday is scarcely comparable to it. The light in which they live and by which they see will in the Lord's Divine mercy be described later on. Spirits also have a sense of hearing so keen that the sense of hearing in their physical body cannot be reckoned its equal. For several years now, with scarcely any break, they have been holding conversations with me. But their speech also will in the Lord's Divine mercy be described later on. They have the sense of smell, which also will in the Lord's Divine mercy be described later on. They have a very delicate sense of touch, which in hell brings about pain and torment. For all sensations are related to the sense of touch; indeed they are just different forms and variations of that sense.
ttt[2] They have desires and affections, with which those they had in the life of the body cannot be compared. More, in the Lord's Divine mercy, will be said about these later on. They are far more penetrating and discriminating in their thinking than they were during their lifetime. One idea of their thinking embodies more than a thousand ideas did during their lifetime. In what they say to one another they are so direct and to the point, so clear-cut and discriminating, that if man were to catch only a fraction of it he would be dumbfounded. To sum up, they have lost absolutely nothing; they are as men, yet more perfect, but without material flesh and bones and the imperfections that go with these. They acknowledge and perceive that even during their lifetime it was the spirit that was active in sensation, and that although it presented itself within the body, it still did not belong to the body. When therefore the body has been laid aside, sensations are far more excellent and perfect. Life consists in sensation, for no life is possible without sensation, and as is the sensation so is the life, a point which anyone is capable of knowing.
ppp23519#pid#323. Some experiences of people who have thought differently from this during their lifetime follow at the end of the chapter.
ppp23518#pid#324. `Genesis 4bbb0`
1. And the man knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain; and she said, I have gained a man, Jehovah.`fff1`
2. And she bore again, his brother Abel. And Abel was a shepherd of the flock, and Cain was a tiller of the ground.
3. And it happened at the end of days that Cain brought some of the fruit of the ground, a gift for Jehovah.
4. And Abel brought some of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat; and Jehovah had respect for Abel and his gift.
5. And for Cain and his gift He had no respect; and Cain's anger was set ablaze and his face`fff2` fell.
6. And Jehovah said to Cain, Why has your anger been set ablaze, and why has your face`fff2` fallen?
7. If you do well, is there not an uplifting? And if you do not do well, sin is lying at the door. And to you is his desire, and you have dominion over him.
8. And Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.
9. And Jehovah said to Cain, Where is Abel your brother? And he said, I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?
10. And He said, What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood`fff3` is crying out to me from the ground.
11. And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood`fff3` from your hand.
12. When you till the ground, it will not yield its strength to you; a wanderer and a fugitive you will be in the land.
13. And Cain said to Jehovah, My iniquity is too great for it to be taken away.
14. Behold, You have driven me this day off the face`fff2` of the ground; and I shall be hidden from Your face,`fff2` and I shall be a wanderer and a fugitive in the land; and everyone finding me might kill me.
15. And Jehovah said to him, Therefore anyone killing Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold. And Jehovah put a sign on Cain, lest anyone finding him should strike him.
16. And Cain went out from the face`fff2` of Jehovah, and he dwelt in the land of Nod towards the east of Eden.
17. And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. And he was building a city, and he called the name of the city after the name of his son Enoch.
18. And to Enoch was born Irad. And Irad beget Mehujael, and Mehujael beget Methushael, and Methushael beget Lamech.
19. And Lamech took two wives for himself; the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.
20. And Adah gave birth to Jabal. He was the father of the tent-dweller and of cattle.
21. And his brother's name was Jubal. He was the father of all who play upon the harp and organ.
22. And Zillah also, she gave birth to Tubal-cain, teacher of every craftsman in bronze and iron. And Tubal-cain's sister was Naamah.
23. And Lamech told his wives Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice, O wives of Lamech, and with your ears perceive my speech that I have killed a man (vir) to my wounding, and a little one to my bruising.
24. For sevenfold will Cain be avenged, and Lamech seventy-sevenfold.
25. And the man (homo) knew his wife again, and she bore a son, and she called his name Seth - for God has appointed me another seed in place of Abel, seeing that Cain had killed him.
26. And to Seth also was born a son, and he called his name Enosh; then they began to call on the name of Jehovah.
CONTENTS
The subject is doctrinal systems which were not part of the Church, that is, which were heresies, and a new Church raised up afterwards, called Enosh.
`nnn1. Grammatically Jehovah is at this point accusative or objective case.
`nnn2. literally, faces
`nnn3. literally, bloods
ppp23517#pid#325. The Most Ancient Church possessed faith in the Lord by way of love, but there arose out of them people who separated faith from love. Doctrine concerning faith separated from love was called Cain, while charity, which is love towards the neighbour, was referred to as Abel, verses `Genesis 4bbbccc1-2`.
ppp23516#pid#326. The worship of both of them is described, that of separated faith by Cain's gift, and that of charity by Abel's gift, verses `Genesis 4bbbccc3-4`. Worship deriving from charity was acceptable, but not that deriving from separated faith, verses `Genesis 4bbbccc4-5`.
ppp23515#pid#327. The state of those who belonged to separated faith altered to a state that was evil. This is described as Cain's anger blazing and his face`fff1` falling, verses `Genesis 4bbbccc5-6`.
`nnn1. literally, faces
ppp23514#pid#328. It is from charity that the particular nature of faith is recognized. Also charity wishes to dwell with faith provided faith is not made the chief thing and raised up above charity, verse `Genesis 4bbbccc7`.
ppp23513#pid#329. Charity was annihilated among those who separated faith and placed it above charity. This is described as Cain's killing his brother Abel, verses `Genesis 4bbbccc8-9`.
ppp23512#pid#330. Charity that had been annihilated is called 'the voice of blood'`fff1`, verse `Genesis 4bbbccc10`, erroneous doctrine 'cursed from the ground', verse `Genesis 4bbbccc11`, falsity and consequent evil 'a wanderer and fugitive in the earth', verse `Genesis 4bbbccc12`. And because they turned away from the Lord they were in danger of eternal death, verses `Genesis 4bbbccc13-14`; but because it was faith by means of which charity would afterwards be implanted, it was utterly forbidden to violate it, which is 'putting a sign on Cain', verse `Genesis 4bbbccc15`; and to remove it from the position it held previously is the meaning of 'his dwelling towards the east of Eden', verse `Genesis 4bbbccc16`.
`nnn1. literally, bloods
ppp23511#pid#331. This heresy when further developed was called Enoch, verse `Genesis 4bbbccc17`.
ppp23510#pid#332. The heresies springing up out of this one are called each by its own name. In the last of them, called Lamech, nothing of faith remained any longer, verse `Genesis 4bbbccc18`.
ppp23509#pid#333. A new Church at that point arose which was meant by Adah and Zillah, and was described by their sons Jabal, Jubal, and Tubal-cain, the celestial features of that Church by Jabal, the spiritual by Jubal, and the natural by Tubal-cain, verses `Genesis 4bbbccc19-22`.
ppp23508#pid#334. The rise of that Church when everything to do with faith and everything to do with charity had been annihilated, and when it had been violated, which was utterly and completely forbidden, is described in verses `Genesis 4bbbccc23-24`.
ppp23507#pid#335. A Summary of these matters is then presented: after separated faith, meant by Cain, had annihilated charity, new faith was provided by the Lord, by means of which charity was implanted. This faith is Seth, verse `Genesis 4bbbccc25`.
ppp23506#pid#336. Charity that has been implanted by means of faith is called Enosh, that is, a different man [from the one before]. This is the name of that Church, verse `Genesis 4bbbccc26`.
ppp23505#pid#337. THE INTERNAL SENSE
Since the subject in this chapter is the degeneration of the Most Ancient Church - that is, the falsification of doctrine - and consequently the heresies and sects which the names of Cain and his descendants cover, it must be realized that nobody can begin to understand how doctrine was falsified, that is, understand the nature of the heresies and sects of that Church, unless he has a proper knowledge of the nature of the true Church. From the latter the nature of those heresies and sects can be recognized. The Most Ancient Church has been dealt with quite extensively already; and it has been shown that it was the celestial man, and that it acknowledged no other faith than faith that originated in love to the Lord and towards the neighbour. It was through that love from the Lord that they possessed faith, that is, a perception of everything that was a matter of faith. Consequently they were not even willing to mention faith for fear of separating it from love, as shown already in `@@@200-203`.
ttt[2] Such is the nature of the celestial man, that nature being described also by means of representatives in David where the Lord is referred to as 'the King', and the celestial man as 'the King's son',
Give the King Your judgements, and the King's son Your righteousness. The mountains will bring peace to the people, and the hills, in righteousness. They will fear You with the sun and towards the face`fff1` of the moon, a generation of generations. In his days the righteous man will flourish, and much peace, until the moon will be no more. `Psalms 72bbb1`, `Psalms 72bbbccc3`, `Psalms 72bbbccc5`, `Psalms 72bbbccc7`.
'The sun' means love, 'the moon' faith, 'mountains' and 'hills' the Most Ancient Church. 'A generation of generations' means the Church that came after the Flood. The statement 'until the moon will be no more' is made because faith will then be love. See also what is written in `Isaiah 30bbb26`.
ttt[3] Such was the nature of the Most Ancient Church and such its doctrine. Nowadays things are altogether different, for now faith comes first. But by means of faith the Lord imparts charity, at which point charity becomes the chief thing. Consequently doctrine in most ancient times was falsified when people made profession of faith and in so doing separated faith from love. People who falsified doctrine in this way, or who separated faith from love, that is, made profession of faith alone, were at that time called 'Cain'; and such a thing with them was a gross error.
`nnn1. literally, faces
ppp23504#pid#338. Verse `Genesis 4bbbccc1` 'And the man knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain; and she said, I have gained a man, Jehovah'.`fff1`
'The man and Eve his wife' means the Most Ancient Church, as is well known. Its first offspring, or firstborn, is faith, which is here called 'Cain'. 'She said, I have gained a man, Jehovah' means that with those called Cain faith was known and acknowledged as something existing by itself.
`nnn1. Grammatically Jehovah is at this point accusative or objective case.
ppp23503#pid#339. In the three previous chapters it has been shown so adequately that 'the man and his wife' meant the Most Ancient Church as to leave no room for any doubt in the matter. And seeing that 'the man and his wife' means the Most Ancient Church, it is therefore clear that what it conceived and gave birth to was no different in type. Among the most ancient people it was customary to give proper names, and by such names to mean real things, and so establish a genealogy. Indeed this is how things of the Church are interrelated. One thing that is conceived and born from another resembles a human birth. This is why in the Word things of the Church are commonly referred to as conception, birth, offspring, infants, small children, sons, daughters, young men, and so on. The prophetical sections are full of such references.
ppp23502#pid#340. That 'she said, I have gained a man, Jehovah' means that with those called Cain faith was known and acknowledged as something existing by itself is clear from what has been stated in the preliminary sections of this chapter.`fff1` Previously they had not so to speak known what faith was, for what they possessed was a perception of everything that constituted faith. But once they started to make distinct and separate doctrine out of faith they drew on things which had been with them matters of perception and reduced them to doctrine. This doctrine they called 'I have gained a man, Jehovah', as though they had come upon something new. So that which had previously been written on the heart was now made into factual knowledge. In early times people used to find a name for anything that was new, and used to attach explanations as to what such names embodied. For example, to indicate what Ishmael meant, the explanation was added, Jehovah hearkened to her affliction', `Genesis 16bbb11`; what Reuben meant, 'Jehovah has seen my affliction', `Genesis 29bbb32`; what Simeon meant, 'Jehovah heard that she was less loved', ibid. Verse `Genesis 29bbbccc33`; and what Judah meant, 'This time I will confess Jehovah', ibid. Verse `Genesis 29bbbccc35`. The altar built by Moses was called 'Jehovah is my banner', `Exodus 17bbb15`. And here likewise doctrine concerning faith is called 'I have gained a man, Jehovah', which is what Cain meant.
`nnn1. i.e. in `@@@337`
ppp23501#pid#341. Verse `Genesis 4bbbccc2` And she bore again, his brother Abel. And Abel was a Shepherd of the flock, and Cain was a tiller of the ground.
The second born of the Church is charity, which is meant by 'Abel' and by 'brother. A shepherd of the flock' means one who practices good flowing from charity, while 'a tiller of the ground' means someone who, devoid of charity, acts from faith separated from love, which is not faith at all.
ppp23500#pid#342. That the second born of the Church is charity becomes clear from the things which the Church conceives and gives birth to, which are nothing other than faith and charity. The first of those born to Leah by Jacob had a similar meaning. Reuben meant faith; Simeon, faith expressed in action; Levi, charity, `Genesis 29bbb32-34`. This also was why the tribe of Levi assumed the function of the priesthood and became representative of the shepherd of the flock. Being the second born of the Church, charity is referred to as 'a brother. and is called 'Abel'.
ppp23499#pid#343. 'A shepherd of the flock' means someone who practises good flowing from charity. Anyone can know this, for it is a recurrent feature of the Old Testament and of the New. He who leads and teaches is called the Shepherd, those who are led and taught are called the flock. One who does not lead to good flowing from charity, and does not teach that good is not a true shepherd; and one who is not being led to good and learning it is not the flock. Really it is superfluous to confirm from the Word that this is the meaning of the Shepherd and flock; but even so let the following be referred to: In Isaiah,
The Lord will give rain for your seed with which you sow the ground, and bread of the produce of the ground. On that day, He will pasture your cattle in a broad grassland. `Isaiah 30bbb23`.
Here 'bread, the produce of the ground' means charity. In the same the prophet, The Lord Jehovih will pasture His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs into His arm, and will carry them in His bosom: He will gently lead those that are with young.`fff1` `Isaiah 40bbb11`.
In David,
Harken, O Shepherd of Israel, leading Joseph like a flock. You who are seated on the cherubim, shine forth. `Psalms 80bbb1`.
In Jeremiah,
I have likened the daughter of Zion to one comely and delicately bred. Shepherds and their flocks will come against her; they will pitch their tents near her round about; they will pasture each in his own space. `Jeremiah 6bbb2-3`.
In Ezekiel,
The Lord Jehovah has said, I will multiply them like the flock of mankind, like the flock of holy things, like the flock of Jerusalem, in her appointed seasons. Thus will the deserted cities be filled with the flock of mankind. `Ezekiel 36bbb37-38`.
In Isaiah,
The whole flock of Arabia will be gathered to you, the rams of Nebaioth will minister to you. `Isaiah 60bbb7`
Those who lead the flock to the good of charity are those who 'gather the flock together', but those who do not lead to such good are those who scatter it, for all bringing together and unity is the product of charity, while all scattering and disunity result from the lack of it.
`nnn1. i.e. those ewes that are in milk
ppp23498#pid#344. What is the use of faith, that is, what is the use of knowledge, awareness, and doctrine related to faith, other than of becoming such as it teaches? The first thing faith teaches is charity, `Mark 12bbb28-35`; `Matthew 22bbb35-40`, charity being the end of everything faith has in view. If a person does not become as it teaches, what is knowledge or doctrine but something which is in fact nothing?
ppp23497#pid#345. 'A tiller of the ground' means someone who, devoid of charity, acts from faith separated from love, which is not faith at all. This becomes clear from the statements made further on, 'Jehovah had no respect for his gift', and 'he killed his brother', that is, he destroyed charity meant by Abel. People who look to bodily and earthly interests are said to be 'tilling the ground', as is clear from what has been stated at Chapter `Genesis ccc3bbb19-23`, where it is said that 'the man was sent out of the garden of Eden to till the ground'.
ppp23496#pid#346. Verse `Genesis 4bbbccc3` And it happened at the end of days that Cain brought some of the fruit of the ground, a gift for Jehovah. 'The end of days' is used to mean the course of time, 'fruit of the ground' the works of faith devoid of charity, and 'a gift for Jehovah' worship deriving from this.
ppp23495#pid#347. That 'the end of days' is used to mean the course of time may be clear to anyone. In its earliest form, when simplicity was still present in it, this doctrine called Cain does not seem to have been so unacceptable as it was later on. This is clear from the fact that they called offspring 'Gained a man, Jehovah'; so in its earliest form faith was not separated so much from love as it was 'at the end of days', or in the course of time, as usually happens with all doctrine that belongs to true faith.
ppp23494#pid#348. 'The fruit of the ground' is used to mean the works of faith devoid of charity. This also is evident from what follows. In effect the works of faith devoid of charity are the works of no faith at all. In themselves they are dead since they belong purely to the external man. Such works are referred to in Jeremiah as follows,
Why does the way of the wicked prosper? You have planted them, they have also taken root, they have gone on, they are also producing fruit. You are near in their mouth but far from their heart.`fff1` How long will the land mourn and the grass of every field wither? `Jeremiah 12bbb1-2`, `Jeremiah 12bbbccc4`.
'Near in their mouth but far from their heart'`fff1` means adherents to faith separated from charity, of whom it is said that 'the land mourns'. They are also called in the same prophet 'the fruit of works',
The heart is deceitful above all, and is something hopeless. Who knows it? I Jehovah who searches the heart and tries the reins, to give to everyone according to his ways, according to the fruit of his works. `Jeremiah 17bbb9-10`.
In Micah,
The earth will be a desolation because of its inhabitants, for the fruit of their works. `Micah 7bbb13`.
But the fact that this kind of fruit is no fruit at all, that is, a work that is dead, and that both this fruit and root perish, is stated in Amos,
I destroyed the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and whose strength was like the oaks. Yet I destroyed his fruit above and his roots beneath. `Amos 2bbb9`.
And in David,
You will destroy their fruit from the earth and their seed from the sons of man. `Psalms 21bbb10`.
But works that stem from charity are alive, and are referred to as 'taking root below' and 'yielding fruit above', as in Isaiah,
And the surviving remnant of the house of Judah will take root downwards and bear fruit upwards. `Isaiah 37bbb31`.
'Producing fruit upwards' is doing so from charity. In the same prophet such fruit is called 'a fruit that is excellent',
On that day the branch of Jehovah will be beauty and glory, and the fruit of the land will be excellence and an adornment for the survivors of Israel. `Isaiah 4bbb2`.
It is also 'the fruit of salvation', as it is called in the same prophet,
Shower, O heavens, from above, and let the skies rain with righteousness; let the earth open, and let them bear the fruit of salvation, and let righteousness spring up together. I Jehovah will create it. `Isaiah 45bbb8`.
`nnn1. literally, reins or kidneys
ppp23493#pid#349. 'A gift' is used to mean worship. This becomes clear from the representative acts in the Jewish Church where, in addition to first-fruits of the earth and of all it yields, and also presentation of the firstborn, sacrifices of every kind are called 'gifts'. It was in these acts that worship consisted. And because they each represented something heavenly and had reference to the Lord, these gifts meant true worship, a fact that anyone is capable of recognizing. For what is any representative without the real thing it represents, and what is anything external without an internal but some idol or object that is dead? That which is external has life from things that are internal, that is, from the Lord through those internal things. From this it is clear that all gifts in the representative Church mean worship of the Lord. Further details on these points will in the Lord's Divine mercy be presented later on.
ttt[2] That 'gifts' in general means worship becomes clear from various places in the Prophets, as in Malachi,
Who endures the day of His coming? He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and purge them like gold, and like silver, and they will be people who present to Jehovah a gift in righteousness. Then the gift of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to Jehovah as in the days of old and as in the former years. `Malachi 3bbb2-4`.
'A gift in righteousness' means something internal, which 'the sons of Levi', that is, devout worshippers, are going to offer. 'The days of old' means the Most Ancient Church, and 'former years' the Ancient Church.
In Ezekiel,
On My holy mountain, on the mountain height of Israel, all the house of Israel, the whole of that land, will worship Me. There I will be well-disposed towards them, and there I will require your offerings and the first-fruits comprising your gifts in all your holy acts. `Ezekiel 20bbb40`.
'Offerings and first-fruits comprising gifts in holy acts' similarly are works that have been made holy through charity from the Lord. In Zephaniah,
From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia those who adore Me will bring My gift. `Zephaniah 3bbb10`.
'Ethiopia' stands for people who are in possession of celestial things, namely love, charity, and works stemming from charity.
ppp23492#pid#350. Verse `Genesis 4bbbccc4` And Abel brought some of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat; and Jehovah had respect for Abel and his gift.
Here, as previously, 'Abel' means charity. 'The firstborn of the flock' means the holy which is the Lord's alone. 'Fat' means the celestial itself, which also is the Lord's. 'Jehovah had respect for Abel and his gift' means that things constituting charity, and all worship deriving from it, were acceptable to the Lord.
ppp23491#pid#351. That 'Abel' means charity has been shown already. Charity means love towards the neighbour and compassion, for anyone who loves his neighbour as himself also has as much compassion for him in his suffering as he does for himself in his own.
ppp23490#pid#352. 'The firstborn of the flock' means the holy which is the Lord's alone. This becomes clear from the firstborn in the representative Church, where everything was holy because it had regard to the Lord, who alone is 'the Firstborn'. Love and faith deriving from it are the firstborn. All love is the Lord's and not a trace of it man's, and this is why the Lord alone is 'the Firstborn'. This was represented in the Churches of the ancient era by the requirement to consecrate the firstborn of man and of beast to Jehovah, `Exodus 13bbb2`, `Exodus 13bbbccc12`, `Exodus 13bbbccc15`. It was also represented by the tribe of Levi, which in the internal sense means love - though Levi was born later than Reuben and Simeon, who in the internal sense mean faith - being taken instead of all the firstborn and becoming the priesthood, `Numbers 3bbb40-46`; `Numbers ccc8bbb14-20`. That the Lord as regards His Human Essence is the Firstborn of all is clear from the following statement in David,
He will cry to Me, You are My Father, My God, and the Rock of My Salvation; I will also make Him as the Firstborn, supreme over the kings of the earth. `Psalms 89bbb26-27`.
And in John,
Jesus Christ, the Firstborn from the dead, and Prince of the kings of the earth. `Revelation 1bbb5`.
Please note that the firstborn of worship mean the Lord, while the firstborn of the Church mean faith.
ppp23489#pid#353. 'Fat' means the celestial itself, which also is the Lord's. The celestial consists in everything that is an aspect of love. Faith too is celestial when it has its origin in love. Charity is the celestial, and all good stemming from charity is celestial. All of these were represented by 'the fat' in sacrifices, especially by the fat on the liver or omentum, by the fat on the kidneys, by the fat covering the entrails, and by that actually on the entrails. These were consecrated and burnt on the altar, `Exodus 29bbb13`, `Exodus 29bbbccc22`; `Leviticus 3bbb3-4`, `Leviticus 3bbbccc14`; `Leviticus ccc4bbb8-9`, `Leviticus 4bbbccc19`, `Leviticus 4bbbccc26`, `Leviticus 4bbbccc31`, `Leviticus 4bbbccc35`; `Leviticus ccc8bbb16`, `Leviticus 8bbbccc25`, and were consequently called 'the bread offered by fire for an odour of rest' for Jehovah,`fff1` `Leviticus 3bbb15-16`. For this reason the Jewish people were forbidden to eat any of the fat from animals, and this was called 'a perpetual statute throughout their generations', `Leviticus 3bbb17`; `Leviticus ccc7bbb23`, `Leviticus 7bbbccc25`. They were forbidden to do so because that Church was such that it did not acknowledge anything internal, still less anything celestial.
ttt[2] That 'fat' means celestial things and goods that flow from charity is clear in the Prophets, as in Isaiah,
Why do you weigh out silver for`fff2` that which is not bread, and your labour on that which does not satisfy? Hearken diligently to Me, and eat what is good, and your soul will find its delight in fatness. `Isaiah 55bbb2`.
In Jeremiah,
I will fill the soul of the priests with fat, and My people will be satisfied with My goodness. `Jeremiah 31bbb14`.
Here it is quite clear that 'fat' is not used to mean fat but celestial-spiritual good. In David,
They will be filled with the fat of Your house, and You givest them drink from the river of Your delights; for with You is the fountain of life, in Your light do we see light. `Psalms 36bbb8-9`.
Here 'fat' and 'the fountain of life' stand for the celestial, which consists in love, and 'river of delights' and 'light' stand for the spiritual, which consists in faith deriving from love. In the same author,
My soul will be satisfied with fat and fatness, and my mouth will praise You with joyful lips.`fff3` `Psalms 63bbb5`.
Here similarly 'fat' stands for the celestial, 'joyful lips'`fff3` for the spiritual. It is quite clear that the celestial is meant for the reason that 'the soul will be satisfied'. And first-fruits, which were the firstborn of the earth, are for the same reason called 'fat' in `Numbers 18bbb12`.
ttt[3] Since there are countless genera of celestial things, and still more countless species of them, they are described in general in the words of the song which Moses recited to the people,
Butter from the cattle, and milk from the flock, with the fat of lambs and rams, the breed`fff4` of Bashan, and of goats, with the kidney-fat of wheat; and of the blood of the grape you will drink unmixed wine. `Deuteronomy 32bbb14`.
Nobody can possibly know what these expressions mean except from the internal sense. Without the internal sense nobody is able to know what butter from the cattle means, or milk from the flock, or the fat of lambs, or the fat of rams and of goats, or the breed`fff4` of Bashan, or the kidney-fat of wheat, or the blood of the grape. Without the internal sense they would be mere words and nothing more. In reality every single thing mentioned there means the genera and species of celestial things.
`nnn1. The Latin here means for a rest to Jehovah but comparison with the original Hebrew suggests that Swedenborg intended for an odour of rest, as in `@@@2165:2`, `@@@5943:3`.
`nnn2. or Why do you spend money on
`nnn3. literally, lips of songs
`nnn4. literally, sons
ppp23488#pid#354. Jehovah had respect for Abel and his gift' means that things constituting charity and all worship deriving from it were acceptable to the Lord. This has been explained already under what 'Abel' means and under 'gift'.
ppp23487#pid#355. Verse `Genesis 4bbbccc5` And for Cain and his gift He had no respect; and Cain's anger was set ablaze and his face' fell.
'Cain', as has been stated, means faith separated from love, or the kind of doctrine which allows faith to be separated. 'His gift for which He had no respect' means, as previously, that his worship was unacceptable. 'Cain's anger was set ablaze and his face`fff1` fell' means a change as to interiors; 'anger' means the fact that charity had departed, and 'face' the interiors, which are said 'to fall' when they undergo change.
`nnn1. literally, faces
ppp23486#pid#356. That 'Cain' means faith separated from love, or the kind of doctrine which allows faith to be separated, and also that 'the gift for which He had no respect' means that his worship was unacceptable, have been shown already.
ppp23485#pid#357. 'Cain's anger was set ablaze' means that charity had departed. This becomes clear from what comes further on, where it is said that he killed Abel his brother, who means charity. Anger is the general emotion that results from anything which gets in the way of self-love and its desires. In the world of evil spirits this is perceived plainly. Indeed general anger against the Lord prevails, because they are not moved at all by charity, but only by hatred. Anything that is unfavourable to self-love and the love of the world arouses opposition, which manifests itself in anger. In the Word, anger, wrath, and even rage, are frequently attributed to Jehovah; but in fact they belong to man and are attributed to Jehovah because they seem to be from Him, for reasons mentioned already. The following is stated in David,
He let loose on them His fierce anger and wrath, and rage, and distress, and a mission of evil angels. He levelled out a path for His anger, He did not spare their soul from death. `Psalms 78bbb49-50`.
Not that Jehovah ever 'lets loose His anger on anyone', but that people bring it down on themselves. Nor, as it is said, does He send evil angels but man takes them to himself. This is why the statement is added that 'He levels out a path for His anger and does not spare their soul from death', and it is said in Isaiah that
He will come to Jehovah, and all will be ashamed who were incensed against `Isaiah 45bbb14`.
From these quotations it is clear that 'anger' means evils, or what amounts to the same, a departure from charity.
ppp23484#pid#358. 'The face`fff1` falling' means change taking place as to interiors. This is clear from the meaning of 'the face' and from the meaning of 'falling'. Among the ancients the face meant internal things, for it is through the face that internal things shine forth. What is more, people in most ancient times were such that the face was in complete accord with internal things, so that anyone could see from another person's face the character of his disposition or mind (animus aut mens). They considered it something monstrous to express one thing in the face and to be thinking another; pretence and deceit in those times were abhorrent. Consequently the face meant things that were internal. When charity shone out of the face, the face was said to be 'lifted up', but when the reverse happened the face was said to 'fall'. This also explains why the Lord is referred to as lifting up His face upon man, as in the Blessing in `Numbers 6bbb26` and `Psalms 4bbb6`, which means the Lord's gift of charity to man. What 'the falling of the face' means is clear in Jeremiah,
I will not cause My face to fall upon you, for I am merciful, said Jehovah. `Jeremiah 3bbb12`.
By 'Jehovah's face' is meant mercy. When He 'lifts up His face' on anyone, He is from His mercy imparting charity to him. The reverse is the case when He 'causes His face to fall', that is, when man's face falls.
`nnn1. literally, faces
ppp23483#pid#359. Verse `Genesis 4bbbccc6` And Jehovah said to Cain, Why has your anger been set ablaze, and why has your face`fff1` fallen?
'Jehovah said to Cain' was the dictate of conscience. 'Anger has been set ablaze and the face`fff1` has fallen' means, as previously, the departure of charity and the change that took place in interiors.
`nnn1. literally, faces
ppp23482#pid#360. That 'Jehovah said to Cain' means the dictate of conscience does not need to be confirmed, for words similar to these have been explained already.
ppp23481#pid#361. Verse `Genesis 4bbbccc7` If you do well, is there not an uplifting? And if you do not do well, sin is lying at the door. And to you is his desire, and you have dominion over him.
'If you do well there is an uplifting' means, if your desires are good, charity resides with you. 'If you don't do well, sin is lying at the door' means, if your desires are not good, charity does not exist, but evil.' To you is his desire, and you have dominion over him' means that charity wishes to reside with you, but cannot because of your wish to have dominion over it.
ppp23480#pid#362. This verse describes the doctrine of faith which is called Cain, and how because it separated faith from love, it also separated it from charity, the offspring of love. Wherever a Church exists, heresies arise in it as a consequence of people basing their thinking on one particular article of faith to which they attach supreme importance. For man's thought process is such that when he focuses his whole attention on any one matter he makes that more important than any other, especially so when delusion claims it as a discovery of his own, and when self-love and love of the world inflate his ego. In that case everything seemingly agrees with it and supports it, even to the extent of his being ready to swear to it when in fact it is false. In the same way people called Cain made faith more essential than love; and because in so doing they were leading lives devoid of love, both self-love and delusion resulting from it banded together in them.
ppp23479#pid#363. The nature of the doctrine of faith called Cain is clear from the description of it given in this verse. The following explanation of the contents of the verse shows that charity was capable of being allied to faith, but only if this resulted in charity and not faith being the superior.
(1) 'If you do there is an uplifting', which means that if your desires are good, charity might be present. 'Doing well' means in the internal sense desiring well, for the doing of a good deed flows from the desiring of it. In ancient times deed and will made one, and from the deed people caught sight of the will, for pretence did not exist at all. That 'uplifting means the presence of charity is clear from what has been stated already about the face,`fff1` that is to say, about 'lifting up the face'`fff1` meaning possession of charity, and about 'the face`fff1` falling' meaning the reverse.
`nnn1. literally, faces
ppp23478#pid#364. (2) 'If you do not do well, sin is lying at the door', which means that if your desires are not good charity does not exist, but evil. That 'sin lying at the door' means evil at hand and wishing to get in may become clear to anyone. Indeed when charity does not exist hatred and lack of compassion do so, which are the source of all evil. 'Sin' stands in general for the devil, and he, that is, his crew, is at hand when a person is devoid of charity. Only one thing will drive the devil and his crew away from the door, and that is love to the Lord and towards the neighbour.
ppp23477#pid#365. (3) To you is his desire, and you have dominion over him', which means that charity wishes to reside with faith but cannot because faith wishes to have dominion over it, which is contrary to order. As long as faith wishes to have dominion, it is not faith. But once charity has dominion, it is faith, for the chief thing of faith is charity, as shown already. Charity may be compared to a flame of fire, without which heat and light do not exist since it is the source of heat and light; separated faith may be compared to light which, when devoid of the heat of the flame, is certainly light, but winter light when everything becomes inactive and dies off.
ppp23476#pid#366. Verse `Genesis 4bbbccc8` And Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. 'Cain spoke to Abel' means a passage of time. 'Cain', as has been stated, means faith separated from love, and 'Abel' means charity, the brother of faith, which is why he is twice called 'brother' in this verse. 'Field' means all that constitutes doctrine. 'Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him' means that separated faith annihilated charity.
ppp23475#pid#367. Apart from showing that charity is the 'brother' of faith and that 'field' means all that comprises doctrine, there is no need to confirm these considerations from similar usages in the Word. That charity is the brother of faith may be clear to anyone from the very nature or essence of faith. The brother relationship between these two was also represented by Esau and Jacob, and was the reason why they struggled for the birthright and the superior position this carried with it. The relationship was also represented by Perez and Zerah, the sons Tamar had by Judah, `Genesis 38bbb28-30`, where again the question of primogeniture arises. It was represented by Ephraim and Manasseh as well, `Genesis 48bbb13-14`, wherein a similar way the matter of the birthright and the higher position it carried occurs. And there are many other examples. Indeed these two, faith and charity, are both the offspring of the Church. Faith is called 'a man' (vir), as Cain is in verse `Genesis 4bbbccc1` of this chapter, while charity is called 'a brother', as in `Isaiah 19bbb2`; `Jeremiah 17bbb14` and in other places. In `Amos 1bbb9` the union of faith and charity is called 'a covenant between brothers'.
ttt[2] As has been stated, that which Jacob and Esau represented was similar to the meaning of Cain and Abel. The fact that Jacob in a similar manner wished to supplant Esau is also clear in Hosea,
He will make a visitation on Jacob over his ways and requite him according to his deeds; in the womb he supplanted his brother. `Hosea 12bbb2-3`.
But the fact that Esau, that is, charity represented by Esau, would nevertheless be the superior is clear from the prediction made through their father Isaac,
By your sword will you live, and you will serve your brother; but when you have dominion over him you will cast away his yoke from above your neck. `Genesis 27bbb40`.
Or what amounts to the same, a gentile or new Church is represented by Esau, and the Jewish Church by Jacob. This is why it was stated so many times that they were to recognize gentile nations as brothers. Charity was also the reason for everyone being referred to as 'a brother' in the gentile or Primitive Church, and for the Lord calling 'brothers' those who hear the Word and do it, `Luke 8bbb21`. Hearers of it are those who have faith, doers those who have charity. But those who are hearers, that is, say they have faith, but are not doers, that is, have no charity, are not brothers, for the Lord likens them to the foolish, `Matthew 7bbb24`, `Matthew 7bbbccc26`.
ppp23474#pid#368. 'A field' means doctrine, and so everything constituting doctrine concerning faith and charity. This is clear from the Word. In Jeremiah,
O My mountain in the field, I will give for spoil your resources, all your treasures. `Jeremiah 17bbb3`.
Here 'field' stands for doctrine, 'resources and treasures' for the spiritual riches of faith, that is, the things that constitute the doctrine of faith. In the same prophet,
Surely the snow of Lebanon will not leave the rock of My field? `Jeremiah 18bbb14`.
In reference to Zion it is said, in `Jeremiah 26bbb18`; `Micah 3bbb12`, that 'it will be ploughed up like a field' when the doctrine of faith does not exist. In Ezekiel,
He took from the seed of the land and planted it in a seed field. `Ezekiel 17bbb5`.
This refers to the Church and her faith, for doctrine is called 'a field' because of the seed it has in it. In the same prophet,
And let all the trees of the field know that I, Jehovah, will bring low the high tree. `Ezekiel 17bbb24`.
In Joel,
The field has been laid waste, the ground has been mourning because the corn has been laid waste, the new wine has failed, the oil has fallen off. Farmers have been put to shame, the harvest of the field has perished, all the trees of the field have withered. `Joel 1bbb10-12`.
Here 'field' stands for doctrine, 'trees' for cognitions, 'farmers' for people who cultivate them. In David,
The field will be exultant and everything in it; then all the trees of the wood will sing. `Psalms 96bbb12`.
Here it cannot be a field that is exultant nor trees of the wood that sing, but things residing with man, namely cognitions of faith. In Jeremiah,
How long will the land mourn, and the grass of every field wither? `Jeremiah 12bbb4`.
Here similarly it cannot be the land nor the grass of the field that mourns but something with man that has been laid waste. Similarly in Isaiah,
The mountains and hills will resound before you with song, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. `Isaiah 55bbb12`.
The Lord too, when foretelling the close of the age, also calls the doctrine of faith 'a field',
Two will be in the field, one will be taken, the other left. `Matthew 24bbb40`; `Luke 17bbb36`.
'Field' is used to mean the doctrine of faith, false doctrine as well as true, as in the present verse in Genesis. Because 'field' means doctrine anyone receiving any seed of faith, whether the individual, the Church, or the world, is called a field.
ppp23473#pid#369. So then, the meaning of the statements 'when they were in the field' and 'Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him' is this: When these two, faith and charity, existed from the doctrine of faith, faith separated from love inevitably regarded charity as being worthless and so annihilated it - like those people nowadays who assert that faith alone accomplishes salvation whether or not they perform any work of charity. This very supposition in itself annihilates charity, even though they know and profess with their lips that faith does not effect salvation unless love is present.
ppp23472#pid#370. Verse `Genesis 4bbbccc9` And Jehovah said to Cain, Where is Abel your brother? And he said, I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?
'Jehovah said to Cain' means a certain perceptivity coming from within, which acted as a dictate concerning charity, which is 'Abel your brother'. 'He said, I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?' means that faith regarded charity as worthless and was unwilling to be its servant. So it completely rejected anything that was a matter of charity. Such did their doctrine become.
ppp23471#pid#371. When the most ancient people used the phrase 'Jehovah is saying' they meant perception, for they recognized that it was the Lord who enabled them to perceive. This perception could last only so long as love remained the chief thing. When love to the Lord, and so love towards the neighbour, died out, perception came to an end, the amount of love that remained determining the amount of perception they had. This power of perception was peculiar to the Most Ancient Church, but after faith had been separated from love, as it was among those following the Flood, and charity was conferred through faith, conscience took the place of perception. This conscience was a dictate as well, though in a different way; but this in the Lord's Divine mercy will be discussed later on. When conscience dictates, it is likewise said that 'Jehovah says' in the Word, for conscience is formed from things revealed in the Word, and from cognitions derived from it. And when the Word states or dictates, it is the Lord who is stating. Consequently nothing is more common, even today, than to assert that 'the Lord is saying' when referring to some matter of conscience or of faith.
ppp23470#pid#372. 'To be a keeper' means to serve, in the way that gate-keepers and door-keepers did in the Jewish Church. Faith is called the keeper of charity from the fact that it ought to be the servant. But it accorded with the basic assumptions of that doctrine to say that faith was to have dominion, as stated at verse `Genesis 4bbbccc7`.
ppp23469#pid#373. Verse `Genesis 4bbbccc10` And He said, What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood`fff1` is crying out to me from the ground.
'The voice of Your brother's blood`fff1` means violence done to charity. 'Blood' calling out means guilt, and 'the ground' schism or heresy.
`nnn1. literally, bloods
ppp23468#pid#374. That 'the voice of blood'`fff1` means violence done to charity is clear from many places in the Word where 'voice' stands for everything that accuses, and 'blood' for all sin, especially hatred. For anyone who hates his brother murders him in his own heart, as the Lord teaches,
You have heard that it was said to the men of old, You shall not kill, and whoever kills will be liable to judgement. But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without cause will be liable to judgement. Whoever indeed says to his brother, Raca! will be liable to the Sanhedrin. And whoever says You fool! will be liable to the Gehenna of fire. `Matthew 5bbb21-22`.
These sayings denote degrees of hatred. Hatred is contrary to charity; and though a person does not actually commit murder, the intention to do so is still there, and by whatever possible method. It is external restraints alone which prevent murder actually being committed. And this is why all hatred is called blood, as in Jeremiah,
How well you direct Your way in the quest for love! Yes, in your skirts the blood of needy innocent souls is found. `Jeremiah 2bbb33-34`.
ttt[2] And since hatred is meant by blood, so is every kind of wickedness, for hatred is the source of all wickedness, as in Hosea,
Perjuring, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they commit robbery, and blood' has followed on blood.`fff1` Therefore the land will mourn and every inhabitant will anguish. `Hosea 4bbb2-3`.
And in Ezekiel,
Will you judge the city of blood' and declare to her all her abominations? A City that sheds blood' in the midst of her. By your blood which you have shed you have become guilty. `Ezekiel 22bbb2-4`, `Ezekiel 22bbbccc6`, `Ezekiel 22bbbccc9`.
This is referring to the lack of compassion. In the same prophet,
The land is full of the judgement of blood,`fff1` and the city is full of violence. `Ezekiel 7bbb23`.
And in Jeremiah,
For the sins of the prophets of Jerusalem, the iniquities of her priests who shed in the midst of her the blood of the righteous, they wander blind in the streets; they are defiled with blood. `Lamentations 4bbb13-14`.
In Isaiah,
When the Lord will have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and wiped away from its midst the blood`fff1` of Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and by a spirit of burning. `Isaiah 4bbb4`.
In the same prophet,
Your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity. `Isaiah 59bbb3`.
In Ezekiel,
I passed by you and saw you weltering in your blood,`fff1` and I said to you, Live in your blood`fff1` I indeed said to you, Live in your blood.`fff1` `Ezekiel 16bbb6`, `Ezekiel 16bbbccc22`.
This refers to the abominations of Jerusalem, which are called 'blood'`fff1`. Lack of compassion, and hatred, in the last times a real so described as blood in `Revelation 16bbb3-4`. The plural 'bloods' is used because all forms of iniquity and abomination well up out of hatred, just as all forms of good and holiness do out of love. Anyone therefore who hates his neighbour would murder him if he could, and he does do so in whatever way he can. That is to say, he does him violence, which is strictly the meaning here of 'voice of blood'.`fff1`
`nnn1. literally, bloods
ppp23467#pid#375. 'A voice crying out' and 'the voice of a cry' are expressions commonly used in the Word and are applied to any situation involving any kind of uproar, commotion, or disturbance, even when the occasion is a happy one, as in `Exodus 32bbb17-18`; `Zephaniah 1bbb9-10`; `Isaiah 65bbb19`; `Jeremiah 48bbb3`. In this instance the voice is one of accusation.
ppp23466#pid#376. 'Blood`fff1` calling out' means guilt. This follows from what is said above, for those who resort to violence are held guilty, as in David,
Evil will slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will beheld guilty. `Psalms 34bbb21`.
In Ezekiel,
You, the city, have become guilty through the blood you have shed. `Ezekiel 22bbb4`.
`nnn1. literally, bloods
ppp23465#pid#377. 'The ground' here means schism or heresy. This is clear from the fact that 'a field' means doctrine, and therefore 'the ground' of which the field is a part is schism. Man himself is meant by 'the ground' as well as by 'the field' because these things are sown within him. Indeed it is by virtue of what is sown within that anyone is man. Anyone who is good and true is so by virtue of goods and truths; anyone evil and false is so by virtue of evils and falsities. Anyone who subscribes to a particular system of doctrine is referred to by the name of that system, as is anyone who subscribes to a particular schism or heresy; and so 'ground' at this point stands for schism or heresy within man.
ppp23464#pid#378. Verse `Genesis 4bbbccc11` And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood`fff1` from your hand. 'You are cursed from the ground' means that he became alienated on account of schism. 'Which has opened its mouth' means whose teaching was such. 'To receive your brother's blood`fff1` from your hand' means that it did violence to charity, which it annihilated.
`nnn1. literally, bloods
ppp23463#pid#379. The fact that such things are meant by these statements is clear from what has gone before, and from the fact that 'one who is cursed' means one who became alienated, as also shown already in `@@@245`. For it is forms of iniquity and abomination, which are forms of hatred, that alienate a person and cause him to look downwards only, that is, towards bodily and earthly interests, and so to things that belong to hell. This takes place when charity is banished and annihilated. Indeed the bond that exists between the Lord and man is in that case put asunder. Charity alone, or love and compassion, is what joins the two together. Faith without charity never does so, for that is not faith, but mere knowledge such as even the devil's crew is able to possess and by which they are able to deceive and mislead the upright and pretend to be angels of light. Very wicked preachers are sometimes accustomed to act in a similar way; they preach with a zeal that seems to be an expression of inner godliness but is in fact nothing more with them than that which they bear on the lips. Can anyone be so lacking in judgement as to believe that faith alone residing in the memory has the power to achieve anything, or that mere thought from the same source has? Everyone from personal experience knows that nobody places any value on another person's words and assentings if these are not an expression of his will and intention. It is will and intention that make them acceptable and join one person to another. The activity of the will is the real person, not thought and utterance of that which he does not will. From the activity of his will he acquires a particular nature and disposition, for his will is what moves him. If his thoughts are of good, the essential element of faith, which is charity, is contained in his thinking, because it contains the will for good. But if he asserts that his thoughts are of good and yet lives wickedly, the activity of his will cannot possibly be anything else than the will of evil, and as a consequence faith does not exist.
ppp23462#pid#380. Verse `Genesis 4bbbccc12` When you till the ground, it will not yield its strength a wanderer and a fugitive you will be in the land.
'Tilling the ground' means cultivating this schism or heresy. 'Not yielding its strength to you' means that it is sterile. 'Being a wanderer and a fugitive in the land' means not knowing what truth and good are.
ppp23461#pid#381. That 'tilling the ground' means cultivating this schism or heresy is clear from the meaning of 'the ground', dealt with already just above. That 'not yielding its strength' means its being sterile is evident from what has just been said about 'tilling the ground' and from the very words themselves, as well as from the consideration that people who profess faith devoid of charity profess no faith at all, as has been stated.
ppp23460#pid#382. 'Being a wanderer and a fugitive in the land' means not knowing what truth and good are. This is clear from the meaning in the Word of 'wandering' and of 'fleeing', as in Jeremiah,
Prophets and priests wander blind in the streets; they are defiled with blood. Things which have no power they touch with their garments. `Lamentations 4bbb13-14`.
Here 'prophets' stands for those who teach, 'priests' for those who live according to what is taught. 'Wandering blind in the streets' means not knowing what good and truth are.
ttt[2] In Amos,
Part of one field had rain, and part of the field on which it did not rain dried up. So two or three cities will wander to one city to drink water, and they will not be satisfied. `Amos 4bbb7-8`.
Here 'the part of the field on which rain fell' is the doctrine of faith that derives from charity, while 'the part or section of the field on which it did not rain' is the doctrine of faith devoid of charity. 'Wandering to drink water' similarly means searching for truth.
ttt[3] In Hosea,
Ephraim has been stricken, their root has dried up, they will bear no fruit. My God will cast them away because they have not hearkened to Him, and they will be wanderers among the nations. `Hosea 9bbb16-17`.
'Ephraim' stands for an understanding of truth, that is, for faith, since he was Joseph' s firstborn. 'A root which had dried up' stands for charity that is incapable of bearing fruit. 'Wanderers among the nations' means that they have no knowledge of truth and good.
ttt[4] In Jeremiah,
Go up against Arabia and lay waste the sons of the east. Flee, wander far away; the inhabitants of Hazer have plunged into the depths to dwell there. `Jeremiah 49bbb28`, `Jeremiah 49bbbccc30`.
'Arabia' and 'the sons of the east' stand for the possession of celestial riches, or things of love, which when laid waste are also spoken of as 'fleeing and wandering', or fugitives and wanderers, when they achieve nothing good at all. And 'the inhabitants of Hazer', or those who possess spiritual riches, which are things of faith, are spoken of as 'plunging into the depths', which means perishing.
In Isaiah,
All your chief men are wandering about together, on account of the bow they have been put in chains. They have fled from far away. `Isaiah 12bbb3`.
This refers to 'the valley of vision', which is the delusion that faith can exist without charity. This explains why verse `Genesis 4bbbccc14` below speaks of 'a wanderer and a fugitive', that is, a person who, confessing faith in isolation from charity, has no knowledge at all of truth and good.
ppp23459#pid#383. Verse `Genesis 4bbbccc13` And Cain said to Jehovah, My iniquity is too great for it to be taken away.
'Cain said to Jehovah' means admission that he was under the influence of evil, an admission resulting from pain felt inwardly. 'My iniquity is too great for it to be taken away' means consequent despair.
ppp23458#pid#384. From this it is clear that Cain still had some degree of good remaining within him. But the fact that all good stemming from charity did subsequently perish is clear from what is said about Lamech at verses `Genesis 4bbbccc19`, `Genesis 4bbbccc23-24`.
ppp23457#pid#385. Verse `Genesis 4bbbccc14` Behold, You have driven me this day off the face`fff1` of the ground; and I shall be hidden from Your face,`fff1` and I shall be a wanderer and a fugitive in the land; and everyone finding me might kill me.
'Being driven off the face' of the ground' means being separated from all the truth of the Church. 'Being hidden from Your face'`fff1` means being separated from all the good present in faith and flowing from love. 'Being a wanderer and a fugitive in the land' means not knowing what truth and good are. 'Everyone finding him might kill him' means that all evil and falsity would destroy him.
`nnn1. literally, faces
ppp23456#pid#386. 'Being driven from the face`fff1` of the ground' means being separated from all the truth of the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'the ground', which in the genuine sense is the Church or member of the Church, and so whatever the Church professes, as stated already. But as the subject itself determines the precise meaning of all that has reference to it, anyone who professes an erroneous faith, that is, schism or heresy, is also called 'the ground'. At this point therefore 'being driven from the face`fff1` of the ground' means not being governed any longer by the truth of the Church.
`nnn1. literally, faces
ppp23455#pid#387. 'Being hidden from Your face'`fff1` means being separated from all the good present in faith and flowing from love. This is clear from the meaning of 'the face`fff1` of Jehovah'. As stated already, 'the face of Jehovah' means compassion, the source of all goods present in faith and flowing from love. For this reason every good accompanying faith is meant by 'the face'`fff1` here.
`nnn1. literally, faces
ppp23454#pid#388. 'Being a wanderer and a fugitive in the land', as previously, means not knowing what truth and good are.
ppp23453#pid#389. 'Everyone finding him would kill him' means that all evil and falsity would destroy him. This follows from what is said above. The position in fact is this: When a person divests himself of charity, he in that case separates himself from the Lord. It is charity alone, or love towards the neighbour and compassion, which joins man to the Lord. Without charity the two are disjoined, and when they are disjoined man is left to himself, that is, to the proprium. In that case whatever he thinks is false, and whatever he wills is evil. These are the things that kill man, that is, lead to his having no life at all.
ppp23452#pid#390. People under the influence of falsity and evil live in constant fear of being killed, as is described in Moses,
And your land will be a desolation and your cities a waste. Among you who are left, I will introduce a softness into their heart, in the lands of their enemies, and the sound of a driven leaf will pursue them, and they will flee, like flight from the sword, and they will fall though no one is pursuing, and they will stumble each man over his brother, as though before the sword, though no one is pursuing. `Leviticus 26bbb33`, `Leviticus 26bbbccc36-37`.
In Isaiah,
The treacherous act treacherously, and deal treacherously in the treachery of the treacherous. And he who is fleeing from the sound of the terror will fall into the pit. And he who is climbing out of the middle of the pit will be caught in the snare. His transgression will lie heavily upon him, and therefore he will fall and not rise again. `Isaiah 24bbb16-20`.
In Jeremiah,
Behold, I am bringing a terror upon you. From all who are round about you you will be driven out, everyone straight before him,`fff1` and no one gathering the wanderer. `Jeremiah 49bbb5`.
In Isaiah,
We will flee upon a horse; and so will you flee. We will ride away on one that is swift; therefore those who pursue you will be made swift. One thousand at the rebuke of one, and at the rebuke of five will you flee. `Isaiah 30bbb16-17`.
These and other places in the Word describe how people who are under the influence of falsity and evil flee and are afraid of being killed. Fear above all else takes hold of them because no one is protecting them. Everyone who is under the influence of evil and falsity hates the neighbour. Consequently they all desire to kill one another.
`nnn1. literally, everyone towards his faces
ppp23451#pid#391. The fact that people under the influence of falsity and evil are afraid of everybody else can be recognized best of all from evil spirits in the next life. Those who have divested themselves of all charity are wanderers and fugitives. If, wherever they go, they come to any communities, the people there perceive their character the moment they are approaching. The perceptivity existing in the next life is such that these communities not only drive those intruders away, but also punish them severely. Indeed their intention is to kill them if possible. So very great is the pleasure which the evil find in punishing and torturing one another that their greatest delight consists in doing so. And what is an arcanum still, the cause lies in falsity and evil themselves, for what anyone wishes upon another recoils upon himself. In fact falsity and evil carry within themselves the punishment of falsity and evil, and consequently the fear of punishment.
ppp23450#pid#392. Verse `Genesis 4bbbccc15` And Jehovah said to him, Therefore anyone killing Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold. And Jehovah put a sign on Cain, lest anyone finding him should strike him. 'Anyone killing Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold' means that to violate faith thus separated was utterly forbidden. 'Jehovah put a sign on Cain, lest anyone should strike him' means that the Lord distinguished faith in a special way to ensure its preservation.
ppp23449#pid#393. Before any explanation is given of the meaning of these words in the internal sense the situation with faith needs to be known. The Most Ancient Church was such that it did not acknowledge any faith except that which derived from love. Indeed they were unwilling even to mention faith, for everything that was a matter of faith they perceived by means of love from the Lord. Such also by nature are celestial angels, spoken of already. But because it was foreseen that the human race would not be able to receive such, and that people would separate faith from love to the Lord and would construct out of faith a doctrine standing on its own, provision was also made for it to be separated. Nevertheless it was separated in such a way that by means of faith, that is, by means of cognitions of faith, people might receive charity from the Lord. Consequently the experience of coming to know, that is, of listening, would now come first, and then, through coming to know or listening, charity, that is, love to the neighbour and compassion, would be conferred on them by the Lord. This charity would be not only inseparable from faith but also its primary constituent. That which now took the place of the perception which had existed with the Most Ancient Church was conscience. Once conscience had been acquired by means of faith allied to charity, it then dictated not what things were true but the fact that they were true - true because the Lord has in the Word said they were. Of such a nature did the Churches after the Flood become, for the most part; such was the Primitive Church, that is, immediately after the Lord's Coming. And this is the feature that distinguishes spiritual angels from celestial.
ppp23448#pid#394. Now because this was foreseen and provision was made that the human race should not perish in eternal death, it is here said that 'nobody should do violence to Cain', who means separated faith. It is also said that a sign was put on him', that is, the Lord distinguished faith in a special way to ensure its preservation. These points are arcana which have not yet been disclosed. They are what the Lord meant in Matthew when He spoke about marriage and about eunuchs,
There are eunuchs who were born so from their mother's womb, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of God. He who is able to receive this let him receive it. `Matthew 19bbb12`.
People with whom the heavenly marriage exists are called 'eunuchs'. 'Eunuchs born from the womb' are like celestial angels, 'those made so by men' are like spiritual angels, 'those who have made themselves eunuchs' are like angelic spirits, who are moved not so much by charity as by obedience.
ppp23447#pid#395. 'Anyone killing Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold' means that to violate faith thus separated was utterly forbidden. This is clear from the meaning of 'Cain' as separated faith, and from the meaning of 'seven' as utterly inviolable. As is well known, the number seven was considered holy on account of the six days of creation and of the seventh, which is the celestial man in whom peace, rest, and the Sabbath exist. This is the reason why the number seven occurs so many times in the religious ceremonies of the Jewish Church, in every instance standing for that which is holy. It is also the reason why periods of time, long as well as short, were divided into seven, and were called weeks, as in the case of the long time intervals leading up to the time when the Messiah was to come, `Daniel 9bbb24-25`. A period of seven years is also called a week by Laban and Jacob, `Genesis 29bbb27-28`. Consequently wherever the number seven occurs it stands either for something holy or else for something utterly inviolable, as in David,
Seven times in the day I praise You. `Psalms 119bbb164`.
In Isaiah,
The light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, as the light of seven days. `Isaiah 30bbb26`.
Here 'the sun' is love, and 'the moon' faith deriving from love, a faith which is to be as love.
ttt[2] Just as the periods of man's regeneration divide into six before he reaches the seventh, which is the celestial man, so also do the periods of vastation even until nothing celestial is left. This was represented by the many captivities of the Jews, and by the last of them, the Babylonian, which was a captivity of seven decades, that is, seventy years. And it was several times stated that the land had to rest during its Sabbaths. It was also represented by Nebuchadnezzar, of whom it is said in Daniel,
His heart will be changed from man, and the heart of a beast given him until seven times will pass over him. `Daniel 4bbb16`, `Daniel 4bbbccc25`, `Daniel 4bbbccc32`.
In reference to the vastation of the last times it is recorded in John,
I saw another sign in heaven, great and wonderful - seven angels holding the seven `Revelation 15bbb1`, `Revelation 15bbbccc6-7`.
They will trample over the holy city for forty-two months (that is, six times seven). `Revelation 11bbb2`.
In the same book,
I saw a book [written] within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. `Revelation 5bbb1`.
Severe and increased penalties were for the same reason expressed by the number seven, as in Moses,
If you will not obey Me in this matter, I will chastise you seven times worse for your sins. `Leviticus 26bbb18`, `Leviticus 26bbbccc21`, `Leviticus 26bbbccc24`, `Leviticus 26bbbccc28`.
In David,
Return to our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom. `Psalms 79bbb12`.
So then, it is because it was utterly forbidden to violate faith - since it had a use to serve, as has been stated - that the statement is made about 'vengeance being taken sevenfold on him who killed Cain'.
ppp23446#pid#396. 'Jehovah put a sign on Cain, lest anyone should strike him' means that the Lord distinguished faith in a special way to ensure its preservation. This is clear from the meaning of 'a sign' and of 'putting a sign' on somebody, which is a way of distinguishing him, as in Ezekiel,
Jehovah said, Go through the middle of the city, through the middle of Jerusalem, and make a sign on (or designate) the foreheads of the men (vir) who groan and sigh over all the abominations. `Ezekiel 9bbb4`.
Here 'designating foreheads' does not mean putting a sign or stroke on their foreheads but a way of distinguishing from others. Something similar is said in John about men who did not have God's sign on their foreheads being subject to condemnation, `Revelation 9bbb4`. Here again 'having a sign' stands for a way of distinguishing.
ttt[2] In the same book this sign is also called 'a mark', where reference is made to placing a mark on the hand and on the forehead, `Revelation 14bbb9`. That which was meant by signs and marks the Jewish Church represented by binding the first and great commandment on to the hand and on to the forehead, a practice mentioned in Moses,
Hear, O Israel, Jehovah our God is one Jehovah; you shall love Jehovah your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. And you shall bind them as a sign on to your hand; and let them be as frontlets between your eyes. `Deuteronomy 6bbb4-5`, `Deuteronomy 6bbbccc8`; `Deuteronomy ccc11bbb13`, `Deuteronomy 11bbbccc18`.
This represented the requirement to distinguish the commandment concerning love above all other commandments. This shows what making a sign on the hand and on the forehead means.
In Isaiah,
One is coming to gather all nations and tongues, and they will come and see My glory, and I will set a sign among them. `Isaiah 66bbb18-19`.
And in David,
Look to me and have compassion on me; give Your strength to Your servant, and save the son of Your handmaid. Make a sign in me for what is good, and let those who hate me see and be put to shame. `Psalms 86bbb16-17`.
From all these quotations it is now clear what 'a sign' means. Let nobody suppose therefore that some sign was put on a man called Cain, for the internal sense of the Word embodies matters altogether different from those of the sense of the letter.
ppp23445#pid#397. Verse `Genesis 4bbbccc16` And Cain went out from the face`fff1` of Jehovah, and he dwelt in the land of Nod towards the east of Eden.
'Cain went out from the face`fff1` of Jehovah' means that he was separated from good present in faith and flowing from love. 'He dwelt in the land of Nod' means outside truth and good. 'Towards the east of Eden' is close to the understanding part of the mind, where love had reigned previously.
`nnn1. literally, the faces
ppp23444#pid#398. 'Going out from the face`fff1` of Jehovah' means being separated from good present in faith and flowing from love - see what has been mentioned already at verse `Genesis 4bbbccc14`. 'He dwelt in the land of Nod' means outside truth and good. This is clear from the meaning of the name Nod, which is being a wanderer and a fugitive. As for a wanderer and a fugitive meaning someone who has been divested of truth and good, again see what has been mentioned already. 'Towards the east of Eden' means close to the understanding part of the mind, where love had reigned previously, and also close to the rational part, where charity had reigned previously. This is clear from what has been stated already about the meaning of 'the east of Eden', namely that 'the east' is the Lord and 'Eden' love. With members (vir) of the Most Ancient Church, the mind, consisting of will and understanding, was one. In fact the will was everything, and the understanding consequently part of that will, the reason being that no division existed between love which belongs to the will and faith which belongs to the understanding. For love was everything, and faith part of that love. But after faith had been separated from love, as happened with those called Cain, it was no longer the will that reigned. But because the understanding ruled in that mind instead of the will, that is, faith instead of love, it is said that 'he dwelt towards the east of Eden'; for, as has just been stated, faith was distinguished in a special way. that is, 'had a sign placed on it', to preserve it for the use it still had to serve to the human race.
`nnn1. literally, the faces
ppp23443#pid#399. Verse `Genesis 4bbbccc17` And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. And he was building a city, and he called the name of the city after the name of his son Enoch.
'Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch' means that this schism or heresy produced another from itself which was called 'Enoch'. 'A city that was built' means every detail of doctrine and heresy arising out of it. It is because that schism or heresy was called Enoch that the statement is made about the name of the city being called after the name of his son Enoch.
ppp23442#pid#400. That 'Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch' that this schism or heresy produced another from itself follows plainly from the verses preceding this, as well as from the statement in verse `Genesis 4bbbccc1` about Man and Eve his wife begetting Cain. What follow now therefore are similar conceptions and births - of the Church as well as of heresies - which men established as a genealogy, for this was how they were interrelated. From one established heresy many more are born.
ppp23441#pid#401. That this heresy and every aspect of doctrine or of heresy taught by it was called 'Enoch' is also clear to some extent from the name itself, which means instruction so started or begun.
ppp23440#pid#402. 'A city that was built' means all doctrinal or heretical teaching founded on that heresy. This is clear from the Word wherever the name of any city occurs. In the Word 'city' never means a city but something doctrinal or else something heretical. For angels are totally ignorant of what a city is or what the name of any city is. They never do nor can have any city in mind, for their ideas are of spiritual and celestial things, as shown already. Their perception is solely of what is meant spiritually by cities, and the names of them. For example, by the Holy City, which is also called the Holy Jerusalem, they understand nothing other than the Lord's kingdom in general, or as it exists with each individual who has the Lord's kingdom within him. And the city of Zion or Mount Zion they understand in a similar way, the latter being the celestial degree of faith, the former the spiritual.
ttt[2] And the celestial and spiritual itself is also described by cities, palaces, houses, walls, the foundations of walls, ramparts, gates, bars, and by the temple at the centre, as in `Ezekiel 48bbb0`, and in `Revelation 21bbb15`-end. In `Revelation 21bbb2`, `Revelation 21bbbccc10`, it is called 'the Holy Jerusalem'; in `Jeremiah 31bbb38` ['the city for Jehovah']; in David, `Psalms 46bbb4`, 'the city of God, the holy place of the dwellings of the Most High'; and in `Ezekiel 48bbb35`, it is called 'the city, Jehovah is there'. And in Isaiah,
The sons of the foreigner will build up your walls. They will bend down to the soles of your feet, all who disapprove of you, and they will call you the City of Jehovah, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel. `Isaiah 60bbb10`, `Isaiah 60bbbccc14`.
In Zechariah,
Jerusalem [will be called] the city of truth, and Mount Zion the mountain of holiness. `Zechariah 8bbb3`
Here 'city of truth', which is Jerusalem, means the spiritual things of faith, and 'the holy mountain', which is Zion, the celestial things of faith. And whereas the celestial and spiritual things of faith were represented by a city, so all matters of doctrine were meant by the cities of Judah and Israel, each one, when mentioned by name, meaning some specific point of doctrine, though exactly which nobody can know except from the internal sense.
ttt[3] As cities meant matters of doctrine, cities also meant heretical ideas, each one when mentioned by name meaning some specific heretical idea. But at this point solely the consideration that in general a city means doctrinal teaching or else heretical may be established from the following places:
ttt[4] In Isaiah,
On that day there will be five cities in the land of Egypt which speak in the lip of Canaan and swear to Jehovah Zebaoth. One of these will be called the city Heres. `Isaiah 19bbb18`.
This refers to man's knowledge of spiritual and celestial things at the time of the Lord's Coming. In the same prophet,
Full of tumults, a tumultuous city, an exultant city. `Isaiah 22bbb1`, `Isaiah 22bbbccc2`.
This refers to 'the valley of vision', which is delusion. In Jeremiah,
The cities of the south are shut up, with none opening them. `Jeremiah 13bbb10`.
This refers to people who are in 'the south', that is, who dwell in the light of truth, but blot it out. In the same prophet,
Jehovah thought to destroy the wall of the daughter of Zion. He causes rampart and wall to mourn; they have languished together. Her gates have sunk into the ground, He has destroyed and broken in pieces her bars. `Lamentations 2bbb8-9`.
Here anyone may see that nothing else is meant by 'wall, rampart, gates and bars' than matters of doctrine.
ttt[5] Similarly in Isaiah,
This song will be sung in the land of Judah, Ours is a strong city, salvation will establish walls and a rampart. Open the gates that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in. `Isaiah 26bbb1-2`.
In the same prophet,
I will exalt You, I will confess Your name. You have made the city into a heap, the fortified city into a ruin; let not a palace of aliens be built of the city for ever. Therefore a strong people will honour You, the city of terrifying nations will fear You. `Isaiah 25bbb1-3`.
Nor does this refer to any actual city. In Balaam's prophecy,
Edom will be an inheritance, and out of Jacob one will have dominion, and he will accomplish the destruction of the remnant of the city. `Numbers 24bbb18-19`.
Here anyone may see that 'the city' does not mean an actual city. In Isaiah,
The city of hollowness has been broken down, every house has been shut up so that none may enter in. There is an outcry in the streets over the wine. `Isaiah 24bbb10-11`.
Here 'city of hollowness' stands for hollowness of doctrine. In this and other places 'streets' means the things that constitute a city, namely falsities or truths. In John,
When the seventh angel poured out his bowl the great city was split into three parts and the cities of the nations fell. `Revelation 16bbb17`, `Revelation 16bbbccc19`.
That 'a great city' means something heretical, as do 'the cities of the nations', may be clear to anyone. The explanation is also given in `Revelation 17bbb18` that the great city means the woman whom John saw, 'the woman', as shown already, being a Church of that nature.
ppp23439#pid#403. From these quotations it is clear what 'a city' means. But because everything is put together as history, what else can people who are confined to the sense of the letter see than the idea that Cain built a city and called it Enoch? Yet even they from the sense of the letter must suppose that the earth was already populated, notwithstanding what is said about Cain being Adam' s firstborn. The historical sequence of events implies this. But as stated already, it was the custom among the most ancient people to convert all things into representative types and then arrange them as history. And to them this was something supremely delightful. When they did this everything they saw was seemingly alive.
ppp23438#pid#404. Verse `Genesis 4bbbccc18` And to Enoch was born Irad. And Irad beget Mehujael, and Mehujael beget Methushael, and Methushael beget Lamech.
All these names mean heresies which descended from the first of them, which was called 'Cain'. But because nothing more is now extant than just the names of them there is no need to say anything further. Something could possibly be deduced from the derivations of the names - Irad, for example, means, He-goes-down-from-the-city,`fff1` that is, from the heresy called Enoch, and so on.
`nnn1. Hebrew scholars today are uncertain of the meaning of the name "Irad." The definition given here is arrived at by combining the noun 'ir which means a "city" with yaradh which means "to go down."
ppp23437#pid#405. Verse `Genesis 4bbbccc19` And Lamech took two wives for himself; the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.
'Lamech', who was sixth in the line of descent from Cain, means the vastation that exists when faith is no more. 'Two wives' means the rise of a new Church, 'Adah' being the mother of the celestial and spiritual features of that Church, 'Zillah' the mother of its natural features.
ppp23436#pid#406. 'Lamech' means vastation, that is, the fact that faith is no more. This becomes clear from verses `Genesis 4bbbccc23-24`, below, which state that 'he killed a man (vir) to his wounding, and a little one to his bruising'. At that point 'man' is used to mean faith, 'a little one' or little child to mean charity.
ppp23435#pid#407. It generally happens with the passage of time that the Church reaches a state when it retreats from true faith and at length ends up with no faith at all. And when faith is no more the Church is said to be vastated. This was what happened to the Most Ancient Church among those called Cainites. It was also what happened to the Ancient Church which came after the Flood, and to the Jewish Church too, which had been so vastated by the time of the Lord's Coming that they did not even know anything about the Lord's coming to save them, still less anything about faith in Him. It was what happened yet again to the Primitive Church - the Church established after the Lord's Coming - which at the present time has been so vastated that there is not any faith there. Nevertheless some nucleus of the Church always remains, although those who have been vastated as to faith do not acknowledge that nucleus, as with the Most Ancient Church, a remnant of which remained up to and survived beyond the Flood. That remnant of the Church is called Noah.
ppp23434#pid#408. Once the Church has been so vastated that faith exists no longer a fresh start is made, that is, new light begins to shine, which in the Word is called 'the morning'. The reason new light or the morning does not shine before the Church has been vastated is that the things constituting faith and charity have been mingled with things that are unholy, and as long as they are mingled no light or charity can possibly be introduced, for tares are ruining all the good seed. But once faith is no more, it is no longer possible for faith to be profaned, since people do not believe what is said. People who do not acknowledge and believe something but merely know it are, as stated already, incapable of profaning it. A similar situation exists at the present time in the case of Jews who, because they live among Christians, cannot help knowing that the Lord is acknowledged by Christians to be the Messiah whom they, the Jews, have been waiting for and are awaiting still. Yet they are incapable of profaning because they do not acknowledge and believe these matters. Nor, in a similar way, can Moslems and gentiles who have heard about the Lord do so. This was the reason why the Lord did not come into the world until the Jewish Church had ceased to acknowledge and believe anything.
ppp23433#pid#409. The same applied to the heresy called Cain, which was vastated with the passage of time, for it did, it is true, acknowledge love, yet it made faith the chief thing and set it above love. The heresies descending from Cain however gradually strayed even from this, and Lamech, who was the sixth in the line, went so far as to reject faith altogether. At this point new light or the morning began to dawn, and a new Church came into being which is here called 'Adah and Zillah', the names of the wives of Lamech. They are called the wives of Lamech, who was devoid of any faith, just as the internal and external Church among the Jews, who were also devoid of any faith, are in the Word called wives. The same was also represented by Leah and Rachel, Jacob's two wives, Leah representing the external Church and Rachel the internal. These Churches, seemingly two, are nevertheless one, for a Church that is purely external or representative and lacks the internal is something completely idolatrous or dead, but the internal Church and the external together constitute one and the same Church, as Adah and Zillah do here. But because, like Lamech, Jacob, that is, the descendants of Jacob, were totally devoid of faith, the Church could not continue with them. Instead it was transferred to gentiles whose lives were not contrary to faith but were without knowledge. Rarely, if ever, does a Church remain with people who, once vastated, are in possession of truths. Instead it is transferred to those who know absolutely nothing about such truths, for such people embrace faith far more easily than the former do.
ppp23432#pid#410. There are two kinds of vastation. The first is the vastation of people who know yet do not wish to know, or who see yet do not wish to see, as was characteristic of the Jews, and is characteristic of Christians at the present time. The second is the vastation of people who neither know nor see anything because they have no knowledge, as was characteristic of gentiles in the past and still is characteristic of them today. When the final point of vastation is reached with those who know and yet do not wish to know, or who see and yet do not wish to see, a Church rises up anew, not however among the same people, but among others whom they call gentiles. This was what happened to the Most Ancient Church which existed before the Flood, what happened to the Ancient Church after the Flood, and also what happened to the Jewish Church. The reason new light at that point starts to shine for the first time is, as has been stated, that it is then no longer possible for people to profane things that are revealed, since they do not acknowledge and believe that these are true.
ppp23431#pid#411. The Lord states many times in the Prophets that the final point of vastation must come before a new Church can arise. He there uses the term vastation for things which have regard to the celestial things of faith, and desolation for those which have regard to the spiritual things of faith. He also refers to consummation and destruction, as in `Isaiah 6bbb9`, `Isaiah 6bbbccc11-12`; `Isaiah ccc24bbb0`; `Isaiah ccc33bbb8` and following verses; `Isaiah ccc42bbb15-18`; `Jeremiah 25bbb0`; `Daniel 8bbb0`; `Daniel ccc9bbb24`-end; `Zephaniah 1bbb0`; `Deuteronomy 32bbb0`; `Revelation 15bbb0`; `Revelation ccc16bbb0`; and following chapters.
ppp23430#pid#412. Verse `Genesis 4bbbccc20` And Adah gave birth to Jabal. He was the father of the tent-dweller and of cattle.
'Adah' means, as previously, the mother of the celestial and spiritual things of faith. 'Jabal, the father of the tent-dweller and of cattle' means doctrine concerning the holy things of love, and goods deriving from these, which are celestial.
ppp23429#pid#413. That 'Adah' means the mother of the celestial things of faith is clear from the fact that Jabal, her firstborn, is called 'the father of the tent-dweller and of cattle', which are celestial because they mean the holy things of love, and goods deriving from these.
ppp23428#pid#414. 'Dwelling in a tent' means the holiness of love. This is clear from the meaning of 'tents' in the Word, as in David,
O Jehovah, who will sojourn in Your tent? Who will dwell on Your holy mountain! He who walks blameless and performs righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart. `Psalms 15bbb1-2`.
Here the holy things of love, which are 'walking blameless and performing righteousness' are described by 'dwelling in a tent' or 'on the holy mountain'. In the same author,
Their line has gone out into all the earth, and their speech to the end of the world. In them He has set a tent for the sun. `Psalms 19bbb4`.
Here 'sun' stands for love. In the same author,
I will dwell in Your tent for ever, I will put my trust in the shelter of Your wings. `Psalms 61bbb4`
Here 'tent' stands for what is celestial, and 'shelter of Your wings' for what is spiritual deriving from it. In Isaiah,
In compassion a throne was established, and on it there sat in truthfulness in the tent of David, one who judges and who seeks judgement, and hastens in righteousness. `Isaiah 16bbb5`
Here again 'tent' stands for the holiness of love, which the phrases judging judgement' and 'hastening in righteousness' are used to describe. In the same prophet,
Look upon Zion, the city of our appointed feast. May your eyes see Jerusalem, a quiet habitation, a tent which is not moved. `Isaiah 33bbb10`.
This refers to the heavenly Jerusalem.
ttt[2] In Jeremiah,
Thus said Jehovah, Behold, I will bring back the captivity of the tents of Jacob and have compassion on his dwellings. And the city will be built upon its mound. `Jeremiah 30bbb18`.
'The captivity of the tents' stands for the vastation of celestial things, that is, of holy things of love. In Amos,
On that day I will raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen down, and I will close up their breaches, and I will raise up its ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old. `Amos 9bbb11`.
Here similarly 'a tabernacle' stands for celestial things and the holy things that go with them. In Jeremiah,
The whole land has been laid waste. Swiftly My tents have been laid waste, suddenly My curtains. `Jeremiah 4bbb20`.
And elsewhere in Jeremiah,
My tent has been laid waste, and all My cords torn away. My sons have gone away from Me, and they are not. There is no one stretching out My tent any more, and setting up My curtains. `Jeremiah 10bbb20`.
Here 'tent' stands for celestial things, 'curtains' and 'cords' for spiritual things deriving from them. In the same prophet,
They will seize their tents and flocks, their curtains and all their vessels, and take away the camels for themselves. `Jeremiah 49bbb29`
This refers to Arabia and the sons of the east, who represent people who are in possession of celestial things, that is, things that are holy. In the same prophet,
The Lord has poured out His fierce anger like fire on the tent of the daughter of Zion. `Lamentations 2bbb4`.
This stands for the vastation of the celestial or holy things of faith.
ttt[3] The reason 'a tent' stands in the Word for the celestial or holy things of love is that in ancient times people carried out holy worship, each within his own tent. When however they started to render their tents unholy by profane acts of worship the Tabernacle was built, and later on the Temple. Consequently that which 'the Tabernacle' meant, and later on 'the Temple', was also what 'tents' meant. And someone who was holy was therefore called a tent, also a tabernacle, and the Lord's temple as well. That 'tent', 'tabernacle', and 'temple' all have the same meaning is clear in David,
One thing have I sought from Jehovah, that will I ask for, that I may remain in the house of Jehovah all the days of my life, to behold Jehovah in His beauty, and visit Him every morning in His temple. For He will shelter me in His tabernacle on the day of evil. He will hide me in the hiding-place of His tent, He will lift me up upon a rock and now my head will be lifted up against my enemies round about me, and I will sacrifice in His tent the sacrifices of shouts of joy. `Psalms 27bbb4-6`.
ttt[4] In the highest sense it is the Lord as regards His Human Essence who is the Tent, the Tabernacle, and the Temple. And every one who is celestial is consequently referred to in the same way, as well as every thing which is celestial and holy. Now because the Most Ancient Church was the Lord's beloved more than the Churches that followed, and because in those times people used to live independently, that is, each within his own family, celebrating holy worship each in his own tent, tents were consequently considered to be more holy than the temple which had been profaned. To remind people of this point the Feast of Tabernacles was therefore instituted when they had to gather in the produce of the earth. During this feast they were required to live in tabernacles as the most ancient people had done, `Leviticus 23bbb39-44`; `Deuteronomy 16bbb13`; `Hosea 12bbb9`.
ppp23427#pid#415. 'Father of cattle' means good deriving from these, that is, from the holy things of love. This becomes clear from what has been shown already at verse `Genesis 4bbbccc2` of this chapter, to the effect that 'a shepherd of the flock' means good that stems from charity. In the present verse, however, 'father' is used instead of shepherd, and 'cattle' instead of flock, with the words 'and of cattle', whose father he was, standing immediately after the word 'tent', from which it is clear that good stemming from the holiness of love is meant. And whether the dwelling-place, which was 'a cattle-fold', or 'father of those who dwelt in tent and cattle-folds' is understood here, goods stemming from the celestial things of love are meant, as is also clear from various parts of the Word, as in Jeremiah,
I will gather the remnant of My flock from all lands where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their folds to give birth and multiply. `Jeremiah 13bbb3`.
In Ezekiel,
I will pasture them in a good pasture, and their fold will be on the mountains of the height of Israel; there they will lie down in a good fold, and on fat pasture they will pasture on the mountains of Israel. `Ezekiel 34bbb14`.
Here 'folds' and 'pastures', referred to as 'fat', stand for goods that stem from love.
ttt[2] In Isaiah,
He will give rain for your seed with which you will sow the ground; and bread, the produce of the ground, will be fat and full of it. On that day He will pasture your cattle in a broad grassland. `Isaiah 30bbb23`.
Here 'bread' means that which is celestial, and 'fat on which they will pasture their flocks' goods stemming from that which is celestial. In Jeremiah,
Jehovah has redeemed Jacob; and they will come and sing on the height of Zion, and they will converge on the goodness of Jehovah, for the wheat, and the new wine, and the oil, for the young`fff1` of the flock and of the herd. And their life`fff2` will be like a watered garden. `Jeremiah 31bbb11-12`.
Here the Holy of Jehovah is described by 'the wheat and oil', and goods deriving from it by 'the new wine and by the young' of the flock and of the herd', or cattle. In the same prophet,
Shepherds and their flocks of cattle will come against the daughter of Zion, they will pitch their tents against her round about; they will pasture, each in his own space. `Jeremiah 6bbb3`.
'The daughter of Zion' stands for the celestial Church, to which both 'tents' and 'flocks of cattle' have reference.
`nnn1. literally, the sons
`nnn2. literally, soul
ppp23426#pid#416. That the holy things of love and the goods deriving from them are meant becomes clear also from the fact that Jabal was not the first tent and cattle-fold dweller, for Abel as well, the second son of Man (Homo) and Eve, is said to have been 'a shepherd of the flock'. And Jabal stands seventh in the line of descent from Cain.
ppp23425#pid#417. Verse `Genesis 4bbbccc21` And his brother's name was Jubal. He was the father of all who play upon the harp and organ.
'His brother's name was Jubal' means doctrine concerning the spiritual things of this same Church, and 'the father of all who play upon the harp and organ' the truths and goods of faith.
ppp23424#pid#418. The previous verse deals with celestial things, which are the attributes of love, the present verse with spiritual things, which are the attributes of faith. These spiritual things are portrayed as 'the harp and organ'. That stringed instruments, such as harps and others like them, meant the spiritual things of faith is clear from many points of view. In the worship of the representative Church instruments like these, and the singing likewise, had no other representation. This was why there were so many singers and musicians, the main reason for such representation being that all heavenly joy produces gladness of heart, which was expressed by means of singing, and subsequently by means of stringed instruments that strove to match the singing and uplifted it. Every affection of the heart also has this capacity to produce singing and therefore the things which go with singing. Affection of the heart is something celestial, singing issuing from it something spiritual.
ttt[2] That singing and the like means that which is spiritual has also become clear to me from angelic choirs, of which there are two kinds, celestial and spiritual. From the vibrant quality of their singing, to which the sound of stringed instruments may be likened, spiritual choirs are readily distinguished from celestial choirs. This will in the Lord's Divine mercy be described later on. What is more, the most ancient people related that which was celestial to the province of the heart, and that which was spiritual to the province of the lungs. In so doing they related that which was spiritual to whatever involved the lungs, such as singing voices and other similar things, and so to the voices or sounds of such instruments. The reason for their so relating them was not only that the heart and lungs represent a kind of marriage, like that of love and faith, but also that celestial angels belong to the province of the heart whereas spiritual angels belong to that of the lungs. It can also be recognized that such considerations are meant here from the fact that this is the Word of the Lord, which would contain no life at all if its message were merely that Jubal was the father of those who play on harp and organ. Nor would any use be served in anyone's knowing it.
ppp23423#pid#419. Just as celestial things are the holy things of love and the goods deriving from it, so spiritual things are the truths and goods of faith, for faith does indeed entail understanding not only what is true but also what is good. Cognitions of faith embrace them both; but being such as faith teaches is something celestial. Because faith embraces both, both are meant by the two instruments, the harp and the organ. The harp, as is well known, is a stringed instrument, and so means spiritual truth, while the organ, being an instrument midway between a stringed instrument and one that is blown, means spiritual good.
ppp23422#pid#420. Various types of instruments are mentioned in the Word, each one having its own particular meaning, which will in the Lord's Divine mercy be shown when they occur. For the present let just the following in David be quoted,
I will sacrifice in the tent of Jehovah the sacrifices of shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to Jehovah. `Psalms 27bbb6`.
Here 'tent' is used to express that which is celestial, and 'shouts of joy', 'singing', and 'making melody' that which is spiritual deriving from it. In the same author,
Sing to Jehovah, O you righteous! His praise befits upright men. Confess Jehovah with the harp, make melody to Him on a ten-stringed lyre. Sing to Him a new song, play skillfully with a loud note, for the word of Jehovah is upright, and all His work is done in truth. `Psalms 33bbb1-4`.
This stands for truths of faith, to which these commands have reference.
ttt[2] Spiritual things, which are the truths and goods of faith, were extolled by means of the harp, ten-stringed lyres, singing, and the like, whereas the holy or celestial things of faith were praised by means of wind instruments, such as trumpets and others like them. This explains why so many instruments were used around the Temple, for so often particular instruments were needed to celebrate this occasion or that. As a consequence those instruments came to mean the actual things in praise of which they were used.
ttt[3] In the same author,
I will confess to You on a ten-stringed instrument, Your truth, O my God. I will make melody to You with the harp, O Holy One of Israel. My lips will sing when I make melody to You; and my soul which You have redeemed. `Psalms 71bbb22`, `Psalms 71bbbccc13`.
This similarly refers to the truths of faith. In the same author,
Reply to Jehovah with confession; make melody to our God with the harp. `Psalms 147bbb7`.
Here 'confession' has regard to the celestial things of faith, which is why the name 'Jehovah' is used, while 'making melody with the harp' has regard to the spiritual things of faith, which is why the name 'God' is used. In the same author,
Let them praise the name of Jehovah with dancing; with timbrel and harp let them make melody to Him. `Psalms 149bbb3`.
'Timbrel' stands for the good and 'harp' for the truth which they are praising.
ttt[4] In the same author,
Praise God with trumpet-sound; praise Him with a ten-stringed lyre and with a harp, praise Him with timbrel and dance; praise Him with stringed instruments and organs, praise and Him with sounding cymbals`fff1` praise Him with high-sounding cymbals.`fff2` `Psalms 150bbb3-5`.
These stand for the goods and truths of faith, which occasion praise. Let no one think that so many instruments are mentioned by name without each one having some particular meaning. In the same author,
Send out Your light and Your truth; let them lead me, let them bring me to Your holy mountain and to Your dwellings. Then I will go in to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy, and I will confess You with the harp, O God, my God. `Psalms 43bbb3-4`.
This stands for cognitions of good and truth.
ttt[5] In Isaiah,
Take a harp, encompass the city, strike a good note, increase your song, that you may be called to memory. `Isaiah 23bbb16`.
This stands for matters of faith and cognitions of faith. The point is plainer still in John,
The four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and with golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. `Revelation 5bbb8`.
'Harps' being held is not the meaning, as may be clear to anyone. Instead the truths of faith are meant by 'harps', and the goods of faith by 'golden bowls full of incense'. In David sounds made on instruments are referred to as 'praises and confessions', in `Psalms 42bbb4`; `Psalms 69bbb31`.
And elsewhere in John,
I heard a voice from heaven, like the sound of many waters. I heard the sound of harpers playing on their harps. They were singing a new song. `Revelation 14bbb2-3`.
And elsewhere in the same book,
I saw them standing beside the sea of glass holding harps of God. `Revelation 15bbb2`.
It deserves to be mentioned that angels and spirits distinguish sounds on the basis of the differences that exist with good and truth. This applies not only to the sounds made by singing and instruments, but also to those made by voices. They do not entertain any sounds other than those that are accordant, so that there may be an accordance of the sounds, and therefore of the instruments, with the very nature and essence of good and truth.
`nnn1. literally, cymbals of hearing
`nnn2. literally, cymbals of shouting
ppp23421#pid#421. Verse `Genesis 4bbbccc22` And Zillah also, she gave birth to Tubal-cain, teacher of every craftsman in bronze and iron. And Tubal-cain's sister was Naamah. 'Zillah', as has been stated, means the mother of the natural features of the new Church. 'Tubal-cain, a teacher of every craftsman in bronze and iron' means the doctrine of natural good and truth; 'bronze' means natural good, 'iron' natural truth. 'Tubal-cain's sister was Naamah' means another Church or doctrine of natural good and truth, which though similar was not an integral part of that Church.
ppp23420#pid#422. What this new Church was like becomes clear from the Jewish Church, which was both internal and external. The internal Church consisted of celestial and spiritual things, the external of natural. The internal Church was represented by Rachel, the external by Leah. Now because Jacob, that is, descendants of Jacob who are meant in the Word by his name, were such as desired external things only, that is, worship exclusively external, Leah was given to Jacob before Rachel. The weak-eyed Leah represented the Jewish Church, and Rachel a new Church consisting of gentiles. This is why in the Prophets Jacob takes on either meaning, the first when the corrupt Jewish Church is the subject, the second when it is the true external Church consisting of gentiles. When the subject is the internal Church he is called Israel. These points will in the Lord's Divine mercy be explained later on.
ppp23419#pid#423. Tubal-cain is called 'a teacher of every craftsman' but not 'a father' as Jabal and Jubal have been. The reason is that celestial and spiritual, or internal, things did not exist previously. Those two are called fathers because those things first existed at that point, whereas natural or external things did exist previously, though now allied to internal things. Therefore he is not called 'a father' but 'a teacher of craftsmen'.
ppp23418#pid#424. 'A craftsman' in the Word means a person who has wisdom, intelligence, and knowledge. Here 'a craftsman in bronze and iron' means people who have a knowledge of natural good and truth. In John,
Babylon the great city will be thrown down with violence and will be found no more; and the sound of harpers, and minstrels, and flute players, and trumpeters will be heard in you`fff1` no more. And every craftsman of every craft will be found in you`fff1` no more. `Revelation 18bbb21-22`.
As previously, 'harpers' stands for truths, 'trumpeters' for the goods of faith. A 'craftsman of every craft' stands for one who has knowledge, that is, knowledge of truth and good. In Isaiah,
The craftsman casts an idol, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and casts silver chains for it. He seeks for himself a wise craftsman to make ready an idol, that is immovable. `Isaiah 40bbb19-20`.
This stands for people who fabricate falsity - an idol - for themselves out of delusions and teach it in such a way that it looks like truth. In Jeremiah,
They are at one and the same time foolish and stupid; that wood is a way of learning vanities! Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish, gold from Uphaz; the work of the craftsman and of the hands of the moulder. Their clothing is violet and [purple]. These are all the work of the wise. `Jeremiah 10bbb3`, `Jeremiah 10bbbccc8-9`.
These statements mean the person who teaches falsities and who compiles material from the Word to produce some figment of the imagination. This is why it is called 'a way of learning vanities' and the 'work of the wise'. In the past such people were represented as craftsmen fashioning idols (falsities) which they decorated with 'gold' (imitation good) and with 'silver' (imitation truth) and with 'violet and [purple] clothing' (natural things which are seemingly in agreement).
`nnn1. The Latin here means in it but at `Revelation 18bbb22` in AE and AR it means in you in accord with the original Greek.
ppp23417#pid#425. Up to now the world has not known that 'bronze' means natural good, nor indeed that every metal mentioned in the Word has some definite meaning in the internal sense. For example 'gold' means celestial good, 'silver' spiritual truth, 'bronze' natural good, 'iron' natural truth, and so on with all the rest. The same applies to stone and wood. These were the meanings of the gold, silver, bronze, and wood in the Ark and the Tabernacle, and of similar objects in the Temple, which in the Lord's Divine mercy will be dealt with later on. In the Prophets it is plain that such things are meant, as in Isaiah,
You will suck the milk of nations, and the breast of kings will you suck. Instead of bronze I will bring gold, and instead of iron, I will bring silver, and instead of wood, bronze, and instead or stones, iron. And I will make peace your assessment and righteousness your tax-collectors. `Isaiah 60bbb16-17`.
This refers to the Coming of the Lord and to His kingdom, and to the celestial Church. 'Gold instead of bronze' means celestial good instead of natural good. 'Silver instead of iron' means spiritual truth instead of natural truth. 'Bronze instead of wood' means natural good instead of bodily good. 'Iron instead of stones' means natural truth instead of sensory truth. In Ezekiel,
Javan, Tubal, and Meshech, they were your merchants in the souls of men, and they gave vessels of bronze for your merchandise. `Ezekiel 27bbb13`
This refers to Tyre, which means people who are in possession of spiritual and celestial riches. 'Vessels of bronze' stands for natural goods. In Moses,
A land whose stones are Iron, and from whose mountains you will dig out bronze. `Deuteronomy 8bbb9`.
Here similarly 'stones' stands for sensory truth, 'iron' for natural or rational truth, and 'bronze' for natural good. In the cases of the four living creatures or the cherubim seen by Ezekiel, whose feet sparkled like burnished bronze, `Ezekiel 1bbb7`, 'bronze' in a similar way means natural good, for the human foot represents that which is natural. Something similar was seen by Daniel,
A man clothed in linen whose loins were girded with gold of Uphaz and whose body was like tarshish.`fff1` His arms and feet were like the appearance of burnished bronze. `Daniel 10bbb5-6`
And for the fact that the bronze serpent mentioned in `Numbers 21bbb9` represented the Lord's good, sensory and natural, see what has been said already [in `@@@197`].
`nnn1. A Hebrew word for a particular kind of precious stone, possibly a beryl.
ppp23416#pid#426. As regards 'iron' meaning natural truth, this is clear from the places quoted already, and from the following as well: In Ezekiel in reference to Tyre,
Tarshish was your trader because of the vastness of all your wealth - in silver, iron, tin, and lead they provided Your wares. Dan and Javan, and Meusal, exchanged wrought iron in your tradings; cassia and calamus were in your market. `Ezekiel 27bbb12`, `Ezekiel 27bbbccc19`.
From these verses, and from those before and after them in the same chapter, it is quite clear that celestial and spiritual riches are meant. Each commodity, and also each name mentioned there, has some specific meaning, for the Word of the Lord is spiritual and not just verbal in content.
ttt[2] In Jeremiah,
Can one smash iron, iron from the north, and bronze? Your resources and your treasures I will give as spoil, without price, even for all your sins. `Jeremiah 15bbb12-13`.
Here 'iron' and 'bronze' stand for natural truth and good. 'That which comes from the north' means that which is sensory and natural, for natural in comparison with spiritual and celestial is as thick darkness or the north to light or the south. The natural also resembles shade, which is also the meaning here of 'Zillah' who was the mother. It is also quite plain that 'resources and treasures' are celestial and spiritual riches.
ttt[3] In Ezekiel,
Take an iron pan and place it as an iron wall between you and the city, and set your face`fff1` towards it, and let it be in a state of siege, and oppress it. `Ezekiel 4bbb3`.
Here too it is clear that 'iron' means truth. Great strength is attributed to truth because nothing is able to withstand it. This in addition is why iron, which means truth, that is, the truth of faith, is referred to as smashing and crushing to pieces, as in `Daniel 2bbb33`, `Daniel 2bbbccc40`. And in John,
He who overcomes, to him will I give power over the nations to rule`fff2` them with an iron rod as when earthen pots are broken in pieces. `Revelation 2bbb26-27`.
In the same author,
The woman gave birth to a male child, who was to rule`fff2` all nations with an iron rod. `Revelation 12bbb5`.
ttt[4] The explanation appears in John that an 'iron rod' means truth which belongs to the Word of the Lord,
I saw heaven opened, when behold, a white horse! And He who sat upon it was called faithful and true, and in righteousness He judges and fights. He was clothed in a robe dipped in blood and His name is called the Word of God. From His mouth issues a sharp sword, and with it He will smite the nations, and will rule`fff2` them with an iron rod. `Revelation 19bbb0`, `Revelation ccc11bbb0`, `Revelation ccc13bbb0`, `Revelation ccc15bbb0`.
`nnn1. literally, faces
`nnn2. literally, pasture
ppp23415#pid#427. Verse `Genesis 4bbbccc23` And Lamech told his wives Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice, O wives of Lamech, and with your ears perceive my speech that I have killed a man (vir) to my wounding, and a little one to my bruising. 'Lamech', as previously, means vastation. 'He told his wives Adah and Zillah to perceive with their ears his speech' means confession such as is not otherwise made except where a Church exists, which, as has been stated, is meant by his wives.' He killed a man to his own wounding means that he annihilated faith, a man' meaning faith, as previously. 'A little one to his bruising' means that he annihilated charity. 'Wound' and 'bruise' mean a condition that was no longer sound, 'wound' meaning that faith had been desolated, and 'bruise' that charity had been laid waste.
ppp23414#pid#428. From the statements made in this verse and from those in the next it is quite clear that 'Lamech' means vastation, for he says that he has killed a man and a little one, and that Cain will be avenged sevenfold and Lamech seventy-sevenfold.
ppp23413#pid#429. That 'a man' (vir) means faith is clear from the first verse of this chapter where Eve said, after giving birth to Cain, 'I have gained a man, Jehovah', by which is meant the doctrine of faith, called 'a man, Jehovah'. It is also clear from what has been shown already about 'a man' (vir) meaning the understanding, to which faith belongs. From this it is clear that he also annihilated charity, which is called 'a little one', that is, a little child, for anyone who denies, or murders, faith at the same time denies and murders charity to which faith gives birth.
ppp23412#pid#430. 'A little one' or little child in the Word means innocence, and also charity, for true innocence does not exist without charity, nor true charity without innocence. There are three degrees of innocence, which are distinguished in the Word as sucklings, infants, and little children. And because true innocence cannot exist without true love and charity these same three, sucklings, infants, and little children, also mean three degrees of love, which are the tender love which is like that of a suckling for mother or nursemaid; the love which is like that of an infant for parents; and charity which is like a little child's attitude towards its teacher; as in Isaiah,
The wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child will lead them. `Isaiah 11bbb6`.
Here 'lamb', 'kid', and 'calf' stand for the three degrees of innocence and of love, 'wolf', 'leopard', and 'young lion' for their opposites. 'A little child' stands for charity.
ttt[2] In Jeremiah,
You commit great evil against your own souls by cutting off from you man (vir) and wife, infant and suckling from the midst of Judah, not leaving you a remnant. `Jeremiah 44bbb7`.
'Man and wife' stands for things connected with the understanding of truth and with the will for good. 'Infant and suckling' stands for the initial degrees of love. That 'infant' and 'little child' mean innocence and charity is quite clear from the Lord's words in Luke,
They brought infants to Jesus that He might touch them. He said, Let the little ones come to Me and do not hinder them, for of such is the kingdom of God. Truly I say to you, Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it. `Luke 18bbb15-17`.
Being innocence itself and Love itself the Lord Himself is called a Little One or Little Child in `Isaiah 9bbb6`, where He is also referred to as Wonderful, Counsellor, God, the Mighty One, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.
ppp23411#pid#431. 'Wound' and 'bruise' mean a condition that was no longer sound, 'wound' in particular meaning 'bruise' charity that had been laid waste. This is clear from the fact that wound has reference to 'a man' and bruise to 'a little one'. The same words are used in Isaiah to describe the desolation of faith and the laying waste of charity,
From the sole of the foot even to the head there is no soundness in it, but a wound, bruising, and running sores. They are not pressed out, nor bound up, nor softened with oil. `Isaiah 1bbb6`.
Here 'wound' has reference to faith which had been desolated, 'bruise' to charity that had been laid waste, and 'sores' to both.
ppp23410#pid#432. Verse `Genesis 4bbbccc24` For sevenfold will Cain be avenged, and Lamech seventy-sevenfold.
This means that men annihilated the faith meant by 'Cain', which it was utterly forbidden to violate; that at the same time they annihilated charity, which born by means of faith, something even more inviolable; and that on account of this, condemnation followed, which is 'being avenged seventy-sevenfold'.
ppp23409#pid#433. 'Cain's being avenged sevenfold' means that it was utterly forbidden to violate separated faith meant by Cain. See what has been shown at verse `Genesis 4bbbccc15`. 'Seventy-sevenfold' means that it was something even more inviolable on account of which condemnation follows the number seven is a holy number is that the seventh day means the celestial man, the celestial Church, the celestial kingdom, and in the highest sense the Lord Himself. Consequently whenever the number seven occurs in the Word it means that which is holy or utterly inviolable. And this holiness or inviolability has reference to, or else is determined by, the subject being dealt with. The same applies to the meaning of the number seventy consisting of seven ages (saecule),`fff1` for in the Word an age (saeculum) is a span of ten years. When anything extremely holy or utterly inviolable needed to be expressed people used the phrase 'seventy-sevenfold', as the Lord did, when He said that people were to forgive their brother not seven times but seventy times seven, `Matthew 18bbb21-22`. By this He meant that they were to forgive as often as he sinned. Their forgiveness was to know no limits, that is, was to be eternal and timeless, which is holy. In the present instance his being avenged seventy-sevenfold means condemnation, for it was utterly and completely forbidden to violate.
`nnn1. Although saeculum is defined here as a decade it may also be used to mean a century or other longer period.
ppp23408#pid#434. Verse `Genesis 4bbbccc25` And the man (homo) knew his wife again, and she bore a son, and she called his name Seth - for God has appointed me another seed in place of Abel, seeing that Cain had killed him.
'The man' and 'his wife' are here used to mean the new Church which earlier on was meant by 'Adah and Zillah'. 'Her son whose name she called Seth' means new faith, through which charity may be received 'God has appointed another seed in place of Abel, seeing that Cain had killed him' means that charity, which Cain separated and annihilated, was now conferred on this Church by the Lord.
ppp23407#pid#435. As regards 'the man and his wife' here being used to mean the new Church which earlier on was meant by 'Adah and Zillah', this nobody can know or deduce from the sense of the letter, for previously 'the man (homo) and his wife' meant the Most Ancient Church and its descendants. The point is clear however from the internal sense, and also from the fact that a little further on, in verses `Genesis 5bbbccc3-4` of the next chapter, reference is again made, though the wording is entirely different, to the man and his wife begetting Seth. At that point the first generation of the descendants of the Most Ancient Church is meant. Unless something different were meant at this point there would be no need to say the same thing again. A parallel to this exists in Chapter `Genesis ccc1bbb0`, where the subject is the creation of man, and also of the fruits of the earth, and of beasts; followed by Chapter `Genesis ccc2bbb0`, where similar events are described, the reason for the similarity being, as has been stated, that Chapter `Genesis ccc1bbb0` deals with the creation of the spiritual man, Chapter `Genesis ccc2bbb0` with the creation of the celestial man. When this kind of repetition of one and the same person or thing occurs, something different is meant on the first occasion from the second. But the exact meaning cannot possibly be known except from the internal sense. The actual train of thought in like manner establishes the meaning here. And there is the added consideration that 'man and wife' is a general expression meaning that Church, which is the subject here and from which the new Church was born.
ppp23406#pid#436. 'Her son whose name she called Seth' means new faith, through which charity may be received. This is clear from what has been stated already and also from where Cain is spoken of as having 'a sign placed on him lest anyone should kill him'. In the present context the meaning is this: Faith separated from love was meant by 'Cain', charity by 'Abel'. The annihilation of charity by separated faith was meant by Cain's killing Abel, and the preservation of faith, for the reason that through it charity could be implanted by the Lord, was meant by the statement about 'Jehovah putting a sign on Cain lest anyone should kill him'. After that, the Lord's conferment, through faith, of the holiness of love, and of good deriving from it, was meant by 'Jabal whom Adah bore'; and the conferment of the spiritual manifestation of faith by 'his brother Jubal'; and the existence of natural good and truth from these is meant by 'Tubal-cain whom Zillah bore'. These two verses conclude and so summarize all these matters; 'the man and his wife' means that new Church which was earlier on called Adah and Zillah, while Seth means faith through which charity is implanted. In the next verse Enosh means charity that has been implanted through faith.
ppp23405#pid#437. Here 'Seth' means new faith, by way of which comes charity. This is explained by his very name, which he received because 'God has appointed another seed in place of Abel, seeing that Cain had killed him'. 'God has appointed another seed' means that the Lord conferred another faith. 'Another seed' is faith by way of which charity may be received. That 'seed' means faith, see what has been stated already in `@@@255`.
ppp23404#pid#438. Verse `Genesis 4bbbccc26` And to Seth also was born a son, and he called his name Enosh; then they began to call on the name of Jehovah.
'Seth', as has been stated, means faith through which charity may be received. 'His son whose name was Enosh' means a Church which considered charity to be the primary element of faith. 'Then they began to call on the name of Jehovah' means that Church's worship deriving from charity.
ppp23403#pid#439. That 'Seth' means faith through which charity may be received was shown in the previous verse. 'His son whose name was Enosh' means a Church which considered charity to be the primary element of faith. This too is clear from what has been stated already, and also from the fact that he was called Enosh, another name which means man (homo), not the celestial man however but the truly human spiritual man, meant here by Enosh. And this is also clear from the statement immediately following about their beginning to call on the name of Jehovah.
ppp23402#pid#440. 'Then they began to call on the name of Jehovah' means that Church's worship deriving from charity. This becomes clear from the fact that 'calling on the name of Jehovah' is a normal and common expression for all worship of the Lord. Its being worship deriving from charity is clear from the fact that the name, Jehovah' is used here, 'God' in the previous verse. It is also clear from the fact that it is impossible to worship the Lord except from charity. Worship stemming from faith that has no connection with charity is not possible, because it is worship solely of the lips and not of the heart. The fact that 'calling on the name of Jehovah' is a common expression for all worship of the Lord is clear from the Word, as where it is said of Abram that
He built an altar to Jehovah and called on the name of Jehovah. `Genesis 12bbb8`; `Genesis ccc13bbb4`.
Also,
He planted a grove in Beersheba and there he called on the name of Jehovah, the God of eternity. `Genesis 21bbb33`.
That all worship is meant is clear in Isaiah,
Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, said, You did not call upon Me, O Jacob, but you have been weary of Me, O Israel! You have not brought Me the small cattle of your burnt offerings, nor honoured Me with your sacrifices. I have not made you serve Me with the minchah, nor wearied you with frankincense. `Isaiah 43bbb14`, `Isaiah 43bbbccc22-23`.
These verses present in summary form the whole of representative worship.
ppp23401#pid#441. The fact that this was not the point at which people first started to call on the name of Jehovah is quite clear from what appears in preceding sections about the Most Ancient Church, which excelled all other Churches in its adoration and worship of the Lord, and also from Abel' s bringing a gift from the firstborn of the flock. At the present point therefore nothing else is meant by 'calling on the name of Jehovah' than the worship of a new Church, after the previous Church had been annihilated by those who are called Cain and later on Lamech.
ppp23400#pid#442. From all that has been shown in this chapter it is evident that during the most ancient period there were several doctrinal systems separated from the Church, and heresies too, each one of them having a name of its own. These separated doctrinal systems and heresies were far more profound in their thought than any today, because people's innate disposition was such at that time.
ppp23399#pid#443. SOME EXAMPLES OF WHAT CERTAIN SPIRITS HAD THOUGHT DURING THEIR LIFETIME ABOUT THE SOUL OR SPIRIT
In the next life one is enabled to have a clear perception of the opinions which people have held during their lifetime about the soul, about the spirit, and about life after death; for when they are kept in a state as though they were still in the body their thought is similar to what it had been in the body. And such thought is communicated just as plainly as if they uttered it aloud. On one occasion I perceived from someone who had departed the earthly life only a little while before that - as he himself admitted - he had indeed believed in the existence of the spirit, but that as a spirit he would be leading a shadowy existence. His reason far believing this was that if the life of the body were withdrawn nothing would be left apart from something shadowy. Indeed he focused life in the body; consequently his idea of the spirit was of a phantom. And he confirmed this idea in himself from seeing that animals also possessed life that was virtually the same as human beings. Now however he was amazed to see that spirits and angels dwelt in the greatest light, and in the greatest intelligence, wisdom, and happiness, accompanied by perception such as almost defied description. So their life is very far from being shadowy, but is bright and very clearly discernible.
ppp23398#pid#444. On one occasion I spoke to someone who when he lived in the world believed that the spirit was undimensional. In making this assumption he refused to entertain any term which included dimensional connotations. I asked him what he now felt about himself, considering that he was a soul or spirit, who possessed sight, hearing, smell, a perfect sense of touch, desires, thought, insomuch that he supposed himself to be just as if still in the flesh. He was restricted to the ideas that he had had when thinking in this manner in the world, and said that the spirit was thought. But I was allowed to reply that having lived in the world, did he not know that bodily sight was impossible without an organ of sight, the eye? What then of inner sight, which is thought? Did this not possess some organic substance through which it functioned? At this point he admitted that during his lifetime he had been labouring under the delusion of supposing that the spirit was simply thought devoid of anything organic or dimensional. I went on to say that if the soul or spirit were simply thought, man had no need of so large a brain, seeing that the whole brain serves as the organ of the inner senses. If it were not so, the skull could be an empty hollow and thought could still play the part of the spirit within it. From this one consideration, as well as from the activity of the soul into the muscles causing so many movements, it ought to have been clear to him that the spirit was organic, that is, was organic substance. Once he had heard this he admitted his mistake and was amazed that he had been so stupid.
ppp23397#pid#445. I have in addition been told that learned people believe no more than this, that the soul, which will live on after death - or the spirit - is abstract thought. This is quite evident from the fact that they refuse to entertain any term implying that which is dimensional, or things of a dimensional nature, the reason being that thought isolated from a subject is undimensional, whereas both the subject and the object of thought are dimensional. And to comprehend objects which are not dimensional, people set boundaries to them and make them dimensional. From this it is quite clear that learned people conceive of the soul or spirit as being nothing other than thought alone. That being so they are incapable of believing otherwise than that when they die the soul will fade away.
ppp23396#pid#446. I have spoken to spirits about the opinion held by people living at the present time, namely that they do not believe in the existence of the spirit because they neither see it with their eyes nor comprehend it through natural science. Consequently they not only deny that the spirit is dimensional, but also that it is a substance, for they disagree over what substance is. And because they deny that the spirit is dimensional and disagree about what substance is, they also deny that the spirit exists within anything spatial, and so deny its existence within the human body. Yet even a very simple person is able to know that his soul or spirit resides within his body. When I commented on this, spirits of a more simple type were amazed that men nowadays could be so stupid; and when they heard about the technical terms which men argue about such as parts outside parts, and the like, they called such things absurd, ludicrous, and farcical, which ought never to be in people's minds at all since they block the road to real understanding.
ppp23395#pid#447. Someone who had recently become a spirit spoke to me, and when he heard that I was talking about the spirit, said, 'What is a spirit?' For he thought that he was still a man. I told him that a spirit exists within each person, and that this spirit is the life within him, with the body something subservient which enables him to live on earth. In themselves flesh and bones, or the body, I said, have no life or thought. Seeing him bewildered by this I asked whether he had ever heard about the soul. He replied, 'What is a soul? I do not know what a soul is'. At this point I was allowed to tell him that he himself was now a soul or spirit, and that he could be aware of this from the fact that he was up above my head, and not standing on the earth. Was he unable to perceive this? At this point he led in terror, shouting out, 'I am a spirit, I am a spirit!'
There was a certain Jew who supposed that he was still living in the body, so much so that he could scarcely be made to believe anything different. And when he was shown that he was a spirit, he still insisted, because he could see and hear, that he was a man. This is what people are like who in the world have been bodily-minded. Many more examples could be included, but they would serve only to confirm the point that it is the spirit in man to which sensation belongs, not the body.
ppp23394#pid#448. I have spoken to many people whom I had known during their lifetime, and have done so for considerable lengths of time, for months or a year. I have spoken in as clear a voice, though an internal one, as when speaking to friends in the world. Conversation with them has included the subject of man's condition after death. They have been utterly amazed that nobody in the life of the body knows or believes that when his bodily life ends he will be alive even as they are now. Yet there is a continuation of life such as involves passing from an obscure life into a clear life, and with people who have had faith in the Lord, passing into life that is more and more clear. They wished me to tell their friends that they were alive, and to write to them telling of their condition, just as I had reported to them also many things about the state of their friends. I said however that if I did speak or write to their friends these would not believe me. They would call it sheer imagination, they would laugh me to scorn, they would ask for signs or miracles before believing, and so I would expose myself to their derision. Few would probably have believed that what I said was true, for in their hearts they deny that spirits exist; and those who do not deny their existence nevertheless refuse to hear of anybody being able to talk to spirits. In ancient times such disbelief concerning spirits never existed, but nowadays they wish to discover what spirits may be by a crack-brained reasoning involving definitions and presuppositions that deprives spirits of every one of the senses. And the more learned that people wish to be, the more they continue in this way.
ppp23393#pid#449. HEAVEN AND HEAVENLY JOY
Up to now nobody has known what heaven and heavenly joy are. People who have thought about either of them have conceived so general and so crude an idea as to be scarcely any idea at all. From spirits who have recently arrived in the next life from the world I have been enabled to know perfectly well what sort of notion they had conceived about heaven and heavenly joy. For when left to themselves, as if they were still living in the world, they go on thinking as they have done before. Let just a few examples be presented.
ppp23392#pid#450. There were some who seemed in the world to be more enlightened in the Word than anybody else. They had conceived so false an idea of heaven that they imagined they would be in heaven when they were high up, and that from that position they would be able to rule the things below, and so be in their glory and be pre-eminent. Because they entertained such a false notion, and in order that they might know how mistaken they were, they were conveyed up high and from there they were allowed to rule to some extent over things below. Then, to their shame, they began to realize that this heaven was a delusion and that heaven did not consist in being high up, but that it existed wherever the individual was in whom love and charity abided, that is, who had the Lord's kingdom within himself. Nor did it consist in wishing to be pre-eminent, for wishing to be greater than others is not heaven, but hell.
ppp23391#pid#451. There was a certain man who during his lifetime had had authority over others, and in the next life he persisted in the desire to command. He was told that he was now in a different realm, one that was eternal, and that his command on earth had come to an end. Where he was now people estimated an individual solely on the basis of the good and truth, and of the Lord's mercy as received by him. He was also told that this kingdom resembled that on earth where without exception a person's wealth, and his favour with his sovereign, determine his position. Here, he was told, wealth consists in good and truth, and favour with the sovereign in the Lord's mercy. If he sought any other kind of command he was a rebel, for he was now in Another's kingdom. On hearing all this he was ashamed of himself.
ppp23390#pid#452. I have spoken to spirits who imagined that heaven and heavenly joy consisted in being the greatest. But they were told that in heaven that person is the greatest who is least, for anyone who wishes to be the least has the greatest happiness. And because the person who is least does have the greatest happiness, he is for that very reason the greatest. What does being the greatest mean but being the happiest of all? It is what the powerful look for in power, and the rich in riches. They were told as well that heaven does not consist in desiring to be least so that in the end one may be the greatest, for when that is the case the impulse and desire is to be the greatest. Instead heaven consists in a heartfelt desire that things shall be better for others than for oneself and a desire to serve others and further their happiness, doing so with no selfish intention but out of love.
ppp23389#pid#453. Some have so crude an idea of heaven that they think it is simply a matter of being let in. They even think of it as a room they are let into through a door which is opened, and that they are ushered in by those who are doorkeepers there.
ppp23388#pid#454. Some spirits think that heaven and heavenly joy consist in a life of ease in which they are waited on by others. But they are told that happiness in no way consists in being inactive and finding happiness in that. This would mean that everybody wished to subordinate other people's happiness to his own, and when everybody wished to do that nobody would have it. Such life would not be an active life but a life of idleness in which they would become listless, even though they may well know that unless one is active there is no happiness in life. Angelic life consists in use, and in good deeds of charity. For angels never feel happier than when they are informing and teaching spirits that stream in from the world, or when they are ministering to men and are preventing the evil spirits with them overstepping the mark, and inspiring men with what is good; also when they are arousing the dead into the life of eternity, and after that introducing such souls into heaven if they are capable of it. The happiness they find in all this is more than can possibly be described. Angels in this way are images of the Lord; they love their neighbour more than themselves; and this is what makes heaven heaven. Consequently angelic happiness consists in use, stems from use, and is proportionate to use, that is, to the good deeds of love and charity. As for those spirits who had adopted the idea that heavenly joy consisted in being idle, and that in idleness they would be experiencing eternal joy, they were allowed - once told all this to make them ashamed of that idea - to perceive what such a life was really like. They perceived that it was an utterly dreary kind of life, and destructive of all joy; and that after a short while they would find it repulsive and nauseating.
ppp23387#pid#455. A certain person who during his lifetime had been one of those very well-versed in the Word had adopted the idea that heavenly joy consisted in glorious light, like the light produced when rays of sunshine look golden. Thus for him also heavenly joy consisted in a life of idleness. So that he might recognize that he was mistaken he was granted such light and found himself in the midst of it. So delighted was he then that, as he himself said, it was as though he was in heaven. But he was unable to stay there for very long, since he eventually grew tired of it, and it ceased to give him any joy.
ppp23386#pid#456. Those who were the most well-versed have said that heavenly joy consisted in simply praising and blessing the Lord without performing good deeds of charity, and that this was an active life. They were told however that praising and blessing the Lord did not constitute such an active life, but was the outgrowth of that life, for the Lord has no need of any praises. They were also told that He wishes men to perform the good deeds of charity, and that in accordance with these they receive happiness from the Lord. But these very well-versed people were still unable to grasp any idea of joy, only of slavery, in the good deeds of charity. The angels testified however that such a life is absolute freedom, and that it is joined to indescribable happiness.
ppp23385#pid#457. Nearly everyone who enters the next life from the world imagines that hell is the same for everybody, and that heaven is too, when in fact there are limitless differences and variations in both. Hell is never exactly the same for one person as it is for another, and neither is heaven, just as one man, spirit, or angel is never given to be exactly like another. At my merest thought of two being exactly alike or equal, people in the world of spirits and those in the angelic heaven were horrified. They said that every unified whole is formed from the harmony of many constituent parts, and that that whole depended on this harmony. Indeed a simple whole cannot possibly exist, only a harmonized whole. Every community in heaven forms a whole in this way, and all the communities, that is, heaven in its entirety, form a whole. And all this derives from the Lord alone by means of love. A certain angel was counting up merely the most general classes of joy found among spirits, that is, among members of the first heaven. They came to about four hundred and seventy-eight. This demonstrated how countless the less general classes must be and how innumerable the divisions within each class. And with so many in the first heaven alone, how limitless must be the classes of happiness in the heaven of angelic spirits, and still more in the heaven of angels!
ppp23384#pid#458. On several occasions evil spirits have imagined that a different heaven exists from the one that is the Lord's, and they have also been allowed to search for it wherever they could. But to their deep dismay, they have not anywhere found any other heaven. Indeed evil spirits race around in a frenzy, both on account of their hatred of the Lord and of the infernal agony of mind they suffer, and seize on delusions such as this.
ppp23383#pid#459. There are three heavens. The first is where good spirits are, the second where angelic spirits are, and the third where angels are. All three groups - spirits, angelic spirits, and angels - divide into celestial and spiritual. The celestial are those who have by means of love received faith from the Lord, as did members of the Most Ancient Church, dealt with already. The spiritual are those who have by means of cognitions of faith received charity from the Lord, and who act from the charity they have received. This subject is continued at the end of the chapter.
ppp23382#pid#460. `Genesis 5bbb0`
1. This is the book of the generations of Man. On the day in which God created Man, in the likeness of God He made him.
2. Male and female He created them, and blessed them, and called their name Man, on the day when they were created.
3. And Man lived a hundred and thirty years. And he beget in his own likeness, according to his own image, and called his name Seth.
4. And the days of Man after he beget Seth were eight hundred years; and he beget sons and daughters.
5. And all the days of Man in which he lived were nine hundred and thirty years; and he died.
6. And Seth lived a hundred and five years; and he beget Enosh.
7. And Seth lived after he beget Enosh eight hundred and seven years; and he beget sons and daughters.
8. And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years; and he died.
9. And Enosh lived ninety years; and he beget Kenan.
10. And Enosh lived after he beget Kenan eight hundred and fifteen years; and he beget sons and daughters.
11. And all the days of Enosh were nine hundred and five years; and he died.
12. And Kenan lived seventy years; and he beget Mahalalel.
13. And Kenan lived after he beget Mahalalel eight hundred and forty years; and he beget sons and daughters.
14. And all the days of Kenan were nine hundred and ten years; and he died.
15. And Mahalalel lived sixty-five years; and he beget Jared.
16. And Mahalalel lived after he beget Jared eight hundred and thirty years; and he beget sons and daughters.
17. And all the days of Mahalalel were eight hundred and ninety-five years; and he died.
18. And Jared lived a hundred and sixty-two years; and he beget Enoch.
19. And Jared lived after he beget Enoch eight hundred years; and he beget sons and daughters.
20. And all the days of Jared were nine hundred and sixty-two years; and he died.
21. And Enoch lived sixty-five years; and he beget Methuselah.
22. And Enoch walked with God after he beget Methuselah three hundred years; and he beget sons and daughters.
23. And all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years.
24. And Enoch walked with God; and he was no more, for God took him.
25. And Methuselah lived a hundred and eighty-seven years; and he beget Lamech.
26. And Methuselah lived after he beget Lamech seven hundred and eighty-two years; and he beget sons and daughters.
27. And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred and sixty-nine years; and he died.
28. And Lamech lived a hundred and eighty-two years; and he beget a son.
29. And he called his name Noah, saying, He will comfort us from our work and from the toil of our hands that comes from the ground which Jehovah has cursed.
30. And Lamech lived after he beget Noah five hundred and ninety-five years; and he beget sons and daughters.
31. And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred and seventy-seven years; and he died.
32. And Noah was a son of five hundred years; and Noah beget Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
CONTENTS
This chapter deals in particular with the continuance of the Most Ancient Church among its descendants down almost to the time of the Flood.
ppp23381#pid#461. The Most Ancient Church itself, which was celestial, is what is named Man and the Likeness of God, verse `Genesis 5bbbccc1`.
ppp23380#pid#462. The second Church, which was not so celestial as the Most Ancient Church, is called Seth, dealt with in verses `Genesis 5bbbccc2-3`.
ppp23379#pid#463. The third Church was called Enosh, verse `Genesis 5bbbccc6`, the fourth Church Kenan, verse `Genesis 5bbbccc9`, the fifth Church Mahalalel, verse it, the sixth Church Jared, verse `Genesis 5bbbccc15`, the seventh Church Enoch, verse `Genesis 5bbbccc18`, the eighth Church Methuselah, verse `Genesis 5bbbccc21`.
ppp23378#pid#464. The Church called Enoch is described as one that produced doctrine out of what had been revealed to, and perceived by, the Most Ancient Church. Although this doctrine had no use at that time, it was nevertheless preserved for use among their descendants. This is the meaning of the statement 'Enoch was no more, for God took him', verses `Genesis 5bbbccc22-24`.
ppp23377#pid#465. The ninth Church was called Lamech, verse `Genesis 5bbbccc25`.
ppp23376#pid#466. The tenth, the parent Church of the three coming after the Flood, is Noah, which is to be called the Ancient Church, verses `Genesis 5bbbccc28-29`.
ppp23375#pid#467. Lamech is described as having nothing of the perception of the Most Ancient Church surviving there. And Noah is described as a new Church, verse `Genesis 5bbbccc29`.
ppp23374#pid#468. THE INTERNAL SENSE
It is clear from what was stated and shown in the previous chapter that names meant heresies and systems of doctrine. From that it becomes clear that the names in this chapter do not mean specific individuals but other things that existed. Here they mean systems of doctrine or Churches which, though they underwent certain changes, were preserved from the time of the Most Ancient Church down to that of Noah. Now it so happens that every Church in the course of time gets smaller until at length it remains among only a few people. The few with whom it remained at the time of the Flood were called Noah.
ttt[2] The fact that the true Church gets smaller and remains among the few becomes clear from other Churches which have in a similar manner got smaller. In the Word those who remain are called 'the Remnant' and 'that which is left', and indeed people 'in the midst (or the middle) of the land'. What applies in general applies in particular also; that is, what is true of the Church is equally true of individuals. If the Lord did not preserve remnants with each individual he would inevitably perish in eternal death, for those remnants contain spiritual and celestial life. The same applies to what is general or universal; were there not always some people among whom the Church, or true faith, existed, the human race would perish. For as is well known, a city, even a whole kingdom, is preserved for the sake of a few. These factors are akin to the heart in man: as long as the heart is sound the surrounding organs can go on living. But when it is weak, deterioration sets into them all and the person dies. Final remnants are meant by Noah, for with the exception of these, as is clear from verse `Genesis 6bbbccc12` of the next chapter, 'the whole earth was corrupt'.
ttt[3] The remnants residing with the individual or within the Church are frequently the subject in the Prophets, as in Isaiah,
He who remains in Zion, and he who is left in Jerusalem will be called holy to Him, everyone who has been written for life`fff1` in Jerusalem, when the Lord will have washed the filth of the daughters of Zion and washed away the blood`fff2` of Jerusalem from its midst. `Isaiah 4bbb3-4`.
Here holiness is attributed to the remnants, which mean remnants of the Church, and also of the member of the Church, for those left in Zion and in Jerusalem could not be holy people merely because they had been left there.
Similarly in the same prophet,
On that day, the remnant of Israel and those of the house of Jacob that escaped will no more lean on him that smote them; but they will lean upon Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the God of power. (`Isaiah 10bbb20`)
In Jeremiah,
In those days and in that time the iniquity of Israel will be sought, but there will be none, and the sins of Judah, but they will not be found; for I will pardon him whom I shall make one that is left. `Jeremiah 50bbb10`.
In Micah,
The remnant of Jacob will be in the midst of many peoples, like dew from Jehovah, like showers on the grass. `Micah 5bbb7`.
ttt[4] That which is left, or the remnant, whether of the individual or of the Church, was also represented by tenths, which were holy. And any number involving ten was consequently holy too. Ten therefore has reference to things that are left over, as in Isaiah,
Jehovah will remove man far away, and there will be many forsaken places in the midst of the land; yet there will be a tenth part in it, and this will return; it will be a wiping out like an oak or a terebinth when the stump is cast away from them. The holy seed is its stump. `Isaiah 6bbb12-13`.
Here that which is left is called 'the holy stump'. In Amos,
Thus said the Lord Jehovah, The city that goes forth a thousand will have a hundred that are left, and that which goes forth a hundred will have ten that are left to the house of Israel. `Amos 9bbb3`.
In these and many other places the internal sense means remnants, also the subject here. The fact that a city is preserved for the sake of the remnant of the Church is clear from what Abraham was told concerning Sodom, Abraham said, Perhaps ten may be found there; and He said, I will not destroy it for the sake of ten. `Genesis 18bbb32`.
`nnn1. literally, lives
`nnn2. literally, bloods
ppp23373#pid#469. Verse `Genesis 5bbbccc1` This is the book of the generations of Man. On the day in which God created Man, in the likeness of God He made him.
'The book of the generations' is a record of those who belonged to the Most Ancient Church. 'On the day in which God created Man' means his being made spiritual. 'In the likeness of God He made him' means his being made celestial. So it is a description of the Most Ancient Church.
ppp23372#pid#470. 'The book of the generations' is a record of those who belonged to the Most Ancient Church. This is quite clear from what follows, for from here down to Eber in Chapter `Genesis ccc11bbb0` the names used nowhere mean actual persons but real things. In most ancient times the human race was divided into houses, families, and nations. A house consisted of husband and wife together with their children, and also other members of their family who were the servants. A family consisted of a number of such houses, many or few, who dwell in close proximity to one another, but not together. A nation consisted of a number of families, many or few.
ppp23371#pid#471. The reason why they dwelt in this manner - that is to say, quite separately and divided solely into houses, families, and nations - was so that the Church might in this way be preserved intact, and so that every house and family might be dependent on their parent, and that love and true worship might consequently continue among them. And over and above this each house had distinctive traits that made it different from any other. For it is well known that children, and even later descendants, derive from their parents particular traits and such known characteristics as can be detected in the face and in many other ways. Therefore to guard against any intermingling of innate dispositions, and to preserve their precise differences, it pleased the Lord that they dwell in this manner. In this way the Church was a living representative of the Lord's kingdom, for the Lord's kingdom includes countless communities, with each one differing from every other according to differences of love and faith. This, as stated already, is 'living alone' and, as also stated, 'living in tents'. For the same reason it pleased the Lord to have the Jewish Church to do the same, that is, to be divided into houses, families, and nations, with each individual contracting a marriage inside his own family. These matters will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with later on.
ppp23370#pid#472. 'On the day in which God created Man' means when he was made spiritual, and 'in the likeness of God He made him' when he was made celestial. This is clear from what has been stated and shown already. Strictly speaking, the expression 'to create' has regard to a person while he is being created anew, or regenerated, whereas 'to make' has regard to when he is being perfected. This is why in the Word a careful distinction is maintained between 'creating', 'forming', and making', as has appeared already in Chapter `Genesis ccc2bbb0` where, the subject being the spiritual man who became celestial, it is said that 'God rested from all His work which God had created when making it'. The same distinction occurs in other places, where 'creating' has regard to the spiritual man, while 'making', which is perfecting, has regard to the celestial man. See `@@@16`, `@@@88`.
ppp23369#pid#473. 'The likeness of God' is the celestial man and 'the image of God' is the spiritual man. This too has been shown already, for an image is approaching a likeness, while a likeness is a perfect replica. For the celestial man is governed so completely by the Lord that he is the likeness of Him.
ppp23368#pid#474. Since the generation or continuance of the Most Ancient Church is therefore the subject, a description is first of all given of how that Church from being spiritual became celestial, for consecutive generations developed from that stage onwards.
ppp23367#pid#475. Verse `Genesis 5bbbccc2` Male and female He created them, and blessed them, and called their name Man, on the day when they were created.
'Male and female' means the marriage of faith and love. 'Calling their name Man' means the Church, which in a particular sense is called Man.
ppp23366#pid#476. That 'male and female' means the marriage of faith and love has been stated and shown already. That is to say, 'male' or man (vir) means the understanding and what belongs to the understanding, and so what belongs to faith, while 'female' means the will, or what belongs to the will, and so what belongs to love. This also is why she was called Eve, from a word meaning life, which belongs to love alone. 'Female' therefore also means the Church, as also shown already, and 'male' the man (vir) of the Church. At present the subject is the state of the Church at the time it was spiritual and shortly to become celestial, which is why the word 'male' comes first, as it does also in `Genesis ccc1bbb26-27`. Furthermore the expression 'to create' has regard to the spiritual man. As soon however as that marriage has taken place, that is, the Church has become celestial, it is no longer called 'male and female' but 'Man' (Homo) who by virtue of the marriage means both. Consequently 'and He called their name Man', which means the Church, follows next.
ppp23365#pid#477. 'Man' is the Most Ancient Church. This has been stated and shown quite often already, for in the highest sense the Lord Himself alone is Man. From this the celestial Church, being the likeness of Him, is referred to as 'Man', and then from this the spiritual Church is so called because it was an image of Him. But in a general sense everyone is called man who has human understanding, for a person is man, one person more so than the next, by virtue of his understanding. Nevertheless one person ought to be distinguished from the next according to faith inherent in love to the Lord.
ttt[2] The Most Ancient Church, and every true Church, and so people who belong to the Church, that is, who do so by virtue of love to the Lord and of faith in Him, are pre-eminently called 'Man'. This is clear from the Word, as in Ezekiel,
I will cause man to multiply upon you, the whole house of Israel, all of it. I will cause man and beast to multiply upon you so that they multiply and are fruitful, and I will resettle you`fff1` to be as in your ancient times, and I will do more good than in your early days. I will cause man to walk upon you, even My people Israel. `Ezekiel 36bbb10-12`.
Here the Most Ancient Church is meant by 'earliest times', the Ancient Churches by 'early days', and the Primitive Church, or Church among gentiles, by 'the house of Israel' and 'the people of Israel', all of which Churches are called Man.
ttt[3] In Moses,
Remember the days of old, understand the years of generation after generation. When the Most High gave to the nations an inheritance, when He separated the sons of man, He fixed the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel. `Deuteronomy 32bbb7-8`.
Here the Most Ancient Church is meant by 'the days of old' and the Ancient Churches by 'generation after generation'. Those people are called 'sons of man' whose faith was in the Lord, which faith is 'the number of the sons of Israel'. A regenerate person is called 'man' in Jeremiah,
I looked to the earth, and behold, a void and an emptiness, and at the heavens, and they had no light. I looked, and behold, there was no man, and all the birds of the air' had flown away. `Jeremiah 4bbb23`, `Jeremiah 4bbbccc25`.
Here 'earth' stands for the external man, 'heaven' for the internal man; 'man' stands for a love of good, and 'the birds of the air'`fff2` for an understanding of truth.
ttt[4] In the same prophet,
Behold, the days are coming when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and the seed of beast. `Jeremiah 31bbb27`.
Here 'man' stands for the internal man, 'beast' for the external man. In Isaiah,
Turn yourselves away from the man in whose nostrils there is breath,`fff2` for of what account is he? `Isaiah 2bbb22`.
'Man' stands for the member of the Church. In the same prophet,
Jehovah will remove man far away, and there will be many forsaken places in the midst of the land. `Isaiah 6bbb12`.
This refers to the vastation of man, so that good and truth are no more. In the same prophet,
The inhabitants of the land will be scorched and few men (homo) left. `Isaiah 14bbb6`.
Here 'men' (homo) stands for people who have faith. In the same prophet,
The highways have been laid waste, the wayfarer has ceased. He has made the covenant worthless, despised cities, had no regard for man; the land mourns and languishes. `Isaiah 33bbb8-9`.
This stands for the man who in Hebrew is Enosh. In the same prophet,
I will make a man (homo) more precious than pure gold, and a man (homo) than the gold of Ophir. Therefore I will jolt heaven, and the earth will be shaken out of its place. `Isaiah 13bbb12-13`.
The first reference to 'a man' here is Enosh, but the second is Adam.
`nnn1. literally, bird of the heavens (or the skies)
`nnn2. literally, spirit
ppp23364#pid#478. The reason he is called Adam is that the Hebrew word Adam means man. But the fact that Adam was never used as a proper name, only Man, is quite clear from the consideration that both here and earlier he is spoken of in the plural and not in the singular, and that the term refers to both man and woman. The two together are called Man. Anyone may see from these words that both are included, for it is said, 'He called their name Man on the day in which they were created', and similarly in `Isaiah ccc1bbb26`, `Isaiah 1bbbccc28`, 'Let Us make man in Our image, and they will have dominion over the fish of the sea. This shows also that the subject is not about someone who, when created, was the first human being of all, but about the Most Ancient Church.
ppp23363#pid#479. 'Calling the name' or 'calling by name' means in the Word knowing a person's character, as shown already. Here it means knowing the character of the Most Ancient Church, which was as follows: Man was taken from the ground, that is, was regenerated by the Lord, for Adam is the ground; afterwards when he became celestial, he was above others Man by virtue of faith inherent in love to the Lord.
ppp23362#pid#480. It is clear from `Genesis 1bbb26-27` as well, that 'they were called Man on the day in which they were created', that is to say, at the end of the sixth day, which answers to the evening of the Sabbath, or start of the Sabbath or seventh day. For as shown already, the seventh day or Sabbath is the celestial man.
ppp23361#pid#481. Verse `Genesis 5bbbccc7` And Man lived a hundred and thirty years. And he beget in his own likeness, according to his own image, and called his name Seth.
'A hundred and thirty years' means the period of time prior to the rise of a new Church which, being little different from the Most Ancient Church, is said to have been 'born in his likeness, and according to his image.' 'Likeness' however has regard to faith and 'image' to love. This Church was called Seth.
ppp23360#pid#482. Until now nobody has known what the years and the numbers of years occurring in this chapter mean in the internal sense. People who stay within the sense of the letter imagine that they are no more than chronological years. But none of the content from here down to Chapter `Genesis ccc12bbb0` is history as it seems to be in the sense of the letter, for every single detail contains something of a different nature. What applies to names applies to numbers as well. In the Word the number three occurs frequently, and so does the number seven; and in every instance they mean something holy or inviolable as regards those states which the periods of time or whatever else that is mentioned embody or represent. This applies as much to the shortest as to the longest time-intervals; for just as parts makeup the whole, so do the shortest make up the longest. For a similarity must exist in order that a whole may emerge satisfactorily out of the parts, or that which is largest out of that which is smallest.
ttt[2] As in Isaiah,
Jehovah has now spoken, saying, In three years, according to the years of a hireling, the glory of Moab will be rendered worthless. `Isaiah 16bbb14`.
In the same prophet,
The Lord said to me, Within yet a year, according to the years of a hireling, and all the glory of Kedar will be brought to an end. `Isaiah 21bbb6`.
Here both the shortest as well as the longest time-intervals are meant. In Habakkuk,
O Jehovah, I have heard Your fame; I was afraid. O Jehovah, revive Your work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years do You make it known. `Habakkuk 3bbb2`.
Here 'the midst of the years' stands for the Lord's Coming. If the intervals are shorter this stands for every coming of the Lord, as when a person is being regenerated; but if longer it stands for the rising anew of the Lord's Church. It is also called in Isaiah 'the year of the redeemed', The day of vengeance was in My heart, and the year of My redeemed has come. `Isaiah 63bbb4`.
So too 'the thousand years' for which Satan is to be bound, `Revelation 20bbb2-3`, `Revelation 20bbbccc7`, and 'the thousand years' associated with the first resurrection, `Revelation 20bbb4-6`. These in no way mean a thousand years but the states associated with them. For just as 'days, as shown 'already, are interpreted as a state, so too are 'years', and the states are described by the number of the years. From this it becomes clear that periods of time in this chapter also embody states, for every Church experienced a different state of perception from the next, according to differences of disposition resulting from inherited and acquired characteristics.
ppp23359#pid#483. The names which follow - Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, and Noah - mean just so many Churches, the first and chief one of which was called Man. The chief characteristic of these Churches was perception, and therefore the differences between the Churches of that period were primarily differences in perception. On the subject of perception, let it be mentioned here that nothing else reigns in the whole of heaven but the perception of good and truth. Its nature defies description, and includes differences so countless that no one community's perception is exactly like that found in another. Perceptions there fall into genera and species. Those genera are countless, and so too are the species within every genus. These in the Lord's Divine mercy will be dealt with later on. Since there are countless genera, and countless species within every genus, and even more countless sub-species to each species, it becomes clear how very little indeed the world of today knows about celestial and spiritual matters. It does not even know what perception is, and if told, it does not believe that it even exists. The same applies to other matters too.
ttt[2] The Most Ancient Church represented the Lord's celestial kingdom, even as to each variation of perception in its genus and species. But because nobody nowadays knows what perception is, not even the most general aspect of it, facts of a wholly strange and meaningless nature would therefore be imparted if the genera and species of the perceptions of those Churches were stated. They were divided into houses, families, and nations, and used to contract marriages within their own houses and families, in order that genera and species of perception might be established and be derived from parents altogether as reproductions of innate dispositions. This also is why members of the Most Ancient Church dwell together in heaven.
ppp23358#pid#484. The Church called 'Seth' was very similar to the Most Ancient Church. This is clear from the statement that 'Man beget in his own likeness, according to his own Image, and called his name Seth'. 'Likeness' has regard to faith and 'image' to love. That it was not in fact the same as the Most Ancient Church so far as love to the Lord and faith deriving from that love were concerned is clear from the statement immediately previous, 'Male and female He created them, blessed them, and called their name Man', meaning the spiritual man of the sixth day, as stated already. The likeness of this man was to the spiritual man of the sixth day, that is, love was not so much supreme, but faith was still joined to love.
ppp23357#pid#485. Here 'Seth' is used to mean a different Church from that described as Seth in `Genesis 4bbb25`; see `@@@435`. The fact that Churches with variant doctrines are called by the same name is clear from those called Enoch and Lamech in verses `Genesis 4bbbccc17`, `Genesis 4bbbccc18`, of the previous chapter as being different from those similarly called Enoch and Lamech in verses `Genesis 5bbbccc21`, `Genesis 5bbbccc30` of the present chapter.
ppp23356#pid#486. Verse `Genesis 5bbbccc4` And the days of Man after he beget Seth were eight hundred years; and he beget sons and daughters.
'Days' means periods of time and states in general. 'Years' means periods of time and states in particular. 'Sons and daughters' means the truths and goods that they perceived.
ppp23355#pid#487. 'Days means periods of time and states in general. This has been shown in Chapter `Genesis ccc1bbb0`, where the 'days of creation' have no other meaning. In the Word it is very common for a whole period of time to be called 'a day', as it clearly is in the present verse and in verses `Genesis 5bbbccc5`, `Genesis 5bbbccc8`, `Genesis 5bbbccc11`, `Genesis 5bbbccc14`, `Genesis 5bbbccc17`, `Genesis 5bbbccc20`, `Genesis 5bbbccc23`, `Genesis 5bbbccc27`, `Genesis 5bbbccc31`, below; and therefore the states that belong to periods of time in general are meant by 'days' as well. And when 'years' is attached, then periods of years mean the natures of those states, and so the states in particular.
ttt[2] The most ancient people had their own particular numbers which they would use to mean different aspects of the Church - for instance, the numbers three, seven, ten, twelve, and many which they obtained from these and other numbers - and in so doing incorporated states of the Church. These numbers therefore contain arcana that would require considerable effort to unravel. Really a number was an evaluation of the states of the Church. The same feature occurs throughout the Word, especially in the prophetical. And the religious ceremonies of the Jewish Church also entail numbers specifying periods of time as well as quantities; for example, in connection with sacrifices, minchahs, oblations, and other practices, which in every case have special reference to holy things. Consequently eight hundred in this verse, nine hundred and thirty in the next, and the numbers of years mentioned in the verses that follow after that, embody in particular more matters than can possibly be retold; matters, that is to say, which have to do with changes in the state of their Church in relationship to their own general state. Later on, in the Lord's Divine mercy, the meaning of the simple numbers up to twelve will be given, for without knowing these first of all no one can grasp what compound numbers mean.
ppp23354#pid#488. As has been stated, 'days' means states in general, and 'years' states in particular. This too becomes clear from the Word, as in Ezekiel,
You have brought your days near, and you have come even to your years. `Ezekiel 22bbb4`.
This refers to people who behave abominably and sin to the fullest extent, and so 'days' has reference in this case to such people's state in general, 'years' to that state in particular.
In David,
You will add days to the king's days; and his years as generation after generation! `Psalms 61bbb6`.
This refers to the Lord and His kingdom, where again 'days' and 'years' stand for the state of His kingdom.
In the same author,
I have considered the days of old, the years of long ago. `Psalms 77bbb5`.
Here 'days of old' is states of the Most Ancient Church, and 'years of long ago' states of the Ancient Church. In Isaiah,
The day of vengeance was in My heart, and the year of My redeemed has come. `Isaiah 63bbb4`.
This stands for the final times, where 'the day of vengeance' stands for a state of condemnation, and 'the year of the redeemed' for a state of blessedness.
Similarly, in the same prophet,
To proclaim the year of Jehovah's good pleasure, and the day of vengeance for our God; to comfort all who mourn. `Isaiah 61bbb2`.
Here again 'days' and also 'years' are mentioned and mean states.
In Jeremiah,
Renew our days as of old. `Lamentations 5bbb21`.
Here 'days' plainly stands for state.
ttt[2] In Joel,
The day of Jehovah is coming, for it is near, a day of darkness and thick darkness, a tiny of cloud and gloom, as has never happened of old, nor will be again after it through the years of generation after generation. `Joel 2bbb1-2`, `Joel 2bbbccc11`.
Here 'day' stands for a state of darkness, thick darkness, cloud and gloom - a state of individuals in particular and of all in general.
In Zechariah,
I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day. On that day you will shout, each to his companion, under his vine and under his fig tree. `Zechariah 3bbb9-10`.
And elsewhere in Zechariah,
There will be one tiny, it is known to Jehovah, which is neither day nor night, and at evening time there will be light. `Zechariah 14bbb7`.
State is clearly meant here, for it is said that 'it will be a day, which is neither day nor night; at evening time there will be light'.
The same meaning is also clear from the following in the Decalogue,
Honour your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged, and that it may be well with you in the land. `Deuteronomy 5bbb16`; `Deuteronomy ccc25bbb15`.
Here 'a prolonging of days' does not mean living on into old age but a state that is happy.
ttt[3] In the sense of the letter 'day' cannot be seen to mean anything other than a period of time, but in the internal sense it means a state. Angels, who abide in the internal sense of the Word, do not know what a period of time is, for the activity of the sun and moon with them does not produce divisions of time. As a consequence they do not know what a day or a year is, but only what states and changes of state are. This is why among angels, who abide in the internal sense of the Word, anything connected with matter, space, and time, goes unnoticed, as with the following usages in the sense of the letter in Ezekiel,
The day is near, even the day of Jehovah is near, a day of cloud; it will be a time of the nations. `Ezekiel 30bbb3`.
And in Joel,
Alas for the day! For the day of Jehovah is near, and as destruction. `Joel 1bbb15`.
Here 'a day of cloud' stands for cloud or falsity, 'a day of the nations' for the nations or wickedness, and 'the day of Jehovah' for vastation. When the concept of time is removed there remains the concept of the state of the things existing during that period of time. The same applies to the days and the years that are mentioned so many times in this chapter.
ppp23353#pid#489. 'Sons and daughters' means the truths and goods which they perceived, 'sons to be exact meaning the truths and 'daughters' the goods. This becomes clear from very many places in the Prophets. For in the Word, as happened in earliest times, conceptions and births of the Church are called 'sons and daughters', as in Isaiah,
Nations will walk to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Lift up your eyes round about and see; they all gather and they come towards you. Your sons will come from far, and your daughters will be nursed at your side. Then you will see and abound, and your heart will be astounded and enlarged. `Isaiah 60bbb3-5`.
Here 'sons' stands for truths and 'daughters' for goods.
In David,
Rescue me and snatch me from the hand of sons of the foreigner, whose mouths speak lies. Our sons are like plants made large in their youth, our daughters like corner-pillars cut in the form of the temple. `Psalms 144bbb11-12`.
'Sons of the foreigner' stands for spurious truths, which are falsities, 'our sons' for matters of doctrine concerning truth, and 'daughters' for matters of doctrine concerning good.
In Isaiah,
I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Do not withhold. Bring My sons from afar and My daughters from the end of the earth. Bring forth the blind people, and they will have eyes, and the deaf, who will have ears. `Isaiah 43bbb6`, `Isaiah 43bbbccc8`.
Here 'sons' stands for truths, 'daughters' for goods, 'the blind' for people who will see truths, and 'the deaf' for those who comply with them.
In Jeremiah,
From our youth shame is devouring the work of our fathers - their flocks, their herds, their sons, and their daughters. `Jeremiah 3bbb24`.
Here 'sons and daughters' stands for truths and goods.
ttt[2] 'Male children' and 'sons' stand for truths in the following in Isaiah,
Jacob will no more be ashamed, and no more will his face grow pale. For when he sees his male children, the work of My hands, in his midst they will sanctify My name, and they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob and stand in awe of the God of Israel. Those who err in spirit will know understanding `Isaiah 29bbb12-24`.
'The Holy One of Jacob, the God of Israel' stands for the Lord, 'male children' for regenerate people who have an understanding of good and truth, as is also explicitly stated.
In the same prophet,
Sing, O barren one, who did not bear, for the sons of her that is desolate are more than the sons of her that is married. `Isaiah 54bbb1`
'The sons of her that is desolate' stands for truths of the Primitive Church, or Church among gentiles, while 'the sons of her that is married' stands for truths of the Jewish Church.
In Jeremiah,
My tent has been laid waste, and all My cords torn away; My sons have gone away from Me, and they are not. `Jeremiah 10bbb20`.
'Sons' stands for truths.
In the same prophet,
Their sons will be as they were of old, and their congregation will be established before Me. `Jeremiah 30bbb10`
Here 'sons' stands for the truths of the Ancient Church.
In Zechariah,
I will rouse your sons, O Zion, together with your sons, O Jehovah, and I will set you as the sword of one who is powerful. `Zechariah 9bbb13`.
Here 'sons' stands for truths of faith inherent in love.
ppp23352#pid#490. Many times in the Word 'daughter' stands for goods, as in David,
Daughters of kings are among your precious ones, at your right hand stands the queen in the finest gold of Ophir. The daughter of Tyre is there with a gift. All glorious is the king's daughter within, in her clothing of gold embroidery. Instead of your fathers will be your sons. `Psalms 45bbb9-16`.
Here the good and beauty of love and faith are described as 'a daughter'. This is why Churches are called 'daughters', and especially by virtue of goods, for example, 'the daughter of Zion and the daughter of Jerusalem' in `Isaiah 37bbb22`, and frequently elsewhere. They are also called 'the daughters of [My] people' in `Isaiah 22bbb4`, 'the daughter of Tarshish' in `Isaiah 23bbb10` 'the daughter of Sidon' in `Isaiah 23bbb10`, and 'daughters in the field' in `Ezekiel 26bbb6`, `Ezekiel 26bbbccc8`.
ppp23351#pid#491. The same things are meant by 'sons and daughters' in verses `Genesis 5bbbccc4`, `Genesis 5bbbccc7`, `Genesis 5bbbccc10`, `Genesis 5bbbccc13`, `Genesis 5bbbccc16`, `Genesis 5bbbccc19`, `Genesis 5bbbccc26`, `Genesis 5bbbccc30`, of this chapter, but the character of a Church determines that of its 'sons and daughters', or goods and truths. Here they are truths and goods that men perceived most clearly, for they have regard to the Most Ancient Church, the head and forefather of all other Churches that followed after it.
ppp23350#pid#492. Verse `Genesis 5bbbccc5` And all the days of Man in which he lived were nine hundred and thirty years; and he died.
Here, as previously, 'days' and 'years' mean periods of time and states. 'He died' means that this kind of perception existed no more.
ppp23349#pid#493. There is no need to pause too long over the consideration that 'days' and 'years mean periods of time and states. Only this need be stated here, that in the world periods of time and measurements to which numbers may be applied are indispensable, for they belong within the ultimate realms of nature. But whenever such application occurs, the numbers of days and years, and also the numbers applied to measurements, mean something which is completely different from periods of time or from measurements, and which is determined by the meaning of the number used, as in the statements about there being six days for work, and the seventh being holy, which are dealt with above; in the statement about a jubilee having to be announced every forty-ninth year and celebrated in the fiftieth; about the tribes of Israel being twelve, the same number as the Lord's Apostles; and about there being seventy elders, the same number as the Lord's disciples. And there are many other examples where the numbers mean some special characteristic completely different from the persons or objects to which they apply. And when completely separated one from the other the states meant by the numbers are then left.
ppp23348#pid#494. 'He died' means that this kind of perception existed no more. This is clear from the meaning of the expression 'to die', which means everything that ceases to be what it once was, as in John,
To the angel of the Church in Sardis write, These things says He who has the seven spirits and the seven stars, I know your works; you are said to be alive, but you are dead. Be watchful, and strengthen what remains and is at the point of truth, for I have not found your works perfect in the sight of God. `Revelation 3bbb1-2`.
In Jeremiah,
I will hurl your mother who bore you into another land where you were not born, and there you will die. `Jeremiah 22bbb26`.
Here 'mother' stands for the Church. For the course of the Church is such, as stated, that it declines and degenerates, and the perfection of earlier days is lost, chiefly because of the increase in hereditary evil. For every parent adds further evil to that which he has inherited. All evil of their own doing residing with parents takes on a kind of intrinsic nature, and when such evil is frequent in its recurrence, it does become part of their nature. It is added to what they have inherited and is handed on to children and so to descendants. In this way hereditary evil becomes more and more enormous in descendants. This anyone may recognize from the evil inclination in children being just like that in their parents and grandparents.
ttt[2] The opinion of people who imagine that no hereditary evil exists beyond that which, they assert, has been implanted in us from Adam, is utterly and completely false; see `@@@317`. In reality everyone is producing hereditary evil through the sins of his own doing, and adding this to what he acquired from his parents. In this manner it mounts up and remains in all his descendants. Nor is it ever moderated except in people who are being regenerated by the Lord. This is the chief reason why every Church degenerates, including the Most Ancient.
ppp23347#pid#495. How the Most Ancient Church declined does not become clear unless it is known what perception is, for it was a Church gifted with perceptivity, such as does not exist nowadays. The perception of that Church consists in their perceiving from the Lord what good and truth are, as angels do It is not so much a perception of the good and truth of civil society, but the good and truth deriving from love to the Lord and faith in Him. It is a person's profession of faith, a profession confirmed by his life, that makes clear the nature of perception and whether it exists at all.
ppp23346#pid#496. Verse `Genesis 5bbbccc6` And Seth lived a hundred and five years; and he begot Enosh.
As has been stated, 'Seth' is a second Church, less celestial than the parent Most Ancient Church, but nevertheless one of the Most Ancient Churches 'He lived a hundred and five years' means, as previously, periods of time and states. 'He beget Enosh' means that from those people a different Church came down, which was called Enosh.
ppp23345#pid#497. That 'Seth' is a second Church, less celestial than the parent Most Ancient Church, but nevertheless one of the Most Ancient Churches, is clear from what has been stated already about Seth at verse `Genesis 5bbbccc3`. The situation with Churches, as has also been stated, is that little by little, as one period of time gives way to another, they decline as regards things that are vital, chiefly for the reason dealt with already.
ppp23344#pid#498. 'He begot Enosh' means that from them a different Church came down, which was called Enosh. This too is clear from the fact that names in this chapter mean nothing other than Churches.
ppp23343#pid#499. Verses `Genesis 5bbbccc7-8` And Seth lived after he beget Enosh eight hundred and seven years; and he beget sons and daughters. And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years; and he died.
Here, as previously, the days and numbers of years mean periods of time and states. 'Sons and daughters' have the same meaning as previously, and so too does 'he died'.
ppp23342#pid#500. Verse `Genesis 5bbbccc9` And Enosh lived ninety years; and he beget Kenan.
As has been stated, 'Enosh' means a third Church, even less celestial than the Church of Seth, but nevertheless one of the Most Ancient Churches. 'Kenan' means a fourth Church which came after the previous ones.
ppp23341#pid#501. The succession of Churches in the course of time, and how, as is said, they were born one from another, resembles fruit or the seeds within fruit. in their centre or inmost parts there are, so to speak, the fruit of the fruit, or seeds of the seeds, from which there live so to speak in order the surrounding parts which develop at later stages. For the further those areas are from the middle towards the outermost parts the less are they essentially fruit or seed, until at length the skin or shell is reached where the fruit or seeds terminate. Or as with the brain, in the innermost areas there are delicate parts of its organic structure known as the cortical substances, from which and through which the soul functions. From these cortical substances finer coverings proceed in proper order, then those that are coarser. After that there are general coverings called meninges, and more general ones outside of these until the one on the very outside, which is the skull, is reached.
ppp23340#pid#502. Those three churches - Man, Seth, and Enosh - constitute the Most Ancient Church. Nevertheless they had different degrees of perfection as regards perception. The perceptivity found in the first of these Churches everywhere grew less in those that followed until it became something rather general, in the way mentioned above concerning fruit or seed, or concerning the brain. Perfection consists in an ability to perceive very clearly, and is diminished when perception is less clear and more general. At that point vaguer perception takes the place of clearer and so starts to disappear.
ppp23339#pid#503. The perceptivity of the Most Ancient Church lay not merely in their perceiving what good and truth were but also in the joy and delight of doing what was good. Without this joy and delight of doing what is good perceptivity is without life. They are the source of its life. The life of love and faith deriving from it, such as the Most Ancient Church possessed, is a life that comes with performing use, that is, with the good and truth that accompany use. It is from use, by way of use, and according to use, that life is imparted by the Lord. And that which is without use can have no life in it, for that which is without use is cast aside. In this respect those people were likenesses of the Lord, and in their perceptivity therefore became images too. Perceptivity is knowing what good and truth are, and so knowing what is the substance of faith. Anyone who has love within him is not content just with knowing, but with doing what is good and true, that is, with engaging in a use.
ppp23338#pid#504. Verses `Genesis 5bbbccc10-11` And Enosh lived after he beget Kenan eight hundred and fifteen years; and he beget sons and daughters. And all the days of Enosh were nine hundred and five years; and he died.
Here similarly days and numbers of years, also 'sons and daughters', as well as 'he died', have a similar meaning.
ppp23337#pid#505. As has been stated, Enosh is a third Church, one of the Most Ancient Churches. But it was less celestial and so less perceptive than the Church of Seth, which in turn was not so celestial or perceptive as the parent Church called Man had been. These three constituting the Most Ancient Church were, in relation to those that followed, like the kernel of fruit or seeds, whereas the Churches that followed were relatively like their outer coverings.
ppp23336#pid#506. Verse it And Kenan lived seventy years; and he beget Mahalalel. 'Kenan' means a fourth Church, and 'Mahalelel' a fifth.
ppp23335#pid#507. The Church called Kenan must not be listed so closely with those three that were more perfect, for this was the point when the perception which had been so definite with those former Churches started to become general. Comparatively it was like the first and softer coverings closest to the kernel of a fruit or seed. Although this state is not actually described it is nevertheless apparent from what follows, in the description of the Churches named Enoch and Noah.
ppp23334#pid#508. Verses `Genesis 5bbbccc13-14` And Kenan lived after he beget Mahalalel eight hundred and forty years; and he beget sons and daughters. And all the days of Kenan were nine hundred and ten years; and he died. The same applies to days and numbers of years here as in previous references to them. Here, as previously, 'sons and daughters' means the truths and goods which they perceived, though in a more general way now. 'He died' again means that it ceased to be what it had once been.
ppp23333#pid#509. No more need be noticed here than that every detail has reference to the state of the Church.
ppp23332#pid#510. Verse `Genesis 5bbbccc15` And Mahalalel lived sixty-five years; and he beget Jared. As has been stated, 'Mahalalel' means a fifth Church, 'Jared' a sixth.
ppp23331#pid#511. Because perceptivity diminished, and from being quite clear or definite became increasingly general or vague, the life inherent in love or forms of use diminished too. For what applies to the life inherent in love or forms of use consequently applies to perceptivity too. It is celestial to know from good what truth is. The life also of the people who belonged to the Church called Mahalalel was such that they preferred pleasure obtained from truths to the joy derived from forms of use. This I have been given to know from experience in the next life from persons of a similar nature.
ppp23330#pid#512. Verses `Genesis 5bbbccc16-17` And Mahalalel lived after he beget Jared eight hundred and thirty years; and he beget sons and daughters. And all the days of Mahalalel were eight hundred and ninety-five years; and he died.
These words are similar in meaning to similar statements made already.
ppp23329#pid#513. Verse `Genesis 5bbbccc18` And Jared lived a hundred and sixty-two years; and he beget Enoch. As has been stated, 'Jared' means a sixth Church, 'Enoch' a seventh.
ppp23328#pid#514. Nothing is mentioned about the Church called Jared, but its character becomes clear from the Church of 'Mahalalel' which preceded it, and from the Church of 'Enoch' that followed it. For it stands half-way between these two.
ppp23327#pid#515. Verses `Genesis 5bbbccc19-20` And Jared lived after he beget Enoch eight hundred years; and he beget sons and daughters. And all the days of Jared were nine hundred and sixty-two years; and he died.
These words also are similar in meaning to those that have been dealt with already. The fact that these characters' ages were not actually that great - for example, Jared's being nine hundred and sixty-two years, and Methuselah's being nine hundred and sixty-nine - must be clear to everyone. It will also become clear from what will in the Lord's Divine mercy be stated at verse `Genesis 6bbbccc3` of the next chapter, where it is said, 'Their days will be one hundred and twenty years'. Consequently a specific number of years does not mean the life-span of some person or other but periods of time and states of the Church.
ppp23326#pid#516. Verse `Genesis 5bbbccc21` And Enoch lived sixty-five years; and he beget Methuselah.
As has been stated, 'Enoch' means a seventh Church, and 'Methuselah' an eighth.
ppp23325#pid#517. The character of the Church of 'Enoch' is described in what follows immediately.
ppp23324#pid#518. Verse `Genesis 5bbbccc22` And Enoch walked with God after he beget Methuselah three hundred years; and he beget sons and daughters.
'Walking with God' means doctrine concerning faith. 'He beget sons and daughters' means matters of doctrine concerning truths and goods.
ppp23323#pid#519. At that time there were people who formulated doctrine out of what had been matters of perception in the Most Ancient Church and in the Churches that came after it, and this doctrine was to serve as a yardstick by which people could recognize what good and truth were. Such people were called 'Enoch', and this is meant by these words, 'and Enoch walked with God'. They also applied this name to that doctrine of theirs, for this indeed was meant by the name Enoch, which is 'instructing'. The matter is also clear from the meaning of the expression walking' and from the fact that he is said to have walked, not with Jehovah, but 'with God'. 'Walking with God' is teaching and living according to the doctrine of faith, whereas 'walking with Jehovah' is leading a life of love. 'Walking' is a customary expression to mean living, as in the phrases walking in the law, walking in statutes, walking in the truth. Strictly speaking, walking has regard to the path of truth, and therefore of faith or the doctrine of faith. From the places that are quoted below it becomes to some extent clear what 'walking' means in the Word.
ttt[2] In Micah,
He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does Jehovah require of you but to carry out judgement and the love of mercy, and to humble yourself by walking with your God? `Micah 6bbb8`.
Here too 'walking with God' means living according to the requirements set out here. But although the expression 'with God' is used here the preposition employed is different from the one used in reference to Enoch, which really means 'from with God', and so is a phrase which is ambiguous.`fff1` In David,
You have delivered my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living. `Psalms 56bbb13`.
Here 'walking before God' is walking in the truth of faith, which is 'the light of the living'. Similarly in Isaiah,
The people walking in darkness see a great light. `Isaiah 9bbb2`.
In Moses the Lord says,
I will walk in your midst and be your God, and you will be My people. `Leviticus 26bbb11`.
This stood for the requirement that they should live according to the teaching of the law.
In Jeremiah,
They will spread them`fff2` before the sun and the moon and all the hosts of heaven, which they have loved and which they have served, and which they have walked after, and which they have sought. `Jeremiah 8bbb2`
A clear distinction is made here between the things that belong to love and those that belong to faith. Those that belong to love are referred to by 'loving and serving', those that belong to faith by 'walking and seeking after'. For in the Prophets careful attention is paid to the use of words; one word is nowhere used in place of another In the Word 'walking with Jehovah' or 'before Jehovah' means leading a life of love.
`nnn1. i.e. the Hebrew preposition 'im is used in `Micah 6bbb8` but 'eth in `Genesis 5bbb22`.
`nnn2. i.e. the bones of those mentioned in `Jeremiah 8bbb1`.
ppp23322#pid#520. Verses `Genesis 5bbbccc23-24` And all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years And Enoch walked with God; and he was no more, for God took him.
'All the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years' means that they were few. 'He walked with God' as previously, is doctrine concerning faith. 'He was no more, for God took him' means that that doctrine was preserved for use by descendants.
ppp23321#pid#521. 'He was no more for God took him' means that that doctrine reserved for use by descendants. He was no more. As regards Enoch, that which the Most Ancient Church had perceived, as has been stated, was converted by him into doctrine, something that had not been allowed to people of that period. For knowing something from perception is altogether different from learning it from doctrine. People who have perception have no need to learn through the channel of formulated doctrine what they know already. Take, for the sake of illustration, someone who knows already how to think clearly. He has no need to learn rules on how to think. If he did so his ability to think clearly would perish, as happens to people buried in the dust of sheer intellectualism. In the case of people whose knowledge comes from perception, the Lord grants them to know what good and truth are through an internal channel, while those who learn from doctrine are granted it by an external channel, that is, by way of the physical senses. The difference between the two is like that between light and darkness. Furthermore the perceptions of the celestial man lie beyond all description, for they enter into the smallest details and are for ever varied according to states and attendant circumstances. Now as it was foreseen that the perceptivity of the Most Ancient Church would perish, and that subsequently people would learn what truth and good were by means of doctrines, that is, they would come to the light by way of darkness, it is therefore said here that 'God took him', which is to say, He preserved such doctrine for the use of descendants.
ppp23320#pid#522. I have also been given to know the character of perceptivity as it came to be among those called Enoch. It was something general and vague, and was devoid of anything definite, for in those circumstances the mind fixes its attention on doctrinal matters outside itself.
ppp23319#pid#523. Verse `Genesis 5bbbccc25` And Methuselah lived a hundred and eighty-seven years; and he beget Lamech.
'Methuselah' means an eighth Church, and 'Lamech' a ninth.
ppp23318#pid#524. As to the character of this Church nothing specific is mentioned. Nevertheless it is clear from the description of the Church called 'Noah' that perceptivity became general and vague, so that integrity diminished, and with integrity, wisdom and intelligence.
ppp23317#pid#525. Verses `Genesis 5bbbccc26-27` And Methuselah lived after he beget Lamech seven hundred and eighty-two years; and he beget sons and daughters. And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred and sixty-nine years; and he died.
These words are similar in meaning to all the rest.
ppp23316#pid#526. Verse `Genesis 5bbbccc28` And Lamech lived a hundred and eighty-two years; and he beget a son.
'Lamech' here means a ninth Church in which the perception of truth and good was so general and vague as to be almost none at all, and so it was a vastated Church. 'A son means the rise of a new Church.
ppp23315#pid#527. That Lamech means a Church in which the perception of truth and good was so general and vague as to be almost none at all, and so it was a vastated Church, becomes clear from what has gone before and from what follows, for the very next verse contains a description of it. In the previous chapter 'Lamech' had almost the same meaning as he does here, namely vastation; see verses `Genesis 4bbbccc18`, `Genesis 4bbbccc19`, `Genesis 4bbbccc23-24`, of that chapter. And the one who beget him even bore a similar name, which was Methusael. Consequently things that were almost the same were meant by these names; Methusael and Methuselah both mean something that is about to die, while Lamech means that which has been destroyed.
ppp23314#pid#528. Verse `Genesis 5bbbccc29` And he called his name Noah, saying, He will comfort us from our work and from the toil of our hands that comes from the ground which Jehovah has cursed.
'Noah' means the Ancient Church. 'Comforting us from our work and from the toil of our hands that comes from the ground which Jehovah has cursed' means the doctrine by which what had been corrupted would be restored.
ppp23313#pid#529. That 'Noah' means the Ancient Church, or parent Church of the three Churches after the Flood, will be clear from what follows where Noah is dealt with extensively.
ppp23312#pid#530. As has been stated, the names used in this chapter mean Churches, or what amounts to the same, doctrinal systems, for it is by virtue of its doctrine that a Church exists and takes its name. Thus Noah means the Ancient Church, or the doctrine that remained from the Most Ancient Church. The situation with Churches or doctrines has been stated already, namely that they dwindle away until nothing remains any longer of the goods and truths of faith. And when that point has been reached, the Church is in the Word called vastated. Nevertheless a remnant is always preserved, that is, some people are preserved, no matter how few, with whom the good and truth of faith persist. And unless that good and truth of faith were preserved with those people there would be no conjunction of heaven with the human race.
ttt[2] As regards the remnants that reside with the individual, the fewer they are the less possible it is for the rational concepts and the factual knowledge he possesses to receive light; for the light of good and truth flows in from the remnants, or rather from the Lord by way of the remnants. If there were no remnants residing with a person, he would not be a human being, but someone far inferior to any animal. The fewer the remnants, the less he is a human being, while the more they are, the more he is a human being. Remnants are like a star in the sky; the smaller it is the weaker the light coming from it, but the greater it is, the brighter the light coming from it. The few things that did remain from the Most Ancient Church resided with those who constituted the Church called Noah. Those things were not however the remains of perception but of integrity, and also of doctrine deriving from the things of the Most Ancient Churches that were matters of perception. At that point therefore a new Church was raised up by the Lord. Being entirely different in disposition from the Most Ancient Churches, it is to be referred to as the Ancient Church, ancient from the fact that it existed at the last stage before the Flood and in the first period of time after it. This Church will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with later on.
ppp23311#pid#531. 'Comfort us from our work and from the toil of our hands that comes from the ground which Jehovah has cursed' means the doctrine by which what had been corrupted would be restored. This too, in the Lord's Divine mercy, will be clear from what will come later on. 'Work' means their inability to perceive what truth was without toil and distress. 'The toil of our hands that comes from the ground which Jehovah has cursed' means their inability to do anything good. Such is the description of Lamech or a vastated Church. 'The work and the toil of our hands' is when people must from themselves or the proprium inquire after what truth is and do what is good. And the outcome is 'the ground which Jehovah has cursed', that is, nothing but falsity and evil. For the meaning of 'Jehovah curses', see `@@@245`. 'To comfort' however refers to Lamech's son, or Noah, who means new regeneration, and so a new Church, which was the Ancient Church. This Church or Noah also means peace and the comfort that peace brings, just as the Most Ancient Church is referred to as the seventh day on which the Lord rested; see `@@@84-88`.
ppp23310#pid#532. Verses `Genesis 5bbbccc30`, `Genesis 5bbbccc31` And Lamech lived after he beget Noah five hundred and ninety-five years; and he beget sons and daughters. And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred and seventy-seven years; and he died.
As has been stated, 'Lamech' means a vastated Church. 'Sons and daughters' means conceptions and births of such a Church.
ppp23309#pid#533. Since nothing further is mentioned about Lamech apart from the fact that be beget sons and daughters, who are the conceptions and births of such a Church, there is no need to pause any longer over him. What these births, or sons and daughters, were, becomes clear from the Church, for the character of a Church determines that of its offspring. Both those Churches called Methuselah and Lamech breathed their last just before the flood.
ppp23308#pid#534. Verse `Genesis 5bbbccc32` And Noah was a son of five hundred years; and Noah beget Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
As has been stated, 'Noah' means the Ancient Church. 'Shem, Ham, and Japheth' means the three Ancient Churches, whose parent was the Ancient Church called Noah.
ppp23307#pid#535. The Church called Noah must not be reckoned among the Churches that came before the Flood. This becomes clear from verse `Genesis 5bbbccc29`, which says that that Church 'would comfort them from their work and from the toil of their hands that came from the ground which Jehovah had cursed'. The comfort was that it would live on and endure. Noah and his sons however will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with later on.
ppp23306#pid#536. Frequent reference has been made in previous paragraphs to perception as it existed in the Churches prior to the Flood, and how nowadays perception is something altogether unknown, so unknown that some may imagine it to be a type of continuous revelation, or to be something innate in people. Others may imagine that it is purely a figment of the imagination, and others something different again. But whatever they may think, perception is in fact the celestial itself which the Lord imparts to those who possess faith that inheres in love, and throughout the whole of heaven perception exists in forms endlessly varying. All of this being so, to enable people to have some idea of what perception is, in the Lord's Divine mercy let the nature of the various kinds of perception as they exist in heaven be described later on.
ppp23305#pid#537. HEAVEN AND HEAVENLY JOY - continued
A certain spirit once positioned himself on my left side and asked whether I knew how he could get into heaven. I was allowed to reply that admission into heaven belongs to the Lord alone, for He alone knows a person's character. Many people coming from the world are like this spirit; their one request is that they may enter heaven, without knowing at all what heaven is and what heavenly joy is. They do not know that heaven is mutual love, and heavenly joy the joy resulting from this. Consequently those who do not know this are first of all acquainted with what heaven is and what heavenly joy is, even by actual experience. This was also the case with a certain spirit who had recently come from the world and who had a similar desire for heaven. So that he might perceive the nature of heaven, the interiors of his being were opened so as to give him some feeling of heavenly joy. Once he had felt it he began to moan and to writhe about, pleading that he be set free and saying that he could not live in such agony. So the interiors of his being that had been turned in heaven's direction were closed again, and in this way he was restored. This shows the nature of the pangs of conscience and of the agony that afflict those who, when admitted for only a short while, do not really belong in that place.
ppp23304#pid#538. There were also some who were striving to get into heaven without knowing what heaven was. They were told that if they did not possess the faith that inheres in love, entering heaven was as dangerous as walking into a blazing fire. But they went on doing all they could to get there. When they reached its most outlying area however, that is, that lower sphere of angelic spirits, they found it so overpowering that they flung themselves back in the opposite direction. In this way they were shown how dangerous it was merely to approach heaven before they had been prepared by the Lord to receive the affections that accompany faith.
ppp23303#pid#539. There was a certain spirit who during his lifetime had thought nothing of committing adultery. Even he, because he desired it, gained admission to the threshold of heaven. On reaching it he began to suffer and to be aware of his own corpse-like stench until he could put up with it no longer. It seemed to him that if he went any further he would perish. Consequently he was cast down from there into the lower earth, furious that when on only the threshold of heaven he should experience such excruciating pains because he had entered a sphere that was the contrary of adultery. He is among those who are unhappy.
ppp23302#pid#540. Almost everybody entering the next life is ignorant of what heavenly blessedness and happiness are, for people do not know what internal joy is, or the nature of it. They gain a conception of it solely through bodily and worldly delights and joys. Consequently that of which they are ignorant they imagine to be nothing. But in fact bodily and worldly joys are by contrast worthless and foul. Therefore so that upright persons who do not know what heavenly joy is may come to know and recognize it they are taken first of all to the gardens there, which surpass anyone's entire imagination. These will in the Lord's Divine mercy be described later on. These persons now suppose that they have entered the heavenly paradise, but they are taught that even this is not true heavenly happiness, and so they are then given to know about the inward states of joy that enter their inmost being. After this they are brought into a state of peace that reaches to their inmost being, at which point they declare that no part of such experience could possibly be expressed in words or even conceived of. Finally they are brought into a state of innocence, and this too reaches their inmost feelings. In this way they are given to know what true spiritual and celestial goodness is.
ppp23301#pid#541. There were some who, not knowing what heavenly joy was, were carried away unexpectedly into heaven. To enable them to be taken up they had been brought into that state where the physical impulses and false notions have been lulled to sleep. I heard from there one of them telling me that he now felt for the first time how much joy there was in heaven, and that in holding to a different idea of it he had been grossly misled. In his inmost being he now felt this as something immeasurably superior to any pleasure men delight in during the life of the body, and which he called something base.
ppp23300#pid#542. In the case of those who are brought into heaven so that they may know the nature of it, either their physical impulses and false notions are lulled to sleep - for nobody can enter heaven with physical impulses and false notions which they bring with them from the world - or else they are encircled by spirits who moderate in a miraculous fashion those things that are unclean and cause dissension. With some the interiors of their being are opened. These things and others are what they experience according to the lives they have led and their resulting dispositions.
ppp23299#pid#543. Certain spirits wished to know what heavenly joy was. They were allowed therefore to perceive their own inmost joy, even to a point where they could bear it no longer. But even this was not angelic joy. It barely resembled the least of angelic joys, and this they were allowed to perceive through the communication of their joy. Their own joy was so meagre that it seemed quite tepid, yet they called it most heavenly since it was their own inmost joy. From this it was clear not only that there are degrees of joy but also that the inmost part of one degree comes scarcely anywhere near the outer or the middle area of the next. It was also clear that when anybody receives the inmost of his joys this for him is heavenly joy. Nor can he tolerate anything more internal than that, as it becomes painful to him.
ppp23298#pid#544. Certain spirits were admitted into the heaven of innocence belonging to the first heaven, and from there they spoke to me. They declared that it was a state of joy and delight, such as no one could possibly imagine. And yet this was merely in the first heaven; for there are three heavens, and in each one there are states of innocence possessing countless variations.
ppp23297#pid#545. To enable me to know what heaven and heavenly joy are, and the nature of them, the Lord has allowed me frequently and for long periods to perceive the delights that accompany heavenly joys. From my actual experience therefore I can know them but in no sense describe them. However, so that people may have a rough idea of it, let me say this: It is the affection accompanying countless joys and delights which produce one general and simultaneous joy. That general joy, or general affection, consists of harmonious bands of countless affections, none of which focus clearly in one's perception, but only indistinctly, because one's perception is very general. Nevertheless I have been allowed to perceive that it contains countless things whose ordering defies description. Those countless things are such as flow from the order of heaven itself.
ttt[2] This order extends to the smallest individual areas of the affection, which present themselves and are perceived simply as one very general whole. They present themselves and are perceived according to the capacity of the person subject to them. In a word, every general affection contains innumerable parts ordered into a perfect form. No part is devoid of life or fails to affect. This applies to the inmost parts in particular, for heavenly joys stem from things that are inmost. I have also perceived that the joy and delight went out as it were from the heart and very gently spread themselves through every inmost fibre, and from there into every cluster of fibres, doing so with such an interior sense of delight that a fibre was so to speak nothing but joy and delight; and all resulting perceptivity and feeling in like manner was alive with happiness. In comparison with those joys, the joy that accompanies the desires of the flesh is as thick choking smog to a pure and very gentle breeze.
ppp23296#pid#546. So that I might know about those people who desire to enter heaven but are not such as can exist there, an angel once appeared to me as a young child while I was present in a heavenly community. He had a garland of bright blue flowers around his head, and flowers of other colours twined around his breast. From this I was given to understand that I was present in a community where charity reigned. Into that same community certain upright spirits were at that point admitted who, the moment they were coming in, developed greatly in understanding and spoke like angelic spirits. Subsequently those who wished to be innocent from themselves were let in. Their condition was represented to me as an infant vomiting milk out of its mouth. That is exactly what those people are like. After that, people were admitted who imagined that they were self-intelligent. Their condition was represented in their faces, which looked quite beautiful but pointed. On their heads they seemed to be wearing pointed hats with a sharp peak. Their faces however did not look like faces of human flesh but like lifeless carvings. This is the condition of people who believe they are spiritual from themselves, that is, who believe that from themselves they can possess faith. Other spirits were admitted who were unable to remain in that place. They were dismayed, grew uneasy, and fled from there.
ppp23295#pid#547. CHAPTER 6
HEAVEN AND HEAVENLY JOY - continued
All souls who enter the next life are ignorant of what heaven is and what heavenly joy is. The majority imagine it to be a form of joy which any can be let into no matter how they have lived, even those who have hated their neighbour and have gone through life committing adultery. They are totally unaware of the fact that heaven is mutual and chaste love, and that heavenly joy is the resulting happiness.
ppp23294#pid#548. I have spoken several times to spirits recently arrived from the world about the state of eternal life, and have said that it was important for them to know who the Lord of that kingdom is, what is the system of government, and what form that government takes. It is the same in the world when people go to another kingdom; they wish to know beforehand who the king is and what he is like, what is the system of government, and many other facts concerning that kingdom. How much more does this apply in that kingdom where they are going to live for ever. I have told them that the Lord alone rules not only heaven but also the whole universe, for He who rules the one must rule the other, and also that the kingdom which they are now in is the Lord's kingdom, and that the laws of this kingdom are eternal truths, every one of which is based on the incomparable law that they are to love the Lord supremely and the neighbour as themselves. Indeed if they wished to be as the angels, they must now go beyond that and love the neighbour more than themselves.
ttt[2] On hearing these things they have been speechless, for during their life-time they had heard something of the sort but had not believed it. Even though they had heard that they were to love the neighbour as themselves, they have been amazed that such love exists in heaven, and that it is possible for anyone to love the neighbour more than himself. They have been informed however that in the next life all goods increase without limit, whereas life in the body is such that they cannot progress beyond the point of loving their neighbour as themselves, because they are engrossed in bodily interests. Once the latter have been removed however, love becomes purer, and at length angelic. And this is loving the neighbour more than themselves.
ttt[3] The possibility of such love has been made clear from the conjugial love of certain persons who would die rather than let their partner be harmed. It is also clear from the love of parents for their children; a mother would rather endure starvation than see her child go hungry, as is true even of birds and of animals. The possibility of that love is also apparent in real friendship in which people risk any danger for the sake of their friends. It is apparent even from that polite but counterfeit friendship which seeks to imitate real friendship by offering choicer things to those they wish well to, and by paying lip-service to good will even though it does not exist in their hearts. Finally, the possibility of loving the neighbour more than oneself is clear from the very nature of love whose joy resides in serving others for love's sake and not one's own. But people who loved themselves more than anybody else have not been able to grasp these things; nor have those who during their lifetime were eager for money, and least of all the avaricious.
ppp23293#pid#549. The angelic state is such that everyone communicates his own blessedness and happiness to others, for in the next life all affections and thoughts are communicated and perceived faultlessly. Each individual therefore communicates his own joy to all others, and so do all to each individual. Consequently each individual is so to speak the focal point of all. This is the heavenly form. The more there are to constitute the Lord's kingdom therefore, the greater the happiness, for this grows in proportion to the increase in numbers. This is why heavenly happiness is indescribable. Such communication of all with individuals and of individuals with all exists when one loves another more than himself. But if anyone wishes to better himself rather than others, self-love reigns which communicates nothing of itself to others but the idea of self, which is a most foul idea. And when this is perceived that person is instantly separated and expelled.
ppp23292#pid#550. Just as every single part in the human body contributes to the general and to the individual functions of the whole, so it is with the Lord's kingdom, which resembles a human being and is also called the Grand Man. In that kingdom every one contributes in a multitude of ways, more nearly or more remotely, to the whole, doing so according to the order established and constantly upheld by the Lord alone, and so contributes to the happiness of every individual.
ppp23291#pid#551. The relatedness of the whole of heaven to the Lord, and of every single member to Him alone, corporately and each individually, gives rise to order, union, mutual love, and happiness; for in this case individuals are looking to the welfare and happiness of all, and all to that of individuals.
ppp23290#pid#552. I have been shown by means of many experiences that all joy and happiness in heaven come from the Lord alone. Let one of those experiences be recounted here. I was watching certain angelic spirits who were totally absorbed in making a lampstand with its lamps and flowers fashioned most decoratively to the honour of the Lord. I was allowed to observe for an hour or two how much work they put into it so that every single detail might be beautiful and representative. While they were doing it they thought that they were acting of themselves. But I was given to perceive quite clearly that of themselves they could not possibly design anything. At last after several hours they said that they had made a very beautiful representative lampstand to the honour of the Lord, which delighted them from the depths of their being. But I said that they had in no way designed or created anything of themselves. The Lord alone had done so on their behalf. At first they were hardly willing to believe it, but because they were angelic spirits, they saw the light and confessed that it was true. The same applies to all other representatives, and to affection and thought in every part, and so to heavenly joys and happiness. The smallest of them all derive from the Lord alone.
ppp23289#pid#553. In heaven those who are moved by mutual love are constantly approaching the spring-time of their youth. And the more thousands of years they live the more joyful and happy the spring-time which they are approaching. This process continues for ever, constantly bringing increases in joy and happiness in proportion to the advance and upward progress in mutual love, charity, and faith. Those of the feminine sex who have died worn out with age but who had lived in faith in the Lord, in charity towards the neighbour, and in happy conjugial love with their husbands, as the years pass by come more and more into the first freshness of youth and early womanhood, and into a beauty that excels every idea of beauty which the eye can possibly behold. In fact it is goodness and charity forming and producing a likeness of itself, and causing the joy and beauty of charity to shine out of every individual feature of the face in such a way that these too are forms of charity. When some people have seen these they have been dumbfounded.
ttt[2] The form which charity takes is so plainly visible in the next life that charity itself is that which produces the form, as well as being that which is portrayed within it. Indeed that form is such that the whole of an angel, especially the face, is so to speak charity - charity which is visible to the eye and perceptible to the mind. When it is beheld that form is one of indescribable beauty which stirs with charity the inmost life itself of the beholder's mind. Through the beauty of that form truths of faith are displayed in a visual image from which they also are perceived. People who have lived in faith in the Lord, that is, faith that inheres in charity, in the next life become such forms, that is, forms of beauty. All angels are such forms, endlessly varying; and it is these forms that constitute heaven.
ppp23288#pid#554. `Genesis 6bbb1-8`
1. And so it was that man began to multiply himself over the face`fff1` of the ground, and daughters were born to them.
2. And the sons of God saw the daughters of man that they were fair, and took wives for themselves from all whom they chose.
3. And Jehovah said, My spirit will not reprove man for ever, in that he is flesh; and his days will be a hundred and twenty years.
4. The Nephilim were in the land in those days, very much so after the sons of God went in to the daughters of man, who bore children to them; they were mighty men (vir) who from of old were men (vir) of the name.
5. And Jehovah saw that the evil of man had been increased on the earth; and all the imagination of the thoughts of his heart was altogether evil all the day long.
6. And Jehovah repented that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.
7. And Jehovah said, I will wipe out man whom I have created from upon the face' of the ground, from man even to beast, even to creeping thing, and even to birds of the air;`fff2` for I repent of having made them.
8. And Noah found grace in Jehovah's eyes.
CONTENTS
The subject is the state of the people before the Flood.
`nnn1. literally, the faces
`nnn2. literally, bird of the heavens (or the skies)
ppp23287#pid#555. With the people where the Church existed evil desires, meant by 'daughters', began to reign. They also joined doctrinal matters concerning faith to their desires and in so doing they confirmed themselves in evils and falsities, meant by the statement about 'the sons of God taking to themselves wives from the daughters of man', verses `Genesis 6bbbccc1-2`.
ppp23286#pid#556. Since man now had no remnants of good and truth it is foretold that he would be formed differently so that he would have remnants, meant by 'a hundred and twenty years', verse `Genesis 6bbbccc3`.
ppp23285#pid#557. People who immersed doctrinal matters concerning faith in their evil desires and who in consequence of this as well as of self-love conceived dreadful persuasions concerning their own superiority to others are the Nephilim, verse `Genesis 6bbbccc4`.
ppp23284#pid#558. As a result the will and perception of good and truth existed no more, verse `Genesis 6bbbccc5`.
ppp23283#pid#559. The Lord's mercy is described by repenting and grieving in heart, verse `Genesis 6bbbccc6`. People came to be such that their desires and persuasions led inevitably to their annihilation, verse `Genesis 6bbbccc7`. Consequently so that the human race might be saved, a new Church meant by Noah was to arise, verse `Genesis 6bbbccc8`.
ppp23282#pid#560. THE INTERNAL SENSE
Before one can go any further, reference must be made to the Church as it was before the Flood. In general it went the same way as subsequent Churches, as the Jewish Church before the Lord's Coming and the Christian Church after; that is, people corrupted and adulterated the cognitions of true faith. In particular as regards the member of the Church before the Flood, he conceived dreadful persuasions in the process of time and immersed the goods and truths of faith in filthy desires, to such an extent that scarcely any remnants resided with him. And once they had become such those people suffocated themselves so to speak, for nobody can live without remnants. Indeed, as already stated, it is remnants that make man's life superior to that of animals; it is from remnants, or from the Lord through them, that anyone is enabled to be a human being, to know what good and truth are, and to reflect on individual things, and so to think and to reason. For remnants alone are what contain spiritual and celestial life.
ppp23281#pid#561. But what are remnants? Not only the goods and truths which one has learned from the Word of the Lord from early childhood onwards and so had imprinted in his memory, but also all resulting states, such as states of innocence from early childhood; states of love towards parents, brothers and sisters, teachers, and friends; states of charity towards the neighbour, and also of compassion on the poor and needy; in short, all states involving good and truth. These states, together with the goods and truths that have been imprinted in the memory, are called remnants, which the Lord preserves with a person and stores away in his internal man, though the person himself is not at all directly conscious of this. Here they are separated completely from the things that are the person's own, that is, evils and falsities. The Lord so preserves all of those states with the individual that not even the least of them perishes. I have been given to know this from the fact that every one of man's states from his infancy right through to extreme old age not only carries over into the next life but also reappears. Indeed those states are exactly the same as when he lived in the world. Thus not only are goods and truths in the memory carried over, but also all states of innocence and charity. And when states of evil and falsity, or wickedness and false notions, recur - for every single one of these as well, down to the smallest detail, is carried over and reappears - they are at that time moderated by the Lord through those states of innocence and charity. From all this it becomes clear that if a person possessed no remnants, he would inevitably be subject to eternal condemnation. See what has appeared already in `@@@468`.
ppp23280#pid#562. The people before the Flood were such that at length they possessed practically no remnants at all, the reason being that they were now of such a disposition that they became steeped in dreadful and abominable persuasions regarding everything that suggested itself to them or entered into their thinking. Consequently they had no wish at all to retreat from such persuasions. And indeed they were possessed so very greatly by self-love as to imagine that they themselves were like gods and that everything they thought was divine. Nowhere else has such persuasion arisen with any set of people before or since that time, for it is deadly or stifling. For this reason in the next life these people cannot possibly be where other spirits are, for when they are present, they deprive other spirits, by flowing in with their own most stubborn persuasions, of all ability to think. These along with other matters will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with later on.
ppp23279#pid#563. When such persuasion gets a hold on someone it is like glue in which the goods and truths that would otherwise be remnants are stuck fast, and as a result remnants can no longer be stored away; and those that have been stored away cannot be of any use. For this reason when those people reached the summit of such persuasion they underwent annihilation caused by themselves, and were drowned by an inundation not unlike a flood. This is why their annihilation is compared to a flood, and is also described, according to the custom of the most ancient people, as 'the Flood'.
ppp23278#pid#564. Verse `Genesis 6bbbccc1` And so it was that man began to multiply himself over the face`fff1` of the ground, and daughters were born to them.
'Man' here means the human race at that period of time. 'The face`fff1` of the ground' means the whole of that area where the Church was. 'Daughters' here means the things that constituted the will of that man, and so means evil desires.
`nnn1. literally, the faces
ppp23277#pid#565. 'Man' here means the human race at that period of time, in particular the race that was evil or corrupt. This becomes clear from the following verses,
My spirit will not reprove man for ever, in that he is flesh, verse `Genesis 6bbbccc3`;
The evil of man had been increased on the earth; and all the imagination of the thoughts of his heart was altogether evil, verse `Genesis 6bbbccc5`;
I will wipe out man whom I have created, verse `Genesis 6bbbccc7`; and in the next chapter,
All flesh creeping over the earth breathed its last; and every man, in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life.`fff1` `Genesis 7bbb21-22`.
Concerning man it has been stated already that the Lord alone is Man, and that by virtue of Him every celestial man or celestial Church is called man, as is every other man or Church. And the same applies also to every individual, of whatever faith, to distinguish him from animals. But nobody is man or different from animals except, as has been stated, by virtue of remnants, which are the Lord's. Indeed remnants are what enable anyone to be called man; for it is on account of remnants which are the Lord's and so are obtained from Him that even the worst human being is called a man. For without remnants a person is in no sense a man but an utter beast.
`nnn1. literally, of lives
ppp23276#pid#566. 'The face`fff1` of the ground' means the whole of that area where the Church was. This is clear from the meaning of 'the ground', for in the Word a careful distinction is made between ground (humus) and land or earth (terra). Whenever 'ground' is used it means the Church or some aspect of the Church. This too is the derivation of the name Man or Adam, which means ground. But when 'land' or earth' occurs in the Word it frequently means where the Church or some aspect of the Church does not exist, as in Chapter `Genesis ccc1bbb0` where the word 'land' alone is used, because the Church or regenerate person did not as yet exist. Not until Chapter `Genesis ccc2bbb0` is the word 'ground' used because the Church has by now come into being. The same applies in the present verse and in verses `Genesis 7bbbccc4`, `Genesis 7bbbccc23`, of the next chapter, where it is said that every being was to be wiped off the face`fff1` of the ground, meaning within that area where the Church was; and in verse `Genesis 7bbbccc7` of the next chapter, where the subject is the Church that is to be created, 'to keep their seed alive on the face`fff1` of the ground'.`fff2` The same applies elsewhere in the Word, as in Isaiah,
Jehovah will have compassion on Jacob, and will still choose Israel, and will set them on their own ground. And the peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will inherit them on Jehovah's ground. `Isaiah 14bbb1-2`.
This refers to the Church once it has come into being; but when in the same chapter the Church does not exist it is called the land, verses `Isaiah 14bbbccc9`, `Isaiah 14bbbccc12`, `Isaiah 14bbbccc16`, `Isaiah 14bbbccc20`, `Isaiah 14bbbccc21`, `Isaiah 14bbbccc25`, `Isaiah 14bbbccc26`.
ttt[2] In the same prophet,
And the ground of Judah will be a terror to Egypt. On that day there will be five cities in the land of Egypt which speak the language`fff3` of Canaan. `Isaiah 19bbb17-18`.
Here 'the ground' means where the Church exists, and 'the land' where it does not. In the same prophet,
The land will surely stagger like a drunken man. Jehovah will visit the host of the height on high, and the kings of the ground on the ground. `Isaiah 24bbb20-21`.
Here the meaning is similar. In Jeremiah,
Because of the ground which was cracked since there was no rain on the land, the farmers were put to shame, and covered their heads. Even the hind in the field has calved. `Jeremiah 14bbb4-5`.
Here 'the land' stands for that which includes the ground, and 'the ground' for that which includes the field.
ttt[3] In the same prophet,
He led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north land and out of all the lands to where I have driven them. And they will dwell on their own ground. `Jeremiah 23bbb8`.
Here 'land' and 'lands' mean where Churches do not exist, 'the ground' where the Church or true worship does exist. In the same prophet,
I will render the remnants of Jerusalem, those who are left in this land, and those who are dwelling in the land of Egypt, and I will render them as a horror for evil to all the kingdoms of the land. And I will send sword, famine, and pestilence upon them, until they are consumed from the ground which I gave to them and their fathers. `Jeremiah 24bbb8-10`.
'The ground' stands for doctrine and worship arising out of it. And something similar is found in `Jeremiah ccc25bbb5` of the same book.
ttt[4] In Ezekiel,
I will gather you out of the lands into which you have been scattered. And you will acknowledge that I am Jehovah when I bring you back to the ground of Israel, into the land which I lifted up My hand to give to your fathers. `Ezekiel 20bbb41-42`.
'The ground' stands for internal worship. It is called 'the land' when internal worship does not exist. In Malachi,
I will rebuke the devourer for you, and he will not ruin for you the fruit of the ground, nor will the vine in the field fail you. And all the nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of that which is pleasing. `Malachi 3bbb11-12`.
Here 'land' stands for that which includes, and so plainly stands for man who is actually called 'the land', when 'ground' stands for the Church or doctrine.
ttt[5] In Moses,
Sing, O Nations, His people. He will reconcile His ground, His people. `Deuteronomy 32bbb43`.
This clearly stands for the Church of the gentiles, which is called 'the ground'. In Isaiah,
Before the boy knows to refuse evil and to choose good, the ground will be deserted which you loathe in the presence of its two kings. `Isaiah 7bbb16`.
This refers to the Coming of the Lord. 'The ground will be deserted' stands for the Church or true doctrine of faith. The words 'ground 'and 'field' are clearly used in this way because they are places that are sown, as in Isaiah,
He will give rain for your seed with which you may sow the ground. Oxen and young asses tilling the ground . . . `Isaiah 30bbb23-24`.
And in Joel,
The field has been laid waste, and the ground has been mourning because the corn has been laid waste. `Joel 1bbb10`.
From these quotations it is now clear that 'man', who in Hebrew is called Adam from the word for ground, means the Church.
`nnn1. literally, faces
`nnn2. The Hebrew in `Genesis 7bbb3` in fact means earth or land. cf `@@@722` below.
`nnn3. literally, lip.
ppp23275#pid#567. The whole of that region is called the area of the Church where people who have been instructed in the doctrine of true faith are situated, as the land of Canaan was when the Jewish Church was there, and as Europe is where the Christian Church is today. Lands or regions outside of them are not areas of the Church, or 'the face of the ground'. Where the Church existed prior to the Flood becomes clear also from the lands which were encompassed by the rivers flowing out of the garden of Eden, rivers which are also frequently described in the Word as the boundaries to the land of Canaan. Where it was situated prior to the Flood is also clear from what follows that description, for example, from the reference to the Nephilim being in the land, whose presence then in the land of Canaan is clear from the statement in `Numbers 13bbb33` that the sons of Anak came from the Nephilim.
ppp23274#pid#568. 'Daughters' means the things that constituted the will of that man, and so means evil desires. This is clear from what has been stated and shown about sons and daughters at verse `Genesis 5bbbccc4` of the previous chapter, where 'sons' meant truths and 'daughters' goods. 'Daughters' or goods constitute the will. But as is a person's character so is his understanding and his will, and so therefore his 'sons and daughters'. At the moment the subject is the corrupt human type who has no will but merely evil desire instead, which people imagine to be the will and actually call the will. For any attribute is determined by the nature of the subject to which it is attributed. As shown already, the human type to whom 'daughters' are attributed here is a corrupt type.
ttt[2] The reason 'daughters' means things constituting the will, which are evil desires when the will for good is non-existent, while 'sons' means those constituting the understanding, which are delusions when the understanding of truth is non-existent, is that the female disposition and make-up is such that the will or evil desire reigns rather than understanding. Every one of their fibres runs in that direction; and it is their very nature. The male make-up however is such that the understanding or reason reigns; every one of their fibres too runs in that direction, and it is their very nature. Consequently the marriage of the two sexes is like that of the will and the understanding in the individual. And because nowadays the will for good does not exist, but only evil desire, when yet it is possible for something of the understanding or reason to exist, so many laws were for that reason laid down in the Jewish Church concerning the husband's rights and the wife's obedience.
ppp23273#pid#569. Verse `Genesis 6bbbccc2` And the sons of God saw the daughters of man that they were fair, and took wives for themselves from all whom they chose.
'The sons of God' means doctrinal matters concerning faith, while 'daughters' here, as previously, means evil desires. 'The sons of God saw the daughters of man that they were fair, and took wives for themselves from all whom they chose' means that they joined doctrinal matters concerning faith to evil desires, indeed to every such desire.
ppp23272#pid#570. The sons of God' means doctrinal matters concerning faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'sons', dealt with just above, and also from verse `Genesis 5bbbccc4` of the previous chapter, where 'sons' meant the truths of the Church. Truths of the Church are matters of doctrine. These regarded in themselves were truths because those who are the subject here possessed them through what had been handed down to them from the most ancient people. It is for this reason that they are called 'the sons of God', and also because in relation to them evil desires are called 'the daughters of man'. Here it is describing the character of those people, that is to say, they were people who immersed the truths of the Church, which are holy, in their own desires, and in so doing polluted them, while at the same time confirming assumptions of which they were thoroughly persuaded. Anyone can judge what the situation must have been from what he finds in himself and in others. People who persuade themselves of any idea also confirm themselves in that idea by everything which they imagine to be the truth, including things in the Word of the Lord. For when people cling to the assumptions they have adopted and of which they are persuaded, they make everything favour and support them. And the more anyone loves himself, the more immovable he becomes. The character of those people will in the Lord's Divine mercy be described later on along with their dreadful persuasions, which are such that, miraculously, they are never allowed to flow in by their reasonings - for if they do they slay the entire rationality of other spirits present - but only from their evil desires. From this it is clear what the statement means about the sons of God seeing the daughters of man that they were fair, and their taking wives for themselves from all whom they chose, namely that they joined doctrinal matters concerning faith to evil desires, indeed to every such desire.
ppp23271#pid#571. When anyone is such that he immerses the truths of faith in his own insane desires he renders truths unholy and deprives himself of remnants which, though with him still, cannot be brought out. For the instant they are brought out they in turn are rendered unholy by those things which are already profaned. For profanations of the Word create hard skin so to speak which blocks and absorbs into itself the goods and truths constituting remnants. This being so, let man be on his guard against profaning the Word of the Lord in which eternal truths are present that have life within them, though the person who is under the influence of false assumptions does not believe that they are truths.
ppp23270#pid#572. Verse `Genesis 6bbbccc7` And Jehovah said, My spirit will not reprove man forever, in that he is flesh; and his days will be a hundred and twenty years.
'Jehovah said, My spirit will not reprove man for ever' means that man would be led in this fashion no longer. 'In that he is flesh' means because he became bodily-minded. 'And his days will be a hundred and twenty years' means that he ought to have remnants of faith. It is also a prediction concerning the future Church.
ppp23269#pid#573. That 'Jehovah said, My spirit will not reprove man for ever' means that man would be led in this fashion no longer is clear from what comes before and after. From what comes before it is clear that by immersing doctrinal matters or truths concerning faith in evil desires, they became people who could no longer be reproved, that is, no longer know what evil is. All ability to perceive truth and good had been wiped out by their persuasions; only that which was in keeping with their persuasions did they believe to be true. From what comes after it is clear that after the Flood the member of the Church was constituted differently. With him perception was replaced by conscience through which he could be reproved. Consequently 'reproof by the spirit of Jehovah' means an inner dictate, perception or conscience, and 'the spirit of Jehovah' the influx of truth and good, as in Isaiah also,
I will not contend eternally, nor will I be angry for ever; for the spirit from before Me would overwhelm, and I have made souls. `Isaiah 57bbb16`.
ppp23268#pid#574. 'Flesh' means that man became bodily-minded. This is clear from the meaning of 'flesh' in the Word, where it is used to mean the whole of mankind in general and the bodily-minded man in particular. It is used to mean the whole of mankind in Joel,
I will pour out My spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy. `Joel 2bbb28`.
'Flesh' stands for mankind, 'spirit' for the influx of truth and good from the Lord. In David,
O You that hearest prayer, to You will all flesh come. `Psalms 65bbb2`.
Here 'flesh' stands for the whole of mankind. In Jeremiah,
Cursed is that man (vir) who trusts in man (homo) and makes flesh his arm. `Jeremiah 17bbb5`.
'Flesh' stands for mankind, 'arm' for power.
In Ezekiel,
And all flesh will know. `Ezekiel 20bbb48`, `Ezekiel 20bbbccc49`.
ttt[2] In Zechariah,
Be silent, all flesh, before Jehovah. `Zechariah 2bbb13`.
Again 'flesh' stands for the whole of mankind. 'Flesh' stands for the bodily-minded man in particular in Isaiah,
The Egyptian is man (homo), and not God; and his horses are flesh and not spirit. `Isaiah 31bbb3`.
'Flesh' here indicates that their factual knowledge is concerned with things of the body. 'Horses' here and elsewhere in the Word stands for the rational.
In the same prophet,
One will strike down on the right and will be hungry; and they will eat on the left, and they will not be satisfied. Every man will eat the flesh of his own arm. `Isaiah 9bbb20`.
Here 'flesh' stands for the things that are man's own, all of which are of a bodily nature.
In the same prophet,
He will fat up from the soul even to the flesh. `Isaiah 10bbb18`.
'Flesh' stands for bodily things.
In the same prophet,
The glory of Jehovah will be revealed, and all flesh will see it together. A voice says, Cry! And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass. `Isaiah 40bbb5-6`.
'Flesh' stands for the whole of mankind as being bodily-minded.
ttt[3] In the same prophet,
In fire Jehovah will dispute, and by His sword with all flesh, and the slain`fff1` of Jehovah will be multiplied. `Isaiah 66bbb16`.
'Fire' stands for the punishment of evil desires, 'sword' for the punishment of falsities, and 'flesh' for the bodily things of man. In David,
God remembered that they were flesh, a spirit going away so that it did not turn back. `Psalms 78bbb39`.
This refers to the people in the wilderness who craved for flesh, that is, a bodily-minded people. Their craving for flesh represented their desire for bodily things alone, see `Numbers 11bbb32-34`.
`nnn1. literally, the pierced
ppp23267#pid#575. 'The days of man were to be a hundred and twenty years' means that he ought to have remnants of faith. At verses `Genesis 5bbbccc3`, `Genesis 5bbbccc4` of the previous chapter it was stated that 'days' and 'years' meant periods of time and states, and that the most ancient people meant states and changes in the states of the Church by the numbers which they compounded variously. The exact nature of their computation of things that had to do with the Church is one of those matters that have been lost. Here in like manner numbers of years occur, whose meaning nobody can possibly know unless he knows what is concealed in each of the numbers 1-12, and so on. It is quite apparent that they embody some arcanum or other, for in saying that they would live a hundred and twenty years this verse contradicts those that go before it. Nor subsequently did they live a mere hundred and twenty years, as is clear from what Chapter `Genesis ccc11bbb0` says about those who lived after the Flood - that Shem lived 500 years after he beget Arpachshad, Arpachshad 407 years after he beget Shelah, Shelah 403 years as well after he beget Eber, and Eber 430 years after he beget Peleg. Chapter `Genesis ccc9bbb28` says that Noah lived 350 years after the Flood; and other examples could be given. What the number 120 embodies however is clear merely from the numbers to and 12, for 120 is the product of 10 times 12. It means remnants of faith. In the Word the number ten has the same meaning as tenths, representing remnants which are preserved by the Lord within the internal man. And since these are the Lord's alone they are holy. The number twelve means faith, that is, all things belonging to faith in their entirety. So this composite number means remnants of faith.
ppp23266#pid#576. That the number ten means remnants, just as tenths do, becomes clear from the following places: In Isaiah,
Many houses will be a desolation, large and beautiful ones, without inhabitant, for ten acres of vineyard will yield but one bath, and a homer of seed will yield an ephah. `Isaiah 5bbb9-10`.
This refers to the vastation of spiritual and celestial things. 'Ten acres of vineyard will yield but one bath' stands for remnants of spiritual things being so few, while 'a homer of seed will yield an ephah' stands for remnants of celestial things being so few. In the same prophet,
And there will be many forsaken places in the midst of the land; and yet there will be a tenth part in it, and this will return; it will be however an uprooting. `Isaiah 6bbb12-13`.
'The midst of the land' stands for the internal man, 'a tenth part' for such a small quantity of remnants. In Ezekiel,
You shall have just balances, and a just ephah, and a just bath. The ephah and the bath shall be of one measure, the bath containing a tenth of a homer; and the ephah a tenth of a homer, the measure for it shall be after the homer. And the fixed portion of oil, of the bath of oil, shall be a tenth of a bath from a cor, which is ten baths to the homer; for ten baths are a homer. `Ezekiel 45bbb10-11`, `Ezekiel 45bbbccc14`.
The quantities mentioned here relate to holy things, which are Jehovah's. They mean different kinds of holy things. 'Ten' here means remnants of celestial things and so of spiritual things. For what are the specific numerical quantities mentioned in this and in previous chapters of this prophet where the heavenly Jerusalem and the new Temple are the subject, and in other prophets, and also in the various rites of the Jewish Church, if they do not contain sacred arcana?
ttt[2] In Amos,
She has fallen, no more to rise, the virgin of Israel. Thus said the Lord Jehovah, The city that goes forth a thousand will have remnants of a hundred, and that which goes forth a hundred will have remnants of ten to the house of Israel. `Amos 5bbb2-3`.
The word 'remnants' is used here, of which only a fraction will remain, for this is only a tenth part, or the remnants of remnants. In the same prophet,
I hate the pride of Jacob and his palaces, and I will shut up the city and all that is in it. And it will be that if ten men will have remained in one house, they will die. `Amos 6bbb8-9`.
'Ten' stands for remnants that are not likely to remain. In Moses,
The Ammonite and the Moabite shall not come into the assembly of Jehovah; even the tenth generation belonging to them shall not come into the assembly of Jehovah forever. `Deuteronomy 23bbb3`.
'The Ammonite and the Moabite' stands for the profanation of the celestial and the spiritual things of faith, the remnants of which have been dealt with already.
ttt[3] From this it is clear that 'tenths' represents remnants, of which Malachi speaks as follows,
Bring all the tithes`fff1` to the treasure-house, that there may be plunder in My house, and let them put Me to the test in this matter whether I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing for you. `Malachi 3bbb10`.
'That there may be plunder in My house stands for remnants in the internal man, which are likened to 'plunder' because they are implanted, so to speak, by stealth among so many evils and falsities; and by way of such remnants comes every blessing. The fact that the whole of a person's charity comes to him by way of the remnants that are in the internal man was also represented in the Jewish Church by the requirement that once they had paid their tithes,`fff1` they were then to give to the Levite, the stranger, the orphan, and the widow, `Deuteronomy 26bbb12` and following verses.
ttt[4] Since remnants are the Lord' s alone, tenths are therefore called 'Holiness to Jehovah', and are spoken of in Moses as follows,
All the tithes`fff1` of the land - of the seed of the land, of the fruit of the tree - are Jehovah's; they are Holiness to Jehovah. All tithes`fff1` of the herd and of the flock, every tenth one that passes under the (herdsman's) staff shall be Holiness to Jehovah. `Leviticus 27bbb30`, `Leviticus 27bbbccc32`.
Since the Decalogue consisted of Ten Commandments, or Ten Words, and Jehovah wrote them on tablets, `Deuteronomy 10bbb4`, remnants are meant; and the fact that they were written by the hand of Jehovah means that such remnants are the Lord's alone. Their presence in the internal man was represented by the tablets.
`nnn1. or tenths
ppp23265#pid#577. Twelve means faith, or those things in their entirety that belong to love and faith deriving from it. Many details from the Word may confirm this - the twelve sons of Jacob and their names, the twelve tribes of Israel, and the Lord's twelve disciples. These matters however will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with later on, in particular in `Genesis 29bbb0`, `Genesis ccc30bbb0`.
ppp23264#pid#578. These numbers alone show what the Word of the Lord includes within its bosom and inner recesses, namely arcana hidden away which are nowhere exposed to the naked eye. The same applies everywhere else, in that every expression contains things such as these.
ppp23263#pid#579. With the people who lived before the Flood, dealt with here, remnants were few and almost non-existent. This will be clear from matters which in the Lord's Divine mercy will be discussed later on. Because with them it was impossible for remnants to be preserved a new Church called Noah that would have remnants is foretold here. This too will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with later on.
ppp23262#pid#580. Verse `Genesis 6bbbccc4` The Nephilim were in the land in those days, very much so after the sons of God went in to the daughters of man, who bore children to them; they were mighty men (vir) who from of old were men (vir) of the name.
'The Nephilim' means those who, persuaded of their own prominence and superiority, treated everything holy and true as being worthless. 'Very much so after the sons of God went in to the daughters of man, who bore children to them' means at that time when they immersed doctrinal matters concerning faith in their own evil desires and formed false persuasions. They are called 'mighty men' on account of their self-love, and 'from of old, men of the name' means that such people had also existed previously.
ppp23261#pid#581. That 'the Nephilim' means those who, persuaded of their own prominence and superiority, treated everything holy and true as being worthless is clear from what comes before and directly after; that is to say, they immersed matters of doctrine in their own evil desires, which is what is meant by the statement about the sons of God going in to the daughters of man, who bore children to them. Persuasion concerning self and its own delusions also grows as more and more things enter in, till at length that persuasion is inerasable. And when doctrinal matters concerning faith are added as well, utterly persuasive assumptions cause them to treat everything holy and true as being worthless, and they become Nephilim. As has been stated, this set of people who lived before the Flood are such that all spirits are choked to death by their absolutely dreadful delusions which spread from them like a sphere that is poisonous and choking. Spirits are so choked to death by them that they do not know how to think, and as a result feel semi-dead. And unless the Lord by His Coming into the world had freed the world of spirits from so pernicious a set of people, no one could possibly have stayed on there, and so the human race, which the Lord governs by means of spirits, would have perished. Consequently these people are now detained in a hell beneath what looks like a misty solid rock, beneath the heel of the left foot. Nor do they ever try to escape. The world of spirits is accordingly free of that extremely dangerous crew. That crew and the thoroughly poisonous sphere of persuasions from it will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with as a separate subject.`fff1` These are the people called the Nephilim, and they treat all that is holy and true as being worthless.
ttt[2] Further mention is made of them in the Word, though their descendants were called Anakim and Rephaim. The fact that they were called Anakim is clear in Moses,
The men who explored the land of Canaan said, We saw the Nephilim there, the sons of Anak who were descendants of the Nephilim; and in our own eyes we were like locusts, and so we were in their eyes. `Numbers 13bbb33`.
The fact that they were called Rephaim is clear once again in Moses,
The Emim lived formerly in the land of Moab, a people great and many, and tall like the Anakim. The Rephaim were also considered to be as Anakim; and the Moabites called them Emim. `Deuteronomy 2bbb10-11`.
The Nephilim are not mentioned again, but the Rephaim are. In the Prophets the description of them fits what has been said about them already, as in Isaiah,
Hell beneath has been stirred up for you, to meet you as you come. He has roused the Rephaim for you. `Isaiah 14bbb9`
This refers to the hell where such people are.
In the same prophet,
The dead will not live, the Rephaim will not rise. To that end You have visited and destroyed them, and wiped out all remembrance of them. `Isaiah 26bbb14`.
This also refers to that hell of theirs from which they will never rise up again. And in the same prophet,
Your dead will live, my corpse will rise again. Wake up and sing, O inhabitants of the dust. For Your dew is a dew of herbs. But You will cast away the land of the Rephaim. `Isaiah 26bbb19`.
'The land of the Rephaim' is that self same hell.
In David,
Will You work a wonder for the dead? Will the Rephaim rise up and confess You? `Psalms 88bbb10`.
This similarly refers to that hell of theirs and to the fact that they can never again rise up and contaminate the atmosphere of the world of spirits with the utterly dreadful poison of their persuasions. Provision has been made by the Lord however to prevent the human race ever again being steeped in such dreadful delusions and persuasions. But the people who lived before the Flood were of such a nature and disposition that they were able to be steeped in them, for reasons until now unknown to anybody, which too will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with later on.
`nnn1. i.e. in `@@@1265-1272`
ppp23260#pid#582. 'After the sons of God went in to the daughters of man, who bore children to them' means at that time when they immersed doctrinal matters concerning faith in their own evil desires and became Nephilim. This is clear from what has been stated and shown just above at verse `Genesis 6bbbccc2`, that is to say, 'the sons of God' means doctrinal matters concerning faith, while 'daughters' means evil desires. Nothing else is born of this union than their treating the holy things of faith as worthless and their profaning them. For a person's desires which stem from self-love and love of the world stand utterly opposed to all that is holy and true. Moreover evil desires prevail with man, and therefore when the holy and true which have been acknowledged by him are immersed in such desires he is done for, since these cannot be rooted out and dispersed. They cling to every one of his ideas, and in the next life it is ideas that are communicated from one person to another. Consequently as soon as any idea of what is holy and true is brought out, so too is the unholiness and falsity attached to it, which is perceived instantly. Consequently such people have to be separated and forced down into hell.
ppp23259#pid#583. 'The Nephilim' were called 'mighty' on account of their self-love. This too is clear from many passages in the Word where such people are called 'mighty', as in Jeremiah,
The mighty ones of Babel have ceased fighting; they are seated in their strongholds; their might is deserting them, they have become like women. `Jeremiah 51bbb30`.
Here also 'the mighty ones of Babel' stands for those who are eaten up with self-love. In the same prophet,
A sword against the liars, and they will go mad. A sword against her mighty ones, and they will be thrown into confusion. `Jeremiah 50bbb36`.
In the same prophet,
I have seen it. They have been thrown into confusion and are turning backward. Their mighty ones have been crushed and have surely fled, and they have not looked back - terror all around! The swift will not flee away, nor the mighty one escape. Mount your horses, and drive your chariots madly on; let the mighty ones go forth - Cush, Put, the Ludim. `Jeremiah 46bbb5-6`, `Jeremiah 46bbbccc9`.
This refers to persuasion resulting from reasonings. In the same prophet,
How do you say, We are mighty, and men of strength for war? Moab has been laid waste. `Jeremiah 48bbb14-15`.
In the same prophet,
The city has been taken and its strongholds, possession has been taken of it. The heart of the mighty ones of Moab on that day will be like the heart of a woman in labour. `Jeremiah 48bbb41`.
Chapter `Jeremiah ccc49bbb22` similarly speaks of 'the heart of the mighty ones of Edom'. In the same prophet,
Jehovah has redeemed Jacob, and has reclaimed him from the hand of one mightier than himself. `Jeremiah 31bbb11`.
Here a different [Hebrew] expression is used for 'mighty'. The fact that the Anakim, who descended from the Nephilim, were spoken of as 'mighty ones' is clear in Moses,
You are crossing the Jordan today, going to dispossess nations greater and more numerous than yourself, cities great and fortified up to heaven, a people great and tall, the sons of the Anakim whom you know, and of whom you have heard it said, Who will stand before the sons of Anak? `Deuteronomy 9bbb1-2`.
ppp23258#pid#584. Verse `Genesis 6bbbccc5` And Jehovah saw that the evil of man had been increased on the earth, and all the imagination of the thoughts of his heart was altogether evil all the day long.
'Jehovah saw that the evil of man had been increased on the earth' means that the will for good started to go out of existence. 'All the imagination of the thoughts of his heart was altogether evil all the day long' means that there was no perception of truth and good.
ppp23257#pid#585. That 'the evil of man had been increased on the earth' means that the will for good started to go out of existence is clear from what has been stated before about no will existing any longer, but only evil desire, and also from the meaning of 'man on the earth'. In the literal sense 'the earth' is where mankind is, in the internal sense, where love is. And because love consists either in the will or else in evil desire, 'the earth' stands for man's will itself. In fact it is from willing rather than from knowing and understanding that a person is human, for knowing and understanding flow from his willing. Anything that does not flow from his willing, he does not wish to know or to understand. Indeed when he says or does something other than what the wills there is still something of the will, remote from speech and action, which governs him. That the land of Canaan, or the Holy Land, stands for love and so for the will of the celestial man may be confirmed from many places in the Word; and in like manner that the lands of various nations stand for their loves, which taken in general are self-love and love of the world. But as this point occurs so frequently there is no need to delay over it here. From these considerations it is clear that 'the evil of man on the earth' means his natural evil, which resides in the will, and which is said to have 'increased', because that natural evil had not become so bad with every one - though their intentions were selfish - that they did not wish good to others. 'The imagination of the thoughts of his heart' however means that such perversity became complete.
ppp23256#pid#586. 'The imagination of the thoughts of his heart was altogether evil all the day long' means that there was no perception of good and truth, the reason being, as has been stated and shown, that they immersed doctrinal matters concerning faith in their filthy desires. Once this had happened all perception perished, its place being taken by dreadful persuasion, that is, firmly fixed and lethal delusions, which also brought about their extinction and suffocation. Such deadly persuasion is here meant by 'the imagination of the thoughts of his heart'. But when 'the imagination of the heart' stands alone without the expression 'of the thoughts' the evil which belongs to self-love or to evil desires is meant, as in Chapter `Genesis ccc8bbb0` below where, after Noah had offered burnt offerings, Jehovah said,
I will curse the ground no more on account of man, for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his childhood. `Genesis 8bbb21`.
ttt[2] 'Imagination' is that which a person fashions for himself and of which he persuades himself, as in Habakkuk,
What profit is a graven image since its image-worker has graven it, a metal image and a teacher of lies, since the image-worker trusts in his own imagination to make dumb idols? `Habakkuk 2bbb18`.
'A graven image' means false persuasions resulting from ideas conceived and hatched by self. 'An image-worker' is someone who persuades himself, to whom 'imagination' has reference. In Isaiah,
O your perversity! Surely the potter will not be regarded as the clay, that the thing made will say to its maker, He did not make me? Or that the work of his imagination will say to its image-worker, He had no understanding? `Isaiah 29bbb16`.
'Imagination' here stands for thought originating in the proprium and for resulting false persuasion. In general 'imagination' is that which a person conceives from the heart or will, and also from his thinking or persuasion, as in David,
Jehovah knows our imagination, and remembers that we are dust. `Psalms 103bbb14`.
In Moses,
I know his imagination which he is performing this day, before I bring him into the land. `Deuteronomy 31bbb21`.
586[a] Verse `Genesis 6bbbccc6` And Jehovah repented`fff1` that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.
'He repented' means mercy; 'He was grieved in heart' has a similar meaning. 'Repenting' has regard to wisdom, 'grieving in heart' to love.
`nnn1. repent is not used in this section in the sense of being penitent or contrite over personal wrong-doing but in the sense of sorrow or regret over any past decision or course of action.
ppp23255#pid#587. That 'Jehovah repented that He had made man on the earth' means mercy, and that 'He was grieved in heart' has a similar meaning, is clear from the consideration that Jehovah foresees from eternity every single thing and therefore never repents. When He made man, that is, created him anew and perfected him to the point of his becoming celestial, He also foresaw that in the process of time he would become the kind of person described here. And because He foresaw the kind of person he would become, He could not repent. This is quite clear in Samuel,
Samuel said, The Invincible One of Israel does not lie, and He will not repent, for He is not a man (homo) that He should repent. `1 Samuel 15bbb29`.
And in Moses,
God is not a man (vir), that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not act? Or has He spoken, and will He not carry it out? `Numbers 23bbb19`.
'Repenting' however means having mercy.
ttt[2] Jehovah's, that is, the Lord's mercy includes every single thing which the Lord does towards the human race, whose condition is such that He has mercy on it, on each according to his state. He has mercy therefore on the state of the person He allows to be punished, as He does on that of the person on whom He confers the enjoyment of good. Being punished is a manifestation of mercy because it turns all evil that is being punished towards good. And conferring the enjoyment of good is a manifestation of mercy too, because nobody merits anything good at all. In fact the whole human race is evil, with everyone, if left to himself, rushing into hell. Consequently it is by mercy that anyone is rescued from that place, and by nothing other than mercy, since the Lord does not need anyone to help Him. The word mercy (misericordia) is used therefore because mercy rescues a person from misery (miseriae) and from hell, and so is used with respect to the human race whose condition is such, and it is the product of love towards all because all are such.
ppp23254#pid#588. The Lord is referred to as repenting and grieving in heart however because all human mercy seems to involve those feelings. Consequently as is the case many times elsewhere in the Word, the manner of speaking here is in accordance with the outward appearance. Nobody can know what the Lord's mercy is, for it infinitely transcends all human understanding. But one does know what human mercy is; it is repenting and grieving. And unless a person grasps the idea of mercy from some different feeling whose nature he knows, he can have no possible conception of it and so cannot learn anything about it. This is the reason why human characteristics are frequently attributed to Jehovah, or the Lord - for example, that Jehovah or the Lord punishes, leads into temptation, destroys, and burns with anger, when in fact He never punishes anybody, never leads anybody into temptation, never destroys anybody, and never burns with anger. Now seeing that such things are attributed to the Lord, repentance and grief may be attributed as well, for the attribution of the one follows on from that of the other, as is quite clear from the following places in the Word:
ttt[2] In Ezekiel,
My anger will be accomplished, I will make My wrath die down again, and I will repent. `Ezekiel 5bbb13`.
Here, because 'anger' and 'wrath' are attributed to Him, 'repenting' is attributed as well. In Zechariah,
As I thought to do Evil when your fathers provoked Me to anger, said Jehovah Zebaoth, and I did not repent, so again I will think in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. `Zechariah 8bbb14-15`.
Here it is said that Jehovah 'thought to do evil', when in fact He never thinks to do evil to anyone, but good to every single human being. And when Moses sought to placate the face`fff1` of Jehovah, Turn from the heat of Your anger, and repent over the evil of Your people. And Jehovah repented over the evil which He said He would do to His people. `Exodus 32bbb12`, `Exodus 32bbbccc14`.
Here also the heat of anger, and consequently repentance, is ascribed to Jehovah. In Jonah,
The king of Ninevah [said], Who knows, God may turn and repent, and turn from the heat of His anger, and we shall not perish! `Jonah 3bbb9`.
Here similarly 'repentance' is attributed to Him because 'anger' is also.
ttt[3] In Hosea,
My heart has turned within Me, and at the same time My repentings have been kindled; I will not execute the heat of My anger. `Hosea 11bbb8-9`.
Here 'repentings having been kindled', said of the heart, is similar in meaning to 'He was grieved in heart'. 'Repentings' clearly stands for abundant mercy. Similarly in Joel,
Return to Jehovah your God, for He is gracious and merciful, long-suffering, abounding in mercy, and repenting of evil. `Joel 2bbb13`.
Here again 'repenting' quite clearly means mercy. In Jeremiah,
It may be they will listen and every man turn from his evil way, that I may repent of the evil. `Jeremiah 26bbb3`.
'Repent' stands for having mercy. In the same prophet,
If that nation turns from its evil, I will repent of the evil. `Jeremiah 18bbb8`.
Here also 'repenting' stands for having mercy on them if only they would turn back, for it is man who turns the Lord's mercy away from himself. It is never the Lord who turns it away from man.
`nnn1. literally, the faces
ppp23253#pid#589. These and so many other places in the Word make it clear that the manner of speaking is in accordance with the outward appearances that are proper to man. Consequently anyone who wishes to confirm false assumptions from the outward appearances according to which the Word speaks could do so from countless places. Confirming false assumptions from the Word is one thing however, believing in simplicity what the Word contains is quite another. Anybody confirming false assumptions first of all adopts an assumption and then refuses to withdraw from it or to retract the smallest detail. Instead he scrapes together and piles up confirmatory material wherever he can, doing so even from the Word, till at length his self-persuasion renders him incapable any more of seeing the truth. Anybody however who believes in simplicity, or simple-heartedly, has no preconceived assumptions. Instead he thinks that because the Lord has said it, it is the truth. And if he is shown by means of other statements in the Word how the matter is to be understood, there and then he assents to it and in his heart rejoices. The person therefore who believes in simplicity that the Lord is angry, punishes, repents, and grieves, and in so believing fears evil and does what is good, comes to no harm. For by believing all this of the Lord he also believes that the Lord sees every single thing. And that being his faith, he is after that enlightened in all other matters of faith, in the next life if not already in this. It is quite different in the case of people who, prompted by filthy self-love or by love of the world, persuade themselves of what results from preconceived assumptions.
ppp23252#pid#590. 'Repenting' has regard to wisdom, while 'grieving in heart' has regard to love. This cannot be explained intelligibly except by reference to the things that exist with man, and so by means of appearances. Every idea comprising a person's thought contains something from the understanding and something from the will, that is, something from his thinking and something from his love. Any idea which does not draw something from his will or love is not an idea, for there is no other possible manner in which he can think. A kind of permanent and indissoluble marriage exists between thought and will, so that inhering within or else adhering to the ideas comprising thought are the things which belong to his will or love. This situation existing with man enables one to know, or rather seems to make it possible to form some idea of what constitutes the Lord's mercy, namely wisdom and love. Thus in the Prophets, especially in Isaiah, dual expressions for everything occur almost everywhere, the one embodying what is spiritual, the other what is celestial. The spiritual side of the Lord's mercy is wisdom, the celestial side love.
ppp23251#pid#591. Verse `Genesis 6bbbccc7` And Jehovah said, I will wipe out man whom I have created from upon the face`fff1` of the ground, from man even to beast, even to creeping thing, and even to birds of the air;`fff2` for I repent of having made them.
'Jehovah said, I will wipe out man' means that man would bring about his own end. 'Whom I have created from upon the face`fff1` of the ground' means mankind among the descendants of the Most Ancient Church. 'From man even to beast, and even to creeping thing' is the fact that everything belonging to his will would bring about his end. 'Even to birds of the air'`fff2` is everything belonging to the understanding or thought. 'For I repent of having made them', as previously, means compassion.
`nnn1. literally, the faces
`nnn2. literally, bird of the heavens (or the skies)
ppp23250#pid#592. 'Jehovah said, I will wipe out man' means that man would bring about his own end. This is clear from what has been stated already, that is to say, about statements made to the effect that Jehovah or the Lord punishes, tempts, does evil, wipes out or slays, and curses; for example, the statement that Jehovah slew Er, Judah's firstborn, and Onan, Judah's second son, `Genesis 38bbb7`, to; or the statement that Jehovah smote all the firstborn of Egypt, `Exodus 12bbb10`, `Exodus 12bbbccc29`. Also in
Jeremiah,
Those whom I smote in My anger, and in My fierce anger. `Jeremiah 33bbb5`.
In David,
He let loose on them His fierce anger, exceeding anger, and rage, and distress, a mission of evil angels. `Psalms 78bbb49`.
In Amos,
Will evil befall a city, and Jehovah has not done it? `Amos 3bbb6`.
In John,
Seven golden bowls full of the anger of God who lives for ever and ever. `Revelation 15bbb1`, `Revelation 15bbbccc7`; `Revelation ccc16bbb1`.
All of these qualities are attributed to Jehovah when in fact He is quite the reverse of them. They are attributed to Him for the reason already given, and also so that people may grasp first of all the very general idea that the Lord rules over and disposes every single thing there is. Then after that they may grasp the idea that the Lord never does evil, let alone slays anyone, but that instead it is man who brings evil upon himself, destroys, and slays himself. In one sense it is not man who does so but the evil spirits who incite him and lead him on. Yet in reality it is the man, for what else does he believe than that he himself does what he does? So then it is here said of Jehovah that He would wipe out man, though in fact it was man who would destroy himself and bring about his own end.
ttt[2] The situation in this matter becomes particularly clear from those in the next life who are living in torment and in hell. They are constantly complaining and ascribing to the Lord all the evil that punishes. And so do evil spirits in the world of evil spirits who take delight, indeed it is their chief delight, in hurting and punishing others. And those who are being hurt and punished assume that it is sent by the Lord. They are told and shown that not a hint of evil comes from the Lord, but that they bring the evil upon themselves. For in the next life all is counterbalanced in such a way that evil recoils on the one who commits it, and becomes evil that punishes. Punishment is therefore inevitable. It is said to be permitted for the sake of correcting evil; yet all the time the Lord is converting all evil that punishes into good, with the result that nothing but good ever comes from the Lord. What permission is however nobody as yet knows. What is permitted is considered to be something done by Him who permits simply because He does permit it. But in reality the situation is altogether different, a subject which in the Lord's Divine mercy will be dealt with later on.
ppp23249#pid#593. 'Whom I have created from upon the face`fff1` of the ground' means mankind among the descendants of the Most Ancient Church. This is clear not only from the use of the word 'created' in the phrase 'man whom He created', that is, whom He regenerated, and subsequently from the use of the word 'made' in the phrase 'whom He made', that is, whom He perfected or regenerated to the point of his becoming celestial; but also from the use of the expression 'from upon the face`fff1` of the ground'. The ground is where the Church is, as shown already. It is additionally clear from the fact that the subject is the people who immersed doctrinal matters concerning faith in their own evil desires. Those however who had no doctrine of faith were unable to act in this fashion. For people outside of the Church have no knowledge of truth and good, and those who do not have that knowledge can have a type of innocence even when they say or do something that is contrary to the truths and goods of faith. For they can be inspired with zeal for the system of worship which they have been brought up in since early childhood, and which they therefore suppose to be true and good. But in the case of people who do possess a doctrine of faith the matter is altogether different, for they are capable of mixing truths with falsities, and sacred things with profane. For this reason their lot in the next life is far worse than that of those called gentiles, who in the Lord's Divine mercy will be considered later on.
`nnn1. literally, the faces
ppp23248#pid#594. 'From man [even] to beast and even to creeping thing' means that everything belonging to his will would bring about his end. This is clear from the meaning of 'man', 'beast', and 'creeping thing'. Man is not human except by virtue of his will and understanding, which set him apart from animals. In all other respects man and animals are very similar. With the people of those times all will for good and all understanding of truth perished. Insane desires took the place of the will for good and insane delusions took the place of the understanding of truth, and these delusions and desires were mingled together. Consequently after they had destroyed their remnants in this way so to speak, they were inevitably destroyed. It is clear from what has been shown already about beasts and creeping things that whatever belongs to the will is called 'beasts and creeping things'. Here however because of the kind of man who is the subject 'beasts' does not mean good but evil affections, that is, evil desires, and 'creeping things' means pleasures both of the body and of the senses. That beasts and creeping things have such meanings requires no further confirmation from the Word, since they have been dealt with already; see `@@@45`, `@@@46`, `@@@142`, `@@@143`.
ppp23247#pid#595. 'Birds of the air'`fff1` means everything belonging to the understanding or thought; see what has been presented already in `@@@40`.
`nnn1. literally, Bird of the heavens (or the skies)
ppp23246#pid#596. Verse `Genesis 6bbbccc8` And Noah found grace in Jehovah's eyes.
'Noah' means a new Church. 'He found grace in Jehovah's eyes' means that the Lord foresaw that the human race could in that way be saved.
ppp23245#pid#597. 'Noah' means a new Church, which must be called the Ancient Church to distinguish between the Most Ancient Church before the Flood and the Church that followed it. The states of those two Churches were entirely different. The state of the Most Ancient Church was one in which people had from the Lord a perception of good and of truth deriving from it, while that of the Ancient Church, or Noah, came to be one in which it had a conscience concerning good and truth. The nature of the difference between having perception and having conscience is what determined the difference in state between the Most Ancient Church and the Ancient.
ttt[2] Perception is not the same as conscience. Celestial people have perception, spiritual people conscience. The Most Ancient Church was celestial whereas the Ancient was spiritual. The Most Ancient Church possessed immediate revelation through direct contact with spirits and angels, and also through visions and dreams from the Lord. These experiences enabled them to know in a general way what good and truth were, and once they knew them in this general way their general or so to speak primary matters of knowledge were confirmed by means of countless details acquired through perceptions. These countless details constituted the particular and the individual aspects of the general knowledge to which they had reference. In this manner general or so to speak primary knowledge was being corroborated day by day. If anything was not in keeping with general matters of knowledge they perceived that it was not; and if anything was in keeping they perceived that it was. Such is also the state of celestial angels.
ttt[3] The general, so to speak primary, matters of knowledge of the Most Ancient Church were celestial and eternal truths: for example, that the Lord governs the whole universe; that the Lord is the source of all good and truth; that the Lord is the source of all life; that man's proprium was nothing but evil, and in itself something dead; in addition to other general truths such as these. And they received from the Lord a perception of countless considerations confirming and harmonizing with these truths. For those people love was the chief thing of faith, and through love they were allowed by the Lord to perceive anything that was a matter of faith. Consequently faith to them was love, as stated already. The Ancient Church however became entirely different. That difference will in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed later on.
ppp23244#pid#598. 'He found grace in Jehovah's eyes' means that the Lord foresaw that the human race could in that way be saved. The mercy of the Lord entails and looks to the salvation of the whole human race; and so does His grace. Consequently, the salvation of the human race is meant. 'Noah' means not only a new Church but also the faith of that Church, which was a faith that inhered in charity. The Lord accordingly foresaw that it would be possible for the human race to be saved by means of faith that inhered in charity. Such faith will be dealt with later on.
ttt[2] In the Word however a distinction is made between mercy and grace, a distinction which depends in fact on differences in those who are their recipients. Mercy applies to those who are celestial, but grace to those who are spiritual, for celestial people acknowledge nothing other than mercy, while spiritual acknowledge hardly anything other than grace. Celestial people do not know what grace is, while the spiritual scarcely know what mercy is, for they make mercy and grace to be one and the same. The reason for the difference springs from each one's humility. People in whom there is humility of heart plead for the Lord's mercy, but those in whom there is humility of mind (cogitatio) seek His grace. Or if the latter do plead for mercy they do so in a state of temptation or with the lips only and not with the heart. Since the new Church called Noah was not celestial but spiritual, it is not said to have found mercy but to have found grace in Jehovah's eyes.
ttt[3] The distinction made in the Word between mercy and grace is clear from very many places where Jehovah is said to be merciful and gracious, as in `Psalms 103bbb8`; `Psalms ccc111bbb4`; `Psalms ccc112bbb4`; `Joel 2bbb13`. The same distinction is made elsewhere, as in Jeremiah,
Thus said Jehovah, The people which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness, when He went to give rest to Israel. From afar Jehovah appeared to me. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with mercy. `Jeremiah 31bbb2-3`.
Here 'grace' has reference to what is spiritual and 'mercy' to what is celestial. In Isaiah,
Therefore Jehovah will wait to grant you grace, and therefore He will exalt Himself to be merciful to you. `Isaiah 30bbb18`.
Here similarly 'grace' has regard to what is spiritual and 'mercy' to what is celestial. And further on [in Genesis] where Lot is addressing the angels,
Behold now, Your servant has found grace in Your eyes, and You have magnified Your mercy which You have shown to me in causing my soul to live. `Genesis 19bbb19`.
Here also it is clear that since he is spoken of as 'having found grace in Your eyes' grace has regard to spiritual things which are matters of faith or of the understanding. And since the expressions 'to have magnified mercy' and 'to have caused my soul to live' are used, it is equally clear that mercy has regard to celestial things, which are matters of love or of the will.
ppp23243#pid#599. `Genesis 6bbb9-22`
9. These are the generations (nativitates) of Noah. Noah was a righteous and blameless man (vir) among members of his own generation (generationes). And Noah walked with God.
10. And Noah beget three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
11. And the earth`fff1` was corrupt before God, and the earth`fff1` was filled with violence.
12. And God saw the earth,`fff1` and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth.`fff1`
13. And God said to Noah, The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth' is filled with violence before their faces. And behold, I am destroying them together with the earth.`fff1`
14. Make yourself an ark of planks of gopher; you shall make the ark with rooms and cover it`fff2` inside and out with bitumen.
15. And thus shall you make it: three hundred cubits the length of the ark, fifty cubits its breadth, and thirty cubits its height.
16. You shall make a window for the ark, and you shall finish it to a cubit above; and you shall set the door of the ark in the side of it; lowest, second, and third storeys you shall make it.
17. And I, behold, am bringing a flood of waters over the earth, to destroy all flesh in which there is the spirit of life`fff3` from under the heavens; everything that is on earth will breathe its last.
18. And I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall enter into the ark, you, and your sons, and your wife, and your sons' wives with you.
19. And of every living creature of all flesh, pairs of all, you shall cause to enter the ark, to keep them alive with you; male and female they shall be.
20. Of birds according to their kinds, and of beasts according to their kinds, and of every creeping thing of the ground according to its kind. Pairs of all shall come in to you to keep them alive.
21. And take for yourself of all food that is eaten, and gather it to yourself, and it will be food for you and them.
22. And Noah did according to all that God commanded him; he did so.
CONTENTS
The subject is the state of the Church called Noah, before its regeneration.
`nnn1. or the land
`nnn2. literally, bitumen it
`nnn3. literally, of lives
ppp23242#pid#600. The member of that Church is described as someone who was able to be regenerated, verse `Genesis 6bbbccc9`. But from that Church there arose three classes of doctrine, which are Shem, Ham, and Japheth, verse `Genesis 6bbbccc10`.
ppp23241#pid#601. No one surviving from the Most Ancient Church was able to be regenerated on account of his dreadful persuasions and filthy desires, verses `Genesis 6bbbccc11-12`. By means of these he would destroy himself completely, verse `Genesis 6bbbccc13`.
ppp23240#pid#602. Not so the member of the Church called Noah, who is described by the ark, verse `Genesis 6bbbccc14`. The remnants existing with him are described by the measurements mentioned in verse `Genesis 6bbbccc15`, and his intellectual concepts by the window, door, and rooms, in verse `Genesis 6bbbccc16`.
ppp23239#pid#603. He was to be preserved when the rest would perish in a deluge of evil and falsity, verse `Genesis 6bbbccc17`.
ppp23238#pid#604. The truths and goods residing with him would be preserved, verse `Genesis 6bbbccc18`, and so through regeneration the things which constituted the understanding and which constituted the will, verses `Genesis 6bbbccc19-20`, which he was to be made ready to receive, verse `Genesis 6bbbccc21`. This was accordingly done, verse `Genesis 6bbbccc22`.
ppp23237#pid#605. THE INTERNAL SENSE
The subject now is the formation of a new Church which is called Noah. The formation of it is described by the ark into which living creatures of every kind were admitted. But before that new Church could come into existence, the member of the Church, as is normal, had inevitably to undergo many temptations, which are described by this ark's being lifted up, carried along, and coming to a stop, on the waters of the flood. At length this member of the Church became a true spiritual man, one who had been set free, which is meant by the waters subsiding, and further details that follow. Nobody who keeps merely to the sense of the letter is able to see this, the chief reason being here that all those details are linked together as a tale of history, and give the idea of historical events. But the style belonging to that period - a style that gave them the greatest pleasure - was such that everything was embodied in allegory and woven together as a historical tale. And the better everything held together as an undivided tale the more it appealed to those people. For in those early times people were not so much inclined towards the things known today but to profounder thoughts whose offspring were the kind of things mentioned here. This was what constituted the wisdom of men of old.
ppp23236#pid#606. The Flood, the ark, and therefore descriptions concerning the Flood and the ark, mean regeneration, and also the temptations that precede. This is something learned men of today are aware of, for they too compare regeneration and temptations to the waters of a flood.
ppp23235#pid#607. The character of that Church is described later on, but in order that some notion of it may be gained at this point let a brief description be given here. The Most Ancient Church, as has been stated, was celestial whereas this Ancient Church became spiritual. Whereas the Most Ancient Church possessed perception of good and truth this Church had instead of perception a different kind of dictate, which may be called conscience.
ttt[2] Something as yet unknown to the world and perhaps hard to believe is that the member of the Most Ancient Church possessed internal breathing, but no external breathing except that which was soundless. Consequently people spoke not so much by means of vocal utterances, as they did in later times and as they do nowadays, but like angels, by means of ideas. They were able to express ideas by means of countless alterations in their facial expressions and in their looks, and especially by means of alterations of the lips where there are innumerable threads of muscular fibres which are all knotted up nowadays but which had freedom of movement in those times. They were in this way able to present, mean, and represent inside a minute things which nowadays take an hour by the use of articulated sounds or utterance. And they did so far more fully and more clearly to the comprehension and understanding of those present than can possibly be done with words or sentences. This is perhaps hard to believe but is nevertheless the truth. There are also many others who do not originate from this earth who spoke and still do so today in this manner. These in the Lord's Divine mercy will be dealt with later on.
ttt[3] I have been given to know also the nature of that internal breathing and how in course of time it was changed. And because their manner of breathing resembled that of angels who breathe in that kind of way, profound ideas constituted their thought, and they were able to have perception, such as defies description. Consequently if such a description were attempted it would not be comprehended nor therefore believed either. Among their descendants however that internal breathing gradually passed away, and with those who were obsessed with dreadful persuasions and delusions it became such that they were incapable any longer of presenting any idea comprising thought except the very grotesque. The outcome of this was their inability to survive, and so all of them were wiped out.
ppp23234#pid#608. When internal breathing came to an end, external breathing practically the same as that today gradually took its place. And with external breathing came vocal speech or articulated sounds, which encapsulated the ideas comprising thought. In this way man's state was changed completely, and he became such as to be incapable any longer of possessing perception of that kind. Instead of perception he had a different kind of dictate, which may be called conscience, for though similar to conscience, it was in fact something half-way between perception and conscience as some people know it today. And once such an encapsulation of the ideas comprising thought had taken place, that is to say, within vocal speech, people could not be taught any longer by way of the internal man, as the most ancient people had been, but by way of the external. Consequently the revelations that the Most Ancient Church received were succeeded by matters of doctrine which had first of all to be apprehended by the external senses. These would produce material ideas in the memory, from which the ideas comprising thought were formed, such ideas being the means by which they were taught. Consequently the mental constitution of this Church was altogether different from that of the Most Ancient Church which it succeeded. And unless the Lord had brought the human race into that mental disposition or condition nobody at all could possibly have been saved.
ppp23233#pid#609. Since the state of the member of this Church which is called Noah was completely altered from that of the member of the Most Ancient Church, he was no longer able, as has been stated, to be informed and enlightened in the way that the most ancient people had been. For internal things had been closed so that he no longer had any communication with heaven apart from that of which he was not immediately conscious. As a consequence he could not be taught except by an external or sensory way, which is that of the senses, as has been stated. For this reason, through the Providence of the Lord, doctrinal matters concerning faith, together with some of the revelations made to the Most Ancient Church, were preserved for the use of these descendants. These matters of doctrine were gathered together initially by 'Cain and stored away to prevent their being destroyed. Hence the statement in reference to Cain that 'a sign was set upon him lest anyone should kill him', as may be seen where these matters are discussed in Chapter `Genesis ccc4bbb15`. Subsequently they were arranged into a doctrinal system by 'Enoch', and since such doctrine was to be used not at that period of time but by descendants, it is therefore said that 'God took him'. These matters also may be seen where they are discussed in `Genesis ccc5bbb24`. These doctrinal matters concerning faith were what the Lord preserved for the use of these descendants or Church. For the Lord foresaw that perception would perish, and therefore also made provision for such matters of doctrine to stay in existence.
ppp23232#pid#610. Verse `Genesis 6bbbccc9` These are the generations (nativitates) of Noah. Noah was a righteous and blameless man (vir) among members of his own generation (generationes). And Noah walked with God.
'The generations of Noah' means a description of the reformation or regeneration of the new Church. 'Noah was a righteous and blameless man among members of his own generation' means that he was such as could be endowed with charity, 'righteous' having regard to the good of charity, and 'blameless' to the truth of charity; while 'members of his own generation' has to do with faith. 'Walking with God' here, as previously when Enoch was the subject, means the doctrine of faith.
ppp23231#pid#611. That 'the generations of Noah' means a description of the reformation or regeneration of the new Church is clear from what has been stated already at Chapter `Genesis ccc2bbb4`; `Genesis ccc5bbb1`.
ppp23230#pid#612. 'Noah was a righteous and blameless man among members of his own generation' means that he was such as could be endowed with charity. This is clear from the meaning of 'righteous' and 'blameless', 'righteous' having regard to the good of charity, and 'blameless' to the truth of charity; also from the fact that the essential element of that Church was charity, in the Lord's Divine mercy to be dealt with later on. That 'righteous' has regard to the good of charity and 'blameless' to the truth of charity is clear from the Word, as in Isaiah,
They will seek Me daily, and will desire the knowledge of My ways, as a nation that does righteousness and does not forsake the judgement of their God. They will ask of Me the judgments of righteousness, they will desire the approach of God. `Isaiah 58bbb2`.
Here 'judgement' stands for things that have to do with truth, and 'righteousness' for those that have to do with good. 'Doing judgement and righteousness' became so to speak a stock phrase for truth and good, as in `Isaiah 56bbb1`; `Jeremiah 22bbb3`, `Jeremiah 22bbbccc13`, `Jeremiah 22bbbccc15`; `Jeremiah ccc23bbb5`; `Jeremiah ccc33bbb15`; `Ezekiel 33bbb14`, `Ezekiel 33bbbccc16`, `Ezekiel 33bbbccc19`. And the Lord said,
The righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. `Matthew 13bbb43`.
This stands for people who are endowed with charity. Also in reference to the close of the age the Lord said,
The angels will come out and separate the evil from the midst of the righteous. `Matthew 13bbb49`.
Here also it stands for people who receive the good that stems from charity.
ttt[2] 'Blameless' however means the truth that stems from charity. For truth can come from one of many other origins, but that which stems from the good of charity deriving from the Lord is called 'blameless' and 'a blameless man', as in David,
Who will sojourn in Your tent? Who will dwell on Your holy mountain? He who walks blameless and does righteousness and speaks truth in his heart. `Psalms 15bbb1-2`.
This describes a person who is blameless. In the same author,
With the holy You behave in a holy way, and with a blameless man (vir). You show Yourself blameless. `Psalms 18bbb15`.
Here 'a blameless man' is one who is so by reason of what is holy, that is, good stemming from charity. In the same author,
Jehovah will withhold no good thing from those walking blamelessly. `Psalms 84bbb11`.
ttt[3] A 'blameless' person is one who is true by reason of good, that is, one who speaks and does what is true from charity. This is clear from the fact that so many times the words 'walking', 'way', and also 'upright' or 'uprightness', words used in connection with truth, are applied to someone who is blameless or to blamelessness, as in David,
I will instruct the blameless in the way how far he shall come towards me. I will walk in the blamelessness of my heart within my house. `Psalms 101bbb2`.
And in verse `Genesis 6bbbccc6` of the same Psalm,
He who walks in the way of the blameless will serve Me.
In the same author,
Blessed are the blameless in the way, walking in the law of Jehovah. `Psalms 119bbb1`.
In the same author,
Blamelessness and uprightness will protect me. `Psalms 25bbb21`.
In the same author,
Mark the blameless man, and behold the upright, for the latter end of that man is peace. `Psalms 37bbb37`.
From these quotations it is clear that someone who does what is good is called 'righteous', while someone who does truth deriving from it, which is the same as 'doing righteousness and judgement', is called 'blameless'. 'Holiness and righteousness' belongs on the celestial side of faith, 'blamelessness and judgement' on the derivative spiritual side.
ppp23229#pid#613. That 'members of his own generation' has to do with faith is not evident from the sense of the letter, which sense is historical. Nevertheless because they are matters of a purely internal nature here, things that have to do with faith are meant. It is also clear from the train of thought that 'generations' here means nothing else. The same occurs several times in the Word, as in Isaiah,
Let those that be of you build the waste places of old; raise up the foundations of generation upon generation, and you will be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in. `Isaiah 58bbb12`.
All the details here mean things that have to do with faith. 'The waste places of old' means those on the celestial side of faith, 'the foundations of generation upon generation' at the same time meaning those on the spiritual side, and which had lapsed since ancient times. In the same prophet,
They will build up the waste places of old, they will raise up the former desolations, and they will renew the waste cities, the desolations of generation upon generation. `Isaiah 61bbb4`.
Here the meaning is similar. In the same prophet,
They will not labour in vain, and they will not generate in sudden terror; for they will be the seed of the blessed of Jehovah, and their offspring with them. `Isaiah 65bbb23`.
Here also 'generating' has reference to things that have to do with faith, and 'labouring' to those that have to do with love. 'The seed of the blessed of Jehovah' has reference to the latter, 'offspring' to the former.
ppp23228#pid#614. 'Walking with God' means the doctrine of faith. This may be seen in what has been stated already about Enoch at Chapter `Isaiah ccc5bbb22`, `Isaiah 5bbbccc24`, who also is said to have 'walked with God'. In that context it meant the doctrine of faith that was preserved for the use of descendants; and as these are the descendants for whose use it was preserved the subject is now taken up once again.
ppp23227#pid#615. Described here in general is the nature of the member of this Church, not what he still in fact was but what he was capable of becoming, for what follows concerns the forming of such a man; that is to say, he was one on whom it was possible to confer charity through cognitions of faith, so that he could act from charity, and from the good which stems from charity recognize what truth is. This is why the good of charity, or being 'a righteous person', comes first, and the truth of charity, or being 'a blameless person', follows. As already stated, charity is love towards the neighbour, and mercy, and is a lower grade of the love found in the Most Ancient Church which was love to the Lord. In this way love assumed a lower position and became more external, and must be referred to as charity.
ppp23226#pid#616. Verse `Genesis 6bbbccc10`. And Noah beget three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
'Noah beget three sons' means that three classes of doctrine arose out of this, which are meant by Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
ppp23225#pid#617. That 'Noah beget three sons' means that three classes of doctrine arose out of this is clear from all that comes before it about names meaning nothing other than Churches, or what amounts to the same, systems of doctrine. The same applies here also. But here they are named purely for the sake of the sequence or connection with the details that precede. The connection is that the Lord foresaw that it would be possible for someone of this mental constitution to have charity conferred on him, but that nevertheless three classes of doctrine would be born of it. These doctrinal systems will in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed later on where Shem, Ham, and Japheth are the subject.
ppp23224#pid#618. 'Noah was righteous and blameless', 'he walked with God', and now here 'he beget three sons', are statements in which the verbs are all in the past tense, even though they in fact have regard to things that were yet to be. It should be recognized that the internal sense is such that it carries no temporal connotations, a feature to which the original language also lends itself. Sometimes one and the same word there can apply to past, present, or future time, without using different words. In this way interior things come out more clearly into the open. That language derives this characteristic from the internal sense which is more manifold than anyone would ever credit. For this reason it does not allow itself to be limited by temporal connotations and distinctions.
ppp23223#pid#619. Verse `Genesis 6bbbccc11` And the earth`fff1` was corrupt before God, and the earth`fff1` was filled with violence.
'The earth' means that set of people dealt with already. It is called 'corrupt' on account of dreadful persuasions, and 'filled with violence' on account of filthy desires. The name 'God' is used from here onwards in this chapter because no Church existed now.
`nnn1. or the land
ppp23222#pid#620. That 'the earth'`fff1` means that set of people dealt with already is clear from what has been shown concerning the meaning of 'the earth'`fff1` and 'the ground'. 'The land' is a term which is used very often in the Word, and means the land where the Lord's true Church is, such as the land of Canaan. 'The land' may also mean where the Church is not, such as the land of Egypt, and the lands of the heathen nations, and so stands for the nation which inhabits the land. And since it stands for the nation, it also stands for any such individual who is there. It is called 'a land', for example, the land of Canaan, on account of heavenly love, and 'the lands of the heathen nations' are so called on account of loves that are foul. It is called 'ground' however on account of the faith sown in it. For, as has been shown, a land includes the ground, and the ground includes the field, just as love includes faith, and faith includes the cognitions of faith that are sown in it. Here 'the earth'`fff1` stands for the people among whom heavenly love and the Church perished utterly. It is from the subject that one may know what is attributed to it.
`nnn1. or the land
ppp23221#pid#621. The earth`fff1` is called 'corrupt' on account of dreadful persuasions and 'filled with violence' on account of filthy desires. This is clear from the meaning of the expression 'to corrupt' and of the expression 'violence'. In the Word one expression is never used for another. Without fail the exact one is used that properly expresses the matter under discussion. Indeed so true is this that from the very expressions that are used it is immediately evident what the internal sense contains, as in the case here with the expressions 'to corrupt' and 'violence'. 'To corrupt' has reference to the things that belong to the understanding once it has been made desolate, 'violence' to those that belong to the will once this has been laid waste. 'To corrupt' accordingly relates to persuasions, and 'violence' to evil desires.
`nnn1. or the land
ppp23220#pid#622. The relating of 'to corrupt' to persuasions is clear in Isaiah,
They will not do evil, and they will not corrupt in all My holy mountain, for the land will be full of the knowledge from Jehovah. `Isaiah 11bbb9`.
And similarly in `Isaiah 65bbb25`, where 'doing evil' has regard to the will or evil desires, 'to corrupt' to the understanding or false persuasions. In the same prophet,
Woe to a sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evil-doers, sons who deal corruptly! `Isaiah 1bbb4`.
Here, as elsewhere, 'nation' and' seed of evil-doers stand for evils constituting the will, which are evil desires, while 'people' and 'sons who deal corruptly' stand for falsities constituting the understanding which are persuasions. In Ezekiel,
You were more corrupt than they in all your ways. `Ezekiel 16bbb47`.
Here 'to corrupt' relates to things of the understanding, reason, or thought, for 'way' is a term meaning truth. In David,
They have done what is corrupt, and they have done an abominable deed. `Psalms 14bbb1`.
Here 'corrupt' stands for dreadful persuasions and 'abominable' for the filthy desires which lie within the deed, or from which the deed originates. In Daniel,
After sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and will have nothing. And the people of the leader who is to come will corrupt the city and the sanctuary, and his end will come with a flood. `Daniel 9bbb26`.
In a similar way 'to corrupt' stands for false persuasions, to which 'a flood' has reference.
ppp23219#pid#623. It is clear from the Word that 'the earth' is said to be 'filled with violence' on account of their filthy desires, most of all on account of the desires constituting self-love, or extreme arrogance. It is called 'violence when people do violence to holy things by desecrating them, as those before the Flood did, who immersed doctrinal matters concerning faith in every possible kind of evil desire. As in Ezekiel,
I will turn My face`fff1` away from them, and they will profane My secret place. And let robbers come into it and they will profane it. Make the chain, for the land is full of the judgement of blood, and the city is full of violence. `Ezekiel 7bbb22-24`.
This describes who the violent are, and that they are such as mentioned. In the same prophet,
They will eat their bread in anxiety, and drink their waters in desolation, that her land may be devastated of the fullness that is in it, on account of the violence of all who dwell in it. `Ezekiel 12bbb19`.
'The bread which they will eat in anxiety' means celestial things, the waters which they will drink in desolation' the spiritual things, which they did violence to, that is, profaned.
ttt[2] In Isaiah,
Their webs will not become clothing, nor will they be covered in their works. Their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands. `Isaiah 59bbb6`.
Here 'webs' and 'clothing' have reference to the things of the understanding or thought, while 'iniquity' and 'violence' have reference to those of the will or actions. In Jonah,
Let every one turn from his evil way, and from the violence which is in his hands. `Jonah 3bbb8`.
Here 'evil way' has reference to falsities constituting the understanding, and 'violence' to evils constituting the will. In Jeremiah,
There will come in a year, rumour and violence in the land. `Jeremiah 51bbb46`.
'Rumour' stands for things of the understanding, 'violence' for those of the will. In Isaiah,
He did no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. `Isaiah 53bbb9`.
Here 'violence' concerns things of the will, 'deceit in his mouth' those of the understanding.
`nnn1. literally, faces
ppp23218#pid#624. It is clear that a state which is not a state of the Church is the subject here from the fact that in this verse and those that follow in chapter the name God is used, whereas in previous verses it was Jehovah. When the Church does not exist the name God is used, but when it does exist, it is Jehovah; for example in `Genesis 1bbb0`, when the Church did not exist, He was called God, but in the next chapter when it did, He was called Jehovah God. 'Jehovah' is the holiest of names, and belongs to the Church alone. Not so 'God', for no nation was without gods. Consequently the same holiness was not attached to the name God. Nobody was allowed to utter the name Jehovah except him who had knowledge of the true faith; but anyone was allowed to utter the name God.
ppp23217#pid#625. Verse `Genesis 6bbbccc12` And God saw the earth`fff1` and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth' 'God saw the earth`fff1`' means God's knowledge of man. 'It was corrupt' means that there was nothing but falsity. 'For all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth`fff1`' means that man's bodily-mindedness destroyed all understanding of truth.
`nnn1. or the land
ppp23216#pid#626. That 'God saw the earth`fff1`' means God's knowledge of man may be clear to anyone, for God, who from eternity knows about every single thing, does not need to look and see whether man is such. Seeing is something human, and therefore, as stated at verse `Genesis 6bbbccc6` and elsewhere, a manner of speaking in conformity with things as they are seen in man is used; so much so that He is even referred to as seeing with eyes.
`nnn1. or the land
ppp23215#pid#627. 'For all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth`fff1`' means that man's bodily-mindedness destroyed all understanding of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'flesh', dealt with already at verse `Genesis 6bbbccc3`, as in general the whole of mankind, and in particular the bodily-minded man, or everything of a bodily nature; and from the meaning of 'way' as the understanding of truth, or truth itself. The fact that 'way' has reference to the understanding of truth, or to truth itself, becomes clear from the examples already quoted in several places as well as from the following,
Jehovah said, Get up, go down quickly from here, for your people have corrupted themselves. They have suddenly turned aside from the way which I commanded them. They have cast for themselves a metal image. `Deuteronomy 9bbb11`, `Deuteronomy 9bbbccc16`.
This means that they forsook His commandments, which are truths.
ttt[2] In Jeremiah,
Whose eyes have been opened upon all the ways of the sons of man, giving to every man (vir) according to his ways and according to the fruit of his works. `Jeremiah 32bbb19`.
'Ways' means life according to the commandments, 'fruit of his works' life based on charity. 'Way' accordingly has reference to truths, which comprise commandments and ordinances, and so do 'son of man' and 'man' (vir), as shown above. `Jeremiah 7bbb3`; `Jeremiah ccc17bbb10`, also contain similar usages.
In Hosea,
I will visit upon him his ways, and require him for his works. `Hosea 4bbb9`.
In Zechariah,
Return from your evil ways and from your evil works. As Jehovah Zebaoth thought to deal with us for our ways and for our works. `Zechariah 1bbb4`, `Zechariah 1bbbccc6`.
Similar phrases appear here, yet they are the contrary in meaning to those mentioned before them, since they are 'evil ways' and 'evil works'.
In Jeremiah,
I will give them one heart and one way. `Jeremiah 32bbb39`.
'Heart' stands for goods, 'way' for truths. In David,
Make me understand the way of Your commandments. Take from me the way of untruth, and graciously grant me Your law. I have chosen the way of truth. I will run in the way of Your precepts. `Psalms 119bbb26-27`, `Psalms 119bbbccc29-30`, `Psalms 119bbbccc32`, `Psalms 119bbbccc35`.
Here 'the way of the commandments and precepts' is called 'the way of truth', and the contrary of this, 'the way of untruth'.
ttt[3] In the same author,
Make Your ways known to me, O Jehovah, teach me Your paths, guide my way in Your truth, and teach me. `Psalms 25bbb4-5`.
This in like manner plainly stands for the truth. In Isaiah,
With whom did Jehovah consult, and he instructed Him, and taught Him the path of judgement, and taught Him knowledge, and made Him know the way of understanding? `Isaiah 40bbb14`.
This plainly stands for an understanding of truth. In Jeremiah,
Thus said Jehovah, Stand upon the highways and look, and ask concerning the paths of old, which is the good way, and go in it. `Jeremiah 6bbb16`.
This in like manner stands for an understanding of truth. In Isaiah,
I will lead the blind in a way they do not know; and in paths they do not know I will guide them. `Isaiah 42bbb16`.
The expressions way, by-path, pathway, road, and street all have reference to truths because they lead to what is true, as also in Jeremiah,
They have caused them to stumble in their ways, in the pathways of old, going into by-paths and not the highway. `Jeremiah 18bbb15`.
Similarly in the Book of Judges,
In the days of Jael pathways ceased to be. And those who went along the paths kept to twisting pathways; the streets in Israel ceased to be. `Judges 5bbb6-7`.
`nnn1. or the land
ppp23214#pid#628. The internal sense here is this: Everybody on earth where the Church was, no matter who, had so 'corrupted his way' that he did not understand truth, for everybody had become bodily-minded. This included not only those dealt with in the previous verse, but also those called Noah who are dealt with in this verse and especially in the next; for before they had been regenerated they also were such. These details come first since the regeneration of these people is dealt with in what follows. Furthermore because little of the Church was left, the name 'God' is now used and not 'Jehovah'. That nothing true existed is the meaning of the present verse, nothing good the meaning of the next. These did not exist except in the remnants that resided with those called Noah - for without remnants regeneration cannot take place - and also in the matters of doctrine known to them. There was no understanding of truth however, for this never exists except where there is the will for good. When will is lacking so is understanding, and the character of the will determines that of the understanding. With the most ancient people a will for good was present on account of their love to the Lord, and from this came an understanding of truth. Here however the understanding together with the will has perished entirely. Nevertheless some truth of a rational kind, and natural goodness, remained with those called Noah. Consequently they were also able to be regenerated.
ppp23213#pid#629. Verse `Genesis 6bbbccc13` And God said to Noah, The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth`fff1` is filled with violence before their faces. And behold, I am destroying them together with the earth.`fff1`
'God said' means that it was so. 'The end of all flesh has come before Me' means that the human race would inevitably perish. 'For the earth' is filled with violence' means that the will for good existed no longer. 'Behold, I will destroy them together with the earth`fff1`' means that the human race would perish together with the Church.
`nnn1. or the land
ppp23212#pid#630. That 'God said' means that it was so is clear from the fact that with Jehovah there is nothing else but Being (Esse).
ppp23211#pid#631. 'The end of all flesh has come before Me' means that the human race would inevitably perish. This is clear from the actual words themselves, and also from the meaning of 'flesh' as all mankind in general and the bodily-minded in particular, dealt with already.
ppp23210#pid#632. 'The earth was filled with violence' means that the will for good existed no longer. This is clear from what has been stated and shown already at verse `Genesis 6bbbccc11` about the meaning of 'violence'. The previous verse spoke about the understanding of truth, while the present verse speaks about the will for good, both of which perished with the member of the Church.
ppp23209#pid#633. The situation is this: No understanding of truth or will for good resides with anyone, not even with those who belonged to the Most Ancient Church. When people become celestial however, they do seem to have a will for good and an understanding of truth residing with them.
But in reality it is the Lord's alone, a fact they also know, acknowledge, and perceive, as is the case also with angels. This is so true that a person who does not know, acknowledge, and perceive it has no understanding of truth and will for good whatever. With every man, and with every angel, even the most celestial, his proprium is nothing but falsity and evil, for it is well known that in the Lord's eyes even the heavens are not pure,`fff1` and that all good and all truth are the Lord's alone. But to the extent that any man or angel is capable of being perfected, he is in the Lord's Divine mercy perfected, and receives so to speak an understanding of truth and a will for good. His own possession of them however is only the appearance. Everybody is capable of being perfected, and consequently of receiving this gift of the Lord's mercy, in so far as the deeds he actually performs in life will allow, and in a manner consistent with the hereditary evil implanted within him from parents.
`nnn1. `Job 15bbb15`
ppp23208#pid#634. It is extremely difficult however to state intelligibly what the understanding of truth and the will for good are, properly speaking. The reason is that everything man thinks he ascribes to the understanding because he calls it so, and everything he desires he ascribes to the will because he calls it so. And it is even more difficult to state what they are in an intelligible way because the majority nowadays are also unaware that what belongs to the understanding is distinct and separate from what belongs to the will; for when they think something they say that they will it, and when they will something they say that they think it. Their speaking in this way is thus one reason for the difficulty. And a further reason why it is difficult to grasp the matter is that such people are engrossed solely in bodily interests, that is, their life consists in things of a more external nature.
ttt[2] For these same reasons people are also unaware of the fact that with everybody there exists something interior, something more interior still, and indeed something inmost, and that the bodily and sensory part of a person is the most external. Desires and things of the memory are interior, affections and rational concepts more interior still, while the will for good and the understanding of truth are the inmost. Nothing could possibly be more distinct and separate than these are from one another, yet a bodily-minded man sees no difference at all, and so confuses them all with one another. This is the reason why he believes that when his physical body dies, everything else will die as well, when in reality only at that point does he start to live, and to do so indeed through his own interior things which are arranged in consecutive order. Unless man's interior things were distinct and separate in this way and arranged consecutively, men could not possibly be spirits, angelic spirits, or angels in the next life, all of whom differ in this way from one another according to things that are interior. Consequently the three heavens are very distinct and separate from one another. From all these considerations it now becomes clear to some extent what the understanding of truth and the will for good are, properly speaking, and that they are attributable only to the celestial man, or angels of the third heaven.
ppp23207#pid#635. All understanding of truth and will for good perished during the last days of the Church before the Flood. This is meant by what has been stated in the previous and present verses. The people before the Flood were so steeped in dreadful persuasions and filthy desires that not one trace of those goods and truths could be seen. But with those called Noah remnants were left, which however were unable to produce anything belonging to the understanding or the will, only rational truth and natural good. For a person's character determines what it is that remnants can effect. By means of remnants those people were capable of being regenerated. There were no persuasions to thwart or swallow up the Lord's activity by way of remnants. Persuasions, or deep-rooted false assumptions, impede all such activity, and unless they are rooted out beforehand a person cannot possibly be regenerated. These matters will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with later on.
ppp23206#pid#636. 'I will destroy them together with the earth' means that the human race would perish together with the Church. This is clear from the fact that here the phrase 'together with the earth' is used. In fact, as previously stated, 'earth' in a broad sense means love and so the celestial things of the Church. Here because no love, nor anything celestial, was left it means self-love and that which is contrary to the celestial aspect of the Church. Despite this the member of the Church still existed because he possessed doctrinal matters concerning faith. For as has been stated, love includes faith within itself, and faith includes cognitions of faith, just as the earth includes the ground, and the ground includes the field.
ppp23205#pid#637. The implications of 'I will destroy them together with the earth' meaning that the human race would perish together with the Church are as follows: If the Lord's Church had been completely wiped out on earth, the human race could not have remained in being at all, for all without exception would have perished. As previously stated, the Church is as the heart. As long as the heart is alive, surrounding organs and limbs are able to live as well. But the moment the heart dies, everything else dies as well. The Lord's Church on earth is as the heart, and from it the human race, even that part of it lying outside of the Church, has life. The reason why is totally unknown to anybody. But so that something of this may be known, let it be said that the whole human race on earth is like the body and all its parts, with the Church resembling the heart. And if there were no Church, with which as a kind of heart the Lord might unite Himself by way of heaven and the world of spirits, there would be a severance; and once the human race was severed from the Lord it would perish instantly. This is the reason why since man was first created there has always been some Church in existence; and as often as the Church has begun to perish it has nevertheless remained with certain people.
ttt[2] This was also the reason why the Lord came into the world. Unless, in His Divine mercy, He had come, the whole human race on this planet would have perished, for at that time the Church was nearing its end, and scarcely any good or truth was surviving. The reason the human race cannot possibly live unless it is joined to the Lord by way of heaven and the world of spirits is that regarded in himself man is even lower than animals. Left to himself he would rush to ruin himself and everybody else, for he has no other desire than to destroy himself and everybody else. His order ought to be as one person loving another as he does himself, but at present everyone loves himself more than others and so hates everybody else. Dumb animals are quite different however, for theirs is an order which they do live according to; and so they live wholly according to the order that is theirs, whereas man lives altogether contrary to order. Consequently unless the Lord had taken pity on man and by means of angels joined him to Himself he could not possibly live for a single moment. Of this man has no knowledge.
ppp23204#pid#638. Verse `Genesis 6bbbccc14` Make yourself an ark of planks of gopher; you shall make the ark with rooms and cover it`fff1` inside and out with bitumen.
'The ark' means the member of this Church. 'Planks of gopher' means his lusts. 'Rooms' means the two parts of man - that of the will and that of the understanding. 'Bitumening it inside and out with bitumen`fff1` means preservation from the deluge of evil desires.
`nnn1. literally, bitumen it
ppp23203#pid#639. That 'the ark' means the member of this Church, or the Church called Noah, becomes sufficiently clear from the description of it below, and also from the fact that the Word of the Lord in every part embodies things that are spiritual and celestial, that is, the Lord's Word is spiritual and celestial. If the ark and the covering of it with bitumen, its measurements, and its construction, and also the Flood, meant no more than what the letter declares there would be absolutely nothing spiritual and celestial about it. It would be mere history and of no more use to the human race than similar descriptions found in secular authors. Now because the Word of the Lord in every part contains and embodies within its bosom or inner recesses things that are spiritual and celestial it is quite clear that 'the ark' and everything said about the ark mean arcana which are as yet undisclosed.
ttt[2] The same is meant elsewhere by, for example, the little ark in which Moses was hidden and which was placed in the reeds by the riverbank, `Exodus 2bbb3`; and the sacred Ark in the wilderness, constructed according to the design indicated to Moses on Mount Sinai, is an even more sublime example. Unless every single thing in this sacred Ark had been representative of the Lord and His kingdom, it would have been no more than a kind of idol, and the worship that took place would have been idolatrous. So too with Solomon's Temple. Of itself it was in no sense holy. Nor did the gold, silver, cedar, and stone there make it so, but the particular things represented by those materials. And similarly in the present context, unless the ark and the construction of it with all its details meant some arcanum of the Church, the Word would not be the Word of the Lord but some dead piece of literature such as that found among the works of any secular author. From this it is clear that 'the ark' means the member of the Church, or the Church called Noah.
ppp23202#pid#640. That 'planks of gopher' means lusts, and that 'rooms' means the two parts of this man - that of the will and that of the understanding - nobody as yet knows. Neither can anyone see in what way they possess such meanings unless it is stated beforehand what the situation was with that Church. As stated quite often, it was from love that the Most Ancient Church knew anything that was a matter of faith, or what amounts to the same, it was from a will for good that it possessed its understanding of truth. But their descendants by heredity also derived a condition in which evil desires belonging to the will prevailed with them, desires in which they also immersed doctrinal matters concerning faith, and as a consequence became the Nephilim. When therefore the Lord foresaw that mankind would perish eternally if it continued in such a condition, He made provision for the will part to be separated from the understanding part, and for man to be formed, not as he had been formed previously by a will for good, but by having charity conferred on him through the understanding of truth, such charity looking very much like the will for good. This new Church called Noah came to be of such a nature, and so was of an entirely different disposition from the Most Ancient Church. In addition to this Church others also existed at that time, such as the one called Enosh dealt with already at Chapter `Exodus ccc4bbb25`, `Exodus 4bbbccc26`, and others again of which no such mention or description has come down to us. Only the Church of Noah is described here because it was altogether different in disposition from the Most Ancient Church.
ppp23201#pid#641. Since this member of the Church needed to be reformed as to that part of the man which is called the understanding before he could be reformed as to the other part referred to as the will, it is described here how those things belonging to the will were separated from those belonging to the understanding, and how the will was so to speak protected and held back to prevent anything coming in contact with it. For if things belonging to the will, that is, to evil desires, had been aroused, he would have perished, as in the Lord's Divine mercy will be made clear later on. With man nothing could be more distinct and separate one from the other than those two parts, the will and the understanding. This I have been given to know plainly, especially from the fact that among spirits and angels things of the understanding flow into the left side of the head or brain, while things of the will flow into the right. The same applies to the face. When angelic spirits flow in they do so as softly as gentlest breezes. But when evil spirits do so it is like a deluge entering with dreadful delusions and persuasions into the left side of the brain, and with desires into the right. The influx of them is so to speak a deluge of delusions and desires.
ppp23200#pid#642. These considerations make clear what is embodied in this first description of the ark which shows that it was constructed from 'planks of gopher', had 'rooms', and was 'bitumened with bitumen outside and in', namely that the second part, which is that of the will, was preserved from the deluge, and that the only part open was that of the understanding, which is described in verse `Genesis 6bbbccc16` by the window, the door, and the lowest, second, and third storeys. These matters are perhaps hard to believe because they have not as yet entered anybody's thinking, and because people have no such conception of the Word of the Lord. Nevertheless they are absolutely true. Yet these are the least and most general of the arcana that mankind does not know. If the details were told them they would not grasp a single one.
ppp23199#pid#643. As for the meaning itself of these expressions - that 'planks of gopher' means lusts and 'rooms' the two parts of this man - this becomes clear from the Word. Gopher is a wood full of sulphur, as is the fir and others of that group. It is on account of the sulphur in it that it is said to mean lusts, for it catches fire easily. The most ancient people compared and likened those elements that exist with man to gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, and wood, his inmost celestial to gold, the lower celestial to bronze, and the lowest or bodily descending from this to wood, while the inmost spiritual they compared and likened to silver, the lower spiritual to iron, and the lowest degree of it to stone. When those objects are mentioned in the Word these are the things meant by them in the internal sense, as in Isaiah,
Instead of bronze I will bring gold, and instead of iron I will bring silver, and instead of wood, bronze, and instead of stones, iron. And I will make peace your assessment and righteousness your tax-collectors. `Isaiah 60bbb17`.
This refers to the Lord's kingdom in which no such metals exist, but instead celestial and spiritual elements. It is quite clear that the latter are meant because of the reference to peace' and 'righteousness'. Here, gold, bronze, and wood correspond to one another and mean celestial elements or those belonging to the will, as has been stated. Silver, iron, and stone also correspond to one another, and mean spiritual elements or those belonging to the understanding.
ttt[2] In Ezekiel,
They will spoil your riches, they will despoil your merchandise, your stones and your timbers. `Ezekiel 26bbb12`.
It is quite clear that 'riches' and 'merchandise' do not mean material riches and merchandise, but celestial and spiritual ones. So also 'stones' and 'timbers' - 'stones' being things of the understanding and 'timbers' those of the will. In Habakkuk,
The stone cries out from the wall, and the beam out of the woodwork answers back. `Habakkuk 2bbb11`.
'Stone' stands for the lowest degree of the understanding, and 'wood' for the lowest degree of the will, which answers back when anything is drawn from sensory knowledge. In the same prophet,
Woe to him who says to a piece of wood, Awake! or to a dumb stone, Arise, this will teach! Behold, this is bound in gold and silver, and there is no spirit`fff1` at all in the midst of it. But Jehovah is in His holy temple. `Habakkuk 2bbb19-20`.
Here also 'wood' stands for evil desire, 'stone' for the lowest degree of the understanding, and therefore 'being dumb' and 'teaching' are used in reference to that stone. 'No spirit in the midst of it' means that it represents nothing celestial or spiritual, like a temple in which there is stone and wood, overlaid with gold and silver, existing with people who give no thought to what those things represent.
ttt[3] In Jeremiah,
Our waters we drink for silver, our timbers come for a price. `Lamentations 5bbb4`.
Here 'waters' and 'silver' mean things of the understanding, 'timbers' those of the will. In the same prophet,
Who say to wood, You are my father; and to a stone, You gave birth to us. `Jeremiah 2bbb27`.
Here 'wood' stands for desire which belongs to the will, from which there is conception, and 'stone' for sensory knowledge, from which there is birth. All through the Prophets therefore 'serving wood and stone' stands for images carved out of wood or stone, which means that people were slaves to evil desires and to delusions. The Prophets also speak of 'committing adultery with wood and stone', as in `Jeremiah 3bbb9`. In Hosea,
The people inquire of their piece of wood, and their staff makes declaration to them, for the spirit of whoredom has led them astray. `Hosea 4bbb12`.
This stands for their inquiring of a wooden image, or evil desires. In Isaiah,
The tophet has been prepared since yesterday. Its pyre is fire and much wood; the breath of Jehovah is like a stream of burning brimstone. `Isaiah 30bbb33`.
Here 'fire', brimstone', and 'wood' stand for filthy desires.
ttt[4] In general 'wood' means those elements which constitute the lowest parts of the will. Precious kinds of wood, such as cedar and so on, mean elements that are good - for example, the cedar timbers in the Temple, or the cedarwood used in cleansing leprosy, `Leviticus 14bbb4`, `Leviticus 14bbbccc6-7`, or the wood cast into the bitter waters at Marah, by which the waters were made sweet, `Exodus 15bbb25`. These in the Lord's Divine mercy will be dealt with in their proper places. Non-precious kinds of wood however, also those which were made into images, and those that were used for a pyre as well, and the like, mean evil desires, as do planks of gopher here on account of the brimstone or sulphur in them. As in Isaiah,
The day of Jehovah's vengeance - her streams will be turned into pitch, and her dust into brimstone, and her land will become burning pitch. `Isaiah 34bbb8-9`.
'Pitch' stands for dreadful delusions, 'brimstone' for filthy desires.
`nnn1. or breath
ppp23198#pid#644. 'Rooms' means the two parts of man, that of the will and that of the understanding. This is clear from what has been stated about those two parts, will and understanding, being quite distinct and separate from each other, and from the fact, as has been stated, that the human brain therefore is divided into two parts called hemispheres. To its left hemisphere belong the powers of the understanding, to the right those of the will. This is the most general difference. In addition both will and understanding are divided into countless parts, for the divisions of the things constituting man's understanding, and also of those constituting his will, are so many that not even the broad genera, still less the species, can possibly be described or counted up. Man is like some most miniature heaven. He corresponds to the world of spirits and to heaven, where all the groups and all the divisions of things constituting the understanding or the will are so distinct and separate, being so perfectly ordered by the Lord, that every smallest part is distinct and separate. These considerations in the Lord's Divine mercy will be dealt with later on. In heaven these divided parts are called communities, in the Word 'habitations', and by the Lord in `John 14bbb2` 'rooms'. Here however because they have reference to the ark, which means the member of the Church, they are called 'rooms'.
ppp23197#pid#645. 'Bitumening it inside and out with bitumen' means preservation from the deluge of evil desires. This is clear from what has been stated already. In fact the member of this Church had first of all to be reformed as regards the things of his understanding. This was why he was preserved from the deluge of evil desires which would have destroyed the whole work of reformation. The original text does not in fact read 'bitumened with bitumen', but uses an expression which denotes protection and is derived from a root meaning to make satisfaction or to appease, and so embodies the same idea. Satisfying or appeasing the Lord is protection from the deluge of evil.
ppp23196#pid#646. Verse `Genesis 6bbbccc15` And thus shall you make it: three hundred cubits the length of the ark, fifty cubits its breadth, and thirty cubits its height. The numbers used here, as previously, mean that remnants were few. 'Length' is their holiness, 'breadth' their truth, and 'height' their good.
ppp23195#pid#647. It is bound to seem strange and very far-fetched to everybody that these details have this meaning, that is to say, that the numbers three hundred, fifty, and thirty mean remnants, and in particular that they were few; also that 'length, breadth, and height' means holiness, truth, and good. But in addition to what has been stated and shown above about numbers at verse `Genesis 6bbbccc3` of this chapter, where a hundred and twenty means the remnants of faith, this matter may also become clear to anybody from the fact that people who possess the internal sense, as good spirits and angels do, are beyond anything earthly, bodily, or purely worldly, and so beyond anything involving numbers and measurements. Yet the Lord enables them to perceive the Word fully, and to do so quite independently from such concepts. This being so, it becomes quite clear that numbers and measurements embody celestial and spiritual things. The latter however are so remote from the sense of the letter that such things cannot possibly be seen. This applies to every single celestial or spiritual thing. From this also anyone may recognize how insane it is to desire to inquire into matters of faith through sensory evidence and factual knowledge and to refuse to believe unless one grasps them by that method.
ppp23194#pid#648. As for numbers and measurements in the Word meaning celestial and spiritual things, this becomes quite clear from the measuring of the New Jerusalem and of the Temple in John and Ezekiel. It may become clear to anyone that the 'New Jerusalem' and the 'New Temple' mean the Lord's kingdom in heaven and on earth, and that the Lord's kingdom in heaven and on earth is not subject to earthly measurements, even though the size of it - its length, breadth, and height - is specified numerically. From this anyone may conclude that numbers and measurements mean things that are holy, as in John,
I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and the angel stood and said to me, Rise and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and those who worship in it. `Revelation 11bbb1`.
And concerning the New Jerusalem,
The wall of the heavenly Jerusalem was great and high, having twelve gates, and above the gates twelve angels, and names written which are those of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel; on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them the twelve names of the apostles of the Lamb. He who talked to me had a golden measuring-rod to measure the city, and its gates, and its wall. The city lies four-square, and its length is the same as its breadth. He therefore measured the city with the measuring rod, twelve thousand stadia; its length and breadth and height were equal. He measured its wall, a hundred and forty-four cubits, which is the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. `Revelation 21bbb12-17`.
ttt[2] Here the number twelve occurs repeatedly. It is a very holy number since it means the holy things of faith, as has been stated above at verse `Genesis 6bbbccc3` of this chapter, and in the Lord's Divine mercy will be shown at `Genesis 29bbb0`, `Genesis ccc30bbb0`. Hence also the comment added at the end of the quotation set out above about this measure being 'the measure of a man, that is, of an angel'. The same applies with the New Temple and the New Jerusalem in Ezekiel, which are also described according to their measurements, Chapter `Ezekiel ccc40bbb3`, `Ezekiel 40bbbccc5`, `Ezekiel 40bbbccc7`, `Ezekiel 40bbbccc9`, `Ezekiel 40bbbccc11`, `Ezekiel 40bbbccc13-14`, `Ezekiel 40bbbccc22`, `Ezekiel 40bbbccc25`, `Ezekiel 40bbbccc30`, `Ezekiel 40bbbccc36`, `Ezekiel 40bbbccc42`, `Ezekiel 40bbbccc47`; `Ezekiel 41bbb1`-end; `Ezekiel ccc42bbb5-15`; `Zechariah 2bbb1-2`. There also, regarded in themselves the numbers mean nothing but celestial and spiritual holiness independent of actual numbers. The same applies to all the numbers giving the dimensions of the Ark, `Exodus 25bbb10`, and similarly of the mercy seat, the golden table, the Tabernacle, the altar, `Exodus 25bbb17`, `Exodus 25bbbccc23`; `Exodus 26bbb0`; `Exodus ccc27bbb1`; and to all the numbers and dimensions of the Temple, `1 Kings 6bbb2-3`, and many other examples.
ppp23193#pid#649. But here the numbers, or the measurements of the ark, mean nothing other than the remnants that existed with the member of this Church when he was being reformed, and in particular that they were few. This is clear from the fact that among those numbers five is predominant, which in the Word means some, or a little, as in Isaiah,
Gleanings will be left in it, as the shaking of an olive tree, two or three berries on the top of the highest branch, four or five on the branches of a fruitful tree. `Isaiah 17bbb6`.
Here 'two or three' and 'five' stands for a few. In the same prophet,
One thousand at the rebuke of one, at the rebuke of five will you flee, until you are left like a flagstaff on top of a mountain. `Isaiah 30bbb17`.
This also stands for a few. The minimum penalty when making restitution was a fifth part, `Leviticus 5bbb16`; `Leviticus ccc6bbb5`; `Leviticus ccc22bbb14`; `Numbers 5bbb7`, and the minimum increase when they redeemed an animal, a house, a field, or tithes, was a fifth part, `Leviticus 27bbb13`, `Leviticus 27bbbccc15`, `Leviticus 27bbbccc19`, `Leviticus 27bbbccc31`.
ppp23192#pid#650. 'Length' means the holiness, 'breadth' the truth, and 'height' the good, of the remnants described by the numbers. This cannot be confirmed so easily from the Word because every single thing has reference to the particular subject or thing under discussion. For example, when 'length' applies to time it means perpetual and eternal, as in 'length of days' `Psalms 23bbb6`; `Psalms ccc21bbb4`, but when it applies to space it means consequent holiness. The situation is the same with 'breadth' and 'height'. All earthly objects are three-dimensional, but no such dimensions can be used in reference to celestial and spiritual things. When they are used to refer to these they mean the degree of perfection, greater or less, independent of the dimensions given, as well as identity and quantity. In this case they are identified as remnants, which are few in quantity.
ppp23191#pid#651. Verse `Genesis 6bbbccc16` You shall make a window for the ark, and you shall finish it to a cubit above; and you shall set the door of the ark in the side of it; lowest, second, and third storeys you shall make it.
'The window that was to be finished to a cubit above means the understanding part of the mind. 'The door in the side of it' means hearing. 'The lowest, second, and third storeys' means factual knowledge, rational concepts, and intellectual concepts.
ppp23190#pid#652. That 'window' means the understanding part, and 'door' hearing, and thus the subject in this verse is man's understanding part, becomes clear from what has been stated already, namely that the member of this Church was reformed in the following way: In man life is twofold, one life being that of the will, the other that of the understanding. They come to be two when no will is present and evil desire takes the place of will. The second or understanding part is the one that is able in those circumstances to be reformed, and through this reformed understanding a new will can subsequently be conferred, with the result that they - that is to say, charity and faith - constitute one life. Now because man was such that no will was present and wholly evil desire existed instead, that part which is that of the will was closed, as stated at verse `Genesis 6bbbccc14`, while the second or understanding part was open; this is the subject in the present verse.
ppp23189#pid#653. The situation is that while a person is being reformed, which takes place by means of conflicts and temptations, the evil spirits associated with him at that time are such as activate nothing else but his factual knowledge and his rational concepts. At that time any spirits who activate evil desires are kept entirely at bay. For there are two kinds of evil spirits, namely those who work upon man's reasonings and those who work upon his desires. The evil spirits who activate man's reasonings draw out all his falsities and try to persuade him that the falsities are truths. Indeed they even convert truths into falsities. In times of temptation a person ought to fight against them, though it is the Lord who in fact fights by means of the angels who are allied to that person. After falsities have been separated by means of conflicts and so to speak dispersed, the individual is then ready and able to receive truths of faith. For as long as falsities rule, a person cannot possibly receive the truths of faith because false assumptions are blocking the way. Once he has been made ready and able to receive the truths of faith, heavenly seeds, which are the seeds of charity, can now for the first time be implanted. Seeds of charity cannot possibly be implanted in ground where falsities reign, only where truths do so. This is how the reformation or regeneration of a spiritual man takes place, and so how it took place with the member of that Church called Noah. This is why the subject now is 'the window and the door of the ark', and the lowest, second, and third storeys, all of which belong to the spiritual or understanding-type man.
ppp23188#pid#654. This is in keeping with what is well known in the Churches today about faith coming through hearing. But faith is in no sense mere intellectual awareness of the things that constitute faith, that is, of things that demand belief. That amounts to no more than knowledge. Faith is acknowledgement, yet acknowledgement cannot possibly exist with anyone unless the chief thing of faith resides with him, namely charity, or love towards the neighbour, and mercy. When charity is present so is acknowledgement, and so is faith. Anyone who thinks otherwise is as far from being aware of what faith is as land is distant from sky. When charity, which is the goodness constituting faith, is present, then acknowledgement, which is the truth of faith, is present too. When therefore a person is being regenerated in accordance with factual knowledge, rational concepts, and intellectual concepts, the end in view is that the ground, which is his mind, shall be made ready for receiving charity, from which, or rather from the life of which, he afterwards thinks and acts. At that point he has been reformed or regenerated, not before.
ppp23187#pid#655. The window that was to be finished to a cubit above' means the understanding part of the mind. This may become clear to anyone from what has been stated so far, and also from the fact that when the subject is the construction of the ark and 'the ark' means the member of the Church, the understanding part cannot be compared to anything other than 'a window above'. Similar examples occur in the Word in which man's understanding part, that is, his internal sight - whether reason is present or mere reasoning - is called a 'window', as in Isaiah,
O afflicted one, storm-tossed, and not comforted, I will make your suns (windows) of ruby, and your gates into carbuncle stones, and all your border into pleasant stones. `Isaiah 54bbb11-12`.
Here the word 'suns' is used instead of the word 'windows' because of the light sent in or through. 'Suns' or 'windows' here are intellectual concepts springing indeed from charity, which is why they are likened to a ruby. 'Gates' are rational concepts deriving from these, and 'border' is factual knowledge and sensory evidence. Here the subject is the Lord's Church.
ttt[2] All the windows of the Temple in Jerusalem had the same representation; the highest represented intellectual concepts, the middle rational concepts, while the lowest represented facts and sensory evidence, for there were three storeys, `1 Kings 6bbb4`, `1 Kings 6bbbccc6`, `1 Kings 6bbbccc8`. Similarly the windows of the New Jerusalem, in `Ezekiel 40bbb16`, `Ezekiel 40bbbccc22`, `Ezekiel 40bbbccc25`, `Ezekiel 40bbbccc33`, `Ezekiel 40bbbccc36`.
In Jeremiah,
Death has come up into our windows, it has entered our palaces, cutting off the young child from the street and young men from the lanes. `Jeremiah 9bbb21`.
Here middle-storey windows are meant, which is to say that rational concepts are being destroyed. 'The young child in the street' is new-born truth. Since 'windows' means intellectual concepts and rational concepts, which are matters of truth, the same also means reasonings, which are matters of falsity, as in the same prophet,
Woe to him who builds his house in unrighteousness, and his upper rooms not in judgement, who says, I will build myself a wide house and spacious upper rooms, and he cuts out windows for himself, panelling it with cedar and painting it with vermilion. `Jeremiah 22bbb13-14`.
The 'windows' stands for false assumptions. In Zephaniah,
Herds of beasts will lie down in the midst of her, every wild beast of that nation. Both the spoonbill and the qippod`fff1` will lodge in her pomegranates.`fff2` A voice will sing in the window, vastation will be on the threshold. `Zephaniah 2bbb14`.
This refers to Asshur and Nineveh. 'Asshur' stands for the understanding, here when it has been laid waste, while 'a voice singing in the windows' stands for reasonings based on false notions.
`nnn1. The meaning of this Hebrew word is uncertain.
`nnn2. The original Hebrew word is thought to describe capitals shaped like pomegranates.
ppp23186#pid#656. 'The door in the side' means hearing. This is by now quite clear and so there is no need to confirm it by similar examples from the Word. For the relationship of the ear to inner sensory organs is like that of a door at the side to a window above, or what amounts to the same, the relationship of hearing, which is the function of the ear, to the understanding, which is the function of an inner sensory power.
ppp23185#pid#657. The lowest, second, and third storeys' means factual knowledge, rational concepts, and intellectual concepts. In man there are three degrees in the understanding part; the lowest of these constitutes his factual knowledge, the middle his rational awareness, and the highest his intellectual awareness. These three are so distinct and separate from one another that they ought never to be confused. Man however is not directly conscious of this distinction, the reason being that he focuses life solely on sensory experience and factual knowledge. And as long as he clings to this attitude he is not even capable of recognizing that his rational awareness, still less his intellectual, is anything different from factual knowledge. Yet the situation is as follows: The Lord flows by way of man's intellectual degree into his rational, and by way of the rational into factual knowledge belonging to the memory. And from there comes the life of the senses - of seeing and hearing. This is the true influx and the true interaction of the soul and the body. Without the influx of the Lord's life into man's intellectual concepts - or rather into the desires of the will, and by way of these desires of the will into intellectual concepts, and by way of intellectual concepts into rational concepts, and by way of rational concepts into his factual knowledge which belongs to the memory - no life can possibly exist with man. And even when a person is under the influence of falsities and of evils there is still this influx of the Lord's life by the way of the desires of the will and intellectual concepts. But the things that flow in are received in the rational part according to the form the understanding takes. It is this influx also that enables a person to be rational, to reflect, and to understand what truth and good are. These matters however will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with later on, as also will life as it exists with animals.
ppp23184#pid#658. Those three degrees which in general are called those of the human understanding - that is to say, intellect, reason, and knowledge - are also meant, as has been stated, by the windows for the three storeys of the Temple in Jerusalem, `1 Kings 6bbb4`, `1 Kings 6bbbccc6`, `1 Kings 6bbbccc8`. They are also meant in what has appeared earlier by the rivers that went out of the garden of Eden from the east, where 'the east' means the Lord, 'Eden' love which belongs to the will, 'the garden' resulting intelligence, and 'the rivers' wisdom, reason, and knowledge. For these matters, see what has been stated at `Genesis 2bbb10-14`.
ppp23183#pid#659. Verse `Genesis 6bbbccc17` And I, behold, I am bringing a flood of waters over the earth, to destroy all flesh in which there is the spirit of life`fff1` from under the heavens; everything that is on earth will breathe its last.
'A flood' means a deluge of evil and falsity. 'To destroy all flesh in which there is the spirit of life' from under the heavens' means that all the descendants of the Most Ancient Church would destroy themselves. 'Everything that is on the earth will breathe its last' means those belonging to that Church who had become such.
`nnn1. literally, of lives
ppp23182#pid#660. That 'a flood' means a deluge of evil and falsity is clear from what has been stated already about the descendants of the Most Ancient Church being possessed with filthy desires and immersing doctrinal matters concerning faith in them. This immersing led to false persuasions within them which annihilated all truth and good and simultaneously closed off the road for remnants and so made it impossible for them to do their work. It was inevitable therefore that these men would destroy themselves. When the road for remnants has been closed off a person is no longer human, for he can no longer be protected by angels but is wholly and completely possessed by evil spirits who long and desire to do nothing else but annihilate man. It was this that led to the death of the people who existed before the Flood, a death described by 'a flood' or utter deluge. Indeed the influx of delusions and desires from evil spirits is not unlike a flood. Consequently in various places in the Word that influx is called a flood or a deluge, as in the Lord's Divine mercy will be seen in the preliminary remarks to the next chapter.`fff1`
`nnn1. i.e. in `@@@705`
ppp23181#pid#661. 'To destroy all flesh in which there is the spirit of life`fff1` [from] under the heavens' means that all the descendants of the Most Ancient Church would destroy themselves. This is clear from what has just been stated and also from the description of them given already to the effect that step by step they obtained by heredity from their forefathers a mental constitution that resulted in their being steeped more than anybody else in most dreadful persuasions. This came about chiefly because they plunged into their desires the doctrinal matters concerning faith which they had in their possession; and in so doing became such. The situation has been utterly different with people who have no doctrinal matters concerning faith in their possession and who live altogether in ignorance. They are incapable of doing the same, and so are incapable of profaning holy things, and in so doing of closing off the road for remnants. Consequently they are not capable of driving the Lord's angels away from themselves.
ttt[2] As has been stated, remnants are all things of innocence, all those of charity, all those of mercy, and all those of the truth of faith, which a person has acquired from the Lord and learned since early childhood. Every single one of them lies stored away. And if a person did not acquire them, no innocence, charity, or mercy could possibly be present in his thinking and actions, and so no good and truth at all could be present. He would then be worse than any fierce monster, as he would also be if he did possess remnants of such things and yet so blocked their path with filthy desires and dreadful false persuasions that they could not do their work. Such was the nature of the people before the Flood who destroyed themselves and who are meant by 'all flesh in which there is the spirit of life`fff1` [from] under the heavens'. As shown already, 'flesh' means the whole of mankind in general and the bodily-minded man in particular. 'The spirit of life`fff1`' means all life in general, but in a strict sense it was the life in people who had been regenerated. Here therefore the final descendants of the Most Ancient Church are meant. They are here called 'the spirit of life`fff1`' or, as in Chapter `Genesis ccc7bbb22` below, 'in whose nostrils is the breath of the spirit of life`fff1`' because although no life of faith remained with them they nevertheless derived from their forefathers something of that Church's seed, which they stifled. 'Flesh under the heavens' means that which is merely bodily, 'the heavens' being things constituting man's understanding of truth and his will for good. When these have been separated from what is bodily, a person can stay alive no longer. That which sustains him is his conjunction with heaven, that is, with the Lord by way of heaven.
`nnn1. literally, of lives.
ppp23180#pid#662. 'Everything that is on the earth will breathe its last' means those belonging to that Church who became such. This becomes clear from the fact that 'the earth' does not mean every land throughout the world but only those people who belonged to the Church, as shown already. No flood of any kind is meant here therefore, let alone a flooding of the whole world, but instead the decease or choking to death of those people there who when cut off from remnants, and so from things connected with the understanding of truth and with the will for good, were consequently cut off from the heavens. In addition to places already quoted from the Word, let the following also serve to confirm the fact that 'earth' means that area where the Church is, and therefore those who are there. In Jeremiah,
Thus said Jehovah, The whole earth will be desolate, yet I will not bring it to a close. For this the earth will mourn, and the heavens above be black. `Jeremiah 4bbb27-28`.
Here 'the earth' stands for people living where the Church is that has been vastated. In Isaiah,
I will jolt heaven, and the earth will be shaken out of its place. `Isaiah 13bbb13`.
'Earth' stands for mankind which is to be vastated where the Church is. In Jeremiah,
The slain`fff1` of Jehovah on that day will be from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth. `Jeremiah 25bbb33`.
Here 'the end of the earth' does not mean every land throughout the world, only that area where the Church was, and consequently where members of the Church were. In the same prophet,
I am summoning a sword against all the inhabitants of the earth. A clamour is coming even to the end of the earth, for Jehovah's controversy is against the nations. `Jeremiah 25bbb29`, `Jeremiah 25bbbccc31`.
Nor is the whole world meant here, only the area where the Church is, and consequently where the inhabitant or member of the Church is. 'The nations' here stands for falsities. In Isaiah,
Behold, Jehovah is coming out of His place to visit the iniquity of the inhabitant of the earth. `Isaiah 26bbb21`.
Here the meaning is similar. In the same prophet,
Do you not hear? Has it not been pointed out to you from the beginning? Do you not understand the foundations of the earth? `Isaiah 40bbb21`.
In the same prophet,
Jehovah who creates the heavens, the God who forms the earth and makes it, the Same establishes it. `Isaiah 45bbb18`.
'Earth' stands for the member of the Church. In Zechariah,
The Word of Jehovah who stretches out the heavens, and founds the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him. `Zechariah 12bbb1`.
'The earth' obviously stands for the member of the Church. The earth is different from the ground in the way that the member of the Church is different from the Church itself, or as love and faith are different.
`nnn1. literally, The pierced
ppp23179#pid#663. Verse `Genesis 6bbbccc18` And I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall enter into the ark, you, and your sons, and your wife, and your sons' wives with you. 'Establishing a covenant' means that he would be regenerated. 'He was to enter into the ark, he and his sons, [and his wife,] and his sons' wives' means that he would be saved, 'sons' being truths and 'wives' goods.
ppp23178#pid#664. In the previous verse the subject was those who would destroy themselves, but in this verse it is those who were to be regenerated and would accordingly be saved. They are called 'Noah'.
ppp23177#pid#665. That establishing a covenant' means that he would be regenerated becomes quite clear from the fact that the only kind of covenant that can exist between the Lord and man is conjunction by virtue of love and faith. And so a covenant means conjunction; indeed it is the heavenly marriage that is the supreme covenant of all. The heavenly marriage or conjunction does not show itself however except with people who are being regenerated. Regeneration itself therefore in the broadest sense is meant by a covenant. The Lord enters into a covenant with man when He regenerates him, and consequently among men of old a covenant had no other representation. From the sense of the letter no other impression is gained than that the covenant made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and so often with their descendants, concerned just those personages. But those people were by nature such as to be incapable of being regenerated, for they focused worship exclusively on things that were external, and imagined external things to be sacred without things that are internal allied to them. Consequently the covenants made with them were no more than representations of regeneration, as were all their religious ceremonies, and as were Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob themselves who represented the things of love and faith. In a similar way priests or high priests, whatever their character, including infamous ones, could represent the heavenly and most holy priesthood. In representations no attention is paid to the person who represents but to that which is represented by him. Thus all the kings of Israel and Judah, including the worst of them, represented the Lord's kingship, and so indeed did the Pharaoh who promoted Joseph over the land of Egypt. These and many other considerations which in the Lord's Divine mercy will be dealt with later on show that the covenants made so often with the sons of Jacob were nothing more than religious ceremonies which were representative.
ppp23176#pid#666. 'A covenant' means nothing other than regeneration and the things that constitute regeneration. This becomes clear from many places in the Word where the Lord Himself is called 'the Covenant', for it is He alone who regenerates, to whom a regenerated person looks, and who is the All in all of love and faith. That the Lord is the Covenant itself is clear in Isaiah,
I Jehovah have called You in righteousness, taking You by the hand and keeping You, and I will give You for a Covenant of the people, a light of the nations. `Isaiah 42bbb6`.
Here 'a Covenant' stands for the Lord, and 'the light of the nations' is faith. Similarly in `Isaiah 49bbb6`, `Isaiah 49bbbccc8`. In Malachi,
Behold, I am sending My angel, and suddenly there will come to His temple the Lord whom you are seeking, and the Angel of the Covenant in whom you delight. Behold, He is coming. Who will endure the day of His coming? `Malachi 3bbb1-2`.
Here the Lord is called 'the Angel of the Covenant'. In `Exodus 31bbb16` the Sabbath is called an eternal covenant because it means the Lord Himself. It also means the celestial man who has been regenerated by Him.
ttt[2] The Lord being the Covenant itself, it is clear that what constitutes the covenant is everything that joins a person to the Lord, that is to say, love and faith and the things that belong to love and faith. In fact these are the Lord's and the Lord is within them, and so the Covenant itself exists within these, where they are received. These things do not exist except with someone who has been regenerated, with whom anything at all that is the Regenerator's, or the Lord's, constitutes the covenant, or is the covenant. As in Isaiah,
My mercy will not depart from you, and the covenant of My peace will not be removed. `Isaiah 54bbb10`.
Here 'mercy and covenant of peace' means the Lord and things that are the Lord's. In the same prophet,
Incline your ear and come to Me; hear, that your soul may live, and I will make with you an eternal covenant, even the sure mercies of David. Lo, I have given Him as a witness to the peoples, a leader and lawgiver to the peoples. `Isaiah 55bbb3-4`.
Here 'David' stands for the Lord. 'The eternal covenant' exists in and acts through those qualities that are the Lord's, which are meant by 'coming to Him' and 'hearing so that your soul may live'.
ttt[3] In Jeremiah,
I will give them one heart and one way, to fear Me all their days, for their own good and that of their sons after them. I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them, and I will put My fear into their heart. `Jeremiah 31bbb39`, `Jeremiah 31bbbccc40`.
This stands for those who are to be regenerated, and also for those things with someone regenerate which are 'one heart and one way', namely charity and faith, which belong to the Lord and so to the covenant. In the same prophet,
Behold, the days are coming, said Jehovah, when I will make with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah a new covenant, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers, for they rendered My covenant invalid. But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days: I will put My law in the midst of them, and will write it on their heart, and I will be their God, and they will be My people. `Jeremiah 31bbb31-33`.
This is an explicit statement of what constitutes the covenant - love and faith in the Lord, which will be present with him who is to be regenerated.
ttt[4] In the same prophet love is called the covenant far the day, and faith the covenant for the night, `Jeremiah 33bbb20`. In Ezekiel,
I Jehovah will be their God, and my servant David will be prince in the midst of them; and I will make with them a covenant of peace, and I will banish the evil wild animal from the land, and they will dwell securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. `Ezekiel 34bbb24-25`.
This clearly refers to regeneration. 'David' stands for the Lord. In the same prophet,
David will be their prince for ever. I will make with them a covenant of peace, it will be an eternal covenant with them. I will set My sanctuary in their midst for evermore. `Ezekiel 37bbb25-26`.
This similarly refers to regeneration. 'David' and 'the sanctuary' stand for the Lord. In the same prophet,
I entered into a covenant with you, and you were Mine. And I washed you with water and washed away your blood from upon you, and anointed you with oil. `Ezekiel 16bbb8-9`, `Ezekiel 16bbbccc11`.
This clearly stands for regeneration. In Hosea,
I will make for them a covenant on that day, with the wild animals of the field, and with the birds of the air,`fff1` and with the creeping things of the earth. `Hosea 2bbb18`.
This stands for regeneration. 'Wild animals of the field' stands for things of the will, 'birds of the air'`fff1` for those of the understanding. In David,
He sent redemption to His people, He commanded His covenant for ever. `Psalms 111bbb9`.
This stands for regeneration. This is called 'a covenant' because it is something given and received.
ttt[5] People however who have not been regenerated - or what amounts to the same, who focus worship on things that are external and who set up and worship as gods both themselves and everything they desire and think - are referred to, because they separate themselves from the Lord, as 'rendering the covenant invalid', as in Jeremiah,
They forsook the covenant of Jehovah their God, and bowed down to other gods and served them. `Jeremiah 22bbb9`.
In Moses,
He who transgressed the covenant by serving other gods, the sun, the moon, and the host of heaven, was to be stoned. `Deuteronomy 17bbb2` and following verses.
'The sun' stands for self-love, 'the moon' for false assumptions, 'the host of heaven' for falsities themselves. From this it is now clear what 'the Ark of the covenant' is, containing the testimony or covenant, namely the Lord Himself; what 'the Book of the covenant' is, namely the Lord Himself, `Exodus 24bbb4-7`, `Exodus ccc34bbb27`; `Deuteronomy 4bbb13`, `Deuteronomy 4bbbccc23`; what 'the Blood of the covenant' is, namely the Lord Himself, `Exodus 24bbb6`, `Exodus 24bbbccc8`; who alone is the Regenerator. Hence 'a covenant' is regeneration itself.
`nnn1. literally, bird of the heavens (or the skies)
ppp23175#pid#667. 'He was to enter into the ark, he and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives' means that he would be saved. This is clear from what has been stated already, and from what follows, to the effect that he was saved because he had been regenerated.
ppp23174#pid#668. 'Sons' means truths and 'wives' goods. This also has been shown already at Chapter `Exodus ccc5bbb4` where the phrase 'sons and daughters' is used. Here however it is 'sons and wives', for 'wives' are goods which have been joined to truths. Indeed no truth can ever be brought forth unless some good or delight exists for it to spring from. Within good and delight there is life, but not within truth apart from that which it derives from good and delight. It is from these that truth is given form and develops, even as faith, which is connected with truth, is given form by and develops out of love, which is connected with good. Truth is like light; there is no light apart from that which flows from the sun or flame. It is from these that light is given form. Truth is merely the form which good takes, and faith merely the form which love takes. The form that truth takes depends therefore on the character of its good, as does that of faith on that of its love or charity. This is the reason why 'wife' and 'wives who mean goods that have been joined to truths are meant at this point. This also is why in the next verse reference is made to pairs of all, male and female, entering the ark, for without goods joined to truths regeneration does not take place.
ppp23173#pid#669. Verse `Genesis 6bbbccc19` And of every living creature of all flesh, pairs of all, you shall cause to enter the ark, to keep them alive with you; male and female they shall be.
'Living creature'`fff1` means things of the understanding, 'all flesh' those of the will. 'Pairs of all you shall cause to enter the ark' means the regeneration of these. 'Male' means truth, 'female' good.
`nnn1. literally, living soul
ppp23172#pid#670. That 'living creature'`fff1` means things of the understanding, and 'all flesh' those of the will, becomes clear from what has been stated already, and also from what follows. In the Word 'living creature' means all animal life in general, as in `Genesis 1bbb10`, `Genesis 1bbbccc21`, `Genesis 1bbbccc24`; `Genesis ccc2bbb19`. Here however, because the phrase 'all flesh' is added immediately after, it means things which belong to the understanding, for the reason given already, that the regeneration of the member of this Church had to begin in the things of the understanding. This also is why in the next verse 'birds' are mentioned first, which mean things of the understanding or the rational, and 'beasts', which are those of the will, second. 'Flesh' in particular means bodily-mindedness which is a feature of the will.
`nnn1. literally, living soul
ppp23171#pid#671. 'Pairs of all you shall cause to enter the ark to keep them alive means the regeneration of these. This becomes clear from what has been stated in the previous verse, to the effect that truths cannot be regenerated except by means of goods and delights. Nor therefore can things of faith be regenerated except through those of charity. Hence the statement here about pairs of all having to enter, clearly meaning that both truths, which belong to the understanding, and goods, which belong to the will, were to do so. With someone who has not yet been regenerated an understanding of truth and a will for good do not exist but merely appear to do so, and are referred to as such in everyday speech. It is possible for rational truths and for facts to exist with that person, but these have no life. It is also possible for goods which merely look like those of the will, such as those present with gentiles or even with animals, to exist there. But these have no life either; they are merely semblances. With man such things are in no sense alive until he has been regenerated and they have in this way been made alive by the Lord. In the next life what has life and what does not is perceived very distinctly. Truth that has no life is perceived instantly as something material, all tangled and closed up, while good that has no life is perceived as something wooden, bony, and stone-like. But truth or good made alive by the Lord is open, living, and full of what is spiritual and celestial - open even from the Lord Himself. This applies to every idea and action, even to the smallest of either of them. This is why the statement is here made about pairs having to enter the ark to keep them alive.
ppp23170#pid#672. 'Male' means truth and 'female' good. This has been stated and shown already. In every smallest part of man a kind of marriage exists. Whatever forms part of the understanding is coupled, as in a marriage, to some part of his will. Without such a coupling or marriage, nothing in the slightest is brought forth.
ppp23169#pid#673. Verse `Genesis 6bbbccc20` Of birds according to their kinds, and of beasts according to their kinds, and of every creeping thing of the ground according to its kind. Pairs of all shall come in to you to keep them alive.
'Birds' means intellectual concepts, 'beasts' desires of the will, and 'creeping thing of the ground' the lowest of each of these. 'two each of all shall enter in to keep them alive' means, as previously, the regeneration of those things.
ppp23168#pid#674. It has been shown already in `@@@40` that 'birds' means intellectual or rational concepts, and in `@@@45`, `@@@46`, `@@@142`, `@@@143`, `@@@146`, that 'beasts' means desires of the will, or affections. That 'creeping thing of the ground' means the lowest things of each of these may be evident to anyone from the consideration that what creeps along the ground is the lowest of all. That 'pairs of all shall enter in to keep them alive' means the regeneration of those things was stated in the previous verse.
ppp23167#pid#675. As regards the statement 'birds according to their kinds, beasts according to their kinds, and [every] creeping thing according to its kind' it should be recognized that with everybody countless genera and still more countless species exist of intellectual concepts and of desires of the will which are all quite distinct and separate from one another, though the individual is not conscious of it. In man's regeneration however the Lord draws out every single thing in its proper order, separating them all from one another and arranging them so that they may be turned in the direction of truths and goods and may be joined to them. And this takes place varyingly according to people's states, which are countless as well. Yet to all eternity all those things in man's will and understanding can never be totally perfected, for each genus, each species, and each state consists of elements which are limitless both individually and even more so when combined with others. Man does not even know about this, still less can he know in what way he is regenerated. This is what the Lord tells Nicodemus about man's regeneration, The spirit blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is with everyone who has been begotten of the spirit. `John 3bbb8`.
ppp23166#pid#676. Verse `Genesis 6bbbccc21` And take for yourself of all food that is eaten, and gather it to yourself, and it will be food for you and them.
'He was to take for himself of all food that is eaten' means goods and delights. 'He was to gather them to himself' means truths. 'It was to be food for him and them' means both of these things.
ppp23165#pid#677. As regards the food of someone who is to be regenerated, the situation is this: Before anyone can be regenerated he must be supplied with all those things that can serve as means - the goods and delights which constitute affections as means for the will, and truths from the Lord's Word, together also with matters of a confirmatory nature from other sources, as means for the understanding. Until a person has been supplied with these he cannot be regenerated. These are what constitute his food. This explains why a person is not regenerated until he has entered adult years. Everybody however has some particular food so to speak proper to himself, which the Lord provides for him before regeneration takes place.
ppp23164#pid#678. 'He was to take for himself of all food that is eaten' means goods and delights. This becomes clear from what has been stated about goods and delights, rather than truths, constituting a person's life, for truths receive their life from goods and delights. The whole of a person's factual knowledge or rationality, from infancy through to old age, is at no point instilled into him except through good and delight. And because it is from these that his soul receives life and is sustained they are called food, and are in reality food, for without them man's soul cannot possibly live. This anyone may see who is willing to pay any attention to the matter.
ppp23163#pid#679. 'He was to gather them for himself' means truths. This is clear from what has been stated above, for 'gathering' has reference to the things that are in a person's memory, where they have been gathered together. It embodies in addition the point that the former and the latter - goods and truths - need to be gathered together in man before regeneration takes place. Indeed unless goods and truths have been gathered together to serve as means through which the Lord may do His work, a person cannot possibly be regenerated, as has been stated. From this it follows then that 'it was to be food for him and them' means both goods and truths.
ppp23162#pid#680. The fact that goods and truths are man's real food may be clear to anyone, for the person who is deprived of them has no life within himself, and is a dead man. The food on which the soul of the person feeds who is dead in this sense consists of the delights arising from evils, and of the pleasures gained from falsities. These are the food of death. These delights and pleasures also derive from bodily, worldly, and natural things, which have no life at all within them. Furthermore such a person does not know what spiritual and celestial food is. Every time 'food' or 'bread' is mentioned in the Word he assumes that food for the body is meant. In the words of the Lord's Prayer, 'Give us our daily bread', for example, he thinks purely of nourishment for the body. There are some whose ideas do extend further and who assert that this petition includes all other physical requirements, such as clothing, money, and so on. Indeed they will argue fiercely that no other kind of food is meant, even though they clearly see that the petitions coming before and after it entail purely celestial and spiritual things, and refer to the Lord's kingdom, and possibly know as well that the Lord's Word is celestial and spiritual.
ttt[2] From this and other similar considerations it becomes sufficiently clear just how bodily-minded the man of today is, and that like the Jews, he is unwilling to accept anything stated in the Word except in a very crude and materialistic way. The Lord Himself clearly teaches what His Word means by 'food' and 'bread': He speaks of food in John as follows,
Jesus said, Do not labour for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man gives you. `John 6bbb27`.
And of bread He says in the same gospel,
Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die. I am the living Bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this Bread he will live for ever. `John 6bbb49-51`, `John 6bbbccc58`.
Even today there are people who, like those who first heard these words, declare,
This is a hard saying; who can listen to it? And some drew back and no longer walked with Him. `John 6bbb60`, `John 6bbbccc66`.
To those people the Lord said,
The words which I speak to you, they are spirit and they are life. `John 6bbb63`.
ttt[3] It is similar with water, in that it means the spiritual things of faith: He speaks of water in John as follows,
Jesus said, Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again, but he who drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up into eternal life. `John 4bbb13-14`.
Even today there are people like the woman to whom the Lord spoke at the spring, who replied,
Sir, give me this water that I may not thirst nor come here to draw. `John 4bbb15`.
ttt[4] In the Word 'food' means nothing other than spiritual and celestial food, which is faith in the Lord and love. This is clear from many places in the Word, as in Jeremiah,
The enemy has stretched out his hand over all the desirable things of Jerusalem, because she saw the nations come into her sanctuary, concerning whom You did command, They shall not enter your congregation. All the people groan as they search for bread. They have given their desirable things for food to restore the soul. `Lamentations 1bbb10-11`.
Here no other bread or food is meant than spiritual, for the subject is the sanctuary. In the same author,
I called to my lovers, they deceived me. My priests and my elders breathed their last in the city, for they sought food for themselves to refresh their soul. `Lamentations 1bbb19`.
Here the meaning is similar. In David,
They all look to You to give them their food in due season. You givest to them - they gather it up. You openest Your hand - they are satisfied with good. `Psalms 104bbb27-28`.
This in like manner stands for spiritual and celestial food.
ttt[5] In Isaiah,
Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters, and he who has no money, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. `Isaiah 55bbb1`.
Here 'wine and milk' stands for spiritual and celestial drink. In the same prophet,
A virgin is conceiving and bearing a son, and you will call His name Immanuel. Butter and honey will He eat that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good. It will be that because of the abundance of milk they produce he will eat butter, for butter and honey will everyone eat that is left in the midst of the land. `Isaiah 7bbb14-15`, `Isaiah 7bbbccc22`.
Here 'eating honey and butter' means that which is celestial-spiritual, and 'those who are left' stands for remnants, which are referred to in Malachi as well,
Bring all the tithes`fff1` to the storehouse that there may be food in My house. `Malachi 3bbb10`.
'Tithes'`fff1` stands for remnants. Further concerning the meaning of 'food', see `@@@56-58`, `@@@276`.
`nnn1. or tenths
ppp23161#pid#681. What celestial and spiritual food is can be seen best of all in the next life. The life of angels and spirits is not maintained by any food like that found in the world but 'by every word that goes out of the mouth of the Lord', as the Lord Himself teaches in `Matthew 4bbb4`. The situation is this: The Lord alone is the life of all. From Him comes every single thing that angels and spirits think, say, and do. This applies not only to angels and good spirits but also to evil spirits. The reason the latter speak and do things that are evil is that they receive and corrupt in this way all goods and truths that are the Lord's. For as is the form of the recipient so is the nature of reception and affection. This may be compared to different objects which receive the sun-light. According to their form and according to the arrangement and delimitation of their parts, some convert the rays of light received into unpleasant and hideous colours, while other objects convert them into pleasing and beautiful colours. In such a manner the whole of heaven and the whole of the world of spirits derive their life from everything that goes out of the Lord's mouth, and from this each individual has his life. Indeed this applies not only to heaven and the world of spirits but also to the whole human race. I realize that people are not going to believe it, but I can positively declare from years of uninterrupted personal experience that this is utterly true. Evil spirits in the world of spirits however refuse to believe that it is so, and consequently they have been shown it convincingly time and again until they have grudgingly confessed it to be true. If angels, spirits, and men were deprived of this food they would instantly breathe their last.
ppp23160#pid#682. Verse `Genesis 6bbbccc22` And Noah did according to all that God commanded him; he did so.
'Noah did according to all that God commanded him' means that it was so done. The use twice of the verb 'did' comprehends both good and truth.
ppp23159#pid#683. As regards the use twice of the verb 'did' comprehending both good and truth, it should be recognized that in the Word, especially the Prophets, one matter may be described in two ways, as in Isaiah,
He has passed on in peace, a way He has not gone with His feet. Who has performed and done this? `Isaiah 42bbb3`, `Isaiah 42bbbccc4`.
Here the first statement has regard to good, the second to truth, that is to say, the first regards things of the will, the second those of the understanding. Thus 'passing on in peace' embodies things of the will, 'a way he did not go with His feet' those of the understanding. The same applies to 'performing' and 'doing'. In the Word things that belong to the will and to the understanding, that is, to love and faith - or what amounts to the same, celestial things and spiritual things - are joined together in such a way that each individual part images a marriage, and answers to the heavenly marriage. The same applies here with the repetition of the same verb.
ppp23158#pid#684. THE COMMUNITIES THAT CONSTITUTE HEAVEN
There are three heavens, the first where good spirits are, the second where angelic spirits are, and the third where angels are. One heaven is interior to and purer than the next, which means that they are entirely distinct and separate from one another. The first heaven divides into countless communities, as do the second and the third, and each community consists of many individuals who, because of the harmony and unanimity that exist among them, in effect constitute one person. At the same time, all the communities in effect constitute one human being. Communities differ in nature from one another according to the way their mutual love and faith in the Lord varies. These differences are so countless that it is not possible to count up even the most general kinds of them. Even the smallest of differences fits into the perfectly ordered arrangement of the whole, and so contributes in perfect unanimity to a general unity, as does the general unity to the unanimity among individuals. Each individual therefore contributes to the happiness of all, and all to that of each individual. Consequently every angel and every community is an image of the whole of heaven and is so to speak heaven in miniature.
ppp23157#pid#685. Marvellous ties exist between people in the next life. They are comparable to family relationships on earth, that is to say, they accept one another as parents, children, brothers, blood relatives, and relatives by marriage, their love for one another according with such differences. These differences are limitless, and the perceptions communicable are so excellent as to defy description. No thought at all is given to what they once were on earth - parents, children, blood relatives, or relatives by marriage. Nor is any thought given at all to what a person's social position has been, no matter who - to his positions of honour, or his wealth, and so on - only to the varying embodiments of mutual love and faith; and the ability to receive these they acquired from the Lord while they were in the world.
ppp23156#pid#686. It is the Lord's mercy - that is, His love towards the whole of heaven and towards the whole human race - thus it is the Lord alone, that organizes every single thing into communities. It is the same mercy which gives birth to conjugial love, and from this to the love of parents towards children, which loves are the basic and prime loves. From these stem all other kinds of love existing in unending variety which are ordered quite distinctly and separately into communities.
ppp23155#pid#687. This being the nature of heaven, no angel or spirit can possibly have any life unless he lives in some community, and in so doing in a harmonious relationship of many people. A community is nothing else than the harmonious relationship of many, for one person's life in no sense exists in isolation from the life of others. Indeed no angel, spirit, or community can possibly have any life, that is, be moved by good to will anything, or be moved by truth to think anything, if he is not joined to heaven and to the world of spirits through the many in his own community. The same applies to the human race. No one whatever, no matter who, can possibly live, that is, be moved by good to will anything, or be moved by truth to think anything, unless he has in like manner been joined to heaven through the angels residing with him, and to the world of spirits, and even to hell through the spirits residing with him.
ttt[2] For everyone during his lifetime is dwelling in some community of spirits or angels, although he is not conscious of doing so. And if he is not joined to heaven or the world of spirits by means of the community in which he lives, he cannot go on living one moment longer. It is like the parts of the human body. Any part of it which is not joined to the rest by means of fibres and vessels, and so by means of various functions, is not part of the body. It is instantly removed and expelled as that which has no life.
ttt[3] The very communities in which and among which people have lived during their lifetime are shown to them once they have entered the next life. When they enter such a community after the life of the body, they enter into the very life that had been theirs while in the body, and from that life they start a new one. And so according to the life they have led in the body they either go down to hell or are raised up to heaven.
ppp23154#pid#688. Since such a conjunction exists of all with each individual, and of each individual with all, a similar conjunction exists involving the most individual areas of affection and the most individual areas of thought.
ppp23153#pid#689. This being so, every single thing - celestial, spiritual, or natural - is balanced in such a way that nobody is able to think, feel, or act in isolation from the many, though each one supposes that he does so independently and in absolute freedom. Nothing in like manner ever exists that is not counter-balanced by its opposite, and things that are opposite by those that are intermediate. As a result the individual by himself, and the many collectively, live in a most perfect equilibrium. Consequently no evil can befall anyone without being instantly counter-balanced. And when there is a preponderance of evil, evil - that is, the evil-doer - is in that case corrected by the law of equilibrium as if of himself; but this never takes place except to the end that good may result. Such is the form, and therefore the equilibrium in which heavenly order consists, an order formed, arranged, and preserved for ever by the Lord alone.
ppp23152#pid#690. In addition it should be realized that one community is never utterly and completely like another, nor one member within a community like any other member. Instead unanimous and harmonious variety of all exists, and these variations have been so ordered by the Lord that they strive towards one single end, which is attained through love and faith in Him. From this arises their unity. For the same reason one heaven and form of heavenly joy is never utterly and completely like another. Indeed variations in love and faith are what determine the nature of heaven and its joy.
ppp23151#pid#691. This general information concerning communities based on wide and daily experience will in the Lord's Divine mercy be developed in detail later on.
ppp23150#pid#692. CHAPTER 7
HELL
Just as man's idea of heaven is very general, so hazy as to be almost none at all, so too is his idea of hell. He is like hut-dwellers in a forest who can have a mental picture of the world beyond, but do not know of its empires or kingdoms, still less its forms of government, and even less the communities or life of those communities. Until they know these things their idea of the world is bound to be very general, such as to be scarcely any at all. The same applies to man's ideas of heaven and of hell. Yet there are countless phenomena in both places, infinitely more than those existing on any planet. How countless they are becomes clear from the mere consideration that just as nobody ever has in mind exactly the same heaven as anybody else, so nobody ever has in mind exactly the same hell. And yet all souls who have ever lived in the world since creation began go to those places and are gathered together.
ppp23149#pid#693. Just as love to the Lord and towards the neighbour, and the resulting joy and happiness constitute heaven, so hatred against the Lord and against the neighbour, and the resulting punishment and torment constitute hell. There are countless genera of hatred, and even more countless species. And the hells are just as countless.
ppp23148#pid#694. Just as heaven, deriving as it does from the Lord, constitutes through mutual love one human being and one soul so to speak, and consequently has one end in view, which is to preserve and save all men eternally, so conversely does hell, deriving as it does from the proprium, constitute through self-love and love of the world, that is, through hatred, one devil and one frame of mind (animus), and consequently has one end in view, which is to destroy and condemn all men eternally. That this is the nature of their endeavours I have perceived thousands and thousands of times. Unless therefore the Lord were preserving everybody in every fraction of a moment, man would perish.
ppp23147#pid#695. The form and the order however which the Lord imposes on the hells are such that all there are kept chained and fettered by their own desires and delusions in which their very life consists. That life, being the life of death, is converted into dreadful tortures, so great as to defy description. For the greatest delight of their lives consists in their being able to punish, torture, and torment one another, and to do so by methods quite unknown in the world. By those methods they know how to introduce painful sensations just as if they were in the body, and also dreadful and horrible delusions, as well as fears and phobias, and other similar tortures. In this the devilish crew find so much pleasure that if they were able to go on unceasingly inflicting more and more pain and torture, they would not rest content even then but would be fired to do so even more unceasingly still. The Lord however diverts their endeavours and alleviates torments.
ppp23146#pid#696. Every single thing in the next life is balanced in such a way that evil punishes itself. So evil carries its own punishment with it, as likewise does falsity which comes back on him in whom falsity dwells. Consequently the punishment and torment which anybody suffers he brings upon himself, and at such times exposes himself to the devilish crew who inflict them. The Lord never sends anyone to hell, but wishes to lead all away from hell; less still does He bring anyone into torment. But since an evil spirit rushes into it himself the Lord turns all the punishment and torment to good and to some use. No punishment can possibly take place unless the Lord has some use as the end in view, for the Lord's kingdom is a kingdom of ends and uses. The uses which people in hell can perform however are the poorest of all. While they are engaged in these uses their torment is not so great; but once the use has been completed they are returned to hell.
ppp23145#pid#697. At least two evil spirits and two angels are present with every man. Through the evil spirits a person is in communication with hell, and through the angels with heaven. Without communication in both directions no one can survive for the smallest fraction of time. Everybody is accordingly in contact with some community of those in hell, though he is not directly conscious of it. Their torments however cannot be transmitted to him because he is still in the process of being prepared for eternal life. That community to which he has been allied is sometimes shown to him in the next life, for he goes back to it and so to the life which he led in the world. And from this point he either makes his way towards hell or is raised up into heaven. So anyone who does not lead a life consisting of good that stems from charity and who does not allow himself to be led by the Lord is one of those who belong in hell, and after death he also becomes a devil.
ppp23144#pid#698. In addition to the hells there are also vastations, about which much is stated in the Word. For a person brings with him into the next life, as the result of sins of his own doing, countless evils and falsities which he accumulates and couples to himself. Even people who have led upright lives do so. Before these can be raised up into heaven their evils and falsities must be dispersed, and this dispersing is called vastation. There are many kinds of vastation, and the time they last may be quite long or quite short. Some people are taken off to heaven within a fairly short period of time, some immediately after death.
ppp23143#pid#699. To witness the torment of those who are in hell, and also the vastation of those who are on the lower earth, I have several times been sent down there. (Being sent down into hell does not involve being taken from one place to another; it involves being admitted into some community of hell and yet remaining just where you are.) Let this one experience be described here: I once perceived clearly that a sort of column was surrounding me. This column grew noticeably thicker. Then it was instilled into me that this was 'the wall of bronze' mentioned in the Word,`fff1` and that it consisted of angelic spirits, so that I could be sent down to the unfortunate and yet remain unharmed. While I was there I heard miserable wailings, in particular these, 'O God, O God, have mercy on us, have mercy on us and this went on for a long time. I was also allowed to talk to those wretches, and to do so quite a lot. Most of all they moaned about evil spirits longing and burning to do nothing else but torment them. In their despair they said they were convinced that the torment would last for ever. But I was allowed to comfort them.
`nnn1. `Jeremiah 15bbb20`
ppp23142#pid#700. The hells, as stated, being so numerous, let them be spoken about in turn under the following headings:
1. The hells of people who have gone through life hating, desiring revenge, and being cruel.
2. The hells of people who have gone through life committing adultery and acts of unrestrained lust; also the hells of deceivers and witches.
3. The hells of the avaricious, and in the same place, the filthy Jerusalem and the robbers in the desert; and also the utterly foul hells of people who have lived wholly engrossed in the pursuit of pleasures.
4. Then other hells different from these mentioned already.
5. Finally, people who are undergoing vastation.
For these topics see the preliminary or the final sections to the chapters that follow.
ppp23141#pid#701. `Genesis 7bbb0`
1. And Jehovah said to Noah, Enter, you and all your house, into the ark, for I have seen you to be a righteous man before Me in this generation.
2. Of every clean beast you shall take for yourself seven and seven of each, male and its mate,`fff1` and of beasts that are not clean, pairs of each, male and its mate.`fff1`
3. Also of the birds of the air`fff2` seven and seven of each, male and female, to keep their seed alive over the face`fff3` of the whole earth.
4. For in seven days' time I am making it rain over the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe out everything`fff4` I have made from over the face`fff3` of the ground.
5. And Noah did according to all that Jehovah commanded him.
6. And Noah was a son of six hundred years, and a flood of waters came to be over the earth.
7. And Noah went into the ark, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him, from before the waters of the flood.
8. Of the clean beast, and of the beast that is not clean, and of the bird, and of everything that creeps over the ground.
9. Two and two they went to Noah into the ark, male and female, as God had commanded Noah.
10. And there were seven days, and the waters of the flood were over the earth.
11. In the six hundredth year of the years of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep were split open, and the floodgates of heaven were opened.
12. And there was rain over the earth for forty days and forty nights.
13. On that very day Noah went in, and Shem and Ham and Japheth, Noah's sons, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark.
14. They, and every wild animal according to its kind, and every beast according to its kind, and every creeping thing that creeps over the earth according to its kind, and every bird according to its kind, every flying thing, and every winged thing.
15. And they went in to Noah into the ark, two and two from all flesh in which there was the spirit of life.`fff5`
16. And those who were going in, male and female of all flesh, went in, as God had commanded him; and Jehovah closed the way behind him.
17. And the flood was forty days over the earth, and the waters increased and raised the ark and lifted it above the earth.
18. And the waters grew stronger and increased greatly over the earth; and the ark went over the face`fff3` of the waters.
19. And the waters grew stronger and stronger over the earth, and all the high mountains beneath the whole sky were covered.
20. For fifteen cubits upwards the waters prevailed and covered the mountains.
21. And all flesh creeping over the earth breathed its last - birds, beasts, wild animals, and every creeping thing that creeps over the earth; and every man.
22. Everything which had the breath of the spirit of life`fff5` in its nostrils, everything that was on the dry land, died.
23. And He wiped out every being`fff4` which was on the face`fff3` of the ground, from man to beasts, to creeping things, and to birds of the air;`fff2` and they were wiped out from the earth; and Noah alone remained and that which was with him in the ark.
24. And the waters became more and more over the earth for a hundred and fifty days.
CONTENTS
Here the subject in general is the preparation of the Church. Just as the subject previously was the things of the understanding, so here verses `Genesis 7bbbccc1-5` deal with those of its will.
`nnn1. literally, man and his wife
`nnn2. literally, bird of the heavens (or the skies)
`nnn3. literally, over the faces
`nnn4. literally, every substance
`nnn5. literally, of lives
ppp23140#pid#702. After that the subject is its temptations. Verses `Genesis 7bbbccc6-10` describe temptations that involve things of the understanding, verses `Genesis 7bbbccc11-12`, those that involve things of the will.
ppp23139#pid#703. Following that verses `Genesis 7bbbccc13-15` deal with the protection of that Church, and its preservation. Verses `Genesis 7bbbccc16-18` describe the nature of its state, namely a state of wavering.
ppp23138#pid#704. Lastly verses `Genesis 7bbbccc19-24` deal with the character of the final descendants of the Most Ancient Church. They were so seized by the persuasions of falsity and by the desires of self-love that they perished.
ppp23137#pid#705. THE INTERNAL SENSE
Here the subject in particular is the Flood, which means not only the temptations that the member of the Church called Noah had to undergo before he could be regenerated, but also the desolation of those who were incapable of being regenerated. In the Word both temptations and desolations are compared to floods or deluges of waters, and are actually called such.
TEMPTATIONS
In Isaiah,
For a brief moment I forsook you, and with great compassion I will regather you. In a deluge of wrath I hid My face`fff1` from you for a moment, but with everlasting mercy I will have mercy on you, said Jehovah your Redeemer, for this is the waters of Noah to Me, to whom I swore that the waters of Noah should go no more over the earth. Thus have I sworn that I will not be angry with you and rebuke you. O afflicted one and storm-tossed, and receiving no comfort! `Isaiah 54bbb7`, `Isaiah 54bbbccc9`, `Isaiah 54bbbccc11`.
This refers to the Church that is to be regenerated, and to temptations which are called 'the waters of Noah'.
ttt[2] Besides this the Lord Himself calls temptations 'a deluge', in Luke,
Jesus said, Every one who comes to Me, and hears My words and does them, is like a man building a house, who dug and went down deep, and laid the foundations upon rock; and when a deluge came, a stream broke against that house but was not strong enough to move it because it had been founded upon the rock. `Luke 6bbb47-48`.
The fact that 'a deluge' here is used to mean temptations may be clear to anyone.
DESOLATIONS
In Isaiah,
The Lord is causing to rise up over them the waters of the river, mighty and many, the king of Asshur and all his glory; and it is rising over all its channels, and will go over all its banks, and it will go through Judah, it will deluge it and pass through and will reach even to the neck. `Isaiah 8bbb7-8`.
Here 'the king of Asshur' stands for the delusions, false assumptions, and reasonings based on these, which desolate a person and which desolated the people before the Flood.
ttt[3] In Jeremiah,
Thus said Jehovah, Behold, waters rising out of the north, they will be a deluging stream, and they will deluge the land and all that fills it, the city and those who dwell in it. `Jeremiah 47bbb2-3`.
This refers to the Philistines who represent people who adopt false assumptions and from them engage in reasonings about spiritual matters, which reasonings overwhelm a person as they did the people before the Flood.
The reason why in the Word both temptations and desolations are compared to floods or deluges of waters, and are actually called such, is that there is a similarity between the two, it being evil spirits who flow in with their persuasions and false assumptions which dwell with them and who activate the things of a like nature in man. With someone who is being regenerated they are temptations, but with someone who is not they are desolations.
`nnn1. literally, faces
ppp23136#pid#706. Verse `Genesis 7bbbccc1` And Jehovah said to Noah, Enter, you and all your house, into the ark, for I have seen you to be a righteous man before Me in this generation.
'Jehovah said to Noah' means that it was so accomplished. The name 'Jehovah' is used because now the subject is charity. 'Enter, you and all your house, into the ark' means the things that constitute the will, which is 'the house'. Here 'entering into the ark' means being made ready. 'For I have seen you to be a righteous man in this generation' means possessing good by which he could be regenerated.
ppp23135#pid#707. From here down to verse `Genesis 7bbbccc5` the details are almost identical with those stated in the previous chapter, with only minor changes; and the same applies to what comes after that. Anyone who is not aware of the internal sense of the Word is bound to conclude that it is mere repetition of the same thing. Similar instances occur in other parts of the Word, especially the Prophets, where the same matter is expressed in other and different words. And sometimes the matter is taken up again and described once more. The reason for this, as stated already, is that the two faculties with man of will and understanding are totally different from each other, and that the Word deals with both separately. This is the reason why repetitions exist. That the same applies here will be clear from what follows.
ppp23134#pid#708. 'Jehovah said to Noah' means that it was so accomplished. This is clear from the fact that with Jehovah there is nothing other than Being (Esse). That which He 'says' denotes that which takes place and is accomplished, as also in verse `Genesis 6bbbccc13` of the previous chapter, and elsewhere where 'Jehovah's saying' denotes taking place and accomplishment.
ppp23133#pid#709. The name Jehovah is used because now the subject is charity. From verse `Genesis 6bbbccc9` to the end of the previous chapter Jehovah is not used but God, the reason being that there the subject is the preparation of Noah, or the member of the Church called Noah, as regards things of his understanding, which are matters of faith. Here however it is the preparation of him as regards the things of his will, which are matters of love. When the subject is the things of the understanding, that is, the truths of faith, the name God is used, but when it is those of the will, that is, goods stemming from love, Jehovah is used. For it is not things of the understanding, that is, of faith, that constitute the Church but those of the will which are matters of love. Jehovah is present within love and charity, but not within faith except faith that inheres in love or charity. This also is why in the Word faith is compared to the night, but love to the daytime, as in `Genesis 1bbb0` where the great lights are mentioned; the greater light, which is the sun and means love, has dominion over the day, while the lesser light, which is the moon and means faith, has dominion over the night, `Genesis 1bbb14`, `Genesis 1bbbccc16`. Similarly in the Prophets, `Jeremiah 31bbb35`; `Jeremiah ccc33bbb20`; `Psalms 136bbb8-9`; also `Revelation 8bbb12`.
ppp23132#pid#710. 'Enter, you and all your house, into the ark' means things that constitute the will. This is clear from what has just been stated. In the previous chapter, which dealt with things of the understanding, verse `Genesis 6bbbccc18` reads differently, namely 'You shall enter into the ark, you, and your sons, and your wife, and your sons' wives with you'. That 'a house' means the will and what constitutes the will is clear from various places in the Word, as in Jeremiah,
Their houses will be turned over to others, their fields and wives together. `Jeremiah 6bbb11`.
Here both 'houses' and 'fields and wives' refers to things of the will. In the same prophet,
Build houses and dwell in them; and plant gardens and eat their fruit. `Jeremiah 29bbb5`, `Jeremiah 29bbbccc28`.
Here 'building and dwelling in houses' has to do with the will, 'planting gardens' with the understanding. The same applies in other places. And frequently 'the house of Jehovah' stands for the Church where love is the chief thing. 'The house of Judah' stands for the celestial Church, 'the house of Israel' for the spiritual Church, because 'a house' means the Church. Consequently the mind of the member of the Church, which has within it things of the will and those of the understanding, that is, of charity and of faith, is meant by 'a house'.
ppp23131#pid#711. That 'entering into the ark' means being made ready has been stated already at verse `Genesis 6bbbccc18` of the previous chapter. There however it meant being made ready for salvation as regards things of the understanding, which are the truths of faith, whereas here it means being made ready as regards those of the will, which are goods springing from charity. Unless a person has been made ready, that is, has been supplied with truths and goods, he cannot possibly be regenerated, still less undergo temptations, for the evil spirits who are at that time with him activate the falsities and evils that are his. And unless truths and goods are present towards which they are turned by the Lord and by which they are scattered, he goes under. The truths and goods are the remnants which the Lord preserves for such purposes.
ppp23130#pid#712. 'For I have seen you to be a righteous man in this generation' means possessing good by which he could be regenerated. This has been stated and shown at verse `Genesis 6bbbccc9` of the previous chapter. There 'righteous' means the good which belongs to charity, and 'upright' the truth which belongs to it. There they were 'generations' because things of the understanding were the subject, but here it is 'a generation' because those of the will are the subject. For the will embraces things of the understanding, but the understanding does not embrace those of the will.
ppp23129#pid#713. Verse `Genesis 7bbbccc2` Of every clean beast you shall take for yourself seven and seven of each, male and its mate,`fff1` and of beasts that are not clean, pairs of each, male and its mate.`fff1`
'Every clean beast' means affections for good. 'Sevens of each' means that they are holy. 'Male and mate'`fff1` means that truths were joined to goods. 'The beast that is not clean' means evil affections. 'Two of each' means that in relation to goods they are unholy. 'Male and mate'`fff1` means falsities joined to evils.
`nnn1. literally, man and wife
ppp23128#pid#714. That 'every clean beast' means affections for good is clear from what has been stated and shown already about beasts in `@@@45`, `@@@46`, `@@@142`, `@@@143`, `@@@246`. The reason affections are meant by this is that a human being regarded in himself and his proprium is no different from a beast. His [five] senses are very similar, appetites very similar, natural desires very similar, as well as all his affections being very similar. His good and even his best loves are very similar, such as loving companions of his own species, loving his offspring, and loving his married partner. To this extent there is no difference at all. He is a human being and superior to beasts however in that he has an inner life which neither does nor can exist with beasts. That life is the life of faith and love deriving from the Lord, and unless that life were present in the smallest characteristic which a human being shares in common with beasts he would not be in any way different. Take just one example - love towards companions. If he were to love them merely for his own sake without anything more heavenly or more divine within such love, he could not then be called a human being, for the same is true of beasts. Similarly with every other example that could be taken. Consequently if the life of love from the Lord were not present in his will, and the life of faith from the Lord in his understanding, he would in no way be human. Through the life he has from the Lord he lives on after death, for the Lord takes him to Himself; and in this way he can be with angels in His heaven and live for ever. And even when someone lives like a wild animal, loving nothing whatever but himself and things regarding himself, still the Lord's mercy, being Divine and Infinite, is so great that He does not abandon him but by means of angels continually breathes His life into him. And even though someone does not receive that life otherwise than as a wild animal the Lord still makes it possible for him to think, reflect, and understand whether something in private or public life, or something worldly or bodily is good or bad, and so whether it is true or false.
ppp23127#pid#715. Since the most ancient people knew and when in self-abasement acknowledged that they were nothing but beasts and wild animals, and that the Lord alone enabled them to be human beings, they not only used to liken whatever resided with themselves to beasts and birds but also called them such. Things of the will they compared to beasts and called them beasts, and those of the understanding they compared to birds and called them birds. They differentiated however between good affections and evil affections. Good affections they compared to lambs, sheep, kids, he-goats, young she-goats, rams, young bulls, and oxen, because they were good and gentle creatures, and also because they had a use in life in that they could be eaten and men could clothe themselves with their skins and wool. These are chiefly the clean beasts. But the evil and savage ones, which also have no use in life, are unclean beasts.
ppp23126#pid#716. 'Sevens of each' means that they are holy. This is clear from what has been stated already in `@@@84-87` about the seventh day or sabbath. That is to say, the Lord is the Seventh Day and from Him derives every celestial Church or man, and indeed, the celestial itself which, because it is the Lord's alone, is most holy. Consequently seven in the Word means holy; indeed in the internal sense, as here, absolutely nothing is obtained from the number itself. For people who possess the internal sense, as angels and angelic spirits do, have no concept at all of what a number is, and so do not know what seven is. Therefore the idea that they were to take seven pairs of all the clean beasts, or that the ratio of the good to the evil was to be seven to two, is not at all the meaning here. Rather it is this: Things of the will with which this member of the Church was supplied were the goods which are holy, through which, as stated already, he was capable of being regenerated.
ttt[2] That 'seven' means that which is holy, or things that are holy, becomes clear from the rituals in the representative Church, where the number seven occurs time and again, for example, being sprinkled seven times with blood and oil, as in Leviticus,
Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the Tabernacle and everything that was in it and made them holy. And he sprinkled some of it over the altar seven times, and anointed the altar and all its vessels to make them holy. `Leviticus 8bbb10-11`.
Here 'seven times' would be utterly devoid of meaning if that which is holy was not being represented in this way. 'Oil' there means the holiness of love. And elsewhere in Leviticus, when Aaron entered the Holy Place,
He shall take some of the blood of the young bull, and shall sprinkle it with his finger over the face`fff1` of the mercy-seat towards the east, and he shall sprinkle the face`fff1` of the mercy-seat seven times with some of the blood with his finger.
Similarly with the altar,
He shall sprinkle over it some of the blood with his finger seven times, and shall cleanse it, and make it holy. `Leviticus 16bbb14`, `Leviticus 16bbbccc19`.
Here every single detail means the Lord Himself, and therefore the holiness of love - that is to say, 'the blood' and also 'the mercy-seat', 'the altar' too, 'the east in which direction the blood was to be sprinkled', and so 'seven' as well, all mean the Lord.
ttt[3] In sacrifices it is similar, about which the following is said in Leviticus,
If a soul has sinned inadvertently, and if the anointed priest has sinned, thus making the people guilty, he shall slaughter the young bull in Jehovah's presence. And the priest shall dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle some of the blood seven times in Jehovah's presence towards the veil of the Holy Place. `Leviticus 4bbb2-4`, `Leviticus 4bbbccc6`.
Here similarly 'seven' means that which is holy, for the subject is atonement, and therefore the Lord, since atonement is the Lord's alone. Similar instructions were also given concerning the cleansing of leprosy, about which the following is said in Leviticus,
[Taking some] of the bird's blood, the cedar-wood, the double-dyed scarlet, and the hyssop, the priest shall sprinkle over the one who is to be cleansed from leprosy seven times, and shall cleanse him. In a similar way some of the oil which is in his left palm, seven times in Jehovah's presence. In a similar way in a house where there is leprosy, [he shall take some] of the cedar-wood, and the hyssop, and the double-dyed scarlet, and shall sprinkle some of the bird's blood seven times. `Leviticus 14bbb6-7`, `Leviticus 14bbbccc27`, `Leviticus 14bbbccc51`.
Anyone may see that here cedar-wood, double-dyed scarlet, hyssop, oil, and blood of a bird, and so the number seven, would be utterly meaningless if things that are holy were not being represented by them. If you take away from them holy things, what is left is something dead, or something unholy and idolatrous. When however they do mean holy things the worship they contain in that case is a Divine worship which is internal and simply represented by things that are external. The Jews however were incapable of knowing what these meant; and neither does anyone today know what cedar-wood, hyssop, double-dyed scarlet, and the bird all mean. Yet if only they had been willing to think that these did embody holy things which they did not actually know, and so had worshipped the Lord - who was the Messiah to come who would heal them from their leprosy, that is, from profaning what is holy - they could have been saved. For people who do think and believe in this manner straightaway receive instruction in the next life, if they desire it, as to what every single detail represented.
ttt[4] Similarly where 'the red heifer' is the subject it is said that the priest was to take some of its blood on his finger, and sprinkle some of its blood towards the face`fff1` of the tent of meeting seven times, `Numbers 19bbb4`. Because 'the seventh day' or sabbath meant the Lord, and from Him meant the celestial man and the celestial itself, the seventh day in the Jewish Church was the holiest of all its religious observances. For this reason there was a sabbath year`fff2` every seventh year, `Leviticus 25bbb4`. Also a jubilee was to be proclaimed after seven sabbaths of years, that is, after seven times seven years, `Leviticus 25bbb8-9`. In the highest sense the number seven means the Lord, and from this the holiness of love. This becomes clear also from the golden lampstand with its seven lamps, mentioned in `Exodus 25bbb31-33`, `Exodus 25bbbccc37`; `Exodus ccc37bbb17-19`, `Exodus 37bbbccc23`; `Numbers 8bbb2-3`; `Zechariah 4bbb2`. And in John it is spoken of as follows,
Seven golden lampstands; in the midst of the seven lampstands one like the Son of Man. `Revelation 1bbb12-13`.
Here it is absolutely clear that 'a lampstand with seven lamps' means the Lord, and that 'the lamps' are the holy things of love, which comprise celestial things, which also is why there were seven of them.
ttt[5] In the same author,
From the throne there were coming forth seven fiery torches burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God. `Revelation 4bbb5`.
Here 'the seven torches which came forth from the Lord's throne' are seven lamps. The same applies to the number seven when it occurs in the Prophets, as in Isaiah,
The light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, on the day when Jehovah will bind up the hurt of His people. `Isaiah 30bbb26`.
Here 'sevenfold light as the light of seven days' does not at all mean sevenfold but the holiness of love meant by the sun. See also what has been stated and shown already at `Genesis 4bbb15` concerning the number seven. From these quotations it is also quite clear that all numbers used in the Word never have a numerical value [in the internal sense], as has also been shown already at `Genesis 6bbb3`.
`nnn1. literally, the faces
`nnn2. literally, sabbath of a sabbath
ppp23125#pid#717. From these considerations it is also clear that the subject is things belonging to man's will, or the good and holy things in him which are attributes of the will. In this verse it is said that he was to take sevens of each clean beast, and in the next verse of each bird similarly. But in verses `Genesis 6bbbccc19-20`, of the previous chapter it is not said that he was to take sevens but two of each, that is, pairs of them, because there the subject was things belonging to the understanding, which in themselves are not holy but are made so by the love which constitutes the will.
ppp23124#pid#718. 'Male and mate'`fff1` means that truths were joined to goods. This is clear from the meaning of 'man' (vir) as truth which belongs to the understanding, and from the meaning of 'wife' as good which belongs to the will, both dealt with already. This consequently means that with man neither the smallest area of thought nor the smallest area of affection or activity has any existence at all unless it contains some marriage of understanding and will. In the absence of such a marriage nothing ever comes forth or is produced. The very organs of man's body, in their complex and in their simple parts, and indeed in the simplest parts of all, contain that which is passive and that which is active. And if these were not coupled together, like man and wife in marriage, they could not even be there, let alone produce anything. The same applies to the whole realm of nature. The source and origin of these enduring marriages lies in the heavenly marriage by means of which also the idea of the Lord's kingdom is stamped on everything in the whole realm of nature, both on animate beings and on inanimate.
`nnn1. literally, man and wife
ppp23123#pid#719. 'The beast that is not clean' means evil affections. This is clear from what has been stated and shown already about clean beasts. The clean ones are so called because they are gentle, good, and useful. Those that are not clean are the opposite - savage, evil, and useless - of which there are genera and species. These in the Word are also portrayed as wolves, bears, foxes, pigs, and many others, which mean various evil desires and malicious intentions. In the present verse it is said that unclean beasts, or evil affections, were to be taken into the ark as well, for the following reason: The character of the member of this Church is being described here, specifically by means of the ark, and thus by the things that were in or rather had been brought into the ark, that is, the things that already resided with man prior to his being regenerated. Truths and goods resided with him already, which the Lord had supplied and granted prior to his regeneration, for without truths and goods no one can possibly be regenerated. Here the evils that resided with him are referred to and are meant by 'unclean beasts' that are mentioned. While a person is being regenerated evils are present that have to be dispersed, that is, broken down and modified by means of goods. For no evil with man, that of his own doing or that which is hereditary, can ever be dispersed so far as to be banished, but remains implanted for ever. Yet it is broken down and modified by means of goods from the Lord so as to be innocuous and not seen. This is an arcanum that is still unknown. It is the evils of man's own doing that are broken down and modified, rather than those which are hereditary - something else which is not known.
ppp23122#pid#720. 'Pairs of each' means that in relation to goods they are unholy. This becomes clear from the meaning of that number. A pair or two means not only a marriage (and when the heavenly marriage is meant it is a holy number); it also has the same meaning as six. That is to say, two relates to three in the same way that the six days of labour do to the seventh or holy day of rest. This is why in the Word 'the third day' takes on the same meaning as 'the seventh', and embodies almost the same, the reason being that the Lord's resurrection took place on the third day. This also is why the Lord's Coming into the world and into glory, and also every coming of the Lord, is described by the third day, as well as by the seventh day. The two days which go before therefore are not holy, but in relation to the third are unholy, as in Hosea,
Come and we will return to Jehovah, for He has wounded and will heal us; He has stricken and will bind us up; He will revive us after two days, on the third day He will raise us up, and we shall live before Him. `Hosea 6bbb1-2`.
And in Zechariah,
It will be in all the land, said Jehovah, that two parts in it will be cut off and breathe their last, and a third will be left in it. And I will lead the third part through the fire, and I will refine them as one refines silver. `Zechariah 13bbb8-9`.
And `Psalms 12bbb6` speaks of silver being purest when it has been purified seven times. These quotations show that just as 'sevens of each' did not mean sevens of each but things that are holy, so 'pairs of each' does not mean two of each but those which in relation to the holy are unholy. Accordingly the meaning is not at all that unclean beasts, or man's evil affections, in relation to clean beasts, or goods, were fewer by a ratio of two to seven; for with man evils far outnumber goods.
ppp23121#pid#721. 'Male and mate'`fff1` means falsities joined to evils. This is clear from what has been stated just above, for 'male and mate' now has reference to unclean beasts whereas just above they had reference to clean. In that place therefore they meant truths joined to goods, whereas here they mean falsities joined to evils. For it is the subject that determines the nature of that which is attributed to it.
`nnn1. literally, man and wife
ppp23120#pid#722. Verse `Genesis 7bbbccc3` Also of the birds of the air`fff1` seven and seven of each, male and female, to keep their seed alive over the face`fff2` of the whole earth.
'Birds of the air`fff1` means things of the understanding. 'Sevens of each' means that they are holy. 'Male and female' means truths and goods. 'To keep their seed alive over the face`fff2` of the whole earth' means truths of faith.
`nnn1. literally, bird of the heavens (or the skies)
`nnn2. literally, over the faces
ppp23119#pid#723. That 'birds of the air'`fff1` means things of the understanding has been shown already, so there is no need to pause over it here.
`nnn1. literally, bird of the heavens (or the skies)
ppp23118#pid#724. Here too 'sevens of each' means that they are holy. But in this case they are holy truths, which are holy because they stem from goods. No truth is in any sense holy unless it does stem from good. A person can utter many truths from the Word, reciting them by heart, but unless they are the product of love or charity holiness is no way attributable to them. If however love and charity are there, in that case he really acknowledges and believes them, doing so from the heart. It is similar with faith, which so many people speak of as that which alone saves; unless faith stems from love or charity it is in no sense faith. It is love and charity that render faith holy. The Lord is present within love and charity, but not within faith that has been separated. Separated faith is a peculiarity of man himself, who has nothing but uncleanness within him. For when faith has been separated from love, he speaks from the intention that is in his heart, that intention being his own renown or his own profit. This anyone may recognize from personal experience, as when he tells somebody that he loves him, likes him more than anybody else, rates him the best of all, and so on, and yet in his heart he thinks something completely different. He is doing this only with his lips while denying it in his heart; and sometimes he is even making fun of that person. The same is true of faith, as I have been made fully aware through many experiences. Some during their lifetime have extolled the Lord and faith in words so fine, and at the same time with all the appearance of being devout, that their hearers have been dumbfounded. But they have not done it from the heart, and in the next life they are among those who utterly hate the Lord and persecute people who have faith.
ppp23117#pid#725. 'Male and female' means truths and goods. This becomes clear from what has been stated and shown already about 'male' (vir) and 'male' (masculus) meaning truth, and 'mate' (uxor) and 'female' (femina) meaning good. 'Male and female' however has reference to things of the understanding, while 'male and mate'`fff1` has reference to those of the will, the reason being that 'male and mate' represents marriage more than 'male and female' does. In fact, by itself truth cannot possibly enter into marriage with good; but good does so with truth, for no truth ever exists which is not the product of good and is in this way coupled to good. Take away good from truth and nothing remains whatever but mere words.
`nnn1. literally, man and wife
ppp23116#pid#726. 'Keeping seed alive over the face`fff1` of all the earth' means truths of faith. This is clear from the fact that by means of this Church the seed was kept alive, 'seed' being used to mean faith. The rest of the descendants of the Most Ancient Church destroyed celestial and spiritual seed by means of filthy desires and dreadful persuasions residing with them. But to guard against the extinction of celestial seed those called Noah were regenerated; and they were regenerated by means of spiritual seed. This is the meaning of these words. The expression 'kept alive' is used of those who receive the Lord's life, because life consists solely in those things that are the Lord's, as may become clear to anyone from the fact that no life in any sense resides in those things which are not part of eternal life, that is, which do not look to eternal life. Life that is not eternal is not life, but perishes in a very short space of time. Nor can Being (Esse) be attributed to things that come to an end, but to those that never come to an end. Life and Being (Esse) therefore reside solely in things that are the Lord's, or Jehovah's, for all Being (Esse) and living to eternity is His. By eternal life is meant eternal happiness. For these matters see what has been stated and shown in `@@@290`.
`nnn1. literally, over his face
ppp23115#pid#727. Verse `Genesis 7bbbccc4` For in seven days' time I am making it rain over the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe out everything`fff1` I have made from over the face`fff2` of the ground.
'Seven days' time' means the onset of temptation. 'Raining' means temptation. 'Forty days and nights' means the duration of temptation. 'Wiping out everything`fff1` I have made from over the face`fff2` of the ground' means man's proprium which is so to speak wiped out when he is being regenerated. The same statements also mean the wiping out of those members of the Most Ancient Church who destroyed themselves.
`nnn1. literally, every substance
`nnn2. literally, over the faces
ppp23114#pid#728. That 'seven days' time' here means the onset of temptation is clear from the internal sense of all the details in this verse, where the subject is the temptation of the man called Noah. In general the subject concerns not only the temptation of that man but also the utter vastation of those who belonged to the Most Ancient Church and who had become such as described. Consequently 'seven days' time' means not only the onset of temptation but also the finish of vastation. The reason 'seven days' time' means those things is that seven Is a holy number, as stated and shown at verse `Genesis 7bbbccc2` of this chapter, at `Genesis 4bbb15`, `Genesis 4bbbccc24`, and in `@@@84-87`. It means the Lord's Coming into the world, and also His coming into glory. In particular it means every coming He makes. Every one of His comings involves a beginning for those who are being regenerated and the end of those who are being vastated. And so for the member of this Church His coming marked the onset of temptation, for when someone is being tempted he starts to become a new man and be regenerated. At the same time it was the end of those from the Most Ancient Church who had become of such a character that inevitably they perished. It was similar when the Lord came into the world; at that time the Church had entered the final stages of its vastation, and a new one came into being.
ttt[2] That 'seven days' time' means these things is clear in Daniel,
Seventy weeks have been decreed concerning your people and your holy city to bring transgression to a close and to seal up sins and to atone for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up vision and prophet, and to anoint the Most Holy Place. And you will know and perceive that from the going forth of the Word to restore and to build Jerusalem until the Messiah, the Prince, there will be SEVEN WEEKS. `Daniel 9bbb24-25`.
Here 'seventy weeks' and 'seven weeks' are similar in meaning to seven days, namely the Coming of the Lord. But because it is plain prophecy here, periods of time are presented in an even more holy and decided fashion by numbers involving seven. From this quotation it is clear that, when applied in this way to periods of time, 'seven' means not only the Coming of the Lord, but also - in the words stating that He was to anoint the Most Holy Place and that He was to restore and build Jerusalem - the beginning of a new Church at that time, and simultaneously - in the words stating that [seventy] weeks were decreed concerning the holy city to bring transgression to a close and to seal up sin - final vastation.
ttt[3] Similar usages occur elsewhere in the Word, as in Ezekiel where he describes a personal experience,
I came to those in captivity at Tel-abib, who were sitting by the river Chebar, and I sat there seven days, astonished among them And at the end of seven days the Word of Jehovah came to me. `Ezekiel 3bbb15-16`.
Here also 'seven days' stands for the onset of visitation, for when he had sat seven days among those in captivity, the Word of Jehovah came to him. In the same prophet,
They will bury Gog, that they may cleanse the land in seven months. At the end of seven months they will make their search. `Ezekiel 39bbb12`, `Ezekiel 39bbbccc14`.
This similarly stands for the final phase of vastation and the first of visitation. In Daniel,
The heart of Nebuchadnezzar will be changed from a man and the heart of a beast given to him, and seven times will pass over him. `Daniel 4bbb16`, `Daniel 4bbbccc25`, `Daniel 4bbbccc31`.
This likewise stands for the finish of vastation and the beginning of a new man.
ttt[4] The seventy years of captivity in Babylon represented the same. Whether the number is seventy or seven what is embodied is the same. The same applies whether it is seven days, or seven years, or seven decades which make seventy years. Vastation was represented by the years of captivity, the beginning of a new Church by the liberation and by the rebuilding of the Temple. Jacob's serving in the house of Laban also represented things of a similar nature - where the following is stated,
I will serve you for seven years for Rachel. And he served for seven years. Laban said, Complete the week of this one, and we will give you also the other one for the service you render with me for another seven years. And Jacob did so, and completed the week of this one. `Genesis 29bbb18`, `Genesis 29bbbccc20`, `Genesis 29bbbccc27-28`.
Here 'the service of seven years' embodies something similar. And after the period of seven years marriage and freedom followed. The period of these seven years was called a week, as also in Daniel.
ttt[5] Something similar was also represented by the command to go around the city of Jericho seven times, and the wall would collapse. It is also said that they rose at dawn on the seventh day and went around the city, as they were accustomed to do, seven times. And after the seventh time round, the seven priests blew on their seven trumpets and the wall collapsed, `Joshua 6bbb10-20`. Unless these events had also had this meaning the command would never have been given to go round seven times, or that there were to be seven priests and seven trumpets. From these and many other places, for example in `Job 2bbb13`; `Revelation 15bbb1`, `Revelation 15bbbccc6-7`; `Revelation ccc21bbb9`, it becomes clear that 'seven days' time' means the beginning of a new Church and the end of the old. Since the subject here is not only the member of the Church called Noah and his temptation, but also the final descendants of the Most Ancient Church who destroyed themselves, 'seven days' time' can mean nothing other than the onset of the temptation of Noah and the finish of the Most Ancient Church, which was the final destruction and extinction of it.
ppp23113#pid#729. 'Raining' means temptation. This is clear from what has been stated and shown in the preliminary section of this chapter,`fff1` to the effect that the flood and deluge of waters, which is called 'raining' here, mean not only temptation but also vastation. This will also be evident from what is to be stated further on about the Flood.
`nnn1. i.e. in `@@@705`
ppp23112#pid#730. 'Forty days and nights' means the duration of temptation. This is quite clear from the Word of the Lord. The reason 'forty' means the duration of temptation is the fact that the Lord allowed Himself to be tempted for forty days, as is clear in `Matthew 4bbb1-2`; `Luke 4bbb2`; `Mark 1bbb13`. And because every single requirement in the Jewish Church and in all other representative Churches before the Lord's Coming was merely a type and shadow of Him, so too were forty days and nights. In general they represented and meant all temptation, and in particular however long its duration. And since anyone undergoing temptation experiences vastation of all things that belong to the proprium and of things that are bodily - for things of the proprium and those that are bodily have to die, doing so indeed through conflict and temptation, before he is reborn a new man, that is, before he becomes spiritual and celestial - 'forty days and nights' therefore also means the duration of vastation. The same applies here where the subject is both the temptation of the member of the new Church called Noah and also the destruction of those who lived before the Flood.
ttt[2] That 'forty' means not only the duration of temptation but also of vastation, whether long or short, is clear in Ezekiel,
You shall lie on your right side and you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days, a day for each year I assign you. `Ezekiel 4bbb6`.
This stands for the duration of the vastation of the Jewish Church and also for a representation of the Lord's temptation, for it is said that he was 'to bear the iniquity of the house of Judah'. In the same prophet,
I will make the land of Egypt waste places, an utter desolation. The foot of man will not pass through it, and the foot of beast will not pass through it, and it will be uninhabited for forty years. And I will make the land of Egypt a desolation in the midst of desolated lands, and her cities in the midst of devastated cities will be a lonely place for forty years. `Ezekiel 29bbb10-11`.
This too stands for the duration of vastation and desolation. Here the meaning in the internal sense is not forty years but solely the desolation of faith in general, whether within a short or a long period of time. In John,
The court outside the Temple, leave that out and do not measure it, for it has been given over to the nations`fff1` who will trample over the holy city for forty-two months. `Revelation 11bbb2`.
ttt[3] And in the same author,
The beast was given a mouth uttering great things and blasphemies, and it was given power to act for forty-two months. `Revelation 13bbb5`.
This stands for the duration of vastation, for a period of forty-two months is not meant at all, as anyone may see. In these quotations the number is in fact forty-two, but this has the same meaning as forty. It is obtained from 'seven days' meaning the finish of vastation and a new beginning, and from 'six' meaning labour because of the six days of labour or conflict. Consequently seven multiplied by six, which produces the number 'forty-two', means the duration of vastation and the duration of temptation, that is, the labour and conflict of someone who is to be regenerated, which period of time involves holiness. The round number forty however has been adopted instead of the less round number forty-two, as is clear in these quotations from the Book of Revelation.
ttt[4] The people of Israel's being led about in the wilderness for forty years before being brought into the land of Canaan in a similar way represented and meant the duration of temptation, and also the duration of vastation - the duration of temptation by the fact that they were subsequently brought into the Holy Land, and the duration of vastation by the fact that, with the exception of Joshua and Caleb, all who were more than twenty years old when they left Egypt died in the wilderness. And temptations are also meant by the things they grumbled about so often, and vastations by the plagues and destruction they suffered so often. The fact that temptations and vastations are meant will in the Lord's Divine mercy be shown in their proper places. They are referred to in Moses as follows,
You shall remember all the way that Jehovah your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness to afflict you, to tempt you, to know what is in your heart, whether you will keep His commandments or not. `Deuteronomy 8bbb2-3`, `Deuteronomy 8bbbccc16`.
Moses' forty days and forty nights on Mount Sinai similarly mean the duration of temptation - that is, the temptation of the Lord - as is clear in Moses,
He was on Mount Sinai for forty days and forty nights, eating no bread, drinking no water, pleading for the people not to be destroyed. `Deuteronomy 9bbb9`, `Deuteronomy 9bbbccc11`, `Deuteronomy 9bbbccc18`, `Deuteronomy 9bbb25`-end; `Deuteronomy 10bbb10`.
[See also]`Numbers 14bbb33-35`; `Numbers ccc32bbb8-14`
[5] The reason 'forty days' means the duration of temptation is, as has been stated, that the Lord allowed Himself to be tempted by the devil for forty days. Consequently in the days when all things were representatives of the Lord, whenever the idea of temptation existed with angels, that idea was represented in the world of spirits by such things as exist in the world - as happens with all angelic ideas when they come down into the world of spirits and manifest themselves there in a representative fashion. The same accordingly applies to the number forty, for the Lord was to be tempted for forty days. With the Lord, and consequently in the angelic heaven, the future and the present are one and the same, for what is future is already present, or what is to take place has taken place. This is the origin of the representation of temptations and also of vastations by forty in the representative Church. But these matters cannot as yet be understood satisfactorily because people do not know about the influx of the angelic heaven into the world of spirits or the nature of it.
`nnn1. or the gentiles
ppp23111#pid#731. 'Wiping out everything`fff1` I have made from over the face`fff2` of the ground' means man's proprium, which is so to speak wiped out when he is being given life. This is clear from what has been stated already about the proprium. The human proprium is altogether evil and false. So long as it remains, a person is dead, but when he undergoes temptations, it is dispersed, that is, broken down and moderated by truths and goods from the Lord. In this way it is made alive and seems to be no longer present. Its apparent absence and causing no further harm is meant by 'being wiped out', though in fact it is in no way wiped out but remains. It is very similar to the behaviour of black and white. When these are variously modified by rays of light, they are converted into beautiful colours, such as blue, golden, and purple hues. By means of the latter, according to individual characteristics, as in the case of flowers, what is beautiful and pleasing is presented, although radically and fundamentally it is still the colours black and white. Now because the subject here is at the same time the final vastation of those who belonged to the Most Ancient Church, those who perished are meant as well by 'wiping out everything' I have made from over the face`fff2` of the ground.`fff1` This is also the case with verse `Genesis 7bbbccc23` below. 'Everything I have made' is every thing, or every person who has celestial seed within him, that is, who belonged to the Church. This also is why in this verse, and in verse `Genesis 7bbbccc23` below, the expression used is 'the ground', which means the member of the Church who has good and truth sown in him. And this grew more and more with those called Noah after evils and falsities had been dispersed, as stated already. But among the people before the Flood who perished, that seed was choked by tares.
`nnn1. literally, every substance
`nnn2. literally, over the faces
ppp23110#pid#732. Verse `Genesis 7bbbccc5` And Noah did according to all that Jehovah commanded him means, as previously, that it was so accomplished.
See the previous chapter, at `Genesis ccc6bbb22`, where it is said twice of Noah that he 'did', whereas in this verse it is said only once. In that verse the name 'God' is used, but in this 'Jehovah'. The reason is that the previous chapter deals with things of the understanding, the present with those of the will. Things of the understanding view those of the will as things different and separate from themselves, but those of the will view those of the understanding as things united to themselves or as a unity, for the understanding has its being from the will. This is why the verb 'to do' is used twice in `Genesis ccc6bbb22` but only once at this point, and also why the name 'God' is used there but 'Jehovah' here.
ppp23109#pid#733. Verse `Genesis 7bbbccc6` And Noah was a son of six hundred years, and a flood of waters came to be over the earth.
'Noah was a son of six hundred years' means his initial state of temptation. 'A flood of waters over the earth' means the onset of temptation.
ppp23108#pid#734. In what has gone before, verses `Genesis 6bbbccc13`-end of the previous chapter dealt with truths of the understanding which the member of the Church called Noah was supplied with by the Lord prior to his being regenerated, while verses `Genesis 7bbbccc1-5` of this chapter deal after that with goods of the will, which were also conferred on him by the Lord. And because both are dealt with it looks like a repetition. Now however verses `Genesis 7bbbccc6-11` deal with the temptation of that man, the present verse in particular dealing with the first state and so with the onset of temptation. And anyone is able to see that further repetition occurs, for in this verse it is said that 'Noah was a son of six hundred years when the flood came to be over the earth' but in verse `Genesis 7bbbccc11` that it occurred 'in the six hundredth year of his life, in the second month, and on the seventeenth day'. So too with verse `Genesis 7bbbccc7` in which it is said that 'Noah entered into the ark with his sons and their wives' and the similar statement in verse `Genesis 7bbbccc13` later on. Also verses `Genesis 7bbbccc8-9`, in which it is said that the beasts entered into the ark to Noah' and the similar statements in verses `Genesis 7bbbccc14-16`. From these considerations it is clear that this verse is in like manner a repetition of matters that have appeared already. What more can anyone see who keeps to the sense of the letter alone except the repetition of some historical event? But here as in other places not one tiny word is in any way superfluous or meaningless, for it is the Lord's Word. There is not any repetition therefore unless it is used to mean something different from before. In fact here, as previously, it is initial temptation, which involves things of his understanding, that is meant, and after that temptation of him as regards things of his will. With anyone who is to be regenerated these temptations are consecutive, for being tempted as regards things of the understanding is altogether different from being tempted as regards those of the will. Temptation as regards things of the understanding is mild, whereas temptation as regards those of the will is severe.
ppp23107#pid#735. The reason why temptation as regards things of the understanding, that is, as regards the falsities residing with man, is mild is that man is subject to the illusions of the senses; and the illusions of the senses are such that they are bound to enter in, and for this reason they are easily dispersed. This is the case with all who keep to the sense of the letter of the Word, where the statements made are in accordance with man's mental grasp, and so in accordance with the illusions of his senses. If those people in simplicity have faith in these things because it is the Lord's Word, then despite being subject to illusions, they easily allow themselves to be taught. Take, for example, someone who believes that the Lord is angry, punishes, and does evil to the wicked; because he has acquired this from the sense of the letter he can easily be taught the truth of the matter. Equally, if in simplicity he believes that of himself he can do good and that he receives a reward in the next life if he is a good man of himself, he also can easily be taught that the good he does comes from the Lord and that the Lord out of His mercy grants the reward for nothing. Consequently when such people enter into temptation as regards things of the understanding, that is, illusions such as these, they are able to be tempted only mildly. It is this initial temptation, scarcely seeming to be temptation at all, that is the subject here. The situation is altogether different however with people who do not believe the Word from simplicity of heart but who confirm themselves in illusions and falsities for the reason that these favour their own evil desires. For that reason they accumulate from ideas of their own and from the facts they know many more compelling arguments which they then confirm by means of the Word, and in so doing impress upon themselves and persuade themselves that falsity is truth.
ppp23106#pid#736. As for Noah, or the member of this new Church, he was such that he believed with simplicity those things which he had come to possess from the Most Ancient Church. These were items of doctrine that had been gathered together and converted into a kind of doctrinal form by those called Enoch. The disposition of the people meant by Noah however was entirely different from those before the Flood who perished, called the Nephilim. For they immersed doctrinal matters concerning faith in their own filthy desires and in this way strove after dreadful persuasions from which they were unwilling to draw back even though they were taught by others and were shown that these were falsities. This dual genius or disposition also exists among people today. The former can be regenerated easily, but the latter with difficulty.
ppp23105#pid#737. 'Noah was a son of six hundred years' means his initial state of temptation. This is clear from the fact from here down to Eber in Chapter `Genesis ccc11bbb0` nothing else is meant by numbers, years of age, or names than real things, as was the case also with the ages and names of all those mentioned in Chapter `Genesis ccc5bbb0`. Here 'six hundred years' means the initial state of temptation. This becomes clear from its prime factors which are ten and six multiplied again by ten. When the same factors are involved it makes no difference whether the number arrived at is large or small. As for ten, this has been shown already at `Numbers ccc6bbb3` to mean remnants, while the meaning of six here as labour and conflict is clear from places throughout the Word. For the situation is this: What has gone before dealt with man's preparation for temptation, that is to say, he was supplied by the Lord with truths of the understanding and with goods of the will. These truths and goods are remnants, but they are not brought forth so as to be acknowledged until man is being regenerated. In the case of those who are being regenerated by means of temptations the remnants existing with any man are for the angels present with him. From these remnants they draw out those things with which they protect him against the evil spirits who activate falsities with him and in this way attack him. It is because remnants are meant by 'ten' and conflict by 'six' that six hundred years are spoken of, a number in which ten and six are the prime factors and which means a state of temptation.
ttt[2] As regards conflict being the particular meaning of 'six', this is clear from `Genesis 1bbb0`, which describes the six days of man's regeneration prior to his becoming celestial. During those six days there was constant conflict, but on the seventh day came rest. Consequently there are six days of labour, and the seventh is the sabbath, a word which means rest. This also is why a Hebrew slave was to serve for six years and in the seventh was to go free, `Exodus 21bbb2`; `Deuteronomy 15bbb12`; `Jeremiah 34bbb14`, and why for six years they were to sow the land and gather in the produce, but in the seventh they were to leave it alone, `Exodus 23bbb10-12`. The same applied to a vineyard. It is also the reason why in the seventh year the land was to have a sabbath of rest, a sabbath to Jehovah, `Leviticus 25bbb3-4`. Because 'six' means labour and conflict it also means the dispersion of falsity, as in Ezekiel,
Behold, six men coming from the direction of the upper gate, which looks towards the north, every man with a weapon of dispersion in his hand. `Ezekiel 9bbb2`.
And in the same prophet, against Gog,
I will cause you to turn about, and I will split you into six, and cause you to come up from the uttermost parts of the north. `Ezekiel 39bbb2`.
Here 'six' and 'splitting into six' stand for dispersion, 'the north' for falsities, and 'Gog' for people who seize on doctrinal matters based on things of an external nature with which they destroy internal worship. From Job,
He will deliver you in six troubles, and in a seventh no evil will touch you. `Job 5bbb19`.
This stands for the conflict that constitutes temptations.
ttt[3] 'Six' occurs in other parts of the Word where it does not mean labour, conflict, or the dispersion of falsity, but the holiness of faith. In these instances it is related to twelve, which means faith and all things of faith in their entirety, and to three which means that which is holy. Consequently there is also a genuine derivative meaning to the number six, as in `Ezekiel 40bbb5`, where the man's measuring rod with which he measured the holy city of Israel was six cubits long; and in other places. The reason for this derivative is that in the conflict of temptation the holiness of faith is present, and also that six days of labour and conflict look forward to the holy seventh day.
ppp23104#pid#738. He is called 'a son of six hundred years' here because, as shown already, 'son' means intellectual truth. He is not however referred to as a son in verse `Genesis 7bbbccc11` below because there the subject is his temptation as regards things of the will.
ppp23103#pid#739. 'A flood of waters' means the onset of temptation. This is clear from the fact that the temptation dealt with here regards things of the understanding, which temptation, as has been stated, comes first and is mild. Consequently it is called 'a flood of waters' and not simply a flood, as in verse `Genesis 7bbbccc17` below. For the primary meaning of 'waters' is man's spiritual things, matters of faith in the understanding, and also their opposites, which are falsities, as may be confirmed from so many places in the Word.
ttt[2] That a flood of waters or a deluge means temptation is clear from what has been shown in the preliminary section of this chapter,`fff1` and also in Ezekiel,
Thus said the Lord Jehovah, I will make a stormy wind`fff2` break out in My wrath, and there will be a deluging rain in My anger, and hailstones in rage to consume it, so that I may break down the wall you daub with whitewash. `Ezekiel 13bbb11`, `Ezekiel 13bbbccc13-14`.
Here 'stormy wind`fff2` and 'deluging rain' stand for the desolation of falsity, 'a wall daubed with whitewash' for a fabrication which looks like the truth. In Isaiah,
Jehovah God is a shelter from the deluge, a shade from the heat, for the spirit of violent men is like a deluge against a wall. `Isaiah 25bbb4`.
Here 'deluge' stands for temptation as regards things of the understanding, which is quite different from temptation as regards things of the will, which is called 'heat'.
ttt[3] In the same prophet,
Behold, the Lord has one who is mighty and strong, like a deluge of hail, a destroying tempest, like a deluge of mighty overflowing waters. `Isaiah 28bbb2`.
This describes degrees of temptation. In the same prophet, When you pass through the waters I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not deluge you. When you go through fire you will not be burned, and the flame will not consume you. `Isaiah 43bbb2`.
Here 'waters' and 'rivers' stand for falsities and delusions,' fire' and 'flame' for evils and evil desires. In David,
Therefore everyone who is holy will pray to You at a time of discovering. In the deluge of many waters they will not reach him. You are a hiding-place for me, You will save me from distress. `Psalms 32bbb6-7`.
Here 'deluge of waters' stands for temptation, which is also called a flood in the same author,
Jehovah sits over the flood; and Jehovah sits as King for ever. `Psalms 29bbb10`.
These quotations and those given in the preliminary section of this chapter`fff1` show that a flood or deluge of waters means nothing other than temptations and vastations, even though according to the custom of the most ancient people the description is of historical events.
`nnn1. i.e. in `@@@705`
`nnn2. literally, spirit or breath of storms
ppp23102#pid#740. Verse `Genesis 7bbbccc7` And Noah went into the ark, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him, from before the waters of the flood.
'Noah went into the ark from before the waters of the flood' means that in temptation he was protected. 'Sons' mean truths, as previously, 'wife' goods, and 'sons' wives' truths joined to goods.
ppp23101#pid#741. That 'Noah went into the ark from before the waters of the flood' means that he was protected may become clear to anyone. Temptations are nothing other than conflicts between evil spirits and angels who reside with a person. Evil spirits activate all the dishonourable things the person has done or even thought which have been with him since early childhood, thus both evils and falsities; and in so doing, the spirits condemn him, for nothing gives them greater delight. Indeed the very delight of their lives consists in doing just that. But the Lord protects the person by means of angels and prevents the evil spirits and genii from overstepping the mark and overwhelming him with more than he can cope with.
ppp23100#pid#742. 'Sons' means truths, 'wife' goods, 'sons' wives' truths joined to goods. This has been stated already at verse `Genesis 6bbbccc18` of the previous chapter where the same words occur. By truths and goods, though called 'sons and wives' here, are meant the things residing with the type of man called Noah by which he was protected. Such is the most ancient style of the Word, embodying heavenly arcana, a style in which everything connects as history.
ppp23099#pid#743. Verses `Genesis 7bbbccc8-9` Of the clean beast, and of the beast that is not clean, and of the bird, and of everything that creeps over the ground. Two and two they went to Noah into the ark, male and female, as God had commanded Noah.
'The clean beast' means, as previously, affections for good. 'The beast that is not clean' means evil desires. 'Bird' in general means thoughts. 'Everything that creeps over the ground' means the sensory part and every associated delight. 'Two and two' means complementary things. 'They went into the ark' means that they were protected. 'Male and female', as previously, means truth and good. 'As God had commanded Noah' means that it was so accomplished.
ppp23098#pid#744. That 'the clean beast' means affections for good has been stated and shown already at verse `Genesis 7bbbccc2` of this chapter, consequently there is no need to pause over it here. It has in similar fashion been shown at that verse that 'the beast that is not clean' means evil desires or affections.
ppp23097#pid#745. In general 'bird' means thoughts. This is clear from what has been stated in several places already about birds meaning intellectual concepts or rational concepts. In those places however they are called 'birds of the air'`fff1` whereas here it is simply 'bird', which is why thoughts in general are meant. Indeed there are many kinds of birds, clean and unclean, which in verse `Genesis 7bbbccc14` below are differentiated as birds, flying creatures, and winged creatures. Clean ones are thoughts about truth, the unclean are false thoughts, which will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with later on.
`nnn1. literally, birds of the heavens (or the skies)
ppp23096#pid#746. 'Everything that creeps over the ground' means the sensory part and every associated delight. This too has been stated and shown already. The most ancient people compared and likened man's sensory powers and his delights that go with these to reptiles and creeping things, and also called them such, for they are the most exterior things of all. They creep so to speak over the surface of man and must not be allowed to climb any higher.
ppp23095#pid#747. 'Two and two' means complementary things. This may become clear to anyone from the fact that they are pairs. It is impossible for them to be pairs unless they are complementary to one another as truths and goods are, or evils and falsities. In fact all things contain the likeness of a marriage or a coupling together, as in the case of truths to goods, or of evils to falsities, because of the marriage of the understanding to the will, or of things of the understanding to those of the will. Indeed everything contains a marriage or coupling together of its own on which its very continuance depends.
ppp23094#pid#748. 'They went into the ark' means that these pairs were protected. This has been stated already at verse `Genesis 7bbbccc7` above where Noah, his sons, and their wives are the subject.
ppp23093#pid#749. 'Male and female' means truth and good. This is clear from what has been stated already at Chapter `Genesis ccc6bbb19` where 'male and female' have reference to birds, but 'male and mate'`fff1` to beasts. The reason is also stated there, namely, that things of the will are married to those of the understanding, but less so those of the understanding regarded in themselves to those of the will. The former exist as male and mate`fff1` but the latter as male and female. Now because here the subject first of all is the temptation of that man as regards things of the understanding, as has been stated, the phrase 'male and female' is used, and conflict, or temptation as regards things of the understanding, is meant.
`nnn1. literally, man and wife
ppp23092#pid#750. 'As God had commanded' means that it was so accomplished. This has been shown already at verse `Genesis 6bbbccc22` of the previous chapter and also at verse `Genesis 7bbbccc5` of this.
ppp23091#pid#751. Since the subject here is the temptation of the member of the new Church called Noah, and since few, if any, know what temptations are, because nowadays few people undergo such temptations - and those who do are not aware of anything other than the feeling that it is something within them which is suffering in this way - let a brief explanation be given. There are evil spirits who at that time activate a person's falsities and evils, as has been stated. Indeed they draw out of his memory whatever he has thought and carried out since early childhood. Evil spirits can do this so cleverly and wickedly as to defy description. But the angels who are with him draw out his goods and truths, and in this way defend him. This conflict is what the person feels and perceives in himself and is what causes the sting and torment of conscience.
ttt[2] There are two kinds of temptation, the first involving things of the understanding, the second those of the will. When a person's temptation involves those of the understanding, evil spirits activate only the evil deeds he has carried out, which are meant here by 'unclean beasts'. And with these they accuse and condemn. They even activate his good deeds as well, which are also meant here by the 'clean beasts'; but these they corrupt in a thousand ways. At the same time they also activate his thoughts, which are also meant here by 'bird', and in addition they activate the things meant here by 'things creeping over the ground'. This kind of temptation however is mild and is perceived only through the recollection of such experiences, and a kind of mental anguish resulting from this.
ttt[3] When however someone's temptation involves things of the will, it is not so much his deeds and thoughts that are activated. Instead there are evil genii, as evil spirits of this type may be called, who inflame him with the evil desires and the foul loves in which he is steeped, and in this way direct their attack through the person's very desires. They do this so wickedly and secretly that one cannot possibly believe it is they who are doing it. In fact they worm their way in no time at all into the life of his desires, and almost instantaneously twist and convert the affection for good and truth into the affection for evil and falsity. They act in such a way that the individual inevitably thinks that these things come from himself and flow forth of his own free will. This kind of temptation is very severe, and is felt as inward pain and burning torment. This subject is dealt with later on. I have been allowed from much experience to know and realize that this is true, and to know also when evil spirits or genii were flowing in and overwhelming, and from where, who they were and how they did it. In the Lord's Divine mercy these experiences will be described in detail later on.
ppp23090#pid#752. Verse `Genesis 7bbbccc10`. And there were seven days, and the waters of the flood were over the earth. These words, as previously, mean the onset of temptation.
ppp23089#pid#753. That 'seven days' means the onset of temptation has been shown above at verse `Genesis 7bbbccc4`. It also relates to what has gone before, namely that this temptation, which involved the things of his understanding, was the onset of temptation, or the initial temptation, and is accordingly a statement concluding the subject dealt with. And because this first temptation involved things of the understanding, verse `Genesis 7bbbccc7` above speaks of 'waters of the flood', and verse `Genesis 7bbbccc6` of 'the flood of waters', which properly means that kind of temptation, as shown in those places.
ppp23088#pid#754. Verse `Genesis 7bbbccc11` In the six hundredth year of the years of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep were split open, and the floodgates of heaven were opened.
'The six hundredth year, the second month, and the seventeenth day' means the second state of temptation. 'All the fountains of the great deep were split open' means the full extent of temptation involving things of the will. 'The floodgates of heaven were opened' means the full extent of temptation involving those of the understanding.
ppp23087#pid#755. That 'the six hundredth year, the second month, and the seventeenth day' means the second state of temptation follows from what has been stated so far, for verse `Genesis 7bbbccc6` down to this present verse `Genesis 7bbbccc11` has dealt with the first state of temptation, which was temptation involving things of his understanding. Now however the second state is dealt with, namely temptation involving things of the will. This is the reason why his age is repeated. Previously it was said that 'he was a son of six hundred years', here that the Flood took place in 'the six hundredth year of his life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day'. No one would ever imagine that Noah's age, worked out to the exact year, month, and day, is used to mean a state of temptation involving things of the will. Yet, as has been stated, this was how the most ancient people spoke and wrote. And they found their chief delight in being able to work out periods of time and names and then to organize them into a semblance of history. It was in this that their wisdom consisted.
ttt[2] It was shown at verse `Genesis 7bbbccc6` above however that 'six hundred years' means nothing other than an initial state of temptation. Here similarly 'six hundred years' is mentioned. But so that it might mean a second state of temptation, months and days have been added - two months in fact, or rather 'in the second month', which means conflict itself, as becomes clear from the meaning of the number two given already at verse `Genesis 7bbbccc6` of this chapter. As has been shown and may be seen there, two has the same meaning as six, that is, labour and conflict and also dispersion. The number seventeen however means not only the onset of temptation but also the end of temptation, the reason being that it is the sum of the numbers seven and ten. When this number means the onset of temptation it then entails 'seven days' or a week, which means the onset of temptation, as shown already at verse `Genesis 7bbbccc4` of this chapter. But when it means the end of temptation, as it does later on in `Psalms ccc8bbb4`, seven is then a holy number to which ten, meaning remnants, has been added; for without remnants nobody is able to be regenerated.
ttt[3] That seventeen means the onset of temptation is clear in Jeremiah's being commanded to buy the field from Hanamel his cousin who was in Anathoth, and to weigh out seventeen shekels of silver, `Jeremiah 32bbb9`. What comes after that in this chapter of the prophet shows that this number also means their captivity in Babylon, which represents the temptation of people who have faith and the devastation of those who have not. Indeed it represents the onset of temptation and at the same time the end of temptation, which is liberation. That captivity is mentioned in `Jeremiah 32bbb36`, and the liberation in Verse `Jeremiah 32bbbccc37` onwards. Such a number, like every other word that is used, would never have appeared in this prophet if it did not embody arcana.
ttt[4] That seventeen means the onset of temptation becomes clear also from the age of Joseph, who was seventeen years old when he was sent off to his brothers and was sold into Egypt, `Genesis 37bbb2`. His being sold into Egypt represents the same kinds of things, as will in the Lord's Divine mercy be shown in that chapter. There the representative historical events did take place as described; here however they are made-up historical events carrying a spiritual meaning, which did not actually take place as described in the sense of the letter. Nevertheless the former embody arcana of heaven, right down to every word, as is the case here. This is bound to seem strange, for when any historical event occurs, true or made-up, the mind (animus) is confined to the letter from which it cannot extricate itself. Hence the conviction that nothing else is meant or represented.
ttt[5] Yet it may become clear to anyone who is intelligent that some internal sense exists which has the life of the Word in it, but not in the letter, which devoid of the internal sense is dead. Without the internal sense what would any historical description be but history as found in any secular author? And so what would be the use of knowing Noah's exact age, or the month and day when the Flood took place, if it did not embody a heavenly arcanum? And who cannot see that 'all the fountains of the great deep were split open, and the floodgates of heaven were opened' is a prophetic utterance, as is much else besides?
ppp23086#pid#756. 'All the fountains of the great deep were split open' means the full extent of temptation involving things of the will. This becomes clear from what has been stated already about temptations being of two kinds, the first involving things of the understanding, the second those of the will, and about the latter being severe in comparison with the former. It is clear as well from the fact that up to now temptation involving things of the understanding has been the subject. It is similarly clear from the meaning of 'the deep' as evil desires and derivative falsities, as shown already in `@@@18`, and also in the following in the Word: In Ezekiel,
Thus says the Lord Jehovah, When I make you a city laid desolate, like the cities that are not inhabited, when I shall cause the deep to come up over you, and many waters have covered you. `Ezekiel 26bbb19`.
Here 'the deep' and 'many waters' stand for the full extent of temptation.
In Jonah,
The waters closed around me, even to my soul, the deep surrounded me. `Jonah 2bbb5`.
Here similarly 'the waters' and 'the deep' stand for the full extent of temptation.
In David,
Deep is calling to deep at the noise of Your waterspouts; all Your breakers and all Your waves have gone over me. `Psalms 42bbb7`.
This plainly stands for the full extent of temptation. In the same author,
He rebuked the Sea Suph and it became dry; He caused them to go through the deeps, as in a desert, and He saved them from the hand of him that hated them, and He delivered them from the hand of the enemy. And the waters covered their adversaries. `Psalms 106bbb9-11`.
Here 'the deep' stands for temptations in the wilderness.
ttt[2] In early times 'the deep' meant hell, and delusions and persuasions of falsity were likened to waters and streams, and also smoke, pouring out of it. This is also what the hells of some people look like, that is to say, like deeps and like seas. These in the Lord's Divine mercy will be described later on. The evil spirits who are responsible for man's vastation, and also for temptation, come from these places. And their delusions which they infuse, and the desires with which they inflame man, are like deluges and vapours pouring out of there. For, as has been stated, man is joined to hell through evil spirits, and to heaven through angels. Consequently when 'all the fountains of the deep' are said to have been 'split open' matters of that kind are meant. The fact that hell is called the deep, and the foul things that come from there are called streams, is clear in Ezekiel,
Thus said the Lord Jehovih, On the day he went down into hell, I made him mourn, I covered the deep over him, and I restrained its streams, and the great waters were stayed. `Ezekiel 31bbb15`.
Hell is also called 'the deep' in John, in `Revelation 9bbb1-2`, `Revelation 9bbbccc11`; `Revelation ccc11bbb7`; `Revelation ccc17bbb8`; `Revelation ccc20bbb1`, `Revelation 20bbbccc3`.
ppp23085#pid#757. 'The floodgates of heaven were opened' means the full extent of temptation involving things of the understanding. This too is clear from what is said above. Temptation involving things of the will, which are evil desires, can never be separated from temptation involving those of the understanding. If it were separated, there would be no temptation at all but a deluge like that which occurs with those who lead lives amid the fires of evil desires, in which, like spirits of hell, they feel the delights of their lives. 'The floodgates of heaven' are so called from the deluge of falsities or reasonings, concerning which the following is also said in Isaiah,
He who is fleeing at the sound of the terror will fall into the pit; and he who is climbing out of the middle of the pit will be caught in the snare, for the floodgates from on high have been opened and the foundations of the earth have been shaken. `Isaiah 24bbb18`.
ppp23084#pid#758. Verse it And there was rain over the earth for forty days and forty nights means the time this temptation lasted, 'rain' being temptation, 'forty days and nights' its duration.
ppp23083#pid#759. That 'rain' here is temptation becomes clear from what has been stated and shown already about a flood and a deluge, and also from the fact that 'the fountains of the great deep were split open' and 'the floodgates of heaven were opened' mean temptations.
ppp23082#pid#760. That 'forty days and forty nights' means its duration has been shown above at verse `Genesis 7bbbccc4`. As has been stated, 'forty' means the whole duration of temptation, long or short, and indeed severe temptation involving things of the will. For it is through a whole chain of pleasures and through love of the world and self-love, and so through the desires which are the unceasing activities of those loves, that a person has acquired life to himself. Consequently his whole life consists in nothing else than things such as these. This life cannot possibly accord with heavenly life, for nobody can love worldly things and at the same time heavenly. Loving worldly things is looking downwards, loving heavenly looking upwards. Still less can anyone love himself and at the same time the neighbour, and least of all himself and at the same time the Lord. Someone who loves himself hates all who are not subservient to him, and so he who loves himself is very far removed from heavenly love or charity, which consists in loving the neighbour more than self, and the Lord above all things. From these considerations it is clear how far away man's life is from heavenly life. This being so the Lord regenerates him by means of temptations, and redirects him so that he conforms [to heavenly life]. This is the reason why this temptation is severe. In fact it impinges on, attacks, breaks down, and alters a person's essential life, which also is why it is described by 'the fountains of the great deep being split open' and by 'the floodgates of heaven being opened'.
ppp23081#pid#761. It has been stated already that spiritual temptation when it takes place in someone is a conflict between the evil spirits and the angels residing with that person, and that he ordinarily feels that conflict in his conscience. As regards such conflict it should be recognized in addition that the angels are protecting man constantly and are warding off the evils that evil spirits direct against him. They protect even the falsities and the evils with a person, for they are fully aware of where the person's falsities and evils come from - from evil spirits and genii. Man in no sense produces any falsity and evil from himself. Instead it is the evil spirits residing with him who produce them, and as they do so they also convince him that these originate in himself. Such is the nature of their wickedness. And what is more, the moment they instill this into him and convince him, they also accuse and condemn him. This I can confirm from a multitude of experiences. Anyone who has no faith in the Lord is incapable of being enlightened in the matter; he inevitably believes that an evil is from himself. Consequently he makes the evil his own and becomes like those evil spirits residing with him. Such is the situation with man. And as the angels are aware of it they protect even a person's falsities and evils while he is undergoing the temptations that are part of regeneration. Otherwise he would go under, for with man there is nothing but evil and derivative falsity, so that he is just a heap and conglomeration of evils and derivative falsities.
ppp23080#pid#762. Spiritual temptations however are scarcely known nowadays, nor are they allowed to take place as they did in the past, because man is not governed by the truth of faith. If they did take place he would go under. Instead of temptations he undergoes other experiences, such as misfortune, grief, and anxiety which arise from natural or from bodily causes. There are also bodily illnesses and diseases, which to some extent weaken and break down the life of his pleasures and desires, and fix his thoughts on and raise them to higher and nobler things. But these are not spiritual temptations, which do not exist except among people who have received from the Lord a conscience for truth and good. Conscience itself is the level on which temptations take place.
ppp23079#pid#763. Up to now the subject has been temptations. What follows next concerns the purpose of temptation, which was that a new Church should come into being.
ppp23078#pid#764. Verse `Genesis 7bbbccc13` On that very day Noah went in, and Shem and Ham and Japheth, Noah's sons, [and Noah's wife,] and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark.
'They went into the ark' means here, as previously, that they were saved. 'Noah' means what belonged to that Church. 'Shem, Ham, and Japheth' means what belonged to the Churches that derived from it. 'The sons of Noah' means matters of doctrine. ['Noah's wife means the Church itself.] 'The three wives of his sons with them' means the derivative Churches themselves.
ppp23077#pid#765. Up to now the subject has been the temptation of the member of the Church called Noah. Verses `Genesis 7bbbccc6-10` have first of all dealt with his temptation involving things of the understanding, which are truths of faith. After that verses `Genesis 7bbbccc11-12`, have dealt with his temptation involving things of the will, which have in view the good deeds of charity. The purpose of the temptations was that the member of the Church, that is, that the new Church, might be born again by means of them, during the time that the Most Ancient Church was dying out. As stated already, this Church was quite different in disposition from the Most Ancient Church; that is to say, it is a spiritual Church, whose nature is such that this individual is born again by means of doctrinal matters concerning faith. Once these have been implanted, conscience is instilled into him to prevent his doing things contrary to the truth and good of faith. In this way charity is conferred on him which then governs his conscience, from which he accordingly starts to act. From these considerations it becomes clear what a spiritual man is; he is not one who imagines that faith without charity saves, but one who makes charity the essential element of faith, and acts from it. To bring such a person or Church into being was the end in view, and this is why this Church itself is dealt with next. The fact that it is the Church which is dealt with next becomes clear also from the repetition so to speak of the same point, for it is said here that, 'On that very day Noah went in, and Shem and Ham and Japheth, Noah's sons, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark', which is similar to verse `Genesis 7bbbccc7` above, though that verse reads, 'And Noah went in, and his sons and his wife, and his sons' wives with him into the ark'. Since the subject is now the Church however, the sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth are mentioned by name; and when so mentioned by name they mean the member of the Church. But when they are called 'sons without the addition of their names they mean truths of faith. In addition, what has been stated already in verses `Genesis 7bbbccc8-9`, about beasts and birds going into the ark is repeated once again in verses `Genesis 7bbbccc14-16`, but with certain changes that are here fitting and applicable to the Church.
ppp23076#pid#767.`fff1` 'They went into the ark' means that they were saved, that is to say, the member of the church who was Noah, and every other Church descending and deriving from him to which this statement refers. This becomes clear from what has been stated already about 'going into the ark'.
`nnn1. There is no paragraph 766 in the Latin.
ppp23075#pid#768. 'Noah' means what belonged to that Church, and 'Shem, Ham, and Japheth' what belonged to the Churches that derived from it. This is clear from the fact that here they are not called simply 'his sons', as they were previously in verse `Genesis 7bbbccc7`, but that their names are added as well. When their names are mentioned in this way they mean the member of the Church. The member of the Church is not only the Church itself, but also everything belonging to it. It is a general term embracing whatever belongs to the Church, as stated already in reference to the Most Ancient Church which was called Man, and likewise in reference to the others mentioned by name. 'Noah' therefore and 'Shem, Ham, and Japheth' mean whatever belongs in its entirety to the Church and to the Churches deriving from it.
ttt[2] Such is the style and manner of expression used in the Word. For example, when Judah is mentioned in the Prophets it means in most cases the celestial Church or whatever belongs to that Church. When Israel is mentioned it means in most cases the spiritual Church or whatever belongs to that Church. And when it is Jacob it means the external Church. For with every member of the Church there exist the internal aspect of the Church and the external. The internal is where the true Church is to be found, while the external is what derives from it, which is Jacob.
ttt[3] It is different when they are not mentioned by name, for the reason that in that case they relate to the Lord's kingdom in a representative fashion. The Lord is the only Man, and is the All of His kingdom. And because the Church is the Lord's kingdom on earth, the Lord alone is the All of the Church. The All of the Church is love or charity, and therefore 'man', or what amounts to the same, someone who is mentioned by name means love or charity, that is, the All of the Church. 'Wife' in that case means quite simply the Church that comes from it, as is also the case here. The character of the Churches meant by 'Shem, Ham, and Japheth' however will in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed later on.
ppp23074#pid#769. 'The sons of Noah' means matters of doctrine. This is clear from the meaning of 'sons' dealt with already. Indeed a Church cannot exist without doctrines; hence not only are their names given but the phrase 'his sons' is added as well.
ppp23073#pid#770. 'Noah's wife' means the Church itself, and 'the three wives of his sons with them' the derivative Churches themselves. This is clear from what has been stated, that is to say, when the member of the Church is mentioned by name, the all of the Church is meant, or as it is called, the head of the Church. 'Wife' in that case is the Church, as shown already in `@@@252`, `@@@253`. It is different when 'man and wife' or 'male and female' are mentioned in the Word. In that case 'man' and 'male' mean things of the understanding, which are the truths of faith, while 'wife' and 'female' mean things of the will, which are the goods of faith.
ppp23072#pid#771. Since every expression in the Word comes from the Lord and so has the Divine within it, it is clear that not one expression, not even one iota, is there which does not mean and embody something. The same holds true here with the expressions 'the three wives', and also 'the wives of his Sons', as well as 'with them'. But what these particular phrases embody would take too long to explain. It is enough if one supplies just a general idea of their most general meanings.
ppp23071#pid#772. Verses `Genesis 7bbbccc14-15` They, and every wild animal according to its kind, and every beast according to its kind, and every creeping thing that creeps over the earth according to its kind, and every bird according to its kind, every flying thing, and every winged thing. And they went in to Noah into the ark, two and two from all flesh in which there was the spirit of life.`fff1`
'They' means in general the member of the Church. 'Every wild animal according to its kind' means all spiritual good. '[Every] beast according to its kind' means natural good. 'Every creeping thing that creeps over the earth according to its kind' means all sensory and bodily good. 'Every bird according to its kind' means all spiritual truth. 'Flying thing' means natural truth. 'Winged thing' means sensory truth. 'They went in to Noah into the ark' means, as previously, that they were saved. 'Two and two' means, as previously, pairs. 'Of all flesh in which there is the spirit of life'`fff1` means a new creature, or the fact that they received new life from the Lord.
`nnn1. literally, of lives
ppp23070#pid#773. 'They' means in general the member of the Church or everything that belonged to that Church. This is clear from the fact that 'they' refers to the characters who have just been mentioned by name, Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Although there are four of them, they nevertheless together constitute a single whole. For Noah, who is used in general to mean the Ancient Church, includes, as the parent or seed, the Churches that sprang from it. Hence 'they' means the Ancient Church. All of the Churches which are called Shem, Ham, and Japheth, together constitute the Church called the Ancient Church.
ppp23069#pid#774. '[Every] wild animal according to its kind' means all spiritual good, '[every] beast according to its kind' all natural good, and '[every] creeping thing that creeps over the earth [according to its kind]' all sensory and bodily good. This has been stated and shown already in `@@@45`, `@@@46`, `@@@142`, `@@@143`, `@@@246`. At first glance however it does not look at all possible for 'wild animal' to mean spiritual good. It becomes clear that it does so from the train of thought: first of all 'they' are mentioned, that is, the member of the Church, after that 'wild animal', then 'beast', and finally 'creeping thing'. Consequently 'wild animal' embodies something nobler and more excellent than 'beast' does, the reason being that in Hebrew the word used also means a living creature which contains a living soul. And so here also it does not mean a wild animal but a living creature containing a living soul, for it is the same word. That 'living creatures, beasts, and creeping things that creep over the earth' means things of the will has been stated and shown already, and further evidence will be shown later on where birds are dealt with.
ppp23068#pid#775. Since there are genera and species to all things, that is to say, to spiritual goods as well as to natural goods, and also to derivative sensory and bodily goods, 'according to its kind'`fff1` is said of each one. The genera of spiritual goods are so many, and the genera of spiritual truths are in like manner so many, that they cannot possibly be counted up, still less the species making up the genera. In heaven all celestial and spiritual goods and truths are so divided into their own genera, and these in turn into their own species, that the least significant of them is distinct from all the rest. And they are so countless that specific differences may be called unending. These considerations show how impoverished, and almost non-existent, human wisdom is, in that it hardly knows of the existence of spiritual good and truth, let alone what these may be.
ttt[2] It is from celestial and spiritual goods, and truths springing from these, that natural goods and truths come into being and pass down. For no natural good or truth ever exists which has not come into being from spiritual good, and this in turn from celestial good, and which is not kept in being from these same sources. If the spiritual were to withdraw from the natural, the natural would not be anything. With regard to the origin of all things, every single thing comes from the Lord. From Him comes the celestial; by way of the celestial from Him the spiritual comes into being; by way of the spiritual comes the natural; by way of the natural comes that which constitutes the body and the senses. And just as these come into being from the Lord in this way, so in the same way they are kept in being, for as is well known, being kept in being is constant coming into being. People who assume that things arise and come into being in any other way, as those do who worship nature and trace the origin of things back to that, are governed by assumptions so dismal that the delusions of wild animals roaming the forest can be said to contain far more sanity. There are many such persons who seem to themselves to excel everybody else in wisdom.
`nnn1. or its species
ppp23067#pid#776. '[Every] bird according to its kind' means all spiritual truth, 'flying things' means natural truth, and 'winged thing' sensory truth. This is clear from what has been stated and shown already about birds, as in `@@@40`. The most ancient people likened man's thoughts to birds, for in relation to things of the will, thoughts are like birds. Since bird, flying thing, and winged thing are mentioned here, and come consecutively in the way that intellectual concepts, rational concepts, and sensory impressions do in man, and to prevent anyone doubting that this is what they mean, let other places from the Word of a confirmatory nature be quoted, from which as well it will be evident that 'beasts' means such things as have been stated.
ttt[2] In David,
You have given Him dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under His feet, flocks and all cattle, and also the beasts of the fields, the flying things of the air,`fff1` and the fish of the sea. `Psalms 8bbb6-8`.
This refers to the Lord, whose dominion over man and over what belongs to man is described in this fashion. If this were not so, what would 'dominion over beasts and birds' really be? In the same author,
Fruit tree and all cedars, wild animal and every beast, creeping thing and flying thing - they shall glorify the name of Jehovah. `Psalms 148bbb9-10`, `Psalms 148bbbccc13`.
'Fruit tree' is the celestial man, 'cedar' the spiritual man, 'wild animal and beast and creeping thing' the goods of these kinds of man, as in the present context. 'Flying thing' is their truths from which they are able to glorify the name of Jehovah. This a wild animal, a beast, a creeping thing, or a flying thing can never do. In secular literature such statements can be used as hyperbole, but in the Word of the Lord they are never just hyperbole but meaningful signs and representatives.
ttt[3] In Ezekiel,
They start to tremble before Me - the fish of the sea, and the birds of the air,`fff2` and the wild animals of the field, and every creeping thing creeping over the ground, and every man that is on the face`fff3` of the ground. `Ezekiel 38bbb20`.
The fact that 'beasts' and 'birds' here have such meanings is quite clear, for what would Jehovah's glory be if fish, birds, and beasts were to start to tremble? Could anyone think that such utterances are holy if they did not embody holy things within them? In Jeremiah,
I looked, and behold, there was no man; all the birds of the air`fff2` had fled. `Jeremiah 4bbb15`.
This stands for all good and truth. Here 'man' stands as well for good that stems from love. In the same prophet,
They have been laid waste so that no man passes through, neither do men hear the voice of the herd. From the birds of the air`fff2` down to beasts, they have scattered, they have gone away. `Jeremiah 9bbb10`.
This in a similar way stands for the departure of all truth and good.
ttt[4] In the same prophet,
How long will the land mourn and the grass of every field wither? For the wickedness of those who dwell in it, the beasts and the birds have perished, for men said, He will not see our latter end. `Jeremiah 11bbb4`.
Here 'beasts' stands for goods, and 'birds' for truths, which perished. In Zephaniah,
I will consume man and beast, I will consume the birds of the air`fff2` and the fish of the sea, and the stumbling-blocks with the wicked; and I will cut off mankind from the face`fff4` of the ground. `Zephaniah 1bbb3`.
Here 'man and beast' stands for the things which belong to love and good deriving from love, 'the birds of the air`fff2` and the fish of the sea' for those which belong to the understanding and so to truth. These are called 'stumbling-blocks' because for wicked people it is goods and truths, not beasts and birds, that are stumbling-blocks. These are also plainly referred to as man's. In David,
The trees of Jehovah are watered abundantly, and the cedars of Lebanon which He planted. In them flying things build their nests. `Psalms 104bbb16-17`.
'The trees of Jehovah and the cedars of Lebanon' stands for spiritual man, 'flying things' for his rational or natural truths which are like 'nests'. What is more, 'the birds build nests in the branches' was a common saying by which people meant truths, as in Ezekiel,
ttt[5] On the mountain height of Israel I will plant it, and it will bring forth a branch, and bear fruit, and it will become a noble cedar, and under it will dwell every flying thing of every sort,`fff5` in the shade of its branches they will dwell. `Ezekiel 17bbb23`.
This stands for the Church among gentiles which was spiritual and which is 'a noble cedar'. 'Birds of every sort'`fff5` stands for truths of every kind. In the same prophet,
In its branches all the birds of the air`fff2` made their nests, and under its branches every wild animal of the field gave birth, and in its shadow dwelt all great nations. `Ezekiel 31bbb6`.
This refers to Asshur, which is the spiritual Church and is called 'a cedar'. 'Birds of the air'`fff2` stands for its truths, 'beasts' for its goods.
ttt[6] In Daniel,
Its branch was fair, and its fruit much, and food for all was on it. The beast of the field had shade under it, and in its branches dwelt the flying things of the air'`fff1` `Daniel 4bbb12`, `Daniel 4bbbccc11`.
Here 'beast' stands for goods, and 'flying thing of the air'`fff1` for truths. This may become clear to anyone, for what else would bird and beast dwelling there really be? The same applies to what the Lord said, The kingdom of God is like a grain of mustard seed, which someone took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a big tree so that the birds of the air`fff1` dwelt in its branches. `Luke 13bbb19`; `Matthew 13bbb32`; `Mark 4bbb32`.
`nnn1. literally, flying thing of the heavens (or the skies)
`nnn2. literally, bird of the heavens (or the skies)
`nnn3. literally, over the faces
`nnn4. literally, the faces
`nnn5. literally, of every wing
ppp23066#pid#777. That 'bird' means spiritual truth, 'flying thing' natural truth, and 'winged thing' sensory truth, is clear from what is said above, as also is the fact that truths are in this way different. Sensory truths, which come through seeing and hearing, are called 'winged things' because they are outermost. 'Wing' has a similar meaning when applied to other things.
ppp23065#pid#778. As then 'birds of the air'`fff1` means intellectual truths and so thoughts, they also mean things that are the contrary, such as delusions or falsities, which because they are part of man's thought are called birds as well. 'The wicked being given as food to birds of the air`fff1` and to wild animals', for example, stands for delusions and evil desires, `Isaiah 18bbb6`; `Jeremiah 7bbb33`; `Jeremiah ccc16bbb4`; `Jeremiah ccc19bbb7`; `Jeremiah ccc34bbb20`; `Ezekiel 29bbb5`; `Ezekiel ccc39bbb4`. Also the Lord Himself compares delusions and persuasions of falsity to birds when He says,
The seed which fell on the pathway was trodden under foot, and the birds of the air`fff1` devoured it. `Matthew 13bbb4`; `Luke 8bbb5`; `Mark 4bbb4`, `Mark 4bbbccc15`.
Here 'birds of the air'`fff1` are nothing other than falsities.
`nnn1. literally, birds of the heavens (or the skies)
ppp23064#pid#779. They went in to Noah into the ark' means that they were saved. This has been stated already. As for 'two and two' meaning pairs, and what they are, see the previous chapter at `Genesis ccc6bbb19`.
ppp23063#pid#780. 'Of all flesh in which there was the spirit of life`fff1` means a new creature, or the fact that they received new life from the Lord. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'flesh' as all mankind in general and a bodily-minded person in particular, as stated and shown already. Consequently 'flesh in which there was the spirit of life'`fff1` means a person who has been regenerated, for the Lord's life, which is the life of charity and faith, is there within his proprium. Nobody is anything more than flesh, but when the life of charity and faith is breathed into him by the Lord, his flesh in that case is made alive, becomes spiritual and celestial, and is called 'a new creature', `Mark 16bbb15`, from having been created anew.
`nnn1. literally, of lives
ppp23062#pid#781. Verse `Genesis 7bbbccc16` And those who were going in, male and female of all flesh, went in, as God had commanded him; and Jehovah closed the way behind him.
'Those who were going in' means things residing with the member of the Church. 'Male and female of all flesh went in' means that truths and goods of every kind resided with him. 'As God had commanded' means for the reception of which he had been made ready. 'And Jehovah closed the way behind him' means that man no longer had the kind of communication with heaven that the member of the celestial Church had had.
ppp23061#pid#782. The subject so far has been as follows: Down to verse `Genesis 7bbbccc11` explains that the Church was preserved among those called Noah. Then comes a description of the state of the Church - first of all in this present section, as has been explained. After that comes a description of the nature of the state of this Church. Individual verses, indeed individual words, embody the specific features of its state. And since the subject at present is the state of the Church, what has been said already just above is repeated, indeed repeated twice over. That is to say, 'And those who were going in, male and female of all flesh, went in', repeats twice over the statement made in the previous verse, 'And they went in to Noah into the ark, two and two, of all flesh'. The meaning of such repetition in the Word is that a different state is being dealt with. Otherwise, as anyone can appreciate, the repetition would be utterly pointless.
ppp23060#pid#783. 'Those who were going in' means things residing with the member of the Church. This is clear from what has just been stated. It also follows that 'male and female of all flesh went in' means that truths and goods of every kind resided with him, for the fact that 'male and female' means truths and goods has been stated and shown several times already. 'As God had commanded' means for the reception of which he had been made ready. The meaning of statements such as this has also been discussed already. With reference to the Lord, 'commanding' means preparing and carrying out.
ppp23059#pid#784. The implications of 'Jehovah closed the way behind him' meaning that man no longer had the kind of communication with heaven that the member of the celestial Church had had are as follows: The state of the Most Ancient Church was such that men had an inward communication with heaven, and so by way of heaven with the Lord. They were governed by love to the Lord, and people who are governed by love to the Lord are like angels, the only difference being that they are clothed with a [physical] body. Their interiors were unconcealed and lay open all the way from the Lord. But it was different with this new Church. It was governed not by love to the Lord, but in and through faith, by charity towards the neighbour. They could not have, as the most ancient people had, any inward communication, only external. It would take too long however to discuss the nature of these two kinds of communication. Everybody has a communication of some kind, including the wicked, through the angels residing with them, though there are different degrees of it, from fairly close to quite remote. Without it a person could not exist. The degrees of communication are unending. A spiritual man cannot possibly have the kind of communication that a celestial man has, the reason being that the Lord dwells in love, and less so in faith. This is what the present statement means about Jehovah closing the way behind him.
ttt[2] Since those times heaven has never been open in the way it was for the member of the Most Ancient Church. Many people in later times have indeed talked to spirits and angels - for example, Moses, Aaron, and others - but they did so in a completely different way. This, in the Lord's Divine mercy, will be dealt with later on. The reason why heaven has been closed is a very deep arcanum, as also is the reason why it is so closed nowadays that no one knows even of the existence of spirits, let alone that angels are residing with him. He imagines that when he is not with fellow men in the world and when thinking all by himself he is completely alone. In fact however he is constantly in the company of spirits who observe and perceive very accurately what a person is thinking and what he intends and devises, as accurately and clearly as if this manifested itself for all the world to see. Of this man is not at all directly conscious, so closed is heaven to him. Nevertheless it is utterly true. The reason he is not conscious of it is that if heaven were not in this way closed to him at a time when faith is non-existent with him, still less the truth of faith, and charity even less, he would stand in very great danger. This was the meaning also of Jehovah God's casting man out and causing cherubim to dwell at the east end of the Garden of Eden, with a flaming sword turning about to guard the way to the tree of life,`fff1` dealt with already in Chapter `Genesis ccc3bbb14`. See also `@@@301-307`.
`nnn1. literally, of lives
ppp23058#pid#785. Verses `Genesis 7bbbccc17-18` And the flood was forty days over the earth, and the waters increased and raised the ark and lifted it above the earth. And the waters grew stronger and increased greatly over the earth; and the ark went over the face`fff1` of the waters.
'Forty days' means the duration of the Church called Noah. 'The flood' means the falsities which continued to inundate it. 'The waters increased and raised up the ark and lifted it above the earth' means that in such manner it wavered. 'The waters grew stronger and increased greatly over the earth, and the ark went over the face`fff1` of the waters' means that in such manner its waverings grew stronger.
`nnn1. literally, over the faces
ppp23057#pid#786. That 'forty days' means the duration of the Church called Noah has been shown above at verse `Genesis 7bbbccc4`. The present verse says 'forty days', but verse `Genesis 7bbbccc4` says 'forty days and nights' because at that point the duration of temptation was meant, the 'nights' of which are anxieties.
ppp23056#pid#787. 'The flood' means the falsities which continued to inundate the Church. This too follows on from what has been pointed out above, for the flood or deluge was nothing else than a flood of falsities. Previously, in verse `Genesis 7bbbccc6` 'a flood of waters' meant temptation, as was shown at that point, and that deluge also is one of falsities which evil spirits at that time activate with man. The present verse refers to something similar, but temptation is not involved. Hence simply 'a flood' is mentioned and not a flood of waters.
ppp23055#pid#788. 'The waters increased and raised the ark and lifted it above the earth' means that in such manner it wavered; and 'the waters grew stronger and increased greatly over the earth, and the ark went over the face`fff1` of the waters' means that in such manner its waverings grew stronger. This does not become clear unless the nature of the state of this Church called Noah is stated beforehand. 'Noah' was not the Ancient Church itself but, as already stated, was like the parent or seed of that Church. But Noah together with Shem, Ham, and Japheth constituted the Ancient Church that followed immediately after the Most Ancient Church. Every member of the Church called Noah belonged to the descendants of the Most Ancient Church, and therefore as far as hereditary evil was concerned his state was little different from that of other descendants who did not survive. Those whose state was little different were unable to be regenerated and become spiritual as those could whose hereditary disposition was not like theirs. The nature of their hereditary disposition has been stated already in `@@@310`, but to enable people to have a better knowledge of it let the following be said.
ttt[2] People who belong to the seed of Jacob, such as the Jews, cannot be regenerated so easily as gentiles. The reverse of faith is ingrained within them not only on account of the assumptions they have adopted since early childhood and subsequently confirmed, but also on account of their heredity. That it is also ingrained within them on account of their heredity becomes clear to some extent from the consideration that they are by disposition different from others, indeed have different customs and also different facial features from others, by which they can be singled out, such characteristics being theirs by heredity. And the same applies to their interior peculiarities, for customs and facial features are the imprints of the things within. This also is why converted Jews, more than anybody else, waver between truth and falsity. It was similar with the first people of this Church who were called Noah, for they belonged to the stock and seed of the most ancient people. These waverings are what are being described here, and in what follows further on where it is said that Noah was a man of the ground and that he planted a vineyard, and drank some of the wine, and became drunk, so that he lay naked in the middle of his tent, `Genesis 9bbb20-21`. That those people were few has been made clear to me from the consideration that the member (homo) of that Church is represented in the world of spirits as a tall slim man (vir) clothed in white, in a narrow room. Even so these were the people who preserved and possessed among themselves doctrinal matters concerning faith.
`nnn1. literally, over the faces
ppp23054#pid#789. The waverings of the member of this Church are described here first of all by the waters, that is, falsities, increasing; then by their raising the ark; further still by its being lifted above the earth; after that by the waters growing more and more and increasing greatly over the earth; and finally by the ark going over the face`fff1` of the waters. It would however take far too long and it would be superfluous to describe individual waverings. It is sufficient just to know that they are being described here. Let merely the statement be considered that the ark was lifted above the earth and went over the face`fff1` of the waters. Its meaning becomes clear to no one unless he has been told about how a person is withheld from evils and falsities. This being an arcanum it must be described briefly. Everyone in general, including a regenerate person, is such that unless the Lord withholds him from evils and falsities he hurls himself headlong into hell. The moment he is not being withheld he rushes headlong in that direction. This has been made known to me through actual experiences, and has also been represented to me by a horse, about which see `@@@187`, `@@@188`. This withholding from evils and falsities is nothing other than 'a lifting up' so that evils and falsities are perceived as being beneath, and man himself above. This lifting up will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with later on. It is what is meant by the statements about the ark being lifted above the earth and about the ark going over the face`fff1` of the waters.
`nnn1. literally, over the faces
ppp23053#pid#790. 'Waters' here and in what follows means falsities. This becomes clear from the places in the Word quoted in the preliminary section of this chapter`fff1` and from those at verse `Genesis 7bbbccc6` of this chapter, where the flood or inundation of waters is the subject. In those places it was shown that 'inundations of waters' meant desolations and temptations, which entail the same thing as falsities, for desolations and temptations are nothing else than inundations of falsities that have been activated by evil spirits. The reason why such waters mean falsities is that generally 'waters' in the Word means that which is spiritual, that is, that which is intellectual, rational, and factual. And since waters mean these they also mean their opposites, for every falsity is a factual matter, and seemingly rational and intellectual since it is a matter belonging to thought.
ttt[2] That 'waters' means spiritual things is clear from very many places in the Word. But that 'waters' also means falsities, let the passages that follow, in addition to those quoted already, serve to confirm the point. In Isaiah,
This people have refused the waters of Shiloah that go out gently. Therefore, behold the Lord is causing to rise up over them the waters of the river, mighty and many. And it will rise up over all its channels and go over all its banks. `Isaiah 8bbb6-7`.
Here 'waters that go out gently' stands for spiritual things, 'waters mighty and many' for falsities. In the same prophet,
Woe to the land shadowing with wings, which is beyond the rivers of Cush, sending ambassadors to the sea, and in vessels of papyrus over the face' of the waters! Go, you swift ambassadors, to a nation marked out and trodden down, whose land the rivers have spoiled. `Isaiah 18bbb1-2`.
This stands for falsities, which belong to 'the land shadowing with wings'.
ttt[3] In the same prophet,
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. `Isaiah 43bbb2`.
'Waters' and 'rivers' stand for difficulties, and also for falsities. In Jeremiah,
What have you to do with the way to Egypt, to drink the waters of Shihor? And what have you to do with the way to Asshur, to drink the waters of the River? `Jeremiah 2bbb18`.
'Waters' stands for falsities arising out of reasonings. In the same prophet,
Who is this coming up like a river, like the rivers his waters are tossed about? Egypt comes up like the river, and like the rivers his waters are tossed about. And he said, I will go up, I will cover the earth, I will destroy the city and those who dwell in it. `Jeremiah 46bbb7-8`.
'Waters' stands for falsities arising out of reasonings.
ttt[4] In Ezekiel,
Thus said the Lord Jehovah, When I make you a city laid waste, like the cities that are not inhabited, when I shall cause the deep to come up over you, and many waters have covered you, I will cause you to go down with those who go down into the Pit. `Ezekiel 16bbb19`, `Ezekiel 16bbbccc20`.
'Waters' stands for evils and derivative falsities. In Habakkuk,
You did trample the sea with Your horses, the mud of many waters. `Habakkuk 3bbb15`.
'Waters' stands for falsities. In John,
The dragon poured water like a stream out of his mouth after the woman, to swallow her up in the river. `Revelation 11bbb15`, `Revelation 11bbbccc16`.
Here 'waters' stands for falsities and lies. In David,
Send forth Your hands from on high, rescue me, and deliver me from the many waters, from the hands of sons of the foreigner, whose mouths speak lies, and whose right hands are right hands of falsity. `Psalms 144bbb7-8`.
Here 'many waters' clearly stands for falsities, and 'sons of the foreigner also means falsities.
ppp23052#pid#791. Up to now the subject has been Noah, or regenerate people called Noah, who were inside the ark and were lifted above the waters. What follows next deals with the descendants of the Most Ancient Church who were under the waters, that is, were overwhelmed by the waters.
ppp23051#pid#792. Verses `Genesis 7bbbccc19-20` And the waters grew stronger and stronger over the earth, and all the high mountains beneath the whole sky were covered. For fifteen cubits upwards the waters prevailed and covered the mountains.
'The waters grew stronger and stronger over the earth' means that persuasions of falsity increased in this way. 'And all the high mountains beneath the whole sky were covered' means that all goods stemming from charity were done away with. 'From fifteen cubits upwards the waters prevailed and covered the mountains' means that no trace of charity remained, 'fifteen' meaning things so few as to be scarcely any at all.
ppp23050#pid#793. From this point onwards to the end of the present chapter the subject is the people before the Flood who perished. This becomes clear from the details in the description given. People who possess the internal sense can recognize instantly, and indeed from any single word, what the subject is, better still from the combination of many. When the subject changes different words instantly appear, or else the same words combined differently. The reason is that some words are peculiar to spiritual matters, others peculiar to celestial; or what amounts to the same, some are peculiar to things of the understanding, others to those of the will. For example, 'desolation' is a word used of spiritual things, 'vastation' of celestial; 'city' is used of spiritual, 'mountain' of celestial; and so on. The same applies to combinations of words. And what is bound to amaze everybody, the difference in Hebrew is frequently just a matter of vocalization. In what belongs to the class of spiritual words the first three vowels [of the alphabet] are normally prominent, but in the case of what is celestial the last two. The fact that these verses contain a different subject is also discernible from the repetition discussed already. That is to say, the statement, 'And the waters grew stronger and stronger over the earth', is a repetition of what has already been stated in the previous verse. It is also discernible from everything that follows.
ppp23049#pid#794. 'And the waters grew stronger and stronger over the earth' means that persuasions of falsity increased in this way. This is clear from what has been stated and shown just above about waters, namely that 'the waters of the flood' or inundations means falsities. Here since falsities, or persuasions of falsity, increased still more it is said that 'the waters grew stronger and stronger', which in the original language is the superlative degree. Falsities are false assumptions and persuasions of falsity, which increased enormously among the people before the Flood, as is clear from what has been stated concerning them already. Persuasions increase enormously when people immerse truths in evil desires, that is, make those truths support self-love and love of the world. Indeed in those circumstances they pervert those truths, and in a thousand ways force them to agree. For what person is there who, having adopted a false assumption, or made one for himself, does not confirm it from the many facts he knows, even indeed from the Word? Is there any heresy which does not in like manner take hold of confirmatory ideas, and which does not force things that do not agree, and in different ways explain and distort them so that they disagree no longer?
ttt[2] Take for example someone who adopts the assumption that faith alone saves without the good works of charity. Can he not weave an entire system of doctrine from the Word and yet not care in the slightest, not even pay attention to, or indeed notice what the Lord has said about a tree being known by its fruit, and about the tree that does not bear good fruit being cut down and thrown into the fire, `Matthew 7bbb16-20`; `Matthew ccc12bbb33`? What could be more appealing than living after the flesh and at the same time being saved by merely knowing what is true and not having to perform any good action at all? Every evil desire which a person fosters constitutes the life of his will, and every false assumption or persuasion constitutes the life of his understanding. The life of his will and that of his understanding make one when truths, or doctrinal matters concerning faith, are immersed in evil desires. Everybody in this way forms a soul for himself so to speak, and of such a nature does his life become after death. Consequently nothing is of greater importance to man than knowing what the truth is. When he knows what the truth is, and knows it so well that it cannot be perverted, it cannot then be steeped in evil desires and have deadly effect. What more ought anyone to have at heart than his life which lasts for ever? If he destroys his soul during his lifetime, does he not destroy it for ever?
ppp23048#pid#795. 'All the high mountains beneath the whole sky were covered' means that all goods stemming from charity were done away with. This is clear from the meaning of 'mountains' among the most ancient people. Among them 'mountains' meant the Lord, for they conducted their worship of Him on mountains because these were the loftiest parts of the earth. Consequently 'mountains' meant heavenly things which they also called 'the most high', and accordingly love and charity, and so the goods that stem from love and charity, which are heavenly things. In the contrary sense also, the people who are haughty are called 'mountains' in the Word, and so mountains also mean self-love. The Most Ancient Church also is meant in the Word by 'mountains' from the fact that mountains rose up above the earth and were nearer so to speak to heaven, where things have their origins.
ttt[2] That 'mountains' means the Lord, and all heavenly things deriving from Him, that is, goods that stem from love and charity, is clear from the following places in the Word. These show what 'mountains' means in particular, for every single detail takes its meaning from the matter to which it applies. In David,
The mountains will bring peace, and the hills, in righteousness. `Psalms 72bbb3`.
'Mountains' stands for love to the Lord, 'hills' for love towards the neighbour, such as existed with the Most Ancient Church, which, since it was of such a nature, is also meant in the Word by 'mountains' and therefore 'hills'. In Ezekiel,
On My holy mountain, on the mountain height of Israel, said the Lord Jehovih, there all the house of Israel, all of them that are in the land, will serve Me. `Ezekiel 20bbb40`.
Here 'holy mountain' stands for love to the Lord, 'mountain height of Israel' for charity towards the neighbour. In Isaiah,
It will be in the latter days that the mountain of the house Jehovah will be established on the top of the mountains, and raised above the hills. `Isaiah 2bbb2`.
This stands for the Lord and consequently for everything heavenly.
ttt[3] In the same prophet,
Jehovah Zebaoth will make for all peoples on this mountain a feast of fat things, and He will swallow up on this mountain the face`fff1` of the covering. `Isaiah 25bbb6-7`.
'Mountain' stands for the Lord and consequently for everything heavenly. In the same prophet,
It will be that on every high mountain, and on every lofty hill, there will be brooks, streams of water. `Isaiah 30bbb25`.
'Mountains' stands for goods that stem from love, 'hills' for goods that stem from charity, such goods being the source of truths of faith, which are 'brooks and streams of water'. In the same prophet,
You will have a song as in the night when a feast is hallowed, and joy of heart as when one goes with a flute to come to the mountain of Jehovah, to the Rock of Israel. `Isaiah 30bbb29`.
'Mountain of Jehovah' stands for the Lord with reference to goods that stem from love, 'Rock of Israel' for the Lord with reference to goods that stem from charity.
ttt[4] In the same prophet,
Jehovah Zebaoth will come down to fight on Mount Zion and on its hill. `Isaiah 31bbb4`.
Here and in many other places 'Mount Zion' stands for the Lord and consequently for everything celestial, which is love, and 'hill' for what is celestial but lower, which is charity.
In the same prophet,
Get you up on to the high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings. `Isaiah 40bbb9`.
'Getting up on to the high mountain and declaring good tidings' is worshipping the Lord from love and charity, which are inmost things, and are therefore also called most high. That which is inmost is referred to as the most high. In the same prophet,
Let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains. `Isaiah 42bbb11`.
'Inhabitants of the rock' stands for those who abide in charity, 'shouting from the top of the mountains' for worshipping the Lord from love. In the same prophet,
How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of Him who is bringing good tidings, causing peace to be heard, bringing good tidings of good, causing salvation to be heard. `Isaiah 52bbb7`
'Bringing good tidings on the mountains' in like manner stands for preaching about the Lord from doctrine concerning love and charity, and for worshipping from these. In the same prophet,
The mountains and the hills will resound before you with song, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. `Isaiah 55bbb12`.
This stands for worshipping the Lord from love and charity, which are 'the mountains and the hills', and from faith deriving from these, which is 'the trees of the field'.
ttt[5] In the same prophet,
I will set all My mountains as a way, and My pathways will be raised up. `Isaiah 49bbb11`.
'Mountains' stands for love and charity, 'way' and 'pathway' for the truths of faith deriving from these, which are said to be 'raised up' when they stem from love and charity, which are inmost. In the same prophet,
He who trusts in Me will take possession in the land, and will inherit My holy mountain. `Isaiah 57bbb13`.
This stands for the Lord's kingdom where there is nothing other than love and charity. In the same prophet,
I will bring forth seed from Jacob, and from Judah the heir of My mountains, and My chosen ones will possess it. `Isaiah 65bbb9`.
'Mountains' stands for the Lord's kingdom and for celestial goods, and 'Judah' for the celestial Church. In the same prophet,
Thus said the High and Lofty One inhabiting eternity, whose name is the Holy One. I dwell as the High and Holy One `Isaiah 57bbb15`.
Here 'high' stands for holy. Consequently 'mountains', on account of their height above the earth, meant the Lord, and holy heavenly things that are His. This also is why it was from Mount Sinai that the Lord proclaimed the Law. Love and charity are also what the Lord means by 'mountains' when, in reference to the close of the age, He says that those who were then in Judaea were to flee to the mountains, `Matthew 24bbb16`; `Luke 21bbb21`; `Mark 13bbb14`. Here 'Judaea' stands for the vastated Church.
`nnn1. literally, the faces
ppp23047#pid#796. Because the Most Ancient Church conducted holy worship on mountains, the Ancient Churches therefore did so as well. Consequently with all the representative Churches of that time, and indeed with 'the nations' too, sacrifices were offered on mountains, and high places were built. This is clear from what is said about Abram in `Genesis 12bbb8`; `Genesis ccc22bbb2`; about the Jews before the Temple was built, in `Deuteronomy 27bbb4-7`; `Joshua 8bbb30`; `1 Samuel 9bbb12-14`, `1 Samuel 9bbbccc19`; `1 Samuel ccc10bbb5`; `1 Kings 3bbb2-4`; about the nations, in `Deuteronomy 12bbb2`; `2 Kings 17bbb9-11`; about the Jews, who were idolaters, in `Isaiah 57bbb7`; `1 Kings 11bbb7`; `1 Kings ccc14bbb23`; `1 Kings ccc22bbb43`; `2 Kings 12bbb3`; `2 Kings ccc14bbb4`; `2 Kings ccc15bbb3-4`, `2 Kings 15bbbccc34-35`; `2 Kings ccc16bbb4`; `2 Kings ccc17bbb9-11`; `2 Kings ccc21bbb3`, `2 Kings ccc23bbb5`, `2 Kings 23bbbccc8`, `2 Kings 23bbbccc9`, `2 Kings 23bbbccc13`, `2 Kings 23bbbccc15`.
ppp23046#pid#797. From all these considerations it is now clear what is meant by 'the waters with which the mountains were covered', namely that persuasions of falsity did away with all good that stemmed from charity.
ppp23045#pid#798. 'From fifteen cubits upwards the waters prevailed and covered the mountains' means that no trace of charity remained; and 'fifteen' means things so few as to be scarcely any at all. This becomes clear from the meaning of the number 'five', dealt with in Chapter `2 Kings ccc6bbb15`. There it was shown that in the style of the Word, that is, in the internal sense, 'five' means those that are few. And since the number fifteen is the sum of five, which means few, and of ten, which means remnants, as has been shown at `2 Kings ccc6bbb3`, this number has regard to remnants, which with those people were hardly anything at all. For so great were the persuasions of falsity that they did away with everything good. With regard to the remnants residing with man, the false assumptions, as stated already, and still more the persuasions of falsity, were of such a nature with the people before the Flood that they shut in and shut away remnants so completely that they could not be brought out. And if they had been brought out they would have been falsified in an instant. Indeed the life inherent in persuasions is such that it not only rejects everything true and soaks up everything false, but also perverts any truth that goes near it.
ppp23044#pid#799. Verses `Genesis 7bbbccc21-22` And all flesh creeping over the earth breathed its last - birds, beasts, wild animals, and every creeping thing that creeps over the earth; and every man. Everything which had the breath of the spirit of life`fff1` in its nostrils, everything that was on the dry land, died. 'All flesh creeping over the earth breathed its last' means that those who belonged to the final descendants of the Most Ancient Church were annihilated. 'Birds, beasts, wild animals, every creeping thing that creeps over the earth' means their persuasions, among which 'birds' were affections for falsity, 'beasts' were evil desires, 'wild animals' pleasures, 'creeping things' bodily and earthly interests. These in their entirety are called 'every man'. 'Everything which had the breath of the spirit of life' in its nostrils' means people belonging to the Most Ancient Church, who had 'the breath of the spirit of life`fff1` in their nostrils', that is, the life of love and of faith deriving from love. 'Everything that was on the dry land' means those in whom nothing of that kind of life existed any more. 'They died' means that they breathed their last.
`nnn1. literally, of lives
ppp23043#pid#800. 'All flesh that creeps over the earth breathed its last' means that those who belonged to the final descendants of the Most Ancient Church were annihilated. This is clear from what follows, where they are described in respect to their persuasions and their desires. Here they are first of all called 'flesh that creeps over the earth', for the reason that they were become utterly sensory-minded and bodily-minded. As already stated, sensory and bodily things were likened by the most ancient people to 'creeping things'. Consequently when the phrase 'flesh that creeps over the earth' is used, the kind of person who has become wholly sensory-minded and bodily-minded is meant. That 'flesh' means all mankind in general and a bodily-minded person in particular has been stated and shown already.
ppp23042#pid#801. This description of these people before the Flood shows the nature of the style used by the most ancient people, and consequently of the prophetical style. From here down to the end of this chapter these people are described, in the present verses as regards their persuasions, and in verse `Genesis 7bbbccc23` that follows as regards their desires. That is, they are described as regards the state of the things of their understanding, and after that as regards the state of those of their will. Although the proper things of the understanding and of the will did not exist in them, the things in them that were the reverse of these must nevertheless be called things of the understanding and will. Though in no sense things of the understanding, persuasions of falsity must be called such because they are matters of thought and reasoning; and the same applies to desires which are in no sense things of the will. Those people are described, as I say, first of all as regards their persuasions of falsity, and after that as regards their desires. This is the reason why verse `Genesis 7bbbccc23` which follows repeats, though in a different order, the things referred to in this verse `Genesis 7bbbccc21`.
ttt[2] Such also is the prophetical style, the reason being that there are two kinds of life with man - the first belonging to things of the understanding, the second to those of the will - which are very distinct and separate from each other. Man is composed of both, and although they are separated in man nowadays, they still flow one into the other and for the most part unite. The fact that they unite, and how they do so, could be established and illustrated in many ways. Since man is therefore composed of these two parts - understanding and will - and one flows into the other, the Word when describing man describes each part separately, which is the reason for repetitions; otherwise the description would be defective. As with the will and understanding here, so with everything else. It is their subjects that make things exactly what they are. Being the product of their subjects, they are attributes of those subjects. Things separated from their subject, that is, from their substance, are not anything. This is the reason why when the Word describes something it does so as regards both areas. In this way the description of everything is made complete.
ppp23041#pid#802. As regards persuasions being the subject in this verse and evil desires in Verse `Genesis 7bbbccc23`, this may be recognized from the consideration that in the present verse birds are mentioned first and beasts next - for 'birds' means things of the understanding or of the rational, while 'beasts' means those of the will - whereas in verse `Genesis 7bbbccc23`, when things to do with evil desires are being described, beasts are mentioned first and birds next. The reason, as has been stated, is that the two flow reciprocally one into the other, and in this way the description of them is made complete.
ppp23040#pid#803. 'Birds, beasts, wild animals, and every creeping thing that creeps over the earth' means their persuasions, among which 'birds' means affections for falsity, 'beasts' evil desires, wild animals' pleasures, 'creeping thing that creeps' bodily and earthly interests. This becomes clear from what has been shown already about the meaning of birds and beasts - about birds in `@@@40`, and above at verses `Genesis 7bbbccc14-15`, of this chapter, and about beasts as well in those same verses, and also in `@@@45`, `@@@46`, `@@@142`, `@@@143`, `@@@246`. Since birds mean intellectual concepts, rational concepts, and factual knowledge, they also mean things that are the contrary, such as perverted rational concepts, falsities, and affections for falsity. The persuasions of the people before the Flood are described fully here, that is to say, they had within them affections for falsity, evil desires, pleasures, and bodily and earthly interests. All of these things are present in persuasions, though a person is not directly conscious of this, for he imagines that a false assumption, or persuasion of falsity, is some uncomplicated or quite general entity. He is much mistaken however, for the situation is altogether different. Every one of a person's affections derives its existence and character from the things of his understanding and at the same time from those of his will. As a result the whole person as regards all things of his understanding and all those of his will is present in every one of his affections, indeed in the most individual or least parts of them.
ttt[2] This has been made quite clear to me from many experiences. For example, to mention but one, a spirit in the next life is able to recognize a person's character from merely one idea in that person's thinking. Indeed angels have the ability from the Lord to know anyone's character in an instant by merely looking at him; and they never make a mistake. From this it is clear that every one of a person's ideas, every affection, indeed every least part of his affection, is an image and replica of himself. That is, it contains something, closely or remotely, of the whole of his understanding and of the whole of his will. This then is how the dreadful persuasions of the people before the Flood are described: They had within them affections for falsity, also affections for evil (which are evil desires), as well as pleasures, and last of all bodily and earthly interests. All of these are present within such persuasions; and not only within persuasions in general but also within the most individual or least parts of persuasions, in which bodily and earthly interests are predominant. If anyone knew how much one false assumption or one persuasion of falsity contained he would be horrified. It is in a way an image of hell. But if they are the product of innocence or of ignorance, those falsities in him are easily dispersed.
ppp23039#pid#804. The phrase 'every man' is added, which means that those things were present in that man. This is a concluding general statement which embraces what has gone before. Such concluding statements are frequently included.
ppp23038#pid#805. 'Everything which had the breath of the spirit of life`fff1` in its nostrils' means people belonging to the Most Ancient Church who had the breath of life`fff1` in their nostrils, that is, the life of love and of faith deriving from love. This is clear from what has been stated already in `@@@96`, `@@@97`. Life is what the most ancient people meant by 'breath in the nostrils' or breathing, which is the life of the body corresponding to spiritual things, just as the motion of the heart is the life of the body corresponding to celestial things. Here because the subject is the people before the Flood who from what they inherited from their forefathers had within them seed from a celestial origin, though that seed had been annihilated or suffocated, the statement 'everything that had the breath of the spirit of life`fff1` in its nostrils' is used.
ttt[2] These words also conceal something quite deeply hidden, which has been dealt with already in `@@@97`. It is this: The member of the Most Ancient Church possessed internal breathing, and so possessed breathing that accorded with and was similar to the breathing of angels, which will in the Lord's Divine mercy be described later on. The nature of that breathing varied according to every one of the states of the internal man; but it was altered in the process of time among their descendants down to this final generation of them in whom everything angelic perished. At that point they were no longer capable of breathing in company with the angelic heaven. This was the real reason for their annihilation, and why it is now said that 'they breathed their last' and that 'they died in whom there was the breath of the spirit of life`fff1` in their nostrils'. After those times internal breathing came to an end, and with it communication with heaven, and consequently celestial perception; and external breathing took its place. And since communication with heaven came to an end in this way, members of the Ancient or new Church were no longer capable of being celestial men, as the most ancient people had been, but spiritual. These matters however will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with later on.
`nnn1. literally, of lives
ppp23037#pid#806. 'Everything that was on the dry land' means the people in whom nothing of that kind of life existed any more, and 'they died' means that they breathed their last. This follows now from what has been said above. And because all the life that belongs to love and faith had been annihilated, 'the dry land' is referred to here. The dry land is where there is no water, that is, where nothing spiritual, let alone celestial, exists any more. Persuasion of falsity annihilates and so to speak suffocates everything spiritual and celestial, as anyone may recognize from much experience if he pays the matter any attention. Once people have adopted opinions, though utterly false, they cling to them so tenaciously that they will not even listen to anything to the contrary. That being so, they never allow themselves to be taught, even if the truth is placed before their very eyes. Still more is this the case when they reverence a false opinion because of some idea that is sacred. Such people spurn all truth, and what they do accept they pervert, and in so doing submerge in delusions. It is they who are meant here by 'the dry land' which has no water or grass on it, as in Ezekiel,
I will make the rivers dry land, and will sell the land into the hand of evil men, and I will make the land desolate and the fullness of it. `Ezekiel 30bbb12`.
'Making the rivers dry land' stands for what is spiritual being no more. And in Jeremiah,
Your land has become dry land. `Jeremiah 44bbb22`.
'Dry land' stands for land made desolate and laid waste so that there is no longer any good or truth at all.
ppp23036#pid#807. Verse `Genesis 7bbbccc23` And He wiped out every being`fff1` which was on the face`fff2` of the ground, from man to beasts, to creeping things, and to birds of the air;`fff3` and they were wiped out from the earth; and Noah alone remained and that which was with him in the ark.
'He wiped out every being'`fff1` means the desires which belong to self-love. 'Which was on the face`fff2` of the ground' means the descendants of the Most Ancient Church. 'From man to beasts, to creeping things, and to birds of the air'`fff3` means the nature of the evil of those people - 'man' the nature itself, 'beasts' desires, 'creeping things' pleasures, 'birds of the air'`fff3` derivative falsities. 'And they were wiped out from the earth' is the finish, namely that the Most Ancient Church breathed its last. 'Noah alone remained and that which was with him in the ark' means that those who constituted the new Church were preserved. 'That which was with him in the ark' means all things that belonged to that new Church.
`nnn1. literally, every substance
`nnn2. literally, over the faces
`nnn3. literally, bird of the heavens (or the skies)
ppp23035#pid#808. 'He wiped out every being'`fff1` means the desires which belong to self-love. This is clear from what follows where they are described by means of representatives. 'Substance' has reference to things of the will, for it is from the will that all things with man originate, that is, come into being and remain in being. The will is man's very being, or the person himself. The desires of the people before the Flood were those belonging to self-love. Actually there are two very general kinds of evil desires, the first kind being those of self-love, the second those of love of the world. The object of man's desire being nothing other than what he loves, desires therefore belong to love. With the people before the Flood self-love reigned and consequently the desires belonging to it. In fact they so loved themselves that they imagined they were gods, and acknowledged no other god superior to themselves. And they persuaded themselves that this was so.
`nnn1. literally, every substance
ppp23034#pid#809. 'Which was on the face`fff1` of the ground' means the descendants of the Most Ancient Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'the ground', dealt with already, as the Church and therefore as what belongs to the Church. Here, because it is said that [every] being`fff2` 'on the face' of the ground' was wiped out, the meaning is that people belonging to the Most Ancient Church who were of that kind were wiped out. Here it is called 'the ground', but in verse `Genesis 7bbbccc21` above 'the earth', the reason being that the Church is never referred to as such because of things of the understanding but because of those of the will. Factual knowledge and rational conviction that are part of faith in no way constitute the Church or the member of the Church, but charity which belongs to the will. Every essential element comes from the will. Nor therefore does anything doctrinal make the Church unless generally and specifically it has regard to charity, in which case charity becomes the end in view. The end in view determines the true character of doctrine, and whether or not it belongs to the Church. As with the Lord's kingdom in the heavens love and charity alone constitute the Lord's Church.
`nnn1. literally, over the faces
`nnn2. literally, every substance
ppp23033#pid#810. 'From man to beasts, to creeping things, to birds of the air'`fff1` means the nature of the evil of those people - 'man' the nature itself, 'beasts' desires, 'creeping things' pleasures, 'birds of the air'`fff1` derivative falsities. This is clear from the meaning of all of these, dealt with already. Consequently there is no need to pause over them here.
`nnn1. literally, bird of the heavens (or the skies)
ppp23032#pid#811. 'They were wiped out from the earth' is the finish, namely that the Most Ancient Church breathed its last. 'Noah alone remained and that which was with him in the ark' means that those who constituted the new Church were preserved. And 'that which was with him in the ark' means all the things which belonged to that new Church. No further explanation of these statements is necessary - since they are self-evident.
ppp23031#pid#812. Verse `Genesis 7bbbccc24` And the waters became more and more over the earth for a hundred and fifty days means the point at which the Most Ancient Church finally came to an end. 'A hundred and fifty' is that which is both a finishing point and a starting point.
ppp23030#pid#813. That these words mean the point at which the Most Ancient Church finally came to an end, and that 'a hundred and fifty' means that which is both a finishing point and a starting point, cannot be confirmed so easily from the Word as the more simple numbers can which occur frequently. Nevertheless the matter is clear from the number fifteen, dealt with above at verse `Genesis 7bbbccc20`. Fifteen means so few as to be hardly any. This meaning applies all the more to the number 'a hundred and fifty', which is the product of fifteen multiplied by ten, which means remnants. Multiplying fractions, such as a half, a quarter, or a tenth, produces smaller fractions still, till at length there is practically nothing, and then the end or finishing point has been reached. The same number occurs in Chapter `Genesis ccc8bbb3` below where it is said that the waters retreated at the end of a hundred and fifty days. There the meaning is similar. Numbers in the Word have to be understood abstractedly - quite apart from the sense of the letter, for as stated and shown already, they have been included merely to produce the flow of historical events that belongs to the sense of the letter. For example, when seven occurs it means that which is holy - quite abstractedly from periods of time or measurements which it is normally used to quantify. Indeed angels, who perceive the internal sense of the Word, know nothing whatever about periods of time or measurements, let alone what a specific number denotes. Yet they understand the Word completely when it is being read by man. Consequently when a number occurs anywhere at all they cannot possibly have the idea of any numerical value, only of the real thing meant by the number. Likewise in the present context they understand by this number the point at which the Most Ancient Church finally came to an end, and in verse `Genesis 8bbbccc3` of the next chapter the starting point of the Ancient or new Church.
ppp23029#pid#814. THE HELLS - continued
Here, the hells of people who have gone through life hating, desiring revenge, and being cruel.
The kinds of spirits who harbour deadly hatred and as a consequence breathe revenge, breathing nothing less than the murder of another, and are not satisfied until they have done it, are confined in a death-like hell very deep down where the dreadful stench is like that given off by dead bodies. And what is remarkable, the spirits there are so delighted with that stench that they prefer it to the most pleasant odours. Such is their dreadful nature and resulting delusions. This hell really does discharge such a stench; and when this hell is thrown open, which happens rarely and for only brief spaces of time, the stench welling up out of it is so powerful that spirits cannot stay in the vicinity. Certain genii, or rather avenging spirits, were sent from there so that I might know what they were like. They polluted the atmosphere with breath so poisonous and obnoxious that the spirits who were around me could not remain, and at the same time it had the effect on my stomach of making me vomit.
ttt[2] They presented themselves in the form of a small child whose face was not unattractive, with a dagger concealed on him, and whom they sent to me carrying a dish in his hand. From this I was given to understand their intention (animus) to commit murder, either by stabbing or by poisoning, under a cloak of innocence. But they themselves were naked and had very black bodies. Soon however they were thrown back into their own death-like hell, and I was allowed to witness the manner in which they plunged down. They went away to the left on a level with my left temple, for a considerable distance without going downwards, and then they plunged down. First of all they went down through what looked like fire, then through fiery smoke like that of a furnace, and immediately afterwards below that furnace into more forward parts where there were many most gloomy caverns stretching downwards. On their way down they were all the time turning over in their minds and intending evil deeds, especially - and without cause - against the innocent. When they fell through the fire they cried out greatly. So that people may tell where they come from and what they are like, these spirits when sent out hold a kind of ring to which bronze-like spikes are attached. These they press with their hands and brandish about, which serves to indicate what they are like and that they are bound.
ppp23028#pid#815. As for those who delight in hating and consequently in getting revenge to such an extent that they are not satisfied with destroying the body, but also desire to destroy the soul, which however the Lord has redeemed, they are sent down by way of a most gloomy hollow towards the lowest parts of the earth, to a depth that accords with the degree of their hatred and consequent desire for revenge. They are there stricken with great terror and horror, and at the same time they are held in their desire for revenge; and as this increases they are sent down further still. Subsequently they are sent to a place beneath Gehenna where large and dreadful snakes with big fat bellies are seen, as vivid as if they were real, by whose bites they are afflicted, which they feel intensely. Such things are felt keenly by spirits, for such things answer to their lives in the way that bodily things answer to the lives of people who are dwelling in the body. During this time they live with dreadful delusions, which continue with them for ages, till at length they no longer know that they have been human beings. Their life, which they have acquired from such hatred and desire for revenge, can be eliminated in no other way.
ppp23027#pid#816. Since the genera of hatred and revenge are countless, and the species of them even more countless, and since the hell of one genus is never like that of another, and it is accordingly impossible to number every single one of them in order, let me therefore relate what I have seen. Someone came to me who looked like a nobleman. (Spirits have appeared to me as in broad daylight, and in light even brighter. They have done so however before my internal sight, since the Lord's Divine mercy has allowed me into the presence of spirits.) On his first arrival that man pretended by beckoning movements to have many matters he wished to convey to me. He asked whether I was a Christian, and I replied that I was. He asserted that he was too, and asked to be alone with me, to tell me something that others were not to hear. But I replied that in the next life people are unable to be alone in the way people imagine they are on earth, and that many spirits were present. He drew closer however and went round behind my back, at which point I perceived that he was an assassin. While he was there I felt a kind of stab through the heart, and immediately after that in the brain, the kind of stab from which someone would easily die. But because I was protected by the Lord I feared nothing. What method he used I do not know. Thinking that I was dead he told others that he had just left someone whom he had killed in this manner - and indeed by a fatal blow from behind - and he said that he was skilled in a method by which the victim knew nothing before falling down dead, and one by which nobody would doubt his innocence. From this I was given to know that he had recently departed this earthly life where he had performed such villainy. The punishment of such people is horrifying. After they have undergone hellish tortures for ages their face at length becomes abhorrent and utterly grotesque, so that it is not a face any more but something that looks like dirty yellow rope. In this way they lose everything human, at which point everyone shudders at the sight of them. As a consequence they roam around like wild animals in gloomy places.
ppp23026#pid#817. Somebody from one of the vaults of hell over on the left hand side came and spoke to me. I was given to perceive that he belonged among villains. What he had perpetrated in the world was brought to light as follows: He was sent down quite some way into the lower earth, to a forward position a little to the left, and there he began to dig a grave as people do for the dead who are to be buried. This gave rise to a suspicion that during his lifetime he had been responsible for some act of murder. A bier draped with a black cloth appeared at that point. Soon afterwards someone rose out of the bier and came to me. He duly told me that he had died, and he assumed that that man had murdered him by poisoning, and that he had thought so around the time of his death though he did not know whether there were grounds for that suspicion. On hearing this that detestable spirit confessed that he had committed such a deed. Confession was followed by punishment. He was rolled around twice in the dark grave he had dug, and emerged looking black as an Egyptian mummy, in face and body. In that condition he was raised aloft and carried around before the eyes of spirits and angels, with the shout, 'What a devil!' He also turned cold, like those spirits in hell who are cold, and was sent to hell.
ppp23025#pid#818. Beneath the buttocks there is a frightful hell in which those there seem to strike one another with knives, aiming their knives at others' breasts like avenging spirits. But every time they strike the knife is removed from them. They are people who have hated others so much that they were inflamed to kill them in a cruel manner, and as a consequence acquired such a dreadful character. That hell has been opened up for me, though only slightly on account of their dreadful acts of cruelty, so that I might witness the nature of deadly hatred.
ppp23024#pid#819. To the left on a level with the lower parts of the body, there is a sizeable stagnant pond, longer than it is broad. Around its nearest edge, monstrous serpents, like those that frequent stagnant ponds and whose breath is noxious, appear to those who are there. On the left bank, further away from there, appear those who eat human flesh, and also one another, gripping one another on the shoulder with their teeth. Further away still to the left big fish, enormous monsters, appear which swallow a human being and vomit him up again. Furthest away of all, that is, on the opposite side, appear faces very deformed, especially those of old women, so monstrous that they defy description, darting around as though they were mad. On the right bank are those who try to slaughter one another with instruments of cruelty. These instruments vary according to the callousness of their hearts. In the middle of the pond there is blackness everywhere, as though stagnated. I have frequently been amazed to see spirits brought to this pond, but I was told by some of those coming back from there that these were people who had cherished deep-seated hatred against the neighbour and that such hatred had erupted as often as it had been given the chance to do so. And in this they felt their greatest delight. Nothing had pleased them more than taking their neighbour to court, causing him to be punished, and, if there had been no legal penalties to deter them, putting him to death. These are the kinds of things that people's hatred and cruelty are converted into after death; and the delusions that arise from these seem absolutely real to them.
ppp23023#pid#820. People who during their lifetime have performed robberies, and those involved in acts of piracy, prefer stinking reeking urine to any other kind of fluid. To themselves they also seem to dwell among such things, and also among foul-smelling cesspools. A certain robber approached me, gnashing his teeth. The sound of teeth gnashing was clearly heard as of someone [on earth], which was surprising seeing that those who are there have no teeth. He confessed that he would far rather live among urinous filth than beside clear waters, and that it was the stink of urine that pleased him. He said he would rather stay in the urinous runs than anywhere else, and make his home there.
ppp23022#pid#821. There are people who outwardly present an honest face and life so that nobody can suspect them of being anything other than honest. In every way they study carefully how, for the sake of preferment and of getting rich without loss of reputation, to preserve this appearance. Consequently they do not act openly, but by means of others deprive other people of their goods by cunning devices, not caring at all whether the families they deprive might die of hunger. If they could avoid being seen by the world, they themselves would carry it out without any conscience in the matter. In character therefore they are just the same as if they had actually done it themselves. Secretly they are robbers, and coupled to their variety of hatred are contempt, avarice, mercilessness, and deceit. Such people in the next life wish to be considered guiltless, saying that they have done nothing wrong because nothing had been discovered. And to show that they are blameless, they take off their clothes and stand naked as a way of attesting their innocence. But while they are being examined, what they are really like is perceived from the particular expressions they use and from the particular ideas comprising their thinking, though they do not realize this.
ttt[2] Such people in the next life wish to murder without conscience any associates they light upon. They also have with them an axe and a mallet in their hand, and there seems to be another spirit present with them whom they strike as he lies stretched out, without however shedding any blood, for they are afraid of death. Nor can they cast those instruments out of their hands, however much they try with all their might to do so, to prevent its being seen that they are such, and to prevent the viciousness of their disposition becoming apparent before the eyes of spirits and angels. These spirits are at a middle distance beneath the feet, towards the front.
ppp23021#pid#822. There is a kind of hatred against the neighbour in which people take delight in hurting and attacking everybody. The more harm they can do to a person, the more pleasure it gives them. Very many belonging to the lowest class of society are such. There are also some not of that class who are like them in disposition (animus), but who are outwardly more respectable as a result of the civilized way of life in which they have been brought up, and on account of the fear of penalties set by the law. After death these people appear stripped to the waist, and with hair all unkempt. They go for one another by rushing forward and planting the palms of their hands on the other's shoulders and bounding over his head, only to come back after a quick about-turn and pummel him with their fists. Those referred to as being more respectable act in a similar way, but they first of all acknowledge each other before going round the back and so pummeling with their fist. But when they meet face to face they acknowledge each other and again go round the back and strike with the fist. In this way they keep up appearances. They are seen some distance away to the left at a middle height.
ppp23020#pid#823. Whatever a person has done during his lifetime gradually reappears in the next life, and so does whatever he has thought. When enmity, hatred, and deceit reappear, so also do the persons against whom he has harboured hatred and plotted in secret. They are brought into his presence, and indeed in an instant. This kind of presence in the next life will in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed later on. The thoughts too which he has harboured against those persons are plainly visible, for a perception of all thoughts exists there. This leads to states that are wretched. Concealed hatred there bursts out into the open. With people who are evil all their wicked deeds and their thoughts visibly reappear in this manner. But the same does not happen to those who are good. All their states are states of good, friendship, and love, accompanied by supreme delight and happiness.
ppp23019#pid#824. CHAPTER 8
THE HELLS - continued
Here, the hells of people who have gone through life committing adultery and acts of unrestrained lust; also the hells of deceivers and witches.
Beneath the heel of the right foot there is a hell where there are people who have taken delight in being cruel and at the same time in committing adultery. They have felt in such behaviour the chief joy in their lives. It is a surprising fact that people who have been cruel during their lifetime have also been the worst adulterers. Such is the nature of the people who inhabit that hell. There they carry out acts of cruelty by unmentionable methods. By means of their delusions they make vessels for themselves resembling those in which herbs are crushed to bits, and also crushing instruments, with which they crush and torment whomever they can. They also so to speak make broad axes for themselves, like those used by executioners, and drilling tools as well, which they use mercilessly on one another, in addition to other dreadful acts of cruelty. In that place are some of the Jews who in the past treated gentiles in this cruel fashion. And today this hell is growing, chiefly from persons who belong to the so-called Christian world and who have found all the joy of life in committing adultery, and who too are for the most part cruel people. Sometimes their joy is converted into the stench of human excrement which is given off voluminously when this hell is opened up. I have smelt it in the world of spirits and have collapsed practically unconscious as a result of it. That foul stink of excrement by turns invades hell and then leaves off. It is the joy they take in committing adultery which is converted into so foul a stink. In the process of time, having spent a definite period of time with such things, they are left all alone, living in torment and becoming like hideous skeletons, though they are still living.
ppp23018#pid#825. On a level with the soles of the feet, in front and at quite some distance, is a hell called Gehenna where there are shameless women who have centred all their joy in committing adultery, and have imagined committing adultery to be not only permissible but also honourable. And under the pretence of what is honourable they have seduced guiltless and innocent people into such practices. In that place a fiery glow appears like that which normally radiates from the sky when there is a great fire. It is a fierce heat too, which I have been allowed to feel through the warmth issuing from it on to my face. And it gives off a stench like that given off by burning bones and hair. This hell is sometimes changed into dreadful serpents that bite them, at which point they long to die, but cannot. Certain women released from that place came to me and talked of the fierce heat there. They said that when they are allowed to approach any community of good spirits that heat is converted into extreme cold, in which case they experience the alternating extremes of cold and heat, and in this way are tortured mercilessly. Nevertheless they have intervening periods in which they are obsessed with the passions of their fiery lust. But their states undergo change, as has been mentioned.
ppp23017#pid#826. There were certain members of both sexes from the so-called Christian world who during their lifetime had imagined adultery to be not only permissible but also sacred. In so doing they upheld collective marriages, as they irreverently termed them, under a pretence of holiness. I saw that they were sent to Gehenna, but when they got there a change took place. The fiery glow of Gehenna, which is decidedly red, turned decidedly white on their arrival, and I perceived that they did not fit in there. Consequently that unmentionable bunch was removed from that place and taken down to a quarter at the back. I was told that they had gone into another world where they would be immersed in stagnant waters, and from there on into a new Gehenna that had been provided for them. I heard in this Gehenna something like a hissing which was indescribable. But the hissing or hum of Gehenna was duller than that of those people who had defiled holiness by acts of adultery.
ppp23016#pid#827. Those who beguile by means of conjugial love and love towards small children - behaving in such a way that a husband has no reason to suspect that his guests are anything else but clean-minded, stainless, and friendly, and so under this and many other pretences commit adultery more safely - are in a hell beneath the buttocks in foulest excrement. There they experience vastation until they are no more than bones, for they are among the deceitful. Such individuals do not even know what conscience is. I have spoken to them and they have been amazed that anyone should have a conscience and that people say that acts of adultery are contrary to conscience. They have been told that it is as impossible for such conscienceless adulterers to enter heaven as it is for a fish to survive in the air or a bird above the air. For when merely approaching heaven they feel as though they are being choked, and their kind of delight is converted into a dreadful stench. They are then driven inevitably down into hell and at length become just like bones with little life, for when they lose that kind of life which they have acquired to themselves, no more than a mere trace of truly human life remains.
ppp23015#pid#828. Men who desire above all else to deflower virgins, that is, who delight most of all to take virgins and rob them of their virginity, without any intention of marrying them and having a family, and who once they have robbed them of the flower of their virginity afterwards abandon them, regard them as nauseating, and make prostitutes of them, [undergo very severe punishment in the next life].`fff1` Men who have pursued this kind of life undergo that punishment because they have behaved in a way contrary to natural, spiritual, and celestial order - contrary not only to conjugial love, which in heaven is upheld as most holy, but also to the innocence they injure and destroy by leading innocent young women who could be endowed with conjugial love into a life of prostitution. It is well known that it is the first flower of love which leads virgins into chaste conjugial love and joins together the minds of married partners. And because the holiness of heaven is based on conjugial love and on innocence, and men of this kind are inwardly murderers, they undergo very severe punishment in the next life. It seems to them as though they are seated on a horse that is frenzied, which tosses them up in the air so that they are thrown from the horse and their life seemingly put in peril, such is the terror struck into them. After that it appears to them as though they are under the belly of the frenzied horse, and then it seems to them as though they pass by way of the horse's hindquarters into its belly. At this point it suddenly seems to them as if they are inside the belly of a filthy prostitute. The prostitute changes into a large dragon, and there they stay enveloped in torment. This punishment is repeated many times, over hundreds and thousands of years, until they are filled with horror for such desires. Concerning their offspring I have been told that these are worse than other people's children, for they derive something of a like heredity from their fathers. This also is why infants are rarely born from the sexual union of such persons, and those who are do not live very long in this world.
`nnn1. The Latin may be incomplete at this point.
ppp23014#pid#829. People whose thoughts during their lifetime have consisted of unrestrained lust and who have twisted all that others say, even things that are holy, into such lust - doing so even when mature and elderly, when no natural lust is present to incite them - continue to think and talk in that manner in the next life. And because their thoughts in that life are communicated, and sometimes end up as lewd representations among other spirits, consequently into things that are offensive, their punishment is this: In the presence of the spirits they have offended they are thrown to the ground in a horizontal position, and are rolled over and over rapidly from left to right like a drum, then back in a different direction, and in yet another. Naked in the presence of all, or half-naked, depending on the nature of their unrestrained lust, they are at the same time filled with shame. Then they are spun around by the head and feet crossways like a spindle. Resistance is set up and simultaneously pain, for two forces are at work, the first going round one way and the second in reverse, producing a painful ripping apart. When all this is finished the offender is given the opportunity to sneak away from the gaze of the spirits, and a sense of shame is instilled into him. Nevertheless there are those who test him to see whether he still persists in such ways. But as long as his state is one of shame and pain he is on his guard. It may thus seem to him that he is hidden, but they know his whereabouts. This punishment was seen to take place in front, some distance away.
ttt[2] There are also boys, adolescents, and young men who, because of the senseless folly and the sexual urge of that time of life, have adopted unspeakable notions to the effect that wives, especially young and attractive ones, were intended not for their husbands but for themselves and others like them, with the husbands remaining purely heads of the household and those who bring up the children. They are recognized also in the next life from the boyish sound of their speech. They are at the back there, a fair way up. Those among them who have confirmed themselves in those notions, and in a life in keeping with the same, are pitiably rough-handled in the next life by having their joints dislocated and then put back in place - that is, twisted together and then twisted back - by spirits who have the skill to delude others into thinking that they are in the body, and at the same time to induce the sensation of pain. By means of these rebounding movements, along with the simultaneous resistance offered to them, they are so severely battered that they seem to themselves to have disintegrated into tiny particles with the immense pain of it all. And this is repeated many times until they have been struck through with horror for such notions about the way to live and so refrain from thinking in this way.
ppp23013#pid#830. The hell of those who mislead people by cunning deception - putting on a smile and a pleasant tone of voice while concealing venomous deceit within, and in this way getting hold of people with the intent of destroying them - is more horrible than anybody else's, more horrible in fact than the murderers' hell. To themselves they seem to be living among snakes; and the more treacherous their deceits have been, the more dreadful and venomous the snakes appear to be, and the more there are which surround and torment them. Nor do they know of them as anything other than snakes, for the pains and agony they endure are just like those caused by snakes. Few will perhaps believe this, but it is nevertheless the truth. These are people who premeditate the deceits they practise and feel the joy of life in doing so. Punishments for deceivers are various, depending on the nature of the deceit. In general they are not tolerated in communities but are expelled from them, for whatever a spirit is thinking those around him know and perceive in an instant. They accordingly know and perceive whether there is any deceit in him, and the nature of it. This is why deceivers are ultimately cast out of communities and dwell all alone. Their face at such times has a broad look, stretched to a width four or five times that of other people's faces, with a broad whitish hat made of straw. As they dwell there in their agony they are semblances of death. There are others who by nature are deceivers, and so act less premeditatedly and less surreptitiously behind a false countenance. They are recognized immediately and their thinking is perceived clearly. They even boast about it as though they wished to seem clever. Theirs is not the same kind of hell. But more about deceivers will in the Lord's Divine mercy be presented later on.
ppp23012#pid#831. There are women who have lived to satisfy their own inclinations. They have studied solely themselves and the world, and have focused the whole of life and its enjoyment in being outwardly respectable. Consequently in social circles they have been esteemed above other women. By the way they have behaved and conducted themselves they have acquired the ability to worm their way, by being outwardly respectable, into other people's desires and pleasures. They have employed a pretence to being honourable, but their aim has been to gain control over others. As a result their lives have become those of sham and deceit. Like other people they have gone to Church, but with no other end in view than giving the appearance of being honourable and devout. Furthermore they have been devoid of conscience, strongly inclined to behaving disgracefully and committing adultery insofar as it was possible to do so without being found out. Such women go on thinking in the same way in the next life. They do not know what conscience is and they laugh at people who mention it. They encroach upon whatever affections other people may have through their pretence of honourableness, devoutness, mercy, and innocence, which with them are instruments for deception. And whenever external restraints are removed from them, they rush into the most abominable and disgusting practices.
ttt[2] These are women who in the next life become sorceresses or witches. Some of them are those called sirens. In that life they acquire tricks unknown in the world. They are like sponges that soak up unmentionable tricks, and are so clever that they quickly put them into practice. The tricks which they learn in that world and are unknown in this include their ability to speak as though they are somewhere else, so that their voice is heard as if coming from good spirits in that other place. They have the ability to appear to be with many people simultaneously, and in this way convince others that they can appear to be present everywhere. They have the ability to speak as if they were various persons simultaneously, and in various places simultaneously. They have the ability to turn aside what is flowing in from good spirits, even what is flowing in from angelic spirits, and to change that instantly and in different ways into what suits themselves. They have the ability to impersonate somebody else by means of his ideas which they adopt and give shape to. They can inspire an affection for themselves into somebody else by worming their way into the very state of the other person's affections. They can steal away suddenly out of sight, without being noticed. They can exhibit before the eyes of spirits a bright flame around their head, which is an angelic sign, doing so in the presence of many. They can feign innocence in various ways, even by exhibiting infants whom they are caressing. They can also incite others whom they hate to kill them - for they know that they cannot die - and afterwards publicly accuse them of being murderers.
ttt[3] They have called forth from my memory whatever evil I have thought or committed, doing so in a most expert fashion. When I was asleep they have spoken to others just as if the words came from myself, with the result that spirits were convinced of it, and indeed things that were false and disgusting. And there are many other practices in addition to these. The nature of these women is so persuasive that they leave one with no feeling of doubt. This is why their ideas are not communicated as those of other spirits are. And their eyes are, so to speak, like those of a snake, having a vision of and noting things in every direction at once. These witches or sirens are punished severely. Some are in Gehenna; some in a kind of court among snakes; some are punished by being ripped apart, and by various beatings, accompanied by very great pain and torment. In the process of time they are separated from one another and come to look like skeletons from head to toe. A continuation of this subject follows at the end of the chapter.
ppp23011#pid#832. `Genesis 8bbb0`
1. And God remembered Noah, and every wild animal, and every beast that was with him in the ark. And God made a wind pass over the earth, and the waters subsided.
2. And the fountains of the deep and the floodgates of heaven were stopped up, and the rain from heaven was restrained.
3. And the waters receded from off the earth, going back and forth, and the waters abated at the end of a hundred and fifty days.
4. And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the mountains of Ararat.
5. And the waters were going down and abating until the tenth month; and in the tenth [month], on the first of the month, the tops of the mountains appeared.
6. And it happened at the end of forty days that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made.
7. And he sent out a raven, and it went out going back and forth until the waters dried up from over the earth.
8. And he sent out a dove from himself to see whether the waters had abated from over the face`fff1` of the ground.
9. And the dove found no rest for the sole of its foot, and it returned to him to the ark, for the waters were over the face`fff1` of the whole earth. And he put out his hand, and took hold of it, and brought it in to himself into the ark.
10. And he waited yet another seven days, and then proceeded to send out the dove from the ark.
11. And the dove came back to him at evening time; and behold, in its mouth an olive leaf plucked off. And Noah knew that the waters had abated from over the earth.
12. And he waited yet another seven days and sent out the dove, and it did not come back to him any more.
13. And it happened in the six hundred and first year, at the beginning, on the first of the month, that the waters dried up from over the earth, and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and saw out, and behold, the face`fff1` of the ground was dry.
14. And in the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dry.
15. And God spoke to Noah, saying,
16. Go out of the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons wives with you.
17. Every wild animal of all flesh that is with you - birds, and beasts, and every creeping thing that creeps over the earth - bring out with you, and let them spread out into the earth and be fruitful, and multiply over the earth.
18. And Noah went out, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him.
19. Every wild animal, every creeping thing, and every bird, everything creeping over the earth - according to their families they went out of the ark.
20. And Noah built an altar to Jehovah, and took from every clean beast, and from every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.
21. And Jehovah smelled the odour of rest, and Jehovah said in His heart, I will curse the ground no more on account of man, for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his childhood. And I will no more strike every living thing, as I have done.
22. During all the days of the earth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night will not cease.
CONTENTS
Next in the line of subjects concerns the member of the new Church who is called Noah, and in fact his state following temptation up to the point of his regeneration, and beyond.
`nnn1. literally, the faces
ppp23010#pid#833. The first state following temptation is his fluctuation between truth and falsity until truths start to appear, verses `Genesis 8bbbccc1-5`.
ppp23009#pid#834. The second state divides into three. First, when truths of faith do not as yet exist; then, when truths of faith together with charity do exist; and after that, when goods that arise from charity show themselves, verses `Genesis 8bbbccc6-14`.
ppp23008#pid#835. The third state is when he starts to act and think from charity, which is the first state of a regenerate person, verses `Genesis 8bbbccc15-19`.
ppp23007#pid#836. The fourth state is when he does act and think from charity, which is the second state of a regenerate person, verses `Genesis 8bbbccc20-21`.
ppp23006#pid#837. Finally, this new Church raised up in place of the previous one is described, verses `Genesis 8bbbccc21-22`.
ppp23005#pid#838. THE INTERNAL SENSE
In the two previous chapters the subject was the new Church called Noah, that is, the individual constituting that Church. First of all they dealt with his preparation for receiving faith, and by way of faith charity. Then they dealt with his temptation, and after that with the way he was protected when the Most Ancient Church was dying out. In the present chapter the subject is his state following temptation and the actual order in which this was effected. At the same time the subject is the order in which this is effected in all who are to be regenerated. For the Word of the Lord is such that when it deals with one it is dealing with each and all, the only difference being according to the disposition of each one. This is the universal sense of the Word.
ppp23004#pid#839. Verse `Genesis 8bbbccc1` And God remembered Noah, and every wild animal, and every beast that was with him in the ark. And God made a wind pass over the earth, and the waters subsided.
'God remembered' means the end of temptation and the start of renewal. 'Noah', as previously, means the member of the Ancient Church. 'Every wild animal and every beast that was with him in the ark' means all things that resided with him. And God made a wind pass over the earth, and the waters subsided' means the arrangement of all things into their proper order.
ppp23003#pid#840. That 'and God remembered' means the end of temptation and the start of renewal is clear from what comes before and after this. 'God remembered' in particular means His being merciful. His remembering is mercy, and this is attributed to Him especially when temptation is past because at that time new light is shining. As long as temptation lasts, a person assumes that the Lord is not present, for he is being harassed by evil genii, so harassed in fact that sometimes he has so great a feeling of hopelessness as scarcely to believe in the existence of any God at all. Yet at such times the Lord is more present than that person can possibly believe. But once temptation subsides he receives comfort, and for the first time believes that the Lord is present. Consequently, because He appears to do so, 'God's remembering' mentioned here means the end of temptation and the start of renewal. God, and not Jehovah, is said to have remembered because the person's state is still that which comes before regeneration. But once he has been regenerated the name Jehovah is used, as in verses `Genesis 8bbbccc20-21`, at the end of this chapter. The reason 'God' is used here is that faith has not yet been joined to charity. A person is for the first time said to be regenerate when he acts from charity. It is in charity that Jehovah is present, and not so much in faith before this has been joined to charity. In the next life charity constitutes a person's very being (esse) and life. Jehovah is Being (Esse) and Life itself, and this is why before a person has this being and life, not Jehovah but God is said to reside with him.
ppp23002#pid#841. 'Noah', as previously, means the member of the Ancient Church, and 'every wild animal and every beast that was with him in the ark' means all things that resided with him. This becomes clear from what has been stated already concerning Noah and concerning the meaning of 'wild animal' and 'beast'. In the Word 'wild animal' takes on a two-fold sense; it stands for things with a person that are alive and for things that are dead. The reason why it stands for those that are alive is that this expression in Hebrew means a living thing. But because the most ancient people in their humility acknowledged that they themselves were but wild animals, things with a person that are dead were therefore meant as well by the same expression. Here 'wild animal' means both what is alive and what is dead in their entirety, as is usually the case with someone after temptation. Things that are alive and those that are dead - that is, those that are the Lord's and those that are the person's own - seem so intermingled that at that time the person scarcely knows what truth and good are. At that time however the Lord is re-arranging and restoring all things to order, as becomes clear from what follows. For the fact that 'wild animal' means things that are alive with man, see the previous chapter, `Genesis ccc7bbb14`, and also verses `Genesis 8bbbccc17`, `Genesis 8bbbccc19` of the present chapter. And from what has been shown several times already about wild animals and beasts, for example in `@@@45`, `@@@46`, `@@@142`, `@@@143`, `@@@246`, it is clear that it also means the things with a person that are dead.
ppp23001#pid#842. 'And God made a wind pass over the earth, and the waters subsided' means the arrangement of all things into their proper order. This is clear from the meaning of 'wind' in the Word. All spirits, both good and evil, are compared and likened to the wind, and are even called winds. And in the original language the same word is used for spirits as for winds. In temptations, meant here by 'the waters that subsided', as shown already, evil spirits who deluge are present. With their delusions they flow in wave upon wave and activate kindred delusions residing with a person. When these spirits, or delusions, are dispersed the Word speaks of it being done by means of 'a wind', and in fact by 'an east wind'.
ttt[2] Once the swell or waters of temptation have abated, the condition of someone undergoing temptation is similar to that of mankind generally, as I have been given to know from considerable experience. That is to say, evil spirits in the world of spirits sometimes group together in squadrons and in this way create disturbances. But they are broken up by other squadrons of spirits pouring out mostly from a position to the right, from the eastern quarter therefore, who strike so much fear and terror into them that they think only of taking flight. At that point those who have grouped themselves together are scattered in all directions, and in this way the communities of spirits drawn together for evil purposes are dissolved. The squadrons of spirits who disperse them in this fashion are called 'the East Wind'. In addition to this there are countless other ways of scattering them, and these too are 'east winds', which will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with later on. When evil spirits have been dispersed in this fashion a kind of calm or silence follows the state of disturbance. A similar situation exists with the person undergoing temptation. While undergoing temptation he is amid the throng of such spirits; but when they have been driven away or dispersed, a kind of calm descends which is the start to an arranging of all things into order.
ttt[3] Before anything is restored to order it is very common for everything to be reduced first of all to a state of confusion resembling chaos so that things that are not compatible may be separated from one another. And once these have been separated the Lord arranges them into order. Phenomena comparable to this take place in nature. There too every single thing is first reduced to a state of confusion before being put in its proper place. Unless atmospheric conditions included strong winds to disperse alien substances, the air could not possibly be cleared, and harmful toxic substances would accumulate in it. The same applies to the human body. Unless all things in the bloodstream, those that are alien as well as those that are congenial, were flowing along together unceasingly and repeatedly into the same heart where they are mixed together, the vital fluids would be in danger of clotting and each constituent could not possibly be precisely disposed to perform its proper function. The same also applies to a person's regeneration.
ttt[4] 'The wind', in particular 'the East Wind', means nothing other than the dispersion of falsities and evils, or what amounts to the same, of evil spirits and genii, and after that an arranging into order. This becomes clear from what is said in the Word, as in Isaiah,
You will disperse them, and the wind will carry them away, and the tempest will scatter them. And you will rejoice in Jehovah, in the Holy One of Israel you will glory. `Isaiah 41bbb16`.
Here dispersing is compared to 'the wind' and scattering to 'the tempest' - a dispersing and scattering of evils - at which time regenerate persons 'will rejoice in Jehovah'. In David,
Behold, the kings assembled themselves, they went over together. They saw, and so they were astounded, thrown into confusion, and rushed about. Terror took hold of them there, pain like that of a woman in labour. By the East Wind You will shatter [the ships of Tarshish]. `Psalms 48bbb4-7`.
This describes the terror and confusion caused by 'the East Wind', a description based on occurrences in the world of spirits, for the internal sense of the Word embodies those occurrences.
ttt[5] In Jeremiah,
[My people] will make their land an astonishment. Like the East Wind I will scatter them before the enemy. I will look them in the neck and not in the face`fff1` on the day of their calamity. `Jeremiah 18bbb16-17`.
Here similarly 'the East Wind' stands for the dispersion of falsities. Things of a similar nature are represented by the east wind that dried up the Sea Suph so that the children of Israel could go across, referred to in Exodus as follows,
Jehovah drove the Sea Suph back by a strong east wind all night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. `Exodus 14bbb21`.
Matters of a similar nature were represented by 'the waters of the Sea Suph' as are meant here by 'the waters of the flood'. This is clear from the fact that the Egyptians, who represented the evil, were overwhelmed, while the children of Israel, who represented the regenerate, as Noah does here, went across. 'The Sea Suph', like 'the flood', means damnation and also temptation. 'The East Wind' accordingly means the dispersion of the waters, that is, of the evils of damnation or of temptation. It is clear also from the Song of Moses after they had gone across, `Exodus 15bbb1-19`, and from what is said in Isaiah,
Jehovah will utterly destroy the tongue of the sea of Egypt, and will shake His hand over the River with the might of His wind, and He will smite it into seven channels, and make it a road for shoes. Then there will be a highway for the remnant of His people, who will remain from Asshur, as there was for Israel when they came up out of the land of Egypt. `Isaiah 11bbb15-16`.
Here 'a highway for the remnant of the people who will remain from Asshur' stands for arrangement into order.
`nnn1. literally, the faces
ppp23000#pid#843. Verse `Genesis 8bbbccc2` And the fountains of the deep and the floodgates of heaven were stopped up, and the rain from heaven was restrained means that temptation came to an end. 'The fountains of the deep' are evils present in the will, 'the floodgates of heaven' falsities present in the understanding, 'rain' temptation itself in general.
ppp22999#pid#844. From this verse down to verse `Genesis 8bbbccc6` the subject is the first state of the member of this Church following temptation. The present verse means the end of temptation. Previously the subject has been his temptation as regards things of the will, and also his temptation as regards those of the understanding. The end of temptation as regards things of the will is meant by 'the fountains of the deep were stopped', and as regards those of the understanding by 'the floodgates of heaven'. That this is the meaning of these phrases has been stated and shown already at Chapter `Isaiah ccc7bbb11`, and that 'rain' means temptation itself at `Isaiah ccc7bbb12`. Consequently there is no need to pause any longer to confirm these matters.
ppp22998#pid#845. The reason 'the fountains of the deep' means temptation as regards things of the will, and 'the floodgates of heaven' means temptation as regards those of the understanding, is that a person's will is what hell acts upon and not so much upon his understanding unless it has been immersed in evil desires that constitute the will. Evils within the will are what condemn a person and thrust him down to hell, and not so much falsities unless these are coupled with evils, in which case one follows the other. This becomes clear from the fact that so many people who are under the influence of falsities are nevertheless saved, as is the case with very many of the gentiles who have led lives of natural charity and of mercy, as well as Christians who have believed in simplicity of heart. Their very ignorance and simplicity excuse them, for innocence can reside within them.
ttt[2] The situation is different with those who have confirmed themselves in falsities and have consequently pursued such a life of falsity that they reject and spurn all truth. Such a life must first of all be laid waste before any truth and so any good can be implanted. The situation is worse however with people who have so confirmed themselves in falsities resulting from evil desires that falsities and evil desires compose one life. These are the people who plunge into hell. This is the reason why temptation as regards things of the will is meant by 'the fountains of the deep', which are the hells, and temptation as regards those of the understanding by 'the floodgates of heaven', which are the clouds from which the rain falls.
ppp22997#pid#846. Verse `Genesis 8bbbccc3` And the waters receded from off the earth, going back and forth, and the waters abated at the end of a hundred and fifty days.
'The waters receded from off the earth, going back and forth' means fluctuations between truth and falsity. 'The waters abated at the end of a hundred and fifty days' means that temptations came to an end. 'A hundred and fifty days' means here, as previously, the finishing point.
ppp22996#pid#847. That 'the waters receded from off the earth, going back and forth' means fluctuations between truth and falsity is clear from what has been stated, namely about 'the waters of the flood' or deluges, in reference to Noah, meaning temptations. And because the subject here is the first state following temptation, 'the waters receded, going back and forth' can mean nothing else than fluctuation between truths and falsities. But the nature of this fluctuation cannot be known unless one knows what temptation is, for the nature of a temptation determines that of the fluctuation following temptation. When temptation is celestial the fluctuation is between good and evil; when temptation is spiritual it is between truth and falsity; and when temptation is natural the fluctuation is between the things that belong to evil desires and things which are their opposite.
ttt[2] The types of temptation are numerous. In general they are celestial, spiritual, and natural, which must not in any way be confused with one another. Celestial temptations can exist only with people who are moved by love to the Lord; spiritual temptations only with those who are moved by charity towards the neighbour; while natural temptations are utterly different again. Indeed the latter are not temptations at all but merely anxious cares resulting from attacks on people's natural loves caused by misfortune, sickness, and abnormal condition of the blood and fluids in the body. These few considerations make it to some extent possible to know what temptation is, that is to say, the distress and anxiety caused by things that clash with a person's loves. With people moved by love to the Lord, whatever attacks that love to the Lord produces inmost torment. This is celestial temptation. With those moved by love towards the neighbour, which is charity, whatever attacks this love leads to a tortured conscience. This is spiritual temptation.
ttt[3] But in the case of people who are natural, those experiences which they so often call temptations, and the pricks of conscience, are not really temptations at all but merely anxious cares resulting from attacks on their loves - for example, when they foresee and feel that they are being deprived of honour, the good things of this world, reputation, pleasures, physical powers, and so on. Nevertheless these so-called temptations do normally achieve some good. Temptations are also experienced by people who are moved by natural charity, and so by all manner of heretics, by gentiles, and by idolaters. They are caused by the things which go against the way of life which their faith demands and which they hold dear. These however are anxious cares, which are mere imitations of spiritual temptations.
ppp22995#pid#848. When temptations have come to an end there is so to speak fluctuation. And if the temptations are spiritual it is fluctuation between truth and falsity, as also becomes quite clear from the fact that temptation is the starting point to regeneration. The purpose of all regeneration therefore is that a person may receive new life, or rather that he may receive life, and from not being a man may become one, that is, from being a dead man may become one who is alive. When therefore his former life, which is purely animal, is destroyed by means of temptations he cannot after temptations do other than fluctuate between truth and falsity. Truth belongs to the new life, falsity to the old. Unless the former life is destroyed and this fluctuation takes place, spiritual seed can never be implanted because there is no ground for it.
ttt[2] Once that former life has been destroyed however, and this kind of fluctuation is taking place, a person knows almost nothing at all of what truth and good are. Indeed he scarcely knows of the existence of any such thing as truth. Take, for example, the situation in which a person considers whether he is able to perform from the proprium any good deeds that stem from charity, that is, good works, as people call them, and whether merit rests in his proprium. He is in that case in such obscurity and darkness that when told that nobody is able to do anything good from himself, that is, from his proprium, still less merit anything, and that all good comes from the Lord and all merit is the Lord's, it must inevitably astonish him. The same applies to all other matters of faith. Nevertheless that obscurity or darkness in which he dwells is slowly and gradually lightened.
ttt[3] Regeneration is exactly like when a person is born as an infant. At this point he is living in the greatest obscurity, knowing virtually nothing. This being so, general ideas of things flow in first, which gradually become more definite as specific ideas are introduced into the general, and further still as yet more detailed ideas are introduced into the specific. Detailed ideas light up the general so that he knows not merely of their existence but also the nature of them. A similar process takes place with everyone emerging from spiritual temptation; and the state is similar in the case of people in the next life who have been under the influence of falsities and who are now being vastated. This state is called fluctuation and is described here as 'the waters receding, going back and forth'.
ppp22994#pid#849. 'The waters abated at the end of a hundred and fifty days' means that temptations came to an end. This clearly follows from what has been said above. That 'a hundred and fifty days' means the finishing point is clear from what has been stated concerning the same number at Chapter `Isaiah ccc7bbb24`. So here that same number means the point at which fluctuation ends and new life starts.
ppp22993#pid#850. Verse `Genesis 8bbbccc4` And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the mountains of Ararat.
'The ark rested' means regeneration. 'The seventh month' means that which is holy. 'The seventeenth day of the month' means that which is new. 'The mountains of Ararat' means light.
ppp22992#pid#851. That 'the ark rested' means regeneration becomes clear from the fact that 'the ark' means the member of this Church, and all that was in the ark means all that resided with that member, as shown extensively already. When therefore the ark is said 'to rest' it means that this member was being regenerated. The train of thought in the sense of the letter does indeed seem to imply that 'the ark's resting' means that the fluctuations following temptation, dealt with in the previous verse, have come to an end. But fluctuations, which are doubt and haziness concerning truths and goods, do not in that manner come to an end but persist for a long time, as will also be clear later on. From this it is clear that the continuity of thought in the internal sense is different. The substance of that thought, being arcana, can be revealed here, namely this: After he has undergone temptations the spiritual man becomes the Lord's 'rest' in the same way as the celestial man does. In the same way also he becomes 'the seventh', not however the seventh day, as the celestial man does, but 'the seventh month'. For details concerning the celestial man's being the Lord's rest or sabbath, and the seventh day, see `@@@84-88`. But as a celestial man and a spiritual man are different from each other the celestial man's rest is expressed in the original language by a word meaning the sabbath, whereas the spiritual man's rest is expressed by a different word, from which the name Noah derives which specifically means rest.
ppp22991#pid#852. 'The seventh month' means that which is holy. This is abundantly clear from what has been shown already in `@@@84-87`, `@@@395`, `@@@716`. This holiness corresponds here to what was said at Chapter `Isaiah ccc2bbb3` about the celestial man, that 'the seventh day was made holy because God rested on that day'.
ppp22990#pid#853. 'The seventeenth day' means that which is new. This is clear from what has been stated and shown concerning that same number at Chapter `Isaiah ccc7bbb11`, in `@@@755`, where it means a beginning. Every beginning is something new.
ppp22989#pid#854. 'The mountains of Ararat' means light.`fff1` This becomes clear from the meaning of 'a mountain' as the good that stems from love and charity, `@@@795`, and from the meaning of 'Ararat', which is light, indeed the light of someone who has been regenerated. The new light, or dawn, of a regenerate person in no way flows from cognitions of the truths of faith but from charity; for the truths of faith are like rays of light, and love or charity like the flame. The light in someone who is being regenerated derives not from the truths of faith but from charity. The truths of faith themselves are rays of light flowing from charity. It is clear therefore that 'the mountains of Ararat' means that kind of light. This is the first light following temptation, and being the first it is obscure and is called lumen, not lux.
`nnn1. In this paragraph the Latin word lumen meaning 'light' denotes an inferior kind of light to that meant by lux.
ppp22988#pid#855. From these considerations it now becomes clear what the contents of this verse mean in the internal sense, namely, that a spiritual man is the holy rest which results from new light in the understanding, a light which shines from charity. These matters are perceived by angels with such remarkable variety, and in a sequence so delightful, that if merely one such idea existed with man thousands upon thousands in mounting series would enter in and stir his affection, and such indeed as would defy description. Such is the Word of the Lord throughout the internal sense, even when the sense of the letter looks like crude history, which is the case with the meaning of the statement that the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the mountains of Ararat.
ppp22987#pid#856. Verse `Genesis 8bbbccc5` And the waters were going down and abating until the tenth month; in the tenth [month], on the first of the month, the tops of the mountains appeared.
'The waters were going down and abating' means that falsities started to be dispersed. 'The tenth month' means the truths that are present within remnants. 'On the first of the month the tops of the mountains appeared' means the truths of faith which at that point began to be seen.
ppp22986#pid#857. That 'the waters were going down and abating' means that falsities started to be dispersed is clear from the actual words themselves and from what has been stated just above, at verse `Genesis 8bbbccc3`, where it is said that 'the waters receded, going back and forth', whereas in this verse it is said that 'the waters were going down and abating'. The latter as well as the former means fluctuations between truth and falsity, though the present statement means that those fluctuations were becoming less pronounced. As has been stated, during the fluctuations that follow temptation a person does not know what truth is, but as the movements gradually come to an end so the light of truth appears. The reason for this is that as long as a person's state is such, the internal man cannot function, that is, the Lord cannot function by way of the internal into the external. The internal contains remnants, which are affections for good and for truth deriving from it, which have been dealt with already. The external contains evil desires, and falsities deriving from these. As long as these external things have not been subdued and done away with, no road is open for goods and truths to pass from the internal, that is, from the Lord by way of the internal.
ttt[2] A further purpose of temptations therefore is that the external side of a person may be subdued and so made subservient to the internal. This may become clear to anyone from the fact that as soon as a person's loves are assaulted and crushed, as they are in times of misfortune, sickness, and mental illness, his evil desires start to subside. And as they subside he begins to talk of more devout things. But as soon as he goes back to his previous state, his external man takes control again and he gives scarcely any thought to such matters. It is similar in the final hour of death when bodily things start to fade. From these considerations anyone may see what the internal man is and what the external man, also what remnants are, and how too the desires and pleasures that belong to the external man hinder the Lord's functioning by way of the internal man. From this also anyone may discern what temptations, that is, the inward pains termed the pricks of conscience, accomplish; they take place so that the external man may become subservient to the internal. The external man is made subservient solely to ensure that affections for good and truth are not hindered, halted, and stifled by evil desires and by falsities deriving from them. The subsidence of evil desires and falsities is here described by 'the waters going down and abating'.
ppp22985#pid#858. 'The tenth month' means the truths that are present within remnants. This is clear from the meaning of 'ten' as remnants, `@@@576`, and also from what has been stated just above about remnants residing with the internal man.
ppp22984#pid#859. 'On the first of the month the tops of the mountains appeared' means the truths of faith which at that point start to become visible. This is clear from the meaning of 'mountains' as goods that stem from love and charity, `@@@795`. These mountain-tops start to be seen when a person is being regenerated and is being given a conscience, and through conscience charity. Anyone is utterly mistaken who supposes that he sees the tops of the mountains, which are the truths of faith, from any other vantage point than the goods that stem from love and charity. Without these, Jews and untaught gentiles can see just the same. 'The tops of the mountains' are the first rays of light to appear.
ppp22983#pid#860. From these considerations it also becomes clear that all regeneration advances from evening to morning, as is mentioned six times in `Genesis 1bbb0` where the regeneration of man is the subject. Here the evening is described in verses `Genesis 8bbbccc2-3`, the morning in verses `Genesis 8bbbccc4-5`. The present verse describes the first ray of light or the morning of this state as 'the tops of the mountains appearing'.
ppp22982#pid#861. Verse `Genesis 8bbbccc6` And it happened at the end of forty days that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made. 'It happened at the end of forty days means the duration of the former state, and the beginning of the one that followed. 'Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made' means a further state when the truths of faith appeared to him.
ppp22981#pid#862. That 'it happened at the end of forty days' means the duration of the former state, and the beginning of the one that followed, is clear from the meaning of 'forty', see `@@@730`, where, the subject being temptation, the phrase 'forty days and forty nights' was used, which meant the duration of temptation. Here, since the subject is the state following temptation, 'forty days' is mentioned but not forty nights. The reason is that charity now starts to appear, which in the Word is compared to the day and is called the day. Faith however which precedes but has not yet been so joined to charity is compared to the night and is called the night, as in `Genesis 1bbb16`, and elsewhere in the Word. Faith is also called 'the night' in the Word because it receives its light from charity, just as the moon does from the sun. Faith is therefore also compared to the moon and is called the moon; and love or charity is compared to the sun and is called the sun. 'Forty days', or the duration of time meant by them, refers both to the things that precede and to those that follow; hence the statement 'at the end of forty days', which accordingly means both the duration of the previous state, and the beginning of the one being described now. This then begins the description of the second state following temptation of the member of this Church.
ppp22980#pid#863. 'Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made means a further state when the truths of faith appeared to him. This becomes clear from the final words of the previous verse, which state that 'the tops of the mountains appeared'. It becomes clear from the meaning of those words, and also from the meaning of 'a window', dealt with already in `@@@655`, as that which constitutes the understanding part of the mind, or what consequently amounts to the same, the truth of faith. It becomes clear too from the fact that this is the first glimmer of light. The same observation made already about that which constitutes the understanding part, namely the truth of faith, being meant by 'a window must be made here. It is this: No truth of faith can possibly exist unless it originates in good stemming from love or charity, just as nothing that truly constitutes the understanding exists unless it comes from the will. Take away the will and no understanding exists, as shown several times already. Take away charity therefore and no faith exists. But because man's will is nothing else than evil desire the Lord has miraculously taken steps to prevent that which constitutes the understanding part, which is the truth of faith, being immersed in his evil desire, and has separated the understanding part of man's mind from the will part by means of a certain go-between, namely conscience, to which charity is added by the Lord. Without this miraculous provision nobody could ever have been saved.
ppp22979#pid#864. Verse `Genesis 8bbbccc7` And he sent out a raven, and it went out going back and forth until the waters dried up from over the earth.
'He sent out a raven, and it went out going back and forth' means that falsities were still giving trouble; 'a raven' means falsities, 'going back and forth' means that such was their state. 'Until the waters dried up from over the earth' means the apparent dispersal of falsities.
ppp22978#pid#865. That 'he sent out a raven, and it went out going back and forth' means that falsities were still giving trouble is clear from the meaning of 'a raven' and from the meaning of 'going back and forth', dealt with in the paragraphs following this. Here the description is of the second state following temptation of the person who is to be regenerated, when the truths of faith start to appear as a first glimmer of light. This is the kind of state in which falsities are continually giving trouble. It is a state resembling the morning twilight when the obscurity of the night is still lingering on. That state is therefore meant here by 'the raven'. The falsities residing with a spiritual man, especially before he has been regenerated, are as thick patches of cloud, the reason being that he is incapable of knowing any truth of faith except from things that have been revealed in the Word where all things are stated in a general way. General statements there are nothing else than patches of cloud, for any one general statement embraces thousands of details, and each detail thousands of finer points. Those finer points constituting details are what light up the general statements. These have never been so revealed to mankind because they are both indescribable and also in-comprehensible, and so can neither be acknowledged nor believed. In fact they are contrary to the illusions of the senses which govern man, and to whose destruction he does not readily consent.
ttt[2] The case is altogether different with the celestial man, who has perception from the Lord. In him details and their finer points can be implanted. Take, for example, the consideration that true marriage is a marriage of one man and one wife; and that such a marriage is representative of the heavenly marriage, and as a consequence can contain heavenly happiness, something that is not possible when one man has several wives. The spiritual man, who knows of this from the Word of the Lord, gives his assent to it and so acquires a conscience which dictates that being married to several wives is a sin. Beyond this his knowledge does not go. The celestial man however perceives thousands of details which so confirm the point that the thought of marriage to several makes him shudder. When the spiritual man's knowledge amounts to simply a general view of things, and his conscience is formed from that general view, and when the general statements of the Word are adapted to the illusions of the senses, it is clear that countless falsities which cannot be dispersed will attach themselves and worm their way in. These falsities are meant here by 'the raven that went out going back and forth'.
ppp22977#pid#866. 'A raven' means falsities. This in a general way becomes clear from what has been stated and shown already about birds meaning intellectual concepts, rational concepts, and facts, and in like manner the opposite of these, which are reasonings and falsities. Both sets of things are described in the Word by various species of birds, things of a true understanding by harmless, beautiful, and clean birds, those of a false understanding however by harmful, ugly, and unclean ones, each depending on the species of truth or falsity under description. Gross and impenetrable falsities are described by 'owls' and 'ravens' - by owls because they live in the darkness of the night, by ravens because they are black; as in Isaiah,
The owl and the raven will dwell in it. `Isaiah 34bbb11`.
Here the subject is the Jewish Church, and the fact that nothing but falsities, described as 'the owl and the raven', resided in it.
ppp22976#pid#867. 'Going back and forth' means that such was their state. This is clear from the falsities which reside with a person during the first and second states following temptation, that is to say, when falsities are flitting around back and forth. The reason why falsities do so has been given already; in these states a person knows and is capable of knowing only the very general concepts of things. Into these concepts flow delusions deriving from things of the body, the senses, and the world, which do not agree with the truths of faith.
ppp22975#pid#868. 'Until the waters dried up from over the earth' means the apparent dispersal of falsities. This is clear from a person's state when he is being regenerated. Nowadays everyone imagines that evils and falsities with a person are totally dispersed and done away with when he is being regenerated, so that when he has been regenerated no evil or falsity is left, and he is therefore clean and righteous, like someone washed and made clean with water. But this is completely false. Not a single evil nor a single falsity is ever dispersed so as to be done away with. Instead everything fixed in him by heredity since infancy and everything he has acquired through his own actions remains. As a consequence, even though he has been regenerated a person is still nothing but evil and falsity, as is forcibly demonstrated to souls after death. From this it also becomes quite clear that no one has any good or any truth at all unless it derives from the Lord, and that all a person's evil and falsity derive from the proprium, and that man, a spirit too, and even an angel, if left in the smallest degree to himself, of himself rushes headlong towards hell. This also is why in the Word it is said that heaven is not pure.`fff1` This the angels acknowledge, and anyone who does not do so cannot be among them. It is the Lord's mercy alone which gives them freedom, indeed it raises them up from hell, and withholds them from it and from rushing back there if left to themselves. The fact that they are withheld by the Lord to prevent them rushing into hell, angels perceive clearly, as also do good spirits to a limited extent. Evil spirits however, like men, do not believe this, even though they have been shown it many times, as in the Lord's Divine mercy will be described from experience further on.
ttt[2] Man's state therefore being such that no evil or falsity can possibly be so dispersed as to be done away with, because the life which is his own consists in evil and falsity, the Lord in His Divine mercy so subdues a person's evils and falsities by means of temptations while He is regenerating him that they do seem to be dead. They are not dead however, only subdued so that they are unable to fight against the goods and truths that have been derived from the Lord. At that time by means of temptations the Lord also gives him a new ability to receive goods and truths. He does so by granting him ideas of and affections for good and truth towards which evils and falsities can be turned, and by instilling into his general concepts of things - dealt with already - the details and the finer points to such details, which have been stored away in the individual and of which he knows nothing at all, since they are interior to the sphere of his comprehension and perception. The nature of these things is such that they are able to serve as receptacles or vessels, so that charity can be instilled in them by the Lord, and innocence in charity. Through the remarkable combination of these things with a man, spirit, or angel, a kind of rainbow can be represented, and this is why the rainbow became a sign of the covenant, see Chapter `Isaiah ccc9bbb12-16`, to be dealt with, in the Lord's Divine mercy, when those verses are explained. When a person has been so formed he is said to be regenerated. All his evils and falsities still remain, as also do all his truths and goods that have been preserved. In the case of an evil person, all his evils and falsities, exactly as these existed with him during his lifetime, reappear in the next life and are converted into delusions and hellish punishments. But in the case of a good person, all his states of good and truth, such as those of friendship, charity, and innocence, together with their joys and delights - now increased and multiplied immensely - are recalled in the next life. These are the things meant by 'the waters drying up', namely the apparent dispersal of falsities.
`nnn1. `Job 15bbb15`
ppp22974#pid#869. Verse `Genesis 8bbbccc8` And he sent out a dove from himself to see whether the waters had abated from over the face`fff1` of the ground.
'A dove' means the truths and goods of faith residing with a person who is to be regenerated. 'He sent out a dove from himself to see' means a state of receiving the truths and goods of faith. 'Whether the waters had abated' means falsities that hinder. 'The face`fff1` of the ground' is those things that reside with the member of the Church. The expression 'the ground' is used because it is the first stage at which man comes to be the Church.
`nnn1. literally, the faces
ppp22973#pid#870. That 'a dove' means the truths and goods of faith residing with a person who is to be regenerated is clear from the meaning of 'a dove' in the Word, especially from the dove that alighted on Jesus when He was baptized, as mentioned in Matthew,
When Jesus was baptized He went up immediately out of the water, and behold, the heavens were opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on Himself. `Matthew 3bbb16-17`; and in `John 1bbb32`, `Luke 3bbb21-22`; `Mark 1bbb10-11`.
Here 'a dove' meant nothing else than the holiness of faith, and the 'baptism' itself meant regeneration. It also meant therefore the truth and good of faith residing with the new Church that was to arise, which truth and good people receive through being regenerated by the Lord.
ttt[2] Similar things were represented and embodied in the young doves or the turtle doves - mentioned in `Leviticus 1bbb14`-end; `Leviticus ccc5bbb7-10`; `Leviticus ccc12bbb6`; `Leviticus ccc14bbb21-22`; `Leviticus ccc15bbb14-15`, `Leviticus 15bbbccc29-30`; `Numbers 6bbb10-11`; `Luke 2bbb22-24` - which they used to offer as sacrifices and as burnt offerings in the Jewish Church, as becomes clear from each of the references just given. Anyone may grasp that they had such a meaning merely from the fact that they could not have been anything else than things of a representative nature. Otherwise they would be pointless, and in no sense Divine, for the external side of the Church is lifeless, but is made alive by the internal, as is the internal by the Lord.
ttt[3] That 'a dove' in general means the intellectual concepts of faith is also clear in the Prophets, as in Hosea,
Ephraim will be like a stupid dove with no heart; they called Egypt, they went away to Assyria. `Hosea 7bbb11`.
In the same prophet, speaking of Ephraim,
They will tremble like a bird out of Egypt and a dove from the land of Assyria. `Hosea 11bbb11`.
Here 'Ephraim' stands for one who has intelligence, 'Egypt' for him who has knowledge, 'Assyria' for him who is rational, and 'a dove' stands for what belongs to the intellectual concepts of faith, the subject there being the regeneration of the spiritual Church. In David,
O Jehovah, deliver not the soul of [Your] turtle dove to the wild animal. `Psalms 74bbb19`.
'Wild animal' stands for people without any charity, 'the soul of a turtle dove' for the life of faith. See what has been stated and shown already in `@@@40`, `@@@776`, about birds meaning intellectual things. Harmless, beautiful, clean, and useful birds in particular mean intellectual truths and goods; but harmful, ugly, unclean, and useless ones, such as the raven, which is here used as the opposite of the dove, mean their opposites, namely falsities.
ppp22972#pid#871. 'He sent out a dove from himself to see' means a state of receiving the truths and good of faith. This becomes clear from the train of thought and also from what follows, where the subject is the three states following temptations in the regeneration of this man, states meant by his sending out the dove three times. Taken almost literally these words imply that he made investigations, for it is said that he sent out the dove from himself 'to see', that is to say, as the phrase following shows, to see 'whether the waters had abated', which was seeing whether the falsities were still so great that goods and truths of faith could not be received. With the Lord however, because He knows every single thing, no such investigation is necessary. Consequently these words in the internal sense do not mean an investigation but a state, here a first state when falsities were still a hindrance. Such falsities are meant by the words 'whether the waters had abated'.
ppp22971#pid#872. 'The face`fff1` of the ground' means those things that reside with the member of the Church, and the expression 'the ground' is used because it is the first stage at which man comes to be the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'the ground', dealt with already, as the member of the Church who is at that point called 'the ground' when the goods and truths of faith can be sown within him. Previously he is called 'the land', as in `Genesis 1bbb0` where 'the land' refers to man prior to his becoming celestial, while Chapter `Genesis ccc2bbb0`, when he has become celestial, refers to him as 'the ground' and 'the field'. It is similar in the present chapter. The expression 'the land' and the expression 'the ground' are sufficient by themselves to enable someone to recognize what is meant in the internal sense, not only here but also anywhere else in the Word. 'The ground' in the universal sense means the Church, and as the Church is meant so too is the member of the Church for, as stated already, every member of the Church is the Church.
`nnn1. literally, The faces
ppp22970#pid#873. Verse `Genesis 8bbbccc9` And the dove found no rest for the sole of its foot, and it returned to him to the ark, for the waters were over the face' of the whole earth. And he put out his hand, and took hold of it, and brought it in to himself into the ark.
'The dove found no rest for the sole of its foot' means that no good and truth of faith at all had as yet been able to take root. 'It returned to him to the ark' means good and truth appearing to be the good and truth of faith with him. 'For the waters were over the face`fff1` of the earth' means that falsities were still there to overflowing. 'He put out his hand' means his own power. 'And he took hold of it, and brought it in to himself into the ark' means that self was the source of the good he did and of the truth he thought.
`nnn1. literally, the faces
ppp22969#pid#874. This describes the first state following temptation in the regeneration of the member of this Church, a state common to all who are being regenerated. It is a state when people imagine that they themselves are the source of the good they do and of the truth they think. And because they are still in the greatest obscurity, the Lord lets them cling to that opinion. But as long as they cling to that opinion which is false, no good deed they do nor any truth they think is the good or truth of faith. For whatever a person carries out from himself cannot be good since it has come from self, an impure and most unclean origin. From that impure and most unclean origin no good can possibly emerge, for the individual is thinking all the time about his own merit and righteousness. Some go even further, and look down on everybody else, as the Lord teaches in `Luke 18bbb9-14`. And others' attitudes are different again. People's selfish desires intermingle in such a way that the outside may look good while the inside is filthy. The good therefore that a person does in this state is not the good of faith. And the same applies to the truth he thinks. What he thinks may be the perfect truth; but as long as the proprium is the source of it, though it is in itself the truth of faith, he does not have the good of faith within him. To be the truth of faith all truth must include from the Lord the good of faith. Only then do they become good and truth.
ppp22968#pid#875. 'The dove found no rest for the sole of its foot' means that no good and truth of faith at all had as yet been able to take root. This is clear from the meaning of 'a dove' as the truth of faith, and also from the meaning of 'rest for the sole of the foot' as taking root. The reason why they cannot take root is stated further on, namely that falsities were still there to overflowing. But nobody can begin to understand what all this means unless he knows how the regeneration of the spiritual man is accomplished.
ttt[2] With this man the cognitions of faith drawn from the Word of the Lord - that is, matters of doctrine drawn from that source, which the Ancient Church had from what had been revealed to the Most Ancient Church - had to be planted in his memory, and in this way the understanding part of his mind received instruction. But as long as falsities dwell there to overflowing, truths of faith cannot take root, even though they have been planted there. They remain solely on the surface, or in the memory. Nor, as stated already, does the ground become suitable until falsities have been so dispersed that they do not reappear.
ttt[3] The ground itself with this person is made ready in the understanding part of his mind, and when it has been made ready good that stems from charity is planted in it by the Lord, and through charity conscience from which he then acts, that is, by means of which the Lord produces in him the good and truth of faith. Thus the Lord separates in this man things belonging to his understanding from those belonging to his will in such a manner that they are in no way united. For if they were united he would inevitably and eternally perish.
ttt[4] With the member of the Most Ancient Church things of the will had been united to those of the understanding, as they are with celestial angels too. But with the member of this Church they were not united, nor are they united with the spiritual man. It still seems as though the good of charity which he does is the product of his will, but that is solely an appearance and illusion. All the good of charity which he does is the Lord's alone, coming not by way of the will but of conscience. If the Lord were to let up only slightly and allow a person to act from his own will, he would, from hatred, revenge, and cruelty, perform evil instead of good.
ttt[5] The same applies to the truth which a spiritual man thinks and speaks. Unless he thought and spoke from conscience, and so from good that is the Lord's, he could no more think and speak what is true than the devil's crew when impersonating angels of light. This is perfectly obvious in the next life. From these considerations it is clear how regeneration is accomplished and what the regeneration of a spiritual man is. It is the separation of the understanding part of his mind from the will part by means of conscience, which is formed by the Lord in that understanding part. What is performed in this manner seemingly springs from his own will, but in fact it does so from the Lord.
ppp22967#pid#876. 'It returned to him to the ark' means good and truth appearing to be the good and truth of faith [with him]. This is clear from what has been stated already and also from what follows. 'Returning to the ark' does not in the internal sense mean being set free. 'Being sent out of the ark and not returning' is what has that meaning, as is clear from what follows, where it is said that he sent out the dove and it came back to him no more, verse `Genesis 8bbbccc12`; that he was commanded to leave the ark, verses `Genesis 8bbbccc15-16`; and that he went out, verse `Genesis 8bbbccc18`. While he was inside the ark, which means his state prior to regeneration, he was in captivity or prison, hemmed in on every side by evils and falsities, which are 'the flood-waters'. Consequently 'it returned to him to the ark' means that good and truth meant by the dove came back to him again. Any good at all which a person supposes that he does from himself comes back to him, for it has self in view. He does it either to be seen by the eyes of the world, or by those of the angels, or he does it to merit heaven, or to be the greatest in heaven. Such considerations occupy his proprium and every one of his ideas, though to outward appearance they look like the good and truth of faith. The good and truth of faith are inwardly good and true from what is inmost, that is, all good and truth of faith flow in from the Lord by way of what is inmost in man. But when they flow from the proprium or from merit-seeking the interiors are filthy while the exteriors appear clean. They are like a diseased prostitute with a beautiful face; or like a black-skinned person, or more appropriately an Egyptian mummy, dressed in white.
ppp22966#pid#877. 'The waters were over the face`fff1` of the earth' means that falsities were still there to overflowing. This is clear from the meaning of 'the waters of the flood' as falsities, as shown adequately already, and so from the very words themselves.
`nnn1. literally, the faces
ppp22965#pid#878. 'He put out his hand' means his own power. 'And he took hold of it, and brought it in to himself into the ark' means that self was the source of the good he did and of the truth he thought. This is clear from the meaning of 'the hand' as power. Here therefore his own power from which he acts is meant. Indeed 'putting out his hand and taking hold of the dove and bringing it in to himself' is attaching and attributing to himself the truth meant by the dove. That 'the hand' means power, and also the exercise of power, and resulting self-confidence, is clear from many places in the Word, as in Isaiah,
I will visit upon the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Asshur, for he has said, By the power of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I have understanding. `Isaiah 10bbb12-13`.
Here 'hand' clearly stands for his own power to which he attributed what he had done, on account of which visitation was made on him.
ttt[2] In the same prophet,
Moab will stretch out his hands in the midst of him as swimmer does to swim, but He will lay low his pride together with the powerfulness`fff1` of his hands. `Isaiah 25bbb11`.
'Hands' stands for his own power resulting from projection of self above others, and so from pride. In the same prophet,
Their inhabitants were shorn of power,`fff2` they were dismayed and filled with shame. `Isaiah 37bbb27`.
'Shorn of power'`fff2` stands for having no power. In the same prophet,
Will the clay say to its potter, What are you making? or your work [say], He has no hands? `Isaiah 45bbb9`.
'He has no hands' stands for no power to it. In Ezekiel,
The king will mourn, and the prince will be wrapped in stupidity, and the hands of the people of the land will be all atremble. `Ezekiel 7bbb17`.
Here 'the hands' stands for power. In Micah,
Woe to those devising iniquity and working out evil upon their beds, which they carry out at morning light, and because they make their own hand their god! `Micah 2bbb1`.
'Hand' stands for their own power which they trust in as their god. In Zechariah,
Woe to the worthless shepherd deserting the flock! The sword will fall upon his arm and upon his right eye. His arm will be wholly withered, and his right eye utterly darkened. `Zechariah 11bbb17`.
ttt[3] Since 'hands' means powers, men's evils and falsities are throughout the Word therefore called 'the works of their hands'. Evils come from the will side of man's proprium, falsities from the understanding side. The fact that this is the source of evils and falsities becomes quite clear from the nature of the human proprium, that it is nothing but evil and falsity. That this is the nature of the proprium see what has been stated already in `@@@39`, `@@@41`, `@@@141`, `@@@150`, `@@@154`, `@@@210`, `@@@215`. Because 'the hands' in general means power, the Word therefore frequently attributes hands to Jehovah, or the Lord. And in those contexts 'hands' in the internal sense means omnipotence, as in Isaiah, Jehovah, Your hand has been lifted up. `Isaiah 26bbb11`. 'Hand' stands for Divine power. In the same prophet,
Jehovah stretches out`fff3` His hand, they are all destroyed. `Isaiah 31bbb3`.
'Hand' stands for Divine power. In the same prophet,
Over the work of My hands command Me. My hands stretched out the heavens, and I commanded all their host. `Isaiah 45bbb11-12`.
'Hands' stands for Divine power. In the Word regenerate people are often called 'the work of Jehovah's hands'. In the same prophet,
My hand laid the foundation of the earth, and My right hand measured out the heavens. `Isaiah 48bbb13`.
'Hand' and 'right hand' stand for omnipotence.
ttt[4] In the same prophet,
Has My hand been shortened, that it cannot redeem? Is there no power in Me to deliver? `Isaiah 50bbb2`.
'Hand' and 'power' stand for Divine power. In Jeremiah,
You did bring Your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders, and with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm. `Jeremiah 32bbb17`, `Jeremiah 32bbbccc21`.
'Power' in verse `Jeremiah 32bbb17` and 'hand' in verse `Jeremiah 32bbb21` stand for Divine power. It is quite often stated that 'they were brought out of Egypt with a strong hand and an outstretched arm': in Ezekiel,
Thus said the Lord Jehovih, On the day I chose Israel and lifted up My hand to the seed of the house of Jacob and made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt, I lifted up My hand to them, to lead them out of the land of Egypt. `Ezekiel 20bbb5-6`, `Ezekiel 20bbbccc23`.
In Moses,
Israel saw the great work`fff4` which Jehovah did on the Egyptians. `Exodus 14bbb31`.
ttt[5] All these quotations plainly show that 'the hand' means power. Indeed so much was the hand the symbol of power that it also became its representative, as is clear from the miracles performed in Egypt, when Moses was commanded to stretch out his rod or his hand and they were accomplished -
Moses stretched out his hand and there was hail all over Egypt. `Exodus 9bbb22-23`.
Moses stretched out his hand and there was darkness. `Exodus 10bbb21-22`.
Moses stretched out his hand and rod over the Sea Suph and it was dried up, and he stretched out his hand and it returned. `Exodus 14bbb11`, `Exodus 14bbbccc27`.`fff5`
No mentally normal person can believe that any power resided in Moses' hand or rod. Rather, because the lifting up and stretching out of the hand symbolized Divine power, that action also became its representative in the Jewish Church.
ttt[6] The same applies to Joshua's stretching out his javelin, described as follows,
Jehovah said, Stretch out the javelin that is in your hand towards Ai, for I will give it into your hand. When Joshua stretched out the javelin that was in his hand, they entered the city and took it. And Joshua did not draw back the hand with which he stretched out the javelin until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai. `Joshua 8bbb18-19`, `Joshua 8bbbccc26`.
This also makes clear the nature of the representatives which comprised the external features of the Jewish Church. Consequently the Word is such that details recorded in its external sense do not give the appearance of being representatives of the Lord and His kingdom, such as the reference in these quotations to Moses or Joshua stretching out his hand, and all other details recorded there. In these it is never evident that such things are being represented as long as the mind is fixed solely on the historical details of the letter. From this it is also evident how far the Jews had receded from a true understanding of the Word and of the religious practices of their Church by focusing the whole of their worship purely on things of an external nature, even to the extent of attributing power to Moses' rod and to Joshua's javelin, when in fact these had no more power in them than a piece of wood. Yet because they did symbolize the Lord's omnipotence, which was at the time understood in heaven, signs and miracles were accomplished when by command they stretched out their hand or rod. Something similar happened when Moses on the hilltop held up his hands. When he did so Joshua was winning, but when he dropped them he was losing. So they held his hands up for him. `Exodus 17bbb9-13`.
ttt[7] It was similar with the laying on of hands when men were being consecrated, as the people did to the Levites, `Numbers 8bbb9-10`, `Numbers 8bbbccc12`, and as Moses did to Joshua when the latter was to succeed him, `Numbers 27bbb18`, `Numbers 27bbbccc23` - the purpose being to confer power. And this is why in our own times the ceremonies of ordination and of blessing are accompanied by the laying on of hands. To what extent the hand meant and represented power becomes clear from the following references in the Word to Uzzah and Jeroboam,
Of Uzzah it says that he reached out (his hand) to the Ark of God and took hold of it, and as a consequence died. `2 Samuel 6bbb6-7`.
'The Ark' represented the Lord, and so everything holy and heavenly. 'Uzzah reached out to the Ark' represented man's own power, which is his proprium. And because the proprium is unholy the word 'hand' is left out but nevertheless understood. It is left out to prevent angels perceiving anything so profane as his touching with his hand that which was holy. And because he 'reached out' he died.
ttt[8] In reference to Jeroboam,
It happened, when he heard the saying of the man of God which he cried out against the altar, that Jeroboam reached out his hand from above the altar saying, Lay hold of him. And his hand which he reached out against him dried up, and he could not draw it back to himself. He said to the man of God, Entreat now the face`fff6` of Jehovah your God, that my hand may be restored to me. And the man of God entreated the face`fff6` of Jehovah and his hand was restored to him, and became as it was before. `1 Kings 13bbb4-6`.
Here similarly 'reaching out his hand' means man's own power, or proprium, which is unholy. He was willing to violate what was holy by stretching out his hand against the man of God, as a consequence of which his hand was dried up. Yet because he was an idolater and therefore not able to profane, as stated already, his hand was restored. The fact that 'the hand' means and represents power becomes clear from representatives in the world of spirits. In that world a bare arm sometimes comes into sight possessing so much strength that it can break bones to bits and crush their inner marrow to nothing at all. It consequently strikes so much terror as to cause heart-failure. It really does possess such strength.
`nnn1. literally, with the cataracts or the floodgates
`nnn2. literally, short in the hand
`nnn3. or has stretched out
`nnn4. literally, the great hand
`nnn5. `Exodus 14bbb15`, `Exodus 14bbbccc16` were possibly intended in this reference, as well as verses 21, 27.
`nnn6. literally, the faces
ppp22964#pid#879. Verses `Genesis 8bbbccc10-11` And he waited yet another seven days, and then proceeded to send out the dove from the ark. And the dove came back to him at evening time; and behold, in its mouth an olive leaf plucked off. And Noah knew that the waters had abated from over the earth.
'He waited yet another seven days' means the beginning of the second state of regeneration, 'seven days' meaning that which is holy, because now charity is the subject. 'And he proceeded to send out the dove from the ark' means a state of receiving the goods and truths of faith. 'And the dove returned to him at evening time' means that these started to show themselves a little, 'evening time' being similar in meaning to pre-morning twilight. 'And behold, in its mouth an olive leaf plucked off means a small measure of the truth of faith, 'leaf' meaning truth,' olive good that stems from charity, 'plucked off' the fact that the truth of faith derives from that charity, and 'in its mouth' the fact that it was made visible. 'And Noah knew that the waters had abated from over the earth' means that all this was so because the obstructive falsities were now fewer than previously.
ppp22963#pid#880. That 'he waited yet another seven days' means the beginning of the second state of regeneration becomes clear from the fact that the interval between the first state, dealt with in verses `Genesis 8bbbccc8-9`, just above, and this second state, dealt with here in verses `Genesis 8bbbccc10-11`, is being described. So that things may be linked together as though they were historical events, that interval is expressed by the phrase 'he waited'. The nature of the second state of regeneration becomes clear to some extent from what has been stated and shown concerning the first, which was a state in which truths of faith had not as yet been able to take root on account of the falsities that obstructed. Truths of faith first strike root when a person starts to acknowledge and believe. Till then they have not struck root. What a person hears from the Word and retains in the memory is no more than a sowing of the seed; in no way does rooting start until that person receives and welcomes good that stems from charity. Every truth of faith has its roots in the good of faith, that is, in good that stems from charity. It is just like seed that is cast on the land. While it is still winter-time, that is, when the land is frozen hard, there it indeed lies but does not take root. But as soon as the warmth of the sun which arrives in early spring warms up the land, the seed starts to grow roots for the first time and then to strike down into the soil. The same applies to spiritual seed that is sown. This never strikes root until good that stems from charity warms it up so to speak. Only then does it grow a root on itself which it then pushes forth.
ttt[2] With man there are three things which go together and combine - the natural, the spiritual, and the celestial. His natural never acquires any life except from the spiritual; the spiritual never acquires any except from the celestial; and the celestial does so from the Lord alone, who is Life itself. To obtain a clearer picture of this idea, let it be said that the natural is the receptacle that receives, or the vessel into which the spiritual is poured; and the spiritual is the receptacle that receives, or the vessel into which the celestial is poured. Thus it is through celestial things that life from the Lord flows. That is how influx works. The celestial is essentially all the good of faith; with a spiritual man it exists as the good of charity. The spiritual is truth, which in no way becomes the truth of faith unless it has within it the good of faith, that is, good that stems from charity, in which good there is life itself from the Lord. To make the matter more intelligible still: it is man's natural that puts a work of charity into effect, whether by hand or by mouth, and so through the organs of the body. Yet in itself the work is dead and has no life except from what is spiritual within it. Nor does what is spiritual have life except from what is celestial, which has it from the Lord. This is what enables it to be called a good work, for nothing is good if it does not derive from the Lord.
ttt[3] This being so it may become clear to anyone that with every work of charity, the work regarded in itself is a purely physical action, which is made living however by the truth of faith lying within the work. And what is more, the truth of faith is something lifeless, which is however made alive from the good of faith. And the good of faith has no life except from the Lord alone, who is Good itself and Life itself. This explains why celestial angels will not hear of faith, even less of works, see `@@@202`, for they trace both faith and works back to love. They attribute faith to love, and they attribute the works produced by faith to love. For them therefore both the works and faith leave their sight, and only love and good deriving from it remain. And within their love is the Lord. Because those angels have ideas so celestial they are differentiated from the angels who are called spiritual. Their very thinking and consequent speaking are more inconceivable by far than the thought and speech of spiritual angels.
ppp22962#pid#881. 'Seven' means that which is holy because now charity is the subject. This is clear from the meaning of the number seven, dealt with already in `@@@395`, `@@@716`. Furthermore 'seven' has been brought in here so that all things may be linked together as though they were historical events, for in the internal sense 'seven' and 'seven days' contribute nothing more to the meaning than a certain holiness which this second state possesses from what is celestial, that is, from charity.
ppp22961#pid#882. 'And he proceeded to send out the dove from the ark' means a state of receiving the goods and truths of faith. This is clear from what has been stated at verse `Genesis 8bbbccc8` where nearly identical words appear, with the difference that there it is said 'he sent out the dove from himself', for the reason also given there, that at that time he himself was the source of every work of truth or good which he performed. That is to say, he believed that he performed it by his own power, meant by 'from himself'.
ppp22960#pid#883. 'The dove returned to him at evening time' means that these started to show themselves a little; and 'evening time' is similar to pre-morning twilight. This in like manner becomes clear from that has been stated already at verse `Genesis 8bbbccc8`, and also from the fact that here it is called 'evening time'. Concerning 'evening', see what has been stated in `Genesis 1bbb0`, where six times the statement is made 'there was evening and there was morning'. 'Evening' is a word that has to do with regeneration and indeed with that state when a person is still in near-darkness, or when there is still only a tiny quantity of light showing itself to him. Morning itself is described in verse `Genesis 8bbbccc13` below by 'he removed the roof from the ark and saw out'. Because 'evening' meant the pre-morning twilight, mention of the evening is made so many times in the Jewish Church. This also is why sabbaths and festivals began from evening onwards, and why Aaron was commanded to light the sacred lamp 'in the evening', `Exodus 27bbb21`.
ppp22959#pid#884. 'And behold, in its mouth an olive leaf plucked off' means a small measure of the truth of faith; 'leaf' meaning truth, 'olive' good that stems from charity, 'plucked off' the fact that the truth of faith derives from that charity, and 'in its mouth' the fact that it was made visible. This is clear from the meaning of 'olive' and is evident from the very words themselves. That a tiny quantity is meant is clear from the fact that it was a leaf and no more.
ppp22958#pid#885. That 'a leaf' means truth is clear from various places in the Word, where man is compared to or actually called a tree. 'Fruit' in those contexts means the good that stems from charity, and 'leaf' the truth deriving from this, for these are indeed like fruit and leaves, as in Ezekiel,
Beside the river there is rising up upon its bank, on this side and on that, every tree for food, whose leaf does not fall, nor its fruit fail, but is reborn monthly, for its waters flow out from the Sanctuary, and its fruit will be for food, and its leaf for medicine. `Ezekiel 47bbb11`; `Revelation 22bbb1`.
Here 'tree' stands for the member of the Church who has the Lord's kingdom within him, 'fruit' stands for the good that stems from love and charity, 'leaf' for truths deriving from that good which serve to instruct the human race and to regenerate it. And because truths do this the leaf is said to be 'for medicine'. In the same prophet,
Will He not pull up its roots and cut off its fruit so that it withers? And all the plucked off (leaves) from its off-shoot will wither. `Ezekiel 17bbb9`.
The subject here is the vine, which is the Church, when it has been vastated, whose good, which is 'the fruit', and its truth, which is that 'plucked off from its off-shoot', thus wither away.
ttt[2] In Jeremiah,
Blessed is the man who trusts in Jehovah. He will be like a tree planted beside the waters. His leaf will be green, and in the year of scarcity he will not be anxious. Nor will he cease to bear fruit. `Jeremiah 17bbb7-8`.
'Green leaf' stands for the truth of faith, and so for faith itself which derives from charity. The same applies in David, `Psalms 1bbb3`. In the same prophet,
There will be no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree, and its leaf has fallen. `Jeremiah 8bbb13`.
'Grapes on the vine' stands for spiritual good, 'figs on the fig tree' for natural good, 'leaf' for truth, which has accordingly fallen. Likewise in `Isaiah 34bbb4`. Similar things were meant by 'the fig tree' that Jesus saw, which was made to wither away when He found nothing but leaves on it, `Matthew 21bbb20`; `Mark 11bbb13-14`. The Jewish Church in particular was what 'the fig tree' was used to mean on that occasion. With this Church no natural good existed any longer, only that preserved with them which was meant by 'a leaf', namely doctrine, or truth, concerning faith. A Church that has been vastated is one that knows truth but has no wish to understand it. They are like people who say they know the truth, or matters of faith, but who possess no good at all that stems from charity. They are merely 'fig leaves', and they wither away.
ppp22957#pid#886. That 'olive' means the good that stems from charity is clear not only from the meaning of 'olive' but also from the meaning of 'oil' in the Word. Olive oil in addition to spices was used to anoint priests and kings, and it was also used in the lamps. Concerning the former, see `Exodus 30bbb24`, and the latter, `Exodus 27bbb20`. The reason olive oil was used in anointing and in lamps was that it represented everything celestial and so everything good that stems from love and charity. Oil is in fact the essential element of the tree, its soul so to speak, as the celestial or the good that stems from love and charity is the essential element or soul itself of faith. This is the origin of its representation. That 'oil' means that which is celestial or the good that stems from love and charity may be confirmed from many places in the Word, but since the olive itself is referred to here, let some that confirm the meaning solely of the olive be quoted. In Jeremiah,
Jehovah called your name, Green Olive Tree, fair with shapely fruit. `Jeremiah 11bbb16`.
The name given here applies to the Most Ancient or celestial Church, which was the basis of the Jewish Church. Consequently all the representatives of the Jewish Church had regard to celestial things, and through the latter to the Lord.
ttt[2] In Hosea,
His branches will go out and his beauty will be like the olive, and his smell like that of Lebanon. `Hosea 14bbb6`.
This refers to the Church that is to be established. Its beauty is 'the olive', that is, the good that stems from love and charity, while 'the smell like that of Lebanon' is resulting affection for the truth of faith. 'Lebanon' stands for its cedars, which meant spiritual things, or the truths of faith.
In Zechariah,
Two olive trees beside the lampstand, one on the right of the bowl and one on the left of it. These are the two sons of pure oil, standing beside the Lord of the whole earth. `Zechariah 4bbb3`, `Zechariah 4bbbccc11`, `Zechariah 4bbbccc14`.
Here 'the two olive trees' stands for the celestial and the spiritual, and so for love which belongs to the celestial Church and for charity which belongs to the spiritual Church. These stand to the right and to the left of the Lord. 'The lampstand' here means the Lord, just as it used to represent Him in the Jewish Church. 'The lamps' are celestial things from which spiritual things radiate like rays of light, or light itself, from a flame. In David,
Your wife will be like a fruitful vine on the sides of your house, your sons will be like olive shoots. `Psalms 128bbb3`.
Here 'a wife like a vine' stands for the spiritual Church, and 'sons' stands for the truths of faith which are called 'olive shoots' because they stem from the goods of charity. In Isaiah,
Gleanings will be left in it, as the shaking of an olive tree, two or three berries on the top of the [highest] branch. `Isaiah 17bbb6`.
This refers to the remnants residing with a person. 'Olives' stands for celestial remnants. In Micah,
You will tread olives but not anoint yourself with oil, and tread the new wine but not drink wine. `Micah 6bbb15`.
And in Moses,
You will plant and dress vineyards but not drink wine. You will have olive trees within all your borders but not anoint yourself with oil. `Deuteronomy 28bbb39-40`.
The subject here is the abundance of doctrinal detail concerning the goods and truths of faith which they rejected because of the kind of people they were. From these quotations it becomes clear that 'a leaf' means the truth of faith and 'olive' the good that stems from charity. And similar things are meant by 'the olive leaf which the dove was carrying in its mouth', that is, a small measure of the truth of faith deriving from the good that stems from charity was now showing itself with the member of the Ancient Church.
ppp22956#pid#887. The waters abated from over the earth' means that all this was so because the obstructive falsities were now fewer. This is clear from the meaning of the same words that have appeared already in verse `Genesis 8bbbccc8`. As regards the obstructive falsities being fewer than previously in this second state which is the subject here, all the falsities a person has acquired so remain with him that not one is done away with, as stated already. But when a person is being regenerated truths are planted in him towards which falsities are turned by the Lord. It thus appears as though they have been dispersed, dispersed by means of the goods which he is given.
ppp22955#pid#888. Verse `Genesis 8bbbccc12` And he waited yet another seven days and sent out the dove, and it did not come back to him any more.
'He waited yet another seven days' means the beginning of the third state, 'seven days' meaning that which is holy. 'And he sent out the dove' means a state of receiving the goods and truths of faith. 'The dove did not come back to him any more' means a state of freedom.
ppp22954#pid#889. That 'he waited yet another seven days' means the beginning of the third state, 'seven' meaning that which is holy, is clear from what has already been stated immediately above about the second state, where similar words occur.
ppp22953#pid#890. 'And he sent out the dove' means a state of receiving the goods and truths of faith. This similarly is clear from what has been stated at verse `Genesis 8bbbccc10`, for the words are the same and the sense too, the sole difference being that in that verse the subject is the second state, in this verse the third. The third state is described by 'the dove's not coming back', also by 'Noah's removing the covering from the ark', and lastly by 'his going out of the ark because the face`fff1` of the ground had dried up and the earth had dried out'.
`nnn1. literally, the faces
ppp22952#pid#891. 'The dove did not return to him any more' means a state of freedom. This follows from what was said above, in particular from the fact that the dove, or the truth of faith - like the other birds, and also the beasts, and so Noah too - was no longer confined to the ark on account of the flood-waters. All the time he was in the ark it was a state of slavery, that is, a state of bondage or imprisonment, with the flood-waters, or falsities, tossing him about. That state is described along with the state of temptation in Chapter `Deuteronomy ccc7bbb17` above, where it is said that 'the waters increased and lifted up the ark, and raised it above the earth', and also in `Deuteronomy ccc7bbb18` that 'the waters grew stronger and the ark went over the face`fff1` of the waters'. His state of freedom is described in verses `Genesis 8bbbccc15-18` of the present chapter not only by Noah's going out of the ark but also by all the other living things accompanying him - the dove, that is, the truth of faith deriving from good, first of all, for all freedom has its origin in the good of faith, that is, in the love of good.
`nnn1. literally, the faces
ppp22951#pid#892. Once someone has been regenerated he enters for the first time into a state of freedom. Previously he has been in a state of slavery. It is slavery when evil desires and falsities predominate, freedom when affections for good and truth do so. As long as he is in a state of slavery, a person never perceives what his situation is. Only when he enters a state of freedom does he start to do so. When he is in a state of slavery, that is, when evil desires and falsities predominate, the person who has become subject to them imagines that he is in a state of freedom. That however is sheer falsity, for he is at that time being carried away by the delight that accompanies desires and resulting pleasures, that is, by the delight accompanying the loves that are his own. And because he is being carried away by such delight it seems to him as though he were a free man. While anyone is being led on by any kind of love, and following wherever it leads, he imagines that he is free. It is however the devilish spirits, in whose company and so to speak fast moving stream he is caught, who carry him away. This person imagines that this is absolute freedom, indeed he goes so far as to believe that if he were robbed of this state he would be entering upon a very miserable existence, in fact into no existence at all. This he believes not only because he is unaware of the existence of any other kind of life but also because he has gained the impression that nobody can enter heaven without suffering hardships, poverty, and deprivation of pleasures. That this is false however I have been given to know from considerable experience. That experience will in the Lord's Divine mercy be described later on.
ttt[2] No one ever enters into a state of freedom until he has been regenerated and is being led by the Lord by means of the love of good and truth. When he has entered that state he is enabled to know and perceive for the first time what freedom really is, because he can at that point know and perceive what life is, what the true delight in life is, and what happiness is. Prior to this he does not even know what good is, and sometimes that which is supremely good he calls supremely evil. When persons who are in a state of freedom from the Lord see the life that goes with evil desires and falsities, and even more when they experience it, they are as appalled by it as people who see hell opened before their eyes. But because the majority of people have no knowledge at all of what a life of freedom is, let a brief mention of it be made here: A life of freedom, or freedom itself, means being led exclusively by the Lord. Quite a number of obstacles stand in the way of a person's being able to believe that that kind of life is a life of freedom. One obstacle is that people undergo temptations, which take place for the purpose of freeing them from the dominion of devilish spirits. Another is that they know of no other delight and good apart from those belonging to the desires that result from self-love and love of the world. A further obstacle is that they have formed a false impression of all the things that belong to heavenly life. Consequently they are less able to learn from descriptions than from actual experiences, which in the Lord's Divine mercy will be introduced later on.
ppp22950#pid#893. Verse `Genesis 8bbbccc13` And it happened in the six hundred and first year, at the beginning, on the first of the month, that the waters dried up from over the earth, and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and saw out, and behold, the face`fff1` of the ground was dry.
'It happened in the six hundred and first year' means a finishing point. 'At the beginning, on the first of the month' means a starting point. 'The waters dried up from over the earth' means that falsities were not at that time apparent. 'And Noah removed the covering of the ark, and saw out' means the light, once falsities had been removed, shed by the truths of faith, which he acknowledged and in which he had faith. 'And behold, the face`fff1` of the ground was dry' means regeneration.
`nnn1. literally, the faces
[893a]`fff1` That 'it happened in the six hundred and first year means a finishing point is clear from the meaning of the number six hundred, dealt with at Chapter `Deuteronomy ccc7bbb6`, in `@@@737`, as a beginning, and in particular in that verse as the beginning of temptation. The end of it is specified by the same number, with a whole year having now passed by. It took place therefore at the end of a year, and this also is why the words are added 'at the beginning, on the first of the month', meaning a starting point. In the Word any complete period is specified either by a day, or a week, or a month, or a year, and even by a hundred or a thousand years - for example, 'the days' mentioned in `Genesis 1bbb0`, which meant stages in the regeneration of the member of the Most Ancient Church. For in the internal sense day and year mean nothing else than a period of time; and meaning a period of time they also mean a state. Consequently a year stands in the Word for a period of time and for a state, as in Isaiah,
To proclaim the year of Jehovah's good pleasure, and the day of vengeance for our God; to comfort all who mourn. `Isaiah 61bbb2`.
This refers to the Lord's Coming. In the same prophet,
The day of vengeance was in My heart, and the year of My redeemed had come. `Isaiah 63bbb4`.
Here too 'day' and 'year' stand for a period of time and for a state. In Habakkuk,
Your work, O Jehovah, in the midst of the years make it live, in the midst of the years do You make it known. `Habakkuk 3bbb2`.
Here 'years' stands for a period of time and for a state. In David,
'You are God Himself, and Your years have no end. `Psalms 102bbb27`.
This statement, in which 'years' stands for periods of time, means that time does not exist with God. The same applies in the present verse where 'the year' of the flood in no way means any one particular year but a period of time that is not determined by a specific number of years. At the same time it means a state. See what has been said already about 'years' in `@@@482`, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`.
`nnn1. This paragraph is not numbered in the Latin.
ppp22949#pid#894. 'At the beginning, on the first of the month' means a starting point. This is now clear from what has been said above. Everything that this statement embodies is an arcanum so deep that it cannot be described, except for just the point that no definite period of time ever exists when anyone is regenerate enough to be able to say, 'Now I am perfect'. In fact an unlimited number of states of evil and falsity exist with everyone, not only simple states but also varied and complex ones which, as has been stated, have to be disposed of in such a way that they do not recur. In some states a person can be called fairly perfect, but in countless others he cannot. People who have been regenerated during their lifetime, and in whose lives faith in the Lord and charity towards the neighbour have been present, are in the next life being perfected all the time.
ppp22948#pid#895. 'The waters dried up from over the earth' means that falsities were not at that time apparent. This is clear from what has been stated. In particular these words mean that falsities had been separated from things of the will belonging to the member of this Church. The statement 'the waters dried up from over the earth' occurs at this point because here 'earth' means the person's will, which is nothing but evil desire. As stated already, the ground is situated in the understanding part of man's mind, in which part truths are sown. No sowing ever takes place in the will part, which in the spiritual man has been separated from the understanding part. This is why in the last part of this verse it is said that 'the face`fff1` of the ground was dry'. With the member of the Most Ancient Church there was ground in the will part of his mind, where the Lord implanted goods. It was from goods therefore that he was able to know and perceive truth, that is, it was from love that he was able to possess faith. If the same thing were to happen today however, a person would inevitably and eternally perish, for his will is utterly corrupted. What implantation in the will part entails and what in the understanding part becomes clear from the consideration that the member of the Most Ancient Church had in fact enjoyed revelations through which from early childhood onwards he was led into a perception of goods and truths. But since they used to be implanted in the will part of his mind he perceived without any further instruction the countless aspects of any one general matter. He knew from the Lord the details and the finer points which nowadays men must learn before knowing about them. And even then they can know scarcely one thousandth of them. For the member of the spiritual Church knows nothing unless he acquires it by learning; and what he gets to know in this fashion he retains and believes to be true. Indeed if he learns something false and this is impressed on him as though it were true, he believes that as well, for he has no other perception than that a thing is true because he has in that way been persuaded of it. People who possess conscience derive from conscience a certain dictate. Yet with them a thing is true only because they have heard and learned that it is. This is what constitutes their conscience, as becomes clear from people who have a conscience of what is false.
`nnn1. literally, the faces
ppp22947#pid#896. 'Noah removed the covering of the ark, and saw out' means the light, once falsities had been removed, shed by the truths of faith which he acknowledged and in which he had faith. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'removing the covering' as taking away the things that obstruct the light. Since 'the ark' means the member of the Ancient Church who was to be regenerated, 'the covering' can mean nothing else than that which obstructed his view of the sky, that is, of the light. It was falsity that obstructed it, which is why it is said that he 'saw out'. In the Word seeing means understanding and possessing faith. In the present context it means that he acknowledged truths and had faith in them. Knowing truths is one thing, acknowledging truths altogether another, and having faith in truths yet another. Knowing is the first step in regeneration, acknowledging the second, and having faith the third. The difference between knowing, acknowledging, and having faith becomes clear from the fact that the worst people of all are capable of knowing and yet do not acknowledge, as is the case with Jews and with people who endeavour to demolish matters of doctrine with brilliant arguments. People who are not true believers are able to acknowledge as well, and in certain states are able with zeal to preach, confirm, and persuade. None but true believers however can have faith.
ttt[2] Those who have faith know, acknowledge, and believe; they have charity, and they have conscience. Consequently faith can never be attributed to anyone, that is, he cannot be said to have faith, unless he is such as these people are. This then is what being regenerate entails. Merely knowing something that belongs to faith is an activity of memory which does not involve any assent of the rational. Acknowledging that which belongs to faith is in itself a rational assent brought about by certain causes and for the sake of certain ends. But having faith is an activity of conscience, that is, of the Lord working through conscience. These distinctions are made clear best of all from people in the next life. Of those who merely know, many are in hell; and many of those who acknowledge are there also, for the reason that their acknowledgement during their lifetime was, as stated, confined to certain states. But when they perceive in the next life that what they have preached, taught, and persuaded others of has been the truth, they are most surprised and acknowledge that it is the truth only when they are reminded that they have so preached it. But of those who have had faith, all are in heaven.
ppp22946#pid#897. The subject here being the regenerate member of the Ancient Church, 'seeing means acknowledging and possessing faith. That 'seeing' has this meaning becomes clear from the Word, as in Isaiah,
You did not look to the Maker of it, and Him who fashioned it long ago you did not set. `Isaiah 21bbb11`.
This refers to the city of Zion. 'Not seeing Him who fashioned it long ago' means not even acknowledging, let alone possessing faith. In the same prophet,
Make the heart of this people fat and their ears heavy, and plaster over their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and their heart understands and they turn again and are healed. `Isaiah 6bbb10`.
'Seeing with the eyes' stands for acknowledging and possessing faith. In the same prophet,
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light. `Isaiah 9bbb2`.
This refers to gentiles who received faith, as does the present verse which says that 'he removed the covering, and saw out'. In the same prophet,
On that day the deaf will hear the words of a book, and out of thick darkness and out of darkness the eyes of the blind will see `Isaiah 19bbb18`.
This refers to the conversion of gentiles to faith. 'Seeing' stands for receiving faith. In the same prophet,
Hear, you deaf, look and see, you blind. `Isaiah 41bbb18`.
Here the meaning is similar. In Ezekiel,
They have eyes to see but they see not; they have ears to hear but they hear not because they are a rebellious house. `Ezekiel 12bbb2`.
This stands for people who are capable of understanding, acknowledging, and possessing faith but who do not wish to. That 'seeing' means possessing faith is quite clear from the representation of the Lord by the bronze serpent in the wilderness when everyone who beheld it would be healed, and of which it is said in Moses,
Set a serpent on a standard, and it will happen that everyone who has been bitten, when he sees it, will live So it happened, if a serpent had bitten a man, when he saw the serpent of bronze, that he lived. `Numbers 21bbb8-9`.
Anyone may see from this that 'seeing' means faith, for what else can 'seeing' be in this instance than something representative of faith in the Lord? This point is clear also from the fact that Reuben, Jacob's firstborn, who was given that name from the word 'seeing', in the internal sense means faith. See what has been stated already about the firstborn of the Church in `@@@352`, `@@@367`.
ppp22945#pid#898. 'And behold, the face`fff1` of the ground was dry' means regeneration. This is clear from the meaning of 'the ground', dealt with in several places already, as the member of the Church. 'The face`fff1` of the ground' is said to be 'dry' when falsities were apparent no longer.
`nnn1. literally, the faces
ppp22944#pid#899. Verse `Genesis 8bbbccc14` And in the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dry.
'The second month' means the whole of the state prior to regeneration. 'The twenty-seventh day' means that which is holy. 'The earth was dry' means that he was regenerated. These words form the conclusion to what has gone before and the starting point to what follows.
ppp22943#pid#900. That 'the second month' means the whole of the state prior to regeneration is clear from the meaning of 'two' in the Word. 'Two' has the same meaning as 'six', that is, the conflict and toil that come before regeneration. Thus here it means the whole of the state that comes before a person has been regenerated. In the Word it is common for periods of time, long or short, to be divided into threes or sevens and to be called days, weeks, months, years, or ages. 'Three' and 'seven' are holy, while 'two' or 'six', which come before them, are not holy but in comparison are unholy, as shown already in `@@@720`. Three and seven are also sacred numbers because both of them occur in statements concerning the Last Judgement which will take place on the third or the seventh day. It is the last judgement for everybody when the Lord comes, either in general or in particular. That is to say, there was a last judgement when the Lord came into the world; there will be a last judgement when He comes in glory; there is a last judgement when He comes to each person in particular. There is also a last judgement awaiting everyone when he dies. This last judgement is meant by 'the third day' and 'the seventh day'. It is a holy day for people who have lived well, but not for those who have lived wickedly. Consequently 'the third day', and 'the seventh', apply to people for whom judgement points to death as well as to those for whom judgement points to life. In reference to those therefore whose judgement points to death these numbers mean that which is not holy, but in reference to those whose judgement points to life they mean that which is holy. Two or six which come before them relate to, and in general mean, the whole of that state which precedes. This is the meaning of the numbers two and six, whatever the subject and whatever the aspects of it they refer to. This becomes clearer still from what follows next concerning the number 'twenty-seven'.
ppp22942#pid#901. 'The twenty-seventh day' means that which is holy. This is clear from what has been said above, for it is the composite number that is obtained when three is cubed - that is, three multiplied by three making nine, and nine multiplied by three again making twenty-seven. The predominant factor in this number therefore is three. This was how the most ancient people calculated numbers and by means of them meant nothing else than real things. That 'three' has the same meaning as seven becomes clear from what has been stated already just above. A hidden reason why it does so is that the Lord rose on the third day. The Lord's resurrection itself comprehends all that is holy, and the resurrection of all men. This was why in the Jewish Church this number became representative, and why in the Word it is a holy number. It is similar in heaven where no numbers are envisaged. Instead of three and seven they have a general holy idea of the resurrection and of the Coming of the Lord.
ttt[2] That 'three' and 'seven' mean what is holy is clear from the following places in the Word: In Moses,
Anyone touching a dead body will be unclean for seven days. He shall purify himself on the third day, and on the seventh day he will be clean. And if he does not purify himself on the third day then he will not be clean on the seventh day. He who touches one pierced by the sword, or one dead, or a human bone, or a sepulchre will be unclean for seven days. The one who is clean shall sprinkle [with hyssop] over the unclean on the third day and on the seventh day; and on the seventh day he shall purify him, and he [the unclean] shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and will be clean in the evening. `Numbers 19bbb11`, `Numbers 19bbbccc11`, `Numbers 19bbbccc16`, `Numbers 19bbbccc19`.
Quite clearly these requirements are representative, that is, things of an external nature meaning those that are internal. Take for example the fact that anyone was unclean who had touched one who had died, or one pierced [by the sword], or a human bone, or a sepulchre. Each of these objects means in the internal sense things that are a person's own, which are dead and unholy. So too with the requirement that he had to bathe himself in water and would be clean in the evening. And the third day and the seventh day were in like manner representative. They mean that which is holy because these were the days when he was to be purified and so be cleansed.
ttt[3] The same usage occurs in the reference to the men coming back from the battle with the Midianites, who were told,
Camp outside the camp for seven days. Every one of you who has killed someone`fff1` and every one who has touched one slain`fff2` shall purify yourselves on the third day and on the seventh day. `Numbers 31bbb19`.
If this were just a ceremonial observance and the third and the seventh days were not representative and symbolical of that which is holy, that is, of purification, it would be something dead. It would be something without a cause and a cause without an end in view. That is, it would be like that which has been severed from its cause and its cause from its end in view; and so there would be nothing Divine about it at all. That the third day was representative of, and so symbolized, that which is holy, is quite clear from the Lord's coming down on Mount Sinai, concerning which event the following command was given, Jehovah said to Moses, Go to the people, and make them holy today and tomorrow, in order that they may wash their garments and be ready on the third day, for on the third day Jehovah will come down on Mount Sinai before the eyes of all the people. `Exodus 19bbb10-11`, `Exodus 19bbbccc15-16`.
ttt[4] The same usage occurs in Joshua's crossing the Jordan on the third day,
Joshua commanded, Pass through the middle of the camp, and command the people saying, Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you will be crossing this Jordan to go and take possession of the land. 'The crossing of the Jordan' represented the introduction of the children of Israel, that is, of the regenerate, into the Lord's kingdom, 'Joshua', who led them in, representing the Lord Himself. And this took place 'on the third day'. Because the third day, like the seventh, was holy it was stipulated that the third year should be a year of taking tithes`fff3` and in that year people should be holy in their conduct by performing charitable works, `Deuteronomy 26bbb12` and following verses. 'Tithes'`fff3` represented remnants, which are holy because they are the Lord's alone. Jonah's presence in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights, `Jonah 1bbb17`, clearly represented the Lord's burial and His resurrection on the third day, `Matthew 12bbb40`.
ttt[5] That 'three' means that which is holy is also clear in the Prophets, as in Hosea,
Jehovah will revive us after two days, on the third day He will raise us up that we may live before Him. `Hosea 6bbb2`.
Here too 'the third day' clearly stands for the Lord's Coming, and for His resurrection. In Zechariah,
It will happen in all the land that two parts in it will be cut off and breathe their last, and a third will be left in it. And I will lead the third part through fire, and I will refine them as one refines silver, and test them as one tests gold. `Zechariah 13bbb8-9`.
Here 'a third part' or three stands for that which is holy. A third embodies the same as three, and so does the third of a third, as in the present verse, for three is the cube root of twenty-seven.
`nnn1. literally, a soul
`nnn2. literally, pierced
`nnn3. or tenths
ppp22941#pid#902. 'The earth was dry' means that he was regenerated. This is clear from what has been stated already at the previous verses `Genesis 8bbbccc7` and `Genesis 8bbbccc13` about the drying up of the waters and the drying out of the earth and of the face`fff1` of the ground.
`nnn1. literally, the faces
ppp22940#pid#903. Verses `Genesis 8bbbccc15-16` And God spoke to Noah, saying, Go out of the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons' wives with you.
'God spoke to Noah' means the Lord's presence with the member of this Church. 'Going out of the ark' means freedom. 'You and your wife means the Church. 'Your sons and your sons' wives with you' means truths, and goods joined to truths, residing with him.
ppp22939#pid#904. That 'God spoke to Noah' means the Lord's presence with the member of the Church becomes clear from the internal sense of the Word. The Lord speaks to everybody, for whatever good and truth a person wills and thinks comes from the Lord. With everyone there are at least two evil spirits and two angels. The former activate his evils whereas the latter instill goods and truths. Every good or truth that angels instill is the Lord's; in this way the Lord is constantly speaking to man, though quite differently from one person to the next. To people who allow themselves to be carried away by evil spirits the Lord speaks as though He were not present, or so far away that He can hardly be said to be speaking. But to those who are being led by the Lord, the Lord speaks as one who is quite present. This becomes clear enough from the fact that nobody can possibly think of anything good and true except from the Lord.
ttt[2] The Lord's presence is relative to the state of love towards the neighbour and of faith present in a person. It is in love towards the neighbour that the Lord is present, for He is present in all good, and not so much in so-called faith that is devoid of love. Faith devoid of love and charity is something severed or disjoined. Wherever conjunction exists there has to be a conjoining agency, which is exclusively love and charity. This may become clear to anyone from the fact that the Lord has compassion on everybody, loves everyone, and wishes to make everyone eternally happy. A person therefore who is devoid of the kind of love that leads him to have compassion on others, to love them, and to wish to make them happy, cannot be joined to the Lord because he is not at all like Him, and is in no sense the image of Him. Looking to the Lord by means of that which goes by the name of faith while hating the neighbour amounts not only to standing a long way off, but also to having between himself and the Lord a hell-like chasm into which the person would fall if he wished to go any nearer. For it is hatred towards the neighbour that constitutes that intervening hell-like chasm.
ttt[3] The Lord is present with a person the moment he starts to love the neighbour. It is in love that the Lord is present, and to the extent that a person has love the Lord is present. And to the extent that the Lord is present He speaks to man. No one knows anything other than that he thinks from himself. Yet he possesses not one single idea of thought, not even the shred of an idea, from himself. Rather that which is evil and false he possesses through evil spirits from hell, and that which is good and true through angels from the Lord. Such is influx, the channel by which a person's life comes and by which consequently his soul interacts with the body. All these considerations make clear what 'God spoke to Noah' means. 'Saying to someone' means one thing, as in `Genesis 1bbb29`; `Genesis ccc3bbb13-14`, `Genesis 3bbbccc17`; `Genesis ccc4bbb6`, `Genesis 4bbbccc9`, `Genesis 4bbbccc15`; `Genesis ccc6bbb13`; `Genesis ccc7bbb1`, while 'speaking to someone' means another. Here speaking to Noah' means His being present, for the subject now is the regenerate person, who has had charity conferred on him.
ppp22938#pid#905. 'Going out of the ark' means freedom. This is clear from what has been stated already and from the point reached in the train of thought. Noah's time in the ark surrounded by the flood-waters meant that he was in bondage, that is, he was tossed about by evils and falsities, or what amounts to the same, by evil spirits responsible for the conflict that accompanies temptation. From this it follows that 'going out of the ark' means freedom. The Lord's presence entails freedom; one follows the other. The more the Lord is present the more free a person becomes, that is, insofar as love of good and truth is in him he acts in freedom. Such is the Lord's influx by way of angels. On the other hand, the influx of hell by way of evil spirits brings with it a force and impulsion to dominate. Their whole intention is to subjugate a person to the point of making him nothing and themselves everything. When they are everything a person is one of them. Yet he is scarcely one of them but in their eyes a veritable nobody. Consequently when the Lord is freeing a person from their yoke and dominion, conflict arises. But once he has been set free, that is, been regenerated, he is led by the Lord through angels so gently that no yoke or dominion exists at all, for he is being led by what is joyful and pleasing, he is being loved, and he is being shown respect. This is what the Lord teaches in Matthew,
My yoke is easy, and My burden is light. `Matthew 11bbb30`.
It is quite the reverse with evil spirits. With them, as has been stated, a person is reckoned as nothing, and if they could they would be tormenting him from one moment to the next. This I have been given to know from considerable experience, which will in the Lord's Divine mercy be presented later on.
ppp22937#pid#906. 'You and your wife' means the Church. This similarly becomes clear from the train of thought, as does 'your sons and your sons with you', which means truths, and goods joined to truths, residing with him. 'You', it is evident, means the member of the Church; and the fact that 'wife' means the Church, 'sons' truths, and 'sons' wives' goods joined to truths has been shown in several places already, and so there is no need to pause over them here.
ppp22936#pid#907. Verse `Genesis 8bbbccc17` Every wild animal of all flesh that is with you - birds, and beasts, and every creeping thing that creeps over the earth - bring out with you, and let them spread out into the earth and be fruitful, and multiply over the earth.
'Every wild animal of all flesh that is with you' means everything that has been made living within the member of this Church. Here, as previously, 'birds' means things of his understanding and 'beasts' those of his will, both of which belong to the internal man. 'Every creeping thing that creeps over the earth' means corresponding things of a like nature residing with the external man. 'Bring out with you' means their state of freedom. 'And let them spread out into the earth' means the action of the internal man into the external. 'Be fruitful' means increases in good, 'and multiply' increases in truth. 'Over the earth' means with the external man.
ppp22935#pid#908. 'Every wild animal of all flesh that is with you' means everything that has been made living within the member of this Church. This is clear from the fact that 'wild animal' refers to Noah, the member of this Church who has now been regenerated, and plainly has reference to the things that follow, namely to 'birds, beasts, and creeping thing that creeps', for the words used are 'every wild animal of all flesh that is with you - birds, and beasts, and every creeping thing that creeps over the earth'. In the original language the word for wild animal strictly speaking means life or that which is living; but when used in the Word it means not only that which is living but also that which in one sense is not living, or a wild animal. Consequently unless a person is acquainted with the internal sense of the Word he cannot always know what is meant. The reason it carries both meanings is that the member of the Most Ancient Church, in humiliating himself before the Lord, acknowledged that he himself was not living, not even a domestic beast, but an animal living in the wild, for he knew that man is such when regarded in himself or as to the proprium. Consequently the same word means that which is living and also means a wild animal.
ttt[2] As to its meaning that which is living, this is clear in David,
Your wild animals will dwell in it (the inheritance of God); You, O God, will strengthen the needy with Your goodness. `Psalms 68bbb10`.
Here, because he is to dwell in the inheritance of God, nothing else is meant by 'wild animal' than a regenerate person, and so, as is the case here, that which is alive in him. In the same author,
Every wild animal of the forest is mine, beasts on mountains of thousands; I know every bird of the mountains, and the wild animal of My field is with Me. `Psalms 50bbb10-11`.
Here too 'wild animal of the field with Me', that is, with God, stands for a regenerate person and so for things with him that are alive. In Ezekiel,
In its branches all the birds of the air`fff1` made their nests, and under its branches every wild animal of the field gave birth. `Ezekiel 31bbb6`.
This refers to the formation of the spiritual Church and so stands for things with the member of the Church that are alive. In Hosea,
I will make a covenant on that day with the wild animals of the field and with the birds of the air.`fff1` `Hosea 2bbb18`.
This refers to people who are to be regenerated, with whom a covenant is to be made. Indeed the application of 'wild animal' to that which is alive extends even to the cherubs or angels seen by Ezekiel being called four wild animals, in `Ezekiel 1bbb5`, `Ezekiel 1bbbccc13-15`, `Ezekiel 1bbbccc19`; `Ezekiel ccc10bbb15`.
ttt[3] That 'wild animal' in the contrary sense stands in the Word for that which is not alive, or a fierce wild animal, is clear from many places. Let just the following examples serve to confirm the point: In David,
Give not the soul of Your turtle dove to the wild animal. `Psalms 74bbb19`.
In Zephaniah,
The city has become a desolation, a place for the wild animal to lie down in. `Zephaniah 2bbb15`.
In Ezekiel,
They will no more be a prey to the nations, and the wild animal of the land will not devour them. `Ezekiel 34bbb28`.
In the same prophet,
Upon its ruin will dwell every bird of the air,`fff1` and on its branches will be every wild animal of the field. `Ezekiel 31bbb13`.
In Hosea,
There I will devour them like a lion, the wild animals of the field will tear them apart. `Hosea 13bbb8`.
In Ezekiel,
To the wild animal of the earth, and to the birds of the air`fff1` have I given [you] for food. `Ezekiel 19bbb5`.
The usage recurs fairly often. Moreover since the Jews were confined solely to the sense of the letter, and understood wild animal by 'wild animal' and bird by 'bird', they did not wish to know of, still less acknowledge, the inner contents of the Word, and so receive instruction. Indeed they themselves were so cruel, and such wild animals, that they took delight in not burying enemies they had slain in battle and in exposing them to be devoured by birds and by wild animals. These things also show what a wild animal man is.
`nnn1. literally, bird of the heavens (or the skies)
ppp22934#pid#909. 'Birds' means things of his understanding and 'beasts' those of his will, [both of] which belong to the internal man; and 'every creeping thing that creeps over the earth' means corresponding things of a like nature residing with his external man. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'a bird', dealt with already in `@@@40`, `@@@776`, and of 'a beast' in `@@@45`, `@@@46`, `@@@142`, `@@@143`, `@@@246`. That 'creeping thing that creeps over the earth' means corresponding things residing with the external man is clear from this. Indeed 'creeping thing that creeps' here stands in relation both to 'birds', or things of the understanding, and to 'beasts', or those of the will. The most ancient people used to call the sensory powers and the appetites of the body 'creeping things that creep' because they are indeed just like reptiles that creep along the ground. They also likened the human body to the earth or to the ground. Indeed they actually called it the earth or the ground, as in the present verse where nothing other than the external man is meant by 'the earth'.
ppp22933#pid#911.`fff1` As regards 'creeping thing that creeps' meaning corresponding things of a like nature residing with his external man, with a regenerate person external things correspond to internal, that is, they are conformable and subservient to them. External things are rendered subservient when a person is being regenerated, at which point he becomes an image of heaven. But before he has been regenerated external things have dominion over internal; and during that time he is an image of hell. Order entails celestial things governing spiritual things first, then natural things by means of spiritual, and lastly bodily things by means of natural. But when bodily and natural things have dominion over spiritual and celestial, order is destroyed. Once order is destroyed, man is an image of hell, and therefore through regeneration the Lord brings about the restoration of order; and once this has been restored a man becomes an image of heaven. In this way the Lord draws a person out of hell and bears him up to heaven.
ttt[2] To make known the way in which the external man corresponds to the internal, let a brief explanation be given. Every regenerate person is a miniature heaven, that is, a replica or image of the whole of heaven, which also is why in the Word his internal man is called heaven. In heaven order is such that the Lord governs spiritual things by means of celestial, and natural things by means of spiritual. In this manner He governs the whole of heaven as one human being, and therefore heaven is called the Grand Man. Furthermore this same order exists with every individual in heaven. And when the same applies to man too, he likewise is a miniature heaven, or what amounts to the same, is the Lord's kingdom, for the Lord's kingdom is within him. In his case external things correspond to internal, that is to say, they are obedient to them, just as they are in heaven. For there are three heavens which are interrelated as one man - spirits constitute the external man, angelic spirits the interior, and angels the inmost, `@@@459`.
ttt[3] It is quite the reverse with people who make life consist solely in bodily things, that is, in the desires, pleasures, appetites, and sensations of the body; with people, that is, who take no delight in anything other than that which accompanies self-love and love of the world, that is, which goes with hatred towards everyone who shows them no favour and does not serve them. Because with these people bodily and natural things have dominion over spiritual and celestial, not only is there no correspondence or obedience on the part of external things, but the total reverse exists, so that order is completely destroyed. And because order is thus destroyed they cannot be anything other than images of hell.
`nnn1. There is no paragraph 910 in the Latin. Possibly a section which refers to beasts meaning things of the will has been accidentally omitted.
ppp22932#pid#912. 'Bring out with you' means their state of freedom. This is clear from what has been stated about 'going out of the ark' in verse `Genesis 8bbbccc15` above meaning freedom.
ppp22931#pid#913. 'Let them spread out into the earth' means the action of the internal man into the external, while 'be fruitful' means increases in good, 'and multiply' increases in truth, and 'over the earth' means with the external man. This is clear from the train of thought and also from what has been stated and shown already about the meaning in the Word of 'being fruitful' as having reference to goods, and of 'multiplying' to truths. That 'the earth' means the external man has in like manner been shown already, so there is no need to pause and confirm these points. Here the subject is the action of the internal man into the external after a person has been regenerated. That is to say, when good starts 'to be fruitful' and truth 'to multiply', the external man is rendered correspondent or obedient. Until then this is not possible because the desires of the body are incompatible with goods, and the illusions of the senses with truths. The former annihilate the love of good, the latter the love of truth. The fruitfulness of good and the multiplication of truth take place in the external man - the fruitfulness of good in his affections, the multiplication of truth in his memory. The external man is here called 'the earth' into which mankind spreads out and over which they are fruitful and multiply.
ppp22930#pid#914. Verses `Genesis 8bbbccc18-19` And Noah went out, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him. Every wild animal, every creeping thing, and every bird, everything creeping over the earth - according to their families they went out of the ark.
'He went out' means that this did in fact happen. 'Noah and his sons' means the member of the Ancient Church. 'His wife and his sons' wives with him' means the Church itself. 'Every wild animal and every creeping thing' means his goods, 'wild animals' goods belonging to the internal man, 'creeping things' goods belonging to the external. 'And every bird, and everything creeping over the earth' means truths, 'bird' truths belonging to the internal man, 'thing creeping over the earth' truths belonging to the external. 'According to their families means pairs. 'They went out of the ark' means, as previously, that these things did in fact happen; and at the same time a state of freedom is meant.
ppp22929#pid#915. 'He went out' means that this did in fact happen. 'Noah and his sons means the member of the Ancient Church; and 'his wife and his sons' wives' means the Church itself. This is clear from the train of thought, which implies that in this way the Ancient Church came into being, for these words form an end or conclusion to what goes before them. When the Church is being described in the Word it is described either as 'husband (vir) and wife' or as 'man (homo) and wife'. When it is husband and wife 'husband' means the understanding part, which is truth, and 'wife' the will part, which is good. And when man and wife is used 'man' means love, or good that stems from love, and 'wife' faith, or the truth of faith. 'Man' accordingly means the essential element of the Church, 'wife' the Church itself. This applies throughout the Word. Here, since the subject up to now has been the forming of a new Church while the Most Ancient Church was dying out, 'Noah and his sons' means the member of the Ancient Church, and 'his wife and his sons' wives with him' the Church itself. This is why they are here referred to in a different order from what they were in verse `Genesis 8bbbccc16` previously. In that verse, where it is said, 'Go out, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons' wives with you', 'you' and 'wife' are coupled together, as are 'sons' and 'your sons' wives'. Consequently 'you' and 'sons' mean truth, and 'wife' and 'sons' wives' good. In this verse `Genesis 8bbbccc18` however they do not come in the same order, the reason being, as has been stated, that 'you and sons' means the member of the Church, and 'his wife and his sons' wives' the Church itself. It in fact forms the conclusion to what goes before it. It was not Noah but his sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth who constituted the Ancient Church, as stated already. For three Churches in a sense formed this Ancient Church, which will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with later on. These Churches emerged as offspring of the one Church called Noah, and this is why the expressions 'you and your sons', and then 'your wife and sons' wives' are used here.
ppp22928#pid#916. 'Every wild animal and every creeping thing means his goods, 'wild animal' goods belonging to the internal man, 'creeping things' goods belonging to the external, while 'every bird, and everything creeping over the earth' means truths, 'bird' truths belonging to the internal man, creeping thing over the earth' truths belonging to the external. This becomes clear from what has been stated and shown in the previous verse about 'wild animals', 'birds', and 'creeping things that creep'. That verse mentions 'creeping thing that creeps', for the two phrases -'creeping thing' and 'that which creeps' - meant both the good and the truth belonging to the external man. Since this verse forms a conclusion to what goes before it, these attributes of the Church, namely its truths and goods, are added. These also indicate the character of the Church, namely that it was a spiritual one, and that having become spiritual it was a Church where charity or good was the chief thing. This is why 'wild animal and creeping thing' are here mentioned first, and 'bird' and 'that which creeps' after that.
ttt[2] It is called a spiritual Church when its actions spring from charity, that is, from the good of charity, but never when it claims to have faith independently of charity. In that case it is not even a Church. For what does faith teach but that which charity teaches? And what other purpose does the teaching of faith have but that what it teaches may be practised? Merely knowing and thinking what it teaches is ineffectual. It is only the practice of what it teaches that is effectual. Consequently the spiritual Church starts to be a Church, or what amounts to the same, the member of the Church starts to be a Church, when its actions spring from charity, the substance of what faith teaches. What is the purpose of a commandment? Not merely that a person may know but that he may live according to what is commanded. And when he does so he has the Lord's kingdom within him, for the Lord's kingdom consists solely in mutual love and resulting happiness.
ttt[3] People who separate faith from charity and place salvation in faith apart from the good works of charity are 'Cainites' who slay brother Abel, that is, charity. They are like birds hovering around a corpse, for that kind of faith is like a bird, and a person devoid of charity like a corpse. And as is very well known in the Christian world they also acquire a false (spuria) conscience to the effect that they may live as the devil does, may hate and harass the neighbour, may go on committing adultery all through life, and nevertheless be saved. What can sound sweeter to a person's ears and more persuasive than the suggestion that he is able to be saved even though he lives like an utter brute? Even gentiles perceive that this is a falsehood, many of whom on seeing the way Christians live find their teaching abhorrent. This is clear also from the fact that nowhere else is the way people live more despicable than in the Christian world.
ppp22927#pid#917. 'According to their families' means pairs. This is clear from what has been stated already in Chapter `Ezekiel ccc7bbb2`, `Ezekiel 7bbbccc3`, `Ezekiel 7bbbccc15`, about them going into the ark 'seven by seven of the clean, and two by two of the unclean', whereas in the present verse it is said that they went out 'according to families'. The reason no reference is made to seven by seven of the clean and two by two of the unclean but to 'families' is that the Lord has now brought all things into such order that they represent families. With a regenerate person goods and truths, that is, the things of charity and those of faith deriving from it, interrelate like blood relatives and relatives through marriage, and so they are like families descended from a single stock or parent, in the way they are in heaven, `@@@685`. This is the order which the Lord brings to goods and truths. The express meaning in the present verse is that every single good looks upon its own truth as one joined to it in marriage. And just as in general charity looks to faith, so in every individual part good looks to truth. For unless the general whole is the product of the individual part there is no general whole. It is from the individual parts that the general comes into being, and it is by virtue of that that it is called the general. With every person the situation is as follows: As is the person in general so are the most individual details of his affections and ideas. These are what he is composed of or what make him what he is in general. People therefore who have been regenerated become in the most individual details of their person what they are in general character.
ppp22926#pid#918. 'Going out of the ark' also embodies a state of freedom. This is clear from what has just been stated at verse `Genesis 8bbbccc16` above about going out of the ark. The nature of the spiritual man's freedom becomes clear from the fact that he is governed by the Lord by means of conscience. Anyone who is governed by means of conscience, that is, who acts according to conscience, is acting in freedom. Nothing is more repugnant to him than acting contrary to conscience. For him acting contrary to conscience is hell, while acting according to it is heaven. From this anyone may see that acting according to it is freedom. The Lord governs the spiritual man by means of a conscience for good and truth. This conscience, as has been stated, is formed in the understanding part of his mind, and so separated from things belonging to his will. Now because it has been totally separated from the things of his will, it is perfectly clear that a person never performs anything good from himself. And since every truth of faith derives from the good of faith it is clear that a person never thinks anything true from himself, but does so from the Lord alone. He does indeed seem to do these things from himself, but that is only the appearance. Such being the reality of the situation, the truly spiritual man acknowledges and believes it to be so. From this it is evident that the conscience which the Lord grants to the spiritual man is so to speak a new will, and thus that a person who has been created anew is provided with a new will and from this with a new understanding.
ppp22925#pid#919. Verse `Genesis 8bbbccc20` And Noah built an altar to Jehovah, and took from every clean beast, and from every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.
'Noah built an altar to Jehovah' means a representative of the Lord. 'He took from every clean beast, and from every clean bird' means goods that stem from charity, and [the truths of] faith. 'And offered burnt offerings on the altar' means all worship stemming from those goods and truths.
ppp22924#pid#920. In this verse the worship of the Ancient Church in general is described, that is, by 'the altar and its burnt offerings', which were the chief features of all representative worship. First of all however the nature of the worship of the Most Ancient Church must be mentioned, and from that how worship of the Lord by means of representatives arose. For the member of the Most Ancient Church there was no other worship than internal such as is offered in heaven, for among those people heaven so communicated with man that they made one. That communication was perception, which has been frequently spoken of already. Thus, being angelic people, they were internal men. They did indeed apprehend with their senses the external things that belonged to the body and to the world, but they paid no attention to them. In each object apprehended by the senses they used to perceive something Divine and heavenly. For example, when they saw any high mountain they did not perceive the idea of a mountain but that of height, and from height they perceived heaven and the Lord. That is how it came about that the Lord was said to 'live in the highest', and was called 'the Most High and Lofty One', and how worship of the Lord came at a later time to be celebrated on mountains. The same applies to all other objects. For example, when they perceived the morning they did not perceive morning time itself that starts the day but that which is heavenly and is a likeness of the morning and of the dawn in people's minds. This was why the Lord was called the Morning, the East, and the Dawn. Similarly when they perceived a tree and its fruit and leaves they paid no attention to these objects themselves but so to speak saw man represented in them. In the fruit they saw love and charity, and in the leaves faith. Consequently the member of the Church was not only compared to a tree, and also to a tree-garden, and what resided with him to fruit and leaves, but was even called such.
ttt[2] Such is the character of people whose ideas are heavenly and angelic. Everyone may know that a general idea governs all the particular aspects, and this applies to all objects apprehended by the senses, both those which people see and those they hear. Indeed they pay no attention to such objects except insofar as these enter into the general idea a person has. Take the person who has a cheerful disposition; everything he hears and sees seems to him to contain joy and laughter. But for one who has a sad disposition everything he sees and hears seems to be sad and dismal. The same applies to every other kind of person, for their general affection is present within each individual part and causes each individual part to be seen and heard in the general affection. Other features do not even show themselves but are so to speak absent or insignificant. This was so with the member of the Most Ancient Church. Whatever he saw with his eyes was for him heavenly, and so with him every single thing was so to speak alive.
ttt[3] From this the nature of that Church's Divine worship becomes clear, namely that it was internal and not at all external. When however the Church went into decline, as it did among its descendants, and that perception, or communication with heaven, began to die out, a different situation started to emerge. In objects apprehended by the senses they no longer perceived, as they had done previously, that which is heavenly, but that which is worldly. And the more they perceived that which is worldly the less perception remained with them. At length among their final descendants, who came immediately before the Flood, they apprehended nothing at all in such objects except that which was worldly, bodily, and earthly. Thus heaven became separated from mankind and communicated with it in none but an extremely remote way. Man's communication now changed to a communication with hell, and from there he obtained his general idea from which, as has been stated, stem the ideas belonging to every individual part. In this situation, when any heavenly idea came to them, it had no value for them. At length they were not even willing to acknowledge the existence of anything spiritual or celestial. Thus man's state came to be altered and turned upside down.
ttt[4] Because the Lord foresaw that the state of mankind was to become such as this, He also provided for the preservation of doctrinal matters concerning faith so that from them people might know what was celestial and what was spiritual. These matters of doctrine were gathered together from the members of the Most Ancient Church by the people dealt with already called Cain and those called Enoch. This is why it is said of Cain that a sign was placed upon him to prevent anyone killing him, and of Enoch that he was taken by God. Concerning these two, see Chapter `Genesis ccc4bbb15` - in `@@@393`, `@@@394` - and `Genesis 5bbb24`. These matters of doctrine consisted exclusively in things that were meaningful signs and so things of a seemingly enigmatic nature. That is to say, they consisted in earthly objects which carried spiritual meanings, such as mountains, which meant heavenly things and the Lord; the morning and the east, which also meant heavenly things and the Lord; various kinds of trees and their fruits, which meant man and the heavenly things that are his; and so on. These were the things that their matters of doctrine consisted in, which had been gathered together from the meaningful signs of the Most Ancient Church. Their writings too were consequently of this nature. Now because they wondered at, and to themselves seemed to detect, that which was Divine and heavenly in such matters of doctrine, and also because of the antiquity of these, they began and were allowed to make such things the basis of their worship. This was the origin of their worship on mountains, in groves, and among trees, also of their pillars in the open air, and later on of altars and burnt offerings which ended up as the chief features of all worship. Such worship was begun by the Ancient Church, and from there spread to their descendants and to all the nations round about. These and many other matters as well will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with later on.
ppp22923#pid#921. 'Noah built an altar to Jehovah' means a representative of the Lord. This is clear from what has been stated just above. All the religious observances of the Ancient Church were representative of the Lord, as also were those of the Jewish Church. But the chief representative in later times was the altar, and also the burnt offering, which, because it was made from clean beasts and clean birds, represented the same as that of which it was the meaningful sign. Clean beasts represented goods that stem from charity, and clean birds the truths of faith. And when offering these, members of the Ancient Church meant that they were offering gifts of those goods or truths to the Lord. Nothing else can be offered up to the Lord that will please Him. But their descendants, like the gentiles, and also the Jews, corrupted these offerings, for they did not even know that these had such a meaning. They confined worship solely to things of an external nature.
ttt[2] That the altar was the chief representative of the Lord becomes clear also from the consideration that there were altars even among gentiles before all the other religious observances were established, before the Ark [of the Covenant] was made, and before the Temple was built. This is clear from Abram's going on to the mountain east of Bethel, erecting an altar, and calling on the name of Jehovah, `Genesis 12bbb8`; from his being commanded to offer Isaac as a burnt offering on an altar, `Genesis 22bbb2`, `Genesis 22bbbccc9`, from Jacob's building an altar in Luz, which was Bethel, `Genesis 35bbb6-7`; and from Moses' building an altar at the foot of Mount Sinai and offering sacrifice, `Exodus 24bbb4-6`. Each of these events took place before the establishment of the sacrificial system and before the construction of the Ark, the place where worship was at a later time celebrated in the wilderness. The fact that gentiles too had altars is clear from what is said about Balaam telling Balak to build seven altars and to prepare seven young bulls and seven rams, `Numbers 23bbb1-7`, `Numbers 23bbbccc15-18`, `Numbers 23bbbccc29-30`, and also from the command to destroy the altars of the nations, as in `Deuteronomy 7bbb5`; `Judges 2bbb2`. Consequently Divine worship involving the use of altars and sacrifices was not something new when it was established among the Jews. Indeed men were building altars, especially those for commemorative purposes, before they ever knew of immolating young bulls and other animals on them.
ttt[3] That 'altars' means a representative of the Lord, and 'burnt offerings' consequent worship of Him, is quite clear from the Prophets and also in Moses where Levi to whom the priesthood was entrusted is the subject,
They will teach Jacob Your judgements and Israel Your law. They will put incense in Your nostrils, and whole (burnt offering) upon Your altar. `Deuteronomy 33bbb10`.
This stands for the whole of worship. 'Teaching Jacob His judgements, and Israel His law' stands for internal worship, while 'putting incense in His nostrils, and whole [burnt offering] on the altar' stands for corresponding external worship, and so for the whole of worship. In Isaiah,
On that day a man will look to his Maker and his eyes will regard the Holy One of Israel. And he will not look to the altars, the work of his hands. `Isaiah 17bbb7-8`.
Here 'looking to the altars' clearly means representative worship in general, which was to be abolished. In the same prophet,
On that day there will be an altar to Jehovah in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at its border to Jehovah. `Isaiah 19bbb19`.
Here too 'altar' stands for external worship.
ttt[4] In Jeremiah,
The Lord has abandoned His altar, He has abhorred His sanctuary. `Lamentations 2bbb7`.
'Altar' stands for representative worship which had become idolatrous. In Hosea,
Ephraim has multiplied altars for sinning, they have been to him altars for sinning. `Hosea 8bbb11`.
'Altars' here stands for all representative worship separated from internal, and so stands for what is idolatrous. In the same prophet,
The high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, will be destroyed. Thorn and thistle will grow up on their altars. `Hosea 10bbb8`.
Here too 'altars' stands for idolatrous worship. In Amos,
On the day I visit Israel for his transgressions, I will visit the altars of Bethel, and the horns of the altar will be cut off. `Amos 3bbb14`.
Here also 'altars' stands for representative worship that had become idolatrous.
ttt[5] In David,
They will bring me to Your holy mountain, and to Your dwellings! Then I will go in to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy. `Psalms 43bbb3-4`.
Here 'altar' clearly stands for the Lord. So the making of an altar in the Ancient and the Jewish Churches stood for a representative of the Lord. Because worship of the Lord was carried out principally by means of burnt offerings and sacrifices, and these principally meant representative worship, it is clear that the altar itself means representative worship itself.
ppp22922#pid#922. 'He took from every clean beast, and from every clean bird' means goods that stem from charity, and the truths of faith. This has been shown already; 'beast' means goods that stem from charity, `@@@45`, `@@@46`, `@@@142`, `@@@143`, `@@@246`, 'bird' the truths of faith, `@@@40`, `@@@776`. Burnt offerings were made from cattle, from lambs and goats, and from turtle doves and young pigeons, `Leviticus 1bbb2-17`; `Numbers 15bbb2-15`; `Numbers ccc28bbb1`-end. These were clean beasts, each one of them meaning some particular heavenly quality. And because they meant these things in the Ancient Church, and in subsequent Churches represented them, it is clear that burnt offerings and sacrifices were nothing else than representatives that go with internal worship, and that when they had been divorced from internal worship they became idolatrous. This any mentally normal person can see, for what is an altar but merely something made of stone? And what is a burnt offering and a sacrifice but the slaughtering of an animal? For worship to be Divine it has to represent some heavenly quality which the worshippers know and acknowledge and from which they worship the One they are representing.
ttt[2] Nobody except the person who does not wish to understand anything at all about the Lord can be ignorant of the fact that these things were representatives of the Lord. It is the internal things, namely charity and faith deriving from charity, through which the One who is being represented has to be seen, acknowledged, and believed, as is quite clear in the Prophets, for example in Jeremiah,
Thus said Jehovah Zebaoth, the God of Israel, Add your burnt offerings on to your sacrifices, and eat the flesh. I did not speak with your fathers and I did not command them on the day I brought them out of the land of Egypt on the matters of burnt offering and sacrifice. But this matter I commanded them, saying, Obey My voice, and I will be your God. `Jeremiah 7bbb21-23`.
Hearing or obeying His voice is obeying the law, the whole of which focuses on the one command that men should love God above everything else and their neighbour as themselves, for on these depend the Law and the Prophets, `Matthew 22bbb37-40`; `Matthew ccc7bbb12`. In David,
O Jehovah, sacrifice and offering You have not desired; burnt offering and sin-sacrifice You host not sought. I have delighted to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart.`fff1` `Psalms 40bbb6`, `Psalms 40bbbccc8`.
ttt[3] In Samuel, who said to Saul,
Has Jehovah as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of Jehovah? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, to hearken than the fat of rams. `1 Samuel 15bbb22`.
What obeying His voice involves is apparent in Micah,
Shall I come before Jehovah with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will Jehovah be pleased with thousands of rams, with tens of thousands of rivers of oil? He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does Jehovah require of you but to carry out judgement and the love of mercy, and to humble yourself by walking with your God. `Micah 6bbb6-8`.
These are the things that burnt offerings and sacrifices of clean beasts and birds mean. In Amos,
Though you offer Me your burnt offerings and gifts, I will not accept them, and the peace offering of your fatted ones I will not look upon. Let judgement flow like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream. `Amos 5bbb22`, `Amos 5bbbccc24`.
'Judgement' means truth, and 'righteousness' good. Both stem from charity and are the burnt offerings and sacrifices of the internal man. In Hosea,
I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. `Hosea 6bbb6`.
From all these quotations the nature of sacrifices and burnt offerings when charity and faith are not present is clear. It is also clear from them that because 'clean beasts and clean birds' meant the goods that stem from charity and faith they also represented them.
`nnn1. literally, in the midst of my viscera
ppp22921#pid#923. 'And he offered burnt offerings on the altar' means all worship stemming from those goods and truths. This is evident from what has been stated up to now. Burnt offerings were the chief features of the worship of the representative Church, as at a later time were sacrifices. These will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with later on. That burnt offerings taken as a whole mean representative worship is also clear from the Prophets, as in David,
Jehovah will send your help from the Sanctuary, and give you support from Zion. He will remember all your offerings, and accept your burnt offering as fat. `Psalms 20bbb2-3`.
And in Isaiah,
Whoever keeps the sabbath from profaning it, I will bring them to My holy mountain. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on My altar. `Isaiah 56bbb6-7`.
Here 'burnt offerings and sacrifices' stands for all worship, 'burnt offerings' for worship stemming from love, 'sacrifices' for worship stemming from faith derived from love. As is common in the Prophets, internal things are here being described by those that are external.
ppp22920#pid#924. Verse `Genesis 8bbbccc21` And Jehovah smelled the odour of rest, and Jehovah said in His heart, I will curse the ground no more on account of man, for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his childhood. And I will no more strike every living thing, as I have done.
'Jehovah smelled the odour of rest' means that worship stemming from these was pleasing to the Lord. 'And Jehovah said in His heart' means that it would never happen again. 'I will curse the ground no more' means that never again would man thus turn himself away. 'On account of man' means as the people who belonged to the descendants of the Most Ancient Church had done. 'For the imagination of man's heart is evil from his childhood' means that the will part of man's mind is totally evil. 'I will no more strike every living thing, as I have done' means that man would never again be able to destroy himself in that way.
ppp22919#pid#925. 'Jehovah smelled an odour of rest' means that worship stemming from these was pleasing to the Lord, that is to say, worship stemming from charity and from faith deriving from charity, meant by 'a burnt offering', as stated in the previous verse. In various places in the Word it is said that 'Jehovah smelled an odour of rest', especially that from burnt offerings, and wherever this occurs that which is pleasing or acceptable is meant. For references to His smelling an odour of rest from burnt offerings, see `Exodus 29bbb18`, `Exodus 29bbbccc25`, `Exodus 29bbbccc41`; `Leviticus 1bbb9`, `Leviticus 1bbbccc13`, `Leviticus 1bbbccc17`; `Leviticus ccc23bbb12-13`, `Leviticus 23bbbccc18`; `Numbers 28bbb6`, `Numbers 28bbbccc8`, `Numbers 28bbbccc13`; `Numbers ccc29bbb2`, `Numbers 29bbbccc6`, `Numbers 29bbbccc8`, `Numbers 29bbbccc13`, `Numbers 29bbbccc36`; also from other sacrifices, `Leviticus 2bbb2`, `Leviticus 2bbbccc9`; `Leviticus ccc6bbb15`, `Leviticus 6bbbccc21`; `Leviticus ccc8bbb21`, `Leviticus 8bbbccc28`; `Numbers 15bbb3`, `Numbers 15bbbccc7`, `Numbers 15bbbccc13`. They are also called 'that which has been made by fire as an odour of rest to Jehovah' which means that it stems from love and charity. In the Word when 'fire' or 'made by fire' is used in reference to the Lord and to worship of Him, it means love. And the same applies to 'bread', which also is why representative worship by means of burnt offerings and sacrifices is called 'bread offered by fire to Jehovah as an odour of rest', `Leviticus 3bbb11`, `Leviticus 3bbbccc16`.
ttt[2] The reason why 'an odour' means that which is pleasing and acceptable, and so why in the Jewish Church an odour was also representative of that which is pleasing and is ascribed to Jehovah or the Lord, is that good stemming from charity, and the truth of faith deriving from charity, correspond to sweet and pleasant odours. What the correspondence itself is and the character of it becomes clear from the spheres in heaven which surround spirits and angels. The spheres there are spheres of love and faith, and are clearly perceived. These spheres are such that when a good spirit or angel, that is, a community of good spirits or angels, approaches, the nature of the spirit or angel - that is, of the community - as regards love and faith is, as often as the Lord pleases, instantly perceived. It is perceived even when they are a long way off, more so still when they are closer at hand. This is unbelievable but nevertheless perfectly true. Such is the communication in the next life, and such the perception. Consequently, when the Lord pleases there is no necessity to make extensive enquiries to discover the character of a soul or spirit, for it is recognizable the moment he approaches. It is to these spheres that spheres belonging to odours in the world correspond. That they do correspond in this way becomes clear from the fact that when the Lord pleases the spheres of love and faith are readily converted in the world of spirits into spheres of sweet and pleasant odours, which are clearly perceived.
ttt[3] From these considerations it is now clear from where and why 'an odour of rest' means that which is pleasing, why in the Jewish Church an odour became a representative, and why 'an odour of rest' is here ascribed to Jehovah or the Lord. 'An odour of rest' is descriptive of peace, that is, of the pleasantness of peace. Peace in one embrace takes in every single feature of the Lord's kingdom; for the state of the Lord's kingdom is a state of peace. It is within the state of peace that all the happy states occur which flow from love and faith in the Lord. All that has now been stated shows not only what representatives were essentially, but also why the Jewish Church had an altar for burning incense in front of the veil and the Mercy-seat, why offerings of frankincense accompanied sacrifices, and also why so many fragrant substances were used in incense, in frankincense, and in the anointing oil too. It shows therefore what 'an odour of rest', 'incense', and 'fragrances' mean in the Word, namely celestial things of love, and spiritual things of faith deriving from these, in general everything pleasing that derives from love and faith.
ttt[4] As in Ezekiel,
On My holy mountain, on the mountain height of Israel, there all the house of Israel, all of it in the land, will serve Me; there I will accept them, and there I will require your contributions, and the first fruits comprising your gifts in all your holy acts. Through the odour of rest I will accept you. `Ezekiel 20bbb40-41`.
Here 'an odour of rest' has reference to burnt offerings and gifts, that is, to worship stemming from charity and attendant faith, which worship is meant by burnt offerings and gifts, and is consequently acceptable, which is meant by 'the odour'. In Amos,
I hate, I reject your feasts, and I will not smell your solemn assemblies`fff1` [as a pleasant odour], for though you offer Me your burnt offerings and gifts, they will not be accepted. `Amos 5bbb21-22`.
This clearly means that which is pleasing or acceptable. The passage which describes Isaac's blessing Jacob instead of Esau reads,
Jacob went near and Isaac kissed him. He smelled the odour of his clothes, and he blessed him and said, See, the odour of my son, like the odour of a field that Jehovah has blessed. `Genesis 27bbb26-27`.
'The odour of his clothes' means natural good and truth whose pleasantness stems from their harmony with celestial and spiritual good and truth. Their pleasantness is described by 'the odour of the field'.
`nnn1. literally, cessations i.e. cessations from work
ppp22918#pid#926. It is clear from what follows that 'Jehovah said in His heart' means that it would never happen again. When the verb 'says' is used of Jehovah, nothing else is meant than 'is so' or 'is not so', or 'happens' or 'does not happen'; for no other verb can be used of Jehovah than Is. The things which are said of Jehovah throughout the Word are there for the benefit of people who cannot grasp anything apart from that which comes within man's actual experience. That is why the sense of the letter takes the form it does. The simple in heart are able to be taught from appearances as they belong to man's actual experience, for their knowledge of things goes scarcely any further than that based on sensory experience; therefore it is their mental grasp of things that determines the way anything is said in the Word, as is the case here with the statement 'Jehovah said in His heart'.
ppp22917#pid#927. 'I will curse the ground no more on account of man' means that never again would man thus turn himself away as the people who belonged to the descendants of the Most Ancient Church had done. This is clear from what has been stated already about the descendants of the Most Ancient Church. 'Cursing' in the internal sense means turning oneself away; see what has appeared already in `@@@223`, `@@@245`.
ttt[2] The implications of these matters and of those that follow, namely that never again would man thus turn himself away as the member of the Most Ancient Church had done and that he would never again be able to destroy himself in that way, also becomes clear from what has been stated already about the descendants of the Most Ancient Church who died out and about the new Church called Noah. That is to say, the member of the Most Ancient Church was one in whom will and understanding formed one single mind, that is, with him love was implanted in the will part of his mind, and so at the same time faith, which occupied the second or understanding part. Their descendants therefore inherited a will and an understanding that made one. Consequently when self-love and resulting insane desires began to take possession of their will part where love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour had been previously, not only did the will part, or the will itself, at that point become utterly corrupted, but so also at the same time did the understanding part, or the understanding itself, all the more so when the final descendants immersed falsities in their desires and in so doing became the Nephilim. They became the kind of people therefore for whom no restoration was possible since both parts of their mind, that is, their whole mind, had been ruined.
ttt[3] Foreseeing this however, the Lord also made provision for mankind to be rehabilitated in the following particular manner: Man could be reformed and regenerated as regards the second part of his mind, the understanding part, and a new will, which is conscience, could be implanted in him, by means of which the Lord might stimulate the good that stems from love or charity, and the truth of faith. In this way did the Lord's Divine mercy restore man. These are the things meant in this verse by 'I will curse the ground no more on account of man, for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his childhood', and by 'I will no more strike every living thing, as I have done'.
ppp22916#pid#928. 'The imagination of man's heart is evil from his childhood' means that the will part of man's mind is totally evil. This is clear from what has just been stated. 'The imagination of the heart' has no other meaning. Man supposes that he has a will for good, but in this he is utterly mistaken. When he does good, he does not act from his own will but from the new will which is the Lord's, and thus from the Lord. Likewise when he thinks and utters what is true, he speaks from the new understanding deriving from that new will, and so again from the Lord. For one who has been regenerated is an entirely new person who has been formed by the Lord. This also is why he is said to have been created anew.
ppp22915#pid#929. 'I will no more strike every living thing, as I have done' means that man would never again be able to destroy himself in that way. This is now clear from what has been said above. The situation is this: When a person has been regenerated he is withheld from the evil and falsity residing with him. At this point he does not perceive anything other than that he does good and thinks truth from himself. This however is an appearance or illusion, for he is being held back from evil and falsity, powerfully so. And being withheld from evil and falsity he cannot destroy himself. If that rein on him were slackened in the least or if he were abandoned to himself he would rush into every evil and falsity.
ppp22914#pid#930. Verse `Genesis 8bbbccc22` During all the days of the earth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night will not cease.
'During all the days of the earth' means the whole of time. 'Seedtime and harvest' means the person who is to be regenerated, and consequently the Church. 'Cold and heat' means the state of the person who is being regenerated, which, as regards reception of faith and charity, resembles cold and heat, 'cold' meaning when faith and charity do not exist, 'heat' however when they do. 'Summer and winter' means the state of a regenerate person as regards things belonging to his new will, which by turns come and go in the way that summer and winter do. 'Day and night' means the state of the same person, that is, of one who is regenerate, as regards things belonging to his understanding, which alternate as day and night do. 'They will not cease' means that this will be so for the whole of time.
ppp22913#pid#931. That 'during all the days of the earth' means the whole of time is clear from the meaning of 'day' as a period of time, see `@@@23`, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`. Here therefore 'days of the earth' is the whole time the earth remains, or is inhabited. The earth ceases to be inhabited the moment the Church is no more. For when the Church is no more, no communication of man with heaven exists any longer, and when this communication comes to an end every inhabitant perishes. As stated already, the Church is like the heart and lungs in the individual. As long as the heart is sound, and also the lungs, the individual is alive; and the same applies to the Church and its relationship to the Grand Man, which is heaven in its entirety. This is the reason for the statement here 'during all the days of the earth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night will not cease'. From this it also becomes clear that the earth is not going to last for ever, but that it too will come to an end, for the reference is 'all the days of the earth', that is, as long as the earth remains.
ttt[2] People are however mistaken in their belief that the end of the earth will be one and the same event as the Last Judgement referred to in the Word, that is to say, where the close of the age, the day of visitation, and the Last Judgement, are described. For a last judgement befalls every Church when it has been vastated, that is, when no faith exists there any longer. A last judgement on the Most Ancient Church took Place when it perished, as it did among its final descendants who lived immediately prior to the Flood. A last judgement on the Jewish Church took place when the Lord came into the world. And a further last judgement will take place when the Lord comes in glory. This does not mean that at that time the earth and the world are going to be destroyed, but that the Church is destroyed and, as always happens, a new Church is raised up by the Lord at that time. At the time of the Flood the Ancient Church was raised up, at the time of the Lord's Coming the primitive Church among gentiles; and the same will happen when the Lord comes in glory. It is also what 'a new heaven and a new earth' are used to mean.
ttt[3] It is similar with everyone who has been regenerated and becomes a member of the Church, that is, becomes the Church. When he has been created anew his internal man is called 'a new heaven' and his external 'a new earth'. In addition a last judgement awaits everybody when he dies, for at that point, according to how he has acted during his lifetime, his judgement points either to death or to life. The fact that the close of the age, the end of days, or the Last Judgement have no other meaning, and do not therefore mean the destruction of the world, is quite clear from the Lord's words in Luke,
In that night there will be two in one bed, one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding together, one will be taken and the other left. Two will be in the field, one will be taken and the other left. `Luke 17bbb34-36`.
Here the last times are called 'night' because no faith, that is, no charity exists. The fact that some will be 'left' however is a clear indication that the world is not going to be destroyed at that time.
ppp22912#pid#932. There is no need to confirm from the Word that 'seedtime and harvest' means the person who is to be regenerated, and consequently the Church, because the comparison and likening of the individual to a field and so to 'seedtime' and of the Lord's Word to 'seed', and of what it accomplishes to 'produce' or 'harvest', occurs so frequently. This anybody can also gather from these same expressions which are part of his everyday vocabulary. In general the reference is to all men, and the fact that not one ever fails to have seed from the Lord sown within him, no matter whether he is inside the Church or outside of it, that is, whether he knows the Lord's Word or whether he does not.
ttt[2] Without this implanting of seed from the Lord nobody can do the least good thing. Every good that stems from charity, even among gentiles, is seed obtained from the Lord. Although with gentiles it is not the good of faith as it may be inside the Church, it can nevertheless develop into the good of faith. In fact gentiles who have led charitable lives, as they are accustomed to do in the world, on being instructed by angels in the next life embrace and accept teaching about true faith and embrace and accept faith that accompanies charity, far more easily than Christians. These matters will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with later on. In particular however the subject here is the person who is to be regenerated, that is to say, the Church will not fail to emerge somewhere on earth. This is the meaning here of 'during all the days of the earth, seedtime and harvest'. The statement that seedtime and harvest, which are the Church, will always be emergent somewhere on earth has regard to the content of the previous verse, that is to say, man will no longer be able to destroy himself in the way that the final descendants of the Most Ancient Church did.
ppp22911#pid#933. 'Cold and heat' means the state of the person who is being regenerated, which, as regards reception of faith and charity, resembles cold and heat, 'cold' meaning when faith and charity do not exist, 'heat' however when they do. This is clear from the meaning of 'cold and heat' in the Word where the two apply either to a person who is to be regenerated, or to one who has been regenerated, or to the Church. This matter is also clear from the train of thought, that is to say, from what comes before and after, for the subject is the Church. The previous verse dealt with the fact that man would no longer be able to destroy himself in that way, the present verse with the fact that some Church will always be emergent. First of all the situation when the Church comes into being is described, that is, when a person is being regenerated so that he may become the Church, and then the character of the now regenerate person is described. In this way the entire state of the member of the Church is dealt with.
ttt[2] The state of a person when he is being regenerated resembles 'cold and heat', that is, a point when faith and charity do not exist and then when they do. This does not become readily clear to anyone except from experience, and indeed through reflecting on experience. Now because those who are being regenerated are few, and of these, few if any reflect, or are capable of reflecting, on the state of their regeneration, let a brief consideration be given to the subject. When someone is being regenerated he is receiving life from the Lord, for he cannot be said to have been living prior to that. The life that belongs to the world and to the body is not life; celestial and spiritual life alone is life. Through regeneration a person receives life itself from the Lord, and because he had no life previously he alternates between no life and life itself, that is, between no faith and charity and some faith and charity. Here no faith and charity is meant by 'cold', some faith and charity by 'heat'.
ttt[3] The implications of this are as follows: Every time a person is engrossed in his own bodily and worldly interests faith and charity do not exist, that is, it is a period of 'cold'. For at such times it is bodily and worldly interests that are active, consequently things which are his own. And as long as a person is engrossed in these he is absent or far removed from faith and charity, with the result that he does not even think about celestial and spiritual things. The reason is that it is by no means possible with anyone for heavenly interests and bodily to exist side by side, for his will has been utterly corrupted. When however the bodily interests in a person and those of his will are inactive and quiescent, the Lord acts by way of his internal man and at that point faith and charity are present with him, which here is called 'heat'. When he reverts to the body he is again living in 'cold', and when the body, or what belongs to the body, is quiescent and so to speak non-existent, he is living in 'heat'. These two states come and go in turn. Man's condition is such that with him celestial and spiritual things cannot co-exist with his bodily and worldly interests, but come and go in turn. This is the experience of everyone who is to be regenerated, and it continues for as long as his state is one of being regenerated. For in no other way can a person be regenerated, that is, from being a dead man become one who is alive, the reason being, as has been stated, that his will is utterly corrupted and therefore completely separated from the new will he receives from the Lord, a will which is the Lord's and not the person's own. From these considerations it now becomes clear what 'cold and heat' means here.
ttt[4] The truth of this every regenerate person can know from experience. That is to say, when engrossed in bodily and worldly interests he is absent and far removed from things of an internal nature, and as a result he not only gives no thought to them, but also feels so to speak cold at even the thought of them. But when bodily and worldly interests are quiescent faith and charity are present with him. Experience can also teach that these states alternate with each other. This is why when bodily and worldly interests start to abound and seek to have dominion, he enters into distress and temptation, which persist until he has been brought back into that kind of state where the external man is conformable and subservient to the internal. The external man can never be subservient until it is quiescent and so to speak non-existent. The final descendants of the Most Ancient Church were unable to be regenerated, because, as has been stated, things of the understanding and those of the will with them constituted one single mind. Consequently things of the understanding were inseparable from those of their will, and so they were incapable of being engrossed by turns in celestial and spiritual interests and then in bodily and worldly. For them it was continual cold as regards heavenly things, and continual heat as regards evil desires, and so with them no alternation was possible.
ppp22910#pid#934. 'Cold' means the absence of love, that is, of charity and faith, 'heat' or 'fire' the presence of love or of charity and faith. This becomes clear from the following places in the Word: In John, in the letter to the Church at Laodicea,
I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot! But because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot I will spew you out of My mouth. `Revelation 7bbb15`, `Revelation 7bbbccc16`.
Here 'cold' stands for no charity, 'hot' for much. In Isaiah,
Thus said Jehovah, I will be still and I will behold in My place; like clear heat on the light, like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest. `Isaiah 18bbb4`.
The subject here is a new Church that is to be founded. 'Heat on the light' and 'the heat of harvest' stand for love and charity. In the same prophet,
Jehovah's fire is in Zion, and His furnace in Jerusalem. `Isaiah 3bbb9`.
'Fire' stands for love. Concerning the cherubim seen by Ezekiel,
As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches, moving between the living creatures. And the five was bright and out of the fire went forth lightning. `Ezekiel 1bbb13`.
ttt[2] And concerning the Lord in the same prophet,
Above the firmament that was above the heads of the cherubim, in appearance like a sapphire stone, there was the likeness of a throne, and above the likeness of a throne, there was a likeness as the appearance of a man upon it above. And I saw as it were the shape of fiery coals, as the shape of fire, within it round about, from the appearance of His loins upwards. And from the appearance of His loins and downwards I saw as it were the appearance of fire, whose brightness was round about it. `Ezekiel 1bbb26-27`; `Ezekiel ccc8bbb2`.
Here 'fire' stands for love. In Daniel,
The Ancient of Days was seated. His throne was flames of fire, its wheels were burning fire. A stream of fire issued and came forth from before Him, a thousand thousands served Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. `Daniel 7bbb9-10`.
'Fire' stands for the Lord's love. In Zechariah,
I will be to her, said Jehovah, a wall of fire round about. `Zechariah 2bbb5`.
This refers to the New Jerusalem. In David,
Jehovah makes winds His messengers, and flaming fire His ministers. `Psalms 104bbb4`.
'Flaming fire' stands for that which is celestial-spiritual.
ttt[3] Because 'fire' meant love, fire also became a representative of the Lord. This is clear from 'the five on the altar of burnt offering that was to be kept burning all the time', `Leviticus 6bbb9`, `Leviticus 6bbbccc12-13`, representing the Lord's mercy. For this reason 'before Aaron entered the place of atonement he had to burn incense with fire taken from the altar of burnt offering', `Leviticus 16bbb12-14`. And also, to signify that worship was acceptable to the Lord, 'fire was sent down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering', as in `Leviticus 9bbb24`, and elsewhere. In the Word 'fire' also means self-love and its attendant desire. With that love heavenly love can never agree; consequently it is also said that Aaron's two sons were devoured by fire because they employed strange fire, `Leviticus 10bbb1-2`. 'Strange fire' means all self-love and love of the world, and every desire accompanying those loves. In addition heavenly love seems to wicked people like nothing else than a burning and devouring fire; and this is why in the Word devouring fire is attributed to the Lord. The fire on Mount Sinai, for example, which represented the Lord's love or mercy, was perceived by the people as a consuming fire, as a consequence of which they told Moses not to make them hear the voice of Jehovah God, or see the great Fire lest they died, `Deuteronomy 18bbb16`. This is how the Lord's love or mercy appears to people engulfed in the fire of self-love and love of the world.
ppp22909#pid#935. 'And summer and winter' means the state of a regenerate person as regards things belonging to his new will, which by turns come and go as summer and winter do. This becomes clear from what has been stated about cold and heat. The changes taking place in people who have yet to be regenerated are likened to cold and heat, while those that take place in those who have been regenerated are likened to summer and winter. That the person who has yet to be regenerated is the subject of the former phrase while one who has been regenerated is the subject of this latter is clear from the consideration that with the former 'cold' is mentioned first and 'heat' second, while here 'summer' comes first and 'winter' second. The reason is that the person who is being regenerated starts from 'cold', that is, from the point of no faith and charity; but once he has been regenerated he starts from the point of charity.
ttt[2] The fact that a regenerate person experiences alternations, that is to say, at one point no charity resides with him and at the next some charity, is perfectly clear for the reason that with everybody, even the regenerate, nothing but evil exists. Everything good with him is the Lord's alone. Because nothing but evil exists with him it is inevitable that he undergoes such changes, at one time living so to speak in 'summer', that is, in charity, and at another in 'winter', that is, in no charity. The result of such changes is that a person is being ever more perfected and so made ever more happy. Such changes take place with a regenerate person not only during his lifetime but also when he has entered the next life, for without changes like those of summer and winter as regards things of the will, and like those of day and night as regards things of the understanding, he is in no way perfected and made more happy. In the next life however people's changes are like those of summer and winter in temperate regions and like those of day and night in springtime.
ttt[3] The Prophets too describe these states as summer and winter, and as day and night, as in Zechariah,
And it will be, on that day living waters will flow out from Jerusalem, part of them to the eastern sea and part of them to the western sea; in summer and in winter will it be. `Zechariah 14bbb8`.
This refers to the New Jerusalem, or the Lord's kingdom in heaven and on earth, that is, the state of His kingdom in both places, which is also called summer and winter. In David,
O God, Your is the day, Thine also is the night. You have prepared the light and the sun, You have fixed all the bounds of the earth, You have made summer and winter. `Psalms 74bbb16-17`.
These words embody like matters. Similarly in Jeremiah who says that the covenant for the day is not to be broken, nor the covenant for the night, so that day and night come at their appointed time, `Jeremiah 33bbb20`.
ppp22908#pid#936. 'Day and night' means the state of the same person, that is, of one who is regenerate, as regards things belonging to his understanding, which alternate as day and night do. This is clear from what has just been stated. Summer and winter have reference to things of the will because like things of the will, they are manifestations of heat and of cold, whereas day and night have reference to things of the understanding because, like things of the understanding, they are manifestations of light and darkness. Since these matters are self-evident there is no need to confirm them from similar examples in the Word.
ppp22907#pid#937. All this evidence shows the nature of the Word of the Lord in the internal sense. What appears in the sense of the letter is so gross that nothing more can be recognized than statements about seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night. Yet these phrases embody the arcana of the Ancient or spiritual Church. Such is the nature of the actual words in the sense of the letter, so that they are like very general vessels, every single one of which contains so many and such vast heavenly arcana that not even one ten-thousandth can possibly be brought to the surface. For while man can see scarcely anything, angels are enabled from the Lord to see with unending variety, in those very general words based on earthly images, the whole process of regeneration, and the state both of those who have yet to be regenerated and of those who are regenerated.
ppp22906#pid#938. THE HELLS - continued
Here, the hells of the avaricious; then the filthy Jerusalem and the robbers in the desert. Also the utterly foul hells of people who have lived wholly engrossed in the pursuit of pleasures.
Avaricious people are the most disgusting of all, giving less thought than anybody else does to the life after death, to the soul, and to the internal man. They do not even know what heaven is, for the level of their thought is lower than everybody else's. Their thoughts they plunge and immerse completely in bodily and earthly interests. Consequently when they enter the next life they are for a long time unaware of the fact that they are spirits, but imagine that they are still entirely in the physical body. The ideas comprising their thought, which from their avarice have become so to speak bodily and earthly, are converted into direful delusions. And what is unbelievable but nevertheless true, the disgustingly avaricious in the next life seem to themselves to be working away in cells where their money is, and where they are infested by mice. But no matter how they may be infested they do not leave until they are tired out, and so at last roll out of those tombs.
ppp22905#pid#939. The ideas comprising the thought of people who have been disgustingly avaricious are converted into disgusting delusions. How disgusting is clear from their hell, which is deep down underfoot. A steamy vapour exudes from it like that coming from pigs whose bristles are being scraped off in a trough [of hot water]. It is here that the greedy have their dwelling-places. At first the appearance of those who enter that place is black. But then on being shaven like pigs they seem to themselves to become shining white. This is how they appear to themselves at this point, but a mark is nevertheless left after shaving to indicate their true character wherever they go. A certain black spirit who had not yet been taken down into his own hell because he was required to stay on longer in the world of spirits was sent down to where they were. He had not been so avaricious a person, but nevertheless during his lifetime he had gazed with envy and evil intent at other people's wealth. As he drew near, the avaricious people there fled, saying that as he was black he was a robber who, being such, would murder them. For the avaricious flee from such people, fearing greatly for their own lives. At length however they learned that he was no such robber and they then told him that if he wished to become shining white he had merely to get rid of the hair covering him, like the pigs which were in full view, and he would then be shining white. But he did not wish to, and so he was taken up to be among spirits.
ppp22904#pid#940. The majority in this hell are Jews who have been disgustingly avaricious, and when they come among other spirits their presence is detected as the stench of mice. While on the subject of Jews let some account of their cities and of the robbers in the desert be given to show how wretched their condition is after death, that is to say, the condition of those who have been disgustingly avaricious and who, because of the arrogance bred into them, have looked down on others and imagined that they alone were the elect.
ttt[2] As a result of their having conceived and confirmed for themselves during their lifetime the false notion that they would enter into Jerusalem and would possess the Holy Land - not wishing to know that by the New Jerusalem is meant the Lord's kingdom in heaven and on earth - a city appears to them when they enter the next life on the left side of Gehenna and a little to the front. Into the city they stream in solid masses. That city however is muddy and stinking, and is therefore called the filthy Jerusalem. There they rush in all directions through its streets, ankle-deep in sludge and mud, wailing and lamenting as they do so. This city, including its streets, they see with their eyes; it is a representation to them, as in clear daylight, of the kind of people they are. I have indeed seen that city frequently.
ttt[3] A swarthy person coming out of this filthy Jerusalem once appeared before me, the gate seeming to be opened. Roving around him, chiefly on his left side, there were stars - in the world of spirits stars roving around a spirit mean falsities; the meaning is different when the stars are not roving around. He came up to me and pressed himself to the upper part of my left ear which he seemingly touched with his mouth so as to speak to me. No sound came from him as from others when he spoke; instead he spoke within himself, yet his speech was such that I heard and understood. He said that he was a Jewish rabbi and had been in that muddy city for a long time. He also said that the streets of the city were nothing but sludge and mud wherever you went, and that there was nothing else but muck to eat.
ttt[4] I asked why it was so that he, being a spirit, should desire to eat at all. He said that he did eat, and when he desired to eat, he was offered nothing other than muck, which he moaned about exceedingly. Saying that he had not found Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, he asked what he ought therefore to do. I told him certain facts concerning these three, and added that he was seeking them in vain. Even when he found them, I said, they could be no possible help whatever. In addition to mentioning other deeper matters I said that nobody at all ought to be sought except the Lord alone, who is the Messiah whom during their lifetime these Jews had rejected with contempt. I went on to say that He rules the whole heaven and the whole earth, and that help comes from none other. He asked eagerly and repeatedly, 'Where is He?' I said that He is found everywhere, and that He hears and knows us all. But at that point some other Jewish spirits dragged him away.
ppp22903#pid#941. To the right of Gehenna, that is, between Gehenna and the swamp, there is also another city, where better types of Jews seem to themselves to be living. For them however this city undergoes changes in accordance with the delusions they have. At one point it turns into country areas, at another into a swamp, and then back again into a city. Its inhabitants live in fear of robbers, but as long as they are inside that city they are safe. Between the two cities there is, it seems, a gloomy triangular-shaped section where there are robbers. They too are Jews, but are the most evil of them, who show no mercy to anyone at all whom they encounter. Out of fear the Jews call these robbers 'master', and the desert region where the robbers are they call 'the land'. To protect themselves from the robbers they enter this city from the right where a good spirit is stationed at the far corner who receives all who come there. On arrival they bow to the ground and are let in beneath his feet, the formality before being admitted into this city. A certain spirit suddenly came up to me and I asked where he had come from. He said he was fleeing in fear from the robbers who kill, murder, burn, and boil people. He asked where it would be safe for him. I demanded where he was from, and from which country. But he did not dare, from fear, to answer other than the master's land; for they call the desert 'the land', and the robbers 'master'.
ttt[2] Then the robbers arrived, who were extremely black. They spoke with deep voices like giants; and what is remarkable, when they draw near they strike a sense of great fear and horror. I asked them who they were. They said they were looking for plunder. I asked where they intended to store up their plunder. Did they not know that they were spirits and that they were unable to carry off or store up plunder, and that such things were the delusions of the evil? They replied that they were in the desert searching for loot and that they showed no mercy to those they encountered. They did at length acknowledge while with me that they were spirits, yet they still could not be brought to believe that they were living anywhere else than in the [physical] body. Those roving around in this fashion are Jews who declare that they kill, murder, burn, and boil, doing so to anybody they meet, Jews or friends regardless. This demonstrated their intentions, though in the world they did not dare to let these be made public.
ppp22902#pid#942. Not far from the filthy Jerusalem there is yet another city which is called Judgement of Gehenna, where people are who lay claim to heaven by virtue of their own righteousness. These also condemn others who do not live in accordance with their own delusions. Between this city and Gehenna there is what looks like a rather attractive bridge, pale or grey coloured, where a black spirit whom they dread prevents them from going across. Gehenna is seen on the other side of the bridge.
ppp22901#pid#943. People who during their lifetime have been intent on the pursuit of mere pleasures, whose sole desire has been to gratify themselves and to live grandly and sumptuously, paying attention only to themselves and the world, and supposing Divine things to be of no account - people who have been devoid of faith and charity - are first introduced after death to a life similar to the life that was theirs in the world. There is a place out in front on the left and quite deep down where it is all pleasure, games, dancing, dining, and chat. Here such persons are brought, and at that time they are not conscious of being anywhere different from when they were in the world. But the scene changes. After a while they are brought down into a hell beneath the buttocks which is sheer excrement, for the kind of pleasure that is purely physical is converted in the next life into excrement. I have seen them in that place carrying excreta around and moaning about their condition.
ppp22900#pid#944. Women who from low and squalid circumstances have become wealthy, and consequently from self-exaltation have surrendered themselves completely to pleasures, and to a life of luxury and ease, stretching out on couches like queens, taking their places at tables and dinner parties, and caring about nothing else, come grievously to blows when they meet in the next life. They pound and tear each other, and pull each other by the hair, and become like furies.
ppp22899#pid#945. It is different however with women who have been born to the enjoyments and pleasures of life and who have been brought up with those things since early childhood, as queens and members of the aristocracy are, and as the wealthy are too. If while living in luxury, grandeur, and splendour, they have at the same time lived in faith in the Lord and in charity towards the neighbour, they are among the happy in the next life. For the idea that heaven is merited by renouncing the enjoyments of life and by renouncing power and wealth, and so by suffering hardship is untrue. What the Word means by such renunciation is rating pleasures as well as power and wealth as nothing in comparison with the Lord, and the life of the world as nothing in comparison with heavenly life.
ppp22898#pid#946. I have spoken to spirits about the fact that few people probably are going to believe that so many things such as these exist in the next life, the reason for that unbelief being that man has no more than a very general and hazy concept, amounting to none at all, about his life after death, a concept which people have confirmed for themselves from the fact that they do not see the soul or spirit with their eyes. This applies to the learned too. Though they refer to the existence of the soul or spirit, their belief in these is even less than that of sensory-minded people because they cling to artificial words and terms which do more to obscure and even extinguish the understanding of things, and also because they study only themselves and the world, and rarely the common good and heaven. Spirits whom I have spoken to have been amazed that man should be like this, even though he knows that nature itself and each of its kingdoms contain so many wonderful and varied things of which he is ignorant. Take just the human ear, for example. A whole book could be written about the remarkable and unheard of aspects of it, in whose existence everybody has faith. But if anything is said about the spiritual world, the source of every single thing in the realms of nature, scarcely anyone believes it, on account, as has been stated, of the preconceived and confirmed opinion that it has no existence because it is invisible.
ppp22897#pid#947. CHAPTER 9
THE HELLS - continued
In this section other hells that are different from those mentioned already.
People who are given to deceit, who imagine that they can get everything by the use of deceitful practices, and who during their lifetime have confirmed themselves in this notion from the fact that they have been successful in these matters, seem to themselves to be living on the left in a kind of tun, called 'the hellish tun', with a covering over it, and a small globe standing on a pyramid-shaped base outside of it, which they imagine to be the whole universe under their supervision and control. This is exactly how it appears to them. Those of them who have persecuted innocent people by the use of deceit are in that place for ages, and I have been told that some have already been there for twenty ages (saecula).`fff1` When they are let out they have this kind of delusion in which they imagine that the whole universe is a globe which they walk around and tread under their feet, believing that they are the gods of the universe. I have seen them frequently and have talked to them about this delusion of theirs. but because they had been of such a nature in the world they could not be wrested from it. I have also noticed several times how they could corrupt people's thoughts by cunning deception, and instantly divert their attention elsewhere and replace them with other ideas, doing so in such a way that one scarcely realized they were doing it. And they acted in an unbelievably natural way. Such being their nature, they are never allowed near men, for they inject their poison in so secret and hidden a fashion as to escape notice.
`nnn1. Although saeculum is defined here as a decade it may also be used to mean a century or other longer period.
ppp22896#pid#948. There is also another tun on the left, as it seems to those who are there. In it there are certain spirits who during their lifetime had imagined that when they did evil they were doing good, and vice versa. Thus they had made good consist in evil. They stay in that place for some time, during which they are deprived of rationality. Having been deprived in this way they are like people asleep, and whatever they do at that time they are not held responsible for it. To themselves however they seem to be awake. When their rationality has been restored to them they become themselves once again and are as other spirits.
ppp22895#pid#949. To the left and in front there is a vault in which there is no light at all but utter darkness, and which is therefore called 'the dark vault'. It contains spirits who have gazed with envy at other people's goods, all the while intent on having them for themselves, and who, having no conscience, have also made off with them as often as they could under any plausible pretext. Some there are people who when they lived in the world held quite high positions, and who have made a reputation for prudence rest in underhand practices. In that vault they consult among themselves, just as they had done during their lifetime, about how to defraud other people. The darkness in there they call delightful. I have been shown and have seen as in broad daylight what those at length come to look like who are in that place and who have acted fraudulently. Their faces look worse than that of one dead, ashen like that of a corpse, and horridly pitted, the result of living in the torment of anxiety.
ppp22894#pid#950. There was a formation of spirits rising from the side of Gehenna up to an elevated position towards the front. I perceived from the sphere emanating from them (for the moment spirits start to approach their characters are perceptible merely from their sphere) that they regarded the Lord as worthless and despised all Divine worship. Their speech was undulatory. One of their number spoke against the Lord in a scandalous way and was instantly cast down towards one side of Gehenna. They were being carried along from a more forward region overhead, their intention being to meet those with whom they could join forces and bring others under their control. But they were stopped en route and were told to refrain from what they intended as this would be turned against them to their own harm. They accordingly came to a halt, at which point they could be seen. They had black faces and a white band around the head, which meant that they looked upon Divine worship, and thus the Word of the Lord too, as something black, useful only for restraining the common people by the bond of conscience. Their dwelling-place is near Gehenna where there are non-poisonous flying dragons, for which reason it is called 'the dwelling-place of dragons'. But because they are not given to deceit their hell is not so grim. Such spirits also attribute everything to themselves and their own prudence, and boast that they stand in fear of none. They were shown however that just a hissing sound would frighten them and put them to flight. On hearing the hissing they thought in their fright that the whole of hell was rising up to carry them away, and from being heroes they suddenly became as women.
ppp22893#pid#951. People who during their lifetime have imagined themselves to be holy are on the lower earth in front of the left foot. On occasions they seem to themselves there to have a shining face, which is a product of such notions of their own holiness. But the outcome for them is that they are kept there, on the lower earth, in the greatest desire to rise up into heaven, which they imagine to be up on high. Their desire grows and is converted more and more into an anxiety which increases enormously till they acknowledge that they are not holy. When they are taken away from that place they are allowed to perceive their own stench, which is dreadful.
ppp22892#pid#952. A certain spirit imagined that he had led a holy life while in the world because people thought that he was holy, and so merited heaven. He said that he had led a devotional life and set time aside for prayer, imagining that it was sufficient if each individual concerned himself with and took care of his own interests. He also said he was a sinner and was willing to suffer even to the point of being trodden underfoot by others, which he termed Christian endurance, and that he wished to be the least in order that he might become the greatest in heaven. He was then tested to see whether he had performed or had been willing to perform any good action, that is, the works of charity, for anybody else. He said he did not know what these were, only that he had lived a holy life. Because this spirit had as the end in view his own pre-eminence over others whom he thus rated inferior to himself, he was seen first of all - because he imagined he was holy - in human form, all white down to the loins. Then he seemed to change, first to dark blue, after that to black; and because he wished to rule over others whom he despised in comparison with himself, he became blacker than anybody else. Concerning people who wish to be the greatest in heaven, see what has been stated already in `@@@450`, `@@@452`.
ppp22891#pid#953. I was conducted through certain dwelling-places of the first heaven, and from there I was allowed to see in the distance a vast sea heaving with large waves, stretching far out of sight. I was told that those on earth who have wished to be great, not caring at all whether they used fair means or foul so long as they gathered glory to themselves, have fantasies such as this and see a sea such as that in which they are afraid of being drowned.
ppp22890#pid#954. The delusions that have been present during a person's lifetime are converted in the next life into different though corresponding delusions. For example, people who on earth have been violent and pitiless have their violence and lack of pity converted into unbelievable cruelty; and to themselves they seem to strike down any fellow spirits they meet and to torment them in various ways, in which they take so much pleasure that such exploits constitute their greatest delights. Those who have been bloodthirsty take delight in tormenting other spirits even to the point of spilling their blood; for not knowing otherwise, they imagine that spirits are men. At the sight of blood - such being their delusion that they actually see what looks like blood - they are extremely delighted. Avarice gives rise to delusions of seeming to be infested by mice and the like, depending on the form which avarice takes. Those who have found satisfaction in mere earthly pleasures, regarding these as their final aim, highest good, and so to speak their heaven, find it their highest delight to loiter in public latrines, where they find it most enjoyable. Some delight in urinous and stinking pools, others in mucky places, and so on.
ppp22889#pid#955. There are in addition various forms of punishment by which in the next life the evil are punished very severely. The evil incur them when they revert to their own foul desires. These punishments induce shame, terror, and horror over such things until the evil at length refrain from them. The punishments are various. In general there are punishments that involve being lacerated, those that involve being torn apart, and those that involve being put under veils, and many others.
ppp22888#pid#956. For those who are bent on revenge and who imagine they are superior to everybody else, rating all others as worthless in contrast to themselves, the punishment is that of being lacerated, as follows: They are disfigured in face and body until scarcely anything human remains to be seen. The face comes to be like a wide round cake. The arms look like rags; and with these stretched out, the one to whom they belong is whirled around on high, all the time upwards into the sky, while his character is declared in the presence of all, until shame seizes him to the core. In this condition, now a suppliant, he is compelled to plead for deliverance, and in terms dictated to him. After that he is taken away to the muddy stagnant pond near the filthy Jerusalem, in which he is rolled and plunged to become a picture of mud. And this is repeated several times until such desire for revenge is removed. In this muddy pond there are noxious women from the province of the bladder.
ppp22887#pid#957. People who during their lifetime have developed the habit of saying one thing and thinking another, especially those who beneath a show of friendship have gazed with envy on other people's wealth, wander around and ask wherever they go whether they can stay with those persons they meet. They say they are poor, and on being welcomed they gaze enviously from innate desire on all that they see. When it is discovered what they are really like, they are fined and expelled from there. Sometimes they suffer dreadful tearings apart which vary according to the habit they have developed of deceitful pretence. Some suffer it over the whole body, others in the feet, others in the loins, others in the breast, others in the head, and others only round the region of the mouth. They are hammered this way and that, back and forth, in ways defying description. Violent crushings together of parts of the body and so wrenchings apart take place, causing them to believe that they have been torn to bits. Resistance is also added so as to intensify the pain. Such are the punishments that involve being torn apart, with many variations, to be repeated again and again at intervals until a dread and horror of deceiving by lying is ground into them. Each punishment inflicted takes something away. Those who did the tearing apart said that they took such delight in inflicting punishment that they had no wish to stop even if it meant their carrying on with it for ever.
ppp22886#pid#958. There are bands of spirits wandering about whom other spirits absolutely dread. They concentrate on the lower part of the back, causing agony by rapid movements to and fro which none can prevent and which are audible; and they direct their tightening and releasing action upwards in the shape of a cone with the point on top. Whoever is put inside this cone, especially near its apex, is wrenched apart pitiably in every single part of his limbs. Those who are put inside it and punished in this manner are deceitful pretenders.
ppp22885#pid#959. I once woke up in the night and heard spirits around me who wished to waylay me while I slept, but I soon became drowsy and had a miserable dream. I woke up once again and suddenly spirits who punish were present, which amazed me. They were punishing pitiably the spirits who had waylaid me while I slept. They had clothed them, it seemed, with physical bodies, which were visible, and with bodily senses, and they were tortured, now with seemingly physical bodies, by means of violent and repeated concussion of parts, accompanied by pains caused by resistance. It was in the mind of those who punished to murder them if they could - hence their extreme violence. For the most part the culprits were sirens, who are described in `@@@831`. The punishing went on for a long time and extended to many more bands about me. And what amazed me, though they desired to hide themselves, all those females who had waylaid me were discovered. Being sirens they tried out many tricks to escape punishment, but could not. At one point they wished to retreat surreptitiously into an interior nature; at another to suggest that they were people other than themselves; at another to divert the punishment on to others by means of transference of ideas; at another to pretend that they were infants whom the tormentors would be punishing; at another that they were good spirits; at another angels; and many more tricks besides. But it was all in vain. I was amazed that they should be punished so severely, but I perceived that such behaviour as theirs was quite outrageous, for it is imperative that a person should sleep in safety. Otherwise the human race would perish. This was why so great a punishment was necessary. I have perceived that the same also takes place around other people whom they try to take possession of by waylaying them in their sleep, though the person himself is not conscious of it happening. Indeed unless a person is allowed to talk to spirits and to be with them by an inward sensory ability, he can hear nothing, still less see anything of the sort, despite the fact that everybody has such occurrences taking place around him. The Lord protects man with utmost care while he sleeps.
ppp22884#pid#960. There are certain spirits given to deceit who while they lived in the world practised their deceptions in secret, some of whom in order to deceive have pretended by cunning devices to be angels. In the next life they learn in addition how to retreat into a less corporeal nature and to remove themselves out of everyone else's sight. They imagine that by doing this they are safe from all punishment. But they, like the others, not only undergo the punishments of mutilation in accordance with the nature and wickedness of their deception, but also they are all lumped together. And when this happens, the more they desire to disband themselves or cut loose from one another the more tightly they are bound together. A more drastic torment accompanies this punishment because it answers to their more concealed deceptions.
ppp22883#pid#961. Some people out of habit, others out of contempt, in ordinary conversation use phrases appearing in Sacred Scripture as sayings with which to make jokes or be derisive, imagining that their jokes or derisive remarks are then more clever. But such thoughts and statements from Scripture ally themselves to the bodily and filthy ideas they have, and in the next life cause them considerable harm, for they reappear together with the things that are unholy. These people too undergo the punishments of mutilation until they lose such habits.
ppp22882#pid#962. There is also a punishment of mutilation as regards thoughts, which results in interior thoughts conflicting with exterior, which is accompanied by interior torment.
ppp22881#pid#963. A frequent form of punishment is 'the superimposing of the veil', which is this: Through the delusions to which those suffering such punishment are subject, they seem to themselves to be beneath a veil which extends quite a distance. It is like a clinging cloud which thickens in proportion to the delusion. Beneath the veil they scurry this way and that in a burning desire to break out, doing so at varying speeds until they are exhausted. This usually goes on for an hour, more or less, the accompanying torment varying according to the degree of desire to break loose. The veil is for spirits who, though they see the truth, are nevertheless unwilling because of self-love to acknowledge it, and are continually angry that the truth should be so. Such is the anxiety and dread experienced by some beneath the veil that they despair of all possibility of being set free. This I was told by one who had been set free from that place.
ppp22880#pid#964. There is also another kind of veil. In this case they are wrapped up in a cloth so to speak so that they seem to themselves to be tied hand, foot, and body; and an ardent desire comes over them to unwrap themselves. Because such a person has been wrapped round once only he imagines it is going to be easy to unwrap himself. But when he starts to do so the cloth gets longer and longer, and the unwrapping goes on endlessly till he reaches the point of despair.
ppp22879#pid#965. These details have to do with the hells and with types of punishments. The torments of hell are not, as some suppose, the gnawings of conscience, for people in hell have had no conscience and therefore cannot suffer the torment of conscience. Those who have had conscience are among the blessed.
ppp22878#pid#966. It should be realized that nobody in the next life undergoes any punishment and torment on account of evil he has inherited, but on account of the evils he himself has actually committed.
ppp22877#pid#967. When the evil are being punished, angels are always present who moderate the punishment and alleviate the sufferings of those poor wretches. They cannot however take away the sufferings. In the next life all things are counterbalanced in such a way that evil punishes itself, and if it were not removed by means of punishments such persons could not be confined for ever in any one particular hell; for if not so confined and punished they would infest the communities of the good and do violence to that order established by the Lord on which the safety of the whole world depends.
ppp22876#pid#968. Some have brought with them from the world the idea that they must not talk to the devil but flee from him. They have been informed however that nothing at all could harm people whom the Lord is protecting, not even if the whole of hell were surrounding them, both from without and from within. This I have been given to know from many amazing experiences. Such were those experiences that in the end I had no fear at all, not even of the worst of the hellish crew, to deter me from talking to them. I have also been granted such experiences so that I might get to know what the members of that crew are like. To people who have marvelled that I have spoken to them I have been allowed to say further that not only would this do me no harm but also that devils in the next life have previously been men who went through life in the world hating, getting revenge, and committing adultery. I have said that some of them at the time were highly respected people, and indeed that some of them are people whom I had known during their lifetime. I have also been allowed to say that 'devil' means nothing else than such a crew in hell, and in addition that people while living in the world have present with them at least two spirits from hell, as well as two angels from heaven, and that these hellish spirits though ruling among the wicked have among the good been overpowered and made subservient. Thus it is wrong to think of some devil existing since the beginning of creation other than those who have previously been men. When people have heard all this they have been dumbfounded and have confessed that they have held an altogether different opinion concerning the devil and his crew.
ppp22875#pid#969. In so large a kingdom where all human souls have been converging since the start of creation (almost a million from this planet every week) where each person's character and disposition is different from everybody else's, where all the ideas of everyone are communicated, and where nevertheless every single thing has to be, and is constantly being, restored to proper order, it is inevitable that countless things manifest themselves there which have never entered anyone's head. Now since scarcely anyone has anything more than one vague concept of hell, as they have of heaven, these matters will inevitably strike them as strange and extraordinary, especially as they imagine that spirits do not have any sensory perception, when in fact these have keener sensory perception than men do. In addition to this, by devices unknown in the world, evil spirits produce within such persons sensory feelings almost the same as those of the body which are duller by far.
ppp22874#pid#970. The subject of vastations follows at the end of this chapter.
ppp22873#pid#971. `Genesis 9bbb0`
1. And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.
2. And let the fear of you and the dread of you be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the air,`fff1` even to everything which the ground causes to creep forth, and to all the fish of the sea; into your hands let them be given.
3. Every creeping thing that is living will be food for you; as the edible plant I have given all this to you.
4. Only you shall not eat flesh with its soul, its blood.
5. And I will certainly require your blood with your souls; at the hand of every wild animal I will require it, and at the hand of man, at the hand of his brother man (vir) I will require the soul of man.
6. Whoever sheds man's blood in man, his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God He made man.
7. And you, be fruitful and multiply; swarm over the earth and multiply in it.
8. And God said to Noah and to his sons with him, saying,
9. And I, behold I, am establishing My covenant with you, and with your seed after you.
10. And with every living soul that is with you - with birds, with beasts, and with every wild animal of the earth with you; from all that are going out of the ark, even every wild animal of the earth.
11. And I will establish My covenant with you, and never again will all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.
12. And God said, This is the sign of the covenant which I give between Me and you and every living soul that is with you into the generations of an age.
13. I have given My bow in the cloud, and it will be for a sign of the covenant between Me and the earth.
14. And when I cloud over the earth with cloud, and the bow is seen in the cloud,
15. I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living soul in all flesh. And the waters will no more be a flood to destroy all flesh.
16. And the bow will be in the cloud, and I see it, to remember the eternal covenant between God and every living soul in all flesh that is on the earth.
17. And God said to Noah, This is the sign of the covenant which I am establishing between Me and all flesh that is on the earth.
18. And Noah's sons who went out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And Ham was the father of Canaan.
19. These three were the sons of Noah, and from them the whole earth was overspread.
20. And Noah began to be a man (vir) of the ground, and planted a vineyard.
21. And he drank of the wine, and was drunk, and he was uncovered in the middle of his tent.
22. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father's nakedness and pointed it out to his two brothers outside.
23. And Shem and Japheth took a garment and both of them put it on a shoulder, and went backwards and covered their father's nakedness; and their faces were backwards, and they did not see their father's nakedness.
24. And Noah awoke from his wine, and realized what his younger son had done to him.
25. And he said, Cursed be Canaan, a slave of slaves will he be to his brothers.
26. And he said, Blessed be Jehovah, God of Shem, and Canaan will be a slave to him.
27. May God enlarge Japheth, and he will dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan will be his slave.
28. And Noah lived after the Flood three hundred and fifty years.
29. And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years; and he died.
CONTENTS
The subject that follows next is the state of a regenerate person - the lordship of the internal man and the subservience of the external man being dealt with first.
`nnn1. literally, bird of heaven (or the sky)
ppp22872#pid#972. That is to say, all things that belong to the external man have been made subject to the internal and are its servant, verses `Genesis 9bbbccc1-3`. But above all the person must take care not to immerse goods and truths of faith in evil desires, that is, take care not to confirm evils and falsities by means of goods and truths that belong to his internal man, for that course of action inevitably condemns him to death and brings punishment, verses `Genesis 9bbbccc4-5`, and in so doing destroys the spiritual man, which is the image of God, with him, verse `Genesis 9bbbccc6`. If that course is avoided everything after that goes well, verse `Genesis 9bbbccc7`.
ppp22871#pid#973. Next the subject is the state of the man after the Flood, whom the Lord formed in such a way that He would be able to be present with him by means of charity. The Lord being present in this way, man would not from then on perish, as the final descendants of the Most Ancient Church had done, verses `Genesis 9bbbccc8-11`.
ppp22870#pid#974. After that, man's state after the Flood - a man who is capable of receiving charity - is described by the bow in the cloud, which he resembles, verses `Genesis 9bbbccc12-17`. This bow has regard to the member of the Church, that is, to one who is regenerate, verses `Genesis 9bbbccc12-13`. It has regard to every one in general, verses `Genesis 9bbbccc14-15`, and to the person who is capable of being regenerated in particular, verse `Genesis 9bbbccc16`. So it has regard not only to the person inside the Church but also to him who is outside the Church, verse `Genesis 9bbbccc17`.
ppp22869#pid#975. Finally the subject is the Ancient Church in general. At this point 'Shem' is used to mean internal worship, 'Japheth' external worship corresponding to it, 'Ham' faith separated from charity, and 'Canaan' external worship separated from internal, verses `Genesis 9bbbccc19`-end. Wishing to investigate from itself the truths of faith, and to do so by means of reasonings, that Church first sank into errors and perversities, verses `Genesis 9bbbccc19-21`. As a result of such errors and perversities people whose worship is external separated from internal mock the doctrine of faith itself, verse `Genesis 9bbbccc22`, While those whose worship is both internal and also external deriving from internal place a good interpretation upon such things and make excuses for them, verse `Genesis 9bbbccc23`. People whose worship is external separated from internal are the lowest of all, verses `Genesis 9bbbccc24-25`. But for all that, they are still able to perform inferior types of service within the Church, verses `Genesis 9bbbccc26-27`.
ppp22868#pid#976. Last of all the duration of the first Ancient Church and its state are described by the years of Noah's age, verses `Genesis 9bbbccc28-29`.
ppp22867#pid#977. THE INTERNAL SENSE
The subject here being the regenerate person, let a brief discussion follow of the nature of a person who is regenerate in contrast to someone who is not. From this contrast the nature of each one may be known. With the regenerate person there is a conscience concerning what is good and true. From conscience he does what is good and from conscience thinks what is true. The good he does is the good of charity, and the truth he thinks is the truth of faith. With one who is not regenerate there is no conscience. If there is any it is not a conscience about doing good stemming from charity or for thinking truth deriving from faith. Instead it derives from some love involving self or the world, and is therefore a conscience that is false, or not genuine. With the regenerate person there is joy in performing anything according to conscience but anxiety when compelled to perform or think anything contrary to it, which is not the case with someone who is not regenerate. Most people do not know what conscience is, still less what performing anything according to conscience or contrary to conscience is. They know only of performing it in accordance with things favouring their own loves, which for them is the source of joy, while acting contrary to those things brings them anxiety.
ttt[2] With the regenerate person there is a new will and a new understanding. This new will and new understanding are his conscience - that is, they comprise his conscience, by means of which the Lord works the good that stems from charity, and the truth of faith. With someone who is not regenerate there is no will but instead evil desire, and a resulting inclination towards all that is evil. Nor is there any understanding, only reasoning and a resulting decline into all that is false. With the regenerate person there is celestial and spiritual life, but with someone who is not regenerate only bodily and worldly life. Man's ability to think and to understand what good and truth are comes from the Lord's life by way of remnants, mentioned previously. And this also gives him the ability to reflect.
ttt[3] With the regenerate person the internal man is master and the external the servant, but with someone who is not regenerate the external man is master, and the internal remains quiescent as though non-existent. The regenerate person knows, or is capable of knowing if he reflects on the matter, what the internal man is and what the external, whereas someone who is not regenerate is totally ignorant on the subject. Nor is he capable of knowing even if he did reflect on the matter, for he does not know what the good and truth of faith deriving from charity are. These contrasts show the nature of a person who is regenerate and of someone who is not, and that the difference between them is like that of summer and winter, or of bright light and thick darkness. Consequently the regenerate is a living man, while the unregenerate is a dead man.
ppp22866#pid#978. What the internal man is and what the external, few if any know nowadays. They imagine that these are one and the same, the chief reason being their belief that they do what is good and think what is true from their proprium; for the proprium carries such belief within itself. But the internal man is as different from the external as heaven from earth. When the learned as well as the unlearned reflect on the matter, they have no other concept of the internal man than of thought, seeing that it is something inward; and no other concept of the external man than of the body and its ability to perceive with the senses and to experience pleasure, seeing that it is something outward. But thought, which they imagine to belong to the internal man, does not in fact belong to the internal; for with the internal man resides nothing but goods and truths which are the Lord's, and in the interior man conscience has been implanted by the Lord. Even the evil, indeed the most evil, possess thought, and people who are devoid of conscience have it too. From this it is clear that man's thought belongs not to the internal man but to the external. And the fact that the body, and its ability to perceive with the senses and to experience pleasure, is not the external man is clear from the consideration that spirits likewise, who do not possess the [physical] body such as they had while living in the world, still have an external man.
ttt[2] But what the internal man is and what the external nobody can possibly know unless he knows that in everyone there is a celestial and spiritual degree corresponding to the angelic heaven, a rational degree corresponding to the heaven of angelic spirits, and the interior sensory degree corresponding to the heaven of spirits. There are indeed three heavens, the same number as there are degrees with man. These heavens are quite distinct and separate from one another, which is why after death the person who has conscience is first of all in the heaven of spirits; after that he is raised by the Lord into the heaven of angelic spirits, and finally into the angelic heaven. This could not possibly take place if there were not the same number of heavens to which, and to the state of which, he is capable of corresponding. This has made clear to me what constitutes the internal man and what the external. Celestial and spiritual things form the internal man, rational things the inner or middle, and sensory things - not those of the body but those derived from bodily things - the external. And this applies not only to man but also to a spirit.
ttt[3] Let me speak in terms used by the learned. These three are like end, cause, and effect. It is well known that no effect can possibly exist unless there is a cause, nor any cause unless there is an end. Effect, cause, and end are as distinct and separate from one another as exterior, interior, and inmost are. Strictly speaking the sensory man, that is, the one whose thought is based on sensory evidence, is the external man, while the spiritual and celestial man strictly speaking is the internal man. But the rational man comes in the middle between the two, and by way of this man - the rational - communication takes place between the internal man and the external. I know that few can grasp these ideas, the reason being that they live among, and think from, external things. This is why some equate themselves with animals and believe that when their bodies die they will be altogether dead. Yet it is when they die that they first start to live. In the next life people who are good lead first a sensory life in the world or heaven of spirits, then a more interior sensory life in the heaven of angelic spirits, and finally an inmostly sensory life in the angelic heaven. This latter or angelic life is the life of the internal man, about which hardly anything can be said that man is capable of grasping.
ttt[4] The regenerate can know of the existence of that internal life only if they reflect on the nature of good and truth and of conflict. Actually that life is the Lord's life with man, for the Lord by way of the internal man works the good of charity and the truth of faith within the external man. That which from this is perceived in his thought and affection is something general, containing countless details which come from the internal man but which a person does not perceive at all before entering the angelic heaven. Concerning the nature of this general something, see what has been told from experience in `@@@545`. These matters that have been stated concerning the internal man however, since they lie beyond the grasp of most people, are not vital for their salvation provided they know of the existence of the internal man and of the external, and acknowledge and believe that everything good and true comes from the Lord.
ppp22865#pid#979. These remarks concerning the state of a regenerate person and concerning the influx of the internal man into the external have been made in advance because the subject of this chapter is the regenerate person, the lordship of the internal man over the external, and the subservience of the latter.
ppp22864#pid#980. Verse `Genesis 9bbbccc1` And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.
'God blessed' means the Lord's presence and grace. 'Noah and his sons means the Ancient Church. 'Being fruitful' means goods stemming from charity, 'multiplying' truths of faith, which they were now to receive as increases. 'Filling the earth' means residing with the external man.
ppp22863#pid#981. That 'God blessed' means the Lord's presence and grace is clear from the meaning of 'blessing'. In the Word, in the external sense, 'blessing' means being enriched with all earthly and bodily good. This is also how all people who keep to the external sense explain the Word, as Jews did in the past, and still do so today, and also as Christians do, especially at the present time. Consequently they have focused the Divine blessing, and still do, on wealth, on having plenty of everything, and on personal glory. But in the internal sense 'blessing' means being enriched with all spiritual and celestial good, a blessing which neither does nor can possibly exist unless it comes from the Lord. This is why 'blessing' means the Lord's presence and grace. The Lord's presence and grace carry such blessing within them. The expression 'presence' is used because the Lord is present only in charity, and the subject at this point is the regenerate spiritual man who acts from charity. The Lord is present with everyone, but as is a person's distance from charity, so is the degree of the Lord's presence, or so is He, let me say, more absent, that is, the Lord is more remote.
ttt[2] The reason the expression grace and not mercy is used - a reason, I presume, that has remained unknown up to now - is that celestial people do not talk of grace but of mercy, while spiritual people talk not of mercy but of grace. This difference has its origins in the fact that celestial people acknowledge that the human race is wholly unclean, and in itself excrementitious and hellish, on account of which they plead for the Lord's mercy - mercy being the appropriate word for people in this condition.
ttt[3] Spiritual people however, though they are aware that the human condition is such, do not acknowledge it, for they still remain in, and love, their proprium; and therefore they find it difficult to make mention of mercy but easy to do so of grace. It is the different kind of humility existing with each that produces this verbal difference. The more anyone loves himself and imagines that he is able to do good of himself and so merit salvation, the less he is able to plead for the Lord's mercy. The reason some [are able to plead] for grace at all is that it has become a commonplace expression. When used however it contains little that is the Lord's and much that is a person's own. This anyone can discover in himself when he uses the expression 'the grace of the Lord'.
ppp22862#pid#982. 'Noah and his sons' means the Ancient Church. This has been stated and shown already, and is clear from what follows.
ppp22861#pid#983. 'being fruitful' means goods stemming from charity, and 'multiplying' means truths of faith which they were now to receive as increases. This is clear from the meaning of both expressions in the Word where 'being fruitful', or bearing fruit, always has reference to charity, while 'multiplying' has reference to faith. See what has been stated already about the meaning of these two expressions in `@@@43`, `@@@55`. And by way of further confirmation let the following places from the Word be brought forward: In Jeremiah,
Return, O estranged children; I will give you shepherds after My own heart, and they will feed you with knowledge and intelligence, and it will be that you will be multiplied and you will be fruitful in the land. `Jeremiah 3bbb14-16`.
Here 'being multiplied' manifestly stands for the growth of knowledge and intelligence, that is, of faith, while 'being fruitful' stands for goods stemming from charity. Indeed these words describe the establishment of the Church, in which faith or 'multiplying' comes first.
ttt[2] In the same prophet,
I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all the lands where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their folds, and they will be fruitful and be multiplied. `Jeremiah 23bbb3`.
This refers to the Church which has been established, and so is 'to be fruitful' as regards the goods of charity and 'to be multiplied' as regards the truths of faith. In Moses,
Furthermore I will have regard for you and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and I will establish My covenant with you. `Leviticus 26bbb9`.
The subject at this point in the internal is the celestial Church, and sense therefore 'being fruitful' has reference to goods of love and charity, 'being multiplied' to goods and truths of faith. In Zechariah,
I will redeem them, and they will be multiplied as they have been multiplied. `Zechariah 10bbb8`.
It is evident from the promise that they are to be redeemed that 'being multiplied' here has reference to truths of faith.
ttt[3] In Jeremiah,
The city will be built upon its mound, and out of them will come confession and the voice of those who are playing, and I will multiply them and they will not grow fewer; and its sons will be as they were of old. `Jeremiah 30bbb18-20`.
This refers to the affections for truth and to the truths of faith. Affections for truth are expressed by 'confession and the voice of those who are playing', while increases in truths of faith are expressed by 'being multiplied'. Here 'sons' also stands for truths.
ppp22860#pid#984. 'Filling the earth' means residing with the external man. This is clear from the meaning of 'the earth' as the external man, dealt with several times already. In the case of someone who is regenerate the goods of charity and the truths of faith have been implanted in his conscience. And because they have been implanted by means of faith - that is, through hearing the Word - they lodge first of all in his memory, which belongs to the external man. Once he has been regenerated and the internal man is active, fruitfulness and multiplication follow too; goods that stem from charity reveal themselves in affections that belong to the external man, while truths of faith do so in his memory, where they grow and multiply in both places. Any regenerate person may know the character of this multiplying, for things of a confirmatory nature are coming in all the time, both from the Word and from the rational man, as well as from known facts, to confirm him more and more. It is the outcome of charity, with the Lord alone working by means of that charity.
ppp22859#pid#985. Verse `Genesis 9bbbccc2` And let the fear of you and the dread of you be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the air,`fff1` even to everything which the ground causes to creep forth, and to all the fish of the sea; into your hands let them be given.
'The fear of you and the dread of you' means the lordship of the internal man, 'fear' having regard to evils and 'dread' to falsities. 'Upon every beast of the earth' means over the desires that belong to the lower mind. 'Upon every bird of the air'`fff1` means over falsities that go with reasoning. 'Everything which the ground causes to creep forth' means affections for good. 'All the fish of the sea' means facts. 'Into your hands let them be given' means possession of them by the internal man within the external.
`nnn1. literally, bird of heaven (or the sky)
ppp22858#pid#986. That 'the fear of you and the dread of you' means the lordship of the internal man - 'fear' having regard to evils and 'dread' to falsities - becomes clear from the state of a regenerate person. A person's state prior to regeneration is one in which the evil desires and the falsities that belong to the external man predominate all the time, which gives rise to conflict. But once he has been regenerated the internal man rules over the external, that is, over his desires and falsities. When it is the internal man that rules, the person has a fear of evils and a dread of falsities, for both evils and falsities are contrary to conscience, and to act contrary to conscience is abhorrent to him.
ttt[2] It is not however the internal man that fears evils and dreads falsities, but the external; hence the statements at this point about the fear of you and the dread of you being upon every beast of the earth and every bird of the air`fff1`, that is, over all evil desires meant by 'beast' and over falsities meant by 'bird of the air'.`fff1` This fear and this dread are seemingly the person's own, but the reality is this: As stated already everybody has at least two angels with him through whom he has communication with heaven, and two evil spirits through whom he has communication with hell. When the angels rule, as is so with a regenerate person, the evil spirits who are present dare not do anything contrary to what is good and true, for they are at that time held in bonds. And when they do try to do anything evil or to utter what is false - that is, to activate it - some hellish kind of fear and dread instantly overtakes them. This fear and this dread are what a person feels within himself for things that are contrary to conscience. This also is why, as soon as he does or utters anything contrary to conscience, he runs into temptation and the gnawings of conscience, that is, into a kind of hellish torment.
ttt[3] On the point that fear has reference to evils and dread to falsities, the situation Is this: The spirits that reside with a person are less afraid of practising evil deeds than of uttering falsities, the reason being that a person is born again and receives a conscience by means of truths of faith, and consequently spirits are not allowed to activate falsities. Indeed nothing but evil is present with every one of them, so that they are immersed in evil; their whole nature, and consequently everything they attempt is evil; and since they are immersed in evil and their own life within them consists in evil, their performance of evil is ignored when they are serving some use. But they are not permitted to utter anything false, for the reason that they may learn what is true, and in so doing may be corrected, so far as possible, to perform some inferior kind of service. But more concerning these matters will in the Lord's Divine mercy be mentioned later on. It is similar with a regenerate person, for his conscience is formed from truths of faith. Consequently his conscience is a conscience for what is right. For him the very evil of life lies in falsity because falsity is the reverse of the truth of faith. But with the member of the Most Ancient Church who had perception it was different. He perceived evil of life as evil, and falsity of faith as falsity.
`nnn1. literally, bird of heaven (or the sky)
ppp22857#pid#987. 'Upon every beast of the earth' means the desires that belong to the lower mind. This is clear from the meaning of 'beast' in the Word, where beasts mean either affections or else evil desires. Affections for what is good are meant by gentle, useful, and clean beasts, while affections for what is evil, that is, evil desires, are meant by savage, useless, and unclean ones - see `@@@45`, `@@@46`, `@@@142`, `@@@143`, `@@@246`, `@@@776`. Because here they mean evil desires they are called 'beasts of the earth', not beasts of the field. As for a regenerate person's rule over evil desires, it should be recognized that people err very greatly and are in no sense regenerate who believe they are able to rule over evils from themselves. For a human being is nothing but evil, he is one mass of evils, and his whole will consists solely in evil. This was stated in the previous chapter - 'the imagination of man's heart is evil from his childhood', `Genesis ccc8bbb21`. I have been shown by actual experience that a man or a spirit, and even an angel, regarded in himself, that is, as to his entire proprium, is vilest excrement, and left to himself breathes out nothing but hatred, revenge, cruelty, and most filthy adultery. These are the things that are his own, and are the things which constitute his will.
ttt[2] This matter also becomes clear to anyone if he reflects, merely from the consideration that when a person is born he is the lowest thing alive among all wild animals and beasts. And when he grows up and becomes responsible for his own actions he would rush into every kind of ungodliness but for external legal restraints and the restraints he imposes on himself to the end that he may become pre-eminent and very wealthy. He would not rest content until he had made everyone throughout the world subject to himself and had raked in the wealth of everyone in it. He would spare no one except those who surrendered to him as his mere slaves. Such is the nature of everyone, though those people do not recognize it who do not have the opportunity and ability to behave in that way, or who are subject to the restraints mentioned above. But once the opportunity and ability have been provided and the restraints have been loosened, they would plunge themselves, as far as they were able, into such actions. Wild animals never demonstrate natures such as this, but are born into a certain natural order. Those that are savage beasts of prey do inflict harm on other animals, yet only in self-defence; and their devouring of other creatures is so that they may satisfy their hunger. And once that is satisfied they harm none. The human being however is altogether different. From this it is clear what man's proprium is and what his will is.
ttt[3] Since a person is just so much evil and excrement, it is clear that he cannot possibly from himself rule over evil. To say that evil can rule over evil is an utter contradiction. And this applies not only to ruling over evil but also over hell, for everybody is in communication with hell by means of evil spirits, and it is from that source that the evil residing with him is activated. From these considerations anyone may know, and he who is mentally normal may conclude, that it is the Lord alone who rules over evil residing with man and over hell residing with him. So that the evil residing with a person, that is, hell which is trying moment by moment to force its way into him and destroy him eternally, may be overpowered, a person is regenerated by the Lord and has a new will conferred on him, which is conscience, and through which the Lord alone works everything good. These considerations are matters of faith, that is to say, the considerations that man is nothing but evil and that everything good comes from the Lord. A person ought therefore not merely to know them but also acknowledge and believe them. If he does not acknowledge and believe during his lifetime, it is demonstrated to him convincingly in the next life.
ppp22856#pid#988. 'Upon every bird of the air'`fff1` means over falsities that go with reasoning. This is clear from the meaning of 'a bird'. In the Word birds mean intellectual concepts - gentle, useful, and beautiful ones mean intellectual concepts that are true, but savage, useless, and ugly ones intellectual concepts that are false, that is, falsities that go with reasoning. That they mean intellectual concepts, see `@@@40`, `@@@776`, `@@@870`. From this it is also evident that birds mean reasonings and the falsities that go with them. To leave no one in any doubt, the places quoted below, in addition to what is mentioned in `@@@866` concerning the raven, will serve to confirm the point. In Jeremiah,
I will visit them with four kinds [of destroyers], with the sword to slay, with dogs to tear, with the birds of the air,`fff1` and with the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy. `Jeremiah 15bbb3`.
In Ezekiel,
Upon its ruin will dwell every bird of the air,`fff1` and on its branches will be every wild animal of the field. `Ezekiel 37bbb13`.
In Daniel,
At length upon the bird of abominations will come desolation. `Daniel 9bbb27`.
In John,
Babylon, a prison of every unclean and hateful bird. `Revelation 18bbb1`.
And the Prophets declare many times that dead bodies would be given as food to the birds of the air`fff1` and to the beasts of the earth, `Jeremiah 7bbb33`; `Jeremiah ccc19bbb7`; `Jeremiah ccc34bbb20`; `Ezekiel 29bbb5`; `Ezekiel ccc39bbb4`; `Psalms 79bbb2`; `Isaiah 18bbb6`. This meant that they would be destroyed by falsities, which are 'the birds of the air'`fff2`, and by evils or evil desires, which are 'the beasts of the earth'.
`nnn1. literally, bird of heaven (or the sky)
`nnn2. literally, birds of heaven (or the sky)
ppp22855#pid#989. As regards ruling over falsities the same applies as with ruling over evils, namely that of himself no one is able in the slightest to rule over falsity. Since the subject here is the regenerate person' s rule over evil desires, which are 'the beast of the earth' and over falsities, which are 'the bird of the air',`fff1` it should be recognized that nobody can possibly say he has been regenerated unless he acknowledges and believes that charity is the primary constituent of his faith and unless he is moved to love his neighbour and pity him. It is from charity that his new will is formed, and it is by means of charity that the Lord works good and truth deriving from it, and not by means of faith devoid of charity. There are people who practise the works of charity solely out of a sense of obedience, that is, because it has been so commanded by the Lord, but who are nevertheless not regenerate. Provided they do not presume any righteousness to lie in their works, these people are regenerated in the next life.
`nnn1. literally, bird of heaven (or the sky)
ppp22854#pid#990. 'Even to everything which the ground causes to creep forth' means affections for good. This is clear both from what has gone before and also from the meaning of 'the ground' from which they are produced or creep forth. From what has gone before where the evils and falsities over which the regenerate person rules are the subject, it is clear that the affections for good which are given into his hands are therefore the subject here. And from the meaning of 'the ground' from which they are produced or creep forth - 'the ground' being in general the member of the Church and whatever constitutes the Church - it is clear that whatever is produced in the external by the Lord by way of the internal man is therefore meant here. The ground itself is situated in the external man - in his affections and in his memory. The reason why it is said, 'Everything that the ground causes to creep forth', is that it seems as though man himself produced goods. But that is the appearance. In reality all good derives from the Lord by way of the internal man, for as stated, nothing good or true exists unless it derives from the Lord.
ppp22853#pid#991. 'All fish of the sea' means facts. This is clear from the meaning of 'a fish'. In the Word fish mean facts that spring from sensory evidence, for there are three types of facts - intellectual, rational, and sensory. All are implanted in the memory - or rather, in the memories`fff1` - and in someone who is regenerate are summoned from there by the Lord by way of the internal man. These facts which come from sensory evidence enter a person's consciousness or perception during his earthly life, for they are the basis of his thinking. The rest, which are more interior, do not do so until he has shed the body and enters the next life. On the point that fish or creeping things which the waters produce mean facts, see what has been said already in `@@@40`; and that sea-monsters or whales mean general sources of facts, see `@@@42`. These points become additionally clear from the following places in the Word:
In Zephaniah,
I will cause man and beast to cease, I will cause the birds of the air and the fish of the sea to cease. `Zephaniah 1bbb3`.
Here 'birds of the air' stands for rational concepts, 'fish of the sea' for rational concepts of a lower order, that is, for human thought from factual knowledge derived through the senses.
ttt[2] In Habakkuk,
You will make man like the fish of the sea, like creeping things that have no ruler. `Habakkuk 1bbb14`.
'Making man like the fish of the sea' stands for making him dependent solely on the senses.
In Hosea,
The land will mourn, and every inhabitant will languish, even the wild animal of the field, and the birds of the air,`fff2` and even the fish of the sea will all be gathered together. `Hosea 4bbb3`.
Here 'fish of the sea' stands for factual knowledge derived through the senses.
In David,
You have put all things under His feet, the beasts of the fields, the flying things of the air,`fff3` and the fish of the sea, and that crossing the paths of the seas. `Psalms 8bbb6-8`.
This refers to the Lord's dominion over man. 'Fish of the sea' stands for facts. That 'seas' means a gathering of facts or cognitions, see what has appeared already in `@@@28`.
In Isaiah,
The fishermen will lament, and all who cast a hook into the river will mourn, and those who spread nets over the face'`fff4` of the waters will languish. `Isaiah 19bbb8`.
'Fishermen' stands for people who rely on sensory evidence alone and hatch falsities out of it, the subject being Egypt, or factual knowledge.
`nnn1. i.e. in the interior memory and in the exterior memory. See `@@@2469` and following paragraphs
`nnn2. literally, bird of the heavens (or the skies)
`nnn3. literally, the flying thing of the heavens (or the skies)
`nnn4. literally, the faces
ppp22852#pid#992. 'Into Your hands let them be given' means possession of them by the internal man within the external. This is clear from what has been stated already and from the meaning of 'hand', dealt with already in `@@@878`. The phrase 'into your hands let them be given' is used because that is what seems to happen.
ppp22851#pid#993. Verse `Genesis 9bbbccc3` Every creeping thing that is living will be food for you; as the edible plant I have given all this to you.
'Every creeping thing that is living' means all pleasures containing good, which is living. 'Will be food for you' means the accompanying delight which people were to enjoy. 'The edible plant' means very lowly manifestations of delights. Its being 'given all to you' means enjoyment on account of use.
ppp22850#pid#994. That 'every creeping thing that is living' means all pleasures containing good, which is living, is clear from the meaning of 'creeping thing' dealt with already. The fact that 'creeping thing' here means all clean beasts and birds is clear to everyone, for it is said that they are 'given for food'. In their proper sense 'creeping things' comprise those which were the basest of all, mentioned by name in `Leviticus 11bbb27`, `Leviticus 11bbbccc29-30`, and were unclean. But in a broad sense, as here, they are the living creatures that have been given for food. They are called 'creeping things' here however because they mean pleasures. In the Word, human affections are meant by 'clean beasts', as has been stated. But because no one perceives those affections except within his pleasures, so much so that he refers to them as pleasures, they are for this reason called 'creeping things' here.
ttt[2] There are two kinds of pleasures - those of the will and those of the understanding. In general there are the pleasures of possessing land and wealth; the pleasures of positions of honour and those of service to the state; the pleasures of conjugial love, and of love of infants and children; the pleasures of friendship and of social intercourse; the pleasures of reading, writing, having knowledge, being wise, and many others. Then there are the pleasures of the senses; such as that of hearing, which in general is the pleasure taken in the sweet sounds of music and song; that of seeing, which in general is the pleasure taken in various things of beauty, which are manifold; that of smell, which is that taken in pleasant odours; that of taste, which is that taken in all the delicious and nourishing qualities of food and drink; and that of touch, which arises from further joyous sensations. Because these different kinds of pleasures are experienced in the body, they are called pleasures of the body. But no pleasure ever arises in the body unless it arises from, and is sustained by, some interior affection. Nor does any interior affection ever do so unless this in turn stems from a still more interior affection in which use and the end in view reside.
ttt[3] These areas of affection, which are interior and properly ordered, starting with the inmost, are not discerned by anyone during his lifetime. The majority scarcely know that they even exist, let alone that they are the source of pleasures. Yet nothing can possibly arise in things that are external except from those that are interior and in order. Pleasures are simply ultimate effects. Interior things are not evident during life in the body except to those who reflect. It is in the next life that they first manifest themselves, and indeed in the order in which the Lord raises them up towards heaven. Interior affections together with their joys manifest themselves in the world of spirits; still more interior ones together with their delights do so in the heaven of angelic spirits; and yet more interior ones together with all their happiness in the heaven of angels. For there are three heavens, one interior to and more perfect and happy than the next, see `@@@459`, `@@@684`. Such is the order in which these things unfold and enable themselves to be perceived in the next life. But so long as someone is living in the body, because his ideas and thought are constantly of bodily things, those that are interior are so to speak dormant because they are immersed in bodily things. All the same, to anyone who stops to reflect it becomes clear that the nature of all pleasures is such as are the affections ranged in order within them and that those pleasures derive their entire essence and character from those affections.
ttt[4] Since the affections ranged in order within are experienced in outermost things, that is, in the body, as pleasures, they are therefore called 'creeping things'. But these are simply bodily feelings that are the products of things within, as may become clear to anyone merely from sight and its pleasures. If interior sight does not exist, the eye cannot possibly see. The sight of the eye comes from a more interior sight, and therefore also man has the gift of sight just as much after his life in the body as during it; indeed he sees far better than when he lived in the body, though now he does not see worldly and bodily things but things that exist in the next life. People who have been blind during their lifetime have the gift of sight in the next life just as much as those who have been sharp-sighted. This also is why when someone is asleep he sees in his dreams just as clearly as when awake. With my internal sight I have been allowed to see the things that exist in the next life more clearly than I see those which exist in the world. From these considerations it is clear that external sight comes from a more interior sight, which in turn comes from sight still more interior, and so on. The same applies to each one of the other senses and to every kind of pleasure.
ttt[5] In other parts of the Word pleasures are in a similar way called 'creeping things'. In those places too a distinction is made between creeping things that are clean and those that are not, that is, between pleasures whose joys are living or heavenly, and pleasures whose joys are dead or hellish, as in Hosea,
I will make for them a covenant on that day with the wild animals of the field, and with the birds of the air,`fff1` and with the creeping things of the ground. `Hosea 2bbb18`.
Here 'wild animals of the field, birds of the air,`fff1` and creeping things' means the kind of things already mentioned that reside with man. This becomes clear for the reason that a new Church is the subject.
In David,
Let heaven and earth praise Jehovah, the seas and everything creeping in them. `Psalms 69bbb34`.
'Seas and creeping things in them' cannot praise Jehovah but the things with man which they mean and which are alive, and so from what is living within them.
In the same author,
Praise Jehovah, wild animal and every beast, creeping thing and winged bird. `Psalms 148bbb10`.
Here the meaning is similar. That 'creeping things' is used here to mean nothing other than good affections in which pleasures originate is clear also from the fact that creeping things among them were unclean, as will be evident from the following:
ttt[6] In the same author,
O Jehovah, the earth is full of Your possessions; this sea, great and wide, containing creeping things and innumerable; they all look to You to give them their food in due season. You givest to them - they gather it up; You openest Your hand - they are satisfied with good. `Psalms 104bbb24`, `Psalms 104bbbccc25`, `Psalms 104bbbccc27-28`.
Here in the internal sense 'seas' means spiritual things, 'creeping things' all things that live from them. Fruitfulness is described by 'giving them food in due season and being satisfied with good'.
In Ezekiel,
It will be that every living creature`fff2` that creeps, in every place the [two] rivers come to, will live, and there will be very many fish, for these waters go there, and become fresh, and everything will live where the river goes. `Ezekiel 47bbb9`.
This refers to the waters flowing out of the New Jerusalem. 'Waters' stands for spiritual things from a celestial origin. 'Living creature that creeps' stands for affections for good and the pleasures deriving from these affections, both those of the body and those of the senses. The fact that the latter get their life from 'the waters' which are spiritual things from a celestial origin is quite clear.
ttt[7] Filthy pleasures as well, which have their origin in the proprium and so in its foul desires, are also called 'creeping things'. This is clear in Ezekiel,
And I went and saw, and behold, every form of creeping thing and of beast, an abomination; and all the idols of the house of Israel, portrayed on the wall round about. `Ezekiel 8bbb10`.
Here 'the form of a creeping thing' means filthy pleasures in which evil desires exist interiorly, and hatred, revenge, cruelty, and adultery within these. Such is the nature of 'creeping things', that is, the delights inherent in pleasures which originate in self-love and love of the world, that is, in the proprium. They are people's idols because they consider them delightful, love them, hold them as gods, and in so doing worship them. Because those creeping things meant filthy things such as these, in the representative Church also they were so unclean that no one was even allowed to touch them. And anyone who did merely touch them was rendered unclean, as is clear from `Leviticus 5bbb2`; `Leviticus ccc11bbb31-33`; `Leviticus ccc22bbb5-6`.
`nnn1. literally, bird of the heavens (or the skies)
`nnn2. literally, living soul
ppp22849#pid#995. 'Will be food for you' means the accompanying delight which people were to enjoy. This becomes clear from the fact that any pleasure not only stirs a person's emotion but also sustains him, like food. Pleasure without delight is not pleasure but something lifeless. It is from the delight that a pleasure has its being and gets its name. The nature of the delight however determines that of the pleasure. In themselves things of the body and of the senses are wholly material, lifeless and dead; but from the delights that spring from interior things ranged in order they receive life. From this it is clear that the nature of the life of interior things determines the nature of the delight inherent in pleasures, for delight has life within it. No other kind of delight has life except that which contains good from the Lord, for in that case it does so from the life of good itself. Hence the wording here - 'every creeping thing that is living will be food for you', that is, will be an enjoyment. Some people are of the opinion that anyone who wishes to be happy in the next life ought never to indulge in bodily and sensory pleasures, but ought to renounce all such things. They say that such bodily and worldly pursuits are what deter and withhold men from spiritual and heavenly life. But people who think in this way and who willingly reduce themselves during their lifetime to a miserable standard of living are ill-informed of the truth of the matter.
ttt[2] Nobody is in any way forbidden to enjoy bodily and sensory pleasures, namely the pleasures of possessing land and wealth; the pleasures of positions of honour and of service to the state; the pleasures of conjugial love, and of love of infants and children; the pleasures of friendship and of social intercourse; the pleasures of the ear - the sweet sounds of music and song; the pleasures of seeing - things of beauty, which are manifold, such as nice clothes, attractive homes together with their furniture, beautiful gardens, and things of a like nature which as they blend together give delight; pleasures of smell - the pleasant odours; pleasures of taste - all the delicious and nourishing qualities of food and drink; and the pleasures of touch. Indeed, as stated, all of these are most external or bodily affections having their origin in interior affections.
ttt[3] Interior affections, which are living, all derive their delight from good and truth, while good and truth derive theirs from charity and faith, and these in turn do so from the Lord, and so from Life itself. This is why affections and pleasures from this source are living. And because that is where genuine pleasures have their origins they are in no way denied to anybody. Indeed when this is their source, the delight that accompanies them is immeasurably greater than delight that is not from that source. The latter delight in comparison is filthy. Take for example the pleasure that goes with conjugial love; when its origins lie in truly conjugial love it is immeasurably greater than the pleasure that is not from that source - indeed, so much greater that people who dwell in truly conjugial love dwell in delight and happiness such as is heavenly, since it comes down from heaven. People also who belonged to the Most Ancient Church declared the same. The delight which adulterers gain from acts of adultery was to those people so detestable that even the thought of it filled them with horror. This makes clear the nature of any delight that does not come down from the true fount of life, which is the Lord.
ttt[4] That the pleasures mentioned above are in no way denied anyone - indeed, far from being denied they are for the first time pleasures when they flow from their true origin - is also made clear by the fact that very many people who during their lifetime had power, position, and wealth, and enjoyed in abundance all pleasures of the body and the senses, are now in heaven among the blessed and happy. And with them now interior delights and happiness are living because they have had their origin in goods that stem from charity and in truths of faith in the Lord. And since these have originated in charity and faith in the Lord, they have looked upon all their pleasures from the point of view of use, which has been their end in view. To them the use itself has been exceedingly delightful, and from this has come the delight inherent in their pleasures. See what has been stated from experience in `@@@945`.
ppp22848#pid#996. 'The edible plant' means very lowly manifestations of delights. This becomes clear from what has been stated. Such delights are called 'edible plants' because they are merely worldly and bodily, that is, external. For, as stated, the pleasures that consist in bodily or most external things have their origins in interior delights ranged in order. Delights that are felt in the most external or bodily things are comparatively lowly. It is true of all delight that the more lowly it is the closer it gets to things that are external, while the nobler it is the closer it gets to those that are internal. Consequently, as has been stated, as in order the external things are rolled away or peeled off, the more pleasant and noble delights become, something which becomes quite clear from the fact that the delight inherent in someone's pleasures during his lifetime is lowly in comparison with the delight that is his subsequently when he enters the world of spirits. Indeed it is so lowly that good spirits reject with utter disdain the delights of the body. Nor do they wish to go back to them even if they were granted all the delights existing in the whole world.
ttt[2] The delight which these spirits enjoy becomes similarly lowly when they are raised up by the Lord into the heaven of angelic spirits, for at that point they cast away those interior delights and take on others more interior still. The same applies to angelic spirits - the delight which these have enjoyed in their heaven likewise becomes a lowly delight when they are taken up by the Lord into the angelic or third heaven. Since internal things in that heaven are living, and nothing else but mutual love reigns, the happiness there is indescribable. For interior delight or happiness, see what has been told from experience in `@@@545`.
ttt[3] These considerations show what is meant by the statement 'as the edible plant I have given all this to you.' Because creeping things mean both pleasures of the body and pleasures of the senses, to which 'edible plants' has reference, the expression in the original language is one that means both edible plant and green plant, 'edible plant' in reference to pleasures of the will, which are from celestial affections, and 'green plant' in reference to those of the understanding, which are from spiritual affections. That 'edible plants' and 'green plants' mean things that are lowly is clear from the Word, as in Isaiah,
The waters of Nimrim will be desolations, for the grass has withered away, the herb has been consumed, and there is no green plant. `Isaiah 15bbb6`.
In the same prophet,
Their inhabitants were shorn of power,`fff1` they were dismayed and filled with shame; they became plants of the field and edible grass plants, hay on the rooftops. `Isaiah 37bbb27`.
'Edible grass plants' stands for that which is very lowly. In Moses,
The land, into which you are entering to take possession of it, is not like the land of Egypt, from which you have come out; in it you may sow your seed and water it with your foot, like a garden of edible plants. `Deuteronomy 11bbb10`.
Here 'garden of edible plants' stands for what is lowly. In David,
The wicked are suddenly cut down like the grass, and destroyed like the edible plant. `Psalms 37bbb2`.
Here 'grass' and 'edible plant' stand for what is very lowly.
`nnn1. literally, short in the hand
ppp22847#pid#997. Its being 'given all to you' means enjoyment on account of use, which is 'for food', for whatever is given for food is for use. As regards use, the situation is this: People who are governed by charity, that is, who dwell in love towards the neighbour - from which love the living delight contained in pleasures derives - have no regard for the enjoyment of pleasures except on account of the use that is served; for charity does not exist if there are no works of charity. It is in the exercise of it, that is, in use, that charity consists. Someone who loves the neighbour as himself never experiences the delight of charity except in the exercise of it, or in use. Consequently the life of charity is a life of uses. Such life pervades the whole of heaven, for the Lord's kingdom, being a kingdom of mutual love, is a kingdom of uses. Every pleasure therefore that springs from charity finds its delight in use, and the more pre-eminent the use the greater the delight. For this reason it is the very being and nature of a use which determines the happiness that angels have from the Lord.
ttt[2] The situation with every pleasure is that the more pre-eminent its use is, the greater is its delight. Take one example, the delight of conjugial love: since the seed-bed of human society derives from it, and from that seed-bed the Lord's kingdom in heaven, which constitutes the greatest use of all, it therefore contains, as has been stated, so much delight within itself as to constitute heavenly happiness. The same applies to all other pleasures, their differences depending on the excellence of their respective uses. Those uses are so many and various that they can scarcely be divided into genera and species. One use will relate more closely and directly to the Lord's kingdom, or the Lord, another more remotely and indirectly. From these considerations it is also clear that all pleasures are available to man, yet only for the sake of the use they serve; and thus though they vary according to the use they serve, they share in and receive their life from heavenly happiness.
ppp22846#pid#998. Verse `Genesis 9bbbccc4` Only you shall not eat flesh with its soul, its blood.
'Flesh' means what belongs to man's will, 'soul' new life, 'blood' charity, while 'not eating' means not mixing together. Consequently 'not eating flesh with its soul, the blood' means not mixing unholy things together with holy.
ppp22845#pid#999. That 'flesh' means what belongs to man's will is clear from the meaning of 'flesh' in its proper sense when used in connection with corrupt mankind. In general 'flesh' means the whole of mankind, in particular the bodily-minded - see what has been shown already in `@@@574`. And because it means the whole of mankind, and in particular the bodily-minded, it means that which is specifically man's own, and therefore that which constitutes his will. That which constitutes his will - that is, the will itself - is nothing but evil. Consequently 'flesh', used in reference to mankind because it is such, means all evil desire or all craving. For, as shown several times already, the human will is nothing but evil desire. And because flesh had that meaning, the flesh the people craved in the wilderness had the same representation too. That craving is described in Moses as follows,
The mixed multitude that were among them had a strong craving, and so they wept repeatedly and said, Who will give us flesh to eat? `Numbers 11bbb4`.
Here 'flesh' is plainly called 'craving', for it is said that 'they had a strong craving, [saying,] Who will give us flesh?' The same meaning is in like manner clear from what is said further on in that chapter,
While the flesh was yet between their teeth, before they had chewed it, the anger of Jehovah was kindled against the people, and Jehovah smote the people with a very great plague. And the name of that place was called Graves of Craving, for they buried there the people that craved. `Numbers 11bbb33-34`.
ttt[2] Anyone may see that such a plague could not possibly have spread among the people simply because they had craved for flesh. It did not spread because of a craving for flesh, for this is quite natural for someone when he has been kept from eating for a long time, as was the case at that time with the people in the wilderness. There was a deeper - a spiritual - cause to the plague, namely, that those people were such as utterly loathed that which was meant by and represented by 'the manna', as is also clear in verse `Genesis 9bbbccc6` of the same chapter. They desired solely such things as were meant and represented by 'flesh', that is to say, things belonging to their own will, which consisted of evil desires and were in themselves putrid and profane. It was because that Church, as a result of the representation of such things, was a representative Church that the people experienced so severe a plague. For the events that took place among the people were represented in a spiritual way in heaven. In heaven 'the manna' represented what is heavenly, and 'the flesh which they craved' the foulness of their own will. Consequently, such being their nature, they were punished. From these and other places in the Word it becomes clear that 'flesh' means what belongs to the will, here the merely human will. How filthy that will is, see under verse `Genesis 9bbbccc2` of this chapter where 'the beasts of the earth' is the subject.
ppp22844#pid#1000. 'Soul' means life. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'soul' in many places in the Word. In general 'soul' in the Word means life in its entirety, the internal life, or that of the internal man, as well as the external, or that of the external man. And because it means life in its entirety it means the nature of the life present in the one to whom 'soul' has reference. In this case it has reference to the life of someone who is regenerate, which is separate from the merely human will. For as stated already, the new life which a regenerate spiritual person receives from the Lord is completely separate from the person s own will or proprium, that is, from the life that is his own, which though called such is not really life but death because it is the life belonging to hell. This is why 'flesh with its soul which they were not to eat' means flesh together with its soul, that is, they were not to mix together this new life which is the Lord's with the evil or putrid life that is man's, that is, with his own will or proprium.
ppp22843#pid#1001. 'Blood' means charity, as becomes clear from many considerations, and so means the new will part which a regenerate spiritual person receives from the Lord. This new will part is identical with charity, for it is from charity that the new will takes form. Indeed charity, or love, is the essential element or the life of the will, for nobody can possibly say he wills something unless he takes delight in it or loves it. When people say they have something in mind this does not imply that they will it, unless will is implicit in thought. This new will which is one of charity is 'the blood' here. It is not the person's own but the Lord's residing with him. And because it is the Lord's it must never be mixed together with things that belong to the person's own will which, as stated, is so foul. This was the reason why in the representative Church people were commanded not to eat flesh with its soul, that is, not to eat the blood. That is to say, they were not to mix the one with the other. Because 'blood' meant charity it meant that which was holy, and because 'flesh' meant what belonged to the merely human will, it meant that which was unholy. And because these, being opposites, were quite separate, people were forbidden to eat blood. For in those times 'the eating of flesh together with the blood' was representative in heaven of profanation, or the mixing together of holy and unholy - which representation in heaven could do nothing else than strike the angels with horror. For at that period of time all things that took place among members of the Church were converted among angels - according to the meaning such things had in the internal sense - into corresponding spiritual representations.
ttt[2] Since the nature of everything depends on that of the person to whom it refers, the same holds true with regard to the meaning of blood. When it refers to a regenerate spiritual person 'blood' means charity or love towards the neighbour. When it refers to a regenerate celestial person it means love to the Lord. But when it refers to the Lord it means the whole of His Human Essence, and so Love itself, which is His mercy towards the human race. Consequently since 'blood' in general means love and what belongs to love, it means heavenly things that are the Lord's alone, and so in reference to man it means the heavenly things a person receives from the Lord. The heavenly things that a regenerate spiritual person receives from the Lord are celestial-spiritual. These in the Lord's Divine mercy will be dealt with elsewhere.
ttt[3] That 'blood' means heavenly things, and in the highest sense meant the Lord's Human Essence, and so Love itself, which is His mercy towards the human race, becomes clear from the sacredness that the Jewish representative Church was required to attach to blood. For this reason blood was called 'the blood of the covenant'. It was sprinkled over the people, and also, together with the anointing oil, over Aaron and his sons. And [the blood] of every burnt offering and sacrifice was sprinkled over and around the altar. For these details, see `Exodus 12bbb7`, `Exodus 12bbbccc13`, `Exodus 12bbbccc22-23`; `Exodus ccc24bbb6`, `Exodus 24bbbccc8`; `Leviticus 1bbb5`, `Leviticus 1bbbccc11`, `Leviticus 1bbbccc15`; `Leviticus ccc4bbb6-7`, `Leviticus 4bbbccc17-18`, `Leviticus 4bbbccc25`, `Leviticus 4bbbccc30`, `Leviticus 4bbbccc34`; `Leviticus ccc5bbb9`; `Leviticus ccc16bbb12-15`; `Leviticus ccc18bbb0`, `Leviticus ccc19bbb0`; `Numbers 18bbb17`; `Deuteronomy 12bbb27`.
ttt[4] Because blood was held to be so holy, and what belonged to the merely human will was so unholy, they were strictly forbidden to eat blood because this represented the profanation of what is holy, as in Moses,
It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations, in all your dwelling-places, that you shall not eat any fat or any blood. `Leviticus 3bbb17`.
'Fat' stands for celestial life, and 'blood' in this instance for celestial-spiritual life. The celestial-spiritual is that which is spiritual having a celestial origin, as with the Most Ancient Church. With them love to the Lord was the celestial because this had been implanted in their will, while that which was celestial-spiritual with them was faith flowing from it, dealt with in `@@@30-38`, `@@@337`, `@@@793`, `@@@398`. But with a spiritual person the celestial does not exist, only the celestial-spiritual, because charity is implanted in the understanding part of his mind.
In the same author,
As for anyone from the house of Israel or from the sojourner sojourning among them who eats any blood, I will set My face`fff1` against the soul eating blood and will cut him off from among his people, for the soul of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it for you upon the altar, to make atonement for your souls, for the blood itself will make atonement by reason of the soul. The soul of all flesh is the blood of it; everyone eating it shall be cut off. `Leviticus 17bbb10-11`, `Leviticus 17bbbccc14`.
Here it is plainly stated that the soul of the flesh is in the blood and that the soul of [all] flesh is the blood, or that which is celestial, that is, that which is holy and is the Lord's.
ttt[5] In the same author,
Be sure that you do not eat blood, for the blood is the soul and you shall not eat the soul with the flesh. `Deuteronomy 12bbb23-25`.
From these words similarly it is clear that the blood is called the soul, that is, celestial life, or that which is celestial, and was represented by the burnt offerings and sacrifices of that Church. In a similar way, it was the requirement not to mingle that which was celestial - the Lord's Proprium, which alone is celestial and holy - with man's proprium, which is unholy, that was represented also by their being forbidden to make a sacrifice of, that is, to offer, the blood of the sacrifice with anything leavened, `Exodus 23bbb18`; `Exodus ccc34bbb25`. That which was 'leavened' meant that which was corrupt and filthy.
ttt[6] The reason Why 'blood' is called the soul and means the holiness of charity, and why the holiness of love was represented in the Jewish Church by 'blood', is that the life of the body lies in the blood. And because the life of the body lies in the blood it is its ultimate soul, so that the blood therefore may be called the bodily soul, or the place where a person's bodily life resides. And because in representative Churches internal things were represented by external, the soul or celestial life was therefore represented by 'the blood'.
`nnn1. literally, faces
ppp22842#pid#1002. 'Not eating' means not mixing together. This follows from what has been said above. Regarded in itself eating animal flesh is something profane, for in most ancient times people never ate the flesh of any beast or bird, but only different kinds of grain, especially wheaten bread, also the fruit of trees, vegetables, milk, and milk products such as butter. Slaughtering living creatures and eating their flesh was to them abominable, akin to the behaviour of wild animals. Service and use alone was demanded of those creatures, as is clear from `Genesis 1bbb29-30`. But in the process of time when mankind began to be as savage as wild animals, indeed more savage, they first began to slaughter living creatures and eat their flesh. And because man had become such, he was permitted to do so and is still permitted today. And insofar as he does so from conscience, it is quite legitimate, for his conscience is given form from all those things he presumes to be true and so legitimate. Consequently nobody nowadays stands in any sense condemned because he eats meat.
ppp22841#pid#1003. That 'not eating flesh with its soul, its blood' means not mixing together unholy things with holy is now clear from what has been stated above. Unholy things are in no way mixed with holy through somebody's eating blood along with the flesh, as also the Lord clearly teaches in Matthew,
Not what goes into the mouth renders a man unclean, but what comes out of the mouth, this renders the man unclean. For the things which come out of the mouth come out of the heart. `Matthew 15bbb11`, `Matthew 15bbbccc17-20`.
It was prohibited in the Jewish Church however because in heaven, as stated, eating blood along with the flesh in those days represented profanation. Everything that took place in that Church was converted in heaven into corresponding representatives. Blood in particular was converted into that which is holy and celestial, while flesh, with the exception of that offered in sacrifices, was converted into that which is unholy, because, as has been shown, it meant evil desires. The mere eating of the two in those times was converted into a mixing together of what is holy and of what is unholy. This was why the practice was so strictly forbidden in those days. But after the Lord's Coming when external rites were abolished and so representatives came to an end, such things ceased after that to be converted in heaven into corresponding representatives. For when a man becomes internal, and has been informed concerning internal things, external things are of no importance to him. He is now aware of what holiness really is, namely, charity and faith deriving from it. Things with him which are external he now regards from the viewpoint of charity and faith, that is to say, he looks to see how much charity and faith in the Lord external things contain. This is why since the Lord's Coming heaven has looked at mankind not from the viewpoint of external things but of internal. And if anyone is looked at from the viewpoint of those things that are external it is because he dwells in simplicity, and in innocence and charity within that simplicity. These are present with him from the Lord in external things, that is, in his external worship, though he himself is not actually aware of this.
ppp22840#pid#1004. Verse `Genesis 9bbbccc5` And I will certainly require your blood with your souls; at the hand of every wild animal I will require it, and at the hand of man, at the hand of his brother man (vir) I will require the soul of man. 'Requiring your blood with your souls' means that violence done to charity will punish itself, 'your blood' here meaning violence, 'souls' people who do violence. 'At the hand of every wild animal' means from everything violent residing with a person. 'At the hand of man' is from his entire will. 'At the hand of brother man' is from his entire understanding. 'Requiring the soul of man' is avenging profanation.
ppp22839#pid#1005. That 'requiring your blood with your souls' means that violence done to charity will punish itself, 'blood' meaning violence, and 'souls' people who do violence, is clear from what comes before and after, and also from the meaning of 'blood' in the contrary sense, as well as from the meaning of 'soul' in the contrary sense. First from what comes before in the previous verse referring to the eating of blood, which, as shown, meant profanation, and from what comes after in the next verse referring to the shedding of blood, it is consequently clear that the subject here is the state and the punishment of one who mixes holy things with unholy. It is further clear from the meaning of 'blood' in the contrary sense, in that 'blood' in the genuine sense means that which is celestial and in reference to a regenerate spiritual person means charity - which constitutes the celestial in his case - but in the contrary sense means violence done to charity, and therefore that which is contrary to charity, namely all hatred, all revenge, all cruelty, and especially profanation, as becomes clear from the places in the Word that are quoted in `@@@374`, `@@@376`. Finally it is clear from the meaning of 'soul' in the contrary sense, in that in the Word 'soul' means life, in general, and so everybody who lives, but also means, since a person's life is by nature what he himself is, any individual who does violence. This may be confirmed from many parts of the Word, but for the moment let solely the following from Moses do so,
He who eats blood, I will set My face`fff1` against the soul eating blood, and I will cut him off from among his people, for the soul of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it upon the altar, to make atonement for your souls, for the blood itself will make atonement by reason of the soul. `Leviticus 17bbb10-11`, `Leviticus 17bbbccc14`.
Here 'soul' stands for life in three different senses, as it does many times elsewhere. The fact that violence done to charity will punish itself will be clear from what follows.
`nnn1. literally, faces
ppp22838#pid#1006. 'At the hand of every wild animal' means from everything violent residing with a person. This is clear from the meaning of 'a wild animal'. In the Word 'wild animal' means that which is living, as shown in `@@@908`. But in the contrary sense 'wild animal' means that which is like a wild animal, and so whatever is savage in man. This too has been shown already. Consequently 'wild animal' means someone whose life is such, that is to say, a violent person or one who does violence to charity; for he is indeed like a wild animal. Love and charity make a person human, while hatred, revenge, and cruelty make a wild animal of him.
ppp22837#pid#1007. 'At the hand of man' means from his entire will, and 'at the hand of brother man' from his entire understanding. This is clear from the meaning of 'man' (homo), for the essential element and life of a person is his will - indeed the character of the will determines that of the person; and from the meaning of 'brother man' (vir), for where the understanding resides in man it is called 'brother man', as shown already in `@@@367`. Whether the understanding residing there is true, spurious, or false, it is still called 'brother man'. In fact the understanding is called 'a man' (vir), `@@@158`, `@@@265`, and 'the brother' of the will, `@@@367`. The reason why a defiled will and a defiled understanding are here called 'a man' (homo) and 'brother man' (vir) is that the subject here is profanation, the mere mention and consequent representation of which is not tolerated in heaven but instantly rejected with disgust. This is why such mild expressions are employed here. The sense of the words of the verse can be taken two different ways so to speak, so as to prevent those in heaven knowing that this verse contains such matters.
ppp22836#pid#1008. 'Requiring the soul of man' is avenging profanation. This is clear from what has been stated in the previous verse and in the present one, for the subject is the eating of blood, which means profanation. Few know what profanation is, still less what the penalty for it may be in the next life. Profanation takes many forms. A person who totally denies the truths of faith does not profane them any more than gentiles do who live outside of the Church and outside of all knowledge of them. That person profanes however who does know the truths of faith, and still more one who acknowledges them, bears them on his lips, proclaims them, and persuades others of the truth of them, while at the same time he leads a life of hatred, revenge, cruelty, robbery, and adultery, and confirms such behaviour in himself by many statements which he scrapes together from the Word. He profanes by perverting the truths of faith, and so immerses them in those foul deeds. This is the person who profanes, and these are the things that above all else spell death to a person. That they spell death becomes clear from the fact that in the next life unholy things are completely separated from holy, the unholy being in hell, and the holy in heaven. When this type of person enters the next life, every idea within his thought contains holy things clinging to unholy, as it was during his lifetime. There he is unable to produce one idea of what is holy without the unholy that clings to it being seen clear as daylight; for such perception of another person's ideas exists in the next life. So in every detail of his thinking profanation manifests itself, and because heaven has such a horror of profanation he is inevitably forced down into hell.
ttt[2] The nature of ideas is hardly known to anyone. People imagine that there is nothing complex about them, when in fact every idea within thought contains countless elements variously linked together so as to produce a certain form and consequent picture image of the person, the whole of which is perceived and even seen with the eyes in the next life. Take this merely as an example: When the idea of a place comes to mind - whether of a region, or a city, or a house - the idea and an image of all the things the person has ever done in that place crop up at the same time, and spirits and angels see them all. Or, if the idea of somebody whom he has hated presents itself, the idea of all he has thought, said, and done against that person arises at the same time. The same applies to ideas of all things, but when these present themselves every single detail that he has conceived of and impressed upon himself regarding a particular matter becomes apparent. For instance, if he has been an adulterer, when the idea of marriage crops up, all the muck and filth of adultery, even of thought about it, does so too, likewise all the arguments used to confirm adulterous practices, whether based on the evidence of the senses, or on rational grounds, or on the Word. And the way in which he has adulterated and perverted the truths of the Word crops up too.
ttt[3] Furthermore, the idea of one thing merges into the idea of the next and colours it just as a tiny quantity of black placed in water darkens the whole volume of water. Consequently a spirit is recognized by his ideas, and what is remarkable, each one of his ideas bears his own image or likeness. When such an idea is presented visually it is so ugly that it is horrible to look at. All this makes clear the nature of the state of people who profane holy things, and the image they present in the next life. But people who in simplicity have believed statements made in the Word can never be said to profane holy things, not even if they have believed statements which are not literally true; for what is said in the Word is expressed in accordance with appearances, about which see `@@@589`.
ppp22835#pid#1009. Verse `Genesis 9bbbccc6` Whoever sheds man's blood in man, his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God He made man.
'Shedding man's blood in man' means destroying charity; 'in man' is residing with man. 'His blood shall be shed' means his condemnation. 'For in the image of God He made man' means charity, which is the image of God.
ppp22834#pid#1010. That 'shedding man's blood in man' means destroying charity, and 'in man' means residing with man, is clear from the meaning of 'blood', dealt with already, as the holiness of charity, and from the fact that the expression 'man's blood in man' is used, that is, his internal life, which does not reside in him but with him. For the Lord's life is charity, which does not reside within man, since man is filthy and unholy, but with him. That 'shedding blood' is doing violence to charity is clear from places in the Word, including those quoted already in `@@@374`, `@@@376`, where it has been shown that violence done to charity is called 'blood'.
ttt[2] In the sense of the letter 'shedding blood' is killing, but in the internal sense it is hating the neighbour, as the Lord teaches in Matthew,
You have heard that it was said to the men of old, You shall not kill, and whoever skills will be liable to judgement. But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without cause will be liable to judgement. `Matthew 5bbb21-22`.
Here 'being angry' means departing from charity - about which see what has been said already in `@@@357` - and consequently hatred. Someone who hates not only has no charity but also does violence to it, that is, he 'sheds blood'. It is in hatred that murder lies, as is quite clear from the fact that the one desire of him who hates another is to have him killed. And but for the external restraints holding him back he would kill him. This is why killing 'a brother' and 'shedding his blood' is hatred. And being hatred, it is present in every idea he has against him. It is similar with profanation. As has been stated, a person who profanes the Word not only hates the truth but also annihilates it or slays it. This is quite clear in the next life from people who have been guilty of profanation. Although in outward appearance they have been honest, wise, and devout during their lifetime, in the next life they hold in deadly hatred the Lord, and also all goods that stem from love, and all truths of faith, the reason being that these are contrary to all their inner hatred, robbery, and adultery which they have covered over with a display of holiness while adulterating those goods and truths to their own advantage.
ttt[3] That profanation is meant by 'blood' is clear from the following in Moses, in addition to the places quoted already in `@@@374`,
Anyone from the house of Israel who slays an ox or a lamb or a goat in the camp, or who slays it outside the camp, and does not bring it to the door of the Tent of Meeting, to offer it as a gift to Jehovah before the dwelling-place of Jehovah, blood will be imputed to that man; he has shed blood, and that man will be cut off from among his people. `Leviticus 17bbb3-4`.
Sacrificing anywhere else than on the altar at the Tent of Meeting represented profanation, for 'offering sacrifice' was holy, but offering it 'in the camp' or 'outside the camp' was unholy.
ppp22833#pid#1011. 'His blood shall be shed' means his condemnation. This is clear from what has been stated. The sense of the letter implies that anyone who sheds blood, that is, who is a murderer, must be punished with death, but the internal sense implies that hatred of the neighbour condemns a person to death, that is, to hell, as the Lord also teaches in Matthew,
Whoever says to his brother, You fool! will be liable to the Gehenna of fire. `Matthew 5bbb22`.
Indeed when charity has been destroyed a person is left to himself and his proprium. He is no longer governed by the Lord by means of internal bonds, which are those of conscience, but by external bonds which are those of the law and those which he imposes upon himself so that he may be powerful and wealthy. And once these bonds are loosed, as indeed happens in the next life, he rushes into the most merciless and disgusting practices, and so to his own condemnation. 'His blood shall be shed who sheds blood' is a law of retaliation very well known to the ancients, by which they judged evil-minded and criminal acts, as is clear from many places in the Word. This law has its origin in the universal law, Do to your neighbour only what you would like others to do to you, `Matthew 7bbb12`, and also in the fact that the order embracing everything in the next life is such that evil punishes itself, as does falsity also, so that evil and falsity carry their own punishment And because order is such that evil punishes itself, or what amounts to the same, an evil man rushes into a form of punishment answering to his evil, the ancients derived from it their law of retaliation. It also is what is meant by the pronouncement here that 'whoever sheds blood his blood shall be shed', that is, he will rush into condemnation.
ppp22832#pid#1012. The literal sense of the words 'whoever sheds man's blood in man, his blood shall be shed' implies someone shedding another' s blood, whereas the internal sense does not imply another's blood but the charity residing with oneself. Hence also the wording 'man's blood in man'. Sometimes when the literal sense refers to two people, only one person is meant in the internal sense. 'Man within man' is the internal man, and therefore whoever destroys charity which belongs to the internal man, or is the internal man himself, 'his blood shall be shed', that is, he condemns himself.
ppp22831#pid#1013. 'For in the image of God He made man' means charity, which is the image of God. This follows as a consequence of what is said above. Immediately above the subject was charity, meant by 'blood'. And the command not to destroy it was meant by the statement that men should not shed blood. The statement that comes next, 'in the image of God He made man', makes it clear that charity is the image of God. What the image of God is, scarcely anybody knows nowadays. People say that the image of God was lost in the first man whom they call Adam; and that in him it was an image of God which, they assert, possessed a certain perfection with which they are not acquainted. Perfection there was indeed, for Adam or Man is used to mean the Most Ancient Church, which was celestial man and had perception such as no subsequent Church was to have. For this reason it was also the likeness of the Lord. The likeness of the Lord means love to Him.
ttt[2] Afterwards in the process of time this Church perished, at which point the Lord created a new one, which was not a celestial Church but a spiritual. This Church was not a likeness but an image of the Lord. An image means spiritual love, that is, love towards the neighbour, which is charity, as also shown already in `@@@50`, `@@@51`. The fact that this Church was an image of the Lord by virtue of spiritual love, or charity, is clear from the present verse, while the fact that charity itself is the image of the Lord is clear from the consideration that it is said 'for in the image of God He made man', that is to say, charity itself made him. That charity is the image of God is absolutely clear from what is the very essence of love or charity. Nothing but love and charity can make anyone into a likeness or into an image. The essence of love and charity is to make two people so to speak into one. When one person loves another as himself, and more than himself, he sees the other in himself, and himself in the other. This anyone can appreciate if only he will direct his attention to what love is, or to persons who love one another mutually. The will of the one is that of the other; they are as it were inwardly joined together, and are separate from each other in body only.
ttt[3] Love to the Lord makes man one with the Lord, that is, makes a likeness; charity or love towards the neighbour also makes him one with Him, but makes an image. An image is not a likeness but that which approaches a likeness. This oneness that arises from love the Lord Himself describes in John,
I pray that they may all be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in Us. The glory which You have given Me I have given to them that they may be one even as We are one, I in them and You in Me. `John 17bbb21-23`.
This oneness is that mystical union which some people have in mind, a union which is achieved through love alone. In the same gospel,
Because I live you will live also; in that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. He who has My commandments and does them, he it is who loves Me. If a man loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. `John 14bbb19-21`, `John 14bbbccc27`.
From these quotations it is clear that love is what joins together and that the Lord has His home with the person who loves Him and also with him who loves the neighbour, for to love the neighbour is to love the Lord.
ttt[4] This union which makes a likeness and an image cannot be seen very easily in the human race; but it can be seen in heaven where all angels are so to speak one by virtue of their mutual love. Each community, which consists of very many angels, constitutes as it were one person. And all the communities together, that is, the whole of heaven, constitute one human being, also called the Grand Man, see `@@@457`, `@@@550`. The whole of heaven is a likeness of the Lord, for the Lord is the All in all of those who are there. Each community is a likeness too, and so is each angel. Celestial angels are likenesses, spiritual angels are images. Heaven therefore consists of as many likenesses of the Lord as there are angels, and this is achieved solely by means of mutual love which entails one loving another more than himself, see `@@@548`, `@@@549`. For the situation is this: For heaven in general, or heaven as a whole, to be a likeness, its parts - which are the individual angels - must be likenesses, or images that approach likenesses. For unless the general whole consists of parts so to speak like itself, it is not something general making one. From these things as from the basic idea, one may see what makes a likeness or an image of God, namely love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour. In consequence every regenerate spiritual person is an image of the Lord by virtue of love or charity, which are from the Lord alone. And whoever is governed by charity from the Lord is in a state of perfection. This perfection will in the Lord's Divine mercy be described later on.
ppp22830#pid#1014. Verse `Genesis 9bbbccc7` And you, be fruitful and multiply; swarm over the earth and multiply in it.
'Be fruitful and multiply' here, as previously, means increases in good and truth in the interior man, 'being fruitful' having reference to goods, and 'multiplying' to truths. 'Swarm over the earth and multiply in it' means increases in good and truth in the external man, which man is 'the earth' - 'swarming' having reference to goods, 'multiplying' to truths.
ppp22829#pid#1015. That 'be fruitful and multiply' means increases in good and truth in the interior man, 'being fruitful' having reference to goods and 'multiplying' to truths, is clear from what has been shown already at verse `Genesis 9bbbccc1` of this chapter where the same words occur. That they reside with the interior man becomes clear from the second half of this verse where the imperative multiply is repeated. This would be an unnecessary and therefore pointless repetition if it did not mean something specific, different from the previous use of the word. From these considerations, and from others mentioned so far, it is clear that here being fruitful and multiplying have reference to goods and truths residing with the interior man. The expression 'interior man' is used because, as shown above, one is an internal man in regard to celestial and spiritual things which are the Lord' s alone, but an interior or intermediate man between internal man and external in regard to rational things, and an external man in regard to affections for good and to memory knowledge.
ttt[2] That man is such has been shown in the opening sections of this chapter, in `@@@978`, but the reason why the individual is not conscious of them during his life in the body is that he is immersed in bodily things. Therefore he does not know of the existence of interior things, let alone about their existing distinctly and separately in such order. Yet, if he is willing to reflect, their existence is evident to him when he is wrapped in thought detached from the body and is thinking so to speak within his spirit. The reason being fruitful and multiplying have reference to the interior man, which is the rational, is that the activity of the internal man is not felt except very generally in the interior man, for limitless integral parts manifest themselves in the interior as one general, indeed very general, whole. How limitless those integral parts are, how they interrelate and manifest themselves as an obscure and very general whole, becomes clear from what has been shown already in `@@@545`.
ppp22828#pid#1016. 'Swarm over the earth and multiply in it' means increases in good and truth in the external man, which man is 'the earth' - 'swarming' having reference to goods, and 'multiplying' to truths. This is clear from what has just been stated, and also from the meaning of 'the earth' as the external man. For these matters, see what has been stated and shown at verse `Genesis 9bbbccc1` of this chapter, in `@@@983`.
ttt[2] The expressions 'swarm over the earth' and so 'multiply in it' are used for the following reason: With a regenerate person nothing multiplies in his external man, that is, no good or truth at all is ever increased, unless it is the product of charity. Charity is like the warmth in springtime or summer that causes grass, plants, and trees to grow. Without charity, or spiritual warmth, nothing grows, and this is why the first expression used here is 'swarm over the earth' which has reference to goods that flow from charity, by means of which good and truth are multiplied. Anyone may grasp how this is so; nothing with a person grows and multiplies unless some affection is there. The delight that is part of the affection not only causes something to take root, but also causes it to grow. Everything depends on the influence of the affection.
ttt[3] That which a person loves he freely takes in, retains, and treasures - and so everything that supports some affection. Those which do not support it he has no interest in, regards as worthless, in fact rejects. But the character of the affection determines that of the multiplication. With somebody who is regenerate it is an affection for good and truth deriving from charity given by the Lord. Consequently whatever supports an affection deriving from charity he takes in, retains, and treasures, and so strengthens himself in goods and truths. This is what is meant by 'swarm over the earth and multiply'.
ppp22827#pid#1017. That the nature of the multiplying depends on the character of the affection, let the person serve as an example who accepts the basic assumption that faith alone saves somebody even when he does not perform any charitable action, that is, has no charity, and so separates faith from charity. Such a person separates faith from charity not only because he has accepted that assumption since earliest childhood, but also because he really does think that if anyone were to say that charity, or the works of charity, were the essential constituent of faith and led a devout life on those grounds he would inevitably be placing merit in works, which however is a falsity. Thus he rejects charity and considers the works of charity to be worthless, and so keeps solely to the idea of faith, which is no faith at all when devoid of its essential, which is charity. As long as he confirms himself in that assumption he in no way acts from an affection for good but from the affection inherent in the delight of being able to live without any restriction on his evil desires. And anyone among those like this who relies on many different facts to confirm that assumption does not act from an affection for truth but from glory of self, in order that he may consequently appear greater, more learned, and more eminent than everybody else, and so be promoted to the ranks of the distinguished and wealthy. Thus he acts from the delight accompanying the affection, and this delight causes things of a confirmatory nature to multiply, for as stated, the character of the affection determines that of the multiplication. In general, if a basic assumption is false, nothing but falsities can possibly result from it. In fact everything conforms to the basic assumption. Indeed, as I know from experience, which in the Lord's Divine mercy I will describe elsewhere, people who confirm themselves in such basic assumptions concerning faith alone and who have not been governed at all by charity, pay no attention to, and so to speak do not see, all that the Lord has said so many times about love and charity, as in `Matthew 3bbb8-9`; `Matthew ccc5bbb7`, `Matthew 5bbbccc43-48`; `Matthew ccc6bbb12`, `Matthew 6bbbccc15`; `Matthew ccc7bbb1-20`; `Matthew ccc9bbb13`; `Matthew ccc12bbb33`; `Matthew ccc13bbb8`, `Matthew 13bbbccc27`; `Matthew ccc18bbb21`- end; `Matthew ccc19bbb19`; `Matthew ccc22bbb35-39`; `Matthew ccc24bbb12-13`; `Matthew ccc25bbb34`, `Matthew 25bbbccc40`, `Matthew 25bbbccc41`, `Matthew 25bbbccc45`; `Mark 4bbb18-20`; `Mark ccc11bbb13-14`, `Mark 11bbbccc20`; `Mark ccc12bbb28-34`; `Luke 3bbb8-9`; `Luke ccc6bbb27-38`, `Luke 6bbbccc43`-end; `Luke ccc7bbb47`; `Luke ccc8bbb8`, `Luke 8bbbccc14-15`; `Luke ccc10bbb25-28`; `Luke ccc12bbb58-59`; `Luke ccc13bbb6-9`; `John 3bbb19`, `John 3bbbccc21`; `John ccc5bbb42`; `John ccc13bbb34-35`; `John ccc14bbb15`, `John 14bbbccc21`, `John 14bbbccc23`; `John ccc15bbb1-17`; `John ccc21bbb15-17`.
ppp22826#pid#1018. The reason why the statement found in verse `Genesis 9bbbccc1` of this chapter 'be fruitful and multiply' is repeated here is that the conclusion is reached at this point. This statement means that everything will go well and will bear fruit and multiply if people refrain from what is meant by 'eating blood' and by 'shedding blood', that is to say, if they do not destroy charity by acts of hatred and profanation.
ppp22825#pid#1019. Verse `Genesis 9bbbccc8` And God said to Noah and to his sons with him, saying,
'God said to Noah and to his sons with him, saying' means the truth of the things that follow concerning the spiritual Church, meant by 'Noah and his sons with him'.
ppp22824#pid#1020. That these things are meant becomes clear from the fact that everything put together as history from `Genesis 1bbb0` down to Eber in Chapter `Genesis ccc11bbb0` means something different from what appears in the letter, and from the consideration that the historical narratives there are purely made-up history customary among the most ancient people. When attesting the truth of some matter they would say that 'Jehovah said it'. Here however 'God' is used because the subject is the spiritual Church. And they did the same when anything true was being, or had been, put into effect.
ppp22823#pid#1021. That 'Noah and his sons with him' means the Ancient Church has been shown already and will be clear in subsequent parts of this chapter. Consequently there is no need to pause and confirm the point here.
ppp22822#pid#1022. Verses `Genesis 9bbbccc9-10` And I, behold I, am establishing My covenant with you, and with your seed after you, and with every living soul that is with you - with birds, with beasts, and with every wild animal of the earth with you; from all that are going out of the ark, even every wild animal of the earth.
'And I, behold I am establishing My covenant' means the Lord's presence in charity. 'With you' means a regenerate spiritual person. 'And with your seed after you' means those who are being created anew. 'With every living soul that is with you' means in general all things which with a person have been regenerated. 'With birds' means specifically the things of his understanding. 'With beasts' means specifically the things of his new will. 'With every wild animal of the earth' means lower things of the understanding or will which derive from these. 'With you' here, as previously, means the things that reside with a spiritual regenerate person. 'From all that are going out of the ark' means members of the Church. 'Even every wild animal of the earth' means people outside of the Church.
ppp22821#pid#1023. That 'and I, behold I am establishing My covenant' means the Lord's presence in charity becomes clear from the meaning of 'a covenant', dealt with in `@@@666`, where it was shown that 'a covenant' means regeneration, and in particular the conjunction of the Lord with a regenerate person by means of love. It was also shown there that the heavenly marriage is the actual covenant itself, and that consequently the heavenly marriage exists with every regenerate person. The nature of this marriage or covenant has also been shown already.
ttt[2] The heavenly marriage with the member of the Most Ancient Church existed in the area of his own will, but the heavenly marriage with the member of the Ancient Church came into existence in the area of his own understanding. Actually when the will part of man's mind had become utterly corrupted, the Lord in miraculous fashion separated the area of his own understanding from that corrupted will part, and within the area of man's own understanding He formed a new will, which is conscience. Into conscience He infused charity, and into charity innocence, and in this manner joined Himself to man, or what amounts to the same, established a covenant with him.
ttt[3] To the extent that the area of a person's own will can be separated from this understanding part the Lord is able to be present with him, that is, to join Himself or establish a covenant with him. Temptations and similar means of regeneration render inactive the area of a person's own will, so that it is reduced to nothing and so to speak dies. To the extent that this happens the Lord can operate within charity by means of conscience implanted in the area of a person's own understanding. This is what is called 'a covenant' here.
ppp22820#pid#1024. That 'with you' means a regenerate spiritual person is clear from what has been stated frequently already; that is to say, 'Noah and his sons' means the spiritual Church which came after the Most Ancient, which was celestial. And because it means the Church, it means each member of the Church, and so a regenerate spiritual person.
ppp22819#pid#1025. That 'with your seed after you' means those who are being created anew is clear from the meaning of 'seed' and also from what follows. It is clear from the meaning of 'seed', in that in the literal sense 'seed' means descendants, but in the internal sense faith; and because faith, as stated often, does not exist except where charity does so, it is charity itself that is meant in the internal sense by 'seed'. And from what follows it is clear that not only the person inside the Church is the subject but also he who is outside the Church, and so the whole of the human race. Wherever there is charity, even among gentiles furthest away from the Church, the seed is there, for heavenly seed is charity. Indeed nobody at all can do anything good from himself; everything good comes from the Lord. The good that gentiles do, who in the Lord's Divine mercy will be dealt with later on, also comes from the Lord. That the seed of God is faith has been shown already in `@@@255`. By faith, there and in other places, is meant charity from which faith flows, for no faith that is really faith exists apart from faith that is an expression of charity.
ttt[2] The same applies elsewhere in the Word where 'seed' is mentioned; for example, where the seed of Abraham, or Isaac, or Jacob is referred to, love or charity is meant. Actually Abraham represented celestial love, Isaac spiritual love, both of which belong to the internal man, while Jacob represented the same as they exist with the external man. This applies not only in prophetical but also in historical sections. In heaven it is not the historical descriptions of the Word that are perceived but the things that those descriptions mean, for the Word has been written not only for the sake of man but also for that of angels. When man reads the Word and gains from it no more than the literal sense, the angels do not gain the literal sense but the internal sense. The material, worldly, and bodily ideas man has when reading the Word become with angels spiritual and celestial ideas. While man is reading about Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, for example, the angels do not have Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob in mind at all but those real things which are represented and so meant by them.
ttt[3] The same applies with Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Angels have no knowledge of those people nor do they perceive anything else but the Ancient Church. More interior angels do not even perceive the Church, but the faith of that Church, and according to the train of thought they perceive the state of the things under discussion. Thus when 'seed' is mentioned in the Word, as here in reference to Noah, in the statement about the covenant being established with them and with their seed after them, angels do not perceive the descendants of those persons, for the man Noah never existed, only the Ancient Church bearing that name. By 'seed' angels understand charity, the essential constituent of the faith of that Church. The same applies to the historical details concerning Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; when their seed is mentioned angels in no way understand the actual descendants of those three but all people throughout the world - both those who are inside the Church and those who are outside - with whom heavenly seed, which is charity, resides. And indeed the more interior angels perceive love itself, which is the heavenly seed - by itself, abstractly.
ttt[4] That 'seed' means love and also everyone who has love is clear from the following places which refer to Abram,
Jehovah said, To your seed I will give this land. `Genesis 12bbb7`.
And also,
All the land which you see I will give to you and to your seed even for ever. And I will make your seed as the dust of the earth. `Genesis 13bbb15-16`.
People who keep to the sense of the letter grasp no more than this - that 'seed' is used to mean Abram's descendants, and 'land' to mean the land of Canaan, especially as that land was given to his descendants. But people possessing the internal sense, as the whole of heaven does, perceive 'the seed of Abram' to be nothing other than love, 'the land of Canaan' as nothing other than the Lord's kingdom in heaven and on earth, and 'the land' being given to them as nothing other than its representative, which in the Lord's Divine mercy will be dealt with elsewhere. A similar usage occurs in another place which refers to Abram,
Jehovah brought him outside and said, Look up now towards heaven, and count the stars, if you are able to count them. And He said to him, So will your seed be. `Genesis 15bbb5`.
Here in like manner, because Abram represented love, which was saving faith, no other descendants are meant in the internal sense by 'his seed' but all people throughout the world who dwell in love.
ttt[5] Similarly,
I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your seed after you. And I will give to you, and to your seed after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an eternal possession; and I will be their God. This is My covenant, which you shall keep between Me and you and your seed after you: every male among you shall be circumcised. `Genesis 17bbb7-8`, `Genesis 17bbbccc10`.
Here too 'establishing a covenant' means the conjunction of the Lord with men throughout the world by means of love, a love represented by Abram. From this it is clear what his seed means, namely all people throughout the world who dwell in love. The covenant involved the circumcision mentioned here. By this heaven never understands circumcision of the flesh but circumcision of the heart - the circumcision received by people who dwell in love. Circumcision was a representative of regeneration by means of love, as is explained clearly in Moses,
Jehovah God will circumcise your heart, and the heart of your seed, so that you will love Jehovah your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. `Deuteronomy 30bbb6`.
From these words it is clear what circumcision is in the internal sense. Consequently wherever circumcision is mentioned it is used to mean nothing other than love and charity, and the life deriving from these.
ttt[6] That 'the seed of Abraham' means all people throughout the world who have love is also clear from the Lord's words to Abraham and to Isaac - to Abraham after he had shown his willingness to sacrifice Isaac as commanded,
I will certainly bless you and I will certainly multiply your seed as the stars of heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore. And your seed will inherit the gate of your enemies, and in your seed all the nations of the earth will be blessed. `Genesis 22bbb17-18`.
Here it is quite clear that 'seed' is used to mean all people throughout the world who have love.
ttt[7] Just as Abraham represented celestial love, as has been stated, so Isaac represented spiritual love; consequently 'the seed of Isaac' means nothing else than all with whom spiritual love, or charity, resides. Of them the following is said,
Sojourn in this land and I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and to your seed I will give all these lands, and I will fulfil the oath which I swore to Abraham your father, and I will cause your seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and I will give to your seed all these lands, and in your seed all the nations of the earth will be blessed. `Genesis 26bbb3-4`, `Genesis 26bbbccc24`.
This clearly means all nations who dwell in charity. Celestial love was represented by Abraham as 'the father' of spiritual love represented by Isaac, for what is spiritual is born from what is celestial, as shown already.
ttt[8] Since Jacob represented the external features of the Church which arise from those that are internal, and so represented all things in the external man that have their origins in love and charity, 'his seed' therefore means all people throughout the world whose worship is external containing internal worship, and whose charitable acts contain charity from the Lord. Concerning that seed Jacob was told, after he had seen the stairway in a dream,
I am Jehovah, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac. The land on which you are lying I will give to you and to your seed, and your seed will be as the dust of the earth. And in you, and in your seed, will all the families of the ground be blessed. `Genesis 18bbb13-14`; `Genesis ccc32bbb12`; `Genesis ccc48bbb4`.
ttt[9] That 'seed' has no other meaning becomes clear from the following places, in addition to those quoted from the Word in `@@@255`. In Isaiah,
You, Israel, My servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham, My friend. `Isaiah 41bbb8`.
This refers to the regeneration of man. When the distinction is made between Israel and Jacob, as it is frequently, 'Israel' means the internal spiritual Church, 'Jacob' the external features of the same Church. Both are called 'the seed of Abraham', that is, of the celestial Church, because celestial, spiritual, and natural follow one another consecutively. In Jeremiah,
I had planted you as a wholly excellent vine, a seed of truth. How have you turned from Me into the degenerate [branches] of a strange vine? `Jeremiah 2bbb21`.
This refers to the spiritual Church, which is 'an excellent vine', whose charity, that is, faith deriving from charity, is called 'a seed of truth'.
ttt[10] the same prophet,
As the host of heaven is unnumbered, and the sand of the sea immeasurable, so I will multiply the seed of David My servant, and the Levites ministering to Me. `Jeremiah 33bbb22`.
Here 'seed' clearly stands for heavenly seed, for 'David' means the Lord. The fact that the seed of David was not like the unnumbered host of heaven, or the immeasurable sand of the sea, is well known to everyone. In the same prophet,
Behold, the days are coming, says Jehovah, and I will raise up for David a righteous branch and He will reign as King, act with understanding, and execute judgement and righteousness in the land. In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell with confidence. And this is His name which they will call Him, Jehovah our Righteousness. Therefore, behold, the days are coming, says Jehovah, and men will say no longer, As Jehovah lives who brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, but, As Jehovah lives who brought up and led the seed of the house of Israel out of the land of the north. `Jeremiah 23bbb5-8`.
Here entirely different things are meant from those that appear in the letter - David, Judah, and Israel do not mean David, Judah, and Israel, but David means the Lord, Judah that which is celestial, and Israel that which is spiritual. Consequently 'the seed of Israel' means people who have charity, that is, faith inhering in charity.
ttt[11] In David,
You who fear Jehovah, praise Him! all the seed of Jacob, glorify Him! stand in awe of Him, all the seed of Israel! `Psalms 22bbb23-24`.
Here 'seed of Israel' is used to mean no other seed than the spiritual Church. In Isaiah,
Its stump will be the holy seed. `Isaiah 6bbb13`.
'Holy seed' stands for remnants, which are holy because they are the Lord's. In the same prophet,
I will bring forth seed from Jacob, and from Judah the possessor of My mountains, and My chosen ones will possess it, and My servants will dwell there. `Isaiah 65bbb9`.
This refers to the celestial Church, external and internal. In the same prophet,
They will not generate in sudden terror. They will be the seed of the blessed of Jehovah, and their offspring with them. `Isaiah 65bbb23`.
This refers to the new heavens and a new earth, that is, to the Lord's kingdom. People who are there, having been generated, or regenerated, from love, are called 'the seed of the blessed of Jehovah'.
ppp22818#pid#1026. 'With every living soul that is with you' means in general all things which with a person have been regenerated. This becomes clear from what comes before and after, and also from the meaning of the Living One. The expression 'living' is used for everything that has received life from the Lord, and 'living soul' for everything with the regenerate person which lives from Him. For it is according to the life that a regenerate person receives that every part of him has life, every part of his rational thought as well as of his affections. This life as it exists in every part of his thought and speech is visible to angels but not to man.
ppp22817#pid#1027. 'With birds' means specifically the things of his understanding. This is clear from what has been stated and shown frequently already about birds, as in `@@@40`, `@@@776`
ppp22816#pid#1028. 'With beasts' means specifically the things of his new will. This too is clear from what has been stated and shown already about beasts and their meaning, as in `@@@45`, `@@@46`, `@@@142`, `@@@143`, `@@@246`, `@@@776`.
ppp22815#pid#1029. 'With every wild animal of the earth' means lower things of the understanding or will which derive from these. This too is clear from what has been shown already about the meaning of 'a wild animal', for with everybody there are interior things and exterior. The interior are rational concepts which are here meant by 'birds', and affections which are meant by 'beasts'. The exterior are facts and delights which are meant here by 'wild animals of the earth'. That 'bird', 'beast', and 'wild animal' do not mean any bird, beast, or wild animal but that which is living with a regenerate person anyone may know and deduce from the fact that, in spite of the statement, 'I will establish My covenant with every living soul that is with you, with birds, with beasts, and with every wild animal with you', God cannot possibly enter into a covenant with animals. He can do so only with man who is being described by means of those animals as to his interior and exterior things.
ppp22814#pid#1030. 'From all that are going out of the ark' means members of the Church, and 'even every wild animal of the earth' people outside of the Church. This becomes clear from the train of thought in the internal sense. For direct reference to everything that went out of the ark being every living soul among birds, beasts, and wild animals of the earth' precedes the statement repeated here, 'from all those going out of the ark, even every wild animal of the earth'. 'Wild animal of the earth' is accordingly referred to a second time, which would be mere repetition if at this point it was not used to mean something different. And in addition to this, that which comes next - 'and I will establish My covenant with you - is also a statement that has appeared already. From this it is clear that 'those going out of the ark' means people who have been regenerated, that is, members of the Church, and 'wild animal of the earth' all people throughout the world who are outside of the Church.
ttt[2] Except when used to mean a living creature, 'wild animal of the earth' in the Word means things of a more inferior kind which to a greater or less extent are of an untamed nature, their exact meaning depending on the things to which they refer. When referring to the things that are within man, 'wild animal of the earth' means the lower things that belong to the external man and to the body, such as those just mentioned in this verse, and so things of a more inferior kind. When it refers to an entire community, which is called a composite man, or composite person, 'wild animal of the earth' means people who do not belong to the Church because they are more inferior. And the meaning may be different again depending on the subject to which it refers, as in Hosea,
I will make for them a covenant on that day with the wild animals of the field, and with the birds of the air,`fff1` and with the creeping things of the earth. `Hosea 2bbb18`.
In Isaiah,
Wild animals of the field will honour Me, for I have given them water in the desert. `Isaiah 43bbb20`.
In Ezekiel,
In its branches all the birds of the air`fff1` made their nests, and under its branches every wild animal of the field gave birth, and in its shadow dwelt all great nations. `Ezekiel 31bbb6`.
`nnn1. literally, bird of the heavens (or the skies)
ppp22813#pid#1031. Verse `Genesis 9bbbccc11` And I will establish My covenant with you; and never again will all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; and never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.
'And I will establish My covenant with you' means the Lord's presence with all people who have charity, and refers to 'those going out of the ark' and to 'every wild animal of the earth', that is, to people inside the Church and to those outside of it. 'And never again will all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood' means that men would not perish in the way that the final descendants of the Most Ancient Church had done. 'And never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth' means that such deadly and stifling persuasion will never manifest itself again.
ppp22812#pid#1032. That 'and I will establish My covenant with you' means the Lord's presence with all people who have charity, and refers to 'those going out of the ark' and to 'every wild animal of the earth', that is, to people inside the Church and to those outside of it, is clear from what has been stated just above. With regard to the Lord also entering into a covenant with, that is, joining Himself by means of charity to people outside of the Church who are called gentiles, the position is this: The member of the Church imagines that all outside of the Church who are called gentiles cannot be saved because they do not possess any cognitions of faith and do not therefore know the Lord at all. Churchmen say that without faith and without knowledge of the Lord there is no salvation, and so all who are outside of the Church stand condemned. Indeed many such persons possessing some doctrine, even those embracing heresy, imagine that all outside of the Church, that is, all who do not feel as they do, are not saved. But the reality is altogether different. The Lord has mercy towards the whole human race, and wishes to save and draw to Himself all people throughout the universe.
ttt[2] The Lord's mercy is infinite and will not let itself be limited to the few who are inside the Church. Instead it reaches out to all in the whole wide world. No one can be blamed because he has been born outside of the Church and so has no knowledge of matters of faith. Nor is anybody in any way condemned for having no faith in the Lord because he does not know Him. What right-thinking person is ever going to say that the greater part of the human race will perish in eternal death just because they have not been born in Europe whose inhabitants are relatively few? And what right-thinking person is going to say that the Lord would allow such a large number of people to be born so as to perish in eternal death? That would be contrary to the Divine and contrary to mercy. And in any case people outside of the Church, called gentiles, lead a far more upright life than those inside the Church do, and they embrace far more readily that which true faith teaches. This matter becomes clearer still from souls in the next life.
ttt[3] From the so-called Christian world come the worst people of all, those in whom deadly hatred of the neighbour and deadly hatred of the Lord prevail. More than anybody else in the whole world they are adulterers. But this is not true of all other parts of the world; for a large number of those who have worshipped idols have an attitude of mind that finds hatred and adultery abhorrent, and they fear Christians for being such and for wishing to subject everybody else to torture. Indeed gentiles are such that when taught by angels about truths of faith and that the Lord rules over all, they have no difficulty in listening and have no difficulty in being endued with faith, and so casting aside their idols. Consequently those gentiles who have led an upright life, and have done so in mutual charity and in innocence, are regenerated in the next life. While they are living in the world the Lord is present with them in their charity and innocence, for no charity or innocence exists at all except that which comes from the Lord. The Lord also confers on them, according to the religion they have, a conscience for what is right and good, and instills innocence and charity into that conscience. And when innocence and charity exist in conscience they allow themselves without difficulty to be endued with the truth of faith deriving from good. The Lord Himself has said all this in Luke,
Someone said to Jesus, Lord, are those who are saved few? He said to them, You will see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrust out. On the other hand men will come from the east and from the west, and from the north and from the south, and sit at table in the kingdom of God. And, behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last. `Luke 13bbb23`, `Luke 13bbbccc28-30`.
'Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob' here are used to mean all who dwell in love, as shown already.
ppp22811#pid#1033. With regard to the assertion that gentiles too have a conscience for what is right and good conferred on them according to the religion they have, the situation is this: Conscience in general is either true, spurious, or false. True conscience is a conscience formed by the Lord from truths of faith. Once it has been conferred a person is afraid to act contrary to the truths of faith because to do so is to act contrary to conscience. This conscience nobody can receive who does not possess any truths of faith, and this also is why not so many in the Christian world do so, for there everybody advances his own dogma as being the truth of faith. Nevertheless people who are being regenerated receive conscience while receiving charity, for the basic constituent of conscience is charity.
ttt[2] Spurious conscience is a conscience formed with gentiles from the religious worship in which they have been born and brought up. For them acting contrary to that religious worship is acting contrary to conscience. When their conscience is grounded in charity and mercy, and in obedience, they are people such as are able to receive a true conscience in the next life, and do indeed receive it. In fact there is nothing they would rather have than the truth of faith.
ttt[3] False conscience is a conscience formed not from internal things but from external, that is, not from charity but from self-love and love of the world. In fact there are people who seem to themselves to be acting contrary to conscience when they act against their neighbour, and who also at such times seem to themselves to be inwardly smitten. Yet the reason is that they perceive in their thought that their own life, position, reputation, wealth, or financial gain is at stake, and so perceive that they themselves are being hurt. Some inherit this soft-heartedness, others acquire it for themselves. It is however a false conscience.
ppp22810#pid#1034. 'Never again will all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood' means that men would not perish in the way that the final descendants of the Most Ancient Church had done. This is clear from what has been stated already about the people before the Flood who perished, that is, the people who were cut off by the waters of the flood. It has been shown already in `@@@310` what the situation was - that the final descendants of the Most Ancient Church were such that when the will part of their minds had become corrupted, the understanding part had been simultaneously corrupted as well. Consequently the understanding part could not be separated from the will part and a new will be formed in the understanding part, since the two parts of their mind were knit together. Because this was foreseen provision was also made by the Lord that the understanding part with man could be separated from the will part and so be renewed. And because it was thus provided that no type of human being should afterwards arise like that people before the Flood, it is therefore said here that 'never again will any flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood'.
ppp22809#pid#1035. 'And never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth' means that such deadly and stifling persuasion will never manifest itself again. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'the flood' in reference to the people before the Flood who perished, dealt with already, also from their dreadful persuasions, dealt with in `@@@310`, `@@@563`, `@@@570`, `@@@581`, `@@@586`, as well as from details concerning the Church called Noah that followed, and further still from what is mentioned below concerning the rainbow.
ppp22808#pid#1036. Verse `Genesis 9bbbccc12-13` And God said, This is the sign of the covenant which I give between Me and you and every living soul that is with you, into the generations of an age. I have given My bow in the cloud, and it will be for a sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. 'And God said' means that it was so. 'This is the sign of the covenant' means a token of the Lord's presence in charity. 'Which I give between Me and you' means conjunction of the Lord with man by means of charity. 'And every living soul that is with you' means, as previously, all things with a person that have been regenerated. 'Into the generations of an age' means all unceasingly who are being created anew. 'I have given [My] bow in the cloud' means the state of a regenerate spiritual person, who is like a rainbow -'the cloud' means the obscure light in which the spiritual man dwells in comparison with the celestial man. 'And it will be for a sign of the covenant between Me and the earth' means, as previously, a token of the Lord's presence in charity, 'the earth' here being man's proprium. All these details have regard to a regenerate spiritual person or the spiritual Church.
ppp22807#pid#1037. That 'and God said' means that it was so has been stated and shown already; for God's or Jehovah's saying, or His having said, means that it was so. Because the most ancient people used to weave together as a historical tale things to do with the Church, they would say, when wishing to assert that something was so, 'God said' or 'Jehovah said'. With them this was a commonplace expression for asserting and confirming something.
ppp22806#pid#1038. That 'this is the sign of the covenant' means a token of the Lord's presence in charity is clear from the meaning of 'a covenant' and of 'the sign of a covenant'. That the covenant means the Lord's presence in charity has been shown already at Chapter `Luke ccc6bbb18`, and above at verse `Genesis 9bbbccc9` of the present chapter; and that a covenant is the Lord's presence in love and charity is clear from the very nature of a covenant. The purpose of any covenant is conjunction, that is to say, its purpose is that people may live together in friendship or in love. This also is why marriage is called a covenant. The Lord's conjunction with man does not exist except in love and charity, for the Lord is love itself and mercy. He wills to save everyone and by His mighty power to draw them towards heaven, that is, towards Himself. From this anyone may know and conclude that it is impossible for anybody to be joined to the Lord except by means of that which He Himself is, that is, except by acting like Him, or becoming one with Him - that is to say, by loving the Lord in return, and loving the neighbour as oneself. In this way alone is conjunction brought about; this constitutes the very essence of a covenant. When conjunction results from this, it quite plainly follows that the Lord is present. The Lord is indeed present with each individual, but that presence is closer or more remote, all depending on how near the person is to love or distant from it.
ttt[2] Since 'the covenant' is the conjunction of the Lord with man by means of love, or what amounts to the same, the Lord's presence with man in love and charity, the covenant itself is called in the Word 'a covenant of peace', for 'peace' means the Lord's kingdom, and the Lord's kingdom consists in mutual love, in which alone peace resides, as is said in Isaiah,
The mountains will depart and the hills be removed, but My mercy will not depart from you, and the covenant of My peace will not be removed, said Jehovah, the One who takes pity on you. `Isaiah 54bbb10`.
Here mercy, which is an attribute of love, is called 'a covenant of peace'.
In Ezekiel,
I will raise up over them one shepherd, and He will pasture them - My servant David. He will pasture them and He will be a shepherd to them. And I will make with them a covenant of peace. `Ezekiel 34bbb23`, `Ezekiel 34bbbccc25`.
Here 'David' is plainly used to mean the Lord, and His presence with a regenerate person is described by the words 'He will pasture them'.
ttt[3] In the same prophet,
My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd. And I will make with them a covenant of peace; it will be an eternal covenant with them. And I will bless`fff1` them and cause them to multiply, and I will set My sanctuary in their midst for evermore. And I will be their God and they will be My people. `Ezekiel 37bbb14`, `Ezekiel 37bbbccc16-17`.
Here similarly the Lord is meant by David. Love is meant by the 'sanctuary in their midst', the Lord's presence and conjunction in love by the promise that 'He will be their God, and they will be His people', which is called 'a covenant of peace' and 'an eternal covenant'.
In Malachi,
You will know that I have sent this command to you, that it may be My covenant with Levi, said Jehovah Zebaoth. My covenant was with him, [a covenant] of life`fff2` and peace, and I have given them to him in fear, and he will fear Me. `Malachi 2bbb4-5`.
In the highest sense 'Levi' means the Lord, and from this the person who has love and charity; and this being so 'a covenant of life' and peace with Levi' means in love and charity.
ttt[4] In Moses, in reference to Phinehas,
Behold, I am giving to him My covenant of peace, and it will be to him and his seed after him a covenant of eternal priesthood. `Numbers 25bbb12-13`.
Here 'Phinehas' is not used to mean Phinehas but the priesthood which he represented and which means love and what belongs to love, as does the entire priesthood of that Church. Everyone knows that the priesthood did not remain with Phinehas for ever.
In the same author,
Jehovah your God is God Himself, a faithful God who keeps a covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and who keep His commandments, to the thousandth generation. `Deuteronomy 7bbb9`, `Deuteronomy 7bbbccc12`.
Here the Lord's presence with man in love is clearly meant by 'the covenant', for it is said to be 'with those who love Him and keep His commandments'.
ttt[5] Because the covenant is the conjunction of the Lord with man by means of love, it follows that it is also achieved by means of all the things allied to love, which are the truths of faith and are called commandments. For all the commandments, indeed the Law and the Prophets, are based on that single law that men ought to love the Lord above all things and the neighbour as themselves. This is clear from the Lord's words in `Matthew 22bbb35-40`; `Mark 12bbb28-34`. This is also why the tablets on which the Ten Commandments were written are called 'the tablets of the covenant'. Since a covenant or conjunction is achieved by means of the laws or commandments of love it was also achieved by means of the social laws introduced by the Lord into the Jewish Church, which are called 'testimonies', as well as by the religious observances commanded by the Lord, which are called 'statutes'. All of these are called [laws] of the covenant because they have regard to love and charity.
As is said of King Josiah,
The king stood upon the pillar, and made a covenant before Jehovah, to walk after Jehovah, and to keep His commandments, and His testimonies, and His statutes, with all his heart, and all his soul, to establish the words of the covenant. `2 Kings 23bbb3`.
ttt[6] From these references it is now clear what a covenant is, and that the covenant is internal, for the conjunction of the Lord with man is achieved by means of internal things, and never by means of external things separated from internal. External things are merely images and representatives of those that are internal, as the action of a person is an image representative of his thought and will, and as a charitable act is an image representative of charity present within, in intention and mind. Thus all the religious observances of the Jewish Church were images representative of the Lord, and so of love and charity, and of all things deriving from these. It is by means of the internal things of a person therefore that the covenant or conjunction is achieved. External things are no more than signs of the covenant, which also is what they are called. That internal things are the means by which the covenant or conjunction is achieved is quite clear, as in Jeremiah,
Behold, the days are coming, says Jehovah, when I will make with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah a new covenant, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers, for they rendered My covenant invalid. But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days: I will put My law in the midst of them and will write it on their hearts. `Jeremiah 31bbb31-33`.
This refers to a new Church. It is plainly stated that the covenant itself is achieved by means of internal things, and indeed within conscience on which the Law is written, the whole of which Law, as stated, is that of love.
ttt[7] That external things do not constitute the covenant unless internal things are joined to them and so through that union act as one and the same cause, but are merely 'signs of the covenant' by means of which, as by representative images, the Lord might be called to mind, is clear from the fact that the sabbath and circumcision are called 'signs' of the covenant. That the sabbath is so called is clear in Moses,
The children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, observing the sabbath throughout their generations, an eternal covenant. Between Me and the children of Israel this is a sign eternally. `Exodus 31bbb16-17`.
And that circumcision is called 'a sign of the covenant' is clear in the same author,
This is My covenant which you shall keep between Me and you and your seed after you. Every male among you is to be circumcised. And you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and it will be a sign of the covenant between Me and you. `Genesis 17bbb10-11`.
For the same reason also blood is called 'the blood of the covenant', `Exodus 24bbb7-8`.
ttt[8] The chief reason why external religious ceremonies were called signs of the covenant was so that from them people might call interior things to mind, that is, the things meant by them. All the religious observances of the Jewish Church were nothing else. For this reason they were also called signs that would serve to remind the people of interior things - for example, the practice of binding the chief commandment on the hand and of wearing frontlets, as stated in Moses,
You shall love Jehovah your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength. And you shall bind these words as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. `Deuteronomy 6bbb5`, `Deuteronomy 6bbbccc8`; `Deuteronomy ccc11bbb13`, `Deuteronomy 11bbbccc18`.
Because it means power 'the hand' here means the will, for power is an attribute of the will; while 'frontlets between the eyes' means the understanding. Thus 'a sign' means calling to mind the chief commandment, or epitome of the Law, that it may be constantly in the will and constantly in the thought, that is, that the Lord and love may be present within the whole will and the whole thought. Such is the presence of the Lord and from Him of mutual love existing with angels. That constant presence and the nature of it will in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed later on. And in like manner here the statement, 'This is the sign of the covenant which I give between Me and you; I have given My bow in the cloud, and it will be for a sign of the covenant', means no other sign than a token of the Lord's presence in charity, and so man's remembrance of Him. But in what way the bow in the cloud provides that token and so remembrance will in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed later on.
`nnn1. literally, give
`nnn2. literally, of lives
ppp22805#pid#1039. 'Which I give between Me and you' means conjunction of the Lord with man by means of charity. This is clear from what has just been stated about the covenant and the sign of the covenant. Actually 'the covenant' is the Lord's presence within charity, 'between Me and you' is conjunction resulting from that presence, 'giving' is bringing it about.
ppp22804#pid#1040. 'And every living soul that is with you' means all things with a person that have been regenerated. This is clear from the meaning of 'a living soul', dealt with above at verse `Genesis 9bbbccc10`. In the Word, as has been stated, soul' means all life - man's internal life as well as external, and also that in living creatures since these mean the things that exist in man. But strictly speaking 'living soul' is that which receives life from the Lord, that is, which has been regenerated, for this alone is living. And because 'soul' means the life, internal as well as external, with man, 'living soul' embraces in meaning all things with a person that have been regenerated. Residing with man there are things of the will and things of the understanding, the former entirely distinct and separate from the latter; and with a living man every single one of those things is living. For the implications are that as is a person's character so is every single thing residing with him. The life itself that is general to the whole is present in every individual part, for the whole has its origins in the individual parts, as its own particulars. If this were not so no general whole could possibly arise, for it is called general because it arises out of particulars.
ttt[2] As is a person's life in general therefore, so is his life in every individual part, indeed in the smallest individual parts of his motives and intentions - that is, of his will - and in the smallest individual parts of his thinking; so that not the least part of an idea can exist in which the same life is not present. Take someone who is arrogant: arrogance is present in every individual endeavour of his will and in every individual idea of his thought. With someone who is avaricious avarice is in a similar way present, as is hatred with one who hates the neighbour. Or take someone who is stupid: stupidity is present in every individual part of his will and also of his thought, as is insanity with one who is insane. Such being the nature of man, his character is recognized in the next life from one single idea of his thought.
ttt[3] Once a person has been regenerated every single thing with him has been regenerated. That is, everything has life, the amount of life depending on the degree to which his own will, which is filthy and dead, could be separated from the new will and understanding which he has received from the Lord. Consequently as the person who is regenerate is the subject here 'a living soul' means all things with him that have been regenerated. These, in general, constitute the things of his understanding and of his will, interior as well as exterior. They have been expressed in verse `Genesis 9bbbccc10` above as 'birds and beasts, and wild animals of the earth', for it is said, 'I am establishing My covenant with every living soul - with birds, with beasts, and with wild animals of the earth'.
ppp22803#pid#1041. 'Into the generations of an age' means all unceasingly who are being created anew. This is clear from the meaning of 'generations of an age'. 'Generations' means descendants of those going before as their parents. 'An age' is that which continues unceasingly. Here the subject is those things that have been regenerated and therefore 'the generations of an age' is used to mean those people who are unceasingly being regenerated in this way, that is, who are being created anew. In the internal sense the meaning of everything is determined by the subject under discussion.
ppp22802#pid#1042. 'I have given My bow in the cloud' means the state of a regenerate spiritual person, who is like a rainbow. Anyone may wonder that in the Word 'the bow in the cloud', or the rainbow, is taken as a sign of the covenant, for the rainbow is nothing else than something produced by the conversion of rays of sunlight in raindrops. It is a wholly natural phenomenon, unlike other signs of the covenant in the Church mentioned just above. But the fact that 'the bow in the cloud' represents regeneration and means the state of a regenerate spiritual person, nobody is able to know unless he is allowed to see and consequently know what exactly is involved. When spiritual angels, who have all been regenerate members of the spiritual Church, are in the next life manifested visibly as such, there appears around their head a rainbow so to speak. But the rainbows which appear accord completely with their state, and from this also their characters are recognized in heaven and in the world of spirits. The reason the likeness of a rainbow appears is that their natural things corresponding to spiritual present such visible shape. It is a conversion of spiritual light from the Lord within their natural things. These angels are those said to have been 'regenerated by water and the spirit' while celestial angels are those said to have been 'regenerated with fire'.
ttt[2] In the case of; natural things, so that colour may be produced something dark and light, or black and white, is necessary. When rays of light from the sun fall on this, depending on the varying composition of the dark and light, or black and white, colours are produced from the modification of the inflowing rays of light. Some of those colours draw more, others less, on the dark and black, and some more, or less, on the light and white; and this is what gives rise to diversity of colour. Something comparable to this exists in spiritual things. In their case the intellectual side of the proprium, or falsity, constitutes 'the dark', and the will side of the proprium, or evil, which absorbs and extinguishes rays of light constitutes 'the black'. As for the 'light and white', these are the truth or good which a person imagines he does from himself, which reflects and casts back from itself the rays of light. The rays of light which fall on those things and so to speak modify them come from the Lord as the Sun of wisdom and intelligence; for the rays of spiritual light are no other and have no other source. It is because natural things correspond to spiritual that when in the next life that which is around a regenerate spiritual person is manifested visibly, there appears that which is similar to a bow in a cloud. This bow is a representation of the spiritual things present within his natural things. With the regenerate spiritual person an intellectual side of the proprium exists into which the Lord instills innocence, charity, and mercy. As is the person's reception of these gifts so is the appearance of his rainbow when manifested visibly - the more beautiful the more that the will side of his proprium has been taken away, disciplined, and reduced to a state of obedience.
ttt[3] When the prophets had a vision of God, a bow as if in a cloud was also seen by them, as in Ezekiel's vision,
Above the firmament that was over the heads of the cherubim, in appearance like a sapphire stone, there was the likeness of a throne, and above the likeness of a throne, there was a likeness as it were of the appearance of a Man (Homo) upon it above. And I saw as it were the shape of coal burning bright, as the appearance of fire, within it round about from the appearance of His loins upwards. And from the appearance of His loins and downwards I saw as it were the appearance of fire, whose brightness was round about it, like the appearance of the bow when it is in the cloud on the day of rain; so was the appearance of brightness round about; this was the appearance of the likeness of the Glory of Jehovah. `Ezekiel 1bbb26-28`.
It may be clear to anyone that it was the Lord who was seen in this vision, and that on that occasion He represented heaven, for He Himself is heaven, that is, the All in all of heaven. He Himself is the 'Man' mentioned here, 'the throne' is heaven, 'the coal burning bright, as the appearance of fire, from the loins upwards' is the celestial element of love, 'the brightness of fire round about from the loins downwards, like the bow in the cloud' is the celestial-spiritual. In this way the celestial heaven, or heaven of celestial angels, was represented from the loins upwards, and the spiritual heaven, or heaven of spiritual angels, from the loins downwards. In fact the things that are below, from the loins down to the soles of the feet, mean in the Grand Man natural things. From this it is also clear that, when thus enlightened by spiritual light from the Lord, the natural things in man take on the appearance of 'the bow in the cloud'. The same appeased to John as well, see `Revelation 4bbb2-3`; `Revelation ccc10bbb1`.
ppp22801#pid#1043. 'The cloud' means the obscure light in which the spiritual man dwells in comparison with the celestial man. This becomes clear from what has just been stated concerning the bow; for the bow, or the colour of the bow, is never manifested except within the cloud. As has been stated, it is the obscurity itself through which the sun's rays shine that is converted into different colours, and so the actual colour that is produced is determined by the nature of the obscurity which the brightness of those rays encounters. Similarly with the spiritual man. The obscurity with him, which is called 'the cloud' here, is falsity, and is the same as the intellectual side of his proprium. When innocence, charity, and mercy from the Lord are instilled into this part of his proprium, the cloud is no longer seen as falsity but as an appearance of truth together with [real] truth from the Lord. Consequently there is the likeness of a coloured bow. The conversion of something spiritual that defies description is involved here, but how else the matter can be explained intelligibly except through the way a person perceives colours and how they are produced I do not know.
ttt[2] The nature of this cloud with someone who is regenerate is clear from what his state was prior to regeneration. A person is regenerated by means of the things he supposes to be the truths of faith. Everyone supposes that his own accepted belief is the truth, and on this basis acquires a conscience. Consequently once he has acquired a conscience, acting contrary to the things that have been impressed on him as being the truths of faith is to him acting contrary to conscience. This applies to everyone who is regenerate. For many from whatever accepted belief are regenerated by the Lord; and once regenerated, they do not receive any direct revelation, but only those things which are implanted through the Word and preaching of it. But because they receive charity, the Lord operates by way of charity into the cloud that is theirs. From this, light is provided, as when the sun pierces a cloud which thereby becomes more illumined and made varicoloured. So also within the cloud [of falsity] the likeness of a bow is manifested. The thinner the cloud therefore, that is, the more it consists of many truths of faith blending together, the more beautiful is the bow; but the thicker this cloud, that is, the less it consists of truths of faith, the less beautiful the bow. Innocence adds considerably to its beauty, bringing so to speak a living brightness to the colours.
ttt[3] All appearances of truth are 'clouds' which envelop a person when he is confined to the sense of the letter of the Word, for the Word speaks according to appearances. Yet, even though he remains in appearances, since he believes the Word in simplicity and has charity, that cloud is relatively thin - it being within this cloud that the Lord forms conscience in the case of one who is inside the Church. In addition, all forms of ignorance of truth are 'clouds', such as envelop a person who does not know what the truth of faith is, in general when he does not know what the Word is, and still more when he has not heard about the Lord. It is within this cloud that the Lord forms conscience in the case of one who is outside the Church; for in ignorance itself there can be innocence, and so charity. All falsities too are 'clouds', but these clouds are the darkness that exists either with people who have a false conscience, as described already, or with people who have none at all. These are in general the various types of clouds. As regards the number of them, the clouds with an individual are so numerous and so thick that if he knew he would be amazed that rays of light from the Lord could ever pierce them at all and that anyone could be regenerated. The person who imagines he has a very small amount of cloud sometimes has a vast quantity of it, while the one who believes he has a vast quantity of cloud has less.
ttt[4] Such clouds reside with the spiritual man, but with the celestial man not so many do so since with him love to the Lord is present, which has been implanted in the will part of his mind. He does not therefore receive conscience from the Lord as the spiritual man does, but perception of good and from this of truth. When the will part of someone's mind is such that he is able to receive rays from a celestial flame, the understanding part is lit up by it, and he knows and perceives from love all things that are truths of faith. The will part is then like a little sun from which rays pass into the understanding part. Such was the nature of the member of the Most Ancient Church. But when the will part of his mind has become utterly corrupted and hellish, and a new will, which is conscience, is therefore formed in the understanding part, as happened to the member of the Ancient Church and happens now to every regenerate member of the spiritual Church, there is thick cloud; for, having no ability to perceive what good and truth are, he must gain a knowledge of this through learning about them. At the same time falsity, which is the obscurity of the cloud, is constantly flowing in from the black will part of his mind, that is, from hell by way of that will part. For this reason the understanding part with the spiritual man can never be enlightened in the way that it is with the celestial man. This is why 'cloud' here means the obscure light in which the spiritual man dwells in comparison with the celestial man.
ppp22800#pid#1044. 'And it will be for a sign of the covenant between Me and the earth' means a token of the Lord's presence in charity, 'the earth' here being a person's proprium. This is clear from what has been stated already. That 'the earth' means a person's Proprium is clear from the internal sense and from the whole train of thought. Above it was stated that 'this is the sign of the covenant between Me and you and every living soul that is with you' meant whatever has been regenerated; but here the wording is different - 'it will be for a sign of the covenant between Me and the earth'. From this, and also from the repetition of 'sign of the covenant', it is evident that something different is meant here, and indeed that 'the earth' is that which has not been regenerated, and which is incapable of being, namely the will part of a person's proprium.
ttt[2] When somebody is regenerate he belongs to the Lord so far as the understanding Part of his mind is concerned but belongs to himself so far as the will part of it is concerned. These two parts in the spiritual man are opposed to each other. But although the will part of a person's proprium is opposed, its continuing presence is nevertheless inevitable. Indeed all the obscurity in the understanding part, that is, all the thickness of his cloud, originates there. It is constantly flowing in from there, and in the measure it flows in so the cloud in the understanding part thickens; but in the measure it is taken away, the cloud thins out. This is why 'the earth' here means a person's proprium. That 'the earth' means the bodily part of man's nature as well as having many other meanings has been shown already.
ttt[3] The relationship between those two parts is like two parties who were first of all joined together by a covenant of friendship - as will and understanding were in the member of the Most Ancient Church - and then the friendship was broken off and hostility arose, as happened when man corrupted totally the will part of him. After that, when the covenant is renewed, the hostile part presents itself as though the covenant were with it. But no covenant is made with it because it is utterly opposed and contrary. It is made instead with that which flows in from it, as has been stated, that is, with the understanding part of the proprium. The sign or token of the covenant is this, that to the extent the Lord is present in the understanding part of the proprium the will part of it will be taken away. The relationship between the two is just like that of heaven and hell. The understanding part of a regenerate person, by virtue of the charity in which the Lord is present, is heaven, while the will part of him is hell. To the extent the Lord is present in heaven, hell is removed; for when he subsists from himself man is in hell, but when he does so from the Lord he is in heaven. Man is constantly being raised up from hell into heaven, and so far as he is raised up his hell is taken away from him. The sign or token therefore that the Lord is present rests in the fact that man's own will is taken away. The possibility of that removal is achieved by means of temptations and many other means of regeneration.
ppp22799#pid#1045. The things that have been introduced up to now have regard to the regenerate spiritual man, or the spiritual Church, while those that follow next have regard to all people in general, and then specifically to the person who is able to be regenerated.
ppp22798#pid#1046. Verses `Genesis 9bbbccc14-15` And when I cloud over the earth with cloud, and the bow is seen in the cloud, I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living soul in all flesh. And the waters will no more be a flood to destroy all flesh.
'And when I cloud over the earth with cloud' means a time when, the will part of man's proprium being what it is, faith that flows from charity does not appear. 'And the bow is seen in the cloud' means when man is still such as to be able to be regenerated. 'And I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you' means the Lord's mercy specifically towards those who have been regenerated, and those who are able to be. 'And with every living soul in all flesh' means the entire human race. 'And the waters will no more be a flood to destroy all flesh' means that it will not be possible any more for the understanding part of his mind to soak up the kind of persuasion that would cause him to perish as the [final] descendants of the Most Ancient Church did. These verses have regard to all people in general.
ppp22797#pid#1047. That 'and when I cloud over the earth with cloud' means a time when, the will part of man's proprium being what it is, faith that flows from charity does not appear, is clear from what has been stated just above regarding 'the earth', that is, about the will part of man's proprium being such that it is constantly introducing obscurity, or falsity, into the understanding part. This is 'a clouding over'. All falsity originates in this way, as becomes quite clear from the fact that self-love and love of the world which belong to man's will are nothing else than hatred. For insofar as anyone loves himself he hates the neighbour. Because these loves are so contrary to heavenly love, it is inevitable that such things as are contrary to mutual love should be constantly flowing in from them. All of those things in the understanding part are falsities, and from them arises all the obscurity and darkness that is there. Falsity 'clouds over truth just as a dark cloud does to the light of the sun. And because falsity and truth cannot be present simultaneously any more than darkness and light, it follows plainly that one goes out as the other comes in. And this being an alternating occurrence reference is therefore made here to 'clouding over the earth with cloud', that is, a time when through the will part of the proprium no faith accompanying charity, or truth and derivative good, appears, still less good and derivative truth.
ppp22796#pid#1048. 'And the bow is seen in the cloud' means when man is still such as to be able to be regenerated. This is clear from the meaning of 'the bow in the cloud' which is a sign or token of regeneration, as stated already. Concerning the bow in the cloud there is more to be said: The character of a person, that is, of a soul, after the body has died is known in an instant. The Lord has known that character from eternity, and knows what it is going to be into eternity. A person's character is perceived by angels the moment he comes near; a certain sphere so to speak emanates from his whole disposition, that is, from every part of him. And this sphere, astonishing though it may seem, is such that from it one perceives what faith and what charity exist with him from whom it emanates. When it pleases the Lord it is that sphere which is made visible as a bow. This sphere will in the Lord's Divine mercy be described later on. From this it becomes clear what is meant here by 'the bow when it is seen in the cloud', namely when a person is such that he can be regenerated.
ppp22795#pid#1049. 'And I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you' means the Lord's mercy specifically towards those who have been regenerated, and those who are able to be. This too follows from what has been said above, for with the Lord 'remembering' is the same as showing mercy. The act of remembering cannot be attributed to the Lord since He knows from eternity every single thing. But having mercy can be attributed since He knows man's nature, namely that his proprium, as stated, is hell-like and constitutes his particular hell. For through the will side of his proprium he communicates with hell; and from hell and of itself that proprium is such that man has no greater or stronger desire than to plunge headlong into hell. Nor is he satisfied with that but desires [to take] everyone in the whole world [with him]. Because man of himself is by nature such a devil, and the Lord knows it, 'remembering the covenant' consequently means nothing else than having mercy, regenerating through Divine means, and by a mighty power drawing man towards heaven, insofar as he is such as to make this possible.
ppp22794#pid#1050. 'And with every living soul in all flesh' means the entire human race. This is clear from the meaning of 'living soul in all flesh'. Every individual is called 'a living soul' from that which is living within him. No one can possibly live, let alone as a human being, if he does not have something living within him, that is, if he does not have some measure of 'innocence, charity, and mercy, or from these something of a similar or comparable nature. This measure of innocence, charity, and mercy a person receives from the Lord when he is an infant and during childhood, as becomes clear from the state of infants and also from that of childhood. What a person receives at that time is preserved within him, and the things that are preserved are in the Word called 'remnants', which are the Lord's alone with a person. These remnants that are being preserved are what make it possible for someone when he becomes adult to be a human being. Regarding these remnants, see what appears in `@@@468`, `@@@530`, `@@@560-563`, `@@@576`.
ttt[2] That the states of innocence, charity, and mercy that have been his in infancy and in childhood years enable a person to be human is quite clear from the fact that man is not born as animals are, ready to perform any of life's activities, but has to learn how to do every single one. The things he learns to do then become through the performance of them habitual and so to speak natural to him. Man is not even able to walk, or to talk, until he learns how to do so; and the same applies to everything else. Through usage these activities become so to speak natural to him. The situation is the same with regard to the states of innocence, charity, and mercy with which likewise he is endowed from infancy. But for these states man would be far inferior to any animal. These states however are not states that man acquires by learning but ones which he receives as a free gift from the Lord, and which the Lord preserves within him. These, together with truths of faith, are what are also called remnants and are the Lord's alone. To the extent that a person in adult life destroys these states, he becomes a dead man. When a person is being regenerated these states are the principal agents of regeneration, and he is brought into these states, for, as stated already, the Lord works by means of remnants.
ttt[3] These remnants present with everybody are what are here called 'the living soul in all flesh'. That 'all flesh' means everybody and so the entire human race becomes clear from the meaning of 'flesh' in many places in the Word - see what has been shown in `@@@574` - as in Matthew,
Unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved. `Matthew 24bbb22`; `Mark 13bbb20`.
In John,
Jesus said, Father, glorify Your Son, as You have given Him power over all flesh. `John 17bbb1-2`.
In Isaiah,
The glory of Jehovah will be revealed, and all flesh will see it. `Isaiah 40bbb5`.
In the same prophet,
All flesh will know that I am Jehovah your Saviour. `Isaiah 49bbb26`.
ppp22793#pid#1051. 'The waters will no more be a flood to destroy all flesh' means that it will not be possible any more for the understanding part of his mind to soak up the kind of persuasion that would cause him to perish as the final descendants of the Most Ancient Church did. This becomes clear from what has been stated and shown quite often already about the waters of the flood, and also about those people prior to the Flood who perished, namely that with them not only had the will part perished and become hellish but also the understanding part, with the result that they could not be regenerated, that is, a new and different will could not be formed in the understanding part of their minds.
ppp22792#pid#1052. Verse `Genesis 9bbbccc16` And the bow will be in the cloud, and I see it, to remember the eternal covenant between God and every living soul in all flesh that is on the earth.
'And the bow will be in the cloud' means the state of that man. 'And I see it' means that he is such as can be regenerated. 'To remember the eternal covenant' means so that the Lord can be present with him within charity. 'Between God and every living soul in all flesh that is on the earth' means all people with whom this can take place. These verses have regard specifically to the person who is able to be regenerated.
ppp22791#pid#1053. That 'and the bow will be in the cloud' means the state of that man is clear from what has been stated and shown already about the bow in the cloud, that is to say, in the next life a person or soul is known among angels from his sphere; and as often as it pleases the Lord that sphere is represented by means of colours like those of the rainbow, variously according to each person's state as to faith in the Lord and thus respectively as to goods and truths of faith. In the next life colours present themselves to view, which on account of their brilliance and splendour are immensely superior in beauty to colours seen with the eyes on earth. Each colour represents something celestial or spiritual.
ttt[2] Those colours derive from the light in heaven, and from the variegation of spiritual light, as stated above. Indeed angels live in light so bright that the light of the world is in comparison no light at all. The light of heaven in which angels live, compared with the light of the world, is as the light of the sun at midday to the light of a candle that is put out and ceases to give any light at all when the sun rises. In heaven there is celestial light and there is spiritual light. Let me compare the two by saying that celestial light is as the light of the sun, while spiritual light is as the light of the moon. But all manner of variation exists depending on the state of the angel receiving the light. The same applies to colours since they are a product of the light. In the heaven of celestial angels the Lord Himself is the Sun, and in the heaven of spiritual angels the Moon. To people who have no conception of the life which souls lead after death these matters are unbelievable. They are nevertheless completely true.
ppp22790#pid#1054. 'I see it' means that he is such as can be regenerated. This is clear from the fact that in reference to the Lord the expression 'seeing someone' means knowing his character. For the Lord knows all people from eternity and has no need to see the character of anyone. When someone is such as can be regenerated, the Lord is spoken of as 'seeing him', as He is also said 'to lift up His face on him'. When however he is unable to be regenerated, the Lord is not spoken of as seeing him or of lifting up His face on him, but is spoken of as 'turning His eyes or face away from him', though it is not the Lord who turns these away but man. Consequently in previous verses where the subject has been the whole human race among whom very many are not able to be regenerated, the wording is not 'when I see the bow in the cloud', but when the bow is seen in the cloud', verse `Genesis 9bbbccc14`. The same applies to the Lord's seeing as to His remembering, which means in the internal sense having mercy, as dealt with above in `@@@840`, `@@@1049`. See what has appeared already in `@@@626`.
ppp22789#pid#1055. 'To remember the eternal covenant' means so that the Lord can be present with him within charity. This is clear from what has been stated and shown above about the meaning of a covenant, namely, that there is no other eternal covenant except love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour. This covenant is eternal because it lasts from eternity into eternity. The whole of heaven is founded on love, as indeed is the whole natural order, for in the natural order nothing whatever exists, possessing any union or conjunction, which does not trace its origin back to love, whether it be animate or inanimate. Indeed everything natural arises from what is spiritual, and what is spiritual does so from what is celestial, as stated above. Consequently love, or the semblance of it, is implanted in every single thing. Man is the only being with whom love does not reside but the contrary, for man has destroyed within himself the order of nature. But when he is able to be regenerated, that is, to be restored again to order and receive mutual love, then the covenant or conjunction by means of charity exists, which is the subject here.
ppp22788#pid#1056. 'Between God and every living soul in all flesh that is on the earth' means all people with whom this can take place. This is clear from what has been stated, namely that the subject is people who are able to be regenerated. Consequently 'living soul in all flesh' does not mean anybody else.
ppp22787#pid#1057. Verse `Genesis 9bbbccc17` And God said to Noah, This is the sign of the covenant which I am establishing between Me and all flesh that is on the earth.
'God said to Noah' means that the Church would know this. 'This is the sign of the covenant which I am establishing between Me and all flesh that is on the earth' means that it was a token of the Lord's presence in charity not only with the member of the Church but also with him who is outside the Church.
ppp22786#pid#1058. That 'God said to Noah' means that the Church would know this is clear from the train of thought, which is not evident except from the internal sense in which these details are knit together in this way. First the subject was the regenerate spiritual person inside the Church; secondly it was everybody throughout the whole world; and thirdly everyone who is able to be regenerated. The present verse is the conclusion to these considerations, namely that the Church would know this. That 'Noah' means the Church has been shown already, and here more especially the spiritual Church in general since Noah's name alone is mentioned. What the Church would know follows next.
ppp22785#pid#1059. 'This is the sign of the covenant that I am establishing between Me and all flesh that is on the earth' means that it was a token of the Lord's presence in charity not only with the member of the Church but also with him who is outside the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'all flesh' as all people, and therefore the whole human race. That the whole human race is meant, both those inside the Church and those outside the Church, is clear not only from the fact that the expression 'all flesh' is used but also that the expression 'living soul in all flesh', which appeared previously, is not used. And the point is made plainer still by the addition of the phrase 'which is on the earth'.
ttt[2]That the Lord is as much present in charity with those outside the Church who are called gentiles as with those inside the Church may be seen above in `@@@932`, `@@@1032`. Indeed He is more present with them, for the reason that there is less cloud in the understanding part of their minds than is normally the case with so-called Christians. Indeed gentiles have no knowledge of the Word and do not know what the Lord is, and as a consequence do not know what the truth of faith is. This being so, they are incapable of opposition to the Lord and to the truth of faith. Consequently their cloud does not stand in opposition to the Lord or to the truth of faith, such cloud being dispersed easily when they are enlightened.
ttt[3] But the cloud existing with Christians does stand in opposition to the Lord and to the truths of faith, and this cloud is so obscure as to be darkness. And when hatred is there instead of charity it is thick darkness. This applies even more to people who profane the truths of faith, something gentiles are incapable of doing because they live in ignorance of the truth of faith. Nobody can profane that of which he does not know the nature or the existence. This explains why more of the gentiles are saved than of Christians, as also the Lord said, in `Luke 13bbb23`, `Luke 13bbbccc28-30`, in addition to saying that their children all belong to the Lord's kingdom, `Matthew 18bbb10`, `Matthew 18bbbccc14`; `Matthew ccc19bbb14`; `Luke 18bbb16`.
ppp22784#pid#1060. Verse `Genesis 9bbbccc18` And Noah's sons who went out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And Ham was the father of Canaan.
'Noah's sons who went out of the ark' means those who constituted the Ancient Church, 'who went out of the ark' meaning those who had been regenerated. 'Shem' means the internal Church, 'Ham' the corrupted Church, 'Japheth' the external Church. 'Ham was the father of Canaan means that from the corrupted Church arose worship in external things devoid of internal, which worship is meant by Canaan.
ppp22783#pid#1061. That 'Noah's sons who went out of the ark' means those who constituted the Ancient Church, and 'who went out of the ark' those who had been regenerated, is clear from all that follows; for what is involved will be evident from this.
ppp22782#pid#1062. That 'Shem' means the internal Church, 'Ham' the corrupted Church, 'Japheth' the external Church, is also clear from what follows, for the nature of each one is described. As with every other Church, the Ancient Church included people who were internal, people who were internal but corrupted, and people who were external. Internal people are those who make charity the chief thing of faith. Corrupted internal people are those who make faith devoid of charity the chief thing of faith. And external people are those who give little thought to the internal man but who nevertheless perform charitable works and reverently keep up the religious observances of the Church. Apart from these three kinds of people no others exist who are to be called members of the spiritual Church. And since they were all members of the Church they are referred to as those who 'went out of the ark'. Those in the Ancient Church who were internal people, that is, who made charity the chief thing of faith, were called Shem; those in it who were internal but corrupt - namely those who made faith devoid of charity the chief thing of faith - were in the Ancient Church called Ham; while those in that Church who were external and gave little thought to the internal man but who nevertheless performed charitable works and reverently kept up the religious observances of the Church were named Japheth. The nature of each one is dealt with in what follows.
ppp22781#pid#1063. 'Ham was the father of Canaan' means that from the corrupted Church arose worship in external things devoid of internal, which worship is meant by Canaan. This similarly is clear from what follows, for the content of this verse is introductory to what follows. That Ham means the corrupted Church, that is, people who make faith separated from charity the chief thing of religion, is clear in David,
He smote all the firstborn in Egypt, the beginning of strength in the tents of Ham. `Psalms 78bbb51`.
'The firstborn of Egypt' represented faith devoid of charity. That faith is called 'the firstborn of Egypt', see what has appeared already in `@@@352`, `@@@367`; and that faith is consequently called 'the beginning of strength', as it is here in David, see `Genesis 49bbb3`, which refers to Reuben, who, being Jacob's firstborn, represented faith and is called 'the beginning of strength'. 'The tents of Ham' is worship arising out of such faith. That 'tents' means worship, see what has appeared already in `@@@414`. Egypt is for this reason called 'the land of Ham' in `Psalms 105bbb23`, `Psalms 105bbbccc27`; `Psalms ccc106bbb22`.
ttt[2] Because such people, who in the Ancient Church were called 'Ham', led lives that consisted of every evil desire, and merely babbled on about their being able to be saved by faith no matter how they lived, the ancients saw them as having, from the heat of evil desires, a black appearance; hence they were called Ham`fff1`'. The reason Ham is called 'the father of Canaan' is that such people do not care at all how a person lives, provided he attends religious services, for they still have the desire for worship of some kind. External worship is the only worship for them. Internal worship, which belongs solely to charity, they reject; which is why Ham is called 'the father of Canaan'.
`nnn1. The Hebrew adjective ham means hot.
ppp22780#pid#1064. Verse `Genesis 9bbbccc19` These three were the sons of Noah, and from them the whole earth was overspread.
'These three were the sons of Noah' means these three kinds of doctrines which Churches in general possess. 'And from them the whole earth was overspread' means that from these three all doctrines have been derived, both true and false.
ppp22779#pid#1065. That 'these three were the sons of Noah' means these three kinds of doctrines which Churches in general possess has been stated just above. There are indeed countless less universal types of doctrines, but no further universal types exist. People who do not acknowledge charity, or faith, or external worship, are not part of any Church and are not therefore included since the Church is the subject here.
ppp22778#pid#1066. That 'from them the whole earth was overspread' means that from these three all doctrines have been derived, both true and false, is clear from the meaning of 'the earth'. In the Word 'the earth' has various meanings. In the universal sense it stands for the place or region where the Church is or once was, for example, the land of Canaan, the land of Judah, the land of Israel. It thus stands in that universal sense for every member of the Church, for a land takes its name from the people who inhabit it, as is also well known from everyday speech. In ancient times therefore when people spoke of 'the whole earth' they did not mean every land throughout the world but only that part of the earth where the Church existed, and so the Church itself, as becomes clear from the following places in the Word: In Isaiah,
Jehovah is emptying the earth, the earth will be utterly emptied. The earth will mourn and be turned upside down. And the earth will be polluted under its inhabitants. Therefore a curse will devour the earth, therefore the inhabitants of the earth will be scorched and few men left. The floodgates from on high have been opened, and the foundations of the earth have been shaken. The earth has been utterly broken. The earth has been utterly rent asunder. The earth is violently shaken. The earth staggers altogether like a drunken man, and sways to and fro like a hut. Its transgression will lie heavily upon it, and it will fall, and it will not rise again. `Isaiah 24bbb1`, `Isaiah 24bbbccc3-6`, `Isaiah 24bbbccc18-21`.
'Earth' stands for the people inhabiting it, in particular the people of the Church, and so stands for the Church itself, and the things that are the Church's that have been vastated. These when being vastated are spoken of as 'being emptied', 'being shaken', 'staggering like a drunken man', 'swaying', 'falling and not rising'.
ttt[2] That 'earth' or 'land' means man, and consequently the Church which is made up of men, is seen in Malachi,
All the nations will declare you blessed, for you will be a land of delight. `Malachi 3bbb12`.
That 'the earth' stands for the Church is seen in Isaiah,
Do you not understand the foundations of the earth? `Isaiah 40bbb21`.
Here 'foundations of the earth' stands for the foundations of the Church. In the same prophet,
Behold I am creating new heavens and a new earth. `Isaiah 65bbb17`; `Isaiah ccc66bbb22`; `Revelation 21bbb1`.
'New heavens and a new earth' stands for the Lord's kingdom and the Church. In Zechariah,
Jehovah is He who stretches out the heavens and founds the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him. `Zechariah 12bbb1`.
'Earth' stands for the Church, as in earlier chapters,
In the beginning God created heaven and earth. `Genesis 1bbb1`.
The heavens and the earth were finished. `Genesis 2bbb1`.
These are the generations of heaven and earth. `Genesis 2bbb4`.
In each instance 'earth' stands for the Church being 'created', 'formed', and 'made'. In Joel,
The earth quaked before Him, the heavens trembled. The sun and the moon were darkened. `Joel 2bbb10`.
'Earth' stands for the Church, and for the things that are the Church's. When these things are being vastated, 'heaven and earth' are said to quake, 'the sun and moon' to grow dark, that is, love and faith.
ttt[3] In Jeremiah,
I looked to the earth, when behold, that which is void and empty; and to the heavens, and they had no light. `Jeremiah 4bbb23`.
Here 'the earth' plainly stands for the person who does not have anything of the Church within him. In the same prophet,
The whole earth will be desolate, yet I will not bring it to a close. For this the earth will mourn and the heavens be black. `Jeremiah 4bbb27`, `Jeremiah 4bbbccc18`.
Here likewise the Church is meant, whose exterior things are 'the earth' and interior 'the heavens'. These are referred to as 'being black and having no light' when there is no longer any wisdom arising from good or intelligence from truth. In that case the earth is also 'void and empty', as is the member of the Church who ought to be an embodiment of the Church. That 'the whole earth' is also used in other places to mean the Church alone is seen in Daniel,
The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, which will be different from all the kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, and trample it down, and break it in pieces. `Daniel 7bbb23`.
'The whole earth' stands for the Church and for the things that are the Church's; for the Word does not deal, as secular authors do, with the powers of monarchs, but with sacred matters, and with states of the Church, which are meant by 'kingdoms of the earth'.
ttt[4] In Jeremiah,
A great tempest will be raised up from the sides of the earth, and the slain`fff1` of Jehovah on that day will be from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth. `Jeremiah 25bbb32`, `Jeremiah 25bbbccc33`.
Here 'from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth' stands for the Church and for everything that is the Church's. In Isaiah,
The whole earth is at rest and is quiet; they burst into cries of joy. `Isaiah 14bbb7`.
Here 'the whole earth' stands for the Church.
In Ezekiel,
As the whole earth rejoices. `Ezekiel 35bbb14`.
Here too 'the whole earth' stands for the Church.
In Isaiah,
I swore that the waters of Noah should go no more over the earth. `Isaiah 54bbb9`.
Here 'the earth' stands for the Church since the Church is the subject here. Because in the Word the earth means the Church it also means what is not the Church, for every such expression has a contrary or opposite sense. This applies, for example, to the various lands of the gentiles, in general to all lands outside the land of Canaan. 'Land' also stands therefore for the people and for the individual outside of the Church, and from this for the external man - for his will, for his proprium, and so on.
ttt[5] In the Word 'earth' rarely stands for the whole world except when it is used to mean the state of the whole human race, whether of the Church or not of the Church. And because the earth includes the ground, which also means the Church, and the ground includes the field, the expression 'earth', entailing many things, has many meanings. But what it means is evident from the subject under discussion to which it refers. From this it now becomes clear that here 'the whole earth was overspread by the sons of Noah' does not mean the whole world, that is, the whole human race, but all doctrines, both true and false, which Churches possessed.
`nnn1. literally, the pierced
ppp22777#pid#1067. Verse `Genesis 9bbbccc20` And Noah began to be a man (vir) of the ground, and planted a vineyard.
'Noah began to be a man of the ground' means in general a person who has been instructed from matters of doctrine concerning faith. 'And he planted a vineyard' means the Church resulting from this, 'vineyard' being the spiritual Church.
ppp22776#pid#1068. That 'Noah began to be a man of the ground' means in general a person who has been instructed from matters of doctrine concerning faith is clear from the meaning of 'the ground', dealt with already in `@@@268`, `@@@566`, as the member of the Church, or what amounts to the same, the Church. For if the Church is to exist at all the individual must be the Church. The Church is called 'the ground' from the fact that it receives the seeds of faith, which are the truths and goods of faith. 'The ground' is distinguished from 'the earth' or 'the land' - which, as has been shown, also means the Church - as faith is from charity. As charity includes faith within itself so does earth or land include the ground. Consequently when the Church is dealt with in general it is called 'the earth' or 'the land', and when dealt with specifically it is called 'the ground', as here. For that which is general is a complex whole consisting of the things deriving from it. The matters of doctrine which the members of the Ancient Church possessed had come down, as stated already, from revelations and perceptions of the Most Ancient Church which had been preserved, and in which they had faith, such as those we have today in the Word. Those matters of doctrine were their Word. 'Noah began to be a man of the ground' therefore means a person who has been instructed from matters of doctrine concerning faith.
ppp22775#pid#1069. That 'he planted a vineyard' means a Church resulting from this, 'vineyard' being the spiritual Church, is clear from the meaning of 'a vineyard'. In the Word Churches are frequently described as 'gardens' and also as 'the trees of a garden', and are actually named such as well. They are so described from the fruits which the trees bear, which mean the things belonging to love or charity. Hence the saying that a man is known by his fruit. Comparisons of Churches to gardens, trees, and fruits have their origins in the representations in heaven, where also gardens of indescribable beauty are sometimes manifested in accordance with the spheres of faith. This also why the celestial Church was described as a paradisal garden containing trees of every kind. 'The trees of the garden' meant the perceptions of that Church, and 'the fruit' of every kind the goods that stem from love. The Ancient Church however, being spiritual, is described as 'a vineyard' on account of its fruit, namely grapes, which represent and mean charitable works. This is quite clear from many places in the Word, as in Isaiah,
ttt[2] I will sing for My beloved a song of My beloved concerning his vineyard. My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill,`fff1` and He enclosed it, and surrounded it with stones, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it and also hewed out a winepress in it. And He looked for it to yield grapes, and it yielded wild grapes. And now, O inhabitant of Jerusalem and man of Judah, judge, I pray you, between Me and My vineyard. The vineyard of Jehovah Zebaoth is the house of Israel. `Isaiah 5bbb1-3`, `Isaiah 5bbbccc7`.
Here 'a vineyard' means the Ancient, and so the spiritual, Church, which is referred to explicitly as 'the house of Israel', for 'Israel' in the Word means the spiritual Church, whereas 'Judah' means the celestial Church. In Jeremiah,
Again I will build you, and you will be built, O virgin of Israel! Again you will adorn yourself with your timbrels and will go forth in the dance of the merrymakers. Again you will plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria. `Jeremiah 31bbb4-5`.
Here 'vineyard' stands for the spiritual Church, the subject being Israel, which, as stated, means the spiritual Church.
ttt[3] In Ezekiel,
When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples, they will dwell securely upon the land, and they will build houses and plant vineyards. `Ezekiel 28bbb15`, `Ezekiel 28bbbccc16`.
Here 'vineyard' stands for the spiritual Church, which is Israel. 'Planting vineyards' stands for being furnished with truths and goods of faith. In Amos,
I smote you with blight and mildew; your very many gardens, and your vineyards, and your fig trees and your olive groves the locust will devour. Thus will I do to you, O Israel. `Amos 4bbb9`, `Amos 4bbbccc12`.
'Gardens' stands for the things of the Church; 'vineyards' stands for the spiritual things of the Church, 'fig trees' for the natural things, 'olive groves' for the celestial things - and so for the things of the spiritual Church, which is Israel. In the same prophet,
I will bring again the captivity; of My people Israel, and they will build the ruined cities and inhabit them. And they will plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they will make gardens and eat their fruit. `Amos 9bbb14`.
'Planting vineyards' stands for the planting of the spiritual Church, and so 'a vineyard' stands for the spiritual Church, which is Israel.
ttt[4] As 'a vineyard' means the spiritual Church so also does 'the vine', for the vine is part of the vineyard. They are as Church and member of the Church, and therefore have the same meaning. In Jeremiah,
Is Israel a slave? Is he a home-born [servant]? Why has he become a prey? I had planted you, a wholly choice vine, a seed of truth. How have you turned from Me into the degraded branches of a strange vine? `Jeremiah 2bbb14`, `Jeremiah 2bbbccc21`.
'Vine' stands for the spiritual Church, which is Israel. In Ezekiel,
Take up a lamentation for the princes of Israel Your mother was like a vine in your likeness, planted beside the waters, fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters. `Ezekiel 19bbb1`, `Ezekiel 19bbbccc10`.
'Vine' stands for the Ancient spiritual Church, meant by 'mother', and so for Israel; hence also the expression 'in your likeness'. In Hosea,
Israel is an empty vine, it bears fruit like itself. `Hosea 10bbb1`.
'Vine' stands for the spiritual Church, or Israel, in this case a desolated Church. In the same prophet,
Return, O Israel, to Jehovah your God. I will be as the dew to Israel. Those dwelling under His shadow will return, they will give life to the grain, and they will blossom out as the vine, the memory of it will be as the wine of Lebanon. `Hosea 14bbb1`, `Hosea 14bbbccc5`, `Hosea 14bbbccc7`.
Here 'vine' stands for the spiritual Church, which is Israel. In Moses,
Until Shiloh comes . . . binding his colt to the vine, and the foal of his she-ass to a choice vine. `Genesis 49bbb10-11`.
This is a prophecy concerning the Lord. 'Vine' and 'choice vine' stand for spiritual Churches.
ttt[5] The Lord's parables about workers in vineyards similarly meant spiritual Churches, `Matthew 20bbb1-16`; `Mark 12bbb1-12`; `Luke 20bbb9-18`; `Matthew 21bbb33-44`.
Since 'the vine' means the spiritual Church, and the chief thing of the spiritual Church is charity within which the Lord is present, by means of which He joins Himself to man, and by means of which He alone works everything good, the Lord therefore compares Himself to the vine, and describes the member of the Church, that is, describes the spiritual Church, in the following way in John,
I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away, but every one that does bear fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you cannot do anything. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. `John 15bbb1-5`, `John 15bbbccc12`.
From this it is clear what the spiritual Church is.
`nnn1. literally, on a horn of a son of oil
ppp22774#pid#1070. Verse `Genesis 9bbbccc21` And he drank of the wine, and was drunk, and he was uncovered in the middle of his tent.
'And he drank wine' means that he wished to probe into matters of faith. 'And he was drunk' means that he consequently sank into errors. 'And he was uncovered in the middle of his tent' means resulting perversities, 'the middle of the tent' being the chief thing of faith.
ppp22773#pid#1071. That 'he drank wine' means that he wished to probe into matters of faith is clear from the meaning of 'wine'. 'A vineyard' or 'a vine', as has been shown, is the spiritual Church, or member of the spiritual Church. The grape, clusters, and bunches are its fruit, and these mean charity and what belongs to charity. Wine however means faith deriving from charity, and all things that belong to faith. Thus 'grape means the celestial aspect of that Church, and 'wine' the spiritual. The celestial, as often stated already, comprises the will, while the spiritual comprises the understanding. That 'he drank of the wine' means that he wished to probe into matters of faith, and to do so indeed by means of reasonings, is clear from the reason given why 'he was drunk', that is, sank into errors. Indeed the member of this Church did not possess any perception at all as the member of the Most Ancient Church had done. Instead he had to acquire knowledge of what good and truth were by learning about them from doctrinal matters concerning faith which had been gathered together and preserved from the perception that had existed in the Most Ancient Church. And these matters of doctrine constituted the Word of the Ancient Church. As with the Word, doctrinal matters concerning faith were in many instances such that, without perception, they could not be believed; for spiritual and celestial things infinitely transcend human comprehension, and this is why reasoning enters in. But the person who refuses to believe those things until he comprehends them is never able to believe, as often shown already. See what appears in `@@@128`, `@@@130`, `@@@195`, `@@@196`, `@@@215`, `@@@232`, `@@@233`.
ttt[2] That 'grapes in the Word means charity and what belongs to charity, and that 'wine' means both faith deriving from charity and also matters of faith, becomes clear from the following places: In Isaiah,
My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill.`fff1` He looked for it to yield grapes, and it yielded wild grapes. `Isaiah 5bbb1-2`, `Isaiah 5bbbccc4`.
Here 'grapes' stands for charity and the fruits of charity. In Jeremiah,
I will surely gather them, says Jehovah; there will be no grapes on the vine nor figs on the fig tree. Jer, `Jeremiah ccc8bbb13`.
'Vine' stands for the spiritual Church, 'grapes' for charity. In Hosea,
Like grapes in the wilderness I found Israel, like the first fruit on the fig tree, in the beginning, I saw your fathers. `Hosea 9bbb10`.
'Israel' stands for the Ancient Church, 'grape' for the fact that they were endowed with charity. These words are used in the contrary sense when 'Israel' stands for the sons of Jacob. In Micah,
There was no cluster to eat; my soul desired the first fruit. The holy man has perished from the earth, and there is none upright among men. `Micah 7bbb1-2`.
'Cluster' stands for charity or that which is holy, 'first fruit' for faith or that which is upright.
ttt[3] In Isaiah,
Thus said Jehovah, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one says, Do not destroy it, for there is a blessing in it. `Isaiah 65bbb8`.
'Cluster' stands for charity, 'new wine' for goods that stem from charity, and truths deriving from these. In Moses,
He washes his clothing in wine, and His garment in the blood of grapes. `Genesis 49bbb11`.
This is a prophecy concerning the Lord. 'Wine' stands for that which is spiritual deriving from what is celestial, 'blood of grapes' for the celestial in respect to spiritual Churches. So 'grapes' stands for charity itself, 'wine' for faith itself. In John,
The angel said, Put in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the earth, for its grapes have ripened. `Revelation 14bbb18`.
This refers to the last times when there is no faith, that is, when there is no charity. For no faith exists other than that which inheres in charity, and in essence is charity itself. Consequently when it is said that there is no longer any faith, as in the last times, it means that there is no charity.
ttt[4] As 'grapes' means charity, so 'wine' means faith deriving from charity, for wine is obtained from grapes. In addition to these and previous quotations concerning the vineyard and the vine, the following also make the point clear: In Isaiah,
Gladness and exaltation have been taken away from Carmel, and in the vineyards there is no singing, no joyful noise. No treader treads out wine in the presses; I have made the hedad`fff2` to cease. `Isaiah 16bbb10`.
This stands for the fact that the spiritual Church, meant by 'Carmel', has been vastated, 'none treading wine in the presses' for the fact that no longer are there any people who possess faith. In the same prophet,
The inhabitants of the earth will be scorched and few men left. The new wine will mourn, the vine will languish; they will not drink wine with singing, strong drink will be bitter to those drinking it; there will be an outcry in the streets over wine. `Isaiah 24bbb6-7`, `Isaiah 24bbbccc9`, `Isaiah 24bbbccc11`.
The vastated spiritual Church being the subject, 'wine' stands for truths of faith that are considered valueless. In Jeremiah,
They will say to their mothers, Where is corn and wine? when they faint like one who has been run through in the streets of the city. `Lamentations 2bbb12`.
'Where is corn and wine?' means, Where is love and faith? 'Streets of the city' means truths here, as elsewhere in the Word. 'Those who have been run through in them' means that they do not know what the truths of faith are.
ttt[5] In Amos,
I will bring again the captivity of My people Israel, and they will build the ruined cities and inhabit them. And they will plant vineyards and drink their wine. `Amos 9bbb14`.
This refers to the spiritual Church, meant by Israel, to which 'planting vineyards and drinking wine' is attributed when it becomes a Church such as derives faith from charity. In Zephaniah,
They will build houses but not inhabit them, and they will plant vineyards but not drink their wine. `Zephaniah 1bbb13`; `Amos 5bbb11`.
Here 'vineyard' and 'wine' stand for the contrary situation when the spiritual Church has been vastated. In Zechariah,
They will be like a mighty man of Ephraim, and their heart will rejoice as from wine, and their sons will see it and rejoice. `Zechariah 10bbb7`.
This refers to the house of Judah, that it would be such by virtue of the goods and truths of faith. In John the command not to do harm to oil and wine, `Revelation 6bbb6`, stands for doing no harm to what is celestial and spiritual, that is, to things of love and faith.
ttt[6] In the Jewish Church, since 'wine' meant faith in the Lord, the libation of wine in the sacrifices also represented faith, as in `Numbers 15bbb1-15`; `Numbers ccc28bbb11-15`, `Numbers 28bbbccc18`-end; `Numbers 29bbb7`-end; `Leviticus 23bbb12-13`; `Exodus 29bbb40`. Hence the following is said in Hosea,
Threshing-floor and winepress will not feed them, and new wine will be deceptive in her. They will not dwell in Jehovah's land, but Ephraim will return to Egypt, and in Assyria they will eat what is unclean: They will not pour libations of wine to Jehovah, they will not be pleasing to Him. `Hosea 9bbb1-4`.
This refers to Israel, or the spiritual Church, and to those people in it who pervert and defile holy things and the truths of faith by wishing to probe into them by means of knowledge and reasonings. 'Egypt' is knowledge, 'Assyria' reasoning, and 'Ephraim' one who engages in reasoning.
`nnn1. literally, on a horn of a son of oil
`nnn2. A Hebrew word which is a shout of exaltation.
ppp22772#pid#1072. 'He was drunk' means that he consequently sank into errors. This is clear from the meaning of 'a drunken man' in the Word. Those people are called drunk who do not believe anything except that of which they have a mental grasp, and who for that reason probe into mysteries of faith. And because they probe into them by means of knowledge, either factual or philosophical, acquired through the senses, man being what he is inevitably sinks as a consequence into errors. Man's thought is altogether earthly, bodily, and material because it is born of things that are earthly, bodily, and material which cling to it all the time and which the ideas comprising his thought are based on and encompassed by. Consequently to think and reason about Divine matters from such things is to run into errors and perversities, and from that position it is as impossible to acquire faith as it is 'for a camel to go through the eye of a needle'. The error and insanity that result are in the Word called 'drunkenness'. What is more, souls or spirits in the next life who reason about and against the truths of faith become like drunken men and behave as these do. These people will in the Lord's Divine mercy be described later on.
ttt[2] Spirits are clearly distinguished from one another as to whether they possess, or do not possess, faith that inheres in charity. Those who possess such faith do not engage in reasoning about the truths of faith. Instead they immediately declare them to be true, and also confirm them, so far as they are able, by means of sensory evidence, factual knowledge, and analytical arguments. But as soon as something obscure comes up which they do not perceive they lay it aside and never allow anything like that to lead them into doubt. They say that the things they are able to grasp are very few and that therefore to think that something is not true because they themselves do not grasp it would be madness. These people are those who are governed by charity. But those who do not possess faith inhering in charity have no other desire than to reason whether a thing is true and to know how it is so. They say that if they cannot know how it is so, they are unable to believe that it is so. From this attitude of mind alone they are instantly recognized as those who have no faith at all, and it is a sign not only that they entertain doubts about everything but also that at heart they are deniers. And even when they are informed as to how something is so they remain unmoved and raise all kinds of objections, and would never give up even if this went on for ever. Those who are thus unmoved pile up errors upon errors. These people, or such as they, are in the Word called 'drunk from wine or strong drink'.
ttt[3] As in Isaiah,
These err through wine, and go astray through strong drink. The priest and the prophet err through strong drink. They are swallowed up by wine, they err from strong drink. They err in vision. All tables are full of vomit. Whom will He teach knowledge, and whom will He cause to understand the report? Those weaned from milk, those torn away from the breasts? `Isaiah 28bbb7-9`.
Such people are clearly meant here. In the same prophet,
How do you say to Pharaoh, I am a son of the wise, a son of kings of old? Where are your wise men now? Let them, I pray, tell you. Jehovah has mingled in the midst of her a spirit of perversity, and they have made Egypt err in all her works, as a drunken man errs in his vomit. `Isaiah 19bbb11-12`, `Isaiah 19bbbccc14`.
'A drunken man' stands for people who wish from facts to probe into spiritual and celestial things. 'Egypt' means facts, which also is why he calls himself 'a son of the wise'. In Jeremiah,
Drink and get drunk, and vomit, and fall, and do not get up again. `Jeremiah 25bbb27`. This stands for falsities.
ttt[4] In David,
They reel and stagger like a drunken man, and all their wisdom will be swallowed up. `Psalms 107bbb27`.
In Isaiah,
Come, I will get wine, and we will be drunken from strong drink, and tomorrow will be like this day, a great abundance. `Isaiah 56bbb12`.
This has reference to things that are contrary to the truths of faith. In Jeremiah,
Every wineskin will be filled with wine, all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with drunkenness. `Jeremiah 13bbb12-13`.
'Wine' stands for faith, 'drunkenness' for errors. In Joel,
Awake, you drunkards, and weep; and wail, all you drinkers of wine, over the new wine, for it is cut off from your mouth. For a nation is coming up over My land; it is turning My vine into a desolation. `Joel 1bbb5-7`.
This refers to the Church vastated as regards truths of faith. In John,
Babylon caused all nations to drink from the wine of the anger of whoredom. The inhabitants of the earth have got drunk with the wine of whoredom. `Revelation 14bbb8`, `Revelation 14bbbccc10`; `Revelation ccc16bbb19`; `Revelation ccc17bbb2`; `Revelation ccc18bbb3`; `Revelation ccc19bbb15`.
'The wine of whoredom' stands for adulterated truths of faith, to which 'drunkenness' has reference. Similarly in Jeremiah,
Babel was a golden cup in Jehovah's hand, making all the earth drunken. The nations have drunk of her wine, therefore the nations are mad. `Jeremiah 51bbb7`.
ttt[5] Since 'drunkenness' meant inanities surrounding truths of faith, it also became representative; and Aaron was forbidden to be drunk, as the following shows,
Aaron and his sons were not to drink wine and intoxicating drink when they entered the Tent [of Meeting] lest they died, so that they might distinguish between what was holy and what was unholy, what was unclean and what was clean. `Leviticus 10bbb8-10`.
People who believe nothing except what they grasp through sensory evidence and factual knowledge are also called in Isaiah 'heroes at drinking',
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and in their own sight intelligent! Woe to heroes at drinking wine, and valiant men in mixing strong drink! `Isaiah 5bbb21-22`.
They are called 'wise in their own eyes, and in their own sight intelligent' because people who reason against truths of faith imagine that they are wiser than everybody else.
ttt[6] People however who pay no attention to the Word and the truths of faith, and thus who are unwilling to know anything about faith, and so deny its fundamental teachings, are called 'drunk without wine'. In Isaiah,
They were drunk but not with wine, they were staggering, but not with strong drink. For Jehovah has poured out upon you a Spirit of sleep, and has closed your eyes. `Isaiah 19bbb9-10`.
That they are such is clear from what comes before and after this description of them in the prophet. People who are 'drunk' in this sense imagine that they are more alert than anybody else, yet they are in a deep sleep. The fact that the Ancient Church when it began was such as is described in this verse, especially those who belonged to the stock of the Most Ancient Church, becomes clear from what has been stated already in `@@@788`.
ppp22771#pid#1073. 'He was uncovered in the middle of his tent' means resulting perversities. This is clear from the meaning of being 'uncovered' or naked. For someone is called uncovered and naked from drunkenness caused by wine when no truths of faith reside with him, and more so when perversities reside there. Truths of faith themselves are compared to garments that clothe charity or the goods that stem from charity, for charity is the body itself, and truths therefore the garments. Or what is equally the case, charity is the soul itself, while truths of faith are like the body that is the clothing for the soul. What is more, in the Word the truths of faith are called 'garments' and 'a covering'; hence the statement in verse `Genesis 9bbbccc23` below that 'Shem and Japheth took a garment and covered their father's nakedness'. The relationship of spiritual things to celestial is like that of the body that clothes the soul, or like garments clothing the body, and indeed in heaven spiritual things are represented by garments. Here, because it is said that 'he lay uncovered', it means that he divested himself of the truths of faith through desiring to probe into them by means of sensory evidence and reasonings based on this. Similar concepts are meant in the Word by 'lying naked as a result of being drunk from wine', as in Jeremiah,
Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, dweller in the land of Uz. Over you also the cup will pass, you will become drunk and strip yourself naked. `Lamentations 4bbb11`.
And in Habakkuk,
Woe to him who makes his neighbour drink, and by also making them drunk to look upon their nakedness. `Habakkuk 2bbb15`.
ppp22770#pid#1074. 'The middle of the tent' is the chief thing of faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'the middle' and from the meaning of 'a tent'. In the Word 'the middle' means that which is inmost, and 'tent' charity, or worship deriving from charity. Charity is the inmost, that is, the chief thing of faith and worship, and so is 'the middle of the tent'. That 'the middle' means that which is inmost has been shown already, and that 'tent' means the holiness of love, which is charity, see what has appeared already in `@@@414`.
ppp22769#pid#1075. Verse `Genesis 9bbbccc22` And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father's nakedness and pointed it out to his two brothers outside.
'Ham' and 'Canaan' have the same meaning here as previously - 'Ham' the corrupted Church, 'Canaan' worship in external things devoid of internal. 'He saw his father's nakedness' means that he noticed the errors and perversities mentioned already. 'And he pointed it out to his two brothers outside' means that he mocked. They are called 'his brothers' because he professed faith.
ppp22768#pid#1076. That 'Ham' means the corrupted Church is clear from what has been stated already about 'Ham'. A Church is called corrupted which acknowledges the Word and has a certain worship similar to that of the true Church but nevertheless separates faith from charity, and so separates it from its essential element and very life. As a consequence faith becomes a thing that is dead, with the result that the Church is inevitably corrupted. What kind of people its members become is made clear by the fact that they cannot possibly have any conscience; for conscience that is truly conscience never exists unless it derives from charity. Charity is what makes conscience, that is, the Lord does so by means of charity. What is conscience but not doing wrong to anyone in any way at all, or doing well to everybody in every possible way? So conscience is an attribute of charity and never of faith separated from charity. If such persons do have any conscience it is a false conscience, about which see what has appeared already. And because they are devoid of conscience they rush into everything unspeakable, so far as external restraints are removed.
ttt[2] Nor indeed do these people know what charity is, but only that it is a word having some meaning. And being devoid of charity they do not know what faith is. When questioned they can only reply that it is a sort of thought Some reply that it is trust, others that it is cognitions of faith. A few say that it is living according to those cognitions, while scarcely any say that it is the life of charity, that is, of mutual love. And if they are told this and are given the opportunity to reflect, their only reply is that all love begins from self, and that anyone who does not consider his own interests and his family's is worse than a heathen. Consequently they are concerned about nothing but themselves and the world. This leads to their living in the proprium, the nature of which has been described frequently already. These are the people who are called 'Ham'.
ppp22767#pid#1077. The reason the people who are here called 'Ham' and 'Canaan', that is, who separate faith from charity and who in so doing focus worship solely on external things, cannot know what conscience is and where it originates, must be discussed briefly. Conscience is formed by means of the truths of faith, for what a person has heard, acknowledged, and believed constitutes conscience with him. After that, acting contrary to those things is for him acting contrary to conscience, as may become quite clear to anyone. Consequently unless it is the truths of faith that he hears, acknowledges, and believes, he cannot possibly have a true conscience. For it is by means of the truths of faith, with the Lord working within charity, that a person is regenerated, and so by means of them receives conscience. Conscience is also the new person himself. From this it is clear that truths of faith are the means by which this is achieved, that is, by which a person lives according to the things faith teaches, its fundamental teaching being to love the Lord above all things and the neighbour as oneself. If he does not live according to those truths, what is faith but something hollow, and an audible sound, or something separated from heavenly life, in which, once separated, there is nothing saving? For to believe that a person can still be saved no matter how he lives, provided he has faith, is to say that he is saved even though he has no charity and even though he has no conscience. It amounts to saying that, provided he has faith, even though he does not have it until the last hour of life, he can be saved, despite spending his time hating, getting revenge, plundering, and committing adultery, in short, doing everything contrary to charity and conscience. Let such people, when governed by an assumption as false as this, ponder what truth of faith exists that can form their conscience. Will it not be that which is false? If they imagine that they have any conscience at all, it amounts to no more than external restraints - fear of the law, of loss of position, wealth, and reputation on account of these, which fears constitute with them what they call conscience, a conscience which says that they should do no harm to the neighbour but behave well towards him. Since however this is not conscience, because it is not charity, such persons consequently rush into the most wicked and disgusting actions as soon as those restraints have been loosed or done away with. But the situation is altogether different with people who, though asserting that faith alone saves, have nevertheless led charitable lives; for their faith has had charity from the Lord within it.
ppp22766#pid#1078. That 'the father of Canaan' means worship in external things devoid of internal has been discussed already. From faith separated from charity no other kind of worship can possibly arise. Indeed the internal man is charity, and never faith devoid of charity. This is why the person who is destitute of charity cannot possibly have any other kind of worship than external devoid of internal. And because it is from faith separated from charity that such worship arises, Ham was called 'the father of Canaan', and in what follows Ham is not the subject, but Canaan.
ppp22765#pid#1079. 'He saw his father's nakedness' means that he noticed the errors and perversities. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'nakedness', dealt with just above and also previously in `@@@213`, `@@@214`, as evil and perversity. Here Ham's noticing his father's nakedness, that is, his errors and perversities, describes people with whom faith is separated from charity. Such people see nothing else but errors and perversities residing with a person. But those who have faith that inheres in charity are different. They notice the goods, and if they do see evils and falsities they excuse them, and if possible endeavour with that person to correct them, as is said here of Shem and Japheth.
ttt[2] Where charity does not exist self-love is present and consequently hatred towards all who do not show favour to self. As a result they see in the neighbour nothing except his evil. Or if they do see anything good they either perceive it as nothing or else place a bad interpretation on it. It is altogether otherwise with those with whom charity is present. And from such presence or absence of charity these two kinds of people are distinguished from each other. Especially when they enter the next life, with those who have no charity, a feeling of hatred is manifest in every single thing; they wish to try everyone and indeed to pass judgement on them. Their one desire is to discover what is evil in them, all the time having it in mind to condemn, punish, and torment. But those who have charity hardly notice the evil in another person, but instead notice all the goods and truths that are his; and on his evils and falsities they place a good interpretation. Of such a nature are all angels, it being something they have from the Lord, who bends everything evil into good.
ppp22764#pid#1080. 'He pointed it out to his two brothers' means that he mocked. This now follows from what is said above, for with people who have no charity there is unending contempt of others, that is, unending mockery of them. And as often as the occasion allows, errors are exposed. They are prevented from doing this openly solely by external restraints - by fear of the law, fear for their life, fear of losing their position, wealth, and reputation on account of these. Consequently they harbour such contempt inwardly, but outwardly produce a semblance of friendship to others. As a result of this they acquire two spheres, which are perceived clearly in the next life. The first, which is interior, is full of hatred; the second, which is exterior, is a mere semblance of good. And because these spheres are in complete disagreement, they inevitably conflict. This also is why when the exterior sphere is taken away from them so that they are not able to dissemble they rush into everything unspeakable. And when it is not taken away, the hatred, which is perceived, lurks in every word they speak. From this arise their punishments and torments.
ppp22763#pid#1081. That they are called 'his brothers' because he professed faith is clear from what has been shown in `@@@367` to the effect that charity is 'the brother' of faith.
ppp22762#pid#1082. Verse `Genesis 9bbbccc23` And Shem and Japheth took a garment and both of them put it on a shoulder, and went backwards and covered their father's nakedness; and their faces were backwards, and they did not see their father's nakedness. 'Shem', as stated, means the internal Church, 'Japheth' the external Church corresponding to it. 'They took a garment' means that they placed a good interpretation on it. 'And both of them put it on a shoulder' means that they did so with all the power they possessed. 'And they went backwards' means that they took no notice of errors and perversities. 'And covered their father's nakedness' means that in this way they excused those things. 'And their faces were backwards, and they did not see their father's nakedness' means that this is what ought to be done and that no notice ought to be taken of such things as errors and faults resulting from reasonings.
ppp22761#pid#1083. That 'Shem' means the internal Church, 'Japheth' the external Church corresponding to it, has been discussed already. Where the Church exists it must necessarily possess an internal aspect and an external; for a human being, who is the Church, is both internal and external. Before he becomes the Church, that is, before he has been regenerated, he is engrossed in things that are external. But when undergoing regeneration he is led away from external things - or rather by means of external things - towards internal, as stated and shown already. But once he has been regenerated, all things that belong to the internal man are encompassed in the things that are external. Thus every Church must necessarily be internal and external, as the Ancient Church was, and as the Christian Church is today.
ttt[2] The internal aspects of the Ancient Church comprised all things that belong to charity and to faith deriving from charity, all humbleness, all worship of the Lord that stems from charity, every good affection towards the neighbour, and other aspects like these. The external features of that Church were sacrifices, drink-offerings, and much else, all of which, by means of representation, were directed to the Lord and had regard to Him. Consequently things of an internal nature existed within those that were external and made a single Church. The internal features of the Christian Church are just the same as the internal features of the Ancient Church, but different externals have ensued. That is to say, instead of sacrifices and the like, [the Christian Church] has sacraments which in a similar way have regard to the Lord. So in the Christian Church also things that are internal and those that are external make one.
ttt[3] The Ancient Church did not differ in the slightest from the Christian Church as to its internal features, only as to its external. Worship of the Lord that stems from charity cannot possibly be different, no matter how much externals may vary. And since, as stated, no Church can exist unless there is that which is internal and that which is external, the internal without the external would be something unbounded if it were not encompassed by something external. For mankind is such, and indeed the vast majority, that it does not know what the internal man is, and what belongs to the internal man. Without external worship therefore, mankind would have no knowledge at all of what is holy.
ttt[4] As long as these people have charity and consequently conscience, they have internal worship residing with them in their external worship. For the Lord residing with them is at work in charity and in conscience, and He causes all their worship to partake of what is internal. It is otherwise with people who have no charity and consequently no conscience. They are indeed able to have worship in externals, yet it is separated from internal worship, as their faith is separated from charity. Such worship is called 'Canaan' and such faith 'Ham'. And because such worship is the product of separated faith, Ham is called 'the father of Canaan'.
ppp22760#pid#1084. 'They took a garment' means that they placed a good interpretation on it. This is clear from what has been stated already. 'Taking a garment and covering someone's nakedness' can have no other meaning when 'being uncovered' and 'nakedness' mean errors and perversities.
ppp22759#pid#1085. 'They put it on a shoulder' means that they did so with all the power they had, that is to say, they placed a good interpretation on it and excused it. This is clear from the meaning of 'shoulder' as all power. In the Word 'hand' means power, as shown already. 'Arm' means greater power still, while 'shoulder' means all power, as becomes clear also from the following places in the Word: In Ezekiel,
You push with side and with shoulder, and butt with your horns all the weak sheep till you have scattered them abroad. `Ezekiel 34bbb21`.
'With side and with shoulder' here stands for all their soul and all their power; and 'butting with horns' stands for all their strength.
ttt[2] In the same prophet,
That all the inhabitants of Egypt may know that I am Jehovah, because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel. When they grasp you with the hand you will be broken, and will tear for them every shoulder. `Ezekiel 29bbb6-7`.
This refers to people who wish to probe into spiritual truths by means of facts. 'A staff of reed' stands for power of this kind, 'taking with the hand' stands for trusting in it, 'tearing every shoulder' for being deprived of all power so that they may know nothing. In Zephaniah,
That all of them may call on the name of Jehovah to serve Him with one shoulder. Zeph, `Zephaniah ccc3bbb9`.
'One shoulder' stands for doing so with one soul. and so with one power.
ttt[3] In Zechariah,
They refused to listen, and turned a stubborn shoulder. `Zechariah 7bbb11`.
This stands for their resisting with all the power they had. In Isaiah,
They hire a smith who makes gold and silver into God. They worship, they even bow down to it. They bear it on the shoulder, they carry it. `Isaiah 46bbb6-7`.
'Shoulder' stands for their worshipping the idol with all the power they have, which is 'bearing on the shoulder'.
ttt[4] In the same prophet,
To us a Boy is born, to us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder, and His name will be called, Wonderful, Counsellor, God, Hero, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace. `Isaiah 9bbb6`.
This refers to the Lord, and at this point to the power He has and exercises - hence the phrase 'upon His shoulder'. In the same prophet,
I will place the key of the house of David on His shoulder, and He will open and none will shut; and He will shut and none will open.
This similarly refers to the Lord, placing on the shoulder the key of the house of David' standing for the power He has and exercises.
ppp22758#pid#1086. 'They went backwards' means that they took no notice of errors and perversities This becomes clear from the meaning of 'going backwards' as turning away the eyes and not seeing, as is also evident from what follows where it is said that 'they did not see their father's nakedness'. In the internal sense 'not seeing' is taking no notice of.
ppp22757#pid#1087. They covered their father's nakedness' means that in this way they excused those things. This is equally clear from the train of thought, and also from the meaning of 'nakedness' as perversities.
ppp22756#pid#1088. 'Their faces were backwards, and they did not see their father's nakedness' means that this is what ought to be done and that no notice ought to be taken of such things as errors and faults resulting from reasonings. This is clear from the fact that this statement is a repetition, for this wording is almost the same as that immediately previous and therefore also serves as the conclusion to it. For this parent Church, or member of this Church, was such that it acted in this fashion not out of evil-mindedness but in simplicity, as becomes clear from what follows next where it is said that 'Noah awoke from his wine', that is, was better informed.
ttt[2] In regard to the subject under discussion, people with whom no charity is present think nothing else than evil of the neighbour and speak nothing but evil. If they say anything good it is for the sake of themselves or of one with whom they seek to curry favour under an outward show of friendship. But people in whom charity is present think nothing else than good of the neighbour and speak nothing but good, and this not for their own sake or that of him with whom they seek to curry favour, but from the Lord thus at work within charity. The former are like evil spirits, the latter like angels, residing with someone. Evil spirits never do anything else than stir up a person's evils and falsities and condemn him. Angels however stir up nothing but goods and truths; and things that are evil and false they excuse. From these considerations it is clear that with those in whom no charity is present evil spirits have dominion, through whom man communicates with hell; and with those in whom charity is present angels have dominion, through whom man communicates with heaven.
ppp22755#pid#1089. Verse `Genesis 9bbbccc24` And Noah awoke from his wine, and realized what his younger son had done to him.
'Noah awoke from his wine' means when he was better informed. 'And realized what his younger son had done to him' means that external worship separated from internal is such as mocks.
ppp22754#pid#1090. That 'Noah awoke from his wine' means when he was better informed is clear from the meaning of 'awakening after drunkenness'. When he was 'drunk', verse `Genesis 9bbbccc21`, meant that he sank into errors, and therefore 'awakening' is nothing else than emerging from errors.
ppp22753#pid#1091. 'What his younger son had done to him' means that external worship separated from internal is such as mocks. From the sense of the letter, which is the historical sense, 'younger son' seems to mean Ham, but from the verse following it is clear that Canaan is meant, for the phrase 'Cursed be Canaan' is used. And in the subsequent verses `Genesis 9bbbccc26-27`, it is said that 'Canaan will be a slave'. The reason why nothing is mentioned concerning Ham may be seen in the following verse. All that need be mentioned here is why Shem is named first, Ham second, Japheth third, and Canaan fourth. Charity, meant by Shem, is the first thing of the Church; faith, meant by Ham, is the second; worship arising from charity, meant by Japheth, is the third; and worship in external things devoid of faith and charity, meant by Canaan, is the fourth. Charity is the brother of faith, and so too is worship arising from charity. But worship in external things devoid of charity is 'a slave of slaves'.
ppp22752#pid#1092. Verse `Genesis 9bbbccc25` And he said, Cursed be Canaan, a slave of slaves will he be to his brothers.
'Cursed be Canaan' means that external worship separated from internal turned itself away from the Lord. 'A slave of slaves will he be to his brothers' means the lowest thing in the Church.
ppp22751#pid#1093. That 'cursed be Canaan' means that external worship separated from internal turned itself away from the Lord is clear from the meaning of 'Canaan' and from the meaning of 'being cursed'. That 'Canaan' is external worship separated from internal is clear from what has been stated already about Canaan, also from his being called 'cursed'; and from what follows about his being 'a slave of slaves'. And being a slave both to Shem and to Japheth cannot mean anything other than something separated from the Church itself, such as worship that is wholly external. This is clear from the meaning of 'being cursed' as turning oneself away, for the Lord in no way curses anybody, or is even angry. Instead it is man who brings the curse upon himself by turning himself away from the Lord. On these points see what has been shown already in `@@@223`, `@@@245`, `@@@592`. The Lord is as far from cursing or being angry with anyone as the sky is from the earth. Who can believe that the Lord, who is all-knowing and all-powerful, who with wisdom rules the universe, and so who is infinitely superior to all [human] weaknesses, is angry with such pitifully worthless dust, that is, with human beings who scarcely know anything of what they do and who of themselves are incapable of anything other than evil? With the Lord therefore anger is never present, only mercy.
ttt[2] That arcana are contained here can be seen merely from the consideration that even though it was Ham who saw his father's nakedness and pointed it out to his brothers, he was not cursed but his son Canaan, who was not his only son nor even the firstborn but the fourth in line, as is clear from Chapter 10, verse `Genesis 10bbbccc6` later on, where the sons of Ham are mentioned as being Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. It can in addition be seen from the Divine Law that no son was to bear his father's iniquity, as is clear in Ezekiel,
The soul that has sinned will die. The son will not bear the iniquity of the father, nor will the father bear the iniquity of the son. `Ezekiel 18bbb20`; `Deuteronomy 14bbb16`; `2 Kings 14bbb6`.
And the same can also be seen from the consideration that this iniquity of merely seeing his father's nakedness and pointing it out to his brothers seems too slight for all of his descendants ever to have been cursed on that account. From these considerations it is clear that arcana are contained here.
ttt[3] The reason Ham is not mentioned here but Canaan is that Ham means faith separated from charity in the spiritual Church, which cannot be cursed because in that Church faith has holiness present within it because truth is present there. And although there is no faith when there is no charity, it is still possible - since it is by means of the cognitions of faith that a person is regenerated - for separated faith to be allied to charity, and in this way to be in some sense 'a brother' or may become one. This was why Canaan was cursed and not Ham. Furthermore the inhabitants of the land of Canaan were for the most part people such as made all worship consist in external things, the Jews there as much as the gentiles. These are the arcana contained here, but for which Canaan would never have been substituted for Ham. That external worship separated from internal turns itself away and so brings a curse on itself is quite clear from the fact that people whose worship is external have no regard for anything other than worldly, bodily, and earthly things. Thus they look downwards, and immerse their minds (animus) and life in those things; such will be dealt with a little further on.
ppp22750#pid#1094. 'A slave of slaves will he be to his brothers' means the lowest thing in the Church. This is clear from the nature of external worship separated from internal. That external worship regarded in itself is nothing at all unless internal worship exists to sanctify it may become clear to anyone. What is external adoration without adoration of the heart but a mere gesture of the body? What is prayer on the lips if the mind is not in it but a meaningless babble? And what is any activity if there is no intention within it but a kind of nothing? Consequently everything external is in itself something soulless, living solely from that which is internal.
ttt[2] The character of external worship separated from internal has been made clear to me from many experiences in the next life. The sorceresses and witches there attended church and the sacraments during their lifetime as frequently as any others did. The deceitful likewise, indeed more often than others; and so also those who delighted in robbery, as well as the avaricious. Yet they are in hell where they utterly hate the Lord and the neighbour intensely. With them internal worship had been present in the external either to the intent that the world might see it, or so that they might gain possession of the worldly, earthly, and bodily things they coveted, or so that they might mislead by an outward show of holiness. Or it may have been out of an acquired habit. That such people are very prone to worshipping whichever god or idol favours them and their own evil desires is quite clear. This is especially clear from the Jews who, because they made worship consist in nothing except external things, fell away so many times into idolatry. The reason is that such worship in itself is altogether idolatrous, for they are worshipping what is external.
ttt[3] The external worship of the nations in the land of Canaan, who worshipped the baals and other gods, was very similar. They had not only temples and altars but also sacrifices, so that their external worship differed little from the worship of the Jews. The only difference was that the name they had for their god was Baal, Ashtaroth, or some other, whereas the Jews had the name Jehovah. As they also do even today, the Jews imagined that merely the naming of Jehovah made them holy and chosen people, when in fact that led rather to greater condemnation of them than of others. For that naming made them capable of profaning what was holy, which the gentiles could not do. Such is the worship called 'Canaan', who is referred to as 'a slave of slaves'. That 'a slave of slaves' means the lowest thing in the Church may be seen in the next verse.
ppp22749#pid#1095. Verse `Genesis 9bbbccc26` And he said, Blessed be Jehovah, God of Shem, and Canaan will be a slave to him.
'Blessed be Jehovah, [God] of Shem' means every good imparted to those who worship the Lord from things that are internal, 'Shem' being the internal Church 'And Canaan will be a slave to him' means that such people as make worship consist solely in external things are among those who are able to perform inferior services to members of the Church.
ppp22748#pid#1096. That 'blessed be Jehovah, [God] of Shem' means every good imparted to those who worship the Lord from things that are internal becomes clear from the meaning of 'blessed'. Blessing entails every good - celestial and spiritual, and natural as well. All these are meant in the internal sense by blessing, while in the external sense it means all worldly, bodily, and earthly good. But if the latter are to be a blessing, it is vital that they derive from internal blessing, for this alone is real blessing since it is eternal and is joined with all happiness. It is the Essential Being (Esse) of all blessings. For what has Being apart from that which is eternal? Everything else that has being is non-eternal. In early times it was customary to say 'Blessed be Jehovah', by which people meant that every blessing, that is, all good, flows from Him. It was also a way of expressing thanks for the Lord's blessing or having blessed them, as in David, `Psalms 28bbb6`; `Psalms ccc71bbb21`; `Psalms ccc41bbb13`; `Psalms ccc66bbb20`; `Psalms ccc68bbb19`, `Psalms 68bbbccc35`; `Psalms ccc72bbb18-19`; `Psalms ccc89bbb52`; `Psalms ccc119bbb12`; `Psalms ccc124bbb6`; `Psalms ccc135bbb21`; `Psalms ccc144bbb1`, and in other places besides these.
ttt[2] The expression 'blessed be Jehovah God' is used because Shem, or the internal Church, is the subject. That Church is called an internal Church by virtue of charity. It is in charity that the Lord is present, Who is therefore called 'Jehovah God' here. But He is not called this in the external Church, for although the Lord is present there, that presence is not the same as with the member of the internal Church. The member of the external Church still believes that he himself is the source of the good deeds of charity which he performs. Consequently when the subject is the member of the external Church the Lord is called God, as He is in the next verse in reference to Japheth - 'God enlarge Japheth'. That every good imparted to those who worship the Lord from things that are internal is meant becomes clear also from the order of things. The order is this: From the Lord comes everything celestial, from the celestial comes everything spiritual, from the spiritual comes everything natural. Such is the order by which all things are brought into being, and therefore is the order belonging to influx.
ttt[3] That which is celestial is love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour. Where there is no love, the chain is broken and the Lord not present For He flows in solely by way of that which is celestial, that is, by way of love. When that which is celestial does not exist, that which is spiritual cannot either, for everything spiritual comes from the Lord by way of the celestial. That which is spiritual is faith. Consequently faith does not exist unless it comes from the Lord by way of charity or love. And the same applies to the natural. It is according to this same order that all goods flow in. From this it follows that every good is imparted to those who worship the Lord from things that are internal, that is, from charity. But to those who do not do so from charity no good is imparted, but only an imitation of good which is in itself evil, as the delight accompanying hatred and adultery, which regarded in itself is an absolutely foul delight, into which it is also converted in the next life.
ppp22747#pid#1097. 'Canaan will be a slave to him' means that such people as make worship consist solely in external things are among those who are able to perform inferior services to members of the Church. This becomes clear especially from the representatives in the Jewish Church. In the Jewish Church the internal Church was represented by Judah and Israel - the celestial Church by Judah, the spiritual by Israel - and the external Church by Jacob. People however who made worship consist solely in external things were represented by 'the gentiles' whom they called foreigners. The latter were to be 'their slaves' and were to perform inferior services in the Church, as in Isaiah,
Aliens will stand and pasture your flock, and sons of the foreigner will be your field-workers and your vine-dressers; and you will be called the priests of Jehovah, you will be spoken of as the ministers of our God. You will eat the wealth of the gentiles, and in their glory will you glory. `Isaiah 61bbb5-6`.
Here celestial people are called 'the priests of Jehovah', spiritual people 'the ministers of God', while those who made worship consist solely in external things are called 'sons of the foreigner' who were to serve in their fields and vineyards.
ttt[2] In the same prophet,
The sons of the foreigner will build up your walls, and their kings will minister to you. `Isaiah 60bbb10`.
Here similar reference is made to the service they were to render. In reference to the Gibeonites the following is said in Joshua,
You are cursed, and some of you will always be slaves,`fff1` both hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God. Joshua made them on that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation, especially for the altar of Jehovah. `Joshua 9bbb23`, `Joshua 9bbbccc27`.
It may be seen elsewhere whom the Gibeonites represented because of the covenant made with them, even though they belonged among those who were to be servants in the Church. Regarding foreigners, the law was laid down that if they would accept peace and open their gates they would become tributary and serve,`fff2` `Deuteronomy 20bbb11`; `1 Kings 9bbb21-22`. Every single detail written down in the Word concerning the Jewish Church was representative of the Lord's kingdom. The Lord's kingdom is such that everyone, no matter who or what kind of person, must perform a use. In His kingdom the Lord looks to nothing else than use. Even those in hell have to perform a use, though the uses they do perform are the lowest of all. Among those performing inferior uses are people in the next life whose worship has been wholly external, separated from internal.
ttt[3] Furthermore representatives in the Jewish Church were such that no attention was paid to the person who represented, but to that which was represented by him. The Jews, for example, who were anything but celestial people, nevertheless represented these, while Israel, anything but a spiritual man, nevertheless represented that man; and it was similar with Jacob and the rest. The same applied to kings and priests; they nevertheless represented the Kingship and Holiness of the Lord. This matter becomes clearer still from the fact that even inanimate objects were representative, such as Aaron's garments, the altar itself, the tables with the leaves on them, the lamps, bread and wine; as well as oxen, calves, goats, sheep, kids, lambs, doves, and pigeons. And because the sons of Judah and Israel did no more than represent the internal and the external worship of the Lord's Church, and yet more than anybody else made all worship consist merely in external things, it is therefore they, more than all others, who may be called 'Canaan' according to his meaning here.
`nnn1. literally, and there will not be cut off from you the slave
`nnn2. literally, they would become tribute [taking the form] of a serving one
ppp22746#pid#1098. What 'Shem' and 'Japheth' mean - that is, who the member of the internal Church is and who the member of the external - and from this what 'Canaan' means, becomes clear from the following considerations: The member of the internal Church ascribes to the Lord all the good he does and all the truth he thinks, whereas the member of the external Church has no knowledge of this but nevertheless does what is good. The member of the internal Church makes worship of the Lord from charity - and especially internal worship - the essential, and external worship not so essential. The member of the external Church makes external worship the essential. He does not know what internal worship is, even though he has it. Consequently the member of the internal Church believes that he is acting contrary to conscience if he does not worship the Lord from what is internal, whereas the member of the external Church believes he is acting contrary to conscience if he does not reverently observe external rites. The conscience of the member of the internal Church contains more things because he knows more things from the internal sense of the Word, whereas the conscience of the member of the external Church contains fewer because he knows few things from the internal sense of the Word. The former - the member of the internal Church - is called 'Shem', whereas the latter - the member of the external Church - is called 'Japheth'. The person however who makes worship consist solely in external things and who has no charity, and consequently no conscience, is called 'Canaan'.
ppp22745#pid#1099. Verse `Genesis 9bbbccc27` May God enlarge Japheth, and he will dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan will be his slave. Japheth', as previously, means a corresponding external Church. 'May God enlarge Japheth' means the enlightenment of that Church. 'And he will dwell in the tents of Shem' means so that the internal features of worship may be present in the external features. 'And Canaan will be his slave' means here, as previously, that people who make worship consist solely in external things are able to perform inferior services.
ppp22744#pid#1100. That 'Japheth' means a corresponding external Church has been discussed already; so also has what is meant by an external Church, namely that it is external worship, and so people who do not know what the internal man is and what belongs to the internal man, but who nevertheless lead charitable lives. With them the Lord is just as much present, for the Lord works by means of charity wherever charity exists. It is as with young children. Although these do not know what charity is, still less what faith is, the Lord is nevertheless far more present with them than with adults, especially when young children lead mutually charitable lives. He is in the same way present with simple people who have innocence, charity, and mercy within them. A person's knowing much counts for nothing if he does not live in accordance with what he knows, for the sole purpose of knowledge is that by means of it a person may become good. Once he has become good he possesses far more than someone who knows a vast amount and yet is not good, for what the latter seeks to find through many channels, the former possesses already. It is altogether different in the case of one who knows many truths and goods, and who at the same time has charity and conscience and is a member of the internal Church, which is 'Shem'. People who know little but have conscience are enlightened in the next life even to the point of their becoming angels whose wisdom and intelligence are beyond description. These people are meant by 'Japheth'.
ppp22743#pid#1101. 'May God enlarge Japheth' means the enlightenment of that Church. In the literal sense 'enlarging' means extending boundaries, but in the internal sense it means being enlightened. Indeed enlightenment is an extension so to speak of the boundaries of wisdom and intelligence, as in Isaiah,
Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out. `Isaiah 54bbb2`.
This stands for enlightenment in spiritual things. The member of the external Church is 'enlarged' when he receives instruction in truths and goods of faith. And because charity is present in him he is by this means confirmed more and more. Also, the more instruction he receives the more the cloud is dispersed in the understanding part of his mind in which charity and conscience are present.
ppp22742#pid#1102. 'He will dwell in the tents of Shem' means so that the internal features of worship may be present in the external features. This becomes clear from all that has been stated already about Shem, to the effect that 'Shem' is the internal Church or internal worship, and that external worship is something altogether soulless or unclean if it does not have internal worship to give it life and sanctify it. That 'tents' means nothing else than the holiness of love and worship arising out of this becomes clear from the meaning of 'tents' dealt with already in `@@@414`. Among the ancients 'wandering about and dwelling in tents' was common expression, and by 'tents' in the internal sense was meant holy worship, for the reason that the most ancient people not only wandered about with tents but also dwelt in tents and used to celebrate holy worship in them. Consequently 'wandering about and dwelling' also meant in the internal sense living.
ttt[2] In addition to the places quoted already in `@@@414`, let the following as well serve to confirm that 'tents' means holy worship: In David,
God forsook the dwelling-place at Shiloh, the tent where He dwelt with man. `Psalms 78bbb60`.
Here 'tent' has a similar meaning to the Temple, in which God is said 'to dwell' when He is present with someone within love. For this reason the individual in whose life holy worship had a place was called by the ancients 'a tent', and later 'a temple'. In Isaiah,
Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out. `Isaiah 54bbb1`.
This stands for enlightenment in the things that belong to true worship. In Jeremiah,
The whole land has been laid waste; suddenly My tents have been laid waste, My curtains in a moment. `Jeremiah 4bbb20`.
Here it is quite evident that tents are not meant but holy worship. In Zechariah,
Jerusalem will dwell yet again in her own place, in Jerusalem Jehovah will save the tents of Judah. `Zechariah 12bbb6-7`.
Here 'the tents of Judah' stands for worship of the Lord arising out of the holiness of love.
ttt[3] From these quotations it now becomes clear what 'dwelling in the tents of Shem' means, namely, so that internal worship may be present in external. But because 'Japheth', the member of the external Church, has little knowledge of what internal things are, a brief description of him will be given. When a person feels or perceives within himself that he has thoughts regarding the Lord which are good and thoughts regarding the neighbor which are good, and he wishes to perform acts of kindness for him, but not for the sake of any gain or for the sake of his own position, and when he feels that he has pity for anyone who suffers misfortune, and more so for him who errs in regard to the doctrine of faith, he may then know that 'he is dwelling in the tents of Shem', that is, that there are with him things of an internal nature by means of which the Lord is working.
ppp22741#pid#1103. 'Canaan will be his slave' means that people who make worship consist solely in external things are able to perform inferior services. This is clear from what has been stated at verses `Genesis 9bbbccc25-26`, about Canaan being a slave. People such as these are not in fact 'slaves' in the Lord's Church on earth, for there are many of them who hold primary positions and who are over all others. They do nothing from charity and conscience, and yet very strictly they keep up the external things of the Church, and even condemn those who do not do the same. But because no charity and no conscience exist with them, and they make worship consist solely in external things devoid of internal, such persons are 'slaves' in the Lord's kingdom, that is, in the next life; for they are among the unhappy. The types of service they perform there are inferior, which, being many, cannot be explained satisfactorily here, but will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with later on.
ttt[2] Indeed everyone, no matter who, must in the next life perform a use; for the sole purpose for which a person is born is that he may perform a use to the community he is in, and to his neighbour, while he lives in the world, and in the next life may perform a use in accord with the Lord's gracious purposes. It is the same with the human body: everything there must perform a use - even the things which in themselves seem to be good for nothing, such as fluids which in themselves are waste matter, for example the many secretions of saliva, bile, and so on which not only have to serve food passing through but also to separate waste matters and clear the intestines. The same applies to the use performed by manure and dung in fields and vineyards; and so on.
ppp22740#pid#1104. Verses `Genesis 9bbbccc28-29` And Noah lived after the Flood three hundred and fifty years. And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years; and he died. These words mean the duration of the first Ancient Church, and at the same time its state.
ppp22739#pid#1105. That these things are meant is quite clear from what has been stated already about numbers and years, see `@@@482`, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@575`, `@@@647`, `@@@648`.
ppp22738#pid#1106. VASTATIONS
There are many people who, when they were in the world, out of simplicity and ignorance absorbed falsities in respect to religious faith, but who possessed a kind of conscience that was in keeping with the basic assumptions of their faith. They did not live as others - hating, getting revenge, and committing adultery. In the next life those people cannot be admitted into heavenly communities as long as they are under the influence of falsity, for in that condition they would pollute those communities. They are detained therefore on the lower earth for a considerable length of time so as to get rid of those false assumptions. The length of time they stay there, long or short, depends on the nature of the falsity and of the life acquired from it, and on the extent to which those assumptions have been confirmed with them. Some there suffer quite severely, others not so. The experiences they undergo are called vastations, which receive considerable mention in the Word. When the period of vastation is completed they are carried into heaven and as newcomers receive instruction in the truths of faith, which is given by the angels who receive them.
ppp22737#pid#1107. There are some who are vastated freely and willingly and so get rid of the false assumptions they have brought with them from the world. (Nobody can possibly get rid of false assumptions in the next life without sufficient time and the means provided by the Lord.) Throughout their stay on the lower earth the Lord maintains them in the hope of being set free and in the thought of the end in view, namely that in this way they may be corrected and be prepared to receive heavenly happiness.
ppp22736#pid#1108. Some are kept in a condition halfway between being awake and being asleep, and think very little. By turns so to speak they wake up and remember what they have thought and done during their lifetime, only to slip back again into the halfway condition between being awake and being asleep. In this way they are vastated. They are below the left foot, a little towards the front.
ppp22735#pid#1109. People who have confirmed themselves completely in false assumptions are reduced to a state of total ignorance. With them things at that time are so dim and confused that when they merely think about the matters in which they have confirmed themselves, they experience inward pain. But after a specific time they are as it were created anew and endowed with truths of faith.
ppp22734#pid#1110. People who have assumed that righteousness and merit lay in their good works and so have attributed the power of achieving salvation to themselves, not to the Lord and to His righteousness and merit, and who in thought and life have confirmed themselves in this idea, have their assumptions converted in the next life into delusions in which they seem to themselves to be cutting wood. This is exactly how it appears to them. I have spoken to them. When they are doing their work and are asked whether they are not tired out, they reply that they have not yet done enough work to be able to merit heaven. While they are cutting pieces of wood it seems as though something of the Lord is underneath the wood, so that the wood appears as merit. And the more something of the Lord seems to be in the pieces of wood the longer they remain in that condition. But when this delusion starts to fade they are getting nearer the end of vastation. At length they become such that they too are able to be admitted into good communities, though they still waver for a long time between truth and falsity. Because they have led a conscientious life the Lord takes great care of them, and is sending angels to them time and again. These are the people who in the Jewish Church were represented by 'hewers of wood', `Joshua 9bbb23`, `Joshua 9bbbccc27`.
ppp22733#pid#1111. People who have led a good life, public and private, but who have persuaded themselves that they merit heaven by works and who have believed that it is enough merely to acknowledge one God alone as the Creator of the universe, have their false assumptions converted in the next life into such delusions that they seem to themselves to be cutting grass, and are called grass-cutters. They are cold, and endeavour to warm themselves by that cutting activity. Sometimes they go around inquiring of those they meet whether they will provide them with some warmth. This the spirits are indeed able to do for them, but the warmth they receive has no effect on them because it is external and they are wanting internal warmth. Consequently they return to their cutting, and in this way obtain some warmth for themselves from their work. I have felt their cold. They are always hoping that they are going to be carried into heaven. Sometimes they consult about how they can get themselves into that place by their own power. Because these people have performed good works they are among those who are vastated; and at length with the passage of time they are admitted into good communities and receive instruction.
ppp22732#pid#1112. People however with whom the goods and truths of faith have been present, and who have consequently acquired a conscience and a life consisting of charity, are taken up by the Lord into heaven immediately after death.
ppp22731#pid#1113. There are girls who have been misled into prostitution, and so have been persuaded that there is nothing evil about it, but who are of a decent disposition in every other respect. Because they have not yet reached the age when they are able to recognize and judge that way of life for themselves, they have an instructor with them, extremely strict, who punishes them as often as their thoughts turn to such loose behaviour. This man they fear exceedingly, and in this way they are vastated. But grown women who have been prostitutes, and have enticed others to be so, do not undergo vastation but are in hell.
ppp22730#pid#1114. [AUTHOR'S INTRODUCTORY NOTE - CONTINUED
This page continues and completes the 'Author's Introductory Note' that appears on page 1 of the first volume of this English translation. The items numbered 1-27 are the titles of the sections - describing the MARVELS - which occur 'before and after each chapter' of Volume One of the Latin (Chapters `Genesis ccc1bbb0`-`Genesis ccc15bbb0`). Items 28 and 29 are the titles of sections that stand in Volume Two of the Latin, at the ends of Chapters `Genesis ccc16bbb0`, and `Genesis ccc17bbb0` respectively.]
16. The Most Ancient Church, which was called Man, or Adam, `@@@1114-1129`.
17. Those before the Flood who perished, `@@@1265-1272`.
18. Position in the Grand Man, also place and distance in the next life, `@@@1273-1278`
19. Position and place, and also distance and time in the next life - continued, `@@@1376-1382`.
20. The perception spirits and angels have; also spheres in the next life, `@@@1383-1400`.
21. Perceptions and spheres in the next life - continued, `@@@1504-1520`.
22. The light in which angels are living, `@@@1521-1534`.
23. The light in which angels are living - continued; also their paradise gardens, and their dwelling-places, `@@@1619-1633`.
24. The speech of spirits and angels, `@@@1634-1650`.
25. The speech of spirits, and its variations continued, `@@@1757-1764`.
26. Sacred Scripture or the Word, and how it conceals within itself Divine matters which are fully visible to good spirits and to angels, `@@@1767-1777`
27. Sacred Scripture or the Word - continued, `@@@1869-1879`. Some facts about spirits and angels in general, `@@@1880-1885`.
28. Visions and dreams, including those that are prophetical which are described in the Word, `@@@1966-1983`.
29. The Last Judgement, `@@@2117-2134`.
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Genesis 10.
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THE MOST ANCIENT CHURCH, WHICH WAS CALLED MAN, OR ADAM
Angels and spirits, that is, human beings after death, are able to meet any they like of all those whom they have been acquainted with in the world or whom they have heard of. They see them and talk to them in person, when the Lord allows it. And what is remarkable, those people are with them in an instant and very much in person. Thus they are allowed to speak not only to friends, who normally find one another, but also to others whom they have admired and revered. In the Lord's Divine mercy I have been allowed to speak not only to those who were known to me during their lifetime but also to the most prominent characters mentioned in the Word. Thus I have been allowed to speak as well to those who belonged to the Most Ancient Church, the Church called Man, or Adam, and also to certain of those who belonged to the Churches that came after it. The reason for my being allowed to do so was so that I might know that the names found in the initial chapters of Genesis are used solely to mean Churches, and also that I might know the character of the members of the Churches of that time. The things that follow next therefore are what I have been given to know concerning the Most Ancient Churches.
ppp22729#pid#1115. Those who belonged to the Most Ancient Church, which was called Man, or Adam, and who were celestial people, are very high up overhead, where they live together in supreme happiness. They said that others rarely visited them, except from time to time certain people from somewhere different who say that they are 'from the universe'. They also said that they were so high up overhead, not because they were haughty but so that they might govern those who were there.
ppp22728#pid#1116. I have been shown the dwelling-places of those who belonged to the second and third generations of the descendants of this Most Ancient Church. Those dwelling-places are magnificent, stretching out a long way and varying in beautiful shades of red and blue. In fact angels have most magnificent dwelling-places defying description, which I have seen many times. To their eyes they appear so real that no appearance could ever be more real. The origin of these appearances that are so real will in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed later on. They live in a radiance of light, so to speak, of bright pearl, and sometimes like that of diamonds, for in the next life wonderful radiances exist in endless variety. People are much mistaken who imagine that such things do not exist there - things unendingly more numerous than those that anyone could or can conceive. They are, it is true, representatives like those sometimes seen by the prophets; but to those who are in the next life these representatives are nevertheless so real that they regard them as realities, and the things belonging to this world by comparison as non-realities.
ppp22727#pid#1117. They live in the brightest light, to which the light of this world scarcely stands comparison. I have been shown that light as a flaming light which so to speak streamed down before my eyes. Those who belonged to the Most Ancient Church said that such light existed with them, and still more intense.
ppp22726#pid#1118. By means of a certain influx that I am unable to describe I have been shown the type of speech which those people employed when they lived in the world. It was not articulated, like the vocal speech of our own times, but was non-audible, produced not by external breathing but by means of internal breathing. I have also been allowed to ascertain the nature of their internal breathing. It came from between the navel and the heart and so through the lips without any sounds. It did not enter someone else's ear by an external route, striking what is called the ear-drum, but by a certain route inside the mouth, and in point of fact by that part inside it which is nowadays called the Eustachian tube. I have also been shown that by means of this type of speech they were able to express far more fully the feelings present in the mind (animus) and the ideas comprising their thought (cogitatio) than can possibly be done by articulated sounds or spoken words, which are similarly delivered by means of breath, which however is external. For not one syllable of any spoken word is delivered without the use of breath. But with those people of the Most Ancient Church it was delivered in a far more perfect way because it was done by means of internal breathing. And because this interior breathing is also far more perfect, it is more applicable and appropriate to the actual ideas comprising thought. In addition they even communicated by movements of the lips and by corresponding changes of facial expression. For, being celestial people, whatever they were thinking shone out of their face and eyes which altered correspondingly. They were quite incapable of assuming facial expressions that did not accord with what they were thinking. Pretence, and still more deception, was to them something absolutely outrageous.
ppp22725#pid#1119. I have been shown by actually observing it how the internal breathing of the most ancient people flowed in a non-audible manner into a kind of external, and thus non-verbal, speech, which was perceived by another person in his interior man. They said that that breathing with them changed according to their state of love and faith in the Lord. They also stated the reason, namely that because they had had communication with heaven, it could not be otherwise. In fact they and the angels who accompanied them were breathing in unison. Angels have breathing to which internal breathing corresponds, and which with them changes in a similar way. Indeed when they encounter anything contrary to love and faith in the Lord their breathing is laboured, but when they are experiencing the happiness that accompanies love and faith, their breathing is full and free. Something similar to this also exists with every human being but in this case everything depends on the bodily and worldly loves and on a person's basic assumptions. When anything goes against these he experiences laboured breathing, but when it is in keeping with them his breathing is full and free. These observations however apply to external breathing. The subject of angels and their breathing will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with later on.
ppp22724#pid#1120. I have also been shown that the internal breathing of members of the Most Ancient Church which had come from between the navel and the inner region of the breast was changed in the course of time, that is, among their descendants. It retreated more towards the region of the back and towards the abdomen, and so retreated outwards and downwards till at length, among the final descendants of that Church who came immediately before the Flood, scarcely any internal breathing was left. And when at length none at all came from the breast they underwent self-caused suffocation. Among certain people of that time however external breathing came into existence and with it articulated sound, or vocal speech. Thus the ways in which people breathed prior to the Flood were determined by their state of love and faith; and when at length neither love nor faith existed but a persuasion of falsity, internal breathing came to an end. And when that came to an end so did perception and direct communication with angels.
ppp22723#pid#1121. I have learned from members' of the Most Ancient Church about their state of perception - that they had a perception of everything that was a matter of faith, almost as the angels did with whom they were in communication. The reason they had it was that their interior man, which is the spirit, was joined - also by means of internal breathing - to heaven, and that love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour have heaven within them. Thus man is joined to the angels through their very life itself which consists in such love. They said that because they abided in love to the Lord and in love towards the neighbour they had the law inscribed within them. That being so whatever the laws dictated was in keeping with their perception and whatever the laws forbade was contrary to that perception. Nor did they doubt that all human laws, like Divine laws, are based on love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour, and regard these as their foundation. Since they had this foundation in them from the Lord they could not help knowing all that arises from it. They also believe that all people living in the world today who love the Lord and the neighbour have this law inscribed within them as well, and are acceptable citizens everywhere on earth just as they are in the next life.
ppp22722#pid#1122. I have learned in addition that members of the Most Ancient Church experienced most delightful dreams, as well as visions, and that what these meant was instilled at the same time. This was the source of their representations involving paradise gardens and much else. To them therefore earthly and worldly objects of the external senses were as nothing. They did not perceive any delight in those objects, only in the things which they meant and represented. Consequently when they looked at earthly objects they thought not at all of the objects, but only of the things they meant and represented, which to them were most delightful, for they were such things as exist in heaven, from which they behold the Lord Himself.
ppp22721#pid#1123. I have spoken to the third generation of the Most Ancient Church who said that at the time they lived in the world they awaited the coming of the Lord to save the whole human race, and that 'the seed of the woman would trample on the head of the serpent' was a common saying among them in those times. They said that at that time their greatest delight in life was in producing offspring, and thus that their greatest pleasures lay in loving their married partner for the sake of offspring. They called those pleasures most delightful, and the delights most pleasurable, adding that the perception of these delights and pleasures came from an influx from heaven because the Lord was going to be born.
ppp22720#pid#1124. Present with me were some descendants who lived prior to the Flood. They did not belong to those who perished but to those who were somewhat better people. At first they flowed in quite gently and imperceptibly. But I was given to perceive that they were inwardly evil and that inwardly they acted contrary to love. There emanated from them the reeking sphere of a dead body so that the spirits around me fled. They imagined they were so clever that nobody would perceive what they were thinking. I spoke to them about the Lord, whether or not they had awaited His coming, as their fathers had done. They said that they represented the Lord to themselves as an aged and holy man with a hoary beard and that from Him they came to be holy and in a similar way bearded. This was the origin of such reverence among their descendants for beards. They added that they were also able to worship Him now, though it was from self that they did so. But at that point an angel arrived whose presence they could not stand.
ppp22719#pid#1125. I was allowed to speak to those who belonged to the Church called Enosh, mentioned in `Genesis 4bbb26`. Their influx was gentle, and their speaking unassuming. They said that they lived with one another in charity, and that they performed kindly services for visitors. It was clear however that their charity was the charity arising from friendship.`fff1` They live peaceably, like good citizens, causing nobody any trouble.
`nnn1. See `@@@1158:2` below.
ppp22718#pid#1126. A narrow room appeared to me, and when the door had been opened a tall man came into view, clothed in white, a brilliant white. I wondered who he might be. They said that the man clothed in white meant those called Noah, or earliest members of the Ancient Church, the Church following the Flood. They said that those people were represented in this way because they were few in number.
ppp22717#pid#1127. I was allowed to speak to members of the Ancient Church, or Church after the Flood, who were called Shem. They flowed in gently through the region of the head into the region of the breast towards, though not as far as, the heart. Their character can be known from the way they flow in.
ppp22716#pid#1128. A certain person appeared who was enveloped so to speak with a cloud. On his face were many stars wandering around, which mean falsities. It was said that the descendants of the Ancient Church were such when it started to perish, especially among those who established worship by means of sacrifices and images.
ppp22715#pid#1129. People prior to the Flood who perished are dealt with at the end of this chapter.
ppp22714#pid#1130. `Genesis 10bbb0`
1. And these are the generations of the sons of Noah - Shem, Ham, and Japheth; and sons were born to them after the Flood.
2. The sons of Japheth: Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras.
3. And the sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah.
4. And the sons of Javan: Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.
5. From these the islands of the nations in their lands were spread abroad, every one according to his tongue, according to their families, as to their nations.
6. And the sons of Ham: Cush, and Mizraim, and Put, and Canaan.
7. And the sons of Cush: Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabteka. And the sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan.
8. And Cush begot Nimrod. He began to be a mighty man in the land.
9. He was mighty in hunting before Jehovah; therefore it used to be said, Like Nimrod, mighty in hunting before Jehovah.
10. And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
11. Out of that land went Asshur, and built Nineveh, and Rehoboth city, and Calah,
12. And Resen between Nineveh and Calah; this is that great city.
13. And Mizraim begot Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim,
14. And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, from whom Pelishtim came forth, and Caphtorim.
15. And Canaan begot Sidon, his firstborn, and Heth.
16. And the Jebusites, and the Amorites, and the Girgashites.
17. And the Hivites, and the Arkites, and the Sinites.
18. And the Arvadites, and the Zemarites, and the Hamathites; and afterwards the families of the Canaanites were spread abroad.
19. And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon as you come towards Gerar, as far as Gaza, as you come towards Sodom and Gomorrah, and Admah and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha.
20. These are the sons of Ham, according to their families, according to their tongues, in their lands, in their nations.
21. And to Shem also sons were born.`fff1` He was the father of all the sons of Eber; he was Japheth's elder brother.
22. The sons of Shem: Elam, and Asshur, and Arpachshad, and Lud, and Aram.
23. And the sons of Aram: Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Mash.
24. And Arpachshad begot Shelah, and Shelah begot Eber.
25. And to Eber were born two sons, the name of one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided; and his brother's name was Joktan.
26. And Joktan begot Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazarmaveth, and Jerah,
27. And Hadoram, and Uzal, and Diklah,
28. And Obal, and Abimael, and Sheba,
29. And Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab. All of these are the sons of Joktan.
30. And their dwelling was from Mesha, as you come towards Sephar, the mountain of the east.
31. These were the sons of Shem, according to their families, according to their tongues, in their lands, according to their nations.
32. These are the families of the sons of Noah, according to their generations in their nations. And from these the nations on the earth after the Flood were spread abroad.
CONTENTS
The subject in the whole of this chapter is the Ancient Church and the expansion of it, verse `Genesis 10bbbccc1`.
`nnn1. Expressing the original Hebrew literally, the Latin means And to Shem there was born also.
ppp22713#pid#1131. Those who had external worship corresponding to internal are the sons of Japheth, verse `Genesis 10bbbccc2`. Those who had worship more remote from internal are the sons of Gomer and Javan, verses `Genesis 10bbbccc3-4`; and those who had worship more remote still are 'the islands of the nations', verse `Genesis 10bbbccc5`.
ppp22712#pid#1132. Those who cultivated cognitions, facts, and forms of ritual, and separated them from internal things, are the sons of Ham, verse `Genesis 10bbbccc6`. Those who cultivated cognitions of spiritual things are the sons of Cush, and those who cultivated cognitions of celestial things are the sons of Raamah, verse `Genesis 10bbbccc7`.
ppp22711#pid#1133. Then those whose external worship has interior evils and falsities within it are the subject. Such worship is meant by Nimrod in verses `Genesis 10bbbccc8-9`. The evils within such worship are dealt with in verse `Genesis 10bbbccc10`, the falsities within it in verses `Genesis 10bbbccc11-12`.
ppp22710#pid#1134. Those who devise new forms of worship for themselves by means of reasonings based on facts are dealt with in verses `Genesis 10bbbccc13-14`. They turn cognitions of faith into mere items of knowledge, verse `Genesis 10bbbccc14`.
ppp22709#pid#1135. External worship devoid of internal, which is Canaan, and derivatives of that worship, are dealt with in verses `Genesis 10bbbccc15-18`, and where this extended to, in verses `Genesis 10bbbccc19-20`.
ppp22708#pid#1136. Internal worship, which is Shem, and where it extended to, even to the second Ancient Church, is dealt with in verse `Genesis 10bbbccc21`. Internal worship and its derivatives which, stemming from charity, are derivations of wisdom, intelligence, knowledge, and cognitions, which are meant by 'the nations', are dealt with in verses `Genesis 10bbbccc22-24`.
ppp22707#pid#1137. The Church established by Eber, which emerged in Syria, is to be called the second Ancient Church. Its internal worship, which is Peleg, and its external, which is Joktan, are dealt with in verse `Genesis 10bbbccc25`. Its varying forms of ritual are the nations mentioned in verses `Genesis 10bbbccc26-29`; and where that Church extended to is described in verse `Genesis 10bbbccc30`.
ppp22706#pid#1138. Forms of worship in the Ancient Church varied, according to the disposition of each nation, verses `Genesis 10bbbccc31-32`.
ppp22705#pid#1139. THE INTERNAL SENSE
It has been stated already that there are four differing styles in the Word. The first is that of the Most Ancient Church, a style like that used in the first chapter of Genesis down to the present chapter. The second is the historical, like that used subsequently in Moses and in the rest of the historical books. The third is the prophetical style, the fourth a style which lies half-way between the prophetical and ordinary speech. Regarding these styles, see `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc66`.
ppp22704#pid#1140. This chapter, and the next as far as Eber, continue the most ancient style; yet here it lies between the style of made-up history and that of true history. For by Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham, Japheth, and Canaan, nothing else was meant nor is meant than, in the abstracted sense, the Ancient Church as to the varieties of its worship; that is to say, Shem is used to mean internal worship, Japheth to mean external worship corresponding to this, Ham to mean corrupted internal worship, and Canaan to mean external worship separated from internal. Noah and his sons never were actual persons but varieties of worship so named because all other differing forms of worship, that is, every specific difference, could be traced back to them as to the basic differences. Consequently nothing else was meant by Noah than the Ancient Church in general, as the parent incorporating all the rest. Indeed the names in this chapter, apart from Eber and his descendants, are used to mean just so many nations - just so many nations as constituted the Ancient Church, a Church that was spread abroad widely throughout areas surrounding the land of Canaan.
ppp22703#pid#1141. Those who are here named 'sons of Japheth' were all such people as possessed external worship corresponding to internal, that is, people who lived in simplicity, friendship, and mutual charity, and knew no other doctrinal teachings than those which existed as external forms of ritual. Those who are named 'sons of Ham' were people who possessed corrupted internal worship. Those who are called 'sons of Canaan' were people who possessed external worship separated from internal. Those who are referred to as 'sons of Shem' were internal men, who worshipped the Lord and loved the neighbour. Their Church closely resembled the true Christian Church with us.
ppp22702#pid#1142. The specific character of these people is not recorded in this chapter, for only their names are listed. Their character is clear however from the writings of the Prophets, where the names of these nations occur in various places. And wherever they occur they have no other meaning, sometimes indeed in their genuine sense, at others in the contrary sense.
ppp22701#pid#1143. Although these were the names of those nations that constituted the Ancient Church, they are nevertheless used in the internal sense to mean specific things, namely types of worship. As to what names, territories, nations, and similar things are, nothing at all is known in heaven. There they have no mental picture of such, only of the things meant by them It is by virtue of the internal sense that the Word of the Lord is living. That sense is like the soul, whose body so to speak is the external sense. And just as when someone's body dies the soul lives on, and when the soul lives on he is no longer aware of the things that belong to the body, so when he arrives among the angels he is not aware of what the Word is in the sense of the letter but of what it is in its soul. The member of the Most Ancient Church was such that if he were alive here today and read the Word he would not cling at all to the sense of the letter, but would so to speak not see it, only the internal sense abstractedly from the letter. Indeed it would be as though the letter did not exist, and so he would be abiding in the life or soul of the Word. This applies to every part of the Word, including historical descriptions of events that took place entirely as recorded. Even there not a single word exists which does not in the internal sense embody arcana, and these are never apparent to those who keep their mind on the historical connections. So in this chapter by the names used here are meant, in the sense of the letter or historical sense, the people who constituted the Ancient Church. In the internal sense however their matters of doctrine are meant.
ppp22700#pid#1144. Verse `Genesis 10bbbccc1` And these are the generations of the sons of Noah - Shem, Ham, and Japheth; and sons were born to them after the Flood. 'These are the generations of the sons of Noah' means derivative matters of doctrine and derivative forms of worship in the Ancient Church, which in general is Noah. 'Shem, Ham, and Japheth' have the same meaning here as previously -'Shem' true internal worship, 'Ham' corrupted internal worship, 'Japheth' external worship corresponding to internal. 'And sons were born to them' means matters of doctrine deriving from those three. 'After the Flood' means from the time when this new Church emerged.
ppp22699#pid#1145. That 'these are the generations of the sons of Noah' means derivative matters of doctrine and derivative forms of worship in the Ancient Church, which in general is Noah, is clear from the meaning of 'generations', dealt with already. In the external or literal sense, generations involve one being begotten from another, as is well known; but in the internal sense everything has regard to things that are celestial and spiritual, that is, to what are matters of charity and of faith. Thus 'generations' here means things of the Church, and therefore matters of doctrine, as will be better evident from what follows.
ppp22698#pid#1146. That 'Shem, Ham, and Japheth' have the same meaning here as previously - 'Shem' true internal worship, 'Ham' corrupted internal worship, 'Japheth' external worship corresponding to internal - is clear from what has been stated about them already. There it has been shown not only that Shem, Ham, and Japheth mean those types of worship, but also what is meant by true internal worship, which is Shem; also what is meant by corrupted internal worship, which is Ham; as well as what is meant by external worship corresponding to internal, which is Japheth. Consequently there is no need to pause any longer over these meanings.
ppp22697#pid#1147. 'And sons were born to them' means matters of doctrine deriving from those three. This is clear from the meaning of 'sons' in the internal sense as truths of faith, and also as falsities. Consequently matters of doctrine, both true and false, are meant, for such are the doctrines of Churches. That 'sons' has such a meaning, see above in `@@@264`, `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@533`.
ppp22696#pid#1148. 'After the Flood' means from the time when this new Church emerged. Similarly this is clear from what has been stated in previous chapters. Actually the end of the Most Ancient Church and also the start of the Ancient Church is described by the Flood. It should be noted that the Church before the Flood is called the Most Ancient Church, but the Church after the Flood the Ancient Church.
ppp22695#pid#1149. Verse `Genesis 10bbbccc2` The sons of Japheth: Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras.
'The sons of Japheth' means those who possessed external worship corresponding to internal. 'Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras' were just so many nations with whom such worship existed, and who in the internal sense mean just so many differing types of doctrine which were one and the same as the forms of ritual which they observed.
ppp22694#pid#1150. That 'the sons of Japheth' means those who possessed external worship corresponding to internal has been stated already. It is called external worship corresponding to internal when the worship has what is essential within it. And that which is essential is adoration of the Lord from the heart, which in no sense exists unless charity, or love towards the neighbour, is present. It is in charity or love towards the neighbour that the Lord is present, in which case it is possible for Him to be adored from the heart. Thus it is from the Lord that adoration comes, for the Lord makes all adoration possible and gives it all its being. It follows therefore that as is a person's charity, so is his adoration or worship. All worship is adoration, for adoration of the Lord must be in it for it to be worship. The sons of Japheth, that is, the nations and peoples called the sons of Japheth, lived with one another in mutual charity, in friendship, in civility, and in simplicity, and consequently the Lord was present in their worship. For when the Lord is present in external worship internal worship is in that case within the external, that is, there is external worship corresponding to internal. In former times very many nations were such, and nations also exist at the present day who focus worship on external things without knowing what the internal is. And if they do know they give no thought to those matters. If those people acknowledge the Lord and love the neighbour, the Lord is in their worship and they are 'sons of Japheth'. But if they deny the Lord, love only themselves and do not care about the neighbour, worse still if they hate him, then their worship is external separated from internal, and they are 'sons of Canaan' or Canaanites.
ppp22693#pid#1151. 'Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras' were just so many nations with whom such worship existed, and who in the internal sense mean just so many differing types of doctrine which were one and the same as the forms of ritual which they observed devoutly. This is quite clear from the Word where these nations are mentioned in various places, for those nations everywhere mean external worship, sometimes external worship corresponding to internal, sometimes the contrary The reason the latter is sometimes meant is that all Churches everywhere altered in the course of time, and altered indeed into something contrary. The fact that the nations named here mean nothing other than external worship, and therefore their doctrinal teachings, which were forms of ritual, becomes clear, as has been stated, from other parts of the Word, chiefly in the Prophets.
ttt[2] Magog, Meshech, Tubal, and Gomer are referred to in Ezekiel as follows,
Son of man, set your face`fff1` towards Gog, the land of Magog, the prince, the head of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, and say, Thus said the Lord Jehovih, Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince, the head of Meshech and Tubal; and I will turn you about, and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you back, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed in full armor, a great company, with shield and buckler, all of them wielding swords: Persia, Cush, and Put with them; Gomer and all on his flanks; Bethtogarmah, the uttermost parts of the north, and all on his Ranks. In the latter years you will come upon the land that is brought back from the sword, that is gathered out of many peoples, upon the mountains of Israel, which have been made a waste. `Ezekiel 38bbb2-6`, `Ezekiel 38bbbccc8`.
The subject in the whole of this chapter is a Church that became corrupted and which at length focused the whole of worship in external things or religious observances once charity, meant by 'the mountains of Israel', had been destroyed. Here 'Gog and the land of Magog, the prince and head of Meshech and Tubal' is worship confined to external things. Anyone may see that Gog and Magog are not the subject, for the Word of the Lord does not deal with worldly things, but embodies Divine matters.
ttt[3] In the same prophet,
Prophesy against Gog and say, Thus said the Lord Jehovih, Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince, the head of Meshech and Tubal; and I will bring you back, and will split you into six, and make you come up from the uttermost parts of the north and bring you on to the mountains of Israel. On the mountains of Israel you will fall, you and all on your flanks, and the peoples that are with you. `Ezekiel 39bbb1-2`, `Ezekiel 39bbbccc4`.
The subject in the whole of this chapter is likewise external worship separated from internal and made idolatrous. Such worship is meant here by 'Gog, Meshech and Tubal' who are also used to mean the matters of doctrine which people adopt and then confirm from the literal sense of the Word, and in so doing falsify truths and destroy internal worship. For, as has been stated, those same nations also mean contrary things.
ttt[4] In John,
When the thousand years have come to an end, Satan will be loosed from his prison, and will come out to deceive the nations which are at the four corners of the earth. Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle. They went up over the breadth`fff2` of the earth, and surrounded the camp of the saints, [and] the beloved city. `Revelation 20bbb7-9`.
Here also 'Gog and Magog' has a similar meaning. External worship separated from internal, that is, separated from love to the Lord and from love towards the neighbour, is nothing but idolatrous worship which 'surrounds the camp of the saints and the beloved city'.
ttt[5] Meshech and Tubal are referred to in Ezekiel as follows,
Meshech and Tubal are there, and all their crowd; round about it are its graves; all of them are uncircumcised, pierced by the sword, for they spread their terror in the land of the living. `Ezekiel 32bbb26`.
This refers to Egypt, that is, to factual knowledge by means of which people wish to inquire into spiritual things. 'Meshech and Tubal' stands for doctrinal teachings, which were forms of ritual, which are called 'uncircumcised' when love does not exist. Consequently they are 'pierced by the sword, and a terror in the land of the living'.
ttt[6] Javan is referred to in Joel,
You have sold the sons of Judah and the sons of Jerusalem to the sons of the Javanites,`fff3` to remove them far away from their border. `Joel 3bbb6`.
'The sons of Judah' stands for things on the celestial side of faith, 'the sons of Jerusalem' for those on the spiritual side, and so for things that are internal. 'The sons of the Javanites' stands for worship in external things that is separated from internal worship; and because this worship is so far removed from that which is internal it is said that they 'removed them far away from their border'.
ttt[7] 'Javan and Tubal' in Isaiah stands for true external worship itself,
One is coming to gather all nations and tongues. And they will come and see My glory, and I will set a sign among them And I will send survivors from them to the nations, to Tarshish, Put, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the islands far off that have not heard My fame and have not seen My glory; and they will declare My glory among the nations. `Isaiah 66bbb18-19`.
This refers to the Lord's kingdom and His Coming. 'Tubal and Javan' stands for those whose worship is external corresponding to internal and who are to be informed about internal things.
`nnn1. literally, faces
`nnn2. literally, the plain
`nnn3. i.e. the Greeks
ppp22692#pid#1152. Verses `Genesis 10bbbccc3-4` And the sons of Gomer Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah. And the sons of Javan: Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.
'The sons of Gomer' also means those who possessed external worship, but an external worship derived from that which existed with the nation 'Gomer'. 'Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah' were just so many nations with whom such worship existed, and who also mean just so many types of matters of doctrine which were forms of ritual, derived from the external worship existing with 'Gomer'. 'The sons of Javan' means others again with whom there existed external worship derived from the worship existing with the nation 'Javan'. 'Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim' were just so many nations with whom such worship existed, and who also mean just so many types of matters of doctrine which were forms of ritual, derived from the external worship existing with 'Javan'.
ppp22691#pid#1153. That 'the sons of Gomer' also means those who possessed external worship, but an external worship derived from that which existed with the nation Gomer, follows from what has been stated and shown several times already about the meaning of 'sons', as well as from the fact that Gomer is one of those nations which possessed external worship corresponding to internal. Seven nations which possessed such worship are mentioned by name in the previous verse, and seven again, called 'the sons of Gomer and of Javan', in this. The specific differences however between one nation and another cannot be stated, as only their names are given here. In the Prophets however when the subject is specifically this or that type of Church-worship the differences can be established. In general all variations of external worship, as also of internal, arise according to the adoration of the Lord in the worship, and the adoration is according to the love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour that exist there. For it is within love that the Lord is present, and thus within worship. The differences of worship therefore existing among the nations mentioned here depend on the nature of His presence within.
ttt[2] To make it easier to talk about how types of worship differ and how they did so in the Ancient Church among various nations, let it be realized that all true worship consists in adoration of the Lord. Adoration of the Lord consists in being humble; and being humble consists in the self-acknowledgement that with oneself there is nothing living and nothing good, but that with oneself everything is dead, indeed corpse-like. Being humble also consists in the acknowledgement that everything living and everything good come from the Lord. The more a person acknowledges these things not just with the lips but in his heart, the more humility he has; and consequently the more adoration - which is true worship - and the more love and charity, and the more happiness. The first contains the second, and they are so linked together as to be inseparable. This shows what these differences of worship are and the nature of them.
ttt[3] Those who are mentioned here and are called 'the sons of Gomer and of Javan' are people who likewise possessed external worship corresponding to internal, but it was somewhat more remote than that of the people mentioned in the previous verse. This also is why they are called 'sons'. Generations descending one after another, or derivatives, here progress from what is interior towards things that are exterior. The more someone relies on the senses, the more exterior he becomes, and consequently becomes further removed from true worship of the Lord. For when it is more concerned with the world, the body, and the earth, and less with the spirit, it consequently becomes more remote. Because these people called the sons of Gomer and of Javan relied more on the senses, they focused worship even more on external things than those referred to as their parents and cousins had done. Consequently they form a second group here.
ppp22690#pid#1154. 'Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah' were just so many nations with whom such worship existed, and who mean just so many types of matters of doctrine which were forms of ritual, derived from the external worship existing with 'Gomer'. This is clear from the Prophets where the same nations are mentioned again. Those nations mean in every instance doctrinal teachings or forms of ritual. And as usual they are meant in both senses, at times in the genuine and at others in the contrary. Ashkenaz is mentioned in Jeremiah,
Set up a standard on the earth, sound the trumpet among the nations; consecrate the nations against her, cause the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz to hear against her. `Jeremiah 5bbb27`.
This refers to the destruction of Babel where 'Ashkenaz' stands for its idolatrous worship, that is, for external worship separated from internal, which destroyed Babylon. In particular it stands for doctrines that are false. Thus Ashkenaz is used in the contrary sense. Togarmah is mentioned in Ezekiel,
Javan, Tubal, and Meshech, they were your traders in the souls of men, and they gave vessels of bronze for your merchandise. Those of Bethtogarmah gave horses and horsemen, and mules for your resources. `Ezekiel 27bbb13-14`.
This refers to Tyre which represented people who possessed cognitions of celestial and spiritual things. As previously, 'Javan, Tubal, and Meshech' are various representative rites, that is, ones that correspond; and so also is 'Bethtogarmah'. The external rites of the former have regard to celestial things, but those of the latter, or Bethtogarmah, to spiritual things, as is clear from the meaning of the wares with which they traded. In this case Bethtogarmah is used in the genuine sense. In the same prophet,
Gomer and all on his Ranks; Bethtogarmah, the uttermost parts of the north, together with ale on his flanks. `Ezekiel 38bbb6`.
Here they stand for perverted matters of doctrine, which are also 'the uttermost parts of the north'. In this case Gomer and Bethtogarmah are used in the contrary sense.
ppp22689#pid#1155. 'The sons of Javan' means others again with whom there existed external worship derived from the worship existing with the nation Javan. This in like manner becomes clear in the Prophets where they are named in connection with real things and mean nothing other than those things. The reason the sons of Gomer and the sons of Javan are named, but not the rest of the seven mentioned in verse `Genesis 10bbbccc2`, is that the sons of the one have reference to the branch of spiritual things, and the sons of the other to the branch of celestial things. The fact that 'the sons of Gomer' has reference to the branch of spiritual things is clear from the places in the Prophets quoted just above, while the fact that 'the sons of Javan' has reference to the branch of celestial things will be evident from what follows. The branch of spiritual things differs from that of celestial through this - that spiritual have regard to truths of faith but celestial to the goods of faith which are the expressions of charity. Although the world is totally ignorant of these differences they are nevertheless very well known in heaven, not only indeed as regards general but also as regards specific differences. In heaven not the smallest difference exists which is not distinct and separate within a perfect ordering. The world knows only of the existence of forms of worship, and the fact that these vary from one another. And even then it knows only of differences in externals. In heaven however the very differences themselves which are countless are plain to see, and indeed the internal nature of them.
ppp22688#pid#1156. 'Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim' were just so many nations with whom such worship existed, and who mean just so many types of matters of doctrine which were forms of ritual, derived from the external worship existing with 'Javan'. This becomes clear from the following places in the Prophets:
Elishah is referred to in Ezekiel,
Fine linen with embroidered work from Egypt was your sail, that it might be to you an ensign; violet and purple from the islands of Elishah was your covering. `Ezekiel 27bbb7`.
This refers to Tyre, which means people who possess celestial and spiritual riches, which are cognitions. 'Embroidered work from Egypt' stands for facts, and so for forms of ritual representative of spiritual things. 'Violet and purple from the islands of Elishah' stands for forms of ritual corresponding to internal worship, and so for representatives of celestial things. In this case Elishah is used in the genuine sense.
Tarshish is referred to in Isaiah,
I will send survivors from them to the nations, to Tarshish, Put, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, islands far off. `Isaiah 66bbb19`.
In the same prophet,
Wail, O ships of Tarshish, for Tyre has been laid waste, so that there is no house for entering in. From the land of Kittim`fff1` it has been revealed to them. `Isaiah 23bbb1`, `Isaiah 23bbbccc14`.
Tarshish is again referred to in `Isaiah 60bbb9`; `Jeremiah 10bbb9`; `Ezekiel 27bbb12`; `Psalms 48bbb7`, where it stands for forms of ritual, that is, types of doctrinal teachings.
Kittim is referred to in Jeremiah,
Pass over into the islands of Kittim and see, and into Arabia`fff2` and examine thoroughly, if there has been such a thing. `Jeremiah 2bbb10`.
And in Isaiah,
He said, You will no more exult, O oppressed virgin daughter of Sidon; arise, pass over to Kittim; even there you will have no rest. `Isaiah 23bbb12`.
Here 'Kittim' stands for forms of ritual. In Ezekiel,
Of oaks of Bashan they made your oars; your plank they made of ivory, a daughter of steps`fff3` from the isles of Kittim. `Ezekiel 27bbb6`.
This refers to Tyre. Ships' planks or benches 'from the isles of Kittim' stands for the external expression of worship, and so for forms of ritual, which belong to the branch of celestial things. In Moses,
Ships from the coast of Kittim [will come]' and they will afflict Asshur, and they will afflict Eber. `Numbers 24bbb24`.
Here also 'Kittim' stands for external worship, that is, for forms of ritual. From this it becomes clear that all these names in the internal sense mean real things, which occur in their own connected sequence.
`nnn1. i.e. Cyprus
`nnn2. English versions of the Bible preserve the Hebrew name Kedar, as does Swedenborg also in `@@@3268` where he identifies Kedar with Arabia.
`nnn3. 'a daughter of steps' describes part of a ship, though exactly which part is not clear to the translator.
ppp22687#pid#1157. Verse `Genesis 10bbbccc5` From these the islands of the nations in their lands were spread abroad, every one according to his tongue, according to their families, as to their nations.
'From these the islands of the nations in their lands were spread abroad' means that the worship of even more nations emanated from these, 'islands' being individual pieces of land, and so individual forms of worship, which were more remote still, 'lands' the general features of those forms of worship. 'Every one according to his tongue, according to their families, as to their nations' means that they were ranged according to the character of each one, 'according to his tongue' meaning according to each one's individual belief, 'according to their families' meaning according to uprightness, 'as to their nations' meaning as regards both belief and uprightness in general.
ppp22686#pid#1158. 'From these the islands of the nations in their lands were spread abroad' means that the worship of even more nations emanated from these - 'islands' being individual pieces of land, and so individual forms of worship, which were more remote still, and 'lands' the general features of those forms of worship. This is clear from the meaning of 'islands' in the Word. Up to now the subject has been those who had external worship corresponding to internal. The seven sons of Japheth have meant those who came nearer to true internal worship, the seven sons of Gomer and of Javan together have meant those who were more remote from true internal worship. 'The islands of the nations' means those who are more remote still, strictly speaking those who lived in charity with one another but who were nevertheless uninformed people who knew nothing whatever about the Lord, about the Church's teachings concerning faith, or about internal worship. They did have some form of external worship however, which they kept up devoutly. Such people are called 'islands' in the Word, and therefore 'islands' means in the internal sense worship that is more remote.
ttt[2] Those who possess the internal sense of the Word, as angels do, are unaware of what islands are, for they no longer have any ideas of such things. Instead of islands they perceive a more remote kind of worship like that found among gentile nations outside the Church. In a similar way they also perceive by islands things inside the Church itself which are somewhat more remote from charity, as forms of friendship and civility are. Friendship is not the same as charity, civility even less so. They are steps down from charity, though the more they draw from charity the more genuine they are.
ttt[3] The fact that 'islands' has this meaning becomes clear from the following places in the Word: In Isaiah,
Keep silent before Me, O islands, and let the peoples renew their strength, let them approach. The islands saw and were afraid, the ends of the earth trembled; they drew near and came. `Isaiah 41bbb1`, `Isaiah 41bbbccc5`.
Here 'islands' stands for upright gentiles outside the Church who have devoutly kept up their own type of external worship. The furthest limits of the Church are called 'the ends of the earth'. In the same prophet,
He will not be in darkness, and He will not break up until He has set judgement on the earth; and the islands wait for His law. Sing to Jehovah a new song, His praise from the end of the earth, you that go down to the sea, and all that is in it, the islands and their inhabitants. They will give glory to Jehovah, and declare His praise in the islands `Isaiah 42bbb4`, `Isaiah 42bbbccc10`, `Isaiah 42bbbccc12`.
Here again 'islands' stands for gentiles outside the Church who have lived without knowledge, in simplicity and uprightness.
ttt[4] In the same prophet,
Listen to Me, O islands, and hearken, O peoples from afar. `Isaiah 49bbb1`.
This similarly stands for gentile nations who are more remote from worship of the Lord and from the cognitions of faith; hence the expression 'from afar' is used. In the same prophet,
In Me the islands will hope and await My arm. `Isaiah 51bbb5`.
Here too 'islands' has the same meaning. The phrase 'in Me they will hope and await My arm' is used because they are people who are living uprightly. In Jeremiah,
Hear the Word of Jehovah, O nations, and declare it in the islands afar off. `Jeremiah 31bbb10`.
Once again 'islands' has the same meaning. In Zephaniah,
Jehovah will be terrible against them, for He will destroy with leanness all the gods of the earth, and to Him will bow down, each in its place, all the islands of the nations. `Zephaniah 2bbb11`.
'The islands of the nations' stands for gentile nations more remote from cognitions of faith.
ttt[5] In David,
Jehovah reigns, let the earth rejoice, let the many islands be glad! Cloud and thick darkness are round about Him. `Psalms 97bbb1-2`.
Again 'islands' has the same meaning. Here their lack of knowledge is expressed in representative fashion by means of 'cloud and thick darkness'. But because they are living in simplicity and uprightness the phrase 'round about Him' is used. Because 'islands' means things that are more remote, 'Tarshish, Pul, Lud, Tubal, and Javan' also, who meant forms of external worship, were called 'islands', in `Isaiah 66bbb19`, as also is Kittim in `Jeremiah 2bbb10`; `Ezekiel 27bbb6`. Furthermore when islands are mentioned as distinct from land or mountains they mean truths of faith because they are planted in the sea. Thus they mean doctrinal teachings which exist as forms of ritual.
ppp22685#pid#1159. 'Every one according to his tongue, according to their families, as to their nations' means that they were ranged according to the character of each one, 'according to his tongue' meaning according to each one's individual belief, 'according to their families' meaning according to uprightness, 'as to their nations' meaning as to both belief and uprightness in general. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'tongue', and 'families', and 'nations' in the Word, which will in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed later on. The reason why in the internal sense 'tongue' means individual belief, and so basic assumptions and persuasions, is that the tongue corresponds to the understanding part of man's mind, that is, to his thought, in the way that an effect corresponds to its cause. Such is the case not only with the influx of a person's thoughts into the movements of the tongue in speaking, but also with the influx of heaven, about which something from personal experience will in the Lord's Divine mercy be stated elsewhere.
ttt[2] That 'families' in the internal sense means uprightness, as well as charity and love, arises from the fact that all things belonging to mutual love are in the heavens like blood relatives and relatives by marriage, and so are like families, see `@@@685`. This is why in the Word things belonging to love or charity are described as 'houses' and also as 'families', points which there is no need to pause over and confirm here. That 'a house' has this meaning, see `@@@710`.
ttt[3] That 'nations' means both belief and uprightness in general is clear from the meaning of 'a nation' or 'nations' in the Word. In the good sense nations mean things of the new will and understanding, and so mean the goods of love and the truths of faith. But in the contrary sense evils and falsities are meant. The same applies to houses, families, and tongues, as may be confirmed from very many places in the Word. The reason is that the Most Ancient Church was distinguished into separate houses, families, and nations. A married couple with their children, together with menservants and maidservants, constituted one house. A number of houses in close proximity in turn constituted one family, while a number of families constituted a nation. Consequently nations meant all families taken together as a whole. The same applies in heaven, but all relationships there are determined by love to and faith in the Lord, `@@@685`.
ttt[4] This then is how nations come to mean what they do in the internal sense, namely that which is general embracing things both of the will and of the understanding, or what amounts to the same, both the things of love and those of faith. Their meaning however depends on the families and houses of which they consist. For these points, see also what has been stated already in `@@@470`, `@@@471`, `@@@483` From these considerations it is clear that 'nations' means both belief and uprightness in general, and that 'everyone according to his tongue, according to their families, and as to their nations' means the disposition of each person, family, and nation whose worship was derived from the Ancient Church.
ppp22684#pid#1160. Verse `Genesis 10bbbccc6` And the sons of Ham: Cush, and Mizraim, and Put, and Canaan.
Here, as previously, 'Ham' means faith separated from charity. 'The sons of Ham' means things that belong to separated faith. 'Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan' were just so many nations who in the internal sense mean cognitions, knowledge, and the forms of worship which belong to faith separated from charity.
ppp22683#pid#1161. That 'Ham' means faith separated from charity is clear from what has been stated and shown about Ham in the previous chapter.
ppp22682#pid#1162. That 'the sons of Ham' means things that belong to separated faith follows from what appears above. To know what 'Ham' means and from that 'the sons of Ham', one must know what faith separated from charity is. Faith separated from charity is no faith. And where there is no faith there is no worship, neither internal nor external. If any worship does exist it is corrupted worship, and this is why 'Ham' likewise means corrupted internal worship. The individual belief is false in people who apply the term 'faith' to a mere knowledge of celestial and spiritual things separated from charity. For sometimes the most evil people of all - such as those who have led lives continually hating, getting revenge, and committing adultery, and who are therefore like those in hell and after life in the body become devils - are more knowledgeable than others. From this it becomes clear that knowledge is not faith. Rather, faith is the acknowledgement of the things that belong to faith; and that acknowledgement is in no way external but internal, being the operation of the Lord alone through the charity present with a person. Nor is acknowledgement in any way of the lips but of the life. It is from a person's life that the nature of his acknowledgement may be known. All who have a knowledge of the cognitions of faith but have no charity are called 'the sons of Ham'. Whether their knowledge is a knowledge of the interior cognitions of the Word and its deepest mysteries, or a knowledge of all that the literal sense of the Word contains, or a knowledge of other truths, from which these may be regarded, no matter what name they are given, or whether it is a knowledge of all the rituals that constitute external worship, they are 'sons of Ham' if they have no charity. That those called 'the sons of Ham' are such is clear from the nations now under discussion.
ppp22681#pid#1163. 'Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan' were just so many nations who in the internal sense mean cognitions, knowledge, and the forms of ritual which belong to faith separated from charity. This becomes clear from the Word where these nations are mentioned in various places, for these nations mean such things in those places. That is to say, 'Cush' or Ethiopia means interior cognitions of the Word by which people confirm false assumptions. 'Mizraim' or Egypt means knowledge, or the various facts by which they wish to probe into the arcana of faith and in so doing confirm assumptions that are false. 'Put' or Libya means cognitions drawn from the literal sense of the Word by means of which in a similar way they confirm false assumptions. 'Canaan' or the Canaanites means forms of ritual or external worship that are separated from internal. Since all of these have been separated from charity they are called 'the sons of Ham'. The same nations also mean simply cognitions and knowledge, 'Cush' meaning interior cognitions of the Word, 'Egypt' knowledge, 'Put' cognitions obtained from the literal sense of the Word. This is the reason they are used in both senses, bad as well as good, as becomes clear from the places quoted below.
ppp22680#pid#1164. That 'Cush' or Ethiopia means interior cognitions of the Word by which people confirm false assumptions is clear in Jeremiah,
Egypt comes up like the river, and like the rivers the waters are tossed about; and he said, I will go up, I will cover the earth, I will destroy the city and those who dwell in it. Go up, O horses, and rage, O chariots, and let the mighty men go forth, Cush and Put that handle the shield. `Jeremiah 46bbb8-9`.
In this case 'Egypt' stands for people who believe nothing they do not grasp through facts. As a result everything is subject to doubt, denial and falsification, meant by 'rising up, covering the earth, and destroying the city'. Here 'Cush' stands for the more universal and interior cognitions of the Word by which they confirm accepted false assumptions. 'Put' stands for cognitions drawn from the literal sense of the Word which are based on sensory appearances.
ttt[2] In Ezekiel,
A sword will come upon Egypt, and there will be grief in Cush when the slain`fff1` falls in Egypt; and they will take her multitude, and her foundations will be destroyed. Cush and Put and Lud and all of Ereb`fff2` and Kub, and the sons of the land of the covenant will fall with them by the sword. `Ezekiel 30bbb4-6`.
Except from the internal sense nobody could possibly know what these statements mean. And if the names did not mean real things, these verses would have practically no meaning at all. In this case however 'Egypt' means the knowledge by means of which they wish to enter into the mysteries of faith. 'Cush and Put' are called 'her foundations' because they are cognitions drawn from the Word.
ttt[3] In the same prophet,
On that day messengers will go forth from before Me in ships to terrify overconfident Cush, and there will be grief among them as in the day of Egypt. `Ezekiel 30bbb9`.
'Cush' stands for cognitions drawn from the Word which confirm falsities hatched out of facts. In the same prophet,
I will make the land of Egypt into waste places, an utter desolation, from the tower of Seveneh as far as the border of Cush. `Ezekiel 29bbb10`.
In this case 'Egypt' stands for facts, 'Cush' for cognitions of the interior things of the Word, which are 'the borders' beyond which knowledge does not go.
ttt[4] In Isaiah,
The king of Asshur will lead away the captives of Egypt and the captives of Cush, boys and old men, naked and barefoot, and with buttocks uncovered, the nakedness of Egypt. And they will be dismayed and ashamed because of Cush their hope, and because of Egypt their glory. `Isaiah 20bbb4-5`.
Here 'Cush' stands for cognitions drawn from the Word by which falsities obtained through facts are confirmed. 'Asshur' is reasoning which carries away those who are captive. In Nahum,
Cush was her strength, Egypt too, and that without limit; Put and the Libyans were your help. `Nahum 3bbb9`.
This refers to a vastated Church where in a similar way 'Egypt' stands for facts and 'Cush' for cognitions.
ttt[5] 'Cush' and 'Egypt' stand simply for cognitions and knowledge which are truths useful to people whose faith is grounded in charity. 'Cush and Egypt' is used in this good sense in Isaiah,
Jehovah said, The labour of Egypt, and the wares of Cush and of the Sabeans, men of stature, will come over to you and will be yours. They will follow after you in fetters, they will come over and bow down to you. To you they will make the supplication, God is with you only, and there is no other besides God. `Isaiah 45bbb14`.
'The labour of Egypt' stands for knowledge, 'the wares of Cush and the Sabeans' for cognitions of spiritual things which serve those who acknowledge the Lord, for all knowledge and every cognition are theirs.
ttt[6] In Daniel,
The king of the north will have dominion over the secret hoards of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; and the Libyans (Put) and the Cushites will follow in his`fff3` steps. `Daniel 11bbb3`.
'Put and Cush' here stands for cognitions drawn from the Word, 'Egypt' for facts. In Zephaniah,
From beyond the rivers of Cush are those who adore Me. `Zephaniah 3bbb10`.
This stands for those who are beyond the range of cognitions, and so for gentiles. In David,
Noblemen will come out of Egypt, Cush will hasten [to stretch out] her hands to God. `Psalms 68bbb31`.
Here 'Egypt' stands for knowledge, and 'Cush' for cognitions.
ttt[7] In the same author,
I will mention Rahab and Babel among those who know Me; behold, Philistia and Tyre, with Cush. The latter was born here (in the city of God). `Psalms 87bbb4`.
'Cush' stands for cognitions drawn from the Word, hence the statement that he was 'born in the city of God'. Since 'Cush' means interior cognitions of the Word and intelligence acquired from these, it is therefore said that the second river going out of the garden of Eden encompassed the whole land of Cush. On this see what has appeared already in `@@@117`.
`nnn1. literally, the pierced
`nnn2. the Hebrew word rendered Ereb here is usually regarded not as a proper but as a common noun which means a mixed company.
`nnn3. The Latin means your but the Hebrew means his, which Swedenborg has in another place where he quotes this verse.
ppp22679#pid#1165. In the Word 'Mizraim' or Egypt means knowledge, that is, various facts, by which people wish to probe into the arcana of faith and so confirm the false assumptions acquired in that way. 'Mizraim' also means simply knowledge, and so knowledge that is useful. This is clear not only from the places just quoted but also from very many others which would fill up page after page if they were all included. See `Isaiah 19bbb1`-end; `Isaiah 30bbb1-3`; `Isaiah ccc31bbb1-3`; `Jeremiah 2bbb18`, `Jeremiah 2bbbccc36`; `Jeremiah 42bbb14`-end; `Jeremiah 46bbb1`-end; `Ezekiel 16bbb26`; `Ezekiel ccc23bbb3`; `Ezekiel 29bbb1`-end; `Ezekiel 30bbb1`-end; `Hosea 7bbb11`; `Hosea ccc9bbb3`, `Hosea 9bbbccc6`; `Hosea ccc11bbb1`, `Hosea 11bbbccc5`, `Hosea 11bbbccc11`; `Micah 7bbb12` [NCBS: `Micah ccc7bbb15`]; `Zechariah 10bbb10-11`; `Psalms 80bbb8` and following verses.
ppp22678#pid#1166. In the Word 'Put' or Libya means cognitions drawn from the literal sense, which in a similar way confirm false assumptions. 'Put' also means simply such cognitions. This is clear from places quoted already where Cush is referred to. Because Cush too means cognitions, though interior ones, Put and Cush are mentioned together in the Word. Among the places quoted above, see `Jeremiah 46bbb9`; `Ezekiel 30bbb4-6`; `Nahum 3bbb9`; `Daniel 11bbb43`.
ppp22677#pid#1167. In the Word 'Canaan' or the Canaanite means forms of ritual or external worship separated from internal. This is clear from very many places, especially in historical sections. This being the character of the Canaanites at the time that the sons of Jacob were brought into the land, permission was given to wipe them out. But in the internal sense of the Word Canaanites are used to mean all people whose worship is external separated from internal. And because this was pre-eminently true of the Jews and Israelites, they specifically are meant in the prophetic Word, as becomes clear from the following two places alone: In David,
They poured out innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; and the land was profaned with blood.`fff1` They became unclean by their acts, and committed whoredom in their doings. `Psalms 106bbb38-39`.
Here 'pouring out the blood of sons and daughters' means in the internal sense that they destroyed every truth of faith and good of charity. 'Sacrificing sons and daughters to the idols of Canaan' means profaning matters of faith and charity by means of external worship separated from internal, which is nothing else than idolatrous worship. So 'they became unclean by their acts and committed whoredom in their doings'. In Ezekiel,
Thus said the Lord Jehovih to Jerusalem, Your tracings and your nativity are of the land of Canaan. Your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. `Ezekiel 16bbb3`.
Here it is stated explicitly that they belonged to the land of Canaan. As regards 'Canaan' meaning external worship separated from internal, see what has appeared already in `@@@1078`, `@@@1094`.
`nnn1. literally, bloods
ppp22676#pid#1168. Verse `Genesis 10bbbccc7` And the sons of Cush: Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabteka. And the sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. 'The sons of Cush' means those who did not have internal worship but cognitions of faith, and who made religion consist merely in the possessing of such cognitions. 'Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteka' are just so many nations with whom these existed, for in the internal sense these same nations mean cognitions themselves. 'The sons of Raamah' similarly means those who had no internal worship but cognitions of faith, in the mere possession of which they made religion consist. 'Sheba and Dedan' are nations with whom these cognitions existed, for by those same nations cognitions themselves are meant in the internal sense, though with this difference, that cognitions of spiritual things are meant by 'the sons of Cush', cognitions of celestial things by 'the sons of Raamah'.
ppp22675#pid#1169. That 'the sons of Cush' means those who did not have internal worship but cognitions of faith, and who made religion consist merely in the possessing of such cognitions, is clear from 'Cush' whose sons they are, and who means interior cognitions of spiritual things, as shown above. It is also clear from the Word wherever those nations are mentioned.
ppp22674#pid#1170. That 'Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteka' are just so many nations with whom these cognitions existed, and that in the internal sense these same nations mean cognitions themselves, becomes clear from the places in the Word quoted below.
ppp22673#pid#1171. 'The sons of Raamah' similarly means those who had no internal worship but cognitions of faith, in the mere possession of which they made religion consist; and 'Sheba and Dedan' are nations with whom they existed and by these same nations cognitions themselves are meant in the internal sense. This is evident from the places in the Prophets given below, and from the following in David concerning Seba, Sheba, and Raamah,
The kings of Tarshish and of the islands will bring a gift, and the kings of Sheba and Seba will offer a present; and all kings will fall down before Him. `Psalms 72bbb10-11`.
This refers to the Lord, His kingdom, and the celestial Church. Anyone may see that here 'gift' and 'present' mean types of worship, though exactly which types of worship, and the nature of them, cannot be known unless it is known what 'Tarshish and the islands' and 'Sheba and Seba' are used to mean. The fact that 'Tarshish and the islands' is used to mean forms of external worship corresponding to internal has been shown already, from which it follows that 'Sheba and Seba' is used to mean forms of internal worship - 'Sheba' the celestial things of worship, and 'Seba' the spiritual.
ttt[2] In Isaiah,
I gave Egypt as your expiation, Cush and Seba in place of you. `Isaiah 43bbb3`.
Here 'Cush and Seba' stands for the spiritual things of faith. In the same prophet,
The labour of Egypt, and the wares of Cush and of the Sabeans, men of stature, will come over to you. `Isaiah 45bbb14`.
'The labour of Egypt' stands for knowledge, 'the wares of Cush and the Sabeans' for cognitions of spiritual things which serve people who believe in the Lord.
ttt[3] In the same prophet,
A drove of camels will cover you, dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba will come. They will bring gold and frankincense and will proclaim the praises of Jehovah. The whole Rock of Arabia will be gathered to you. `Isaiah 60bbb6-7`.
Here 'Sheba' is used to mean celestial things and the spiritual things deriving from these, described as 'gold and frankincense', which, as now explained, are 'the praises of Jehovah', that is, internal worship.
ttt[4] In Ezekiel,
The traders of Sheba and Raamah, they were your traders in the best of every spice, and in every precious stone, and they gave gold for your resources. `Ezekiel 27bbb22-23`.
This refers to Tyre. What 'Sheba and Raamah' means is clear from the commodities in which they are said to have traded - spices, precious stones, and gold. 'Spices' in the internal sense are charity, 'precious stones' are faith deriving from charity, and 'gold' is love to the Lord, all of which are the celestial things meant by 'Sheba'. Strictly, 'Sheba' means the cognitions of those things - and this is why they are here called 'merchandise' - with which those who become members of the Church are endowed, for without cognitions no one is able to become a member of the Church.
ttt[5] Similar things were represented by the Queen of Sheba who came to Solomon and brought him spices, gold, and precious stones, `1 Kings 10bbb1-3`, and also by the wise men from the east who came to Jesus at His birth, and who fell down and worshipped Him, and who opened their treasures, and offered Him gifts, gold, frankincense, and myrrh, `Matthew 2bbb1`, `Matthew 2bbbccc11`. These gifts meant celestial, spiritual, and natural good. In Jeremiah,
To what purpose does frankincense come to Me from Sheba, and best sweet cane from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable. `Jeremiah 6bbb20`.
Here also it is evident that 'Sheba' stands for cognitions and adoration, meant by 'frankincense and sweet cane', though here they are those things devoid of charity, which are not pleasing.
ppp22672#pid#1172. 'Dedan' means cognitions of lower celestial things that exist in ritual forms. This is clear from the following places in the Word: In Ezekiel,
The sons of Dedan were your traders, many islands were the merchandise of your hand; horns of ivory, and ebony they brought as your present. `Ezekiel 27bbb15`
'Horns of ivory, and ebony' in the internal sense means the exterior goods that constitute forms of worship or ritual. In the same prophet,
Dedan, she was your trader in chariot-cloaks,`fff1` Arabia and all the princes of Kedar `Ezekiel 27bbb20-21`.
Here 'chariot-cloaks'`fff1` in like manner means exterior goods, or those that constitute forms of ritual. In Jeremiah,
Their wisdom has become rotten. Flee! they have turned themselves away, they have taken themselves down to dwell in the deep, O inhabitants of Dedan. `Jeremiah 49bbb7-8`.
Here 'Dedan' in the proper sense stands for forms of ritual which have no internal worship, that is, no worship of the Lord from the heart within them, and which are spoken of as 'turning themselves back, and taking themselves down to dwell in the deep'. From the quotations above it is now clear that 'the sons of Cush' means cognitions of spiritual things, and 'the sons of Raamah' cognitions of celestial.
`nnn1. literally, garments of liberty for the chariot - possibly garments with loose sleeves
ppp22671#pid#1173. Verses `Genesis 10bbbccc8-9` And Cush begot Nimrod. He began to be a mighty man in the land. He was mighty in hunting before Jehovah; therefore it used to be said, Like Nimrod, mighty in hunting before Jehovah.
Here, as previously, 'Cush' means interior cognitions of spiritual and celestial things. 'Nimrod' means those who made internal worship external, and so means such external worship. 'Cush begot Nimrod' means that those who had cognitions of interior things were the instigators of such worship. 'He was a mighty man in the land' means that this kind of religion in the Church became more prevalent - 'land' is the Church, as previously. 'He was mighty in hunting before Jehovah' means that he persuaded many people. 'Therefore it used to be said, Like Nimrod, mighty in hunting before Jehovah' means that since so many were being persuaded this became a proverbial expression. In addition to this it means that such a religion easily captivates people's minds.
ppp22670#pid#1174. That 'Cush' means interior cognitions of spiritual and celestial things is clear from what has been stated and shown already about Cush.
ppp22669#pid#1175. That 'Nimrod' means those who made internal worship external, and so means such external worship, becomes clear from what follows. But first of all it should be mentioned here what is meant by making internal worship external. It has been stated and shown already that internal worship, which springs from love and charity, is worship itself, and that external worship without that internal is not worship at all. Making internal worship external however consists in making external worship essential instead of internal, which is the reverse of worship itself. It is like saying that internal worship without external is no worship, when in reality external worship without internal is no worship at all. Such is the religion of people who separate faith from charity. That is to say, they make matters of faith more important than matters of charity, or rather, they make things which constitute cognitions of faith more important than the things which constitute life, and so make outward forms more important than inner essentials. All external worship is the outward form of internal worship, for internal worship is the inner essential itself. Making worship consist of the outward form devoid of its inner essential is making internal worship external. It is like saying, for example, that if a person lived where there was no Church, no preaching, no sacraments, and no priesthood, it would be impossible for him to be saved or to have any kind of worship, when in fact he is able to worship the Lord from what is internal. It does not follow from this however that there should not be external worship.
ttt[2] To make the point plainer still, take as another example people who make the essential of worship consist in going to church, attending the sacraments, listening to sermons, praying, celebrating the festivals, and many more practices of an external and ceremonial nature, and who convince themselves, while talking of faith, that these activities, which are the outward forms of worship, are sufficient. People, it is true, who make worship springing from love and charity the essential engage in the same activities, that is to say, they go to church, attend the sacraments, listen to sermons, pray, celebrate the festivals, and much else, doing so most earnestly and carefully. But they do not make these practices the essential of worship. Since their external worship has internal worship within it, it has that which is holy and living within it; whereas the worship of the people mentioned above does not have anything holy or living within it. For it is the inner essential itself that makes the external form or ceremony holy and living. Faith separated from charity cannot make worship holy and living, for its essence and life are missing. Such worship is called 'Nimrod' and is born out of the cognitions, meant by 'Cush', which in turn are born out of faith separated from charity, a faith meant by 'Ham'. From Ham, or separated faith, through cognitions which belong to separated faith, no other kind of worship can possibly be born. These are the considerations meant by 'Nimrod'.
ppp22668#pid#1176. That 'Cush begot Nimrod' means that those who had cognitions of interior things were the instigators of such worship is clear from what has just been stated. Cognitions of interior things are what they call matters of doctrine, which they also distinguish from ritual forms. For example, their chief point of doctrine is that faith alone saves, but they are not aware of the fact that love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour constitute faith itself, and that the cognitions which they call faith exist for no other purpose than that through them people may receive from the Lord love to Him and love towards the neighbour, and that this is the faith which saves. Those who refer to cognitions alone as faith are the people who beget and instigate the kind of worship described above.
ppp22667#pid#1177. 'He was a mighty man in the land' means that this kind of religion in the Church became more prevalent. This becomes clear from what follows next. The fact that 'the land' is the Church has been shown already in `@@@620`, `@@@636`, `@@@662`, and elsewhere.
ppp22666#pid#1178. 'He was mighty in hunting before Jehovah' means that he persuaded many people. This is clear from the fact that faith separated from charity is such, and also from the meaning of 'hunting' in the Word. Faith separated from charity is such that people are easily persuaded. The vast majority of mankind do not know what internal things are, but they do know what external are. The vast majority are also given to sensualism, low pleasures and desires, considering only themselves and the world, and are therefore easily captivated by that kind of religion. From the meaning of 'hunting': in the Word 'hunting' means in general persuading and in particular captivating people's minds, by pandering to the senses, low pleasures and desires, and by the use of matters of doctrine which in an arbitrary fashion they explain in a way that satisfies their own disposition and that of the other person. They do this for the selfish reason that they may be important in position and in wealth, and so by the use of persuasion.
ttt[2] This is clear in Ezekiel,
Woe to those who sew little pillows on all the joints of My hands and make veils upon the head [of persons] of every stature to hunt souls! You hunt souls for My people, and you keep souls alive for yourselves; and you have desecrated Me among My people for handfuls of barley and for crusts of bread, to slay souls that will not die, and to keep alive souls that will not live, by lying to My people that listen to lies. behold, I am against your little pillows with which you there hunt the souls to make them fly away, and I will tear them from on your arms, and I will let the souls go that you hunt, souls to fly away; and I will tear off your veils and deliver My people out of your hand, and they will be no more in your hand to be hunted. `Ezekiel 13bbb18-21`.
These verses explain what 'hunting' means - a deceiving by means of persuasions and by means of cognitions which they pervert and explain to their own advantage, and at the same time according to the other person's disposition.
ttt[3] In Micah,
The compassionate man has perished from the earth, and there is none upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood;`fff1` they hunt every man his brother with a net. When they do evil with the hands instead of doing good, the prince asks for and gives judgement for the sake of a reward, and the great man utters the perversity of his soul; and they twist it around. `Micah 7bbb2-3`.
This in a similar way explains what 'hunting' means, namely lying in wait for the sake of self, that is, calling true that which is false, uttering perversity, and twisting things around, and in these ways persuading. In David,
A slanderer`fff2` will not be established in the land; as for the violent man, evil hunts him down, to overthrow him! `Psalms 140bbb11`.
This refers to wicked persons who persuade by means of falsities, think wickedly, and speak smoothly, with deceitful intent. 'Tongue' here stands for lying.
`nnn1. literally, bloods
`nnn2. literally, A man of tongue
ppp22665#pid#1179. 'Therefore it used to be said, Like Nimrod, mighty in hunting before Jehovah' means that since so many were being persuaded this became a proverbial expression. In addition to this it means that such a religion easily captivates people's minds. This becomes clear from what has been stated and also from the actual sense of the letter. Moreover because in early times names were given to real things this name was given to this form of worship, that is to say, it used to be said that 'Nimrod', meaning that form of worship, was 'mighty in hunting', that is, was one that captivated people's minds. The reason for the words 'before Jehovah' is that people with whom that form of worship existed called separated faith 'Jehovah' or 'a man Jehovah', as is clear from what has been stated already about Cain in `@@@340`, who likewise means faith separated from charity. The difference between Cain and Ham however lies in the fact that the former existed in the celestial Church which had perception, while the latter existed in the spiritual Church which had none. As a consequence the former was far more monstrous than the latter. In early times such people were called 'mighty', as in Isaiah,
All the glory of Kedar will be brought to an end, and the remainder of the number of the bows of the mighty men of the sons of Kedar will be diminished. `Isaiah 21bbb16-17`.
And in Hosea,
You have ploughed wickedness, you have reaped iniquity, you have eaten the fruit of lying, because you have trusted in your way, in the multitude of your mighty men. `Hosea 10bbb13`.
And in other places. They called themselves 'men' (vir) and 'mighty' from faith, for one particular word in the original language expresses the idea of being 'mighty' and at the same time that of a man (vir), and it is used in the Word in reference to faith, and indeed in both senses.
ppp22664#pid#1180. Verse `Genesis 10bbbccc10` And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
'The beginning of his kingdom' means that such worship began in this manner. 'Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar' means that these types of worship existed in those areas. At the same time these nations mean the types of worship themselves, whose external features appear holy but whose interiors are unholy.
ppp22663#pid#1181. That 'the beginning of his kingdom' means that such worship began in this manner is clear from the meaning of 'Babel in the land of Shinar', to be dealt with further on.
ppp22662#pid#1182. 'Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar' means that these types of worship existed in those areas, and that at the same time these same nations mean types of worship themselves, whose external features appear holy but whose interiors are unholy. This is clear from the meaning of 'Babel' and of 'the land of Shinar'. In the Word much reference is made to Babel, and wherever it occurs it means such worship, that is to say, worship whose exteriors look holy but whose interiors are unholy. But since Babel is the subject in the next chapter it will be shown there that Babel means such things, and also that such worship in the beginning was not as unholy as it became subsequently. For the real nature of external worship is determined entirely by its interiors. The more undefiled the interiors are, the more undefiled is the external worship, but the more foul the interiors the more foul the external worship. And the more unholy the interiors are, the more unholy is the external worship. To put it briefly, the more love of the world and self-love exist in someone with whom external worship exists, the less life and holiness his worship has within it. The more hatred towards the neighbour there is present within his self-love and love of the world, the more unholiness his worship has within it. The more wickedness there is present within his hatred, the more unholiness still his worship has within it. And the more deceit that wickedness contains, the more unholiness still his worship has within it. These types of love and these forms of evil are the interior features of the external worship meant by 'Babel', which is dealt with in the next chapter.
ppp22661#pid#1183. The specific meaning of 'Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar' is not so clear because, with the exception of Calneh in `Amos 6bbb2`, these names are not mentioned anywhere else in the Word; but they are different forms of such worship. As for the land of Shinar however in which these forms of worship existed, it is clear that in the Word it means external worship which has within it that which is unholy. This is clear from its meaning in verse `Genesis 11bbbccc2` of the next chapter, also in `Zechariah 5bbb11`, and especially in Daniel, where the following words appear,
The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babel, and part of the vessels of the house of God; and he took them away into the land of Shinar, into the house of his god, and he brought the vessels into the house of the treasury of his god. `Daniel 1bbb2`.
This reference means that holy things were profaned. 'The vessels of the house of God' are holy things, 'the house of the god of the king of Babel in the land of Shinar' the unholy into which the holy were brought. Although these are historical events they nevertheless embody those arcana within them, as do all the historical narratives of the Word. The matter is made clearer still by the profanation of the same vessels, referred to in `Daniel 5bbb3-5`. Unless those events had represented holy things they would never have taken place.
ppp22660#pid#1184. Verses `Genesis 10bbbccc11-12` Out of that land went Asshur, and built Nineveh, and Rehoboth city, and Calah, and Resen between Nineveh and Calah; this is that great city.
'Out of that land went Asshur' means that those with whom such external worship existed started to engage in reasoning about the internal aspects of worship, 'Asshur' being reasoning. 'And he built Nineveh, and Rehoboth city, and Calah' means that in this way they formulated for themselves doctrinal teachings concerning faith - 'Nineveh' means falsities contained in those teachings, as do 'Rehoboth and Calah' though falsities from a different source. 'Resen between Nineveh and Calah' means that they also formulated for themselves doctrinal teachings concerning life -'Resen' means derivative falsities contained in doctrinal teachings. 'Nineveh' is falsity that results from reasonings, 'Calah' falsity that results from evil desires; 'between Nineveh and Calah' is falsity resulting from both. 'This is that great city' means that those matters of doctrine prevailed more and more.
ppp22659#pid#1185. That 'out of that land went Asshur' means that those with whom such external worship existed started to engage in reasoning about the internal aspects of worship becomes clear from the meaning of 'Asshur' in the Word as reason and reasoning, to be dealt with immediately below. This verse can be read in two different ways - that is to say, 'Asshur went out of that land' or 'Nimrod went out of that land into Asshur (or Assyria)'. It is worded in this way because both ideas are meant, both the idea that reasoning concerning spiritual and celestial things is the outcome of such worship, meant by Asshur's going out of the land of Shinar, and also the idea that such worship engages in reasoning concerning spiritual and celestial things, meant by Nimrod's going out of the land into Asshur or Assyria.
ppp22658#pid#1186. That 'Asshur' is reasoning is clear from the meaning of 'Asshur' or Assyria in the Word, where in every case it stands for those things that belong to reason. It stands for them in both senses, namely for rational things and for reasonings - reason and rational things being used strictly speaking to mean things that are true, and reasoning and reasonings to mean those that are false. Because 'Asshur' means reason and reasoning it is very frequently linked with Egypt, which means facts, for reason and reasoning are based on facts. That Asshur means reasoning is clear in Isaiah,
Woe to Asshur, the rod of My anger, he does not think what is right and his heart does not consider what is right He has said, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I have intelligence. `Isaiah 10bbb5`, `Isaiah 10bbbccc7`, `Isaiah 10bbbccc13`.
Here 'Asshur' stands for reasoning, and therefore he is referred to as 'not thinking and not considering what is right', and it is said that 'he acts by his own wisdom, for he has intelligence'.
ttt[2] In Ezekiel,
Two women, the daughters of one mother, committed whoredom in Egypt. In their youth they committed whoredom. One committed whoredom and doted on her lovers, on Asshur (the Assyrians), her neighbours, clothed in violet, leaders and governors, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding on horses The sons of Babel came to her and they defiled her with their whoredom. `Ezekiel 23bbb2-3`, `Ezekiel 23bbbccc5-6`, `Ezekiel 23bbbccc17`.
Here 'Egypt' stands for facts, 'Asshur' for reasoning, 'the sons of Babel' for falsities springing from evil desires.
ttt[3] In the same prophet,
Jerusalem, you committed whoredom with the sons of Egypt, you committed whoredom with the sons of Asshur, you multiplied your whoredom even into the land of Canaan towards Chaldaea. `Ezekiel 16bbb26`, `Ezekiel 16bbbccc28-29`.
Here likewise 'Egypt' stands for facts, 'Asshur' for reasoning. Reasoning, based on facts, concerning spiritual and celestial things is called 'whoredom' both here and elsewhere in the Word. Anyone may see that committing whoredom with Egyptians and with Assyrians is not the meaning.
ttt[4] In Jeremiah,
Israel, what have you to do with the way to Egypt, to drink the waters of Shihor? And what have you to do with the way to Asshur, to drink the waters of the River (the Euphrates)? `Jeremiah 2bbb18`, `Jeremiah 2bbbccc36`.
Here likewise 'Egypt' stands for facts, 'Asshur' for reasoning. In the same prophet,
Israel is a scattered flock; the lions have driven him away. First the king of Asshur has devoured him, and last this king of Babel has removed his bones. `Jeremiah 50bbb17-18`
'Asshur' stands for reasoning concerning spiritual things.
ttt[5] In Micah,
And this will be peace, when Asshur comes into our land and when he treads our palaces, and we will set up over him seven shepherds and eight princes of men and they will rule the land of Asshur with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in its gates; and he will deliver [us] from Asshur when he comes into our land and when he treads our border. `Micah 5bbb5-6`.
This refers to Israel, or the spiritual Church, concerning which it is said that 'Asshur will not enter in', that is, reasoning will not do so. 'The land of Nimrod' stands for the kind of worship meant by Nimrod, which has interior evils and falsities within it.
ttt[6] The fact that in the Word 'Asshur' also means reason present with the member of the Church, by means of which reason he sees clearly what is true and what is good, is clear in Hosea,
They will tremble like a bird out of Egypt, and like a dove from the land of Asshur. `Hosea 11bbb11`.
Here 'Egypt' stands for the knowledge a member of the Church possesses, 'Asshur' for his reason. That 'a bird' means facts that are known and understood, and 'a dove' rational good, has been shown already.
ttt[7] In Isaiah,
On that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Asshur, and Asshur will come into Egypt and Egypt into Asshur, and the Egyptians will serve Asshur.`fff1` On that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Asshur, a blessing in the midst of the earth, whom Jehovah Zebaoth will bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt My people, and Asshur the work of My hands, and Israel My heritage. `Isaiah 19bbb23-25`.
This refers to the spiritual Church, meant by Israel, 'Asshur' being its reason, and 'Egypt' its knowledge. These three constitute the intellectual powers of the member of the spiritual Church which come in that order one after another. In other places where Asshur is mentioned it means the rational, true or false, as in `Isaiah 20bbb1-6`; `Isaiah ccc23bbb13`; `Isaiah ccc27bbb13`; `Isaiah ccc30bbb31`; `Isaiah ccc31bbb8`; `Isaiah ccc36bbb0`, `Isaiah ccc37bbb0`; `Isaiah ccc52bbb4`; `Ezekiel 27bbb23-24`; `Ezekiel 31bbb3-18`; `Ezekiel ccc32bbb22`; `Micah 7bbb12`; `Zephaniah 2bbb13`; `Zechariah 10bbb11`; `Psalms 83bbb8`. 'Asshur' stands for reasoning in `Hosea 5bbb13`; `Hosea ccc7bbb11`; `Hosea ccc10bbb6`; `Hosea ccc11bbb5`; `Hosea ccc12bbb1`; `Hosea ccc14bbb3`; and in `Zechariah 10bbb10`, where the reference is to Ephraim who means the intellectual part of the mind, though in this instance when perverted.
`nnn1. The Hebrew of this text in Isaiah may be read in two different ways - serve Asshur or serve with Asshur. Most English versions of Isaiah prefer the second of these.
ppp22657#pid#1187. 'He built Nineveh, and Rehoboth city, and Calah' means that in this way they formulated for themselves doctrinal teachings concerning faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'Nineveh and Rehoboth and Calah', to be dealt with in the paragraphs following immediately after this, and from the meaning of 'a city' in the Word, as doctrine, true or heretical, as shown already in `@@@402`.
ppp22656#pid#1188. 'Nineveh' means falsities contained in those teachings, as do 'Rehoboth and Calah' though falsities from a different source. This is clear from the meaning of 'Nineveh' in the Word, dealt with below. Falsities of this kind arise from three sources. The first source is the illusions of the senses - when the understanding, being in obscurity, is unenlightened - and also ignorance. This is the source of the falsity meant by 'Nineveh'. The second source is the same, but with some predominating desire present, for innovation or pre-eminence. This is the source of the falsities meant by Rehoboth. And the third is that of the will, and so of evil desires. In this case people are unwilling to acknowledge anything as true except that which is favorable to evil desires. This is the source of the falsities called Calah. All of these falsities arise through Asshur, or reasonings concerning the truths and goods of faith.
ttt[2] That 'Nineveh' means falsities arising from the illusions of the senses when the understanding, being in obscurity, is unenlightened, and also from ignorance, is clear in the case of Jonah, who was sent to Nineveh, a city that was pardoned because they were such. It is clear also from the facts recorded in the Book of Jonah regarding Nineveh, which will in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed elsewhere. Though the details there are historical they are nevertheless prophetical, embodying and representing such arcana, in the way every other historical part of the Word does.
ttt[3] Similarly in Isaiah, when the king of Asshur is referred to as remaining in Nineveh, and, when he bowed down in the house of Nisroch his god, is referred to as slain by his sons with a sword, `Isaiah 37bbb37-38`. Although these details are historical they are nevertheless prophetical, embodying and representing arcana of a like nature. 'Nineveh' in this case means external worship that has falsities within it which, being idolatrous, 'is slain by his sons with a sword', 'sons' meaning falsities, as shown already. 'A sword' is the punishment of falsity, as everywhere else in the Word. In Zephaniah also,
Jehovah will stretch out His hand over the north, and will destroy Asshur, and He will make Nineveh a desolation, a dry waste like a desert. Flocks will lie down in the midst of her, every wild beast of that nation. The spoonbill also and the duck will lodge in its pomegranates.`fff1` A voice will sing in the window, vastation will be on the threshold, for her cedar has been laid bare. `Zephaniah 2bbb13-14`.
This describes Nineveh, though in the prophetical style, and falsity itself meant by 'Nineveh'. Because that falsity is worshipped it is called 'the north, a wild beast of the nation, the spoonbill and the duck in pomegranates' and is expressed as 'a voice singing in the window and a cedar laid bare', which is intellectual truth. Every one of these expressions is used to mean such falsity.
`nnn1. The original Hebrew word is thought to describe capitals shaped like pomegranates.
ppp22655#pid#1189. 'Calah' means falsities which have their origins in evil desires. This cannot be confirmed from prophetical, but only from the historical portions of the Word, which record that the king of Asshur carried away the children of Israel into Asshur, or Assyria, and made them dwell in Calah, and in Habor, by the river Gozan, and in the cities of Media, `2 Kings 17bbb6`; `2 Kings ccc18bbb11`. Here the historical details embody nothing else. In fact, as has been stated, all historical accounts in the Word carry a spiritual meaning and are representative. Thus 'Israel' here means the corrupted spiritual Church, 'Asshur' reasoning, and 'Calah' such falsity.
ppp22654#pid#1190. 'Resen between Nineveh and Calah' means that they also formulated for themselves doctrinal teachings concerning life -'Resen' means derivative falsities contained in doctrinal teachings. This becomes clear from what has just been shown concerning Nineveh and Calah, and also from the train of thought, in that the previous verse dealt with falsities of doctrine, the present verse with falsities of life. For the style of the Word is such, especially the prophetical style, that when matters of the understanding are dealt with, those of the will are dealt with as well. The previous verse dealt with those of the understanding, that is, with falsities of doctrine, whereas the present verse deals with falsities of life, meant by 'Resen'. As no further mention is made of 'Resen' in the Word this matter cannot so easily be confirmed, except from the fact that 'Resen was built between Nineveh and Calah' - that is, between falsity arising from reasonings and falsity arising from evil desires which produces falsity of life - and also from the fact that it is called 'a great city' since all this is the product of falsities both of the understanding and of the will.
ppp22653#pid#1191. 'This is that great city' means that those matters of doctrine prevailed more and more. This is clear from the meaning of 'a city' as true doctrine or false doctrine, as was shown in `@@@402`, and from its being called 'a great city' because all falsity of doctrine, and of worship arising out of this, leads to falsity of life.
ppp22652#pid#1192. In verse `Genesis 10bbbccc10` just above the subject was evils present in worship, which were meant by Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. In the present two verses the subject has been the falsities in worship, meant by Nineveh, Rehoboth, Calah, and Resen. Falsities consist of assumptions based on reasonings, evils consist of desires arising out of love of the world and self-love.
ppp22651#pid#1193. Verses `Genesis 10bbbccc13-14` And Mizraim`fff1` begot Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim, and Pathrusim, and Casluhim, from whom Pelishtim`fff2` came forth, and Caphtorim.
'Mizraim begot Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, and Naphtuhim, and Caphtorim' means just so many nations by whom just so many types of ritual forms are meant, 'Mizraim' being knowledge, 'Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, and Naphtuhim' just so many forms of ritual that exist merely as items of knowledge. 'Pathrusim and Casluhim' are nations so called who mean matters of doctrine that are formed into rituals from a similar origin and that exist solely as items of knowledge. 'From whom Pelishtim came forth' means the nation coming from these, by which a knowledge of the cognitions of faith and charity is meant - 'from whom they came forth' meaning that cognitions, as these exist with them, are facts.
`nnn1. The Hebrew name for Egypt
`nnn2. The Hebrew name for the Philistines
ppp22650#pid#1194. That 'Mizraim begot Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, and Caphtorim' means just so many nations by whom just so many types of ritual forms are meant becomes clear from what has been shown above at verse `Genesis 10bbbccc6` of this chapter concerning 'Mizraim' or Egypt, to the effect that 'Egypt' means knowledge or facts. Those who are said to be begotten from him cannot be anything else, that is, anything other than ritual forms, those in fact that go with external worship. For the Lord's Word in its bosom and inner recesses, that is, in the internal sense, never deals with anything other than things to do with His kingdom, and so with His Church. Consequently things that were born from facts by means of reasonings are here nothing else than forms of ritual.
ppp22649#pid#1195. That 'Mizraim' or Egypt is knowledge has been shown already at verse `Genesis 10bbbccc6` of this chapter; that 'Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, and Naphtuhim' are just so many forms of ritual that exist merely as items of knowledge is clear from what has just been stated. People who probe into spiritual and celestial things by means of reasonings and who thereby produce a form of worship for themselves are said to possess forms of ritual that exist merely as items of knowledge. Because the forms of ritual belonging to such worship originate in reasonings and in factual knowledge they are called fact-constituted forms of ritual, which have nothing spiritual or celestial within them because they originate in self. Such was the origin of Egyptian idols and so of magic. And such being the origin of those people's ritual forms they utterly rejected the religious practices of the Ancient Church; indeed they were repelled by them and loathed them, as is clear from `Genesis 43bbb32`; `Genesis ccc46bbb34`; `Exodus 8bbb26`. Because those things are meant, they are said to be begotten from Mizraim or Egypt, that is, from facts. And because their facts were diversified, so also were the ritual forms originating in them. These diversities in general were meant by just so many nations. That the Ludim or Lydians mean such things is clear from Jeremiah,
Egypt comes up like the river, and like the rivers the waters are tossed about; and he said, I will go up, I will cover the earth, I will destroy the city and those who dwell in it Go up, O horses, and rage, O chariots, and let the mighty men go forth, Cush and Put, that handle the shield, and the Ludim that handle and bend the bow. `Jeremiah 46bbb8-9`.
Here 'the rivers of Egypt' are diverse facts that are false 'Going up and covering the earth' is entering into those things that constitute the Church or faith by means of facts 'Destroying the city' is destroying truths. 'Cush and Put' are cognitions 'The Lydians' are fact-constituted forms of ritual, the subject of the present verse. 'Handling and bending the bow' is engaging in reasoning.
ppp22648#pid#1196. 'Pathrusim and Casluhim' are nations so called who mean matters of doctrine that are formed into rituals from a similar origin and that exist solely as items of knowledge. This is evident from what has been stated, and from the fact that they follow in that sequence. Regarding the Pathrusim, see `Isaiah 11bbb11-12`; `Ezekiel 29bbb13-15`; `Ezekiel ccc30bbb13-14`; `Jeremiah 44bbb1`, `Jeremiah 44bbbccc15`.
ppp22647#pid#1197. 'From whom Pelishtim came forth' means the nation which came from these, and which means a knowledge of the cognitions of faith and charity. This is clear from the Word where they are mentioned many times. In the Ancient Church all were called Philistines who spoke much about faith and who asserted that salvation lay in faith, and yet possessed nothing of the life of faith. Consequently they more than any others were called uncircumcised, that is, devoid of charity. (For references to them as the uncircumcised, see `1 Samuel 14bbb6`; `1 Samuel ccc17bbb26`, `1 Samuel 17bbbccc36`; `1 Samuel ccc31bbb4`; `2 Samuel 1bbb20`; and elsewhere.) Being such as they were they inevitably made cognitions of faith matters of memory, for cognitions of spiritual and celestial things, and the arcana of faith themselves, become purely matters of memory when a person who is acquainted with them is devoid of charity. Things of the memory are so to speak dead if the person is not such that he lives according to them from conscience. When he does live according to them from conscience things of the memory are in that case matters of life as well, and only then do they remain with him for his use and salvation following life in the body. Knowledge and cognitions are of no value to anyone in the next life, even though he may have known all the arcana that have ever been revealed, if they have made no impact on his life.
ttt[2] Throughout the prophetical parts of the Word 'the Philistines' means people such as these, as they do in the historical sections of the Word, as when Abraham sojourned in the land of the Philistines and made a covenant with Abimelech, the king of the Philistines, `Genesis 20bbb1`-end; `Genesis ccc21bbb22`-end; `Genesis ccc26bbb1-33`. Because the Philistines here meant cognitions of faith, and because Abraham represented the celestial things of faith, he sojourned there and made a covenant with them. So likewise did Isaac, who represented the spiritual things of faith. But Jacob did not do so because he represented the external features of the Church.
ttt[3] That 'the Philistines' means, in general, knowledge of the cognitions of faith, and in particular people who make faith and salvation reside in cognitions alone which they make matters of memory, becomes clear also in Isaiah,
Rejoice not, O Philistia, all of you, that the rod which smites you has been broken, for from the serpent's root will come forth an adder, and its fruit will be a flying prester. `Isaiah 14bbb29`
Here 'the serpent's root' stands for facts, 'an adder' for evil arising out of falsities based on facts. 'The fruits of a flying prester' is their works which, because they are the product of evil desires, are called 'a flying prester'
ttt[4] In Joel,
What are you to Me, O Tyre and Sidon, and all the borders of Philistia? Are you rendering Me a recompense? Swiftly and speedily I will return your recompense upon your own head, inasmuch as you have taken My silver and My gold, and My good and desirable treasures you have carried into your temples, and have sold the sons of Judah and the sons of Jerusalem to the sons of the Javanites,`fff1` that you might remove them far away from their border. `Joel 3bbb4-6`.
What 'the Philistines' and the whole of Philistia, or 'all its borders', are used to mean here is plain. 'Silver' and 'gold' here are the spiritual and celestial things of faith, 'good and desirable treasures' cognitions of them. 'They carried them into their temples' means that they were in possession of them and proclaimed them. 'They sold the sons of Judah and the sons of Jerusalem' however means that they possessed no love and no faith. In the Word 'Judah' is the celestial element of faith, and 'Jerusalem' the spiritual element deriving from it, which were 'removed far away from their borders'. Further examples exist in the Prophets, such as `Jeremiah 25bbb20`; `Jeremiah 47bbb1`-end; `Ezekiel 16bbb27`, `Ezekiel 16bbbccc57`; `Ezekiel ccc25bbb15-16`; `Amos 1bbb8`; `Obadiah 1bbbccc19`; `Zephaniah 2bbb5`; `Psalms 87bbb4`; and the people of Caphtor are mentioned in `Deuteronomy 2bbb23`; `Jeremiah 47bbb4`; `Amos 9bbb7`.
`nnn1. i.e. the Greeks
ppp22646#pid#1198. 'From whom they came forth' means that cognitions, as these exist with them, are facts. This is clear from what has been stated. These are not said to have been 'begotten' by those who belonged to Egypt but to have 'gone forth', for they are not such as use natural and factual knowledge to reason about spiritual and celestial things and in so doing fabricate for themselves doctrinal teachings, as do those described before. Instead they learn cognitions of faith from another source, but have no other end in view to knowing and retaining these in the memory than they have with other things in which they have no interest beyond merely knowing them, and only then for the reason that by so knowing they may be promoted to positions of importance, and for other like reasons. So different is knowledge of cognitions of faith from knowledge of natural things that the two have scarcely anything in common. This explains why they are not said to have been 'bore' but to have 'gone forth' from them. Such being the character of 'Philistines' they inevitably pervert cognitions of faith by means of reasonings from them, and as a consequence fabricate false doctrines for themselves. They belong therefore among those who are barely able to be regenerated and to receive charity, both because they are uncircumcised at heart and because the false assumptions and consequently the life of their understanding hinder and prevent.
ppp22645#pid#1199. Verse `Genesis 10bbbccc15` And Canaan begot Sidon, his firstborn, and Heth.
Here, as previously, 'Canaan' means external worship that has nothing internal within it. 'Sidon' means the exterior cognitions of spiritual things, and because such cognitions are the primary things of such external worship Sidon is called Canaan's 'firstborn.' 'Heth' means the exterior cognitions of celestial things.
ppp22644#pid#1200. That 'Canaan' means external worship that has nothing internal within it has been shown already where Canaan was the subject. The type of external worship which is called 'Canaan' is similar to that of the Jews before the Lord's Coming, and after it as well. They had an external worship, which they also celebrated meticulously, yet they were unaware of what is internal, indeed so unaware of it as to imagine that they lived solely with a body. Of the soul, or faith, or the Lord, or spiritual and celestial life, or life after death, they were totally ignorant. Consequently very many in the Lord's time said that there was no resurrection, as is clear in `Matthew 22bbb23-33`; `Mark 12bbb18-27`; `Luke 20bbb27-40`. When a person is such that he does not believe he will live after death, he also does not believe in the existence of anything internal which is spiritual and celestial. This applies also to people whose lives are sunk in wholly evil desires because they lead merely bodily and worldly lives, especially those who are steeped in filthy avarice. They nevertheless have worship, some going to synagogue, or to church, and taking part in the services, some most meticulously. But because they do not believe in a life after death their worship is inevitably external worship having nothing internal within it, like a shell without a nut, and like a tree on which there is no fruit or even leaves. Such external worship is meant by 'Canaan'. All other types of external worship dealt with above were forms of worship that had internal things within them.
ppp22643#pid#1201. That 'Sidon' means the exterior cognitions of spiritual things is clear from the fact that he is called 'Canaan's firstborn', for in the internal sense the firstborn of every Church is faith, see `@@@352`, `@@@367`. Here however, where faith does not exist because internal things are missing they are no more than exterior cognitions of spiritual things taking the place of faith, thus cognitions such as those with the Jews which are cognitions not only of the ceremonies of external worship but also of many other things belonging to that worship, such as matters of doctrine. That 'Sidon' has this meaning is also evident from the fact that Tyre and Sidon were the furthest limits of Philistia, and were in fact by the sea. 'Tyre' therefore meant interior cognitions, and 'Sidon' those which were exterior, and yet cognitions of spiritual things. This is also clear from the Word: in Jeremiah,
On the day that is coming to lay waste all the Philistines, to cut off from Tyre and Sidon every helper that remains, for Jehovah is laying waste the Philistines, the remnants of the island of Caphtor. `Jeremiah 47bbb4`.
Here 'the Philistines' stands for knowledge of the cognitions of faith and charity, 'Tyre' for interior cognitions, and 'Sidon' for cognitions of spiritual things.
ttt[2] In Joel,
What are you to Me, O Tyre and Sidon, and all the borders of Philistia? You have taken My silver and gold, and My good and desirable treasures you have carried into your temples. `Joel 3bbb4-5`.
Here 'Tyre' and 'Sidon' clearly stand for cognitions and are called 'the borders of Philistia', for 'gold and silver' and 'good and desirable treasures' are cognitions. In Ezekiel,
The princes of the north, all of them, and every Sidonian, who have gone down with the slain`fff1` into the pit. He was made to lie in the midst of the uncircumcised with those slain' by the sword, Pharaoh and all his multitude. `Ezekiel 32bbb30`, `Ezekiel 32bbbccc32`.
Here 'the Sidonian' stands for exterior cognitions, which when devoid of things that are internal are nothing else than facts, and it is for this reason that he is mentioned along with Pharaoh, or Egypt, who means facts. In Zechariah,
Hamath also will border on it, Tyre and Sidon, for it is exceedingly wise. `Zechariah 9bbb2`.
This refers to Damascus. 'Tyre and Sidon' stands for cognitions.
ttt[3] In Ezekiel,
The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were your rowers; your wise men, O Tyre, were in you, they were your pilots. `Ezekiel 27bbb8`.
Here 'Tyre' stands for interior cognitions, and therefore her wise men are called 'pilots', while 'Sidon' stands for exterior cognitions and her inhabitants are therefore called 'rowers', for such is the relationship of interior cognitions to exterior. In Isaiah,
The inhabitants of the island are silent, O merchant of Sidon passing over the sea; they have replenished you. But on the great waters the seed of Shihor, the harvest of the river, was her revenue, and was the merchandise of nations. Blush, O Sidon, for the sea has spoken, the stronghold of the sea saying, I have not gone into labour, nor have I given birth, nor reared young men, nor brought up virgins. `Isaiah 23bbb2-5`.
Here 'Sidon' stands for exterior cognitions which, because they have nothing internal within them are called 'the seed of Shihor, the harvest of the river, her revenue, the merchandise of the nations', and also 'the sea, the stronghold of the sea', and 'one that does not go into labour and give birth'. What these expressions may mean could never be discerned in the literal sense, but their meaning is perfectly plain in the internal sense, as with everything else in the Prophets. Since 'Sidon' means exterior cognitions it is also referred to as the region surrounding Israel, which is the spiritual Church, `Ezekiel 28bbb24`, `Ezekiel 28bbbccc26`, for exterior cognitions are like a surrounding region.
`nnn1. literally, pierced
ppp22642#pid#1202. Because these cognitions are the primary things of such external worship which has no internal worship within it, 'Sidon' is called 'Canaan's firstborn'. This has just been explained in the previous paragraph.
ppp22641#pid#1203. 'Heth' means exterior cognitions of celestial things, as is clear from what is said above. In the Prophets it is common for spiritual and celestial things to be linked together, that is, when spiritual things are dealt with so are celestial things, the reason being that one stems from the other, and perfection is somewhat lacking if they are not linked together. Consequently a likeness to the heavenly marriage exists in every single part of the Word. From this as well as other places in the Word it is also clear that Sidon means exterior cognitions of spiritual things, while Heth means exterior cognitions of celestial things. They are used in both senses, that is to say, either when internals are missing or when they are present, as well as being used to stand simply for exterior cognitions. As stated frequently already, spiritual things are those that belong to faith, celestial things those that belong to love. Spiritual things are also those that belong to the understanding, and celestial those that belong to the will. That 'Heth' means exterior cognitions devoid of internal is clear in Ezekiel,
Thus said the Lord Jehovih to Jerusalem, Your tracings and your nativity are of the land of Canaan Your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. You are the daughter of your mother who loathes her husband and her sons; and you are the sister of your sisters who loathed their husbands and their sons. Your mother is a Hittite and your father an Amorite. `Ezekiel 16bbb3`, `Ezekiel 16bbbccc45`.
Here external worship devoid of internal is 'Canaan'. 'Loathing husbands and sons' is spurning goods and truths, and this is why their mother is called 'a Hittite'. In addition to this 'Heth' in the Word also stands for exterior cognitions of celestial things in a good sense, as, for reasons dealt with already, almost all names of lands, cities, nations, and persons are so used. In the Lord's Divine mercy the meaning of 'Heth' will be dealt with later on Cognitions of spiritual things are those that have regard to faith, and so to doctrine, while cognitions of celestial things are those that have regard to love, and so to life.
ppp22640#pid#1204. Verses `Genesis 10bbbccc16-18` And the Jebusites, and the Amorites, and the Girgashites, and the Hivites, and the Arkites, and the Sinites, and the Arvadites, and the Zemarites, and the Hamathites; and afterwards the families of the Canaanites were spread abroad.
'The Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, Arvadites, Zemarites, and Hamathites' were just so many nations, who also mean just so many different forms of idolatry. 'And afterwards the families of the Canaanites were spread abroad' means that all other forms of idolatrous worship stem from these.
ppp22639#pid#1205. That 'the Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, Arvadites, Zemarites, and Hamathites' were just so many nations, who also mean just so many different forms of idolatry, and that those nations mean forms of idolatry, is clear from many places in the Word, for they were inhabitants of the land of Canaan who on account of their idolatry were rejected and partially destroyed. In the internal sense of the Word however it is not those nations that are meant but the forms of idolatry themselves - in general as they exist anywhere at all, and in particular among the Jews. For people who make worship consist solely in externals and have no wish at all to learn of internals, and who when instructed reject them, incline very much to all these forms of idolatry, as is all too clear in the case of the Jews. internal worship alone holds within it the bonds that keep a person back from idolatry, and once those bonds cease to exist there is nothing to hold him back. There are however not only external forms of idolatry but also interior. Into external forms of idolatry rush those people who possess external worship devoid of internal, and into interior forms those people rush possessing external worship whose interiors are foul. These forms of idolatry are likewise meant by these nations. Interior forms of idolatry are just so many falsities and evil desires which they love and adore and which thus take the place of the gods and idols which existed among gentile nations. It would take too long to explain here however which particular falsities and evil desires they are that people adore and which are meant by these nations - by the Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, Arvadites, Zemarites, and Hamathites. In the Lord's Divine mercy this will be discussed in the places where these names occur.
ppp22638#pid#1206. 'Afterwards the families of the Canaanites were spread abroad' means that all other forms of idolatrous worship stem from these. This is clear without explanation.
ppp22637#pid#1207. Verse `Genesis 10bbbccc19` And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon as you come towards Gerar, as far as Gaza, as you come towards Sodom and Gomorrah, and Admah and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha.
Here, as previously, 'Sidon' means exterior cognitions. 'Gerar' means things that have been revealed concerning faith. 'Gaza' means things that have been revealed concerning charity. 'The border of the Canaanites was from Sidon as you come towards Gerar, as far as Gaza' means the extension of cognitions towards truth and good with those who have external worship devoid of internal. 'As you come towards Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, as far as Lasha' means the falsities and evils which encompass them.
ppp22636#pid#1208. That 'Sidon' means exterior cognitions is clear from what has been shown above at verse `Genesis 10bbbccc15`.
ppp22635#pid#1209. That 'Gerar' means things that have been revealed concerning faith, and thus in general means faith itself, becomes clear from the places where Gerar is mentioned, as in `Genesis 20bbb1`; `Genesis ccc26bbb1`, `Genesis 26bbbccc17`, whose meaning will in the Lord's Divine mercy be explained later on.
ppp22634#pid#1210. That 'Gaza' means things that have been revealed concerning charity becomes clear first of all from the fact that in the Word when spiritual things are dealt with, so also are celestial along with them, that is, when matters of faith are dealt with, so also are those of charity; and secondly from the Word where Gaza is mentioned. It becomes clear in addition from the fact that cognitions extend to faith and right on to charity, which is their furthest limit.
ppp22633#pid#1211. 'The border of the Canaanites was from Sidon as you come to Gerar, as far as Gaza' means the extension of cognitions with those who have external worship devoid of internal. This is clear from the meaning of Gerar and Gaza. The borders to all cognitions that have regard to worship, whether external worship or internal, move in that direction, for all worship stems from faith and charity, and that which does not do so is not worship but idolatry. Because the subject is Canaan, that is, external worship and its derivations, it is not the limits and extension of worship but of cognitions that are meant here.
ppp22632#pid#1212. 'As you come towards Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, as far as Lasha' means the falsities and evils which encompass them. This becomes clear from the meaning of these same locations when mentioned in historical and prophetical sections of the Word. In general falsities have two sources. The first group derive from the desires that belong to self-love and love of the world, the second from cognitions and facts by way of reasonings. Falsities derived in this way, when they wish to have dominion over truths, are meant by 'Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim'. The fact that falsities and derivative evils are the borders of external worship which is devoid of internal may become clear to anyone. Such worship has nothing within it other than that which is dead. Consequently whichever way someone turns whose worship is such he stumbles into falsities. There is nothing internal to guide him and keep him on the path of truth, only that which is external to take hold of him wherever evil desire and delusion lead him. Since Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim are all mentioned in historical and prophetical sections of the Word, the specific meaning of each one will in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed in those places.
ppp22631#pid#1213. Verse `Genesis 10bbbccc20` These are the sons of Ham, according to their families, according to their tongues, in their lands, in their nations.
'The sons of Ham' means derivations of matters of doctrine and of forms of worship resulting from the corrupted internal worship meant by Ham. 'According to their families, according to their tongues, in their lands, in their nations' means according to the particular and the general character of each one, 'according to their families' meaning according to their habits and customs, 'according to their tongues' meaning according to their individual beliefs, 'in their lands' meaning in general as regards such beliefs, 'in their nations' in general as regards such habits and customs.
ppp22630#pid#1214. That 'the sons of Ham' means derivations of matters of doctrine and of forms of worship resulting from the corrupted internal worship meant by Ham is clear from the meaning of 'sons' as matters of doctrine, and from the meaning of 'Ham' as corrupted internal worship, dealt with already.
ppp22629#pid#1215. 'According to their families, according to their tongues, in their lands, in their nations' means according to the particular and the general character of each one, as was explained at verse `Genesis 10bbbccc5` above where the same words occur, though in a different order. That verse, in dealing with the sons of Japheth, says that 'from them the islands of the nations in their lands were spread abroad, everyone according to his tongue, according to their families, as to their nations', which meant forms of external worship that have internal worship within them. In that place therefore things connected with doctrine take precedence, whereas here it is those connected with habits and customs or with life.
ppp22628#pid#1216. 'According to their families' means according to their habits and customs, 'according to their tongues' means according to their individual beliefs, 'in their lands' means in general as regards such beliefs, and 'in their nations' in general as regards such habits and customs. This becomes clear from the meaning in the Word of each of these, namely family, tongue, land, and nation, for which see what has been stated above at verse `Genesis 10bbbccc5`.
ppp22627#pid#1217. Verse `Genesis 10bbbccc21` And to Shem also sons were born.`fff1` He was the father of all the sons of Eber; he was Japheth's elder brother.
'Shem' here means the Ancient Church in general. 'Sons were born to Shem' here means that from the Ancient Church a new Church arose. 'Eber' means the new Church which is to be called the second Ancient Church. 'He was the father of all the sons of Eber means that this second Ancient Church and what belonged to it arose from the previous Ancient Church as its father. 'He was Japheth's elder brother' means that its worship was external.
`nnn1. Expressing the original Hebrew literally, the Latin means And to Shem there was born also.
ppp22626#pid#1218. That 'Shem' here means the Ancient Church in general becomes clear from the fact that here the subject is Eber who is considered next, and from the fact that in this verse he is called 'Japheth's elder brother'.
ppp22625#pid#1219. That 'sons were born to Shem' here means that from the Ancient Church a new Church arose is clear from the contents of this verse, in which reference is made to Eber, by whom that new Ancient Church is meant, to be dealt with in what follows.
ppp22624#pid#1220. 'Eber' means the new Church which is to be called the second Ancient Church. This is clear from what appears below where Eber is the specific subject. 'Eber' is mentioned here because that new Church sprang from him. As regards Eber and this second Ancient Church, they will in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed in what follows.
ppp22623#pid#1221. 'He was the father of all the sons of Eber' means that this second Ancient Church and what belonged to it arose from the previous Ancient Church as its father. This likewise will be clear from what follows below regarding Eber and this Church, for Eber forms the subject in verses `Genesis 10bbbccc24-30` of the present chapter, and from verse `Genesis 10bbbccc11` to the end of the next.
ppp22622#pid#1222. 'He was Japheth's elder brother' means that its worship was external. This is clear from the meaning of 'Japheth' as the external Church, dealt with in verse `Genesis 9bbbccc18` onwards of the previous chapter and in verses `Genesis 10bbbccc1-5` above of this. Here 'Shem was Japheth's elder brother' means in particular that the internal Church and the external Church are 'brothers', for the relationship of internal worship to external worship that has internal worship within it cannot be anything different. It is in fact a blood relationship because charity is the chief thing within both of them; but the internal Church is the 'elder brother' because it is prior and interior. 'Japheth's elder brother also embodies here the fact that the second Ancient Church called Eber was to the first Ancient Church as a brother, for Japheth in the internal sense means nothing other than the external worship that has internal worship within it, whatever Church it may be. Therefore the worship of this new Ancient Church, which worship was chiefly external, is meant as well. The internal sense of the Word is such that no attention is paid to the historical details of the literal sense when the universal features are being considered, which exist quite separate or abstracted from the literal sense, for the two are completely different from each other. Consequently 'Japheth's elder brother' here means in the internal sense that the worship of the new Ancient Church was external. Unless such worship was meant there would have been no need to state here that he was Japheth's elder brother.
ppp22621#pid#1223. Verse `Genesis 10bbbccc22` The sons of Shem: Elam, and Asshur, and Arpachshad, and Lud, and Aram.
Here, as previously, Shem means the internal Church. 'The sons of Shem' means the attributes of wisdom. 'Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram' were just so many nations who mean the attributes of wisdom -'Elam' means faith stemming from charity, 'Asshur' derivative reason, 'Arpachshad' derivative knowledge, 'Lud' cognitions of truth, and 'Aram' cognitions of good.
ppp22620#pid#1224. From these considerations it is clear what these names mean in the internal sense, namely that the Ancient Church, which was an internal Church, was endowed with wisdom, intelligence, knowledge, and cognitions of truth and good. Such things are contained in the internal sense even though merely names occur from which nothing is seen in the literal sense, apart from these being just so many origins, or fathers of nations, and so nothing of a doctrinal nature is seen, still less anything spiritual and celestial. The same applies in the Prophets where lists of names are sometimes given which in the internal sense mean real things following one after another in a lovely order.
ppp22619#pid#1225. That 'Shem' means the internal Church has been stated and shown in verse `Genesis 9bbbccc18` onwards of the previous chapter.
ppp22618#pid#1226. That 'the sons of Shem' means the attributes of wisdom is clear merely from the fact that 'Shem' is the internal Church whose sons mean nothing else than attributes of wisdom. The expression wisdom is used for everything that springs from charity, for it comes by way of charity from the Lord, the source of all wisdom because He is Wisdom itself. From that Wisdom true intelligence derives, also true knowledge, and true cognition. All of these are 'sons' of charity, that is, the Lord's sons begotten by means of charity. And because they are the Lord's sons begotten by means of charity, each one is referred to as wisdom, for each one has within itself wisdom from which it draws its life; so much so in fact that neither intelligence nor knowledge, nor cognition, receives any life except from the wisdom that belongs to charity, which is the Lord's.
ppp22617#pid#1227. That 'Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram' were just so many nations is clear from historical and prophetical sections of the Word where they are mentioned; and that they mean the attributes of wisdom is clear from what has been stated just above and is also stated below. Among these nations an internal Church existed, among others called 'the sons of Japheth' an external Church existed. Among those referred to as 'the sons of Ham' there was a corrupted internal Church, and among those called 'the sons of Canaan' a corrupted external Church. Whether one speaks of internal and external worship, or of an internal and an external Church, it amounts to the same thing.
ppp22616#pid#1228. That 'Elam' means faith stemming from charity is clear from what an internal Church is essentially. An internal Church is one for which charity is the chief thing and is the source of its thought and activity. The first offspring of charity is nothing else than faith, for it is from charity and nowhere else that faith derives. The fact that 'Elam' is faith stemming from charity, or faith itself which constitutes the internal Church, is clear also in Jeremiah,
The Word of Jehovah that came to Jeremiah concerning Elam, Behold, I am breaking the bow of Elam, the chief of his power, and I will bring upon Elam the four winds from the four ends of heaven, and I will disperse them to all these winds; and there will be no nation to which one of the outcasts of Elam will not come. And I will dismay Elam before their enemies, and before those that seek their soul, and I will bring evil upon them, My fierce anger, and I will send the sword after them until I have consumed them, and I will set My throne in Elam, and from there I will destroy king and princes. But in the latter days I will bring back the captivity of Elam. `Jeremiah 49bbb34-39`.
ttt[2] In these verses 'Elam' is used to refer to faith, or what amounts to the same, to an internal Church that has been debased and corrupted and then restored. It is similar to what is described many times in the Word regarding Judah, Israel, and Jacob, by whom are meant Churches - by Judah the celestial Church, by Israel the spiritual Church, and by Jacob the external Church. After these had become similarly debased, they were to suffer dispersion, after which those dispersed by their enemies were to be regathered and brought back from captivity, by which the creation of a new Church is meant. Thus it is said here regarding 'Elam', that is, the internal Church when debased and corrupted, that it was to be 'dispersed' and later on 'brought back again', at which time 'Jehovah was to set His throne in Elam', that is, in the internal Church or internal things of the Church, which are nothing else than the things of faith stemming from charity.
ttt[3] In Isaiah,
The burden of the wilderness of the sea. It comes from the wilderness and from a terrible land. A stern vision has been declared to me; the treacherous dealer deals treacherously and he who lays waste lays waste. Go up, O Elam, besiege, O Madai; all its sighing I will cause to cease. `Isaiah 21bbb1-2`.
This refers to the Church's being laid waste by means of Babel. 'Elam' here is the internal Church, 'Madai' the external Church, or external worship that has internal worship within it. That 'Madai' is such a Church or such worship is clear above at verse `Genesis 10bbbccc2` of this chapter where Madai is called a son of Japheth.
ppp22615#pid#1229. That 'Asshur' means reason is clear from what has been shown above at verse `Genesis 10bbbccc11` of this chapter.
ppp22614#pid#1230. That 'Arpachshad' means knowledge cannot be confirmed so easily from the Word, but is clear from the train of thought in what comes before and after.
ppp22613#pid#1231. That 'Lud' means cognitions of truth is clear from the fact that cognitions of truth are obtained in this manner, namely from the Lord through charity and so through faith, by means of reason and knowledge. It is clear also in Ezekiel,
Persia and Lud and Put were in your army, as your men of war; they hung the shield and helmet in you, they gave you your splendour. `Ezekiel 27bbb10`.
This refers to Tyre. 'Lud and Put' stands for cognitions, which are spoken of as being 'in its army' and as being 'men of war' because cognitions with the support of reason serve to defend truths, which is also 'hanging the shield and helmet'. That 'Put' means exterior cognitions of the Word, see above at verse `Genesis 10bbbccc6` of this chapter.
ppp22612#pid#1232. That 'Aram' or Syria means cognitions of good follows from what has been said above as well as from the Word: in Ezekiel,
Aram was your merchant in the multitude of your handiworks; they exchanged for your wares chrysoprase, purple, and embroidered work, and fine linen, and ramoth,`fff1` and rubies. `Ezekiel 27bbb16`.
This refers to 'Tyre' or the possession of cognitions. Here 'handiworks, chrysoprase, purple, embroidered work, fine linen, ramoth, and rubies' means nothing else than cognitions of good. In Hosea,
Jacob fled into the field of Aram and served for a wife, and for a wife kept guard. And by a prophet Jehovah brought Israel up out of Egypt, and by a prophet he was preserved. Ephraim has provoked to anger most bitterly. `Hosea 12bbb12-14`.
Here 'Jacob' stands for the external Church, and 'Israel' for the internal spiritual Church. 'Aram' stands for cognitions of good, 'Egypt' for knowledge that debases, 'Ephraim' for debased intelligence. What these mean in this context cannot possibly be deduced from the literal sense, only from the internal sense where, as has been stated, names mean things of the Church. In Isaiah,
Behold, Damascus has been rejected so that it is not a city; it has become a heap of ruins. The fortress will disappear from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus; and the remnant of Aram will be like the glory of the children of Israel. `Isaiah 17bbb1`, `Isaiah 17bbbccc3`.
Here 'the remnant of Aram' stands for cognitions of good which are called 'the glory of Israel'. 'Aram' or Syria also stands in the contrary sense for cognitions of good that have been debased, for it is usual in the Word for an expression to be used in both senses, see `Isaiah 7bbb4-6`; `Isaiah ccc9bbb12`; `Deuteronomy 26bbb5`.
`nnn1. A Hebrew word, the meaning of which is uncertain
ppp22611#pid#1233. Verse `Genesis 10bbbccc23` And the sons of Aram: Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Mash.
Here, as previously, 'Aram' means cognitions of good. 'The sons of Aram' are derivative cognitions and the products of cognitions. 'Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash' were just so many types of these cognitions.
ppp22610#pid#1234. That 'Aram' means cognitions of good has been shown just above, from which it follows that 'the sons of Aram' are derivative cognitions and the products of cognitions. Derivative cognitions are natural truths, while the products of cognitions are deeds done in accordance with them. The fact that these things are meant cannot be confirmed so easily from the Word, for they are not among the names that are mentioned frequently. Uz alone is mentioned, in `Jeremiah 25bbb20` and `Lamentations 4bbb21`. From this then it follows that 'Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash' mean just so many types of these cognitions, and of deeds done in accordance with them.
ppp22609#pid#1235. Verse `Genesis 10bbbccc24` And Arpachshad begot Shelah, and Shelah begot Eber.
'Arpachshad' was a nation so named which means knowledge. 'Shelah' likewise was a nation so named which means that which is the product of such knowledge. 'Eber' means a nation as well, whose father was thus named Eber, and by whom was meant the second Ancient Church which was separate from the previous Church.
ppp22608#pid#1236. That 'Arpachshad' was a nation so named and that this nation means knowledge is clear from what has been stated about him just above in verse `Genesis 10bbbccc22`.
ppp22607#pid#1237. That 'Shelah' likewise was a nation and that this nation means that which is the product of such knowledge follows from the statement that 'Arpachshad begot Shelah'.
ppp22606#pid#1238. As for Eber meaning a nation as well, whose father was thus named Eber, the position is this: Those named so far were nations with whom the Ancient Church existed. All of them were called sons of Shem, Ham, Japheth, or Canaan, because 'Shem, Ham, Japheth, and Canaan' meant differing types of worship in the Church. Noah, Shem, Ham, Japheth, and Canaan never were actual people, but because the Ancient Church in particular was such, and every Church in general is such, that it includes a true internal, a corrupted internal, a true external, and a corrupted external, these names were therefore adopted so that all differences in general could be related to those characters and their sons as to their heads. The nations named here also at first possessed such worship, for which reason they are called the sons of one of Noah's sons, and also such forms of worship themselves are meant by the names of these nations in the Word.
ttt[2] This first Ancient Church meant by Noah and his sons was not confined to a few people but was spread throughout many kingdoms, as is clear from the nations mentioned - throughout Assyria, Mesopotamia, Syria, Ethiopia, Arabia, Libya, Egypt, Philistia up to Tyre and Sidon, and throughout the whole of the land of Canaan, on this side of the Jordan and on the other side. Subsequently however a certain type of external worship started in Syria which spread far and wide from there and through many countries, particularly Canaan. It was a different form of worship from the worship of the Ancient Church. And because something of a Church arose in this way that was separate from the Ancient Church, a new Church so to speak rose up from it which may therefore be called the second Ancient Church. Eber was its first founder, and therefore this Church took its name from Eber. As stated already, everybody at that time was distinguished into separate houses, families, and nations. One nation recognized one father from whom it also took its name, as is clear throughout the Word, the nation which recognized Eber as its father thus being called the Hebrew nation.
ppp22605#pid#1239. That 'Eber' means the second Ancient Church which was separate from the previous Church is clear from what has just been stated.
ppp22604#pid#1240. Verse `Genesis 10bbbccc25` And to Eber were born two sons, the name of one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided; and his brother's name was Joktan.
'Eber' was the first founder of the second Ancient Church and means that Church. He had two sons by whom the two aspects of worship are meant - internal and external His two sons were called Peleg and Joktan, 'Peleg' meaning the internal worship of that Church, and 'Joktan' the external worship of that Church. 'For in his days the earth was divided' means that a new phase of the Church arose at that time 'the earth' here, as previously, meaning the Church. 'His brother's name was Joktan' means the external worship of that Church.
ppp22603#pid#1241. As regards Eber's being the first founder of the second Ancient Church and meaning that Church, the situation is this: Spread far and wide, as has been stated, especially throughout the Asiatic world, the first Ancient Church degenerated in course of time - as all Churches do everywhere - and was adulterated by innovators as regards external worship as well as internal. And this happened in various places. It degenerated primarily through the conversion into idolatry, and among some nations into magic, of all the meaningful signs and the representatives which the Ancient Church received orally from the Most Ancient Church, all of which signs and representatives had reference to the Lord and His kingdom. To prevent the whole Church from going to ruin the Lord permitted worship made up of meaningful signs and of representatives to be re-introduced in some place, which was done by Eber. It was a worship that consisted chiefly in things that are external. The external features of worship, in addition to priests and the things requiring priests, were high places, groves, pillars, anointings, and many other things that were called statutes. The internal features of worship were matters of doctrine that had come down from the time before the Flood, chiefly from those people called 'Enoch' who gathered together perceptions the Most Ancient Church had possessed and made these into matters of doctrine. These matters of doctrine constituted their Word; and from these internal things and the previously mentioned external things came the worship of this Church, a form of worship established by Eber, but added to and also altered. Above all they began to make sacrifices more important than any other ritual forms. Sacrifices had been unknown in the true Ancient Church, and had existed solely among some of Ham's and Canaan's descendants who were idolaters, where those sacrifices had been permitted to prevent them from sacrificing their own sons and daughters. From these considerations it is clear what this second Ancient Church was like which was established by Eber and perpetuated among his descendants called the Hebrew nation.
ppp22602#pid#1242. 'Eber's two sons' means the two aspects of worship - internal and external - and these two sons were called Peleg and Joktan, 'Peleg' meaning the internal worship of that Church, and 'Joktan' the external worship of that Church. This is clear chiefly from the fact that 'Eber and the Hebrew nation' means in the internal sense this second Ancient Church, and also because every Church has an internal and an external, for without the internal it neither is nor can be called a Church, but idolatry. Since 'sons' has reference to aspects of the Church it is clear that one son means the internal aspect of the Church, the other the external. A similar duality frequently occurs elsewhere in the Word, for example, that meant previously by Lamech's wives, Adah and Zillah, `@@@409`, and that meant later on by Leah and Rachel, and by Jacob and Israel, and others like these. The descendants of Joktan are dealt with in this chapter, those of Peleg in the next.
ppp22601#pid#1243. 'For in his days the earth was divided' means that a new phase of the Church arose at that time. This is clear from what has been said above, for by 'the earth' is meant nothing other than the Church, as manifestly shown already in `@@@622`, `@@@1066`.
ppp22600#pid#1244. That 'his brother's name was Joktan' means the external worship of that Church has been shown just above. That external worship is called 'a brother', see above at verse `Genesis 10bbbccc21` of this chapter where Shem is referred to as 'Japheth's elder brother'. This explains why the word 'brother' is added here.
ppp22599#pid#1245. Verses `Genesis 10bbbccc26-29` And Joktan begot Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazarmaveth, and Jerah, and Hadoram, and Uzal, and Diklah, and Obal, and Abimael, and Sheba, and Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab. All of these are the sons of Joktan.
These were just so many nations consisting of the families of Eber, which mean just so many types of ritual forms.
ppp22598#pid#1246. That these were just so many nations consisting of the families of Eber becomes clear from their condition at that time. As stated already, in most ancient times nations lived distinguished into separate families, and families into houses. Each nation recognized one father from whom it took its name. When the sons of one father multiplied they in a similar way constituted houses, families, and nations, and so on; as did those who were the sons of Joktan. This becomes clear from the sons of Jacob who at a later time when they multiplied constituted tribes, each one of which recognized as its father, and took its name from, one of the sons of Jacob. But taken all together they were descended from Jacob, and were called Jacob. In the same way these nations were descended from Eber and were called the Hebrews.
ppp22597#pid#1247. That those nations mean just so many types of ritual forms is clear from the consideration that names in the Word never mean anything other than real things, for the Word in the internal sense has regard solely to the Lord, His kingdom in heaven and on earth, and consequently to the Church and the things that constitute the Church. And so it is with the names involved here. And because 'Eber's son Joktan' means the external worship of this new Church, as stated already, 'his sons' cannot mean anything other than the things that constitute external worship, which are forms of ritual, and indeed just so many types of these. But what those forms were cannot be stated because their nature is determined by the actual kind of worship to which they belong, and until that is known, nothing can be said about the forms of ritual that belong to it. Neither would any use be served in knowing them. Nor do any of these names recur in the Word, apart from Sheba, Ophir, and Havilah, and even then they do not belong to this line of descent. For the Sheba and Havilah that are mentioned elsewhere in the Word descend from those who are called the sons of Ham, as is clear from verse `Genesis 10bbbccc7` of this chapter. And the same applies to Ophir.
ppp22596#pid#1248. Verse `Genesis 10bbbccc30` And their dwelling was from Mesha, as you come towards Sephar, the mountain of the east.
These words mean the spread of the worship, even from the truths of faith to the good that stems from charity; 'Mesha' means truth, 'Sephar' good, and 'the mountain of the east' charity.
ppp22595#pid#1249. That these words mean the spread of the worship, even from the truths of faith to the good that stems from charity, 'Mesha' meaning truth, 'Sephar' good, cannot indeed be confirmed from the Word as no mention is made of Mesha or Sephar in the Prophets. Nevertheless the matter becomes clear from the fact that this verse stands as the conclusion to what has gone before, and especially from the fact that 'the mountain of the east' is the ultimate bound to which the preceding things look, and the fact that in the Word 'the mountain of the east' means charity from the Lord, as becomes clear from what follows below. The matter also becomes clear from the fact that all things of the Church look towards charity as their ultimate goal and end in view. From all this it follows that 'Mesha' means truth, or the boundary from which the thing begins, while 'Sephar' means good and so charity, meant by 'the mountain of the east', or the boundary to which it is directed.
ppp22594#pid#1250. That 'the mountain of the east' means charity, indeed charity from the Lord, is clear from the meaning of 'a mountain' in the Word as love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour, as shown already in `@@@795`. And that 'the east' means the Lord, and consequently the celestial things of love and charity, see again what has appeared already in `@@@101`, and also in the following places: In Ezekiel,
The cherubs lifted up their wings. The glory of Jehovah went up from over the midst of the city and stood upon the mountain, which is on the east of the city. `Ezekiel 11bbb22-23`.
Here 'the mountain which is on the east' means nothing other than the celestial manifestation of the love and the charity that is the Lord's, for it is said that 'the glory of Jehovah stood there'. In the same prophet,
He brought me to the gate, to the gate facing the way of the east. And behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east. `Ezekiel 43bbb1-2`.
Here 'the east' has a similar meaning.
ttt[2] In the same prophet,
And he brought me back by the way of the outer gate of the sanctuary, which faces the east, and it was shut. And Jehovah said to me, This gate shall be shut and not opened, and no man shall enter by it; but Jehovah, the God of Israel, will enter by it. `Ezekiel 44bbb1-2`.
Here similarly 'the east' stands for the celestial manifestation of the love that is the Lord's alone. In the same prophet,
When the prince makes a freewill offering, a burnt offering, and peace offerings, as a freewill offering to Jehovah, one shall open for him the gate facing towards the east, and he shall make his burnt offering and his peace offerings, as he shall do on the sabbath day `Ezekiel 46bbb12`.
Here similarly it stands for that which is celestial, which essentially is love to the Lord.
ttt[3] In the same prophet,
He brought me back to the door of the house, and behold, waters were issuing out from below the threshold of the house towards the east, for the house faced east. `Ezekiel 47bbb1`, `Ezekiel 47bbbccc8`.
This refers to the new Jerusalem 'The east' stands for the Lord, and so for the celestial manifestation of love, while 'waters' means things that are spiritual. Here the same is meant by 'the mountain of the east'. Furthermore those who dwelt in Syria were called 'the sons of the east', who will in the Lord's Divine mercy be spoken of later on.
ppp22593#pid#1251. Verse `Genesis 10bbbccc31` These were the sons of Shem, according to their families, according to their tongues, in their lands, according to their nations.
'These were the sons of Shem' means derivatives of the internal worship meant by 'Shem'. 'According to their families, according to their tongues, in their lands, in their nations' means according to the disposition of each of them in particular and in general - 'according to their families' is according to differences as regards charity, 'according to their tongues' is according to differences as regards faith, 'in their lands' is in general in relation to matters of faith, 'in their nations' is in general in relation to matters of charity.
ppp22592#pid#1252. There is no need to provide any further confirmation that these things are meant, as the same words occur above in verse `Genesis 10bbbccc20` - see what has been said there. Specific meanings - as with the meanings here of 'families', 'tongues', 'lands', and 'nations' - are determined by those things to which such expressions have reference. In verse `Genesis 10bbbccc20` they are used in reference to Ham, or corrupted internal worship, but in this verse in reference to 'Shem', or true internal worship. Consequently 'families and nations' in verse `Genesis 10bbbccc20` have regard to the habits and customs, and 'tongues and lands' to the individual beliefs, which belong to the corrupted internal Church; whereas 'families and nations' in this verse have regard to the charity, and 'tongues and lands' to the faith, which belong to the true internal Church. For the meaning of nations and families, see what follows in this chapter.
ppp22591#pid#1253. Verse `Genesis 10bbbccc32` These are the families of the sons of Noah, according to their generations in their nations.
'These are the families of the sons of Noah' means the forms of worship of the Ancient Church in particular. 'According to their generations' means insofar as they were capable of being reformed. 'In their nations' means the Church's forms of worship in general.
ppp22590#pid#1254. That 'these are the families of the sons of Noah' means the forms of worship of the Ancient Church in particular is clear from the meaning of 'families' and of 'families of sons' as forms of worship, and indeed specific forms of worship. The nations mentioned in previous verses of this chapter have meant nothing other than various forms of worship in the Ancient Church and therefore 'the families' which composed the nations can have no other meaning. In the internal sense no other families than those of spiritual and celestial things can possibly be meant.
ppp22589#pid#1255. That 'according to their generations' means insofar as they were capable of being reformed is clear from the meaning of 'a generation' as reformation. When someone is born again or regenerated by the Lord, every single thing he receives anew is in that case a generation. So also here, since the Ancient Church is the subject, 'generations' means insofar as they were capable of being reformed. As for the reformations of these nations, the latter did not all have the same form of worship, nor did they all have the same doctrine, the reasons being that they were not all of the same disposition, and had not all been brought up in the same ways and from early childhood been taught the same things. The Lord in no way destroys the basic attitudes a person acquires from early childhood, but modifies them. And if these are held sacred by the person and are such as do not stand contrary to Divine and natural order but are in themselves of little importance, the Lord lets them alone and allows them to remain with that person, as He did with many things in the second Ancient Church, which things will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with later on.
ppp22588#pid#1256. 'In their nations' means the Church's forms of worship in general. This is clear from what has been stated already about nations, and from what follows.
ppp22587#pid#1257. And from these the nations on the earth after the Flood were spread abroad.
'From these the nations on the earth were spread abroad' means that in these all the forms of that Church's worship took rise - all forms that entailed goods and those that entailed evils, such goods or evils being meant by 'the nations', and the Church by 'the earth'. 'After the Flood' means from the start of the Ancient Church.
ppp22586#pid#1258. That 'from these the nations on the earth were spread abroad' means that in these all the forms of that Church's worship took rise, all forms that entailed goods and those that entailed evils, and that these goods or evils are meant by 'the nations', is clear from the meaning of 'nations'. As stated already, nation is used to mean a number of families grouped together, for a number of families that recognized the same father made up one nation in the Most Ancient and Ancient Churches. But with regard to 'nations' in the internal sense meaning forms of the Church's worship, and in particular as to the goods or the evils entering into that worship, the situation is that when angels contemplate families and nations they never envisage a nation, but only the worship existing with it. For they contemplate all from the point of view of essential character, that is, what kind of people they are. The essential character or quality of a person from which heaven contemplates him is charity and faith. This any person may easily grasp if he considers that when he contemplates any individual, or any family, or any nation, he is thinking mainly of their character, each person doing so from that which rules in him at the time. A mental image of their character instantly comes to mind, and it is from this image that he considers them. This applies even more to the Lord, and from Him to the angels, who are incapable of contemplating a person, family, or nation except from the point of view of their character as regards charity and faith. This is why in the internal sense 'nations' means nothing other than the Church's worship, and indeed as regards the essential character of that worship, which is good stemming from charity and the truth of faith from this. When the expression 'nations' occurs in the Word, angels never dwell on the idea of a nation in accordance with the historical sense of the letter, but on the idea of the good and truth present with the nation that is mentioned.
ppp22585#pid#1259. There is something further to be said about 'nations' meaning goods and evils within worship: In most ancient times people dwelt distinguished into separate nations, families, and houses, as stated already, in order that the Church on earth might represent the Lord's kingdom where all people are distinguished into communities, those communities into larger ones, and these into still larger, all these distinctions existing according to general and specific differences of love and faith, about which see `@@@684`, `@@@685`. Thus the Lord's kingdom is similarly distinguished so to speak into houses, families, and nations. This is why 'houses, families, and nations' in the Word means the goods that stem from love and its derivative faith, where also a careful distinction is made between nations and people. 'Nation' means good or evil, but 'people' truth or falsity. And this distinction is preserved so consistently as never to vary, as becomes clear from the following places:
ttt[2] In Isaiah,
There will be on that day the root of Jesse which is standing as an ensign of the peoples; towards that root the nations will seek to go, and his rest will be glory. On that day the Lord will extend His hand a second time to acquire the remnants of His people, who remain from Asshur, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. And He will raise an ensign for the nations, and will assemble the outcasts of Israel, and will gather the dispersed of Judah. `Isaiah 11bbb10-12`.
Here 'peoples' stands for the truths of the Church, 'nations' for its goods, between which a clear distinction is made. The subject here is the Lord's kingdom and the Church, and in the universal sense every regenerate person. The names mentioned mean the things that have been described already. 'Israel' means the spiritual things of the Church, 'Judah' its celestial things. In the same prophet,
This people walking in darkness have seen a great light. You have multiplied the nation, You have increased its joy. `Isaiah 9bbb2-3`.
Here 'people' stands for truths, hence the reference to 'their walking in darkness and seeing a [great] light'. 'Nation' stands for goods.
ttt[3] In the same prophet,
What will one answer the messengers of the nation? That Jehovah has founded Zion, and in her the wretched members of His people will put their trust. `Isaiah 14bbb32`.
Here likewise 'nation' stands for good, 'people' for truth. In the same prophet,
Jehovah Zebaoth will swallow up on this mountain the face`fff1` of the covering, of the covering over all peoples, and the veil that is spread over all nations. `Isaiah 25bbb7`.
This refers to a new Church, that is, the Church of the nations. 'People' stands for its truths, 'nations' for its goods. In the same prophet,
Open the gates that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in. `Isaiah 26bbb2`.
Here 'nation' plainly stands for goods. In the same prophet,
All the nations will be gathered together, and the peoples will be assembled. `Isaiah 43bbb9`
This too refers to the Church of the nations. 'Nations' stands for its goods, and 'peoples' for its truths. And since the two are distinct and separate from each other, both are dealt with; otherwise it would be a pointless repetition. In the same prophet,
The Lord Jehovih said, Behold, I will lift up My hand to the nations and raise My ensign to the peoples; and they will bring your sons in their bosom and carry your daughters on their shoulder. `Isaiah 49bbb22`.
This refers to the Lord's kingdom, 'nations' again standing for goods, and 'peoples' for truths.
ttt[4] In the same prophet,
You will break out to the right and to the left, and your seed will inherit the nations, and they will dwell in the desolate cities. `Isaiah 54bbb3`.
This refers to the Lord's kingdom and to the Church called the Church of the nations. That 'the nations' stands for goods that stem from charity, or what amounts to the same, for people with whom the goods of charity exist, is clear from the promise that their 'seed', or faith, 'will inherit them'. 'Cities' stands for truths. In the same prophet,
Lo, I have given Him as a witness to the peoples, a Prince and Lawgiver to the peoples Lo, you will call a nation you do not know, and a nation that knew you not will run to you. `Isaiah 55bbb4-5`.
This refers to the Lord's kingdom. 'Peoples' stands for truths, 'nations' for goods. In the Church those who are endowed with goods that stem from charity are 'nations' while those who are endowed with truths of faith are 'peoples'. For goods and truths are attributes of the subjects to which they apply. In the same prophet,
Nations will walk to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Then you will see and overflow, and your heart will be astounded and enlarged, because the abundance of the sea will be turned to you, the armies of the nations will come to you. `Isaiah 60bbb3`, `Isaiah 60bbbccc5`.
This refers to the Lord's kingdom and the Church of the nations. 'Nations' stands for goods, while 'kings', who go together with 'peoples', stands for truths.
ttt[5] In Zephaniah,
The remnants of My people will plunder them, and the residue of My nation will inherit them. `Zephaniah 2bbb9`.
In Zechariah,
Many peoples and numerous nations will come to seek Jehovah of hosts in Jerusalem. `Zechariah 8bbb22`.
'Jerusalem' stands for the Lord's kingdom and for the Church, 'peoples' those with whom the truths of faith predominate, 'nations' for those with whom the goods of charity do so, and therefore they are mentioned separately. In David,
You will deliver me from the strivings of the people; You will set me as the head of nations. A people whom I have not known will serve me. `Psalms 18bbb43`.
Here similarly 'people' stands for those with whom truths predominate, 'nations' for those with whom good does so. And because these are what constitute the member of the Church, both are mentioned. In the same author,
The peoples will confess You, O God, all the peoples will confess You; the nations will be glad and exultant, for You will judge the peoples with uprightness, and You will guide the nations into the land. `Psalms 67bbb3-4`.
'Peoples' clearly stands for those with whom truths of faith predominate, and 'nations' for those with whom the good of charity predominates.
ttt[6] In Moses,
Remember the days of old, understand the years of generation after generation; ask your father and he will show you, and your elders and they will tell you, When the Most High gave to the nations an inheritance and separated the sons of man, He fixed the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel. `Deuteronomy 32bbb7-8`.
This refers to the Most Ancient Church and the Ancient Churches, which are respectively 'the days of old' and 'the years of generation after generation'. Those with whom the good of charity predominated were called 'the nations' to whom an inheritance was given. 'The sons of man' and in the next sentence 'the peoples' mean those with whom the truths of faith deriving from charity predominated. Since 'the nations' means the goods of the Church and 'the peoples' its truths, it was therefore said of Esau and Jacob when they were still in the womb,
Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples will be separated from your bowels. `Genesis 25bbb23`.
These places now make clear what the Church of the nations is in the genuine sense. The Most Ancient Church was the true Church of the nations, as was the Ancient Church after that.
ttt[7] Since those governed by charity are called 'nations' and those governed by faith are called 'peoples', the Lord's priesthood is therefore associated with 'nations' because it has reference to celestial things, which are goods, while His kingship is associated with 'peoples' because it has reference to spiritual things, which are truths This distinction was also represented in the Jewish Church in which they were 'a nation' before they had kings, but became 'a people' after they received them.
`nnn1. literally, the faces
ppp22584#pid#1260. Since 'nations' in the Most Ancient Church and in the Ancient Church meant goods or good persons, therefore also in the contrary sense they mean evils or evil persons Similarly with 'peoples'; since these meant truths, therefore also in the contrary sense they mean falsities. For in a corrupted Church good is turned into evil, and truth into falsity, as a consequence of which the meaning of nations and peoples in that contrary sense occurs many times in the Word, as in `Isaiah 13bbb4`; `Isaiah ccc14bbb6`; `Isaiah ccc18bbb2`, `Isaiah 18bbbccc7`; `Isaiah ccc30bbb28`; `Isaiah ccc34bbb1-2`; `Ezekiel 20bbb13`; and in many other places.
ppp22583#pid#1261. As 'nations' meant goods so also did families, for each nation was composed of families. 'Houses' likewise had the same meaning, for each family was made up of a number of houses. Concerning a house, see `@@@710`. 'Families' however means goods when used in reference to nations, but truths when used in reference to peoples, as in David,
All the families of the nations will bow down before You, for the kingdom is Jehovah's, and He rules among the nations. `Psalms 22bbb27-28`.
And in the same author,
Give to Jehovah, O families of the peoples, give to Jehovah glory and strength! `Psalms 96bbb7`.
In the present verse and in the previous verse of this chapter 'families' has reference to goods because they were families of nations.
ppp22582#pid#1262. From this it now becomes clear that 'the earth' here also means the Church; for when the earth is mentioned, one's only perception is of the nation or people there, and when a nation or people is envisaged one's only perception is of their character. Consequently 'the earth' means nothing other than the Church, as shown already in `@@@662`, `@@@1066`.
ppp22581#pid#1263. 'After the Flood' means from the start of the Ancient Church. This is clear from the fact that the Flood marked the end of the Most Ancient Church and the beginning of the Ancient Church, as shown already in `@@@705`, `@@@739`, `@@@790`.
ppp22580#pid#1264. From all these considerations it now becomes clear that although no more than the names of nations and families occur in this chapter, it nevertheless contains in general not only all the different forms of worship as regards goods stemming from charity and as regards truths of faith that existed in the Ancient Church, but also those that exist in every Church. Indeed this chapter contains more than anyone can possibly believe. Such is the nature of the Word of the Lord.
ppp22579#pid#1265. THOSE BEFORE THE FLOOD WHO PERISHED
At some height overhead many spirits were present who flowed into my thoughts and held them so to speak in bonds, so that I was very much in obscurity. They were pressing down on me quite strongly. The spirits around me were similarly held by them so to speak in bonds, and so were able to think little apart from that which flowed in from those overhead, and this was enough to make them angry. I was told that those overhead were people who had lived before the Flood, though they were not from those called Nephilim who perished, for their power of persuasion was not so strong as the latter's.
ppp22578#pid#1266. Those before the Flood who perished are in a certain hell beneath the heel of the left foot. Shutting them in is a rock enveloped in mist which is a projection of their dreadful delusions and persuasions, and by which they are segregated from all other hells and kept apart from the world of spirits. They are continually pressing to come up out of there but can never get beyond the attempt to do so. For they are such that if they were to enter the world of spirits with their dreadful delusions and with the choking and toxic effects of their persuasions, they would deprive every spirit they met, apart from good ones, of his ability to think. And if the Lord by His Coming in the flesh had not freed the world of spirits of that abominable crew the human race would have perished. Indeed no spirit could have stayed with man, and yet man cannot live a single moment unless spirits and angels are with him.
ppp22577#pid#1267. Those of them who obstinately go on trying to get out of that hell are treated in a cruel fashion by their own companions, for they harbor deadly hatred against everyone, even against companions. Each of them finds his greatest delight in holding another in subjection to himself and so to speak doing him to death. And those who persist even more strenuously in the attempt to force their way out are sent even further down beneath the rock enveloped in mist. For it is an insane and deeply rooted desire to destroy everybody that spurs them on. Their efforts are the product of that desire. Whomever they meet they roll up in a cloth and`fff1` carry off as captives, and then cast them into what is seen by them as the sea, or else treat them savagely.
`nnn1. Reading et (and) for ut (as)
ppp22576#pid#1268. While protected I was guided towards that mist-covered rock. (Being guided towards such spirits does not involve movement from one place to another. It is achieved by means of intervening communities of spirits and angels, the individual staying where he is. Nevertheless it does seem to him like a downward journey.) When I drew near that rock I met with a coldness which gripped me in the lower part of the back. From where I was I spoke to them about their persuasions and asked them what they had believed concerning the Lord during their lifetime. They replied that they had thought much on the subject of God, but had persuaded themselves that no god existed and that human beings were gods, and so they themselves were gods. They had also confirmed themselves in these ideas from dreams. Their delusions against the Lord's existence will be discussed below.
ppp22575#pid#1269. To enable me to know better still what they were like, the Lord allowed some of them to come up into the world of spirits. Before this happened a beautiful boy clothed in a brilliant white garment appeared, and after that in an open doorway, another one in a green garment. Then two maid-servants appeared as well, wearing white head-dresses. What these things meant however was not disclosed to me.
ppp22574#pid#1270. Soon after this some were let out of that hell, but the Lord so arranged it by means of spirits and angels in between that those let out could do me no harm. From that place deep down they moved to a forward position. To themselves they seemed to be pressing forward towards the front, so to speak through caverns in the rock, and in this way up to the top. They at length appeared up on the left so that from there, and so at a distance, they might flow into me. I was told that they were being allowed to flow into the right part of my head but not into the left, and then from the right part of the head into the left part of the chest. They were altogether prevented from flowing into the left part of my head, for if that were to happen I would be destroyed since they would in that case be flowing in with their own persuasions that are dreadful and deadly. But when they were flowing into the right part of the head and from there into the left part of the breast, they were doing so by means of evil desires. This is how it is with influx.
ttt[2] Their persuasions are such as to destroy everything true and good. As a consequence those into whom they flow are unable to perceive anything, or after that even to think. This also was why the spirits were being removed. When they started to flow in I fell asleep. Then while I slept they flowed in by means of evil desires, so powerfully in fact that had I been awake I could not have withstood them. In my sleep I felt a pressure upon me which I cannot describe, only that I subsequently remembered that they had attempted to kill me by a stifling exhalation, which was like a terrible nightmare. At that point I woke up and noticed that they were near me. But when they realized that I was awake they fled to their own position higher up and flowed in from there.
ttt[3] While they were there it seemed to me as though they were being rolled up in a cloth, as in the incident described in `@@@964`. I thought that it was those evil spirits who were being rolled up in it, but in fact it was they who were doing it to others. This is achieved by means of delusions, yet the spirits against whom they act in this way by delusions are not aware of anything other than of being actually rolled up. It seemed that those whom they were rolling up in this way rolled down the slope of some rock, but those who had been so rolled up were released and set free. They were spirits who did not wish to leave and so were preserved by the Lord or else they would have been suffocated. Although they would have revived they would have done so after much suffering. At that point those who had been allowed out from the hell below went back by way of the slope on the rock. From that place came a drilling sound as though many large drills were at work, and I perceived that the sound was the product of extremely painful delusions against the Lord's existence. Subsequently they were sent down through the gloomy caverns beneath the rock enveloped in mist into their own hell While they were in the world of spirits the whole constitution of the sphere there was altered.
ppp22573#pid#1271. After this there were certain deceitful spirits who wanted these who had lived before the Flood to come out To enable these to steal their way out, the deceitful spirits put it into their minds to say that they were nothing. At that point I heard a disturbance in that hell like a great. upheaval taking place. It was the commotion caused by those who desired to break free. Once again therefore some of them were allowed to come up from there and they appeared in the same place as their predecessors had done. From there they tried with the help of those deceitful genii to instill their deadly persuasion into me. But it was all to no avail as I was being protected by the Lord. I perceived quite clearly that their persuasion was stifling. They imagined that they had power over all things and could deprive anyone of his life. But because they imagined that they had power over all things it took no more than a small child to thrust them down, whose presence caused them to be so unsteady that they cried out they were in distress, so great in fact that they resorted to prayers. The deceitful ones were also punished, first of all by being almost choked by these who had been allowed out, and after that by being bound up tightly together to make them desist from such practices. But after a while they were set free.
ppp22572#pid#1272. I was shown after that how their womenfolk were dressed. On their heads they wore a round black hat with a turret so to speak sticking up at the front. They had small faces. The men however were shaggy and hairy. I was also shown how much they gloried in the large number of children they had, and that wherever they went they were accompanied by their children who led the way in a curving line. They were told however that love of their young also existed with every animal, even the worst, and that this was no argument that they had anything good existing with them. But if they had loved children not for reasons of self-love and glory but so that, for the sake of the common good, the human community would be increased, and more importantly so that heaven might consequently be enlarged - and so for the sake of the Lord's kingdom - their love towards children would in that case have been genuine.
ppp22571#pid#1273. POSITION IN THE GRAND MAN, ALSO PLACE AND DISTANCE IN THE NEXT LIFE
When the time has come to allow souls recently arrived from the world to leave the company of spiritual angels in order to enter that of spirits and at length to enter the community which they were in during their lifetime, they are carried by angels around to many dwelling-places, which are separate communities yet joined to others. At each place they are taken in and then move on to other communities. This continues for some time until they reach the community which they were in during their lifetime; and there they stay. This marks a new beginning to their life. If someone is an impostor, a hypocrite, or deceitful - one who is able to assume a deceptive state and a seemingly angelic disposition - he is sometimes received by good spirits. But in a little while the association is broken, and then he wanders around unaccompanied by the angels, and begs to be received. He is however rejected, and sometimes punished, till at length he comes down to be among those in hell. Those who, after they have been vastated, are borne away to be among angels - they too pass from one community to another. And when they move on from one to another, those whom they are leaving allow them to go with civility and charity; and this continues until they reach the angelic community that accords with their own kind of charity, true piety, honesty, or genuine civility. So that I might know about all this I too have been conducted in a similar way through those dwelling-places, and those who are there have talked to me. I was at that time allowed to reflect on changes of place, that they were merely apparent, and that they were nothing else than changes of state, with the body remaining where it was.
ppp22570#pid#1274. The marvels existing in the next life include the following:
1. Communities of spirits and of angels, as regards position, appear distinct and separate from one another, even though places and distances in the next life are nothing other than varieties of state.
2. Position and distances are relative to the human body, so that people on the right thus seem to be stationed on the right whichever way the body turns. The same applies to those on the left, or in any other direction.
3. No spirits and angels are so far away that they cannot be seen; yet no more come into view than the Lord allows to do so.
4. When the Lord allows it, spirits whom others are thinking about - for example, people who had been known to them in some way during their lifetime - are present in an instant. They come close enough to be heard or touched, or stand a little way off, notwithstanding the fact that they may have been several thousands of miles away, even up among the stars. The reason is that spatial distance is meaningless in the next life.
5. With angels no idea of time exists; it is the same in the world of spirits, but more completely so in heaven. What then must the situation be with the Lord, to whom every single human being is inescapably most fully present and beneath His view and Providence?
These things seem unbelievable but are nevertheless true.
ppp22569#pid#1275. I was once in a community where there was a serenity, that is, the state of its members was serene, which came fairly near to being, but was not actually, a state of peace. I talked there about the state of small children, and also about place, to the effect that change of place and of distance is purely an appearance directly related to a person's state and change of state. When I was taken there the spirits about me seemed to be removed and to reappear below me, though I could still hear them speaking.
ppp22568#pid#1276. Spirits in the world of spirits, and angels in heaven, are positioned as follows: Angels are on the Lord's right and evil spirits on His left. At the front are those of an intermediate kind, while the wicked are at the back. Overhead are those who are haughty and aspire to high things, and underfoot are the hells which correspond to those who are on high. In this way the positions of all are fixed in relation to the Lord, as to every direction and degree of height, horizontally and vertically, and in every oblique direction. Their positions remain constant, eternally the same. The heavens constitute so to speak one human being, who is therefore called the Grand Man, to which everything in the human being also corresponds. This correspondence will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with later on. Consequently the positioning of everything around each angel is similar, and around each person to whom heaven is opened by the Lord. This is an effect of the Lord's presence, and could not happen if the Lord were not omnipresent in heaven.
ppp22567#pid#1277. The same applies to men as regards their souls, which are linked constantly to some community of spirits or angels. Men too have a position in the Lord's kingdom that is determined by the nature of their life and by their states. The fact that on earth men are distant from one another makes no difference at all. Even though many thousands of miles should separate them, they can still be present together in one community - those who live in charity in one angelic community, those who live in hatred and the like in one community in hell. Nor in like manner does the fact that many people on earth exist together in the same place make any difference - they are still all distinct and separate according to the nature of their life and of their states, each one possibly in a different community from the rest. When people who are several hundreds or thousands of miles distant from one another are seen with the eyes of internal sense they are so close that some are in a position to touch one another. Thus if a number of people existed on earth whose internal sight was open they would be able to be together and talk together even though one was in India and another in Europe, as I have also been shown. So every single person on earth is very present with the Lord, beneath His view and Providence.
ppp22566#pid#1278. For a continuation concerning position, place, distance, and time in the next life, see the end of the chapter.
ppp22565#pid#1279. `Genesis 11bbb0`
1. And the whole earth was of one lip, and its words were one.
2. And so it was that, when they travelled away from the east, they found a valley in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there.
3. And they said, one man to the next, Come, let us make bricks, and let us burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and they had bitumen for clay.
4. And they said, Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower, and its head in heaven; and let us make a name for ourselves, lest perhaps we are scattered over the face`fff1` of the whole earth.
5. And Jehovah came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of man were building.
6. And Jehovah said, See, they are one people, and they all have one lip, and this they have started to do; and now they will not be held back from anything which they have thought of doing.
7. Come, let us go down, and let us there confound their lip so that they do not hear each man the lip of his companion.
8. And Jehovah scattered them from there over the face`fff1` of the whole earth; and they left off building the city.
9. Therefore He called the name of it Babel, because there Jehovah confounded the lip of the whole earth; and from there Jehovah scattered them over the face`fff1` of the whole earth.
10. These are the generations of Shem: Shem was a son of a hundred years, and he begot Arpachshad two years after the Flood.
11. And Shem lived after he begot Arpachshad five hundred years; and he begot sons and daughters.
12. And Arpachshad lived thirty-five years, and he begot Shelah.
13. And Arpachshad lived after he begot Shelah four hundred and three years; and he begot sons and daughters.
14. And Shelah lived thirty years, and he begot Eber.
15. And Shelah lived after he begot Eber four hundred and three years; and he begot sons and daughters.
16. And Eber lived thirty-four years, and he begot Peleg.
17. And Eber lived after he begot Peleg four hundred and thirty years; and he begot sons and daughters.
18. And Peleg lived thirty years, and he begot Reu.
19. And Peleg lived after he begot Reu two hundred and nine years; and he begot sons and daughters.
20. And Reu lived thirty-two years, and he begot Serug.
21. And Reu lived after he begot Serug two hundred and seven years; and he begot sons and daughters
22. And Serug lived thirty years, and he begot Nahor.
23. And Serug lived after he begot Nahor two hundred years; and he begot sons and daughters.
24. And Nahor lived twenty-nine years, and he begot Terah.
25. And Nahor lived after he begot Terah a hundred and nineteen years; and he begot sons and daughters.
26. And Terah lived seventy years, and he begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
27. And these are the generations of Terah: Terah begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran, and Haran begot Lot.
28. And Haran died in the presence`fff2` of Terah his father, in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldeans.
29. And Abram and Nahor took to themselves wives; the name of Abram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife was Milkah, the daughter of Haran, Milkah's father and Iskah's father.
30. And Sarai was barren; she had no offspring.
31. And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot, the son of Haran, his son's son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, the wife of Abram his son; and they set out together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan. And they came as far as Haran and remained there.
32. And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years; and Terah died in Haran.
CONTENTS
The subject in verses `Genesis 11bbbccc1-9` is the first Ancient Church, which came after the Flood.
`nnn1. literally, the faces
`nnn2. literally, before the faces
ppp22564#pid#1280. Its first state, in which all its members had one doctrine, is dealt with in verse `Genesis 11bbbccc1`; its second state when it began to decline, in verse `Genesis 11bbbccc2`; its third, when falsities produced by evil desires began to reign, in verse `Genesis 11bbbccc3`; its fourth, when people began to dominate others by means of Divine worship, in verse `Genesis 11bbbccc4`. The state of the Church was consequently changed, verses `Genesis 11bbbccc5-6`, so that nobody possessed the good present in faith, verses `Genesis 11bbbccc7-9`.
ppp22563#pid#1281. The subject in verses `Genesis 11bbbccc10-26` is the second Ancient Church called Eber, its derivation and its state, which at length sank into idolatry.
ppp22562#pid#1282. The origin of the third Ancient Church, which from being idolatrous became representative, is dealt with in verses `Genesis 11bbbccc27-32`.
ppp22561#pid#1283. THE INTERNAL SENSE
The subject now is the Ancient Church in general and the fact that its internal worship in process of time was falsified and adulterated; and so as a consequence was its external worship, for the character of external worship depends on that of internal. The falsification and adulteration of internal worship is meant here by Babel. The fact that the historical events mentioned up to now, apart from those concerning Eber, are not true but made-up may also be seen from the details given in this chapter concerning the tower of Babel - men set out to build a tower whose head was in heaven; their lips were confused so that no one could hear another; it was Jehovah who confused them in this way. This fact may also be seen from the assertion that this was the origin of Babel and yet verse `Genesis 10bbbccc10` of the previous chapter says that Babel was built by Nimrod. From this it is also clear that Babel does not mean a city, but some real thing, and that here it means worship whose interior features are not holy though its external appear so.
ppp22560#pid#1284. Verse `Genesis 11bbbccc1` And the whole earth was of one lip, and its words were one.
'The whole earth was of one lip' means that people everywhere held to the same doctrine in its general aspects, 'lip' meaning doctrine, 'the earth' the Church. 'And its words were one' means that they held to the same doctrine in its particular details.
ppp22559#pid#1285. That 'the whole earth was one lip' means that people everywhere held to the same doctrine in its general aspects is clear from the meaning in the Word of 'a lip', dealt with in the next paragraph. This verse, in these few words, describes the state of the Ancient Church as it had been, that is to say, it held to the same general doctrine. The next verse however describes how it began to be falsified and adulterated, and after that down to verse `Genesis 11bbbccc9` how it became so utterly perverted that no internal worship existed any longer. Immediately after that the subject is the second Ancient Church begun by Eber, and at last the third Church which was the start of the Jewish Church. For after the Flood there were three consecutive Churches.
ttt[2] In regard to what has been said of the first Ancient Church - that though so wide-spread throughout the world, its lip was nevertheless one and its words one, that is, it shared one doctrine in its general aspects and in its particular details; but for all that, the forms of worship, internal as well as external, were everywhere divergent, as shown in the previous chapter where each nation that is mentioned meant a divergent form of doctrine and of ritual - the situation is as follows: Heaven consists of countless communities. They all vary, and yet all are one, for all are led as one by the Lord; see what has appeared already in `@@@457`, `@@@551`, `@@@684`, `@@@685`, `@@@690`. A parallel exists in man, in that although internally his body has so many parts, which, like his other organs and limbs, have so many inner parts, each functioning differently from any other, yet all of them, every single one, are nevertheless controlled as one by one soul. A parallel also exists with the human body, which has different ways of exerting its strength and of moving. Nevertheless all are controlled by one motion of the heart and one of the lungs, and together make one. The reason they are able to function as one in this way is that in heaven there is one single influx which is received by everyone according to his own disposition. This influx is an influx of affections from the Lord, from His mercy and life. And although there is one influx only, everything nevertheless conforms and follows as one. And this comes about through the mutual love shared by those in heaven.
ttt[3] Such was the situation with the first Ancient Church that although there were so many forms of internal and external worship, at the general level as many as there were nations, at the specific level as many as there were families making up nations, and at the particular level as many as there were people in the Church, they all nevertheless had 'one lip' and 'their words were one'; that is, they all shared one doctrine in general and in particular. Doctrine is one when all possess mutual love, or charity. Mutual love or charity causes things, though varied, to be one, for it makes one out of varied things. If all, no matter how many - even ten thousand times ten thousand - are governed by charity or mutual love, they have but one end in view, namely the common good, the Lord's kingdom, and the Lord Himself. Variations in matters of doctrine and in forms of worship are like the variations that exist with the physical senses and with the inner parts of man's body, which, as stated, all contribute to the perfection of the whole. Indeed the Lord flows in and works by way of charity though in different ways according to the disposition of each individual. And in so doing He arranges every single person into a proper order, on earth as in heaven. In this way the Lord's will is done, as He Himself teaches, 'on earth as it is in heaven'.
ppp22558#pid#1286. That 'lip' means doctrine is clear from the following places in the Word: In Isaiah,
The seraphim kept calling out, Holy, Holy, Holy is Jehovah Zebaoth. The prophet said, Woe is me! I am cut off; for`fff1` I am a man with unclean lips, and am dwelling in the midst of a people with unclean lips, for my eyes have seen the King, Jehovah Zebaoth. Then flew one of the seraphim to me He touched my mouth and said, Behold, this has touched upon your lips, and your iniquity goes away, and your sin is atoned for. `Isaiah 6bbb3`, `Isaiah 6bbbccc5-7`.
'Lips' stands for man's interior things, and so for internal worship from which adoration springs. This is what the prophet's experience represented. Anyone may see that his lips being touched in this way, his iniquity going away, and his sin being atoned for, was a representation of interior things meant by 'the lips', which are those of charity and its doctrine.
ttt[2] In the same prophet,
Jehovah will smite the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath`fff2` of His lips will He slay the wicked. `Isaiah 11bbb4`.
The internal sense of this does not mean that Jehovah smites with the rod of His mouth and slays the wicked with the breath`fff2` of His lips, but that the wicked does so to himself. 'The breath of His lips' is doctrine, which with a wicked person is false. In the same prophet,
I create the fruit of the lips - peace, peace to the far and to the near, and I will heal him. `Isaiah 57bbb19`.
'Fruit of the lips' stands for doctrine.
ttt[3] In Ezekiel,
Son of man, go, get you to the house of Israel and speak My words to them. You have not been sent to people of foreign speech and a hard language`fff3` but to the house of Israel, not to many peoples of foreign speech and a hard language`fff3` whose words you do not hear. Surely if I sent you to such they would listen to you? And the house of Israel are not willing to listen to you because they are not willing to listen to Me; for the whole house of Israel are hardened in the forehead and hard in heart. `Ezekiel 3bbb4-7`.
'Foreign speech'`fff4` refers to gentiles who, though subject to falsity taught by doctrine, nevertheless possess charity. These people are spoken of therefore as 'listening', whereas those who do not possess charity are called 'hardened in the forehead and hard in heart'.
ttt[4] In Zephaniah,
I will turn to the people with a clear lip that all of them may call on the name of Jehovah to serve Him with one shoulder. `Zephaniah 3bbb9`.
'Clear lip' plainly stands for doctrine. In Malachi,
The law of truth was in His mouth, and perversity was not found on His lips. For the lips of the priest will keep knowledge, and they will seek the law from his mouth, for he is the angel`fff5` of Jehovah Zebaoth. `Malachi 2bbb6-7`.
This refers to Levi who represents the Lord. 'Lips' stands for doctrine deriving from charity.
In David, Those who say With our tongue we will prevail, our lips are with us. `Psalms 12bbb4`.
'Lips' stands for falsities. In the same author,
My soul will be satisfied with fat and fatness, and my mouth will praise You with joyful lips.`fff6` `Psalms 63bbb5`.
In Isaiah,
On that day there will be five cities in the land of Egypt which speak with the lip of Canaan, and swear to Jehovah Zebaoth. `Isaiah 19bbb18`.
'Lip' stands for doctrine.
`nnn1. The Latin (qui) means who, but it is clear from the Hebrew that for or because (quia) is intended.
`nnn2. or the spirit
`nnn3. literally,. deep in lip, and heavy in tongue
`nnn4. literally, Deep in lip
`nnn5. or the messenger
`nnn6. literally, lips of songs
ppp22557#pid#1287. That 'the earth' means the Church has been shown already in `@@@662`, `@@@1066`.
ppp22556#pid#1288. That 'words were one' means that they held to the same doctrine in its particular details is clear from what has been stated already, for 'lip' means doctrine in general, as has been shown, while 'words' means doctrine in detail, that is, particular details of doctrine. These, as has been stated make no difference provided they have the same end in view, which is to love the Lord above all things and the neighbour as oneself. When they do so they are the details that contribute to the general whole.
ttt[2] That 'the Word' means all doctrine concerning charity and faith derived from it and that 'words' means the details that constitute doctrine is clear in David,
I will confess You with uprightness of heart, when I learn Your righteous judgements I will keep Your statutes. How will a young man make pure his path? By observing Your Word. With my whole heart I have sought You; cause me not to wander from Your commandments I have laid up Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You. Blessed are You, O Jehovah; teach me Your statutes! With my lips I have declared all the judgements of Your mouth. I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies. I meditate on Your commands and look to Your ways. I delight in Your statutes, I do not forget Your Word. `Psalms 119bbb7-16`.
'The Word' stands for doctrine in general. The fact that here commandments, judgements, testimonies, commands, statutes, way, and lips, are distinguished shows plainly that they are all features of the Word, that is, of doctrine. The same applies wherever else in the Word these terms are used with different meanings.
ttt[3] In the same author,
A love song. My heart is pondering`fff1` a goodly theme.`fff2` My tongue is the pen of a ready scribe You are the fairest of the sons of man. Grace has poured out from your lips. Ride on the word of truth, and of the meekness of righteousness Your right hand will teach you marvellous things. `Psalms 45bbb1-2`, `Psalms 45bbbccc4`.
'Riding on the word of truth, and of the meekness of righteousness' is teaching the doctrine of truth and good. Here, as elsewhere in the Word, word, mouth, lip, and tongue mean differing things. The fact that they all have to do with doctrine concerning charity is clear because it is called 'a love song', and it is to this doctrine that 'the fairest of the sons of man', 'grace on the lips', and 'a right hand that teaches marvellous things' have reference.
ttt[4] In Isaiah,
The Lord`fff3` has sent a word into Jacob, and it has fallen on Israel. `Isaiah 9bbb8`.
'A word' stands for the doctrine of internal and external worship. Here 'Jacob' stands for external worship, 'Israel' for internal. In Matthew,
Jesus said, Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that goes out of the mouth of God. `Matthew 4bbb4`.
In the same gospel,
When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not give heed to it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. `Matthew 13bbb19`
'The word' is again referred to in verses `Genesis 11bbbccc20-23` of that chapter. In the same gospel,
Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. `Matthew 24bbb35`.
Here 'word' stands for the Lord's doctrine and 'words' for the things that constitute His doctrine.
ttt[5] Since the term 'words' stands for everything that constitutes doctrine the Ten Commandments are therefore called 'words' in Moses,
Jehovah. wrote on the tables the words of the covenant, the ten words. `Exodus 34bbb28`.
In the same author,
He declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, the ten words, and He wrote them on two tables of stone. `Deuteronomy 4bbb13`; `Deuteronomy ccc10bbb4`.
In the same author,
Take heed, and guard your soul diligently, lest perhaps you forget the things`fff4` which your eyes have seen. `Deuteronomy 4bbb9`.
And there are further examples besides these.
`nnn1. The first Latin edition reads voluit (has willed) but comparison with the original Hebrew shows that volvit (is turning over or is pondering) is intended.
`nnn2. literally, a good word
`nnn3. The Latin has Jehovah but the Hebrew has the name meaning Lord, which Swedenborg has in another place where he quotes this verse.
`nnn4. literally, the words
ppp22555#pid#1289. Verse `Genesis 11bbbccc2` And so it was that, when they travelled away from the east they found a valley in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there. 'When they travelled away from the east' means when they departed from charity, 'the east' being charity from the Lord. 'They found a valley in the land of Shinar' means that worship became more unclean and unholy. 'And they dwelt there' means the life [that resulted].
ppp22554#pid#1290. That 'when they travelled away from the east' means when they, departed from charity is clear from the meaning of 'travelling away' and from the meaning of 'the east' in the Word. That 'travelling away here means departing is clear from its referring to charity, which is 'the east from which they travelled'.
ppp22553#pid#1291. That 'the east' is charity from the Lord is clear from what has been shown already in `@@@101`, `@@@1250`.
ppp22552#pid#1292. That 'they found a valley in the land of Shinar' means that worship became more unclean and unholy is clear from the meaning of 'a valley' and from the meaning of 'the land of Shinar'. As regards the meaning of 'a valley', in the Word 'mountains' means love or charity because these are the highest points, or what amounts to the same, inmost features of worship, as shown already in `@@@795`. Consequently 'a valley' means that which is below the mountains, that is, the lower, or what amounts to the same, exterior aspect of worship. 'The land of Shinar' however means external worship which has unholiness within it, as shown already in `@@@1183`. Thus in this verse the statement that 'they found a valley in the land of Shinar' means that worship became more unclean and unholy.
ttt[2] Verse one dealt with the Church having one lip and its words being one that is, one doctrine in general and in particular. This verse however deals with the decline of the Church - 'they travelled from the east' that is, they began to depart from charity. For to the extent that the Church, or a member of the Church, departs from charity, its worship departs from what is holy, or its worship approaches what is unclean and unholy. The reason 'they found a valley in the land of Shinar' means the decline of the Church, that is, of worship, into unholiness is that a valley is a low-lying area between mountains, which, as has been stated, mean the holy things of love or of charity within worship. This also becomes clear from the meaning of 'a valley' in the Word where in the original language several expressions for valley occur which mean, when used in that sense, things present in worship that are less or more unholy.
ttt[3] That 'valleys' means such things is clear in Isaiah,
The burden of the valley of vision; for the Lord Jehovih Zebaoth has a day of tumult and of trampling and of confusion in the valley of vision. `Isaiah 22bbb1`, `Isaiah 22bbbccc5`.
'The valley of vision' stands for delusions and for reasonings by which worship is rendered false and at length profaned. In Jeremiah,
How do you say, I have not been defiled, I have not walked after the baals? Look at your way in the valley. `Jeremiah 2bbb23`.
'The valley' stands for unclean worship. In the same prophet, They have built the high places of Topheth, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom. Therefore, behold, the days are coming when it will no more be called Topheth or the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter. `Jeremiah 7bbb31`, `Jeremiah 7bbbccc34`; `Jeremiah ccc19bbb6`.
'The valley of Hinnom' stands for hell, also for the profanation of truth and good.
ttt[4] In Ezekiel,
Thus said the Lord Jehovih to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys Behold, I, even I, am bringing a sword places. `Ezekiel 6bbb3`.
In the same prophet,
I will give to Gog a place there for burial in Israel, the valley of those that pass over towards the east of the sea. And they will call it the valley of the multitude of Gog. `Ezekiel 39bbb11`, `Ezekiel 39bbbccc15`.
This refers to worship in external things, 'the valley' standing for such worship. But when worship has not yet become unholy to that extent, it is described by the word for a valley used here in `Genesis 11bbb2`, as in Isaiah,
I will open rivers on the sloping heights, and I will place springs in the midst of valleys; I will make the wilderness into a pool of water, and the dry land into streams of water. `Isaiah 41bbb18`.
This refers to people who are in ignorance, that is, without cognitions of faith and charity, and who yet have charity. 'valley' here stands for those people, as does 'valley' in `Ezekiel 37bbb1`.
ppp22551#pid#1293. 'And they dwelt there' means the life that resulted. This becomes clear from the meaning in the Word of 'dwelling' as living. The expression to dwell occurs many times in both the prophetical and the historical sections of the Word, and in the internal sense it as a rule means to live. The reason is that the most ancient people dwelt in tents and celebrated their most holy worship in them, and this also is why 'tents' in the Word means the holiness of worship, as shown in `@@@414`. And since 'tents' meant the holiness within worship, 'dwelling' in a good sense also means living, or life. In a similar way it is because the most ancient people travelled around with their tents that 'travelling' in the internal sense of the Word means the established patterns and order of life.
ppp22550#pid#1294. Verse `Genesis 11bbbccc3` And they said, one man to the next, Come, let us make bricks, and let us burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and they had bitumen for clay.
'And one man said to the next' means that this was started 'Come, let us make bricks' means the falsities which they fashioned for themselves. 'And let us burn them thoroughly' means the evils that stem from self-love. 'And they had brick for stone' means that they had falsity in place of truth. 'And they had bitumen for clay' means that they had evil springing from evil desire in place of good.
ppp22549#pid#1295. That 'one man said to the next' means that this was started, that is, men started it, follows from the train of thought. This verse is dealing with the third state of the Church when falsities began to reign, in particular the falsities that arise from evil desires. There are two sources of falsities, the first being ignorance of the truth, the second evil desires. Falsity that arises from ignorance of the truth is not so harmful as falsity arising from evil desires, for the falsity of ignorance is the outcome either of having been so taught since early childhood, or of having been so preoccupied with various pursuits that one has never looked into whether something is true, or of not having been competent enough to judge what is true and what is false. Falsities that are the product of such ignorance do little harm provided that the person has not confirmed himself much in them, and so has not, on the instigation of some evil desire or other, persuaded himself to the point of defending those falsities. If he has he so intensifies the cloud of ignorance and converts it into darkness that he is incapable of seeing the truth.
ttt[2] But falsity from evil desires comes into being when the origin of falsity is evil desire, that is, self-love and love of the world, as when somebody takes some point of doctrine, preaches it to captivate and take control of people's minds, and explains or twists that point of doctrine to his own advantage, and confirms it both by reasonings based on facts, and from the literal sense of the Word. The worship that results from this is unholy, however holy it may appear outwardly. For inwardly it is not worship of the Lord but worship of self. Nor does such a person acknowledge any truth, except insofar as he can explain it to his own advantage. Such worship is what is meant by 'Babel'. But the situation is different with people who, though born and brought up in such worship, do not know that it is falsity, and lead charitable lives. Their ignorance has innocence within it, and their worship has the good flowing from charity within it. The unholiness of worship is attributable not so much to the actual worship as to the nature of the worshipper.
ppp22548#pid#1296. That 'come, let us make bricks' means the falsities which they fashioned for themselves is clear from the meaning of 'brick'. 'Stone' in the Word means truth, and therefore 'brick', being man-made, means falsity, for brick is artificial stone. That 'brick' has this meaning becomes clear also from the following places: In Isaiah,
I have spread out My hands all the day to a rebellious people. walking in a way that is not good, after their own thoughts, sacrificing in gardens and burning incense upon bricks. `Isaiah 65bbb2-3`.
'Burning incense upon bricks' stands for worship based on fabrications and falsities; and this is why these people are referred to as 'walking after their own thoughts'. In the same prophet,
On account of the pace and arrogance of heart of Ephraim, and of the inhabitants of Samaria, saying, The bricks have fallen but we will build from hewn stone. `Isaiah 9bbb9-10`.
'Ephraim' stands for one who, having become intelligent, has then lapsed into wrong, who calls or makes falsities, or 'bricks', his truths. 'Hewn stone' stands for what is a fabrication. In Nahum,
Draw yourself water for the siege, strengthen your fortifications; go into the mud and tread the clay; renew the brick-kiln. There the fire will devour you. and the sword cut you off. `Nahum 3bbb14-15`.
Here 'treading the clay' stands for falsities, 'renewing the brick-kiln' for worship based on them. 'Fire' is the punishment of evil desires, 'sword' the punishment of falsities. In Ezekiel,
Take a brick and lay it before you, and on it carve the city of Jerusalem. `Ezekiel 4bbb1`.
This text contains the command to besiege it, a prophecy implying that worship was falsified. The fact that 'brick' means falsity becomes clearer still from the meaning of 'stone' as truth, to be dealt with in what follows shortly.
ppp22547#pid#1297. 'And let us burn them thoroughly' means the evils that stem from self-love. This is clear from the meaning of 'to burn, a burning, fire, sulphur, and bitumen' in the Word, where they have reference to evil desires, chiefly to those that belong to self-love, as in Isaiah,
Our holy house, and our splendour, where our fathers praised You, has been made into a blaze of fire, and all our pleasant places have been made into a waste. `Isaiah 64bbb11`.
In the same prophet,
Conceive chaff, bring forth stubble. Your wind is a fire that will consume you. Thus the peoples will be burnings of lime; [like] thorns cut down they will be burned in the fire. `Isaiah 33bbb11-12`.
And there are many other examples besides these. 'Burning' and 'fire' have reference to evil desires because they possess similar characteristics.
ppp22546#pid#1298. 'They had brick for stone' means that they had falsity in place of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'brick' as falsity, dealt with just above, and also from the meaning of 'stone' in the broad sense as truth, dealt with already in `@@@643`. The reason 'stones' meant truth was that the most ancient people used to mark out boundaries by means of stones and raise up stones to testify that something was so, that is, was the truth. This is clear from the stone which Jacob set up as a pillar, `Genesis 28bbb22`; `Genesis ccc35bbb14`; from the pillar of stones placed between Laban and Jacob, `Genesis 31bbb46-47`, `Genesis 31bbbccc52`; and from the altar which the children of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh erected beside the Jordan as an altar of witness, `Joshua 22bbb10`, `Joshua 22bbbccc28`, `Joshua 22bbbccc34`. Consequently 'stones' in the Word means truths, so much so that not only the stones of the altar but also the precious stones in the shoulder-pieces of Aaron's ephod and in the breastplate of judgement meant the holy truths of love.
ttt[2] Regarding the altar, when sacrificial worship on altars was introduced, an altar in that case meant representative worship of the Lord in general. 'The stones' themselves however meant the holy truths belonging to that worship. This was why it was commanded that the altar had to be built of whole and not of hewn stones, and why it was forbidden to use any iron tool on them, `Deuteronomy 27bbb5-7`; `Joshua 8bbb31`. The reason was that hewn stones, and those on which an iron tool had been used, meant artificialities and thus fabrications in worship. That is to say, they meant things that derive from the proprium, or from the inventions of man's own thought and heart, which was to profane worship, as is clearly stated in `Exodus 20bbb25`. For the same reason no tool of iron was used on the stones of the Temple, `1 Kings 6bbb7`.
ttt[3] That the precious stones set in the shoulder-pieces of Aaron's ephod and in the breastplate of judgement in a similar way meant holy truths has been shown already in `@@@114`. This is clear also in Isaiah,
Behold, I will set your stones in carbuncle and lay your foundations in sapphires; and I will make your suns (windows) of ruby, and your gates into precious stones, and all your border into pleasant stones And all your sons will be taught by Jehovah, and great will be the peace of your sons. `Isaiah 54bbb11-13`
The stones mentioned here stand for holy truths, and this is why it is said that 'all your sons will be taught by Jehovah'. It is also the reason why it is said in John that the foundations of the wall of the city, holy Jerusalem, were adorned with every kind of precious stone, which are each mentioned by name, `Revelation 21bbb19-20`. 'The holy Jerusalem' stands for the Lord's kingdom in heaven and on earth, the foundations of which kingdom are holy truths. Holy truths were similarly meant by the tables of stone on which the commandments of the Law, or Ten Commandments, were written. This was why they were made of stone or had a stone base, concerning which see `Exodus 24bbb12`; `Exodus ccc31bbb18`; `Exodus ccc34bbb1`; `Deuteronomy 5bbb22`; `Deuteronomy ccc10bbb1`; for the commandments themselves are nothing else than truths of faith.
ttt[4] Now because stones in ancient times meant truths, and because later on when worship on pillars, on altars, and in the Temple began, pillars, altars, and the Temple meant holy truths, the Lord also is therefore called 'a Stone': In Moses,
The Mighty One of Jacob - from there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel. `Genesis 49bbb24`.
In Isaiah,
The Lord Jehovih said, I am laying in Zion for a foundation a Stone, a tested Corner-Stone, precious, of sure foundation. `Isaiah 28bbb16`.
In David,
The Stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner `Psalms 118bbb22`.
The same is meant in `Daniel 2bbb34-35`, `Daniel 2bbbccc45`, by the stone cut out of the rock which smashed Nebuchadnezzar's statue to pieces.
ttt[5] That 'stones' means truths is clear in Isaiah,
By this the iniquity of Jacob will be expiated, and this will be the full fruit to remove his sin, when He makes all the stones of the altar like chalk-stones scattered about. `Isaiah 27bbb9`.
'The stones of the altar' stands for truths in worship that have been dissipated. In the same prophet,
Make level the way of the people; level out, level out the highway; gather out the stones. `Isaiah 62bbb10`.
'The way' and 'the stones' stand for truths. In Jeremiah,
I am against you, O destroying mountain. I will roll you down from the rocks and I will make you into a mountain of burning. And they will not take from you a stone for a corner, nor a stone for foundations. `Jeremiah 51bbb25-26`.
This refers to Babel. 'A mountain of burning' is self-love. 'Taking no stone from it' means that there is no truth from this source.
ppp1411#pid#1299. 'They had bitumen for clay' means that they had evil springing from evil desire in place of good. This is clear from the meaning in the Word of 'bitumen' and of 'clay'. Since the subject here is the building of the tower of Babel, the materials mentioned are such as are used in building. Bitumen is mentioned because of its sulphurous and combustible qualities, which in the Word mean evil desires, chiefly those that belong to self-love. Here 'bitumen' means the evils springing from evil desires, as well as the resulting falsities, as these too are the evils from which the tower described below was constructed. That such things are meant is clear in Isaiah,
The day of Jehovah's vengeance - her streams will be turned into pitch, and her dust into sulphur; and her land will become burning pitch. `Isaiah 34bbb8-9`.
'Pitch' and 'sulphur' stand for falsities and evils that spring from evil desires. And there are further examples besides these.
ppp22545#pid#1300. 'Clay' means the good from which the mind or the member of the Church is formed. This too is clear from the Word, as in Isaiah,
But now, O Jehovah, You are our Father, we are the clay, and You are our potter; and we are all the work of Your hands. `Isaiah 64bbb8`, `Isaiah 64bbbccc9`.
'Clay' stands for the member himself of the Church who is being formed, and so stands for good stemming from charity by means of which the formation, that is, the reformation and regeneration, of every man is achieved In Jeremiah,
Like the clay in the hand of the potter so are you in My hand,`fff1` O house of Israel. `Jeremiah 18bbb6`.
Here too 'clay' has a similar meaning. Whether reference is made to building with clay or to forming from it, it amounts to the same.
`nnn1. The Latin means so are we in Your hand, but the Hebrew means so are you in My hand, which Swedenborg has in another place where he quotes this verse.
ppp22544#pid#1301. The fact that these things are meant may now become clear to anyone both from the meaning of everything which this verse contains and also from the fact that the kinds of stones and the kind of clay they had are mentioned. These points would not have been worth mentioning in the Word of the Lord if they had not embodied those arcana.
ppp22543#pid#1302. Verse `Genesis 11bbbccc4` And they said, Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower, and its head in heaven; and let us make a name for ourselves, lest perhaps we are scattered over the face`fff1` of the whole earth.
'And they said' means that this was done. 'Let us build ourselves a city and a tower' means that they fabricated a form of doctrine and of worship - 'a city' is doctrine, 'a tower' worship of self. 'And its head in heaven' means to the extent of their ruling over things in heaven. 'And let us make a name for ourselves' means that as a result they might gain a reputation for power. 'Lest perhaps we are scattered over the face`fff1` of the whole earth' means that otherwise they would not receive recognition.
`nnn1. literally, the faces
ppp22542#pid#1303. That 'they said' means that this was done follows from the train of thought, just as the previous statement that 'they said, one man to the next' meant that it was started. Indeed this verse, by the tower, describes what Babel was like.
ppp22541#pid#1304. That 'let us build ourselves a city and a tower' means that they fabricated a form of doctrine and of worship becomes clear from the meaning of 'a city' and from the meaning of 'a tower', dealt with in the paragraphs that follow this. The Church is such that when charity towards the neighbour departs and self-love takes its place, the doctrine of faith is of no account at all except insofar as it can be converted into worship of self. Nor do people consider that worship contains anything holy unless it exists for the sake of self, thus unless it is worship of self. This applies to all self-love. In fact a person who loves himself more than others not only hates everybody who is not subservient to him and shows no favour to them except when they have become subservient, but also, to the extent that he is not prevented, he plunges even into exalting himself above God. The fact that self-love is such when given free rein I have been shown in actual occurrences. These are the things meant by 'a city and a tower'. Self-love, and every desire springing from it, is of all things the filthiest and most unholy, and is very hell itself. From this anyone may deduce the nature of the worship that has such as this within it.
ppp22540#pid#1305. That 'a city' means doctrine, or what is doctrinal, whether genuine or heretical, has been shown already in `@@@402`.
ppp22539#pid#1306. That 'a tower' means worship of self is clear from the meaning of 'a tower'. It is worship of self when a person sets himself up above everybody else even to the point of his being worshipped. Consequently self-love, which is pride and arrogance, is called height, loftiness, and exaltedness, and everything high is used to describe it, as in Isaiah,
The eyes of man's (homo) loftiness will be humbled, and the height of men (vir) brought low, and Jehovah alone will be exalted on that day, for the day of Jehovah Zebaoth will be against everyone that is lofty and high, and against everyone that is lifted up. and he will be humbled, and against all the cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up and against all the oaks of Bashan, and against all high mountains, and against all hills that are lifted up, and against every lofty tower and against every fortified wall. `Isaiah 2bbb11-18`.
This refers to self-love, described by the cedars, oaks, mountains, hills, and tower that are high and exalted.
ttt[2] In the same prophet,
There will be brooks, streams of water, on the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall. `Isaiah 30bbb25`.
Here likewise 'tower' stands for self-love and for exaltedness in worship. In the same prophet,
Behold, the land of the Chaldeans! This people was not. Asshur founded her in tziim.`fff1` They will erect their watch-towers; they will raise up her palaces, he will make her into a ruin. `Isaiah 23bbb13`.
This refers to Tyre and laying it waste. 'Watch-towers', a different expression from 'towers', stands for resulting delusions. In Ezekiel,
I will cause many nations to come up against Tyre, and they will break down the walls of Tyre, and destroy her towers, and I will scrape her dust from her and make her a bare rock. `Ezekiel 26bbb3-4`.
Here likewise 'towers' has the same meaning.
ttt[3] The reason why self-love in worship, or worship of self, is called 'a tower' is that 'a city' means doctrine, as shown already in `@@@402`, and cities in former times were fortified by towers with watchmen in them. Towers were also placed on their borders, and they were therefore called towers for watchmen, `2 Kings 9bbb17`; `2 Kings ccc17bbb9`; `2 Kings ccc18bbb8`, and watchtowers, `Isaiah 23bbb13`. In addition, when the Lord's Church is compared to a vineyard, things of worship and also the preservation of it are compared to a winepress and to 'a tower in the vineyard', as is clear in `Isaiah 5bbb1-2`; `Matthew 21bbb33`; `Mark 12bbb1`.
`nnn1. A Hebrew word, probably meaning desert creatures
ppp22538#pid#1307. 'And its head in heaven' means to the extent of their ruling over things in heaven. This follows from what is said above, for 'having one's head in heaven' is being exalted even as far as that, as is also clear from the description of Babel in other parts of the Word and from what has been stated already in `@@@257` about 'lifting up the head'. Self-love is the love which agrees least of all with heavenly life. Indeed it is the source of every form of evil, not only of hatred but also of revenge, cruelty, and adultery. It agrees still less when it enters into worship and profanes it. The hells therefore consist of such persons who, the more they wish to rear their heads up into heaven, the more deeply they force themselves down into hell and the harsher the punishments they plunge themselves into.
ppp22537#pid#1308. 'And let us make a name for ourselves' means that as a result they might gain a reputation for power. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'making a name for oneself' Indeed they know that everybody wishes to engage in worship of some kind, for that wish is common, existing even with every gentile. When anyone considers the universe' even more someone who considers the order of it, he acknowledges some supreme Being. And because he seeks his own welfare he offers that supreme Being his adoration. Furthermore there is something within which dictates this, for such an idea flows in from the Lord through the angels present with every individual. Anyone with whom this is not the case is under the control of spirits from hell, and does not acknowledge God. Because those who build towers of Babel know this they use matters of doctrine and holy things to make a name for themselves. Without that they could not be worshipped, which is the meaning of the statement coming next about their otherwise being scattered over the face`fff1` of the whole earth, that is, receiving no recognition. From this it also follows that the higher such people are able to rear their heads up into heaven, the more they make a name for themselves. Their dominion is greatest with people who have some conscience, for these they lead wherever they like. But those who have no conscience they govern by various external bonds.
`nnn1. literally, the faces
ppp22536#pid#1309. 'Lest perhaps we are scattered over the face`fff1` of the whole earth' means that otherwise they would not receive recognition. This follows from what is said above, for 'being scattered over the face`fff1` of the whole earth' is disappearing from their sight, and so not being accepted and acknowledged.
`nnn1. literally, the faces
ppp22535#pid#1310. Verse `Genesis 11bbbccc5` And Jehovah came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of man were building.
'Jehovah came down' means judgement on them 'To see the city and the tower' means on account of the fact that they had perverted doctrine and profaned worship. 'Which the sons of man were building' means which they fabricated for themselves.
ppp22534#pid#1311. That 'Jehovah came down' means judgement on them is clear from the meaning of the previous verses, and of those that follow, and also from the meaning of 'coming down' when used of Jehovah. Previous verses dealt with building a city and the tower of Babel, those that follow deal with the confounding of lips and with dispersion, while 'coming down' when used of Jehovah has reference to the time when judgement takes place. Jehovah or the Lord is present everywhere and knows everything from eternity. Consequently it cannot be said of Him that 'He comes down to see' except in the literal sense where things are stated as they appear to man to be. But this is not the case in the internal sense. In that sense a matter is presented not according to appearances but as it is in itself. Consequently 'coming down to see' in this verse means judgement.
ttt[2] Judgment is used of the time when evil has reached its furthest limit, which in the Word is called coming to a close or the time when iniquity has come to a close. For the fact of the matter is that every evil has its limits to which it is allowed to extend. When it is carried beyond those limits it incurs the punishment of evil. This applies both in particular and in general. The punishment of evil is what is then termed judgement. And since it seems at first as though the Lord does not see or notice the existence of evil - for when someone commits evil without getting punished he imagines that the Lord does not care, but when he does suffer punishment he supposes that this is when the Lord sees for the first time, and indeed that it is the Lord who is punishing him - these are the appearances which lead to the use of the expression 'Jehovah came down to see'.
ttt[3] 'Coming down' is used of Jehovah because 'the most high', or His being 'in the highest', are phrases used of Him This too is phraseology based on appearances, for He dwells not in the highest but in inmost places, and therefore in the Word most high and inmost are identical in meaning. Judgement itself, or the punishment of evil, takes place at a lower or the lowest level. This is why He is spoken of as 'coming down', as He also is in David,
O Jehovah, bow Your heavens and come down.`fff1` Touch the mountains and they will smoke; send out lightning and scatter them. `Psalms 144bbb5-6`.
This too stands for the punishment of evil, which is judgement. In Isaiah,
Jehovah Zebaoth will come down to fight on Mount Zion and on its hill. `Isaiah 31bbb4`.
In the same prophet, You will come down, the mountains will dissolve at Your presence. `Isaiah 64bbb3`.
Here likewise 'coming down' stands for the punishment of evil, that is, for judgement. In Micah,
Jehovah came forth out of His place, and He came down and trod upon the lofty places of the earth; and the mountains melted beneath Him. `Micah 1bbb3-4`.
`nnn1. The first Latin edition adds three words which mean and I will speak with You, but no phrase such as this occurs at this point in the Psalm quoted.
ppp22533#pid#1312. 'To see the city and the tower' means on account of the fact that they had perverted doctrine and profaned worship. This is clear from the meaning of 'city and tower', dealt with already.
ppp22532#pid#1313. 'Which the sons of man were building' means which they fabricated for themselves. This is clear without explanation. 'Sons of man' here are members of the Church, for people who do not belong to the Church and do not possess cognitions of faith are incapable of fabricating such things. The fact that such people are incapable of profaning holy things has been shown already in `@@@301-303`, `@@@593`.
ppp22531#pid#1314. Verse `Genesis 11bbbccc6` And Jehovah said, See, they are one people, and they all have one lip, and this they have started to do; and now they will not be held back from anything which they have thought of doing.
'Jehovah said' means that it was so. 'See, they are one people, and they all have one lip' means that all had the truth of faith and held to the same doctrine. 'And this they have started to do' means that they are now starting to become different. 'And now they will not be held back from anything which they have thought of doing' means unless their state is now altered.
ppp22530#pid#1315. That 'Jehovah said' means that it was so is clear from the fact that this section, as shown already, is not true history but made-up history. Consequently the statement 'Jehovah said' can have no other meaning, as has also been shown many times already.
ppp22529#pid#1316. 'See, they are one people, and they all have one lip' means that all had the truth of faith and held to the same doctrine. This is clear from the meaning of 'people' as the truth of faith, and from the meaning of 'lip' as doctrine. That 'people' means the truth of faith, that is, those who possess the truth of faith, has been shown already in `@@@1259`, and that 'lip' means the doctrine of faith has been shown above at verse `Genesis 11bbbccc1`. The people are called 'one' and their 'lip' one when all have as their end in view the common good of society, the common good of the Church, and the Lord's kingdom. For in that case the end includes within itself the Lord, from whom all people are one. The Lord cannot possibly be present with someone whose end in view is his own good. That which is man's own excludes the Lord; for in so doing it diverts and directs towards itself the common good of society, that of the Church, and indeed the Lord's kingdom, even to making these exist so to speak for its own sake. Thus it takes away from the Lord that which is His and substitutes itself. And when this is the prevailing attitude with a person the same is the case in each one of his thoughts, and indeed in the smallest details of his thoughts. This is the nature of a person's prevailing attitude.
ttt[2] This is not so apparent during a person's lifetime as it is in the next life. His prevailing attitude reveals itself as a certain sphere which is felt by everyone around him, and it is the fact that it emanates from every single thing within him that makes that sphere such as it is. The sphere of someone who in every respect regards himself takes to itself - or as is said in the next life, absorbs - everything which gratifies it, thus takes to itself all the delight of the spirits surrounding him. It also destroys all the freedom they have It is inevitable therefore that such a person should be banished from their company. When however 'the people are one and the lip one', that is, when they have in view the common good of all, one person never takes to himself the joy of another or destroys the freedom of another, but as far as he can he furthers and increases it. This is why heavenly communities are as one, a oneness that is achieved solely by means of mutual love from the Lord. And the same applies to the Church.
ppp22528#pid#1317. That 'this they have started to do' means that they are now starting to become different becomes clear from the train of thought. 'Having started to do' here means their thought or intention, and therefore their end in view, as is clear also from the statement that comes next -'and now they will not be held back from anything which they have thought of doing'. The reason why in the internal sense end in view is meant is that the Lord regards nothing else in man but the end he has in view. Whatever his thoughts and deeds may be, varying in countless ways, they are all good provided the end in view is good. But if the end is bad everything is bad. The end in view controls every single thing a person thinks or does. The angels present with man, being the Lord's, control nothing of the man except his ends. In controlling these they also control his thoughts and deeds, since all of these are determined by the end. A person's end in view is his very life. Everything he thinks and does receives its life from the end, for, as has been stated, it is determined by the end. As is a person's end in view therefore, so is the life within him. His end is nothing else than his love, for nobody can have as his end in view anything other than that which he loves. Even someone who thinks one thing but does another has that which he loves as his end. The presence, or the deceit, holds within itself that end, which is self-love or love of the world, and the resulting delight of his life. From these considerations anyone may deduce that a person's life is such as his love is. These then are the ideas meant by 'having started to do'.
ppp22527#pid#1318. 'And now they will not be held back from anything which they have thought of doing' means unless their state is now altered. This becomes clear from what follows. The internal sense of the Word is such that it looks continually to the things that follow, and the conclusion, although this is not so apparent in the literal sense. The kind of people described above are not held back from what they think of doing unless their state is altered The fact that their state was indeed altered is clear from what follows. To think of doing something is nothing else than intention, that is, the end in view. And the end a person has in view cannot possibly be held back, that is, altered unless his state is altered. For, as has been stated, a person's end in view is his very life. When his state is altered so is the end in view, and along with that end the thought as well. What kind of a change of state took place among the members of this Church will in the Lord's Divine mercy be stated later on.
ppp22526#pid#1319. Verse `Genesis 11bbbccc7` Come, let us go down, and let us there confound their lip so that they do not hear each man the lip of his companion.
'Come, let us go down' means that judgement took place in this manner. 'And let us there confound their lip' means that nobody has the truth of doctrine. 'So that they do not hear each man the lip of his companion' means that all are at variance with one another.
ppp22525#pid#1320. That 'come, let us go down' means that judgement took place in this manner is clear from what has been stated above at verse `Genesis 11bbbccc5` about the meaning of 'going down'. The reason the plural is used -'let us go down and let us confound their lips'- is that the execution of judgement is meant, which is carried out by means of spirits, and in fact by evil spirits.
ppp22524#pid#1321. That 'let us confound their lip' means that nobody has the truth of doctrine becomes clear from the meaning of 'lip' as doctrine, dealt with above at verse `Genesis 11bbbccc1`. Consequently 'confounding lips' is confounding the things that comprise doctrine, that is, the truths of doctrine. In the internal sense 'confounding' means not only darkening but also erasing and scattering so that no truth is left. When worship of self supplants worship of the Lord all truth is not only perverted but also done away with, till at length falsity is acknowledged in place of truth and evil in place of good. In fact all the light of truth comes from the Lord, and all thick darkness from man. When man takes the Lord's place in worship the light of truth turns to thick darkness, and in this case people see the light as thick darkness, and thick darkness as the light.
ttt[2] Such also is the life of those people after death. To them the life of falsity looks like light, while the life of truth looks to them like thick darkness. But when they go near heaven the light of such life turns to total darkness. While they are in the world they are indeed able to utter the truth, and to do so eloquently and with seeming zeal. And because they are all the time thinking of themselves it seems to them as though truth is also in their minds. But because their end in view is worship of themselves, this end conditions their thoughts so that they do not acknowledge truth except insofar as self is present in that truth. Anyone like this, though truth is on his lips, clearly has no truth within him. This is quite evident in the next life, for there such people not only fail to acknowledge the truth which they have professed during their lifetime, but also hate it and persecute it. This they do to the extent that pride or worship of self is not taken away from them.
ppp22523#pid#1322. 'So that they do not hear each man the lip of his companion' means that all were at variance with one another, that is, one man was opposed to the next. This becomes clear from the words themselves. 'Not hearing a companion's lip' is not acknowledging what another says, and in the internal sense not acknowledging what another teaches, which is his doctrine - for 'lip' is doctrine, as shown above at verse `Genesis 11bbbccc1`. They do indeed acknowledge it with the lips but not with the heart, and assent with the lips is worthless when there is no assent in the heart. This is similar to the situation that exists with evil spirits in the next life, who are distinguished into separate communities just as good spirits are. But they are joined and held together by their having similar delusions and evil desires, so that they act together in persecuting truths and goods. So they have a common interest to hold them together. But as soon as that common interest ceases to exist one rushes at another, and their joy then consists in torturing one or more of their companions. The same applies in the world where doctrine and worship of this kind exist. People may be quite united in their acceptance of what is a matter of doctrine or religious practice, but the common interest holding them together is worship of self. And their acceptance is proportional to their ability to share in that common interest. But to the extent they cannot share or have any hope of sharing that common purpose they split up, for the reason mentioned just above, that not one of these people possesses any truth but every one has falsity in place of truth, and evil in place of good. This then is what is meant by 'Each man not hearing the lip of his companion'.
ppp22522#pid#1323. Verse `Genesis 11bbbccc8` And Jehovah scattered them from there over the face`fff1` of the whole earth; and they left off building the city.
'Jehovah scattered them over the face`fff1` of the whole earth' means here, as previously, that they were not acknowledged. 'And they left off building the city' means that such doctrine was not received.
`nnn1. literally, the faces
ppp22521#pid#1324. That 'Jehovah scattered them over the face`fff1` of the whole earth' means that they were not acknowledged is clear from what has been stated already at verse `Genesis 11bbbccc4` where the same words occur.
[1324a] That 'they left off building the city' means that such doctrine was not received is clear from the meaning of 'a city' as doctrine, as shown already in `@@@402`, and also from what has been stated above at verses `Genesis 11bbbccc4-5`, about building a city and a tower. These considerations show that such doctrine or worship which inwardly contains love of self, that is, worship of self, was not allowed with this Ancient Church, and the reason is given in the very next verse.
`nnn1. literally, the faces
ppp22520#pid#1325. Verse `Genesis 11bbbccc9` Therefore He called the name of it Babel, because there Jehovah confounded the lip of the whole earth; and from there Jehovah scattered them over the face`fff1` of the whole earth.
'Therefore He called the name of it Babel' means such worship. 'Because Jehovah confounded the lip of the whole earth' means the state of this Ancient Church - that internal worship started to perish, 'the earth' being the Church. 'And from there Jehovah scattered them over the face' of the whole earth' means that internal worship ceased to exist.
`nnn1. literally, the faces
ppp22519#pid#1326. That 'therefore He called the name of it Babel' means such worship, namely that meant by 'Babel', is clear from what has been stated so far - about worship which inwardly contains self-love and therefore everything that is filthy and unholy. Self-love is nothing else than the proprium, and how filthy and unholy this is becomes clear from what has been shown already about the proprium in `@@@210`, `@@@215`. From philautia,`fff1` that is, from self-love or the proprium, flow all evils, such as those of hatred, revenge, cruelty, adultery, deceit, hypocrisy, and irreligion. Consequently when self-love or the proprium is present in worship, such evils are present too - but the particular kind of evils and their intensity being determined by the extent and nature of what flows from that self-love. This is the origin of all profanation in worship. The fact of the matter is that insofar as self-love or the proprium introduces itself into worship, internal worship departs, that is, internal worship ceases to exist. Internal worship consists in the affection for good and in the acknowledgement of truth, but to the extent that self-love or the proprium intrudes or enters in, the affection for good and the acknowledgement of truth depart or go away. Holiness cannot possibly co-exist with unholiness, any more than heaven can with hell. Instead one must depart from the other. Such is the state and proper order existing in the Lord's kingdom. This is the reason why among the kind of people whose worship is called 'Babel' no internal worship exists, but instead something dead and indeed inwardly corpse-like is worshipped. This shows what their external worship which is inwardly such is like.
ttt[2] That such worship is 'Babel' is clear from many parts of the Word where Babel is described, as in Daniel, where the description of the statue which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babel saw in a dream - whose head was gold, breast and arms silver, belly and thighs bronze, legs iron, and feet partly iron and partly clay - means that true worship finally deteriorated into the kind of worship called 'Babel', and therefore also a stone cut out of the rock smashed the iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold, `Daniel 2bbb31-33`, `Daniel 2bbbccc44-45`. The statue of gold which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babel set up, and which people were to adore, had no other meaning, `Daniel 3bbb1`-end. The same applies to the description of the king of Babel with his nobles drinking wine from the vessels of gold that had come from the Temple in Jerusalem, of their praising the gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, and stone, and of writing therefore appearing on the wall, `Daniel 5bbb1`-end; to the description of Darius the Mede commanding that he be adored instead of God, `Daniel 6bbb1`-end; and to that of the beasts seen by Daniel in a dream, `Daniel 7bbb1`-end, as well as to that of the beasts and Babel in John's Revelation.
ttt[3] That such worship was meant and represented is quite clear not only in Daniel and John but also in the Prophets: in Isaiah,
Their faces were faces of flames; the stars of the heavens and their constellations do not give their light The sun is darkened in its coming up and the moon does not shed its light Tziim lie down there, and their houses are full of ochim, and daughters of the owl dwell there, and satyrs dance there, and iim answer in its palaces, and dragons in its halls of pleasure. `Isaiah 13bbb8`, `Isaiah 13bbbccc10`, `Isaiah 13bbbccc21-22`
This refers to Babel and describes the internal aspect of such worship by 'faces of flames', which are evil desires; by 'the stars', which are truths of faith, 'not giving their light'; by 'the sun', which is holy love, 'being darkened'; by 'the moon', which is the truth of faith, 'not shedding its light'; by 'tziim, ochim, daughters of the owl, satyrs, dim, and dragons', which are the more interior aspects of worship. For such things belong to self-love or the proprium. This also is why Babel in John is called 'the mother of whoredoms and abominations', `Revelation 17bbb5`; and in the same book,
A dwelling-place of demons,`fff2` and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird. `Revelation 18bbb2`.
From these places it is evident that when such things are within, it is impossible for any good or truth of faith to be there, and that to the extent that those things enter in, the goods which are the objects of affection, and the truths of faith, depart. They are also called in `Isaiah 21bbb9` 'the graven images of the gods of Babel'.
ttt[4] That it is self-love or the proprium which lies within their worship, or that it is worship of self, is quite clear in Isaiah,
Prophesy this parable against the king of Babel, You said in your heart, I will go up the heavens, above the stars of God I will raise my throne, and I will sit on the mount of assembly, in the uttermost parts of the north. I will go up above the heights of the cloud, I will make myself like the Most High. But you will be brought down to hell. `Isaiah 14bbb4`, `Isaiah 14bbbccc13-15`.
Here, it is plain, Babel means the person who wishes to be worshipped as a god, that is, worship of self is meant.
ttt[5] In the same prophet,
Come down and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babel; sit on the ground without a throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans. You trusted in your wickedness, you said, No one sees me. Your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray; you said in your heart, I am, and there is no one besides me. `Isaiah 47bbb1`, `Isaiah 47bbbccc10`.
In Jeremiah,
Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain, destroying the whole earth; and I will stretch out My hand over you and roll you down from the rocks and will make you into a mountain of burning. Though Babel rise up into the heavens, and though she fortify the height of her strength, yet from Me those who lay waste will come to her. `Jeremiah 51bbb25`, `Jeremiah 51bbbccc53`.
This again shows that 'Babel' is worship of self.
ttt[6] The fact that such people have no light of truth, but only total darkness, that is, that they do not possess the truth of faith, is described in Jeremiah,
The word which Jehovah spoke against Babel, against the land of the Chaldeans, There will come up upon her a nation from the north, which will make her land a desolation, and none will dwell in it; both man and beast will scatter themselves, they will go away. `Jeremiah 50bbb1`, `Jeremiah 50bbbccc3`.
'The north' stands for thick darkness, or absence of truth. 'No man and no beast' stands for the absence of good. For more about Babel, see at verse `Genesis 11bbbccc28`fff3` below, where Chaldea is referred to.
`nnn1. A Greek word, also used in late Medieval or Neo-Latin, which means self-love, self-regard.
`nnn2. The Latin means dragons, but the Greek means demons, which Swedenborg has in other pieces where he quotes this verse.
`nnn3. i.e. `@@@1368`
ppp22518#pid#1327. 'Jehovah confounded the lip of the whole earth' means the state of this Ancient Church, that internal worship started to perish. This is clear from the fact that the phrase used is 'the lip of the whole earth' and not, as previously in verse `Genesis 11bbbccc7`, the lip of those who started to build a city and a tower. 'The face of the whole earth' means the state of the Church since 'the earth' is the Church, as shown already in `@@@662`, `@@@1066`. The story of the Churches after the Flood is as follows: There were three Churches which receive specific mention in the Word - the first Ancient Church which took its name from Noah, the second Ancient Church which took its name from Eber, and the third Ancient Church which took its name from Jacob, and subsequently from Judah and Israel.
ttt[2] As regards the first Ancient Church, that called Noah, this was the parent so to speak of those that followed, and as is usually the case with Churches in their earliest phases, it was more untarnished and innocent, as is also clear from verse `Genesis 11bbbccc1` of this chapter which says that it had one lip, that is, one doctrine. That is to say, everyone regarded charity as the essential. But in the course of time, as usually happens to Churches, that Church also started to decline, chiefly because many people started to divert worship to themselves so as to set themselves above others, as is clear from verse `Genesis 11bbbccc4` above - 'they said, Let us build ourselves a city and a tower, and its head in heaven, and let us make a name for ourselves'. In the Church such people were inevitably like some fermenting agent, or like firebrands that start a fire. When the danger of profaning what is holy was consequently near at hand, referred to in `@@@571`, `@@@582`, the state of this Church was, in the Lord's Providence, altered. That is to say, its internal worship perished but its external worship remained, which here is meant by the statement that 'Jehovah confounded the lip of the whole earth'. From this it is also clear that the kind of worship called Babel was not prevalent in the first Ancient Church but in those that followed when people started to be worshipped in place of gods, especially after they had died. This was the origin of so many pagan deities.
ttt[3] The reason internal worship was allowed to perish and external remain was to prevent what is holy being profaned. The profanation of what is holy carries eternal condemnation with it. Nobody is able to profane what is holy unless he possesses cognitions of faith and also acknowledges them. Anyone who does not possess them cannot acknowledge them, still less profane them. It is internal things which may be profaned, for it is in internal things, not external, that holiness resides. The situation is similar with someone who does evil but does not have evil in mind. The evil he does cannot be attributed to him any more than to someone who does not deliberately intend evil, or to anyone devoid of rationality. Thus anyone who does not believe in the existence of a life after death, but who nevertheless has external worship, cannot profane the things that belong to eternal life because he does not believe that they exist. The situation is different with those who do know and acknowledge them.
ttt[4] This too is why a person is allowed rather to live engrossed in lusts and pleasures, and so to isolate himself from internal things, than to enter into a knowledge and acknowledgement of internal things and so profane them. The Jews of today therefore are allowed to immerse themselves in avarice so that in this way they may be removed from an acknowledgement of internal things, for they are the kind of people who, if they acknowledged them, would inevitably profane them. Nothing does more to isolate a person from internal things than avarice, for this is the lowest of all earthly desires. The same applies to many inside the Church, and to gentiles outside, though gentiles, least of all people, are able to profane anything. This then is the reason for the statement here that 'Jehovah confounded the lip of the whole earth', and the reason why these words mean that the state of the Church was altered, that is to say, its worship became external, having no internal worship within it.
ttt[5] The same situation was represented and meant by the Babylonish captivity into which the Israelites, and later on the Jews, were carried away. This is spoken of in Jeremiah as follows,
And there will be a nation and a kingdom that will not serve the king of Babel, and who will not put its neck in the yoke of the king of Babel. With the sword and famine and pestilence I will visit this people, until I have consumed it by his hand. `Jeremiah 27bbb8` and following verses.
'Serving the king of Babel and putting its neck in his yoke' is being utterly deprived of the knowledge and acknowledgement of the good and the truth of faith, and so of internal worship.
ttt[6] The point is clearer still in the same prophet,
Thus said Jehovah to all the people in this city, your brethren who did not go out with you into captivity, thus said Jehovah Zebaoth, Behold, I am sending on them the sword, famine, and pestilence, and I will make them like rotten figs. `Jeremiah 29bbb16-17`.
'Remaining in the city and not going out to the king of Babel' represented and meant people who possessed the cognitions of internal things, that is, of the truths of faith, and who profaned them - people on whom, it is said, He was sending 'the sword, famine, and pestilence', which are forms of punishment for profanation, and whom He was making 'like rotten figs'.
ttt[7] That 'Babel' means people who deprive others of all knowledge and acknowledgement of truth was also represented and meant by the following words in the same prophet,
I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babel, and he will carry them off to Babel, and will smite them with the sword. And I will give over all the wealth of this city, and all its labour, and all its precious things; and I will give all the treasures of the kings of Judah into the hand of their enemies, and they will plunder them and seize them. `Jeremiah 20bbb4-5`.
Here 'all its wealth, all its lab our, all its precious things, all the treasures of the kings of Judah' means in the internal sense cognitions of faith.
ttt[8] In the same prophet,
With the families of the north I will bring the king of Babel against this land and against its inhabitants, and against all those nations round about, and I will utterly destroy them and make them into a ruin, a hissing, and everlasting wastes. And this whole land will be a waste. `Jeremiah 25bbb9`, `Jeremiah 25bbbccc11`.
Here 'Babel' is used to describe the vastation of the interior things of faith, that is, of internal worship. Indeed, as shown already, anyone whose worship is worship of self possesses no truth of faith. He destroys and lays waste, and leads off into captivity, everything that is true. This is why Babel is also called 'a destroying mountain' in `Jeremiah 51bbb25`.
For more concerning Babel, see what has been stated already in `@@@1182`.
ppp22517#pid#1328. 'And from there Jehovah scattered them over the face`fff1` of the whole Earth' means that internal worship ceased to exist. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'scattering' as being dispersed. In the proximate sense those who wanted to build the city of Babel are meant by 'being scattered over the face`fff1` of the whole earth'. But because they are people who deprive others of all knowledge of truth, as has been stated, these words at the same time mean the loss of internal worship; for one is the consequence of the other. Here the consequence is meant because this is the third time that this statement is made. That the first Ancient Church had been deprived of cognitions of truth and good is clear from the consideration that the nations which constituted that Ancient Church became for the most part idolatrous, though they still possessed some form of external worship. The lot of idolaters outside the Church is far better than that of idolaters inside it. The former are external idolaters, but the latter are internal. The fact that the lot of the former is better is clear from what the Lord says in `Luke 13bbb23`, `Luke 13bbbccc28-30`; `Matthew 8bbb11-12`. This then is the reason why the state of this Ancient Church was altered.
`nnn1. literally, the faces
ppp22516#pid#1329. Verse `Genesis 11bbbccc10` These are the generations of Shem: Shem was a son of a hundred years, and he begot Arpachshad two years after the Flood. 'These are the generations of Shem' means the derivatives of the second Ancient Church, 'Shem' being internal worship in general. 'A hundred years' means the state of that Church at the beginning. 'Arpachshad' was a nation so named which means knowledge. 'Two years after the Flood' means the second Church after the Flood.
ppp22515#pid#1330. That 'these are the generations of Shem' means the derivatives of the second Ancient Church is clear from the meaning of 'generations' as the origin and derivation of forms of doctrine and of worship, as stated already in `@@@1145`. Here and elsewhere in the Word 'generations' are nothing other than the things that constitute the Church, thus forms of doctrine and of worship. The internal sense of the Word encompasses nothing else. Consequently when any Church is born the generations of it are mentioned, as with the Most Ancient Church in `Genesis 2bbb4`, 'These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth'; and likewise with the other Churches that succeeded it before the Flood, 'This is the book of the generations', `Genesis 5bbb1`. The same is true of the Churches after the Flood which were three in number - the first called Noah, the second taking its name from Eber, the third from Jacob and subsequently from Judah and Israel. Verse `Genesis 10bbbccc1` of the previous chapter, where the first Church is described, starts in similar fashion, 'These are the generations of the sons of Noah', as does the present verse in reference to this second Church taking its name from Eber, 'These are the generations of Shem', and in reference to the third as well, in verse `Genesis 11bbbccc27` below, 'These are the generations of Terah'. Consequently 'generations' means nothing other than the origins and derivatives of forms of doctrine and of worship in the Church that is being described. The reason why the generations of this second Ancient Church are traced back to Shem, that is, why its beginning is described from Shem onwards, is that 'Shem' means internal worship, here the internal worship of this Church. Not that the nature of the internal worship of this Church was the same as that meant by 'Shem' in the previous chapter, but only that it is the internal worship of this Church.
ppp22514#pid#1331. That 'Shem' is internal worship in general is clear from what has just been said. The nature of the internal worship of this Church is evident from the people referred to one after another from Shem, that is to say, they all had to do with factual knowledge. Further confirmation of this is gained from the numbers of the years when those numbers are examined more closely and broken down into their components.
ppp22513#pid#1332. 'A hundred years' means the state of this Church in general. This is clear from what has been stated and shown already in `@@@482`, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@575`, `@@@647`, `@@@648`, `@@@755`, `@@@813`, `@@@893`, about numbers and years in general meaning periods of time and states. But which states and what kinds are meant by the number 'a hundred years', and also by the numbers of years mentioned in later verses of this chapter, would take too long to explain here. And what is more, it is a complicated subject.
ppp22512#pid#1334.`fff1` The fact that 'Arpachshad' was a nation so named and that it means knowledge has been stated at verse `Genesis 10bbbccc24` of the previous chapter, in `@@@1236`.
`nnn1. There is no paragraph 1333 in the Latin.
ppp22511#pid#1335. That 'two years after the Flood' means the second Church after the Flood becomes clear from the fact that in the Word 'a year', as also 'a day' and 'a week', means an entire period, long or short, consisting of few or of many years. Indeed it means a period considered in the abstract, as may be seen from the places quoted already in `@@@488`, `@@@893`. The same applies here to 'two years after the Flood', which means the second period of the Church, which was when this second Ancient Church came into being.
ppp22510#pid#1336. Verse `Genesis 11bbbccc11` And Shem lived after he begot Arpachshad five hundred years; and he begot sons and daughters. 'Shem lived after he begot Arpachshad five hundred years' means duration and state, 'Shem' here, as previously, meaning internal worship in general, and 'Arpachshad' knowledge. 'And he begot sons and daughters' means matters of doctrine.
ppp22509#pid#1337. There is no need to confirm that these things are meant as it is clear from the meaning of the same words when used previously. Only this need be said, that the internal worship of this Church was merely a kind of factual knowledge, and so a kind of love which can be called the love of truth. For when this Church first began, scarcely any charity remained, and thus scarcely any faith, which does not exist at all without charity. This too is clear from what has been stated above concerning the city and tower of Babel, that 'Jehovah confounded the lip of the whole earth', verse `Genesis 11bbbccc9`.
ppp22508#pid#1338. That 'begetting sons and daughters' means matters of doctrine is clear from the meaning of 'sons', dealt with already in `@@@264`, `@@@489-491`, `@@@533`.
ppp22507#pid#1339. Verse `Genesis 11bbbccc12` And Arpachshad lived thirty-five years, and he begot Shelah.
'Arpachshad lived thirty-five years' means the beginning of the second state of this Church, and also the second state itself, 'Arpachshad' here, as previously, meaning knowledge. 'And he begot Shelah' means a derivative from that, 'Shelah' being a nation so named which means that which comes from knowledge.
ppp22506#pid#1340. There is no need to confirm that this is what these words mean as it has been stated already at verse `Genesis 11bbbccc24` of the previous chapter`fff1` that 'Shelah' was a nation so named and that it means that which is the offspring of knowledge.
`nnn1. i.e. `@@@1237`
ppp22505#pid#1341. Verse `Genesis 11bbbccc13` And Arpachshad lived after he begot Shelah four hundred and three years; and he begot sons and daughters.
'Arpachshad lived after he begot Shelah four hundred and three years' means duration and state, 'Arpachshad' here, as previously, meaning knowledge, and 'Shelah' that which is the offspring of knowledge. 'And he begot sons and daughters' means matters of doctrine.
ppp22504#pid#1342. Verse `Genesis 11bbbccc14` And Shelah lived thirty years, and he begot Eber.
'Shelah lived thirty years' means the beginning of the third state, 'Shelah' here, as previously, meaning that which is the offspring of knowledge. 'And he begot Eber' means a derivative from this, 'Eber' being a nation, the Hebrew nation, which took its name from Eber as its forefather, and which means the worship in general of the second Ancient Church.
ppp22503#pid#1343. That 'Eber' was a nation, the Hebrew nation, which took its name from 'Eber' as its forefather, and which means the worship in general of the second Ancient Church, is clear from the references to him in the historical sections of the Word. Because a new form of worship began with that nation, all those were called Hebrews whose worship was similar to it. Their worship was like that re-established at a later time among the descendants of Jacob, its chief features being that they called their God Jehovah and held sacrifices. The Most Ancient Church was of one mind in acknowledging the Lord and calling Him Jehovah, as is clear also from the early chapters of Genesis and elsewhere in the Word. The Ancient Church, that is, the Church after the Flood also acknowledged the Lord and called Him Jehovah, especially those who possessed internal worship and were called 'the sons of Shem'. The remainder whose worship was external also acknowledged Jehovah and worshipped Him. But when internal worship became external, and still more when it became idolatrous, and when each nation started to have its own god to worship, the Hebrew nation retained the name of Jehovah and called their own God Jehovah. In this they were different from all other nations.
ttt[2] Along with external worship, Jacob's descendants in Egypt, including Moses himself, lost knowledge even of this fact, that their God was called Jehovah. Consequently they had first of all to be taught that Jehovah was the God of the Hebrews, and the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as becomes clear from the following in Moses,
Jehovah said to Moses, You and the elders of Israel shall go in to the king of Egypt, and you shall say to him, Jehovah the God of the Hebrews has met with us; and now let us go, pray, a three days' journey into the wilderness, and let us sacrifice to Jehovah our God. `Exodus 3bbb18`.
In the same author,
Pharaoh said, Who is Jehovah that I should hearken to His voice to send Israel away? I do not know Jehovah, and moreover I will not send Israel away. And they said, The God of the Hebrews has met with us; let us go, pray, a three days' journey into the wilderness, and let us sacrifice to Jehovah our God. `Exodus 5bbb2-3`.
ttt[3] The fact that Jacob's descendants lost in Egypt, along with the worship, even the name of Jehovah becomes clear from the following in Moses,
Moses said to God, Behold, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, The God of your fathers has sent me to you, and they say to me, What is His name? What shall I tell them? And God said to Moses, I Am Who I Am. And He said, Thus shall you say to the children of Israel, I Am has sent me to you. And God said moreover to Moses, Thus shall you say to the children of Israel, Jehovah the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you; this is My name for ever. `Exodus 3bbb13-15`.
ttt[4] From this it is evident that even Moses did not know it and that they were distinguished from everyone else by the name of Jehovah, the God of the Hebrews. Hence also Jehovah is elsewhere called the God of the Hebrews,
You shall say to Pharaoh, Jehovah the God of the Hebrews has sent me to you. `Exodus 7bbb16`.
Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, Thus said Jehovah the God of the Hebrews. `Exodus 9bbb1`, `Exodus 9bbbccc13`.
Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh and said to him, Thus said Jehovah the God of the Hebrews `Exodus 10bbb3`.
In Jonah,
I am a Hebrew, and I fear Jehovah, the God of heaven. `Jonah 1bbb9`.
And also in Samuel,
The Philistines heard the noise of the shouting and said, What does the noise of this great shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean? And they learned that the Ark of Jehovah had come to the camp. The Philistines said, Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who smote the Egyptians with every sort of plague in the wilderness. Acquit yourselves like men, O Philistines, lest you be slaves to the Hebrews. `1 Samuel 4bbb6`, `1 Samuel 4bbbccc8-9`.
Here also it is evident that nations were distinguished from one another by the gods whose names they called on, and that the Hebrew nation was distinguished by that of Jehovah.
ttt[5] The fact that sacrifices were the second essential feature of the worship of the Hebrew nation is also evident from the words from `Exodus 3bbb18`; `Exodus ccc5bbb2-3`, quoted above, as well as from the fact that the Egyptians abhorred the Hebrew nation on account of this form of worship, as is clear from the following in Moses,
Moses said, It is not right to do so, for we would be sacrificing to Jehovah our God what is abhorrent to the Egyptians; behold, we would be sacrificing what is abhorrent to the Egyptians in their eyes; will they not stone us? `Exodus 8bbb26`.
Consequently the Egyptians also abhorred the Hebrew nation so much that they refused even 'to eat bread' with them, `Genesis 43bbb32`. From this it is also evident that not merely the descendants of Jacob constituted the Hebrew nation but everybody who possessed that kind of worship. This also was why in Joseph's day the land of Canaan was called the land of the Hebrews,
Joseph said. By theft I have been taken away out of the land of the Hebrews. `Genesis 40bbb15`.
ttt[6] The fact that sacrifices took place among the idolaters in the land of Canaan becomes clear from many references, for they used to sacrifice to their gods - to the baals and to others What is more, Balaam, who came from Syria where Eber had lived, that is, where the Hebrew nation had originated, before Jacob's descendants entered the land of Canaan, not only offered sacrifices but also called his God Jehovah. As to the fact that Balaam came from Syria where the Hebrew nation had originated, see `Numbers 23bbb7`; that he offered sacrifices, `Numbers 22bbb39-40`; `Numbers ccc23bbb1-3`, `Numbers 23bbbccc14`, `Numbers 23bbbccc29`; that he called his God Jehovah, `Numbers 22bbb18`, and elsewhere in those chapters. And `Genesis 8bbb20` speaks of Noah offering burnt offerings to Jehovah - though this is not true history but made-up history - for 'burnt offerings' means the holiness of worship, as may be seen in that story. These considerations now show what 'Eber' or 'the Hebrew nation' means.
ppp22502#pid#1344. Verse `Genesis 11bbbccc15` And Shelah lived after he begot Eber four hundred and three years; and he begot sons and daughters.
'Shelah lived after he begot Eber four hundred and three years' means duration and state, 'Shelah' here, as previously, being that which is the offspring of knowledge, 'Eber' here, as previously, the worship in general of this Church. 'And he begot sons and daughters' means matters of doctrine.
ppp22501#pid#1345. Verse `Genesis 11bbbccc16` And Eber lived thirty-four years, and he begot Peleg. 'Eber lived thirty-four years' means the beginning of the fourth state of this Church, 'Eber' here, as previously, being the worship in general of this Church. 'And he begot Peleg' means a derivative from it, 'Peleg' being a nation so named from him as its forefather which means external worship.
[`@@@1345`a] That 'Peleg' here means external worship follows from the sequence of derivations of worship, and so from his derivation. In verse `Genesis 10bbbccc25` of the previous chapter where it is said that 'in his days the land was divided', this name had a different meaning, for the reason that there he and his brother Joktan together represented that Church.
ppp22500#pid#1346. Verse `Genesis 11bbbccc17`. And Eber lived after he begot Peleg four hundred and thirty years; and he begot sons and daughters.
'Eber lived after he begot Peleg four hundred and thirty years' means duration and state, 'Eber' and 'Peleg' having the same meaning here as previously. 'And he begot sons and daughters' means matters of doctrine existing as forms of ritual.
ppp22499#pid#1347. Verse `Genesis 11bbbccc18`. And Peleg lived thirty years, and he begot Reu.
'Peleg lived thirty years' means the beginning of the fifth state, 'Peleg' having the same meaning here as previously. 'And he begot Reu' means a derivative from it, 'Reu' being a nation so named from him as its forefather which means worship even more external.
ppp22498#pid#1348. Verse `Genesis 11bbbccc19`. And Peleg lived after he begot Reu two hundred and nine years; and he begot sons and daughters.
'Peleg lived after he begot Reu two hundred and nine years' means duration and state, 'Peleg' and 'Reu' having the same meaning here as previously. 'And he begot sons and daughters' means forms of ritual.
ppp22497#pid#1349. Verse `Genesis 11bbbccc20`. And Reu lived thirty-two years, and he begot Serug. 'Reu lived thirty-two years' means the beginning of the sixth state, 'Reu' having the same meaning here as previously. 'And he begot Serug' means a derivative from it, 'Serug' being a nation so named from him as its forefather which means worship confined to externals
ppp22496#pid#1350. Verse `Genesis 11bbbccc21`. And Reu lived after he begot Serug two hundred and seven years; and he begot sons and daughters.
'Reu lived after he begot Serug two hundred and seven years' mean duration and state, 'Reu' and 'Serug' having the same meaning here as previously. 'And he begot sons and daughters' means the forms of ritual belonging to such worship.
ppp22495#pid#1351. Verse `Genesis 11bbbccc22`. And Serug lived thirty years, and he begot Nahor. 'Serug lived thirty years' means the beginning of the seventh state of this Church, 'Serug' having the same meaning here as previously. 'And he begot Nahor' means a derivative from it, 'Nahor' being a nation so named from him as its forefather which means worship verging on the idolatrous.
ppp22494#pid#1352. Verse `Genesis 11bbbccc23`. And Serug lived after he begot Nahor two hundred years; and he begot sons and daughters.
'Serug lived after he begot Nahor two hundred years' means duration and state, 'Serug' and 'Nahor' having the same meaning here as previously. 'And he begot sons and daughters' means the forms of ritual belonging to such worship.
ppp22493#pid#1353. Verse `Genesis 11bbbccc24`. And Nahor lived twenty-nine years, and he begot Terah.
'Nahor lived twenty-nine years' means the beginning of the eighth state of this Church, 'Nahor' here, as previously, meaning worship verging on what is idolatrous. 'And he begot Terah' means a derivative from it, 'Terah' being a nation so named from him as its forefather which means idolatrous worship.
ppp22492#pid#1354. Verse `Genesis 11bbbccc25`. And Nahor lived after he begot Terah a hundred and nineteen years; and he begot sons and daughters.
'Nahor lived after he begot Terah a hundred and nineteen years' means duration and state, 'Nahor' here, as previously, meaning worship verging on what is idolatrous, 'Terah' idolatrous worship. 'And he begot sons and daughters' means idolatrous forms of ritual.
ppp22491#pid#1355. Verse `Genesis 11bbbccc26`. And Terah lived seventy years, and he begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
'Terah lived seventy years' means the beginning of the ninth and final state, 'Terah' here, as previously, meaning idolatrous worship. 'And he begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran' means derivatives from it, Abram, Nahor, and Haran being actual people after whom nations that were idolaters were also named.
ppp22490#pid#1356. That 'Terah' means idolatrous worship becomes clear from the derivatives mentioned from verse `Genesis 11bbbccc20` down to this point. This second Ancient Church declined from a kind of internal worship, becoming adulterated as it did so until in the end it became idolatrous, as Churches usually do. They pass from internal things to external, ending up with mere externals when internal things have been erased. The fact that the same happened to this Church, even to the extent that a large part of them did not acknowledge Jehovah as God but worshipped other gods, is clear in Joshua,
Joshua said to all the people, Thus said Jehovah, the God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt of old beyond the River, Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, and they served other gods. `Joshua 24bbb2`.
Now fear Jehovah, and serve Him in sincerity and truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River, and in Egypt, and serve Jehovah. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve Jehovah, choose this day whom you are to serve, whether the gods which your fathers served who were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites. `Joshua 24bbb14-15`.
From this it is quite evident that Terah, Abram, and Nahor were idolaters.
ttt[2] The fact that Nahor was a nation in which idolatrous worship existed is clear also from Laban the Syrian, who dwelt in the city of Nahor and who worshipped the images or teraphim which Rachel carried away with her, `Genesis 24bbb10`; `Genesis ccc31bbb19`, `Genesis 31bbbccc26`, `Genesis 31bbbccc32`, `Genesis 31bbbccc34`. And the fact that Abraham had one god, Nahor another, and Terah their father yet another, is clear from `Genesis 31bbb53`. It is also explicitly stated in Moses that Jehovah was unknown to Abram,
I, Jehovah, appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Shaddai, and by My name Jehovah I was not known to them. `Exodus 6bbb3`.
From this it is evident how much this Church with this people declined into idolatrous worship, which is meant here by 'Terah'. And since Terah means that worship, so do Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
ppp22489#pid#1357. There are three general kinds of idolatry. The first is associated with self-love, the second with love of the world, and the third with the desire for pleasures. All idolatrous worship has one or another of these as its end in view. The worship of such people has no other ends in view, for they neither know nor care about eternal life, and even deny its existence. These three kinds of idolatry are meant by 'the three sons of Terah'.
ppp22488#pid#1358. Abram, Nahor, and Haran were actual people after whom nations that were idolaters were also named, as is clear from the historical sections of the Word. That this was so in the case of Nahor has been shown already, for the city itself was called 'the city of Nahor', `Genesis 24bbb10`. At that time cities were nothing else than families dwelling together; and many families constituted a nation. That many nations were born from Abraham is clear not only from the descendants of Ishmael, who were the Ishmaelites, but also from the descendants of his many sons born to his wife Keturah, whose names are given in `Genesis 25bbb1-4`.
ppp22487#pid#1359. Verse `Genesis 11bbbccc27` And these are the generations of Terah: Terah begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran, and Haran begot Lot.
'These are the generations of Terah' means the origins and derivatives of the idolatry, from which a representative Church emerged. Terah was the son of Nahor, and also a nation that was named after him as its forefather. He means idolatrous worship. Abram, Nahor, and Haran were the sons of Terah and also nations that were named after them as their forefathers. Here they mean forms of idolatrous worship stemming from them. From Lot also two nations descended which were idolaters.
ppp22486#pid#1360. That 'these are the generations of Terah' means the origins and derivatives of idolatry, from which a representative Church emerged, [is clear from what has just been said.]`fff1` That 'generations' means origins and derivatives has been shown above at verse `Genesis 11bbbccc10` of this chapter. The present verse deals with the third Church after the Flood which took the place of the second, when that second one, dealt with from verse `Genesis 11bbbccc10` down to this point, came to be idolatrous in Terah. It has been shown already that Terah, Abram, Nahor, and Haran were idolaters, as well as that nations were descended from them, such as the Ishmaelites, the Midianites, and others who were descendants of Abram, not to mention others in Syria descended from Nahor, and also the Moabites and Ammonites who were the descendants of Lot.
`nnn1. A few words seem to have been omitted from the Latin.
ppp22485#pid#1361. The fact that the Church became representative as the result of idolatry nobody is able to know unless he knows what a representative is. The things that were represented in the Jewish Church, and in the Word, are the Lord and His kingdom, and therefore the celestial things of love and the spiritual things of faith. These are the things that are represented, in addition to many things that go with them, such as everything belonging to the Church. Those that represent are either persons or else things in the universe or on this earth; in short, all things that are objects of the senses, so much so that scarcely any object is incapable of being representative. It is a general law of representation however that no attention is paid to the representative person or thing, but to the actual subject being represented.
ttt[2] For example: Every king who has lived - in Judah or Israel, or even in Egypt and elsewhere - could represent the Lord Their royal status itself is representative, and thus the worst king of all was able to represent Him, such as the Pharaoh who promoted Joseph over the land of Egypt, or Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon, `Daniel 2bbb37-38`, or Saul and all the other kings of Judah and Israel, no matter what kind of men they were. The anointing of them, by virtue of which they were called 'Jehovah's anointed', carried that representation with it. In the same way all priests, however many there were, represented the Lord. Their priestly status itself is representative. This applies even to priests who were evil and immoral, for in representatives no attention is paid to the character of the person involved. And not only human beings but also animals were representative, for example all those used in sacrifice. Lambs and sheep represented celestial things, doves and turtle doves spiritual, as did rams, he-goats, young bulls, and oxen, though these latter represented lower types of celestial and spiritual things.
ttt[3] Nor, as has been stated, was it just living creatures that were representative but also inanimate objects, such as the altar and even the stones of the altar; also the Ark and the Tabernacle together with everything in it; and the Temple too together with everything in it, a fact that anyone is capable of seeing. The lamps, the loaves, and Aaron's garments were accordingly representative. And not only these but also all the religious ceremonies in the Jewish Church. In the Ancient Churches representatives extended to every object of the senses, such as mountains and hills, and valleys, plains, rivers, streams, springs, reservoirs, woods, trees in general, and every kind of tree in particular, so that every single tree had some definite meaning. Once the Church of meaningful signs had come to an end these things became representatives. These considerations make clear what is to be understood by representatives. And seeing that not only human beings, no matter who or of what character, but also animals and even inanimate objects, could represent celestial and spiritual things - which are things belonging to the Lord's kingdom in heaven and those belonging to the Lord's kingdom on earth - it is consequently clear what a representative Church is.
ttt[4] Representatives were such that to spirits and angels all things that were carried out according to the prescribed ritual appeared holy, as when the high priest, who had washed himself with water, ministered dressed in the robes of his office, and stood before the lighted candles, no matter what kind of man he was, even the most immoral and an idolater at heart. And the same applied to all other priests, for, as has been stated, in representatives no attention is paid to the person, but only to the actual thing being represented. The representation was completely abstracted from the person, as it was from the oxen, young bulls, or lambs that were sacrificed, or from the blood that was poured out around the altar, or again from the altar itself, and so on.
ttt[5] This representative Church was established after all internal worship had perished, when worship became not only wholly external but also idolatrous It was established so that heaven might be joined in some measure to the earth, that is, the Lord might be joined to human beings by means of heaven. And this came about after conjunction by means of the internal things of worship had perished. The nature of this conjunction by means of representatives alone will in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed later on. Representatives do not start until the next chapter, where every single thing from then on is purely representative. At the moment the subject is the state of those who were their forefathers, before some of them and their descendants became representative, whose worship, as shown above, was idolatrous.
ppp22484#pid#1362. That Terah was the son of Nahor, and also a nation that was named after him as its forefather, and that he means idolatrous worship, has been shown already. The fact that Terah was a nation becomes clear from the consideration that nations arising from his sons acknowledged him as their forefather, just as the sons of Jacob - that is, the Jews and Israelites - and also the Ishmaelites, Midianites, and others, acknowledged Abram as theirs and as the Moabites and Ammonites acknowledged Lot. Although these nations were not named after those forefathers, but after their sons, nevertheless when all acknowledge a common forefather and call themselves his sons - for example, the sons of Terah, or the sons of Abraham, or the sons of Lot - a nation is meant in a general sense by each one, as also here by Terah, Abram, Nahor, and Lot, because they are the stocks or roots of nations. The same was true of the descendants of Jacob who were all named after his twelve sons, but are nevertheless called Jacob and Israel, as well as the seed and the sons of Abraham, `John 8bbb33`, `John 8bbbccc39`.
ppp22483#pid#1363. That 'Abram, Nahor, and Haran' were the sons of Terah and also nations that were named after them as their forefathers, and that here these sons mean forms of idolatrous worship, is clear from what has been shown above and also from the fact that 'Terah', whose sons they were, means idolatry. Which forms of idolatrous worship however are meant here by the three sons of Terah and after that by Lot, the son of Haran, becomes clear if the categories of idolatrous worship are examined. There are in general four kinds of idolatrous worship, one more interior than the next. The three more interior types are like sons of the same parent, while the fourth is like the son of the third of these. There are internal and external forms of idolatrous worship. Internal forms are those which condemn a person, external less so. The more interior a form of idolatrous worship is, the more it condemns, while the more exterior it is, the less it does so. Internal idolaters do not acknowledge God but venerate themselves and the world, and treat all their desires as idols. External idolaters however are able to acknowledge God even though they are not aware of who the God of the universe is. Internal idolaters are known by the life they have acquired for themselves; and to the extent that their life is a departure from the life of charity they are interior idolaters. External idolaters are so solely on account of their worship, and although they are indeed idolaters they are nevertheless able to have the life of charity within them. Internal idolaters are capable of profaning holy things, whereas external idolaters are not. Consequently to guard against the profaning of holy things, external idolatry is permitted, as may become clear from what has been stated already in `@@@571`, `@@@582`, and above at verse `Genesis 11bbbccc9`, in `@@@1327`.
ppp22482#pid#1364. From Lot two nations descended which were idolaters. This is clear from the two sons he had by his daughters, `Genesis 19bbb37-38`, namely Moab and Ammon, from whom the Moabites and the Ammonites sprang, who, as is evident from the Word, were idolaters. Lot is mentioned here as the father of the idolatrous forms of worship meant by Moab and Ammon.
ppp22481#pid#1365. Verse `Genesis 11bbbccc28` And Haran died in the presence`fff1` of Terah his father, in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldeans.
'Haran died in the presence' of Terah his father, in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldeans' means that interior worship was erased and became wholly idolatrous, 'Haran' meaning interior idolatrous worship, 'Terah his father', as previously, meaning idolatrous worship in general, 'land of his birth' the source from which it derived, and 'Ur of the Chaldeans' external worship containing falsities.
`nnn1. literally, before the faces
ppp22480#pid#1366. That 'Haran died in the presence`fff1` of Terah his father, in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldeans' means that interior worship was erased and became wholly idolatrous is clear from the meaning of 'Haran', 'Terah', 'birth', and 'Ur of the Chaldeans', and also from the statement that 'he died in the presence' of Terah his father'. As regards interior worship being erased and made non-existent, the Church cannot arise anew with any nation until it has been so vastated that no trace of evil or falsity remains in its internal worship. As long as evil is present in internal worship, those goods and truths which constitute its internal worship are obstructed. For as long as evils and falsities are there, goods and truths cannot be received. This becomes clear from the fact that people who have been born into any heresy and who have so confirmed themselves in its falsities as to be entirely persuaded about it can be led only with difficulty, if at all, to receive the truths which are contrary to their falsities. It is different however in the case of gentiles who do not know what the truth of faith is and yet lead charitable lives. This was the reason why the Lord's Church could not be restored among the Jews but could among gentiles who possessed no cognitions of faith. By means of falsities the Jews darken the light of truth altogether, and in so doing extinguish it. This is less true of gentiles, for they do not know what the truth of faith is, and what people do not know they cannot darken and extinguish.
ttt[2] As a new Church had now to be established, people were selected with whom the goods and truths of faith might be implanted. All knowledge of the good and truth of faith had been wiped out with them, and they had become external idolaters like the gentiles. In reference to Terah and Abram it has been shown above that they were such, that is to say, they worshipped other gods, and did not know Jehovah or consequently what the good and truth of faith were. They had thus become more fitted to receive the seed of truth than other people in Syria with whom cognitions still remained. The fact that cognitions remained with some is clear from Balaam, who came from Syria. He not only worshipped Jehovah but also offered sacrifices and at the same time was a prophet. These considerations then are what this verse contains, that is to say, that interior worship was erased and became wholly idolatrous.
`nnn1. literally, before the faces
ppp22479#pid#1367. That 'Haran' means interior idolatrous worship and 'Terah' idolatrous worship in general has been stated and shown already. That 'the land of his birth' means the source from which their idolatrous worship derived is clear from the meaning of 'birth' as a source and derivation, dealt with above at verses `Genesis 11bbbccc10` and `Genesis 11bbbccc27`.
ppp22478#pid#1368. That 'Ur of the Chaldeans' means external worship containing falsities is clear from the meaning of 'the Chaldeans' in the Word. At verse `Genesis 11bbbccc9` above it has been shown that 'Babel' means worship which interiorly contains evils, whereas 'Chaldea' means worship which interiorly contains falsities. Consequently Babel means worship which inwardly contains no trace of good and Chaldea worship which inwardly contains no trace of truth. Worship which inwardly contains no trace of good and no trace of truth is worship which interiorly contains what is unholy and idolatrous. That such worship is meant in the Word by 'Chaldea' becomes clear from the following places: In Isaiah,
Behold, the land of the Chaldeans! This people is not. Asshur founded her in the tziim. They will erect their watch-towers, they will raise up her palaces; he will make her into a ruin. `Isaiah 23bbb13`.
'The land of the Chaldeans who are not a people' stands for falsities, 'Asshur founded' for reasonings, 'watch-towers' for delusions. In the same prophet,
Thus said Jehovah, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, For your sake I have sent into Babel and have broken down all the bars, and the Chaldeans in whose ships there is shouting. `Isaiah 43bbb14`.
'Babel' stands for worship which interiorly contains evil, 'the Chaldeans' for worship which interiorly contains falsity. 'Ships' means cognitions of truth that have been perverted.
ttt[2] In the same prophet, sit in silence and go into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans, for no more will they call you the mistress of kingdoms. I was angry with My people, I rendered My heritage unholy, and I gave them into your hand These two things will come to you suddenly in one day - loss of children and widowhood. In full measure they will come upon you on account of the multitude of your sorceries, and on account of the greatness of your enchantments. `Isaiah 47bbb5-6`, `Isaiah 47bbbccc9`.
Here it is evident that 'Chaldea' means profanation of truth and is called 'sorceries and enchantments'. In the same prophet,
Go away out of Babel, flee from the Chaldeans. `Isaiah 48bbb20`.
This stands for flight from profaning good and truth in worship. In Ezekiel,
Make known to Jerusalem her abominations; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. You committed whoredom with the sons of Egypt. You committed whoredom with the sons of Asshur. Hence you multiplied your whoredom even into the land of Chaldea. `Ezekiel 16bbb2-3`, `Ezekiel 16bbbccc26`, `Ezekiel 16bbbccc28-29`.
This refers to the Jewish Church in particular. 'The sons of Egypt' stands for facts, 'the sons of Asshur' for reasonings, 'the land of Chaldea into which it multiplied its whoredom' for the profanation of truth.
Anyone may see that Egypt, Asshur, and Chaldea are not used to mean countries, and that no other kind of whoredom is being referred to.
ttt[3] In the same prophet,
Oholah committed whoredom and doted on her lovers, the Assyrians her neighbours. And she did not give up her acts of whoredom brought from Egypt. She added to her acts of whoredom. And she saw men; it was portrayed on the wall, images of the Chaldeans painted in vermilion, girded with belts on their loins, with dyed flowing turbans on their heads, all of them leaders in appearance, the likeness of the sons of Babel, the Chaldeans, the land of their nativity. She loved them passionately as soon as she set eyes on them and she sent messengers to them in Chaldea. The sons of Babel defiled her by means of their acts of whoredom. `Ezekiel 23bbb5`, `Ezekiel 23bbbccc8`, `Ezekiel 23bbbccc14-17`.
Here 'the Chaldeans', called 'the sons of Babel', stands for truths that have been profaned in worship. 'Oholah' stands for the spiritual Church which is called 'Samaria'.`fff1`
In Habakkuk,
I am rousing the Chaldeans, a bitter and hasty nation, marching into the breadths of the earth, to possess habitations that are not its own. A dreadful and terrible nation; and from itself proceeds its judgement and its pride. Its horses are swifter than leopards, and sharper than the evening wolves. Its horsemen spread out, and its horsemen come from afar. They fly in like an eagle hastening to devour. The whole [nation] comes for violence; the panting desire of its face`fff2` is set towards the east. `Habakkuk 1bbb6`, `Habakkuk 1bbbccc9`.
Here the Chaldean nation is described by means of many representatives meaning the circumstances in which truth is profaned in worship.
A further description of Babel and Chaldea is given in two whole chapters - in `Jeremiah 50bbb0`, `Jeremiah ccc51bbb0` - where it is plainly evident what they both mean. There Babel plainly means in worship the profanation of celestial things and Chaldea the profanation of spiritual things. From these considerations it is now clear what is meant by 'Ur of the Chaldeans', that it is external worship which interiorly contains what is unholy and idolatrous. I have also been allowed to learn from these people themselves that their worship was such.
`nnn1. `Ezekiel 23bbb4` identifies Oholah with Samaria.
`nnn2. literally, faces
ppp22477#pid#1369. Verse `Genesis 11bbbccc29` And Abram and Nahor took to themselves wives; the name of Abram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife was Milkah, the daughter of Haran, Milkah's father and Iskah's father.
'Abram and Nahor took to themselves wives, and the name of Abram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife was Milkah, the daughter of Haran, Milkah's father and Iskah's father' means marriages of evil and falsity in idolatrous worship, the relationships being as stated here. The husbands mean evils, and the wives falsities.
ppp22476#pid#1370. That these things are meant would take too long to explain in detail, for one would have to give a detailed explanation of the kinds and derivatives of forms of idolatry. These cannot be known except from their opposites, that is, from the profanation of certain things, such as the profanation of the celestial things of love, and of the spiritual things of love, also of rational ideas deriving from these, and lastly of factual knowledge. These things when profaned constitute the genera and species of forms of idolatry. This does not include forms of idol worship, which are external forms of idolatry, and which are able to be joined to affections for what is good and true, and so to charity, as is the case with gentiles who lead charitable lives one with another. Interior forms of idolatrous worship are meant by the external forms of idolatrous worship in the Word. The births and generations, and also their marriages, which are marriages of evil and falsity, are exactly like those blood relationships and marriages described in verse `Genesis 11bbbccc27` and in the present verse.
ppp22475#pid#1371. Verse `Genesis 11bbbccc30` And Sarai was barren; she had no offspring.
'Sarai was barren; she had no offspring' means that evil and falsity were no longer reproducing themselves.
ppp22474#pid#1372. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'barren', dealt with elsewhere, for, as shown already, 'son' and 'daughter' mean truth and good, and in the contrary sense evil and falsity. Consequently 'barren' means that the evil and falsity of idolatrous worship were no longer reproducing themselves.
ppp22473#pid#1373. Verse `Genesis 11bbbccc31` And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot, the son of Haran, his son's son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, the wife of Abram his son; and they set out together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan. And they came as far as Haran and remained there. These words mean that people whose worship was idolatrous received instruction in the celestial and spiritual things of faith in order that from them a representative Church might come into being.
ppp22472#pid#1374. That these things are meant becomes clear from what has been stated above and from what is going to be stated in the next chapter.
ppp22471#pid#1375. Verse `Genesis 11bbbccc32` And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years; and Terah died in Haran.
'The days of Terah were two hundred and five years' means the duration and the state of idolatrous worship meant by Terah. 'And Terah died in Haran' means the end of idolatry and the beginning of the representative Church through Abram.
ppp22470#pid#1376. POSITION AND PLACE, AND ALSO DISTANCE AND TIME IN THE NEXT LIFE - continued
I have spoken frequently to spirits about the idea that place and distance with them are not anything real but only appear to be so, being nothing other than their states of thought and affection, which vary in the way place and distance do and which visually present themselves as such in the world of spirits. This is not so much the case with angels in heaven. They have no idea of place or of time, but only of states. Spirits however who cling to bodily and earthly ideas do not comprehend this because they imagine that everything really is exactly as they behold it. Such spirits can scarcely be led to believe otherwise than that they are living in the body, and refuse to be convinced that they are spirits. Thus they can scarcely be led to believe that any appearances or illusions are possible, desiring to live in illusions, and so they shut themselves off from grasping and acknowledging truths and goods, which are very far from being illusions. They have been shown time and again that change of place is merely an appearance, and also an illusion of the senses. In fact there are in the next life two kinds of changes of place. The first is that mentioned already, in which every spirit and angel in the Grand Man remains all the time in his own position; this is an appearance. The second is that in which spirits appear in a place when in fact they are not there at all; this is an illusion.
ppp22469#pid#1377. The fact that place, change of place, or distance in the world of spirits is an appearance has been made clear from the consideration that all the souls and spirits that there have been since the beginning of creation appear to remain all the time in their own place. Nor does their place alter unless their state does. And as their state alters so are places and distances with them changed. But since everyone has a general governing state, and particular and individual changes of state nevertheless have regard to the general, spirits consequently go back after such changes to their own position.
ppp22468#pid#1378. I have learned both through talking to angels and through actual experience that spirits, as spirits, are not, so far as the organic substances which constitute their bodies are concerned, in the place where they seem to be, but are possibly far away, and yet they still appear there. I know that people who allow themselves to be swayed by illusions will not believe it, but this is nevertheless the truth. This has been illustrated to spirits who have believed nothing to be true which they did not see with their eyes, even though this were sheer illusion, by means of something comparable to that found with men in the world. Take for example the sound of someone's voice in another person's ear. Unless that person knew how to distinguish sounds - something he has learned from experience to do since infancy - and unless he saw him at a distance, he would inevitably believe the speaker to be right next to his ear. The same applies in the case of someone beholding objects remote from himself. Unless he saw at the same time other objects in between and so knew from these, or inferred the distance from what he already knew, he would imagine a distant object to be right next to his eye. This is all the more true of the speech of spirits, which is interior speech, and also of their sight, which is interior sight.
ttt[2] The spirits were also told that when plain experience suggested something they ought not therefore to doubt it, even less to deny it, because it did not appear to be so to the senses and they were unable to perceive it. Even in the world of nature many things exist which are contrary to the illusions of the senses, but which people believe because of what visible experience teaches them. Take for example sailing round the world. People who allow themselves to be swayed by illusions would believe that a boat and its crew would fall off the edge when they got to the other side, and that people in the antipodes could never stand on their feet. The same applies to this and many other things in the next life which are contrary to the illusions of the senses but are nevertheless true - for example, the fact that man does not possess life of himself but from the Lord, and many other things. These and other considerations have enabled disbelieving spirits to be brought to believe that it is indeed so.
ppp22467#pid#1379. These considerations also show that when spirits walk or are removed and advance from one place to another - occurrences witnessed very frequently - nothing else than changes of state are taking place. That is, such changes appear in the world of spirits as changes of place, but in heaven as changes of state. The same applies to many other things that are representative and present themselves visually there. In the Lord's Divine mercy these will be dealt with later on.
ppp22466#pid#1380. The fact that place, change of place, and distance in the next life are also an illusion has been made clear to me from the consideration that by means of delusions spirits can in an instant be taken up on high, as high as possible, and in the same instant taken into the depths, as well as being taken, so to speak, from one end of the universe to the other. Indeed by means of delusions witches and magicians in the next life induce others to believe that when they are in one place they are also simultaneously in another, or even in many places. In this way they pretend to be present everywhere. People who have aspired to great heights during their lifetime, as well as people who were deceivers, often appear overhead. Yet they are still in hell underfoot. As soon as their arrogance is taken away from them they sink down into their own hell, as I have been shown. This is not an appearance but an illusion, for, as has been stated, there are two types of changes of place - the first being that in which every spirit and angel remains all the time in his own position, which is an appearance; and the second being that in which each appears in a place which is not his actual position, which is an illusion.
ppp22465#pid#1381. Souls and spirits who have not yet been allotted a permanent position in the Grand Man are conveyed to different places - now this way, now that - and are seen now on one side and now on another, above or below. They are called wandering souls or spirits and are compared to the fluids in the human body that surge up from the stomach, sometimes into the head, sometimes into other parts, and are carried around. This is what happens to these spirits before they reach the appointed place and position in keeping with their own general state. It is their states which alter and wander in this fashion.
ppp22464#pid#1382. People inevitably confuse Divine Infinity with infinity of space. And because they do not conceive of infinity of space as anything other than nothingness, as indeed it is, neither do they believe in Divine Infinity. The same applies to Eternity. They cannot conceive of it except as an eternity of time, but it is manifested continually by means of time to those who dwell within [space and] time. The true idea of Divine Infinity is instilled into angels by their being instantaneously under the Lord's view with no intervening space or time even if they came from the ends of the universe. And the true idea of Divine Eternity is instilled into them by the fact that thousands of years do not appear to them as a period of time, almost as if they had lived for only a minute. Both ideas are also instilled by means of the fact that the present with them includes past and future together. Consequently they have no anxiety about things of the future, nor do they ever have any idea of death, but only of life. And so their whole present includes within it the Lord's Eternity and Infinity.
ppp22463#pid#1383. CHAPTER 12
THE PERCEPTION SPIRITS AND ANGELS HAVE; ALSO SPHERES IN THE NEXT LIFE
Among the marvels in the next life are perceptions, of which there are two kinds. The first, which is angelic, consists in the angels perceiving what is true and good, perceiving what is from the Lord and what from self, and also perceiving the source and nature of their own thoughts, speech, and actions when these spring from self. The second kind is one that is common to all - with angels to the height of perfection, and with spirits according to the particular character of each one - and consists in knowing the character of another as soon as he approaches.
ppp22462#pid#1384. As to the first kind - the angelic, which consists in the angels perceiving what is true and good, perceiving what is from the Lord and what from self, and perceiving the source and nature of their own thoughts, speech, and actions when these spring from self - I have been allowed to talk to members`fff1` of the Most Ancient Church about their perception. They said that from themselves they neither think nor are able to think anything at all, and that from themselves do not will anything at all, but that in every single thing which they think or will they perceive what comes from the Lord and what from some other source. They also perceive, they have said, not only how much comes from the Lord and how much seemingly from themselves, but also when it seemingly comes from themselves, where it in fact comes from. They in that case perceive which angels it comes from, what is the character of those angels, and what their thoughts are, down to the smallest difference. Thus they perceive what the influx is, and countless other things. Perceptions of this kind exist in great variety. With celestial angels in whom love to the Lord reigns there is a perception of good, and from this of every aspect of truth. And because good is the source of the truth they perceive, they do not entertain any talk about truth, still less any reasoning about it, but simply say, It is so; or, It is not so; whereas spiritual angels, who also have perception, though not such as celestial angels have, are disposed to talk about truth and good. All the same, spiritual angels do perceive these, although with differences, for there are countless varieties of this perception. Such varieties are directly related to their perceiving whether something flows from the Lord's will, or from His consent, or from His permission - these being quite distinct from one another.
`nnn1. literally, sons or children
ppp22461#pid#1385. There are spirits who belong to the province of the skin, especially its scaly area, who wish to reason about everything, but who have no perception of what good or truth is. Indeed, the more they go on reasoning the less they perceive. They identify reasoning with wisdom; and they do this so that they may appear wise. They have been told that angelic wisdom involves perceiving whether a thing is good or true without reasoning about it, but they have no conception of the possibility of a perception such as this. They are people who during their lifetime had thrown truth and good into confusion by means of scientific and philosophical arguments, and in so doing had seemed to themselves to be more learned than everybody else; but they had not in the first place grasped from the Word any basic ideas of truth, as a result of which they possess less common sense than anybody else
ppp22460#pid#1386. As long as spirits imagine that they are self-directed, and that they think from themselves, and that they have knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom originating within themselves, they cannot have perception, but believe it to be an invention.
ppp22459#pid#1387. I have spoken on several occasions about perception to those in the next life who, while they lived in the world, imagined that they had the ability to see into and understand all things. I told them that angels perceive that they think and speak, will and act, from the Lord; but they were still unable to envisage what perception was, for they imagined that if all things flowed in from Him in that way they would be bereft of all life. They would be bereft of it because they would not think anything from themselves or from their proprium - in which activity they made life consist - and so it would be another who did the thinking and not they themselves, so that they would be organs without any life in them. They were told however that so far as life is concerned the difference between having perception and not having it is like the difference between darkness and light, and that people first begin to feel alive when they are receiving such perception, for in that case they live from the Lord yet also have a proprium, which is imparted to them together with every happiness and delight. They were also shown from much experience what perception really was, during which time they acknowledged the existence of it. But after a while they again had no knowledge of it, and doubted and denied its existence. This made clear how difficult it is for man to grasp what perception is.
ppp22458#pid#1388. The second kind of perception, as has been stated, is common to all, existing with angels to the height of perfection, and with spirits according to the particular character of each one; that is to say, they know the character of another as soon as he approaches, even when he does not say a word. It shows itself immediately by means of a certain remarkable influx. A good spirit is recognized not only from the goodness within him but also from the faith there, and from each word he uses as he is speaking, while a wicked spirit is recognized from his wickedness and unbelief, and from each word he uses as he is speaking. They are recognized so plainly that one could never be mistaken. Something similar occurs among men who likewise, from another person's gestures, looks, and speech, are sometimes able to know what he is thinking, even though something different is expressed in his speech. With man such knowledge is natural, but it has its origin in and receives its character from that which exists in spirits, and so from the spirit of the individual himself and from his communication with the world of spirits. This communicative perception from this source derives in the first place from the Lord's will that all goods should be communicable and that all people should be stirred by mutual love and so be happy. This being so, such perception reigns universally among spirits also.
ppp22457#pid#1389. Souls who have entered the next life have been amazed that such a communication of another person's thoughts should exist, and that people should know in an instant not only the nature of another person's turn of mind but also the nature of his faith. They have been told however that, once separated from the body, the spirit acquires far more excellent capabilities. During his lifetime the objects of the senses are flowing in, and also delusions arising from those things which as a consequence are fixed in the memory, in addition to anxieties over the future, various desires aroused by things of an external nature, concern about food, clothing, shelter, children, and many other matters, to which they give no thought at all in the next life. When those obstacles and hindrances have therefore been removed along with bodily things that are part of mere physical sensation, people enter inevitably into a more perfect state. The same capabilities remain, but these are far more perfect, clear, and unrestricted. This is especially so with those who have lived in charity and faith in the Lord, and also in innocence. Their capabilities are heightened enormously, way above those they had had during their lifetime, till at length they come up to the angelic capabilities of the third heaven.
ppp22456#pid#1390. Not only is there a communication of another person's affections and thoughts but also a communication of his knowledge, so much so that one spirit imagines that he himself has known what another knows, even if he had known nothing at all of such matters. In this way the whole of what another person knows is communicated. Some spirits retain the things so communicated, others do not.
ppp22455#pid#1391. Communications are effected both through their conversation with one another, and through ideas and accompanying representations, for the ideas comprising their thought are at the same time representative; and in those ways all things are presented fully. Through one idea they are able to represent more than they can declare with a thousand words. But angels perceive what lies within the idea, what the affection is, what the origin of the affection is, and what its intention is, in addition to further things that are more interior.
ppp22454#pid#1392. It is also usual for forms of delight and of happiness in the next life to be communicated from one to many by means of a real transferring that is remarkable, which delight and happiness then affect them in a similar way. These communications are effected without any reduction of delight and happiness with the one who communicates them. I too have been allowed so to communicate delights to others by means of transferences of that kind. This shows what the happiness is like of those who love their neighbour more than themselves and who desire nothing more than to impart their own happiness to others. That desire has its origin in the Lord, who in the same way communicates forms of happiness to the angels. Communications of happiness consist in continual transferences like these, yet without any reflection upon the fact that they flow from so active a source and so to speak from such an open and willing determination.
ppp22453#pid#1393. Communications are also effected in a remarkable fashion by means of removings, the nature of which man is not able to perceive. Things that are sad and irksome are removed in an instant, and those which are delightful and happy are presented without any hindrances; for once the former have been removed angels flow in and communicate their own forms of happiness.
ppp22452#pid#1394. The perception which angels and spirits have is such that any one of them can know in an instant the nature of the love and faith in another Hence it is that according to their similarity with one another they are joined together into communities, and according to their dissimilarity they are withheld from such associations. And this is so completely the case that not even the smallest difference fails to draw them together or to set them apart. Consequently the communities in heaven are so distinct and separate from one another that it is impossible to envisage anything more distinct, such distinctness being determined by all the differences of love to and faith in the Lord, which are countless. This is how the heavenly form is produced, the nature of which is such that it presents itself as one human being. And this form is constantly being perfected.
ppp22451#pid#1395. As regards this kind of perception, I have been enabled to know it from much experience, though it would take up too much space to relate everything. Quite a number of times I have heard deceivers speaking, and have perceived not only the existence of the deception but also the nature of it and what wickedness lay within it. There is in every tone of their voice, so to speak, the image of deception. I have also perceived whether the deception was the spirit's own, or that of others who spoke through him. It is similar with those who harbor hatred; the nature of the hatred is detected in an instant, and more things within it than anyone could possibly have been led to believe. When persons whom they have hated are brought into their presence, a pitiable state then overtakes those who have harbored such hatred; for whatever they have thought or plotted against anyone else comes out into the open.
ppp22450#pid#1396. A certain spirit who wished to lay claim to merit for what he had done and taught while living in the world went away towards the right and came to some who were not such that he could be made one of their community. He said that he was nothing and that he wished to serve them. But they began to perceive what he was really like as soon as he started to approach them, and indeed when he was still a long way off. They replied instantly that he was nothing of the kind, but that he wished to be great, and that this being so he could not live in harmony with those who were lowly. At this he was put to shame and withdrew, amazed that they should know him from such a distance.
ppp22449#pid#1397. Since perceptions are so keen, evil spirits cannot go near a sphere or any community where there are good spirits in whom mutual love reigns. When they merely go near they start to feel pain, and to complain and wail as they do so. Out of boldness and self-confidence a certain spirit who was evil pushed his way into a certain community on the outskirts of heaven. But as soon as he got near he could scarcely breathe. He smelt his own corpse-like stench, and as a consequence fell back.
ppp22448#pid#1398. There were once many spirits around me who were far from good. An angel came, and I saw that the spirits could not endure his presence, for they backed further and further away as he drew nearer. This amazed me, but I was given to see that the spirits could not abide the sphere he brought with him. From this it was also clear, and from other experience as well, that one angel is able to drive away tens of thousands of evil spirits, for they cannot withstand the sphere of mutual love. Nevertheless I perceived that this angel's sphere had been tempered through links with other angels. If it had not been modified every one of those spirits would have been put to flight. This shows what kind of perception exists in the next life, and how spirits are joined together into communities or withheld from such associations, in accordance with perceptions.
ppp22447#pid#1399. Every spirit has communication with the interior and with the inmost heaven, though he is totally unaware of it. Without it he could not live. His interior character is known by the angels who are in his interiors, and through whom also he is governed by the Lord. Thus communications of his interiors exist in heaven, just as those of his exteriors do in the world of spirits. By means of the interior communications he is fitted for the use into which he is led, without his being aware of it. So also with man, in that he too communicates with heaven by means of angels, though completely unaware of it, for without that communication he could not live. The things which flow in from there into his thoughts are no more than the ultimate effects. From this the whole of his life stems, and from this all the endeavours of his life are governed.
ppp22446#pid#1400. The subject of perceptions and of the spheres arising from these is continued, as may be seen, at the end of the chapter.
ppp22445#pid#1401. `Genesis 12bbb0`
1. And Jehovah said to Abram, Go away from your land, and from the place of your nativity and from your father's house, to the land which I will cause you to see.
2. And I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will make your name great; and you will be a blessing.
3. And I will bless those who bless you, and curse him who curses you, and in you will all the families of the ground be blessed.
4. And Abram went, as Jehovah had told him; and Lot went with him. And Abram was a son of seventy-five years when he went out of Haran.
5. And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their acquisitions that they had acquired, and [every] soul which they had gained in Haran. And they came out to go into the land of Canaan; and they came into the land of Canaan.
6. And Abram went through the land as far as the place of Shechem, as far as the oak-grove of Moreh. And the Canaanite was at that time in the land.
7. And Jehovah appeared to Abram and said, To your seed will I give this land; and there he built an altar to Jehovah who had appeared to him.
8. And he removed from there to the mountain on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, Bethel being towards the sea and Ai towards the east.`fff1` And there he built an altar to Jehovah and called on the name of Jehovah.
9. And Abram travelled, going on and travelling, towards the south.
10. And there was a famine in the land; and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine in the land was serious.
11. And it happened, when he drew near to come into Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that you are a beautiful woman to look upon.
12. And it will be, when the Egyptians see you they will say, This is his wife, and they will slay me and let you live.
13. Say, now, you are my sister, so that it may go well for me for your sake, and my soul may live because of you.
14. And it happened, when Abram came into Egypt, that the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful.
15. And Pharaoh's princes saw her, and praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken to Pharaoh's house.
16. And he treated Abram well for her sake; and he had flocks and herds, and asses and menservants, and maidservants and she-asses, and camels.
17. And Jehovah struck Pharaoh with great plagues, and his house, because of Sarai,`fff2` Abram's wife.
18. And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she is your wife?
19. Why did you say, She is my sister? I might have taken her to be my wife (mulier). And now, behold your wife, take her and go.
20. And Pharaoh gave his men orders concerning him, and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.
CONTENTS
Narratives drawing on true history begin here, of which every detail is representative and each word carries a spiritual meaning. The things stated in this chapter regarding Abram represent the Lord's state from earliest childhood to youth. Since the Lord was born in the same way as any other, He also developed from a state that was obscure to one that had more light. 'Haran' is the first state, which is obscure; 'Shechem' is the second; 'the oak-grove of Moreh' is the third; 'the mount with Bethel on the west side, and Ai on the cast' is the fourth; 'from there towards the south into Egypt' is the fifth.
`nnn1. literally, Bethel from the sea (an idiom for from the west) and Ai from the east
`nnn2. literally, because of the word (or matter) of Sarai
ppp22444#pid#1402. The things that are stated regarding Abram's sojourn in Egypt represent and mean the instruction which the Lord received first, 'Abram' being the Lord, 'Sarai as a wife' truth that was to be allied to the celestial, 'Sarai as a sister' intellectual truth, and 'Egypt' knowledge. An advance from factual knowledge right on to celestial truths is described, which was made in accordance with Divine order, to the end that the Lord's Human Essence might be joined to the Divine Essence, and at the same time become Jehovah.
ppp22443#pid#1403. THE INTERNAL SENSE
From `Genesis 1bbb0` down to this point, or rather, down to Eber, the narratives have not consisted of true history but of made-up history, which in the internal sense meant things that are celestial and spiritual. In this and subsequent chapters however they are not made-up but true historical narratives, which in the internal sense in like manner mean things that are celestial and spiritual. This may become clear to anyone simply from the consideration that it is the Word of the Lord.
ppp22442#pid#1404. In these chapters which contain true historical narratives every single word and statement means in the internal sense something altogether different from what is meant in the sense of the letter. Nevertheless the historical details themselves are representative. 'Abram', who is dealt with first, in general represents the Lord, and specifically the celestial man. 'Isaac', who is dealt with after that, likewise in general represents the Lord, and specifically the spiritual man; and Jacob' too in general represents the Lord, and specifically the natural man. Thus they represent things which are the Lord's, things which belong to His kingdom, and those which belong to the Church.
ppp22441#pid#1405. But, as clearly shown already, the internal sense is such that every single thing has to be understood apart from the letter, abstractedly - as though the letter did not exist; for within the internal sense reside the soul and life of the Word, which are not open to view unless the sense of the letter so to speak vanishes. This is how angels are led by the Lord to perceive the Word when it is being read by man.
ppp22440#pid#1406. What the historical narratives in the present chapter represent is clear from the introductory 'Contents' that appear above. What the words and statements mean becomes clear in what now follows where they are explained.
ppp22439#pid#1407. Verse `Genesis 12bbbccc1` And Jehovah said to Abram, Go away from your land, and from the place of your nativity and from your father's house, to the land which I will cause you to see.
The events described here and in what follows took place in history as they are recorded; yet the historical events as described are representative, and every word carries a spiritual meaning. 'Abram' is used to mean in the internal sense the Lord, as stated already. 'Jehovah said to Abram' means a first awareness of all things. 'Go away from your land' means the bodily and worldly things from which He was to depart. 'And from the place of your nativity' means bodily and worldly things that were more exterior. 'And from your father's house' means such as were more interior. 'To the land which I will cause you to see' means the spiritual and celestial things that were to be brought to view.
ppp22438#pid#1408. The events described here and in what follows took place in history as they are recorded, yet the historical events as described are representative, and every word carries a spiritual meaning. This is so in all of the historical parts of the Word, not only in the Books of Moses but also in those of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings, all of which books contain nothing else than historical narratives. But although they are historical narratives in the sense of the letter, in the internal sense there are arcana of heaven lying hidden there. These arcana cannot possibly be seen as long as the mind keeps its eye fixed on the historical details, nor are they disclosed until the mind removes itself from the sense of the letter. The Word of the Lord is like a body that has a living soul within it. The things that belong to the soul are not apparent as long as the mind is fixed on those of the body, so much so that it scarcely believes it possesses a soul, even less that it will be alive after death. But as soon as the mind departs from bodily things, those belonging to the soul and to life show themselves; and in this lies the reason not only why bodily things must die before a person can be born anew or be regenerated, but also why the body must die so that he can enter heaven and behold heavenly things.
ttt[2] The same applies to the Word of the Lord Its bodily parts are the things that constitute the sense of the letter, and when the mind is fixed on these the internal things are not seen at all. But once the bodily parts so to speak have died, the internal for the first time are brought to view. All the same, the things constituting the sense of the letter are like the things present with man in his body, namely the facts belonging to the memory which come in through the senses and which are general vessels containing interior or internal things. From this one may recognize that the vessels are one thing and the essential elements within the vessels another. The vessels are natural, and the essential elements within the vessels are spiritual and celestial. In the same way the historical narratives of the Word, as with each individual expression in the Word, are general, natural, indeed material vessels that have spiritual and celestial things within them. These things never come into sight except through the internal sense.
ttt[3] This may become clear to anyone simply from the fact that many matters in the Word have been stated according to appearances, indeed according to the illusions of the senses, such as that the Lord is angry, punishes, curses, slays, and many other such statements, when in fact the internal sense contains the reverse, namely that the Lord is never angry or punishes, still less curses or slays. All the same, no harm at all is done to people who in simplicity of heart believe the Word as they find it in the letter so long as they are leading charitable lives, the reason being that the Word teaches nothing other than this - that everyone ought to live in charity with his neighbour and to love the Lord above all things. People doing this are in possession of the internal things, and thus with them the illusions acquired from the sense of the letter are easily dispersed.
ppp22437#pid#1409. That the historical events as described are representative, but every word carries a spiritual meaning, becomes clear from what has been stated and shown already about representatives and about things that carry a spiritual meaning in `@@@665`, `@@@920`, `@@@1361`. Since representatives begin at this point, let a further brief explanation be given. The Most Ancient Church, which was celestial, regarded all earthly and worldly things, and also bodily things, which were in any way the objects of their senses, as nothing else than things that were dead. But because every single thing in the world presents some idea of the Lord's kingdom and therefore of celestial and spiritual things, they did not think about those objects whenever they saw them or became aware of them with some sensory power, but about celestial and spiritual things. And indeed they did not think from those worldly objects but by means of them. In this way things with them that were dead became living.
ttt[2] Those things that carried a spiritual meaning were gathered from the lips of those people by their descendants, and these turned them into doctrinal teachings which constituted the Word of the Ancient Church after the Flood. These doctrinal teachings in the Ancient Church were things that carried a spiritual meaning, for through them they came to know internal things, and from them thought about spiritual and celestial things. But after this knowledge began to perish, so that they ceased to know that such things were meant and they started to regard those earthly and worldly things as holy and to worship them without any thought as to their spiritual meaning, those same things at that point became representative. From this arose the representative Church which began in Abram and was subsequently established among the descendants of Jacob. From this it may be known that representatives had their origin in the things in the Ancient Church which carried a spiritual meaning, and that these had their origin in the heavenly ideas present in the Most Ancient Church.
ttt[3] The nature of representatives becomes clear from the historical parts of the Word, where all the acts of those forefathers, that is to say, the acts of Abram, Isaac, and Jacob, and later on of Moses, the judges, and the kings of Judah and Israel, are nothing other than representatives. As has been stated, 'Abram' in the Word represents the Lord, and because he represents the Lord, he also represents the celestial man. 'Isaac' too represents the Lord, and from that the spiritual man, while 'Jacob' likewise represents the Lord, and from that the natural man corresponding to the spiritual.
ttt[4] But the nature of representatives is such that no attention at all is paid to the character of the representative person, only to the thing which he represents. For all the kings of Judah and Israel, no matter what kind of men they were, represented the Lord's Royalty, and all the priests, no matter what kind of men these were, His Priesthood. Thus bad men as well as good were able to represent the Lord, and the celestial and spiritual things of His kingdom, for, as stated and shown already, representatives were entirely separate from the person involved. So then all the historical narratives of the Word are representative, and as this is so it follows that all the words of the Word carry a spiritual meaning, that is, they mean something different in the internal sense from what they do in the sense of the letter.
ppp22436#pid#1410. The implications of 'Jehovah said to Abram' meaning a first awareness of all things are as follows: The historical incident is representative, but the actual words describing it carry a spiritual meaning. Such was the style in the Ancient Church that if something was true people would say 'Jehovah said' or 'Jehovah spoke', which, as shown already, meant that it was so. Subsequently however when things carrying a spiritual meaning were converted into representatives, Jehovah - that is, the Lord - at that point spoke to them directly. And when it is then said that 'Jehovah said' or 'Jehovah spoke' to somebody, it has the same meaning as previously, for the Lord's words in the true historical narratives embody within them the same as the Lord's words in the made-up ones. The only difference is that the latter contain that which has been made up to be like true narrative whereas the former have not been made up. 'Jehovah said to Abram' therefore means nothing other than a first awareness, as when in the Ancient Church someone through conscience, or through some other dictate, or through their Word, was made aware that something was so, the expression 'Jehovah said' would be used.
ppp22435#pid#1411. 'Go away from your land' means the bodily and worldly things from which He was to depart. This is clear from the meaning of 'land', which is varied depending on the person or thing to which it refers, as also in `Genesis 1bbb0` where 'land', or 'earth', likewise meant the external man, and elsewhere, `@@@82`, `@@@620`, `@@@636`, `@@@913`. The reason why here it means bodily and worldly things is that these belong to the external man. 'Land' in the proper sense is a land itself, region, or kingdom; also the one who inhabits it, as well as its people, and the nation that is there. Thus the word 'land' not only means in a broad sense the people or nation but also in a narrower sense the inhabitant. When land is used with reference to the inhabitant the meaning is in accordance with the real things involved in such a reference; in this case bodily and worldly things are involved, because the land of his birth from which Abram was to go was idolatrous. Thus in the historical sense the meaning here is that Abram was to go away from that land, but in the representative sense that the Lord was to depart from the things belonging to the external man, that is, that external things should not get in the way or cause disturbance, and, since the Lord is the subject, that External things should accord with Internal.
ppp22434#pid#1412. 'From the place of your nativity' means bodily and worldly things that were more exterior, and 'from your father's house' means such as were more interior. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'nativity' and from the meaning of 'father's house'. There are in man bodily and worldly things, some of which are more exterior, others more interior. The more exterior are those which belong properly to the body, such as physical pleasures and sensory perceptions, while the interior are affections and factual knowledge. It is these that are meant by 'nativity' and by 'father's house'. That these things are meant may be confirmed from many places, but as the matter is clear from the context in which they belong and from an insight into what occurs in the internal sense there is no need to pause and confirm them.
ppp22433#pid#1413. 'To the land which I will cause you to see' means the spiritual and celestial things that were to be brought to view. This is clear from the meaning of 'a land', `@@@662`, `@@@1066`, and indeed from the meaning here of 'the land of Canaan' which represents the Lord's kingdom, as becomes clear from many places in the Word. For this reason the land of Canaan is called the Holy Land, and also the heavenly Canaan. And since it represented the Lord's kingdom, it also represented and meant the celestial and spiritual things that belong to the Lord's kingdom, and here those that belong to the Lord Himself.
ppp22432#pid#1414. Because the subject here is the Lord these words contain more arcana than anyone can possibly conceive and make known. For here in the internal sense is meant the Lord's first state after He had been born. Because that state is a very deep arcanum any intelligible explanation of it is hardly possible. Let it be said simply that He was like any other human being, except that He was conceived from Jehovah, yet born of a woman who was a virgin, and that by birth from that virgin He took on all the weaknesses that are common to all. These weaknesses are bodily, and are referred to in this verse in that He was to depart from them in order that celestial and spiritual things might be brought into view for Him. There are two heredities that are born together in a human being, one from the father, the other from the mother. The Lord's heredity from the father was Divine, but that from the mother was human and weak. This weak humanity that a person derives by heredity from the mother is something bodily which is dispelled when he is being regenerated, whereas that which he takes on from the father remains for ever. But the Lord's heredity from Jehovah was Divine, as has been stated. A further arcanum is that the Lord's Human also became Divine. In Him alone there was a correspondence of all things of the body with the Divine. This was a most perfect, or infinitely perfect, correspondence, and from it there resulted a union of bodily things with Divine celestial things, and of sensory things with Divine spiritual things. Thus He became the Perfect Man, and the Only Man.
ppp22431#pid#1415. Verse `Genesis 12bbbccc2` And I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will make your name great; and you will be a blessing. 'I will make you into a great nation' means a kingdom in heaven and on earth - the expression 'great nation' being used from things that are celestial and good. 'And I will bless you' means fruitfulness in celestial and increase in spiritual things. 'And I will make your name great' means glory. 'And you will be a blessing' means that from the Lord comes every single thing.
ppp22430#pid#1416. That 'I will make you into a great nation' means a kingdom in heaven and on earth becomes clear from the meaning of 'nation' in the internal sense as the celestial entity of love and the good which flows from this, thus all throughout the world in whom the celestial element of love and charity is present. Since the subject here in the internal sense is the Lord, everything of the celestial and of the good deriving from it, thus His kingdom, is meant - which exists with those in whom love and charity are present. In the highest sense the Lord Himself is 'the great nation' since He is the Celestial itself and Good itself. For all good that flows from love and charity originates in Him alone, which also explains why the Lord comprises His own kingdom, that is, He is the All in all of His kingdom, as also all angels in heaven acknowledge. From this it is now clear that 'I will make you into a great nation' means the Lord's kingdom in heaven and on earth.
ttt[2] That 'nation' in the internal sense, where the Lord and celestial things of love are the subject, means Him and all celestial things may become clear also from what has been introduced in `@@@1258`, `@@@1259`, regarding the meaning of a nation and nations. This matter may be confirmed further still from the following places: In reference to Abraham further on,
No longer will your name be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. `Genesis 17bbb5`.
The soft 'h' sound in Abraham was taken from Jehovah's name because he represented Jehovah, that is, the Lord. Similarly in reference to Sarai,
You will not call her name Sarai, but Sarah will be her name, and I will bless her, and I will also give you a son by her; thus will I bless her, and she will become nations; kings of peoples will be from her. `Genesis 17bbb15-16`.
'Nations' here stands for the celestial things of love, and 'kings of peoples' for the spiritual things of faith deriving from that love, which are the Lord's alone.
ttt[3] In reference to Jacob likewise,
Your name will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel will be your name. And He called his name Israel, and God said, I am God Almighty,`fff1` increase and multiply; a nation and an assembly of nations will come into being from you, and kings will go out from your loins. `Genesis 35bbb10-11`.
Here 'Israel' stands for the Lord, who Himself, as is well known to some, is in the highest sense Israel. And when He is meant by 'Israel' it is evident that 'a nation and an assembly of nations' and 'kings from his loins' mean the celestial and spiritual things of love, and therefore all in whom the celestial and spiritual things of love are present. In reference to Ishmael, Abram's son by Hagar, it is said,
The son of the servant-girl I will make into a nation, because he is your seed. `Genesis 21bbb13`, `Genesis 21bbbccc18`.
What Ishmael represents will be seen in that place. 'The seed of Abram' means love itself, and because of this the word nation is used for those begotten from Ishmael.
ttt[4] That 'nation' means the celestial things of love is clear in Moses,
If you will surely hearken to My voice, and keep My covenant and be a peculiar treasure to Me from among all peoples, you will be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. `Exodus 19bbb5-6`.
Here 'a kingdom of priests', a phrase used to describe the Lord's kingdom in heaven and on earth, springing from the celestial things of love, is openly called 'a holy nation'. But the Lord's kingdom springing from His Royalty is described as such by virtue of the spiritual things of love and is called 'a holy people'. 'Kings from the loins' therefore, as above,`fff2` is spiritual things. In Jeremiah,
If these ordinances depart from before Me, said Jehovah, the seed of Israel also will cease from being a nation before Me for ever.`fff3` `Jeremiah 31bbb36`.
'Seed of Israel' stands for the celestial entity of charity, and when this ceases to exist there is no longer a nation before the Lord.
ttt[5] In Isaiah,
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light. You have multiplied the nation. `Isaiah 9bbb2-3`.
Specifically this refers to the Church of the nations,`fff4`, but in general to all who are without knowledge but lead charitable lives. These are 'the nation' because they are members of the Lord's kingdom. In David,
O that I may see the good of Your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the joy of Your nation, that I may glory in Your heritage. `Psalms 106bbb5`.
Here 'nation' plainly stands for the Lord's kingdom. It was from an ability to perceive that 'a nation' meant the celestial entity of love and the good which flows from this that members of the Most Ancient Church came to be distinguished into separate houses, families, and nations. By this distinguishing they gained a perception of the Lord's kingdom; and because they had a perception of the Lord's kingdom they had a perception of the celestial itself. From that ability to perceive there arose that which held a spiritual meaning, and from this that which was representative.
`nnn1. literally, the Lightning-Hurler or the Thunderbolt-Hurler. Generally Swedenborg retains the Hebrew Shaddai, usually translated the Almighty, regarding which see `@@@1992` below; but here Swedenborg employs the Latin word fulminator.
`nnn2. i.e.. in `Genesis 35bbb10-11`
`nnn3. literally, all the days
`nnn4. i.e. the Church established among gentiles
ppp22429#pid#1417. That the expression 'great nation' is used from things that are celestial and good is clear from what has just been stated and shown, and also from what has appeared already in `@@@1259`. From this one may see what is meant in the proper sense by the Church among 'the nations'.
ppp22428#pid#1418. 'I will bless you' means fruitfulness in celestial and increase in spiritual things. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'blessing' in the Word, to be dealt with in what follows shortly.
ppp22427#pid#1419. 'And I will make your name great' means glory. This becomes clear without explanation. In the external sense 'making a name' and 'glory' mean something worldly, but in the internal sense something heavenly. This heavenly feature does not consist in seeking to be the greatest but, by serving all others, to be the least, as the Lord Himself has stated in Matthew,
It shall not be so among you, but whoever has the wish to become great among you must be your minister, and whoever has the wish to become first must be your servant, even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered to but to minister, and to give His life`fff1` as a redemption for many. `Matthew 20bbb26-28`; `Mark 10bbb43-45`.
This heavenly or celestial entity of love does not wish to exist for itself but for all, thus to impart all that is its own to others. It is in this that heavenly love essentially consists. Since the Lord is love itself, that is, the very essence and life of everyone's love in heaven, He wishes to impart to the human race everything that is His, which is what He meant when He spoke about the Son of Man coming to give His life as a redemption for many. From this it is clear that 'name' and 'glory' mean something altogether different in the internal sense from what they do in the external sense. All in heaven therefore who desire to become great and the greatest are cast out, for such desire is contrary to the essence and life of heavenly love which come from the Lord. For that reason also nothing is more contrary to heavenly love than self-love. For these matters, see what has been mentioned from experience in `@@@450`, `@@@452`, `@@@952`.
`nnn1. literally, soul
ppp22426#pid#1420. 'You will be a blessing' means that every single thing comes from the Lord. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'a blessing'. Blessing has reference to every form of good - in the external sense to bodily, worldly, and natural forms, in the internal sense to spiritual and celestial forms. 'Being a blessing' means the Source of every form of good and the Giver of this, an attribution that cannot possibly be made to Abram. From this it is also clear that 'Abram' represents the Lord, who alone is a Blessing. So also with the attributions made to Abraham further on, such as,
Abraham will surely become a great and numerous nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed. `Genesis 18bbb18`.
Concerning Isaac,
In your seed will all the nations of the earth be blessed. `Genesis 26bbb4`.
And concerning Jacob,
In you all the families of the earth will be blessed, and in your seed. `Genesis 28bbb14`.
That nations are not able to be blessed, nor were they blessed, in Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and in their seed, but that they were blessed in the Lord, may become clear to anyone. This is clearly stated in David,
His name will be for ever, before the sun His son's name; and all nations will be blessed in Him `Psalms 72bbb17`.
This refers to the Lord. In the same author,
You set Him to be blessings for ever. `Psalms 21bbb6`.
This also refers to the Lord. In Jeremiah,
In Him the nations will be blessed, and in Him will they glory. `Jeremiah 4bbb2`.
From these places it is now clear that 'a blessing' means the Lord, and when He is called a Blessing that it means that from Him come all celestial and spiritual things which alone are goods. And because they alone are goods they alone are truths as well. To the extent therefore that celestial and spiritual forms of good are present in natural, worldly, and bodily forms, the latter are good and are blessed.
ppp22425#pid#1421. Verse `Genesis 12bbbccc3` And I will bless those who bless you, and curse him who curses you, and in you will all the families of the ground be blessed.
'I will bless those who bless you' means pure happiness to those who from their hearts acknowledge the Lord. 'And curse him who curses you' means unhappiness to those who do not acknowledge Him. 'And in you will all the families of the ground be blessed' means that all truths and goods are received from the Lord.
ppp22424#pid#1422. That 'I will bless those who bless you' means pure happiness to those who from their hearts acknowledge the Lord becomes clear from the meaning of 'blessing', which includes every single thing received from the Lord, both that which is good and that which is true, thus every celestial, spiritual, natural, worldly, or bodily form of what is good and true. And because in the universal sense 'blessing' embraces all of these, the meaning of 'to bless' in individual places may be seen from the context in which it occurs, for it fits in with those matters to which it then refers. From this it is clear that 'I will bless those who bless you' means pure happiness to those who from their hearts acknowledge the Lord, since here in the internal sense, as has been stated, the Lord is the subject.
ttt[2] 'Blessing Jehovah (or the Lord)' was an expression used commonly among the ancients, as is clear in the Word, for example in David,
Bless God in the assemblies, even the Lord from the fountain of Israel. `Psalms 68bbb26`.
In the same author,
Sing to Jehovah, bless His name, proclaim His salvation from day to day. `Psalms 96bbb2`.
In Daniel,
In the vision of the night the arcanum was revealed. Therefore Daniel blessed the God of heaven; he said, Let the name of God Himself be blessed for ever and ever, for wisdom and power are His. `Daniel 2bbb19-20`.
And one also reads of Zechariah and Simeon blessing God, `Luke 1bbb64`; `Luke ccc2bbb28`. Here it is evident what 'blessing the Lord' implies, namely singing to Him, proclaiming His salvation, declaring His wisdom and power, and so confessing and acknowledging Him from the heart. People who do so are most certainly blessed by the Lord, that is, they are gifted with those things which constitute blessing, namely celestial good, spiritual good, natural good, worldly good, and bodily good, and when these forms of good flow consecutively in this order happiness exists within them.
ttt[3] Since 'blessing Jehovah (or the Lord)' and 'being blessed by Jehovah (or the Lord)' were expressions used commonly among the ancients it was therefore also common to say 'Blessed be Jehovah', as in David,
Blessed be Jehovah, for He has heard the voice of my prayers. `Psalms 28bbb6`.
In the same author,
Blessed be Jehovah, for He has made His mercy marvellous to me. `Psalms 31bbb21`.
In the same author,
Blessed be God, who has not cast away my prayers, nor His mercy from me. `Psalms 66bbb20`.
In the same author,
Blessed be Jehovah God, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things; and blessed be the name of His glory for ever; let the whole earth be filled with His glory. `Psalms 72bbb18-19`.
In the same author,
Blessed are You, O Jehovah, teach me Your statutes! `Psalms 119bbb12`.
In the same author,
Blessed be Jehovah, my rock, who trains my hands. `Psalms 144bbb1`.
In Luke,
Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying, Blessed be the God of Israel, for He has visited and brought deliverance to His people. `Luke 1bbb67-68`.
ppp22423#pid#1423. 'And curse him who curses you' means unhappiness to those who do not acknowledge Him. This is clear from the meaning of 'being cursed' and of 'cursing' as turning away from the Lord, as shown already in `@@@245`, `@@@379`, and therefore as not acknowledging Him; for those who do not acknowledge turn themselves away. Thus 'cursing' here implies all those things that are the contrary of what blessing implies.
ppp22422#pid#1424. 'And in you will all the families of the ground be blessed' means that all goods and truths are received from the Lord. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'blessing' dealt with in this verse and the previous verse, and also from the meaning of 'families of the ground' as all forms of good and truth. Indeed in the Word 'families' is similar in meaning to nations, and also to peoples, for 'families' is used in the Word in reference both to nations and to peoples, the expressions 'families of nations' and 'families of peoples' being used to describe them. 'Nations', as has been shown, means goods, while 'peoples', as has also been shown, means truths, `@@@1259`; hence 'families' means both goods and truths, `@@@1261`. The reason they are called 'all the families of the ground' is that all goods and truths are a product of faith grounded in love, which faith constitutes the Church. That 'the ground' means the Church, and therefore the faith which constitutes the Church, has been shown already in `@@@566`.
ppp22421#pid#1425. Verse `Genesis 12bbbccc4` And Abram went, as Jehovah had told him; and Lot went with him. And Abram was a son of seventy-five years when he went out of Haran.
As has been stated, 'Abram' represents the Lord as regards His Human Essence. 'And Abram went, as Jehovah had told him' means an advance towards Divine things. 'And Lot went with him' means sensory perception -'Lot' representing the Lord as regards His sensory and bodily man. 'And Abram was a son of seventy-five years' means that as yet there was not so much of the Divine. 'When he went out of Haran' means an obscure state which the Lord was experiencing.
ppp22420#pid#1426. That 'Abram' represents the Lord as regards His Human Essence is clear from all that has been said concerning Abram. Later on He represents Him both as regards the Human Essence and as regards the Divine Essence, though by then he is called Abraham. The things stated in verse 1 and down to the present verse represent and mean a first awareness that He was taking to Himself celestial and thus Divine things. Advances of His Human Essence closer to His Divine Essence begin here.
ppp22419#pid#1427. 'And Abram went, as Jehovah had told him' means an advance towards Divine things. This is clear from what has just been stated.
ppp22418#pid#1428. 'And Lot went with him' means sensory perception. That 'Lot' represents the Lord as regards His sensory and bodily man becomes clear from the representation of 'Lot' in what follows, where his being separated from Abram and being saved by angels is described. Later on however, once the separation had taken place, Lot takes on another representation, which will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with later on. It is clear that the Lord was born like any other, though from a woman who was a virgin, and that He had sensory perception and bodily desires like any other, but that He differed from any other in that sensory perception and bodily desires were eventually united to celestial things and made Divine. The Lord's actual sensory perception and bodily desires are represented by Lot, or what amounts to the same, His sensory and bodily man as it was during His state of childhood and not as it became once it had been united to the Divine by means of celestial things.
ppp22417#pid#1429. 'Abram was a son of seventy-five years' means that as yet there was not so much of the Divine. This becomes clear from the meaning of the number 'five' as that which is small, and of the number 'seventy' as that which is holy. That 'five' means that which is small has been shown already in `@@@649`, and that 'seventy' or 'sever' that which is holy in `@@@395`, `@@@433`, `@@@716`, `@@@881`. Here, since seventy is used in reference to the Lord, it means that which is Divine and holy. Furthermore that the numbers`fff1` giving Abram's years have a different meaning in the internal sense may become clear from what has been stated and shown already about years and numbers in `@@@482`, `@@@487`, `@@@493`, `@@@575`, `@@@647`, `@@@648`, `@@@755`, `@@@813`, and from the fact that not one tiny expression or part of a letter exists in the Word that does not carry an internal sense. And unless it embodied things that are spiritual and celestial no mention would ever have been made of Abram's being at that time 'a son of seventy-five years', or of this event taking place when he was that age, as is also clear from other numbers, both of years and of quantities, that are given in the Word.
`nnn1. i.e. the numbers 5, 70
In the Latin and in the Hebrew the words are literally Abram was a son of five years and seventy years.
ppp22416#pid#1430. 'When he went out of Haran' means an obscure state which the Lord was experiencing like that of man's childhood. This becomes clear from the meaning of Haran in the previous chapter, the place to which Terah came first together with Abram, and where Terah, Abram's father, died, `Genesis ccc10bbb31-32`, and also from references further on to Jacob's going to Haran where Laban lived, `Genesis 27bbb43`; `Genesis ccc28bbb10`; `Genesis ccc29bbb4`. Haran was a region where external worship prevailed, which in fact in the case of Terah, Abram, and Laban, was idolatrous worship. But the internal sense does not carry the meaning which is present in the external sense, only the meaning that a certain obscurity existed. As one passes from the external sense into the internal the idea of idolatry does not remain but is completely removed. It is similar to when the idea of holy love is gained from 'a mountain', see `@@@795` - as one passes from the external sense into the internal sense the idea of a mountain first of all perishes, but the idea of height remains; and by height holiness is represented. The same applies to everything else in the external sense and its meaning in the internal sense.
ppp22415#pid#1431. Verse `Genesis 12bbbccc5` And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their acquisitions that they had acquired, and [every] soul which they had gained in Haran. And they came out to go into the land of Canaan; and they came into the land of Canaan.
'And Abram took Sarai his wife' means good to which truth has been joined, 'Abram', as stated, being used to mean the Lord - here when He was a boy - and 'Sarai his wife' to mean truth. 'And Lot his brother's son' means truth that has been learned through the senses, thus the first that is implanted in childhood. 'And all the acquisitions that they had acquired' means all truths that have been learned through the senses. 'And [every] soul which they had gained in Haran' means every essential with life in it that was possible in that obscure state. 'And they came out to go into the land of Canaan' means that in this manner He drew closer to the celestial things of love. 'And they came into the land of Canaan' means that He attained to the celestial things of love.
ppp22414#pid#1432. That 'Abram took Sarai his wife' means good to which truth has been joined becomes clear from what is meant in the Word by 'a man (homo) and his wife', dealt with in `@@@915`. Thus by 'Sarai' here is meant nothing else in the internal sense than truth. With man there exists in every single part the likeness of a marriage; nor can anything possibly exist which is too small to have that likeness within it - both in the external man in every part, and in the internal man in every part. The reason for this is that every single thing comes into being and is kept in being from the Lord, and from the marriage - like union of His Human Essence with His Divine Essence, and from the conjunction or heavenly marriage of both Essences with His kingdom in heaven and on earth. Here, when truth that had been joined to the Lord's good was to be represented, that truth could not be represented - since the historical details here have regard to Abram - in any other way than by 'a wife'. For the truth that a likeness of a marriage resides in every single thing, see what has appeared already in `@@@54`, `@@@55`, `@@@718`, `@@@747`, `@@@917`.
ppp22413#pid#1433. That 'Abram' is used to mean the Lord, here when He was a boy, and 'Sarai his wife' to mean truth, is clear from what has been stated already.
ppp22412#pid#1434. 'And Lot his brother's son' means truth that has been learned through the senses, thus the first that was implanted in the Lord in childhood. This is clear from the meaning of 'Lot', dealt with in the previous verse, as sensory perception, and from the meaning of 'son' as truth, dealt with already in `@@@264`, `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@533`; and also from the meaning of 'brother' too as the truth of faith, `@@@367`. Thus it is truth learned through the senses that is meant here, for in the internal sense no attention is paid to the representative persons or expressions, only to the meanings which these carry within them. In heaven they do not know who 'Lot' is, only the characteristic represented by him. Nor do they know what 'son' is, only the spiritual state which relatively is like a son. Nor do they know what 'brother' is except from the kind of brotherhood that exists in heaven. As regards truth learned through the senses, it is the first truth to implant itself, for in childhood the power of judgement does not go any higher than the senses. Truth learned through the senses consists in seeing all earthly and worldly things as having been created by God, in seeing every single thing as having a purpose, and in seeing in every single one some likeness of the kingdom of God. Such truth is implanted in none but the celestial man, and since the Lord alone was a celestial man, these and similar truths acquired through the senses were implanted in Him in earliest childhood. In this way He was made ready to receive celestial things.
ppp22411#pid#1435. 'And all the acquisitions that they had acquired' means all truths that have been learned through the senses. This is clear from what has been stated already. Every fact from which a person thinks is called 'an acquisition'. Until he has acquired such facts nobody can as a human being possess a single idea comprising thought. Such ideas are based on sensory impressions contained in the memory. Facts therefore are the vessels for spiritual things, while affections that are the product of bodily pleasures that are good are the vessels for celestial things. All of these are called 'acquisitions', and indeed those acquired 'in Haran', by which is meant an obscure state like that of infancy through to childhood.
ppp22410#pid#1436. 'And [every] soul which they had gained in Haran' means every essential with life in it that was possible in that obscure state. This is clear from the meaning of 'soul' as an essential that has life in it, and from the meaning of 'Haran' as an obscure state, dealt with in the previous verse. 'Soul' in the proper sense means that with man which possesses life, and so his life itself. That in man which has life in it is not the body but the soul, and it is through the soul that the body receives life. The life itself in man, that is, that which has life, is derived from heavenly love; nothing with life in it is possible if that love is not the source of it. This explains why 'soul' here means the good which derives its life from heavenly love, this good being the fundamental essential that has life in it. In the literal sense 'soul' is used here to mean every human being, and also all the livestock, and which they had acquired to themselves; but in the internal sense nothing else is meant than [every] essential with life in it.
ppp22409#pid#1437. 'They came out to go into the land of Canaan' means that in this manner He drew closer to the celestial things of love. This is clear from the meaning of 'the land of Canaan'. That 'the land of Canaan' represents the Lord's kingdom in heaven and on earth becomes clear from many things in the Word. The reason it does so is that the representative Church was established in that land, a Church in which every single thing represented the Lord and the celestial and spiritual things of His kingdom. This applied not only to religious observances but also to everything associated with those observances - to both the persons who ministered and to the things they administered, and even to the places where the ministrations took place because the representative Church was centred there the land was consequently called 'the Holy Land', even though it was anything but holy, seeing that idolaters and profaners inhabited it. This then is the reason why 'the land of Canaan' here and in what follows means the celestial things of love Indeed the celestial things of love, these alone, exist in the Lord's kingdom and constitute that kingdom
ppp22408#pid#1438. 'And they came into the land of Canaan' means that He attained to the celestial things of love. This is clear from what has just been stated about the land of Canaan. Here the Lord's life at first is described, that is to say, from birth to childhood, during which period He attained to the celestial things of love. The celestial things of love are the essentials themselves, and everything else comes from these. It was with celestial things that He was endowed first of all, for it was from these as from its seed that all else was then made fruitful. With Him the seed itself was celestial, for He was born from Jehovah, and therefore He alone has had that seed within Himself. All others, without exception, have no other seed than what is filthy and of hell, in which their proprium consists and from which it is derived; and this comes with that which is inherited from the father, as is well known to everyone. Consequently unless they receive from the Lord a new seed and a new proprium, that is, a new will and a new understanding, they are inevitably consigned to hell, a place from which all, not only men but also spirits and angels, are being pulled out and constantly withheld by the Lord.
ppp22407#pid#1439. Verse `Genesis 12bbbccc6` And Abram went through the land as far as the place of Shechem, as far as the oak-grove of Moreh. And the Canaanite was at that time in the land.
'Abram went through the land as far as the place of Shechem' means the Lord's second state, when the celestial things of love, which are meant by Shechem, became apparent to Him. 'As far as the oak-grove of Moreh' means a third state, namely a first perception, which is 'the oak-grove of Moreh'. 'And the Canaanite was at that time in the land' means the hereditary evil from the mother, in His external man.
ppp22406#pid#1440. 'Abram went through the land as far as the place of Shechem' means the Lord's second state, when the celestial things of love became apparent to Him. This becomes clear from what has gone before and from the whole sequence of events in what has gone before, that He drew closer to and attained to the celestial things of love, meant by 'they came out to go into the land of Canaan' and by 'they came into the land of Canaan'; from the whole sequence of events, that after He had drawn closer to and attained to celestial things, these at that point became apparent to Him. Celestial things have the very light of the soul within them, because they have the Divine itself, that is, Jehovah Himself, within them. And because the Lord was to join the Human Essence to the Divine Essence when He attained to celestial things, it was inevitable that Jehovah should appear to Him.
ppp22405#pid#1441. That these things are meant by 'Shechem' becomes clear also from the fact that Shechem is so to speak the first stopping-place in the land of Canaan that one comes to when journeying from Syria, or Haran. And since 'the land of Canaan' means the celestial things of love it is clear that 'Shechem' means the first stage in the appearance of celestial things. When Jacob returned from Haran to the land of Canaan he likewise came to Shechem, as becomes clear from the following,
Jacob travelled on to Succoth and built a house for himself, and made shelters`fff1` for his cattle; therefore he called the name of the place Succoth. And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan-Aram; and he camped before the city. And he set up an altar there. `Genesis 33bbb17-20`.
Here also 'Shechem' means the first appearance of light. In David,
God has spoken in His holiness, I will exult, I will divide up Shechem and portion out the valley of Succoth. Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine; and Ephraim is the strength of My head, Judah is My lawgiver, Moab is My washbasin, upon Edom I will cast My shoe, over Philistia I will make a loud noise. `Psalms 60bbb6`, `Psalms 60bbbccc8`; `Psalms ccc108bbb7`, `Psalms 108bbbccc9`.
Here also 'Shechem' has a similar meaning. That names, including Shechem therefore, mean nothing other than real things becomes quite clear from these prophetic utterances of David. Otherwise they would be scarcely more than a heap of names. References to Shechem becoming a city of refuge, `Joshua 20bbb7`, and also a priestly city, `Joshua 21bbb21`, and a place where the covenant was made, `Joshua 24bbb1`, `Joshua 24bbbccc25`, also embody the same.
`nnn1. literally, tents
ppp22404#pid#1442. 'As far as the oak-grove of Moreh' means a first perception. This too becomes clear from the sequence of events. It is clear that as soon as Jehovah appeared to the Lord in His celestial things the Lord had attained perception. Celestial things are the source of all perception. What perception is has been stated and shown already in `@@@104`, `@@@202`, `@@@371`, `@@@483`, `@@@495`, `@@@503`, `@@@521`, `@@@536`, `@@@865`. When anyone attains to celestial things he acquires perception from the Lord. All who have become celestial people, such as members of the Most Ancient Church, have acquired perception, as shown already in `@@@125`, `@@@597`, `@@@607`, `@@@784`, `@@@895`. All who become spiritual people, however, that is, who acquire charity from the Lord, have something akin to perception, namely the voice of conscience, strong or weak, in the measure that the celestial things of charity exist with such persons. This is how it is with the celestial things of charity, for it is in these alone that the Lord is present, and in these that He manifests Himself to man. How much more must this have applied to the Lord, who from infancy moved closer to Jehovah, and was joined and united to Him so that they were one?
ppp22403#pid#1443. The implications of a first perception being meant by 'the oak-grove of Moreh' are as follows: Residing with man there are intellectual concepts, rational concepts, and factual knowledge. The intellectual concepts form the inmost parts of his mind, the rational concepts form the interior parts, and the factual knowledge forms the exterior parts. They are called his spiritual endowments, which occur in the order in which they have been mentioned. The intellectual concepts of the celestial man are compared to 'a garden consisting of trees of every kind'; rational concepts to 'a forest consisting of cedars and other trees like them', such as those that grow in Lebanon; while factual knowledge is compared to 'oak-groves' on account of the interlocking boughs that are a feature of oak trees. The trees themselves meant perceptions - 'the trees of the garden of Eden in the east' meant inmost perceptions, that is, those of intellectual concepts, as shown already in `@@@99`, `@@@100`, `@@@103`; 'the trees of the forest of Lebanon' meant interior perceptions, that is, those of rational concepts, whereas 'oak trees' meant exterior perceptions, that is, those of facts that belong to the external man. This explains why 'the oak-grove of Moreh' means the Lord's first perception, for He was still only a boy and His spiritual powers had not yet developed interiorly. In addition the oak-grove of Moreh was also the place which the children of Israel came to first when they crossed the Jordan and saw the land of Canaan. Of this it is said in Moses,
You shall set the blessing on Mount Gerizim, and the curse on Mount Ebal. Are not these across the Jordan, beyond the road towards the seeing of the sun, in the land of the Canaanite who dwells in the plain towards Gilgal, beside the oak-groves of Moreh? `Deuteronomy 11bbb29-30`.
These words as well mean the first experience of perception, for the entry of the children of Israel represents the entry of those who have faith into the Lord's kingdom.
ppp22402#pid#1444. 'And the Canaanite was at that time in the land' means the hereditary evil from the mother, in His external man. This becomes clear from what has been stated already about the Lord's heredity; for He was born as any other is born and from the mother acquired evils which He fought against and overcame. It is well known that the Lord underwent and endured very severe temptations - which will in the Lord's Divine mercy be described further on - temptations so great in fact that He fought by Himself and from His own power against the whole of hell. Nobody can undergo temptation unless he has evil clinging to him. The person who has no evil cannot experience the smallest temptation, for it is evil that spirits from hell stir up.
ttt[2] With the Lord no evil of His own doing or that was His own was present, as there is with all human beings, only hereditary evil from the mother, which is here called 'the Canaanite at that time in the land'. For this matter see what has been stated above in verse `Genesis 12bbbccc1`, in `@@@1414`, to the effect that people are born with two heredities in them, the first from the father, the second from the mother. What comes from the father remains for ever, but what comes from the mother is dispelled by the Lord when the person is being regenerated. The Lord's heredity from His Father however was Divine, while the heredity from the mother was the hereditary evil referred to here, through which He underwent temptations. Regarding His temptations, see `Mark 1bbb12-13`; `Matthew 4bbb1`; `Luke 4bbb1-2`. But, as has been stated, He had no evil of His own doing or which was His own, nor did He have any hereditary evil from the mother after He had overcome hell by means of temptations. It is for this reason that the expression at that time occurs here, that is to say, 'the Canaanite was at that time in the land'.
ttt[3] The Canaanites were people who dwelt by the sea and by the bank of the Jordan, as is clear in Moses,
The spies returned and said, We came into the land to which you sent us, and it is indeed flowing with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. Nevertheless the people dwelling in the land are powerful and the cities are very strongly fortified, and also we saw the descendants of Anak there. The Amalekite dwells in the south, and the Hittite, Jebusite, and Amorite dwell in the mountains, and the Canaanite dwells by the sea and by the bank of the Jordan. `Numbers 13bbb27-29`.
'The Canaanite dwelt by the sea and by the bank of the Jordan' meant evil consequently residing with the external man, such as that acquired by heredity from the mother, for the sea and the Jordan were boundaries.
ttt[4] That this kind of evil is meant by 'the Canaanite' is clear also in Zechariah,
And there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of Jehovah Zebaoth on that day. `Zechariah 14bbb21`.
This refers to the Lord's kingdom. It means that the Lord overcame the evil meant by 'the Canaanite' and drove it out of His kingdom. Evils of every kind are meant by the idolatrous nations in the land of Canaan, among which were the Canaanites, `Genesis 15bbb19-21`; `Exodus 3bbb8`, `Exodus 3bbbccc17`; `Exodus ccc23bbb23`, `Exodus 23bbbccc28`; `Exodus ccc33bbb2`; `Exodus ccc34bbb11`; `Deuteronomy 7bbb1`; `Deuteronomy ccc20bbb17`; `Joshua 3bbb10`; `Joshua ccc24bbb11`; `Judges 3bbb5`. Which evil is meant by each nation specifically will in the Lord's Divine mercy be stated elsewhere.
ppp22401#pid#1445. Verse `Genesis 12bbbccc7` And Jehovah appeared to Abram and said, To your seed will I give this land; and there he built an altar to Jehovah who had appeared to him.
'Jehovah appeared to Abram' means that Jehovah showed Himself to the Lord when He was still a boy. 'And He said, To your seed will I give this land' means that celestial things would be granted to those who had faith in Him. 'And there he built an altar to Jehovah who had appeared to him' means initial worship of His Father from the celestial, which essentially is love.
ppp22400#pid#1446. That 'Jehovah appeared to Abram' means that Jehovah showed Himself to the Lord when He was still a boy is clear from what has gone before, and from the representation itself of the Lord by Abram, as well as from the sequence of events, which are that He came into possession of celestial things, and then of perception, following which 'Jehovah appeared'.
ppp22399#pid#1447. That 'He said, To your seed will I give this land' means that celestial things would be granted to those who had faith in Him is clear from the meaning of 'land' and from the meaning of 'land'. That 'seed' means faith in the Lord has been shown already in `@@@255`, `@@@256`, and that 'land' means celestial things has also been shown above at verse `Genesis 12bbbccc1` of this chapter, and in `@@@620`, `@@@636`, `@@@662`, `@@@1066`. In the sense of the fetter 'the seed of Abram' is used to mean descendants through Jacob, and 'land' the land of Canaan itself which was to be given to them as a possession, for the reason that they might represent the celestial and spiritual things of the Lord's kingdom and Church and that among them a representative Church might be established, and because the Lord was to be born in that land. But in the internal sense nothing else is meant by 'seed' then faith in the Lord, and by 'land' nothing else than celestial things, and here in particular that celestial things were to be granted to those who had faith in Him. What is meant by having faith in the Lord has been stated many times already.
ppp22398#pid#1448. 'And there he built an altar to Jehovah who had appeared to him' means initial worship of His Father from the celestial, which essentially is love. This is clear from the meaning of 'an altar' as the chief representative in worship, `@@@921`.
ppp22397#pid#1449. Verse `Genesis 12bbbccc8` And he removed from there to the mountain on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, Bethel being towards the sea and Ai towards the east.`fff1` And there he built an altar to Jehovah and called on the name of Jehovah.
'He removed from there to the mountain on the east of Bethel' means the Lord's fourth state when He was a boy, that is to say, 'being removed to the mountain on the east of Bethel' means an advance made in the celestial things of love. 'And he pitched his tent' means the holy things of faith. 'Bethel being towards the sea and Ai towards the east,`fff1` means that His state was still obscure. 'And he built an altar to Jehovah' means external worship of His Father arising out of that state. 'And he called on the name of Jehovah' means internal worship of His Father arising out of that state.
`nnn1. literally, Bethel from the sea (an idiom for from the west) and Ai from the east
ppp22396#pid#1450. 'He removed from there to the mountain on the east of Bethel' means the Lord's fourth state when He was a boy. This becomes clear from what comes before and after, thus also from the train of thought itself, namely this: The Lord had first of all to be endowed from infancy with the celestial things of love - the celestial things of love consisting in love towards Jehovah and love towards the neighbour, and in innocence itself present in those loves. From these, as from the very sources of life, flows every single thing, for all other things are simply derivatives. These celestial things are implanted in a person chiefly in the state of infancy through to childhood, and in fact independently of cognitions; for they flow in from the Lord and stir that person with affection before he knows what love is or what affection is, as the infant state shows, and after that the state of early childhood. Those things with man are the 'remnants' that have been referred to several times which are implanted by the Lord and stored away for use in his later life. For these matters, see `@@@468`, `@@@530`, `@@@560`, `@@@561`, `@@@660`, `@@@661`. Since the Lord was born as any other is born, He too was introduced according to order into celestial things, step by step from infancy on into childhood, and after that into cognitions. These things as experienced by the Lord are described in the present verse, and represented in those that follow by Abram's sojourning in Egypt.
ppp22395#pid#1451. 'Being removed to the mountain on the east of Bethel means an advance made in the celestial things of love. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'a mountain' as that which is celestial, as shown in `@@@795`, `@@@796`; from the meaning of 'the east' as Jehovah Himself as regards love, who is the east itself, as has also been shown in `@@@101` and elsewhere; and also from the meaning of 'Bethel' as knowledge of celestial things. Celestial things are implanted both independently of cognitions and together with cognitions. The implantation independently of cognitions occurs during infancy to childhood, as stated just above, whereas the implantation of them together with cognitions occurs after that, from childhood into adult life. And since the Lord was to advance into cognitions of celestial things, which are meant by 'Bethel', it is said here that 'he removed from there to the mountain on the east of Bethel'.
ppp22394#pid#1452. 'And he pitched his tent' means the holy things of faith. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'a tent' as the holiness of love, and consequently the holiness of faith deriving from love, as shown already in `@@@414`. His pitching his tent there means that this was now beginning.
ppp22393#pid#1453. As regards 'Bethel being towards the sea and Ai towards the east,`fff1`' meaning that His state was still obscure, that is to say, so far as cognitions of celestial and spiritual things were concerned, it is one thing to be governed by celestial things, another to be governed by the cognitions of celestial things. Infants and children are governed, more so than adults, by celestial things because of the presence in them of love towards their parents and of love for one another, as well as of innocence. But adults are governed, more so than infants and children, by the cognitions of those celestial things, very many adults not being governed at all by the celestial things of love. Until a person is taught the things of love and faith, he dwells in an obscure state, that is, so far as cognitions are concerned. That state is described here by the statement 'Bethel' was 'towards the sea', that is, 'towards the west', and 'Ai towards the east' 'Bethel', as stated already, means cognitions of celestial things, but 'Ai' the cognitions of worldly things. The former are said to be 'towards the west' when they are in obscurity, for in the Word 'the west' means that which is obscure, while the latter are said to be 'towards the east' when they are in brightness; for in comparison with the west the east is brightness. There is no need to confirm that west and east have these meanings, as they may be evident to anyone without confirmation.
ttt[2] That 'Bethel' means the cognitions of celestial things however may become clear from other places where Bethel is mentioned in the Word, as in the next chapter,
Abram went according to his journeys from the south even to Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the start, between Bethel and Ai, to the place of the altar that he had made there. `Genesis 13bbb3-4`.
Here 'according to his journeys from the south towards Bethel' means advancing into the light of cognitions, and this is why no reference is made in this case to 'Bethel towards the west and Ai towards the east'. When Jacob saw the stairway he said,
This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. And he called the name of this place Bethel. `Genesis 28bbb17`, `Genesis 28bbbccc19`.
Here similarly 'Bethel' means knowledge of celestial things, for a person is a 'Bethel', that is, a 'House of God', and a 'Gate of heaven', when he is governed by the celestial things that have been present as cognitions. While a person is being regenerated he is undergoing introduction, which is effected by means of cognitions of spiritual and celestial things; but once he has been regenerated that introduction has been completed, and he is now governed by the celestial and spiritual things that have been present as cognitions. Further on it is said,
God said to Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there; make there an altar to the God who appeared to you. `Genesis 35bbb1`, `Genesis 35bbbccc6-7`.
ttt[3] Here similarly 'Bethel' means cognitions.
The presence of the Ark of Jehovah in Bethel, and the visits to that place by the children of Israel to inquire of Jehovah, `Judges 20bbb18`, `Judges 20bbbccc26-27`; `1 Samuel 7bbb16`, `1 Samuel ccc10bbb3`, have similar meanings. So also has the reference to the king of Assyria sending one of the priests whom he had deported from Samaria, who resided in Bethel and was teaching them how to fear Jehovah, `2 Kings 17bbb27-28`.
In Amos,
Amaziah said to Amos, O seer, go, flee to the land of Judah, and eat bread there, and prophesy there. And do not prophesy any more in Bethel, for this is the king's sanctuary and this is a house of the kingdom. `Amos 7bbb12-13`.
ttt[4] After Jeroboam had profaned Bethel, `1 Kings 12bbb32`; `1 Kings ccc13bbb1-8`; `2 Kings 23bbb15`, Bethel had a contrary representation, as in `Hosea 10bbb15`; `Amos 3bbb14-15`; `Amos ccc5bbb5-7`. As regards 'Ai' meaning cognitions of worldly things however this too may be confirmed from historical and prophetical parts of the Word, in `Joshua 7bbb2`; `Joshua ccc8bbb1-28`; `Jeremiah 49bbb3-4`.
`nnn1. literally, Bethel from the sea (an idiom for from the west) and Ai from the east
ppp22392#pid#1454. 'And he built an altar to Jehovah' means external worship of His Father arising out of that state. This is clear from the meaning of 'an altar' as the chief representative in worship, `@@@921`.
ppp22391#pid#1455. 'And he called on the name of Jehovah' means internal worship of His Father arising out of that state. This is clear from the meaning of 'calling on the name of Jehovah', `@@@440`. That external worship is meant by 'building an altar to Jehovah', and internal worship by 'calling on the name of Jehovah', may become clear to anyone.
ppp22390#pid#1456. Verse `Genesis 12bbbccc9` And Abram travelled, going on and travelling, towards the south.
'Abram travelled, going on and travelling' means further advance. 'Towards the south' means into goods and truths, thus into a state that is bright as regards interior things.
ppp22389#pid#1457. That 'Abram travelled, going on and travelling' means further advance becomes clear from the meaning of 'going on and travelling'. Among the ancients, journeys, travels, and sojournings had no other meaning, and therefore in the internal sense have no other meaning in the Word. The Lord's advances forward into cognitions begin here. That the Lord also was taught like any other child is made clear in Luke,
The young child`fff1` grew and became strong in spirit; he was in desert places till the day of His manifestation to Israel. `Luke 1bbb80`.
In the same gospel,
The child grew and became strong in spirit, and was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him. `Luke 2bbb40`.
In the same gospel,
Joseph and Jesus' mother after three days found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions; and all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and answers. When they saw Him they were astonished, but He said to them, How is it that you sought Me? Did you not know that I must be in those things that are My Father's?`fff2` `Luke 2bbb46`, `Luke 2bbbccc49`.
He was at that time twelve years old, `Luke 2bbb42`. In the same gospel, Jesus advanced in wisdom and in years,`fff3` and in grace with God and men. `Luke 2bbb52`.
`nnn1. In the literal sense this verse refers to John the Baptist; but see `@@@1927`, `@@@5620`.
`nnn2. In those things that are My Father's' is a very literal rendering of the Latin, which renders the Greek quite literally.
`nnn3. literally, age
ppp22388#pid#1458. 'Towards the south' means into goods and truths, thus into a state that is bright as regards interior things. This is clear from the meaning of 'the south'. That 'the south' means a state that is bright arises from the fact that the four quarters, as with periods of time, do not actually exist in the next life, only the states meant by the four quarters and periods of time. The successive states of ideas in the understanding are like the states that belong to the times of the day and to the seasons of the year, and also to those of the four quarters. The successive states of a day are evening, night, morning, and midday; the states of the year are autumn, winter, spring, and summer; and the states of the four quarters are those of the sun in relation to west, north, east, and south. Similar to these are the successive states of ideas in the understanding. And what is remarkable, in heaven those whose state is one of wisdom and intelligence are in light. The intensity of that light is in exact proportion to their state, with those in the greatest light whose state is one of highest wisdom and intelligence; but the wisdom there is that which goes with love and charity, and the intelligence that which goes with faith in the Lord. That there is light in the next life to which the light of the world scarcely stands comparison is to me evident from much experience, and this will in the Lord's Divine mercy be presented later on. And because there exists in heaven such a correspondence between light and things of the understanding, nothing else is meant in the internal sense here and elsewhere in the Word by 'the south'. Here 'the south' means intelligence acquired through cognitions. Cognitions are celestial and spiritual truths, which are just so many radiations of light in heaven and which present themselves visibly by means of the light, as has been stated. Because the Lord was now to be endowed with cognitions so that He might become the Light itself of heaven as regards His Human Essence as well, it is here said that 'he travelled, going on and travelling, towards the south'.
ttt[2] That 'the south' means those things becomes clear from similar examples in the Word, as in Isaiah,
I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Do not withhold. Bring My sons from afar and My daughters from the end of the earth. `Isaiah 43bbb6`.
'The north' stands for those without knowledge, 'the south' for those who possess cognitions, 'sons' stands for truths, and 'daughters' for goods. In the same prophet,
If you bring food out of store for the hungry`fff1` and satisfy the afflicted soul, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your thick darkness will be as the noonday.`fff2` `Isaiah 58bbb10`.
'Bringing food out of store for the hungry and satisfying the afflicted soul' stands for good deeds of charity in general. 'Your light will rise in the darkness' stands for the fact that truth has made them intelligent, and 'your thick darkness will be as the noonday'`fff2` that good has made them wise. 'The south' means good by virtue of its warmth, and truth by virtue of its light.
ttt[3] In Ezekiel,
In the visions of God He brought me into the land of Israel and set me down on a very high mountain, on which there was so to speak the structure of a city on the south. `Ezekiel 40bbb2`.
This refers to the new Jerusalem or the Lord's kingdom, which because it is bathed in the light of wisdom and intelligence is 'on the south'. In David,
Jehovah will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your judgement as the noonday.`fff2` `Psalms 37bbb6`.
In the same author,
You will not be afraid of the terror of the night, of the arrow that flies by day, of the pestilence that walks in thick darkness, of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.`fff2` `Psalms 91bbb5-6`
'Not being afraid of the destruction that lays waste at noonday'`fff2` stands for not fearing the condemnation which comes upon those who possess cognitions but pervert them. In Ezekiel,
Son of man, set your face`fff3` towards the south and drop [your words] to the south and prophesy towards the forest of the field in the south; and you shall say to the forest of the south, All faces in it from south to north will be scorched in it. `Ezekiel 20bbb46-47`
'The forest of the south' stands for those who possess the light of truths but extinguish it, and so stands for those within the Church who are such as these.
ttt[4] In Daniel,
Out of one of them there came forth a little horn, and it grew much towards the south, and towards the east, and towards the glorious [land]. And it grew even towards the host of heaven. `Daniel 8bbb9-10`.
This stands for people who assail goods and truths. In Jeremiah,
Give glory to Jehovah your God before He causes darkness and before your feet stumble on the twilight mountains, and you look for light and He turns it into the shadow of death and places it in thick darkness. The cities of the south will be shut up, with none opening them. `Jeremiah 13bbb16`, `Jeremiah 13bbbccc19`.
'Cities of the south' stands for cognitions of truth and good. In Obadiah,
Those carried away from Jerusalem who are in Sepharad will inherit the cities of the south. Obad. verse `Genesis 12bbbccc20`.
Here similarly 'the cities of the south' stands for truths and goods, and so for the truths and goods themselves to which they are heirs. The subject here is the Lord's kingdom.
ttt[5] As regards 'Abram travelled, going on and travelling, towards the south' meaning, as has been stated, the Lord's advance into goods and truths, thus into a state that is bright as regards interiors, cognitions are what open up the path to seeing celestial and spiritual things. By means of cognitions a path is opened up from the internal man to the external man in which recipient vessels reside, as many as there are cognitions of good and truth. It is into the latter as their own particular vessels that celestial things flow.
`nnn1. literally, bring out for the hungry your soul
`nnn2. literally, the south
`nnn3. literally, faces
ppp22387#pid#1459. Verse `Genesis 12bbbccc10` And there was a famine in the land; and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine in the land was serious.
'There was a famine in the land' means a lack of cognitions which still existed with the Lord when He was a boy. 'And Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn' means instruction in cognitions from the Word, 'Egypt' meaning knowledge comprised of cognitions, 'sojourning' receiving instruction. 'For the famine in the land was serious' means a great lack in His External Man.
ppp22386#pid#1460. That 'there was a famine in the land' means a lack of cognitions which still existed with the Lord when He was a boy is clear from what has been stated already. In childhood the cognitions that reside with man never come from that which is interior but from the objects of the senses, most of all from hearing; for, as has been stated, with the external man there are recipient vessels which are called those of the memory. Those vessels, as anyone may know, are formed by means of cognitions, the internal man flowing in and assisting that formation. Consequently the learning of cognitions and their implantation in the memory take place in the measure that the internal man is flowing in. So also with the Lord when a boy, for He was born as any other and received instruction as any other. But in His case the interiors were celestial, which fashioned the vessels to receive cognitions, and after that these cognitions to become vessels for receiving the Divine. The interiors with Him were Divine, being from Jehovah His Father, but the exteriors were human, being from Mary His mother. From this it becomes clear that in childhood a lack of cognitions within His external man existed with the Lord as much as with all others.
ttt[2] That 'famine' means a lack of cognitions is clear from elsewhere in the Word, as in Isaiah,
They do not look closely at the work of Jehovah, and they do not regard what His hands have done. Therefore My people will go into exile because they have no knowledge, and their honourable men will be famished,' and their multitude parched with thirst. `Isaiah 5bbb12-13`.
'Honourable men famished`fff1` stands for a lack of celestial cognitions, 'multitude parched with thirst' for a lack of spiritual cognitions. In Jeremiah,
They have lied against Jehovah and said, It is not He; and no evil will come upon us; neither shall we see sword and famine. And the prophets will become wind, and the word is not in them. `Jeremiah 5bbb12-13`.
'Sword and famine' stands for becoming robbed of cognitions of truth and good. 'Prophets' stands for those who teach, in whom 'the word is not'. That 'being consumed by sword and famine' means becoming robbed of cognitions of truth and good, and that these have to do with vastation, 'sword' as to spiritual things, 'famine' as to celestial things, is clear from many parts of the Word, such as `Jeremiah 14bbb13-16`, `Jeremiah 14bbbccc18`; `Lamentations 4bbb9`; and elsewhere.
ttt[3] So also in Ezekiel,
I will bring more famine upon you, and will break for you the staff of bread; and I will send famine and evil beasts upon you, and they will rob you of your children. And I will bring the sword upon you. `Ezekiel 5bbb16-17`.
'Famine' stands for when one has been robbed of celestial cognitions, or cognitions of good, and therefore falsities and evils occur. In David,
And He summoned a famine over the land, He broke every staff of bread. `Psalms 105bbb16`.
'Breaking the staff of bread' stands for being deprived of celestial nourishment, for the life of good spirits and of angels is sustained by no other food than cognitions of good and truth, and by goods and truths themselves. This is the origin of the meaning in the internal sense of famine and bread. In the same author,
He has satisfied the longing soul, and the hungry soul He has filled with good. `Psalms 107bbb9`.
This stands for those desiring cognitions. In Jeremiah,
Lift up your hands for the soul of your little children who faint from famine at the head of every street. `Lamentations 2bbb19`.
'Famine' stands for an absence of cognitions, 'streets' for truths. In Ezekiel,
They will dwell securely and not be made afraid; and I shall raise up for them a plant for renown, and they will no more be consumed with famine in the land. `Ezekiel 34bbb28-29`.
This stands for their being deprived no longer of the cognitions of good and truth.
ttt[4] In John,
They will not hunger any more, nor thirst any more. `Revelation 7bbb16`.
This refers to the Lord's kingdom where they have an abundance of all celestial cognitions and goods, meant by 'not hungering', and of spiritual cognitions and truths, meant by 'not thirsting'. The Lord said something similar, in John,
I am the Bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. `John 6bbb35`.
In Luke,
Blessed are you that hunger now, for you will be satisfied. `Luke 6bbb21`.
In the same gospel,
He has filled the hungry with good things. `Luke 1bbb53`.
This refers to celestial goods and the cognitions of these. In Amos there is a plain statement that 'famine' means the lack of cognitions,
Behold, the days are coming, when I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of Jehovah. `Amos 8bbb11-12`.
`nnn1. literally, their glory will be mortals of famine
ppp22385#pid#1461. 'And Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn' means instruction in cognitions from the Word. This is clear from the meaning of 'Egypt' and from the meaning of 'sojourning'. That 'Egypt' means knowledge comprised of cognitions, and 'sojourning' receiving instruction, will be seen in what follows shortly. That the Lord received instruction in childhood as anybody else does is clear from those places in Luke quoted previously at verse `Genesis 12bbbccc9` in `@@@1457`, and also from what has been stated just above concerning the external man, who cannot possibly be made to correspond and accord with the internal man except by means of cognitions. The external man is seated in the body and the senses, and does not receive anything celestial or spiritual unless cognitions are implanted in it as in the soil. Celestial things are able to utilize these as their own recipient vessels, but those cognitions must be from the Word. Cognitions from the Word are such as lie open from the Lord Himself, for the Word itself comes from the Lord by way of heaven, and the Lord's life is present in every single detail of it, though this is not to be seen in the external form. From this it may become clear that in childhood the Lord wished to take in no other cognitions than those of the Word, which, as stated, was laid open to Him from Jehovah Himself, His Father, with whom He was to be united and become one. And that wish was even stronger for the reason that no statement occurs in the Word that does not inmostly have regard to Him and does not in the first place come from Him. For His Human Essence was purely an addition to His Divine Essence which existed from eternity.
ppp22384#pid#1462. 'Egypt' means, in reference to the Lord, knowledge comprised of cognitions, but in reference to all others, knowledge in general. This becomes clear from the meaning of that country in the Word, dealt with already in several places, and specifically in `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`. Indeed the Ancient Church existed in Egypt, as it did in many other places, `@@@1238`, and while the Church was in that region all kinds of knowledge flourished there more than anything else; and this explains why 'Egypt' came to mean knowledge. But after those people desired to penetrate the mysteries of faith by means of all this knowledge, and so to inquire into the truth of Divine arcana from their own power, Egypt became a place of magic, and so came to mean factual knowledge which perverts, and which gives rise to falsities and derivative evils, as is clear in `Isaiah 19bbb11`.
ttt[2] That 'Egypt' means all kinds of knowledge that serve a use, thus at this point knowledge comprised of cognitions which is able to serve as vessels for celestial and spiritual things, becomes clear from the following places in the Word: In Isaiah,
They have led Egypt astray, the corner-stone of the tribes. `Isaiah 19bbb13`.
Here it is called 'the corner-stone of the tribes', which was to serve as the base on which the things of faith meant by 'the tribes' were to rest. In the same prophet,
On that day there will be five cities in the land of Egypt which speak in the lip of Canaan and swear to Jehovah Zebaoth. Each will be called Ir Heres. On that day there will be an altar to Jehovah in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at its border to Jehovah; and it will be a sign and a witness to Jehovah Zebaoth in the land of Egypt, for they will cry to Jehovah because of the oppressors, and He will send a savior and a prince to them, and he will deliver them. And Jehovah will make Himself known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know Jehovah on that day and will offer sacrifice and minchah, and will make vows to Jehovah and perform them. And Jehovah will smite Egypt, smiting and healing, and they will return to Jehovah; and He will be entreated by them, and He will heal them. `Isaiah 19bbb18-22`.
Used in a good sense here, 'Egypt' stands for people who possess facts, or natural truths, which are the vessels for spiritual truths.
ttt[3] In the same prophet,
On that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Asshur, and Asshur will come into Egypt and Egypt into Asshur, and the Egyptians will serve Asshur.`fff1` On that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Asshur, a blessing in the midst of the earth, whom Jehovah Zebaoth will bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt My people, and Asshur the work of My hands, and Israel My heritage. `Isaiah 19bbb23-25`.
Here 'Egypt' means knowledge consisting of natural truths, 'Asshur' reason or rational things, and 'Israel' spiritual things, which follow one another in that order. Hence the statement that 'on that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Asshur, and Israel will be the third with Egypt and Asshur'.
ttt[4] In Ezekiel,
Fine linen with embroidered work from Egypt was your sail, that it might be to you an ensign. `Ezekiel 27bbb7`.
This refers to Tyre, which means the possession of cognitions. 'Fine linen with embroidered work' stands for the truths contained in all kinds of knowledge which are of service; belonging as they do to the external man facts ought to be of service to the internal man. In the same prophet,
Thus said the Lord Jehovih, At the end of forty years I will gather Egypt from the peoples among whom they were scattered, and I will bring back the captivity of Egypt. `Ezekiel 29bbb13-14`.
Here also 'Egypt' has much the same meaning, as is also said of Judah and Israel in many other places that they were to be gathered from the peoples and brought back from captivity. In Zechariah,
And it will be that whoever of the families of the earth does not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, Jehovah Zebaoth, there will be no rain upon them And if the family of Egypt does not go up, and does not come . . . `Zechariah 14bbb17-18`.
Here also 'Egypt' is used in a good sense to have a similar meaning.
ttt[5] That knowledge or human wisdom is meant by 'Egypt' becomes clear also in `Daniel 11bbb43` where knowledge of celestial and of spiritual things is called 'the secret hoards of gold and silver' and also 'the precious things of Egypt'. And of Solomon it is said that his wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the sons of the east and all the wisdom of the Egyptians, `1 Kings 4bbb30`. And the house built by Solomon for Pharaoh's daughter had no other representation, `1 Kings 7bbb8` and following verses.
ttt[6] The Lord's being taken into Egypt when He was an infant had no other meaning than that which here is meant by Abram, though He was also taken there so that He might fulfill all things that had taken place and were representative of Himself. The passage of Jacob and his sons down into Egypt represented in the inmost sense nothing other than the Lord's initial instruction in cognitions from the Word, as is also evident from what follows. In reference to the Lord the following is said in Matthew,
The angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, Rise, take the boy and His mother, and flee into Egypt, and be there until I tell you. He rose and took the boy and His mother by night, and departed into Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, so that what had been said by the prophet might be fulfilled, when he said, Out of Egypt have I called My son. `Matthew 2bbb13-15`, `Matthew 2bbbccc19-21`.
This promise is stated in Hosea as follows,
When Israel was a boy I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son. `Hosea 11bbb1`.
From this it is clear that 'the boy Israel' is used to mean the Lord, His instruction when a boy being expressed by the words, 'Out of Egypt have I called My son'.
ttt[7] In the same prophet,
By a prophet Jehovah brought Israel up out of Egypt and by a prophet he was preserved. `Hosea 12bbb12-13`.
Here similarly 'Israel' is used to mean the Lord. 'A prophet' means one who teaches, thus teaching consisting of cognitions. In David,
Turn us back, O God Zebaoth, cause Your face`fff2` to shine and we shall be saved. You caused a vine to set out from Egypt, You drove out the nations and planted it. `Psalms 80bbb7-8`.
This too refers to the Lord, who is called 'the vine out of Egypt' as regards the cognitions in which He was receiving instruction.
`nnn1. The Hebrew of his text in Isaiah may be read in two different ways - serve Asshur or serve with Asshur. Most English versions of Isaiah prefer the second of these.
`nnn2. literally, Faces
ppp22383#pid#1463. That 'sojourning' means receiving instruction becomes clear from the meaning in the Word of 'sojourning' as receiving instruction, and it has this meaning because sojourning and passing on, or moving from one place to another, is in heaven nothing else than a change of state, as shown already in `@@@1376`, `@@@1379`. Therefore every time travelling, sojourning, or transferring from one place to another occurs in the Word nothing else suggests itself to angels than a change of state such as takes place with them. There are changes of state both of thoughts and of affections. Changes of the state of thoughts are cognitions, which in the world of spirits are represented by means of forms of instruction. This also explains why members of the Most Ancient Church, having communication with the angelic heaven, did not perceive anything else by 'sojourning'. Thus the statement here that 'Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn' does not mean anything other than the Lord's being instructed.
ttt[2] Something similar is meant by Jacob and his sons going down into Egypt, as in Isaiah,
Thus said the Lord Jehovih, My people went down to Egypt at first to sojourn there, and Asshur oppressed them without cause. `Isaiah 52bbb4`.
Here 'Asshur' stands for reasonings. This is also why in the Jewish Church people who were receiving instruction were called 'sojourners, sojourning in their midst' who, it was commanded, were to receive the same treatment as the native-born, `Exodus 12bbb48-49`; `Leviticus 24bbb22`; `Numbers 15bbb13-16`, `Numbers 15bbbccc26`, `Numbers 15bbbccc29`; `Numbers ccc19bbb10`. Regarding sojourners it is said in Ezekiel,
You shall divide this land among you according to the tribes of Israel. You shall divide it by lot as an inheritance for yourselves and for sojourners, sojourning in your midst. They shall be to you as native-born among the children of Israel, they shall cast lots with you for an inheritance in the midst of the tribes of Israel. In the tribe with which the sojourner has sojourned, there shall you give him his inheritance. `Ezekiel 47bbb21-23`.
This refers to the new Jerusalem, or the Lord's kingdom. 'Sojourners sojourning' is used to mean people who allow themselves to receive instruction, consequently the gentiles. That 'sojourners' stands for people who are receiving instruction is clear from the fact that it is said 'in the tribe with which he has sojourned, there shall an inheritance be given him'. 'Tribes' stands for the things that constitute faith.
ttt[3] 'Sojourning' is also similar in meaning to travelling and dwelling. 'Travelling' means the established patterns and order of life, while 'dwelling' means living, both dealt with already in `@@@1293`. For the same reasons the land of Canaan is also called 'the land of the sojournings of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob', in `Genesis 28bbb4`; `Genesis ccc36bbb7`; `Genesis ccc37bbb1`; `Exodus 6bbb4`. And Jacob said to Pharaoh,
The days of the years of my sojournings; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their sojournings. `Genesis 47bbb9`.
Here 'sojourning' stands for life and for forms of instruction.
ppp22382#pid#1464. 'For the famine in the land was serious' means a great lack in His External Man. This is clear from the meaning of 'famine' as presented above in this verse. The arcana contained here are more than can be enumerated briefly. The Lord's ability to learn was superior to that of any other person, but because He was to receive instruction in celestial things before doing so in spiritual things, unlike others, reference is made to this point here. A further reason for such a reference is that there was hereditary evil from the mother in His External Man which He was to fight against and to overcome. And there are countless other considerations besides these.
ppp22381#pid#1465. Verse `Genesis 12bbbccc11` And it happened, when he drew near to come into Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that you are a beautiful woman to look upon.
'And it happened, when he drew near to come into Egypt' means when He started to learn, 'Egypt', as has been stated, meaning knowledge comprised of cognitions. 'That he said to Sarai his wife' means that He thought in the following way about truths to which celestial things were allied, 'Sarai his wife' meaning truth allied to the celestial things that resided with the Lord. 'Behold now, I know that you are a beautiful woman to look upon' means that truth from a celestial origin is delightful.
ppp22380#pid#1466. 'And it happened, when he drew near to come into Egypt' means when He started to learn. This is clear from the meaning of 'Egypt' as knowledge comprised of cognitions. When the expression 'draw near' is used with reference to this it cannot have any other meaning.
ppp22379#pid#1467. That 'Egypt' means knowledge comprised of cognitions is clear from what has been stated and shown at the previous verse regarding Egypt.
ppp22378#pid#1468. 'That he said to Sarai his wife' means that He thought in the following way about truths to which celestial things were allied. This is clear from the meaning of 'Sarai' when she is called 'a wife'. In the internal sense of the Word 'a wife' means nothing other than truth joined to good, for truth joined to good is altogether like a marriage. When the noun 'husband' (maritus) is used in the Word it means good and 'wife' means truth. But when instead of this another noun for 'husband' (vir) is used, it in that case means truth, and 'wife' means good; and this is a consistent usage in the Word, as also stated already in `@@@915`. Since 'Abram' has been mentioned by name in this passage, 'Sarai his wife' means truth. Thus the meaning of 'he said to Sarai his wife' is in the internal sense that He thought in the following way about truths to which celestial things were allied. It is true historically that when he travelled into Egypt Abram spoke to his wife in this way; but, as has been stated, all the historical events recorded in the Word are representative and every word carries a spiritual meaning. No other historical details have been brought in, and those that have are not presented in any other sequence, nor expressed in any other words than such as in the internal sense may express these arcana.
ppp22377#pid#1469. That 'Sarai his wife' is truth allied to the celestial things that resided with the Lord is clear from what has just been stated about the meaning of 'Sarai his wife'. The reason for the expression 'truth allied to celestial things' is that all truth resided with the Lord already. That which is celestial has truth with it, one being as inseparable from the other as light from flame. Such truth however was stored away in His Internal Man, which was Divine. The facts and cognitions which He learned were not truths, only recipient vessels, just as something in the human memory is by no means truth even though it is referred to as such. Rather the truth is held within them as its vessels. These vessels were to be formed by the Lord - or rather opened up by Him - through instruction in cognitions from the Word, not only in order that celestial things might be implanted in them but also in order that celestial things might in this way be made Divine; for the Lord joined the Divine Essence to the Human Essence in order that His Human Essence might be made Divine also.
ppp22376#pid#1470. 'Behold now, I know that you are a beautiful woman to look upon' means that truth from a celestial origin is delightful. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'a woman beautiful to look upon'. Every truth that is celestial, that is, which is brought forth from what is celestial, is a source of happiness in the internal man and of delight in the external; and among celestial angels truth is not perceived in any other way. It is altogether different however when it does not have a celestial origin. There are two kinds of happiness in the internal man to which two kinds of delight in the external man correspond. One belongs to good, the other to truth. Celestial happiness and delight go with good, spiritual happiness and delight with truth. Furthermore it is well known that truth holds happiness and delight within it, though these are essentially such only when the truth flows from what is celestial, and therefore when the truth itself becomes celestial and is called celestial truth. This truth may also be compared to the light of the sun in spring, which light carries within it the warmth which causes everything on earth to start to grow and so to speak to come alive. This celestial truth is beauty or beautifulness itself, and is the kind of truth meant here by the words 'a beautiful woman to look upon'. What further arcana are embodied in these words will become evident from what follows
ppp22375#pid#1471. Verse `Genesis 12bbbccc12` And it will be, when the Egyptians see you they will say, This is his wife, and they will slay me and let you live.
'And it will be, when the Egyptians see you' means knowledge comprised of cognitions, it being the nature of that knowledge when celestial cognitions are seen that is described. 'And they will say, This is his wife' means that they will call those cognitions celestial 'And they will slay me and let you live' means that they would have no interest in the celestial things, only in the mere cognitions, which they would carry away
ppp22374#pid#1472. That 'it will be, when the Egyptians see you' means knowledge comprised of cognitions, it being the nature of that knowledge when celestial cognitions are seen that is described, becomes clear from the meaning of 'Egypt' as knowledge comprised of cognitions, as shown already. And from this what the words 'if the Egyptians see you' mean may become clear, namely that this knowledge is such as is described in the present verse. Such is the case with knowledge comprised of cognitions; and it has also a certain naturalness within it, as is manifested in children when they first start to learn - that is to say, the higher things are, the more they desire them; and all the more so when they hear that these things are celestial and Divine. But this delight is natural and arises from a strong desire that belongs to the external man. With others that strong desire causes them to take delight solely in knowledge comprised of cognitions, without any other end in view; yet that knowledge is nothing else than a certain means that exists to achieve an end, which is use. That is to say, cognitions exist to serve as vessels for celestial and spiritual things, and when they are performing that service, for the first time they have a use, and from that use receive their delight. It may become clear to anyone, if he pays the matter any attention, that in itself the knowledge comprised of cognitions exists for no other reason than that a person should become rational, and from that become spiritual, and at length celestial, and that by means of those cognitions his external man may be allied to his internal. When this point is reached he has arrived at the use itself, the internal man having nothing else than uses in view. For the sake of the same end also the Lord instills the delight that childhood and youth experience in forms of knowledge. When however a person begins to take delight in knowledge alone, it is a bodily desire that carries him away; and to the extent it carries him away, that is, to the extent he takes delight in knowledge alone, to the same extent does he move away from what is celestial, and to the same extent do the facts he knows close themselves up in the Lord's direction and become materially inclined. But insofar as facts are learned with a view to use - such as for the sake of human society, for the sake of the Lord's Church on earth, for the sake of the Lord's kingdom in heaven, and still more for the sake of the Lord Himself - the more they are opened out towards Him. For these reasons also the angels, who possess the knowledge that is comprised of all cognitions - having so full a possession of it that scarcely one ten thousandth part of what they know can be presented to man's entire mental grasp - nevertheless place no value at all in knowledge when compared with use. These considerations show what is meant by the words, 'when the Egyptians see you they will say, This is his wife, and they will slay me and let you live'. It is because the Lord when He was a boy knew this and thought in this way, that these things have been stated, namely that if He were to be carried away by a strong desire for nothing else than the knowledge that is comprised of cognitions, this knowledge would be such that He would have no interest any more in celestial things but only in the cognitions which that strong desire for knowledge would seize upon. More regarding these matters follows below.
ppp22373#pid#1473. 'And they will say, This is his wife' means that they will call those cognitions celestial. This is clear from the meaning of 'a wife' as truth allied to celestial things, and consequently 'this is his wife' means that which is celestial.
ppp22372#pid#1474 .'And they will slay me and let you live' means that they would have no interest in the celestial things, only in the mere cognitions, [which they would carry away]. This is clear from what has just been stated.
[`@@@1474`a] Verse `Genesis 12bbbccc13` Say, now, you are my sister, so that it may go well for me for your sake, and my soul may live because of you.
'Say, now, you are my sister' means intellectual truth, which is 'a sister'. 'So that it may go well for me for your sake' means in this way the celestial could not have any violence done to it. 'And my soul may live because of you' means that in this way the celestial could be saved.
ppp22371#pid#1475. 'Say, now, you are my sister' means intellectual truth, which is 'a sister'. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'sister' as intellectual truth when celestial truth is meant by 'wife', which meaning of 'sister' is shown further on. The implications here are as follows: Knowledge is of such a nature that it desires nothing more than to introduce itself into celestial things and examine them. But this is contrary to order, for if knowledge is used in this way it does violence to celestial things. The proper order is for the celestial to introduce itself by way of the spiritual into the rational and in this manner into factual knowledge, and to adapt this to itself. Unless this order is kept no wisdom can possibly exist. Also contained in the present section there are arcana as to how the Lord was taught by His Father according to order in its completeness, and so how His External Man was joined to His Internal - that is, how His external Man was made Divine, even as His Internal Man was essentially Divine, and so how He became Jehovah as regards both Essences. This was accomplished by means of cognitions, which are the means. Without cognitions as means the external man cannot indeed become truly man.
ppp22370#pid#1476. 'So that it may go well for me for your sake' means that in this way the celestial could not have any violence done to it. This is clear from what has been stated above; for as stated several times already, the order is for the celestial to flow into the spiritual, the spiritual into the rational, and this into factual knowledge. When this order exists the spiritual is adapted by the celestial to be of service, the rational by the spiritual, and factual knowledge by the rational. Factual knowledge in general becomes in that case the outermost vessel, or what amounts to the same, facts specifically and particularly become outermost vessels which correspond to rational things, rational to spiritual things, and spiritual to celestial. When this order exists no violence can be done to the celestial; but when such order does not exist violence is done to it. Since the subject here in the internal sense is the instruction received by the Lord, the way in which He progressed is described
ppp22369#pid#1477. 'My soul may live because of you' means that in this way the celestial could be saved. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'soul' as the celestial, for being the essential life itself the celestial is the soul itself. From this it is clear what 'so that my soul may live because of you' means. From what follows it will be clear that celestial or Divine things were not so joined to the Lord that they constituted one Essence until He had undergone temptations and so had cast out hereditary evil from the mother. This verse and those that follow describe how in the meantime the celestial itself had no violence done to it but was saved.
ppp22368#pid#1478. Verse `Genesis 12bbbccc14` And it happened, when Abram came into Egypt, that the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful.
'It happened, when Abram came into Egypt' means when the Lord started to receive instruction. 'That the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful' means that the knowledge which is comprised of cognitions is by nature such as to be to itself highly pleasing.
ppp22367#pid#1479. That 'it happened, when Abram came into Egypt' means when the Lord started to receive instruction is clear from the representation of 'Abram' in the internal sense as the Lord when a boy, and from the meaning of 'Egypt', as shown above at verse `Genesis 12bbbccc10` of this chapter, as knowledge comprised of cognitions. From this it is evident that 'coming into Egypt' means receiving instruction.
ppp22366#pid#1480. 'That the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful' means that the knowledge which is comprised of cognitions is to itself highly pleasing. This is clear from what has been stated above at verse `Genesis 12bbbccc11`, to the effect that in childhood knowledge is of such a nature. Within knowledge an inclination so to speak exists - for that inclination is innate in man - which disposes it first of all to take pleasure in knowing just for the sake of knowing, and with no other end in view. This is so with everyone: his spirit takes great delight in knowing, so that it scarcely desires anything better, knowledge being its food by which it is sustained and renewed, as the external man is by earthly food. And this which nourishes his spirit is communicated to the external man to the end that the external man may be adapted so as to serve the internal. These foods exist consecutively, in the following order: Celestial food consists in every good of love and charity received from the Lord, while spiritual food consists in every truth of faith; these are the kinds of food by which angels live. From these comes the food - also celestial and spiritual, but of a lower angelic degree - by which angelic spirits live. And from this again comes celestial and spiritual food of a still lower degree, which is that of reason and from this of knowledge, by which good spirits live. Last of all comes bodily food, which is proper to man while he lives in the body. All these foods correspond to one another in a remarkable manner. From this it is also evident why and how knowledge is to itself most pleasing, for that pleasure is as appetite and taste; therefore also eating with man corresponds in the world of spirits to facts, and appetite and taste themselves to the intense desire for facts, as is clear from experience which will in the Lord's Divine mercy be presented further on.
ppp22365#pid#1481. Verse `Genesis 12bbbccc15` And Pharaoh's princes saw her, and praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken to Pharaoh's house.
'Pharaoh's princes saw' means the first and foremost commandments, which are 'pharaoh's princes'. 'And they praised her to Pharaoh' means that they were pleasing. 'And the woman was taken to Pharaoh's house' means that they sought to capture the mind (animus).
ppp22364#pid#1482. That 'Pharaoh's princes saw' means the first and foremost commandments, which are 'pharaoh's princes', is clear from the meaning of 'princes' and of 'Pharaoh'. In the Word, in both its historical and its prophetical parts, princes mean the things that are first and foremost. 'pharaoh' has the same meaning as Egypt, Egypt or Pharaoh being used in the best sense here, since they refer to knowledge comprised of cognitions which the Lord took in first in childhood. That first and foremost commandments from the Word are meant is clear from the meaning of these princes in the internal sense. That in general 'Pharaoh' in the Word has the same meaning as Egypt may be confirmed from many references, even as the kings of other kingdoms who are mentioned by name have the same meaning as the actual names given to their kingdoms. But by 'the princes' are meant their first and foremost features, as in Isaiah,
The princes of Zoan are foolish, the wise counselors of Pharaoh. . . . How do you say to Pharaoh, I am a son of the wise, a son of the kings of old? The princes of Zoan have become fools, the princes of Noph deluded. `Isaiah 19bbb11`, `Isaiah 19bbbccc13`.
Here 'the princes of Zoan and the wise counselors of Pharaoh' stands for facts that are first and foremost. And since wisdom flourished initially in Egypt, as stated already, it is called 'a son of the wise, and a son of the kings of old'. And there are many other places in the Word where in the same way 'princes' stands for features that are first and foremost.
ppp22363#pid#1483. That 'they praised her to Pharaoh' means that they were pleasing becomes clear without explanation.
ppp22362#pid#1484. That 'the woman was taken to Pharaoh's house' means that they sought to capture the mind (animus) becomes clear from the meaning of 'woman' and from the meaning of 'house'. 'Woman' means truth, here the truth present in types of knowledge, the delights of which captivated the Lord in childhood. The delights of truth are those coming from intellectual truth meant by 'a sister'. 'House' means the things that reside in man, in particular those which belong to his will, as shown already in `@@@710`, here therefore those which belong to the mind (animus), or the affection for knowing and learning.
`@@@1484`[a] Verse `Genesis 12bbbccc16` And he treated Abram well for her sake; and he had flocks and herds, and asses and menservants, and maidservants and she-asses, and camels.
'He treated Abram well for her sake' means that the facts residing with the Lord were multiplied. 'And he had flocks and herds, and asses and menservants, and maidservants and she-asses, and camels' means all things in general which constitute factual knowledge.
ppp22361#pid#1485. That 'he treated Abram well for her sake' means that the facts residing with the Lord were multiplied is clear from the meaning of 'treating well' as enriching. This is said in reference to knowledge, meant by 'Pharaoh', in that it 'treated Abram well', that is, was a benefit to the Lord when a boy, and was so 'for her sake', that is, for the sake of the intellectual truth which He desired. It was this desire for truth that caused the enriching.
ppp22360#pid#1486. 'And [he had] flocks and herds, and asses and menservants, and maidservants and she-asses, and camels' means all things in general which constitute factual knowledge. This is clear from the meaning of all of these in the Word. But what each one means specifically would take far too long to show, that is, to show what is meant by flocks and herds, what by asses and menservants, what by maidservants and she-asses, and what by camels. Each has its own particular meaning, but in general they mean all the things constituting the knowledge that is comprised of cognitions and all those constituting factual knowledge. Regarded in themselves facts are 'asses and menservants'; the pleasures that go with them are 'maidservants and she-asses'; 'camels' are general things of service; 'flocks and herds' are possessions. This applies throughout the Word. All things whatever residing with the external man are nothing else than a body of servants, that is, they exist to serve the internal man. This is how it is with all facts, which belong solely to the external man; for these are acquired from earthly and worldly things by means of sensory impressions so that they might serve the interior or rational man; and that this interior man might serve the spiritual man, the spiritual man the celestial man, and the celestial man the Lord. Thus these exist in subordination to one another as things that are exterior beneath those that are interior; and thus also every single thing exists subordinate to the Lord. Facts therefore are the ultimate and outermost things, in which in their order interior things are inclosed; and because facts are ultimate and outermost things, these more than all other things must be things of service. Anyone may recognize what it is that facts are able to serve if he reflects or asks himself the question, What is their use? When he reflects in this way on the use they serve he may also apprehend the nature of the use. Every fact must exist for the sake of a use, and this is its service.
[`@@@1486`a] Verse `Genesis 12bbbccc17` And Jehovah struck Pharaoh with great plagues, and his house, because of Sarai,`fff1` Abram's wife.
'Jehovah struck Pharaoh with great plagues' means that facts were destroyed. 'And his house' means which He had gathered together. 'Because of Sarai,`fff1` Abram's wife' means because of the truth that was to be allied to the celestial.
`nnn1. literally, because of the word (or matter) of Sarai
ppp22359#pid#1487. That 'Jehovah struck Pharaoh with great plagues' means that facts were destroyed is clear from the meaning of 'Pharaoh' as knowledge in general, and therefore as the facts that constitute that knowledge, and from the meaning of 'being struck by plagues' as being destroyed. With regard to facts, these are acquired in childhood with no other end in view than that of knowing. In the Lord's case they were acquired out of delights in and affection for truth. The facts that are acquired in childhood are very many indeed, but the Lord arranges them into order, so that they may serve a use - first to enable the person to think; then so that through his thinking those facts may be of use; and at length so that the following may be accomplished, namely, that his very life may consist in use and be a life of uses. These are the things effected by the facts which he absorbs in childhood. Without them his external man could not possibly be joined to the internal and at the same time become use incarnate. When a person becomes such, that is, when all that he thinks stems from use as an end and all that he does is for the sake of use - if not by reflecting openly yet by doing so silently from a disposition acquired from reflecting openly - the facts which have served the first use, that a person may become rational, are now destroyed since they serve no further use; and so on with other facts and the uses they serve. These are the things meant here by the statement 'Jehovah struck Pharaoh with great plagues'.
ppp22358#pid#1488. 'And his house' means which He had gathered together. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'house' here as facts that are gathered together. Gathering facts together and by means of them raising and building up the external man is not unlike building a house, and therefore similar ideas are meant in various parts of the Word by 'building', and by 'building houses', as in Isaiah,
I am creating new heavens and a new earth. They will build houses and inhabit them; and they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They will not build and another inhabit. `Isaiah 65bbb17`, `Isaiah 65bbbccc21-22`.
Here 'houses' means where there are wisdom and intelligence, thus where there are the cognitions of good and truth, for the Lord's kingdom is the subject, that is, 'new heavens and a new earth'. In Jeremiah,
Build houses and inhabit them; and plant gardens and eat their fruit. `Jeremiah 29bbb5`.
Here the meaning is similar. In David,
Blessed is the man who fears Jehovah, who delights greatly in His commandments! Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness stands for ever. `Psalms 112bbb1`, `Psalms 112bbbccc3`.
Here 'wealth and riches' stands for the wealth and riches of wisdom and intelligence, thus for cognitions, which are 'in his house', that is, residing with him.
ttt[2] 'House' is also used in the contrary sense: in Zephaniah,
I will visit those who say in their hearts, Jehovah has not done good nor has He done evil; and their wealth will be for plunder, and their houses for desolation, and they will build houses and not inhabit them, and they will plant vineyards and not drink [their] wine. `Zephaniah 1bbb12-13`.
In Haggai,
Go up into the mountain and bring wood and build the house. You looked for much, and behold it was little; and when you brought it home`fff1` I blew it away. For what reason? said Jehovah. Because of My house which has been left derelict while you run each to his own house. Therefore above you the heavens have withheld their dew. `Haggai 1bbb8-10`.
'Houses' stands for facts through which, by means of reasoning, falsities come. In Isaiah,
The vineyard of Jehovah is the house of Israel.`fff2` Woe to those who join house to house, who add field to field until there is no room and you dwell alone in the midst of the land! Will not many houses be a desolation, large and good ones, without inhabitant? `Isaiah 5bbb7-9`.
Here also 'houses' stands for facts through which come falsities. In Amos,
Behold, Jehovah commands, and He will smite the great house with breaches and the little house with clefts. Will horses run upon the rock? Will one plough there with oxen? that you turn judgement into poison and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood. `Amos 6bbb11-12`.
Here similarly 'houses' stands for falsities and derivative evils, 'horses' for reasoning, 'judgement' for truths which are 'turned into poison', and 'the fruits of righteousness' for goods which are 'turned into wormwood'.
ttt[3] Thus in various parts of the Word 'houses' stands for human minds in which intelligence and wisdom ought to be present. Here 'the house of Pharaoh' stands for facts by means of which comes intelligence and by means of this wisdom. Similar things were also meant by 'the house which Solomon built for Pharaoh's daughter', `1 Kings 7bbb8` and following verses. Because 'a house' stands for minds that have intelligence and wisdom within them, and that have within them affections that belong to the will, therefore the word 'house' in the Word has a wide range of meaning, but what it means in a specific instance becomes clear from the things to which it has reference. In addition man himself is called 'a house'.
`nnn1. literally, into the house
`nnn2. These words seem to have been added as an afterthought and without reference. They have been restored to their correct place.
ppp22357#pid#1489. 'Because of Sarai,`fff1` Abram's wife' means because of the truth that was to be allied to the celestial. This is clear from the meaning of 'a wife' and therefore of 'Sarai his wife' as truth that was to be allied to the celestial, dealt with above at verse `Genesis 12bbbccc12`. The implications are as follows: Unless the facts which have performed the use in childhood of making the person rational are destroyed so that they are nothing, truth cannot possibly be joined to the celestial. Those first facts are for the most part earthly, bodily, and worldly. No matter how Divine the commandments may be that a child absorbs, he nevertheless gains from them no other mental picture than what may be obtained from such facts. Therefore as long as those very lowly facts from which he gets his ideas remain with him, the mind cannot be raised any higher. It was just the same with the Lord, for He was born like any other and had to receive instruction like any other, though according to the Divine order such as has been stated already. Contained within these details regarding Abram in Egypt is a description of the Divine order, of the way in which with the Lord the external Man was joined to the Internal to make the External Man Divine as well.
`nnn1. literally, because of the word (or matter) of Sarai
ppp22356#pid#1490. Verse `Genesis 12bbbccc18` And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she is your wife? 'And Pharaoh called Abram' means that the Lord recalled to mind. 'And said, What is this you have done to me?' means that it grieved Him. '[Why did you not tell me] that she is your wife?' means when He recognized that He ought to possess no other truth than that which was to be joined to the celestial.
ppp22355#pid#1491. That 'Pharaoh called Abram' means that the Lord recalled to mind becomes clear from the meaning of 'Pharaoh' as knowledge. The knowledge itself, that is, the facts which the Lord absorbed when a boy, are here called 'Pharaoh'. Thus it is knowledge itself which so addressed the Lord, that is, Jehovah did so by means of knowledge. From this it is evident that the words used here mean that the Lord recalled to mind. Awareness came through knowledge, thus through Pharaoh, who, as stated, means knowledge.
ppp22354#pid#1492. That 'he said, What is this you have done to me?' means that it grieved Him becomes clear-also from the very indignant way in which these things were said. The resulting grief itself is thus expressed. The internal sense is such that it is the emotion itself lying hidden within the words which constitutes the internal sense. No attention is paid to the words of the letter; it is as though these did not exist. The emotion held within the words used here is so to speak knowledge's indignation and the Lord's grief, and is indeed grief arising from the realization that the facts which He had absorbed with pleasure and delight were to be thus destroyed. It is the same with little children who, when something they love is taken away from them which their parents see is harmful to them, grieve over their loss of it.
ppp22353#pid#1493. 'She is your wife' means that he ought to possess no other truth than that which was to be joined to the celestial. This is clear from the meaning of 'a wife' as truth that is to be joined to the celestial, dealt with above at verse `Genesis 12bbbccc12`. Here, as has been stated, the order is described by which the Lord advanced to intelligence, and so to wisdom, to the end that His whole person might be Wisdom itself - as He was as to the Divine Essence He might also become as to the Human Essence.
ppp22352#pid#1494. Verse `Genesis 12bbbccc19` Why did you say, She is my sister? I might have taken her to be my wife (mulier). And now, behold your wife, take her and go.
'Why did you say, She is my sister?' means that He knew no other at that time than that He possessed intellectual truth. 'I might have taken her to be my wife (mulier)' means that this being so He could have done violence to the truth that was to be joined to what is celestial. 'And now, behold your wife, take her and go' means that truth was to be joined to what is celestial.
ppp22351#pid#1495. 'Why did you say, She is my sister?' means that He knew no other at that time than that He possessed intellectual truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'a sister' as intellectual truth, and also from the fact that Abram had said so, as is clear from verse `Genesis 12bbbccc13`, which was done to the end that what was celestial should suffer no violence but should be saved. From this it was evident that when the Lord as a boy absorbed facts. He first of all knew no otherwise than that facts existed solely for the sake of the intellectual man, that is, that they existed so that from them He might come to know truths. But later on it was disclosed that they had existed so that He might attain to celestial things. This took place so that celestial things should suffer no violence but be saved. When a person is being instructed the progression is from facts to rational truths, then on to intellectual truths, and finally to celestial truths, which are meant here by 'a wife'. If that progression passes from facts and rational truths straight to celestial truths and not by means of intellectual truths, then that which is celestial suffers violence; for no connection is then possible, linking rational truths, based on facts, with celestial truths, except through intellectual truths, which are means. What celestial truths are, and what intellectual truths are, will be seen in what follows shortly
ttt[2] To enable people to know what is implied in all this, something must be said about order. Order consists in the celestial flowing into the spiritual and adapting this to be of service to itself; the spiritual in the same way flowing into the rational and adapting this to itself; the rational in the same way into factual knowledge and adapting this to itself. But when a person is receiving instruction during earliest childhood, the same order in fact exists, but it appears to be otherwise; that is to say, he appears to progress from facts to rational things, from these to spiritual, and so at length to celestial things. The reason why his instruction appears to follow such a course is that a way must thereby be opened to celestial things, which are inmost. All instruction is simply the opening of a way; and as the way is opened - or what amounts to the same, as vessels are opened - an ordered influx accordingly takes place, as has been stated, of rational things derived from celestial-spiritual things with celestial-spiritual things flowing into rational, and celestial things into celestial-spiritual. Such celestial things are presenting themselves uninterruptedly, and are also preparing for themselves and forming the vessels which are being opened. This is also made clear by the fact that in themselves factual knowledge and rational conception are dead, but that they give the appearance of being alive because of the interior life flowing into them. This may become plain to anyone from the powers of thought and of forming judgements.
ttt[3] Hidden within those powers lie all the secrets of analytical art and science, which are so many that not one ten-thousandth part of them can ever be explored; and these secrets lie hidden not only with the adult person but also with children. All their thought and everything they speak from it is full of such things - though not one, not even the most learned, is aware of this; yet this could not be unless celestial and spiritual things within had been presenting themselves, flowing in, and bringing forth all these thoughts and utterances.
ppp22350#pid#1496. 'I might have taken her to be my wife (mulier)' means that this being so He could have done violence to the truth that was to be joined to what is celestial. This becomes clear from what has just been stated as well as from what was stated above at verse `Genesis 12bbbccc13`. As to truth being joined to that which is celestial, the situation is that regarded in itself truth learned in childhood is nothing else than a vessel adapted for that which is celestial to be introduced into it. By itself truth has no life except from the celestial flowing in. The celestial consists in love and charity, and all truth exists from these; and because all truth exists from these it is nothing else than a kind of vessel. What is more, truths themselves are plainly manifested as such in the next life, for there it is not the truths themselves that are seen but the life they have within them, that is, the celestial things within them that consist of love and charity. It is from these that truths are made celestial and are called celestial truths. From this it may now become clear what intellectual truth is, and also that intellectual truth opened a way to celestial things residing with the Lord. Factual truth is one thing, rational truth another, and intellectual truth yet another. They follow on consecutively. Factual truth is a matter of knowledge; rational truth is factual truth confirmed by reason; while intellectual truth is joined to an internal perception that the thing is so. This kind of truth resided with the Lord in childhood, and with Him opened the way to celestial things.
ppp22349#pid#1497. 'Now behold your wife, take her and go' means that truth was to be joined to what is celestial. This is clear from the meaning of 'wife' as truth that was to be joined to the celestial, as shown above at verses `Genesis 12bbbccc11-12`, and from what has just been stated.
ppp22348#pid#1498. Verse `Genesis 12bbbccc20` And Pharaoh gave his men orders concerning him, and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.
'Pharaoh gave his men orders concerning him, [and they sent him away]' means that facts went away from the Lord. 'And his wife' means that they also went away from the truths that were joined to celestial things. 'And all that he had' means all things that belonged to celestial truths.
ppp22347#pid#1499. That 'Pharaoh gave his men orders concerning him, tend they sent him away]' means that facts went away from the Lord is clear from the meaning of 'Pharaoh' as knowledge, and also from the meaning of 'men' as things belonging to the understanding, as shown already in `@@@158`. Because the men referred to here are said to belong to 'Pharaoh', or knowledge, they mean such things of the understanding supporting such knowledge. The implication of facts going away from the Lord is as follows: When celestial things are being joined to intellectual truths and these truths are becoming celestial, all things that are empty disperse by themselves. This is how it is with that which is celestial.
ppp22346#pid#1500. That 'his wife' means that they - that is, facts - also went away from the truths that were joined to celestial things is clear from the meaning of 'wife' as truth joined to the celestial, dealt with above, and also from what has just been stated. Empty facts go away from celestial things, as vain notions are accustomed to do from wisdom. They are like shells or scales that fall away of their own accord.
ppp22345#pid#1501. That 'all that he had' means all things that belonged to celestial truths follows from what has been said above.
ppp22344#pid#1502. From these considerations it is now evident that Abram's sojourning in Egypt represents and means nothing else than the Lord, in particular His instruction during childhood. This is also confirmed by what is stated in Hosea,
Out of Egypt I called My son. `Hosea 11bbb1`; `Matthew 2bbb15`.
And further still from what is said in Moses,
The dwelling of the sons of Israel who dwelt in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years. And it happened at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, on that very day it happened that all the hosts of Jehovah went out of the land of Egypt. `Exodus 12bbb40-41`.
Those four hundred and thirty years were measured not from the time that Jacob entered Egypt but from Abram's sojourning in Egypt. Thus 'My son out of Egypt' in `Hosea 11bbb1` means, in the internal sense, the Lord. The matter gains further confirmation from the fact that 'Egypt' in the Word means nothing other than knowledge, as shown in `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1462`.
ttt[2] And that these arcana are contained in this section may become additionally clear from the fact that similar things are said of Abram when he sojourned in Philistia, namely that he called his wife his sister, `Genesis 20bbb1`-end, and also of Isaac, who, when he too sojourned in Philistia, called his wife his sister, `Genesis 26bbb6-13`. These actions would never have been recorded in the Word, and set in almost identical circumstances, unless these arcana had been lying hidden within. Furthermore this is the Word of the Lord which cannot possibly have any life unless there is an internal sense which has regard to Him.
ttt[3] The arcana which lie hidden in this section, and in those regarding Abram and Isaac in Philistia, have to do with the way in which the Lord's Human Essence was joined to His Divine Essence, or what amounts to the same, how the Lord became Jehovah as regards His Human Essence also. They also have to do with the fact that His initiation, which is the subject in this chapter, began in childhood. Besides all this these descriptions also embody more arcana than anyone can possibly believe, and those that can be mentioned are so few as to be scarcely anything at all. In addition to the very deep arcana concerning the Lord, they also embody arcana concerning the instruction and regeneration of a person so that he may become celestial, as well as his instruction and regeneration so that he may become spiritual; and not only concerning the individual in particular but also concerning the Church in general. The descriptions here also embody arcana regarding the instruction of young children in heaven. In short they have to do with all who become images and likenesses of the Lord. These arcana are not at all clearly visible in the sense of the letter, the reason being that historical details engulf and obscure them; but they are clearly visible in the internal sense.
ppp22343#pid#1504.`fff1` PERCEPTIONS AND SPHERES IN THE NEXT LIFE - continued
It has been stated already that in the next life the character of another is recognized as soon as he starts to approach, even though he does not say anything. From this one may see that man's interiors are engaged in a kind of undiscerned activity, and that from this the nature of the spirit is perceived. That this is so has become clear to me from the fact that the sphere emanating from this activity not only spreads itself a long way out but also that sometimes, when the Lord permits, it becomes in various ways perceptible to the senses.
`nnn1. There is no paragraph 1503 in the Latin.
ppp22342#pid#1505. I have also been informed about the way in which these spheres, which in the next life become so perceptible to the senses, are acquired. So that this information can be stated and understood, let a person be taken as an example who has adopted a high opinion of himself and of his superiority over others. Eventually he is permeated by a disposition and so to speak natural condition which are such that wherever he goes and there sees others and talks to them he is regardful of himself. At first the disposition exists manifestly, but after that does not, so that he is not aware of it; but it still reigns, not only in every detail of his affection and thought, but also in every detail of his bodily gestures and every detail of his utterances. People can see this in others, and it is such that it produces in the next life a sphere that is perceived, though only as often as the Lord allows. The same applies with other affections, and therefore just so many spheres exist as there are affections and combinations of affections, which are countless. The sphere is so to speak a person's image projecting outside of himself, and is in fact an image of all that resides within him. But that which is manifested in a visible or perceptible form in the world of spirits is merely something general, whereas in heaven the particular facets of the person's character are known. But nobody except the Lord alone knows the individual details of a person's character.
ppp22341#pid#1506. So that the nature of spheres may be known, let some things from experience be cited. A certain spirit whom I had known and spoken to during his lifetime afterwards appeared many times among the evil. This was because he had a high opinion of himself and had acquired a sphere of superiority over others. Because he was like this the spirits began suddenly to flee from there so that none was to be seen except him alone. At that time he was filling the entire sphere round about, which was a sphere of self-regard. Shortly after, when deprived of his companions, he sank into another state; for in the next life anyone who is deprived of the society of his fellows becomes at first so to speak half dead. His life is then maintained solely by the influx of heaven into his interiors. At that point this spirit whom I had known started to groan and to suffer torment. I was told afterwards by other spirits that since he wished to be greater than others, they could not tolerate his presence. At length he was joined by others and was taken on to a height, and from this position it seemed to him that he alone governed the universe; for so far does self-love puff itself up when left to itself. Finally he was cast down among those in hell. Such is the fate awaiting those who imagine that they are greater than others. More than every other kind of love self-love is contrary to mutual love, which constitutes the life of heaven.
ppp22340#pid#1507. There was a certain spirit who during his lifetime had seemed to himself to be greater and wiser than others. He was otherwise upright, and not so inclined to despise others in comparison with himself. But since he had been born among those of high rank he had acquired a sphere of supereminence and authority. This spirit came to me and for a long time said nothing, but I noticed that he was encompassed as by a mist which spread from him and began to envelop other spirits; as a result these spirits began to feel distressed. As a consequence of this they spoke to me, saying that they could not possibly remain as they were deprived of all freedom, so that they did not dare to say a word. Then that spirit began to speak; he addressed himself to them, calling them his sons, and at times instructing them, but with that authority which he had acquired to himself. This experience made clear what the sphere of authority is like in the next life.
ppp22339#pid#1508. On many occasions I have been given to observe that those who in the world had been endowed with high rank bad inevitably acquired to themselves a sphere of authority, and therefore in the next life could neither conceal nor get rid of that sphere. With those of them who have been endowed with faith and charity the sphere of authority is joined wonderfully to a sphere of goodness, so that it is not troublesome to anyone. Indeed a kind of corresponding deference is paid to them by well-minded spirits. But with them it is not a sphere of ruling, merely a natural sphere that exists because they were born such and which they get rid of eventually after a period of time because they are good and strive to get rid of it.
ppp22338#pid#1509. There were once with me for several days spirits who during their lifetime had been such that they had not striven for the good of society, but only for themselves, serving no useful purpose to the general public. Their sole end in view had been to live sumptuously, to be dressed splendidly, and to grow rich; and they had been accustomed to false presences and to the ways of worming themselves in by various forms of flattering assent and of readiness to be of service, solely to the end that they might be noticed and be given charge of their master's property. All who were earnestly serving a purpose they looked down on with contempt. I perceived that they had been courtiers. Their sphere was such that it took away from me my whole concentration and made it so extremely troublesome for me to carry out and to think about serious things, true and good, that at length I hardly knew what to do. When such individuals as these come among spirits they bring upon them a similar listlessness. In the next life they are useless members and are cast out from wherever they go.
ppp22337#pid#1510. Every spirit has his own sphere, and every community of spirits even more so, which emanates from the assumptions and the persuasions he has adopted. This sphere is that of his assumptions and persuasions. Evil genii possess a sphere of evil desires. The sphere of assumptions and persuasions is such that when it acts on another person it causes truths to be as falsities, and stirs up all things which are of a confirmatory nature, so as to induce a belief that falsities are truths, and that evils are goods.
ttt[2] This has made clear to me how easily a person can be confirmed in falsities and evils if he does not believe in the truths which come from the Lord. The density of such spheres depends on the nature of the falsities that are present; and those spheres cannot possibly coexist with the spheres of spirits who abide by truths. If those spheres draw near, a repugnance arises; and if, because it is permitted to do so, the sphere of falsity prevails, the good enter into temptation and into distress. I have also perceived the sphere of disbelief, which is such that those to whom it belongs do not believe anything they are told, and scarcely believe that which they are given to see with their eyes. There is also the sphere of those who believe nothing apart from what they apprehend with the senses.
ttt[3] I also once saw a certain spirit dressed in black who was sitting at a mill and, it seemed, was grinding flour. To the side of him I saw little mirrors. Subsequently I saw some things which were the product of delusion but which were airy. I wondered who he was, but he came to me and said that it was he who had been seated at the mill, and that he possessed such ideas as that every single thing was the product merely of delusion and that nothing was real, on account of which, he added, he had become what he was.
ppp22336#pid#1511. From much experience I have been led to know, and in such a way that nothing can be known more fully, that spirits who are immersed in falsities flow into the thought present in others and are so utterly persuasive in making falsity look like truth that such falsity cannot possibly be seen as anything other than truth; and this they accomplish by their sphere. It is similar with genii who are immersed in evils. These in a similar way flow into the will, making evil seem so utterly like good that such evil cannot possibly be perceived as anything other than good; and they too accomplish it by their sphere. I have been allowed to perceive clearly that influx of spirits or of genii a thousand times, and also to perceive from whom it came, as well as how angels from the Lord removed those influences, besides many other things which cannot easily be described in detail. From this it has become clear to me, surer than anything else can be, where the falsities and evils residing with man originate, and that the sources of such spheres as remain after the life of the body and manifest themselves so plainly are false assumptions and evil desires.
ppp22335#pid#1512. When the spheres of delusions are manifested visually they are seen as clouds, varying in density according to the nature of the delusion. There is a certain rock covered in mist beneath the left foot where certain spirits who lived before the Flood belong, and beneath which they remain. That mistiness arises out of their delusions, and here they are kept well away from all others in the next life. From those who have led lives of hatred and revenge such spheres emanate as cause fainting or vomiting. Such spheres are so to speak poisonous. Just how poisonous they are and how dense is usually ascertained by means of what look like dark bluish streaks which fade away as the spheres decrease.
ppp22334#pid#1513. One of those who are called the lukewarm came to me behaving as though he had at last come to his senses. I did not sense deceit, though I did think that he was concealing something. But spirits said that they could not tolerate his presence, and that they felt as people usually do when about to vomit. They said that he was one of those who had to be spat out. After that he uttered things that are quite unrepeatable, and could not stop doing so, no matter how much he was being persuaded not to utter them.
ppp22333#pid#1514. Spheres are also made perceptible to the senses by means of odors, which spirits smell far more keenly than men do; for, remarkably, odors correspond to spheres. With people who have given themselves up to the practice of deceit and have as a consequence acquired a deceitful disposition, there is a stink of vomit when their sphere is converted into an odor. With those who have studied how to speak eloquently so that it may all lead to self-admiration, their sphere when converted into something odoriferous is like the smell of burnt bread. With those who have given themselves up to the pursuit of mere pleasure and with whom no charity or faith has existed, the odor of their sphere is that of excrement. It is similar in the case of those who have gone through life committing adultery, whose odor is even more obnoxious. With those who have led lives of intense hatred, of revenge, and of practicing cruelty their sphere, when converted into odors, is the stench of a corpse. From those who have been disgustingly avaricious the stench of mice is given off, and the stench of house-lice or bugs comes from those who persecute the innocent. These odors cannot be detected by anyone unless his interior senses have been opened in such a way that he is at the same time in the company of spirits.
ppp22332#pid#1515. I once perceived the sphere of the stench of a woman who afterwards entered into association with sirens, and for a period of several days that stench emanated from her wherever she went. The spirits said the stench appeared to be deadly, though she herself did not perceive it at all. The stench of the sirens is similar because their interiors are filthy, but their exteriors are for the most part attractive and good looking. Such have been described in `@@@831`. It is a remarkable fact that in the next life sirens mentally take in everything there, and have a better knowledge than others have of the nature of things, even matters of doctrine. But they take everything in to the end that they may turn it into magic and give themselves dominion over others. By a presence of good and truth they enter into good people's affections, but their own dispositions remain such as they were before. From this it becomes clear that a matter of doctrine has no value at all unless a person so becomes what it teaches, that is, unless he keeps life as the end in view. There are in addition many among the inhabitants of hell who have been more expert in matters of doctrine than anybody else. But those who have led charitable lives are all in heaven.
ppp22331#pid#1516. I have spoken to spirits about the sense of taste, which they said they did not have but instead something by which they nevertheless know what taste is like. They said that it was like an odor, which however they were unable to describe. I then recalled that taste and smell come together in a kind of third sense, as is also clear from animals who examine their food by smelling it and from this they are shown whether it is nourishing and suitable for them.
ppp22330#pid#1517. I once perceived an odor of wine, and I was told that it came from those who, out of friendship and love that is lawful, endear themselves, so that truth also is contained within their endearing words and actions. There is much variety of this odor, and it derives from the sphere of true courteousness.
ppp22329#pid#1518. When celestial angels are with the corpse of a dead person who is to be awakened, the odor from the corpse is converted into one that is fragrant, and when evil spirits perceive it they are unable to draw near.
ppp22328#pid#1519. When spheres of charity and faith are perceived as odors they are most delightful. They are pleasant odors, like those of flowers, lilies, and different kinds of aromatic substances, with endless variety. In addition the spheres of the angels are sometimes manifested visually as auras which are so beautiful, so pleasant, and so varied that they defy description
ppp22327#pid#1520. But in regard to what has been said about the ability to perceive the interiors of a spirit by means of the spheres that are extended and projected outside of him, and also by means of odors, it should be recognized that such spheres and odors are not constantly occurring. Besides they are moderated by the Lord in various ways to prevent a spirit's true character from always being exposed to others.
ppp22326#pid#1521. CHAPTER 13
THE LIGHT IN WHICH ANGELS ARE LIVING
Many experiences have made it quite clear to me that spirits and angels possess all of the senses except taste, and that these are far keener and more perfect than man's ever are. Not only do angels see and form relationships with one another, experiencing as they do so supreme happiness resulting from mutual love; there are also more things which they see in their world than man can ever believe. The world of spirits and the heavens are full of representative phenomena like those seen by the prophets, and so many in number that if a person's sight were opened to behold them just for a few hours he would inevitably be dumbfounded. The light in heaven is such as to be unbelievably superior to the light in the physical world at midday. Yet no light from this world reaches those who are in heaven since they are above or within the sphere where that light shines; instead they have Light from the Lord, who is their Sun. To angels even the midday light of the world is like pitch darkness, and when they are allowed to peer at the light, it is as though they were peering into sheer darkness, as I have been given to know from experience. From this it becomes clear how different the light of heaven is from the light of the world.
ppp22325#pid#1522. The light in which spirits and angels live I have seen so many times that I have at length grown accustomed to it and have consequently ceased to marvel at it. It would take up too much space however to introduce every experience, so let merely the few that follow be mentioned.
ppp22324#pid#1523. To enable me to know the nature of the light I have been taken several times into the dwelling-places of good and of angelic spirits, where I have seen not only them but also their surroundings. I have also seen infants and mothers in light so bright and shining that nothing could ever be brighter.
ppp22323#pid#1524. A blazing flame streamed down unexpectedly in front of me, blinding with its power not only the sight of my eyes but also my interior sight. Shortly afterwards a kind of obscurity appeared like a dark cloud containing so to speak something earthy. While I wondered at this I was led to realize that the light among angels in heaven is, in contrast to the light in the world of spirits, so much greater. Although spirits do live in light it is nevertheless as different as that. And as is the case with the light, so too are the intelligence and wisdom of angels superior to the intelligence and wisdom of spirits; and not only their intelligence and wisdom, but also everything connected with these, such as speech, thought, joy, and forms of happiness, for these correspond to the light. From this it has also become clear to me how great angelic perfection is, and what its nature is in contrast to that of men whose obscurity is even greater than that of spirits.
ppp22322#pid#1525. I was shown the light in which those live who belong to one of the internal provinces of the face. It was a brightness shot through with beautiful rays of golden flame for those whose affections are for good, and with rays of silvery light for those whose affections are for truth. Sometimes too they see a sky, though not the sky visible to our eyes. Before their eyes appears a representation of the sky, studded very beautifully with little stars. The reason for this difference in the light is that all good spirits who live in the first heaven, all angelic spirits who live in the second, and all angels who live in the third, are divided in general into celestial and spiritual. The celestial are those whose love is for good, the spiritual those whose love is for truth.
ppp22321#pid#1526. I was led away from ideas of particulars,`fff1` that is, things of the body, so that my mind might be kept to spiritual ideas; at that time a brilliance was seen produced by flashes of light as from a diamond, and it remained for quite a long time. I cannot describe the light in any other way, for it was indeed like a diamond with a flashing brilliance in every tiniest facet. And while I was being kept in that light I perceived the particulars, which were things of a worldly and bodily kind, as being so to speak beneath me and far away. This taught me how much light those persons have who have been led away from material into spiritual ideas. Moreover I have seen the light spirits and angels have so many times that it would fill up page after page if I were to recount all my experiences.
`nnn1. i. e. things that are material; compare `@@@1639`.
ppp22320#pid#1527. When it pleases the Lord, good spirits appear to others, and even to themselves, like shining stars, shining with an intensity answering to the nature of their charity and faith. But evil spirits look like lumps of burning coal.
ppp22319#pid#1528. The life that goes with evil desires and resulting pleasures sometimes appears as a coal fire among evil spirits. The life of the Lord's love and mercy which flows into them is turned into this kind of fire. The life of their delusions however looks like the glow from that fire - a glow that is dim and does not reach very far. But indeed when the life that stems from mutual love draws near, that burning is put out and converted into cold, while that dim light is converted into darkness. For evil spirits dwell in darkness, and what is astonishing, some even love darkness and detest the light.
ppp22318#pid#1529. It is very well known in heaven, but not so well known in the world of spirits, where so great a light comes from, namely from the Lord. And what is astonishing, the Lord appears to celestial angels in the third heaven as the Sun, but to spiritual angels as the Moon. There is no other source of light. But the intensity of the light angels experience depends on how celestial and spiritual they are, and the nature of the light depends on the nature of these qualities. Thus the Lord's celestial and spiritual itself shows itself before angels' external vision by means of the light.
ppp22317#pid#1530. The truth of this could be proved to anyone from the Word, for example, when the Lord revealed Himself to Peter, James, and John, for His face at that time shone like the sun and His garments became white as the light, `Matthew 17bbb2`. The sole reason why He appeared to them in this way was that their interior sight had been opened. The same is also confirmed from the Prophets, as in Isaiah when reference is being made to the Lord's kingdom in heaven,
The light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, as the light of seven days. `Isaiah 30bbb26`.
And in John, where reference is being made to the Lord's kingdom which is called the New Jerusalem,
The city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shed light in it; for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. `Revelation 21bbb23`.
And elsewhere in the same book,
There will be no night there, nor do they need a lamp or light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. `Revelation 22bbb5`.
And in addition when the Lord appeared to Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the seventy elders, it is said that they saw the God of Israel under whose feet there was so to speak a paved work of sapphire stone, like the substance of the sky for clearness, `Exodus 24bbb10`. Because the Lord's celestial and spiritual appears before the external sight of the angels as the Sun and the Moon, 'the sun' in the Word therefore means what is celestial, and 'the moon' what is spiritual.
ppp22316#pid#1531. To confirm for me the fact that the Lord appears to celestial angels as the Sun and to spiritual angels as the Moon, my interior sight was in the Lord's Divine mercy opened to the point where I saw plainly a shining Moon surrounded by a number of smaller moons. Their light amounted almost to that of the sun, in accordance with the words in Isaiah,
The light of the moon will be as the light of the sun. `Isaiah 30bbb26`.
But I was not allowed to behold the Sun. The Moon appeared in front of me to the right.
ppp22315#pid#1532. From the Lord's light in heaven wonderful things appear, too numerous ever to be listed. There is a constant stream of representatives of the Lord and of His kingdom like those mentioned in the Prophets and in the Revelation to John, besides other things that carry a spiritual meaning. Man never can behold those things with the eyes of the body, but the moment anyone's interior sight, which is the sight of his spirit, is opened by the Lord, such things can be rendered visible. The visions of the prophets were nothing else than occasions when the interior sight was opened, as when John saw the golden lampstands, `Revelation 1bbb12-13`, and the holy city as pure gold, and its light like a very precious stone, `Revelation 21bbb2`, `Revelation 21bbbccc10-11`, and more besides in the Prophets, from which one may know not only that angels live in supreme light but also that more things exist there than anyone can possibly believe.
ppp22314#pid#1533. Before my sight was opened I was scarcely able to entertain any different idea than that entertained by others about the countless things to be seen in the next life. I had thought that light and such things as come from it, as well as the objects of the senses, did not exist at all in the next life. This was the result of the delusion under which the learned labour about the immaterial, which they harp on so much in speaking of spirits and everything in their life. In consequence it was impossible to conceive of anything immaterial except as either something too obscure to be grasped by the mind, or as nothing, for that is what immaterial implies The reality however is altogether the reverse, for unless spirits had organs and angels were made of organic substance, they could neither speak, nor see, nor think.
ppp22313#pid#1534. At the end of this chapter, where the subject of light is continued, it may be seen that in the next life, thanks to the light coming from the Lord - from a celestial and spiritual origin - absolutely marvellous sights present themselves before spirits' and angels' sense of sight, such as the paradise gardens, cities, palaces, homes, most beautiful skies, and many other things besides.
ppp22312#pid#1535. `Genesis 13bbb0`
1. And Abram went up out of Egypt, he and his wife, and everything he had, and Lot with him, towards the south.
2. And Abram was very rich in cattle, silver and gold.
3. And he went in accordance with his journeys from the south and even to Bethel, even to the place where his tent had been at the start, between Bethel and Ai,
4. To the place of the altar that he made there in the beginning; and there Abram called on the name of Jehovah.
5. And Lot also who went with Abram had flocks and herds and tents.
6. And the land was unable to bear them, that they might dwell together, for their acquisitions were great, and they could not dwell together.
7. And there was strife between Abram's herdsmen and Lot's herdsmen. And the Canaanite and the Perizzite were then dwelling in the land.
8. And Abram said to Lot, Let there not be strife, now, between me and you, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are men who are brothers.
9. Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself, now, from me. If you go to the left then I will go to the right, but if you go to the right I will go to the left.
10. And Lot lifted up his eyes, and he saw all the plain of Jordan, that the whole of it was well-watered, before Jehovah destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, like the garden of Jehovah, like the land of Egypt as you come to Zoar.
11. And Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan; and Lot travelled from the east, and they were separated, man from his brother.
12. Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain, and moved his tent as far as Sodom.
13. And the men (vir) of Sodom were evil and great sinners before Jehovah.
14. And Jehovah said to Abram after Lot had been separated from him, Lift up your eyes, now, and look from the place where you are, towards the north, and towards the south, and towards the east, and towards the west.
15. For all the land which you see I will give to you, and to your seed even for ever.
16. And I will make your seed as the dust of the earth, so that if anyone can number the dust of the earth, so also will your seed be numbered.
17. Arise, walk through the land, the length of it and the breadth of it, for to you will I give it.
18. And Abram moved his tent, and came and dwelt in the oak-groves of Mamre which are in Hebron, and there he built an altar to Jehovah.
CONTENTS
The subject in this chapter is the external Man in the Lord which was to be joined to His Internal Man. The external Man is the Human Essence, the Internal the Divine Essence. The former is represented here by Lot, but the latter by Abram.
ppp22311#pid#1536. Described here is the state of the external Man as it existed in childhood when it was first endowed with facts and cognitions - how it moved on from these more and more towards conjunction with the Internal, verses `Genesis 13bbbccc1-4`.
ppp22310#pid#1537. But still more things were present in His External Man which prevented conjunction, verses `Genesis 13bbbccc5-7`. From these however He wished to be separated, verses `Genesis 13bbbccc8-9`.
ppp22309#pid#1538. There appeared to the Lord the external Man as it exists in its beauty when joined to the Internal Man, and also as it exists when not joined, verses `Genesis 13bbbccc10-13`.
ppp22308#pid#1539. A promise that when the external Man was joined to the Internal, that is, when the Lord's Human Essence was joined to the Divine Essence, He would be given all power, verses `Genesis 13bbbccc14-17`. Then in verse `Genesis 13bbbccc18` the Lord's interior perception is referred to.
ppp22307#pid#1540. THE INTERNAL SENSE
As has been stated, narratives in the Word that draw on true history began with the previous chapter. Down to that point, or rather down to Eber, they were made-up history. The continuation of the Abram story here means in the internal sense the Lord and in particular His life as it was at first before His External Man had been joined to His Internal to the point of their functioning as a unit, that is, before His external Man as well had become celestial and Divine. The historical details are what represent the Lord, while the actual words mean those things that are being represented. But because they are historical descriptions the mind of the reader. inevitably dwells upon them, especially nowadays when the majority, indeed almost everybody, does not believe in the existence of an internal sense at all, let alone within individual words. And perhaps they will still not acknowledge the existence of it even though it has been shown so clearly up to this point. There is the further reason that the internal sense seems to be so withdrawn from the sense of the letter that it is scarcely recognizable. Yet they can know of it merely from the consideration that historical records by themselves cannot ever constitute the Word, for there is no more of the Divine in them when they are separated from the internal sense than in any other historical narrative. It is the internal sense that makes it Divine. The fact that the internal sense is the Word itself is clear from many things that have been revealed, such as "Out of Egypt have I called My son" `Matthew 2bbb15`, besides many others like this. The Lord Himself also, after the Resurrection, taught the disciples what had been written concerning Himself in Moses and the Prophets, `Luke 24bbb27`, thus that nothing has been written in the Word which does not have regard to Him, to His kingdom, and to the Church. These are the spiritual and celestial things of the Word, but the sense of the letter consists for the most part of worldly, bodily, and earthly images which cannot possibly constitute the Word of the Lord. Nowadays people are such that they do not perceive anything except matters of this sort. They scarcely know what spiritual and celestial things are. It was different with the member of the Most Ancient Church or of the Ancient Church. If he were living today and reading the Word he would not pay any attention to the sense of the letter, which he would regard as nothing at all, but only to the internal sense. Members of those Churches are utterly amazed that anyone perceives the Word in any other way. All the books of the ancients therefore were written in such a fashion that they had a different import in the interior sense from what they had in the letter.
ppp22306#pid#1541. Verse `Genesis 13bbbccc1` And Abram went up out of Egypt, he and his wife, and everything he had, and Lot with him, towards the south.
These details and those that follow in this chapter also in the internal sense represent the Lord; they continue the subject of His life from childhood. 'Abram went up out of Egypt' means away from the facts which went away from the Lord, 'Abram' in the internal sense being the Lord, here when still a boy; 'Egypt' here, as previously, being knowledge. 'He and his wife' means celestial truths which at that time resided with the Lord. 'And everything he had' means everything belonging to celestial things. 'And Lot with him' means the power of sensory perception. 'Towards the south' means into celestial light.
ppp22305#pid#1542. That these details and those that follow in this chapter also in the internal sense represent the Lord, and that they continue the subject of His life from childhood, becomes clear from the things which have been stated and shown in the previous chapter and also from those which follow. Above all it becomes clear from the fact that this is the Word of the Lord and has come down from Him by way of heaven, and thus that not one single part of any expression has been written down in it that does not embody heavenly arcana. With an origin such as this how can it ever be anything different? That the subject in the internal sense is the instruction received by the Lord when a boy has been shown already. There are with man two things which prevent his becoming celestial; one belongs to the understanding part of his mind, the other to the will part. Belonging to the understanding part are the useless facts which he absorbs in childhood and adolescence; belonging to the will part are the pleasures arising out of the evil desires which he inclines to. Both the former and the latter are what stand in the way of him possibly attaining to celestial things. These must first be dispersed, and when they have been dispersed he is able for the first time to be introduced into the light reflected by celestial things, and finally into celestial light itself.
ttt[2] Because the Lord was born as any other is born and needed to be taught as any other has to be, He had also to learn facts; this was represented and meant by Abram's sojourning in Egypt. And the consideration that empty facts ultimately went away from Him was also represented by Pharaoh's giving his men orders to send him away, and his wife, and everything he had - Verse `Genesis 11bbbccc20` of the previous chapter. The fact that the pleasures which belong to the will parts of the mind and which constitute the sensory or most external man also went away from Him is represented in this chapter by Lot separating himself from Abram, for Lot represents the sensory man.
ppp22304#pid#1543. That 'Abram went up out of Egypt' means away from facts which went away from the Lord is clear from the meaning of 'Abram' as one who represents the Lord, then from the meaning of 'Egypt' as knowledge, and also from the meaning of 'going up', for 'going up' is used when a rising up takes place from the lower things that are factual to the higher ones that are celestial. Consequently in the Word 'going up from Egypt into the land of Canaan', an expression that occurs frequently, embodies similar ideas.
ppp22303#pid#1544. That 'Abram' in the internal sense is the Lord, here when still a boy, and that 'Egypt' is knowledge, has been shown already.
ppp22302#pid#1545. 'He and his wife' means celestial truths which at that time resided with the Lord This becomes clear from the meaning of the pronoun 'he', which refers to Abram, as the Lord; and because it is the Lord, it is the celestial residing with Him, for a person is what he is by virtue of what resides with him. The Lord was the Lord from the celestial things that resided with Him, for He alone was so celestial as to be the celestial itself. Consequently 'Abram', and more so 'Abraham', means celestial things. Next, the matter may become clear from the meaning of 'wife' as truth joined to the celestial, as shown already in `@@@1468`. That they are celestial truths, or truths deriving from celestial things, is clear from the consideration that he is mentioned first and his wife next, for celestial truth is one thing and truth celestial another. Celestial truth has its origin in the celestial, while celestial truth has its origin in truth implanted in the celestial by means of cognitions.
ppp22301#pid#1546. 'And everything he had' means everything belonging to celestial things. This is now clear from what has been said above.
ppp22300#pid#1547. 'And Lot with him' means the power of sensory perception. A brief description of this meaning has been given already in `@@@1428`. Because a specific reference is made here to Lot, one needs to know exactly what he represents in the Lord. 'Pharaoh' represented facts, which at length 'sent away' the Lord, whereas 'Lot' represented things of the senses, by which are meant the external man and the pleasures he derives from sensory things, thus the most external things which usually captivate the mind in childhood and lead it away from the things that are good. For to the extent a person indulges in pleasures arising from evil desires he is drawn away from the celestial things that belong to love and charity. Indeed, present within those pleasures there is love originating in self and in the world, and with those loves celestial love cannot accord. Besides these however there are pleasures which, despite having similar external appearance, do accord completely with celestial things. For these see what has been stated already in `@@@945`, `@@@994`, `@@@995`, `@@@997`. Pleasures however that have their origins in evil desires must be brought under control and wiped out because they block the approach to celestial things. It is these pleasures, not those that accord with celestial things, that are meant in this chapter by Lot's separation from Abram, the presence of those pleasures being meant here by 'Lot with him'. In general however Lot means the external man, as will be evident from what follows.
ppp22299#pid#1548. 'Towards the south' means into celestial light This is clear from the meaning of 'the south' as a state of light as regards interiors, dealt with already in `@@@1458`. There are two states from which celestial light is received. The first is a state into which a person is introduced from earliest childhood, for it is well known that small children are in states of innocence and of goods stemming from love, which are the celestial things into which they are first brought by the Lord, and which are stored away in a person for use later in life and for his use when he enters the next life. These are what are called 'the first remnants' referred to several times already. The second state is one in which the individual is introduced into spiritual and celestial things by means of cognitions which have to be implanted in the celestial things with which he has been gifted since earliest childhood. In the Lord's case they were implanted in these earliest celestial things which He now had. From these He received the light which is here called 'the south'.
ppp22298#pid#1549. Verse `Genesis 13bbbccc2` And Abram was very rich in cattle, silver and gold.
'Abram was very rich in cattle' means the goods with which the Lord was at that time enriched. 'Silver' means truths. 'And gold' means goods deriving from truths.
ppp22297#pid#1550. That 'Abram was very rich in cattle' means goods is clear from the meaning of 'cattle' and 'flock' as good, dealt with already in `@@@343`, `@@@415`.
ppp22296#pid#1551. That 'silver' means truths is clear from the meaning of 'silver' as truth. The most ancient people compared the goods and truths present in man to metals. Innermost or celestial goods which flow from love to the Lord they compared to gold, truths deriving from these to silver. Goods of a lower or natural kind however they compared to bronze, and truths of a lower kind to iron. Nor did they just compare them; they also called them such. This was the origin of periods of time being likened to those same metals and being called the golden, silver, bronze, and iron ages, for these followed in that order one after another. The golden age was the time of the Most Ancient Church, which was celestial man. The silver age was the time of the Ancient Church, which was spiritual man. The bronze age was the time of the Church that followed, and the iron age came after that. Similar things were also meant by the statue which Nebuchadnezzar saw in a dream, whose head was of fine gold, breast and arms of silver, belly and thighs of bronze, and shins of iron, `Daniel 2bbb32-33`. That periods of the Church were to follow one another in that order, and actually did so, is clear in that very chapter of the same prophet.
ttt[2] That 'silver' in the internal sense of the Word wherever it is mentioned means truth, or in the contrary sense falsity, is clear from the following places: In Isaiah,
Instead of bronze I will bring gold, and instead of iron I will bring silver, and instead of wood, bronze, and instead of stones, iron. And I will make peace your assessment, and righteousness your tax-collectors. `Isaiah 60bbb17`.
Here it is evident what each metal means. The subject is the Lord's Coming, His kingdom, and the celestial Church. 'Instead of bronze, gold' is celestial good in place of natural good; 'instead of iron, silver' is spiritual truth in place of natural truth; 'instead of wood, bronze' is natural good in place of bodily good; 'instead of stone, iron' is natural truth in place of truth acquired through the senses. In the same prophet,
Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the water, and he who has no money,`fff1` come, buy and eat! `Isaiah 55bbb1`.
'He who has no money'`fff1` is the person who does not know the truth but who nevertheless possesses the good that stems from charity, as is the case with many people inside the Church, and with gentiles outside it.
ttt[3] In the same prophet,
The islands will wait for Me, the ships of Tarshish at their head, to bring your sons from afar, their silver and their gold with them, to the name of Jehovah your God, and to the Holy One of Israel. `Isaiah 60bbb9`.
This refers specifically to a new Church, or a Church among gentiles, and in general to the Lord's kingdom. 'Ships from Tarshish' stands for cognitions, 'silver' for truths, and 'gold' for goods, which are those things they 'will bring to the name of Jehovah'. In Ezekiel,
For your adornment you took vessels made of My gold and of My silver, which I had given you, and you made for yourselves figures of the male. `Ezekiel 16bbb17`.
Here 'gold' stands for cognitions of celestial things, 'silver' of spiritual things. In the same prophet,
You were adorned with gold and silver, and your raiment was fine linen and silk, and embroidered cloth. `Ezekiel 16bbb13`.
This refers to Jerusalem, by which the Lord's Church is meant, whose adornment is being described in this manner. In the same prophet,
Behold, you who are wise, there is no secret they have hidden from you; by your wisdom and by your intelligence you have acquired riches for yourself, and you have acquired gold and silver in your treasuries. `Ezekiel 28bbb3-4`.
Here, in what is said in reference to Tyre, 'gold' is plainly identified with the riches of wisdom, and 'silver' with the riches of intelligence.
ttt[4] In Joel,
You have taken My silver and My gold, and My good and desirable treasures you have carried into your temples. `Joel 3bbb5`.
This refers to Tyre, Sidon, and Philistia, which mean cognitions, and these are 'the silver and the gold they took into their temples'. In Haggai,
The elect of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory. Mine is the silver, and Mine is the gold. The glory of this latter house will be greater than that of the former. `Haggai 2bbb7-9`.
This refers to the Lord's Church to which 'gold and silver' have reference. In Malachi,
He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi. `Malachi 3bbb3`.
This refers to the Coming of the Lord. In David,
The words of Jehovah are pure words, silver refined in an earthen crucible, poured seven times. `Psalms 12bbb6`.
'Silver purified seven times' stands for Divine truth. At the time of their exodus out of Egypt the children of Israel were commanded that every woman should ask of her neighbour, and of her who sojourned in her house, vessels of silver and vessels of gold and garments, and that they should put them on their sons and on their daughters, and so despoil the Egyptians, `Exodus 3bbb22`; `Exodus ccc11bbb2-3`; `Exodus ccc12bbb35-36`. Anyone may see from this that the children of Israel would never have been ordered to steal and despoil the Egyptians of those possessions in that way if these did not represent some arcana. But what those arcana are may become clear from the meaning of 'silver and gold, garments, and Egypt', and from the fact that what these possessions represented is similar to the words here 'rich in the silver and gold from Egypt', used in reference to Abram.
ttt[5] Just as 'silver' means truth so in a contrary sense it means falsity, for people under the influence of falsity imagine falsity to be the truth, as is also clear in the Prophets. In Moses,
You shall not covet the silver and the gold of the nations, nor take it for yourself, lest you be ensnared by it, for it is an abomination to Jehovah your God. You shall utterly detest it. `Deuteronomy 7bbb25-26`.
'The gold of the nations' stands for evils, and 'their silver' for falsities. In the same author,
You shall not make gods of silver to be with Me, nor shall you make for yourselves gods of gold. `Exodus 20bbb23`.
In the internal sense these words mean nothing other than falsities and evil desires, falsities being meant by 'gods of silver', and evil desires by 'gods of gold'. In Isaiah,
On that day everyone will spurn his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your hands have made for you - a sin. `Isaiah 31bbb7`.
'Idols of silver and idols of gold' stands for similar things that are false and evil 'Which your hands have made' stands for what is a product of the proprium. In Jeremiah,
They are foolish and stupid; that wood is a way of learning vanities! Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the smith and of the hands of the moulder. Their clothing is violet and purple These are all the work of the wise. `Jeremiah 10bbb8-9`.
Here 'silver' and 'gold' quite clearly stand for similar things that are false and evil.
`nnn1. or silver
ppp22295#pid#1552. 'And gold' means goods deriving from truths. This is clear from the meaning of 'gold' as celestial good, or the good of wisdom and love, as is clear from what has just been shown and also from what was shown previously in `@@@113`. That here they are goods deriving from truths follows from what was stated in the previous chapter about the Lord's joining intellectual truths to celestial things.
ppp22294#pid#1553. Verse `Genesis 13bbbccc3` And he went in accordance with his journeys from the south and even to Bethel, even to the place where his tent had been at the start, between Bethel and Ai.
'He went in accordance with his journeys' means as accorded with order. 'From the south and even to Bethel' means from the light of intelligence into the light of wisdom. 'Even to the place where his tent had been before' means towards the holy things which were there before He had been endowed with cognitions. 'Between Bethel and Ai' means here, as previously, the celestial and the worldly aspects of cognitions.
ppp22293#pid#1554. 'He went in accordance with his journeys' means as accorded with order. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'journeys', or travels, as further advances, dealt with in `@@@1457`; and because those advances were made in accordance with order, 'journeys' here has no other meaning. From earliest childhood the Lord advanced, wholly according to Divine order, towards celestial things and into celestial things. The nature of this order is described in the internal sense by Abram. It is according to that same order also that all who are being created anew by the Lord are brought on their way, though with men that order varies according to individual nature and character. But the order by which a person is brought on his way while being regenerated no mortal being knows, not even the angels except in vaguest outline; only the Lord knows it.
ppp22292#pid#1555. 'From the south and even to Bethel' means from the light of intelligence into the light of wisdom. This is clear from the meaning of 'the south' as the light of intelligence, or what amounts to the same, a state of light as regards interiors, dealt with already in `@@@1458`, and from the meaning of 'Bethel' as celestial light having its origin in cognitions, dealt with already in `@@@1453`. The expression 'light of intelligence' describes that light which is acquired through cognitions of the truths and goods of faith, whereas the light of wisdom is the light of life which is acquired from the light of intelligence. The light of intelligence has regard to the intellectual part of the mind, or to the understanding, whereas the light of wisdom has regard to the will part, or to life.
ttt[2] Few if any people know how a person is led to true wisdom. Intelligence is not wisdom but it leads to wisdom, for having an understanding of what truth and good are is not the same as being a true and good person; but being wise is. Wisdom can be used only in reference to a person's life, to what kind of person he is. To wisdom, or life, he is introduced through coming to know and being aware, that is, through knowledge and cognitions. With every person there are two parts of the mind - the will and the understanding - the will being the primary part and the understanding the secondary; and the nature of his life after death is as the nature of the will part, not the understanding part, of his mind. A person's will is being formed by the Lord from infancy on into childhood, and this is achieved through the innocence that has been instilled into him, and through the exercise of charity towards parents, nursemaids, and other young children of his own age, and through further things that he is quite unaware of and which are celestial. Unless those celestial things were first instilled in a person while an infant and child he could not possibly become truly human. In this way the first degree is formed.
ttt[3] But because a person is not human unless he is provided with understanding as well, will alone does not make a human being but understanding and will together. And understanding cannot be acquired except by means of knowledge and cognitions, and therefore he has to be endowed with these step by step from childhood onwards. In this way the second degree is formed. Once the understanding part of the mind has been furnished with knowledge and cognitions, especially cognitions of truth and good, he is for the first time able to undergo regeneration. And when he is being regenerated, truths and goods are implanted by the Lord by means of cognitions within the celestial things he has been granted by the Lord since infancy. The result is that the ideas now in his understanding make one with those celestial things. And once the Lord has joined them together so, he is endowed with charity from which he starts to act and which constitutes conscience. This is how he comes to receive new life for the first time, something that is achieved step by step. The light of this life is called wisdom, which then plays the leading role and is set above intelligence. In this way the third degree is formed. If this has happened to a person during his lifetime he goes on being perfected in the next life. These considerations show what the light of intelligence is, and what the light of wisdom.
ppp22291#pid#1556. 'Even to the place where his tent had been before' means towards the holy things which were there before He had been endowed with cognitions. This is clear from the meaning of 'a tent' as the holy things of faith, dealt with already in `@@@414`, `@@@1452`, and from what has just been stated. Thus it was an advance towards the celestial things which the Lord already possessed before He was endowed with knowledge and cognitions, as is clear from what is said in verse `Genesis 12bbbccc8` of the previous chapter, 'And Abram removed from there to the mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent'. This happened before he travelled to Egypt, that is, before the Lord was endowed with knowledge and cognitions.
ppp22290#pid#1557. 'Between Bethel and Ai' means the celestial and the worldly aspects of cognitions. This is clear from the meaning of 'Bethel' as the light of wisdom coming through cognitions, `@@@1453`, and from the meaning of 'Ai' as the light coming from worldly things, also dealt with in `@@@1453`. From what has been stated there the nature of the Lord's state at this time becomes clear, namely a childhood state - which is such that worldly things are present. In fact worldly things cannot be dispelled until truth and good are implanted in celestial things by means of cognitions, for a person cannot possibly tell celestial things from worldly until he comes to know and is aware of what the celestial is, and of what the worldly is. Cognitions turn a general and obscure idea into a clear and distinct one, and the clearer the idea is made by means of cognitions the more can worldly things be separated. That childhood state however is still holy because it is innocent.
ttt[2] A state of ignorance or lack of knowledge in no way rules out holiness when there is innocence in it, for holiness dwells in ignorance that is innocent. With everybody apart from the Lord, holiness is unable to dwell anywhere else than in ignorance. If it does not dwell in this it is not holiness. Among the angels themselves, who possess a supreme light of intelligence and wisdom, holiness still dwells within ignorance, for they know and acknowledge that of themselves they know nothing and that whatever they do know comes from the Lord. They also know and acknowledge that all their knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom are as nothing in comparison with the Lord's infinite knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom, thus that all of theirs is lack of knowledge. Anyone who does not acknowledge that there is an infinite number of things he does not know compared with what he does know cannot possess the holiness present with angels that goes with ignorance or lack of knowledge. This holiness that goes with ignorance does not consist in knowing less than others but in the acknowledgement that from oneself one does not know anything at all, and that the things one does not know are infinite in comparison with the things one does know. But above all it entails regarding factual knowledge and intellectual concepts as being of small importance compared with celestial things, that is, things constituting the understanding as being of small importance compared with those constituting life. In the Lord's case, because He was to join human things to Divine things He advanced according to order and now reached first of all that celestial state such as had been His when a boy, in which state worldly things also were present. By passing on from this into a state even more celestial, He at length came into the celestial state of infancy, in which state He fully joined the Human Essence to the Divine Essence.
ppp22289#pid#1558. Verse `Genesis 13bbbccc4` To the place of the altar that he made there in the beginning; and there Abram called on the name of Jehovah.
'To the place of the altar' means the holy things of worship. 'That he made in the beginning' means which He had when a boy. 'And there Abram called on the name of Jehovah' means internal worship in that state.
ppp22288#pid#1559. That 'to the place of the altar' means the holy things of worship is clear from the meaning of 'an altar' as the chief representative used in worship, dealt with in `@@@921`.
ppp22287#pid#1560. 'That he made in the beginning' means which He had when a boy. This is clear from what has been stated at verse `Genesis 12bbbccc8` of the previous chapter. The expressions 'in the beginning' here, and 'at the start' in the previous verse are used, because it was before the Lord had been endowed with facts and cognitions. Every state that precedes a person's reception of instruction is 'the start' and when he commences to receive it, it is 'the beginning'.
ppp22286#pid#1561. 'And there Abram called on the name of Jehovah' means internal worship in that state. This is clear from the meaning of 'calling on the name of Jehovah', dealt with already in `@@@440`, `@@@1455`. The reason why here mention is also made of an altar and why, as likewise in verse `Genesis 12bbbccc8` of the previous chapter, the phrase 'he called on the name of Jehovah' is used, is that they are similar states. They differ in that the latter compared with the former is a state of light. When cognitions are implanted in the former state, which has been described, they make it one of light. And when truth and good are joined by means of cognitions to the former celestial state, its activity is described by the words used here. Worship itself is nothing else than a particular activity that occurs because of the celestial within. The celestial itself can never exist without activity. Worship is the prime activity, for this is how the celestial expresses itself because it finds joy in it. All good springing from love and charity constitutes the essential activity itself.
ppp22285#pid#1562. Verse `Genesis 13bbbccc5` And Lot also who went with Abram had flocks and herds and tents.
'And Lot also who went with Abram' means the external man residing in the Lord 'He had flocks and herds and tents' means the things that the external man has in abundance, 'flocks and herds' being the possessions of the external man, 'tents' the details of his worship, which were separating themselves from the internal man.
ppp22284#pid#1563. That 'Lot also who went with Abram' means the external man residing in the Lord is clear from the representation of 'Lot' as the sensory man, or what amounts to the same, the external man. It is well known to everyone in the Church that everybody has an internal and an external, or what amounts to the same, that man is internal and external. For these matters, see what has appeared already in `@@@978`, `@@@994`, `@@@995`, `@@@1015`. The external man receives his life principally from the internal, that is, from his spirit or soul. From there comes his life itself in general, which life cannot be received by the external man in a detailed and distinct manner unless his organic vessels are opened which are to serve as recipients of the particular and individual parts of the internal man. Those organic vessels that are to serve as recipients are not opened except by means of the senses, chiefly those of hearing and sight. And as they are so opened the internal man is able to flow in with the particular and individual parts. They are opened by means of the senses through facts and cognitions, as well as through pleasures and delights - the former being things of the understanding, the latter those of the will
ttt[2] From these considerations it becomes clear that as an inevitable result facts and cognitions which cannot agree with spiritual truths will worm their way into the external man, and that pleasures and delights which cannot agree with celestial goods will worm their way in, even as all those things do which regard bodily, worldly, and earthly things as ends in themselves - which things when regarded as ends drag the external man outwards and downwards and so remove the external man from the internal man. For this reason unless such things have first been dispelled the internal man cannot in any way agree with the external, and therefore before the internal man is able to agree with the external such things have to be removed. The removal or separation of those things in the Lord is represented and meant by Lot's separation from Abram.
ppp22283#pid#1564. 'He had flocks and herds and tents' means the things that the external man has in abundance. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'flocks, herds, and tents' to be dealt with immediately below. Here they mean the possessions of the external man, for as has been stated, Lot represents the Lord's external man. Two types of things exist with the external man, namely those which can agree with the internal and those which cannot. 'Flocks, herds, and tents' here means those which cannot agree, as is clear from what follows in verse `Genesis 13bbbccc7`: 'And there was strife between Abram's herdsmen and Lot's herdsman.'
ppp22282#pid#1565. That 'flocks and herds' are the possessions of the external man becomes clear from the meaning of 'flocks and herds' as goods, dealt with in `@@@343`, `@@@415`. Here however since it is said they belonged to Lot, who was being separated from Abram, they mean those things that were to be separated, thus things that were not good are meant. That 'flocks and herds' also means things that are not good becomes clear from the following places in the Word: In Zephaniah,
I will cause destruction in you, that you will be without inhabitant; and the region of the sea will be dwellings dug out [for shepherds] and folds for the flock. `Zephaniah 2bbb5-6`.
In Jeremiah,
I will disperse in you the shepherd and the flock, and I will disperse in you the farmer and his team. `Jeremiah 51bbb23`.
In the same prophet,
Go up to Arabia, and lay waste the sons of the east. Their tents and their flocks shall they take. `Jeremiah 49bbb28-29`.
ppp22281#pid#1566. That 'tents' are his worship which was separating itself from the internal man becomes clear from the meaning of 'a tent' as the holiness of worship, `@@@414`, and also from the representation of 'Lot' as the external man to which tents, or worship, have reference. That 'tents' in the contrary sense means worship that is not holy also becomes clear from the following places in the Word: In Hosea,
The nettle will inherit those things, the bramble will be in their tents. `Hosea 9bbb6`.
In Habakkuk,
I saw the tents of Cushan, the curtains of the land of Midian shook, Jehovah was angry with the rivers. `Habakkuk 3bbb7-8`.
In Jeremiah,
Shepherds and their flocks will come against the daughter of Zion; they will pitch their tents against her round about; they will graze, each off his own space. `Jeremiah 6bbb3`.
In David.
He smote all the firstborn in Egypt, the beginning of strength in the tents of Ham. `Psalms 78bbb51`.
In the same author,
I have chosen to stand by the threshold in the house of my God rather than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. `Psalms 84bbb10`.
ppp22280#pid#1567. Verse `Genesis 13bbbccc6` And the land was unable to bear them, that they might dwell together, for their acquisitions were great, and they could not dwell together.
'The land was unable to bear them, that they might dwell together' means that the things which belonged to the celestial internals could not remain together with the former ones. 'For their acquisitions were great, and they could not dwell together' means the things that were acquired by the internal man could not agree with those acquired in the external.
ppp22279#pid#1568. That 'the land was unable to bear them, that they might dwell together' means that the things which belonged to the celestial internals could not remain together with the former ones, that is to say, with those things meant here by 'Lot', is evident from the following considerations: 'Abram', as has been stated, represents the Lord, and at this point His Internal Man, while 'Lot' represents the external, and at this point the things that had to be separated from the external Man, with which things internals could not dwell together. In the external man there are many things with which the internal man is able to dwell together, such as affections for good and the delights and pleasures arising from them, for those delights and pleasures are the effects of the goods of the internal man and of his joys and happiness. When these are the effects they correspond perfectly, for in that case they belong to the internal man and not to the external man. For an effect, as is well known, is not the product of an effect but of an efficient cause. Take, for example, charity: when this shines out of the face, it is produced not by the face but by the charity within that so controls the face and produces the effect. Or take, for example, the innocence seen in the expressions on small children's faces, in the ways they act, and so in the games they play with one another: that innocence does not belong essentially to their expressions or actions but is derived from innocence from the Lord which flows in through their souls. Thus their expressions and actions are effects; so also with every other example taken.
ttt[2] From these considerations it is clear that many things exist with the external man which are able to dwell or accord with the internal. But there are also many things which do not accord, that is, with which the internal man is unable to dwell, namely all that streams forth from self-love and love of the world; for everything resulting from these loves regards self or the world as its end in view. With these, celestial things that go with love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour cannot agree, for celestial things regard the Lord as the end in view, and His kingdom and all that belongs to Him and His kingdom similarly as ends. The ends which self-love and love of the world have in view look to things of a more external or lower kind, whereas those which love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour have in view look to things of a more internal or higher kind. From these considerations it becomes clear that they are too discordant ever to remain together.
ttt[3] To know what produces a correspondence and agreement of the external man with the internal and what produces disagreement one has only to reflect on the ends, or what amounts to the same, on the loves by which one is ruled; for people's loves constitute the ends they have in view, indeed whatever is loved by them is looked upon as an end. Such reflexion will show what one's life is really like and what it will be like after death, since it is from a person's ends, or what amounts to the same, his ruling loves, that his life is formed. The life of each individual is never otherwise. If the things which do not agree with eternal life, that is, with spiritual and celestial life - which is eternal life - are not removed during a person's lifetime they have to be removed in the next life. But if they are irremovable that person is bound to be unhappy for ever.
ttt[4] These things have now been mentioned so that it may be known that in the external man there are things which agree with the internal and things which do not, that those which do agree cannot possibly remain together with those that do not, and also that those things in the external man which do agree come from the internal man, that is, from the Lord by way of the internal man; as for example, in the case of a face radiant with charity, or a charitable face, or in the case of the innocence seen in the expressions on the faces and in the actions of young children, as has been stated. The things which do not accord however belong to man and his proprium. From this one may know what 'the land was unable to bear them, that they might dwell together' means. Here, in the internal sense, the Lord is the subject; and since the Lord is the subject so also is every likeness and image of Him, namely His kingdom, the Church, and every member of that kingdom or of the Church; and therefore here the things residing with men are presented. These same things that resided with the Lord before He overcame evil, that is, the devil and hell, by His Own power, and so became celestial, Divine, and Jehovah even as to His Human Essence, must be seen in relation to His state at that time.
ppp22278#pid#1569. 'For their acquisitions were great, and they could not dwell together' means the things that were acquired by the internal man could not agree with those acquired in the external. This becomes clear from what has just been stated.
ppp22277#pid#1570. Verse `Genesis 13bbbccc7` And there was strife between Abram's herdsmen and Lot's herdsmen. And the Canaanite and the Perizzite were then dwelling in the land.
'There was strife between Abram's herdsmen and Lot's herdsmen' means that the internal man and the external did not agree, 'Abram's herdsmen' being used to mean celestial things, 'Lot's herdsmen' things of the senses. 'And the Canaanite and the Perizzite were then dwelling in the land' means evils and falsities in the external man.
ppp22276#pid#1571. That 'there was strife between Abram's herdsmen and Lot's herdsmen' means that the internal man and the external did not agree is clear from the meaning of 'herdsmen'`fff1` as those who teach, and so things that are connected with worship, as everyone may well know, and therefore there is no need to pause and confirm these matters from the Word. These words have regard to the things called 'tents' in verse `Genesis 13bbbccc5` above, which, as pointed out there, mean worship. The words used in the following verse `Genesis 13bbbccc6` have regard to things called 'flocks and cattle' in verse `Genesis 13bbbccc5`, which are possessions or acquisitions, as was also pointed out there. Because worship is the subject here, namely that of the Internal Man and of the external Man, it is said here, since the two were no longer in agreement, that 'there was strife between the herdsman'; for 'Abram' represents the internal man and 'Lot' the external man. It is above all in worship that one can recognize the whole nature of any disagreement that exists between the internal man and the external man; indeed it can be recognized in every detail of worship. When the internal man wishes to make the kingdom of God his ends in view and the external wishes to make the world his, there is consequently a divergence which shows itself in worship, and indeed so plainly that even the slightest divergence is noticed in heaven. These are the considerations meant by 'strife between Abram's herdsmen and Lot's herdsman'. And the reason is added, namely that 'the Canaanite and the Perizzite were then in the land'.
`nnn1. The same word (pastor) is used for a herdsman as for a shepherd.
ppp22275#pid#1572. That 'Abram's herdsmen' is used to mean the celestial things that belong to the internal man and 'Lot's herdsmen' to mean the things of the senses that belong to the external man is clear from what has been stated already. By the celestial things meant by 'Abram's herdsmen' one is to understand the celestial things in worship which belong to the internal man, and by 'Lot's herdsmen' one is to understand the things of the senses in worship which belong to the external man and which do not agree with the celestial things of the internal man's worship. The implications of all this are clear from what has been shown already.
ppp22274#pid#1573. 'And the Canaanite and the Perizzite were then dwelling in the land' means evils and falsities in the external man. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'the Canaanite' as hereditary evil from the mother in the external man, dealt with already in `@@@1444`, and from the meaning of 'the Perizzite' as derivative falsity, dealt with in what follows below. That hereditary evil from the mother resided with the Lord in His external Man, see what has been stated already in `@@@1414`, `@@@1444`. The fact that falsity resulted from that hereditary evil follows, for where there is hereditary evil falsity is present also. The one is born from the other, but falsity from evil cannot be born until a person has been endowed with facts and cognitions. Evil has nothing to work on or flow into except facts and cognitions. In this way evil belonging to the will part of the mind is turned into falsity in the understanding part, and therefore this falsity also was hereditary because it was born from what was hereditary, though not the falsity that is based on false principles. But it existed in the external man as that which the internal man could see was falsity.
ttt[2] Because hereditary evil from the mother was present before the Lord had been endowed with facts and cognitions, that is, before 'Abram sojourned in Egypt' it is said in verse `Genesis 12bbbccc6` of the previous chapter that 'the Canaanite was in the land' but not that the Perizzite was there, whereas in the present verse, now that He had been endowed with facts and cognitions, it is said that 'the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelt in the land'. From these considerations it is clear that 'the Canaanite' means evil and 'the Perizzite' falsity. It is also clear from the consideration that the mention of the Canaanite and the Perizzite does not bear any relation to the historical events among which it occurs, for nothing is said about either of them in what has gone before or in what follows. The same is also true with the mention of the Canaanite in verse `Genesis 12bbbccc6` of the previous chapter. From this it is evident that some arcanum lies concealed here which one cannot know except from the internal sense.
ttt[3] To some it may come as a surprise to say that hereditary evil from the mother was present with the Lord, but as such evil is spoken of so plainly here, and as in the internal sense the Lord is the subject, there can be no doubt that it was present. For no human being can possibly be born from another human being without deriving evil from him or her. But the hereditary evil that is derived from the father is one thing, that from the mother is another. Hereditary evil from the father is more internal and remains for ever, since it can never be rooted out. Such evil did not exist with the Lord because He was born of Jehovah as His Father, and thus was Divine, or Jehovah, as regards internals. But hereditary evil from the mother belongs to the external man, as it did with the Lord, and it is called 'the Canaanite in the land', and derivative falsity 'the Perizzite'. The Lord was in this sense born as any other, and had weaknesses as any other has them.
ttt[4] That the Lord derived hereditary evil from the mother is quite clear from the fact that He underwent temptations. Nobody can ever be tempted who has no evil, for it is the evil present with man that tempts and by means of which he is tempted. That the Lord was tempted, undergoing temptations so serious that no other could ever endure one ten thousandth part of them, that He suffered all alone, and by His own power overcame evil, or the devil and the whole of hell, is also clear. Those temptations are spoken of in Luke as follows,
Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. He was tempted for forty days by the devil, so that He ate nothing in those days. But after the devil had ended every temptation he departed from Him for a time. From there He returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee. `Luke 4bbb1-2`, `Luke 4bbbccc13-14`.
ttt[5] And in Mark,
The Spirit, driving Jesus, made Him go away into the wilderness; and He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted; and He was with the wild beasts. `Mark 1bbb12-13`.
Here 'beasts' means hell. In addition to this He is spoken of as being tempted to the point of death, so that His sweat was [like] drops of blood,
And when He was in agony He prayed more earnestly; and His sweat became as great drops of blood falling down upon the ground. `Luke 22bbb44`.
ttt[6] No angel can possibly be tempted by the devil, the reason being that as an angel abides in the Lord, evil spirits cannot approach him, even when they are a long way off, but are instantly seized with horror and fright. Much less could hell have approached the Lord if He had been born Divine, that is, without evil from the mother clinging to Him.
ttt[7] That the Lord bore the iniquities and evils of the human race is also a statement commonly made by preachers, yet the diversion of iniquities and evils to Himself can never come about except through a hereditary channel. The Divine cannot take evil upon Itself, and therefore in order that He might overcome evil by His own powers - which no human being has ever been able to do or ever can do - and in so doing might make Himself alone Righteousness, He was willing to be born like any other. Otherwise there would have been no need for Him to be born at all, for the Lord could have assumed Human Essence without going through the process of birth, as He had indeed sometimes done when seen by members of the Most Ancient Church, and also by prophets. Therefore in order that He might be furnished with evil against which He was to fight and over which He was to conquer, and in so doing might join together in Himself the Divine Essence to the Human Essence, He came into the world.
ttt[8] In the Lord however there was no evil of His own, that is, He committed no actual evil, as He Himself also says in John,
Who of you is going to convict Me of sin? `John 8bbb46`.
From these considerations it may now be quite evident what is meant by the statement immediately preceding - 'there was strife between Abram's herdsmen and Lot's herdsman'. The reason was that 'the Canaanite and the Perizzite were dwelling in the land'.
ppp22273#pid#1574. That 'the Canaanite' means hereditary evil from the mother in, the external man has been shown already in `@@@1444`, but that 'the Perizzite' means falsity deriving from evil is clear from other places in the Word where the Perizzite is mentioned, as in the following regarding Jacob,
Jacob said to Simeon and to Levi, You have brought trouble on me by making me stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and I being few in number, they will gather themselves together against me and smite me, and I shall be destroyed, I and my house. `Genesis 34bbb30`.
Here similarly 'the Canaanite' means evil and 'the Perizzite' falsity.
ttt[2] In Joshua,
Joshua said to the sons of Joseph, If you are a numerous people, go up to the forest, and cut down for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim, if Mount Ephraim is too narrow for you. `Joshua 17bbb15`.
Here 'the Perizzites' means false assumptions and 'the Rephaim' false persuasions which they were to wipe out, for 'Mount Ephraim' in the internal sense means intelligence.
ttt[3] In the Book of Judges,
After the death of Joshua the children of Israel inquired of Jehovah, saying, Who will go up for us against the Canaanite to start and fight against him? And Jehovah said, Judah shall go up; behold, I have given the land into his hand. And Judah said to Simeon his brother, Go up with me into my lot, and let us fight against the Canaanite, and I will also go with you into your lot And Simeon went with him, and Judah went up. and Jehovah gave the Canaanite and the Perizzite into their hand. `Judges 1bbb1-5`.
Here 'Judah' also represents the Lord as regards celestial things, and 'Simeon' as regards derivative spiritual things. 'Canaanite' is the evil, and 'Perizzite' the falsity, that were overcome. This is how this reply, or Divine oracle, is to be understood.
ppp22272#pid#1575. Verse `Genesis 13bbbccc8` And Abram said to Lot, Let there not be strife, now, between me and you, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are men who are brothers.
'Abram said to Lot' means that the internal man so addressed the external. 'Let there not be strife, now, between me and you, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen' means that there ought to be no disagreement between the two 'For we are men who are brothers' means that they were in themselves united.
ppp22271#pid#1576. That 'Abram said to Lot' means that the internal man so addressed the external is clear from the representation of 'Abram' here as the internal man and from the representation of 'Lot' as the external man that was to be separated. The reason 'Abram' represents the internal man is that he is so relative to Lot, who is that element in the external man that was to be separated. In the external man, as has been stated, there are things that agree and those that do not. Here 'Lot' is those that do not agree, and therefore those that do are 'Abram', including those in the external man, for the latter form a single entity with the internal man and belong to the internal.
ppp22270#pid#1577. That 'let there not be strife, now, between me and you, [and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen]' means that there ought to be no disagreement between the two becomes clear from what has been stated already. This agreement, or unity, of the internal man and the external man contains more arcana than can ever be fully told. The internal man and the external man have never been united in anyone - for it never has been possible nor is it ever possible for them to be united - except in the Lord; and this is a further reason why He came into the world. With people who are regenerate the internal man and the external man appear as though they are united; but in fact they are the Lord's, for the things that are in agreement are the Lord's, whereas those that are not are man's.
ttt[2] There are two sides to the internal man, namely the celestial and the spiritual, and these two form a single entity if the spiritual has its origin in the celestial. Or what amounts to the same, there are the two sides to the internal man known as good and truth. These two form a single entity if truth has its origin in good. Or what also amounts to the same, there are the two sides to the internal man, love and faith. These two form a single entity if faith has its origin in love. Or what yet again amounts to the same, there are the two sides to the internal man, will and understanding. These two form a single entity if the understanding has its origin in the will. The light from the sun can serve to make the point plainer still. If both warmth and light are present in light from the sun, as they are in spring-time, all things consequently start to grow and thrive. But if, as in winter, there is no warmth in the light from the sun all things at that time consequently fade and die.
ttt[3] From this it is clear what constitutes the internal man. What constitutes the external man however is evident from the fact that with the external man everything is natural; for the external man is one and the same as the natural man. The internal man is said to be united to the external when the celestial-spiritual comprising the internal man flows into the natural comprising the external man and causes them to act as one. The natural as a consequence becomes celestial and spiritual as well, though it is a lower variety of celestial and spiritual. Or what amounts to the same, the external man as a consequence becomes celestial and spiritual as well, though it is a more exterior variety of celestial and spiritual man.
ttt[4] The internal man and the external man are completely distinct and separate since celestial and spiritual things are what move the internal man but natural things the external man. But although they are distinct they are nevertheless united, that is to say, when the celestial-spiritual comprising the internal man flows into the natural comprising the external man and reorganizes it as its own. In none but the Lord has the Internal Man been united to the external Man. It has happened to nobody else except insofar as the Lord has united and does unite them. It is solely love and charity, that is, good, which effects union, and there can never be any love and charity, that is, any good, unless it comes from the Lord. Such is the union which these words of Abram are meant to convey - 'let there not be strife, now, between me and you, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are men who are brothers'.
ttt[5] The words 'between me and you, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen' are used for the following reason: just as the internal man has two elements, namely the celestial and the spiritual which, as has been stated, form a single entity, so too does the external man. The celestial side of the external man is called natural good, the spiritual side natural truth. 'Let there not be strife between me and you' has regard to good - that is, let there be no conflict between good in the internal man and good in the external, while 'let there be no strife between my herdsmen and your herdsmen' has regard to truth - that is, let there be no conflict between truth in the internal man and truth in the external.
ppp22269#pid#1578. That 'we are men who are brothers' means they were in themselves united is clear from the meaning of 'a man who is a brother' as union, and indeed the union of truth and good.
ppp22268#pid#1579. Verse `Genesis 13bbbccc9` Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself, now, from me. If you go to the left then I will go to the right, but if you go to the right I will go to the left.
'Is not the whole land before you?' means all good. 'Separate yourself, now, from me' means that it cannot manifest itself unless that which does not accord is reduced to nothing. 'If you go to the left then I will go to the right, but if you go to the right I will go to the left' means separation.
ppp22267#pid#1580. That 'is not the whole land before you?' means all good is clear from the meaning in the good sense of 'land', here 'the land of Canaan', as the celestial, and therefore goodness, dealt with already in `@@@566`, `@@@620`, `@@@636`, `@@@662`. Here the internal man addresses the external man, or rather addresses these things in the external man which do not agree with the internal, addressing them in the way that a person is accustomed to do when he detects some evil present in himself from which he wishes to be separated, as happens in times of temptation and conflict. It is the well known experience of those who have undergone temptations and conflicts to detect within themselves things that disagree, from which they cannot be separated as long as conflict exists. Yet they still desire such a separation; indeed they sometimes desire it so much that they are furious with that evil and want to drive it out. These are the things meant here.
ppp22266#pid#1581. That 'separate yourself, now, from me' means that it cannot manifest itself unless that which does not accord is reduced to nothing is clear from what has now been stated, namely that the internal man wants that in the external which does not agree with the internal to separate itself. For until it has been separated the good which flows in constantly from the internal man, that is, from the Lord by way of the internal man, cannot manifest itself. With regard to the separation however it should be realized that it is not a separating but a dying down. In nobody with the exception of the Lord can evil that is in the external man be separated, for once a person has acquired something it stays with him. But it does seem to be separated when it dies down, for when it dies down it seems to be reduced to nothing. Moreover it is the Lord alone who is responsible for it so dying down as to be seemingly reduced to nothing. And when it does in this way die down, goods for the first time flow in from the Lord and move the external man. The state in which angels live is such as this. All they are conscious of is that evil has been separated from them, but in fact it is purely a withholding from evil and thus a dying down in such a way as to be seemingly reduced to nothing. Consequently it is an appearance, which angels also recognize when they reflect on the matter.
ppp22265#pid#1582. 'If you go to the left then I will go to the right, and if you go to the right I will go to the left' means separation. This is clear from the meaning of 'the right' and of 'the left'. Right and left are purely relative terms, for neither of them is a definite region or definite place, as becomes clear from the fact that east and west, and south and north, can be to the right or to the left depending on the direction towards which a person is looking. So too with regard to a place. Nor could 'to the right' or 'to the left' be used of the land of Canaan except as relative terms. Wherever the Lord is, that is the centre, and right and left are reckoned from there. Thus whether Abram, who represented the Lord, moved in this direction or in that, his representative character went with him. And the same was true of the land, whether Abram was in the land of Canaan or whether he was somewhere else. It is like the most distinguished person at table. The place where he sits is the most important, and the other places are to the right and left of it. 'Going to the right or to the left' therefore was a phrase expressing a right of choice and by which was meant separation.
ppp22264#pid#1583. Verse `Genesis 13bbbccc10` And Lot lifted up his eyes, and he saw all the plain of Jordan, that the whole of it was well-watered, before Jehovah destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, like the garden of Jehovah, like the land of Egypt as you come to Zoar.
'And Lot lifted up his eyes' means that the external man received light from the internal. 'And he saw all the plain of Jordan' means the goods and truths that resided with the external man. 'That the whole of it was well-watered' means that they are able to grow there. 'Before Jehovah destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah' means before the external man was destroyed by desires for evil and by persuasions of falsity. 'Like the garden of Jehovah' means rational concepts in the external man. 'Like the land of Egypt as you come to Zoar' means facts acquired from affections for good. These statements mean that the external Man appeared to the Lord as it is in its beauty when joined to the Internal Man.
ppp22263#pid#1584. That 'Lot lifted up his eyes' means that the external man received light from the internal is clear from the meaning of 'lifting up the eyes', which is seeing, in the internal sense, perceiving. Here 'lifting up the eyes' means receiving light, for this expression is used in reference to Lot, or the external man; and by perceiving the nature of the External Man when joined to the Internal Man, that is, the nature of its beauty, the external man receives light from the internal and possesses the Divine vision that is the subject here. Nor can there be any doubt that when He was a boy, the Lord as regards His external Man frequently had such Divine vision, for He alone was to join the external Man to the internal Man. The External Man was His Human Essence, while the Internal Man was His Divine Essence.
ppp22262#pid#1585. 'And he saw all the plain of Jordan' means the goods and truths that resided with the external man. This is clear from the meaning of 'a plain' and of 'the Jordan'. In the internal sense 'the plain surrounding the Jordan' means the external man as regards all his goods and truths. The reason the plain of Jordan has this meaning is that the Jordan was a boundary of the land of Canaan. 'The land of Canaan', as stated and shown already, means the Lord's kingdom and Church, and in particular its celestial and spiritual things; this also explains why it was called the Holy Land, and the heavenly Canaan. And because it means the Lord's kingdom and Church, it means in the highest sense the Lord Himself, who is the All in all of His kingdom and of His Church.
ttt[2] For this reason all things in the land of Canaan were representative. Those in the midst of the land, or that were inmost, represented His internal Man - Mount Zion and Jerusalem, for example, representing respectively celestial things and spiritual things. More outlying districts represented things more remote from internals. And the most outlying districts, or those which formed the boundaries, represented the external man. There were several boundaries to the land of Canaan, but in general they were the two rivers Euphrates and Jordan, and also the Sea,`fff1` for which reason the Euphrates and the Jordan represented external things. Here therefore 'the plain of Jordan' means, as it also represents, all things residing in the external man. The meaning of the land of Canaan is similar when used in reference to the Lord's kingdom in heaven, to the Lord's Church on earth, to the member of that kingdom or Church, or abstractly to the celestial things of love, and so on.
ttt[3] Almost all the cities therefore, and indeed all the mountains, hills, valleys, rivers, and other features in the land of Canaan, were representative. The river Euphrates, being a boundary, represented, as shown already in `@@@120`, sensory evidence and facts that belong to the external man, and so too did the Jordan and the plain of Jordan, as becomes clear from the following places: In David,
O my God, my soul bows itself down within me;`fff2` therefore I remember You from the land of Jordan, and the Hermons from the little mountain. `Psalms 42bbb6`.
Here 'the land of Jordan' stands for that which is lowly and so is distant from the celestial, as a person's externals are from his internals.
ttt[4] The crossing of the Jordan when the children of Israel entered the land of Canaan and the dividing of its waters at that time also represented the approach to the internal man by way of the external, as well as a person's entry into the Lord's kingdom, and much more besides, `Joshua 3bbb14` on to the end of Chapter `Genesis ccc4bbb0`. And because the external man is constantly hostile towards the internal and strives for domination over it, the arrogance or the pride of the Jordan came to be phrases used by the Prophets, as in Jeremiah,
How will you compete with horses? And confident in a land of peace how do you deal with the pride of the Jordan? `Jeremiah 12bbb5`.
'The pride of the Jordan' stands for those things belonging to the external man which rear up and wish to have dominion over the internal, such as reasonings, meant here by 'horses', and 'the confidence' they give.
ttt[5] In the same prophet,
Edom will become a desolation. Behold, like a lion it will come up from the arrogance of the Jordan against the habitation of Ethan. `Jeremiah 49bbb17`, `Jeremiah 49bbbccc19`.
'The arrogance of the Jordan' stands for the pride of the external man against the goods and truths of the internal. In Zechariah,
Howl, O fir tree, for the cedar is fallen, for the magnificent ones have been laid waste! Howl, O oaks of Bashan, for the impenetrable forest has come down. The sound of the howling of shepherds [is heard], for their magnificence has been laid waste; the sound of the roaring of young lions, that the pride of the Jordan has been laid waste. `Zechariah 11bbb2-3`.
The fact that the Jordan was a boundary of the land of Canaan is clear from `Numbers 34bbb12`, and the eastern boundary of the land of Judah, in `Joshua 15bbb5`.
`nnn1. i.e. the Great or Mediterranean Sea
`nnn2. literally, upon me
ppp22261#pid#1586. 'That the whole of it was wall-watered' means that they, that is to say, goods and truths, are able to grow there. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'being well-watered', for which see what has appeared already in `@@@108`.
ppp22260#pid#1587. 'Before Jehovah destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah' means before the external man was destroyed by desires for evil and by persuasions of falsity. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'Sodom' as desires for evil, and from the meaning of 'Gomorrah' as persuasions of falsity. These two are indeed what destroy the external man and separate it from the internal, and it was these two that destroyed the Most Ancient Church prior to the Flood. Desires for evil belong to the will, and persuasions of falsity to the understanding. And when these two are in control, the whole of the external man is destroyed, a destroying which also entails its separation from the internal man. It is not that the soul or spirit is separated from the body but that good and truth have been separated from the person's soul or spirit so that their influx is felt only from a distance. That influx will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with elsewhere. Because among the human race the external man had been so destroyed and its link with the internal, that is, with good and truth, had been severed, the Lord came into the world to join together and unite the External Man to the Internal Man, that is, the Human Essence to the Divine Essence. This verse describes the nature of the external man when joined to the internal, that is to say, by the words 'before Jehovah destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, like the garden of Jehovah, like the land of Egypt as you come to Zoar'.
ppp22259#pid#1588. 'Like the garden of Jehovah' means the rational concepts in the external man. This is clear from the meaning of 'the garden of Jehovah' as intelligence, dealt with in `@@@100`, consequently the rational which comes in between the internal man and the external man. The rational is intelligence as it exists in the external man. It is called 'the garden of Jehovah' when the rational is celestial, that is, when it has a celestial origin, as was the case with the Most Ancient Church. This is described in Isaiah as follows,
Jehovah will comfort Zion, He will comfort all her waste places, and will make her wilderness like Eden and her desert like the garden of ]Jehovah. Joy and gladness will be found in her, confession and the voice of song. `Isaiah 51bbb3`.
When however the rational is spiritual, that is, when it has a spiritual origin, as was the case with the Ancient Church, the expression 'the garden of God' is used, as in Ezekiel,
Full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty, you were in Eden, the garden of God. `Ezekiel 28bbb12-13`.
A person's rational is compared to a garden because this is how it is represented in heaven. It is man's rational that manifests itself in just this way when that which is celestial-spiritual flows into it from the Lord. Indeed it is this which presents to view the paradise gardens whose magnificence and beauty surpass everything the human mind can imagine. This is the effect which the influx of celestial-spiritual light from the Lord produces, as dealt with already in `@@@1042`, `@@@1043`. It is not the loveliness and beauty of these gardens that stir the emotions but the celestial-spiritual elements that live within them.
ppp22258#pid#1589. 'Like the land of Egypt as you come to Zoar' means facts acquired from affections for good. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'Egypt', dealt with in `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, in a good sense in `@@@1462`, as knowledge, and from the meaning of 'Zoar' as the affection for good. Zoar was a city not far from Sodom, to which also Lot fled when he was snatched by angels from the fire of Sodom, as described in `Genesis 19bbb20`, `Genesis 19bbbccc22`, `Genesis 19bbbccc30`. In addition to this, Zoar is referred to in `Genesis 14bbb2`, `Genesis 14bbbccc8`; `Deuteronomy 34bbb3`; `Isaiah 15bbb5`; `Jeremiah 48bbb34`, in all of which places also it means an affection. And since it means the affection for good, it also means in the contrary sense, as is usual, the affection for evil.
ttt[2] There are three constituent parts of the external man - rational, factual, and external sensory. The rational part is more interior, the factual more exterior, and the external sensory the most external. The rational is the part by means of which the internal man is joined to the external, the character of the rational determining the character of this conjunction. The external sensory part consists in the present instance in sight and hearing. But in itself the rational has no existence if affection does not flow into it, making it active so as to receive life. Consequently the rational receives its character from that of the affection flowing into it. When the affection for good flows in, that affection for good becomes with the rational an affection for truth; and the contrary happens when the affection for evil flows in. Because the factual part attaches itself to the rational and serves as its agent it also follows that the affection flows into and reorganizes the factual part. For nothing has life in the external man apart from affection. The reason is that the affection for good comes down from the celestial, that is, from celestial love, which imparts life to everything into which it flows, even to affections for evil, that is, to evil desires.
ttt[3] Actually the good of love from the Lord flows in constantly, doing so through the internal man into the external. But anyone who is governed by an affection for evil, that is, by an evil desire, corrupts that good. Nevertheless the life brought to it remains. Such may be seen from a comparison with objects on which the sun's rays fall. There are some objects which accept them in a most beautiful way, converting them into the most beautiful colours, as a diamond, ruby, jacinth, sapphire, and other precious stones do. Other objects however do not accept them in that manner but convert them into the ugliest colours. The same point may be shown from the very characters of people. There are some who accept the good actions of another with every display of affection, while others convert them into evil. From this it becomes clear what the knowledge acquired from affections for good is which is meant by 'the land of Egypt as you come to Zoar' when the rational is 'like the garden of Jehovah'.
ppp22257#pid#1590. That these statements mean that the External Man appeared to the Lord as it is in its beauty when joined to the Internal Man becomes clear from the internal sense, in which the Lord as regards His Internal Man is represented by 'Abram' and as regards His External Man by 'Lot'. It is impossible to describe how beautiful the External Man is when joined to the Internal since that beauty does not exist with any human being, but solely with the Lord; and any which does exist with any man or angel comes from the Lord. The nature of it becomes in some small measure clear from the image of the Lord as regards His External Man in the heavens, see `@@@553`, `@@@1530`. The three heavens are images of the Lord's External Man, yet it is in no way possible to give a description of the nature of their beauty that anyone can comprehend. Just as everything in the Lord is Infinite, so everything in heaven is boundless. And the boundlessness of heaven is an image of the Lord's Infinity.
ppp22256#pid#1591. Verse `Genesis 13bbbccc11` And Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan; and Lot travelled from the east, and they were separated, man from his brother.
'Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan' means that the external man was such. 'And Lot travelled from the east' means those things residing with the external man which depart from celestial love. 'And they were separated, man from his brother' means that those things bring the separation about.
ppp22255#pid#1592. That 'Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan' means that the external man was such is clear from the meaning of 'the plain of Jordan' as the external man, dealt with in the previous verse. The previous verse describes the beauty of the external man when joined to the internal, but this verse and the two that follow describe the ugliness of it when separated.
ppp22254#pid#1593. 'And Lot travelled from the east' means those things residing with the external man which depart from celestial love. This is clear from the meaning of 'the east' as the Lord, and so as everything celestial, dealt with already in `@@@101`. And because the east means the Lord 'the east' here is consequently the Lord's Internal Man, which is Divine. Thus it is the departure of the external man from the internal that is meant here by the words 'Lot travelled from the east'.
ppp22253#pid#1594. That 'they were separated, man from his brother' means that those things bring the separation about follows from what has just been stated. What 'a man, a brother' is has already been stated above at verse `Genesis 13bbbccc8`, namely unity, and therefore 'being separated, man from brother' means severance. What it is that severs the external man from the internal, the individual does not know; and there are a number of reasons for his not knowing. For one thing he does not know of - or if he has heard of, does not believe in - the existence of the internal man. And for another thing he does not know - or if he has heard, does not believe - that self-love and its desires are what cause the severance, also the love of the world and its desires, though not so much as self-love.
ttt[2] The reason he does not know of - or if he has heard of, does not believe in - the existence of the internal man is that the life he leads is immersed in things of the body and the senses, which cannot possibly see what is interior. Interior things are able to see that which is exterior, but exterior things cannot possibly see what is interior. Take the power of sight; the internal sight can see what external sight is, but external sight cannot possibly see what internal sight is. Or take the power of understanding and of rationality; this is able to perceive what factual knowledge is, and the nature of it, but not vice versa. A further reason why the existence of the internal man is not known or believed in by the individual is that he does not believe in the existence of the spirit which is separated from the body at death, and scarcely in the existence of that internal life which people call the soul. For when the person whose mind is immersed in things of the body and the senses thinks of the spirit being separated from the body it strikes him as an impossibility because he regards the body as the place where life resides, and confirms himself in this view from the fact that animals have life as well and yet do not live on after death, in addition to many other considerations. All these ideas of his arise from the fact that the life he leads is immersed in things of the body and the senses, a life which regarded in itself is little different from the life of animals. The only difference is that man is able to think and to reason about whatever he encounters; but even then he does not reflect on this ability which places him above animals.
ttt[3] But this is not the major cause of the severance of the external man from the internal man, for the greater number of people possess such unbelief, the highly learned more than the simple. That which causes the severance is chiefly self-love, and also love of the world, though not so much as self-love does. The reason a person does not know this is that his life is devoid of charity, and when his life is devoid of charity, how can he see that the life of self-love and its desires is so contrary to heavenly love? Also there is within self-love and its desires a kind of flame, and from it a feeling of delight which so affect a person's life that he can scarcely conceive of eternal happiness consisting of anything else. For this reason also many people suppose that eternal happiness means becoming great following the life of the body and being served by others, even by angels, while they themselves are not willing to serve anybody except for the concealed motive of being served themselves. When at such times they assert that they wish to serve the Lord alone, it is a lie, for people who are ruled by self-love wish that even the Lord should serve them. And to the extent this does not happen they depart, so strong is the desire in their hearts to become lords and rule the entire universe. What kind of government it would be when the majority, or indeed all, are like this, anyone can think out for himself. Would it not be a government like that exercised in hell where everyone loves himself more than anybody else? This is what lies hidden within self-love. From this it may become clear what the nature of self-love is, and also from the fact that it conceals within itself hatred of all who do not submit themselves to it as its slaves. And because it conceals hatred, it also conceals forms of revenge, cruelty, deceit, and further unspeakable things.
ttt[4] Mutual love however, which alone is heavenly, consists in not only saying but also acknowledging and believing that one is utterly undeserving, and something worthless and filthy, which the Lord in His infinite mercy is constantly drawing away and holding back from the hell into which the person constantly tries, and indeed longs, to cast himself. He acknowledges and believes this because it is the truth. Not that the Lord or any angel wishes him to acknowledge and believe it just to gain his submission, but to prevent his vaunting himself when he is in fact such. This would be like excrement calling itself pure gold, or a dung-fly a bird of paradise. To the extent therefore that a person acknowledges and believes that he really is what he in fact is, he departs from self-love and its desires, and loathes himself. To the extent that this happens he receives from the Lord heavenly love, that is, mutual love, which is willing to serve all. These are the people meant by the least who become the greatest in the Lord's kingdom, `Matthew 20bbb26-28`; `Luke 9bbb46-48`.
ttt[5] These considerations show what it is that severs the external man from the internal - chiefly self-love. And the chief thing that unites the external man to the internal is mutual love, which is in no way attainable until self-love departs, for they are complete opposites. The internal man is nothing else than mutual love. The human spirit itself, or soul, is the interior man which lives after death. It is organic, for it is joined to the body so long as the person lives in the world. This interior man - that is, his soul or spirit - is not the internal man, but the internal man is within the interior when the latter has mutual love within it. The things that belong to the internal man are the Lord's, so that one may say that the internal man is the Lord. Yet because the Lord grants an angel or man, so long as his life has mutual love in it, a heavenly proprium so that he has no idea but that he does good from himself, an internal man is therefore attributed to a person as though it were his own. The person in whom mutual love dwells however acknowledges and believes that everything good and true is not his own but the Lord's. He acknowledges and believes that his ability to love another as himself - and if he is like the angels, more than himself - is a gift from the Lord and that he ceases to enjoy that gift and its happiness to the extent he departs from acknowledging that it is the Lord's.
ppp22252#pid#1595. Verse `Genesis 13bbbccc12` Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain, and moved his tent as far as Sodom.
'Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan' means that the internal man dwelt in the celestial things of love. 'And Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain' means the external man dwelt in factual knowledge. 'And moved his tent as far as Sodom' means a reaching out towards evil desires.
ppp22251#pid#1596. That 'Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan' means that the internal man dwelt in the celestial things of love is clear from the meaning of 'the land of Canaan' as the celestial things of love, dealt with frequently already.
ppp22250#pid#1597. 'And Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain' means the external man dwelt in factual knowledge. This is clear from the representation of 'Lot' as the external man, and from the meaning of 'a city' or 'cities' as matters of doctrine, which in themselves are nothing else than facts when used in reference to the external man once this has been separated from the internal. That 'cities' means matters of doctrine, whether true or false, has been shown already in `@@@402`.
ppp22249#pid#1598. 'And moved his tent as far as Sodom' means a reaching out towards evil desires. This is clear from the meaning of 'Sodom' as evil desires, dealt with above at verse `Genesis 13bbbccc10`. These words are analogous to what was stated previously in verse `Genesis 13bbbccc10` about 'all the plain of Jordan being well-watered, like the garden of Jehovah, like the land of Egypt as you come to Zoar', which was a reference to the External Man when united to the Internal - 'the land of Egypt as you come to Zoar' meaning facts obtained from affections for good. Here however 'Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain, and moved his tent as far as Sodom' means the external man when not united to the internal, and by these words are meant facts obtained from affections or desires for evil. Indeed that verse described the beauty of the External Man when united to the Internal, whereas this verse describes its ugliness when not united, and further still the next verse where it is said, 'And the men of Sodom were evil and great sinners before Jehovah'. How ugly the external man is when separated from the internal may become clear to anyone from what has been stated about self-love and its desires which are the principal cause of the severance. As is the beauty of the External Man when united to the internal, so is the ugliness of it when not united. For regarded in itself the external man is nothing other than the servant of the internal. It is something instrumental whereby ends in view pass into uses, and uses manifest themselves in an effect, and thus all things may be accomplished. The reverse happens when the external man separates itself from the internal and wishes to serve only itself, even more when it wishes to have dominion over the internal, which, as has been shown, happens principally because of self-love and its desires.
ppp22248#pid#1599. Verse `Genesis 13bbbccc13` And the men (vir) of Sodom were evil and great sinners before Jehovah.
'The men of Sodom were evil and great sinners before Jehovah' means the evil desires towards which facts were reaching out.
ppp22247#pid#1600. That 'the men of Sodom were evil and great sinners before Jehovah' means the evil desires towards which facts were reaching out becomes clear from the meaning of 'Sodom' as evil desires, dealt with already, and from the meaning of 'men' (vir) as intellectual concepts and rational concepts, here factual knowledge since they are spoken of in reference to the external man when separated from the internal. That 'men' means intellectual concepts or rational concepts has been shown already in `@@@265`, `@@@749`, `@@@1007`. Facts are said to reach out towards evil desires when they are learned for no other purpose than that one may become great, and not so that they may serve the use of making one good. All facts exist to enable a person to become rational and thereby wise, and so to enable him to serve the internal man.
ppp22246#pid#1601. Verse `Genesis 13bbbccc14` And Jehovah said to Abram after Lot had been separated from him, Lift up your eyes, now, and look from the place where you are, towards the north, and towards the south, and towards the east, and towards the west.
'Jehovah said to Abram' means that Jehovah so spoke to the Lord. 'After Lot had been separated from him' means when the desires of the External Man had been removed so that they did not obstruct. 'Lift up your eyes, now, and look from the place where you are' means the Lord's state at that time from which He was able to perceive things to come. 'Towards the north, and towards the south, and towards the east, and towards the west' means all men, as many as there are in the entire universe.
ppp22245#pid#1602. That 'Jehovah said to Abram' means that Jehovah so spoke to the Lord becomes clear from the internal sense of the Word, in which the Lord is meant by 'Abram', and also from the very state that was His at that time and which is also described here, that is to say, a state in which external things that obstructed were removed. This is what is meant by the statement 'after Lot had been separated from him'. The Lord was Divine as regards His Internal Man because He was begotten from Jehovah, and so when there was no obstruction on the part of the External Man, He consequently saw all things to come. The reason this then seemed to be 'Jehovah saying' is that it took place in the presence of the External Man. As regards the Internal Man He was One with Jehovah, as the Lord Himself teaches in John,
Philip said, Show us the Father. Jesus said to him, Have I been with you so long and yet you do not know Me, Philip? He who sees Me sees the Father So why do you say, Show us the Father? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in Me? Believe Me, that I am in the Father and the Father in Me. `John 14bbb6`, `John 14bbbccc8-11`.
ppp22244#pid#1603. 'After Lot had been separated from him' means when the desires of the External Man had been removed so that they did not obstruct. This is clear from the representation of 'Lot' as the External Man, and from what has been said already about his being separated, that is, those things that would cause obstruction. When these had been removed the Internal Man, or Jehovah, acted as one with the External Man, or the Lord's Human Essence. It is the external things that disagree - these alone - which have been spoken of already, that obstruct and so prevent the internal man, when operating into the external, from making it one with itself. The external man is no more than a kind of implement or organ, and does not in itself possess any life at all. From the internal man however it can receive life, and then it seems as though the external man does possess life from itself.
ttt[2] With the Lord however after He had cast out hereditary evil and so purified the organic elements of the Human Essence, these too received life so that the Lord, who was already Life as regards the internal Man, became Life as regards the External Man as well. This is what 'glorification' means in John,
Jesus said, Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God glorified in Him. If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him at once. `John 13bbb31-32`.
In the same gospel,
Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You. Now therefore, Father, glorify Me in Your Own Self with the glory which I had with You before the world was. `John 17bbb1`, `John 17bbbccc5`.
In the same gospel,
Jesus said, Father, glorify Your name. A voice therefore came from heaven, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. `John 12bbb8`.
ppp22243#pid#1604. 'Lift up your eyes, now, and look from the place where you are' means the Lord's state at that time [from which He was able to perceive things to come]. This is clear from the meaning of 'lifting up the eyes and looking' as being enlightened and perceiving, dealt with above at verse `Genesis 13bbbccc10`, and from the meaning of 'a place' in the internal sense as state. That 'a place' is nothing other than a state has been shown in `@@@1274`, `@@@1376-1379`.
ppp22242#pid#1605. 'Towards the north, and towards the south, and towards the east, and towards the west' means all men, as many as there are in the entire universe. This is clear from the meaning of these four directions. In the Word north, south, east, and west each have their own particular meaning. 'North' means people who are outside the Church, that is to say, who are in darkness as regard truths of faith; and it also means the darkness residing with the individual. 'South' however means people who are inside the Church, that is to say, who are in light as regards cognitions; and likewise it means the light itself. 'East' means people who lived in the past; and it also means celestial love, as shown already. 'West' however means people who will live in the future, and likewise people who do not have love. What they mean is clear from the train of thought in the internal sense. But when north, south, east, and west are all mentioned together, as they are here, they mean everybody living throughout the whole world, as well as those who lived in the past and those who will do so in the future. They also mean the states of the human race as regards love and faith.
ppp22241#pid#1606. Verse `Genesis 13bbbccc15` For all the land which you see I will give to you, and to your seed even for ever.
'For all the land which you see I will give to you' means the heavenly kingdom which was to be the Lord's. 'And to your seed even for ever' means people who were to have faith in Him.
ppp22240#pid#1607. That 'for all the land which you see I will give to you' means the heavenly kingdom which was to be the Lord's is clear from the meaning of 'land' - the land of Canaan in this context since the words used are 'the land which you see' - as the heavenly kingdom. Indeed the land of Canaan represented the Lord's kingdom in the heavens, which is heaven, and also the Lord's kingdom on earth, which is the Church. This meaning of 'land' has been discussed frequently already. That the kingdom in heaven and on earth was given to the Lord is clear from various places in the Word, as in Isaiah,
A Boy is born, a Son is given to us; and the government will be upon His shoulder, and His name will be called, Wonderful, Counsellor, God, Hero, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace. `Isaiah 9bbb6`.
In Daniel,
I saw in the night visions, and behold with the clouds of the heavens One like the Son of Man was coming, and He came even to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. And to Him was given dominion and glory and kingdom, and all peoples, nations, and languages will serve Him. His dominion is an eternal dominion which will not pass away, and His kingdom one that will not perish. `Daniel 7bbb13-14`.
The Lord Himself also says the same: in Matthew,
All things have been delivered to Me by My Father. `Matthew 11bbb27`; `Luke 10bbb22`.
Elsewhere in Matthew,
[All] power in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. `Matthew 28bbb18`.
In John,
You have given to the Son power over all flesh in order that all You have given Him, to them He may give eternal life. `John 17bbb2-3`.
And 'sitting on the right hand' has the same meaning, as in Luke,
From now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God. `Luke 22bbb69`.
ttt[2] As regards all power in heaven and on earth being given to the Son of Man, it should be recognized that the Lord already had power over all things in heaven and on earth before He came into the world, for He was God from eternity and He was Jehovah, as He Himself plainly declares in John,
Now, Father, glorify Me in Your Own Self with the glory I had with You before the world was. `John 17bbb5`.
And in the same gospel,
Truly, Truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.`fff1` `John 8bbb58`.
In fact He was Jehovah and God to the Most Ancient Church which existed before the Flood, and was seen by them. He was also Jehovah and God to the Ancient Church which existed after the Flood; and He was the One whom all the religious observances of the Jewish Church represented, and the One they worshipped. The reason the Lord says that all power in heaven and on earth has been given to Him, as though it had not been His till then, is that 'the Son of Man' is used to mean His Human Essence which became Jehovah as well after it had been united to His Divine Essence. Power was given to Him at that point, which would not have been possible until He was glorified, that is, until His Human Essence as well, through union with the Divine Essence, had life in Itself and likewise became Divine and Jehovah, as He Himself declares in John,
As the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself. `John 5bbb26`.
ttt[3] It is His Human Essence or External Man that is named 'the Son of Man' in the passage quoted from Daniel, and 'a Boy born, a Son given to us' in the passage quoted from Isaiah. The fact that the heavenly kingdom would be given to Him, and all power in heaven and on earth, was shown and promised to Him then, and is the meaning of the statement 'all the land which you see I will give to you, and to your seed after you for ever'. This was before His Human Essence had been united to His Divine Essence, a union which took place when He had overcome the devil and hell, that is to say, when by His own strength and powers He had cast out all evil, which alone causes the severance.
`nnn1. The Latin means I was, but the Greek means I am, which Swedenborg has in other places where he quotes this verse.
ppp22239#pid#1608. 'And to your seed even for ever' means people who were to have faith in Him. This is clear from the meaning of 'seed' as faith, and indeed faith that is the expression of charity, dealt with already in `@@@255`, `@@@256`, `@@@1025`. That it was to His 'seed', that is, to those who have faith in Him, that the heavenly kingdom would be given, is quite clear from the Lord's own words in John,
The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not believe in the Son will not see life. `John 3bbb35-36`.
ttt[2] And in the same gospel,
As many as received Him, to them He gave power to be sons of God, to those believing in His name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man. `John 1bbb12-13`.
From these places it is clear what faith, or believing in Him, is, that is to say, that it resides with those who receive Him and believe in Him, and who are born 'not of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man'. 'The will of the flesh' is that which-is contrary to love and charity, for that is what 'flesh'' means, `@@@999`; and 'the will of man (vir)' is that which is contrary to faith stemming from love or charity, for this is what 'man' means. Indeed the will of the flesh and the will of man are such as cause division, whereas love and the faith that comes from it are such as serve to join. People therefore with whom love and the faith that comes from it reside are those who are 'born of God'. And because they are born of God they are called 'the sons of God' and are His 'seed' to whom the heavenly kingdom is given, which is the meaning in this verse of the statement, 'All the land which you see I will give to you, and to your seed even for ever'.
ttt[3] The fact that the heavenly kingdom cannot be given to people whose faith is devoid of charity, that is, who say they have faith but hate their neighbour, may become clear to anyone provided he is willing to reflect on the matter. For there can be no life to such faith when hatred, that is, hell, constitutes the life, for hell consists solely of forms of hatred, not of those forms of it which a person receives through heredity but of the forms of the hatred which he has acquired to himself through his own actions in life.
ppp22238#pid#1609. Verse `Genesis 13bbbccc16` And I will make your seed as the dust of the earth, so that if anyone can number the dust of the earth, so also will your seed be numbered.
'I will make your seed as the dust of the earth' means being multiplied beyond measure. 'That if anyone can number the dust of the earth, so also will your seed be numbered' means an absolute assurance.
ppp22237#pid#1610. That 'I will make your seed as the dust of the earth' means being multiplied beyond measure is clear without explanation. Here it is said that his seed would be made as 'the dust of the earth', in other parts of the Word as 'the dust of the sea', and in yet other parts as 'the stars of heaven'. Each of these phrases has its own particular meaning. 'Dust of the earth' has regard to those things that are celestial, for, as shown already, 'the earth' means the celestial aspect of love; 'dust of the sea' has regard to those things that are spiritual, for 'the sea', as has also been shown, means the spiritual aspect of love; while 'as the stars of heaven' means both but in a higher degree. And because these things cannot be numbered they therefore became common expressions to describe growth and multiplication beyond measure.
ttt[2] The statement that his seed, that is, the faith that is the expression of love, or simply love, was to be multiplied beyond measure means in the highest sense the Lord, and in particular His Human Essence, for the Lord as regards the Human Essence is called 'the seed of the woman', dealt with in `@@@256`. When the Lord's Human Essence is meant, the infinite celestial and spiritual is understood by the words 'multiplied beyond measure'; but when faith that is the expression of charity, or simply charity, among the human race is meant by 'the seed', the multiplication without measure of that seed in everyone who leads a charitable life is understood. Such multiplication takes place in the next life with everyone who leads a charitable life. With him the multiplication of charity and of the faith deriving from it, together with their associated happiness, is so great that one can only describe it as being beyond measure and defying description. When the human race is meant by 'the seed', the multiplication of this in the Lord's kingdom is also beyond measure - not only from those who are inside the Church, and their children, but also from those who are outside the Church, and their children. Consequently the Lord's kingdom or heaven is boundless. That boundlessness will in the Lord's Divine mercy be spoken of elsewhere.
ppp22236#pid#1611. Verse `Genesis 13bbbccc17` Arise, walk through the land, the length of it and the breadth of it, for to you will I give it.
'Arise, walk through the land' means in order that He might survey the heavenly kingdom. 'The length of it and the breadth of it' means the celestial dimension and the spiritual dimension of it. 'For to you will I give it' means that it was His.
ppp22235#pid#1612. That 'arise, walk through the land' means in order that He might survey the heavenly kingdom is clear from the meaning of 'land' as the heavenly kingdom, dealt with frequently already. In the sense of the letter 'arising and walking through the land' is discovering and seeing the nature of it, and therefore in the internal sense, in which 'the land' or the land of Canaan means the kingdom of God in the heavens, which is heaven, and the kingdom of God on earth, which is the Church, surveying and also perceiving is meant.
ppp22234#pid#1613. 'The length of it and the breadth of it' means the celestial dimension and the spiritual dimension, or what amounts to the same, good and truth. 'length' means good and 'breadth' truth; see what has been stated already in `@@@650`. The reason is that 'land' means the heavenly kingdom, or Church, to which length and breadth are not attributable, only those things that match them and correspond to them, that is to say, goods and truths. The celestial dimension, or good, being primary, is compared to length, while the spiritual dimension, or truth, being secondary, is compared to breadth.
ttt[2] That 'breadth' is truth is quite clear from the Prophetical part of the Word, as in Habakkuk,
I am rousing the Chaldeans, a bitter and hasty nation, marching' into the breadths of the earth. `Habakkuk 1bbb6`.
'Chaldeans' stands for people under the influence of falsity, 'marching`fff1` into the breadths of the earth' for the destruction of truths, for these words are used in reference to the Chaldeans. In David,
O Jehovah, You have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy. You have made my feet stand in a broad place. `Psalms 31bbb8`.
'Standing in a broad place' stands for abiding in the truth. In the same author,
Out of my distress I called on Jah; He answered me in a broad place. `Psalms 118bbb5`.
'Answering in a broad place' stands for answering with the truth. In Hosea,
Jehovah will pasture them like a lamb in a broad place. `Hosea 4bbb16`.
'Pasturing in a broad place' stands for teaching the truth.
ttt[3] In Isaiah,
Asshur will go through Judah, it will deluge it and pass through and will reach even to the neck; and the outstretching of its wings will fill the breadth of the land. `Isaiah 8bbb8`.
'Asshur' stands for reasoning which would 'deluge the land', or the Church; 'wings' stands for reasonings from which falsities result; 'filling the breadth of the land' stands for its being full of falsities, or things contrary to the truth. Because the length of the land meant good and its breadth truth it is said that the New Jerusalem when measured lies four-square, its length being the same as its breadth, `Revelation 21bbb16`. From this anyone may see that length and breadth have no other meaning, since the New Jerusalem is nothing else than the Lord's kingdom in heaven and on earth. Because of the meaning things have in the internal sense it became commonplace in former times to refer to celestial and spiritual things by means of things on earth, such as length and breadth, just as height and depth are used nowadays in everyday speech when people are referring to wisdom.
`nnn1. literally, walking
ppp22233#pid#1614. 'For to you will I give it' means that it was His. This is clear without explanation. That 'the land', or heavenly kingdom, is the Lord's alone is clear from what has been shown many times, namely that there is no other Lord of heaven. And being the Lord of heaven He is also the Lord of the Church. This is also clear from the fact that everything celestial and spiritual, or good and true, comes from the Lord alone. The Lord is therefore the All in all of His heaven, insomuch indeed that anyone who has no discernment of good and truth from the Lord is no longer in heaven. This sphere is the sphere that reigns throughout the whole of heaven. It is also the very soul of heaven, and is the life that flows into all who are governed by good.
ppp22232#pid#1615. Verse `Genesis 13bbbccc18` And Abram moved his tent, and came and dwelt in the oak-groves of Mamre which are in Hebron, and there he built an altar to Jehovah.
'Abram moved his tent, and came and dwelt in the oak-groves of Mamre which are in Hebron' means that the Lord arrived at a perception more interior still. This is the sixth state. 'And there he built an altar to Jehovah' means worship as the outcome of that state.
ppp22231#pid#1616. That 'Abram moved his tent, and came and dwelt in the oak groves of Mamre which are in Hebron' means that the Lord arrived at a perception more interior still is clear from the meaning of 'moving one's tent', that is, moving it and pitching it once again, as the process of being joined together; for 'a tent' is the holiness of worship, as shown already in `@@@414`, `@@@1452`, by which the external man is joined to the internal. It is also clear from the meaning of 'an oak-grove' as perception, dealt with already in `@@@1442`, `@@@1443`, where the phrase that occurred was 'the oak-grove of Moreh', meaning a first perception, whereas here the plural 'the oak-groves of Mamre' is used, which means a fuller, that is, more interior perception. This perception is called 'the oak-groves of Mamre which are in Hebron'. Mamre is also mentioned elsewhere in the Word, as in `Genesis 14bbb13`; `Genesis ccc18bbb1`; `Genesis ccc23bbb17-19`; `Genesis ccc35bbb27`; and Hebron too, in `Genesis 35bbb27`; `Genesis ccc37bbb14`; `Joshua 10bbb36`, `Joshua 10bbbccc39`; `Joshua ccc14bbb13-15`; `Joshua ccc15bbb13`, `Joshua 15bbbccc54`; `Joshua ccc20bbb7`; `Joshua ccc21bbb11`, `Joshua 21bbbccc13`; `Judges 1bbb10`, `Judges 1bbbccc20`; and elsewhere. But what Mamre and Hebron mean where they are so mentioned will in the Lord's Divine mercy be seen when these other parts of the Word are explained.
ttt[2] The implications of 'the oak-groves of Mamre which are in Hebron' meaning perception more interior still are as follows: To the extent that those things belonging to the external man are joined to celestial things belonging to the internal man perception grows and becomes more interior. Conjunction with celestial things confers perception, for within the celestial things that belong to love to Jehovah dwells the life itself of the internal man, or what amounts to the same, within celestial things which belong to love, that is, within celestial love, Jehovah is present. This presence is not perceived in the external man however until the conjunction has taken place. All perception is the result of conjunction.
ttt[3] From the internal sense here it is clear what the situation was in the Lord's case: His External Man, or Human Essence, was joined step by step to the Divine Essence as cognitions multiplied and became fruitful. No one can ever, insofar as he is human, be joined to Jehovah, or the Lord, except by means of cognitions, for it is by means of cognitions that a person is made human. This applied to the Lord too since He was born as any other is born, and received instruction as any other does. Yet in the cognitions He had as receptacles celestial things were being instilled continually, with the result that His cognitions were constantly being made into the recipient vessels of celestial things; and these vessels also were themselves made celestial.
ttt[4] Constantly the Lord advanced in this manner towards the celestial things of infancy, for, as stated already, the celestial things which belong to love are being instilled in a person from earliest infancy to childhood and on into adolescence as well. Since he is a human being, at that time and later on he is endowed with knowledge and cognitions. If a person is such that he can be regenerated, that knowledge and those cognitions are filled with celestial things that belong to love and charity, and are accordingly implanted within the celestial things he was endowed with from infancy through to childhood and adolescence, and in this way his external man is joined to his internal. First of all they are implanted in the celestial things he was endowed with in adolescence, then in those he was endowed with in childhood, and finally in those he was endowed with in infancy. At that point he is 'the little child' regarding whom the Lord said 'of such is the kingdom of God'. This implanting is done by the Lord alone, and therefore nothing celestial with man either does or can exist with man that does not come from, and belong to, the Lord.
ttt[5] The Lord however from His own power joined His External Man to His Internal Man and filled His cognitions with celestial things, and He implanted them in celestial things, doing so according to Divine Order. First of all He implanted them in the celestial things of childhood, then in the celestial things of the age of childhood and back to infancy, and finally in the celestial things of His infancy. In this way He at the same time became as regards the Human Essence Innocence itself and Love itself, from which derive all innocence and all love in heaven and on earth. Such Innocence is true Infancy because it is simultaneously Wisdom. But the innocence of infancy is of no use at all unless by means of cognitions it becomes the innocence of wisdom, and this is why little children in the next life are endowed with cognitions. As the Lord implanted cognitions in celestial things, so He had perception, for, as stated, all perception is the result of conjunction. He had His first perception when He implanted the facts acquired in childhood, a perception meant by 'the oak-grove of Moreh'; and He had His second, which is the subject here, and which is more interior, when He implanted cognitions, a perception meant by 'the oak-groves of Mamre which are in Hebron'.
ppp22230#pid#1617. That this is the sixth state is clear from what was said in the previous chapter.
ppp22229#pid#1618. 'And there he built an altar to Jehovah' means worship as the outcome of that state. This is clear from the meaning of 'an altar' as the representative of all worship in general, dealt with already in `@@@921`. Worship in the internal sense means all conjunction by means of love and charity. A person is worshipping all the time if love and charity abide in him, external worship being only the outward expression of it. Such is the worship of angels, and therefore with them the sabbath never comes to an end; and this in turn explains why in the internal sense 'the sabbath' means the Lord's kingdom. While a person is in the world however he ought certainly to participate in external worship as well; for it is by external worship that internal things are aroused, and by means of external worship external things are kept holy so as to enable internal to flow in. Furthermore a person is endowed with cognitions by this means, and is made ready to receive celestial things, and also has states of holiness conferred on him, though he is not conscious of this. These states of holiness are preserved by the Lord for his use in eternal life; in fact all the states of his life reappear in the next life.
ppp22228#pid#1619. THE LIGHT IN WHICH ANGELS ARE LIVING - continued; ALSO THEIR PARADISE GARDENS, AND THEIR DWELLING - PLACES
When a person's interior sight - the sight of his spirit - is opened, he then sees things in the next life, things that can never be manifested before his bodily eyes. The visions that the prophets had were nothing else. As has been stated, representatives of the Lord and of His kingdom, as well as meaningful signs, are to be seen constantly, so much so that nothing ever comes before the eyes of angels that is not a representative or a meaningful sign. This is the origin of representatives and of meaningful signs in the Word, for the Word derives from the Lord through heaven.
ppp22227#pid#1620. The things that manifest themselves visibly in the world of spirits and in heaven are too numerous to recount. Since the subject here is the light, let an account be given of the things that are the direct product of the light, such as the skies, paradise gardens, rainbows, palaces, and dwelling-places. These to the eyes of spirits and angels are there so bright and vivid, and at the same time appreciated with each of the senses, that they say those objects are real while those in the world are in comparison not real.
ppp22226#pid#1621. As regards the skies which surround the blessed, which are attributable to the light because they are the product of that light, they are countless; and such is their beauty and loveliness that they defy description. There are adamantine skies which glitter in every smallest part, as if made of tiny spherical diamonds. There are skies that resemble the sparkling of every precious stone. There are skies that look like great pearls with light streaming through their centres and shot through with the brightest colours. There are skies aflame as if made of gold or of silver, even of diamond-like gold and silver. There are skies consisting of flowers varying in colour, but too small to be seen individually. Such, in their countless varieties, fill the heaven of little children. Indeed skies also manifest themselves there which seem to contain the shapes of little children at play, but too small to be seen individually and perceptible solely in the inner recesses of the mind. From these shapes little children gain the idea that everything around them is alive and shares in the Lord's life. This idea gives them a feeling of happiness in their inmost being. There are many more kinds of skies, for their varieties are countless and beyond description.
ppp22225#pid#1622. As regards the paradise gardens, these are breath-taking. Such gardens are to be seen, of vast extent, consisting of trees of every kind, and so beautiful and lovely as to surpass everything imaginable. These are presented so vividly before the eyes of spirits or angels that they not merely see them but even perceive the details far more vividly than the sight of the eye can take such things in on earth. To prevent my having any doubt about it, I too have been taken there. It is in front and a little higher - near the corner of the right eye. This is where those are who live the life of paradise; and there I saw them. Every single thing growing there appears at its loveliest as in spring and blossom-time, with astounding magnificence and variety. Every single one owes its life to being representative, for there is nothing that is not a representation and does not carry some celestial or spiritual meaning. In this way they not only delight the eye but also fill the mind with happiness.
ttt[2] There were certain souls recently arrived from the world who, on account of the assumptions they had adopted during their lifetime, doubted whether things of this sort could possibly be found in the next life where there is no wood or stone. They were brought up to that place, and from there they talked to me. In their amazement they said that it was beyond description, that they could never think of any way of representing how far beyond description it was, and that forms of joy and happiness shone from every detail - and this in ever-changing variety. Souls who are introduced into heaven normally make first of all for the paradise gardens. The angels however look at those gardens quite differently. It is not the gardens that delight them but what they represent, the celestial and spiritual things which give rise to them. These also account for the paradise gardens which the Most Ancient Church had.
ppp22224#pid#1623. As regards rainbows, there is a kind of rainbow heaven where the whole sky seems to be made up of a succession of tiny rainbows. In that region are those who belong to the province of the inner eye. They are on the right, in front, and a little way up. The entire sky or air there consists of such sparkling forms, with rays emanating so to speak from separate sources. Around runs a very beautiful large-scale rainbow, composed of similar smaller rainbows, each of which is a very beautiful likeness of the larger one. Each colour consists of countless rays, so that myriads make up one perceptible and general whole. This is a kind of modification of the sources of light by the celestial and spiritual things which produce them, and at the same time present before the eyes an idea that is representative of themselves. The differences and the variations in rainbows are countless, some of which I have been allowed to witness. To convey some idea of the ways in which they differ, and to make it clear how one visible band consists of countless rays, let just one or two of them be described.
ppp22223#pid#1624. The form of one of the large rainbows was shown to me, so that from it I could get to know what their smallest forms were like. It was a pure white light with a kind of border, in the middle of which was a dark object as if made of earth. This was surrounded by an extremely luminous halo, itself variegated and divided up by another luminescence that had yellow dots like tiny stars. Additional variegations were produced by flowers of different colours entering the luminous area. The colours of these flowers emanated not from a white light but from a flame-like one. All of these appearances were representative of celestial and spiritual things. All the colours that are seen in the next life represent that which is celestial or spiritual. The colours emanating from the flame-like light represent things that belong to love and the affection for good, whereas colours emanating from the white light represent those that belong to faith and the affection for truth. These are the sources of all colours in the next life, and they are therefore so resplendent that the colours of this world cannot compare with them. Colours also exist there which are never seen in this world.
ppp22222#pid#1625. I also saw a rainbow shape which had a green area, the colour of grass, in its centre; and I was aware of a kind of sun to one side, and so out of sight, which illuminated it with a flood of light so white as to defy description. It was edged with most attractive variations of colour on a surface of shining pearl. These and other things demonstrated the forms that rainbows take in their tiniest parts, and that countless variations exist, which are determined by the charity, and faith deriving from this, of the person to whom the representation appears. He also resembles a rainbow to those who can see him in all his beauty and glory.
ppp22221#pid#1626. In addition to the gardens, cities too are to be seen with magnificent palaces, built in terraces, resplendent in colours, and far superior to anything architects can design. It is not surprising therefore that the like were also seen by the prophets when their interior sight had been opened, seen indeed so plainly that nothing in the world is ever plainer, such as the New Jerusalem seen by John, which he also describes in the following words,
He carried me away in the spirit on to a great and high mountain and showed me the great city, the Holy Jerusalem, having a wall great and high, having twelve gates. The structure of its wall was jasper, and the city was pure gold like clear`fff1` glass. The foundations of the wall were furnished with every precious stone, the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. `Revelation 21bbb10`, `Revelation 21bbbccc12`, `Revelation 21bbbccc18-20`.
Similar scenes were witnessed by the prophets as well. Countless things such as these are seen in broad daylight by angels and angelic spirits, and what is astonishing, they are perceived by each of the senses. This no one is ever able to believe who has done away with spiritual ideas by means of the terms and definitions employed in human philosophy and by means of reasonings; yet they are utterly true. That they are true could have been grasped from the fact that they have been seen so often by saints.
`nnn1. The Latin means golden, but the Greek means pure or clear, which Swedenborg has in other places where he quotes this verse.
ppp22220#pid#1627. In addition to the cities and palaces, I have also on occasions been allowed to see the decorative work there, such as that of stairways and of doors. These decorations are full of movement, as though they were living, and constantly change to reveal new beauty and symmetry. I have been told that such variations can continue in this fashion, even for ever, with a harmony for ever new, and with the very succession of variations forming a harmony as well. I was also told that these were merely some of the least significant things.
ppp22219#pid#1628. All angels have their own dwellings in the places where they are, and these are magnificent. I have been to those places; I have seen them frequently, and have been astonished; and I have talked to those there. They stand out so clearly and distinctly that nothing can be more clear and distinct. Dwellings on earth scarcely stand any comparison with them whatever. The angels go so far as to declare that dwelling places on earth are dead and unreal, whereas their own are alive and true because they come from the Lord. Their architecture is such as to be the source of the art of architecture; and it is endlessly varied. They have said that if they were offered all the palaces existing in the whole world they would not exchange them for their own. So far as they are concerned, what is made of stone, clay, or wood is dead, whereas what derives from the Lord, and from life itself and light itself, is alive - the more so since they experience them with all of their senses. For what exists there is utterly appropriate to the senses of spirits and angels, while what is illuminated by the physical sun they cannot see at all with their own sight. Things made of stone and wood however are appropriate to the senses men possess while they live in the physical body. Spiritual things go with spiritual, and physical with physical.
ppp22218#pid#1629. The dwellings of good spirits and of angelic spirits usually have porticoes or vaulted, sometimes double-vaulted, galleries where they can stroll. The walls of these porticoes are variously constructed. They are also decorated with flowers and with marvelously woven garlands of flowers, besides many other decorations which, as has been stated, change and replace one another. Sometimes they see them in brighter light, sometimes in dimmer, but always with interior delight. The places also where they reside change into more beautiful ones as spirits grow in perfection. When they are changing, something like a window appears on the side. This is then enlarged and greater obscurity develops inside, and one sees something of the sky so to speak with stars, and a kind of cloud. This is a sign that their dwelling-places are changing into more pleasant ones.
ppp22217#pid#1630. Spirits are highly indignant that men have no conception of the life of spirits and angels, or that men imagine that they dwell in a state of obscurity, which must be very miserable, and that they are so to speak in an empty void, when in fact they live in the strongest light, can enjoy all good things with every one of their senses, so much so that they are able to perceive them most intimately. There were also certain souls recently arrived from the world who, on account of the assumptions they had adopted there, had brought with them the idea that such things did not exist in the next life. They were therefore taken into angels' homes, where they talked to them and saw those things. When they resumed they said they perceived that it was true and that such things were indeed a reality, and that they never had nor could have believed it during their lifetime. They also said that these things belonged inevitably among the wonderful things people do not believe because they do not have any conception of them. As however this is an experience of the senses, although of the interior senses, they are told this, that they still ought not to doubt the reality of things merely because they do not have any conception of them. Indeed, they are told, if they believed nothing except that of which they have some conception, they would believe nothing concerning things of an interior nature, still less those of eternal life. Here lies the reason for the insanity of our own times.
ppp22216#pid#1631. On entering the next life people who have been rich during their lifetime and have dwelt in magnificent palaces, fixing their heaven in such things, and who, devoid of conscience or charity, have under various pretexts robbed others of their goods, are first led, as stated already, into the selfsame life that was theirs in the world. And sometimes they are allowed to dwell in palaces, just as they had done in the world. For all initially are received in the next life as guests and newcomers; and so that their interiors and aims in life may not yet be disclosed, angels from the Lord are sent to give them pleasure and treat them kindly. The scene however changes - the palaces slowly fade away and become small houses, becoming successively poorer until at length they cease to exist. At that point they go around like people begging for alms, and asking to be taken in. But being what they are, they are rejected from the communities. At length they become as excrement, and give off a stink like that of bad teeth.
ppp22215#pid#1632. I have spoken to angels about representatives, suggesting that the vegetable kingdom on earth included nothing that was not in some way representative of the Lord's kingdom. They replied that everything beautiful and glorious in the vegetable kingdom has its origin in the Lord by way of heaven; and that when celestial and spiritual influences from the Lord enter nature, such things are really created, and that this is the origin of the vegetative soul or life. Consequently they are representative. Since this is not known in the world they called it a heavenly arcanum.
ppp22214#pid#1633. I have also been fully informed about the nature of influx into the lives of animals - lives which, following death, all cease to exist. This subject will in the Lord's Divine mercy be taken up later on.
ppp22213#pid#1634. CHAPTER 14
THE SPEECH OF SPIRITS AND ANGELS
It is well known from the Word of the Lord that many in former times spoke to spirits and angels, and that those people heard and saw many things that exist in the next life; but that after those times heaven was so to speak closed, so completely that at the present day there is scarcely any belief in the existence of spirits and angels, let alone in anyone being able to talk to them. For people today suppose that to talk to those who cannot be seen, and to those whose existence they deny in their hearts, is an impossibility. But since in the Lord's Divine mercy I have been allowed for some years now almost constantly to hold conversations with them and to enjoy their fellowship as one among them, let me now relate what I have been given to know about their speech with one another.
ppp22212#pid#1635. When spirits have spoken to me I have heard and perceived their speech as clearly as that used by man speaking to man. Indeed when I have talked to spirits while I have been in the company of men, I have observed that just as the men's speech was audible to me so also was that of the spirits, so audible that sometimes the spirits were amazed that their speaking to me was not heard by others; for as far as hearing was concerned no difference at all existed between the speech of the spirits and that of the men. Yet because influx into the internal organs of hearing is not of the same kind as the influx of spoken words among men, those spirits could not be heard by anybody other than myself whose internal organs in the Lord's Divine mercy have been opened. Human speech is brought in through the ear by an external route, by means of the air, whereas the speech of spirits does not come in through the ear nor by means of the air but by an internal route, into the same organs of the head or brain. The hearing is consequently the same.
ppp22211#pid#1636. How difficult it is for people to be brought to believe that spirits and angels exist, let alone that anyone can speak to them, was made clear to me by the following example: There were certain spirits who during their lifetime had belonged among the more learned and whom I had known at the time (for I have spoken to almost all the people with whom I was acquainted during their lifetime, to some for several weeks, to others for a year, just as if they were still living in the body). They were at one point brought into a state of thought similar to that which had been theirs when they lived in the world, a step that is easily taken in the next life. While they were in this state the question was subtly raised in their minds whether they believed it possible for anyone on earth to talk to spirits. They said, while in this state, that it was a delusion to believe any such thing; and this they asserted most persistently. From this I was led to realize how difficult it is for anyone to be brought to believe that any speaking to spirits is possible to man, the reason being that men do not believe in the existence of spirits, still less that after death they themselves will come among spirits. These particular spirits were utterly amazed at this; and yet they belonged among the more learned who have spoken a lot in public about the next life and about heaven and angels, from which one might have been led to think that they knew about it fully as a fact, especially from the Word where such speaking to spirits is mentioned frequently.
ppp22210#pid#1637. Among the marvels that occur in the next life is the fact that spirits speak to man in his own mother tongue. They speak it with the fluency and skill of one born in the same country and brought up using the same tongue. This is so whether they come from Europe, or from Asia, or from some other part of the world, including those who lived thousands of years before that tongue had come into being. Indeed when speaking to man the spirits know no other than that the language they are using is their own and that of their own country. The same is also the case with the foreign languages which a person has learned. But beyond these, spirits are not able to utter one sound of another language unless they are directly enabled to do so by the Lord. Even little children who have died before learning to talk in any language speak in the same way.
ttt[2] The reason for this is that the language with which spirits are familiar is not a language composed of words but a language composed of ideas comprising thought. This language is the universal of all languages; and when spirits are present with someone on earth the ideas comprising their thought fall into words which belong to that person's vocabulary. This takes place in such a corresponding and fitting manner that the spirits know no other than that those words are their own and that they are speaking in their own language, when in fact they are speaking in the person's language. I have spoken on several occasions to spirits about these matters. All souls, the moment they enter the next life, receive this gift of being able to understand what all people in any part of the world are saying, just as if they had been born among those people, for they perceive whatever a person is thinking. In addition to this they receive other abilities which are more perfect still. This explains why after death of the body souls are able to talk to and mix with all people, no matter what region these came from or what language they spoke.
ppp22209#pid#1638. The words used by spirits when they speak, that is, those which they call up or draw out from a person's memory and imagine to be their own, are well chosen and clear, full of meaning, clearly pronounced, and applicable to the subject. And what is amazing, they know how to choose their words better and more immediately than the person himself does. Indeed, as has been shown, they are acquainted with the various meanings which the words carry and which they apply in an instant and without any forethought, the reason being, as has been stated, that the ideas of which their language is composed flow into no other words than those that are appropriate. It is very much as when a person is speaking, yet gives no thought to the words that he is using but is intent solely on the meaning which they express. His thought falls, in accordance with the meaning, immediately and spontaneously into words. It is the meaning lying within which produces the words that are used; and it is in a similar, yet finer and more perfect, inward meaning that the speech of spirits consists. It is through this inward meaning that man, though he is not aware of it, communicates with spirits
ppp22208#pid#1639. Speech composed of words, as has been stated, is the speech that belongs properly to man, and indeed to his bodily memory, whereas speech composed of ideas comprising thought is the speech that belongs to spirits, and indeed to the interior memory, which is the memory possessed by the spirit. Men are not aware of having this interior memory because the memory of particulars, that is, of material things, which is of a bodily nature, is everything and obscures the interior memory. Yet without the interior memory, which belongs properly to his spirit, man is unable to think at all. I have spoken to spirits quite often by means of that memory, and so in their own language, that is, through the ideas that are part of thought. How universal and abundant that language is becomes clear from the fact that every word holds within itself an idea that is wide-ranging; for it is well known that a single idea which a word possesses may be set forth by the use of many words. This is even more true of an idea belonging to one particular subject, and truer still of an idea belonging to many such subjects, which may be drawn together into one composite idea which nevertheless seems to be a simple whole. These considerations show what the speech is like which comes naturally to spirits when with one another and by means of which man is joined to spirits.
ppp22207#pid#1640. I have been allowed not only to perceive clearly the things which spirits have said to me but also to perceive where these were at the time of speaking - whether they were overhead, or down below, to the right or to the left, near to the ear or somewhere else, close to or inside the body, and how near or far away they were. For they have spoken to me from the various places or positions in which they were, according to their position in the Grand Man, that is, according to their state.
ttt[2] I have also been allowed to perceive when they were coming and when they were going away; in which direction they were going and how far; whether they were many or few; and other things besides these. I have at the same time perceived from their speech what kind of spirits they were, for from their speech, as likewise from the sphere emanating from them, it is quite evident what their character and disposition is, and what their real beliefs and affections are. For example, if they are deceivers, even though at the time they are expressing no deceit, the general and specific nature of their deceitfulness is nevertheless perceptible from their every word and idea. It is the same with all other forms of wickedness and evil desires, so much so that there is no need to scrutinize them closely, for the image of every spirit exists in his every word and idea.
ttt[3] One is also able to perceive whether an idea belonging to their speech is closed or open, and to perceive as well what derives from themselves, what comes from others, and what springs from the Lord. It is very much like the expressions on the human face, for from a person's face, without his saying anything, one usually tells whether there is pretence, or deceitfulness, or gladness, or natural or else forced cheerfulness, or real friendliness, or bashfulness, or even insanity. Sometimes these things are also apparent from the person's tone of voice. Why then should the same not be so in the next life where perception is far superior to any discernment such as this? Indeed even before a spirit speaks one knows from his thought alone what he intends to say, since thought flows in more swiftly and sooner than speech does.
ppp22206#pid#1641. Spirits in the next life discuss things with one another just as people do on earth. Those who are good do so with all the close intimacy of friendship and love, as I have heard them do many times. They discuss these things in their own manner of speech, in which they express more in a minute than man can in an hour; for as has been stated, their speech is the universal of all languages - a speaking by means of ideas, the first origins of actual words. Their discussion of subjects is so incisive and penetrating, employing so many lines of reasoning which follow in order one after another and which are absolutely convincing, that man would be dumbfounded if he knew of it. They weave persuasion and affection into their discussion and in this way make it live.
ttt[2] Sometimes in their discussions they also employ visual, and thus living representations. Their discussion, for example, may be about shame, and whether shame is possible without reverential awe. Among men this cannot be discussed except through many reasonings based on proofs and examples; and even then it remains in doubt. But with spirits the matter is resolved within a minute by considering the states of the feeling of shame, varied in their sequence, and also the states of reverential awe, and in this way perceiving the agreements and the disagreements, while at the same time seeing these in the representatives woven into the discussion, from which in an instant they perceive the conclusion thus flowing of itself from differences of opinion that are reconciled in this fashion. All other questions are resolved in a similar way. Souls enter into this ability immediately after death, at which time good spirits love nothing more than teaching newcomers and the uninformed.
ttt[3] Spirits themselves do not realize that they speak to one another in so superior a kind of speaking, and that they are furnished with so excellent a gift, unless they are led by the Lord to reflect on the matter, for that speech comes to them naturally and is now instinctive. The situation is like that of a person whose mind is intent on the meaning of things and not on the words he uses and the way he speaks, in that unless he sometimes stops to reflect he is not aware of what kind of speech he is using.
ppp22205#pid#1642. Such then is the speech used by spirits; but the speech of angelic spirits is more universal and perfect still, while that of angels is even more universal and perfect than that; for, as stated already, there are three heavens, the first where good spirits are, the second where angelic spirits are, and the third where angels are. The degrees of perfection rise one above another in this way, as things that are more exterior do in relation to more interior, almost - to use a comparison that will enable this point to be seen - as hearing stands in relation to sight, and sight to thought. For that which hearing is able to take in through an hour of speech may be presented to the sight within a minute, such as for example, views of plains, palaces, and cities. And what may be beheld by the eye over many hours may be comprehended by thought within a minute. Such is the measure of difference between the speech of spirits and that of angelic spirits, and between the latter's speech and that of angels. For angelic spirits acquire a clearer understanding from one single idea comprising speech or thought than spirits do by means of several thousand; and the understanding of angels is similarly greater compared to that of angelic spirits. How must it be then with the Lord, who is the source of all the life of affection, thought, and speech, and who alone is Speech and the Word?
ppp22204#pid#1643. The speech of angelic spirits is beyond comprehension, so that the reference to it here is brief, and only to that form of it which is representative. The thing itself which they are discussing is manifested representatively in a wonderful form that takes shape independent of sensory objects, and is varied in countless ways by means of most delightful and beautiful representatives, accompanied by a constant influx of affections from the happy stream of mutual love flowing from the Lord by way of the higher heaven, from which influx every single thing so to speak is made living. Every thing they discuss is manifested in this manner, and by means of continuous series of representatives. Not one in any series can possibly be described intelligibly. These are the things that flow into the spirits' ideas, but to them are not apparent except as something general flowing in and affecting them. They do not have any clear perception of the things which are clearly perceived by angelic spirits.
ppp22203#pid#1644. There are very many evil spirits of an interior kind who do not speak as other spirits do; but they are well acquainted with the first origins from which ideas derive, and so are more subtle than other spirits. Great numbers of such spirits exist, but these have been entirely segregated from angelic spirits and cannot even go near them. These evil spirits who are more subtle also attach their own ideas to outward objects and inner realities in an abstract way, to those however that are filthy; and within those objects and realities they represent to themselves various but filthy things and enfold their own ideas within such things. They are so to speak fools. Their speech has been made known to me and has also been represented as the filthy dregs from a vessel. And that element of their speech which involved the understanding was represented by the hind-quarters of a horse whose fore-parts did not appear, for what belongs to the understanding is represented in the world of spirits by means of horses. The speech of angelic spirits however was represented by means of a virgin who was dressed beautifully in a robe of white neatly gathered at the breast, and who was graceful in the movements of her body.
ppp22202#pid#1645. But angels' speech is beyond description. Being superior to the speech of angelic spirits it is far superior to the speech of spirits, and cannot in any way be understood by man as long as he lives in the body. Spirits in the world of spirits are unable to form any idea of it since it is above that which they are able to perceive in their thought. Angels' speech does not consist of things represented by means of any ideas like those which spirits and angelic spirits have, but consists of ends in view and of uses flowing from these, which are the first beginnings and the essentials of things. It is into these ends and uses that angelic thoughts are gently introduced, and there they undergo endless variation. And every single part of that speech has within it an interior and happy delight produced by the good of mutual love from the Lord, and that which is beautiful and delightful produced by the truth of faith originating in that good. Ends in view and the uses arising from them are so to speak very delicate recipient vessels, and are delightful and ever-varying spiritual realities existing in celestial and spiritual forms beyond comprehension. In these they are kept by the Lord, for the Lord's kingdom is wholly a kingdom of ends and uses. For this reason also the angels present with a person pay no attention to anything other than his ends and uses, and elicit nothing else from the person's thought. All other things, which belong to mental and material levels, they do not care about since these are far beneath their own sphere.
ppp22201#pid#1646. The speech of angels is sometimes made to appear visually in the world of spirits, and thus before the interior sight, as shimmering light or a brilliant flame; and that which appears varies in accordance with the state of the affections belonging to their speech. It is merely the general features of their speech so far as the states of affection are concerned - features that arise from countless distinct things - that are represented in this way.
ppp22200#pid#1647. The speech of celestial angels is quite distinct and separate from that of spiritual angels, being even more indescribable and beyond words. The things that their thoughts are introduced into are the good and celestial things belonging to ends, and they consequently experience happiness itself. And what is astonishing, their speech is far more abounding since celestial angels are at the very sources and origins of the life of thought and speech.
ppp22199#pid#1648. There is also a form of speech among good spirits and among angelic spirits in which many speak simultaneously, especially in gyres or choirs, which will be described in the Lord's Divine mercy later on I have often heard this speech expressed by those choirs; it has a cadence that sounds rhythmic. They give no thought at all to words or ideas; their feelings flow spontaneously into these. No word or idea enters in which multiplies the meaning, or takes it in another direction, or to which anything artificial is attached, or which has an elegance that is seen by them to originate in self or self-love - all of which things would instantly destroy the spontaneity. These choirs do not fix their minds on any word; their thoughts are on the sense, and their words follow spontaneously from this. They end a passage together in a harmonious and usually simple resolution; and when they end in a complex resolution they move on to the next passage by a change of pitch. These patterns are the product of their thinking and speaking in association, as a consequence of which the form that this speech takes has a cadence that is determined by the manner of association and the unity of the group Songs took this form in the past, and so do the Psalms of David.
ppp22198#pid#1649. What is remarkable, speech with a cadence like the rhythmic or harmonic patterns of songs comes naturally to spirits. They speak to one another in this way, though they are not conscious of doing so. Souls enter into that style of speaking immediately after death. I too have been initiated into the same till at length it has become quite familiar. The reason it is of this nature is that they speak as a community, though for the most part they are not conscious of doing so - a very clear sign that all are distinguished into separate communities and that consequently everything takes on the forms of those communities.
ppp22197#pid#1650. For a continuation on the subject of the speech of spirits and its variations, see the end of this chapter.
ppp22196#pid#1651. `Genesis 14bbb0`
1. And so it was in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim,
2. That these made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, that is, Zoar.
3. All these were gathered together at the valley of Siddim, which is the Salt Sea
4. Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.
5. And in the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer came, and the kings who were with him, and smote the Rephaim in Ashteroth Kamaim, and the Zuzim in Ham, and the Emim in Shaveh Kiriathaim,
6. And the Horites in their Mount Seir as far as El-paran, which is over into the wilderness.
7. And they resumed and came to An-mishpat, that is, to Kadesh, and smote all the territory of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites inhabiting Hazezon-tamar.
8. And the king of Sodom went out, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, that is, Zoar, and they drew up for battle with them in the valley of Siddim -
9. With Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim, and Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar - four kings with five.
10. And the valley of Siddim was pits after pits of bitumen; and the king of Sodom and [the king] of Gomorrah fled, and they fell there; and the rest fled to the mountain.
11. And they took all the wealth of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their food and went their way.
12. And they took Lot and his acquisitions, Abram's brother's son, and went their way; and he was dwelling in Sodom.
13. And one who had escaped came and told it to Abram the Hebrew; and he was dwelling among the oak-groves of Mamre the Amorite, the brother of Eshkol, and the brother of Aner; and these men were Abram's allies.
14. And Abram heard that his brother had been taken captive, and he brought out his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued as far as Dan.
15. And he divided himself against them by night, he and his servants, and smote them, and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is on the left of Damascus.
16. And he brought back all the acquisitions, and also Lot his brother and his acquisitions he brought back, and the women and the people as well.
17. And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after he had resumed from smiting Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's valley.
18. And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; and he was a priest to God Most High.
19. And he blessed him and said, Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth.
20. And blessed be God Most High who has delivered your enemies into your hand; and he gave him a tenth of everything.
21. And the king of Sodom said to Abram, Give me the people and take the acquisitions for yourself.`fff1`
22. And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lifted up my hand to Jehovah God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth.
23. That not a thread, nor even the latchet of a shoe, nor anything that is yours will I take, lest you say, I have made Abram rich.
24. Except for what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who came with me, Aner, Eshkol, and Mamre - these will take their share.
CONTENTS
The subject in this chapter is the conflicts constituting the Lord's temptations, which are represented and meant by the wars described here.
`nnn1. literally, Give me the soul[s], and keep the acquisition[s] for yourself
ppp22195#pid#1652. It was from the goods and truths residing with the External Man (which were goods and truths solely in their outward appearance) that the Lord in childhood fought against evils and falsities. Such apparent goods and truths are meant by the kings mentioned in verse `Genesis 14bbbccc1`, while the evils and falsities against which conflict took place are meant by the kings mentioned in verse `Genesis 14bbbccc2`. These evils and falsities were unclean, verse `Genesis 14bbbccc3`.
ppp22194#pid#1653. That these evils and falsities against which He fought did not reveal themselves any earlier than in childhood, and that they burst forth then, is meant by their serving Chedorlaomer, verse `Genesis 14bbbccc4`.
ppp22193#pid#1654. At that time the Lord successfully waged war and overcame all kinds of false persuasions, which are 'the Rephaim, the Zuzim, the Emim, and the Horites', verses `Genesis 14bbbccc5-6`; then He overcame the falsities and evils themselves, which are 'the Amalekites and the Amorites', verse `Genesis 14bbbccc7`; and after that the other falsities and evils, which are the kings mentioned in verses `Genesis 14bbbccc8-11`.
ppp22192#pid#1655. Apparent truths and goods, which are not in themselves truths and goods, took possession of the External Man, verse `Genesis 14bbbccc12`. The Rational Man, which is 'Abram the Hebrew', on perceiving this, reclaimed it and released it, verses `Genesis 14bbbccc13-16`.
ppp22191#pid#1656. Following those conflicts evil and falsity submitted to Him, verse `Genesis 14bbbccc17`.
ppp22190#pid#1657. The Lord's Internal Man within the Interior Man, or the Divine within the Rational, is Melchizedek, from whom a blessing came when the conflicts were over, verses `Genesis 14bbbccc18-20`. 'Tenths' is the remnants, or states of good and truth acquired from conflicts, verse `Genesis 14bbbccc20`.
ppp22189#pid#1658. Once conquered, the evil and hellish spirits pleaded for life, and did not care about anything else. But the meaning of the details recorded in verses `Genesis 14bbbccc21-24` is that the Lord took nothing from them because evils and falsities did not provide Him with any strength, and that the spirits were placed under the power of good spirits and angels.
ppp22188#pid#1659. THE INTERNAL SENSE
The details contained in this chapter appear as if they were not representative, for the subject is merely the wars between a number of kings, and Lot's reclamation by Abram, and, towards the end, Melchizedek; so that these details do not seem to possess a single heavenly arcanum within them. Yet like all such details, these conceal very deep arcana in the internal sense which follow in a continuous sequence from the things preceding them, and also link themselves in a similar sequence to those that follow.
ttt[2] The descriptions which precede have dealt with the Lord and the instruction He received, and also with His External Man which was to be joined to the internal by means of knowledge and cognitions. But because His external Man was such, as has been stated, that from what was inherited from the mother it had within it things which prevented their becoming joined together, things which had first to be cast out by means of conflicts and temptations before His external Man could be united to the Internal - that is, His Human Essence to the Divine Essence - this chapter therefore deals with those conflicts themselves. The latter in the internal sense are represented and meant by the wars which it describes. Within the Church it is well known that Melchizedek represented the Lord, and that the Lord is thus meant in the internal sense when Melchizedek is spoken of. From this one may also conclude that not only such details regarding Melchizedek but all others are indeed representative, for not one small word can have been written in the Word that has not been sent down from heaven and consequently in which angels do not see heavenly things.
ttt[3] In most ancient times furthermore many things were represented by wars, which people called 'The Wars of Jehovah'. The latter meant nothing other than the conflicts fought by the Church and by those who belonged to the Church, that is, their temptations, which are nothing else than battles and wars against the evils present within themselves and so against the devil's crew who activate evils and endeavour to destroy the Church and the member of the Church. That wars in the Word have no other meaning becomes quite clear from the fact that the Word cannot have as its subject anything other than the Lord, His kingdom, and the Church, since it is Divine, not human, and consequently heavenly, not worldly. This being so the wars described in the sense of the letter cannot have any other meaning in the internal sense. This may become clearer still from what follows.
ppp22187#pid#1660. Verses `Genesis 14bbbccc1-2` And so it was in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim, that these made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, that is, Zoar.
'So it was in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim' means just so many kinds of apparent goods and truths which are not in themselves goods and truths, and which were present with the Lord's External Man - each of the kings and each of the nations meaning some such good or truth. 'That these made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, that is, Zoar' means just so many kinds of evil desires and false persuasions against which the Lord fought.
ppp22186#pid#1661. 'And so it was in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim' means just so many kinds of apparent goods and truths which are not in themselves goods and truths, and which were present with the Lord's external Man. This becomes clear from the meaning of all these in the internal sense, and also from what follows. For the subject is the Lord's conflict against evils and falsities, here His first conflict which came during His childhood and earliest adolescence. That conflict He first entered into and endured after He had been endowed with knowledge and cognitions, hence the expression 'in the days of' these kings.
ttt[2] Nobody can possibly fight against evils and falsities until he knows what evil and falsity are, not therefore until he has received instruction. A person does not know what evil is, still less what falsity is, before he is capable of understanding and of forming judgements for himself, which is the reason why a person does not enter into temptations until he has reached the age of maturity. Thus everyone is tempted in adult life, but the Lord was tempted even in childhood.
ttt[3] Everyone fights first of all from the goods and truths he has received by means of cognitions, and it is from them and by means of them that he forms judgements concerning evils and falsities. Everyone furthermore when he first starts to fight imagines that these goods and truths from which he fights are his own, that is, he ascribes them to himself, and at the same time ascribes to himself the power by which he resists. This is allowed because a person cannot at the time know anything different. Before anyone has been regenerated he cannot possibly know, so as to be able to say that he knows, acknowledges, and believes, that no good or truth at all comes from self, but that everything good and true comes from the Lord; nor can he possibly know that he is unable by his own power to resist any evil or falsity. Indeed he does not know that evil spirits are activating and implanting the evils and falsities, still less that he is in communication with hell by means of evil spirits, and that hell presses on him like the sea against every part of a dike, which he can by no means resist by his own strength. Yet because he cannot do otherwise, until he has been regenerated, than imagine that he resists by his own strength, this too is permitted; and in this condition he is admitted into conflicts, or temptations. Subsequently however he becomes more and more enlightened.
ttt[4] When a person's state is such that he imagines that good and truth originate in himself and that the power to resist is his own, the goods and truths from which he fights against evils and falsities are not really goods and truths, however much they appear to be so, for they have that which is his own within them, and he places self-merit in victory, boasting as though it were he that had overcome evil and falsity, when in fact it is the Lord alone who fights and overcomes. That this is indeed so none can know except those who are being regenerated by means of temptations.
ttt[5] Because the Lord in earliest childhood was led into very serious conflicts against evils and falsities it was inevitable that at that time even He should think that way. This happened both because it was according to Divine order that His Human Essence should through continuous conflicts and victories be brought to the Divine Essence and united to it, and because the goods and truths from which He fought against evils and falsities belonged to the External Man. And because those goods and truths were not completely Divine they are for that reason called appearances of good and truth. His Divine Essence brought the Human Essence to itself in this way in order that it might overcome by its own power. The arcana here however are more than can possibly be described. In short, in those first conflicts the goods and truths residing with the Lord from which He fought were permeated by things inherited from the mother, and insofar as they were permeated by things inherited from the mother they were not Divine. Gradually however, as He overcame evil and falsity they were purified and made Divine.
ppp22185#pid#1662. That each of the kings and each of the nations means some such good or some such truth becomes clear from the meaning of those nations in the internal sense as applied to the subject under consideration; for every nation and every land means some specific good or truth in general; this applies in the proper sense and in the contrary sense. The general meaning however has reference to the subject under consideration. That apparent goods and truths are meant by the names of these kings and these nations may be confirmed from many places; but since such confirmation has been provided so many times already, and as so many names occur here, it would take too long to explain them all one by one in that way.
ppp22184#pid#1663. 'That these made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, that is, Zoar' means just so many kinds of evil desires and false persuasions against which the Lord fought. This too becomes clear from the meaning of these kings and these nations that are mentioned, and from what follows as well. Which particular evil desires and which particular false persuasions are meant by each individual one would also take too long to explain. The meaning of Sodom and Gomorrah, also of Admah and Zeboiim, as well as Zoar, has been dealt with briefly already. They are the most general or most universal kinds of evils and falsities; and these, which are meant in the internal sense, here follow in their own sequence.
ttt[2] The fact that the Lord underwent and suffered the severest of temptations, more severe than anybody else has ever done, is not so well known from the Word, where all that is mentioned is His being in the wilderness forty days and being tempted by the devil. But although the temptations He experienced at that time have been described only briefly, those brief statements nevertheless embody all, as in `Mark 1bbb12-13`, which records that He was there with wild animals, which mean the worst of the hellish crew. And the events afterwards recorded about the devil taking Him up on to the pinnacles of the temple and on to a high mountain are nothing else than representatives of very severe temptations He experienced in the wilderness, which will in the Lord's Divine mercy be described later on.
ppp22183#pid#1664. That the wars in this chapter mean in the internal sense nothing other than spiritual conflicts, which are temptations, has been stated already in the preliminary section.`fff1` Nor do the wars in the rest of the Word, especially in the Prophets, have any other meaning. Wars waged by men can have no place whatever in the internal parts of the Word, for such things as wars are not the spiritual and celestial things which alone constitute the Word. That 'wars' in the Word means conflicts with the devil, or what amounts to the same, with hell, becomes clear from the following places besides many others: In John,
They are spirits of demons, performing signs, to go out to the kings of the land and of the whole earth, to assemble them for the war of that great day of God Almighty. `Revelation 16bbb14`.
Here anyone may see that no other kind of war on the great day of God Almighty is meant.
ttt[2] In the same book,
The beast that comes up from the Abyss will make war. `Revelation 11bbb7`.
Here 'the Abyss' is hell. In the same book,
The dragon was angry with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her seed, who kept the commandments of God and bear testimony to Jesus Christ. `Revelation 12bbb17`.
It`fff2` was allowed to make war on the saints. `Revelation 13bbb7`.
All these wars are conflicts such as constitute temptations. Nor are the wars of the kings of the south and of the north, and the other wars of `Daniel 8bbb0`, `Daniel ccc11bbb0`, and also those involving Michael, `Daniel 10bbb13`, `Daniel 10bbbccc21`; `Daniel ccc12bbb1`; `Revelation 12bbb7`, anything different.
ttt[3] That wars have no other meaning is clear from the rest of the Prophets as well, as in Ezekiel,
You have not gone up into the breaches and made a hedge for the house of Israel, to stand in war on the day of Jehovah. `Ezekiel 13bbb5`.
This refers to the prophets. In Isaiah,
They will beat their swords into hoes, and their spears into pruning-hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, neither will they learn war any more. `Isaiah 2bbb4`.
Clearly no other wars [than spiritual wars] are meant here, and therefore instruments of war, such as swords, spears, shields, and many others, mean nothing else in the Word than things that belong to such wars.
ttt[4] In the same prophet,
To the thirsty bring water; O inhabitants of the land of Tema, meet with his bread the fugitive,`fff3` for they will flee`fff4` before the swords, before the drawn sword, and before the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war. `Isaiah 21bbb14-15`.
In Jeremiah,
Shepherds and their flocks will come against the daughter of Zion, they will pitch their tents against her round about; they will graze, each off his own space. Declare a sacred war against her; arise and let us go up at noon. `Jeremiah 6bbb3-5`.
Here, since it is waged against 'the daughter of Zion', that is, the Church, no other kind of war is meant.
ttt[5] In the same prophet,
How is the city of praise not forsaken, the city of My joy? Therefore her young men will fall in her streets, and all the men of war will be cut down on that day. `Jeremiah 49bbb25-26`.
'The city of praise and of joy' stands for the things that belong to the Church, 'the men of war' for those who fight.
ttt[6] In Hosea,
I will make for them a covenant on that day, with the wild animals of the field, and with the birds of the air,`fff5` and with the creeping things of the ground. And I will abolish`fff6` the bow, and the sword, and war from the land, and I will make them lie down in safety. `Hosea 2bbb18`.
Here similarly 'war' stands for conflicts, and the various instruments of war stand for the things belonging to spiritual conflict which are 'broken' when a person comes into the calmness of peace as evil desires and falsities come to an end.
ttt[7] In David,
Behold the works of Jehovah who makes solitary places in the earth, making wars cease even to the end of the earth. He breaks the bow, and snaps the spear, He burns the chariots with fire. `Psalms 46bbb8-9`.
Here too the meaning is similar. In the same author,
In Salem is the dwelling-place of God, and His habitation in Zion. There He broke the bow's fiery arrows, the shield and the sword, and war. `Psalms 76bbb2-3`.
Because the priests represented the Lord who alone fights on man's behalf, their duties are called military service, `Numbers 4bbb23`, `Numbers 4bbbccc35`, `Numbers 4bbbccc39`, `Numbers 4bbbccc43`, `Numbers 4bbbccc47`.
ttt[8] It is a constant truth that Jehovah alone, that is, the Lord, fights and overcomes the devil present with a person when he is involved in the conflicts brought by temptations, even though to that person this does not appear to be so. For evil spirits have no power at all to exert the slightest influence on man unless they are permitted to do so, and angels cannot act to avert anything at all unless enabled to do so by the Lord. Thus it is the Lord alone who endures every conflict and overcomes, something that was also represented at various times by the wars that the children of Israel waged against the nations. That He alone does so is also stated in Moses,
Jehovah your God is going`fff7` before you, He Himself will fight for you. `Deuteronomy 1bbb30`.
In the same book,
Jehovah your God is going`fff7` with you to fight for you with your enemies, to save you. `Deuteronomy 20bbb4`.
ttt[9] So too in Joshua, such as `Joshua ccc23bbb3`, `Joshua 23bbbccc5`. For all the wars that were being waged at that time against the idolatrous inhabitants of the land of Canaan represented the Lord's conflicts with hell, and consequently the conflicts of His Church, and of members of the Church. This also accords with the following statements in Isaiah,
As the lion roars, and the young lion, over its prey (when a multitude of shepherds run towards him he is not dismayed by their voice nor daunted by the tumult they make) so Jehovah Zebaoth will come down to fight on Mount Zion and on its hill. `Isaiah 31bbb4`.
ttt[10] For the same reasons also Jehovah, or the Lord, is called 'a Man of War', as in Moses,
Jehovah is a Man of War, Jehovah is His name. `Exodus 15bbb3`.
In Isaiah,
Jehovah will go forth as a Mighty Man, as a Man of Wars. He will stir up zeal; He will cry out, yes, He will shout aloud, He will prevail over His enemies. `Isaiah 42bbb13`.
This also is why many things that war entails are attributed to the Lord, such as 'crying out', and 'shouting aloud' here.
ttt[11] Spirits and angels also appear as men of war, when a representation is being made, as in Joshua,
Joshua lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, a man was standing before him, with his sword drawn in his hand. He said to Joshua, I am the Prince of the army of Jehovah; and Joshua fell on his face`fff8` to the earth. `Joshua 5bbb13-14`.
These things were seen taking the form they did because they were representative, and this also is why descendants of Jacob called their wars the Wars of ]Jehovah.
It was similar in the Ancient Churches among whom there were books which also were called The Wars of Jehovah, as is clear in Moses.
It is said in the Book of the Wars of Jehovah. `Numbers 21bbb14-15`.
These were written about in a way not unlike the wars described in this chapter; but wars involving the Church were meant. Such a manner of writing was common in those times, for they were interior men and their thoughts were of more exalted things.
`nnn1. i.e. in `@@@1659`
`nnn2. i.e. the beast
`nnn3. literally, the wanderer
`nnn4. literally, they will wander
`nnn5. literally,. bird of the heavens (or the skies)
`nnn6. literally, break
`nnn7. literally, walking
`nnn8. literally, faces
ppp22182#pid#1665. Verse `Genesis 14bbbccc3` All these were gathered together at the valley of Siddim, which is the Salt Sea.
'All these were gathered together at the valley of Siddim' means that they were immersed in the unclean things that go with evil desires. 'Which is the Salt Sea' means the foul things that accompany derivative falsities.
ppp22181#pid#1666. That 'all [these] were gathered together at the valley of Siddim' means that they were immersed in the unclean things that go with evil desires becomes clear from the meaning of 'the valley of Siddim', dealt with below at verse `Genesis 14bbbccc10`, which says that 'the valley of Siddim was pits after pits of bitumen', that is, it was full of bitumen-pits, which mean the filthy and unclean things that go with evil desires, `@@@1299`. The same may be seen from the fact that Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim meant evil desires and false persuasions, which are by their very nature unclean. That they are unclean anyone inside the Church may see; and in the next life it is clearly seen in what happens there. Spirits such as are immersed in these unclean things desire nothing better than to spend their time in places full of stagnant water, mire, and excrement, so that their very disposition carries such things with it. The emanation of such unclean things from them is detected as soon as they come near the sphere of good spirits, especially when they desire to infest the good, that is, to band together and attack them. All this shows what is meant by the valley of Siddim.
ttt[2] 'Which is the Salt Sea' means the foul things which accompany derivative falsities. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'the Salt Sea', which would seem to be the same place as 'the valley of Siddim', for the words used are 'the valley of Siddim, which is the Salt Sea'. But the latter phrase has been added for the reason that 'the Salt Sea' means the falsities that burst forth from evil desires; indeed not one such desire exists which does not produce falsities. The life belonging to evil desires may be compared to a coal fire, and the falsities to the dim light that comes from it. Just as fire cannot exist without light, neither can evil desire do so without falsity. Every evil desire stems from some filthy love, for that which is loved is desired and is therefore called desire, the desire itself containing within itself an extension of that particular love. And what favors or supports that love or desire is called falsity. This shows why the phrase 'the Salt Sea' has here been added to 'the valley of Siddim'.
ttt[3] Since evil desires and falsities are what vastate a person, that is, deprive him of all the life belonging to the love of good and to the affection for truth, such vastation is described in various places as a salt region, as in Jeremiah,
He who makes flesh his arm will be like a bare shrub in the solitary place, and will not see when good comes; and he will inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, a salt land, and not inhabited. `Jeremiah 17bbb5-6`.
In Ezekiel,
Its swamps and its marshes are not healed, they will be given up to salt. `Ezekiel 47bbb11`.
In David,
Jehovah turns rivers into a wilderness, and the outgoings of waters into a dryness, a fruitful land into a salty waste because of the wickedness of those inhabiting it. `Psalms 107bbb33-34`.
In Zephaniah,
Moab will be like Sodom, and the children of Ammon like Gomorrah, a place abandoned to the nettle, and a saltpit, and a desolation for ever. `Zephaniah 2bbb9`.
ttt[4] In Moses,
The whole land will be brimstone and salt, a burning; it will not be sown, and it will not sprout, nor will any plant come up on it, as at the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, of Admah and Zeboiim. `Deuteronomy 29bbb23`.
'The whole land will be brimstone and salt, a burning' stands for goods and truths that have been vastated - 'brimstone' for the vastation of good, 'salt' for the vastation of truth. Indeed heat and saltiness are destructive of the land and its crops in the way that evil desire is destructive of goods, and falsity of truths. Since 'salt' meant vastation, it was also customary to sow the cities they had destroyed with salt, to prevent their being rebuilt, as in `Judges 9bbb45`. Salt is also used in the contrary sense to mean that which renders fertile, and that which so to speak adds flavor.
[`@@@1666`a] Verse `Genesis 14bbbccc4` Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.
'Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer' means that evils and falsities did not reveal themselves in childhood but were subservient to apparent goods and truths. 'And in the thirteenth year they rebelled' means the onset of temptations in childhood.
ppp22180#pid#1667. That 'twelve years they served Chedorlaomer' means that evils and falsities did not reveal themselves in childhood but were subservient to apparent goods and truths is clear from the representation and meaning of Chedorlaomer, and also from the meaning of those who were subservient to him, as explained above at verses `Genesis 14bbbccc1-2`, and from the meaning of 'twelve' as well. Chedorlaomer together with those mentioned above in verse `Genesis 14bbbccc1` mean apparent goods and truths present with the Lord - thus His External Man as regards those things. Here Chedorlaomer stands for all who are named in verse `Genesis 14bbbccc1` taken together, as is clear in addition from what follows, and also from the fact that he was king of Elam, the meaning of which has been dealt with already, namely faith deriving from charity, and here therefore truth and good. For faith and things belonging to faith are nothing but truths, while charity and things belonging to charity are nothing but goods
ttt[2] Here however they are the goods that belong to earliest childhood, which though they appear to be goods are not in fact goods as long as hereditary evil is befouling them, for they have ingrained in them and clinging to them that which derives from self-love and love of the world. Whatever belongs to self-love or love of the world appears at the time to be good, but it is not. Nevertheless it must still be called good during the time it resides in an infant or child who as yet does not know what is truly good. Their ignorance or lack of knowledge excuses it, and their innocence makes it appear as good. The situation is different however when a person has undergone instruction and knows what good and evil are. Such good and truth as exist with a child before instruction is meant by Chedorlaomer.
ttt[3] Their being subservient for twelve years means the whole time that such good and truth remain, for in the internal sense 'twelve' means all things constituting the faith that belongs to charity, that is, faith springing from charity, as also with Elam in `Genesis 10bbb22`. And as long as such good and truth reside in a person, whether in childhood or in any other period of his life, evils and falsities can achieve nothing, that is, evil spirits do not dare to do anything or to initiate anything evil, as is quite evident in the case of infants, well-behaved children, and simple hearted people. With them, even though evil spirits, that is, the worst of the devil's crew, were present they could nevertheless achieve absolutely nothing but are held in subjection, which is the meaning here of their being subservient for twelve years to Chedorlaomer.
ttt[4] The reason they are kept in subjection during that time and are subservient is that the individual has not yet acquired to himself a sphere of evil desires and of falsities. Indeed evil spirits and genii are not allowed to operate except into those things a person has acquired through his own actions, not into those he has by heredity. Consequently before a person acquires such spheres to himself, evil spirits are subservient; but as soon as he does acquire them, those evil spirits present with him stream in and try to gain dominion, for they are then situated within his own sphere, and there find a certain delight or their very life - 'where the carcass is there will the eagles be gathered together'.`fff1`
`nnn1. `Matthew 24bbb28`
ppp22179#pid#1668. 'And in the thirteenth year they rebelled' means the onset of temptations in childhood. This is clear from the meaning of 'the thirteenth year' and from the meaning of 'rebelling' - the thirteenth year coming between the twelfth and fourteenth. What is meant by twelve has been stated already, and what is meant by fourteen is to follow. 'Thirteen' is the interval between the time when there is no temptation and the time when there is. What 'rebelling' means becomes clear when it is used in reference to the evils present with a person, or to evil spirits, when they have been held in subjection or are subservient and then start to rise up and infest.
ttt[2] Evils, or evil spirits, are in rebellion to the extent that a person who wishes to be governed by goods and truths confirms within himself certain evils and falsities, that is, to the extent that evil desires and falsities introduce themselves into his goods and truths. It is in evil desires and falsities that the life of evil spirits consists, but in goods and truths that the life of angels consists; and from this, infestation and conflict arise. This is so with all who have conscience, and was all the more so with the Lord when a boy, who had perception. With those who have conscience a dull pain arises, but with those who have perception intense pain; and the more interior the perception, the more intense is that pain. From this it becomes clear what the temptation of the Lord, who had interior and inmost perception, was like in comparison with men's.
ppp22178#pid#1669. Verse `Genesis 14bbbccc5` And in the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer came, and the kings who were with him, and smote the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzim in Ham, and the Emim in Shaveh Kiriathaim. 'In the fourteenth year' means the first temptation. 'Chedorlaomer came' means apparent good in the External Man. 'And the kings who were with him' means the apparent truth that goes with that good. 'And smote the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzim in Ham, and the Emim in Shaveh Kiriathaim' means false persuasions or the hells of such persuasions which the Lord overcame.
ppp22177#pid#1670. That 'in the fourteenth year' means the first temptation becomes clear from the meaning of 'fourteen' or the end of the second week, dealt with in `@@@728`, where a period of seven days or one week means the onset of temptation. A period of fourteen days or two weeks has the same meaning. Here the year is called 'the fourteenth' because it looks back to the preceding twelve referred to in the previous verse, which mean, as stated, the period of childhood.
ppp22176#pid#1671. 'Chedorlaomer came' means apparent good in the External Man. This is clear from the meaning of 'Chedorlaomer', dealt with in the previous verse, as apparent good and truth - here good alone, because the words are also added, 'and the kings who were with him', by whom truth is meant.
ppp22175#pid#1672. 'And the kings who were with him' means the apparent truth that goes with that good. This is clear from the meaning of 'kings' in the Word. Kings, kingdoms, and peoples in the historical and prophetical sections of the Word mean truths and the things that belong to truths, as may be confirmed from many places. In the Word a careful distinction is made between people and nation, 'people' meaning truths, 'nation' goods, as shown already in `@@@1259`, `@@@1260`. Kings have reference to peoples, and not so much to nations. The children of Israel, before they sought to have kings, were 'a nation' and represented good, or that which is celestial; but after they desired a king and received one, they became 'a people' and represented not good or that which is celestial, but truth or that which is spiritual, and this was the reason why this was ascribed to them as a fault in `1 Samuel 8bbb7`-end. This, in the Lord's Divine mercy, will be explained elsewhere. In the present verse, since 'Chedorlaomer' is referred to, and then the phrase 'the kings who were with him' is added, both good and truth are meant - good by 'Chedorlaomer' and truth by 'the kings'. But what kind of good and truth it was when the Lord's temptations first began has been stated above.
ppp22174#pid#1673. 'And they smote the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzim in Ham, and the Emim in Shaveh Kiriathaim' means false persuasions or the hells of such persuasions which the Lord overcame. This is clear from the meaning of the Rephaim, the Zuzim, and the Emim, as those of a similar kind to the Nephilim mentioned in `Genesis 6bbb4` - the Nephilim, as was shown more than adequately at that verse, meaning false persuasions or those people who because they were persuaded of their own superiority and pre-eminence regarded all things that were holy and true as worthless, and who plunged falsities into evil desires, see `@@@581` - and from the following places quoted in that paragraph, `Numbers 13bbb33`; `Deuteronomy 2bbb10`; `Isaiah 14bbb9`; `Isaiah ccc26bbb14`, `Isaiah 26bbbccc19`; `Psalms 88bbb10`. Here it is the different kinds of false persuasions that are meant by these three, and also by 'the Horites in Mount Seir', for there are many kinds of false persuasions, each kind varying not only according to the falsities but also according to the evil desires to which those falsities are allied or into which they are plunged, or from which they stem and are produced. The nature of such false persuasions cannot possibly become clear to anyone who knows scarcely anything more about false persuasion or evil desire than that such things exist; but in the next life they are arranged quite distinctly and separately into their own genera and their own species.
ttt[2] Among those who lived before the Flood, especially among those called the Nephilim, most dreadful false persuasions existed. The Nephilim were such that in the next life by their persuasions they deprive other spirits they encounter of their whole ability to think. As a result it seems to those spirits as though they are scarcely alive, let alone capable of thinking anything true. For in the next life, as has been shown, there is a communication of the thoughts of all; and therefore when persuasiveness such as this flows in, it inevitably kills so to speak all power to think that the others have. Such were the unspeakably horrible nations against whom the Lord fought in earliest childhood and whom He overcame. And unless the Lord by His Coming into the world had overcome them, nobody at all would be alive today on this planet, for everyone is governed by the Lord through spirits. Today those same people, on account of their delusions, are hemmed in all round by what looks like a misty rock, out of which they are constantly endeavouring to rise up, though to no avail - see `@@@1265-1272`, and in many places before that. They and their like are also the people meant by Isaiah,
The dead will not live, the Rephaim will not rise. To the end that You have visited and destroyed them, and wiped out all remembrance of them. `Isaiah 26bbb14`.
ttt[3] And in David,
Will you work a wonder for the dead? Will the Rephaim rise up and confess You? `Psalms 88bbb10`.
'The dead' here is not used to mean the dead but the condemned. At the present day too, especially from the Christian world, there are people who in a similar way have persuasions, but not of so dreadful a nature as those possessed by people before the Flood. False persuasions which occupy both the will and the understanding parts of man's mind - as did the persuasions of those before the Flood, and of those meant by the Rephaim, Zuzim, and Emim - are of one kind. But false persuasions that occupy only the understanding part, having their origin in false assumptions confirmed within oneself, are of another kind. The latter kind are not so powerful as the former, nor so deadly, but they nevertheless cause much annoyance to the other spirits in the next life, partially taking away from them their capacity to think. Spirits such as these arouse in man outright confirmations of falsity, so that a person inevitably sees falsity as truth, and evil as good. It is their sphere which is of such a nature. As soon as any truth is called forth by angels those spirits smother and extinguish it.
ttt[4] A person can discover whether such spirits govern him by merely considering whether he thinks the truths of the Word to be falsities and confirms himself in this so that he is not able to see otherwise. He can in that case be quite sure that such spirits reside with him and have dominion. It is similar with those who persuade themselves that all private gain is the common good, and who imagine that nothing contributes to the common good if it is not to their own private gain. Evil spirits residing with such a person supply so many confirmations that he does not see otherwise. Such people as regard all private gain as the common good, or who disguise it with the appearance of its being the common good, in the next life act in much the same way with regard to the common good there. That this is the nature of the influx of the spirits residing with man I have been given to know to the life from uninterrupted experience.
ppp22173#pid#1674. Verse `Genesis 14bbbccc6` And the Horites in their Mount Seir as far as El-paran, which is over into the wilderness.
'The Horites in their Mount Seir' means false persuasions deriving from self-love. 'As far as El-paran, which is over into the wilderness' means the range of their extension.
ppp22172#pid#1675. That 'the Horites in their Mount Seir' means false persuasions deriving from self-love is clear from the meaning of 'the Horites' and from the meaning of 'Seir'. As for the Horites, they were the people who dwelt on Mount Seir, as is clear from `Genesis 36bbb8`, `Genesis 36bbbccc20`, and following verses, where Esau, who is called Edom, is the subject. Esau or Edom in the genuine sense means the Lord as regards His Human Essence. He is also represented by Esau or Edom, as becomes clear from many places in both the historical and the prophetical sections of the Word, to be dealt with, in the Lord's Divine mercy, later on. Because 'the Horites' represented people who are under the influence of false persuasions, and because representatives at that time occurred within actual events, therefore the expulsion of the Horites from Mount Seir by the descendants of Esau had a similar representation.
ttt[2] These are spoken of in Moses as follows,
This also is considered to be a land of Rephaim; Rephaim dwelt formerly in it, and the Ammonites called them Zamzummim; they were a people great and many and tall like the Anakim. And Jehovah destroyed them from before them; and they dispossessed them, and dwelt in their place. He did the same for the sons of Esau who dwelt in Seir, in that He destroyed the Horites from before them, and they dispossessed them, and dwelt in their place. `Deuteronomy 2bbb20-22`.
These things represent and mean the same as what the present verse says about Chedorlaomer, namely that 'Chedorlaomer and the kings with him smote the Horites in Mount Seir'. For, as has been stated, Chedorlaomer represents the Lord's Good and Truth during childhood, and so the Lord's Human Essence at that time as regards Good and Truth, by which He destroyed false persuasions, that is, the hells filled with so devilish a crew, which set out to destroy the world of spirits, and consequently the human race, with its false persuasions.
ttt[3] And because Esau or Edom represented the Lord as regards the Human Essence, Mount Seir also, and Paran as well, represented those things that belonged to His Human Essence, namely the celestial things of love, as is clear from the blessing uttered by Moses,
Jehovah came from Sinai, and dawned from Seir upon them; He shone from Mount Paran, and came out of myriads of holiness. From His right hand came a fiery law for them. He indeed loves the peoples. `Deuteronomy 33bbb2-3`.
'Jehovah dawned from Mount Seir and shone from Mount Paran' means nothing else than the Lord's Human Essence. Anyone may see that 'dawning from Mount Seir and shining from Mount Paran' does not mean mountains and their inhabitants but Divine realities, thus the celestial things of the Lord's Human Essence, from which Jehovah is said to have dawned and to have shone.
ttt[4] As for 'Seir', its meaning is clear from the Song of Deborah and Barak in the Book of Judges,
O Jehovah, when You went forth from Seir, when You set out from the field of Edom, the earth trembled, the heavens also dropped, the clouds indeed dropped water, the mountains flowed down, this Sinai before Jehovah God of Israel. `Judges 5bbb4-5`.
Here 'going forth from Seir and setting out from the field of Edom' has no other meaning.
ttt[5] This is plainer still in Moses in the prophetic utterance of Balaam, who was one of the sons of the east, that is, he came from Syria where a residue of the Ancient Church existed,
I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near. A star will arise out of Jacob, and a scepter will rise up out of Israel. And Edom will be an inheritance and Seir will be an inheritance of his enemies. `Numbers 24bbb17-18`.
Here 'seeing Him, but not now; beholding Him, but not near' is the Lord's Coming into the world - His Human Essence being called 'a star that would arise out of Jacob', and also 'Edom' and 'Seir'. That neither Edom nor Seir were to be the inheritance may become clear to anyone. 'Seir, the inheritance of his enemies' or 'The mountain of his enemies' has the same meaning as in many other places where it is said that enemies were to be driven out and possession was to be taken of their land.
ttt[6] That Mount Paran, or El-paran, mentioned in this verse also has the same meaning is clear from Habakkuk as well,
God will come from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah. His fame has covered the heavens, and the earth has been filled with His praise. `Habakkuk 3bbb3`.
It should be realized however that mountains and lands have and take their meaning from their inhabitants, from the Horites when these dwelt there, and when they had been driven out, from those who drove them out, such as from Esau or Edom, or else from some others. Mount Paran is used therefore in both senses, the genuine and the contrary. In the genuine sense it stands for the Lord's Human Essence, in the contrary sense for self-love. The Lord's Human Essence is celestial love itself, while the contrary to celestial love is self-love. Thus 'the Horites' in this verse means false persuasions deriving from self-love.
ttt[7] There are false persuasions that originate in self-love, and there are false persuasions that originate in love of the world. The former persuasions - those originating in self-love - are the most foul, whereas those originating in love of the world are not so foul. The former, or false persuasions originating in self-love, are the very opposite of the celestial things of love, whereas the latter, or false persuasions originating in love of the world, are the opposite of the spiritual things of love. Persuasions originating in self-love carry with them the desire to rule over all things, and insofar as the restraints placed upon them are loosened they hasten to fulfill that desire, even to the extent of desiring to rule over the entire universe, and, as has been shown, over Jehovah as well. Consequently persuasions of that kind are not tolerated at all in the next life. But persuasions originating in love of the world do not go so far. They do not go beyond the insanity of not being satisfied with their lot. They vainly strive after heavenly joy, and wish to acquire other people's goods, but are not so intent on ruling. But the differences among these persuasions are countless.
ppp22171#pid#1676. 'As far as El-paran which is over into the wilderness' means the range of their extension. This becomes clear from the fact that the Horites were smitten and made to flee as far as that place. The wilderness of Paran is mentioned in `Genesis 21bbb21`; `Numbers 10bbb12`; `Numbers ccc12bbb16`; `Numbers ccc13bbb3`, `Numbers 13bbbccc26`; `Deuteronomy 1bbb1`. What 'El-paran which is in the wilderness' means here cannot be easily explained beyond this, that the Lord's first victory over the hells meant by those nations did not as yet extend any further. But how far it did extend is meant by 'El-paran which is over into the wilderness'.
ttt[2] Anyone who has not been given to know heavenly arcana may imagine that there was no necessity for the Lord's Coming into the world to fight with the hells, and by means of the temptations He suffered to war successfully against them and overcome them, since Divine Omnipotence could at any point have subdued them and confined them to their own particular hells. That it was nevertheless necessary stands as an unchanging truth. To disclose merely the most general aspects of those arcana however would take up a whole work, and would also provide opportunities for reasonings about Divine mysteries which, though disclosed, people's minds would not grasp. Nor would the majority wish to grasp them.
ttt[3] It is enough therefore if people know and, since it is so, believe it to be an eternal truth that unless the Lord had come into the world and by means of the temptations which He suffered had overcome and conquered the hells, the human race would have perished, and that if He had not done so none who have lived on this planet even from the time of the Most Ancient Church could have been saved.
ppp22170#pid#1677. Verse `Genesis 14bbbccc7` And they returned and came to An-mishpat, that is, to Kadesh, and smote all the territory of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites inhabiting Hazezon-tamar.
'They returned and came to An-mishpat, that is, to Kadesh' means a continuation. 'And they smote all the territory of the Amalekites' means kinds of falsities. 'And also the Amorites inhabiting Hazezon-tamar' means kinds of evils derived from these.
ppp22169#pid#1678. That 'they returned and came to An-mishpat, that is, to Kadesh' means a continuation is clear from what comes before and after. The subject at this point is falsities and derivative evils, falsities being meant by 'the Amalekites' and derivative evils by 'the Amorites in Hazezon-tamar'. 'Kadesh' means truths, and also strife over truths. The subject at this point being the falsities and derivative evils which the Lord overcame in the first of His conflicts, the expression 'An-mishpat, that is, Kadesh' is used, for there was strife over truths.
ttt[2] That 'Kadesh' means truths over which there is strife is clear in Ezekiel where the boundaries of the Holy Land are described,
The corner of the south southwards will be from Tamar to the waters of Meriboth (strife) Kadesh. an inheritance towards the Great Sea, and the corner of the south southwards. `Ezekiel 47bbb19`; `Ezekiel ccc48bbb28`.
Here 'the south' stands for the light of truth. Its boundary, by which strife over truths is meant, is called 'Kadesh'.
ttt[3] Kadesh was also the place where Moses struck the rock from which water came out, water that was called Meribah on account of the strife there, `Numbers 20bbb1-2`, `Numbers 20bbbccc11`, `Numbers 20bbbccc13`. 'A rock', as is well known, means the Lord, and 'water' in the internal sense of the Word means spiritual things, which are truths. They were called 'the waters of Meribah' because there was strife over them The fact that they were also called 'the waters of the strife of Kadesh' is clear in Moses,
You rebelled against My Word`fff1` in the wilderness of Zin, during the strife of the congregation, in that you sanctified Me by the waters in their eyes. These are the waters of the strife of Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin. `Numbers 27bbb14`; `Deuteronomy 32bbb51`.
It was likewise to Kadesh that the spies returned from the land of Canaan, and it was there that those who were unwilling to enter the land murmured and strove, `Numbers 13bbb26`.
ttt[4] From these references it is clear that An-mishpat, or the fountain of judgement or the fountain of Mishpat-Kadesh, means strife over truths, and thus a continuation. Since the details here are historically true and so describe actual events, it may seem as though such things were not represented or meant by the places which Chedorlaomer came to and by the nations that he smote. All historical details in the Word however are representative and carry a spiritual meaning, and this applies both to places and to nations, and to accomplished facts as well, as becomes quite clear from everything that appears both in the historical and the prophetical sections of the Word.
`nnn1. literally, My Mouth
ppp22168#pid#1679. 'And they smote all the territory of the Amalekites' means kinds of falsities. This is clear from the representation and meaning of the 'Amalekite' nation, for all the nations that were in the land of Canaan represented kinds of falsities and evils, as will be clear, in the Lord's Divine mercy, from what follows. 'The Amalekites' means falsities, 'the Amorites in Hazezon-tamar' evils deriving from falsities. That 'the Amalekites' means falsities which assail truths becomes clear from what is mentioned regarding the Amalekites in `Exodus 17bbb13`-end; `Numbers 13bbb29`; `Numbers ccc24bbb20`; `Deuteronomy 25bbb17-19`; `Judges 5bbb14`; `1 Samuel 15bbb1`-end; `1 Samuel 27bbb8`; `Psalms 83bbb7-8`.
ttt[2] The Rephaim, Zuzim, Emim, and Horites, referred to in verses `Genesis 14bbbccc5-6`, mean false persuasions that have their origins in desires for evil, that is, in evils, whereas here 'the Amalekites and the Amorites in Hazezon-tamar' means falsities from which evils derive. Falsity deriving from evil is one thing, falsity and evil deriving from that falsity another. Falsities spring either from evil desires which belong to the will or from accepted ideas which belong to the understanding. Falsities that spring from evil desires belonging to the will are foul and do not easily allow themselves to be rooted out, for they cling to a person's life itself. A person's life itself is that which desires, that is, which loves. As long as he is making that life firm within himself, that is, confirming that desire or love, all things of a confirmatory nature are false and are implanted in his life. Such were the people before the Flood.
ttt[3] Falsities however which spring from accepted ideas belonging to the understanding cannot be rooted in the same way in the will part of man's mind. Like false or heretical doctrines, these have their origin outside of the will, coming instead from the absorption of such matters in early childhood, and after that from the confirmation of them in adult years. Yet because they are false they inevitably produce evils of life. For example, when anyone believes that he merits salvation through works and confirms himself in that belief, a sense of merit, of his own righteousness, and of assurance [of salvation] are the evils that result from it. On the other hand, when anyone believes that a truly devout life is not possible unless merit is attached to works, the evil which results from that belief is that he destroys all such devoutness in himself and gives himself up to evil desires and pleasures. It is the same with many other examples that could be taken. Such are the falsities and derivative evils dealt with in this verse.
ppp22167#pid#1680. 'And also the Amorites inhabiting Hazezon-tamar' means kinds of evils derived from this. This is clear from what has just been stated and also from the representation and meaning of 'the Amorites', dealt with at verse `Genesis 14bbbccc16` of the next chapter. As for the evils and falsities against which the Lord fought, it should be recognized that they were spirits from hell who were ruled by evils and falsities, that is, they were hells that were full of such things, hells which were infesting the human race constantly. Those in hell have but one desire, to destroy everyone; and they find nothing more pleasurable than inflicting torture on others.
ttt[2] All spirits in the next life are distinguished as follows: Those who wish evil on others are hellish or devilish spirits, whereas those who will good to others are good and angelic spirits. A person may know whom he is among, whether among those from hell or those who are angelic, from this: If he intends evil to his neighbour, thinks nothing but evil regarding him, and when possible actually does it, and takes delight in this, he is among spirits from hell and also becomes one himself in the next life. The person however who intends good to his neighbour, thinks nothing but good regarding him, and when possible actually does it, is among angelic spirits, and also becomes an angel in the next life. This is how one spirit is to be distinguished from another; so let the individual examine himself in this way to discover what he himself is really like.
ttt[3] Refraining from evil when one is unable to do it or when one dare not do it amounts in the end to nothing; and doing good for selfish reasons also amounts to nothing. These are external considerations that are taken away in the next life. There it is a person's thought and intention that determine what he is. There are many spirits who because they were accustomed to do so in the world are able to speak virtuously, but it is discerned in an instant whether their mind or intention is in agreement with what they say. If it is not, a person is cast away among spirits in hell who are of his own genus and species.
ppp22166#pid#1681. Verses `Genesis 14bbbccc8-9` And the king of Sodom went out, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, that is, Zoar, and they drew up for battle with them in the valley of Siddim - with Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim, and Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar - four kings with five.
'The king of Sodom went out, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, that is, Zoar' means, as previously, evils and falsities which reign generally. 'And they drew up for battle with them' means that they made an attack. 'In the valley of Siddim' here, as previously, means uncleanness. 'With Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim, and Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar' means truths and goods in the External Man, 'Chedorlaomer king of Elam' meaning truths, 'Tidal king of Goiim' goods, and the other two those that are derivatives from these. 'Four kings with five' means the union existing with the latter four and the lack of union with the other five.
ppp22165#pid#1682. 'The king of Sodom went out, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, that is, Zoar' means evils and falsities which reign generally. This is clear from what was stated above at verse `Genesis 14bbbccc2` about the same kings being evil desires and false persuasions. In that place those same kings meant all evils and all falsities in general, or what amounts to the same, evil desires and false persuasions, and therefore it was said that war was made with them. The subject after that turned to war with the Rephaim, Zuzim, Emim, and Horites, and also with the Amalekites and Amorites, and finally with these kings who were named at the beginning. Here therefore these same kings mean solely the reigning evils and falsities that belong to a lower degree.
ppp22164#pid#1683. That 'they drew up for battle with them' means that they made an attack is clear from the meaning of 'drawing up for battle' as making an assault, for in verses `Genesis 14bbbccc3-4` above it is said that they rebelled. The same is also evident from the consideration that evil spirits are the ones who attack. For the truth of the matter is that the Lord never began the conflict with any hell, but that the hells attacked Him, as is also the case with everyone who undergoes temptation, that is, is engaged in conflict with evil spirits. Never in man's case do the angels make the attack, but it is always and constantly the evil or hellish spirits who do so. The angels merely ward off and defend. This disposition comes from the Lord, who never wishes to afflict anyone with evil or thrust him down into hell, not even if he were the worst and bitterest enemy of all. It is the person who afflicts himself with evil and so rushes into hell. This also follows from the very nature of evil and the very nature of good. The inherent nature of evil is to wish to injure everyone, but the inherent nature of good is to injure none. The evil are acting in conformity with their own life when they are attacking, for their constant desire is to destroy. The good are acting in conformity with their own life when they attack nobody, and when they can be of use in defending others from evils.
ppp22163#pid#1684. 'In the valley of Siddim' means uncleanness. This is clear from what has been stated at verse `Genesis 14bbbccc3` above about the valley of Siddim and the Salt Sea.
ppp22162#pid#1685. 'With Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim, and Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar' means truths and goods in the External Man. This is clear from the meaning of the same four in verse `Genesis 14bbbccc1` of this chapter.
[l685a] That 'Chedorlaomer king of Elam' means truths and 'Tidal king of Goiim' goods, and the other two those that are derivatives from these, is clear from the fact that the same kings are listed here in a different order from what they are in verse `Genesis 14bbbccc1` above. There Chedorlaomer king of Elam stands in third position but here in first, while Tidal king of Goiim stands in fourth position there but in second here. It is truth that goes into battle first, for the battle is fought from truth since it is from the truth that a person recognizes what falsity is and what evil is. Such conflicts never arise therefore until a person has been endowed with knowledge and cognitions of truth and good. Hence 'Chedorlaomer', who is here mentioned first, means the truth that resided with the Lord. The same is also clear from the meaning of 'Elam' as faith deriving from charity, which amounts to the same thing as truth, as shown already at Chapter `Genesis 10bbbccc22`. From this it follows that 'Tidal king of Goiim (or Nations)' means good, and that the other two kings mean truths and goods that derive from the good and truth meant by Chedorlaomer and Tidal.
ppp22161#pid#1686. 'Four kings with five' means the union existing with the latter four and the lack of union with the other five. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'four' and from the meaning of 'five'. Consisting of two pairs, 'four' means union, as also does two when it has regard to things that are married, as also noted in `@@@720`. 'Five' however means disunity because it is associated with fewness, as shown in `@@@649`. All things depend for their particular meanings on the subjects to which they refer.
ppp22160#pid#1687. Verse `Genesis 14bbbccc10` And the valley of Siddim was pits after pits of bitumen; and the king of Sodom and [the king] of Gomorrah fled, and they fell there; and the rest fled to the mountain.
'The valley of Siddim was pits after pits of bitumen' means the uncleanness of falsities and evil desires. 'And the king of Sodom and [the king] of Gomorrah fled, and they fell there' means that those evils and falsities were overcome. 'And the rest fled to the mountain' means that it did not happen to all of them, 'a mountain' meaning self-love and love of the world.
ppp22159#pid#1688. That 'the valley of Siddim was pits after pits - or was full of pits - of bitumen' means the uncleanness of falsities and evil desires is clear from the meaning of 'Siddim' as uncleanness, dealt with above at verse `Genesis 14bbbccc3`, and also from the meaning of 'pits' as falsities, and of 'bitumen' as evil desires. Falsities are called 'pits' on account of the filthy water these contain, and evil desires are called 'bitumen' on account of the foul sulphurous stench of such water.
ppp22158#pid#1689. That 'the king of Sodom and [the king] of Gomorrah fled, and they fell there' means that those evils and falsities were overcome is clear from the meaning of 'Sodom and Gomorrah' as the evils giving rise to evil desires and the falsities giving rise to false persuasions, dealt with above - 'the king of Sodom and [the king] of Gomorrah' at this point stand for all evils and falsities, including those meant by the remaining kings - and also from the meaning of 'fleeing and falling' as being overcome.
ppp22157#pid#1690. That 'the rest fled to the mountain' means that it did not happen to all of them is clear without explanation from the fact that they had now become 'the rest', who fled away. The subject in the internal sense is the temptations which the Lord underwent in childhood, about which nothing is recorded in the New Testament Word. No temptations are recorded there apart from the temptation in the wilderness, or shortly after He came out of the wilderness, and the last temptation later on in Gethsemane and after that. The fact that the Lord's life from earliest childhood right through to the last hour of His life in the world consisted in constant temptation and constant victory is clear from many places in the Old Testament Word; and the fact that it did not end with His temptation in the wilderness is clear from the following in Luke,
After the devil had ended every temptation he departed from Him for a time. `Luke 4bbb13`, as well as from His undergoing temptations right through to His death on the Cross, and so to the last hour of His life in the world. From these considerations it is evident that the whole of the Lord's life in the world from earliest childhood consisted in constant temptation and constant victory. The last was when on the Cross He prayed for His enemies, and so for all people in the whole world.
ttt[2] In the part of the Word where the Lord's life is described - in the Gospels - no other temptation, apart from the last, is mentioned than His temptation in the wilderness. More than this was not disclosed to the disciples; and the things which were disclosed seem in the sense of the letter so slight as to amount to scarcely anything at all. For the things that are said, and the replies that are given, do not seem to constitute any temptation at all; yet in fact His temptation in the wilderness was more severe than the human mind can possibly comprehend and believe. Nobody can know what temptation is except someone who has experienced it. The temptation that is recorded in `Matthew 4bbb1-11`; `Mark 1bbb12-13`; `Luke 4bbb1-13`, incorporates in a summary form all temptations, namely this, that out of His love towards the whole human race He fought against self-love and love of the world, with which the hells were filled completely.
ttt[3] All temptation is an attack against the love present in a person, the degree of temptation depending on the degree of that love. If love is not attacked there is no temptation. Destroying another person's love is destroying his very life, for his love is his life. The Lord's life was love towards the whole human race; indeed it was so great and of such a nature as to be nothing other than pure love. Against this life of His, temptations were directed constantly, and this was happening, as has been stated, from earliest childhood through to His last hour in the world. The love that was the Lord's very life is meant by His being hungry and by the devil's saying,
If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread. And Jesus answered, It is written that man will not live by bread alone but by every word of God. `Luke 4bbb2-4`; `Matthew 4bbb2-4`.
ttt[4] That He fought against love of the world, or against all that constitutes love of the world, is meant by the devil's taking Him on to a high mountain and showing Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time and saying,
To you I will give all this power and their glory, for it has been given to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you, then, will worship before me, it will all be yours. But answering him Jesus said, Get behind Me, satan! for it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve. `Luke 4bbb5-8`; `Matthew 4bbb8-10`.
ttt[5] That He fought against self-love, and all that constitutes self-love, is meant by these words,
The devil took Him into the holy city, and set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, He will give His angels charge regarding you, and on their hands they will bear you, lest you strike your foot against a stone. Jesus said to him, Again it is written, You shall not tempt the Lord your God. `Matthew 4bbb5-7`; `Luke 4bbb9-12`.
Constant victory is meant by the statement that after temptation angels came and ministered to Him, `Matthew 4bbb11`; `Mark 1bbb13`.
ttt[6] To sum up, the Lord was attacked by all the hells from earliest childhood right through to the last hour of His life in the world. The hells were constantly overpowered, subdued, and vanquished by Him; and this He did solely out of love towards the whole human race. And because this love was not human but Divine, and because the intensity of the love determines that of the temptation, it becomes clear how severe His conflicts were, and on the part of the hells how fierce. That all this was indeed the case I know for sure.
ppp22156#pid#1691. That 'a mountain' means self-love and love of the world becomes clear from the meaning of 'a mountain', dealt with immediately below. All evil and falsity arise from self-love and love of the world; they have no other origin. Indeed self-love and love of the world are the reverse of celestial and spiritual love. And being the reverse they are loves which endeavour all the time to destroy the celestial and spiritual things of God's kingdom. From self-love and love of the world all kinds of hatred arise, and from hatred all kinds of revenge and cruelty, and from both the former and the latter all kinds of deception, in short, all the hells.
ttt[2] That 'mountains' in the Word means self-love and love of the world becomes clear from the following places: In Isaiah,
The eyes of man's (homo) loftiness will be humbled, and the height of men (homo) brought low; the day of Jehovah Zebaoth will be against everyone that is lofty and high, against all high mountains, and against all hills that are lifted up, and against every lofty tower. `Isaiah 2bbb11-12`, `Isaiah 2bbbccc14-15`.
'High mountains' plainly stands for self-love, and 'hills that are lifted up' for love of the world.
ttt[3] In the same prophet,
Every valley will be lifted up, and every mountain and hill made low. `Isaiah 40bbb4`.
This too plainly stands for self-love and love of the world. In the same prophet,
I will lay waste mountains and hills, and dry up every plant on them. `Isaiah 42bbb15`.
Here similarly 'mountains' stands for self-love, and 'hills' for love of the world. In Ezekiel,
The mountains will be overturned, and the terraced ridges will fall, and every wall will fall to the ground. `Ezekiel 38bbb20`.
ttt[4] In Jeremiah,
Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain, destroying the whole earth, and I will stretch out My hand against you and roll you down from the rocks and make you into a mountain of burning. `Jeremiah 51bbb25`.
This refers to Babel and Chaldea, which, as shown already, mean self-love and love of the world. In the Song of Moses,
A fire has flared up in My anger, and will burn right down to the lowest hell, and will devour the land and its increase, and will set on fire the foundations of the mountains. `Deuteronomy 32bbb22`.
'The foundations of the mountains' stands for the hells, as is explicitly stated. They are called 'the foundations of the mountains' because self-love and love of the world reign there and have their origin in them.
ttt[5] In Jonah,
The waters surrounded me, even to my soul, the deep closed around me, seaweed was wrapped about my head. I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the bars of the land were upon me for ever. Yet You brought up my life`fff1` from the pit, O Jehovah my God. `Jonah 2bbb5-6`.
The Lord's temptations against the hells are described in this prophetic manner by Jonah when in the stomach of the great fish, as also in other parts of the Word, especially in David. A person undergoing temptation is within the hells. Being in the hells is not at all a question of place but of state.
ttt[6] Since 'mountains' and 'towers' mean self-love and love of the world, it may therefore become clear what is meant by the reference to the Lord being led by the devil on to a high mountain and on to the pinnacle of the temple, namely that He was led into conflicts that constitute temptations - the most extreme conflicts of all - against self-love and love of the world, that is, against the hells. Mountains are also used, as is usual, in the contrary sense; in that sense they mean celestial and spiritual love, as shown already in `@@@795`, `@@@796`.
`nnn1. literally, my lives
ppp22155#pid#1692. What temptations, or the conflicts that constitute temptations, accomplish, scarcely anyone is able to know. They are the means by which evils and falsities are broken up and dispersed. They are also the means by which an abhorrence of these is produced, and a conscience is not only given but also strengthened, and man is accordingly regenerated. This is the reason why those who are being regenerated are led into conflicts and undergo temptations and why those who do not experience them during their earthly life do so in the next life, provided they are such as can be regenerated. And it is for these reasons also that the Lord's Church is called 'militant'. The Lord alone however underwent from His own strength or power the most cruel conflicts that constitute temptations, for He was beset by all the hells and constantly overcame them.
ttt[2] It is also the Lord alone who fights in the temptation-conflicts of those who do undergo these. Man by his own power can accomplish nothing in the slightest against evil or hellish spirits, for they are so closely linked to the hells that if one were vanquished another would rush to take his place, and so on for ever. They are like the sea pressing against every part of a dike. If the dike were to develop a split or crack the sea would never cease to pour through and flood the land until nothing was left standing. It would be like this with man if the Lord alone did not bear up against the conflicts experienced by man in temptations.
ppp22154#pid#1693. Verse `Genesis 14bbbccc11` And they took all the wealth of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their food and went their way.
'They took all the wealth of Sodom and Gomorrah' means that they were stripped of the power to do evil. 'And all their food' means that [they were stripped of] the power to think what was false. 'And went their way' means that in this condition they were left.
ppp22153#pid#1694. That 'they took all the wealth of Sodom and Gomorrah' means that they were stripped of the power to do evil is clear from the meaning of 'taking someone's wealth'. 'The wealth of Sodom and Gomorrah' is used to mean in the internal sense nothing else than evil and falsity, evil being meant here by 'the wealth' and falsity by 'the food'. In relation to the good, spiritual wealth and riches are nothing else than the goods and truths with which they are provided and enriched by the Lord; and therefore in relation to the evil, wealth and riches are nothing else than the evils and falsities which they have acquired to themselves. Such things are also meant in the Word by wealth. From these considerations it is clear that 'taking the wealth of Sodom and Gomorrah' is depriving them of the power to do evil.
ppp22152#pid#1695. That 'all their food' means the power to think what was false is clear from the meaning of 'food'. What the celestial, spiritual, and natural food are which people enjoy in the next life has been shown already in `@@@56`, `@@@58`, `@@@680`, `@@@681`. These also correspond to food for the body, and therefore they are also represented in the Word by food and are actually called food. The food of evil and hellish spirits however is that which is the reverse of wisdom, intelligence, and true knowledge, namely all falsity; and what is remarkable, evil spirits are also sustained by this food. The reason they are sustained by it is that it is their life. Unless they are given the opportunity to revile the truth, and indeed to blaspheme it, they cannot live. Yet they are not given the freedom to think and speak anything false except that which subsists from their own evil; they are not free to think or speak that which is contrary to their own evil, for this is deception. Insofar as their own evil is the origin of the falsity they express, their own life is the source of it; and in this case it is also forgiven them, since their nature is such that they could not otherwise live at all.
ttt[2] With regard to their being stripped of the power to do evil and to think falsity, the situation is that in the conflicts brought about by temptations evil spirits are permitted to draw forth all the evil and falsity residing in a person, and to fight from that person's evil and falsity. But once they have been overcome they are no longer allowed to do so, for, being within that person, they instantly perceive that good and truth have been confirmed. Such perception exists more completely with spirits than with men. From the very sphere of a person confirmed in truth and good they recognize in an instant what the situation is, what response they will get, and much else. This is quite clear in the case of a spiritual and regenerate person, with whom evil spirits are present just as much as they are with one who is not regenerate; but with the regenerate person they have been subdued and are subservient. These are the things meant by their being stripped of the power to do evil and to think falsity.
ppp22151#pid#1696. That 'they went their way' means that they were left is clear without explanation.
ppp22150#pid#1697. Verse `Genesis 14bbbccc12` And they took Lot and his acquisitions, Abram's brother's son, and went their way; and he was dwelling in Sodom.
'They took Lot and his acquisitions, Abram's brother's son, and went their way' means that apparent goods and truths, which are not in themselves goods and truths, took possession of the External Man and everything there. 'And he was dwelling in Sodom' means the state of that [External] Man.
ppp22149#pid#1698. That 'they took Lot and his acquisitions, Abram's brother's son, and went their way' means that apparent goods and truths, which are not in themselves goods and truths, took possession of the External Man and everything there is clear from the meaning of 'Lot' who, as stated and shown frequently already, means the Lord's Sensory or External Man; indeed here he means the External Man as regards apparent goods and truths, which here are 'Lot's acquisitions'. That those goods and truths bore the appearance in early childhood of being goods and truths but were not in fact so has been explained already. But that those goods and truths were gradually purified, by means indeed of the conflicts that constitute temptations, becomes clear from what has been stated about temptations.
ppp22148#pid#1699. That 'he was dwelling in Sodom' means the state of that [External] Man is clear from meaning of 'Sodom'.
ppp22147#pid#1700. Verse `Genesis 14bbbccc13` And one who had escaped came and told it to Abram me Hebrew; and he was dwelling among me oak-groves of Mamre the Amorite, me brother of Eshkol, and me brother of Aner; and these men were Abram's allies.
'One who had escaped came and told it to Abram the Hebrew' means that the Lord perceived from His Interior Man, 'Abram the Hebrew' being the Interior Man to whom the Internal or Divine Man was joined. 'And he was dwelling among the oak-groves of Mamre the Amorite' means the state of perception coming from the Rational Man. 'The brother of Eshkol and the brother of Aner, and these men were Abram's allies' means the state of the Rational Man in relation to the External Man as regards the nature of its goods and truths.
ppp22146#pid#1701. That 'one who had escaped came and told it to Abram the Hebrew' means that the Lord perceived from His Interior Man is clear from the meaning of 'Abram the Hebrew' as the Interior Man when joined to the Internal Man, dealt with just below. As in the internal sense these descriptions have reference to the Lord, and the historical details are representative, it is evident that 'one who had escaped came and told it' means nothing else than that the Lord perceived. The Interior Man perceives what is going on in the External Man, just as if someone were to tell of that activity. The Lord, who had a perception of all things that were taking place, knew very clearly the nature and the origin of the things that were occurring with Himself. For example, if something evil was taking possession of the affections of the External Man or if something false was taking possession of its cognitions, He inevitably knew the nature and the origin of it. He even knew which evil spirits were activating those things and how they did it, and many other things besides. For matters such as these, and countless others, do not lie hidden from angels, and scarcely so from men who have celestial perception. Still less were they hidden from the Lord.
ppp22145#pid#1702. That 'Abram the Hebrew' is the Interior Man to whom the Internal or Divine Man was joined becomes clear from the meaning of Abram the Hebrew, that is, from Abram's descriptive name used here 'the Hebrew'. In what has gone before and in what follows where Abram is referred to he is not called 'the Hebrew'. Only here is he called such, and therefore something distinct with regard to the Lord is represented and meant by 'Abram the Hebrew'. What is represented and meant becomes clear from the internal sense, namely this, that the Interior Man was joined to the Internal or Divine Man, as becomes clear also from the train of thought in the internal sense. The name 'the Hebrews' occurs in the Word when something to do with service is meant, whatever it may be, as becomes clear from what follows. The Interior Man is such that it serves the Internal or Divine Man, and therefore the Interior Man is here called 'Abram the Hebrew'.
ttt[2] What the interior man is scarcely anyone knows, and therefore let this be described briefly. The interior man is situated between the internal man and the external man, it being by means of the interior man that the internal man communicates with the external. Without the interior man between them no communication from one to the other is ever possible. The celestial is distinct and separate from the natural, and still more from the bodily; and unless there is something in between through which communication is established the celestial cannot possibly operate into the natural, still less into the bodily. The interior man is called the rational man, and because that man is situated between the two, it communicates in one direction with the internal man where there is good itself and truth itself, and in the other with the external man where there is evil and falsity. By means of this communication with the internal man a person is able to think about celestial and spiritual things, or look upwards, which animals cannot do; and by means of his communication with the external man a person is able to think about worldly and bodily things, or look downwards almost in the way animals do which likewise possess ideas of earthly things. In short, the interior man, or the man between internal man and external, is the rational man itself, which is spiritual or celestial when looking upwards but merely animal when looking downwards.
ttt[3] It is well known that a person can be aware of the fact that he is speaking in one way while thinking in another, and doing one thing while willing another, and that presence and deception are present; also that reason or rationality exists, and that this is something interior since it is able to dissent; also that with one who is to be regenerated something interior exists which battles with that which is exterior. This interior something which thinks differently and wills differently from that which is exterior, and which battles with it, is the interior man. Within this interior man conscience resides in the case of the spiritual man and perception in the case of the celestial man. This Interior Man, which was joined in the Lord's case to the Divine Internal Man, is that which is here called 'Abram the Hebrew'.
ppp22144#pid#1703. That the name 'a Hebrew' is used in the Word in reference to things which have to do with some form of service is clear from the following places: In Moses,
When your brother, a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you, and serves you for six years, then in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you. `Deuteronomy 15bbb12`.
Here the expressions 'a Hebrew men' and 'a Hebrew women' are used because servitude is the subject. In Jeremiah,
At the end of seven years you shall let go every man his brother that is a Hebrew who has been sold to you and has served you for six years. `Jeremiah 34bbb9`, `Jeremiah 34bbbccc14`.
Here similarly the name 'Hebrew' occurs because servitude is the subject, though the sons of Jacob are not called Hebrews in other places in the Prophets. In Samuel,
The Philistines said, Take heart and acquit yourselves like men, lest you be slaves to the Hebrews as they have served you. `1 Samuel 4bbb9`.
Here the meaning is similar.
ttt[2] In Moses,
Jehovah said to Moses, Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, Thus said Jehovah the God of the Hebrews, Let My people go so that they may serve Me. `Exodus 9bbb1`, `Exodus 9bbbccc13`; `Exodus ccc10bbb3`.
Here too because of their servitude they were called Hebrews. Potiphar's wife referred to Joseph as a Hebrew,
She called to the men of her house, and said to them, See, he has brought us a Hebrew man to make sport of us. `Genesis 39bbb14`.
He is called 'a Hebrew' because he was a slave there. The chief of the cup-bearers said to Pharaoh,
There was with us a Hebrew lad, a slave of the chief of the guards, and he interpreted our dreams to us. `Genesis 41bbb12`.
In addition the Egyptians called the children of Israel Hebrews, because they were slaves, or in slavery, as is well known from `Exodus 1bbb15-16`, `Exodus 1bbbccc19`, and elsewhere.
ppp22143#pid#1704. 'And he was dwelling among the oak-groves of Mamre the Amorite' means the state of perception coming from the Rational Man. This is clear from the meaning of 'an oak-grove' and of 'the oak-groves of Mamre the Amorite', dealt with already in `@@@1442`, `@@@1443`, `@@@1616`.
ppp22142#pid#1705. 'The brother of Eshkol and the brother of Aner, and these men were Abram's allies' means the state of the Rational Man in relation to the External Man as regards the nature of its goods and truths. This becomes clear from the meaning of these same men, discussed below at verse `Genesis 14bbbccc24`, where also they are mentioned by name. To put it briefly, Mamre, Eshkol, and Aner represent and mean the angels residing with the Lord when in earliest childhood He engaged in conflict, who were sufficiently equal to the goods and truths present with the Lord at that time. It is from goods and truths that angels receive their names. No angel in heaven has any personal name, but it is goods and truths from which names are bestowed on them, as with Michael and other angels mentioned in the Word. These are not angels possessing such personal names but angels so named because of the function they perform, whatever this may be. It is similar here with Mamre, Eshkol, and Aner, though these names are used representatively.
ppp22141#pid#1706. Verse `Genesis 14bbbccc14` And Abram heard that his brother had been taken captive, and he brought out his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued as far as Dan.
'Abram heard that his brother had been taken captive' means that the Interior Man perceived the nature of the state of the External Man. 'And he brought out his trained men, born in his house' means those goods residing with the External Man which were now released from the yoke of slavery. 'Three hundred and eighteen' means the nature of those goods. 'And pursued as far as Dan' means the beginning`fff1` of purification.
`nnn1. cp `@@@1710`
ppp22140#pid#1707. That 'Abram heard that his brother had been taken captive' means that the Interior Man perceived the nature of the state of the External Man is clear from the meaning of 'Abram' in the previous verse as the Interior Man to which the Internal or Divine Man was joined; from the meaning of 'Lot' as the External Man, as shown already; and also from the meaning of 'hearing that his brother had been taken captive' as perceiving the nature of its state, namely, as stated in verse `Genesis 14bbbccc12`, that - apparent goods and truths had possession of it.
ttt[2] The situation is this: When the Interior Man meant by 'Abram the Hebrew' perceived that the goods and truths from which the battle was being fought were not in fact goods and truths except in appearance, and that these had possession of the entire External Man meant by 'Lot his brother's son', the Interior Man, or rather the Divine Internal Man by means of the Interior Man, purified them. How this is done nobody can possibly know except one to whom it has been revealed. Indeed the influx of the internal man into the external man by way of the interior man situated between them is an arcanum, especially at the present time when few if any know what the interior man is, still less what the internal man is. As to what the internal man and the interior man are, see just above at verse `Genesis 14bbbccc13`.
ttt[3] But the nature of this influx will be mentioned briefly here. The internal man residing in everyone is the Lord's alone, for the Lord there stores away the goods and truths which He confers on man from earliest childhood. By way of these He flows from the internal man into the interior or rational man, and by way of this into the external man; and in this way man is enabled to think and be man. But the influx from the internal man into the interior man in between, and so into the external man, is twofold, passing either through celestial things or through spiritual, or what amounts to the same, either through goods or through truths. The influx through celestial things, or goods, occurs solely with regenerate persons, who have had either perception or conscience conferred on them, so that such influx is either by way of perception or else by way of conscience. Consequently influx by way of celestial things does not exist except among those with whom love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour are present. By way of spiritual things, or truths, however, the Lord flows into every person; and without that influx no one would have been able to think, nor thus to speak. When a person is such that he perverts goods and truths and does not care at all about celestial and spiritual things, no influx of celestial things, or goods, takes place. But though the road for celestial things and goods is closed, still an influx of spiritual things or truths takes place, that road being kept open all the time. This makes clear the nature of the interior man or man situated between internal man and external, which is the rational man.
ttt[4] Here 'Abram' means the internal man within the interior man situated between internal and external. When celestial things, or goods, flow in from the internal man into the interior man, the internal man takes to itself the interior man and makes it its own; yet the latter remains distinct and separate from the internal man. Similarly when the internal man flows into the external man through the interior man between the two, it takes this man also to itself, and makes it its own; yet that external man remains distinct and separate from the interior. So now, once the Internal Man perceived within the Interior Man that the state of the External Man was such - that is to say, that it 'had been taken captive' meaning that not genuine but apparent goods and truths had taken possession of it, from which goods and truths He fought against so many foes - that Internal Man flowed in, restored all things to order, and released the External Man from the things that infested it. The Internal Man accordingly purified the External Man, that is to say, so that there were present not apparent but genuine goods and truths, which were thus joined to the Internal or Divine Man - that conjunction being effected, as has been stated, through the Interior Man.
ttt[5] In one respect the Lord was not like any other human being, for His Interior Man as regards celestial things, or goods, was Divine, and from birth was joined to the Internal Man. The Internal Man together with this Interior Man was His Father, Jehovah Himself. But in another respect He was like others, in that His Interior Man as regards spiritual things, or truths, was joined to the External Man, and so was Human; but this too was by His own power made Divine, that is, Jehovah, through conflicts constituting temptations and through repeated victories. It is the External Man that is called 'Lot'; but in the previous state the expression 'brother's son' is used, in the present state 'Abram's brother'. It was called 'his brother's son' when apparent truths and goods had possession of it, but 'his brother' when genuine goods and genuine truths did so.
ppp22139#pid#1708. 'And he brought out his trained men, born in his house' means these goods residing with the External Man which were now released from the yoke of slavery. This is clear from the meaning of 'trained men' and also of 'bore in Abram's house'. In the internal sense 'Abram's trained men' - that is, trained but inexperienced - are those goods residing with the External Man that are able to be joined to the Interior Man, while those 'born in the house' in the internal sense are those same goods, and also truths, as belonging to that Interior Man. But these matters contain more arcana than can be made known. Those arcana have to do primarily with the way in which, following the conflicts brought about by temptations, apparent goods become genuine goods, and with the fact that when this happens they can be joined to the Interior Man and through the Interior Man to the Internal Man, and in like manner be made Divine. For the Lord, by degrees, joined the Human Essence to the Divine Essence, doing so, as has been stated, through conflicts and victories in temptations. These goods that were made genuine are what are called 'Abram's trained men' or inexperienced ones, for those goods had undergone training but were 'inexperienced'. And because they were acquired by His own power, they are called those 'born in the house'.
ppp22138#pid#1709. 'Three hundred and eighteen men' means the nature of those goods, that is to say, they are the holy things employed in conflict. The number eighteen entails this, as also does the number three hundred, for these numbers are compounded from three and six. Three means that which is holy, as shown in `@@@720`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc901`, and six means conflict, as shown in `@@@737`, `@@@900`. Abram's bringing out of such a number of men is true historically; but still it was also representative, as is every historical detail of the Word recorded in the five Books of Moses, and in the Books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Daniel, and Jonah, where in like manner numbers embody arcana within them. For nothing has been written in the Word that was not of such a representative nature. If it were not representative it would not be the Word and it would never have been recorded that Abram brought out three hundred and eighteen, and also that they were trained and were born in his house, besides many other details mentioned in this chapter.
ppp22137#pid#1710. 'And pursued as far as Dan' means a state of purification. This is clear from the train of thought in the internal sense. 'Pursuing enemies' here means casting out the evils and falsities which were present with goods and truths and which caused these to be no more than goods and truths in outward appearance, and thus it means liberating them and purifying them. 'As far as Dan' means to Canaan's furthest boundary, and so to the outer limits to which they had fled. That Dan means the furthest boundaries or outer limits of Canaan is clear from various parts of the Word, as in Samuel,
To translate the kingdom from the house of Saul and to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah. from Dan even to Beersheba. `2 Samuel 3bbb10`.
In the same book,
The whole of Israel from Dan even to Beersheba will be assembled together. `2 Samuel 17bbb10`.
In the same book,
David said to Joab, Go through all the tribes of Israel from Dan even to Beersheba. `2 Samuel 24bbb2`, `2 Samuel 24bbbccc15`.
In the Book of Kings,
Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every one under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba. `1 Kings 4bbb25`.
From these quotations it is evident that Dan was the furthest boundary of Canaan, in which direction the enemies were pursued that were infesting the goods and truths of the External Man. But because Dan was a boundary of Canaan, and so inside Canaan, they were driven still further away so that they should not remain there - namely to 'Hobah on the left of Damascus', as is clear from the verse that comes next - and in this way purification was accomplished. As stated already, 'the land of Canaan' means in a holy sense the Lord's kingdom, and thus the celestial element of love, or the good of love, chiefly the good residing in the Lord.
ppp22136#pid#1711. Verse `Genesis 14bbbccc15` And he divided himself against them by night, he and his servants, and smote them, and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is on the left of Damascus.
'He divided himself against them by night' means the shade which the apparent goods and truths were in. 'He and his servants' means the Rational Man and those things in the External Man that were obedient. 'And he smote them' means an act of reclamation. 'And he pursued them as far as Hobah, which is on the left of Damascus' means to that particular extent.
ppp22135#pid#1712. That 'he divided himself against them by night' means the shade which the apparent goods and truths were in is clear from the meaning of 'night' as a state of shade. It is called a state of shade when a person does not know whether good and truth are apparent or genuine. While a person is limited to apparent good and truth he imagines that these are genuine good and truth. It is the evil and falsity present in apparent good and truth that produce the shade and cause them to be seen as genuine. What else can people who are in ignorance know than that the good they do is their own, and that the truth they think is their own? The same applies to people who ascribe the good deeds they do to themselves and place merit in them, unaware of the fact that in this case those deeds are not good though they appear to be so, and that the proprium and the self-merit they place in them are evils and falsities that cause obscurity and darkness. And the same applies in many other instances.
ttt[2] What evil and falsity are like, and how much evil and falsity lie concealed in such deeds, cannot possibly be seen so clearly in the life of the body as in the next life, where these are presented to view altogether as in broad daylight. But it is different if a person acts out of ignorance that has not been confirmed, for in that case those evils and falsities are easily dispersed. But if people confirm themselves in the notion that they are able to do good and to withstand evil by their own powers, and that thus they merit salvation, such a notion remains attached, and causes the good to be evil, and the truth to be falsity. Yet for all this, order requires that a person should do good as though from himself, and ought not therefore to stay his hand and think to himself, 'If I am unable to do anything good at all from myself I must wait for immediate influx' and so remain inactive. This is also contrary to order. Man ought to do good as though from himself; but when he stops to reflect on the good he is doing or has done, let him think, acknowledge, and believe that the Lord present with him has accomplished it.
ttt[3] If by thinking as described he gives up acting as of himself he is not a subject into whom the Lord can operate. The Lord cannot flow into anyone who deprives himself of everything into which power has to be introduced. He is like someone who is not willing to learn anything except through a revelation made to him; or like someone who is not willing to teach anything unless the words are put into his mouth; or like someone who is unwilling to attempt anything unless he is directed as one without a will. But if this were done he would be more indignant still at being like an inanimate object. In fact however that which is animated by the Lord in a person is the very thing which makes it seem as though it were from himself. That man does not live from himself is an eternal truth; yet if he did not appear to do so he could not possibly live at all.
ppp22134#pid#1713. 'He and his servants' means the Rational Man and those things in the External Man that were obedient. This is clear from the meaning of the pronoun 'he', that is, of Abram, as the Interior Man, dealt with above, and from the meaning of 'servants' as things that are obedient. All things in the external man, before this has been set free and reclaimed, are called 'servants' or 'slaves', for they are wholly obedient to the interior man. For example, present with the exterior man there are affections and there is factual knowledge. The former originate in the goods of the interior man, the latter in the truths of the same. When these are made to act so that they conform with the interior man they are said to 'serve and obey'. Here therefore 'servants' means nothing else than the things in the External Man that were obedient.
ppp22133#pid#1714. That 'he smote them' means an act of reclamation becomes clear from the train of thought, and without explanation.
ppp22132#pid#1715. 'And he pursued them as far as Hobah, which is on the left of Damascus' means to that particular extent. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'Hobah, which is on the left of Damascus'. Where Hobah was nobody knows, for it is not mentioned again in the Word. Damascus however was the capital city of Syria, as is clear in `2 Samuel 8bbb5-6`; `Isaiah 7bbb8`, which has almost the same meaning as Syria, dealt with already at Chapter `Isaiah ccc10bbb22`. The furthest boundary of the land of Canaan, but beyond Dan, is described as being Damascus, as in Amos,
You have taken up Sikkuth your king, and Kiyun your images, the star of your gods which you made for yourselves And I will cause you to go away beyond Damascus. `Amos 5bbb26-27`.
The northern boundary of the holy land or the Lord's kingdom is also called the boundary of Damascus in `Ezekiel 47bbb16` `Ezekiel ccc18bbb0`; `Ezekiel ccc48bbb1`. When it is said in the present verse that 'they were smitten and driven away as far as Hobah, which is on the left of Damascus', the extent to which apparent goods and truths were purified is meant. But unless the nature of those apparent goods and truths is known and by what means they were purified to make them genuine, no proper explanation of the meaning here of 'Hobah on the left of Damascus' is possible, apart from the general observation that they were purified.
ppp22131#pid#1716. Verse `Genesis 14bbbccc16` And he brought back all the acquisitions, and also Lot his brother and his acquisitions he brought back, and the women and the people as well.
'He brought back all the acquisitions' means that the Interior Man brought all things in the External Man back into a state of agreement. 'And also Lot his brother and his acquisitions he brought back' means the External Man and all that belonged to it. 'The women and the people' means both goods and truths.
ppp22130#pid#1717. That 'he brought back all the acquisitions' means that the Interior Man brought all things in the External Man back into a state of agreement becomes clear from the meaning of 'bringing back all the acquisitions', the acquisitions here being the things which Chedorlaomer and the kings with him had taken from their enemies, as described in what has gone before. 'Chedorlaomer and the kings with him' meant the goods and truths in the Exterior Man. They did not take from their enemies anything apart from depriving them of the power to do evil and to think falsity, which was meant by 'the wealth of Sodom and Gomorrah' and by all the food they took, dealt with above at verse `Genesis 14bbbccc11`.
ttt[2] This is not a matter that can be explained briefly, yet to gain some notion concerning it, let the following be said. A person who is engaged in the conflicts that constitute temptations, and who overcomes, more and more acquires to himself power over evil spirits, that is, over the devil's crew, till at length they do not dare to tempt him at all. Every time a victory is won, the Lord brings back into a state of order the goods and truths from which the battle was fought, and so they are purified. And to the degree that these are purified, the celestial things of love are implanted in the exterior man, and a correspondence is achieved. This is what is meant by 'bringing back all the acquisitions'.
ttt[3] Anyone who thinks that the external man can be brought back into correspondence without the conflicts brought about by temptations is mistaken; for temptations are the means by which evils and falsities are dispelled, also by which goods and truths are introduced, and by which the things belonging to the external man are brought into obedience so that it may serve the interior or rational man, and through the latter may serve the internal man, that is, the Lord who operates by way of the internal man. That these things are effected by temptations nobody can know except the person who has been regenerated by means of temptations. But how this is accomplished can hardly be described even as to its most general features, for it is accomplished without the person's knowing the origin and manner of its accomplishment, since it is a Divine operation by the Lord.
ppp22129#pid#1718. 'And also Lot his brother and his acquisitions he brought back' means the External Man and all that belonged to it. This is clear from the meaning of 'Lot' as the external man, dealt with frequently. What the external man is, scarcely anyone knows at the present day, for people imagine that solely the things belonging to the body constitute the external man, such as its sensory powers of touch, taste, smell, hearing, and sight, and also its appetites and pleasures. But these constitute the outermost man, which is merely bodily. The external man proper consists of the factual knowledge belonging to the memory and of the affections belonging to the love with which the person has been imbued, as well as consisting of the sensory powers which belong properly to the spirit, together with the pleasures which also reside with the spirit. The fact that these things properly constitute the external or exterior man becomes clear from human beings in the next life, that is, from spirits. These likewise have an external man, an interior man, and consequently an internal man. The body is merely a perishable covering or shell so to speak, which exists so that the person may truly live and so that all that constitutes his being may become more excellent.
ppp22128#pid#1719. 'The women and the people' means both goods and truths. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'wives' and 'daughters' as goods, dealt with already in `@@@489-491`, `@@@568`, `@@@915` - 'women' being used here instead of wives and daughters; and from the meaning of 'people' as truth, also dealt with already, in `@@@1259`, `@@@1260`.
ppp22127#pid#1720. Verse `Genesis 14bbbccc17` And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after he had returned from smiting Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's valley.
'The king of Sodom went out to meet him' means that the evil and falsity submitted to Him. 'After he had returned from smiting Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him' means the release and reclamation of the apparent goods and truths. 'At the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's valley' means the state of the External Man as regards goods and truths at that time.
ppp22126#pid#1721. That 'the king of Sodom went out to meet him' means that the evil and falsity submitted to Him is clear from the meaning of 'the king of Sodom' as the evil and falsity against which the conflict took place, and from the meaning of 'going out to meet' as submitting. Mention is made here of the king of Sodom because of this point occurring in the sequence of thought, that the evil and falsity submitted themselves to Him; but that king is not specifically the subject until verse `Genesis 14bbbccc21` below.
ppp22125#pid#1722. 'After he had returned from smiting Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him' means the release and reclamation of the apparent goods and truths. 'I his is clear from what has gone before and from what has been stated above regarding Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him.
ppp22124#pid#1723. 'At the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's valley' means the state of the External Man as regards goods and truths at that time. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'the valley of Shaveh' and also of the 'king's valley'. 'The valley of Shaveh' means the goods of the External Man, 'the king's valley' the truths of the same Man. The External Man is called 'a valley' on account of its being below. That which is more external is also lower, just as that which is more internal is also higher. That 'a king' means truth has been stated already in `@@@1672`.
ppp22123#pid#1724. Verse `Genesis 14bbbccc18` And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; and he was a priest to God Most High.
'Melchizedek' means the celestial things of the Lord's Interior Man. 'King of Salem' means a state of peace as regards interior or rational things. 'He brought out bread' means celestial things and the refreshment received from them. 'And wine' means spiritual things and the refreshment received from them. 'And he was a priest' means the holiness of love. 'To God Most High' means the Internal Man, which is Jehovah.
ppp22122#pid#1725. That 'Melchizedek' means the celestial things of the Lord's Interior Man becomes clear from the meaning of 'Melchizedek', to be dealt with shortly, and also from the things that come before and after. What the internal man is, what the interior man is, and what the external man is, has been adequately shown above, as also has the fact that the internal man flows into the external man by way of the interior man, as well as that the internal man flows into the interior man either by way of celestial things or by way of spiritual things - by way of celestial things with every regenerate person, that is, with people who lead lives of love to the Lord and of love towards the neighbour, but by way of spiritual things with every individual, whatever his character. It is from this influx that he has his light from heaven, that is, is enabled to think and speak, and to be a human being. See what has appeared already in `@@@1707`.
ttt[2] The celestial things of the interior man are all those that belong to celestial love, as often stated already. These celestial things with the Lord's Interior Man, or the Lord's Interior Man as to these celestial things, is called 'Melchizedek'. The Internal Man within the Lord was Jehovah Himself; and when the Interior Man, following the conflicts brought about by temptations, had been purified, that became Divine and Jehovah as well, as likewise did the External Man. But now, while the Interior Man was still passing through a state involving the conflicts brought about by temptation and had not yet been purified to any great extent by means of such conflicts, it is called as to celestial things 'Melchizedek', that is, 'king of holiness and righteousness'.
ttt[3] That this is indeed so is also evident in David where similarly the Lord's conflicts during temptations are the subject, and where at length His Interior Man as regards celestial things is called Melchizedek,
Jehovah said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand till I make Your enemies as Your foot-stool; Jehovah will send the rod of strength from Zion; have dominion in the midst of Your enemies. Your people will be prompt to offer themselves on the day of Your power, in the beauty of holiness. From the womb of the morning You have the dew of Your birth. Jehovah has sworn and will not repent, You are a Priest for ever, after the manner of`fff1` Melchizedek. The Lord on Your right hand has smitten kings on the day of His anger. `Psalms 110bbb1-5`.
These verses of `Psalms 110bbb0` refer, as does this chapter in Genesis, to the Lord's temptation-conflicts with the hells, as becomes clear from every word. The fact that the statements in this Psalm refer to the Lord, He Himself teaches in `Matthew 22bbb43-45`; `Mark 12bbb36`; `Luke 20bbb42-44`. 'Making enemies a foot-stool', 'having dominion in the midst of enemies', 'the day of power', and 'smiting kings on the day of His anger' mean the conflicts that constitute temptations, and victories.
`nnn1. The Latin means according to my word but the Hebrew means after the manner (or the word) of, which Swedenborg has in other places where he quotes this verse.
ppp22121#pid#1726. That 'king of Salem' means a state of peace as regards interior or rational things is clear from the meaning of 'Salem'. Salem in the original language means peace, and also perfection, and thus [in the internal sense] means a state of peace and a state of perfection. A state of peace is the state of the Lord's kingdom. In that state celestial and spiritual things, which are the Lord's, exist so to speak in their early morning and their spring-time, for that peace is like the dawn that breaks in the early morning, and the new life that comes in spring-time. The dawn and the spring cause everything that reaches the senses at those times to be full of joy and gladness; every object draws forth a particular affection from one's general affection for the dawn and the spring. So it is with the state of peace in the Lord's kingdom. In a state of peace everything celestial or spiritual exists so to speak in its early morn or spring-time blossom and cheer, that is, in its very happiness. Such is the manner in which the state of peace affects each particular thing, for the Lord is Peace itself. The same is also meant by 'Salem' in David,
In Judah is God known; in Israel His name is great, and in Salem is His tabernacle, and His dwelling-place in Zion. `Psalms 76bbb1-2`.
While a person is undergoing the conflicts brought about by temptations the Lord grants him by turns a state of peace, and so refreshes him. A state of peace is meant here by 'Salem' and also by 'the bread and wine' mentioned next, which means celestial and spiritual things and thus a state of celestial and spiritual things in peace, which state is refreshment itself.
ppp22120#pid#1727. 'He brought out bread' means celestial things and the refreshment received from them, while 'and wine' means spiritual things and the refreshment received from them. This is clear from the meaning of 'bread' as that which is celestial, dealt with in `@@@276`, `@@@680`, and from the meaning of 'wine', and also of a vine and a vineyard, as that which is spiritual, dealt with in `@@@1069`, `@@@1071`. And because 'breed' means celestial things, and 'wine' spiritual, they were also made symbols in the Holy Supper. Here 'Melchizedek brought out bread and wine' has a similar meaning, for in the Ancient Church 'breed' was the representative of all celestial things, and 'wine' the representative of all spiritual things. Thus here they are representatives of the Lord Himself, the source of everything celestial and everything spiritual.
ppp22119#pid#1728. 'And he was a priest' means the holiness of love. This is clear from the meaning of 'a priest' in the Word. Two special ways in which the Lord is characterized are as King and as Priest. A king or the office of king means holy truth, and a priest or the office of priest means holy good. The former is the Divine Spiritual, the latter the Divine Celestial. As King the Lord governs every single thing in the universe from Divine Truth; but as Priest He does so from Divine Good. Divine Truth is the order itself of His kingdom existing everywhere, all the laws of which are truths, or eternal verities. Divine Good is the very essential of order, every aspect of which is an expression of mercy. Both of these - Divine Good and Divine Truth - are attributed to the Lord. If solely Divine Truth were His, no mortal man could be saved, for truths condemn everyone to hell. But Divine Good, which is the essence of mercy, raises people up from hell towards heaven. Divine Truth and Divine Good are what kings and priests in the Jewish Church represented; and Melchizedek as king of Salem and priest to God Most High represented them too.
ppp22118#pid#1729. 'To God Most High' means the Internal Man, which is Jehovah. This is clear from what has been stated several times above about the Lord's Internal Man being Jehovah Himself, so that the Lord is identical with Jehovah the Father, as He Himself says in John,
I am the way, and the truth, and the life. Philip said, Show us the Father. Jesus said to him, Have I been with you for so long, and yet you do not know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father. So why do you say, Show us the Father? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me. `John 14bbb6`, `John 14bbbccc8-11`.
ttt[2] It is the Lord's Human Essence that is called the Son of Man. This too, after the conflicts brought about by temptations, was united to the Divine Essence, so that the Human Essence as well became Jehovah. In heaven therefore they know no other Father Jehovah but the Lord - see what has appeared already in `@@@15`. With the Lord everything is Jehovah, not only His Internal Man and Interior Man, but also His External Man, including the body itself. He alone therefore has risen into heaven with the body as well, as is quite clear in the Gospels where His resurrection is described, and also from the Lord's own words,
Why do thoughts arise in your hearts? See My hands and My feet, for it is I Myself. Handle Me, and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see Me have. And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and feet. `Luke 24bbb38-40`.
ppp22117#pid#1730. Verse `Genesis 14bbbccc19` And he blessed him and said, Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth.
'He blessed him' means the enjoyment of celestial and spiritual things. 'And said, Blessed be Abram by God Most High' means that the Lord's Interior Man had the enjoyment of goods coming from His Internal Man. 'Possessor of heaven and earth' means the conjunction of the Internal Man, or Jehovah, with the interior and the Exterior Man.
ppp22116#pid#1731. That 'he blessed him' means the enjoyment of celestial and spiritual things becomes clear from the meaning of 'blessing' as having the enjoyment of all goods, dealt with in `@@@981`, `@@@1096`. People who enjoy celestial and spiritual goods have the enjoyment of all goods, for it is from the celestial and spiritual that all goods of every description derive. The things contained in this verse announce and proclaim the conjunction of the Lord's Human Essence with His Divine Essence. The blessing itself implies it.
ppp22115#pid#1732. 'Blessed be Abram by God Most High' means that the Lord's Interior Man had the enjoyment of goods coming from His Internal Man. Similarly, this is clear from the meaning of 'blessing' as having the enjoyment of goods, as has been stated; also from the meaning of 'Abram' here as the Interior or Rational Man, dealt with above at verse `Genesis 14bbbccc13`; and then from the meaning of 'God Most High' as the Lord's Internal Man, also dealt with already. 'Abram', as has been stated, means the Interior or Rational Man, which was to be united to the Internal Man, or Jehovah, which union was accomplished through the conflicts that constituted temptations, and through victories. Indeed the situation with the Interior Man is that the Interior Man, as has been stated, is situated between the Internal Man and External Man, and enables the Internal Man to flow into the External. Without that Interior Man no communication takes place, and when it does take place it is a communication of celestial and spiritual things. When the communication was one of celestial things, the Interior Man was called 'Melchizedek', but when the communication was one of spiritual things it is called 'Abram the Hebrew'.
ppp22114#pid#1733. 'Possessor of heaven and earth' means the conjunction of the Internal Man, or Jehovah, with the Interior and the Exterior Man. This is clear from the meaning of 'heaven and earth'. That which is interior in man is called 'heaven', and that which is exterior 'earth'. The reason heaven means that which is interior in man is that man as regards interior things is an image of heaven, and so a miniature heaven. The Lord's Interior Man primarily is heaven, for the Lord is the All in all of heaven, and thus heaven itself. The exterior man's being called 'the earth' follows as a consequence of this. Here also is the reason why 'the new heaven and the new earth' described in the Prophets and in the Book of Revelation is used to mean nothing other than the Lord's kingdom and every person who is the Lord's kingdom, that is, who has the Lord's kingdom within him. As regards heaven and earth having these meanings, see `@@@82`, `@@@911`, for heaven, and `@@@82`, `@@@620`, `@@@636`, `@@@913`, for earth.
ttt[2] That 'God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth' here means the conjunction of the Internal Man with the Interior and Exterior Man in the Lord becomes clear from the consideration that the Lord as regards the Internal Man was Jehovah Himself; and because the Internal Man or Jehovah guided and instructed the External Man - as the Father did the Son - the External Man considered in relation to Jehovah is therefore called the Son of God, but in relation to the mother the Son of Man. The Lord's Internal Man, which is Jehovah Himself, is that which is here called 'God Most High', and until complete conjunction or union had taken place it is called 'Possessor of heaven and earth', that is, Possessor of all that resided in the Interior and Exterior Man, which, as has been stated, is here meant by 'heaven and earth'.
ppp22113#pid#1734. Verse `Genesis 14bbbccc20` And blessed be God Most High who has delivered your enemies into your hand; and he gave him a tenth of everything. 'Blessed be God Most High' means the Lord's Internal Man. 'Who has delivered your enemies into your hand' means victory. 'And he gave him a tenth of everything' means remnants gained from victory.
ppp22112#pid#1735. That 'blessed be God Most High' means the Lord's Internal Man is clear from what has been stated just above concerning the Internal Man. Jehovah was called 'God Most High' in the Ancient Church for the reason that 'height' represented and therefore meant what is internal, so that 'Most High' meant that which is inmost. This is why the worship of the Ancient Church was celebrated on high places, mountains, and hills. Also, that which is inmost in relation to the exterior and outermost is exactly the same as that which is the most high in relation to lower and lowest. The Most High, or Inmost, is the Celestial element of Love, or Love itself. Jehovah, or the Lord's Internal, was the Celestial element itself of Love, that is, it was Love itself, to which no other attributes are appropriate than those of pure Love and so of pure Mercy towards the whole human race, that Mercy being such that it wills to save all men, to make them eternally happy, and to impart to them all that is its Own - thus out of pure Mercy and by the mighty power of love to draw towards heaven, that is, towards Itself, all who are willing to follow. That Love itself is Jehovah. To Love alone, and to nothing else, is [the substantive verb] Am or Is truly applicable.
ttt[2] From that Love the Being (Esse) of all life is derived, that is, Life itself is derived; for that Being is present within Love and is Love itself. And because Jehovah alone, since He alone is Love, is the Being (Esse) of life, or Life itself, every single thing has its being (esse) and its life from Him. Nor can anyone except Jehovah alone, that is, the Lord alone, be and live from himself. And because no one except the Lord alone can do so, men's seeming to themselves to live from themselves is an illusion of the senses. Angels perceive clearly that they do not live from themselves but from the Lord, since they live in the Being (Esse) of the Lord's life because they abide in His Love. Yet to them more than to all others there is granted, together with indescribable happiness, the appearance of living as if from themselves. This therefore is what is meant by living in the Lord, something that is not possible unless one lives in His Love, that is, in charity towards the neighbour.
ppp22111#pid#1736. The fact that the Lord is Jehovah, who is here called 'God Most High', is quite clear from the Word: in Isaiah,
Jehovah Zebaoth is His name, and your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the God of the whole earth He is called. `Isaiah 54bbb5`.
Here it is explicitly stated that 'the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel', who is the Lord alone, is 'Jehovah Zebaoth' and 'the God of the whole earth'. In the same prophet,
Thus said Jehovah your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, I am Jehovah your God. `Isaiah 48bbb17`.
In the same prophet,
I am helping you, said Jehovah your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. `Isaiah 41bbb14`.
The expressions 'the Holy One of Israel' and 'the God of Israel' occur many times. That the Lord is the Holy One of Israel and the God of Israel is quite clear from where it is said that they saw the God of Israel, under whose feet there was so to speak a paved work of sapphire stone, like the substance of the sky for purity, `Exodus 24bbb10`.
ttt[2] None other was acknowledged and called Jehovah by the Jewish Church because that Church worshipped the one God Jehovah, and more importantly, because all the religious observances of that Church represented Him -- though the majority did not know this - and because all things in the internal sense of the Word had Him as their meaning. In Isaiah,
He will swallow up death for ever, and the Lord Jehovih will wipe away tears from all faces. And it will be said on that day, Behold, this is our God, we have waited for Him and He will save us. This is Jehovah, whom we have waited for; let us be glad and rejoice in His salvation. `Isaiah 25bbb8-9`.
This refers to the Coming of the Lord.
ttt[3] In the same prophet,
Behold, the Lord Jehovih will come with might, and His arm will exercise dominion for Him. He will pasture His flock like a shepherd, He will gather into His arm, He will carry the tiny lambs in His bosom,`fff1` and will lead those that give suck. `Isaiah 40bbb10-11`.
This refers explicitly to the Lord who is 'the Lord Jehovih'. 'He will come with might, and His arm will exercise dominion for Him' stands for the fact that He would by His own power overcome the hells. 'Pasturing the flock', 'gathering into His arm', 'carrying the tiny lambs in His bosom', and 'leading those that give suck' have reference to His love, or mercy.
ttt[4] In the same prophet,
Thus said Jehovah, God Himself who created the heavens, who formed the earth and made it, who Himself established it and created it not an emptiness, and formed it to dwell in: I am Jehovah, and there is none else. Am not I Jehovah and there is no God else besides Me? A just God, and a Saviour, there is none besides Me. Look to Me and be saved, all ends of the earth. For I am God and there is no other. `Isaiah 45bbb18`, `Isaiah 45bbbccc21-22`.
Here it is explicitly stated that the Lord alone is Jehovah and God. 'To create the heavens and form the earth' is to regenerate, and so 'the Creator of heaven and earth' is the Regenerator, see `@@@16`, `@@@88`, `@@@472`, and elsewhere. This is why the Lord is in various places called Creator, One who forms, and Maker.
ttt[5] In the same prophet,
You are our Father, for Abraham does not know us and Israel does not acknowledge us. You, O Jehovah, are our rather, our Redeemer; from of old is Your name. `Isaiah 63bbb15-16`.
This refers explicitly to the Lord who alone is the Redeemer. In Moses,
Take notice of His face,`fff2` and hearken to His voice, lest you provoke Him, for He will not endure your transgression, for My name is in the midst of Him. `Exodus 23bbb21`.
'Name' is the essential nature, see `@@@144`, `@@@145`, while 'in the midst' is the inmost, `@@@1074`.
ttt[6] In Isaiah,
To us a Boy is born, to us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. His name will be called, Wonderful, Counsellor, God, Hero, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace. `Isaiah 9bbb6-7`.
This plainly refers to the Lord. In Jeremiah,
Behold, the days are coming and I will raise up for David a righteous branch and He will reign as King, and act with understanding, and execute judgement and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell with confidence. And this is His name which they will call Him, Jehovah our Righteousness. `Jeremiah 23bbb5-6`.
This plainly refers to the Lord. In Zechariah,
Jehovah will be King over all the earth; in that day there will be one Jehovah, and His name one. `Zechariah 14bbb9`.
This is plainly a reference to the Lord. 'Name' stands for Essential Nature.
`nnn1. In other places where he quotes these verses Swedenborg punctuates them, in keeping with the Hebrew, as follows - He will gather the (tiny) lambs, He will carry them in His bosom.
`nnn2. literally, faces
ppp22110#pid#1737. 'Who has delivered your enemies into your hand' means victory. This becomes clear without explanation. The joining of the Human Essence to the Divine Essence was brought about and effected by the Lord by means of constant conflicts that constitute temptations, and by victories; and He did all this from His own power. Anyone who conceives the manner of conjunction and union to be different from that is much mistaken. This was the way in which He became Righteousness. The conjunction or union was effected with the celestial element of love, that is, with Love itself, which, as has been stated, is Jehovah. The joining of men to the Lord is also effected by means of temptations and by the implanting of faith in love. Unless faith is implanted in love, that is, unless a person by means of things that belong to faith receives the life of faith, which is charity, conjunction is not possible. This alone is what 'to follow Him' implies, namely to be joined to the Lord, even as the Lord as regards His Human Essence was joined to Jehovah. For the same reason all such people are called sons of God - from the Lord who is the only Son of God - and become images of Him.
ppp22109#pid#1738. 'And he gave him a tenth of everything' means remnants gained from victory. This is clear from the meaning of 'tenths' as remnants, dealt with already in `@@@576`. For what remnants are however, see `@@@468`, `@@@530`, `@@@560`, `@@@561`, `@@@661`, `@@@1050`, where it is shown that they are all the states of love and charity, and all the states of innocence and peace, with which a person is endowed. He is endowed with these states from earliest childhood, though that endowment gradually diminishes as he advances into adult life. But while a person is being regenerated he receives, in addition to those he has already, new remnants, and thus new life; for it is from, or by means of, remnants that a person is enabled to be human. In fact, if devoid of the state of love and charity, and if devoid of the state of innocence - states that instill themselves into all the other states of his life-a person is no longer human, but worse than any wild animal. It is remnants acquired during the conflicts brought about by temptations that are meant in the present verse. These remnants are what the tenths given to Melchizedek by Abram mean. They are also all the celestial things of love which the Lord gathered to Himself through the constant conflicts and victories by means of which He was constantly being united to the Divine Essence until the point was reached when His Human Essence as well had become Love, or the Being (Esse) of life, that is, Jehovah.
ppp22108#pid#1739. Verse `Genesis 14bbbccc21` And the king of Sodom said to Abram, Give me the people and take the acquisitions for yourself.`fff1`
'The king of Sodom said' means the evil and falsity that had been overcome. 'To Abram' means the Lord's Rational. 'Give me the people and take the acquisitions for yourself'`fff1` means that He was to give them life and they would not care about anything else.
`nnn1. literally, Give me the soul[s], and keep the acquisition[s] for yourself
ppp22107#pid#1740. That 'the king of Sodom' means the evil and falsity that had been overcome is clear from the meaning of 'Sodom' as evil and falsity, as shown above in this chapter. Verse `Genesis 14bbbccc17` above says that 'the king of Sodom went out to meet Abram' which meant that evil and falsity submitted. The present verse continues the idea that they were suppliant.
ttt[2] The reason why evil and falsity were overcome, or why evils and falsities are overcome by means of the conflicts constituting temptations, and so why goods and truths are acquired, is that this is the manner in which evils and falsities are dispelled. Once these have been dispelled goods and truths take their place, and in the end are confirmed more and more and so strengthened. Indeed it is evil spirits who activate evils and falsities, and unless they do so a person scarcely knows that they are evils and falsities. But once activated they are evident. And the longer the conflicts brought about by temptations persist, the more evident such evils and falsities become, till at length they are regarded with abhorrence.
ttt[3] And as evils and falsities are dispelled, so goods and truths take their place; and the more a person contracts an abhorrence of evils and falsities, the more love the Lord instills for goods and truths. Furthermore the greater that abhorrence of evils and falsities becomes, the less do evil spirits dare to approach, for they cannot stand this aversion to and abhorrence of the evils and falsities constituting their life. Sometimes they are seized with terror the moment they start to approach. And the more love there is for goods and truths, the more do angels love to be with man, and this to the angels is heaven; for their own life exists with them when the goods of love and the truths of faith exist with them.
ppp22106#pid#1741. 'To Abram' means the Lord's Rational. This is clear from the representation of 'Abram'. In the two previous chapters Abram represented the Lord, or His state in childhood, but in the present chapter he represents the Lord's Rational, and in this case he is called 'Abram the Hebrew', as is clear from what has been stated and shown above at verse `Genesis 14bbbccc13`. His representation here is the same, for no other Abram is meant in this chapter than 'Abram the Hebrew'. The Lord's Spiritual that was joined to the Internal Man is 'Abram the Hebrew', whereas His Celestial that was joined to the Internal Man was represented and meant by 'Melchizedek', as has been stated.
ppp22105#pid#1742. 'Give me the people and take the acquisitions for yourself'`fff1` means that He was to give them life and they would not care about anything else. This is clear from the meaning of 'soul' as life, dealt with already in `@@@1000`, `@@@1005`, `@@@1040`, and from the meaning of 'acquisitions' as all the other things that do not belong properly to life, dealt with immediately below.
ttt[2] The life that evil spirits have and love desperately is the life belonging to the desires that derive from self-love and love of the world - consequently the life that goes with hatred, revenge, and cruelty; and they imagine that no delight can exist in any other kind of life. They are like men, for they have been men and retain this conviction from their life when they were men. They centre all life in the delight that accompanies such desires; indeed they know no other than that this life is the only life, and that when they lose it they will die completely. The nature of the life they love is clear from those like them in the next life. There it is converted into a life that stinks most disgustingly, yet what is remarkable, they perceive that stench as something most delightful, as becomes clear from what has been told from experience in `@@@820`, `@@@954`.
ttt[3] The same applies to the devils who, having been cast out of the demoniac by the Lord, begged for fear of their lives to be sent into the pigs, `Mark 5bbb7-13`. That these were people who during their lifetime had surrendered themselves to foul avarice becomes clear from the fact that such people seem to themselves in the next life to spend their time among pigs. They do so because the life of pigs corresponds to avarice, and therefore they find it delightful, as is clear in what has been told from experience in `@@@939`.
`nnn1. literally, Give me the soul[s], and keep the acquisition[s] for yourself
ppp22104#pid#1743. Verse `Genesis 14bbbccc22` And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lifted up my hand to Jehovah God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth. 'Abram said to the king of Sodom' means the reply. 'I have lifted up my hand to Jehovah' means the Lord's frame of mind. 'Possessor of heaven and earth' means conjunction.
ppp22103#pid#1744. That 'Abram said to the king of Sodom' means the reply is clear without explanation.
ppp22102#pid#1745. That 'I have lifted up my hand to Jehovah' means the Lord's frame of mind is clear from the meaning of 'lifting up the hand'. Lifting up the hand to Jehovah, as is well known, is an action of the body corresponding to an affection of the mind. In the sense of the letter things that are interior, or belonging to the mind, are expressed by means of external things that correspond, but in the internal sense it is the internal things that are meant. Here therefore 'lifting up the hand' is the mind or affection of the mind.
ttt[2] As long as the Lord was in a state of temptations He spoke to Jehovah as though to another; but insofar as His Human Essence had been united to His Divine Essence He spoke to Jehovah as to Himself. This is clear from many places in the Gospels, and also from many in the Prophets and in David. The reason is quite clear from what has been stated already about that which was inherited from the mother. Insofar as this remained He was so to speak absent from Jehovah; but insofar as it had been eradicated He was present with and was Jehovah Himself.
ttt[3] The Lord's conjunction with angels may serve to illustrate the point: sometimes an angel does not speak from himself but from the Lord, and at such times he does not know otherwise than that he is the Lord; but at those times his externals are Lying dormant. It is different when the externals are active. The reason for this is that the angels' internal man is the possession of the Lord, and to the extent that things which are their own do not get in the way, it is the Lord's and indeed is the Lord. With the Lord however complete conjunction, or an eternal union with Jehovah, was effected, so that His Human Essence as well is Jehovah.
ppp22101#pid#1746. 'Possessor of heaven and earth' means conjunction. This is clear from what has been stated above at verse `Genesis 14bbbccc19` where the same words occur and have the same meaning.
ppp22100#pid#1747. Verse `Genesis 14bbbccc23` That not a thread, nor even the latchet of a shoe, nor anything that is yours will I take, lest you say, I have made Abram rich. 'That not a thread, nor even the latchet of a shoe' means all things, natural and bodily, that were unclean. 'Nor anything that is yours will I take' means that nothing of that nature exists with celestial love. 'Lest you say, I have made Abram rich' means that the Lord acquired no strength whatever from such a source.
ppp22099#pid#1748. 'That not a thread, nor even the latchet of a shoe' means all things, natural and bodily, that were unclean. This is clear from the meaning of 'the latchet of a shoe'. In the Word 'the sole of the foot, and the heel' means the lowest part of the natural, as shown already in `@@@259`. The shoe is that which covers the sole and the heel, and therefore 'a shoe' means something still more natural, thus the bodily itself. The exact meaning of a shoe depends on the actual subject. When it has reference to goods it is used in a good sense, but when it has reference to evils it is used in a bad sense, as it is here where the subject is the acquisitions of the king of Sodom, who means evil and falsity. 'The latchet of a shoe' therefore means things, natural and bodily, that are unclean. 'The thread of a shoe' means falsity, and 'the latchet of a shoe' evil, and because the expression denotes something very small the most degraded of all is meant.
ttt[2] That these things are meant by a shoe is clear also from other places in the Word, such as when Jehovah appeared to Moses from the middle of the bush and said to Moses,
Do not come near here; put off your shoes from on your feet, for the place or which you are standing is holy ground. `Exodus 3bbb5`.
Similarly, in what the commander of Jehovah's army said to Joshua,
Put off your shoe from on your foot, for the place on which you are standing is holy. `Joshua 5bbb15`.
From this anyone may see that a shoe would not take away anything from the holiness provided the individual were holy in himself, but that this was said because 'a shoe' represented the lowest natural and bodily that was to be cast off.
ttt[3] That it is the unclean natural and bodily is also clear in David,
Moab is My washbasin; upon Edom I will cast My shoe. `Psalms 60bbb8`.
The commandment to the disciples embodies the same,
If anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, as you leave that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. `Matthew 10bbb14`; `Mark 6bbb11`; `Luke 9bbb5`.
Here 'dust of your feet' is similar in meaning to a shoe, for 'the sole of the foot' means the lowest natural, that is to say, uncleanness resulting from evil and falsity. They were commanded to do this because at that time they lived in an age of representatives, and imagined that heavenly arcana were stored away solely in these and not in naked truths.
ttt[4] Because 'the shoe' meant the lowest natural, shedding, that is, 'taking off the shoe' meant that the lowest things of nature were to be shed, as in the case, mentioned in Moses, of any man who refused to fulfill the obligations of a brother-in-law,
He who refuses to fulfill the obligations of a brother-in-law - his sister-in-law shall go up to him in the sight of the elders, and she shall remove his shoe from upon his foot and spit in his face;`fff1` and she shall answer and say, So will it be done to the man who does not build up his brother's house. And his name will be called in Israel, The house of him who has his shoe taken off. `Deuteronomy 25bbb5-10`.
This stands for being devoid of all natural charity.
ttt[5] That 'a shoe' means as well, in a good sense, the lowest natural is clear from the Word, as in Moses when referring to Asher,
Blessed above sons be Asher; let him be acceptable to his brothers, and dipping his foot in oil. Your`fff2` shoe will be iron and bronze. `Deuteronomy 33bbb24-25`.
Here 'shoe' stands for the lowest natural - 'iron shoe' for natural truth, 'bronze shoe' for natural good - as is clear from the meaning of iron and bronze, `@@@425`, `@@@426`. And because the shoe meant the lowest natural and bodily part, it therefore became a figurative expression for the least and basest thing of all, for the lowest natural and bodily part is the basest of all in man; and this is what John the Baptist meant when he said,
There is coming one mightier than I, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to untie. `Luke 3bbb16`; `Mark 1bbb7`; `John 1bbb27`.
`nnn1. literally, faces
`nnn2. The Latin means His, but the Hebrew means Your, which Swedenborg has in another place where he quotes this verse.
ppp22098#pid#1749. That 'nor anything that is yours will I take' means that nothing of that nature exists with celestial love becomes clear from the fact that Abram said he was unwilling to take anything from the king of Sodom. 'Abram' represented the Lord, who was now the victor, and so represented the things that belonged to celestial love, which He acquired to Himself by means of victories. 'The king of Sodom' represented evil and falsity, nothing of which existed with the Lord the victor, that is, with celestial love.
ttt[2] What these words are used to mean in the internal sense cannot become clear unless the situation in the next life is known. Among evil and hellish spirits self-love and love of the world reign; consequently they imagine that they are the gods of the universe and can accomplish much. When they have been overcome, even though they realize that they can achieve nothing at all, the notion of their own power and dominion still remains with them, and they imagine that they themselves are able to contribute much to the Lord's power and dominion. Consequently in order that they may reign together with good spirits they offer them their services. But because it is nothing but evil and falsity by means of which they imagine they can achieve anything, while with the Lord, or celestial love, nothing but good and truth reside, the reply made here to the king of Sodom, who represents such people, means that nothing of that nature existed with the Lord, that is, none of the Lord's power came from evil and falsity.
ttt[3] Dominion from evil and falsity is the complete reverse of dominion from good and truth. Dominion from evil and falsity consists in the desire to make slaves of everybody else, but dominion from good and truth consists in the desire to make them free men. Dominion from evil and falsity consists in destroying all people, but dominion from good and truth in saving them. From these considerations it is clear that dominion from evil and falsity is the devil's, while dominion from good and truth is the Lord's. That these types of dominion are complete opposites becomes clear from the Lord's words in `Matthew 12bbb24-30`, and from His saying that nobody can serve two masters, `Matthew 6bbb24`; `Luke 16bbb13`.
ppp22097#pid#1750. That 'lest you say, I have made Abram rich' means that the Lord acquired no strength whatever from such a source becomes clear from the meaning of 'making rich' as acquiring power and strength. The implications of this are clear from what has just been stated.
ppp22096#pid#1751. Verse `Genesis 14bbbccc24` Except for what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who came with me, Aner, Eshkol, and Mamre - these will take their share.
'Except for what the young men have eaten' means good spirits. 'And the share of the men who came with me' means angels. 'Aner, Eshkol, and Mamre' means the things residing with them. 'These will take their share' means that these things were placed under their power and control.
ppp22095#pid#1752. That 'except for what the young men have eaten' means good spirits is clear from what comes before and what comes after. In what has gone before, at verse `Genesis 14bbbccc13` above, Mamre, Eshkol, and Aner are referred to as being Abram's allies. By these, as is evident from the explanation given at that verse, the state of the Lord's Rational Man in relation to the External Man as regards the nature of its goods and truths was meant; and so the angels who were present with the Lord when He was engaged in conflict were meant. The same is clear from what follows immediately below. Here those who accompanied Abram are called 'young men', by whom none other than good spirits are meant, whereas by 'the men', referred to immediately after, angels are meant. The fact that angels were present with the Lord when He fought against the hells is clear from the Word, and also from the fact that when He was engaged in the conflicts brought about by temptations the angels were bound to be present, to whom the Lord from His own power gave the strength and seemingly the power to fight in company with Him; for all the power which angels have derives from the Lord.
ttt[2] That angels fight against those who are evil becomes clear from what has been stated in various places already about the angels that reside with man - how they protect man and ward off the evils with which spirits from hell assault him, dealt with already in `@@@50`, `@@@227`, `@@@228`, `@@@697`, `@@@968`. Yet all the power they have derives from the Lord. Good spirits are indeed angels as well but lower ones, for they are in the first heaven, while angelic spirits are in the second, and angels properly so called are in the third, dealt with in `@@@459`, `@@@684`. Such is the form of government in the next life that good spirits are subordinate to angelic spirits, and angelic spirits to angels themselves, so that they all constitute one angelic community. Good spirits and angelic spirits are those called 'young men' here, while angels themselves are called 'men'.
ppp22094#pid#1753. 'And the share of the men who came with me' means angels. This is clear from what has just been stated, in addition to the fact that when they have appeared to people angels are in the Word called 'men'.
ppp22093#pid#1754. 'Aner, Eshkol, and Mamre' means the things residing with them. This is clear from what has been stated about the same three at verse `Genesis 14bbbccc13` above, that is to say, that by the names of these men are meant the goods and truths from which the battle was fought rather than the angels themselves; for, as has been stated, angels are meant by the expressions 'young men' and 'men', since angels do not ever have personal names but are distinguished from one another by the kinds of goods and truths with them. This is why in the Word nothing else is meant by 'a name' than the essence and the nature or character of the named, as shown already in `@@@144`, `@@@145`, `@@@340`, and as becomes clear also in Isaiah, where the Lord is spoken of,
His name will be called, Wonderful, Counsellor, God, Hero, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace. `Isaiah 9bbb6-7`.
'Name' is here used to mean His nature, that is to say, that He is Wonderful, Counsellor, God, Hero, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace.
ttt[2] In Jeremiah, where also the Lord is spoken of,
This is His name which they will call Him, Jehovah our Righteousness. `Jeremiah 23bbb5-6`.
Here it is quite clear that the 'name' is Righteousness. Then in Moses, where also the Lord is spoken of,
He will not endure your transgression for My name is in the midst of Him. `Exodus 23bbb21`.
Here too 'name' stands for Essence - that it is Divine. The same is in addition clear from many other places in the Word where it is said that men called on the name of Jehovah, that they should not take Jehovah's name in vain; and in the Lord's Prayer, Hallowed be Your name. The same applies with the names of angels, as it does here with the names Eshkol, Aner, and Mamre, who represent angels, in that those names mean the things that exist with angels.
ppp22092#pid#1755. That 'these will take their share' means that these things were placed under their power and control is clear from what has been stated above at verses `Genesis 14bbbccc21-23`, to the effect that the Lord was unwilling to have anything that derived from them, since the Lord derived no strength whatever from that source. By 'they were placed under the power and control of the angels' the following is meant, that it is the angels who actually rule over evil and hellish spirits, as has been clear to me from much experience. The Lord however foresees and sees all things and every individual thing; and He provides and arranges the same, though some things arise from His permission, some from His concession, some from His consent, some from His good pleasure, and some from His will. The desire to control others is something altogether man's own, quite different from anything angels receive from the Lord. Angels' entire exercise of control is grounded in love and mercy, devoid of any desire to dominate. But as these are rather deep arcana they cannot be presented intelligibly in a few words. It is enough if one knows that evil and hellish spirits were placed under the power and control of the angels, and that the Lord governs all things, and every single thing, down to the last detail. These matters will in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed later on where Providence and Permissions are dealt with.
ppp22091#pid#1756. All these matters presented above are those which in general are embodied in the internal sense of this chapter; but the whole train of thought, and its beauty, cannot be seen when every single thing is explained according to the meaning of the words, as they would be if they were comprehended in a single idea. When all are comprehended in a single idea those things which hitherto have lain scattered now appear beautifully joined and linked together. The situation is as with someone who listens to another speaking but pays attention solely to the words he uses. In this case he does not grasp the speaker's idea nearly so well as he would if he paid no attention to the words and their particular shades of meaning; for the internal sense of the Word in relation to the external or literal sense is very similar to speech in relation to the actual words used when these are scarcely listened to, still less paid attention to, as when the mind is intent on the sense alone of the things meant by the words used by the speaker.
ttt[2] The most ancient manner of writing represented real things by the use of persons and of expressions which they employed to mean things entirely different from those persons or expressions. Secular authors of those times compiled their historical narratives in this way, including those things which had to do with public life and private life. Indeed they compiled them in such a way that nothing at all was to be taken literally as written, but something other was to be understood beneath the literal narrative. They even went so far as to present affections of every kind as gods and goddesses, to whom the heathen subsequently offered up divine worship, as every well-educated person may know, for ancient books of that kind are still extant. This manner of writing they derived from the most ancient people who lived before the Flood, who used to represent heavenly and Divine things to themselves by means of visible objects on earth and in the world, and in so doing filled their minds and souls with joys and delights when they beheld the objects in the universe, especially those that were beautiful on account of their form and order. This is why all the books of the Church in those times were written in the same style. Job is one such book; and Solomon's Song of Songs is an imitation of them too. Both the books mentioned by Moses in `Numbers 21bbb14`, `Numbers 21bbbccc27`, were of this nature, in addition to many that have perished.
ttt[3] Because it had come down from antiquity this style was later venerated both among the gentiles and among the descendants of Jacob, so much so that whatever was not written in this style was not venerated as Divine. This is why when they were moved by the prophetic spirit - as were Jacob, `Genesis 49bbb3-27`; Moses, `Exodus 15bbb1-21`; `Deuteronomy 33bbb2`-end; Balaam, who was one of the sons of the east in Syria, where the Ancient Church continued to exist, `Numbers 23bbb7-10`, `Numbers 23bbbccc19` `Numbers ccc24bbb0`; `Numbers ccc24bbb5-9`, `Numbers 24bbbccc17-24`; Deborah and Barak, `Judges 5bbb2`-end; Hannah, `1 Samuel 2bbb2-10`; and many others - they spoke in that same manner, and for many hidden reasons. And although, with very few exceptions, they neither understood nor knew that their utterances meant the heavenly things of the Lord's kingdom and Church, they were nevertheless struck and filled with awe and wonder, and sensed that those utterances carried what was Divine and Holy within them.
ttt[4] But that the historical narratives of the Word are of a similar nature, that is to say, that the particular names and particular expressions used represent and mean the celestial and spiritual things of the Lord's kingdom, the learned world has not yet come to know, except that the Word is inspired right down to the tiniest jot, and that every single detail has heavenly arcana within it.
ppp22090#pid#1757. THE SPEECH OF SPIRITS, AND ITS VARIATIONS - continued
As stated already, the speech of spirits with man is effected by means of words, whereas the speech of spirits among themselves is effected by means of ideas - the first origins of words - such as comprise thought. Those ideas however are not so obscure as man's ideas while he is living in the body, but are distinct and separate, like those that compose speech. Following the decease of the body human thought becomes more distinct and clear, and the ideas comprising thought become discrete and separate, so that they come to serve as distinct speech-forms; for obscurity has been dispelled together with the body, and thus thought, now freed, so to speak, from the shackles by which it was held, and therefore from the shades that enveloped it, becomes more spontaneous. As a consequence, insight into every specific idea, and the perception and utterance of it, become more immediate.
ppp22089#pid#1758. The speech of spirits takes different forms. Each community, or group of spirits, can be identified by its speech; indeed each individual spirit can, in almost the same way as men. They can be identified not only by the affections which bring such speech to life and which fill out or support the words they use, and by the intonations they use, but also by the actual sounds as well as by other characteristics which cannot be explained so easily.
ppp22088#pid#1759. The speech of celestial spirits cannot easily pass into the articulated sounds or expressions of human speech, for it cannot accommodate itself to any expression containing a shrill sound or rather harsh doubling of consonants. Nor can it accommodate itself to any expression which contains any idea based on factual knowledge. Consequently celestial spirits rarely influence speech other than through affections, which soften expressions like a stream or like a breath of air. The spirits who are mid-way between celestial and spiritual have a sweet form of speech which flows like the gentlest breeze, soothing the organs that receive it, and softening the actual expressions used. It is also swift and sure. The fluency and beauty of that speech is a product of the celestial good contained in their ideas which possesses the same qualities. Their speech is in no way out of keeping with their thought - everything sweet and harmonious in the next life derives from goodness and charity. The speech of the spiritual spirits also is fluent, but not so soft and gentle. These are principally the ones who use speech.
ppp22087#pid#1760. Among evil genii as well a form of speech exists that is flowing, though it is experienced as such only by the outward hearing. Inwardly it is grating because it stems from a presence of good and no affection for it. Another form of speech exists among such genii that does not possess the same flowingness, in which the non-agreement of the thoughts is perceived as something creeping silently along.
ppp22086#pid#1761. There are spirits who enter in, not in the manner of a flowing stream but by vibrations and reciprocations that are so to speak in lines, sounding more or less sharp. The same spirits enter in not only with their speech but also with the reply to it. They are those who, owing to many causes, reject the interior contents of the Word, looking on man as their tool and of little importance, and caring only about themselves.
ppp22085#pid#1762. There are spirits who do not use speech but who have expressed their feelings by means of changes imposed on my own face. They presented their ideas so vividly that their thought was consequently given visible form so to speak. This was achieved by means of variations around the region of the lips, passing from there to the face, and then, when communicating their interior feelings, around the eyes - around the left eye when communicating truths and affections for truth, around the right when communicating goods and affections for good.
ppp22084#pid#1763. I have also heard a form of speech that involved many spirits speaking simultaneously. Roaring like waves, it passed into the brain in varying directions. Besides this there is a form of speech existing with certain spirits which has a fourfold rhythm, like the noise and sound of people threshing. These spirits are segregated from others. They induce pain in the head like that caused by the suction of a pump. I have heard some who spoke with a booming voice, yet as though inwardly, inside themselves; but it nevertheless reached my hearing as speech.
ttt[2] Others whom I heard spoke by belching forth words as if from their belly. These are such as are unwilling to pay any attention to the sense of a thing, but are compelled to speak through others. I have heard some who spoke with a rough sound split in two, so to speak. They came up to my left side beneath the elbow, and also up to my left ear. I have also heard some who could not speak loudly enough to be heard, but were like those who have a heavy cold. They belong to those spirits who, by worming their way into the delights of others, extract their secrets from them for the purpose of doing harm.
ttt[3] There are spirits, small in stature, who though few in number nevertheless speak like a huge crowd, sounding like thunder. I once heard them overhead and thought there was a large crowd of them, but one of them at that point came to my left side below the arm and spoke in like manner with a voice that thundered. He also moved away and did the same thing. Where such spirits come from will in the Lord's Divine mercy be described elsewhere. But these kinds of speech are quite rare. It is remarkable how these many forms of speech are heard as loudly and clearly by one whose interior organs of hearing have been opened, and also by spirits, as the sounds and speech of men on earth are heard. But by one whose interior organs have not been opened they are not heard at all.
ppp22083#pid#1764. On one occasion also spirits spoke to me by means of purely visual representatives, by presenting flames varying in colour, by lights, clouds rising and descending, various kinds of small houses and platforms for speaking from, vessels, people dressed in different ways, and many other things, which all carried a spiritual meaning; from these alone one could know what they wished to convey.
ppp22082#pid#1767.`fff1` `Genesis 15bbb0`
SACRED SCRIPTURE, OR THE WORD, AND HOW IT CONCEALS WITHIN ITSELF DIVINE MATTERS WHICH ARE FULLY VISIBLE TO GOOD SPIRITS AND TO ANGELS
When the Word of the Lord is being read by someone who loves the Word and leads a charitable life - even by one who, because he is simple-hearted, believes what is written and has not formed opinions that are contrary to the truth of faith that lies within the internal sense - the Lord also sets the Word before the angels. The Lord does so in such beauty and such loveliness, using representatives as well, with indescribable variations, each of which accords with the angels' entire state at the time, that every detail is perceived as if it had life. This life is that which is present within the Word and from which the Word was given birth when it was sent down from heaven. By reason of this, although in the letter it appears rough and imperfect, the Word of the Lord is such that inwardly there are concealed spiritual and celestial things, which are fully visible to good spirits and to angels while it is being read by man.
`nnn1. There are no paragraphs 1765 or 1766 in the Latin.
ppp22081#pid#1768. That the Word of the Lord is presented in this manner before good spirits and angels I have been permitted to hear and to see and am therefore allowed to recount actual experiences.
ppp22080#pid#1769. A certain spirit came to me not long after he had departed this life. This I was able to deduce from the fact that he still did not know that he had entered the next life but supposed that he was living in the world. I perceived that he had been a person dedicated to scholarly pursuits, about which I spoke to him. But at that moment he was suddenly carried up on high, which amazed me. I presumed that he was one of those people who had aspired to high things, since such people are usually taken up on high; or else that he was one of those who imagined heaven to be far away up on high and who likewise are usually taken away up on high, so that from up there they may know that heaven does not exist up on high but in what is internal.
ttt[2] But shortly after that I noticed that he was carried up to the angelic spirits who were in a forward position and slightly to the right, on the very threshold of heaven. From there he then spoke to me, saying that he saw things more exalted than human minds could ever take in. While all this was happening I was reading `Deuteronomy 1bbb0`, about the Jewish people - how the men were sent to explore the land of Canaan and what was in it. As I read it he said that he discerned nothing of that which occurs in the sense of the letter, only the things in the spiritual sense, and that these were marvels beyond his powers of description. This was merely at the threshold of the heaven of angelic spirits, so what must the marvels be within that heaven itself, and what must they be within the angelic heaven!
ttt[3] Certain spirits who were with me at the time, and who had not previously believed that the Word of the Lord was of such a nature, began to repent of their unbelief. They said that in their present state they now believed because they had heard that spirit say he had heard, seen, and perceived that it was so.
ttt[4] But other spirits continued in their unbelief, saying that it was not so but all a delusion. They also were therefore suddenly carried up, and spoke to me from where they were. They now confessed that it was anything but a delusion, for now they perceived from amid spiritual realities that it was so, their perception indeed being far keener than can possibly be imparted to any of the senses during the life of the body.
ttt[5] Shortly afterwards others also were carried up into the same heaven. I had known one of them during his lifetime, and he bore similar witness. Among other things he also said that he was so dazed by the glory of the Word in its internal sense that he was unable to describe it. Speaking at this time with some kind of compassion he said it was remarkable that people on earth know nothing at all of such matters. He said in addition that from where he was he was able to see deeply into my thoughts and my affections, perceiving in them more things than he could mention, such as causes; such as influxes - where these come from, and from whom; such as my ideas, how they were mingled with earthly things, and that these were to be completely separated; besides many other things.
ppp22079#pid#1770. On two occasions after this I saw others who had been carried up to the second heaven among the angelic spirits, and from there they spoke to me, while I was reading `Deuteronomy 3bbb0` from beginning to end. They said that they understood none but the interior sense of the Word, declaring at the same time that there was not even the smallest part of a letter which did not have a spiritual sense within it that did not link with everything else in a very beautiful way. They also said that in the interior sense the names used in the Word mean real things. Thus these people as well were confirmed in the same knowledge of such things, for they had not previously believed that every single thing in the Word has been inspirer) by the Lord. This they also wished to affirm before others on oath, but they were not allowed to do so.
ppp22078#pid#1771. There were also certain spirits who did not believe that the Word of the Lord concealed such things in its bosom, that is, inwardly; for in the next life spirits retain a similar unbelief to that which they had when they were in the body. Such unbelief is not dispelled except by means which the Lord provides, and by living experiences. Consequently while I was reading some of the Psalms of David their interior sight or mind was opened; these particular spirits were not raised up among the angelic spirits. As I was reading they perceived the interior things of the Word which are present in those psalms, and astonished by those things they said that they had never believed such.
ttt[2] At that time this same part of the Word was heard by many other spirits, but these all grasped it in different ways. With some it filled the ideas comprising their thought with many lovely and delightful feelings, and so with a kind of life - with each one according to his capacity to receive it. At the same time it filled them with an effecting power that penetrated to their inmost being. With some that power was so great that it seemed to them that they were being raised up towards the interior parts of heaven, and nearer and nearer the Lord - each according to the degree of his affection for truths, and for the goods joined to the truths.
ttt[3] Also at that same time the Word was brought to some spirits who had no conception of an internal sense of the Word, but only of an external or literal sense, to whom the letter did not seem to possess any life. From all this it was clear what the Word is like when the Lord imparts life to it, namely that it possesses such an effecting power that it penetrates to people's inmost being; also what it is like when He does not impart life to it, namely nothing but the letter possessing scarcely any life at all.
ppp22077#pid#1772. In the Lord's Divine mercy I too have been allowed in a similar way to see the Word of the Lord in its beauty in the internal sense. I have seen it many times, not when individual expressions are being explained as to their internal sense, but when every single thing is presented in a single sequence of thought. This may be called seeing a heavenly paradise by means of an earthly one.
ppp22076#pid#1773. Spirits who during their lifetime have taken joyous delight in the Word of the Lord possess in the next life a certain joyous heavenly warmth, which too I have been allowed to feel. The warmth of those who had some measure of this delight was communicated to me. It was like the heat of spring-time. Starting in the region of the lips, it spread into the cheeks; from there it spread to the ears and also went up to the eyes, as well as down towards the central region of the breast.
ttt[2] The warmth which was communicated to me of those who had taken even greater delight in the Word of the Lord and its inner contents which the Lord Himself had taught was more interior. Starting in the breast, it went up from there towards the chin, and also down towards the loins. The warmth of those who have taken still greater delight in it and have been stirred by still greater affection for it was even more inwardly delightful and spring-like. Beginning indeed in the loins it rose upwards towards the breast, and from there it spread by way of the left arm to the hands. I was informed by the angels that this is what actually happens and that when those spirits draw near, such varieties of warmth are felt, though the spirits themselves do not feel them because they are within them, just as infants, children, and young people do not usually feel their own warmth - which they possess in greater measure than adults and elderly persons, because they are within that warmth.
ttt[3] I have also felt the warmth of those who, it is true, have taken delight in the Word but who have not been anxious to have an understanding of it. This warmth was confined to the right arm. As regards such warmth, evil spirits as well are able by their devices to produce a warmth which counterfeits delight and which they can communicate to others. But it is a purely external warmth having no origin in things that are internal. This warmth is such as cools off and becomes something utterly disgusting, as does the warmth of adulterers and that of people who have become engrossed in filthy pleasures.
ppp22075#pid#1774. There are spirits who are unwilling to listen to anything regarding the inner content of the Word. Indeed, no matter how much they are able to understand they are still unwilling. They are in particular those who have placed merit in good works, and who have therefore done good deeds for selfish and worldly reasons, that is, for the sake of eminent positions or of wealth which they may gain for themselves, and for the consequent reputation, and so not for the sake of the Lord's kingdom. In the next life such persons wish more than all others to enter heaven, yet they remain outside of it, for they are unwilling to be furnished with cognitions of truth and so to be stirred by an affection for good. They interpret the Word literally according to their own false notions, and advance whatever expresses approval of their evil desires. Such were represented by an aging woman whose face was unsightly but still with a snowy pallor, but with irregular features that made her ugly. On the other hand people who welcome and love the inner content of the Word were represented by a girl in the first stage of maidenhood, or first flush of youth, dressed beautifully and wearing garlands and heavenly adornments.
ppp22074#pid#1775. I have talked to certain spirits about the Word - that in the Lord's Divine Providence, it has been necessary for some revelation to be given; for such revelation, or the Word, is a general vessel that receives spiritual and celestial things, and in so doing joins heaven and earth together. Indeed without that revelation the two would have been set apart from each other, and the human race would have perished. I have referred as well to the fact that it was necessary for heavenly truths to exist somewhere from which man might receive instruction seeing that man was born for heavenly things and after his life in the body ought to come among those in heaven. For the truths of faith are the laws of order within the kingdom in which he is to live for ever.
ppp22073#pid#1776. Though it may seem paradoxical it is nevertheless perfectly true that angels have a better and fuller understanding of the internal sense of the Word when very young boys and girls are reading it than when adults do so with whom there is no faith grounded in charity. I have been told the reason why, and it is this: Very young boys and girls live in a state of mutual love and innocence, and so their most tender vessels are almost heavenly, being simply capacities for receiving which are able to be made ready by the Lord to receive. No awareness however of what He is doing enters into their perceptions except through a certain delight in keeping with their character and disposition. The angels said that the Word of the Lord is a dead letter, but that in everyone, when he is reading it, it is given life by the Lord, each according to his capacity to receive it, and that it is made alive according to the life in his charity and according to his state of innocence. This happens in countless and varied ways.
ppp22072#pid#1777. This subject is continued at the end of the chapter.
ppp22071#pid#1778. `Genesis 15bbb0`
1. After these events`fff1` the word of Jehovah came to Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram, I am a shield to you, your exceedingly great reward.
2. And Abram said, O Lord Jehovih, what will You give me, seeing that I go childless,`fff2` and the steward of my house is this Damascene, Eliezer?
3. And Abram said, See, to me you have not given seed, and behold, a son of my house is my heir.
4. And behold, the word of Jehovah came to him, saying, This man will not be your heir, but he who comes out of your own loins will be your heir.
5. And He brought him outside and said, Look, now, towards heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them. And He said to him, So will your seed be.
6. And he believed in Jehovah, and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.
7. And He said to him, I am Jehovah, who brought you forth out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit.
8. And he said, O Lord Jehovih, by what shall I know that I shall inherit it?
9. And He said to him, Take for Me`fff3` a three year old heifer, and a three year old she-goat, and a three year old ram, a turtle dove and a fledgling.
10. And he took for himself all these, and parted each of them down the middle and laid each part opposite the other; but the birds he did not cut apart.
11. And birds of prey came down on the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.
12. And as the sun was going down a deep sleep came over Abram, and, behold, a dread of a great darkness was coming over him.
13. And He said to Abram, Know for sure that your seed will be strangers in a land not theirs. And they will serve them,`fff4` and these will afflict them for four hundred years.
14. And also the nation which they are going to serve will I judge; and afterwards they will go out with great acquisitions.
15. And you will come to your fathers in peace; you will be buried at a good old age.
16. And in the fourth generation they will return from here, for the iniquity of the Amorites has not yet come to a close.
17. And the sun went down and there was thick darkness; and behold, a smoking furnace and a flaming torch which passed between those pieces.
18. On that day Jehovah made a covenant with Abram, saying, To your seed I will give this land, from the river of Egypt even to the great river, the river Phrath.`fff5`
19. The Kenite, and the Kenizzite, and the Kadmonite,
20. And the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Rephaim,
21. And the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Girgashite, and the Jebusite.
CONTENTS
Continued here in the internal sense are matters concerning the Lord after He had undergone in childhood the very severe conflicts brought about by temptations - conflicts directed against the love He cherished towards the entire human race, and in particular towards the Church. As He was therefore anxious about the future state of these, a promise was made to Him. But at the same time He was shown what the state of the Church was to become in its final days, when it was beginning to breathe its last, but nevertheless that a new Church would gather strength to take the place of the previous one; and the heavenly kingdom would be vastly increased.
`nnn1. literally, words
`nnn2. literally, and I am walking childless
`nnn3. The Latin means for you, but the Hebrew means for Me.
`nnn4. i.e. as slaves
`nnn5. i.e. the Euphrates
ppp22070#pid#1779. The Lord's comfort which He experienced after the conflicts brought about by temptations, which are described in the previous chapter, verse `Genesis 14bbbccc1`.
ppp22069#pid#1780. The Lord's complaint regarding the Church - that it was wholly external, verses `Genesis 15bbbccc2-3`. A promise regarding an internal Church, verse `Genesis 15bbbccc4`, and its multiplication, verse `Genesis 15bbbccc5`. The Lord is Righteousness, verse `Genesis 15bbbccc6`. The kingdom in heaven and on earth is His alone, verse `Genesis 15bbbccc7`.
ppp22068#pid#1781. And because He wished to be quite certain that the human race would be saved, verse `Genesis 15bbbccc8`, He was shown the situation with regard to the Church in general, specifically, and in particular, verses `Genesis 15bbbccc9-17`.
ppp22067#pid#1782. The heifer, she-goat, and ram are representatives of the celestial things of the Church, while the turtle dove and the fledgling are representatives of the spiritual things of the same, verse `Genesis 15bbbccc9`. The Church was on one side, the Lord on the other, verse `Genesis 15bbbccc10`. The Lord would disperse evils and falsities, verse `Genesis 15bbbccc11`. But falsities would continue to infest it, verses `Genesis 15bbbccc12-13`. From those falsities there would be deliverance, verse `Genesis 15bbbccc14`, and so the Lord would experience comfort, verse `Genesis 15bbbccc15`. Evils however would take possession of it, verse `Genesis 15bbbccc16`, and in the end nothing but falsities and evil desires would reign there, verse `Genesis 15bbbccc17`. At this point the Lord's kingdom would come, and a new Church, the extension of which is described, verse `Genesis 15bbbccc18`. The falsities and evils that were to be expelled from it are the nations mentioned in verses `Genesis 15bbbccc19-21`.
ppp22066#pid#1783. THE INTERNAL SENSE
As stated already, the narratives contained here draw on true history; that is to say, Jehovah did in fact speak to Abram as described; the land of Canaan was promised to him as an inheritance; he was in fact commanded as described to arrange a heifer, she-goat, ram, turtle dove and fledgling; birds of prey came down on the carcasses; a deep sleep came over him, and in that sleep a horror of darkness; and when the sun had set he did in fact see what looked like a smoking furnace with a flaming torch passing between the parts; besides all the other details mentioned. These events are historically true, but even so every single one, down to the smallest event that took place, is representative; and the actual words used to describe those events, down to the smallest part of a letter, carry a spiritual meaning, that is, every single detail has an internal sense within it. For every single detail in the Word is inspired, and being inspired cannot derive from other than a heavenly origin; that is, celestial and spiritual things lie concealed in its inner recesses. If this were not so it could not possibly be the Word of the Lord.
ttt[2] These are the things which the internal sense contains. When this sense lies open to view the sense of the letter passes out of sight, as though it did not exist, as also conversely when attention is paid solely to the historical sense, or sense of the letter, the internal sense passes out of sight, as though it did not exist. The relationship of the two senses is like that of heavenly light to the light of the world, and conversely like that of the light of the world to heavenly light. When heavenly light is seen, the light of the world is like thick darkness, as I have been made to know from experience. But when anyone is in the light of the world, heavenly light, if it is seen, would be like thick darkness. It is similar with human minds: to the person who limits everything to human wisdom, or worldly knowledge, heavenly wisdom is seen as something obscure and blank; but to one who possesses heavenly wisdom, human wisdom is like something totally obscure which, unless it had heavenly rays of light within it, would be as thick darkness.
ppp22065#pid#1784. Verse `Genesis 15bbbccc1` After these events`fff1` the word of Jehovah came to Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram, I am a shield to you, your exceedingly great reward.
'After these events`fff1` the word of Jehovah came to Abram in a vision' means that after the conflicts in childhood revelation followed, 'a vision' meaning an inmost revelation, which is an accompaniment of perception. 'Fear not, Abram, I am a shield to you' means protection against evils and falsities, which is able to be trusted. 'Your great reward' means the end in view realized in victories.
`nnn1. literally, words
ppp22064#pid#1785. That 'after these events' the word of Jehovah came to Abram in a vision' means that after the conflicts in childhood revelation followed is clear from the meaning of 'words', and also of 'the word of Jehovah to Abram', as well as from the meaning of 'a vision'. The expression 'words' in the Hebrew language means real things, in this case the things that have been completed, namely the Lord's conflicts brought about by the temptations which were described in the previous chapter. 'The word of Jehovah to Abram' is nothing other than the word which the Lord had within Himself. In childhood however and during the conflicts that came with temptations, when [His Human and Divine] Essences were not yet united as one, that word was unable to be seen as anything else than a revelation. That which is internal, when acting into that which is external, in a state and at moments when the latter is more remote, cannot manifest itself in any other way. This is the state that is called the Lord's state of humiliation.
ppp22063#pid#1786. That 'a vision' means inmost revelation, which is an accompaniment of perception, becomes clear from the nature of visions, in that these take shape each one in accordance with the state of the beholder. A vision appearing to those whose interiors are closed takes an entirely different shape from a vision to those whose interiors are open. For example, when the Lord appeared to the whole congregation on Mount Sinai, that appearing was a vision which was different for the people from what it was for Aaron, and was different for Aaron from what it was for Moses; and a vision for the prophets was different again from what it was for Moses. Many kinds of visions are possible, which will in the Lord's Divine mercy be spoken about later on. Visions are more perfect the more interior they are. With the Lord they were the most perfect of all, because at that time He had a perception of all things in the world of spirits and in the heavens, and had direct communication with Jehovah. This communication is represented, and in the internal sense is meant, by the vision in which Jehovah appeared to Abram.
ppp22062#pid#1787. 'Fear not, Abram, I am a shield to you' means protection against evils and falsities which is able to be trusted. This is clear from the meaning of 'a shield', to be dealt with shortly. These words which declare that Jehovah is 'a shield' and 'an exceedingly great reward' are words of comfort following temptations. Every temptation entails some kind of despair, or else it is not temptation; and for that reason comfort follows. A person who is being tempted is subjected to anxious fears which produce a state of despair over the end in view. The conflict brought about by temptation does not consist in anything else. One who is quite certain of victory does not experience any anxiety, nor thus any temptation.
ttt[2] Since the Lord underwent the most dreadful and the cruelest temptations of all it was inevitable that He too should be driven into feelings of despair which He put to flight and overcame by His own power, as becomes quite clear from His temptation in Gethsemane, which is described in Luke as follows,
When Jesus was at the place He said to the disciples, Pray that you may not enter into temptation. But He was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and kneeling down He prayed, saying, Father, if You are willing, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless not My will but Yours be done. And there appeared to Him an angel from heaven, strengthening Him. And when He was in agony He prayed more earnestly; and His sweat became as great drops of blood falling down upon the ground. `Luke 22bbb40-45`.
In Matthew,
He began to be sorrowful and in agony. Then He said to the disciples, My soul is utterly dejected even to death. And He went forward a little and praying fell on His face, saying, My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will but as You will. Again, for the second time, He went away and prayed, saying, My Father, if this cup cannot pass from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done. And He prayed for the third time, saying the same thing.`fff1` `Matthew 26bbb36-44`.
In Mark,
He began to be terrified and in great agony. He said to the disciples, My soul is wrapped in dejection, even to death. He went forward a little, fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible the hour might pass from Him. He said, Abba, Father, all things are possible to You; remove this cup from Me; yet not as I will but as You will. This happened a second and a third time. `Mark 14bbb33-41`.
ttt[3] These quotations show the nature of the Lord's temptations - that they were the most frightful of all; that He suffered agony from the inmost parts of His being, even to the sweating of blood; that He was at the time in a state of despair over the end in view and over the outcome; and that He received comfort repeatedly. The words 'I am Jehovah your shield, your exceedingly great reward' in a similar way embody the comfort received after the conflicts brought about by the temptations which were described in the previous chapter.
`nnn1. literally, word
ppp22061#pid#1788. That 'a shield' means protection against evils and falsities which is able to be trusted is clear without explanation, for repeated usage has made the saying familiar that 'Jehovah is a shield and buckler'. But what is meant specifically by 'a shield' becomes clear from the Word, namely that in reference to the Lord it means protection, and in reference to man trust in the Lord's protection. As 'war' means temptations, as shown in `@@@1664`, so every implement of war means some specific aspect of temptation and of defence against evils and falsities, that is, against the devil's crew who bring temptation about and do the tempting. Consequently 'shield' means one thing, 'buckler' another, 'target' another, 'helmet' another, 'spear' and also 'javelin' another, 'sword' another, 'bow and arrows' another, and 'breastplate' another. In the Lord's Divine mercy these will be dealt with individually later on.
ttt[2] The reason why in reference to the Lord 'a shield' means protection against evils and falsities, and in reference to man trust in the Lord, is that it was a means of protection to the breast, and 'the breast' meant good and truth - good because the heart is within it, and truth because the lungs are within it. That 'a shield' has this meaning is clear in David,
Blessed be Jehovah my rock who trains my hands for battle and my fingers for war; my mercy, and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and He in whom I trust. `Psalms 144bbb1-2`.
Here 'battle' and 'war' are the battle and war of temptations, and in the internal sense, of the Lord's temptations. 'A shield' in reference to Jehovah is protection, and in reference to man trust, as is quite evident.
ttt[3] In the same author,
O Israel, trust in Jehovah! He is their help and their shield. O house of Aaron, trust in Jehovah! He is their help and their shield. You who fear Jehovah, trust in Jehovah! He is their help and their shield. `Psalms 115bbb9-11`.
Here the meaning is similar. In the same author,
Jehovah is my fortress, my God in whom I will trust. He will cover you with His wing, and under His wings will you put your trust. His truth is a buckler and target. `Psalms 91bbb2`, `Psalms 91bbbccc4`.
Here 'buckler and target' stands for protection against falsities.
ttt[4] In the same author,
Jehovah is my rock (petra) and my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock (rupee) in whom I trust, my shield and the horn of my salvation. Jehovah is a shield for all who trust in Him. `Psalms 18bbb2`, `Psalms 18bbbccc30`.
Here the meaning is similar. In the same author,
You who test the heart`fff1` and reins, a righteous God; my shield is with God who saves the upright in heart. `Isaiah 7bbb9`, `Isaiah 7bbbccc10`.
'Shield' stands for trust. In the same author,
You have given me the shield of Your salvation, and Your right hand will support me. `Psalms 18bbb35`.
'Shield' stands for trust.
ttt[5] In the same author,
The shields of the earth belong to God; He is highly exalted. `Psalms 47bbb9`.
'Shields' stands for trust. In the same author,
Jehovah God is a sun and shield; grace and glory will Jehovah give; no good thing will be withheld from those walking blamelessly. `Psalms 84bbb11`.
'Shield' stands for protection. In Moses,
Your blessings, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved in Jehovah, the shield of your help, and One who is the sword of your excellency! Your enemies will be mistaken in regard to you. `Deuteronomy 33bbb29`.
'Shield' stands for protection.
ttt[6] Even as weapons of war are attributed to those engaged in conflicts brought about by temptations, so also are the same weapons attributed to the enemies assailing and tempting. When attributed to the latter, the contrary meanings held by those weapons is being expressed; for example, 'a shield' in this case means the evils and falsities from which those enemies fight, and which they defend, and in which they put their trust, as in Jeremiah,
Prepare shield and buckler, and advance for battle. Harness the horses, and mount, O horsemen! Take up your stations in your helmets, polish your lances, put on your breastplates. `Jeremiah 46bbb3-4`.
There are many more examples besides these.
`nnn1. literally, hearts
ppp22060#pid#1789. 'Your great reward' means the end in view realized in victories. This is clear from the meaning of 'reward' as the prize following conflicts brought about by temptations - here the end in view realized in victories, for the Lord never looked for any prize of victory for Himself. His prize of victories was the salvation of the whole human race. It was out of love towards the whole human race that He fought. When anyone fights out of that love he demands no prize for himself, since that love is such as wishes to give away and impart to others all that is its own, and to have nothing for itself. Consequently it is the salvation of the whole human race that is meant here by 'reward'.
ppp22059#pid#1790. Verse `Genesis 15bbbccc2` And Abram said, O Lord Jehovih, what will You give me, seeing that I go childless,`fff1` and the steward of my house is this Damascene, Eliezer?
'Abram said, O Lord Jehovih' means the Lord's perception, 'Abram' being the Interior Man, 'the Lord Jehovih' the Internal Man in relationship to the Interior Man. 'What will You give me, seeing that I go childless'`fff1` means that there was no internal Church. 'And the steward of my house' means the external Church. 'This Damascene, Eliezer' is the external Church.
`nnn1. literally, and I am walking childless
ppp22058#pid#1791. 'Abram said, O Lord Jehovih' means the Lord's perception. This becomes clear from the fact that the Lord had the inmost and most perfect perception of all. As stated already, this perception was a perceptive feeling and awareness of all that was happening in heaven; it was also a constant communication and internal conversing with Jehovah, which the Lord alone had. This perception is what is meant in the internal sense by the statement 'Abram said to Jehovah', and thus is what was represented by Abram when he addressed Jehovah. The same applies in what follows whenever the expression 'Abram said to Jehovah' occurs.
ppp22057#pid#1792. That 'Abram' is the Interior Man, or that Abram represented the Lord's Interior or Rational Man, has been stated already. What the Lord's Interior Man is was pointed out in the previous chapter.
ppp22056#pid#1793. That 'the Lord Jehovih' is the Internal Man in relationship to the Interior Man is clear from what has been stated about the Lord's Internal Man, namely that it was Jehovah Himself, from whom He was conceived, whose only Son He was, and to whom the Lord's Human became united after the maternal human, that is, the human derived from the mother, had been purified by means of the conflicts brought about by temptations. In the Word 'Lord Jehovih' occurs quite often; indeed for as many times as Jehovah is called the Lord He is not named 'Lord Jehovah' but 'Lord Jehovih'; and especially so when temptations are the subject, as in Isaiah,
ttt[2] Behold, the Lord Jehovih is coming with might, and His arm will exercise dominion for Him; behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him. He will pasture His flock like a shepherd, He will gather the lambs into His arm, and will carry them in His bosom, and will lead those that give suck. `Isaiah 40bbb10-11`.
Here 'the Lord Jehovih is coming with might' has reference to victory in the conflicts brought about by temptations. 'His arm will give Him dominion' stands for His winning it by His own power. What the 'reward' is that is referred to in the previous verse is stated here, namely that it is the salvation of the whole human race, that is, 'He pastures His flock like a shepherd, gathers the lambs in His arm, carries them in His bosom, and leads those giving suck', all of which things belong to inmost or Divine love.
ttt[3] In the same prophet,
The Lord Jehovih opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, I turned not backwards. I gave my body to the smiters, and my cheeks to those who pluck them. I hid not my face`fff1` from insults and spitting; and the Lord Jehovih will help me. Behold, the Lord Jehovih will help me. `Isaiah 50bbb5-7`, `Isaiah 50bbbccc9`.
This plainly refers to temptations. And there are other examples besides these.
`nnn1. literally, faces
ppp22055#pid#1794. 'What will You give me, seeing that I go childless'`fff1` means that there was no internal Church. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'walking childless'. In the internal sense 'walking' is living, as shown already in `@@@519`. One who is childless however, who has no seed or descendants of his own, is dealt with below in verses `Genesis 15bbbccc3-5`, where the meaning of one who is childless or has no seed is explained.
`nnn1. literally, and I am walking childless
ppp22054#pid#1795. 'And the steward of my house' means the external Church. This is clear from the meaning in the internal sense of 'steward of the house', that is, in reference to the Church. The external Church is called 'the steward of the house' when the internal Church itself is 'the house' and the head of the household is the Lord. The position which the external Church occupies is nothing other than this, for all stewardship belongs to the external side of the Church, such as the performance of rituals and many other duties connected with the Temple and the Church itself, that is, Jehovah's or the Lord's House.
ttt[2] The external things of the Church when they are without the internal things are of no value. It is to those internal things that they owe their existence, and in character they are the same as those internal things. The situation with them is as it is with man: with him what is external or bodily is in itself something valueless unless that which is internal exists to give it soul and life. As is the character therefore of that which is internal, so is the character of that which is external; or, as is the character of the disposition and mind (animus et mens), so is the worth of all the things which come forth through that which is external or bodily. The things of the heart make man, not those of the lips and gestures. It is the same with the internal things of the Church. Nevertheless the external things of the Church are as the external things with man, in that they serve as stewards or overseers; or what amounts to the same, the external or bodily man may be called the steward or overseer of the house when 'the house' is that which belongs to interior things. From this it is evident what 'childless' means, namely a time when no internal dimension of the Church exists, only an external, as it was at the time regarding which the Lord made complaint.
ppp22053#pid#1796. 'This Damascene, Eliezer' is the external Church. This is clear from what has just been stated, and also from the meaning of 'Damascene'. Damascus was the chief city of Syria where remnants of the worship of the Ancient Church existed, and from where Heber, or the Hebrew nation, came with whom none but the external dimension of the Church existed, as stated already in `@@@1238`, `@@@1241`. Thus no more then 'the stewardship of the house' existed with the nation. That within these words there is something of despair, and consequently of the Lord's temptation, is evident from the words themselves, and also from the comfort which follows concerning the internal Church.
ppp22052#pid#1797. Verse `Genesis 15bbbccc3` And Abram said, See, to me You have not given seed, and behold, a son of my house is my heir.
'Abram said, See, to me You have not given seed' means that there was no internal dimension of the Church, which is love and faith. 'Behold, a son of my house is my heir' means that in the Lord's kingdom there would be only that which is external.
ppp22051#pid#1798. That 'Abram said, See, to me You have not given seed' means that there was no internal dimension of the Church, [which is love and faith,] is clear from the meaning of 'seed' as love and faith, dealt with already in `@@@255`, `@@@256`, `@@@1025`, and in what follows below from the meaning of 'an heir'. The fact that love and faith deriving from love constitute the internal dimension of the Church has been stated and shown frequently already. No other kind of faith that constitutes the internal dimension of the Church is meant than the faith which is a product of love or charity, that is, which originates in love or charity.
ttt[2] In a general sense faith embraces everything that is taught by the Church; but doctrinal teachings separated from love or charity do not in any way constitute the internal dimension of the Church, for such teachings are no more than knowledge which is present in the memory and which also exists with the worst of people, even with those in hell. But doctrinal teachings which originate in charity, that is, which are a product of charity, do constitute the internal dimension of the Church, for this dimension is essentially its life. The life itself constitutes the internal aspect of all worship, and so too do all doctrinal teachings that flow from the life that belongs to charity. It is these teachings when they comprise faith that are meant here, and it is faith such as this that constitutes the internal dimension of the Church, as may become clear from the single consideration that anyone who is leading a charitable life has an awareness of all things of faith.
ttt[3] Just examine, if you care to do so, any doctrinal teachings, so that you may see what they are and what they are like. Do they not all have regard to charity, and so to faith that derives from charity? Take simply the Ten Commandments, the first of which is that you should worship the Lord God. Anyone who possesses the life of love or charity worships the Lord God, for it is in this that the life within him consists. Another commandment says that you should keep the Sabbath. Anyone in whom the life of love, that is, in whom charity, is present keeps the Sabbath holy since nothing delights him more than worshipping the Lord and declaring His glory day by day. The commandment that you should not kill has regard entirely to charity. Anyone who loves his neighbour as himself shudders at doing him any injury whatever, and even more at killing him. Likewise with the commandment that you should not steal, for the person who possesses the life of charity would rather give from what is his own to his neighbour than take away anything from him. Equally the commandment that you should not commit adultery. A man in whom the life of charity is present is minded rather to protect his neighbour's wife lest anyone should do such great harm to her, and regards adultery as a crime committed against conscience, such as destroys conjugial love and the responsibilities that go with it. Coveting things that belong to the neighbour is also contrary to the mind of those in whom the life of charity is present, for the essence of charity is to will good to others from oneself and what is one's own, thus they in no way covet what belongs to another.
ttt[4] These Commandments, included among the Ten, are more external matters of doctrine concerning faith, which are not simply retained as knowledge in the memory of him in whom charity and the life of charity are present, but are in his heart. They are also inscribed upon him because they are grounded in his charity and so in his very life, in addition to other things of a dogmatic nature that are inscribed upon him which in a similar way he knows from charity alone. For he lives in accordance with a conscience for that which is right. Anything right or true which he is unable to understand and examine in this fashion he nevertheless believes in simplicity - that is, in simplicity of heart - to be right or true because the Lord has so said. Nor is anything wrong with such belief, even if that which is believed is not in itself true, only an appearance of truth.
ttt[5] People may believe for example that the Lord can be angry, punish, tempt, and the like. Also, they may believe that in the Holy Supper the bread and wine have some spiritual meaning, or that flesh and blood are present in some way or other which they are able to explain. But whether they express the one or the other of these views about the Holy Supper, it makes no difference provided that two things are characteristic of these persons: Few people in fact give the matter any thought at all, and if any do give it any thought it makes no difference which view is held provided, a) It is done from a simple heart because it is what they have been taught, and b) They are leading charitable lives. When they hear that the bread and wine mean in the internal sense the Lord's love towards the whole human race, and the things that go with that love, and man's reciprocated love to the Lord and towards the neighbour, they believe it instantly and rejoice that it really is so. This is never the case with those who possess doctrine yet lack charity. They dispute everything and condemn anyone who does not speak - though they say it is to believe - as they do. From these considerations it may become clear to anyone that love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour constitute the internal dimension of the Church.
ppp22050#pid#1799. 'Behold, a son of my house is my heir' means that in the Lord's kingdom there would be only that which is external. This is clear from the meaning in the internal sense of 'an heir' and of 'inheriting'. 'Becoming an heir' or inheriting means eternal life in the Lord's kingdom. All who are in the Lord's kingdom are heirs, for the source of the life in them is the Lord's life, which is the life of mutual love, and for that reason they are called 'sons'. The Lord's sons or heirs consist of all who have His life in them, for it is from Him that their life comes, and it is from Him that they have been born, that is, regenerated. Those born of another are that other's heirs; and so it is with all who are being regenerated by the Lord, for in that case they are receiving the life that is the Lord's.
ttt[2] In the Lord's kingdom there are those who are external, those who are more interior, and those who are internal. Good spirits who dwell in the first heaven are external, angelic spirits who dwell in the second heaven are more interior, and angels who dwell in the third heaven are internal. Those who are external are not as close to or near the Lord as those who are more interior, and these in turn are not so close or near as those who are internal. Out of Divine love, or mercy, the Lord wills to have everyone near to Himself, so that they do not stand outside, that is, in the first heaven. His will is that they should dwell in the third heaven, and if possible not merely with Him but abiding in Him. Such is the nature of Divine or the Lord's love. But since at that time none but external things existed with the Church, He complained of this in the words that occur here - 'Behold, a son of my house is my heir' - by which is meant that in His kingdom there would thus be only that which is external. But comfort followed, and a promise of internal things, as described in the verses that follow next. What the external aspect of the Church is has been stated already in `@@@1083`, `@@@1098`, `@@@1100`, `@@@1151`, `@@@1153`.
ttt[3] By itself doctrine does not constitute the external aspect of the Church, still less the internal, as stated above. Nor on the Lord's part is it its teachings that make one Church distinct and separate from another, but its life in accordance with those teachings, all of which, as long as they present what is true, regard charity as their basic principle. What else does doctrine do but teach men the kind of people they ought to be?
ttt[4] In the Christian world it is their doctrines that cause Churches to be distinct and separate, and because of these they call themselves Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Calvinists or the Reformed, and Evangelicals, among other names. It is solely by reason of their doctrines that they are called by these names. This situation would never exist if they were to make love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour the chief thing of faith. In this case their doctrinal differences would be no more than shades of opinion concerning the mysteries of faith which truly Christian people would leave to individual conscience, and in their hearts would say that a person is truly a Christian when he lives as a Christian, that is, as the Lord teaches. If this were so all the different Churches would become one, and all the disagreements which stem from doctrine alone would disappear. Indeed the hatred one man holds against another would be dispelled in an instant, and the Lord's kingdom on earth would come.
ttt[5] The Ancient Church which existed immediately after the Flood, though scattered among many kingdoms, was of this nature. That is to say, people differed much from one another in matters of doctrine, but for all that, they made charity the chief thing. Also they regarded worship, not from the standpoint of doctrinal teachings which are matters of faith, but from that of charity which is a matter of life. This is what is meant by 'they all had one lip and their words were one', `Genesis 11bbb1`, regarding which see `@@@1285`.
ppp22049#pid#1800. Verse `Genesis 15bbbccc4` And behold, the word of Jehovah came to him, saying, This man will not be your heir, but he who comes out of your own loins will be your heir.
'Behold, the word of Jehovah came to him' means a reply. 'Saying, This man will not be your heir' means that that which is external will not be the heir of His kingdom. 'But he who comes out of your own loins' means people in whom love to Him and love towards the neighbour are present. 'He will be your heir' means that these will become the heirs.
ppp22048#pid#1801. 'Behold, the word of Jehovah came to him' means a reply, to the effect that the heir will not be that which forms the external part of the Church but that which forms the internal, as is clear from what follows. 'The word of Jehovah' or His reply, that is, consolation.`fff1`
`nnn1. The Latin text is confused or incomplete at this point.
ppp22047#pid#1802. 'Saying, This man will not be your heir' means that that which is external will not be the heir of His kingdom. This is clear from the meaning of 'becoming the heir' or 'inheriting', dealt with already just above. The heir to the Lord's kingdom is not that which is external but that which is internal. Yet that which is external is heir as well, but only through that which is internal, for the two in that case act as one. To understand what is implied by this, one needs to keep in mind the thought that all who are in the heavens, including those in the first and in the second heavens as well as those in the third, that is, including those who are external and those who are more interior as well as those who are internal angels, are the heirs of the Lord's kingdom; for they all constitute one heaven. In the Lord's heavens internal things stand in relation to external exactly as they do with man. Angels in the first heaven are subordinate to angels in the second; and these in turn are subordinate to angels in the third. That subordination however is not one of command, but, as in man, is an influx of internal things into more external; that is to say, the Lord's life is flowing through the third heaven into the second, and through this into the first - through all the heavens in their ordered sequence, as well as into every individual heaven directly. The lower angels, or those in a subordinate position, are not aware that this is so unless they are given to reflect on it by the Lord; thus their subordination is not one involving command.
ttt[2] Insofar as that which is internal resides in an angel of the third heaven he is an heir of the Lord's kingdom; also, insofar as that which is internal resides in an angel of the second heaven he too is an heir; and in a like manner, insofar as that which is internal resides in an angel of the first heaven he is an heir as well. It is the internal that makes each of them an heir. With angels who are more internal that which is internal exists in greater measure than with those who are more external, and therefore they are nearer to the Lord and the more His heirs. That which is internal is love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour. In the measure that they have love and charity therefore they are sons and heirs, for in the same measure they inherit the Lord's life.
ttt[3] But no one can possibly be brought from the first or external heaven into the second or more interior heaven until he has been taught the goods of love and the truths of faith. Insofar as he is taught these he is able to be brought to and to enter the company of angelic spirits. Something similar must occur before these angelic spirits are able to be brought to or to enter into the third heaven, that is, into the company of angels. By means of such teaching, more interior and then internal things are formed, and are made suitable to receive the goods of love and truths of faith, and so to receive the perception of what is good and true. No one is able to see with perception what he does not know and believe. Thus no one can be granted an ability to see perceptively any good of love or truth of faith except through cognitions, which enable him to know what good or truth is and the nature of it. This is so with all people, even with young children, all of whom receive teaching in the Lord's kingdom. But these are taught without difficulty because they have not been imbued with false ideas. Yet they are taught general truths only, and when they receive them, there is no limit to the things they can perceive.
ttt[4] It is the same as when a person has been persuaded of some truth in its general or overall presentation of itself. He then sees easily and so to speak from himself, or spontaneously, the particular facets that make up the general aspects, and the individual details that make up the particular facets, which are confirmatory. For stirred by an affection for a truth in its general presentation, he is also as a consequence stirred by the confirmatory facets and details of the same truth. Those particular facets and details, accompanied by delight and pleasantness, enter into the general affection and thereby perfect it constantly. Such facets and details are the internal things by virtue of which people are called heirs, that is, by which they are able to inherit the Lord's kingdom. But those people first begin to be heirs or to receive the inheritance when an affection for what is good, that is, when mutual love, exists in them, into which they have been introduced by means of cognitions of good and truth and by means of affections for these. And insofar as an affection for good, that is, insofar as mutual love, is present in these people, they are heirs or recipients of the inheritance; for mutual love is that very life itself which they receive from the Lord's essence, as from their Father. These considerations may also become clear from what follows next in verse `Genesis 15bbbccc5`.
ppp22046#pid#1803. 'But he who comes out of your own loins' means those in whom love to Him and love towards the neighbour are present. This is clear from the meaning of 'the loins', and of 'going out of the loins' as being born, here those who are being born from the Lord. People who are being born from the Lord, that is, being regenerated by Him, are receiving the Lord's life. As has been stated, the Lord's life is Divine love, that is, a love towards the entire human race, which love is such that His will is to bring eternal salvation, if possible, to the whole of it, that is, to all men. People who do not possess the Lord's love, that is, who do not love their neighbour as themselves, in no sense possess the Lord's life, and so are not in any sense born from Him, that is, they have not 'come out of His loins', and consequently cannot be heirs of His kingdom.
ttt[2] From these considerations it is clear that 'going out of the loins' here means in the internal sense people in whom love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour are present, as in Isaiah,
Thus said Jehovah, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, I am Jehovah your God, teaching you to profit, making you go in the way you should walk. O that you had hearkened to My commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river and your righteousness like the waves of the sea; and your seed would have been like the sand, and those who have gone out of your loins like its grains. `Isaiah 48bbb17-19`.
'Seed like the sand' stands for good, 'those who have gone out of your loins like its grains' for truth. Thus it stands for people in whom love is present, for with them alone does a love of good and truth exist.
ttt[3] In addition the loins in the Word also mean love or mercy, the reason being that the generative organs, especially the mother's womb, represent and so mean chaste conjugial love and the love of children which is derived from that love, as in Isaiah,
The yearning of Your loins and of Your compassion`fff1` towards me have held themselves back. `Isaiah 63bbb15`.
In Jeremiah,
Is not Ephraim a precious son to Me? Is he not a delightful child? Therefore My loins are troubled for him, I will surely have mercy on him. `Jeremiah 31bbb20`.
ttt[4] From this it is clear that love itself, or the Lord's mercy itself and compassion towards the human race, are what the internal sense means by 'the loins', and by 'going out of the loins'. Consequently 'those who have gone out of the loins' means people in whom love is present. Concerning the Lord's kingdom as mutual love, see what has appeared already in `@@@548`, `@@@549`, `@@@684`, `@@@693`, `@@@694`
`nnn1. literally, compassions
ppp22045#pid#1804. That 'he will be your heir' means that these will become the heirs is clear from the meaning of 'an heir', dealt with already.
ppp22044#pid#1805. Verse `Genesis 15bbbccc5` And He brought him outside and said, Look, now, towards heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them. And He said to him, So will your seed be.
'He brought him outside' means the sight possessed by the Interior Man, which from external things sees internal things. 'And He said, Look, now, towards heaven' means a representation of the Lord's kingdom in a mental view of the universe. 'And count the stars' means a representation of goods and truths in a mental view of the constellations. 'If you are able to count them' means the fruitfulness of love and the multiplication of faith. 'And He said to him, So will your seed be' means heirs of the Lord's kingdom.
ppp22043#pid#1806. That 'He brought him outside' means the sight possessed by the Interior Man, which from external things sees internal things, becomes clear from the meaning of 'bringing outside' and at the same time from what follows next. Internal things are 'brought out' when someone looks with his physical eyes at the starry sky and from this thinks about the Lord's kingdom. Whenever a person sees anything with his eyes, yet so to speak does not see the things he sees, but from them sees or thinks of the things that belong to the Church or to heaven, his interior sight, that is, the sight of his spirit or soul, is being 'brought outside'. Strictly speaking the eye itself is nothing else than the sight of the spirit itself 'brought outside', the specific purpose of this being that from external things a person may see internal things, that is, that from objects existing in the world he may reflect continually on things that exist in the next life, for it is for the sake of that life that he lives in the world. Such was the sight of the Most Ancient Church; such is the sight of angels who reside with man; and such was the Lord's sight.
ppp22042#pid#1807. 'And he said, Look, now, towards heaven' means a representation of the Lord's kingdom in a mental view of the universe. This is clear from the meaning of 'heaven'. In the internal sense of the Word 'heaven' does not mean the sky that is seen with the eyes but the Lord's kingdom in general and in particular. When a person who regards internal things from external sees the sky he does not think at all of the starry sky but of the angelic heaven. And when he sees the sun, he does not think about the sun but about the Lord's being the Sun of heaven. The same applies when he sees the moon, and also the stars. And so when he sees the boundlessness of the sky he does not think about the boundlessness of this but about the Lord's boundless and infinite power. And the same goes for everything else he sees, for there is nothing that is not representative.
ttt[2] It is the same with the things belonging to the earth. When, for example, such a person sees the dawning of the day he does not think of the dawn but of the rise of all things from the Lord, and of advancement into the daylight of wisdom. Similarly when he sees cultivated gardens, trees, and flowers, his eye is not fixed on any tree and on its blossom, leaf, and fruit, but on the heavenly things which these represent. Nor is it fixed on any flower and its beauty and loveliness but on those things which these represent in the next life. For not one thing of beauty and delight ever exists in the sky above or on earth beneath that is not in some respect representative of the Lord's kingdom; see what has been stated in `@@@1632`. Such is the 'looking towards heaven' which means a representation of the Lord's kingdom in a mental view of the universe.
ttt[3] The reason why every single thing in the sky above and on the earth beneath is representative is that it has come into being, and is constantly coming into being, that is, is kept in being, from the influx of the Lord through heaven. It is as it is with the human body, which comes into being and is kept in being by means of its soul, for which reason every single thing in the body is representative of the soul. Inherent in the soul there are use and end in view, but in the body the accomplishment of these. All effects, without exception, are in the same way representatives of the uses which are the causes behind those effects, while the uses are representative of the ends which constitute first beginnings.
ttt[4] People whose concern is for Divine ideas never dwell on the objects of external sight, but from and in those objects they are continually seeing internal things. The most internal things of all are those that constitute the Lord's kingdom, and thus are those which consist in the greatest of all ends. It is similar with the Word of the Lord. The person whose concern is for Divine ideas never regards the Word of the Lord from the letter, but regards the letter and the literal sense as that which represents and means the celestial and spiritual things of the Church and of the Lord's kingdom. To that person the literal sense exists solely as the means which enable him to think about these. Such was the nature of the Lord's sight.
ppp22041#pid#1808. 'And count the stars' means a representation of goods and truths in a mental view of the constellations. This is clear from what has just been stated, and also from the representation and meaning of 'the stars' as goods and truths. Stars are mentioned many times in the Word, and in every instance they mean goods and truths, and also in the contrary sense evils and falsities. Or what amounts to the same, they mean angels or communities of angels, and also in the contrary sense evil spirits and groupings of these. When angels or communities of angels are meant they are stars that are motionless, but when evil spirits and groupings of these are meant, they are stars that wander, as I have seen on many occasions.
ttt[2] The fact that everything in the sky above and on the earth beneath is representative of celestial and spiritual things has become clear from the plain evidence that things similar to those that appear before the eyes in the sky and on the earth are also manifested visually in the world of spirits, and this as clearly as in broad daylight. There they are nothing other than representatives. For example, when a starry sky appears and the stars in it are motionless one knows instantly that they mean goods and truths; and when the stars appear wandering one knows instantly that they mean evils and falsities. And from the way in which the stars shine and sparkle the nature of them is made clear too, besides countless other considerations. Consequently if anyone is willing to be wise in his thinking he may know where all things on earth originate, namely in the Lord. And the reason why these things do not present themselves on earth in non-physical ideas but in actual physical objects is that all things, both celestial and spiritual, which derive from the Lord are living and essential, or substantial (as they are called), and therefore manifest themselves as actual objects within the natural order, see `@@@1632`.
ttt[3] That 'the stars' represents and means goods and truths becomes clear from the following places in the Word: In Isaiah,
The stars of the heavens and their constellations do not give their light. The sun is darkened in its going forth, and the moon does not shed its light And I will punish the world for evil, and the wicked for their iniquity. `Isaiah 13bbb10-11`.
The subject here is the day of a visiting with punishment. Anyone may see that here 'the stars' and 'the constellations' are not used to mean stars and constellations but truths and goods, 'the sun' to mean love, and 'the moon' to mean faith; for falsities and evils which 'darken' are being referred to.
ttt[4] In Ezekiel,
When I have blotted you out I will cover the heavens; I will darken their stars. I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light. All the bright lights I will make dark over you, and I will put darkness over your land. `Ezekiel 32bbb7-8`.
Here the meaning is similar. In Joel,
The earth quaked before Him, the heavens trembled. The sun and the moon were darkened, and the stars withdrew their shining. `Joel 2bbb10`; `Joel ccc3bbb15`.
Here the meaning is similar. In David,
Praise Jehovah, sun and moon, praise Him, all stars of light! Praise Him, heavens of heavens! `Psalms 148bbb3-4`.
Here the meaning is similar.
ttt[5] That 'stars' does not mean stars but goods and truths, or what amounts to the same, people who are wholly taken up with goods and truths, as angels are, is stated plainly in John,
I saw the Son of Man holding in His right hand seven stars. As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven Churches; while the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven Churches. `Revelation 1bbb16`, `Revelation 1bbbccc20`.
ttt[6] In the same book,
The fourth angel sounded, and a third part of the sun was struck, and a third part of the moon, and a third part of the stars, so that a third part of them was darkened, and the day did not shine for a third part of it, and the night likewise. `Revelation 8bbb12`.
Here it is quite clear that good and truth were darkened. In Daniel,
There came forth a little horn, and it grew very much towards the south, and towards the east, and towards the glorious [land]. And it grew even towards the host of heaven, and cast down to earth some of the host, and of the stars, and trampled on them. `Daniel 8bbb9-10`.
Clearly 'the host of heaven' and 'the stars' are goods and truths, which were 'trampled on'.
ttt[7] These places also show what is meant by the Lord's words in Matthew,
At the close of the age, immediately after the affliction of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. `Matthew 24bbb29`.
And in Luke,
There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and upon the earth distress of nations in despair, at the roaring of the sea and of the ocean. `Luke 21bbb25`.
Here 'the sun' does not at all mean the sun, nor 'the moon' the moon, nor 'stars' the stars, nor 'sea' the sea, but the things which these represent; that is to say, 'the sun' means the celestial things of love, 'moon' the spiritual things, 'stars' goods and truths, or cognitions of good and truth, which around the close of the age when no faith, that is, no charity, exists, are thus darkened.
ppp22040#pid#1809.'If you are able to count them' means the fruitfulness of love and the multiplication of faith, or what amounts to the same, the fruitfulness of good and the multiplication of truth. This meaning - namely, that these are not able to be counted - becomes clear without explanation.
ppp22039#pid#1810. '[And He said to him] So will your seed be' means heirs of the Lord's kingdom. This is clear from the meaning of 'seed' as love and faith deriving from it, or what amounts to the same, people in whom love and faith are present - both angels and men. That 'seed' has this meaning has been stated and shown in several places already. In general these words mean the Lord's kingdom, whose vastness and greatness in number surpasses anyone's belief. No other word than BOUNDLESS can describe it, a boundlessness which will in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed elsewhere. It is this boundlessness that is here meant by the words of this verse, 'Look, now, towards heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them. And He said to him, So will your seed be.' These same words in addition mean the countless goods and truths that are part of wisdom and intelligence, together with the happiness that goes with these, present with every angel.
ppp22038#pid#1811. Verse `Genesis 15bbbccc6` And he believed in Jehovah, and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.
He believed in Jehovah' means the Lord's faith at that time. 'And He reckoned it to him as righteousness' means that in this the Lord first became righteousness.
ppp22037#pid#1812. 'He believed in Jehovah' means the Lord's faith at that time. This is clear from the words themselves, and also from the train of thought in the internal sense, the train of thought being that while He lived in the world the Lord was engaged repeatedly in conflicts brought about by temptations, and was repeatedly victorious. And what is meant here by 'believing in Jehovah' is the truth that the Lord was filled repeatedly with an inmost confidence and faith that, because it was pure love out of which He was fighting for the salvation of the whole human race, He could not but be victorious. From the love out of which anyone fights it is known what his faith is. A person who fights out of any other love than love towards the neighbour and love towards the Lord's kingdom is not fighting out of faith, that is, he does not believe in Jehovah but in that which he loves; for the love itself for which he fights constitutes his faith. Take, for example, one who fights out of the love of becoming the greatest in heaven. He does not believe in Jehovah, but rather in himself, for wishing to become the greatest is wishing to have control over others. Thus he fights for control. It is the same with every other example that may be taken. From the love itself therefore out of which a person fights one may know what his faith is.
ttt[2] The Lord however, in all His conflicts brought about by temptations, never fought out of self-love, that is, for Himself, but for all throughout the universe. He did not fight therefore to become the greatest in heaven, for that is contrary to Divine love. He scarcely did so to become the least. He fought solely so that all others might become something and be saved, as He Himself also declares in Mark,
The two sons of Zebedee said, Grant us to sit in Your glory, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left. Jesus said, Whoever would be great among you must be your minister, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man also came not to be ministered to but to minister, and to give His life`fff1` as the price of redemption for many. `Mark 10bbb37`, `Mark 10bbbccc43-45`.
This is the love, that is, the faith, out of which the Lord fought, and which is meant by 'believing in Jehovah'.
`nnn1. literally, soul
ppp22036#pid#1813. 'He reckoned it to him as righteousness' means that in this the Lord first became righteousness. This too becomes clear from the train of thought in the internal sense, in which the Lord is the subject. That the Lord alone became righteousness for the sake of the whole human race becomes clear from the consideration that He alone has fought out of Divine Love, that is to say, out of love towards the whole human race, whose salvation, that and nothing else, He desired and longed for in His conflicts. The Lord was not born righteousness as regards the Human Essence but became righteousness through the conflicts brought about by temptations and through victories, something He achieved by His own power. And as often as He fought and won the victory, this was reckoned to Him as righteousness, that is, it was added to the righteousness He was becoming, as an increase to it every time, until He became perfect righteousness.
ttt[2] When one who is begotten from a human father, that is, from the seed of a human father, fights for himself, he cannot possibly do so out of any other love than love of self and love of the world, thus not out of heavenly love but out of hellish, for such is the nature of the proprium he possesses from his father in addition to the proprium he has acquired by his own actions. Consequently the person who imagines that he fights the devil from himself is grossly mistaken. So too the person who wishes to make himself righteous by his own powers, that is, to believe that the goods of charity and the truths of faith come from himself, and consequently to merit heaven through them, is acting and thinking contrary to the good and truth of faith. For it is a truth of faith, that is, it is the truth itself, that the Lord is the one who does battle. Thus because he is acting and thinking contrary to a truth of faith, he deprives the Lord of what is His and makes what is the Lord's his own; or what amounts to the same, he replaces the Lord with himself and so with that in himself which is from hell. It is for this reason that people wish to become great or the greatest in heaven, and thus it is that they believe quite wrongly that the Lord fought against the hells so that He might be the greatest. The human proprium has delusions such as these within it which have all the appearance of being truths but which are quite the reverse.
ttt[3] That the Lord came into the world so as to become righteousness, and that He alone is righteousness, was also foretold by the Prophets. Thus it was possible to know of this even before His Coming, and also to know that He could not become righteousness except by means of temptations and victories over all evils and over all the hells, as in Jeremiah,
In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell with confidence. And this is His name which they will call Him. Jehovah our Righteousness. `Jeremiah 23bbb6`.
In the same prophet,
In those days and at that time I will cause a shoot of righteousness to sprout forth for David, and he will execute judgement and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will dwell with confidence. And this is what they will call Him, Jehovah our Righteousness. `Jeremiah 33bbb15-16`.
In Isaiah,
He saw and there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor, and His own arm brought salvation to Him, and His righteousness upheld Him. And He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation upon His head. `Isaiah 59bbb16-17`.
And see especially `Isaiah 63bbb3`, `Isaiah 63bbbccc5`. 'His own arm' stands for His own power. Since the Lord alone is righteousness, the expression a habitation of righteousness is also used, in `Jeremiah 31bbb23`; `Jeremiah ccc50bbb7`.
ppp22035#pid#1814. Verse `Genesis 15bbbccc7` And He said to him, I am Jehovah, who brought you forth out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit.
'He said to him, I am Jehovah' means the Lord's Internal Man which is Jehovah, from whom perception came. 'Who brought you forth out of Ur of the Chaldeans' means the first state of the External Man. 'To give you this land to inherit' means the Lord's kingdom, of which He alone is the Possessor.
ppp22034#pid#1815. 'He said to him, I am Jehovah' means the Lord's Internal Man which is Jehovah, from whom perception came. This is clear from what has been stated in various places already, to the effect that the Lord's Internal, that is, whatever the Lord received from the Father, was in Him Jehovah - for He was conceived from Jehovah. That which a person receives from the, father is one thing, while that from the mother is another. From the father a person receives everything that is internal, the soul itself or life being from the father; but from the mother he receives everything that is external. In short, the interior man or spirit itself comes from the father, but the exterior man or body itself from the mother. This anyone may grasp merely from the consideration that the soul itself is inseminated by the father, and starts to clothe itself in the ovum with a tiny body. All else that is subsequently added to it, both in the ovum and in the womb, comes from the mother, for it receives nothing contributing to its growth from anywhere else.
ttt[2] From this it becomes clear that internally the Lord was Jehovah. Since however the external which the Lord received from the mother was to be united to the Divine, or Jehovah - and this, as has been stated, was accomplished by means of temptations and victories - it inevitably appeared to Him that when He spoke to Jehovah, it was as if to another. But in fact He spoke to Himself, that is to say, insofar as He had become joined to Jehovah. The perception which the Lord possessed - being most perfect, far superior to that of every other who has ever been born - sprang from His Internal Man, that is, from Jehovah Himself; and this is meant here in the internal sense by 'Jehovah said to him'.
ppp22033#pid#1816. 'Who brought you forth out of Ur of the Chaldeans' means the first state of the external Man. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'Ur of the Chaldeans'. The maternal part of the Lord which He received by birth, that is, what had been inherited from the mother, is what is meant here by 'Ur of the Chaldeans'. The nature of this has been described already. It was out of this maternal part, or what had been inherited from the mother, that He was 'brought forth' every time He overcame evils and falsities, that is, the hells.
ppp22032#pid#1817. 'To give you this land to inherit' means the Lord's kingdom, of which He alone is the Possessor. 'This is clear from the meaning of 'land', here the Holy Land or Canaan, as the heavenly kingdom, and also from the meaning of 'inheriting', dealt with in various places already. 'Inheriting the land', which means possessing the heavenly kingdom, has reference here to His Human Essence; for as regards the Divine Essence He was from eternity the Possessor of the universe, and therefore of the heavenly kingdom.
ppp22031#pid#1818. Verse `Genesis 15bbbccc8` And he said, O Lord Jehovih, by what shall I know that I shall inherit it?
'He said, O Lord Jehovih' means a conversing, so to speak, of the Interior Man with the Internal Man. 'By what shall I know that I shall inherit it?' means temptation directed against the Lord's love which wished to be made quite certain of the outcome.
ppp22030#pid#1819. 'He said, O Lord Jehovih' means a conversing, so to speak, of the Interior Man with the Internal Man. This is clear from what was stated in the previous verse at the words 'Jehovah said to him', and also from what was stated in verse `Genesis 15bbbccc2` of this chapter about the Lord Jehovih, as meaning a conversing of the Interior Man with the Internal Man, or Jehovah, especially when He was undergoing temptation.
ppp22029#pid#1820. 'By what shall I know that I shall inherit it?' means temptation directed against the Lord's love which wished to be made quite certain of the outcome. This becomes clear from the feeling of doubt which the words express. Anyone who is undergoing temptation experiences doubt as regards the end in view. That end is the love against which evil spirits and evil genii fight and in so doing place the end in doubt. And the greater his love is, the more they place it in doubt. Unless the end in view which a person loves is placed in doubt, and even in despair, there would be no temptation. A feeling of certainty about the outcome precedes, and is part of, victory.
ttt[2] Since few people know what temptations really are, let a brief explanation of them be given here. Evil spirits never contend against any other things than those which a person loves, and the more intensely he loves them the more fiercely do those spirits contend. Evil genii are the ones that contend against the things of affection for what is good, and evil spirits are the ones that do so against the affection for what is true. As soon as they detect even the smallest thing that a person loves or get a scent, so to speak, of what is delightful and precious to him, they attack it instantly and try to destroy it, and so the whole person, since his life consists in his loves. Nothing ever gives them greater delight than to destroy a person; nor would they leave off but would continue even for ever, if the Lord did not drive them away. Those who are ill-disposed and deceitful worm their way into those very loves by flattering them, and in this way they bring a person in among themselves. And once they have so brought him in, they very soon try to destroy his loves and so to slay that person, which they do in a thousand unimaginable ways.
ttt[3] Nor are the attacks which they make solely those in which they reason against goods and truths - the making of such attacks being nothing to them, for if they were defeated a thousand times over they would carry on with them because their supply of reasonings against goods and truths can never be exhausted. Rather, in their attacks, they pervert goods and truths, setting these ablaze with a certain kind of evil desire and of persuasion, so that the person himself does not know any other than that similar desire and persuasion reign within him. At the same time they infuse those goods and truths with delight which they seize from the delight which that person has in some other thing. In these ways they infect and infest him most deceitfully, doing it all so skillfully by leading him from the one thing to another that if the Lord did not come to his aid, that person would never know other than that it was indeed so.
ttt[4] They act in similar ways against the affections for truth that constitute conscience. As soon as they become aware of anything, whatever the nature of it, that is a constituent part of that conscience, they mould an affection out of the falsities and weaknesses that exist with that person, and by means of that affection they dim the light of truth and so pervert it, or else they cause him anxiety and torment. In addition to this they keep his thought firmly fixed on one single thing; and they fill that thought with delusions, at the same time secretly incorporating evil desires within those delusions. Besides this they use countless other devices which cannot possibly be described so as to be understood. These are a few of the ways - and only very general ones - by which they are able to get at a person's conscience, which above all else they take the greatest delight in destroying.
ttt[5] These few, indeed very few, observations show the nature of temptations - in general that the nature of a person's temptations is as the nature of his loves. They also show the nature of the Lord's temptations, that these were the most dreadful of all, for as is the intensity of the love so is the dreadfulness of the temptations. The Lord's love - a most ardent love - was the salvation of the whole human race; it was therefore a total affection for good and affection for truth in the highest degree. Against these all the hells contended, employing the most malicious forms of guile and venom, but the Lord nevertheless conquered them all by His own power. Victories have this effect, that after they have been won, wicked genii and spirits do not dare to attempt anything; for their life consists in their being able to destroy, but when they perceive that a person is able to withstand them, they flee even when they are making their first assault, as they usually do when they draw near to merely the threshold of heaven. They are straightaway gripped with horror and dread and hurl themselves back in retreat.
ppp22028#pid#1821. Verse `Genesis 15bbbccc9` And He said to him, Take for Me`fff1` a three year old heifer, and a three year old she-goat, and a three year old ram, a turtle dove and a fledgling.
'He said to him' means perception. 'Take a three year old heifer, and a three year old she-goat, and a three year old ram' means things that are the representatives of the celestial things of the Church, 'a heifer' being those that are the representatives of exterior celestial things, 'a she-goat' of interior celestial, 'a ram' of spiritual-celestial; and they had to be 'three years old' because they were to embody all things of the Church as to periods and states. 'And a turtle dove and a fledgling' means things that are the representatives of the spiritual things of the Church, 'turtle dove' being those that are exterior, 'fledgling' those that are interior.
`nnn1. The Latin means for you, but the Hebrew means for Me.
ppp22027#pid#1822. That 'He said to him' means perception is clear from what has been stated above at verses `Genesis 15bbbccc2` and `Genesis 15bbbccc7`. Perception itself is nothing else than a certain form of conversing that takes place inwardly, but which makes itself known whenever the spoken word is grasped perceptively. Every form of inward dictate, even conscience, is nothing else; but perception is a higher or more interior degree of it.
ppp22026#pid#1823. 'Take a three year old heifer, and a three year old she-goat, and a three year old ram' means things that are the representatives of the celestial things of the Church. This is clear from the meaning of these same animals in sacrifices. Nobody in his right mind can believe that the various animals that used to be sacrificed meant nothing but sacrifices, or that an ox and a young bull or a calf had the same meaning as a sheep, kid, and she-goat, and these the same as a lamb, and that a turtle dove and fledgling pigeons had similar meanings; for in fact each creature had its own specific meaning. This becomes quite clear from the fact that under no circumstances was one kind of animal offered instead of another, and from the fact that it was explicitly stated which creatures were to be used in the daily burnt-offerings and sacrifices, and which on the sabbath and at festivals; which creatures were to be used in free-will, votive, and communion offerings; which ones were to be used in expiations of guilt and sin; and which in purifications. This would never have been the case if some specific thing had not been represented and meant by each animal.
ttt[2] But as to the specific meaning of each kind, this would take too long to explain here. Here it is enough if one knows that celestial things are meant by the animals and spiritual things by the birds, and that some specific celestial or spiritual thing is meant by each kind of animal or bird. The Church itself, and everything to do with the Jewish Church, was representative of such things as constitute the Lord's kingdom, where nothing but that which is celestial or spiritual exists, that is, nothing but that which belongs to love and faith, as also becomes quite clear from the meaning of clean and useful beasts, dealt with in `@@@45`, `@@@46`, `@@@142`, `@@@143`, `@@@246`, `@@@714`, `@@@715`, `@@@776`. And because in the Most Ancient Churches beasts meant celestial goods, in the Church existing at a later time when purely external, though representative, worship was highly esteemed and approved of, those beasts became representatives.
ttt[3] Because the state of the Church is the subject here and because the nature of its state in the future is foretold, Abram was shown the same visually by means of similar representatives, exactly as recorded here. Yet quite apart from this, such things are nevertheless meant in the internal sense, as anyone may know and contemplate. For what would have been the need to take a three year old heifer, a three year old she-goat, a three year old ram, a turtle dove and a fledgling, and to divide them in two parts and to lay them out so, unless each single thing had carried a spiritual meaning? But what these details mean becomes clear from what follows below.
ppp22025#pid#1824. That 'a heifer' means those things that are the representatives of exterior celestial things, 'a she-goat' those that are the representatives of interior celestial, and 'a ram' those that are the representatives of spiritual-celestial, becomes clear from the sacrifices, which will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with later on when sacrifices are the subject. There are exterior celestial things and interior celestial things, as well as spiritual-celestial. Exterior celestial things are such as belong to the external man, interior celestial such as belong to the internal man, while spiritual-celestial are such as derive from both exterior and interior celestial things. The celestial itself consists in love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour. That celestial flows in from the Lord, and indeed by way of the internal man into the external. In the interior man it is called the interior celestial, in the exterior the exterior celestial. The exterior celestial consists of every affection for good, and also indeed every pleasure which springs from the affection for good. Insofar as these two, that is, the affection for good and the pleasure springing from it, have the good of love and charity within them, they have what is celestial within them, and happiness too: The spiritual-celestial however consists of every affection for truth which has within it the affection for good, that is, the affection for truth which is begotten by the affection for good; thus it is faith that has charity within it, or faith which is begotten by charity.
ppp22024#pid#1825. That 'three years old' embodies all things of the Church as to periods and states is clear from the meaning of 'three' in the Word. Three means the whole time of the Church from start to finish, and so its total state. The final phase of the Church is therefore meant by the third day, by the third week, by the third month, by the third year, or by the third decade,`fff1` all having the same meaning. As the state of the Church is meant by the number three, so also is the state of every individual who is a Church, and indeed everything that is part of the Church, as becomes clear from the meaning of that number in the places quoted from the Word in `@@@720`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc901`.
ttt[2] That 'a three year old heifer' accordingly means the whole time or state of the Church even to its end, that is to say, when it has been vastated, or laid desolate, also becomes clear in Isaiah,
My heart cries out upon Moab, his fugitives flee even to Zoar, a three year old heifer, for at the ascent of Luhith he will go up weeping, for on the road to Horonaim they will raise a cry of ruination. `Isaiah 15bbb5`.
Also in Jeremiah,
Gladness and exultation have been plucked from Carmel, and from the land of Moab, and I will make the wine cease from the winepresses. None will tread the hedad; the hedad will not be a hedad.`fff2` From the cry of Heshbon even to Elealeh, as far as Jahaz they uttered their voice, from Zoar even to Horonaim, a three year old heifer, for the waters of Nimrim also will become desolations. `Jeremiah 48bbb33-34`.
Nobody could possibly perceive what these details mean unless he knew what is meant by Moab, Zoar, the ascent of Luhith, the shout of Heshbon even to Elealeh, Jahaz, Horonaim, the waters of Nimrim, and a three year old heifer. That a final vastation is meant is plainly evident.
`nnn1. or third age or third century
`nnn2. A Hebrew word which is a shout of exaltation
ppp22023#pid#1826. That 'he took a turtle dove and a fledgling' means those things that are [the representatives] of the spiritual things of the Church is clear from the meaning of birds in general, and of turtle doves and pigeons in particular. That 'birds' means spiritual things, which are more matters of faith or truth, and so means intellectual concepts and rational concepts, has been shown already in `@@@40`, `@@@745`, `@@@776`, `@@@991`; and that 'pigeons' means the goods and truths of faith, `@@@870`. And in addition to this, what the birds used in sacrifices meant is in the Lord's Divine mercy to be discussed later on where sacrifices are the subject. When in the Word, especially the Prophetical, celestial things are spoken of, so also are spiritual things spoken of, and thus the two are joined together, for one derives from the other, so that one belongs to the other, as stated already in `@@@639`, `@@@680`, `@@@683`, `@@@707`, `@@@793`, `@@@810`.
ppp22022#pid#1827. That 'a turtle dove' means those things that are the representatives of exterior spiritual things, and 'a fledgling' those that are the representatives of interior spiritual, becomes clear from what has been stated about celestial things, the exterior things of which were meant by 'a heifer', the interior by 'a she-goat', and those that stand in between these by 'a ram'.
ppp22021#pid#1828. Verse `Genesis 15bbbccc10` And he took for himself all these, and parted each of them down the middle and laid each part opposite the other; but the birds he did not cut apart.
'And he took for himself all these' means this was carried out. 'And he divided them down the middle' means the Church and the Lord. 'And he laid each part opposite the other' means a parallelism and correspondence as regards celestial things. 'But the birds he did not divide' means that no such parallelism and correspondence existed in the case of spiritual things.
ppp22020#pid#1829. That 'he took for himself all these' means this was carried out is clear without explanation.
ppp22019#pid#1830. That 'he parted each of them down the middle' means the Church and the Lord is clear from what follows, for celestial things were meant by the heifer, she-goat, and ram, and spiritual things by the turtle dove and fledgling. When cut apart and their parts set opposite each other, these creatures cannot have any other meaning.
ppp22018#pid#1831. 'And he laid each part opposite the other' means a parallelism and correspondence as regards celestial things. This becomes clear from the fact that the parts on one side mean the Church and those on the other the Lord. And when these are set in their proper places opposite each other, nothing else is meant than parallelism and correspondence. And because the heifer, the she-goat, and the ram, which mean celestial things, as stated just above at verse `Genesis 15bbbccc9`, were cut in half as described and laid in their proper places, it is clear that there is a parallelism and correspondence as regards celestial things. As regards spiritual things however, which will be dealt with shortly, the situation is different. As often stated, celestial things are all those that have to do with love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour. It is the Lord who imparts love and charity, the Church that receives; and that which unites is conscience, which has love and charity implanted within it. Consequently the space in between the parts means those things present in man which are called perception, internal dictate, and conscience. The things that exist above that perception, dictate, and conscience are the Lord's, those that are below reside in man. Thus because these things above and those below look towards one another, a parallelism is said to exist; and because they correspond to one another, as active and passive, a correspondence is said to exist.
ppp22017#pid#1832. 'But the birds he did not cut apart' means that no such parallelism and correspondence existed in the case of spiritual things. This is clear from the meaning of 'birds' as that which is spiritual, dealt with just above in verse `Genesis 15bbbccc9`, and from the fact that he did not part the birds down the middle, which consequently means that no such parallelism and correspondence existed in their case. By spiritual things, as has often been stated already, are meant all those things that constitute faith, consequently all those things which are matters of doctrine, as these are called matters of faith even though in fact they are not so until they have been joined to charity. Between these and the Lord no parallelism and correspondence exists, for they are not such as flow in through an internal dictate and through conscience - as matters of love and charity do - but such as flow in through the reception of teaching and so through hearing, thus not from what is more internal, but from that which is more external; and in this way they form in man their vessels or recipients.
ttt[2] The majority of these have the appearance of being truths but in fact they are not so - like those things which belong to the literal sense of the Word, being also representatives of truth, and meaningful signs of truth, and so not in themselves truths. Some are even falsities, which nevertheless are able to serve as vessels and recipients. With the Lord however only those exist which are wholly and essentially truths, and therefore no parallelism or correspondence exists involving those apparent truths. Yet they may be rendered suitable to serve celestial things - which are matters of love and charity - as vessels. These apparent truths are what constitute the cloud in the understanding part of the mind, dealt with already, into which the Lord infuses charity and so forms conscience.
ttt[3] Take, for example, people who keep to the sense of the letter of the Word and imagine that it is the Lord who brings on temptation, that it is He who at such times tortures a person's conscience, and who imagine that because He permits evil He is the author of evil, that He thrusts the wicked down into hell, and similar ideas. These are not truths, but apparent truths. And because they are not in themselves truths there is no parallelism and correspondence. Nevertheless the Lord leaves these things in man as they are and in a remarkable fashion adapts them by means of charity so that they may serve as vessels for celestial things. The same applies as well to the worship, the teachings, the practices, even the idols, of honest gentiles. In the same way the Lord leaves these things as they are, yet adapts them by means of charity so that they too may serve as vessels. The same was true of so many of the forms of ritual in the Ancient Church, and subsequently in the Jewish Church. In themselves they were nothing more than religious observances that contained no truth in them and which were tolerated and permitted, even prescribed, because they had been held sacred by parents, and so had been implanted in and impressed upon their minds as truths since they were children.
ttt[4] These and other such things are what are meant by the statement that the birds were not divided. For the things that are once implanted in a person's beliefs and are held sacred, provided they are not contrary to Divine order, are left by the Lord as they are; and although no parallelism or correspondence exists He nevertheless adapts them. The same things were also meant in the sacrifices of the Jewish Church by the birds not being divided, for to divide is to set one part opposite the other so that they exactly correspond. But because those things to which reference has been made are not exactly correspondent, they are in the next life blotted out in the case of those who allow themselves to be taught, and truths themselves are implanted in their affections for good. For the sake of this representation and meaning, birds in the Jewish Church were not divided, as is clear in Moses,
If his gift to Jehovah is a burnt offering of a bird, he is to bring a gift of turtle doves or of young pigeons; he will tear it with its wings, he is not to divide it. `Leviticus 1bbb14`, `Leviticus 1bbbccc17`.
Likewise in sacrifices for sin, `Leviticus 5bbb7-8`.
ppp22016#pid#1833. Verse `Genesis 15bbbccc11` And birds of prey came down on the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.
'Birds of prey came down on the carcasses' means evils and derivative falsities that wished to destroy. 'And Abram drove them away' means that the Lord put them to flight.
ppp22015#pid#1834. That 'birds of prey came down on the carcasses' means evils and derivative falsities that wished to destroy is clear from the meaning of 'bird of prey' as falsity. In the Word a bird of prey means truth, as shown above, and also in the contrary sense falsity - that is, both meanings occur there, just as almost every other such expression in the Word has two meanings. That a bird of prey may also mean falsity has been shown already in `@@@778`, `@@@866`, `@@@988`. Anyone may see that certain arcana are meant by this reference to birds of prey coming down, otherwise this detail would not have been worthy of mention. Which particular arcanum is meant has also been stated already and is evident from the train of thought in the internal sense, namely that it is something regarding the state of the Church.
ttt[2] When a Church is raised up by the Lord it is faultless to begin with. At that time one person loves another as his brother, as is well known from the Primitive Church after the Lord's Coming. In those days all members of the Church lived with one another as brothers; they also called one another brothers, and loved one another mutually. In the course of time however charity faded and passed away, and as it passed away evils took its place, and along with the evils falsities too wormed their way in. From this schisms and heresies resulted, which would never have existed if charity had continued to reign and live. In those days they would not even call schism schism, or heresy heresy, but a matter of doctrine adhered to in accordance with the particular belief of that schism or heresy. That matter of doctrine they would leave to each individual's conscience, provided it did not deny anything fundamental, that is, the Lord, eternal life, or the Word, and provided it was not contrary to Divine order, that is, to the Ten Commandments.
ttt[3] The evils and derivative falsities which in the Church take the place of charity as it passes away are what is here meant by the birds of prey that Abram drove away, that is, that the Lord, whom Abram represents here, put to flight. Abram drove away nothing else than birds of prey, and nothing whatever of evil and falsity. Nor in heaven do they know of Abraham except as any other human being who of himself has no power to accomplish anything - for the Lord alone has such power, as is also stated in Isaiah,
You are our Father, for Abraham does not know us and Israel does not acknowledge us. You, O Jehovah, are our Father, our Redeemer; from of old is Your name. `Isaiah 63bbb16`.
ppp22014#pid#1835. That 'Abram drove them away' means that the Lord put them to flight is clear from what has been stated. The position is the same with regard to the Church. When it starts to depart from charity, evils and derivative falsities are quite easily put to flight, for it is still in a state not far removed from charity, and so people's minds are quite pliable. In the course of time however evils and derivative falsities increase, and so are confirmed and consolidated. This matter will be dealt with later on.
ttt[2] As far as it is possible the Lord is constantly putting evils and falsities to flight, but He does so by means of conscience. When the bonds of conscience are loosed no channel exists by which the Lord may flow in, for the Lord's influx with man is an influx by way of charity into his conscience. But when this comes about a new channel, an external one, is formed and takes the place of charity, that is to say, influx now comes through a fear of the law, fear of loss of life, honour, wealth, and consequent reputation. But these bonds are not those of conscience; they are merely external bonds which enable a person to live in society with others and to appear friendly, whatever he may be like within.
ttt[3] This channel, or these bonds, are of no value whatever in the next life, for in that life things that are external are taken away, and such as the person is within remains. There are very many who have led good lives, private and public, have harmed no one, and have performed acts of friendship and kindness; indeed they have done good to very many. Yet they acted solely for themselves, for the sake of honour, gain, and similar considerations. In the next life these are among those in hell since they have nothing good and true within them at all, only evil and falsity. Indeed they have nothing but hatred, revenge, cruelty, and adultery within them, which do not show themselves before anyone - not showing themselves, that is, insofar as those fears which constitute external restraints prevail.
ppp22013#pid#1836. Verse `Genesis 15bbbccc12` And as the sun was going down a deep sleep came over Abram, and, behold, a dread of a great darkness was coming over him.
'As the sun was going down' means the period of time and the state just before the close. 'And a deep sleep came over Abram' means that the Church was at that time in darkness. 'And, behold, a dread of great darkness was coming over him' means that it was a dreadful darkness, darkness' being falsities.
ppp22012#pid#1837. That 'as the sun was going down' means the period of time and the state just before the close is clear from the meaning of 'the sun'. In the internal sense 'the sun' means the Lord, and because of this means the celestial things of love and charity, consequently love and charity themselves, dealt with already in `@@@30-38`, and `@@@1053`. From this it is evident that 'the going down of the sun' is the last period of time in the Church, which is called the close, when charity does not exist any longer. The Lord's Church is also compared to the times of day, its earliest time being compared to sunrise, or dawn and morning, and its final period to sundown, or evening and the shadows that fall then; for there is indeed a similarity between the two. In like manner the Church is compared to the seasons of the year, its earliest time being compared to spring when everything is flowering, while the time next to the last is compared to autumn when everything starts to die off. Indeed, the Church is also compared to metals, its first time being called golden, its last that of iron and clay, as in `Daniel 2bbb31-33`. These considerations show what is meant by 'as the sun was going down', namely that the period of time and the state just before the close are meant, for the sun had not yet gone down. In what follows the subject is the state of the Church when the sun had gone down, at which point thick darkness descended, and a smoking furnace and a flaming torch passed between the pieces.
ppp22011#pid#1838. That 'a deep sleep came over Abram' means that the Church was at that time in darkness is clear from the meaning of 'deep sleep'. In relation to wakefulness 'deep sleep' is a state of darkness, a state which is here attributed to the Lord, who is represented by Abram. Not that a deep sleep, or a state of darkness, ever in fact existed with Him, but with the Church. This is similar to the way things are in the next life where the Lord never ceases to be the Sun, and Light itself; yet before the evil He is seen as darkness, for it is according to the state of each individual that the Lord is seen. Thus the same is said here of the Church when in a state of darkness.
ttt[2] Take as an example the vastation, the punishment, and the condemnation which are ascribed to the Lord many times in the Word. These are in fact attributable to the member of the Church, who vastates, punishes, and condemns himself. It appears to the eyes of the individual as though the Lord vastated, punished, and condemned; and because the appearance is such, it is so expressed according to appearances. For unless a person were taught by means of appearances he would never allow himself to be taught at all. What is contrary to the appearance he neither believes nor comprehends until at a later time he has the power of judgement and has been granted the faith that is grounded in charity.
ttt[3] The same applies to the Church. When it is in darkness the Lord is so obscured before the eyes of its members that He does not appear, that is, He is not acknowledged. Yet it is not at all the Lord who is covered in obscurity but the person in whom and with whom the Lord would be. Nevertheless obscuration is attributed to the Lord, as is 'deep sleep' here, by which is meant a dark state of the Church.
ppp22010#pid#1839. That 'behold, a dread of great darkness was coming over him' means that it was a dreadful darkness, 'darkness' being falsities, is clear from the meaning of 'darkness' as falsities, to be dealt with immediately below. The state of the Church just before the close, or when the sun was going down, is described by 'the dread of great darkness', but the state when the sun had gone down is described by 'the thick darkness' and other details given in verse `Genesis 15bbbccc17` below.
ttt[2] The Lord spoke of it in the same way in Matthew,
The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. `Matthew 24bbb29`.
He did not mean that the sun of the world will be darkened but the celestial entity of love and charity. Nor will the moon be darkened but the spiritual entity of faith. Nor will the stars fall from heaven but the cognitions of good and truth with the member of the Church, which are 'the powers of the heavens'. Nor will these things take place in heaven but on earth, for heaven is never plunged into darkness.
ttt[3] 'A dread of great darkness fell on him' means His horror at such great devastation. In the measure that the heavenly or celestial things of love find acceptance in anyone, so great is his horror when he perceives the close. This applied to the Lord more than anybody else, since His love was heavenly and Divine love itself.
ttt[4] 'Darkness' means falsities, as is clear from very many places in the
Word, as in Isaiah,
Woe to those who put darkness for light, and light for darkness! `Isaiah 5bbb20`.
'Darkness' stands for falsities and 'light' for truths. In the same prophet, He will look to the land, and behold, darkness, distress; and the light has been darkened. `Isaiah 5bbb30`.
'Darkness' stands for falsities, 'darkened light' for the fact that truth does not appear.
ttt[5] In the same prophet,
Behold, darkness is covering the earth, and thick darkness the peoples. `Isaiah 60bbb2`.
In Amos,
The day of Jehovah is that of darkness and not light. Is not the day of Jehovah darkness and not light, thick darkness and no brightness in it? `Amos 5bbb18`, `Amos 5bbbccc20`.
In Zephaniah,
The great day of Jehovah is near. A day of wrath is that day, a day of anguish and repression, a day of vastation and desolation, a day of darkness and thick darkness, a day of cloud and shadow. `Zephaniah 1bbb14-15`.
Here 'the day of Jehovah' stands for the final period and state of the Church, while 'darkness and thick darkness' stands for falsities and evils.
ttt[6] The Lord too calls falsities 'darkness', in Matthew,
If your eye has been evil, the whole body has been made full of darkness. If therefore the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! `Matthew 6bbb23`.
'Darkness' is used to mean falsities that have overtaken people who possess cognitions, a greater darkness than that found in those called gentiles, who have no cognitions.
ttt[7] Similarly in the same gospel,
The sons of the kingdom will be thrown into outer darkness. `Matthew 8bbb12`; `Matthew ccc22bbb13`.
'Outer darkness' stands for the quite dreadful falsities of those inside the Church, for those people shut out the light and oppose truths with falsities, something gentiles are not able to do. In John,
In Him was life, and the life was the light of men; but the light appears in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. `John 1bbb4-5`.
'The darkness' stands for falsities inside the Church.
ttt[8] Falsities outside the Church too are called 'darkness' but these are capable of receiving light. Of them it is said in Matthew,
The people sitting in darkness have seen a great light; and for those sitting in the region and shadow of death, the light has arisen. `Matthew 4bbb16`.
'Darkness' stands for falsities that go with not knowing, such as exist with gentiles.
ttt[9] In John,
This is the judgement, that light has come into the world, but men have preferred darkness rather than light, for their deeds were evil. `John 3bbb19`.
'Light' stands for truths, and 'darkness' for falsities. 'The light' also stands for the Lord since He is the source of all truth, while 'darkness' stands for the hells since they are the source of all falsity.
ttt[10] In the same gospel,
Jesus said, I am the light of the world. He who follows Me will not walk in darkness. `John 8bbb12`.
In the same gospel,
Walk, as long as you have the light, lest darkness overtakes you, for he who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. I have come as light into the world in order that all who believe in Me may not remain in darkness. `John 12bbb35`, `John 12bbbccc46`.
'Light' stands for the Lord, the source of all good and truth, 'darkness' for falsities, which are dispersed by the Lord alone.
ttt[11] The falsities that prevail in the last times and which are called 'the darkness' here, that is, to which 'the dread of great darkness' has reference, were represented and meant by the darkness that came over the whole earth from the sixth to the ninth hour, and also by the sun's being darkened at that time, by which was represented and meant that no love, that is, no faith, existed any more, `Matthew 27bbb45`; `Mark 15bbb33`; `Luke 23bbb44-45`.
ppp22009#pid#1840. Verse `Genesis 15bbbccc13` And He said to Abram, Know for sure that your seed will be strangers in a land not theirs. And they will serve them,`fff1` and these will afflict them for four hundred years.
'He said to Abram' means perception. 'Know for sure' means that it is a certainty. 'Your seed will be strangers' means that charity and faith will be scarce. 'In a land that is not theirs' means where there will be a Church which does not so to speak consist of people in whom faith and charity are present. 'And they will serve them'`fff1` means oppression. 'And these will afflict them' means their grievous temptations. 'For four hundred years' means the duration and state [of those temptations].
`nnn1. i.e. as slaves
ppp22008#pid#1841. 'He said to Abram' means perception. This is clear from what has been stated above at verse `Genesis 15bbbccc9` and elsewhere, where the same words have the same meaning.
ppp22007#pid#1842. That 'know for sure' means that it is a certainty is clear without explanation.
ppp22006#pid#1843. That 'your seed will be strangers' means that charity and faith will be scarce is clear from the meaning of 'strange' and from the meaning of 'seed'. 'Strange' means not born in the land, thus not recognized as a native of it, and therefore looked upon as foreign. But 'seed' means charity and its attendant faith, as shown already in `@@@255`, `@@@1025`, and above at verse `Genesis 15bbbccc3`. Since that which is looked upon as foreign is called 'strange' and foreign describes what is not within the land or of the land, that which is scarce is consequently meant. The meaning here therefore is that charity and its attendant faith, meant by 'seed', will be scarce. It is the time just before the close - when there is 'great darkness', or falsities - that is the subject; at this time the seed will be 'strangers', that is, charity and faith, will be scarce.
ttt[2] The fact that faith would be scarce in the last times was foretold by the Lord when He described the close of the age, in `Matthew 24bbb4`-end; `Mark 13bbb3`-end; `Luke 21bbb7`-end. Everything that is stated in these places implies that in those times charity and faith will be scarce, and that at length there will not be any at all. Something similar was foretold through John in the Book of Revelation, and also occurs many times in the Prophets, besides what appears in the historical sections of the Word.
ttt[3] But by the faith that is going to perish in the last times nothing other than charity is meant. No other faith can possibly exist, except faith that is grounded in charity. The person who has no charity is incapable of possessing any faith at all, charity being the soil in which faith is implanted, its heart from which it derives its being and life. The ancients for this reason compared love and charity to the heart, and faith to the lungs, both of which lie inside the breast. That comparison is also a perfect simile; for to imagine a life of faith without charity is like imagining life from the lungs alone without the heart, which is an impossibility, as may become clear to anyone. The ancients therefore used to call all things that belonged to charity those of the heart, and all that belonged to faith devoid of charity those of the lips alone, that is, of the lungs passing by means of breath into speech. From this came the sayings of old about the need for goods and truths to go forth from the heart.
ppp22005#pid#1844. 'In a land that is not theirs' means where there will be a Church which does not so to speak consist of people in whom charity and faith are present. This is clear from the meaning of 'the land' as the Church, dealt with in `@@@566`, `@@@662`, `@@@1066`, `@@@1068`. At the present day people speak of doctrinal matters of faith, these alone, as the things which make the Church; and it is on the basis of these that they distinguish the Lord's Churches from one another. They are not concerned about the kind of life people lead, whether or not they foment inner hatred and like wild animals tear one another apart, violently rob one another, deprive one another of reputation, position, and wealth, and at heart deny whatever is holy. The Church however does not exist in any way with people who are like this but with those who love the Lord and their neighbour as themselves, who have conscience, and who turn away from the kinds of hatred that have been mentioned. When the latter with whom the Church in fact exists are among the others described above they are like 'strangers', and they are subjected by these others to every possible insult and persecution, or are regarded by them as being simple, insignificant, and worthless. This then is what is meant by 'your seed will be strangers in the land'.
ppp22004#pid#1845. 'And they will serve them' means oppression. This becomes clear from what has just been stated.
ppp22003#pid#1846. 'And these will afflict them' means their grievous temptations. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'afflicting' or affliction as persecution and therefore as temptation. In the Word of the Lord nothing else is meant by 'affliction', as in Isaiah,
I will refine you, but not with silver; I will single you out in the furnace of affliction. `Isaiah 48bbb10`.
'Affliction' stands for temptation.
In Moses,
You shall remember all the way in which Jehovah your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness to afflict you and to tempt you. Jehovah fed you with manna in the wilderness, which your fathers did not know, to afflict you and to tempt you, to do good to you in [your] latter end. `Deuteronomy 8bbb2`, `Deuteronomy 8bbbccc16`.
'To afflict' plainly means to tempt.
ttt[2] In the same author,
And the Egyptians ill-treated us and afflicted us, and imposed hard service upon us, and we cried out to Jehovah the God of our fathers, and Jehovah heard our voice and saw our affliction, and our toil, and our oppression. `Deuteronomy 26bbb6-7`.
Here the same things are mentioned as in the present verse, that they served as slaves and were afflicted, by which - as also by their afflictions in the wilderness, which in addition represented the Lord's temptations - the temptations of believers were meant.
ttt[3] As in Isaiah,
He was despised, a man of sorrows, on account of which as it were men hid their faces from Him. He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. Surely He has borne our sicknesses and carried our sorrows, yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. `Isaiah 53bbb3-4`.
These words mean the Lord's temptations. The words 'He has borne our sicknesses and carried our sorrows' are not used to mean that believers will not undergo any temptation, nor that He transferred their sins on to Himself and so bore them Himself. Rather, they mean that He who overcame the hells through the conflicts brought about by temptations and through victories would in the same manner - all by Himself, even as to His Human Essence - endure the temptations experienced by believers.
ttt[4] The Lord too calls temptations afflictions: in Mark,
These are the ones sown upon rocky ground. When they have heard the word they have no root in themselves but endure for a while. Then, when affliction and persecution arise because of the word they immediately stumble. `Mark 4bbb16-17`.
'Affliction' clearly stands for temptation. 'Having no root in themselves' is having no charity, for it is in charity that faith is rooted, and those who are not endowed with that root give way in temptations. In John,
In the world you have affliction; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. `John 16bbb33`.
'Affliction' stands for temptation.
ttt[5] In Matthew,
Nation will be roused against nation and kingdom against kingdom. All these are the start of sorrows. At that time they will deliver you up to affliction. There will be great affliction then such as has not been from the beginning of the world. Immediately after the affliction of those days the sun will be darkened. `Matthew 24bbb7-9`, `Matthew 24bbbccc21`, `Matthew 24bbbccc29`.
This refers to the close of the age, or last times of a Church. 'Affliction' stands for temptations, external and internal, external temptations being persecutions by the world, internal by the devil. The non-existence of charity is meant by 'nation against nation' and 'kingdom against kingdom', and by 'the sun' - that is, the Lord, love and charity - being 'darkened'.
ppp22002#pid#1847. 'For four hundred years' means the duration and state, that is, of the temptations. This is clear from the meaning of 'four hundred', a number which has the same meaning as forty, that is to say, the durations and the states of temptations, dealt with in `@@@730`, `@@@862`. In the Word the durations of temptations, whether brief or extended, are described by 'forty'. In the literal sense these words have regard to the length of time the sons of Jacob were in Egypt, which, as is clear from `Exodus 12bbb40`, was four hundred and thirty years, although this great length of time, as has been noted already, was measured not from the time of Jacob's arrival in Egypt but from the time of Abram's sojourning there. Four hundred and thirty was measured from the latter event because this number embodies the temptations which were represented by their slavery in Egypt, and also after that by the afflictions they endured for forty years in the wilderness.
ppp22001#pid#1848. Verse `Genesis 15bbbccc14` And also the nation which they are going to serve will I judge; and afterwards they will go out with great acquisitions. 'Also the nation which they are going to serve' means the evil who oppress. 'Will I judge' means visitation and judgement. 'And afterwards they will go out with great acquisitions' means release, and that they will possess celestial and spiritual goods.
ppp22000#pid#1849. That 'the nation also which they are going to serve' means the evil who oppress is clear from the meaning of 'nation' and of 'serving'. In the genuine sense 'a nation' means goods, or what amounts to the same, those who are good, for when goods are thus spoken of abstractedly they still have reference to the subject, which is a man, spirit, or angel. In the contrary sense however 'nation' means evils, or what amounts to the same, those who are evil, dealt with in `@@@1159`, `@@@1258-1260`. 'Serving' however, or slavery, means oppression, as in the previous verse.
ppp21999#pid#1850. That 'will I judge' means visitation and judgement becomes clear without explanation. Judging or judgement does not mean some last judgement, as most people suppose, that is to say, a time when heaven and earth are to pass away and then a new heaven and a new earth are to be created, as described in the Prophets and in the Book of Revelation, and thus a time when all things are to be destroyed. This conception has become so widespread that it has taken possession of even the best-informed minds, so much so that they do not believe the dead are to rise again until that time. As a consequence because that time has been foretold and yet after the passing of so many centuries since the prediction was made they do not see it happening or about to do so, they feel safe in confirming themselves in their assurance that there is no truth in the idea, thus that they are not going to rise again. But it should be recognized that no such thing is meant by the Last Judgement, that is, by the prediction that heaven and earth are to be destroyed. According to the sense of the letter that is indeed the meaning, but not according to the internal sense. By the Last Judgement, according to the internal sense, is meant the final period of the Church, and by heaven and earth's passing away is meant the Church as regards internal and external worship - a Church that ceases to be a Church when no charity exists.
ttt[2] A Last Judgement of the Most Ancient Church took place when all charity and faith were at an end and when no perception existed, as was the situation just before the Flood. The Flood itself, which has been dealt with above, was the Last Judgement of that Church. At that point heaven and earth, that is, the Church, passed away, and a new heaven and a new earth, that is, a new Church called the Ancient Church, was created, which too has been dealt with. This Church as well had its final period, namely when all charity was growing cold and all faith was being blacked out. This was about the time of Eber. This period was the Last Judgement of that Church, which was the heaven and earth that passed away.
ttt[3] The new heaven and the new earth was the Hebrew Church. This too had its final period or Last Judgement when it had become idolatrous. A new Church was as a consequence established, and this was accomplished among the descendants of Jacob. That which was called the Jewish Church was nothing other than a Church representative of charity and faith. In that Church, that is, among the descendants of Jacob, no charity or faith existed, and therefore no Church existed but merely the representative of a Church. This was so because direct communication of the Lord's kingdom in the heavens with any true Church on earth was not possible, and therefore an indirect communication by means of representatives was effected. The last period or Last Judgement of this so-called Church was when the Lord came into the world, for at that time representatives came to an end, that is to say, the sacrifices and similar practices did so; and to bring these to an end the Jews were expelled from the land of Canaan.
ttt[4] After this a new heaven and a new earth were created, namely a new Church which must be called the Primitive Church, which was begun by the Lord and after that gradually grew stronger, and which at first possessed charity and faith. The destruction of this Church is foretold by the Lord in the Gospels and by John in the Book of Revelation, and it is this destruction which is called the Last Judgement. Not that heaven and earth are now going to pass away but that a new Church will be raised up in some part of the world, while the present one continues in existence with its external worship just as the Jews do with theirs. As is quite well known, their worship includes no charity or faith at all, that is, nothing of the Church. So much for the Last Judgement in general.
ttt[5] In particular there is a last judgement for everyone immediately after he has died, for at this point he passes over into the next life, in which, once he has entered into the life that was his in the body, he undergoes a judgement that points either to death or to life. This last judgement involves every detail of the person. With him whose judgement is to death every single detail condemns him, for there is nothing in his thought and will, not the smallest thing, that does not show the same as his individual last judgement or draw him towards death. But with him whose judgement is to life, every single detail of his thought or will in a similar way possesses the image of his individual last judgement and bears him towards life. For as is the person in general, so is he in every detail of his thought and affection. These are the things meant by the Last Judgement.
ppp21998#pid#1851. 'And afterwards they will go out with great acquisitions' means release, and that they will possess celestial and spiritual goods. This is clear from the meaning of 'going out' as being released, and from the meaning of 'acquisitions' as celestial and spiritual good, for this is what those people acquire who suffer forms of persecution and undergo forms of temptation, oppression, and affliction or slavery, dealt with in this and the previous verse. Those goods were also represented and meant by the acquisitions of the sons of Jacob when they came out of Egypt, `Exodus 11bbb2`; `Exodus ccc12bbb36`, as well as by their acquisitions in the land of Canaan after the nations had been driven out. And similar examples occur in various places in the Prophets where reference is made to spoils taken from enemies, by which they were enriched.
ppp21997#pid#1852. Verse `Genesis 15bbbccc15` And you will come to your fathers in peace; you will be buried at a good old age. 'You will come to your fathers in peace' means that nothing of the goods and truths will suffer harm. 'You will be buried at a good old age' means the enjoyment of all goods by those who are the Lord's.
ppp21996#pid#1853. That 'you will come to your fathers in peace' means that nothing of the goods and truths will suffer harm becomes clear from the meaning of 'fathers', also of 'coming to one's fathers', as well as of 'peace'. In the internal sense 'fathers' here has the same meaning as daughters and sons taken together. That 'daughters' means goods and 'sons' truths has been shown already in `@@@489-491`, `@@@533`, `@@@1147`, and therefore 'fathers' means those things meant by daughters and sons together. 'Coming to one's fathers' is passing over from the life of the body into the life of the spirit, or from the world into the next life. 'In peace' means that he will have lost nothing, and thus that nothing will suffer harm, for when a person passes into the next life he does not lose any of the things that he possesses as man. He retains and has with him every single thing except the body which has hampered the interior exercise of his capabilities. The fact that here, not death, or passing over to one's fathers, is meant by death, becomes clear from what follows immediately below.
ppp21995#pid#1854. 'You will be buried at a good old age' means the enjoyment of all goods by those who are the Lord's. This is clear from the fact that people who die and are buried do not die but pass over from an obscure life into one that is bright. For death of the body is but a continuation and also a perfecting of life, when those who are the Lord's enter for the first time into the enjoyment of all goods. That enjoyment is meant by 'a good old age'. The expressions 'they died', 'were buried', and 'were gathered to their fathers' occur quite often, but they do not carry the same meaning in the internal sense as in the sense of the letter. In the internal sense it is the things which belong to life after death, and which are eternal, that are meant, whereas in the sense of the letter it is those which belong to life in the world and which are temporal.
ttt[2] Consequently, when such expressions occur, those who see into the internal sense, as angels do, have no thoughts of such things as have to do with death and burial but with such as have to do with the continuation of life; for they look upon death as nothing else than a casting off of the things which belong to merely earthly matter and to time, and as the continuing of life proper. Indeed they do not know what death is, for death does not enter into any of their thinking. It is the same with people's ages. By the phrase used here, 'at a good old age', angels have no perception at all of old age; indeed they do not know what old age is, for they themselves are constantly moving towards the life of youth and early manhood. It is life such as this, consequently the celestial and spiritual things belonging to it, that are meant when the expression 'a good old age' and others like it occur in the Word.
ppp21994#pid#1855. Verse `Genesis 15bbbccc16` And in the fourth generation they will return from here, for the iniquity of the Amorites has not yet come to a close.
'In the fourth generation they will return from here' means the period of time and the state of restoration. 'For the iniquity of the Amorites has not yet come to a close' means the final period of time when there is no longer any good.
ppp21993#pid#1856. That 'in the fourth generation they will return from here' means the period of time and the state of restoration is clear from the meaning of 'fourth generation'. 'Fourth generation' has the same meaning as forty and four hundred - namely the duration and the state of temptation, dealt with above at verse `Genesis 15bbbccc13` - for four is a kind of diminutive of each of those numbers. Any number, whether large or small, provided it is a multiple of the same quantity, embodies the same meaning, as stated frequently already. That 'the fourth generation' does not mean any generation descended from Abram, or from Isaac, or from Jacob, is clear from the historical sections of the Word; for there were more than four generations, and these were very different from their fathers when they returned. 'The fourth generation' occurs again in other places, but in the internal sense it never means a generation. Here it means the period of time and the state of restoration because it means the conclusion of those things meant by forty and four hundred - see `@@@862`, `@@@1847`.
ppp21992#pid#1857. 'For the iniquity of the Amorites has not yet come to a close' means the final period when there is no longer any good. This is clear from the meaning of 'the Amorite', and also from the meaning of 'a close'. 'Amorite' in the Word means evil in general, the reason being that the land of Canaan is called 'the land of the Amorites', as is clear in `Ezekiel 16bbb3-4`, and `Amos 2bbb9-10`. Here therefore 'the Amorite' means all the nations of the land of Canaan, by whom were meant, as stated already, evils and falsities specifically. Consequently 'the Amorite' means all evils in general. 'The close' means that final period when there is no good any longer.
ttt[2] But what is meant in the internal sense by the statement that 'the iniquity of the Amorites has not yet come to a close' is an arcanum. The experience of the evil in the next life is that they are not punished until their evils have reached their peak; this applies to evils both in general and in particular. Indeed the balance of everything in the next life is such that evil punishes itself, that is, those who are evil run into the punishment of their evil, but only when this evil has reached its peak. Every evil has its own limits - varying from one individual to another - beyond which it is not allowed to go. When one who is evil goes beyond it he meets head on with punishment. This is so in every particular case.
ttt[3] The same applies in general, in that those who are evil thrust themselves down into hell, not instantaneously but gradually. This has its origin in the universal law of order established by the Lord that the Lord never sends anyone down into hell but that evil itself, or the person himself who is evil, thrusts himself down, doing so gradually, until evil has reached its close and no trace of good is any longer apparent. As long as there is some trace of good he is being raised up from hell, but when there is nothing but evil, he is thrust down into hell. Good and evil must first of all be separated from each other since they are opposites. No one is allowed to incline in both directions. This is what is meant by 'the iniquity of the Amorites having to come to a close'. With the good however it is different; they are constantly being raised up by the Lord towards heaven, while their evil is gradually wiped away.
ttt[4] It is similar with the state of the Church: visitation does not come until evil has reached a close, that is, when good of charity and truth of faith exist no longer. That close is referred to quite often in the Prophets, as in Isaiah,
A close and a settlement I have heard from the Lord Jehovih Zebaoth over all the earth. `Isaiah 28bbb22`.
In Jeremiah,
O Babel, you who dwell on many waters, great in treasures, your end has come, the measure of your gain. `Jeremiah 51bbb13`.
In Daniel,
Seventy weeks have been decreed concerning your people and your holy city to bring transgression to a close and to seal up sins and to atone for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up vision and prophet, and to anoint the Most Holy Place. `Daniel 9bbb24`.
At length upon the bird of abominations will come desolation, until a closing and settlement is poured out upon the devastation. `Daniel 9bbb27`.
ttt[5] The Lord Himself too foretells the close in these words in Luke,
They will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive among all the gentiles,`fff1` and at length Jerusalem will be trodden down by the gentiles' until the times of the nations are fulfilled. `Luke 21bbb24`.
'Falling by the edge of the sword' means from falsities, for 'a sword' in the Word is the punishment of falsity. 'Jerusalem' stands for the Lord's kingdom and the Church, `@@@402`, 'the gentiles' for evils, `@@@1260`. Thus the meaning is that 'the close' has been reached when the Church has become possessed by evils and falsities, and so has been destroyed by its own self.
`nnn1. or the nations
ppp21991#pid#1858. Verse `Genesis 15bbbccc17` And the sun went down and there was thick darkness; and behold, a smoking furnace and a flaming torch which passed between those pieces.
'And the sun went down' means the final period when the close came. 'And there was thick darkness' means when hatred existed in place of charity. 'And behold, a smoking furnace' means grossest falsity. 'And a flaming torch' means the heat of evil desires. 'Which passed between those pieces' means that it divided off those that belonged to the Church from the Lord.
ppp21990#pid#1859. That 'the sun went down' means the final period when the close came is clear from what has been stated above at verse `Genesis 15bbbccc12` about the sun going down and about what that means, namely the final period of the Church.
ppp21989#pid#1860. That 'there was thick darkness' means when hatred existed in place of charity is clear from the meaning of 'thick darkness'. In the Word 'darkness' means falsities, while 'thick darkness' means evils, as explained immediately below. 'Darkness' is when falsity exists in place of truth, and 'thick darkness' when evil exists in place of good, or what amounts entirely to the same, when hatred exists in place of charity. When hatred exists in place of charity the darkness is so thick that the person is not even aware of its being an evil, let alone of its being so great an evil as to thrust him down in the next life into hell; indeed people who are steeped in hatred find a certain delight and so to speak life in it. This very delight and life have the effect that he hardly knows other than that hatred is good. Whatever favors a person's pleasure and desire, because it favors his love, he feels as good - so much so that when he is told it is of hell he can hardly believe it. Even less can he believe it when he is told that such delight and life is converted in the next life into an utterly foul and corpse-like stench. Even less still can he believe that he is becoming a devil and a dreadful replica of hell; for hell consists of nothing else than varieties of hatred and other such forms.
ttt[2] But of this anyone may know who has any power of thought; for if he were to describe hatred, or to represent it, or to portray it if he were able to in any way, he would not do so except by the use of devil-like forms such as these persons steeped in evil also assume after death. And what is extraordinary, such people can still declare that in the next life they will go to heaven, in some cases for merely saying that they have faith - though in fact the only forms occurring in heaven are those of charity, the nature of which may be seen in what has been told from experience in `@@@553`. Let those people now consider how these two forms - of hatred and of charity - can be in agreement in the same place.
ttt[3] That 'darkness' means falsity and 'thick darkness' evil becomes clear from the following places in the Word: In Isaiah,
Behold, darkness is covering the earth, and thick darkness the peoples. `Isaiah 60bbb2`.
In Joel,
Let all the inhabitants of the earth tremble, for the day of Jehovah is coming, a day of darkness and thick darkness. `Joel 2bbb1-2`.
In Zephaniah,
A day of wrath is that day, a day of vastation and desolation, a day of darkness and thick darkness. `Zephaniah 1bbb15`.
In Amos,
Is not the day of Jehovah darkness and not light, and thick darkness, and no brightness in it? `Amos 5bbb20`.
In these places 'the day of Jehovah' stands for the final period of the Church, which is also the subject here. 'Darkness' stands for falsities, 'thick darkness' for evils; hence both are mentioned. Otherwise there would be a repetition of the same thing, or a pointless excess of words. The term used in the original language however to express thick darkness in this verse embodies both within itself - falsity as well as evil, or gross falsity that produces evil, as well as gross evil that produces falsity.
ppp21988#pid#1861. 'And behold, a smoking furnace' means grossest falsity, and 'a flaming torch' the heat of evil desires. This is clear from the meaning of 'a smoking furnace' as gross falsity, and from the meaning of 'a flaming torch' as the heat of evil desires. The expression 'a smoking furnace' is used because anyone, especially a member of the Church, who has some knowledge of the truth, and yet does not acknowledge it but at heart denies it, and leads a life pursuing things that are contrary to the truth, is seen as nothing other than a smoking furnace, he himself as 'the furnace', and the falsity arising from his hatred as 'the smoke'. Evil desires out of which falsities arise are seen as nothing other than torches of fire from such a furnace, as is also clear from the representatives in the next life which have been described from experience in `@@@814`, `@@@1528`. It is desires belonging to hatred, revenge, cruelty, and adultery - especially when mingled with deceit - that are seen as such and become such things.
ttt[2] That in the Word such are meant by a furnace, smoke, and fire, becomes clear from the following places: In Isaiah,
Everyone is a hypocrite and wicked, and every mouth speaks folly. For wickedness burns like a fire, it consumes brier and thorn, and kindles the entangled boughs of the wood, and they surge up in an uprising of smoke. Through the wrath of Jehovah Zebaoth the earth has been darkened, and the people has become as fuel for the fire; a man will not spare his brother. `Isaiah 9bbb17-19`.
Here 'fire' stands for hatred, 'the rising up of smoke from it' for falsities of that kind. Hatred is described by the statement that 'a man will not spare his brother'. Such people, when looked at by angels, appear exactly like the things described here.
ttt[3] In Joel,
I will give portents in the heavens and on earth, blood and fire, and columns of smote. The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of Jehovah comes. `Joel 2bbb30-31`.
Here 'fire' stands for hatred, 'columns of smoke 'for falsities, 'sun' for charity, and 'moon' for faith.
ttt[4] In Isaiah,
The land will become burning pitch. Night and day it will not be quenched; its smoke will go up eternally. `Isaiah 34bbb9-10`.
'Burning pitch' stands for dreadful evil desires, 'smoke' for falsities.
ttt[5] In Malachi,
Behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace, and all the arrogant and every evil-doer will be stubble; and the day that is coming will burn them up; it will leave them neither root nor branch. `Malachi 4bbb1`.
'A burning furnace' stands for the same things as before. 'A root' stands for charity, 'a branch' for truth, which will not be left.
ttt[6] In Hosea,
Ephraim has become guilty through Baal. It will be like chaff that is driven by the whirlwind from the threshing-floor, and like smoke from a chimney. `Hosea 13bbb1`, `Hosea 13bbbccc3`.
'Ephraim' stands for one with understanding who has become such.
ttt[7] In Isaiah,
The strong will be as tow, and his work as a spark, and both of them will burn together, with none to quench them. `Isaiah 1bbb31`.
This stands for the fact that people governed by self-love - or what amounts to the same, by hatred against the neighbour - will be burnt up by their own evil desires. In John,
Babylon has become the dwelling-place of demons. Those cried out who saw the smoke of her burning. The smoke goes up for ever and ever. `Revelation 18bbb2`, `Revelation 18bbbccc18`; `Revelation ccc19bbb3`.
ttt[8] In the same book,
He opened the pit of the abyss, from which there went up smoke out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace. And the sun was darkened, and the air, with the smoke of the pit. `Revelation 9bbb2`.
In the same book,
Out of the mouths of the horses there went forth fire, and smoke, and brimstone. By these a third part of mankind was killed - by the fire and by the smoke and by the brimstone which went forth out of their mouths. `Revelation 9bbb17-18`.
In the same book,
He who worships the beast will drink`fff1` from the wine of God's anger, poured unmixed as it is in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone. `Revelation 14bbb9-10`.
In the same book,
The fourth angel poured out his bowl into the sun, and it was allowed to scorch men with fire; therefore men were burned by the fierce heat, and they blasphemed the name of God. `Revelation 16bbb8-9`.
And it is in like manner said that
They were thrown into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. `Revelation 19bbb20`; `Revelation ccc20bbb14-15`; `Revelation ccc21bbb8`.
ttt[9] In all of these places 'fire' stands for the evil desires, 'smoke' for the falsities, which will reign in the last times. These thing as they actually exist in the next life were seen by John following the opening of his interior sight. Similar things are also seen by spirits, and by souls after death. These references show what hell-fire is, that it is nothing other than hatred, revenge, and cruelty, or what amounts to the same, self-love, which passes into such a visible form. As long as a person is in his bodily life, no matter how different his outward appearance might seem to be, he cannot be seen by the angels, when they look at him closely, in any other way than this; that is, his hatred is not seen by them except as 'flaming torches' nor the falsities coming from it except as 'smoking furnaces'.
ttt[10] Of this fire the Lord speaks in Matthew as follows,
Every tree not bearing good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire. `Matthew 3bbb10`; `Luke 3bbb9`.
'Good fruit' is used to mean charity, and anyone who deprives himself of this 'cuts himself down and casts himself into such a fire'. In the same gospel,
The Son of Man will send His angels, who will gather out of His kingdom all offences, and those who work iniquity, and will send them into the furnace of fire. `Matthew 13bbb41-42`, `Matthew 13bbbccc50`.
Here the meaning is similar. In the same gospel,
The king will say`fff2` to those on his left hand, Depart from me, O cursed ones, into eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. `Matthew 25bbb41`.
Here the meaning is similar.
ttt[11] Where it is said that they were to be sent into eternal fire, the Gehenna of fire, and that their worm does not die, and their fire is not quenched in `Matthew 18bbb8-9`; `Mark 9bbb43-49`, the meaning is similar. In Luke,
Send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame. `Luke 16bbb24`.
Here the meaning is similar.
ttt[12] People who have no knowledge of the arcana of the Lord's kingdom imagine that the Lord sends the wicked down into hell, that is, into the kind of fire which, as has been stated, is the manifestation of hatred. But the truth of the matter is altogether different, for it is the person himself, or the devil-spirit himself, who casts himself down. Yet because it appears as though the Lord casts down, it has been spoken of in the Word in that way - according to the appearance, indeed according to the illusions of the senses. This was especially necessary with the Jews, who were totally unwilling to accept anything if it did not coincide with their own sensory perceptions, no matter what illusions these might entail. This is why the sense of the letter, especially the prophetical sections, is full of such ideas, as in Jeremiah,
ttt[13] Thus said Jehovah, Execute judgement in the morning, and deliver him who has been robbed from the hand of the oppressor, lest My wrath go forth like fire and burn with none to quench it because of the wickedness of their works. `Jeremiah 21bbb12`.
'Executing judgement' is declaring the truth. 'Delivering him who has been robbed from the hand of the oppressor' is doing a good work of charity. 'Fire' stands for the hellish punishment of those who do not do these things, that is, who pass their time clinging to falsity that is the product of hatred. In the sense of the letter such fire and anger are attributed to Jehovah, but in the internal sense it is quite the reverse.
ttt[14] Similarly in Joel,
The day of Jehovah, fire devours before him, and behind him a flame burns. `Joel 2bbb1`, `Joel 2bbbccc3`.
In David,
Smoke went up out of His nose, and fire out of His mouth devoured; glowing coals flamed forth from Him; and there was thick darkness under His feet. `Psalms 18bbb8-9`.
In Moses,
A fire has flared up in My anger, and will burn right down to the lowest hell, and will devour the land and its increase, and will set on fire the foundations of the mountains. `Deuteronomy 32bbb22`.
Here 'a fire' stands for the hatred, 'smoke' for the falsities, that reside with a person, which are attributed to Jehovah or the Lord for the reasons that have been stated. To the hells also it seems that Jehovah or the Lord does the things described, but quite the reverse is the case. It is they who do them because they dwell in the fires of hatred. From this it is evident how easily a person can sink into delusions if the internal sense of the Word is not known.
ttt[15] It was similar with the smoke and fire which the people saw coming from Mount Sinai when the Law was given; for Jehovah or the Lord is seen by everyone according to his character and disposition. By celestial angels He is seen as the sun, by spiritual angels as the moon, by all who are good as light of varying delightfulness and loveliness; but by the evil as smoke and as devouring fire. And because the Jews had no charity at all when the Law was given, but self-love and love of the world reigned among them, and so nothing but evils and falsities, He was therefore seen by them as smoke and fire, while in the same instant He was seen by angels as the sun and heavenly light.
ttt[16] The fact that He was seen thus by the Jews, because their character was such, is clear in Moses,
The glory of Jehovah dwelt over Mount Sinai. And the appearance of the glory of Jehovah was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain, before the eyes of the children of Israel. `Exodus 24bbb16-17`.
In the same book,
Mount Sinai was smoking, the whole of it, because Jehovah came down upon it in fire and its smoke went up like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. `Exodus 19bbb18`.
And elsewhere in the same author,
You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain while the mountain was burning with fire even to the heart of heaven, with darkness and cloud and thick darkness. And Jehovah spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. `Deuteronomy 4bbb11-12`; `Deuteronomy ccc5bbb22`.
Also in the same,
When you heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, and the mountain was burning with fire, you came near to Me and you said, Why should we die? For this great fire will devour us; if we hear the voice of Jehovah our God any more we shall die. `Deuteronomy 5bbb23-25`.
ttt[17] The same would be the case if anyone else who spends his time hating and performing filthy deeds that are the product of hatred were to see the Lord. He would inevitably see Him from his own hatred and the filthy deeds that are the product of it. These things being the recipients of the rays of good and truth from Him, they would convert those rays into that type of fire, smoke, and thick darkness. The same places that have been quoted also show what' a smoking furnace' is, and what 'a burning torch' is, namely the grossest falsity and the filthiest evil which took possession of the Church in its last times.
`nnn1. Reading bibet (he will drink) for bibat (let him drink)
`nnn2. Reading dices (will say) for dicit (says)
ppp21987#pid#1862. 'Which passed between the pieces' means that it divided off those who belonged to the Church from the Lord. This becomes clear from what has been stated above at verse `Genesis 15bbbccc10` about the separation of the animals down the middle meaning parallelism and correspondence as regards celestial things, and about each part being laid opposite the other meaning the Church and the Lord, and about the space or interval in between meaning that which lies between the Lord and the Church, or the Lord and the member of the Church, namely a conscience in which goods and truths have been implanted by means of charity. When hatred has taken the place of charity, and evils and falsities the place of goods and truths, no conscience for what is good and true exists. Instead this space or interval in between appears as something filled up with a smoking furnace and a burning torch, that is, filled up with persuasions of falsity and with hatred, which are what separate the Lord completely from the Church. These are the things meant by 'it passed between those pieces', especially the flaming torch which is self-love, or what amounts to the same, the evil that is the product of hatred. This becomes clear also in Jeremiah where almost the same words occur,
I will make the men (vir) who transgressed My covenant and who did not keep the terms of the covenant which they made before Me like the calf which they cut in two and passed between its parts. The princes of Judah, and the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs and the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf, and I will give them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their souls, and their dead bodies will be food for the birds of the air`fff1` and the beasts of the earth. `Jeremiah 34bbb14`,`fff2` `Jeremiah 34bbbccc18-20`.
`nnn1. literally, bird of the heavens (or the skies)
`nnn2. `Jeremiah 34bbbccc14` is omitted from the printed text, but is present in the Latin
ppp21986#pid#1863. Verse `Genesis 15bbbccc18` On that day Jehovah made a covenant with Abram, saying, To your seed I will give this land, from the river of Egypt even to the great river, the river Phrath.`fff1`
'On that day Jehovah made a covenant with Abram' means the joining together of the Lord's Interior Man and His Internal Man, or Jehovah. 'Saying, To your seed I will give this land' means the comfort experienced after these temptations and their horrors, to the effect that people who have charity and faith in Him will become His heirs. 'From the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Phrath' means the extension of spiritual and celestial things, 'to the river of Egypt' being the extension of spiritual things, 'to the river Phrath' the extension of celestial things.
`nnn1. i.e. the Euphrates
ppp21985#pid#1864. That 'on that day Jehovah made a covenant with Abram' means the joining together of the Lord's Interior Man and His Internal Man is clear from the meaning of 'a covenant' as a joining together, dealt with already in `@@@665`, `@@@666`, `@@@1023`, `@@@1038`. Here, because in the internal sense the Lord is the subject, it means an interior conjunction. For the Lord advanced more and more towards conjunction and union with Jehovah His Father, till at length He became one, that is, the Human Essence itself also became Jehovah, who was the Lord's Internal itself. These things were represented by 'the covenant which Jehovah made with Abram'. Anyone may see that Jehovah never makes a covenant with man, for such would be contrary to the Divine. What is man but something base and filthy, which of itself thinks and does nothing but evil? All the good that he does comes from Jehovah. From this it becomes clear that this covenant, like every other covenant made with Abram's descendants, was nothing else than a representative of the Divine and of the heavenly things of the kingdom of God. This particular covenant made with Abram was a representative of the joining together of the Lord's Human Essence and His Divine Essence, that is, Jehovah. That it was a representative of the joining together of the Lord's Interior Man and His Internal Man, that is, Jehovah, is clear from what has gone before - that the Lord joined and united Himself more and more through the conflicts brought about by temptations and through victories. What the Interior Man was has been stated already, namely that which was between the Internal and the External.
ppp21984#pid#1865. 'Saying, To your seed I will give this land' means the comfort experienced after these temptations and their horrors, to the effect that people who have charity and faith in Him will become His heirs. This is clear from the meaning of 'seed' and from the meaning of 'land'. 'The seed of Abram' means love and faith that flows from love, as shown already in `@@@255`, `@@@256`, `@@@1025`, and consequently all who have charity and faith in the Lord. 'The land of Canaan' however means the Lord's kingdom, and therefore 'giving the land to your seed' means that the heavenly kingdom would be given as an inheritance to those who from charity have faith in Him.
ttt[2] That these things brought comfort to the Lord following temptations and their horrors becomes clear without explanation. For after those grim events which He had witnessed - that is to say, after He had put to flight the evils and falsities meant by 'the birds of prey that came down on the carcasses and that Abram drove away', described in verse `Genesis 15bbbccc11` - gross falsities nevertheless entered into Him, such as horrified Him, meant by 'the dread of a great darkness which came over Abram in a deep sleep', described in verse `Genesis 15bbbccc12`. This, together with the fact that in the end sheer falsities and evils took possession of the human race - meant by 'the smoking furnace and flaming torch which passed' between the pieces', referred to in verse `Genesis 15bbbccc17` - inevitably caused Him distress and grief. Comfort therefore follows now, like that in verses `Genesis 15bbbccc4` and `Genesis 15bbbccc5` above, namely that His seed will inherit the land, that is, those who have charity and faith in Him will become heirs of His kingdom. The salvation of the human race was for Him the only comfort, for He was moved by Divine and celestial love and became, even as regards the Human Essence, that Divine and celestial love, in which solely the love for all is countenanced and entertained.
ttt[3] That such is the nature of Divine love becomes clear from the love of parents towards their children, in that it increases with every descending degree of affinity, that is, it becomes greater towards later descendants than towards immediate offspring. Nothing ever exists without a cause or origin, and therefore this love towards descendants, present in the human race and ever increasing with each successive generation, cannot exist without them. The cause and origin of that love are attributable solely to the Lord, from whom all conjugial love and love of parents towards children flow. The source of that love is His love, which is such that He loves all as a father loves his sons, and wishes to make all his heirs, and provides an inheritance for those yet to be born, as he does for those born already.
ppp21983#pid#1866. 'From the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Phrath' means the extension of spiritual and celestial things, 'to the river of Egypt' being the extension of spiritual things, 'to the river Phrath' the extension of celestial things. This is clear from the meaning of 'the river of Egypt' and from the meaning of 'the great river' or the Euphrates. That these rivers mean the extension of spiritual and celestial things becomes clear from the meaning of 'the land of Canaan' as the Lord's kingdom in heaven and on earth, in which kingdom there is nothing else than the spiritual things of faith and the celestial things of mutual love. Consequently nothing else can be meant by the borders of the land of Canaan than the extension of those things. For what the land of Canaan is, what the river of Egypt is, and what the great river, the Euphrates, is, the inhabitants of heaven do not know at all. Indeed they do not know what the borders of any land are; but they do know what the extension of spiritual and celestial things is, and the range and limits of the states belonging to them. These are the things which those in heaven have in mind when such things in the letter are read by man, so that the letter and its historical sense which has served as a basis for heavenly ideas disappears.
ttt[2] The reason why 'the river of Egypt' means the extension of spiritual things is that 'Egypt' means factual knowledge which, together with the rational concepts and the intellectual concepts which a person has, constitute spiritual things, as stated already in `@@@1443` and elsewhere in this volume. And as to why in the internal sense 'Egypt' means factual knowledge, see `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1186`, `@@@1462`. That 'the river Euphrates' means the extension of celestial things becomes clear from the lands which that river bounded and marked off from the land of Canaan, and by which in many other places facts and the cognitions of celestial things are meant. Here however because it is called 'the river', and 'the great river', they are nothing other than celestial things and the cognitions of them, for 'the great river' and greatness are used in reference to these.
ppp21982#pid#1867. Verses `Genesis 15bbbccc19-21` The Kenite, and the Kenizzite, and the Kadmonite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Rephaim, and the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Girgashite, and the Jebusite.
The Kenite, and the Kenizzite, and the Kadmonite' means the falsities that were to be cast out from the Lord's kingdom. 'The Hittite, the Perizzite, and the Rephaim' means false persuasions. 'The Amorite and the Canaanite' means evils. 'The Girgashite and the Jebusite' means falsities derived from evils.
ppp21981#pid#1868. That these things are meant by these nations would take too long to confirm from the Word; nor is there any need to do so here as no more than their names are mentioned. Some of them have been dealt with already, for example that 'the Rephaim' means false persuasions, `@@@567`, `@@@581`, `@@@1673`; 'the Amorites' evils, `@@@1680`; 'the Canaanites' evils, above at verse `Genesis 15bbbccc16`; 'the Perizzites' falsities, `@@@1574`. What the rest of the nations mean individually will in the Lord's Divine mercy be explained as they occur later on.
ttt[2] As regards the nations that were to be cast out of the Lord's kingdom, in the next life evil and devilish spirits like nothing more than to surface in the world of spirits and to infest good spirits. But as often as they do so they are cast out, in much the same way as the falsities and evils that have taken possession of one who is being regenerated are overpowered and dispersed, and in their place truths and goods are implanted that belong to the Lord's kingdom.
ttt[3] These falsities and evils were represented by the nations that were driven out of the land of Canaan by the descendants of Jacob. They were represented as well by the Jews themselves who at a later period were driven out from there. The same occurred with many other nations of old by whom similar things had been represented, such as the Horites who were driven from Mount Seir by the descendants of Esau, mentioned in `Deuteronomy 2bbb12`, `Deuteronomy 2bbbccc22`; then the Avim who were driven out by the Kaphtorim, mentioned in `Deuteronomy 2bbb23`; also the Emim or Rephaim who were driven out by the Moabites, mentioned in `Deuteronomy 2bbb9-11`; as well as the Zamzummim who were driven out by the Ammonites, mentioned in `Deuteronomy 2bbb19-21`; besides many others referred to in the Prophets.
ppp21980#pid#1869. SACRED SCRIPTURE OR THE WORD - continued
How many things are contained within a single expression of the Word has been demonstrated to me by an opening up to view of the ideas that comprise thought. In the next life this can be done - it being one of the marvels there - in so vivid a way that the ideas themselves may be seen in visible form, thus as coloured images so to speak. The ideas belonging to one who had led a life of charity or mutual love, and who during his lifetime had taken great delight in the Word, were opened up to view in that manner. Countless things that were beautiful were seen, together with those which were movingly delightful and pleasant. I was told that the things which are seen within such visible forms may be opened up further again as to their interiors, and once these have been opened, that still more beautiful and delightful things are manifested, together with those that constitute happiness itself. All angelic ideas are such, for they are laid open from the Lord Himself.
ttt[2] To spirits who were surprised that in the next life the ideas comprising thought can be opened to view in such a manner, this matter was illustrated by taking as an example the sight of the eye, of which the powers of vision are so dull and dim that the smaller things of the natural world which have countless details in them are not seen except as something opaque, black, and patternless. But when the same objects are looked at under a microscope, things that are more interior are brought to view, linked one to another in a lovely sequence, and flowing in a delightful order. At the same time it was recognized that those objects too could have been opened up further still by a more powerful microscope. This illustration made clear the nature of internal sight, of which the powers of vision are nothing other than ideas; for in themselves those ideas are so gross that scarcely anything more gross is able to exist in that sphere, though man thinks otherwise. But more regarding ideas will in the Lord's Divine mercy be stated later on.
ppp21979#pid#1870. It is similar with the Word of the Lord. In every individual expression there visible form is given to an idea, for an expression is nothing but an idea existing in such a visible form so that the sense may be perceived; and each idea has details within it that are so numerous and which cannot enter into man's perception, only angels', that it cannot possibly be believed. And when these are opened up by the Lord, more interior forms present themselves to angels' perception through things that are delightful and happy, and to their sight through things that are representative and belonging to paradise - the former deriving from the celestial and spiritual things of the Lord's love or mercy, the latter from the rays of light flowing from that love or mercy. By means of wondrous experience I have been shown that the Word is inspired not only as to its individual expressions but also as to every individual letter of each expression, thus precisely as it is said, as to the smallest jot. Indeed every jot carries within it something from the affection and life which is common to the whole expression and so which has been instilled in a corresponding fashion into its smallest parts. But without a prior knowledge of many other matters this cannot by any means be explained intelligibly.
ppp21978#pid#1871. The appearance that the Word of the Lord takes on as it is seen by the angels defies description; yet some idea of it may be had by those who have seen in places where curiosities are housed those optical cylinders in which beautiful images are produced from projected components that seemingly lie around without order.`fff1` But although these components which lie around one another appear to have no form, sequence, or order, and appear to be wholly shapeless projections, yet when they are all directed towards the cylinder they produce a lovely image there. So it is with the Word of the Lord, especially in the prophetical part of the Old Testament. Almost everything in the literal sense there seems to be without order, but when it is read by man, and especially by a very young boy or girl, it becomes by degrees more lovely and delightful as it ascends, and at length presents itself before the Lord as the image of a human being in which and by means of which heaven is represented in its entirety, not as it is in fact but as the Lord would like it to be, that is, a likeness of Himself.
`nnn1. By an optical cylinder Swedenborg probably means an anamorphoscope.
ppp21977#pid#1872. There appeared before me a lovely girl whose face was radiant. She was moving swiftly in an upward direction towards the right and slightly increasing her speed. She looked to be in the flower of youth, being neither a small child nor yet a young woman; and she was wearing an attractive and shining black dress. In this manner and with gladness she hastened from light on into light. I was told that the interior things of the Word are such when they first start to rise up, the black dress being the Word in the letter. After this the young girl flew towards my right cheek, but I perceived her flight with my interior sight only. I was told that these are the things from the internal sense of the Word which do not come within human comprehension.
ppp21976#pid#1873. Spirits once spoke about the internal sense of the Word, and to present the nature of that sense intelligibly, they illustrated it by means of the example, What are the fruits of faith? They said that in the external sense, or sense of the letter, good works are meant by the fruits of faith, but that those good works are soulless unless they spring from charity, and this being so, that in the proximate interior sense by the fruits of faith is meant charity. But because charity, or love towards the neighbour, ought to spring from love to the Lord, the latter is meant in the internal sense by the fruit of faith. And because all love derives from the Lord, it is the Lord Himself. Thus a good work holds charity within itself, charity holds love to the Lord within it, and love to the Lord holds the Lord Himself within it.
ppp21975#pid#1874. In conversations with good spirits I have said that many things in the Word, more than anyone may believe, have been stated according to appearances and according to the illusions of the senses - such as that Jehovah expresses anger, wrath, and rage against the wicked; that He takes delight in bringing them to destruction and annihilation; and even that He slays them. But the reason such things have been stated in the Word is so that people's persuasions and evil desires might not be destroyed but might be turned in a new direction. For to have spoken of things in a way other than man is able to grasp, that is, other than from appearances' illusions, and persuasions, would have been like sowing seed on the waters and would have been expressing that which would be instantly rejected. Nevertheless those things stated according to appearances and illusions are able to serve as general vessels in which spiritual and celestial things may be contained; for into them the truth may be introduced that all things derive from the Lord; then the truth that the Lord permits, but that all evil derives from devilish spirits; after that the truth that the Lord provides and arranges for evils to be converted into goods; and finally the truth that nothing but good comes from the Lord. Thus the sense of the letter perishes as it rises up, and becomes spiritual, then celestial, and finally Divine.
ppp21974#pid#1875. I was allowed to see the angelic ideas surrounding these words in the Lord's Prayer, 'Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil'. Good spirits nearest to me began to remove 'temptation' and 'evil' by a certain idea that was perceptible within me, and this they continued to do until that which was purely angelic, that is, good, remained, and no idea of temptation or evil was there - the literal sense thereby perishing altogether. Of that good countless ideas were being formed when that removal first began - ideas of how good may come out of a person's affliction when yet the affliction originates in that person and in his evil, which holds punishment within it. And coupled with these ideas there was a kind of indignation that people should suppose that temptation and the evil going with it should come from any other source, and that there should be any thought of evil when they thought about the Lord. These ideas were being purified every time they rose up higher. These risings were represented by removals, also described in `@@@1393`, which were carried out with a rapidity and in a manner that were indescribable, until they passed into the shadowy side of my thought. At that point they were in heaven where angelic ideas beyond words exist regarding that good which is the Lord's.
ppp21973#pid#1876. The names of men, kingdoms, or cities that occur in the Word, as with the expressions of human speech, disappear at the very threshold of their progress upwards; for those names are earthly, bodily, and material, being things of which souls entering the next life gradually divest themselves and of which those entering heaven do so altogether. Angels do not retain the least idea of any person, nor therefore of his name. What Abram is, what Isaac is, or Jacob, they do not know any longer. Instead they form an idea for themselves from the things that are represented and meant by those characters in the Word. Names and expressions are like dust or like scales that fall off when they enter heaven. From this it becomes clear that names in the Word mean nothing other than real things. On these matters I have spoken many times to angels, who have informed me fully regarding the truth. The speech that spirits employ among themselves does not consist of verbal expressions but of ideas, like those comprising human thought without words, and is therefore the universal language of all languages. But when they speak to man their speech falls into the expressions of human language, as stated in `@@@1635`, `@@@1637`, `@@@1639`.
ttt[2] When discussing this matter with spirits I have been given to say that when they are conversing among themselves they are not able to utter one single word of human language, still less utter any name. Astonished by this some went away and tried to do so, but on returning they said that they had been unable to pronounce them because those words were so grossly material that they belonged below their own sphere, for such words were produced by an audible emission of air articulated by organs of the body, or else by means of an influx into the same organs by an internal route leading to the organ of hearing. From this it also became perfectly clear that no part of any expression which occurs in the Word was able to pass over to spirits. Still less could it pass over to angelic spirits, whose speech is even more universal, `@@@1642`. And least of all could it pass over to angels, `@@@1643`, with whom nothing remains of even the first ideas that spirits possess; instead angels have spiritual truths and celestial goods. Such truths and goods are varied in an indescribable manner in their least forms - which are continuous and knit together in a harmonious sequence - together with the first springs of representatives whose very great delightfulness and beauty flow from the happiness belonging to mutual love, and whose happiness flows from all their delight and beauty, because the Lord's life is inspired into them
ppp21972#pid#1877. Those souls or spirits - especially evil ones - who are in the world of spirits retain to begin with the things which they had during their lifetime, that is, things that are earthly, bodily, and worldly, and together with these whatever assumptions they have adopted. Among these spirits are those who do not wish to hear anything about the internal sense of the Word, but only about the literal sense. Indeed they go so far as to believe that the twelve apostles are to sit on twelve thrones and to judge the twelve tribes of Israel. They believe too that none but the poor, the wretched, and those who have suffered persecution can enter heaven, when in fact both the wealthy and the powerful who have led lives of charity and faith in the Lord have their place in heaven. Since such spirits claim that heaven is theirs because they deserve it by their merits, I have seen them running this way and that, and whichever way they go they laugh scornfully at the things which belong to the internal sense of the Word, because these things are contrary to their persuasions and desires, in that they wish to merit heaven and to be placed above all others. But they are like the corrupt and harmful things which enter into the bloodstream, pass through the veins and arteries, and contaminate most of the blood.
ppp21971#pid#1878. There are also spirits who during their lifetime regarded the Word with contempt, and there are those who have misused phrases that appear in the Word to make derisive remarks. There are some who imagined that the Word was of no importance but that it might serve to keep the common people under some control. There are others who have blasphemed the Word, and there are those who have profaned it. The fate of these people in the next life is wretched, depending in each case on the nature and degree of their contempt, derision, blasphemy, or profanation. For, as has been stated, the Word is so holy in the heavens that the Word is so to speak heaven to those who are there. Consequently, since a sharing of everyone's thoughts takes place there, the types of spirits that have been mentioned can in no way remain there but are set apart from them.
ppp21970#pid#1879. Once when in bed I was told that evil spirits were plotting against me, intending to suffocate me, but because I was in the safe care and keeping of the Lord I ignored those threats, and went to sleep. But in the middle of the night, having woken up I had the sensation of breathing not from myself but from heaven, for as I clearly perceived there was nothing of my own breathing present. At that point it was declared that a conspiracy was afoot and I was told that it involved spirits who hate the interior things of the Word, that is, the truths of faith themselves, for these constitute the interior things of the Word. They hated these things because they were contrary to their own illusions, persuasions, and desires, to which the sense of the letter might lend support.
ttt[2] After their attempt had failed, the leaders then tried to enter the inner parts of my body and to penetrate through to my heart, into which they were also allowed to enter. All along I perceived what was happening from an unmistakable sensation of it, for everyone whose interiors which belong to the spirit have been opened is enabled at the same time to perceive such things within his physical senses. But I was brought at that point into some kind of heavenly state, one in which I made no attempt to drive away those [unwelcome] visitors, still less to avenge the wrong that had been done. They now said that there was peace but shortly after this they were seemingly deprived of rationality, and began to breathe revenge and to complete what they were intent on doing. But it was all in vain. At length they dispersed of themselves.
ppp21969#pid#1880. Additional Remarks -
As regards spirits and angels in general, all of whom are the souls of people living on after the death of the body, they possess far more perfect sensory powers than men, that is, the powers of sight, hearing, smell, and touch, but not of taste. Spirits however are not able, and angels are even less able, to see anything whatever in the world with their sight, that is, with the sight of the spirit. For the light of the world, or of the sun, is to them as pitch darkness, just as man cannot with his sight, that is, with the sight of the body, see anything whatever in the next life; for to him the light of heaven, or the Lord's heavenly light, is as pitch darkness.
ttt[2] Nevertheless, when it pleases the Lord, spirits and angels are able to see the things that exist in the world through the eyes of one in the world, though the Lord does not allow such a thing to happen with anyone except someone for whom the Lord makes it possible to converse with spirits and angels, and to be together with them. Through my own eyes they have been allowed to see the things that are in the world, and to see them as plainly as I myself saw them, and also to hear the people talking to me. On occasions it has come about that through me some have seen their friends whom they had had during their lifetime, as present then as formerly; and at this they have been dumbfounded. They have also seen their married partners and their children, and have wished me to tell them that they were present and could see them, and to report about their state in the next life. But I was forbidden to tell this to them and to reveal to them that they were seen as described, the reason for this being that they would have said I was insane or would have thought that such reports were delirious wanderings of the mind. For I knew very well that although they would say with their lips that spirits exist and that the dead have risen, they would still not believe it in their hearts.
ttt[3] When my interior sight was first opened and through my eyes they saw the world and what was in it, spirits and angels were so astonished that they said it was the greatest miracle of all time, and a new found joy entered into them that in this way a communication now existed of earth with heaven, and of heaven with earth. This delight lasted for several months, but after that it became commonplace, and now they do not wonder at it at all. I have been informed that spirits and angels present with other people do not see anything at all of things in the world, but merely perceive the thoughts and affections of those with whom they are present.
ttt[4] From these considerations it has become clear that man was created in such a way that while living on earth among men he might live at the same time in heaven among angels, and vice versa. He was so created that heaven and earth might co-exist and act as one, with men knowing what was going on in heaven and angels what was going on in the world. And when they departed the earthly life men might accordingly pass from the Lord's kingdom on earth into the Lord's kingdom in the heavens, passing not as into a different kingdom, but as into the same one in which they had been when they lived in the body. But because man has become so bodily-minded he has closed heaven against himself.
ppp21968#pid#1881. Spirits are highly indignant, indeed they are irate, when told that men do not believe that spirits see, that they hear, and that they feel by touch. They have said that men ought to know this much, that without sensory awareness there is no life, and the more superior that awareness is, the more excellent is the life; that the objects perceived by people's senses are perfectly suited to the excellence of their sensory awareness; and that the representatives which derive from the Lord are real existences, for they are the source from which all things in the natural order and in the world exist, `@@@1632`. They are words expressing their indignation when spirits declare that they possess far better and more excellent sensory awareness than men.
ppp21967#pid#1882. There are two kinds of visions that are out of the ordinary and into an experience of which I have been admitted solely in order that I might know what they are like and what is meant when one reads in the Word that certain persons were 'withdrawn from the body', and that they were 'carried away by the spirit into another place'.
ppp21966#pid#1883. In the case of the first of these - described by 'being withdrawn from the body' - the person is brought into a certain state which comes halfway between sleep and wakefulness. While in this state he is not aware of being anything else than completely awake. All his senses are awake as much as they would be when the body is fully awake - both sight and hearing, and, it being a marvel, touch as well, which sense exists in a more excellent manner than it can ever do during wakefulness of the body. In this state also spirits and angels have been seen in complete reality; they have also been heard, and, wonderful to tell, have been touched, though at such times the body played scarcely any part at all. This is the state that is meant when it is said that people are 'withdrawn from the body', and that they do not know 'whether they are in the body or out of it'. Into this state I have been admitted on only three or four occasions, solely in order that I might know what that state is like and that spirits and angels are endowed with every sense, including touch, which surpasses, and is more excellent than, the sense of touch belonging to the body.
ppp21965#pid#1884. In the case of the second - described by 'carried away by the spirit into another place' - I have been shown what it is and what it is like through actual experience, but only two or three times, of which let merely one experience be described. Walking through the streets of a city and through countryside, and being at the same time engaged in conversation with spirits, I knew no other than that I was fully awake and seeing things as at other times, so that I walked on without going astray. Yet during all that time I was in a vision, seeing groves, rivers, palaces, houses, people, and many other things. But after I had walked for several hours in this fashion I suddenly found myself seeing with my physical eyes, and I realized that I was in another place. In my utter astonishment I recognized that I had been in the kind of state experienced by people who are said to have been 'carried away by the spirit into another place', for while it all lasts no thought is given to the route that is taken, even though it were one of many miles. Nor is any thought given to the time involved, even though it were a matter of many hours or days. Nor are there any feelings of tiredness. Furthermore that person is led along paths unknown to him until the destination is reached. This happened to me so that I might know that the Lord can lead a person without his knowing where he has come from or is going to.
ppp21964#pid#1885. These two types of visions however are out of the ordinary, and I was shown them for the sole purpose of my knowing the nature of them. But the things I have ordinarily seen are all those which, recounted in the Lord's Divine mercy, you may see in this first Volume - in the sections placed before and after each chapter. Those experiences are not visions however but things seen when my body has been fully awake, and this for several years now.`fff1`
`nnn1. Volume One of the Latin ends here.
ppp21963#pid#1886. PREFACE to Genesis 16
[Each chapter in Volume Two of the Latin (Chapters `Genesis ccc16bbb0`-`Genesis ccc21bbb0`) was published separately. This Preface therefore may be said to belong before Chapter `Genesis ccc16bbb0` only. Another Preface occurs before Chapter `Genesis ccc18bbb0`.]
Volume One consisted of an explanation of fifteen chapters of Genesis, stating what these contain in the internal sense. Adjoined to each chapter also were things I have been allowed in the Lord's Divine mercy to see and hear in the world of spirits and in the angelic heaven. Now comes Volume Two in which such matters are going to be appended in a similar way to each chapter. That which will be appended to this Chapter `Genesis ccc16bbb0` is concerned with 'Visions and Dreams', including those that are prophetical which are described in the Word. I know few people will believe that anyone is able to see the things that manifest themselves in the next life and is consequently able to report anything on the state of souls after death; for few believe in the resurrection, indeed fewer of the learned than of the simple do so. It is true that they speak of it with their lips, for the reason that the doctrine of faith teaches that they will rise again; nevertheless they deny it in their hearts.
ttt[2] In fact some go on to declare quite openly that they will not believe it until somebody rises from the dead, and they see, hear, and touch that person. If this were to be done however it would have to be done for every individual - though in fact no one like this who is a denier at heart would be persuaded by it, but thousands of objections would enter in, which would harden his mind in its negative attitude. Others however say that they will indeed rise again, but on Judgement Day, regarding which they have adopted the idea that at that time all things in the visible universe are going to perish. Yet because people have been awaiting that day for so many centuries, they too are in doubt. What is meant by the Last Judgement spoken of in the Word will be stated briefly, in the Lord's Divine mercy, at the end of Chapter `Genesis ccc17bbb0` below.
ttt[3] From this it may be seen what people are like in the Christian world at the present day. The Sadducees referred to in `Matthew 22bbb23` and following verses openly denied any resurrection, yet they did better than those at the present day who, though they say that they do not deny it because, as has been stated, the doctrine of faith teaches it, do nevertheless at heart deny it, so that their words are contrary to their belief, and their belief contrary to their words. To prevent them confirming themselves any further in that false notion however I have been allowed, in the Lord's Divine mercy, while still in the physical body in the world, to be in the spirit in the next life - for a human being is a spirit clothed with a body. In that world I have been allowed to talk to souls who have risen again not long after their decease. Indeed I have been allowed to talk to almost everyone who has died and with whom I was acquainted during their lifetime, and also day by day for several years now to talk to spirits and angels, and to see the remarkable things in that world which have never entered anyone's imagination. And in none of these experiences have I been in any way deluded.
[4] Because so many people assert that they will believe if someone comes back to them from the next life it now remains to be seen whether, despite the hardness of their hearts, they will be persuaded. This I can say quite definitely, that those entering the next life from the Christian world are the worst of all for hating the neighbour, hating faith, and denying the Lord - for in that life what is in the heart declares itself, not what is simply on the lips. They are also worse adulterers than all others. And because heaven is thereby beginning to be taken away from those inside the Church, it becomes clear, as I have also been permitted to know quite definitely, that the last times are at hand. With regard to the internal sense of the Word - what it is, and the nature of it - please see what has been stated and shown in Volume One, in `@@@1-5`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc64-66`, `@@@167`, `@@@605`, `@@@920`, `@@@937`, `@@@1143`, `@@@1224`, `@@@1404`, `@@@1405`, `@@@1408`, `@@@1409`, `@@@1502` (end), `@@@1540`, `@@@1659`, `@@@1756`, especially in `@@@1767-1777`, `@@@1869-1879`, and in `@@@1783`, `@@@1807`; and in this Volume in `@@@1886-1889` inclusive.
In this chapter Hagar and Ishmael are the subject, but what Hagar and Ishmael represent and mean in the internal sense nobody has known up to the present time. Nor could it have been known because until today the world, even the learned world, has imagined that the historical narratives of the Word are no more than history including within themselves nothing deeper. And although people have said that every jot is divinely inspired they have not meant by that anything more than this, that those narratives serve to disclose certain historical facts from which some specific point may be deduced that can be included in the doctrine of faith - of use to those who instruct and to those who learn - and that because they are divinely inspired they have a Divine impact on human minds and do more good than any other kind of historical narration. But regarded in themselves historical narrations can do little to lead to a person's change for the better and nothing whatever to bring him to eternal life; for in the next life the things that belong to history cease to be remembered. For what benefit would it be to those in that life if they knew about Hagar the servant-girl being given by Sarai to Abram? Or if they knew about Ishmael, or for that matter about Abram? To enter heaven and experience its joy, that is, eternal life, souls have no need of anything except that which is the Lord's and which derives from Him. It is for the sake of these things that the Word exists, and these are the things which it contains interiorly.
ppp21962#pid#1887. Inspiration implies that every detail of the Word - within its historical narratives as well as in all other parts - has within it the celestial things of love or good, and the spiritual things of faith or truth, and so has Divine things within it. For that which is inspired by the Lord comes down from Him, coming down in fact by way of the angelic heaven, then in the same manner by way of the world of spirits, down to mankind, with whom it presents itself as it exists in the letter. But in its first origins it is something entirely different. In heaven nothing belonging to the history of the world ever has a place there, but everything is a representative of something Divine. Nor is anything else ever perceived there, as may also be recognized to be so from the fact that the things existing there are indescribable. Unless therefore the historical descriptions are representative of Divine things, and so heavenly things, they cannot possibly be divinely inspired. The nature of the Word in the heavens is recognizable solely from the internal sense, for the Internal Sense is the Word of the Lord in the heavens.
ppp21961#pid#1888. To illustrate that the sense of the letter of the Word is representative of Divine arcana and is the receptacle of, and thus the storehouse containing, celestial and spiritual things which are the Lord's, let two examples be taken, which will consequently reveal the position with all else The first example shows that David is not used to mean David but the Lord, the second that names mean nothing other than real things. Of David the following is said in Ezekiel,
My servant David will be King over them, and they will all have one Shepherd. They will dwell in the land, they, and their sons, and their sons' sons even for ever. And David my servant will be their Prince for ever. `Ezekiel 37bbb24-25`.
And in Hosea,
The children of Israel will return and seek Jehovah their God, and David their king. `Hosea 3bbb5`.
These promises were written by prophets who lived later than David, yet it is explicitly stated by them that he 'will be' their king and prince. From this it may become clear to anyone that in the internal sense David means the Lord. The same applies in all other places, including the historical descriptions, where David is referred to by name.
ttt[2] As regards the names of kingdoms, regions, cities, and men meaning real things, this becomes quite clear in the Prophets. Take this single example in Isaiah,
Thus said the Lord, Jehovih Zebaoth, Do not be afraid - O My people, inhabitant of Zion - of Asshur; he will smite you with a rod, and he will lift up the staff over you in the way of Egypt. Jehovah Zebaoth will lift up the scourge over him, as when Midian was smitten in the rock of Horeb, and his rod will be over the sea, and he will lift it up in the way of Egypt. He will come against Aiath; he will pass over into Migron; he will command his arms towards Michmash. They will cross the Mabarah. Geba will be a lodging-place for us. Hormah`fff1` will tremble. Gibeah of Saul will flee. Make a noise with your voice, O daughter of Gallim. Hearken, O Laish. Wail, O Anathoth. Madmenah will wander about. The inhabitants of Gebim will gather themselves together. This very day he is in Nob to stay. The mountain of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem, will shake her fist. He will cut down the entangled boughs of the wood with an axe, and Lebanon will fall by a majestic one. `Isaiah 10bbb24`, `Isaiah 10bbbccc26-34`.
ttt[3] These verses include little more than mere names, which would not make any sense at all if, without exception, those names did not mean real things; and if the mind remained fixed on those names, no acknowledgement that it was the Word of the Lord would ever be made. But who is going to believe that all those names in the internal sense contain arcana of heaven? Or that through them the state of people is described who endeavour by means of reasonings based on facts to penetrate the mysteries of faith? Or that by means of each name some particular aspect of that state is described? Or that those reasonings are dispersed by the Lord by means of the celestial things of love and the spiritual things of faith? That 'Asshur' means reasoning, which is the subject in these verses from Isaiah, becomes quite clear from what has been shown regarding 'Asshur' in `@@@119`, `@@@1186`; and that 'Egypt' means factual knowledge, from what has been shown in `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1462`. See these paragraphs and consider whether or not this is true. It is the same with all other names, and with individual expressions.
`nnn1. Swedenborg appears to have copied Hormah from the Schmidius Latin Bible. The Hebrew is Haramah which is generally rendered Ramah in Latin and English versions.
ppp21960#pid#1889. It is similar in this chapter with the names Abram, Sarai, Hagar, and Ishmael. What these include within themselves becomes clear from the Contents and after that from the explanation of each name in what follows. They are however things such as cannot be explained easily and intelligibly, for the subject covered by those names is the Lord's Rational - how it was conceived and born, and the nature of it before it had been united to the Lord's Internal, which was Jehovah. The reason this cannot be explained easily and intelligibly is that people at the present day do not know what the internal man is, what the interior man is, or what the exterior man is. When one speaks of the rational or of the rational man some idea can be formed of these, but when one speaks of the rational as that which lies between the internal and the external, few if any can grasp it. Nevertheless since the subject in the internal sense of this chapter is the way in which the Lord's Rational Man was conceived and born from an influx of the Internal Man into the External Man - for this is the subject embodied within the historical descriptions involving Abram, Hagar, and Ishmael and yet to prevent the ideas presented in the explanation that follows from becoming utterly strange and unintelligible, let it be recognized that with everyone there exists an internal man, there exists a rational man which is situated in between, and there exists an external man, and that these three are quite distinct and separate from one another. For these matters see what has been stated already in `@@@978`.
ppp21959#pid#1890. `Genesis 16bbb0`
1. And Sarai, Abram's wife, bore him no child. And she had an Egyptian servant-girl, and her name was Hagar.
2. And Sarai said to Abram, Behold, now, Jehovah has prevented me from bearing; go in now to my servant-girl; perhaps I shall be built up from her; and Abram hearkened to Sarai's voice.
3. And Sarai, Abram's wife (uxor), took Hagar her Egyptian servant-girl, after Abram had been dwelling ten years in the land of Canaan, and she gave her to Abram her husband (vir) as his wife (mulier).
4. And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And she saw that she had conceived, and her mistress was despised in her eyes.
5. And Sarai said to Abram, May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant-girl into your bosom, and she saw that she had conceived, and I am despised in her eyes. May Jehovah judge between me and you!
6. And Abram said to Sarai, Behold, your servant-girl is in your hand; do to her what is good in your eyes. And Sarai humiliated her, and she fled from her face.
7. And the angel of Jehovah found her near a spring of water in the desert, near the spring on the road to Shur.
8. And he said, Hagar, Sarai's servant-girl, where are you coming from, and where are you going? And she said, From the face of Sarai my mistress I am fleeing.
9. And the angel of Jehovah said to her, Return to your mistress and humble yourself beneath her hands.
10. And the angel of Jehovah said to her, I will multiply your seed greatly and it will not be numbered for multitude.
11. And the angel of Jehovah said to her, Behold, you are with child, and you will bear a son, and you will call his name Ishmael because Jehovah has hearkened to your affliction.
12. And he will be a wild-ass man; his hand will be against all, and the hand of all against him; and he will dwell in opposition to`fff1` all his brothers.
13. And she called the name of Jehovah who spoke to her, You are a God who sees me; for she said, Have I not also here seen after Him who sees me?
14. Therefore she called the spring, The spring of the Living One who sees me; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bared.
15. And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram called the name of his son whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.
16. And Abram was a son of eighty-six years when Hagar bore Ishmael for Abram.
CONTENTS
The subject in this chapter is the first rational with the Lord which was conceived from the influx of the Internal Man into the External Man's affection for knowledge. The Internal Man is Abram, while the External Man's affection for knowledge is Hagar the Egyptian servant-girl; and the rational born from these two is Ishmael. The nature of this rational is described, and further on, in Chapter `Genesis ccc21bbb0`, it is said that it was 'driven out of the house' after the Lord's Divine Rational represented by Isaac had been born.
`nnn1. literally, against the faces of
ppp21958#pid#1891. The Lord's first rational was conceived according to order through the inflowing, that is, through the joining of the Internal Man to the life of the affection for knowledge belonging to the External, verses `Genesis 16bbbccc1-3`. But because it was born from the External Man, it was by nature such as despised intellectual truth, verse `Genesis 16bbbccc4`. Therefore the Lord thought about it being brought into subjection, verses `Genesis 16bbbccc5-9`, and that once it had been brought into subjection it would become spiritual and celestial, verses `Genesis 16bbbccc10-11`. The nature of it if it had not been brought into subjection is described, verse `Genesis 16bbbccc1`a. The Lord's insight from His Interior Man into the cause, verses `Genesis 16bbbccc13-14`. Thus the rational as to its nature is described; also the Lord's state when this rational began, verses `Genesis 16bbbccc15-16`.
ppp21957#pid#1892. THE INTERNAL SENSE
Verse `Genesis 16bbbccc1` And Sarai, Abram's wife, bore him no child. And she had an Egyptian servant-girl, and her name was Hagar.
'Sarai, Abram's wife, bore him no child' means that the Rational Man did not as yet exist, 'Sarai' being truth allied to good, 'Abram' the Lord's Internal Man, which is Jehovah. 'And she had an Egyptian servant-girl' means the affection for knowledge. 'And her name was Hagar' means the life of the exterior or natural man.
ppp21956#pid#1893. That 'Sarai, Abram's wife, bore him no child' means that the Rational Man did not as yet exist will be clear from what is said later on, when Isaac is the subject, for everyone, as has been stated, has an internal man, a rational man which is in between, and an external man, which strictly speaking is the natural man. These, as they existed with the Lord, were represented by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - the Internal Man by Abraham, the Rational Man by Isaac, and the Natural Man by Jacob. The Lord's Internal Man was Jehovah Himself, for He was conceived from Jehovah. This was why so many times He referred to Jehovah as His Father, and why in the Word the Lord is called 'the only begotten of God' and 'God's only Son'. The rational man does not exist with anyone when he is first born, only a potentiality to become rational, as may become clear to anyone from the fact that new-born babes do not possess reason but become rational as time goes by through the response of the senses to stimuli from without and from within, as knowledge and cognitions are bestowed on them. Rationality does, it is true, appear to exist with children; but rationality does not in fact do so, only something of the first beginnings of it, as may be recognized from the fact that reason resides with people who are adult and advanced in years.
ttt[2] The Lord's Rational Man is the subject in the present chapter. The Divine Rational itself is represented by Isaac, but the first rational before it had become Divine is represented by Ishmael. Here therefore the statement that 'Sarai, Abram's wife, bore him no child' means that the Divine Rational did not as yet exist. As stated already, the Lord was born in the same way as any other, and as regards what He derived from Mary His mother He was like any other. And because the rational is formed through facts and cognitions which enter in by way of the external senses, or the senses that belong to the external man, His first rational was therefore born as it is with any other. But since everything human in Him was made Divine by His own power, so was the rational made Divine. His first rational is described in the present chapter, and once more in Chapter `Genesis ccc21bbb0`, where again in verses 9-21 Hagar and Ishmael are the subject, where it is said that Ishmael was cast out when Isaac, who represents the Divine Rational, had grown up.
ppp21955#pid#1894. That 'Sarai' is truth allied to good has been stated and shown already in `@@@1468` and elsewhere; and that 'Abram' is the Lord's Internal Man, which is Jehovah, has likewise been stated and shown. The reason why the Lord's Internal Man, which is Jehovah, is called Man is that nobody is Man except Jehovah alone, for in its genuine sense Man means that Being (Esse) from which man derives his being. Being (Esse) itself - from which man derives his being - is Divine, and is consequently celestial and spiritual. Without that Divine celestial and spiritual there is nothing truly human in man, only something animal-like such as exists in beasts. It is by virtue of Jehovah's or the Lord's Being (Esse) that every man is 'man', and by virtue also of His Being that he is called 'man'. The celestial which makes him man consists in his love of the Lord and his love of the neighbour; and so he is man because he is an image of the Lord and because he has that celestial character from the Lord. Otherwise he is a wild beast.
ttt[2] As regards Jehovah or the Lord being the only Man and that it is by virtue of Him that men are called 'men', also that one is more so man than another, see `@@@49`, `@@@288`, `@@@477`, `@@@565`. This matter becomes additionally clear from the fact that Jehovah or the Lord manifested Himself as Man to the patriarchs of the Most Ancient Church, subsequently to Abraham as well, and also to the prophets. This too was why the Lord was pleased, when no man remained on earth any more, that is, when nothing celestial or spiritual was left to mankind any more, to take on human nature by being born as any other, and to make that human nature Divine. In this respect also He is the only Man. In addition to this the whole of heaven presents before the Lord the image of a human being, because it is a presentation of Himself, and as a consequence heaven is called the Grand Man, chiefly from the fact that in heaven the Lord is the All in all.
ppp21954#pid#1895. 'She had an Egyptian servant-girl' means the affection for knowledge. This is clear from the meaning of 'a servant-girl' and from the meaning of 'Egypt'. Sarai, who is the mistress or lady, represents and means truth allied to good, as stated already. Truth allied to good is in the genuine sense intellectual truth, but rational truth comes below this and so is inferior. The latter is born from knowledge and cognitions that have been made living by means of an affection corresponding to them. Because this affection is part of the exterior man, it ought to be subservient to intellectual truth, which resides inmostly, in the way that a servant-girl is subservient to her mistress or a maid to the lady of - the house. That affection therefore is what is represented and meant by 'the servant-girl Hagar'.
ttt[2] No one can have much understanding of anything said about these matters until he knows what intellectual truth is in the genuine sense and also in what way the rational is born, namely from the internal man as the father, and from the exterior or natural man as the mother. Unless the two are joined together nothing rational ever comes into being. The rational is not born from knowledge and cognitions, as people suppose, but from the affection for them, as becomes clear merely from the fact that nobody can possibly become rational unless some delight in or affection for such knowledge and cognitions burns within him. The affection constitutes the maternal life itself, while the celestial and spiritual within that affection constitute the paternal life. Consequently it is the degree and the quality of a person's affection that determine the degree and the quality of the rationality that is developed in him. In themselves facts and cognitions are nothing other than things that are dead, or instrumental causes, which are made alive by the life that belongs to affection. This is how everyone's rational man is conceived. The reason why the servant-girl was Egyptian and why that fact is mentioned is that 'Egypt' means knowledge, as has been shown already in `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1186`, `@@@1462`,
ppp21953#pid#1896. 'Her name was Hagar' means the life of the exterior or natural man. This becomes clear from what has been stated already, and also from the meaning of Hagar' as a foreign woman or one living in foreign parts. 'Foreigners' represented people who were to receive instruction, and living in foreign parts represented instruction, and also rules of life, as shown already in `@@@1463`. When it is stated in the Word what a person's name is, as here, that 'her name was Hagar', it means that the name embodies something to which attention should be paid, for 'calling by name' is knowing a person's character, as shown already in `@@@144`, `@@@145`, `@@@340`. Not one particle exists in the Word without a reason and without meaning some real thing in the internal sense.
ppp21952#pid#1897. Verse 2. And Sarai said to Abram, Behold, now, Jehovah has prevented me from bearing; go in now to my servant-girl; perhaps I shall be built up from her; and Abram hearkened to Sarai's voice.
'Sarai said to Abram' means that it was so perceived by Him. 'Behold, now, Jehovah has prevented me from bearing' means the state prior to the birth of the Interior or Divine Rational Man. 'Go in now to my servant-girl' means a joining to the more exterior man. 'Perhaps I shall be built up from her' means the possibility of the rational being born in that way. 'And Abram hearkened to Sarai's voice' means it could not have been achieved in any other way.
ppp21951#pid#1898. That 'Sarai said to Abram' means that it was so perceived by Him is clear from the meaning of 'Sarai' and of 'Abram', that is to say, 'Sarai' is truth allied to good, while 'Abram' is the Internal Man. Consequently the phrase 'Sarai said to Abram' cannot in the internal sense mean any talking of one to another, but perception. At that time the Lord's perception came from truth allied to the good which served to dictate to Him what the situation was. Something similar occurs with the celestial man who receives perception, in that there is something of truth allied to good which dictates, and later on good from which, or through which, truth is perceived. 'Saying' in the internal sense means perceiving, see `@@@1791`, `@@@1815`, `@@@1819`, `@@@1822`.
ppp21950#pid#1899. 'Behold, now, Jehovah has prevented me from bearing' means the state prior to the birth of the Interior or Divine Rational Man. This is clear from what has been stated already about the conception and birth of the Rational Man, that is to say, that the Lord's Divine Rational Man is represented by Isaac, whereas the first rational man which became Divine is represented by Ishmael. It was to represent these considerations that Sarai remained barren for so long a time until Ishmael had grown to be a boy, referred to in Chapter `Genesis ccc21bbb0`. This is the reason for the statement here that Jehovah prevented her from bearing.
ppp21949#pid#1900. 'Go in now to my servant-girl' means a joining to the more exterior man. This too is clear from what has been stated already - that the rational part of man's mind is conceived and begotten from the internal man as its father and from the exterior as its mother. Man's very life springs from the internal man, which cannot have any communication with the external, other than a very obscure communication, until the formation of recipient vessels belonging to the memory has been effected by means of cognitions and knowledge.
ttt[2] The influx of the internal man occurs as an influx into the cognitions and factual knowledge that are present in the exterior man - affection being the means. Meanwhile, before they are present, a communication does indeed exist, but solely through those affections that control the external man; so that not more than very general stirrings and certain appetites occur there, and also certain blind inclinations such as reveal themselves in small children. But this life grows by degrees more definite as vessels are formed in the memory by means of cognitions and in the inner memory by rational concepts. As these vessels are formed and arranged into a sequence - into such a sequence in fact that they stand mutually related to one another like blood relatives and relatives by marriage, or like communities and families - so the correspondence is perfected of the external man with the internal man, and even better so through rational concepts, which are intermediate.
ttt[3] But if the cognitions by means of which those vessels are formed are not truths, a lack of congruity still exists, for the celestial and spiritual things belonging to the internal man do not discover any correspondence for themselves except within truths. Such truths constituting the organic forms of the two memories`fff1` are the genuine vessels into which the celestial things of love and the spiritual things of faith may be introduced fittingly; for when they are so introduced they are arranged by the Lord according to the pattern and image of the communities of heaven, that is, of the Lord's kingdom - insomuch that the person becomes, in miniature, heaven or the Lord's kingdom, as also in the Word the minds of those people are called in whom the celestial things of love and the spiritual things of faith are present. But these matters have been stated for the benefit of those minds that like to go more deeply.
`nnn1. i.e. the interior memory and the exterior memory, see `@@@2469`ff.
ppp21948#pid#1901. 'Perhaps I shall be built up from her' means the possibility of the rational being born in that way. This becomes clear from the meaning, when it has reference to human generation, of 'being built up', and so needs no further explanation. 'Sarai', as stated, means intellectual truth which has been allied as a wife to good. Intellectual truth which resides inmostly is totally lacking in offspring or is like a childless wife,`fff1` if there is not as yet any rational into which and through which it may flow, for without the rational as a go-between it cannot flow with any truth at all into the exterior man, as becomes clear in the case of small children. The latter can have no knowledge at all of truth until cognitions have been bestowed on them; but as has been stated the better and more perfectly they have cognitions bestowed on them, the better and more perfectly can intellectual truth which resides inmostly, that is, within good, be communicated.
ttt[2] This intellectual truth represented by Sarai is the spiritual itself which flows in by way of heaven, and so by an internal route. It resides in everyone and is continually coming to meet the cognitions that are introduced by means of perceptions gained by the senses and implanted in the memory. No one is conscious of that intellectual truth within himself as it is too pure to be perceived by a general idea. It is like a kind of light which enlightens the mind and imparts the ability to know, think, and understand. Since the rational cannot come into being except also by means of the influx of intellectual truth, represented by Sarai, it inevitably exists in relation to that truth as its son. When the rational is formed from truths that have been allied to goods, more so when it is formed from goods from which truths derive, it is a true son. Previous to that also it is recognized as a son, yet not as a true son but as one born from a servant-girl. All the same, it is adopted as such, and for the reason here stated, that it was 'to be built up from her'.
`nnn1. literally, a childless mother
ppp21947#pid#1902. 'And Abram hearkened to Sarai's voice' means it could not have been achieved in any other way. This becomes clear from the train of thought in the internal sense and from the necessity that the human rational can be born in this and no other way. If man were not steeped in any hereditary evil, the rational would be born straightaway from the marriage of the celestial things belonging to the internal man with the spiritual things belonging to the same; and through the rational the faculty of knowing would be born. This would mean that on entering the world a person would possess straightaway within himself fully-formed faculties of reason and of knowing, for this would all be in accordance with the order that belongs to influx. This may be deduced from the fact that all animals without exception are born into a fully-formed faculty of knowing what they need and what is suitable for them in the way of food, safety, habitat, and producing offspring, because their inborn nature is in accordance with order. For what other reason is man born without the same faculties than that in his case order has been destroyed - for he alone is born without any knowledge?
ttt[2] That which causes him to be born without any knowledge is hereditary evil received from his father and from his mother. Because of that evil all his faculties are turned in a contrary direction insofar as goods and truths are concerned, so that the latter are not able through an immediate influx of celestial and spiritual things from the Lord to be translated into correspondent forms. This is the reason why man's rational has to be formed in an entirely different manner or way, that is to say, by means of facts and cognitions entering in through the senses, and so by the external route, thus by what is a reversal of order. In this way, miraculously so, a person is made rational by the Lord. This is described by 'going in to the servant-girl', which means the joining of the internal man to the exterior man, and by the statement that 'Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai', which means that it could not have been achieved in any other way.
ttt[3] Because the Lord was born as any other is born and had a heredity from the mother, He was like any other in this respect also, the purpose being that through the conflicts brought about by temptations and through victories He might restore all things to order. His Rational as well therefore was conceived and born as it is with any other, yet with the difference that the Divine, or Jehovah - and so the life belonging to love towards the whole human race, on whose behalf and for whose salvation He fought in all His temptations - resided in every single thing that was His inmostly.
ppp21946#pid#1903. Verse `Genesis 16bbbccc3` And Sarai, Abram's wife (uxor), took Hagar her Egyptian servant-girl, after Abram had been dwelling ten years in the land of Canaan, and she gave her to Abram her husband (vir) as his wife (mulier).
'Sarai, Abram's wife, took' means the affection for truth, which in the genuine sense is 'Sarai the wife'. 'Hagar her Egyptian servant-girl' means the life of the exterior man and the affection for knowledge. 'After Abram had been dwelling ten years in the land of Canaan' means the remnants of good and of truth deriving from that good which the Lord acquired to Himself and by means of which this rational was conceived. 'And she gave her to Abram her husband as his wife' means a joining together prompted by the affection for truth.
ppp21945#pid#1904. That 'Sarai, Abram's wife, took' means the affection for truth, which in the genuine sense is 'Sarai the wife', is clear from the meaning of 'Sarai' as truth allied to good, and from the meaning of 'wife' as affection, dealt with already in `@@@915`, `@@@1468`. There are two affections, distinct and separate - the affection for good and the affection for truth. While a person is being regenerated the affection for truth takes the lead, for it is an affection for truth for the sake of good that moves him; but once he has been regenerated the affection for good takes the lead, and it is now an affection for truth originating in good that moves him. The affection for good belongs to the will, the affection for truth to the understanding. The most ancient people established a marriage so to speak between these two affections. They used to refer to good (or the love of good) and truth (or the love of truth) as Man, calling the former 'the husband' and the latter 'the wife'. The comparison of good and truth to a marriage has its origins in the heavenly marriage.
ttt[2] Regarded in themselves good and truth do not possess any life, but they derive their life from love or affection. They are merely the instruments that serve life. Consequently as is the love producing the affection for good and truth, so is the life; for the whole of life constitutes the whole of love or affection. This is why 'Sarai his wife' in the genuine sense means the affection for truth. And because the Intellectual desired the Rational as its offspring, and because what she says is an expression of that desire or affection, this verse contains the explicit wording, 'Sarai, Abram's wife, gave to Abram her husband' which would be an unnecessary repetition - for in themselves these words would be quite superfluous - if such matters were not embodied within the internal sense.
ttt[3] Intellectual truth is distinct and separate from rational truth, and rational truth from factual truth, just as what is internal, what is intermediate, and what is external are. Intellectual truth is internal, rational truth is intermediate, while factual truth is external. These are quite distinct and separate because one is interior to another. With everyone intellectual truth, which is internal, or that present within the inmost part of him, is not his own but is the Lord's with him. From this the Lord flows into the rational, where truth first appears as if it were the person's own, and through the rational into his faculty of knowing. From these considerations it is clear that nobody can possibly think as of himself from intellectual truth, but from rational truth and factual truth because these do appear as if they were his.
ttt[4] Only the Lord, when He lived in the world, thought from intellectual truth, for that truth was His own Divine truth joined to good, or the Divine spiritual joined to the Divine celestial. In this respect the Lord was different from all others. Man in no way possesses the ability to think from the Divine existing within himself as his essential self, nor can that ability possibly exist within man, only within Him who was conceived from Jehovah. Because He thought from intellectual truth, that is, from the love or affection for intellectual truth, from that truth also He desired the Rational. This is why it is stated here that 'Sarai, Abram's wife', by whom is meant the affection for intellectual truth, 'took Hagar the Egyptian and gave her to Abram her husband as his wife (mulier)'.
ttt[5] No other arcana concealed here can be brought out and explained intelligibly because the human being dwells in very great obscurity regarding his own internals. Indeed he has no conception of these, for he identifies the rational and the intellectual degrees of the mind with the factual degree, not knowing that these degrees are distinct and separate, so distinct in fact that the intellectual is able to exist without the rational, as also can the rational, while subordinate to the intellectual, exist without the factual. This must inevitably seem absurd to those wholly immersed in factual knowledge, but it is nevertheless the truth. It is not possible however for anyone to have truth present in the factual degree of his mind, that is to say, to have an affection for it and a belief in it, if truth is not present in the rational, into which and through which the Lord flows in from the intellectual degree. These arcana do not lie open to man's view except in the next life.
ppp21944#pid#1905. 'Hagar her Egyptian servant-girl' means the life of the exterior man and the affection for knowledge. This is clear from the meaning of 'Hagar', dealt with above in `@@@1895`, `@@@1896`, and from the meaning of 'Egyptian' as well as of 'servant-girl', also dealt with in those paragraphs.
ppp21943#pid#1906. 'After Abram had been dwelling ten years in the land of Canaan' means the remnants of good and of truth deriving from that good which the Lord acquired to Himself and by means of which this rational was conceived. This is clear from the meaning of 'ten' as remnants, dealt with already in `@@@576`. What remnants are has been stated and shown in `@@@468`, `@@@530`, `@@@560`, `@@@561`, `@@@660`, `@@@661`, `@@@798`, `@@@1050`; that is to say, they are all the states of affection for good and truth conferred by the Lord on a person from earliest childhood right through to life's end. These states are stored away within him for the use of his life after death, for in the next life all the states of his life return one after another and at that time they undergo modification through the states of good and truth which the Lord has conferred on him. The more remnants he acquires therefore during his lifetime, or the more good and truth he acquires, the happier and more beautiful the rest of his states seem to be when they actually return. The truth of this may become clear to anyone if he gives the matter careful consideration. At birth no one of himself possesses any good at all, but is wholly defiled with hereditary evil. Everything good flows in, such as his love for parents, nursemaids, and playmates, this influx being from innocence. These are the gifts which flow in from the Lord through the heaven of innocence and peace, which is the inmost heaven, and this is the manner in which they are imparted to him during early childhood.
ttt[2] Later on, when he grows up, this good, innocent, and peaceful state of early childhood departs from him little by little; and insofar as he is introduced into the world, he enters into its pleasures and delights, and so into evils, and the heavenly things or the goods of early childhood start to be dispersed. Yet they still remain, it being by means of these that the states are moderated which a person takes to himself and acquires later on. Without them he cannot possibly be truly human, for states in which evil desires or any evils occur, if not moderated by means of states in which the affection for good is present, would be more dreadful than those of any animal. Those states of good are what are called remnants, which are conferred by the Lord and implanted in a person's natural disposition, this being done when the person is not aware of it.
ttt[3] In later life he has further new states conferred on him; but these are not so much states of good as of truth, for as he grows up he has truths bestowed on him, and these in a similar way are stored away within his interior man. By means of these remnants, which are those of truth, and which have been born from the influx of spiritual things from the Lord, a person has the ability to think, and also to understand what the good and truth of civil or public life and moral or private life are, and also to receive spiritual truth, that is, the truth of faith. Yet he has no ability to do these things except by means of the remnants of good which he received in early childhood. Of the existence of remnants, and the fact that they are stored away in man in his interior rational, man is completely unaware. That unawareness is due to thinking that nothing flows in but that everything is innate within him, and thus present within him when he is an infant, though the reality is altogether different from that. Remnants are referred to in various places in the Word, and by them are meant those states by which a person becomes human, and this from the Lord alone.
ttt[4] The remnants which resided with the Lord however were all the Divine states which He acquired to Himself and by means of which He united the Human Essence to the Divine Essence. These are in no way comparable with the remnants that reside with man, for the latter are not Divine but human. The remnants the Lord had are what is meant by the ten years Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan. When angels hear the Word they have no knowledge of what 'ten' is; but the moment ten is mentioned by man the idea of remnants comes to them, for 'ten' and 'tenths' in the Word mean remnants, as is clear from what has been stated and shown in `@@@576`, `@@@1738`. And when they perceive that 'Abram had been dwelling ten years in the land of Canaan' the idea of the Lord comes to them, and with it simultaneously countless things meant by the remnants residing with the Lord when He was in the world.
ppp21942#pid#1907. 'And she gave her to Abram her husband as his wife (mulier)' means a joining together prompted by the affection for truth. This is clear from what has been stated above about Sarai, Abram's wife, being in the genuine sense the affection for truth, and from what has also been stated about the joining of the internal man to the life and affection of the exterior man, from which conjunction the rational is born. Hagar was not given to Abram as a wife (uxor) but as a wife (mulier). The reason for this lies in the law of Divine order that it is not marriage unless it is a marriage of one man to one wife. Conjugial love cannot possibly be divided. When love is divided among several partners it is not conjugial love but such as goes with lasciviousness, to be dealt with, in the Lord's Divine mercy, later on.
ppp21941#pid#1908. Verse `Genesis 16bbbccc4` And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And she saw that she had conceived, and her mistress was despised in her eyes, 'He went in to Hagar' means the joining of the internal man to the life of the affection for knowledge. 'And she conceived' means the initial life of the rational. 'And she saw that she had conceived, and her mistress was despised in her eyes' means that this rational at its conception despised truth itself that was allied to good.
ppp21940#pid#1909. That 'he went in to Hagar' means the joining of the internal man to the life of the affection for knowledge is clear from the meaning of 'Hagar' as the life of the exterior or natural man, dealt with above at verse `Genesis 16bbbccc1`; and that this life is the life of the affection for knowledge is clear from the meaning of 'an Egyptian servant-girl', also dealt with above. There are many affections belonging to the exterior man, each one devoted to its own use. Superior to them all however is the affection for cognitions and knowledge when its end in view is that a person may become truly rational, for it then has good and truth as its end in view. The life itself of the internal man flows into all the affections of the natural man, but there it varies according to ends in view. When it flows into affections which have the world as the end in view, that end receives life from that life which is flowing in, and becomes worldly-minded life. When it flows into affections that have self as the end in view, that end receives life from that life which is flowing in, and becomes bodily-minded life. And so it is with all the other affections when life flows into them. It is from this that evil desires and false notions have life, but a life contrary to the affection for good and truth.
ttt[2] As it flows in, life is not directed towards anything except the end in view, for with everyone that end is his love, and it is love alone which is living. All else in him is purely derivative, getting its life from the end in view. Anyone may see what kind of life he possesses, if only he will find out what kind of end he has in view. He does not have to find out the nature of all his ends, for these are countless, as many as his intentions and almost as many as the judgements and conclusions arrived at by his thoughts. These are merely secondary ends derived from the main one or tending towards it. All he has to find out is the end which he prefers above all others, and in comparison with which all others are as nothing. If he has self and the world as his end, let him recognize that his life is that of hell; but if he has the good of the neighbour, the common good, the Lord's kingdom, and above all the Lord Himself as his end, let him recognize that his life is that of heaven.
ppp21939#pid#1910. 'And she conceived' means the initial life of the rational. This is clear from the meaning of 'conception' as initial life. As regards the rational, this receives its life, as has been stated, from the life that belongs to the internal man, and is life flowing into the life of the exterior man's affection for cognitions and knowledge. The life of the affection for cognitions and knowledge provides the rational so to speak, with a body, that is, it clothes the life of the internal man as the body does the soul. So it is exactly with cognitions and knowledge. The idea or image of soul and body exists with a human being in every part of him, in every part of his affection, and in every part of his thinking, for there is nothing, however simple it may appear to be, that does not have constituent parts and does not arise from that which is prior to itself.
ppp21938#pid#1911. 'And she saw that she had conceived, and her mistress was despised in her eyes' means that this rational at its conception despised truth itself that was allied to good. This is clear from the meaning of 'mistress', or Sarai, as truth allied to good. The rational conceived first is unable to acknowledge intellectual or spiritual truth as truth because it has clinging to it many illusions that are a product of what is known about the world and the natural order, and many appearances which are not truths but are a product of things known from the literal sense of the Word. For example,
ttt[2] It is an intellectual truth that all life is from the Lord. The rational conceived first does not apprehend this, but supposes that if it did not live of itself it would possess no life at all; indeed it is angry if anything different is asserted, as I have noticed frequently in the case of spirits who cling to the illusions of the senses.
ttt[3] It is an intellectual truth that all good and truth are from the Lord. Again, the rational conceived first does not apprehend this because of its sensation that these are as if from itself; and also it supposes that if good and truth are not from itself, it is unable to think, let alone perform, anything good and true, and that if it did have some other source it would give up its own efforts and constantly wait for influx into itself.
ttt[4] It is an intellectual truth that nothing but good, and not even the smallest amount of evil, comes from the Lord. The rational conceived first does not believe this either, but it supposes that because the Lord rules over every single thing, even evil derives from Him. And because He is all powerful and present everywhere and is Goodness itself but does not abolish the punishments of evil people in hell, it supposes that He wills the evil of punishment, when in fact He does not do evil to anyone and does not will that anyone should be punished.
ttt[5] It is an intellectual truth that the celestial man has from the Lord a perception of good and truth. But the first rational either denies the existence of perception altogether or else it supposes that if it did perceive from another and not from its own self it would be like one who is inanimate, or devoid of life. Indeed the more that the thinking of the rational is based on the facts that arise from sensory evidence and the more it is based on philosophical arguments, the less it apprehends these and all other intellectual truths, for the illusions that result are enveloped in shadows darker still. This is why the learned are less believing than others.
ttt[6] Since the rational conceived first is such, it is clear that 'it despises its mistress', that is, it despises intellectual truth. Intellectual truth is not open to view, that is, it is not acknowledged, until illusions and appearances have been dispersed, and these are never dispersed as long as a person reasons about truths themselves on the basis of sensory evidence and factual knowledge. But the moment he believes in simplicity of heart that it is the truth because the Lord has declared it to be so, the shadows of illusions are at that point dispelled, and then there is nothing to stop him apprehending it.
ttt[7] With the Lord however no illusions were present; but when His rational was first conceived there were appearances of truth which were not truths in themselves, as is evident from what has been stated in `@@@1661`. This also explains why His rational when first conceived despised intellectual truth, but step by step, as the rational became Divine, the clouds of appearances were dispersed and intellectual truths in their light were for Him open to view. This was represented and meant by the expulsion of Ishmael from the house when Isaac grew up. That the Lord did not despise intellectual truth but that He perceived and saw that His new rational did so will be clear from what follows in `@@@1914`.
ppp21937#pid#1912. Verse `Genesis 16bbbccc5` And Sarai said to Abram, May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant-girl into your bosom, and she saw that she had conceived, and I am despised in her eyes. May Jehovah judge between me and you!
'Sarai said to Abram' means that the affection for truth so perceived. 'May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant-girl into your bosom' means its unwillingness to take any blame. 'And she saw that she had conceived' means the initial life of the rational. 'And I am despised in her eyes' means here, as previously, that at its conception this rational despised truth itself that was allied to good. 'May Jehovah judge between me and you!' means the Lord's righteous anger.
ppp21936#pid#1913. That 'Sarai said to Abram' means that the affection for truth so perceived is clear from the meaning of 'Sarai' as the affection for truth, `@@@1904`, and from the fact that 'saying' in the internal sense is perceiving, as stated above in `@@@1898`, where the same words occur.
ppp21935#pid#1914. That 'may the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant-girl into your bosom' means its unwillingness to take any blame is clear without explanation. In the internal sense these words embody within themselves the truth that the Lord perceived this first rational to be such as despised intellectual truth, and for that reason He reproached it. The Lord did indeed think from intellectual truth, as stated above in `@@@1904`; and because that truth was superior to the rational, He was able to perceive and see the nature of the rational, that is to say, that it held that truth in contempt.
ttt[2] The Lord's being able from the interior man to perceive and see the nature of the new rational within Himself becomes clear from the fact that what is interior is able to perceive that which occurs in the exterior, or what amounts to the same, what is higher is able to see that which occurs in that which is lower, but not the reverse. Moreover, those who have conscience are able and are accustomed to do the same, for when anything contrary to the truth constituting conscience enters their thought or the intentions of their will, they not only recognize it for what it is but also pour blame upon it; indeed it grieves them that their own nature is such. This is all the more true of those who have perception, for perception is more interior within the rational. What then could the Lord not do who had Divine celestial perception and whose thought sprang from the affection for intellectual truth which is above the rational? Therefore He could not be anything else but righteously angry since He knew that no evil or falsity at all stemmed from Himself and that from the affection for truth He strove anxiously with all His might so that the rational might be pure. From this it becomes clear that the Lord did not despise intellectual truth, yet perceived that the first rational with Him did so.
ttt[3] What thinking from intellectual truth is cannot be explained intelligibly, all the less so because nobody except the Lord has ever thought from that affection and that kind of truth. Anyone who thinks from them is above the angelic heaven, for the angels of the third heaven do not think from intellectual truth but from the interior part of the rational. But to the extent that the Lord united the Human Essence to the Divine Essence, He thought from Divine Good itself, that is, from Jehovah.
ttt[4] The early fathers of the Most Ancient Church, who had perception, thought from the interior rational. The fathers of the Ancient Church, who did not have perception but conscience, thought from the exterior or natural rational. But all who do not have conscience never think from the rational at all, since they have no rational however much they appear to do so. Instead they think from the sensory and the bodily experience of the natural. People who do not have conscience are unable to think from the rational for the reason, as has been stated, that they have no rational. The rational man is one in whom the good and truth of faith are the substance of his thought and never one who thinks in opposition to these. Those in whom evil and falsity are the substance of their thought are insane as to their thought and therefore the rational cannot be attributed to them.
ppp21934#pid#1915. 'And she saw that she had conceived' means the initial life of the rational. This is clear from the meaning here, as previously in `@@@1910`, of 'conception' as initial life.
ppp21933#pid#1916. That 'I am despised in her eyes' means that at its conception this rational despised truth itself that was allied to good is clear from what has been stated just above in `@@@1911`, `@@@1914`.
ppp21932#pid#1917. 'May Jehovah judge between me and you!' means the Lord's righteous anger. This is clear from what has just been stated, and so is clear without explanation. Nobody can gain a fuller grasp of these matters except people who have experienced conflicts brought about by temptations. Temptations bring states of vastation and desolation, states of despair, and consequently of grief and anger, in addition to other inward painful emotions. These things occur varyingly and alternatingly according to the states of evil and falsity which evil genii and spirits arouse and against which conflict takes place. Devilish spirits like nothing better than to discover some falsity; indeed it is quite common for them to introduce a falsity from themselves into a person, and then at the same time to charge him with possessing it. This was why the Lord's anger was so great, for within His first rational there was no falsity, but there was the appearance of truth which in itself was not true, as dealt with already in `@@@1661`, `@@@1911` (end).
ppp21931#pid#1918. Verse `Genesis 16bbbccc6` And Abram said to Sarai, Behold, your servant-girl is in your hand; do to her what is good in your eyes. And Sarai humiliated her, and she fled from her face.
'Abram said to Sarai' means perception. 'Behold, your servant-girl is in your hand' means that this rational was conceived from the controlling power of the affection for truth allied to good. 'Do to her what is good in your eyes' means complete control over. 'And Sarai humiliated her' means subjection.
'And she fled from her face' means the anger of this rational conceived first.
ppp21930#pid#1919. That 'Abram said to Sarai' means perception is clear from what has been stated above in `@@@1898`. The perception which the Lord had was represented and is here meant by 'Abram said to Sarai', but thought which sprang from that perception is meant by 'Sarai said to Abram' - perception being the source of thought. The thought possessed by those who have perception comes from no other source. Yet perception is not the same as thought. To see that it is not the same, let conscience serve to 'illustrate this consideration.
ttt[2] Conscience is a kind of general and thus obscure dictate which presents those things that flow in from the Lord by way of the heavens. Those things that flow in manifest themselves in the interior rational man where they are enveloped so to speak in cloud. This cloud is the product of appearances and illusions concerning the goods and truths of faith. Thought is, in truth, distinct and separate from conscience; yet it flows from conscience, for people who have conscience think and speak according to it. Indeed thought is scarcely anything more than a loosening of the various strands that make up conscience, and a converting of these into separate ideas which pass into words. Hence it is that the Lord holds those who have conscience in good thoughts regarding the neighbour and withholds them from evil thoughts. For this reason conscience can never exist except with people who love the neighbour as themselves and have good thoughts regarding the truths of faith. These considerations brought forward here show how conscience differs from thought, and from this one may recognize how perception differs from thought.
ttt[3] The Lord's perception came directly from Jehovah, and so from Divine Good, whereas His thought came from intellectual truth and the affection for it, as stated above in `@@@1904`, `@@@1914`. No idea, not even an angelic one, is adequate as a means to apprehend the Lord's Divine perception, and thus this lies beyond description. The perception which angels have - described in `@@@1384` and following paragraphs, `@@@1394`, `@@@1395` - adds up to scarcely anything at all when contrasted with the perception that was the Lord's. Because the Lord's perception was Divine, it was a perception of everything in heaven; and being a perception of everything in heaven it was also a perception of everything on earth. For such is the order, interconnection, and influx that anyone who has a perception of heavenly things has a perception of earthly as well.
ttt[4] But after the Lord's Human Essence had become united to His Divine Essence, and had become at the same time Jehovah, the Lord was then above what is called perception, for He was above the order which exists in the heavens and from there upon earth. It is Jehovah who is the source of order, and therefore one may say that Jehovah is Order itself, for from Himself He governs order, not merely, as is supposed, in the universal but also in its most specific singulars, for it is these singulars that make up the universal. To speak of the universal and then separate such singulars from it would be no different from speaking of a whole that has no parts within it and so no different from speaking of something consisting of nothing. Thus it is sheer falsity - a figment of the imagination, as it is called - to speak of the Lord's Providence as belonging to the universal but not to its specific singulars; for to provide and govern universally but not specifically is to provide and govern absolutely nothing. This is true philosophically, yet, strange to say, philosophers themselves, including the more eminent, understand this matter in a different way and think in a different way.
ppp21929#pid#1920. 'Behold, your servant-girl is in your hand' means that this rational was conceived from the controlling power of the affection for truth allied to good. This is clear from the meaning of 'hand' as power, dealt with already in `@@@878`, and from the meaning of 'Hagar the Egyptian' as the affection for knowledge, also dealt with already. Following the conception of the rational by means of the internal man flowing into the life belonging to the exterior affection for knowledge, 'servant-girl' is used to mean that tender embryonic rational which however is represented, when born and developed, by Ishmael, who is the subject below. That the Lord had control over the rational residing with Him and that He subdued it by His own power will be clear from what is to be stated next.
ppp21928#pid#1921. 'Do to her what is good in your eyes' means complete control over. This is clear without explanation. In the internal sense these words represent and mean that by His own power the Lord overcame, subdued, and cast out the evil which from what was hereditary had wormed itself also into this first rational, for, as has been stated, the rational was conceived from the Internal Man, which was Jehovah, as a father, and born from the exterior as a mother. Whatever was born from the exterior man possessed this hereditary element within it, thus evil as well. This was what the Lord overcame, subdued, and cast out by His own power and at length made Divine. The fact that He did so by His own power is clear from every single detail in this verse - the comment, 'Your servant-girl is in your hand' which means that He had this rational under His controlling power, followed next by 'so to her what is good in your eyes' which means complete control over it; and immediately after that 'Sarai humiliated her' which means subjection.
ttt[2] These things were said to Sarai, who represents intellectual truth which the Lord Himself had and was the source from which He thought, as stated above in `@@@1904`, `@@@1914`, and from this truth He had complete control over the rational and also over the natural that was part of the exterior man. Anyone who thinks from intellectual truth and perceives from Divine good - which good was also His because it was the Father's, for He had no other soul - cannot do other than act from the power that is his own. Since therefore by His own power He tamed and cast out the evil present by heredity, it was by His own power as well that He united the Human Essence to the Divine Essence - the one being a consequence of the other.
ttt[3] One who is conceived from Jehovah has no other Internal, that is, has none but Jehovah as his soul; for that reason He was as regards His very life itself Jehovah Himself. Jehovah, or the Divine Essence, cannot be divided in the way a human father's soul from which a child is conceived can be divided. To the extent the offspring moves away from the likeness of its father it moves away from the father himself, more and more so as it grows older. This is why a father's love for his children diminishes as they grow older. In the Lord's case it was different. As He grew older He did not so move away as regards the Human Essence but constantly drew closer until perfect union was achieved. From this it is clear that He is identical with Jehovah the Father, as He Himself also plainly teaches in `John 14bbb6`, `John 14bbbccc8-11`.
ppp21927#pid#1922. 'And [Sarai] humiliated her' means subjection. This follows from what has been stated.
ppp21926#pid#1923. 'And she fled from her face' means the anger of this rational conceived first. This too is clear without explanation, for fleeing from someone's face is nothing else than finding their presence unbearable, on account of one's own anger. Here the anger borne by this rational towards intellectual truth is described because such truth, or the Lord, wished to humiliate or suppress it. When the rational part of the mind rises up against the intellectual part inward conflict results, together with anger on the part of that which is being suppressed. This is what happens in temptations which are nothing else than inward conflicts or clashes and struggles over who is to have power and control, evils being ranged in those conflicts on one side and goods on the other.
ppp21925#pid#1924. Verse `Genesis 16bbbccc7` And the angel of Jehovah found her near a spring of water in the desert, near the spring on the road to Shur.
'The angel of Jehovah found her' means thought in the interior man, 'the angel of Jehovah' here being the interior thought which came from the Lord's Internal. 'Near a spring of water in the desert' means natural truth that has not yet acquired any life. 'Near the spring on the road to Shur' means that this truth was an assemblage of things which come from facts.
ppp21924#pid#1925. 'The angel of Jehovah found her' means thought in the interior man, that is to say, thought residing with the Lord. This becomes clear from the representation and meaning of 'the angel of Jehovah'. Mention is made several times in the Word of 'the angel of Jehovah', and in every case when used in the good sense it represents and means some essential quality with the Lord and from the Lord. Which one it represents and means however becomes clear from the train of thought. They were indeed angels who were sent to men and women, and who also spoke through the prophets. Yet what they spoke did not originate in those angels but was something imparted through them. In fact their state at the time was such that they knew no other than that they were Jehovah, that is, the Lord. But as soon as they had finished speaking they returned to their previous state and spoke as they normally did from themselves.
ttt[2] This was the case with the angels who uttered the Word of the Lord, as I have been given to know from much similar experience in the next life, experience that will be presented in the Lord's Divine mercy further on. This is the reason why angels were sometimes called Jehovah, as is quite clear from the angel that appeared in the bramble-bush to Moses, concerning whom the following is recorded,
The angel of Jehovah appeared to Moses in a flame of fire from the middle of the bramble-bush. Jehovah saw that he turned aside to see, and God called to him from the middle of the bramble-bush God said to Moses, I am who I am. And God said again to Moses, Thus shall you say to the children of Israel, Jehovah the God of your fathers has sent me to you. `Exodus 3bbb2`, `Exodus 3bbbccc4`, `Exodus 3bbbccc14-15`.
From these verses it is evident that it was an angel who appeared to Moses as a flame in the bramble-bush and that he spoke as Jehovah, because the Lord or Jehovah was speaking through him.
ttt[3] So that man may be spoken to by means of articulated sounds heard in the natural world, the Lord employs angels as His ministers by filling them with the Divine and by rendering unconscious all that is their own, so that for the time being they know no other than that they themselves are Jehovah. In this way the Divine of Jehovah which belongs in highest things comes down into the lowest constituting the natural world in which man sees and hears. It was similar in the case of the angel who spoke to Gideon, of whom the following is said in the Book of Judges,
The angel of Jehovah appeared to Gideon and said to him, Jehovah is with you, O mighty man of strength. And Gideon said to him, Forgive me for asking,`fff1` O my Lord; why has all this befallen us? And Jehovah looked on him and said, Go in this might of yours. And Jehovah said to him, Surely I will be with you. `Judges 6bbb12-14`, `Judges 6bbbccc16`.
And further on,
Gideon saw that he was the angel of Jehovah, and Gideon said, Alas, Lord Jehovih! Inasmuch as I have seen the angel of Jehovah face to face.`fff2` And Jehovah said to him, Peace be to you; do not fear. `Judges 6bbb22-23`.
Here similarly it was an angel, but his state was such at that time that he knew no other than that he was Jehovah, or the Lord. Elsewhere in the Book of Judges,
The angel of Jehovah went up from Gilgal to Bochim, and he said, I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land which I swore to give to your fathers. I said, I will not break my covenant with you, even for ever. `Judges 2bbb1`.
Here similarly the angel speaks in the name of Jehovah, declaring that he brought them out of the land of Egypt, though in fact it was not the angel who led them out but Jehovah, as is stated many times elsewhere.
ttt[4] From this it may become clear how angels spoke through the prophets - that it was the Lord Himself who spoke, yet through angels, and that the angels spoke nothing at all from themselves. That the Word comes from the Lord is clear from many places, as also in Matthew,
To fulfill what the Lord had spoken through the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin will be with child and give birth to a son. `Matthew 1bbb22-23`.
And there are other places besides this. It is because the Lord speaks through angels when He speaks to man that the Lord is also called an angel in various places in the Word. In these instances 'angel' means, as stated, some essential quality residing with the Lord and deriving from Him, as is the case here where it is the Lord's interior thought. This also is the reason why in this chapter the angel is named Jehovah and also God, as in verse `Genesis 16bbbccc13`, 'And Hagar called the name of Jehovah who was speaking to her, You are a God who sees me'.
ttt[5] In other places 'angels' is used in a similar way to mean some specific attribute that is the Lord's, as in John,
The seven stars are the angels of the seven Churches. `Revelation 1bbb20`.
There are no angels of Churches, but by 'angels' is meant that which constitutes the Church, and thus which is the Lord's in regard to the Churches. In the same book,
I saw the wall of the Holy Jerusalem, great and high, having twelve gates, and above the gates twelve angels, and names written which are those of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. `Revelation 21bbb12`.
Here 'twelve angels' has the same meaning as 'the twelve tribes', namely all things of faith, and so the Lord from whom faith and all that belongs to it is derived. In the same book,
I saw an angel flying in mid-heaven, having an eternal gospel. `Revelation 14bbb6`.
Here 'an angel' means the gospel that is the Lord's alone.
ttt[6] In Isaiah,
The angel of His presence`fff3` saved them;`fff4` in His love and in His pity He redeemed them, and lifted them up and carried them all the days of eternity. `Isaiah 63bbb9`.
Here 'the angel of His presence" is used to mean the Lord's mercy towards the entire human race in redeeming it. Similarly in Jacob's blessing of the sons of Joseph,
May the angel who has redeemed me from every evil bless the boys. `Genesis 48bbb16`.
Here also the redemption, which is the Lord's, is meant by 'the angel'. In Malachi,
Suddenly there will come to His temple the Lord whom you are seeking, and the angel of the covenant in whom you delight. `Malachi 3bbb1`.
Here it is plainly evident that the Lord is meant by 'the angel'. The expression 'the angel of the covenant' is used here because of His Coming into the world. In Exodus it is plainer still that 'an angel' means the Lord,
Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way, and to bring you to the place which I have prepared. He will not tolerate your transgression, for My name is within him. `Exodus 23bbb20-21`.
From this it is now clear that 'an angel' in the Word is used to mean the Lord; but just what aspect of the Lord is evident from the train of thought in the internal sense.
`nnn1. literally, In me or On me
`nnn2. literally, faces to faces
`nnn3. literally, faces
`nnn4. The Latin means us but the Hebrew means them which Swedenborg has in other places where he quotes this verse.
ppp21923#pid#1926. That 'the angel of Jehovah' here is the interior thought which came from the Lord's Internal is clear, as stated, from the train of thought. Here the term interior is used to mean that with the Lord which was united to Jehovah, or His Internal. Union was not accomplished all at once but step by step, that is to say, from earliest childhood through to the last stage of His life in the world, above all by means of temptations and victories. Each temptation and victory brought about union and to the extent He united Himself with His Internal or Jehovah, thought became more interior, and intellectual truth more united to Divine Good. It is the thought such as this that is meant by interior thought flowing from the Lord's Internal and that is specifically represented and meant here by 'the angel of Jehovah'.
ppp21922#pid#1927. 'Near a spring of water in the desert' means natural truth that has not yet acquired any life. This is clear from the meaning of 'a spring of water' as truth, and from the meaning of 'desert' as that which as yet possesses little life. Something similar is meant by 'desert' in the internal sense of the following reference to the Lord in Luke,
The boy grew and became strong in spirit; he was however in desert places till the days of his manifestation to Israel. `Luke 1bbb80`.`fff1`
It may be confirmed from very many places in the Word that 'spring of water' and 'desert' have these meanings, but as 'springs' and also 'a desert' are frequently mentioned in places further on where they have the same meanings, confirmations will in the Lord's Divine mercy be given in those places. What truth is when it has yet to acquire life will be clear from what is to be stated next.
`nnn1. This verse in fact refers to John the Baptist; but see `@@@1457`.
ppp21921#pid#1928. 'Near the spring on the road to Shur' means that this truth was an assemblage of things which come from facts. This is clear from the meaning of 'a spring', also from that of 'a road', as well as from the meaning of 'Shur'. 'A spring', as has been stated, means truth; 'a road' means that which leads to truth and which comes from truth, as shown already in `@@@627`; while 'Shur' means factual knowledge such as is still in the desert so to speak, that is, which has not yet acquired any life. Truths that come from facts are said to acquire life when they ally or associate themselves with truths into which the celestial element of love is flowing, the source of the actual life of truth. Real things, and thus truths, exist joined together in the way that communities in heaven are joined together, to which communities they also correspond; for interiorly man is a kind of miniature heaven. Real things, or truths, which do not exist joined together in accordance with the form which heavenly communities possess have not as yet acquired any life; for prior to this the celestial element of love from the Lord cannot fittingly flow in. They first receive life when a similar form exists on both sides, that is, when the miniature heaven in man is a corresponding image of the Grand [Man]. Prior to that nobody can be called a heaven-like man.
ttt[2] The Lord, who from Himself was to govern the whole of heaven, imposed such order while He was in the world on the truths and goods present with His External Man, that is, with His Human Essence. But because He perceived that such order did not exist with His rational conceived first, as was stated above at verses `Genesis 16bbbccc4` and `Genesis 16bbbccc5`, He thought about and perceived the reason why. This was that natural truths arising from facts did not as yet have any life in them, that is, that heavenly order had not been imposed on them. Furthermore truths of faith never possess any life unless a person is leading a charitable life, charity being that form from which all truths of faith flow, and that in which they inhere; and when they inhere in and flow from charity they possess life. It is in charity that life resides, never in truths devoid of charity.
ttt[3] That 'Shur' means factual knowledge that as yet has not acquired life is clear from the meaning of this name. Shur was a desert not far from the Sea Suph, and so lay in the direction of Egypt, as is clear in Moses,
Moses made Israel journey from the Sea Suph, and they went out to the desert of Shur; from there they went three days in the desert, and did not find any water. `Exodus 15bbb22`.
That it lay in the direction of Egypt is again clear in Moses where the descendants of Ishmael are the subject,
They dwelt from Havilah to Shur, which is opposite Egypt.`fff1` `Genesis 25bbb18`.
And in Samuel,
Saul defeated Amalek from Havilah as you come to Shur, which is opposite Egypt'.`fff1` `1 Samuel 15bbb7`.
And elsewhere in 1 Samuel,
David spread out against the Geshurites, and the Gizrites, and the Amalekites, who inhabited the land from of old, as you come to Shur and as far as the land of Egypt. `1 Samuel 27bbb8`.
These quotations show that 'Shur' means primary factual knowledge, in particular such as is still in the desert, that is, not yet joined to all the rest in accordance with the form which heavenly communities possess, for 'Egypt' which it was opposite`fff2` means knowledge in every sense, as shown already in `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1186`, `@@@1462`.
`nnn1. literally, towards the faces of Egypt
`nnn2. literally, towards the face of which it was
ppp21920#pid#1929. That such things as these are meant by the statement that 'the angel of Jehovah found Hagar near a spring of water in the desert, near the spring on the road to Shur' cannot possibly be seen from the literal sense, still less when seen as an event in history; for this sense seems to be far removed from - meaning such things. Yet this is the very meaning which enters into the ideas present in the minds of angels when these descriptions are read by man. For angels have no idea in their minds of Hagar, or of a spring of water, or of a desert, or of a road, or of Shur. None of these come through to them, but perish at the threshold. It is that meant by Hagar, a spring, a desert, a road, or Shur, which they understand and from which they form heavenly ideas; and it is in this manner that they perceive the Word of the Lord, for to them the internal sense is the Word.
ppp21919#pid#1930. Verse `Genesis 16bbbccc8` And he said, Hagar, Sarai's servant-girl, where are you coming from, and where are you going? And she said, From the face of Sarai my mistress I am fleeing.
'He said, Hagar, Sarai's servant-girl' means information. 'Where are you coming from, and where are you going?' means [information] regarding the state. 'And she said, From the face of Sarai my mistress I am fleeing' means the reply and anger.
ppp21918#pid#1931. That 'he said, Hagar, Sarai's servant-girl' means information is clear from the train of thought, for Hagar is addressed by the angel as if she were to inform him of something. In the Word, even though Jehovah knows already, it is common for Jehovah to question someone and for people to make replies to Him. He knows not only what took place but also the causes and the ends, thus every least intimate detail. But since a person is not aware of this and believes that nobody else can possibly know what he does in secret, and still less what he thinks, that which takes place therefore does so in accordance with his belief. But the truth of the matter is that even quite common and ordinary spirits perceive a person's thoughts better than the person does himself. Angelic spirits perceive the more interior aspects of his thoughts, and angels those that are more interior still, that is to say, the causes and the ends in view about which the person himself knows but little. This I have been given to know from much and continuing experience lasting for many years. Since spirits and angels perceive those things, what then must the perception be of the Lord or Jehovah, who is Infinite, and who enables all others to perceive?
ppp21917#pid#1932. 'Where are you coming from, and where are you going?' means information regarding the state. This is clear from these words themselves.
ppp21916#pid#1933. 'And she said, From the face of my mistress Sarai I am fleeing' means the reply and anger. This is clear from what has been stated. Regarding anger, see verse `Genesis 16bbbccc4` above, where the same words occur. Since 'face' means the interiors, as shown already in `@@@358`, anger and many other things are accordingly meant.
ppp21915#pid#1934. Verse `Genesis 16bbbccc9` And the angel of Jehovah said to her, Return to your mistress and humble yourself beneath her hands.
'The angel of Jehovah said' means the reply given by the Lord's Interior Man. 'Return to your mistress' means that the reply indicated that it ought not to place trust in itself but in interior truth and the affection for it. 'And humble yourself beneath her hands' means that it ought by self-compulsion to place itself under the controlling power of that interior truth.
ppp21914#pid#1935. That 'the angel of Jehovah said' means the reply given by the Lord's Interior Man is clear from the meaning of 'the angel of Jehovah' as the Lord's interior thought, dealt with above in `@@@1925`; and because thought is meant, reply is meant as well. The Lord's interior thought sprang from the affection for intellectual truth, and that affection sprang from Divine Good itself. Such thought, as stated already, does not ever exist with anyone, nor can it do so. Even so, an interior type of thought exists in man which flows in from the Lord through his internal man into the interior rational. It exists in people who have conscience, as becomes clear from the fact that they are able to take notice of the evil and falsity that are present in their external man and that assault the good and truth in the interior man. But such thought comes far below, and is not in any way comparable to, the Lord's, which sprang from the affection for intellectual truth and was peculiarly His own. People however who do not have conscience cannot possess interior thought, and therefore they do not experience conflict, the reason being that the activity of their rational is one and the same as the activity of their physical senses. And although with them also there is a constant influx of good and truth from the Lord they nevertheless do not perceive it, for they instantly put a stop to it and smother it; and this is why they do not believe any truth of faith.
ppp21913#pid#1936. 'Return to your mistress' means that the reply indicated the first rational ought not to place trust in itself but in interior truth and the affection for it. This is clear from the meaning of 'mistress' as the affection for interior truth. As for the specific meanings of 'Sarai', 'wife Sarai', and 'mistress Sarai', these cannot be described as no ideas exist to make them intelligible. They are things that lie, as stated already, beyond the understanding even of angels. Here a mere intimation is given of the manner in which the Lord thought regarding the appearances which held the attention of His first rational - namely that no trust ought to be placed in such appearances but in Divine truths themselves, no matter how hard to believe these truths might appear to be to that rational. This is so with all Divine truths; that is, if the rational is consulted regarding those truths they cannot possibly be believed, for they transcend its whole range of understanding. Take for example the truth that no man, spirit, or angel, only the Lord, lives of himself, and that the life a man, spirit, or angel has is but an outward appearance of life with him. To the rational, which judges from illusions, this is repugnant; nevertheless it ought to be believed because it is the truth.
ttt[2] It is a Divine truth that in the Word every expression, which to man seems to be utterly simple and unwrought, possesses an incalculable number of facets, more in fact than the whole of heaven. And the arcana contained there can be displayed by the Lord to angels in unending variety continuing for ever. To the rational this is so hard to believe that it is never willing to give any credence to it. Nevertheless it is the truth.
ttt[3] It is a Divine truth that nobody is ever rewarded in the next life for good deeds if he has set merit by them, and if he has done them for the sake of his own gain, position, and reputation. Nor is anyone ever punished for bad deeds if he has acted with a truly good end in view; for in the next life it is the ends that are regarded, and deeds in the light of those ends. This too the rational is not able to believe, but because this which it does not believe is the truth, no trust should be placed in a rational which does not base its conclusions on internal things but on external.
ttt[4] It is a Divine truth that the one who seeks the least joy in the next life receives the greatest from the Lord, and the one who seeks the greatest has the least; also that within heavenly joy there is never any element of being pre-eminent over another, for insofar as such pre-eminence occurs hell is present; also that within heavenly glory there is not the least trace of worldly glory. These considerations too are repugnant to the rational; but they ought nevertheless to be believed because they are true.
ttt[5] It is also a Divine truth that the more someone believes that none of his wisdom originates in himself the wiser he is, and the more he believes it does originate there, and so attributes sound judgement to himself, the more stupid he is. This too the rational denies, for it supposes that what does not originate in itself is nothing. Countless Divine truths exist such as these few given as examples, which show that no trust should be placed in the rational, since the rational is immersed in illusions and appearances. It therefore rejects truths when these are stripped of illusions and appearances, all the more rejecting them the more that self-love and its desires are present, as well as reasonings, and false assumptions regarding faith. See also the examples presented above in `@@@1911`.
ppp21912#pid#1937. That 'humble yourself beneath her hands' means that it ought by self-compulsion to place itself under the controlling power of that interior truth is clear without explanation. In the original language 'humbling oneself' is expressed by means of a word which means to fling down. That 'flinging oneself down' in the internal sense is compelling oneself becomes clear from very many places in the Word, the meaning of which will be dealt with later on. The need for the individual to compel himself to do good, to obey what the Lord has commanded, and to utter truths, meant by 'humbling herself beneath her mistress's hands', that is, submitting oneself beneath the controlling power of Divine good and truth, comprehends more arcana within itself than can be explained briefly.
ttt[2] There are certain spirits who during their lifetime, having heard that all good originated in the Lord and that man was unable from himself to perform any good at all, had for these reasons held to a principle of not compelling themselves in anything and of remaining utterly passive; for they had supposed that, what they had heard being true, any effort at all made by them was totally ineffectual. They had therefore waited for immediate influx into the effort of their will and had not compelled themselves to do anything good. Indeed when anything evil had crept in, since they did not feel from within any resistance to it, they had gone so far as to abandon themselves to it, imagining that it was permissible to do so. But those spirits are such that they do not possess so to speak any selfhood, and so do not possess any mind of their own, and are therefore among the more useless; for they suffer themselves to be led just as much by the evil as by the good, and suffer much from the evil.
ttt[3] But those who have practiced self-compulsion and set themselves against evil and falsity - even though at first they had imagined that they did so of themselves, or by their own power, but had after that been enlightened to the effect that their effort originated in the Lord, even the smallest of all the impulses of that effort - in the next life cannot be led by evil spirits, but are among the blessed. This shows that a person ought to compel himself to do what is good and to speak what is true. The arcanum Lying within this is that in so doing a person has a heavenly proprium bestowed on him from the Lord. This heavenly proprium is formed within the effort of his thought; but if he does not maintain that effort through self-compulsion - as this appears to be the way it is maintained - he does not by any means do so by abstaining from self-compulsion.
ttt[4] To make this matter clearer let it be said that within all compulsion towards what is good a certain freedom exists, which is not recognized as freedom while a person is exercising self-compulsion, but is nevertheless inwardly present. Take for example one who is willing to risk death for the sake of some particular end, or one who is willing to endure physical pain for the sake of his health. There is a willingness and so a certain freedom in those actions, though while he is taking risks or suffering pain these remove any feeling of willingness or freedom. So also with those who compel themselves to do what is good. Present within them there is a willingness and thus freedom, which is the source of and the reason for their self-compulsion. That is to say, they compel themselves for the reason that they may obey the things which the Lord has commanded and that their souls may become saved after death; and within these a still greater reason is present, though the person himself is not aware of it, namely the Lord's kingdom, and indeed the Lord Himself.
ttt[5] This applies most of all in times of temptation. In these, when a person practices self-compulsion and sets himself against the evil and falsity that are implanted and prompted by evil spirits, more freedom is present than there would ever be in any state outside those times of temptation, though the person cannot comprehend it then. It is an interior freedom, which produces in him the will to subdue evil and which is great enough to match the power and might of the evil assailing him; otherwise he would not be able to fight at all. This freedom comes from the Lord who implants it in his conscience and by means of it causes him to overcome evil as though he did so from his own proprium. By means of that freedom the person receives a proprium into which the Lord is able to exert good. Without a proprium acquired, that is, conferred, by means of freedom, no one can possibly be reformed, since he is unable to receive a new will, which is conscience. The freedom so conferred is the actual plane into which the influx of good and truth from the Lord passes. Consequently people who in times of temptation do not put up any resistance from that will or freedom conferred on them go under.
ttt[6] Present in all freedom is a person's life, because present there is his love. Whatever a person does from love appears to him as freedom. But within that freedom, when the person practices self-compulsion, setting himself against evil and falsity and doing what is good, heavenly love is present which the Lord instills at that time and by means of which He creates that person's proprium. It is the Lord's will therefore that this proprium should appear to the person to be his own, though in fact it is not. This proprium which a person receives in this manner during his lifetime by means, as it seems, of compulsion, the Lord replenishes in the next life with limitless forms of delight and happiness. Such people are also by degrees enlightened, or rather are confirmed, in the truth that their self-compulsion has not commenced at all in themselves but that even the smallest of all the impulses of their will has been received from the Lord. They are also led to see that the reason why their compulsion had appeared to commence in themselves was that the Lord might give them a new will as their own, and in this way the life belonging to heavenly love might be imparted to them as their own. Indeed the Lord's will is to share with everyone that which is His, thus that which is heavenly, so that it may appear to be that person's and to be within him, though in fact it is not his. A proprium such as this exists with angels, and insofar as they accept the truth that everything good and true comes from the Lord the delight and happiness belonging to such a proprium exist with them.
ttt[7] People however who despise and reject everything good and true and who are unwilling to believe anything that conflicts with their evil desires and their reasonings are unable to compel themselves and so are unable to receive this proprium imparted to conscience, that is, to receive a new will. From what has been stated above it is also evident that self-compulsion is not the same as being compelled, for no good ever results from being compelled, as when one person is being compelled by another to do good. What is being discussed here is self-compulsion which is the product of a certain freedom unknown to the individual, for the Lord is never the source of any compulsion. From this comes the universal law that everything good and true is implanted in freedom. Otherwise the ground never becomes receptive and able to foster what is good; indeed there is no ground for the seed to grow in.
ppp21911#pid#1938. Verse `Genesis 16bbbccc10` And the angel of Jehovah said to her, I will multiply your seed greatly and it will not be numbered for multitude.
'The angel of Jehovah said' means the interior man's thought. 'I will multiply your seed greatly' means the fruitfulness of the rational man when it submits itself to the controlling power of intellectual truth allied to good. 'And it will not be numbered for multitude' means being multiplied immeasurably.
ppp21910#pid#1939. That 'the angel of Jehovah said' means the interior man's thought is clear from the previous verse where the same words occur.
ppp21909#pid#1940. That 'I will multiply your seed greatly' means the fruitfulness of the rational man when it submits itself to the controlling power of the interior man allied to good is clear from the meaning of 'seed' as love and faith, dealt with already in `@@@1025`, `@@@1447`, `@@@1610`. Here however 'multiplying seed' means the fruitfulness within the rational of the celestial things of love when the rational has submitted itself to truth that is interior or Divine. 'Being multiplied' has reference to truths but 'being fruitful' to goods, as is clear from what has been stated and shown already in `@@@43`, `@@@55`, `@@@913`, `@@@983`. But as the subject is the Lord, 'being multiplied' means being fruitful for the reason that all truth within His Rational became good and so Divine; and this is what is being referred to here. In man's case it is different - his rational is formed by the Lord from truth or the affection for truth. This affection is in him good from which he acts.
ttt[2] As regards multiplication and fruitfulness within man's rational, this cannot be understood unless one knows about influx, regarding which the following may be said of it in general: Within everybody, as stated already, there is the internal man, the rational man, which is in the middle, and the external man. The internal man is the inmost part of him by virtue of which he is a human being and which makes him distinct and separate from animals, which do not possess that inmost part. The internal man is so to speak the door or entrance for the Lord, that is, for celestial and spiritual things that are the Lord's, to come into a person. What goes on there the individual cannot comprehend since it is entirely above his rational from which he thinks. To this inmost or internal man the rational which appears as the person's own is subordinate. Into this rational by way of that internal man flow heavenly things of love and faith from the Lord; and by way of this rational they flow on into the facts that belong to the external man. But how these things flowing in are received depends on the individual person's state.
ttt[3] Unless the rational is submissive to goods and truths that are the Lord's this rational either stifles, or rejects, or perverts the things that flow in, the more so when they flow into facts in the memory that are derived from sensory evidence. These things when so received are meant by the seed that falls either on the pathway, or over stony ground, or among thorns, as the Lord teaches in `Matthew 13bbb3-7`; `Mark 4bbb3-7`; `Luke 8bbb5-7`. But when the rational is submissive and believes the Lord, that is, His Word, the rational is like the ground or good soil into which the seed falls and bears much fruit.
ppp21908#pid#1941. 'And it will not be numbered for multitude' means being multiplied immeasurably. This is clear without explanation. By these words is meant the truth which in this manner will increase immeasurably from good. Because with the Lord, who is the subject here in the internal sense, all things are Divine and Infinite, these matters as they apply to Him cannot be put into words. Consequently, so that some idea may be obtained of what the multiplication of truth from good entails, it must be spoken of as it applies to man. In his case, if governed by good, that is, by love and charity, seed from the Lord is made fruitful and is multiplied to such an extent that it cannot be numbered for multitude. That fruitfulness and multiplication is not very much during his life in the body, but in the next life it is unbelievably increased, for as long as he lives in the body it is seed Lying in ground of a bodily nature, among an entangled and dense mass of factual knowledge and bodily delights, and also cares and anxieties. But once these have been cast off, as happens when he passes over into the next life, the seed is set free from those things and starts to grow, just like the seed of a tree which, when it comes up out of the ground, grows into a small tree, then into a large tree, and is after that multiplied into a garden of trees. For all knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom, and the forms of delight and happiness that go with them, are in a similar way made fruitful and are multiplied, and are thereby for ever increasing. And they begin from the smallest of seeds, as the Lord teaches in `Matthew 13bbb31`, by reference to the grain of mustard seed. This becomes quite clear from the knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom that angels possess, which during the time they were men had been to them beyond words.
ppp21907#pid#1942. Verse `Genesis 16bbbccc11` And the angel of Jehovah said to her, Behold, you are with child, and you will bear a son, and you will call his name Ishmael because Jehovah has hearkened to your affliction.
'The angel of Jehovah said to her' means the interior man's thought. 'Behold, you are with child' means the life of the rational man. 'You will bear a son' means the truth of this [rational man]. 'And you will call his name Ishmael' means its state of life. 'Because Jehovah has hearkened to your affliction' means since it was submitting itself.
ppp21906#pid#1943. That 'the angel of Jehovah said' means the interior man's thought is clear from what has been stated above at verses `Genesis 16bbbccc7`, `Genesis 16bbbccc9-10`.
ppp21905#pid#1944. That 'behold, you are with child' means the life of the rational man is clear from what has been stated above about the conception of that man and from what follows regarding Ishmael, to the effect that the Lord's first rational is represented by him. With regard to the rational man in general it should be recognized that the rational is said to receive life, to be in the womb, and to be born, as soon as a person starts to think that within him evil and falsity are present which contradict and show opposition to truth and good, increasingly so when he wishes to remove and subdue such evil and falsity. Unless he is able to see and appreciate this, he does not have any rational, however much he imagines that he does. For the rational is the means which unites the internal man to the external, thereby perceiving from the Lord what is taking place in the external man. The rational also brings the external into a position of obedience - or rather raises it up from the bodily and worldly interests in which it immerses itself - and causes the person to be truly human, who as a result looks up to heaven where he belongs by birth, and not, as animals do, solely down to the earth, where he resides merely temporarily, and certainly not down to hell. These are the functions of the rational, and therefore unless a person is such that he is able to think in this manner, he cannot be said to have a rational. Whether the rational exists at all is recognizable from the life belonging to the use or function it performs.
ttt[2] His reasoning against good and truth - which good and truth he denies in his heart, yet has heard of and therefore knows of - does not mean that he has a rational. Many are able to reason in the same way who without any compunction rush into every kind of wicked action, and who differ from others only in this respect, that those people who suppose they have a rational, but in fact do not, display a certain correctness in the things they say and a presence of honourableness in the things they do, and are held to these habits by means of external restraints, such as fear of the law, and of the loss of possessions, position, reputation, or life. If these restraints, which are external, were taken away, some of these people would behave even more insanely than those who have no compunction at all. Nobody therefore can be said to have a rational merely on account of an ability to reason. Indeed those who do not have a rational usually speak from sensory experience and factual knowledge with far greater skill than those who do have it.
ttt[3] This is absolutely clear from evil spirits in the next life who, though they were considered to be the most rational of people during their lifetime, are nevertheless more insane than those who are obviously so in the world, when the external restraints which had been responsible for their correctness in the things they said and for the presence of honourableness in the things they did are removed, as such restraints usually are with all in the next life. Indeed they plunge without shame, fear, or horror into everything that is wicked. Not so when external restraints are removed in the case of people who were rational when they lived in the world; they are saner men still because they have internal restraints, which are the restraints of conscience, by which the Lord has kept their thoughts bound to the laws of truth and good, which constituted their rational concepts.
ppp21904#pid#1945. 'You will bear a son' means the truth of this rational man, meant by Ishmael. This is clear from the meaning of 'a son' as truth, dealt with already in `@@@264`, `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@533`, `@@@1147`. This truth is described in the next verse.
ppp21903#pid#1946. 'And you will call his name Ishmael' means its state of life. In ancient times sons and daughters used to be given names which meant the state that their parents were passing through, especially that of their mothers at the time of conception, or while they were with child, or when they gave birth, or after their infants had been born. Names accordingly carried a meaning. The origin of Ishmael's name is explained here, namely 'because Jehovah has hearkened to your affliction', which was his mother's state. What Ishmael represents however is described in the next verse.
ppp21902#pid#1947. 'Because Jehovah has hearkened to your affliction' means since it was submitting itself. This is clear from what has been stated above in `@@@1937` about 'humiliating oneself and flinging oneself down' as meaning submitting oneself beneath the controlling power of the internal man, which submission was discussed there and was shown to consist in self-compulsion. It was also shown that in self-compulsion there is freedom, that is, what is willing and spontaneous, and that this distinguishes self-compulsion from being compelled. It was also shown that without this freedom, or willingness and spontaneity, a person cannot possibly be reformed and receive any heavenly proprium; also that though the contrary seems to be the case, there is more freedom in times of temptation than there is outside of them. Indeed at such times freedom increases as assaults are made by evils and falsities and it is consolidated by the Lord in order that a heavenly proprium may be given to the person. For that reason also the Lord is closer in times of temptation. It was shown as well that the Lord in no way compels anybody. No one who is compelled to think that which is true and to do that which is good is reformed, but instead thinks all the more what is false and wills all the more what is evil. This is so with all compulsion, as may also become clear from all the experience and lessons of life, which when learned prove two things - first, that human consciences will not allow themselves to be coerced, and second, that we strive after the forbidden.
ttt[2] Furthermore everyone who is not free desires to become so, for this is his life. From this it is evident that nothing is in any way pleasing to the Lord that is not done in freedom, that is, spontaneously or willingly. For when anyone worships the Lord under circumstances in which he is not free he worships Him with nothing of himself. In his case that which moves the external is the external, that is, it is moved under compulsion - the internal being non-existent, or else incompatible, and even contradictory. When a person is being regenerated he compels himself from the freedom the Lord imparts to him, and humbles, and indeed afflicts, his rational, so that it may submit itself, and in consequence he receives a heavenly proprium. This proprium is then gradually perfected by the Lord and it becomes more and more free, so that as a result it becomes the affection for good and for truth deriving from that good, and possesses delight. And in that affection and delight there is happiness such as the angels experience. This freedom is what the Lord Himself is referring to in John.
The truth makes you free. If the Son makes you free, you are truly free. `John 8bbb32`, `John 8bbbccc36`.`fff1`
ttt[3] What this freedom is, is totally unknown to those who do not have conscience, for they identify freedom with feelings of being at liberty and without restraint to think and utter what is false, and to will and do what is evil, and not to control and humble, still less to afflict, those feelings. Yet this is the complete reverse of freedom, as the Lord again teaches in the same place,
Everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. `John 8bbb34`.
People acquire this slave-like freedom from the hellish spirits who reside with them and who inject it into them. When the life of those hellish spirits takes possession of them so do the loves and desires of those same spirits; for an unclean and utterly disgusting delight blows upon them, and being carried away so to speak in a stream they imagine themselves to be in freedom; but it is hellish freedom. The difference between this hellish freedom and heavenly freedom is that the former spells death and drags them down into hell, while the latter, that is, heavenly freedom, promises life and lifts them up to heaven.
ttt[4] That all true internal worship springs from freedom, not from compulsion, and that unless it springs from freedom it is not internal worship, is clear from the Word, from the sacrifices - free-will, votive, and peace or eucharistic - which were called offerings and oblations, mentioned in `Numbers 15bbb3` and following verses; `Deuteronomy 12bbb6`; `Deuteronomy ccc16bbb10-11`; `Deuteronomy ccc23bbb23`; and elsewhere. In David,
With a free-will offering I will sacrifice to You; I will confess Your name, O Jehovah, for it is good. `Psalms 54bbb6`.
From the thruma,`fff2` or the collection which the people were to contribute towards the Tabernacle and sacred vestments, referred to in Moses,
Speak to the children of Israel and let them receive for Me a collection; from every man whose heart makes him willing you shall receive My collection. `Exodus 25bbb2`.
And elsewhere in Moses,
Everyone who is willing in heart shall bring it, Jehovah's collection. `Exodus 35bbb5`.
ttt[5] The humbling of the rational man, or affliction of it - as stated, from freedom - was also represented by the affliction souls underwent during festivals, referred to in Moses,
It shall be a statute to you for ever: in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls. `Leviticus 16bbb29`.
And elsewhere in Moses,
On the tenth day of the seventh month is the day of atonement; it shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall afflict your souls. Every soul who does not afflict himself on that very day shall be cut off from his peoples. `Leviticus 23bbb27`, `Leviticus 23bbbccc29`.
It is for this reason that unleavened bread in which no fermentation has taken place is called the bread of affliction in `Deuteronomy 16bbb2-3`. Affliction is referred to in David in the following way,
O Jehovah, who will sojourn in Your tent? Who will dwell on Your holy mountain? He who walks blameless and performs righteousness, who swears to the affliction of himself and changes not. `Psalms 15bbb1-2`, `Psalms 15bbbccc4`.
ttt[6] That 'affliction' is the taming and subduing of evils and falsities rising up from the external man into the rational man may become clear from what has been stated. Thus it is not any reduction of oneself to poverty and misery - not a renunciation of bodily enjoyments - that is meant by affliction. No taming and subduing of evil can result from doing that; indeed it may give rise to an additional evil, namely the desire to receive merit for such a renunciation; and what is more, man's freedom suffers, in which alone, as its ground, the good and truth of faith is able to be sown. Affliction also means temptation; see what has been said already in `@@@1846`.
`nnn1. In `@@@9096`, where this verse is quoted, the verbs are future tense, as in the Greek.
`nnn2. A Hebrew word meaning an offering
ppp21901#pid#1948. Verse `Genesis 16bbbccc12` And he will be a wild-ass man; his hand will be against all, and the hand of all against him; and he will dwell in opposition to`fff1` all his brothers.
'He will be a wild-ass man' means rational truth, which is described. 'His hand will be against all' means that it will fight against those things that are not true. 'And the hand of all against him' means that falsities will fight back. 'And he will dwell in opposition to`fff1` all his brothers' means incessant strife against things of faith, but rational truth will nevertheless be the conqueror.
`nnn1. literally, against the faces of
ppp21900#pid#1949. That 'he will be a wild-ass man' means rational truth, which is described, is clear from the meaning of 'a wild ass' as rational truth. In the Word, horses, horsemen, mules, and asses are mentioned many times, but nobody up to now has known that they mean intellectual concepts, rational concepts, and factual knowledge. That these are meant will be abundantly confirmed, in the Lord's Divine mercy, in their separate places. Belonging to the same group is the wild-ass, for such is a mule living in the wilderness or an ass in the wild and means man's rational - not the rational in its entirety, but only rational truth. The rational is composed of good and of truth, that is, of things belonging to charity and of those belonging to faith. It is rational truth that is meant by a wild ass. This then is what Ishmael represents and is described in the present verse.
ttt[2] How can anyone believe that rational truth separated from rational good is of such a nature? I myself would not have known if I had not been taught from actual experience. Whether you refer to it as rational truth or as the person whose rational is of that nature, it amounts to the same thing. The person whose rational is such as consists in truth alone, even though this is the truth of faith, and does not at the same time consist in the good of charity, is altogether such. He is quick to find fault, makes no allowances, is against all, regards everyone as being in error, is instantly prepared to rebuke, to chasten, and to punish, shows no pity, does not apply himself and makes no effort to redirect people's thinking; for he views everything from the standpoint of truth, and nothing from the standpoint of good. In short, he is a hard man. The one thing to soften his hardness is the good of charity, for good is the soul of truth, and when good draws near and implants itself in truth the latter becomes so different that it can hardly be recognized. 'Isaac' represents the Lord's Rational Man which sprang from good, not from truth separated from good. So it was that Ishmael was cast out and after that dwelt in the desert, and that his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt, `Genesis 21bbb9-21`, all of which events are representative of a person who is endowed with a rational such as that.
ttt[3] Mention is made of wild asses in the prophetical parts of the Word, as in Isaiah,
The palace will be deserted, the multitude of the city forsaken; the hill and the watchtower will become dens, even for ever the joy of wild asses, a pasture of flocks. `Isaiah 32bbb14`.
This refers to the devastation of intellectual concepts - which when devastated of truths are called 'the joy of wild asses' and when devastated of goods 'a pasture of flocks' - so that the rational does not exist. In Jeremiah,
The wild asses stood on the hills, they panted for air like sea-monsters; their eyes failed because there was no herbage. `Jeremiah 14bbb6`.
This refers to a drought, or absence of good and truth. Reference is made to the wild asses 'panting for air' when people lay hold of inane ideas instead of realities which are truths. 'Their eyes failed' stands for failing to grasp what truth is.
ttt[4] In Hosea,
For they have gone up to Assyria, a wild ass alone by himself; Ephraim has sought lovers`fff1` with a prostitute's hire. `Hosea 8bbb9`.
This refers to Israel or the spiritual Church. 'Ephraim' stands for the understanding part of it. 'Going up to Assyria' stands for reasoning about whether the truth is indeed the truth. 'A wild ass alone' stands for the rational thus destitute of truths. In the same prophet,
For he will be among his brothers like a wild ass, Jehovah's east wind will come rising up from the desert, and his spring will become dry, and his fountain dried up. It will strip his treasury of all precious vessels. `Hosea 13bbb15`.
This refers to 'Ephraim' by whom the understanding part of the spiritual Church is meant, and to the dissolution of the rational which is like 'a wild ass'. In David,
Jehovah God will send forth springs into the rivers; they will go among the mountains. They give drink to every wild beast of the fields; the wild asses quench their thirst. `Psalms 104bbb10-11`.
'Springs' stands for cognitions, 'wild beasts of the fields' for goods, 'the wild asses' for the truths of reason.
`nnn1. literally, loves
ppp21899#pid#1950. 'His hand will be against all' means that it will fight against those things that are not true, and 'the hand of all against him' means that falsities will fight back. This is clear from the fact that 'Ishmael', as has been stated, means rational truth separated from good; and when it is said, referring to this truth, that 'his hand will be against all and the hand of all against him', it is clear that such is the meaning of these words. It has been shown above that 'Abram' represents the Lord's Internal Man, or what amounts to the same, His Divine Celestial and Spiritual; 'Isaac' the Lord's Interior Man, or His Divine Rational; and 'Jacob' the Lord's Exterior Man, or His Divine Natural. Described here is the nature of the rational if it were not united to the Internal Man, or Divine Celestial and Spiritual. Because the rational derived its nature from the life belonging to the affection for knowledge, that is, from Hagar, Sarai's Egyptian servant-girl, and because that life belonged to the external man and possessed a heredity from the Lord's mother which had to be fought against and cast out, the nature of the rational if devoid of rational good is therefore described. But after the Lord had humbled, or afflicted and subdued, that heredity by means of conflicts brought about by temptations, and by victories, and He had with Divine good brought life to the Rational itself, the latter at that point became Isaac, that is, it is represented by Isaac, after Ishmael has been cast out of the house together with Hagar his mother.
ttt[2] The whole of the genuine rational consists of good and truth, that is, of what is celestial and what is spiritual. Good or what is celestial is its actual soul or life, truth or what is spiritual is that which draws its life from that good. A rational devoid of life received from celestial good is as is described here, that is to say, it fights with all, and all fight with it. Rational good never fights, no matter how much it is assailed, because it is gentle and mild, long-suffering and yielding, for its nature is that of love and mercy. But although it does not fight, it nevertheless conquers all. It does not ever think of combat, nor does it glory in victory. It is of this nature because it is Divine and is of itself immune from harm; for no evil can assail good, indeed it cannot even remain in the sphere where good is. Just as soon as it approaches, evil retreats of itself and falls back; for evil is of hell, while good is of heaven. Much the same is the case with that which is celestial-spiritual, that is, with truth from a celestial origin, or truth that derives from good, for such truth is truth formed from good - insomuch that one may call it the form of good.
ttt[3] But truth separated from good, which is represented here by Ishmael and is described in this verse, is altogether different, for it is like a wild ass, fighting with all and all with it. Indeed it hardly does anything else than think about and long for conflict. Its general delight or ruling affection is conquest, and when it conquers, it glories in victory. This is why it is described as a wild ass, that is, as a mule living in the wilderness or an ass in the wild, that is unable to live with others. A life such as this is what the life of truth devoid of good is like, and indeed what the life of faith devoid of charity is like. When therefore a person is being regenerated the regeneration is achieved, it is true, by means of the truth of faith, yet it is being achieved at the same time by means of the life of charity which the Lord instills in proportion to the increases in the truths of faith.
ppp21898#pid#1951. 'And he will dwell in opposition to`fff1` all his brothers' means incessant strife against things of faith, but rational truth will nevertheless be the conqueror. This is clear from what has just been stated, and the matter is described more fully still where the descendants of Ishmael are referred to, in these words,
They dwelt from Havilah to Shur which is opposite Egypt`fff2` as you come towards Asshur. (His lot) fell opposite all his brothers.`fff3` `Genesis 25bbb18`.
The internal sense of these words is evident from the meaning of Havilah, Shur, Egypt, and Assyria. 'Havilah' means that which is connected with intelligence, as is evident from what has been shown in `@@@115`. 'Shur' means truth stemming from facts, dealt with above in `@@@1928`, 'Egypt' everything that is connected with knowledge, `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1186`, `@@@1462`, and 'Assyria' that which is connected with reason, `@@@119`, `@@@1186`. From the meanings of these names when used together so as to present a single concept it is clear that Ishmael represents such a rational. In the next life such truth is represented in various ways, but always as that which is strong, powerful, and hard, to such a degree that it cannot be resisted at all. The mere thought of such truth produces in spirits a sense of terror for the reason that its nature is such that it does not yield, and so does not retreat. These considerations also show what is meant by 'dwelling in opposition to`fff1` all his brothers'. Anyone may recognize that an arcanum lies within this description, but up to now the nature of it has not been known.
`nnn1. literally, against the faces of
`nnn2. literally, towards the faces of Egypt
`nnn3. literally, towards the faces of all his brothers
ppp21897#pid#1952. Verses `Genesis 16bbbccc13-14` And she called the name of Jehovah who spoke to her, You are a God who sees me; for she said, Have I not also here seen after Him who sees me? Therefore she called the spring, The spring of the Living One who sees me; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bared.
'And she called the name of Jehovah who spoke to her' means the state of the Lord's Interior Man when it thought about these things. 'You are a God who sees me' means influx. 'For she said, Have I not also here seen after Him who sees me?' means influx into the life of the exterior man without the rational serving as a go-between. 'Therefore she called the spring' means the resulting state of truth. 'The spring of the Living One who sees me' means the truth that was thus clearly visible. 'Behold, it is between Kadesh and Bared' means the nature of [this truth].
ppp21896#pid#1953. That 'she called the name of Jehovah who spoke to her' means the state of the Lord's Interior Man when it thought about these things is clear from what comes before and after, and also from the meaning of '[calling] the name' as knowing the nature of, dealt with already in `@@@144`, `@@@145`, `@@@1754`. It is the nature of this state, that is, of the Lord's state as it then was when He so thought about the rational, that is described. The rational itself could not engage in such thought; only the Interior or higher Man, referred to in `@@@1926`, could do so. In no way does the rational have the ability to think regarding its own nature, for nothing has the ability to see into itself. There has to be that which is more internal or higher that thinks regarding it, for this does have the ability to see it. Take for example the ear. The ear is not able to know, still less to perceive, the utterance which it receives into itself; but it is the interior hearing which is able to do so. The ear merely makes out the articulated sounds or expressions, the interior hearing being that which grasps the meaning, and after that the interior seeing or inner sight which perceives it. This is the manner in which through hearing a person perceives the meaning of the utterance. It is similar with the things of sight. The first ideas received from visual objects are material, as they are also called; but sight still more interior surveys them and in this way engages in thought. The same also applies to man's rational. The rational has no ability at all to see itself, still less to examine its own nature; but there has to be something more internal to do this. Consequently when a person has the ability to do this, that is to say, to perceive anything false present in his rational and any truth shining out of it, and more so if he is able to perceive anything fighting and triumphing, he may know that such an ability springs from the Lord's influx through the internal man. The Lord's Interior Man, referred to above in `@@@1926` and meant here, was that which had been joined to the Internal Man, which was Jehovah, and so was far above that rational. From that Interior Man, as in heavenly light, He saw and perceived what the nature of the rational would be if truth alone and no good dwelt in it.
ppp21895#pid#1954. You are a God who sees me' means influx. This is clear from what has just been stated. The act of seeing from what is higher into what is lower, or what amounts to the same, from interior into exterior, is called influx, for it takes place by means of influx. This is how it is with man's inner sight. Unless his inner sight were entering in constantly into his external sight, that of the eye, the eye would never be able to fix itself on and make out any object; for it is the interior sight which, through the eye, fixes itself on the things seen by the eye. It is in no way the eye that does so, though that seems to be the case. From these considerations it also becomes clear how much a person is swayed by the illusions of the senses who believes that the eye sees, when in fact it is the sight of his spirit, his interior sight, which sees by means of the eye.
ttt[2] Spirits present with me have seen things in the world through my eyes as clearly as I myself have done, regarding which see `@@@1880`. Some of them however who were still swayed by the illusions of the senses supposed that they had been seeing through their own eyes. But they were shown that this was not so, for when my eyes were closed they saw nothing existing in this physical world. So also with man; it is not the eye which sees but his spirit by means of the eye. The same point is also evident from dreams in which one sometimes sees as though in the daytime. It is very similar with this interior sight, which is that of the spirit. This too does not see of itself but from a sight more interior still, which is that of the rational. Nor again does the rational see of itself, but there is a sight more interior still, which is that of the internal man, referred to in `@@@1940`. Yet not even this internal man sees of itself; it is the Lord who does so by means of the internal man. He Alone sees, since He Alone has life and enables man to see, and to seem to himself to see of himself. Such is the situation with influx.
ppp21894#pid#1955. 'For she said, Have I not also here seen after Him who sees me?' means influx into the life of the exterior man without the rational serving as a go-between. This is clear from 'seeing after one who sees'. 'Seeing after one who sees' is seeing from that which is interior or higher. In the internal sense that which is inward or higher is expressed in the sense of the letter as after when what is inside or higher is manifesting itself in what is outward or lower. It is Hagar who is speaking here, and she, as shown already, means the life possessed by knowledge and belonging to the exterior man. Since it was that life from which the first rational sprang, the Lord therefore saw the reason why it did so; He saw it from His Interior Man within the Exterior Man, and without the Rational serving as a go-between. Anyone may see that these words embody arcana, if only from the consideration that nobody is able to know what is meant by seeing after Him who sees me except from the internal sense, where matters such as this are present which cannot be explained intelligibly except by means of ideas like those that angels have. These ideas do not fall into words, only into the sense conveyed by words - abstractedly, quite apart from the material ideas out of which the ideas come that belong to the sense conveyed by the words. These matters, which seem so obscure to man, present to the angels ideas so clear and distinct, ideas enriched by so many representations, that if anyone wrote about just a tiny fraction of them he would fill a whole book.
ppp21893#pid#1956. 'Therefore she called the spring' means the resulting state of truth. This is clear from what has been stated and also from the meaning of 'a spring' as truth, dealt with above in `@@@1927`. Because this truth was not seen in the rational but below it, spring is here expressed in the original language by a different word from that which is used above`fff1` and which is the common word for a spring.
`nnn1. i.e. in verse `Genesis 16bbbccc7`
ppp21892#pid#1957. 'The spring of the Living One who sees me' means the truth that was thus clearly visible. This too is clear from what has been stated, namely that the Lord saw clearly what the situation was with the truth belonging to this rational - that it was not good. The Lord's Interior Man from which He saw is called 'the Living One who sees' because it was joined to the Internal Man, which is Jehovah, who Alone has life and who Alone sees, as shown just above in `@@@1954`.
ppp21891#pid#1958. 'Behold, it is between Kadesh and Bared' means its nature, that is to say, He saw what the nature of this truth was, and so what the nature of the rational was. This is clear from the meaning of 'Kadesh and Bared'. That 'Kadesh' means truth, and also conflicts over truths, has been shown already in `@@@1678`. 'Bared' however means that which is below, and so means true factual knowledge, from which also the rational is formed. As regards names in the Word meaning real things, see `@@@1876`, `@@@1888`, `@@@1889`, and also `@@@1224`, `@@@1264`.
ppp21890#pid#1959. Verse `Genesis 16bbbccc15` And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram called the name of his son whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.
'Hagar bore Abram a son' means the rational man born from that coming together and conception. 'And Abram called the name of his son whom Hagar bore, Ishmael' means the nature of it.
ppp21889#pid#1960. That 'Hagar bore Abram a son' means the rational man born from that coming together and conception is clear from the representation and meaning of 'Hagar', 'Abram', and 'son'. 'Hagar' means the life which is present in the affection for knowledge and which belongs to the exterior man, as stated above in `@@@1895`, `@@@1896`; 'Abram' means the Lord's Internal Man, `@@@1893`, `@@@1950`; and 'a son' means truth, and so the truth which this rational possessed, `@@@264`, `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@533`, `@@@1147`. Consequently the words 'Hagar bore for Abram' mean the rational man born from that conception and coming together. This is the sense into which the sense of the letter is converted when it comes to or resides with angels.
ppp21888#pid#1961. 'And Abram called the name of his son whom Hagar bore, Ishmael' means the nature of it. This is clear from the meaning of 'the name' as knowing the nature of, dealt with in `@@@144`, `@@@145`, `@@@1754`, and also from the representation and meaning of 'Ishmael' as rational truth, described in verses `Genesis 16bbbccc11` and `Genesis 16bbbccc12` by the words,
You will call his name Ishmael because Jehovah has hearkened to your affliction. And he will be a wild-ass man; his hand will be against all, and the hand of all against him; and he will dwell in opposition to`fff1` all his brothers.
For the meaning of these words, see the explanation of those two verses. It is the nature of this rational that is described here.
`nnn1. literally, against the faces of
ppp21887#pid#1962. Verse `Genesis 16bbbccc16` And Abram was a son of eighty-six years when Hagar bore Ishmael for Abram.
'Abram was a son of eighty-six years' means the Lord's state as regards celestial goods acquired through conflicts brought about by temptations. 'When Hagar bore Ishmael for Abram' means when the life belonging to the affection for knowledge gave birth to the rational.
ppp21886#pid#1963. 'Abram was a son of eighty-six years' means the Lord's state as regards celestial goods acquired through the conflicts brought about by temptations. This is clear from the meaning of 'eighty', a number that is similar to forty in what it embodies, which, as shown already in `@@@730`, `@@@862`, means temptations; from the meaning of 'six' as conflict, also dealt with already in `@@@720`, `@@@737`, `@@@900`; as well as from the meaning of 'ten' as remnants, dealt with in `@@@576`. With the Lord these remnants were acquisitions of celestial goods by which He united the Human Essence to the Divine Essence; see `@@@1906` (end). These three numbers go to make up the number of eighty-six, which embodies such matters within it, and so means the Lord's state as regards celestial goods that had been acquired through the conflicts brought about by temptations; for all numbers in the Word mean real things, as shown already in `@@@482`, `@@@487`, `@@@575`, `@@@647`, `@@@648`, `@@@755`, `@@@813`. As the numbers mentioned here`fff1` are numbers of years, and as they in fact occur in a historical narrative regarding Abram, it does seem as though they are not used to mean such things. But nothing is written in the Word that does not pass into a spiritual or celestial sense when it reaches the angels, for with angels none other than spiritual and celestial ideas exist. When the Word is being read by man, angels neither know nor perceive what eighty-six is, nor are they concerned about what age Abram was when Hagar bore him Ishmael. Rather, when such a number is read, the real things embodied in that number instantly present themselves to them, as when all other expressions are read, these present themselves as the things which they have been shown to mean in the internal sense.
`nnn1. i.e. 80, 6 - in the Latin and in the Hebrew the words are literally Abram was a son of eighty years and six years
ppp21885#pid#1964. 'When Hagar bore Ishmael for Abram' means when the life belonging to the affection for knowledge gave birth to the rational. This is clear from the meaning of 'Hagar' as the life belonging to the affection for knowledge, and from the meaning of 'Ishmael' as the rational conceived first, dealt with above. Because this chapter has been dealing with man's rational and has described the nature of it when composed solely of truths, and the nature of it when composed of goods and of truths derived from goods, it should be recognized that the rational cannot possibly be conceived and born, that is, formed, without facts and cognitions. But facts and cognitions must have use as their end in view, and when they do, they have life as their end in view, for all life looks to uses because it looks to ends. Unless they are learned for the sake of a life that looks to uses, they are of no value because they have no possible use.
ttt[2] When composed solely of these, that is to say, of facts and cognitions devoid of a life that looks to use, the rational resembles the description given here - it is like a wild ass, ill-tempered, aggressive, whose life is parched and arid from a certain desire for truth that is defiled by self-love. But when facts and cognitions have use as the end in view they acquire life from the uses, though the exact nature of that life is the same as that of the use. With people who learn cognitions so as to become more perfect in faith grounded in love - for true and real faith consists in love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour - the supreme use of all is present and they are acquiring spiritual and celestial life from the Lord. And when that life exists with them they possess the ability to perceive everything that belongs to the Lord's kingdom. This life exists with all angels, and because that life exists with them, so do intelligence and wisdom themselves.
ppp21884#pid#1965. This then is the internal sense of the details in this chapter concerning Abram, Hagar, and Ishmael. Yet how inexhaustible that sense is, that is, how limitless the details it contains, may be seen from the single consideration that, as every single thing in the Word looks in the internal sense to the Lord and has the Lord as its subject, the life of the Word, being the Word itself, arises out of this. In addition every single thing has at the same time in the internal sense the Lord's kingdom in heaven as its subject, and also His kingdom on earth, which is the Church. And in a similar way it has as its subject each individual who has the Lord's kingdom within him, besides having in general everything celestial or spiritual as its subject. For the Lord is the source of all these things, and this accounts for Abram's also representing the celestial Church, the celestial man, as well as the celestial itself, and so on. To extend the explanation any further however would take much too long.
ppp21883#pid#1966. VISIONS AND DREAMS, INCLUDING THOSE THAT ARE PROPHETICAL WHICH ARE DESCRIBED IN THE WORD
Few people know what visions really are or which visions are genuine. But as for several years now I have been almost constantly with those who are in the next life, as becomes quite clear from Volume One, and have seen the amazing things there, and so have learned from actual experience about visions and dreams, let the following be told concerning them.
ppp21882#pid#1967. Declared repeatedly are visions seen by certain people who have said that they have seen many things, which they have indeed seen, yet only in delusion. I have been informed about them and also shown how they originate. There are spirits who by means of delusions can cause shapes like those that constitute visions to appear to be real objects. For example, when something is seen in shadow, or in moonlight, or even in daylight provided that the object is where it is unlit, those spirits rivet the mind of the beholder constantly to the idea of some specific thing - whether a living creature, a monster, a forest, or some other thing. All the time the mind is riveted to that idea the delusion is increased, and grows to such an extent that that person is quite convinced and sees the shapes as being absolutely real objects, when in fact they are nothing other than illusions. Such things happen to those who are much inclined to delusions, who are not strong-minded, and who are therefore prone to believe anything. These are visionaries.
ppp21881#pid#1968. Enthusiastic spirits are similar, but their visions centre round things that ought to be believed, of which they are so strongly convinced and convince others that they are prepared to swear that something false is true, or that an illusion is a reality. Much from experience could be related concerning the disposition of those spirits, but in the Lord's Divine mercy these will be dealt with separately as a specific subject. It is a disposition which they have acquired from persuasions and false assumptions when they lived in the world.
ppp21880#pid#1969. Evil spirits in the next life consist of hardly anything else than evil desires and delusions, having acquired no other life to themselves. Their delusions are such that they do not perceive them at all as being delusions but as being actual realities. Men's delusions cannot be compared to theirs, since even in this respect their state is superior to men's. Delusions such as these exist all the time with those in hell, where by means of delusions one pitiably torments another.
ppp21879#pid#1970. By genuine visions are meant visions or sights of those things which have real existence in the next life, and which are nothing else than real things that may be seen with the eyes of the spirit but not with those of the body. They are visible to man when his interior sight is opened by the Lord, that is, the sight his spirit possesses and into which he also enters when, separated from the body, he passes into the next life; for man is a spirit clothed with a body. Such were the visions of the prophets. When this sight is opened the things which have actual existence among spirits are seen in light brighter than midday light of the world; not only are representatives seen but also the spirits themselves. This is accompanied by a perception as to who those spirits are, and also what they are like, where they are, where they have come from, where they are going to, and what affection, conviction, and indeed faith exists with them, `@@@1388`, `@@@1394`. All of this is confirmed by living speech, altogether as if it were human speech, and free of all illusion.
ppp21878#pid#1971. The visions beheld by good spirits are representatives of things that exist in heaven, for that which occurs in heaven among angels is converted into representatives when it passes down into the world of spirits, from which and in which representatives one may see clearly what they mean. Such representatives among good spirits are never-ending and are accompanied by beauty and loveliness that are almost beyond description.
ppp21877#pid#1972. As for the visions, or rather sights, which appear before the eyes of the spirit but not before those of the body, they are more and more interior. Those which I have seen in the world of spirits I have seen in bright light; but those which I have seen in the heaven of angelic spirits I have seen less clearly, and those in the heaven of angels less clearly still; for rarely has the sight of my spirit been opened that far. Nevertheless by a certain perception, the nature of which defies description, I have been given to know what they were saying, quite often by means of intermediary spirits. Sometimes the things that are there have appeared in the shade of the light of heaven, a shade not at all like the shade belonging to the light of the world, for it is a light that grows feebler and fainter from its not being comprehended by the understanding and the sight alike.
ppp21876#pid#1973. To give an account of all types of visions would take far too long, for there are many. Purely by way of illustration, let two visions be recounted, from which the nature of such may become clear. At the same time these visions will show how spirits are affected by the things which they see, and how evil spirits are tormented when the ability to see what others see and hear is withdrawn from them; for they cannot bear to have any such thing as that taken away from them. Spirits do not possess the sense of taste, but instead they have a desire or kind of appetite for knowing and learning. And this is so to speak their food by which they are nourished, `@@@1480`. How distressed they are therefore when this food is taken away from them may become clear from the example that follows.
ppp21875#pid#1974. After troubled sleep a very lovely sight presented itself round about the first watch. There were wreaths as of laurel, green and fresh, placed in a very beautiful order, and moving as though they were alive. They were formed and arranged in such a way that their beauty and unity, and the feeling of bliss flowing from these, defy description. They ran in a double series spaced a little distant from each other and extended quite a long way with ever varying beauty. This was plainly seen by spirits, even by evil ones. Then another sight followed, which was still more beautiful, holding heavenly happiness within it; yet it was only dimly visible. Young children were playing heavenly games which filled the mind with feelings beyond description.
ttt[2] Subsequently I spoke to the spirits about those sights and they confessed that they had seen the first as clearly as I had done but not the second except so obscurely that they could not tell what it was. This gave rise to anger within them, and after that gradually to envy, when they were told that the angels and young children had seen it; and I was allowed to experience with my senses their feeling of envy so that nothing should escape me insofar as it contributed to what I had to learn about. Their envy was such that it not only caused them extreme annoyance but also agony and interior pain, and solely because they did not see the second sight as well as the first. They were consequently led through different kinds of envy until they experienced pain in the region of the heart.
ttt[3] While they were passing through this state I talked to them about their envy. I said that they might have been contented with having seen the first vision, and that they could have seen the second as well if they had been good spirits. But this too merely roused their anger, which increased their envy to such an extent that after that they could not bear the faintest recollection of the experience without feeling pain. The states and the successive stages of their envy, together with the degrees of it, the increases in it, and the varied intermingled feelings of distress in mind and heart, are indescribable. In this way I was shown how much the wicked are tormented by envy alone when they see from afar the blessedness of the good, or indeed when they simply think about it.
ppp21874#pid#1975. As for dreams, it is well known that the Lord revealed the arcana of heaven to the prophets not only by means of visions but also by means of dreams, and that dreams were just as much representative and carried a spiritual meaning as visions, being almost all of the same type. It is also well known that things to come were disclosed by means of dreams to others besides the prophets, for example, by means of the dreams which Joseph had, by means of the dreams of those who were in prison with Joseph, by means of the dreams which Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, and others had. From these considerations it becomes clear that dreams of that kind, just as much as visions, flow in from heaven, the difference being that dreams take place when the body is asleep but visions when it is not. The manner in which prophetical dreams and those such as are described in the Word flow in - indeed come down from heaven - has been shown to me visually. Of dreams let the following be related from experience.
ppp21873#pid#1976. There are three types of dreams. The first type comes from the Lord mediately by way of heaven; such were the prophetical dreams spoken of in the Word. The second type comes by way of angelic spirits, especially those who are situated in front and above, over towards the right where the paradise gardens are. This was the source of the dreams that members of the Most Ancient Church had, dreams that were instructive, `@@@1122`. The third type comes by way of the spirits who are close to a person when he is asleep. These too carry spiritual meanings. Delusory dreams however come from a different source.
ppp21872#pid#1977. To make me fully aware of the way that dreams flow in I was put to sleep and dreamt of a boat approaching that was laden with delicacies and savories of every kind. These were stowed away in the boat, out of sight. On deck stood two armed guards, as well as a third man who was the captain. The boat was passing by into a kind of arched dock; and with this I woke up and thought about the dream. At that point the angelic spirits in front and above me over to the right addressed me. They declared that they were the source of this dream. So that I would know for sure that they were the source of it I was brought into a state where I was so to speak both asleep and awake at one and the same time. In a similar way they introduced different things that were pleasing and delightful, for example, an unknown tiny creature which was transformed into an object with blackish and shining rays which shot into my left eye at a fantastic speed. They also presented human beings, and also small children variously adorned, and other things besides whose delightfulness was indescribable. I spoke to those angelic spirits about these things also. This took place not just once but on a number of occasions, and each time they taught me by word of mouth.
ttt[2] Those in whom such dreams originate are angelic spirits at the entrance to the paradise gardens. They are commissioned also to keep watch over certain people who are asleep, to prevent them being molested during that time by evil spirits. They perform their task with very great delight, so much so that they vie with one another to be there, and they love to fill man with joys and delights such as they see within his affection and disposition. Those who have become angelic spirits are drawn from those who during their lifetime took delight in and loved in every way to make other people's lives delightful. When a person's hearing has been opened far enough he hears as from afar a sweet rhythmic sound like singing coming from these spirits. They declared that they did not know from where such things as these, and representatives so beautiful and delightful, came to them all in a moment; but they were told that they came from heaven. They belong to the province of the cerebellum, for the cerebellum, as I have learned, remains awake even during periods of sleep when the cerebrum is sleeping. This was the source of the dreams, together with the perception of what these meant, which members of the Most Ancient Church had. And from those people were derived most of the representatives and meaningful signs of the Ancients, beneath which things deeply hidden were manifested, `@@@1122`.
ppp21871#pid#1978. In addition there are other spirits who belong to the province of the left side of the chest and who quite often hamper them. And there are others again, to whom however they pay no attention.
ppp21870#pid#1979. I have been allowed very often after dreams such as these to talk to the spirits and angels who had been the source of them. They have told me what they had induced, and I what I had seen. But it would take far too long to report my experience of all these things.
ppp21869#pid#1980. It is worth mentioning that when I have woken up and have related what I had seen in a dream, and this has entailed a length of detail, certain angelic spirits, other than those referred to above, would at that point say that such details were in exact agreement with and identical with the things which they had been talking about, and that absolutely nothing was different. Nevertheless it was not the actual details of their conversation but the representatives of those details into which their ideas were thus converted and changed in the world of spirits, for angels' ideas are transformed in the world of spirits into representatives. Consequently every single thing which they discussed was so represented in the dream. They went on to say that the same discussion could have been transformed into other representations, and indeed with endless variation into either similar or dissimilar ones. The reason they had been transformed into the representations seen in my dream lay in the state of the spirits surrounding me and therefore lay in my own state at the time. In short, very many different dreams may come down and present themselves from the same discussion and so from a single source: The reason for this, as has been stated, is that the things in a person's memory and affection are recipient vessels, in which ideas are varied and are received as representatives according to the variations in form which those ideas take and according to the changes of state which they undergo.
ppp21868#pid#1981. Let one further similar experience be related. I once had quite an ordinary dream, and having woken up I related it all from start to finish. The angels said that it coincided exactly with what they had been discussing; not that the things they were discussing appeared in the dream, but instead things completely different, into which the thoughts in their discussion were transformed, yet in such a way that they were representative and correspondent. Not one detail was missing. I also spoke to them about influx, about how such things flow in and are varied. There was a person of whom I had the idea that he was governed by natural truth, an idea which I had gained from the things he had done in life. Among the angels a discussion was taking place concerning natural truth, and therefore that person was represented to me. What he told me in my dream, and the things that he did, as well as the order in which these things came, were representative of and corresponded to their higher source, namely the discussion taking place among the angels. Yet what he told me was not anything like or the same as what the angels were discussing.
ppp21867#pid#1982. Certain souls recently arrived from the world, who have the desire to see the glory of the Lord before they have become such as can be admitted [into heaven], have their exterior senses and lower mental abilities lulled into a kind of gentle sleep, while at the same time their interior senses and abilities are made fully awake. And in this condition they are brought into the glory of heaven. But when their exterior senses and abilities have been woken up again they return to their previous state.
ppp21866#pid#1983. Evil spirits have a strong and burning desire to molest and attack man when he is asleep, but at that time man is especially protected by the Lord, for love does not sleep. Spirits who molest are punished piteously. I have heard their punishments more often than I can repeat. These involve being torn apart, as described in `@@@829`, `@@@957`, `@@@959`, which is carried out below the heel of the left foot, lasting sometimes for hours on end. Sirens, who inwardly are witches, are those who especially lie in wait in the night, and then try to worm their way into a person's inward thoughts and affections. But as often as they try to do so they are foiled by angels from the Lord and at length are deterred by means of very drastic punishments. 'These sirens have also spoken to others in the night, when they have impersonated me so perfectly and imitated my speaking so accurately that no one could tell the difference, and in so doing have poured in filthy thoughts and suggested ideas that were false.
ttt[2] I was once sleeping very soundly, in an altogether sweet repose. When I awoke certain good spirits began to accuse me of having molested them, so violently, they said, that they thought they had been in hell; they put the blame on me. I answered them that I knew nothing whatever about the matter, but that I had been fast asleep and therefore could not possibly have been the one to molest them. At this they were dumbfounded and at length realized that those sirens had been up to their tricks. Something similar was also demonstrated to me after that so that I might know what that band of sirens is like.
ttt[3] These sirens are mainly females, who during their lifetime have studied how to attract male companions to themselves by interior devices - by worming their way in through external allurements, by captivating the baser mental instincts in all sorts of ways, by penetrating into each one's affections and delights, but with an evil motive, namely that of manipulating. Their nature is such in the next life therefore that they seem to be able of themselves to do anything. They take in from others and think up for themselves different devices which they absorb with ease like sponges soaking up water, filthy or clean alike. They accordingly soak up and practice what is profane as well as what is holy with the intent, as stated, of manipulating. I have been allowed to perceive how foul they are inwardly, polluted by adultery and hatred. I have also been given to perceive how overpowering their sphere is. These sirens force their own interior thought and feelings into a state of persuasion, so that these may go hand in glove with their exterior thought and feelings towards the things they intend. In this way sirens compel and lead spirits to think as they themselves do.
ttt[4] No reasonings are in evidence among them, and yet they employ a whole mass of reasonings that are breathed into people's evil affections by applying themselves to those persons' natural instincts. In this way they gain entry into the baser parts of the minds of others whom they lead on and by persuasion either overwhelm or captivate. There is nothing they study more than how to destroy conscience, and when they have destroyed it gain possession of people interiorly and even obsess them, though the individual is not conscious of it. Nowadays external obsession is not allowed as it once was in former times, but internal possession by spirits such as these does take place. People who are devoid of conscience are obsessed in this way. The interior aspects of their thought are insane in a very similar way, but those aspects are concealed by and covered with an outward propriety and presence of honesty displayed for the sake of personal position, wealth, and reputation. This they can even recognize for themselves if they pay any attention to what they think.
ppp21865#pid#1984. Few can believe that within the Word there is an internal sense which does not show itself at all in the letter. They cannot do so because it is as remote from the sense of the letter as so to speak heaven from earth. But it is clear from what has been stated in various places in Volume One that the sense of the letter contains such things within itself, and represents and means arcana which nobody sees except the Lord and the angels, who see them from Him. The relationship of the sense of the letter to the internal sense is like that of man's body to his soul. While a person is in the body and thinks from bodily things he knows hardly anything of the soul, for the body's functions are different from those of the soul, so different that if the soul's functions were disclosed they would not be acknowledged as such. It is similar with the inward part of the Word. Present there is its soul, that is, its life; and that inward part has no regard to anything except the Lord, His Kingdom, the Church, and those things with man which belong to His Kingdom and Church. And when the regard is to these it is the Word of the Lord, for in that case they have life itself within them. That this is how it is with the Word has been confirmed extensively in Volume One, and is something which I have been allowed to have definite knowledge of. For no ideas concerning bodily and worldly things can possibly come across to angels, but are cast aside and totally removed at the threshold while leaving man, as may be seen from experience itself presented in Volume One, `@@@1769-1772` inclusive; and how they are altered, in `@@@1872-1876`.
ttt[2] This is also quite clear from very many statements in the Word which are by no means intelligible in the sense of the letter, and which, if they did not possess that soul or life within them, would not be acknowledged to be the Word of the Lord. Nor would they be seen to be Divine to anyone who has not been trained from infancy to believe that the Word is inspired and so is holy. Who from the sense of the letter would know of the meaning of those statements in `Genesis 49bbb0` which Jacob made to his sons before he died?
Dan will be a serpent on the road, an asp on the path, biting the horse's heels, and its rider will fall backwards. Verse `Genesis 49bbbccc17`.
A troop will plunder Gad, and he will plunder the heel. Verse `Genesis 49bbbccc19`.
Naphtali is a hind let loose, giving beautiful words. Verse `Genesis 49bbbccc21`.
Judah will bind to the vine his ass's foal and to the choice vine his she-ass's colt. He will wash his garment in wine and his clothing in the blood of grapes. His eyes will be redder than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk. Verses `Genesis 49bbbccc11-12`.
Very many places in the Prophets contain similar statements. But what these words mean is not at all evident except in the internal sense in which every single detail links together in a very lovely order.
ttt[3] What the Lord declared in Matthew about the last times is similar,
At the close of the age the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn. `Matthew 24bbb29-30`.
These words do not mean at all the darkening of the sun and the moon, or the falling of the stars from the sky, or the mourning of tribes. Instead they mean that charity and faith - sun and moon in the internal sense - are going to be darkened in this fashion. They mean that the cognitions of good and truth - 'the stars' which are here called 'the powers of the heavens' - are going to fall away and disappear. And they mean all things of faith, which are 'the tribes of the earth', as has also been shown in Volume One, in `@@@31`, `@@@32`, `@@@1053`, `@@@1529-1531`, `@@@1808`.
These few observations now show what the internal sense of the Word is and also that it is remote, in some places very remote, from the sense of the letter. Yet be that as it may, the sense of the letter represents truths, and also sets forth appearances of truth for a person to see by when he does not see by the light of truth.
ppp21864#pid#1985. `Genesis 17bbb0`
1. And Abram was a son of ninety-nine years, and Jehovah appeared to Abram and said to him, I am God Shaddai; walk before Me and be blameless.
2. And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and I will multiply you more and more.
3. And Abram fell on his face,`fff1` and God spoke to him, saying,
4. As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you will be the father of a multitude of nations.
5. And no longer will your name be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.
6. And I will make you more and more fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings will come out of you.
7. And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your seed after you throughout their generations for an eternal covenant, to be God to you and to your seed after you.
8. And I will give to you, and to your seed after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an eternal possession; and I will be their God.
9. And God said to Abraham, And you shall keep My covenant, you and your seed after you throughout their generations.
10. This is My covenant which you shall keep between Me and you, and your seed after you: Every male among you is to be circumcised.
11. And you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and it will be a sign of the covenant between Me and you.
12. And a son eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations, he who is born in the house, and he who is the purchase of silver, from every son who is a foreigner and not of your seed.
13. He must be circumcised`fff2` who is born in your house or who is the purchase of your silver; and My covenant shall be in your flesh as an eternal covenant.
14. And the uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul will be cut off from his peoples; he has broken My covenant.
15. And God said to Abraham, Sarai your wife you will not call by her name Sarai, for Sarah will be her name.
16. And I will bless her, and I will also give you a son by her. And I will bless him, and he will become nations; kings of peoples will be from her.
17. And Abraham fell on his face`fff1` and laughed, and said in his heart, Will one be born to a son of a hundred years? And will Sarah, a daughter of ninety years, give birth?
18. And Abraham said to God, O that Ishmael might live before You!
19. And God said, Truly Sarah your wife is going to bear you a son, and you will call his name Isaac. And I will establish My covenant with him as an eternal covenant, for his seed after him.
20. And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I will bless him and I will make him fruitful and I will multiply him more and more Twelve princes will he beget, and I will make him into a great nation.
21. And I will establish My covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at the set time next year.
22. And He finished speaking to him, and God went up from over Abraham.
23. And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all born in his house, and every one purchased with his silver, every male among the men (vir) of Abraham's house, and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskin on that same day, just as God had spoken to him.
24. And Abraham was a son of ninety-nine years when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
25. And Ishmael his son was a son of thirteen years when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
26. On that very day Abraham was circumcised, and Ishmael his son.
27. And all the men of his house, he that was born in the house and he who was the purchase of silver, from the son who is a foreigner, were circumcised together with him.
CONTENTS
The subject here is the union of the Lord's Divine Essence with His Human Essence, and of His Human Essence with His Divine Essence, and also the conjunction of the Lord with the human race by means of His Human Essence.
`nnn1. literally, faces
`nnn2. literally, By being circumcised he shall be circumcised
ppp21863#pid#1986. Jehovah was manifested to the Lord in His Human, verse `Genesis 17bbbccc1`. The union is foretold, verses `Genesis 17bbbccc2-3`, namely of the Divine with the Human, and of the Human with the Divine, verses `Genesis 17bbbccc4-5`. From Him comes everything good and true, verse `Genesis 17bbbccc6`. So the conjunction of the Divine with the human race was to be effected through Him, verse `Genesis 17bbbccc7`. The heavenly kingdom was to be His, which He would give to those who have faith in Him, verses `Genesis 17bbbccc8-9`. But man must first of all remove [his own] loves`fff1` and their foul desires, and so be purified. This is what was represented by and what is meant by circumcision, verses `Genesis 17bbbccc10-11`. Thus conjunction would be effected, both with those inside the Church and with those outside it, verse `Genesis 17bbbccc12`. Purification must definitely come first, otherwise there is no conjunction, only condemnation; and yet conjunction cannot come about except in man's impurity, verses `Genesis 17bbbccc13-14`. The union of the Human Essence with the Divine Essence, that is, of truth with good, is foretold, verses `Genesis 17bbbccc15-17`. Also the conjunction with those people who are governed by the truths of faith is referred to; that is to say, as it existed with those who belonged to the celestial Church, so it would exist with those who belonged to the spiritual Church, verses `Genesis 17bbbccc18-19`. The latter as well were to be endowed with goods of faith, verse `Genesis 17bbbccc20`. A concluding statement that these things would be achieved through the union of the Human Essence with the Divine Essence in the Lord, verse `Genesis 17bbbccc21`. The end of what is foretold, verse `Genesis 17bbbccc22`. This was the way it would take place and did take place, verses `Genesis 17bbbccc23-27`.
`nnn1. i.e. self-love and love of the world; see `@@@2040-2041`.
ppp21862#pid#1987. THE INTERNAL SENSE
Verse `Genesis 17bbbccc1` And Abram was a son of ninety-nine years, and Jehovah appeared to Abram and said to him, I am God Shaddai; walk before Me and be blameless.
'Abram was a son of ninety-nine years' means the period of time before the Lord fully joined the Internal Man to the Rational Man, 'Abram' meaning the Lord in that state and at that age. 'And Jehovah appeared to Abram' means manifestation. 'And He said to him' means perception. 'I am God Shaddai' means, in the sense of the letter, the name of Abram's God, by means of which the Lord was represented before them at first. 'Walk before Me' means the truth of faith. 'And be blameless' means the good [of charity].
ppp21861#pid#1988. 'Abram was a son of ninety-nine years' means the period of time before the Lord fully joined the Internal Man to the Rational Man. This is clear from the meaning of 'nine' when thought of as one less than ten, or what amounts to the same, of 'ninety-nine' when thought of as one less than a hundred; for when Isaac was born to him Abram was a hundred years old. The nature of the internal sense of the Word is made especially clear by the numbers that are used, as it is by the names. Any numbers whatever, as also any names, that are mentioned in the Word mean real things; for nothing ever exists in the Word that does not have that which is Divine within it, that is, which does not have an internal sense within it. How remote this sense is from the sense of the letter is especially evident from the names and numbers, for in heaven they pay no attention whatever to names and numbers but to things meant by the names or numbers. For example, whenever the number seven occurs, holiness instantly suggests itself to angels instead of the number seven, for 'seven' means holiness from the fact that the celestial man is the seventh day or the sabbath, and so the Lord's rest, `@@@84-87`, `@@@395`, `@@@433`, `@@@716`, `@@@881`. The same applies to all other numbers, for example, to the number twelve. Whenever twelve occurs the idea of everything belonging to faith suggests itself to angels, for the reason that the twelve tribes of Israel meant everything belonging to faith, `@@@577`. That numbers mean real things in the Word has been shown in Volume One; see `@@@482`, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@575`, `@@@647`, `@@@648`, `@@@755`, `@@@813`, `@@@893`.
ttt[2] It is similar with the number 'ninety-nine'. That this number means the period of time before the Lord fully joined the Internal Man to the Rational Man is clear from the meaning of 'a hundred years', Abram's age when Isaac was born to him, for Isaac represents and means the Lord's Rational Man which was joined to His Internal, that is, to the Divine. In the Word 'a hundred' has the same meaning as ten, for that number is the product of ten multiplied by ten, and 'ten' means remnants, as shown in Volume One, in `@@@576`. For what remnants residing with man are, see `@@@468`, `@@@530`, `@@@561`, `@@@660`, `@@@1050`, and for what remnants residing with the Lord were, `@@@1906`. These arcana cannot be explained any further, but anyone can find out for himself once he has acquainted himself with what remnants are - for nowadays what they are is not known - provided it is realized that by remnants residing with the Lord are meant the Divine Goods which He acquired to Himself by His own power, and by which He united the Human Essence to the Divine Essence.
ttt[3] These considerations show what is meant by 'ninety-nine'. Being one less than a hundred, that number means the period of time before the Lord fully joined the Internal Man to the Rational Man. 'Ishmael' represented the first rational with the Lord, the nature of which has been shown adequately enough above in the previous chapter. But 'Isaac' represents the Lord's Divine Rational, as will be clear later on. Anyone may see that an arcanum is embodied within the following circumstance: Abram having remained such a long time in the land of Canaan - twenty-four years now, ten before Ishmael's birth, and thirteen after - and not as yet having had a son by Sarai his wife, he then first received the promise of a son, when he had now reached ninety-nine and would be a hundred when this son was born. The arcanum is that by means of these experiences he might represent the union of the Lord's Divine Essence with His Human Essence, and in fact of His Internal Man, which was Jehovah, with His Rational.
ppp21860#pid#1989. That 'Abram' means the Lord in that state and at that age is clear from what has been stated already about Abram. In the internal sense Abram represents the Lord, for when mentioned in the Word no other Abram is meant in heaven. People who have been born inside the Church and have heard of him from the Word do indeed know of Abram when they enter the next life, but because he is no different from any other human being and cannot be of any help to them, they are no longer interested in him. Furthermore they are informed that in the Word 'Abram' has been used to mean no one other than the Lord. Indeed angels, who possess heavenly ideas but form no image of any man with them, know nothing at all about Abram. Consequently when the Word is read by man and Abram is mentioned they perceive no one other than the Lord. And in the statement made here they perceive the Lord passing through that state and that age, for here Jehovah is talking to Abram, that is, to the Lord.
ppp21859#pid#1990. 'Jehovah appeared to Abram' means manifestation. This is clear without explanation, for, as has been stated, Abram represents the Lord. No human being at all in the whole world has seen Jehovah, the Lord's Father; the Lord alone has done that, as He Himself has stated in John,
Nobody has ever seen God; the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, He has made Him known. `John 1bbb18`.
In the same gospel,
You have never heard His voice nor seen His shape. `John 1bbb37`.
And again in the same gospel,
No one has seen the Father except Him who is with the Father, He has seen the Father. `John 6bbb46`.
ttt[2] The Infinite itself which stands above all the heavens and above man's inmost being cannot be manifested except by means of the Divine Human, which exists solely with the Lord. Communication of the Infinite with finite beings is not possible at all from any other source. This also explains why, when Jehovah appeared to members of the Most Ancient Church and subsequently to members of the Ancient Church which existed after the Flood, and also after that to Abraham and the prophets, He was manifested to them as a human being. That it was indeed the Lord, He Himself openly teaches in John,
Abraham your father rejoiced to see My day, and saw it and was glad. Truly, truly, I say to you, Before Abraham was, I am. `John 8bbb56`, `John 8bbbccc58`.
This is also taught in the Prophets, for example in Daniel who saw Him as 'a son of man', `Daniel 7bbb13`.
ttt[3] From these quotations it becomes clear that the Infinite Being (Esse), which is Jehovah, could not possibly be manifested to man except through the Human Essence, that is, through the Lord, and so has not been manifested to anyone except the Lord alone. So that He could be present with and be joined to mankind, after mankind had removed itself entirely from the Divine and had immersed itself in foul desires and so in merely bodily and earthly things, He adopted the Human Essence itself by being born. He did so in order that the Infinite Divine could be joined to man even though man was so remote. Otherwise mankind would have died the death of those for ever damned. As for all the other arcana concerning the manifestation of Jehovah in the Lord's Human, when His state was a state of humiliation, before He had fully united the Human Essence to the Divine Essence and glorified it, these will in the Lord's Divine mercy be explained later on, to the extent that they are capable of being understood.
ppp21858#pid#1991. 'He said to him' means perception. This is clear from the Lord's perception which came from Jehovah, dealt with already in `@@@1919`, and from the fact that in the internal sense 'Jehovah saying' or 'God saying' means perceiving, `@@@1602`, `@@@1791`, `@@@1815`, `@@@1819`, `@@@1822`.
ppp21857#pid#1992. 'I am God Shaddai' means, in the sense of the letter, the name of Abram's God, by means of which the Lord was represented before them at first. This is clear from references in the Word to Abram and his father's house worshipping other gods. Surviving in Syria, where Abram came from, there were remnants of the Ancient Church, and many families there retained its worship, as is clear in the case of Eber who came from those parts and from whom the Hebrew nation descended. They likewise retained the name Jehovah, as is evident from what has been shown in Volume One, in `@@@1343`, and from Balaam, who also came from Syria, and who offered sacrifices and called his God Jehovah. That he came from Syria is indicated in `Numbers 23bbb7`; that he offered sacrifices, in `Numbers 22bbb39-40`; `Numbers ccc23bbb1-3`, `Numbers 23bbbccc14`, `Numbers 23bbbccc29`; and that he called his God Jehovah, in `Numbers 2bbb8`, `Numbers 2bbbccc13`, `Numbers 2bbbccc18`, `Numbers 2bbbccc31`; `Numbers ccc23bbb8`, `Numbers 23bbbccc12`, `Numbers 23bbbccc16`.
ttt[2] But in the case of the house of Terah, Abram and Nahor's father, this was not so. That house was one of the gentile families there which had not only lost the name of Jehovah but also served other gods; and instead of Jehovah they worshipped Shaddai, whom they called their own god. The fact that they had lost the name of Jehovah is clear from the places quoted in Volume One, in `@@@1343`; and the fact that they served other gods is explicitly stated in Joshua,
Joshua said to all the people, Thus said Jehovah, the God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt of old beyond the River, Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, and they served other gods. Now fear Jehovah, and serve Him in sincerity and truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River, and in Egypt, and serve Jehovah. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve Jehovah, choose this day whom you are to serve, whether the gods which your fathers served who were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites. `Joshua 24bbb2`, `Joshua 24bbbccc14-15`.
The fact that Nahor as well, Abram's brother, and the nation that descended from him, served other gods is also clear from Laban the Syrian, who lived in the city of Nahor and worshipped the images or teraphim which Rachel stole, `Genesis 24bbb10`; `Genesis ccc31bbb19`, `Genesis 31bbbccc30`, `Genesis 31bbbccc32`, `Genesis 31bbbccc34` - see what has been stated in Volume One, in `@@@1356`. That instead of Jehovah they worshipped Shaddai, whom they called their god, is plainly stated in Moses,
I, Jehovah, appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Shaddai, and by My name Jehovah I was not known to them. `Exodus 6bbb2-3`.
ttt[3] These references show what Abram was by disposition in his younger days, namely an idolater like other gentiles, and that even up to and during the time he was in the land of Canaan he had not cast the god Shaddai away from his mind; and this accounts for the declaration here, 'I am God Shaddai', which in the sense of the letter means the name of Abram's god. And from `Exodus 6bbb2-3`, that has just been quoted, it is evident that it was by this name that the Lord was first represented before them - before Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
ttt[4] The reason the Lord was willing to be represented before them first of all through the name Shaddai is that the Lord is never willing to destroy quickly, still less immediately, the worship implanted in someone since earliest childhood. He is unwilling to destroy it because it would be an uprooting and so a destroying of the deeply implanted feeling for what is holy which is expressed in adoration and worship, a feeling which the Lord never crushes but bends. The holiness which is expressed in worship and has been inrooted since earliest childhood is such that it does not respond to violence but to gentle and kindly bending. The same applies to gentiles who during their lifetime have worshipped idols and yet have led charitable lives one with another. Because the holiness expressed in their worship has been inrooted since earliest childhood it is not removed all of a sudden in the next life but gradually. For people who have led charitable lives one with another are able to have implanted in them without difficulty the goods and truths of faith; these they subsequently receive with joy, charity being the soil itself. This is what happened in the case of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that is to say, the Lord allowed them to retain the name God Shaddai; indeed He went so far as to speak of Himself as God Shaddai, which He did because of what that name meant.
ttt[5] Some translators render Shaddai as the Almighty, others as the Thunderbolt-hurler. But strictly speaking it means the Tempter, and the One who does good following temptations, as is clear in Job who, because he suffered many temptations, mentions Shaddai so many times, such as the following places in his book make clear,
Behold, blessed is the man whom God reproves; and despise not the chastening of Shaddai. `Job 5bbb17`.
The arrows of Shaddai are with me, the terrors of God are arrayed against me. `Job 6bbb4`.
He will forsake the fear of Shaddai. `Job 6bbb14`.
I will speak to Shaddai, and I desire to dispute with God. `Job 13bbb3`.
He has stretched forth his hand against God, and emboldens himself against Shaddai. `Job 15bbb25`.
His eyes will see his destruction and he will drink of the wrath of Shaddai. `Job 21bbb20`.
As for Shaddai, you will not find him. He is great in power and judgement, and in the abundance of righteousness. He will not afflict. `Job 37bbb23`.
Also in Joel,
Alas for the day! For the day of Jehovah is near, and as destruction from Shaddai will it come. `Joel 1bbb15`.
This becomes clear also from the actual word Shaddai, which means vastation, thus temptation, for temptation is a variety of vastation. But because the name had its origins among the nations in Syria, he is not called Elohim Shaddai but El Shaddai; and in Job he is called simply Shaddai, with El, or God, mentioned separately.
ttt[6] Because comfort follows temptations people also attributed the good that comes out of temptations to the same Shaddai, as in `Job 22bbb17`, `Job 22bbbccc23`, `Job 22bbbccc25-26`; and they also attributed to him the understanding of truth which resulted from those temptations, `Job ccc32bbb8`; `Job ccc33bbb4`. And because in this way he was regarded as a god of truth, for vastation, temptation, chastisement, and reproving belong in no way to good but to truth, and because the Lord was represented by means of it before Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the name was retained even among the Prophets. But with the latter Shaddai was used to mean truth, as in Ezekiel,
I heard the sound of the cherubs' wings, like the sound of many waters, like the sound of Shaddai as they were coming, a sound of tumult, like the sound of a camp. `Ezekiel 1bbb24`.
In the same prophet,
The court was full of the brightness of the glory of Jehovah, and the sound of the wings of the cherubs was heard as far as the outer court, like the voice of the god Shaddai when he speaks. `Ezekiel 10bbb4-5`.
Here Jehovah stands for good, Shaddai for truth. 'Wings' likewise in the Word means in the internal sense things that are matters of truth.
ttt[7] Isaac and Jacob too used the name God Shaddai in a similar way, namely as one who tempts, rescues from temptation, and after that does good to them. Isaac addressed his son Jacob when he was about to flee on account of Esau,
God Shaddai bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you. `Genesis 28bbb3`.
Jacob addressed his sons when they were about to journey into Egypt to buy grain and were so greatly afraid of Joseph,
May God Shaddai grant you mercy before the man, and may He send back with you your other brother and Benjamin. `Genesis 43bbb14`.
Jacob, by now Israel, when blessing Joseph, who had experienced the evils of temptation more than his brothers and had been released from them, declared,
By the God of your father, and He will help you; and with Shaddai, and He will bless you. `Genesis 49bbb25`.
This then explains why the Lord was willing to be represented at first as God Shaddai whom Abram worshipped when He declared,
I am God Shaddai.
And later on He referred to Himself in a similar way before Jacob, I am God Shaddai; be fruitful and multiply. `Genesis 35bbb11`.
And a further reason is that the subject of the internal sense in what has gone before has been temptations.
ttt[8] The worship of Shaddai with them had its origin, as it did with a certain nation which in the Lord's Divine mercy will be described later on, and also with those who belonged to the Ancient Church, in the fact that quite often they heard spirits who reproached them and who also afterwards consoled them. The spirits who reproached them were perceived as being on the left side below the arm; at the same time angels were present from the head who overruled the spirits and toned down the reproaching. And because they imagined that everything declared to them through the spirits was Divine, they called the reproaching spirit Shaddai. And because he also afterwards gave consolation they called him God Shaddai. Since they had no understanding of the internal sense of the Word, people in those days, including the Jews, possessed that kind of religion in which they imagined that all evil and so all temptation came from God just as all good and thus all comfort did. But that in actual fact this is not at all the case, see Volume One, in `@@@245`, `@@@592`, `@@@696`, `@@@1093`, `@@@1874`, `@@@1875`.
ppp21856#pid#1993. 'Walk before Me' means the truth of faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'walking' as living according to the truth of faith, dealt with in `@@@519`, and also from the meaning of 'the way' - in that walking may be used in reference to 'the way'- as truth, dealt with in `@@@627`.
ppp21855#pid#1994. 'And be blameless' means the good of charity. This is clear from the meaning of 'blameless' as doing good coming from truth, that is, good springing from a conscience for what is true and so from charity; for charity constitutes conscience, concerning which meaning see `@@@612`. But because the Lord is the subject here in the internal sense, 'blameless' means the good of charity, charity being the source from which good goes forth, so much so that the actual truth deriving from it is good.
ppp21854#pid#1995. Verse `Genesis 17bbbccc2` And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and I will multiply you more and more.
'I will make My covenant between Me and you' means the union of the Internal Man, which was Jehovah, with the Interior Man. 'And I will multiply you more and more' means endless fruitfulness of the affection for truth.
ppp21853#pid#1996. 'I will make My covenant between Me and you' means the union of the Internal Man, which was Jehovah, with the Interior Man. This is clear from the meaning of 'a covenant' as a joining together, for as often as a covenant between Jehovah and man is mentioned in the Word, nothing else is meant in the internal sense by a covenant than the Lord's being joined to man. The covenants made so many times between Jehovah and the descendants of Jacob had no other representation. As this point has been confirmed in Volume One, in `@@@665`, `@@@666`, `@@@1023`, `@@@1038`, `@@@1864`, it would be superfluous to do so again here. The Lord's Internal Man was Jehovah because He was conceived from Him, while the Interior Man is represented here by Abram. Consequently 'the covenant between Me and you' means the union of the Internal Man, or Jehovah, with the Interior Man, and so with the Lord's Human Essence.
ppp21852#pid#1997. 'I will multiply you more and more' means endless fruitfulness of the affection for truth. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'multiplying' as having reference to truth, dealt with in `@@@43`, `@@@55`, `@@@913`, `@@@983`. And because it refers to the Lord it means the endless fruitfulness of truth that flows from good, dealt with already in `@@@1940`. There are two types of affection - the affection for good and the affection for truth. The affection for good consists in doing good from a love of good, the affection for truth is doing good from a love of truth. At first glance these two types of affection seem to be identical, but they are quite distinct and separate from each other in essence as well as in origin. The affection for good, or doing good from a love of good, belongs strictly to the will, whereas the affection for truth, or doing good from a love of truth, belongs strictly to the understanding; thus these two types of affection are as distinct from each other as will and understanding. The affection for good springs from celestial love, but the affection for truth from spiritual love. The description 'affection for good' cannot be used except in reference to the celestial man, while 'affection for truth' is used in reference to the spiritual man. What the Celestial is and what the celestial man, and what the Spiritual or the spiritual man is, has been adequately shown in Volume One. The Most Ancient Church, which existed before the Flood, was stirred by the affection for good, but the Ancient Church, which existed after the Flood, was stirred by the affection for truth, for the former was a celestial Church, but the latter a spiritual Church. All angels in heaven are either celestial or spiritual. The celestial are stirred by the affection for good, the spiritual by the affection for truth. To the former the Lord appears as the Sun, to the latter however as the Moon, `@@@1529-1531`, `@@@1838`. The latter affection, that is, the affection for truth, the Lord united to the affection for good, which consists in doing good from a love of good, when He united the Human Essence to the Divine Essence. Consequently 'multiplying more and more' means endless fruitfulness of truth deriving from good.
ppp21851#pid#1998. Verse `Genesis 17bbbccc3` And Abram fell on his face,`fff1` and God spoke to him, saying,
'Abram fell on his face'`fff1` means adoration. 'And God spoke to him, saying' means a degree of perception, the name 'God' being used because God Shaddai whom Abram worshipped represents the Lord, and also because truth that was to be united to good is the subject.
`nnn1. lit faces
ppp21850#pid#1999. That 'Abram fell on his face'`fff1` means adoration is clear without explanation. Falling on one's face' was the reverent way in which the Most Ancient Church, and as a consequence the ancients, expressed adoration. The reason they expressed it in this way was that 'the face' meant the inward parts, and 'falling on one's face'`fff1` represented a state of humiliation of those inward parts; and from this it became in the Jewish representative Church an act of reverence. True adoration or humility of heart entails prostration before the Lord face-downwards on the ground as the natural action resulting from it. Indeed humiliation of heart entails the acknowledgement of oneself as being nothing but uncleanness, and at the same time the acknowledgement of the Lord's infinite mercy towards such. When these acknowledgements are fixed in the mind, the mind itself casts itself down towards hell and prostrates the body. Nor does it raise itself until raised up by the Lord, as happens in all true humiliation, accompanied by a perception that such raising up is of the Lord's mercy. Such was the humiliation of members of the Most Ancient Church. It is different however with adoration which does not flow from humiliation of heart, see `@@@1153`.
ttt[2] It is well known from the Word, in the Gospels, that the Lord adored and prayed to Jehovah, His Father, and that He did so as though to Someone other than Himself, even though Jehovah was within Him. But the state that the Lord experienced at such times was the state of His humiliation, the nature of which has been discussed in Volume One, namely this, that at such times as these He was in the infirm human derived from the mother. But to the extent He cast this off and took on the Divine His state was different, which state is called the state of His glorification. In the first state He adored Jehovah as Someone other than Himself, even though He was within Him, for, as has been stated, His Internal was Jehovah. In the latter state however, that is to say, the state of glorification, He spoke to Jehovah as to Himself, since He was Jehovah Himself.
ttt[3] The truth of all this however cannot be grasped unless one knows what the internal is and how the internal operates into the external, and furthermore how the internal and external are distinct and separate and yet joined together. The matter may be illustrated however by means of something similar, namely by means of the internal with man and of its influx and operation into the external with him. For the fact that man has an internal, an interior or rational, and an external, see what has appeared already in `@@@1889`, `@@@1940`. Man's internal is that which makes him human and distinguishes him from animals. It is by means of this internal that man lives on after death and for ever, and by means of it the Lord can raise him up among angels. It is the prior or primary form from which anyone becomes and is a human being, and it is by means of this internal that the Lord is united to man. The heaven itself that is nearest to the Lord consists of these human internals, but being above even the inmost angelic heaven these internals therefore belong to the Lord Himself. In this way the entire human race is directly present beneath the eyes of the Lord. Distance, a visible feature of this sublunary world, does not exist in heaven, still less above heaven - see what has been mentioned from experience in `@@@1275`, `@@@1277`.
ttt[4] These inward aspects of men possess no life in themselves but are recipient forms of the Lord's life. To the extent then that anyone is under the influence of evil, both that of his own doing and that which is hereditary, he has been so to speak separated from this internal which is the Lord's and resides with the Lord, and so has been separated from the Lord. For although that human internal is joined to the person and cannot be separated from him, yet to the extent he moves away from the Lord he does in a way separate himself from it, see `@@@1594`. But such separation is not a complete severance from that human internal - for if it were, man would no longer be able to live after death; but it is a lack of harmony and agreement with it on the part of his capacities which are beneath it, that is, of his rational and external man. Insofar as disharmony and disagreement are present there is no conjunction, but insofar as they are absent man is joined to the Lord by means of the internal, which is achieved in the measure that he is moved by love and charity, for love and charity effect conjunction. Such is the situation with man.
ttt[5] But the Lord's Internal was Jehovah Himself, since He was conceived from Jehovah, who cannot be divided or become the relative of another, like a son who has been conceived from a human father. For unlike the human, the Divine is not capable of being divided but is and remains one and the same. To this Internal the Lord united the Human Essence. Moreover because the Lord's Internal was Jehovah it was not, like man's internal, a recipient form of life, but life itself. Through that union His Human Essence as well became life itself. Hence the Lord's frequent declaration that He is Life, as in John,
As the Father has Life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have Life in Himself. `John 5bbb26`.
And elsewhere besides this in the same gospel, `John ccc1bbb4`; `John ccc5bbb21`; `John ccc6bbb33`, `John 6bbbccc35`, `John 6bbbccc48`; `John ccc11bbb25`. 'The Son' is used to mean the Lord's Human Essence. To the extent therefore that the Lord was in the human which He received by heredity from the mother, He appeared to be distinct and separate from Jehovah, and worshipped Jehovah as Someone other than Himself. But to the extent He cast off this human, the Lord was not distinct and separate from Jehovah but one with Him. The first state, as has been mentioned, was the state of the Lord's humiliation, but the second the state of His glorification.
`nnn1. lit faces
ppp21849#pid#2000. 'And God spoke to him, saying' means a degree of perception. This is clear from the meaning of 'Jehovah saying' as perceiving, `@@@1898`, `@@@1899`. Here it means a degree of perception because He was passing through a state of humiliation or adoration, in which He was joined and united to Jehovah according to the degree of perception present, for this is what humiliation entails. That perceptions are more and more interior, see `@@@1616`.
ppp21848#pid#2001. The name 'God' is used because God Shaddai whom Abram worshipped represents the Lord, and also because truth that was to be united to good is the subject. This is evident from what has been stated already. In the Word the Lord is sometimes called Jehovah, sometimes Jehovah God, also the Lord Jehovih, and sometimes God; and there is always a hidden reason for this in the internal sense. When love or good is the subject, or the celestial Church, the name JEHOVAH is used, but when faith or truth is the subject, or the spiritual Church, GOD is used. This is invariably so, the reason being that the Lord's actual Being (Esse) consists of love, and the Being (Esse) emanating from it consists of faith, `@@@709`, `@@@732`. Here therefore God is used because the subject is truth that was to be united to good. A second reason here is that the Lord was willing to be represented as the god Shaddai, whom Abram worshipped. This is why the name God is retained in what follows, for in this chapter the name Jehovah is mentioned only once but God several times, as in verses `Genesis 17bbbccc7-8`, `Genesis 17bbbccc15`, `Genesis 17bbbccc18-19`, `Genesis 17bbbccc22-23`.
ppp21847#pid#2002. Verse `Genesis 17bbbccc4` As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you will be the father of a multitude of nations.
'As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you' means union of the Divine Essence with the Human Essence. 'And you will be the father of a multitude of nations' means union of the Human Essence with the Divine Essence, 'father' meaning that which comes from Him, 'multitude' truth, 'of nations' resulting good.
ppp21846#pid#2003. 'As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you' means union of the Divine Essence with the Human Essence. This is clear from the meaning of 'a covenant' as conjunction, dealt with in `@@@665`, `@@@666`, `@@@1023`, `@@@1038`. Here it is the union of the Divine Essence with the Human Essence, as is evident from this meaning and from the internal sense of what has gone before, and so from the actual words 'My covenant is with you'.
ppp21845#pid#2004. 'And you will be the father of a multitude of nations' means union of the Human Essence with the Divine Essence. This cannot be shown so easily from an explanation of individual expressions in the internal sense unless they are seen within a general overall picture by which this sense is presented. This is frequently the case with the internal sense, and when it is it may be called more universal because it is more remote. From an explanation of individual expressions this proximate sense is the result - that everything true and everything good comes from the Lord, for as will be discussed belong 'father' means that which comes from Him, that is, from the Lord, 'multitude' means truth, and 'of nations' resulting good. But because the latter, that is to say, truths and goods, are the means by which the Lord united the Human Essence to the Divine Essence, that more universal and more remote sense emerges from such an explanation. This is the way in which angels perceive these words; and at one and the same time they perceive a reciprocal union, namely that of the Lord's Divine Essence with the Human Essence, and of the Human Essence with the Divine Essence. For as has been stated, 'As for Me, My covenant is with you' means union of the Divine Essence with the Human Essence, the words that follow consequently meaning that of the Human Essence with the Divine Essence.
ttt[2] It is an arcanum not yet disclosed that union was accomplished reciprocally, an arcanum that can hardly be explained intelligibly, for as yet the nature of influx has not been known to anyone, and without a knowledge of influx no idea can possibly be gained of what reciprocal union is. It is possible to shed light to some extent on the matter however from influx as it takes place with man, for with man too reciprocal conjunction exists. From the Lord by way of man's internal, which is dealt with just above in `@@@1999`, life is flowing in constantly into man's rational, and by way of the rational into the external and even into the facts and cognitions he has. These it not only adapts to receive life but also sets them in order and so enables man to think and ultimately to be rational. Such is the conjunction of the Lord with man, and without it man would never be able to think, let alone be rational. This may become clear to anyone from the fact that present within a person's thought there are countless arcana belonging to the science and art of analysis, so countless that even to all eternity it is not possible to explore them thoroughly. Such arcana do not flow in through the senses or the external man, but through the internal man. Man for his part however, through facts and cognitions, goes to meet this life flowing from the Lord, and in so doing joins himself reciprocally.
ttt[3] But as for the union of the Lord's Divine Essence with His Human Essence, and of the Human Essence with the Divine Essence, this was infinitely superior, for the Lord's Internal was Jehovah Himself, and so Life itself, whereas man's internal is not the Lord, and so not life but a recipient of life. The Lord's relationship with Jehovah was union, whereas that of man with the Lord is not union but conjunction. The Lord united Himself to Jehovah by His own power and on that account became righteousness as well, whereas man in no way joins himself to Him by his own power but by the Lord's. This being so, it is the Lord who joins man to Himself. Such reciprocal union is what the Lord means where He attributes what is His own to the Father, and what is the Father's to Himself, as in John,
Jesus said, He who believes in Me believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. He who sees Me sees Him who sent Me I have come as light into the world in order that everyone who believes in Me may not remain in darkness. `John 12bbb44-46`.
These words conceal very deep arcana - arcana in fact regarding the union of good with truth, and of truth with good, or what amounts to the same, regarding the union of the Divine Essence with the Human Essence, and of Human Essence with Divine Essence. Hence His declaration, 'He who believes in Me believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me', and shortly after, 'He who believes in Me', in between which two statements comes another concerning that union in which He says, 'He who sees Me sees Him who sent Me'.
ttt[4] In the same gospel,
The words that I speak to you I do not speak from Myself; the Father who dwells within Me He does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me. Truly I say to you, He who believes in Me [will also do] the works that I do. `John 14bbb10-12`.
These words hold the same arcana within them, that is to say, those relating to the union of good with truth, and of truth with good; or what amounts to the same, of the Lord's Divine Essence with the Human Essence, and of the Human Essence with the Divine Essence. Hence His declaration, 'The words that I speak to you I do not speak from Myself; the Father who is within Me, He does the works', and shortly afterwards, 'The works that I do', in between which two statements likewise comes another concerning the union, in which He says, 'I am in the Father and the Father in Me'. This is the mystical union that many people speak about.
ttt[5] From this it is clear that He was not someone other than the Father even though He spoke of the Father as though He were someone other. The reason for His doing so was the reciprocal union that was going to be accomplished and was accomplished, for He openly states so many times that He is one with the Father, as He does in the places just quoted -
He who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. `John 12bbb45`.
Also,
The Father who dwells within Me; believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me. `John 14bbb10-11`.
And in the same gospel,
If you knew Me you would know my Father also. `John 8bbb19`.
In the same gospel,
If you know Me you know My Father also. And from now on you know Him and have seen Him. Philip said to Him, Show us the Father. Jesus said to him, Have I been with you so long and yet you do not know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father. So why do you say, Show us the Father? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? `John 14bbb7-10`.
And in the same gospel,
I and the Father are one. `John 10bbb30`.
This is why in heaven they know no other Father than the Lord since the Father is within Him, and He is one with the Father; and when they see Him they see the Father, as He Himself has said; see `@@@15`.
ppp21844#pid#2005. 'Father' means that which comes from Him. This is clear from the meaning of 'father', dealt with in what has just gone before, namely this: Whatever came from the Father came from the Lord as well since They were one. The human being in every case receives that which is internal from the father and that which is external from the mother; or what amounts to the same, the soul itself is from the father, the body which clothes the soul from the mother. Body and soul nevertheless make one, for the soul goes with the body, and body with soul, and are therefore inseparable. The Lord's Internal came from the Father and so was the Father Himself. Hence the Lord's declaration that 'the Father is within Him', that 'I am in the Father and the Father is in Me', He who sees Me sees the Father', 'I and the Father are one', as is clear from the places quoted above. In the Old Testament Word as well He is called Father, as in Isaiah,
To us a Boy is born, to us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder, and His name will be called, Wonderful, Counsellor, God, Hero, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace. `Isaiah 9bbb6`.
It is clear to anyone that 'the Boy' born to us, and 'the Son' given to us, is the Lord, who is named 'Father of Eternity'. In the same prophet,
You are our Father, for Abraham does not know us and Israel does not acknowledge us. You, O Jehovah, are our Father, our Redeemer; from eternity is Your name. `Isaiah 63bbb16`.
Here also it is the Lord who is called 'Jehovah our Father', for there is no other Redeemer. In Malachi,
Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? `Malachi 2bbb10`.
'Creating' stands for regenerating, as shown in Volume One, in `@@@16`, `@@@88`, `@@@472`. Furthermore throughout the Old Testament Word Jehovah is used to mean the Lord, for He it was that all the Church's religious ceremonies represented; and He it is to whom everything that the Word contains in the internal sense has reference.
ppp21843#pid#2006. 'Multitude' means truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'a multitude' as truth, dealt with already in `@@@1941`, and from the meaning of 'being multiplied' as having reference to truth, dealt with in `@@@43`, `@@@55`, `@@@913`, `@@@983`
ppp21842#pid#2007. 'Of nations' means resulting good. This is clear from the meaning of 'nations' as good, dealt with in Volume One, in `@@@1159`, `@@@1258-1260`, `@@@1416`, `@@@1849`.
ppp21841#pid#2008. Verse `Genesis 17bbbccc5` And no longer will your name be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.
'No longer will your name be called Abram' means that He will cast off the human. 'But your name will be Abraham' means that He will put on the Divine. 'For I have made you the father of a multitude of nations' means here, as previously, that from Him comes all truth and resulting good.
ppp21840#pid#2009. That 'no longer will your name be called Abram' means that He will cast off the human, and that 'your name will be Abraham' means that He will put on the Divine, is clear from the meaning of 'name', also from the meaning of 'Abram', and after that of 'Abraham'. When the phrase 'your name will be' is used in the Word it means the nature of, that is, what a person's nature is going to be like, as is clear from what has been brought forward in Volume One, in `@@@144`, `@@@145`, `@@@1754`. And since 'names means the nature of, a name includes everything in its entirety within that person, for in heaven no attention is paid to someone's name, but when anyone is referred to by name, or when a name is used, a mental picture of his nature comes up, that is, of all that is his, with him and in him. This is why 'name' in the Word means the nature of. To make this matter clearer to the understanding let further confirmatory quotations from the Word be introduced, such as in the Blessing in Moses,
Jehovah bless you and keep you; Jehovah make His face`fff1` shine upon you and be merciful to you; Jehovah lift up His face`fff1` upon you and give you peace.
So shall they put My name upon the sons of Israel. `Numbers 6bbb24-27`.
From this it is evident what 'name' and 'putting Jehovah's name upon the sons of Israel' means, namely that Jehovah blesses, keeps, enlightens, is merciful, and gives peace, and that such is Jehovah's or the Lord's nature.
ttt[2] In the Ten Commandments,
You shall not take the name of Jehovah your God in vain, for Jehovah will not hold him guiltless who has taken His name in vain. `Exodus 20bbb7`; `Deuteronomy 5bbb11`.
Here taking God's name in vain does not mean His name but every single thing deriving from Him, and so every single thing belonging to the worship of Him, which must not be treated with disdain, still less be blasphemed and defiled by what is filthy. In the Lord's Prayer,
Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, as in heaven so on earth. `Luke 11bbb2`.
Nor in this instance is 'name' used to mean name but all things that belong to love and faith, for these are God's, or the Lord's, and derive from Him. Since the latter are holy, the Lord's kingdom comes, and His will is done on earth as it is in heaven, when they are upheld as being holy.
ttt[3] That 'name' means such things is clear from all the places in the Old Testament Word and in the New where the word 'name' is used, as in Isaiah,
You will say on that day, Confess Jehovah, call on His name, make His deeds known among the peoples, make mention that His name is exalted. `Isaiah 12bbb4`.
Here 'calling on the name of Jehovah' and 'making mention that it is exalted' does not in any way mean making the name itself an object of worship, or believing that Jehovah is called on by the mere uttering of His name, but by knowing His nature, and so every single thing that derives from Him. In the same prophet,
Therefore in the Urim give honour to Jehovah, in the isles of the sea to the name of Jehovah, the God of Israel. `Isaiah 24bbb15`.
Here 'in the Urim give honour to Jehovah' means worship based on the holy things of love, 'in the isles of the sea to the name of Jehovah, the God of Israel' worship based on the holy things of faith.
ttt[4] In the same prophet,
Jehovah our God, in You alone will we make mention of Your name. `Isaiah 26bbb13`.
And in the same prophet,
I will stir up one from the north, and he will come, from the rising of the sun he will call on My name. `Isaiah 41bbb25`.
Here 'making mention of' and 'calling on the name of Jehovah' is worshipping from the goods of love and the truths of faith. Those 'from the north' are people outside the Church who do not know the name of Jehovah but who do nevertheless call on His name when they are leading charitable lives one with another and venerate some deity as the Creator of the universe, for it is the worship and what constitutes it, not the name, that calling on Jehovah entails. That the Lord is also present with gentiles, see `@@@932`, `@@@1032`, `@@@1059`.
ttt[5] In the same prophet,
The nations will see your righteousness and all the kings your glory; and you will be called by a new name which the mouth of Jehovah will announce. `Isaiah 62bbb2`.
Here 'you will be called by a new name' stands for becoming a different person, that is to say, as a result of being created anew or regenerated, and so stands for becoming such. In Micah,
All the peoples walk each in the name of its god, but we will walk in the name of Jehovah our God for ever and eternally. `Micah 4bbb5`.
'Walking in the name of its god' clearly stands for worship that is profane, while 'walking in the name of Jehovah' stands for true worship. In Malachi,
From the rising of the sun and even to its setting, great is My name among the nations; and in every place incense is offered to My name, and a pure minchah, for great is My name among the nations. `Malachi 1bbb11`.
Here 'name' is not used to mean the name but the worship; and this worship is the essential nature of Jehovah or the Lord, from which He wills to be adored.
ttt[6] In Moses,
The place which Jehovah your God chooses out of all the tribes to put His name there, and to make His name dwell there, to that place shall you bring all that I am commanding you. `Deuteronomy 12bbb5`, `Deuteronomy 12bbbccc11`, `Deuteronomy 12bbbccc14`; `Deuteronomy ccc16bbb2`, `Deuteronomy 16bbbccc6`, `Deuteronomy 16bbbccc11`.
Here also 'putting His name' and 'making His name dwell there' do not mean the name but the worship, and so Jehovah's or the Lord's essential nature from which He is to be worshipped. His nature consists in the good of love and the truth of faith, it being with those who are governed by such good and truth that Jehovah's name dwells. In Jeremiah,
Go to My place which is in Shiloh where I made My name dwell at first. `Jeremiah 7bbb12`.
Here similarly 'name' stands for worship, and so for doctrine concerning true faith. It may become clear to anyone that Jehovah does not dwell with somebody who merely knows and utters His name, for without any conception and recognition of His essential nature, and without any belief in it, the name by itself is a mere verbal expression. From this it is evident that the word 'name' means the nature of, and the knowledge of that nature.
ttt[7] In Moses,
At that time Jehovah set apart the tribe of Levi to serve Him and to bless in His name. `Deuteronomy 10bbb8`.
Here 'blessing in the name of Jehovah' is doing so not by means of the name but by means of those qualities associated with the name of Jehovah which have been referred to above. In Jeremiah,
This is His name which they will call Him, Jehovah our righteousness. `Jeremiah 23bbb6`.
Here 'name' stands for the righteousness which is the essential nature of the Lord, to whom these words refer. In Isaiah,
Jehovah called Me from the womb, from My mother's body`fff2` He made mention of My name. `Isaiah 49bbb1`.
These words too refer to the Lord. 'Making mention of His name' is informing about His essential nature.
ttt[8] That 'name' means the nature of is plainer still in John's Revelation,
You have a few names in Sardis, who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. He who conquers will be clad in white garments and I will not blot his name out of the book of life; and I will confess his name before My father and before the angels. He who conquers I will write on him the name of God, and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name. `Revelation 3bbb4-5`, `Revelation 3bbbccc12`.
Here it is quite clear that name does not mean the name but the essential nature of him who conquers. 'The name in the book of life' is nothing else. Nor is 'confessing his name before My Father', and 'writing on him the name of God and of the city, and a new name'. The same applies elsewhere to the names which are said to have been written in the book of life and in heaven, `Revelation 13bbb8`; `Revelation ccc17bbb8`; `Luke 10bbb20`.
ttt[9] In heaven one person is always recognized from another by his nature or character, which is expressed in the sense of the letter as 'the name', as may also become clear to anyone from the fact that on earth the mention of anybody's name presents to another a mental picture of his nature or character by which he is known and distinguished from anyone else. In the next life those mental pictures survive but names perish. More especially is this so with angels. This is why in the internal sense 'name' means the essential nature of, or the knowledge of that nature. In the same book,
On the head of Him who sat on the white horse were many jewels. He has a name written which no one knows but He Himself. He was clad in a garment dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. `Revelation 19bbb12-13`.
Here it is stated openly that His 'name' is The Word of God, thus the essential nature of Him who sat on the white horse.
ttt[10] The fact that the name of Jehovah means the knowledge of His nature, that is to say, it means every good of love and every truth of faith, is quite clear from these words spoken by the Lord,
Righteous Father, I have known You, and these too have known that You have sent Me, for I made known to them Your name, and I will make it known that the love with which You have loved Me may be in them, and I in them. `John 17bbb25-26`.
ttt[11] And that the name of God or of the Lord means the whole doctrine of faith concerning love and charity, which is meant by 'believing in His name', is clear from these words in the same gospel,
As many as received Him, to them He gave power to be sons of God, to those believing in His name. `John 1bbb12`.
If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. If you love Me, keep My commandments. `John 14bbb13-15`.
Whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give it to you. These things I command you, that you love one another. `John 15bbb16-17`.
In Matthew,
Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them. `Matthew 18bbb20`.
Here 'being gathered together in the Lord's name' means those who possess the doctrine of faith concerning love and charity, and so who are governed by love and charity.
ttt[12] In the same gospel,
You will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. `Matthew 10bbb22`; `Matthew ccc24bbb9-10`; `Mark 13bbb13`.
Here 'for My name's sake' clearly stands for doctrine's sake. The fact that a name itself is of no avail, only that which the name embodies, that is to say, everything constituting charity and faith, is quite clear from the following in Matthew,
Did we not prophesy through Your name, and cast out demons through Your name, and do many mighty works in Your name? And then I will confess to them, I do not know you; depart from Me, you workers of iniquity. `Matthew 7bbb22-23`.
From this it is clear that people who make worship consist in a name, as Jews do in the name of Jehovah and Christians in the name of the Lord, are not on that account worthier than any others, for the name is of no avail. But they are worthier when their characters conform to what He has commanded; and this is the meaning of 'believing in His name'. And when they say that there is salvation in no other name than the Lord's they mean in no other doctrine, that is, in none other than mutual love, which is the true doctrine of faith, and so in none other than the Lord since all love comes from Him alone, and all faith from that love.
`nnn1. literally, faces
`nnn2. literally, viscera
ppp21839#pid#2010. Now because the word 'names means the essential nature, and also the knowledge of that nature, the meaning of the statement made in this verse becomes clear. That is to say, 'No longer will you be called by your name Abram, but your name will be Abraham' means, not what his nature had been previously but what it was going to be. The fact that Abram served other gods and worshipped the god Shaddai was shown above in `@@@1992`; but because he was to represent the Lord, and in particular His Internal Man, and so the celestial side of His love, his previous nature had to be effaced, that is, the name Abram had to be altered to another which was such that the Lord could be represented by means of it. The letter H therefore was taken from the name Jehovah - which letter alone in the name Jehovah entails the Divine, and means I AM or TO BE - and was inserted into his name, so that he was called Abraham. The same happened with Sarai further on; the same letter was added to her name, so that she was called Sarah. From this it also becomes clear that in the internal sense of the Word Abraham represents Jehovah or the Lord.
ttt[2] It should be realized however that in representations no significance is attached to the nature or character of the one who represents, for in those representations no attention is paid to the person representing but to the thing which he represents, as stated and shown already in `@@@665`, `@@@1097` (end), `@@@1361`. Therefore the meaning of the words here in the internal sense is that the Lord cast off the human and put on the Divine, which is also the particular point in the train of thought both before and after this statement, for the promise is now made concerning Isaac his son, who was to represent the Lord's Divine Rational.
ppp21838#pid#2011. 'For I have made you the father of a multitude of nations' means here, as previously, that from Him comes all truth and resulting good. This is clear from the meaning of 'father' as that which comes from Him, from the meaning of 'multitude' as truth, and also from the meaning of 'nations' as resulting good, all dealt with above in `@@@2005-2007`. The fact that these same words mean in the more universal or more remote sense the union of the Human Essence with the Divine Essence, see above, in `@@@2004`. For the union of the Lord's Human Essence with the Divine Essence is as the union of truth with good, and the union of His Divine Essence with the Human Essence that of good with truth - which is reciprocal union. Indeed within the Lord it was truth itself that united itself to good, and good that united itself to truth, for the Infinite Divine cannot be called anything else than Good and Truth themselves. Consequently the human mind is not at all mistaken when it thinks of the Lord as Good itself and Truth itself.
ppp21837#pid#2012. Verse `Genesis 17bbbccc6` And I will make you more and more fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings will come out of you.
'I will make you more and more fruitful' means endless fruitfulness of good. 'And I will make nations of you' means that all good comes from Him. 'And kings will come out of you' means that all truth comes from Him.
ppp21836#pid#2013. 'I will make you more and more fruitful' means endless fruitfulness of good. This is clear from the meaning of 'being fruitful' as having reference to good, dealt with already in `@@@43`, `@@@55`, `@@@913`, `@@@983`. And because the expression 'more and more' is used and the Lord is the subject, endless fruitfulness is meant.
ppp21835#pid#2014. That 'I will make nations of you' means that all good comes from Him is clear from the meaning of 'nations' in its genuine and primary sense as good, dealt with in Volume One, in `@@@1259`, `@@@1260`, `@@@1416`, `@@@1849`.
ppp21834#pid#2015. That 'kings will come out of you' means that all truth comes from Him is clear from the meaning of 'a king' as truth in both the historical and the prophetical sections of the Word, as stated in `@@@1672` but not yet shown to be so. From the meaning of 'nations' as goods, and from the meaning of 'kings' as truths, the nature of the internal sense of the Word becomes clear, and also how remote it is from the sense of the letter. No one reading the Word, especially the historical section, believes anything other than that 'nations' referred to there means nations, or that 'kings' there means kings, and therefore that the nations mentioned there, or the kings, are the real subject of the very Word itself. But when the idea of nations and also of kings reaches angels it perishes altogether, and good and truth take their place instead. This is bound to seem strange and indeed a paradox, but it is nevertheless the truth. The matter may also become clear to anyone from the fact that if nations were meant in the Word by 'nations' and kings by 'kings', the Word of the Lord would hardly embody anything more than some historical or other piece of writing and so would be something of a worldly nature, when in fact everything in the Word is Divine and so is celestial and spiritual.
ttt[2] Take merely the statement in the present verse about Abraham's being made fruitful, nations being made of him, and kings coming out of him. What else is this but something purely worldly and nothing at all heavenly? Indeed these assertions entail no more than the glory of this world, a glory which is absolutely nothing in heaven. But if this is the Word of the Lord then its glory must be that of heaven, not that of the world. This also is why the sense of the letter is completely erased and disappears when it passes into heaven, and is purified in such a way that nothing worldly at all is intermingled. For 'Abraham' is not used to mean Abraham but the Lord; nor is 'being fruitful' used to mean his descendants who would increase more and more but the endless growth of good belonging to the Lord's Human Essence. 'Nations' do not mean nations but goods, and 'kings' do not mean kings but truths. Nevertheless the narrative in the sense of the letter remains historically true, for Abraham was indeed spoken to in this way; and he was indeed made fruitful in this way, with nations as well as kings descending from him.
ttt[3] That 'kings' means truths becomes clear from the following places: In Isaiah,
The sons of the foreigner will build up your walls, and their kings will minister to you. You will suck the milk of nations, and the breast of kings will you suck. `Isaiah 60bbb10`, `Isaiah 60bbbccc16`.
What 'sucking the milk of nations and the breast of kings' means is not at all evident from the letter but from the internal sense, in which being endowed with goods and instructed in truths is meant. In Jeremiah,
There will enter through the gates of this city kings and princes seated on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses. `Jeremiah 17bbb25`; `Jeremiah ccc22bbb4`.
'Riding in chariots and on horses' is a prophecy meaning the abundance of things of the understanding, as becomes clear from very many places in the Prophets. Thus the prophecy that 'kings will enter through the gates of the city' means in the internal sense that they were to be endowed with truths of faith. This sense of the Word is the heavenly sense into which the worldly sense of the letter passes.
ttt[4] In the same prophet,
Jehovah has spurned in His fierce indignation king and priest. The gates of Zion have sunk into the ground, He has destroyed and broken in pieces her bars. King and princes are among the nations; the law is no more. `Lamentations 2bbb6`, `Lamentations 2bbbccc9`.
Here 'king' stands for the truth of faith, 'priest' for the good of charity, 'Zion' for the Church, which is destroyed and its bars broken in pieces. Consequently 'king and princes among the nations', that is, truth and what belongs to truth, will be so completely banished that 'the law is no more', that is, nothing of the doctrine of faith will exist any more. In Isaiah,
Before the boy knows to refuse evil and to choose good, the ground will be abandoned which you loathe in the presence of its two kings. `Isaiah 7bbb16`.
This refers to the Lord's Coming. 'The land that will be abandoned' stands for faith which at that time would not exist. 'The kings' are the truths of faith which would be loathed.
ttt[5] In the same prophet,
I will lift up My hand to the nations and raise My ensign to the peoples; and they will bring your sons in their bosom, and your daughters will be carried on their shoulder. Kings will be your foster fathers and their queens your wet-nurses. `Isaiah 49bbb22-23`.
'Nations' and 'daughters' stand for goods, 'peoples' and 'sons' for truths, as shown in Volume One. That 'nations' stands for goods, `@@@1259`, `@@@1260`, `@@@1416`, `@@@1849`, as does 'daughters', `@@@489-491`, while 'peoples' stands for truths, `@@@1259`, `@@@1260`, as does 'sons', `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@533`, `@@@1147`. 'Kings' therefore stands for truths, in general by which they will be nourished, and 'queens' for goods by which they will be suckled. Whether you speak of goods and truths or of those who are governed by goods and truths it amounts to the same.
ttt[6] In the same prophet,
He will spatter many nations, kings will shut their mouths because of him,`fff1` for that which has [not] been told them they have seen, and that which they have not heard they have understood. `Isaiah 52bbb15`.
This refers to the Lord's Coming. 'Nations' stands for those who are stirred by an affection for goods, 'kings' those who are stirred by an affection for truths. In David,
Now, O kings, be intelligent; be instructed, O judges of the earth. Serve Jehovah with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son lest He perhaps be angry and you perish in the way. `Psalms 2bbb10-12`.
'Kings' stands for people who are governed by truths, and who by virtue of truths are also in many places called 'king's sons'. 'The Son' here stands for the Lord, and he is called the Son here because he is Truth itself, and the source of all truth.
ttt[7] In John,
They will sing a new song, You are worthy to take the Book and to open its seals. You have made us kings and priests to our God so that we shall reign on the earth. `Revelation 5bbb9-10`.
Here people who are governed by truths are called 'kings'. The Lord also calls them 'the sons of the kingdom' in Matthew,
He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world, the seed are the sons of the kingdom, and the tares are the sons of the evil one. `Matthew 13bbb37-38`.
In John,
The sixth angel poured out his bowl over the great river Euphrates and its water was dried up to prepare the way of the kings who were from the east. `Revelation 16bbb12`.
'Euphrates' clearly does not mean the Euphrates, nor does 'kings from the east' mean kings from that quarter. What 'Euphrates' does mean may be seen in `@@@120`, `@@@1585`, `@@@1866`, from which it is evident that 'the way of the kings who were from the cast' means truths of faith that derive from goods of love.
ttt[8] In the same book,
The nations that are saved will walk in its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory and honour into it. `Revelation 21bbb24`.
Here 'nations' stands for people who are governed by goods, 'kings of the earth' for those who are governed by truths, which is also evident from the fact that the details here are prophetical, not historical. In the same book,
With the great harlot seated on many waters the kings of the earth have committed whoredom and have become drunk with the wine of her whoredom. `Revelation 17bbb2`.
And elsewhere in the same book,
Babylon has given all nations drink from the wine of the fury of her whoredom; and the kings of the earth have committed whoredom with her. `Revelation 18bbb1`, `Revelation 18bbbccc3`, `Revelation 18bbbccc9`.
Here similarly it is clear that 'the kings of the earth' does not mean kings, for the subject is the falsification and adulteration of the doctrine of faith, that is, of truth, which are 'whoredom'. 'Kings of the earth' stands for truths that have been falsified and adulterated.
ttt[9] In the same book,
The ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom but are receiving authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast. These will be of one mind, and they will hand over power and authority to the beast. `Revelation 17bbb12-13`.
That 'kings' here does not mean kings may also be evident to anyone. If kings were meant, then 'ten kings receiving authority as kings for one hour' would be quite unintelligible, as similarly with the following words in the same book,
I saw the beast and the kings of the earth, and their armies gathered to make war with Him who was sitting on the horse, and with His army. `Revelation 19bbb19`
In verse `Genesis 17bbbccc13` of the same chapter it is stated explicitly that the One who was sitting on the horse was The Word of God, against which the kings of the earth are said to have been gathered. 'The beast' stands for goods of love that have been profaned, 'kings' for truths of faith that have been adulterated; these are called 'kings of the earth' because they exist within the Church - 'earth' meaning the Church, see `@@@662`, `@@@1066`, `@@@1067`, `@@@1262`. 'The white horse' stands for the understanding of truth, 'He who was sitting on the horse' for the Word. This matter is plainer still in `Daniel 11bbb0`, describing the war between the king of the south and the king of the north, by which is meant the conflict of truths with falsities. Here such conflicts are described as a war that took place in history.
ttt[10] Since 'a king' means truth, what is meant in the internal sense when the Lord is called King, and also a Priest, is made clear; and what essential quality of the Lord was represented by kings, and what by priests, is also made clear. 'Kings' represented His Divine Truth, and 'priests' His Divine Good. All the laws of order by which the Lord governs the universe as King are truths, while all the laws by which He governs the universe as Priest and by which He rules even over truths themselves are goods. For government from truths alone condemns everyone to hell, but government from goods lifts them out of that place and raises them up into heaven; see `@@@1728`. Because, in the Lord's case, these two - truths and goods - are joined together, they were also represented in ancient times by kingship and priesthood combined, as with Melchizedek who was at one and the same time king of Salem and priest to God Most High, `Genesis 14bbb18`. And at a later time among the Jews where the representative Church was established in a form of its own He was represented by judges and priests, and after that by kings.
ttt[11] But because 'kings' represented truths which ought not to be paramount for the reason, already stated, that they condemn, the very idea was so objectionable that the Jews were reproached for it. The nature of truth regarded in itself has been described in `1 Samuel 8bbb11-18`, as the rights of a king; and previous to that, in Moses, in `Deuteronomy 17bbb14-18`, they had been commanded through Moses to choose genuine truth deriving from good, not spurious truth, and not to pollute it with reasonings and factual knowledge. These are the considerations which the directive concerning a king given in the place in Moses referred to above embodies within itself. No one can possibly see this from the sense of the letter, but it is nevertheless evident from the details within the internal sense. This shows why 'a king' and 'kingship' represented and meant nothing other than truth.
`nnn1. literally, over him
ppp21833#pid#2016. To say that the Lord is the source of all good, and from this of all truth, is to express an unchanging truth. Angels see this truth with perception, so clearly that they perceive that insofar as anything is derived from the Lord it is good and true, and insofar as anything is derived from themselves it is evil and false. They also confess this truth before souls newly arrived there, and before spirits who are in doubt about it; indeed, they go so far as to declare that they are withheld by the Lord from evil and falsity which arise from their proprium and are kept by Him in good and truth. The actual withholding from their evil and falsity and the actual entrance of the Lord with good and truth is also perceptible to them; see `@@@1614`. But as to man's imagining that he does what is good from himself and thinks what is true from himself, this is an appearance due to his state being a state in which no perception is present and in which very great obscurity exists where influx is concerned. What he thinks therefore is based on that appearance, indeed on a delusion, from which he never allows himself to be removed so long as he believes nothing but the senses and reasons from these whether the thing is so. But although the appearance is such, man ought nevertheless to do what is good and to think what is true as from himself, for in no other way can he be reformed and regenerated. For the reason why, see `@@@1937`, `@@@1947`.
ttt[2] The subject in this verse is the Lord's Human Essence that was to be united to the Divine Essence, also that all good and truth would accordingly come to man from the Divine Essence by way of His Human Essence. This is a Divine arcanum which few believe because they cannot grasp it mentally. Indeed they imagine that Divine Good can reach out to man independently of the Lord's Human united to the Divine. But the reason it cannot do so has already been shown briefly in `@@@1676`, `@@@1990` - that through the evil desires in which he had immersed himself and through the falsities with which he had blinded himself man had moved himself so far away from the Supreme Divine that no influx of the Divine into the rational part of his mind was possible, except by way of the Human which the Lord united in Himself to the Divine. It was through His Human that communication was established, for in that way the Supreme Divine was able to come to man, as the Lord explicitly states in many places, that is to say, where He says that He is the way and that there is no other access to the Father except through Him. This then is what is being stated here - that He, that is to say, the Human united to the Divine, is the source of all good and of all truth.
ppp21832#pid#2017. Verse `Genesis 17bbbccc7` And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your seed after you throughout their generations for an eternal covenant, to be God to you and to your seed after you.
'I will establish My covenant between Me and you' means union. 'And your seed after you' means conjunction with those who have faith in Him. 'Throughout their generations' means the things that comprise faith. 'For an eternal covenant' means conjunction with these people. 'To be God to you' means the Lord's Divine within Himself. 'And to your seed after you' means the Divine from that source with those who have faith in Him.
ppp21831#pid#2018. That 'I will establish My covenant between Me and you' means union is clear from the meaning of 'a covenant' as union, dealt with already in `@@@665`, `@@@666`, `@@@1023`, `@@@1038`. This union has been dealt with above in this chapter and in other places before that, where it has been shown that Jehovah who is the speaker here was within Him, because He was one with Him from the very start of conception and birth. For He was indeed conceived from Jehovah, and therefore His Internal was Jehovah. And in `@@@1999` this has been illustrated by the similarity that exists with man; that is to say, his soul is one with his body, or his internal one with his external, even though they are quite distinct and separate from each other. Sometimes they are so distinct that one is in conflict with the other, as normally happens in times of temptation when the internal reproaches the external and wishes to cast out the evil that is within the external; nevertheless they are joined together or are one since soul and body both belong to the same person. Take for example a person whose thought is something other than what is expressed in his looks, speech, and actions. In his case that which is more interior is at variance with that which is external; yet the two make one, for the thought is just as much part of that person as the external is to which looks, speech, and actions belong. Union exists however when the latter - looks, speech, and action - are in agreement with the thought. So much for these remarks added by way of illustration.
ppp21830#pid#2019. 'And your seed after you' means conjunction with those who have faith in Him. This is clear from the meaning of 'seed' as faith, dealt with in `@@@1025`, `@@@1447`, `@@@1610`, and also from the meaning of 'after you' as following. In the Word 'walking after someone' is a frequently used phrase, as in `Jeremiah 7bbb6`; `Jeremiah ccc8bbb2`; `Ezekiel 20bbb16`; also `Mark 8bbb34`; `Luke 9bbb23`; `Luke ccc14bbb27`. Here therefore 'your seed after you' means those who have faith and who follow Him. In the internal sense they are those born from Him.
ppp21829#pid#2020. 'Throughout their generations' means the things that comprise faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'generations' as those things that are begotten and born from charity, that is, all things comprising faith, or what amounts to the same, all people who have been regenerated by the Lord, thus those with whom the faith inhering in charity is present. This will be discussed in the Lord's Divine mercy later on. That in the internal sense generations and also nativities have this meaning has been shown in Volume One, in `@@@613`, `@@@1041`, `@@@1145`, `@@@1330`.
ppp21828#pid#2021. 'For an eternal covenant' means conjunction with these people. This is clear from the meaning of 'a covenant' as conjunction, dealt with already in `@@@665`, `@@@666`, `@@@1023`, `@@@1038`; and that this conjunction is with those called 'the seed' is clear from the fact of its coming immediately after a reference to that 'seed', and of its being a second mention in this verse of a covenant. Thus the first mention of 'a covenant' has reference to the union of Jehovah with the Human Essence, and the second to the conjunction with those who are 'the seed'. To allow a clearer idea of the union of the Lord's Divine Essence with the Human Essence and of the conjunction of the Lord with the human race by means of the faith that inheres in charity, let the term union here and from now on be used to describe the first of these, and conjunction the second. Indeed the bond between the Lord's Divine Essence and Human Essence really was a union, but that between the Lord and the human race by means of the faith that inheres in charity is conjunction. From this it is clear that because Jehovah or the Lord is Life, His Human Essence became Life as well, as shown above. It was a union of life with life. Man however is not life but a recipient of life, as also shown already. When life flows into a recipient of life conjunction takes place, for life accommodates itself to the recipient as active does to passive or as that which in itself is living does to that which in itself is dead but made living from that which in itself is living. In the case of the principal and the instrumental, as they are called, they do indeed seem to have been joined together to exist as one. Nevertheless they are not one, for each exists by itself. Man does not live of himself, but the Lord in His mercy links him to Himself and in so doing causes him to live for ever. And because the Lord and man are distinct and separate from each other the term conjunction is used.
ppp21827#pid#2022. 'To be God to you' means the Lord's Divine within Himself. This is clear from what has been stated above about the Lord's Divine Essence being within Him.
ppp21826#pid#2023. 'And to your seed after you' means the Divine from that source with those who have faith in Him. This is clear from the meaning of 'seed' as the faith that inheres in charity, dealt with in `@@@1025`, `@@@1447`, `@@@1610`, and also from the meaning of 'after you' as following Him, dealt with just above in `@@@2019`. The Divine as it resides with those who have faith in Him is love and charity - love to the Lord being understood by 'love', and love towards the neighbour by 'charity'. Love to the Lord cannot possibly be separated from love towards the neighbour, for the Lord's love is directed towards the whole human race whom He wishes to save eternally and to join so completely to Himself that not a single one of them perishes. Anyone therefore who has love to the Lord possesses the Lord's love and so cannot help loving the neighbour.
ttt[2] But not all people who are moved by love towards the neighbour are on that account moved by love to the Lord. This is so in the case of honest gentiles with whom, though they do not know the Lord, the Lord is nevertheless present in their charity, as shown in Volume One, in `@@@1032`, `@@@1059`. And this also applies to others inside the Church, for love to the Lord is of a higher order. People who have love to the Lord are celestial, but those who have love towards the neighbour, which is charity, are spiritual. The Most Ancient Church which existed before the Flood and was celestial was moved by love to the Lord, whereas the Ancient Church which existed after the Flood and was spiritual was moved by love towards the neighbour, which is charity. This distinction between love and charity will be maintained, when they are mentioned, in what follows.
ppp21825#pid#2024. Verse `Genesis 17bbbccc8` And I will give to you, and to your seed after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an eternal possession; and I will be their God.
'I will give to you, and to your seed after you, the land of your sojournings' means that the Lord acquired to Himself by His own powers all things meant by 'the land of your sojournings', 'I will give to you' meaning that the things which exist in heaven and on earth are His, 'and to your seed after you' meaning that He would give them to those who would have faith in Him. 'All the land of Canaan' means the heavenly kingdom. 'For an eternal possession' means for ever. 'And I will be their God' means that God is one.
ppp21824#pid#2025. That 'I will give to you, and to your seed after you, the land of your sojournings' means that the Lord acquired to Himself by His own powers all things meant by 'the land of sojournings' is clear from the meaning of 'sojourning' as receiving instruction, dealt with in `@@@1463`. And because man acquires life to himself chiefly through instruction in facts, matters of doctrine, and cognitions of faith, sojourning is consequently the life so acquired. When applied to the Lord it is the life which He obtained for Himself through cognitions, through the conflicts that constituted temptations, and through victories in temptations; and because He obtained it by His own powers, this is what 'the land of your sojournings' means here.
ttt[2] That the Lord obtained all things for Himself by His own powers, and by His own powers united the Human Essence to the Divine Essence and Divine Essence to Human Essence, and that He alone in this way became righteousness, is quite clear in the Prophets, as in Isaiah,
Who is this coming from Edom, marching in the vast numbers of His strength? I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no one was with Me. I looked around and there was no one helping; and I was astonished that there was no one upholding; therefore My own arm brought Me salvation. `Isaiah 63bbb1`, `Isaiah 63bbbccc3`, `Isaiah 63bbbccc5`.
'Edom' stands for the Lord's Human Essence, 'strength' and 'arm' for power. Plain statements to the effect that He acted from His own power are contained in the phrases 'no one helping' and 'no one upholding', and in that about His own arm bringing Him salvation.
ttt[3] In the same prophet,
He saw that there was no one, and wondered that there was nobody to intercede; and His own arm brought salvation to Him, and His righteousness upheld Him. And He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on His head. `Isaiah 59bbb16-17`.
This similarly means that He acted by His own power, and in so doing became righteousness. That the Lord is righteousness is stated in Daniel,
Seventy weeks have been decreed to atone for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up vision and prophet, and to anoint the Most Holy Place. `Daniel 9bbb24`.
And in Jeremiah,
I will raise up for David a righteous branch, and He will reign as king and act with understanding, and He will execute judgement and righteousness in the land. In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell in confidence. And this is His name which they will call Him, Jehovah our Righteousness. `Jeremiah 23bbb5-6`; `Jeremiah ccc33bbb15-16`.
For this reason He is also called 'the Habitation of Righteousness' in `Jeremiah 31bbb23`; `Jeremiah ccc50bbb7`, and 'wonderful' and 'Hero' in `Isaiah 9bbb6`.
ttt[4] The reason why the Lord so many times attributes to the Father that which is His own has been explained above in `@@@1999`, `@@@2004`; for Jehovah was within Him, and so within every single part of Him. Something similar in man may be used for illustration, although there can be no comparison. Within man is his soul, and because it is within him, the soul is within every individual part of him, that is to say, within every individual part of his thinking and every individual part of his activity. Anything that does not have his soul within it is not part of him. The Lord's soul was Life itself or Being (Esse) itself, which is Jehovah, for He was conceived from Jehovah; thus Life itself was present within every individual part of Him. And because Life itself, or Being (Esse) itself, which is Jehovah, belonged to Him in the way that the soul does to man, so that which was Jehovah's was His, which is what the Lord says in His statements about His being in the bosom of the Father, `John 1bbb18`, and about all things that the Father has being His, `John 16bbb15`; `John ccc17bbb10-11`.
ttt[5] From good which is Jehovah's He united the Divine Essence to the Human Essence, and from truth united the Human Essence to the Divine Essence, and so achieved every single thing all from Himself. Indeed His Human was left to Itself in order that of Himself He might fight against all the hells and overcome them; and because He had life within Himself, as stated, which was His own, He overcame them by His own power and strength, as is also clearly stated in the places quoted from the Prophets. So then, because He acquired all things to Himself by His own powers, He became Righteousness, cleared the world of spirits of hellish genii and spirits, and in so doing rescued the human race from destruction - for the human race is governed by means of spirits - and thus redeemed it. This is why the Old Testament Word speaks so often of Him as Rescuer and Redeemer, and also Saviour, as His name Jesus describes.
ppp21823#pid#2026. That 'I will give to you' means that the things which exist in heaven and on earth are His follows from what has just been stated. In the sense of the letter 'giving to you' means that God or Jehovah would give to Him, as is also declared in the Word of the Gospel-writers about the Father giving all things in heaven and on earth to Him. But in the internal sense in which truth itself is presented in its purity, the meaning is that the Lord acquired it to Himself, because within Him and within every part of Him Jehovah was present, as has been stated. further light can be shed on this by the following analogy: It is as though the interior or rational man, or else thought, were to say that the bodily part of him would discover peace and quiet if it were to refrain from doing this or that. In this case the one who speaks is the same as the one spoken to, for the rational belongs to that person just as much as the bodily part. When therefore the former is spoken of the latter also is meant.
ttt[2] Besides, the fact that things in heaven and on earth are the Lord's is clear from very many places in the Word, from many in the Old Testament as well as from the following in the Gospels, `Matthew 11bbb27`; `Matthew ccc28bbb18`; `Luke 10bbb22`; `John 3bbb34-35`; `John ccc17bbb2`, and from what has been shown in Volume One, in `@@@458`, `@@@551`, `@@@552`, `@@@1607`. And because the Lord governs the whole of heaven He also governs everything on earth, for the two are so interconnected that whoever governs one governs all. For dependent on the heaven of angels is the heaven of angelic spirits; dependent on the heaven of angelic spirits is the world of spirits; and dependent in turn on the world of spirits is the human race. And dependent in like manner on the heavens is everything in the world and the natural order, for without influx from the Lord by way of the heavens nothing in the natural order and its three kingdoms can ever come into existence and remain in existence; see `@@@1632`.
ppp21822#pid#2027. 'And to your seed after you' means that He would give them to those who would have faith in Him. This is clear from the meaning of 'seed' as faith, dealt with in `@@@1025`, `@@@1447`, `@@@1610`, that is to say, the faith that is grounded in charity, dealt with in `@@@379`, `@@@389`, `@@@654`, `@@@724`, `@@@809`, `@@@916`, `@@@1017`, `@@@1162`, `@@@1176`, `@@@1258`. People who attach merit to the deeds they perform in life do not have the faith that is grounded in charity, and so are not those meant by 'the seed' here, for in so doing they do not wish to be saved by the Lord's righteousness but by their own. That no faith grounded in charity exists with them, that is, no charity, is clear from their habit of putting themselves before other people and so of having themselves in view and not other people, except insofar as the latter serve them. And those who are unwilling to serve them they either despise or hate. Thus through self-love they part company and never come together, and in this way they destroy that which is heavenly, namely mutual love, which is the mainstay of heaven. For it is in that love that heaven itself, and its whole companionship and harmony, continues to exist and consists. For whatever is destructive of the harmony existing in the next life is opposed to the order of heaven itself, and so contributes to the destruction of the whole. Such is the nature of people who attach merit to the deeds which they perform in life and lay claim to righteousness for themselves.
ttt[2] There are many persons of this type in the next life. Sometimes their faces shine like torches, but this is because of the ignis fatuus that is the product of self-righteousness. They are in fact ice-cold. Sometimes they are seen running about and confirming self-merit from the literal sense of the Word, at the same time hating the truths that belong to the internal sense, `@@@1877`. The sphere emanating from them is one of self-regard, and so a sphere destructive of all ideas which do not regard self as some kind of deity. The sphere emanating from many such persons is at the same time so disruptive that nothing else than that which is hostile and antagonistic exists there, for when each has the same wish, namely to be served, he at heart slays every other.
ttt[3] Some of them are numbered among those who say that they have worked in the Lord's vineyard. During all that time however they had been turning over in their minds how to further their own reputation, glory, and honour, and also their own enrichment, even to the point of their becoming the greatest in heaven and being served even by angels. Since at heart they despise others in comparison with themselves, they have accordingly not been endowed with any mutual love in which heaven consists but with self-love which they identify with heaven, for they do not know what heaven is. Regarding these people, see `@@@450-452`, `@@@1594`, `@@@1679`. They belong among those who wish to be first but become last, of whom the Lord speaks in `Matthew 19bbb30`; `Matthew ccc20bbb16`; `Mark 10bbb31`. They are also those who say that they have prophesied in the Lord's name and have done many mighty works, but of whom it is said, 'I do not know you', `Matthew 7bbb22-23`.
ttt[4] The situation is different with people who from simplicity of heart have assumed that they have merited heaven but who have led charitable lives and who have not been captivated by self-love and so despised others in comparison with themselves. They have looked upon meriting heaven as a promise, and they readily acknowledge that it is a matter of the Lord's mercy, for a charitable life implies such acknowledgement. Charity itself loves all truth.
ppp21821#pid#2028. 'All the land of Canaan' means the heavenly kingdom. This is clear from the meaning of 'the land of Canaan' as the heavenly kingdom, dealt with already in `@@@1413`, `@@@1437`, `@@@1607`.
ppp21820#pid#2029. 'For an eternal possession' means for ever. This is clear without explanation. They are called possessors and also heirs not by virtue of merit but of mercy.
ppp21819#pid#2030. 'And I will be their God' means that God is one. This is clear from the fact that here the subject is the Lord's Human Essence that was to be united to the Divine Essence and so means that the Human Essence as well was to become God. Thus 'I will be their God' means in the internal sense that God is one.
ppp21818#pid#2031. Verse `Genesis 17bbbccc9` And God said to Abraham, And you shall keep My covenant, you and your seed after you throughout their generations.
'God said to Abraham' means perception. 'And you shall keep My covenant' means an even closer union. 'You and your seed after you' means that from Him there is a conjunction of all who have faith in Him. 'Throughout their generations' means the things that comprise faith.
ppp21817#pid#2032. That 'God said to Abraham' means perception is clear from the meaning in the historical sense of the Word of 'God saying' as perception, dealt with already in `@@@1602`, `@@@1791`, `@@@1815`, `@@@1819`, `@@@1822`.
ppp21816#pid#2033. 'You shall keep My covenant' means an even closer union. This is clear from the meaning of 'a covenant' as union and conjunction, dealt with already at verses `Genesis 17bbbccc2`, `Genesis 17bbbccc4`, `Genesis 17bbbccc7`, and in Volume One, in `@@@665`, `@@@666`, `@@@1023`, `@@@1038`. The further reference here to the covenant which has been mentioned so many times already denotes a closer union. In the historical sense which has to do with Abraham, nothing else may be said than that he was to keep the covenant; but in the internal sense, in which the Lord is the subject, the historical aspects disappear and things take their place which have to do with being united more closely. The union of the Lord's Human Essence with His Divine Essence was not accomplished all at once but gradually throughout the whole course of His life from early childhood to the end of His life in the world. Thus He was ascending continuously towards glorification, that is, towards union, which is what is stated in John,
Jesus said, Father, glorify Your name. A voice came from heaven, I have both glorified it and will glorify it again. `John 12bbb28`.
See what has appeared already in `@@@1690`, `@@@1864`.
ppp21815#pid#2034. 'You and your seed after you' means that from Him there is a conjunction of all who have faith in Him. This is clear from the meaning of 'seed' as faith, dealt with frequently above, and from the meaning of 'after you' as following Him, dealt with above in `@@@2019`. Previously the subject has been the union of the Divine Essence with the Human Essence and of Human Essence with Divine Essence. But now it is the conjunction of the Lord with those who believe in Him, which is also why the word 'you' is repeated, that is to say, 'you shall keep My covenant' followed by 'you and your seed'. From this repetition of 'you' and from the coupling of it with 'seed' it is clear that in the internal sense conjunction is meant, in particular conjunction with those who constitute the seed, which has been shown in `@@@1025`, `@@@1447`, `@@@1610`, to mean the faith that inheres in charity. And the fact that faith is charity itself, see Volume One, in `@@@30-38`, `@@@379`, `@@@389`, `@@@654`, `@@@724`, `@@@809`, `@@@916`, `@@@1017`, `@@@1076`, `@@@1077`, `@@@1162`, `@@@1176`, `@@@1258`, `@@@1798`, `@@@1799`, `@@@1834`, `@@@1844`.
ttt[2] Furthermore when the Lord speaks of the union of Himself with the Father He is at one and the same time speaking about His own conjunction with the human race since this was the reason for the union, as is clear in John,
That they may all be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in Us. The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one even as We are one, I in them and You in Me. For I made known to them Your name, and I will make it known, that the love with which You have loved Me may be in them. `John 17bbb21-23`, `John 17bbbccc26`.
These verses show that in the union of Himself with His Father the Lord had conjunction of Himself with the human race in view, and had this conjunction at heart because it constituted His love. Indeed all conjunction comes about through love, love being conjunction itself.
ttt[3] Elsewhere in the same gospel,
Because I live you will live also; in that day you will know that I am in the Father, and you in Me, and I in you. He who has My commandments and does them, he it is who loves Me. `John 14bbb19-21`.
This similarly shows that in the union of His Human Essence with the Divine Essence the Lord had in view the conjunction of Himself with the human race, and that this was His end in view, and this His love, which was such that His inmost joy was the salvation of the human race, which He had had in view in the union of Himself with His Father. These verses from John describe what it is that effects union, namely having His commandments and doing them, which is loving the Lord.
ttt[4] In the same gospel,
Father, glorify Your name. A voice therefore came from heaven, I have both glorified it and will glorify it again. Jesus said, Not for My sake has this voice come but for yours. But I, when I have been lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.`fff1` `John 12bbb28`, `John 12bbbccc30`, `John 12bbbccc32`.
'Glorification' is used to mean union, as stated already. And the fact that in the union of Himself with the Father He had the conjunction of Himself with the human race in view is stated openly in the words, 'When I have been lifted up I will draw all men to Myself'.
ttt[5] As for the conjunction of the Infinite, or Supreme Divine, with the human race being accomplished through the Lord's Human made Divine, and as for this conjunction being the reason for the Lord's Coming into the world, this is an arcanum to which many apply their minds, but because it is beyond their grasp they do not believe it. And since they do not believe it, for the reason that they cannot grasp it, that arcanum becomes a stumbling-block to them. That this is so I have been given to know from much experience of people entering the next life. Very many of these - the majority of clever people in the world - when they merely think that the Lord became man and was in outward appearance like any other human being, and that He suffered, and yet is at the same time governing the universe, immediately fill the sphere around them with stumbling-blocks. The reason they do so is that to them this whole idea had been a stumbling-block during their lifetime, though they had not then made this public but had worshipped Him in outward expressions of holiness. For in the next life the things that are interior are laid bare and revealed by the sphere that emanates from them, dealt with in Volume One, in `@@@1048`. `@@@1053`, `@@@1316`, `@@@1504`. From this sphere one perceives quite plainly what their faith had really been and what they had really thought about the Lord.
ttt[6] This being so let the matter be explained a little further. After everything celestial with man perished, that is, all love to God, so that as a result the will for what is good existed no longer, the human race was separated from the Divine. For nothing other than love effects conjunction, and when love has been reduced to nothing, disjunction has taken place. And when the latter has taken place destruction and annihilation follow. At that point therefore a promise was given concerning the Lord's Coming into the world, who was to unite the Human to the Divine, and by means of this union was to join [to the Divine] the human race that was abiding in Himself through faith grounded in love and charity.
ttt[7] From the time of that first promise given in `Genesis 3bbb15`, this kind of faith in the Lord who was to come was conjunctive. But once faith springing from love did not remain any more in the world the Lord came and united the Human Essence to the Divine Essence so that these were completely one, as He Himself states explicitly. At the same time He taught the way of truth to the effect that everyone who believed in Him, that is, who loved Him and what was His, and who abided in His love, which is a love directed towards the entire human race and so towards the neighbour, would be conjoined and thus saved.
ttt[8] Once the Human had been made Divine, and the Divine made Human in the Lord, an influx of the Infinite, or the Supreme Divine, took place with man which could not possibly have manifested itself in any other way. Also by means of that influx the dreadful false persuasions and the dreadful desires for evil were dispersed with which the world of spirits had been filled and was constantly being filled by souls streaming into it from the world; and those who were actuated by such persuasions and evil desires were cast into hell and so separated. Unless this had been done the human race would have perished, for it is by means of spirits that the Lord rules the human race. They could not have been dispersed in any other way because there was no activity of the Divine by way of man's rational concepts into his inner sensory awareness, for these are far below the Supreme Divine when not so united. Still deeper arcana exist which cannot possibly be explained intelligibly to anyone. See what has appeared already in `@@@1676`, `@@@1990`, `@@@2016`. That the Lord appears as the Sun in the heaven of celestial angels and as the Moon in the heaven of spiritual angels, and that the Sun is the celestial existence of His love and the Moon the spiritual existence of it, see `@@@1053`, `@@@1521`, `@@@1529-1531`; and that every single thing comes beneath His gaze, `@@@1274` (end), `@@@1277` (end)
`nnn1. The Latin means after Me but the Greek means to Me which Swedenborg has in other places where he quotes this verse.
ppp21814#pid#2035. 'Throughout their generations' means the things that comprise faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'generations', and of descendants, as the things that comprise faith, dealt with in `@@@613`, `@@@1145`, `@@@1255`, `@@@1330`. And that things of love and faith are like blood relatives and relatives by marriage, see `@@@685`, `@@@917`.
ppp21813#pid#2036. Verse `Genesis 17bbbccc10` This is My covenant which you shall keep between Me and you, and your seed after you: Every male among you is to be circumcised.
'This is My covenant which you shall keep between Me and you' means a token of the conjunction of all with the Lord. 'And your seed after you' means those who have faith in Him. 'Every male among you is to be circumcised' means purity.
ppp21812#pid#2037. That 'this is My covenant which you shall keep between Me and you' means a token of the conjunction of all with the Lord is clear from the meaning of 'a covenant' as conjunction, dealt with already. That a token of conjunction is meant here is clear from the next verse where it is called 'a sign of the covenant' in the statement, 'You shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and it will be a sign of the covenant between Me and you'. All the external religious ceremonies of the Church were signs of the covenant, ceremonies which were to be held sacred since they were signs meaning things of an internal nature. The circumcision referred to here was nothing else than a religious ceremony that was representative and carried a spiritual meaning, as will be explained in the paragraphs following this. All the same, such religious ceremonies in the Word are frequently called a covenant for the reason that external things represented and thereby meant internal things. The internal things are what make it a covenant because it is these that are conjunctive, not external things except through internal. External things were simply the signs of the covenant, or tokens of conjunction, by which the internal things might be called to mind and so by which conjunction might take place. Concerning signs of the covenant, see `@@@1038`. All the internal aspects of the covenant, that is, those which bring about conjunction, have reference to love and charity and stem from love and charity, for on these two, that is to say, on loving the Lord more than oneself and the neighbour as oneself, depend all the Law and all the Prophets, that is, the doctrine of faith in its entirety, `Matthew 22bbb35-40`; `Mark 12bbb28-35`.
ppp21811#pid#2038. 'And your seed after you' means those who have faith in Him. This is clear from the meaning of 'seed' as faith springing from charity, dealt with already.
ppp21810#pid#2039. 'Every male [among you] is to be circumcised' means purity. This is clear from the representation and consequently the meaning of 'circumcising' in the internal sense. Circumcision or cutting off the foreskin meant nothing else than the removal and rejection of those elements which stand in the way of and defile heavenly love, namely evil desires, especially those of self-love, and falsities resulting from those desires. The reason why this is the meaning is that the genital organs of both sexes represent heavenly love. There are three kinds of love which constitute the heavenly things of the Lord's kingdom - conjugial love, the love of infants, and social or mutual love. Conjugial love is the chief love of all because it has within it the end of serving the greatest use, namely the propagating of the human race, and therefore of the Lord's kingdom for which it is the seminary. Next to conjugial love, and deriving from it, comes the love of infants, and after that social or mutual love. Whatever covers over, obstructs, and defiles those loves is meant by the foreskin, the cutting away of which, or circumcision, therefore became representative. Indeed to the extent evil desires and resulting falsities are removed, a person is purified and heavenly love can show itself. How contrary self-love is to heavenly love, and how filthy, has been stated and shown in `@@@760`, `@@@1307`, `@@@1308`, `@@@1321`, `@@@1594`, `@@@2045`, `@@@2057`. From these considerations it is plain that circumcision in the internal sense means purity.
ttt[2] That circumcision is no more than the sign of a covenant or of conjunction becomes quite clear from the fact that circumcising the foreskin counts for absolutely nothing if unaccompanied by circumcision of the heart; and that purification from those filthy loves is what circumcision of the heart means is quite evident from the following places in the Word: In Moses,
Jehovah God will circumcise your heart, and the heart of your seed, so that you will love Jehovah your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. `Deuteronomy 30bbb6`.
From these words it is clear that 'circumcising the heart' means being purified from filthy loves in order that Jehovah God or the Lord may be loved with all the heart and all the soul.
ttt[3] In Jeremiah,
Break up your fallow ground, and do not sow among thorns. Circumcise yourselves to Jehovah, and remove the foreskin of your heart, O men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem. `Jeremiah 4bbb3-4`.
'Circumcising oneself to Jehovah and removing the foreskin of the heart' is nothing other than removing such things as stand in the way of heavenly love. From this it is also clear that circumcision of the heart is something more interior that is meant by circumcision of the foreskin. In Moses,
You shall circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and you shall be stiff-necked no longer. [Jehovah] executes judgement for the orphan and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him bread and clothing. `Deuteronomy 10bbb16`, `Deuteronomy 10bbbccc18`.
Here also it is plain that 'circumcising the foreskin of the heart' means being purified from the evils that accompany filthy loves and from resulting falsities. The heavenly things of love are described as charitable works, namely 'executing judgement for the orphan and widow', and 'loving the sojourner to give him bread and clothing'.
ttt[4] In Jeremiah,
Behold, the days are coming in which I will visit every one circumcised in the foreskin - Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab, and all that have the corners [of their hair] cut and who dwell in the wilderness, for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel is uncircumcised in heart. `Jeremiah 9bbb25-26`.
This too shows that circumcision was a sign meaning purification. Although they are called 'circumcised in the foreskin', these nations - the Jews included along with the rest - are considered to be 'uncircumcised nations', and Israel to be 'uncircumcised in heart'. In Moses,
If at that time their uncircumcised heart is humbled. `Leviticus 26bbb41`.
Here the meaning is similar.
ttt[5] That the foreskin and being uncircumcised means that which is unclean is clear in Isaiah,
Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion, put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city, for there will no more come into you the uncircumcised and the unclean. `Isaiah 52bbb1`.
'Zion' is used to mean the celestial Church and 'Jerusalem' the spiritual Church into which the uncircumcised, which means the unclean, will not enter.
ttt[6] That circumcision is 'a sign of the covenant' or token of conjunction is quite clear from the fact that the same was represented by the requirement to circumcise the fruits of trees also, spoken of in Moses as follows,
When you come into the land and plant any kind of tree for food you shall circumcise its foreskin, its fruit. For three years it shall be to you uncircumcised; it shall not be eaten. And in the fourth all its fruit shall be holy. to the praises of Jehovah. `Leviticus 19bbb23-24`.
'Fruit' similarly represents and means charity, as becomes clear from many places in the Word. Their 'foreskin' accordingly means the uncleanness that obstructs and pollutes charity.
ttt[7] Here is a marvel: When angels in heaven conceive the idea of purification from natural things that are filthy, something akin to circumcision is represented very speedily in the world of spirits, for in the world of spirits angelic ideas come over as representatives. In the Jewish Church there were some representative religious ceremonies which had those same origins and there were others which did not. The spirits with whom that swift circumcision was represented in the world of spirits were people who wished to be allowed into heaven, but before they were allowed in this representation took place. This explains why Joshua was commanded to circumcise the people after they had crossed the Jordan and were about to enter the land of Canaan. The people's entry into the land of Canaan represented nothing else than the admission into heaven of those who have had faith.
ttt[8] This is why circumcision was commanded a second time, described in Joshua as follows,
Jehovah said to Joshua, Make swords of flint for yourself; circumcise the children of Israel a second time. And Joshua made swords of flint for himself, and circumcised the children of Israel on the hill of foreskins. And Jehovah said to Joshua, This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you. And he called the name of that place Gilgal (rolling away). `Joshua 5bbb2-3`, `Joshua 5bbbccc9`.
'Swords of flint' means the truths which they were to be provided with to enable them to correct and cut back filthy loves, for without cognitions of truth no purification is possible. That 'stone' or 'flirt' means truths has been shown already, in `@@@643`, `@@@1298`, and that 'a sword' has reference to truths by which evils may be corrected is clear from the Word.
ppp21809#pid#2040. Verse `Genesis 17bbbccc11` And you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and it will be a sign of the covenant between Me and you.
'You shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin' means the removal of self-love and love of the world. 'And it will be a sign of the covenant between Me and you' means that which is a representative and a meaningful sign of purity.
ppp21808#pid#2041. 'You shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin' means the removal of self-love and love of the world. This is clear from the representation and the meaning of 'circumcision' as purification from filthy loves, dealt with just above in `@@@2039`, and also from the meaning of 'flesh' as man's proprium, dealt with already in `@@@999`. Man's proprium consists of nothing but self-love and love of the world, and so of every desire that stems from those loves. Just how filthy it is has been shown in Volume One, in `@@@141`, `@@@150`, `@@@154`, `@@@210`, `@@@215`, `@@@694`, `@@@731`, `@@@874-876`, `@@@987`, `@@@1047`.
Because this proprium that is to be removed is meant it is here called 'the flesh of the foreskin'.
ttt[2] There are two loves so-called, and their desires, which obstruct the influx of heavenly love from the Lord. For when these reign in the interior man and in the external man and take possession there they either reject or they stifle, and also degrade and defile, heavenly love flowing in, for they are absolutely contrary to heavenly love. The fact that they are absolutely contrary will in the Lord's Divine mercy be shown later on. To the extent they are removed however, heavenly love flowing in from the Lord starts to make its appearance, and in fact starts to dawn in his interior man; and to that extent he starts to notice first that he is under the influence of evil and falsity, then that he is under the influence of what is impure and filthy, and lastly that this has been his proprium.
ttt[3] It is with those who are being regenerated that those loves are removed. That removal may also be recognized from what goes on in those who are not regenerate when the desires belonging to those loves become quiescent, as happens sometimes when they are engaging in meditation on holy things or when they are languishing - as is the case with them in times of misfortune, sickness, and disease, and above all when they are about to die. At these times, since bodily and worldly interests have grown languid and are so to speak dead, such persons become aware of something of heavenly light and of the comfort brought by this. But with these it is not a removal of those desires, only a languishing, for the moment that these people return to their previous state they sink back into those desires.
ttt[4] With the evil as well, bodily and worldly interests can be made to languish, in which case they are able to be raised up into, as it seems, something heavenly, as is sometimes done to souls, especially those newly arrived in the next life, who have an intense desire to see the glory of the Lord because during their lifetime in the world they have heard so much about heaven. At such times their external interests languish and in this condition they are conveyed into the first heaven and enjoy what they have desired. But they are not able to remain there for long because their bodily and worldly interests are merely quiescent and have not been removed, as they have been with angels, regarding which see `@@@541`, `@@@542`. It should be realized that with man heavenly love from the Lord is flowing in constantly, and that nothing else stands in the way, obstructs, or prevents the reception of it than the desires belonging to those loves, and the falsities resulting from them.
ppp21807#pid#2042. 'And it will be a sign of the covenant between Me and you' means that which is a representative and a meaningful sign of purity. This is clear from what has been shown just above in `@@@2039`, to the effect that circumcision was no more than a representative of purification from filthy loves. And because it was merely an external religious ceremony that represented and meant what was internal it was not the covenant but a sign of the covenant.
ppp21806#pid#2043. Verse `Genesis 17bbbccc12` And a son eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations, he who is born in the house, and he who is the purchase of silver, from every son who is a foreigner and not of your seed.
'A son eight days old' means any beginning whatever to purification. 'Shall be circumcised among you' means purification. 'Every male' means those who possess the truth of faith. 'Throughout your generations' means the things that comprise faith. 'He who is born in the house' means celestial people, 'he who is the purchase of silver' spiritual people who are inside the Church. 'From every son who is a foreigner and not of your seed' means those outside the Church.
ppp21805#pid#2044. That 'a son eight days old' means any beginning whatever to purification is clear from the meaning of 'the eighth day'. 'A week', which consists of seven days, means the entire period of any state and length of time - of reformation, regeneration, or temptation, either of the individual in particular or of the Church in general. So the expression 'week' is used whether the period is one of a thousand years, or of a hundred, or of ten, or else one of days, hours, or minutes, and so on, as may become clear from the places quoted in Volume One, in `@@@728`. And because the eighth day is the first day of the following week it here means any new beginning whatever. From this it is also clear that just as circumcision itself was a representative of purification, so also was the time when it took place, namely the eighth day. Not that the uncircumcised on that day entered a purer state and on that account were made pure. Rather even as 'circumcision' was a sign meaning purification, so 'the eighth day' meant that such purification ought to go on all the time and so always to be taking place as if from a new beginning.
ppp21804#pid#2045. 'Shall be circumcised among you' means purification. This is clear from the representation and meaning of 'circumcision' as purification from filthy loves, dealt with above in `@@@2039`. People who are immersed in self-love and love of the world are quite incapable of believing that they are under the influence of such filthy and unclean loves as in fact they are. Indeed a certain pleasure and delight exists which coaxes, encourages, and allures, and causes them to love that life, to prefer it to every other kind of life, and so to imagine that there is nothing bad about it at all. For whatever encourages anyone's love and resulting life is considered to be good. For this reason also the rational agrees to and produces confirmatory falsities which lead to blindness so great that people see nothing at all of what heavenly love is. And if they did see it they would in their hearts say that it was something wretched, or not really anything at all, or something in the nature of a delusion which takes possession of the mind as it does in sickness.
ttt[2] That the life which belongs to self-love and love of the world, together with its pleasures and delights, is filthy and unclean may become clear to anyone if he is willing to think from the powers of reason which have been given to him. Self-love is the source of all the evils that destroy civilized society. From it, as from a filthy pit, all forms of hatred, revenge, and cruelty stream forth, and indeed of adultery. For anyone who loves himself either holds in contempt or reviles or hates everybody else who does not serve him or who does not further his interests or who fails to show him favour; and in hating he breathes nothing but revenge and cruelty - doing so in the measure that he loves himself. Such love is for these reasons destructive of society and of the human race. That this is its nature, see also what has been stated in Volume One on the same subject, in `@@@693`, `@@@694`, `@@@760`, `@@@1307`, `@@@1308`, `@@@1321`, `@@@1506`, `@@@1594`, `@@@1691`, `@@@1862`. That self-love is in the next life utterly filthy and diametrically opposed to the mutual love that constitutes heaven will in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed later on.
ttt[3] And since that love is the source of all hatred, revenge, cruelty, and adultery, it is the source of all things that are called sins, crimes, abominations, and profanations. When therefore self-love is present in a person's rational, and in the desires and delusions of his external man, the influx of heavenly love from the Lord in that case is constantly intercepted, degraded, and defiled. It is like foul excrement which dispels, indeed pollutes, every pleasant odor. It also resembles an object which is constantly converting inflowing rays of light into dark and hideous colours. Or it is like a tiger or a serpent that hisses when fondled and kills with its bite or poison those who feed it. Or else it is like a villain who converts even the best intentions of other people, and sheer acts of kindness, into what is reprehensible and wicked. From this it is clear that those loves - self-love and love of the world - are what were represented and meant by the foreskins that were to be cut off.
ppp21803#pid#2046. 'Every male' means those who possess the truth of faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'a male' as truth, dealt with in `@@@672`, `@@@749`. The reason why the word 'male', meaning the truth of faith, is used is that nobody can be purified from those filthy loves except the person who is governed by truth. From truth he recognizes what is pure or impure, and what is holy or unholy. Until he possesses such knowledge there are no channels into which and through which heavenly love flowing in constantly from the Lord is able to operate, for it cannot be received except within truths. It is by means of cognitions of truth therefore that a person is reformed and regenerated, but this does not take place before he has been endowed with them. Conscience itself is formed by means of the truths of faith, for the conscience with which a regenerate person is endowed is a conscience for what is true and right. On this matter see `@@@977`, `@@@986` (end), `@@@1033`, `@@@1076`, `@@@1077`. This also is the reason why flint knives, or 'swords of flint', as they are called, were used for circumcision. 'Swords of flint' means truths, see above `@@@2039` (end).
ppp21802#pid#2047. 'Throughout your generations' means the things that comprise faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'generations' and of 'descendants' as those things that comprise faith, dealt with in `@@@613`, `@@@1145`, `@@@1255`, `@@@2020`, `@@@2035`.
ppp21801#pid#2048. That 'he who is born in the houses means celestial people, and 'he who is the purchase of silver' spiritual people, and so those who are inside the Church, is clear from the meaning of 'him born in the house' as those inside the house. In the Word 'a house' means that which is celestial because this is inmost. Consequently 'the house of God' means in the universal sense the Lord's kingdom, in a less universal sense the Church, and in a particular sense the individual himself in whom the Lord's kingdom or Church exists. When a person is called 'a house' it means the celestial side of faith with him, but when he is called 'a temple' it means the truth of faith with him. So 'he who is born in the house' here means celestial people. That 'the purchase of silver' or one bought with silver means spiritual people however is clear from the meaning of 'silver' as truth, and so the spiritual side of faith, dealt with in Volume One, in `@@@1551`.
ttt[2] The expression celestial is used of those who are governed by love to the Lord, and because the Most Ancient Church which existed before the Flood was governed by that love it was a celestial Church. The expression spiritual is used of those who are governed by love towards the neighbour and so by the truth of faith. This was the character of the Ancient Church that existed after the Flood. The difference between celestial people and spiritual has been dealt with many times in Volume One. Anyone may see that there are heavenly arcana here, that is to say, in the requirement to circumcise those born in the house and those bought with silver, also sons who were foreigners, and in the fact that those persons are mentioned repeatedly, for example, in verses `Genesis 17bbbccc13`, `Genesis 17bbbccc23`, `Genesis 17bbbccc27`, that follow. These arcana are not apparent however except from the internal sense, that is to say, that those born in the house and those bought with silver mean celestial people and spiritual, and so those inside the Church - while 'the son who is a foreigner and not of your seed' means those outside the Church.
ppp21800#pid#2049. 'From every son who is a foreigner and not of your seed' means those outside the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'son who is a foreigner' as those who are not born inside the Church and so are not governed by goods and truths of faith because they have no knowledge of them. 'Sons who are foreigners' also means people whose worship is external, dealt with in `@@@1097`, though in that context people inside the Church are the subject. Here however, the subject being the Lord's Church in its widest extent, 'sons who are foreigners' means those who, like gentiles, are not born inside the Church. Gentiles outside the Church can possess truths, but not the truths of faith. Their truths, like the Ten Commandments, are that parents should be honoured; that people should not murder, steal, commit adultery, or covet the things that belong to others; and also that they should worship God. Truths of faith consist however of all doctrinal teachings concerning eternal life, the Lord's kingdom, and the Lord. Such teachings cannot be known by gentiles because they do not possess the Word.
ttt[2] These are the people who are meant by 'sons who are foreigners and not of your seed' but who are to be circumcised, that is to be purified. From this it is evident that they are just as much capable of being purified as those inside the Church, which purification was represented by being circumcised. They are purified when they cast aside filthy loves and live among one another in charity, for in their case truths have a part to play in their lives because charity and all truths go together, though such truths belong to the first of the two types mentioned above. When these truths play a part in their lives they then absorb the truths of faith with ease, if not during this life then in the next, because truths of faith are the interior truths of charity. Indeed at that point there is nothing they desire more than to be introduced into the interior truths of charity. Interior truths of charity are what constitute the Lord's kingdom. Regarding these, see `@@@932`, `@@@1032`, `@@@1059`, `@@@1327`, `@@@1328`, `@@@1366`.
ttt[3] In the next life mere knowledge of the cognitions of faith is of no value at all, for the worst people, even those in hell, can have such knowledge, sometimes a better knowledge than others have. Leading a life in accordance with those cognitions is what matters, for all cognitions have life as their end in view. If life was not the reason for learning them they would have no use, apart from enabling people to discuss them and as a result to be considered learned in the world, to be raised to positions of importance, and to enhance reputation and wealth. From this it is clear that a life in keeping with the cognitions of faith is nothing other than the life of charity. Indeed love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour constitute the Law and the Prophets, that is, the doctrine of faith in its entirety together with all the cognitions of it, as is plain to anyone from the Lord's words in `Matthew 22bbb35-40`, and `Mark 12bbb28-35`.
ttt[4] Matters of doctrine, or cognitions of faith, are nevertheless absolutely vital for the formation of the life of charity; it cannot be formed without them. This is the life which saves a person after death. The life of faith never exists without the life of charity, for without charity the life of faith is impossible. People in whom the life of love and charity dwells have the Lord's life within them. Nobody can be joined to Him by means of any other life. From this it is also clear that the truths of faith cannot possibly be acknowledged as truths - that is, no acknowledgement of what they are saying is possible - other than outwardly or with the lips, if they are not implanted within charity, since inwardly or at heart they are denied. For as has been stated, all truths of faith have charity as their end in view, and if charity is not present within them then inwardly they are rejected. The nature of the things that are interior is plain to see when those that are exterior are taken away, as is done in the next life, namely that they are utterly contrary to all the truths of faith. No people can possibly receive the life of charity, or mutual love, in the next life, when they have had none in this life; but their life as it has been with them in the world remains with them after death. Indeed they are averse to and hate mutual love. When merely approaching a community where the life that belongs to mutual love exists they quiver and shake, and experience torment.
ttt[5] Although people such as these are born inside the Church, they are called 'sons who are foreigners, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in the flesh' who are not to be allowed into the sanctuary, that is, into the Lord's kingdom. They are also meant in Ezekiel,
No son who is a foreigner, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter the sanctuary. `Ezekiel 44bbb7`, `Ezekiel 44bbbccc9`.
And in the same prophet,
Whom have you thus become like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? You will be made to go down with the trees of Eden into the nether world; you will lie in the midst of the uncircumcised with those slain by the sword. `Ezekiel 31bbb18`.
This refers to Pharaoh who means types of knowledge in general, `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1186`, `@@@1462`. 'The trees of Eden' with which they were to go down into the nether world also means types of knowledge, but knowledge of the cognitions of faith. From this it is now evident what 'one uncircumcised' means in the internal sense, namely one in whom filthy loves and the life belonging to these are present.
ppp21799#pid#2050. Verse `Genesis 17bbbccc13` He must be circumcised`fff1` who is born in your house or who is the purchase of your silver; and My covenant shall be in your flesh as an eternal covenant.
'He must be circumcised!' means that they must completely remove from themselves self-love and love of the world. 'Who is born in your house or who is the purchase of your silver' means both types of people found inside the Church. 'And My covenant shall be in your flesh', in addition to being a meaningful sign, means conjunction of the Lord with man in his impurity. 'As an eternal covenant' means conjunction.
`nnn1. literally, By being circumcised he shall be circumcised
ppp21798#pid#2051. That 'he must be circumcised'`fff1` means that they, namely those inside the Church meant by him 'born in the house' and him 'bought with silver', must completely remove from themselves self-love and love of the world is clear from the representation of 'circumcision' as purification from self-love and love of the world, dealt with above in `@@@2039`. Here the requirement for them to be circumcised is repeated in the command 'he must be circumcised`fff1`' which expresses the necessity for them to be purified completely from those loves. And because it means those who are inside the Church no reference is made here to sons who are foreigners, for the latter, as shown above in `@@@2049`, mean those outside the Church.
ttt[2] From this repetition of what has been stated in the previous verse concerning those 'born in the house' and those 'bought with silver', anyone may see that there is a Divine arcanum that is not evident from the sense of the letter. The arcanum is that purification from those foul loves is absolutely vital inside the Church, for the reason also that people inside the Church are capable of rendering sacred things unclean, something that those outside the Church, that is, gentiles, cannot do. For this reason those inside the Church stand in greater danger of condemnation. What is more, those inside the Church are capable of formulating and adopting false assumptions that are contrary to truths of faith themselves, whereas those outside the Church cannot do so because they have no knowledge of those truths. Thus those inside the Church are capable of profaning sacred truths, but not those outside. For more on these matters, see Volume One, in `@@@1059`, `@@@1327`, `@@@1328`.
`nnn1. literally, By being circumcised he shall be circumcised
ppp21797#pid#2052. That 'who is born in your house or who is the purchase of your silver' means both types of people found inside the Church, namely the celestial, meant by 'one born in the house', and the spiritual, meant by 'the purchase of silver', has been shown above, in `@@@2048`.
ppp21796#pid#2053. 'My covenant shall be in your flesh' means conjunction of the Lord with man in his impurity. This is clear from the meaning of 'a covenant' as conjunction, dealt with above, and from the meaning of 'flesh' as man's proprium, also dealt with above, in `@@@2041`. How impure the proprium is has also been stated in that paragraph, and has been shown in Volume One, in `@@@141`, `@@@150`, `@@@154`, `@@@210`, `@@@215`, `@@@694`, `@@@731`, `@@@874-876`, `@@@987`, `@@@1047`. The implications of 'My covenant in your flesh' being the conjunction of the Lord with man in his impurity are as follows: No pure intellectual truth, which is Divine truth, resides with man. Instead the truths of faith residing with man are appearances of truth to which illusions of the senses attach themselves, and to these in turn falsities, belonging to the desires that go with self-love and love of the world. Such are the truths that reside with man. And how impure they are becomes clear from the fact that such illusions and falsities attach themselves to them.
ttt[2] Nevertheless the Lord joins Himself to man within those very impurities, for with innocence and charity He brings soul and life to these, and in this way forms a conscience. The truths that constitute conscience vary, that is to say, they depend on the religion of the individual. These truths the Lord is unwilling to violate provided they are not contrary to the goods of faith, because the person has taken them to himself and considered them holy. The Lord breaks nobody, but bends him. This becomes clear from the consideration that every type of religious thought in the Church has followers who are being endowed with conscience. The closer its truths get to the genuine truths of faith the better that conscience is. Since it is from the truths of faith such as this that conscience is formed, it is clear that it has been formed in the understanding part of man's mind, for the understanding part is what receives those truths. This part of his mind the Lord has therefore miraculously separated from the will part. This is an arcanum previously unknown, concerning which see what has appeared in Volume One, in `@@@863`, `@@@875`, `@@@895`, `@@@927`, `@@@1023`. That 'covenant in your flesh' in addition denotes a meaningful sign, namely that of purification, is clear from what has been shown in `@@@2039` about circumcision.
ppp21795#pid#2054. 'As an eternal covenant' means conjunction. This is clear from the meaning of 'a covenant' as conjunction, dealt with already. The subject here being those inside the Church, the word 'covenant' is repeated, though this time it is called 'an eternal covenant'. It is repeated not only because it is absolutely vital for people inside the Church to be circumcised, that is, to be purified from self-love and love of the world, as shown above in `@@@2051`, but also because the conjunction of the Lord and of His heaven with those inside the Church is the closest of all since it is effected through the goods and truths of faith. There is, it is true, a conjunction as well with those outside the Church, but that is more remote because the goods and truths of faith do not exist with them, as stated above in `@@@2049`. In the Lord's kingdom the Church is like the heart and lungs in man. Man's interior things are joined to those that are external by means of the heart and lungs, and in this way all the surrounding organs get their life. So it is with the human race as well. The conjunction of the Lord and of His heaven is closest with the Church, but more remote with those outside the Church who are like the organs which live by means of the heart and lungs. Celestial people resemble the heart, but spiritual people the lungs. The necessity for both of these to be purified is the reason why those inside the Church are dealt with specifically here and why the covenant is referred to twice.
ppp21794#pid#2055. Verse `Genesis 17bbbccc14` And the uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul will be cut off from his peoples; he has broken My covenant.
'The uncircumcised male' means one who does not possess the truth of faith. 'Who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin' means one in whom self-love and love of the world reign. 'That soul will be cut off from his peoples' means eternal death. 'He has broken My covenant' means that he cannot be conjoined.
ppp21793#pid#2056. That 'the uncircumcised male' means one who does not possess the truth of faith is clear from the meaning of 'a male' as the truth of faith, dealt with above in `@@@2046`. 'The uncircumcised male' here therefore means one who does not possess the truth of faith and so is subject to falsity. 'Uncircumcised' has reference to what stands in the way and defiles, as stated already. When added to the word 'male' it refers to that which stands in the way of and defiles truth. And when added in a similar way to anything else it means the degradation and corruption of that same thing, as with 'an uncircumcised ear' in Jeremiah,
On whom shall I speak and testify and they will hear? Behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot listen. Behold, the Word of Jehovah has become a reproach; they have no wish for it. `Jeremiah 6bbb10`.
'Uncircumcised ear' stands for the fact that they did not listen at all and that to them the Word was a reproach.
ttt[2] The present verse also deals with those inside the Church who are subject not only to falsity but also to the impurity of self-love and love of the world, for this verse continues what has gone before. Hence the statement 'the uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin' - thus having the meaning of falsity joined to impurity of life. How much those persons are in danger of eternal condemnation becomes clear from what has been stated above in `@@@2051`. Here it means in particular people inside the Church who profane the goods and truths of faith, of whom it is said that 'that soul will be cut off from his peoples'. For unlike those outside the Church, they are capable of profaning, as shown in Volume One, in `@@@593`, `@@@1008`, `@@@1010`, `@@@1059`.
ppp21792#pid#2057. 'Who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin' means one in whom self-love reigns. This is clear from what has been stated above about the meaning of 'being circumcised' and of 'the foreskin', `@@@2039`, `@@@2049` (end), and also about the meaning of 'the flesh', `@@@2041`. Here 'the flesh of the foreskin' means self-love. Those inside the Church who are subject to falsity and at the same time to self-love are the main ones to profane holy things, more so than those in whom some other love reigns, for self-love is the filthiest of all since it is destructive of society and so of the human race, as shown above in `@@@2045`. That it is also diametrically opposed to mutual love which constitutes heaven, and so is destructive of heavenly order itself, becomes clear from evil spirits and genii in the next life, and also from the hells where nothing but self-love reigns. And because self-love reigns there, so do all types of hatred, revenge, and cruelty, since these are the product of self-love.
ttt[2] Mutual love in heaven consists in those there loving their neighbour more than themselves, and as a result the whole of heaven represents so to speak one human being; for by means of mutual love from the Lord all are associated together in that way. Consequently every manifestation of happiness possessed by all is communicated to each individual, and that possessed by each individual to all. The heavenly form produced by this is such that everyone is so to speak a kind of centre point, thus the centre point of communications and therefore of manifestations of happiness from all. And this takes place in accordance with all the variant forms of that love, which are countless. And because those in whom that love reigns experience supreme happiness in being able to communicate to others that which flows into them, and to do so from the heart, the communication consequently becomes perpetual and eternal. And as the Lord's kingdom increases from the communication so does the happiness of each individual. Because angels are distinguished into separate communities and habitations they give no thought to this matter; it is the Lord who so arranges in order every single thing. Such is the Lord's kingdom in the heavens.
ttt[3] Nothing else apart from self-love endeavours to destroy this form and this order. For this reason all in the next life in whom self-love reigns are more thoroughly hellish than others; for self-love does not communicate anything to others, but stifles and smothers all their delight and happiness. Whatever delight flows into them from others, they take to themselves, focus on themselves, and transform into some filthy thing of their own, and prevent it spreading any further. In so doing they destroy all unanimity and concord, and so bring about disunity and consequently destruction. And since each one of them wishes to be served, respected, and adored by others, and loves none but himself, division is the outcome which is directed towards and manifests itself in wretched states. As a result they never feel happier than when, out of hatred, revenge, and cruelty, they are tormenting others by shocking methods and delusions. When such as these come to any community where mutual love reigns, then because every inflowing delight is terminated in themselves, they fall to the ground of their own accord, like unclean and dead, weighty objects in clean and fresh air. And because they exude the foul idea of self, the delight they have is converted there into the stench of a corpse from which they scent the hell of selfishness, in addition to being seized with severe pain.
ttt[4] This makes clear the nature of self-love - not only is it destructive of the human race, as shown above in `@@@2045`, but it is also destructive of heavenly order. It accordingly contains nothing but impurity, filth, profanity, and hell itself, though this does not appear so to those who are under its influence. Those in whom self-love reigns are such as despise others in comparison with themselves; they hate whoever shows them no favour, fails to serve them, and does not in a way worship them; and they take a cruel delight in revenge and in depriving others of position, reputation, wealth, and life. Being governed by self-love their delights are such; so let those whose delights are such recognize that they are governed by self-love.
ppp21791#pid#2058. 'That soul will be cut off from his peoples' means eternal death. This is clear from the meaning of 'soul' as life, dealt with in `@@@1000`, `@@@1040`, , and from the meaning of 'peoples' as truths, dealt with in `@@@1259`, `@@@1260`. Thus 'peoples' means those whose lives are governed by truths, that is to say, who are angels. When 'a soul is cut off' from these he is condemned, that is, he perishes in eternal death.
ppp21790#pid#2059. 'He has broken My covenant' means that he cannot be conjoined. This is clear from the meaning of 'a covenant' as conjunction, dealt with already, and so 'breaking a covenant' is cutting oneself off to such an extent that conjunction is not possible.
ppp21789#pid#2060. Verse `Genesis 17bbbccc15` And God said to Abraham, Sarai your wife you will not call by her name Sarai, for Sarah will be her name.
'God said to Abraham' means perception. 'Sarai your wife' means here, as previously, truth joined to good. 'You will not call by her name Sarai' means that He will cast off the human. 'For Sarah will be her name' means that He will put on the Divine.
ppp21788#pid#2061. 'God said to Abraham' means perception. This is clear from the meaning of the expression used in the historical sense - God saying - which in the internal sense means perceiving, dealt with already in `@@@1791`, `@@@1815`, `@@@1819`, `@@@1822`, `@@@1898`, `@@@1919`. Because a different subject is taken up at this point - namely the things meant by the names 'Sarai' and 'Sarah', as well as by the promise of a son borne by Sarah, and by Ishmael's being a great nation in the future - it is introduced by a new perception which the Lord had, expressed here, as in many other places, by the words 'God said to Abraham'.
ppp21787#pid#2062. 'Sarai your wife' means truth joined to good. This is clear from the meaning of 'Sarai' as intellectual truth, and because the word 'wife' is added here, as that truth joined to good. That 'Sarai' and 'Sarai his wife' mean truth joined to good has been shown already in `@@@1468`, `@@@1901`, and frequently elsewhere.
ppp21786#pid#2063. 'You will not call by her name Sarai, for Sarah will be her name' means that He will cast off the human and put on the Divine. This is clear from what has been stated at verse `Genesis 17bbbccc5` above regarding Abraham, where it is said, 'No longer will your name be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham', words which in a similar way mean that He will cast off the human and put on the Divine, dealt with in `@@@2009`. Indeed the letter H added to Sarah's name was taken from the name of Jehovah, in order that Sarah, like Abraham, might represent the Lord's Divine, that is to say, in order that the Divine marriage of Good and Truth in the Lord might be represented - 'Abraham' being Divine Good and 'Sarah' Divine Truth. And from that marriage the Divine Rational, which is Isaac, was to be born.
ttt[2] Divine Good, which in itself is love, and in relation to the entire human race is mercy, was the Lord's Internal, that is, Jehovah, who is Good itself. This Good is represented by 'Abraham'. Truth that was to be joined to Divine Good was represented by 'Sarai', but once this too has become Divine, it is represented by 'Sarah', for the Lord advanced towards union with Jehovah gradually, as mentioned in various places above. 'Sarai' represented truth not yet Divine - when it was still not so thoroughly united to Good that Good was the source of truth. But once it was so thoroughly united to Good that it stemmed from Good it was at that point Divine, and Truth itself was in that case also Good since it was truth inhering in Good. Truth tending towards good so that it may be united to good is one thing, while truth so united to good that it stems completely from good is another. Truth tending towards good is still drawing on something of what is human, but once it is united completely to good it casts aside everything that is human and takes on what is Divine.
ttt[3] This matter, like others previously, can be illustrated by what occurs with man. When a person is being regenerated, that is, when he is to be joined to the Lord, he moves towards that conjunction by means of truth, that is, by means of the truths of faith, for nobody can be regenerated except by means of cognitions of faith, which are the truths by means of which he moves towards such conjunction. These truths the Lord goes to meet by way of good, that is, of charity, and introduces this charity into the cognitions of faith, that is, into its truths. For all truths are the recipient vessels of good; and therefore the more genuine the truths are and the more they are multiplied, the more abundantly is good able to accept them as vessels, to bring them into a state of order, and only then to reveal itself, doing so in the end in such a way that the truths are not seen, except insofar as good shines through them. In this way truth becomes celestial-spiritual. And since the Lord is present solely within the good that flows from charity, a person is in this manner joined to the Lord, and by means of good, that is, of charity, has conscience conferred on him, from which he then thinks what is true and does what is right. But this conscience is a conscience in keeping with the truths and the things that are right into which good or charity has been introduced.
ppp21785#pid#2064. Verse `Genesis 17bbbccc16` And I will bless her, and I will also give you a son by her. And I will bless him, and he will become nations; kings of peoples will be from her.
'I will bless her' means the multiplication of truth. 'And I will also give you a son by her means the Rational. 'And I will bless him' means the multiplication of this. 'And he will become nations' means resulting goods. 'Kings of peoples will be from her' means truths that are the product of truths and goods joined together, meant by 'kings and peoples'.
ppp21784#pid#2065. That 'I will bless her' means the multiplication of truth is clear from the meaning of 'being blessed' as being enriched with everything good and true, dealt with in Volume One, in `@@@981`, `@@@1096`, `@@@1420`, `@@@1422`. Since here it is Sarah to whom the statement that God would bless her refers, the enrichment or multiplication of truth is meant, for, as shown already, 'Sarah' represents and means truth that is joined to good, which is intellectual truth. Such truth, and the multiplication of it, is the subject here. As to what intellectual truth is, see what has been said already in `@@@1904`.
ppp21783#pid#2066. 'And I will also give you a son by her' means the Rational. This is clear from the meaning of 'a son' as truth, dealt with in `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@533`, `@@@1147`. And because the whole of the rational originates in truth, 'a son' here means the rational. The Lord's first rational was represented and meant by Ishmael, born from the servant-girl Hagar. This was dealt with previously in Chapter `Genesis ccc16bbb0`. The second Rational, which is the subject here, is represented and meant by Isaac who was to be born from Sarah. The former, that represented by Ishmael, was the rational that was subsequently cast out of the house, but this latter Rational, which is represented by Isaac, is the one that remained in the house, because it was Divine. This rational is in the Lord's Divine mercy to be described in the next chapter where Isaac is the subject.
ppp21782#pid#2067. 'And I will bless him' means the multiplication of this, namely of the Rational meant by 'a son'. This is clear from the meaning of 'being blessed' as being enriched with everything good and true, dealt with just above in `@@@2065`.
ppp21781#pid#2068. 'And he will become nations' means resulting goods. This is clear from the meaning of 'nations' as goods, dealt with in Volume One, in `@@@1259`, `@@@1260`, `@@@1416`, `@@@1849`.
ppp21780#pid#2069. 'Kings of peoples will be from her' means truths that are the product of truths and goods joined together, meant by 'kings of peoples'. This is clear from the meaning of 'kings' as all truths in general, dealt with above in `@@@2015`, and from the meaning of 'peoples' also as truths, in general all things that are spiritual. For 'kings' are spoken of in reference to peoples, and not so much in reference to nations except when the nations mean evils, dealt with in `@@@1259`, `@@@1260`. In the prophetical part of the Word kings and peoples are mentioned many times, but nowhere are they used to mean kings and peoples, for at no point are kings and peoples the subject in the Word proper, which is the internal sense, but the celestial and spiritual things comprising the Lord's kingdom, and so goods and truths. The sense of the letter expresses itself by means of perceivable objects, as anyone does with words, merely to enable understanding.
ttt[2] Since the subject here is Sarah and the promise that 'kings of peoples will be from her', and since 'Sarah' means Divine Truth which was the Lord's, 'kings of peoples' clearly means truths that are the product of truths and goods joined together, which are all the truths of the internal Church, that is, the interior truths of faith. Because these truths come from the Lord, they are frequently called 'kings' in the Word, and also 'a king's sons', as shown above in `@@@2015`.
ttt[3] Anyone may see that some internal Divine matter lies concealed in the words that 'kings of peoples will be from her'. For the subject in this verse is Isaac, of whom it is said, 'I will bless him, and he will become nations', but of Sarah that 'kings of peoples will be from her'. Almost the same was also said of Abraham in verse `Genesis 17bbbccc6` above, that 'kings will go out of him'; but it did not say as it does of Sarah, 'kings of peoples'. The arcanum within this lies too deep to allow it to be uncovered and described in a few words. From the representation and meaning of 'Abraham' as Divine Good and from the representation and meaning of 'Sarah' as Divine Truth the arcanum is to some extent evident, namely that from the Lord's Divine Good meant by 'Abraham' all celestial truth will come forth and have its being, and from the Lord's Divine Truth meant by 'Sarah' all spiritual truth will do so. Celestial truth is the truth which exists with celestial angels, and spiritual truth that which exists with spiritual angels. Or what amounts to the same, celestial truth was the truth which existed with members of the Most Ancient Church which came before the Flood and which was a celestial Church, spiritual truth that which existed with members of the Ancient Church which came after the Flood and was a spiritual Church. For angels, as also members of the Church, are distinguished into celestial and spiritual. That which distinguishes the celestial from the spiritual is love to the Lord, and that which distinguishes spiritual from celestial is love towards the neighbour.
ttt[4] No more can be said about celestial truth and spiritual truth however until the difference between the celestial and the spiritual is known, or what amounts to the same, the difference between the celestial Church and the spiritual. For this see Volume One, in `@@@202`, `@@@337`, `@@@1577`; then concerning the nature of the Most Ancient Church and the nature of the Ancient Church, in `@@@597`, `@@@607`, `@@@640`, `@@@765`, `@@@1114-1125`, and in many other places. On the point that possessing love to the Lord constitutes the celestial, and possessing love towards the neighbour the spiritual, see `@@@2023`.
ttt[5] These considerations now show what the arcanum is, namely that 'the kings who will go out of Abraham', referred to in verse `Genesis 17bbbccc6`, mean celestial truths that flow in from the Lord's Divine Good, while 'the kings of peoples who will be from Sarah', referred to in the present verse, mean spiritual truths that flow in from the Lord's Divine Truth. For the Lord's Divine Good is unable to flow in except with the celestial man since it is an influx into the will part of his mind, as was the case with the Most Ancient Church, whereas with the spiritual man the Lord's Divine Truth is flowing in since the influx is solely into the understanding part, which in him has been separated from the will part, `@@@2053` (end). Or what amounts to the same, celestial good is flowing in with the celestial man, and spiritual good with the spiritual man. As a consequence the Lord is seen by celestial angels as the Sun, but by spiritual angels as the Moon, `@@@1529`, `@@@1530`.
ppp21779#pid#2070. Verse `Genesis 17bbbccc17` And Abraham fell on his face`fff1` and laughed, and said in his heart, Will one be born to a son of a hundred years? And will Sarah, a daughter of ninety years, give birth?
'Abraham fell on his face'`fff1` means adoration. 'And laughed' means the affection for truth. 'And said in his heart' means that He so thought. 'Will one be born to a son of a hundred years?' means that in that case the Rational belonging to the Lord's Human Essence would be united to the Divine Essence. 'And will Sarah, a daughter of ninety years, give birth?' means that truth joined to good will achieve this.
`nnn1. literally, faces
ppp21778#pid#2071. That 'Abraham fell on his face'`fff1` means adoration is clear from the meaning of 'falling on the face'`fff1` as adoration, dealt with above in `@@@1999`.
`nnn1. literally, faces
ppp21777#pid#2072. 'And laughed' means the affection for truth. This becomes clear from the origin and essential nature of laughter. In origin it is nothing other than the affection for truth or the affection for falsity, which produces the mirth and pleasure exhibited in the face by means of laughter. This shows that the essential nature of laughter is nothing else. Actually laughter is something external belonging to the body since it belongs to the face; but in the Word interior things are expressed and are-meant by exterior. Just as all interior affections of both areas of mind (animus et mens) are expressed and meant by the face; interior hearing and obedience by the ear; internal sight, which is understanding, by the eye; power and strength by the hand and arm; and so on; so is the affection for truth expressed and meant by laughter.
ttt[2] The principal element in man's rational is truth. Also present in the rational there is the affection for good, but this affection is present within the affection for truth, as the soul within it. The affection for good present within the rational does not express itself in laughter but in a type of joy and a resulting sense of delight which does not laugh. For laughter generally entails something that is not so good. The reason truth is the principal element in the rational man is that the rational is formed by means of cognitions of truth, for there is no other possible way in which anyone can become rational. Cognitions of good are truths just as much as cognitions of truth are truths.
ttt[3] That 'laughter' here means the affection for truth becomes clear from the fact that this verse records Abraham's having laughed, as did Sarah both before Isaac was born and after, and also from the fact that he was given the name Isaac from 'laughter', for the word 'Isaac' means laughter. The fact that Abraham laughed when he heard about Isaac is clear from the present verse, for it is actually stated that when he heard about a son by Sarah he laughed. Sarah's laughing as well before the birth of Isaac when she heard from Jehovah that she was going to give birth is referred to as follows,
When Sarah heard at the tent door Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I have grown old, shall I have the pleasure, and my lord being an old man? And Jehovah said to Abraham, Why did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I in truth bear now I have grown old? Sarah denied it, saying, I did not laugh; for she was afraid. And He said, No, but you did laugh. `Genesis 18bbb12-13`, `Genesis 18bbbccc15`.
Also later on after Isaac's birth,
Abraham called the name of his son Isaac (laughter). Sarah said, God has made laughter for me; everyone hearing of it will laugh at me. `Genesis 21bbb3`, `Genesis 21bbbccc6`.
Unless 'laughing' and the name Isaac, which means laughter, embodied such things these occurrences would never have been mentioned.
ppp21776#pid#2073. That 'he said in his heart' means that He so thought is clear without explanation.
ppp21775#pid#2074. That 'will one be born to a son of a hundred years?' means that in that case the Rational belonging to the Lord's Human Essence would be united to the Divine Essence is clear from the meaning of 'a hundred', regarding which see above, in `@@@1988`.
ppp21774#pid#2075. 'And will Sarah, a daughter of ninety years, give birth?' means that truth joined to good will achieve this. This is clear from the representation and meaning of 'Sarah' as truth joined to good, which is Divine truth, and from the meaning of the number 'ninety', or what amounts to the same, 'nine'. One is bound to be surprised that the number 'a hundred years', which was Abraham's age, means that the Rational belonging to the Lord's Human Essence was to be united to the Divine Essence, and that the number 'ninety years', which was Sarah's age, means that truth joined to good would achieve this. But as there is nothing in the Lord's Word that is not heavenly and Divine, the same must be true of the actual numbers which appear there. That all numbers used in the Word, as with all names used in it, mean real things has been shown in Volume One, in `@@@482`, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@575`, `@@@647`, `@@@648`, `@@@755`, `@@@813`, `@@@893`, `@@@1988`.
ttt[2] Now as regards the number nine meaning conjunction, more so the number ninety, which is the product of nine times ten, 'ten' meaning remnants by which conjunction is achieved - as shown by what has been said above at the end of `@@@1988` - this is also made clear from the following representatives and meaningful signs. It was commanded that on the tenth day of the seventh month there was to be a day of atonement, and that this was to be a sabbath of rest;`fff1` and on the ninth day of the seventh month in the evening, from one evening to the next, they were to celebrate the sabbath, `Leviticus 23bbb27`, `Leviticus 23bbbccc32`.
ttt[3] In the internal sense these details mean conjunction through remnants, that is to say, 'nine' means conjunction and 'ten' remnants. The existence of a Divine arcanum lying concealed within these numbers is quite evident from the months and the days of the year which were to be held sacred, for example, every seventh day was to be a sabbath; every seventh month, as stated here, was to be a sabbath of rests; likewise every seventh year, and also every seven times seventh year, which was to mark the start of a jubilee year. The same applies to all other numbers in the Word, for example, to the number three which has almost the same meaning as seven; to the number twelve which means all things belonging to faith; and to the number ten which, the same as tenths, means remnants, `@@@576`; and so on. And in the verses from Leviticus quoted above, unless the numbers ten and nine embodied arcana it would by no means have been commanded that there should be this sabbath of rest`fff1` on the tenth day of the seventh month, and that they should celebrate it on the ninth day of the month. Such is the Word of the Lord in the internal sense, even though nothing of the sort is evident in the historical sense.
ttt[4] The same applies to what is recorded about Jerusalem being besieged by Nebuchadnezzar in the ninth year of Zedekiah, and about its being breached on the ninth day of the month in the eleventh year, as follows in the Second Book of Kings,
In the ninth year of Zedekiah's reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babel came against Jerusalem, and the city came under siege until the eleventh year of king Zedekiah. On the ninth day of the month the famine was severe in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land; and the city was breached. `2 Kings 25bbb1`, `2 Kings 25bbbccc3-4`.
'The ninth year, the tenth month' and 'the eleventh year and ninth day of the month when there was a famine in the city and no bread for the people of the land' means in the internal sense that no conjunction by means of the things of faith and charity existed any longer. 'Famine in the city and no bread for the people of the land' means that no faith at all nor any charity at all was left. This is the internal sense of these words which is nowhere apparent in the letter. Matters like these shine out even less from the historical sections of the Word than from the prophetical because the historical incidents captivate the mind (animus), so much that belief in anything deeper there is scarcely possible. Yet all those incidents are representative and the words used to describe them in every case carry spiritual meanings. These matters are hard to believe but they are nevertheless true, see `@@@1769` `@@@1772`.
`nnn1. literally, a sabbath of a sabbath
ppp21773#pid#2076. Verse `Genesis 17bbbccc18` And Abraham said to God, O that Ishmael might live before You!
'Abraham said to God' means the Lord's perception from love. 'O that Ishmael might live before You!' means that others who are rational from truth should not perish.
ppp21772#pid#2077. That 'Abraham said to God' means the Lord's perception from love is clear from the meaning of 'saying to God' as perceiving, dealt with quite often already. That 'Abraham' here means the Lord when passing through that state and that age has been stated above in `@@@1989`. The Lord, it is evident, uttered this out of love, for the actual words used, 'O that Ishmael might live before You!' are an expression of an affection originating in love. The Lord's affection or love was Divine; that is to say, it was directed towards the whole human race which He desired, through the union of His Human Essence with the Divine Essence, to join completely to Himself and save eternally. Concerning that love see Volume One, in `@@@1735`; concerning the fact that the Lord out of this love contended constantly with the hells, `@@@1690`, `@@@1789`, `@@@1812`; and concerning the fact that in the union of His Human with the Divine His sole regard was nothing other than the conjunction of the Divine with the human race, `@@@2034` above.
ttt[2] The nature of the Lord's love surpasses all human understanding and is unbelievable in the extreme to people who do not know what heavenly love is in which angels abide. To save a soul from hell the angels think nothing of giving their own lives; indeed if it were possible they would suffer hell themselves in place of that soul. Consequently their inmost joy is to transport into heaven someone rising from the dead. They confess however that that love does not originate one little bit in themselves but that every single aspect of it does so in the Lord alone. Indeed they are incensed if anyone thinks anything different.
ppp21771#pid#2078. 'O that Ishmael might live before You!' means that others who are rational from truth should not perish. This is clear from the representation and consequent meaning of 'Ishmael' as the rational, dealt with in the previous chapter, where Ishmael was the subject. Inside the Church there are two types of people, namely spiritual and celestial. The former - the spiritual - become rational from truth, but the latter - the celestial - do so from good. For what distinguishes spiritual people from celestial, see `@@@2069` above, and in many places in Volume One. The former, namely spiritual people who become rational through truth, are here meant by 'Ishmael', for the name 'Ishmael' in its genuine sense means rational truth, as shown already in `@@@1839`, `@@@1949` `@@@1951`. When this rational truth is adopted and desired by good, as it is here by the Lord (meant by Abraham), it means that which is spiritual, and so the spiritual man. Or what amounts to the same, it means the spiritual Church, the salvation of which the Lord, out of the Divine love referred to immediately above in `@@@2077`, earnestly desired. That desire is expressed by the words, O that Ishmael might live before You!
ppp21770#pid#2079. Verse `Genesis 17bbbccc19` And God said, Truly Sarah your wife is going to bear you a son, and you will call his name Isaac. And I will establish My covenant with him as an eternal covenant, for his seed after him.
'God said' means the reply that was perceived. 'Truly Sarah your wife' means Divine Truth joined to Good. 'Is going to bear you a son' means that the Rational would come from this. 'And you will call his name Isaac' means the Divine Rational. 'And I will establish My covenant with him' means union. 'As an eternal covenant' means an eternal union. 'For his seed after him' means those who would have faith in the Lord.
ppp21769#pid#2080. That 'God said' means the reply that was perceived is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as perceiving, dealt with just above in `@@@2077`. And because in the previous verse the words 'Abraham said' were used, which meant perception, and in this verse the words 'God said' (or replied) occur, a perceived reply, that is, a reply received in the form of perception, is consequently meant. All perception entails both a proposition and a reply, the perception of the two being expressed here in the historical sense by the phrases 'Abraham said to God' and 'God said'. That 'God's saying' means perceiving, see `@@@1791`, `@@@1815`, `@@@1819`, `@@@1822`, `@@@1898`, `@@@1919`, and in various places above in this chapter.
ppp21768#pid#2081. 'Truly Sarah your wife' means Divine Truth joined to Good. This is clear from the representation and consequent meaning of 'Sarah' as Divine Truth joined to Good, dealt with above in `@@@2063`.
ppp21767#pid#2082. That 'is going to bear you a son' means that the Rational would come from this is clear from the meaning of 'a son' as truth, here rational truth, also dealt with above in `@@@2066`.
ppp21766#pid#2083. 'And you will call his name Isaac' means the Divine Rational. This is clear from Isaac's representation and also from the meaning of his name in the internal sense.
From Isaac's representation: As stated frequently already, 'Abraham' represents the Lord's Internal Man, 'Isaac' His Rational Man, and 'Jacob' His Natural Man. The Lord's Internal Man was Jehovah Himself. Because the Rational Man was conceived from the influx of the Internal Man into the External Man's affection for knowledge, `@@@1896`, `@@@1902`, `@@@1910`, it originated in the Divine thus joined to the Human. Consequently the first rational represented by 'Ishmael' was human, but it was made Divine by the Lord, and is then represented by 'Isaac'.
From the meaning of his name: He was given the name Isaac from the word for 'laughter', and because laughter in the internal sense means the affection for truth, which belongs to the rational, as shown above in `@@@2072`, Isaac accordingly here means the Divine Rational.
ttt[2] From His own power the Lord made Divine everything that was human with Him. Thus He made not only the rational Divine but also the sensory part, interior and exterior, and so the body itself. In this way He united the Human to the Divine. It has been shown already that not only the rational, but also the sensory part, and so the whole body also was made Divine and Jehovah. This may also become clear to anyone from the fact that He alone has risen as to the body from the dead, and sits at the right hand of the Divine Power both with His entire Divine and with His entire Human. 'Sitting at the right hand of Divine power' means having all power in heaven and on earth.
ppp21765#pid#2084. 'And I will establish My covenant with him as an eternal covenant' means union, and in fact eternal union. This is clear from the meaning of 'a covenant' as conjunction, and in reference to the Lord, as the union of His Divine Essence with the Human Essence, and of the Human Essence with the Divine Essence. That 'a covenant' means those things has been shown already in `@@@665`, `@@@666`, `@@@1023`, `@@@1038`, `@@@1864`, and in various places in this chapter.
ppp21764#pid#2085. 'For his seed after him' means those who would have faith in the Lord. This is clear from the meaning of 'seed' as faith, dealt with already in `@@@1025`, `@@@1447`, `@@@1610`, `@@@2034`. 'Seed' here means those who have faith grounded in love, that is, who have love to the Lord, and who are therefore celestial people or those who belong to the celestial Church, for the seed descending from Isaac is the subject. Those however who have faith grounded in charity, that is, who have charity towards the neighbour, and who are therefore spiritual people or those who belong to the spiritual Church, are meant by 'Ishmael' who is the subject in the next verse. For the distinction between celestial people and spiritual, see above `@@@2069`, `@@@2078`, and also for the distinction between having love to the Lord and having charity towards the neighbour, `@@@2023`.
ppp21763#pid#2086. Verse `Genesis 17bbbccc20` And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I will bless him and I will make him fruitful and I will multiply him more and more. Twelve princes will he beget, and I will make him into a great nation.
'As for Ishmael, I have heard you' means that people rational from truth are to be saved. 'Behold, I will bless him' means that they were to be furnished and endowed......'I will make him fruitful' means with goods of faith....'And I will multiply him' means and with truths from that source....'More and more' means without limit. 'Twelve princes will he beget' means the first and foremost commandments of faith inhering in charity. 'And I will make him into a great nation' means having the enjoyment of goods, and increases in these.
ppp21762#pid#2087. 'As for Ishmael, I have heard you' means that people rational from truth are to be saved. This is clear from the representation of 'Ishmael' here as those people who are rational from truth, that is, who are spiritual, dealt with above in `@@@2078`. And that they are to be saved is clear from the meaning of 'hearing you', as may be seen without explanation.
ppp21761#pid#2088. 'Behold I will bless him, I will make him fruitful, and I will multiply him, more and more' means that they were to be furnished and endowed with goods of faith and with truths from that source, without limit. This is clear from the meaning of 'being blessed', 'being fruitful', and 'being multiplied'. 'Being blessed' means being endowed with all goods, as shown in Volume One, in `@@@981`, `@@@1096`, `@@@1420`, `@@@1422`. 'Being fruitful' means the goods of faith with which they were to be endowed, and 'being multiplied' the truths from that source, as also shown in Volume One, in `@@@43`, `@@@55`, `@@@913`, `@@@983`.
ttt[2] Who exactly are celestial people and who spiritual would take too long to describe here. See where they have been described already, for example in `@@@81`, `@@@597`, `@@@607`, `@@@765`, `@@@2069`, `@@@2078`, and many times elsewhere. In general celestial people are those who have love to the Lord, and spiritual those who have charity towards the neighbour. For the distinction between having love to the Lord and having charity towards the neighbour, see above `@@@2023`. Celestial people are those whose affection for good stems from good, but spiritual people are those whose affection for good stems from truth. To begin with all people were celestial, because they were governed by love to the Lord, and from this they received perception by which they perceived what was good, not from truth but from the affection for good.
ttt[3] But after this, when love to the Lord was no longer what it had been, spiritual people took their place, these being called spiritual when they were governed by love towards the neighbour, which is charity. But love towards the neighbour, or charity, was implanted by means of truth and in this way they received a conscience in accordance with which they acted, not from an affection for good but from an affection for truth. With them charity looks like the affection for good, but is in fact the affection for truth. Because it looks like the affection for good charity is still referred to as good. But that good is a good arising out of their faith. It is these who are meant by the Lord in John,
I am the door. If anyone enters by Me he will be saved, and will go in and out, and find pasture. I am the good Shepherd; and I know My own and am known by My own. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice, and there will be one flock and one Shepherd. `John 10bbb9`, `John 10bbbccc14`, `John 10bbbccc16`.
ppp21760#pid#2089. 'Twelve princes will he beget' means the first and foremost commandments [of faith] inhering in charity. This is clear from the meaning of 'twelve' as all things belonging to faith, and from the meaning of 'princes' as first and foremost features. King and princes are mentioned in various places in the Word, but in the internal sense they nowhere mean king or princes but the first and foremost features of the subject under discussion. That 'kings' means truths taken as a whole has been shown already in `@@@2015`, and that 'princes' means the first and foremost aspects of truth, which are commandments, in `@@@1482`. For this reason angels, especially spiritual angels, are called principalities, because they are governed by truths. Princes have reference to truths which go with charity because, as stated above in `@@@2088`, spiritual people receive charity from the Lord through truths which to them look like truths, and through charity they receive conscience.
ttt[2] Up to now the world has not known that 'twelve' means all things of faith. Yet every time the number twelve occurs in the Word, in historical or in prophetical sections, it has no other meaning. The twelve sons of Jacob, and therefore the twelve tribes named after them, have no other meaning. And the same applies to the Lord's twelve disciples. Each one of Jacob's sons and each of the disciples represented some essential and primary aspect of faith. What each son of Jacob represented, and therefore what each tribe of Israel represented, will in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed later on at `Genesis 29bbb0`, `Genesis ccc30bbb0`, where the sons of Jacob are the subject.
ppp21759#pid#2090. 'And I will make him into a great nation' means having the enjoyment of goods, and increases in these. This is clear from the meaning of 'nations' as goods, dealt with in Volume One, in `@@@1159`, `@@@1258-1260`, `@@@1416`, `@@@1849`. Here therefore 'making into a great nation' means both the enjoyment of and increases in goods.
ppp21758#pid#2091. Verse `Genesis 17bbbccc21` And I will establish My covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at the set time next year.
'I will establish My covenant with Isaac' means union with the Divine Rational. 'Whom Sarah will bear to you' means Divine Truth joined to Divine Good from which it will come forth into being. 'At the set time next year' means a state of union at that time.
ppp21757#pid#2092. That 'I will establish My covenant with Isaac' means union with the Divine Rational is clear from the meaning of 'a covenant' as union, dealt with already, and from the representation of 'Isaac' as the Divine Rational, dealt with above in `@@@2083`.
ppp21756#pid#2093. 'Whom Sarah will bear to you' means Divine Truth joined to Divine Good from which it will come forth into being. This is clear from the representation of 'Sarah' as Divine Truth, dealt with already in `@@@2063`, `@@@2081`, and from the representation of 'Abraham' as Divine Good, dealt with in `@@@2063` and in various places elsewhere.
ttt[2] The manner in which the Lord's first rational was conceived and born has been stated in the previous chapter where Ishmael, who represented that rational, was the subject. This chapter and the next deal with that Rational which was made Divine by the Lord, something He achieved through the marriage-like conjunction of Divine Good with Divine Truth. The only possible way the first rational can be conceived is by the influx of the Internal Man into the External Man's affection for knowledge. Nor can it be born from anything other than the affection for knowledge, an affection represented by 'Hagar, Sarai's servant-girl', as shown in the previous chapter, in `@@@1896`, `@@@1902`, `@@@1910`, and elsewhere in that chapter.
ttt[3] But the second or Divine Rational is not conceived and born in the same way but by the conjunction of Truth in the Internal Man with Good in the same, and the resulting influx. In the Lord's case this was achieved by His own power derived from the Divine itself, that is, from Jehovah. As stated in various places already, His Internal Man was Jehovah. And Good itself, represented by 'Abraham', belonged to the Internal Man, as also did Truth itself, represented by 'Sarah'. Both were on that account Divine, and from them both the Lord's Divine Rational was conceived and born. Indeed it was conceived and born from the influx of good into truth, and so by means of truth, for the principal element in the rational is truth, as stated above in `@@@2072`. Hence the statement here 'whom Sarah will bear to you', which means Divine Truth joined to Good from which it will come into being, and at verse `Genesis 17bbbccc17` above the statement 'Sarah a daughter of ninety years' means that Truth joined to Good will accomplish this.
ttt[4] With all human beings, since each has been created in the likeness and image of God, something similar yet not comparable takes place, in that his first rational too is conceived and born through the influx of his internal man into the life of his external man's affection for knowledge, but his second rational results from the influx of good and truth from the Lord by way of his internal man. This second rational he receives from the Lord when he is being regenerated, for at that time he senses within his rational what the good and truth of faith are. The internal man with anyone is above his rational, and is the Lord's. This is dealt with in `@@@1889`, `@@@1940`.
ppp21755#pid#2094. The previous chapter and the present chapter up to this point have dealt with the conception and birth of the Rational within the Lord; and how this was made Divine is also dealt with in what follows. But some may possibly suppose that knowing these details does not contribute very much to faith, provided one knows that the Lord's Human Essence was made Divine and that the Lord is God as regards both Essences. The position however is this: People who in simplicity believe it to be so do not need to know how it became so, for the only reason for their knowing how it became so is so that they may believe that it is so.
ttt[2] There are many at the present day who do not believe anything unless they know it to be so from reason, as is made quite clear from the fact that few believe in the Lord, although they make lip confession of belief for the reason that the doctrine of faith so teaches. Nevertheless they tell themselves and one another that if they knew it could be so they would believe. The reason they do not believe and yet say this is that the Lord was born as any other is born and to outward appearance was like any other. These people cannot possibly receive any faith unless they first of all grasp in some measure how it can be so. This is why these matters have been explained. Those who believe the Word in simplicity do not need to know all these details because they have already arrived at the end which those who have just been described cannot reach except by becoming acquainted with such details.
ttt[3] What is more, these are the details which are contained in the internal sense, and the internal sense is the Word of the Lord in heaven. Those who are in heaven perceive it in this fashion. When someone is in touch with the truth, that is, with the internal sense, he is able to make one as to thought with those in heaven, even though his ideas are by comparison very general and very obscure. The celestial ones there, who possess faith itself, see that those things are so from good, whereas the spiritual ones see the same from truth. The spiritual ones are also confirmed, and in that way perfected, by such things as are contained in the internal sense, that confirmation being achieved however by means of thousands of interior reasons which cannot flow into man's pattern of thought so as to be perceived there.
ppp21754#pid#2095. 'At the set time next year' means a state of union at that time. This is clear from what has been stated about Abraham's age, that he was 'a son of a hundred years', and about Sarah's, that she was 'a daughter of ninety years', when Isaac was to be born, which meant that at that time the Rational within the Lord's Human Essence would be united to the Divine Essence and that truth joined to good was to achieve this, dealt with above in `@@@1988`, `@@@2074`, `@@@2075`. Consequently 'next year' means a state of union.
ppp21753#pid#2096. Verse `Genesis 17bbbccc22` And He finished speaking to him, and God went up from over Abraham.
'He finished speaking to him' means the end of this perception. 'And God went up from over Abraham' means the Lord's entry into the state immediately previous to this.
ppp21752#pid#2097. That 'He finished speaking to him' means the end of this perception is clear from the meaning of 'speaking' and of 'laying' in the internal sense as perceiving, dealt with frequently already. 'To finish speaking' therefore is having such perception no longer.
ppp21751#pid#2098. 'And God went up from over Abraham' means the Lord's entry into the state immediately previous to this. This is clear from what has been stated, and so is clear without explanation. The fact that the Lord experienced two kinds of state while He lived in the world, the first the state of humiliation, the second that of glorification, has been shown already in `@@@1603`, `@@@2033`. Since He experienced two kinds of state it is clear that He also had two states of perception. He was in a state of glorification, that is, of union of the Human with the Divine, when He perceived the things contained in the internal sense up to this point in this chapter. And the fact that He no longer had such perception is expressed by the statement that 'He finished speaking to him, and God went up from over Abraham'.
ppp21750#pid#2099. Verse `Genesis 17bbbccc23` And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all born in his house, and everyone purchased with his silver, every male among the men (vir) of Abraham's house, and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskin on that same day, just as God had spoken to him.
'Abraham took Ishmael his son' means those who are truly rational. 'And all born in his house, and everyone purchased with his silver, and every male among the men of Abraham's house' means here, as previously, those inside the Church in whom truths of faith have been joined to goods. 'And he circumcised the flesh of their foreskin' means their purification and righteousness from the Lord. 'On that same day' means that state which has been spoken of. 'Just as God had spoken to him' means according to perception.
ppp21749#pid#2100. That 'Abraham took Ishmael his son' means those who are truly rational is clear from the meaning of 'Ishmael' as those who are rational from truth, that is, who are spiritual people, dealt with above in `@@@2078`, `@@@2087`, `@@@2088`.
ppp21748#pid#2101. 'All born in his house, and everyone purchased with his silver, and every male among the men of Abraham's house' means those inside the Church in whom truths of faith have been joined to goods. This is clear from the meaning of 'those born in the house' as celestial people, from the meaning of 'those bought with silver' as spiritual people - these being people inside the Church, dealt with above in `@@@2048`, `@@@2051`, `@@@2052`; and also from the meaning of 'male' as those who possess the truth of faith, also dealt with above in `@@@2046`. From what appears in those paragraphs it is evident that people inside the Church are meant with whom truths of faith have been joined to goods.
ppp21747#pid#2102. 'And he circumcised the flesh of their foreskin' means their purification and righteousness from the Lord. This is clear from the meaning of 'being circumcised' as being purified from self-love and love of the world, dealt with above in `@@@2039`, and also from the meaning of 'flesh of the foreskin' as the removal of those loves, also dealt with above in `@@@2041`, `@@@2053`, `@@@2057`. It was also shown in those paragraphs that those loves alone are what stop the inflow and functioning of good and truth from the Lord, and so prevent the Lord's righteousness from being imparted to him.
ttt[2] The whole of this chapter has dealt with the union of the Lord's Divine Essence with the Human Essence, and with the conjunction of the Lord with man by means of His Human Essence now made Divine. It has dealt also with circumcision, that is, with purification from all the filth residing with man. These matters constitute a single train of thought, following one after another. In fact the union of the Divine Essence with the Human Essence in the Lord took place to enable the Divine to be joined to man. But that conjunction of the Divine with man cannot be achieved unless man is purified from those loves. As soon as he is purified from them however the Lord's Divine Human flows in and in so doing joins man to Himself. This shows the nature of the Word, that is to say, when the meaning in the internal sense is understood everything connects together in a proper and beautiful sequence.
ppp21746#pid#2103. 'On that same day' means that state which has been spoken of. This is clear from the meaning of 'day' in the internal sense as state, dealt with in `@@@23`, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@893`.
ppp21745#pid#2104. 'Just as God had spoken to him' means according to perception. This is clear from the meaning of 'God's saying' and 'speaking' as perceiving, dealt with in `@@@1791`, `@@@1815`, `@@@1819`, `@@@1822`, `@@@1898`, `@@@1919`, `@@@2097`.
ppp21744#pid#2105. Verses `Genesis 17bbbccc24-26` And Abraham was a son of ninety-nine years when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. And Ishmael his son was a son of thirteen years when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. On that very day Abraham was circumcised, and Ishmael his son.
'Abraham was a son of ninety-nine years' means the state and the period of time prior to the union of the Lord's Divine Essence with His Human Essence. 'When he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin' means when the evils occupying the External Man were totally driven out. 'And Ishmael his son' means those who become rational from truths of faith from the Lord. 'A son of thirteen years' means sacred remnants. 'When he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin' means purification, as previously. 'On that very day' means at that very time. 'Abraham was circumcised, and Ishmael his son' means that when the Lord joined His Human Essence to the Divine Essence, He also joined to Himself and saved everyone else who becomes rational from truth.
ppp21743#pid#2106. That 'Abraham was a son of ninety-nine years' means the state and the period of time prior to the union of the Lord's Divine Essence with His Human Essence is clear from the meaning of 'ninety-nine years' as the period of time before the Lord fully joined the Internal Man to the Rational, dealt with above in `@@@1988`. The Lord's Internal Man, as stated frequently already, was Jehovah Himself, that is, the Divine Itself which, once united to the Human, is the Rational, for the human begins in the inmost part of the rational and from there extends itself to one's external.
ppp21742#pid#2107. 'When he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin' means when the evils occupying the External Man were totally driven out. This is clear from the meaning of 'being circumcised' as being purified from self-love and love of the world, or what amounts to the same, being purified from evils, for those loves are the source of all evils, a matter dealt with above in `@@@2039`, `@@@2041`, `@@@2053`, `@@@2057`. And that the Lord drove out evils by His own power, and in so doing made the Human Essence Divine, has been shown in many places in Volume One, as well as in `@@@2025` above.
ppp21741#pid#2108. 'Ishmael his son' means those who become rational from truths of faith. This is clear from the representation here of 'Ishmael' as those who become rational, that is, spiritual, from truth, also dealt with above, in `@@@2078`, `@@@2087`, `@@@2088`.
ppp21740#pid#2109. 'A son of thirteen years' means sacred remnants. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'ten' as remnants, dealt with already, in `@@@576`, `@@@1988`, and from the meaning of 'three' as that which is sacred, dealt with in `@@@720`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc901`. Consequently the number thirteen, being the sum of ten and three, means sacred remnants. That numbers in the Word mean real things, see `@@@482`, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@575`, `@@@647`, `@@@648`, `@@@755`, `@@@813`, `@@@893`. What the remnants residing with man are has been stated in `@@@468`, `@@@530`, `@@@561`, `@@@660`, `@@@1050`, `@@@1906`.
ppp21739#pid#2110. 'When he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin' means purification. This is clear from the meaning of 'being circumcised' as being purified from self-love and the love of the world, dealt with in `@@@2039`, and from the meaning of 'flesh of the foreskin' as the removal of those loves, dealt with in `@@@2041`, `@@@2053`, `@@@2057`.
ppp21738#pid#2111. That 'on that very day' means at that very time is clear from the meaning of 'a day' as a period of time and a state, also dealt with already, in `@@@23`, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@893`.
ppp21737#pid#2112. That 'Abraham was circumcised, and his son Ishmael' means that, when the Lord joined His Human Essence to the Divine Essence, He also joined to Himself and saved everyone else who becomes rational from truth is clear from the representation of 'Abraham' in this chapter as the Lord in that state and at that time of life, dealt with above in `@@@1989`, and from the representation of 'Ishmael' here as those who become rational from truth, dealt with above in `@@@2078`, `@@@2087`, `@@@2088`, and also from the meaning of 'being circumcised' as being purified, dealt with above in `@@@2039`, and, in reference to the Lord, as being glorified - and so as casting off the human and putting on the Divine. That being glorified means putting on the Divine, see `@@@2033` above, and that He also joined to Himself at the same time those who become rational, that is, spiritual, from truth, see `@@@2034`, `@@@2078`, `@@@2088`, above.
ppp21736#pid#2113. Verse `Genesis 17bbbccc27` And all the men of his house, he that was born in the house and he that was the purchase of silver, from the son who is a foreigner, were circumcised together with him.
'All the men of his house, he that was born in the house and he that was the purchase of silver' means all those at that time inside the Church. 'From the son who is a foreigner' means all who are rational outside the Church. 'Were circumcised by him' means that they were made righteous by the Lord.
ppp21735#pid#2114. That 'all the men of his house, he that was born in the house and he that was the purchase of silver' means all those at that time inside the Church is clear from meaning of those 'born in the house' as celestial people, and from the meaning of 'those purchased with silver' as spiritual people, dealt with above in `@@@2048`, `@@@2051`, `@@@2052`. The fact that they are people inside the Church has also been stated in those paragraphs, for all who are inside the Church, that is, all who constitute the Church, are either celestial or spiritual. But who exactly are celestial and who spiritual, see above in `@@@2088`. This final verse of this chapter sums up all that has been stated above, namely that those who have been purified from self-love and love of the world, those inside the Church and also those outside, are made righteous by the Lord. Both groups of people are called 'men of the house' because 'house' in the internal sense means the Lord's kingdom, `@@@2048`.
ppp21734#pid#2115. 'From the son who is a foreigner' means all who are rational outside the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'son who is a foreigner' as those who are outside the Church, dealt with above in `@@@2049`, thus gentiles who do not possess the Word and therefore do not know anything about the Lord. And that these equally are saved when they are rational, that is, when they live together in charity or mutual love and have received something of a conscience in accordance with their own religion, has been shown in Volume One, in `@@@593`, `@@@932`, `@@@1032`, `@@@1059`, `@@@1327`, `@@@1328`.
ppp21733#pid#2116. That 'were circumcised by him' means that they were made righteous by the Lord becomes clear from the representation and consequently from the meaning of 'being circumcised' as being purified, dealt with above in `@@@2039`. 'Being circumcised by him' - that is, by Abraham - was also a representative act, that is to say, an act of being purified and so of being made righteous by the Lord. As regards righteousness however, the position is not as people commonly suppose. They imagine that all evils and sins are washed away and completely abolished when people become believers, even if they become such only in their last hour before they die, no matter whether they have committed evil and disgraceful actions throughout the whole course of their lives. I have been fully informed however that not even the smallest evil a person has thought and carried out during his lifetime is washed away and completely abolished, but that everything remains right down to the smallest detail.
ttt[2] The truth of the matter is that in the case of people who have thought and practiced acts of hatred, revenge, cruelty, and adultery, and so have not led charitable lives, the life they have acquired in so doing awaits them after death. Indeed every single facet of that life awaits them and gradually reappears. This for them is the source of torment in hell. But in the case of people who have led lives of love to the Lord and of charity towards the neighbour all their evils of life await them also; but these are moderated by the goods which they have received from the Lord through the life of charity during their lifetime, and in this condition they are raised up into heaven. Indeed they are withheld from the evils which they have with them so that these do not show themselves. People in the next life who doubt that they have evils with them because they do not show themselves are brought back into those evils until they know that it really is so. After that they are raised once more into heaven.
ttt[3] This then is what being made righteous entails, for in this way people come to acknowledge not their own righteousness but the Lord's. When people say that those are saved who have faith, they are saying something that is true; but in the Word nothing else is meant by faith than love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour, and so a life that is derived from those loves. Matters of doctrine and established beliefs do not constitute faith yet are part of faith, for these, each and every one, exist to the end that a person may become such as they teach. This becomes quite clear from the Lord's words about all the Law and all the Prophets, that is, the doctrine of faith in its entirety., consisting in love to God and love towards the neighbour, `Matthew 22bbb35-40`; `Mark 12bbb28-35`. The fact that no other kind of faith which is truly faith can possibly, exist has been shown in Volume One, in `@@@30-38`, `@@@379`, `@@@389`, `@@@724`, `@@@809`, `@@@896`, `@@@904`, `@@@916`, `@@@989`, `@@@1017`, `@@@1076`, `@@@1077`, `@@@1121`, `@@@1158`, `@@@1162`, `@@@1176`, `@@@1258`, `@@@1285`, `@@@1316`, `@@@1608`, `@@@1798`, `@@@1799`, `@@@1834`, `@@@1843`, `@@@1844`, and that heaven itself consists in love to the Lord and in mutual love, in `@@@537`, `@@@547`, `@@@553`, `@@@1112`, `@@@2057`.
ppp21732#pid#2117. THE LAST JUDGEMENT
Few nowadays know what the Last Judgement is. They imagine that it is going to be accompanied by the destruction of the world; and this leads to conjectures that this earth, together with everything else in the visible world, is going to be destroyed by fire. They also conjecture that then for the first time the dead will rise again and appear for judgement, and the evil are to be cast into hell and the good to rise up to heaven. These conjectures are based on the prophetical parts of the Word where references are made to a new heaven and a new earth, and also to a New Jerusalem. Such people do not realize that the prophetical parts of the Word have a meaning altogether different in the internal sense from what appears in the sense of the letter, and that 'heaven' is not used to mean heaven, nor 'the earth' to mean the earth, but the Lord's Church in general, and as it exists with each individual in particular.
ppp21731#pid#2118. The expression 'Last Judgement' is used to mean the final period of a Church, and also to mean the final phase of each person's life. As regards the final period of a Church, the Last Judgement of the Most Ancient Church, which had existed before the Flood, occurred when their descendants perished, whose destruction is described by the Flood. The Last Judgement of the Ancient Church, which existed after the Flood, took place when almost all who belonged to that Church had become idolaters and had been scattered. The Last Judgement of the representative Church, which followed next, among the descendants of Jacob, came about when the ten tribes were led away into captivity and dispersed among the gentile nations; and later on when the Jews after the Lord's Coming were expelled from the land of Canaan and were scattered throughout the whole world. The Last Judgement of the Church existing at present, which is called the Christian Church, is what 'the new heaven and the new earth' is used to mean in John in the Book of Revelation.
ppp21730#pid#2119. The fact that the final phase of each person's life when he dies is his last judgement is no secret to some people; yet few believe it. It is for ever true however that after death everyone rises again into the next life and appears for judgement. But that judgement takes place as follows: As soon as a person's physical body grows cold, which occurs after several days, the Lord raises him up by means of the celestial angels who are present with him at first. If however he is such that he cannot remain with them, spiritual angels take over, and gradually after that good spirits. For no matter how many people enter the next life, they are all received and welcomed as guests. But because the desires of someone who has been leading an evil life follow after him he is unable to stay long with angels or good spirits, but he gradually separates himself from them until at length he comes to spirits whose life is similar to and in keeping with his own in the world. At that point it seems to him as though he were back in the life of the body; indeed it is in itself a continuation of that life. With this life his judgement begins. Those who have led an evil life go down after some delay into hell, while those who have led a good life are gradually raised up by the Lord into heaven. Such is the last judgement of each person, as has been told from experience in Volume One.
ppp21729#pid#2120. Every single detail of what the Lord has said in `Matthew 24bbb7`, `Matthew 24bbbccc29`; `Luke 21bbb25`, about the last times - about the sea and the waves roaring then, about the sun being darkened, the moon not giving its light, the stars falling from heaven, nation rising up against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and so on - means the future state of the Church, when its Last Judgement takes place. By 'the roaring of the sea and of the waves' is meant that nothing other than heresies and controversies within the Church in general and in the individual in particular will reverberate in this fashion. 'The sun' is used to mean nothing other than love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour; 'the moon' to mean faith; and 'the stars' cognitions of faith which in the last times will be so darkened; their 'not giving their light' and 'falling from heaven', that they will disappear. The Lord has also spoken in a similar way in `Isaiah 13bbb10`. Also, by 'nation rising up against nation and kingdom against kingdom' is meant nothing other than evils clashing with evils, and falsities with falsities. And so on. There were many hidden reasons why the Lord spoke in this fashion. That seas, sun, moon, stars, nations, and kingdoms have such meanings I know for certain, and have shown in Volume One.
ppp21728#pid#2121. The Last Judgement is now imminent, but this is not so clear on earth and within the Church as it is in the next life, to which place all souls go and flock together. At the present time the world of spirits is full of evil genii and evil spirits drawn for the most part from the Christian world. Among them nothing but forms of hatred, revenge, cruelty, disgusting behaviour, and also scheming devices prevail. This is the situation not only in the world of spirits where souls recently arrived from the world first gather, but also in the interior sphere of that world where those people are who, as regards their intentions and ends in view, have been interiorly evil. This interior sphere is at the present time so full to capacity that I have wondered that so vast a number could ever exist. For all are not cast down into the hells instantly, since the laws of order ensure that every such person shall return to the life that was his during his lifetime, and from that point be taken down step by step into hell. The Lord casts no one down into hell, but everyone does so to himself. Consequently those worlds of spirits are completely full to overflowing - with the vast number of such souls gathering and remaining there for a time. Because of them souls coming from the world are horribly oppressed. And in addition the spirits who are present with a person - for everyone is governed by the Lord by means of spirits and angels - are stirred more than ever before to afflict him with wicked suggestions, doing so to such an extent that the angels present with him can scarcely ward them off, but are compelled to flow into that person from further away. From this situation as it exists in the next life it is quite clear that the final period is imminent.
ppp21727#pid#2122. As regards souls recently arrived from the world, there is more to be said. Those gathering there from the Christian world have hardly any other thought or endeavour than to be the greatest and to possess all things. All are accordingly eaten up with self-love and love of the world, which loves are altogether contrary to heavenly order, `@@@2057`. In addition most of them think about nothing other than what is filthy, disgusting, and profane, and talk about nothing else to one another. They also attach no importance to, and utterly despise, everything to do with charity and faith. Nor do they acknowledge the Lord Himself, indeed they hate all who confess Him; for in the next life thoughts and hearts speak. Besides this hereditary evils resulting from the shameful behaviour of parents become more wicked still, which like fires hidden and fostered within incite a person to greater violations of what is decent and godly than ever before. Such people are at the present time swarming into the next life and are filling the outer and the inner spheres of the world of spirits, as has been stated. When evil starts to prevail in this way, and the balance tilts to the side of evil, it is then clearly perceived that the final period is imminent and that that balance must be restored by the rejection of those inside the Church and the acceptance of others outside it.
ppp21726#pid#2123. The imminence of this final period is also made clear in the next life by the fact that all good flowing in from the Lord by way of heaven into the world of spirits is in that world instantly converted into what is evil, disgusting, and profane, and all truth instantly converted into falsity. Thus mutual love is converted into hatred, honesty into deceit, and so on. As a result they are no longer capable of receiving anything good and true. The same situation is spilling over on to man, who is governed by means of spirits with whom those in the world of spirits are in communication. This I have been made fully aware of from much experience, which, if I were to relate it all, would fill many pages. I have been allowed very often to perceive and to hear how good and truth coming from heaven have been converted into evil and falsity, and also the extent and nature of this conversion.
ppp21725#pid#2124. I have been told that good present in the will, as it was with members of the Most Ancient Church, existed no longer in those before the Flood, and that at the present time with members of the Christian Church good present in the understanding is starting to perish, so much so that little of it is left. The reason for this is that they believe nothing except that which they grasp with the senses, and nowadays they not only reason from the senses but also do so about Divine arcana by means of a philosophy unknown to the ancients. As a result the light of understanding is utterly darkened; and that darkness is growing so deep that it can hardly be dispelled.
ppp21724#pid#2125. The character of members of the Christian Church at the present day was demonstrated to me visually by means of representations. Enveloped by a dark cloud there appeared spirits so black that I shuddered. After that others not so terrifying made their appearance; and then it was indicated to me that I was about to witness something. First of all I saw children who were being combed by their mothers in so cruel a fashion that blood was running down. This represented the nature of young children's upbringing nowadays. Afterwards a tree appeared, which seemed to me to be the tree of knowledge. A large viper, the sort to strike terror, then seemed to climb up it. It appeared to extend up the whole length of the trunk. As the tree disappeared, along with the viper, a dog appeared, and at that point a door was opened into a room where there was a yellow light like that produced by coals burning. Two women were there. I perceived that it was a kitchen, but what I saw in it I am not allowed to mention. I was told that the tree which the viper climbed up represented the state of members of the Church as they are at the present time - that instead of love and charity they have deadly hatred that is hedged around by presences of honesty and by deceptions. They also have unmentionable thoughts about the things of faith. But what I saw in the kitchen represented that hatred and the nature of those thoughts in their further developments.
ppp21723#pid#2126. A further representation was made of how at the present time those inside the Church are opposed to Innocence itself. There appeared a beautiful and innocent child. Once it had appeared the external restraints by means of which evil genii and spirits are withheld from wickedness were relaxed a little. At that point they started to treat the little child very badly, to trample on it, and to wish to kill it, one in this way, another in that; for in the next life innocence is represented by means of little children. I exclaimed however that they are not seen to behave in such ways during the life of the body, to which the reply came that they are such interiorly and that but for civil laws to prevent them, and also other external restraints, such as the fear of losing wealth, position, and reputation, and the fear of losing their life, they would in the selfsame way rush madly against all who are innocent. When they heard this reply they poked fun at that too. What has been said therefore makes clear the character of people at the present day, as well as the fact that the last times are imminent.
ppp21722#pid#2127. In the next life something of a Last Judgement sometimes takes place before the eyes of the evil when their communities are dissolved and before the eyes of the good when they are being admitted into heaven. Let some personal experiences of both such events be given.
ppp21721#pid#2128. The idea of a Last Judgement as it took place before the eyes of the evil, such as I have witnessed two or three times, has been as follows: When the spirits around me had so amalgamated into destructive communities that they were in the ascendancy and did not allow themselves, by the law of equilibrium which order ensures, to be controlled in such a way that they did not vex other communities excessively or begin to do them harm from their superior strength, a sizable squadron of spirits then appeared on the scene from the quarter in front, slightly to the right and above. As they approached a tumultuous sound was heard, as if coming in waves and roaring. When they heard it the spirits were filled with dismay and terror, and confusion resulted. At that point the spirits within those communities were scattered, one this way and another that, so that they melted away from one another and did not know one anothers' whereabouts. While all this was taking place it seemed to those spirits just as if it was a Last Judgement accompanied by the destruction of all things. Some uttered lamentations, others in terror lost heart so to speak; in short, a sense of doom like that of a final reckoning was seizing them all.
ttt[2] The sound of those approaching from the quarter in front was heard by them in different ways. To some it was the sound of armed cavalry, to others something else, all depending on their state of fear and the delusions this aroused in them. I myself perceived it as a continuous rumbling coming in waves, and indeed of many doing so simultaneously. I was informed by those near me that squadrons like these arrive on the scene from that quarter when communities have, as has been stated, been harmfully grouped together in this manner. They know, I was told, how to break them up and part them one from another, and at the same time how to strike terror into them, so that their one thought is to take flight. I was further informed that by means of disbandments and dispersals all spirits are then brought back into order by the Lord, and also that such activity is meant in the Word by 'the east wind'.
ppp21720#pid#2129. There are also other types of tumults, or rather of conflicts, which also convey the idea of a Last Judgement and by which communities harmfully joined together as regards their interiors are dissolved. Concerning them let the following be mentioned: Such spirits are driven into a condition in which they do not think in their normal way as a community, that is, one with another, but each one independently. As a result of their thinking, each at variance with the others, and of each muttering something different from the rest, an uproar is produced which sounds like that of many waters; and conflict with one another takes place such as defies description which arises out of the mishmash of opinions concerning firmly established truths, which are at the time the substance of their thoughts and speech. That mishmash is such as may be called spiritual chaos.
ttt[2] The sound of these conflicting and confused uproarings was threefold. The first flowed in around the head, and I was told it was that of thoughts. The second flowed in towards the left temple. I was told that this was a conflict of reasonings about certain truths in which they were unwilling to pin their faith. The third flowed in from above over on the right. It was rasping though less confused, a rasping sound directed first this way, then that. I was told that this was the product of truths clashing which were being turned this way and that by means of reasonings. While these conflicts were going on there were other spirits who spoke to me, telling me in speech that rose clearly above all that noise the meaning of every single thing.
ttt[3] The matters which they reasoned about were chiefly these - whether the statement that the twelve apostles were going to sit on twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel was to be understood literally, and also whether other people who have endured persecution and affliction were to be allowed into heaven. Each one reasoned in accordance with what had taken his fancy during his lifetime. Some of them however who had been brought back into associations with one another and into order were then informed that those descriptions were to be understood in a completely different way, that is to say, that 'apostles' is not used to mean apostles, nor 'thrones' to mean thrones, nor 'tribes' tribes, nor indeed is 'twelve' used to mean twelve. Instead apostles, thrones, tribes, and also twelve, meant the first and foremost matters of faith, `@@@2089`. They also said that such matters of faith are the starting-point and the criteria from which everyone is judged. And over and above all this they were shown that the apostles have no power to judge anyone at all, and that all judgement is the Lord's alone.
ttt[4] As regards the second point which they reasoned about, this should not be taken to mean that only those who have endured persecution and affliction will enter heaven, but that the rich no less than the poor will do so, those who have held important positions no less than those whose position has been humble. Furthermore the Lord takes pity on all, especially on people who have endured spiritual afflictions and temptations, which are persecutions by the evil, thus on those who acknowledge that of themselves they are wretched and who believe that it is through the Lord's mercy alone they are saved.
ppp21719#pid#2130. As regards the second representation, that is to say, the idea of a Last Judgement which takes place before the eyes of the good when they are being admitted into heaven, let that too be described. In the Word it is said that the door was shut, so that they could no longer be admitted; and that they had no oil, arrived too late, and therefore were not admitted, statements which also mean a Last-Judgement state. The situation with these matters and how they are to be understood has been shown to me.
ttt[2] I heard communities of spirits declaring in a clear voice, one community after another, that a wolf had wished to carry them off but that the Lord rescued them, and so they were restored to Him, and on that account rejoiced from the depths of their heart. Indeed they had been without hope, and so were afraid that the door had been shut, and that they had arrived too late to be admitted. Such thought had been instilled into them by those called wolves, but it vanished on their being admitted, that is, being received, by angelic communities. Being admitted into heaven is nothing else. The admission which I witnessed seemed to proceed continuously community by community, up to twelve of them, the admission, that is, the reception, of the twelfth being more difficult than that of the previous eleven. After that about eight more communities were also admitted, which, it was pointed out to me, were composed of females. Having witnessed all this I was told that this is how the process of admission, that is, of being received into heavenly communities is seen. They proceed in an orderly continuation from one place to another. I was also told that heaven can never be filled up, still less the door be shut, but that the more who enter, the more blessing and happiness there is for those in heaven, because their unanimity is made that much stronger.
ttt[3] After these had been admitted it did at that point seem as though heaven was shut; for there were still more who wished after that to be admitted, that is, to be received. But they were told in reply that they could not yet be let in. This is meant by those arriving too late, by the door being shut, by their knocking, and by the statement about their having no oil in their lamps. The reason they were not admitted was that they were not yet ready to move among angelic communities where mutual love exists, for, as stated above towards the end of `@@@2119`, people who in the world have lived charitably disposed towards the neighbour are raised up by the Lord into heaven gradually.
ttt[4] There were also other spirits who did not know what heaven is, namely mutual love, and who also at that time wished to be admitted. They imagined it was just a matter of being admitted. They received the reply however that it was not yet time for them, but that they would be admitted at another time when they were ready for it. The reason why twelve communities were seen was that 'twelve' means everything comprising faith, as stated above towards the end of `@@@2129`.
ppp21718#pid#2131. People who are admitted are received by angelic communities with inmost charity and its joy, and they are shown all love and friendship. But when they are no longer content to remain in the communities they have come to first, they are received by other communities, and this process is repeated again and again until they reach that community with which they accord so far as the life of mutual love with them is concerned, There they remain until, having become more perfect, they leave, and from there are raised and lifted up into greater happiness, which in the Lord's mercy happens to them to the extent that the life of love and charity which they have received in the world exists with them. But their transference from one community to another is never a matter of their being rejected by the community where they are. It takes place because they themselves wish to go, a wish that is in accordance with an urgent desire instilled in them by the Lord. And because that transference is in keeping with their desires there is nothing which is not done in freedom.
ppp21717#pid#2132. The implications of the description in the Word of someone entering who was not wearing a wedding garment, `Matthew 22bbb11-13`, and of his being cast out, have also been shown to me. There are people who during their lifetime have acquired the ability to impersonate angels of light, and when they resume that hypocritical condition in the next life they are also able to worm their way into neighbouring heavenly communities. But they do not remain in them for long, for the instant they perceive the sphere of mutual love there they are seized with fear and terror and cast themselves out headlong - though in the world of spirits at the time it seems as though they have been cast down - some towards the stagnant pond, some towards Gehenna, and some into some other hell.
ppp21716#pid#2133. On two or three occasions, in the Lord's Divine mercy, heaven was for me opened so wide that I heard a general glorification of the Lord. Several communities were giving glory to the Lord simultaneously and unitedly. Nevertheless each community did so on its own, from its own particular affections and consequent ideas. It was a heavenly sound that I heard coming from far and wide, and so widespread that it extended beyond the range of my hearing, just as the universe extends beyond that of the eye beholding it. And all this involved inmost joy and happiness. I have also perceived glorification of the Lord sometimes as a beam of light flowing down and affecting the interior parts of the mind. This glorification takes place when those communities are in a state of serenity and peace, for at such times glorification is an expression of their inmost joys and happiness itself.
ppp21715#pid#2134. At the end of the next chapter in the Lord's Divine mercy the state of young children in the next life will be discussed.
ppp21714#pid#2135. PREFACE to Genesis 18
[Each chapter belonging to Volume Two of the Latin (`Genesis 16bbb0`-`Genesis ccc21bbb0`) was published separately, and therefore this Preface belongs to Chapter `Genesis ccc18bbb0` only.]
At the end of the previous chapter the subject dealt with was the Last Judgement, and there it was shown what is meant by it - not the destruction of the world, but the final period of the Church. When this is imminent, says the Lord, He will come in the clouds of heaven with power and glory, `Matthew 24bbb30`; `Mark 13bbb26`; `Luke 21bbb27`. Nobody until now has known what was meant by 'the clouds of heaven'. But it has been disclosed to me that nothing else is meant than the literal sense of the Word, and that by 'power and glory' is meant the internal sense of the Word; for the internal sense of the Word holds glory within itself, since everything within that sense has regard to the Lord and His kingdom; see Volume One, in `@@@1769-1772`. Something similar is meant by 'the cloud' which surrounded Peter, James, and John when the Lord appeared to them in glory, concerning which the following is said in Luke,
A voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is My beloved Son; listen to Him! When however the voice had gone Jesus was found alone. `Luke 9bbb35-36`.
Moses and Elijah there who conversed with the Lord represented the Old Testament Word, which is also called Moses and the Prophets - 'Moses' representing the books by him, together with the historical books, 'Elijah the prophet' representing all the Prophets. Peter, James, and John however represented, as they do wherever else they are mentioned in the Gospels, faith, charity, and good flowing from charity. Their presence alone on that occasion meant that no others are able to see the glory of the Lord which is present in His Word than those with whom faith, its partner charity, and good flowing from charity are present. All others do indeed have the ability to see; nevertheless they do not see because they do not believe. Such is the internal sense of these two passages. In various places in the Prophets as well, 'cloud' means the Word as to its letter, and 'glory' the Word as to its life. What the internal sense of the Word is, and the nature of it, has been stated in many places, and has been shown in the word-by-word explanation that has been given. Those expert in the Law in the Lord's time had least belief of all in the idea that anything in the Word had been written regarding the Lord. Today such experts do, it is true, recognize this, but they perhaps will have least belief of all in the idea that any glory is present in the Word other than that visible in the letter - though the letter is in fact the cloud which has the glory within it.
From this chapter especially do the nature of the internal sense of the Word and the manner in which angels perceive the Word when it is read by man become clear. From the historical sense that belongs to the letter nothing else is understood than that Jehovah appeared to Abraham in the guise of three men, and that Sarah, Abraham, and his servant prepared food for them, namely cakes of fine flour, a young bull, and also butter and milk. Although these are historically true descriptions of things which actually took place, they are nevertheless not perceived by angels in any such historical manner. Instead the angels perceive abstractedly, quite apart from the letter, the things which are represented and are meant spiritually by such descriptions; that is to say, they perceive them according to the explanation set out in the Contents. In place of the historical details stated in this chapter they perceive the state of the Lord's perception within the Human, and also the communication at that time with the Divine, before the perfect union existed of His Divine Essence with His Human Essence and of His Human Essence with His Divine Essence, which state is also what the Lord is referring to when He says,
Nobody has even seen God; the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, He has made Him known. `John 1bbb18`.
ttt[2] Also, by the different kinds of food mentioned in this chapter angels perceive nothing else than celestial and spiritual goods, details of which goods are given in the explanation of the chapter. And by what is said further on in it about a son whom Sarah would bear at the appointed time in the following year, angels perceive nothing else than this, that the Lord's human rational would be made Divine. By what is stated at the end of the chapter about Abraham speaking to Jehovah concerning the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah they perceive nothing else than the Lord's interceding on behalf of the human race. By the numbers fifty, forty-five, forty; thirty, twenty, and ten mentioned there they perceive His interceding on behalf of those with whom truths were to be allied to goods, and to whom goods were to come through temptations and conflicts, or through other states. And their perception is the same with everything else in the Word, as may become clearer still from the word-by-word explanation that is given, where it is shown that similar things are embodied within each individual expression in the Word, both in the historical part and in the prophetical part.
ttt[3] That such an internal sense is present everywhere in the Word, which deals solely with the Lord, with His kingdom in heaven, with His Church on earth, and in particular with every individual, and so deals with the goods of love and the truths of faith, may also become clear to anyone from Old Testament texts quoted in the Gospels, as in Matthew,
The Lord said to My Lord, Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool. `Matthew 22bbb44`; `Psalms 110bbb1`.
That these words refer to the Lord cannot be seen from the literal sense of them as they stand in David; yet that no one other than the Lord is meant, He himself teaches at this point in Matthew.
ttt[4] In the same gospel,
You, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the leaders of Judah, for from you will come a leader who will shepherd my people Israel. `Matthew 2bbb6`; `Micah 5bbb2`.
Those who confine themselves to the literal sense, as Jews do, do indeed know from this that the Lord was to be born there; but because they are waiting for a leader and king who will lead them back into the land of Canaan they therefore explain the words here literally. That is to say, they take 'the land of Judah' to mean the land of Canaan and '[My people] Israel' to mean [the tribes of] Israel, even though they do not know where the latter are now; and 'a leader' they still take to mean their Messiah. But in fact 'Judah' and 'Israel' are used to mean things other than Judah and Israel; that is to say, 'Judah' means those who are celestial and 'Israel' those who are spiritual, in heaven and on earth. And 'a leader' is used to mean the Lord.
ttt[5] In the same gospel,
A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, crying out, and much wailing; Rachel weeping for her children, and she refused to be consoled because they are not. `Matthew 2bbb18`; `Jeremiah 31bbb15`.
Those who confine themselves to the literal sense cannot possibly gain from it that sense which is the internal meaning of these words. Yet the existence of this internal sense is evident from the gospel itself. In the same gospel,
Out of Egypt have I called My son. `Matthew 2bbb15`; `Hosea 11bbb1`.
In Hosea the wording is,
When Israel was a boy I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son. [As] they called them, so they went away from their presence. And I taught Ephraim to walk. `Hosea 11bbb1-3`.
Those who have no knowledge of the existence of the internal sense cannot know otherwise than that here Jacob is meant when he entered Egypt, and his descendants when they left, and that 'Ephraim' is used to mean the tribe of Ephraim - thus the same things as occur in historical sections of the Word. Nevertheless it is clear from the Word of the Evangelists that they mean the Lord, though what each detail means could not possibly be known unless it were disclosed by means of the internal sense.
ppp21713#pid#2136. `Genesis 18bbb0`
1. And Jehovah appeared to him in the oak-groves of Mamre, and he was sitting at the tent door, as the day was getting warmer.
2. And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, three men standing over him. And he saw, and ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed down towards the ground.`fff1`
3. And he said, My Lord, if now I have found grace in your eyes, do not, I beg of you, pass from over your servant.
4. Let now a little water be taken, and [all of you] wash your feet, and recline under the tree.
5. And I will take a piece a bread, that you may refresh yourselves;`fff2` after that you may pass on, for this is why you have passed over to your servant. And they said, Do as you have spoken.
6. And Abraham hastened towards the tent to Sarah, and said, Take quickly three measures of meal of fine flour, knead it, and make cakes.
7. And Abraham ran to the herd and took a young bull,`fff3` tender and good, and gave it to the servant, and he hastened to make it ready.
8. And he took butter and milk, and the young bull,`fff3` which he made ready, and set it before them. And he stood before them under the tree, and they ate.
9. And they said to him, Where is Sarah your wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.
10. And he said, I will certainly return to you about this time next year,`fff4` and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son. And Sarah heard it at the tent door, and this was behind him.
11. And Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in years;`fff5` and it had ceased to be with Sarah in the way it is with women.
12. And Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I have grown old, shall I have this pleasure, and my lord being old?
13. And Jehovah said to Abraham, Why did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I really, in truth, bear a child, and I have grown old?
14. Will anything be too wonderful for Jehovah? At the set time I will return to you, about this time next year,`fff4` and Sarah will have a son.
15. And Sarah denied it, saying, I did not laugh; for she was afraid. And He said, No, but you did laugh.
16. And the men rose up from there and looked towards the face of Sodom; and Abraham went with them, to send them on their way.
17. And Jehovah said, Shall I hide from Abraham that which I am doing?
18. And Abraham will certainly become a great and numerous nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed.
19. For I know him that he will command his sons, and his house after him, and they will keep the way of Jehovah to do righteousness and judgement, in order that Jehovah may bring upon Abraham that which He has spoken concerning him.
20. And Jehovah said, The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah has become great, and their sin has become extremely grave.
21. I will go down now, and I will see whether they have brought it to a close according to the cry of it which has come to Me; and if not, I will know.
22. And the men looked from there and went towards Sodom; and Abraham still stood before Jehovah.
23. And Abraham drew near and said, Will You also destroy the righteous and the wicked?
24. Perhaps there may be fifty righteous persons in the midst of the city. Will You also destroy and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous persons who are in the midst of it?
25. Far be it from You to do such a thing as to make the righteous die with the wicked, so that the righteous will be as the wicked; far be it from You; will not the Judge of the whole earth execute judgement?
26. And Jehovah said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous persons in the midst of the city, I will spare the whole place for their sakes.
27. And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have undertaken to speak to my Lord, and I am [but] dust and ashes.
28. Perhaps the fifty righteous persons will lack five; will You for five destroy the whole city? And he said, I will not destroy it if I find forty five there.
29. And he spoke to Him yet again, and said, Perhaps forty will be found there. And He said, I will not do it for the sake of the forty.
30. And he said, Let not now my Lord be incensed and I will speak; perhaps thirty will be found there. And He said, I will not do it if I find thirty there.
31. And he said, Behold now, I have undertaken to speak to my Lord; perhaps twenty will be found there. And He said, I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty.
32. And he said, Let not now my Lord be incensed, and I will speak just once more; perhaps ten will be found there. And He said, I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten.
33. And Jehovah departed, when He had finished speaking to Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place.
CONTENTS
First, this chapter deals here with the state of the Lord's perception within the Human, and of the communication at that time with the Divine before the perfect union existed of His Human Essence with the Divine Essence, which state is also what the Lord is referring to when He says,
Nobody has ever seen God; the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, He has made Him known. `John 1bbb18`.
`nnn1. literally, earth or land
`nnn2. literally, and support your heart
`nnn3. literally, a son of an ox
`nnn4. literally,. near this time of life
`nnn5. literally, entering into days
ppp21712#pid#2137. The Lord's state of perception within the Human at that time is meant by the oak-groves of Mamre, verse `Genesis 18bbbccc1`.
In this state He perceived the Divine, which was manifesting itself to His Human, verse `Genesis 18bbbccc2`
- at which He rejoiced, verse `Genesis 18bbbccc3`;
also, in this state, He desired that the Divine should draw nearer to His Human by taking on something natural, verse `Genesis 18bbbccc4`,
and that the Human should draw nearer to the Divine by taking on the celestial, verse `Genesis 18bbbccc5`
- the celestial, and the spiritual deriving from this, which He took upon Himself being meant by the three measures of the meal of fine flour from which the cakes were made, verse `Genesis 18bbbccc6`;
and then, in this state, He put on a conformable natural, which is meant by the young bull, verse `Genesis 18bbbccc7`;
as a result conformability existed and a communication of the Divine with the Human, and of the Human with the Divine, verse `Genesis 18bbbccc8`.
ppp21711#pid#2138. Second, the chapter deals with the Lord's perception in this state - that is, His perception regarding his Rational, which was to cast off the human and be made Divine.
ppp21710#pid#2139. That the Rational was to be made Divine is meant by the son whom Sarah was to bear, verse `Genesis 18bbbccc9`. That merely human rational truth present within the Lord did not perceive this and so did not believe it is meant by Sarah's laughing 'at the tent door which was behind him', verses `Genesis 18bbbccc10-13`, `Genesis 18bbbccc15`. It is confirmed that the Lord would cast this off as well and would take on Divine truth in place of it, verse `Genesis 18bbbccc14`.
ppp21709#pid#2140. Third the chapter deals with the Lord's grief and anguish over the human race because it was steeped so much in self-love and therefore in the desire to exercise control over others from what is evil and false. In that state He interceded for the human race and secured salvation for those with whom goods and truths would be present. But who these are is indicated by the numbers of the righteous that are given.
ppp21708#pid#2141. The Lord's perception was this, that the human race was immersed in evil and falsity, Sodom being self-love and the consequent desire to exercise control from evil, Gomorrah to do so from falsity, verses `Genesis 18bbbccc16`, `Genesis 18bbbccc20`. This could not be concealed from the Lord in that state because He is the means and He is the source of all salvation, verses `Genesis 18bbbccc17-19`; that is to say, they would be visited when their wickedness had reached its peak, verses `Genesis 18bbbccc20-21`. While that perception existed with Him, verse `Genesis 18bbbccc22`, He interceded on their behalf - first on behalf of those with whom truths were both present and filled with goods, who are meant by 'the fifty', verses `Genesis 18bbbccc23-26`; then on behalf of those with whom less good was present but was nevertheless joined to truths, who are meant by 'the forty-five', verses `Genesis 18bbbccc27-28`; after that on behalf of those who were undergoing temptations, who are meant by 'the forty', verse `Genesis 18bbbccc29`; and also on behalf of those who have been involved in some conflicts with evils, who are meant by 'the thirty', verse `Genesis 18bbbccc30`; following these on behalf of those with whom states existed of affection for good, which were from some other source, who are meant by 'the twenty', verse `Genesis 18bbbccc31`; and finally on behalf of those with whom states of affection for truth existed, who are meant by 'the ten', verse `Genesis 18bbbccc32`. And each time the reply came back that they were to be saved, verses `Genesis 18bbbccc26`, `Genesis 18bbbccc28-32`. When all this was completed the Lord returned to His previous state of perception, verse `Genesis 18bbbccc33`. These are the arcana in this chapter in the internal sense, which are not evident from the letter.
ppp21707#pid#2142. THE INTERNAL SENSE
Verse `Genesis 18bbbccc1` And Jehovah appeared to him in the oak-groves of Mamre, and he was sitting at the tent door, as the day was getting warmer.
'Jehovah appeared to him' means the Lord's perception. 'In the oak-groves of Mamre' means the character of the perception. 'He was sitting at the tent door' means the holiness which existed with him at that time. 'As the day was getting warmer' means generated by love.
ppp21706#pid#2143. 'Jehovah appeared to him' means the Lord's perception. This becomes clear from the fact that historical events as described in the Word are representative, and nothing else, and the actual words used there serve to mean the things that occur in the internal sense. Featured at this point in the internal sense are the Lord and His perception; and that perception was represented by the event of Jehovah's appearing to Abraham. Every appearance, every utterance, and every deed recorded in the historical sections of the Word is in this manner representative. But what each represents becomes apparent only if attention is paid to historical descriptions solely as objects - as when objects of sight serve solely to give one an opportunity and the ability to think about more sublime things, as for example when people look at gardens and yet think solely of fruits and their uses, and also of the delight of life given by these, and think still more sublimely of the happiness of paradise, or heaven. When their thoughts are on those things they do, it is true, behold the particular objects in the gardens, yet with so little interest in them as mere objects that they pay no attention to them. It is similar with the historical descriptions in the Word. When people's thoughts are on the celestial and spiritual things contained in the internal sense, just as little attention is paid to the historical events described or to the words themselves used to describe them.
ppp21705#pid#2144. 'In the oak-groves of Mamre' means the character of the perception. This is clear from the representation and meaning of 'oak-groves', and also from the representation and meaning of 'Mamre'. What oak-groves in general represented and meant has been shown in Volume One, in `@@@1442`, `@@@1443`, and what the oak-grove of Mamre specifically represented and meant, in `@@@1616`, namely perceptions, though of a human kind such as spring from factual knowledge and from the initial rational concepts derived from that knowledge.
ttt[2] What perception is, is totally unknown at the present day, for nobody today possesses the kind of perception that the ancient and especially the most ancient people possessed. The latter knew from perception whether a thing was good and consequently whether it was true. There was an influx from the Lord by way of heaven into the rational part of their minds, and from that influx when they thought about anything holy, they perceived instantly whether a thing was so or was not so. Later on such perception with mankind perished and people began to entertain heavenly ideas no more but only worldly and bodily ones; and when this happened the place of such perception was taken by conscience (which also is a kind of perception), for acting contrary to conscience and according to conscience is nothing else than discerning from conscience whether a thing is so or not so, or whether it ought to be done.
ttt[3] But perception that goes with conscience does not originate in inflowing good but in truth which from earliest childhood has been implanted in the rational part of the mind in accordance with the holiness of people's worship, and after that has been confirmed; for that truth alone is believed by them to be good. Consequently conscience is a kind of perception, but it has its origin in truth such as this; and when charity and innocence are introduced into it by the Lord, the good that goes with that conscience is then brought into being. These few considerations show what perception is. Yet between perception and conscience there is a wide difference. See what has been stated about perception in Volume One, in `@@@104`, `@@@125`, `@@@371`, `@@@483`, `@@@495`, `@@@503`, `@@@521`, `@@@536`, `@@@597`, `@@@607`, `@@@784`, `@@@865`, `@@@895`, `@@@1121`, `@@@1616`; about the perception spirits and angels have, in `@@@202`, `@@@203`, `@@@1008`, `@@@1383`, `@@@1384`, `@@@1390-1392`, `@@@1394`, `@@@1397`, `@@@1504`; and about the learned not knowing what perception is, in `@@@1387`.
ttt[4] As regards the Lord when He lived in the world, all of His thought sprang from Divine perception since He alone was a Divine and Celestial Man. For He has been the only one in whom Jehovah Himself was present and from whom His perception came, also dealt with in Volume One, in `@@@1616`, `@@@1791`. His perceptions became more and more interior the closer He came to union with Jehovah. The nature of His perception at this time becomes clear from what has been stated in Volume One, in `@@@1616`, about the oak-groves of Mamre; and then the nature of it when He perceived the things contained in this chapter is described in what follows below.
ppp21704#pid#2145. 'He was sitting at the tent door' means the holiness which existed with Him at that time, namely the holiness of love, which is meant by 'as the day was getting warmer', dealt with in what follows next. This is clear from the meaning of 'a tent' as holiness, dealt with in `@@@414`, `@@@1102`, `@@@1566`. And for the reason why 'tents' meant forms of holiness, see the same paragraphs. Since the Lord at this time had the perception meant by the oak-groves of Mamre, which is a lower rational perception, yet more interior than that meant by the oak-grove of Moreh, dealt with in `@@@1442`, `@@@1443`, it is here represented and so is meant by his sitting at the tent door, that is, at the entrance to holiness. As regards perceptions being more interior or less interior, this may be illustrated from the perceptions which the most ancient people had. From these people I have heard that the more they were immersed in mere facts acquired from the objects of hearing and sight the lower their perceptions became; but the more they were raised up from them towards the celestial things of charity and love the more interior these perceptions became, as they were then closer to the Lord.
ppp21703#pid#2146. 'As the day was getting warmer' means generated by love. This is clear from the meaning in the internal sense of 'warmth' as love. And because the word warmth is used either of the day or of the year, love is represented either by the warm part of the day or by the warm part of the year, depending on what is mentioned in the historical narratives. That 'warmth' means love becomes clear from the fact that love is called spiritual warmth and by the fact that even in everyday speech a person's whole affection is meant by his increasing warmness. The same is further clear from the fact that love and its affections show themselves as a type of warmth in man's interiors, and also in his exteriors, and even in his actual bodily parts. Indeed that warmth has no other origin in a person when it is flowing out from his interiors. But as is the nature of the love, so is that of the warmth. Celestial love and spiritual love are what produce genuine warmth. Every other kind of warmth - namely that generated by self-love and love of the world, and so by other filthy loves - is unclean and turns in the next life into excrement, see `@@@1773`. Furthermore it should be realized that the expression holiness cannot be used except of love and charity and cannot be used of faith except insofar as love or charity are present within the truths of faith. But for that presence in them the truths of faith are not holy at all. See what has been stated already in `@@@2049`.
ppp21702#pid#2147. Verse `Genesis 18bbbccc2` And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, three men standing over him. And he saw, and ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed down towards the ground.`fff1`
'He lifted up his eyes' means that He saw within Himself. 'And behold, three men standing over him' means the Divine itself, the Divine Human, and the Holy proceeding. 'And he saw' means when He recognized this. 'And he ran to meet them' means that He came closer in thought to those things that were perceived. 'From the tent door' means from the holiness that was the Lord's at that time. 'And he bowed down towards the ground' means the expression of humility from the resulting joy.
`nnn1. literally, earth or land
ppp21701#pid#2148. That 'he lifted up his eyes' means that He saw within Himself is clear from the meaning of 'lifting up the eyes'. By 'eyes' in the Word is meant interior sight, or the understanding, as becomes clear from the places quoted in `@@@212`, and therefore by 'lifting up the eyes' is meant seeing and perceiving the things which exist above oneself. Things that are interior are expressed in the Word by those that are higher, as in the expressions 'looking upwards', 'lifting up the eyes to heaven', and 'thinking high things' - the reason being that man imagines heaven to be on high, or up above himself, though in fact it is not on high but exists in things that are internal; when the heavenly things of love are present in a person, his heaven exists within him, see `@@@450`. From this it is plain that 'lifting up the eyes' means seeing within oneself.
ppp21700#pid#2149. 'Behold, three men standing over him' means the Divine itself, the Divine Human, and the Holy proceeding. This becomes clear without explanation, for everyone knows that a Trinity exists, and that this Trinity is a Unity. That it is a Unity is quite evident in this chapter, as in verse `Genesis 18bbbccc3` that follows where it is said, 'He said, My Lord, if now I have found grace in your eyes, do not now pass from over your servant',`fff1` words that were addressed to the three men. In addition to this it is said -
In verse `Genesis 18bbbccc10`, And He said, 'I will certainly return to you.
In verse `Genesis 18bbbccc13`, And Jehovah said to Abraham.
In verse `Genesis 18bbbccc15`, He said, 'No, but you did laugh'.
In verse `Genesis 18bbbccc17`, And Jehovah said, 'Shall I hide from Abraham that which I am going to do?'
In verse `Genesis 18bbbccc19`, 'For I know him'.
In verse `Genesis 18bbbccc20`, And Jehovah said.
In verse `Genesis 18bbbccc21`, 'I will go down and I will see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it which has come up to Me; and if not, I will know'.
In verse `Genesis 18bbbccc23`, Abraham said, 'Will You also destroy the righteous with the wicked?' In verse `Genesis 18bbbccc25`, 'Far be it from You to do such a thing, far be it from You'.
In verse `Genesis 18bbbccc26`, And Jehovah said, 'If I find fifty righteous persons, I will spare the whole place for their sakes'.
In verse `Genesis 18bbbccc27`, 'I have undertaken to speak to my Lord'.
In verse `Genesis 18bbbccc28`, 'Will You for five destroy the whole city?' And He said, 'I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there'.
In verse `Genesis 18bbbccc29`, He spoke to Him yet again. He said, 'I will not do it for the sake of the forty,.
In verse `Genesis 18bbbccc30`, 'Let not my Lord be incensed'. He said, 'I will not do it if I find thirty there'.
In verse `Genesis 18bbbccc31`, 'I have undertaken to speak to my Lord'. He said, 'I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty'.
In verse `Genesis 18bbbccc32`, 'Let not now my Lord be incensed. And He said, 'I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten'.
In verse `Genesis 18bbbccc33`, And Jehovah departed, when He had finished speaking to Abraham.
From all these places it becomes clear that the three men who appeared to Abraham meant the Divine itself, the Divine Human, and the Holy proceeding, and that in itself the Trinity is a Unity. The subject at this point in the internal sense is Jehovah's appearing to the Lord and the Lord's perceiving this, though not by means of an appearing such as was made to Abraham, for the event of the three men seen by Abraham is historically true, but it represents Divine perception or a perception received from the Divine which the Lord had when He was in the human. This perception is dealt with in what follows.
`nnn1. Though not in the printed Latin text, the words translated here from over your servant do occur in Swedenborg's rough draft.
ppp21699#pid#2150. 'And he saw' means when He recognized this. This is clear from the meaning in the internal sense of 'seeing' as understanding and recognizing, and also of becoming enlightened, dealt with in `@@@1584`. Nothing is more common in the Word than for 'seeing' to have such meanings Here the meaning is that He recognized the presence of perception from the Divine, as just stated.
ppp21698#pid#2151. 'Abraham ran to meet them' means that He came closer in thought to the things that were perceived. This is clear from the train of thought in the internal sense, for reference is made in the previous verse to the perception which the Lord then had, and in this verse to His becoming aware that this perception came from the Divine; and in this particular part of the verse to His coming closer to that perception, represented and so meant by 'he ran to meet them'.
ppp21697#pid#2152. 'From the tent door' means from the holiness that was the Lord's at that time. This is clear from the meaning of 'tent' as holiness, and from the meaning of 'door' as the entrance to holiness, dealt with above in `@@@2145`.
ppp21696#pid#2153. 'And he bowed down towards the ground' means the expression of humility from the resulting joy. This is clear from the meaning of 'bowing down' as expressing humility. Insofar as all interior affections have corresponding gestures within external or bodily activity - gestures which are expressions of affections as their own efficient causes, the affection belonging to humility has the corresponding gesture of bowing down`fff1` and also that of prostration. This gesture was clearly a product of joy, for as has been stated, He recognized the perception to be from the Divine. 'The Lord's state of humiliation when He was in the Human has been referred to in various places already, and in the Lord's Divine mercy is to be referred to further in the present chapter.
`nnn1. The printed Latin edition has the word which means humiliation, but in his rough draft Swedenborg has a word which means a bowing down.
ppp21695#pid#2154. Verse `Genesis 18bbbccc3` And he said, My Lord, if now I have found grace in your eyes, do not, I beg of you, pass from over your servant.
'And he said' means that He so thought. 'My Lord' means the Three in One. 'If now I have found grace in your eyes' means the respectful regard that became a feature of the Lord's state when He took notice of that perception. 'Do not, I beg of you, pass from over your servant' means His intense desire that what He had begun to perceive should not pass away, 'servant' meaning the Lord's human before it was made Divine.
ppp21694#pid#2155. That 'he said' means that he so thought is clear from the meaning in the historical sense of 'saying' as perceiving, dealt with already in `@@@1898`, `@@@1919`, `@@@2080`.
ppp21693#pid#2156. 'My Lord' means the Three in One, that is to say, the Divine itself, the Divine Human, and the Holy proceeding; and as the Three exist in One the word 'Lord' in the singular is used, as similarly it is used -
In verses `Genesis 18bbbccc27`, `Genesis 18bbbccc31` 'Behold now, I have undertaken to speak to my Lord'.
In verses `Genesis 18bbbccc30`, `Genesis 18bbbccc32`, 'Let not now my Lord be incensed'.
The three men are also called Jehovah -
In verse `Genesis 18bbbccc13`, Jehovah said to Abraham.
In verse `Genesis 18bbbccc14`, 'Will anything to be too wonderful for Jehovah?'
In verse `Genesis 18bbbccc22`, Abraham still stood before Jehovah.
In verse `Genesis 18bbbccc33`, And Jehovah departed, when He had finished speaking to Abraham.
From these places it is clear that the three men, that is, the Divine itself, the Divine Human, and the Holy proceeding, are one and the same as the Lord, and the Lord one and the same as Jehovah. In the statement of Christian faith called the Creed the same is recognized, where it is explicitly stated,
There are not three uncreated, not three infinites, not three eternals, not three almighties, not three Lords, but One.
There are none who separate Three that are within a One, apart from those who say that they acknowledge one Supreme Being, the Creator of the Universe. Such an acknowledgement is excusable among those outside the Church; but in the case of those inside the Church who declare the same, these do not acknowledge any God at all, though they say and sometimes think it. Still less do they acknowledge the Lord.
ppp21692#pid#2157. 'If now I have found grace in your eyes' means the respectful regard that became a feature of the Lord's state when He took notice of that perception. This becomes clear from the affection that produces the state of humility which these actual words imply and also those that follow immediately after, 'Do not, I beg of you, pass from over your servant', which also imply a state of humility. Within every individual part of the Word there are both affection and subject matter. Celestial angels perceive the Word as it exists in the internal sense as to the affection there, whereas spiritual angels perceive it as it exists in the internal sense as to the subject matter there. Those who perceive the Word in the internal sense as to the affection there do not pay any attention at all to the words, which are expressions of the subject matter, but instead form ideas for themselves from the affection and the consecutive details of that affection, and do so with endless variety. Here, for example, when they come to the words, 'If now I have found grace in your eyes, do not, I beg of you, pass from over your servant', they perceive the Lord's state of humiliation in the Human, yet only the affection that produces humility. From that affection - in a manner, variety, and profusion beyond words - they form celestial ideas for themselves which can hardly be called ideas. Rather they should be called so many 'lights' engendered by affections and perceptions - which follow one another in a continuous sequence according to the chain of affection that runs through the things present in the Word that is being read.
ttt[2] From this it becomes clear that the perception, thought, and speech of celestial angels are more indescribable and far richer than the perception, thought, and speech of spiritual angels, the latter being limited to the subject matter, according with the sequence of expressions that are used. (That the nature of the speech of celestial angels is such, see Volume One, in `@@@1647`.) This explains why these words, 'If now I have found grace in your eyes', mean in the celestial sense the respectful regard that became a feature of the Lord's state when He took notice of that perception. What is more, 'finding grace in your eyes' was a customary phrase used in every expression of respect, as becomes clear from the respect offered by Laban to Jacob,
Laban said to him, If now I have found grace in your eyes. `Genesis 30bbb27`.
And from that offered by Jacob to Esau,
Jacob said, No, I beg of you; if now, I have found grace in your eyes. `Genesis 33bbb10`.
And similar examples occur elsewhere in the Word.
ppp21691#pid#2158. 'Do not, I beg of you, pass from over your servant' means His intense desire, for these words, as stated just above, are similar in meaning to those preceding them; that is to say, these words as well imply a respectful regard, and at the same time imply an affection that leads to a desire that what He had now begun to perceive should not pass away.
ppp21690#pid#2159. That 'servant' means the Lord's human before it was made Divine becomes clear from many places in the Prophets. The reason, which has been given frequently already, is this: The Lord's human, before He cast it off and made it Divine, was nothing else than a servant. His human came from the mother and was for that reason imperfect. From her it possessed a hereditary element which He overcame and utterly cast aside by means of the conflicts brought about by temptations. He did so even to the point when nothing was left of the imperfect and hereditary element received from the mother, indeed until at length nothing whatever from the mother remained. He cast off that which came from the mother so completely that He was no longer her son, as He also Himself declares in Mark,
They said to Jesus, Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are outside, asking for You. And He answered them. saying, Who is My mother, or My brothers? And looking around on those who were sitting around Him He said, Behold My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God is My brother, and My sister, and My mother. `Mark 3bbb32-35`; `Matthew 12bbb46-50`; `Luke 8bbb20-21`.
ttt[2] Once He had cast off this human He put on the Divine Human, by virtue of which He called Himself the Son of Man, as may be seen many times in the New Testament Word, and also the Son of God. By 'the Son of Man' He meant truth itself and by 'the Son of God' good itself which belonged to His Human Essence once this had been made Divine. The former state was that of the Lord's humiliation but the latter that of His glorification, which has been dealt with already in `@@@1999`.
ttt[3] In the former state, namely the state of humiliation, when He still had the imperfect human with Him, He worshipped Jehovah as one other than Himself, and was indeed like a servant, for the imperfect human is by comparison nothing else. In the Word also therefore that human is referred to as 'a servant', as in Isaiah,
I will protect this city to save it for My own sake and for the sake of David My servant. `Isaiah 37bbb35`.
This refers to the Assyrians in whose camp an angel slew a hundred and eighty-five thousand. 'David' stands for the Lord who, because He is yet to come, is, as regards the human, called 'a servant'. That 'David' in the Word stands for the Lord, see `@@@1888`.
ttt[4] In the same prophet,
Behold, My servant on whom I will lean, My chosen [in whom] My soul is well pleased. I have put My spirit upon him; he will bring forth judgement to the nations. `Isaiah 42bbb1`.
This is a plain reference to the Lord, of whom, when He was in the human, the expressions 'servant' and 'chosen one' are used. In the same prophet,
Who is blind but My servant, and deaf as My angel`fff1` whom I will send? Who is blind as the perfect one, and blind as the servant or Jehovah? `Isaiah 42bbb19`.
This too is a reference to the Lord, of whom in a similar way, when He was in the human, the expressions 'servant' and 'angel' are used.
ttt[5] In the same prophet,
You are My witnesses, said Jehovah, and My servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He. `Isaiah 43bbb10`.
In the same prophet,
[Then] said Jehovah who formed me from the womb, to be a servant to Him, to bring back Jacob to Him, and that Israel might be gathered to Him - He said, It is a light thing that you should be a servant to Me to raise up the tribes of Jacob. I have given you as a light of the nations, to be My salvation right to the ends of the earth. `Isaiah 49bbb5-6`.
This too is a plain reference to the Lord and to His human before it was made 'a light of the nations' and 'a salvation to the ends of the earth'. In the same prophet,
Who among you fears Jehovah, hearkens to the voice of His servant who walks in darkness and has no brightness? Let him trust in the name of Jehovah and lean on his God. `Isaiah 50bbb10`.
'Servant' again stands for the Lord's human. His teaching of the way of truth, while He was in that Human, is meant by 'the voice of Jehovah's servant'.
ttt[6] In the same prophet,
Jehovah goes before you, and the God of Israel gathers you up. Behold, My servant will deal wisely; he will be raised up and exalted and lifted up very high. `Isaiah 52bbb12-13`.
'Servant' is clearly used in reference to the Lord when He was in the human, because it is said of Him that He will be raised up, exalted, and lifted up. In the same prophet,
He had no form and no honour. We saw him, but there was no beauty in him. He was despised, a man of sorrows, acquainted with sickness. Jehovah was willing to bruise him and make him imperfect. If he makes his soul guilt he will see his seed he will prolong his days, and the will of Jehovah will prosper by his hand. He will see [the fruit of] the travail of his soul and be satisfied; by his knowledge will the righteous one My servant make many righteous; and He has borne their iniquities. `Isaiah 53bbb2-3`, `Isaiah 53bbbccc10-11`.
Here reference is openly made, as in the whole of this chapter, to the Lord's state of humiliation. The fact that in that state He was in the imperfect human is also declared, namely in the statements that He was 'a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief', 'was made imperfect', and experienced 'the travail of his soul', besides many other statements, in which state He is referred to as 'a servant'.
`nnn1. or messenger
ppp21689#pid#2160. Verse `Genesis 18bbbccc4` Let now a little water be taken, and [all of you] wash your feet, and recline under the tree.
'Let now a little water be taken' means that they were to draw near and bring themselves down from Divine things nearer to His intellectual concepts. 'And wash your feet' means that they were to take on something natural so that during the state He was then passing through His perception might be improved. 'And recline under the tree' means towards the perception of the state through which He was passing, 'tree' meaning perception.
ppp21688#pid#2161. That 'let now a little water be taken' means that they were to draw near and bring themselves down from Divine things nearer to His intellectual concepts does not become clear so much from these words alone that they should take a little water, as from the whole train of thought in this verse and from its connection with what comes before and after. From the actual words used in this verse no one could possibly know that 'let now a little water be taken, and wash your feet, and recline under the tree' meant that the Divine was to bring itself down nearer to that state of perception which was the Lord's at that time and was to put on something natural so that His perception might be improved. Indeed not the smallest trace of this arcanum is evident in these words if understood historically. That such is nevertheless their meaning in the internal sense, and that angels perceive them in that way, I know for certain.
ttt[2] This shows what great and deep arcana lie concealed in the Word. The same is further evident from the meaning of the words in the internal sense, that is to say, from the meaning of 'water' as intellectual concepts, from the meaning of 'feet' as natural things, and from the meaning of 'tree' as perception. Once these things are understood, then what is meant in the internal sense - namely that which has been stated - becomes clear from the train of thought and from its connection with what comes before and after. That 'waters' means factual knowledge and rational concepts, consequently intellectual concepts, has been shown in Volume One, in `@@@28`, `@@@680`, and may also become clear from very many other places in the Word, which would take up too much space if they were introduced here.
ppp21687#pid#2162. 'Wash your feet' means that they were to take on something natural so that during the state He was then passing through His perception might be improved. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'feet' as natural things, and also in a like manner from the train of thought. That arcana lie concealed here becomes clear to a certain extent from the fact that Abraham besought the three men to take a little water and wash their feet, and to relax under a tree, even though he knew that it was the Lord or Jehovah; also from the fact that if it was not so such details would not have been mentioned.
ttt[2] That 'feet' means natural things becomes clear from the representatives in the next life, and consequently from representatives derived from these that existed among the most ancient people and so occur in the Word. Celestial and spiritual things are represented by 'the head' and the parts of the head; by 'the breast' and the parts of the breast are represented rational concepts and aspects of these; by 'the feet and the parts of the feet are represented natural things and the different kinds of these. Consequently 'the sole' and 'the heel' of the foot mean the lowest natural things, regarding which see `@@@259`, while 'a shoe' means the lowest things of all, which are filthy, regarding which see `@@@1748`.
ttt[3] Similar things are meant by the representations in the dreams and visions in the Prophets, such as the statue seen by Nebuchadnezzar, the head of which was fine gold, the breast and arms were silver, the belly and thighs were bronze, the legs were iron, and the feet were partly iron and partly clay, `Daniel 2bbb32-33`. In this case 'the head' means celestial things, which are inmost and are 'gold', as shown in `@@@113`, `@@@1551`, `@@@1552`; 'the breast and arms' spiritual or rational things, which are 'silver', as shown in `@@@1551`; but 'the feet' means lower things, which are natural, the truths of which are meant by 'iron' and the goods by 'clay' or mud. As regards 'iron' meaning truth, see `@@@425`, `@@@426`, and 'clay' good, `@@@1300`, both of which in the present case are natural. These things come in the same order in the Lord's kingdom in heaven, and in the Church which is the Lord's kingdom on earth, and also in every individual who is a kingdom of the Lord.
ttt[4] It is similar with the vision which Daniel himself saw, of which the following is said,
I lifted up my eyes and saw, and behold, a man clothed in linen whose loins were girded with gold of Uphaz and whose body was like tarshish,`fff1` and whose face was like the appearance of lightning, and whose eyes were like fiery torches, and whose arms and feet like the shine of burnished bronze. `Daniel 10bbb5-6`.
Specifically these words mean the interiors of the Word as to goods and truths. 'The arms and feet' are its interiors, which constitute the sense of the letter, for natural things occur there, since natural things are the source from which the exteriors of the Word are drawn. What further is meant by each of these parts, namely the loins, body, face, eyes, and many others in man, becomes clear from the representatives in the next life, which will in the Lord's Divine mercy be spoken of when the Grand Man - which is the Lord's heaven - and the representatives that originate in heaven but occur in the world of spirits are dealt with.
ttt[5] That which one reads about Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the seventy elders seeing the God of Israel, under whose feet there was so to speak a paved work of sapphire stone, like the substance of the sky for pureness, `Exodus 24bbb9-10`, means that they saw, represented in natural things, merely the external features of the Church, and also the literal sense of the Word, in which too, as has been stated, external things are represented by natural things. And these external things are 'the feet' under which there is so to speak 'a paved work of sapphire stone, like the substance of the sky itself'. It is clear that it was the Lord whom they saw, though only in those lower or natural things, since He is called 'the God of Israel', whom all things of the Church represented and whom all things of the Word in the internal sense meant. For the Lord is presented visually in accordance with the things that are meant at the time. When, for example, in John, He was seen as a Man on a white horse, the Word was in this case meant by Him, as is explicitly stated in `Revelation 19bbb11`, `Revelation 19bbbccc13`.
ttt[6] The living creatures seen by Ezekiel, which were cherubs, are described as regards celestial and spiritual things by their faces and wings, and also many other things. But as regards natural things they are described as follows, by their feet, a straight foot, and the soles of their feet being like the sole of a calf's foot, and sparkling like the shine of burnished bronze, `Ezekiel 1bbb7`. The reason their feet, that is, natural things, are said to have sparkled like burnished bronze is that 'bronze' means natural good, dealt with in `@@@425`, `@@@1551`. It was similar when the Lord appeared to John as the Son of Man: His eyes were like a flame of fire and His feet were like burnished bronze, `Revelation 1bbb14-15`; `Revelation ccc2bbb18`.
ttt[7] That 'feet' means natural things is further evident from the following places: In John, who saw,
A mighty angel coming down out of heaven, wrapped in a cloud, and a rainbow around his head, his face was like the sun and his feet like pillars of fire. In his hand he had a little book opened, and he set his right foot on the sea and his left on the land. `Revelation 10bbb1-2`.
This angel in a similar way means the Word. The nature of the Word in the internal sense is meant by 'the rainbow around his head' and by 'his face being like the sun'; but the external sense, or sense of the letter, is meant by his 'feet'. 'The sea' is natural truths, 'the land' natural goods, from which it is clear what is meant by his setting his right foot on the sea and his left on the land.
ttt[8] Reference is made in various places in the Word to 'a footstool', but no one knows what is meant by this in the internal sense; as in Isaiah,
Jehovah said, The heavens are My throne and the earth My footstool. Where is this house which you are going to build for Me and where is this place of My rest? `Isaiah 66bbb1`.
'The heavens' means the celestial and spiritual things, and so the inmost things, both of the Lord's kingdom in heaven and of the Lord's kingdom on earth, which is the Church. Also meant by 'the heavens' are those same things as they exist with every individual who is a kingdom of the Lord or a Church. Thus 'the heavens' also means the celestial and spiritual things regarded in themselves which are matters of love and charity and of faith that springs from these, and so means all things that belong to internal worship and similarly all things that belong to the internal sense of the Word. These things are meant by 'the heavens' and are called 'the Lord's throne', but by 'the earth' are meant all lower things corresponding to those meant by 'the heavens'. By 'the earth' lower rational and natural things are meant, which from correspondence are likewise referred to as celestial and spiritual things, such as those that exist in the lower heavens and also in the Church, and those things which belong to external worship and also those present in the literal sense of the Word. In short, all things that stem from internal things and manifest themselves in external are, being natural things, called 'the earth' and 'the Lord's footstool'. What heaven and earth mean in the internal sense of the Word, see also `@@@82`, `@@@1733`. What the new heaven and new earth mean, see `@@@2117`, `@@@2118` (end). And that man is a miniature heaven, see `@@@911`, `@@@978`, `@@@1900`.
ttt[9] Similarly in Jeremiah,
In His anger the Lord covers the daughter of Zion with a cloud, He has cast down from heaven to earth the splendour of Israel, and has not remembered His footstool on the day of His anger. `Lamentations 2bbb1`.
Also in David,
Exalt Jehovah our God, and bow down at His footstool. Holy is He! `Psalms 99bbb5`.
Elsewhere in the same author,
We will enter His dwelling-places, we will bow down at His footstool. `Psalms 132bbb7`.
People in the representative Church - and thus the Jews - imagined that God's house and the temple were His footstool. They did not know that by the Lord's house and the temple was meant external representative worship. What the internal features of the Church were, meant by 'heaven' or God's throne, they had no knowledge at all.
ttt[10] In the same author,
Jehovah said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand till I make your enemies a stool for your feet. `Psalms 110bbb1`; `Matthew 22bbb44`; `Mark 12bbb36`; `Luke 20bbb42-43`.
Here 'footstool' in a similar way means natural things - both sensory impressions and factual knowledge, and man's rational ideas formed from these - which are called 'enemies' when worship is perverted by them (which is done from the literal sense of the Word). As a result worship exists solely in things that are external, and no internal worship - or rather only internal worship that is defiled - exists, concerning which see `@@@1094`, `@@@1175`, `@@@1182`. When these have became perverted and defiled in this manner they are called 'enemies'; but because, regarded in themselves, they have reference to internal worship, when this is restored, they become - both the things that belong to external worship and those that belong to the sense of the letter of the Word - 'a footstool', as stated already.
ttt[11] In Isaiah,
The glory of Lebanon will come to you, the fir, the pine, and the box tree together, to beautify the place of My sanctuary; and I will make the place of My feet glorious. `Isaiah 60bbb13`.
This refers to the Lord's kingdom and Church, the celestial-spiritual things of which are meant by 'the glory of Lebanon', that is, cedar trees, but the celestial-natural things of it by 'the fir, the pine, and the box', as also in other places in the Word. Thus it is the external aspects of worship that are referred to when it is said that 'I will make the place of My feet glorious'; and this cannot he made glorious by the fir, the pine, and the box, but by the things meant by these.
ttt[12] That 'feet' means these things is also clear from the representatives in the Jewish Church, for example, by the requirement that Aaron and his sons were to wash their hands and feet before entering the tabernacle, `Exodus 30bbb19-20`; `Exodus ccc40bbb31-32`. No one is able to see that arcana were represented by this, for what is such washing of the hands and feet but some external act which does not do anything at all if the internal is not pure and clean? Nor can the internal be made pure and clean by such a washing. But because all the forms of ritual of that Church meant internal things that are celestial and spiritual, so it was with this form; that is to say, it meant the cleanliness of external worship, which is clean when internal worship is present within it. This explains why their lavers were made of bronze, and also the large laver which was called 'the bronze sea', together with the ten smaller ones made of bronze around Solomon's temple, `1 Kings 7bbb23`, `1 Kings 7bbbccc38`. They were made of bronze because 'bronze' represented good present in external worship, which is the same as natural good. Regarding this meaning of bronze, see `@@@425`, `@@@1551`.
ttt[13] Similarly representative was the prohibition that no man among Aaron's descendants who had a broken foot or a broken hand should draw near to offer fire-offerings to Jehovah, `Leviticus 21bbb19`, `Leviticus 21bbbccc21`. 'Broken feet and hands' represented those people whose external worship was perverted.
ttt[14] That 'feet' means natural things is also evident from various other places in the Prophets, as in these prophetical utterances in Moses,
Blessed above sons be Asher; let him be acceptable among his brothers, and dipping his foot in oil. Your shoes will be iron and bronze. `Deuteronomy 33bbb24-25`.
These words will not be understood by anybody unless he knows what the meaning of oil, foot, iron, bronze, and shoe are in the internal sense. 'Foot' is the natural; 'shoe' the still lower natural, such as that which is connected with the senses and the body, see `@@@1748`; 'oil' is the celestial, `@@@886`; 'iron' natural truth, `@@@425`, `@@@426`; and 'bronze' natural good, `@@@425`, `@@@1551`. From these places it is evident what these words embody.
ttt[15] In Nahum,
The way of Jehovah is in storm and tempest, and the clouds are the dust of His feet. `Nahum 1bbb3`.
Here 'the dust of the feet' means the natural and bodily things with man which give rise to clouds. The same is also meant by these words in David,
Jehovah bowed the heavens and came down, and thick darkness was under His feet. `Psalms 18bbb9`.
ttt[16] When goods and truths of faith are perverted by natural light, as people call it, it is described in the Word as the feet and hoofs of a beast which trouble waters and trample on food, as in Ezekiel,
You have come forth into the rivers, and have troubled the waters with your feet and trampled their rivers. I will destroy all its beasts from over many waters, and the foot of man will not trouble them any longer, nor will the hoofs of beast. `Ezekiel 32bbb2`, `Ezekiel 32bbbccc13`.
This refers to Egypt, which meant forms of knowledge, as shown in `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1462`. Thus by 'feet and hoofs which trouble the rivers and water' are meant facts gained from sensory and from natural things, on the basis of which people reason about the arcana of faith and do not believe anything until they grasp it by this method. This amounts to not believing at all, for the more such people go on reasoning, the less believing they are; see what is said in `@@@128-130`, `@@@215`, `@@@232`, `@@@233`, `@@@1072`, `@@@1385`. From all these quotations it is now evident that 'feet' in the Word means natural things. But what further meaning 'feet' may have is evident from the context in which the expression occurs.
`nnn1. A Hebrew word for a particular kind of precious stone, probably a beryl.
ppp21686#pid#2163. 'Recline under the tree' means towards the perception of the state through which He was passing. This is clear from the meaning of 'a tree' as perception, dealt with in `@@@103`. The whole train of thought shows that this is the real meaning here. 'Trees' means perceptions, and the reason for this was that the celestial man was compared and likened to the paradise or garden in Eden, and therefore the perceptions of celestial things with that man to the trees that were there.
ppp21685#pid#2164. Verse `Genesis 18bbbccc5` And I will take a piece of bread, that you may refresh yourselves;`fff1` after that you may pass on, for this is why you have passed over to your servant. And they said, Do as you have spoken.
'I will take a piece of bread' means something heavenly or celestial to go with [that something natural]. 'That you may refresh yourselves' means insofar as it is in keeping. 'After that you may pass on' means when He had left off perceiving that He would be content with this. 'For this is why you have passed over to your servant' means that this had been the purpose of their coming. 'And they said, Do as you have spoken' means that this was to be done.
`nnn1. literally, and support your heart
ppp21684#pid#2165. That 'I will take a piece of bread' means something heavenly or celestial to go with [that something natural] is clear from the meaning of 'bread' as that which is celestial, dealt with already in `@@@276`, `@@@680`, `@@@681`, `@@@1798`. The reason 'bread' here means that which is celestial is that bread means all food in general, and so in the internal sense all heavenly or celestial food. What celestial food is has been stated in Volume One, in `@@@56-58`, `@@@680`, `@@@681`, `@@@1480`, `@@@1695`. That 'bread' means all food in general becomes clear from the following places in the Word: One reads of Joseph telling the man in charge of his house to bring the men, that is, his brothers, into the house, and then to slaughter what needed to be slaughtered and made ready. And after that, when these things had been made ready and the men were to eat them, he said, Set on bread, `Genesis 43bbb16`, `Genesis 43bbbccc31`, by which he meant that the table was to be made ready by them. Thus 'bread' stood for all the food that made up the entire meal. Regarding Jethro one reads that Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law before God, `Exodus 18bbb12`. Here also 'bread' stands for all the food that made up the entire meal. And regarding Manoah, in the Book of Judges,
Manoah said to the angel of Jehovah, Let us now detain you, and let us make ready a kid before you. And the angel of Jehovah said to Manoah, If you detain me I will not eat your bread. `Judges 13bbb15-16`.
Here 'bread' stands for the kid. When Jonathan ate from the honeycomb the people told him that Saul had commanded the people with an oath, saying,
Cursed be the man who eats bread this day. `1 Samuel 14bbb27-28`.
Here 'bread' stands for all food. Elsewhere, regarding Saul,
When Saul sat down to eat bread he said to Jonathan, Why has not the son of Jesse come either yesterday or today, to bread? `1 Samuel 20bbb24`, `1 Samuel 20bbbccc27`.
This stands for coming to the table, where there was food of every kind. Regarding David who said to Mephibosheth, Jonathan's son,
You will eat bread at my table always. `2 Samuel 9bbb7`, `2 Samuel 9bbbccc10`.
Similarly regarding Evil-Merodach who said that Jehoiachin the king of Judah was to eat bread with him always, all the days of his life, `2 Kings 25bbb29`. Regarding Solomon the following is said,
Solomon's bread for each day was thirty cors`fff1` of fine flour, sixty cors of meal, ten fatted oxen, twenty pasture-fed oxen, and a hundred sheep, besides harts and wild she-goats and roebucks and fatted fowl. `1 Kings 4bbb22-23`.
Here 'bread' plainly stands for all the provisions that are mentioned.
ttt[2] Since then 'bread' means every kind of food in general it consequently means in the internal sense all those things that are called heavenly or celestial foods. This becomes even clearer still from the burnt offerings and sacrifices that were made of lambs, sheep,`fff2` she-goats, kids, he-goats, young bulls, and oxen, which are referred to by the single expression bread offered by fire to Jehovah, as is quite clear from the following places in Moses where the various sacrifices are dealt with and which, it says, the priest was to burn on the altar as the bread offered by fire to Jehovah for an odour of rest, `Leviticus 3bbb11`, `Leviticus 3bbbccc16`. All those sacrifices and burnt offerings were called such. In the same book,
The sons of Aaron shall be holy to their God, and they shall not profane the name of their God, for it is the fire-offerings to Jehovah, the bread of their God, that they offer. You shall sanctify him, for it is the bread of your God that he offers. No man of Aaron's seed who has a blemish in himself shall approach to offer the bread of his God. `Leviticus 21bbb6`, `Leviticus 21bbbccc8`, `Leviticus 21bbbccc17`, `Leviticus 21bbbccc21`.
Here also sacrifices and burnt offerings are referred to as 'bread', as they are also in `Leviticus 22bbb25`. Elsewhere in the same author,
Command the children of Israel, and say to them, My gift, My bread, for fire-offerings of an odour of rest, you shall take care to offer to Me at their appointed times. `Numbers 28bbb2`.
Here also 'bread' stands for all the sacrifices that are mentioned in that chapter. In Malachi,
Offering polluted bread on My altar. `Malachi 1bbb7`.
This also has regard to sacrifices. The consecrated parts of the sacrifices which they ate were called 'bread' as well, as is clear from these words in Moses,
The person who has touched anything unclean shall not eat any of the consecrated offerings, but he shall surely bathe his flesh in water, and when the sun has set he will be clean. And afterwards he shall eat of the consecrated offerings, because it is his bread. `Leviticus 22bbb6-7`.
ttt[3] Burnt offerings and sacrifices in the Jewish Church represented nothing else than the heavenly things of the Lord's kingdom in heaven, and of the Lord's kingdom on earth, which is the Church. They also represented the things of the Lord's kingdom or Church as it exists with every individual; and in general they represented all those things that are composed of love and charity, for those things are celestial or of heaven. In addition each type of sacrifice represented some specific thing. In those times all of the sacrifices were called 'bread', and therefore when the sacrifices were abolished and other things serving for external worship took their place, the use of bread and wine was commanded.
ttt[4] From all this it is now clear what is meant by that 'bread', namely that it means all those things which were represented in the sacrifices, and thus in the internal sense means the Lord Himself. And because 'bread' there means the Lord Himself it means love itself towards the whole human race and what belongs to love. It also means man's reciprocal love to the Lord and towards the neighbour. Thus the bread now commanded means all celestial things, and wine accordingly all spiritual things, as the Lord also explicitly teaches in John,
They said, Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. Jesus said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, It was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. They said to Him, Lord, give us this bread always. Jesus said to them, I am the Bread of life he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. `John 6bbb31-35`.
And in the same chapter,
Truly I say to you, He who believes in Me has eternal life. I am the Bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the Bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die. I am the living Bread which came down from heaven; if anyone eats of this Bread he will live for ever. `John 6bbb47-51`.
ttt[5] Now because this 'Bread' is the Lord it exists within the celestial things of love which are the Lord's, for the Lord is the celestial itself, because He is love itself, that is, mercy itself. This being so, 'bread' also means everything celestial, that is, all the love and charity existing with a person, for these are derived from the Lord. People who are devoid of love and charity therefore do not have the Lord within them, and so are not endowed with the forms of good and of happiness which are meant in the internal sense by 'bread'. This external symbol [of love and charity] was commanded because the worship of the majority of the human race is external, and therefore without some external symbol scarcely anything holy would exist among them. Consequently when they lead lives of love to the Lord and of charity towards the neighbour, that which is internal exists with them even though they do not know that such love and charity constitute the inner core of worship. Thus in their external worship they are confirmed in the kinds of good which are meant by 'the bread'.
ttt[6] In the Prophets as well 'bread' means the celestial things of love, as in `Isaiah 3bbb1`, `Isaiah 3bbbccc7`; `Isaiah ccc30bbb23`; `Isaiah ccc33bbb15-16`; `Isaiah ccc55bbb2`; `Isaiah ccc58bbb7-8`; `Lamentations 5bbb9`; `Ezekiel 4bbb16-17`; `Ezekiel ccc5bbb16`; `Ezekiel ccc14bbb13`; `Amos 4bbb6`; `Amos ccc8bbb11`; `Psalms 105bbb16`. Those things are in a similar way meant by 'the loaves of the Presence' on the table, referred to in `Leviticus 24bbb5-9`; `Exodus 25bbb30`; `Exodus ccc40bbb23`; `Numbers 4bbb7`; `1 Kings 7bbb48`.
`nnn1. A cor, or a homer, was a Hebrew measure of about 6 bushels or 220 litres.
`nnn2. The Latin has a word meaning oxen (boves), but comparison with other places where Swedenborg gives the same list of animals suggests that he intended sheep (oves).
ppp21683#pid#2166. 'That you may refresh yourselves' means insofar as it is in keeping. This is not so clear from the proximate meaning of these words in the internal sense, though it is nevertheless clear from the whole train of thought. The subject here is Divine perception - that it might draw nearer to the perception possessed by the Lord's human as it was at that time, and that it might bring itself down nearer to His intellectual concepts, by taking on something natural, and also something heavenly or celestial to go with that something natural, insofar as it is in keeping, meant by 'refreshing oneself'. In the proximate sense 'refreshing oneself by means of bread' means being revived, and so enjoying what little of the celestial is in keeping.
ppp21682#pid#2167. 'After that you may pass on' means when He had left off perceiving that He would be content with this. This similarly is clear from the train of thought.
ppp21681#pid#2168. 'For this is why you have passed over to your servant' means that this had been the purpose of their coming. This too is clear without explanation.
ppp21680#pid#2169. That 'they said, Do as you have spoken' means that this was to be done, likewise does not need any explanation.
ppp21679#pid#2170. Verse `Genesis 18bbbccc6` And Abraham hastened towards the tent to Sarah, and said, Take quickly three measures of meal of fine flour, knead it, and make cakes.
'Abraham hastened towards the tent to Sarah' means the Lord's rational good joined to His truth - 'Abraham' here being the Lord in that state as regards good, 'Sarah' as regards truth, 'the tent' as regards the holiness of love. 'And he said' means as it related to the Lord's state of perception at that time. 'Take quickly three measures of meal of fine flour, knead it, and make cakes' means the celestial existence of His love in that state - 'three' meaning that which is holy, 'meal of fine flour' the spiritual and celestial ingredients of the rational which were present at that time with the Lord, 'cakes' the same when both had been joined together.
ppp21678#pid#2171. 'Abraham hastened towards the tent to Sarah' means the Lord's rational good joined to His truth. This is clear from the representation of 'Abraham' and also of 'Sarah' and from the meaning of 'the tent', dealt with in the three paragraphs following this. Just as the meaning of any single detail in the Word is determined by whatever the subject is in the internal sense, so it is with the details here; that is to say, they relate specifically to the Divine perception into which the Lord entered when the perception of the human existed with Him. But people who do not know what perception is cannot know what it entails, still less that degrees of perception more and more interior exist - natural perception, then rational perception, and finally internal perception which is Divine and which only the Lord has had. Those who have perception, as angels do, know very well what their degree of perception is, whether it is natural, or rational, or a more interior perception still, which to them is Divine. How then must it have been with the Lord, whose perception came from the Supreme and Infinite Divine itself, dealt with in `@@@1616` (end), `@@@1791`? Angels never possess such perception as He had, for their perception flows into them from the Lord's Supreme or Infinite Divine by way of His Human Essence. The reason the Lord's perception is described is that when He was in the Human it was in this way made known to Him how the Divine itself, the Divine Human, and the Holy proceeding were to be united within Him; then how His Rational would be made Divine; and finally the nature of the human race which was to be saved through Him, that is, through the union of the Human Essence and the Divine Essence within Him. These are the matters dealt with in this chapter. It is on account of these that the Lord's perception is first described here, and also on account of the union itself which was to be effected.
ppp21677#pid#2172. That 'Abraham' here is the Lord in that state as regards good is clear from the representation of 'Abraham'. Abraham represents the Lord in the human when he is speaking to Jehovah, as is the case here, and also previously in `@@@1989`, where he represented the Lord in that state and at that time of life, for that too was an occasion when He spoke to Jehovah. In other places 'Abraham' represents the Lord's Divine Good and 'Sarah' Divine Truth, and therefore he represents His rational good.
ppp21676#pid#2173. That 'Sarah' here is the Lord as regards truth is clear from the representation of 'Sarah' as intellectual truth allied to good, and here as rational truth, for the same reason as has just been stated in reference to 'Abraham'; for 'Sarah' represents truth, see what has been stated already in `@@@1468`, `@@@1901`, `@@@2063`, `@@@2065`. In the historical sections of the Word good and truth cannot be represented by anything other than a marriage, for they go together as two that are married. Indeed a Divine Marriage exists between celestial and spiritual things, or what amounts to the same, between the things of love and those of faith; or what still amounts to the same, between things of the will and those of the understanding. Those of the will are forms of good, those of the understanding forms of truth. Such a marriage exists in the Lord's kingdom in heaven, and such also exists in the Lord's kingdom on earth, which is the Church. Such a marriage exists in every individual, and in each part of him, indeed in the most individual parts of all. That which does not have its existence within such a marriage has no life. Indeed from this Divine Marriage such a marriage exists in the entire natural order and in each individual part of it - though it does so under a different shape and form - otherwise nothing would ever continue to exist there. Because such a marriage exists in each individual part, everything is described in the Prophets, especially in Isaiah, by a pair of expressions. The one expression has to do with that which is celestial or with good, the other with that which is spiritual or with truth, dealt with in `@@@683`, `@@@793`, `@@@801`. As regards the likeness of a marriage being present in every individual part, see `@@@718`, `@@@747`, `@@@917`, `@@@1432`. This explains why 'Abraham' represents the Lord's good, and 'Sarah' His truth.
ppp21675#pid#2174. That 'the tent' is the Lord as regards the holiness of love is clear from the meaning of 'a tent' as holiness, dealt with already in `@@@414`, `@@@1102`, `@@@1566`, `@@@2145`
ppp21674#pid#2175. 'And he said' means as it related to the Lord's state of perception at that time. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in the historical sense as perceiving, dealt with already in `@@@1898`, `@@@1919`, `@@@2080`.
ppp21673#pid#2176. 'Take quickly three measures of meal of fine flour, knead it, and make cakes' means the celestial existence of His love in that state. This is clear from the meaning of 'meal', 'fine flour', and 'a cake', dealt with in the paragraph immediately after this. That such matters are embodied here no one can possibly believe who fixes his mind on the literal sense, or sense of the words, even less if he fixes it on the historical events described by them; for he will be thinking not only about what Sarah was told to prepare but also about the men who came to Abraham and not about there being deeper things hidden within these descriptions. This is the reason why he is able to believe still less that arcana lie concealed in the historical sections of the Word as much as they do in prophetical parts. For historical descriptions draw the attention of the mind very much to themselves and obscure the things that are interior. Nevertheless the fact that arcana are present within those descriptions, hidden deeply within them, becomes clear from the single consideration that it is the Lord's Word, which has been written not only for man's benefit but at the same time for heaven's as well. Indeed it has been written in such a way that when man reads it, angels at the same time gain heavenly ideas from it; so that by means of the Word heaven is joined to the human race. What 'meal', 'fine flour', and 'cakes' are used to mean in the internal sense follows next.
ppp21672#pid#2177. That 'meal of fine flour' means the spiritual and celestial ingredients [of the rational] which were present at that time with the Lord, and 'cakes' the same when both had been joined together, is quite clear from the sacrifices of the representative Church and from the minchah presented at the same time, which consisted of fine flour mixed with oil and made into cakes. Representative worship consisted primarily in burnt offerings and sacrifices. What these represented has been stated above where 'bread' was the subject, in `@@@2165`, namely the celestial things of the Lord's kingdom in heaven and of the Lord's kingdom on earth, which is the Church, and also the things of the Lord's kingdom or Church as it exists with every individual, and in general everything that is in essence love and charity, since these are celestial entities. In those times all the sacrifices were called 'bread'. Along with those sacrifices a minchah was included - which, as has been stated, consisted of fine flour mixed with oil to which also incense was added - and also a wine-offering.
ttt[2] What these latter represented becomes clear too, namely things similar to those represented by sacrifices but of a lower order, thus the things which belong to the spiritual Church, and also those which belong to the external Church. It may become clear to anyone that such things would never have been prescribed unless they had represented Divine things, and also that each one represented some specific thing. For unless they had represented Divine things they would have been no different from similar things found among gentiles, among whom also there were sacrifices, minchahs, libations, and incense, as well as perpetual fires and many other things which had come down to them from the Ancient Church, especially from the Hebrew Church. But because they were separated from the internal, that is, the Divine things represented by them, those external forms of worship were nothing but idolatrous, as they also came to be among the Jews, who likewise sank into all kinds of idolatry. From this it may become clear to anyone that heavenly arcana were present within every form of ritual, especially so within the sacrifices and every detail of them.
ttt[3] As regards the minchah, the nature of it and how it was to be made into cakes is described in a whole chapter in Moses - in `Leviticus 2bbb0`; also `Numbers 15bbb0`, and elsewhere. The law regarding the minchah is described in Leviticus in the following words,
Fire shall be kept burning unceasingly on the altar; it shall not be put out. And this is the law of the minchah: Aaron's sons shall bring it before Jehovah to the front of the altar, and he shall take up from it a fistful of fine flour of the minchah and of the oil of it and all the frankincense which is on the minchah, and he shall burn it on the altar; it is an odour of rest for a memorial to Jehovah. And the rest of it Aaron and his sons shall eat. Unleavened bread shall be eaten in a holy place. In the court of the tent of meeting shall they eat it. It shall not be cooked leavened; I have given it as their portion from My fire-offerings; it is most holy. `Leviticus 6bbb13-17`.
ttt[4] The fire which was to be kept burning unceasingly on the altar represented the Lord's love, that is, His mercy, which is constant and eternal. 'Fire' in the Word means love, see `@@@934`, and therefore 'the fire-offerings made for an odour of rest' means the good pleasure which the Lord takes in those things that belong to love and charity. That 'odour' means good pleasure, that is, that which is pleasing, see `@@@925`, `@@@1519`. Their 'taking a fistful' represented their being required to love with all their soul or strength, for 'the hand' or 'the palm' of the hand means power, as shown in `@@@878`, from which 'the fist' also means the same. 'The fine flour together with the oil and the frankincense' represented all things of charity - 'fine flour' the spiritual ingredient of it, 'oil' the celestial, and 'frankincense' that which was in this manner pleasing. That 'fine flour' represents the spiritual ingredient is evident from what has just been stated and from what is stated below. That 'oil' represents the celestial ingredient, or the good or charity, see `@@@886`, and that 'frankincense' on account of its odour represents that which is pleasing and acceptable, `@@@925`.
ttt[5] Its being 'unleavened bread' or not fermented means that it was to be genuine, thus something offered from genuineness of heart and having no uncleanness. The eating of the rest by Aaron and his sons represented man's reciprocation and his making it his own, and thus represented conjunction by means of love and charity; and it is for this reason that they were commanded to eat it 'in a holy place'. Hence it is called something most holy. These were the things which were represented by the minchah. It was also the way in which the representatives themselves were perceived in heaven; and when the member of the Church understood them in the same way his ideas were like the perception which the angels possess, so that he was in the Lord's kingdom in heaven even though he was on earth.
ttt[6] For more about the minchah - what it was to consist of in any particular kind of sacrifice; the way in which it was to be baked into cakes; what kind was to be offered by those who were being cleansed, and also what kinds on other occasions (all of which would take too long to introduce and explain here) - see what is said about it in `Exodus 29bbb39-41`; `Leviticus 5bbb11-13`; `Leviticus ccc6bbb16-17`, `Leviticus 6bbbccc19-21`; `Leviticus ccc10bbb12-13`; `Leviticus ccc23bbb10-13`, `Leviticus 23bbbccc6`, `Leviticus 23bbbccc17`; `Numbers 5bbb15` and following verses; `Numbers ccc6bbb15-17`, `Numbers 6bbbccc19-20`; `Numbers ccc7bbb0`: in various places; `Numbers ccc28bbb5`, `Numbers 28bbbccc8`, `Numbers 28bbbccc9`, `Numbers 28bbbccc12-13`, `Numbers 28bbbccc20-21`, `Numbers 28bbbccc28-29`; `Numbers ccc29bbb3-4`, `Numbers 29bbbccc9-10`, `Numbers 29bbbccc14-15`, `Numbers 29bbbccc18`, `Numbers 29bbbccc21`, `Numbers 29bbbccc24`, `Numbers 29bbbccc27`, `Numbers 29bbbccc30`, `Numbers 29bbbccc33`, `Numbers 29bbbccc37`
ttt[7] 'Fine flour made into cakes' had in general the same representation as bread, namely the celestial ingredient of love, while 'meals represented its spiritual ingredient, as becomes clear in the places indicated above. The loaves which were called 'the bread of the Presence' or 'the shewbread' consisted of fine flour, which was made into cakes and placed on the table to provide an unceasing representation of the Lord's love, that is, of His mercy, towards the whole human race, and man's reciprocation. These loaves are spoken of in Moses as follows,
You shall take fine pour and bake it into twelve cakes; two-tenths [of an ephah] shall there be in one cake And you shall place them in two rows, six in a row, on the clean table before Jehovah. And you shall put pure frankincense on each row, and it shall be bread serving as a memorial, a fire-offering to Jehovah. Every sabbath day [Aaron] shall set it out in order before Jehovah continually; it is from the children of Israel as an eternal covenant. And it shall be for Aaron and his sons, and they shall eat it in a holy place, for it is to him the most holy of fire-offerings to Jehovah, by an eternal statute. `Leviticus 24bbb5-9`.
Every item and smallest detail mentioned here represented the holiness of love and charity, 'fine flour' having the same representation as meal of fine flour, namely that which is celestial and that which is spiritual that goes with it, and 'cake' the two when joined together.
ttt[8] From this it is clear what the holiness of the Word is to those who possess heavenly ideas, and indeed what holiness was present within this particular representative observance, on account of which it is called 'most holy'. It is also clear how devoid of holiness the Word is to those who imagine that it does not have anything heavenly within it and who keep solely to externals. Exemplifying the latter are those who in the present verse under consideration perceive 'the meal' to be merely meal, 'the fine flour' merely fine flour, and 'the cake' merely a cake, and who imagine that these things have been stated without each one that is mentioned embodying something of the Divine within it. Their attitude is similar to that of those who imagine that the bread and wine of the Holy Supper are no more than a certain religious observance that does not have anything holy within it. Yet in fact it possesses such holiness that the minds of men are linked by means of it to the minds of those in heaven, when from an internal affection they think that the bread and wine mean the Lord's love and man's reciprocation, and by virtue of that interior thought and affection they abide in holiness.
ttt[9] Much the same was implied by the requirement that when the children of Israel entered the land they were to present as a heave-offering to Jehovah a cake made from the first of their dough, `Numbers 15bbb20`. The fact that such things are meant is also evident in the Prophets, from' among whom for the moment let this one place in Ezekiel be introduced here,
You were adorned with gold and silver, and your raiment was of fine linen and silk and embroidered cloth. You ate fine flour, honey, and oil. You became exceedingly beautiful, and attained to a kingdom. `Ezekiel 16bbb13`.
This refers to Jerusalem, by which is meant the Church, which Church in its earliest days bore an appearance such as this, that is to say, the Ancient Church, which is described by means of raiment and many other adornments. Its affections for truth and good are also described by 'the fine flour, honey, and oil'. It may become clear to anyone that all these details mean in the internal sense something altogether different from what they do in the sense of the letter. And the same applies to Abraham's saying to Sarah, 'Take quickly three measures of meal of fine flour, knead it, and make cakes'. That 'three' means things that are holy has been shown already in `@@@720`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc901`.
ppp21671#pid#2178. Verse `Genesis 18bbbccc7` And Abraham ran to the herd and took a young bull,`fff1` tender and good, and gave it to the servant, and he hastened to make it ready.
'Abraham ran to the herd' means natural good. 'And took a young bull, tender and good' means a conformable celestial-natural which the rational took to itself in order that it might join itself to perception from the Divine. 'And gave it to the servant, and he hastened to make it ready' means the joining together of this good with rational good, 'servant' here being the natural man.
`nnn1. literally, a son of an ox
ppp21670#pid#2179. 'Abraham ran to the herd' means natural good. This is clear from the meaning of 'oxen' and 'young bulls' which are members of 'the herd', dealt with in the next paragraph. That beasts which were members of the herd and those which were members of the flock mean such things as reside with man becomes clear from what has been shown in Volume One, in `@@@45`, `@@@46`, `@@@142`, `@@@143`, `@@@246`, `@@@714`, `@@@715`, `@@@719`, `@@@776`, in addition to which, see what has been stated in `@@@1823` about the beasts used in sacrifices. It may come as a surprise to everyone that the creatures mentioned in the Word, and also those offered in the sacrifices, meant goods and truths, or what amount to the same, celestial and spiritual things; but let the origin of this surprising fact be stated briefly.
ttt[2] In the world of spirits various representatives manifest themselves. On many occasions animals too manifest themselves before the eyes of spirits, such as horses wearing varying decorative trappings, oxen, sheep, lambs, and different kinds of other animals; and sometimes animals such as have never been seen on earth but are purely representative. Such animals seen also by the prophets and mentioned in the Word had the same origin. Animals which appear in that world are representative of affections for good and truth, and also of affections for evil and falsity. Good spirits have full knowledge of what those animals mean, and also when they see them, they gather what it is that angels are discussing with one another, for when the conversation of those angels passes down into the world of spirits it sometimes manifests itself in this manner. For example, when horses appear, the spirits know that the angels are talking about matters of the understanding; when oxen and young bulls appear, that they are talking about natural goods; when sheep appear, about rational goods and about integrity; when lambs appear, about still more interior goods and about innocence; and so on.
ttt[3] Because the members of the Most Ancient Church had communication with spirits and angels, constantly having visions and also dreams such as the prophets had, they consequently formed a concept of what any beast meant the moment they saw it. This was how representatives and meaningful signs originated. These remained in existence for a long time after those most ancient times, and at length were so venerated because of their antiquity that writers employed mere representatives. Indeed books that were not written in that style were not very highly regarded, nor if written within the Church considered to be holy. For the same and also other hidden reasons, which will in the Lord's Divine mercy be given elsewhere, the books of the Word too were written in that style.
ppp21669#pid#2180. 'And took a young bull, tender and good' means a celestial-natural which the rational took to itself in order that it might join itself to perception from the Divine. This is clear from the meaning of 'a young bull' or 'a son of an ox' in the Word as natural good. And because the subject is the Lord's Rational, it is called 'tender' from the celestial-spiritual, which is truth grounded in good, and 'good' from the celestial itself, which is good itself. Within the genuine rational there is both the affection for truth and the affection for good, but that which is first and foremost there is the affection for truth, as shown already in `@@@2072`. This explains why 'tender' is mentioned before 'good'; but even so, as is quite usual in the Word, both are mentioned on account of the marriage of truth and good which is referred to above in `@@@2173`.
ttt[2] That 'a young bull' or 'a son of an ox' means the celestial-natural, or what amounts to the same, natural good, becomes especially clear from the sacrifices, which were the principal representatives in the worship of the Hebrew Church and after this of the Jewish Church. Their sacrifices were made either from the herd or from the flock, thus from animals of various kinds that were clean, such as oxen, young bulls, he-goats, sheep, rams, she-goats, kids, and lambs, besides doves and fledgling pigeons. All of these creatures meant the internal features of worship, that is, celestial and spiritual things, `@@@2165`, `@@@2177`, those from the herd meaning celestial-natural, those from the flock celestial-rational. Because both of these - natural things and rational things - are more and more interior and are various, so many genera and so many species of these creatures were therefore employed in sacrifices. This fact becomes clear also from its being laid down as to which creatures were to be offered in burnt offerings and also which in every kind of sacrifice - the daily sacrifices; those offered on sabbaths and at festivals; those made as free-will, eucharistic, or votive offerings; and those offered in purifications, cleansings, and also in inaugurations. Which creatures were to be used, and how many, in each kind of sacrifice is mentioned explicitly. This would never have been done unless each one had had some specific meaning, as is quite evident from those places where the sacrifices are the subject, as in Chapter `Exodus ccc29bbb0` of Exodus; Chapters `Leviticus ccc1bbb0`, `Leviticus ccc3bbb0`, `Leviticus ccc4bbb0`, `Leviticus ccc9bbb0`, `Leviticus ccc16bbb0`, and `Leviticus ccc23bbb0` of Leviticus; and Chapters `Numbers ccc7bbb0`, `Numbers ccc8bbb0`, `Numbers ccc15bbb0`, and `Numbers ccc29bbb0` of Numbers. But this is not the place to explain what each one meant. The situation is similar in the Prophets where those animals are mentioned, from which it may become clear that young bulls meant celestial-natural things.
ttt[3] That none but heavenly things were meant becomes clear also from the cherubim seen by Ezekiel and from the living creatures before the throne which were seen by John. Regarding the cherubim the prophet says,
The likeness of their faces was the face of a man (homo); and they four had the face of a lion on the right side; and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; and they four had the face of an eagle. `Ezekiel 1bbb10`.
Regarding the four living creatures before the throne John says,
Around the throne were four living creatures - the first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a young bull, the third living creature had a face like a man (homo), the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle - saying, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and who is, and who is to come. `Revelation 4bbb7-8`.
Anyone may see that holy things were represented by the cherubim and these living creatures, thus also by the oxen and young bulls in the sacrifices. The same applies in the prophecy of Moses concerning Joseph,
Let it come upon the head of Joseph and upon the crown of the head of the Nazirite among his brothers. The firstborn of his ox has honour, and his horns are the horns of a unicorn; with these he will thrust the peoples together, to the ends of the earth. `Deuteronomy 33bbb16-17`.
These words are not intelligible to anyone unless he knows what ox, unicorn, horns, and many other things mean in the internal sense.
ttt[4] As for sacrifices in general they were indeed commanded to the Israelites through Moses. But the Most Ancient Church which existed before the Flood never knew anything at all about sacrifices, nor did it ever enter their minds to worship the Lord by the slaughtering of animals. The Ancient Church which existed after the Flood knew nothing about it either. Representatives did indeed exist there, but not sacrifices. These were first introduced in the subsequent Church called the Hebrew Church, and from there they spread to the gentile nations, and even to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and so to Jacob's descendants. The fact that the gentile nations had sacrificial worship has been shown in `@@@1343`, and the fact that Jacob's descendants also had such worship before they left Egypt, thus before sacrifices were commanded through Moses on Mount Sinai, becomes clear from `Exodus 5bbb3`; `Exodus ccc10bbb25`, `Exodus 10bbbccc27`; `Exodus ccc18bbb12`; `Exodus ccc24bbb4-5`.
ttt[5] This is especially clear from their idolatrous worship in front of the golden calf, regarding which the following is said in Moses,
Aaron built an altar in front of the calf, and Aaron made a proclamation and said, Tomorrow there will be a feast to Jehovah. And they rose up early the next morning and presented burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. `Exodus 32bbb5-6`.
This happened while Moses was on Mount Sinai, and so before the command came to them regarding the altar and the sacrifices. That command came to them for the reason that sacrificial worship among them had been turned, as it had among the gentiles, into idolatrous worship, from which they could not be drawn away because they looked upon it as-the chief holy thing. Once something has been implanted in people from their earliest years as being holy, the more so if received from their fathers, and thus is inrooted, the Lord in no way breaks it - provided it is not contrary to order itself - but bends it. This was the reason for its being laid down that the sacrificial system should be established, such as one reads in the books of Moses.
ttt[6] The fact that sacrifices were by no means acceptable to Jehovah, and so were merely permitted and tolerated for the reason just stated, is quite evident in the Prophets. Concerning them the following is said in Jeremiah,
Thus said Jehovah Zebaoth, the God of Israel, Add your burnt offerings on to your sacrifices, and eat the flesh. I did not speak with your fathers and I did not command them on the day I brought them out of the land of Egypt on the matters of burnt offering and sacrifice. But this matter I commanded them, saying, Obey My voice, and I will be your God. `Jeremiah 7bbb21-23`.
In David,
O Jehovah, sacrifice and offering You have not desired; burnt offering and sin-sacrifices You have not sought. I have delighted to do Your will, O my God. `Psalms 40bbb6`, `Psalms 40bbbccc8`.
In the same author,
You do not delight in sacrifice that I should give it; burnt offering You do not accept. The sacrifices of God are a contrite spirit. `Psalms 51bbb16-17`.
In the same author,
I will not take any young bull from your house, nor he-goats from your folds. Sacrifice to God confession. `Psalms 50bbb9`, `Psalms 50bbbccc14`; `Psalms ccc107bbb21-22`; `Psalms ccc116bbb17`; `Deuteronomy 23bbb18`.
In Hosea,
I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. `Hosea 6bbb6`.
Samuel said to Saul,
Has Jehovah great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices? Behold, to be submissive is better than sacrifice, to be obedient than the fat of rams. - `1 Samuel 15bbb22`.
In Micah,
With what shall I come before Jehovah and bow myself to God on high? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will Jehovah be pleased with thousands of rams, with tens of thousands of rivers of oil? He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does Jehovah require of you but to carry out judgement, and to love mercy, and to humble yourself by walking with your God? `Micah 6bbb6-8`.
ttt[7] From these quotations it is now evident that sacrifices were not commanded but permitted, and also that in sacrifices nothing else was regarded except that which was internal, and that it was that which was internal that was pleasing, not that which was external. For this reason also the Lord abolished them, as was also foretold through Daniel in the following words when he was speaking about the Lord's Coming,
In the middle of the week He will cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease. `Daniel 9bbb27`.
See what has been stated about sacrifices in Volume One, in `@@@922`, `@@@923`, `@@@1128`, `@@@1823`. As for 'the young bull' which Abraham made ready or prepared for the three men, the meaning is similar to that of the same animals when used in sacrifices. That it had a similar meaning becomes clear also from the fact that he told Sarah to take three measures of fine flour. Regarding the fine flour that went with the offering of a young bull the following is said in Moses - referring to when they were to come into the land,
When you make ready a young bull for a burnt offering or a sacrifice in the declaring of a vow, or for peace offerings to Jehovah, you shall bring with the young bull a minchah of three tenths of fine flour mixed with oil. `Numbers 15bbb8-9`.
Here similarly the number 'three' appears, though three 'tenths' here but three 'measures' in Abraham's instruction to Sarah. But only two tenths went with the offering of a ram, one tenth with that of a lamb, `Numbers 15bbb4-6`.
ppp21668#pid#2181. 'And gave it to the servant, and he hastened to make it ready' means the joining of this good to rational good, 'the servant' meaning the natural man. This is clear from the meaning of 'a servant' as one who ministers and administers. And that which is ministered or effected is the making ready of the young bull, by which natural good is meant, as has been shown. To perceive the implications of this more clearly one should recognize that there exists in every person an internal, a rational in a middle position, and a natural, and that these three are distinct and separate from one other, as dealt with in `@@@1889`, `@@@1940`. One should also recognize that these should be made to conform so that they make one, thus so that rational good conforms with natural good, and recognize that unless they do conform and so are joined together, there cannot be any Divine perception. Since the Lord's Divine Perception is the subject here, it is the conformity and conjunction of the two kinds of good that are meant in the internal sense by the words that appear here.
ppp21667#pid#2182. Verse `Genesis 18bbbccc8` And he took butter and milk, and the young bull`fff1` which he made ready, and set it before them. And he stood before them under the tree, and they ate.
'He took butter and milk, and the young bull which he made ready' means all those things thus joined together, 'butter' being the celestial part of the rational, 'milk' the spiritual deriving from this, 'young bull' the corresponding natural part. 'And set it before them' means that He so prepared Himself to receive. 'And he stood before them under the tree' means consequent perception, 'tree', as previously, being perception. 'And they ate' means communication in this manner.
`nnn1. literally, the son of an ox
ppp21666#pid#2183. 'He took butter and milk, and the young bull which he had made ready' means all those things so joined together. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'butter', 'milk', and 'the young bull', which are dealt with in the next paragraph. The subject in the verses previous to this has been the providing of the Lord's Rational with that which is celestial and that which is spiritual derived from this, meant by 'the meal of fine flour made into cakes', `@@@2176`, `@@@2177`, and also with the celestial-natural, meant by 'the young bull', `@@@2180`. The same things are now expressed by other words - by 'butter', 'milk', and 'a young bull', which mean all those same things when they have been joined together.
ttt[2] But one is scarcely able to describe these matters to the ordinary mind because the majority do not know that every person possesses an internal, a rational, and a natural, and that these three are quite distinct and separate from one another, so distinct in fact that one can be at variance with another. That is to say, the rational, which is called the rational man, can be at variance with the natural, which is the natural man; indeed the rational man is able to see and perceive evil that is in the natural, and if it is a genuine rational, is able to correct it, see `@@@1904`. Before these two have been joined together man is unable to be whole or to experience the serenity of peace, since the one is in conflict with the other. For the angels present with a person govern his rational, while the evil spirits present with him govern his natural - and this gives rise to conflict.
ttt[3] If in this conflict the rational prevails, the natural is placed in subjection, and the man is thus endowed with conscience; but if the natural prevails, he is not able to receive any conscience at all. If the rational prevails, his natural becomes as though it too was rational; but if the natural prevails, the rational becomes as though it too was natural. In addition, if the rational prevails, angels draw nearer to that person, implanting within him charity, a celestial quality which comes through the angels from the Lord; and at the same time the evil spirits move some distance away from him. But if the natural prevails, the angels move further away, that is, more towards his interiors, and the evil spirits draw nearer to the rational, constantly attack it, and fill the lower parts of his mind with forms of hatred, revenge, deceit, and the like. If the rational prevails, the man enters into the serenity of peace, and in the next life into the peace of heaven; but if the natural prevails, though during his lifetime he seems to experience serenity, he enters in the next life into the unrest and torment of hell.
ttt[4] From these considerations one may know the nature of a person's state so far as his rational and so far as his natural are concerned. There is nothing else that can bring him blessing and happiness except the conformity of his natural to the rational when both are joined together. This is achieved solely by means of charity; and charity originates wholly in the Lord.
ppp21665#pid#2184. That 'butter' is the celestial part of the rational, 'milk' the spiritual deriving from this, and 'the young bull' the corresponding natural part, is clear from the meaning of 'butter', and of 'milk', and also of 'a young bull'. As regards 'butter', this in the Word means that which is celestial, and this because of the fat present in butter; for 'fat' means that which is celestial, as shown in Volume One, in `@@@353`, and 'oil', being fat, means the celestial itself, in `@@@886`. That 'butter' has the same meaning becomes clear in Isaiah,
Behold, a virgin is bearing a son, and will call His name Immanuel. Butter and honey will he eat that he may know to refuse the evil and choose the good. `Isaiah 7bbb14-15`.
This refers to the Lord, who is Immanuel; and anyone may see that butter is not meant by 'butter', nor honey by 'honey'. But by 'butter' is meant His celestial, and by 'honey' that which is derived from that celestial.
ttt[2] In the same chapter,
And it will be, because of the abundance of milk which they give, that he will eat butter, for butter and honey will everyone eat that is left in the midst of the land. `Isaiah 7bbb22`.
This refers to the Lord's kingdom, and to those on earth who are members of the Lord's kingdom. 'Milk' here stands for spiritual good, 'butter' for celestial good, and 'honey' for the happiness derived from this.
ttt[3] In Moses,
Jehovah alone leads him, and there is no foreign god with him. He causes him to ride on the heights of the land, and He feeds [him] with the produce of the fields, and He causes him to suck honey out of the rock and oil out of the flinty rock - butter from the herd, and milk from the flock, with the fat of lambs and of rams, the breed`fff1` of Bashan, and of goats, with the kidney-fat of wheat; and of the blood of the grape you will drink unmixed wine. `Deuteronomy 32bbb12-14`.
No one is able to understand what all these things mean unless he knows the internal sense of each one. It seems like a pile of expressions such as belong to the oratory employed by the wise men of the world. But yet each expression means that which is celestial and that which is spiritual going with it, and also the blessing and happiness which flow from these, and all of them in a co-ordinated sequence. 'Butter from the herd' is the celestial-natural, 'milk from the flock' the celestial-spiritual of the rational.
ttt[4] As regards 'milk' however, this means, as has been stated, that which is spiritual derived from that which is celestial, that is, the celestial-spiritual. What the celestial-spiritual is, see Volume One, in `@@@1577`, `@@@1824`, and in various other places. The reason 'milk' means that which is spiritual derived from that which is celestial is that 'water' means that which is spiritual, `@@@680`, `@@@739`, while milk, because of the fat in it, means the celestial-spiritual; or (what amounts to the same) truth rooted in good; or (also amounting to the same) faith grounded in love or charity; or (yet the same) the understanding part of the good present in the will; or (likewise amounting to the same) the affection for truth that has the affection for good within it; or (still yet the same) the affection for cognitions and facts that springs from the affection that belongs to charity towards the neighbour, such as exists with those who love the neighbour and confirm themselves in this love from the cognitions of faith and also from factual knowledge, which they love because they love the neighbour. All these are the same as the celestial-spiritual, and may be used in reference to any particular matter under discussion.
ttt[5] That the celestial-spiritual is meant is also evident from the Word, as in Isaiah,
Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters, and he who has no money, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend money on that which is not bread? `Isaiah 55bbb1-2`.
Here 'wine' stands for the spiritual element of faith, 'milk' for the spiritual element of love. In Moses,
He washes his garment in wine and his vesture in the blood of grapes. His eyes are redder than wine, and his teeth are whiter than milk. `Genesis 49bbb11-12`.
This is the prophecy of Jacob, who by now was Israel, regarding Judah - 'Judah' being used here to describe the Lord. By 'teeth whiter than milk' is meant the celestial-spiritual which belonged to His Natural.
ttt[6] In Joel,
It will be, on that day, that the mountains will drip new wine, and the hills will run with milk, and all the streams of Judah will run with water. `Joel 3bbb18`.
Here, where the subject is the Lord's kingdom, 'milk' stands for the celestial-spiritual. Also in the Word the land of Canaan, which represents and means the Lord's kingdom, is called 'a land flowing with milk and honey', as in `Numbers 13bbb27`; `Numbers ccc14bbb8`; `Deuteronomy 26bbb9`, `Deuteronomy 26bbbccc15`; `Deuteronomy ccc27bbb3`; `Jeremiah 11bbb5`; `Jeremiah ccc32bbb22`; `Ezekiel 20bbb6`, `Ezekiel 20bbbccc15`. In these places nothing else is meant by 'milk' than the abundance of celestial-spiritual things, and by 'honey' the abundant happiness derived from these. 'Land' is the celestial part itself of the kingdom from which they come.
ttt[7] As regards 'a young bull' meaning the celestial-natural, this has been shown just above in `@@@2180`. The celestial-natural is the same as natural good, that is, good within the natural. Man's natural, like his rational, has its own good and its own truth, for then a marriage of good and truth exists everywhere, as stated above in `@@@2173`. The good that belongs to the natural is the delight which is perceived from charity, that is, from the friendship that is the product of charity; and from that delight springs the joy or satisfaction which belongs properly to the body. The truth of the natural consists in that factual knowledge which gives support to that delight. All this shows what the celestial-natural is.
`nnn1. literally, sons
ppp21664#pid#2185. 'And set it before them' means that He so prepared Himself to receive. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'setting before them' in the internal sense, where the subject is the preparing of the rational to receive perception from the Divine, and so is clear without further explanation.
ppp21663#pid#2186. 'And he stood before them under the tree' means consequent perception. This follows from the meaning of 'a tree' as perception, dealt with in `@@@103`, `@@@2163`. Above in verse `Genesis 18bbbccc4` it was stated that the three men who came to Abraham were to recline under the tree, which meant that the Divine was to draw near to the perception of that state which was the Lord's at that time. Here however it is said that Abraham stood under the tree, which means that the Lord drew near to the Divine perception after He had prepared Himself, which is a reciprocal action. Anyone may see that it is not without a reason that reference is made to the three men and to Abraham standing under the tree, and that therefore this detail was included because of the arcana that lie hidden within these descriptions.
ppp21662#pid#2187. 'And they ate' means communication in this manner. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'eating' as being communicated, and also being joined together, as is also evident from the Word. The injunction that Aaron, and his sons the Levites, and also the people were to eat the consecrated elements of the sacrifices in a holy place meant nothing other than the communication, conjunction, and making one's own, as stated above in `@@@2177`, at the point where `Leviticus 6bbb16-17`, is referred to. For it was celestial and spiritual food that was meant by the consecrated elements, and thus making that food their own by eating those elements. These consecrated elements were those parts of the sacrifices which were not burned on the altar but were eaten either by the priests or by the people who brought the offering, as becomes clear from very many places where the sacrifices are the subject. The consecrated elements that were to be eaten by the priests are referred to in `Exodus 29bbb32-33`; `Leviticus 6bbb16`, `Leviticus 6bbbccc26`; `Leviticus ccc7bbb6`, `Leviticus 7bbbccc15-16`, `Leviticus 7bbbccc18`; `Leviticus ccc8bbb31`; `Leviticus ccc10bbb12-13`; `Numbers 18bbb9-11`; and those to be eaten by the people, in `Leviticus 19bbb5-6`; `Deuteronomy 12bbb27`; `Deuteronomy ccc27bbb7`; and elsewhere. And that those who were unclean were not to eat of them is referred to in `Leviticus 7bbb19-21`; `Leviticus ccc22bbb4-7`. These ritual feasts took place in a holy place near the altar, either at the gate or in the court outside the tent. And they meant nothing else than the communication, conjunction, and making of celestial goods one's own, for those feasts represented celestial food. For what celestial food is, see `@@@56-58`, `@@@680`, `@@@681`, `@@@1480`, `@@@1695`. And all those consecrated elements were called 'bread', for the meaning of which see above in `@@@2165`. Something similar was represented by Aaron and his sons eating the loaves of the presence, or the shewbread, in a holy place, `Leviticus 24bbb9`.
ttt[2] The reason for the law given to the Nazirite that during the days of his Naziriteship he was forbidden to eat anything that is produced from the grape - from which wine is made - from pips even to skin, `Numbers 6bbb4`, is that the Nazirite represented the celestial man, and the celestial man is such as is not willing even to mention spiritual things, see Volume One, in `@@@202`, `@@@337`, `@@@880` (end), `@@@1647`. And because 'wine' and 'the grape', and also whatever came from the grape, meant that which is spiritual, the Nazirite was therefore forbidden to eat of them, that is, to have any communication with spiritual things, to join himself to them, or to make them his own.
ttt[3] Something similar is meant by 'eating' in Isaiah,
Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters, and he who has no money, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend money on that which is not bread, and your labour on that which does not satisfy? Hearken diligently to Me and eat what is good, and your soul will delight itself in fatness. `Isaiah 55bbb1-2`.
And also what is said in John,
To him who conquers I will grant to eat from the tree of life which is in the middle of the Paradise of God. `Revelation 2bbb7`.
'The tree of life' is the celestial itself, and in the highest sense it is the Lord Himself since He is the source of everything celestial, that is, of all love and charity. Thus 'eating from the tree of life' is the same as feeding on the Lord; and 'feeding on the Lord' is being endowed with love and charity, thus with those things that belong to heavenly life, as the Lord Himself declares in John,
I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if anyone eats of this bread he will live for ever. He who feeds on Me will live through Me. `John 6bbb51`, `John 6bbbccc57`. But they said, This is a hard saying. Jesus said however, The words that I speak to you, they are spirit and they are life. `John 6bbb60`, `John 6bbbccc63`.
From this it is evident what is meant by 'eating' in the Holy Supper, `Matthew 26bbb26-28`; `Mark 14bbb22-23`; `Luke 22bbb19-20` - having communication, being joined together, and making one's own.
ttt[4] From this it is also plain what is meant by the Lord's statement that
Many will come from the east and from the west and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. `Matthew 8bbb11`.
The Lord did not mean that they were going to feast with these three in the kingdom of God but that they were to enjoy the celestial goods meant by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. That is to say, they were to enjoy the inmost celestial goods of love, meant by -Abraham'; also a lower type of goods, which are intermediate, as those are which belong to the rational, meant by 'Isaac'; and a still lower type of goods which are celestial-natural, such as occur in the first heaven, meant by 'Jacob'. These are the things which constitute the internal sense of these words. That such things are meant by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, see `@@@1893`, and wherever else they are the subject. For whether one speaks of enjoying those celestial things, or whether one speaks of enjoying the Lord, whom they represent, it amounts to the same since the Lord is the source of all those things, and the Lord is their All in all.
ppp21661#pid#2188. Verse `Genesis 18bbbccc9` And they said to him, Where is Sarah your wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.
'They said to him, Where is Sarah your wife?' means rational truth, which did not at that time show itself because it existed within rational good. 'And he said, Behold, in the tent' means that it existed within holiness.
ppp21660#pid#2189. They said to him, Where is Sarah your wife? means rational truth, which did not at that time show itself because it existed within rational good. This is clear from the representation of 'Sarah' here as rational truth, dealt with above in `@@@2173`. The implications of these things - as also of those that follow where the state of the Lord's Rational is the subject, which state is represented by 'Sarah' - cannot so easily be explained intelligibly unless the general nature of the state of the rational as regards good and as regards truth is known; and also in the Lord's case as regards the Divine and as regards the Human in which He was at that time.
ttt[2] The first and foremost element of the rational with man is truth, as stated already in `@@@2072`, and therefore it is the affection for truth, which exists with man to enable him to be reformed and so regenerated, such reformation being effected by means of cognitions and facts, which are matters of truth. These are being constantly implanted in good, that is, in charity, so that in this manner he may receive the life of charity. It is therefore the affection for truth with man that predominates in his rational. For the situation with the life of charity, which is the life of heaven itself, is that in people who are being reformed and regenerated it is constantly being born and developing and increasing, such growth being achieved by means of truths. Therefore the more truth that is implanted, the more is the life of charity perfected. Thus as is the nature and the amount of truth present with man, so is the charity present with him.
ttt[3] These few observations may to some extent show what the position is with man's rational. Within truth however no life is present, only within good. Truth is merely the recipient of life, that is, of good. Truth is like the clothing or a garment worn by good. In the Word too therefore truths are called clothes, and also garments. But when good composes the rational, truth passes out of sight and becomes as though it was good; for good is now shining through the truth, in the same way as when angels are seen clothed they appear in brightness that looks like a garment, as also was the case when angels appeared before the prophets.
ttt[4] These then are the implications of the explanation given, that rational truth did not at that time show itself because it existed within rational good, meant by 'they said to him, Where is Sarah your wife?' But because the Lord's Rational Good at that time was Divine, as it can never be with any angel, it cannot be described other than by the use of a comparison, thus by the use of an illustration presenting something similar but not the same.
ppp21659#pid#2190. 'And he said, Behold, in the tent' means that it existed within holiness. This is clear from the meaning of 'a tent' as holiness, dealt with in `@@@414`, `@@@1102`, `@@@1566`, `@@@2145`. Rational truth is said to have existed within holiness because it existed within good. All good is called holy because it is an attribute of love and charity, which are derived wholly from the Lord. But as are forms of good, so are forms of holiness. Goods are formed, that is, they are born and develop, through the truths of faith. The nature of them therefore depends on the nature and the amount of the truth of faith that has been implanted in charity, as stated immediately above in `@@@2189`. From this it becomes clear that forms of good or holiness differ with each individual. Although they seem to be alike in the outward form they take they are not alike in their inward forms. And this applies both to people who are outside the Church and to those inside it. Within the good of charity residing with a person more is present than man can possibly believe. Present within it are all things that constitute his faith, and consequently they are present in the holiness of his worship. The nature of the holiness of his worship is visible to the angels as if seen in broad daylight, even though that person knows nothing further than that some degree of holiness exists with him. Myriads upon myriads of his thoughts concerning the goods and truths of faith and of the affections deriving from these are present within the holiness existing within him. But the general character of the holiness of worship will in the Lord's Divine mercy be spoken of elsewhere.
ppp21658#pid#2191. Verse `Genesis 18bbbccc10` And he said, I will certainly return to you about this time next year,`fff1` and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son. And Sarah heard it at the tent door, and this was behind him.
'And he said' means perception. 'I will certainly return to you about this time next year' means the joining together of the Divine with the Lord's Human. 'And behold, Sarah your wife will have a son' means the Rational that was to be Divine. 'And Sarah heard it at the tent door' means rational truth at that time close to holiness. 'And this was behind him' means close to the good which existed with the rational at that time, and separated from it insofar as anything of the human was in it.
`nnn1. literally, near this time of life
ppp21657#pid#2192. That 'he said' means perception is clear from the meaning in the historical sense of 'saying' as perceiving, dealt with already in `@@@1898`, `@@@1919`, `@@@2080`.
ppp21656#pid#2193. That 'I will certainly return to you about this time next year' means the joining together of the Divine with the Human is clear from the fact that Jehovah's coming to Abraham represented the Divine Perception which the Lord prepared Himself to receive, and so represented a joining together, as shown above. Thus the promise that He would certainly return to him has a similar meaning, namely the joining together of the Divine with the Human. 'At this time of life' is at the same time in the following year.
ppp21655#pid#2194. 'And behold, Sarah your wife will have a son' means the Rational that was to be Divine. This is clear from the meaning of 'a son', also of 'Sarah', and of 'Isaac' as well, who was to be born to her. Both 'a son' and 'Sarah', and 'Isaac' too, mean that which is a feature of the Lord's Rational; for '`@@@5011`' means truth, see `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@533`, `@@@1147`, 'Sarah' rational truth, `@@@2173`, and 'Isaac' the Divine Rational, `@@@1893`, `@@@2066`, `@@@2083`. With everyone the human has its beginnings in the inmost part of the rational, as stated in `@@@2106`, so that the Lord's Human too had its beginnings there. That which was above it was Jehovah Himself, which is not the case with anyone else at all. Since the human has its beginnings in the inmost part of the rational, and since the Lord made the whole of the human with Him Divine, He first made the rational itself Divine from the inmost. And that rational, having been made Divine, is represented and meant, as has been stated, by 'Isaac'.
ppp21654#pid#2195. 'And Sarah heard it at the tent door' means rational truth at that time close to holiness. ]his is clear from the representation of 'Sarah' as rational truth, dealt with in `@@@2173`, `@@@2174`, and also from the meaning of 'a tent' as holiness, dealt with in `@@@414`, `@@@1102`, `@@@1566`, `@@@2145`, and so from the meaning of 'tent door' as the entrance to holiness, and thus close to holiness, dealt with above in `@@@2145`. The implications of these matters follow next.
ppp21653#pid#2196. 'And this was behind him' means close to the good which existed with the rational at that time, and separated from it insofar as anything of the human was in it. This is clear from what is said regarding the door where Sarah stood - that it was 'behind him'. 'Being behind him' means not joined together but behind his back. That which is separated from someone is represented by that which has been cast so to speak behind the back, as may become clear from the representatives in the next life described from experience in `@@@1393`, `@@@1875`. This separation is expressed here by its being said that the door where Sarah stood was behind him.
ttt[2] The situation so far as merely human rational truth - which resided with the Lord at that time and was separated from Him when He joined Himself to the Divine - is that human rational truth has no grasp of Divine things because these are above its range of understanding. Such truth does indeed communicate with the facts which are present in the natural man; but insofar as it looks from those facts at the things that exist above itself it does not acknowledge these things. For such truth is immersed in appearances of which it cannot rid itself; and appearances are born from the evidence of the senses - which leads one to believe as though Divine things themselves are also of a similar nature, when in fact they are free of all appearances. When such Divine things are stated this rational truth cannot possibly believe them because it cannot have any grasp of them. Let some examples be given.
ttt[3] If it is stated that a person has no life except that which he receives from the Lord, the rational, seeing from appearances, imagines in that case that he is not able to live as if from himself, when in fact he is for the first time truly living when he perceives that he does so from the Lord.
ttt[4] Seeing from appearances the rational imagines that the good which a person does springs from himself, when in fact nothing good at all springs from self, but from the Lord.
ttt[5] Seeing from appearances the rational imagines that a person merits salvation when he does what is good, when in fact of himself a person can merit nothing - all merit being the Lord's.
ttt[6] Seeing from appearances a person imagines that when he is being withheld from evil and maintained in good by the Lord, nothing but good, righteousness, and indeed holiness are present with him, when in fact present in man there is nothing except evil, unrighteousness, and profanity.
ttt[7] Seeing from appearances a person imagines that when he does what is good from charity his will is the source of his actions, when in fact it is not his will that is the source but his understanding in which charity has been implanted.
ttt[8] Seeing from appearances a person imagines that no glory can exist without the glory of the world, when in fact the glory of heaven does not have one trace of the world's glory within it.
ttt[9] Seeing from appearances a person imagines that nobody can love the neighbour more than he loves himself, but that all love begins from self, when in fact heavenly love has no self-love at all within it.
ttt[10] Seeing from appearances a person imagines that no light can exist apart from that which flows from the light of this world, when in fact not a ray of the world's light shines in heaven, though the light there is a thousand times brighter than the midday light of the world.
ttt[11] Seeing from appearances a person imagines that the Lord cannot possibly shine before the whole of heaven as a sun, when in fact the entire light of heaven comes from Him.
ttt[12] Seeing from appearances no one can grasp the idea that developments take place in the next life, when in fact those there seem to themselves to be making developments - as anyone does on earth - in for example, their homes, courtyards, and gardens. Still less can man grasp it if he is told that these are changes of state which manifest themselves outwardly in such developments.
ttt[13] Seeing from appearances a person cannot grasp that it is because they are not visible before his eyes that spirits and angels are not able to be seen; nor can he grasp that they are able to talk to man, when in fact they are seen more clearly before internal sight, or the sight of the spirit, than man sees man on earth. And their utterances are also in like manner clearly audible.
Besides these there are thousands upon thousands of things such as these which man's rational, seeing from its own light, which is born from the evidence of the senses and consequently is darkened, cannot possibly believe. Indeed even in natural things the rational is blinded. It is unable to grasp, for example, how those living on the opposite side of the world can stand erect and walk, or to grasp very many other natural phenomena. How blind must the rational be then in spiritual and celestial things which are far above those that are natural.
ttt[14] Such being the nature of the human rational, it is here spoken of as being separated when the Lord, while possessing Divine Perception, was united to the Divine. This is meant by the statement that Sarah, who here is such rational truth, 'stood at the tent door, and this was behind him'.
ppp21652#pid#2197. Verse `Genesis 18bbbccc11` And Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in years;`fff1` it had ceased to be with Sarah in the way it is with women.
'Abraham and Sarah were old' means that the human with the Lord was to be cast off. 'Well advanced in years' means that the time was at hand. 'It had ceased to be with Sarah in the way it is with women' means that the state of rational truth could remain so no longer.
`nnn1. literally, entering into days
ppp21651#pid#2198. 'Abraham and Sarah were old' means that the human with the Lord was to be cast off. This is clear from the representation of 'Abraham and Sarah', and also from the meaning of 'old' or old age. 'Abraham' here represents the Lord as regards rational good, while 'Sarah' represents the Lord as regards rational truth, as stated above in various places in this chapter. Thus each here represents the human with the Lord, the reason being, as stated above, that Jehovah was now present and spoke to Abraham. And Jehovah was the Lord's Divine itself, not separate from Him even though it presents itself in representative historical events as separate; for by means of historical events it cannot be represented in any other way. But when it is said that Abraham and Sarah were old the meaning is that that human was to be cast off. 'Old age' does not imply anything other than a final period. In the Word reference is made in various places to 'old age' and to the fact that people 'died'. But neither old age nor death of the body is ever perceived in the internal sense, but something other than these which is evident from the whole sequence of thought; for those in the next life do not know what old age is or what death is. What is meant here is evident, as has been said, from the whole train of thought, which is that the Lord was to cast off the human.
ppp21650#pid#2199. That 'well advanced in years' means that the time was at hand follows from what has now been stated. 'A day' in the Word, as also 'a year', and indeed 'time' in general, means state, as shown in `@@@23`, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@893`. Thus: here 'advanced in years' means, in the internal sense, entering that state in which He was to cast off the human, and so means that the time was at hand.
ppp21649#pid#2200. That 'it had ceased to be with Sarah in the way it is with women' means that [the state of rational truth] could remain so no longer is clear from what has now been stated, and so without explanation.
ppp21648#pid#2201. Verse `Genesis 18bbbccc12` And Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I have grown old, shall I have this pleasure, and my lord being old?
'Sarah laughed within herself' means the affection possessed by that rational truth that such was to take place. 'Saying, After I have grown old, shall I have this pleasure?' means that the affection possessed by that truth had no inclination to change its state. 'And my lord being old' means that the affection for truth was amazed that rational good to which truth was allied was also to cast off the human.
ppp21647#pid#2202. That 'Sarah laughed within herself' means the affection possessed by that rational truth that such was to take place is clear from the meaning of 'laughing' or laughter as the affection for truth, dealt with already in `@@@2072`. What these words embody within themselves follows next.
ppp21646#pid#2203. 'Saying, After I have grown old, shall I have this pleasure?' means that the affection possessed by that truth had no inclination to change its state. This is clear from the meaning of 'growing old' as casting off the human and so as changing its state, dealt with above in `@@@2198`, and from the meaning of 'shall I have this pleasure?' as not desiring it, thus that this affection was not so inclined. The implication of these matters becomes clear from what has been stated above in `@@@2196` about Sarah standing at the tent door, and this being behind him, namely that the human rational as regards truth is such that it is not able to understand what the Divine is, for the reason that that truth is immersed in appearances, and consequently that which it cannot understand it does not believe, and that which it does not believe does not affect it. The appearances in which the rational is immersed are such that they do affect it, for the appearances themselves bring delight and therefore if deprived of appearances the rational imagines that no delight is left, whereas heavenly affection is not immersed in appearances but in good and truth themselves. But as rational truth is of this nature, it is also excusable and permissible for it to be immersed in appearances and to take delight in them. Such truth immersed in appearances is represented here by 'Sarah' when the Lord joined Himself to the Divine. This explains why it is said that she stood at the tent door and that she laughed and said, 'After I have grown old shall I have this pleasure?' by which is meant that the affection possessed by rational truth had no inclination to change its state.
ppp21645#pid#2204. 'And my lord being old' means that the affection for truth was amazed that rational good to which truth was allied was also to cast off the human. This is clear from the representation of 'Abraham', to whom 'my lord' refers here, as rational good and from the representation of 'Sarah' as rational truth, dealt with above in `@@@2198` and elsewhere; and also from the meaning of 'growing old' as casting off the human, also dealt with in `@@@2198`. Human rational good is such that it has much within it which is derived from worldly delights, for that good is formed not only from truths but also from the delights of the senses and from many other delights that exist in the world. When a person is being reformed and regenerated spiritual good is implanted by the Lord in those delights, and by means of this good that which is worldly is mellowed, and after that accordingly receives its happiness from that spiritual good. But the Lord completely expelled from the rational everything worldly and so made it Divine. And it is this that amazed rational truth meant by 'Sarah'.
ppp21644#pid#2205. Verse `Genesis 18bbbccc13` And Jehovah said to Abraham, Why did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I really, in truth, bear a child, and I have grown old?
'Jehovah said to Abraham' means the Lord's perception from the Divine. 'Why did Sarah laugh?' means the thought of rational truth from the affection for it. 'Shall I really, in truth, bear a child' means its amazement that the rational was to become Divine. 'And I have grown old' means after it was no longer of such a nature.
ppp21643#pid#2206. That 'Jehovah said to Abraham' means the Lord's perception from the Divine is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as perceiving, dealt with already in `@@@1898`, `@@@1919`, `@@@2080`, and from the expression 'Jehovah said', which was perceiving from the Divine, for, as shown often already, the Lord's Internal itself was Jehovah.
ppp21642#pid#2207. 'Why did Sarah laugh?' means the thought of rational truth from the affection for it. This is clear from the meaning of 'laughing' or laughter as that affection which is the affection for truth, dealt with above in `@@@2072`, and from the representation of 'Sarah' as rational truth, dealt with several times already in this chapter. This question that was asked embodies the Lord's perception that His Rational still possessed within it that which was human.
ppp21641#pid#2208. 'Shall I really, in truth, bear a child' means its amazement that the rational was to become Divine. This is clear from the meaning of 'bearing' here in the internal sense, namely this: Since the Lord's Divine Rational is represented by 'Isaac', as stated already and as will be evident from what follows, so 'bearing' here means Isaac, that is, the Rational in that it was to become Divine, which rational truth, represented by 'Sarah', was not able to comprehend.
ppp21640#pid#2209. 'And I have grown old' means after it ceased to be such - that is, ceased to be [merely] human and not Divine - when that which was human was cast off. This is clear from the meaning of 'growing old' as casting off the human, dealt with above in `@@@2198`, `@@@2203`. As regards the rational in general, when it thinks about Divine things, especially from the truth it possesses, it cannot possibly believe that such things exist. It is unable to do so because for one thing it has no grasp of them, and for another appearances born from the illusions of the senses cling to it, by means of which and from which it thinks, as becomes clear from the examples which have been introduced above in `@@@2196`. To these, for the sake of illustration, let the following be added.
ttt[2] Is the rational, if consulted, able to believe in the existence of the internal sense of the Word which, as has been shown, is so remote from the literal sense? And is it thus able to believe that the Word is that which joins heaven and earth together, that is, the Lord's kingdom in heaven to the Lord's kingdom on earth? Is the rational able to believe that souls after death converse with one another most distinctly, doing so not by means of speech consisting of spoken words, yet nevertheless so completely that they express more in a minute than man does in an hour by the use of his speech; or that the angels likewise converse with one another, but in a language which is more perfect still though imperceptible to spirits; and also that all souls on entering the next life know how to use this kind of speech even though they are never taught how to do so? Is the rational able to believe that present within one affection which a person has, indeed within a single sigh expressing his affection, there are things perceived by angels which are so countless that they cannot possibly be described; or that every affection which a person has, indeed every idea comprising his thought, is an image of him and is such that it includes within it in a wondrous fashion every detail of his life, besides thousands upon thousands of other such things?
ttt[3] When the rational which derives its wisdom from the evidence of the senses, and is wrapped in the illusions of the senses, thinks about such things it does not believe that they can be so, for it is not able to form any idea for itself except from such things as it perceives by some sensory power whether external or internal. How must it be when it thinks about Divine celestial and Divine spiritual things which are higher still? For there must always exist, born from the evidence of the senses, some appearances for thought to rest upon, and when these appearances are withdrawn the idea ceases to exist. This has also become clear to me from spirits who are newcomers and who take very great delight in the appearances they have brought with them from the world. They have said that they did not know whether they would be able to think if those appearances were taken away from them. Such is the nature of the rational regarded in itself.
ppp21639#pid#2210. Verse `Genesis 18bbbccc14` Will anything be too wonderful for Jehovah? At the set time I will return to you, about this time next year,`fff1` and Sarah will have a son.
'Will anything be too wonderful for Jehovah?' means that everything is possible to Jehovah. 'At the set time I will return to you' means a state that is to come. 'About this time next year, and Sarah will have a son' means that the Lord would at that point cast off the human rational and put on the Divine Rational.
`nnn1. literally, near this time of life
ppp21638#pid#2211. That 'will anything be too wonderful for Jehovah?' means that everything is possible to Jehovah is clear without explanation.
ppp21637#pid#2212. 'At the set time I will return to you' means a state that is to come. This is clear from the meaning of 'time' as state, as mentioned above in `@@@2199`. Here it is said that Jehovah was to return 'at the set time', and immediately after this 'at this time of life', or what amounts to the same, 'at this time next year'. Each expression embodies some peculiar and specific arcanum - 'set time' embodying all aspects as they exist together generally of the state meant by 'this time of life'. This phrase refers to the forthcoming general manifestation of all aspects of that state; but the particular manner of its coming is meant by 'this time of life'. In the Word, especially in the Prophets, it is usual for a state to be described by a pair of expressions that are seemingly alike, when in fact the first implies all aspects within the general whole, the second some definite aspect within that general whole.
ppp21636#pid#2213. 'About this time next year, and Sarah will have a son' means that the Lord would at that point cast off the human rational and put on the Divine Rational. This is clear from the meaning of 'returning at this time of life', or 'at this time next year', as the joining together of the Divine with the Lord's Human, dealt with above in `@@@2193`, and from the meaning of 'Sarah's having a son' as the Rational that was to be Divine, also dealt with above, in `@@@2194`. 'This time of life', or 'this time next year', denotes the time when Abraham would be entering his hundredth year, which year means when the Lord's Human had become united to the Divine, and the Divine to the Human, as shown above in `@@@1988`. There was an interval of a year because 'a year' in the Word does not mean a year but an entire length of time, thus a whole period, whether of a thousand years, or of a hundred, or of ten, or of hours, as also shown already, in `@@@482`, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@893`; and the same applies to a week, dealt with in `@@@2044`.
ppp21635#pid#2214. Verse `Genesis 18bbbccc15` And Sarah denied it, saying, I did not laugh; for she was afraid. And He said, No, but you did laugh.
'And Sarah denied it, saying, I did not laugh; for she was afraid' means that human rational truth wished to make excuses for itself because it realized that it was not such as it ought to have been. 'And He said, No, but you did laugh' means that nevertheless it was such.
ppp21634#pid#2215. That 'Sarah denied it, saying, I did not laugh; for she was afraid' means that human rational truth wished to make excuses for itself because it realized that it was not such as it ought to have been becomes clear without explanation.
ppp21633#pid#2216. That 'He said, No, but you did laugh' means that nevertheless it was such is also clear without explanation. The situation with these matters becomes clear from what has been stated above in `@@@2072` about the meaning of 'Laughing' or laughter - that by it is meant an affection belonging to the rational, and indeed the affection for truth or for falsity within the rational, which affection is the source of all laughter. As long as such an affection exists in the rational as displays itself in laughter there is something bodily or worldly and thus merely human attached to it. Celestial good and spiritual good do not laugh, but express their delight and cheer in a different manner in their face, speech, and movement of the body. For very much is contained within laughter, for the most part something of contempt which, though it does not show itself, is nevertheless lying underneath, and is easily distinguished from cheerfulness of the mind (animus) which also produces something that appears like laughter. The state of the human rational with the Lord is described by Sarah's laughter, by which is meant the kind of affection with which the truth belonging to the rational, at that time separated from good, regarded what was said, namely that it was to be cast off and the Divine put on. Not that the Lord laughed but that He perceived from the Divine what the nature still was of the rational with Him and how much of the human was still present in it, and which was to be expelled. This is what is meant in the internal sense by 'Sarah's laughter'.
ppp21632#pid#2217. Verse `Genesis 18bbbccc16` And the men rose up from there and looked towards the face of Sodom; and Abraham went with them, to send them on their way.
'The men rose up from there' means that that perception came to an end. 'And they looked towards the face of Sodom' means the state of the human race, 'Sodom' being every evil that stems from self-love. 'And Abraham went with them' means that the Lord still remained with them in perception, but perception regarding the human race. 'To send them on their way' means that He wished to depart from that perception.
ppp21631#pid#2218. That 'the men rose up [from there]' means that that perception came to an end becomes clear from the meaning of 'rising up' as going away, and from that of 'the men', dealt with above. The coming of the three men or of Jehovah to Abraham represented the Lord's Divine Perception, as shown above. The Lord's Perception from the Divine at that time was first His Perception regarding the Divine Trinity of the Divine itself, the Divine Human, and that which Proceeds from these, and then regarding His Human, that it was to put on the Divine. Now there follows His Perception from the Divine regarding the character of the human race at that time. These three considerations are what this chapter deals with, and they come in the following order - the Divine assumed the Human, and made this Divine, so that He might save the human race. Regarding the first two considerations it is said that the Perception came to an end, which is what is meant in the internal sense by the words 'the men rose up'. But that Perception regarding the character of the human race is meant in the internal sense by the words 'they looked towards the face of Sodom, and Abraham went with them'; and the fact that He had no wish to remain any longer in that Perception is meant by the words 'he went with them to send them on their way'. But a better sight of these matters may be gained from the preliminary Contents above,`fff1` and also from the explanation given below of what follows.
`nnn1. i.e. in `@@@2136-2141`
ppp21630#pid#2219. 'They looked towards the face of Sodom' means the state of the human race. This is clear from the meaning of 'looking towards the face', here 'towards the face of Sodom'. In the Word 'the face' means all man's interiors - evil as well as good - for the reason that these shine out of the face, as shown in Volume One, in `@@@358`. Here therefore, because 'the face' is used in reference to Sodom, it is interior evils, which are those of self-love, that are meant; for interior evils in general are meant by 'Sodom', as will be evident from what follows in the next paragraph. The reason the worst evils of all originate in self-love is that self-love is destructive of human society, as shown above in `@@@2045`, and destructive of heavenly society, `@@@2057`. And since the perversity of the human race is recognized from that love, here 'the face of Sodom' means the state of the human race.
ttt[2] In addition to this, it has been shown in various places in Volume One what the nature of self-love is, namely a love completely contrary to the order into which man was created. Unlike beasts man was endowed with rationality, to the end that every individual person may will what is good and do what is good to any other, thus to everyone in particular as to all in general. Such is the order into which man was created, and therefore it is love to God and love towards the neighbour which were intended to constitute man's life, which life was to mark him off from animals. Such also is the order of heaven which, it was intended, would exist in man while he was living in the world. He would thus be in the Lord's kingdom, into which he would also pass when he had cast off the body that had served him on earth, and in that kingdom would rise up into a state constantly increasing in heavenly perfection.
ttt[3] But self-love is the chief, indeed the one and only, thing that destroys these loves. Love of the world is not so destructive; for although this is indeed contrary to the spiritual things of faith, self-love is diametrically opposed to the celestial things of love. For someone who loves himself does not love any others but tries to destroy everyone who fails to pay respect to him. Nor does he will what is good and do what is good to anybody except to one who is an extension of himself or can be made to become such, like something into which his evil desires and false notions have been so to speak engrafted. From this it is evident that self-love is the source from which all forms of hatred, all forms of revenge and cruelty well up, and also all forms of disgraceful presence and of deceit - thus every abominable thing that is contrary to the order that belongs to human society and contrary to the order of heavenly society.
ttt[4] Indeed self-love is so abominable that when the restraints placed upon it are lifted, that is, when it is given the opportunity to do whatever it pleases, then even with those who belong to the lowest sort, it rushes with such urgency that it desires not only to exercise dominion over those nearest to it and over those close by, but also over the universe and even over the Supreme Divine Being Himself. Man is not indeed aware of this because he is held back by restraints he knows little about. But to the extent these restraints, as has been stated, are removed he very rapidly does the same. This I have been given to know from much experience in the next life. Because these things lie concealed within self-love, people governed by self-love and not endowed with the restraints of conscience, more than all others hate the Lord, and thus hate all the truths of faith, since these are the very laws of order in the Lord's kingdom. Such people dislike these laws so much as to loathe them, and this also shows itself openly in the next life. This love is also the head of the serpent which the seed of the woman, that is, the Lord, treads down, regarding which see Volume One, in `@@@257`.
ttt[5] But self-love does not always present itself outwardly in arrogance and pride, for sometimes such people are able to regard the neighbour with charity. Some people are born with this outwardly charitable disposition, while others acquire it during childhood years, but after this it is subdued, though the outward disposition does still remain. But those governed by self-love are such as despise others and regard them as nothing in comparison with themselves. Nor do they have any concern whatever for the common good unless this exists for their benefit, they themselves being so to speak the common good. This applies especially to those who hate and persecute everyone who does not show them favour or serve them, and as far as possible they rob such persons of possessions, honour, reputation, and even life. Let those who behave intentionally in these ways realize that with them pre-eminently self-love is present.
ppp21629#pid#2220. That 'Sodom' is every evil that stems from self-love is clear from the meaning of 'Sodom' in the Word. Although in the next chapter it seems as if Sodom means the evil that consists in the worst form of adultery, nevertheless nothing else is meant by it in the internal sense than evil that stems from self-love. In the Word also the dreadful things that well up out of self-love are represented by various kinds of adultery. That 'Sodom' means in general every evil that stems from self-love, and 'Gomorrah' every falsity derived from this, has been shown in Volume One, in `@@@1212`, `@@@1663`, `@@@1682`, `@@@1689`, and may become clearer still from the following places in the Word:
In Jeremiah,
A sword over the Chaldeans and over the inhabitants of Babel as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and its neighbours, said Jehovah. No man will live there, and no son of man will abide in it. `Jeremiah 50bbb35`, `Jeremiah 50bbbccc40`.
This refers to those meant by 'the Chaldeans' whose worship consists in profane falsity, as shown already in `@@@1368`, and also to those meant by 'Babel' whose worship consists in profane evil, `@@@1182`, `@@@1326`. Their condemnation is described by the overthrow of Sodom, that is, of evil in general, and by the overthrow of Gomorrah, that is, of falsity in general, since their worship too consists in evil that stems from self-love, and in falsity derived from this.
ttt[2] In Amos,
I overthrew you, as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you became as a brand plucked out of the burning. `Amos 4bbb11`.
This refers to Samaria, by which is meant the perverted spiritual Church, which as regards evils in general contrary to the goods of charity is called 'Sodom', as regards falsities in general contrary to truths of faith is called 'Gomorrah', and as regards both is described here, as in the previous quotation, as 'the overthrowing of God'. In Zephaniah,
Moab will be like Sodom, and the children of Ammon like Gomorrah, a place abandoned to the nettle, and a saltpit, and a desolation even for ever. This will be theirs for their arrogance because they taunted and magnified themselves against the people of Jehovah Zebaoth. `Zephaniah 2bbb9-10`.
Here 'Sodom' stands for evil stemming from self-love, and 'Gomorrah' for falsity derived from this, both of which are referred to here as 'a desolation', as they were 'an overthrowing' in the two previous quotations. 'Arrogance' is self-love, 'taunting the people of Jehovah Zebaoth' is bringing evil against truths, and 'magnifying themselves against the people' is bringing falsity against them.
ttt[3] In Ezekiel,
Your elder sister is Samaria, she and her daughters, dwelling on your left hand; and your younger sister, dwelling on your right hand, is Sodom and her daughters Your sister Sodom has not done, she and her daughters, as you have done, you and your daughters. Behold, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom; she and her daughters had pride, surfeit of bread, and prosperous ease, but she did not strengthen the hand of the wretched and needy. And they became haughty and did abominable things before Me. `Ezekiel 16bbb46`, `Ezekiel 16bbbccc48-50`.
This refers to the abominations of Jerusalem, which are described as Samaria and Sodom 'Samaria', used instead of Gomorrah, describing the abominations involving falsities, and 'Sodom' those involving evils. What is meant specifically by 'Sodom' is also stated, for it is said, 'this was the iniquity of Sodom', namely that it was self-love, meant here by 'pride'. Their rejection of the goods of charity is meant by 'surfeit of bread', and their satisfaction taken in those [falsities and evils] by 'prosperous ease'. Their lack of compassion is described by the statement that they did not strengthen the hand of the poor and needy, and the impregnation with self-love of their desires resulting from this is described by the statement that the daughters became haughty - such desires being meant by 'daughters'.
ttt[4] From this it is quite clear what Sodom means - that its meaning is not the same as what occurs in the historical sense in the next chapter, and that by Sodom in the next chapter such things are meant in the internal sense as are described here in Ezekiel, namely things belonging to self-love. But the description of Sodom here is milder because reference is made to the abominations of Jerusalem having been greater than those of Sodom, as is evident also from the Lord's words in Matthew,
Truly I say to you, It will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgement than for that city. `Matthew 10bbb15`; `Mark 6bbb11`; `Luke 10bbb12`.
In John,
Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt. `Revelation 11bbb8`.
Here it is clear that 'Sodom' is not used to mean Sodom nor 'Egypt' to mean Egypt, for it is said that 'spiritually it is called Sodom and Egypt'. 'Sodom' stands for every evil stemming from self-love, and 'Egypt', used instead of Gomorrah, for every falsity derived from this.
ppp21628#pid#2221. That 'Abraham went with them' means that the Lord still remained with them in perception, but perception regarding the human race, becomes clear from the train of thought in the internal sense, for 'going with the three men', that is, with Jehovah, is having perception still.
ppp21627#pid#2222. That 'to send them on their way' means that He wished to depart from that perception is clear without explanation. The reason is also evident, namely that perception from the Divine, and consequent thought regarding the human race being such, struck Him with horror; for the Lord's love towards the whole human race was so great that He wished to save all for evermore through the Human Essence united to the Divine Essence, and the Divine Essence to the Human Essence. Consequently when He perceived the human race to be such He wished to depart from perception and consequent thought. This is what is meant by His wishing to send them on their way.
ppp21626#pid#2223. Verse `Genesis 18bbbccc17` And Jehovah said, Shall I hide from Abraham that which I am doing?
'And Jehovah said' means perception. 'Shall I hide from Abraham that which I am doing?' means that nothing ought to be hidden from the Lord.
ppp21625#pid#2224. That 'Jehovah said' means perception is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as perceiving, dealt with already in `@@@1898`, `@@@1919`, `@@@2080`. Here, the words being 'Jehovah said', the meaning is that the Lord perceived from the Divine.
ppp21624#pid#2225. That 'shall I hide from Abraham that which I am doing?' means that nothing ought to be hidden from the Lord is clear from the representation of 'Abraham' as the Lord in that state, frequently dealt with above in this chapter. The fact that the remaining words mean that nothing ought to be hidden is self-evident. At this point the sense of the letter is similar to the internal sense, as is the case in various other places, especially where the essentials of faith are dealt with. Because these are vital for salvation they are spoken of in the letter as plainly as in the internal sense, as in the following in Moses,
Jehovah our God is one Jehovah; and you shall love Jehovah your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words shall be on your heart. `Deuteronomy 6bbb4-6`.
Besides this similar other examples exist.
ppp21623#pid#2226. Verse `Genesis 18bbbccc18` And Abraham will certainly become a great and numerous nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed.
'Abraham will certainly become a great and numerous nation' means that from the Lord will come all good, and from this all truth. 'And in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed' means that from Him all who have charity will be saved.
ppp21622#pid#2227. That 'Abraham will certainly become a great and numerous nation' means that from the Lord will come all good, and from this all truth, is clear from the representation of 'Abraham' as the Lord, dealt with often above, and also from the meaning of 'nation' as good, dealt with in `@@@1159`, `@@@1258-1260`, `@@@1416`, `@@@1849` - here 'a great and numerous nation', by which good and truth deriving from it are meant. That 'great' has reference to good and 'numerous' to truth may become clear from other places in the Word, but I must refrain from quoting them here. Truth derived from good is in the genuine sense spiritual good, for there are two kinds of good, quite distinct and separate from each other, namely celestial good and spiritual good. Celestial good is the manifestation of love to the Lord, spiritual good the manifestation of love towards the neighbour. From the former, that is, celestial good, flows the latter, that is, spiritual good; for no one is able to love the Lord unless he also loves the neighbour. Love to the Lord embraces love towards the neighbour, for love to the Lord originates in the Lord, thus in Love itself towards the whole human race. Abiding in love to the Lord is the same as abiding in the Lord, and one who abides in the Lord must inevitably abide in His love which is directed towards the human race, and thus towards the neighbour, so that in him both kinds of good are present - both celestial and spiritual. Celestial good is indeed good itself, but spiritual good is in fact truth that goes with or is derived from that celestial good. This truth, as stated, is spiritual good. It is celestial good that is meant by 'great', but spiritual good by 'numerous'.
ppp21621#pid#2228. 'And in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed' means that from Him all who have charity will be saved. This is clear from the meaning of 'being blessed' as being endowed with all goods that have a heavenly origin, dealt with in `@@@981`, `@@@1096`, `@@@1420`, `@@@1422`. People who are endowed with goods from a heavenly origin, that is, with celestial goods and spiritual goods, which have been referred to immediately above in `@@@2227`, are also endowed with eternal salvation, that is, they are saved. 'All nations of the earth' is used to mean in the internal sense those with whom the goods exist that flow from love and charity, as is clear from the meaning of 'nation' as good, dealt with in `@@@1159`, `@@@1258-1260`, `@@@1416`, `@@@1849`. That 'all the nations of the earth' does not mean all people throughout the whole world may become clear to anyone, for there are so many among them who are not saved. Only those who have charity, that is, who have acquired the life of charity, are saved.
ttt[2] So that the whole matter of the salvation of people after they have died does not remain hidden from anyone, let a brief discussion of it follow here. There are many who declare that man is saved through faith, or as they say, if he merely has faith. But the majority of such people do not know what faith is. Some imagine that it is mere thought; some that it is the acknowledgement of something which ought to be believed; others that it is the entire doctrine of faith, which ought to be believed; and others something different again. Thus in their mere knowledge of what faith is they are mistaken, and as a consequence they are mistaken as to what it is that saves a person. Faith however is not mere thought; nor is it the acknowledgement of something that ought to be believed; nor is it a knowledge of all that constitutes the doctrine of faith. Nobody can be saved by such thought, acknowledgement, or knowledge that cannot send down roots any deeper than thought. Thought does not save anyone, but the life which he acquires to himself in the world through the cognitions of faith. Such life remains, but all thought that is not in keeping with his life dies away, even to the point of becoming none at all. In heaven that which brings people into association with one another is their lives, not thoughts that are not related in any way to a person's life. Thoughts which are unrelated to a person's life are spurious and are totally rejected.
ttt[3] In general there are two kinds of life, the first being the life of hell, the second that of heaven. The life of hell is derived from all those intentions, thoughts, and deeds that flow from self-love, consequently from hatred against the neighbour. The life of heaven is derived from all those intentions, thoughts, and deeds that belong to love towards the neighbour. This heavenly life is that to which all things called faith have regard and is acquired by means of all things of faith. From this it becomes clear what faith is, namely that it is charity, for all things that are said to be part of the doctrine of faith lead to charity. Charity embraces them all and from charity they are all derived. After the life of the body, the soul is such as its love is.
ppp21620#pid#2229. Verse `Genesis 18bbbccc19` For I know him that he will command his sons, and his house after him, and they will keep the way of Jehovah to do righteousness and judgement, in order that Jehovah may bring upon Abraham that which He has spoken concerning him.
'For I know him' means that it is true. 'That he will command his sons, and his house after him, and they will keep the way of Jehovah to do righteousness and judgement' means that from Him comes the entire doctrine of charity and of faith, 'sons' meaning people governed by truths, 'house' those governed by goods, 'the way' doctrine, 'righteousness' in regard to good, 'judgement' to truth. 'In order that Jehovah may bring upon Abraham that which He has spoken concerning him' means that the Human Essence will for that reason be joined to the Divine Essence.
ppp21619#pid#2230. That 'for I know him' means that it is true becomes clear from the meaning of 'knowing'. Properly speaking, to know a person is to be aware of what he is really like. Similarly whenever some real thing, or whatever else is spoken of as being known, an awareness of its real character is meant. Consequently 'to know' goes together with that which is its object, and means that that which occurs in the train of thought is indeed so or is true.
ppp21618#pid#2231. 'That he will command his sons, and his house after him, and they will keep the way of Jehovah to do righteousness and judgement' means that from Him comes the entire doctrine of charity and of faith. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'son', 'house', 'way', 'righteousness', and 'judgement', which in short, or when their several meanings are converted into one, mean the entire doctrine of charity and of faith. For 'sons' means all who are governed by truths, 'house' all who are governed by goods, 'way' means the doctrine of faith which they are taught, 'righteousness' that doctrine in regard to good, 'judgement', in regard to truth. Doctrine regarding good is the doctrine of charity, while doctrine regarding truth is the doctrine of faith.
ttt[2] In general there is only one doctrine, that is to say, the doctrine of charity, for, as stated in `@@@2228`, all things of faith have charity in view. No other difference exists between charity and faith than that which exists between willing what is good and thinking what is good - for one who wills what is good also thinks what is good - thus than that which exists between will and understanding. People who reflect on the matter know that the will is one thing and the understanding another. The same is also well recognized in the learned world, and it is plain to see in the case of those who will what is evil and yet from thought utter what is good. From such persons it is evident to anyone that the will is one thing and the understanding another, and thus that the human mind is divided into two parts which do not then make a single whole. Yet man was created in such a way that those two parts should constitute one single mind, and no other difference should exist between them than, to use a comparison, between that of a flame and the light shining from it. Love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour were to be like the flame, and all perception and thought like the light shining from it. Thus love and charity were to constitute the whole of perception and thought, that is, to exist in every single part. Perception or thought regarding the essential nature of love and charity is that which is called faith.
ttt[3] But because the human race started to will what was evil, to hate the neighbour, and to practice revenge and cruelty, with the result that the part of the mind called the will was completely corrupted, men started to make a distinction between charity and faith, and to attribute to faith all those matters of doctrine which belonged to their religion and to refer to them by the single term faith. At length they went so far as to say that people could be saved by faith alone, by which they meant their doctrine. They said that provided they believed that doctrine people could be saved no matter how they lived. Charity was accordingly separated from faith, and when that happens it is nothing else, to use a comparison, than some kind of light that has no flame, like sunlight in winter-time which is so cold and icy that the earth's vegetation languishes and dies. But faith that is derived from charity is like the light of spring-time and summer-time which causes all things to sprout and come into flower.
ttt[4] The same may also be recognized from the fact that love and charity are celestial flame, while faith is the spiritual light that shines from it. This is also how faith and charity make a perceptible and visual presentation of themselves in the next life, for in that life the Lord's celestial manifests itself before the angels by means of a flaming radiance like that of the sun, while the Lord's spiritual manifests itself by means of the light shining from this; and that radiance and light act upon the angels and spirits interiorly according to the life of love and charity existing with them. This is the source of the joy and happiness in the next life with all their variations. These considerations show the implications of the assertion that faith alone saves.
ppp21617#pid#2232. That 'sons' means people governed by truths is clear from the meaning of 'a son' in the Word as truth, dealt with in `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@533`, `@@@1147`. 'Sons' in the abstract sense means truths, but when used in reference to man 'sons' are all who are governed by truths.
ppp21616#pid#2233. That 'house' means people governed by goods is clear from the meaning of 'house' as good, dealt with in `@@@710`, `@@@1708`, `@@@2048`. In a similar way 'house', or those born in the house, means in the abstract sense goods, but when used in reference to man it is all who are governed by goods.
ppp21615#pid#2234. That 'the way' means doctrine is clear from the meaning of 'a way'. 'A way' in the Word is used in reference to truths, because truths lead to good and go forth from good, as is made clear from the places quoted in Volume One, in `@@@627`. And because a way is used in reference to truths, 'a way' is doctrine since doctrine taken as a whole embraces all those things which lead to good, that is, to charity.
ppp21614#pid#2235. That 'righteousness' means in regard to good, and 'judgement' to truth, becomes clear from the meaning of 'righteousness' and from the meaning of 'judgement'. Righteousness and judgement are mentioned together many times in the Word, but what they mean in the internal sense has not yet been known. In the proximate sense 'righteousness' has reference to that which is righteous, and 'judgement' to that which is upright. That which is righteous occurs when something is judged from good, and according to conscience, but that which is upright when it is judged from law, and so from the righteous demands of the law, thus also according to conscience since the law gives conscience its standards. In the internal sense however, 'righteousness' is that which stems from good, and 'judgement' that which stems from truth. Good is everything that belongs to love and charity, truth everything that belongs to faith derived from love and charity. Truth derives its essence from good, and is called truth derived from good, just as faith is derived from love, and so also judgement from righteousness.
ttt[2] That such is the meaning of 'righteousness and judgement' is clear from the following places in the Word: In Jeremiah,
Thus said Jehovah, Do judgement and righteousness, and deliver the plundered out of the hand of the oppressor. Woe to him who builds his house in unrighteousness, and his upper rooms not in judgement! Did not your father eat and drink, and do judgement and righteousness? Then it was well with him. `Jeremiah 22bbb3`, `Jeremiah 22bbbccc13`, `Jeremiah 22bbbccc15`.
'Judgement' stands for the things connected with truth, 'righteousness' for those connected with good. In Ezekiel,
If the wicked man turns away from his sin and does judgement and righteousness, all his sins which he has committed will not be remembered; he has done judgement and righteousness; he will surely live. When the wicked turns away from his wickedness and does judgement and righteousness he will live because of these. `Ezekiel 33bbb14`, `Ezekiel 33bbbccc16`, `Ezekiel 33bbbccc19`.
Here similarly 'judgement' stands for the truth of faith, and 'righteousness' for the good of charity.
ttt[3] In Amos,
Let judgement flow like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream. `Amos 5bbb24`.
Here the meaning is similar. In Isaiah,
Thus said Jehovah, Keep judgement and do righteousness, for My salvation is near to come, and My righteousness to reveal itself. `Isaiah 56bbb1`.
In the same prophet,
To peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it in judgement and righteousness, from now and even for evermore. `Isaiah 9bbb7`.
Here 'judgement and righteousness' stands for the existence with them of the truths of faith, and of the goods of charity. In the same prophet,
Jehovah is exalted, for He dwells on high. He has filled Zion with judgement and righteousness. `Isaiah 33bbb5`.
'Judgement' stands for faith, 'righteousness' for love, 'Zion' for the Church. 'Judgement' is mentioned first because love comes through faith; but when 'righteousness' is mentioned first it is for the reason that faith is derived from love, as in Hosea,
I will betroth you to Me for ever, and I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and judgement, and in mercy and in compassion,`fff1` and I will betroth you to Me in faith, and you will know Jehovah. `Hosea 2bbb19-20`.
Here 'righteousness' is mentioned first, as also is 'mercy', which are the attributes of love, while 'judgement' is mentioned second, as also is 'compassion', which are the attributes of faith that is derived from love. And both are called 'faith' or faithfulness.
ttt[4] In David,
O Jehovah, Your mercy is in the heavens; Your truth reaches up to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mountains of God, Your judgements like the great deep. `Psalms 36bbb5-6`.
Here both 'mercy' and 'righteousness' are in a similar way the attributes of love, while 'truth' and 'judgements' are those of faith. In the same author,
Let truth spring out of the ground, and let righteousness look down from heaven. Jehovah will indeed give what is good, and our land will give its increase. `Psalms 85bbb11-12`.
Here 'truth', which constitutes faith, stands for judgement, and 'righteousness' for love or mercy. In Zechariah,
I will lead them and they will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and they will be My people, and I will be their God in truth and in righteousness. `Zechariah 8bbb8`.
From this place also it is evident that 'judgement' is truth and 'righteousness' good, since 'truth' is mentioned here in place of judgement. Similarly in David,
He who walks blameless and performs righteousness and speaks the truth. `Psalms 15bbb2`.
ttt[5] Because faith is grounded in charity, that is, because truth is grounded in good, truths rooted in good are in various places called 'the judgements of righteousness', so that 'judgements' has virtually the same meaning as commandments, as in Isaiah,
Let them seek Me day by day and desire the knowledge of My ways, as though a nation that does righteousness and does not forsake the judgement of their God. Let them ask of Me the judgements of righteousness, let them desire the approach of God. `Isaiah 58bbb2`.
That 'commandments' means virtually the same may be seen in David,
Seven times in the day I have praised You for Your judgements of righteousness. All Your commandments are righteousness. `Psalms 119bbb164`, `Psalms 119bbbccc172`.
It is said in particular of the Lord that He performs 'judgement and righteousness' when He creates man anew, as in Jeremiah,
Let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am Jehovah who performs mercy, judgement and righteousness in the earth; for in these things I am well pleased. `Jeremiah 9bbb24`.
Here mercy, which is an attribute of love, is described as 'judgement and righteousness'. In the same prophet,
I will raise up for David a righteous branch, and he will rule as king, and act intelligently, and execute judgement and righteousness in the land. `Jeremiah 23bbb5`; `Jeremiah ccc33bbb15`.
ttt[6] Hence the following in John,
If I go away I will send the Paraclete to you. And when He comes He will convince the world in regard to sin and righteousness and judgement: in regard to sin, because they do not believe in Me; in regard to righteousness, because I go away to the Father, and you will see Me no more; in regard to judgement, because the prince of this world is judged. `John 16bbb7-11`.
'Sin' here stands for all faithlessness. 'He will convince in regard to righteousness' means in regard to everything that is contrary to good, when yet the Lord united the Human to the Divine to save the world, meant by 'I go away to the Father and you will see Me no more'. 'In regard to judgement' means in regard to everything that is contrary to the truth, when yet evils were cast down into their own hells so that they could not do harm any more, meant by 'the prince of this world is judged'. In general 'He will convince in regard to sin, righteousness, and judgement' means in regard to all faithlessness contrary to good and truth, and so means that no charity and faith exist. For in ancient times righteousness and judgement were used, in reference to the Lord, to mean all mercy and grace, but in reference to man all charity and faith.
`nnn1. literally, compassions
ppp21613#pid#2236. 'In order that Jehovah may bring upon Abraham that which He has spoken concerning him' means that the Human Essence will for that reason be joined to the Divine Essence. This is not so clear from the meaning of the words here, but it is clear from the consideration that everything stated in the Word implies the Lord's Coming to unite the Human Essence to the Divine Essence, by means of which, once these were united, He would save the human race. These are the things that are meant in the internal sense by the statement that He would bring upon Abraham that which He had spoken concerning him.
ppp21612#pid#2237. Verse `Genesis 18bbbccc20` And Jehovah said, The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah has become great, and their sin has become extremely grave.
'Jehovah said' means perception. 'The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah has become great, and their sin has become extremely grave' means that falsity and evil stemming from self-love reached their climax, 'cry' meaning falsity, 'sin' evil.
ppp21611#pid#2238. That 'Jehovah said' means perception is clear from the meaning in the historical sense of 'saying' as perceiving, dealt with frequently already. When 'Jehovah said' occurs in the historical descriptions of the Word it means perception, which is not altogether a continuation of the perception that went before it, but a subsequent perception and sometimes a new one. See also `@@@2061`.
ppp21610#pid#2239. 'The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah has become great, and their sin has become extremely grave' means that falsity and evil stemming from self-love reached their climax. This is clear from the meaning of 'Sodom' as evil stemming from self-love, and of 'Gomorrah' as falsity from this, shown above in `@@@2220`, and also from the meaning of 'cry' as falsity, and of 'sin' as evil, dealt with in the paragraph following this. From all this it is evident that their cry became great, and that their sin became grave, means that falsity and evil came to their peak or climax. This is more clearly evident from what follows where it is said that if ten persons were found there the city would be spared, verse `Genesis 18bbbccc32`, meaning that if some remnants were still left, that is, some good and truth. For when no good or truth remains inwardly with man any longer, there is vastation and desolation and therefore the climax has been reached, which is described in the verse that follows next.
ppp21609#pid#2240. That 'cry' is falsity, and 'sin' evil, becomes clear from the meaning of 'cry' in the Word. The meaning of 'cry' as falsity is not seen by anyone unless he knows the internal sense of the Word. The expression occurs several times in the Prophets, and when vastation and desolation are the subject in those places it is said that men 'wail and cry out', meaning that goods and truths have been laid waste. In those places a word is used by which in the internal sense falsity is described, as in Jeremiah,
The voice of the cry of the shepherds, and the wail of the powerful ones of the flock, for Jehovah is laying waste their pasture. `Jeremiah 25bbb36`.
Here 'the cry of the shepherds' means that they are subject to falsity, which leads to vastation.
ttt[2] In the same prophet,
Behold, waters rising out of the north, they will be a deluging stream, and they will deluge the land and all that fills it, the city and those who dwell in it, and men will cry out and every inhabitant of the land will wail, on the day that is coming to lay waste. `Jeremiah 47bbb2`, `Jeremiah 47bbbccc4`.
This refers to the desolation of faith which is effected by falsities. 'A deluging stream' is falsity, as shown in Volume One, in `@@@705`, `@@@790`.
ttt[3] In Zephaniah,
The voice of a cry from the fish gate, and a wailing from the second quarter, and a loud crash from the hills. And their wealth will be for plunder, and their houses for desolation. `Zephaniah 1bbb10`, `Zephaniah 1bbbccc13`.
Here also 'a cry' has reference to falsities that lay waste.
ttt[4] In Isaiah,
On the road to Horonaim they will raise a cry of ruination, for the waters of Nimrim will be desolations, because the grass has withered, herbage is at an end, there are no plants. `Isaiah 15bbb5-6`; `Jeremiah 48bbb3`.
Here the desolation of faith is meant, and the climax is described by 'a cry'.
ttt[5] In Jeremiah,
Judah mourned and her gates languished; the people were in black down to the ground, and the cry of Jerusalem went up. And their illustrious ones sent their lesser ones to the waters; they came to the pits, they found no water, they returned with their vessels empty. `Jeremiah 14bbb2-3`.
Here 'the cry of Jerusalem' stands for falsities, for their finding no water means lack of cognitions of truth - 'water' meaning such cognitions, as has been shown in Volume One, in `@@@28`, `@@@680`, `@@@739`.
ttt[6] In Isaiah,
I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in My people; and no more will there be heard in it the voice of weeping nor the voice of a cry. `Isaiah 65bbb19`.
Here 'there will not be heard the voice of weeping' means that there will be no evil, 'nor the voice of a cry' that there will be no falsity. The majority of these details cannot be understood, nor thus what is meant by 'a cry', from the sense of the letter, but from the internal sense.
ttt[7] In the same prophet,
Jehovah looked for judgement, but behold, rottenness; for righteousness, but behold, a cry. `Isaiah 5bbb7`.
This also is referring to the vastation of good and truth. Here, as also in various places in the Prophets, a kind of reciprocity is expressed, which is such that one finds evil in place of truth, meant by 'rottenness' instead of 'judgement', and falsity in place of good, meant by 'a cry' instead of 'righteousness'; for by 'judgement' is meant truth and by 'righteousness' good, as shown above in `@@@2235`.
ttt[8] A similar reciprocity is expressed in Moses when Sodom and Gomorrah are referred to,
From the vine of Sodom comes their vine, and from the fields of Gomorrah their grapes; they have grapes of poison and clusters of bitterness. `Deuteronomy 32bbb32`.
Here a similar manner of expression occurs, for 'the vine' is used in reference to truths and to falsities, 'fields and grapes' to goods and to evils, so that 'the vine of Sodom' means falsity derived from evil, and 'fields and grapes of Gomorrah' evils derived from falsities. For there are two kinds of falsity, dealt with in Volume One, in `@@@1212`, and so also there are two kinds of evil. Both kinds of falsity and evil are meant in this verse by 'the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah has become great, and their sin has become extremely grave', as is clear from the fact that 'cry' is mentioned first and 'sin' second, and 'Sodom', which is evil springing from self-love, is referred to first, and 'Gomorrah', which is falsity derived from that evil, is referred to second.
ppp21608#pid#2241. Verse `Genesis 18bbbccc21` I will go down now, and I will see whether they have brought it to a close according to the cry of it which has come to Me; and if not, I will know.
'I will go down now, and I will see' means visitation. 'Whether they have brought it to a close according to the cry of it which has come to Me; and if not, I will know' means whether evil has reached its peak.
ppp21607#pid#2242. That 'I will go down now, and I will see' means visitation becomes clear from the meaning of 'going down to see' as judgement, dealt with in Volume One, in `@@@1311`, and consequently as visitation. The final period of the Church in general and of the individual in particular is called visitation in the Word. It occurs prior to judgement, so that visitation is nothing else than an investigation into what such are like, that is, into the nature of the Church in general or of the individual in particular. Such investigation is expressed in the sense of the letter as Jehovah coming down and seeing.
ttt[2] From this the nature of the sense of the letter is made clear, for Jehovah does not go down; indeed one cannot speak of the Lord going down because He always dwells in highest things. Nor does Jehovah look and see whether a thing is so; for one cannot speak of the Lord looking to see whether a thing is so because every single thing is known to Him from eternity. Yet the sense of the letter speaks of Jehovah going down to see because to man that is what He does appear to do. For man dwells among lowest things and when anything presents itself there he does not think about, nor does he even know, what the situation is with higher things and so does not know about how these flow in. He has no knowledge of these things because his thought does not extend beyond what is immediately about him, and therefore he cannot perceive what the Lord does as anything other than some such going down to see; and that perception is even more limited when he imagines that no one knows what he himself is thinking. Besides this, he has no other idea than that an actual coming down from on high is meant, and when said of God, from the highest. But it is not in fact a coming down from the highest but from the inmost.
ttt[3] From this one may see what the sense of the letter is like, namely that it is shaped according to appearances, and that if it were not, nobody would understand and acknowledge the Word, nor thus accept it. But angels are not limited by appearances in the way that man is, and therefore since the Word as to the letter is for man, it is as to the internal sense for angels, and also for those men who in the Lord's Divine mercy have been allowed during their lifetime in the world to be as the angels.
ttt[4] Visitation is mentioned in various places in the Word, where it either means the vastation of the Church or of the individual, or else deliverance, and thus the investigation into the nature of persons or things. It stands for vastation in Isaiah,
What will you do on the day of visitation? It will come from afar. To whom will you flee for help, and where will you leave your glory? `Isaiah 10bbb3`.
In the same prophet,
The stars of the heavens and their constellations will not give their light. The sun will be darkened in its going out, and the moon will not shed its light. And I will visit the world for evil, and the wicked for their iniquity. `Isaiah 13bbb10-11`.
'The stars and the constellations which will not give their light, and the sun which will be darkened, and the moon which will not shed its light' means that no love and no charity will exist, see `@@@2120`. And since this is vastation it is 'the day of visitation'.
ttt[5] In Jeremiah,
They will fall among those who fall, and in the time of their visitation they will stumble. `Jeremiah 8bbb12`.
This stands for the time when they have been vastated, that is, when no charity and faith exist. In Ezekiel,
The visitations of the city have drawn near, and each man has his weapon of destruction in his hand. `Ezekiel 9bbb1`.
This too is a reference to vastation; consequently 'each man has a weapon of destruction'. In Hosea,
The days of visitation have come, the days of recompense have come. `Hosea 9bbb7`.
Here the meaning is similar. In Micah,
The day of your watchmen, your visitation, has come; now will be their confusion. `Micah 7bbb4`.
Here also it stands for charity that has been laid waste. In Moses, On the day of My visiting, I will visit them with their sin. `Exodus 32bbb34`.
This refers to the people in the wilderness after they had made themselves the golden calf. That visitation also means deliverance is evident from the following places, `Exodus 3bbb16`; `Exodus ccc4bbb31`; `Jeremiah 27bbb22`; `Jeremiah ccc29bbb10`; `Luke 1bbb68`, `Luke 1bbbccc78`; `Luke ccc19bbb41-42`.
ppp21606#pid#2243. 'Whether they have brought it to a close according to the cry of it which has come to Me; and if not, I will know' means whether evil has reached its peak. This is clear from the meaning of 'cry' as falsity, dealt with just above in `@@@2240`. There are two kinds of falsity, as was mentioned at the end of that paragraph, namely falsity which comes from evil, and falsity which produces evil. Falsity coming from evil consists in everything a person thinks while he is subject to evil, that is to say, everything which supports evil. For example, when a person is subject to adultery he thinks that adultery is permissible, that it is right and proper, that it is the delight of life, that the birth of offspring is promoted by it, and many other ideas such as these. These are all falsities coming from evil.
ttt[2] Falsity which produces evil however comes about when a person holds to some tenet of the religion he belongs to and as a consequence believes that it is good or holy, when in fact in itself it is evil. For example, a person who believes from his religion that some human being is able to save, and who therefore worships and venerates that human being, creates evil out of that falsity. The same applies to any other religious persuasion which in itself is false. Since falsity therefore both derives from evil and produces evil the word 'cry' occurs here and means, as a kind of general term, that which is implied by it, namely evil. This is also evident from the fact that the words 'whether they have brought it to a close according to the cry of it which has come to Me' include both 'the cry of it' in the singular, and 'they have brought it to a close' in the plural.
ttt[3] What a close is has been shown in Volume One, in `@@@1857`. What more is implied by a close may be ascertained from the history of the Churches. The Most Ancient Church, which was called Man, was the most celestial of all, yet that Church in course of time so declined from the good that flows from love that at length nothing celestial was left. At this point it came to its close which is described by the state of those people prior to the Flood.
ttt[4] The Ancient Church, which came after the Flood, and was called Noah, and was less celestial, also in course of time so fell away from the good flowing from charity that no charity at all was left; for it was changed partly into magic, partly into idolatry, and partly into a system of doctrine separate from charity. At that point it reached its close.
ttt[5] Another Church then followed which was called the Hebrew Church and was less celestial and spiritual still, making a certain kind of holy worship consist in external religious observances. This Church as well was in course of time perverted in varying ways, and that sort of external worship was turned into idolatrous worship. At that point it reached its close.
ttt[6] A fourth Church was established after that among the descendants of Jacob, which did not possess anything celestial or spiritual, only that which was the representative of such. Consequently that Church was a Church representative of celestial and spiritual things, for what their religious observances actually represented and meant they did not know. But that Church was established in order that some link might nevertheless exist between man and heaven, like that which exists between the representatives of good and truth, and good and truth themselves. This Church so went off in the end into falsities and evils that every religious observance became idolatrous, at which point it reached its close.
ttt[7] Therefore once those consecutive Churches, each declining as indicated, had come and gone - and in the last of them the link between the human race and heaven had become severed so completely that the human race would have perished because no Church existed to provide such a link and a bond, see `@@@468`, `@@@637`, `@@@931`, `@@@2054` - the Lord came into the world; and through the Divine Essence united to the Human Essence within Himself, He joined heaven and earth together. At the same time He established a new Church, called the Christian Church, in which, to begin with, good that is the fruit of faith was present, and people lived together in charity as brethren. But with the passage of time it departed in different directions, and today has become such that people do not even know that faith is grounded in love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour. And although they assert from doctrine that the Lord is the Saviour of the human race, that they will rise again after death, and that there is a heaven and a hell, few nevertheless believe these things. Since this Church has become such, its close is not far away.
ttt[8] These considerations show what the close is, namely that it is the time when evil has reached its peak. The situation is similar in particular, that is, with each individual; but how the close or climax comes about in the case of the individual will in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed later on. Various places in the Word refer to the close and describe the state which comes before it as vastation and desolation, which is followed by visitation.
ppp21605#pid#2244. Verse `Genesis 18bbbccc22` And the men looked from there and went towards Sodom; and Abraham still stood before Jehovah.
'The men looked from there' means the Lord's thought from the Divine. 'And went towards Sodom' means concerning the human race which was immersed in such great evil. 'And Abraham still stood before Jehovah' means the Lord's thought from the Human which was joined to the Divine in the manner stated above.
ppp21604#pid#2245. 'The men looked from there' means the Lord's thought from the Divine. This is clear from the meaning of 'looking from' as thinking, for 'seeing' in the internal sense, as in everyday speech, is understanding, since the understanding is internal sight, and thus 'looking from' means thinking, which is the activity of the internal sight or the understanding; and also from the meaning of 'the men' as the Divine. In various places in this chapter 'the men' are mentioned, and in various other places 'Jehovah' instead of 'the men'. When 'the men' is used the Trinity is meant, that is, the Divine itself, the Divine Human, and the [Holy] proceeding. The Lord's thought from this Divine is meant by the words 'the men looked from there'. That thought came from the Human joined to the Divine, which conjunction was dealt with at the start of this chapter; but the perception from which the thought stemmed came from the Divine, which explains why immediately afterwards in this same verse reference is made to Jehovah in the words 'he stood before Jehovah'. And when the Human had been joined to the Divine, the [Holy] proceeding was together with them as well.
ppp21603#pid#2246. 'They went towards Sodom' means concerning the human race which was immersed in such great evil. This is clear from the meaning of 'Sodom' as evil that stems from self-love, dealt with above in `@@@2220`, and of 'looking towards the face of Sodom' as towards the state of the human race, `@@@2219`. The reason 'Sodom' means the state of the human race which was immersed in such great evil is that Sodom is not used to mean Sodom but all those throughout the world who are governed by self-love; and the description of Sodom represents the state of all who are immersed in that evil, as becomes clear from what follows. The fact that self-love is the source of all evils, and so of evil itself, is clear from what has been stated and shown about it already in `@@@2045`, `@@@2057`, `@@@2219`. This is why it is said here that they were immersed in such great evil.
ppp21602#pid#2247. 'Abraham still stood before Jehovah' means the Lord's thought from the Human which was joined to the Divine in the manner stated above. This is clear from the representation in this chapter of 'Abraham' as the Lord as regards the Human, and from its being said that he stood before Jehovah. From this it follows without explanation that it was the thought from the Human which was joined to the Divine in the manner stated at the start of this chapter, and also above in `@@@2245`.
ppp21601#pid#2248. Verse `Genesis 18bbbccc23` And Abraham drew near and said, Will You also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
'Abraham drew near and said' means the Lord's thought from the Human, which thought allied itself more closely to the Divine. 'Will You also destroy the righteous with the wicked?' means the Lord's grief because of His love towards the human race, and His intercession which He made that although they were evil good should still be imparted to them.
ppp21600#pid#2249. 'Abraham drew near and said' means the Lord's thought from the Human, which thought allied itself more closely to the Divine. This follows from what has gone before where the subject is the Lord's thought regarding the human race, and so follows without explanation. Described at great length in this chapter in the internal sense is the state of the Lord's thought and perception, and in the opening part of it the state of the conjunction of the Lord's Human with His Divine.
ttt[2] To men it will perhaps seem as though these matters were not of such great importance, yet they are of the utmost importance. For these great matters, together with their representatives, are brought before the angels - for whom the internal sense constitutes the Word - in a most beautiful form. Countless other matters are also presented which follow from them and bear resemblance to them regarding the conjunction of the Lord with heaven and the reception of His Divine within their human. Indeed angels' ideas are such that they relish those matters more than anything else and perceive them as being most delightful. Thereby they are also enlightened and confirmed more and more regarding the matter of the union of the Lord's Human Essence with His Divine Essence. For angels were once men; and when they were men they could not do other than think of the Lord as a man, and of the Lord as God, and also of the Divine Trinity, and so formulate various ideas for themselves, though they did not know the nature of those ideas at the time.
ttt[3] The position with heavenly arcana is that although they lie beyond all apprehension, everyone nevertheless formulates for himself some idea of them, for nothing can ever be retained in the memory, still less enter any thought whatever, except through some idea, however this came to be formed. And since angels' ideas could not be formed except from those objects that exist in the world, or from objects analogous to those in the world; and since at that time illusions arising from things that were not understood entered in - illusions which in the next life alienate the then more interior ideas of thought from the truth and good of faith - therefore much is said in this chapter in its internal sense, to dispel such illusions, regarding the conjunction of the Lord's Human with the Divine and regarding His perception and thought. And when men read the Word those matters enter at the same time into the perception of angels in such a way that previous ideas that had been formed from alien sources and from scruples easily arising out of these are gradually dispersed, and new ideas are instilled which are in keeping with the light of truth that angels possess. This happens more among spiritual angels than celestial, for it is in the measure that ideas are purified that spiritual angels are made more perfect for receiving celestial things. It is well known that even heaven is not pure in the sight of the Lord,`fff1` for it is indeed true that angels are constantly being made more perfect.
`nnn1. `Job 15bbb15`
ppp21599#pid#2250. 'Will You also destroy the righteous with the wicked?' means the Lord's grief because of His love towards the human race, and His intercession which He made that although they were evil good should still be imparted to them. This becomes clear from the zeal that belongs to the love shining out of these words, and more so out of those in verse `Genesis 18bbbccc25`, where it is said, 'Far be it from You to do such a thing as to make the righteous die with the wicked, so that the righteous will be as the wicked; far be it from You; will not the Judge of the whole earth execute judgement?' It is clear in addition from the meaning of 'the righteous' as good, dealt with in `@@@612`, `@@@2235`, and from the meaning of 'the wicked' as that which is the contrary of righteous, that is, the contrary of good, thus evil. It is further evident from these words and also from what follows in this chapter that it is intercession. The Lord's intercession for the human race was made while He was in the world, and indeed while He was in a state of humiliation. For at such times, as stated already, He spoke to Jehovah as if to another. But in the state of glorification - when the Human Essence has become united to the Divine Essence and has become Jehovah - He does not at such times intercede but has mercy, gives help from His own Divine, and saves. It is mercy itself that constitutes intercession, for that is what it is in essence.
ppp21598#pid#2251. Verse `Genesis 18bbbccc24` Perhaps there may be fifty righteous persons in the midst of the city. Will You also destroy and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous persons who are in the midst of it?
'Perhaps there may be fifty righteous persons in the midst of the city' means that the truths may be full of goods. 'Will You also destroy and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous persons who are in the midst of it?' means intercession made from love that in that case, they should not perish.
ppp21597#pid#2252. That 'perhaps there may be fifty righteous persons in the midst of the city' means that the truths may be full of goods is clear from the meaning of 'fifty' as full, from the meaning of 'righteous' as good, dealt with in `@@@612`, `@@@2235`, from [the meaning] of 'midst' as that which is within, `@@@1074`, and from [the meaning] of 'the city' as truth, `@@@402`. Thus 'fifty righteous persons in the midst of the city' in the internal sense means that the truths may be full of goods. That this meaning exists within these words cannot be seen by anyone from the letter, for the historical details of the literal sense lead the mind in an altogether different direction or to think in a different way; but that these words are nevertheless perceived according to that meaning by those who possess the internal sense, I know for certain. Moreover the actual numbers mentioned, such as fifty here, and forty-five, forty, thirty, twenty, and ten in what follows, are never perceived as numbers by those who possess the internal sense but as real things or as states, as shown in `@@@482`, `@@@487`, `@@@575`, `@@@647`, `@@@648`, `@@@755`, `@@@813`, `@@@1963`, `@@@1988`, `@@@2075`.
ttt[2] Indeed the ancients also used numbers to mark off one from another the states of their Church; and the nature of such numbers worked out by them becomes clear from the meaning of the numbers in the paragraphs that have just been mentioned. The meaning possessed by numbers was received by those people from the representatives which manifest themselves in the world of spirits. There when anything appears as that which is numbered, it does not mean something defined by means of numbers but means some real thing or else a state, as becomes clear from what has been presented in `@@@2129`, `@@@2130`, and also in `@@@2089`, regarding 'twelve' meaning all things of faith. It is similar with the numbers that now follow. This shows what the nature of the Word is in the internal sense.
ttt[3] The reason 'fifty' means that which is full is that it is the number which comes after seven times seven, or forty-nine, and so marks the completion of the latter number. This explains why in the representative Church the feast of the seven sabbaths`fff1` was held on the fiftieth day, and why a jubilee was held in the fiftieth year. Regarding the feast of the seven sabbaths the following is said in Moses,
You shall count for yourselves from the day after the sabbath; from the day you bring the sheaf of the wave-offering, seven sabbaths shall there be complete. Until the day after the seventh sabbath you shall count fifty days, and offer a new gift to Jehovah. `Leviticus 23bbb15-16`.
Regarding the jubilee in the same book,
You shall count for yourself seven sabbaths of years, seven times seven years, and you shall have a time of seven sabbaths of years, forty-nine years. And you shall sanctify the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty in the land to all its inhabitants; it shall be a jubilee for you. `Leviticus 25bbb8`, `Leviticus 25bbbccc10`.
From this it is evident that 'the fiftieth' means that which marks the full completion of the sabbaths.
ttt[4] What is more, whenever 'fifty' is mentioned in the Word it means that which is full, as in the case of the numbering of the Levites aged thirty years and over up to fifty years of age, `Numbers 4bbb23`, `Numbers 4bbbccc35`, `Numbers 4bbbccc39`, `Numbers 4bbbccc43`, `Numbers 4bbbccc47`; `Numbers ccc8bbb25`. Here 'fifty' stands for the full or final state of that period of ministerial service. A man found lying with a young woman who was a virgin had to give to the young woman's father fifty pieces of silver, and she had to be his wife; nor could he divorce her, `Deuteronomy 22bbb29`. Here 'fifty pieces of silver' stands for a full fine and a full recompense. David's giving to Araunah fifty pieces of silver for the threshing-floor, where he built an altar to Jehovah, `2 Samuel 24bbb24`, stands for a full price and a full payment. Absalom's making ready for himself a chariot and horses, and his having fifty men running before him, `2 Samuel 15bbb1`, and Adonijah's likewise having chariots and horsemen, and fifty men running before him, `1 Kings 1bbb5`, stand for their full dignity and majesty. For these people received from the ancients certain numbers which were representative and carried spiritual meanings and which were observed by them. Those numbers were also commanded in their religious observances, though the majority of the people did not know what was meant by them.
ttt[5] In the same way, because 'fifty' means that which is full and this number was also representative, as has been stated, the same thing is meant in the Lord's parable concerning the steward, who said to the man owing oil,
How much do you owe my master? He said, A hundred baths of oil. Then he said to him, Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty. `Luke 16bbb5-6`.
'Fifty' stands for the full discharge of the debt. Being a number it does indeed seem to imply nothing more than a number, when in fact in the internal sense this number is used in every case to mean that which is full, as also in Haggai,
One came to the winevat to draw fifty measures from the winevat, and there were only twenty. `Haggai 2bbb16`.
This means that instead of a full amount there was not much. 'Fifty' would not have been mentioned in the prophet if it had not carried this meaning.
`nnn1. Often referred to as the feast of weeks
ppp21596#pid#2253. 'Will You also destroy and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous persons who are in the midst of it?' means intercession made from love that they should not perish. This is clear from the meaning of 'fifty', also of 'righteous', as well as of 'the midst of it', that is, of the city, dealt with above in `@@@2252`. All these expressions together imply intercession made from love, and that those persons should not perish. Regarding this intercession, see above in `@@@2250`. That it is made from love is also evident. With the Lord, when He was in the world, no other life was present than the life of love towards the whole human race, which He passionately desired to save eternally. That life is wholly celestial life, by which He united Himself to the Divine, and the Divine to Himself - for Being (Esse) itself, or Jehovah, is nothing else than mercy, which is the manifestation of love towards the whole human race - and that life was the life of pure love, which life cannot possibly exist with any human being. People who do not know what life is, and that the nature of the life is determined by that of the love, do not comprehend this. From this it is evident that in the measure anyone loves the neighbour he draws on the life that is the Lord's.
ppp21595#pid#2254. Verse `Genesis 18bbbccc25` Far be it from You to do such a thing as to make the righteous die with the wicked, so that the righteous will be as the wicked; far be it from You; will not the Judge of the whole earth execute judgement?
'Far be it from You to do such a thing' means the Lord's horror. 'As to make the righteous die with the wicked, so that the righteous will be as the wicked' means that good cannot die, because evil can be separated from it. 'Far be it from You' means a greater degree of horror. 'Will not the Judge of the whole earth execute judgement?' means that Divine Good cannot effect this in the manner of truth separated from good.
ppp21594#pid#2255. That 'far be it from You to do such a thing' means the Lord's horror is clear without explanation.
ppp21593#pid#2256. That 'as to make the righteous die with the wicked, so that the righteous will be as the wicked' means that good cannot die, because evil can be separated from it, is clear from the meaning of 'the righteous' as good and of 'the wicked' as evil, dealt with above in `@@@2250`. From this 'to make the righteous die with the wicked' means making good perish with evil; but because this ought never to be done, and also because the very thought of it evokes horror, it is removed in the internal sense, and the following is at the same time presented - that good cannot die, because evil can be separated from it.
ttt[2] The implications of this particular matter are known to few, if any. It has to be recognized that all the good whatever that a person has thought and done from earliest childhood through to the very end of his life remains; and the same applies to all the evil, so much so that not even the least trace of it completely perishes. All that good and evil is written in his book of life, that is, in each of his memories,`fff1` and in his true self, that is, in his character and disposition. From that good and evil he has formed a life for himself and, so to speak, a soul, the essential nature of which remains unchanged after death. But goods are never so mixed up with evils, nor evils with goods, that they cannot be separated; for if they were so mixed a person would perish for ever. The Lord sees to it that they are not. If he has led a life abiding in the goods of love and charity, then when a person enters the next life the Lord separates the evils, and by means of the goods present with him raises him into heaven. But if he has led a life immersed in evils, that is to say, in things contrary to love and charity, the Lord separates the goods from him, and his evils carry him into hell. Such is the experience of everyone after death. But it is a separation and in no way a complete removal.
ttt[3] What is more, because the will of man, which constitutes the one part of his life, has been utterly destroyed, the Lord separates that destroyed part from the other part, which is that of his understanding, and in this other part He implants - in the case of those who are being regenerated - the good of charity and through this a new will. These are they who have conscience. In the same manner also the Lord in general separates evil from good. Such are the arcana that are meant in the internal sense by the statement that good cannot die, because evil can be separated from it.
`nnn1. i.e. the interior memory and the exterior memory, see `@@@2469`ff.
ppp21592#pid#2257. 'Far be it from You' means a greater degree of horror, for this is a reiteration, and thus, also, does not need to be explained.
ppp21591#pid#2258. 'Will not the Judge of the whole earth execute judgement?' means that Divine Good cannot effect this in the manner of truth separated from good. This is clear from the meaning of 'the Judge of the whole earth', and also from the meaning of 'judgement'. 'The Judge of the whole earth' means in the internal sense good itself from which truth goes forth. This was also represented in the representative Church by the priests being at the same time judges. As priests they represented Divine Good, and as judges Divine Truth. But 'the Judge of the whole earth' means both, and this from the meaning of 'the earth', dealt with in various places in Volume One. But to confirm these matters at this point from the representatives of that Church would take too long. 'Judgement' however means truth, as shown above in `@@@2235`. From the meaning of these words, and at the same time from the train of thought in the internal sense, it becomes clear that 'will not the Judge of the whole earth execute judgement?' means that Divine Good cannot effect this in the manner of truth separated from good.
ttt[2] To understand these matters it should be recognized that there are two things which constitute the order of the whole of heaven and are from there present in the universe, namely good and truth. Good is the essential constituent of order, and all aspects of it are forms of mercy. Truth is the secondary constituent of order, and all its aspects are truths. Divine Good adjudges all people to heaven, but Divine Truth condemns them all to hell. Consequently if the Lord's mercy, which is the very nature of Good, were not eternal, all men - however many these may be - would be condemned. This is what is meant here by the statement that Divine Good cannot effect this thing in the manner of truth separated from good. See also what is stated on these matters in Volume One, in `@@@1728`. But the reason the evil are condemned to hell is not that Divine Good is separated from Divine Truth, but that man separates himself from Divine Good; for the Lord in no way sends anyone down to hell, but man sends himself down, as stated frequently already. Also, seeing that the Divine Good is joined to Divine Truth, it should be recognized that unless the evil were separated from the good, the evil would do harm to the good and would be constantly endeavouring to destroy order. Thus the prevention of the good from suffering harm is an act of mercy. It is the same in earthly kingdoms. If evils went unpunished a whole kingdom would be steeped in evils, and this being so it would perish. For that reason kings and judges are showing greater mercy when they punish evils and remove from society those who commit them than when they show undue leniency towards the same.
ppp21590#pid#2259. Verse `Genesis 18bbbccc26` And Jehovah said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous persons in the midst of the city, I will spare the whole place for their sakes.
Jehovah said' means perception. 'If I find in Sodom fifty righteous persons in the midst of the city' means here, as previously, if truths are full of goods. 'I will spare the whole place for their sakes' means that they will be saved.
ppp21589#pid#2260. 'Jehovah said' means perception. This is clear from the meaning in the historical sense of 'Jehovah saying' as something representative of the Lord's perception from the Divine, and as a kind of thought resulting from perception and a kind of reply. Regarding the phrase 'Jehovah said', see above in `@@@2238`.
ppp21588#pid#2261. 'If I find in Sodom fifty righteous persons in the midst of the city' means if truths are full of goods. This is clear from the meaning of 'fifty' as that which is full, and from the meaning of 'the midst of the city' as that which is present inwardly, or within truth, dealt with above in `@@@2252`, which see since the same words occur there. It may be assumed that a person is certain to be saved if truths are full of goods. But it should be recognized that very few truths exist with man; and if they do, that they have no life unless there are goods within them; and if they have goods within them, that he is saved, but on account of mercy. For as has been stated, very few truths reside with a person, and the goods contained within them receive their character from the truths and from that person's life.
ttt[2] Regarded in themselves truths do not confer life; but goods do so. Truths are simply the recipients of life, that is, of good. Nobody is ever able to say therefore that he can be saved by means of truths or as is commonly asserted, by faith alone - not, that is, unless within the truths, which are part of the faith, good is present. And this good which must exist within them must be the good that flows from charity. This explains why in the internal sense faith itself is nothing else than charity, as shown above in `@@@2231`. When people say that the acknowledgement of truth is the faith that saves, it should be recognized that no acknowledgement can possibly exist with people who lead lives immersed in things contrary to charity, only some kind of persuasion which has the life of self-love or of the love of the world allied to it, so that the acknowledgement which they speak of does not have within it the life of the faith which is that of charity. The worst people of all, acting from self-love or from love of the world, that is, acting for the sake of excelling others in what are called intelligence and wisdom, and so acting for the sake of earning exalted positions, reputation, and gain, have the ability to grasp the truths of faith and to confirm them in many ways; but with them those truths are nevertheless dead. The life of truth and so of faith comes solely from the Lord, who is Life itself.
ttt[3] The Lord's life is mercy, which is that of love towards the whole human race. Those people cannot possibly be drawing on the life that is the Lord's who, although they profess the truths of faith, despise others in comparison with themselves, and who, where their self-love and love of the world are affected, harbour hatred towards the neighbour and are delighted when he experiences loss of wealth, position, reputation, and life. But the position with the truths of faith is that it is by means of them that one is regenerated, for they are the actual vessels for receiving good. As are the truths therefore, also the goods within those truths, and the combination of those truths and goods and from this their capacity to be perfected in the next life, so is the state of blessedness and happiness of that person after death.
ppp21587#pid#2262. That 'I will spare the whole place for their sakes' means that they will be saved follows as the conclusion from the train of thought, and so without explanation. 'place' means state, as shown in `@@@1273`, `@@@1378`, so that here the expression 'place' is used instead of city to mean that those are to be saved whose state is such.
ppp21586#pid#2263. Verse `Genesis 18bbbccc27` And Abraham answered and said, Behold now' I have undertaken to speak to my Lord, and I am [but] dust and ashes. 'Abraham answered and said' means the Lord's thought from the human. 'Behold now, I have undertaken to speak to my Lord, and I am [but] dust and ashes' means [the state of] humiliation in the human as to what the human was in comparison.
ppp21585#pid#2264. That 'Abraham answered and said' means the Lord's thought from the human is clear from the representation of 'Abraham' in this chapter as the Lord as regards the human, dealt with several times above.
ppp21584#pid#2265. 'Behold now, I have undertaken to speak to my Lord, and I am [but] dust and ashes' means, it is clear, [the state of] humiliation as to what the human was in comparison. Reference to the Lord's state when in the human, or His state of humiliation, and to the Lord's state when in the Divine, or His state of glorification, has been made several times already. It has also been shown that in a state of humiliation He spoke to Jehovah as if to another, but in a state of glorification to His own Self, see `@@@1999`. Here, because 'Abraham', as stated, represents the Lord when in the human, it is said in that state that the human in comparison with the Divine is 'dust and ashes'. This also is why that state is called the state of humiliation. Humiliation arises from the self-recognition that by comparison one is such. By the human here it is not the Divine Human that is meant but the human He derived from the mother, which He utterly cast out and in its place put on the Divine Human. It is the former human - that from the mother - which is referred to here as dust and ashes. See what has been stated above in `@@@2159`.
ppp21583#pid#2266. Verse `Genesis 18bbbccc28` Perhaps the fifty righteous persons will lack five; will You for five destroy the whole city? And He said, I will not destroy it if I find forty-five mere.
'Perhaps the fifty righteous persons will lack five' means if it were something less. 'Will You for five destroy the whole city?' means, Will mankind perish for the small amount that is lacking? 'And He said, I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there' means that mankind would not perish if [goods and truths] could be joined together.
ppp21582#pid#2267. That 'perhaps the fifty righteous persons will lack five' means if it were something less is clear from the meaning of 'five' as small or less. The meaning of this number is dealt with in Volume One, in `@@@649`; and what 'the fifty righteous persons' means has been shown above in `@@@2252`.
ppp21581#pid#2268. 'Will You for five destroy the whole city?' means, Will mankind perish for the small amount that is lacking? This is clear from the meaning of 'five' as small, referred to immediately above, and from the meaning of 'a city' as truth, also dealt with already. The human mind as regards truths is in the Word compared to and also called 'a city', and as regards the goods that are present within truths is there compared to and also called 'the inhabitants'. For a similarity indeed exists, in that if the truths in a person's two memories`fff1` and in the thoughts of his mind are devoid of goods, they are like a city that has no residents and so is vacant and empty. Indeed it can also be said of angels that they dwell so to speak in a person's truths and implant affections for good from the Lord when that person leads a life abiding in love to the Lord and in charity towards the neighbour, for they are delighted so to dwell, that is, to live, with such persons. It is different in the case of those with whom some truths exist but no goods that flow from charity.
`nnn1. i.e. the interior memory and the exterior memory, see `@@@2469`ff.
ppp21580#pid#2269. 'And He said, I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there' means that mankind would not perish if [goods and truths] could be joined together. This is clear from the meaning of the number 'forty-five' as a joining together. It has been shown already that simple numbers retain their own meaning even when they are multiplied; and so larger numbers have a similar meaning to smaller. So it is with 'forty-five', a number which is the product of five times nine; and because it is the product of five times nine it has the same meaning as five and nine. 'Five' means that which is small, as has been shown already in `@@@649`, and 'nine' means conjunction or that which is joined together, `@@@2075`; so that the meaning here is, If goods have in some measure been joined to truths. That numbers in the Word mean real things or else states is clear from what has been stated above in `@@@2252` about 'fifty', and also from what has been shown already concerning numbers, in `@@@482`, `@@@487`, `@@@575`, `@@@647`, `@@@648`, `@@@755`, `@@@813`, `@@@1963`, `@@@1988`.
ttt[2] It is because 'five' means that which is small, and 'forty-five' a joining together, that those numbers are used in the way they are in this verse. That is to say, first it is said, 'Perhaps the fifty righteous persons will lack five', which means, If it were something less. Then it is said, 'Will You for five destroy the whole city?' which means, Will they perish for the small amount that is lacking? But after that, because five means a small amount, the number five is not used again but it is said, 'I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there', which means that they would not perish if [goods and truths] could be joined together. And a further reason why the expression 'forty-five' is used, and not 'if the fifty are lacking five', is that 'five' not only means that which is small, as shown in `@@@649`, but also severance, as has also been shown in Volume One, in `@@@1686`. Consequently so that a joining together might be meant and not a severance, this number, that is to say, forty-five is used, for forty-five means some joining together, as stated above. Thus in a very beautiful way every detail follows in its particular sequence in the internal sense.
ttt[3] As regards good and truth when joined together, this is an arcanum that cannot be described in such a way that the ordinary mind is able to grasp it. Let merely a brief explanation be given here. The more genuine and pure truth is, the better is good from the Lord able to be accommodated to it as the recipient vessel; but the less genuine and pure truth is, the less is good from the Lord able to be accommodated. For they must each answer to the other; and to the extent that they do, they are joined together. Goods cannot possibly be received into falsities, nor evils into truths as their recipient vessels, for they are by nature and disposition contrary. The one rejects the other as its very enemy; indeed if they tried to join together, each of them would throw up - good would throw up evil as though it were poison, and evil would throw up good as though it were something that induces vomiting. Such enmity between evil and good has been provided by the Lord to prevent the possibility of their being mixed together, for if they were so mixed a person would perish. Those who are deceivers and hypocrites come near to having the two joined together in them; yet even in their case the Lord takes care to prevent them becoming joined together. This is the reason why in the next life deceivers and hypocrites suffer more dreadfully than all others.
ppp21579#pid#2270. Verse `Genesis 18bbbccc29` And he spoke to Him yet again, and said, Perhaps forty will be found there. And He said, I will not do it for the sake of the forty.
'He spoke to Him yet again' means thought. 'And said, Perhaps forty will be found there' means people who have undergone temptations. 'And He said, I will not do it for the sake of the forty' means that they will be saved.
ppp21578#pid#2271. That 'he spoke to Him yet again' means thought is clear from the meaning in the internal sense of 'speaking'. Speaking or speech is nothing else than that which flows from thought; and because things that are internal are meant by those that are external - such as understanding by 'seeing', the understanding by 'the eye', obedience by 'the ear', and so on - so thinking is meant by 'speaking'.
ppp21577#pid#2272. 'And said, Perhaps forty will be found there' means people who have undergone temptations. This is clear from the meaning of the number 'forty' as temptations, dealt with in Volume One, in `@@@730`. How these details follow on in the train of thought is seen from what temptations are. Temptations arise not only so that a person may be confirmed in truths but also so that truths may be joined more closely to goods; for in times of temptation he fights for truths against falsities. And because during temptations he suffers inward distress and suffers torment, the delights of life belonging to evil desires and their attendant pleasures cease to exist. Goods from the Lord flow in, and at the same time evils are regarded as abominable. As a consequence of this new thoughts contrary to those that he had previously now arise. Towards these his mind is then able to be turned, and so it is able to be turned from evils to goods, which are then joined to truths. And because it is through temptations that good becomes joined to truth, and because in the previous verse it was said that those would be saved with whom goods are able to be joined to truths, what occurs in this verse to the effect that goods and truths are able to be joined through temptations therefore follows. This is the sequence of ideas seen by those who know the internal sense.
ppp21576#pid#2273. That 'He said, I will not do it for the sake of the forty' means that they will be saved is clear without explanation. Regarding those who are meant by 'the forty-five' in the previous verse, it was said, 'I will not destroy it if I find forty-five', which meant that they would not perish if goods could be joined to truths. In the verse that follows here which has regard to 'the forty' it is said, 'I will not do it for the sake of the forty', which does not mean that people would be saved merely because of temptations, for there are some undergoing temptations who give way, so that in their case goods are not joined to truths. Nor indeed is anyone saved because of temptations if he places any merit in them, for if he places any merit in temptations he does so from self-love, in that he boasts about his temptations and believes that he has merited heaven more than others, and at the same time he is thinking about his own pre-eminence over others, despising others in comparison with himself, all of which is contrary to mutual love and consequently to heavenly blessedness.
ttt[2] The temptations in which a person is victorious entail the belief that all others are more worthy than he, and that he is more like those in hell than those in heaven, for ideas such as these present themselves to him in temptations. When therefore after temptations a person enters into ways of thinking that are contrary to this outlook it is a sign that he has not been victorious, for the thoughts he had in temptations are those towards which the thoughts that he has following temptations can be turned. But if the thoughts he has after temptations cannot be turned in the direction of those he had during them, he has either given way in temptation, or he has departed into similar, and sometimes graver ones, till he has been brought to that healthier outlook in which he believes he has merited nothing. From this it is clear that 'forty' means people with whom by means of temptations goods have been joined to truths.
ppp21575#pid#2274. Verse `Genesis 18bbbccc30` And he said, Let not now my Lord be incensed, and I will speak; perhaps thirty will be found there. And He said, I will not do it if I find thirty there.
'And he said, Let not now my Lord be incensed, and I will speak' means deep concern over the state of the human race. 'Perhaps thirty will be found there' means some existence of conflict. 'And He said, I will not do it if I find thirty there' means that they will be saved.
ppp21574#pid#2275. That 'he said, Let not now my Lord be incensed, and I will speak' means deep concern over the state of the human race becomes clear not so much from the actual words as from the affection which these words have within them. The internal sense of the Word consists of two distinct elements - the spiritual and the celestial. The spiritual involves a discernment - abstractedly, apart from the letter - of subject matter or real things, the literal sense serving these as an object, in the same way as things seen with the eye may serve as objects of thought regarding more exalted matters. The celestial involves pure perception of the affection present within the real things which belong to the internal sense. That discernment of real things exists with spiritual angels, whereas this pure perception of that affection exists with celestial angels. The latter, that is, those who are percipients of the affection, perceive immediately, purely from the affection there, what the letter embodies within itself when this is being read by man. And from this they form celestial ideas for themselves, doing so with unending variety and in an indescribable fashion in accordance with the sequence and harmony of the celestial things of love comprising the affection. This shows what the Word of the Lord contains in its inner recesses. When these words are being read therefore, 'Let not now my Lord be incensed, and I will speak', celestial angels perceive immediately a certain deep concern, and indeed that deep concern that is a manifestation of love towards the human race. At the same time countless and indescribable aspects regarding the deep concern which the Lord felt when He thought about the state of the human race are instilled into them.
ppp21573#pid#2276. 'Perhaps thirty will be found [there]' means some existence of conflict. This is clear from the meaning of the number 'thirty'. The reason 'thirty' means some existence of conflict, thus a small amount of conflict, is that this number is the product of 'five', meaning that which is small, times 'six', meaning toil or conflict, as shown in Volume One, in `@@@649`, `@@@720`, `@@@737`, `@@@900`, `@@@1709`.
ttt[2] Hence also that number, wherever one reads it in the Word, means something relatively small, as in Zechariah,
I said to them, If it is good in your eyes, give me my wages; and if not, withhold them. And they weighed out my wages, thirty pieces of silver. And Jehovah said to me, Throw it to the potter, the magnificent price I was valued at among them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw it into the house of Jehovah, to the potter. `Zechariah 11bbb12-13`.
This stands for how small a value those people placed on the Lord's merit, and on redemption and salvation from Him. 'The poster' stands for reformation and regeneration.
ttt[3] This explains the reference to the same thirty pieces of silver in Matthew,
They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on him whom they had bought from the children of Israel, and gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord commanded me. `Matthew 27bbb9-10`.
From these words it is quite clear that 'thirty' here stands for the small price set on him. A slave, who was not considered to be worth much, was valued at thirty shekels, as is clear in Moses,
If the ox gores a slave or a servant-girl, the owner shall give to his master thirty shekels of silver; and the ox shall be stoned. `Exodus 21bbb32`.
How little a slave was considered to be worth is clear from verses `Genesis 18bbbccc20-21`, of that same chapter. In the internal sense 'a slave' stands for toil.
ttt[4] The reason Levites were called upon for ministerial duty - which is described as one 'coming to perform military service and to do the work in the tent [of meeting] - from thirty up to fifty years of age', `Numbers 4bbb3`, `Numbers 4bbbccc23`, `Numbers 4bbbccc30`, `Numbers 4bbbccc35`, `Numbers 4bbbccc39`, `Numbers 4bbbccc43`, was that 'thirty' means those who were beginners, thus those who as yet could perform little of what was meant in the spiritual sense by 'military service'.
ttt[5] There are other places in the Word besides these where 'thirty' is mentioned, such as in the requirement that with a young bull a minchah of three tenths [of fine flour] was to be offered by them, `Numbers 15bbb9`. Such was required because the sacrifice of an ox represented natural good, as shown above in `@@@2180`, and natural good is small in comparison with spiritual good, which was represented by the sacrifice of a ram, and smaller still in comparison with celestial good, which was represented by the sacrifice of a lamb, with which sacrifices a different number of tenths to the minchah were required, as is clear in verses `Genesis 18bbbccc4-6` of that chapter, and also in `Numbers 28bbb12-13`, `Numbers 28bbbccc20-21`, `Numbers 28bbbccc28-29`; `Numbers ccc29bbb3-4`, `Numbers 29bbbccc9-10`, `Numbers 29bbbccc14-15`. These differing numbers of tenths, or proportions, would never have been commanded if they had not embodied heavenly arcana within them.
ttt[6] 'Thirty' again stands for that which is small in Mark,
The seed which fell into good ground yielded fruit, growing up and increasing. One bore thirty-fold, and another sixty, and another a hundred. `Mark 4bbb8`.
'Thirty' stands for a small yield and for that which has laboured to only a small extent. Those numbers would not have been specified unless they had embodied the things meant by them.
ppp21572#pid#2277. That 'He said, I will not do it if I find thirty there' means that they will be saved is clear without explanation from the train of thought in the internal sense.
ppp21571#pid#2278. Verse `Genesis 18bbbccc31` And he said, Behold now, I have undertaken to speak to my Lord; perhaps twenty will be found there. And He said, I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty.
'He said, Behold now, I have undertaken to speak to my Lord' means here, as previously, [the state of] humiliation in which the human existed before the Divine. 'Perhaps twenty will be found there' means even if there is no existence of conflict, but good is nevertheless present. 'And He said, I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty' means that they will be saved.
ppp21570#pid#2279. That 'he said, Behold now, I have undertaken to speak to my Lord' means [the state of] humiliation in which the human existed before the Divine is clear from what has been stated above in `@@@2265`, where the same words occur.
ppp21569#pid#2280. That 'perhaps twenty will be found there' means even if there is no existence of conflict but good is nevertheless present is clear from the meaning of 'twenty'. As all the numbers mentioned in the Word mean real things and states, as stated and shown in various places already, see `@@@2252`, so also does 'twenty'; and what twenty means becomes clear from how it may be obtained, namely from twice ten. In the Word ten, as also tenths, means remnants, and by these are meant everything good and true which the Lord instills into a person from earliest childhood through to the final period of life. Such remnants are referred to in the verse that follows this. Twice ten, or two tens, that is, twenty, is similar in meaning to ten, but to a higher degree, namely that of good.
ttt[2] Three kinds of goods are meant by 'remnants' - those instilled in earliest childhood, those instilled when want of knowledge is still present, and those instilled when intelligence is present. The goods of earliest childhood are those instilled into a person from birth up to the age when he starts to be taught and to know something. The goods received when want of knowledge is still present are instilled when he is being taught and starting to know something. The goods that come with intelligence are instilled when he is able to reflect on what good is and what truth is. Good instilled in earliest childhood is received up to his tenth year.
ttt[3] Good instilled when want of knowledge is still present is instilled from then until his twentieth year; and from this year the person starts to become rational and to have the ability to reflect on good and truth, and to acquire the good received when intelligence is present. The good instilled when want of knowledge is still present is that which is meant by 'twenty', because those with whom merely that good exists do not enter into any temptation. For no one undergoes temptation until he is able to reflect on and to perceive in his own way what good and truth are. Those who have acquired goods by means of temptations were the subject in the two verses previous to this, while in the present verse the subject is those who do not undergo temptations but who nevertheless possess good.
ttt[4] It is because these who possess the good called 'good instilled during want of knowledge' are meant by 'twenty' that all those who had come out of Egypt were included in the census - from 'a son of twenty years and over', and who, as it is stated, were every one 'going into the army'- by whom were meant those whose good was no longer merely that instilled during want of knowledge, referred to in `Numbers 1bbb20`, `Numbers 1bbbccc24`, `Numbers 1bbbccc26`, `Numbers 1bbbccc28`, `Numbers 1bbbccc30`, `Numbers 1bbbccc32`, `Numbers 1bbbccc34`, `Numbers 1bbbccc38`, `Numbers 1bbbccc40`, `Numbers 1bbbccc42`, `Numbers 1bbbccc45`; `Numbers ccc26bbb4`. It is also said that all who were over twenty years of age died in the wilderness, `Numbers 14bbb29`; `Numbers ccc32bbb10-11`, because evil could be attributed to them, and because they represented those who yield in temptations. Also the value set for a male who was between five years of age and twenty years was twenty sheckels, `Leviticus 27bbb5`, whereas a different value was set for one between twenty years old and sixty, namely fifty shekels, `Leviticus 27bbb3`.
ttt[5] As regards the nature of these different kinds of goods - those instilled in earliest childhood, those when want of knowledge is still present, and those when intelligence is present - the last of these is the best, since it is an attribute of wisdom. The good which precedes it, namely that instilled during want of knowledge, is indeed good, but because it has only a small amount of intelligence within it, it cannot be called the good of wisdom. The good that belongs to earliest childhood is indeed in itself good, but it is nevertheless less good than the other two kinds, because it has not as yet had any truth of intelligence allied to it, and so has not become in any way the good of wisdom, but is merely a plane enabling it to become such. Cognitions of truth and good are what enable a person to be wise in the way possible to man. Earliest childhood itself, by which is meant innocence, does not belong to earliest childhood but to wisdom, as may become clearer from what will be stated at the end of this chapter about young children in the next life.
ttt[6] In this verse 'twenty' means no other kind of good, as has been stated, than the good that belongs to not knowing. This good is a characteristic not only, as has been stated, of those under twenty years of age but also of all with whom the good of charity exists but who at the same time have no knowledge of truth. The latter consists of those inside the Church with whom the good of charity exists but who, for whatever reason, do not know what the truth of faith is - as is the case with the majority of those who think about God with reverence and think what is good about the neighbor - and also of all those outside the Church called gentiles who in a similar way lead lives abiding in the good of charity. Though the truths of faith do not exist with such persons outside the Church and inside it, nevertheless because good does so, they have the capacity, no less than young children do, to receive the truths of faith. For the understanding part of their mind has not yet been corrupted by false assumptions nor has the will part been so confirmed by a life of evil, for they do not know what falsity and evil are. Furthermore the life of charity is of such a nature that the falsity and evil that go with want of knowledge can be turned without difficulty towards what is true and good. This is not so in the case of those who have confirmed themselves in things contrary to the truth and who at the same time have led a life immersed in things contrary to good.
ttt[7] In other places in the Word 'two-tenths' means good, both celestial and spiritual. Celestial good and spiritual good derived from this are meant by the two-tenths from which each loaf of the shewbread or of the Presence was made, `Leviticus 24bbb5`, while spiritual good was meant by the two-tenths constituting the minchah that accompanied the sacrifice of a ram, `Numbers 15bbb6`; `Numbers ccc28bbb12`, `Numbers 28bbbccc20`, `Numbers 28bbbccc28`; `Numbers ccc29bbb3`, `Numbers 29bbbccc9`, `Numbers 29bbbccc14`. These matters will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with elsewhere.
ppp21568#pid#2281. That 'He said, I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty' means that they will be saved is clear from the train of thought in the internal sense, thus without explanation.
ppp21567#pid#2282. Verse `Genesis 18bbbccc32` And he said, Let not now my Lord be incensed, and I will speak just once more; perhaps ten will be found there. And He said, I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten.
'He said, Let not now my Lord be incensed, and I will speak just once more' means continuing deep concern over the state of the human race. 'Perhaps ten will be found [there]' means if remnants were still present. 'And He said, I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten' means that they will be saved.
ppp21566#pid#2283. That 'he said, Let not now my Lord be incensed, and I will speak just once more' means continuing deep concern over the state of the human race is clear from the affection which these words hold within them, dealt with in `@@@2275`, where the same words occur.
ppp21565#pid#2284. 'Perhaps ten will be found there' means if remnants were still present. This is clear from the meaning of the number 'ten' as remnants, dealt with in Volume One, in `@@@576`, `@@@1738`. What remnants are however has been stated and shown in various places already, as in `@@@468`, `@@@530`, `@@@560`, `@@@561`, `@@@660`, `@@@661`, `@@@1050`, `@@@1738`, `@@@1906`, namely that they are all the good and all the truth with a person which lie stored away in his two memories and in his life.
ttt[2] It is well known that there is nothing good nor anything true except that from the Lord; also that what is good and true is flowing in constantly from the Lord into man, but it is received in varying ways, and that in fact it is received according to the life of evil and according to the false assumptions in which the person has confirmed himself. These are what either annihilate, or stifle, or pervert the goods and truths flowing in constantly from the Lord. To prevent goods being mixed with evils therefore, and truths with falsities - for if they were mixed a person would perish for ever - the Lord separates them, and stores away within his interior man the goods and truths he receives. From there the Lord will never allow them to come forth as long as that person is governed by evil and falsity, except at those times when the person has entered some state that is a holy state, or when deeply and anxiously concerned about something, or in times of sickness, or other similar circumstances. These things which the Lord has so stored away in the person are what are called remnants, and of which very much mention is made in the Word, though nobody as yet knows that this is what they mean.
ttt[3] It is according to the nature and the amount of the remnants, that is, of the good and truth residing with him, that a person experiences blessedness and happiness in the next life, for, as has been stated, such remnants are stored away in his interior man and are laid bare when he leaves things of a bodily and worldly nature behind him. The Lord alone knows the nature and the amount of remnants a person has. The person himself cannot possibly know this, for at the present day man is such that he is able to counterfeit what is good while within there is nothing but evil. A person can also appear to be evil and yet may have good within. For these reasons one is never allowed to judge the nature of another person's spiritual life; for the Lord alone, as has been stated, knows this. But one is allowed to judge the nature of another person's life, private and public, since this is of importance to society.
ttt[4] It is very common for those who have adopted an opinion regarding any truth of faith to sit in judgement on others and to say that they cannot be saved unless their beliefs coincide with their own - a judgement which the Lord has forbidden, in `Matthew 7bbb1-2`. Yet from much experience I have been led to know that members of every religion are saved provided that they have received through a life of charity remnants of good and appearances of truth. This is what was meant by 'if ten were found [there] they would not be destroyed for the sake of the ten', that is, that if remnants were present they would be saved.
ttt[5] The life of charity consists in thinking what is good in regard to another, and in willing for him that which is good, and in feeling joy within oneself that others as well are saved. But those people do not possess the life of charity whose will is that no others should be saved than those whose beliefs coincide with theirs, especially those who are indignant that the situation is otherwise. This becomes clear solely from the fact that more gentiles are saved than Christians. For people who have thought what is good in regard to their neighbour and have willed for him that which is good accept the truths of faith in the next life more readily than those who called themselves Christians; and they acknowledge the Lord more than Christians do. Indeed nothing gives angels greater delight and happiness than to be teaching those who pass from the world into the next life.
ppp21564#pid#2285. That 'I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten' means they will be saved is clear from the train of thought in the internal sense, thus without explanation.
ppp21563#pid#2286. Verse `Genesis 18bbbccc33` And Jehovah departed, when He had finished speaking to Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place.
'And Jehovah departed, when He had finished speaking to Abraham' means that this state of perception which existed with the Lord now ceased to be such. 'And Abraham returned to his place' means that the Lord returned to the state which had been His before He perceived these matters.
ppp21562#pid#2287. That 'Jehovah departed, when He had finished speaking to Abraham' means that this state of perception which existed with the Lord now ceased to be such is clear from the meaning of 'speaking' and from the representation of 'Abraham'. In the internal sense 'speaking' means thinking, as shown above in `@@@2271`. Here however it means perceiving because it is said of Jehovah that 'He finished speaking to Abraham'; for thought flowed from the perception, as stated already, and the perception from the Lord's internal, which was Jehovah. 'Abraham' however in this chapter represents the Lord when the human state existed with Him, as stated often above. From this it becomes clear that the words 'Jehovah departed, when He had finished speaking to Abraham' mean nothing else in the internal sense than that this state of perception which existed with the Lord now ceased to be. For the reason why in this chapter in the internal sense the Lord's perception and thought are dealt with so much, see above in `@@@2249`.
ppp21561#pid#2288. That 'Abraham returned to his place' means that the Lord returned to the state which had been His before He perceived these matters is clear from the representation of 'Abraham' in this chapter as the Lord when the human state existed with Him, and from the meaning of 'place' as state, dealt with in Volume One, in `@@@1273`, `@@@1378`. Thus here 'returning to his place' in the internal sense means returning to the state which had been His previously. The fact that the Lord had two kinds of states when He lived in the world - the state of humiliation and the state of glorification - has been stated and shown already. His state of humiliation occurred when He was in the human, which He had derived by heredity from the mother, His state of glorification when He was in the Divine, which He possessed from Jehovah His Father. The former state, namely that of the human derived from the mother, the Lord cast off completely and He took on a Divine Human when He passed out of the world and returned to the Divine itself which had been His from eternity, `John 17bbb5`, together with the Human that had been made Divine, from both of which the Holy proceeding exists that fills the whole heaven. Thus from the Divine itself and the Divine Human through the Holy that proceeds from these He governs the universe.
ppp21560#pid#2289. THE STATE OF YOUNG CHILDREN IN THE NEXT LIFE
I have been given to know for certain that all young children in any part of the world who die are raised up by the Lord and taken to heaven, where they are brought up and trained among angels who look after them, and where they grow to maturity as they advance in intelligence and wisdom. From this it becomes clear how vast the Lord's heaven is from young children alone; for all of them are taught about the truths of faith and the goods that stem from mutual love, and become angels.
ppp21559#pid#2290. People who know nothing about the state of the life after death may think that young children acquire angelic intelligence and wisdom the moment they enter the next life. But I have learned through much experience that this is not so at all. Those who die not long after birth have the minds of young children, almost the same as on earth. Nor is the amount of what they know any greater, for they possess no more than the capacity to know, and from this to have intelligence and from this to be wise. Yet that capacity is more perfect because they are not living in the body but are spirits. That this is the mental condition of young children when they first enter heaven I have not merely been told but have also been shown, for on several occasions, in the Lord's Divine mercy, groups of young children have been sent to me, and I have been allowed to read the Lord's Prayer to them. As I did so I was given to perceive how the angels whose company they were in were instilling into their tender and newly-formed ideas the meaning of the things that are in the Lord's Prayer - filling their ideas with it in the measure that the young children were able to receive it - and after that how the young children were given the capacity to think about things such as these as if from themselves.
ppp21558#pid#2291. The nature of their tender understanding was also shown to me when I have been praying in the words of the Lord's Prayer. At such times they flowed into the ideas comprising my thought from their own understanding, which was so tender that they understood scarcely anything more than the meaning of the words. Yet their ideas present in that tender understanding were capable of being opened even to the Lord, that is, even from the Lord; for the Lord flows in best of all into young children's ideas, from things that are inmost, since nothing as yet has closed their ideas, as is the case with adults. No false assumptions have been adopted to prevent an understanding of truth, nor a life of evil to prevent the reception of good, and so to becoming wise.
ppp21557#pid#2292. All this experience shows that young children do not enter the angelic state immediately after death but that they are brought into it gradually by means of cognitions of good and truth, and that this is done in accordance with complete heavenly order. For the smallest details of everything that is part of their innate disposition are perceived there most perfectly, and as accords with every single impulse of their inclinations they are moved to receive the truths that are grounded in good and the goods that flow through truth, all of which takes place under the constant guidance of the Lord.
ppp21556#pid#2293. In particular they are being introduced all the time into knowing no other Father, and after that into acknowledging no other than the Lord alone, and that He is the source of the life they have. For they are made alive, that is to say, they are truly human and angelic beings, because of the intelligence and wisdom - essentially truth and good respectively - which they have solely from the Lord. This explains why they know no other than that they were born in heaven.
ppp21555#pid#2294. On many occasions when young children who were still mere infants were present with me in groups (chorus) they have sounded as something gentle but without order, so that they were not yet acting as one in the way they would do later on when they had become more grown up. And what astonished me, the spirits present with me could not refrain from trying to direct their thought and speech. Such a desire comes naturally to spirits, but I have noticed every time that the young children resisted, being unwilling to think or to speak as the spirits directed. Quite often I have detected a kind of anger accompanying such refusal and resistance; and once they were able to say anything at all they merely said, No! I have been told that young children undergo such temptation in the next life so that they may become accustomed and disciplined not only to resist falsity and evil but also not to think, speak, and act from any other, and so not to allow themselves to be directed by anyone but the Lord alone.
ppp21554#pid#2295. When the young children are not experiencing that state but are in a more interior sphere, namely the angelic sphere, they cannot possibly be troubled by spirits, even when they are in the midst of them. Sometimes also the young children who are in the next life are sent by the Lord to young children on earth, though the young child on earth is utterly unaware of it. With the young children on earth they are absolutely delighted.
ppp21553#pid#2296. The way in which everything is instilled into them by means of delightful and pleasant things suited to their disposition has also been shown to me, for I have been allowed to see the young children clothed most gorgeously. Around the breast they had a garland of flowers that were a blaze of most lovely and heavenly colours, and garlands in addition around their tender little arms. On one occasion I was also allowed to see young children together with virgins who were their governesses in a paradise garden. The garden consisted not so much of trees as of what looked like laurel pergolas, and so of covered parts, and was also very beautifully laid out with paths leading to the more interior parts. I also saw the young children themselves clothed in the same way as those described already, and when they entered the garden the festoon of flowers above the entrance shone in a most cheerful way. All this makes clear the nature of the things that delight them, as also does the fact that by means of things that give them pleasure and delight they are led to the goods that belong to the innocence and charity that are being instilled by the Lord unceasingly into those things in which they delight and take pleasure.
ppp21552#pid#2297. What is more, while the young children are being perfected even the sky around them accords with the state of their perfection. As regards the skies in the next life that occur in countless variety and with indescribable beauty, see what has been mentioned from experience in Volume One, in `@@@1621`. In particular skies manifest themselves to them which seem to contain the shapes of young children at play, but too small to be seen individually and perceptible solely in the inner recesses of the mind. From these shapes they gain the heavenly idea that every single thing around them is alive and shares in the Lord's life, which idea gives them a feeling of happiness in their inmost being.
ppp21551#pid#2298. By a method of communication that is familiar in the next life I have been shown the nature of young children's ideas when they see any objects. Their ideas were such that every single thing was living, so that each idea comprising their thought had life within it. I also perceived that the ideas present in young children on earth when playing games were almost the same, for they do not as yet have the ability like adults to reflect on that which is inanimate.
ppp21550#pid#2299. Young children are taught in particular by means of representatives suited to their disposition; and how beautiful these representatives are and at the same time how filled with wisdom from within. nobody can possibly believe. In this way intelligence which derives its soul from good is gradually instilled into them. Let merely one representative which I have been allowed to witness be recounted here, from which the nature of all others may be inferred. They represented the Lord rising up out of the tomb, and at the same time His Human united to the Divine. This was done in a manner so wise as to surpass all human wisdom, and yet at the same time in a manner that was innocent and that of a young child. They also presented the idea of a tomb, but not at the same time an idea of the Lord, except in so remote a way that one scarcely perceived it to be the Lord, except so to speak a long way off. The reason for this was that the idea of a tomb implies death and burial, which they were removing by their manner of presentation. After that, with utmost carefulness, they introduced into the tomb something air-like, yet seeming to be lightly filled with moisture, by which they meant, also with an appropriate remoteness, spiritual life in baptism. After that I saw them represent the Lord's descent to those that are bound and His ascent with those that are bound into heaven, which they did with matchless carefulness and reverence. And the representation had a child-like feature in that when they represented the Lord among the bound on the lower earth, they let down scarcely visible, soft and very slender cords with which they effected the Lord's ascent. All along they acted with a holy fear lest anything at all in the representation should border on anything devoid of the spiritual-celestial within it. There are other representatives besides these, such as games that are appropriate to the minds of young children by which they are introduced into cognitions of truth and into affections for good.
ppp21549#pid#2300. In addition to all this young children vary in their nature and disposition. They do so because of their heredity derived from parents and by succession from grandparents and great grandparents; for any action which has been confirmed in parents through habitual practice acquires a natural disposition to it and is implanted through heredity in young children. And this is how they come to possess varying inclinations.
ppp21548#pid#2301. In general young children are in disposition either celestial or spiritual. Those of a celestial disposition are unmistakably different from those of a spiritual disposition. The former are more gentle in thought, speech, and action, so that hardly anything is seen except something radiating from a love of good`fff1` to the Lord and towards other young children; whereas the latter are not so gentle in what they think, say, and do, but something like a fluttering of wings reveals itself in everything they do - as is also evident, among other things, from their anger. Thus each small child varies in disposition from every other, and each is brought up in ways that accord with his individual disposition.
`nnn1. a love of good represents the Latin, but Swedenborg possibly intended the good of love. But see `@@@Heaven and Hell 339` where the same words occur.
ppp21547#pid#2302. There are particular, indeed many, communities of angels which look after small children. They are drawn chiefly from members of the female sex who during their lifetime have had a very tender love of young children. Young children who are more well-disposed than others are by an established custom dedicated by them to the Lord.
ppp21546#pid#2303. Angelic spirits who were above and in front spoke to me in angelic language that was not divided into separate expressions. They said that their state was the state of a serenity of peace, and that they also had young children among them, from whose presence with them they received a feeling of bliss. Those spirits too were members of the female sex. They went on to speak about young children on earth. They said that immediately after these are born, angels from the heaven of innocence are present with them; then in the next phase of their life angels from the heaven of the serenity of peace; after that angels from the communities of charity; and then, as innocence and charity diminish when they are older children, different angels again are present with them. And when at length they become more grown up and enter upon a life alien to charity, angels are indeed present though more remotely, but in accordance with the ends of life which are especially regulated by the angels by a continual instillation by them of ends that are good and a turning aside of ends that are bad. But to the extent they are able or are not able to do this, so they flow in more nearly or more remotely.
ppp21545#pid#2304. Many may suppose that young children stay as young children in the next life, and are as young children among the angels. Those who do not know what an angel is may have become confirmed in that notion by the images seen here and there in places of worship, and in other places where young children are portrayed to represent angels. But in fact it is not at all as they suppose. What makes an angel is intelligence and wisdom, and as long as young children do not possess these, though they do indeed reside with angels, they themselves are not angels. But as soon as they have become intelligent and wise, they now become angels for the first time. Indeed what has amazed me, they no longer appear as young children but as adults, for their disposition is no longer that of a young child but of a more adult angelic disposition. Such is the effect produced by intelligence and wisdom, for it may be clear to anyone that it is understanding and judgement, and the life from these, which cause a person to seem to himself and to others to be an adult. I have not only been told by angels that this is so but also have spoken to a certain person who had died as a small child and yet after that appeared as an adult. The same also spoke to his brother who had died when an adult; and he did so out of so much mutual brotherly love that his brother who could not help weeping declared that he perceived nothing else than that this was love itself which was speaking. There are other examples besides this which there is no need to mention.
ppp21544#pid#2305. There are certain people who identify innocence with early childhood, for the reason that the Lord, when speaking about young children, said that heaven consisted of such, and that those who do not become as young children cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. But those who think in this fashion do not know the internal sense of the Word, nor thus what is meant by early childhood. 'Early childhood' is used to mean the innocence that belongs to intelligence and wisdom, the nature of which is such that they acknowledge that they possess life solely from the Lord and that the Lord is their one and only Father; for a person is human because of intelligence and wisdom - essentially truth and good respectively - which people have solely from the Lord. Innocence itself, which in the Word is called early childhood, exists and resides nowhere else than within wisdom, so much so that the wiser anyone is the more innocent he is. Consequently the Lord is Innocence itself, because He is Wisdom itself.
ppp21543#pid#2306. As regards the innocence possessed by young children, because as yet it is devoid of intelligence and wisdom, it is merely a kind of plane for receiving genuine innocence, which they do receive gradually as they become wise. The nature of young children's innocence has been represented to me by something wooden and practically devoid of life, but which is made living as they are perfected by means of cognitions of truth and affections for good. The nature of genuine innocence was afterwards represented by a very beautiful young child, full of life, and naked. For the truly innocent, who dwell in the inmost heaven and so nearest to the Lord, appear before the eyes of other angels as none other than small children, and indeed as naked; for innocence is represented by 'the nakedness of which they are not ashamed', as one reads of the first man and his wife in paradise. In short, the wiser angels are the more innocent they are; and the more innocent they are the more they appear to themselves as young children. This is why in the Word innocence is meant by early childhood. But the state of innocence will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with further on.
ppp21542#pid#2307. I have spoken to angels about young children, whether these are free from evils since no evil of their own doing clings to them as it does to adults. But I have been told that they are just as much immersed in evil; indeed that they too are nothing but evil, but that as with all angels they are withheld from evil and maintained by the Lord in good, so much so that it seems to them as though they abode in good from themselves. This also is why, after young children have become adult in heaven, they are sometimes allowed to return to their evils which they acquired by heredity - lest any false notion should exist in them that good with them is derived from themselves and not from the Lord; and they are left immersed in those evils until they come to know, acknowledge, and believe that the truth is as has just been indicated. A certain person also who had died as a young child but who had grown up in heaven possessed a similar notion and was therefore taken back to the life of evils that was innate within him. At this point I was given to perceive from his sphere that he had an inclination to dominate others and that he thought nothing of lustful acts, which were evils that he possessed by heredity from his parents. But after he acknowledged that such was his character he was received back again among the angels with whom he had been previously.
ppp21541#pid#2308. In the next life no one ever undergoes punishment on account of hereditary evil, since this is not his own and thus he is not at fault for being such. He undergoes it on account of the evil of his own doing, thus for that amount of hereditary evil which he makes his own by his own actions in life, as stated already in `@@@966`. The reason for returning the young children, when they have become adult, to the state of their hereditary evil is not therefore so that they may undergo punishment, but so that they may know that of themselves they are nothing but evil, and that it is in the Lord's mercy they are taken away from the hell that exists with them into heaven, and that they are not in heaven on account of any merit of their own but on account of the Lord. In this way they are prevented from boasting to others of the good that exists with them, for that is contrary to the good flowing from mutual love, as it is contrary to the truth of faith.
ppp21540#pid#2309. All that has been presented above shows the character of young children's upbringing in heaven, namely that it is through intelligence and wisdom - which essentially are truth and good respectively - that they are brought into the angelic life, which consists in love to the Lord and mutual love, which loves have innocence within them. But how contrary this is to the upbringing of young children among many people on earth was made clear by this single example: I was in the street of a large city and saw small boys fighting one another. A crowd gathered which watched what was happening with great pleasure. I was also told that the parents themselves encourage their small boys to engage in such fighting. The good spirits and angels who through my eyes saw what was going on were so appalled that I sensed their horror, especially at the parents encouraging them to behave in such ways. These good spirits and angels declared that by doing this the parents annihilate in the earliest years of life all the mutual love and all the innocence which young children receive from the Lord, and lead them into ways of hatred and vengeance. As a consequence they deliberately shut their children out of heaven where nothing but mutual love reigns. Let parents therefore who desire what is good for their young children be on their guard against such things.
At the end of the previous chapter - `Genesis 17bbb0` - the Last Judgement was the subject, at the end of this chapter - `Genesis 18bbb0` - the state of young children in the next life; and in both sections experience of those things seen and heard in the world of spirits and in the angelic heaven has been drawn on.
ppp21539#pid#2310. Reference has been made many times to THE INTERNAL SENSE of the Word; but I am aware that few are able to believe that such a sense exists within every detail of the Word, not only in its prophetical sections but also in its historical parts. They have little difficulty in believing that such a sense lies within prophetical sections as these do not possess the same continuity of ideas, and at the same time they contain strange modes of expression - which leads everyone to think that these sections must have some hidden content. But the fact that the historical parts in a similar way contain the internal sense is not so readily apparent both because the idea has not up to now entered anyone's head and because historical descriptions are such that they engross one's attention and thus draw the mind away from thinking that anything deeper lies concealed within them. And a further reason why they are not seen to contain any internal meaning is that the historical events described are true, as they have been recorded.
ttt[2] Nevertheless no one can fail from the two following considerations to conclude that the historical parts as well have that which is heavenly and Divine within them but which does not show itself plainly:
1. The Word has been sent down to man from the Lord by way of heaven and so has a different origin from anything else. The nature of its origin, and the fact that this is so different from the literal sense and so far removed from it as not even to be seen, nor consequently acknowledged, by people who are purely worldly, will be shown from much evidence presented further on.
2. Being Divine the Word has been written not only for man's benefit but also for that of the angels present with man. It has been written to be of service not merely to the human race but also to heaven. This being so the Word is the medium which unites heaven and earth. Union is effected through the Church, and in fact through the Word within the Church. This is what makes it what it is and marks it off from any other literature.
ttt[3] As regards the historical parts specifically, unless these in a similar way contained Divine and celestial things aside from the letter, no one whose thoughts extend beyond this could ever acknowledge them to be the inspired Word, down to every jot. Would anyone say that the abominable matter involving Lot's daughters, described at the end of this chapter, would be recorded in the Divine Word? Or that Jacob's peeling the rods until they were white, and placing them in the watering troughs so that the flock reproduced striped, spotted, and speckled would be recorded? Would many other events besides these have been recorded in the remaining books of Moses, and in the Books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings - events which would be of no importance and therefore of no consequence, whether known about or not, if more deeply within they did not embody some hidden Divine meaning? If they did not do so they would be no different from any other historical compositions which have sometimes been written in this fashion to give them a more appealing presentation.
ttt[4] The learned world does not know that even the historical sections of the Word conceal Divine and heavenly things. Consequently but for the sacred respect for the books of the Word which has been instilled into them since early childhood, they might be thoroughly disposed to say that the Word is not holy except solely on these grounds. But the Word is holy not because of such respect for it but because of the internal sense within it, which is heavenly and Divine, and which causes heaven to be united to earth, that is, angels' minds to men's, and men's thereby to the Lord.
ppp21538#pid#2311. That such is the nature of the Word and that in this way it differs from all other literature is also evident from the consideration that not only all names mean real things, as shown already in `@@@1224`, `@@@1264`, `@@@1876`, `@@@1888`, but also that all expressions possess a spiritual sense and so mean in heaven something different from what they do on earth. And this is quite invariably so in both the prophetical parts and in the historical sections. When these names and expressions are interpreted in a heavenly sense according to the meaning they have throughout the whole of the Word, the internal sense, which is the Word among angels, emerges. The relationship of these two senses of the Word is like that of the body and the soul - the literal sense being like the body, the internal sense like the soul. Just as the body lives by means of the soul so does the literal sense by means of the internal sense. By way of the internal sense the Lord's life flows into the letter according to the affection of the person reading it. This shows how holy the Word is, though it does not seem so to worldly minds.
ppp21537#pid#2312. `Genesis 19bbb0`
1. And the two angels came to Sodom in the evening; and Lot was sitting in the gateway of Sodom. And Lot saw and rose up to meet them, and bowed down with his face towards the ground.
2. And he said, Behold now, my Lords, turn aside now to your servant's house and spend the night, and wash your feet. And in the morning you may rise up and go your way. And they said, No, for we will spend the night in the street.
3. And he urged them strongly; and they turned aside to him and came to his house. And he made a feast for them and baked unleavened bread; and they ate.
4. Scarcely had they lain down when the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, from boy even to old man, all the people from furthest away.
5. And they cried out to Lot, and said to him, Where are the men who came to you in the night? Bring them out to us and let us know them.
6. And Lot went out to them to the door (janua) and shut the door (ostium) behind him.
7. And he said, No, my brothers, do not act wickedly.
8. Behold now, I have two daughters, who have not known a man; let me now bring them out to you and you may do to them as is good in your eyes; only do nothing to those men, for they have come under the shadow of my roof.
9. And they said, Stand back. And they said, Did not this one come to sojourn, and will he surely judge? Now we will do more harm to you than to them. And they pressed on the man, on Lot forcefully, and came near to break down the door (ostium).
10. And the men reached out their hand and brought Lot into the house to them and shut the door.
11. And the men who were at the door of the house they struck with blindness, both small and great; and these strove to find the door (janua).
12. And the men said to Lot, Whom have you here still? Son-in-law, and your sons, and your daughters, and everyone you have in the city - bring [them] out of the place.
13. For we are destroying this place, for their cry has become great before Jehovah; and Jehovah has sent us to destroy it.
14. And Lot went out, and spoke to his sons-in-law who were marrying his daughters, and said, Rise up, go out of this place, for Jehovah is destroying the city. But he was in the eyes of his sons-in-law like one who was jesting.
15. As dawn ascended the angels pressed Lot to hurry, saying, Rise up, take your wife and your two daughters found [here], lest you are consumed in the iniquity of the city.
16. And he lingered; and the men grasped his hand, and his wife's hand, and his daughters' hands, because of Jehovah's compassion for him, and they led him away, and placed him outside the city.
17. And so it was, when they were leading them away outside, that [one of the two] said, Escape for your life`fff1`; do not look back behind you, and do not halt in all the plain; escape into the mountain, lest you are consumed.
18. And Lot said to them, Not so, my Lords.
19. Behold now, your`fff2` servant has found grace in your eyes, and you have magnified your mercy which you have shown to me in causing my soul to live. But I shall not be able to escape into the mountain in case the evil clings to me and I die.
20. Behold now, this city is near to flee to it, and it is small. Let me, I beg you, escape to it (is it not small?) and let my soul live.
21. And he said to him, Behold, I have accepted you`fff3` as regards this matter also, that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken.
22. Make haste, escape to it, for I cannot do anything until you come to it. Therefore he called the name of the city Zoar.
23. The sun had gone forth over the earth, and Lot came to Zoar.
24. And Jehovah rained on Sodom and on Gomorrah brimstone and fire from Jehovah out of heaven.
25. And He overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew in the ground.
26. And his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
27. And Abraham rose up in the early morning, [and went] to the place where he had stood before Jehovah.
28. And he looked out towards the face of Sodom and Gomorrah, and towards the whole face of the land of the plain; and he saw, and behold the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace.
29. And so it was, when God was destroying the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot away out of the midst of the overthrowing when He was overthrowing the cities in which Lot dwelt.
30. And Lot went up out of Zoar and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him, for he was afraid to dwell in Zoar. And he dwelt in a cave - he, and his two daughters.
31. And the firstborn said to the younger, Our father is old, and there is no man in the land to come to us, according to the way of all the earth.
32. Come, let us make our father drink wine, and let us lie with him, and let us keep seed alive by our father.
33. And they made their father drink wine that night, and the firstborn came and lay with her father; and he did not know when she lay down and when she rose up.
34. And so it was on the next day, that the firstborn said to the younger, Behold, I lay last night with my father; let us make him drink wine again tonight, and come, lie with him, and let us keep seed alive by our father.
35. And they made their father drink wine that night also; and the younger rose up and lay with him; and he did not know when she lay down and when she rose up.
36. And the two daughters of Lot conceived by their father.
37. And the firstborn gave birth to a son and called his name Moab; he is the father of Moab even to this day.
38. And the younger also gave birth to a son and called his name Benammi; he is the father of the children of Ammon even to this day.
CONTENTS
In this chapter 'Lot' describes, in the internal sense, the state of the spiritual Church in which good flowing from charity exists but the worship of which is external - how in course of time that Church falls away.
`nnn1. literally, soul
`nnn2. In this verse you and your are singular. Lot is presumably addressing the one who spoke in verse `Genesis 19bbbccc17` and does so again in verse `Genesis 19bbbccc21`.
`nnn3. literally, your face
ppp21536#pid#2313. The first state of that Church: people have the good of charity and acknowledge the Lord; and from Him they are strengthened in good, verses `Genesis 19bbbccc1-3`, and are saved, verse `Genesis 19bbbccc12`. The second state: with those people evils start to react against goods, but they are powerfully withheld from evils and maintained in goods by the Lord, verses `Genesis 19bbbccc14-16`; their helplessness is described, verse `Genesis 19bbbccc18`; they are saved, verse `Genesis 19bbbccc19`. The third state: they no longer think and act from an affection for good but from an affection for truth, verses `Genesis 19bbbccc18-20`; and they are saved, verse `Genesis 19bbbccc23`. The fourth state: the affection for truth perishes, meant by Lot's wife becoming a pillar of salt, verse `Genesis 19bbbccc26`. The fifth state: impure good, or good enveloped in falsity, supersedes, meant by Lot in the mountain-cave, verse `Genesis 19bbbccc30`. The sixth state: even this good is adulterated and falsified further still, verses `Genesis 19bbbccc31-33`, and truth equally so, verses `Genesis 19bbbccc34-35`. From this some semblance of a Church is conceived and born, whose good, so-called, is Moab, and whose truth, also so-called, is the son of Ammon, verses `Genesis 19bbbccc36-38`.
ppp21535#pid#2314. Besides this, 'the inhabitants of Sodom' describes, in the internal sense, the state of those people inside the same Church who are averse to the good of charity, and describes how evil and falsity among them increases with the passage of time until nothing but evil and falsity are theirs.
ppp21534#pid#2315. Their first state: they are averse to the good that flows from charity, and to the Lord, verses `Genesis 19bbbccc4-5`. Their second state though informed about the good of charity and about the delights which go with affections for that good and which they are to enjoy, they are nevertheless unmoved and reject good, verses `Genesis 19bbbccc6-8`. They even try to destroy the good of charity itself, but the Lord protects it, verses `Genesis 19bbbccc9-10`. Their third state: at length they become such that they cannot even see truth and good at all, still less see that truth leads to good, verse `Genesis 19bbbccc11`. They are so possessed by evil and falsity that they inevitably perish, verse `Genesis 19bbbccc13`. Their fourth state: the destruction of them, verse `Genesis 19bbbccc24`; and all goods and truths are separated from them, verses `Genesis 19bbbccc25`.
ppp21533#pid#2316. The good are separated from the evil, and the good are saved, by means of the Lord's Human made Divine, verses `Genesis 19bbbccc27-29`.
ppp21532#pid#2317. THE INTERNAL SENSE
Verse `Genesis 19bbbccc1` And the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of Sodom. And Lot saw and rose up to meet them, and bowed down with his face towards the ground.
'The two angels came to Sodom in the evening' means the visitation which takes place prior to judgement, 'the two angels' meaning the Lord's Divine Human and His Holy proceeding, to which judgement belongs; 'Sodom' meaning the evil, especially those inside the Church; 'evening' meaning the time when visitation takes place. 'And Lot was sitting in the gateway of Sodom' means those people with whom the good of charity exists but whose worship is external - people represented by 'Lot' here - who are among and yet separated from the evil, which is meant by his 'sitting in the gateway of Sodom'. 'And Lot saw' means their conscience. 'And he rose up to meet them' means acknowledgement, and a feeling of charity. 'And bowed down with his face towards the ground' means humiliation.
ppp21531#pid#2318. 'The two angels came to Sodom in the evening' means the visitation which takes place prior to judgement. This becomes clear from the statements made by the three men, that is, by Jehovah, in the previous chapter, also from what follows in the present chapter, as well as from the meaning of 'the evening'. In the previous chapter Jehovah said, 'I will go down and I will see whether the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah have done altogether according to the cry which has come to Me; and if not, I will know', verses `Genesis 19bbbccc20-21`. At that point it was shown that those words meant the visitation that takes place prior to judgement. In the present chapter the actual process of visitation is described and after that judgement, as is evident from what follows. That 'evening' means the time when visitation takes place will be seen below. As for what visitation is and the fact that visitation takes place prior to judgement, see `@@@2242`. In the previous chapter the subject was the corrupt state of the human race and the Lord's grief and intercession on behalf of those who are immersed in evil and yet with whom some good and truth exist. The present chapter therefore goes on to deal with the salvation of those with whom some good and truth exist, it being these who are represented in this chapter by Lot. At the same time it deals with the destruction of those who are immersed completely in evil and falsity, it being these who are meant here by Sodom and Gomorrah.
ppp21530#pid#2319. 'The two angels' means the Lord's Divine Human and His Holy proceeding to which judgement belongs. This is clear both from the meaning of 'angels' in the Word and from the fact that the expression 'two angels' is used here. In the Word 'angels' means some Divine essential in the Lord, though which essential becomes clear from the train of thought, as shown already in `@@@1925`. That here the Lord's Divine Human and His Holy proceeding are meant is evident from the consideration that the three men who stayed with Abraham meant the Divine itself, the Lord's Divine Human, and His Holy proceeding, `@@@2149`, `@@@2156`, `@@@2288`. From this, and from the fact that they are called 'Jehovah' in verse `Genesis 19bbbccc24`, and also from the meaning of 'angels', `@@@1925`, it is plain that 'the two angels' is here used to mean the Lord's Divine Human and His Holy proceeding.
ppp21529#pid#2320. The reason there were only two angels on this occasion, whereas three men had stayed with Abraham, is an arcanum which cannot be explained in a few words. It does become clear to a certain extent from the consideration that in this chapter the subject is judgement, that is to say, the salvation of those who have faith and the condemnation of those who have not. It is also clear from the Word that judgement belongs to the Lord's Divine Human and His Holy proceeding. That it belongs to the Divine Human may be seen in John,
The Father does not judge anyone, but has given all judgement to the Son. `John 5bbb22`.
'The Son' is used to mean the Divine Human, see `@@@2159`. That judgement belongs to the Holy proceeding from the Lord's Divine Human is also clear, again in John,
If I go away I will send the Paraclete to you; and when He comes He will convince the world in regard to sin and righteousness and judgement. `John 16bbb7-8`.
And that the Holy proceeds from the Lord is clear in the same gospel,
He will not speak from Himself but will receive it from what is Mine and declare it. `John 16bbb13`, `John 16bbbccc15`.
This referred to when the Human had become Divine, that is, when the Lord had been glorified, as is stated in the same gospel,
The Holy Spirit was not yet because Jesus was not yet glorified. `John 7bbb39`.
ppp21528#pid#2321. As regards judgement belonging to the Lord's Divine Human and His Holy proceeding, let it be said that unless the Lord had come into the world and had united the Divine Essence to the Human Essence it would no longer have been possible for the human race to be saved. But for the Lord's Human made Divine, salvation could not have reached anyone any more, `@@@1990`, `@@@2016`, `@@@2034`, `@@@2035`. The Holy itself proceeding from the Lord's Divine Human is that which separates the evil from the good; for the evil so fear and dread the Lord's Holy [proceeding] that they cannot go near it but flee far away from it into their own hells, each one doing so according to the profanity within him.
ppp21527#pid#2322. That 'Sodom' means the evil, especially those inside the Church, is clear from the meaning of 'Sodom' as evil that stems from self-love, dealt with in `@@@2220`, `@@@2246`. It means therefore people who are governed by such evil. People who understand the Word purely from the sense of the letter may imagine that 'Sodom' is used to mean a certain kind of foul behaviour that is totally unnatural, but in the internal sense 'Sodom' means evil that springs from self-love. Out of this evil all evils of every kind well up. And the evils that well up from it are in the Word called 'adulteries' and are described as such. This will be clear from those places in the Word which will be quoted at the end of this chapter.
ppp21526#pid#2323. That 'evening' means the time when visitation takes place is clear from the meaning of 'evening'. In the Word states of the Church are compared both to seasons of the year and to times of day - the seasons of the year being summer, autumn, winter, and spring; the times of day, midday, evening, night, and morning. Such a similarity does indeed exist between the two. The state of the Church which is, called 'evening' is a state when charity starts to be no more and as a consequence faith to be no more - thus a state when the Church is ceasing to exist. This evening is that which is followed by night, see `@@@22`. But another state of the Church - when charity is shining and as a consequence faith, and so when a new Church is arising - is called 'evening'. By this is meant the twilight prior to the morning, see `@@@883`. Thus the word 'evening' means both these states. For when a Church is ceasing to exist the Lord provides for a new one to arise. These two processes take place simultaneously, for without a Church somewhere in the world the human race cannot remain in existence because it would have no conjunction with heaven, as shown in `@@@468`, `@@@637`, `@@@931`, `@@@2054`.
ttt[2] In the present chapter both states of the Church are dealt with, that is to say, both the rise of a new Church represented by 'Lot' and the destruction of the old meant by 'Sodom and Gomorrah', as may be seen from the paragraphs above headed Contents. This is why it is said here that two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and why what happened in the evening is recorded, in verses `Genesis 19bbbccc1-3`, what happened during the night, in verses `Genesis 19bbbccc4-14`, what happened in the morning or at dawn, in verses `Genesis 19bbbccc15-22`, and what happened after sunrise, in verses `Genesis 19bbbccc23-26`.
ttt[3] Since 'the evening' means these states of the Church it also means the visitation that takes place prior to judgement; for when judgement, that is, when the salvation of those who have faith and the condemnation of those who have no faith, is imminent, visitation takes place - such visitation being an examination of their character, that is, to see whether any charity or faith is there. This visitation occurs 'in the evening', which also is why visitation itself is called 'the evening', as in Zephaniah,
Woe to the inhabitants of the region of the sea, to the nation of the Cherethites! The word of Jehovah is against you, O Canaan, land of the Philistines; and I will cause destruction in you until no inhabitant is left. The remnant of the house of Judah will pasture in the houses of Ashkelon, they will lie down in the evening, for Jehovah their God will visit them, and bring again their captivity. `Zephaniah 2bbb5`, `Zephaniah 2bbbccc7`.
ppp21525#pid#2324. 'And Lot was sitting in the gateway of Sodom' means those people with whom the good of charity exists but whose worship is external - people represented by 'Lot' here - who are among and yet separate from the evil, which is meant by his 'sitting in the gateway of Sodom'. This becomes clear from the representation of 'Lot', and from the meaning of 'a gateway' and also of 'Sodom':
From the representation of Lot: When Lot and Abraham were together he represented the Lord's sensory perception, and so His External, as shown in Volume One, in `@@@1428`, `@@@1434`, `@@@1547`. But now that he has separated from Abraham he ceases to represent the Lord any longer and instead represents those who are with the Lord, namely the external member of the Church - those with whom the good of charity exists but whose worship is external.
ttt[2] Indeed in the present chapter Lot represents the external member of the Church, or what amounts to the same, the nature of the external Church, not only as it is at the outset, but also as it is in its development, and as it is at the latter end too. The latter end of that Church is what is meant by Moab and the son of Ammon, as will be clear, in the Lord's Divine mercy, from the sequence of events described in what follows. In the Word it is common for one person to represent many consecutive states, which are described as consecutive actions in his life.
From the meaning of 'a gateway': A gateway is the place through which people enter or leave a city, and therefore 'sitting in the gateway' here means being indeed among and yet separate from the evil, as is normally the case with members of the Church with whom good that stems from charity exists. Though they are together with the evil they are nevertheless separate from them, not as regards civil society but as regards spiritual life.
'Sodom' means evil in general, or what amounts to the same, the evil, especially those inside the Church, as has been stated above, in `@@@2322`.
ppp21524#pid#2325. 'And Lot saw' means [their] conscience - that is to say, the conscience of those with whom the good of charity exists but whose worship is external. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'seeing'. 'Seeing' in the Word means understanding, see `@@@897`, `@@@1584`, `@@@1806`, `@@@1807`, `@@@2150`. In the internal sense however 'seeing' means having faith, a meaning which will in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed at `Genesis 29bbb32`. The reason why conscience is meant here is that people who have faith have conscience as well. Conscience is inseparable from faith, so inseparable in fact that it makes no difference whether you speak of faith or of conscience. By faith is meant faith through which charity comes, and which derives from charity. This being so, it is charity itself, for faith without charity is not faith at all. And just as faith is not possible without charity, neither is conscience possible without it.
ppp21523#pid#2326. 'And he rose up to meet them' means acknowledgement, and also a feeling of charity. This becomes clear from the fact that Lot acknowledged that they were angels the moment they arrived; but the men of Sodom did not do so - of whom it is recorded in verse `Genesis 19bbbccc5`, 'They cried out to Lot and said, Where are the men who came to you in the night? Bring them out to us-that we may know them'. In the internal sense the words of the present verse mean that those inside the Church with whom the good of charity exists acknowledge the Lord's Divine Human and His Holy proceeding meant by 'the two angels'; but those with whom the good of charity does not exist do not acknowledge them. That the same words also embody a feeling of charity is also clear from the fact that Lot, who represents those with whom the good of charity exists - indeed 'Lot' means good itself that stems from charity - invited the two angels into his house.
ppp21522#pid#2327. 'And bowed down with his face towards the ground' means humiliation. This becomes clear without explanation. The reason why in the past, especially in the representative Churches, people would bow so far down that their faces touched the ground, was that 'the face' meant man's interiors, `@@@358`, `@@@1999`. And they did so down 'to the ground' because 'the dust of the ground' meant that which is profane and condemned, `@@@278`. In doing this they represented the fact that of themselves they were profane and condemned. They therefore prostrated themselves face downwards on the ground, indeed they wallowed in dust and ashes, and also cast dust or ashes over their heads, as becomes clear from `Lamentations 2bbb10`; `Ezekiel 27bbb30`; `Micah 1bbb10`; `Joshua 7bbb6`; `Revelation 18bbb19`; and elsewhere.
ttt[2] By these actions they represented a state of true humility, which can in no way exist unless people acknowledge that of themselves they are profane and condemned, and so of themselves are incapable of looking towards the Lord where everything is Divine and Holy. To the extent therefore that a person acknowledges his own condition he can possess true humility, and when engaged in worship can have real devotion. For all worship must contain humility, and if separated from it no adoration and so no worship at all is present.
ttt[3] The reason a state of humility is vital to worship itself is that insofar as the heart is humbled self-love and all resulting evil come to an end; and insofar as these come to an end good and truth, that is, charity and faith, flow in from the Lord. For what above all else stands in the way of their being received is self-love. Indeed within self-love there lies contempt for all others in comparison with oneself; there lies hatred and revenge if one is not venerated most highly; and there lies mercilessness and cruelty within it, and thus the worst evils of all into which good and truth cannot possibly be introduced, since they are completely opposite.
ppp21521#pid#2328. Verse `Genesis 19bbbccc2` And he said, Behold now, my Lords, turn aside now to your servant's house and spend the night, and wash your feet. And in the morning you may rise up and go your way. And they said, No, for we will spend the night in the street.
'And he said, Behold now, my Lords' means interior acknowledgement and confession of the Lord's Divine Human and His Holy proceeding. 'Turn aside now to your servant's house and spend the night' means an invitation to stay with him - 'to your servant's house' means abiding in the good of charity. 'And wash your feet' means accommodation to his natural. 'And in the morning you may rise up and go your way' means being strengthened in this way in good and truth. 'And they said, No' means the doubting which is usually present during temptation. 'For we will spend the night in the street' means that He was willing, so to speak, to judge from truth.
ppp21520#pid#2329. 'He said, Behold now, my Lords' means interior acknowledgement and confession of the Lord's Divine Human and His Holy proceeding. This is clear from the acknowledgement and humiliation already referred to just above. Confession follows immediately after them here, for confession is meant by his saying, 'Behold now, my Lords'. Interior confession belongs to the heart, and manifests itself in humiliation and at the same time in the affection for good, whereas exterior confession belongs to the lips, which may manifest itself in a spurious humiliation and a spurious affection for good which is none at all, as with people who confess the Lord for the sake of their own reputation or rather worship of self, and for the sake of their own material gain. What these people confess with the lips they deny in the heart.
ttt[2] The plural 'my Lords' is used for the same reason that 'three men' are spoken of in the previous chapter. For just as the three there mean the Divine itself, the Divine Human, and the Holy proceeding, so the two mentioned here mean the Lord's Divine Human and His Holy proceeding, as stated above. That these make one is well known to anyone inside the Church, and because they make one they are also referred to in the singular further on,
So it was, when they had brought them outside, that he said, Escape for your life. Verse `Genesis 19bbbccc17`.
Behold now, your servant has found grace in your eyes, and you have magnified your mercy which you have shown to me. Verse `Genesis 19bbbccc19`.
And he said to him, Behold, I have accepted you as regards this matter also, that I will not overthrow the city. Verse `Genesis 19bbbccc21`.
For I cannot do anything until you come to it. Verse `Genesis 19bbbccc22`.
ttt[3] That the Divine itself, the Divine Human, and the Holy proceeding are Jehovah is clear from the previous chapter, where in various places the three men are called Jehovah, namely,
Jehovah said to Abraham. Verse `Genesis 18bbbccc13`.
Will anything be too wonderful for Jehovah? Verse `Genesis 18bbbccc14`.
Abraham still stood before Jehovah. Verse `Genesis 18bbbccc22`.
Jehovah departed, when He had finished speaking to Abraham. Verse `Genesis 18bbbccc33`.
Consequently the Divine Human and the Holy proceeding are Jehovah, for this name is used for both in verse `Genesis 19bbbccc24` of the present chapter.
And Jehovah rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from Jehovah out of heaven. Verse `Genesis 19bbbccc24`.
The internal sense of these words will be seen later on. As regards the Lord being Jehovah Himself, who is mentioned so many times in the historical and prophetical sections of the Old Testament, see `@@@1736`.
ttt[4] Those who are truly members of the Church, that is, who are governed by love to the Lord and by charity towards the neighbour, know about and acknowledge the Trinity; but nevertheless they humble themselves before the Lord and worship Him alone. They do so because they know that there is no other way of reaching the Divine itself, called the Father, except through the Son, and that all the Holiness which the Holy Spirit possesses proceeds from Him. When this idea exists with them they worship none except Him, through whom and from whom all things have their being, and so worship One Being. Nor do they disperse their ideas among three, as many others inside the Church are wont to do.
ttt[5] This is evident from very many people in the next life, including some learned, who during their lifetime have presumed themselves to have a firmer grip on the arcana of faith than all others. When these people have been examined in the next life to see what idea they had had concerning the one God - whether there were three Uncreated, three Infinites, three Eternals, three Almighties, and three Lords - it was quite obvious that they had had the idea of three beings (for in that world the communication of ideas takes place). They have had that idea even though the creed states explicitly that there are not three Uncreated, or three Infinites, or three Eternals, or three Almighties, or three Lords, but one - which is also the truth. They accordingly confessed that with their lips they had indeed spoken of God being one; but in spite of this they had thought of - and some had believed in - three whom they could separate in idea but not join together.
ttt[6] The reason is that for all arcana, even the deepest, some idea exists, for without the existence of an idea nothing is able to be thought about nor indeed anything retained in the memory. In the next life therefore the nature of the thought, and consequently of the faith, that anyone has formulated for himself concerning the One God is clear as daylight. Indeed when Jews in the next life hear that the Lord is Jehovah and that only one God exists they have nothing to say; but when they perceive that Christians' ideas are divided into three they say that they themselves worship one God whereas Christians worship three. What is more, nobody is able to join together three thus separated in idea except those who have the faith that comes with charity - for the Lord accommodates their minds to Himself.
ppp21519#pid#2330. 'Turn aside now to your servant's house and spend the night' means an invitation to stay with him. This is clear without explanation.
ppp21518#pid#2331. 'To your servant's house' means abiding in the good of charity. This is clear from the meaning of 'a house' as celestial good, which belongs solely to love and charity, dealt with in `@@@2048`, `@@@2233`.
ppp21517#pid#2332. 'Wash your feet' means accommodation to his natural. This is clear from what has been stated in the previous chapter, in `@@@2162`, where the same words occur. In former times when people saw the angel of Jehovah they believed that they were about to die, `Exodus 19bbb12`, `Exodus 19bbbccc21`, `Exodus 19bbbccc24`; `Exodus ccc20bbb19`, `Judges 6bbb22`, `Judges 6bbbccc23`, `Judges 13bbb22`, `Judges 13bbbccc23`. The reason they did so is that Divine Holiness flowing into the unholiness present with man is so powerful that it seems like a devouring and consuming fire. Consequently when the Lord manifests Himself visibly to man, and even to angels, He in miraculous ways adjusts and moderates the Holy proceeding from Himself so that they can stand it. Or what amounts to the same, He adapts Himself to their natural. This then is the meaning in the internal sense of these words which Lot addressed to the angels, 'Wash your feet'. This shows the nature of the internal sense, for it cannot be seen from the sense of the letter that this is the meaning.
ppp21516#pid#2333. 'And in the morning you may rise up and go your way' means being strengthened in this way in good and truth. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'rising up in the morning', and also from the meaning of 'going on one's way'. In the Word 'the morning' means the Lord's kingdom and whatever belongs to the Lord's kingdom, and so primarily the good that flows from love and charity. This will be confirmed from the Word at verse `Genesis 19bbbccc15`. 'Way' however means truth, see `@@@627`. From this it follows that after they had been in his house and spent the night there, which meant that they dwelt in the good of charity with him, 'they rose up in the morning and went their way', which means that in this way they were confirmed in good and truth.
ttt[2] These phrases, as do all the rest, show how far removed the internal sense is from the sense of the letter and therefore how hidden from view it is, especially in the historical parts of the Word. They show that this sense is not discernible unless individual expressions are explained according to the meaning they have all through the Word. Consequently when ideas are confined to the sense of the letter, the internal sense is seen as something altogether dark and obscure. Conversely when ideas are confined to the internal sense, the sense of the letter in a similar way is seen as something obscure. Indeed angels see it as nothing, for angels no longer have worldly and bodily ideas as man does, but spiritual and celestial ones, into which the expressions of the sense of the letter are marvellously converted when the Word which man is reading rises up to the sphere in which angels dwell, that is, up to heaven. This happens because of the correspondence of spiritual things with worldly, and of celestial with bodily, a correspondence which is absolutely consistent but whose nature has not been disclosed until now in the explanation of expressions, names, and numbers in the Word as to their internal sense.
ttt[3] So that the nature of that correspondence may be known, or what amounts to the same, how worldly and bodily ideas pass over into corresponding spiritual and celestial ideas when they are raised towards heaven, let 'the morning' and 'way' be taken as examples: When a person reads of 'the morning', as in the phrase here 'rising up in the morning', angels do not conceive the idea of the start to a new day but the idea which 'morning' has in the spiritual sense. The idea they conceive is similar to the statement in Samuel,
The Rock of Israel . . . He is like morning light, when the sun rises on a cloudless morning. `2 Samuel 23bbb3-4`.
And in Daniel,
The Holy One said to me, Up to the evening when it is becoming morning, two thousand three hundred times. `Daniel 8bbb14`, `Daniel 8bbbccc26`.
Thus instead of 'the morning' angels perceive the Lord, or His kingdom, or celestial things of love and charity. This they do varyingly according to the train of thought in the Word which a person is reading.
ttt[4] Similarly where a person reads of 'a way', as in 'going on your way' here, they cannot have any idea of a way, but a spiritual or a celestial idea, that is to say, like that in John, when the Lord said,
I am the way and the truth. `John 14bbb6`.
Also the idea in David,
Make Your ways known to me, O Jehovah, guide my way in truth. `Psalms 25bbb4-5`.
And in Isaiah,
He made him know the way of understanding. `Isaiah 40bbb14`.
Thus instead of 'a way' angels perceive truth. They do so in the historical as well as the prophetical sections of the Word; in fact angels no longer have any interest in matters of history as these are not at all in keeping with the ideas they have. Consequently in place of historical details they perceive such things as belong to the Lord and His kingdom, which also follow on one after another in marvellous array and perfect sequence in the internal sense. For this reason, so that the Word may serve angels as well, all historical details there are representative, and each expression serves to mean such things. This special feature is what makes the Word different from all other literature.
ppp21515#pid#2334. 'And they said, No' means the doubting which is usually present during temptation. This becomes clear from their saying 'No' but nevertheless entering his house. All temptation entails feelings of doubt regarding the Lord's presence and mercy, regarding salvation, and other things such as these; for people who experience temptation suffer mental distress, even to the point of despair, in which state they are kept for the most part so that at length they may be confirmed in the conviction that all things are subject to the Lord's mercy, that they are saved through Him alone, and that with themselves there is nothing but evil - convictions in which they are strengthened through conflicts in which they are victorious. Remaining from temptation after this is over, there are further states of truth and good to which their thoughts - which would otherwise dart off into interests that are insane and draw the mind away into an aversion to what is true and good - can subsequently be turned to the Lord.
ttt[2] Since 'Lot' here describes the first state of the Church in which the good of charity exists but whose worship is external, and since before he enters this state a person is to be reformed - such reformation being effected also by means of a certain kind of temptation (though those whose worship is external undergo only mild temptation) - things are therefore said here which imply something of temptation. Those things are that at first the angels declared that they would spend the night in the street but that Lot urged them and so they turned aside to him and entered his house.
ppp21514#pid#2335. 'For we will spend the night in the street' means that He was willing, so to speak, to judge from truth. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'the street' and from the meaning of 'spending the night'. 'Street' is mentioned in various places in the Word, and in the internal sense has a similar meaning to 'a way', namely, truth; for a street is a way within a city, as will be clear from the places quoted in the next paragraph. That here 'spending the night' is judging may become clear from the meaning of 'the night'. It has been shown above in `@@@2323` that 'the evening' means the penultimate state of the Church when faith is starting to be no more. It also means the visitation which takes place prior to judgement. From this it is evident that night which follows is the last state when faith is no more, and also when judgement takes place. From this it is plain that in the internal sense 'spending the night in the street' means judging from truth.
ttt[2] As for judgement it is twofold, that is to say, there is judgement from good and judgement from truth. People who have faith are judged from good, but those who do not have it are judged from truth. The fact that those who have faith are judged from good is quite clear in `Matthew 25bbb34-40`, while those who do not have it are judged from truth, in verses `Matthew 25bbbccc41-46`. Those judged from good are saved since they have accepted good, but those judged from truth are condemned because they have rejected good. Good is the Lord's, and those who acknowledge this in life and faith are the Lord's, and are therefore saved; but those who do not acknowledge it in life, nor consequently in faith, cannot be the Lord's nor thus be saved. They are judged therefore according to the actions done in their life and according to their thoughts and ends in view. And when judged according to these they are inevitably condemned, for the truth is that of himself man can do, think, and intend nothing but evil, and of himself rushes towards hell insofar as he is not held back from that place by the Lord.
ttt[3] The situation with regard to judgement from truth is this: The Lord never judges anyone except from good, for His will is to lift all men, however many these may be, up to heaven, indeed if it were possible, up to Himself. For the Lord is mercy itself and good itself, and mercy itself and good itself cannot possibly condemn anyone. It is man who, in rejecting good, condemns himself. As a person has fled habitually from good during his lifetime, so in the next life he flees from it, and therefore from heaven and the Lord. For the Lord cannot be present except within good. He is present in truth as well, but not in truth separated from good. That the Lord does not condemn anyone, that is, does not judge them to hell, He Himself declares in John,
God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world but that the world might be saved through Him. This is the judgement, that the light has come into the world, but men preferred darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. `John 3bbb17`, `John 3bbbccc19`.
And in the same gospel,
If anyone hears My words, yet does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. `John 12bbb47`.
ttt[4] See in addition what has been said already on these matters in `@@@223`, `@@@245`, `@@@592`, `@@@696`, `@@@1093`, `@@@1683`, `@@@1874`, `@@@2258`. When judgement was dealt with above in `@@@2320`, `@@@2321`, it was shown that all judgement belongs to the Lord's Divine Human and His Holy proceeding, according to the Lord's words in John,
The Father does not judge anyone, but has given all judgement to the Son. `John 5bbb22`.
Now however it is said that the Lord does not judge anyone by condemning him. This shows the nature of the Word in the letter - that unless understood from a sense other than the letter, namely from the internal sense, it would be unintelligible. The internal sense alone shows what is really involved in judgement.
ppp21513#pid#2336. That 'the street' means truth becomes clear from many places in the Word, as in John where the New Jerusalem is referred to,
The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate was one pearl; and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. `Revelation 21bbb21`.
ttt[2] 'The New Jerusalem' is the Lord's kingdom which because it is being described as regards good and truth is described by walls, gates, and streets. By the last of these -'the streets' - are meant all avenues of truth which lead to good, that is, all those of faith which lead to love and charity. And because truths in this way become part of good, and so are made transparent from good, it is said that 'the street was pure gold, like transparent glass'. In the same book,
Out of the middle of the street of it, and of the river, on this side and on that, was the tree of life bearing twelve fruits. `Revelation 22bbb2`.
This also refers to the New Jerusalem or the Lord's kingdom. 'The middle of the street' is the truth of faith, by means of which good comes and which after that stems from good. 'The twelve fruits' are those called the fruits of faith, for 'twelve' means all things of faith, as shown in `@@@577`, `@@@2089`, `@@@2129`, `@@@2130`.
ttt[3] In Daniel,
Know and perceive that from the going forth of the Word to restore and to build Jerusalem until the Messiah, the Leader, there will be seven weeks - and sixty-two weeks; and it will be restored and built with street and moat. `Daniel 9bbb25`.
This refers to the Coming of the Lord, 'it will be restored with street and moat' meaning that there will be truth and good at that time. The fact that Jerusalem was not restored and built at that time is well known; and that it is not to be restored and built anew anyone may also know provided he does not fix his ideas on a worldly kingdom but on a heavenly kingdom meant in the internal sense by Jerusalem.
ttt[4] In Luke,
The householder said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in here the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind. `Luke 14bbb21`.
People who confine themselves to the sense of the letter gain nothing more from this verse than the idea that the servant was to go everywhere, and that this is what is meant by 'streets and lanes', and that he was to fetch in everybody, and that this is what is meant by 'the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind'. But each and all of these words, being the Lord's, embody arcana within them. The command that he should go out into the streets and lanes means that he was to search everywhere for some genuine truth, that is, for truth which shines out of good, or through which good shines. The command that he should bring in the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind, means that such people were to be brought in as had in the Ancient Church been called the poor, maimed, lame, or blind - that is, he was to bring in those who were such as regards faith but who had led good lives, and who for this reason ought to be taught about the Lord's kingdom - thus to bring in gentiles who were as yet uninformed.
ttt[5] Because 'streets' meant truths it was a representative custom among the Jews to teach in the streets, as is evident from `Matthew 6bbb2`, `Matthew 6bbbccc5`, and `Luke 13bbb26-27`. Wherever 'streets' are mentioned in the Prophets they mean in the internal sense either truths or things contrary to truths, as in Isaiah,
Judgement is cast away backwards, and justice stands afar off, for truth has stumbled in the street, and uprightness cannot come in. `Isaiah 59bbb14`.
In the same prophet,
Your sons fainted and lay at the head of every street. `Isaiah 51bbb20`.
In Jeremiah,
Death has come up into our windows, it has entered our palaces, cutting off the small child from the street and the young men from the lanes. `Jeremiah 9bbb21`.
ttt[6] In Ezekiel,
By means of the hoofs of his horses Nebuchadnezzar will trample all your streets. `Ezekiel 26bbb11`.
This refers to Tyre, which means cognitions of truth, `@@@1201`. 'The hoofs of the horses' are facts which pervert the truth. In Nahum,
In the streets the chariots rage; they rush about in the lanes. `Nahum 2bbb4`.
'Chariots' stands for the doctrine of truth, which is said 'to rage in the streets' when falsity has replaced truth. In Zechariah,
Old men and old women will again dwell in the streets of Jerusalem. And the streets of the city will be full of boys and girls playing in the streets. `Zechariah 8bbb4-5`.
This refers to affections for truth, and consequent forms of joy and gladness. There are other places besides these, such as `Isaiah 24bbb11`; `Jeremiah 5bbb1`; `Jeremiah ccc7bbb34`; `Jeremiah ccc49bbb26`; `Lamentations 2bbb11`, `Lamentations 2bbbccc19`; `Lamentations ccc4bbb8`, `Lamentations 4bbbccc14`; `Zephaniah 3bbb6`.
ppp21512#pid#2337. Verse `Genesis 19bbbccc3` And he urged them strongly; and they turned aside to him and came to his house. And he made a feast for them and baked unleavened bread; and they ate.
'He urged them strongly' means a state of temptation when a person overcomes. 'And they turned aside to him' means staying with. 'And came to his house' means confirmation in good. 'And he made a feast for them' means dwelling together. 'And he baked unleavened bread' means purification. 'And they ate' means making one's own.
ppp21511#pid#2338. That 'he urged them strongly' means a state of temptation when a person overcomes does not become clear except to those who have experienced temptations. As has been stated, temptations involve feelings of doubt regarding the Lord's presence and mercy, and also regarding His salvation. The evil spirits who are present with man at such times and who are the cause of temptation do all they can to infuse a negative outlook, but good spirits and angels from the Lord in every way disperse that doubting attitude, all the time preserving a feeling of hope and in the end strengthening an affirmative outlook. Consequently a person undergoing temptation hangs between a negative outlook and an affirmative outlook. Anyone who gives way in temptation remains in a doubting, and sinks into a negative, frame of mind, whereas one who overcomes still experiences feelings of doubt; yet he who allows himself to be filled with hope remains steadfastly in an affirmative outlook. Because man seems during such conflict to urge the Lord, especially through prayers, to be at hand, to take pity, to bring help, and to free from condemnation, this is described at this point where the temptation of those who are becoming members of the Church is the subject. It is described by the angels first of all saying, No, they would spend the night in the street, but by Lot urging them strongly, so that they turned aside to him and came into his house.
ppp21510#pid#2339. 'And they turned aside to him' means staying with. This is clear from the meaning of the same words above in `@@@2330` and so without further explanation.
ppp21509#pid#2340. 'And came to his house' means confirmation in good. This is clear from the meaning of 'a house' as celestial good, dealt with already in `@@@2233`, `@@@2331`. From this, as well as from the train of thought in the internal sense, it is clear that being confirmed in good is meant.
ppp21508#pid#2341. 'And he made a feast for them' means dwelling together. This is clear from the meaning of 'a feast'. 'Feasts' are mentioned in various places in the Word, and in those places they mean in the internal sense dwelling together, as in Jeremiah,
The word of Jehovah came to him, You shall not go into the house of feasting to sit with them, to eat and to drink. `Jeremiah 16bbb8`.
In that chapter the prophet is told many things by which he was to represent the necessity for good to have no connection with evil, nor truth to have any with falsity. Among other things he was required 'not to go into the house of feasting', which meant that good and truth were not to dwell together with evil and falsity.
ttt[2] In Isaiah,
Jehovah Zebaoth will make on this mountain a feast of fat things for all peoples, a feast of sweet wines, of fat things full of marrow, of wines well-refined. `Isaiah 25bbb6`.
Here 'mountain' stands for love to the Lord, `@@@795`, `@@@1430`. People with whom that love exists dwell together with the Lord in good and truth, which are meant by 'a feast'. 'Fat things' and those 'full of marrow' are goods, `@@@353`, 'sweet and well-refined wines' are truths deriving from goods, `@@@1071`.
ttt[3] The feasts made from the consecrated elements when sacrifices were offered represented in the Jewish Church nothing else than the Lord's dwelling together with man within the holy things of love meant by sacrifices, `@@@2187`. The same was at a later time meant by the Holy Supper, which the Primitive Church called a feast.
ttt[4] Chapter `Genesis ccc21bbb0` below refers to Abraham making a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned, in verse `Genesis 19bbbccc8`. This feast represented and therefore meant the dwelling together and initial conjunction of the Lord's Divine itself with His Human Rational. 'Feasts' have the same meaning in the internal sense in other places, as may also be deduced from the fact that feasts are occasions involving a number of people who are all simultaneously filled with love and charity, who are opening their minds to one another, and who are enjoying together the glad feelings that are the expressions of love and charity.
ppp21507#pid#2342. 'And he baked unleavened bread' means purification. This is clear from the meaning of 'unleavened' or without yeast. In the Word 'bread' means in general every celestial and spiritual food, and so in general everything celestial and spiritual, see `@@@276`, `@@@680`, `@@@1798`, `@@@2165`, `@@@2177`. The need for the latter to be free of all impurities or unholiness was represented by 'unleavened bread'; for 'yeast' means the evil and falsity by means of which celestial and spiritual things are rendered impure and profane. On account of this representation those who belonged to the representative Church were forbidden in sacrifices to offer any bread or minchah other than bread without yeast, that is, unleavened, as is clear in Moses,
Every minchah which you bring to Jehovah shall be made without yeast. `Leviticus 2bbb11`. In the same author,
You shall not sacrifice the blood of My sacrifice with that made with yeast. `Exodus 23bbb18`; `Exodus ccc34bbb25`.
ttt[2] They were also forbidden therefore to eat any other bread during the seven days of the Passover than bread without yeast, that is, which was unleavened. This prohibition occurs in the following verses in Moses,
For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread; even on the first day you shall remove yeast from your houses, for anyone eating that made with yeast, that soul shall be cut off from Israel, from the first day until the seventh. In the first [month], on the fourteenth day of the month, in the evening, you shall eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first day of the month, in the evening. For seven days no yeast shall be found in your houses, for anyone eating that made with yeast, that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether a settler or one born in the land. `Exodus 12bbb15`, `Exodus 12bbbccc19-20`.
The same prohibition appears in other places as well, such as `Exodus 13bbb6-7`; `Exodus ccc23bbb15`; `Exodus ccc34bbb18`; `Deuteronomy 16bbb3-4`. Consequently the Passover is called the Feast of Unleavened Bread, `Leviticus 23bbb6`; `Numbers 28bbb16-17`; `Matthew 26bbb17`; `Luke 22bbb1`, `Luke 22bbbccc7`.
ttt[3] That the Passover represented the glorification of the Lord and so the conjunction of the Divine with the human race will in the Lord's Divine mercy be shown elsewhere. And because the conjunction of the Lord with the human race is effected by means of love and charity, and by means of the faith deriving from these, celestial and spiritual things were represented by the unleavened bread which they were to eat each day during the Passover. Consequently to prevent the defilement of those things by anything unholy they were strictly forbidden to eat anything made with yeast, so strictly that any who did so were to be cut off; for those who profane celestial and spiritual things inevitably perish. Anyone may see that but for this arcanum within it that observance, together with so harsh a penalty, would never have been introduced.
ttt[4] Everything that was commanded in that Church represented some arcanum, even the actual cooking, as with every instruction which the children of Israel carried out when they were leaving Egypt, namely that they were to eat that night flesh roasted by fire, and unleavened bread on bitter herbs; they were not to eat it raw or cooked in water; the head had to be on its legs; they were to let none of it remain until the morning; they were to burn what was left over with fire, `Exodus 12bbb8-10`. Every detail of these instructions was representative - eating it at night; flesh roasted by fire; unleavened bread on bitter herbs; the head on the legs; not raw; not cooked in water; not leaving any until the morning; and burning what was left with fire. But the arcana represented are in no way apparent unless they are disclosed by means of the internal sense. That sense alone shows that all these details are Divine.
ttt[5] Something similar was done in the ritual for the taking of a Nazirite vow. The priest was to take the cooked shoulder of the ram, and one unleavened cake from the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and he was to place them on the palms of the Nazirite after he had shaved his consecrated head, `Numbers 6bbb19`. Anyone who does not know that a Nazirite represented the celestial man himself does not know either that every detail of these instructions embodies celestial things, and so arcana, which are not apparent in the letter, namely the instructions to take the cooked shoulder of a ram, an unleavened cake, an unleavened wafer, and to shave off his hair. This also shows what kind of opinion regarding the Word can be gained by people who do not believe in the existence of an internal sense, for without the internal sense such details are of no consequence at all. But when the ceremonial or ritualistic element has been stripped away everything becomes Divine and holy. Everything else has a deeper meaning, as does 'unleavened bread' which means the holiness of love, or what is most holy, as it is also called in Moses,
The unleavened bread that was left over was to be eaten by Aaron and his sons in a holy place, for it was most holy. `Leviticus 6bbb16-17`.
'Unleavened bread' therefore means pure love, and 'the baking of that which is unleavened' purification.
ppp21506#pid#2343. 'And they ate' means making one's own. This is clear from the meaning of 'eating' as being communicated and joined together, thus being made one's own, dealt with already in `@@@2187`. What has been stated and explained so far makes clear how the contents of the previous and the present verses are arranged and link together in the internal sense - from the fact that 'the angels' means the Lord's Divine Human and His Holy proceeding, 'turning aside to him' means staying with, 'coming to his house' being confirmed in good, 'making a feast' dwelling together, 'baking unleavened bread' being purified, and 'eating' taking into oneself and making one's own. It shows the nature of the train of thought in the internal sense, though nothing at all of that sense is apparent in the historical sense.
ttt[2] Such is the order and the train of thought that exists with all the individual parts of the Word. But the nature of that actual train of thought cannot begin to reveal itself when each word is explained separately; for in that case each is seen in isolation from the rest and the continuity of meaning is lost. It reveals itself when all the separate details are seen together within one complete idea, or are perceived as one complete mental picture, as is done by those who have the internal sense and who at the same time dwell in heavenly light from the Lord. Within these words [used here in Genesis] such people are given to see the entire process of the reformation and regeneration of those who become members of the Church, represented here by Lot. That is to say, they first of all perceive some degree of temptation, but when they persevere and overcome the Lord stays with them, and confirms them in good, brings them to Himself into His kingdom, and dwells together with them, and there purifies and perfects them, at the same time granting them as their own things that are good and happy. All this He accomplishes by means of His Divine Human and His Holy proceeding.
ttt[3] Within the Church it is indeed well known that all regeneration or new life, and therefore salvation, comes from the Lord alone, but few believe it. The reason they do not believe it is that the good of charity does not exist in them. It is as impossible for those in whom that good does not exist to believe it as it is for a camel to go through the eye of a needle; for the good of charity is the very seed-bed of faith. Truth and good agree together, but truth and evil never do. They have contrary natures and turn away from each other. Insofar therefore as someone is moved by good, he can be governed by truth, that is, insofar as charity exists with him faith is able to, especially the most fundamental matter of faith that all salvation comes from the Lord.
ttt[4] That this is the most fundamental matter of faith is clear from many places in the Word, as in John,
God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but have eternal life. `John 3bbb16`.
In the same gospel,
He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not believe in the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God rests upon him. `John 3bbb36`.
In the same gospel,
This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom the Father has sent. `John 6bbb29`.
In the same gospel,
This is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. `John 6bbb40`.
In the same gospel,
Unless you believe that I am, you will die in your sins. `John 8bbb24`.
In the same gospel,
I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he die, yet will he live. And everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. `John 11bbb25-26`.
ttt[5] Nobody is able to believe in the Lord unless he is governed by good, that is, no one can possess faith unless he has charity. This too is clear in John,
As many as received Him, to them He gave power to be sons of God, to those believing in His name, who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. `John 1bbb12-13`.
And in the same gospel,
I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for without Me you can do nothing. If a man does not abide in Me he is cast forth as a branch and is withered. As the Father has loved Me so I have loved you; abide in My love. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. `John 15bbb5-6`, `John 15bbbccc9`, `John 15bbbccc12`.
ttt[6] From all these quotations it becomes clear that love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour constitute the life of faith. But that people who are immersed in evil, that is, who lead a life of evil, cannot possibly believe that all salvation comes from the Lord has become clear to me from those who have entered the next life from the Christian world; and also from people who during their lifetime have confessed with their lips the established teaching of faith, and indeed have taught it themselves, that without the Lord there is no salvation, but who, for all that, have led a life of evil. At the very mention of the Lord's name these people have filled the atmosphere around them entirely with objections. For in the next life solely that which people are thinking is perceived and sends out from itself a sphere, in which the nature of the faith possessed by those people reveals itself, see `@@@1394`.
ttt[7] At the mere mention of love or charity among these people I perceived emanating from them something that was so to speak full of darkness and at the same time dust-filled. The product of some filthy love, it was by nature such that it obliterated, stifled, and corrupted all feeling of love to the Lord and of charity towards the neighbour. Such is the faith at the present day, which, they say, saves without the goods that flow from charity.
ttt[8] The same people were also asked what faith they had since it was not the faith they had professed during their lifetime. Since in the next life nobody can conceal what he actually thinks, they said that they believed in God the Creator of all things. They were examined however as to whether this was really so, and it was discovered that they did not believe in any God at all but thought that all things were the product of natural forces, and all that has been said about eternal life is nonsense. Such is the faith of everyone inside the Church who does not believe in the Lord but says that he believes in God the Creator of all things. For truth cannot flow in from any other source than the Lord, and truth cannot be sown in anything other than good which is derived from the Lord.
ttt[9] That the Lord's Divine Human and His Holy proceeding are together the channel and the source of life and salvation is well recognized from the words of the Holy Supper, 'This is My body, This is My blood', which is the Lord's Divine Human. And it is clear that this is the source of everything holy. Whether we speak of the Divine Human, or His Body, or Flesh, or Bread, or Divine Love, it amounts to the same thing; for the Lord's Divine Human is pure Love, and the Holy [proceeding] consists in love alone, while the Holy that constitutes faith is derived from this.
ppp21505#pid#2344. Verse `Genesis 19bbbccc4` Scarcely had they lain down when the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, from boy even to old man, all the people from furthest away.
'Scarcely had they lain down' means the first phase of visitation. 'The men of the city' means those immersed in falsities. 'The men of Sodom' means those immersed in evils. 'Surrounded the house' means that they were set against the good that flows from charity. 'From boy even to old man' means falsities and evils, both recent and confirmed. 'All the people from furthest away' means every single one of them.
ppp21504#pid#2345. 'Scarcely had they lain down' means the first phase of visitation. This is clear from what has been stated above in `@@@2323`, `@@@2335`, about evening and night, namely that in the Word they mean visitation and judgement. Here, it is true, neither the word 'evening' nor the word 'night' is used but the phrase 'scarcely had they lain down', which accordingly means the time when evening is giving way to night, that is, when night is beginning. Consequently it means the first phase of visitation upon the evil, as is also evident from what follows. For the investigation of evil people inside the Church who are meant by Sodom starts here.
ppp21503#pid#2346. 'The men of the city' means those immersed in falsities, and 'the men of Sodom' those who are immersed in evils. This is clear from the meaning of 'a city' and of 'Sodom'. That 'a city' means truths and also falsities, or things that are the reverse of truths, has been shown already in `@@@402`, and that 'Sodom' means evils of every kind, in `@@@2220`, `@@@2246`. Since falsities as well as evils were involved in the investigation or visitation, they are called 'the men of the city, the men of Sodom'. If both had not been meant they would have been called simply 'the men of Sodom'.
ppp21502#pid#2347. 'They surrounded the house' means that they were set against the good that flows from charity. This is clear from the meaning of 'a house' as celestial good, which is nothing else than good flowing from love and charity, dealt with in `@@@2048`, `@@@2233`, and also from the meaning of 'surrounding' as being opposed to that good, that is, approaching it with hostile intent and attacking it.
ppp21501#pid#2348. 'From boy even to old man' means falsities and evils, both recent and confirmed. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'a boy' and of 'an old men' when used in reference to falsities and evils. That is to say, 'boys' means evils and falsities that were not yet fully developed, and so those that were recent, while 'old men' means evils and falsities that had matured, and so that had been confirmed. 'Boy' and 'old man' have a similar meaning when they occur elsewhere in the Word, as in Zechariah,
Old men and old women will again dwell in the streets of Jerusalem. And the streets of the city will be full of boys and girls playing in the streets. `Zechariah 8bbb4-5`.
Here 'Jerusalem' stands for the Lord's kingdom and Church, `@@@402`, `@@@2117`. 'Streets' stands for truths there, `@@@2336`. 'Old men' accordingly stands for confirmed truths, 'old women' for confirmed goods, 'boys playing in the streets' stands for recent truths, 'girls' for recent goods, and for their affections and resulting joys. This shows how celestial and spiritual things are converted into those of a historical nature when they come down into the worldly things that constitute the sense of the letter, in which it seems scarcely otherwise than that old men and boys, [old] women and girls, are meant.
ttt[2] In Jeremiah,
Pour it out upon the small child in the street of Jerusalem and upon the gathering of young men equally; for even man together with woman will be taken, old man together with one full of days. `Jeremiah 6bbb11`.
Here 'the street of Jerusalem' stands for falsities which reign within the Church, `@@@2336`. Those that are recent and those that are more developed are called 'the small child' and 'young men', those that are well established and those that have been confirmed are called 'old man' and 'one full of days'. In the same prophet,
In you I will scatter the horse and its rider, and in you I will scatter the chariot and him who rides in it; and in you I will scatter men and women, and in you I will scatter old man and boy. `Jeremiah 51bbb21-22`.
Here similarly 'old man and boy' stands for truth both confirmed and recent.
ttt[3] In the same prophet,
Death has come up into four] windows; it has entered our palaces, cutting off the small child in the street, and the young men from the lanes. `Jeremiah 9bbb21`.
Here 'the small child' stands for truths which are newly born and which are cut off when 'death has entered [our] windows and palaces', that is, things of the understanding and those of the will - 'windows' meaning things of the understanding, see `@@@655`, `@@@658` and 'palaces' or houses those of the will, `@@@710`.
ppp21500#pid#2349. 'All the people from furthest away' means every single one of them. This is clear from what is said immediately above, that there 'boys and old men' means falsities and evils, recent as well as confirmed, so that at this point 'people from furthest away' means every single one of them. Also, the word 'people' in general means falsities, see `@@@1259`, `@@@1260`.
ttt[2] The description at this point then is of the initial state of those inside the Church who are opposed to the good of charity and who are as a consequence opposed to the Lord, for one entails the other. Indeed nobody can be joined to the Lord except by means of love and charity. Love is spiritual conjunction itself, as may become clear from the essence of love, and anybody who is unable to be joined to Him is unable to acknowledge Him either. That those with whom good does not exist cannot acknowledge the Lord, that is, cannot have faith in Him, is clear in John,
Light has come into the world, but men preferred darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. He who performs evil deeds hates the light and does not come to the light lest his deeds should be exposed. He however who does the truth comes to the light, so that his deeds may be clearly seen, because they have been wrought in God. `John 3bbb19-21`.
From these words it is evident that people who are opposed to the good of charity are opposed to the Lord, or what amounts to the same, people immersed in evil hate the light and do not come to the light. That 'the light' is faith in the Lord, and is the Lord Himself, is evident in `John 1bbb9-10`; `John ccc12bbb35-36`, `John 12bbbccc46`.
ttt[3] The same point is made in another part of the same gospel,
The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil. `John 7bbb7`.
And it is said more plainly still in Matthew,
He will say to those On His left hand, Depart from Me, you cursed; for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me. Truly I say to you, Insofar as you did not do it to one of the least of these you did not do it to Me. `Matthew 25bbb41-43`, `Matthew 25bbbccc45`.
ttt[4] This shows in what way they are opposed to the Lord who are opposed to the good of charity. It also shows that everyone is judged according to good that flows from charity, not according to the truth of faith when the latter has been separated from good, as is also shown elsewhere in Matthew,
The Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father together with His angels, and at that time He will repay everyone according to his deeds. `Matthew 16bbb27`.
'Deeds' stands for the good actions which flow from charity. The deeds of charity are also called the fruits of faith.
ppp21499#pid#2350. Verse `Genesis 19bbbccc5` And they cried out to Lot, and said to him, Where are the men who came to you in the night? Bring them out to us and let us know them.
'They cried out to Lot, and said to him' means anger directed against good on the part of falsity deriving from evil. 'Where are the men who came to you?' means a negative frame of mind towards the Lord's Divine Human and His Holy proceeding. 'In the night' means the final period when these two are acknowledged no longer. 'Bring them out to us and let us know them' means their wish to show that it is false to acknowledge the existence of these.
ppp21498#pid#2351. 'They cried out to Lot, and said to him' means anger directed against good on the part of falsity deriving from evil. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'crying out', also of 'Lot', and so from the feeling that is being expressed. The expression 'cry out' has reference to what is false, as shown in `@@@2240`, while 'Lot' represents members of the Church with whom good exists, and so represents good itself, `@@@2324`. From this meaning of 'cry out' and this representation of 'Lot', and from the feeling of anger which these words hold within them, it is clear that anger directed against good on the part of falsity deriving from evil is meant. There are many kinds of falsity, but they all fall into two general categories - either into falsity which is a product of evil, or into falsity which is a producer of evil, see `@@@1188`, `@@@1212`, `@@@1295`, `@@@1679`, `@@@2243`.
ttt[2] Falsity from evil, within the Church, is in particular that falsity which looks favourably on evils of life, such as the falsity that good, or charity, does not make anyone a member of the Church, but truth, or faith; and that a person is saved, no matter whether throughout the whole course of his life he has led a life of evil deeds, provided that when the desires and sensations of the body decline - as usually happens shortly before death - he utters some profession of faith with apparent affection. This is the falsity which in particular has its anger directed against good and which is meant by the words 'they cried out to Lot'. The cause of anger exists in everything that endeavours to destroy the delight that belongs to any love. It is termed 'anger' when evil attacks good, but 'zeal' when good reproves evil.
ppp21497#pid#2352. 'Where are the men who came to you?' means denial of the Lord's Divine Human and His Holy proceeding. This is clear from the meaning of 'the two men' dealt with above in `@@@2320`, and also from the feeling concealed in the words expressing this anger, as well as from the demand coming immediately after, 'Bring them out to us and let us know them'. Each of these considerations shows that denial is embodied in this question. That those who are opposed to the good of charity are opposed to the Lord and at heart deny Him, though for reasons of self-love and love of the world they confess Him with their lips, see above in `@@@2343`, `@@@2349`.
ppp21496#pid#2353. 'In the night' means the final period when these two are acknowledged no longer. This is clear from the meaning of 'the night' as a time of darkness when the things of light are seen no longer. The angels did not come in the night but at evening time, but because it was the men of Sodom who spoke and cried out, that is, those who are immersed in falsity and evil, the expression used is not 'in the evening' but 'in the night'. For 'night' in the Word means the period of time and the state when the light of truth exists no longer, but merely falsity and evil, and so is the final period when judgement takes place.
ttt[2] This meaning is met in other places, as in Micah,
Against the prophets who lead the people astray: It is night for you instead of vision, and darkness for you instead of divination, and the sun is setting upon the prophets and the day is becoming black over them. `Micah 3bbb5-6`.
'The prophets' here stands for those who teach falsities. 'Night', 'darkness', 'sunset', and 'the day becoming black' stand for falsities and evils.
ttt[3] In John,
If anyone walks in the day he does not stumble; but if anyone walks in the night he stumbles because the light is not in him. `John 11bbb9-10`.
Here 'night' stands for falsity deriving from evil. 'The light' stands for truth deriving from good, for just as all the light of truth derives from good, so all the night of falsity does so from evil.
ttt[4] In the same gospel,
I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; night is coming when nobody can work. `John 9bbb4`.
'Day' stands for the period of time and the state when good and truth are present, but 'night' when evil and falsity are present.
ttt[5] In Luke,
I tell you, in that night there will be two upon one bed; one will be taken, the other left. `Luke 17bbb34`.
Here 'night' stands for the final period when the truth of faith is no more.
ttt[6] When the children of Israel were going out of Egypt they were commanded 'to go out at midnight', because in this way the vastation of good and truth inside the Church was represented, and also that nothing except falsity and evil reigned there any longer, `Exodus 11bbb4`. And when they did, all the firstborn of Egypt were slain at midnight, `Exodus 12bbb12`, `Exodus 12bbbccc29-30`. Now because those with whom good and truth are present, who were represented by the children of Israel, are watched over when, like Lot in Sodom, they are among falsities and evils, that night is described in reference to them as 'the night when Jehovah kept watch', `Exodus 12bbb42`.
ppp21495#pid#2354. 'Bring them out to us and let us know them' means their wish to show that it is false to acknowledge the existence of these, that is to say, of the Lord's Divine Human and His Holy proceeding. This is clear from the meaning of 'the two angels', dealt with above in `@@@2320`, and also from the feeling of anger with which these words were uttered, and which carries an expression of denial within it.
ttt[2] Being described here is the initial state of the Church that has been vastated, that is, when faith starts to be no more because charity is no more. This state, as has been said, is one in which, because they are opposed to the good of charity, no faith exists with them, in particular no acknowledgement of the Lord's Divine Human and His Holy proceeding. All who lead a life of evil deny these at heart, that is to say, all who despise others in comparison with themselves, who hate all those who do not treat them with respect, who take delight in getting their revenge on such, and indeed in being cruel to them, and who think that acts of adultery do not matter. 'The Pharisees who openly denied the Lord's Divinity did better in their own day than such people today who, for the sake of the respect paid to them and for the sake of their own filthy gain, outwardly worship Him devoutly but inwardly conceal such unholiness. These, as they were progressively to become, are pictured in what follows as 'the men of Sodom', and after that in the overthrow of that city, verses `Genesis 19bbbccc24-25`.
ttt[3] As stated frequently already, man has evil spirits and at the same time angels present with him. Through the evil spirits he communicates with hell, and through the angels with heaven, `@@@687`, `@@@697`. To the extent therefore that his life moves towards evil, hell flows in; but to the extent his life moves towards good, heaven and so the Lord flows in. From this it is clear that people who lead lives of evil are incapable of acknowledging the Lord. Instead they invent countless arguments against Him, for the delusions of hell flow in which are received by them. But those who lead lives of good do acknowledge the Lord, for they have heaven flowing into them, where love and charity reign supreme since heaven is the Lord's, who is the source from which everything of love and charity derives, see `@@@537`, `@@@540`, `@@@547`, `@@@548`, `@@@551`, `@@@553`, `@@@685`, `@@@2130`.
ppp21494#pid#2355. Verses `Genesis 19bbbccc6-7` And Lot went out to them to the door (janua) and shut the door (ostium) behind him. And he said, No, my brothers, do not act wickedly.
'Lot went out to them to the door' means that he acted cautiously. 'And shut the door behind him' means to prevent them doing violence to good that flows from charity and denying the Lord's Divine Human and His Holy proceeding. 'And he said' means an earnest appeal. 'No, my brothers, do not act wickedly' means that no violence should be done to these - he calls them 'brothers' because it was from good that he made the earnest appeal.
ppp21493#pid#2356. That 'Lot went out to them to the door (janua)' means that he acted cautiously is clear from the interior sense of 'the door' and of 'going out to the door'. 'A door' in the Word means that which introduces or leads the way either towards truth, or towards good, or towards the Lord. Consequently 'a door' in addition means truth itself, also good itself, as well as the Lord Himself, for truth leads to good, and good leads to the Lord. Such things were represented by the door and the veils of the Tent of Meeting, and also of the Temple, see `@@@2145`, `@@@2152`, `@@@2576`.
ttt[2] That this is the meaning of 'a door' is evident from the Lord's words in John,
He who does not enter by the door into the sheepfold but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens. I am the door of the sheep; if anyone enters through Me he will be saved. `John 10bbb1-3`, `John 10bbbccc7`, `John 10bbbccc9`.
Here 'door' stands for truth and good, and so for the Lord who is truth itself and good itself. This shows what is meant by being let in through the door into heaven, and therefore what is meant by 'the keys' which unlock it.
ttt[3] Here however 'a door' means a particular type of good that was suited to the disposition of those who besieged the house, for a distinction is made here between 'a door' (janua) and 'a door' (ostium). The former was on the outside of the house, as is evident from the fact that Lot went out and closed the door (ostium) behind him. This type of good was blessedness of life, as is clear from what follows shortly where he persuaded those who were immersed in falsity and evil. For such people do not allow themselves to be persuaded by actual good itself; indeed they reject it. From these considerations it is evident that here 'going out to the door' means that he acted cautiously.
ppp21492#pid#2357. 'And shut the door behind him' means to prevent them doing violence to good that flows from charity and denying the Lord's Divine Human and His Holy proceeding. This is clear from what has been stated so far. 'Shutting the door' is preventing their entrance, in this case into good meant by 'the house', and so reaching the Lord's Divine Human and His Holy [proceeding].
ttt[2] These words embody even deeper arcana, the meaning and conception of which angels enter into when these words are read. The deeper arcana are these: People who lead lives of evil are not allowed to go beyond the point of mere knowledge of good and of the Lord. They are not allowed to go on to genuine acknowledgement and faith itself, the reason being that as long as they are governed by evil they cannot at the same time be governed by good. Nobody can serve two masters simultaneously. Once a person acknowledges and believes, he profanes that which is good and holy if he goes back to a life of evil. But a person who does not acknowledge and believe is not able to profane. The Lord's Providence therefore guards against anyone being allowed to go on to acknowledge and have faith itself in the heart, except insofar as he can then be maintained in that acknowledgement and faith. And He does so on account of the punishment that goes with profanation, which in hell is most severe.
ttt[3] This is the reason why at the present day so few people are allowed to believe from the heart that the good which flows from love and charity is heaven itself within man, and that the whole of the Divine is within the Lord, for they lead lives of evil. This then is the more interior meaning of the statement 'to shut the door behind him', for 'the door' (ostium) was an inner door leading into the house itself where the angels were, that is, into good which has the Lord within it.
ppp21491#pid#2358. 'And he said' means an earnest appeal. This is clear from what follows next, thus without further explanation.
ppp21490#pid#2359. 'No, my brothers, do not act wickedly' means that no violence should be done to these, that is to say, to the good that flows from charity, or to the Lord's Divine Human and His Holy proceeding. This is clear from the meaning of 'acting wickedly' as doing violence. All these considerations show that the subject is people inside the Church and that it is these who are meant by 'the men of Sodom', for nobody is capable of violating those things except him who possesses the Word. The utter holiness of those things becomes clear from the consideration that nobody can be admitted into the Lord's kingdom, that is, into heaven, unless the good of love and charity exists in him; and that cannot exist with anyone unless he acknowledges the Lord's Divinity and [proceeding] Holiness. It is from Him alone that this good flows in, and indeed into good itself of which He is the source. The Divine cannot flow in except into that which is Divine; nor can it be communicated to man except through the Lord's Divine Human and His Holy deriving from this. From this one can understand what is implied when it is said that the Lord is the All in all of His kingdom, and that no good at all residing with man is man's but the Lord's.
ppp21489#pid#2360. He calls them 'brothers' because it was from good that he made his appeal. This is clear from the meaning of 'brother', for 'brother' in the Word has the same meaning as 'neighbour', the reason being that everyone ought to love his neighbour as himself. Thus 'brothers' were called such out of love, or what amounts to the same, from good. The origin of naming and greeting the neighbour in this way lies in heaven where the Lord is Father of all and loves all as His children; and so love is spiritual conjunction. From this the whole of heaven resembles so to speak one family born from love and charity, `@@@685`, `@@@917`.
ttt[2] All the children of Israel therefore, since they represented the Lord's heavenly kingdom, that is, the kingdom of love and charity, were among themselves called 'brothers' and also 'companions', though they were called 'companions' not from the good of love but from the truth of faith, as in Isaiah,
Every one helps his companion and says to his brother, Be firm. `Isaiah 41bbb6`.
In Jeremiah,
Thus shall you say, every one to his companion and every one to his brother, What has Jehovah answered? and what has Jehovah spoken? `Jeremiah 23bbb35`.
In David,
For my brothers' and my companions' sakes I will say. Peace be within you! `Psalms 122bbb8`.
In Moses,
He shall not press his companion and his brother, because Jehovah's release has been proclaimed. `Deuteronomy 15bbb2-3`.
In Isaiah,
I will confound Egypt with Egypt, and they will fight, every one against his brother, and every one against his companion. `Isaiah 19bbb2`.
In Jeremiah,
Take heed, every one, of his companion and put no trust in any brother, for every brother will supplant wholly, and every companion will utter slanders. `Jeremiah 9bbb4`.
ttt[3] The fact that all belonging to that Church were called by the one name 'brothers' may be seen in Isaiah,
They will bring all your brothers from all nations as an offering to Jehovah, on horses, and in chariots, and in covered wagons, and on mules, and on dromedaries, to My holy mountain, Jerusalem. `Isaiah 66bbb20`.
People, like the Jews, who know nothing beyond the sense of the letter believe that none else are meant than the descendants of Jacob, and also that those descendants will be brought back to Jerusalem on horses, and in chariots, and in covered wagons, and on mules by those whom they call the gentiles. But the word 'brothers' is used to mean all who are governed by good, 'horses, chariots, and wagons' to mean the things that belong to truth and good, and 'Jerusalem' the Lord's kingdom.
ttt[4] In Moses,
When there is a needy person among you, one of your brothers, within one of your gates, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand against your needy brother. `Deuteronomy 15bbb7`, `Deuteronomy 15bbbccc11`.
In the same author,
From among your brothers shall you set a king over you; you may not place over you a foreigner, who is not your brother. And his heart shall not be lifted up above his brothers. `Deuteronomy 17bbb15`, `Deuteronomy 17bbbccc20`.
In the same author,
Jehovah your God will raise up for you from the midst of you, from your brothers, a prophet like me; Him shall you obey. `Deuteronomy 18bbb15`, `Deuteronomy 18bbbccc18`.
ttt[5] From these quotations it is evident that the Jews and Israelites all called one another brothers, but allies they called companions. But because they discerned nothing beyond the historical and worldly descriptions of the Word they consequently believed that they called one another brothers because they were all children of one forefather, namely Abraham. They were not called brothers in the Word for this reason however but from the good which they represented. Furthermore 'Abraham' in the internal sense means nothing else than love itself, that is, the Lord, `@@@1893`, `@@@1965`, `@@@1989`, `@@@2011`, whose sons who therefore are brothers - are those who are governed by good, all those in fact who are called 'the neighbour', as the Lord teaches in Matthew,
One is your Master, Christ, and all you are brothers. `Matthew 23bbb8`.
ttt[6] In the same gospel,
Whoever is angry with his brother without cause will be liable to judgement; whoever says to his brother, Raca! will be liable to the Sanhedrin. If you offer your gift on the altar and there remember that your brother-has something against you, leave the gift there before the altar, go away and first be reconciled to your brother. `Matthew 5bbb22-24`.
In the same gospel,
Why do you notice the speck which is in your brother's eye? How will you say to your brother, Let me cast the speck out of your eye? `Matthew 7bbb2-4`.
In the same gospel,
If your brother sins against you, go and rebuke him, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. `Matthew 18bbb15`.
In the same gospel,
Peter came and said to Him, Lord, how many times shall my brother sin against me and I ought to forgive him? `Matthew 18bbb21`.
In the same gospel,
So also My heavenly Father will do to you if you from your hearts do not forgive - everyone his brother's trespasses. `Matthew 18bbb35`.
ttt[7] From all this it is plain that all men everywhere, being the neighbour, are called brothers. They are called 'brothers' because everyone ought to love the neighbour as himself, so that they are called such from love or good. And because the Lord is Good itself and views everyone from good, and is Himself the Neighbour in the highest sense of all, He Himself refers to them as 'brothers', as in John,
Jesus said to Mary, Go to My brothers. `John 20bbb17`.
And in Matthew,
The king will answer them and say, Truly I say to you, insofar as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers you did it to Me. `Matthew 25bbb40`.
From this it is now clear that 'brother' is a term expressive of love.
ppp21488#pid#2361. Verse `Genesis 19bbbccc8` Behold now, I have two daughters, who have not known a man; let me now bring them out to you and you may do to them as is good in your eyes; only do nothing to those men, for they have come under the shadow of my roof.
'Behold now, I have two daughters, who have not known a man' means the affections for good and for truth. 'Let me now bring them out to you' means blessedness from these. 'And you may do to them as is good in your eyes' means enjoyment insofar as they perceived them to come from good. 'Only do nothing to those men' means that they were to do no violence to the Lord's Divine Human and His Holy proceeding. 'For they have come under the shadow of my roof' means that the good of charity exists with them, 'shadow of the roof' meaning within a general obscure [perception] of that good.
ppp21487#pid#2362. That 'behold now, I have two daughters, who have not known a man' means the affections for good and for truth is clear from the meaning of 'daughters' as affections, dealt with in `@@@489-491`. 'They have not known a man' means that they have not been defiled by falsity, for 'a man' means rational truth, and also in the contrary sense falsity, `@@@265`, `@@@749`, `@@@1007`. There are two types of affection, namely the affection for good and the affection for truth, see `@@@1997`. The first - the affection for good - constitutes the celestial church and in the Word is called 'the daughter of Zion' and also 'the virgin daughter of Zion'.
ttt[2] But the second - the affection for truth - constitutes the spiritual church, and in the Word is called 'the daughter of Jerusalem'; as in Isaiah,
She has despised you, she has scorned you, the virgin daughter of Zion; she wags her head behind you, the daughter of Jerusalem. `Isaiah 37bbb22`; `2 Kings 19bbb21`.
In Jeremiah,
What shall I liken you to, O daughter of Jerusalem? What shall I equate you with and comfort you, O virgin daughter of Zion? `Lamentations 2bbb13`.
In Micah,
You, O tower of the flock, hill of the daughter of Zion, to you will it come and the former dominion will come, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem. `Micah 4bbb8`.
In Zephaniah,
Shout with joy, O daughter of Zion! Make a noise, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! `Zephaniah 3bbb14`.
In Zechariah,
Exult greatly, O daughter of Zion! Make a noise, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king will come to you. `Zechariah 9bbb9`; `Matthew 21bbb5`; `John 12bbb15`.
ttt[3] That the celestial Church, which is the Lord's celestial kingdom, is called 'the daughter of Zion' from the affection for good, that is, from love to the Lord Himself, see in addition `Isaiah 10bbb32`; `Isaiah ccc16bbb1`; `Isaiah ccc52bbb2`; `Isaiah ccc62bbb11`; `Jeremiah 4bbb31`; `Jeremiah ccc6bbb2`, `Jeremiah 6bbbccc23`; `Lamentations 1bbb6`; `Lamentations ccc2bbb1`, `Lamentations 2bbbccc4`, `Lamentations 2bbbccc8`, `Lamentations 2bbbccc10`; `Micah 4bbb10`, `Micah 4bbbccc13`; `Zechariah 2bbb10`; `Psalms 9bbb14`. And that the spiritual Church, which is the Lord's spiritual kingdom, is called 'the daughter of Jerusalem' from the affection for truth and so from charity towards the neighbour, see `Lamentations 2bbb15`. Both of those Churches, and the nature of each one, have been dealt with many times in Volume One.
ttt[4] Because the celestial Church exists from love to the Lord which is present within love towards the neighbour it is likened in particular to an unmarried daughter or a virgin. Indeed it is also called 'a virgin', as in John,
These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins; these are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes; for they are spotless before God's throne. `Revelation 14bbb4-5`.
And so that the same might be represented in the Jewish Church, the priests were commanded not to marry widows but virgins, `Leviticus 21bbb13-15`; `Ezekiel 44bbb22`.
ttt[5] From the contents of the present verse it becomes clear how pure the Word is in the internal sense, however else it may appear in the letter. For when these words are read, 'Behold now, I have two daughters, who have not known a man; let me now bring them out to you and you may do to them as is good in your eyes; only do nothing to those men', nothing else comes to mind than something impure, especially to those leading an evil life. Yet how chaste these words are in the internal sense is evident from the explanation already given, which is that they mean the affections for good and truth and the blessedness perceived from the enjoyment of those affections by people who do no violence to the Lord's Divinity and [proceeding] Holiness.
ppp21486#pid#2363. 'Let me now bring them out to you' means blessedness from these, that is to say, from the affections for good and for truth. This is clear from the meaning of these words when they have reference to the affections meant here by 'daughters'. As regards what is actually involved in all this - that is to say, in the reality that blessedness and happiness lie solely within the affection for good and for truth - all are completely ignorant who are immersed in and take delight in evil. The blessedness lying within the affection for good and for truth is seen by them either as something that does not exist, or as something dreary. By some it is seen to be something painful, or even deadly. This is so with the genii and spirits in hell. They imagine and believe that if the joy belonging to self-love and love of the world were withdrawn from them, and consequently the joy belonging to evils resulting from those loves, no life would be left to them. But when they are shown that such a withdrawal is the starting-point to life itself, bringing blessedness and happiness within, they experience a certain sadness at the loss of their own joy. And when they are brought into the company of others whose lives are such, pain and torment take hold of them. In addition they also start to feel at the same time within themselves something death-like and dreadfully hellish. For this reason they refer to heaven, where that blessedness and happiness reside, as their hell, and insofar as they are able to remove and hide themselves from the Lord's face they go as far away as they can.
ttt[2] Nevertheless everything that is blessed and happy lies in the affection for the good which flows from love and charity, and in the affection for truth that constitutes faith, insofar as such truth leads on to that good. This becomes clear from the fact that heaven, that is, angelic life, lies in everything blessed and happy and also from the fact that its influence is felt from things that are inmost, since it flows in from the Lord by way of inmost things, see `@@@540`, `@@@541`, `@@@545`. At the same time wisdom and intelligence enter in and fill the inner recesses of the mind itself, kindling good with heavenly flame and truth with heavenly light. And this is accompanied by a perception of blessing and happiness which can only be called indescribable. People who have entered this state perceive how empty, how dreary, and how deplorable the life is of those who are subject to evils resulting from self-love and love of the world.
ttt[3] So that anyone may recognize the nature of this life, that is to say, the life of self-love and love of the world, or what amounts to the same, the life that goes with arrogance, greed, envy, hatred, revenge, ruthlessness, and adultery, let him who has the ability to do so caricature for himself some of these evils. Or if he is able, let him paint a picture that accords with the ideas he can get of it from experience, knowledge, and reason. He will in that case see, insofar as his drawing or painting of it is accurate, how shocking those evils are and that they are devilish forms with nothing human in them. After death all who perceive joy in such evils become devilish forms such as these. And the greater their joy the more dreadful those forms are.
ttt[4] But on the other hand if he caricatures love and charity for himself or also finds an expression of it for himself in some outward form, he will see, insofar as his drawing or portrayal is accurate, that it is an angelic form full of blessed and beautiful things, which has what is heavenly and Divine within it. Can anyone believe that those two forms are able to exist side by side, or that the devilish form can be thrown off and transformed into one of charity, and that this can be achieved by means of faith to which the life is contrary? For after death everyone's life, or what amounts to the same, his affection, remains. At that time the nature of affection determines the nature of all his thought, and consequently his faith, which manifests itself as it had existed in his heart.
ppp21485#pid#2364. 'And you may do to them as is good in your eyes' means enjoyment insofar as [they perceived them to come] from good. This too becomes clear from the meaning of the words, and also from the train of thought, when they have reference to the affections meant by 'daughters'. The fact that he acted cautiously was meant by the statement 'Lot went out to them to the door', `@@@2356`. This caution is evident from these and the remaining words in this verse - they were to enjoy the blessedness belonging to the affections for good and for truth to the extent that this is derived from good, which is the meaning of the statement that they were to do to them as was good in their eyes. Enjoying to the extent it derived from good means in this instance, to the extent that they knew it was good, beyond which no one is compelled to go. For all are turned by the Lord to the good of life through the good of their faith. Gentiles are so directed in a different way from Christians; the simple in a different way from the learned; and young children in a different way from adults. People whose lives have been stained by evil are turned by means of their refraining from evil and intending good, which they carry out according to whatever understanding they possess. It is the intention or the end in view present with them that is observed, and even though their actions are not in themselves good, their end in view provides them with some measure of good and of the life flowing from it which constitutes their blessedness.
ppp21484#pid#2365. 'Only do nothing to those men' means that they were to do no violence to the Lord's Divine Human and His Holy proceeding. This is clear from the meaning of 'the men' or angels, dealt with above.
ppp21483#pid#2366. 'For they have come under the shadow of my roof' means that the good of charity exists with them. This is clear from the meaning of 'a house' as good, `@@@710`, `@@@2231`, `@@@2234`, which here is called 'the shadow of the roof' for a reason to be dealt with next.
ppp21482#pid#2367. The implications of 'the shadow of the roof' meaning within a general obscure [perception of that good] are that with man, even one who is regenerate, the perception of good and truth lies in obscurity, the more so with him whose worship is external, who is represented here by Lot. When a person is engrossed in bodily things, that is, during his lifetime, his affections, like his perceptions, are very general and therefore very obscure, however much he imagines that they are not so. There are myriads upon myriads of parts to each tiny affection, as there are to each idea comprising his perception, which to him appears to be a simple entity. This in the Lord's Divine mercy will be shown when the subject of affections and ideas is reached. Man is sometimes able, when he reflects, to examine and describe a few of the things within him; but countless, indeed limitless, things lie unseen which neither do nor can enter his awareness as long as he is living in the body but which do become visible once bodily and worldly things have been put away.
ttt[2] This becomes quite clear from the fact that a person with whom the good that flows from love and charity exists, on crossing over into the next life, passes from an obscure into a clearer life, as if from a kind of night into day. And to the extent he has entered the Lord's heaven the clearer is the light until he reaches the light in which angels live, whose light of intelligence and wisdom lies beyond description. The inferior light in which man lives is in comparison like darkness. This is why it is said here that they came under the shadow of his roof, the meaning of which is that those represented by Lot dwell in their general [perception]. That is to say, they know very little about the Lord's Divinity and His Holiness but they nevertheless acknowledge and believe that His Divinity and His Holiness do exist and that they reside within the good of charity, that is, among those in whom that good is present.
ppp21481#pid#2368. Verse `Genesis 19bbbccc9` And they said, Stand back. And they said, Did not this one come to sojourn, and will he surely judge? Now we will do more harm to you than to them. And they pressed on the man, on Lot forcefully, and came near to break down the door (ostium).
'And they said' means the reply made in anger. 'Stand back' means their angry threats. 'And they said, Did not this one come to sojourn' means people with different teaching and a different life. 'And will he surely judge?' means, Will they teach us? 'Now we will do more harm to you than to them' means that they would reject the good of charity even more than they rejected the Lord's Divine Human and His Holy proceeding. 'And they pressed on the men' means that they wished to resort to violence against truth. 'On Lot forcefully' means to do so most of all against the good of charity. 'And they came near to break down the door' means that they went so far as to try and destroy them both.
ppp21480#pid#2369. That 'they said' means the reply made in anger becomes clear from what goes before and from what follows, and so without explanation.
ppp21479#pid#2370. 'Stand back' means their angry threats, that is, threats against the good that flows from charity. This is clear from the meaning of 'Lot' as the good that flows from charity, to whom, and concerning whom, these words were addressed. That they are angry threats is evident from these words themselves and from those that follow. It may also be evident that they embody the consideration that if he spoke about or commended that good any further they would utterly reject it, meant by 'stand back'.
ppp21478#pid#2371. 'And they said, Did not this one come to sojourn' means people with different teaching and a different life. This is clear from the meaning of 'sojourning' as receiving instruction and living, and so as doctrine and life, dealt with in `@@@1463`, `@@@2025`. Here the nature of the state of the Church around the last times is described, when faith is no more because charity is no more, that is to say, when the good of charity is rejected on doctrinal grounds as well, because it has severed all connection with life.
ttt[2] The people described here are not those who falsify the good of charity by explaining things to their own advantage. They are not those who, so that they may be very great and may possess all the world's goods, make the good of charity the earner of merit. Nor are they those who assume the right to dispense rewards, and in so doing defile the good of charity by various devices and misleading means. Instead the subject is those who do not wish to hear anything about the goods of charity, that is, about good works, only about faith separated from those works. And this they wish to hear from the argument that man has nothing but evil within him and that even the good which springs from himself is in itself evil, and so contains nothing of salvation; and from the argument that no one can merit heaven by means of any good, nor accordingly be saved by it, only by means of a faith whereby they acknowledge the Lord's merit. This is the teaching which flourishes in the last times when the Church starts to breathe its last, and which is enthusiastically taught and favourably accepted.
ttt[3] But to maintain from all this that anyone can lead an evil life and at the same time possess a faith that is good is a false conclusion. It is also a false conclusion to say that because man has nothing but evil within him, good from the Lord - which has heaven within it because it has the Lord within it, and blessedness and happiness within it because heaven is within it - cannot exist there. Finally it is a false conclusion to say that because nobody can merit [heaven] by any good, heavenly good from the Lord in which [self-] merit is regarded as something monstrous has no existence. Such good exists with every angel, such good exists with every regenerate person, and such good exists with those who perceive delight, and indeed blessedness, in good itself, that is, in the affection for it. The Lord speaks of this good or charity in the following way in Matthew,
You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy. [But] I say to you, Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who hurt and persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? And if you salute only your brothers, what more are you doing [than others]? Do not even the tax-collectors do the same? `Matthew 5bbb43-48`
Similar words occur in Luke, with this addition,
Do good and lend, hoping for nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. `Luke 6bbb27-36`.
ttt[4] Here good which is derived from the Lord is described and the fact that it does not carry any thought of repayment. Consequently people who are governed by that good are called 'sons of the Father who is in heaven', and 'sons of the Most High'. Yet because that good has the Lord within it there is also a reward: in Luke,
When you give a dinner or a supper, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your kinsmen or rich neighbours, lest perhaps they invite you back in return, and you are repaid. But when you give a feast invite the poor, the maimed, the blind, and you will be blessed, for they have nothing with which to repay you. You will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.`fff1` `Luke 14bbb12-14`.
'Dinner', 'supper', or 'feast' means the good that flows from charity, in which the Lord dwells together with man, `@@@2341`. Here it is described therefore, and it is plainly evident, that recompense lies within good itself since this has the Lord within it, for it is said that 'you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just'.
ttt[5] People who strive to do good from themselves because the Lord has commanded it to be done are the ones who at length receive this good and who after receiving instruction then acknowledge in faith that all good comes from the Lord, `@@@1712`, `@@@1937`, `@@@1947`. And they are now so opposed to self-merit that they are saddened by the mere thought of merit and perceive that blessedness and happiness with them is that much diminished.
ttt[6] It is quite different in the case of those who fail to do good and instead lead an evil life, while teaching and professing that salvation resides in faith separated from charity. These people are not even aware of the possibility of such good. And what is remarkable the same people in the next life, as I have been given to know from much experience, wish to merit heaven on the basis of all the good deeds they recall their having done, for they are now aware for the first time that no salvation lies in faith separated from charity. But these are the ones whom the Lord refers to in Matthew,
They will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by Your name, and by Your name cast out demons, and in Your name do many mighty works? But then will I declare to them, I do not know you; depart from Me, you workers of iniquity. `Matthew 7bbb22-23`.
With these people it is also seen that they had paid no attention at all to any one of the things which the Lord Himself taught so many times about the good that flows from love and charity. Instead those things had been to them like clouds sailing by or like things seen in the night, such as the things recorded in
`Matthew 3bbb8-9`; `Matthew ccc5bbb7-48`; `Matthew ccc6bbb1-20`; `Matthew ccc7bbb16-20`, `Matthew 7bbbccc24-27`; `Matthew ccc9bbb13`; `Matthew ccc12bbb33`; `Matthew ccc13bbb8`, `Matthew 13bbbccc23`; `Matthew ccc18bbb21`-end; `Matthew ccc19bbb19`; `Matthew ccc22bbb35-40`; `Matthew ccc24bbb12-13`; `Matthew ccc25bbb34`-end;
`Mark 4bbb18-20`; `Mark ccc11bbb13-14`, `Mark 11bbbccc20`; `Mark ccc12bbb28-35`; `Luke 3bbb8-9`; `Luke ccc6bbb27-39`, `Luke 6bbbccc43`-end;
`Luke ccc7bbb47`; `Luke ccc8bbb8`, `Luke 8bbbccc14-15`; `Luke ccc10bbb25-28`; `Luke ccc12bbb58-59`; `Luke ccc13bbb6-10`;
`John 3bbb19`, `John 3bbbccc21`; `John ccc5bbb42`; `John ccc13bbb34-35`; `John ccc14bbb14-15`, `John 14bbbccc20-21`, `John 14bbbccc23`; `John ccc15bbb1-8`, `John 15bbbccc9-19`; `John ccc21bbb15-17`.
These then, and other things like them, are what were meant by the words 'the men of Sodom' - that is, those immersed in evil, `@@@2220`, `@@@2246`, `@@@2322` - 'saying to Lot, Did not this one come to sojourn, and will he surely judge?' that is, Will people with different teaching and a different life teach us?
`nnn1. The Latin means the dead; but the Greek means the just, which Swedenborg has in other places where he quotes this verse.
ppp21477#pid#2372. 'And will he surely judge?' means, Will they teach us? This is clear from the meaning of 'judging' as teaching. 'Righteousness' has reference to the practice of good, but 'judgement' to instruction in truth, as shown in `@@@2235`. Consequently 'judging' in the internal sense means instructing or teaching. Teaching truth is the same as teaching what is good since all truth looks to good.
ppp21476#pid#2373. 'Now we will do more harm to you than to them' means that they would reject the good of charity even more than they rejected the Lord's Divine Human and His Holy proceeding. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'Lot' as good that flows from charity, for Lot represents those with whom the good of charity is present, `@@@2324`, `@@@2351`, `@@@2371`; and from the meaning of 'the men', who were angels, as the Lord as regards the Divine Human and His Holy proceeding, dealt with above. From this it is evident that 'doing more harm to you than to them' has this meaning. Those inside the Church who are immersed in evil reject charity even more than they deny the Lord, the reason being that in so doing they can look favourably upon their own lusts through a semblance of religion and engage in external worship which has no internal, that is, a worship of the lips and not of the heart; and the more they regard this worship to be Divine and Holy, the greater the positions and wealth they attain. And in addition to this there are many other hidden yet manifest reasons. For the fact of the matter is that the person who rejects charity, that is to say, rejects it in doctrine and at the same time in life, also rejects the Lord. Though he does not dare to do so with the lips he nevertheless does so in his heart, a fact which is expressed even in the sense of the letter by the statement 'they came near to break down the door' which means that they went so far as to try and destroy them both. But what prevents the actual realization of the attempt is no hidden matter.
ppp21475#pid#2374. 'They pressed on the men' means that they wished to resort to violence against truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'the man' (vir) as that which is intellectual and rational with a person (homo) - truth therefore, `@@@158`, `@@@1007`. Resorting to violence against truth is perverting the things which are matters of faith; and they are perverted when they are separated from charity and when people deny that they lead to goodness of life.
ppp21474#pid#2375. 'On Lot forcefully' means to do so most of all against the good of charity. This is clear from the meaning of 'Lot' as good that flows from charity, dealt with above in `@@@2324`, `@@@2351`, `@@@2371`, `@@@2373`. From the statement itself 'they pressed on the man, on Lot forcefully' it becomes clear that one thing is meant by 'the man' and another by 'Lot forcefully'; otherwise one of these expressions would have been enough.
ppp21473#pid#2376. 'They came near to break down the doors means that they went so far as to try and destroy them both. This is clear from the meaning of 'coming near' as making an attempt, and from the meaning of 'door' as that which leads on to good and to the Lord, and also as good itself and the Lord Himself, dealt with in `@@@2356`, `@@@2357`. For what these matters entail, see above in `@@@2373`.
ppp21472#pid#2377. Verse `Genesis 19bbbccc10` And the men reached out their hand and brought Lot into the house to them and shut the door.
'The men reached out their hand' means the Lord's powerful aid. 'And brought Lot into the house to them' means that the Lord affords protection to those with whom the good of charity is present. 'And shut the door' means that He also denies all access to them.
ppp21471#pid#2378. That 'the men reached out their hand' means the Lord's powerful aid is clear from the meaning of 'the men' as the Lord, dealt with above, and from the meaning of 'hand' as power, dealt with in `@@@878`.
ppp21470#pid#2379. 'And brought Lot into the house to them' means that the Lord affords protection to those with whom the good of charity is present. This is clear from the representation of 'Lot' as those with whom the good of charity is present, dealt with above, and from the meaning of 'bringing into the house to them' as affording protection. 'Being brought into the house' means being brought into good; and those who are brought into good are brought into heaven; and those who are brought into heaven are brought to the Lord and are consequently protected against every assault on their souls. As to his soul, anyone with whom good is present is in communion with angels; and so while living in the body he is nevertheless in heaven, though he is not directly conscious of it and is unable to perceive angelic joy because he is engrossed in bodily things and undergoing preparation [for heaven], see `@@@1277`.
ppp21469#pid#2380. 'They shut the door' means that He also denies all access to them. This is clear from the meaning of 'a door' as that which lets a person in, `@@@2356`, `@@@2357`, `@@@2376`, and so means access; and therefore 'strutting the door' means denying access. In the next life such access is denied by separating those who are good from those who are evil, so that the good may not be invaded by spheres of false persuasions or by evil desires, for that which emanates from hell cannot penetrate to heaven. But in this life access is denied by false assumptions and persuasions being rendered powerless among those governed by good. The angels present with them immediately turn aside any falsity that is a product of evil or any evil that is a product of falsity the moment it is imparted to them whether in the words coming from an evil man or in the thought coming from an evil spirit or genius. They bend it towards some truth and good in which such persons have been confirmed. This they do however much bodily affliction people may suffer, for angels consider the body to be nothing in comparison with the soul.
ttt[2] As long as a person remains engrossed in bodily things his ideas and perception are general and obscure, `@@@2367`, so much so that he hardly knows whether the good that flows in from charity is present with him or not. And an added reason why they are general and obscure is that he does not know what charity is or what the neighbour is. But let it be made known who such people are. All those have the good of charity present with them who possess conscience, that is, who are unwilling to depart at all from what is just and fair, good and true - the grounds for their unwillingness being that itself which is just and fair, good and true, for this is a product of conscience. Also, because of this, these people think and desire for the neighbour that which is good without any repayment to themselves, even if he is unfriendly towards them. These are the people with whom good flowing from charity is present, whether they are outside the Church or inside. Those inside the Church revere the Lord and gladly listen to and carry out the things He has taught.
ttt[3] On the other hand people who are immersed in evil have no conscience. They have no concern for what is just and fair except insofar as they are thereby able to earn a reputation of seeming to have such a concern. As for what the good and truth that affect spiritual life may be, they have no knowledge; indeed they reject it as no life at all. What is more, they think and desire for the neighbour that which is evil, and they also actually do it even to a friend, if he does not show them favour, and they take delight in doing so. If they do anything good it is for the sake of some repayment. Such people inside the Church deny the Lord secretly; and they do so openly to the extent that their position, gain, reputation, or life are not jeopardized.
ttt[4] But it should be recognized that there are some people who imagine that good does not exist with them when in fact it does, and some who imagine that good does exist with them when in fact it does not. The reason some imagine that good does not exist with them when in fact it does is that when they reflect on the good present with themselves the angels in whose community they are at that time immediately instill the thought that good is not present. They do this to prevent such persons claiming good as their own and to divert any thought of self-merit and so of superiority to others. Otherwise they would sink into temptations.
ttt[5] But the reason why some imagine that good does exist with them when in fact it does not is that when they reflect on it the evil genii and spirits whose company they are in immediately instill the thought that good does exist with them; for the evil confuse good with delight. Indeed it is suggested that whatever good they have done to others for reasons of self-love and love of the world is good that ought to be rewarded, even in the next life; and that being so, they have earned more merit than all others, whom they despise in comparison with themselves; indeed they consider everyone else to be worthless. And what is remarkable, if they thought any differently from this they would sink into temptations in which they would go under.
ppp21468#pid#2381. Verse `Genesis 19bbbccc11` And the men who were at the door of the house they struck with blindness, both small and great; and these strove to find the door (janua).
'The men who were at the door of the house' means rational concepts and matters of doctrine deriving from these by means of which violence is offered to good stemming from charity. 'They struck with blindness' means they were completely filled with falsities. 'Both small and great' means in particular and in general. 'And these strove to find the door' means to the point at which they were unable to see any truth that would lead to good.
ppp21467#pid#2382. 'And the men who were at the door of the house' means rational concepts and matters of doctrine deriving from these by means of which violence is offered to good flowing from charity. This is clear from the meaning of 'the men' as rational concepts, dealt with in `@@@158`, `@@@1007`; from the meaning of 'a door' as something that introduces or affords access, which leads either to truth or to good, and so means something to do with doctrine, dealt with above in `@@@2356`; and from the meaning of 'a house' as good that flows from charity, dealt with in various places. The subject here being those who 'came near to break down the door', that is, who tried to destroy the good of charity as well as the Lord's Divinity and His Holiness, `@@@2376`, rational concepts that are evil and derivative matters of doctrine that are false are meant, by means of which violence is offered to the good of charity.
ppp21466#pid#2383. That 'they struck with blindness' means that they were filled with falsities is clear from the meaning of 'blindness'. In the Word blindness is used in reference to people who are immersed in falsity, and also to people who have no knowledge of the truth. Both kinds of people are called blind, though who are meant in any one place becomes clear from the train of thought, especially that in the internal sense. That those immersed in falsity are called 'blind' is clear from the following places: In Isaiah,
His watchmen are blind, they are all without knowledge; they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark. `Isaiah 56bbb10`.
'Blind watchmen' stands for those who, because of reasoning, are immersed in falsity. In the same prophet,
We look for light, and, behold, darkness; for brightness, but we walk in thick darkness. We grope for the wall like the blind. `Isaiah 59bbb9-10`,
In Jeremiah,
They went astray blind in the streets; they defiled themselves with blood. Things which have no power they touch with their garments. `Lamentations 4bbb14`.
This stands for the fact that all truths have been defiled, 'streets' standing for truths in which they have gone astray, `@@@2336`.
ttt[2] In Zechariah,
On that day I will strike every horse with panic, and its rider with madness. Every horse of the peoples I will strike with blindness. `Zechariah 12bbb4`.
Here and elsewhere in the Word 'a horse' stands for what has to do with the understanding. This is why it is said that the horse would be struck with panic, and [every] horse of the peoples with blindness, that is, it would be filled with falsities.
ttt[3] In John,
For judgement I came into the world, that those who do not see may see, but that those who see may become blind. Some of the Pharisees heard these words and said, Are we also blind? Jesus said to them, If you were blind you would have no sin; but now you say, 'We see', therefore your sin remains. `John 9bbb39-41`.
Here the blind in both senses are referred to, that is to say, those who are immersed in falsity and those who have no knowledge of truth. With those inside the Church who know what the truth is, 'blindness' is falsity; but with those who do not know what the truth is, as with those outside the Church, 'blindness' is having no knowledge of the truth. The latter are blameless.
ttt[4] In the same gospel,
He has blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes and understand with their heart and I heal them. `John 12bbb40`; `Isaiah 6bbb9-11`.
The meaning here is that it would be better for falsities to exist with them than truths, for they lead a life of evil and if they received instruction in truths they would not only continue to falsify them but would also pollute them with evils. They would do so for the same reason that the men of Sodom were struck with blindness, that is, matters of doctrine were filled with falsities. Why this is done has been shown in `@@@301-303`, `@@@593`, `@@@1008`, `@@@1010`, `@@@1059`, `@@@1327`, `@@@1328`, `@@@2426`.
ttt[5] Because 'blind' meant that which was false, therefore people were not allowed in the Jewish representative Church to sacrifice anything blind, `Leviticus 22bbb22`; `Deuteronomy 15bbb21`; `Malachi 1bbb8`. Also any priest who was blind was forbidden to approach and offer on the altar, `Leviticus 21bbb18`, `Leviticus 21bbbccc21`.
ttt[6] That 'blindness' is used in reference to those, like gentiles, who have no knowledge of the truth, is clear in Isaiah,
On that day the deaf will hear the words of the Book, and out of thick darkness and out of darkness the eyes of the blind will see. `Isaiah 29bbb18`.
'The blind' stands for people who have no knowledge of the truth, chiefly those who are outside the Church. In the same prophet,
Bring forth the blind people and they will have eyes; and the deaf, and they will have ears. `Isaiah 43bbb8`.
This refers to the Church of the gentiles. In the same prophet,
I will lead the blind in a way they do not know; I will turn the darkness before them into light. `Isaiah 42bbb16`.
ttt[7] In the same prophet,
I will give You to be a light of the people, to open the blind eyes, to bring the bound out of the dungeon, from the prison-house those who sit in darkness. `Isaiah 42bbb6-7`.
This refers to the Lord's Coming and the fact that at that time people who had no knowledge of truth were to receive instruction. For those immersed in falsity do not allow themselves to receive such instruction, for they know the truth but have set themselves against it and have turned the light of truth into darkness which is not dispelled. In Luke,
The householder said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor, and the maimed, and the lame, and the blind. `Luke 14bbb21`.
This refers to the Lord's kingdom. Not those who are literally poor, maimed, lame, and blind are meant but those who are so in the spiritual sense.
ttt[8] In the same gospel,
Jesus said that they were to report to John: The blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have the gospel preached to them. `Luke 7bbb22`.
According to the sense of the letter nobody else is meant by the blind, the lame, lepers, the deaf, the dead, and the poor than those who were so physically, for such cures did take place, that is to say, the blind received sight, the deaf hearing, lepers were restored to health, and the dead to life.
ttt[9] But in the internal sense the same people are meant as are referred to in
Isaiah,
Then will be opened the eyes of the blind, and the ears of the deaf will be opened; then will the lame man leap like a hart, and the dumb man sing with his tongue. `Isaiah 35bbb5-6`.
This refers to the Lord's Coming and a new Church at that time called the Church of the gentiles who are described as being blind, deaf, lame, and dumb; they were so called as regards their doctrine and life. For it should be recognized that all the miracles which the Lord performed always embodied such matters and therefore meant the things which the blind, the lame, lepers, the deaf, the dead, and the poor are used to mean in the internal sense. Consequently the Lord's miracles were Divine, as also those performed in Egypt, in the wilderness, and all the rest described in the Word, had been. This is an arcanum.
ppp21465#pid#2384. 'Both small and great' means in particular and in general. This is clear from the meaning of these words in the internal sense when used in reference to rational concepts and matters of doctrine deriving from these, meant by 'the men who were at the door of the house'. The relationship of particular things to general things is similar to that of 'small' to 'great' - particulars being like those that are 'small', and generals made up of particulars like those that are 'great'. What particular things are in comparison with general, and their inter-relationship, see `@@@920`, `@@@1040`, `@@@1316`.
ppp21464#pid#2385. 'And these strove to find the door (janua)' means to the point at which they were unable to see any truth that would lead to good. This is clear from the meaning of 'a door' as something that introduces or affords access, and as truth itself since the latter leads the way to good, dealt with above in `@@@2356`. In this verse however 'the door' means cognitions which lead the way to truth, for 'the door (janua)', as stated above in `@@@2356`, was on the outside of the house, for it is said in verse `Genesis 19bbbccc6` that 'Lot went out to the door (janua) and closed the door (ostia) behind him'. 'Striving to find the door' therefore means not seeing any truth that would lead to good.
ttt[2] Such do those people become, especially in the last times, who by reasoning hatch matters of doctrine and believe nothing unless they grasp it mentally beforehand. In this case the life of evil is constantly flowing into the rational part of their mind, and an illusory kind of light obtained from the fire of affections for evil pours in and causes men to see falsities as truths, like people who are in the habit of seeing phantoms in the shades of night. Those same things are after that confirmed in a multitude of ways and made matters of doctrine, as is the case with those who assert that life, which constitutes one's affection, does not achieve anything, but only faith, which constitutes thought.
ttt[3] Once any assumption is adopted, even if falsity itself, it can be confirmed in countless ways and so be presented to outward appearance as though it were the truth itself, as anyone may well know. This is how heresies arise from which there is no going back once they have been confirmed. But from a false assumption nothing other than falsities can flow; and even if truths are introduced among them, these nevertheless become falsified truths when that false assumption is confirmed by means of them, for they are polluted by the very nature of the falsity.
ttt[4] It is altogether different if truth itself is the assumption that is taken, and this is confirmed; for example, that love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour are that on which the whole law hangs and about which all the prophets speak, and so are the essentials of all doctrine and worship. In this case the mind would be enlightened by countless things in the Word which would otherwise lie hidden within the obscurity of a false assumption. Indeed in that case heresies would be dispelled and one Church would result from many, no matter how differing the doctrinal teachings and also religious practices might be flowing from that Church or leading into it.
ttt[5] Of such a character was the Ancient Church which was spread throughout many kingdoms throughout Assyria, Mesopotamia, Syria, Ethiopia, Arabia, Libya, Egypt, Philistia up to Tyre and Sidon, and the land of Canaan on both sides of the Jordan. Among these peoples doctrinal teachings and religious practices differed from one to the next, but there was nevertheless one Church because with them charity was the essential thing. At that time the Lord's kingdom existed on earth as it is in heaven, for such is the character of heaven, see `@@@684`, `@@@690`. If the same situation existed now all would be governed by the Lord as though they were one person; for they would be like the members and organs of one body which, though dissimilar in form and function, still related to one heart on which every single thing, everywhere varied in form, depended. Everyone would then say of another, No matter what form his doctrine and his external worship take, this is my brother; I observe that he worships the Lord and is a good man.
ppp21463#pid#2386. Verse `Genesis 19bbbccc12` And the men said to Lot, Whom have you here still? Son-in-law, and your sons, and your daughters, and everyone you have in the city - bring [them] out of the place.
'The men said to Lot' means that the Lord warns those with whom the good of charity is present. 'Whom have you here still? Son-in-law, and your sons, and your daughters, and everyone you have in the city - bring [them] out of the place' means that all with whom the good of charity exists, and everything belonging to that good, were to be saved; also those governed by the truth of faith, provided they drew back from evil - 'sons-in-law' meaning truths coupled to affections for good [and truth], here truths that have yet to be coupled; 'sons' meaning truths; 'daughters' meaning affections for good and truth; 'everyone you have in the city' meaning whatever derives anything from truth; 'place' meaning a state of evil.
ppp21462#pid#2387. That 'the men said to Lot' means that the Lord warns those with whom the good of charity is present is clear from the meaning of 'the men' as the Lord, dealt with in `@@@2378`, from the meaning of 'saying' as warning, and from the representation of 'Lot' as those with whom the good of charity is present, dealt with in `@@@2324`, `@@@2351`, `@@@2371`. The words 'the men said to Lot' therefore mean that the Lord warns those with whom the good of charity is present.
ppp21461#pid#2388. 'Whom have you here still? Son-in-law, and your sons, and your daughters, and everyone you have in the city - bring [them] out of the place' means that all with whom the good of charity exists, and everything belonging to that good, were to be saved; also those governed by the truth of faith, provided they drew back from evil. This is clear from the meaning of 'sons-in-law', 'sons', 'daughters', 'city', and 'place', which are dealt with in the paragraphs following this.
ttt[2] As regards the salvation of those governed by the truth of faith provided they drew back from evil, the position is that truths of faith are the vessels themselves for receiving good, `@@@1900`, `@@@2063`, `@@@2261`, `@@@2269`, and they receive good insofar as the individual draws back from evil. For good is flowing in constantly from the Lord, but it is the evil belonging to the life within that prevents the reception of that good by the truths present in a person's memory or knowledge. Consequently insofar as a person draws back from evil good enters in and inserts itself within the truths he has. When this happens the truth of faith residing with him becomes the good of faith. A person can indeed know the truth, even profess it because some worldly reason prompts him to do so; in fact he can even be persuaded that it is the truth. But this truth still does not live so long as he leads a life of evil. Such a person is like a tree that has leaves on it but no fruit; and that truth is like light in which there is no warmth, like that in winter-time when nothing grows. When however there is warmth within it, it becomes like light in spring-time when everything is growing. In the Word truth is compared to and actually called the light, while love is compared to warmth and also called spiritual warmth. In the next life moreover truth manifests itself by means of light while good does so by means of warmth. But truth devoid of good manifests itself as cold light, while truth accompanied by good does so as spring-like light. This shows what the truth of faith is when devoid of the good of charity. Here too is the reason why his sons-in-law and his sons, who meant such truths, were not saved, only Lot together with his daughters.
ttt[3] Since it is stated here that they also are saved who are governed by the truth of faith provided they draw back from evil, it should be recognized that these people are such - on account of their having been so taught - as profess faith but think nothing of charity. They do not know what charity is, imagining that it is purely a matter of giving away what is one's own to others and of taking pity on everyone. Nor do they know what the neighbour is, towards whom charity has to be exercised; they imagine that almost everybody without discrimination is the neighbour. Nevertheless these same people do lead a life of charity towards the neighbour since the life of good is present in them. They come to no harm because they profess faith along with the rest, since their faith has charity within it; for by charity is meant all goodness of life in general and in particular. What charity is therefore, and what the neighbour, will in Lord's Divine mercy be discussed later on.
ppp21460#pid#2389. 'Sons-in-law' are truths coupled to affections for good and truth, here truths that have yet to be so coupled. This is clear from the meaning of 'sons-in-law'. 'Man' in the Word means truth, and 'wife' good, `@@@265`, `@@@749`, `@@@915`, `@@@1007`, the reason being that a likeness of a marriage exists between truth and good, `@@@1432`, `@@@1904`, `@@@2173`. Consequently 'sons-in-law' means cognitions of truth to which affections for good, meant by 'daughters', have been coupled. Here however they are affections that have yet to be so coupled, for it is said in verse `Genesis 19bbbccc14` below that Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law that were marrying, that is, were about to marry, his daughters.
ppp21459#pid#2390. 'Sons' are truths, or what amounts to the same, people with whom truths exist. This is clear from the meaning of 'sons' as truths, dealt with in `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@533`, `@@@1147`.
ppp21458#pid#2391. 'Daughters' are affections for good and truth, or what amounts to the same, people with whom those affections exist. This is clear from the meaning of 'daughters' as those affections, dealt with in `@@@2362`.
ppp21457#pid#2392. 'Everyone [you have] in the city' is whatever derives anything from truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'a city' as doctrinal teaching, and so truth in its entirety, dealt with in `@@@402`, `@@@2268`.
ppp21456#pid#2393. 'Place' is a state of evil. This is clear from the meaning of 'place' as state, dealt with in `@@@1273-1275`, `@@@1377`, here a state of evil, since the place was Sodom, by which evil in general is meant, `@@@2220`, `@@@2246`, `@@@2322`.
ppp21455#pid#2394. Verse `Genesis 19bbbccc13` For we are destroying this place, for their cry has become great before Jehovah; and Jehovah has sent us to destroy it.
'For we are destroying this place' means that the state of evil which was theirs would condemn them. 'For their cry has become great before Jehovah' means because falsity deriving from evil is so extensive. 'And Jehovah has sent us to destroy it' means that they must inevitably perish.
ppp21454#pid#2395. 'For we are destroying this place' means that the state of evil which was theirs would condemn them. This is clear from the meaning of 'destroy', when used of the Lord, as - in the internal meaning - to perish from evil, that is, to be condemned; and also from the meaning of 'place' as a state of evil, `@@@2393`. The expression 'Jehovah destroys' occurs many times in the Word, but in the internal sense the meaning is that man destroys himself, for Jehovah or the Lord destroys no one. But because it does seem as though Jehovah or the Lord were the author of such destruction since He sees every single thing and governs every single thing, that expression occurs in various places in the Word, for the reason that it holds men to the very general idea that all things are before the Lord's eyes and all things under His guidance. Once they are held to that idea men can then be taught easily, for explanations of the Word giving its internal sense are nothing other than the details that fill out the general idea. There is the further reason that those who do not have love are held in fear, and in that fear revere the Lord and flee to Him for deliverance. From this it is evident that it does no harm to believe the sense of the letter, even though the internal sense teaches something other, provided that such belief is that of a simple heart. But these points are dealt with more fully further on at verse `Genesis 19bbbccc24`, in `@@@2447`, where it is said that 'Jehovah rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire'. Because they have the internal sense angels are so far removed from thinking of Jehovah's or the Lord's destroying anybody that they do not tolerate the very idea. Consequently when man reads these and similar statements in the Word, the sense of the letter is so to speak pushed to the back and at length merges into the teaching that evil itself is what destroys a person and that the Lord destroys nobody, as becomes clear from the example referred to in `@@@1875`.
ppp21453#pid#2396. 'For their cry has become great before Jehovah' means because falsity deriving from evil is so extensive. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'a cry', dealt with in `@@@2240`. 'Cry' has reference to falsity, here to falsity deriving from evil, `@@@2351`.
ppp21452#pid#2397. 'And Jehovah has sent us to destroy it' means that they must inevitably perish - these words being similar in meaning to the things stated above in `@@@2395`. By the pronoun 'us', that is, the men or the angels, is meant the Lord's Divine Human and His Holy proceeding, as shown above. By means of these the good were saved and the evil perished; though the latter in fact perished according to the law that evil itself destroyed them. And because they perished in this fashion, doing so as a result of the Lord's Coming into the world, it is said according to the appearance that they were sent to destroy them.
ttt[2] Several times in the Word it is said of the Lord that He was 'sent from the Father', as is said here, 'Jehovah has sent us'. In every instance however 'being sent' means in the internal sense coming forth, as in John,
They have received and know in truth that I came forth from You, and they have believed that You sent Me. `John 17bbb8`.
Similarly elsewhere, as in the same gospel,
God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. `John 3bbb17`.
In the same gospel,
He who does not honour the Son does not honour the Father who sent Him. `John 5bbb23`
Many other examples exist besides these, as in `Matthew 10bbb40`; `Matthew ccc15bbb24`; `John 3bbb34`; `John ccc4bbb34`; `John ccc5bbb30`, `John 5bbbccc36-38`; `John ccc6bbb29`, `John 6bbbccc39-40`, `John 6bbbccc44`, `John 6bbbccc57`; `John ccc7bbb16`, `John 7bbbccc18`, `John 7bbbccc28-29`; `John ccc8bbb16`, `John 8bbbccc18`, `John 8bbbccc29`, `John 8bbbccc42`; `John ccc9bbb4`; `John ccc10bbb0` John 36; `John ccc11bbb41-42`; `John ccc12bbb44-45`, `John 12bbbccc49`; `John ccc13bbb20`; `John ccc14bbb24`; `John ccc17bbb18`; `John ccc20bbb21`; `Luke 4bbb43`; `Luke ccc9bbb48`; `Luke ccc10bbb16`; `Mark 9bbb37`; `Isaiah 61bbb1`.
ttt[3] The Holiness of the Spirit is in similar fashion spoken of as being sent, that is, as going forth from the Lord's Divine, as in John,
Jesus said, When the Paraclete comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, even the spirit of truth who goes forth from the Father, He will bear witness to Me. `John 15bbb26`.
In the same gospel,
If I go away I will send the Paraclete to you. `John 16bbb5`, `John 16bbbccc7`.
This is why the prophets were spoken of as being 'sent', for the words they uttered went forth from the Holiness of the Lord's Spirit. And because it is from Divine Good that all Divine Truth goes forth the expression 'to be sent' strictly speaking has reference to Divine Truth. What 'going forth' is, is also evident, namely that he who goes forth, or the thing that goes forth, is part of him from whom it goes forth.
ppp21451#pid#2398. Verse `Genesis 19bbbccc14` And Lot went out, and spoke to his sons-in-law who were marrying his daughters, and said, Rise up, go out of this place, for Jehovah is destroying the city. But he was in the eyes of his sons-in-law like one who was jesting.
'Lot went out' means people with whom the good of charity is present, and also means the good itself that flows from charity. 'He spoke to his sons-in-law who were marrying his daughters' means together with those governed by truths to which affections for good could be allied. 'And said, Rise up, go out of this place' means that they were not to remain in a state of evil. 'For Jehovah is destroying the city' means that they would inevitably perish. 'But he was in the eyes of his sons-in-law like one who was jesting' means cause for laughter.
ppp21450#pid#2399. That 'Lot went out' means people with whom the good of charity is present, and that it also means the good itself that flows from charity, has been shown frequently already; for the one who represents those with whom good is present also means the good itself that is present with them.
ppp21449#pid#2400. 'He spoke to his sons-in-law who were marrying his daughters' means together with those governed by truths to which affections for good could be allied. This is clear from the meaning of 'sons-in-law' as cognitions of truth, and consequently truths, dealt with above, in `@@@2389`, and from the meaning of 'daughters' as affections for good, also dealt with above, in `@@@2362`. And because it is said that he spoke to his sons-in-law who were marrying his daughters, the meaning is, together with those governed by truths to which affections for good were able to be joined. Because those affections could be so joined the expression 'his sons-in-law' is used, but because they had not actually been joined the expression 'who were marrying his daughters' is added.
ttt[2] Here the subject is a third group of persons inside the Church, that is to say, those who have knowledge of truths but nevertheless lead evil lives. There are in fact three groups of people inside the Church:
1. Those in whose lives the good of charity is present; these are represented by 'Lot'.
2. Those who are immersed completely in falsity and evil, and who repudiate both truth and good; these are represented by 'the men of Sodom'.
3. Those who do indeed have knowledge of truths but nevertheless lead evil lives; these are meant here by 'sons-in-law'.
The last of these are chiefly people who teach, but the truth which they teach sends its roots down no more deeply than knowledge solely in the memory is accustomed to do; for it is learned and displayed by them solely for the sake of position and gain. And because with such people the ground in which the truth is sown is accordingly self-love and love of the world their belief in truth is no more than a certain persuasion, resulting from those loves. The nature of that persuasion will in the Lord's Divine mercy be spoken of elsewhere. Here they are described as the sons-in-law who did not believe a thing about the overthrow of Sodom but laughed at the idea. And the faith within their heart is also of that nature.
ppp21448#pid#2401. 'And said, Rise up, go out of this place' means that they were not to remain in a state of evil. This is clear from the meaning of 'rising up' and 'going out', and also of 'place'. 'Rising up' occurs often in the Word, being one of the common expressions found there, but little thought is given to what else it may mean. In the internal sense however it entails, as it does here, being raised up from evil to good, for the mind is raised up when it draws back from evil, `@@@2388`. 'Going out' means drawing back or not remaining, while 'place' means a state of evil, `@@@2393`. From this it is evident what the meaning is here.
ttt[2] The character of people who possess cognitions of truth but at the same time lead a life of evil has been stated frequently already - that as long as they lead a life of evil they believe nothing; for to will evil and consequently to do it, and at the same time in faith to acknowledge truth, is not possible. From this it is also evident that a person cannot be saved by thinking and speaking what is true, nor even what is good, if he wills nothing but evil, and as a consequence of what he wills does nothing but evil. Man's will itself is what lives on after death, and not so much his thinking apart from that which flows from his will.
ttt[3] Since therefore a person's character after death is determined by what he wills, one can see what he is able to think about the truths of faith he has absorbed, indeed taught, seeing that these condemn him. He is in this case so disinclined to think from them that he avoids them altogether. Indeed insofar as he is allowed, he curses them, as the devil's crew do. People who have not been taught about the life after death may imagine that they will find it easy at that time to receive faith when they see that the Lord governs the whole of heaven, and when they hear that heaven is loving Him and the neighbour. But evil people are as far removed from being able to receive faith, that is, from having the will to believe, as hell is from heaven. They are in fact totally immersed in evil and in falsity derived from this. From their mere arrival itself or presence it is recognized and perceived that they are against the Lord and against the neighbour and so against what is good and consequently against what is true. There is an unmentionable sphere which emanates from the life of their will and so of their thinking, `@@@1048`, `@@@1053`, `@@@1316`, `@@@1504`.
ttt[4] If it were possible for people to believe and become good merely by receiving instruction in the next life no one would be left in hell; for no matter how many, the Lord desires to raise them all up to heaven towards Himself. For His mercy is infinite since it is Divine mercy itself and is indeed directed towards the whole human race, and so towards the evil as well as the good.
ppp21447#pid#2402. 'For Jehovah is destroying the city' means that they would inevitably perish. This is clear from the explanation of practically the same words in `@@@2395`, `@@@2397`.
ppp21446#pid#2403. 'But he was in the eyes of his sons-in-law like one who was jesting' means cause for laughter. This is clear from the meaning of 'jesting' as the thing being so to speak a joke, just a story, or utter nonsense, and so something that they would laugh at. 'In their eyes' means to their rational, as is clear from the meaning of 'eyes' in `@@@212`. This shows the character of people with whom the truth of faith exists but not at the same time the good of life.
ppp21445#pid#2404. Verse `Genesis 19bbbccc15` As dawn ascended the angels pressed Lot to hurry, saying, Rise up, take your wife and your two daughters found [here], lest you are consumed in the iniquity of the city.
'As dawn ascended' means when the Lord's kingdom draws near. 'The angels pressed Lot to hurry' means that the Lord withheld them from evil and maintained them in good. 'Saying, Rise up, take your wife and two daughters found [here]' means the truth of faith, and the affections for truth and for good, 'found' meaning that these had been separated from evil. 'Lest you are consumed in the iniquity of the city' means lest they perished in evils deriving from falsity.
ppp21444#pid#2405. That 'as dawn ascended' means when the Lord's kingdom draws near is clear from the meaning of 'the dawn' or morning in the Word. Since the subject in this chapter is the successive states of a Church, what happened in the evening, then what happened during the night have been referred to first. What took place when it was twilight comes now, and further on what took place after sunrise. Twilight is expressed here by 'as dawn ascended', which means the time when the upright are separated from the evil. This separation is described in the present verse to verse `Genesis 19bbbccc22` as Lot being brought out together with his wife and daughters and being saved. The fact that separation takes place prior to judgement is clear from the Lord's words in Matthew,
Before Him will be gathered all the nations, and He will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. `Matthew 25bbb32`.
ttt[2] In the Word that period of time or state is called 'the dawn' because that is when the Lord comes, or what amounts to the same, when His kingdom draws near. It is similar with the good, for at that time something akin to early morning twilight or the dawn shines with them. This explains why in the Word the Lord's coming is compared to and also called 'the morning'. Its comparison to the morning is seen in Hosea,
Jehovah will revive us after two days, on the third day He will raise us up, and we shall live before Him. And we shall know, and we shall press on to know Jehovah. As the dawn is His going forth. `Hosea 6bbb2-3`.
'Two days' stands for the period of time and the state which precedes. 'Third day' stands for judgement or the Lord's coming, and so for the approach of His kingdom, `@@@720`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc901` - a coming or approach which is compared to 'the dawn'.
ttt[3] In Samuel,
The God of Israel is like morning light, [when] the sun rises on a cloudless morning; from brightness, from rain, grass comes out of the earth. `2 Samuel 23bbb4`.
'The God of Israel' stands for the Lord, for no other God of Israel was meant in that Church, where every single feature of that Church was representative of Him. In Joel,
The day of Jehovah is coming, for it is near, a day of darkness and thick darkness, a day of cloud and gloom, like the dawn spread over the mountains. `Joel 2bbb1-2`.
This too refers to the Lord's coming and His kingdom. The words 'a day of darkness and thick darkness' are used because at that time the good are separated from the evil, as Lot was here from the men of Sodom; and after the good have been separated the evil perish.
ttt[4] The Lord's coming or the approach of His kingdom is not compared to the morning but actually called such, as in Daniel,
The Holy One said, For how long is the vision, the continual [burnt offering], and the desolating transgression? He said to me, Up to the evening [when it is becoming] morning two thousand three hundred times, and the Holy One will be justified. The vision of the evening and the morning which has been told is the truth. `Daniel 8bbb13-14`, `Daniel 8bbbccc26`.
'The morning' here clearly stands for the Lord's coming. In David,
Your people are free-will offerings, in the day of Your power, in the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the dawn You have the dew of Your nativity. `Psalms 110bbb3`.
The whole of this psalm refers to the Lord and His victories in temptations, which are meant by 'the day of power and the beauties of His holiness'. 'From the womb of the dawn' means Himself, thus the Divine Love from which He fought.
ttt[5] In Zephaniah,
Jehovah is righteous in the midst of her. He will do no wrong. In the morning, in the morning He will bring His judgement to light. `Zephaniah 3bbb5`.
'morning' stands for the time and the state when judgement takes place, which is the same as the Lord's coming, and this in turn is the same as the approach of His kingdom.
ttt[6] Since 'the morning' meant these things, Aaron and his sons, to provide the same representation, were commanded to set up a lamp and tend it from evening till morning before Jehovah, `Exodus 27bbb21`. The 'evening' referred to here is the twilight prior to morning, `@@@2323`. For a similar reason it was commanded that the fire on the altar was to be rekindled every dawn, `Leviticus 6bbb12`; also that none of the paschal lamb and the consecrated elements of sacrifices were to remain until the morning, `Exodus 12bbb10`; `Exodus ccc23bbb18`; `Exodus ccc34bbb25`; `Leviticus 22bbb29-30`; `Numbers 9bbb12` - by which was meant that when the Lord came sacrifices would come to an end.
ttt[7] In a general sense 'morning' is used to describe both the time when dawn breaks and the time when the sun rises. 'morning' in this case stands for judgement in regard to the good as well as on the evil, as in the present chapter - 'The sun had gone forth over the earth and Lot came to Zoar; and Jehovah rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire', verses `Genesis 19bbbccc23-24`. It in like manner stands for judgement on the evil, in David,
In the mornings I will destroy all the wicked of the land, to cut off from the city of Jehovah all workers of iniquity. `Psalms 101bbb8`.
And in Jeremiah,
Let that man be like the cities which Jehovah overthrew, and He does not repent; and let him hear a cry in the morning. `Jeremiah 20bbb16`.
ttt[8] Seeing that 'the morning' in the proper sense means the Lord, His coming, and so the approach of His kingdom, what else is meant by 'the morning' becomes clear, namely the rise of a new Church, for that Church is the Lord's kingdom on earth. That kingdom is meant both in a general and in a particular sense, and indeed in a specific sense, the general being when any Church on earth is established anew; the particular, when a person is being regenerated and becoming a new man, for the Lord's kingdom is in that case being established in him and he is becoming the Church; and the specific, as often as good flowing from love and faith is at work with him, for this is what constitutes the Lord's coming. Consequently the Lord's resurrection on the third morning, `Mark 16bbb2`, `Mark 16bbbccc9`; `Luke 24bbb1`; `John 20bbb1`, embodies in the particular and the specific senses the truth that He rises daily, indeed every single moment, in the minds of regenerate persons.
ppp21443#pid#2406. 'The angels pressed Lot to hurry' means that the Lord withheld them from evil and maintained them in good. This is clear from the meaning of 'hurrying and pressing' as urging. That these words mean being withheld from evil is clear both from the internal sense of the words themselves and from what follows. The internal sense is that when the Church starts to fall away from good that flows from charity the Lord withholds its members from evil more forcefully than when the good of charity is present with them. What follows here makes the same point, which is that although the angels were pressing Lot to leave the city he still lingered, and so, grasping him, his wife, and his daughters by the hand, they led them away and placed them outside the city. This means and describes the character of a person whose state is such; for the subject now is the second state of that Church. The first state was described in verses `Genesis 19bbbccc1-3` of this chapter, a state when the good of charity exists with them and they acknowledge the Lord, and when they are being confirmed by Him in good. The present verse describes the second state, a state when among members of the Church themselves evils start to act against goods and when people are powerfully withheld from evils and maintained in goods by the Lord. This state is dealt with in the present verse and in verses `Genesis 19bbbccc16`, `Genesis 19bbbccc17`, which follow.
ttt[2] On this particular matter few if any know that all men, no matter how many, are withheld from evils by the Lord, and that this is done with a mightier power than man can possibly believe. For everybody is perpetually bent on evil on account both of the heredity which he is born with and of what he has acquired through his own actions, so much so that if he were not being withheld by the Lord he would at any moment rush headlong into the lowest hell. So great is the Lord's mercy however that he is being raised up every moment, even every fraction of a moment, to withhold him from rushing into that place. This applies to the good as well, but each one differs according to the life of charity and faith with him. Thus the Lord battles with man constantly, and on man's behalf with hell, though this does not seem so to man. That it is so I have been given to know from much experience, which in the Lord's Divine mercy will be presented elsewhere. See also `@@@929`, `@@@1581`.
ppp21442#pid#2407. 'Saying, Rise up, take your wife and two daughters found [here]' means the truth of faith, and the affections for truth and for good, 'found' meaning that these had been separated from evil. This is clear from the meaning of 'rising up' as being raised up from evil, `@@@2401`, also from the meaning of 'wife' here as the truth of faith, dealt with at verse `Genesis 19bbbccc26` which refers to Lot's wife being turned into a pillar of salt, as well as from the meaning of 'two daughters' as the affections for truth and for good, dealt with in `@@@2362`. That 'found' means having been separated from evil becomes clear too, in that they were set free. These few words describe this second state of the Church, which is that members did not allow themselves to be guided from good towards truth, as previously, but to be guided by way of truth towards good, though they still had an obscure affection for good. For to the extent that truth becomes the leader good becomes obscured; but to the extent that good becomes the leader truth is visible in its own light.
ppp21441#pid#2408. 'Lest you are consumed in the iniquity of the city' means lest they perished in evils deriving from falsity. This is clear from the meaning of 'iniquity' as evil, and from the meaning of 'a city' as doctrinal teaching, even if false, dealt with in `@@@402`. What evil deriving from falsity is becomes clear from what has been stated in Volume One, in `@@@1212`, `@@@1679`.
ppp21440#pid#2409. Verse `Genesis 19bbbccc16` And he lingered; and the men grasped his hand, and his wife's hand, and his daughters' hands, because of Jehovah's compassion for him, and they led him away, and placed him outside the city.
'And he lingered' means reluctance caused by the nature of evil. 'And the men grasped his hand, and his wife's hand, and his daughters' hands' means that the Lord withheld him powerfully from evils and in so doing strengthened goods and truths meant by 'Lot, his wife, and his daughters'. 'Because of Jehovah's compassion for him' means out of grace and mercy. 'And they led him away, and placed him outside the city' means his state at that time.
ppp21439#pid#2410. That 'he lingered' means reluctance caused by the nature of evil is clear from what has been stated above in `@@@2406`; for the evil that is within man reacts all the time against the good which comes from the Lord. Evil arising from what is hereditary and from his own actions clings to man in each one of his thoughts, indeed in the least parts of thoughts. This evil drags him down, but the Lord withholds him and uplifts him by means of the good that He implants. In this way man is kept suspended between evil and good, and therefore if for one fraction of a moment the Lord did not withhold him from evils he would of himself rush in a downward direction, all the more so in this state which the member of the Church whom Lot at this point represents is experiencing than in the previous state. The present state is a state when he starts to think and act not so much from good as from truth, and so is somewhat removed from good.
ppp21438#pid#2411. 'The men grasped his hand, and his wife's hand, and his daughters' hands' means that the Lord withheld him powerfully from evils and in so doing strengthened goods and truths meant by 'Lot, his wife, and his daughters'. This is clear from the meaning of 'the men' as the Lord, dealt with above; from the meaning of 'hand' as power, dealt with in `@@@878`; also from the meaning of 'Lot' as good that flows from charity, dealt with in `@@@2324`, `@@@2351`, `@@@2371`, `@@@2399`; from the meaning of 'wife' as the truth of faith, dealt with in verse `Genesis 19bbbccc26` below; and from the meaning of 'daughters' as affections for truth and for good, dealt with in `@@@489-491`, `@@@2362`. Last of all it is clear from what has been stated in `@@@2388`, that is to say, that good and truth flow in from the Lord in the measure that a person is withheld from evil. Consequently the goods and truths meant by 'Lot, his wife, and his two daughters' are in that measure strengthened.
ttt[2] This anyone may know from personal experience, if he stops to reflect. To the extent he is removed from bodily and worldly interests his ideas are spiritual, that is, he is lifted up towards heaven, as happens when engaged in any kind of sacred worship, when undergoing any temptation, and also when experiencing misfortune or sickness. At such times bodily and worldly interests - that is, the loves of them - are, as is well known, removed. The reason, which has been stated, is that what is celestial and spiritual is flowing in constantly from the Lord, but evil together with derivative falsity exists, and falsity together with derivative evil, which flow in from the bodily and worldly interests and obstruct the reception of what is celestial and spiritual.
ppp21437#pid#2412. 'Because of Jehovah's compassion for him' means out of grace and mercy. This is clear from the meaning of 'Jehovah's compassion' which cannot be anything else than grace and mercy. The Lord's withholding man from evil and maintaining him in good is the product of pure mercy, see `@@@1049`. The reason both grace and mercy are mentioned is dealt with in `@@@589`, `@@@981`, that is to say, people who are governed by truth, and from truth by good, plead merely for the Lord's grace, but people who are governed by good, and from that by truth, plead for His mercy. This difference between the two is the result of their dissimilar states of humility and resulting worship.
ppp21436#pid#2413. 'And they led him away, and placed him outside the city' means his state at that time. This is clear from the meaning of 'leading away' as withholding, and from the meaning of 'placing outside the city' as away from falsity. The state at that time therefore was one when, by a withholding from evils, goods and truths from the Lord were strengthened.
ppp21435#pid#2414. Verse `Genesis 19bbbccc17` And so it was, when they were leading them away outside, that [one of the two] said, Escape for your life;`fff1` do not look back behind you, and do not halt in all the plain; escape into the mountain lest you are consumed.
'And so it was, when they were leading them away outside' means a state when they were to be withheld from falsity and evil. 'That [one of the two] said, Escape for your life' means that he was to be concerned about his life to eternity. 'Do not look back behind you' means that he was not to look to matters of doctrine. 'And do not halt in all the plain' means that he was not to linger over any one of these. 'Escape into the mountain' means towards the good that flows from love and charity. 'Lest you are consumed' means, if he did anything else he would perish.
`nnn1. literally, soul
ppp21434#pid#2415. That 'so it was, when they were leading them away outside' means a state when they were to be withheld from falsity and evil is clear from what has been stated just above in `@@@2413`, as well as from what is stated in `@@@2388`, `@@@2411`.
ppp21433#pid#2416. That '[one of the two] said, Escape for your life' means that he was to be concerned about his life to eternity is clear without explanation. But in what way he was to be concerned about his life follows next.
ppp21432#pid#2417. 'Do not look back behind you' means that he was not to look to matters of doctrine. This is clear from the meaning of 'looking back behind him' when the city was behind him and the mountain in front of him; for 'a city' means doctrinal teaching, `@@@402`, `@@@2268`, `@@@2451`, while 'a mountain' means love and charity, `@@@795`, `@@@1430`. That this is the meaning will be evident in the explanation at verse `Genesis 19bbbccc26`, where it is said that his wife looked back behind him and she became a pillar of salt. Anyone may recognize that these words - 'looking back behind him' - have some Divine arcanum within them and that this lies too far down to be visible. For looking back behind him seems to involve nothing reprehensible at all, and yet it is of such great importance that it is said that he was to escape for his life, that is, he was to be concerned about his life to eternity by not looking back behind him. What is meant by looking to matters of doctrine however will be seen in what follows.
ttt[2] Here let it be merely stated what doctrinal teaching is. Such teaching is twofold: one kind has to do with love and charity, the other with faith. Each of the Lord's Churches at the outset, while still very young and virginal, neither possesses nor desires any other doctrinal teaching than that which has to do with charity, for this has to do with life. In course of time however a Church turns away from this kind of teaching until it starts to despise it and at length to reject it, at which point it acknowledges no other kind of teaching than that called the doctrine of faith. And when it separates faith from charity such doctrinal teaching colludes with a life of evil.
ttt[3] This was so with the Primitive or gentile Church after the Lord's Coming. At the outset it possessed no other doctrinal teaching than that which had to do with love and charity, for such is what the Lord Himself taught, see `@@@2371` (end). But after His time, as love and charity started to grow cold, doctrinal teaching regarding faith gradually crept in, and with it disagreements and heresies which increased as men leant more and more towards that kind of teaching.
ttt[4] Something similar had happened to the Ancient Church which came after the Flood and which was spread throughout so many kingdoms, `@@@2385`. This Church at the outset knew no other teaching than that which had to do with charity, for that teaching looked towards and permeated life; and so they were concerned about their eternal welfare. After a time however some people started to foster doctrinal teaching about faith which they at length separated from charity. Members of this Church called such people 'Ham' however because they led a life of evil, see `@@@1062`, `@@@1063`, `@@@1076`.
ttt[5] The Most Ancient Church which existed before the Flood and which was pre-eminently called Man enjoyed the perception itself of love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour, and so had teaching about love and charity inscribed within them. But there also existed at that time those who fostered faith, and when these at length separated it from charity they were called Cain, for Cain means such faith, and Abel whom he killed means charity; see the explanation to `Genesis 4bbb0`.
ttt[6] From this it becomes clear that doctrinal teaching is twofold, one kind having to do with charity, the other with faith, although in themselves the two are one, for teaching to do with charity includes everything to do with faith. But when doctrinal teaching comes to be drawn solely from things to do with faith, such teaching is said to be twofold because faith is separated from charity. Their separation at the present day becomes clear from the consideration that what charity is, and what the neighbour, is utterly unknown. People whose teaching is solely about faith know of charity towards the neighbour as nothing other than giving what is their own to others and taking pity on everyone, for they call everyone their neighbour indiscriminately, when in fact charity consists in all the good residing with the individual - in his affection, and in his ardent zeal, and consequently in his life - while the neighbour consists in all the good residing with people which affects the individual. Consequently the neighbour consists in people with whom good resides - and quite distinctly and separately from one person to the next.
ttt[7] For example, charity and mercy are present with him who exercises righteousness and judgement by punishing the evil and rewarding the good. Charity resides within the punishment of the evil, for he who imposes the punishment is moved by a strong desire to correct the one who is punished and at the same time to protect others from the evil he may do to them. For when he imposes it he is concerned about and desires the good of him who does evil or is an enemy, as well as being concerned about and desiring the good of others and of the state, which concern and desire spring from charity towards the neighbour. The same holds true with every other kind of good of life, for such good cannot possibly exist if it does not spring from charity towards the neighbour, since this is what charity looks to and embodies within itself.
ttt[8] There being so much obscurity, as has been stated, as to what charity is and what the neighbour, it is plain that after doctrinal teaching to do with faith has seized the chief position, teaching to do with charity is then one of those things that have been lost. Yet it was the latter teaching alone that was fostered in the Ancient Church. They went so far as to categorize all kinds of good that flow from charity towards the neighbour, that is, to categorize all in whom good was present. In doing so they made many distinctions to which they gave names, calling them the poor, the wretched, the oppressed, the sick, the naked, the hungry, the thirsty, the prisoners or those in prison, the. sojourners, the orphans, and the widows. Some they also called the lame, the blind, the deaf, the dumb, and the maimed, and many other names besides these. It was in accordance with this kind of teaching that the Lord spoke in the Old Testament Word, and it explains why such expressions occur so frequently there; and it was in accordance with the same that the Lord Himself spoke, as in `Matthew 25bbb35-36`, `Matthew 25bbbccc38-40`, `Matthew 25bbbccc42-45`; `Luke 14bbb13`, `Luke 14bbbccc21`; and many times elsewhere. This is why those names have quite a different meaning in the internal sense. So that doctrinal teaching regarding charity may be restored therefore, some discussion will in the Lord's Divine mercy appear further on as to who such people are, and what charity is, and what the neighbour, generally and specifically.
ppp21431#pid#2418. 'Do not halt in all the plain' means he was not to linger over any one of these. This is clear from the meaning of 'a plain' as every aspect of doctrine, dealt with immediately below. What not lingering over any one of them entails will be stated at verse `Genesis 19bbbccc26`, where Lot's wife is referred to as looking back behind him. That 'a plain' in the Word means all aspects of that doctrine is clear in Jeremiah,
He who lays waste will come to every city, and no city will escape; and the valley will perish, and the plain will be destroyed. `Jeremiah 48bbb8`.
'City' stands for false doctrinal teaching, 'the plain' for all aspects of that doctrine. In John,
When the thousand years have come to an end Satan will be loosed from his prison, and will come out to deceive the nations which are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. They went up therefore over the whole plain of the earth, and surrounded the camp of the saints; but fire came down from God out of heaven and consumed them. `Revelation 20bbb7-9`.
Here 'Gog and Magog' stands for people whose worship was external devoid of internal and so had become idolatrous, `@@@1151`. 'The plain of the earth' stands for the Church's matters of doctrine which they lay waste, 'the camp of the saints' for goods that flow from love and charity. 'Consumed by fire from God out of heaven' is similar in meaning to that regarding the men of Sodom and Gomorrah, in verse `Genesis 19bbbccc24`. Also in `Jeremiah 33bbb13` matters of doctrine regarding charity are called 'cities of the mountain' and matters of doctrine regarding faith 'cities of the plain'.
ppp21430#pid#2419. 'Escape into the mountain' means towards the good that flows from love and charity. This is clear from the meaning of 'a mountain' as love and charity, dealt with in `@@@795`, `@@@1430`.
ppp21429#pid#2420. 'Lest you are consumed' means, if he did anything else he would perish. This is clear without explanation.
ppp21428#pid#2421. Verses `Genesis 19bbbccc18-19` And Lot said to them, Not so, my Lords. Behold now, your servant has found grace in your eyes, and you have magnified your mercy which you have shown to me in causing my soul to live. But I shall not be able to escape into the mountain in case the evil clings to me and I die.
'Lot said to them, Not so, my Lords' means weakness in that he could not do so. 'Behold now, your servant has found grace in your eyes' means a state of humility resulting from the affection for truth. 'You have magnified your mercy' means a likeness of a state of humility resulting from the affection for good. 'Which you have shown to me in causing my soul to live' means because of His desire to save him. 'But I shall not be able to escape into the mountain' means doubt as to whether he would be able to possess good that flows from charity. 'In case the evil clings to me and I die' means it would inevitably result in evil existing with him at the same time and that this being so he would be condemned.
ppp21427#pid#2422. That 'Lot said to them, Not so, my Lords' means weakness in that he could not do so is clear from the affectional content of the words themselves, and also from what follows. The subject at this point is the third state of the Church which is represented in this chapter by 'Lot', a state in which men no longer think and act from the affection for good but from the affection for truth. This state takes over when the affection for good starts to decrease and so to speak to depart. Good is indeed present but it has withdrawn itself more towards the interior parts and therefore dwells in obscurity; yet it reveals itself in a type of affection, which is referred to as the affection for truth. What the affection for good is, and what the affection for truth, see `@@@1997`, and also `@@@2425` just below. Not even the existence, still less the nature of these states is apparent to man; but those states are apparent to angels as in broad daylight; for the angels are in every good affection of a man. They are also apparent to the man himself when he enters the next life. It is in accordance with those affections and with their nature that the good are divided into separate communities, `@@@685`.
ppp21426#pid#2423. 'Behold now, your servant has found grace in your eyes' means a state of humility resulting from the affection for truth, and 'you have magnified your mercy' means a likeness of a state of humility resulting from the affection for good. This becomes clear from what has been stated already about grace and mercy in `@@@598`, `@@@981`. For people governed by an affection for truth are not able to humble themselves sufficiently so as to acknowledge from the heart that all things are attributable to mercy; and this being so, instead of mercy they speak of grace. Indeed the less the affection for truth is in them, the less humility there is within their mention of grace. On the other hand the more affection for good exists with someone the more humility there is within his mention of mercy. This shows how broad the difference is in the adoration and consequently the worship between those governed by the affection for truth and those governed by the affection for good. For in order that worship may exist, adoration must exist, and in order that adoration may exist humility must do so too. This applies to every single aspect of worship. From this it is evident why both grace and mercy are mentioned here.
ppp21425#pid#2424. 'Which you have shown to me in causing my soul to live' means because of His desire to save him. This is clear without explanation.
ppp21424#pid#2425. 'But I shall not be able to escape into the mountain' means doubt as to whether he would be able to possess good that flows from charity, that is, to think and act from that good. This is clear from the meaning of 'a mountain' as love and charity, dealt with in `@@@795`, `@@@1430`.
ttt[2] With regard to that doubt, people governed by the affection for truth possess the affection for good within their affection for truth. But that affection for good is in so much obscurity that they do not perceive and so do not know what the affection for good is, or what genuine charity is. They do indeed think that they know, but they do so from truth, and so from acquired knowledge, but not from good itself. Nevertheless they perform the good works of charity, not to merit anything by doing so, but from a sense of obedience. They act in this way insofar as they understand it to be the truth. For they allow the Lord to lead them away from the obscurity surrounding good by means of truth which to them looks like the truth. For example, because they do not know what the neighbour is they do good to everyone they imagine to be their neighbour, especially the poor, who call themselves the poor because they lack worldly riches; they do good to orphans and widows because they are termed such; to strangers because they are such; and so on with the rest. They behave in this way without knowing what is really meant by the poor, orphans, widows, strangers, and many more. Nevertheless because within their affection there is, lying in obscurity, as stated, the affection for good by means of which the Lord leads them to do those things, good is at the same time present with them interiorly. Within that good the angels are present with them, and there take pleasure in the appearances of truth for which those people have an affection.
ttt[3] But those who are governed by good that flows from charity, and from this by an affection for truth, exercise discrimination when performing all those deeds, for they dwell in light, and the light of truth has no other source than good, because the Lord flows in by way of good. They do not do good to the poor, orphans, widows, and strangers just because these are so termed, for they know that the good, whether poor or rich, are pre-eminently the neighbour; for by the good, good is done to others, and therefore insofar as they do good to the good they are doing it through them to others. They know also how to discriminate between one good and another, and so between one good person and another. They call the common good itself their neighbour to a higher degree, for within this neighbour the good of a greater number of persons is seen. The Lord's kingdom on earth, which is the Church, they acknowledge as being their neighbour to an even higher degree, towards whom charity should be shown; and the Lord's kingdom in heaven to an even higher degree than that. People however who set the Lord above all of these, who adore Him alone and love Him above all things, derive all degrees of the neighbour from Him, for in the highest sense the Lord alone is the Neighbour and so is all good insofar as this is derived from Him.
ttt[4] Those however whose disposition is quite the reverse derive degrees of the neighbour from themselves and acknowledge as neighbour only those who show them favour and are subservient to them. Calling these and no others their brothers and friends, they discriminate between them only to the degree that they make one with themselves. All this shows what the neighbour is, namely that everyone is the neighbour according to the love which governs him; and he is truly the neighbour who is governed by love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour, but in a different way for everyone. Thus it is the good itself with each one that is the determining factor.
ppp21423#pid#2426. 'In case the evil clings to me and I die' means it would inevitably result in evil existing with him at the same time and that this being so he would be condemned. This is clear without explanation. What these words embody can be recognized from what has been stated and shown already in `@@@301-303`, `@@@571`, `@@@582`, `@@@1001`, `@@@1327`, `@@@1328` - that the Lord is continually making provision to prevent the mixing together of evil with good. But to the extent a person is immersed in evil, he is further away from good. It is better to be immersed completely in evil than in evil and at the same time in good. For if a person is under the influence of evil and of good simultaneously he inevitably stands condemned for ever. It is the deceitful and the hypocritical within the Church who more than anybody else stand in danger of this. This then is the meaning in the internal sense of 'in case the evil clings to me and I die'.
ppp21422#pid#2427. Verse `Genesis 19bbbccc20` Behold now, this city is near to flee to it, and it is small. Let me, I beg you, escape to it (is it not small?) and let my soul live.
'Behold now, this city is near to flee to it' means he would be allowed [to think and act] from the truth of faith. 'And it is small' means from the small amount of it which he had. 'Let me, I beg you, escape to it' means that from that small amount of truth it is permitted to regard good. 'Is it not small?' means, Would he not have some small amount of it? 'And let my soul live' means that he would thus perhaps be saved.
ppp21421#pid#2428. 'Behold now, this city is near to flee to it' means that he would be allowed [to think and act] from the truth of faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'a city' as doctrinal teaching, and so the truth of faith, dealt with in `@@@402`, `@@@2268`. It is said to be 'near' because truth is closely related to good. Consequently 'to flee to it' means that he would be allowed to do so from that truth because he would be unable to do so from good, `@@@2422`.
ppp21420#pid#2429. 'It is small' means from the small amount of it which he had. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'a city' as truth, dealt with immediately above. The reference to its being 'small' means a small amount of truth, here acting from the small amount he had, as is clear from what comes before and after. As regards this matter, namely that those with the affection for truth possess little truth in comparison with those with the affection for good, this becomes clear from the consideration that they see truth from a poor and obscure good residing with them.
ttt[2] The truth present with someone is altogether as is the good with him. Where there is little good there is little truth. They are present in the same ratio and are of the same degree, or as people say, they march in step with each other. This may indeed seem a paradox but it is nevertheless the truth. Good is the actual essence of truth, and truth without its essence is not truth. Although it looks as though it were, it is no more than something that merely resounds, and is like an empty vessel.
ttt[3] For anyone to have the truth within him he must not only know it, but also acknowledge it and have faith in it. When he does he possesses truth for the first time, for in that case it has an influence on him and remains. It is different when he merely knows the truth but does not acknowledge it and have faith in it. In that case he does not have the truth within him, as applies to many who are governed by evil. They can know of truths, sometimes better than anybody else, but they nevertheless do not possess it. Indeed their possession of it is so much the less because at heart they deny it.
ttt[4] It is provided by the Lord that no one should possess - that is, acknowledge and believe - a greater amount of truth than of the good which he receives. This is why here it is said of the city, which means truth, that 'it is small', and again in this same verse 'is it not small?' and also in verse `Genesis 19bbbccc22` that 'he called the name of the city Zoar', which means small in the original language. The reason for this is that the subject here is people with the affection for truth, and not so much with the affection for good.
ppp21419#pid#2430. 'Let me, I beg you, escape to it' means that from that small amount of truth it is permitted to regard good. This becomes clear from what comes before and after. It was said that 'he should escape to the mountain' by which is meant the good of love and charity, `@@@2419`, but he replied that he could not do so, but that he could escape 'to the city', by which is meant the truth of faith, `@@@2428`, thus that he could regard good from truth, or what amounts to the same, regard charity from faith. That city moreover was situated at the foot of the mountain, and from it he subsequently went up and dwelt on the mountain, though in a cave there, verse `Genesis 19bbbccc30`.
ppp21418#pid#2431. 'Is it not small?' means, Would he not have some small amount of it? This is clear from what has been stated above in `@@@2429`, and so without further explanation. This question is put because the Lord alone knows how much good exists within truth, and so how much truth resides with a person.
ppp21417#pid#2432. That 'let my soul live' means he would thus perhaps be saved is also clear without explanation. He was saved also because his truth had good within it, as is clear from what follows, that is, from the reply, 'Behold, I have accepted you as regards this matter also, that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken', verse `Genesis 19bbbccc21`, and after that, 'The sun had gone forth over the earth, and Lot came to Zoar', verse `Genesis 19bbbccc23`, statements used to mean that people with the affection for truth are saved, that is, those with faith, provided that it is a faith grounded. in good.
ppp21416#pid#2433. Verse `Genesis 19bbbccc21` And he said to him, Behold, I have accepted you`fff1` as regards this matter also, that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken.
'He said to him, Behold, I have accepted you as regards this matter also' means assent, provided that the interior aspects of that truth derive anything from good. 'That I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken' means that this being so he would not perish.
`nnn1. literally, your face
ppp21415#pid#2434. That 'he said to him, Behold, I have accepted you as regards this matter also' means assent, provided that the interior aspects of that truth derive anything from good. This is clear from the meaning of 'face'. 'Face' occurs very many times in the Word and in those places it means the interiors, as shown in `@@@358`, `@@@1999`; and when the word 'face' is used in reference to Jehovah or the Lord it means mercy, peace, and good, `@@@222`, `@@@223`. Here therefore 'face' means good which is interiorly within truth, so that 'accepting the face' means assent, provided that the interior aspects of that truth derive anything from good. 'As regards this matter' means as regards this thing. Unless truth has good within it, it is not truth, see `@@@1496`, `@@@1832`, `@@@1900`, `@@@1904`, `@@@1928`, `@@@2063`, `@@@2173`, `@@@2269`, `@@@2401`, `@@@2403`, `@@@2429`; and the source of man's blessing and happiness after death is not truth but the good lying within truth, `@@@2261`. Consequently blessing and happiness are for him increased the more good there is lying within truth. That good lies within truth and causes it to be truth becomes clear also from goods and truths as they exist in worldly things. When a person takes in and acknowledges something within these as being good, then whatever regards that good with favour he calls the truth. But whatever does not regard it with favour he rejects and calls falsity. He may also call something the truth which does not regard that good with favour; but in that case he is pretending one thing and thinking another. The same also applies in spiritual things.
ppp21414#pid#2435. 'That I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken' means that this being so he would not perish, that is to say, the person with whom the truth which has good within it is present. This is clear from the meaning of 'a city' as truth, dealt with in `@@@402`, `@@@2268`, `@@@2428`. From most ancient times men have argued about which is the firstborn of the Church, whether charity or faith. The reason is that man is regenerated and made a Church by means of the truths of faith. But people who have given preference to faith and made it the firstborn have all sunk into heresies and falsities, and at length have annihilated charity altogether. One reads of Cain, for example, by whom a faith such as this is meant, that he at length killed Abel his brother, who means charity. One reads after this of Reuben, Jacob's firstborn, by whom also faith is meant; but he defiled his father's couch, `Genesis 35bbb22`; `Genesis ccc49bbb4`, as a result of which he was disgraced and the birthright passed to Joseph, `Genesis 48bbb15`; `1 Chronicles 5bbb1`.
ttt[2] This was the origin in the Word of all the disputes, and also the laws concerning the birthright. The reason for this controversy was that people did not know, even as it is not known today, that the amount of faith a person has depends on the amount of charity there is in him, and while a person is being regenerated charity offers itself to faith, or what amounts to the same, good offers itself to truth, and implants and accommodates itself in every part of it, and also in so doing causes faith to be faith. This being so, charity is really the firstborn of the Church, though to man it seems to be otherwise; see also `@@@352`, `@@@367`. But because these matters are the subject in many places after this, more in the Lord's Divine mercy will be said when those places are reached.
ppp21413#pid#2436. Verse `Genesis 19bbbccc22` Make haste, escape to it, for I cannot do anything until you come to it. Therefore he called the name of the city Zoar.
'Make haste, escape to it' means that he should remain in that position because he could not go further. 'For I cannot do anything until you come to it' means that before judgement is effected on the evil those with the affection for truth have to be saved. 'Therefore he called the name of the city Zoar' means the affection for truth.
ppp21412#pid#2437. 'Make haste, escape to it' means that he should remain in that position because he could not go further, that is, remain with the truth of faith and the affection for it because he could not attain to the good itself of charity and the affection for it. This is clear from what goes before.
ppp21411#pid#2438. 'For I cannot do anything until you come to it' means that before judgement is effected on the evil those with the affection for truth have to be saved. This becomes clear from the fact that the words 'I cannot do anything' mean the judgement effected on the evil, described shortly by the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, and from the fact that the words 'until you come to it' mean the prior salvation of those with the affection for truth, whom Lot represents here. This is also what 'Lot's coming to Zoar' means, verse `Genesis 19bbbccc23`.
ttt[2] That the salvation of good and righteous persons takes place before the destruction of the wicked and unrighteous is also clear from elsewhere in the Word, as in Matthew where the Last Judgement is the subject. There it is said that the sheep were separated from the goats; then the sheep were told to enter the Lord's kingdom before the goats were told to depart into eternal fire, `Matthew 25bbb32`, `Matthew 25bbbccc34`, `Matthew 25bbbccc41`. Something similar was also represented by the children of Israel, when they went out of Egypt, being saved before the Egyptians were drowned in the Sea Suph.
ttt[3] The same is also meant by the statements made in various places in the Prophets to the effect that after the faithful had been brought back from captivity their enemies would undergo punishments and perish. This is constantly happening in the next life, that is to say, the faithful are saved first and then the faithless are punished, or what amounts to the same, the former are first raised up into heaven by the Lord and after that the latter hurl themselves into hell. The reason these events do not take place at one and the same time is that unless the good were snatched away from the evil, they would easily be destroyed by the evil desires and by the false persuasions which the evil constantly cast around like poisons. Generally however before any such thing happens, steps are taken with the good to separate evils, and with the evil to separate goods, so that the good may be lifted up by the Lord by means of goods into heaven and the evil cast themselves by means of evils down into hell. This matter will in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed further on in `@@@2449`, `@@@2451`.
ppp21410#pid#2439. 'Therefore he called the name of the city Zoar' means the affection for truth. This is clear from the meaning of that city as the affection for good, that is to say, the affection for good that is the fruit of knowledge, which is the affection for truth, dealt with in `@@@1589`, and from the meaning of 'calling the name' as knowing the essential nature of some person or thing, dealt with in `@@@144`, `@@@145`, `@@@1754`, `@@@2009`. Here the meaning is that little truth was present, for the name 'Zoar' in the original language means little or small. People with the affection for truth possess little truth because they possess little good in comparison with those with the affection for good; see above `@@@2429`
[2] What is more, truths which are in themselves truths are more true with one person, less so with another; and with some they are not truths at all but indeed falsities. This becomes clear from almost all things which in themselves are truths. For truths as they reside-with the individual vary according to his affections. For example, the doing of a good work or the good of charity is in itself a truth to be put into practice. With one person it is the good of charity because it flows from charity, with another a work of obedience because it flows from obedience, with others it is a merit-seeking because they wish by means of it to earn merit and salvation, but with certain people it is a hypocritical action which they do to be seen by others; and so on. So it is with all other truths which are called truths of faith. From this it also becomes clear that much truth resides with people with the affection for good, but less truth with those with the affection for truth; for the latter look on good as something rather remote from themselves while the former look on it as something present within themselves.
ppp21409#pid#2440. Verse `Genesis 19bbbccc23` The sun had gone forth over the earth, and Lot came to Zoar.
'The sun had gone forth over the earth' means the final period which is called the Last Judgement. 'And Lot came to Zoar' means that those with the affection for truth are saved.
ppp21408#pid#2441. That 'the sun had gone forth over the earth' means the final period which is called the Last Judgement is clear from the meaning of 'sunrise' when the subject is the times and states of the Church. That the times of the day, like the seasons of the year also, in the internal sense mean the consecutive states of the Church has been shown already in `@@@2323`, and that 'the dawn' or 'the morning' means the coming of the Lord or approach of His kingdom, in `@@@2405`. Thus 'sunrise' or its going forth over the earth is His actual arrival or presence, the reason being that both the sun and the east where it rises mean the Lord - 'the sun', see `@@@31`, `@@@32`, `@@@1053`, `@@@1521`, `@@@1529-1531`, `@@@2120`, and 'the east', `@@@101`.
ttt[2] The reason the Lord's arrival or presence coincides with the final period called the judgement is that His presence separates the good from the evil, and leads on to the good being raised into heaven and the evil casting themselves down into hell. For in the next life the Lord is the Sun of the whole of heaven, see `@@@1053`, `@@@1521`, `@@@1529-1531`. Actually it is the Divine celestial manifestation of His Love which appears before their very eyes as the sun and produces the light itself of heaven. To the extent therefore that those in the next life abide in celestial love they are raised up into that celestial light which comes from the Lord. But to the extent they are remote from celestial love they cast themselves away from that light into the darkness of hell.
ttt[3] This then is the reason why 'sunrise' which means the Lord's arrival or presence entails both the salvation of the good and the condemnation of the evil; and why at this point it is first stated that 'Lot came to Zoar', that is, that people represented here by Lot were saved, and immediately after this that 'Jehovah rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire', that is, the evil were condemned.
ttt[4] To those there who are immersed in the evils of self-love and love of the world, that is, who hate all things to do with love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour, the light of heaven actually appears as thick darkness. This is why it is said in the Word that to those people the sun was darkened, which means that they rejected everything to do with love and charity and accepted everything contrary to these, as in Ezekiel,
When I have blotted you out I will cover the heavens and darken their stars, I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light. All the bright lights in the heavens I will make dark over you, and I will put darkness over your land. `Ezekiel 32bbb7-8`.
Anyone may see that 'covering the heavens', 'darkening the stars', 'covering the sun', and 'making the bright lights dark' mean different things from these.
ttt[5] Similarly in Isaiah,
The sun will be darkened in its going forth and the moon will not give its light. `Isaiah 13bbb9-10`.
And in Joel,
The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. `Joel 2bbb2`, `Joel 2bbbccc10`.
This therefore shows what is meant by these words spoken by the Lord when He was describing the final period of the Church which is called the judgement, in Matthew,
Immediately after the affliction of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven. `Matthew 24bbb29`.
'The sun' is not used to mean the sun, nor 'the moon' the moon, nor 'stars' the stars, but 'the sun' is used to mean love and charity, 'the moon' faith derived from these, and 'the stars' cognitions of good and truth, which are said to have been darkened, to lose their light, and to fall from heaven when the acknowledgement of the Lord, and love to Him and charity towards the neighbour, cease to exist any longer. And when these have become non-existent self-love together with falsities deriving from it take possession of man; for the one thing results as a consequence of the other.
ttt[6] This also explains the following in John,
The fourth angel poured out his bowl into the sun and it was allowed to scorch men with fire; therefore men were burned by the fierce heat, and they blasphemed the name of God. `Revelation 16bbb8-9`.
This too refers to the last times of the Church when all love and charity is being annihilated, or to express it in ordinary language, when no faith exists any longer. The annihilation of love and charity is meant by the statement that the bowl was poured out into the sun; consequently it is in that case self-love and its desires that are meant by the statement that men were scorched with fire and that they were burned by a fierce heat; and this led to their blaspheming the name of God.
ttt[7] By 'the sun' the Ancient Church understood nothing other than the Lord and the Divine celestial manifestation of His love. It was their custom when praying therefore to turn towards the rising of the sun - yet without giving any thought at all to the sun itself. Later on however when their descendants had lost even this together with every other representative and meaningful sign they began to worship the sun and moon themselves. This kind of worship spread to very many nations, so much so that they dedicated temples to the sun and to the moon, and erected pillars. And because the sun and moon now assumed an opposite meaning they mean self-love and love of the world, which are the complete reverse of celestial and spiritual love.
ttt[8] In the Word therefore worshipping the sun and moon is used to mean worship of self and of the world, as in Moses,
Lest you lift your eyes to heaven and you see the sun and moon and stars, all the host of heaven, and you are drawn away and bow down to them and serve them. `Deuteronomy 4bbb19`.
And in the same author,
If anyone has gone and served other gods, and bowed down to them, and to the sun or moon, or to all the host of heaven, which I have not commanded, you shall stone them with stones, and they shall die. `Deuteronomy 17bbb3`, `Deuteronomy 17bbbccc5`.
People turned the worship of old into such idolatry when they no longer believed that anything internal was meant in the religious observances of the Church, only that which is external.
ttt[9] Similarly in Jeremiah,
At that time the bones of the kings of Judah, of the princes, of the priests, of the prophets, and of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, they will spread before the sun and the moon and all the host of heaven which they have loved and which they have served. `Jeremiah 8bbb1-2`.
'The sun' stands for self-love and its desires. 'Spreading out the bones' means the hellish things which such people possess. In the same prophet,
He will break down the pillars of the house of the sun that is in the land of Egypt, and the houses of the gods of Egypt he will burn with fire. `Jeremiah 43bbb13`.
'The pillars of the house of the sun' stands for worship of self.
ppp21407#pid#2442. 'And Lot came to Zoar' means that those with the affection for truth are saved. This is clear from the meaning of 'Zoar' as the affection for truth, dealt with in `@@@2439`. From this it also becomes clear that even people who are governed by faith are saved provided there is good within their faith, that is, they are moved by an affection for the truths of faith for the sake of good, that is, originating in good. The entire life of faith has no other source. That charity is the essential element of faith, indeed that it is faith itself because it is the very substance of faith, see `@@@379`, `@@@389`, `@@@654`, `@@@724`, `@@@809`, `@@@916`, `@@@1162`, `@@@1176`, `@@@1798`, `@@@1799`, `@@@1834`, `@@@1844`, `@@@2049`, `@@@2116`, `@@@2189`, `@@@2190`, `@@@2228`, `@@@2261`, `@@@2343`, `@@@2349`, `@@@2417`.
ppp21406#pid#2443. Verse `Genesis 19bbbccc24` And Jehovah rained on Sodom and on Gomorrah brimstone and fire from Jehovah out of heaven.
'Jehovah rained on Sodom and on Gomorrah brimstone and fire' means the hell of those governed by the evils of self-love, and by falsities deriving from these - 'raining on' meaning to be condemned, 'brimstone' the hell of the evils of self-love, 'fire' the hell of falsities deriving from these. 'From Jehovah out of heaven' means from the laws of order in regard to truth, because they separate themselves from good.
ppp21405#pid#2444. 'Jehovah rained on Sodom and on Gomorrah brimstone and fire' means the hell of those governed by the evils of self-love, and by falsities deriving from these. This is clear from the meaning of 'raining on' as to be condemned, of 'brimstone' as the hell of the evils of self-love, and of 'fire' as the hell of falsities deriving from these, dealt with in the paragraphs that follow this; and also from the meaning of 'Sodom' as evil that stems from self-love, and of 'Gomorrah' as falsity deriving from this evil, dealt with in `@@@2220`, `@@@2246`, `@@@2322`. Here 'Gomorrah' as well is mentioned; no previous mention of it has been made in this chapter for the reason that 'Gomorrah' means falsity, which is the product of the evil of self-love. For inside the Church, whose final period or judgement is the subject at this point, this is the evil which in the main acts against good, and falsity deriving from evil which acts against truth. These two are joined together in such a way that anybody who is subject to the one is subject to the other, and indeed in a like ratio and to a like degree. It does indeed seem to be other than this, but the reality reveals itself in the next life if not in this world. Regarding the nature of self-love, and how great the evils are which arise from it, and that the hells have their origin in it, see `@@@693`, `@@@694`, `@@@760`, `@@@1307`, `@@@1308`, `@@@1321`, `@@@1594`, `@@@1691`, `@@@2041`, `@@@2045`, `@@@2051`, `@@@2057`, `@@@2219`.
ppp21404#pid#2445. That 'raining on' means to be condemned is clear from the meaning of 'rain'. In the Word in the genuine sense 'rain' means a blessing and also consequent salvation, but in the contrary sense it means a curse and also consequent condemnation. Its meaning blessing and consequent salvation is clear from many places, but that it means in the contrary sense a curse and consequent condemnation is evident from the following: In Isaiah,
The tabernacle will be for a shade by day from the heat, and for a refuge and shelter from deluge and from rain. `Isaiah 4bbb6`.
In Ezekiel,
Say to those who daub it with what is not suitable that it will fall. There will be deluging rain from which you, O hailstones, will fall. There will be deluging rain in My anger, and hailstones in wrath to consume it. `Ezekiel 13bbb11`, `Ezekiel 13bbbccc13`.
In David,
He made their rain into hail, a flaming fire in their land; and He smote their vines and their fig trees. `Psalms 105bbb32-33`.
This refers to Egypt, concerning which the following is said in Moses,
Jehovah sent thunder and hail, and fire ran down over the earth, and Jehovah rained hail over the land of Egypt. `Exodus 9bbb23-24`.
ppp21403#pid#2446. 'Brimstone' means the hell of the evils of self-love, and 'fire' the hell of falsities deriving from these. This is clear from the meaning in the Word of 'brimstone' and of 'fire' produced by it as self-love together with its evil desires and derivative falsities, and so as hell, for hell consists of such. That 'brimstone' and 'fire' have these meanings is clear in David,
Jehovah will rain on the wicked, snares, fire and brimstone. `Psalms 11bbb6`.
The fact that it is not fire or brimstone but something else that is meant here by 'fire and brimstone' becomes clear also from its being said that 'Jehovah will rain snares'. In Ezekiel,
I will dispute with him with pestilence and blood; and deluging rain and hailstones, fire and brimstone will I rain on him and on his hordes, and on the many peoples that are with him. `Ezekiel 38bbb22`.
This refers to Gog who lays waste the land of Israel, that is, the Church. What Gog is, see `@@@1151`. 'Fire' stands for falsities, 'brimstone' for derivative evils, and at the same time for the hells of those who lay waste. In John,
Those who worshipped the beast were thrown into the lake burning with brimstone. `Revelation 19bbb20`.
Here they stand for hell. In the same book,
The devil was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. `Revelation 20bbb10`.
Here they plainly stand for hell. In the same book,
As for abominable people, and murderers, and adulterers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their lot will be in the lake burning with fire and brimstone. `Revelation 21bbb8`.
Here also 'fire and brimstone' plainly stands for hell.
ttt[2] That these two stand for the evils of self-love and for falsities deriving from these, in which the hells have their origin, is seen in Isaiah,
The day of Jehovah's vengeance - the year of retributions in the controversy of Zion - and her streams will be turned into pitch, and her dust into brimstone, and her land will become burning pitch. `Isaiah 34bbb8-9`.
Here 'burning pitch', mentioned instead of fire, stands for dense and dreadful falsities, 'brimstone' for evils which are the product of self-love. In the same prophet,
Its pyre is fire and much wood; the breath of Jehovah is like a stream of burning brimstone in it. `Isaiah 30bbb33`.
In this reference to Tophet, 'a stream of burning brimstone' stands for falsities which are the product of the evils of self-love. In Luke,
On the day Lot went out of Sodom fire and brimstone rained from heaven and destroyed them all - so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. `Luke 17bbb29-30`.
ttt[3] Anyone may see that it is not fire and brimstone that will rain down at that time but that the falsities and desires of self-love, which are meant by 'fire and brimstone' and which make up hell, will be predominant. 'Fire' in the Word means evil desires and at the same time the hells, in which case the smoke from the fire means falsity which arises from and exists in those hells, see `@@@1861`. And in John,
I saw horses in the vision, and those seated on them had breastplates of fire and of brimstone. And the heads of the horses were like lions' heads, and out of their mouths there went forth fire, smoke, and brimstone. By these three a third part of mankind was killed - by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone. `Revelation 9bbb17-18`.
'Fire, smoke, and brimstone' stands for evils and falsities of every kind, in which, as stated, the hells have their origin.
ppp21402#pid#2447. 'From Jehovah out of heaven' means from the laws of order in regard to truth, because they separate themselves from good. This does not become clear except from the internal sense, by means of which the truth of the matter regarding forms of punishment and condemnation is disclosed, namely that the author of these is in no sense Jehovah or the Lord, but man, evil spirit, or devil himself; and this is so from the laws of order in regard to truth because they separate themselves from good.
ttt[2] All order begins in Jehovah, that is, in the Lord, and it is in accordance with that order that He rules over every single thing. But there is much variation to His rule; that is to say, it may be His Will, or His Good Pleasure, or His Consent, or His Permission from which He rules. Things that have their origin in His will or in His good pleasure are products of laws of order which have regard to what is good, as also do many things that exist by His consent, and even some that do so by His permission. But when a person separates himself from good he subjects himself to the laws of order which are those of truth separated from good and which are such as condemn. For all truth condemns a person and casts him down into hell; but out of good, that is, out of mercy, the Lord rescues him and raises him up into heaven. From this it is clear that it is a person himself who condemns himself.
ttt[3] Things that are the result of permission are for the most part of this nature - for example, besides countless others, the fact that one devil punishes and torments another. These things are from the laws of order in regard to truth separated from good, for there is no other way in which such devils could be kept under control and prevented from rushing on all the good and upright and destroying them eternally. The prevention of their doing this is the good which the Lord has in view. This is similar to what happens on earth where a benign and compassionate ruler exists who intends and does nothing but good. If he did not allow his laws to punish evil and criminal persons - though he himself punishes nobody but instead grieves that those people are such that their evils must punish them - he would leave his kingdom itself open to plunder by such people; and this would be a manifestation of a complete lack of benignity and compassion.
ttt[4] From these considerations it is evident that Jehovah in no way rained down brimstone and fire, that is, condemned to hell, but that those subject to evil and to falsity which arises out of this did so, the reason being that they separated themselves from good and in so doing put themselves under the laws of order deriving from truth alone. From all this it follows that such is the internal sense of these words.
ttt[5] In the Word, evil, punishment, cursing, condemnation, and many other things are attributed to Jehovah or the Lord, similar to the attribution here that He rained brimstone and fire: in Ezekiel,
I will dispute with him with pestilence and blood; fire and brimstone will I rain on him. `Ezekiel 38bbb22`.
In Isaiah,
The breath of Jehovah is like a stream of burning brimstone. `Isaiah 30bbb33`.
In David,
Jehovah will rain on the wicked snares, fire and brimstone. `Psalms 11bbb6`.
In the same author,
Smoke went up out of His nose, and fire out of His mouth devoured; glowing coals flamed forth from Him. `Psalms 18bbb8-9`.
In Jeremiah,
Lest My wrath go forth like fire, and burn with none to quench it. `Jeremiah 21bbb12`.
In Moses,
Fire has flared up in My anger, and will burn right down to the lowest hell. `Deuteronomy 32bbb22`.
Similar attributions occur in many other places besides these. Why in the Word such things are attributed, as has been stated, to Jehovah or the Lord has been explained in Volume One, in `@@@223`, `@@@245`, `@@@589`, `@@@592`, `@@@696`, `@@@735`, `@@@1093`, `@@@1683`, `@@@1874`. The idea that such things come from the Lord is as remote from the truth as good is from evil, or heaven from hell, or what is Divine from what is of the devil. Evil, hell, and the devil do those things, and in no way the Lord who is mercy itself and good itself. But because those things do seem to come from Him, for reasons presented in the paragraphs just quoted, they are attributed to Him.
ttt[6] From the wording of this verse, 'Jehovah rained from Jehovah out of heaven', it seems in the sense of the letter as though there were two of Them - one on earth, and one in heaven. But the internal sense teaches how this matter is to be understood, namely as follows: The Jehovah mentioned first means the Lord's Divine Human and His Holy proceeding, which in this chapter are meant by 'the two men', while the Jehovah mentioned second means the Divine itself, called the Father, who is referred to in the previous chapter. The internal sense also teaches that this Trinity exists within the Lord, as He Himself says in John,
He who has seen Me has seen the Father. Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me. `John 14bbb9-11`.
And referring to the Holy proceeding He says in the same gospel,
The Paraclete will not speak from Himself. He will receive it from what is Mine and declare it to you. `John 16bbb13-15`.
Thus there is but one Jehovah even though two are mentioned here. Two are mentioned because all laws of order spring from the Lord's Divine itself, Divine Human, and Holy proceeding.
ppp21401#pid#2448. Verse `Genesis 19bbbccc25` And He overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew in the ground.
'He overthrew those cities' means that all truths were separated from them so that they might possess falsities alone. 'And all the plain' means all the things which belonged to [those] truths. 'And all the inhabitants of the cities' means that all goods were separated from them so that they might possess nothing but evils. 'And that which grew in the ground' means everything that is part of the Church.
ppp21400#pid#2449. That 'He overthrew those cities' means that all truths were separated from them so that they might possess falsities alone is clear from the meaning of 'cities' as matters of doctrine, and so as truths, for truths make up matters of doctrine, dealt with in `@@@402`, `@@@2268`, `@@@2428`. These are said to be 'overthrown' when falsities stand in place of truths, here when all truths have been separated from them, as well as all goods - goods too being dealt with in this verse, since the subject is the final state of those inside the Church who are governed by falsities and evils.
ttt[2] This also is what their state comes to be, which, so that the nature of it may be known, must be described briefly. All who enter the next life are taken back to a life similar to that which they were leading during their lifetime., Then in the case of the good evils and falsities are separated so that the Lord may raise these people up by means of goods and truths into heaven; but in the case of the evil goods and truths are separated so that those evil ones may be carried away by means of evils and falsities into hell, see `@@@2119`, in exact accord with the Lord's words in Matthew,
To him who has, it will be given, so that he may have more abundantly; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. `Matthew 13bbb12`.
And elsewhere in the gospel,
To everyone who has, it will be given, so that he may have in abundance; but from him who has not, it will be taken away. `Matthew 25bbb29`; `Luke 8bbb18`; `Luke ccc19bbb24-26`; `Mark 4bbb24-25`.
The same is meant by the following words which appear in Matthew,
Let both grow together until the harvest; and at the time of harvest I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn. The harvest is the close of the age. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of the age. `Matthew 13bbb30`, `Matthew 13bbbccc39-40`.
The same point is made in the description of the net thrown into the sea gathering fish of various kinds, and how after that the good were sorted into vessels while the bad were thrown away; and this is how it will be at the close of the age, `Matthew 13bbb47-50`. What 'the close' is and that for the Church it entails events like these, see `@@@1857`, `@@@2243`.
ttt[3] The reason why evils and falsities are separated in the case of people who are good is that the latter may not be left suspended between evils and goods and so that they may be raised up by means of goods into heaven. And the reason why goods and truths are separated in the case of the evil is so that they do not lead the upright astray by means of any goods present with them, and so that by means of their evils they may withdraw to the evil in hell. For in the next life such is the communication of all ideas comprising thought, and of all affections, that goods are communicated with the good, and evils with the evil, `@@@1388-1390`. Consequently unless separation took place countless harmful things would result, in addition to the fact that association together would not otherwise be possible. Yet all things are associated together in a very wonderful way, in heaven according to all the variations of love to the Lord and of mutual love, and consequently of faith, `@@@685`, `@@@1394`, and in hell according to all the variations of evil desires and of delusions resulting from these, `@@@695`, `@@@1322`. It should be recognized however that separation does not mean complete removal, for nothing anybody has once possessed is totally removed from him.
ppp21399#pid#2450. 'And all the plain' means all the things which belonged to those truths. This is clear from the meaning of 'a plain' as everything that constitutes doctrinal teaching, and so everything that belongs to truths, dealt with in `@@@2418`.
ppp21398#pid#2451. 'And all the inhabitants of the cities' means that all goods were severed from them so that they might possess nothing but evils. This is clear from the meaning of 'the inhabitants' when they are those of a city, as goods - as may be confirmed from many examples in the Word. This meaning is also evident from the fact that when 'a city' means truth, as has been shown, 'inhabitant' means good, for it is truth that good inhabits. But truth in which there is no good is like an empty or uninhabited city. That in addition to this all goods as well are separated from the evil so that they possess nothing but evils, see above in `@@@2449`.
ppp21397#pid#2452. 'That which grew in the ground' means everything that is part of the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'that which grew' - 'that which grew' being used to mean both crops and every green thing, by which are meant goods and truths, as is evident from the Word in all parts - and from the meaning of 'the ground' as the Church, dealt with in `@@@566`, `@@@1068`. That goods and truths constitute the all of the Church is well known.
ppp21396#pid#2453. Verse `Genesis 19bbbccc26` And his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
'His wife looked back behind him' means that truth turned away from good and looked towards matters of doctrine. 'And she became a pillar of salt' means that all good accompanying truth was vastated.
ppp21395#pid#2454. That 'his wife looked back behind him' means that truth turned away from good and looked towards matters of doctrine is clear from the meaning of 'looking back behind him' and from the meaning of 'a wife'. Looking back behind him means looking towards matters of doctrine, which have a relationship with truth, and not towards life in accordance with them, which has a relationship with good, as stated above in `@@@2417`. That which is secondary is referred to as 'behind him' and that which is primary as 'before him'. The fact that truth is secondary and good primary has been shown quite often. For truth belongs to good, since the essence and life of truth is good. 'Looking behind him' therefore means looking towards truth which constitutes doctrinal teaching, and not towards good which constitutes life in accordance with doctrinal teaching. That these points are what is meant becomes quite clear from the Lord's words, where also, referring to the final period of the Church or close of the age, He says in Luke,
On that day, whoever will be on the housetop with his vessels in the house, let him not come down to take them away; and whoever is in the field, let him likewise not turn back to behind him. Remember Lot's wife. `Luke 17bbb31-32`.
ttt[2] These words of the Lord are by no means intelligible without the internal sense, and so are unintelligible unless one knows what is meant by 'being on the housetop', by 'vessels in the house', by 'coming down to take them away', by 'the field', and lastly by 'turning back to behind him'. According to the internal sense 'being on the housetop' means resting on good; for 'a house' means good, see `@@@710`, `@@@2231`, `@@@2233`. 'Vessels in the house' means truths which belong to good; for truths are the vessels for good, see `@@@1496`, `@@@1832`, `@@@1900`, `@@@2063`, `@@@2269`. 'Going down to take them away' means, as is evident, turning away from good towards truth, for since good is primary it is also higher, while truth, being secondary, is also lower. That 'the field' is the Church, so called from the seed which it receives, and consequently that those people are 'fields' in whom there is the good taught by doctrine, is clear from many places in the Word. These considerations show what 'turning back to behind him' means, namely turning away from good and looking towards matters of doctrine. And it is because these things are meant by the expression 'Lot's wife', that 'remember Lot's wife' is added. The reason it is not said that she looked 'behind herself' but 'behind him' is that 'Lot' means good, see `@@@2324`, `@@@2351`, `@@@2371`, `@@@2399`. This explains why, when Lot was told what to do, verse `Genesis 19bbbccc17`, the words used were, 'Do not look back behind you'.
ttt[3] The reason why in Luke it is said 'let him not turn back to behind him' and not 'to the things behind him' is that celestial people are unwilling even to mention anything that is a matter of doctrine, see `@@@202`, `@@@337`. This is why no such thing is mentioned in Luke, only the words 'to behind him'.
ttt[4] These same matters are described in Matthew as follows,
When you see the abomination of desolation, foretold by the prophet Daniel, then let those who are in Judea flee into the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything away out of his house; and let him who is in the field not return back to take his clothes. `Matthew 24bbb15-17`.
Here 'the abomination of desolation' is the state of the Church when there is no love and no charity. When these have been destroyed abominable things predominate. 'Judea' means the Church, and in particular the celestial Church, as is evident from both the historical and prophetical sections throughout the Old Testament Word, while 'the mountains into which they were to flee' means love to the Lord and consequent charity towards the neighbour, see `@@@795`, `@@@1430`, `@@@1691`. 'He who is on the housetop' means good flowing from love, as stated just above. 'Going down to take anything away out of his house' means turning away from good towards truth, as has also been stated above, while 'he who is in the field' means members of the spiritual Church, as is evident from the meaning of 'field' in the Word. 'Let him not return back to take his clothes' means not turning away from good towards truth that constitutes doctrinal teaching - 'clothes' meaning truths, for truths clothe good like garments, see `@@@1073`. Anyone may see that all those things which the Lord has said in that section about the close of the age mean things altogether different and embody arcana, such as that those in Judea were to flee into the mountains, that the one on the housetop was not to go down and bring anything out of the house, and that the one in the field was not to return back to take his clothes. Similar to this is the statement in verse `Genesis 19bbbccc17` that Lot was not to look back behind him, and that made here that his wife did look back behind him and became a pillar of salt. In addition this matter is clear from the meaning of 'a wife' as truth, dealt with in `@@@915`, `@@@1468`, and from the meaning of 'Lot' as good, dealt with in `@@@2324`, `@@@2351`, `@@@2371`, `@@@2399`; hence the words 'after him'.
ttt[5] Truth is said to turn away from good and look towards matters of doctrine when the member of the Church no longer takes to heart what kind of life he leads, only what kind of doctrine he possesses. Yet it is life according to doctrine, not doctrine separate from life, that makes anyone a member of the Church; for when doctrine is separated from life, then because good, in which life consists, has been vastated, truth as well, in which doctrine consists, is vastated, that is, it becomes 'a pillar of salt'. This is something anyone who looks to doctrine alone and not to life may know, by considering whether, even though doctrine teaches such things, he in fact believes in the resurrection, heaven, hell, and indeed the Lord, and so in everything else which doctrine teaches.
ppp21394#pid#2455. That 'she became a pillar of salt' means that all good accompanying truth was vastated becomes clear from the meaning of 'a pillar' and from the meaning of 'salt'. In the original language the word used for a pillar means something standing still, not however that used for a pillar which was erected either for worship, or as a sign or for a witness. Consequently 'the pillar of salt' mentioned here means that it - the truth meant by Lot's wife - stood as something vastated, `@@@2454`. Truth is said to be vastated when it no longer has any good within it - vastation itself being meant by 'salt'.
ttt[2] As most things in the Word have two meanings, namely the genuine and the contrary to this, so also does 'salt'. In the genuine sense it means the affection for truth, in the contrary sense the vastation of the affection for truth, that is, of the good within truth. That 'salt' means the affection for truth, see `Exodus 30bbb35`; `Leviticus 2bbb13`; `Matthew 5bbb13`; `Mark 9bbb49-50`; `Luke 14bbb34-35`. That it also means the vastation of the affection for truth, that is, of the good within truth, is clear from the following places: In Moses,
The whole land will be brimstone and salt, a burning; it will not be sown, it will not sprout, nor will any plant come up on it, as at the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, of Admah and Zeboiim. `Deuteronomy 29bbb23`.
Here 'brimstone' is the vastation of good, and 'salt' the vastation of truth. That vastation is the meaning is evident from each detail.
ttt[3] In Zephaniah,
Moab will be like Sodom, and the children of Ammon like Gomorrah, a place abandoned to the nettle, and a saltpit, and a desolation for ever. `Zephaniah 2bbb9`.
Here 'a place abandoned to the nettle' stands for vastated good, 'a salt pit' for vastated truth; for 'a place abandoned to the nettle' refers to Sodom, which has been shown to mean evil or vastated good, and 'a salt pit' to Gomorrah, which has been shown to mean falsity or vastated truth. That vastation is the meaning is evident from its being called 'a desolation for ever'. In Jeremiah,
He who makes flesh his arm will be like a bare shrub in the solitary place and will not see when good comes; and he will inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, a salt land and not inhabited. `Jeremiah 17bbb5-6`.
Here 'a parched land' stands for vastated goods, 'a salt land' for vastated truths.
ttt[4] In David,
Jehovah turns rivers into a wilderness, and outgoings of waters into a dryness, a fruitful land into a salty waste because of the wickedness of those inhabiting it. `Psalms 107bbb33-34`.
'A fruitful land into a salty waste' stands for the vastation of the good within truth. In Ezekiel,
Its swamps and its marshes are not healed, they will be given up to salt. `Ezekiel 47bbb11`.
'Given up to salt' stands for being utterly vastated as regards truth. Because 'salt' meant vastation and 'cities' matters of doctrine concerning truth, as shown in `@@@402`, `@@@2268`, `@@@2428`, `@@@2451`, cities that had been destroyed were in former times sown with salt to prevent their being rebuilt, `Judges 9bbb45`. The description at this point is of the fourth state of the Church represented by 'Lot', a state in which all truth has been vastated as regards good.
ppp21393#pid#2456. Verse `Genesis 19bbbccc27-29` And Abraham rose up in the early morning, [and went] to the place where he had stood before Jehovah. And he looked out towards the face of Sodom and Gomorrah, and towards the whole face of the land of the plain; and he saw, and behold the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace. And so it was, when God was destroying the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot away out of the midst of the overthrowing when He was overthrowing the cities in which Lot dwelt.
'Abraham rose up in the early morning' means the Lord's thought concerning the final period, 'Abraham' here, as previously, meaning the Lord during that state. '[And went] to the place where he had stood before Jehovah' means a state of perception and of thought which He had already experienced before, 'place' meaning state. 'And he looked out towards the face of Sodom and Gomorrah' means thought concerning the interior state of these people as to evil and falsity. 'And towards the whole face of the land of the plain' means all the interior states resulting from this. 'And he saw, and behold the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace' means a state of falsity, meant by 'the smoke', arising out of a state of evil, meant by 'the furnace', inside the Church, meant by 'the land'. 'And so it was, when God was destroying the cities of the plain' means when they perished through falsities deriving from evil, which are meant by 'the cities of the plain'. 'That God remembered Abraham' means salvation achieved through the Lord's Divine Essence united to His Human 'Essence. 'And sent Lot away out of the midst of the overthrowing' means the salvation of those governed by good and of those governed by truth that has good within it, all of whom here are meant by 'Lot'. 'When He was overthrowing the cities' means when those perished who were governed by falsities deriving from evils. 'In which Lot dwelt' means that even those also who were saved were governed by such falsities.
ppp21392#pid#2457. There is no need to provide a detailed explanation of these verses since this has been provided for the most part in the previous chapter, and before that. These verses have been added and inserted here so as to make it quite clear that the separation of the good from the evil, and the salvation of the good but condemnation of the evil, was achieved solely through the Lord's Divine Essence united to His Human Essence. Otherwise all those people represented here by Lot would also have perished along with the rest. This is what the following words are used to mean, 'When God was destroying the cities of the plain, God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot away out of the midst of the overthrowing when He was overthrowing the cities in which Lot dwelt'. In the internal sense this means that all those governed by good were saved through the Lord's Divine Essence united to His Human Essence, as also were those governed by truth that had good within it, who are represented here by 'Lot', while those governed by falsities derived from evils perished, even though those who were saved were also governed by such falsities and evils. In this way these verses link together the things that occur in this chapter with those in the previous chapter; that is to say, 'Abraham', that is, the Lord during that state, made intercession on behalf of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah who are meant by 'the fifty', 'the forty-five', 'the forty', 'the thirty', 'the twenty', and 'the ten', who, as was explained in the previous chapter, mean all in their order who are governed by good, as well as those governed by truth in which there is some measure of good.
ppp21391#pid#2458. Verse `Genesis 19bbbccc30` And Lot went up out of Zoar and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him, for he was afraid to dwell in Zoar. And he dwelt in a cave - he, and his two daughters.
'Lot went up out of Zoar' means when the affection for truth existed with them no longer. 'And dwelt in the mountain' means that in that case they transferred themselves to a kind of good. 'And his two daughters with him' means as did affections deriving from that good. 'For he was afraid to dwell in Zoar' means because they were unable any more to look to good from the affection for truth. 'And he dwelt in a cave - he' means good enveloped in falsity. 'And his two daughters' means affections deriving from that good - affections for that kind of good and for that kind of falsity.
ppp21390#pid#2459. 'Lot went up out of Zoar' means when the affection for truth existed with them no longer. This is clear from the meaning of 'Zoar' as the affection for truth, dealt with in `@@@2439`; and because 'he dwelt in the mountain, for he was afraid to live in Zoar' follows immediately after, the meaning is that the affection for truth existed with them no longer, because, as is clear from verse `Genesis 19bbbccc26`, all good that accompanies truth was vastated. The description at this point is of the fifth state of the Church represented by Lot, a state in which, when the affection for truth exists no longer, an impure kind of good, which is good enveloped in falsity, introduces itself.
ppp21389#pid#2460. 'He dwelt in the mountain' means that in that case they transferred themselves to a kind of good. This is clear from the meaning of 'a mountain' as love in every sense, that is to say, celestial and spiritual love, `@@@795`, `@@@1430`, and also self-love and love of the world, `@@@1691`. It has these meanings because most things in the Word also have a contrary sense; and because all good stems from some kind of love 'the mountain' mentioned here means good. Which kind of good however is described in what follows, namely that it was obscure and rendered impure, for soon it is said that 'he dwelt in a cave' and after this that profane acts took place there.
ppp21388#pid#2461. 'His two daughters with him' means as did affections deriving from that good. This is clear from the meaning of 'daughters' as affections, dealt with in `@@@489-491`. But as is the good so are the affections deriving from it. Even spurious and impure good has its own affections, for all people have an affection for the things which they suppose to be good, whatever the actual nature of those things, since they are the objects of their love.
ppp21387#pid#2462. 'For he was afraid to dwell in Zoar' means because he was unable any more to look to good from the affection for truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'Zoar' as the affection for truth, `@@@2439`. When this has been vastated a person is no longer able to look to good from that affection. At such times also the fear of all truth is present, for truth runs counter to the good of an impure love.
ppp21386#pid#2463. 'And he dwelt in a cave - he' means good enveloped in falsity. This is clear from the meaning of 'a cave'. A cave is a kind of dwelling-place in a mountain, but an obscure one. And because all dwelling-places whatever, like houses, mean goods, `@@@2231`, `@@@2233` - though the nature of the goods is such as are those dwelling-places - 'the cave' mentioned here, being an obscure dwelling-place, therefore means an obscure good. Mountain-caves are mentioned in various places in the Word, where in the internal sense they have a similar meaning, such as in `Isaiah 2bbb19`; `Isaiah ccc32bbb14`. They also have a similar meaning in historical descriptions, as for example in the incident describing when Elijah, fleeing from Jezebel, came to a cave in Mount Horeb where he spent the night and where the word of Jehovah came to him. He went out and stood on the mount before Jehovah, when he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance to the cave, `1 Kings 19bbb9`, `1 Kings 19bbbccc13`. Here in the internal sense 'a cave' means an obscure good, but like that which exists in times of temptation. Because he could not bear to see the Divine he wrapped his face in his mantle. Similar examples occur elsewhere in historical descriptions, such as in `Judges 6bbb2` where it is said that the children of Israel made caves for themselves in the mountains, because of Midian, and also in `1 Samuel 13bbb6`, because of the Philistines. These historical descriptions are similar to those in Moses, in that they mean something different in the internal sense.
ppp21385#pid#2464. 'And his two daughters' means affections deriving from that good - affections for that kind of good and for that kind of falsity. This is clear from the meaning of 'daughters' as affections, `@@@2461`. The good from which the affections were derived, that is, the father from whom the daughters were begotten, is 'Lot'. But the truth, or the mother, from whom they came, was 'Lot's wife'. When she has become a pillar of salt, that is, when good within truth has been vastated, such good as is meant by 'Lot in the cave', and such affections deriving from that good as are meant by 'the daughters' in that case manifest themselves.
ppp21384#pid#2465. Verses `Genesis 19bbbccc31-36` And the firstborn said to the younger, Our father is old, and there is no man in the land to come to us, according to the way of all the earth. Come, let us make our father drink wine, and let us lie with him and let us keep seed alive by our father. And they made their father drink wine that night, and the firstborn came and lay with her father; and he did not know when she lay down and when she rose up. And so it was on the next day, that the firstborn said to the younger, Behold, I lay last night with my father; let us make him drink wine again tonight, and come, lie with him, and let us keep seed alive by our father. And they made their father drink wine that night also; and the younger rose up and lay with him; and he did not know when she lay down and when she rose up. And the two daughters of Lot conceived by their father.
ttt[2] 'The firstborn said to the younger' here, as previously, means affections - 'the firstborn' meaning the affection for that kind of good, 'the younger' the affection for that kind of falsity. 'Our father is old, and there is no man in the land' means that it is no longer known what good is and what truth is. 'To come to us' means to which those affections might be joined. 'According to the way of all the earth' means according to matters of doctrine, 'earth' being the Church. 'Come, let us make our father drink wine' means that they might saturate such good with falsities, meant by the wine. 'And let us lie with him' means that in this way they would be joined together.
ttt[3] 'And let us keep seed alive by our father' means that in this way a new kind of a Church would emerge. 'And they made their father drink wine' means that they saturated such good with falsities. 'That night' means when all things were enveloped in so much obscurity. 'And the firstborn came' means the affection for that kind of good. 'And lay with her father' means that in this way the two were brought together. 'And he did not know when she lay down and when she rose up' means that such general good knew no other than that it was so. 'And on the next day' means afterwards. 'The firstborn said to the younger' means that the affection for such good persuaded the falsity. 'Behold, I lay last night with my father' means that thus they had been joined together. 'Let us make him drink wine again tonight' means here, as previously, that they saturated such good with falsities, at a time when everything was enveloped in so much obscurity. 'And come, lie with him' means that these might be joined together as well.
ttt[4] 'And let us keep seed alive by our father' here, as previously, means that in this way a new kind of a Church would emerge. 'And they made their father drink wine that night also' means that in that obscure state they saturated such good with falsities. 'And the younger rose up and lay with him' means that the affection for falsity acted in a similar fashion, so that falsities looked like truths, and the two were in this way joined together. 'And he did not know when she lay down and when she rose up' here, as previously, means that such a general type of good knew no other than that it was so. 'And the two daughters of Lot conceived by their father' means that this was how such a religion as that meant by 'Moab' and 'the son of Ammon' arose.
ppp21383#pid#2466. It is certainly possible to confirm that in the internal sense such things are meant as have been set forth in the paragraph above, and indeed to confirm them as to each word. But apart from the fact that they have been confirmed already they are also such as shock people's minds and offend their ears. From the summary explanation given above it may become clear that those things are used to describe how such a religion originated as that meant in the Word by 'Moab' and 'the son of Ammon'. The nature of it will be stated later on where Moab and the son of Ammon are the subject. The fact that adulterated good and falsified truth are meant is clear. Adulterations of good and falsifications of truth are commonly described in the Word as acts of adultery and whoredom, and are actually called such. The reason for this is that good and truth belong together like a married couple, `@@@1904`, `@@@2173`. Indeed, though scarcely anyone may credit it, it is from this marriage of good and truth as its own true source that the holiness of marriages on earth is derived as well as the marriage laws laid down in the Word.
ttt[2] The truth of the matter is that when celestial things together with spiritual come down from heaven into a lower sphere they are in a most perfect way converted there into the likeness of marriages. They do so on account of the correspondence which exists between spiritual things and natural, a correspondence which in the Lord's Divine mercy will be described elsewhere. But when those same things are perverted in the lower sphere, as happens when evil genii and evil spirits are present there, they are in that case converted into the kind of things that go with acts of adultery and whoredom. This is why in the Word defilements of good and perversions of truth are described as acts of adultery and whoredom and are also called such, as becomes quite clear from the following places: In Ezekiel,
You committed whoredom because of your renown, and poured out your acts of whoredom on every passer-by. You took some of your garments and made for yourself high places variously coloured, and on them committed whoredom. For your adornment you took vessels made of My gold and of My silver, which I had given you, and made for yourself figures of the male, and committed whoredom with them. You took your sons and your daughters, whom you had borne to Me, and sacrificed them to them. Were your acts of whoredom a small matter? You committed whoredom with the sons of Egypt, your neighbours, great in flesh, and multiplied your whoredom to provoke Me to anger. You committed whoredom with the sons of Asshur, and you committed whoredom with them and were not satisfied. And you multiplied your whoredom, even as far as the trading land of Chaldea; and yet you were not satisfied with this. `Ezekiel 16bbb15-17`, `Ezekiel 16bbbccc20`, `Ezekiel 16bbbccc26`, `Ezekiel 16bbbccc28-29`, and following verses.
This refers to Jerusalem, which means in this instance the Church perverted as regards truths. Anyone may see that all the things referred to here have entirely different meanings.
ttt[3] That the perversion of some aspect of the Church is called whoredom is quite evident. 'The garments' referred to are truths that are being perverted. Consequent falsities which are worshipped are meant by 'the variously coloured high places' on which whoredom took place - 'garments' meaning truths, see `@@@1073`, and 'high places' worship, `@@@796`. 'The vessels for adornment made of the gold and the silver which I had given' are cognitions of good and truth drawn from the Word which they use to confirm falsities. And when such falsities are seen as truths they are called 'figures of the male with whom whoredom was committed'. For 'vessels for adornment made of gold and silver' means cognitions of good and truth, as is evident from the meaning of 'gold' as good, `@@@113`, `@@@1551`, `@@@1552`, and of 'silver' as truth, `@@@1551`, `@@@2048`; 'figures of the mare' means falsities which are seen as truths, `@@@2046`. 'The sons and daughters whom they had borne and sacrificed to them' means the goods and truths which they perverted, as is evident from the meaning of 'sons and daughters', `@@@489-491`, `@@@533`, `@@@2362`; 'committing whoredom with the sons of Egypt' means perverting those goods and truths by means of facts, as is evident from the meaning of 'Egypt' as factual knowledge, `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1186`, `@@@1462`. 'Committing whoredom with the sons of Asshur' means perverting by means of reasonings, as is evident from the meaning of 'Asshur' as reasoning, `@@@119`, `@@@1186`; 'multiplying whoredom even as far as the land of Chaldea' means even to the profanation of truth, which is Chaldea, `@@@1368`. All this makes plain the nature of the internal sense of the Word within the sense of the letter.
ttt[4] A similar passage occurs elsewhere in the same prophet,
Two women, the daughters of one mother, committed whoredom in Egypt. In their youth they committed whoredom. Oholah is Samaria, Oholibah is Jerusalem. Oholah committed whoredom under Me and doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians her neighbours. She bestowed her acts of whoredom on them, the choicest of all the sons of Asshur. Her acts of whoredom brought from Egypt she did not give up, for they had lain with her in her youth. Oholibah corrupted her love more than she, and her acts of whoredom more than her sister's acts of whoredom; she doted on the sons of Asshur. She added to her acts of whoredom and saw the images of the Chaldeans. As soon as her eyes saw them she desired them. The sons of Babel came to her, into her love-bed. `Ezekiel 23bbb2-5`, `Ezekiel 23bbbccc7-8`, `Ezekiel 23bbbccc11-12`, `Ezekiel 23bbbccc14`, `Ezekiel 23bbbccc16-17`.
'Samaria' is a Church with the affection for truth, 'Jerusalem' a Church with the affection for good. By 'the acts of whoredom' committed by such affections with 'the Egyptians' and with 'the sons of Asshur' are meant the perversions of good and truth by means of facts and reasonings used to confirm falsities, as is evident from the meaning of 'Egypt', `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1186`, `@@@1462`, and of 'Asshur', `@@@119`, `@@@1186`. These perversions extended even to profane worship which in respect of truth is 'Chaldea', `@@@1368`, and in respect of good is 'the sons of Babel', `@@@1182`, `@@@1326`.
ttt[5] In Isaiah,
And it will be at the end of seventy years, that Jehovah will visit Tyre, and she will return to hiring herself out as a harlot, and will commit whoredom with all the kingdoms of the earth. `Isaiah 23bbb17`.
It is the flaunting of falsity that is meant by Tyre's 'hiring herself out as a harlot and committing whoredom'. 'Tyre' means cognitions of truth, see `@@@1201`, 'kingdoms' truths with which whoredom took place, `@@@1672`.
ttt[6] In Jeremiah,
You have committed whoredom with many partners; but return to Me. Lift up your eyes to the hills and see - where have you not been ravished? By the waysides you have sat waiting for them, like an Arab in the wilderness, and you have profaned the land with your acts of whoredom and with your wickedness. `Jeremiah 3bbb1-2`.
'Committing whoredom' and 'profaning the land with acts of whoredom' is perverting and falsifying the truths of the Church. 'The land' is the Church, see `@@@662`, `@@@1066`, `@@@1067`.
ttt[7] In the same prophet,
With the voice of her whoredom she profaned the land, she committed adultery with stone and wood. `Jeremiah 3bbb9`.
'Committing adultery with stone and wood' means perverting truths and goods that are part of external worship - 'stone' meaning that kind of truth, see `@@@643`, `@@@1298`, 'wood' that kind of good, `@@@643`.
ttt[8] In the same prophet,
Because they have committed folly in Israel, and have committed adultery with their companions' wives, and have in My name spoken a false word which I did not command. `Jeremiah 29bbb23`.
'Committing adultery with companions' wives' is teaching falsity as from them.
ttt[9] In the same prophet,
In the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: in their committing adultery and walking in falsity. `Jeremiah 23bbb14`.
Here 'committing adultery' has regard to good which is being defiled, 'walking in falsity' to truth which is being perverted. In the same prophet,
Your adulterous acts and your neighings, the filth of your whoredom committed on the hills, in the field - I have seen your abominations. Woe to you, O Jerusalem; you will not be made clean after this; how long yet? `Jeremiah 13bbb27`.
ttt[10] In Hosea,
Whoredom, and wine, and new wine have taken possession of the heart. My people inquire of a piece of wood and their staff makes declaration to them, for the spirit of whoredom has led them astray, and they have committed whoredom beneath their god. They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains and burn incense on the hills, under oak, poplar, and terebinth. Therefore your daughters commit whoredom and your daughters-in-law commit adultery. Shall I not punish`fff1` your daughters because they commit whoredom and your daughters-in-law because they commit adultery, for the men themselves divide with harlots and sacrifice with cult-prostitutes? `Hosea 4bbb11-14`.
What each of these things means in the internal sense becomes clear from the meaning of 'wine' as falsity, of 'new wine' as evil deriving from this, of 'the piece of wood which they inquire of' as the good belonging to the delight that goes with some evil desire, 'the staff which makes a declaration' as the imaginary power of their own understanding, also of 'mountains and hills' as self-love and love of the world, of 'oak, poplar, and terebinth' as so many dull-witted perceptions in which they trust, of 'daughters and daughters-in-law' as affections that are such. From this it is evident what acts of 'whoredom', 'adultery', and 'cult-prostitution' mean here.
ttt[11] In the same prophet,
O Israel, you have committed whoredom beneath`fff2` your god; you have taken delight in hiring yourself out as a harlot on every threshing-floor. `Hosea 9bbb1`.
'Hiring oneself out as a harlot' stands for a flaunting of falsity. In Moses,
Lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go whoring after their gods and sacrifice to their gods, and someone calls you and you eat of his sacrifices, and you take his daughters for your sons, and his daughters go whoring after their gods, and they cause your sons to go whoring after their gods. `Exodus 34bbb15-16`.
In the same author,
I will cut off from the midst of their people all who go whoring after him, for whoring after Molech. And anyone who looks to those who have familiar spirits and to wizards, and goes whoring after them, I will set My face against that person and will cut him off from the midst of his people. `Leviticus 20bbb5-6`.
In the same author,
Your sons will be shepherds in the wilderness for forty years, and will bear your acts of whoredom until your bodies are consumed in the wilderness. `Numbers 14bbb33`.
In the same author,
May you remember all the commandments of Jehovah and do them, and may you not seek after your own heart and after your own eyes, which you go whoring after. `Numbers 15bbb39`.
ttt[12] An even plainer usage occurs in John,
One angel said, Come, I will show you the judgement of the great harlot who is seated on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth have committed whoredom, and with the wine of whose whoredom the inhabitants of the earth have become drunk. `Revelation 17bbb1-2`.
'The great harlot' stands for people whose worship is profane. 'The many waters on which she is seated' are cognitions, `@@@28`, `@@@739`, 'the kings of the earth who committed whoredom with her' are the truths of the Church, `@@@1672`, `@@@2015`, `@@@2069`. 'The wine with which the people became drunk' is falsity, `@@@1071`, `@@@1072`. It is because wine' and 'drunkenness' have this meaning that Lot's daughters are said to have made their father drink wine, verses `Genesis 19bbbccc32-33`, `Genesis 19bbbccc35`.
ttt[13] In the same book,
Babylon has given all nations drink from the wine of the fury of her whoredom; and the kings of the earth have committed whoredom with her. `Revelation 18bbb3`.
'Babylon' or Babel stands for worship whose external features appear holy but whose interiors are unholy, `@@@1182`, `@@@1295`, `@@@1326`. 'The nations to whom she gives drink' means goods which are rendered profane, `@@@1259`, `@@@1260`, `@@@1416`, `@@@1849`, 'the kings who commit whoredom with her' means truths, `@@@1672`, `@@@2015`, `@@@2069`. In the same book,
The judgements of the Lord God are true and right, for He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her whoredom. `Revelation 19bbb2`.
'The earth' stands for the Church, `@@@566`, `@@@662`, `@@@1066`, `@@@1067`, `@@@2117`, `@@@2118`.
ttt[14] It was because 'acts of whoredom' had such a meaning, and 'daughters' meant affections, that a priest's daughter was so strictly forbidden to commit whoredom, concerning which the following is said in Moses,
Any priest's daughter, in that she has begun to commit whoredom, is profaning her father; she shall be burnt with fire. `Leviticus 21bbb9`.
Also they were forbidden to bring the earnings of a harlot into the house of Jehovah because it was an abomination, `Deuteronomy 23bbb18`. And for the same reason a certain procedure had to be followed - given in `Numbers 5bbb12-31` - for investigating the behaviour of a wife whom the husband suspected of adultery; every single detail of that procedure has reference to the adulteration of good. Besides these many more genera and still more species of adultery and whoredom are referred to in the Word. The genus described by means of Lot's daughters lying with their father and called 'Moab' and 'the son of Ammon' is dealt with immediately below.
`nnn1. literally, visit
`nnn2. The Latin means above, but the Hebrew means from under or from beneath, which Swedenborg has in other places where he quotes this verse.
ppp21382#pid#2467. Verses `Genesis 19bbbccc37-38` And the firstborn gave birth to a son and called his name Moab; he is the father of Moab even to this day. And the younger also gave birth to a son and called his name Ben-ammi; he is the father of the children of Ammon even to this day.
'The firstborn gave birth to a son' means the religion of that Church as regards good. 'And called his name Moab' means the nature of it. 'He is the father of Moab even to this day' means that these are the origins of such people. 'And the younger also gave birth to a son' means the falsified truth of that Church. 'And called his name Ben-ammi' means the nature of it. 'He is the father of the children of Ammon even to this day' means that these are the origins of such people.
ppp21381#pid#2468. There is no need to confirm these meanings either, for the explanation itself, and what comes before and after, shows that such things are meant. The form and nature of the religion meant by 'Moab and the children of Ammon' however becomes clear from the description that has been given of their origin, and also from many other places in the Word, the historical as well as the prophetical, where they are mentioned. In general they are people whose worship is external and to some extent appears holy, but is not internal. They are also people who take up the things which belong to external worship as goods and truths but reject and regard as worthless those that belong to internal worship.
ttt[2] This type of worship and religion falls to people with whom natural good exists but who regard other people as worthless in comparison with themselves. They are not unlike fruit which is not unattractive on the outside but which within is mouldy or rotten; they are not unlike marble vases whose contents are impure and sometimes foul; or they are not unlike women whose face, figure, and movements are not unbecoming but who inwardly are diseased and full of foul impurities. For with them a general good exists which does not look unattractive; but things of a particular kind which enter into that good are filthy. This is not so to begin with but becomes so gradually, for such people easily allow themselves to be impregnated with whatever go by the name of goods and consequently by whatever falsities which, because they are confirmatory, they imagine to be truths. This happens because they despise the interior things of worship, which things they despise because they are governed by self-love. Such people come from and originate with those whose worship is purely external and who in this chapter are represented by Lot. They do so when the good contained in truth has been desolated. In the Word the nature of such people is described both in the beginning when their good has not as yet been so defiled, and also subsequently when it is being defiled, as well as after that when it has been defiled completely; and their rejection of the interior things of worship and doctrine is described too.
ttt[3] The nature of those people in the beginning when their good has not as yet been so defiled is described in Daniel,
At the time of the end the king of the south will clash with him; therefore the king of the north will rush upon him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he will enter into countries, and will overflow, and will pass through, and will come into the glorious land, and many countries will collapse; these will be delivered out of his hand, Edom and Moab, and the firstfruits of the children of Ammon. `Daniel 11bbb40-41`.
'The king of the south' stands for people with whom goods and truths are present, 'the king of the north' for those with whom evils and falsities are present. 'The king of the north with chariots, horsemen, and ships, entering countries, overflowing, and passing through' stands for evils and falsities, meant by 'chariots, horsemen, and ships', getting the upper hand; 'the deliverance from his hand of Edom, Moab, and the firstfruits of the children of Ammon' stands for people governed by good which has not yet been defiled so much by falsities. This is why they are called 'the firstfruits of the children of Ammon'.
ttt[4] In Moses,
We passed on by the road of the wilderness, and Jehovah said to Moses, Do not harass Moab, nor engage with them in battle, for I will not give you any of their land as an inheritance because I have given Ar to the children of Lot as an inheritance. `Deuteronomy 2bbb8-9`.
And regarding the children of Ammon,
Jehovah spoke to Moses, Today you are passing over Ar the boundary of Moab, and when you approach from the region of the children of Ammon, do not harass them nor engage with them, for I will not give you any of the land of the children of Ammon as an inheritance, for I have given it to the children of Lot as an inheritance. `Deuteronomy 2bbb17-19`.
Here 'Ar' stands for that kind of good, 'Moab and the children of Ammon' for people who are governed by such good, but at the beginning, which explains why it is commanded that they should not be harassed.
ttt[5] This also is the reason why Moab drove out the Emim, and the Rephaim who were similar to the Anakim, and why the children of Ammon too drove out the Rephaim, whom they called the Zamzummim, `Deuteronomy 2bbb9-11`, `Deuteronomy 2bbbccc18-21`. 'Emim, Rephaim, Anakim, and Zamzummim' means people who were impregnated with evil and false persuasions, see `@@@581`, `@@@1673`. 'Moab and the children of Ammon' in the present context means people who have not yet been impregnated. But when these too had been so impregnated, that is, when their good had been defiled by falsities, they also were driven out, `Numbers 21bbb21-31`; `Ezekiel 25bbb8-11`.
ttt[6] The nature of those people when their good is being defiled is described in Jeremiah,
To Moab Jehovah spoke thus, Woe to Nebo! for it is laid waste; Kiriathaim is put to shame, it is taken; Misgab is put to shame and overwhelmed; the praise of Moab is no more. Give wings to Moab, for it will fly away and its cities will become a desolation, with no one to dwell in them. Leave the cities and dwell in the rock, O inhabitants of Moab, and be like the dove that nests in the sides of the mouth of the hole. I know its anger, says Jehovah, and it is not steadfast, and its falsities do not make for right. Therefore I will howl over Moab and will cry out to the whole of Moab. From the weeping of Jazer I will weep for you, O vine of Sibmah. Your branches passed over the sea, they reached as far as the sea of Jazer; on your summer fruits and on your vintage the vastator has fallen. Therefore My heart is moved over Moab like pipes. Woe to you, O Moab! The people of Chemosh have perished, for your sons have been taken away into captivity, and your daughters into captivity. And I will bring back the captivity of Moab in the latter days. `Jeremiah 48bbb1-2`, `Jeremiah 48bbbccc9`, `Jeremiah 48bbbccc28`, `Jeremiah 48bbbccc30-32`, `Jeremiah 48bbbccc36`, `Jeremiah 48bbbccc46-47`.
ttt[7] The whole chapter refers to Moab, but by means of him to the way in which people with whom such good is present allow themselves to be impregnated with falsities. This is why it is said that 'they should give Moab wings so that he may fly away', and that 'his cities will become a desolation', but that 'they were to leave the cities and dwell in the rock, and like a dove were to nest in the sides of the mouth of the hole', and many other things by which they are persuaded to remain with the general goods and truths they possess. And if at such times they were led astray by falsities due to lack of knowledge they would be brought back from captivity in the latter days. But with those people with whom this does not happen it is said, 'I will howl over Moab and will cry out to the whole of Moab', and 'My heart is moved over Moab'. The falsities with which they are impregnated are meant by Nebo, Kiriathaim, Misgab, Sibmah, Jazer, Chemosh, and other names mentioned in that chapter.
ttt[8] In Isaiah,
Like a scattered nest will the daughters of Moab be. Give counsel, execute judgement. Make your whole shade [as the night] in the middle of the day. Hide the outcasts, do not betray the wanderer; let My outcasts, O Moab, dwell together in you; be a refuge to them in the presence of the vastator. We have heard of the pride of Moab - his great pride, his arrogance, and his insolence, and his anger; not so his lies. Therefore Moab will howl for Moab, everyone will howl. Therefore My bowels are played on like a harp for Moab, and My inward parts for the city of Heres. And when Moab is seen exhausted on the high place and he comes to his sanctuary to pray he will not prevail. In three years, like the years of a hireling, the praise of Moab will be brought into contempt, with all his great multitude, and the survivors will be a very small and feeble number. `Isaiah 16bbb2-4`, `Isaiah 16bbbccc6-7`, `Isaiah 16bbbccc11-12`, `Isaiah 16bbbccc14`.
The whole of this chapter as well refers to Moab, and by means of him to people with whom such good is present. They are described in various parts of the chapter in words similar to those used in `Jeremiah 48bbb0` - people that are in like manner persuaded to remain with the general goods and truths they possess and not allow themselves to be impregnated with falsities. General goods and truths are meant by the demand that they should give counsel, execute judgement, hide the outcasts, not betray the wanderer, be a refuge to outcasts in the presence of the vastator, all of which mean the external features of worship. Yet because they allow themselves to be impregnated with falsities, it is said 'in three years, like the years of a hireling, and the praise of Moab will be brought into contempt, with all his great multitude, and the survivors will be a very small and feeble number'.
ttt[9] Because they are led astray easily, Moab is called 'the sending forth of the hand of the Philistines, and the children of Ammon their obedience' in Isaiah,
The root of Jesse; which is standing as an ensign of the peoples, that will the nations seek, and His rest will be glory. The envy of Ephraim will depart, and the enemies of Judah will be cut off. Ephraim will not envy Judah, and Judah will not harass Ephraim. And they will fly down onto the shoulder of the Philistines towards the sea, together they will plunder the people of the east, Edom, Moab the sending forth of their hand, and the children of Ammon their obedience. `Isaiah 11bbb10`, `Isaiah 11bbbccc13-14`.
'The root of Jesse' stands for the Lord, 'Judah' for those who are governed by celestial good, 'Ephraim' for those who are governed by spiritual truth, 'the Philistines' for those who possess a knowledge of the cognitions of truth but who have no charity, 'the people of the east' for those who possess a knowledge of the cognitions of what is good but who also have no charity. Moab is called 'the sending forth of their hand', the children of Ammon 'their obedience', because they are impregnated with falsities by them.
ttt[10] The nature however of people called Moab and the children of Ammon and what it becomes when their good has been defiled completely by falsities is described in David,
God has spoken in His holiness, Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine; and
Ephraim is the strength of My head, Judah is My lawgiver, Moab is My wash-basin. `Psalms 60bbb6-8`; and likewise. `Psalms 108bbb7-9`.
'Washbasin' stands for good defiled by falsities.
ttt[11] In Jeremiah,
The praise of Moab is no more. In Heshbon they have thought evil against him: Come, let us cut him off from being a nation. Moab has been at ease from his youth, resting on his lees; he has not been emptied from vessel into vessel, nor has he gone away into exile. Therefore his taste remains in him, and his scent is unchanged. On all the roofs of Moab and in its streets it is all lamentation, for I have broken Moab like a vessel in which no pleasure is taken. `Jeremiah 48bbb2`, `Jeremiah 48bbbccc11`, `Jeremiah 48bbbccc38`.
The falsities that defile good, which is 'Moab', are here called 'lees'. These are what 'the taste and scent' consists in if no reformation takes place, meant here by being 'emptied from vessel into vessel'. Good itself is called 'a vessel in which no pleasure is taken', as in David where it is called 'a basin for washing in'. In Isaiah,
The hand of Jehovah will rest on this mountain, and Moab will be threshed beneath it, as straw is trodden down in a dung-pit. `Isaiah 25bbb10`.
ttt[12] People with whom such good exists are interested solely in the external features of worship and doctrine, and despise, reject, indeed are utterly averse to the internal; and as a consequence they have falsities instead of truths: in Ezekiel,
Son of man, set your face towards the children of Ammon, and prophesy against them, and say to the children of Ammon, Hear the word of the Lord Jehovih: Thus said the Lord Jehovih, Because you say, Aha! against My sanctuary that has been profaned, and against the land of Israel because it has been made desolate, and against the house of Judah because they have gone away into captivity, I will make Rabbah into a dwelling-place for camels, and the children of Ammon into a couching-place for flocks. The Lord Jehovih said, Because you have clapped the hand and stamped with the foot and rejoiced with all the contempt in your soul against the land of Israel, therefore, behold, I will stretch out My hand against you and hand you over as spoil to the nations, and I will cut you off from the peoples and will make you perish out of the countries. `Ezekiel 25bbb2-7`.
'Aha! against the sanctuary that has been profaned, against the land of Israel because it has been made desolate, against the house of Judah because they have gone away into captivity', 'you clapped the hand, stamped with the foot, and rejoiced with all the contempt in your soul against the land of Israel' are words expressing contempt for, mockery, and rejection of the interior features of worship and doctrine. When these have been rejected external things cease to have any value and 'are handed over as spoil to the nations', that is, they are invested by evils, and 'cut off from the peoples', that is, invested by falsities, and 'are made to perish out of the countries', that is, become part of what is not the Church.
ttt[13] In Zephaniah,
I have heard the taunt of Moab and the blasphemies of the children of Ammon, who have taunted My people and magnified themselves against their border. Therefore as I live, Moab will become like Sodom, and the children of Ammon like Gomorrah, a place abandoned to the nettle and a saltpit, and they will be a desolation for ever. This will be theirs for their arrogance because they taunted and magnified themselves against the people of Jehovah Zebaoth. `Zephaniah 2bbb8-10`.
'Taunting the people, and magnifying themselves against their border, and against the people of Jehovah Zebaoth' is scorning and rejecting interior truths, meant by 'the people of Jehovah Zebaoth'. Goods as a consequence become evils derived from falsity, which are 'Sodom' and 'a place abandoned to the nettle', while truths become falsities, which are 'Gomorrah' and 'a saltpit'. For it is from internal things that external are enabled to be good and true.
ttt[14] In David,
[Your] enemies craftily take secret counsel against Your people, they consult together against Your hidden ones, [saying,] Come, let us cut them off from being a nation, and let not the name of Israel be remembered any more, for they consult together with one accord; against You they make a covenant the tents of Edom, and the Ishmaelites, Moab and the Hagrites, Gebal and Ammon, and Amalek, Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre: Asshur also is joined with them; they are an arm to the children of Lot. `Psalms 83bbb2-8`.
'Consulting against the hidden ones', 'cutting them off from being a nation so that the name of Israel is remembered no more' means being totally averse to interior things. 'The tents of Edom, the Ishmaelites, Moab, the Hagrites, Gebal, and Ammon' means people whose worship and doctrine are external, 'Philistia with Tyre' people who talk about internal things but do not have them, 'Asshur who is an arm to the children of Lot' reasoning with which they fight on behalf of external things and attack internal.
ttt[15] In Moses,
A man shall not take his father's wife nor violate his father's skirt. He who has been severely bruised or crushed in the testicles shall not enter the assembly of Jehovah. The Ammonite and the Moabite shall not enter the assembly of Jehovah; even to the tenth generation they shall not ever enter the assembly of Jehovah. `Deuteronomy 22bbb30`-`Deuteronomy ccc23bbb7`.
This shows what Moab and Ammon were at the end, that is, when they were impregnated completely with falsities. That is to say, they were people with whom good was adulterated and truth falsified through their contempt for, rejection of, and at length total aversion to all interior things. This also is why these two names are mentioned in this quotation after reference has been made to the foul kinds of adultery meant by 'taking one's father's wife' and 'violating one's father's skirt - almost as with the mention made here to Lot's daughters from whom Moab and Ammon were born; and also after reference to those who are 'severely bruised or crushed in the testicles', by whom those who are totally averse to everything that has to do with love and charity are meant. 'The assembly of Jehovah' means heaven, which they are unable to enter because they possess no remnants, which are obtained solely from interior goods and interior truths and which are meant by 'the tenth generation', `@@@576`, `@@@1738`, `@@@2280`.
ttt[16] They also belonged to those nations who used to sacrifice sons and daughters to Molech, by which in the internal sense is meant that they annihilated truths and goods. Actually Moab's god was Chemosh, and the children of Ammon's was Molech or Milcom, `1 Kings 11bbb7`, `1 Kings 11bbbccc33`; `2 Kings 23bbb13`, to whom they sacrificed, `2 Kings 3bbb27`. As regards 'sons and daughters' meaning truths and goods, see `@@@489-491`, `@@@533`, `@@@1147`.
ttt[17] Such then is the meaning of Moab and Ammon; but the kinds of falsity by which they adulterate goods and annihilate truths are many. These are listed in Jeremiah, but merely by their names -
Judgement has come to the land of the plain, to Holon, and to Jahzah, and to Mephaath, and on Dibon, and on Nebo, and on Bethdiblathaim, and on Kiriathaim, and on Bethgamul, and on Bethmeon, and on Kirioth, and on Bozrah, and on all the cities of the land of Moab, far and near. The horn of Moab has been cut off and his arm broken. Make him drunk, because he magnified himself over Jehovah, and let Moab applaud in his vomit. `Jeremiah 48bbb21-26`.
These are the kinds of falsity which come together in those who are called Moab and Ammon. Which particular falsities however, and the nature of them, becomes clear from the meaning of each name in the internal sense; for names in the Word mean nothing other than real things, as has been shown many times.
ppp21380#pid#2469. MAN'S MEMORY AS IT REMAINS WITH HIM AFTER DEATH, AND HIS RECOLLECTION OF THINGS HE HAD DONE DURING HIS LIFETIME
Scarcely anyone has known until now that everyone has two memories, one exterior, the other interior, and that the exterior memory belongs properly to his body but the interior to his spirit.
ppp21379#pid#2470. During his lifetime a person is scarcely capable of knowing that he has an interior memory since the interior memory during that time acts almost as one with his exterior memory. In fact the ideas which comprise thought and belong to the interior memory flow into the contents of the exterior memory as their own vessels and are joined together with them there. It is similar to when angels and spirits speak to man; at such times their ideas by means of which they speak to one another flow into the expressions of man's language. Their ideas join themselves to those expressions in such a way that they know no other than that they themselves are speaking in the man's own native tongue, when in fact the ideas are theirs but the expressions into which these flow are the man's. This is a matter I have frequently talked about to spirits.
ppp21378#pid#2471. These two memories are entirely distinct and separate from each other. To the exterior memory which is properly man's while he lives in the world belong all the expressions of earthly languages, also all the objects of the external senses, as well as all facts about the world. To the interior memory belong the ideas embodied in the language spirits use, which belong to interior sight, and all rational things from whose ideas thought itself is formed. Man is not aware of this difference between the two because, for one thing, he does not reflect on the matter and for another because he is engrossed in bodily things and cannot so easily detach his mind from them.
ppp21377#pid#2472. This being so, people cannot speak to one another while in the body except by means of languages consisting of articulated sounds, that is, by means of separable words, and are incapable of understanding one another if they do not know those languages, the reason being that their speech is formed from the exterior memory. But spirits speak to one another by means of a universal language that is distinguished into ideas such as comprise thought itself. They are in this manner able to mix with any other spirit, whatever his language or nationality had been in the world, the reason being that their speech is formed from the interior memory. Everybody enters into the use of this latter language immediately after death because he enters into use of the interior memory, which, as stated, belongs properly to his spirit, see `@@@1637`, `@@@1639`, `@@@1757`, `@@@1876`.
ppp21376#pid#2473. The interior memory is immensely superior to the exterior, as several myriads are to one, or as light is to darkness; for myriads of ideas belonging to the interior memory flow into just one belonging to the exterior memory where they manifest something general and obscure. Consequently all the capabilities which spirits possess, more so which angels possess, are present with them to a more perfect degree, that is to say, both their feelings and also their thoughts and perceptions. Just how superior the character of the interior memory is to the exterior may become clear from examples: When any individual calls somebody else to mind, friend or foe, whose character he has come to know from associating with him over the years, his thought of that person presents itself as one obscure image, the reason being that this is formed from the exterior memory. But when the same individual has become a spirit and calls that person to mind his thought of him presents itself as to all the ideas he has ever gained concerning him, the reason being that this image is formed from the interior memory. So it is with everything else; the thing itself about which someone knows much presents itself in the exterior memory as one general whole, but in the interior memory as to the individual details of which he has ever gained some idea concerning that thing, and these present themselves in wonderful array.
ppp21375#pid#2474. Without his knowing it, the ideas and the ends in view belonging to all the things which a person sees and hears, and for which he feels an affection, are implanted in his interior memory, and there they remain without anything being lost, even if they are erased from his exterior memory. The interior memory is such therefore that it has written into it every detail, indeed every smallest detail, which the person has ever thought, said, or done, including those things which appeared to him in shadow, even the tiniest. This goes on from earliest childhood right through to extreme old age. The memory of all those things man retains on entering the next life, and he is gradually brought into a complete recollection of them. This is HIS BOOK OF LIFE which is opened in the next life and according to which he is judged. This is something man may scarcely credit but it is nevertheless perfectly true. All his ends in view, which for him had lain in obscurity, and all his thoughts, also all his consequent utterances and deeds, down to the smallest point of all, are written down in that Book, that is, in his interior memory. And as often as the Lord permits, they are brought out into the open before angels as if in broad daylight. This has been demonstrated to me frequently and proved to me from so many experiences as to leave no room for any shadow of doubt.
ppp21374#pid#2475. Until now nobody has known what the state of souls is after death as regards memory. From considerable and daily experience extending over many years now I have been given to know that after death man loses not one tiny part of what is lodged in the two memories - neither things that have been lodged in the exterior memory nor those in the interior. So true is this that nothing can ever be considered too insignificant or too tiny for man not to have it within him. Absolutely nothing is left behind after death therefore apart from flesh and bones which during his lifetime were vitalized not of themselves but from the life of his spirit whose purer substance was linked to the things of the body.
ppp21373#pid#2476. So far as his exterior memory is concerned, though he retains every single part of it he is not allowed to use it, only the interior memory. The reasons for this are many. The first, which has been stated already, is that from his interior memory he is enabled in the next life to speak and mix universally with everyone. The second is that this memory belongs properly to the spirit and is suited to its state at that time. For exterior things, that is to say, facts, worldly things, and bodily things, are suited to man and correspond to his state while he is in the world and in the body. But interior things, that is to say, those that are rational, spiritual, and celestial, are suited to and correspond to his spirit.
ppp21372#pid#2477. On one occasion I heard spirits talking to one another about the fact that whatever is made a basic assumption, no matter what, can be confirmed in countless ways, and with a person who has confirmed himself in it, it can at length be made to look altogether like the truth even though it is false, and that people can be persuaded more easily of falsity than of truth. To convince them of this it was suggested to them that they should think about and discuss among themselves whether it would be beneficial for spirits to use the exterior memory. (Spirits discuss such matters in far more excellent a fashion than man is capable of believing or indeed apprehending; but each spirit does so according to his own affection.) Spirits who were in favour of bodily and worldly things confirmed in many ways that it would be beneficial, for the following reasons: That they would then have lost nothing but would be just as much men after death as they had been before; that they would then be able by means of man to return into the world; that the exterior memory contains the joy of life; and that intelligence and wisdom reside in no other capability or gift. There were yet other considerations by which they confirmed themselves in the assumption they made, so that it appeared to them to be true. Other spirits at that time however thought and spoke from a contrary assumption. They knew that what they thought and said was true, because it stemmed from Divine order. They said that if spirits were allowed to use the exterior memory their condition would in that case be as imperfect as it had been previously when they were men. That being so, their ideas would be more gross and obscure than of those who employ the interior memory. They would accordingly not only grow more and more stupid, they would also decline and not progress, and so would not live for ever. Indeed to engross themselves once again in worldly and bodily things would be to surrender themselves once again to a mortal condition. Furthermore they said that if spirits were allowed to use the exterior memory the human race would perish since all men are governed by the Lord by means of spirits and angels, and that if from the exterior memory spirits were to flow into man, man would be unable to think from his own memory, only from that of a spirit. Thus man would no longer have any life and judgement of his own but would be a man possessed. Possession of people in the past was nothing else. There are further considerations besides these.
ppp21371#pid#2478. So that I might know the implications of man's being unable to think from his own memory if spirits were to flow in from their own exterior memory, such a thing was allowed to happen to me two or three times. I knew no other on those occasions than that what was my own was not my own but a spirit's, and that I had thought things previously which I had not thought. All this I was unable to appreciate until they had departed.
ppp21370#pid#2479. A certain person who had recently become a spirit was angry because he could not remember many of the things he had known during his lifetime. He grieved for the delight which he had now lost and in which he had taken very great pleasure. But he was told that he had lost absolutely nothing and still knew every single one of them, but that in the next life he was not allowed to summon such things up. It was sufficient that he was now able to think and speak far better and more perfectly and was unable to submerge the rational side of himself, as had happened previously, in dense, obscure, material, and bodily things which were of no use in the kingdom he had now entered. As for the things that existed in the kingdom of the world he was told that they were left behind, and that now he possessed whatever was suited to use in eternal life and that he could become blessed and happy in no other way. Thus anybody is wanting in knowledge who believes that in the next life, where the physical memory is not used, intelligence ceases. The reality is that to the extent the mind can be drawn from sensory and bodily interests it is lifted up to spiritual and celestial things.
ppp21369#pid#2480. Since people after death use the interior memory, which has previously been part of their rational, those people therefore who in the world have been more skilled at languages than others are unable to summon up one syllable from them. And people who have been more skilled in branches of learning than others cannot summon up a single fact. Indeed these people are sometimes more stupid than others. But whatever they have absorbed through those languages or branches of learning, because it has helped to form their rational, is brought into use by them. It is the rational, acquired by means of languages and learning, that these people after death think and speak from. All a person does who has imbibed falsities through languages or branches of learning, and who has confirmed himself in those falsities, is reason from falsities, whereas the person who has imbibed truths speaks from truths. Affection is what gives life - the affection for evil giving life to falsities and the affection for good giving life to truths. It is from affection that anyone thinks, and nobody thinks without it.
ppp21368#pid#2481. That people after death, that is, spirits, have lost nothing at all of the things which constitute their exterior or physical memory, but retain the whole, or every part of it, though they are not allowed to summon up from it the particulars of their life, I have been given to know from much experience, as may become clear from the following incidents: Two people whom I had known during their lifetime, and who had been enemies, met each other. I heard one describing the other's character with many episodes, also describing the opinion he had formed of him. He repeated an entire letter which he had written to him, as well as many other points in succession which were particulars and belonged to his exterior memory, which the other person acknowledged but without making any comment.
ppp21367#pid#2482. I heard a certain person accusing another of having held on to his money and of having refused to give it back to him. He made the accusation with episodes recorded in the exterior memory, and went so far as to make the other ashamed. I also heard the other man answering him and listing the reasons why he had behaved in the way he did, all of which were worldly particulars.
ppp21366#pid#2483. A certain woman was returned to the state that had been hers while in the world where she had attempted something criminal. At this point the details of her thoughts and her conversation with another woman came out as if in broad daylight. Because on another occasion a certain woman belonging to the horde of sirens persistently denied that she had been such during her lifetime she too was returned to the state in which the physical memory is active. At this point her adulterous and disgraceful deeds, which scarcely anyone had known about during her lifetime, were disclosed and recounted one after another, virtually hundreds of them - the place where she had been, those with whom she had committed adultery, and what disgraceful deeds she had attempted. All of these things were in this way disclosed as if recreated in the light of day, and in this way she was proved guilty. Such things are summoned up from the memory when anybody seeks to acquit himself of having been such. Indeed they are summoned as if recreated, with the particular incidents involved.
ppp21365#pid#2485.`fff1` A certain person was with me whom I had not known during his lifetime. When I asked whether he knew where he came from he did not know. By means of interior sight however I led him through the cities where I had been and at length through the city from which he came, even through its streets and squares, all of which he recognized, and at last into the street where he had lived. And if I had known the plan of that street I could also have known which was his house.
`nnn1. There is no paragraph 2484 in the Latin.
ppp21364#pid#2486. The fact that people retain every single detail of their physical memory has also been proved to me very many times from persons with whom I had been acquainted during their lifetime. When I have talked to them they have recollected every single thing which they had done while I was present, or which they had said and thought at the time. From these and many other experiences I have been given to know for certain that man carries with him into the next life everything that belongs to the exterior or physical memory.
ppp21363#pid#2487. I have been informed that the exterior memory regarded in itself is no more than some organic thing formed from the objects of the senses - especially those of sight and of hearing - within those substances which are the first origins of fibres. And it is according to the impressions left by those objects that the differences in form which are reproduced are effected. And those forms vary and change according to changes in state of a person's affections and persuasions. The interior memory is in a similar way something organic, though purer and more perfect. It is formed from the objects of interior sight, which objects have been organized into definite patterns within an order that lies beyond comprehension.
ppp21362#pid#2488. Before I had learned otherwise through actual experiences, I like others had imagined that no spirit could possibly know the contents of my memory and of my thought, but that these were solely my own and hidden away. But I can positively declare that the spirits present with a person know about and detect the smallest contents of his memory and thoughts, doing so far more clearly than man himself does. And angels know and detect the ends in view there - how they bend from good to evil, and from evil to good, and many things more than man knows of, such as the things which he immerses in his pleasures, and thus so to speak in his nature and disposition. And when this happens they are no longer apparent because he does not reflect on them any more. Let no one from now on suppose therefore that his thoughts lie hidden away and that he will not have to account for his thoughts, or for his deeds insofar as these have his thoughts within them and are qualified by them. For the true nature of deeds is determined by the thoughts, and the thoughts by the ends in view.
ppp21361#pid#2489. Things that belong to the interior memory manifest themselves in the next life by means of a certain sphere, from which even at a distance the characters of spirits are recognized, that is to say, the nature of their affection and convictions. That sphere is the product of the activity of things in the interior memory. Regarding those spheres, see `@@@1048`, `@@@1053`, `@@@1316`, `@@@1504`, and following paragraphs.
ppp21360#pid#2490. With regard to the interior memory, it not only retains every single thing that a person has ever seen and heard since early childhood, and what he has thought, said, and done, but also the things he sees and hears in the next life, and those he thinks, says, and does. But this phenomenon varies. People who are governed by false persuasion and evil desire imbibe and retain all things that suit them, for these things enter into them like water into a sponge. All else flows in as well but is retained so superficially that they hardly know it as anything at all. But those who believe in truth and have an affection for good retain all things that are true and good and are consequently being perfected all the time. In this way people can and do receive instruction in the next life.
ppp21359#pid#2491. There are spirits, whose place of origin in the Lord's Divine mercy will be discussed elsewhere, who relate to the interior memory. They wander about in groups, and in extraordinary ways they extract whatever other people know, and whatever they hear they convey to their companions.
ppp21358#pid#2492. The nature of the interior memory and of the exterior is sometimes presented visually in the next life in forms seen in that world only. (In that world many things are presented visually which with men fall into ideas only.) The exterior memory is presented in this manner as thick skin, while the interior memory is presented as a medullary substance like that in the human brain. This is the way in which one is enabled to know the nature of each. In the case of people who during their lifetime have been occupied with the memory only and have not in the same way cultivated their rational, the thick skin looks to be hard, with deep cracks in it. With those who have filled their memory with falsities it looks rough and hairy, on account of the disordered mess things are in. In the case of those who have been occupied with the memory solely for reasons of self-love and love of the world it looks matted and hardened. Among those who wished to penetrate Divine arcana by means of facts, especially by means of philosophical speculations, and refused to believe until they were persuaded by means of these, it looks like something dark which is of such a nature that it absorbs rays of light and converts them into darkness. With people who have been deceitful and hypocritical it looks like something bony and made of ebony reflecting rays of light. But with those with whom the good of love and the truth of faith have been present, no such thick skin is seen because their interior memory is emitting rays of light into the exterior, within whose objects or ideas as their own foundation, or as their own ground, the rays terminate and there find delightful vessels to contain them. For the exterior memory is the final limit of order, within which spiritual and celestial things are gently terminated and rest when goods and truths are present there.
ppp21357#pid#2493. I have spoken to angels about the memory of things of the past and about consequent anxiety concerning things of the future, and I have been informed that the more interior and perfect angels are the less do they care about things of the past or think about those of the future, and that this is also the origin of their happiness. They have said that the Lord provides them every moment with what to think, accompanied by blessing and happiness, and that this being so they have no cares and no worries. This also is what is meant in the internal sense by the manna being received 'day by day' from heaven, and by the 'daily [provision] of bread' in the Lord's Prayer, as well as by the statement that they must not worry about what they are to eat and drink, or what clothes they are to put on. But although angels have no care about things of the past and are not worried about those of the future they nevertheless have a most perfect recollection of things of the past and a most perfect insight into those of the future, because their entire present includes both the past and future within it. Thus they possess a more perfect memory than can possibly be imagined or put into words.
ppp21356#pid#2494. While people with whom love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour exist are living in the world they have angelic intelligence and wisdom with them and within them, but it is concealed in the inmost parts of their interior memory. This intelligence and wisdom cannot possibly be seen by them until they cast off bodily things. When they do so the memory of particulars, referred to above, is put to sleep, and they are awakened to the interior memory, and gradually after that to angelic memory itself.
ppp21355#pid#2495. It has been stated and shown in many places already that the Word has an internal sense within it that is not seen in the letter. Also the nature of that sense is evident from the explanation given so far from `Genesis 1bbb0` onwards. Even so, because the few at the present day who do believe in the Word do not in spite of that belief know about the existence of such an internal sense, let further confirmation of it be given.
ttt[2] The Lord describes the close of the age, that is, the final period of the Church, as follows,
Immediately after the affliction of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. `Matthew 24bbb29`; `Mark 13bbb24-25`.
That 'the sun' here does not mean the sun, nor 'the moon' the moon, nor 'the stars' the stars, but that 'the sun' means love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour, 'the moon' faith received from love and charity, and 'the stars' cognitions of good and truth, has been shown in `@@@31`, `@@@32`, `@@@1053`, `@@@1521`, `@@@1529-1531`, `@@@2120`, `@@@2441`. Thus these words spoken by the Lord mean that when the close of the age or final period has arrived there will no longer be any love or any charity, or consequently any faith. It is evident that this is their meaning from similar words of the Lord that occur in the Prophets, as in Isaiah,
Behold, the day of Jehovah comes, to make the earth a desolation, and He will destroy its sinners from it. For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not shine with their light. The sun will be darkened in its rising, and the moon will not give its light. `Isaiah 13bbb9-10`.
This too refers to the final period of the Church, or what amounts to the same, the close of the age.
ttt[3] In Joel,
A day of darkness and thick darkness, a day of cloud and obscurity. The earth quaked before Him, the heavens trembled. The sun and the moon were darkened, and the stars withdrew their shining. `Joel 2bbb2`, `Joel 2bbbccc10`.
Here the meaning is similar. Elsewhere in the same prophet,
The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of Jehovah comes. `Joel 2bbb31`.
In addition in the same prophet,
The day of Jehovah is near. The sun and the moon have been darkened, and the stars have withdrawn their shining. `Joel 3bbb14-15`.
In Ezekiel,
When I have blotted you out, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars, I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light. All the bright lights in the heavens I will make dark over you, and I will put darkness over your land. `Ezekiel 32bbb7-8`.
Likewise in John,
When he opened the sixth seal I looked, and behold, a great earthquake took place, and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the full moon became like blood, and the stars fell to the earth. `Revelation 6bbb12-13`.
In the same book,
The fourth angel sounded, so that the third part of the sun was struck, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars, and a third part of them was darkened. `Revelation 8bbb12`.
ttt[4] These places show clearly that the Lord's words in the Gospels embody much the same as the Lord's words in the Prophets - namely that in the last times there will be no charity and no faith - and that this is the internal sense. All this is further evident in Isaiah,
The moon will blush, and the sun be ashamed, for Jehovah Zebaoth will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem. `Isaiah 24bbb23`.
The meaning here is that faith, which is 'the moon', will blush, and charity, which is 'the sun', will be ashamed because their condition is such; for it cannot be said of the moon and the sun that they will blush and be ashamed. And in Daniel,
The horn of the he-goat grew towards the south, and towards the east, and grew even towards the host of heaven, and it cast down to the earth some of the host, and of the stars, and trampled on them. `Daniel 8bbb9-10`.
Here it is evident to anyone that 'the host of heaven' does not mean a host, nor 'the stars' the stars.
ppp21354#pid#2496. `Genesis 20bbb0`
1. And Abraham travelled from there towards the land of the south, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar.
2. And Abraham said of`fff1` Sarah his wife, She is my sister; and Abimelech King of Gerar sent and took Sarah.
3. And God came to Abimelech in a dream in the night, and said to him, Behold, you will die because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is married to a husband.
4. And Abimelech had not come near her, and he said, Lord, will You kill even a righteous nation?
5. Did he not say to me, She is my sister? And she herself also said, He is my brother. In the uprightness of my heart and in the blamelessness of my hands have I done this.
6. And God said to him in the dream, Yes, I know that in the uprightness of your heart you have done this, and I also withheld you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not allow you to touch her.
7. And now return the man's wife, for he is a prophet, and will pray for you, and you will live. And if you do not return her, know that you will certainly die, you and everyone who is yours.
8. And in the morning Abimelech rose up early and called all his servants and spoke all these words in their ears; and the men were very much afraid.
9. And Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, What have you done to us, and what sin have I committed against you, that you have brought great sin on me and on my kingdom? Deeds which ought not to be done you have done to me.
10. And Abimelech said to Abraham, What did you see, that you have done this thing?
11. And Abraham said, Because I said, Surely there is no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me on account of my wife.
12. And also she is truly my sister, my father's daughter but not my mother's daughter; and she became my wife.
13. And it happened, when God caused`fff2` me to depart from my father's house, that I said to her, This is your kindness which you may do for me: at every place we come to, say for me, He is my brother.
14. And Abimelech took flocks and herds, and men servants and women servants, and gave to Abraham; and he restored to him Sarah his wife.
15. And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before you; dwell in that which is good in your eyes.
16. And to Sarah he said, Behold, I have given a thousand-pieces of silver to your brother; behold, it is for you a covering of the eyes for all who are with you, and with all; and she was vindicated.
17. And Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife, and his women servants, and they gave birth.
18. For Jehovah had completely closed every womb of Abimelech's house because of the matter of Sarah, Abraham's wife.
CONTENTS
In Chapter `Genesis ccc12bbb0` above the subject was Abraham's sojourn in Egypt, which meant the instruction that the Lord received in factual knowledge when He was still a boy. In the present chapter the subject is Abraham's sojourn in Gerar, where Abimelech was. This sojourning in a similar way means instruction received by the Lord, but now it is in matters of doctrine regarding charity and faith. Dealt with in particular here is the origin of the doctrine of charity and faith; that is to say, that this doctrine is spiritual deriving from a celestial origin but is not from the rational.
`nnn1. The Latin preposition here (ad), like the Hebrew ('el) which it translates, usually means to or towards.
`nnn2. This verb is plural; see `@@@2559`.
ppp21353#pid#2497. The chapter deals with the Lord's state when He first received instruction in matters of doctrine regarding charity and faith. The state itself is meant by Kadesh and Shur; the doctrine of faith by Abimelech the king of Gerar, verses `Genesis 20bbbccc1-2`. To begin with He thought regarding the rational, that it should be consulted, verse `Genesis 20bbbccc2`, but it was not in fact consulted, verses `Genesis 20bbbccc3-4`, `Genesis 20bbbccc8-9`. The reasons why He thought in this way, verses `Genesis 20bbbccc5-6`, `Genesis 20bbbccc10-12`, `Genesis 20bbbccc13`. The doctrine of charity and faith is spiritual deriving from a celestial origin, verse `Genesis 20bbbccc7`. Such was the manner of His instruction, during which all rational concepts, and factual knowledge as well, served Him like a garment or clothing, verses `Genesis 20bbbccc14-16`. And in this way the doctrine was perfect, verse `Genesis 20bbbccc17`, which it would not have been if it had derived from the rational, verse `Genesis 20bbbccc18`.
ppp21352#pid#2498. THE INTERNAL SENSE
These historical descriptions, like everything else in the Word, embody Divine arcana. This becomes clear from the fact that now, for a second time, Abraham said that his wife was his sister; for the same thing had happened when he entered Egypt. On that occasion he said to Sarah, 'Say, now, you are my sister', `Genesis 12bbb13`. And not only Abraham but also Isaac did so, in that when he came to Gerar he said that Rebekah his wife was his sister - 'The men of the place asked about his wife, and he said, She is my sister', `Genesis 26bbb6-7`. And in those two chapters further similarities occur, so that such historical incidents are described three times, which would never have been done but for some hidden reason in the internal sense.
ppp21351#pid#2499. Verse `Genesis 20bbbccc1` And Abraham travelled from there towards the land of the south, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar.
'Abraham travelled from there towards the land of the south' means the Lord's advances in goods and truths of faith, 'Abraham' being the Lord during that state. 'And dwelt between Kadesh and Shur' means His state specifically, 'Kadesh' being the affection for interior truth coming from rational concepts, 'Shur' the affection for exterior truth deriving from factual knowledge. 'And he sojourned in Gerar' means consequent instruction in the spiritual things of faith.
ppp21350#pid#2500. 'Abraham travelled from there towards the land of the south' means the Lord's advances in goods and truths of faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'travelling' as advancing, dealt with in `@@@1457`, and from the meaning of 'the land of the south' as the good and truth of faith, dealt with in `@@@1458`. Previously in Chapter `Genesis ccc12bbb0` it was said of Abraham when entering Egypt that 'he travelled, going on and travelling towards the south', verses `Genesis 20bbbccc9-10`, which meant in the internal sense that the Lord, when a boy, made advances into goods and truths as regards knowledge consisting of cognitions, `@@@1456`, `@@@1459`. Now in the present chapter it is said that he travelled towards the land of the south, which means further and more interior advances, made this time into goods and truths as regards the doctrine of faith. This is why the expression 'the land of the south' is used here, for 'land' in its proper sense means the Church, for whose sake doctrine exists, `@@@566`, `@@@662`, `@@@1066`, `@@@2117`, `@@@2118`.
ttt[2] As regards the Lord's instruction in general, the nature of it is quite plain from the internal sense of this chapter. From that sense it is plain that He was taught through a whole succession of revelations and so through Divine perceptions and thoughts from Himself, that is, from His Divine. These perceptions and thoughts He implanted in Divine intelligence and wisdom, and continued to do so until the perfect union of His Human and His Divine had been effected. This way of becoming wise is not at all open to anyone else, for it sprang from the Divine itself, which was His inmost, being the Father's, from whom He had been conceived. Thus it sprang from the Divine Love itself which the Lord alone possessed and which constituted His desire to save the entire human race.
ttt[3] It is an arcanum as yet known by scarcely anyone that love itself holds wisdom and intelligence within it, but that the nature of these is determined by that of the love. The reason wisdom and intelligence exist within love is that all influx takes place into the love, or what amounts to the same, into the good, and so into the life itself of man. This is the source of the wisdom and intelligence possessed by angels, which are beyond description. It is the source also of the wisdom and intelligence possessed by men who are governed by love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour. Although during their lifetime the latter do not discern at all the presence with them of such wisdom and intelligence, they nevertheless enter into these after death for the reason that they exist within love itself and within charity itself, see `@@@2494`. As for the Lord's love however, this was infinitely higher than the love which exists in angels, for it was Divine Love itself, and therefore He had within Himself the acme of all wisdom and intelligence. Yet into the possession of this, because He was born a human being (homo) and advanced as a human being does according to Divine order, He entered by successive degrees so that He might in that way unite His Human to the Divine and make it Divine, doing so by His own power.
ppp21349#pid#2501. That 'Abraham' is the Lord during that state is clear from the representation of 'Abraham' as the Lord, here the Lord during that state - as also previously, see `@@@1893`, `@@@1965`, `@@@1989`, `@@@2011`, `@@@2172`, `@@@2198`.
ppp21348#pid#2502. 'And dwelt between Kadesh and Shur' means His state specifically. This is clear from the meaning of 'dwelling' as living, dealt with in `@@@1293`. The words that come immediately before also point to this, that is to say, that 'Abraham travelled from there towards the land of the south', which means the Lord's advances into goods and truths of faith; and now that it is said that 'he dwelt between Kadesh and Shur', by which it follows that nothing else is meant than the Lord's state specifically, which is described by 'Kadesh' and 'Shur', to be dealt with next.
ppp21347#pid#2503. That 'Kadesh' is the affection for interior truth coming from rational concepts, while 'Shur' is the affection for exterior truth deriving from factual knowledge, becomes clear from the meaning of 'Kadesh' and of 'Shur'. 'Kadesh' means truth over which there is strife, as has been shown in `@@@1678`; thus it means strife over truth regarding its origin, whether it comes from the rational, as is evident from what follows. But because with the Lord all truth came from a celestial origin, 'Kadesh' here means the affection for truth. Residing with every member of the Church there are rational truths and there are factual truths. Rational truths are interior, but factual truths exterior. The former are quite distinct and separate from the latter, altogether so as man's interior memory is from his exterior memory, dealt with in `@@@2469-2473`, and following paragraphs. From this it follows that there are two affections for truth, the first more interior, which is an affection for rational truths, the second more exterior, which is an affection for factual truths. The affection for interior truth deriving from rational concepts is meant here by 'Kadesh', while the affection for exterior truth deriving from factual knowledge is meant by 'Shur'. As regards 'Shur' meaning exterior truth, see `@@@1928`; and the fact that names in the Word mean nothing other than real things has been shown already in `@@@1224`, `@@@1264`, `@@@1876`, `@@@1888`, and many times elsewhere.
ppp21346#pid#2504. 'And he sojourned in Gerar' means consequent instruction in the spiritual things of faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'sojourning' as receiving instruction, dealt with in `@@@1463`, `@@@2025`, and from the meaning of 'Gerar' as the spiritual entity of faith. Gerar is mentioned in several places in Genesis, as in Chapter `Genesis ccc10bbb19`; `Genesis ccc26bbb1`, `Genesis 26bbbccc6`, `Genesis 26bbbccc17`, `Genesis 26bbbccc20`, `Genesis 26bbbccc26`, and in those places it means faith, the reason being that Gerar was in Philistia, and 'Philistia' means knowledge of the cognitions of faith, see `@@@1197`, `@@@1198`. Gerar was also the place where the king of the Philistines used to live. Consequently 'Gerar' means faith itself, `@@@1209`, and 'the king of Gerar' the truth itself of faith, for 'a king' in the internal sense is truth, `@@@1672`, `@@@2015`, `@@@2069`. Thus 'Abimelech' who is the subject in what follows means the doctrine of faith.
ttt[2] In general there are intellectual things of faith, rational things of faith, and factual things of faith. In relation to one another they accordingly pass from more interior to more exterior. The inmost things of faith are called intellectual; those which pass down from them or from there are the rational things of faith; and those in turn which pass down from these are the factual things of faith. They are interrelated, to use the language of the learned, as prior to posterior, or what amounts to the same, as superior to inferior, that is, as more interior to more exterior. It does indeed seem to man as though the factual degree of faith is first and that the rational then arises from that, and after this the intellectual from that, for the reason that this is the way a human being develops from childhood onwards. But in fact the intellectual is constantly flowing; into the rational, and the rational into the factual, though man is not directly conscious of it. In childhood the influx is obscure; in adult years it is more noticeable; and when at length the individual has been regenerated it is quite manifest. Once he is regenerate this order is quite apparent, and still more fully so in the next life, see `@@@1495`. All of these things, distinguished as described into separate degrees and existing in relation to one another in the order shown, are called spiritual. The spiritual things of faith constitute all truths that stem from good, that is, from a celestial origin. Whatever derives from the celestial is one of the spiritual things of faith.
ppp21345#pid#2505. Verse `Genesis 20bbbccc2` And Abraham said of`fff1` Sarah his wife, She is my sister; and Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.
'Abraham said' means the Lord's thought. 'Of Sarah his wife' means spiritual truth joined to the celestial. 'She is my sister' means rational truth. 'And Abimelech king of Gerar sent' means the doctrine of faith, 'Abimelech' being the doctrine of faith which has regard to rational things. 'And took Sarah' means the affection for consulting the rational.
`nnn1. The Latin preposition here (ad), like the Hebrew ('el) which it translates, usually means to or towards.
ppp21344#pid#2506. 'Abraham said' means the Lord's thought. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in historical descriptions as perceiving, as well as thinking, dealt with in `@@@1898`, `@@@1919`, `@@@2061`, `@@@2080`, `@@@2238`, `@@@2260`, `@@@2271`, `@@@2287`.
ppp21343#pid#2507. 'Of Sarah his wife' means spiritual truth joined to the celestial. This is clear from the meaning of 'Sarah his wife' as intellectual truth joined to Divine Good, or what amounts to the same, spiritual truth joined to the celestial, dealt with in `@@@1468`, `@@@1901`, `@@@2063`, `@@@2065`, `@@@2172`, `@@@2173`, `@@@2198`. What the spiritual is, and what the celestial, has been stated quite often already, see `@@@1155`, `@@@1577`, `@@@1824`, `@@@2048`, `@@@2088`. That is called the celestial which consists in good, that is, which consists in love to the Lord and in charity towards the neighbour; and that is called the spiritual which consists in truth, that is, which consists in faith deriving from love and charity.
ppp21342#pid#2508. 'She is my sister' means rational truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'a sister' as rational intellectual truth, dealt with in `@@@1495`. That rational truth is meant by 'a sister' cannot be seen by anyone except from the heavenly marriage; for the things that descend from that marriage have links with one another - resembling the ties of blood-relationships and relationships by marriage on earth, concerning which see `@@@685`, `@@@917` - and in ways endlessly varying. The heavenly marriage exists solely between Divine Good and Divine Truth. Conceived from that marriage there exist with man the capacities to understand, to be rational, and to have knowledge; for without this conception from the heavenly marriage no one can possibly be endowed with understanding, reason, or knowledge, and cannot consequently be a human being. Insofar therefore as he draws from the heavenly marriage he is human. The heavenly marriage exists within the Lord Himself, so that the Lord is that marriage itself; for He is Divine Good itself and at the same time Divine Truth. The heavenly marriage exists with angels and men insofar as love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour, and consequently insofar as faith derived from these exist with them, that is, insofar as the Lord's good and the truth derived from this do so. When this is the case with them they are called 'daughters and sons', and in relation to one another 'sisters and brothers', but with differences. The reason rational truth is called 'a sister' is that it is conceived from the influx of Divine Good into the affection for rational truths. The good conceived in this way in the rational is called 'a brother', and the truth 'a sister'. But this will be clearer from the words spoken by Abraham in verse `Genesis 20bbbccc12` of this chapter, 'And also she is truly my sister, my father's daughter but not my mother's daughter; and she became my wife'.
ppp21341#pid#2509. 'And Abimelech king of Gerar sent' means the doctrine of faith. This is clear from what has been stated above in `@@@2504` - that by 'Philistia' is meant knowledge of the cognitions of faith, `@@@1197`, `@@@1198`, by 'Gerar', which was situated in Philistia, is meant faith, `@@@1209`, `@@@2504`, and by 'king' the truth itself of faith, `@@@1672`, `@@@2015`, `@@@2069`; consequently by 'Abimelech' is meant the doctrine of faith, but the doctrine of faith which has regard to rational things, as will be evident from what follows next.
ppp21340#pid#2510. That 'Abimelech' is the doctrine of faith which has regard to rational things becomes clear from the fact that he regarded Sarah not as Abraham's wife but as his sister, and 'Sarah when a sister' means rational truth, `@@@2508`. The same is also evident from the verses that follow below, for there the question whether the doctrine of faith has its origin in the rational or in the celestial is the subject. 'Abimelech' therefore means the doctrine of faith which has regard to rational things. Doctrine is said to regard rational things when nothing is acknowledged as the truth of doctrine except that which can be grasped by reason, so that when anything that is a matter of doctrine is looked at it is seen from the rational. But the fact that the doctrine of faith does not have a rational but a celestial origin is, in what follows, the teaching of the internal sense.
ppp21339#pid#2511. 'And took Sarah' means the affection for consulting the rational. This is clear from the meaning of 'Sarah when a sister' as rational truth, dealt with in `@@@2508`, and also from 'taking her' as descriptive of affection towards her, and so in the internal sense of an affection for consulting the rational. The contents of this verse embody the Lord's initial thought regarding the doctrine of faith, whether it would be advantageous to consult the rational or not. The reason He initially thought this is that the Lord developed according to the whole of Divine order; and everything of the human into which He had been born and which He had derived from the mother had to be cast off by Him so that He might put on the Divine. Thus this human thought - whether in matters of doctrine regarding faith the rational should be consulted - had to be cast off as well.
ppp21338#pid#2512. Verse `Genesis 20bbbccc3` And God came to Abimelech in a dream in the night, and said to him, Behold, you will die because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is married to a husband.
'God came to Abimelech' means the Lord's perception regarding the doctrine of faith. 'In a dream in the night' means a perception that was obscure. 'And said to him' means thought springing from this. 'Behold, you will die because of the woman' means that the doctrine of faith would be ruined if the rational were consulted regarding the contents of that doctrine. 'For she is married to a husband' means that the doctrine of true faith is spiritual, and the contents of it are joined to the celestial.
ppp21337#pid#2513. That 'God came to Abimelech' means the Lord's perception regarding the doctrine of faith is clear from the meaning of 'God's coming' and from the meaning of 'Abimelech'; for 'God's coming' plainly means perceiving, since perception is nothing else than a Divine coming or influx into man's ability to understand, and 'Abimelech' means the doctrine of faith, as shown above in `@@@2504`, `@@@2509`, `@@@2510`.
ppp21336#pid#2514. 'In a dream in the night' means a perception that was obscure. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'a dream' and at the same time of 'the night'. When perception is the subject, 'a dream' means something obscure in contrast to wakefulness, and still more when the expression 'a dream in the night' is used. The reason the Lord's initial perception is called obscure is that it existed within the human which He was to cast off and from which He was to dispel the shadows. Though it originated in the Divine the Lord's ability to perceive nevertheless existed within the human, the nature of which is such that it does not immediately receive light itself but gradually as the shadows there are dispelled. The bringing of Himself into something less obscure as regards the doctrine of faith is what is meant in verse `Genesis 20bbbccc6` by a second reference - but without mention of 'the night'- to God's coming to Abimelech 'in the dream'. And His entry after this into clear perception is what is meant in verse `Genesis 20bbbccc8` by 'in the morning Abimelech rose up early.'
ppp21335#pid#2515. 'And said to him' means thought springing from this, that is to say, from the perception. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as perceiving, and also as thinking, dealt with above in `@@@2506`. Since it is said here that the thought was derived from the perception, let a brief statement be made about thought. There are thoughts that derive from perception, thoughts that derive from conscience, and thoughts that derive from no conscience. Thoughts deriving from perception exist with celestial people only, that is, with those who are moved by love to the Lord. Such thought is the most internal to exist with man; and it exists with celestial angels in heaven. Perception from the Lord is the means and the source of their thought, and thinking contrary to perception is an impossibility. Thoughts deriving from conscience are of a lower order and exist with spiritual people, that is, with those who in life and in doctrine are moved by good that stems from charity and faith. For them as well, thinking contrary to conscience is an impossibility, for that would be thinking contrary to the good and truth which the Lord dictates to them by means of conscience.
ttt[2] Thoughts deriving from no conscience however exist with people who do not allow themselves to be governed inwardly by good and truth but by evil and falsity, that is, not by the Lord but by themselves. They imagine that they think inwardly just as much as those who do so from conscience and perception, the reason being that they do not know what conscience is, still less what perception is, though the difference between their thought and that of people thinking from conscience or perception is as great as that between hell and heaven. People whose thought is devoid of conscience think from every evil desire and false notion, and so from hell. When they think in any other manner they do so from an outward respectability for the sake of reputation. But people who think from conscience do so from affections for good and truth, and so from heaven. As for the Lord's thought however, this surpasses all human understanding, for it sprang directly from the Divine.
ppp21334#pid#2516. 'Behold, you will die because of the woman' means that the doctrine of faith would be ruined if the rational were consulted as regards the contents of that doctrine. This is clear from the meaning of Abimelech, to whom 'you' refers here, as the doctrine of faith; from the meaning of 'dying' as being brought to ruin; and from the meaning of 'a sister', called 'the woman' here, as the rational, dealt with in `@@@2508`. Consequently the statement that Abimelech would die because of the woman means that the doctrine of faith would be brought to ruin if the rational were consulted.
ttt[2] The reason no doctrine of faith from the rational exists is that the rational is immersed in the appearances of good and truth, and such appearances are not truths in themselves, as shown already in `@@@2053`, `@@@2196`, `@@@2203`, `@@@2209`. What is more, the rational bases itself on illusions, which are the product of external sensory impressions confirmed by facts which introduce haziness into those appearances of truth. The rational for the most part is merely human, as also becomes clear from its birth. This then is why nothing of the doctrine of faith can even be started, let alone be built up from it. Such doctrine must stem from the Lord's Divine itself and His Divine Human. This is the origin of it, so much so indeed that the Lord is doctrine itself. It is for this reason also that in the Word He is called the Word, the truth, the light, the way, and the door. Furthermore - and this is an arcanum - all doctrine is derived from Divine Good and Divine Truth and possesses the heavenly marriage within it. Doctrine which does not possess this within it is not the genuine doctrine of faith. Consequently every detail of the Word, the source of doctrine, holds the image of a marriage within it, see `@@@683`, `@@@793`, `@@@801`.
ttt[3] It does indeed seem in the literal or external sense of the Word as though the doctrine of faith possessed much from the rational and indeed from the natural. But the reason for this is that the Word exists for the sake of man, for whom it has been adapted in this way. Nevertheless in itself the Word is spiritual from a celestial origin, that is, it is derived from Divine Truth joined to Divine Good. The fact that doctrine would be brought to ruin if the rational were consulted as regards the contents of that doctrine will be illustrated by examples in what follows.
ppp21333#pid#2517. 'She is married to a husband' means that the doctrine of true faith is spiritual and the contents of it are joined to the celestial. This is clear from the meaning of 'married to a husband'. When the expression 'husband' is used in the Word it means good, and 'wife' means truth. It is different when the husband is called 'man'. In this case 'men' means truth and 'wife' good, see `@@@915` and elsewhere. Here therefore 'married to a husband' means that truth has been joined to good, so that the truth also is good. This is clear in addition from the meaning of 'Sarah his wife' as spiritual truth, and of 'Abraham' as celestial good, both of which are Divine, dealt with in `@@@2501`, `@@@2507`. And because 'Sarah' means Divine spiritual truth, the doctrine itself of true faith is also meant by 'Sarah his wife', for doctrine is obtained from truths. From this it is evident that 'married to a husband' means that the doctrine of true faith is spiritual and the contents of it are joined to the celestial.
ppp21332#pid#2518. Verse `Genesis 20bbbccc4` And Abimelech had not come near her, and he said, Lord, will You kill even a righteous nation?
'Abimelech had not come near her' means that where the doctrine of faith was concerned rational truth was not consulted in any way. 'And he said, Lord, will You kill even a righteous nation?' means, Would the good and truth of doctrine be done away with?
ppp21331#pid#2519. 'Abimelech had not come near her' means that where the doctrine of faith was concerned rational truth was not consulted in any way. This is clear from the meaning of 'Abimelech' as the doctrine of faith, dealt with in `@@@2504`, `@@@2509`, `@@@2510`, and from the meaning of 'coming near her', that is to say, near Sarah as a sister, as reaching out to or in any way consulting rational truth, meant by 'a sister', `@@@1495`, `@@@2508`. The reason why the rational was not consulted in any way is that stated already, that matters of doctrine concerning faith - every one of them - are derived from the Divine, which is infinitely above the human rational. It is from the Divine that the rational receives its good and its truth. The Divine is able to enter into the rational, but not vice versa, even as the soul can enter into the body and give it form, but not the body into the soul, or as light can enter into shade and transform it variously into colours, but not shade into light. But because at first glance it appears as though the rational ought to be present since the rational is the very thing which receives doctrine, the present chapter shows that the first thought that came to mind was whether it too should not at the same time be consulted. But the Lord revealed it to Himself and replied to Himself that doctrine would in that case be made valueless. Consequently it was not consulted, and this is the meaning of the statement here that 'Abimelech had not come near her'.
ppp21330#pid#2520. 'And he said, Lord, will You kill even a righteous nation?' means, Would the good and truth of doctrine be done away with? This is clear from the meaning of 'nation' as good, dealt with in `@@@1259`, `@@@1260`, `@@@1416`. And because the words 'a righteous nation' refer to 'the nation of Abimelech', who means the doctrine of faith, they are used here to mean both good and truth, since both are the subject matter of doctrine.
ttt[2] The fact that these words were uttered from a zeal that went with an affection or love towards the whole human race may be evident to anyone. Such love was directing the Lord's thoughts even when He had not yet put off the human from the mother. And although He perceived from the Divine that the doctrine of faith had a wholly celestial origin, nevertheless in order that the needs of the human race, which does not receive anything of which it cannot form some idea from its own rational thought, might be met, it is therefore said, 'Will You kill even a righteous nation?' meaning, Would the good and truth of doctrine be done away with? The fact that a person does not receive anything of which he cannot form some idea from his rational thought may be seen from the ideas which a person entertains regarding Divine arcana. The latter always have some idea attached to them that is derived from worldly objects or things analogous to worldly objects by which they are retained in the memory and reproduced in thought. For without ideas derived from worldly objects a person is unable to engage in thought. If therefore truths from a Divine origin were presented naked they would never be accepted because they would go far beyond his range of understanding, and so beyond his faith as well, most of all in the case of those whose worship is external.
ttt[3] Let the following examples illustrate this: The Divine itself cannot reside in anything except that which is Divine, and so only in the Lord's Divine Human, and with man through His Human. If the rational were consulted it would say that the Divine itself can reside in the human of anyone. Again nothing holy exists which does not proceed from the Lord, and so from the Divine, which is one. If the rational were consulted it would say that what is holy may also spring from other sources.
ttt[4] Again, man does not live from himself, do good from himself, believe the truth from himself, or indeed think from himself. The good and truth that he does or believes come from the Lord, but the evil and falsity come from hell. And what is more, hell - that is, those who are in hell - do not think from themselves but, in the same way as man, are recipients of the Lord's good and truth. If the rational were consulted it would reject all those ideas because it would not comprehend them. It would also reject the idea that nobody is rewarded on account of the good he does and of the truth he teaches. And it would reject the idea that what is external does not accomplish anything, only what is internal, insofar as the affection for good is present in the doing of good, and insofar as from this the affection for truth is present in the teaching of truth, and insofar as the things are not done from oneself. So also with a thousand other examples that could be given.
ttt[5] Such being the nature of the human rational, the Word therefore uses expressions that accord with man's capacity to understand, and also with his inherent disposition. And this explains why the internal sense of the Word is different from its literal sense. This becomes quite clear from the Old Testament Word where most things are stated in ways that accord with the capacity to understand and the inherent disposition of the people who lived in those times. As a consequence little, indeed scarcely anything, is mentioned there about the life after death, about eternal salvation, and about the internal man. Indeed the character of the Jewish and Israelitish people with whom the Church existed at that time was such that if these matters had been disclosed to them they would not only have failed to understand them but would also have ridiculed them. If similarly it had been disclosed to them that the Messiah or Christ was going to come and save their souls for ever, this too they would have rejected as something of no importance, as also becomes clear from the same nation today. And it is so still that if what is internal or spiritual is mentioned in their presence, and the fact that the Messiah is not going to be a very great earthly king, they laugh at it.
ttt[6] This was the reason why the Lord sometimes spoke in the way the Prophets had spoken and expressed all else by means of parables, as He Himself states in Matthew,
Jesus said, I speak to them in parables, because those who see do not see, and those who hear do not hear, nor do they understand. `Matthew 13bbb13`.
'Those who see' and 'those who hear' are those inside the Church who, though they see and hear, nevertheless do not understand. And in John,
He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes and understand with their heart, and are converted and I heal them. `John 12bbb40`.
Their being 'converted' and being 'healed' implies that even so they would subsequently reject and in so doing profane, which entails eternal condemnation, see `@@@301-303`, `@@@582`, `@@@1008`, `@@@1010`, `@@@1059`, `@@@1327`, `@@@1328`, `@@@2051`, `@@@2426`. Nevertheless the Lord in many places disclosed the interior things of the Word, but solely for the benefit of the wise.
ppp21329#pid#2521. Verse `Genesis 20bbbccc5` Did he not say to me, She is my sister? And she herself also said, He is my brother. In the uprightness of my heart and in the blamelessness of my hands have I done this.
'Did he not say to me' means exoneration from having thought in this fashion. 'She is my sister' means that it was the rational which ought to be consulted. 'And she herself also said, He is my brother' means that the rational itself so declared that celestial good should be coupled with it. 'In the uprightness of my heart' means that such thinking was the product of innocence and simple good. 'And in the blamelessness of my hands have I done this' means the product of the affection for truth, and thus of all that enables one so to think.
ppp21328#pid#2522. That 'did he not say to me' means exoneration from having thought in this fashion is clear from every individual part of this verse as well as from the meaning of 'saying' as thinking, dealt with in `@@@2506`.
ppp21327#pid#2523. 'She is my sister' means that it was the rational which ought to be consulted, that is to say, He thought that such a consultation should take place. This is clear from the meaning of 'a sister' in this chapter as rational truth, dealt with in `@@@1495`, `@@@2508`. In the internal sense of the Word the Lord's entire life is described, as it was going to be when He was in the world, even as to His perceptions and thoughts. For these things had been foreseen and provided, since they were from the Divine. A further reason for this provision of them in the internal sense was so that the things of the Lord's life in the world might be manifested as present realities to the angels, who perceive the Word according to its internal sense. In this way the Lord was placed before them, and at the same time the manner in which He gradually cast off the human and put on the Divine. Unless these things had been manifested to the angels as present realities by means of the Word, and also by means of all the religious observances of the Jewish Church, it would have been necessary for the Lord to come into the world immediately after the fall of the Most Ancient Church, which is called 'Man' or Adam; for the Lord's Advent was foretold immediately the Fall took place, `Genesis 3bbb15`. And what is more, the human race existing at that time could not otherwise have been saved.
ttt[2] As regards the Lord's life itself, it was a life in which the Human was constantly advancing towards the Divine, even to complete union, as stated many times already. For to fight the hells and overcome them He had to do so from the Human, since no conflict with the hells takes place from the Divine. That being so, He was pleased to put on the human as any other person; to be a small child as any other; to grow in knowledge and cognitions which were represented and meant by Abraham's sojourning in Egypt, Chapter `Genesis ccc12bbb0`, and now in Gerar. Thus He was pleased to develop the rational like any other person and to dispel the shadow enveloping it and to bring it into light, and to do so from His own power. That the Lord advanced in this manner from the Human to the Divine, no one can be in any doubt if he merely considers the fact that He was a small child, and learned to talk as any small child does, and so on. But there was this difference, that the Divine itself dwelt within Him because He had been conceived from Jehovah.
ppp21326#pid#2524. 'She herself also said, He is my brother' means that the rational itself so declared that celestial good should be coupled with it. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'a sister', to whom 'she herself' refers here, as the rational, `@@@1495`, `@@@2508`, and from the meaning of 'a brother' as good that stands related to truth, `@@@367`, `@@@2508`. For the implications of this are as follows: Divine Good and Divine Truth are united to each other as if in a marriage. From this comes the heavenly marriage, and also conjugial love, even down to the natural world below. But the good and truth of the rational are not joined to each other as if in a marriage but as in a blood relationship like that of brother and sister. For as regards truth, the rational is conceived from an influx of Divine Good into the affection for knowledge and cognitions, see `@@@1895`, `@@@1902`, `@@@1910`, whereas the good of the rational comes through an influx of Divine Good into that truth, which then becomes that good itself which belongs to charity and is 'the brother' of faith, or what amounts to the same, of truth, `@@@367`.
ttt[2] As regards the way in which the good and truth of the rational are acquired, its good comes from Divine good, but not its truth from Divine truth, for the truth of the rational is acquired through knowledge and cognitions which are implanted by means of the senses, external and internal, and so by an external route. Consequently many illusions that result from sensory impressions cling to the truths of that rational which cause those truths not to be truths. Nevertheless when Divine Good flows into them and takes hold of them they are in that case seen as truths and are acknowledged as truths, even though they are no more than appearances of truth. The good itself within those truths undergoes modification determined by the shadows there and comes to have the same nature as the truth. This is one arcanum which lies concealed in these words, that the rational so declared that celestial good should be coupled with it.
ppp21325#pid#2525. That 'in the uprightness of my heart' means that such thinking was the product of innocence and simple good becomes clear from the meaning of 'uprightness' and also of 'heart'. The original language expresses 'uprightness' by means of a word which also means wholeness and perfection, as well as simplicity. 'Heart' however means love and charity, which are the sources of good, as is well known. 'In uprightness of heart' therefore means the product of innocence and simple good.
ppp21324#pid#2526. 'And in the blamelessness of my hands have I done this' means the product of the affection for truth and thus of all that enables one so to think. This is clear from the meaning of 'blamelessness' and also of 'hands'. The original language expresses 'blamelessness' by means of a word which also means cleanliness and purity. 'Hands' has reference to truth and means power, and thus means an ability so to think, `@@@878`. The reason why 'in the uprightness of my heart and in the blamelessness of my hands have I done this' therefore means that such thinking had been the product of innocence and simple good, and of the affection for truth, and thus of an entire ability so to think, is that it is innocence which causes good to be good, and good which causes truth to be truth. And when these are present in their proper order an entire ability so to think is present too. It is evident that these things are embodied in these words, for an upright or whole or perfect heart, which means good, does not exist unless innocence lies within the good, as stated, thereby making it simple good. And blameless or clean or pure hands, which has reference to truths, do not exist unless good is contained within the truths, as has also been stated, that is, unless the affection for truth exists. When thinking is a product of these it is also a product of an entire ability or power so to think, which is likewise meant by the hands, `@@@878`.
ppp21323#pid#2527. Verse `Genesis 20bbbccc6` And God said to him in the dream, Yes, I know that in the uprightness of your heart you have done this, and I also withheld you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not allow you to touch her.
'God said to him in the dream' means a perception that was less obscure. 'Yes, I know that in the uprightness of your heart you have done this' means here, as previously, that such thinking was the product of innocence and of simple good, thus that there was nothing worthy of blame. 'And I also withheld you from sinning against Me' means nothing harmful had taken place. 'Therefore I did not allow you to touch her' means that the rational was not consulted at all.
ppp21322#pid#2528. 'God said to him in the dream' means a perception that was less obscure. This is clear from what has been stated and explained above in `@@@2514`. The reason why in this chapter the name 'God' is used but not 'Jehovah', except in the last verse, is that spiritual matters, that is, matters of doctrine concerning faith, are the subject. For when spiritual matters are referred to, the name 'God' is used, but when celestial matters, that is, love and charity, are dealt with, the name Jehovah' is used, see `@@@709`, `@@@732`, `@@@2001`.
ppp21321#pid#2529. 'Yes, I know that in the uprightness of your heart you have done this' means that such thinking was the product of innocence and of simple good. This is clear from what has been stated above in `@@@2525`, `@@@2526`, where the same words occur. But no such mention is made here, as in that verse above, of 'in the blamelessness of my hands' for the hidden reason that the affection for truth, meant by 'the blamelessness of one's hands', has something of the human within it. For in the Lord also truth was implanted through the human that He had by birth; but good came from the Divine alone, as becomes clear from the rise of the rational as regards good and as regards truth, `@@@2524`.
ppp21320#pid#2530. That 'I also withheld you from sinning against Me' means that nothing harmful had taken place, that is to say, where the doctrine of faith was concerned, the rational was not consulted - also the meaning in what follows next - becomes clear without explanation.
ppp21319#pid#2531. 'Therefore I did not allow you to touch her' means that the rational was not consulted at all. This is clear from the meaning of 'allowing to touch' as consulting - as is also the meaning of 'coming near her', verse `Genesis 20bbbccc4` above, in `@@@2519` - and from the meaning of 'Sarah as a sister', to whom the pronoun 'her' refers here, as the rational, dealt with in `@@@1495`, `@@@2508`
ttt[2] So that more may be known about the nature of the doctrine of faith, that it is spiritual from a celestial origin, it should be recognized that such doctrine is Divine truth from Divine good, and so is wholly Divine. That which is Divine is beyond comprehension since it surpasses all understanding, even that of angels. Nevertheless this Divine, which in itself is beyond comprehension, is able to flow in by way of the Lord's Divine Human into man's rational. And when it flows into his rational, the way it is received there is determined by the truths that are there. Thus it is received in varying ways, differently from one person to another. To the extent therefore that the truths residing with a person are more genuine, the Divine flowing in is also received more perfectly, and the understanding part of his mind is enlightened.
ttt[3] Present within the Word of the Lord there are truths themselves, but in its literal sense there are truths which have been adapted to the mental grasp of those whose worship is external, while in its internal sense there are truths adapted to those who are internal people, that is, who as regards doctrine and at the same time as regards life are like angels. Their rational is as a result enlightened to such an extent that this enlightenment is compared to the brightness of the stars and of the sun, in `Daniel 12bbb3`; `Matthew 13bbb43`. This shows how important it is to know and receive interior truths. People can indeed know these truths, but none can possibly receive them except those who are governed by love to the Lord or by faith in Him. For as the Lord is Divine Good, so He is Divine Truth, and therefore doctrine itself, for everything included in the doctrine of true faith has regard to the Lord. It also has regard to the heavenly kingdom and the Church, and to the things that constitute the heavenly kingdom and the Church. But all these are His and are the intermediate ends by means of which the final end, that is, the Lord, is regarded.
ttt[4] That the Lord is doctrine itself as regards truth and good, thus that it is He alone who is regarded in doctrine, He Himself teaches in John,
Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. `John 14bbb6-7`.
Here 'the way' means doctrine, 'the truth' everything that constitutes doctrine, 'the life' good itself which is the life of truth. And that love to Him or faith in Him is that which receives, He also teaches in John,
His own did not receive him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave power to be sons of God, to those believing in His name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. `John 1bbb11-13`.
'The born of God' are those in whom love and, from this, faith are present.
ppp21318#pid#2532. Verse `Genesis 20bbbccc7` And now return the man's wife, for he is a prophet, and will pray for you, and you will live. And if you do not return her, know that you will certainly die, you and everyone who is yours.
'Now return the man's wife' means that the spiritual truth of doctrine was by him to be brought back untouched from the rational. 'For he is a prophet' means that thus it was to be taught. 'And will pray for you' means that it will thus be revealed. 'And you will live' means that thus doctrine will possess life. 'And if you do not return her' means here, as previously, if he did not restore the spiritual truth of doctrine untouched by the rational. 'Know that you will certainly die' means that no doctrine of truth and good will exist. 'And everyone who is yours' means all that belonged to it together.
ppp21317#pid#2533. That 'now return the man's wife' means that the spiritual truth of doctrine was by him to be brought back untouched from the rational is clear from the meaning of 'a wife' as spiritual truth, dealt with in `@@@2507`, `@@@2510`, and from the meaning of 'a man' as doctrine itself. Actually when Abraham who represents the Lord in that state is called 'a man' he means celestial truth, which is the same as doctrine from a celestial origin; for 'man' in the internal sense means the understanding part of the mind, see `@@@158`, `@@@265`, `@@@749`, `@@@915`, `@@@1007`, `@@@2517`. From this it is evident that 'resuming the man's wife' means bringing back the spiritual truth of doctrine untouched. Its being brought back untouched from the rational is meant because 'Abimelech' who was required to return her means doctrine that has regard to rational things, or what amounts to the same, means the rational things comprising doctrine, `@@@2510`.
ttt[2] It has been stated above that although the doctrine of faith is in itself Divine and so stands above all human, even angelic, range of understanding, it has nevertheless been expressed in the Word in a rational manner in accordance with man's range of understanding. It is like a parent who is teaching small boys and girls. When teaching them he explains every single thing in accordance with their own mentality, even though he himself thinks from what is more interior or higher. Otherwise he would be teaching without their learning, or it would be like casting seed on bare rock. The same applies also to the angels who in the next life instruct the simple in heart. Although the angels possess celestial and spiritual wisdom they nevertheless do not go above the heads of those they are teaching but use simple ideas to talk to them, yet advance by degrees to higher ideas as the instruction advances. For if they were to speak from angelic wisdom the simple would not grasp anything at all and so would not be led on to the truths and goods of faith. Much the same would happen if in the Word the Lord had not taught in a rational manner in accordance with man's range of understanding. Nevertheless in its internal sense the Word is raised up to angelic understanding. But even so, that highest level of meaning on which the Word exists with angels is infinitely lower than the Divine. This shows what the Word is like in origin, and so what it is in itself, and thus that at every point it embodies more than the whole of heaven is capable of comprehending, even as to one small part, though in the letter it seems so ordinary and so crude.
ttt[3] The fact that the Lord is the Word, because the Word derives from Him and He is in the Word, is clear in John,
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the Only Begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. `John 1bbb1`, `John 1bbbccc4`, `John 1bbbccc14`.
See also `Revelation 19bbb11`, `Revelation 19bbbccc13`, `Revelation 19bbbccc16`. And because the Lord is the Word, He is doctrine also, for no other doctrine exists which is itself Divine.
ppp21316#pid#2534. 'For he is a prophet' means that thus it was to be taught. This is clear from the meaning of 'a prophet'. One reads the word 'prophet' many times in the Word, and in the sense of the letter it means those to whom revelation is given, and also - abstractedly from persons - revelation itself. But in the internal sense that word means one who teaches, and also - abstractedly - doctrine itself. And because, as has been stated, the Lord is doctrine itself, or the Word which teaches, He is called 'a Prophet', as also in Moses,
Jehovah your God will raise up a Prophet like me from the midst of you, from your brothers; Him shall you obey. `Deuteronomy 18bbb15`, `Deuteronomy 18bbbccc18`.
The words 'like me' are used because the Lord was represented by Moses, as He also was by Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, and many more. And because people awaited Him it is therefore said in John,
When the people saw the sign which Jesus had done, they said, This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world. `John 6bbb14`.
ttt[2] Since the Lord in the highest sense is 'the Prophet' and 'the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy', `Revelation 19bbb10`, 'a prophet' therefore means in the internal sense of the Word a person who teaches, and also - abstractedly - doctrine, as becomes quite clear from the following places: In Luke,
You, child, will be called prophet of the Most High. `Luke 1bbb76`.
Zechariah said this in reference to his son, John the Baptist, who was not the prophet but one preparing the way by teaching and preaching the good news about the Lord's Coming, as he himself says,
They asked him, What are you? Are you Elijah? But he said, I am not. Are you the prophet? He answered, No. Therefore they said to him. Who are you? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord. `John 1bbb21-23`.
ttt[3] In Matthew,
Many will say on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name? `Matthew 7bbb22`.
Here it is evident that 'prophesying' means teaching. In John,
You must again prophesy over many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings. `Revelation 10bbb11`.
'Prophesying' stands for teaching. What 'peoples', 'nations', 'tongues', and 'kings' mean has been stated and shown in various places. In the same book,
The nations will trample the holy city for forty-two months, but I will grant My two witnesses to prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth. `Revelation 11bbb2-3`.
Here also 'prophesying' stands for teaching. In Moses,
Jehovah said to Moses, See, I have made you a god to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother will be your prophet. `Exodus 7bbb1`.
Here 'prophet' stands for one teaching or saying what Moses would have to say. In Joel,
I will pour out My spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy. `Joel 2bbb28`.
'They will prophesy' stands for they will teach.
ttt[4] In Isaiah,
Jehovah has poured out over you a spirit of sleep, and has closed your eyes; the prophets and your heads, the seers, He has covered; and the vision of all this has become to you like the words of a sealed book which men give to one who is able to read, saying, Read this, now; and he will say, I cannot, for it is sealed. `Isaiah 29bbb10-11`.
Here 'the prophets' is used to mean those who teach truth, and 'the seers' those who see truth. Their heads are said to be 'covered' when they know no truth at all and see none at all. Because in ancient times those who taught were called prophets, they were also called 'seers', for 'seeing' meant understanding, `@@@2150`, `@@@2325`. The fact that they were called 'seers', see `1 Samuel 9bbb9`; `2 Samuel 24bbb11`. They were also called 'men (vir) of God' because of the meaning 'man' carried, dealt with in `@@@158`, `@@@265`, `@@@749`, `@@@915`, `@@@1007`, `@@@2517`. The fact that they were called 'men of God', see `2 Kings 1bbb9-16`; `2 Kings ccc4bbb7`, `2 Kings 4bbbccc9`, `2 Kings 4bbbccc16`, `2 Kings 4bbbccc21-22`, `2 Kings 4bbbccc25`, `2 Kings 4bbbccc27`, `2 Kings 4bbbccc40`, `2 Kings 4bbbccc42`; `2 Kings ccc5bbb8`, `2 Kings 5bbbccc14`, `2 Kings 5bbbccc20`; `2 Kings ccc13bbb19`; `2 Kings ccc23bbb16-17`.
ttt[5] That 'prophets' means in the internal sense those who teach is clear in the whole of `Jeremiah 23bbb0` and the whole of `Ezekiel 13bbb0`, where prophets are referred to specifically, and also in many other places where they are mentioned. This also explains why 'pseudoprophets' means those who teach falsities, as in Matthew,
At the close of the age many pseudoprophets will arise and lead many astray. False Christs and false prophets`fff1` will arise and will show great signs, and will lead astray, if possible, even the elect. `Matthew 24bbb11`, `Matthew 24bbbccc24`; `Mark 13bbb22`.
No others are meant here by 'pseudoprophets' and 'false prophets', nor likewise by the pseudoprophet in `Revelation 16bbb13`; `Revelation ccc19bbb20`; `Revelation ccc20bbb10`.
ttt[6] How much the internal sense of the Word is obscured by ideas that have been conceived from the representatives of the Jewish Church becomes clear from the fact that every time a prophet is mentioned in the Word the idea of prophets like those who lived in those times immediately springs to mind, an idea which impedes greatly any discernment of what is meant by them. But the wiser anyone is, the more easily is an idea conceived from such representatives banished. For example, when the temple is mentioned, people who are more wise in their thinking do not envisage the temple in Jerusalem but the temple of the Lord; when Mount Zion, or simply Zion, is mentioned, they do not envisage a location in Jerusalem but the Lord's kingdom; and when Jerusalem is mentioned, they do not envisage the Jerusalem situated in the tribe of Benjamin and Judah but the holy and heavenly Jerusalem.
`nnn1. Here, apparently following Schmidius' Latin version of the Scriptures, Swedenborg has two similar but not identical expressions - pseudoprophetae and falsi prophetae. But in the original Greek the same word occurs in both places.
ppp21315#pid#2535. 'He will pray for you' means that it will thus be revealed. This is clear from the meaning of 'praying'. Regarded in itself prayer is talking to God and at the same time some inner view of the things that are being prayed for. Answering to this there is something akin to an influx into the perception or thought of the person's mind, which effects a certain opening of his internals towards God. But the experience varies according to the person's state and according to the essence of whatever he is praying for. If his prayer springs from love and faith, and if they are wholly celestial and spiritual things about which and for which he prays, something like a revelation is present within his prayer which manifests itself in the affection of the one praying in the form of hope, comfort, or some inward joy. This is why 'praying' in the internal sense means to be revealed. Here such a meaning is all the greater since it is a prophet who, it is said, will pray, and 'prophet' is used to mean the Lord, whose prayer was nothing else than an internal speaking to the Divine, and at the same time revelation. That there was revelation when He prayed is evident in Luke,
It happened, when Jesus was baptized and prayed, that heaven was opened. `Luke 3bbb21`.
In the same gospel,
It happened, when Jesus took Peter, James, and John, He went up on the mountain to pray. When He was praying the appearance of His face was altered, and His clothing became dazzling white. `Luke 9bbb28-29`.
Also in John, He said when praying,
Father, glorify Your name. Then a voice came from heaven, I have both glorified it and will glorify it again. `John 12bbb27-28`.
Here it is evident that the Lord's praying consisted in a talking to the Divine and at the same time in revelation.
ppp21314#pid#2536. 'And you will live' means that thus doctrine will possess life. This is clear without explanation.
ppp21313#pid#2537. 'And if you do not return her' means if he did not restore spiritual truth untouched by the rational. This is clear from what has been stated just above in `@@@2533`, where the same words occur.
ppp21312#pid#2538. 'Know that you will certainly die' means that no doctrine of truth and good will exist. This too becomes clear from what has been stated above in `@@@2516`, where also similar words occur. Likewise 'everyone who is yours' means all that belonged to it together, namely to doctrine. The reason why in the internal sense 'everyone' means every thing or all things is that persons mentioned in the Word mean real things, and so 'everyone who is Abimelech's' means every thing or all things of doctrine. From all this it is now evident what the internal sense is of the words in this verse, namely that the spiritual truth of doctrine was by him to be brought back untouched by the rational, and that in this way it was to be taught and to be revealed to Him, and so the doctrine would have life. But if spiritual truth was not by him brought back untouched from the rational, the doctrine of truth and good would be worthless in every single respect of it.
ttt[2] The position with doctrine is that insofar as belief is rooted in what belongs to the human, that is, in sensory impressions, factual knowledge, and rational deductions, no doctrine exists; but insofar as sensory impressions, factual knowledge, and rational deductions are put aside, that is, insofar as belief is formed quite apart from these, doctrine comes into being because the Divine is able to flow in; whereas those properties possessed by the human prevent influx and reception. It is however one thing to rely for belief on rational deductions, factual knowledge, and sensory impressions, that is, to resort to them so as to arrive at belief, but quite another to confirm and strengthen belief by means of rational deductions, factual knowledge, and sensory impressions. The difference between the two approaches will be evident in what follows below, for these also are dealt with in the internal sense in this chapter.
ppp21311#pid#2539. Verse `Genesis 20bbbccc8` And in the morning Abimelech rose up early and called all his servants and spoke all these words in their ears; and the men were very much afraid.
'In the morning Abimelech rose up early' means a clear perception and confirmatory light flowing from celestial good. 'And called all his servants' means rational concepts and factual knowledge. 'And spoke all these words in their ears' means an exhortation made to confirmations from this source, even until they should become obedient. 'And the men were very much afraid' means until they should become averse.
ppp21310#pid#2540. That 'in the morning Abimelech rose up early' means a clear perception and confirmatory light flowing from celestial good is clear from the meaning of 'rising in the morning', also of 'Abimelech', as well as of 'early'. What 'the morning' means has been shown in `@@@2333`, `@@@2405`. From these meanings - and also from the whole train of thought, which is that at first the Lord's perception was obscure, `@@@2513`, `@@@2514`, and after that less obscure, `@@@2528` - it is evident that here a clear perception is meant. As for 'Abimelech' - that he means the doctrine of faith which has regard to rational things - see above `@@@2509`, `@@@2510`. And what 'in the early morning' means is evident from the meaning of 'the morning'. Here, since it is said that 'he rose up in the morning - in the early morning', not only a clear perception is meant but also confirmatory light flowing from celestial good; for celestial good is the source from which the confirmatory light of truth is derived. These considerations now show that such things are meant.
ttt[2] The reason why the perception which the Lord had when He was in the Human, and why His thought concerning that which was rational with the doctrine of faith, are dealt with so extensively in the internal sense is that stated above. A further reason is that it is angel-like to think in a distinct manner about the various aspects of the Lord's life in the world, and about how He cast off the human rational and by His own power made it Divine, and at the same time to think about the nature of the doctrine of charity and faith when the rational mixes with it, besides many more things dependent on these, which are interior features of the Church and of man. To anyone whose heart and mind are set on worldly and bodily interests, such matters seem of little importance, and perhaps of no advantage to him; whereas to angels whose hearts and minds are set on celestial and spiritual interests, those same matters are precious. Their ideas and perceptions regarding them are beyond description. From this it is evident that very many matters which to man are of little importance because they are above and beyond his grasp of things are to angels of the highest worth since those matters come within the light of their wisdom; and conversely, the matters of highest worth to man, because they are worldly and so come within his grasp of things, are to angels of little importance since those matters go on away from the light of angels' wisdom. This difference between angels and men with regard to the internal sense of the Word occurs in many places.
ppp21309#pid#2541. 'And called his servants' means rational concepts and factual knowledge. This is clear from the meaning of 'servants' in the Word, dealt with further on at verse `Genesis 20bbbccc14`, in `@@@2567`. Within the person who is in the Lord's kingdom, that is, who is the Lord's kingdom, there are celestial things, spiritual things, rational concepts, factual knowledge, and sensory impressions; and all these are ordered one beneath another. Celestial things and spiritual things hold the primary position and are the Lord's; rational concepts come next in order beneath them and are subservient to them; factual knowledge in turn comes beneath and serves rational concepts; and lastly sensory impressions come beneath and serve factual knowledge. The things which are subservient, or which serve, are in these relationships servants, and in the Word they are called 'servants'. Anyone whose thought is based solely on sensory impressions and factual knowledge is unaware of these things existing in their ordered sequence; and anyone who does know something about them nevertheless has only a very obscure idea because he is still immersed in bodily interests. Angels however have a very distinct idea, for thousands, indeed myriads, of distinct and separate ideas existing with angels do not present themselves to men except as one single obscure idea, as for example with the words that occur here, 'Abimelech called his servants and spoke all these words in their ears; and the men were very much afraid'. In these words angels perceive deeper arcana than man can possibly grasp or is indeed able to believe; that is to say, they perceive how the Lord brought rational concepts and factual knowledge into a condition of obedience, yet in such a way that He did not bring into that condition the rational concepts and the factual knowledge themselves but the affections rising up against the celestial and the spiritual things of doctrine; for it was when those affections had been brought into subjection that rational concepts and factual knowledge were brought into a condition of obedience and at the same time into order. These matters are to angels some of the most common and general; but to man they are perhaps some of the most obscure or are unintelligible.
ppp21308#pid#2542. 'And spoke all these words in their ears' means an exhortation made to confirmations from this source, even until they should become obedient. This becomes clear from the train of thought in the internal sense, and also from the meaning of 'ears'.
From the train of thought: There are many matters of a confirmatory nature that lend support to whatever the rational acknowledges; indeed its acknowledgement is due entirely to those confirmatory matters. This is why, when rational concepts are brought into a condition of obedience, an exhortation is made to things that confirm, for these are for ever at hand and so to speak rising up.
From the meaning of 'ears': 'Ears' in the internal sense of the Word means obedience because of the correspondence that exists between hearing and obeying. Furthermore, this correspondence lies hidden within the very word 'hearing', more so in 'hearkening'. This correspondence has its origin in the next life where those who are obedient and willing belong to the province of the ear. Indeed they correspond to the faculty of hearing itself, an arcanum unknown as yet. But these matters will be seen more easily when correspondence will be dealt with in the Lord's Divine mercy later on. The fact that 'ears' has this meaning becomes clear from very many places in the Word; but for the time being let only the following in Isaiah be quoted,
Make the heart of this people fat and their ears heavy, and plaster over their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and their heart understands. `Isaiah 6bbb10`.
Here 'seeing with the eyes' means understanding, and 'hearing with the ears' means perceiving with affection and therefore means obeying. And nothing else is meant when the Lord says,
He who has an ear to hear, let him hear. `Matthew 11bbb15`; `Matthew ccc13bbb9`, `Matthew 13bbbccc43`; `Luke 8bbb8`; `Luke ccc14bbb35`.
ppp21307#pid#2543. 'The men were very much afraid' means until they should become averse. This is clear from the meaning here of 'being afraid' and from the meaning of 'men'. As with every emotion, being afraid or fear includes many things within it, even though it looks to be simple and without parts. That is to say, this fear includes loss of life, or reputation, or position, or gain in worldly things, but also loss of good and truth, and so of life, in heavenly things. And because it includes these, it also includes aversion to those things which endeavour to destroy them; and this is all the more the case when an affection itself for what is good and true exists with a person. Such aversion is the opposite of the affection and therefore 'being afraid' here means feeling aversion. The greatness of the Lord's aversion is clear from the strong feeling with which things are stated in the next verse, a strong feeling that doctrine should not be debased by anything of a rational or factual kind. For 'men' means rational concepts and factual knowledge, that is, everything that belongs to the understanding part of the mind, as has been shown in `@@@158`, `@@@265`, `@@@749`, `@@@915`, `@@@1007`.
ppp21306#pid#2544. Verse `Genesis 20bbbccc9` And Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, What have you done to us, and what sin have I committed against you, that you have brought great sin on me and on my kingdom? Deeds which ought not to be done you have done to me.
'Abimelech called Abraham and said to him' means the Lord's thought from the doctrine of faith. 'What have you done to us, and what sin have I committed against you?' means reproving Himself for having thought in this fashion. 'That you have brought great sin on me and on my kingdom' means that thereby the doctrine of faith and all matters of doctrine would be at risk. 'Deeds which ought not to be done you have done to me' means horror.
ppp21305#pid#2545. 'Abimelech called Abraham and said to him' means the Lord's thought from the doctrine of faith. This becomes clear from the representation of 'Abimelech', and also of 'Abraham', and from the meaning of 'saying', dealt with several times already. No intelligible explanation of what thinking from the doctrine of faith is can be given because the perception of this matter cannot fall into any but angelic ideas, yet within these it presents itself in so much light, together with heavenly representatives, that scarcely anything of it can be described. The inability to perceive this matter except within angelic ideas is made evident when it is said that the Lord's thought was from intellectual truth, which was above the rational which He looked upon from that truth, but that His perception from which He thought was from Divine Truth.
ppp21304#pid#2546. 'What have you done to us, and what sin have I committed against you?' means reproving Himself for having thought in this fashion. This becomes clear from the emotion and the strong feeling which these words contain, referred to just above in `@@@2543`, on account of the fact that the rational and the factual wished to rise up and enter in, and in so doing to share in the doctrine of faith, which is Divine.
ppp21303#pid#2547. 'That you have brought great sin on me and on my kingdom' means that thereby the doctrine of faith and all matters of doctrine would be at risk. This is clear from the meaning of 'Abimelech', to whom the pronoun 'me' refers here, as the doctrine of faith, and from the meaning of 'kingdom' as the truth of doctrine or that which is a matter of doctrine. That 'a kingdom' in the internal sense means truths of doctrine, and in the contrary sense falsities of doctrine, is clear from the Word, as in Jeremiah,
He is the One who formed all things and the sceptre of His inheritance; Jehovah Zebaoth is His name. You are to me a hammer, weapons of war, and in You I will scatter the nations, and in You I will destroy the kingdoms. `Jeremiah 51bbb19-20`.
This refers to the Lord who, it is clear, is not going to scatter nations or destroy kingdoms but to do so to things meant by nations and kingdoms, namely evils and falsities of doctrine.
ttt[2] In Ezekiel,
Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the nations to where they have gone away, and will gather them from all around, and bring them into their own land; I will make them into one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one King will be King to them all, and they will no longer be two nations, nor will they be divided any longer into two kingdoms. `Ezekiel 37bbb21-22`.
'Israel' stands for the spiritual Church, 'nation' for the good of that Church, that is, of doctrine, for by 'nations' goods are meant, see `@@@1259`, `@@@1260`, `@@@1416`, `@@@1849`. 'Kingdom' stands for the truths of that Church. The fact that 'nations' and 'kingdoms' here mean something different from nations and kingdoms is quite evident, for the children of Israel, or the Israelites, are spoken of as being gathered together and brought into the land when in fact they were dispersed among the gentile nations and became such themselves.
ttt[3] In Isaiah,
I will confound Egypt with Egypt, and they will fight, every one against his brother, and every one against his companion, city against city, kingdom against kingdom. `Isaiah 19bbb2`.
Here 'Egypt' stands for the reasonings based on facts concerning the truths of faith, `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1186`. 'City' stands for doctrine, in this case heretical doctrine, `@@@402`, `@@@2268`, `@@@2449`, 'kingdom' for falsity of doctrine. 'City against city and kingdom against kingdom' therefore stands for the fact that heresies and falsities will be in conflict with one another. The same is meant by the following words spoken by the Lord in reference to the close of the age, in Matthew,
Nation will be roused against nation and kingdom against kingdom. `Matthew 24bbb7`.
This stands for evils against evils, and falsities against falsities.
ttt[4] The things that Daniel prophesied about the four kingdoms, Chapter `Daniel ccc2bbb37-46`; `Daniel 7bbb17`-end; and about the kingdoms of Media and Persia, Chapter `Daniel ccc8bbb20`-end; and about the kingdoms of the king of the south and the king of the north in Chapter `Genesis ccc11bbb0`; and the things that John too prophesied in the Book of Revelation about kings and kingdoms, have no other meaning. Those kingdoms are used solely to mean states of the Church as regards truths and falsities. The conditions of monarchs and of earthly kingdoms in the sense of the letter are in the internal sense states of the Church and of the Lord's kingdom. In the internal sense nothing else occurs there than spiritual and celestial things, for regarded in itself the Word of the Lord is purely spiritual and celestial; but so that it may be read and understood by man, no matter who, ideas of the things which belong to heaven are conveyed by means of such things as exist on earth.
ppp21302#pid#2548. 'Deeds which ought not to have been done you have done to me' means horror. This is clear from the emotion within these words, as well as from the train of thought, namely that He felt aversion, `@@@2543`, also that from a strong feeling He reproved Himself, `@@@2546`, and now here that He felt horror.
ppp21301#pid#2549. Verses `Genesis 20bbbccc10-11` And Abimelech said to Abraham, What did you see, that you have done this thing? And Abraham said, Because I said, Surely there is no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me on account of my wife.
'Abimelech said to Abraham' means further thought from the doctrine of faith. 'What did you see, that you have done this thing?' means a looking into the cause. 'Abraham said' means a perception, which constituted a reply. 'Because I said, Surely there is no fear of God in this place' means the thought derived from this that men would have no respect for spiritual truth in that state in which they were then. 'And they will kill me on account of my wife' means that this being so celestial things of faith would perish also if they were to think that spiritual truth alone could be joined to celestial good.
ppp21300#pid#2550. 'Abimelech said to Abraham' means further thought from the doctrine of faith. This is clear from what has been stated above in `@@@2545`, where almost the same words occur. This being a second statement of these words, it means further thought, and indeed regarding the cause. For what thought from the doctrine of faith is, see the same paragraph.
ppp21299#pid#2551. 'What did you see, that you have done this thing?' means a looking into the cause. This is evident without explanation, as well as from what follows where the cause is stated. The reason ideas of how the Lord perceived and thought regarding the doctrine of faith, and regarding the rational, whether it should be consulted, are presented in that particular order in the internal sense is that it is angel-like to think about them in such a sequence. The internal sense of the Word exists in particular for angels, and has accordingly been rendered suitable to their perceptions and thoughts. For them these are experiences of delight, indeed of bliss and of happiness, when they are thinking about the Lord, about His Divinity and His Humanity, and about how the latter was made Divine. For when thinking about these they are encompassed by a celestial and spiritual sphere which is filled with the Lord, so that it may be said of them that they are in the Lord. Consequently nothing is more blissful and happy for them than to think in accordance with those things which belong to that sphere and to the affection resulting from this. What is more, they are at the same time instructed and perfected, in particular in the matter of how as He grew up the Lord by degrees and from His own power made Divine the human into which He had been born, and thus how, by means of knowledge and cognitions which He revealed to Himself, He perfected His rational, gradually dispelled its shadows, and brought it into Divine light. When the Word is being read, these and countless other realities are presented to angels in a celestial and spiritual fashion, together with thousands and thousands of representatives in the light of life. But these matters which to angels are so precious are to men of little importance since they are above and beyond them and so are lost in the darkened parts of their understanding. Conversely those which are precious to men, such as hold worldly matters within them, are to angels of little importance since they are beneath their state of existence and so are lost in the darkened parts of their wisdom. Thus, wondrous to tell, the very things which enter the darkened parts of man's mind, and almost into his contempt, pass into the light angels enjoy and into their affection, as do many things which belong to the internal sense of the Word.
ppp21298#pid#2552. 'Abraham said' means a perception, which constituted a reply. This is clear from the meaning in historical narratives of the Word of 'saying', dealt with many times already, as in `@@@1791`, `@@@1815`, `@@@1819`, `@@@1822`, `@@@1898`, `@@@1919`, `@@@2061`, `@@@2080`, `@@@2238`, `@@@2260`, `@@@2271`, `@@@2287`. As regards the Lord's thought from the doctrine of faith being meant by the expression 'Abimelech said to Abraham' but a perception which constituted a reply, by the expression 'Abraham said', the position is that perception is something higher, which in the Lord's case was from the Divine itself, whereas thought is something lower, which in the Lord's case was from the understanding itself. And because it was perception from which His thought sprang, so was the reply possessed by His thought derived from perception. This may be illustrated by means of something similar with man. The celestial man is unable to think except from perception, and the spiritual is unable to do so except from conscience, `@@@2515`. The perception of the celestial man, like the conscience [of the spiritual], originates in the Lord, though to the individual himself it is not apparent where it comes from; but his thought springs from the rational and seems to him to originate in himself. Thus again when he thinks about any matter from the rational the conclusion within his thought, or the reply, comes either from perception or from conscience. Consequently any reply which he receives from the Lord is conditioned by his own state of life, by his affection, and by the truth of doctrine implanted or imprinted in conformity with these.
ppp21297#pid#2553. 'Because I said, Surely there is no fear of God in this place' means the thought derived from this that men would have no respect for spiritual truth in that state in which they were then. This is clear from the meaning of 'the fear of God' as respect for Divine, or spiritual, truth, and from the meaning of 'a place' as a state, dealt with in `@@@1273-1275`, `@@@1377`. Involved here is the fact that man is unable to grasp any doctrine which is purely spiritual and celestial, that which is Divine, because it goes infinitely above and beyond his grasp of things, and so also above the range of his belief. All thoughts which man has are confined within natural things experienced by his senses, and anything that is said which does not draw on and does not fit in with those natural things is not comprehended but perishes, like sight gazing into some ocean or universe without any object there on which it may focus. Consequently if matters of doctrine were presented to man in any other manner, they would not be received at all, and so he would have no respect for them. This may become quite clear from each detail in the Word. There purely Divine things are for the same reason presented as natural, indeed sensory ones, such as that Jehovah has ears, eyes, and a face, has affections as man does, anger, and many more things.
ttt[2] This was still more the case with men when the Lord came into the world. At that time they did not even have any knowledge of what the celestial or the spiritual was, nor even of anything internal. Wholly earthly and worldly, and thus external things possessed every thought in their minds, even the minds of the apostles themselves who supposed that the Lord's kingdom would be like a worldly kingdom. For that reason these asked to sit one on His right hand and the other on the left and for a long while imagined they were going to sit on twelve thrones and to judge the twelve tribes of Israel, still unaware of the fact that in the next life they would not have the power to judge even the least detail of any one individual's affairs, `@@@2129` (end). His looking into this state of the human race was the reason why the Lord at first thought about whether the rational ought to be consulted in the doctrine of faith. In this He was moved by a love which was that the salvation of all might be taken care of and that the Word should not perish.
ppp21296#pid#2554. 'They will kill me on account of my wife' means that this being so the celestial things of faith would perish also if they were to think that spiritual truth alone could be joined to celestial good. This is clear from the meaning of 'killing' as perishing, and from the meaning of 'a wife' as spiritual truth joined to celestial good, dealt with in `@@@2507`. This is a second reason why the Lord's thought was such - that Divine Good, called celestial good here, is united as by marriage to Divine Truth, called spiritual truth here, `@@@2508`. And although Divine Good is united in this manner to Divine Truth alone, it nevertheless flows into lower truths and joins itself to them, but not as by marriage; for it flows into rational truths, which are merely appearances of truth, and joins itself to them. Indeed it flows as well into factual and sensory truths which are little more than illusions and joins itself to these. If it did not do so no one at all could possibly have been saved. For these matters, see Volume One, in `@@@1831`, `@@@1832`. To enable Divine Good to be joined to rational truths and to factual and sensory truths, and so to enable a person to be saved, was another reason for the Lord's Coming into the world, for unless the Lord's Human had been made Divine, Divine Good could not possibly be joined to those truths. But through Him they are so joined.
ttt[2] In addition to this arcanum, there are many other arcana within these words, 'They will kill me on account of my wife', which mean that such being so the celestial things of faith would perish if men were to think that spiritual truth alone could be joined to celestial good. One arcanum within them is that when people had no respect for spiritual truth, celestial good would thereby perish, for once spiritual truth is rejected celestial good perishes. Another arcanum is that unless it had been declared that they were to worship the Father - though there is no other way to Him except through the Son, and 'he who sees the Son sees the Father', `John 14bbb8-12` - it would not have been accepted. And there are other arcana in them besides these.
ppp21295#pid#2555. Verses `Genesis 20bbbccc12-13` And also she is truly my sister, my father's daughter but not my mother's daughter; and she became my wife. And it happened, when God caused`fff1` me to depart from my father's house, that I said to her, This is your kindness which you may do for me: at every place we come to, say for me, He is my brother.
'And also she is truly my sister' means that rational truth possessed such a relationship. 'My father's daughter but not my mother's daughter' means that the rational was conceived from celestial good as the father but not from spiritual truth as the mother. 'And she became my wife' means that spiritual truth was joined to the celestial, with rationality serving as the means. 'And it happened, when God caused me to depart from my father's house' means when He left behind factual knowledge and the appearances that arise from this, together with their delights, meant here by 'father's house'. 'That I said to her' means the thought at that time. 'This is your kindness which you may do for me' means that consequently He would at that time have this comfort. 'At every place we come to' means all things which after that He would deduce regarding rational truth. 'Say for me, He is my brother' means that it should be said that rational truth had been joined to celestial good.
`nnn1. This verb is plural; see `@@@2559`.
ppp21294#pid#2556. 'Also she is truly my sister' means that rational truth possessed such a relationship. This is clear from the representation of 'Sarah when a sister' as rational truth, dealt with in `@@@2508`, and also from what follows next where the subject is the birth of the rational and its consequent relationship. In general it should be kept in mind that all things which exist with a truly rational, that is, regenerate, person - all that constitutes his affections, his perceptions, and his thoughts - are interconnected as in blood-relationships and relationships by marriage; for those things have been arranged in such a way that they mutually regard one another as families do which make up one house, and this in a most clear and distinct manner. Consequently when they reappear they do so in accordance with the relationships in which they exist. This ordered relationship with one another they receive from heaven - that is, from the Lord by way of heaven - flowing into them. With a person who is truly rational, that is, regenerate, everything has been arranged into order such as exists in heaven; and this ordered arrangement of everything within him comes as a result of heaven flowing into him. From that ordered arrangement within him a person possesses a power of thought, deduction, judgement, and reflection, which is so marvellous that it surpasses all human knowledge and wisdom, infinitely surpassing the conclusions which by analysis human effort draws from these sources. The reason these facts have not been known up to now is that people have not believed that all the things which constitute their affections, perceptions, and thoughts flow in - evil ones from hell, decent ones from heaven. Thus these have a connection with the things that are outside of them; yet the fact of the matter is that man, as regards his spirit, is joined to those outside of him in such a way that if he were deprived of that connection he would not remain alive for a single instant. This may also be recognized from the consideration that anything unconnected cannot possibly exist, and that anything unconnected perishes in an instant.
ppp21293#pid#2557. 'My father's daughter but not my mother's daughter' means that the rational was conceived from celestial good as the father but not from spiritual truth as the mother. This becomes clear from the conception of the rational, that is to say, it comes into being through an influx of Divine celestial good into the affection for factual knowledge, dealt with in `@@@1895`, `@@@1902`, `@@@1910`. Two arcana are present here, the first being that man's rational is conceived from Divine celestial good as the father, and that there is no other way in which any rational may come into being; and the second, that the rational is not conceived from spiritual truth as the mother. As regards the first arcanum - that man's rational is conceived from Divine celestial good as the father, and that there is no other way in which any rational comes into being - this may become clear from what has been stated already in `@@@1895`, `@@@1902`, `@@@1910`, as well as from what anybody may know if he reflects.
ttt[2] For it is well known that man is born without any knowledge and without any actual rationality, and with only the ability to acquire these; also that after he is born he learns and absorbs all things gradually, chiefly by means of sensory impressions received through hearing and sight; and as he learns and absorbs them so he becomes rational. The fact that these things are accomplished by way of the body, which is an external way, because they are accomplished through hearing and sight, is self-evident. But the thing man does not know, because he does not reflect on the matter, is that something is flowing in constantly from within which receives those things that thus enter in and are implanted through hearing and sight, and arranges them into order. That which flows in, receives, and arranges them is Divine celestial good, which comes from the Lord. This is the source of the life of those things, the source of their order, and the source of all the separate relationships among them, as has been stated. From all this it may become clear that man's rational springs from Divine celestial good as the father, in accordance with the words in this verse, 'she is my father's daughter'.
ttt[3] As regards the second arcanum - that the rational is not conceived from spiritual truth as the mother - this becomes clear from what has been stated in `@@@1902`. For if spiritual truth were to flow in from within, as good does, man would be born with total rationality and at the same time with complete knowledge, so that he would have no need to learn anything. But since man is such that because of his heredity he is under the influence of every evil and consequently of every falsity, so that if truths themselves also were to flow in he would adulterate them and falsify them and in so doing would perish for ever, the Lord has provided against any truth at all flowing in by way of man's internal being, only by way of his external. From this it becomes clear that man's rational does not spring from spiritual truth as the mother, in accordance with the words in this verse, 'but not my mother's daughter'. It pleased the Lord that His own Rational as well should be formed according to the same order, to the end that by His own power He might make Divine all things with Him that were Human, and might implant Divine spiritual Truth in, and unite it to, Divine celestial Good, and implant Divine celestial Good in, and unite it to, Divine spiritual Truth.
ppp21292#pid#2558. 'She became my wife' means that spiritual truth was joined to the celestial, with rationality serving as the means. This is clear from the representation of 'Sarah' when Abraham's 'wife' as spiritual truth joined to celestial good, dealt with in `@@@2507`, and from the representation of the same character when 'a sister' as rational truth, dealt with in `@@@2508`. Consequently the statement that from being 'a sister' she became 'a wife' means that spiritual truth was joined to the celestial, with rationality serving as the means. What is implied in all this becomes clear from what has been stated immediately above in `@@@2557`.
ppp21291#pid#2559. 'It happened, when God caused me to depart from my father's house' means when He left behind factual knowledge and the appearances that arise from this, together with their delights, meant here by 'father's house'. This is clear from the meaning of 'departing' as leaving behind, and from the meaning of 'house' as good, `@@@2233`, here the good that consists in the delight received from the appearances that go with factual knowledge and rational concepts, for all delight appears as good. The reason 'father's house' here means the delights received from factual knowledge and rational concepts, and therefore from the appearances that go with these, is that they are spoken of in reference to Abraham when he departed from his father's house, for at that time, together with his father's house, Abraham worshipped other gods; see `@@@1356`, `@@@1992`. This explains why the verb in the clause God caused me to depart is plural. This clause, as is also in keeping with the original language, could be rendered, the gods caused me to wander, but because the Lord is represented by Abraham it must be rendered, 'God caused me to depart'. Now it is because the factual knowledge that existed initially with the Lord, and also the rational concepts formed from that knowledge, were human - steeped as they were in what had been inherited from the mother - and so were not purely Divine, that they are represented by 'Abraham's' first state. But how far representations go, see `@@@665`, `@@@1097` (end), `@@@1361`, `@@@1992`.
ppp21290#pid#2560. 'That I said to her' means the thought at that time. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as thinking, dealt with several times already.
ppp21289#pid#2561. 'This is your kindness which you may do for me' means that consequently He would at that time have this comfort. This becomes clear from what comes before and after this, and so without further explanation.
ppp21288#pid#2562. 'At every place we come to' means all things which after that He would deduce regarding rational truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'place' as state, dealt with in `@@@1273-1275`, `@@@1377`. The state of the thing which is the subject here is a state of deduction regarding rational truth - that it should be said that rational truth was joined to celestial good, as follows.
ppp21287#pid#2563. 'Say for me, He is my brother' means that it should be said that rational truth had been joined to celestial good. This becomes clear from what appears above in `@@@2524`, where almost the same words occur.
ppp21286#pid#2564. Verse `Genesis 20bbbccc14` And Abimelech took flocks and herds, and men servants and women servants, and gave to Abraham; and he restored to him Sarah his wife.
'Abimelech took' means that the doctrine of faith....'Flocks and herds' means, having been enriched with rational goods and natural goods...... 'And men servants and women servants' means, and also with rational truths and natural truths, as well as with affections for these...... 'And gave to Abraham' means, imparted these to the Lord.... 'And he restored to him Sarah his wife' means, when the Divine spiritual had been joined to the celestial.
ppp21285#pid#2565. 'Abimelech took' means that the doctrine of faith.... This is clear from the meaning of 'Abimelech' as the doctrine of faith, dealt with in `@@@2504`, `@@@2509`, `@@@2510`.
ppp21284#pid#2566. 'Flocks and herds' means, enriched with rational goods and natural goods.... This is clear from the meaning of 'flocks and herds'. The word 'flock' is used of those inside the Church who are truly rational, that is, who are internal people; and from this 'flock' also means - abstractedly - rational or internal goods themselves. Regarding the meaning of 'a flock', see `@@@343`, `@@@415`, `@@@1565`. The word 'herd' however is used of those inside the Church who are natural, that is, who are external people; and from this too 'herd' means - abstractedly - natural or external goods themselves. Regarding this meaning of 'herd', see `@@@2180`. It has been shown that 'beasts' has these meanings in `@@@45`, `@@@46`, `@@@142`, `@@@143`, `@@@246`, `@@@714`, `@@@715`, `@@@776`, `@@@1823`, `@@@2179`. 'Abimelech took and gave' means that the doctrine of faith was enriched, for, as has been stated, 'Abimelech' means the doctrine of faith.
ppp21283#pid#2567. 'And men servants and women servants' means, and also with rational truths and natural truths, as well as with affections for these...... This is clear from the meaning of 'men servants and women servants'. Men servants and women servants are mentioned in various places in the Word, and in the internal sense they mean those things which are relatively lower or baser, as rational and natural things are in comparison with spiritual and celestial. By natural truths are meant facts of every kind, since these are natural. That men servants and women servants have this meaning in the Word is evident from the internal sense of these words where they are used, as in Isaiah,
Jehovah will have compassion on Jacob, and will still choose Israel, and will set them on their own ground, and the sojourner will attach himself to them, and they will join themselves to the house of Jacob. And the peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will inherit them on Jehovah's ground as men servants and women servants. `Isaiah 14bbb1-2`.
ttt[2] Here 'Jacob' stands for the external Church, 'Israel' for the internal, 'sojourners' for people who receive instruction in truths and goods, `@@@1463`, `@@@2025`. 'Men servants and women servants' stands for natural truths and rational truths, together with the affections for them, which are to be of service to the Church meant by Jacob and Israel. The fact that Jacob and Israel, or Jews and Israelites, were not meant here, is quite evident, for once they had been dispersed among the gentiles the Israelites became gentiles. Yet the Jews still cherish and await an even literal fulfilment of this prophecy - that sojourners will attach themselves to them, and after that peoples will bring them [to their place] and will become their men servants and women servants. But in fact where reference is made in the prophetical parts of the Word to Jews and Israelites, not even the least thing is meant in regard to these, as must also be plain to the Jews themselves from the fact that in various places it is said equally of Israel as of Judah that they were to be led back.
ttt[3] In the same prophet,
Behold, Jehovah is emptying the earth and making it desolate, and He will disfigure the face of it and will cause its inhabitants to scatter. And it will be, as with the people so with the priest, as with the man servant so with his master, as with the woman servant so with her mistress. `Isaiah 24bbb1-2`.
Here 'the earth' stands for the Church, `@@@662`, `@@@1066`, `@@@1067`, `@@@1850`, which is 'emptied and made desolate, and its face disfigured and inhabitants scattered', when interior truths and goods, meant by 'priest and people', and when exterior truths and goods, meant by 'man servant and woman servant', are no more, which comes about when external things have dominion over internal.
ttt[4] In the same prophet,
I will bring forth seed from Jacob, and from Judah the heir of My mountains, and My chosen ones will possess it, and My servants will dwell there. `Isaiah 65bbb9`.
Here 'Jacob' stands for the external Church, 'Judah' for the internal celestial Church, 'chosen ones' for its goods, and 'servants' for its truths.
ttt[5] In Joel,
I will pour out My spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Even on your men servants and women servants in those days I will pour out My spirit. `Joel 2bbb28-29`.
The subject here is the Lord's kingdom. 'Prophesying' stands for teaching, `@@@2534`, 'sons' for truths themselves, `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@533`, `@@@1147`, 'daughters' for goods themselves, `@@@489-491`. 'Men servants and women servants' stands for lower truths and goods on which it is said that the spirit is to be 'poured out' when these serve to support and strengthen. That such things are meant here and elsewhere by 'men servants and women servants' is not too apparent, both because of the common idea which one has of men servants and women servants, and because of this being a prophecy of some seemingly historical event.
ttt[6] In John,
I saw an angel standing in the sun, who called out with a loud voice saying to all the birds flying in mid-heaven, You may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses and those seated on them, and the flesh of all, free men and slaves, both small and great. `Revelation 19bbb17-18`.
Here it is quite plain that not the flesh of kings, captains, mighty men, horses, those seated on these, free men and slaves, which they were to eat, is meant but internal and external truths of the Church which became 'flesh' for them.
ttt[7] That 'men servants' means truths and 'women servants' goods which were subservient to and so serve spiritual and celestial truths and goods is quite clear from the laws laid down in the representative Church which had to do with men servants and woman servants. All these laws have regard to the state of the Church and of the Lord's kingdom in general and in particular, and to the way in which lower truths and goods, which are natural and rational, have to serve those that are spiritual and celestial, and thus those that are Divine, such as the following,
The Hebrew male slave and the Hebrew female slave`fff1` was to be free in the seventh year and at that time was to receive gifts from the flock, the threshing-floor, and the winepress. `Exodus 21bbb2-6`; `Deuteronomy 15bbb12-15`; `Jeremiah 34bbb9-14`.
A wife was to go free if she had entered into bondage together with her husband; but if the master had provided him with the wife, the wife and children were to be the master's. `Exodus 21bbb3-4`.
A poor brother who had been bought was not to serve as a slave but as a hired servant and an alien; and in the jubilee year he was to go out together with his children. `Leviticus 25bbb39-43`.
If a brother were bought by an alien sojourner he could be redeemed and leave in the jubilee year. `Leviticus 25bbb47` and following verses.
Male and female slaves bought from nations round about, and from alien sojourners, were to be their possession for evermore, whom they might subject to their absolute command, but not the children of Israel. `Leviticus 25bbb44-46`.
If a slave did not wish to be emancipated, he was to have his ear pierced with an awl at the door, and he was a slave for evermore. The same applied to a female slave if she did not wish to be released. `Exodus 21bbb6`; `Deuteronomy 15bbb16-17`.
If someone beat his own male slave or female slave with a rod, so that he died, that slave was to be avenged. But if he survived a day or two, he was to be free; for he himself was his money. `Exodus 21bbb20-21`.
If he struck the slave's eye or tooth [and destroyed it], he was to go free. `Exodus 21bbb26-27`.
If an ox gored a male slave or a female slave so that he died, [the owner] was to weigh out thirty pieces of silver for the master, and the ox was to be stoned. `Exodus 21bbb32`.
A slave who had escaped from his master was not to be placed under arrest but was to live in a place of his own choice and not be oppressed. `Deuteronomy 23bbb15-16`. A slave who had been bought with silver and who had been circumcised was to eat the Passover. `Exodus 12bbb44`, `Exodus 12bbbccc45`.
Anyone's daughter who had been bought was not to leave her bondage as male slaves did. If she was bad the master was not to sell her to a foreigner. If she was betrothed to his son she was to be treated as a daughter. If that son married another he was not to reduce her food, clothing, and marital rights. If he did not honour these requirements she was to leave her bondage without making any payment. `Exodus 21bbb7-11`.
ttt[8] All these laws owe their existence to laws in heaven, which are laws to do with what is good and true. They also have regard in the internal sense to these laws in heaven, but they do so partly through correspondences, partly through representatives, and partly through meaningful signs. But when the representatives and the meaningful signs of that Church, which were the most external and lowest things of worship, were done away with, so also did the necessity for such laws come to an end. If therefore these laws which are derived from the laws of order to do with what is good and true, and from representatives and meaningful signs, were to be opened up [to reveal their inner reality], it would be evident that 'male slaves' means nothing else than truths of a rational and factual kind, which are lower truths and therefore ought to serve spiritual truths, and that 'female slaves' means accompanying goods which because they too are lower ought indeed to serve, though in a different way. This explains why certain laws laid down concerning female slaves or servants differed from those laid down concerning male ones. For regarded in themselves truths are servants much more than their accompanying goods.
ttt[9] 'The royal right' referred to in Samuel means nothing else in the internal sense than the right of truth, and also the right of falsity when it starts to have dominion over truth and over good, as becomes clear from the explanation of the words describing it,
This will be the king's right who will reign over you - he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots, and to his horsemen, and they will run before his chariots; he will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers; he will take your male slaves and your female slaves, and your best young men, and your asses, and will put them to do his work; he will take a tenth of your flock; and at length you yourselves will be made into slaves. And you will cry out on that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but Jehovah will not answer you on that day. `1 Samuel 8bbb11`, `1 Samuel 8bbbccc13`, `1 Samuel 8bbbccc16-18`.
'A king' means truth, see `@@@1672`, `@@@2015`, `@@@2069`, and so in the contrary sense what are not truths, that is, falsities. The sons whom he would appoint to his chariots and to his horsemen mean truths of doctrine that would be subservient to false assumptions, which are meant by 'chariots and horsemen'. The daughters whom he would take to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers mean the goods of doctrine by which the falsities would be made pleasing and acceptable. The male slaves and female slaves, the young men, and the asses whom 'he will put to do his work' mean rational concepts and factual knowledge by means of which those falsities will be made stronger. 'The flock of which he will take a tenth' means remnants of good to which he will do violence. And the statement that they would be made into slaves means that instead of having dominion the celestial and spiritual things of the Word and of doctrine will be subservient so as to confirm the falsities within his assumptions and the evils within his desires. For nothing exists which cannot be introduced into false assumptions so as to confirm them, either by false application, or by a wrong interpretation, or by perversion, or by rejection of things which do not support those assumptions. It is for this reason that the words are added, 'If you cry out on that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, Jehovah will not answer you on that day'.
`nnn1. In this paragraph man servant and male slave translate the same word (servus), and woman servant and female slave likewise translate the same word (ancilla).
ppp21282#pid#2568. It was stated above in this chapter that doctrine would be brought to ruin if the rational were consulted, `@@@2516`, `@@@2538`, and that it was not consulted, `@@@2519`, `@@@2531`; but here it is said that the doctrine of faith was enriched with both rational and natural goods and truths. At first glance these statements seem to express two conflicting and contrary ideas, but they do not in fact do so. It has been told how it was with the Lord, now it must be told how it is with man.
ttt[2] With man it is one thing for him to regard the doctrine of faith from rational ideas but quite another to regard rational ideas from the doctrine of faith. Regarding the doctrine of faith from rational ideas occurs when someone does not believe in the Word, that is, in doctrine drawn from it, until he is persuaded on rational grounds that the thing is so. But regarding rational ideas from the doctrine of faith occurs when someone first of all believes in the Word or doctrine drawn from it and then confirms the same by rational ideas. The first approach is an inversion of order and leads to belief in nothing, whereas the second is genuine order and leads to greater belief. It is the first that is expressed by 'you will die on account of the woman', meaning that the doctrine of faith would be brought to ruin if the rational were consulted, `@@@2516`, `@@@2538`, but the second by 'Abimelech gave flocks and herds, and men servants and women servants', meaning that the doctrine of faith was enriched with rational and natural goods and truths.
ttt[3] These matters receive considerable treatment in the Word in its internal sense, especially when Asshur and Egypt are referred to, the reason being that when the doctrine of faith is regarded from rational ideas, that is, when someone does not believe until he is persuaded on rational grounds that the thing is so, it is not only in that case brought to ruin but also whatever is contained within it is denied. But when rational ideas are regarded from the doctrine of faith, that is, when he believes the Word and after that confirms the same things by means of rational ideas, doctrine is in that case living and whatever is contained within it is regarded affirmatively.
ttt[4] There are therefore two basic attitudes of mind, the first leading to utter stupidity and insanity, the second to perfect intelligence and wisdom. The first occurs when someone denies everything, that is, says in his heart that he is unable to believe those things until he is convinced by things which he can grasp in his mind and perceive with his senses. This is an attitude which leads to utter stupidity and insanity and must be termed the negative attitude. The second occurs when someone regards affirmatively the things which comprise doctrine drawn from the Word, that is, when he thinks within himself and believes that those things are true because the Lord has spoken them. This is an attitude that leads to perfect intelligence and wisdom, and must be termed the affirmative attitude.
ttt[5] The more those who think from the negative attitude consult rational ideas and the more they consult factual knowledge and the more they consult philosophical concepts, the more they pitch themselves headlong into darkness, till at length they deny everything. The reasons for this are that nobody is able from things that are lower to grasp with his mind those that are higher, that is, from those that are lower to grasp those that are spiritual and celestial, still less those that are Divine, since these go above and beyond his entire understanding. And what is more, when this is the case everything is regarded from a basically negative attitude of mind. On the other hand, however, people who think from the affirmative attitude are able to confirm themselves by whatever rational ideas, and by whatever factual knowledge, indeed by any philosophical concepts, which they are able in any way to make use of, for to them all these matters are confirmatory and enable them to have a fuller idea of the matter.
ttt[6] In addition there are those who are in doubt before they deny, and there are those who are in doubt before they accept affirmatively. Those in doubt before denying are people who are disposed towards a life of evil; and when carried away by that life, then insofar as they think about those matters they deny them. Those however in doubt before accepting affirmatively are people who are disposed towards a life of good; and when they allow themselves to be turned to that life by the Lord, then insofar as they think about those matters they accept them affirmatively. Since this subject is taken further in the verses that follow this, let them in the Lord's Divine mercy be illustrated more fully at that point; see `@@@2588`.
ppp21281#pid#2569. 'And gave to Abraham' means, imparted these to the Lord...... This is clear from the representation of 'Abraham' as the Lord, dealt with many times already, while '....and he restored to him Sarah his wife' means.... when the Divine spiritual had been joined to the Divine celestial is clear from the meaning of 'Sarah his wife' as spiritual truth joined to celestial good, dealt with in `@@@2507`. The internal sense of the words in this verse is evident from what has been stated, namely that when the Human within Him had been united to the Divine, and the Divine to the Human, the Lord had complete knowledge not only of Divine celestial and spiritual things, but also of infra-celestial and infra-spiritual, that is, of rational and natural things. For from the Divine, as from the Source of all light, all things are seen as existing in the present moment.
ppp21280#pid#2570. Verse `Genesis 20bbbccc15` And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before you. Dwell in that which is good in your eyes.
'Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before you' means the Lord's perception regarding the doctrine of love and charity. 'Dwell in that which is good in your eyes' means His Being, present in everything where good exists.
ppp21279#pid#2571. 'Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before you' means the Lord's perception regarding the doctrine of love and charity. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as thinking, dealt with in `@@@2506`, and from the meaning of 'land' here as the doctrine of love and charity. 'Land' or 'earth' has various meanings in the internal sense, `@@@620`, `@@@636`, `@@@1066`, but what is meant in a specific instance is clear from the train of thought. For 'land' or 'earth' means the external member of the Church when 'the sky' or 'heaven' means the internal, `@@@82`, `@@@913`, `@@@1411`, `@@@1733`; it also means the region where the Church is, `@@@662`, `@@@1066`; it means the Church itself, and also in the universal sense the Lord's kingdom in heaven and on earth, since 'the land of Canaan' or 'the holy land' was representative of that kingdom, `@@@1437`, `@@@1585`, `@@@1607`. The same was also meant by 'a new heaven and a new earth', `@@@1733`, `@@@1850`, `@@@2117`, `@@@2118`. And because 'land' or 'earth' means the member of the Church, the Church, and the Lord's kingdom, it also means that which is the essential component of these, namely love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour, for it is on these that they all depend, `@@@537`, `@@@540`, `@@@547`, `@@@553`, `@@@2130`. Consequently 'land' or 'earth' means the doctrine of love and charity which belongs to the Church, and to which here 'the land of Abimelech' refers. For 'Abimelech as a king' means the doctrine of faith, as has been shown, while his land, from which he sprang and in which he dwelt, means the doctrine of love and charity, from which faith springs and in which faith dwells.
ttt[2] The reason why up to this point the Lord's thought had been concerned with the doctrine of faith but was now concerned with the doctrine of love and charity is that the Lord joined the Human to the Divine by means of truths which are matters of faith, yet at the same time by means of Divine Goods which are matters of love that were present within those truths. This He did according to the order by which also man becomes spiritual and celestial but not Divine so as to have life in himself, in the way that the Lord became so. But when the marriage had taken place in the Lord of Divine Truth to Good, and of Good to Truth, which is meant by the words 'Abimelech restored to Abraham Sarah his wife', `@@@2569`, His thought was now concerned with the doctrine of love and charity, and this also was according to order; for once man has become spiritual and celestial he no longer thinks from truth but from good, yet not as the Lord did - from Divine Good united to Divine Truth. This is the reason why the doctrine of love and charity is only now mentioned for the first time, even though the doctrine of faith regarded in itself is the same, and the Lord's perception and thought always sprang from Divine love within every thing of faith. Hence it is that the doctrine of love and charity is Divine doctrine itself, and was the doctrine which was cultivated in the Most Ancient Churches. And because that doctrine made one with the doctrine of faith, they rejected people who separated these; see `@@@2417`.
ppp21278#pid#2572. 'Dwell in that which is good in your eyes' means His Being, present in everything where good exists, and in the proximate sense His Being, present in the good of doctrine. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'the eyes' as the understanding part of the mind, which is the recipient of doctrine, and from the meaning of 'dwelling' as living, `@@@1293`, here as Being (Esse) because what is said has reference to the Lord. This Being (Esse), present in everything where good exists, is the essential being within a complete knowledge of all Divine, celestial, spiritual, rational, and natural things. And the reason for this lies with Divine Love, for Divine Love holds within itself a complete knowledge of all those things, `@@@2500`.
ttt[2] What is more, there is the good of doctrine and there is the truth of doctrine. The good of doctrine is love and charity, the truth of doctrine is faith. People with whom the good of doctrine resides, that is, love and charity, have with them the truth of doctrine, that is, faith. But it is one thing for good, that is, love and charity, to exist with a person, quite another for the good of doctrine to do so. Young children with whom love towards parents and charity towards other young children exist are moved by good but not by the good of doctrine, nor consequently by the truth of doctrine, or faith. The people with whom the good of doctrine exists are those who have been regenerated by means of the truths of faith. To the extent that good resides with them truths reside with them; that is, to the extent that love and charity reside with them so does faith, and therefore wisdom and intelligence.
ttt[3] Because love to the Lord and mutual love resides with angels, so also does all truth and thus all wisdom and intelligence, not only in celestial and spiritual things but also in rational and natural. For by virtue of love, it being from the Lord, they are in touch with the very beginnings or sources of things, that is, with ends in view and causes. Seeing from beginnings, that is, from ends and causes, is seeing from heaven all things that are below, even those on earth. This is like - to use a comparison - someone in a watch-tower set on a high mountain. He is able to look around for many miles on the objects that are below, while those who are below, especially those down in a valley or in a forest, can hardly see the same number of paces away. So it is with those governed by the good of doctrine in comparison with those governed by the truth of doctrine separated from good. Although the latter imagine that they can see further than the former, they do not in fact see any good at all, nor any truth except very slightly and superficially, and even that is defiled by falsities.
ttt[4] Even so, the wisdom and intelligence of angels is finite, and in comparison with the Lord's Divine Wisdom most finite, amounting to hardly anything. This may be recognized from the fact that the infinite and the finite cannot be measured one against the other, and yet communication from the Divine omnipotence is possible; also from the fact that the Lord is Good itself and Love itself, and is therefore the Essential Being (Esse) of good and the Essential Being (Esse) of love which resides with angels, and so the Essential Being (Esse) of their wisdom and intelligence. From this it may also be evident that the Lord is present in heaven and on earth in everything where good exists. People who imagine that the Lord is present in truth separated from good are very much mistaken, for He is present solely in good and from this in truth, that is, in love and charity, and from these in faith.
ppp21277#pid#2573. Verse `Genesis 20bbbccc16` And to Sarah he said, Behold, I have given a thousand pieces of silver to your brother; behold, it is for you a covering of the eyes for all who are with you, and with all; and she was vindicated.
'And to Sarah he said' means perception from spiritual truth. 'Behold, I have given a thousand pieces of silver to your brother' means an infinite abundance of rational truth joined to celestial good. 'Behold, it is for you a covering of the eyes for all who are with you' means that rational truths are like a covering or garment for spiritual truths. 'And with all' means that so also are the truths descending from these. 'And she was vindicated' means that thus there was no blame attached and no harm done.
ppp21276#pid#2574. 'And to Sarah he said' means perception from spiritual truth. This is clear from the representation of 'Sarah when a wife' as Divine spiritual truth, dealt with in `@@@2507`, and of the same character when 'a sister' as rational truth, dealt with in `@@@2508`, and from the meaning of 'saying' as perceiving, dealt with in `@@@2506`. Here Sarah is addressed as 'a wife' and also as 'a sister' - as 'a wife' because she had been restored [to Abraham], `@@@2569`, as 'a sister' because it is said, 'I have given a thousand pieces of silver to your brother'. Also, in that what was said by Abimelech was perceived by Sarah in her wifely status, therefore 'saying to Sarah' means perceiving from spiritual truth.
ttt[2] These words, it is evident, embody deeper arcana than can be disclosed intelligibly. And if they were to be disclosed merely to a limited extent it would be necessary to explain many things first of all, which are as yet unknown, such as what spiritual truth is; what perception from spiritual truth is; the fact that the Lord alone has had perception from spiritual truth; the fact that just as the Lord implanted rational truth within rational good so He implanted spiritual truth within celestial good, and in so doing was constantly implanting the Human within the Divine in order that in every thing the marriage might exist of the Human with the Divine, and of the Divine with the Human. These things and many more must come first before the things within this verse can be presented intelligibly. Those things are primarily suited to the minds of angels which have the ability to understand them and for the sake of which minds the internal sense of the Word exists. To them these matters are represented in a heavenly manner; and by means of those matters and of the things within this chapter, an idea is instilled of how the Lord by degrees cast aside the human which He had from the mother until at length He was no longer her son (the fact that He did not acknowledge her as His mother is evident in `Matthew 12bbb46-49`; `Mark 3bbb31-35`; `Luke 8bbb20-21`; `John 2bbb4`) and also an idea of how by His own power He made the Human Divine until He was one with the Father, as He Himself teaches in `John 14bbb6`, `John 14bbbccc8-11`, and elsewhere.
ttt[3] By means of myriads of ideas and representations, all of which are beyond description, the Lord presents such matters to angels in clear light. The reason, as has been stated, is that these are suited to their minds, and when conscious of them they experience the bliss of intelligence and the happiness of wisdom. What is more, there are angels who, while they were men, formed ideas of the Lord's Human as they did of that of any other person. In order that these angels may exist together with celestial angels in the next life - for in that life ideas inspired by an affection for good join people together - such erroneous ideas as they have had about the Lord are dispelled by means of the internal sense, and in this way they are perfected. This shows how precious to angels those things are within the internal sense of the Word, though they may perhaps seem of small importance to man whose idea of such things is so obscure as to be scarcely any idea at all.
ppp21275#pid#2575. 'Behold, I have given a thousand pieces of silver to your brother' means an infinite abundance of rational truth joined to [celestial] good. This is clear from the meaning of 'a thousand' as much and countless, here, as infinite, or an infinite abundance, since the expression has reference to the Lord, a meaning dealt with below; from the meaning of 'silver' as rational truth, dealt with in `@@@1551`, `@@@2048`; and from the meaning of 'a brother' as celestial good joined to rational truth, like a brother to a sister, `@@@2524`, `@@@2557`. From this it is evident that 'I have given a thousand pieces of silver to your brother' means an infinite abundance of rational truth joined to [celestial] good. The reason this abundance was granted to good, meant by 'a brother', but not to truth, is that truth derives from good, not good from truth. Regarding that infinite abundance, see `@@@2572`.
ttt[2] That 'a thousand' in the Word means much and countless, and infinite when it has reference to the Lord, is evident from the following places: In Moses,
I, Jehovah your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the sons, on the third and on the fourth generations of those who hate Me; and showing mercy to thousands of those who love Me and keep My commandments. `Exodus 20bbb5-6`; `Exodus ccc34bbb7`; `Deuteronomy 5bbb9-10`.
And in Jeremiah,
Jehovah shows mercy to thousands and He repays the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their sons after them. `Jeremiah 32bbb18`.
In these two places 'thousands' does not mean a definite number but that which is infinite, for the Lord's mercy, being Divine, is infinite. In David,
The chariots of God are myriad on myriad, thousands on thousands;`fff1` the Lord is within them, Sinai within holiness. `Psalms 68bbb17`.
Here 'myriads' and 'thousands' stand for things that are countless.
ttt[3] In the same author,
A thousand will fall at your side, and a myriad at your right hand; it will not come near you. `Psalms 91bbb7`.
Here also 'a thousand' and 'a myriad' stand for things that are countless, and as it has reference to the Lord, who is meant by 'David' in the Psalms, those numbers stand for all who are His enemies. In the same author,
Our garners are full, yielding food and still more food; our flocks bring forth a thousand, and ten thousand in our streets. `Psalms 144bbb13`.
Here also 'a thousand', and 'ten thousand' or a myriad, stand for things that are countless. In the same author,
A thousand years in Your eyes are but as yesterday when it is past. `Psalms 90bbb4`.
'A thousand years' stands for that which is outside time, thus for eternity, which is infinity of time. In Isaiah,
One thousand at the rebuke of one, at the rebuke of five will you flee until you are left like a flagstaff on top of a mountain. `Isaiah 30bbb17`.
Here 'one thousand' or a chiliad stands for a large indefinite number, 'five' for few, `@@@649`. In Moses,
May Jehovah the God of your fathers add to you, as you are, a thousand times, and may He bless you. `Deuteronomy 1bbb11`.
Here 'a thousand times' stands for things that are countless, as in everyday speech in which also a thousand is an expression for many, as when one speaks of things being said thousands of times, or done in thousands of ways. Similarly in Joshua,
One man of you will chase a thousand, for Jehovah your God fights for you. `Joshua 23bbb10`.
ttt[4] Being a definite calculable number, the word 'thousand' when used in prophetical parts, especially when these are linked together as historical descriptions, appears to mean a thousand. But in fact it means people who are many or countless - an unspecified number. For historical descriptions are of such a nature that they restrict people's ideas to the most immediate and proper meanings that the words possess, as they also do with the names that occur there, when in fact numbers in the Word, like names also, mean real things, as may become clear from what has been shown already concerning numbers in `@@@482`, `@@@487`, `@@@575`, `@@@647`, `@@@648`, `@@@755`, `@@@813`, `@@@1963`, `@@@1988`, `@@@2075`, `@@@2252`. This explains why some people suppose that the thousand years referred to in `Revelation 20bbb1-7` means a thousand years or periods of time, for the reason, as has been stated, that prophecies are declared in that book through historical descriptions. But in fact 'a thousand years' there means nothing else than that which is large and indeterminate, and elsewhere infinity of time, or eternity.
`nnn1. literally, two myriads, thousands doubled.
ppp21274#pid#2576. 'Behold, it is for you a covering of the eyes for all who are with you' means that rational truths are like a covering or garment for spiritual truths. This is clear from the meaning of 'a covering', to be dealt with immediately below, and from the meaning of 'the eyes' as things of the understanding, as is evident from very many places in the Word, and also from the meaning of 'seeing' as understanding, `@@@2150`, `@@@2325`. Anyone may see that each detail in this verse holds arcana within it which cannot be brought to light except by some interior sense - such as the detail that it is said 'he gave a thousand pieces of silver to her brother' not 'to her husband'; or the details that it was 'a covering of the eyes', and that it was 'for her and all who were with her', also 'with all'; or the detail 'so she was vindicated'. Many historical inferences might indeed be drawn from the sense of the letter, but none of these would have anything spiritual in them, still less anything Divine. Such is the nature of the Word.
ttt[2] As regards rational truths being like a covering or garment for spiritual truths, the position is that the inmost parts of man's being belong to his soul, while the more exterior belong to his body. Man's inmost parts consist in goods and truths from which the soul has its life, or else the soul would not be a soul. Those which are more exterior however derive their life from the soul, and each one of them is like a body, or what amounts to the same, a covering or garment. This becomes clear in particular from the things that are seen in the next life, for example, from angels when these are presented to view. The interior parts of their beings shine from their faces, while the exterior are represented both in their bodies and in the clothes they are wearing, so completely that anyone there may recognize the character of those angels simply from the clothes they are wearing; for every angel consists of real substance and so is an essence given outward form. It is similar in the case of angels who have been seen and whose faces and clothing are described in the Word, such as those seen in the Lord's tomb, `Matthew 28bbb3`; `Mark 16bbb5`; and the twenty-four elders around the throne, `Revelation 4bbb4`; and others. Nor does this apply only to angels but also to everything else, even inanimate objects, mentioned in the Word. Their exteriors are a covering or garment as with the Ark of the Covenant and the tent surrounding it. 'The Ark' there, which was inmost, represented the Lord Himself, for the Testimony belonged there, while 'the tent' outside of it represented the Lord's kingdom. Every single one of 'the coverings' there, that is, the veils and screens, represented the exterior celestial and spiritual things within the Lord's kingdom, that is to say, within the three heavens. This becomes clear from the plan of it that was shown to Moses on Mount Sinai, `Exodus 25bbb9`; `Exodus ccc26bbb30`. It was this that gave it its holiness, not the gold and silver and the carvings that were in it.
ttt[3] Since the matter of rational truths being like a covering or garment to spiritual truths is being discussed here, and since in Moses a description of the Tent is given - of its coverings or of its screens, and also of its veils in front of places of entry - let an explanation be given, for the sake of illustration, of what specifically was meant by the veils. (But what was meant by the enveloping covers will in the Lord's Divine mercy be stated elsewhere.) The Tabernacle had three veils, the first, which made a division between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies; the second, which is called a screen serving as a door into the tent; the third, which is called a screen serving as a gate into the court.
ttt[4] The first of these, the veil itself, which was a screen in front of the Ark, is referred to in Moses,
You shall make a veil of violet and purple and twice-dyed scarlet and fine-twined linen. The work of a designer,`fff1` you shall make it with cherubs on it. And you shall hang it on four pillars of shittim, overlaid with gold, and their hooks shall be of gold; [they shall stand] on four bases of silver. And you shall hang the veil under the clasps. And you shall bring in, within the veil, the Ark of the Testimony, and the veil shall divide for you the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. `Exodus 26bbb31-34`; `Exodus ccc36bbb35-36`.
This veil represented the most immediate and inmost appearances of rational good and truth, which occur among the angels of the third heaven. These appearances are described by the violet, purple, twice-dyed scarlet, and fine-twined linen, the red of which represented the goods that belong to love, and the white its truths. Also, the gold and silver with which the pillars were overlaid, and of which the hooks and bases were made had a similar representation. As regards colours being representative, see `@@@1042`, `@@@1043`, `@@@1053`, `@@@1624`; and as regards 'gold' meaning the good of love, `@@@113`, `@@@1551`, `@@@1552`, and 'silver' truth, `@@@1551`, `@@@2048`.
ttt[5] This shows what is meant by the veil of the temple being torn in two, `Matthew 27bbb51`; `Mark 15bbb38`; `Luke 23bbb45` - namely that once all appearances had been dispelled the Lord entered into the Divine Itself, and at the same time He opened a means of access to the Divine Itself through His Human that had been made Divine.
ttt[6] The second veil, or screen serving as a door to the tent, is referred to in Moses as follows,
You shall make a screen for a door of the tent, of violet and purple and twice-dyed scarlet and fine-twined linen, the work of an embroiderer. And you shall make for the screen five pillars of shittim and overlay them with gold, and their hooks shall be of gold; and you shall cast for them five bases of bronze. `Exodus 26bbb36-37`; `Exodus ccc36bbb37-38`
This screen represented the appearances of good and truth which are lower and more exterior than those mentioned already; that is, they are the middle appearances that belong to the rational, which occur among the angels of the second heaven. The description given to these appearances is virtually the same, the difference being that this screen had five pillars and five bases, by which number is meant something relatively small, for these appearances are not so unified or heavenly as the appearances belonging to the inmost or third heaven. Regarding the number 'five' meaning that which is small, see `@@@649`, `@@@1686`. And because these appearances look to natural things, it was commanded that the bases should be cast of bronze; for bronze represented and meant natural good, `@@@425`, `@@@1551`.
ttt[7] The third veil, or screen serving as a gate into the court, is referred to in Moses as follows,
The screen for a gate of the court shall be twenty cubits [long], of violet and purple and twice-dyed scarlet and fine-twined linen, the work of an embroiderer; the pillars of it shall be four and the bases of these four. All the pillars of the surrounding court shall be fastened with silver; their hooks shall be of silver but their bases of bronze. `Exodus 27bbb16-17`; `Exodus ccc38bbb18-19`
This screen represented the still lower and more exterior appearances of good and truth, which are the lowest appearances belonging to the rational, and which occur among the angels of the first heaven. Because these appearances correspond to those that are more interior the description given to them is also much the same, the differences being that the pillars were not overlaid with gold but were fastened together with silver, while the hooks were made of silver - all of which mean rational truths such as have their origin immediately in factual knowledge - and the bases were made of bronze which mean natural goods. All these considerations show that there was nothing in the Tent which was not representative of the celestial and spiritual things of the Lord's kingdom; that is, they show that all those things were made so as to provide every type or imprint of the celestial and spiritual things that exist in the three heavens. And they also show that the coverings or screens meant things which, like a body or clothing, surround or are outside of that which is inmost.
ttt[8] In addition to all this, the fact that coverings, screens, and a garment or clothes mean relatively lower truths becomes clear from many places in the Word, as in Ezekiel,
Fine linen with embroidered work from Egypt was your sail, violet and purple from the islands of Elishah was your covering.`fff2` `Ezekiel 27bbb7`.
This refers to 'Tyre', which means interior cognitions of celestial and spiritual things, and therefore those who possess those cognitions, `@@@1201`. 'Embroidered work from Egypt' stands for factual knowledge - 'Egypt' meaning factual knowledge, `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1186`, `@@@1462`. 'Violet and purple from the islands of Elishah as a covering' stands for forms of ritual corresponding to internal worship, `@@@1156`.
ttt[9] In the same prophet,
All the princes of the sea will step down from upon their thrones, and will remove their robes and will strip off their embroidered clothes. They will clothe themselves with tremblings; they will sit on the ground. `Ezekiel 26bbb16`.
This too refers to 'Tyre'. 'Robes' and 'embroidered clothes' stand for cognitions formed out of factual knowledge, and so stand for lower truths.
ttt[10] In the same prophet,
I clothed you with embroidered cloth and shod you with badger, and I swathed you in fine linen and covered you with silk, and I adorned you with adornments and put bracelets on your hands and a chain on your neck. You took some of your garments and made for yourself gaily-decked high places and committed whoredom on them. You took your embroidered clothes and covered them. `Ezekiel 16bbb10-11`, `Ezekiel 16bbbccc16`, `Ezekiel 16bbbccc18`.
This describes 'Jerusalem', which is the spiritual Church, as it had been in early times and as it was subsequently when perverted. Its lower spiritual things and its matters of doctrine are the embroidered clothes, fine linen, and silk.
ttt[11] In Isaiah,
The Lord, Jehovah Zebaoth, is taking away from Jerusalem and from Judah the whole staff of bread and staff of water. At that time a man will take hold of his brother, of his father's house, [saying,] You have clothing, you will be leader for us. On that day he will speak out, saying, I will not be a binder up; and in my house there is neither bread nor clothing. You shall not make me leader of the people. The Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion. And on that day the Lord will take away the finery of the anklets, and of the networks, and of the crescents, and of the necklaces, and of the chainlets, and of the bracts;`fff3` and the tiaras, and the garters, and the sashes, and the perfume boxes,`fff4` and the earrings; the rings, and the nose-jewels, the changes of clothes, and the robes, and the veils, and the pin-cases, and the mirrors, and the muslin, and the turbans, and the mantles. `Isaiah 3bbb1`, `Isaiah 3bbbccc6-7`, `Isaiah 3bbbccc17-24`.
'Jerusalem' stands for the spiritual Church, 'Judah' for the celestial Church, 'the staff of bread and the staff of water which will be taken away' for good and truth. 'The clothing which the leader will have' stands for the truths that make up doctrine. The various articles of clothing and adornments that are listed belonging to the daughters of Zion mean every single genus and species of good and truth which were to be taken away from them. Unless each item that is mentioned meant some specific detail of the Church they would not be part of the Word, every expression of which has what is Divine within it. 'The daughters of Zion' who are said to possess all these articles means those things that constitute the Church; see `@@@2362`.
ttt[12] In the same prophet,
Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion, put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; no more may there come in to you the uncircumcised and the unclean. `Isaiah 52bbb1-2`.
'Zion' stands for the celestial Church, 'Jerusalem' for the spiritual, 'beautiful garments' for the sacred things of faith. In the same prophet,
Their webs do not become clothing, neither are they covered in their works. Their works are works of iniquity. `Isaiah 59bbb6`.
'Webs' stands for made-up truths which do not become clothing. 'Clothing' stands for exterior truths of doctrine and worship, hence the statement 'neither are they covered in their works'.
ttt[13] In the same prophet,
I will greatly rejoice in Jehovah, my soul will exult in my God, for He will clothe me with the clothes of salvation, with the robe of righteousness has He covered me. `Isaiah 61bbb10`.
'The clothes of salvation' stands for truths of faith, 'the robe of righteousness' for the good that flows from charity. In John,
You have a few names also in Sardis, who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. He who conquers will be clad in white garments. `Revelation 3bbb4-5`.
In the same book,
Blessed is he who is awake and keeps his garments, so that he may not walk naked. `Revelation 16bbb15`.
In the same book,
On the thrones I saw twenty-four elders seated, clad in white garments. `Revelation 4bbb4`.
Here it is evident that 'garments' do not mean garments but spiritual things, which are forms of truth.
ttt[14] The same may be seen in what the Lord said when speaking about the close of the age. When He said that people were not to turn back and fetch their garments, `Matthew 24bbb18`; `Mark 13bbb16`, truths were meant by 'garments', see `@@@2454`, as they also are in His reference to the man who was not wearing a wedding garment, `Matthew 22bbb11-12`, and in His reference to John,
What did you go out to see. A man clad in fine garments? Those who wear fine garments are in kings' houses. `Matthew 11bbb8`; `Luke 7bbb25`.
This means that they did not care about the external things of doctrine and worship but about the internal, and this is why He adds,
What did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. `Matthew 11bbb9`.
'A prophet' here stands for the external things of doctrine and worship.
ttt[15] As 'clothes' meant truths of every kind the children of Israel were commanded when leaving Egypt to ask from their neighbour for gold and silver, and for clothes, and to place them on their children, `Exodus 3bbb22`; `Exodus ccc12bbb35-36`.
ttt[16] They were also commanded not to wear clothes made from different kinds of stuff, or to wear mixed ones, `Leviticus 19bbb19`; `Deuteronomy 22bbb11`; and were commanded to make tassels for the hems of their clothes, to put a violet cord there, and when they saw it were to recollect the commandments and carry them out, `Numbers 15bbb38-40`. In former times they also rent their clothes, as is evident in `Joshua 7bbb6`; `Judges 11bbb35`; `1 Samuel 4bbb12`; `2 Samuel 1bbb2`, `2 Samuel 1bbbccc11-12`; `2 Samuel ccc3bbb31`; `2 Samuel ccc13bbb30-31`; `2 Samuel ccc15bbb32`; `1 Kings 21bbb27`; `2 Kings 5bbb7-8`; `2 Kings ccc6bbb30`; `2 Kings ccc22bbb11`, `2 Kings 22bbbccc14`, `2 Kings 22bbbccc19`; `Isaiah 36bbb22`; `Isaiah ccc37bbb1`. This action meant a zealous regard for doctrine and truth which had in a similar way been torn to shreds, and also a humble recognition that nothing existed with them, which is meant by the adornment of clothing.
ttt[17] That veils, screens, garments, or clothes mean such things is also evident with the prophecy of Jacob, who by now was Israel,
He will bind his colt to the vine, and the foal of his ass to a choice vine. He will wash his clothing in wine, and his garment in the blood of grapes. `Genesis 49bbb11`.
What these words mean nobody can know except from the internal sense, that is to say, what is meant by 'a vine', 'a choice vine', 'a colt', 'the foal of an ass', 'wine', 'the blood of grapes', 'clothing', and 'garment'. That it is a reference to the Lord who in that prophecy is called 'Shiloh' is self-evident. The reference at this point is to Judah who represents the Lord's Divine celestial. 'The clothing he was to wash in wine' and 'the garment in the blood of grapes' mean His Rational and Natural which He was to make Divine.
ttt[18] Similarly in Isaiah,
Who is this coming from Edom, with dyed clothes from Bozra, he that is glorious in his apparel, marching in the vast numbers of his strength? Why are you red as to your clothing, and your clothes like his that treads the winepress? And I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no one was with me. Their victory has been sprinkled on my clothes, and I have stained all my raiment. `Isaiah 63bbb1-3`.
Here also 'clothes' and 'raiment' stand for the Lord's Human which, by means of the conflicts brought about by temptations and by means of victories, He made Divine by His own power; hence the statement, 'I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no one was with me'. The reference to 'Isaac smelling the smell of Esau's clothes, and so blessing him' implies much the same, `Genesis 27bbb27`.
ttt[19] The Holiness itself of the Lord's Divine Human was also a garment which was seen as light and as something dazzling white when He was transfigured, described in Matthew as follows,
When Jesus was transfigured His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became [white] as the light. `Matthew 17bbb2`.
In Luke,
When Jesus was praying the appearance of His face was altered; His clothing became dazzling white. `Luke 9bbb29`.
And in Mark,
When Jesus was transfigured His clothes became glistening, intensely white like snow, as no fuller on earth could bleach them. `Mark 9bbb3`.
The sacred vestments worn by Aaron when he went inside the veil, which were made of linen, were similarly representative, `Leviticus 16bbb2`, `Leviticus 16bbbccc4`, and so were the sacred vestments 'for glory and adornment' when he ministered, which are described in `Exodus 28bbb2`-end; `Exodus ccc39bbb1`-end. Not a detail of those vestments failed to be representative.
`nnn1. literally, of designing, but where this verse is explained Swedenborg translates of a designer; see `@@@9669`.
`nnn2. The Latin word used here is the same as that which in preceding quotations from the Word has been translated screen.
`nnn3. i.e. thin metal plates worn as jewelry
`nnn4. literally, houses of the soul
ppp21273#pid#2577. 'And with all' means that so also are the truths descending from these, namely factual truths and sensory truths. This is clear from what has been stated above and from the actual train of thought, for it is said just above, 'Behold, it is for you a covering of the eyes for all who are with you', by which rational truths are meant, which are like a covering to spiritual truths. And now 'all' occurs a second time, which therefore means lower truths still which are derived from rational truths. These lower truths are none other than those which are called factual truths and sensory truths. That these are derived and descend from rational truths is clear from the order which governs influx - interior things flow into exterior, or what amounts to the same, higher flow into lower, but not vice versa. The order does indeed seem to be other than this, that is to say, man seems to be made rational by means of sensory impressions and factual knowledge, but this is an illusion. Good from the Lord is flowing in all the time through man's rational faculty, where it meets facts and takes these into itself. And to the extent it is able to take them into itself and arrange them into a proper order, that person is made rational. It is similar with the good and the truths which are called the good and the truths of faith. Good from the Lord flows into the truths and takes these into itself; and to the extent it is able to take these into itself, that person is made spiritual. The appearance however is that it is these so-called truths of faith which flow in and make him spiritual. This appearance is also the reason why nowadays people venerate truth which is a matter of faith and give no thought to good which is a matter of charity.
ppp21272#pid#2578. 'And she was vindicated' means that thus there was no blame attached and no harm done. This is clear from preceding statements to which this forms the conclusion.
ppp21271#pid#2579. Verse `Genesis 20bbbccc17` And Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife, and his women servants, and they gave birth. 'Abraham prayed to God' means a revelation. 'And God healed Abimelech' means wholeness of doctrine as regards good. 'And his wife' means as regards truth. 'And his women servants' means as regards affections for matters of doctrine. 'And they gave birth' means fertileness.
ppp21270#pid#2580. 'Abraham prayed to God' means a revelation. This is clear from the meaning of 'praying' when it has reference to the Lord, as a revelation being given, dealt with in `@@@2535`, and from the representation of 'Abraham' as the Lord, dealt with many times. In the sense of the letter two are portrayed - one who prayed, and another to whom he prayed, for it is said that 'Abraham prayed to God'. But in the internal sense there are not two but one, since it was God or Jehovah within Him - for He was conceived from Jehovah - who made the revelation. Yet insofar as that which constituted the maternal human existed with Him, He was someone other. It is scarcely possible however for an explanation of this to fall into ideas intelligible to man. It can indeed fall into angelic ideas, which are presented in the light of heaven, but it cannot fall so easily into human ideas, which do not perceive anything unless they are illuminated by the things which belong to the light of the world. Still less can such an explanation fall into the ideas of people for whom everything belonging to the light of heaven is thick darkness, so as to be nothing at all.
ppp21269#pid#2581. 'And God healed Abimelech' means wholeness of doctrine as regards good. This is clear from the meaning of 'healing' as making whole, and from the representation of 'Abimelech' as the doctrine of faith which has regard to rational things, `@@@2510`. That it is a wholeness as regards good is evident from the fact that his wife as well is said to have been healed, by which is meant wholeness of doctrine as regards truth. For when in the Word the husband is called 'husband', and also when he is referred to by name, he means good and his 'wife' truth; but when the husband is called 'men' he means truth and his 'wife' good. See also in `@@@915`, `@@@1468`, `@@@2517`.
ppp21268#pid#2582. 'And his wife' means as regards truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'a wife' as truth, dealt with immediately above in `@@@2581`.
ppp21267#pid#2583. 'And his women servants' means as regards affections for subsidiary matters of doctrine. This is clear from the meaning of 'women servants' as affections for rational truths and for factual knowledge, dealt with in `@@@1895`, `@@@2567`, in this case for matters of doctrine because they are attributed to the doctrine of faith, for these women servants were Abimelech's, who means the doctrine of faith, `@@@2509`, `@@@2510`. The exact meaning of anything that is mentioned depends on that to which it is attributed.
ppp21266#pid#2584. 'And they gave birth' means fertileness This is clear from the meaning of 'bearing' and 'childbirth'. In the internal sense of the Word none but spiritual and celestial things are meant, and therefore where the expressions conception or conceiving, childbirth or giving birth, birth or being born, generation or generating, are used, and when those who beget as father and mother, and those who are begotten as sons and daughters, are spoken of, such are not meant in any but a spiritual sense, for in itself the Word is spiritual and celestial. The same applies here also to 'giving birth', which means fertileness as regards matters of doctrine.
ttt[2] The fact that no other kinds of childbirths are meant in the Word by childbirths may become clear from the following places: In Samuel,
Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, and those who were hungry have ceased to be so, until the barren has borne seven, and she who has many has left off. Jehovah takes life and He gives life; He causes [some] to go down into hell and [others] to come up. `1 Samuel 2bbb5-6`.
In Jeremiah,
The bearer of seven languishes, she breathes her last. Her sun is going down while it is still day. `Jeremiah 15bbb9`.
In Isaiah,
Sing, O barren one, who did not bear, break forth into singing and shout, who has not gone into labour; for the sons of her that is desolate are more than the sons of her that is married, said Jehovah. `Isaiah 54bbb1`.
In David,
The voice of Jehovah causes the hinds to calve, and He strips the forests bare; and in His temple everyone says, Glory. `Psalms 29bbb9`.
In Isaiah,
Blush, O Sidon, for the sea has spoken, the stronghold of the sea, saying, I have not gone into labour, I have not given birth, nor have I reared young men or brought up young women. As when the report comes to Egypt, they go into labour over the report of Tyre. `Isaiah 23bbb4-5`.
In the same prophet,
Before she went into labour she gave birth, and before pain came to her she brought forth a male child. Who has heard of such a thing as this? Who has seen such? Does a land give birth in one day? And shall I [bring to the point of birth and not] cause to give birth? said Jehovah. Shall I who cause to give birth shut up [the womb]? said your God. `Isaiah 66bbb7-9`.
In Jeremiah,
Ask, now, and see whether a male can bear. Why then have I seen every man, hands on loins, like one giving birth? `Jeremiah 30bbb6`.
In Ezekiel,
I will send fire on Egypt, and Sin will certainly go into labour, and No will be [breached]. `Ezekiel 30bbb16`.
In Hosea,
As for Ephraim, their glory will fly away like a bird, away from birth, and from the womb, and from conception. `Hosea 9bbb11`.
In the same prophet,
The pains of childbirth have come upon Ephraim, he is an unwise son, for now he will not present himself at the mouth of the womb of sons. `Hosea 13bbb13`.
In John,
A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. Carrying in the womb she cried out in labour, and was in anguish to give birth. A dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she had given birth to her child he might devour it. She gave birth therefore to a male child, who was to rule`fff1` all nations with an iron rod. But the boy was caught up to God and His throne. `Revelation 12bbb1-2`, `Revelation 12bbbccc4-5`.
ttt[3] From all these places anyone may see that no other conceptions and births are meant than those which are conceptions and births of the Church. The same may also be seen from the things said about Abimelech, that 'God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his women servants, and they gave birth'; and that 'Jehovah had completely closed every womb in Abimelech's house on account of the matter of Sarah, Abraham's wife'. What is meant in the internal sense by these words may become clear from the explanation of them, namely the character of the doctrine of faith when regarded from Divine truths, and the character of it when regarded from the rational. That is to say, when regarded from Divine truths, that is, from the Word, every single thing, both rational and factual, is confirmatory. But it is different when it is regarded from human things, that is from reason and knowledge. When regarded from the latter no good or truth at all is conceived; for to regard things from the Word is to do so from the Lord, but to regard them from reason and knowledge is to do so from man. The former gives rise to all intelligence and wisdom, the latter to all insanity and stupidity.
`nnn1. literally, to shepherd
ppp21265#pid#2585. Verse `Genesis 20bbbccc18` For Jehovah had completely closed every womb of Abimelech's house because of the matter of Sarah, Abraham's wife.
'For Jehovah had completely closed every womb of Abimelech's house' means sterility of doctrine. 'Because of the matter of Sarah' means through the rational if it had joined itself. 'Abraham's wife' means, in order that spiritual truth might be joined to celestial good.
ppp21264#pid#2586. 'For Jehovah had completely closed every womb of Abimelech's house' means sterility, that is to say, of doctrine. This is clear from the meaning of 'completely closing the womb' as preventing conception itself, and from the meaning of 'Abimelech's house' as the good that belongs to the doctrine of faith, from which it is evident that sterility is meant. The reason why in this chapter the name 'God' is used up to this point, and 'Jehovah' for the first time now, is that 'God' is used when truth is the subject but 'Jehovah' when good is the subject. Doctrine is conceived wholly from good as the father, but birth is given to it through truth as the mother, as stated several times already. Here it is the conception of it that is dealt with, and because it is conceived from good the name 'Jehovah' is used; but above it is the birth of it that is dealt with, and because it is given birth through truth the name 'God' is used, as in the previous verse, 'God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his women servants, and they gave birth'.
ttt[2] Similarly in other places in the Word where conception is referred to, as in Isaiah,
Jehovah has called me from the womb. Jehovah who formed me from the womb has said.... I will at that time be precious to Jehovah, and my God will be my strength. `Isaiah 49bbb1`, `Isaiah 49bbbccc5`.
'Strength' has reference to truth and therefore 'God' is used. In the same prophet,
Thus said Jehovah, your Maker, and He who formed you from the womb. `Isaiah 44bbb2`, `Isaiah 44bbbccc24`.
And elsewhere. For the same reason also the phrase 'Abimelech's house' is used, which means the good that belongs to the doctrine of faith. As regards 'a house' meaning good, see `@@@2048`, `@@@2233`, and 'Abimelech' the doctrine of faith, `@@@2509`, `@@@2510`. The statements that 'they gave birth' and 'the wombs of Abimelech's house were closed on account of Sarah', it is evident, hold a Divine arcanum within them, but this arcanum cannot possibly be disclosed except by means of the internal sense.
ppp21263#pid#2587. 'Because of the matter of Sarah' means through the rational if it had joined itself. This is clear from the representation of 'Sarah when a sister' as rational truth, dealt with in `@@@2508`. 'The matter of Sarah' means the whole affair, that is to say, of her being called a sister, and of Abimelech's taking her, but not going near her. What more is meant by these things will be stated in what follows immediately below.
ppp21262#pid#2588. 'Abraham's wife' means, in order that spiritual truth might be joined to celestial good. This is clear from the representation of 'Sarah when a wife' as spiritual truth joined to celestial good, dealt with in `@@@1468`, `@@@1901`, `@@@2063`, `@@@2065`, `@@@2172`, `@@@2173`, `@@@2198`, `@@@2507`, and from the representation of 'Abraham' as celestial good joined to spiritual truth, dealt with in `@@@2010`, `@@@2172`, `@@@2198`, `@@@2501`. Whether you say spiritual truth and celestial good, or whether you say the Lord, it amounts to the same, for the Lord is truth itself and good itself, and also the marriage itself of truth and good and of good and truth. These matters may indeed be seen from the explanation given, yet as they belong among those things that are obscure at the present day, let them be illustrated so far as possible. The subject here is the doctrine of faith, about which doctrine the Lord thought when He was a boy; that is to say, He gave thought to whether it was permissible to enter into that doctrine by means of rational conceptions and in that way form ideas for Himself regarding it. This way of thinking was a product of His love and concern for the human race, who are such that they do not believe anything which is not grasped in a rational manner by them. But He perceived from the Divine that one ought not to enter into doctrine that way, and therefore He revealed such doctrine to Himself from the Divine and at the same time also all things in the universe that are subordinate to it, that is, all things of a rational kind, and all those of a natural kind.
ttt[2] People's attitudes to matters of doctrine regarding faith have been spoken of above in `@@@2568`. There it was stated that there are two basic attitudes of mind from which people think, the negative and the affirmative; also that they think from a negative attitude who believe nothing unless they are convinced by rational considerations and by facts, and indeed by sensory evidence, whereas those people think from an affirmative attitude who believe that things are true because the Lord has said so in the Word and who thus have faith in the Lord. People who adopt the negative attitude towards the truth of anything in the Word say in their hearts that they are willing to believe when persuaded on rational grounds and by facts. But these are such as never believe, not even indeed if they were convinced by means of the evidence of their own physical senses of seeing, hearing, and touch; for they would always be producing new reasonings against such things, and in so doing they would at length completely destroy all faith and at the same time would turn the light of the rational into darkness, because they would turn it into falsities. People however who adopt the affirmative attitude, that is, who believe that things are true because the Lord has said so, are being confirmed all the time by rational considerations and by facts, and even by sensory evidence, and their ideas are being enlightened and are strengthened by these; for light comes to man through no other channel than the rational ideas and the factual knowledge which he possesses. This is so with everyone. With those who have the affirmative attitude of mind doctrine is certainly living, and of them it is said that they are healed and give birth. But with those who have the negative attitude doctrine certainly dies, and of them it is said that the womb is completely closed. All this shows what it is to enter the doctrine of faith by means of rational ideas, and what it is to enter into rational ideas from the doctrine of faith.
ttt[3] Let these differences be illustrated by examples: The Word teaches that the first and foremost matter of doctrine is love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour. People with the affirmative attitude towards this are able to enter into whatever things of a rational, factual, and indeed sensory kind they please, each according to his ability, knowledge, and experience. Indeed the more they do so the more they are confirmed, for the whole natural order is full of what is confirmatory. But people who deny this first and foremost teaching, and who wish first of all to be convinced by means of factual and rational considerations that a thing is true, never allow themselves to be convinced because they deny in their hearts and are all the time taking their stand on some other basic idea which they believe to be essential. In the end through confirmations of that idea these people so blind themselves that they cannot even know what love to the Lord is and what love towards the neighbour is. And because they confirm themselves in notions contrary to such love they at length also confirm themselves in the idea that no other kind of love can exist that has any delight in it except self-love and love of the world. And this they do to such an extent - if not in doctrine yet in the lives they lead - that they embrace hellish love in place of heavenly love.
ttt[4] But with those who as yet have adopted neither a negative attitude nor an affirmative one but are in a state of doubt that precedes either of these, the position has been stated above in `@@@2568`. There it was shown that those who incline towards a life of evil fall into the negative attitude, whereas those who incline towards a life good are brought into the affirmative one. Take a different example: One of the leading ideas of the doctrine of faith is that all good comes from the Lord and all evil from man or self. People with the affirmative attitude that this is so are able to confirm themselves by many rational ideas, and by facts, such as that no good can possibly flow in except from Good itself, that is, from the fountain of good, and so from the Lord, and that good cannot have its first beginnings anywhere else. Such people find these ideas enlightened for them by all things which are truly good within themselves, within others, within society in general, and indeed within the whole of creation. But people with the negative attitude confirm themselves by everything they can possibly think of in ideas to the contrary, so much so that at length they do not know what good is. And disputing among themselves as to what the highest good is, they are profoundly ignorant of the fact that it is by means of celestial and spiritual good from the Lord that every type of good beneath it is made living, and that the delight flowing from it is truly delight. Some also imagine that if good does not come from themselves it cannot possibly come from any other source.
ttt[5] Take another example: Those who are governed by love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour are able to receive the truths of doctrine and to have faith in the Word, but not so those leading a life of self-love and love of the world. Or what amounts to the same, those governed by good are able to believe but not those governed by evil. People with the affirmative attitude of mind are able to confirm this in countless ways - with rational ideas and factual knowledge. With rational ideas they are able to confirm that truth is compatible with good but not with evil, and that as all falsity resides in evil it is also the product of evil, and that if any people governed by evil nevertheless possess any truth, this is on their lips, not in their heart. And with factual knowledge they are able to confirm from many points of view that truths put evils to flight and that evils detest truths. But people with the negative attitude confirm themselves in the idea that everyone, irrespective of what he is like in character - even if he leads a life for ever hating, taking delight in revenge, and practicing deceit - is able to believe as others are able to do so. Yet while holding to this idea they themselves totally reject goodness of life from doctrine, and having rejected it believe nothing whatever.
ttt[6] To make the matter plainer still, take yet another example: Those who adopt the affirmative attitude that the Word has been written in such a way as to have an internal sense that is not apparent in the letter are also able in many ways to confirm themselves through rational considerations, such as the following,
By means of the Word man has a link with heaven.
Correspondences exist of natural things with spiritual, though the spiritual are not very apparent.
The ideas which belong to interior thought are completely different from the material ideas which fall into the words of spoken language. While man is in the world he is able to be in heaven (for he has been born for life in both places) through the Word which is intended for both places.
With some people a certain Divine light flows into the things of the understanding and into the affections when the Word is being read.
It is necessary that something be written which has come down from heaven and thus that the nature of its existence in its origins cannot be the same as its existence in the letter.
It cannot be holy except from a certain holiness which it has within it.
A person with the affirmative attitude is also able to confirm himself by means of certain facts, such as the following,
In former times people were living in an age of representatives. The writings of the Ancient Church contained such representatives, and those of many authors among the gentiles were composed of them, so that in the Churches that style of writing was regarded as being holy, and among the gentiles as being learned (books by many of those authors could also be mentioned).
But people who adopt the negative attitude, though they do not deny all these considerations and facts, nevertheless do not believe them. They persuade themselves that the Word is such as it exists in the letter, where indeed it presents a worldly appearance, but is nevertheless spiritual. They do not have any interest however in where that spiritual element lies, but for a multitude of reasons still want it. And that of which they are persuaded they are able to confirm in many ways.
ttt[7] To present this matter in a way that can be grasped by ordinary people, let the following known fact serve as an example: Those with the affirmative attitude that sight does not belong to the eye but to the spirit which sees objects in the world by means of the eye as an organ of its own body can find confirmation of this fact in many ways. For instance, those people may find confirmation of it in their hearing of words spoken by another, in that these spoken words ally themselves to a certain interior sight, into which those words are converted - something that could not possibly occur but for the existence of that interior sight. These people may also find confirmation of the same in the consideration that whatever they think about is seen with an interior sight, by some more clearly and by others more obscurely, as well as in the consideration that the things produced by their imagination are not unlike actual objects of sight. They may find a further confirmation in the consideration that unless it were the spirit within the body that saw the things taken in by the eye as the organ of sight, the spirit would be unable to see anything in the next life, when in fact it is destined to behold countless and astonishing sights which the eye of the body cannot possibly see. In addition confirmation may be found by these people by reflecting on how in dreams, especially those of the prophets, many things have likewise been seen, yet not with the eyes. Finally, if trained in philosophy, a person may find confirmation in the consideration that things which are more exterior cannot enter into those that are more interior, just as that which is compound cannot enter into that which is simple, so that things of the body cannot enter into those of the spirit; only the reverse is possible. Besides these many other confirmations might be introduced, till at length a person is persuaded that sight belongs to the spirit, and not to the eye except from the spirit. But people with the negative attitude either speak of everything of this kind as that which is natural and physical, or else they speak of it as that which is imaginary. And when they are told that a spirit possesses and enjoys far more perfect sight than man does in the body, they laugh at the idea and dismiss it as nonsense, for they believe that they will be living in darkness when they are deprived of the sight of the eye. But in fact quite the reverse is the case in that they then dwell in the light.
ttt[8] These examples show what it is to enter into things of a rational and factual nature from truths, and what it is to enter into truths from things of a factual and rational nature. The first method of approach is according to order, but the second is contrary to it; and when a person acts according to order he is enlightened, but when he acts contrary to order he is made blind. This makes plain how important it is for people to know and believe truths, for truths enlighten man, but falsities make him blind. Truths open up to the rational a vast and practically unlimited field, whereas falsities provide scarcely any such opening up at all, though this is not very evident. The reason why angels have so much wisdom is that they are enveloped in truths, truth being the light itself of heaven.
ttt[9] Those who have made themselves blind through refusing to believe anything which they do not perceive with the physical senses, till at length they have no belief at all, were in former times called 'serpents belonging to the tree of knowledge'. For they reasoned much from things as perceived by the senses and from the resulting illusions which man accepts and believes all too easily, and by such reasoning they led very many astray, see `@@@195`, `@@@196`. In the next life they are easily distinguished from other spirits by the fact that in everything which is a matter of faith they reason whether it is so. And if it is demonstrated to them a thousand times, and then another thousand, that it is so they still advance doubts of a negative kind against every confirmation that is offered, and this they would go on doing for ever. They are so blinded therefore that they are lacking in common sense, that is, they are unable to grasp what good and truth are. Yet every one of them imagines that he is wiser than anyone else in the whole universe, making wisdom consist in being able to dispose of what is Divine and to derive the origin of things from what is natural. Many who have been considered wise men in the world are pre-eminently such as these; for the more anyone with the negative attitude of mind possesses talent and knowledge, the more insane he is, more so than all others. But the more anyone with the affirmative attitude possesses talent and knowledge the wiser he is able to become. One is not by any means forbidden to develop the rational by means of factual knowledge, but one is not allowed to use it to harden oneself against the truths of faith which belong to the Word.
ttt[10] Much concerning these matters occurs in the internal sense of the Word, especially in prophetical sections, where the subject is Asshur and Egypt, for 'Asshur' means reasoning, `@@@119`, `@@@1186`, and 'Egypt' knowledge, `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1186`, `@@@1462`.
People who wish to enter into matters of doctrine regarding faith and into Divine things by means of things of a factual and of a rational nature, and who are consequently of unsound mind, are referred to in Isaiah as follows,
I will confound Egypt within Egypt, and they will fight every one against his brother, and every one against his companion, city against city, and kingdom against kingdom. And the spirit of Egypt will be emptied out in the midst of it, and I will swallow up his plans. The waters from the sea will fail, and the river will be parched and dry; and the streams will depart, and the rivers of Egypt will diminish and become parched. Reed and rush will wither away. Every seed of the river will be dry. Jehovah has mingled in the midst of her a spirit of perversity, and they have made Egypt err in all its work, as a drunken man errs in his vomit. `Isaiah 19bbb2-3`, `Isaiah 19bbbccc5-7`, `Isaiah 19bbbccc14`.
In the same prophet,
Woe to the rebellious children, who depart to go down into Egypt but have not asked at My mouth, to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt. And the strength of Pharaoh will be shame for you, and trust in the shadow of Egypt ignominy. `Isaiah 30bbb1-3`.
In the same prophet,
Woe to those who go down into Egypt for help and rely on horses and trust in chariots because they are many, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel and do not seek Jehovah. And Jehovah will stretch out His hand; he who gives help will stumble, and he who is helped will fall, and they will all be destroyed together. And Asshur will fall by a sword, not of man; and a sword, not of man, will devour him. `Isaiah 31bbb1`, `Isaiah 31bbbccc3`, `Isaiah 31bbbccc8`.
In Jeremiah,
My people have committed two evils; they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, to hollow out pits for themselves, broken pits which do not hold water. Is not Israel a slave? If he is a home-born [servant], why has he become a prey? Are you not bringing this on yourself by forsaking Jehovah your God at a time when He is leading you in the way? And now, what have you to do with the way to Egypt, to drink the waters of Shihor, or what have you to do with the way to Asshur, to drink the waters of the River? O generation, see the Word of Jehovah! Have I been a wilderness for Israel? or a land of darkness? For what reason have My people said, We will be our own masters, we will not come to You any more? Why do you go off so forcefully to change your way? You will also be put to shame by Egypt, as you were put to shame by Asshur. `Jeremiah 2bbb13-14`, `Jeremiah 2bbbccc17-18`, `Jeremiah 2bbbccc31`, `Jeremiah 2bbbccc36`.
In the same prophet,
Hear the word of Jehovah, O remnants of Judah, Thus said Jehovah Zebaoth, the God of Israel, If you surely set your faces to come into Egypt, and you enter to sojourn there, then it will be, that the sword of which you are afraid will overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine of which you are terrified will cleave to you there in Egypt, so that you die there. And all the men (vir) who have set their faces to come into Egypt to sojourn there will die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, and none of them will survive or escape from before the evil which I am bringing over you. `Jeremiah 42bbb15-17`, and following verses.
In Ezekiel,
And let all the inhabitants of Egypt know that I am Jehovah, because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel. When they grasp you with the hand, you will be broken, and you will tear for them every shoulder; and when they lean on you you will be broken, and you will make all their loins to be at a stand. Therefore thus said the Lord Jehovih, Behold, I am bringing a sword over you, and I will cause man and beast to be cut off from you; and the land of Egypt will be a desolation and a waste, and they will know that I am Jehovah, for [Egypt] has said, The river is mine, and I made it. `Ezekiel 29bbb6-9`, and following verses.
In Hosea,
Ephraim was like a silly dove. They called on Egypt, they went away to Asshur. When they go I will stretch My net over them. Woe to them, for they have strayed away from Me! `Hosea 7bbb11-13`.
In the same prophet,
Ephraim feeds the wind, and pursues the east wind. All the day long he multiplies lies and devastation and they make a covenant with Asshur, and oil is carried down into Egypt. `Hosea 12bbb1`.
In the same prophet,
Israel has committed whoredom beneath its God. You have taken delight in hiring yourself out on every threshing-floor. Ephraim will return to Egypt, and in Asshur they will eat what is unclean. For behold, they have gone away on account of the devastation, Egypt will gather them, Moph`fff1` will bury them; the nettle will possess their precious things of silver, the thorn will be in their tents. Ephraim has been stricken, their root has dried up, they will bear no fruit. Even when they bring forth I will slay the beloved fruits of their womb. My God will cast them away because they have not hearkened to Him, and they will be wanderers among the nations. `Hosea 9bbb1`, `Hosea 9bbbccc3`, `Hosea 9bbbccc6`, `Hosea 9bbbccc16-17`.
In Isaiah,
Woe to Asshur, the rod of My anger, and he is the staff, in their hand, of My indignation! He does not think what is right and his heart does not consider what is right, for it is in his heart to destroy, and to cut off nations not a few, for he says, Are not my princes at the same time kings? I will visit upon the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Asshur, for he has said, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I have intelligence, and I will remove the boundaries of peoples and will plunder their treasures, and as a powerful man will cast down the inhabitants. Therefore the Lord, the Lord Zebaoth, will send leanness among his fat ones, and instead of his glory a burning of fire will be kindled. `Isaiah 10bbb5`, `Isaiah 10bbbccc7-8`, `Isaiah 10bbbccc12-13`, `Isaiah 10bbbccc16`.
ttt[11] In all these places 'Asshur' means reasoning, as has been shown, 'Egypt' and 'pharaoh' mean knowledge, and 'Ephraim' the understanding part of the mind. These and many other places elsewhere describe what man's rational comes to be like when he reasons about the truths of faith from the negative attitude of mind. Similar teaching is embodied in the incidents recorded in `Isaiah 36bbb0`, `Isaiah ccc37bbb0`, when the Rabshakeh was sent from the king of Asshur and spoke out against Jerusalem and king Hezekiah, and the angel of Jehovah at that time struck down in the camp of the king of Asshur one hundred and eighty-five thousands. Those descriptions mean the disarray into which all that constitutes man's rationality is thrown when he reasons against Divine things, however much he may seem to himself at that time to be wise.
ttt[12] Such reasoning is also referred to in various places as 'whoredom committed with the sons of Egypt and with the sons of Asshur', as in Ezekiel,
You committed whoredom with the sons of Egypt, your neighbours, great in flesh, and multiplied your whoredom. And you committed whoredom with the sons of Asshur, and were still not satisfied. `Ezekiel 16bbb26`, `Ezekiel 16bbbccc28`; `Ezekiel ccc23bbb3`, `Ezekiel 23bbbccc5-21`.
See `@@@2466`.
ttt[13] People however who enter into things of a rational and factual kind from the doctrine of faith and by so doing are made wise are referred to in Isaiah as follows,
On that day there will be an altar to Jehovah in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to Jehovah at its border; and it will be for a sign and a witness to Jehovah Zebaoth in the land of Egypt, for they will cry out to Jehovah because of the oppressors, and He will send a saviour and prince to them, and He will deliver them. And Jehovah will make Himself known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know Jehovah on that day and will offer sacrifice and minchah, and will make a vow to Jehovah and perform it. `Isaiah 19bbb18-21`.
In the same chapter,
On that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Asshur, and Asshur will come into Egypt, and the Egyptians will serve Asshur.`fff2` On that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Asshur, a blessing in the midst of the earth, whom Jehovah Zebaoth will bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt My people, and Asshur the work of My hands, and Israel My heritage. `Isaiah 19bbb23-25`.
This is referring to the spiritual Church, of which Israel is the spiritual element, Asshur the rational, and Egypt the factual. These three constitute all the intellectual powers of that Church, which come in that order one after another. This explains why it is said, 'On that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Asshur', and 'blessed be Egypt My people, Asshur the work of My hands, and Israel My heritage'.
ttt[14] In the same prophet,
It will be on that day, that a great trumpet will be blown, and they will come - those who are perishing in the land of Asshur, and those who are outcasts in the land of Egypt - and they will bow themselves down to Jehovah on the holy mountain, in Jerusalem. `Isaiah 27bbb13`.
In the same prophet,
Thus said Jehovah, The labour of Egypt, and the wares of Cush and of the Sabaeans, men of stature, will come over to you and will be yours. They will follow after you and bow down to you. To you they will make the supplication, God is with you only; and there is no other besides God. `Isaiah 45bbb14`.
'Cush and the Sabaeans' are cognitions, `@@@117`, `@@@1171`. In Zechariah,
Egypt will go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, Jehovah Zebaoth. `Zechariah 14bbb17-18`.
In Micah,
As for me, I look to Jehovah, I wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me. The day for building your walls, this is the day; and they will come even to you from Asshur and the cities of Egypt even to the River. `Micah 7bbb7`, `Micah 7bbbccc11-12`.
ttt[15] In Ezekiel,
Thus said the Lord Jehovih, At the end of forty years I will gather Egypt from the peoples among whom they were scattered, and I will bring back the captivity of Egypt. `Ezekiel 29bbb13-14`.
In the same prophet,
Behold, Asshur was a cedar in Lebanon, beautiful in its branches, and a shady forest, and lofty in height, and its trunk among entangled boughs. The waters caused it to grow, with its streams going around the place of its planting, and he sent out his lines of water to all the trees of the field. Therefore its height was made higher than all the trees of the field, and its branches were multiplied, and its branches were made long by many waters. In its branches all the birds of the air made their nests, and under its branches every wild animal of the field gave birth, and in its shadow dwelt all great nations. And it became beautiful in its greatness, in the length of its branches, for its root was in many waters. The cedars did not hide it in the garden of God, the fir trees were not equal to its branches. No tree in the garden of God was equal to it in its beauty. I made it beautiful in the mass of its branches, and all the trees of Eden which are in the garden of God envied it. `Ezekiel 31bbb3-9`.
Here the Most Ancient Church, which was celestial, is described as to the nature of its rational and so of its wisdom and intelligence, for that Church used to look at things below from those which were Divine. Thus it looked at truths from goods themselves, and then from truths at what was subsidiary to these. By 'Asshur' and 'a cedar' are meant the rational, by 'entangled boughs among which were its branches' is meant factual knowledge, by 'streams' and 'waters' are meant spiritual goods, among which was its 'root', by 'the height and the length of the branches' the extent of it, by 'the garden of God' the spiritual Church, and by 'the trees of Eden' perceptions. This and the other places quoted above show what man's rational is like and what his factual knowledge is like when they are subordinate to Divine truths and serve these by confirming them.
ttt[16] The fact that things of a rational and factual kind serve people who have the affirmative attitude of mind as a means for making them wise was represented and meant by the command to the children of Israel to seek from the Egyptians the loan of vessels of gold and vessels of silver, and clothing, `Exodus 3bbb22`; `Exodus ccc11bbb2`; `Exodus ccc12bbb35-36`. Something similar is meant by what is said in various places in the Word about their possessing the goods, houses, vineyards, and olive-groves, and many other things, of the nations, and also by references to the very gold and silver itself seized from the nations becoming holy, as in Isaiah,
Jehovah will visit Tyre, and she will return to hiring herself out as a harlot, and will commit whoredom with all the kingdoms of the earth on the face of the ground. And its merchandise and its harlot's hire will become holy to Jehovah; it will not be stored or hoarded, for its merchandise will be for them that dwell before Jehovah to eat to satisfaction and for ancient clothing. `Isaiah 23bbb17-18`.
'The merchandise of Tyre' stands for cognitions, `@@@1201`, which to those with the negative attitude of mind are like 'a harlot's hire' but to those with the affirmative attitude are like that which is holy. Something similar is also meant by the Lord's words,
Make friends for yourselves out of the mammon of unrighteousness, so that when you fail they may receive you into eternal habitations. If then you have not appeared faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will entrust to you the true? `Luke 16bbb9`, `Luke 16bbbccc11`.
`nnn1. i.e. Memphis.
`nnn2. The Hebrew of this text in Isaiah may be read in two different ways - serve Asshur or serve with Asshur. Most English versions of Isaiah prefer the second of these.
ppp21261#pid#2589. THE STATE AND CONDITION IN THE NEXT LIFE OF NATIONS AND PEOPLES BORN OUTSIDE THE CHURCH
It is commonly supposed that those born outside the Church, who are called heathens and gentiles, cannot be saved for the reason that they do not possess the Word and so do not know the Lord, without whom there is no salvation. But that gentiles too are saved may be known from the single consideration that the Lord's mercy is universal - that is, it reaches out to every individual human being. For gentiles are born human beings the same as those within the Church, who are a relative minority; and they are not to blame because they do not know the Lord. Consequently the nature of their state and condition in the next life has in the Lord's Divine mercy been shown to me.
ppp21260#pid#2590. I have been taught in many ways that gentiles who have led a morally correct life and have been obedient ones, who have led charitable lives one with another, and have received some kind of conscience in keeping with their religion, are accepted in the next life, where with anxious desire and care angels instruct them in the goods and truths of faith. While they are being instructed they behave in an unassuming, intelligent, and wise manner, receiving and taking in what they are taught with ease. For they have not formed for themselves any ideas which are contrary to the truths of faith and need to be dispelled, still less any obstacles to the Lord, as with so many Christians who have led a life of evil. What is more, such gentiles do not hate others, or seek revenge for injuries, or plan devices and deceits. Rather, they wish well to Christians, even when Christians for their part despise them and so far as they are able do them violence. But they are rescued by the Lord from the merciless ways of those Christians and are protected by Him. For the situation with Christians and gentiles in the next life is that Christians who have acknowledged the truths of faith and at the same time have led a life of goodness are received ahead of gentiles; but such at the present day are few. Gentiles however who have led obedient and charitable lives one with another are received ahead of Christians who have not led so good a life. For everyone throughout the whole world who has led a good life is in the Lord's mercy received and saved; for good itself is that which receives truth. Good in a person's life is the ground itself for the seed, that is, for the truth, but evil in his life cannot possibly receive it. Although those immersed in evil are taught in a thousand different ways, indeed even if they are fully taught, the truths of faith with them still do not advance beyond the memory and do not penetrate through to the affection, which is in the heart. Consequently in the next life truths present in their memory are dispersed and cease to have any real existence.
ppp21259#pid#2591. Among the gentiles however, as among Christians, there are both the wise and the simple. To inform me of the character of such I have been allowed to talk to both, sometimes for hours and days. But the wise number scarcely any at the present day, whereas in ancient times they were very many, especially in the Ancient Church from which wisdom spread to many nations. So that I might know what they were like I have been allowed to hold intimate conversations with some of them - the superiority of their wisdom to that of today consequently being made clear in what follows.
ppp21258#pid#2592. Present with me there was a certain person who in the past had been one of those with more wisdom than others and was for that reason well-known in the learned world. I spoke to him on various subjects.`fff1` Knowing that he was a wise man I talked to him about wisdom, about intelligence, about order, about the Word, and finally about the Lord. Of wisdom he said that no other wisdom existed except that which had to do with life and that wisdom could not have reference to anything else. Of intelligence he said it had its origin in wisdom. Of order he said that order had its origin in the supreme God and that living within that order was being wise and intelligent.
ttt[2] As regards the Word, when I read to him something from the prophetical parts he was extremely delighted, above all with the fact that individual names and individual expressions meant things that were interior. He was utterly amazed that the learned nowadays take no delight in studying matters such as this. I perceived clearly that the interior parts of his thought or mind had been opened, and at the same time that those of certain Christians who were present had been closed, for with these Christians there reigned ill-will towards him and lack of belief that the Word was of such a nature. Indeed when I continued reading the Word he said that he could not remain because he perceived something more sacred than he could endure, being stirred inwardly by so much feeling. The Christians on the other hand said quite openly that they were able to remain; and the reason why they were able to do so was that their interiors had been closed and sacred things did not stir any such feelings within them.
ttt[3] At length I spoke to him about the Lord, that He was born a man but conceived from God, that He cast off the human and put on the Divine, and that it is He who rules over all. To these points he replied that he knew many things about the Lord, and in his own way recognized that if the human race was to be saved it could not have been done in any other way. During this time certain bad Christians were introducing various objections, but to these he paid no attention, saying that it was not surprising that they did so, for during their lifetime they had absorbed obnoxious ideas regarding these matters and that unlike the ignorant they could not admit things of a confirmatory nature until these ideas had been dispersed. This person had been a gentile.
`nnn1. In `@@@Heaven and Hell 322` Swedenborg says that he was led to believe that this spirit was Cicero.
ppp21257#pid#2593. I have also been allowed to talk to others who lived in ancient times and who in those times belonged among those with more wisdom than others. First I saw them at a distance in a forward position, and while there they were able to discern the more interior aspects of my thoughts, thus many things completely. From a single idea present in my thought they were able to know a whole sequence and to fill it with the delights of wisdom together with lovely representations. From this I perceived that they belonged among those with more wisdom, and I was told that they were some of the Ancients. So they then drew nearer, and when I read to them something from the Word they were supremely delighted. I was given to perceive their delight and joy itself, which stemmed mainly from the fact that every single detail which they heard from the Word was a representative of and a meaningful sign of celestial and spiritual things. They said that during the time they lived in the world their manner of thought and speech and also of writing was of this nature, and that in such had lain their pursuit of wisdom.
ppp21256#pid#2594. Gentiles living on earth today however are not so wise, but for the most part are simple in heart. Nevertheless those of them who have led charitable lives one with another acquire wisdom in the next life. Let these be spoken of in what follows next.
ppp21255#pid#2595. I was once listening to a certain gyre which sounded tuneful yet harsher than gyres normally do. From their sound I recognized straightaway that they came from the gentiles.`fff1` Angels told me that they were gentiles who had been raised from the dead three or four days previously. I listened to this gyre or choir for many hours and perceived that throughout the short period I was listening to them they were being perfected more and more. Wondering at this I was told that these people can be inaugurated into choirs, and so into harmonious groups, within a single night, whereas with the majority of Christians the same is scarcely possible within thirty years. Gyres or choirs exist when many speak simultaneously, all as one, and each as all. But gyres or choirs will in the Lord's Divine mercy be described elsewhere.
`nnn1. In Spiritual Diary [now called Spiritual Experiences] `@@@3494` Swedenborg speaks of these gentiles as being Mohammedans.
ppp21254#pid#2596. One morning there was a choir at a distance from me. From the representational objects presented by this choir I was given to know that they were Chinese, for those objects were - a variety of woolly goat, also a cake made of millet, and an ivory spoon, and the idea as well of a floating city. They desired to come nearer to me, and when they had joined me said that they would like to be alone with me so that they might reveal their thoughts. They were told however that they were not alone, and that others were present who were annoyed with them for so wishing to be alone when they were but guests. On perceiving this annoyance in the others they began to wonder whether they had sinned against the neighbour and whether they had laid claim to something which belonged to others. (In the next life all thoughts are communicated.) I was given to perceive their disturbance of mind. It consisted of a recognition that they had perhaps done harm to those others and also of shame on that account, together with other right affections, from all of which one was made aware that they were endowed with charity. Soon after this I spoke to them, and at length about the Lord. When I called Him Christ I perceived a certain revulsion on their part; but the reason for that revulsion was found to lie in the fact that they had brought it from the world, where they had acquired it from their having known Christians who led worse lives than themselves and had no charity. But when I simply called Him Lord they were inwardly moved. They were then informed by angels that Christian teaching more than any other in all the world enjoins love and charity, but that there are few who live according to that teaching.
ppp21253#pid#2597. There are gentiles who when they lived in the world came to know from their associations with others and from what was reported to them that Christians lead very wicked lives, involving acts of adultery, hatred and quarreling, drunkenness, and other similarly wicked ways, which horrified them since such actions are contrary to their laws, customs, and religion. In the next life these are more apprehensive than others about receiving the truths of faith. But they are informed by the angels that Christian teaching, and the Christian faith itself, teach something completely different from such behaviour, and that Christians live up to that which their doctrine teaches less than gentiles. On learning this they then receive the truths of faith and adore the Lord, but more slowly than others.
ppp21252#pid#2598. When I read in `Judges 17bbb0`, `Judges ccc18bbb0` about Micah, how the Danites stole his graven image, teraphim, and Levite, a spirit from the gentiles was present who during his lifetime had worshipped a graven image. As he listened attentively to what happened to Micah and how he grieved for his graven image which the Danites had taken away, he too was overtaken and filled with grief, so much so that he scarcely knew as a result of interior grief what to think. I perceived his grief, and at the same time innocence in every one of his affections. Christian spirits as well were present and looking on and they were amazed that the worshipper of a graven image could be filled by so strong a feeling of compassion and innocence. Afterwards good spirits spoke to him, saying that a graven image ought not to be worshipped and that this he was able to understand because he was a human being. They told him that instead his thoughts ought to go beyond the graven image to God the Creator and Governor of the whole of heaven and the whole of earth, and that this God is the Lord. While they were saying these things I was given to perceive the feeling or emotion within him with which he worshipped, and which was communicated to me. It was far more holy than feelings and emotions present in Christians. From this it became clear that gentiles, as accords with the Lord's words in `Luke 13bbb29-30`, enter heaven more easily than Christians do today who are not stirred by the same feelings and emotions. For in that state he was able to absorb all things of faith and to receive them with interior affection, since there existed in him that compassion which is the expression of love, and his lack of knowledge had innocence within it; and when these are present all things of faith are received so to speak spontaneously, and with joy. He was after this received among angels.
ppp21251#pid#2599. There was also another who belonged among the gentiles and who had led a good and charitable life. When he heard Christian spirits reasoning about the things people ought to believe (for spirits reason among themselves far more fully and incisively than men, especially about goods and truths since these belong to the next life) he was astonished that they were disputing in this way. He said he did not wish to hear those things, for they were reasoning from illusions. He told them the following: If I am good I am able to know from good itself the things that are true; and those I do not know I am able to receive.
ppp21250#pid#2600. So far as possible upright gentiles in the next life are taught for the most part in ways that accord with their states of life and with their religion, thus in various ways. Let just three be recounted here.
ppp21249#pid#2601. Some are brought into a tranquil state of mind, into a kind of sleep. While in this state they seem to themselves to be building small cities, in the midst of which they conceal some secret thing which they wish to be violated by none. They then give these cities to others, entreating them not to violate the secret thing in the midst of them In this way innocence, and also charity, is instilled into these spirits, along with the idea that the thing which is secret has to do with the Lord. They are kept in this state for quite a long time. It is a state of ignorance that has innocence within it. They are protected by small children to prevent anyone doing them harm. When I spoke to them I was deeply moved by their state of innocence and charity, and also by the care which they took in the way they concealed the thing which was secret, and by their holy fear lest it should be violated.
ppp21248#pid#2602. There is one nation - which, I have been told, comes from the Indies`fff1` - whose religion consists in their worshipping the Greatest God with the following ritual: When they adore Him they first of all magnify themselves, and then they prostrate themselves as maggots. It also consists in an idea that above the universe which they believe to be spinning round, there is that Greatest God looking down on what they are doing. Such having been their religious ideas and practices they are brought back to them in the next life. I have spoken to these people when such imaginings were in their minds. They are for the most part unassuming, obedient, and simple at heart. They are freed in stages by the angels from these false notions, for they are taught, in keeping with their religion, that the Greatest God is the Lord and that their ability to magnify themselves results from their being able to adore Him, and that indeed for all that they are as maggots, and that the Lord from on high sees every single thing. In this way, by means of their own form of religion, they are led as is fitting for them into cognitions of good and truth.
`nnn1. i.e. further India and the islands beyond (Oxford English Dictionary)
ppp21247#pid#2603. There are some gentiles from those regions where the people are black who bring with them from life in the world the desire to be treated harshly, for they believe that nobody can enter heaven except through punishment and affliction, and that only after that will they receive more gladsome things which they call paradise-like. Since they have with them such ideas derived from their religion, they are in the next life treated harshly at first by some whom they call devils, and are after that taken to the paradise gardens described in `@@@1622`. But they are taught by the angels that those punishments and afflictions are converted by the Lord into that which for those gentiles is good, as He does for those undergoing temptations. They are also told that the paradise gardens are not heaven but the affection for celestial and spiritual things that are within them, and that they have been in a certain way of truth, yet in the shadow cast by ignorance. They talked to me for a long time. While they were going through the state of afflictions their speech involved a sort of click,`fff1` and so was a different kind of speech from that used by others. But once the afflictions were over and they had been brought to those paradise gardens, their speech was no longer such but almost angelic. Also derived from their religion, in which they believe, they have the wish to possess interior things. They said that when they are being treated harshly they are black but that afterwards they cast away their blackness and take on a whiteness, for they know that their souls are white even though their bodies are black.
`nnn1. A feature of certain African languages
ppp21246#pid#2604. It is common for gentiles who have adored any god in an image or statue, or any carved object, to be introduced on entering the next life to certain spirits who are substituted in place of their gods or idols, in order that those gentiles may get rid of their false notions. When they had been with these spirits for several days they were removed from them. Gentiles who have worshipped human beings are sometimes even introduced to them or to others substituted in place of them. Many Jews, for example, are introduced to Abraham, Jacob, Moses, or David, but when they realize that these possess only the same human qualities as any others and cannot help them at all they are put to shame and are brought, in accord with their own lives, to places of their own. Among the gentiles in the next life Africans are liked very much, for they receive the goods and truths of heaven more easily than any others. Above all they wish to be called the obedient, but not the faithful. They say that because Christians possess the doctrine of faith, Christians may be called the faithful, but not themselves unless they receive it, or as they say, are able to receive it.
ppp21245#pid#2605. I have spoken to some who belonged to the Ancient Church and who at that time knew that the Lord was to come and who had been endowed with goods of faith but who nevertheless fell away and became idolaters. They were in a forward position towards the left, in a darkened place and in a wretched condition. Their speech sounded like a monotonous flute; it lacked almost any rationality of thought. They said they had been there for many ages and that they are sometimes brought out to perform certain tasks for others, which are menial. This led me to think about what fate in the next life awaits many Christians who are idolaters inwardly though not outwardly, and who at heart deny the Lord, and so also the truths of faith.
ppp21244#pid#2606. In former times the Old Testament Word used to be called The Law and The Prophets, the Law being used to mean all the historical narratives, which are the five books of Moses and the books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings,`fff1` and the term Prophetical to mean all the prophetical utterances, which are the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel,`fff2` Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. There were also the Psalms of David. The historical sections of the Word are also referred to as 'Moses', and therefore the expression 'Moses and the Prophets' is used in various places instead of the Law and the Prophets, while the Prophetical parts are referred to as 'Elijah'. See the Preface to `Genesis 18bbb0`.
`nnn1. In the Hebrew Bible Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings are entitled The Former Prophets.
`nnn2. In the Hebrew Bible Daniel does not occur among The Latter Prophets but in a section known as The Writings.
ppp21243#pid#2607. As regards the historical narratives, with the exception of those in the initial chapters of Genesis, which are made-up history, and have been dealt with in Volume One, they are all historically true. But although historically true they nevertheless possess an internal sense; and in that sense the one subject, as with the prophetical sections, is the Lord. They do, it is true, have reference as well to heaven and the Church, and to what belongs to heaven and the Church; but as these are the Lord's, historical descriptions, even when they have reference to heaven and the Church, ultimately have regard to the Lord, and on that account are the Word. All the historical events recorded there are representative, and each word used to describe them carries a spiritual meaning. The fact that the historical events are representative is clear from what has been explained up to this point regarding Abraham, and will be clear from the explanations that must be given, in the Lord's Divine mercy, regarding Isaac, Jacob, his twelve sons, Egypt, the people's wandering in the wilderness, their entry into the land of Canaan, and everything else.
ttt[2] That individual words used to describe them carry a spiritual meaning is also evident from what has been shown, for example, about names meaning real things, such as that Egypt means knowledge, Asshur the rational part of the mind, Ephraim the intellectual part, Tyre cognitions, Zion the celestial Church, Jerusalem the spiritual Church, and so on with everything else. The same has been shown to be so with particular expressions, such as that 'a king' means truth, 'a priest' good, and that all other words - such as kingdom, city, house, nation, people, garden, vineyard, olive-grove, gold, silver, bronze, iron, birds, beasts, bread, wine, oil, morning, day, light - each have their specific internal meaning. This is consistently so in the historical books as well as the prophetical, even though they were written by various authors and in different periods. This consistency would never have been possible if the Word had not come down out of heaven. From all this one may know that there is an internal sense in the Word, as well as from the fact that the Divine Word cannot possibly be about mere human beings such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their descendants who formed the worst of the nations; or about their kings, wives, sons, daughters, prostitutes, plunderings, and like matters, all of which regarded in themselves are not worthy of mention in the Word unless by means of them such things as exist in the Lord's kingdom are represented and meant. It is these that are worthy of the Word.
ppp21242#pid#2608. The same holds true for very many of the names and words used in the Prophets, such as those introduced in `@@@1888`, and also the following in Isaiah,
Moab will howl, the whole of Moab will howl; for the foundations of Kir Hareseth you will mourn, despite your having been stricken; for the fields of Heshbon have languished, the vine of Sibmah. The lords of the nations break down its branches, they reached even to Jazer, they wandered in the wilderness. Its shoots have been torn away; they have passed over the sea. Therefore I shall weep with weeping over Jazer, the vine of Sibmah. I will soak you with my tears, O Heshbon and Elealeh, for on the vintage and on your harvest the hedad`fff1` has fallen. `Isaiah 16bbb7-9`.
And in Jeremiah,
The sound of a cry in Horonaim, devastation and great destruction! Moab has been destroyed, her little ones have caused a cry to be heard, for at the ascent of Luhith weeping goes up with weeping; for in the descent of Horonaim their enemies have heard the shout of destruction. Judgement has come to the land of the plain, to Holon, and to Jahzah, and to Mephaath, and on Dibon, and on Nebo, and on Bethdiblathaim, and on Kiriathaim, and on Bethgamul, and on Bethmeon, and on Kerioth, and on Bozrah. `Jeremiah 48bbb3-5`, `Jeremiah 48bbbccc21-24`.
Such in very many places is the nature of the prophetical parts of the Word, which would have no use if they did not possess an internal sense. It is imperative however that the Word, being Divine, should contain within it the laws of the heavenly kingdom into which man is to come.
`nnn1. A Hebrew word which is a shout of exaltation, used here as a battle-cry.
ppp21241#pid#2609. But as regards commandments to do with life`fff1` - as all the Ten Commandments are, and as very many in the Law and the Prophets are because the service which these perform is to man's very life, they are of use in both senses, the literal sense and the internal. The things that exist in the literal sense were for the people and peoples of that period, who had no understanding of things that were internal, while the things that exist in the internal sense were for the angels, who have no interest in things that are external. Unless the Ten Commandments also contained internal things, they would never have been declared on Mount Sinai by means of so great a miraculous event; for everything contained in them, such as the commands to honour one's parents, not to steal, not to murder, not to commit adultery, not to covet what belongs to another, is known to gentiles also and has been laid down for them in their laws. And the children of Israel too, being members of the human race, ought to have known the same without any such declaration from Sinai. But it was because those commandments in both senses were to be of service to man's life, and were as external forms produced from internal, which corresponded to one another, that they came down out of heaven on Mount Sinai by means of so great a miraculous event - being declared and heard in heaven in the internal sense and declared and heard on earth in the external sense.
ttt[2] Take, for example, the words that those who honoured their parents would have their days prolonged upon the land. By 'parents' the angels in heaven perceived the Lord, and by 'land' His kingdom, which those who worship Him in love and faith would possess for ever as sons and heirs. People on earth however understood parents by 'parents', the land of Canaan by 'the land', and years of life by 'the prolonging of their days'. By 'do not steal' angels in heaven perceived that they were not to take anything away from the Lord nor to ascribe any righteousness and merit at all to themselves. People on earth however understood that they were not to steal. From this it is clear that these commandments are true in both senses. Or take the commandment 'not to murder'; angels in heaven perceived that they were not to hate anyone nor to destroy any good and truth existing with another. But people on earth perceived that friends must not be murdered. And so it is with all the other commandments.
`nnn1. i.e. as distinct from those to do with worship
ppp21240#pid#2610. `Genesis 21bbb0`
1. And Jehovah visited Sarah as He had said, and Jehovah did to Sarah as He had spoken.
2. And Sarah conceived and bore to Abraham a son in his old age, at the appointed time, as God had spoken to him.
3. And Abraham called the name of his son born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac.
4. And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac, a son eight days old, as God had commanded him.
5. And Abraham was a son a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.
6. And Sarah said, God has made laughter for me; everyone that hears will laugh for me.
7. And she said, Who would have said to Abraham, Sarah will suckle sons? For I have born [him] a son in his old age.
8. And the boy grew, and was weaned; and Abraham made a great feast on the day when he weaned Isaac.
9. And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking.
10. And she said to Abraham, Cast out this servant-girl, and her son; for the son of this servant-girl shall not inherit together with my son, with Isaac.
11. And the matter was deeply distressing to Abraham`fff1` because of his son.
12. And God said to Abraham, Do not be distressed`fff2` about the lad and about your servant-girl. Everything which Sarah says to you, hearken to her voice, for in Isaac will your seed be called.
13. And also, the son of the servant-girl I will make into a nation, because he is your seed.
14. And in the morning Abraham rose up early, and took bread and a flask of water, and gave them to Hagar. He put them on her shoulder, and the boy, and sent her away; and she went and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.
15. And the water from the flask was used up, and she put the boy under one of the shrubs.
16. And she went and sat by herself some distance away, withdrawing herself about a bowshot, for she said, Let me not see the death of the boy. And she sat some distance away and lifted up her voice and wept.
17. And God heard the boy's voice, and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven and said to her, What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid, for God has heard the boy's voice where he is.
18. Rise up, lift the boy up, and strengthen your hand in him, for I will make him into a great nation.
19. And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went and filled the flask with water, and gave the boy a drink.
20. And God was with the boy, and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and was an archer.
21. And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran; and his mother took for him a wife from the land of Egypt.
22. And so it was at that time, that Abimelech spoke, and Phicol the general of his army, to Abraham, saying, God is with you in all that you are doing.
23. And now swear to me here by God that you will not lie to me, and to my son, and to my grandson; according to the kindness which I have done to you, may you do to me and to the land in which you have sojourned.
24. And Abraham said, I will swear.
25. And Abraham reproached Abimelech on account of a well of water which Abimelech's servants had seized.
26. And Abimelech said, I do not know who has done this thing; and you also did not point it out to me, and I too have not heard about it until today.
27. And Abraham took flocks and herds and gave them to Abimelech; and the two of them made a covenant.
28. And Abraham set seven ewe-lambs of the flock by themselves.
29. And Abimelech said to Abraham, What are these seven ewe-lambs which you have set by themselves?
30. And he said, Because you will take the seven ewe-lambs from my hand, that they may be a witness for me that I dug this well.
31. Therefore he called that place Beersheba, because there the two of them swore an oath.
32. And they made a covenant in Beersheba; and Abimelech rose up and Phicol the general of his army, and they returned to the land of the Philistines.
33. And he planted a grove in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of [Jehovah,] the God of Eternity.
34. And Abraham sojourned in the land of the Philistines for many days.
CONTENTS
In the internal sense of this chapter the subject dealt with first is the Lord's Divine Rational, which is represented by Isaac, verses `Genesis 21bbbccc1-8`.
`nnn1. literally, exceedingly evil in Abraham's eyes
`nnn2. literally, Let it not be evil in your eyes
ppp21239#pid#2611. After that the subject is the merely human rational which was separated at that point and which is represented by the son of Hagar the Egyptian, verses `Genesis 21bbbccc9-12`.
ppp21238#pid#2612. This separation having taken place, the spiritual Church is then represented by the same character, that is, by Hagar's son, and also by his mother. That Church and its state are the subject in verses `Genesis 21bbbccc13-21`.
ppp21237#pid#2613. Merely human rational ideas allied to the doctrine of faith, which in itself is Divine, are the subject in verses `Genesis 21bbbccc22`-end.
ppp21236#pid#2614. This doctrine together with those allied ideas is Beersheba, verses `Genesis 21bbbccc14`, `Genesis 21bbbccc31`, `Genesis 21bbbccc33`.
ppp21235#pid#2615. THE INTERNAL SENSE
Verse `Genesis 21bbbccc1` And Jehovah visited Sarah as He had said, and Jehovah did to Sarah as He had spoken.
'Jehovah visited Sarah' means the presence of the Divine celestial within the Divine spiritual. 'As He had said' means as He had perceived. 'And Jehovah did to Sarah' means a state when the two existed united together. 'As He had spoken' means as He had thought.
ppp21234#pid#2616. 'Jehovah visited Sarah' means the presence of the Divine celestial within the Divine spiritual. This is clear from the meaning of Jehovah as the Divine celestial, that is, the Divine Good, or Being (Esse) itself, which because it is the source of love and mercy is Good itself; from the meaning of 'visiting' as being present; and from the meaning of 'Sarah' as the Divine spiritual, that is, Divine Truth, dealt with in `@@@1468`, `@@@1901`, `@@@2063`, `@@@2065`, `@@@2507`.
ppp21233#pid#2617. 'As He had said' means as He had perceived. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in historical parts of the Word as perceiving, dealt with in `@@@2238`, `@@@2260`, `@@@2552`.
ppp21232#pid#2618. 'And Jehovah did to Sarah' means a state when the two existed united together - the Lord's Divine spiritual within His Divine celestial. This is clear from the meaning of 'doing', when it has reference to the Lord's Divine, as the entire realization of the effect and consequently of the state; and from the meaning of 'Jehovah', and also of 'Sarah', dealt with just above in `@@@2616`. As regards the state when the two existed united together - the Lord's Divine spiritual within His Divine celestial - this is the marriage itself of good and truth, which is the origin of the heavenly marriage. The heavenly marriage is the Lord's kingdom in heaven and on earth, and that is why so many times in the Word the Lord's kingdom is called a marriage, and is compared to a marriage. The reason, which is an arcanum, is that the marriage of Divine Good and Truth, and of Divine Truth and Good, within the Lord is the source of all conjugial love, and through that love the source of all celestial and spiritual love. What further arcana are embodied in these words - 'Jehovah visited Sarah as He had said, and Jehovah did to Sarah as He had spoken' - cannot be made known as they lie beyond description. For these words comprehend the state itself when the Lord's Divine exists united to His Human. Appearances of this state are presented by the Lord to the eyes of the angels by means of heavenly lights, and are illustrated also by means of indescribable representations. But those appearances cannot be presented to men because they would have to be presented by means of objects such as belong to the light of the world, which objects cannot serve to express them. Indeed a description that relies on such things makes them all the more obscure.
ppp21231#pid#2619. 'As He had spoken' means as He had thought. This is clear from the meaning of 'speaking' as thinking, dealt with in `@@@2271`, `@@@2287`. Perception, which is meant by 'Jehovah said', flowed from the Divine celestial, but thought, which is meant by 'Jehovah spoke', flowed from the Divine celestial by way of the Divine spiritual. This explains why in the sense of the letter there occurs an apparent repetition, namely 'as He had said' and 'as He had spoken'. But what perceiving from the Divine celestial is, and what thinking from the Divine celestial by way of the Divine spiritual, does not come within the range of even the most enlightened capacity to understand by means of the things which belong to the light of the world. This shows how infinite everything else [in the Word] must be. The fact that thought stems from perception, see `@@@1919`, `@@@2515`. With man the position is that good is the source from which he perceives, but truth the means by which he thinks. Good exists in love and its affections, and for that reason is the source of perception, whereas truth exists in faith, and for that reason faith goes with thought. The former is meant in historical parts of the Word by 'saying', but the latter by 'speaking'. When only the expression 'saying' is used however, it sometimes means perceiving and sometimes thinking, because 'saying' includes both.
ppp21230#pid#2620. Verse `Genesis 21bbbccc2` And Sarah conceived and bore to Abraham a son in his old age, at the appointed time, as God had spoken to him.
'Conceived and bore' means received essential being and was given manifestation. 'Sarah to Abraham' means from the Lord's Divine spiritual united to His Divine celestial. 'A son' means the Divine Rational. 'In his old age' means when the days had been completed for the human to be cast off. 'At the appointed time' means when the Rational was such that it was receptive. 'As God had spoken to him' means as He had willed.
ppp21229#pid#2621. That 'conceived and bore' means received essential being and was given manifestation - that is to say, the Divine Rational received and was given these from the Lord's Divine spiritual united to His Divine celestial - is clear from the meaning of 'conceiving and bearing'. The fact that no other kind of conceptions and bearings or childbirths is meant in the internal sense of the Word but spiritual and celestial ones, see `@@@2584`. But here Divine conceivings and bearings are meant because the subject is the Lord's Rational when it had been made Divine; to Him, that is, to the Lord, are Being and Manifestation pre-eminently attributable since He alone has [underived] Being and Manifestation. In addition to this, Being and Manifestation appear to be almost the same as each other, but they are not. Every person or thing receives Being by conception but Manifestation by being born; so that Being is prior to Manifestation as conception is prior to birth.
ttt[2] The soul constitutes a person's essential Being, while the powers of the senses or the body constitute the Manifestation of it; for the former manifests itself in the latter. Celestial and spiritual love is the Being itself of one who is being regenerated, while the rational part and the sensory part of him - when these are endowed with that love - are the Manifestation of it. The same may be said of every single thing in the universe, for nothing ever exists without conception to give it Being and birth to give it Manifestation. This may also be illustrated for learned people from the idea that every effect has its cause, and every cause has its end. The end is the Being of the cause, and the cause is the Manifestation of the end. In the same way the cause is the Being of the effect, and the effect is the Manifestation of the cause.
ppp21228#pid#2622. 'Sarah to Abraham' means from [the Lord's] Divine spiritual united to His Divine celestial. This is clear from the representation of 'Sarah' as the Divine spiritual or Divine Truth, dealt with in `@@@1468`, `@@@1901`, `@@@2063`, `@@@2065`, `@@@2172`, `@@@2173`, `@@@2198`, `@@@2507`, and from the representation of 'Abraham' as the Divine celestial or Divine Good, dealt with in `@@@1989`, `@@@2011`, `@@@2172`, `@@@2198`, `@@@2501`. Regarding the Divine spiritual united to the Divine celestial, see what has been stated above in `@@@2618`.
ppp21227#pid#2623. 'A son' means the Divine Rational. This is clear from the meaning of 'a son'. In the internal sense of the Word 'a son' means truth, `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@533`; and because truth is the principal element in the rational, `@@@2072`, `@@@2189`, 'a son' also means the rational. But here the Divine Rational is meant in which the principal element is good. 'Isaac' too, to whom 'a son' refers, represents this good, as will be shown further on.
ppp21226#pid#2624. 'In his old age' means when the days had been completed for the human to be cast off. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'old age' as the state when He was to cast off the human and to put on the Divine, dealt with in `@@@2198`. For Abraham was at that time a hundred years old, a number which means a full and complete state of union, as will be clear from the explanation of verse `Genesis 21bbbccc5`.
ppp21225#pid#2625. 'At the appointed time' means when the Rational was such that it was receptive. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'time'. There are two things which appear to be indispensable while a person lives in the world because they exist as essential elements of the natural order - those two things being space and time. Living in the world or natural order therefore is living in space and time. But these two cease to have any existence in the next life. They do, it is true, appear to exist to some extent in the world of spirits, the reason for this being that spirits recently arrived from life in the body bring with them mental pictures of natural things. But subsequently they perceive that space and time do not exist in that life but states instead, and that states in the next life correspond to extensions of space and of time within the natural order - states in respect to Being corresponding to those of space, and in respect to Manifestation to those of time. Regarding space or place, see `@@@1274`, `@@@1379`, `@@@1380`, `@@@1382`.
ttt[2] From this anyone may see what kind of mental pictures a person is able to have while in the world or natural order regarding things which belong to the next life and about many arcana of faith. He may see that such a person is unwilling to believe those things unless he can take them in by means of objects that exist in the world, indeed by sensory evidence. For he cannot do other than suppose that if he were to divest himself of his mental pictures that have been formed from space and time, more so to divest himself of space and time themselves, he would cease to be anything at all and so would have nothing left to him from which he could perceive with his senses or have thoughts of anything apart from that which was unintelligible to him. But in actual fact quite the reverse is the case: the life of angels is such that it is the wisest and happiest of all.
ttt[3] This is the reason why people's ages mentioned in the Word do not in the internal sense mean ages but states, so that in this verse 'old age' does not mean old age. Nor does any number mean a number but some specific state, as in the case of 'a hundred years' mentioned further on. From this it now becomes clear that 'the appointed time' means the state when the rational was such that it was receptive.
ttt[4] As regards the specific teaching presented here - that the Divine Rational received being and was given manifestation from the Lord's Divine spiritual united to His Divine celestial, when the days had been completed for him to cast off the human and when the Rational was such that it was receptive (meant in the internal sense by 'Sarah conceived and bore to Abraham a son in his old age, at the appointed time') - the following needs to be known:
The human has its beginnings in the inmost part of the rational, see `@@@2106`, `@@@2194`. The Lord advanced gradually towards the union of the Human Essence with the Divine Essence, and of the Divine Essence with the Human Essence, `@@@1864`, `@@@2033`, `@@@2523`.
He did so by His own power, `@@@1921`, `@@@2025`, `@@@2026`, `@@@2083`, through continuing temptations and repeated victories, `@@@1690`, `@@@1737`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc1813`, and through receiving revelations repeatedly from His own Divine, `@@@1616`, `@@@2500`, till at length He cast out the whole human from the mother, `@@@1414`, `@@@1444`, `@@@2574`.
And in this way He made His Human - as to the Rational - Divine, as taught by the things that occur in this verse.
From all this it is evident how the explanation 'when the days had been completed for Him to cast off the human and when the Rational was such that it was receptive' is to be understood.
ttt[5] Some idea of this matter may be had from what happens to people who are being regenerated. The celestial things of love, and the spiritual things of faith, are instilled into them by the Lord not all at once but gradually; and when by means of those things a person's rational has become such that it is able to be receptive, he is for the first time becoming regenerate, mostly by means of temptations in which he overcomes. While these experiences are taking place the days are being completed to cast off the old man and put on the new. Regarding man's regeneration, see `@@@677`, `@@@679`, `@@@711`, `@@@848`, `@@@986`, `@@@1555`, `@@@2475`.
ppp21224#pid#2626. 'As God had spoken to him' means as He had willed. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'speaking' as thinking, dealt with in `@@@2271`, `@@@2287`, `@@@2619`; but here willing is meant for the reason that it was 'God' who is said to have spoken, and thinking in the case of the Divine is His willing.
ppp21223#pid#2627. Verse `Genesis 21bbbccc3` And Abraham called the name of his son born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac.
'Abraham called the name of his son born to him' means the nature of the Rational was such that it was Divine. 'Whom Sarah bore to him' means its essential being received from, and its manifestation given by, the Divine spiritual united to the Divine celestial. 'Isaac' means the Divine Rational.
ppp21222#pid#2628. 'Abraham called the name of his son born to him' means the nature of the Rational was such that it was Divine. This is clear from the representation of 'Abraham' as the Lord as regards the Divine celestial or Divine Good, dealt with many times already; from the meaning of 'calling the name' as the essential nature, dealt with in `@@@144`, `@@@145`, `@@@1754`, `@@@1896`, `@@@2009`; and from the meaning of 'a son' as the rational, dealt with in `@@@2623`, as well as from the meaning of 'born to him' as being manifested from the Divine. From this it is evident that 'Abraham called the name of his son born to him' means that the nature of the Rational was such that it was Divine. From these few words the following three arcana shine through to those who possess the internal sense. The first is that the Lord's Divine Human was a manifestation from the Divine itself, an arcanum which is explained further in this verse; the second is that the Lord's Divine Human was not only conceived but also born from Jehovah, and therefore the Lord as regards the Divine Human is called the Son of God and the Only Begotten, `John 1bbb14`, `John 1bbbccc18`, `John 1bbbccc49`; `John ccc3bbb16`, `John 3bbbccc18`, `John 3bbbccc35-36`; `John ccc5bbb19-27`; `John ccc6bbb69`; `John ccc9bbb35`; `John ccc10bbb36`; `John ccc11bbb27`; `John ccc14bbb13-14`; `John ccc17bbb1`; `John ccc20bbb31`; and similarly in the other Evangelists; and the third arcanum is that the Lord's Divine Human is meant by the name of Jehovah, that is, His nature, see `John 12bbb28`.
ppp21221#pid#2629. 'Whom Sarah bore to him' means its essential being received from, and its manifestation given by, the Divine spiritual united to the Divine celestial. This is clear from the meaning of 'bearing' as giving manifestation to, dealt with in `@@@2621`; and since childbirth implies conception - and the giving of birth, or manifestation, rests with the Divine spiritual, while conception or the imparting of being rests with the Divine celestial, and these are united here - 'bearing' here means the receipt of being as well as the gift of manifestation; and also from the representation of 'Sarah' as the Divine spiritual united to the Divine celestial, dealt with in `@@@1468`, `@@@1901`, `@@@2063`, `@@@2065`, `@@@2172`, `@@@2173`, `@@@2198`, `@@@2507`. These arcana are so deep that they defy description, so deep in fact that they cannot be illustrated by anything at all in this world. They are intended for the minds of angels, to which they are presented in the light of heaven by means of things which lie beyond description.
ppp21220#pid#2630. 'Isaac' means the Divine Rational. This is clear from what has been stated already about Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in `@@@1893`, `@@@2066`, `@@@2083`, to the effect that 'Abraham' represents the Lord's Supreme Divine, 'Isaac' the Divine Rational, and 'Jacob' His Divine Natural, as will also be clear from what comes later on where Isaac is the subject.
ppp21219#pid#2631. Verse `Genesis 21bbbccc4` And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac, a son eight days old, as God had commanded him.
'Abraham circumcised his son Isaac' means purification of the rational. 'A son eight days old' means a beginning and continuation. 'As God had commended' means according to Divine order.
ppp21218#pid#2632. 'Abraham circumcised his son Isaac' means purification of the rational. This is clear from the meaning of 'being circumcised' as being purified, dealt with in `@@@2039`, and from the representation of 'Isaac' as the Divine Rational, dealt with in `@@@2630`.
ttt[2] The Lord's first rational was born in the way it is with others, that is to say, by means of facts and cognitions. This has been stated already where Ishmael, who represents that rational, is the subject. Because it was born, as with others, by means of facts and cognitions, thus by the external way, which is that of the senses, this rational inevitably included many things that were worldly in origin, for it is from those things that the ideas which the rational possesses are acquired. This was even more so the case with the Lord on account of the heredity He had from the mother. It was those worldly things and this heredity which the Lord gradually cast out of His rational until it was such that it was able to receive the Divine, `@@@2624`, `@@@2625`. At this point the Lord's Divine Rational, represented by 'Isaac', was born, `@@@2630`, not indeed by the external way, which is that of the senses - as was the case with the previous rational - but by the internal way from the Divine itself, `@@@2628`, `@@@2629`. As this was not accomplished all at once but gradually, `@@@1690`, `@@@2033`, the rational was purified, and constantly so. It is this purification that is meant by 'Abraham circumcised his son, a son eight days old'. That the Lord gradually made His Rational Divine and purified it constantly is clear also in John,
Jesus said, Father, glorify Your name. A voice therefore came from heaven, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. `John 12bbb28`.
'Glorifying' is making Divine, see `@@@1603`, `@@@1999`.
ttt[3] In the Ancient Church nothing else was represented and meant by circumcision than that a person should be purified from self-love and love of the world, which is also effected gradually and constantly, see `@@@2039`, `@@@2046` (end), `@@@2049`, `@@@2056`, especially when a person has been born anew or regenerated. For at that time the Lord is flowing in by the internal way, that is, through the good that forms part of conscience; and He gradually and constantly separates the things which cling to that person both as a result of hereditary evil and of the evil of his own doing.
ppp21217#pid#2633. 'A son eight days old' means a beginning and continuation. This is clear from the meaning of 'the eighth day'- the day on which male infants were circumcised - as any beginning whatever and so the continuation of that new beginning, dealt with in `@@@2044`.
ppp21216#pid#2634. 'As God had commanded' means according to Divine order. This is clear from the meaning of 'God commending' or of commandments. God's commandments, or the things which God has commanded, constitute Divine order wholly and in every single detail, so much so that Divine order is nothing else than the everlasting commandment of God. Consequently living according to God's commandments and within God's commandments is doing so according to Divine order and within Divine order. Hence the phrase used here - 'God commanded' - means according to Divine order. It was according to Divine order that every male should be circumcised on the eighth day after he had been born. It was not that circumcision in itself would accomplish anything or that those who had been circumcised would enter the kingdom of God before the uncircumcised did; but it was according to Divine order because such a religious practice in the representative Church corresponded to purification of the heart - which correspondence will in the Lord's Divine mercy be spoken of elsewhere. It is according to Divine order that the heart, that is, a person interiorly, should be purified gradually and constantly from the evils present in his desires and from the falsities present in the delusions resulting from those desires. Commandments concerning the purification of the heart constitute Divine order wholly and in every single detail. To the extent therefore that a person is living within those commandments he lives within Divine order; and to the extent he is living within Divine order, all that resides with him is arranged by the Lord according to the order, originating in Him, which exists in the heavens. That is to say, both the person's rational concepts and his factual knowledge are so arranged by Him. In this way a person becomes a miniature heaven corresponding to the larger one.
ppp21215#pid#2635. Verse `Genesis 21bbbccc5` And Abraham was a son a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.
'Abraham was a son a hundred years old' means a complete state of union. 'When his son Isaac was born to him' means when the Lord's Rational was made Divine.
ppp21214#pid#2636. 'Abraham was a son a hundred years old' means a complete state of union. This is clear from the meaning of 'a hundred' as that which is complete, dealt with immediately below, and from the meaning of 'years' as state, dealt with in `@@@482`, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@893`, here a state of union. What a complete state is of the Lord's Divine united to His Human, or what amounts to the same, united to the Rational - for the human has its beginnings in the inmost part of the rational, `@@@2106`, `@@@2194` - is not easy to express in a way that can be understood, though it can nevertheless be illustrated by the things which with man are called a complete state when he is being reformed and regenerated.
ttt[2] It is well known that a person cannot be regenerated except in adult years, for not until then is he able to exercise reason and judgement and in so doing to receive good and truth from the Lord. Before entering that state he is being prepared by the Lord through the implantation of such things as can serve him as the soil for receiving the seeds of truth and good. Implanted thus are many states of innocence and charity, also cognitions of good and truth, and consequently thoughts. This implantation occurs during many years before his regeneration takes place. When a person has been endowed with these things and so has been prepared, his state is now said to be complete, for the things that are interior have been arranged ready to receive. All those things with a person which the Lord grants him prior to regeneration and by means of which he is regenerated are called remnants, which in the Word are meant by the number ten, `@@@576`, `@@@1738`, `@@@2284`, and also by a hundred when the state for regeneration is complete, `@@@1988`.
ttt[3] These things that are so with man may serve to illustrate what is meant by a complete state of the Human united to the Divine in the Lord. That is to say, they may illustrate the state when the Lord by His own power - through the conflicts brought about by temptations and through victories, and through the powers of Divine wisdom and intelligence - gathered to Himself within the Human, that is, within the Rational, so much of the Divine that He was able to unite the Divine itself to the Divine acquired within the Rational. And it was to represent this state that, even though Abraham had spent many years in the land of Canaan, Isaac was not born to him until he was a hundred years old. These are the arcana contained within the number 'a hundred years', which was Abraham's age.
ttt[4] That the number 'a hundred' means that which is complete may also be seen from other places in the Word, as in Isaiah,
No more will there be from it an infant of days, nor an old man who has not completed his days, for the child will die a son a hundred years old, and the sinner a son a hundred years old will be accursed. `Isaiah 65bbb20`.
Here 'a hundred' clearly stands for that which is complete, for it is said, 'No more will there be an infant of days, nor an old man who has not completed his days', and, a child and a sinner will be 'a hundred years old', that is, a time when his state is complete.
ttt[5] In Matthew,
Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields, for My name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will be allotted the inheritance of eternal life. `Matthew 19bbb29`; `Mark 10bbb29-30`.
Here 'a hundredfold' stands for that which is complete, otherwise described as 'good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over', in `Luke 6bbb38`.
ttt[6] In Luke,
Some seed fell on good ground, and when it had grown up it brought forth fruit a hundredfold. `Luke 8bbb8`; `Matthew 13bbb8`, `Matthew 13bbbccc23`; `Mark 4bbb20`.
Here also 'a hundred' stands for that which is complete, a number which would not have been mentioned unless it had had that meaning. A similar meaning exists in the parable about the debtors, where the Lord says that one owed a hundred baths of oil and the other a hundred cors of wheat, `Luke 16bbb5-7`. The same applies in other places where a hundred is mentioned. It is similar with a thousand, regarding which number, see `@@@2575`.
ppp21213#pid#2637. 'When Isaac his son was born to him' means when the Lord's Rational was made Divine. This is clear from the meaning of 'being born' as being manifested, dealt with in `@@@2584`, `@@@2621`, `@@@2629`, and from the representation of 'Isaac' as the Divine Rational, dealt with in `@@@2630`. The latter is said 'to be born' to Abraham when it has been made Divine, as also in verse `Genesis 21bbbccc3` above, 'Abraham called the name of his son born to him', see `@@@2628`.
ppp21212#pid#2638. Verses `Genesis 21bbbccc6-7` And Sarah said, God has made laughter for me; everyone that hears will laugh for me. And she said, Who would have said to Abraham, Sarah will suckle sons? For I have borne [him] a son in his old age.
'Sarah said' means perception from the Divine spiritual. 'God has made laughter for me' means the affection for celestial truth. 'Everyone who hears will laugh for-me' means that all things there will possess the affection. 'And she said' means thought. 'Who would have said to Abraham, Sarah will suckle sons?' means that by His own power the Lord implanted the Human within the Divine. 'For I have borne [him] a son in his old age' means that this was accomplished when the days had been completed.
ppp21211#pid#2639. 'Sarah said' means perception from the Divine spiritual. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as perceiving, dealt with quite often, and from the representation of 'Sarah' as the Divine spiritual or Divine Truth, dealt with in `@@@2622`.
ppp21210#pid#2640. 'God has made laughter for me' means the affection for celestial truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'laughter' as the affection for truth, dealt with in `@@@2072`, `@@@2216`, and from 'God making' as the celestial from which it springs.
ppp21209#pid#2641. That 'everyone who hears will laugh for me' means that all things there will possess this affection is clear from the meaning of 'hearing' and of 'laughing'. In the Word 'hearing' has reference to things that are matters of affection, but 'laughing' to those that are matters of thought. This becomes clear from very many places in the Word as well as from correspondences, see `@@@2542`. Because the subject at present is the affection for celestial truth, the phrase 'everyone who hears' is used, by which all things that are matters of affection are meant. For 'laughing' means being stirred by an affection for truth or possessing an affection for truth, see `@@@2072`, `@@@2216`, `@@@2640`.
ppp21208#pid#2642. 'And she said' means thought. This is clear from the meaning of 'laying' as perceiving, and also thinking, dealt with quite often, see `@@@2619` (end).
ppp21207#pid#2643. 'Who would have said to Abraham, Sarah will suckle sons?' means that by His own power the Lord implanted the Human within the Divine. This is clear from the representation of 'Abraham' and also of 'Sarah', and from the meaning of 'suckling', and of 'sons'. It has been shown already that 'Abraham' represents Divine Good and 'Sarah' Divine Truth. 'Milk' means that which is spiritual from a celestial origin, that is, truth deriving from good, see `@@@2184`, so that 'suckling' means implanting that truth; And 'sons' means truths, here truths that exist in the Rational, as is clear from the meaning of 'sons', `@@@489-491`, `@@@533`. The reason why in the internal sense the words under consideration mean that the Lord by His own power implanted the Human within the Divine is that Divine Truth is one and the same as the Divine Human, and when in reference to this it is said 'to suckle sons for Abraham' the meaning is that He implanted the Human within the Divine; and as it was the Human He implanted, He did so by His own power. But scarcely any clearer and more intelligible explanation of these matters is possible. To say more would obscure still further what is meant; for these are Divine matters, which can be presented to angels alone by means of celestial and spiritual things. If presented to men in some more exalted manner those matters would fall into the material and bodily ideas which men possess.
ttt[2] What is more, it should be recognized that it is the nature of the Lord's Divine Rational when it was first born that is being described by these words, 'God has made laughter for me; everyone that hears will laugh for me; and she said, Who would have said to Abraham, Sarah will suckle sons?' For this was in keeping with an ancient custom that when an infant was born it was given a name which served to mean the state; and at the same time a description of that state was added, as when Cain was born to Eve and Adam, `Genesis 4bbb1`, and when Seth was born to the same, `Genesis 4bbb25`; and as when Noah was born to Lamech, `Genesis 5bbb29`, Esau and Jacob to Isaac, `Genesis 25bbb25-26`, the twelve sons to Jacob, `Genesis 29bbb32-35`; `Genesis ccc30bbb6`, `Genesis 30bbbccc8`, `Genesis 30bbbccc11`, `Genesis 30bbbccc13`, `Genesis 30bbbccc18`, `Genesis 30bbbccc20`, `Genesis 30bbbccc24`; `Genesis ccc35bbb18`, Perez and Zerah to Tamar, `Genesis 38bbb29-30`, Manasseh and Ephraim to Joseph, `Genesis 41bbb51-52`, and Gershom and Eliezer to Moses, `Exodus 2bbb22`; `Exodus ccc18bbb4`. What all these represent, and what they mean in the internal sense, was embodied in the descriptions added to the names that were given. The same is the case here with what Isaac represents and means. What this name embodies is evident to some small extent from this brief explanation that has been given, but deeper arcana are nevertheless concealed there since they are Divine matters, which no sentences or phrases can be formed to express.
ppp21206#pid#2644. 'For I have borne [him] a son in his old age' means that this was accomplished when the days had been completed. This is clear from the explanation of almost the same words in verse `Genesis 21bbbccc2`, dealt with in `@@@2621-2624`.
ppp21205#pid#2645. Verse `Genesis 21bbbccc8` And the boy grew, and was weaned; and Abraham made a great feast on the day when he weaned Isaac. 'The boy grew' means further perfection of the Lord's Rational. 'And was weaned' means separation of the merely human rational. 'Abraham made a great feast' means dwelling together and union. 'On the day when he weaned Isaac' means a state of separation.
ppp21204#pid#2646. 'The boy grew' means further perfection of the Lord's Rational. This is clear from the meaning of 'growing' as being perfected, and from the meaning of 'the boy' or son as the Lord's Divine Rational, dealt with in `@@@2623`.
ppp21203#pid#2647. 'And was weaned' means separation of the merely human rational. This is clear from the meaning of 'being weaned' as being separated in the way infants are from their mothers' breasts. The separation of the merely human rational is described further still in this chapter and is represented by Hagar's son being cast out of the house.
ppp21202#pid#2648. 'Abraham made a great feast' means dwelling together and union. This is clear from the meaning of 'a feast' as dwelling together, dealt with in `@@@2341`. Here union is meant as well since the subject is the Lord, whose Human was united to the Divine, and the Divine to the Human. And because this union is the subject it is called 'a great feast'.
ppp21201#pid#2649. 'On the day when he was to wean Isaac' means a state of separation. This is clear from the meaning of 'day' as state, dealt with in `@@@23`, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@893`, and from the meaning of 'being weaned' as being separated, dealt with in `@@@2647`. Verse `Genesis 21bbbccc1` onwards of this chapter has dealt in the following order with the Lord's Divine Essence united to His Human Essence:
The presence of the Divine within the Human, for the sake of the two being united, verse `Genesis 21bbbccc1`.
The presence of the Human within the Divine, and thus a reciprocal union, dealt with in `@@@2004`, verse `Genesis 21bbbccc2`,
From that union the Human was made Divine, verse `Genesis 21bbbccc3`.
This was effected gradually and constantly while the Lord lived in the world, verse `Genesis 21bbbccc4`.
It started to be effected when the rational was in a state to receive, verse `Genesis 21bbbccc5`.
The nature of the state of union is described, together with the arcana of that state, verses `Genesis 21bbbccc6-7`.
Now reference follows, and is continued through to verse `Genesis 21bbbccc12`, to the separation of the human received from the mother. That separation is meant in this present verse by 'the weaning of Isaac', and in those that follow it is represented by Hagar's son being cast out of the house. And because the union of the Lord's Divine with His Human, and of the Human with the Divine, is the marriage itself of Good and Truth, and from this marriage is derived the heavenly marriage, which is the same as the Lord's kingdom, mention is therefore made of 'a great feast which Abraham made when Isaac was weaned', by which is meant the first stage of that marriage or the first union. Unless this 'feast', and also the weaning, had had some hidden meaning, it would never have been mentioned.
ttt[2] Since the subject which follows now is the separation of the first human which the Lord had from the mother and the total casting off of it ultimately, it should be recognized that right to the end of His life when He was glorified the Lord gradually and constantly separated from Himself and cast off that which was merely human. That is to say, He cast off that which He had derived from the mother, until ultimately He was no longer her son but the Son of God not only in conception but also in birth, and so was one with the Father and was Jehovah himself. The truth that He separated from Himself and cast off the whole of the human received from the mother, insomuch that He was her son no longer, is plainly evident from the Lord's own words in John,
When the wine failed, the mother of Jesus said to Him, They have no wine. Jesus said to her, O woman, What have you to do with Me? `John 2bbb3-4`.
In Matthew,
Someone said, Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside asking to speak to You. But Jesus answering said to the one who had told Him, Who is My mother, and who are My brothers? And stretching out His hand over His disciples He said, Behold My mother and My brothers; for whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven is My brother, and sister, and mother. `Matthew 12bbb47-50`; `Mark 3bbb32-35`; `Luke 11bbb27-28`.
In Luke,
A certain woman lifting up her voice out of the crowd`fff1` said to Him, Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts that You sucked. But Jesus said, Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it. `Luke 11bbb27-28`.
ttt[3] Here, when the woman referred to His mother, the Lord spoke of those mentioned in the preceding quotation. That is to say, He spoke of 'whoever does the will of My Father is My brother, sister, and mother', which amounts to the same as saying, 'Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it'. In John,
Jesus seeing his mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, said to His mother, O woman, behold your son! Then He said to the disciple, Behold your mother! From that hour therefore the disciple took her to his own home. `John 19bbb26-27`.
From these words it is evident that the Lord spoke to her according to what she was thinking when she saw Him on the Cross - though He does not call her mother but woman - and that He gave the name mother instead to those meant by the disciple; hence His words to the disciple, Behold your mother! The matter is plainer still from the Lord's own words in Matthew,
Jesus questioned the Pharisees saying, What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is He? They said to Him, David's. He said to them, How is it then that David in the spirit calls Him Lord, saying, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies Your footstool. If therefore David calls Him Lord, how is He his son? And no one was able to answer Him a word. `Matthew 22bbb41`-end; `Mark 12bbb35-37`; `Luke 20bbb42-44`.
Accordingly He was no longer David's son as to the flesh.
ttt[4] As regards the separation and casting off of the human from the mother, it must be added that they have no conception of this who entertain merely bodily ideas about the Lord's Human and think of it as they do of the human of any other. To such people these matters are as a consequence stumbling-blocks. They do not know that as is the life so is the person, and that the Divine Being (Esse) of life, or Jehovah, was the Lord's from conception and that a similar Being (Esse) of life manifested itself within His Human through union.
`nnn1. literally, the people
ppp21200#pid#2650. Verse `Genesis 21bbbccc9` And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking.
'And Sarah saw' means the Lord's insight from the Divine spiritual. 'The son of Hagar the Egyptian' means into the merely human rational, 'Hagar the Egyptian' being the affection for knowledge, from which affection as its mother that rational was born. 'Whom she had borne to Abraham' means that it was given manifestation from the Divine celestial as a father. 'Mocking' means not in agreement with or favourably disposed towards the Divine Rational.
ppp21199#pid#2651. 'And Sarah saw' means the Lord's insight from the Divine spiritual. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing' as understanding, dealt with in `@@@897`, `@@@2150`, `@@@2325`, which is the same as seeing with the mind's eye; and from the representation of 'Sarah' as the Divine spiritual or Divine Truth, dealt with in `@@@2622`. 'Sarah saw' means that the Divine spiritual had insight, which is the same as saying that the Lord had such insight from the Divine spiritual.
ppp21198#pid#2652. 'The son of Hagar the Egyptian' means into the merely human rational, 'Hagar the Egyptian' being the affection for knowledge, from which affection as its mother that rational was born. This is clear from the meaning of 'the son', who was Ishmael, as the first rational which the Lord had, dealt with in Chapter `Genesis ccc16bbb0`, where Hagar and Ishmael are the subject, and from his representation and that of Hagar the Egyptian who was his mother, also dealt with in that chapter. As regards the first or merely human rational with the Lord being conceived from the Divine celestial as a father, and being born from the affection for knowledge as a mother, see `@@@1895`, `@@@1896`, `@@@1902`, `@@@1910`.
ppp21197#pid#2653. 'Whom she had borne to Abraham' means that it was given manifestation from the Divine celestial as a father. This is clear from the meaning of 'bearing' as giving manifestation to, dealt with in `@@@2621`, `@@@2629`, and from the representation of 'Abraham' as the Divine celestial, dealt with in `@@@1989`, `@@@2011`, `@@@2172`, `@@@2198`, `@@@2501`. That this rational was a manifestation from the Lord's Divine celestial as a father, see `@@@1895`, `@@@1896`, `@@@1902`, `@@@1910`.
ppp21196#pid#2654. 'Mocking' means not in agreement with or favourably disposed towards the Divine Rational. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'mocking' as the product of an affection contrary to that which is not in agreement with or favourably disposed towards oneself. In the previous verse it was said that 'the boy grew and was weaned' and that 'Abraham made a great feast when he weaned Isaac', the meaning of which was that when the Lord's rational was made Divine the rational that existed first was separated. There now follows immediately therefore a reference to the son of Hagar the Egyptian, who is used to mean that first rational, as has been shown in the explanation of Chapter `Genesis ccc16bbb0` where Ishmael and Hagar are the subject. From this it is also evident that the details in the internal sense follow, linked together in a continuous chain.
ttt[2] But as regards the Lord's first rational, because it was born as with any other, that is to say, by means of knowledge and cognitions, it was inevitably immersed in appearances of truth, which are not in themselves truths, as may become clear from what has been presented in `@@@1911`, `@@@1936`, `@@@2196`, `@@@2203`, `@@@2209`, `@@@2519`. And because it was immersed in appearances of truth, truths devoid of appearances, as Divine truths are, were not able to agree with it nor to be favourably disposed towards it, not only because that rational can have no grasp of them but also because they are opposed to it. Let the following examples illustrate the matter:
ttt[3] The human rational - that is to say, the rational formed from images of worldly things received through the senses, and later on from images of things analogous to actual worldly ones, such as are received from factual knowledge and from cognitions - virtually laughs or mocks if it is told that it does not live of itself but only appears to itself to do so. It likewise laughs if it is told that the less anyone believes that he lives of himself, the more he is truly living, that is, the more wise and intelligent he is, and the more blessed and happy. And it also laughs if it is told that that life is the life which angels possess, especially those who are celestial and are inmost or nearest to the Lord; for these know that nobody except Jehovah alone, that is, the Lord, lives of himself.
ttt[4] This rational would also mock if it were told that it has nothing of its own, and that its possessing anything of its own is an illusion or an appearance. Still more would it mock if it were told that the more it is subject to the illusion that it possesses anything of its own the less it in fact possesses, and vice versa. It would likewise mock if it were told that whatever it thinks and does from what is its own is evil, even though it was good [in its effect], and if it were told that it has no wisdom until it believes and perceives that all evil comes from hell and all good from the Lord. This is a conviction, indeed a perception, that exists in all angels, yet they possess selfhood or a proprium in fuller measure than all others. But they realize and perceive that their selfhood comes from the Lord, even though it seems to be completely their own.
ttt[5] This rational would again mock if it were told that in heaven the greatest are those who are least; that the wisest are those who believe and perceive that they themselves are the least wise; that the happiest are those who wish the greatest happiness to others and the least to themselves; that heaven consists in wishing to be below everyone else, but hell in wishing to be above everyone else; and that consequently the glory of heaven does not hold within it anything at all of that which the glory of the world holds.
ttt[6] This rational would similarly mock if it were told that in the next life space and time do not exist at all but states in accordance with which there are appearances of space and time, and that life becomes more heavenly the further removed it is from the things that belong to space and time and the closer it comes to that which is eternal - for that which is eternal has absolutely nothing within it that is received from the notion of time or anything analogous to it. In the same way would the rational mock at countless other things it could be told.
ttt[7] The Lord saw that such things were present in the merely human rational and that this rational therefore mocked Divine things. He did so from the Divine spiritual, which is meant by the words 'Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian', `@@@2651`, `@@@2652`. The fact that a person is able from within to have insight into the things residing with him that are below is well known from experience to those who have perception, and also to those who have conscience, for they see clearly enough to reproach themselves for what they think. This exemplifies how regenerate persons are able to see what their rational prior to regeneration is like. In man's case however such perception is received from the Lord, but in the Lord's case it was Self-derived.
ppp21195#pid#2655. Verse `Genesis 21bbbccc10` And she said to Abraham, Cast out this servant-girl, and her son; for the son of this servant-girl shall not inherit together with my son, with Isaac.
'She said to Abraham' means perception from the Divine. 'Cast out this servant-girl, and her son' means that what belonged to the merely human rational was to be banished. 'For the son of this servant-girl shall not inherit together with my son, with Isaac' means that the merely human rational could not possess the same life as the Divine Rational itself, neither as to truth nor as to good.
ppp21194#pid#2656. 'She said to Abraham' means perception from the Divine. This is clear from the meaning of 'laying' in historical parts of the Word as perceiving, dealt with quite often before now, and from the representation of 'Abraham' as the Divine celestial or Divine Good, dealt with in `@@@2622`.
ppp21193#pid#2657. 'Cast out this servant-girl, and her son' means that what belonged to the merely human rational was to be banished. This is clear from the meaning of 'casting out' as banishing; from the meaning of 'servant-girl' as the affection for rational concepts and for factual knowledge, and so as the good belonging to these, dealt with in `@@@2567`; and from the meaning of 'son' as the truth belonging to that rational, dealt with in `@@@264`, `@@@489`, `@@@533`, `@@@1147`. But it is apparent good and apparent truth that go with this first or merely human rational. Consequently 'cast out this servant-girl, and her son' means that to be banished were the things belonging to the merely human rational. This particular circumstance - that the first rational was banished once the Divine Rational took its place - has been stated and shown in several places already, but as it is the specific subject here, a further brief explanation is necessary.
ttt[2] With everyone who is being regenerated there are two rationals, the first existing before regeneration, the second after. The first, which exists before regeneration, is acquired by means of the experiences of the senses, by means of reflecting on the things that take place in public life and in private life, by means of formulated knowledge, and by means of reasonings based on and presented through these, as well as by means of cognitions of spiritual things obtained from the doctrine of faith, that is, from the Word. But none of these acquisitions rise at this time very much above the ideas present in the external or bodily memory, which are relatively speaking quite materialistic. Consequently whatever thought takes place in the rational at this time consists of such materialistic ideas, or else, so that what it thinks may be comprehended at the same time by inner or intellectual sight, the semblances of such things are presented in the form of comparisons or analogies. Of such a nature is the first rational, or the rational that exists before regeneration.
ttt[3] But the rational after regeneration is formed by the Lord by means of affections for spiritual truth and good, which affections the Lord implants in a remarkable manner within the truths of the first rational, and in this way the things there that are in agreement and are favourably disposed towards them are given life. The rest however, having no use, are separated from these, until at length spiritual goods and truths are gathered so to speak into bundles, once those that do not agree and which cannot be given life are cast away so to speak to the circumference, this being effected gradually as spiritual goods and truths increase together with the life of the affections for them. From this it is evident what the second rational is like.
ttt[4] These matters may be illustrated by comparing them to the fruit of trees. To begin with the first rational is like unripe fruit which ripens gradually until it produces seeds within itself. Then, having reached the point when it is ready to part from the tree, its state is complete, regarding which see above in `@@@2636`. The second rational however, which the Lord confers on those who are being regenerated, is like this same fruit now lying in good soil, where the flesh surrounding the seeds decays and these express themselves from the core, after which they send down a root and also a shoot up above the ground that grows into a new tree and spreads out, till finally it produces new fruits, and after that gardens and orchards, according to the affections for good and truth which it is receiving; see `Matthew 13bbb31-32`; `John 12bbb24`.
ttt[5] But since examples help to make things clear, take the proprium which a person has before regeneration and the proprium which he has after regeneration. From the first rational which he acquires through the means mentioned above, a person believes that it is from what there is within himself, thus from his proprium, that he thinks what is true and does what it good. This first rational is incapable of thinking anything else even when the person is taught that every good of love, and every truth of faith, derives from the Lord. But when he is undergoing regeneration, which takes place in adult years, he then starts - from the second rational which is conferred by the Lord - to think that good and truth do not spring from that which is within himself, that is, from his proprium, but from the Lord, though he still does what is good or thinks what is true, as if it began from within himself, see `@@@1937`, `@@@1947`. At this time the more he becomes confirmed in this the more he is guided into the light of truth concerning those matters, until he finally believes that all good and all truth come from the Lord. At this time the proprium belonging to the first rational is gradually separated and the Lord confers on that person a heavenly proprium which becomes that of the new rational.
ttt[6] Take a further example. To begin with the only love known to the first rational is that of self and the world, and although it hears about heavenly love being altogether different it still has no conception of it. In this case when the person then does anything good the only delight he sees in doing it is that he may seem to himself to merit another's favour, or that he may be considered to be a Christian, or that he may obtain the joy of eternal life out of doing it. The second rational however which the Lord confers through regeneration begins to feel some delight in goodness and truth themselves and to be stirred by this delight, not on account of anything that is his own but on account of goodness and truth themselves. When led by this delight he spurns the thought of merit, until at length he detests it as something monstrous. This delight as it exists with him gradually increases and becomes a blessed delight, and in the next life a blissful delight, being for him heaven itself. From this it may now become clear how it is with each of the two rationals in one who is being regenerated.
ttt[7] But it should be recognized that although a person is being regenerated, every single detail belonging to the first rational still remains with him. It is merely separated from the second rational, which the Lord effects in a miraculous fashion. The Lord however banished His own first rational completely, so that nothing of it remained, for what is merely human and what is Divine cannot exist together. Consequently He was no longer Mary's son but Jehovah as regards both Essences.
ppp21192#pid#2658. 'For the son of this servant-girl shall not inherit together with my son, with Isaac' means that the merely human rational could not possess the same life as the Divine Rational itself, neither as to truth nor as to good. This is clear from the meaning of 'inheriting' as possessing the life of another, to be dealt with immediately below; from the meaning of 'the son of a servant-girl' as the merely human rational as to truth and as to good, dealt with in `@@@2657`; and from the meaning of 'my son, Isaac' as the Divine Rational as to truth, meant by 'my son', and as to good, meant by 'Isaac', dealt with in `@@@2623`, `@@@2630`. That 'Isaac' is the Divine Rational as to good is clear from verses `Genesis 21bbbccc6-7` (in `@@@2640`, `@@@2641`, `@@@2643`) - from the meaning of 'laughter', from which he was named, as the affection for truth, or good that flows from truth. From this it is evident that 'the son of this servant-girl shall not inherit together with my son, with Isaac' means that the merely human rational cannot possess the same life as the Divine Rational, neither as to truth nor as to good. Its inability to possess the same life is clear from the single consideration that the Divine is life itself, and this being so possesses life within Itself, whereas the merely human is only an organ for life and that being so does not possess life in itself.
ttt[2] Once it had become Divine the Lord's Human was no longer an organ or recipient of life; it was now Life itself, the same as that of Jehovah Himself. It had this life at the start from its very conception from Jehovah, as is plainly evident from the Lord's own words in John,
As the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself. `John 5bbb26`.
The Divine Human is what is called 'the Son', `@@@1729`, `@@@2159`, `@@@2628`. In the same gospel,
In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. `John 1bbb4`.
In the same gospel,
Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. `John 14bbb6`.
In the same gospel,
Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me, though he die, will live. `John 11bbb25`.
In the same gospel,
The bread of God is that which`fff1` comes down out of heaven and gives life to the world. `John 6bbb33`.
Man however is not life but an organ or recipient of it, see `@@@2021`, and in various places elsewhere. From this it may be evident that when the Lord was made Jehovah even as to the Human, that which was not life in itself, that is, the merely human, was banished. This is the meaning of the statement that the son of a servant-girl could not inherit together with the son Isaac.
ttt[3] When 'inheriting' in the internal sense has reference to the Lord it means possessing the Father's life, and so possessing life within Himself; and when it has reference to men it means possessing the Lord's life, that is, receiving life from the Lord. This is clear from many places in the Word. Possessing life in Himself is the very Being (Esse) of life, which is Jehovah, whereas possessing the Lord's life, or receiving life from the Lord, is accepting the Lord in love and faith. And because such persons abide in the Lord and are the Lord's they are called His heirs and sons.
ttt[4] In the Old Testament Word 'inheritance' is used to refer both to what is celestial, or good, and to what is spiritual, or truth, though what is celestial is expressed by one word, what is spiritual by another. The first word may be rendered as 'possessing by inheritance', but the second as 'inheriting'. In the original language the first word also implies possession, but the second a derivation from such possession, in the way that celestial and spiritual are related to each other, or good and truth are related. In the present verse, where 'Isaac' represents the Lord's Divine Rational or Divine Human, the word describing possession by right of inheritance is used, for the Lord's Divine Human is sole heir and possessor, as He also teaches in the parable recorded in `Matthew 21bbb33`, `Matthew 21bbbccc37-38`; `Mark 12bbb7`; `Luke 20bbb14`; and in various places declares that all that is the Father's is His.
ttt[5] When 'possessing by inheritance' and 'inheriting' in the Word have reference to men, they mean receiving life from the Lord, and therefore receiving eternal life or heaven, for only those who receive the Lord's life receive heaven. This is clear in John,
He who overcomes will receive all things by inheritance, and I will be his God and he will be My Son. `Revelation 21bbb7`.
In Matthew,
Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters for My name's sake will receive a hundredfold and will be allotted the inheritance of eternal life. `Matthew 19bbb29`; `Matthew ccc25bbb43`; `Mark 10bbb17`; `Luke 18bbb18`.
Here heaven is called 'eternal life', elsewhere simply 'life', as in `Matthew 18bbb8-9`; `Matthew ccc19bbb17`; `John 3bbb36`; `John ccc5bbb24`, `John 5bbbccc29`, the reason being that the Lord is life itself, and anyone who receives His life is in heaven.
ttt[6] In David,
God will save Zion and will build the cities of Judah; and they will dwell there and possess it by inheritance; and the seed of His servants will inherit it, and those loving His name will dwell in it. `Psalms 69bbb35-36`.
Here 'possessing by inheritance' has reference to those in whom celestial love exists, 'inheriting' to those in whom spiritual love exists. In Isaiah,
He who trusts in Me will inherit the land, and will possess by inheritance My holy mountain. `Isaiah 57bbb13`.
Here the meaning is similar.
ttt[7] In Moses,
I will bring you to the land over which I lifted up My hand to give it to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I will give it to you as a hereditary possession. `Exodus 6bbb8`.
In the sense of the letter these words mean that the land of Canaan was to be granted to them as a hereditary possession, which did in fact happen. But in the internal sense they mean that heaven was to be granted to those in whom love to and faith in the Lord were present, for as the Lord is represented by 'Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob' so are love itself and faith itself meant by them, and consequently people in whom love and faith are present, and who accordingly abide in the Lord. These are also meant by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob with whom many will recline at table in the kingdom of heaven, in `Matthew 8bbb11`; for those who are in heaven are completely unaware of Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob, and know only of what is represented and meant by them. And the same goes for 'reclining at table (or eating) with them'. For all names mentioned in the Word mean real things, see `@@@1224`, `@@@1264`, `@@@1876`, `@@@1888`, and the land of Canaan means the heavenly Canaan or heaven, `@@@1585`, `@@@1607`, `@@@1866`, which is also referred to simply as 'the land', `@@@1413`, `@@@1607`, `@@@1733`, `@@@2571`. So too in Matthew,
Blessed are the meek, for they will receive the inheritance of the land. `Matthew 5bbb5`.
`nnn1. or He who
ppp21191#pid#2659. Verse `Genesis 21bbbccc11` And the matter was deeply distressing to Abraham`fff1` because of his son.
'The matter was deeply distressing to Abraham' means the Lord's state at first when He thought about that rational being separated from Himself. 'Because of his son' means for the reason that He delighted in it.
`nnn1. literally, exceedingly evil in Abraham's eyes
ppp21190#pid#2660. 'The matter was deeply distressing to Abraham' means the Lord's state at first when He thought about that rational being separated from Himself, namely a state when because of His love He suffered grief, as becomes clear without explanation.
ppp21189#pid#2661. 'Because of his son' means for the reason that He delighted in it, that is, in the first rational. This is clear from the meaning of 'son', that is to say, the son of the servant-girl, as the merely human or first rational, dealt with already. The reason for the grief is not actually mentioned here but it is nevertheless evident from what follows. Love is plainly the reason for that grief, for it is said [that Abraham was distressed] 'because of his son', and this son is the subject in verses `Genesis 21bbbccc13-21` which follow. But so that it may be known why this grief existed, that is, why it is said that 'the matter was deeply distressing to Abraham because of his son', let the following few comments serve by way of illustration.
ttt[2] The Lord did not come into the world to save those who are celestial, but to save those who are spiritual. The Most Ancient Church, which was called Man, was celestial, and if this Church had remained uncorrupted there would have been no need for the Lord to be born a human being. But as soon as it began to decline the Lord foresaw that the celestial Church would cease to exist altogether in the world, and therefore a prophecy was given there and then about the Lord's Coming into the world, `Genesis 3bbb15`. After the era of that Church there was no longer a celestial Church but a spiritual Church. The Ancient Church, which came after the Flood, was this spiritual Church, referred to many times in Volume One. This Church, or the people who belonged to the spiritual Church, could not have been saved unless the Lord had come into the world. This is what the Lord's words in Matthew are used to mean,
Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. `Matthew 9bbb12-13`.
And the following in John are used with the same meaning,
And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice, and there will be one flock and one shepherd. `John 10bbb16`.
And the same is also meant in the parable about the hundred sheep, in `Matthew 18bbb11-13`.
ttt[3] Now seeing that 'Isaac', representing the Lord's Divine Rational, also means those that are celestial, who are called 'heirs', while 'Ishmael', representing the Lord's merely human rational, also means those that are spiritual, who are referred to as 'sons' - as may also be evident from what has been stated above in `@@@2658` - the words used in the present verse therefore mean that because of His Divine Love the Lord suffered grief. This is also the meaning of what follows in verses `Genesis 21bbbccc13-21`, where Hagar's son and she his mother represent the spiritual Church, and where the subject is the state of that Church, that is, of those who are members of that Church, `@@@2612`. Any further declaration regarding these arcana is not as yet possible. All that can be stated here is that with the Lord when in the world all states of the Church were represented, and also the way in which those who belonged to it were to be saved through Him. Consequently the same states of the Church are also meant by those same names.
ppp21188#pid#2662. Verse `Genesis 21bbbccc12` And God said to Abraham, Do not be distressed`fff1` about the lad and about your servant-girl. Everything which Sarah says to you, hearken to her voice, for in Isaac will your seed be called.
'God said to Abraham' means the Lord's perception from the Divine. 'Do not be distressed about the lad and about your servant-girl' means a change of state towards that rational. 'Everything which Sarah says to you, hearken to her voice' means that He was to act in accordance with spiritual truth. 'For in Isaac will your seed be called' means that from the Lord's Divine Human all salvation is available to those in whom good exists.
`nnn1. literally, Let it not be evil in your eyes
ppp21187#pid#2663. 'God said to Abraham' means the Lord's perception from the Divine. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in historical parts of the Word as perceiving, often dealt with already. And since the perception came from the Divine the words 'God said to Abraham' occur here. Both of these - God and Abraham - are used to mean the Lord. The fact that historical descriptions which belong to the sense of the letter divide things into separate ideas, whereas the internal sense makes them one, is evident from the following considerations: In the historical sense of the letter two are described as talking to each other, namely God and Abraham; but in the internal sense there is only one, namely the Lord in respect to the Divine. From this it is also evident that those who are three in the sense of the letter are one in the internal sense, as it is with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who are not three Gods, but one God; and that the whole Trinity exists complete within the Lord, that is to say, the Father is within Him, as He Himself says, and that the Holy Spirit proceeds from Him, as again He Himself says.
ppp21186#pid#2664. 'Do not be distressed about the lad and about your servant-girl' means a change of state towards that rational. In the internal sense closest to the words themselves the meaning is that He was not to grieve over having to separate the merely human rational from Himself, and also that He did not grieve, because He perceived from the Divine that the separation was necessary, since there was no other way in which the human race could have been saved. This is the change of state that is meant.
ppp21185#pid#2665. 'Everything which Sarah says to you, hearken to her voice' means that He was to act in accordance with spiritual truth. This is clear from the representation of 'Sarah' as the Divine spiritual or Divine Truth, dealt with in `@@@2622`, and from the meaning of 'hearkening to the voice' as acting in accordance with that Truth, dealt with in `@@@2542`. But as to what is meant by acting in accordance with spiritual truth, an intelligible explanation of this to others is less easy than the perception of it by those who know the internal sense. Consequently any statement made according to the way in which the latter perceive what is meant could hardly be recognized. And there is the further reason that more arcana have first to be brought out into the open and indeed to be believed before the matter can be explained and then enter into the ideas that constitute his belief. What it means in a general way can be described to some extent, namely that the Lord arrived at a conclusion from the Divine Human, and acted according to it, and so from His own power. For it was by means of Divine Truth that He united the Human to the Divine, and by means of Divine Good that He united the Divine to the Human. Regarding this reciprocal union, see `@@@2004`.
ppp21184#pid#2666. 'In Isaac will your seed be called' means that from the Lord's Divine Human all salvation is available to those in whom good exists. This is clear from the representation of 'Isaac' as the Divine Rational, dealt with already, and so as the Divine Human, since it is in the inmost part of the rational that the human has its beginnings, `@@@2106`; and from the meaning of 'seed', used in reference to Isaac, as the celestial rational, or what amounts to the same, as those who are celestial, dealt with in `@@@2085`, `@@@2661`. 'Your seed being called' accordingly means that they are heirs, and that salvation as a consequence is theirs. Those who are spiritual are also 'the seed', but from the son of the servant-girl, as stated in the next verse, 'And also the son of the servant-girl I will make into a nation, because he is your seed'. Consequently salvation is available to the spiritual as well, provided good exists in them, as will be clear from the internal sense of those words. The Lord too teaches the same in many places, and explicitly so in John,
As many as received Him, to them He gave power to be sons of God, to those believing in His name, who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. `John 1bbb12-13`.
ppp21183#pid#2667. The subject in verses `Genesis 21bbbccc1-7` of this chapter has been the Lord's Human existing united to His Divine, and His Divine united to His Human, and how from that union the Lord's Human was made Divine. For what each particular verse contains, see `@@@2649`. The subject after that was the merely human rational, that it was to be separated (verse `Genesis 21bbbccc8`), because it was not in agreement with the Divine Rational (verse `Genesis 21bbbccc9`), and could not possess the same life as the Divine Rational, neither as to truth nor as to good (verse `Genesis 21bbbccc10`); that at first that separation was something over which the Lord was to grieve (verse `Genesis 21bbbccc11`), but that from the Divine He perceived that there was no other way in which the human race could have been saved (verse `Genesis 21bbbccc12`). What follows next has to do with those who belonged to the spiritual Church and who are meant by Hagar's son after he had been sent away.
ppp21182#pid#2668. Verse `Genesis 21bbbccc13` And also, the son of the servant-girl I will make into a nation, because he is your seed.
'Also, the son of the servant-girl I will make into a nation' means the spiritual Church which was to receive the good of faith. 'Because he is your seed' means that from the Lord's Divine Human salvation is available to them also.
ppp21181#pid#2669. 'Also, the son of the servant-girl I will make into a nation' means the spiritual Church which was to receive the good of faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'the son of the servant-girl' and also of 'a nation'. 'The son of the servant-girl' or Ishmael, while he was in Abraham's house, that is, while he was with Abraham, represented the Lord's first rational, as shown in `@@@2652`, `@@@2653`, `@@@2657`, `@@@2658`. But now he has been separated he takes on another representation, namely that of the spiritual Church, `@@@2666`. A similar change of representation occurred previously with Lot who while with Abraham represented the Lord's external man, `@@@1428`, `@@@1429`, `@@@1434`, `@@@1547`, `@@@1597`, `@@@1598`, `@@@1698`, but once he had been separated from Abraham he represented the external Church and many states of that Church, `@@@2324`, `@@@2371`, `@@@2399`, `@@@2422`, `@@@2459`, and in the whole of Chapter `Genesis ccc19bbb0`. As regards 'nation' meaning good, see `@@@1159`, `@@@1258-1260`, `@@@1416`, `@@@1849`. Here the good of faith is meant since it has reference to the spiritual Church. Hence the words used here, 'Also, the son of the servant-girl I will make into a nation', mean the spiritual Church which was to receive the good of faith, which is charity.
ttt[2] The Lord's kingdom in heaven and on earth is celestial and spiritual, and therefore angels are distinguished into those who are celestial and those who are spiritual, see `@@@202`, `@@@337`. To celestial angels the Lord appears as the Sun, to spiritual as the Moon, `@@@1053`, `@@@1521`, `@@@1529-1531`. Men in a similar way are distinguished into those who are celestial and those who are spiritual. Those who belonged to the Most Ancient Church which existed before the Flood were celestial, dealt with in `@@@607`, `@@@608`, `@@@784`, `@@@895`, `@@@920`, `@@@1114-1125`, while those who belonged to the Ancient Church which existed after the Flood were spiritual, dealt with in `@@@609`, `@@@640`, `@@@641`, `@@@765`. For what the difference was between those two Churches, see `@@@567`, `@@@607`, and for what the difference is between what is celestial and what is spiritual, `@@@81`, `@@@1155`, `@@@1577`, `@@@1824`, `@@@2048`, `@@@2069`, `@@@2088`, `@@@2227`, `@@@2507`. The celestial are referred to by the Lord in the following,
He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out. And when He has led out His own sheep He goes before them, and the sheep follow Him, for they know His voice.
The spiritual however are referred to in these words,
And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice, and there will be one flock and one shepherd. `John 10bbb3-4`, `John 10bbbccc16`.
The good of love is that which constitutes the celestial Church, but the good of faith that which constitutes the spiritual Church. The truth of faith does not constitute the Church but leads into it.
ppp21180#pid#2670. 'Because he is your seed' means that from the Lord's Divine Human salvation is available to them also. This becomes clear from what has been stated above in `@@@2666`. For 'seed' means faith, but faith that springs from charity, see `@@@255`, `@@@880`, `@@@1025`, `@@@1447`, `@@@1610`, `@@@1940`.
ppp21179#pid#2671. The subject in verses `Genesis 21bbbccc13-21` is in general the Lord's spiritual kingdom, and specifically it is those who are becoming spiritual. This subject is dealt with in order, from the first state of their reformation to the last. Their state prior to reformation is one in which they wander from one position to another in matters of doctrine regarding faith (verse `Genesis 21bbbccc14`). They are reduced to a state of ignorance, so that they do not know any truth at all (verse `Genesis 21bbbccc15`). This gives rise to grief in them (verse `Genesis 21bbbccc16`), but at the same time comfort and help come from the Lord (verse `Genesis 21bbbccc17`), and enlightenment (verse `Genesis 21bbbccc18`), and instruction from the Word (verse `Genesis 21bbbccc19`). Their state after reformation, compared with those who are celestial, is still obscure (verse `Genesis 21bbbccc20`), but light comes to them from the Lord's Divine Human within their affection for knowledge and apparent truths (verse `Genesis 21bbbccc21`).
ppp21178#pid#2672. Verse `Genesis 21bbbccc14` And in the morning Abraham rose up early, and took bread and a flask of water, and gave them to Hagar. He put them on her shoulder, and the boy, and sent her away; and she went and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.
'In the morning Abraham rose up early' means the Lord's clear perception from the Divine. 'And he took bread and a flask of water' means good and truth. 'And gave them to Hagar' means implantation within the life of the exterior man. 'And he put them on her shoulder' means as much as the exterior man was able to receive. 'And the boy' means spiritual truth. 'And sent her away' means that He left the exterior man immersed in the proprium. 'And she went and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba' means a state of wandering from one position to another in matters of doctrine regarding faith.
ppp21177#pid#2673. 'In the morning Abraham rose up early' means the Lord's clear perception from the Divine. This is clear from the meaning of 'morning' and of 'rising up in the early morning' as perceiving clearly, dealt with in `@@@2540`, where the same words occur, and from the representation of 'Abraham' as the Lord's Divine, often dealt with already. The Lord had a clear perception from the Divine regarding the state of His spiritual kingdom, that is to say, what those who belong to that kingdom or Church are like at the beginning, what they are like in the consecutive stages after that, and what they at length come to be like. For every one of their states is described exactly and completely in the internal sense of verses `Genesis 21bbbccc13-21` of this chapter.
ppp21176#pid#2674. 'And he took bread and a flask of water' means good and truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'bread' as that which is celestial, or good, dealt with in `@@@276`, `@@@680`, `@@@2165`, and from the meaning of 'water' as that which is spiritual, or truth, dealt with in `@@@28`, `@@@680`, `@@@739`. The expression 'a flask of water' is used because it is a very small amount of truth that people are granted to begin with, that is to say, as much as they are able to receive at that time - that capacity to receive being meant by the words 'he put them on her shoulder', `@@@2676`. Anyone may see that these historical details embody arcana from the fact that Abraham, who was rich in flocks and herds, also in silver and gold, sent away his servant-girl who had borne his son, and the boy Ishmael whom he loved much, with no more than some bread and some water in a flask. He could also foresee that they would die once they had used these up, which would indeed have happened if the angel had not come to their aid. What is more, these details regarding the bread and the flask of water, and their being placed on her shoulder, are not really important enough to be mentioned. But this incident did in fact take place, and it has been recorded because these details embody and mean the first state of those who are becoming spiritual, to whom to begin with some good and some truth, and indeed only a small amount, are supplied; and after that their water comes to an end, at which point they receive help from the Lord.
ppp21175#pid#2675. 'And gave them to Hagar' means implantation within the life of the exterior man. This is clear from the meaning of 'Hagar' as the life of the exterior man, dealt with in `@@@1896`, `@@@1909`, the life of the exterior man being the affection for knowledge, meant specifically by 'Hagar the Egyptian'. With those who are becoming spiritual, good and truth are implanted by the Lord within the affection for knowledge, in order that they may desire to know and to learn what good and truth are, to the end and purpose that they may become rational and also spiritual. For the affection for knowledge is 'the mother' through whom the rational that has the spiritual within it is born, `@@@1895`, `@@@1896`, `@@@1902`, `@@@1910`. An entering in of the Lord like this does indeed take place with all, but none receive it for that end and purpose except those who are able to be reformed. The rest receive it for other ends and purposes, which are countless, having only themselves and the world in view.
ppp21174#pid#2676. 'He put them on her shoulder' means as much as the exterior man was able to receive. This is clear from the meaning of 'shoulder' as all power, dealt with in `@@@1085`, and so as much good and truth as people are able to receive.
ppp21173#pid#2677. 'And the boy' means spiritual truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'the boy', here as that which is called the spiritual, for Ishmael or the son of the servant-girl here represents the member of the spiritual Church. And because that member at first is represented here, the expression 'the boy' is used here.
ppp21172#pid#2678. 'He sent her away' means that He left the exterior man immersed in the proprium. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'being sent away' when this is done by Abraham, who represents the Lord; and also from the first state of those who are being reformed and becoming spiritual. Their first state is a state when they imagine that they do what is good and think what is true of themselves, thus from what is properly their own. Nor during this state do they know anything different. And when they are told that everything good and everything true originates in the Lord, they do not, it is true, reject the idea; yet they do not in their hearts accept it because they do not feel or inwardly perceive that anything flows in from any other source than themselves. Such being the state at first of all who are being reformed, the Lord therefore leaves them immersed in the proprium. Nevertheless without their knowing it they are led by means of their proprium.
ppp21171#pid#2679. 'And she went and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba' means a state of wandering from one position to another in matters of doctrine regarding faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'going and wandering in the wilderness' as a state of wandering from one position to another, and from the meaning of 'Beersheba' as the doctrine of faith, dealt with at the end of this chapter, where it is said that Abraham and Abimelech made a covenant in Beersheba, verse `Genesis 21bbbccc32`, and Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, verse `Genesis 21bbbccc33`. The present verse describes the nature of the state to begin with of those who are being reformed, that is to say, it is a state when they are carried away into various errors. For they are given by the Lord to think much about eternal life, and so to think much about the truths of faith; but because they do so from the proprium, as has been stated, they cannot do other than wander into this position and then into that both in doctrine and in life. Thus they hold to that as being the truth which has been instilled into them since early childhood, or which is impressed on them by others, or which they think out for themselves, quite apart from the consideration that various affections of which they are not aware exist to mislead them. These people are like fruit as yet unripe, to which shape, beauty, and flavour cannot be given in an instant, or like tender blades of corn which are unable to flower or to grow ears in an instant. The ideas however which enter in at that time, even though they are for the most part erroneous, are nevertheless such as may serve to promote growth; and later on when those persons are being reformed, such erroneous ideas are partly separated, and partly are of use in imparting so to speak nourishment and juices to the life that follows. These in turn can be adapted partly to the implantation subsequently of goods and truths by the Lord, and partly to serving as the ultimate planes for spiritual things. Thus they serve continuously as means to reformation, which means follow consecutively in an unbroken chain and order. For every least thing with man is foreseen by the Lord and is provided by Him for his future state which continues for ever. This is done for his own good, to the extent that this is in any way possible and the person allows himself to be led by the Lord.
ppp21170#pid#2680. Verse `Genesis 21bbbccc15` And the water from the flask was used up, and she put the boy under one of the shrubs.
'The water from the flask was used up' means the desolation of truth. 'And she put the boy under one of the shrubs' means despair that no truth or good at all was perceived.
ppp21169#pid#2681. 'The water from the flask was used up' means the desolation of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'being used up' as being made desolate, and from the meaning of 'water' as truth, dealt with in `@@@28`, `@@@680`, `@@@739`.
ppp21168#pid#2682. 'And she put the boy under one of the shrubs' means despair that no truth or good at all was perceived. This is clear from the meaning of 'the boy' as spiritual truth, dealt with in `@@@2669`, `@@@2677`, and from the meaning of 'a shrub' or a bush as perception, yet so small as to be scarcely anything at all - that smallness being the reason for the use of the expression, 'under one of the shrubs' (for by 'shrubs' the same is meant, though in a minor degree, as by trees, which mean perceptions, see `@@@103`, `@@@2163`) - and also from the feeling expressed in the action, which is the feeling of despair. From this it is evident that 'she put the boy under one of the shrubs' means despair that no truth or good at all was perceived. That being put under one of the shrubs means being left desolate so far as truth and good are concerned, to the point of despair, is evident in Job,
In poverty and in hunger, one all alone. They were fleeing to the drought, to the previous night's desolation and devastation, picking mallows on the shrub; in the cleft of the valleys to dwell, in holes of the dust and rocks; among the shrubs they were groaning, under the wild thistle they were joined together. `Job 30bbb3-4`, `Job 30bbbccc6-7`.
This is a reference to the desolation of truth, which is described by means of expressions used commonly in the Ancient Church - for the Book of Job is a book of the Ancient Church - such as 'in poverty and in hunger, one all alone', 'fleeing to the drought, the previous night's desolation and devastation', 'in the clefts of valleys and rocks to dwell', as well as 'picking mallows on the shrubs', and 'groaning among the shrubs'. So also in Isaiah,
They will come and all of them will rest in rivers of desolations, in the clefts of rocks, and on all bushes, and in all water-courses. `Isaiah 7bbb19`.
This also is a reference to desolation, which is described by means of similar forms of expression, namely 'resting in rivers of desolations, in the clefts of rocks, and on bushes'.
ttt[2] In this present verse the subject is the second state of those who are being reformed, which is a state when they are reduced to ignorance, so that they do not know any truth at all, even to the point of despair. The reason they are reduced to such ignorance is so that the persuasive light which shines from the proprium may be extinguished. This light is such that it illuminates falsities as much as it does truths and so leads to a belief in what is false by means of truths and a belief in what is true by means of falsities, and at the same time to trust in themselves. They are also reduced to such ignorance in order that they may be led through actual experience into a recognition of the fact that no good or truth at all originates in themselves or what is properly their own but in the Lord. Those who are being reformed are reduced to ignorance, even to the state of despair, at which point they receive comfort and enlightenment, as is clear from what follows. For the light of truth from the Lord cannot flow into the persuasive thinking that originates in the proprium; indeed its nature is such as to extinguish that light. In the next life that persuasive thinking presents itself as the light in winter, but with the approach of the light of heaven a kind of darkness consisting in ignorance of all truth takes the place of that wintry light. This state with those who are being reformed is called a state of desolation of truth, and is also frequently the subject in the internal sense of the Word.
ttt[3] But few are able to know about that state because few at the present day are being regenerated. To people who are not being regenerated, it is all the same whether they know the truth or whether they do not, and also whether what they do know is the truth or whether it is not, provided that they can pass a thing off as the truth. But people who are being regenerated give much thought to doctrine and to life since they give much thought to eternal salvation. Consequently if truth deserts them, they grieve at heart because truth is the object of all their thought and affection. The nature of the state of those who are being regenerated and the nature of those who are not may become clear from the following consideration: While in the body a person lives as to his spirit in heaven and as to his body in the world. He is born into both and has been so created that he is in effect able as to his spirit to be with angels, and at the same time to be with men through the things which belong to the body. But since those who believe that they have a spirit which will continue to live after death are few in number those who are being regenerated are few. To those who do believe that they have a spirit the next life forms the whole of their thought and affection, and the world in comparison none at all. But to those who do not believe that they have a spirit the world forms the whole of their thought and affection and the next life in comparison none at all. The former are those who can be regenerated, but the latter those who cannot.
ppp21167#pid#2683. Verse `Genesis 21bbbccc16` And she went and sat by herself some distance away, withdrawing herself about a bowshot, for she said, Let me not see the death of the boy. And she sat some distance away and lifted up her voice and wept.
'She went and sat by herself some distance away' means a state of thought. 'Withdrawing herself about a bowshot' means the extent to which the state was away from the doctrine of truth, 'a bow' meaning the doctrine of truth. 'For she said, Let me not see the death of the boy' means grief that [spiritual truth] would thus perish. 'And she sat some distance away' means a state of thought. 'And lifted up her voice and wept' means a further degree of grief.
ppp21166#pid#2684. 'She went and sat by herself some distance away' means a state of thought. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'going' and also of 'sitting by herself' and of doing so 'some distance away' as these phrases are used in connection with what comes before and after. 'Going' - here going away from the boy - means a removal from spiritual truth, which removal is further expressed and defined by its being said that she withdrew 'about a bowshot'. 'Sitting by herself' means a state of feeling alone, as the state of thought is during grief and despair. 'Some distance away' means so that she could not bear to look and yet could not bear not to look - for 'looking' means thinking, see `@@@2245`, which also is further expressed and defined by her saying, 'Let me not see the death of the boy; and she sat some distance away'. Thus embodied in these words is the state of thought of those who experience desolation of truth and consequently experience despair.
ppp21165#pid#2685. 'Withdrawing herself about a bowshot' means the extent to which the state was away from the doctrine of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'being withdrawn from' as being away from, and from the meaning of 'a bow' as the doctrine of truth, dealt with in the next paragraph. 'Shot' means that it was as far away as possible, as far away as an arrow could be shot from a bow. Here the expression 'a bowshot' is used because the bow is used in reference to the spiritual man, who is also called 'an archer', as he is in verse `Genesis 21bbbccc20` - 'and he dwelt in the wilderness, and was an archer'.
ppp21164#pid#2686. That 'a bow' is the doctrine of faith is clear from its meaning. In the Word, wherever wars are the subject and wherever wars are mentioned, none but spiritual wars are meant in the internal sense, `@@@1664`. There were also in the Ancient Word`fff1` books that were entitled The Wars of Jehovah, as is clear in Moses, in `Numbers 21bbb14-16`. These, which were written in the prophetical style, possessed an internal sense and had as their subject the Lord's conflicts and temptations, and also the Church's conflicts and temptations, and those of members of the Church. This is evident from the fact that some things were selected by Moses from those books, as well as from other books of that Church which were called The Books of the Utterers of Prophecies,`fff2` referred to in `Numbers 21bbb27-30`, where almost the same words occur as in Jeremiah; compare `Numbers 21bbb28` with `Jeremiah 48bbb45`. From this it may also be concluded that the Ancient Church had writings, historical and also prophetical, which were Divine and inspired and which in the internal sense had the Lord and His kingdom as their subject, and that for those people these writings were the Word as the historical and the prophetical books are for us, which in the sense of the letter have to do with the Jews and Israelites but in the internal sense with the Lord and with the things which are His.
ttt[2] As in the Word, and also in the books of the Ancient Church, 'war' meant spiritual warfare, so all weapons such as the sword, spear, buckler, shield, arrows, shafts, and bows meant such things specifically as belong to the warfare that is meant in the spiritual sense. What is meant specifically by particular kinds of weapons will in the Lord's Divine mercy be stated elsewhere. Here the meaning of 'the bow', namely the doctrine of truth, will be shown, and how this meaning is derived from arrows, shafts, or darts, which mean the things of doctrine from which and with which those in particular who are spiritual fight, who in former times were therefore called 'archers'.
ttt[3] That 'the bow' means the doctrine of truth becomes clear from the following places: In Isaiah,
The arrows of Jehovah are sharp, and all His bows are bent. His horses' hoofs are considered as flint, and His wheels as the whirlwind. `Isaiah 5bbb28`.
This refers to the truths of doctrine. 'arrows' are spiritual truths, 'bows' doctrine, 'horses' hoofs' natural truths, 'wheels' their doctrine. It is because such things are meant by them that those objects are attributed to Jehovah, to whom they cannot be attributed except in the spiritual sense, otherwise they would be words that are empty and not appropriate. In Jeremiah,
The Lord has bent His bow like an enemy, He has stood with His right hand like a foe, and has slain all things pleasant to the eye in the tent of the daughter of Zion, He has poured out His anger like fire. `Lamentations 2bbb4`.
'Bow' stands for the doctrine of truth, which is seen by those immersed in falsities as a foe and hostile. No other kind of bow can be spoken of in reference to the Lord. In Habakkuk,
O Jehovah, You ride on Your horses, Your chariots are salvation, Your bow will be made quite bare. `Habakkuk 3bbb8-9`.
Here also 'bow' means the doctrine of good and truth. In Moses,
The archers will exasperate him and shoot at him and hate him. He will sit in the strength of his bow, and the arms of his hands will be made strong by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob; from there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel. `Genesis 49bbb23-24`.
This refers to Joseph, 'bow' standing for the doctrine of good and truth.
ttt[4] In John,
I saw, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; to him a crown was given. `Revelation 6bbb2`.
'A white horse' stands for wisdom, 'he who sat on it' for the Word, as is made explicit in `Revelation 19bbb13`, where the white horse is referred to again. And because 'he who sat on it' is the Word it is clear that 'a bow' means the doctrine of truth. In Isaiah,
Who stirred up righteousness from the east, called him to be His follower, gave nations before Him, and caused Him to have dominion over kings? He made them as dust to His sword, as driven stubble to His bow. `Isaiah 41bbb2`.
This refers to the Lord, 'sword' standing for truth, 'bow' for doctrine derived from Him. In the same prophet,
I will set a sign among them, and I will send survivors from them to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan. `Isaiah 66bbb19`.
'Those who draw the bow' stands for teachers of doctrine. For what Tarshish means, see `@@@1156`; Lud, `@@@1195`, `@@@1231`; Tubal, `@@@1151`; Javan, `@@@1152`, `@@@1153`, `@@@1155`.
ttt[5] In Jeremiah, At the noise of the horseman and of him who wields the bow the whole city takes to flight. They have entered clouds and climbed up on rocks. The whole city has been forsaken. `Jeremiah 4bbb29`.
'The horseman' stands for those who declare the truth, 'the bow' for the doctrine of truth, which they flee from or fear who are immersed in falsities. In the same prophet,
Set yourselves in array against Babylon round about; O all you who bend the bow, shoot at her, spare no arrow, for she has sinned against Jehovah. `Jeremiah 50bbb14`, `Jeremiah 50bbbccc29`; `Jeremiah ccc51bbb2-3`.
Here 'those who shoot and bend the bow' stands for declarers and teachers of the doctrine of truth.
ttt[6] In Zechariah,
I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be cut off, and He will speak peace to the nations. `Zechariah 9bbb10`.
'Ephraim' stands for the Church's understanding of truth, 'bow' for doctrine. In Samuel,
David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan, his son, and told [them] to teach the children of Judah the bow. `2 Samuel 1bbb17-18`.
Here 'the bow' is not the subject but doctrinal matters regarding faith. In Ezekiel,
The Lord Jehovih has said, This is the day of which I have spoken, and those who dwell in the cities of Israel will go out, and they will make fires of and burn the weapons, both shield and buckler, bow and arrows, both hand-staff and spear; and they will make a fire of them for seven years. `Ezekiel 39bbb8-9`.
The weapons mentioned here are all weapons for spiritual war. 'Bow and arrows' stands for doctrine and its truths. Furthermore when truths themselves separated from goods are represented visually in the next life they are seen as arrows.
ttt[7] Just as 'the bow' means the doctrine of truth, so in the contrary sense it means the doctrine of falsity. In the Word things like these nearly always have a contrary sense, as stated and shown in various places; as in Jeremiah,
Behold, a people coming from the land in the north, and a mighty nation will be stirred up from the furthest parts of the earth. They lay hold on bow and spear; it is cruel and they will have no pity. Their voice will roar like the sea, they will ride upon horses, every one set in array as a man for battle, against you, O daughter of Zion! `Jeremiah 6bbb22-23`.
Here 'bow' stands for the doctrine of falsity. In the same prophet,
Behold, a people coming from the north, a mighty nation, and many kings will be stirred up from the furthest parts of the earth. They have hold of bow and spear; they are cruel and have no pity. `Jeremiah 50bbb41-42`.
Here the meaning is similar. In the same prophet,
They bend their tongue; their bow is a bow of lies and not used for truth. They grow strong in the land, for they have gone on from evil to evil and do not know Me. `Jeremiah 9bbb2-3`.
'A bow', it is quite evident, means the doctrine of falsity, for it is said that 'they bend their tongue, their bow is a bow of lies and not for truth'.
ttt[8] In the same prophet,
Jehovah Zebaoth has said, Behold, I am breaking the bow of Elam, the chief of its might. `Jeremiah 49bbb35`.
In David,
Come, behold the works of Jehovah who makes desolations in the earth, making wars cease even to the end of the earth, He breaks the bow, shatters the spear, and burns the chariots`fff3` with fire. `Psalms 46bbb8-9`.
In the same author,
In Judah God is known, in Israel His name is great, and in Salem will His tabernacle be, and His dwelling-place in Zion. There He broke the bow's fiery darts, the shield and the sword, and war. `Psalms 76bbb1-3`.
In the same author;
Behold, the wicked bend the bow, they prepare their shafts upon the string to shoot in the darkness at the upright in heart. `Psalms 11bbb2`.
Here 'bow and shafts' plainly stands for matters of doctrine concerning falsity.
`nnn1. The text has Church, but the Latin is clearly Word.
`nnn2. or The Books of Prophetic Utterances. But see `@@@2897`.
`nnn3. literally, carts or wagons
ppp21163#pid#2687. 'For she said, Let me not see the death of the boy' means grief that [spiritual truth] would thus perish. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing the death' as perishing, and from the meaning of 'the boy' as spiritual truth, dealt with above. From this and from the feeling of despair because truth has been made desolate it is evident that it is a more interior grief that these words hold within them.
ppp21162#pid#2688. 'And she sat some distance away' means a state of thought. This is clear from what has been stated above in `@@@2684`, where the same words occur. The reason they occur a second time in this verse is that the state of thought was intensified and made worse to the utmost extremity of grief, as is evident from what went immediately before, 'Let me not see the death of the boy', and from what comes immediately after, 'She lifted up her voice and wept'.
ppp21161#pid#2689. 'And lifted up her voice and wept' means a further degree of grief. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'lifting up the voice and weeping' as the utmost extremity of grief, for weeping with a loud voice is nothing else. Described in this verse is a state of desolation of truth and of withdrawal from truths, as experienced by those who are becoming spiritual. What this state is like must be explained briefly: People who are not able to be reformed have no knowledge at all of what it is to grieve on account of being deprived of truths, for they imagine that no one can possibly become distressed for a reason such as that. The only circumstances, they believe, which can lead to such distress exist when someone is deprived of those good gifts to men that are of a bodily and worldly kind, such as health, position, reputation, wealth, and life. But those who are able to be reformed believe altogether differently. They are maintained by the Lord in the affection for good and in the thought of truth, and therefore come to be distressed when deprived of these.
ttt[2] It is well known that all distress and grief are the result of a person's being deprived of the things for which he has affection, that is, which he loves. Those whose affection is solely for bodily and worldly things, that is, who love solely these, grieve when deprived of them, whereas those whose affection is for spiritual goods and truths, and who love these, grieve when deprived of them. The life in any person is nothing else than affection or love. From this one may see the nature of the state of those who are desolated as regards the goods and truths for which they have affection, that is, which they love; that is to say, one may see that their state of grief, being more interior, is more severe, and that in being deprived of good and truth it is not death of the body which they are bothered about but eternal death. It is their state which is described here.
ttt[3] So that it may also be known which people can be maintained by the Lord in the affection for good and truth and so be reformed and become spiritual, and which ones cannot, this too must be explained briefly. In childhood everyone, when being for the first time endowed with goods and truths, is maintained by the Lord in the affirmative attitude that anything said or taught by parents and teachers is true. With those who are able to become spiritual this affirmative attitude is strengthened by means of facts and cognitions, for whatever they learn and is relevant introduces itself into the affirmative outlook and strengthens it, leading more and more towards affection for it. These are ones who become spiritual in accordance with the essence of the truth in which they have faith, and who are victorious in temptations. But it is quite different with those who are not able to become spiritual. Although in childhood an affirmative attitude exists with them, when they are older they allow doubts to enter in which thus destroy the affirmative attitude towards good and truth. And when they reach adult years they allow denials to enter in, and even the affection for what is false to enter in. If such people were led into temptations they would give in completely. Consequently they are kept free from them.
ttt[4] But the real reason why they allow doubts and subsequently denials to enter in may be traced back to their life of evil. People who lead a life of evil cannot possibly do otherwise. The life in any person, as has been stated, is affection or love, and as is the nature of that affection or love so is the nature of his thought. The affection for evil and the thought of truth never join themselves together. In cases where they seem to join themselves, they do not in fact do so, for the thought of truth exists without the affection for it. With such people therefore truth is not truth, but merely a sound or something on the lips, from which the heart is far away. Even very wicked people can know such truth, better than anybody else sometimes. Some are also so strongly persuaded by truth of that kind that no one can see it as other than genuine. But it is not genuine truth if the life of good is absent. It is affection belonging to self-love or love of the world which causes that strong persuasion of it, which they also defend with a vehemence that is evidence of apparent zeal; indeed they go so far as to condemn people who do not receive it or believe it in a similar way. But this kind of truth varies from one person to another according to his basic way of thinking, the strength of that truth depending on the strength of his self-love or his love of the world. It is, it is true, born together with evil, but it does not join itself to evil, and therefore in the next life is rooted out. It is different in the case of those who lead a life of good; in them the truth itself finds its soil, and its ability to grow, and from the Lord its life.
ppp21160#pid#2690. Verse `Genesis 21bbbccc17` And God heard the boy's voice, and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven and said to her, What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid, for God has heard the boy's voice where he is. 'God heard the boy's voice' means help at that point. 'And the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven' means comfort. 'And said to her, What is the matter, Hagar?' means perception regarding one's state. 'Do not be afraid, for God has heard the boy's voice where he is' means the hope of help.
ppp21159#pid#2691. 'God heard the boy's voice' means help at that point. This is clear from the meaning in the internal sense of 'God hearing the voice 'the words used in the historical sense - as bringing help, and from the meaning of 'the boy' as spiritual truth, dealt with already. Here a state is meant in which the spiritual as regards truth existed, for it is said that 'He heard the boy's voice' and soon after in this verse that 'He heard the boy's voice where he was', that is to say, where he was as to state. And, in the explanations of the verses immediately before, this state was shown to be one of utmost grief because truth had been taken away. The reason it was the boy's voice, not Hagar's, that God is said to have heard is that the state of the spiritual man is the subject. 'The boy', or Ishmael, represents the member of the spiritual Church, 'Hagar his mother' the affection for cognitions of truth, it being within this affection that the grief was felt. Man's rational is born from the affection for factual knowledge as a mother, `@@@1895`, `@@@1896`, `@@@1902`, `@@@1910`, `@@@2094`, `@@@2524`, but his spiritual is born from the affection for cognitions of truth acquired from doctrine, chiefly from the Word. Here the spiritual itself is 'the boy', and the affection for cognitions of truth is 'Hagar'.
ppp21158#pid#2692. 'And the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven' means comfort. This is clear from the meaning of 'calling out of heaven', also of 'the angel of God', as well as of 'Hagar'. 'Calling out of heaven' means influx, 'the angel of God' the Lord, `@@@2925`, `@@@2319`, and 'Hagar' the affection for cognitions of truth, `@@@2691`. An influx of the Lord into the affection for truth, when utmost grief is felt within that affection because truth has been taken away, is that comfort. That which with man flows in from the Lord is said to be 'called out of heaven', because it passes through heaven, and is clearly discernible there; but in man's perception and thought it is obscured and becomes discernible only through a change in the state of his affection, as here by his receiving comfort.
ppp21157#pid#2693. 'And said to her, What is the matter, Hagar?' means perception regarding one's state. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in historical parts of the Word as perceiving, dealt with already, and from the meaning of 'What is the matter, Hagar?' as its state at the time. Although He questions her and says, 'What is the matter, Hagar?' the meaning here is that the Lord knew its state. In the sense of the letter this is a question asked by the Lord, but in the internal sense the infinite perception of all things is meant. One reads in various places in the Word of people being questioned about their state, but the reason why they are questioned is this: Man has no other belief than that no one knows his thoughts, let alone the state of his affection. An added reason is that people may be helped by being able to express their feelings (sensa animi), which usually does them good, see `@@@1701`, `@@@1931`.
ppp21156#pid#2694. 'Do not be afraid, for God has heard the boy's voice where he is' means the hope of help. This is clear from the meaning of 'do not be afraid' as not despairing, for once fear is removed hope is at hand; and from the meaning of 'hearing the boy's voice' as help, dealt with above in `@@@2691`, where similar words occur. The subject in previous verses has been the state of desolation which those people experience who are being reformed and becoming spiritual. But now the subject is the restoration of them, and here their comfort and hope of help.
ttt[2] The fact that those who are being reformed are brought into a state of not knowing any truth, that is, into a state of desolation, insomuch that they experience grief and despair, and that at this point for the first time they receive comfort and help from the Lord, is something that is not known at the present day for the reason that few are being reformed. Those who are such that they are able to be reformed are brought into this state, if not during this life then in the next, where that state is very well known and is called vastation or desolation, regarding which something has been said in Volume One, where also see `@@@1109`. Those who experience such vastation or desolation are brought to the point of despair, and when in that state they receive comfort and help from the Lord, and at length are taken away out of that state into heaven, where in the presence of angels they are taught so to speak anew the goods and truths of faith. The primary reason why they undergo vastation or desolation is so that the things of which they are firmly persuaded, originating in what is properly their own, may crumble, see `@@@2682`, and also that they may receive the perception of good and truth, which perception they are not able to receive until those false persuasions originating in what is their own are so to speak softened. And it is the state of distress and grief even to the point of despair that effects this change. What good is, and indeed what blessedness and happiness are, nobody with even the sharpest mind is able to perceive unless he has experienced the state of being deprived of good, blessedness, and happiness. It is from this experience that he acquires a sphere of perception; and he acquires it to the same degree that he has experienced the contrary state, for the sphere of perception and how far it extends are determined by his experience of the two contrary states. These, in addition to many others, are the reasons for vastation or desolation. Let the following examples illustrate the matter.
ttt[3] Take those people who attribute everything to their own prudence, and little or nothing to Divine Providence. Even if thousands of reasons are produced to prove that Divine Providence is universal, but universal because it exists in every least thing, and that not even a hair falls from the head - that is, nothing however small exists that has not been foreseen and that has not been provided accordingly - their state of thought regarding their own prudence would remain unaltered, except for the brief moment when they feel convinced by such arguments. Indeed if the same matter were proved to them by actual experiences, they would while witnessing or taking part in such experiences acknowledge the truth of it, but after a short while they would revert to their previous outlook. Such experiences have a fleeting effect on people's thought but not on their affection, and unless the affection is broken down the thought remains in its same state as before; for the thought receives its conviction and its life from the affection. But when the feelings of distress and grief enter into them because they have no power at all that is their own to do anything, and those feelings reach the point of despair, their firm persuasion is broken down and their state altered. In this case they can be brought to a conviction that they have no power that is their own to do anything, and that all power, prudence, intelligence and wisdom originate in the Lord. The same is true of people who believe that their faith is self-derived and their good self-derived.
ttt[4] Let a further example illustrate the matter. Take those who have become firmly persuaded that once they have been made righteous no evil resides with them any longer, but has been completely wiped away and destroyed, and thus that they are pure. Thousands of arguments could be used to make it clear to them that nothing is wiped away or destroyed, but that those people are withheld from evil and maintained in good by the Lord who from the life of good which they have led in the world are such that they can be withheld from evil and maintained in good by Him. In addition to these arguments they could be convinced from experiences that they are of themselves nothing but evil, indeed that they are nothing but utterly filthy masses of evil. But in spite of all those arguments and experiences they would still not depart from their opinion and belief. But when they are brought into a particular state in order that they may perceive hell within themselves, and perceiving this so clearly as to despair of the possibility of their own salvation, that firm persuasion is for the first time broken down and with it their pride and their contempt for all others in comparison with themselves, and also their arrogant assumption that they are the only ones who are saved. They can now be brought into a true confession of faith, not merely to the confession that all good comes from the Lord but also that all things exist because of His mercy; and at length they can be brought into humility of heart before the Lord, the existence of which is impossible without acknowledgement of what they are in themselves. From this it is now evident why those who are being reformed or becoming spiritual are brought into the state of vastation or desolation dealt with in the verses previous to this, and how, when experiencing this state even to the point of despair, they for the first time receive comfort and help from the Lord.
ppp21155#pid#2695. Verse `Genesis 21bbbccc18` Rise up, lift the boy up, and strengthen your hand in him, for I will make him into a great nation.
'Rise up' means an uplifting of the mind. 'Lift the boy up' means the spiritual as regards truth. 'And strengthen your hand in him' means support received from this. 'For I will make him into a great nation' means the spiritual Church.
ppp21154#pid#2696. 'Rise up' means an uplifting of the mind. This is clear from the meaning in the Word of 'rising up', for when this expression is used there, it implies, as stated in `@@@2401`, some kind of uplifting. Here an uplifting of the mind is implied because enlightenment in truths, and in the next verse instruction in the same is meant.
ppp21153#pid#2697. 'Lift the boy up' means the spiritual as regards truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'the boy' as the spiritual, in particular as regards truth, dealt with in `@@@2677`, `@@@2687`. For the member of the spiritual Church is regenerated seemingly by means of the truths of faith; but he is not aware that in fact he is regenerated by means of the good allied to truth. For that good is not observable, but presents itself solely in the affection for truth, and after that in a life according to truth. In no way can anyone be regenerated by means of truth unless good accompanies that truth, for truth devoid of good has no life. Consequently no new life at all can come through truth separated from good; but a person acquires it through regeneration.
ppp21152#pid#2698. 'And strengthen your hand in him' means support received from this. This is clear from the meaning of 'being strengthened' as being given support, and from the meaning of 'hand' as power, dealt with in `@@@878`, which is the source of support. 'In him', that is, in the boy, means from it, that is to say, from the spiritual as regards truth. Those who experience internal grief and experience despair because truth is taken away from them are uplifted and supported solely by truth, for it is for that same truth that they suffer grief and despair. In the case of those governed by an affection for good, the good with them desires good, as a person hungers for bread; but in the case of those governed by an affection for truth the good with them desires truth as a person thirsts for water. What 'strengthening your hand in him' means here will not be understood by anyone except from the internal sense.
ppp21151#pid#2699. 'For I will make him into a great nation' means the spiritual Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'a great nation' as the spiritual Church which was to receive the good of faith, dealt with above in `@@@2669`. The expression 'a great nation' is used because the spiritual kingdom is the Lord's second kingdom, also dealt with in that same paragraph. As the member of the spiritual Church is represented by Ishmael, so also is the spiritual Church itself represented by him, as well as the Lord's spiritual kingdom in heaven; for the image and likeness of the one exists in the other. The first state following desolation was described in the previous verse, which was a state of comfort and of the hope of help. Their second state following desolation is described in the present verse, which is a state of enlightenment and of renewal resulting from this enlightenment.
ttt[2] Since these states are unknown in the world, for the reason mentioned previously that few at the present day are being regenerated, let the nature of this state be described as it is experienced by those who are being regenerated in the next life, where that state is very well known. After being comforted with the hope of help, those in the next life who have experienced vastation or desolation are raised up by the Lord into heaven, thus from a state of shade, which is a state of ignorance, into a state of light, which is a state of enlightenment and of resulting renewal, and so into joy which stirs their inmost feelings. It is indeed light into which they enter, of such a nature that it enables them to see not only with their eyes but also at the same time with their understanding. How much this light renews them may become clear from the contrary state from which they have been released. At that time some who have had a childlike disposition and whose faith has been simple appear to themselves in dazzling white garments. Some appear wearing crowns. Some are taken round to many angelic communities and are everywhere received charitably as brothers; and therefore all good that is gratifying to their new life is offered to them. Some are allowed to observe the vastness of heaven, that is, of the Lord's kingdom, and at the same time to discern the blessedness of those who are there, in addition to countless other things there which defy description. Such is the state of initial enlightenment, and of the feeling of renewal resulting from this, of all who come out of desolation.
ppp21150#pid#2700. Verse `Genesis 21bbbccc19` And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went and filled the flask with water, and gave the boy a drink.
'God opened her eyes' means intelligence. 'And she saw a well of water' means the Lord's Word from which truths are drawn. 'And filled the flask with water' means truths from that source. 'And gave the boy a drink' means teaching given in spiritual things.
ppp21149#pid#2701. 'God opened her eyes' means intelligence. This is clear from the meaning of 'opening' - and that it is God who did so - and also from [the meaning] of 'the eyes', as conferring intelligence; for 'the eyes' means the understanding, see `@@@212`, as also does 'sight' or 'seeing', `@@@2150`, `@@@2325`. The expression 'God opens the eyes' is used when He opens interior sight or the understanding, which opening is accomplished by means of an influx into the rational part of the person's mind, or rather into the spiritual part of his rational. The route taken by this influx is the soul, that is, the internal route, of which the person himself is not aware. This influx is his state of enlightenment in which the truths he hears or reads about are confirmed for him by a kind of perception existing within, in the understanding part of his mind. The person himself believes that this enlightenment is innate within himself and that it springs from his own power of understanding; but in this he is very much mistaken. This enlightenment consists in an influx from the Lord by way of heaven into that person's dim, mistaken, and specious sight of things, and by means of the good there causes the things which he believes to become imitations of truth. Only those who are spiritual however are blessed with enlightenment in spiritual matters of faith; and this is the meaning of the expression 'God opens the eyes'.
ttt[2] The reason why 'the eye' means the understanding is that the sight belonging to the body corresponds to that belonging to its spirit, which is the understanding. And because it has this correspondence 'the eye' in the Word, in almost every place where it is mentioned, means the understanding, even where people believe something other is meant, as where the Lord says in Matthew,
The lamp of the body is the eye. If the eye is sound, the whole body is full of light. If the eye has been evil the whole body has been made full of darkness. If therefore the light is darkness, how great is the darkness! `Matthew 6bbb22-23`; `Luke 11bbb34`.
Here 'the eye' is the understanding, the spiritual constituent of which is faith, as also is shown by the explanation added here - 'if therefore the light is darkness, how great is the darkness!' Similarly in the same gospel,
If your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from you. `Matthew 5bbb29`; `Matthew ccc18bbb9`.
'The left eye' is the understanding part of the mind, whereas 'the right eye' is its affection. The command to pluck out the right eye means that if it causes one to stumble one's affection must be disciplined.
ttt[3] In the same gospel,
Blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. `Matthew 13bbb16`.
And in Luke, Jesus said to the disciples, Blessed are the eyes which see what you see. `Luke 10bbb23`.
Here 'the eyes which see' means intelligence and faith, for it was not the mere fact that they saw the Lord and also His miracles and works that caused any one of the disciples to be blessed but the fact that they could grasp things with their understandings and had faith, meant by 'seeing with the eyes', and that they were obedient, meant by 'hearing with the ears'. As regards 'seeing with the eyes' meaning to see with the understanding and also to have faith, see `@@@897`, `@@@2325`. For the understanding is the spiritual complement of sight, and faith the spiritual complement of the understanding. The sight of the eye is received from the light of the world, the sight of the understanding from the light of heaven flowing into things which belong to the light of the world; but the sight of faith is received from the light of heaven. This is the origin of such phrases as seeing with the understanding and seeing with faith. 'Hearing with the ear' means being obedient, see `@@@2542`.
ttt[4] In Mark,
Jesus said to the disciples, Do you not yet know nor understand? Do you still have your heart hardened? Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? `Mark 8bbb17-18`.
Here it is evident that 'having eyes but not seeing' means not wishing to understand and not believing. In Luke,
Jesus said of the city, Would that you knew the things that make for your peace! But such is hidden from your eyes. `Luke 19bbb41-42`.
And in Mark,
By the Lord has this been done, and it is marvellous in our eyes. `Mark 12bbb11`.
Here 'hidden from the eyes' and 'marvellous in the eyes' mean to be so to the understanding, as is well known to everyone from the meaning of 'the eyes' even in everyday speech.
ppp21148#pid#2702. 'And she saw a well of water' means the Lord's Word from which truths are drawn. This is clear from the meaning of 'a well of water' and of 'a spring' as the Word, also as doctrine drawn from the Word, and consequently as truth itself, dealt with in what follows immediately below; and from the meaning of 'water' as truth. That 'a well' which has water in it, and 'a spring', mean the Word of the Lord, also doctrine drawn from the Word, and so consequently truth itself, may become clear from very many places. Here because the subject is the spiritual Church the word 'well' and not spring is used in subsequent verses of this chapter,
Abraham reproached Abimelech on account of the well which Abimelech's servants had seized (verse `Genesis 21bbbccc25`).
Also in `Genesis 26bbb0`,
All the wells which the servants of Isaac's father had dug, in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines stopped up. And Isaac returned and dug [again] the wells of water which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father, for the Philistines had been stopping them up after Abraham's death. And Isaac's servants dug in the valley and found there a well of living waters. And they dug another well and disputed over that also. And he moved on from there and dug another well, and they did not dispute over that. And it happened on that day, that Isaac's servants came and pointed out to him the reasons for the well which they had dug; and they said to him, We have found waters (verses `Genesis 21bbbccc15`, `Genesis 21bbbccc18-22`, `Genesis 21bbbccc25`, `Genesis 21bbbccc32`).
ttt[2] In these verses nothing else is meant by 'wells' than matters of doctrine - both those about which they disputed, and those about which they did not. Otherwise their digging of wells and their disputing so many times about them would not be important enough to be mentioned in the Divine Word.
'The well' referred to in Moses in a similar way means the Word or doctrine,
They travelled to Beer. This was the well of which Jehovah said to Moses, Gather the people and I will give them water. Then Israel sang this song: Spring up, O well! Answer from it! The well which the princes dug, which the willing ones`fff1` of the people dug out, as directed by the law-giver, with their staves. `Numbers 21bbb16-18`.
Because 'a well' meant the Word, doctrine drawn from it, and truth itself, this prophetic song therefore existed in Israel - a song in which the doctrine of truth is the inner theme, as is clear from everything contained in the internal sense. From this the name Beer is derived, and the name Beersheba,`fff2` and its meaning in the internal sense as doctrine itself.
ttt[3] Doctrine however that has no truths in it is called 'a pit', or a well with no water in it, as in Jeremiah,
Their illustrious ones sent their lesser ones to the water; they came to the pits; they found no water; they returned with their vessels empty. `Jeremiah 14bbb3`.
Here 'waters' stands for truths, 'the pits in which they found no waters' for doctrine that has no truth within it. In the same prophet,
My people have committed two evils; they have forsaken Me, the source of living waters, to hollow out pits for themselves, broken pits, which cannot hold water. `Jeremiah 2bbb13`.
Here in a similar way 'pits' stands for doctrines that are not true, 'broken pits' for matters of doctrine that have been ravaged.
ttt[4] As regards 'a spring' meaning the Word, also doctrine, and therefore truth, this is seen in Isaiah,
The afflicted and the needy were seeking water, and there was none; their tongue was parched with thirst. I Jehovah will hearken to them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will open rivers on the sloping heights, and springs in the midst of valleys; I will make the wilderness into a pool of water, and the dry land into streams of water. `Isaiah 41bbb17-18`.
In the first place this refers to the desolation of truth, which is meant by the statements that 'the afflicted and needy sought water and there was none', and that 'their tongue was parched with thirst'. Then it refers, as in the present verses in Genesis where Hagar is the subject, to the comfort, renewal, and instruction following desolation, which are meant by the promise that 'Jehovah will open the rivers on the sloping heights, will place springs in the midst of valleys, make the wilderness into a pool of water, and the dry land into streams of water', all of which have to do with the doctrine of truth and the affection acquired from this.
ttt[5] In Moses,
Israel dwelt securely, alone at Jacob's spring, in a land of corn and new wine; even his heavens distil the dew. `Deuteronomy 33bbb28`.
'Jacob's spring' stands for the Word and the doctrine of truth drawn from it. It was because Jacob's spring meant the Word, and the doctrine of truth drawn from it, that when the Lord came to Jacob's spring He talked to the woman from Samaria and taught what is meant by the spring and by water. The incident is described in John as follows,
Jesus came to a city of Samaria called Sychar. Jacob's spring was there. Jesus therefore, weary from the journey, sat thus by the spring. A woman from Samaria came to draw water, to whom Jesus said, Give Me a drink. Jesus said, If you knew the gift of God and who it is who is saying to you, Give Me a drink, you would ask of Him to give you living water. Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again, but he who drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up into eternal life. `John 4bbb5-7`, `John 4bbbccc10`, `John 4bbbccc13-14`.
Because 'Jacob's spring' meant the Word, 'water' truth, and 'Samaria' the spiritual Church, as is the case many times in the Word, therefore the Lord talked to the woman from Samaria and taught that the doctrine of truth is derived from Himself, and that when it is derived from Himself, or what amounts to the same, from His Word, it is 'a spring of water welling up into eternal life'; also that the truth itself is 'living water'.
ttt[6] Similar teaching occurs in the same gospel,
Jesus said, If anyone thirsts let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the scripture says, Out of his belly will flow rivers of living water. `John 7bbb37-38`.
And in the Book of Revelation,
The Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and will guide them to living springs of water; and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. `Revelation 7bbb17`.
In the same book,
To him who thirsts I will give from the spring of living water without price. `Revelation 21bbb6`.
'Rivers of living water' and 'living springs of water' stand for truths which are derived from the Lord, that is, from His Word, for the Lord is the Word. The good of love and charity which comes solely from the Lord is the life of truth. The expression 'he who thirsts' is used of one who is stirred by a love and affection for truth; no other can so thirst.
ttt[7] These truths are also called 'the springs of salvation' in Isaiah,
With joy you will draw water from the springs of salvation, and you will say on that day, Confess Jehovah, call on His name. `Isaiah 12bbb3-4`.
That 'a spring' means the Word, or doctrine drawn from it, is also evident in Joel,
It will happen on that day, that the mountains will drip new wine, and the hills will run with milk, and all the streams of Judah will run with water, and a spring will come forth from the house of Jehovah and will water the river of Shittim. `Joel 3bbb18`.
Here 'water' stands for truths, 'a spring from the house of Jehovah' for the Word of the Lord.
ttt[8] In Jeremiah,
Behold I am bringing them from the north land, and I will gather them from the extremities of the earth, among them the blind one and the lame. With weeping they will come, and with supplications I will bring them to springs of water in a straight path on which they will not stumble. `Jeremiah 31bbb8-9`.
'Springs of water in a straight path' plainly stands for matters of doctrine concerning truth. 'The north land' stands for the lack of knowledge or the desolation of truth, 'weeping and supplications' for their state of grief and despair. 'Being brought to springs of water' stands for renewal and instruction in truths, as in this chapter of Genesis where Hagar and her son are the subject.
ttt[9] The same matters are presented in Isaiah as follows,
The wilderness and the dry land will be glad for them; and the lonely place will rejoice and blossom like the rose. It will bud prolifically, and will rejoice also with rejoicing and singing. The glory of Lebanon has been given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They will see the glory of Jehovah, the majesty of our God. Strengthen the weak hands and make firm the feeble knees. The eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Waters will break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the lonely place; and the dry place will become a pool and the thirsty ground wellsprings of water. `Isaiah 35bbb1-3`, `Isaiah 35bbbccc5-7`.
Here 'a wilderness' stands for a desolation of truth. 'Waters', 'streams', 'a pool', 'wellsprings of water' stand for truths which serve to renew and give joy to people who have experienced vastation and whose joys are described in many ways here.
ttt[10] In David,
Jehovah sends forth springs in the valleys; they will go among the mountains.
They will give drink to every wild beast of the fields; the wild asses will quench their thirst. He waters the mountains from His chambers. `Psalms 104bbb10-11`, `Psalms 104bbbccc13`.
'Springs' stands for truths, 'mountains' for the love of good and truth, 'giving drink' for giving teaching, 'wild beasts of the fields' for people who live by that teaching, see `@@@774`, `@@@841`, `@@@908`, 'wild asses' for those who have none but rational truth, `@@@1949-1951`.
ttt[11] In Moses,
The son of a fruitful one is Joseph, the son of a fruitful one beside a spring. `Genesis 49bbb22`.
'A spring' stands for doctrine from the Lord. In the same author,
Jehovah your God will bring you into a good land, a land of rivers, waters, springs, depths gushing out in valleys and mountains. `Deuteronomy 8bbb7`.
'A land' stands for the Lord's kingdom and Church, `@@@662`, `@@@1066`, `@@@1067`, `@@@1262`, `@@@1413`, `@@@2571`, which is called 'good' from the good of love and charity. 'Rivers', 'waters', 'springs', and 'depths' stand for the truths derived from that good. In the same author,
The land of Canaan, a land of mountains and valleys, on the arrival of the rain of heaven it drinks water. `Deuteronomy 11bbb11`.
ttt[12] That 'waters' means truths, both spiritual and rational, and also factual, is evident from the following places: In Isaiah,
Behold, the Lord Jehovah Zebaoth is taking away from Jerusalem and from Judah the whole staff of bread and the whole staff of water. `Isaiah 3bbb1`.
In the same prophet,
To the thirsty bring water; meet with his bread the fugitive. `Isaiah 21bbb14`.
In the same prophet,
Blessed are you who sow beside all waters. `Isaiah 32bbb20`.
In the same prophet,
He who walks in righteous ways and speaks upright words will dwell on the heights; his bread will be given to him, his water will be sure. `Isaiah 33bbb15-16`.
In the same prophet,
At that time they will not thirst; in the wilderness He will lead them; He will make water flow for them from the rock. And He cleaves the rock and the water flows out. `Isaiah 48bbb21`; `Exodus 17bbb1-8`; `Numbers 20bbb11`, `Numbers 20bbbccc13`.
In David,
He split rocks in the wilderness and caused them to drink abundantly like the depths. He brought streams out of the rock and caused waters to descend like a river. `Psalms 78bbb15-16`.
Here 'rock' stands for the Lord, 'water, streams, and the depths from it' for truths derived from Him.
ttt[13] In the same author,
Jehovah turns rivers into a wilderness, and streams of waters into a dryness. He turns a wilderness into a pool of water, and parched land into streams of waters. `Psalms 107bbb33`, `Psalms 107bbbccc35`.
In the same author,
The voice of Jehovah is upon the waters; Jehovah is upon many waters. `Psalms 29bbb3`.
In the same author,
There is a river whose streams will make glad the city of God, the holy place of the dwellings of the Most High. `Psalms 46bbb4`.
In the same author,
By the word of Jehovah were the heavens made, and all their host by the spirit of His mouth. He gathered the waters of the sea together as a heap; He placed the depths in storehouses. `Psalms 33bbb6-7`.
In the same author,
You visit the earth and delight in it, You enrich it very greatly; the river of God is full of water. `Psalms 65bbb9`.
In the same author,
The waters have seen You, O God, the waters have seen You. The depths trembled, the clouds poured out water. Your way was in the sea, and Your path in many waters. `Psalms 77bbb16-17`, `Psalms 77bbbccc19`.
It is evident to anyone that 'waters' here do not mean waters, and that 'the depths trembled' and 'Jehovah's way was in the sea and His path in the waters', are not meant literally, but that spiritual waters are meant, that is, things of a spiritual kind, which are matters of truth; otherwise it would all be just a heap of meaningless words. In Isaiah,
Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters, and he who has no money, come, buy! `Isaiah 55bbb1`.
In Zechariah,
It will happen on that day, that living waters will flow out of Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. `Zechariah 14bbb8`.
ttt[14] Furthermore when the Church which is about to be established or which has been established is the subject in the Word and it is described by a paradise, a garden, a grove, or by trees, it is usual for it to be described also by waters or rivers running through, which mean things of a spiritual, rational, or factual kind, which are matters of truth. Paradise as described in `Genesis 2bbb8-9`, for example, is also described by the rivers there, verses `Genesis 21bbbccc10-14`, which mean things that are attributes of wisdom and intelligence, see `@@@107-121`. Similar examples occur many times elsewhere in the Word, as in Moses,
Like valleys that are planted, like gardens beside a river, like aloes Jehovah has planted, like cedars beside the waters. Waters will flow from his buckets, and his seed will be in many waters. `Numbers 24bbb6-7`.
In Ezekiel,
He took some of the seed of the land and planted it in a seed field; he took it to be beside many waters. It sprouted and became a spreading vine. `Ezekiel 17bbb5-6`.
'A vine' and 'a vineyard' mean the spiritual Church, see `@@@1069`. In the same prophet,
Your mother was like a vine in your likeness, planted beside the waters; fruitful, and made full of branches by reason of many waters. `Ezekiel 19bbb10`.
ttt[15] In the same prophet,
Behold, Asshur [was a cedar] in Lebanon; the waters caused it to grow, the depth made it high, with its rivers going round about the place of its planting; and he sent out his lines of water to all the trees of the field. `Ezekiel 31bbb3-4`.
In the same prophet,
Behold, on the bank of the river were very many trees, on this side and on that. He said to me, These waters are going out towards the eastern boundary, and they go down over the plain, and they go towards the sea, having been sent away into the sea; and the waters are fresh. And it will be that every living creature that creeps, in every place which the two rivers come to, will live; and there will be very many fish, for these waters go there, and become fresh, so that everything may live where the river goes. Its swamps and its marshes are not healed; they will be given up to salt. `Ezekiel 47bbb7-9`, `Ezekiel 47bbbccc11`.
This refers to the New Jerusalem or Lord's spiritual kingdom. 'Waters going out towards the eastern boundary' means things that are spiritual flowing from those which are celestial, or truths derived from a celestial source, that is, faith springing from love and charity, `@@@101`, `@@@1250`. 'Going down into the plain' means matters of doctrine belonging to the rational, `@@@2418`, `@@@2450`. 'Going towards the sea' means towards factual knowledge, 'the sea' being a gathering together of facts, `@@@28`. 'The living creature that creeps' means the delights which go with these, `@@@746`, `@@@909`, `@@@994`, which will receive their life from 'the waters of the river', that is, from spiritual things derived from a celestial source. 'Many fish' stands for an abundance of appropriate facts, `@@@40`, `@@@991`, while 'swamps and marshes' stands for such as are inappropriate and impure. 'Turning into salt' stands for becoming vastated, `@@@2455`. In Jeremiah,
Blessed is the man who trusts in Jehovah. He will be like a tree planted beside the waters, which sends out its roots beside the stream. `Jeremiah 17bbb7-8`.
In David,
He will be like a tree planted beside streams of water, which will yield its fruit in its season. `Psalms 1bbb3`.
In John,
He showed me a pure river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and of the river, on this side and on that, was the tree of life bearing twelve fruits. `Revelation 22bbb1-2`.
ttt[16] Now because 'waters' means truths in the internal sense of the Word it was therefore commanded in the Jewish Church, for the sake of representation before the eyes of the angels who beheld ritual acts in a spiritual way, that the priests and Levites should wash themselves with water when they came to perform their duties, and that they should do so with water from the layer placed between the tent and the altar, and later on with water from the bronze sea and all the other lavers around the temple, which were there in place of a spring. In a similar way for the sake of representation the ritual involving the water of sin or of expiation which was to be sprinkled over the Levites was established, `Numbers 8bbb7`, also the ritual involving the water of separation from the ashes of the red cow, `Numbers 19bbb2-19`, as well as the requirement that spoils taken from the Midianites were to be cleansed with water, `Numbers 31bbb19-25`.
ttt[17] The water provided out of the rock, `Exodus 17bbb1-8`; `Numbers 20bbb1-13`, represented and meant an abundance of spiritual things, that is, of truths of faith from the Lord. The bitter waters which were made drinkable by means of the wood, `Exodus 15bbb22-25`, represented and meant that truths, from being unpleasant, are made acceptable and gratifying by virtue of good, that is, of the affection for it - 'wood' meaning good which constitutes affection or the will, see `@@@643`. From these considerations one may now see what 'water' means in the Word, and from this what the water used in baptism means, regarding which the Lord says the following in John,
Unless a person has been born from water and the spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God. `John 3bbb5`.
That is to say, 'water' means the spiritual constituent of faith, and 'the spirit' the celestial constituent of it, so that baptism is the symbol of man's regeneration by the Lord by means of the truths and goods of faith. Not that a person's regeneration is accomplished in baptism, but by the life, the sign of which life is denoted in baptism, and into which life Christians who possess the truths of faith because they have the Word must enter.
`nnn1. the willing ones is the primary meaning of the Hebrew expression here. Put the latter also has a derivative meaning nobles, which Swedenborg has in other places where he quotes this verse.
`nnn2. Beer is the Hebrew word for a well, and Beersheba means The well of the oath or The well of seven.
ppp21147#pid#2703. 'And filled the flask with water' means truths from that source. This is clear from the meaning of 'water' as truth, dealt with just above.
ppp21146#pid#2704. 'And gave the boy a drink' means teaching given in things that are spiritual. This is clear from the meaning of 'giving a drink' as giving teaching in truths, and from the meaning of 'the boy' as the spiritual as regards truth, dealt with in `@@@2697`. This state, which is a state when teaching is given, dealt with in this verse, is the third state of people who come out of vastation or desolation. For when they enter a state of enlightenment, that is, of heavenly light, dealt with in verse `Genesis 21bbbccc18`, see `@@@2699`, they are governed by the affection for knowing and learning truths, and when they are governed by that affection truths are imparted to them easily and so to speak spontaneously. People on earth receive those truths from the Word of the Lord or from doctrine, but those in heaven receive them from the angels who never feel more blessed and happy than when they are teaching brethren newly arrived among them and imparting to them the goods and truths which constitute heavenly order and so lead on to the Lord.
ppp21145#pid#2705. Verse `Genesis 21bbbccc20` And God was with the boy, and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and was an archer.
'God was with the boy' means the Lord's presence with those who are spiritual. 'And he grew' means increases. 'And dwelt in the wilderness' means that which is obscure comparatively. 'And was an archer' means the member of the spiritual Church.
ppp21144#pid#2706. That 'God was with the boy' means the Lord's presence with those who are spiritual is clear from the meaning of 'God being with someone' and from the meaning of 'the boy'.
With regard to 'God's being with someone' meaning the Lord's presence, this may be seen without any explanation. The Lord is indeed present with everyone, for from no other source does life flow, and He governs every specific detail of it. This is so even with the worst of men, and in hell itself. But the nature of His presence varies according to the way His life is received. In the case of those who receive the life of the love of His good and truth wrongfully and who pervert it into the loves of what is evil and false, the Lord is present and as far as possible overrules for good their ends in view. But His presence with them is called 'absence' - an absence to the degree that evil is distant from good, and falsity from truth. With those however who do receive the life of the love of the Lord's good and truth it is referred to as 'presence', a presence to the degree of reception. The Lord's presence may be compared to the sun which is present with its heat and light in all plant life according to the reception of it.
With regard to 'the boy' meaning the spiritual as regards truth, this has been stated above. But here he means those who are spiritual because he represents the member of the spiritual Church, also the spiritual Church itself, and in the universal sense the Lord's spiritual kingdom. For when it is said that anyone means that which is spiritual, as here where 'the boy' means the spiritual as regards truth, those who are spiritual are included in the meaning, since the spiritual does not exist without a subject. The same applies to everything else spoken of in the abstracted sense.
ppp21143#pid#2707. 'And he grew' means increases. This is clear without explanation.
ppp21142#pid#2708. 'And dwelt in the wilderness' means that which is obscure comparatively. This is clear from the meaning of 'dwelling' as living, dealt with in `@@@2451`, and from the meaning of 'a wilderness' as that which possesses little life, dealt with in `@@@1927`, here as that which is obscure comparatively. By that which is obscure comparatively is meant the state of the spiritual Church in comparison with the state of the celestial Church, that is, the state of those who are spiritual in comparison with the state of those who are celestial. Those who are celestial are moved by the affection for good, those who are spiritual by the affection for truth. Those who are celestial possess perception, whereas those who are spiritual possess the dictate of conscience. To those who are celestial the Lord appears as a Sun, but to those who are spiritual as a Moon, `@@@1521`, `@@@1530`, `@@@1531`, `@@@2495`. The light which the former have - enabling them to see good and truth from the Lord with their eyes as well as to perceive it - is like the light of the sun in the daytime; but the light which the latter have from the Lord is like the light of the moon at night, and so, compared with those who are celestial, these dwell in obscurity. The reason for this is that those who are celestial dwell in love to the Lord, and so in the Lord's life itself, whereas those who are spiritual dwell in charity towards the neighbour and in faith, and so, it is true, in the Lord's life but in a rather more obscure way. All this explains why those who are celestial never reason about faith or the truths of faith, but because a perception of truth from good exists with them, simply say, 'That is so', whereas those who are spiritual talk and reason about the truths of faith because a conscience for what is good received from truth exists with them. A further reason for this difference is that with those who are celestial the good of love has been implanted in the will part of their minds, where man's chief life resides, but with those who are spiritual it has been implanted in the understanding part, where man's secondary life resides. This is the reason why, compared with the celestial, the spiritual dwell in obscurity, see `@@@81`, `@@@202`, `@@@337`, `@@@765`, `@@@784`, `@@@895`, `@@@1114-1125`, `@@@1155`, `@@@1577`, `@@@1824`, `@@@2048`, `@@@2088`, `@@@2227`, `@@@2454`, `@@@2507`. This comparative obscurity is here called 'a wilderness'.
ttt[2] In the Word 'a wilderness' can mean that which is sparsely inhabited and cultivated, or it can mean that which is totally uninhabited and uncultivated, and so is used in two senses. When it means that which is sparsely inhabited and cultivated, that is, where there are few dwellings, and where there are sheepfolds, pastures, and waters, it means that thing or those persons who, compared with others, have little life and light, as is the case with that which is spiritual or those who are spiritual in comparison with that which is celestial or those who are celestial. When however it means that which is totally uninhabited and uncultivated, that is, where there are no dwellings, sheepfolds, pastures, and waters, it means those who have undergone vastation as regards good and desolation as regards truth.
ttt[3] That 'a wilderness' can mean that which, compared with other places, is sparsely inhabited and cultivated, that is, where there are few dwellings, and where there are sheepfolds, pastures, and waters, is clear from the following places: In Isaiah,
Sing to Jehovah a new song, His praise from the end of the earth, those that go down to the sea, and the fullness of it, the islands and their inhabitants. The wilderness and its cities will lift up [their voice]; Kedar will inhabit the settlements,`fff1` the inhabitants of the rock will sing, they will shout from the top of the mountains. `Isaiah 42bbb10-11`.
In Ezekiel,
I will make with them a covenant of peace and I will banish the evil wild animal from the land, and they will dwell securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods, and I will give them and the places around My hill a blessing. The tree of the field will give its fruit, and the earth will give its increase.`fff2` `Ezekiel 34bbb25-27`.
This refers to those who are spiritual. In Hosea,
I will bring her into the wilderness and will speak tenderly to her; and I will give her her vineyards from it. `Hosea 2bbb14-15`.
This refers to the desolation of truth and to the comfort that follows later.
ttt[4] In David,
The folds of the wilderness drip, and the hills gird themselves with rejoicing; the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, and the valleys are covered over with grain. `Psalms 65bbb12-13`.
In Isaiah,
I will make the wilderness into a pool of water, and the parched land into streams of water. I will put in the wilderness the shittim-cedar, and the myrtle, and the oil tree. I will set in the wilderness the fir, that men may see and know, and may consider and understand together, for the hand of Jehovah has done this, and the Holy One of Israel has created it. `Isaiah 41bbb18-20`.
This refers to the regeneration of those who have no knowledge of the truth, that is, gentiles, and to the enlightenment and teaching of those who have experienced desolation. 'The wilderness' is used in reference to these. 'The cedar, the myrtle, and the oil tree' stands for the truths and goods of the interior man, 'fir' for those of the exterior man. In David,
Jehovah turns rivers into a wilderness, and streams of waters into dryness. He turns a wilderness into a pool of water, and parched land into streams of water. `Psalms 107bbb33`, `Psalms 107bbbccc35`
Here the meaning is similar. In Isaiah,
The wilderness and the dry land will be glad for them, and the lonely place will rejoice and blossom like the rose. It will bud prolifically. Waters will break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the lonely place. `Isaiah 35bbb1-2`, `Isaiah 35bbbccc6`.
In the same prophet,
You will be like a watered garden and like a spring of waters whose waters do not fail; and those that be of you will build the wilderness of old. `Isaiah 58bbb11-12`.
In the same prophet,
Until the spirit is poured out on us from on high, and the wilderness will become Carmel, and Carmel counted as a forest. And judgement will dwell in the wilderness and righteousness on Carmel. `Isaiah 32bbb15-16`.
This refers to the spiritual Church which, though inhabited and cultivated, is, in comparison [with the celestial Church], called 'a wilderness', for it is said that 'judgement will dwell in the wilderness and righteousness on Carmel'. It is evident from the places just quoted that 'a wilderness' means an obscure state compared with other states not only because it is described as 'a wilderness' but also as 'a woodland'; and an obscure state is plainly the meaning in Jeremiah,
O generation, observe the word of Jehovah. Have I been a wilderness to Israel, or a land of darkness? `Jeremiah 2bbb31`.
ttt[5] That 'a wilderness' can mean that which is totally uninhabited and uncultivated, that is, where there are no dwellings, sheepfolds, pastures, and waters, and so can mean those who have experienced vastation as regards good and desolation as regards truth, is also clear from the Word. This kind of wilderness is used with two different meanings; that is to say, it may be used in reference to those who are subsequently reformed or in reference to those who are unable to be reformed. Regarding those who are subsequently reformed, such as Hagar and her son represent here, it is said in Jeremiah,
Thus said Jehovah, I have remembered you, the mercy of the days of your youth, your going after Me in the wilderness, in a land not sown. `Jeremiah 2bbb2`.
This refers to Jerusalem, which in this case means the Ancient Church that was spiritual. In Moses,
The portion of Jehovah is His people, Jacob is the line of His inheritance. He found him in a wilderness land and in the waste, the howling, the lonely place. He encompassed him, led him to understand, and kept him as the pupil of His eye. `Deuteronomy 32bbb9-10`.
In David,
They wandered in the wilderness, in a desolate way; they did not find an inhabited city. `Psalms 107bbb4`.
This refers to those who have experienced desolation of truth and are being reformed. In Ezekiel,
I will bring you to the wilderness of the peoples and I will enter into judgement with you there, as I entered into judgement with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt. `Ezekiel 20bbb35-36`.
This likewise refers to the vastation and desolation of those who are being reformed.
ttt[6] The travels and wanderings of the Israelites in the wilderness represented nothing else than the vastation and desolation prior to reformation of those who have faith. It consequently represented the temptation of them, for when people undergo spiritual temptations they experience vastation and desolation, as may also become clear from the following in Moses,
Jehovah carried you`fff3` along in the wilderness, as a man carries his son, in [all] the way [you went], until [you reached] this place. `Deuteronomy 1bbb31`.
And elsewhere in the same book,
You shall remember all the way in which Jehovah your God has led you forty years already in the wilderness to afflict you, to tempt you, and to know what is in your heart, whether you will keep His commandments or not. He afflicted you, caused you to hunger, caused you to eat manna which you do not know nor your fathers knew, so that you may recognize that man does not live by bread only but that man lives by all that goes out of the mouth of Jehovah. `Deuteronomy 8bbb2-3`.
And further on in the same chapter,
Do not forget that Jehovah led you in the great and terrible wilderness where there were serpents, fiery snakes, and scorpions, parched places where there was no water, and that He brought you water out of the rock of flint. He fed you in the wilderness with manna which your fathers did not know, that He might afflict you, tempt you, to do you good in the end. `Deuteronomy 8bbb15-16`.
Here 'wilderness' stands for the vastation and desolation such as people experience who undergo temptations. Their travels and wanderings in the wilderness for forty years describe every state of the Church militant - how when it is self-reliant it goes under but when it relies on the Lord it overcomes.
ttt[7] The description in John of the woman who fled into the wilderness means nothing else than temptation experienced by the Church, referred to as follows,
The woman who brought forth the male child fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God. To the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly into the wilderness, into her own place. And the serpent poured water like a stream out of his mouth after the woman, to swallow her up in the river. But the earth helped the woman, for the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the stream which the dragon poured out of his mouth. `Revelation 12bbb6`, `Revelation 12bbbccc14-16`.
ttt[8] That 'a wilderness' may be used in reference to a totally vastated Church and to people totally vastated as regards good and truth who are unable to be reformed may be seen in the following in Isaiah,
I will make the rivers a wilderness; their fish will stink for lack of water and will die of thirst; I will clothe the heavens with thick darkness. `Isaiah 50bbb2-3`.
In the same prophet,
The cities of Your holiness were a wilderness - Zion was a wilderness, Jerusalem lay waste. `Isaiah 64bbb10`,
In Jeremiah,
I looked, and behold, Carmel was a wilderness, and all its cities were destroyed from before Jehovah. `Jeremiah 4bbb26`.
In the same prophet,
Many shepherds have spoiled My vineyard, they have trampled down [My] portion, they have made the portion of My delight into a desolate wilderness. They have made it into a desolation; desolate, it has mourned over Me. The whole land has been made desolate, for nobody takes it to heart. On all the slopes in the wilderness those who lay waste have come. `Jeremiah 12bbb10-12`.
In Joel,
Fire has devoured the folds of the wilderness, and flame will burn up all the trees of the field. The streams of water have dried up, and fire has devoured the folds of the wilderness. `Joel 1bbb19-20`.
In Isaiah, He made the world like a wilderness and destroyed its cities. `Isaiah 14bbb17`.
This refers to Lucifer. In the same prophet,
The prophecy concerning the wilderness of the sea. Like storms in the south it comes from the wilderness, from a terrible land. `Isaiah 21bbb1` and following verses.
'The wilderness of the sea' stands for truth that has been vastated by facts and by reasonings based on these.
ttt[9] All these places show what is meant by the following reference to John the Baptist,
It was said by Isaiah, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare a way for the Lord, make His paths straight. `Matthew 3bbb3`; `Mark 1bbb3`; `Luke 3bbb4`; `John 1bbb23`; `Isaiah 40bbb3`.
These words imply that at that time the Church was so totally vastated that no good and no truth remained any longer. This is quite evident from the fact that nobody at that time knew of the existence in man of anything internal, or of anything internal in the Word, so that nobody knew that the Messiah or Christ was coming to save them for ever. The places quoted above also show what is meant by the statement that John was in the wilderness until the time of his manifestation to Israel, `Luke 1bbb80`, that he preached in the wilderness of Judea, `Matthew 3bbb1` and following verses, and that he baptized in the wilderness, `Mark 1bbb4`; for by this he also represented the state of the Church. From the meaning of 'a wilderness' it may also be seen why the Lord retired so often into the wilderness, as in `Matthew 4bbb1`; `Matthew 15bbb32`-end; `Mark 1bbb12-13`, `Mark 1bbbccc35`, `Mark 1bbbccc45`; `Mark ccc6bbb31-36`; `Luke 4bbb1`; `Luke ccc5bbb16`; `Luke ccc9bbb10` and following verses; `John 11bbb54`; and also from the meaning of 'a mountain' why the Lord retired into the mountains, as in `Matthew 14bbb23`; `Matthew ccc15bbb29-31`; `Matthew ccc17bbb1` and following verses; `Matthew ccc28bbb16-17`; `Mark 3bbb13-14`; `Mark ccc6bbb46`; `Mark ccc9bbb2-9`; `Luke 6bbb12-13`; `Luke ccc9bbb28`; `John 6bbb15`.
`nnn1. literally, courts. The Hebrew may mean courts or else villages which Swedenborg has in another place where he quotes this verse.
`nnn2. The Latin means fruit but the Hebrew means increase which Swedenborg has in other places where he quotes this verse.
`nnn3. The Latin means them but the Hebrew means you.
ppp21141#pid#2709. 'And was an archer' means the member of the spiritual Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'darts, arrows, or shafts' as truth, and from the meaning of 'a bow' as doctrine, dealt with above in `@@@2686`. The member of the spiritual Church was in former times called 'an archer' because such a member uses truths to defend himself, and discusses truths, unlike the member of the celestial Church who is protected by good and does not discuss truths, see above in `@@@2708`. The truths which the member of the spiritual Church uses to defend himself and which he discusses are derived from the doctrine he acknowledges.
ttt[2] The fact that the spiritual man was in former times called 'an archer' and 'a bowman', and that doctrine was called a bow and a quiver, and the truths of doctrine, or rather matters of doctrine, were called arrows, darts, and shafts, is further clear in David,
The children of Ephraim who were armed (they were archers) turned back on the day of battle. `Psalms 78bbb9`.
'Ephraim' stands for the intellectual side of the Church. In the Book of Judges,
You who ride white she-asses, you who sit on Middin,`fff1` and you who walk along the way, may you ponder. From the voice of the bowmen among those drawing water, there they will discuss the righteous acts of Jehovah, the righteous acts of His village in Israel. `Judges 5bbb10-11`.
In Isaiah.
Jehovah called me from the womb, from my mother's body`fff2` He made mention of my name and set my mouth like a sharp sword. In the shadow of His hand He hid me and turned me into a polished arrow; in His quiver He hid me, and He said to me, You are My servant Israel, for I will be glorified in you. `Isaiah 49bbb1-3`.
'Israel' stands for the spiritual Church.
ttt[3] In David,
Like arrows in the hand of a powerful man so are the children of the days of one's youth. Blessed is the man who has filled his quiver with them. `Psalms 127bbb4-5`.
'A quiver' stands for the doctrine of good and truth. In Habakkuk,
The sun, the moon, stood still in their place. At the light of Your arrows they will go, at the flash of Your glittering spear. `Habakkuk 3bbb11`.
In the reference to Joash king of Israel who at Elisha's command shot the arrow from the bow through the window, with Elisha saying as he shot it, Jehovah's arrow of salvation, Jehovah's arrow of salvation against the Syrian, `2 Kings 13bbb16-18`, arcana to do with the doctrine of good and truth are meant.
ttt[4] Since most things in the Word also possess a contrary sense, darts, arrows, shafts, bows, and archers accordingly possess such. In that contrary sense they mean falsities, doctrine that teaches what is false, and those who are under the influence of falsity, as in Moses,
The son of a fruitful one is Joseph, the son of a fruitful one beside a spring, O daughters,`fff3` he trails over the wall; and they bitterly grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him did the archers. `Genesis 49bbb22-23`.
In Jeremiah,
They shot with their tongue, their bow is a bow of lies and not used for truth. Their tongue is a shaft extended; it speaks deceit. `Jeremiah 9bbb3`, `Jeremiah 9bbbccc8`.
In David,
They sharpened their tongue like a sword, they aimed their shaft, a bitter word, to shoot in secret places at the upright; they will shoot suddenly and will not fear him. They will make strong for themselves an evil matter; they will tell of laying snares secretly. `Psalms 64bbb3-5`.
In the same author,
Behold, the evil bend the bow, they make ready their shaft upon the string, to shoot in thick darkness itself at the upright in heart. `Psalms 11bbb2`.
In the same author,
His truth is a shield and buckler; you will not be afraid of the terror of the night, of the shaft that flies by day. `Psalms 91bbb4-5`.
`nnn1. A Hebrew word, the meaning of which is uncertain.
`nnn2. literally, viscera
`nnn3. The Latin means beside the daughters' spring, but the Hebrew appears to mean beside a spring, O daughters, which Swedenborg has in the chapter explaining `Genesis 49bbb0`.
ppp21140#pid#2710. Described in this verse is the state of the spiritual Church - that it is an obscure state compared with the state of the celestial Church, and that it is a militant state, for the reason that the member of the spiritual Church does not know truth except from doctrine, and not from good itself, as the member of the celestial Church does.
ppp21139#pid#2711. Verse `Genesis 21bbbccc21` And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran; and his mother took for him a wife from the land of Egypt.
'He dwelt in the wilderness of Paran' means the life of the spiritual man as regards good, 'a wilderness' here, as previously, meaning that which is obscure in comparison [with the celestial], 'Paran' enlightenment coming from the Lord's Divine Human. 'And his mother took for him' means the affection for truth. 'A wife from the land of Egypt' means the affection for knowledge, which the member of the spiritual Church possesses.
ppp21138#pid#2712. 'He dwelt in the wilderness of Paran' means the life of the spiritual man as regards good. This is clear from the meaning of 'dwelling' as being used in reference to good residing in truth, which is spiritual good, that is, good present with the spiritual man. The essential nature of that good is described by his dwelling in the wilderness of Paran, dealt with immediately below. That 'dwelling' is used in reference to good residing in truth, or to the affection for truth, is clear from many places in the Word where it is said of cities, which mean truths, that they will be without any inhabitant, by whom good is meant, `@@@2268`, `@@@2449`, `@@@2451`; for truths are inhabited by good, and truths devoid of good are like a city that has no one dwelling in it, as in Zephaniah,
I have laid their streets waste, so that none passes through; their cities are desolate, so that there is no one dwelling in them. `Zephaniah 3bbb6`.
ttt[2] In Jeremiah,
Jehovah was leading us through the wilderness. No man passed through in that [land], and no one dwelt there. They have turned his land into a solitary place, his cities have been burned, so that none is dwelling there. `Jeremiah 2bbb6`, `Jeremiah 2bbbccc15`.
In the same prophet,
Every city has been forsaken, with no one dwelling in them. `Jeremiah 4bbb29`.
In the same prophet,
In the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate there is no human being, no inhabitant, no beast. `Jeremiah 33bbb10`.
'Streets' stands for truths, `@@@2336`, 'no human being' for no celestial good, 'no inhabitant' for no spiritual good, 'no beast' for no natural good. In the same prophet,
The cities of Moab will become a desolation, with no one dwelling in them. `Jeremiah 48bbb9`.
ttt[3] With each particular expression in the Prophets there exists the marriage of truth and good. Consequently when 'a city' is said to be desolate, the phrase 'no one dwelling in it' is also added, the reason being that 'a city' means truths and 'one dwelling in it' good. Otherwise it would be superfluous to say 'no one dwelling in it' when it has been stated that the city is desolate. In a similar way certain terms occur consistently to mean things that belong to celestial good, others that belong to spiritual good, and others also that belong to truths, as in Isaiah,
Your seed will possess the nations, and they will dwell in the desolate cities. `Isaiah 54bbb3`
Here 'possessing' has reference to celestial good, 'dwelling in' to spiritual good. In the same prophet,
My chosen ones will possess it, and My servants will dwell there. `Isaiah 65bbb9`.
Here the meaning is similar.
ttt[4] In David,
God will save Zion and will build the cities of Judah; and they will dwell there and possess it, and the seed of His servants will inherit it, and those loving His name will dwell in it. `Psalms 69bbb35-36`.
'Dwelling there' and at the same time 'possessing' has reference to celestial good, 'dwelling in' to spiritual good. In Isaiah,
He who says to Jerusalem, You will be dwelt in; and to the cities of Judah, You will be built. `Isaiah 44bbb26`.
Here 'dwelling in' has reference to the good of the spiritual Church, which is Jerusalem. To such an extent do the terms used in the Word have reference to their own goods and their own truths that simply from a knowledge of that usage of terms one may recognize what the subject is in general that is being dealt with.
ppp21137#pid#2713. That 'a wilderness' means that which is obscure in comparison is clear from the meaning of 'a wilderness' as that which is obscure, when it has reference to the spiritual man in comparison with the celestial man, dealt with above in `@@@2708`.
ppp21136#pid#2714. That 'Paran' means enlightenment coming from the Lord's Divine Human is clear from the meaning of 'Paran' as the Lord's Divine Human, as is evident from those places in the Word where this name is used, as in the prophet Habakkuk,
O Jehovah, I have heard Your fame; I was afraid. O Jehovah, revive Your work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make it known. In zeal You will remember mercy. God will come out of Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah. His fame has covered the heavens, and the earth has been filled with His praise. And His brightness will be as the light; He has horns going out of His hand, and there the hiding-place of His strength will be. `Habakkuk 3bbb2-4`.
This plainly refers to the Lord's Coming, which is meant by 'reviving in the midst of the years' and 'making known in the midst of the years'. His Divine Human is described by the words 'God will come out of Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran'. He is said to come 'out of Teman' in regard to celestial love, and 'from Mount Paran' in regard to spiritual love; and the springing of these from enlightenment and power is meant by the words 'His brightness will be as the light; He has horns going out of His hand'. 'Brightness' and 'light' mean enlightenment, 'horns' power.
ttt[2] In Moses,
Jehovah came from Sinai, and dawned from Seir upon them; He shone from Mount Paran, and came from myriads of holiness From His right hand came a fiery law for them. He indeed loves the peoples. All His holy ones are in your hand and have been joined together at your feet; and He will receive of your words. `Deuteronomy 33bbb2-3`.
This also refers to the Lord, whose Divine Human is described by the words 'He dawned from Seir' and 'He shone from Mount Paran' - 'from Seir' being used in regard to celestial love, 'from Mount Paran' to spiritual love. Those who are spiritual are meant by 'the peoples whom He loves' and by 'those joined together at your feet', 'the foot' meaning that which is lower, and so more obscure, in the Lord's kingdom.
ttt[3] In the same author,
Chedorlaomer and the kings with him smote the Horites in their Mount Seir as far as El-paran, which is over into the wilderness. `Genesis 14bbb5-6`.
As regards the Lord's Divine Human being meant there by 'Mount Seir' and by 'El-paran', see `@@@1675`, `@@@1676`. In the same author,
So it was, in the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day in the month, that the cloud lifted from over the tabernacle of the testimony. And the children of Israel travelled according to their travels from the wilderness of Sinai, and the cloud settled in the wilderness of Paran. `Numbers 10bbb11-12`.
ttt[4] The truth that all the travels of the people in the wilderness mean the state of the Church militant, and its temptations, in which a person goes under but the Lord conquers on his behalf, and the truth that consequently they mean the Lord's own actual temptations and victories, will in the Lord's Divine mercy be shown elsewhere. And because the Lord underwent temptations by reason of His Divine Human, the Lord's Divine Human is in a similar way meant here by 'the wilderness of Paran'. The same is also meant by the following in the same author,
After that the people travelled from Hazeroth, and camped in the wilderness of Paran. And Jehovah spoke to Moses and said, Send men and let them explore the land of Canaan which I am giving to the children of Israel. And Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran as spoken by the mouth of Jehovah. And they returned to Moses and to Aaron and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, to the wilderness of Paran in Kadesh; and they brought back word to them, and showed them the fruit of the land. `Numbers 12bbb16`; `Numbers ccc13bbb1-3`, `Numbers 13bbbccc26`.
Their travelling from the wilderness of Paran to explore the land of Canaan means that by means of the Lord's Divine Human these people - the children of Israel, by whom were meant those who are spiritual - have access to the heavenly kingdom, meant by the land of Canaan. But their faltering also at that time means their weakness, on account of which the Lord fulfilled everything in the Law, underwent temptations and was victorious, so that those with whom faith grounded in charity resides, also those who undergo temptations in which the Lord is victorious, have salvation from His Divine Human. This also explains why, when the Lord was tempted, He was in the wilderness, `Matthew 4bbb1`; `Mark 1bbb12-13`; `Luke 4bbb1`; see above in `@@@2708`.
ppp21135#pid#2715. Two arcana exist here, the first being that, compared with the good of the celestial man, that of the spiritual man is obscure, the second that this obscurity is brightened by light from the Lord's Divine Human. As regards the first of these - that the good residing with the spiritual man is obscure compared with the celestial man's - this may be seen from what has been stated above in `@@@2708` about the state of the spiritual man in comparison with that of the celestial man. From a comparison of the two states the fact of that obscurity is quite evident. With those who are celestial good itself exists implanted in the will part of their mind, and from there light enters the understanding part. But with those who are spiritual the whole of the will part is corrupted, so that they have no good at all from there, and therefore the Lord implants good in the understanding part of their mind, see `@@@863`, `@@@875`, `@@@895`, `@@@927`, `@@@928`, `@@@1023`, `@@@1043`, `@@@1044`, `@@@2124`, `@@@2256`. The will part is, in the main, the part of man's mind that possesses life, whereas the understanding part receives life from the will. Since therefore the will part in the case of the spiritual man is so corrupted as to be nothing but evil, and yet evil is flowing in from there unceasingly and constantly into the understanding part, that is, into his thought, it is clear that the good there is obscure compared with the celestial man's good.
ttt[2] As a consequence those who are spiritual do not have love to the Lord, as those who are celestial do; nor therefore does that humility exist with them which is essential in all worship and by means of which good can flow in from the Lord; for a heart that is haughty is not at all receptive, only one that is humble. Nor do those who are spiritual have love towards the neighbour, as those who are celestial do, because self-love and love of the world are constantly flowing in from the will part of their mind, bringing obscurity into the good that goes with that love towards the neighbour. This may also become clear to one who reflects from the fact that when he helps another he does so for worldly reasons; thus though he may not consciously have it in mind he is nevertheless thinking about what he will get in return either from those he helps or in the next life from the Lord, which being so his good is still defiled with merit-seeking. It may also become clear to him from the fact that when he has done anything good and is able to speak about it to others and so set himself up above others, he is in his element. But those who are celestial love the neighbour more than they love themselves, and do not ever think about repayment or in any way set themselves up above others.
ttt[3] The good residing with those who are spiritual is in addition made obscure by persuasive beliefs that are the product of various assumptions, which likewise have their origin in self-love and love of the world. For the nature of their persuasive beliefs even in matters of faith, see `@@@2682`, `@@@2689` (end). This too is a product of the influx of evil from the will part of their mind.
ttt[4] It may in addition become clear that the good residing with the spiritual man is obscure compared with the celestial man's, from the fact that he does not know what truth is, as those who are celestial do, from any perception. Instead he knows what truth is from what he has learned from parents and teachers, and also from the doctrine into which he was born. And when he adds to this anything from himself and from his own thinking, it is for the most part the senses and the illusions of the senses, also the rational and the appearances present within the rational, that predominate, and these make it barely possible for him to acknowledge any pure truth like that acknowledged by those who are celestial. But in spite of this, within things that are seemingly true the Lord implants good, even though these truths are mere illusions or else appearances of truth. But this good is made obscure by such truths, for it derives its specific nature from the truths to which it is joined. It is like the light of the sun falling upon objects. The nature of the objects receiving the light causes the light to be seen within those objects in the form of colours, which are beautiful if the nature of the recipient form and the manner of its receiving are fitting and correspondent, hideous if the nature of the recipient form and the manner of its receiving are not fitting and so not correspondent. In the same way good itself acquires a specific nature from the truth [to which it is joined].
ttt[5] The same arcanum is also evident from the fact that the spiritual man does not know what evil is. He scarcely believes that any other evils exist than actions contrary to the Ten Commandments. Of evils present in affection and thought, which are countless, he has no knowledge nor does he reflect on them or call them evils. All delights whatever that go with evil desires and pleasures he does not regard as other than good; and the actual delights that are part of self-love he both pursues, approves of, and excuses, without knowing that such things have an effect on his spirit and that he becomes altogether such in the next life.
ttt[6] From this it is in a similar way clear that although the whole of the Word deals with scarcely any other matter than the good which goes with love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour, the spiritual man does not know that that good is the sum and substance of faith, nor even what the essential nature of love and charity is. It is also clear that though something which is a matter of faith may be known to him - faith being considered by him to be essential in itself - he nevertheless discusses whether it is true, unless he has been confirmed by much experience of life. Those who are celestial do not discuss the same because they know and have a perception that it is true hence the Lord's statement in Matthew,
Let your words be, Yes, yes; No, no; anything beyond this is from evil.`fff1` `Matthew 5bbb37`.
For those who are celestial are immersed in the truth itself about which those who are spiritual dispute. Consequently because those who are celestial are immersed in the truth itself, they are able to see from it numberless facets of that truth, and so from light to see so to speak heaven in its entirety. But those who are spiritual, because they dispute whether it is true, cannot - so long as they do so - arrive at the remotest boundary of the light existing with those who are celestial, let alone behold anything from their light.
`nnn1. or from the evil one
ppp21134#pid#2716. As for the second arcanum - that the obscurity with those who are spiritual is brightened by light from the Lord's Divine Human - it is an arcanum that cannot be explained intelligibly, for it is the influx of the Divine that would have to be described. But one may gain some idea of it simply from the consideration that if the Supreme Divine Itself were to flow into the kind of good that has been described - good that has been defiled by so many evils and falsities - It could not be received; and if anything were received by someone possessing such good he would experience hellish torment and so perish. But the Lord's Divine Human is able to enter into those persons and to brighten such good, much as the sun shining into thick clouds produces in the early morning lovely signs of the dawn breaking. Yet the Lord is unable to present Himself before them as the light of the sun, only as the light of the moon. From this it may be seen that the reason the Lord came into the world was to save those who are spiritual, see `@@@2661`.
ppp21133#pid#2717. 'And his mother took for him' means the affection for truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'mother' as the Church, dealt with in `@@@289`. And because the spiritual Church which is represented here is governed by the affection for truth, and it is this affection which makes it a Church, 'mother' here therefore means that affection.
ppp21132#pid#2718. 'A wife from the land of Egypt' means the affection for knowledge, which the member of the spiritual Church possesses. This is clear from the meaning of 'a wife' as affection or good, dealt with in `@@@915`, `@@@2517`, and from the meaning of 'Egypt' as knowledge, dealt with in `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1186`, `@@@1462`. In this verse the member of the spiritual Church is described so far as the nature of his good, that is, the essence of his life, is concerned - that the good residing with him is obscure, but that it is brightened with light from the Lord's Divine Human. From that brightening of it the affection for truth arises in the rational part of his mind, and the affection for knowledge in the natural part. The reason the affection for good such as resides within the celestial man cannot arise in the spiritual man, but instead the affection for truth, is that the good residing with him is implanted in the understanding part of his mind, and is obscure compared with the celestial man's good, as shown in `@@@2715`. From this good no other type of affection can be generated and derived within his rational than the affection for truth, and through this affection for truth the affection for knowledge within the natural. No other truth is meant in this case than that which the person believes to be the truth, even though it may not in itself be the truth. Nor is knowledge used to mean such knowledge as the learned possess but all factual knowledge with which a person can be taught from what he experiences or hears in everyday life, from doctrine, and from the Word. It is the affection for such truth and knowledge that exists within the member of the spiritual Church.
ttt[2] So that it may be known what is meant by the affection for truth existing with someone and what by the affection for good, let a brief statement be made regarding them. Those with the affection for truth think about, question, and discuss whether a thing is true, whether it is so. And when they are convinced it is true, or is so, they think about, question, and discuss what it is. Thus they remain rooted on the doorstep and cannot be admitted into wisdom until they no longer have any doubts. Those however with whom the affection for good exists know and perceive that the thing is so from the good itself governing them. Thus they do not remain on the doorstep but are in a room inside, having been admitted into wisdom.
ttt[3] Take as an example the consideration that it is a celestial gift to think and to act from an affection for good, or from good. Those with whom the affection for truth exists discuss whether this is so, whether such a gift can exist, and what it may be. And so long as they are turning over doubts about it they are unable to be admitted. But those with the affection for good do not discuss or turn doubts over but assert that the thing is true and are for that reason admitted. For those with whom the affection for good exists, that is, those who are celestial, start off where those with the affection for truth, that is, those who are spiritual, come to a halt, so that the furthest point reached by the latter is the starting point for the former. That being so, those who are celestial are given to know, recognize, and perceive that affections for good are countless - as numerous as the communities in heaven - and that they are all joined together by the Lord into a heavenly form so as to constitute one human being so to speak. They are also given to define by perception the genus and species to which each affection belongs.
ttt[4] Or take this example: All delight, blessedness, and happiness belong wholly to love, but the nature of the love determines that of the delight, blessedness, and happiness. The spiritual man fixes his mind on the question whether this is true and whether delight, blessedness, and happiness may not spring from some other source, such as from mixing with others, talking to others, meditation, or learning, and also whether they reside in possessions, position, reputation, and the glory resulting from these. As long as he is asking such questions he does not confirm himself in the truth that none of these accomplishes anything, only the affection born of love which is present within them and making them what they are. The celestial man however does not remain rooted in such preliminary questionings but immediately asserts that the thing is true. Consequently he is interested in the end in view and the realization of this, that is, he is governed by the very affections born of love which are countless, and in each one of which there are things beyond description, involving variations of delight, blessedness, and happiness that have no end.
ttt[5] Take as a further example the consideration that the neighbour is to be loved for the good that resides with him. Those with whom the affection for truth exists think, question, and discuss whether this is true, that is, whether it is so. They ask what the neighbour is, what good is; but they go no further than this, and therefore they shut the door to wisdom against themselves. Those however with the affection for good assert that the thing is so and do not consequently shut the door against themselves but enter in and so come to know, recognize, and perceive from good who is pre-eminently the neighbour, also in what degree he is the neighbour, and that everyone in differing ways is the neighbour. Thus they perceive things beyond description, over and above what is known to those with the affection solely for truth.
ttt[6] Take as yet another example the truth that a person who loves the neighbour for the good within him loves the Lord. Those with the affection for truth question whether this is so. And if they are told that anyone who loves the neighbour for the good within him loves the good, and that - since all good comes from the Lord and the Lord is present in good - when anyone loves good he also loves the Lord from whom that good comes and in which He is present, they then question whether that too is so. They also ask what loving good is, as well as what good is, and whether the Lord is present more so in good than in truth. As long as they remain rooted in such questionings they cannot get even a distant view of wisdom. But those with the affection for good know from perception that the thing is so and immediately behold the whole field of wisdom leading right on to the Lord.
ttt[7] From these examples it may become clear why in comparison with those who have the affection for good, that is, with those who are celestial, obscurity exists with those who have the affection for truth, that is, with those who are spiritual Nevertheless the latter are able to pass from obscurity into light, provided that they are willing to adopt the affirmative attitude that all good belongs to love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour; also that love and charity constitute spiritual conjunction, and that these are the source of all blessedness and happiness, thus that heavenly life consists in the good belonging to love received from the Lord, but not in the truth of faith separated from it.
ppp21131#pid#2719. The subject dealt with first in this chapter is the Lord's Rational, which was made Divine and is represented by Isaac, also the merely human rational that was separated from Him and is represented by the son of Hagar the Egyptian. Immediately after that the subject is the spiritual Church which was saved by means of the Lord's Divine Human, and is represented by Hagar and her boy. Now the subject is the doctrine of faith that was to be of service to that Church, that is to say, the merely human rational ideas based on facts were allied to it, which ideas are represented by 'Abimelech and Phicol'. This alliance is meant by 'the covenant' that Abraham made with them. Those rational ideas are appearances that come not from a Divine but from a human origin. They were allied to it for the reason that without them the spiritual Church would not be able to have any grasp of doctrine and so would not receive it. For, as shown in `@@@2715`, the member of the spiritual Church, compared with the member of the celestial Church, dwells in obscurity, and doctrine has therefore to be shrouded in appearances such as make up human thought and affection, though these appearances must not be so at variance that Divine Good cannot find in them some receptacle for itself. Since a description occurs again, in Chapter `Genesis ccc26bbb0`, of Abimelech, and of a covenant, though in that place he makes it with Isaac, and since the subject in the internal sense is the rational ideas and the factual knowledge linked a second time to the doctrine of faith, let merely a summary explanation be given of what is contained at this point in the internal sense. A clearer understanding of these matters will emerge from the explanation of Chapter `Genesis ccc26bbb0`.
ppp21130#pid#2720. Verse `Genesis 21bbbccc22` And so it was at that time, that Abimelech spoke, and Phicol the general of his army, to Abraham, saying, God is with you in all that you are doing.
Verse `Genesis 21bbbccc23` And now swear to me here by God that you will not lie to me, and to my son, and to my grandson; according to the kindness which I have done to you, may you do to me and to the land in which you have sojourned.
Verse `Genesis 21bbbccc24` And Abraham said, I will swear.
Verse `Genesis 21bbbccc25` And Abraham reproached Abimelech on account of a well of water which Abimelech's servants had seized.
Verse `Genesis 21bbbccc26` And Abimelech said, I do not know who has done this thing; and you also did not point it out to me, and I too have not heard about it until today.
Verse `Genesis 21bbbccc27` And Abraham took flocks and herds and gave them to Abimelech; and the two of them made a covenant.
Verse `Genesis 21bbbccc28` And Abraham set seven ewe-lambs of the flock by themselves.
Verse `Genesis 21bbbccc29` And Abimelech said to Abraham, What are these seven ewe-lambs which you have set by themselves?
Verse `Genesis 21bbbccc30` And he said, Because you will take the seven ewe-lambs from my hand, that they may be a witness for me that I dug this well.
Verse `Genesis 21bbbccc31` Therefore he called that place Beersheba, because there the two of them swore an oath.
Verse `Genesis 21bbbccc32` And they made a covenant in Beersheba; and Abimelech rose up, and Phicol the general of his army, and they returned to the land of the Philistines.
ttt[2] 'So it was at that time' means the state which the Lord passed through when the Rational was made Divine. 'That Abimelech spoke, and Phicol the general of his army, to Abraham' means the merely human rational ideas based on facts that were to be allied to the doctrine of faith, which in itself is Divine. 'Saying, God is with you in all that you are doing' means that it was Divine in every single detail.
ttt[3] 'And now swear to me here by God' means an affirmation. 'That you will not lie to me' means without any element of doubt. 'And to my son, and to my grandson' means regarding matters of faith. 'According to the kindness which I have done to you' means the rational ideas which the Lord had been taught previously. 'May you do to me and to the land in which you have sojourned' means that which is reciprocal.
ttt[4] 'And Abraham said, I will swear' means a complete affirmation. 'And Abraham reproached Abimelech' means the Lord's displeasure. 'On account of a well of water which Abimelech's servants had seized' means the doctrine of faith, that factual knowledge wished to attribute that doctrine to itself.
ttt[5] 'And Abimelech said' means a reply. 'I do not know who has done this thing' means that the rational dictated something different. 'And you also did not point it out to me' means that it did not come from the Divine. 'And I too have not heard about it until today' means that it was now disclosed for the first time.
ttt[6] 'And Abraham took flocks and herds and gave them to Abimelech' means Divine Goods implanted in the rational ideas belonging to doctrine that were meant by Abimelech. 'And the two of them made a covenant' means joined together thus. 'And Abraham set seven ewe-lambs of the flock by themselves' means the holiness of innocence.
ttt[7] 'And Abimelech said to Abraham, What are these seven ewe-lambs which you have set by themselves?' means that He was to be taught and would acknowledge. 'And he said, Because you will take the seven ewe-lambs from my hand' means the holiness of innocence received from the Divine. 'That they may be a witness for me' means certainty. 'That I have dug this well' means that the doctrine came from the Divine.
ttt[8] 'Therefore he called that place Beersheba' means the state and the nature of the doctrine. 'Because there the two of them swore an oath' means as a result of the joining together. 'And they made a covenant in Beersheba' means that the merely human rational ideas were allied to the doctrine of faith. 'And Abimelech rose up, and Phicol the general of his army, and they returned to the land of the Philistines' means that nevertheless they did not form part of that doctrine.
ppp21129#pid#2721. Verse `Genesis 21bbbccc33` And he planted a grove in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of [Jehovah,] the God of Eternity.
'He planted a grove in Beersheba' means doctrine with the cognitions composing it and the nature of it. 'And he called on the name of [Jehovah,] the God of Eternity' means worship from it.
ppp21128#pid#2722. That 'he planted a grove in Beersheba' means doctrine from this with the cognitions composing it and the nature of it is clear from the meaning of 'a grove' and from the meaning of 'Beersheba'. As regards 'groves', holy worship in the Ancient Church was offered on mountains and in groves. It was offered on mountains because 'mountains meant the celestial things of worship, and in groves because 'groves' meant the spiritual things of it. As long as that Church - the Ancient Church - retained its simplicity their worship on mountains and in groves was holy, the reason being that celestial things, which are those of love and charity, were represented by places that were high and lofty, such as mountains and hills, while spiritual things, which derive from celestial, were represented by places with fruits and foliage such as gardens and groves. But after representatives and meaningful signs began to be made idolatrous because people worshipped external things without internal, that holy worship became profane; and they were therefore forbidden to hold worship on mountains and in groves.
ttt[2] The fact that the Ancients held holy worship on mountains becomes clear from what is said about Abram in Chapter `Genesis ccc12bbb0`,
He removed from there to the mountain on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, Bethel being towards the sea and Ai towards the east.`fff1` And there he built an altar and called on the name of Jehovah. `Genesis 12bbb8` (`@@@1449-1455`).
It is also clear from the meaning of 'a mountain' as the celestial entity of love, `@@@795`, `@@@796`, `@@@1430`. The fact that people also held worship in groves is clear from what is said in the present verse, 'Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of [Jehovah,] the God of Eternity', and also from the meaning of 'a garden' as intelligence, `@@@100`, `@@@108`, `@@@1588`, and of 'trees' as perceptions, `@@@103`, `@@@2163`. The fact that worship on mountains and in groves was forbidden is clear from the following: In Moses,
You shall not plant for yourself a grove of any kind of tree beside the altar of Jehovah your God which you shall make for yourself. And you shall not erect for yourself a pillar, which Jehovah your God hates. `Deuteronomy 16bbb21-22`.
In the same author,
The altars of the nations you shall destroy; you shall break down their pillars and cut down their groves. `Exodus 34bbb13`.
They were also commanded to burn the groves of the nations with fire, `Deuteronomy 12bbb3`.
ttt[3] Now because the Jews and Israelites, among whom the representative ritual observances of the Ancient Church were introduced, were steeped solely in external things and were at heart nothing but idolaters, and because they were people who neither had nor wished to have knowledge of anything internal or of the life after death, and who did not know that the Messiah's kingdom was a heavenly kingdom, therefore whenever they were in freedom they held profane worship on mountains and hills, and also in groves and forests. They also made for themselves high places to serve instead of mountains and hills, and carved images of a grove instead of groves, as becomes clear from many places in the Word, as in the Book of Judges,
The children of Israel served the baals and the groves. `Judges 3bbb7`.
In the Book of Kings,
Israel made groves, provoking Jehovah to anger. `1 Kings 14bbb15`.
And elsewhere in the same book,
Judah built for themselves high places and pillars and groves on every high hill, and under every leafy tree. `1 Kings 14bbb23`.
Elsewhere in the Books of Kings,
Israel built for themselves high places in every city. And they set up pillars and groves on every high hill and under every leafy tree. `2 Kings 17bbb9-10`.
And elsewhere in the same book,
Manasseh king of Judah erected altars to Baal and made a grove, as Ahab king of Israel had done. And the carved image of a grove that he had made he placed in the house of God. `2 Kings 21bbb3`, `2 Kings 21bbbccc7`,
From this it is evident that they also made for themselves carved images of a grove. The fact that king Josiah destroyed these images is mentioned in the same book,
Josiah made them bring out of the temple of Jehovah all the vessels made for Baal and for the grove, and for the sun and moon, and for all the host of heaven; and he burned them outside Jerusalem, and the booths which the women had woven [in the house of Jehovah] for the grove. He also cut down the groves which Solomon had made, as well as the grove in Bethel which Jeroboam had made. `2 Kings 23bbb4-5`, `2 Kings 23bbbccc7`, `2 Kings 23bbbccc14-15`.
The fact that King Hezekiah as well demolished such things is also stated in the same book,
Hezekiah king of Judah removed the high places, and broke the pillars, and cut down the grove, and broke to pieces the bronze serpent which Moses had made. `2 Kings 18bbb4`.
ttt[4] The bronze serpent, it is clear, was holy in the time of Moses, but when that which was external came to be worshipped, that bronze serpent became profane and was therefore smashed to pieces, for the same reason that worship on mountains and in groves was forbidden. These matters are made clearer still in the Prophets: In Isaiah,
You who inflame yourselves among the gods under every leafy tree, who slay the children in the rivers, under projections of the rocks. Even in the rivers you have poured out a drink offering. you have brought a gift. On a high and lofty mountain you have set your habitation and presented yourself there to offer sacrifice. `Isaiah 57bbb5-7`.
In the same prophet,
On that day a man will look to his Maker and his eyes will regard the Holy One of Israel. And he will not look to the altars, the work of his hands, and will not see what his fingers have made, both the groves and the solar pillars. `Isaiah 17bbb7-8`.
In Micah,
I will cut down your carved images and your pillars from the midst of you, and you will bow down no more to the work of your hands. And I will root out your groves from the midst of you and destroy your cities. `Micah 5bbb13-14`.
In Ezekiel,
That the slain may be in the midst of their idols, around their altars at every lofty hill, on all the mountain tops, and under every leafy tree, and under every entangled oak, the place where they offered an odour of rest to all their idols. `Ezekiel 6bbb13`.
ttt[5] From all this it is now evident where idolatrous worship originated, namely in the worship of the objects themselves that were representative and carried a spiritual meaning. The most ancient people, who lived before the Flood, saw in every single thing - in mountains, hills, plains, and valleys, in gardens, groves, forests, rivers, and waters, in fields and crops, in trees of every kind, also in living creatures of every kind, and in the heavenly bodies giving light - something that was a representative and a meaningful sign of the Lord's kingdom. But they never let their eyes, still less their minds, linger over such objects; for them these objects served instead as the means for thinking about the celestial and spiritual things that exist in the Lord's kingdom. Indeed so much was this the case with those objects that there was nothing at all in the whole natural world that failed to serve those people as means. It is indeed true that in itself every single thing in the natural order is representative; but at the present day this is an arcanum and scarcely believed by anyone. But after that which is celestial, which is essentially love to the Lord, had perished with man, the human race existed no longer in that state, that is, in the state of seeing from worldly objects the celestial and spiritual things of the Lord's kingdom.
ttt[6] Nevertheless the Ancients after the Flood knew from traditions, and from collections made by certain people, that worldly objects had such meanings; and because these had such meanings they also regarded them as holy. From this arose the representative worship of the Ancient Church, which Church, being spiritual, did not enjoy any perception, only the knowledge, that a thing was so; for that Church, compared with the Most Ancient Church, dwelt in obscurity, `@@@2715`. It did not however worship external things but by means of external things people called to mind those which were internal. Consequently when they turned to those representatives and meaningful signs they entered the holiness of worship. They were able to turn to them because they were moved by spiritual love, that is, by charity, which they made the essential of worship, and as a consequence holiness from the Lord was able to flow into their worship. But when the state of the human race had become so changed and perverted that people departed from the good of charity, and thus did not believe any longer in the existence of a heavenly kingdom or in life after death, but supposed - as is also supposed at the present day - that their condition was no different from that of animals (apart from the fact that they as human beings could think), holy representative worship was turned into idolatrous worship and external things came to be worshipped. This was why worship among many gentiles at that time, and even among Jews and Israelites, was not representative, but a worship of the representatives and meaningful signs, that is, of external things devoid of internal.
ttt[7] As regards 'groves' in particular, these had, among the ancients, varying meanings, such meanings depending in fact on the kinds of trees that the groves had in them. Groves where there were olives meant the celestial things of worship, groves where there were vines the spiritual things of worship, but groves where there were figs, cedars, firs, poplars, oaks, meant various things that were of a celestial and spiritual kind. Here however simply 'a grove' or plantation of trees is mentioned and by it was meant ideas belonging to the rational that were allied to doctrine and its cognitions; for trees in general mean perceptions, `@@@103`, `@@@2163`, but when they have reference to the spiritual Church they mean cognitions, the reason being that the member of the spiritual Church has no other perceptions than those acquired through cognitions drawn from doctrine or from the Word. For such cognitions become part of his faith, and so of his conscience, from which he has perception.
`nnn1. literally, Bethel from the sea (an idiom for from the west) and Ai from the east
ppp21127#pid#2723. As regards Beersheba however, 'Beersheba' means the state and the essential nature of the doctrine, that is to say, it is Divine doctrine to which merely human rational ideas have been allied. This becomes clear from the train of thought in verse `Genesis 21bbbccc22` to the present verse, `@@@2613`, `@@@2614`, and also from the meaning of the actual expression in the original language as 'the well of the oath' and 'the well of seven'. 'A well' means the doctrine of faith, see `@@@2702`, `@@@2720`, 'an oath' means a joining together, `@@@2720`, as does 'the covenant established with an oath', `@@@1996`, `@@@2003`, `@@@2021`, `@@@2037`; and 'seven' means that which is holy and so that which is Divine, `@@@395`, `@@@433`, `@@@716`, `@@@881`. From these meanings it may become clear that 'Beersheba' means doctrine which in itself is Divine together with merely human rational ideas or appearances allied to it.
ttt[2] The fact that this is how the name Beersheba was derived is evident from Abraham's words,
Abraham said, Because you will take the seven ewe-lambs from my hand, that they may be a witness for me that I dug this well. Therefore he called that place Beersheba, because there the two of them swore an oath. And they made a covenant in Beersheba (verses `Genesis 21bbbccc30-32`).
Similarly from Isaac's words recorded in Chapter `Genesis ccc26bbb0`,
So it was on that day, that Isaac's servants came and pointed out to him the reasons for the well which they had dug, and they said to him, We have found water. And he called it Shibah ('an oath' and 'seven'); therefore the name of the city is Beersheba even to this day. `Genesis 26bbb32-33`.
This too has to do with wells, about which there was disagreement with Abimelech, and with a covenant made with him. 'Beersheba' means merely human rational ideas which were again allied to the doctrine of faith, and because they were allied to it again and the doctrine was in that way made such that the human mind could grasp it, it is called 'a city' - 'a city' being doctrine in its entirety, see `@@@402`, `@@@2268`, `@@@2449`, `@@@2451`. What is more, the name Beersheba is used with a similar meaning in the internal sense in `Genesis 22bbb19`; `Genesis ccc26bbb23`; `Genesis ccc28bbb10`; `Genesis ccc46bbb1`, `Genesis 46bbbccc5`; `Joshua 15bbb28`; `Joshua ccc19bbb1-2`; `1 Samuel 8bbb2`; `1 Kings 19bbb3`, and in the contrary sense in `Amos 5bbb5`; `Amos ccc8bbb13-14`. The whole range of celestial and spiritual things taught by doctrine is meant in the internal sense where the land of Canaan is said to range from 'Dan even to Beersheba'; for the land of Canaan means the Lord's kingdom, also the Church, and therefore means the celestial and spiritual things taught by doctrine, as in the Book of Judges.
All the children of Israel came out, and the congregation assembled as one man from Dan even to Beersheba. `Judges 20bbb1`.
In the Book of Samuel,
All Israel from Dan even to Beersheba. `1 Samuel 3bbb20`.
Elsewhere in Samuel,
To translate the kingdom from the house of Saul and to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beersheba, `2 Samuel 3bbb10`.
Elsewhere in Samuel,
Hushai said to Absalom, Let all Israel be assembled together, from Dan even to Beersheba. `2 Samuel 17bbb11`.
Elsewhere in Samuel, David told Joab to go through all the tribes of Israel from Dan even to Beersheba. `2 Samuel 24bbb2`, `2 Samuel 24bbbccc7`.
Elsewhere in Samuel,
There died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men. `2 Samuel 24bbb15`.
In the Book of Kings,
Judah dwelt under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon. `1 Kings 4bbb25`.
ppp21126#pid#2724. 'And there he called on the name of [Jehovah,] the God of Eternity' means worship from it. This is clear from the meaning of 'calling on the name of God' as worship, dealt with in `@@@440`. Those who belonged to the Ancient Church did not understand merely name by the word 'name' but the entire nature, see `@@@144`, `@@@145`, `@@@340`, `@@@768`, `@@@1754`, `@@@1896`, `@@@2009`. Thus by 'the name of God' they understood everything in one embrace by which God was worshipped, consequently everything of love and faith. But once the internal aspect of worship perished and only the external was left people began to understand nothing else by 'the name of God' than the name. Indeed they went so far as to worship the name itself, being quite indifferent to what the love and the faith were in which their worship was grounded. As a result of this nations began to identify themselves by the names of their gods, the Jews and Israelites setting themselves above the rest because they worshipped Jehovah. They made the utterance and the calling upon the name itself the essential feature of worship; but in fact worship of the name alone is not worship at all, for that practice may exist even among the worst of people who in worshipping the name alone become greater profaners.
ttt[2] Now because 'the name of God' means the entirety of worship, that is, the love and faith in their entirety from which He is worshipped, it is therefore clear what is meant by hallowed be Your name - in the Lord's Prayer, `Matthew 6bbb9`, and what by the following words spoken by the Lord,
You will be hated by everyone for My name's sake. `Matthew 10bbb22`.
If two of you agree in My name on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. Where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I in the midst of them. `Matthew 18bbb19-20`.
He who leaves houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields, for My name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will be allotted the inheritance of eternal life. `Matthew 19bbb29`.
Hosanna to the son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. `Matthew 21bbb9`.
Jesus said, You will not see Me from now on until you say, Blessed is the one coming in the name of the Lord. `Matthew 23bbb39`.
You will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. Then many will stumble and betray one another, and hate one another, and all for My name's sake.`fff1` `Matthew 24bbb9-10`.
As many as received Him, to them He gave power to be sons of God, to those believing in His name, `John 1bbb12`.
He who does not believe is judged already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. `John 3bbb17-18`.
Jesus said, Whatever you ask in My name, I will do it. `John 14bbb14-15`; `John ccc15bbb16`; `John ccc16bbb23-24`, `John 16bbbccc26-27`.
Jesus said, I have manifested Your name to men. `John 17bbb6`.
Holy Father, keep them in Your name whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are one. `John 17bbb11-12`.
I made known to them Your name, and I will make known that the love with which You have loved Me may be in them, and I in them. `John 17bbb26`.
That you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. `John 20bbb31`.
There are in addition very many places in the Old Testament in which the name of Jehovah and of God is not used to mean the name but love and faith in their entirety in which worship is grounded.
ttt[3] But those who worship the name alone, without love and faith, are spoken of in Matthew as follows,
Many will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy through Your name, and cast out demons through Your name, and do many mighty works in Your name? But I will confess to them, I do not know you; depart from Me, you workers of iniquity. `Matthew 7bbb22-23`.
As has been stated, once the member of the Church from being internal became external, and began to make worship consist in a name alone, people no longer acknowledged one God but many. For it was a custom among the ancients to add something after the name of Jehovah and by doing that to call to mind some benefit or attribute of His, as in the present verse, 'He called on the name of [Jehovah,] the God of Eternity'. Another example occurs in the next chapter,
Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah Jireh (that is, Jehovah will see). `Genesis 22bbb14`.
And the following, among others, are further examples,
Moses built an altar and called the name of it Jehovah Nissi (that is, Jehovah is my banner). `Exodus 17bbb15`.
Gideon built an altar to Jehovah and called it [the altar] of Jehovah Shalom (that is, of peace). `Judges 6bbb24`.
It was from this custom that those who made worship consist in a name alone came to acknowledge so many gods, and also that among the gentiles, especially those in Greece and Rome, so many gods came to be acknowledged and worshipped, whereas the Ancient Church from which those attributive names derived always worshipped but one God who was revered under so many names, for the reason that by 'name' they understood the essential nature.
`nnn1. These six words which Swedenborg apparently copied from the Schmidius Latin version do not occur in the original Greek.
ppp21125#pid#2725. Verse `Genesis 21bbbccc34` And Abraham sojourned in the land of the Philistines for many days.
'Abraham sojourned in the land of the Philistines for many days' means that the Lord allied to the doctrine of faith very many things drawn from a knowledge of human cognitions.
ppp21124#pid#2726. That 'Abraham sojourned in the land of the Philistines for many days' means that the Lord allied to the doctrine of faith very many things drawn from a knowledge of human cognitions is clear from the meaning of 'sojourning' as giving instruction, dealt with in `@@@1463`, `@@@2025`, from the representation of 'Abraham' as the Lord, dealt with in `@@@1965`, `@@@1989`, `@@@2011`, `@@@2501`, from the meaning of 'the land of the Philistines' or Philistia as knowledge of cognitions, dealt with in `@@@1197`, `@@@1198`, and from the meaning of 'days' as the state of whatever it is that is the subject, `@@@23`, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@893`. Here because the subject is the cognitions from which the facts and rational ideas are obtained, and because the expression 'many days' is used, the meaning is relatively 'very many things' From verse `Genesis 21bbbccc22` onwards the subject has been the rational ideas based on human factual knowledge, which were allied to the doctrine of faith, as is evident from the explanation given. The present verse forms the conclusion to these considerations. As regards the actual subject, since this in itself is rather profound, and since the same subject is dealt with extensively further on, in Chapter `Genesis ccc26bbb0`, let any further explanation here be put off till that chapter.
ppp21123#pid#2727. HOW MARRIAGES ARE REGARDED IN HEAVEN AND ALSO ADULTEROUS SITUATIONS
What genuine conjugial love is and where it originates few know at the present day, the reason being that it exists with few. Almost everyone believes that it is inborn and so flows from, they say, a kind of natural instinct, such belief being strengthened by the fact that the inclination to pair off as in marriage also occurs among animals. But the difference between conjugial love with human beings and that inclination with animals is as the difference between the human condition and that of any animal.
ppp21122#pid#2728. Now because few at the present day know what genuine conjugial love is, as has been stated, that love will now be described from things that have been disclosed to me. Conjugial love has its origin in the marriage of Divine Good and Truth, and so in the Lord Himself. But the derivation of conjugial love from that marriage cannot be seen by man, neither by sensory perception nor by mental apprehending; but it may nevertheless become clear to him from influx and from correspondence, as well as from the Word. It may become clear from influx, in that from the union of good and truth which flow in from the Lord, heaven is compared to a marriage, and is called a marriage; from correspondence, in that when good united to truth flows down into a lower sphere it presents itself as a union of minds, and when it flows down into a lower sphere still it presents itself as a marriage. Consequently the union of minds springing from good united to truth from the Lord is conjugial love itself.
ppp21121#pid#2729. The derivation of genuine conjugial love from good married to truth may also be evident from the fact that it cannot exist with anyone unless good united to truth and truth to good from the Lord are present in him. That derivation may also be evident from the fact that heavenly blessedness and happiness reside in that love, and that everyone in whom that love exists comes into heaven, that is, into the heavenly marriage. It is also evident from the fact that when angels are talking about the union of good and truth, that which is a representative of marriage presents itself in a lower sphere among good spirits, but that which is a representative of adultery presents itself among evil spirits. This explains why in the Word the union of good and truth is called a marriage, but the adulteration of good and the falsification of truth is called adultery and whoredom, see `@@@2466`.
ppp21120#pid#2730. Members of the Most Ancient Church above all others on this earth lived in genuine conjugial love, because they were celestial people dwelling in truth from good, and were in the Lord's kingdom together with the angels; and it was in that love that for them heaven consisted. But their descendants, among whom the Church declined, began to love their children and not their married partners; for those who are evil are able to love their children, but only those who are good are able to love their married partner.
ppp21119#pid#2731. I have heard from those most ancient people that conjugial love is such that one partner desires to be wholly the other's, and that this desire is reciprocal; and that when partners are expressing and receiving it from each other they experience the happiness of heaven. I have also heard that their minds are so joined one to the other that the expression and receipt of that reciprocal desire exists in every single detail of life, that is, in every single part of affection and in every single part of thought. For this reason it has been ordained by the Lord that wives should be affections for good which belong to the will and that husbands should be thoughts about truth which belong to the understanding; also that marriage should exist from such affection and thought, like that between will and understanding, and between every single part of these with the person in whom good married to truth exists, and truth married to good.
ppp21118#pid#2732. I have talked to angels about the nature of this reciprocal expression and receipt of desire. They have said that an image and likeness of one partner exists in the mind of the other, and that in this condition the two live together, sharing not only the specific but also the inmost things of life, and that the Lord's love and mercy are able to enter with blessedness and happiness into such a oneness. They also said that those who during their lifetime lived in such conjugial love are with each other and live together in heaven as angels, sometimes with their children too. But very few enter heaven thus from present-day Christendom, whereas all who belonged to the Most Ancient Church, which was celestial, and many who belonged to the Ancient Church, which was spiritual, did so. The angels also told me that those who lived in matrimony, yet were not held together by conjugial love but by licentious love, are separated in the next life - for no licentiousness at all is tolerated in heaven - and those even more so who disliked each other, and more so still those who hated each other. When both partners enter the next life, in most cases they meet each other, but after much suffering they are separated.
ppp21117#pid#2733. There were certain spirits who, from a practice followed by them during their lifetime, were molesting me with particular skill. They did so by means of a rather gentle wave-like influx, resembling the ordinary influx from upright spirits. But I perceived that within that influx trickery and the like were present, to entice and to deceive. At length I spoke to one of them who, I was told, had during his lifetime been the commander of an army. And because I perceived that licentiousness was present in the ideas comprising his thought, I talked to him about marriage in the language used by spirits, which is illustrated with representatives and which expresses one's sentiments completely and many things in an instant.
ttt[2] He said that during his lifetime he had thought nothing of adulterous behaviour. But I was given to tell him that all adultery is quite unspeakable, even though to those who are guilty of it it does not seem - because of the delight they take in it and the persuasive beliefs that result from it - to be unspeakable, but even allowable. I said that he might also know this from the fact that marriages are the seminaries of the human race and therefore the seminaries of the heavenly kingdom as well, and for that reason must not on any account be violated but be held sacred. He might also know, I continued, that adultery is unspeakable from the fact, which he ought to know because he was now in the next life and in a state of perception, that conjugial love comes down from the Lord by way of heaven, and that from that love, as from a parent, mutual love is derived, which is the foundation on which heaven rests. And he might know it also from the fact that when they merely move towards heavenly communities adulterers become aware of their own stench and cast themselves away from there down towards hell. He might at least have known that violence done to marriages was contrary to Divine laws, and contrary to the civil laws of all people, as well as contrary to the genuine light of reason, since it is contrary to order, both Divine and human, not to mention many considerations besides these.
ttt[3] But he replied that he had never known such things during his lifetime, nor had he thought about them. He wished to reason whether what he had heard was so, but he was told that in the next life truth leaves no room for reasonings, for reasonings lend support to a person's delights, and so to his evils and falsities. I went on to tell him that he ought first to think about the things he had been told, because they were true; or at least he ought to think from the principle very widely known in the world that nobody ought to do to another what he does not wish that other to do to him. If some other man, I asked, had in a similar way seduced the wife whom he loved - as men love their wives at the beginning of every marriage - would he not also, when feeling irate about what had occurred, have expressed, if he spoke from that feeling, a loathing for all adultery? Also, being a man with mental ability, would he not have confirmed himself more than others against all adultery, even condemning it to hell? Thus he might have judged himself from what he possessed within himself.
ppp21116#pid#2734. Those who during their lifetime have found happiness in marriage because of genuine conjugial love find happiness again in the next life, so that the happiness experienced by them in one life is continued into that of the other, where it becomes a union of minds, in which heaven consists. I have been told that even the most general types of celestial and spiritual forms of happiness from that union are unlimited in number.
ppp21115#pid#2735. Genuine conjugial love is the image of heaven, and when a representation of it is made in the next life this is done by means of the most beautiful things which can possibly be seen with the eyes or conceived in the mind. It is represented by a virgin of indescribable beauty who is surrounded by a shining cloud, so that one may speak of her as being beauty itself in essence and form. I have been told that conjugial love is the source of all beauty in the next life, its affections and thoughts being represented by bands of light sparkling so to speak with rubies and garnets. These sights are accompanied by delights which stir the inmost recesses of their minds; but as soon as anything at all licentious enters in they vanish.
ppp21114#pid#2736. I have been informed that genuine conjugial love is innocence itself, which resides in wisdom. With those who have lived in conjugial love wisdom exists more than with all others in heaven, yet when looked at by others they are seen as little children in the bloom and springtime of life; and whatever happens, it is joy and happiness to them. They are in the inmost heaven, which is called the heaven of innocence. Through that heaven the Lord flows into conjugial love, and angels from it are present with men and women who live in that love. They are present also with little children in the first years of their life.
ppp21113#pid#2737. With those who live in conjugial love the interior parts of the mind are open through heaven even to the Lord, for that love flows in from the Lord through that which is inmost in man. From this influx of that love they have the Lord's kingdom within them, and from it they have genuine love towards little children, for the sake of the Lord's kingdom. From that influx also they are receptive of heavenly loves more than anybody else, and with them more than anybody else mutual love is present, for mutual love flows from conjugial love as a stream from its source.
ppp21112#pid#2738. Mutual love such as is present in heaven is not the same as conjugial love. Conjugial love there consists in the desire to be one in the life of the other, but mutual love consists in desiring what is good to another rather than to oneself, as with the love of parents towards children, and as with the love of those who are moved to do good not for their own benefit but because they find joy in doing it. Such angelic love is derived from conjugial love, and is born from it like a child from its parent. For this reason that love exists in parents towards their children. This love is preserved by the Lord in parents even when conjugial love is not present in them, to prevent the human race from perishing.
ppp21111#pid#2739. From the marriage of good and truth in heaven all loves are descended, which are such as the love of parents towards their children, the love of brothers for one another, love towards other relatives, and so on down in their order according to their degrees of affinity. According to these loves that have their origin solely in good and truth, that is, in love and faith to the Lord, all heavenly communities are formed. And these are joined together by the Lord in such a way that they resemble a human being, which also is why heaven is called the Grand Man. There are indescribable varieties, all of which have their origin in and are derived from the union of good and truth from the Lord, which union is the heavenly marriage. This explains why on earth the origin of all blood relationships and other family relationships is traced back to marriages, and why in a similar way different kinds of love used to be derived according to the degrees of affinity among them. But as conjugial love does not exist at the present day, blood relationships and other family relationships are indeed worked out from marriages, but no comparable relationships of love exist. In the Most Ancient Church derivations of love were of this nature, and therefore in heaven those people dwell together, distinguished so to speak into separate nations, families, and houses, all of which acknowledge the Lord as their one and only parent.
ppp21110#pid#2740. Genuine conjugial love is not possible except between two married to each other, that is, within the marriage of one man and one wife. It is not by any means possible when one is married simultaneously to many, for the reason that conjugial love is mutual and reciprocal, and the life of one partner is bound up in that of the other, and vice versa, so that they are so to speak one. Such a union is possible between two, but not between many; many split that love apart. Members of the Most Ancient Church, who were celestial and with whom the perception of good and truth existed as with angels, had only one wife. They used to say that with one wife they enjoyed every form of heavenly delight and happiness, and that the mere mention of being married to many horrified them; for the marriage of one husband and one wife is descended, as has been stated, from the marriage of good and truth, or the heavenly marriage, which is of such a nature, as may become quite clear from the Lord's words in Matthew,
Jesus said, Have you not read that He who made them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, For this reason a man (homo) will leave father and mother and will cling to his wife; and the two will become one flesh? Therefore they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together let not man (homo) separate. For the hardness of your heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. Not everyone receives this teaching, but those to whom it has been given. `Matthew 19bbb3-12`.
ppp21109#pid#2741. Good and truth are flowing in constantly from the Lord with all people and so consequently is genuine conjugial love; but it is received in varying ways. And as is the nature of that which receives it so does that love become. With the licentious it is converted into licentiousness, with adulterers into adultery. Heavenly happiness is converted into unclean delight, thus heaven into hell. It is like the light of the sun falling on objects, in that this light is received according to the nature of those objects, and becomes blue, red, yellow, green, dark, or even black, depending on how they receive it.
ppp21108#pid#2742. Something resembling conjugial love exists with some, but it is not in fact that love if the love of good and truth is not present in those persons. It is a love that seems like conjugial love, but the reasons for it lie in love of the world and self-love, that is to say, so that they may be waited on at home, have no cares, take their ease, be looked after when unwell and growing old, and so that their children whom they love may be cared for. With some this semblance of conjugial love is forced upon them out of fear of their partner, or for their reputation, or of ill fortunes; with some it is the love of licentiousness that induces it. This latter love appears in the early days as if it were conjugial love, for at that time they display something seemingly of innocence, playing about together like young children and feeling a joy as though of heaven. But they do not with the passing of time become more closely united to each other, as those do with whom conjugial love exists, but are becoming set apart. Conjugial love also differs among married couples; with one partner it may be greater or less, with the other little or none. And because of this difference it may for one be heaven, and for the other hell, affection and reception being the determining factors in this.
ppp21107#pid#2743. I once saw a large dog like Cerberus`fff1` and asked what was meant by him. I was told that such a dog means the guard that is kept to prevent anyone filled with conjugial love from passing from delight that is of heaven to delight that is of hell, or vice versa. For those who are filled with genuine conjugial love experience delight that is of heaven, whereas those who are steeped in adulterous affairs experience delight also, which to them seems to be of heaven but is in fact of hell. The dog accordingly represents the guard that is kept to prevent those contrary delights from coming into communication with each other.
`nnn1. The mythological three-headed dog which guarded the entrance to Hades or hell.
ppp21106#pid#2744. I have been shown the way in which the delights from conjugial love advance on one side towards heaven and on the other towards hell. The advancement of delights towards heaven was an advancement into forms of blessedness and happiness constantly increasing, until they were beyond number or description. And the more interiorly they advanced the more countless and indescribable they became, even to the celestial forms themselves of blessedness and happiness of the inmost heaven, which is the heaven of innocence. And all this entails perfect freedom, for all freedom is attributable to love, so that perfect freedom is attributable to conjugial love, which is heavenly love itself. I was then shown the way in which the delights of conjugial love advance towards hell; that they move away from heaven little by little, which too entails apparent freedom, until scarcely anything human at all remains in them. The final deadly and hellish condition into which they ended was seen by me but I cannot describe it. A certain spirit who was with me at the time and who also saw those things hurried forwards to some sirens who were of this character, crying out that he would show them the nature of their delight. At first he had the idea of delight, but as little by little he went forwards his idea was made to continue, like the advancement of the delight, towards hell, and at length to end in such horror. Sirens are women who labour under the delusion that it is perfectly correct to commit whoredom and adultery, and who are also esteemed by others for being such as they are and for leading outwardly respectable lives. The majority of them come into the next life from Christendom. See what is said about them in `@@@831`, `@@@959`, `@@@1515`, `@@@1983`, `@@@2483`.
ppp21105#pid#2745. There are women who do not love their husbands but despise them, and at length value them as good-for-nothings. The character of these women was represented to me by a cock, a wild cat, and a dark-coloured tiger. I was told that such women start off by talking a lot, go on to scolding, and at length assume the nature of the tiger. It was stated by some that such women nevertheless love their children, but the reply was made that this love is not human, and that it flows equally into the evil, and even into all types of living creatures, so much so that these also love their offspring more than themselves. It was added that nothing of conjugial love resides with such as these.
ppp21104#pid#2746. There was a certain spirit fairly high up overhead who during his lifetime had lived licentiously and had delighted in variety, so that he did not love one woman constantly but frequented brothels. Thus he had fornicated with many, each of whom he had rejected after going with her. It therefore came about that he had cheated many and that consequently he had annihilated the desire for marriage, and even the desire to beget children, and so had acquired an unnatural nature. All these things were disclosed, and then he suffered wretched punishment - these events being witnessed by the angels; and after that he was cast into hell. Concerning the hells of adulterers, see Volume One, in `@@@824-830`.
ppp21103#pid#2747. Since all adultery is contrary to conjugial love, adulterers cannot be with angels in heaven. Another reason why they cannot be with them there is that things contrary to good and truth exist in them and so not the heavenly marriage; and a further reason is that they have none but filthy ideas regarding marriage. At the mere mention of marriage, or the occurrence of the idea, things that are licentious, obscene, and indeed unspeakable instantly enter their ideas. Similarly when the angels are talking about what is good and true, such people think things that are contrary. For all the affections and all the thoughts derived from these affections remain with a person after death such as they have been in the world. Adulterers have it in mind to destroy society, and many of them are cruel, see `@@@824`; thus at heart they are opposed to charity and mercy, they laugh at others' misfortunes, and desire to take away from everyone what belongs to him, which they do insofar as they dare. It gives them pleasure to destroy friendships and to create enmities. As regards their religious convictions, they say that they acknowledge the creator of the universe; also a providence, though only a universal providence; salvation by faith; and that nothing worse can happen to them than to anyone else. But when examined as to what they really are at heart, which examination takes place in the next life, they do not believe even the things which they say they do. Instead of a creator of the universe they think of nature; instead of a universal providence they have no thought of any at all; and of faith they think nothing. All this is so because all adultery is utterly contrary to what is good and true. How such persons can possibly enter heaven, anyone is able to judge for himself.
ppp21102#pid#2748. Certain spirits who had led adulterous lives in the world came and talked to me. I realized that they had not been very long in the next life, for they did not know that they were there but imagined that they were still in the world. The ability to reflect where they were had been taken away from them. I was allowed to tell them that they were in the next life; but they soon forgot and began to ask where there were houses where they might worm themselves in. But I asked them whether they had no respect for spiritual things, that is to say, for conjugial love, which is destroyed by such seducings. I told them that such things were contrary to heavenly order; but to all this they paid no attention nor even understood what I was saying. I went on to ask whether they had no fear of the laws, or of punishments according to the law. But these they held in contempt. Only when I said that perhaps they would be severely beaten with sticks by the servants in those houses did they feel any fear. After that I was given to perceive their thoughts, for in the next life thoughts are communicated. They were so filthy and obscene that the upright were positively horrified; yet those things - every single one - are in the next life exposed before spirits and angels. From all this it may become clear that such persons cannot be in heaven.
ppp21101#pid#2749. When any delight, blessedness, or happiness from the heaven of angels reaches those who through adultery have come to loathe and feel nauseated by marriages, it becomes turned for them into something loathsome and nauseating, then into something painful, and at length into an offensive stench, till they cast themselves away from there to hell.
ppp21100#pid#2750. I have been informed by angels that when anyone commits adultery on earth heaven becomes closed to him instantly and then he lives immersed solely in worldly and bodily interests. When this has happened, although he hears about things of love and faith, these nevertheless do not enter into him interiorly; and what he says about them himself does not come from within him interiorly but merely from his memory and lips, with self-exaltation or the love of material gain actuating him. For his interiors are closed and these cannot be opened up except by earnest repentance.
ppp21099#pid#2751. Bunched together - up above, in front of my left eye - there were spirits such as during their lifetime had in secret and with much cunning plotted against others. They were adulterers who, having arrived there only recently, were still in the world of spirits. It was their custom to send out from their bunch, in this direction and in that, some of their number, so that they might plot not only against conjugial love, but also against what is good and true, and most of all against the Lord. Those sent out come back to them and report what they have heard; and in this way they all take counsel. Thinking I was a spirit, because I spoke using the language of spirits, they also sent one to me. When this emissary spoke he said things that were completely scandalous, mostly against the Lord, so that he himself consisted so to speak of nothing but scandals. Aware of which bunch and what scum he was from I replied that he should refrain from uttering such things. As regards the Lord, I said, I knew without any shadow of doubt that He was one with the Father; that the whole of heaven was His; that all innocence, peace, love, charity, mercy, and also all conjugial love were derived from Him, as well as everything good and true; all of which things were Divine. And I knew that Moses and the Prophets, that is, every single detail of the Word in its internal sense, had reference to Him, and that all the religious observances of the Jewish Church were representative of Him. Since I was so certain of these matters as to have no doubt at all, what more could he want? On hearing all this, with shame he went away. He was told these things in order that he might report them to the adulterers who constituted that wicked bunch from which he had been sent.
ppp21098#pid#2752. Those who have become eaten up with adultery wish more than all others in the next life to possess persons [in this world], and through these to come back into the world. But they are detained by the Lord in hell, to prevent them coming among those spirits who reside with men. The majority of those who are such come from the Christian world, rarely from other parts.
ppp21097#pid#2753. There are certain men in the world who are carried away by the desire to lure virgins into whoredom, wherever these may be - in convents, in families, living with parents - and to lure wives also, using crafty methods and flattery to worm their way in. And because they have become accustomed to such goings on, and have therefore acquired such a disposition, they retain in the next life their ability to worm their way into social groups by means of flattery and presence. But because their thoughts lie open to view they are turned away. They thus pass from one social group to another, but wherever they go they are turned away. They are also subjected to chastisement, for they endeavour to steal other people's forms of delight and blessedness. At length they do not gain admittance into any such groups, but after being severely punished they are then brought into association with others like themselves in hell.
ppp21096#pid#2754. The most deceitful spirits sometimes appear high overhead, but their hell is deep down beneath the heel. They are the modern equivalents of those before the Flood. They entice by means of innocence, by means of mercy, and with persuasion by means of various good affections. When they lived in the world they were adulterers more than all others. Wherever there was a young and beautiful wife they went in without any conscience and by such means roused her to be wanton. They are invisible, nor do they wish to be exposed, for they act without being detected. They are also cruel, for they have studied only themselves and have considered it of no importance even if the whole world perished for them. Large numbers of such spirits exist at the present time, and I have been told that they come from Christendom. Their hell is the most oppressive of all.
ppp21095#pid#2755. The hells of adulterers are many. There they love nothing more than filth and excrement; for these are now the things which give them delight. This may also become clear from many of that sort while living in the body, for whom both thinking and making references to filthy things is delightful, but who refrain from doing so merely for the sake of decency. The delight of adultery is in the next life turned into such filth and excrement. It is like the warmth of the sun, even that of springtime, when that warmth flows into excrement or into a dead body.
ppp21094#pid#2756. There are some who have held to the idea of wife-sharing. In the next life these speak as though they were good, but they are harmful and deceitful. Their punishment is dreadful. They are bundled together so to speak, and, by the use of that which is a representative, a serpent is stretched around them, which ties them up seemingly into a tight ball, and in this condition they are cast out.
ppp21093#pid#2757. While I was being led through several dwelling-places I came to one where a warmth seized my feet and loins. I was told that here there were those who had given themselves up to pleasures but who nevertheless had not annihilated the natural desire to beget offspring.
ppp21092#pid#2758. The truth that genuine conjugial love is heaven is represented in the kingdoms of nature, for nothing exists in the whole natural order which is not in some way representative of the Lord's kingdom in general, since the natural kingdom has its entire origin in the spiritual kingdom. That which is without an origin prior to itself is nothing, for nothing exists without connection from a cause and so from an end. That which is without such connection collapses in an instant and ceases to be anything. This then explains where the representatives of the Lord's kingdom within the kingdoms of nature have their origin. The truth that conjugial love is heaven is evident from the metamorphosis of caterpillars into pupae or chrysalises and then into creatures that fly. For when the time arrives for them to be wedded - which is when they shed their earthly form, or their caterpillar state - they are adorned with wings and become creatures that fly, at which point they are raised up into the air, which is their heaven. In the air they play together, make marriages, lay eggs, and are nourished by the juices from flowers. At that time also they exist in their beauty, for their wings are tinged with gold, silver, and other lovely shades. Such things as these are what the inclination to pair off in marriage produces among such insignificant and tiny creatures.
ppp21091#pid#2759. Over on the right side there came up out of the lower earth what looked like a rolling wave. I was told that it consisted of many spirits from the lower levels of society who were uneducated but not wicked. They were peasants and other simple people. I spoke to them, and they said that they knew the Lord to whose name they entrusted themselves. Beyond this their knowledge of faith and its mysteries was small. Others subsequently came up who knew somewhat more. I perceived that the interior parts of their minds were capable of being opened, for in the next life such possibilities may be perceived quite plainly. They possessed a conscience, which was communicated to me so that I might know of it, and I was told that they had lived in conjugial love in simplicity. They said that they loved their married partners and refrained from adultery of any kind. That in this way they were governed by conscience was clear from the fact that they said they were unable to behave in any other way since to do so was against their will. Such persons receive instruction in the next life and are perfected in the good of love and in the truth of faith; and at length they are received among the angels.
ppp21090#pid#2760. PREFACE`fff1`
How deluded those people are who confine themselves to the sense of the letter and do not look for the internal sense in other places where this is explained in the Word becomes quite clear from the great number of heresies there are, each one of which confirms its own doctrinal position from the literal sense of the Word. It is particularly clear from that great heresy which insane and hellish self-love and love of the world have made out of the Lord's words to Peter,
I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. `Matthew 16bbb15-19`.
[2] People who keep rigidly to the sense of the letter imagine that these words refer to the man Peter and that such great power was given to him. Although they know that Peter was just an ordinary simple human being who by no means exercised such power, and that the exercise of that power is contrary to the Divine, they nevertheless adopt and stoutly defend a literal interpretation of what the Lord said, because of the insane and hellish self-love and love of the world which fill them with the desire to arrogate such power to themselves on earth and in heaven and to make gods of themselves. But the internal sense of those words is that faith itself in the Lord, which exists solely with those in whom love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour are present, possesses that power, yet not faith but the Lord, the Source of faith. In the words addressed to Peter 'rock' is used to mean that faith, as it is everywhere else in the Word. It is on this faith that the Church is built, and against this faith that the gates of hell do not prevail. It is that faith also which holds the keys of the kingdom of heaven, for that faith closes heaven to prevent evils and falsities entering in, and it opens heaven to goods and truths. This is the internal sense of these words.
[3] Like the twelve tribes of Israel the twelve apostles represented nothing else than all aspects of such faith, `@@@577`, `@@@2089`, `@@@2129`, `@@@2130` (end). Peter represented faith itself, James charity, and John the good works that flow from charity - see the Preface to `Genesis 18bbb0` - as in a similar way did Reuben, Simeon, and Levi, Jacob's three eldest sons, in the Jewish and
Israelitish representative Church, a point that is clear from a thousand places in the Word. And it was because Peter represented faith that those words were addressed to him. From all these considerations one may recognize what darkness it is into which people plunge themselves, and others with them, who explain everything literally, as they do who, taking literally the words addressed to Peter, use them to take the power of saving the human race away from the Lord and arrogate it to themselves.
`fff2`2760. In John - in the Book of Revelation - the Word as to its internal sense is described as follows,
I saw heaven standing open, and, behold, a White Horse; and He who sat on it was called faithful and true, and in righteousness He judges and goes into battle. His eyes a flame of fire, and on His head many jewels, He has a name written which nobody knows but He Himself, and He is clothed in a garment dyed with blood, and His name is called the Word of God. And the armies that are in heaven were following Him on white horses and were clothed in linen, white and clean. And on His garment and on His thigh He has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. `Revelation 19bbb11-14`, `Revelation 19bbbccc16`.
What each individual part of this description embodies nobody can know except from the internal sense. Plainly, each one is representative and carries a spiritual meaning, such as 'heaven standing open'; 'the horse which was white'; 'He who sat on it was called faithful and true, and in righteousness He judges and goes into battle'; 'His eyes a flame of fire'; 'on His head many jewels'; 'He has a name which nobody knows but He Himself'; 'He is clothed in a garment dyed with blood'; 'the armies in heaven following Him on white horses'; 'clothed in linen, white and clean'; 'on His garment and on His thigh He has a name written'. It is stated openly that the One sitting on the White Horse is the Word, and that He is the Lord who is the Word, for it is said, 'His name is called the Word of God', and after that, 'on His garment and on His thigh He has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords'.
ttt[2] From the interpretation of each individual expression it is evident that the Word as to the internal sense is described here. 'Heaven standing open' represents and means that the internal sense of the Word is not seen except in heaven and by those to whom heaven stands open, that is, those in whom love to the Lord and faith in Him-derived from that love are present. 'The horse which was white' represents and means the understanding of the Word as regards its interior contents. The next paragraph shows that 'a white horse' has this representation and meaning. 'He who sat on it' is, it is clear, the Word and the Lord who is the Word. He is called 'faithful' and 'one who judges out of righteousness' by virtue of good, and 'true' and 'one who goes into battle out of righteousness' by virtue of truth; for the Lord Himself is righteousness. 'His eyes a flame of fire' means Divine Truth glowing from the Divine Good that issues from His Divine Love. 'On His head many jewels' means all things of faith. 'He has a name written which nobody knows but He Himself' means that nobody sees the essential nature of the Word in the internal sense except the Lord Himself and he to whom He reveals it. 'Clothed in a garment dyed with blood' means the Word in the letter. 'The armies in heaven that were following Him on white horses' means people who have an understanding of the Word as regards its interior contents. 'Clothed in linen, white and clean' means that in these same persons love and faith derived from love are present. 'On His garment and on His thigh a name written' means truth and good. From these verses in Revelation and from those which come before and after them it is evident that around the last period [of the Church] the internal sense of the Word will be opened. But what is going to happen in that last period is also described in verses `Genesis 21bbbccc17-21` of that chapter.
`nnn1. i.e. to Volume Three of the Latin
`nnn2. The preface to the third volume of the Latin edition has been included here in section 2760. The text of section 2760, as Swedenborg numbered it, starts where this footnote has been inserted.
ppp21089#pid#2761. That 'a white horse' means an understanding of the Word as regards its interior contents, or what amounts to the same, as regards the internal sense of the Word is clear from the meaning of 'a horse' as the understanding part of the mind. In prophetical parts of the Word 'a horse' and 'a rider' are referred to many times, but up to now nobody has known that 'a horse' means the understanding part of the mind, and 'a rider' one who has intelligence, as in the prophecy of Jacob, who by then was Israel, concerning Dan,
Dan will be a serpent on the road, a darting serpent on the path, biting the horse's heels; and its rider will fall backwards. I am awaiting Your salvation, O Jehovah. `Genesis 49bbb17-18`.
'A serpent' means one who reasons about Divine arcana on the basis of sensory evidence and factual knowledge, see `@@@195`. 'Road' and 'path' mean truth, `@@@627`, `@@@2333`, 'heel' means the lowest part of the natural, `@@@259`, 'horse' an understanding of the Word, and 'rider' one who teaches. From this it is evident what these prophetical words mean, namely that one who reasons about the truths of faith on the basis of sensory evidence and factual knowledge is interested solely in the lowest things belonging to the natural world and so believes nothing, which is 'falling backwards'. And this is why the words 'I am awaiting Your salvation, O Jehovah' are added.
ttt[2] In Habakkuk,
O God, You ride on Your horses, Your chariots are salvation. You made Your horses to tread in the sea. `Habakkuk 3bbb8`, `Habakkuk 3bbbccc15`.
Here 'horses' stands for Divine Truths that are in the Word, 'chariots' for doctrine drawn from them, 'the sea' for cognitions, `@@@28`, `@@@2120`. And since these belong to an understanding of the Word from God, it is said, 'You made Your horses to tread in the sea'. Here, as in the quotation above from the Book of Revelation, horses are attributed to God, but this attribution would not be possible if they did not have such a meaning.
ttt[3] In David,
Sing to God, sing praises to His name; exalt Him who rides on the clouds by His name lain. `Psalms 68bbb4`.
'Riding on the clouds' stands for an understanding of the Word as regards its interior contents or internal sense; for 'clouds' means the Word in the letter which has the internal sense within it - see the Preface to `Genesis 18bbb0`, where the meaning of 'the Lord's coming in the clouds of heaven with power and glory' is explained.
ttt[4] In the same author,
Jehovah bowed the heavens and came down; and thick darkness was under His feet, and He rode on a cherub. `Psalms 18bbb9-10`.
'Thick darkness' here stands for clouds, 'riding on a cherub' for the Lord's providence preventing man's entering of himself into the mysteries of faith that are in the Word, `@@@308`. In Zechariah,
On that day there will be on the horse-bells, Holiness to Jehovah. `Zechariah 14bbb20`. 'The horse-bells' stands for an understanding of the spiritual things of the Word, which are holy.
ttt[5] In Jeremiah,
There will enter through the gates of this city kings and princes seated on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their princes, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And this city will be inhabited for ever. `Jeremiah 17bbb25-26`; `Jeremiah ccc22bbb4`.
'The city of Jerusalem' stands for the Lord's spiritual kingdom and Church. 'Kings' stands for truths, `@@@1672`, `@@@2015`, `@@@2069`, 'princes' for the first and foremost commandments of truth, `@@@1482`, `@@@2089`, 'David' for the Lord, `@@@1888`, 'men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem' for those in whom there exists good that flows from love, charity, and faith, `@@@2268`, `@@@2451`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc2712`. Thus 'riding in chariots and on horses' stands for being furnished with the doctrine of truth received from an internal understanding of the Word.
ttt[6] In Isaiah, Then will you take delight in Jehovah and I will cause you to ride over the high places of the earth and cause you to eat the heritage of Jacob. `Isaiah 58bbb14`.
'Riding over the high places of the earth' stands for intelligence. In David,
A love song. Gird your sword on your thigh, O mighty one, [gird on] your glory and majesty. And in your majesty go on, ride on the word of truth, and of the meekness of righteousness. And your right hand will teach you marvellous things. `Psalms 45bbb1`, `Psalms 45bbbccc3-4`.
'Riding on the word of truth' stands plainly for intelligence based on truth, 'on the word of the meekness of righteousness' for wisdom based on good.
ttt[7] In Zechariah,
On that day, said Jehovah, I will strike every horse with panic, and its rider with madness. And on the house of Judah I will open My eyes, and every horse of the peoples I will strike with blindness. `Zechariah 12bbb4`.
Here also 'horse' plainly stands for the understanding which was to be 'stricken with panic and blindness', and 'rider' for him with intelligence who was to be 'stricken with madness'. In Hosea,
Take away all iniquity and accept that which is good, and we will render the praises`fff1` of our lips. Asshur will not save us, we will not ride on horses, and we will no more say Our God' to the work of our hands. `Hosea 14bbb2-3`.
'Asshur' stands for reasoning, `@@@119`, `@@@1186`, 'horse' for self-intelligence. 'Horse' and 'rider' are referred to in very many other places besides these.
`nnn1. literally, the calves
ppp21088#pid#2762. The origin of 'a horse' meaning the understanding part of the mind lies nowhere else than in representatives in the next life. Frequently there, in the world of spirits, horses which display great variety are seen, and also people seated on horses. And whenever they are seen the understanding is meant by them. Such representatives are of constant occurrence among spirits. It is because the horse is a representative of the understanding that when horses are mentioned in the Word the spirits and angels present with man know instantaneously that it is the understanding which is being spoken of. It is also why, when spirits from some other planet who have been endowed with intelligence and wisdom are raised up from the world of spirits into heaven, horses shining as though they consisted of fire appear, which I also have seen when those people were carried up.
ttt[2] This experience has made clear to me what is meant by the fiery chariot and the fiery horses which Elisha saw when Elijah went up with the whirlwind into heaven, and what also by Elisha's shout at that time,
My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and its riders. `2 Kings 2bbb11-12`, and by the same spoken by Joash king of Israel to Elisha when the latter was dying,
My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and its riders. `2 Kings 13bbb14`.
In the Lord's Divine mercy it will be shown elsewhere that Elijah and Elisha represented the Lord as to the Word. That is to say, it will there be shown that the doctrine of love and charity drawn from the Word is meant by 'the fiery chariot', and the doctrine of faith deriving from these by 'the fiery horses'. The doctrine of faith is the same as an understanding of the Word as to its inner content, which is the internal sense.
ttt[3] As regards chariots and horses being seen in heaven among spirits and angels, this is evident not only from the fact that they were seen by the prophets, such as by Zechariah (`Zechariah ccc1bbb8-10`; `Zechariah ccc6bbb1-7`) and by others, but also by Elisha's servant, of whom the following is said in the Book of Kings,
Jehovah opened the eyes of Elisha's servant, and he saw; and behold the mountain was full of horses, and there were fiery chariots surrounding Elisha. `2 Kings 6bbb17`.
Furthermore, where the intelligent and wise dwell in the world of spirits, chariots and horses are constantly making their appearance, the reason being, as has been stated, that chariots and horses represent the things that belong to wisdom and intelligence. People who have been awakened after death and are entering the next life see represented to them a young man seated on a horse, who then dismounts. The meaning of this is that before they can enter heaven they have to be furnished with cognitions of good and truth - see Volume One, in `@@@187`, `@@@188`. The fact that chariots and horses meant those things was fully known in the Ancient Church, as becomes clear also from the Book of Job, a book of the Ancient Church, where these words occur,
God has made him forget wisdom and given him no share in intelligence. After raising himself on high he laughs at the horse and its rider. `Job 39bbb17-19`.
ttt[4] The meaning of 'a horse' as the understanding spread from the Ancient Church to the wise in surrounding regions, and even into Greece. As a consequence of this, when describing the sun, which meant love, `@@@2441`, `@@@2495`, they placed the god of their wisdom and intelligence there in the sun, and gave him a chariot and four fiery horses. And when they described the god of the sea - the sea meaning knowledge in general, `@@@28`, `@@@2120` - they gave horses to him also. And when they described the upsurge of knowledge from the understanding they portrayed it as a flying horse which with its hoof broke open a fountain where the virgins who were the branches of knowledge dwelt. And by the Trojan horse nothing else was meant than a device of their understanding for destroying city walls. Even today, when the understanding is being described, it is quite usual, drawing on the custom received from those people of old, to portray the understanding as a flying horse or Pegasus, and to portray learning as a fountain. Yet scarcely anyone knows that 'a horse' in the mystical sense means the understanding, and 'a fountain' truth, let alone that those images with a spiritual meaning spread to the gentiles from the Ancient Church.
ppp21087#pid#2763. These considerations now show where the representatives in the Word and the things in it which carry a spiritual meaning have their origin, namely in the representatives that manifest themselves in the next life. It was from the same source that representatives came to members of the Most Ancient Church, who were celestial and who while living on earth were at the same time in the company of spirits and angels. From these people those representatives passed to their descendants, and at length to those who did not know anything about them apart from the mere fact that such things were meant by them. But because those representatives had come down from most ancient times and were included in their Divine worship, they were venerated and treated as holy.
ttt[2] In addition to representatives there are also correspondences, which denote and also mean something altogether different in the spiritual world from what they do in the natural world. The heart, for example, means the affection for good; the eyes, the understanding; the ears, obedience; the hand, power; and there are countless other correspondences besides these. These things are not represented in this manner in the world of spirits but correspond in the way something natural corresponds to something spiritual. This explains why every word within the Word, down to the smallest letter of all, embodies spiritual and celestial matters, and why the Word is inspired in the way it is, that is to say, so inspired that when man is reading it, spirits and angels immediately perceive it spiritually according to the representations and correspondences.
ttt[3] But this knowledge which was developed so extensively and valued so highly by the ancients after the Flood, and which enabled them to think with spirits and angels, has today been completely wiped out, insomuch that scarcely anybody is willing to believe that it exists. And those who believe that it does exist merely refer to it as something mystical which has no practical value, the reason being that mankind has become utterly worldly- and bodily-minded to the point of finding the very mention of what is spiritual and celestial repugnant, and sometimes loathsome, even nauseating. How then will they react in the next life which lasts for ever, where not that which is worldly and bodily but solely that which is spiritual and celestial constitutes life in heaven?
ppp21086#pid#2764. `Genesis 22bbb0`
1. And so it was after these events, that God tempted Abraham, and said to him, Abraham. And he said, Here I am.
2. And He said, Take now your son, your only one, whom you love, Isaac, and get you to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I tell you.
3. And in the morning Abraham rose up early, and saddled his ass, and took two of his servants`fff1` with him, and Isaac his son, and split the pieces of wood for the burnt offering, and rose up and went to the place of which God had told him.
4. On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar off.
5. And Abraham said to his servants, Remain here with the ass, and I and the boy will go over there, and we will bow ourselves down, and return to you.
6. And Abraham took the pieces of wood for the burnt offering and laid them on Isaac his son; and he took in his hand the fire and the knife, and the two of them went on together.
7. And Isaac said to Abraham his father - he said - My father. And he said, Here I am, my son. And he said, Behold, the fire and the pieces of wood, but where is the animal for the burnt offering?
8. And Abraham said, God will see for Himself to the animal for a burnt offering, my son. And the two of them went on together.
9. And they came to the place of which God told him, and Abraham built the altar there, and laid the pieces of wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, upon the pieces of wood.
10. And Abraham put forth his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
11. And the angel of Jehovah called to him out of heaven, and said Abraham, Abraham. And he said, Here I am.
12. And he said, Do not put forth your hand towards the boy and do not do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God and have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.
13. And Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, a ram behind [him] caught in a thicket by its horns. And Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it as a burnt offering instead of his son.
14. And Abraham called the name of that place, Jehovah will see; as it is said today, On the mountain Jehovah will see [to it].
15. And the angel of Jehovah called to Abraham a second time out of heaven.
16. And he said, By Myself I have sworn, says Jehovah, that because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son,
17. I will certainly bless you, and I will certainly multiply your seed like the stars of the heavens and like the sand which is on the seashore. And your seed will inherit the gate of their`fff2` enemies.
18. And in your seed all the nations of the earth will be blessed because you have hearkened to My voice.
19. And Abraham returned to his servants, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt in Beersheba.
20. And so it was, after these events,`fff3` that it was pointed out to Abraham, saying, Behold, Milkah, she also has borne sons, to Nahor your brother:
21. Uz her firstborn, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of Aram;
22. And Kesed, and Hazo, and Pildash, and Jidlaph, and Bethuel.
23. And Bethuel begot Rebekah. These eight Milkah bore to Nahor, Abraham's brother.
24. And his concubine, whose name was Reumah; and she too bore Tebah, and Gaham, and Tahash, and Maakah.
CONTENTS
The subject in this chapter in the internal sense is the Lord's severest and inmost temptations, by means of which He united the Human Essence to the Divine Essence; then it is the salvation by means of that union of those who constitute the Lord's spiritual Church.
`nnn1. Here and in verses `Genesis 22bbbccc5` and `Genesis 22bbbccc19` the word translated servants is the same as that used for boys.
`nnn2. The Latin means your but the Hebrew means their.
`nnn3. literally, words
ppp21085#pid#2765. The Lord's severest and inmost temptations are described in verses `Genesis 22bbbccc1`, `Genesis 22bbbccc3-6`, `Genesis 22bbbccc9-11`; the uniting together by means of these of the Human Essence with the Divine Essence, which uniting is Glorification in verses `Genesis 22bbbccc2`, `Genesis 22bbbccc11-12`, `Genesis 22bbbccc16`; the salvation effected from the Lord's Divine Human of those who are spiritual - of those within the Church who have charity and faith, in verses `Genesis 22bbbccc2`, `Genesis 22bbbccc7-8`, `Genesis 22bbbccc13-19`, and of those outside the Church who have good in mind, in verses `Genesis 22bbbccc20-24`.
ppp21084#pid#2766. THE INTERNAL SENSE
Verse `Genesis 22bbbccc1` And so it was after these events, that God tempted Abraham, and said to him, Abraham. And he said, Here I am.
'So it was after these events' means after these things had taken place. 'That God tempted Abraham' means the Lord's severest and inmost temptations. 'And said to him, Abraham' means the Lord's perception from Divine Truth. 'And he said, Here I am' means thought and reflection.
ppp21083#pid#2767. That 'so it was after these events' means after these things had taken place is clear without explanation. These things, which have received explanation, are those to do with Abimelech and Abraham's making a covenant in Beersheba, and finally with Abraham's establishment of a grove in Beersheba, by which was meant that human rational ideas were allied to the doctrine of faith, which in itself is Divine. Now the subject becomes the temptation of the Lord as regards the Rational, meant by Isaac; for by means of temptations the Lord made His Human Divine, and thus His Rational in which the human has its beginnings, `@@@2106`, `@@@2194`. He made it Divine by suppressing and driving out everything in the rational which was merely human, that is, which was the maternal human. The present verse serves as the link between the matters dealt with in the previous chapter and those dealt with in this; hence the words that occur here, 'So it was after these events, that God tempted Abraham'.
ppp21082#pid#2768. 'That God tempted Abraham' means the Lord's severest and inmost temptations. This is clear from what follows. Abraham represents, and in the internal sense means, the Lord, as is evident from all that has been said so far where Abraham is the subject. And the fact that the Lord underwent severest and inmost temptations, which are described in the internal sense of this chapter, will be shown below. As regards the words 'God tempted', these are used in accordance with the sense of the letter in which temptations and many other things are attributed to God. But in accordance with the internal sense the truth is that God does not tempt anyone. In times of temptation He is constantly delivering the person from it, as far as possible, that is, as far as the deliverance does no harm, and He constantly has good in view to which He leads the one who is undergoing temptations. For God never consents to temptations with any other objectives.
ttt[2] And although it is said of Him that He permits, this attribution is not made according to man's idea of permission, that is to say, that by permitting He approves. Man cannot do other than have the idea that anyone who permits something also wills it. But it is evil residing with man which causes and even leads him into temptation. God is no more the cause of it than a king or a judge is when a person does evil and is therefore punished for it. For anyone who forsakes the laws of Divine order, all of which are those of good and from this of truth, makes himself subject to laws contrary to Divine order, which are those of evil and falsity, and consequently of punishments and torments.
ppp21081#pid#2769. 'And He said to him, Abraham' means the Lord's perception from Divine Truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' - in the historical parts of the Word - as perceiving, dealt with in `@@@1898`, `@@@1919`, `@@@2080`, `@@@2619`, and from the representation of 'Abraham' as the Lord. This perception sprang from Divine Truth, as may be seen from the consideration that the name GOD is used, not JEHOVAH. For in the Word when truth is the subject the name God occurs, but when good is the subject the name Jehovah, see `@@@2586`. This explains why the name God is used in the present verse and in those that follow as far as verse `Genesis 22bbbccc11`, in that temptation is the subject in those verses, and why Jehovah is used in verse `Genesis 22bbbccc11` and those that follow, in that deliverance is the subject in these verses. For it is from truth that all temptation and condemnation come about, but from good that all deliverance and salvation are effected. Truth condemns but good saves, see `@@@1685`, `@@@2258`, `@@@2335`.
ppp21080#pid#2770. 'And he said, Here I am' means thought and reflexion. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as perception, `@@@2769`, but here thinking and reflecting because they are words expressing a reply. For all thought and consequent reflection spring from perception, `@@@1919`, `@@@2515`, `@@@2552`
ppp21079#pid#2771. Verse `Genesis 22bbbccc2` And He said, Take now your son, your only one, whom you love, Isaac, and get you to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I tell you. 'He said, Take now your son' means the Divine Rational begotten from Him. 'Your only one, whom you love' means the 'only one' in the entire universe by which He was to save the human race. 'Isaac' means the essential nature of that Rational. 'And get you to the land of Moriah' means a place and state of temptation. 'And offer him there as a burnt offering' means that He was to sanctify Himself to the Divine. 'On one of the mountains' means Divine love. 'Of which I tell you' means as He would perceive.
ppp21078#pid#2772. 'He said, Take now your son' means the Divine Rational begotten from Him. This is clear from the meaning of 'son' as the rational, dealt with in `@@@2623`, here the Divine Rational since 'son' means Isaac who represents the Lord's Divine Rational, as shown in `@@@1893`, `@@@2066`, `@@@2083`, `@@@2630`. And since the Lord made His Rational Divine by His own power, as often stated already, 'your son' also means that it was begotten from Him, see `@@@1893`, `@@@2093`, `@@@2625`.
ppp21077#pid#2773. 'Your only one, whom you love' means the 'only one' in the entire universe by which He was to save the human race. This is clear from the meaning of 'only' as the only one, indeed the only one in the entire universe, for the subject is the Lord who alone as to His whole Human became God, that is, became Divine.
ppp21076#pid#2774. 'Isaac' means the essential nature of that Rational, namely that it is good wedded to truth, and truth to good - such being the Divine Marriage that exists within the Lord's Human. This is clear from the naming of Isaac dealt with above at Chapter `Genesis ccc21bbb6-7`.
ppp21075#pid#2775. 'And get you to the land of Moriah' means a place and state of temptation. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'the land of Moriah'. It is evident that 'the land of Moriah' means a place of temptation from the fact that Abraham was commanded to go there and to offer his son there as a burnt offering, and in doing this to undergo the utmost degree of temptation. The fact that Jerusalem where the Lord Himself bore the utmost degree of temptation was situated in the land of Moriah becomes clear from the consideration that David built an altar, and subsequently Solomon the Temple, on Mount Moriah, as is evident from the Book of Chronicles,
Solomon began to build the house of Jehovah in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, which had been shown to David his father in the place which David had prepared at the threshing-floor of Ornan (Araunah) the Jebusite. `2 Chronicles 3bbb1`. (Compare `1 Chronicles 21bbb16-28` with `2 Samuel 24bbb16-25`.)
From this it may become quite clear that these details which are stated regarding the sacrifice of Isaac are representative of the Lord, otherwise everything could have taken place where Abraham was staying at the time and he would not have been commanded to make a journey from there lasting nearly three days.
ppp21074#pid#2776. 'Offer him as a burnt offering' means that He was to sanctify Himself to the Divine. This is clear from the representation of 'a burnt offering' among the Hebrew nation, and in the Jewish Church, as the holiest act of their worship. There were burnt offerings and there were sacrifices, and as regards what these represented, see `@@@922`, `@@@923`, `@@@1823`, `@@@2180`. Sanctifications were effected by means of burnt offerings and sacrifices, and that is why in this verse 'offering a burnt offering' means being sanctified to the Divine. For the Lord sanctified Himself to the Divine, that is, He united the Human to the Divine by means of the conflicts brought about by temptations, and by means of the victories in these, see `@@@1663`, `@@@1690`, `@@@1692` (end), `@@@1692`, `@@@1737`, `@@@1787`, `@@@1812`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc1813`, `@@@1820`.
ttt[2] It is generally believed at the present day that the burnt offerings and sacrifices were signs of the Lord's passion, and that by His passion the Lord atoned for the iniquities of all. Indeed it is believed that He drew away those iniquities on to Himself, and thus bore them Himself, so that those who believe are made righteous and are saved, if only they think, even in the last hour prior to death, that the Lord suffered on their behalf, no matter how they may have lived throughout the whole course of their lives. But such beliefs are mistaken. The passion of the Cross was the utmost degree of temptation endured by the Lord, by means of which He fully united the Human to the Divine and the Divine to the Human, and by doing this glorified Himself. That union itself is the means by which people possessing faith in Him that is grounded in charity are able to be saved. For the Supreme Divine Itself was no longer able to reach the human race which had removed itself so far away from the celestial things of love, and from the spiritual things of faith, that people did not even recognize them any more, let alone perceive them. Consequently to enable the Supreme Divine to come down to all such as this, the Lord came into the world and united the Human to the Divine within Himself. This union could not have been effected except by means of the very severe conflicts brought about by temptations and by means of victories in these, and at length by means of the final temptation, which was that of the Cross.
ttt[3] As a result of this the Lord is able from the Divine Human to enlighten human minds, even those that are quite remote from the celestial things of love, provided that faith grounded in charity is present in them. For in the next life the Lord appears to celestial angels as the Sun, and to spiritual angels as the Moon, `@@@1053`, `@@@1521`, `@@@1529`, `@@@1530`, `@@@2441`, `@@@2495` - all the light of heaven flowing from Him. The light of heaven is such that when it enlightens the eyes of spirits and angels it also at the same time enlightens their understanding. This ability to enlighten the understanding also exists inherently within that light, so that the amount of internal light, that is, of understanding, which anyone possesses in heaven is the same as the amount of external light he has. This shows the way in which the light of heaven is different from the light of the world. It is the Lord's Divine Human that enlightens both the eyes and the understanding of those who are spiritual, but this could never be done unless the Lord had united the Human Essence to the Divine Essence. And unless He had united them neither men in the world, nor indeed any spiritual angel in heaven, would any longer have possessed any ability to understand or to perceive that which is good or true. Nor thus would they have possessed any blessedness and happiness at all, nor consequently any salvation at all. From this it becomes clear that the human race could not have been saved unless the Lord had assumed the Human and glorified it.
ttt[4] From what has now been stated anyone may decide for himself the truth or otherwise of the idea that people are saved, no matter how they may have lived, if only they think from some inner emotion that the Lord suffered on their behalf and bore their sins. But in reality the light of heaven received from the Lord's Divine Human is able to reach none except those with whom there exists the good that accompanies faith, that is, who lead charitable lives, or what amounts to the same, who possess conscience. The level itself into which that light can operate, that is, the receptacle for that light, is the good that accompanies faith, which is charity and thus conscience. That those who are spiritual have salvation from the Lord's Divine Human, see `@@@1043`, `@@@2661`, `@@@2716`, `@@@2718`.
ppp21073#pid#2777. 'On one of the mountains' means Divine love. This is clear from the meaning of 'a mountain' as love, dealt with in `@@@795`, `@@@796`, `@@@1430`, here Divine love since it has reference to the Lord. For the nature of that love, see `@@@1690`, `@@@1601` (end), `@@@1789`, `@@@1812`, `@@@1820`, `@@@2077`, `@@@2253`, `@@@2500`, `@@@2572`. As it was Divine love from which the Lord fought and overcame in temptations, and from which He sanctified and glorified Himself, Abraham is in this verse told to offer Isaac as a burnt offering 'on one of the mountains' in the land of Moriah. Light is shed on this representative act by the fact that David built an altar, and Solomon the Temple, on Mount Moriah, `@@@2775`. For the altar on which burnt offerings and sacrifices were offered, and later the Temple, was the chief representative of the Lord. The fact that the altar was the chief representative of Him may be seen in `@@@921` and is clear in David,
They will bring me to Your holy mountain and to Your dwellings. Then I will go in to the altar or God, to God my exceeding joy. `Psalms 43bbb3-4`.
And that 'the Temple' was representative of Him is clear in John,
Jesus said, Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up again. He was speaking of the temple of His body. `John 2bbb19`, `John 2bbbccc21`.
ppp21072#pid#2778. 'Of which I tell you' means as He would perceive. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as perceiving, dealt with above in `@@@2769`.
ppp21071#pid#2779. Verse `Genesis 22bbbccc3` And in the morning Abraham rose up early, and saddled his ass, and took two of his servants with him, and Isaac his son, and split the pieces of wood for the burnt offering, and rose up and went to the place of which God had told him.
'In the morning Abraham rose up early' means a state of peace and innocence. 'And saddled his ass' means the natural man which He prepared. 'And took two servants' means the first rational which He had allied to it. 'And Isaac his son' means the Divine Rational begotten from Himself. 'And split the pieces of wood for the burnt offering' means the merit of righteousness. 'And rose up' means being raised up. 'And went to the place of which God had told him' means the state at that time according to perception.
ppp21070#pid#2780. 'In the morning Abraham rose up early' means a state of peace and innocence. This is clear from the meaning of 'in the morning', also of 'rising up in the early morning', when used in reference to the Lord, who is 'Abraham' here. 'The morning' in the universal sense means the Lord, and from this His kingdom. Consequently it means the celestial element of love in general and in particular, as shown in `@@@2333`. And as it means those things it means the state itself in which they exist, which state is one of peace and innocence. The state of peace in heaven is like that at dawn on earth. Within the state of peace in heaven all celestial and spiritual things manifest themselves, and from it they derive all their bliss, blessedness, and happiness, even as at dawn on earth when all things present themselves to man with a delightful and gladsome air, for each specific celestial or spiritual thing receives its character from the general affection, `@@@920`, `@@@2384`. The same applies to the state of innocence. This manifests itself within the state of peace and is something general and overall which brings itself to bear on all things of love and faith. Unless the latter possess innocence within them they lack their essential element. It is for this reason that nobody is able to enter heaven unless he possesses a measure of innocence, `Mark 10bbb15`. From this it is evident what 'in the morning' means in the internal sense, even more what is meant by the words 'in the morning he rose up early'. And since in the highest sense 'the morning' is the Lord, and He is the author of the state which brings into being and exerts an influence on the things that exist in His kingdom, 'in the morning' and 'rising up in the morning' also mean further things still which arise in that state and are related to the things that follow in the internal sense.
ppp21069#pid#2781. 'And saddled [his] ass' means the natural man which He prepared. This is clear from the meaning of 'an ass', dealt with below. In man there are things of the will and there are those of the understanding; with the former go those things which spring from good, with the latter those which spring from truth. There are various kinds of animals, by which things of the will springing from good are meant, such as lambs, sheep, goats, she-goats, young bulls, and oxen, see `@@@1823`, `@@@2179`, `@@@2180`; and there are also those by which are meant things of the understanding springing from truth, namely horses, mules, wild asses, camels, and asses, in addition to birds. 'A horse' means the understanding part of the mind, as has been shown above in `@@@2761`, `@@@2762`; 'a wild ass' means rational truth separated from good, see `@@@1949`; and 'a camel' means factual knowledge in general, and 'an ass' factual knowledge in particular, see `@@@1486`.
ttt[2] There are two elements which constitute the natural degree of man's mind, or what amounts to the same, the natural man - natural good and natural truth. Natural good is the delight that flows forth from charity and faith, natural truth is knowledge of these. That natural truth is what is meant by 'an ass', and rational truth by 'a mule', becomes clear from the following places:In Isaiah,
A prophecy of the beasts of the south. In the land of distress and repression are the lion and the tiger, and from them come the viper and the flying fiery-serpent. They will bear their riches on the shoulders of young asses, and their treasures on the humps of camels - on a people [who] will not be any use [to them]; for the Egyptians will help in vain and to no advantage. `Isaiah 30bbb6-7`.
The expression 'the beasts of the south' is used of those who possess cognitions of good and truth but who make them matters of knowledge, not of life. In reference to those beasts it is said that those people 'bear their riches on the shoulders of young asses, and their treasures on the humps of camels', for the reason that 'young asses' means facts in particular, and 'camels' facts in general. 'The Egyptians', of whom it is said that they will help in vain and to no advantage, means knowledge, see `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1186`. It is evident to anyone that this prophecy has an internal sense and that without this it is understood by nobody, for without the internal sense no one can know what 'the prophecy of the beasts of the south' is, or what 'the lion and the tiger', or what 'the viper and the flying fiery-serpent', or what is meant by the words that 'those beasts were to bear their riches on the shoulders of young asses, and their treasures on the humps of camels', or why the assertion immediately follows that 'the Egyptians will help in vain and to no advantage'. 'Ass' is used with a like meaning in Israel's prophecy concerning Issachar, in Moses,
Issachar is a bony ass lying down between burdens. `Genesis 49bbb14`.
ttt[3] In Zechariah,
This will be the plague with which Jehovah will smite all the peoples that wage war against Jerusalem. It will be a plague of the horse, the mule, the camel, and the ass, and every beast. `Zechariah 14bbb12`, `Zechariah 14bbbccc15`.
'The horse, the mule, the camel, and the ass' means things of the understanding residing in man which will suffer from the plague. This is clear from every single detail before and after those verses, for the subject there is the plagues which are to precede the Last Judgement or. Close of the Age and to which John makes much reference in Revelation, as do the rest of the Prophets in various places. Those who are going to wage war at that time against Jerusalem, that is, against the Lord's spiritual Church and its truths, are meant by those animals. It will be the things of the understanding that will suffer from such plagues
ttt[4] In Isaiah,
Blessed are you who sow beside all waters, who send forth the foot of the ox and the ass. `Isaiah 32bbb20`.
'Sowing beside all waters' stands for those who allow themselves to be taught spiritual things - 'waters' meaning spiritual things and so things that constitute an understanding of truth, see `@@@680`, `@@@739`, `@@@2702`. 'Who send forth the foot of the ox and the ass' stands for natural things that are to be of service, 'ox' meaning the natural as regards good, `@@@2180`, `@@@2566`, 'ass' the natural as regards truth.
ttt[5] In Moses,
Binding his young ass to the vine and the foal`fff1` of his she-ass to the choice vine. He washes his vesture in wine and his cloak in the blood of grapes. `Genesis 49bbb11`.
This is the prophecy of Jacob, by then Israel, concerning the Lord. 'The vine' and 'the choice vine' stand for the spiritual Church, external and internal, `@@@1069`. 'Young ass' stands for natural truth, 'the foal of a she-ass' for rational truth. The reason 'the foal of a she-ass' means rational truth is that 'a she ass' means the affection for natural truth, `@@@1486`, while her foal means rational truth, see `@@@1895`, `@@@1896`, `@@@1902`, `@@@1910`.
ttt[6] In former times a judge used to ride on a she-ass and his sons on young asses, the reason being that judges represented the goods of the Church and their sons truths derived from those goods. A king however used to ride on a she-mule and his sons on mules, the reason being that kings and their sons represented the truths of the Church, see `@@@1672`, `@@@1728`, `@@@2015`, `@@@2069`. The fact that a judge rode on a she-ass is clear in the Book of Judges,
My heart goes out to the law-givers of Israel offering themselves willingly among the people. Bless Jehovah, you who ride on white she-asses, you who sit on Middin.`fff2` `Judges 5bbb9-10`.
The fact that judges' sons rode on young asses,
Jair the judge over Israel had thirty sons who rode on thirty young asses. `Judges 10bbb3-4`.
And elsewhere in the same book,
Abdon the judge of Israel had forty sons and thirty grandsons who rode on seventy young asses. `Judges 12bbb14`.
David said to them, Take with you the servants of your lord and cause Solomon my son to ride on the she-mule which is mine. And they caused Solomon to ride on King David's she-mule. And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anointed him king in Gihon. `1 Kings 1bbb33`, `1 Kings 1bbbccc38`, `1 Kings 1bbbccc44-45`.
The fact that the king's sons rode on mules,
All King David's sons arose, and they rode each on his mule and fled because of Absalom. `2 Samuel 13bbb29`.
ttt[7] From all this it is evident that riding on a she-ass indicated the judge, and riding on a she-mule the king; riding on a young ass indicated the judge's sons, and doing so on a mule the king's sons. They indicated these personages because, as has been stated, 'a she-ass' represented and meant the affection for natural good and truth, 'a she-mule' the affection for rational truth, 'an ass or young ass' natural truth itself, and 'a mule' as well as 'the foal of a she-ass' rational truth. This shows what is meant by the prophetical words that refer to the Lord, in Zechariah,
Exult, O daughter of Zion! Rejoice, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King will come to you. He is just and having salvation, humble and riding on an ass, and on a young ass, the foal of she-asses. His dominion will be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. `Zechariah 9bbb9-10`.
The fact that the Lord wished to ride on these when He was about to enter Jerusalem is well known from the Gospels. The event is referred to in Matthew as follows,
Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a she-ass tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to Me. This took place to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet saying, Tell the daughter of Zion, Behold, your King is coming to you, meek seated on a she-ass, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden. And they brought the she-ass and the colt and laid their garments on them and set Him on them. `Matthew 21bbb2`, `Matthew 21bbbccc4-5`, `Matthew 21bbbccc7`.
ttt[8] 'Riding on an ass' served to indicate that the natural was subordinate, and 'riding on a colt, the foal of a she-ass' that the rational was so; for 'the foal of a she-ass' is similar in meaning to 'a mule', as has been shown above, where `Genesis 49bbb11` is referred to.`fff3` From this - the spiritual meaning of these animals - and because it was the right of the supreme judge and of the king to ride on them, and at the same time so that He might fulfil the representatives of the Church, the Lord was pleased to ride in this way. His doing so is described in John as follows,
The next day a great crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees, and went to meet Him, and cried, Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel! Jesus found a young ass and sat on it, as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your King is coming, sitting on a she-ass's colt! These things however His disciples had not understood at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written of Him, and that they had done these things for Him. `John 12bbb12-16`; `Mark 11bbb1-12`; `Luke 19bbb28-41`.
ttt[9] From an this it may now be clear that every single thing in the Church of that period was representative of the Lord, and consequently of the celestial and spiritual things that are in His kingdom; even the she-ass and the colt of the she-ass were so, which represented the natural man as regards good and truth. The reason for the representation was that the natural man ought to serve the rational, and the rational to serve the spiritual; but the spiritual ought to serve the celestial, and the celestial to serve the Lord. This is the order in which one is subordinated to another.
ttt[10] Because 'an ox and an ass' meant the natural man as regards good and truth many laws were therefore laid down in which oxen and asses are mentioned. At first glance these laws do not seem to be worthy of mention in the Divine Word, but when they are interpreted as to their internal sense, that which is spiritual and of great importance is seen within these laws, such as the following laws in Moses,
If anyone opens a pit, or if anyone digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or an ass falls into it, the owner of the pit shall recompense its owner with silver, and the dead animal shall be his. `Exodus 21bbb33-34`.
If you meet your enemy's ox or his ass going astray you shall certainly lead it back to him. If you see the ass of one who hates you lying under its burden, and you are disinclined to remove it, you shall certainly help to remove it from it. `Exodus 23bbb4-5`; `Deuteronomy 22bbb1`, `Deuteronomy 22bbbccc3`.
You shall not see your brother's ass or ox falling down in the road and hide yourself from them; you shall certainly help to lift them. `Deuteronomy 22bbb4`.
You shall not plough with an ox and an ass together. You shall not wear mingled material made of wool and linen together. `Deuteronomy 22bbb10-11`.
Six days you shall do your works, and on the seventh day you shall rest, in order that your ox and your ass may rest, and the son of your woman servant, and the settler. `Exodus 23bbb12`.
Here 'ox and ass' in the spiritual sense means nothing other than natural good and truth.
`nnn1. literally, the son
`nnn2. A Hebrew word, the meaning of which is uncertain.
`nnn3. i.e. in subsection 5 of this paragraph 378:5
ppp21068#pid#2782. 'And took two servants' means the first rational which He had allied to it. This is clear from the meaning of 'servants' or 'boys'. 'Boy' and 'boys' in the Word have various meanings because these terms may be used to refer not only to the sons of the house, but also to the sons of the foreigner, and to servants as well. Here servants are meant. As regards 'servants' in the Word also meaning the natural things in man which are to serve the rational, see `@@@1486`, `@@@1713`, `@@@2541`, `@@@2567`. Here however, since the word which otherwise means 'boys' is used and not the more usual word for servants, the first or merely human rational which is to be subservient to the Divine Rational is meant, as may become clear also from the actual train of thought.
ppp21067#pid#2783. 'And Isaac his son' means the Divine Rational begotten from Himself. This is clear from the representation of 'Isaac' as the Lord's Divine Rational, often dealt with already. Its being begotten from Himself is meant by the expression 'his son', as above in `@@@2772`.
ppp21066#pid#2784. 'And split the pieces of wood for the burnt offering' means the merit of righteousness. This is clear from the meaning of 'the pieces of wood' and of 'splitting them' 'Pieces of wood' means goods which are the product of one's own works, and those which are the product of righteousness; and 'splitting pieces of wood' means placing merit in the goods which are the product of one's own works. But as regards 'splitting the wood for the burnt offering' meaning the merit of righteousness, this seems too remote for anyone to know without revelation. The fact that 'splitting pieces of wood' means placing merit in the goods which are the product of one's own works has been made clear to me from the incidents I have witnessed and described in Volume One, in `@@@1110`, about hewers of wood being those who, through the goods which they have done, wish to merit salvation. In addition there are others up above, in front and slightly to the right, who come from some other planet. These in the same way have claimed for themselves all good and are seen in like manner to be hewing and splitting wood. Sometimes, when they seem to themselves to be hard at work, their faces shine from the light shed by some ignis fatuus, which is the meritorious good that they attribute to themselves. The reason for such an appearance is that 'wood' is representative of good, as was all the wood in the Ark and in the Temple, and also all the wood placed on the altar when burnt offerings and sacrifices were made. But people who attribute good to themselves and make it meritorious are also said in the Word to worship wood or a graven image made of wood.
ppp21065#pid#2785. 'Rose up' means a raising up. This is clear from the meaning of 'rising up' - whenever this occurs in the Word - as a phrase that implies some kind of raising up.
ppp21064#pid#2786. 'And went to the place of which God had told him' means the state at that time according to perception. This is clear from the meaning of 'place' as state, dealt with in `@@@1273-1277`, `@@@1376-1381`, `@@@2625`, and from the meaning of 'God's telling him' as perceiving from the Divine, dealt with in `@@@2769`, `@@@2778`. As regards the state itself, this is described in the present verse - the state which the Lord assumed when undergoing temptations, here that state when He underwent the severest and inmost temptations. The preliminary preparation for that state consisted in His entering a state of peace and innocence, and also in the preparation by Him of His natural man, and of His rational man too, so that these might serve the Divine Rational, to which He joined the merit of righteousness, and by doing these things raising Himself up.
ttt[2] These matters cannot possibly be explained intelligibly or presented to the thought of anyone who does not know that many states exist together simultaneously, yet distinct and separate from one another, and who also does not know what a state of peace and innocence is, what the natural man is, and what the rational man is, as well as what the merit of righteousness is. He must first have a distinct idea of all of these, and must also know that from the Divine the Lord was able to bring Himself into whatever states He pleased, and that He prepared Himself to enter temptation by bringing about many states. Although these matters are with man enveloped in obscurity like that of night, they are bathed in light like that of day with the angels; for the angels, dwelling in the light of heaven flowing from the Lord, see countless things - each distinctly - within those matters and others like them, and from the affection flowing in at the same time experience indescribable joy. From this it may become clear how far removed man's ability to understand and perceive is from angels' ability to do so.
ppp21063#pid#2787. Verse `Genesis 22bbbccc4` On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar off.
'On the third day' means that which has been completed, and the beginning of sanctification. 'And Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw' means thought and insight received from the Divine. 'The place from afar off' means into the state which He foresaw.
ppp21062#pid#2788. That 'on the third day' means that which has been completed, and the beginning of sanctification, is clear from the meaning of 'the third day'. 'Day' in the Word means state, `@@@23`, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@893`, as also does 'year', and as in general do all periods of time - an hour, day, week, month, year, or age; also morning, midday, evening, and night; and spring, summer, autumn, and winter. And when 'the third' is added to any of these the end of that state, and at the same time the beginning of the next, are meant. Here, the subject being the sanctification of the Lord which was effected by means of temptations, 'the third day' means that which has been completed and at the same time the beginning of sanctification, as also follows from what has been said previously to this. The reason for this meaning is that when He had fulfilled everything the Lord was to rise again on the third day, for the things that were done by the Lord while He lived in the world, that is, the things that were yet to be done by Him, were embodied within the representatives of the Church as though they had already been done. This was as it is with the internal sense of the Word, for with God that which is yet to come to pass and that which already is are one and the same; indeed to Him the whole of eternity is here and now.
ttt[2] This is why the number three was representative not only in the Ancient Church and in the Jewish but also among various gentile nations; see what has been stated about this number in `@@@720`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc901`, `@@@1825`. That such was the origin of the meaning of 'three' is clear in Hosea,
We will return to Jehovah, for He has wounded and will heal us; He has stricken and will bind us up; He will revive us after two days, on the third day He will raise us up that we may live before Him. `Hosea 6bbb1-2`.
Here 'the third day' stands for the coming of the Lord and His resurrection. The same is clear from Jonah, in that he was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights, `Jonah 1bbb17`, to which the Lord refers in Matthew as follows,
As Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. `Matthew 12bbb40`.
ttt[3] It should be realized that in the internal sense of the Word 'three days' and 'the third day' have the same meaning, as also do 'three' and 'third' in the following places: In John,
Jesus said to the Jews, Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up. He was speaking of the temple of His body. `John 2bbb19-21`; `Matthew 26bbb61`; `Mark 14bbb58`; `Mark ccc15bbb29`.
It is a well known fact that the Lord rose again on the third day.
ttt[4] For the same reason the Lord also distinguished three periods in His life: in Luke,
Go and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, but on the third day I reach completion. `Luke 13bbb32`.
Also, the Lord underwent the final temptation, which was that of the Cross, at the third hour of the day, `Mark 15bbb25`. Three hours later, that is, at the sixth hour, darkness fell over the whole land,`fff1` `Luke 23bbb44`. And three hours after that, at the ninth hour, the end came, `Mark 15bbb33-34`, `Mark 15bbbccc37`. But in the morning of the third day He rose again, `Mark 16bbb1-4`; `Luke 24bbb7`. See also `Matthew 16bbb21`; `Matthew ccc17bbb22-23`; `Matthew ccc20bbb18-19`; `Mark 8bbb31`; `Mark ccc9bbb31`; `Mark ccc10bbb33-34`; `Luke 18bbb33`; `Luke ccc24bbb46`. From all this, and especially from the Lord's resurrection on the third day, the number three was representative and possessed a spiritual meaning. This fact becomes clear from the following places in the Word:
When Jehovah came down upon Mount Sinai He told Moses that he was to sanctify the people today and tomorrow and they were to wash their garments and be ready on the third day, for on the third day Jehovah would come down. `Exodus 19bbb10-11`, `Exodus 19bbbccc15-16`.
When they travelled from the mountain of Jehovah on a three days' journey, the Ark of Jehovah travelled before them on the three days' journey to search out rest for them. `Numbers 10bbb33`.
There was thick darkness for three days in all the land of Egypt, and nobody could see his brother for three days, but the children of Israel had light. `Exodus 10bbb22-23`.
ttt[5] The flesh of a sacrifice made as a vow-offering or as a freewill-offering was to be eaten on the first and the second day; nothing was to be kept until the third day but was to be burned, because it was an abomination. So too with the flesh of a sacrifice made as a 'eucharistic' offering; if this was eaten on the third day the one offering the sacrifice would not be accepted and that soul would bear his iniquity. `Leviticus 7bbb16-18`; `Leviticus ccc19bbb6-7`.
Anyone who touched a dead body was to purify himself on the third day, and on the seventh day he would be clean. If he did not do so that soul would be cut off from Israel. And one that was clean was to sprinkle water over the unclean person on the third day and on the seventh day. `Numbers 19bbb12-13`, `Numbers 19bbbccc19`.
Those who had killed someone in battle and had touched one who had been slain were to purify themselves on the third day and on the seventh day. `Numbers 31bbb19`.
ttt[6] When they came into the land of Canaan the fruit of a tree was to be uncircumcised for three years and not eaten. `Leviticus 19bbb23`.
At the end of three years they were to bring every tenth part of their produce in that year and deposit it within their gates so that the Levite, the sojourner, the orphan, and the widow might eat. `Deuteronomy 14bbb28-29`; `Deuteronomy ccc26bbb12`.
Three times a year they were to keep a feast to Jehovah. And three times a year every male person was to appear before the face of the Lord Jehovah. `Exodus 23bbb14`, `Exodus 23bbbccc17`; `Deuteronomy 16bbb16`.
Joshua told the people that in three days they would be crossing the Jordan and inheriting the land. `Joshua 1bbb11`; `Joshua ccc3bbb2`.
Jehovah called to Samuel three times and the third time he answered Him. `1 Samuel 3bbb8`.
ttt[7] When Saul wished to kill David, David hid in the field until the third evening. Jonathan told David, I will sound out my father on the third day from now. Jonathan said that he would shoot three arrows to the side of the stone. And David fell face to the ground, before Jonathan and bowed down three times.`@@@12`, `@@@19`, `@@@20`, `@@@35`, `@@@36`, `@@@41`.
David was to choose one of these three things - either seven years of famine in the land, or his own flight before his enemies for three months, or pestilence in the land for three days. `2 Samuel 24bbb12-13`.
ttt[8] There was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year. `2 Samuel 21bbb1`.
Elijah stretched himself over the dead boy three times and revived him. `1 Kings 17bbb21`.
When he had built the altar to Jehovah, Elijah told them to pour water over the burnt offering and over the wood three times. `1 Kings 18bbb34`.
Fire consumed the captains of fifty sent on two occasions to Elijah, but not the one sent on the third occasion. `2 Kings 1bbb13-14`.
It was a sign to King Hezekiah that they were to eat in that year what had grown of itself, and in the second year further growth from the same; but in the third year they were to sow, reap, plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of these. `2 Kings 19bbb29`.
ttt[9] Daniel went into his house and had the windows open in his [upper] chamber towards Jerusalem, where three times a day he gave thanks on his knees and prayed. `Daniel 6bbb10`, `Daniel 6bbbccc13`.
Daniel was mourning for three whole weeks, not eating pleasant bread, nor drinking wine, nor anointing himself, until the three whole weeks were completed. `Daniel 10bbb2-3`.
Isaiah went naked and barefoot three years as a sign and a portent against Egypt and against Cush. `Isaiah 20bbb3`.
Out of the Lampstand went three branches on either side, and three almond-shaped cups on each branch. `Exodus 25bbb32-33`.
In the Urim and Thummim there were three precious stones in each row. `Exodus 28bbb17-20`.
ttt[10] In the New Temple there were to be three chambers on this side of the gate and three on that, and all three were to measure the same. And the breadth of the gate to the vestibule of the house was to be three cubits this way and three cubits that. `Ezekiel 40bbb10`, `Ezekiel 40bbbccc21`, `Ezekiel 40bbbccc48`.
In the New Jerusalem there were to be three gates to the north, three to the east, three to the south, and three to the west. `Ezekiel 48bbb31-34`; `Revelation 21bbb13`.
The same may be seen in the following places:
Peter denied Jesus three times. `Matthew 26bbb34`, `Matthew 26bbbccc69` and following verses.
The Lord said to Peter three times, Do you love Me? `John 21bbb17`.
Also, in the parable about the man who planted a vineyard, he sent servants three times, and at length his own son. `Luke 20bbb12`; `Mark 12bbb2`, `Mark 12bbbccc4-6`.
The labourers in the vineyard were hired at the third hour, the sixth hour, the ninth hour, and the eleventh hour. `Matthew 20bbb1-17`.
And concerning the fig tree which, because it bore no fruit for three years, was to be cut down. `Luke 13bbb6-7`.
ttt[11] Just as a group of three and a third one were representative, so also was a third part, as in the following:
Minchahs consisted of two tenths of fine flour mixed with a third part of a hin of oil, and the wine for the drink-offering was a third of a hin. `Numbers 15bbb6-7`; `Ezekiel 46bbb14`.
In Ezekiel it is said that he was to run a razor over his head and over his beard, and then to divide his hair, burning a third part in the fire, striking a third around the city with his sword, and scattering a third to the wind. `Ezekiel 5bbb1-2`, `Ezekiel 5bbbccc11`.
In Zechariah it is said that in the whole land, two parts were to be cut off, and the third would be left. Yet this third would be led through fire and tested. `Zechariah 13bbb8-9`.
ttt[12] In John it is said that when the first angel sounded there came hail, and fire mixed with blood; and it fell on to the earth so that a third part of the trees were burned. The second angel sounded and so to speak a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea. And a third part of the sea became blood resulting in the death of a third part of the creatures who had their being in the sea. And a third part of the ships was destroyed. The third angel sounded and there fell from the sky a great star burning like a torch and it fell upon a third part of the rivers. The name of the star is Wormwood. The fourth angel sounded and a third part of the sun was struck, and a third part of the moon, and a third part of the stars, so that a third part of these was blacked out, and the day had no light for a third part of it, nor likewise the night. `Revelation 8bbb7-12`.
ttt[13] The four angels were released to kill a third part of mankind. `Revelation 9bbb15`.
A third part of mankind was killed by these three, fire, smoke, and brimstone, which went forth out of the mouths of the horses. `Revelation 9bbb18`.
The dragon drew with his tail a third part of the stars of heaven and cast them down to the earth. `Revelation 12bbb4`.
'A third part' however means something which is not yet finished, whereas 'a third' and 'a group of three' mean that which has been finished - evil in the case of the evil, good in the case of the good.
`nnn1. or over the whole earth
ppp21061#pid#2789. 'And Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw' means thought and insight received from the Divine. This is clear from the meaning of 'the eyes' as intelligence, dealt with in `@@@2701`, so that 'lifting up the eyes' means raising one's intelligence, thus thinking; and from the meaning of 'seeing' as receiving insight from the Divine, since this experience is used to refer to the Lord.
ppp21060#pid#2790. 'The place from afar off' means into the state which He foresaw. This is clear from the meaning of 'place' as state, dealt with in `@@@1273-1277`, `@@@1376-1381`, `@@@2625`, and from the meaning of 'seeing from afar off' as foreseeing.
ppp21059#pid#2791. Verse `Genesis 22bbbccc5` And Abraham said to his servants, Remain here with the ass, and I and the boy will go over there, and we will bow ourselves down, and return to you.
'Abraham said to his servants, Remain here with the ass' means a separation at that point of the first rational together with the natural. 'And I and the boy will go over there' means the Divine Rational in a state of truth, equipped for the severest and inmost conflicts brought about by temptations, 'the boy' being the Divine Rational in that particular state. 'And we will how ourselves down' means submissiveness. 'And return to you' means conjunction after that.
ppp21058#pid#2792. 'Abraham said to his servants, Remain here with the ass' means a separation at that point of the first rational together with the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'remaining here' as being separated for the time being, from the meaning of 'servants' as the first rational, dealt with above in `@@@2782`, and from the meaning of 'the ass' as the natural man or the natural degree of the mind, also dealt with above, in `@@@2781`.
ppp21057#pid#2793. 'And I and the boy will go over there' means the Divine Rational in a state of truth, equipped for the severest and inmost conflicts brought about by temptations, 'the boy' being the Divine Rational in that particular state. This becomes clear from the representation of 'Isaac' as the Divine Rational; but here - since the name 'Isaac' is not used, nor the expression 'my son', as previously, but 'the boy' - as the Divine Rational in that particular state, to be dealt with in what follows shortly.
ppp21056#pid#2794. 'And we will bow ourselves down' means submissiveness. This becomes clear without explanation.
ppp21055#pid#2795. 'And return to you' means conjunction after that. This too becomes clear without explanation. The subject of this chapter being the Lord's severest and inmost temptations, all the states are described which He assumed when undergoing those temptations. The first state is described in verse `Genesis 22bbbccc3`, the second state in the present verse, the third state in the verse that follows next and in all the rest after that. But these states cannot possibly be explained to the ordinary mind unless many other things are known first, not only about the Lord's Divine which is represented here by 'Abraham' but also about His Divine Human which is represented by 'Isaac', and about the state - when He went into and underwent the conflicts brought about by temptations - of this Rational, meant here by 'the boy'. In addition to this one has to know what the first rational was, and the nature of it, as well as the natural that went with that rational, and also the nature of the state when one was joined to the other, and the nature of the state when they were more or less separated. What is more, one needs to know many things regarding temptations, such as what exterior and interior temptations are, and from this what were the inmost and severest temptations that were the Lord's, which are the subject in this chapter. As long as all these matters remain unknown the things within this verse cannot possibly be described intelligibly. And if they were described, even in the clearest possible manner, they would still appear obscure. To angels, since they dwell in the light of heaven flowing from the Lord, all these matters are plain and clear, and indeed blessed because these matters are supremely heavenly.
ttt[2] This alone need be said here, that the Lord could not possibly be tempted when He was one with the Divine itself, for the Divine is infinitely above all temptation. But He could experience temptation as to His human. This is the reason why, when He was to undergo the severest and inmost temptations, He joined the first human to Himself, that is to say, the rational and the natural degrees of it, as described in verse `Genesis 22bbbccc3`, and after that separated Himself from them, as stated in the present verse, though still retaining certain traits through which He could be tempted. It is for this reason that here Isaac is not spoken of as 'my son' but as 'the boy', an expression used to mean the Divine Rational in that particular state, that is to say, in a state of truth, equipped for the severest and inmost conflicts brought about by temptations, see `@@@2793`. The truth that neither the Divine itself nor the Divine Human could be tempted may become clear to anyone merely from the fact that not even angels can approach the Divine, still less the spirits who bring temptations about, and least of all the hells. From all this it is evident why the Lord came into the world and took on the human state of being with all its weakness, for by doing so He was able to be tempted as regards the human and by means of temptations to suppress the hells. He was able to restore every single thing to obedience and to order, and to save the human race which had removed itself so far away from the Supreme Divine.
ppp21054#pid#2796. As regards the Lord's assumption of the various states which are the subject here, these are inevitably unknown to man since he never stops to reflect on his changes of state. Yet these are taking place all the time both as regards matters of the understanding, or thoughts, and as regards those of the will, or affections. The reason he does not stop to reflect on them is his belief that all things in him follow in natural order, and that nothing higher exists which directs them. But in actual fact every single thing is regulated by means of the spirits and angels residing with him, and all states and changes of state are brought about from this and so are being directed by the Lord for ever towards ends which the Lord alone foresees. The truth of this has been made fully known to me through experience that has now lasted for many years. I have also been given to know and to notice which spirits and angels were with me, and which states they were bringing about. This I can positively declare, that they are the source of all states, even to the least detail, and that they are directed by the Lord in the manner described. I have also been given to know and to notice how each state includes many other states which do not show themselves, and which, all of them together, are seen as one general state, and that those states have been arranged into states which follow in order within their own sequence. With man all this is effected by the Lord, but with the Lord Himself when He lived in the world, He effected it by Himself since He was Divine, and the very Being (Esse) of His life was Jehovah.
ttt[2] Knowledge regarding the changes of state in matters of the understanding and in those of the will with man, regarding the order in which they follow, and also regarding the sequence through which they pass, and regarding the way in which they are bent by the Lord as far as possible towards what is good, exists with angels. For the wisdom of angels is such that they perceive such matters to the last detail. Consequently these matters which have been revealed in the internal sense concerning changes of state with the Lord are perceptible clearly and distinctly to angels because they dwell in the light of heaven flowing from the Lord. They are also intelligible to some extent to man if he leads a life of simple good. But they are obscure and as nothing to those steeped in evil and also to those whose wisdom consists of demented ideas, for these ideas darken and extinguish their natural and rational light by means of many things which bring darkness, however much those people themselves imagine they have greater light than any others.
ppp21053#pid#2797. Verse `Genesis 22bbbccc6` And Abraham took the pieces of wood for the burnt offering and laid them on Isaac his son; and he took in his hand the fire and the knife, and the two of them went on together.
'Abraham took the pieces of wood for the burnt offering' means the merit of righteousness. 'And laid them on Isaac his son' means that it was joined to the Divine Rational. 'And he took in his hand the fire and the knife' means the good of love and the truth of faith. 'And the two of them went on together' means the closest possible union then [of the Divine itself and the Divine Rational].
ppp21052#pid#2798. That 'Abraham took the pieces of wood for the burnt offering' means the merit of righteousness is clear from what has been stated and shown above in `@@@2784`, and so without further explanation.
[`@@@2798`a] 'And laid them on Isaac [his son]' means that it, that is to say, the merit of righteousness, was joined to the Divine Rational. This becomes clear from the representation of 'Isaac' as the Lord's Divine Rational, often dealt with already, and from the meaning of 'laying it on him' as allying it. The expression 'his son' is used because the Lord's Divine Human was not only conceived but was also born from Jehovah. The Lord's conception from Jehovah is very well known from the Word of the Lord, and therefore He is called 'Son of the Most High', 'Son of God', and 'Only Begotten of the Father' in `Matthew 2bbb15`; `Matthew ccc3bbb0`, `Matthew ccc16bbb0`, `Matthew ccc17bbb0`; `Matthew ccc16bbb13-17`; `Matthew ccc17bbb5`; `Matthew ccc27bbb43`, `Matthew 27bbbccc54`; `Mark 1bbb11`; `Mark ccc9bbb7`, `Mark 9bbbccc9`; `Mark ccc14bbb61-62`; `Luke 1bbb31-32`, `Luke 1bbbccc35`; `Luke ccc3bbb21-22`; `Luke ccc9bbb35`; `Luke ccc10bbb22`; `John 1bbb14`, `John 1bbbccc18`, `John 1bbbccc49`; `John ccc3bbb13`, `John 3bbbccc16-18`; `John ccc5bbb20-27`; `John ccc6bbb69`; `John ccc9bbb34-35`, `John 9bbbccc38`; `John ccc10bbb35-36`; `John ccc20bbb30-31`, and besides these in very many other places where He calls Jehovah His Father.
ttt[2] It is also well known that He was born of a virgin Mary, yet even so like any other. But when He was born again, that is, became Divine, this was from Jehovah who dwelt within Him and who was Himself as to the very Being (Esse) of life. The union of the Divine Essence and the Human Essence was effected mutually and reciprocally, so that He united the Divine Essence to the Human Essence, and the Human Essence to the Divine Essence, see `@@@1921`, `@@@1999`, `@@@2004`, `@@@2005`, `@@@2018`, `@@@2025`, `@@@2083`, `@@@2508`, `@@@2523`, `@@@2618`, `@@@2628`, `@@@2632`, `@@@2728`, `@@@2729`. From this it may become clear that the Lord made the Human within Himself Divine from His own power and in so doing became Righteousness. That which was allied to the Divine Rational when He underwent inmost temptation was the merit of righteousness; and it was from the Divine Rational that He fought, and it was against it that evil genii fought, until He glorified that Divine Rational also. These are the things meant in the internal sense by Abraham's laying the pieces of wood for the burnt offering on Isaac his son, and they are the things which angels perceive when these words are being read.
ppp21051#pid#2799. 'And he took in his hand the fire and the knife' means the good of love and the truth of faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'the fire' as the good of love, dealt with in `@@@934`, and from the meaning of 'the knife' as the truth of faith. As regards 'the knife' used on the victims in sacrifices meaning the truth of faith, this may be seen from the meaning of 'a sword' or 'a small sword' in the Word, for the expression 'small sword' is used instead of 'knife'. Both have the same meaning, the only difference being that 'a knife' which was used on sacrificial victims meant the truth of faith, whereas 'a sword' meant truth engaged in conflict. Now since the word 'knife' occurs but rarely in the Word, for a hidden reason given below,`fff1` let the meaning of 'a sword' be shown. In the internal sense 'a sword' means the truth of faith engaged in conflict, and also the vastation of truth; and in the contrary sense it means falsity engaged in conflict and the punishment of falsity.
ttt[2] A sword means the truth of faith engaged in conflict This becomes clear from the following places: In David,
Gird Your sword on Your thigh, O Mighty One; prosper in Your glory and honour, ride on the word of truth, and Your right hand will teach You marvellous things. `Psalms 45bbb3-4`.
This refers to the Lord. 'Sword' stands for truth engaged in conflict. In the same author,
The merciful will exalt in glory, they will sing on their beds. The high praises of God will be in their throats and an extremely sharp sword in their hand. `Psalms 149bbb5-6`.
In Isaiah,
Jehovah called Me from the womb, from My mother's body`fff2` He made mention of My name, and made My mouth like a sharp sword, and made Me into a polished arrow. `Isaiah 49bbb1-2`.
'A sharp sword' stands for truth engaged in conflict, 'a polished arrow' for the truth of doctrine, see `@@@2686`, `@@@2709`. In the same prophet,
Asshur will fall by a sword, not of man (vir); a sword, not of man (homo), will devour him; and he will flee before the sword, and his young men will become tributary. `Isaiah 31bbb8`.
'Asshur' stands for reasoning in Divine things, `@@@119`, `@@@1186`, 'a sword, not of man (vir)' and 'not of man (homo)' stand for falsity, 'the sword before which he will flee' stands for truth engaged in conflict.
ttt[3] In Zechariah,
Turn to the stronghold, O prisoners of hope; even today I declare I will render double to you - I who have bent for Myself Judah as a bow, I have filled Ephraim, and have roused your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Javan; and I will set you as the sword of one who is mighty, and Jehovah will appear over them, and His arrow will go forth like lightning. `Zechariah 9bbb12-14`.
'The sword of one who is mighty' stands for truth engaged in conflict. In John,
In the midst of the seven lampstands one like the Son of Man was holding in His right hand seven stars; out of His mouth a sharp two-edged sword was going forth, and His countenance was like the sun shining in full strength. `Revelation 1bbb13`, `Revelation 1bbbccc16`.
And further on,
These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword, I will come to you quickly and engage in conflict with them with the sword of My mouth. `Revelation 2bbb12`, `Revelation 2bbbccc16`.
'A sharp two-edged sword' plainly stands for truth engaged in conflict, which was therefore represented as 'a sword going out of His mouth'.
ttt[4] In the same book,
Out of the mouth of Him who sat on the white horse went forth a sharp sword, and with it He is to smite the nations. And they were slain by the sword of Him sitting on the horse, which went out of His mouth. `Revelation 19bbb15`, `Revelation 19bbbccc21`.
Here it is plain that 'a sword going out of His mouth' means truth engaged in conflict. The one 'sitting on the white horse' is the Word, and thus the Lord who is the Word; see above `@@@2760-2763`. This explains what the Lord says in Matthew,
Do not think that I have come to bring peace on to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. `Matthew 10bbb34`.
And in Luke,
Now he who has a purse, let him take it, and likewise a bag. But he who has none, let him sell his garments and buy a sword. They said to Him, Behold, Lord, here are two swords. And Jesus said, It is enough. `Luke 22bbb36-38`.
'A sword' here is used to mean nothing else than the truth, from which and for which they were to engage in conflict.
ttt[5] In Hosea,
I will make for them a covenant on that day with the wild animals of the field, and with the birds of the air, and the creeping things of the ground. And I will abolish`fff3` the bow, and the sword, and war from the land, and I will make them lie down in safety. `Hosea 2bbb18`.
Here the subject is the Lord's kingdom. 'Abolishing the bow, the sword, and war' means the absence of any conflict there over doctrine and truth. In Joshua,
Joshua lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, a man was standing before him, with a sword drawn in his hand. He said to Joshua, I am the Prince of the army of Jehovah; and Joshua fell on his face to the earth. `Joshua 5bbb13-14`.
These words, which refer to the time when Joshua together with the children of Israel entered the land of Canaan, are used to mean the entry - of those who have faith - into the Lord's kingdom. Truth engaged in conflict, which is the Church's, is 'the sword drawn in the hand of the Prince of the army of Jehovah'.
ttt[6] But as for 'small swords' or 'knives' meaning the truth of faith, this becomes clear from the fact that they were used not only in sacrifices but also in circumcision. Those used in circumcision were made of flint and were called 'small swords of flint', as is evident in Joshua,
Jehovah said to Joshua, Make small swords of flint for yourself; and again, circumcise the children of Israel a second time. And Joshua made small swords of flint for himself, and circumcised the children of Israel on the hill of the foreskins. `Joshua 5bbb2-3`.
'Circumcision' was a representative of purification from self-love and love of the world, see `@@@2039`, `@@@2632`. And because such purification is achieved by means of the truths of faith, 'small swords of flint' were therefore used, `@@@2039` (end), `@@@2046` (end).
ttt[7] II A sword means the vastation of truth This is clear from the following places: In Isaiah,
These two will happen to you; who is to condole with you? Vastation and demolition, and famine and sword; who is to comfort you? Your sons fainted, they lay at the head of every street. `Isaiah 51bbb19-20`.
'Famine' stands for vastation of good, and 'sword' for vastation of truth. 'Lying at the head of every street' stands for being deprived of all truth. 'Street' means truth, `@@@2336`; and for what vastation is, see `@@@301-304`, `@@@407`, `@@@408`, `@@@410`, `@@@411`. In the same prophet,
I will destine`fff4` you for the sword, and all of you will bow down to the slaughter, because I called but you did not answer, I spoke but you did not listen. `Isaiah 65bbb12`.
ttt[8] In the same prophet,
By fire Jehovah will judge, and by sword, all flesh; and the slain of Jehovah will be many. `Isaiah 66bbb16`.
'The slain of Jehovah' stands for those who have undergone vastation. In Jeremiah,
On all the hills in the wilderness those who cause devastation have come, for the sword of Jehovah is devouring from one end of the land even to the other end of the land. There is no peace for any flesh. They have sown wheat and reaped thorns. `Jeremiah 12bbb12-13`.
'The sword of Jehovah' plainly stands for the vastation of truth. In the same prophet,
They have lied against Jehovah and said, It is not He; and no evil will come upon us; neither shall we see sword and famine. And the prophets will become wind, and there is no utterance in them. `Jeremiah 5bbb12-13`.
ttt[9] In the same prophet,
I am visiting them; the young men will die by the sword; their sons and their daughters will die by famine. `Jeremiah 11bbb22`.
In the same prophet,
When they offer burnt offering and minchah I will not accept them, for I am consuming them by sword and by famine and by pestilence. And I said, Ah, Lord Jehovih, behold, the prophets say to them, You will not see the sword, nor will you have famine. `Jeremiah 14bbb12-13`.
In the same prophet,
The city has been given into the hand of the Chaldeans fighting against it, in face of the sword, and famine, and pestilence. `Jeremiah 32bbb24`, `Jeremiah 32bbbccc36`.
In the same prophet,
I will send sword, famine, and pestilence upon them, until they are consumed from the ground which I gave to them and their fathers. `Jeremiah 24bbb10`.
ttt[10] In these places vastation is described as 'sword, famine, and pestilence'. 'Sword' describes the vastation of truth, 'famine' the vastation of good, and 'pestilence' preying upon even to destruction. In Ezekiel,
Son of man, Take a sharp sword, use it as a barber's razor and pass it over your head and over your beard. And you are to take balances and you are to divide the hair. A third part you are to burn with fire in the midst of the city; a third part you are to strike with the sword round about it; and a third part you are to scatter to the wind, and I will unsheathe the sword after them. A third part will die of pestilence, and be consumed with famine in the midst [of you], and a third part will fall by the sword round about [you], and a third part I will scatter to every wind; and I will unsheathe the sword after them. `Ezekiel 5bbb1-2`, `Ezekiel 5bbbccc12`, `Ezekiel 5bbbccc17`.
This refers to the vastation of natural truth, which is described in this fashion. In the same prophet,
The sword is without, and pestilence and famine within; he that is in the field will die by the sword, and him that is in the city famine and pestilence will devour. `Ezekiel 7bbb15`.
ttt[11] In the same prophet,
Say to the land of Israel, Thus said Jehovah, Behold, I am against you, and will draw My sword out of its sheath, and will cut off from you the righteous and the wicked. Because I will cut off from you the righteous and the wicked, therefore My sword will go out of its sheath against all flesh from south to north; and all flesh will know that I Jehovah have drawn My sword out of its sheath, and it will not return any more. The word of Jehovah came to me, saying, Son of man, prophesy and say, Thus said Jehovah, Say: A sword, a sword has been sharpened and also polished, sharpened, for great slaughter, so that it is polished to flash like lightning! Son of man, prophesy and say, Thus said the Lord Jehovih against the children of Ammon, and against their reproach, Say: A sword, a sword is bared for the slaughter, and polished to consume because [polished to shine like] lightning - while they see vanity for you, while they divine a lie for you. `Ezekiel 21bbb3-5`, `Ezekiel 21bbbccc8-20`, `Ezekiel 21bbbccc28-29`.
Here 'a sword' means nothing other than vastation, as is evident in the internal sense from each detail included here.
ttt[12] In the same prophet,
The king of Babel will destroy your towers with his swords. By reason of the abundance of horses their dust will cover you; by reason of the noise of horsemen, and wheels, and chariots, your walls will be shaken. With the hoofs of his horses he will trample all your streets. `Ezekiel 26bbb9-11`.
What 'Babel' is, see `@@@1326`, and that it causes vastation, `@@@1327`. In David, If he does not turn back God will whet His sword, bend His bow, and make it ready. `Psalms 7bbb12`.
In Jeremiah,
I said, Ah, Lord, truly You have utterly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, You will have peace; but the sword has reached even to the soul. `Jeremiah 4bbb10`.
ttt[13] In the same prophet,
Declare in Egypt, and cause it to be heard in Migdol, Stand up and prepare yourself, for the sword will devour round about you. `Jeremiah 46bbb14`.
In the same prophet,
A sword over the Chaldeans and against the inhabitants of Babel, and against her rulers, and against her wise men! A sword against the boasters, and they will become insane! A sword against her mighty men, and they will be dismayed! A sword against her horses, and against her chariots, and against the whole mingled crowd in her midst, and they will become as women! A sword against her treasures, and they will be plundered! A drought on her waters, and they will dry up! `Jeremiah 50bbb35-38`.
'A sword' plainly stands for the vastation of truth, for it is said to be 'a sword against the wise men, against the boasters, against the mighty men, against the horses and chariots, against the treasures', and that there will be 'a drought on the waters and they will dry up'.
ttt[14] In the same prophet,
We have given the hand to Egypt, to Asshur to be satisfied with bread. Slaves have had dominion over us; there is nobody to free us from their hand. In [peril of] our souls we acquired our bread, in face of the sword of the wilderness. `Lamentations 5bbb6`, `Lamentations 5bbbccc8-9`.
In Hosea,
He will not return to the land of Egypt, and Asshur will be his king, because they have refused to return to Me. And the sword will come down on his cities, and consume his bars, and devour because of their counsels. `Hosea 11bbb5-6`.
In Amos.
I have sent the pestilence upon you in the way of Egypt, I have slain your young men with the sword, along with your captured horses.`fff5` `Amos 4bbb10`.
'In the way of Egypt' stands for the facts which cause vastation when, on the basis of these, people reason in Divine things. 'Captured horses' stands for the understanding when stripped of its own inherent qualities.
ttt[15] III A sword in the contrary sense means falsity engaged in conflict. This becomes clear in David,
As to my soul, I lie in the midst of lions setting on fire the children of men; their teeth are spear and arrows, and their tongues a sharp sword. `Psalms 57bbb4`.
In the same author,
Behold, they belch out with their mouths, swords are in their lips - for who hears? `Psalms 59bbb7`.
In Isaiah,
You are cast out from your sepulchre like an abominable stock, a garment of the slain pierced by the sword, who go down to the stones of the pit like a dead body trodden underfoot. `Isaiah 14bbb19`
This refers to Lucifer. In Jeremiah,
In vain have I smitten your sons, they took no correction Your own sword is devouring your prophets, like a ravaging lion. O generation, observe the Word of Jehovah, Have I been a wilderness to Israel? `Jeremiah 2bbb30-31`.
ttt[16] In the same prophet,
Do not go out into the field, and do not walk on the road, for the enemy has a sword, terror is all around. `Jeremiah 6bbb25-26`.
In the same prophet,
Take the cup of the wine of wrath and make all the nations to which I send you drink it. And they will drink and reel, and go mad in face of the sword which I am sending among them. Drink and get drunk, and vomit, and fall, and do not get up again in face of the sword. `Jeremiah 25bbb15-16`, `Jeremiah 25bbbccc27`.
In the same prophet,
Go up, O horses; rage, O chariots; let the mighty men go forth, Cush and Put, that handle the shield, and the Ludim that handle and bend the bow. And that day is to the Lord Jehovih of hosts a day of vengeance. And the sword will devour, and be sated, and become drunk on their blood. `Jeremiah 46bbb9-10`.
ttt[17] In Ezekiel,
They will strip you of your garments, and take the jewels`fff6` of your glory, and leave you naked and bare. And they will bring up an assembly upon you, and they will stone you with stones; they will run you through with their swords. `Ezekiel 16bbb39-40`.
This refers to the abominations of Jerusalem. In Zechariah,
Woe to the worthless shepherd, the deserter of the flock! The sword will fall upon his arm and upon his right eye. His arm will be wholly withered, and his right eye utterly darkened. `Zechariah 11bbb17`.
In Hosea,
They thought what was evil against Me. Their princes will fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue. This will be their derision in the land of Egypt. `Hosea 7bbb15-16`.
ttt[18] In Luke,
There will be great distress over the earth, and wrath on that people; for they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive among all the gentiles;`fff7` at length Jerusalem will be trodden down by the gentiles.`fff7` `Luke 21bbb23-24`.
Here the Lord was referring to the close of the age - in the sense of the letter to the dispersion of the Jews and the destruction of Jerusalem, but in the internal sense to the final state of the Church. 'Falling by the edge of the sword' means that there was no truth any longer, but merely falsity. 'All the gentiles' means every kind of evil among which 'they will be led captive'. 'The gentiles' - or 'the nations' - means evils, see `@@@1259`, `@@@1260`, `@@@1849`, `@@@1868`, and 'Jerusalem' means the Church, `@@@2117`, which will be so 'trodden down' by them.
ttt[19] IV A sword also means the punishment of falsity
This is clear in Isaiah,
On that day Jehovah will make a visitation with His hard and great and strong sword upon Leviathan the full-length serpent,`fff8` and upon Leviathan the twisting serpent, and He will slay the monsters that are in the sea. `Isaiah 27bbb1`.
This refers to those who by means of reasonings based on sensory evidence and factual knowledge enter into the mysteries of faith. 'The hard, great, and strong sword' stands for the punishments of the falsity that results from those reasonings.
ttt[20] When one reads about people being put to, and being slain by, the edge of the sword, sometimes including 'both men and women, young people and old, oxen, sheep, and asses', the meaning in the internal sense is punishment consisting in the condemnation of falsity, as in `Joshua 6bbb21`; `Joshua ccc8bbb24-25`; `Joshua ccc10bbb28`, `Joshua 10bbbccc30`, `Joshua 10bbbccc37`, `Joshua 10bbbccc39`; `Joshua ccc11bbb10-12`, `Joshua 11bbbccc14`; `Joshua ccc13bbb22`; `Joshua ccc19bbb47`; `Judges 1bbb8`, `Judges 1bbbccc25`; `Judges ccc4bbb15-16`; `Judges ccc18bbb27`; `Judges ccc20bbb37`; `1 Samuel 15bbb8`; `2 Kings 10bbb25`; and elsewhere. This also explains why it was commanded to put to the sword any city which worshipped other gods, and to destroy it utterly and to burn it with fire, and to let it remain a heap for ever, `Deuteronomy 13bbb12-18`. 'The sword' stands for the punishment of falsity, 'fire' for the punishment of evil. The angel of Jehovah with a drawn sword who stood in the path against Balaam, `Numbers 22bbb22`, `Numbers 22bbbccc31`, meant the truth which stood in the way of the falsity which possessed Balaam. For that reason also he was slain with a sword, `Numbers 31bbb8`.
ttt[21] The meaning of 'a sword' in the genuine sense as truth engaged in conflict, and in the contrary sense as falsity engaged in it, also the vastation of truth and the punishment of falsity, has its origin in the representatives that occur in the next life. For in that life, when anyone utters that which he knows to be false, daggers so to speak instantly come down over his head and strike terror, while truth engaged in conflict is represented there as well by objects which have sharp points like the tips of swords; for such is the nature of truth if it is devoid of good, but if it exists together with good it is rounded and gentle. Such being the origin of the meaning of a sword, therefore with angels, whenever a knife, spear, small sword, or sword is mentioned in the Word, truth engaged in conflict comes to mind.
ttt[22] The reason why a knife is hardly mentioned at all in the Word is that in the next life there are evil spirits who are called 'knifers'. They seem to have knives hanging by their sides, and the reason for this is that they possess so brutal a nature that they wish to cut everyone's throat with their knife. This is why knives are not mentioned, but small swords and swords, for the latter being implements normally used in battle give rise to the idea of war and so of truth engaged in conflict.
ttt[23] Because it was well known to the ancients that a small sword, a lance, and a knife meant truth, the gentiles, who received the practice through tradition, were therefore accustomed during sacrifices to stab and slash themselves, even until they bled, with small swords, lances, or knives, as one reads of the priests of Baal,
The priests of Baal cried out with a loud voice and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until blood gushed out. `1 Kings 18bbb28`.
As regards all weapons of war in the Word meaning things that have to do with spiritual conflict, each one having some specific meaning, see `@@@2686`.
`nnn1. i.e. in subsection 22 of this passage.
`nnn2. literally, viscera.
`nnn3. literally, break
`nnn4. literally, Number
`nnn5. literally, the captivity of your horses
`nnn6. literally, the vessels
`nnn7. or the nations
`nnn8. i.e. a serpent that is on the move and not coiled up
ppp21050#pid#2800. 'And the two of them went on together' means the closest possible union then [of the Divine itself and the Divine Rational]. This becomes clear without explanation.
ppp21049#pid#2801. Verse `Genesis 22bbbccc7` And Isaac said to Abraham his father - he said - My father. And he said, Here I am, my son. And he said, Behold, the fire and the pieces of wood, but where is the animal for a burnt offering? 'Isaac said to Abraham his father - he said - My father. And he said, Here I am, my son' means a conversing - which took place in the Lord and was grounded in love - between Divine Truth and Divine Good, Divine Truth being meant by 'son', Divine Good by 'father'. 'And he said, Behold, the fire and the pieces of wood' means that love and righteousness are present. 'Where is the animal for a burnt offering?' means, Where are those members of the human race who are to be sanctified?
ppp21048#pid#2802. 'Isaac said to Abraham his father - he said - My father. And he said, Here I am, my son' means a conversing - which took place in the Lord and was grounded in love - between Divine Truth and Divine Good. This is clear from the meaning of 'Isaac', the son, as Divine Truth, and from the meaning of 'Abraham', the father, as Divine Good, both of which are dealt with in the paragraph following this; and from the affectional content of these expressions showing that both are grounded in love. From this it is evident that a conversing of the Lord with His Father is meant. Within these words more arcana lie concealed than can be perceived by any human mind, as may be recognized from the fact that the verb 'said' occurs four times in this verse (in the Word when something new is being introduced, the expression 'and said' is in the habit of appearing, see `@@@2061`, `@@@2238`, `@@@2260`) and also from the fact that the words in this verse are expressive of love, which, when they come to be perceived by celestial angels who understand the inmost sense, are formed by those angels into utterly heavenly ideas. For celestial angels form for themselves enlightened ideas from the affectional content of the Word, whereas spiritual angels do so from the spiritual meanings of the words and the subject matter there, `@@@2157`, `@@@2275`. Thus from the words of this verse in which there are four distinct and separate phases and affections springing from love, they form ideas such as cannot possibly come down within man's range of understanding nor find expression in words; and that formation of ideas is effected with an abundance and variety beyond words. All this shows the nature of the Word in its internal sense, even in places, like the present verse, where it appears plain and simple in the letter.
ppp21047#pid#2803. As regards Divine Truth being meant by 'son' and Divine Good by 'father', this becomes clear from the meaning of 'son' as truth, dealt with in `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@533`, `@@@1147`, `@@@2623`, and of 'father' as good, and also from the conception and birth of truth as taking place from good. As has been shown many times, truth cannot have being or manifest itself except from good. The reason 'son' here means Divine Truth, and 'father' Divine Good, is that the union of the Divine Essence with the Human Essence, and of the Human Essence with the Divine Essence, is the Divine Marriage of Divine Good to Truth, and of Truth to Good; and from that marriage comes the heavenly marriage. For within Jehovah or the Lord there is nothing but that which is infinite, and this being so, no other idea can be conceived of Him than that He is the Being and Manifestation (Esse et Existere) of all good and truth, that is, He is Good itself and Truth itself. Good itself is the Father, and Truth itself the Son. Now because the Divine Marriage, as has been stated, is a marriage of Good and Truth, and of Truth and Good, the Father is in the Son, and the Son is in the Father, as the Lord Himself teaches in John,
Jesus said to Philip, Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me. `John 14bbb10-11`.
And elsewhere in the same evangelist,
Jesus said to the Jews, Even though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father. `John 10bbb36`, `John 10bbbccc38`.
And elsewhere,
I pray for them - for all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine - that they may all be one, as You, Father, are in Me and I in You `John 17bbb9-10`, `John 17bbbccc21`.
And elsewhere,
Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God glorified in Him. If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself. Father, glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You. `John 13bbb31-32`; `John ccc17bbb1`.
ttt[2] From these places one may see the nature of the union of the Divine and of the Human within the Lord - that each is linked mutually to the other and responds to the other - that is, it is a reciprocal union. This is the Union which is called the Divine Marriage, from which the heavenly marriage comes down, which is the Lord's kingdom itself in heaven and is referred to in John as follows,
On that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. `John 14bbb20`.
And elsewhere,
I pray for these, that they may all be one, as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, I in them and You in Me, that the love with which You have loved Me may be in them, and I in them. `John 17bbb21-23`, `John 17bbbccc26`.
ttt[3] As regards this heavenly marriage being a marriage of good and truth, and of truth and good, see `@@@2508`, `@@@2618`, `@@@2728`, `@@@2729` and following paragraphs. And since Divine Good cannot possibly have being or manifest itself without Divine Truth, and Divine Truth cannot possibly do so without Divine Good, but one is always reaching out to and responding to the other, it is therefore plain that the Divine Marriage has existed from eternity, that is, the Father in the Son, and the Son in the Father, as the Lord Himself teaches in John,
Now, Father, glorify Me in Your Own Self with the glory I had with You before the world was. `John 17bbb5`, `John 17bbbccc24`.
But the Divine Human that had been born from eternity was also born in time, and what was born in time is the same as that which was glorified. This is what accounts for the Lord's saying many times that He was going to the Father who sent Him, that is, He was returning to the Father. And in John,
In the beginning was the Word (the Word being Divine Truth itself), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. Furthermore the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as of the Only Begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. `John 1bbb1-3`, `John 1bbbccc14`.
See also `John 3bbb13`; `John ccc6bbb62`.
ppp21046#pid#2804 .'He said, Behold, the fire and the pieces of wood' means that love and righteousness are present. This is clear from the meaning of 'fire' as love, dealt with in `@@@934`, and from the meaning of 'the pieces of wood for a burnt offering' as the merit of righteousness, dealt with in `@@@2784`.
ppp21045#pid#2805. 'Where is the animal for a burnt offering?' means, Where are those members of the human race who are to be sanctified? This is clear from the representation of sacrifices, in particular burnt offerings. Burnt offerings and sacrifices were representative of internal worship, see `@@@922`, `@@@923`; they were made from the flock and from the herd - when from the flock, lambs, sheep, she-goats, kids, rams, or he-goats were used, when from the herd, oxen, young bulls, or calves, all of which meant various kinds of celestial and spiritual things - see `@@@922`, `@@@1823`, `@@@2180`; and by means of them people were sanctified, `@@@2776`. From all this it may become clear that Isaac's question, 'Where is the animal for the burnt offering?' means, Where are those members of the human race who are to be sanctified? The same is more plainly evident from what comes next, that is to say, from the reply made by Abraham his father, 'God will see for Himself to the animal for a burnt offering', verse `Genesis 22bbbccc8`, which means that the Divine Human will provide those who are to be sanctified; from the fact that later on he saw a ram behind him caught by its horns in a thicket, and offered that as the burnt offering, verse `Genesis 22bbbccc13`, which means members of the human race who belong to the Lord's spiritual Church; as well as from the details that follow after this in verses `Genesis 22bbbccc14-17`.
ppp21044#pid#2806. Verse `Genesis 22bbbccc8` And Abraham said, God will see for Himself to the animal for a burnt offering, my son. And the two of them went on together.
'Abraham said, God will see for Himself to the animal for a burnt offering, my son' means the reply: The Divine Human will provide those who are to be sanctified. 'And the two of them went on together' means a still closer union, the closest that was now possible.
ppp21043#pid#2807. 'Abraham said, God will see for Himself to the animal for a burnt offering, my son' means the reply: The Divine Human will provide those who are to be sanctified. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing to for oneself', when used in reference to God, as foreseeing and providing - for 'to see' in the internal sense nearest to the literal means to understand, `@@@2150`, `@@@2325`, whereas in the sense yet more interior it means having faith, `@@@897`, `@@@2325`, while in the highest sense it means foreseeing and providing; and also from the meaning of 'the animal for a burnt offering' as those members of the human race who are to be sanctified, dealt with just above in `@@@2805`. That 'the animal for a burnt offering' is here used to mean those who are spiritual is evident from what follows. The kinds of animals used for burnt offering and sacrifice each had a different meaning. That is to say, a lamb meant one thing, a sheep another, a kid and she-goat another, a ram and he-goat another, an ox yet another, as did a young bull and a calf. And young pigeons and turtle doves had meanings different again. It is quite clear that each kind of animal had its own meaning from the fact that it was laid down explicitly which kind were to be sacrificed on each particular day, at each particular religious festival, when atonement was being made, cleansing effected, inauguration carried out, and all other occasions. Which kinds were to be used on which occasions would never have been laid down so explicitly unless each one had possessed some specific meaning.
ttt[2] Clearly all the religious observances or forms of external worship which existed in the Ancient Church, and subsequently in the Jewish, represented the Lord, so that the burnt offerings and sacrifices in particular represented Him since these were the chief forms of worship among the Hebrew nation. And because they represented the Lord they also at the same time represented among men those things that are the Lord's, that is to say, the celestial things of love, and the spiritual things of faith, and as a consequence of this represented the people themselves who were celestial and spiritual or who ought to have been so. This is why 'the animal' here means those who are spiritual, that is, those who belong to the Lord's spiritual Church. As regards 'God will see for Himself to the animal for a burnt offering, my son' meaning that the Divine Human will provide them, this is clear from the fact that here it is not said that 'Jehovah' will see to it but that 'God' will do so. When both of these names occur, as they do in this chapter, Jehovah is used to mean the same as 'the Father', and God the same as 'the Son', so that here the Divine Human is meant; and a further reason for the usage is that the spiritual man, whose salvation comes from the Divine Human, is the subject, see `@@@2661`, `@@@2716`.
ppp21042#pid#2808. 'And the two of them went on together' means still closer union, the closest that was now possible. This becomes clear without explanation. The reason a still closer union is meant here is that the same thing is being said for a second time, see `@@@2800`.
ppp21041#pid#2809. Verse `Genesis 22bbbccc9` And they came to the place of which God told him, and Abraham built the altar there, and laid the pieces of wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, upon the pieces of wood.
'They came to the place of which God told him' means His state at that point according to perception from Divine Truth. 'And [Abraham] built the altar there' means preparation of the Lord's Divine human.`fff1` 'And laid the pieces of wood in order' means the righteousness that was allied to it. 'And bound Isaac his son' means the state of the Divine rational which, in this condition as regards truth, was about to undergo the last degrees of temptation. 'And laid him on the altar, upon the pieces of wood' means within the Divine human to which righteousness was allied.
`nnn1. i.e. the Divine human prior to temptations; see `@@@2814`.
ppp21040#pid#2810. 'They came to the place of which God told him' means His state at that point according to perception from Divine Truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'place' as state, dealt with above in `@@@2786`, and from the meaning of 'saying' in the historical parts of the Word as perceiving, often dealt with already. Here 'God's telling' means perceiving from Divine Truth because the name that is used is 'God', not 'Jehovah', `@@@2586`, `@@@2807` (end).
ppp21039#pid#2811. 'And Abraham built the altar there' means preparation of the Lord's Divine human. This is clear from the meaning of 'the altar' and of 'building the altar'. Altars used to mean all worship in general because they were the chief feature of the worship of the representative Church, `@@@921`. And because they meant all worship in general they meant the Lord's Divine Human, for the Lord's Divine Human is essentially present in all worship and all doctrine, so much so that it is the very essence of worship itself and doctrine itself. This becomes clear also from the Holy Supper which superseded altars, that is, burnt offerings and sacrifices, `@@@2165`, `@@@2187`, `@@@2343`, `@@@2359`. The Holy Supper is the chief feature of external worship because it is the Lord's Divine Human that is bestowed there. From all this it may become clear, and so without further explanation, that 'building an altar' means preparing the Divine human. The final preparation of the Lord's Divine human for undergoing the last degrees of temptation is the subject in the present verse and is described by the statement that Abraham laid the pieces of wood in order, bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, upon the pieces of wood.
ppp21038#pid#2812. 'And laid the pieces of wood in order' means the righteousness that was allied to it. This is clear from the meaning of 'the pieces of wood for a burnt offering' as the merit of righteousness, dealt with above in `@@@2784`, `@@@2798`, and of 'laying the pieces of wood in order on the altar' as allying it to the Divine human. The merit of righteousness is allied when it is present, and there is from truth the conviction that it belongs to Him.
ppp21037#pid#2813. 'He bound Isaac his son' means the state of the Divine rational which, in this condition as regards truth, was about to undergo the last degrees of temptation. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'binding', and also of 'Isaac his son' - of 'binding' as the assuming of a state for undergoing the last degrees of temptation, as may become clear from the consideration that anyone in a state of temptation is altogether like one who has been bound or fettered; and from the meaning of 'Isaac his son' as the Lord's Divine Rational, here as regards truth, see `@@@2802`, `@@@2803`. The whole genuine rational part of the mind consists of good and of truth. The Lord's Divine Rational as regards good could not suffer, nor undergo temptations, for no genius or spirit initiating temptations is able to get near Divine good, as this stands above their every endeavour to tempt. But Divine truth once it had been bound was that which could be tempted, for illusions, and still more falsities, are what invade it and so tempt it. Indeed some idea of Divine truth can be formed, but not of Divine good except by beings who have perception and are celestial angels. It was Divine truth that people no longer acknowledged at the time of the Lord's Coming into the world, and therefore it was Divine truth from which the Lord underwent and suffered temptations. Divine truth within the Lord is that which is called the Son of Man, whereas Divine good within Him is that which is called the Son of God. Speaking of the Son of Man the Lord many times says that He is to suffer, but He never says this when He refers to the Son of God. The fact that He speaks of the Son of Man, or Divine truth, having to suffer, is clear in Matthew,
Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn Him and deliver Him to the gentiles to mock and scourge Him, and to crucify [Him]. `Matthew 20bbb18-19`.
In the same gospel,
Jesus said to His disciples, Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of sinners. `Matthew 26bbb45`.
In Mark,
Jesus began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, but after three days rise again. `Mark 8bbb31`.
In the same gospel,
It is written of the Son of Man that He will suffer many things and be treated with contempt. And the Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of men who will kill Him; but when He has been killed He will rise again on the third day. `Mark 9bbb12`, `Mark 9bbbccc31`.
In the same gospel,
Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes who will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the heathens. They will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him; but on the third day He will rise again. `Mark 10bbb33-34`.
In the same gospel,
The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of sinners. `Mark 14bbb41`.
In Luke,
The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day rise again. `Luke 9bbb22`, `Luke 9bbbccc44`.
In the same gospel,
We are going up to Jerusalem where everything will be accomplished that has been written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man. He will be delivered to the gentiles, and will be mocked, and suffer insults, and be spat upon. And they will scourge and kill Him, but on the third day He will rise again. `Luke 18bbb31-33`.
In the same gospel,
The angel said to the women, Remember what He told you while He was still in Galilee, saving that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again. `Luke 24bbb6-7`.
ttt[2] In all these places 'the Son of Man' is used to mean the Lord as regards Divine truth - that is, as regards the Word in its internal sense - which was to be rejected by the chief priests and the scribes, suffer insults, be scourged, spat on, and crucified. This is made quite clear by the fact that the Jews took every single thing literally, applying and misappropriating it to themselves, and had no wish to know anything whatever about the spiritual sense of the Word and about a heavenly kingdom. They believed, as they do even today, that when He came the Messiah would raise up their kingdom above all the kingdoms of the earth. From this it is evident that it was Divine truth which was rejected, insulted, scourged, and crucified by them. Whether you speak of Divine truth or of the Lord as regards Divine truth it amounts to the same, for the Lord is Truth itself just as He is the Word itself, `@@@2011`, `@@@2016`, `@@@2533` (end).
ttt[3] Also implied in the Lord's rising again on the third day is the fact that Divine truth, or the Word as to its internal sense - as it was understood in the Ancient Church - will be brought back to life again at the close of the age, which also is 'the third day', `@@@1825`, `@@@2788`. And this is the reason why it is said that the Son of Man, that is, Divine truth, will appear at that time, `Matthew 24bbb30`, `Matthew 24bbbccc37`, `Matthew 24bbbccc39`, `Matthew 24bbbccc44`; `Mark 13bbb26`; `Luke 17bbb22`, `Luke 17bbbccc24-26`, `Luke 17bbbccc30`; `Luke ccc21bbb27`, `Luke 21bbbccc36`.
ttt[4] The fact that the Son of Man is the Lord as regards Divine truth is clear from the places quoted already and further still from the following: In Matthew,
He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world. At the close of the age the Son of Man will send His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all offences. `Matthew 13bbb37`, `Matthew 13bbbccc41-42`.
Here 'the good seed' means truth, 'the world' men, 'he who sows it' the Son of Man, and 'offences' falsities. In John,
The crowd said, We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains for ever. Why therefore do you say, The Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man? Jesus answered them, The Light is with you for a brief while. Walk, as long as you have the Light, lest the darkness overtakes you, for he who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. As long as you have the Light believe in the Light, that you may be sons of the Light. `John 12bbb34-36`.
Here, when the crowd ask, 'Who is the Son of Man?' Jesus speaks in His reply about the Light, which is truth, and says that He Himself is the Light or Truth in which they ought to believe. Regarding the Light which comes from the Lord, and which is Divine Truth, see `@@@1053`, `@@@1521`, `@@@1529-1531`, `@@@1619-1632`.
ttt[5] But as for the truth that the Son of God, or the Lord as to the Good within His Divine human, could not be tempted, as stated above, this is evident also from the Lord's reply to the tempter, in the gospels,
The tempter said, If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down, for it is written, He will give His angels charge regarding you, lest you strike your foot against a stone. Jesus said to him, Again it is written, You shall not tempt the Lord your God. `Matthew 4bbb6-7`; `Luke 4bbb9-12`.
ppp21036#pid#2814. 'And laid him on the altar, upon the pieces of wood' means within the Divine Human to which righteousness was allied. This is clear from the meaning of 'the altar' as the Lord's Divine Human, dealt with just above in `@@@2811`, and from the meaning of 'the pieces of wood for the burnt offering' as the merit of righteousness, dealt with in `@@@2784`, `@@@2798`, `@@@2812`. The Divine truth within the Lord's Divine human which underwent temptations and which has been the subject is not the Divine Truth itself, for the latter is above all temptation. Rather it is rational truth, such as exists with angels, consisting in the appearances of truth - and is what is called 'The Son of Man', though prior to glorification - whereas the Divine Truth within the Lord's glorified Divine Human is above appearances. Divine Truth cannot possibly come within range of any degree of understanding, still less within man's mental grasp, not even within that of angels, and so cannot possibly enter into any kind of temptation. In heaven it is seen as light coming from the Lord. This Divine Truth, or the glorified Son of Man, is referred to in John as follows,
Jesus said, Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God glorified in Him. If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him at once. `John 13bbb31-32`.
So that one may have some distinct idea of this very deep arcanum let the truth with the Lord that could be tempted and that underwent temptations be termed Divine truth within the Lord's Divine human, but Truth that could not be tempted, or undergo any temptation, because it had been glorified, be termed Divine Truth within the Lord's Divine Human, as has also been observed in various places in what has gone before.
ppp21035#pid#2815. Verse `Genesis 22bbbccc10` And Abraham put forth his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
'Abraham put forth his hand' means temptation even to the final degree of power. 'And took the knife' means as regards truth. 'To slay his son' means until whatever originated in the merely human was dead.
ppp21034#pid#2816. That 'Abraham put forth his hand' means temptation even to the final degree of power is clear from the train of thought, for the subject is the Lord's severest and inmost temptations. The verses preceding this have dealt with the preparation of the Divine human for admission into and endurance of those temptations, the present verse with the actual occurrence of them, which is expressed in the sense of the letter by the words 'Abraham put forth his hand'. By 'hand' is meant power, see `@@@878`, here the final degree of power, for nothing was absent apart from the actual experience. The teaching of the internal sense is that the Lord's Divine led the human into the severest temptations, for 'Abraham' is used to mean the Lord as regards the Divine; and this was done by the Divine even to the final degree of power. The truth of the matter is that the Lord allowed temptations into Himself in order that He might cast out from Himself everything that was merely human, doing so until nothing except what was Divine was left.
ttt[2] The fact that the Lord allowed temptations into Himself, even the last which was that of the Cross, becomes clear from the Lord's own words, in Matthew,
Jesus began to show the disciples that He must suffer many things and be killed. At that point Peter took Him and began to rebuke Him, saying, Spare Yourself, Lord; let this not happen to You. But He turned and said to Peter, Go away behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to Me, for you do not savour the things of God but those of men. `Matthew 16bbb21-23`.
And more explicitly in John,
No one takes My life`fff1` from Me, but I lay it down of Myself; I have power to lay it down and I have power to receive it again. `John 10bbb18`.
And in Luke,
Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory? `Luke 24bbb26`.
`nnn1. or soul
ppp21033#pid#2817. 'And took the knife' means as regards truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'the knife' as the truth of faith, dealt with above in `@@@2799`; and that the Lord's temptation was temptation as regards Divine truth, see `@@@2813`, `@@@2814`.
ppp21032#pid#2818. 'To slay his son' means until whatever originated in the merely human was dead. This becomes clear from the internal sense of these words, for they mean the Lord's severest and inmost temptations, in the last of which, that of the Cross, it is clear that the merely human also died. This could not be represented by 'Abraham's son' or Isaac because the sacrificing of sons was an abomination. Yet that death of the human was represented so far as this could be represented; that is to say, it was represented in the attempt to sacrifice Isaac but not in any actual sacrificing of him. From this it may become clear that these words about Abraham taking the knife to slay his son mean until all that was merely human was dead.
ttt[2] The Lord's future coming into the world and His suffering of death had been known since most ancient times. The existence of that knowledge then may be recognized plainly from the custom prevalent among the gentiles of sacrificing their own children, which they did in the belief that by so doing they made atonement and satisfied God. They would never have made this abominable custom their major religious activity unless they had received from the ancients knowledge of a future coming of the Son of God, of whom, so they believed, a sacrifice would be made. The children of Jacob too inclined to this abominable practice, as also did Abraham, for nobody is tempted except through that to which he has an inclination. The fact that the children of Jacob had those inclinations is clear in the Prophets. But to prevent them plunging into that abominable practice the introduction of burnt offerings and sacrifices was permitted, `@@@922`, `@@@1128`, `@@@1241`, `@@@1343`, `@@@2180`.
ppp21031#pid#2819. As regards the Lord's temptations in general, some were more external, others more internal. The more internal they were, the more severe they were. His inmost temptations are described in `Matthew 26bbb37-39`, `Matthew 26bbbccc42`, `Matthew 26bbbccc44`; `Matthew ccc27bbb46`; `Mark 14bbb33-36`; `Mark ccc15bbb34`; `Luke 22bbb42-44`. But see what has been stated already regarding the Lord's temptations, namely the following:
The Lord first of all fought from goods and truths which were appearances of goods and truths, `@@@1661`.
Out of Divine love towards the whole human race He fought against the evils of self-love and of love of the world, `@@@1690`, `@@@1691` (end), `@@@1789`, `@@@1812`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc1813`, `@@@1820`.
He alone has fought out of Divine love, `@@@1812`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc1813`.
All the hells fought against the Lord's love, which was the salvation of the whole human race, `@@@1820`.
The Lord suffered the severest temptations of all, `@@@1663`, `@@@1668`, `@@@1787`.
By means of temptations and victories the Lord by His own power became righteousness, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc1813`, `@@@2025`.
The Lord effected the union of the Human Essence to the Divine Essence by means of temptations and victories, `@@@1737`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc1813`, `@@@1921`, `@@@2025`, `@@@2026`.
See also what has been stated already about temptations in general, in `@@@59`, `@@@63`, `@@@227`, `@@@847`.
Temptation is a power-struggle over whether good or evil, truth or falsity, is to prevail, `@@@1923`.
Temptations involve feelings of anger, and many other emotions, `@@@1917`.
Temptations are celestial, spiritual, or natural, `@@@847`.
In temptations evil genii and spirits attack the things that belong to a person's love, and so the things that constitute his life, `@@@847`, `@@@1820`.
What temptations accomplish, `@@@1692`, `@@@1717`, `@@@1740`.
The purpose of temptation therefore is that bodily things may be subdued, `@@@857`.
Evils and falsities with a person who is being regenerated are subdued by means of temptations, not done away with, `@@@868`.
Truth goes into battle first, `@@@1685`.
A person fights from the goods and truths which he has acquired by means of cognitions even when they are not in themselves goods and truths, `@@@1661`.
Spirits and evil genii activate the falsities and evils within man, and this leads to temptations, `@@@741`, `@@@751`, `@@@761`.
In temptations a person assumes that the Lord is absent, when in fact He is at such times more present, `@@@840`.
A person cannot by any means endure by himself the conflicts brought about by temptations, for they are conflicts against every hell, `@@@1692` (end).
The Lord alone fights in man, `@@@1661`, `@@@1692`.
By means of temptations evil genii and spirits are deprived of their power to do evil and to inspire falsity within man, `@@@1695`, `@@@1717`.
Temptations take place with those who have conscience, and are more intense with those who have perception, `@@@1668`.
Temptations take place rarely at the present day; instead occasions of anxiety occur, which are something different and have a different origin, `@@@762`.
Persons who are dead spiritually are not able to suffer the conflicts brought about by temptations, `@@@270`.
All temptations bring with them despair over the end in view, `@@@1787`, `@@@1820`.
After temptations fluctuation occurs, `@@@848`, `@@@857`.
By means of temptations the good learn that [left to themselves] they are nothing but evil, and that all things are subject to mercy, `@@@2334`.
By means of temptations goods become joined more closely to truths, `@@@272`.
People are not saved by virtue of enduring temptations if they go under, or if they imagine that they have acquired merit through them, `@@@273`.
Every temptation involves freedom, greater freedom than outside of temptations, `@@@1937`.
ppp21030#pid#2820. Verse `Genesis 22bbbccc11` And the angel of Jehovah called to him out of heaven and said, Abraham, Abraham. And he said, Here I am.
'The angel of Jehovah called to him out of heaven' means comfort received at that time from the Divine itself. 'And said, Abraham, Abraham. And he said, Here I am' means a perception of comfort in the Divine Good of the Rational following temptations.
ppp21029#pid#2821. 'The angel of Jehovah called to him out of heaven' means comfort received at that time from the Divine itself. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'calling out of heaven' as giving comfort to, as is also evident from what comes immediately before and directly after; and from the meaning of 'the angel of Jehovah'. When angels are mentioned in the Word they mean something within the Lord, though exactly what belonging to Him is apparent from the whole train of thought, see `@@@1925`. Here 'the angel of Jehovah' is used to mean the Divine itself. Something similar is said regarding the Lord, when He endured the very severe temptation in Gethsemane,
There appeared to Him an angel from heaven, strengthening Him. `Luke 22bbb43`.
Here also 'an angel from heaven' is used in the internal sense to mean the Divine that was within Him.
ppp21028#pid#2822. 'And said, Abraham, Abraham. And he said, Here I am' means a perception of comfort in the Divine Good of the Rational following temptation. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'saying' in historical parts of the Word as perceiving, often dealt with already. The reason why here it is a perception in the Divine Good of the Rational is that 'Abraham' here means the Divine Good within the Lord's Rational or Human. What perception in the Divine Good of the Rational is cannot be explained intelligibly, for prior to any explanation of it an idea of the Lord's Divine Human must be formed from knowledge of many things. Until such an idea has been formed all things offered by way of explanation would fall into ideas that were either empty or obscure, which would either pervert truths or bring these among ideas out of keeping with them.
ttt[2] In this verse the Lord's first state following temptation is the subject, which is a state of comfort. This explains why the name God is not now used any more but Jehovah, for God is used when reference is being made to the truth from which the battle is fought, but Jehovah when reference is being made to the good from which comfort springs, `@@@2769`. All comfort following temptation is instilled into good, for good is the source of all joy, and from the good it passes over into truth. Here therefore 'Abraham' means the Divine Good of the Rational, as he also does in other places, and wherever the name Jehovah occurs in the same verse.
ppp21027#pid#2823. Verse `Genesis 22bbbccc12` And he said, Do not put forth your hand towards the boy and do not do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God and have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.
'He said, Do not put forth your hand towards the boy' means that He would not allow the temptation to go any further into Divine truth which belonged to the Rational. 'And do not do anything to him' means release. 'For now I know that you fear God' means glorification from Divine love. 'And have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me' means the union of the Human to the Divine which was effected by means of the final degree of temptation.
ppp21026#pid#2824. 'And he said, Do not put forth your hand towards the boy' means that He would not allow the temptation to go any further into Divine truth which belonged to the Rational. This is clear from the meaning of 'putting forth the hand' as temptation even to the final degree of power, dealt with just above in `@@@2816`, and from the meaning of Isaac, to whom 'the boy' refers here, as the Rational as regards Divine truth into which the temptations were allowed to go, dealt with in `@@@2803`, `@@@2813`, `@@@2814`, `@@@2817`.
ppp21025#pid#2825. 'And do not do anything to him' means release. This becomes clear without explanation, for when he is told to do nothing to him it means that the action must be discontinued, thus that he will be released.
ppp21024#pid#2826. 'For now I know that you fear God' means glorification from Divine love. 'This is clear from the meaning of 'knowing', in reference to the Lord's Divine, as nothing other than being united, or what amounts to the same, being glorified, for the Human was being united to the Divine by means of temptations, `@@@1737`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc1813`; and from the meaning of 'fearing God', or the fear of God, as in this case Divine love. As this has reference to the Lord's Divine Rational as regards truth, the expression 'fearing God' is used here, not 'fearing Jehovah', for when truth is the subject the name God occurs, but when good is, the name Jehovah occurs, `@@@2586`, `@@@2769`, `@@@2822`. For it was by means of Divine love that the Lord united the Human Essence to the Divine Essence, and the Divine Essence to the Human Essence, or what amounts to the same, glorified Himself, see `@@@1812`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc1813`, `@@@2253`. What is meant in the Word by 'fearing God' becomes clear from very many places there when these are understood as to the internal sense. In the Word the fear of God means worship, and indeed worship based either on fear, or on good that flows from faith, or on good that flows from love. Worship based on fear is meant when those who are not regenerate are the subject, worship based on good flowing from faith when regenerate spiritual people are the subject, and worship based on good flowing from love when regenerate celestial people are the subject.
ttt[2] I The fear of God in general means worship. This is evident in the Book of Kings,
The children of Israel feared other gods and walked in the statutes of the nations. The nations brought into Samaria did not at the beginning fear Jehovah; therefore Jehovah sent lions among them. Then came one of the priests whom they had made captives in Samaria, and he dwelt in Bethel and was teaching them how to fear Jehovah. Jehovah had made a covenant with the children of Israel and had commanded them, You shall not fear other gods, nor bow yourselves down to them, and you shall not serve them, nor sacrifice to them, but you shall fear Jehovah, and bow yourselves down to Him, and sacrifice to Him. `2 Kings 17bbb7-8`, `2 Kings 17bbbccc24-25`, `2 Kings 17bbbccc28`, `2 Kings 17bbbccc32-33`, `2 Kings 17bbbccc35-37`, `2 Kings 17bbbccc41`.
Here 'fearing' clearly stands for worshipping. In Isaiah,
Because this people have drawn near with their mouth, and honoured Me with their lips, but their heart has been far from Me, and their fear of Me has been a commandment of men that has been taught to them.... `Isaiah 29bbb13`.
Here 'their fear of Me' stands for worship in general, for it is said that that fear was 'a commandment of men'. In Luke,
There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God and did not regard man. `Luke 18bbb2`.
'Who did not fear God' stands for not worshipping Him.
ttt[3] II The fear of God means worship based on fear when those who are not regenerate are the subject
This is evident from the following places: In Moses, when the Law was delivered on Mount Sinai to the people,
The people said to Moses, You yourself speak to us and we will listen; and do not let God speak to us lest perhaps we die. And Moses said to the people, For God has come to tempt you, and to the end that His fear may be before your faces, so that you do not sin. `Exodus 20bbb19-20`.
And elsewhere in the same author,
Now why should we die? For this great fire will devour us; if we hear the voice of Jehovah our God any more we shall die. You go near and hear all that Jehovah our God will say, and then you tell us all that Jehovah our God will say to you, and we will listen and act. And Jehovah said to Moses, Who will grant it that they have this heart within them to fear Me and to keep all My commandments all their days? `Deuteronomy 5bbb25`, `Deuteronomy 5bbbccc27`, `Deuteronomy 5bbbccc29`.
Here 'the fear of God before your faces, so that you do not sin' and 'a heart to fear Me and to keep all My commandments' means worship based on fear attributable to them because they are by nature what they are. Indeed people whose worship is external, and not at all internal, are led through fear to respect the law and to obey it; but they do not enter into any internal worship, which is holy fear, unless the good of life is present in them, and they know what is internal, and believe it. In the same author,
If you do not take care to do all the words of this Law that are written in this Book, to fear this glorious and fearful name, Jehovah your God, Jehovah will make your plagues exceptional,`fff1` and the plagues of your seed, plagues great and persistent, and diseases bad and persistent. And He will bring back on you all the sicknesses of Egypt which you fear, and they will cling to you. `Deuteronomy 28bbb58-60`.
Here also 'fearing the glorious and terrible name of Jehovah God' means worship based on fear; and in order that this fear might exist among such persons all evils, even cursings, were attributed to Jehovah, `@@@592`, `@@@2335`, `@@@2395`, `@@@2447`. In Jeremiah,
Your wickedness will chasten you, and your backslidings will reprove you. Know and see that it is evil and bitter for you to forsake Jehovah your God, and for My fear not to be in you. `Jeremiah 2bbb19`.
In Luke,
I tell you, Do not fear those who kill the body, but after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you ought to fear; fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into Gehenna; yes, I tell you, fear Him. `Luke 12bbb4-5`; `Matthew 10bbb28`.
Here also 'fearing God' implies worship based on some kind of fear, for fear drove those people to obey, as has been stated.
ttt[4] III Fearing God or Jehovah means worship based on good that flows from faith, when regenerate spiritual people are the subject.
This is evident from the following places: In Moses,
The king will write for himself a copy of this Law in a Book before the Levite priests. And it will be with him, and he will read from it every day of his life, so that he may learn to fear Jehovah his God, keeping all the words of this Law and these statutes to do them. `Deuteronomy 17bbb18-19`.
'The king' in the internal sense stands for the truth of faith since the office of a king represented the Lord's spiritual kingdom, `@@@1672`, `@@@1728`, `@@@2015`, `@@@2069`. Consequently 'fearing Jehovah his God' means worship of Him based on the truth of faith, which, being inseparable from the good of charity, is described as 'keeping the words of the Law and these statutes to do them'. In Samuel,
Behold, Jehovah has set a king over you. If you will fear Jehovah and serve Him, and hearken to His voice, both you, and the king who reigns over you, will be following Jehovah your God. `1 Samuel 12bbb13-14`.
Here too 'fearing Jehovah' stands in the internal sense for worship based on the good and truth of faith, as previously, since a king or the kingly office is the subject.
ttt[5] In Joshua,
Now fear Jehovah, and serve Him in sincerity and truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served. `Joshua 24bbb14`.
Here also 'fearing Jehovah' stands for worship based on good and truth which exist with the spiritual man, for 'sincerity' is used in reference to the good of faith, `@@@612`, 'truth' to the truth of faith. In Jeremiah,
They will be My people and I will be their God; and I will give them one heart and one way, to fear Me all their days, for their own good and that of their sons after them. And I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn back from doing good to them, and I will put My fear into their heart of not departing from Me. `Jeremiah 32bbb38-40`.
Here 'fearing God' means worship based on the good and truth of faith. This becomes clear from the train of thought and from the fact that the words 'people' and 'God' are used - 'people' being used in reference to those with whom the truth of faith exists, see `@@@1259`, `@@@1260`, and 'God' being used when truth is the subject, `@@@2586`, `@@@2769`, `@@@2807` (end). In Isaiah,
A powerful people will honour You, the city of strong nations will fear You. `Isaiah 25bbb3`.
Here also 'fearing God' stands for worship based on spiritual truth, since the expressions 'people' and 'city' are used - 'the city' meaning doctrinal teaching that is true, see `@@@402`, `@@@2268`, `@@@2449`, `@@@2451`.
ttt[6] In David,
Who is the man that fears Jehovah? He will teach him the way that he should choose. `Psalms 25bbb12`.
Here 'the man that fears Jehovah' stands for one who worships Him. This refers to the spiritual man, as is evident from the fact that it is said 'He will teach him the way' - 'way' meaning truth, see `@@@627`, `@@@2333`. In the same author,
Blessed is everyone who fears Jehovah and walks in His ways! `Psalms 128bbb1`.
Here the meaning is similar. In the same author,
Those who fear Jehovah will glorify Him, all the seed of Jacob will glorify Him; and they will stand in awe of Him, all the seed of Israel. `Psalms 22bbb23`.
Here 'standing in awe of Him' stands for worship based on the truth of faith, for 'the seed of Israel' is the spiritual side of the Church, that is, the good and truth of faith, `@@@1025`, `@@@1447`, `@@@1610`. In Moses,
Now Israel, what does Jehovah your God require of you but to fear Jehovah your God, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve Jehovah your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, to keep Jehovah's commandments and His statutes? `Deuteronomy 10bbb12-13`.
Here a description occurs of what 'fearing God' entails in the case of the spiritual man, meant by 'Israel', namely 'walking in the ways of Jehovah, loving Him, serving Him, and keeping His commandments and statutes'. In John,
I saw an angel flying in mid-heaven, having an eternal gospel, and saying in a loud voice, Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgement has come. `Revelation 14bbb6-7`.
Here 'fearing God' stands for holy worship based on the good and truth of faith. In Luke,
Jesus said to the paralysed man, Rise, take up your bed and go away to your home. As a consequence amazement seized them all, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear. `Luke 5bbb24-26`.
Here 'fear' stands for holy fear as it exists in people who by means of the truth of faith are being introduced into the good of love.
ttt[7] IV Fearing God or Jehovah means worship based on good that flows from love, when regenerate celestial people are the subject.
In Malachi,
My covenant with Levi was [a covenant] of life and peace, and I gave them to him with fear; and he feared Me, and for My name he was crushed. The law of truth was in his mouth, and perversity was not [found] on his lips. He walked with Me in peace and uprightness. `Malachi 2bbb5-6`.
This refers to the Lord, meant here by 'Levi' in the internal sense. 'Levi' means the priesthood, and he means love. 'Fear' in this instance stands for the good that flows from Divine Love, 'the law of truth' for the truth that accompanies it, 'peace and uprightness' for both.
ttt[8] In Isaiah,
There will come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch will grow out of his roots. And the Spirit of Jehovah will rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and intelligence, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of Jehovah. And His delight`fff2` will be in the fear of Jehovah. `Isaiah 11bbb1-3`.
This too refers to the Lord. 'The Spirit of knowledge and the fear of Jehovah' stands for the Divine love of truth, 'His delight will be in the fear of Jehovah' for the Divine love of good.
ttt[9] In David,
The commandments of Jehovah are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of Jehovah is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of Jehovah is clean, standing for ever; the judgements of Jehovah are truth, righteous altogether. `Psalms 19bbb8-9`.
Here 'the fear of Jehovah is clean' stands for love, 'the judgements of Jehovah are truth' for faith. 'Righteousness' is used in reference to good that is the good of love, 'judgements' to truth that is the truth of faith, see `@@@2235`; and these are called 'righteous altogether' when truth consists in good, or faith in charity.
ttt[10] In the same author,
Behold, the eye of Jehovah is on those who fear Him, on those who await His mercy. `Psalms 33bbb18`.
And elsewhere in the same author,
Jehovah takes no delight in the might of the horse, nor pleasure in the legs of man Jehovah's pleasure is in those who fear Him and in those who await His mercy. `Psalms 147bbb10-11`.
'The might of the horse' stands for a person's own power to think what is true; for 'a horses means the understanding, see `@@@2760-2762`. 'The legs of man' stands for a person's own power to do good. 'Those who fear Jehovah' stands for people whose worship of Him is based on a love of truth, and 'those who await His mercy' stands for those whose worship is based on a love of good. In the Prophets when good is spoken of so also is truth, and when truth is spoken of so also is good, on account of the heavenly marriage of good and truth that exists in every individual part [of the Word], see `@@@683`, `@@@793`, `@@@801`, `@@@2516`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc2712`, `@@@2731`.
ttt[11] In the same author,
Jehovah will bless the house of Israel, He will bless the house of Aaron, He will bless those who fear Jehovah, both small and great. `Psalms 115bbb12-13`.
Here 'those who fear Jehovah' stands for people whose worship is based on the good that flows from faith, meant by 'the house of Israel', and on the good that flows from love, meant by 'the house of Aaron' - both of them on account of the heavenly marriage which exists, as has been stated, in every individual part of the Word.
ttt[12] In Isaiah,
The stability`fff3` of your times will be strength to save, wisdom and knowledge; and the fear of Jehovah itself the treasure. `Isaiah 33bbb6`.
Here 'wisdom and knowledge' stands for the good of faith joined to the truth of faith, 'the fear of Jehovah' for the good of love. In the same prophet,
Who among you fears Jehovah? [Who] listens to the voice of His servant? `Isaiah 50bbb10`.
'Who fears Jehovah' stands for one whose worship is based on love, 'who listens to the voice of His servant' for one whose worship is based on faith. When one goes with the other the heavenly marriage is in that case present.
ttt[13] From these places that have been quoted from the Word it is clear that 'the fear of God' means worship based either on fear, or on the good that flows from faith, or on the good that flows from love. But the more there is of fear present in worship the less there is of faith, and still less of love. Conversely, the more there is of faith present in worship, and even more so of love, the less there is of fear. Present within all worship there is fear, but this fear takes on a different form and nature; for it is holy fear. But holy fear is not so much a fear of hell and of damnation, as a fear lest anything whatever be done or thought that is contrary to the Lord and contrary to the neighbour, thus anything whatever that is contrary to the good of love and to the truth of faith. It is an abhorrence which on the one side forms the boundary of the holiness of faith and of the holiness of love. And since, as has been stated, it is not a fear of hell and damnation, it exists with those who abide in the good of faith, less so with those who abide in the good of love, that is, who abide in the Lord. Therefore,
ttt[14] V Fearing also means distrusting, or having no faith and love.
As in Isaiah,
Thus said your Creator, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel, Do not fear, for I have redeemed you, and have called you by your name; you are Mine. `Isaiah 43bbb1`, `Isaiah 43bbbccc5`; `Isaiah ccc44bbb8`
In Luke,
The oath which He swore to Abraham our father, to grant us, that without fear we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him, in holiness and righteousness before Him. `Luke 1bbb73-75`.
In the same gospel,
Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. `Luke 12bbb32`.
In Mark,
Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, Do not fear, only believe. `Mark 5bbb36`; `Luke 8bbb49-50`.
In the same gospel,
Jesus said, Why are you so afraid? How is it that you have no faith? `Mark 4bbb40`.
In Luke,
The hairs of your head are numbered. Do not fear, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. `Luke 12bbb7`.
In all these places 'fearing' means distrusting or having no faith and love.
`nnn1. literally, wonderful
`nnn2. literally, His scenting
`nnn3. literally, The truth
ppp21023#pid#2827. 'And have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me' means the union of the Human to the Divine which was effected by means of the final degree of temptation. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'your son', that is to say, Isaac, as the Divine Rational, dealt with already, or the Divine Human since this has its beginnings in the Rational, `@@@2106`, `@@@2194`, the expression 'only' being used because it was the only begotten, see `@@@2773`; and from the meaning of 'not withholding from Met as causing it to be united, namely to the Divine itself. As regards this union being effected by means of the final degree of temptation, this is evident from all that has gone before.
ppp21022#pid#2828. Verse `Genesis 22bbbccc13` And Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, a ram behind [him] caught in a thicket by its horns. And Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it as a burnt offering instead of his son.
'Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw' means the Lord's thought and insight received from the Divine. 'And behold, a ram' means spiritual members of the human race. 'Behind [him] caught in a thicket' means entangled in natural knowledge. 'By its horns' means with all its power as regards truths of faith. 'And Abraham went and took the ram' means their release effected by the Lord's Divine Human. 'And offered it as a burnt offering instead of his son' means their sanctification and adoption.
ppp21021#pid#2829. As regards 'Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw' meaning the Lord's thought and insight received from the Divine, see above in `@@@2789` where the same words occur. This thought and insight from the Divine is a thought and insight into every single thing that will ever take place, in keeping with the Divine Providence.
ppp21020#pid#2830. 'And behold, a ram' means spiritual members of the human race. This is clear from the meaning of 'a ram', dealt with below. Within the Church it is well known that the burnt offerings and sacrifices in the representative Jewish and Israelite Church meant the Lord's Divine Human. But the burnt offerings and sacrifices of the lambs meant one thing, those of sheep and she-goats another, and those of kids, rams, and he-goats, of oxen, young bulls, and calves, and of turtle doves and young pigeons meant yet other things, as also did the minchahs and drink offerings. In general these things that were sacrificed meant the Divine celestial, Divine spiritual, and Divine natural things which are the Lord's; and from meaning these they meant celestial, spiritual, and natural things which exist from Him within His kingdom, and so within every individual who is the Lord's kingdom. This may be seen also from the Holy Supper which superseded burnt offerings and sacrifices. In it the bread and the wine mean the Lord's Divine Human - the Bread His Divine celestial, the Wine His Divine spiritual - and consequently mean His love towards the whole human race, and in turn the love of the whole human race for the Lord, `@@@2343`, `@@@2359`. From this it is evident that burnt offerings and sacrifices contained within them celestial worship springing from love to the Lord, and spiritual worship springing from charity towards the neighbour, and therefore from faith in the Lord, `@@@922`, `@@@923`, `@@@1823`, `@@@2180`. What the celestial is and what the spiritual is, that is, who constitute the celestial members and who the spiritual within the Lord's kingdom or Church, has been stated rather often, see `@@@1155`, `@@@1577`, `@@@1824`, `@@@2048`, `@@@2088`, `@@@2184`, `@@@2227`, `@@@2669`, `@@@2708`, `@@@2715`.
ttt[2] That 'a ram' then means the Lord's Divine spiritual, and so that which is spiritual with man, or what amounts to the same, spiritual members of the human race, may become clear from the burnt offerings and sacrifices that were made from rams. For example, when Aaron and his sons were consecrated to the function they performed, that is, when they were inaugurated, they were to offer one young bull for a sin offering, sprinkle its blood over the horns of the altar, and pour the remainder at the base of it. Also they were to slaughter one ram and to sprinkle its blood around the altar, and after that they were to burn the ram - the whole of it - as a burnt offering. And the blood of the second ram which had been slaughtered was to be sprinkled over the tip of Aaron's ear, and over his thumb and big toe, and after that they were to make a wave offering of it and burn it on top of the burnt offering, `Exodus 29bbb1-35`; `Leviticus 8bbb1`-end; `Leviticus ccc9bbb2` and following verses. Clearly all these observances were holy, but they were holy for the reason that they represented and meant holy things. Other than for this reason, none of these observances - slaughtering a young bull, sprinkling its blood over the horns of the altar and pouring the remainder at the base of it, slaying one ram and sprinkling its blood around the altar and after that burning it, and sprinkling the blood of the second ram over the tip of Aaron's ear and over his thumb and big toe and also making a wave offering of it and burning it on top of the burnt offering - would have possessed any holiness, nor thus any worship, unless they had represented holy things. But what each observance represented does not become clear to anyone except from the internal sense. That the young bull offered as a sin offering meant the Lord's Divine natural, and the ram His Divine spiritual, and at the same time spiritual members of the human race, may become clear from the meaning of a young bull and of a ram in the Word. Inaugurations into the priesthood were effected by means of spiritual things, for by means of spiritual things man is initiated into those which are celestial, or what amounts to the same, by means of the truths of faith he is initiated into good that stems from love. In a similar way when Aaron entered the Holy Place he was to offer a young bull as a sin offering and a ram as a burnt offering, `Leviticus 16bbb2-3`.
ttt[3] When a Nazirite was completing the period of his Naziriteship he was to offer one male lamb a year old without a blemish as a burnt offering, and one ewe-lamb a year old without a blemish as a sin offering, and one ram without blemish as a peace offering, `Numbers 6bbb13-14`, `Numbers 6bbbccc16-17`. The reason for these observances was that a Nazirite represented the celestial man, who is the likeness of the Lord, `@@@51`, `@@@52`, `@@@1013`. The celestial man is such that he is moved by celestial love, that is, by love to the Lord, and from this by celestial truth, `@@@202`, `@@@337`, `@@@2069`, `@@@2715`, `@@@2718`. This was why the Nazirite was required to sacrifice a male lamb and a ewe-lamb, meaning that which is celestial, and also to sacrifice a ram, meaning that which is spiritual. Young bulls, rams, and lambs were sacrificed at festivals. For example, on the first day of the feast of unleavened bread, two young bulls, one ram, and seven lambs, together with their minchah, were to be offered as a burnt offering, `Numbers 28bbb18-20`. On the day of the firstfruits too, two-young bulls, one ram, and seven lambs, together with their minchah, were to be offered as a burnt offering, `Numbers 28bbb26-28`. At new moons two young bulls, one ram, and seven lambs, together with their minchah, were to be offered as a burnt offering, `Numbers 28bbb11-12`; in the seventh month, on the first of the month, one young bull, one ram, seven lambs, together with their minchah; and on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, thirteen young bulls, two rams, fourteen lambs; and so on, see `Numbers 29bbb1-2`, `Numbers 29bbbccc12-14`, `Numbers 29bbbccc17-18`, `Numbers 29bbbccc20-24`, `Numbers 29bbbccc26-36`. Young bulls and rams meant spiritual things, while lambs meant celestial. For at festivals it was required that those taking part were to be sanctified and were brought into that condition by means of spiritual things.
ttt[4] Since 'rams' meant the Divine spiritual of the Lord's Divine Human, and also spiritual things residing with man, it is therefore said in Ezekiel, where the New Temple and the New Jerusalem, that is, the Lord's spiritual kingdom, are referred to, that when they had finished cleansing the altar they were to offer a young bull as a sin offering and a ram as a burnt offering; and for seven days they were to provide daily a he-goat for a sin offering, and a young bull and a ram, `Ezekiel 43bbb23-25`. Also 'on that day' the prince on behalf of all the people was to provide a young bull for a sin offering, and on the seven days of the feast seven young bulls and seven rams, together with the minchah, as a burnt offering, `Ezekiel 45bbb22-24`; and on the sabbath day he was to provide six lambs and a ram, `Ezekiel 46bbb4`; `Ezekiel ccc6bbb0`.
ttt[5] As regards the New Temple and the New Jerusalem, these in the universal sense mean the Lord's kingdom, see `@@@402`, `@@@940`, and in particular a new Church, `@@@2117`. There neither burnt offerings nor sacrifices are offered, as may be well known to all; and from this it is evident that burnt offerings and sacrifices mean the celestial things of love and the spiritual things of faith; for these things belong to the Lord's kingdom, and so are akin to the things meant here by young bulls, rams, and lambs. As regards the young bulls and rams, these mean spiritual things, as is clear from each detail in this part of Ezekiel in the internal sense - in general from the fact that specifically the New Temple and the New Jerusalem mean the Lord's spiritual kingdom, while Zion means the celestial kingdom.
ttt[6] That 'a ram' means that which is spiritual, or what amounts to the same, those who are spiritual, is also evident in Daniel. Daniel saw a ram with two horns which was standing before the river; and then he saw a he-goat which struck the ram, broke its horns, and trampled on it, `Daniel 8bbb3-4`, and following verses. Here 'the ram' is used to mean nothing else than the spiritual Church, and 'the he-goat' to mean those who are governed by faith separated from charity, that is, by truth separated from good, and who step by step rise up against what is good, and finally against the Lord - as is also described. In Samuel,
Samuel said to Saul, Does Jehovah delight as greatly in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in hearkening to the voice of Jehovah? Behold, to hearken is better than sacrifice, and to obey than the fat of rams. `1 Samuel 15bbb22`.
Here, since it is obedience - and so truth, which is spiritual - that is spoken of, and since what was said was addressed to the king - who also means truth, `@@@1672`, `@@@2015`, `@@@2069` - the words used are not therefore 'better than the fat of oxen (or of lambs)' but 'better than the fat of rams'.
ttt[7] In David,
When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a foreign people, Judah became His sanctuary, Israel His dominions. The sea looked and fled, and Jordan turned itself backwards. The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like the young of the flock. What ails you, O sea, that you flee? O Jordan, that you turn yourself backwards? O mountains, that you skip like rams? O hills, like the young of the flock? At the presence of the Lord, you are in labour, O earth; at the presence of the God of Jacob, who turns the rock into a pool of water, and the flint into a fountain of water. `Psalms 114bbb1`-end.
This refers in the internal sense to spiritual good following regeneration and describes the nature of that good. The celestial-spiritual nature of it is described as the mountains skipping like rams, and the celestial-natural as hills doing so like the young of the flock - 'mountains' meaning the celestial things of love, see `@@@795`, `@@@1430`. Anyone may see that these words, like all the rest of David's, contain matters that are holy, but within the internal sense, and that something spiritual is meant by the mountains skipping like rams, and the hills like the young of the flock, and by the earth going into labour at the presence of the Lord. Without the internal sense they would be expressions devoid of any real meaning.
ttt[8] Much the same applies to the following in Moses,
He will cause him to ride over the heights of the land, and will cause him to eat the produce of the land, and will cause him to suck honey out of the crag, and oil out of the flinty rock - butter from the cattle, and milk from the flock, with the fat of lambs and rams, the breed`fff1` of Bashan, and of goats, with the kidney-fat of wheat; and of the blood of the grape you will drink unmixed wine. `Deuteronomy 32bbb13-15`.
'Rams, the breed of Bashan' stands for celestial-spiritual things. As to what celestial-spiritual things are, see `@@@1824`. In David,
I will offer to You burnt offerings of things full of marrow, with the incense of rams; I will provide ox with he-goats. `Psalms 66bbb15`.
'Burnt offerings of things full of marrow' stands for the celestial things of love, 'incense of rams' for the spiritual things of faith.
ttt[9] In Ezekiel,
Arabia and all the princes of Kedar, these were the merchants of your hand in lambs, in rams and he-goats. `Ezekiel 27bbb21`.
This refers to Tyre, which means those with whom cognitions of good and truth exist, `@@@1201`. 'Arabia' stands for their wisdom, 'princes of Kedar' for their intelligence, 'lambs' for celestial things, 'rams' for spiritual things, 'he-goats' for natural things, which come in order one after another. In Isaiah,
The whole flock of Kedar will be gathered to You, the rams of Nebaioth will minister to You; they will come up with acceptance on My altar, and I will beautify My beautiful house. `Isaiah 60bbb7`.
This refers to the Lord's Divine Human. 'The flock of Kedar' stands for Divine celestial things, 'the rams of Nebaioth' for Divine spiritual things. From all these references it may now become clear that 'a ram' in the internal sense means the Lord's Divine spiritual; and from this it means that which is spiritual with man, or what amounts to the same, it means spiritual members of the human race.
`nnn1. literally, sons
ppp21019#pid#2831. 'Behind [him] caught in a thicket' means entangled in natural knowledge. This is clear from the meaning here of 'caught in' as being entangled in, and from the meaning of 'a thicket' or fan entanglement' as factual knowledge, to be dealt with in what follows. Those who are spiritual are caught and entangled in natural knowledge as regards truths of faith for the following reasons: Those who are spiritual do not possess the perception of good and truth as those who are celestial do. Instead of perception they have conscience, which is formed from the goods and truths of faith which from early childhood they have taken in from parents and teachers, and after that from the doctrine of the faith into which they were born. The only way that those who do not possess the perception of good and truth can receive confirmation is from facts. Everyone forms some concept for himself regarding the things he has learned, and also regarding the goods and truths of faith. Without that nothing remains in the memory except as an empty vessel. Details that serve to confirm - derived from other cognitions, and even from factual knowledge - are added to and fill in the concept. The concept itself confirmed by many details not only causes itself to be fixed in the memory, from which it may be called forth into thought, but also enables faith to be instilled into it.
ttt[2] As regards perception in general, since few know what perception is, this must be stated here. There is the perception of what is good and true in things that are celestial and spiritual; there is the perception of what is just and fair in public life; and there is the perception of what is honourable in private life. As regards the perception of what is good and true in celestial and spiritual things, this is the perception which the more interior angels possess from the Lord. It was also the perception which members of the Most Ancient Church possessed, and it is the perception which celestial people possess, who are moved by love to the Lord. These people know in an instant from a certain inner awareness whether a thing is good and whether it is true, for the Lord instills it into them because they are joined by love to Him. But spiritual people do not possess such perception of what is good and true in celestial and spiritual things. Instead of perception they have conscience which dictates. Conscience however, as has been stated, is formed from cognitions of good and truth which they have taken in from parents and teachers and later on from their own devotion to doctrine and the Word. And on these cognitions they pin their faith, even though these may not be goods and truths to any great extent. This being so, people can have a conscience that is derived from any variety of doctrine; even gentiles possess something not unlike conscience, derived from their own form of religion.
ttt[3] The fact that those who are spiritual have no perception of the good and truth of faith but say and believe to be true that which they have learned and grasped becomes quite clear from the consideration that everyone calls his own tenets the truth - heretics more than others - and from the consideration that they are unable to see, let alone acknowledge, the truth itself, even though thousands of things might declare it. Let everyone search within himself to see whether he is able to perceive from any other source whether a thing is true, and whether when that which is absolutely true is made plain to him he still does not acknowledge it. Take for example someone who makes faith and not love the essential of salvation. Even if all the things were read out to him which the Lord spoke regarding love and charity, see `@@@2371`, and even if he knew from the Word that all the Law and all the Prophets hung on love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour, he would still persist in the idea of faith and would say that this alone was what saved. It is altogether different in the case of those who possess celestial and spiritual perception.
ttt[4] But as regards the perception of what is just and fair in public life, those in the world who are rational possess this, together with the perception of what is honourable in private life. So far as these two types of perception are concerned, one person differs from the next; but this in no sense implies that such persons possess the perception of the good and truth of faith, since this kind of perception is higher or more interior and flows in from the Lord by way of the inmost part of the rational.
ttt[5] A further reason why spiritual people do not possess a perception of the good and truth of faith is that good and truth are not implanted in the will part of their minds, as in the case of celestial people, but in the understanding part; see `@@@863`, `@@@875`, `@@@927`, `@@@1023`, `@@@1043`, `@@@1044`, `@@@2256`. This is why spiritual people are not able to enter the first region of the light that celestial people dwell in, `@@@2718`, but in comparison with them are in obscurity, `@@@1043`, `@@@2708`, `@@@2715`. The fact that those who are spiritual are entangled in natural knowledge as regards truths of faith follows from this.
ttt[6] As regards 'a thicket' or 'an entanglement' in the internal sense meaning natural knowledge, that is, factual knowledge such as becomes fixed in the exterior memory, this may also be seen from other places in the Word: in Ezekiel,
Behold, Asshur was a cedar in Lebanon, beautiful in its boughs, and a forest shade, and lofty in height, and its trunk among entangled boughs. `Ezekiel 31bbb3`.
This refers to 'Egypt', which is knowledge, `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1186`, `@@@1462`. 'Asshur' stands for the rational, `@@@119`, `@@@1186`, which in the Word is also 'a cedar', and 'Lebanon' as well. 'Among entangled boughs' stands for among facts, for the human rational is based on the facts known to it which it commands.
ttt[7] In the same prophet,
Thus said the Lord Jehovih, Because you are exalted in height, and he has set his trunk up among entangled boughs, and his heart has become lifted up in his height, foreigners, the violent of the nations, will cut him down and cast him out. `Ezekiel 31bbb10`, `Ezekiel 31bbbccc12`.
This refers to Egypt. 'Setting his trunk among entangled boughs' stands for sticking to facts and looking at spiritual, celestial, and Divine things, from them as the standpoint. In the same prophet,
This is in order that none of all the trees by the waters may exalt themselves in their height, and set their trunk up among entangled boughs, and that none of all that drink water may reach above them in their height, for they will all be given over to death, to the lower earth in the midst of the sons of men, to those going down to the pit. `Ezekiel 31bbb14`.
This refers to those who wish by means of reasonings based on factual knowledge to penetrate the mysteries of faith; these become totally blind, see `@@@215`, `@@@232`, `@@@233`, `@@@1072`, `@@@1911`, `@@@2196`, `@@@2203`, `@@@2568`, `@@@2588`. Reasoning based on facts is the meaning of 'setting their trunk up among entangled boughs'. In the same prophet,
It had strong shoots as sceptres for those who have dominion, and its height rose up above among entangled boughs. `Ezekiel 19bbb11`.
Here the meaning is similar.
ttt[8] In the same prophet,
The slain of Israel in the midst of their idols, around their altars, and under every green tree, and under every entangled oak. `Ezekiel 6bbb13`.
This refers to the kind of worship which people invent for themselves who have faith in themselves, and so in those things which they hatch out from their factual knowledge. 'An entangled oak' stands for facts as they exist in that particular state, 'oaks' meaning perceptions arising out of facts, see `@@@1442`, `@@@1443`, `@@@2144`. The same feature occurs elsewhere in the same prophet,
They looked at every high hill and every entangled tree, and there they offered their sacrifices. `Ezekiel 20bbb28`.
'Entangled tree' stands for things which are not dictated by the Word but by a person's own factual knowledge. The fact that worship used to take place in groves and depended for its meaning on the nature of the trees, see `@@@2722`.
ttt[9] In Isaiah,
For wickedness will burn like a fire, it will consume brier and thorn, and will kindle the entangled boughs of the wood. `Isaiah 9bbb18`.
'Brier and thorn' stands for falsity and evil desire, 'the entangled boughs of the wood' for facts. In the same prophet,
Jehovah Zebaoth will hew down the entangled boughs of the wood with an axe, and Lebanon will fall by a majestic one. `Isaiah 10bbb34`.
'The entangled boughs of the wood' stands for facts, 'Lebanon' for rational concepts. In Jeremiah,
Raise a standard towards Zion, for I am bringing evil from the north, and a great destruction. A lion has risen up from his thicket, and a destroyer of nations has set out and come from his place to make your land a waste. Your cities will be destroyed, and left without inhabitants. `Jeremiah 4bbb6-7`.
'From his thicket' stands for from factual knowledge, and that which 'rises up' from this and enters into Divine arcana 'makes the land a waste', that is, lays waste the Church.
ttt[10] The reason why in the Word facts are called 'thickets' is that facts are by nature like thickets, especially when the desires of self-love and love of the world, and false assumptions, exert an influence on them. Celestial and spiritual love is a love which arranges into order the facts that belong to the external memory, whereas self-love and love of the world disrupt that order and bring confusion to everything there. These are matters of which man is not aware because he takes that to be order which in fact is perverted order, that to be good which in fact is evil, and that to be truth which in fact is falsity; therefore those things are 'in a thicket'. He is also unaware of these matters because the things that belong to the external memory where facts reside are - in comparison with those that belong to the internal memory, where rational concepts reside - in a thicket, or in some gloomy woodland. How shadowy, gloomy, and darkened it is there in comparison, nobody can know as long as he lives in the body, for during that time he imagines that all wisdom and intelligence arise from facts; but he will know it in the next life when he has entered the things that belong to the internal memory. In the external memory which is proper to man during his life in the world nothing is more lacking than the light of wisdom and intelligence. But that everything there is by comparison dark, disordered, and entangled, see `@@@2469-2494`.
ppp21018#pid#2832. 'By its horns' means with all its power as regards the truths of faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'horns'. Horns are mentioned in various places in the Word, in which places they mean the power of truth which springs from good, and in the contrary sense the power of falsity which springs from evil. In this place the meaning is that those who are spiritual, meant by 'the ram', were entangled in natural knowledge with all their power as regards truth, and that as a consequence they were bereft of the power to perceive truths. For the more anyone relies on natural facts and keeps his mind (animus et mens) fixed on these where truths of faith are concerned, the more he loses the light of truth; and when he loses this light he loses the life of truth as well. Anyone may recognize this, if he stops to reflect, from his experience of people who say they are unable to believe anything unless they grasp that it is so through sensory evidence or through factual knowledge. If you probe into what they are really like you will discover that they believe nothing at all, and what is more that to them nothing seems wiser than to ascribe every single thing to natural forces. There are also many who say that they believe even though they do not apprehend. But secretly within themselves these reason no less than others from sensory evidence and factual knowledge regarding the truths of faith whether the thing is so. These either possess a kind of persuasive belief infused into them from self-love and love of the world, or else they do not have any belief at all. Their true nature is evident from their life. Both groups of people are indeed within the Lord's spiritual Church, yet they are not of the Church. They are of the Church however when the life of good is present in them and they have faith in truths. But spiritual people have faith in no other truths than those which have been impressed on them from early childhood and which after that they have confirmed for themselves from doctrine or some other source. Such is the state of those who are spiritual, a state which is described here by 'a ram caught in the thicket by its horns' - see immediately above in `@@@2831`.
ttt[2] A horn means the power of truth that springs from good.
This is clear from the following places: In David,
You are the splendour of their strength, and in Your good pleasure You will exalt our horn. For our shield belongs to Jehovah, and our king to the Holy One of Israel. My truth and My mercy will be with him, and in My name his horn will be exalted. And I will set his hand on the sea, and his right hand on the rivers. `Psalms 89bbb17-18`, `Psalms 89bbbccc24-25`.
Here 'our horn' and 'his horn' plainly stand for the power of truth. The subject is the Lord's spiritual kingdom. 'Our king belongs to the Holy One of Israel' stands for the fact that Divine Truth is the Lord's 'a king' being truth, and the Lord's kingship Divine Truth, see `@@@1672`, `@@@1728`, `@@@2015`, `@@@2069`. 'Setting his hand on the sea, and his right hand on the rivers' stands for the fact that strength resides in knowledge and in cognitions of truth - 'hand' and 'right hand' being strength, `@@@878`, and 'sea' and 'river' knowledge and cognitions, `@@@28`, `@@@2702`. In the same author,
I will love You, O Jehovah, my strength. Jehovah is my rock (petra), and my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock (rupee) in which I trust, a shield and the horn of salvation. `Psalms 18bbb1-2`; `2 Samuel 22bbb2-3`.
'The horn of salvation' stands for truth as regards its power, and here 'strength', 'rock' (petra), 'fortress', 'God', 'rock' (rupee), and 'shield' all mean spiritually the power of truth.
ttt[3] In the same author,
In Zion I will make the horn of David to spring forth, I will make ready a lamp for My anointed. His enemies I will clothe with shame. `Psalms 132bbb17-18`.
This refers to the Lord, who is 'David', `@@@1888`. 'Horn' stands for the power of truth, 'a lamp' for the light of truth. In Samuel,
My heart has exulted in Jehovah, my horn has exalted itself in Jehovah. My mouth has been enlarged against my enemies because I have rejoiced in Your salvation. Jehovah will give strength to His king, and will exalt the horn of His anointed. `1 Samuel 2bbb1`, `1 Samuel 2bbbccc10`.
In this prophecy of Hannah 'horn' stands for the power of truth.
ttt[4] In Moses,
The firstborn of his cattle has honour, and his horns are unicorn horns.`fff1` With them he will thrust`fff2` the peoples together to the ends of the earth. `Deuteronomy 33bbb17`.
In this prophecy of Moses concerning Joseph 'unicorn horns' stands for the mighty power of truth, as is also evident from the statement that 'with them he will thrust the peoples to the ends of the earth'. Similarly in David,
You will exalt my horn like that of a unicorn. `Psalms 92bbb10`.
And in the same author,
O Jehovah, save me from the mouth of the lion, and from the unicorn horns`fff1` answer me. `Psalms 22bbb21`.
Divine truths, on account of their height, are called 'unicorn horns'. It is for this reason that mention is made so many times of a horn being exalted, for exaltation means power derived from what is interior. As regards what is internal being expressed as that which is high, see `@@@1735`, `@@@2148`.
ttt[5] In Jeremiah,
The Lord has cut down in fierce anger the whole horn of Israel, He has drawn back His right hand from before the enemy. `Lamentations 2bbb3`.
'Cutting down the whole horn of Israel' stands for deprivation of truth which possesses power. This is also the meaning of 'drawing back the right hand from before the enemy'. In Ezekiel,
On that day I will make a horn grow up for the house of Israel, and I will give you an opening of the mouth in the midst of them. `Ezekiel 29bbb21`.
'Making a horn grow up for the house of Israel' stands for multiplying the truths of the spiritual Church, meant by Israel, 'an opening of the mouth' for the confession of those truths.
ttt[6] In Habakkuk,
God will come out of Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran. His fame has covered the heavens, and the earth has been filled with His praise. And His brightness will be as the light; He has horns going out of His hand, and there the hiding-place of His strength will be. `Habakkuk 3bbb3-4`.
This refers to the Lord. 'Horns going out of His hand' and 'there the hiding-place of His strength will be', it is plain, stands for the power of truth. 'Mount Paran' is the Divine spiritual or Divine Truth of the Lord's Human - see `@@@2714` - which is also 'the brightness' and 'the light'.
ttt[7] The Divine Truth of the Lord's Human is described in John as follows,
I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, a Lamb standing as though it had been slain, having seven horns, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. `Revelation 5bbb6`.
'Seven horns' stands for holy, or Divine, truths - 'seven' meaning that which is holy, see `@@@716`, `@@@881`. 'The seven spirits sent out into all the earth' are the holy proclaimings of those same truths.
ttt[8] The horns of altars meant nothing other than truth which possessed power, being spoken of in Moses as follows,
You shall make horns on the four corners of the altar; its horns shall be of one piece with it. `Exodus 27bbb2`; `Exodus ccc38bbb2`.
In a similar way the altar of incense was to have them on it; and it is said that the horns were to be of one piece with it, `Exodus 30bbb2`; `Exodus ccc37bbb25`. For the altar was the chief representative of the Lord, and of worship of Him, see `@@@921`. 'The altar' was a representative of His Divine Good, 'the horns' representatives of His Divine Truth. The derivation of truth from good was represented by the horns being protrusions from it, that is, from the altar. For the consideration that no other truth exists except that which is derived from good, see `@@@654`, `@@@1068`,`fff3` `@@@1162`, `@@@1176`, `@@@2063`, `@@@2261`, `@@@2417`. From all this it is evident that 'horns' in the genuine sense means the power of truth that springs from good.
ttt[9] Truths springing from good were meant in the following instances:
When Aaron and his sons were being admitted into their function, they were to take some of the blood of the young bull and place it with their finger on the horns of the altar. `Exodus 29bbb12`; `Leviticus 8bbb15`.
Aaron was to make atonement once a year on the horns of the altar. `Exodus 30bbb10`.
When a priest sinned he was to offer a young bull, and to place some of the blood on the horns of the altar of incense. `Leviticus 4bbb3`, `Leviticus 4bbbccc7`.
Also, when a prince sinned he was to offer a burnt offering, and the blood was to be sprinkled over the horns of the altar of burnt offering. `Leviticus 4bbb22`, `Leviticus 4bbbccc25`.
The same had to be done if a person`fff4` sinned - `Leviticus 4bbb27`, `Leviticus 4bbbccc30`, `Leviticus 4bbbccc34` - and also when the altar was to be ritually cleansed. `Leviticus 16bbb18-19`.
Truths springing from good were meant, for all consecrations, inaugurations, and cleansings were effected by means of truths, because truths lead towards good, `@@@2830`. That 'the horns of the altar' meant truths springing from good may also be seen in John,
The sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar, which stood before God. `Revelation 9bbb13`.
'The horns of the golden altar' plainly stands for truths that spring from good, for it was from the horns that the voice came. 'Gold' means good, `@@@113`, `@@@1551`, `@@@1552`, and 'the golden altar' more especially so.
ttt[10] In Amos,
On the day I visit Israel for his transgressions, I will visit the altars of Bethel; and the horns of the altar will be cut away and fall to the ground. `Amos 3bbb14`.
'The horns of the altar will be cut away' meant that in that place the representation of truth springing from good would remain no longer. 'Bethel' is Divine good, and is therefore called 'the king's sanctuary' and 'a house of the kingdom' in `Amos 7bbb13`. The practice of anointing kings with oil from a horn, `1 Samuel 16bbb1`, `1 Samuel 16bbbccc13`; `1 Kings 1bbb39`, in a similar way represented truth springing from good - 'oil' being the good, `@@@886`, 'horn' however the truth; the kingly office itself in the internal sense means truth such as this, `@@@1782`, `@@@2015`, which possesses power.
ttt[11] A horn in the contrary sense means the power of falsity that springs from evil
This is clear from the following places: In Amos,
O you who rejoice in a thing of nought, saying, Have we not by our own strength acquired horns for ourselves? `Amos 6bbb13`.
'Home' here stands for the power of falsity. In Zechariah,
I lifted up my eyes and saw, and behold, four horns! And I said to the angel who talked to me, What are these? And he said to me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem. And Jehovah showed me four smiths, and I said, What are these coming to do? And He said, These are the horns which have scattered Judah so that no man raised his head, and these have come to terrify, to cast down the horns of the nations lifting up their horn against the land of Judah to scatter it. `Zechariah 1bbb18-21`.
'Horns' stands for the power of falsity that lays waste the Church. In Ezekiel,
You push with side and shoulder, and butt with your horns all the weak [sheep] until you have scattered them abroad. `Ezekiel 34bbb21`.
This refers to shepherds who mislead by means of falsities. 'Horns' stands for the power of falsity, 'shoulder' for all the power they had, `@@@1085`. In Jeremiah,
Jehovah has destroyed and not spared; and He has caused the enemy to rejoice over you. He has exalted the horn of your foes. `Lamentations 2bbb17`.
In the same prophet,
The horn of Moab has been cut off and his arm broken. `Jeremiah 48bbb25`.
'Horn' here stands for powerful falsity.
ttt[12] In David,
I said to the boastful, Do not boast; and to the wicked, Do not lift up the horn, do not lift up your horn on high, do not speak with a stiff neck. All the horns of the wicked I will cut away; the horns of the righteous will be exalted. `Psalms 75bbb4-5`, `Psalms 75bbbccc10`.
'The horns of the wicked' stands for the power of falsity that springs from evil, 'the horns of the righteous' for the power of truth that springs from good.
ttt[13] In Daniel,
A fourth beast appeared, terrible and dreadful, exceedingly strong, which had iron teeth. It devoured, and broke in pieces, and trampled on the residue with its feet. It had ten horns. I was considering the horns, and behold, another little horn came up among them and three of the first horns were plucked up from before it. And behold, there were eyes in this horn like the eyes of a man (homo), and a mouth speaking great things. I looked then because of the sound of the great words that the horn was speaking. I desired to know the truth about the fourth beast, and about the ten horns that were on its head, and about the other one that came up, and before which three of them fell, and about the same horn which had eyes, and a mouth speaking great things. As I looked this same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed over them until the Ancient of Days came and judgement was given to the saints. And he said, As for the fourth beast, it will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, which will be different from all the kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, and trample it down, and break it in pieces. As for the ten horns, out of that same kingdom ten kings will arise, and another will arise after them, who will be different from the previous ones, and he will put down three kings. He will speak words against the Most High, and wear out the saints. After this the judgement will sit. `Daniel 7bbb7-8`, `Daniel 7bbbccc11`, `Daniel 7bbbccc19-26`.
This refers in the internal sense to the perverted state of the Church. The things mentioned here which Daniel saw - such as the beast, the iron teeth, the horn with eyes in it, and the horns that spoke; also the war these made with the saints, and [the king] speaking against the Most High - mean a state of falsity and of heresies inside the Church. For 'horns' means powerful and prevalent falsity, as may be seen merely from the consideration that 'eyes' - that is, the power of understanding, `@@@2701` - are attributed to them, and that they spoke even against the Most High. By 'kingdoms' and 'kings' are not meant kingdoms and kings but doctrines that teach what is false, as may be seen from the meaning of them in the Word as doctrines teaching what is true, and in the contrary sense doctrines teaching what is false, see `@@@1672`, `@@@2015`, `@@@2069`, `@@@2547`.
ttt[14] Elsewhere in Daniel when he saw a ram standing before the river, which had two horns, horns however which were high, yet one higher than the other, though the higher one had come up last,
I saw the ram butting`fff5` towards the west, and towards the north, and towards the south, so that no wild beast could stand before him, nor was there anyone to deliver out of his hand; therefore he did as he pleased and magnified himself. As I was considering, behold, a he-goat came from the west across the surface of the whole earth. This he-goat had a horn between his two eyes. He came to the two-horned ram`fff6` and ran at him in the fury of his might. He struck him and broke his two horns, and there was no strength in the ram to stand before him. After that the he-goat magnified himself exceedingly, but when he was strong, the great horn was broken, and there came up four horns in its place. Shortly after, out of one of them there came forth a little horn, and it grew exceedingly towards the south, and towards the east, and towards the glorious [land]. And it grew even towards the host of heaven, and cast down to earth some of the host, and of the stars, and trampled on them. The ram with the two horns is the kings of Media and Persia, the he-goat the king of Greece. The four horns in place of the one are four kingdoms from that nation. `Daniel 8bbb1`-end.
This refers in the internal sense to the state of the spiritual Church, meant by 'the ram', `@@@2830`; it describes how the state of that Church gradually deteriorated and was perverted. 'The he-goat' is those who have faith separated from charity, or truth separated from good, who start to raise themselves up against what is good and at length against the Lord. 'The horns of the ram' are the truths, internal and external, of the spiritual Church, 'the horns of the he-goat' truths which degenerate gradually into falsities. By 'kingdoms' and 'kings' here are not meant kingdoms and kings but truths and falsities, as stated just above. For essentially the Word of the Lord does not have to do with worldly and earthly matters but with spiritual and celestial.
ttt[15] In John,
Another sign appeared in heaven, for behold, a great fiery-red dragon having seven heads, and ten horns, and on his heads seven jewels. With his tail he drew a third part of the stars of heaven and cast them down to the earth. `Revelation 12bbb3-4`.
And elsewhere in the same book,
I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, which had seven heads, and ten horns, and on its horns ten jewels, and on its heads a blasphemous name. It was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, which had two horns like a lamb. `Revelation 13bbb1-2`, `Revelation 13bbbccc7`, `Revelation 13bbbccc11`.
Yet again in the same book,
I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names. It had seven heads and ten horns. She was Babylon the great. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated, and they are seven kings. The ten horns are ten kings. `Revelation 17bbb3`, `Revelation 17bbbccc5`, `Revelation 17bbbccc7`, `Revelation 17bbbccc9-10`, `Revelation 17bbbccc12-13`.
Here as in Daniel 'horns' clearly means the powers of falsity.
`nnn1. i.e. horns that are high and powerful, like the horn of a unicorn
`nnn2. literally, he will strike with the horn
`nnn3. The Latin is `@@@1608`.
`nnn4. literally, a soul
`nnn5. literally, striking with the horn
`nnn6. literally, to the ram, the lord of the horns
ppp21017#pid#2833. 'And Abraham went and took the ram' means their release effected by the Lord's Divine Human. This is clear from the representation of 'Abraham' as the Lord, here the Lord as to the Divine Human - for when Jehovah or the angel of Jehovah speaks to Abraham, Jehovah or the angel of Jehovah in that case means the Divine itself, and 'Abraham' the Divine Human; and from the meaning of 'a ram' as those who are spiritual, `@@@2830`. From this it is evident that 'Abraham went and took the ram caught in a thicket by its horns' means the release of those who are spiritual effected by the Lord's Divine Human. As regards the fact that but for the Lord's Coming into the world spiritual people could not possibly have been saved, see `@@@2661`, `@@@2716`, and that their salvation and release was effected by the Lord's Divine Human, `@@@2716`.
ppp21016#pid#2834. 'And offered it as a burnt offering instead of his son' means their sanctification and adoption. This is clear from the meaning of 'offering as a burnt offering' as being sanctified, dealt with in `@@@2776`, and from the meaning of 'instead of his son' as being adopted, that is to say, by the Lord's Divine Human, meant here by 'Abraham', `@@@2833`. The adoption of those who were spiritual is described in John,
Jesus said, I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for without Me you can do nothing. `John 15bbb5`.
'The vine' is the spiritual Church, see `@@@1069`.
ppp21015#pid#2835. Verse `Genesis 22bbbccc14` And Abraham called the name of that place, Jehovah will see; as it is said today, On the mountain Jehovah will see [to it]. 'And Abraham called the name of that place' means the nature of their state which was brought about by the Lord's Divine Human. 'Jehovah will see' means the Lord's Providence. 'As it is said today' means that which is perpetual. 'On the mountain Jehovah will see [to it]' means charity by means of which provision was made by the Lord for them to be saved.
ppp21014#pid#2836. 'Abraham called the name of that place' means the nature of their state, that is to say, the state of those who are spiritual, which was brought about by the Lord's Divine Human. This is clear from the meaning of 'calling the name' as knowing the nature of a person or thing, dealt with in `@@@144`, `@@@145`, `@@@1754`, `@@@1896`, `@@@2009`; from the meaning of 'place' as state, dealt with in `@@@1273-1277`, `@@@1376-1381`, `@@@2625`; and from the representation of 'Abraham' as the Lord as to the Divine Human, dealt with in `@@@2833`. From this it is evident that 'Abraham called the name of that place' means the nature of the state of those who are spiritual which was brought about by the Lord's Divine Human. It has been shown already that spiritual people are saved through the Lord's Coming into the world, in `@@@2661`, `@@@2716`, and that they receive enlightenment from His Divine Human, in `@@@2716`. Now in the present verse there follows the teaching that provision was made for those people to be saved in whom faith flowing from charity, that is, in whom charity, is present. This is the state meant by the words of this verse.
ppp21013#pid#2837. 'Jehovah will see' means the Lord's Providence. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing', when it has reference to Jehovah or the Lord, as foreseeing and providing, dealt with in `@@@2807` - for Jehovah is the Lord, see `@@@1343`, `@@@1736`, `@@@2156`, `@@@2329`. In the literal sense this phrase is a place-name, but in the internal sense it is the character of the state under description that is meant. For periods of time and measurements of space belong solely to the natural order, and therefore when the sense of the letter of the Word passes over from the natural order into heaven the natural idea of those things perishes completely and becomes the spiritual idea which corresponds to them.
ppp21012#pid#2838. 'As it is said today' means that which is perpetual. This is clear from the meaning of 'today' in the Word, dealt with below. One frequently reads in the Word the phrase 'even to this day (or today)', as in what has gone before,
He is the father of Moab even to this day, and the father of Ammon even to this day. `Genesis 19bbb37-38`; and in what appears later on,
The name of the city is Beersheba even to this day. `Genesis 26bbb33`; also,
The children of Israel do not eat the sinew of that which was displaced, which is on the hollow of the thigh, even to this day. `Genesis 32bbb32`; as well as,
This is the pillar of Rachel's grave even to [this] day. `Genesis 35bbb20`.
Joseph made it a statute even to this day. `Genesis 47bbb26`.
In the historical sense 'to this day' and 'today' refer to the time when Moses was alive, but in the internal sense these expressions mean perpetuity and eternity of state. 'Day' means state, see `@@@23`, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@893`, and so therefore does 'today', which is the present time. That which in the world is temporal is in heaven eternal. To give the meaning of that which is eternal, the expression today or else to this day has been added, though to those who are aware only of the historical sense it does not appear to embody anything further. Similar usages of these expressions occur elsewhere in the Word, such as `Joshua 4bbb9`; `Joshua ccc6bbb25`; `Joshua ccc7bbb26`; `Judges 1bbb21`, `Judges 1bbbccc26`; and in other places.
ttt[2] That 'today' means that which is perpetual and eternal may be seen in David,
I will tell of the statute: Jehovah has said to me, You are My Son; today I have begotten You. `Psalms 2bbb7`.
Here 'today' plainly stands for that which is eternal. In the same author,
For ever, O Jehovah, Your Word is fixed in the heavens, Your truth to generation after generation. You have established the earth and it stands. As for Your judgements they stand [even] today. `Psalms 119bbb89-91`.
Here also 'today' plainly stands for that which is eternal. In Jeremiah,
Before I formed you in the belly, I knew you, and before you came out of the womb I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations. I have set you this day (today) over nations and over kingdoms; and I have made you today into a fortified city, and into a pillar of iron, and into walls of bronze. `Jeremiah 1bbb5`, `Jeremiah 1bbbccc10`, `Jeremiah 1bbbccc18`.
This refers in the sense of the letter to Jeremiah, but in the internal sense the Lord is meant. 'I have set you this day (or today) over nations and over kingdoms, and I have made you today into a fortified city' means from eternity. In regard to the Lord one can only speak of that which is eternal.
ttt[3] In Moses,
You are standing today, all of you, before Jehovah your God, so that you may enter into the covenant of Jehovah your God, and into His oath, which Jehovah your God is making with you today, that He may establish you today as a people for Himself, and that He will be God to you. Not indeed with you alone [do I make it], but with those who stand with us here today before Jehovah our God, and with those who are not with us today. `Deuteronomy 29bbb10`, `Deuteronomy 29bbbccc12-15`.
Here in the sense of the letter 'today' means that present time when
Moses addressed the people. Yet it is clear that it nevertheless implies subsequent times and what is perpetual; for making a covenant with anyone, and with those who were there and with those who were not, implies that which is perpetual. Perpetuity itself is what is meant in the internal sense.
ttt[4] That 'daily' and 'today' mean that which is perpetual is clear also from the sacrifice that was offered each day. This sacrifice, because of what is meant by day, daily, and today, was called the continual, or perpetual, sacrifice, `Numbers 28bbb3`, `Numbers 28bbbccc23`; `Daniel 8bbb13`; `Daniel ccc11bbb31`; `Daniel ccc12bbb11`. This may be even more plainly evident from the manna which rained from heaven, spoken of in Moses as follows,
Behold, I am causing bread to rain from heaven, and the people shall go out and gather a portion day by day. And they shall not leave any of it until the morning. That which they did leave until the morning bred worms and went rotten, except that gathered on the day before the Sabbath. `Exodus 16bbb4`, `Exodus 16bbbccc19-20`, `Exodus 16bbbccc23`.
This happened because 'the manna' meant the Lord's Divine Human, `John 6bbb31-32`, `John 6bbbccc49-50`, `John 6bbbccc58`, and because the Lord's Divine Human meant heavenly food, which is nothing other than love and charity, together with the goods and truths of faith. In heaven the Lord imparts this food to angels moment by moment, thus perpetually and eternally, see `@@@2193`. This is also what is meant in the Lord's Prayer by the petition, Give us today our daily bread, `Matthew 6bbb11`; `Luke 11bbb3`, that is, in every moment for evermore.
ppp21011#pid#2839. 'On the mountain Jehovah will see [to it]' means charity by means of which provision was made by the Lord for them, that is, for those who are spiritual, to be saved. This is clear from the meaning of 'the mountain' as love and charity, dealt with in `@@@795`, `@@@796`, `@@@1430`. The expression 'Jehovah will see [to it]' is the Lord's Providence, or provision made by the Lord, as has been stated just above in `@@@2837`. Here charity is referred to, not love, on account of the difference that exists between charity and love, dealt with in `@@@2023`. As regards spiritual people being saved by means of charity, not by means of faith separated from charity, this is clear from many places in the Word. The situation with regard to charity and to faith is this: Charity devoid of faith is not genuine charity, and faith devoid of charity is not faith. For charity to be real, faith must be present; and for faith to be real, charity must be present. The absolute essential however is charity, for that seed which is faith cannot be implanted in any other ground. From their being joined together through each reaching out and responding to the other, the heavenly marriage, that is, the Lord's kingdom, has its being. Unless faith exists implanted in charity it is merely knowledge, for it does not go beyond the memory, there being no affection in the heart to receive it. But when implanted in charity, that is, in life, faith becomes intelligence and wisdom. Charity devoid of faith, like that existing with young children and with gentiles who are upright, is simply the ground in which faith is implanted, if not in this life then in the next life, see `@@@802`, `@@@2280`, `@@@2289-2309`, `@@@2417`, `@@@2589-2604`.
ppp21010#pid#2840. Verses `Genesis 22bbbccc15-16` And the angel of Jehovah called to Abraham a second time out of heaven. And he said, By Myself I have sworn, says Jehovah, that because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son,
'The angel of Jehovah called to Abraham a second time out of heaven' means a still greater comfort received by the Lord from the Divine. 'And he said, By Myself I have sworn, says Jehovah' means unchangeable confirmation from the Divine. 'Because you have done this thing' means an accomplished fact. 'And not withheld your son, your only son' means the union of the Human and the Divine which was effected by means of the final degree of temptation.
ppp21009#pid#2841. 'The angel of Jehovah called to Abraham a second time out of heaven' means a still greater comfort received by the Lord [from the Divine]. This is clear from the meaning of 'calling out of heaven' as giving comfort to, and from the meaning of 'the angel of Jehovah' as the Lord's Divine itself, dealt with above in `@@@2821`, where the same words occur. The expression a second time is used here because a greater comfort is received. The comfort received first is contained in verses `Genesis 22bbbccc12-14`, where Divine providence is the subject, that comfort being that those members of the human race who are called spiritual would be adopted. The second comfort, which is greater, is contained in the verses which follow below - in verses `Genesis 22bbbccc17-18`, and those that follow to the end of the chapter - the comfort in this case being that those spiritual ones would be multiplied as the stars of the heavens and as the sand on the seashore, and that not only those people would be saved but also all in whom goodness may be found. These things were the objects of the Lord's love, and therefore such things brought Him comfort. No one finds any comfort except in the things which are the objects of his love.
ppp21008#pid#2842. 'And he said, By Myself I have sworn, says Jehovah' means unchangeable confirmation from the Divine, that is to say, regarding the things that follow. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'saying, by Myself I have sworn' and of 'says Jehovah', all of which imply confirmation, and indeed from the Divine, that is, from Himself. The Divine is unable to confirm from any other source than Himself, and that which He confirms is unchangeable because it is eternal truth. Whatever Jehovah or the Lord utters is eternal truth, `Matthew 24bbb35`, since it comes from the very Being (Esse) itself of truth. But He confirms a thing seemingly with an oath, as He does here and elsewhere in the Word, not because that thing is then more true, but because He addresses Himself to persons who do not accept Divine truth unless it is confirmed in that way. For such persons do not have any other idea of Jehovah or the Lord than of a human being who is able to declare a thing and to change his mind, as one reads of many times in the Word; but in the internal sense the situation is altogether different. Anyone may recognize that Jehovah or the Lord never confirms anything with an oath, but when Divine Truth itself, and the confirmation of it, passes down to that kind of person it is converted into the semblance of an oath. It is as it was with the devouring fire and the smoke that appeared over Mount Sinai before the eyes of the people when Jehovah or the Lord came down, `Exodus 19bbb18`; `Deuteronomy 4bbb11-12`; `Deuteronomy ccc5bbb22-24`. In this case His glory in heaven, indeed His mercy, were seen by the people there, who were under the influence of evil and falsity, as fire and smoke, see `@@@1861`. Much the same applies to many things called the utterances or actions of Jehovah that are mentioned in the Word. From this it may become clear that 'by Myself I have sworn, says Jehovah' are words meaning unchangeable confirmation from the Divine.
ttt[2] From many other places in the Word it becomes clear that when reference is made to Jehovah 'swearing' it means confirmation with someone who is like those that have just been referred to, as in David,
Jehovah is mindful of His covenant for ever, of the word He has commanded to a thousand generations, which He made with Abraham, and of His oath to Isaac. `Psalms 105bbb8-9`.
It is similar with 'a covenant' as it is with 'an oath', for Jehovah or the Lord does not make a covenant with man. But when the subject is conjunction through love and charity, this is also presented in actual events as a covenant, see `@@@1864`. In the same author,
Jehovah has sworn and not repented, You are a Priest for ever after the manner of Melchizedek. `Psalms 110bbb4`.
This refers to the Lord. 'Jehovah has sworn' stands for unchangeable confirmation from the Divine, that is, that it is eternal truth.
ttt[3] In the same author,
I have made a covenant with My chosen one, I have sworn to David My servant, I will continue your seed even for ever, and build your throne from generation to generation. `Psalms 89bbb3-4`.
This too refers to the Lord. 'Making a covenant with the chosen one, and swearing to David' stands for unchangeable confirmation or eternal truth. 'David' stands for the Lord, `@@@1888`; 'making a covenant' has regard to Divine Good, 'swearing' to Divine Truth. In the same psalm,
I will not profane My covenant, and the utterance of My lips I will not alter. Once and for all I have sworn by My holiness, I will not lie to David. `Psalms 89bbb34-35`.
Here also 'David' stands for the Lord. 'Covenant' here again has regard to Divine Good, 'utterance of the lips' to Divine Truth. They do so on account of the marriage of good and truth, which marriage exists in every individual part of the Word, dealt with in `@@@683`, `@@@793`, `@@@801`, `@@@2516`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc2712`.
ttt[4] In the same author,
Jehovah has sworn the truth to David, from which He will not turn back, Of the fruit of your body`fff1` I will set on your throne, provided your sons keep My covenant and My testimony which I teach them. `Psalms 132bbb11-12`.
'Jehovah has sworn the truth to David' plainly stands for the confirmation of eternal truth. Hence the statement 'from which He will not turn back'. As has been stated, 'David' is used to mean the Lord. This oath was sworn even to David because he was the kind of person who believed that the confirmation applied to himself and his descendants. For David was moved by self-love and love of his descendants, and this explains why he believed that what was declared - that is, as in the quotation above, that his seed would continue for ever and his throne from generation to generation - had reference to himself, when in fact what was said had reference to the Lord.
ttt[5] In Isaiah,
This is as the waters of Noah to Me; as I swore that the waters of Noah should go no more over the earth, so I have sworn not to be angry with you. `Isaiah 54bbb9`.
Here 'swearing' stands for making a covenant and confirming it with an oath. As regards its being a covenant and not an oath, see `Genesis 9bbb11`. In the same prophet,
Jehovah has sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so will it be. `Isaiah 14bbb24`.
In the same prophet,
Jehovah has sworn by His right hand, and by His mighty arm. `Isaiah 62bbb8`.
In Jeremiah,
Hear the Word of Jehovah, all you of Judah dwelling in the land of Egypt, Behold, I have sworn by My great name, said Jehovah, that My name will no more be invoked by the mouth of every man (vir) of Judah who says, As lives the Lord Jehovih in all the land of Egypt. `Jeremiah 44bbb26`.
In the same prophet,
I have sworn by Myself, says Jehovah, that Bozrah will become a desolation. `Jeremiah 49bbb13`.
In the same prophet,
Jehovah Zebaoth has sworn by His own soul, Surely I will fill you with men (homo) as with the bruchus.`fff2` `Jeremiah 51bbb14`.
In Amos,
The Lord Jehovih has sworn by His holiness, that, behold, the days are coming. `Amos 4bbb2`.
In the same prophet,
Jehovah has sworn by the excellence of Jacob, Surely I will never forget any of their deeds. `Amos 8bbb7`.
ttt[6] In all these places Jehovah's having sworn by His right hand, by His great name, by Himself, by His own soul, by His holiness, and by the excellence of Jacob, means the confirmation that there is in Jehovah or the Lord. No confirmation by Jehovah is possible except from Himself. Jehovah's right hand, Jehovah's great name, Jehovah's soul, Jehovah's holiness, and the excellence of Jacob mean the Lord's Divine Human; through the latter confirmation came.
ttt[7] Jehovah's or the Lord's swearing to give the land to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to their descendants, in the internal sense means confirmation that He would grant the heavenly kingdom to those in whom love and faith in Him are present. These are the ones who are meant in the internal sense of the Word by the sons and descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that is, of the patriarchs. The same was also represented in the actual historical granting of the land of Canaan to their descendants; and the Church as it existed at that time among them represented the Lord's heavenly kingdom, as also did the land itself. For 'the land' and 'the land of Canaan' in the internal sense is the Lord's kingdom, see `@@@1413`, `@@@1437`, `@@@1607`. This explains why it is said in Moses,
That you may prolong your days on the land which Jehovah swore to your fathers to give to them, and to their seed, a land flowing with milk and honey; so that your days may be multiplied, and the days of your sons, on the land which Jehovah swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the days of the heavens above the earth. `Deuteronomy 11bbb9`, `Deuteronomy 11bbbccc21`.
From all these places it may now become clear that Jehovah's 'swearing' was representative of confirmation, and indeed of unchangeable confirmation, as is plainer still in Isaiah,
By Myself I have sworn; out of My mouth has gone forth the word of righteousness, which will not return, that to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear. `Isaiah 45bbb23`.
ttt[8] In addition to this, those who belonged to the Jewish representative Church were commanded when confirming covenants with an oath, likewise when confirming vows, as well as promises, and also guarantees, to swear by the name of Jehovah. The reason they were commanded - or to be exact, merely permitted - to do so was that the confirmation of the internal man would in that way also be represented. Thus it was that in those times oaths sworn by the name of Jehovah were like everything else, that is to say, they were representatives. The fact that such was commanded, that is, permitted, is clear in Moses, You shall fear Jehovah your God, and serve Him, and swear by His name; you shall not go after other gods. `Deuteronomy 6bbb13-14`.
Elsewhere in the same author,
You shall fear Jehovah your God; you shall serve Him and cling to Him, and you shall swear by His name. `Deuteronomy 10bbb20`.
In Isaiah,
He who blesses himself in the land will bless himself by the God of truth, and he who swears in the land will swear by the God of truth. `Isaiah 65bbb16`.
In Jeremiah,
If you will return, O Israel, says Jehovah, to Me may you return. And if you are removing your abominations from My sight do not waver. And swear, As Jehovah lives, in truth, in judgement, and in righteousness. `Jeremiah 4bbb1-2`.
In the same prophet,
If they will diligently learn the ways of My people, to swear by My name, they will be built up in the midst of My people. `Jeremiah 12bbb16`.
The fact that they also swore by the name of Jehovah, that is, swore to Jehovah, [is evident] in Isaiah,
Hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel and who came out of the waters of Judah, who swore by the name of Jehovah and made mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth and not in righteousness. `Isaiah 48bbb1`.
In the same prophet,
On that day there will be five cities in the land of Egypt which speak with the lip of Canaan and swear to Jehovah Zebaoth. `Isaiah 19bbb18`.
In Joshua it is said that the leaders of the congregation swore to the Gibeonites by Jehovah God of Israel, `Joshua 9bbb18-19`.
ttt[9] From this it is clear that they were permitted to swear by the name of Jehovah or by Jehovah. But it is also clear that such swearing was nothing else than a representative of confirmation of the internal man. It is well known that internal people, that is, those who possess conscience, have no need to confirm anything by means of an oath; and that they do not so confirm. By them oaths are regarded with disapproval. They are indeed able to assert quite categorically that something is so, and also to confirm the truth with the aid of reasons; but to swear that a thing is so they cannot. They are governed by an internal bond - that of conscience. The addition to this of an external bond, which is an oath, is a kind of insinuation that they are not upright in heart. What is more, the internal man is such that he loves to speak and act in freedom and not under compulsion, for with such persons the internal controls the external, and not the reverse. People who possess conscience therefore do not swear oaths, still less do those do so who possess the perception of good and truth, that is, who are celestial people. The latter do not even, by means of reasons, confirm anything for themselves or for others, but they merely say that something is so, or else is not so, `@@@202`, `@@@337`, `@@@2718`. Consequently they are further removed still from any swearing with an oath.
ttt[10] For these reasons, and because oaths belonged among representatives which were to be brought to an end, the Lord teaches in the following words in Matthew that one should not swear at all,
You have heard that it was said, You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord your oaths. But I say to you, You shall not swear at all, neither by heaven, for it is God's throne, nor by the earth, for it is His footstool, nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your words be, Yes, yes; No, no; anything beyond this is from evil.`fff3` `Matthew 5bbb33-37`.
These words are used to mean that one should not swear at all by Jehovah or by anything whatever that is Jehovah's or the Lord's.
`nnn1. literally, belly
`nnn2. A wingless locust or the larva of a locust
`nnn3. or from the evil one
ppp21007#pid#2843. 'Because you have done this thing' means an accomplished fact. This is clear without explanation.
ppp21006#pid#2844. 'And not withheld your son, your only son' means the union of the Human and the Divine which was effected by means of the final degree of temptation. This is clear from what has been stated above in `@@@2827`, where the same words occur, except for the omission of 'from Me' in the present verse, which means that the union is to advance further still. As regards the union of the Lord's Human Essence with His Divine Essence ever advancing until it was complete, see `@@@1864`, `@@@2033`.
ppp21005#pid#2845. Verse `Genesis 22bbbccc17` I will certainly bless you, and I will certainly multiply your seed like the stars of the heavens and like the sand which is on the seashore. And your seed will inherit the gate of their`fff1` enemies.
'I will certainly bless you' means fruitfulness by virtue of the affection for truth. 'I will certainly multiply' means derivations of truth from this affection. 'Your seed' means spiritual people who, having that good within them that springs from faith, are saved by the Lord's Divine Human. 'Like the stars of the heavens' means a whole multitude of cognitions of good and truth. 'And like the sand which is on the seashore' means a whole multitude of correspondent facts. 'And your seed will inherit the gate of their enemies' means that charity and faith will take the place occupied previously by evil and falsity.
`nnn1. The Latin means your but the Hebrew means their.
ppp21004#pid#2846. 'I will certainly bless you' means fruitfulness by virtue of the affection for truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'being blessed' as being enriched with celestial and spiritual good, dealt with in `@@@981`, `@@@1096`, `@@@1420`, `@@@1422` - here, being enriched with good that is the product of faith, or what amounts to the same, with the affection for truth, for those who are spiritual are the subject. In this verse where Jehovah says to Abraham, 'I will certainly bless you', Abraham represents the Lord as regards the Divine Human, as he has done already in this chapter. The Lord Himself was not able to be blessed as He is Blessing itself; but the verb 'to be blessed' is used when, as His love desires, the number of those who are being saved is abounding, and therefore in the internal sense it is these that are meant here, as is clear also from the things that follow next. The expression 'fruitfulness' is employed here because it is said in reference to affection, whereas the expression 'multiplying', as in what follows, has reference to truths derived from that affection.
ppp21003#pid#2847. 'I will certainly multiply' means derivations of truth from this affection. This is clear from the use of 'being multiplied' as having reference to truth, here therefore as derivations of truth from that affection, as stated immediately above. As regards 'being fruitful' having reference to good and 'being multiplied' to truth, see `@@@43`, `@@@55`, `@@@913`, `@@@983`.
ppp21002#pid#2848. 'Your seed' means spiritual people who, having that good within them that springs from faith, are saved by the Lord's Divine Human. This is clear from the meaning of 'seed' as faith that is the expression of charity, dealt with in `@@@1025`, `@@@1447`, `@@@1610`, `@@@1941`, or what amounts to the same, those members of the human race who possess faith that is the expression of charity, that is, who are spiritual people. They are also called by the Lord 'the seed' and 'the sons of the kingdom', in Matthew,
He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, but the seed are the sons of the kingdom. `Matthew 13bbb37-38`.
ppp21001#pid#2849. 'Like the stars of the heavens' means a whole multitude of cognitions of good and truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'the stars' as cognitions of good and truth, dealt with in `@@@1808`, `@@@2495`. Those who are spiritual are compared in various places in the Word to 'the stars', this comparison being made for the reason that they possess cognitions of good and truth, whereas those who are celestial are not so compared because they do not possess cognitions but perceptions. And a further reason for the comparison is that the stars illuminate the night, and those who are spiritual have a night-time light - like that shed by the moon and stars - in comparison with the day-time light in which those dwell who are celestial. For more regarding the truth that those who are spiritual, compared with those who are celestial, dwell in obscurity, see `@@@1043`, `@@@2708`, `@@@2715`.
ppp21000#pid#2850. 'And like the sand which is on the seashore' means a whole multitude of correspondent facts. This is clear from the meaning of 'the sea' as facts in general or a gathering together of them, dealt with in `@@@28`, `@@@2120`, and from the meaning of 'the sand' as facts individually and separately. Facts are compared to 'the sand' because in the internal sense the particles of stone from which the sand is formed mean facts, `@@@643`, `@@@1298`. Both comparisons are made here - that they will be multiplied 'as the stars of the heavens' and 'as the sand on the seashore 'because 'stars', or cognitions, are related to the rational, whereas 'the sand of the seashore', or facts, are related to the natural. When the things that belong to the rational man, namely the goods and truths present in cognitions, so exist in accordance with the things that belong to the natural man, that is to say, with facts, that they make one or mutually support each other, they in that case correspond. The Lord brings man's rational concepts and his natural images into this state of correspondence when He regenerates him, that is, makes him spiritual. It is for this reason that both the stars of the heavens and the sand on the seashore are mentioned here. Otherwise one phrase would have been sufficient.
ppp20999#pid#2851. 'Your seed will inherit the gate of their enemies' means that charity and faith will take the place occupied previously by evil and falsity. This is clear from the meaning of 'inheriting' as receiving the Lord's life, dealt with in `@@@2658`, here as taking the place of, for when charity and faith exist in the place occupied previously by evil and falsity, the Lord's life enters in there; from the meaning of 'seed' as charity and faith, dealt with in `@@@1025`, `@@@1447`, `@@@1610`, `@@@1941`; from the meaning of 'gate', dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'enemies' as evils and falsities, or what amounts to the same, people who are subject to evil and falsity. It is the latter who are meant by enemies and foes in the internal sense of the Word.
ttt[2] As regards the meaning of 'a gate', there are in general two gates with each individual person. One gate is exposed towards hell and is open to evils and falsities from there. In that gate genii and spirits from hell are present. The other gate is exposed towards heaven and is open to goods and truths from there. In that gate angels are present. Thus there is a gate leading to hell and a gate leading to heaven. The gate to hell is open to those who are immersed in evil and falsity, and only through chinks round about overhead does any light at all from heaven penetrate, which enables them to think and to reason. But the gate to heaven is open to those who are immersed in good and truth from there.
ttt[3] For there are two paths which lead into a person's rational mind, a higher or internal path along which good and truth from the Lord enter in, and a lower or external path along which evil and falsity enter in surreptitiously from hell. In the middle is the rational mind towards which the two paths converge. From the goods and truths present there the rational mind is compared in the Word to a city and is actually called a city. And because it is compared to and actually called a city it is depicted as having gates, and is described in various places as having enemies, that is, evil genii and spirits, besieging it and assaulting it, while angels from the Lord are defending it, that is, the Lord Himself is doing so. The genii and spirits from hell, with their evils and falsities, can go no further than towards the lower or outer gate, and cannot pass at all into the city. If they were able to pass into the city, which is the rational mind, man would be completely done for. But when they reach the point, as it seems to them, that they have taken the city by storm, it is then closed, so that good and truth no longer flow into it from heaven, apart, as has been stated, from that small amount which comes in through chinks round about. As a consequence such persons no longer possess any charity at all or any faith at all, but make good consist in evil, and truth in falsity. They also as a consequence cease to be truly rational, though they seem to themselves to be so, `@@@1914`, `@@@1944`, and are called 'dead men', though they themselves believe they are more alive than any others, `@@@81`, `@@@290` (end). These things are so because the gate to heaven is closed to them. The fact that it is closed to them is quite apparent and is discerned in the next life, and so conversely that the gate to heaven is open to those in whom good and truth are present.
ttt[4] As regards 'the gate of enemies' in particular, spoken of in this verse, it is the gate that exists with a person in his natural mind. That gate when the person is wholly natural or as yet unregenerate is occupied by evils and falsities, or what amounts to the same, evil genii and spirits are flowing into it together with evil desires and false persuasions, see `@@@687`, `@@@698`, `@@@1692`. When however a person is spiritual or being regenerated, evils and falsities, or what amounts to the same, evil genii and spirits, are driven away from that gate, that is, from the natural mind. Once they have been driven away, goods and truths, or charity and faith, take their place; and these - charity and faith - are meant by 'your seed will inherit the gate of their enemies'. This is what takes place in particular with each individual person when he is being regenerated, and similarly in the next life with those entering the Lord's kingdom; and also what takes place in general, that is, in the Church, which is made up of many individuals.
ttt[5] This transformation was represented by the children of Israel driving the nations from the land of Canaan. Such expulsion of those nations is what, in the literal sense, the words 'your seed will inherit the gate of their enemies' are used to mean; but in the internal sense the things which have just been described are meant. This also explains why in ancient times it was customary to use words such as these when blessing persons who were about to be married, as is also evident from the blessing which Laban gave to Rebekah his sister when, already betrothed, she was about to go to Isaac,
Our sister, may you be [the mother] of thousands of myriads, and may your seed inherit the gate of those who hate you. `Genesis 24bbb60`.
ttt[6] That such things are meant in the Word by 'the gate of enemies' or 'of those who hate' becomes clear from the following places: In Isaiah,
I will kill your root with famine, and your remnant will I slay. Wail, O gate; cry, O city; you have melted away, O Philistia, all of you, for smoke comes out of the north. `Isaiah 14bbb30-31`.
'Killing the root with famine and slaying the remnant' stands for the removal of goods and truths which the Lord has stored away inwardly - 'the remnant' meaning such goods and truths, see `@@@468`, `@@@530`, `@@@560-562`, `@@@661`, `@@@798`, `@@@1050`, `@@@1738`, `@@@1906`, `@@@2284`. 'Gate' stands for the place of entry into things that are interior, that is, into the rational mind. 'City' stands for that mind, or what amounts to the same, for the goods and truths there, `@@@402`, `@@@2268`, `@@@2449`, `@@@2451`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc2712`. 'Philistia' stands for knowledge of the cognitions of faith, or what amounts to the same, for those who have a knowledge of those cognitions but not of the goods that spring from faith, `@@@1197`, `@@@1198`. 'Smoke from the north' stands for falsity from hell - smoke being falsity arising out of evil, `@@@1861`.
ttt[7] In the same prophet,
The city of hollowness will be broken down, every house will be shut up to prevent it being entered. There will be an outcry in the streets over [the lack of] wine, all joy will be made desolate, the gladness of the earth will be banished. What is left in the city will be desolation, and the gate will be smitten with vastation, for thus will it be in the midst of the earth, in the midst of the peoples. `Isaiah 24bbb10-13`.
'The city of hollowness' which 'will be broken down' stands for the human mind deprived of truth. 'Every house will be shut up' stands for lack of good - 'house' meaning good, `@@@2233`. 'An outcry in the streets over [the lack of] wine' stands for a state of falsity - 'outcry' having reference to falsities, `@@@2240`. 'Wine' means truth over which there will be an outcry because there is none, `@@@1071`, `@@@1798`, and 'streets' means the things that lead to truths, `@@@2336`. 'The joy which is being made desolate' has reference to truth, 'the gladness of the earth that is being banished' to good. All this shows what is meant by 'what is left in the city will be desolation' and 'the gate will be smitten with vastation'. The gate is said to be vastated when nothing but evils and falsities reign.
ttt[8] In Jeremiah,
The roads of Zion are mourning that none come to the appointed feast. All her gates are desolate, her priests groan, her virgins are afflicted, and she herself is in bitterness. Her enemies have become the head, her foes secure, because Jehovah has afflicted [her] over the multitude of her transgressions. Her young children have gone away captive before the enemy. `Lamentations 1bbb4-5`.
'The roads of Zion mourning' stands for there being no longer any truths that come from good -'roads' meaning truths, `@@@189`, `@@@627`, `@@@2333`. 'All her gates are desolate' stands for all the entrances being occupied by falsities. 'Her enemies have become the head' stands for evils reigning.
ttt[9] In the same prophet,
Jehovah has caused the rampart, and the wall of the daughter of Zion, to mourn; they languish together. Her gates have become pressed down into the ground; He has destroyed and broken her bars; her king and her princes are among the nations. The law is no more; even her prophets have found no vision from Jehovah. All your foes have opened their mouth against you, they have hissed and gnashed their teeth; they have said, We have swallowed her up; this is the day we have awaited; we have found, we have seen it. `Lamentations 2bbb8-9`, `Lamentations 2bbbccc16`.
'Gates pressed down into the ground' stands for the natural mind when occupied by evils and falsities. 'Her king and princes are among the nations' stands for truths immersed in evils - 'king' meaning truth in general, `@@@1672`, `@@@1728`, `@@@2015`, `@@@2069`, 'princes' first and foremost truths, `@@@1482`, `@@@2089`, and 'nations' evil, `@@@1259`, `@@@1260`, `@@@1849`, `@@@1868`, `@@@2588`.
ttt[10] In Moses,
A nation from far away, from the end of the earth will distress you within all your gates until your high and fortified walls in which you trust come down in all your land. And it will distress you within all your gates, in the whole of your land. Thus will your enemy distress you. `Deuteronomy 28bbb49`, `Deuteronomy 28bbbccc52-53`.
These calamities are found among the curses which Moses foretold to the people if they did not hold fast to the commandments and statutes. 'A nation from far away, from the end of the earth' stands in the internal sense for evils and falsities, that is, for those who are immersed in evil and falsity. 'Distressing them within all their gates' stands for sealing off every access to good and truth.
ttt[11] In Nahum,
Behold, your people are women in the midst of you. The gates of your land have been opened wide to your enemies; fire has devoured your bars. Draw yourself water for the siege, strengthen your fortifications; go into the mud and tread the bitumen; strengthen the brick-kiln. `Nahum 3bbb13-14`.
'The gates of the land opened wide to enemies' stands for evils occupying the position where goods ought to be. In the Book of Judges, The highways ceased to be, and they went along by-paths; they went along twisting ways; the streets in Israel ceased to be. He chose new gods, at which point the gates were assailed - was a shield seen, or a spear, among the forty thousand of Israel? `Judges 5bbb6-8`.
This is the prophecy of Deborah and Barak. 'The gates were assailed' stands for an assault on goods and truths.
ttt[12] In David,
Those who dwell in the gate plot against me; those who drink strong drink sing songs. `Psalms 69bbb12`.
'Those who dwell in the gate' stands for evils and falsities, and also for those who are from hell. In Ezekiel,
In the visions of God he was brought to the door of the inner gate which looked towards the north. There he saw the great abominations of the house of Israel. He was also brought to the door of the gate of the house of Jehovah which looked towards the north. There also [he saw] abominations. `Ezekiel 8bbb3`, `Ezekiel 8bbbccc6`, `Ezekiel 8bbbccc14-15`.
'The door of the inner gate which looked towards the north' stands for the place where interior falsities exist. 'The door of the gate of the house of Jehovah towards the north' stands for the place where interior evils exist. The fact that the falsities and evils are interior, and that it is an interior sphere in which such spirits and genii reside, see `@@@2121-2124`.
ttt[13] In David,
Behold, sons are a possession of Jehovah, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like darts in the hand of a strong man so are the sons of youth.`fff1` Blessed is the man who has filled his quiver with them. They will not be put to shame, for they will speak with enemies in the gate. `Psalms 127bbb3-5`.
'Speaking with enemies in the gate' stands for having no fear of evils and falsities, nor thus of hell. In Isaiah,
On that day Jehovah Zebaoth will be a spirit of judgement to him who sits in judgement, and strength to those who turn back the battle towards the gate. They are also made senseless from wine, and err from strong drink. `Isaiah 28bbb5-7`.
In the same prophet,
They will be cut off who cause people to sin by a word, and who lay a snare for him who reproves in the gate and cause him who is just to turn aside to something empty. `Isaiah 29bbb20-21`.
In the same prophet,
Elam bore the quiver in the chariot of man (homo), [and] horsemen, Kir uncovered the shield, and the choicest of your valleys was full of chariots and horsemen; they positioned themselves at the gate. And he looked on that day to the armoury of the house of the forest. `Isaiah 22bbb6-8`.
In Jeremiah,
Judah mourned and her gates languished; the people were in black down to the ground, and the cry of Jerusalem went up. Their great men sent lesser ones to the waters; they came to the pits, they found no water. `Jeremiah 14bbb1-3`.
In the same prophet,
The elders have ceased from the gate, the young men from their singing. `Lamentations 5bbb14`
ttt[14] All these places show what is meant by 'the gate of enemies', namely hell, or those from hell who are constantly mounting an assault on goods and truths. They have their seat with a person, as has been stated, in his natural mind; but when the person is such that he allows goods and truths, and so angels, to enter in, the Lord drives away from that seat those who are from hell. And once they have been driven away, the gate to heaven, or heaven itself, is opened. This gate also is mentioned in various places in the Word, as in Isaiah,
A song in the land of Judah, Ours is a strong city, salvation will establish walls and rampart. Open the gates and the righteous nation that keeps faith will enter in. `Isaiah 26bbb1-2`.
In the same prophet,
Thus said Jehovah to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped to put down nations before him, and I will open the loins of kings, to open doors before him, and the gates will not be shut; I will go before you and make straight the crooked places; I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut asunder the bars of iron. `Isaiah 45bbb1-2`.
In the same prophet,
The sons of the foreigner will build up your walls, and their kings will minister to you. They will keep your gates open continually, day and night they will not be shut. Violence will no more be heard in your land, devastation and ruin within your borders; and you will call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise. `Isaiah 60bbb10-11`, `Isaiah 60bbbccc18`.
In the same prophet,
Go through, go through the gates; prepare the way for the people; level out, level out the highway. Say to the daughter of Zion, Behold, your salvation comes. `Isaiah 62bbb10-12`.
In Micah,
They will go through the gate, and go out by it; and their king will go on before them, and Jehovah at the head of them. `Micah 2bbb13`.
In David,
Lift up your heads, O gates, and be lifted up, O eternal doors, and the King of glory will come in. Who is this King of glory? Jehovah strong and mighty, Jehovah mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O gates, lift up, O eternal doors. `Psalms 24bbb7-10`.
In the same author,
Celebrate Jehovah, O Jerusalem, praise your God, O Zion! For He strengthens the bars of your gates, He blesses your children in the midst of you. `Psalms 147bbb12-13`.
ttt[15] From all these places it is evident that 'the gate of heaven' is the place where angels are present with a person, that is, where good and truth are flowing in from the Lord. Thus there are, as has been stated, two gates, to which the Lord refers in Matthew as follows,
Enter by the narrow gate, for the gate is wide and the road is broad which leads away to destruction; and those who enter by it are many. For narrow and strait is the road that leads to life, and those who find it are few. `Matthew 7bbb12-14`; `Luke 13bbb23-24`.
In addition the gates to the New Jerusalem and the gates to the new Temple are dealt with extensively in Ezekiel and also in John, in the Book of Revelation. By these gates nothing else is meant than the entrances into heaven - see `Ezekiel 40bbb6-49`; `Ezekiel ccc43bbb1-2`, `Ezekiel 43bbbccc4`; `Ezekiel ccc44bbb1-3`; `Ezekiel ccc46bbb1-9`, `Ezekiel 46bbbccc12`; `Ezekiel ccc48bbb31-34`; `Revelation 21bbb12-13`, `Revelation 21bbbccc21`, `Revelation 21bbbccc25`; `Revelation ccc22bbb14`; `Isaiah 54bbb11-12`. And this is why Jerusalem is called The Gate of the People, `Micah 1bbb9`; Obad. verse `Genesis 22bbbccc13`.
`nnn1. literally, the sons of firstfruits
ppp20998#pid#2852. Verse `Genesis 22bbbccc18` And in your seed all the nations of the earth will be blessed because you have hearkened to My voice.
'In your seed all the nations of the earth will be blessed' means the salvation of all who are endowed with good. 'Because you have hearkened to My voice' means through the union of the Lord's Human Essence with His Divine Essence.
ppp20997#pid#2853. 'In your seed all the nations of the earth will be blessed' means the salvation of all who are endowed with good. This is clear from the meaning of 'being blessed' as being enriched with celestial and spiritual good (dealt with in `@@@981`, `@@@1096`, `@@@1420`, `@@@1422`) and - since those who are saved are the subject - as being saved, for as is well known 'being blessed' has a wide range of meanings; from the meaning of 'seed' as faith that is the expression of charity, dealt with in `@@@1025`, `@@@1447`, `@@@1610`; and from the meaning of 'the nations of the earth' as those who are endowed with good, dealt with in `@@@1159`, `@@@1258-1260`, `@@@1416`, `@@@1849`.
ttt[2] In addition to this, these words contain the following arcanum: By means of the Church, meant here by 'the earth', `@@@662`, `@@@1066`, `@@@1068`, `@@@1262`, those people are saved who are outside of the Church, for 'your seed', as has been stated, means faith that is the expression of charity. Faith that is the expression of charity occurs only with those within the Church since such faith is in essence truth taught by doctrine coupled to goodness of life. For the truth of the matter is that the Lord's kingdom on earth consists of all those who are endowed with good, who, though spread throughout the whole world, are nevertheless one, and as members constitute one body. The same is so with the Lord's kingdom in the heavens. There the whole of heaven presents itself as one entire human being, which is for that reason also called the Grand Man, `@@@684`, `@@@1276`. And what is a marvel and unknown until now, all parts of the human body correspond to communities in heaven. For this reason it is sometimes said that this group of communities belong to the province of the head, that group to the province of the eye, another group to that of the chest, and so on. This correspondence will in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed in a section by itself.
ttt[3] It is similar with the Lord's Church on earth. Here the Church is like the heart and lungs, and those outside of the Church resemble parts of the body which are sustained by, and get their life from, the heart and lungs. From this it is evident that without the Church somewhere on earth the human race cannot continue to exist, even as the body cannot without the heart and lungs in it, see `@@@468`, `@@@637`, `@@@931`, `@@@2054`. It is for this reason that as often as any Church reaches its end, that is, ceases to be a Church because no charity exists any more, the Lord in His Providence always raises up a new one. When for example the Most Ancient Church, which was called Man, perished, the Lord created a new one, which was referred to as Noah. This was the Ancient Church, which existed after the Flood. And when this declined and became no longer a Church, the Jewish and Israelite representative Church was brought into being. And when this became wholly extinct the Lord came into the world and again established a new one. This was done by Him to the end that heaven might be joined to the human race by means of the Church. This is also what is meant by the words 'in your seed all nations of the earth will be blessed'.
ppp20996#pid#2854. 'Because you have hearkened to My voice' means through the union of the Lord's Human Essence with His Divine Essence. This becomes clear from all that has gone before and to which these words form a conclusion. 'Hearkening to the voice' means that He underwent the final degree of temptation and in so doing united the Human Essence to the Divine Essence. The fact that the Lord united the Human to the Divine, and the Divine to the Human, by means of constantly occurring temptations and victories, see `@@@1737`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc1813`, and that by means of that union He saved the human race, `@@@1676` (end), `@@@1990`, `@@@2016`, `@@@2025`. The entire state of salvation in which the human race is kept is due to that union. It is commonly supposed that the Father sent the Son to endure the harshest sufferings, even to death on the Cross, and thus that by seeing the passion and merit of His Son would be merciful to the human race. But anyone may recognize that Jehovah is not merciful to the human race on account of what He may see the Son to have done, for Jehovah is mercy itself, but that the arcanum regarding the Lord's Coming into the world is that within Himself He united the Divine to the Human, and the Human to the Divine, which union could not have been effected except through the very bitter experiences brought about by temptations. And from this anyone may also recognize that by means of that union it was possible for salvation to come to the human race among whom no celestial or spiritual good, not even natural good, remained any longer. It is this union which saves those who possess the faith that is rooted in charity. It is the Lord Himself who shows mercy.
ppp20995#pid#2855. Verse `Genesis 22bbbccc19` And Abraham returned to his servants, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt in Beersheba.
'Abraham returned to his servants' means becoming joined once again to the first rational. 'And they rose up' means being raised up to an even higher degree. 'And went together to Beersheba' means advancement in the doctrine of charity and faith, which doctrine is Divine and to which human rational ideas were allied. 'And Abraham dwelt in Beersheba' means that the Lord is that doctrine itself.
ppp20994#pid#2856. 'Abraham resumed to his servants' means becoming joined once again to the first rational. This is clear from the meaning of 'servants' or 'boys' as the first or merely human rational which was to serve the Divine Rational, dealt with above in `@@@2782`, `@@@2792`; and from the meaning of 'resuming to them' as being joined to, also dealt with above, in `@@@2795`. That while undergoing His very severe temptations the Lord separated the merely human rational from Himself is clear from the explanation at verse `Genesis 22bbbccc5`, in `@@@2791-2793`, `@@@2795`; and that following temptations He joined Himself once again to that rational is clear from what has been stated already in `@@@2795`, and from what is stated in this verse about Abraham returning to his servants.
ppp20993#pid#2857. 'And they rose up' means being raised up to an even higher degree. This is clear from the meaning of 'rising up', when this expression is used in the Word, as something being raised up - also the meaning in `@@@2401`. Here the raising up of the rational after temptation is meant, for after temptations there was always a raising up of the rational, as is also the case with everyone. Every temptation in which a person is victorious raises up his mind and the things that compose his mind, for goods and truths are strengthened and new ones are added, `@@@1692`, `@@@1717`, `@@@1740`, `@@@2272`.
ppp20992#pid#2858. 'And went together to Beersheba' means advancement in the doctrine of charity and faith, which doctrine is Divine and to which human rational ideas were allied. This is clear from the meaning of 'Beersheba' as the doctrine of charity and faith, which is Divine and to which human rational ideas were allied, dealt with in `@@@2614`, `@@@2723`. Human rational ideas are meant by 'the servants', `@@@2782`, `@@@2792`, `@@@2856`; and that the doctrine to which they were allied was Divine is meant by the statement about them going together with Abraham, see `@@@2767`.
ppp20991#pid#2859. 'And Abraham dwelt in Beersheba' means that the Lord is that doctrine itself. This is clear from the meaning of 'dwelling', from the representation of 'Abraham', and from the meaning of 'Beersheba', all of which have been dealt with already, and is at the same time clear from what has gone immediately before. 'Dwelling in Beersheba' means abiding in doctrine, but when used in reference to the Lord the expression means His being such doctrine, even as 'dwelling in heaven', which also is said of the Lord, means not only that He is in heaven but also that He is heaven, for He is the All of heaven, `@@@551`, `@@@552`. It is well known that the Lord is the Word; so He is doctrine also, `@@@2533`, for all doctrine is drawn from the Word. The whole of the doctrine within the Word is received from the Lord and has to do with the Lord. In the internal sense of the Word nothing else than the Lord and His kingdom are the subject, as shown many times. It is the Lord's Divine Human that is the subject primarily of the internal sense of the Word. The whole of the doctrine within the Word, where man is concerned, has to do with worshipping Him and loving Him.
ppp20990#pid#2860. Verses `Genesis 22bbbccc20-23` And so it was, after these events,`fff1` that it was pointed out to Abraham, saying, Behold, Milkah, she also has borne sons, to Nahor your brother: Uz her firstborn, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of Aram; and Kesed, and Hazo, and Pildash, and Jidlaph, and Bethuel. And Bethuel begot Rebekah. These eight Milkah bore to Nahor, Abraham's brother.
'So it was, after these events' means the thing that had been accomplished in regard to those within the Church. 'That it was pointed out to Abraham, saying' means the Lord's perception. 'Behold, Milkah, she also has borne sons, to Nahor your brother' means those outside the Church who dwell in a brotherly relationship by virtue of good. 'Uz her firstborn, Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of Aram; and Kesed, and Hazo, and Pildash, and Jidlaph, and Bethuel' means various religions and the forms of worship that derived from these. 'Bethuel begot Rebekah' means from good sprang [their] affection for truth. 'These eight Milkah bore to Nahor, Abraham's brother' means a second group of people who are saved.
`nnn1. literally, words
ppp20989#pid#2861. That 'so it was, after these events' means the things that had been accomplished in regard to those within the Church is clear from the meaning of 'words' as real things. In the original language real things are called 'words', so that 'after these events' means the things that had been accomplished. The subject in what has gone before, from verse `Genesis 22bbbccc13` to the present verse, has been the salvation of those who are spiritual by the Lord's Divine Human, and indeed of those who are endowed with good within the Church. These are ones who are able to be truly spiritual because they possess the Word and so the truths of faith. It is by means of the truths of doctrine joined to goodness of life that a person becomes spiritual. Everything spiritual originates in these when joined together. But gentiles outside the Church, because they do not possess the Word nor thus the truths of faith as long as they are in the world, even though the good of charity exists with them, are not truly spiritual until they have been taught the truths of faith. And because most gentiles in the world are not able to be taught, those who have led charitable and obedient lives one with another are, in the Lord's providence and mercy, taught in the next life. At that time they accept the truths of faith without difficulty and become spiritual. For such is the state and condition of gentiles in the next life, see `@@@2589-2604`.
ttt[2] Since those within the Church who are saved by the Lord's Divine Human have been the subject in what has gone before, the subject in what follows from here to the end of the chapter is therefore those outside the Church who are saved. These are meant by the sons who were born to Nahor, Abraham's brother, by Milkah his wife and by Reumah his concubine. This also follows in the sequence of thought. Anyone who is unacquainted with the internal sense of the Word would imagine that these words merely presented the family-tree of the house of Terah, given on account of Rebekah, who became the wife of Isaac, and also on account of Bethuel, whose two granddaughters, Leah and Rachel, became the wives of Jacob. But in fact, as has often been stated and shown, all names in the Word mean real things, `@@@1224`, `@@@1264`, `@@@1876`, `@@@1888`. And unless they meant real things the Word would not be Divine but worldly. From this it may also become clear that the words which follow have regard in the train of thought to the Lord's spiritual Church, but that Church as it exists among gentiles. It was traced back through Nahor, Abraham's brother, so as to mean those who exist in a brotherly relationship by virtue of good, as shown below in `@@@2863`.
ppp20988#pid#2862. 'That it was pointed out to Abraham, saying' means the Lord's perception. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'being pointed out' as thought and reflection, and of 'saying' as perceiving, often dealt with already. The Lord's reflection and perception, dealt with in the internal sense of the Word, cannot be expressed in any other way in historical narratives than as 'being pointed out' and 'laying'. Furthermore reflection and perception in itself is an internal pointing out and saying.
ppp20987#pid#2863. 'Behold, Milkah, she also has borne sons, to Nahor your brother' means those outside the Church who dwell in a brotherly relationship by virtue of good. This too becomes clear from what has been stated already about Milkah and Nahor in `@@@1363`, `@@@1369`, `@@@1370`. For Terah had three sons, Abram, Nahor, and Haran, who worshipped other gods, see `@@@1356`; Milkah was Haran's daughter who became Nahor's wife, `@@@1369`; and Haran died in Ur of the Chaldeans 'in the presence of Terah', `@@@1365-1368`. These places show what 'Milkah and Nahor' means, namely that 'Milkah' means truth as it existed among those gentiles, and Nahor good. The existence of truths among these nations becomes clear from many considerations, for it is well known that wisdom and intelligence existed with them in former times, such as their acknowledgement of one God, and their writing about Him in a sacred fashion. They also acknowledged the immortality of the soul and a life after death, as well as happiness for the good and misery for the evil.
ttt[2] In addition to this they had the ten commandments for their law, that is to say, the commandments that they should worship God, honour parents, and not murder, steal, commit adultery, or covet what belonged to others. Nor were they satisfied to be such as are interested only in external things, but were interested in internal. It is similar at the present day, in that the more decent of the gentiles from all parts of the world sometimes talk more fittingly about such matters than Christians do. Nor do they merely talk about them but also live according to them.
ttt[3] These and many other truths exist with gentiles, and these join themselves to the good which comes to them from the Lord. From these conjunctions of truths and good, gentiles are in a condition to receive still more truths, for one truth acknowledges another. Truths link together without difficulty as they are all interconnected and related to one another. For this reason people who have been endowed with good in the world accept the truths of faith without difficulty in the next life. Falsities with them do not combine with that good but merely attach themselves to it, yet in such a way that they can be separated from it. Things that are combined remain, whereas those that merely attach themselves are separated. They are separated at the same time as people come to know and take in truths of faith. Every truth of faith removes and separates falsity till at length the individual loathes it and flees from it. From this it is now evident who are meant by the sons whom Milkah bore to Nahor, Abraham's brother, namely those outside the Church who dwell in a brotherly relationship by virtue of good.
ppp20986#pid#2864. 'Uz her firstborn, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of Aram; and Kesed, and Hazo, and Pildash, and Jidlaph, and Bethuel' means various religions and the forms of worship derived from these. This becomes clear from the fact that names, as has been stated, mean real things. The things meant by these names are various religions and forms of worship derived from these, as also with the names in `Genesis 5bbb0`, `Genesis ccc11bbb0`. What each name and each son means here however cannot be expressed so easily as no more than their names is given. Uz and Buz are also mentioned in `Jeremiah 25bbb20`, `Jeremiah 25bbbccc23`, though among several other names. Uz, who receives further mention in `Lamentations 4bbb21`; `Job 1bbb1`, is dealt with at `Genesis 10bbb23`, in `@@@1233`, `@@@1234`.
ppp20985#pid#2865. 'And Bethuel begot Rebekah' means from good sprang their affection for truth. This becomes clear from the representation of Bethuel and of Rebekah, dealt with in Chapter `Genesis ccc24bbb0` below.
ppp20984#pid#2866. 'These eight Milkah bore to Nahor, Abraham's brother' means a second group of people who are saved. This is clear from the meaning of 'eight' and from the repetition of the statement 'Milkah bore to Nahor, Abraham's brother'. Since the eighth day is the first day of the following week 'eight' consequently means something distinct and separate from that which has gone before, see `@@@2044`. Here therefore it means a second group. It was for the sake of this meaning that this number was added. The fact that 'Milkah bore them to Nahor, Abraham's brother' means people outside the Church who dwell in a brotherly relationship by virtue of good has been shown above in `@@@2863`, `@@@2865`. And being the concluding statement it has the same meaning, yet with the addition of the fact that they are saved.
ppp20983#pid#2867. Verse `Genesis 22bbbccc24` And his concubine, whose name was Reumah; she too bore Tebah, and Gaham, and Tahash, and Maakah.
'His concubine, whose name was Reumah' means gentiles whose worship was idolatrous but in whom good was present. 'She too bore Tebah, and Gaham, and Tahash, and Maakah' means their various religions. These constitute a third group of spiritual people who are saved.
ppp20982#pid#2868. 'His concubine, whose name was Reumah' means gentiles whose worship was idolatrous but in whom good was present. This becomes clear from what has gone before, for in the former place come those gentiles meant by the sons born to Nahor from his wife, in the latter those born from his concubine. As has been shown, those born from his wife were people outside the Church who dwelt in a brotherly relationship by virtue of good, `@@@2863`, whereas these latter sons are people outside the Church whose worship was idolatrous but in whom good was present. Thus the latter were born from a less legitimate union than the former, though the union was nevertheless legitimate, for in those times children born from servant-girls were accepted as legitimate, as becomes clear from Jacob's sons born from the servant-girls Bilhah and Zilpah, `Genesis 30bbb4-12`, from whom tribes descended no less than from the sons born from Leah and Rachel, and who in this respect were no different from the latter. Yet that a difference did exist is clear from `Genesis 33bbb1-2`, `Genesis 33bbbccc6-7`.
ttt[2] Servant-girls whom in those times a wife gave to her husband for the sake of producing children were called concubines, as is evident from Bilhah, Rachel's servant-girl, who is also called Jacob's concubine in `Genesis 35bbb22`. The practice of producing children by means of servant-girls or concubines was allowed in those times so that those outside the Church might be represented, as well as those of lower degree within the Church. The statement that the concubine's name was Reumah embodies the essential nature of that group of people, `@@@1896`, `@@@2009`, which in this case is exaltation, this being what Reumah means. Regarding the state and condition of nations and peoples outside the Church, see `@@@593`, `@@@932`, `@@@1032`, `@@@1059`, `@@@1327`, `@@@1328`, `@@@1366`, `@@@2049`, `@@@2051`, `@@@2284`, `@@@2589-2604`.
ppp20981#pid#2869. 'She too bore Tebah, and Gaham, and Tahash, and Maakah' means their various religions and forms of worship derived from these. These constitute a third group of spiritual people who are saved, as becomes clear from what has been stated above in `@@@2864`, `@@@2866`, `@@@2868`.
ppp20980#pid#2870. HUMAN FREEDOM
Few know what freedom is and what non-freedom is. Freedom seems to entail everything that is in keeping with any love and associated delight, and non-freedom to entail everything that is at variance with these. That which is in keeping with self-love and love of the world, and with the desires belonging to those loves, seems to man to be freedom; but that is the freedom of hell. That however which is in keeping with love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour, consequently with the love of what is good and true, is true freedom, being the freedom that exists in heaven.
ppp20979#pid#2871. Spirits in hell do not know of the existence of any other freedom than that which goes with self-love and love of the world, that is, with the desires to exercise control over others, to persecute, and to hate all who do not serve them, to torment everyone, to destroy for their own ends if they could the whole world, and to carry away and claim for themselves whatever belongs to another. While gratifying these and similar desires they are enjoying what to them is freedom, for they are attaining what is their delight. Their life consists in that freedom to such an extent that if it is taken away from them no more life is left to them than that of a new-born child. This has also been shown to me through an actual experience. A certain evil spirit was convinced that such things could be taken away from him, and that if they were he could enter heaven, and that consequently his life could be miraculously transformed into heavenly life. His loves and the desires belonging to these were therefore taken away from him - which is done in the next life by dissociation.`fff1` He now looked like a small child floating around, scarcely able to move its hands. He was at the same time in such a state that he was able to think even less than any infant, being totally unable to speak anything at all or to know anything. But shortly he was restored to his own delight and thus freedom. From this it was evident that it is impossible for anyone to enter heaven who has acquired life for himself from self-love and love of the world, and whose freedom consequently rests in these. For if that life were taken away from such a person he would not have any thought or will at all remaining in him.
`nnn1. i.e. by breaking the links which an angel or spirit has with others like himself
ppp20978#pid#2872. The freedom that exists in heaven however originates in the Lord. All angels in heaven possess it. It goes, as has been stated, with love to the Lord and with mutual love, and so with an affection for what is good and true. The nature of this freedom becomes clear from the fact that everyone who possesses it communicates from inmost affection his own blessedness and happiness to another, and that to him it is also blessedness and happiness to be able to communicate these things. And because all the angels in heaven are like this, every angel is consequently the focal point of the forms of blessedness and happiness of all, and all are at the same time recipients of those of each individual. This communication itself is effected by the Lord by means of wondrous inflowings within a form beyond one's comprehension which is the heavenly form. This shows what heavenly freedom is and that it originates in the Lord alone.
ppp20977#pid#2873. Just how far removed heavenly freedom is which flows from the affection for good and truth from the freedom of hell which flows from the affection for evil and falsity becomes clear from the fact that angels in heaven are instantly seized by pain within at the mere thought of such freedom as flows from the affection for evil and falsity, or what amounts to the same, from the desires that belong to self-love and love of the world. And conversely at the mere thought of the freedom that flows from the affection for good and truth, or what amounts to the same, from the desires that belong to mutual love, evil spirits instantly feel intense pains. And what is remarkable, the one type of freedom is so much the contrary of the other that for good spirits the freedom which goes with self-love and love of the world is hell, while conversely for evil spirits the freedom that goes with love to the Lord and with mutual love is hell. Therefore all in the next life are distinguished according to their different kinds of freedom, or what amounts to the same, according to their different kinds of love and affection, and consequently according to their delights of life, which is the same as saying according to their lives, since people's lives consist in nothing else than delights, and these delights in nothing else than the affections which go with people's loves.
ppp20976#pid#2874. From this it is now evident what freedom is - namely thinking and willing from one's affection - and that the specific nature of one's freedom is the same as that of one's affection; also that the one kind of freedom is hellish, and the other heavenly; and that the former comes from hell, but the latter from the Lord. It is also evident that people with hellish freedom cannot enter into heavenly freedom - for this would amount to passing from hell into heaven - unless the whole of their life is taken away from them; also that nobody can enter into heavenly freedom without being reformed by the Lord, and that when being reformed he is brought to it by means of the affection for what is good and true, that is, by means of goodness of life that has the truth of doctrine implanted in it.
ppp20975#pid#2875. Goodness of life, or the affection for good, is instilled by the Lord by means of an internal way, without the person being at all aware of it, whereas the truth of doctrine, or faith, is instilled by an external way and introduced into the memory. From there it is called forth by the Lord in His own time and according to His own order and is joined to the affection for good. This happens in that person's freedom, for a person's freedom, as has been stated, flows from his affection. This is how faith is implanted and takes root. Whatever is done in freedom is joined to him, but that which is done under compulsion is not. This may become clear from the fact that nothing can possibly be joined to a person unless he has an affection for it. Affection is that which actually receives, and anything received that is contrary to his affection is contrary to his life. From this it is evident that the truth of doctrine, or faith, is incapable of being received except by the affection for it. But as is the affection so is the reception. It is the affection for truth and good, this alone, that receives the truth of faith, for they accord with each other, and because they accord they join themselves together.
ppp20974#pid#2876. Since no one can be reformed unless he is in freedom, freedom is never therefore taken away from a person, so far as the person himself is concerned. For it is an eternal law that everyone should be interiorly in freedom, that is, that his affections and thoughts should be in freedom, so that the affection for good and truth may be implanted within him.
ppp20973#pid#2877. Whenever the affection for truth and the affection for good are being implanted by the Lord, which is done without the person's awareness of it, he takes in truth and does good in freedom because he acts from affection. For whatever is done from affection, as has been stated, constitutes freedom; and the truth of faith joins itself in that case to good that stems from charity. Unless man has freedom in everything he thinks and wills, the Lord could not possibly implant within anybody the freedom to think what is true and to will what is good. For if a person is to be reformed he must think what is true as if from himself and do what is good as if from himself. And when he does so as if from himself he is in freedom. Otherwise no reformation or regeneration would ever be possible.
ppp20972#pid#2878. Countless causes exist as the origin and the reason for a person's love of learning what is true and willing what is good. Very many have a worldly origin and also very many have a bodily origin; and sometimes it is not heaven, still less the Lord, that is the reason. Man is thus introduced by the Lord into truth and good by means of affections, one person in an entirely different way from another, each one according to his innate and acquired disposition. And since he is introduced into truth and good constantly by means of affections, and so constantly by means of the freedom he has, and is at length introduced into affections for spiritual truth and spiritual good, the Lord alone knows those times and those states, and He alone organizes and governs them as is appropriate to the inclination and life of the individual. From this it is evident why man possesses freedom.
ppp20971#pid#2879. The Lord enters in with good by way of the inmost part of a person and there joins it to truth, for it is in that inmost part that these must take root. Unless a person is interiorly in freedom as regards all his affections and all his thoughts he can never be so organized that good and truth strike any root.
ppp20970#pid#2880. Nothing else seems to a person to be that person's, that is, to be properly his own, except that which flows from freedom. The reason is that all affection that exists within love constitutes his inner life itself; and when someone acts from affection he does so from his life, that is, from himself and so from what is his, that is, properly his own. In order therefore that a person may receive a heavenly proprium such as angels in heaven have, he is maintained in freedom, and by means of the freedom is introduced into it in the way described already. Anyone may see that when worshipping the Lord in freedom one seems to do so from oneself, that is, from what is properly one's own, but when worshipping under compulsion one is not doing so from oneself but from some outside influence or from some other source that forces one to do it. Thus anyone may see that worship offered in freedom is worship itself, but worship offered under compulsion is not worship at all.
ppp20969#pid#2881. If it had been possible for man to be reformed under compulsion there would not be anyone at all in the universe who would not be saved. Nothing would in fact be easier for the Lord than to compel man to fear Him, to worship Him, or indeed so to speak to love Him. The means available to Him are countless. But because that which is done under compulsion is not joined to a person and so does not become his own, it is therefore quite alien to the Lord to compel anybody. As long as a person is engaged in conflicts, that is, is a member of the Church militant, it seems as though the Lord does compel that person and thus that he has no freedom; for he is at that time constantly battling against self-love and love of the world, and so against the freedom into which he was born and into which he has grown up, and as a consequence he seems, as just mentioned, to have no freedom. But in those conflicts in which he is victorious he possesses greater freedom than outside of them; yet this freedom does not originate in himself but in the Lord, though it still seems to be his own; see `@@@1937`, `@@@1947`.
ppp20968#pid#2882. The main reason why a person believes that he has no freedom is his awareness that he, of himself, is incapable of doing what is good and thinking what is true. But let him not also believe that anyone ever has or has had of himself any freedom to think what is true and to do what is good. Not even those people had that freedom of themselves who, because they were utterly blameless, were called the image and likeness of God. But all freedom to think the truth of faith and to do a good deed of charity flows in from the Lord. The Lord is Good itself and Truth itself, and consequently their fountainhead. All angels possess that freedom and indeed the perception itself that all that has been said here is so. Inmost angels perceive how much comes from the Lord and how much from themselves, but that insofar as it comes from the Lord they know happiness and insofar as it comes from themselves they do not.
ppp20967#pid#2883. To acquire a heavenly proprium therefore man needs to do good from himself and to think truth from himself. But still he needs to know, and when he has been reformed, to think and believe, that everything good and everything true comes from the Lord, even the least trace of all, and to think and believe this because it is so. Yet a person is allowed to suppose that he acts from himself in order that good and truth may become as if they were his own.
ppp20966#pid#2884. The freedom that goes with self-love and love of the world, and their accompanying desires, is anything but freedom; it is utter slavery. Nevertheless it is called freedom, even as the expressions love, affection, and delight are used in both ways, and yet self-love and love of the world are anything but love; they are hatred. And the same is so with affection and delight that accompany these loves. They are so called according to what they appear to be, not according to what they are in reality.
ppp20965#pid#2885. Nobody is able to know what slavery is and what freedom is unless he knows the origin of each one. Nobody can know either origin except from the Word and unless he knows about man's affections belonging to the will and about his thoughts belonging to the understanding.
ppp20964#pid#2886. With regard to man's affections and to his thoughts, the position is that no one at all, whether man, spirit, or angel, is able to will or to think from himself, but does so from others. Nor are those others themselves the source of anything they will or think, but others again, and so on with these. Thus each individual wills and thinks from the First Source of life, who is the Lord. Anything that is not connected to a prior source cannot occur. Evils and falsities have a connection with the hells, and so the hells are the source of the thinking and willing of people immersed in evils and falsities, and also the source of their love, affection, and delight, and consequently of their freedom. But goods and truths have a connection with heaven, and so heaven is the source of the thinking and willing of people with whom goods and truths are present, and also the source of their love, affection, and delight, and consequently of their freedom. From this it becomes clear where the first type of freedom originates and where the second. The truth of this is very well known in the next life, but it is totally unknown at the present time in the world.
ppp20963#pid#2887. Present with man all the time there are evil spirits and there are angels. By means of the spirits he communicates with the hells, and by means of the angels with the heavens. If those spirits and angels were taken away from him he would instantly lose the ability to will and to think, and so would not have any life. This may seem paradoxical, but is perfectly true. But the subject of spirits and angels present with man is in the Lord's Divine mercy to be discussed elsewhere.
ppp20962#pid#2888. The truth of the matter is that the life which anyone has, whether man or spirit, or angel also, flows in solely from the Lord, who is Life itself, and spreads itself throughout the whole of heaven, and of hell also, and in this way enters into each individual, doing so according to an order and sequence beyond comprehension. But this inflowing life is received by each according to his own disposition. Good and truth are received by those who are good as good and truth, but by those who are evil as evil and falsity, and are also converted among such into evil and falsity. It is like the light of the sun which spreads itself into all objects on earth but is received according to the specific nature of each object, possessing a beautiful colouring in forms that are beautiful, and a hideous colouring in forms that are hideous. In the world this is an arcanum, but in the next life nothing is known better. To enable me to know the nature of such influx I have been allowed to speak to the spirits and to the angels present with me, and also to feel and perceive their influx, which has happened more times than I can number. But I realize that people will still be misled into believing that what they will is from themselves, and that what they think is from themselves, thus that they have life from themselves. But nothing could be further from the truth.
ppp20961#pid#2889. Evil spirits are quite incapable of comprehending that they do not live independently of themselves and that they are merely organs of life. Still less can they comprehend that there is any life except that which comes from good and truth, and least of all that they do not start to live until the life of evil desires and false persuasions in which they are immersed is annihilated. They believe that if they were deprived of these no life at all could possibly be left to them, whereas the truth of the matter is that once they have got rid of the life of evil desires and of false persuasions they start to live for the first time, and the Lord, together with good and truth in which alone life consists, is received in a way He had not been previously. At that point also intelligence and wisdom, and so life itself, flow in, and after that increasingly and immeasurably so, together with delight, blessedness, and happiness, and so with inmost joy, and with a variety beyond description that continues endlessly.
ppp20960#pid#2890. The evil spirits residing with a person through whom he communicates with hell see him as no more than their vile slave, for they pour into him their own desires and persuasions, and thereby lead him wherever they wish. But the angels through whom a person communicates with heaven see him as a brother and instill into him affections for what is good and true, and thereby lead him in freedom not where they wish but where the Lord pleases. This shows the nature of both types of freedom, and that it is slavery to be led by the devil but freedom to be led by the Lord.
ppp20959#pid#2891. Those who have become spirits only recently torment themselves very much by trying to grasp the idea that no one is able to do good of himself, or to think what is true of himself, but that he does so from the Lord. For they believe that if that idea is true they would accordingly be like mere machines and have control of nothing at all; and that being so they would let hands hang down and allow themselves to be acted upon. But they are told that they ought by all means to think, to will, and to do good of themselves, and that in no other way could they have a heavenly proprium and heavenly freedom. But they are also told that they ought nevertheless to acknowledge that good and truth do not originate in themselves but in the Lord, and they are informed that such acknowledgement and indeed perception that this is so exists with all angels. And the more keenly they perceive that they are led by the Lord and so abide in Him the more they are in freedom.
ppp20958#pid#2892. The state of one who leads a good life and who believes that the Lord governs the universe, and that He alone is the source of everything good that flows from love and charity, and of everything true that is a matter of faith, and indeed that He is the source of all life - thus the state of one who believes that 'in Him we live, and move, and have our being' - is such that he can have heavenly freedom conferred on him, and with that freedom peace as well. For he trusts solely in the Lord and has no anxious cares about all else; he is quite sure that all things work for his good, blessedness, and happiness for ever. But one who believes that he governs himself is constantly agitated, being carried along into evil desires, into anxious cares about things of the future, and thus into a vast number of anxieties. And such being his belief, evil desires and false persuasions also cling to him.
ppp20957#pid#2893. Good spirits have been utterly amazed that the member of the Church at the present day does not believe that all evils and falsities with him flow in from hell, and that all goods and truths flow in from the Lord, even though he knows it from the Word and also from the doctrine of faith, and even though everyone says when somebody has done an enormously evil deed that he has allowed himself to be led by the devil, and when somebody has done a good deed that he has allowed himself to be led by the Lord.
ppp20956#pid#2894. One reads in John,
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light however appears in the darkness, but the darkness has not overcome it. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the Only Begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. `John 1bbb1-5`, `John 1bbbccc14`.
Few know what 'the Word' is really used to mean here. From every particular detail it is clear that the Lord is meant, but the internal sense teaches that it is the Lord as regards the Divine Human who is meant by 'the Word', for it is said that 'the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory'. And since the Divine Human is meant, 'the Word' is used to mean every truth having reference to Him and deriving from Him which exists in His kingdom in heaven and in His Church on earth. This is why it is said that 'in Him was life, and the life was the light of men, and the light appears in the darkness'. And since truth is meant, 'the Word' is used to mean all revelation, and thus also the Word itself or Holy Scripture.
ppp20955#pid#2895. As regards the Word particularly, it has existed in every age, though not the Word we possess at the present day. Another Word existed in the Most Ancient Church before the Flood, and yet another Word in the Ancient Church after the Flood. Then came the Word written through Moses and the Prophets in the Jewish Church, and finally the Word written through the Evangelists in the new Church. The reason why the Word has existed in every age is that by means of the Word there is a communication between heaven and earth, and also that the Word deals with goodness and truth, by which a person is enabled to live in eternal happiness. In the internal sense therefore the Lord alone is the subject, for all goodness and truth are derived from Him.
ppp20954#pid#2896. The Word in the Most Ancient Church before the Flood was not a written Word but one revealed to each member of the Church; for they were celestial people and so, like the angels in whose company they lived, knew through perception that which was good and true. Thus they had the Word written on their hearts. For these matters, see `@@@597`, `@@@607`, `@@@895`, `@@@920`, `@@@1114-1125`. Because they were celestial people and lived in the company of angels, everything they saw and apprehended with any of their senses was to them a representative and a meaningful sign of celestial and spiritual things within the Lord's kingdom; so that they did indeed see worldly and earthly things with their eyes or apprehend them with one or other of their senses; but from and through those things their thoughts were of celestial and spiritual things. In this and no other way they were able to talk to angels, for the things that exist among angels are celestial and spiritual, and when these come down to man they descend into such things as exist with man in the world. The fact that particular objects in the world represent and mean those that exist in heaven has been shown all through from `Genesis 1bbb0` to here. Such was also the origin of the representatives and meaningful signs, which, when communication with angels started to fade, were gathered together by the people meant by 'Enoch'. See `@@@521`, where it is shown that the gathering of those things is meant by the following words,
Enoch walked with God, and he was no more, for God took him. `Genesis 5bbb24`.
ppp20953#pid#2897. The Word in the Ancient Church after the Flood however was derived from these people meant by 'Enoch'. The member of this Church, being spiritual and not celestial, knew but did not see with perception what was embodied in representatives and meaningful signs. And because these embodied Divine things they held out a use to members of that Church and were employed by them in their Divine worship, to the end that they might have a communication with heaven; for, as has been stated, all things in the world represent and mean such things as exist in heaven. Also the Word which they had was a written Word, consisting of Historical Sections and Prophetical Parts, like the Old Testament Word. But in course of time that Word came to be lost. The historical sections were called The Wars of Jehovah, and the prophetical parts The Utterances, as is clear in Moses, `Numbers 21bbb14`, `Numbers 21bbbccc27`, where they are quoted. The historical sections of their Word were written in the prophetical style and were for the most part made-up historical narratives, like those in Chapters `Genesis ccc1bbb0`-`Genesis ccc11bbb0` of Genesis, as is evident from the quotations of those historical narratives in Moses, where the following words occur,
Therefore it is said in The Book of The Wars of Jehovah, Waheb in Suphah, and the streams of Arnon, and the descent of the streams which runs down to the dwelling at Ar and leans to the border of Moab. `Numbers 21bbb14-15`.
The prophetical parts of their Word were written in a style similar to the prophetical parts of the Old Testament, as is also evident from the quotation of these in Moses, where the following words occur,
Therefore The Utterances (or The Utterers of Prophecies) say, Come to Heshbon the city of Sihon shall be built and established. For fire went out of Heshbon flame out of the city of Sihon. It consumed Ar of Moab, the lords of the high places of Arnon. Woe to you, O Moab! You have perished, O people of Chemosh! He gave his sons as fugitives, and his daughters into captivity, to Sihon, king of the Amorites. But we shot at them; Heshbon has perished even to Dibon; and we have laid waste even to Nophah, which reaches even to Medebah. `Numbers 21bbb27-30`.
These prophetical utterances embody heavenly arcana in the same way as the prophetical parts of the Old Testament. This is quite evident not only from the fact that Moses copied them and applied them to the state of affairs prevailing in his own day, but also from the fact that almost the same words occur in Jeremiah. Included there among his prophetical sayings, they hold - as becomes clear from what has been stated about the internal sense of the Word - as many heavenly arcana within them as they consist of words. Those sayings as they occur in Jeremiah are as follows,
A fire has gone out of Heshbon, and a flame from between Sihon, and has devoured the corner of Moab and the crown of the head of the sons of tumult. Woe to you, O Moab! The people of Chemosh have perished, for your sons have been taken away into captivity, and your daughters into captivity. `Jeremiah 48bbb45-46`.
From this also it is evident that that Word too possessed an internal sense. Regarding the Ancient Church after the Flood, see `@@@640`, `@@@641`, `@@@765`, `@@@1238`, `@@@1327`, `@@@2385`.
ppp20952#pid#2898. The fact that the people of that Church possessed prophetical sayings which in the internal sense had reference to the Lord and His kingdom becomes clear not only from the places quoted above but also from the prophetical words spoken by Balaam, who came from Syria. His words that are recorded in Moses, in `Numbers 23bbb7-10`, `Numbers 23bbbccc18-25`; `Numbers ccc24bbb3-10`, `Numbers 24bbbccc15-25`, were dictated in a style similar to all the other prophetical sayings in the Word, and plainly foretell the Coming of the Lord in the following words,
I see Him, but not now; I behold Him but not near. A star will come out of Jacob, and a sceptre will rise up out of Israel, and crush the corners of Moab, and destroy all the sons of Sheth. `Numbers 24bbb17`.
These prophetical words are likewise called Utterances, for the same term is used to describe those prophetical words in `Numbers 23bbb7`, `Numbers 23bbbccc18`; `Numbers ccc24bbb3`, `Numbers 24bbbccc15`, `Numbers 24bbbccc20`.
ppp20951#pid#2899. The Word in the Jewish Church followed after that. This in a similar way was written by means of representatives and meaningful signs in order that it might possess within it an internal sense understood by those in heaven and in order that thus by means of the Word a communication might exist and the Lord's kingdom in heaven might be united to the Lord's kingdom on earth. Unless all the things which occur in the Word represent, and all the particular expressions used to describe those things mean, Divine things that are the Lord's, and so the celestial and spiritual things which belong to His kingdom, it is not a Divine Word. And all this being so it could not possibly be written in any other style, for this and no other style enables material things and spoken words among men to correspond to the realities and ideas existing in heaven, down to the last detail. Therefore if merely a small child reads the Word, the angels perceive the Divine things within it, see `@@@1776`.
ppp20950#pid#2900. As regards the New Testament Word found in the Evangelists, since the Lord spoke this from the Divine itself, all the particular things that He said were representatives and meaningful signs of Divine things, and so of the heavenly things of His kingdom and Church, as has been shown many times in what has gone before.
ppp20949#pid#2901. `Genesis 23bbb0`
1. And the life`fff1` of Sarah was a hundred and twenty-seven years - the years of the life`fff1` of Sarah.
2. And Sarah died in Kiriath Arba, which is Hebron in the land of Canaan; and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.
3. And Abraham rose up from before his dead, and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying,
4. I am a stranger and an inhabitant among you; give me possession of a grave among you, and I will bury my dead from before me.
5. And the sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him,
6. Hear us, my lord; you are a prince of God in the midst of us; in the choicest of our graves bury your dead; none of us will withhold his grave from you, from burying your dead.
7. And Abraham rose up and bowed to the people of the land, to the sons of Heth.
8. And he spoke to them, saying, If you are willing`fff2` to let me bury my dead from before me, hear me and intercede for me with Ephron the son of Zohar.
9. And let him give me the cave of Machpelah which is his, which is at the end of his field; for the full price`fff3` let him give it to me in the midst of you, as a possession for a grave.
10. And Ephron was sitting in the midst of the sons of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham, in the ears of the sons of Heth, to all entering into the gate of his city, saying,
11. No, my lord, hear me; the field I give to you, and the cave that is in it I give to you; before the eyes of the sons of my people I give it to you; bury your dead.
12. And Abraham bowed before the people of the land.
13. And he spoke to Ephron in the ears of the people of the land, saying, Even so, please hear me; I will give the price`fff4` of the field; accept it from me, and I will bury my dead there.
14. And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him,
15. My lord, hear me; the land [is worth] four hundred shekels of silver; what is that between me and you? So bury your dead.
16. And Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver which he had spoken of in the ears of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current with the merchant.
17. And the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah - which was before Mamre - the field and the cave which was in it, and every tree which was in the field, which was in all its borders round about, was made over
18. To Abraham as an acquisition, before the eyes of the sons of Heth, in [the presence] of all entering the gate of his city.
19. And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife at the cave of the field of Machpelah facing Mamre, which is Hebron, in the land of Canaan.
20. And the field and the cave which was in it were made over to Abraham as a possession for a grave, from the sons of Heth.
CONTENTS
The subject here in the internal sense is the new spiritual Church which was raised up by the Lord after the previous one had altogether breathed its last, and also the reception of faith among those who belonged to the Church. 'Sarah' here is Divine truth that breathed its last; 'burial' is a raising up again; 'Ephron' and 'the sons of Heth' are those people among whom the good and truth of the Church was received; 'Machpelah, which was before Mamre' is regeneration; 'Hebron in the land of Canaan' is a new Church.
`nnn1. literally, lives
`nnn2. literally, If it is with your soul
`nnn3. literally, in full silver or money
`nnn4. literally, the silver or the money
ppp20948#pid#2902. Divine truth breathing its last is described in verses `Genesis 23bbbccc1-3`, and the Lord's establishment of a new Church in verse `Genesis 23bbbccc4`. He was received kindly, verses `Genesis 23bbbccc5-6`, and this gave rise to joy, verses `Genesis 23bbbccc7`, `Genesis 23bbbccc12`. Their first state was one of obscurity when they believed that the good which flows from charity, and the truth of faith, originated in themselves, verses `Genesis 23bbbccc8-11`, `Genesis 23bbbccc14-15`. But they were taught that good and truth did not originate in themselves but in the Lord, verse `Genesis 23bbbccc13`. In this way they were redeemed, verse `Genesis 23bbbccc16`, and regenerated, verses `Genesis 23bbbccc17-18`. Thus a new Church was formed, verse `Genesis 23bbbccc19`, from gentiles, verse `Genesis 23bbbccc20`.
ppp20947#pid#2903. THE INTERNAL SENSE
Verse `Genesis 23bbbccc1` And the life`fff1` of Sarah was a hundred and twenty-seven years - the years of the life`fff1` of Sarah.
'The life of Sarah was' means all the preceding times and states of the Church as regards Divine truths. 'A hundred and twenty-seven years' means their completion. 'The years of the life of Sarah' means when any Divine truth still existed on earth.
`nnn1. literally, lives
ppp20946#pid#2904. 'The life of Sarah was' means all the preceding times and states of the Church as regards Divine truths. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'the life' here, and from the representation of 'Sarah'. 'The life' here - since it refers to the whole span of life and to the periods that constitute it, namely early childhood, youth, adult years, and old age means states, as do all periods of time in general, see `@@@2625`, `@@@2788`, `@@@2837`. And since the subject in what follows is the Church, 'the life' therefore means times and states of the Church. 'Sarah' represents Divine truth, see `@@@1468`, `@@@1901`, `@@@2063`, `@@@2172`, `@@@2173`, `@@@2198`, `@@@2507`. From this it follows that here 'the life of Sarah was' means in the internal sense all the preceding times and states of the Church as regards Divine truths. When she lived as Abraham's wife Sarah represented the Lord's Divine Truth joined to His Divine Good, as may be seen in the paragraphs just quoted. And as she represented the Lord's Divine Truth, so she also means the Church's Divine truth, for in the Church no other truth exists than that which is the Lord's. Truth that does not come from Him is not truth, as is also clear both from the Word itself and from the doctrine of faith drawn from it. It is clear from the Word itself in John,
Man cannot receive anything unless it is given him from heaven. `John 3bbb27`.
And elsewhere in John,
Without Me you can do nothing. `John 15bbb5`.
The same is also clear from the doctrine of faith, which teaches that the whole of faith, that is, all truth, comes from the Lord.
ttt[2] The representatives and the meaningful signs in the Word are such that every single one in the highest sense has regard to the Lord; and from this springs the life itself of the Word. And because they have regard to the Lord, they also have regard to His kingdom, since the Lord is the All in His kingdom. Divine things from the Lord within His kingdom are what make it the kingdom. To the extent therefore that an angel, spirit, or man receives good and truth from the Lord, and believes that these come from Him, he is in His kingdom. But to the extent that he does not receive them, and does not believe that they come from the Lord, he is not in His kingdom. Thus Divine things from the Lord are what constitute His kingdom or heaven; and this is what is meant when it is said that the Lord is the All in His kingdom.
ppp20945#pid#2905. 'A hundred and twenty-seven years' means their completion. This is clear from the meaning of 'a hundred' as that which is complete, dealt with in `@@@2636`, and from the meaning of 'twenty' also, which is twice ten, as that which is complete, `@@@1988`, and from the meaning of 'seven' as that which is holy, `@@@395`, `@@@433`, `@@@716`, `@@@881`. Thus it is the completion or conclusion of the holy state of the Church that is meant here. For all numbers in the Word mean real things, see `@@@482`, `@@@487`, `@@@647`, `@@@648`, `@@@755`, `@@@813`, `@@@1963`, `@@@1988`, `@@@2075`, `@@@2252`. The completion of them, that is to say, of the states and periods of time of the Church, means their conclusion.
ttt[2] The Church passes through different phases that are like the ages of man. The first of these is early childhood, the second youth, the third adult years, and the fourth old age. The last of these - old age - is called the completion or conclusion. The phases of the Church are also like the times and seasons of the year, the first of which is spring, the second summer, the third autumn, and the fourth winter. The last of these is the conclusion of the year. The phases of the Church are also like the times and divisions of the day, the first being the dawn, the second midday, the third evening, and the fourth night. The last of these is the completion or conclusion of the day. In the Word too the states of the Church are compared to the ages of man, the seasons of the year, and the divisions of the day, and are meant there by the same because periods of time mean states, `@@@2625`, `@@@2788`, `@@@2837`. Good and truth with those who belong to the Church usually diminish in this fashion. And when good and truth do not exist any longer, or, as is said, when faith does not exist any longer, that is to say, when charity does not exist any longer, the Church has reached its old age, or its winter, or its night. And that period of time or state is called the settlement, close, and fulfilment, see `@@@1857`. Statements about the Lord coming into the world in the fullness of time, or when completion had been reached, have the same meaning, for at that time no good existed any longer, not even natural good, nor consequently any truth. This is the specific meaning of the things stated in this verse.
ppp20944#pid#2906. 'The years of the life of Sarah' means when any Divine truth still existed on earth. This is clear from the meaning of 'a year' as a whole period of the Church from start to finish, and so of 'years' as periods, dealt with immediately above in `@@@2905`; and from the meaning of 'the life of Sarah' as states as regards Divine truth, also dealt with just above, in `@@@2904`. Thus here the end when no Divine truth at all existed any longer is meant, as also follows from the words that occur immediately before these.
ttt[2] That 'a year' means the whole length of time a state of the Church lasts, from start to finish, or what amounts to the same, a whole period, and that consequently 'years' means the periods of time within the general whole, becomes clear from the following places in the Word: In Isaiah,
Jehovah has anointed Me to bring good tidings to the afflicted; He has sent Me to bind up the broken in heart, to proclaim liberty to captives, and opening of every kind to those that are bound, to proclaim the year of Jehovah's good pleasure, and the day of vengeance for our God. `Isaiah 61bbb1-2`.
This refers to the Coming of the Lord. 'The year of Jehovah's good pleasure' stands for the time of the new Church. In the same prophet,
The day of vengeance was in My heart, and the year of My redeemed has come. `Isaiah 63bbb4`.
This similarly refers to the Coming of the Lord. 'The year of the redeemed' stands for the time of the new Church. In the same prophet,
The day of Jehovah's vengeance, the year of retributions on account of the controversy of Zion. `Isaiah 34bbb8`.
Here the meaning is similar.
ttt[3] That same period is also called 'the year of visitation': in Jeremiah,
I will bring evil to the men of Anathoth in the year of their visitation. `Jeremiah 11bbb23`.
In the same prophet,
I will bring upon Moab the year of their visitation. `Jeremiah 48bbb44`.
And plainer still in Ezekiel,
After many days you will be visited; in the latter years you will come upon the land that is brought back from the sword, that is gathered out of many peoples, upon the mountains of Israel, which will be a waste continually. `Ezekiel 38bbb8`.
'The latter years' stands for the final period of the Church when it becomes that which is not the Church, those who previously belonged to the Church having been rejected and others having been accepted from other places. In Isaiah,
Thus said the Lord to me, Within yet a year, according to the years of a hireling, and all the glory of Kedar will be brought to an end. `Isaiah 21bbb16`.
This too stands for the final period.
ttt[4] In Ezekiel,
You have become guilty by your blood which you have shed, and defiled by your idols which you have made, and you have brought your days near, and you have come even to your years. Therefore I have made you a reproach to the nations and a mocking to all the lands. `Ezekiel 22bbb4`.
'Coming even to their years' stands for coming to the end when the Lord departs from the Church. In Isaiah,
Jehovah has now spoken, saying, In three years, as with the years of a hireling, the glory of Moab will grow worthless, with all its great multitude; and the residue will be tiny and of no account. `Isaiah 16bbb14`.
'In three years' also stands for the end of the previous Church - 'three' meaning that which has been completed and that which is a beginning, see `@@@1825`, `@@@2788`.
ttt[5] Seven, and also seventy, have the same meaning, see `@@@720`, `@@@728`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc901`. Consequently it is said in Isaiah,
And it will be on that day, that Tyre will pass into oblivion for seventy years, according to the days of one king. At the end of seventy years it will happen to Tyre according to the song of the harlot. And it will be at the end of seventy years, that Jehovah will visit Tyre, and she will return to hiring herself out as a harlot. `Isaiah 23bbb15`, `Isaiah 23bbbccc17`.
'Seventy years' stands for a whole period, from the time a Church comes into being until the time it breathes its last, which is also 'the days of one king', for 'a king' means a Church's truth, see `@@@1672`, `@@@1728`, `@@@2015`, `@@@2069`. The captivity which the Jews were sent into lasting seventy years entails something similar. That captivity is also spoken of in Jeremiah as follows,
These nations will serve the king of Babel seventy years, and it will be, when the seventy years are fulfilled, that I will visit the king of Babel and this nation for their iniquity, said Jehovah. `Jeremiah 25bbb11-12`; `Jeremiah ccc29bbb10`.
ttt[6] That 'a year', and also 'years', is a whole period of the Church, or the time it lasts, becomes clearer still in Malachi,
Behold, I am sending My angel, and he will prepare the way before Me; and suddenly there will come to His temple the Lord whom you are seeking, and the angel of the covenant in whom you delight. Behold, He is coming, said Jehovah Zebaoth. And who can endure the day of His coming? Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to Jehovah, as in the days of old, and as in ancient years. `Malachi 3bbb1-2`, `Malachi 3bbbccc4`.
This refers to the Coming of the Lord. 'The days of old' stands for the Most Ancient Church, 'ancient years' for the Ancient Church, 'the offering of Judah' for worship springing from celestial love, and 'the offering of Jerusalem' for worship springing from spiritual love. Here it is quite evident that neither Judah nor Jerusalem was meant. In David,
I have considered the days of old, and the years of long ago. `Psalms 77bbb5`.
Here 'the days of old' and 'the years of long ago' stand for the same two Churches, as is plainer still in Moses,
Recollect the days of old, understand the years of generation after generation; ask your father and he will show you, your elders and they will tell you, When the Most High gave to the nations an inheritance, and Himself separated the sons of man. `Deuteronomy 32bbb7-8`.
ttt[7] That 'a year' or 'years' is a complete period of the Church is also evident in Habakkuk,
O Jehovah, I have heard Your fame; I was afraid. O Jehovah, revive Your work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make it known; in wrath You will remember mercy. God will come out of Teman, and the Holy One out of Mount Paran. `Habakkuk 3bbb2-3`.
This refers to the Coming of the Lord. 'In the midst of the years' stands for in the fullness of time. For what the fullness of time is, see just above in `@@@2905`.
ttt[8] As 'a year' and 'years', when used in reference to the Lord's kingdom on earth, which is the Church, mean a complete period from start to finish, so when used in reference to the Lord's kingdom in heaven do they mean that which is eternal; as in David,
O God, Your years are from generation to generation. You are He, and Your years will have no end. The sons of Your servants will continue, and their seed will be established before You. `Psalms 102bbb24`, `Psalms 102bbbccc27-28`.
In the same author,
You will add days to the king's days; His years as generation after generation! And He will dwell for ever before God. `Psalms 61bbb6-7`.
Here 'years' stands for that which is eternal since these words refer to the Lord and His kingdom.
ttt[9] The lambs offered in burnt offerings and sacrifices, which were to be in their first year, `Leviticus 12bbb6`; `Leviticus ccc14bbb10`; `Numbers 6bbb12`; `Numbers ccc7bbb15`, `Numbers 7bbbccc21`, `Numbers 7bbbccc33`, `Numbers 7bbbccc39`, `Numbers 7bbbccc45`, `Numbers 7bbbccc51`, `Numbers 7bbbccc57`, `Numbers 7bbbccc63`, `Numbers 7bbbccc69`, `Numbers 7bbbccc75`, `Numbers 7bbbccc81`; and elsewhere, meant the celestial things of innocence in the Lord's kingdom, which are eternal. Hence burnt offerings of calves in their first year are referred to in `Micah 6bbb6` as being most acceptable.
ttt[10] That 'a year' in the internal sense does not mean a year is made additionally clear from the consideration that angels, who possess the internal sense of the Word, are not able to possess the idea of any year. But because a year is a complete period of time within the natural world, they have instead of the idea of a year the idea of that which is completed in relation to states of the Church, and of that which is eternal in relation to states in heaven. To them periods of time are states, `@@@1274`, `@@@1382`, `@@@2625`, `@@@2788`, `@@@2837`.
ppp20943#pid#2907. Verse `Genesis 23bbbccc2` And Sarah died in Kiriath Arba, which is Hebron in the land of Canaan; and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.
'Sarah died' means night as regards the truths of faith. 'In Kiriath Arba, which is Hebron in the land of Canaan' means within the Church. 'And Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her' means a state in which the Lord grieved.
ppp20942#pid#2908. 'Sarah died' means night as regards the truths of faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'dying', 'one who has died', and 'death', when used in reference to the Church, as its final period when all faith, that is, charity, has breathed its last, for this period is called 'night' in various places in the Word, `@@@221`, `@@@709`, `@@@1712`, `@@@2353`, and 'dying' means ceasing to be what it once was, `@@@494`; and from the representation of 'Sarah' as Divine truth, dealt with above in `@@@2904`. From this it is evident that these things are meant here.
ppp20941#pid#2909. 'In Kiriath Arba, which is Hebron in the land of Canaan' means within the Church. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'Kiriath Arba' as the Church as regards truth, and from the meaning of 'Hebron in the land of Canaan' as the Church as regards good. In the Word, especially the prophetical part, whenever truth is the subject, good also is included, on account of the heavenly marriage that exists in every detail of the Word, see `@@@683`, `@@@793`, `@@@801`, `@@@2173`, `@@@2516`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc2712`. Here therefore when Kiriath Arba is mentioned, so also is 'Hebron in the land of Canaan'. The land of Canaan is the Lord's kingdom, `@@@1413`, `@@@1437`, `@@@1607`, and locations in that land were in varying ways representative, `@@@1585`, `@@@1866`.
ttt[2] As regards 'Kiriath Arba, which is Hebron', this was a region where Abraham, Isaac and Jacob dwelt. Abraham's dwelling there is evident from what has gone before,
Abraham came and dwelt in [the oak-groves of] Mamre, which are in Hebron. `Genesis 13bbb18`.
And Isaac and Jacob's dwelling there too is evident from what comes further on, Jacob came to Isaac his father in Mamre, to Kiriath Arba, which is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac sojourned. `Genesis 35bbb27`.
Joseph was sent by Jacob his father to his brothers, from the Valley of Hebron. `Genesis 37bbb14`.
From the representation dealt with already of those three personages it is clear that 'Kiriath Arba, which is Hebron' represented the Church before Jerusalem did so.
ttt[3] In the course of time every Church deteriorates until it ceases to possess any faith or charity at all, at which point it is destroyed. This too was represented by 'Kiriath Arba, which is Hebron', that is to say, when this place was occupied by the Anakim, by whom dreadful false persuasions were meant, `@@@581`, `@@@1673`, regarding which occupation by the Anakim, see `Numbers 13bbb21-22`; `Joshua 11bbb21`; `Joshua ccc14bbb15`; `Joshua ccc15bbb13-14`; `Judges 1bbb10`. As regards the end or close of the Church and its destruction, this was represented by Joshua's utterly destroying everything in that place, `Joshua 10bbb36-37`; `Joshua ccc11bbb21`, and by Judah and Caleb's smiting the Anakim, `Judges 1bbb10`; `Joshua 14bbb13-15`; `Joshua ccc15bbb13-14`. The establishment again of a new Church was represented by the allotment of its fields and villages to Caleb as his inheritance, `Joshua 21bbb12`. The city itself however became a city of refuge, `Joshua 20bbb7`; `Joshua ccc21bbb13`, and a city for priests, for the sons of Aaron, `Joshua 21bbb10-11`, within the inheritance of Judah, `Joshua 15bbb54`.
ttt[4] From this it is evident that Hebron represented the Lord's spiritual Church in the land of Canaan. For the same reason also David was ordered by Jehovah's command to go to Hebron and was there anointed king over the house of Judah; and after he had reigned there for seven years and six months he went to Jerusalem and took possession of Zion, see `2 Samuel 2bbb1-11`; `2 Samuel ccc5bbb5`; `1 Kings 2bbb11`, at which point the Lord's spiritual Church now began to be represented by Jerusalem, and His celestial Church by Zion.
ppp20940#pid#2910. 'And Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her' means a state in which the Lord grieved, that is to say, because it was night as regards the truths of faith within the Church. This is clear from the representation of 'Abraham' as the Lord, dealt with in `@@@1893`, `@@@1965`, `@@@1989`, `@@@2011`, `@@@2172`, `@@@2501`, `@@@2833`, `@@@2836`. That 'mourning' and 'weeping' mean a state involving grief is clear without explanation. 'Mourning' has regard to grief on account of its being night as regards goods within the Church, and 'weeping' as regards truths. These two verses have dealt with the end of the Church, which arrives when charity does not exist any longer. The end of the Church is the subject many times in the Word, especially in the Prophets and in John, in the Book of Revelation. The Lord too in the Gospels describes that end extensively, calling it the close of the age, and also night.
ttt[2] The situation with all Churches is that initially every Church regards charity as being fundamental. At that time every individual person loves every other as his brother and is moved by good - not on his own account but on account of that person, of the general good of all, of the Lord's kingdom, and above all of the Lord Himself. But with the passage of time charity starts to grow cold and to cease to exist. After that, hatred of one person against another enters in, which - though not apparent outwardly because people in organized society are subject to laws and to external restraints which keep them in check - is nevertheless being fostered inwardly. The external restraints keeping them in check stem from self-love and love of the world, being the love of position and importance, the love of wealth and also of the power that wealth brings, and so the love of reputation. Beneath these loves there lurks hatred of the neighbour, such as leads people to desire dominion over all and to possess everything that belongs to anyone else. And when these desires are opposed, such persons harbour in their mind contempt for that neighbour, breathe revenge, and take delight in his ruin, and indeed perform acts of cruelty on him insofar as they dare. It is into ways such as these that the charity of the Church ultimately goes when it reaches its end. At that time it is said of the Church that faith does not exist any longer, for when there is no charity there is no faith, as has been shown many times.
ttt[3] There have been many Churches, which are known of from the Word, that have come to an end in this fashion. The Most Ancient Church breathed its last in such circumstances around the time of the Flood. So in a similar way did the Ancient Church which existed after the Flood, as also did the second Ancient Church called the Hebrew Church; and later on the Jewish Church. This never was a Church that had charity at the outset, but was merely the representative of a Church whose role was to preserve by means of representatives a communication with heaven until the Lord came into the world. After that a new Church was established by the Lord, which was called the gentile Church and was an internal Church since interior truths from the Lord had then been revealed. But even this Church has now reached its end, for now not only is charity non-existent but also hatred is present instead of charity. Although that hatred is not apparent outwardly it is nevertheless there inwardly and breaks out when at all possible, that is, as often as external restraints do not keep people in check.
ttt[4] In addition to these Churches there have been many others which have not been described so specifically [in the Word] but which deteriorated in a similar way and destroyed themselves. There are many reasons why they have so deteriorated and destroyed themselves. One reason is that parents pile up evils, and from practicing these frequently until at length they become habitual, introduce them into their own nature and disposition, and in so doing hand them down by heredity to their offspring. For what parents acquire through frequent practice in their actual living takes root within their natural disposition and is transmitted by heredity to their descendants. And unless these are reformed or regenerated, that which is transmitted is perpetuated in succeeding generations, increasing all the time as it is passed down. Consequently the will becomes even more bent on evils and falsities. But when the Church reaches its close and perishes the Lord always raises up a new Church somewhere else. Yet rarely, if ever, has He done so from members of the previous Church, but from gentiles who dwelt in ignorance. Those gentiles are the subject in what follows next.
ppp20939#pid#2911. Verse `Genesis 23bbbccc3` And Abraham rose up from before his dead, and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying,
'Abraham rose up' means a raising up. 'From before his dead' means in that [state of] night. 'And spoke to the sons of Heth, saying' means those with whom a new spiritual Church was to exist.
ppp20938#pid#2912. 'Abraham rose up' means a raising up. This is clear from the meaning of 'rising up' as implying some kind of raising up, dealt with in `@@@2401`, `@@@2785`, here a raising up from grief, for a new Church was about to be established in place of the previous one that perished.
[`@@@2912`a] 'From before his dead' means in that [state of] night. This is clear from the meaning of 'dying', 'death', and 'one who has died' as night as regards the state of the Church, dealt with above in `@@@2908`.
ppp20937#pid#2913. 'And spoke to the sons of Heth, saying' means those with whom a new spiritual Church was to exist. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'Heth' and of Hittite. Many were the nations inhabiting the land of Canaan who are mentioned one by one in various places in the Word, among them the Hittites, see `Genesis 15bbb20`; `Exodus 3bbb8`, `Exodus 3bbbccc17`; `Exodus ccc13bbb5`; `Exodus ccc23bbb23`; `Deuteronomy 7bbb1`; `Deuteronomy ccc20bbb17`; `Joshua 3bbb10`; `Joshua ccc11bbb1`, `Joshua 11bbbccc3`; `Joshua ccc12bbb8`; `Joshua ccc24bbb11`; `1 Kings 9bbb20`; and elsewhere. Most of them belonged to the Ancient Church which was spread through many lands, including the land of Canaan, see `@@@1238`, `@@@2385`. All who belonged to that Church acknowledged charity as the chief thing, and everything they taught was about charity or life. People who cultivated teachings about faith were called Canaanites and were separate from the rest of the inhabitants in the land of Canaan, `Numbers 13bbb29` - see `@@@1062`, `@@@1063`, `@@@1076`.
ttt[2] The Hittites belonged among those in the land of Canaan who were more acceptable. This is also made clear by the fact that Abraham, and subsequently Isaac and Jacob, dwelt among them and had a burial-place there, and also by the fact that they treated Abraham with greatest respect, as is quite clear from what is recorded about them in this chapter, especially verses `Genesis 23bbbccc5-6`, `Genesis 23bbbccc10-11`, `Genesis 23bbbccc14-15`. Since they were an upright nation they therefore represent and mean the spiritual Church, or the truth of the Church. But it happened that like all the others who belonged to the Ancient Church the Hittites fell away in the course of time from charity or good that goes with faith; and this explains why later on they mean the falsity of the Church, as in `Ezekiel 16bbb3`, `Ezekiel 16bbbccc45`, and elsewhere. Yet the Hittites did belong among those who were more honourable, as may be seen from the fact that David had Hittites with him, such as Ahimelech, `1 Samuel 26bbb6`, and Uriah, who was a Hittite, `2 Samuel 11bbb3`, `2 Samuel 11bbbccc6`, `2 Samuel 11bbbccc17`, `2 Samuel 11bbbccc21` - by whose wife Bathsheba David begot Solomon, `2 Samuel 12bbb24`. 'Heth' means exterior cognitions that have regard to life and which constitute the external truths of the spiritual Church,`fff1` see `@@@1203`.
ttt[3] The subject in the present verse is a new Church which the Lord establishes when the previous one breathes its last, and in the verses which follow the subject is the reception of faith among those people. The subject is not some particular Church among the sons of Heth but in general the re-establishment by the Lord of a spiritual Church after its predecessor fades away and approaches its end. The sons of Heth are simply those who represent and carry a spiritual meaning. Please see what has been stated already about Churches in the following places:
In course of time a Church goes into decline and decay, `@@@494`, `@@@501`, `@@@1327`, `@@@2422`.
It departs from charity, and brings forth evils and falsities, `@@@1834`, `@@@1835`.
At that point the Church is said to be vastated and made desolate, `@@@407-411`, `@@@2243`.
The Church is established among gentiles; the reason why, `@@@1366`.
Within a Church undergoing vastation something of the Church is always preserved as a nucleus, `@@@468`, `@@@637`, `@@@931`, `@@@2422`.
If the Church did not exist in the world the human race would perish, ibid.
The Church is like the heart and lungs in that vast body, of which every member of the human race is a part, `@@@637`, `@@@931`, `@@@2054`, `@@@2853`.
The nature of the spiritual Church, `@@@765`, `@@@2669`.
Charity constitutes the Church, not faith separated from charity, `@@@809`, `@@@916`.
If all possessed charity the Church would be one even though they differ in matters of doctrine and in forms of worship, `@@@1285`, `@@@1316`, `@@@1798`, `@@@1799`, `@@@1834`, `@@@1844`, `@@@2385`.
All people on earth who belong to the Lord's Church, though they are scattered throughout the entire world, still so to speak make a single whole, as is the case in heaven, `@@@2853`.
Every Church is internal and external, and both together constitute a single Church, `@@@409`, `@@@1083`, `@@@1098`, `@@@1100`, `@@@1242`.
The external Church is valueless if there is no internal Church, `@@@1795`.
The Church is compared to the rise and the setting of the sun, to the seasons of the year, and also to the periods of the day, `@@@1837`.
The Last Judgement is the final period of the Church, `@@@900`, `@@@931`, `@@@1850`, `@@@2117`, `@@@2118`.
`nnn1. Or, reading what Swedenborg has in his rough draft the truths of the external spiritual Church
ppp20936#pid#2914. Verse `Genesis 23bbbccc4` I am a stranger and an inhabitant among you; give me possession of a grave among you, and I will bury my dead from before me.
'I am a stranger and an inhabitant among you' means their first state when, although the Lord was not known to them, He was nevertheless able to be with them. 'Give me possession of a grave among you' means that they were able to be regenerated. 'And I will bury my dead from before me' means that He would emerge and rise up out of the night prevailing among them.
ppp20935#pid#2915. 'I am a stranger and an inhabitant among you' means their first state when, although the Lord was not known to them, He was nevertheless able to be with them. This is clear from the representation of 'Abraham' as the Lord, often dealt with already, and from the meaning of 'being a stranger among them' and 'being an inhabitant among them' as not being known but nevertheless being with them. It is evident from what comes before and after that this is the internal sense, for the subject is a new Church, and in this verse the first state of that Church. This state is such that first of all they do not know the Lord, yet because they lead good and charitable lives, and in public life they are just and fair, and in private life honourable and correct, they are the kind of people with whom the Lord is able to be present. For the Lord is present with man in good, and so in justice and fairness, and further still in honourableness and correctness (honourableness being the sum total of all the private virtues, correctness simply the form that honourableness takes). These are the kinds of good that follow one another consecutively, and are the levels with man on which the Lord bases conscience, and consequently intelligence and wisdom. People however with whom these qualities do not exist, that is to say, with whom they do not proceed from the heart or affection, cannot have anything of heaven planted within them. There is no level, nor any ground, thus nothing to receive them. And as they cannot have anything of heaven planted within them, neither can the Lord be present there. The Lord may be said to be present according to the good that is present, that is, according to the nature of that good. And the nature of this good is determined by the state of innocence, love and charity in which the truths of faith have been, or are able to be, implanted.
ppp20934#pid#2916. That 'give me possession of a grave among you' means that they were able to be regenerated is clear from the meaning of 'a grave'. In the internal sense of the Word 'a grave' means life, which is heaven, and in the contrary sense death, which is hell. The reason it means life or heaven is that angels, who possess the internal sense of the Word, have no other concept of a grave, because they have no other concept of death. Consequently instead of a grave they perceive nothing else than the continuation of life, and so resurrection. For man rises again as to the spirit and is buried as to the body, see `@@@1854`. Now because 'burial' means resurrection, it also means regeneration, since regeneration is the primary resurrection of man, for when regenerated he dies as regards his former self and rises again as regards the new. It is through regeneration that from being a dead man he becomes a living man, and it is from this that the meaning of 'a grave' is derived in the internal sense. When the idea of a grave presents itself the idea of regeneration comes to mind with angels, as is also evident from what has been told about young children in `@@@2299`.
ttt[2] The reason 'a grave' in the contrary sense means death or hell is that the evil do not rise again to life but to death. When therefore the evil are referred to and a grave is mentioned, no other idea comes to mind with angels than that of hell; and this also is the reason why hell in the Word is called the grave.
ttt[3] That 'a grave' means resurrection and also regeneration is evident in Ezekiel,
Therefore prophesy and say to them, Thus says the Lord Jehovih, Behold, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, O My people, and I will bring you to the land of Israel, and you will know that I am Jehovah when I open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, O My people. And I will put My spirit within you and you will live, and I will place you on your own land. `Ezekiel 37bbb12-14`.
Here the prophet refers to bones that have been made to live, and in the internal sense to regeneration. Its being a reference to regeneration is quite evident, for it is said, 'when I will put My spirit within you and you will live, and I will place you on your own land'. Here 'graves' stands for the former self and its evils and falsities, while the opening of them and the coming up from them means being regenerated. Thus the idea of a grave perishes and so to speak is discarded when the idea of regeneration or new life enters instead.
ttt[4] The description in `Matthew 27bbb52-53`, about graves being opened and many bodies of the saints who were sleeping being raised, coming out of their graves after the Lord's resurrection, entering the holy city, and appearing to many, embodies the same idea, that is to say, a resurrection taking place as a result of the Lord's resurrection, and in the inner sense every individual resurrection. The Lord's raising of Lazarus from the dead, `John 11bbb1` and following verses, likewise embodies the re-establishment of the Church from among gentiles; for all the miracles that the Lord performed, because they were Divine, embodied the states of His Church. Something similar is also meant by the man who, having been cast into the grave of Elisha, came to life again on touching the prophet's bones, `2 Kings 13bbb20-21`, for Elisha represented the Lord.
ttt[5] As 'burial' meant resurrection in general and every individual resurrection, the ancients were therefore particularly concerned about their burials and about the places where they were to be buried - Abraham, for example, was to be buried in Hebron in the land of Canaan, as were Isaac and Jacob, together with their wives, `Genesis 47bbb29-31`; `Genesis ccc49bbb30-32`; Joseph's bones were to be carried up out of Egypt into the land of Canaan, `Genesis 50bbb25`; `Exodus 13bbb19`; `Joshua 24bbb32`; David and subsequent kings were to be buried in Zion, `1 Kings 2bbb10`; `1 Kings ccc11bbb43`; `1 Kings ccc14bbb31`; `1 Kings ccc15bbb8`, `1 Kings 15bbbccc24`; `1 Kings ccc22bbb50`; `2 Kings 8bbb24`; `2 Kings ccc12bbb21`; `2 Kings ccc14bbb20`; `2 Kings ccc15bbb7`, `2 Kings 15bbbccc38`; `2 Kings ccc16bbb20`, the reason being that the land of Canaan and also Zion represented and meant the Lord's kingdom, while burial meant resurrection. But it may become clear to anyone that the place itself does not contribute anything towards resurrection.
ttt[6] The truth that 'burial' means resurrection to life is also evident from other representatives, such as the requirement that the wicked were not to be lamented or buried, but cast aside, `Jeremiah 8bbb2`; `Jeremiah ccc14bbb16`; `Jeremiah ccc16bbb4`, `Jeremiah 16bbbccc6`; `Jeremiah ccc20bbb6`; `Jeremiah ccc22bbb19`; `Jeremiah ccc25bbb33`; `2 Kings 9bbb10`; `Revelation 11bbb9`; and that the wicked buried already were to be cast out of their graves, `Jeremiah 8bbb1-2`; `2 Kings 23bbb16-18`. But as regards 'a grave' in the contrary sense meaning death or hell, see `Isaiah 14bbb19-21`; `Ezekiel 32bbb21-23`, `Ezekiel 32bbbccc25-26`; `Psalms 88bbb4-5`, `Psalms 88bbbccc10-11`; `Numbers 19bbb16`, `Numbers 19bbbccc18-19`.
ppp20933#pid#2917. 'I will bury my dead from before me' means that He would emerge and rise up out of the night prevailing among them. This is clear from the meaning of 'burying' as rising again, dealt with immediately above in `@@@2916`, and from the meaning of 'one who is dead' as a state when shadow or night, which is the lack of knowledge, has fallen, also dealt with above in `@@@2908`, `@@@2912`, from which the Lord emerges and rises again with man when He is acknowledged. Previously He is enveloped in night because He does not appear. He rises again with every person who is being regenerated.
ppp20932#pid#2918. Verses `Genesis 23bbbccc5-6` And the sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him, Hear us, my lord; you are a prince of God in the midst of us; in the choicest of our graves bury your dead; none of us will withhold his grave from you, from burying your dead.
'The sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him' means a reciprocal state existing with members of the new Church. 'Hear us' means reception. 'My lord, you are a prince of God in the midst of us' means the Lord as regards Divine good and truth with them. 'In the choicest of our graves' means well-pleasing in regard to regeneration. 'Bury your dead' means that in this way they would emerge from night and be raised up into life. 'None of us will withhold his grave from you' means that all of them were made ready to receive regeneration. 'From burying your dead' means in order that they might emerge from night and be raised up.
ppp20931#pid#2919. 'The sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him' means a reciprocal state existing with members of the new Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'answering', when assent is given to that which is requested, as that which is reciprocal, and from the meaning of 'the sons of Heth' as those with whom the new spiritual Church existed, dealt with above in `@@@2913`.
ppp20930#pid#2920. 'Hear us' means reception. This is clear from the meaning of 'hear us', when used as a reply expressing assent, as reception.
ppp20929#pid#2921. 'My lord, you are a prince of God in the midst of us' means the Lord as regards Divine good and truth with them. This is clear from the meaning of 'a lord' and of 'a prince of God', and from the meaning of 'in the midst of us'. The fact that the expression 'lord' is used when good is the subject is clear from the Old Testament Word, for there Jehovah is sometimes called Jehovah, sometimes God, sometimes Lord, sometimes Jehovah God, sometimes Lord Jehovih, sometimes Jehovah Zebaoth, and always for a hidden reason which cannot be known except from the internal sense. In general when the celestial things of love, that is, when good, are dealt with, the name Jehovah is used, but when the spiritual things of faith are dealt with, the name God is used. And when both together are dealt with, the names Jehovah God are used. When however the Divine power of good, that is, when omnipotence is the subject, Jehovah Zebaoth (or Jehovah of Hosts), and also the Lord, are used; so that the names Jehovah Zebaoth and the name the Lord have the same sense and meaning. From this also, that is to say, from the power of good, men and angels are called 'lords', and in the contrary sense those are called servants or slaves who have no power at all or else have a power received from their lords. From these considerations it becomes clear that here 'my lord' in the internal sense means the Lord as regards good, which in what follows below will be illustrated from the Word. 'A prince of God' however means the Lord as regards the power of truth, that is, as regards truth, as becomes clear from the meaning of 'a prince' or 'princes' as first and foremost truths, dealt with in `@@@1482`, `@@@2089`, and from the fact that the phrase 'a prince of God' is used, for the name God is used when truth is dealt with but the name Jehovah when good is dealt with, `@@@2586`, `@@@2769`, `@@@2807`, `@@@2822`. As regards 'in the midst of us' meaning among them or present with them, this is clear without explanation.
ttt[2] That in the Old Testament Word the names Jehovah Zebaoth and the name Lord have the same sense and meaning is clear in Isaiah,
The zeal of Jehovah Zebaoth will do this; the Lord has sent a word into Jacob, and it has fallen on Israel. `Isaiah 9bbb7-8`.
Elsewhere in the same prophet,
A mighty king will have dominion over them, said the Lord, Jehovah Zebaoth. `Isaiah 19bbb4`.
In Malachi,
Behold, suddenly there will come to His temple the Lord whom you are seeking and the angel of the covenant in whom you delight. Behold, He is coming, says Jehovah Zebaoth. `Malachi 3bbb1`.
More plainly, in Isaiah,
I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up. Above Him stood the seraphim; each had six wings. One called to another, Holy, holy, holy is Jehovah Zebaoth. Woe is me! For I am cut off; for my eyes have seen the King, Jehovah Zebaoth. And I heard the voice of the Lord. `Isaiah 6bbb1-3`, `Isaiah 6bbbccc5`, `Isaiah 6bbbccc8`.
From these places it is evident that Jehovah Zebaoth and the Lord have the same meaning.
ttt[3] But 'the Lord Jehovih' is used more particularly when the help of omnipotence is sought and prayed for, as in Isaiah,
Say to the cities of Judah, Behold your God! Behold, the Lord Jehovih will come with might, and His arm will exercise dominion for Him; behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him. He will pasture His flock like a shepherd. `Isaiah 40bbb9-11`.
For further examples of this use of 'the Lord Jehovih', see `Isaiah 25bbb8`; `Isaiah ccc40bbb10`; `Isaiah ccc48bbb16`; `Isaiah ccc50bbb4-5`, `Isaiah 50bbbccc7`, `Isaiah 50bbbccc9`; `Isaiah ccc61bbb1`; `Jeremiah 2bbb22`; `Ezekiel 8bbb1`; `Ezekiel ccc11bbb13`, `Ezekiel 11bbbccc17`, `Ezekiel 11bbbccc21`; `Ezekiel ccc12bbb10`, `Ezekiel 12bbbccc19`, `Ezekiel 12bbbccc28`; `Ezekiel ccc13bbb8`, `Ezekiel 13bbbccc13`, `Ezekiel 13bbbccc16`, `Ezekiel 13bbbccc18`, `Ezekiel 13bbbccc20`; `Ezekiel ccc14bbb4`, `Ezekiel 14bbbccc6`, `Ezekiel 14bbbccc11`, `Ezekiel 14bbbccc18`, `Ezekiel 14bbbccc20-21`; `Micah 1bbb2`; `Psalms 71bbb5`, `Psalms 71bbbccc16`; and many other places.
ttt[4] What is more, in the Old Testament Word 'the Lord' entails the same as 'Jehovah', that is to say, 'the Lord' is used when good is dealt with, and therefore also the Lord is distinguished from God in the same way as Jehovah is from God; as in Moses,
Jehovah your God, He is God of gods, and Lord of lords. `Deuteronomy 10bbb17`.
In David,
Confess the God of gods, for His mercy is for ever; confess the Lord of lords, for His mercy is for ever. `Psalms 136bbb1-3`.
ttt[5] But nowhere in the New Testament Word, neither in the Gospels nor in the Book of Revelation, is Jehovah used. Instead of Jehovah the name the Lord occurs - for hidden reasons to be dealt with below. The fact that in the New Testament Word the Lord is used instead of Jehovah is quite clear in Mark,
Jesus said, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord. Therefore you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your thought, and with all your strength. `Mark 12bbb29-30`.
The same is expressed in Moses as follows,
Hear, O Israel, Jehovah our God is one Jehovah; and you shall love Jehovah your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength. `Deuteronomy 6bbb4-5`.
Here it is evident that the name 'the Lord' is used instead of Jehovah. Likewise in John,
I looked, and behold, a throne had been set in heaven, with one seated upon the throne. Around the throne were four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind. Each had for himself six wings round about him, and was full of eyes within. They were saying, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God omnipotent. `Revelation 4bbb2`, `Revelation 4bbbccc6`, `Revelation 4bbbccc8`.
This is described in Isaiah as follows,
I saw the Lord seated upon a throne, high and lifted up. Above Him stood the seraphim; each had six wings. One called to another, Holy, holy, holy is Jehovah Zebaoth. `Isaiah 6bbb1-3`, `Isaiah 6bbbccc5`, `Isaiah 6bbbccc8`.
In this case 'the Lord' is used instead of 'Jehovah', that is, 'the Lord God omnipotent' instead of 'Jehovah Zebaoth'. The fact that the four living creatures are the seraphim or cherubs is evident in `Ezekiel 1bbb5`, `Ezekiel 1bbbccc13-15`, `Ezekiel 1bbbccc19` and following verses; `Ezekiel ccc10bbb15`. That in the New Testament 'the Lord' is Jehovah is also clear from many other places, as in Luke,
An angel of the Lord appeared to Zechariah. `Luke 1bbb11`.
'An angel of the Lord' is used instead of 'an angel of Jehovah'. In the same chapter the angel told Zechariah regarding his son,
He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. `Luke 1bbb16`.
'To the Lord their God' is used instead of 'to Jehovah their God'. Also in the same chapter, the angel told Mary regarding Jesus,
He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to Him the throne of David. `Luke 1bbb32`.
'The Lord God' is used instead of 'Jehovah God'. Still in the same chapter,
Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour. `Luke 1bbb46-47`.
Here also 'the Lord' is used instead of 'Jehovah'. And again in the same chapter, Zechariah prophesied, saying,
Blessed is the Lord God of Israel. `Luke 1bbb68`.
'The Lord God' is used instead of 'Jehovah God'. In the same gospel,
An angel of the Lord stood before the shepherds, and the glory of the Lord shone around them. `Luke 2bbb9`.
'An angel of the Lord' and 'the glory of the Lord' are used instead of 'an angel of Jehovah' and 'the glory of Jehovah'. In Matthew,
Blessed is He coming in the name of the Lord. `Matthew 21bbb9`; `Matthew ccc23bbb39`; `Luke 13bbb35`; `John 12bbb13`.
'In the name of the Lord' is used instead of 'in the name of Jehovah'. There are many other places besides all these, such as `Luke 1bbb28`; `Luke ccc2bbb15`, `Luke 2bbbccc22-24`, `Luke 2bbbccc29`, `Luke 2bbbccc38-39`; `Luke ccc5bbb17`; `Mark 12bbb10-11`.
ttt[6] Among the hidden reasons why people called Jehovah the Lord were the following: If when the Lord was in the world they had been told that He was the Jehovah mentioned so many times in the Old Testament, see `@@@1736`, they would not have accepted it because they would not have believed it. And there is the further reason that as regards the Human the Lord did not become Jehovah until He had in every respect united the Divine Essence to the Human Essence, and the Human Essence to the Divine Essence, see `@@@1725`, `@@@1729`, `@@@1733`, `@@@1745`, `@@@1815`, `@@@2156`, `@@@2751`. These became fully united after the final temptation, which was that of the Cross; and it was for this reason that after the Resurrection the disciples always called Him Lord, `John 20bbb2`, `John 20bbbccc13`, `John 20bbbccc15`, `John 20bbbccc18`, `John 20bbbccc20`, `John 20bbbccc25`; `John ccc21bbb7`, `John 21bbbccc12`, `John 21bbbccc15-17`, `John 21bbbccc20`; `Mark 16bbb19-20`; and Thomas said,
My Lord and my God. `John 20bbb28`.
And as the Lord was the Jehovah mentioned so many times in the Old Testament, therefore He also told the disciples,
You call Me Master and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If therefore I your Lord and Master have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one anothers' feet. `John 13bbb13-14`, `John 13bbbccc16`.
These words mean that He was Jehovah God, for in this instance He is called 'Lord' as regards good, but 'Master' as regards truth. That the Lord was Jehovah is also meant by the angel's words to the shepherds,
To you is born this day a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. `Luke 2bbb11`.
'Christ' is used instead of 'Messiah', 'Anointed One', and 'King', 'the Lord, instead of 'Jehovah' - 'Christ' having regard to truth, 'the Lord' to good. Anyone who does not examine the Word carefully cannot know this, for he believes that our Saviour was called Lord because this was an everyday expression that was used to offer respect to Him, as to others, when in reality He was so called by virtue of His being Jehovah.
ppp20928#pid#2922. 'In the choicest of our graves' means well-pleasing in regard to regeneration. This is clear from the meaning of 'choosing', 'a choice', and 'choicest' as that which is preferred or well-pleasing, and from the meaning of 'a grave' as resurrection and regeneration, dealt with above in `@@@2916`.
ppp20927#pid#2923. 'Bury your dead' means that in this way they would emerge from night and be raised up into life. This is clear from the meaning of 'burying' as rising again or being raised up to life, dealt with in `@@@2916`, and from the meaning of 'one who is dead' as night as regards goods and truths of faith, dealt with in `@@@2908`, `@@@2912`, `@@@2917`.
ppp20926#pid#2924. 'None of us will withhold his grave from you' means that all of them were ready to receive regeneration. This is clear from the meaning of 'a grave' as regeneration, dealt with in `@@@2916`, and from the meaning of 'not withholding' as a receptive will.
ppp20925#pid#2925. 'From burying your dead' means in order that they might emerge from night and be raised up. This is clear from the meaning of 'burying' and 'one who is dead' as being raised up from night as regards goods and truths of faith, dealt with just above in `@@@2923`, where the same words occur.
ppp20924#pid#2926. Verses `Genesis 23bbbccc7-8` And Abraham rose up and bowed to the people of the land, to the sons of Heth. And he spoke to them, saying, If you are willing`fff1` to let me bury my dead from before me, hear me and intercede for me with Ephron the son of Zohar.
'Abraham rose up and bowed' means the Lord's joy at being received so kindly. 'To the people of the land, to the sons of Heth' means by those who belonged to the new spiritual Church. 'He spoke to them, saying' means thought and perception concerning those people. 'If you are willing' means if on account of an affection for truth coming from the heart. 'To let me bury my dead from before me' means that they wished to emerge from night and rise again. 'Hear me' means that they were to comply. 'And intercede for me with Ephron the son of Zohar' means those with whom the good and truth of faith could be received.
`nnn1. literally, If it is with your soul
ppp20923#pid#2927. 'Abraham rose up and bowed' means the Lord's joy at being received so kindly. This is clear from the meaning of 'rising up' as implying some kind of raising up, dealt with in `@@@2401`, `@@@2785` - gladness and joy raise the mind up, and therefore the phrase 'he rose up' is used here; from the representation of 'Abraham' as the Lord, often dealt with already; and from the meaning of 'bowing' as feeling joy, bowing being a movement of the body expressing both humiliation and joy. The fact that an expression of joy at being received kindly is meant here is evident from what comes before and after the words 'Abraham rose up and bowed down'.
ppp20922#pid#2928. 'To the people of the land, to the sons of Heth' means by those who belonged to the [new] spiritual Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'the people' as those who are governed by truths, and so those who are spiritual, dealt with in `@@@1259`, `@@@1260`; from the meaning of 'the land' as the Church dealt with in `@@@662`, `@@@1066`, `@@@1068`, `@@@1262`, `@@@1733`, `@@@1850`, `@@@2117`, `@@@2118` (end); and from the meaning of 'the sons of Heth' as those who belonged to the new spiritual Church, dealt with above in `@@@2913`. The expression 'the people of the land' is used in various places in the Word when the subject is Israel and Jerusalem, and by those people is meant in the internal sense the spiritual Church or those who belong to the spiritual Church, for Israel and Jerusalem are used to mean that Church. When Judah and Zion are the subject however the expression 'the nation' is used. 'The nation' means the celestial Church, for Judah and Zion are used to mean that Church.
ttt[2] That the expression 'the people of the land' is used when Israel and Jerusalem, and so when the spiritual Church are the subject, is clear from many places in the Word, as in Ezekiel,
Say to the people of the land, Thus says the Lord Jehovih to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to the land of Israel, They will eat their bread in sorrow, and drink their waters in vastation, that her land may be devastated. The inhabited cities will be vastated and the land made desolate. `Ezekiel 12bbb19-20`.
Here in the internal sense 'Jerusalem' and 'the land of Israel' stand for the spiritual Church, 'bread' and 'waters' for charity and faith, or good and truth. 'The land' stands for the Church itself which as regards good is said to be 'vastated' and as regards truth to be 'made desolate'.
ttt[3] In the same prophet,
The house of Israel will bury Gog and his multitude so that they will cleanse the land in seven months, and all the people of the land will bury them. `Ezekiel 39bbb11-13`.
'Gog' stands for external worship separated from internal, which is idolatrous, `@@@1151`. 'The house of Israel' stands for the spiritual Church as regards good, 'the people of the land' as regards truth, 'the land' for the Church itself. The reason 'the land' is the Church is that 'the land of Canaan' represented the Lord's kingdom and so the Church, since the Lord's kingdom on earth is the Church.
ttt[4] In the same prophet,
All the people of the land will give`fff1` this thruma (oblation) to the prince of Israel. And the prince will prepare for himself on that day, and for all the people of the land a young bull for a sin offering. The people of the land will bow down at the door of the gate on the sabbaths and at new moons. And the people of the land will enter at the appointed feasts. `Ezekiel 45bbb16`, `Ezekiel 45bbbccc22`; `Ezekiel ccc46bbb3`, `Ezekiel 46bbbccc9`.
This refers to the New Jerusalem, that is, to the Lord's spiritual kingdom, whose subjects are here called 'the people of the land'. 'The prince' is Divine truth coming from the Lord. The expression 'the sons of Heth' is used because 'sons' means truths, see `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@533`, `@@@1147`, `@@@2623`.
ttt[5] The reason why truths are attributable to those who are spiritual is that these people are introduced to good by way of truths, that is, to charity by way of faith. And because the good they do is done from an affection for truth - for they do not know otherwise than that it is good because they have been taught that it is - their conscience too is founded on these truths of faith, see `@@@1155`, `@@@1577`, `@@@2046`, `@@@2088`, `@@@2184`, `@@@2507`, `@@@2715`, `@@@2716`, `@@@2718`.
`nnn1. literally, will be to
ppp20921#pid#2929. 'He spoke to them, saying' means thought and perception concerning those people. This is clear from the meaning of 'speaking and saying' as thinking and perceiving, dealt with in `@@@1898`, `@@@1919`, `@@@2080`, `@@@2271`, `@@@2287`, `@@@2506`, `@@@2515`, `@@@2552`, `@@@2619`.
ppp20920#pid#2930. 'If you are willing' means if on account of an affection for truth coming from the heart. This is clear from the meaning of 'soul' in the internal sense. The expression 'with heart and soul' or 'with all the heart and with all the soul' occurs in various places in the Word where with all the will and all the understanding is meant. The fact that man possesses the dual powers of will and understanding, and also that the will is separated from the understanding may be well known to everyone, for we are all able to understand what is good and true but nevertheless will what is evil and false. From the beginning the human being was created in such a way that will and understanding with him were to make one, so that he would not think anything other than what he willed, nor will anything other than what he thought. Such is the state with celestial people and such it was in the celestial Church which was called Man or Adam. But with spiritual people, that is, in the spiritual Church, the first ability is separated from the second, that is to say, that of the understanding is separated from that of the will. A spiritual person is reformed by the Lord as to the former, namely the understanding part of his mind, and then within this there is formed a new will and a new understanding, `@@@863`, `@@@875`, `@@@895`, `@@@897`, `@@@927`, `@@@928`, `@@@1023`, `@@@1043`, `@@@1044`, `@@@2256`.
ttt[2] The new will there, which is received from the Lord, is what is called 'the heart', while the new understanding is what is called 'the soul'. And when the expression 'with all the heart and with all the soul' is used, with all the will and with all the understanding is meant. This is what is meant by 'heart and soul' in Moses,
This day Jehovah your God is commanding you to observe these statutes and judgements - that you may keep and observe them with all your heart and with all your soul. `Deuteronomy 26bbb16`.
You shall love Jehovah your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength. `Deuteronomy 6bbb5`.
In the same author,
Now Israel, what does Jehovah your God require of you except to fear Jehovah your God, to go in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve Jehovah your God with all your heart and with all your soul? `Deuteronomy 10bbb12`; `Deuteronomy ccc11bbb13`.
In the same author,
In the Book of Kings,
David said to Solomon, Jehovah will establish His Word which He spoke concerning me, saying, If [your] sons take heed to their way to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there will not fail you a man on the throne of Israel. `1 Kings 2bbb4`.
In Matthew,
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. `Matthew 22bbb37`; `Mark 12bbb29-30`.
ttt[3] The same is also said of Jehovah or the Lord because with the member of the Church He is the source of affection for good, which belongs to the will, and of the affection for truth, which belongs to the understanding; as in Samuel,
I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest, [who will do] according to what is in My heart and in My soul. `1 Samuel 2bbb35`.
And in Jeremiah,
I will rejoice over them to do good to them, and I will plant them in this land in truth, with all My heart, and with all My soul. `Jeremiah 32bbb41`.
And there are still other places in the Word where 'soul' means the affection for truth, as in Isaiah,
With my soul I desired You in the night; even with my spirit within me I sought You early. For insofar as Your judgements are in the earth the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness. `Isaiah 26bbb9`.
Here 'soul' stands for an affection for truth, 'spirit' for an affection for good. 'Judgements' has reference to truths, and 'righteousness' to good, see `@@@2235`.
ttt[4] In the same prophet,
The fool speaks folly, to make empty the hungry soul, and causes the [soul] thirsting for drink to fail. `Isaiah 32bbb6`.
'The hungry soul', which 'the fool makes empty', stands for the desire for good, while 'the soul thirsting for drink', which 'the fool causes to fail', stands for the desire for truth. In Jeremiah,
Their soul will become like a watered garden, and I will water the weary soul, and every sorrowful soul I will replenish. `Jeremiah 31bbb12`, `Jeremiah 31bbbccc25`.
'The soul' stands for the affection for truth and good. In the same prophet,
All its people groan as they search for bread. They have given their desirable things for food, to revive the soul. A comforter is far from me, one to revive my soul; my sons have been made desolate. They sought food for themselves to revive their soul. `Lamentations 1bbb11`, `Lamentations 1bbbccc16`, `Lamentations 1bbbccc19`.
'The soul' stands for the life of the affection for good and truth, 'food' stands for wisdom and intelligence.
ttt[5] It has been said that 'the soul' means the affection for truth coming from the heart, because some affections for truth exist which do not come from the heart, such as those which come from self-love, which is the desire to be above others; from love of the world, which is the love of gain; and from love of merit. Affections for truth spring in a similar way from these loves, but they are not genuine affections. They come from the will of the flesh, not from the heart. That which comes from the heart comes from the Lord. Furthermore 'the soul' in the Word means in the universal sense all life, see `@@@1000`, `@@@1005`, `@@@1040`, `@@@1742`. Indeed in the universal sense the soul constitutes that from which another thing has its being and life. Thus the soul of the body is its spirit, since it is from this that the body has life. The soul of the spirit however is its still more interior life from which it derives its wisdom and intelligence.
ppp20919#pid#2931. 'To let me bury my dead from before me' means that they wished to emerge from night and rise again. This is clear from the meaning of 'burying' as rising again, and of 'one who is dead' as night as regards the goods and truths of faith, dealt with above in `@@@2923`, `@@@2925`, where the same words occur.
ppp20918#pid#2932. 'Hear me' means that they were to comply. This is clear from the meaning of 'hearing' as obeying or complying, dealt with in `@@@2542`.
ppp20917#pid#2933. 'And intercede for me with Ephron the son of Zohar' means those with whom the good and truth of faith could be received. This becomes clear from the fact that the field, and the cave in the field where Sarah was to be buried, was Ephron's. And because burial means regeneration, `@@@2916`, it follows that Ephron means those with whom the good and truth of faith could be received. 'The sons of Heth' too represents the same, insofar as they belonged to Ephron's city and insofar as they were people of that city. 'Interceding' here means being made ready to receive.
ppp20916#pid#2934. Verse `Genesis 23bbbccc9` And let him give me the cave of Machpelah which is his, which is at the end of his field; for the full price`fff1` let him give it to me in the midst of you, as a possession for a grave.
'Let him give me the cave of Machpelah which is his' means the obscurity of faith that was theirs. 'Which is at the end of his field' means where little of the Church exists. 'For the full price' means redemption by means of truth. 'Let him give it to me in the midst of you as a possession for a grave' means possession gained thus through regeneration.
`nnn1. literally, in full silver or money
ppp20915#pid#2935. 'Let him give me the cave of Machpelah [which is his]' means the obscurity of faith [that was theirs]. This is clear from the meaning of 'a cave' as obscurity, dealt with in `@@@2463`, and from the meaning of 'Machpelah' as faith which is enveloped in obscurity. The reason 'a cave' means obscurity is that it is a place filled with darkness. When reference is made to a mountain cave - as in `Genesis 19bbb30`, where it is said that Lot lived in a mountain cave - obscurity as regards good is meant, but when reference is made to the cave in the field of Machpelah obscurity as regards truth is meant. Here, because the expression 'the cave of Machpelah' is used - Machpelah being the field at the end of which the cave was situated - an obscurity as regards truth, or what amounts to the same, as regards faith is meant. From this it is also evident that Machpelah is faith which is enveloped in obscurity.
ttt[2] Those who are being regenerated and becoming spiritual are very much in obscurity as regards truth. With them good from the Lord is indeed flowing in, but truth less so. Consequently a parallelism and correspondence exists with man between the Lord and good, but not between Him and truth, see `@@@1832`. The chief reason for this is that men do not know what good is, and if they did know they would still not believe it at heart. And as long as their good is enveloped in obscurity, so too is their truth, for it is from good that all truth springs. Or to be more explicit, the idea that the Lord is Good itself, and that everything which in itself is a manifestation of love to Him and of charity towards the neighbour is good, and that everything which declares and confirms this is truth, they do not know except in an extremely obscure way. Indeed they even entertain doubts, and allow reasonings to enter in against those considerations. And as long as their state is such, the light of truth from the Lord cannot flow in. Indeed they think of the Lord as they do of another human being and not of Him as God; and they model their idea of love to Him on some worldly kind of love. What genuine affection that stems from charity towards the neighbour is they scarcely know at all, or even what charity is and what the neighbour is. Yet these are essentials. From this one may recognize the great obscurity in which spiritual people are and which is all the greater before regeneration has taken place, which state is the subject here.
ppp20914#pid#2936. 'Which is at the end of his field' means where little of the Church exists. This is clear from the meaning of 'the end' or the edge as that which is little, and from the meaning of 'the field' as the Church, and also the Church's doctrine, dealt with in `@@@368`. That 'the end' or the edge means that which is little becomes clear from the description of the land, the ground, and fields in the Word. The middle of them means that which is much, but the edge means that which is little. This edge is also called the circumference, the reason being that what is representative expires around the edge; and so here 'the end of the field' means where little of the Church exists.
ppp20913#pid#2937. 'For the full price' means redemption by means of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'silver' as truth, dealt with in `@@@1551`, and from the meaning of 'let him give it to me in - that is, for - silver', as buying, and in the spiritual sense as redeeming. For spiritual people are called 'those bought with silver', see `@@@2048`; that is, they are redeemed by means of truth. The reason for this is that they are being regenerated, that is to say, are being initiated into good, by means of the truth of faith. For the spiritual man, unlike the celestial, does not have any perception of good. Instead he knows through truth, and after that acknowledges from truth, that which is good. And when he acknowledges and believes, truth to him becomes good and he experiences it as good whose essential nature is the same as the truth with him. This is why spiritual people are called those redeemed by means of truth. Yet the essential nature of the good is not born and produced from truth, but from the influx of good into truth of that nature.
ppp20912#pid#2938. 'Let him give it to me in the midst of you as a possession for a grave' means possession gained thus through regeneration. This becomes clear without explanation, for 'a grave' is regeneration, as shown above in `@@@2916`.
ppp20911#pid#2939. Verse `Genesis 23bbbccc10` And Ephron was sitting in the midst of the sons of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the ears of the sons of Heth, to all entering into the gate of his city, saying,
'Ephron was sitting in the midst of the sons of Heth' means those who were primarily able to receive the good and truth of faith. 'And Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham' means the state of their receptivity. 'In the ears of the sons of Heth' means obedience. 'To all entering into the gate of his city, saying' means matters of doctrine through which one comes to faith.
ppp20910#pid#2940. 'Ephron was sitting in the midst of the sons of Heth' means those who were primarily able to receive the good and truth of faith. This is clear from the representation of 'Ephron', and also from the meaning of 'the sons of Heth' as those with whom the good and truth of faith could be received and with whom a new Church existed, dealt with in `@@@2913`, `@@@2933`; and from the meaning of 'the middle' or 'in the midst' as that which is primary or the chief thing, and also that which is inmost, dealt with in `@@@1074`. 'The middle' in the internal sense means that which is primary or the chief thing, and also that which is inmost, by reason of the representatives in the next life. When anything good is represented there by means of spiritual ideas, the purest of the good is in the middle and the less and less pure in consecutive degrees from the middle, until lastly at the circumference there is that which is not good at all. And this is why 'in the midst' means both that which is primary or the chief thing and also that which is inmost. The ideas comprising thought are also represented in the same manner, and so are affections too. And all changes of state are represented in that manner, in that everything good or evil is altered as to its position towards the middle. This has its origin in the form possessed by spiritual and celestial things, which is such.
ppp20909#pid#2941. 'And Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham' means the state of their receptivity. This is clear from the meaning of 'answering', when assent is being given, as receptivity, as is also evident from what follows shortly. Ephron is here called 'the Hittite' in order that he may represent the spiritual Church as its head and chief.
ppp20908#pid#2942. 'In the ears of the sons of Heth' means obedience. This is clear from the meaning of 'the ear' as obedience, dealt with in `@@@2542`.
ppp20907#pid#2943. 'To all entering into the gate of his city, saying' means matters of doctrine through which one comes to faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'a gate' as a place of entry and so as that which, in the same way as a door, leads in, dealt with in `@@@2145`, `@@@2152`, `@@@2356`, `@@@2385`, and from the meaning of 'a city' as truth, which constitutes faith, dealt with in `@@@402`, `@@@2268`, `@@@2449`, `@@@2451`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc2712`. In the Ancient Church a city was not like the city of later or of modern times. That is to say, a city did not consist of a collection or gathering together of individuals but of separate families living side by side. A family descended from the same forefather constituted a city. The city of Nahor, for example, to which Abraham's servant went to betroth Rebekah to Isaac, `Genesis 24bbb10`, consisted of the family of Nahor which was there. And Shalem, the city of Shechem, to which Jacob came after his departure from Paddan Aram, `Genesis 33bbb18` and the whole of Chapter `Genesis ccc34bbb0`, consisted of the family of Hamor and Shechem which was there. And the same was so with all other cities in those times.
ttt[2] And as it had come down to them from the most ancient people that nations and families represented heavenly communities, and so the things of love and charity, `@@@685`, `@@@1159`, therefore when a city is mentioned instead of a family, and a people instead of a nation, truth that constitutes faith is meant. It is also why in the genuine sense the city of God and the holy city mean faith in the Lord. And as 'a city' meant faith, 'the gate of the city' means matters of doctrine through which one comes to faith. The same was also meant in the Jewish representative Church by the judges and elders sitting in the gate of the city and giving judgement there, as is evident from historical sections of the Word, and also in Zechariah,
These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth, everyone to his companion; judge in your gates the truth and the judgement of peace. `Zechariah 8bbb16`.
And in Amos,
Hate evil, and love good, and establish judgement in the gate. `Amos 5bbb15`.
'A gate' also means the place of entry into the rational mind, and the rational mind is compared to a city, see `@@@2851`.
ppp20906#pid#2944. Verse `Genesis 23bbbccc11` No, my lord, hear me; the field I give to you, and the cave that is in it I give to you; before the eyes of the sons of my people I give it to you; bury your dead.
'No, my lord, hear me' means that initial state dealt with already. 'The field I give to you, and the cave that is in it I give to you' means preparation from themselves as regards the things that belong to the Church and to faith. 'Before the eyes of the sons of my people I give it to you' means according to the understanding of everyone. 'Bury your dead' means that they may emerge from night and be raised up again.
ppp20905#pid#2945. 'No, my lord, hear me' means that initial state dealt with already in `@@@2935`, `@@@2936`, namely a state when they were as to faith in obscurity. This is clear from their refusal to hear of Abraham paying the full price mentioned in verse `Genesis 23bbbccc9`. This means in the internal sense that they would be redeemed by the Lord but that they were willing to prepare themselves as regards those things that belong to the Church and faith, that is, to reform themselves. The words 'No, my lord, hear me' imply a state - that of their thought regarding redemption and reformation; for what was proposed follows immediately.
ppp20904#pid#2946. 'The field I give to you, and the cave that is in it I give to you' means preparation from themselves as regards the things that belong to the Church and to faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'a field' as the Church, dealt with in `@@@368`, `@@@2936`; from the meaning of 'the cave that is in it', that is to say, in the field, as the obscurity of faith, dealt with in `@@@2935`; and from the meaning of 'giving the field and giving the cave' - or what amounts to the same, not taking any payment from Abraham - as not wishing to be redeemed by the Lord, but to achieve it by themselves and so to prepare themselves in these matters. Such is the first state of all who are being reformed and becoming spiritual; that is to say, they do not believe that they are reformed by the Lord but by themselves, that is, that all will of good and all thought of truth originate in themselves. What is more, the Lord maintains them in that state, for if He does not they are not able to be reformed. Indeed if they were told before regeneration has taken place that they are incapable by themselves of doing anything good, or by themselves of thinking anything true, they would either lapse into the mistake of supposing that they must wait for an influx into the will and an influx into thought, and not attempt a thing, if that influx does not take place; or into the mistake of supposing that if good and truth have any other origin but themselves, nothing would ever be attributed to them as righteousness; or into the mistake that in this case they would be like machines without a mind or any control of their own; or into further mistakes. Therefore they are allowed to think that good and truth originate in themselves.
ttt[2] But after they have been regenerated, the recognition that the situation is different is gradually instilled into them - that everything true comes wholly from the Lord. And as they grow more perfect it is also instilled into them that whatever does not come from the Lord is evil and false. Those who have been regenerated are led, if not during their lifetime then in the next life, not only to know this but also to see it with perception, for all angels enjoy the perception that this is so. Please see what has been stated already about these matters in the following places:
Everything good and true comes from the Lord, `@@@1614`, `@@@2016`.
All intelligence and wisdom come from the Lord, `@@@109`, `@@@112`, `@@@121`, `@@@124`.
Of himself man cannot achieve anything good or think anything true, `@@@874-876`.
Nevertheless everyone ought to do good as if from his proprium or own self, and not stay his hands, `@@@1712`.
If man compels himself to withstand evil and to do good as if from himself he receives a heavenly proprium from the Lord, `@@@1937`, `@@@1947`.
ppp20903#pid#2947. 'Before the eyes of the sons of my people I give it to you' means according to the understanding of everyone. This is clear from the meaning of 'the eyes' as the understanding, dealt with in `@@@2701`, and from the meaning of 'the sons of the people' as everyone. 'The sons of the people' are those who are first introduced to truths, for 'people' are those who possess truths, `@@@1259`, `@@@1260`; and this is why not 'before the eyes of my people' but 'before the eyes of the sons of my people' occurs here.
ppp20902#pid#2948. 'Bury your dead' means that they may emerge from night and be raised up again. This is clear from the meaning of 'burying' as rising again, or what amounts to the same, being raised up again, and from the meaning of 'one who is dead' as night as regards goods and truths of faith, dealt with above in `@@@2917`, `@@@2923`, `@@@2925`, `@@@2931`, where the same words occur.
ppp20901#pid#2949. Verses `Genesis 23bbbccc12-13` And Abraham bowed before the people of the land. And he spoke to Ephron in the ears of the people of the land, saying, Even so, please hear me; I will give the price`fff1` of the field; accept it from me, and I will bury my dead there.
'Abraham bowed before the people of the land' means the Lord's joy at the goodwill of those who belonged to the new spiritual Church. 'And he spoke to Ephron' means an influx with those who were able to receive it. 'In the ears of the people of the land' means even to being obedient as regards the truths of the Church. 'Even so, please hear me' means an interior influx. 'I will give the price of the field; accept it from me' means redemption as regards the truths of the Church which come from the Lord. 'And I will bury my dead' means that in this way they would emerge from night and be made alive.
`nnn1. literally, the silver or the money
ppp20900#pid#2950. 'Abraham bowed before the people of the land' means the Lord's joy at the goodwill of those who belonged to the new spiritual Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'bowing' here as feeling joy, as also above in `@@@2927`, from the representation of 'Abraham' as the Lord, often dealt with already, and from the meaning of 'the people of the land' as those who belong to the spiritual Church, dealt with above in `@@@2928`, where the same words occur. But there it is said that 'he bowed to the people of the land, to the sons of Heth', verse `Genesis 23bbbccc7`; and the reason why the expression 'the sons of Heth' is added there is that members of the Church who are first introduced [to truth] are meant, as is also meant by 'the sons of the people', `@@@2947`. The present verse however refers to those who are making progress, and therefore simply 'the people of the land' is used without the addition of 'the sons of Heth'. The previous verse meant His joy at being received kindly, the present His joy at their goodwill. Reception comes first because it is an activity of the understanding, goodwill after because it is an activity of the will, see `@@@2954`.
ppp20899#pid#2951. 'And he spoke to Ephron' means an influx with those who were able to receive it. This is clear from the meaning of 'speaking' as thinking, `@@@2271`, `@@@2287`, also willing, `@@@2626`, and so as flowing in, for that is how influx is effected; and from the representation of 'Ephron' as those with whom the truth and good of faith could be received, dealt with in `@@@2933`.
ppp20898#pid#2952. 'In the ears of the people of the land' means even to being obedient as regards the truths of the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'the ear' as obedience, dealt with in `@@@2542`, `@@@2942`, and from the meaning of 'the people of the land' as those who belong to the spiritual Church, and also the truths of that Church, dealt with in `@@@1259`, `@@@1260`, `@@@2928`.
ppp20897#pid#2953. 'Even so, please hear me' means an interior influx. This becomes clear from the dialogue that took place - 'Abraham spoke to Ephron' meaning an influx, as stated just above in `@@@2951`. Here the dialogue continues, Ephron's interest being aroused by Abraham's saying, 'Even so, please hear me', by which an interior influx is therefore meant. The internal sense is such that the expressions and words are in themselves scarcely anything at all. Rather, the meaning they carry, flowing from the train of thought, leads to ideas, and indeed with angels to spiritual ideas - which the external or literal sense serves as the object from which those ideas can be grasped. For it is the ideas comprising man's thought that serve as the objects which angels need for spiritual thoughts, especially those ideas comprising his thought which primarily are obtained from the Word. For all things described in the Word are representative, and every single expression carries a spiritual meaning. And angels are instantly aware that those images come from the Word, because spiritual and celestial things in the Word follow one after another in a perfectly ordered sequence, holding that which is holy within them by virtue of the inmost sense which has to do solely with the Lord and His kingdom.
ppp20896#pid#2954. 'I will give the price of the field, accept it from me' means redemption as regards the truths of the Church which come from the Lord. This is clear from the meaning of 'giving the silver' as redeeming by means of truth, dealt with above in `@@@2937`, for 'silver' means truth, `@@@1551`; from the meaning of 'the field' as the Church, and also the doctrine of truth, dealt with in `@@@368`, `@@@2936`; and from the meaning of 'accept it from me' as a willing response with those who belong to the Church. That response involves a belief that redemption comes from the Lord alone. As for what redemption is, it is the same as reformation and regeneration, and therefore being delivered from hell and being saved. The redemption, or reformation and salvation, of members of the spiritual Church is effected by means of truth, whereas that of members of the celestial Church is effected by means of good.
ttt[2] The reasons why have been stated in various places already - that spiritual people possess no will at all for what is good, but instead have been provided with an ability to understand what good is. The understanding of what is good is primarily called truth, and indeed the truth of faith, while the willing of it and from this the doing of it is called good. Spiritual persons therefore, by means of an understanding of good, or what amounts to the same, by means of truth, are led on to a will for what is good, or what amounts to the same, to good. They are not led on to any will for what is good from anything that is their own, since all will for what is good has with them been destroyed, `@@@895`, `@@@927`, `@@@2124`. Instead they are led on to a new will which they receive from the Lord, `@@@863`, `@@@875`, `@@@1023`, `@@@1043`, `@@@1044`; and when they have received this new will they specifically are called the redeemed.
ppp20895#pid#2955. 'I will bury my dead' means that they would emerge from night and be made alive. This is clear from the meaning of 'burying' and of 'one who is dead', dealt with above in `@@@2917`, `@@@2923`, `@@@2925`, `@@@2931`, `@@@2948`. They are spoken of here as being made alive because they are on their way to receiving faith; for it is from faith, that is to say, from the good that is the fruit of it, that they receive life. That life has no other source. A further reason why 'I will bury my dead' means emerging from spiritual night and being made alive is that once the previous Church has died, a new one is established by the Lord to take its place, and so life is imparted to take the place of death, and morning to take the place of night. And there is the further reason still that with everyone who is being reformed and becoming spiritual, that which has died in him is so to speak buried, and that which is new and made alive rises up, so that instead of the night with him, that is, instead of darkness and cold, morning breaks, bringing its light and warmth. This explains why with angels, who have the Lord's life in them, in place of men's idea of burial of the dead there is the idea of resurrection and of new life. This is indeed so, for some Church always exists on earth, and when the old Church breathes its last and night has fallen, a new one rises up somewhere else, and morning breaks.
ppp20894#pid#2956. Verses `Genesis 23bbbccc14-15` And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, My lord, hear me; the land [is worth] four hundred shekels of silver; what is that between me and you? So bury your dead.
'Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him' means a state of receptivity. 'My lord, hear me' means the initial state of receptivity. 'The land [is worth] four hundred shekels of silver' means the price of redemption by means of truth. 'What is that between me and you?' means that he gave his assent yet still wished to achieve it by himself. 'So bury your dead' means here, as previously, emergence from night and consequent rising up again.
ppp20893#pid#2957. 'Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him' means a state of receptivity. This is clear from the meaning of 'answering', when assent is being given, as receptivity, dealt with above in `@@@2941`. The fact that it is a state of receptivity which is meant here by answering and saying is evident from what follows.
ppp20892#pid#2958. 'My lord, hear me' means the initial state of receptivity. This too is clear from what follows, as well as from what has been stated already in `@@@2945`, where the same words occur. There however the reply was No, whereas here it is affirmative, though still expressing doubt, for in what follows almost immediately come the words, 'What is that between me and you?' which means that he gave his assent yet still wished to achieve it by himself. What is more, 'My lord, hear me' is purely an expression used to lead another person to reflect, while yet implying a state in which a proposal is made.
ppp20891#pid#2959. 'The land [is worth] four hundred shekels of silver' means the price of redemption by means of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'four hundred shekels', dealt with below, and from the meaning of 'silver' as truth, dealt with in `@@@1551`, `@@@2048`, `@@@2937`. The reason 'four hundred shekels' means the price of redemption is that 'four hundred' means vastation and 'a shekel' price. What vastation is, see `@@@2455` (end), `@@@2682`, `@@@2694`, `@@@2699`, `@@@2702`, `@@@2704`, where it is shown that there are two types of vastation. The first takes place when the Church altogether ceases to exist, that is, when there is no longer any charity or faith. At that point the Church is said to be vastated or laid waste. The second takes place when those who belong to the Church are reduced to a state of ignorance and also of temptation, for the reason that the evils and falsities residing with them are to be set apart and so to speak dissipated. Those who emerge from this vastation are those who are specifically called the redeemed, for at that point they are taught the goods and truths of faith, and are reformed and regenerated by the Lord, as shown in the paragraphs quoted. Now since the number four hundred, when used to specify a period of time - such as four hundred years - means the duration and also the state of vastation, so that same number, when used to specify the number of shekels, means the price of redemption; and when the word 'silver' is mentioned together with this number, the price of redemption by means of truth is meant.
ttt[2] That 'four hundred years' means the duration and the state of vastation becomes clear also from what Abraham was told,
Jehovah said to Abraham,`fff1` Know for sure that your seed will be strangers in a land not theirs. And they will serve them, and these will afflict them for four hundred years. `Genesis 15bbb13`.
There it may be seen that 'four hundred years' is used to mean the duration of the stay of the children of Israel in Egypt. Yet it is not the duration of their stay in Egypt that is meant but something that is not evident to anyone except from the internal sense. This becomes clear from the fact that the duration of the stay of the children of Israel in Egypt was no more than half the stated period, as becomes quite clear from the descendants of Jacob down to Moses. For the facts are that Levi was descended from Jacob, Kohath from Levi, Amram from Kohath, and Aaron and Moses from Amram, `Exodus 6bbb16-20`; Levi and his son Kohath went down to Egypt together with Jacob, `Genesis 46bbb11`; and Moses came two generations later, and was eighty years old when he spoke to Pharaoh, `Exodus 7bbb7`. These facts show that the period of time from Jacob's entry into Egypt until his sons' departure from that land was approximately two hundred and fifteen years.
ttt[3] That 'four hundred' is used in the Word to mean something other than its numerical value in the historical sense is clearer still from its being said that
The length of time that the children of Israel dwelt in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years, and at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, it happened on that same day, that all the armies of Jehovah went out of the land of Egypt. `Exodus 12bbb40-41`.
The duration of the stay of the children of Israel in that land was in fact only half that number of years; but it was from Abraham's entry into Egypt that the four hundred and thirty years were measured. Consequently what is said at this point in Exodus is for the sake of the internal sense Lying within those words. In the internal sense the sojourn of the sons of Jacob in Egypt represents and means the vastation of the Church, the state and duration of which are described by the number four hundred and thirty years. Thirty describes the state of vastation of the sons of Jacob as being no vastation at all, for they were such as could not be reformed through any state of vastation (for the meaning of the number thirty, see `@@@2276`); and 'four hundred years' represents the general state of vastation of those who belonged to the Church.
ttt[4] Those therefore who come out of that vastation are referred to as the redeemed, as is also evident from the words addressed to Moses,
Therefore say to the children of Israel, I am Jehovah, and I will bring you out from beneath the burdens of Egypt, and I will rescue you from their slavery, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgements. `Exodus 6bbb6`.
And elsewhere,
Jehovah has brought you out by means of a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of slaves, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. `Deuteronomy 7bbb8`; `Deuteronomy ccc13bbb5`.
And elsewhere,
You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, but Jehovah your God redeemed you. `Deuteronomy 15bbb15`; `Deuteronomy ccc24bbb18`.
In Samuel,
Your people whom You redeemed for Yourself from Egypt. `2 Samuel 7bbb23`.
Since those who emerge from the state of vastation are referred to as the redeemed, 'four hundred shekels' therefore means the price of redemption.
ttt[5] As regards 'a shekel' meaning the price or valuation, this is clear from the following places in the Word: In Moses,
All your valuations shall be according to the shekel of holiness. `Leviticus 27bbb25`.
And elsewhere,
If a soul commits a trespass and has sinned inadvertently in the holy things of Jehovah, he shall bring his guilt offering to Jehovah, a ram without blemish out of the flock, according to your valuation in silver shekels, according to the shekel of holiness. `Leviticus 5bbb15`.
From this it is evident that 'a shekel' means the price or valuation. It is called 'the shekel of holiness' because the price or valuation has regard to truth and good from the Lord - truth and good from the Lord being, within the Church, holiness itself. Consequently it is called 'the shekel of holiness' many times elsewhere, as in `Exodus 30bbb24`; `Leviticus 27bbb3`; `Numbers 3bbb47`, `Numbers 3bbbccc50`; `Numbers ccc7bbb13`, `Numbers 7bbbccc19`, `Numbers 7bbbccc25`, `Numbers 7bbbccc31`, `Numbers 7bbbccc37`, `Numbers 7bbbccc43`, `Numbers 7bbbccc49`, `Numbers 7bbbccc55`, `Numbers 7bbbccc61`, `Numbers 7bbbccc67`, `Numbers 7bbbccc73`; `Numbers ccc18bbb16`.
ttt[6] That 'a shekel' is the price of what is holy is quite evident in Ezekiel when the holy land and the holy city are the subject. There the shekel is referred to as follows,
The shekel there shall be twenty gerahs; twenty shekels, twenty-five shekels, fifteen shekels, shall be your maneh (pound). `Ezekiel 45bbb12`.
Anyone may see that here 'shekel', 'pound', and the numbers mentioned mean holy things, that is, good and truth, for the holy land and the holy city or new Jerusalem, which are the subject there, mean nothing else than the Lord's kingdom where neither shekel, nor gerahs, nor pound, nor the numbering of them occurs. But the number itself, from the meaning it has in the internal sense, determines the valuation or price of good and truth.
ttt[7] In Moses it is said that every man (vir) should give a ransom for his soul, so that there would be no plague. He had to give half a shekel, according to the shekel of holiness, a shekel being twenty gerahs. Half a shekel was to be the thruma (offering) to Jehovah, `Exodus 30bbb12-13`. Here ten gerahs, which make half a shekel, are remnants which are received from the Lord. Remnants are goods and truths stored away with a person - such remnants, being meant by 'ten', see `@@@576`, `@@@1738`, `@@@1906`, `@@@2284`. That remnants are goods and truths from the Lord that are stored away with a person, see `@@@1906`, `@@@2284`. Consequently they are also called 'the thruma (or offering) to Jehovah', and it is said that by means of this a soul will be redeemed. The reason it is stated several times that a shekel was twenty gerahs, as in these verses from Exodus, and also in `Leviticus 27bbb25`; `Numbers 3bbb47`; `Numbers ccc18bbb16`; and elsewhere, is that the shekel of twenty gerahs means the valuation of the good preserved in remnants - twenty meaning the good preserved in remnants, see `@@@2280`. Also therefore a shekel was a weight according to which the price of both gold and silver was determined, `Genesis 24bbb22`; `Exodus 38bbb24`; `Ezekiel 4bbb10`; `Ezekiel ccc45bbb12` - the price of gold because 'gold' means good, `@@@113`, `@@@1551`, `@@@1552`, and the price of silver because 'silver' means truth, `@@@1551`, `@@@2048`. From this it is now evident that 'the land [is worth] four hundred shekels of silver' means the price of redemption by means of truth. The reason it is called 'the land' is that the spiritual Church is the subject, which is reformed and regenerated by means of truth received from the Lord, `@@@2954`. That 'the land' means the Church, see `@@@662`, `@@@1066`, `@@@1068`, `@@@1262`, `@@@1733`, `@@@1850`, `@@@2117`, `@@@2118` (end).
`nnn1. In `Genesis 15bbb0` the patriarch's name is still Abram.
ppp20890#pid#2960. 'What is that between me and you?' means that he gave his assent yet still wished to achieve it by himself, that is to say, to be prepared or reformed. This becomes clear from the sense of the letter when applied to the internal sense in which reformation is the subject. Above, Ephron said, 'The field I give to you, and the cave that is in it I give to you' verse `Genesis 23bbbccc11`, and by this was meant their will to prepare themselves as regards those things that constitute the Church and faith, that is, to reform themselves. For the first state of those who are being reformed is such, see `@@@2946`; but when they are more advanced in cognitions of truth or faith, they have entered their second state. Then they do indeed give assent, yet they still wish to achieve it by themselves. It is this state which is dealt with in this verse, while the third state when they believe that their reformation is effected by the Lord will be described next.
ttt[2] The reason these people are such at first has been stated above in `@@@2946`. But when they become more advanced in cognitions of truth or faith they do indeed acknowledge that their reformation is effected by the Lord, yet they still wish to achieve it by themselves. One reason for this is that the cloud of ignorance is dispersed only gradually; another is that it takes time for truth to be corroborated; and another is that the perfection of good comes with the acquisition of cognitions of truth. Good itself that has truth implanted in it leads people not only to acknowledge but also to believe that reformation comes from the Lord. This state is the third, and a fourth follows it, that is to say, a state when they perceive that it comes from the Lord. Few however attain it during their lifetime since it is an angelic state; but those who are regenerate do attain it in the next life. From this it is evident that in the internal sense here the member of the spiritual Church is described - the nature of his state when he has yet to develop, the nature of it when he starts to develop, and at length when he has developed.
ppp20889#pid#2961. 'So bury your dead' means emergence from night and consequent rising up again. This is clear from the meaning of 'one who is dead' as night as regards the truths of faith, and of 'being buried' as rising up again, dealt with several times already, see `@@@2917`, `@@@2923`, `@@@2925`, `@@@2931`, `@@@2948`, `@@@2955`. The reason why these words occur so many times in this chapter is that the subject is the emergence from night as regards truths of faith, and the rising up again, that is, the reformation and regeneration of the spiritual Church.
ppp20888#pid#2962. Verse `Genesis 23bbbccc16` And Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver which he had spoken of in the ears of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current with the merchant.
'Abraham listened to Ephron' means the confirmation of a readiness to obey. 'And Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver' means redemption. 'Which he had spoken of in the ears of the sons of Heth' means according to the propensity of those who belonged to the new Church. 'Four hundred shekels of silver' means the price of redemption. 'Current with the merchant' means in conformity with their state.
ppp20887#pid#2963. 'Abraham listened to Ephron' means the confirmation of a readiness to obey - a confirmation from those with whom the good and truth of faith could be received. This is clear from the meaning of 'listening to' or 'hearing' as obeying, dealt with in `@@@2542`, and from the representation of 'Ephron' as those with whom the good and truth of faith could be received, dealt with above in `@@@2933`. The fact that the confirmation lay with and came from these is evident from the actual words used, for it is said, 'Abraham listened to him'.
ppp20886#pid#2964. 'And Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver' means redemption. This is clear from the meaning of 'weighing out the silver' as buying, and in the spiritual sense as redeeming. 'Silver' here has the same meaning as four hundred shekels, which, as shown above in `@@@2959`, mean the price of redemption.
ppp20885#pid#2965. 'Which he had spoken of in the ears of the sons of Heth' means according to the propensity of those who belonged to the new Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'speaking in the ears' and of 'the sons of Heth'. 'Speaking' in the internal sense means both perceiving (see `@@@2619`) and 'willing' (see `@@@2626`), while 'the ears' means obedience, `@@@2542`. Consequently 'speaking in the ears of' means according to their propensity, for propensity is the ability to receive and then to obey what someone perceives and wills. And the meaning of 'the sons of Heth' as those who belonged to the new spiritual Church is dealt with above in `@@@2913`. The consideration that the member of the Church is reformed, that is, has the truth of faith implanted in him, and that this is joined to good that is the good of charity, will be discussed further on in this verse, in `@@@2967`.
ppp20884#pid#2966. 'Four hundred shekels of silver' means the price of redemption, as has been shown above in `@@@2959`. But what the price of redemption is will now be stated. Redemption is attributable to the Lord alone, and so also is the price of redemption. Yet the latter may also be spoken of in reference to man's receptivity, though with him the price of redemption is determined by the measure of his receptivity. The price of redemption is the Lord's merit and righteousness acquired through the severest temptations by which He united the Human Essence to the Divine Essence, and the Divine Essence to the Human Essence, doing so by His own power. And through that uniting of them He has saved the human race, especially those who belong to the spiritual Church.
For the Lord's becoming righteousness through the severest temptations, see `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc1813`, `@@@2025-2027`.
For the Lord's uniting of the Human Essence to the Divine Essence, and the Divine Essence to the Human Essence, `@@@1725`, `@@@1729`, `@@@1733`, `@@@1737`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc1813`, `@@@2083`.
For His doing this by His own power, `@@@1616`, `@@@1921`, `@@@2025`, `@@@2026`, `@@@2083`, `@@@2500`, `@@@2523`, `@@@2632`.
And for His salvation of the human race, especially those who belong to the spiritual Church, through that uniting of both, `@@@2661`, `@@@2716`.
These are the factors meant by the price of redemption.
ttt[2] As regards the consideration that this price may also be spoken of in reference to man's receptivity, though with him that price is determined by the measure of his receptivity, this may be seen from the truth that it is the Lord's Divine which constitutes the Church with man. For the Church does not hearken to anything except that which is the Lord's own. It is the good of love and charity, and the truth of faith, that constitute that which is called the Church. For it is well known that all good comes from the Lord and that all truth comes from the Lord. Good and truth that come from man are not good and truth. From this it is evident that the price of redemption is with man determined by the measure of his receptivity.
ttt[3] Because among the Jews the Lord's redemption was rated so low as to be scarcely anything at all, it is therefore said in Zechariah,
I said to them, If it is good in your eyes, give me my wages; and if not, withhold them. And they weighed out my wages, thirty pieces of silver. And Jehovah said to me, Throw it to the potter, the magnificent price I was valued at among them. `Zechariah 11bbb12-13`.
And in Matthew,
They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on him whom they had bought from the children of Israel, and gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord commanded me. `Matthew 27bbb9-10`.
'Thirty' is that which is so little as to be scarcely anything, see `@@@2276`. Thus the meaning is that the Jews rated the Lord's merit and redemption as nothing, but among those who believed that all good and all truth came from the Lord, the price of redemption is meant by 'forty' and to a higher degree by 'four hundred'.
ppp20883#pid#2967. 'Current with the merchant' means in conformity with their state. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'a merchant', and, from this, of 'current with the merchant'. In the Word 'a merchant' means people who possess cognitions of good and truth, while 'merchandise' means those cognitions themselves. Consequently 'silver current with the merchant' means truth to the extent that it can be received, or what amounts to the same, in conformity with each individual's state and ability. For the embodiment of some arcanum within this added phrase may be seen by anyone. The specific meaning of 'a merchant' and of 'merchandise' is dealt with below, but the general meaning of the whole phrase is this: Everyone who is being reformed and regenerated has charity and faith conferred on him from the Lord; but each individual receives these according to his ability and his state. For the evils and falsities which a person absorbs from earliest childhood make it impossible for one individual to receive what is given in the same way as any other receives it. Those evils and falsities must first undergo vastation before a person can be regenerated. The amount of celestial and spiritual life left following vastation determines how far what is then left can be enlightened with truth and enriched with good.
ttt[2] It is the remnants, that is, the goods and truths from the Lord stored away in a person, that receive life at that time. The goods and truths acquired in the period from early childhood to when reformation takes place are with one person more, with another less. They are preserved in his internal man, and cannot be brought out until his external man has been brought into a state of correspondence with the internal, which is effected chiefly by means of temptations, and by many kinds of vastation. Indeed until bodily desires which are contrary to goods and truths - as is the nature of desires which constitute self-love and love of the world - become dormant, celestial and spiritual desires that belong to the affection for good and truth cannot enter in. This is the reason why each individual is reformed in conformity with his state and ability. This is also the Lord's teaching in the parable about a man who went away on a journey,
He called his servants and delivered to them his riches. To the first he gave five talents, to the second two, and to the third one, to each according to his own ability. He who received the five talents traded with them and earned five talents more. So too he who received the two earned two more. `Matthew 25bbb14-17`, and following verses.
The same teaching also occurs in the parable about the ten servants to whom he gave ten pounds to trade with, `Luke 19bbb12-13`, and following verses.
ttt[3] As regards 'a merchant' meaning those who possess cognitions of good and truth and 'merchandise' meaning those cognitions themselves, this is clear from the places which have just been quoted from Matthew and Luke, and also from the following: In Ezekiel,
Say to Tyre, one that dwells upon the entrances of the sea, she that is the trader of the peoples to many islands: Tarshish was your merchant because of the abundance of all riches; silver, iron, tin, and lead they exchanged for your wares. Javan, Tubal, and Meshech, they were your traders in the souls of men - and they gave vessels of bronze for your commerce. The sons of Dedan were your traders, many islands were the merchandise of your hand. Syria was your merchant in the multitude of your handyworks; Judah and the land of Israel, they were your traders. Wheat of minnith and pannag, and honey, and oil, and balm, they exchanged for your commerce. Damascus was your merchant in the multitude of your handyworks because of the multitude of all riches - in the wine of Helbon and the wool of Zahar. And Dan and Javan exchanged yarn for your wares. Dedan was your trader in chariot-cloaks.`fff1` The Arab and all the princes of Kedar were the merchants of your hand in lambs, in rams and goats; in these they were your merchants. The traders of Sheba and Raamah, they were your traders in the best of every spice. Haran, and Canneh, and Eden, the traders of Shebah; Asshur, Chilmad, was your trader. These were your traders in choice wares. `Ezekiel 27bbb3`, `Ezekiel 27bbbccc12-13`, `Ezekiel 27bbbccc15-24`.
These verses refer to Tyre, by which - as may be seen in `@@@1201` and as is evident from all the specific details contained in these verses - cognitions of truth are meant. The tracings and merchandise, and also the wares, mentioned there have no other meaning, for which reason Tyre is described as 'one that dwells upon the entrances of the sea' - 'waters' meaning cognitions and 'the sea' a gathering together of these, `@@@28`. Tyre is also called 'the trader of the peoples to many islands', that is, extending even to those whose worship is more remote - 'islands' meaning more remote forms of worship, see `@@@1158`. What Tarshish means is explained in `@@@1156`, while 'silver, iron, tin, and lead' from there means truths in their own order even to the last, which are sensory truths - what 'silver' means being explained in `@@@1551`, `@@@2048`, 'iron' in `@@@425`, `@@@426`.
What 'Javan, Tubal and Meshech' means is explained in `@@@1151-1153`, `@@@1155`, while 'the souls of men' and 'vessels of bronze' from those places mean things that have to do with natural life - 'soul' meaning all life that comes from the Lord, `@@@1000`, `@@@1040`, `@@@1436`, `@@@1742`; 'vessels of bronze' the natural goods which receive that life, `@@@425`, `@@@1551`. What 'Dedan' means is explained in `@@@1172`, 'Syria' in `@@@1232`, `@@@1234`. 'Judah and the land of Israel were your traders in wheat of minnith and pannag, honey, oil, and balm' means celestial and spiritual things from the Word. The rest of the nations and their merchandise that are mentioned mean different genera and species of truth and good, and so the cognitions that exist with those meant by 'Tyre'.
ttt[4] On such cognitions wisdom and understanding rest, as is quite clear in the same prophet where the following is stated,
Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, By your wisdom and by your intelligence you have gained riches for yourself and gained gold and silver in your treasuries. By the vastness of your wisdom, by your trading, you have increased your riches, and your heart is lifted up on account of your riches; therefore, behold, I am bringing strangers - the terrible of the nations - upon you. `Ezekiel 28bbb2`, `Ezekiel 28bbbccc4-7`.
Here it is quite evident that the commodities with which they traded mean cognitions of good and truth since there is no other source from which wisdom and intelligence may be derived. Hence the statement, 'By your wisdom and by your intelligence you have gained riches for yourself and gained gold and silver in your treasuries'. But when cognitions are sought for the selfish purpose of becoming pre-eminent, and of gaining either reputation or riches, they have no life, and those people who possess them are deprived of such altogether. In this life they are deprived of them by embracing falsities instead of truths and evils instead of goods, and in the next life too they are deprived altogether of those things that are true. This is why it is said, 'Because your heart is lifted up on account of your riches, therefore I am bringing strangers (meaning falsities) - the terrible of nations (meaning evils) - upon you'. And elsewhere in the same prophet,
Tyre is like [a city] destroyed in the midst of the sea. When your wares came out of the seas you satisfied many peoples; with the multitude of your riches and of your commerce you enriched the kings of the earth. Now you are broken by the seas, in the depths of the waters; your commerce and all your company have sunk in the midst of you. The merchants among the peoples hiss at you.`fff2` `Ezekiel 27bbb32-34`, `Ezekiel 27bbbccc36`.
And in Isaiah,
The prophecy concerning Tyre. The inhabitants of the island are silent, O merchant of Sidon passing over the sea; they have replenished you. On the great waters the seed of Shihor, the harvest of the river, was her revenue and was the merchandise of nations. Who has purposed this against Tyre crowning itself, whose merchants were princes? `Isaiah 23bbb2-3`, `Isaiah 23bbbccc8`.
This refers to the vastation of Tyre.
ttt[5] Merchandise and wares are in a similar way spoken of in reference to Babylon, these being adulterated cognitions of good, and falsified cognitions of truth. In John,
Babylon has given all nations drink from the wine of the fury of her whoredom, and the kings of the earth have committed whoredom with her; and the merchants of the earth, have grown rich from the abundance of her luxuries. The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, since no one buys their wares any more, wares of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, etc. The merchants in these things who were made rich by her will stand far off for the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning. `Revelation 18bbb3`, `Revelation 18bbbccc11-12`, `Revelation 18bbbccc15`.
'Babylon' means worship, the external features of which seem holy but the interior features are unholy, see `@@@1182`, `@@@1283`, `@@@1295`, `@@@1304`, `@@@1306`, `@@@1326`. From this it is evident what its merchandise and wares mean.
ttt[6] That 'a merchant' means one who acquires to himself cognitions of truth and good, and from these intelligence and wisdom, is clear from the Lord's words in Matthew,
The kingdom of heaven is like a trader seeking fine pearls, who, having found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it. `Matthew 13bbb45-46`.
'A fine pearl' is charity or the good of faith.
ttt[7] That all cognitions of good and truth come from the Lord is taught in Isaiah,
Thus said Jehovah, The labour of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush and of the Sabaeans, men of stature, will come over to you and will be yours. They will follow after you, they will come over in chains and bow down to you. To you they will make the supplication, God is with you only, and there is no other besides God. `Isaiah 45bbb14`.
This refers to the Lord's Divine Human.
ttt[8] From all these places one may now see what is meant by acting as a merchant, or buying and selling, namely acquiring cognitions of good and truth for oneself, and by means of these cognitions acquiring good itself. This good is acquired from the Lord alone, as is clear in the same prophet,
Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters, and he who has no money, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. `Isaiah 55bbb1-2`.
Here 'buying' stands for acquiring for oneself, 'wine' stands for spiritual truth, `@@@1071`, `@@@1798`, 'milk' for spiritual good, `@@@2184`. Anyone may see that here 'coming to the waters' does not mean coming to the waters, nor that 'buying' means buying, nor 'money' money, nor 'wine and milk' wine and milk, but that each of these means something corresponding to it in the internal sense. For this is the Divine Word, in which all the expressions used - though fashioned out of things perceptible in the natural world and out of man's sensory impressions - have Divine spiritual and celestial things corresponding to them. In this and no other way is the Word Divinely inspired.
`nnn1. literally, garments of liberty for the chariot - possibly garments with loose sleeves
`nnn2. literally, gnash their teeth over you
ppp20882#pid#2968. Verses `Genesis 23bbbccc17-18` And the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah - which was before Mamre - the field and the cave which was in it, and every tree which was in the field, which was in all its borders round about, was made over to Abraham as an acquisition, before the eyes of the sons of Heth, in [the presence] of all entering the gate of his city. 'The field of Ephron' means that which constitutes the Church. 'Which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre' means the nature and extent of regeneration. 'The field and the cave which was in it' means as regards the good and truth of faith. 'And every tree which was in the field' means the interior cognitions of the Church. 'Which was in all its borders round about' means exterior cognitions. 'Was made over to Abraham as an acquisition' means that these were considered to be the Lord's alone. 'Before the eyes of the sons of Heth' means according to their understanding. 'In [the presence] of all entering the gate of his city' means as regards all matters of doctrine.
ppp20881#pid#2969. 'The field of Ephron' means that which constitutes the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'the field' as the Church, and also doctrine, dealt with in `@@@368`, `@@@2936`, and from the representation of 'Ephron' as those with whom the good and truth of faith, which constitute the Church, could be received, dealt with in `@@@2933`. Consequently 'the field of Ephron' means that which constitutes the Church.
ppp20880#pid#2970. 'Which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre' means the nature and extent of regeneration. This is clear from the meaning of 'Machpelah' as regeneration by means of the truth of faith, and from the meaning of 'Mamre' as the nature and extent of it. When the word 'cave' is combined with the name Machpelah - that is, when the expression 'the cave of Machpelah' is used - faith enveloped in obscurity is meant by it, `@@@2935`. But when Machpelah is mentioned by itself, and then followed by the phrase 'the field and the cave', regeneration is meant, for 'the field and the cave' means the good and truth of faith by means of which regeneration is accomplished. Furthermore Machpelah was a plot of land in which also there was a grave, which means regeneration, `@@@2916`. But 'Mamre', being Hebron, as stated below in verse `Genesis 23bbbccc19`, or 'in Hebron', as stated in `Genesis 13bbb18`, here means nothing else than the particular kind of a thing and the measure in which this exists. In this case the kind of regeneration and the measure of it is meant when 'Mamre' is linked with 'Machpelah'; the kind of Church and the degree to which it exists when 'Mamre' is linked with 'Hebron'; and the kind of perception and the measure of the same when 'Mamre' is linked with 'the oak-groves', as in `@@@1616`. Thus Mamre merely defines the state of the thing, for it was a place where Abraham dwelt, `Genesis 13bbb18`, and where Isaac dwelt and to which Jacob came, `Genesis 35bbb27`.
ppp20879#pid#2971. 'The field and the cave which was in it' means as regards the good and truth of faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'the field' as the Church and also good itself which constitutes the Church (that which is celestial - or good that stems from love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour - is compared to 'the ground' as well as to the field, and is actually called these, because that which is celestial - or good - is the recipient of the truths of faith; and these truths are compared to and are also actually called 'seeds'); and from the meaning of 'a cave' as the truth of faith which is enveloped in obscurity, dealt with in `@@@2935`. It is said to be in obscurity because it is with spiritual people, see `@@@1043`, `@@@2708`, `@@@2715`.
ppp20878#pid#2972. 'And every tree which was in the field' means the interior cognitions of the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'a tree' as perceptions when the celestial Church is the subject, dealt with in `@@@103`, `@@@2163`, but cognitions when the spiritual Church is the subject, dealt with in `@@@2722` - interior cognitions here because the words 'every tree which was in the field' are used, followed by 'which was in all its borders round about', by which exterior cognitions are meant; and from the meaning of 'the field' as the Church, dealt with already. Mention is made of the tree in the field and in its borders round about for the sake of that internal sense; otherwise it would not have been worth any mention in the Word, which is Divine.
ppp20877#pid#2973. 'Which was in all its borders round about' means exterior cognitions. This is clear from the meaning of 'borders' and of 'round about' as things that are exterior, dealt with in `@@@2936`. Thus here '[every] tree which was in the borders round about' means exterior cognitions. Exterior cognitions have to do with the religious observances and matters of doctrine which constitute the external things of the Church, whereas interior cognitions have to do with matters of doctrine which constitute the internal things of the Church. What the external things of the Church are, and what the internal, has been stated several times already.
ttt[2] Furthermore in various places in the Word mention is made of the middle or the midst and of the regions encircling it, as when the land of Canaan is referred to, 'the middle' is used to describe where Zion and Jerusalem are, while the areas encircling describe where the nations are who are round about. 'The land of Canaan' represented the Lord's kingdom, 'Zion' the celestial part of it and 'Jerusalem' the spiritual, and there Jehovah or the Lord had His dwelling-place. The things that were round about, even to the borders, represented celestial and spiritual things spread out and derived in order from there. Where the furthest boundaries lay, there the representatives of celestial and spiritual things ended. Those representatives had their origin in the things that existed in the Lord's kingdom in heaven, where the Lord as the Sun is in the middle, from where all celestial flame and spiritual light radiate. Those nearest to Him dwell in the brightest light, while those who are more remote dwell in less light, and those who are the most remote in the least bright. At this point lie the borders where hell, which is outside heaven, begins.
ttt[3] With celestial flame and spiritual light the position is that the existence of celestial things which are forms of innocence and love, and spiritual things which are forms of charity and faith, is proportional to the heat and light that is received, for those things are the source of all heat and light in heaven. This then is why 'the middle' means that which is inmost, and the encircling regions that which is outermost; and the spacing of the things that radiate in order from the inmost to the outermost is determined by their degree of innocence, love and charity. It is similar with each individual community of heaven. Those members in the middle are the best of its kind, and the love and charity of that kind becomes correspondingly less as these become more remote, that is, as such love and charity exist with members away from the middle.
ttt[4] It is also similar with man. The inmost part of him is where the Lord resides with him, and from there governs the outlying parts. When a person permits the Lord to bring order to the outlying parts so that these correspond to the inmost parts, his state is such that he can be received into heaven, and the inmost, the interior, and the external parts of him act as one. But if the person does not permit the Lord to bring order to those outlying parts so that they correspond, he moves away from heaven, as far away as he is from permitting the Lord to bring that order to them. The fact that man's soul resides in the middle or inmost part of his being and the body in the outlying region or outermost parts is well known, for the body is that which surrounds and clothes his soul or spirit.
ttt[5] With those in whom celestial and spiritual love reigns, good from the Lord flows in by way of the soul into the body, as a consequence of which the body becomes full of light, but with those in whom bodily and worldly love reigns, good from the Lord cannot flow in by way of the soul into the body. Instead their interiors are engulfed in darkness, as a consequence of which the body too becomes full of darkness, according to the Lord's own teaching in Matthew,
The lamp of the body is the eye. If the eye is sound, the whole body is full of light. If the eye is evil, the whole body is full of darkness. If therefore the light is darkness, how great is the darkness! `Matthew 6bbb22-23`.
'The eye' means the understanding part, which belongs in the soul, `@@@2701`.
ttt[6] But matters are worse still with people whose interiors are 'darkness' while their exteriors seem to be 'full of light'. They are such as outwardly pretend to be angels of light but inwardly they are devils. They are referred to as 'Babel'. These people, when the things that are round about are destroyed, are carried headfirst into hell. This was represented by the city of Jericho whose walls fell down, and the city was given to destruction, after the priests had gone round it seven times with the ark, and had sounded their trumpets, `Joshua 6bbb1-17`. The same is meant in Jeremiah,
Set yourselves against Babel round about, all you who bend the bow. Raise a shout over her round about, she has given her hand, her foundations have fallen, her walls have been destroyed. `Jeremiah 50bbb14-15`.
From this it is now evident what 'round about' means. Reference is also made several times in the Word to 'the encircling regions', as in `Jeremiah 21bbb14`; `Jeremiah ccc46bbb14`; `Jeremiah ccc49bbb5`; `Ezekiel 36bbb3-4`, `Ezekiel 36bbbccc7`; `Ezekiel ccc37bbb21`; `Amos 3bbb11`; and elsewhere. By 'the encircling regions' is meant the things that are exterior, concerning which, in the Lord's Divine mercy, more will be said elsewhere.
ppp20876#pid#2974. 'Was made over to Abraham as an acquisition' means that these things - the whole nature and extent of regeneration as regards the good and truth of faith, and so as regards all interior and exterior cognitions - were considered to be the Lord's alone. This is clear from the representation of 'Abraham' as the Lord, often dealt with already, and from the meaning of 'an acquisition' as those things that are His, and so are considered to be His alone. It is a leading article of faith that all good and all truth are the Lord's, and so come from the Lord alone. The more anyone acknowledges this inwardly the more he is inwardly in heaven, for those in heaven see with perception that this is so. In heaven a sphere of perception that it is so exists because those there are governed by good which is derived from the Lord alone; and this is called being in the Lord. The degrees of that perception go from the middle to outlying parts, as stated immediately above in `@@@2973`.
ppp20875#pid#2975. 'Before the eyes of the sons of Heth' means according to their understanding, that is to say, the understanding of those who belong to the new spiritual Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'the eyes' as the understanding, dealt with in `@@@212`, `@@@2701`, and from the meaning of 'the sons of Heth' as those who belonged to the new spiritual Church, dealt with in `@@@2913`, `@@@2928`. In verse `Genesis 23bbbccc16` above it was said that 'Abraham spoke in the ears of the sons of Heth', which meant according to their ability, `@@@2965`, `@@@2967`. Here however the words 'before the eyes of the sons of Heth' are used, which mean according to their understanding. The first statement implies that which conformed to their will, the second that which conformed to their understanding, for a person is reformed as to both these parts. Indeed unless will and understanding are in agreement so as to make one a person remains unregenerate, that is, unless good and truth, or what amounts to the same, charity and faith, make one; for charity belongs to the will but faith to the understanding. This explains why earlier on the words 'in the ears of the sons of Heth' are used, but here 'before the eyes of the sons of Heth'.
ppp20874#pid#2976. 'In [the presence] of all entering the gate of his city' means as regards all matters of doctrine. This is clear from what has been stated above in `@@@2943`, where the same words occur.
ppp20873#pid#2977. Verse `Genesis 23bbbccc19` And after this Abraham buried Sarah his wife at the cave of the field of Machpelah facing Mamre, which is Hebron, in the land of Canaan.
'After this' means that it was so. 'Abraham buried Sarah his wife' means that they received truth joined to good from the Lord. 'At the cave of the field of Machpelah facing Mamre' means that in this way they were regenerated to the extent that they could be. 'Which is Hebron' means that this was a new Church. 'In the land of Canaan' means which was a united whole in the Lord's kingdom.
ppp20872#pid#2978. 'After this' means that it was so. This is clear from the train of thought, for this is the conclusion, that is to say, they had now been regenerated and so a new spiritual Church had been established.
ppp20871#pid#2979. 'Abraham buried Sarah his wife' means that they received truth joined to good from the Lord. This is clear from the meaning of 'burying' as regenerating, dealt with above in `@@@2916`, `@@@2917` - the fact that man was regenerate once he had received truth joined to good from the Lord will be discussed next; from the representation of 'Abraham' as the Lord, often dealt with already; and from the representation of 'Sarah as a wife' as truth joined to good, dealt with in `@@@2063`, `@@@2065`, `@@@2507`.
ttt[2] The regeneration of the spiritual man proceeds as follows: At first he is taught the truths of faith, during which time the Lord maintains his affection for truth. At the same time the good of faith, which is charity towards the neighbour, is instilled into him, though in such a way that he hardly knows it because that good lies concealed within the affection for truth. All this takes place to the end that the truth of faith may be joined to the good of charity. As time goes by the affection for the truth of faith increases and truth is seen because of its end in view, which is good, or what amounts to the same, life. That affection grows more and more. In this way is truth instilled into good, and while it is being instilled the person absorbs into himself the good of life in accordance with the truth that has been instilled into it. Thus he acts, or seems to himself to act, from good. Prior to this the truth of faith has been for him the chief thing, but after this the good of life becomes the chief thing.
ttt[3] At this point the person is regenerate, but regenerate according to the nature and extent of truth instilled into good. And when truth and good act as one, he is regenerate according to the nature and extent of the good. This is how regeneration proceeds. Regeneration is carried out to the end that a person may be received into heaven - heaven being nothing else than the marriage of truth and good, and of good and truth, see `@@@2508`, `@@@2618`, `@@@2728`, `@@@2729`. Unless the marriage of truth and good is effected in a person he cannot be in the heavenly marriage, that is, be in heaven.
ppp20870#pid#2980. 'At the cave of the field of Machpelah facing Mamre' means that in this way they were regenerated to the extent that they could be. This is clear from the meaning of 'the cave' as the truth of faith enveloped in obscurity, dealt with in `@@@2935`; from the meaning of 'the field' as the good of faith, dealt with in `@@@2971`; from the meaning of 'Machpelah facing (or before) Mamre', as the nature and extent of regeneration, dealt with in `@@@2970`. Thus the meaning is that they were regenerated by means of the good and truth of faith to the extent that they could be, that is, according to their ability and understanding, `@@@2913`, `@@@2928`, `@@@2975`.
ppp20869#pid#2981. 'Which is Hebron' means that this was a new Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'Hebron' as the spiritual Church, dealt with above in this chapter, in `@@@2909`. There the expression 'Kiriath Arba, which is Hebron' occurs, for the reason that 'Kiriath Arba' means the Church as regards truth and 'Hebron' the Church as regards good. But here the name Kiriath Arba is not used any more, only Hebron, because the subject is a regenerate person, who does not act any longer from truth but from good, as stated above in `@@@2979`.
ppp20868#pid#2982. 'In the land of Canaan' means which was a united whole in the Lord's kingdom. This is clear from the representation of 'the land of Canaan' as the Lord's kingdom, dealt with in `@@@1413`, `@@@1437`, `@@@1585`, `@@@1607`. With the Lord's Churches the position is that in ancient times many existed simultaneously. These differed from one another, as Churches do today, on matters of doctrine, but they still made one in that they acknowledged love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour as the chief and most essential thing. And so to them matters of doctrine existed not so much to guide their thought as to direct their lives. And when in every single respect love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour, that is, the good of life, is the essential thing, then no matter how many Churches there are they all make one, and each is a united whole in the Lord's kingdom. The same is also true of heaven. Although there are countless communities there, and each one is distinct and separate from the rest, they nevertheless all constitute one heaven because every one is moved by love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour.
ttt[2] But the situation is altogether different in the case of Churches which say that faith is the essential thing of the Church, for they imagine that if they know this and think it, they are saved irrespective of whatever kind of life they lead. When this is the situation many Churches existing simultaneously do not make one Church; they are not even Churches. The good of faith is what makes the Church, that is, the life of love and charity in accordance with matters of faith make it. It is for the sake of life that matters of doctrine exist. This anyone may know, for why does any doctrine exist if not for some end in view? And what else is that end but life, that is, that a person may become as such doctrine teaches? Those Churches do indeed speak of saving faith as being trust, but that trust cannot possibly exist except within the good of life. Without the latter there is no receptivity, and when there is no receptivity there is no trust, except on occasions when the mind or body is sick and the desires that belong to self-love and love of the world are dormant. But with those who are leading an evil life, when this crisis is over or takes a different turn, that spurious trust disappears altogether; for trust can exist even with those who are evil. But if a person wishes to know what kind of trust he has, let him examine his affections and ends in view, and also the kind of life his actions reveal.
ppp20867#pid#2983. Verse `Genesis 23bbbccc20` And the field and the cave which was in it were made over to Abraham as a possession for a grave, from the sons of Heth.
'The field and cave which was in it were made over' means that the Church and its faith.... 'To Abraham as a possession for a grave' means, came from the Lord alone by means of regeneration. 'From the sons of Heth' means that it consisted of gentiles.
ppp20866#pid#2984. 'The field and the cave which was in it were made over' means that the Church and its faith.... This is clear from the meaning of 'the field' as the Church, dealt with above in `@@@2969`, `@@@2971`, and from the meaning of 'the cave' as faith, dealt with in `@@@2935`, `@@@2971`. The meaning 'the Church and its faith' is given here because the word 'Church' is predicable of the good of charity, and so of the good of life, while the word 'faith' is predicable of the truth that goes with that good.
ppp20865#pid#2985. 'To Abraham as a possession for a grave' means, came from the Lord alone by means of regeneration. This is clear from the representation of 'Abraham' as the Lord, often dealt with already, and from the meaning of 'a possession' as that which is His and so the Lord's alone, see above in `@@@2974`, and from the meaning of 'a grave' as regeneration, also dealt with above in `@@@2916`.
ppp20864#pid#2986. 'From the sons of Heth' means that it consisted of gentiles. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'the sons of Heth'. The sons of Heth were not those among whom the Church was established but those by whom that Church is represented, for all things in the Word are representative and do not mean the actual persons whose names are mentioned but things that belong to the Lord's kingdom and Church. It has been stated in various places already that 'the sons of Heth' means a new Church, or what amounts to the same, those who belong to that new Church. But that it was a new Church consisting of or drawn from the gentiles is evident from what Abraham said to the sons of Heth, 'I am a stranger and an inhabitant among you', verse `Genesis 23bbbccc4`, which meant that the Lord was not known to them, yet He was nevertheless able to be with them, `@@@2915`. From this it is evident that 'the sons of Heth' means a Church consisting of gentiles. It cannot be said of any others that the Lord is not known to them.
ttt[2] Furthermore it should be recognized that when any Church ceases to be a Church, that is, when charity perishes, and a new one is established by the Lord, rarely if ever is this done among those with whom the old Church existed. Instead it is established among those with whom no Church existed previously, that is, among gentiles. This is what happened when the Most Ancient Church perished. At that time a new one which was called Noah, or the Ancient Church following the Flood, was established among gentiles, that is, among those where no Church existed previously. It was similar when this Church perished. At that time the semblance of a Church was introduced among Abraham's descendants through Jacob, and so again among gentiles; for Abraham at the time of his call was a gentile, see `@@@1356`, `@@@1992`, `@@@2559`. The actual descendants of Jacob in Egypt became more gentile still, so much so that they had no knowledge at all of Jehovah or consequently of any Divine worship. After this semblance of a Church had come to an end, the Primitive Church was established from among the gentiles, the Jews having been rejected. It will be similar with the Church existing at present called the Christian Church.
ttt[3] The reason why it is among gentiles that the Lord establishes a new Church is that they do not possess any false assumptions that are contrary to the truths of faith, for they have no knowledge of the truths of faith. False assumptions absorbed from early childhood and subsequently confirmed must first of all be dispelled before a person can be regenerated and become a member of the Church.`fff1` Indeed gentiles are not able to profane holy things by means of evils of life, for no one can profane what is holy if he does not know what it is, `@@@593`, `@@@1008`, `@@@1010`, `@@@1059`. As gentiles do not have such knowledge, there are no stumbling-blocks to hinder them. Thus their state is such that they are better able to receive truths than those who belong to the Church; and all those among them who are leading a good life receive truths without difficulty, see `@@@932`, `@@@1032`, `@@@1059`, `@@@1327`, `@@@1328`, `@@@1366`, `@@@2049`, `@@@2051`, `@@@2589-2604`.
`nnn1. Or, reading what Sw has in his rough draft become the Church
ppp20863#pid#2987. REPRESENTATIONS AND CORRESPONDENCES
Few are aware of what representations and of what correspondences are. Nor can anyone know what they are unless he knows that there is a spiritual world and that this is distinct and separate from the natural world. For between spiritual things and natural things correspondences exist, and the manifestations of spiritual things within natural are representations. They are called correspondences because they correspond, and representations because they represent.
ppp20862#pid#2988. To gain some idea of representations and correspondences, it will do if one considers simply the things that belong to the mind, namely, thought and will. These usually shine from the face in such a way that they are plainly visible in its expressions. Above all else interior affections shine out of the eyes and in the eyes. When the parts of the face act as one with those of the mind they are said to correspond and exist as correspondences, while the actual looks on the face represent, and exist as representations. It is similar with the things that are expressed by gestures in the body, and also with all the movements which are effected by means of the muscles. The fact that these are expressions of what a person thinks and wills is well known. The actual gestures and movements, which belong to the body, represent the things which belong to the mind, and exist as representations; and when things of the body accord with things of the mind they are correspondences.
ppp20861#pid#2989. It may also be known that images do not take shape in the mind exactly as they present themselves in the countenance, but are purely affections that take shape there. Nor do acts take shape in the mind exactly as they present themselves through actions in the body; rather, it is thoughts that are configured there. Things that belong to the mind are spiritual while those that belong to the body are natural. From this it is evident that a correspondence exists between spiritual things and natural, and that there is a representation of spiritual things within natural. Or what amounts to the same, when the things that belong to the internal man take shape in the external, the things which are visible in the external are representative of the internal, and those in the external which accord with those in the internal are correspondent.
ppp20860#pid#2990. It is well known, or able to be known, that there is a spiritual world and that there is a natural world. In a universal sense the spiritual world is where spirits and angels dwell and the natural world where men dwell, but in a particular sense there is a spiritual world and a natural with every individual person, his internal man being for him a spiritual world, and his external man a natural world. The things that flow in from the spiritual world and present themselves in the natural are, in general, representations. And to the extent they agree with each other they are correspondences.
ppp20859#pid#2991. The representation of spiritual things by natural, and the correspondence of natural things with spiritual, may also be known from the consideration that what is natural cannot in any sense come into being without a cause prior to itself. Its cause exists in that which is spiritual. Nothing natural exists which does not have its cause there. Natural forms are effects and cannot appear as causes, let alone as the causes of causes, or first origins. Instead they take the forms they do from the use they perform in the place where they belong. Nevertheless the forms taken by effects represent the things that exist among causes, and these causes in turn represent those that exist among first origins. Thus all natural things represent those that exist among the spiritual things to which they correspond, and those spiritual things in turn represent those that exist among the celestial things in which they have their origin.
ppp20858#pid#2992. From much experience I have been given to know that in the natural world, and in its three kingdoms, not even the smallest thing exists which does not represent something in the spiritual world, that is, which does not have in that world something to which it corresponds. Among many other experiences the following has made this clear to me: Several times when I have been talking about the organs of the body and have been tracing the connection of them from the things of the head to those of the chest, and even to those of the abdomen, the angels above me have on those occasions led my thoughts through the spiritual things to which these parts of the body corresponded, doing so indeed in such a way that nothing was inexact. They did not think at all about the organs of the body as I was doing, only of the spiritual things to which those organs corresponded. The angels' intelligence is such that from spiritual things they know every single part of the body, even the most secret, which cannot possibly come to be known by man. Indeed they have a faultless knowledge of every single thing in the entire universe, and this they have because causes, and the first beginnings of causes, exist among those spiritual things.
ppp20857#pid#2993. It is similar with things in the vegetable kingdom. Not even the smallest thing exists there which does not represent something in the spiritual world and correspond to it, as I have been given to know many times through a similar contact with angels. I have also been told all about causes, that is to say, that the causes of all natural objects exist from among spiritual things, and the first beginnings of causes from among celestial things. Or what amounts to the same, all things in the natural world derive their cause from truth which is spiritual, and their first beginning from good which is celestial. In addition I have been told that natural objects come forth in this way from truth and good according to all the variations of truth or good which exist in the Lord's kingdom, and so come forth from the Lord, the source of all goodness and truth. These matters are bound to seem strange, especially to those who refuse, or who are unable, to allow their thought to go beyond the natural order, and who do not know what is meant by that which is spiritual and do not therefore acknowledge the existence of it.
ppp20856#pid#2994. For as long as anyone lives in the body he too is able to feel and perceive very little of all this, for the celestial and spiritual things present with him sink into the natural things within his external man where he loses any feeling or perception of them. Furthermore the representatives and correspondences which exist in his external man are such that they have a different appearance from the things to which they correspond in the internal man and which they represent. Consequently they cannot enter his awareness until he has become rid of those externals. Blessed at that time is the person with whom correspondence exists, that is, whose external man corresponds to the internal man.
ppp20855#pid#2995. Because members of the Most Ancient Church, who were spoken of in `@@@1114-1125`, saw in every thing belonging to the natural order something spiritual and celestial, so much so that natural things served them simply as objects for thinking about spiritual and celestial things, they were for that reason able to talk to angels and so be present with them in the Lord's kingdom in the heavens at the same time as they were in His kingdom on earth, which is the Church. Thus with them natural things were joined to spiritual and wholly corresponded. It was different however after those times, when evil and falsity began to reign, that is, after the golden age, when the iron age began. Because at that time correspondence did not exist any longer, heaven was closed. It ceased to exist so completely that men scarcely wished to know whether there was anything spiritual; indeed they did not wish at length to know that there was a heaven or a hell, or a life after death.
ppp20854#pid#2996. Though in this world a very deep arcanum, nothing is better known in the next life, known even to every spirit, than the truth that all things in the human body have a correspondence with things in heaven. So true is this that not even the smallest part in the human body fails to have something spiritual and celestial, or what amounts to the same, the heavenly communities, corresponding to it. For heavenly communities exist according to all the genera and species of spiritual and celestial things; indeed they exist in such order that all of them together represent one human being. They do so in every single detail of the human being, both interior and exterior. This is why heaven considered as a whole is also called the Grand Man, and why so many times already one community has been spoken of as belonging to this part of the body, another community to that, and so on. The reason why heaven is described in this way is that the Lord is the only Man and heaven represents Him. Also it is Divine Good and Truth received from Him that constitute heaven, and therefore as angels are in heaven they' are said to be in the Lord. Those in hell however are outside of that Grand Man. These correspond to filth and also to things full of disease.
ppp20853#pid#2997. This may also be recognized to some extent from the fact that the spiritual or internal man, which is a person's spirit and is called his soul, in a similar way has a correspondence with his natural or external man. The correspondence is such that the things belonging to the internal man are spiritual and celestial, but those belonging to the external are natural and bodily, as becomes clear from what has been stated above in `@@@2988`, `@@@2989`, about looks on the face and movements of the body. Furthermore as to the internal man the human being is a miniature heaven since he has been created in the image of the Lord.
ppp20852#pid#2998. The existence of such correspondences has for many years been made something so familiar to me that scarcely anything could be more so. This has happened to me even though man's condition is such that he does not know of the existence of that correspondence and does not believe that he has any connection with the spiritual world. Yet all his connection is from that world and without it neither he nor any part of him could continue to exist for a single moment. On that connection depends the whole continuance of his existence. I have also been given to know which angelic communities belong to which particular part of the body, and also to know what they are like. I have been given to know, for example, which communities belong to the region of the heart, and what these are like; which ones belong to the lungs, and what these are like; which communities belong to the liver, and what they are like; and which ones belong to the sensory organs, such as the eye, the ears, the tongue, and the rest, and what those communities are like. In the Lord's Divine mercy these will be dealt with as a separate subject.
ppp20851#pid#2999. What is more, nothing ever exists in the created world that does not have a correspondence with things in the spiritual world, and so that does not represent in its own way something in the Lord's kingdom. It is from there that all things come into being and are kept in being. If man knew that this is how these things stand he would never attribute everything to natural forces as he is accustomed to do.
ppp20850#pid#3000. Consequently each and all things in the universe represent the Lord's kingdom, so much so that the universe with all its constellations, its various atmospheres, and its three kingdoms is nothing else than a kind of stage on which the Lord's glory as it exists in heaven is represented. In the animal kingdom not only man but also each living creature, even the smallest and meanest of them, is representative, such as the caterpillars. These crawl on the ground and feed on plants, and when the time to mate is at hand they become chrysalises. Soon after that they are furnished with wings, with which they are raised up from the ground into the air, which is their heaven. There they enjoy freedom of movement as they sport together, obtain nourishment from the best parts of the flowers, lay their eggs, and so produce a future generation. At this time they attain that state which is their particular heaven and also their beauty. That these things are representative of the Lord's kingdom anyone may see.
ppp20849#pid#3001. There is but one and no more life - the Lord's. This life flows in and brings life to man, to both good and evil alike. This becomes clear from what has been stated and shown in the explanation of the Word, in `@@@1954`, `@@@2021`, `@@@2536`, `@@@2658`, `@@@2706`, `@@@2886-2889`. To that life recipient objects correspond which are given life by means of that Divine influx, and indeed in such a way that these recipients seem to themselves to live of themselves. This correspondence is a correspondence of life with the recipients of life. Recipient objects have life insofar as they are recipients. Such correspondence exists with those who have love and charity within them, for they are fitted to receive and do receive that life as is adequate for them. But that correspondence does not exist with those who have the reverse of love and charity within them, for life itself is not received adequately by them. These therefore have but an appearance of life, the nature of which is the same as they are in themselves. This may be exemplified in a number of ways, for example, from the motor and the sensory organs of the body into which life flows by way of the soul. The nature of those organs determines that of the actions and sensations in them. The same may also be exemplified by objects on to which light from the sun falls - the nature of the forms receiving it determines the colours seen in them. But in the spiritual world all the variations which result from the influx of life are spiritual, and this is the origin of such differences in intelligence and wisdom.
ppp20848#pid#3002. From this it also becomes clear how all natural forms, both animate and inanimate, are representative of spiritual and celestial things in the Lord's kingdom. That is, every single thing of the natural order is representative according to the extent and character of its correspondence.
ppp20847#pid#3003. 'Representations and Correspondences' is continued at the end of the next chapter.
ppp20846#pid#3004. Very deep arcana lie concealed within the internal sense, which up to now have not come to anyone's knowledge. This becomes clear from what has been stated and shown up to this point, and from what will be shown in the Lord's Divine Mercy in what follows. It becomes absolutely clear from the internal sense of our Lord's two names JESUS CHRIST. When these are mentioned few have any other notion than that they are proper names which are little different from, though more sacred than, the names of any other human being. Better educated people know, it is true, that Jesus means Saviour, and Christ the Anointed, from which they conceive some more interior notion. But this is not the same as the things which the angels in heaven perceive from those names. They perceive things more Divine still, that is to say, when Jesus is mentioned by someone reading the Word they perceive Divine Good, and when Christ is mentioned, Divine Truth. And when both are mentioned together they perceive the Divine marriage of good to truth, and of truth to good. Thus they perceive everything Divine within the heavenly marriage, which is heaven. What the heavenly marriage is, see `@@@2173`, `@@@2803`.
ppp20845#pid#3005. The fact that JESUS in the internal sense is Divine Good and CHRIST Divine Truth may be seen from many places in the Word. The reason why Jesus is Divine Good is that it means Safety, Salvation, and Saviour. And as it means these it means Divine Good, for it is from Divine Good, which is the manifestation of the Lord's love and mercy, and so through the reception of that Good, that all salvation springs. The reason why Christ is Divine Truth is that it means Messiah, Anointed, and King. That Messiah, Anointed, or King is Divine Truth will be clear from what follows.
ppp20844#pid#3006. These are the things that angels perceive when the names Jesus Christ are used, and the things that are meant by its being said that in no other name is there salvation, and by what the Lord stated so many times concerning His name, as in John,
Whatever you ask in My name, I will do. `John 14bbb13-14`.
In the same gospel,
These things have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. `John 20bbb31`.
And elsewhere. 'His name' means everything in its entirety by which the Lord is worshipped, and so the essential nature of all worship and doctrine, see `@@@2724`. Here therefore the good of love and charity is meant when joined to the truth of faith, which constitutes the fabric of doctrine and worship in their entirety.
ppp20843#pid#3007. As regards Christ being the same as Messiah, Anointed, and King, and Messiah, Anointed, and King being the same as Divine Truth, this may be seen [from what follows below].
ppp20842#pid#3008. The first point - that Christ is the same as Messiah, Anointed, and King - is evident from the following places in the Word: In John,
Andrew found his own brother Simon and said to him, We have found the Messiah, which when interpreted is the Christ. `John 1bbb41`.
In the same gospel,
Many from the crowd as they heard this utterance said, This is truly the prophet. Others said, This is the Christ. But others said, Surely the Christ is not therefore going to come from Galilee? Does not the Scripture say that the Christ is going to come from the seed of David, and from Bethlehem, the town where David was? `John 7bbb40-42`.
'The Christ' plainly stands for the Messiah whom they awaited. In the same gospel,
Do the rulers indeed acknowledge that this is indeed the Christ? Yet we know where this man is from, whereas when the Christ comes no one knows where He is from. `John 7bbb25-27`.
'The Christ' stands for the Messiah. No one knew where He was from because He was unacknowledged. In the same gospel,
The Jews gathered round Jesus and said to Him, How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ tell us plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you and you do not believe. `John 10bbb24-25`.
Here also 'the Christ' stands for the Messiah whom they awaited. In the same gospel,
The crowd answered, We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains for ever. `John 12bbb34`.
'The Christ' stands for 'the Messiah'. In the same gospel,
Martha said, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world. `John 11bbb27`.
That is, Martha believed that He was the Messiah. In Luke,
There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. He had received an answer from the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he had seen the Lord's Christ. `Luke 2bbb25-26`.
This stands for the Messiah or Jehovah's Anointed. In the same gospel,
Jesus said to the disciples, But whom do you say that I am? Peter answered and said, God's Christ. `Luke 9bbb20`; `Mark 8bbb29`.
And there are other instances besides these, such as `Matthew 26bbb63-64`; `John 6bbb68-69`; `Mark 14bbb61-62`.
ttt[2] Since the names Christ and Messiah are one and the same - Christ in Greek and Messiah in Hebrew meaning the Anointed - it is therefore evident that Christ is one and the same as the Anointed. It is also one and the same as King, for kings were generally called the anointed, as is evident from many places in the Historical sections of the Word, as well as the Prophetical, as in David,
The kings of the earth have set themselves, and the princes have taken counsel together against Jehovah and against His Anointed. `Psalms 2bbb2`.
In the same author,
Now I know that Jehovah saves His Anointed. He will answer Him from His holy heaven with the mighty acts of His saving right hand. `Psalms 20bbb6`.
In the same author,
Jehovah is their strength, and the saving strength of His Anointed. `Psalms 28bbb8`.
In Samuel,
Jehovah will give strength to His king, and exalt the horn of His Anointed. `1 Samuel 2bbb10`.
In these and many other places elsewhere 'the anointed' stands for the king. The word used in the original language is Messiah. In all these prophetical utterances the subject in the internal sense is the Lord, who is the King, as is also evident from the New Testament, as in Matthew,
The governor asked Jesus, Are you the King of the Jews? Jesus said to him, You say so. `Matthew 27bbb11`.
In Luke,
Pilate asked Jesus, saying, Are you the King of the Jews? He answering him said, You say so. `Luke 23bbb3`; `Mark 15bbb2`.
In John,
They cried, Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel. `John 12bbb13`.
In the same gospel,
Nathanael said, Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel! `John 1bbb49`.
ppp20841#pid#3009. As to the second point - that Messiah, Anointed, or King is the same as Divine Truth - this is clear from very many places in the Word, and has been shown frequently in explanations; as in `@@@1672`, `@@@1728`, `@@@2015`, `@@@2069`. The Lord Himself also teaches the same in John,
Pilate said to Jesus, Are you not then a king? Jesus answered, You say it, because I am a King. For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice. `John 18bbb37`.
From this it is clear that the Divine Truth itself is at the root of the Lord's being called 'the King'. The reason why kings were anointed and consequently called the anointed was that 'the oil' with which they were anointed meant good, `@@@886`, `@@@2832`. Also the truth, meant by 'king', was derived from good and was accordingly truth grounded in good, so that the kingly office with them represented the Lord as regards Divine Truth which is derived from Divine Good, and so represented the Divine marriage of good within truth, whereas the priestly function represented the Divine marriage of truth within good. The latter is meant by Jesus, the former by Christ.
ppp20840#pid#3010. From this it is evident what is meant by 'the Christ' in Matthew,
See that no one leads you astray, for many will come in My name, saying, I am the Christ; and they will lead many astray. Then if anyone says to you, Behold, here is the Christ! or, There! do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will arise. `Matthew 24bbb4-5`, `Matthew 24bbbccc23-24`; `Mark 13bbb21-22`.
Here 'false Christs' means truths which are not Divine - that is, falsities - and 'false prophets' those who teach such falsities, `@@@2534`. In the same gospel,
Neither be called masters, for you have one Master, the Christ. `Matthew 23bbb10`.
'The Christ' stands for Divine truth. This shows what is meant by a Christian, namely one governed by truth derived from good.
ppp20839#pid#3011. From all this one may see what treasures lie concealed within the Word, such as cannot possibly come to be known except from the internal sense.
ppp20838#pid#3012. `Genesis 24bbb0`
1. And Abraham, being old, was advanced in years;`fff1` and Jehovah blessed Abraham in all things.
2. And Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his house, who administered all that he had, Put now your hand under my thigh.
3. And I will make you swear by Jehovah, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you do not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites in whose midst I am dwelling;
4. But that you go to my land and to the place of my nativity; and you shall take a wife for my son Isaac.
5. And the servant said to him, Perhaps the woman is not willing to go after me to this land: Must I take your son back to the land from which you came?
6. And Abraham said to him, Beware that you do not by any chance take my son back there.
7. Jehovah, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and from the land of my nativity, and who spoke to me, and who swore to me, saying, To your seed I will give this land, He will send His angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.
8. And if the woman is not willing to go after you, you are clear from this my oath; only do not take my son back there.
9. And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.
10. And the servant took ten camels from his master's camels, and went; and every good thing that was his master's was in his hand; and he rose up and went to Aram Naharaim, to the city of Nahor.
11. And he made the camels kneel down outside and away from the city near a well of water, at evening time, at the time that women go out to draw water.
12. And he said, O Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham, make it go right for me today`fff2` and deal mercifully with my master Abraham.
13. Behold, I am standing beside a spring of water and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water.
14. And let it be that the girl to whom I say, Let down now your pitcher and I will drink, and she says, Drink, and also I will give your camels a drink - let her be the one whom You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. And in this I shall know that You have dealt mercifully with my master.
15. And so it was, before he had finished speaking, that behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, the son of Milkah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother; and her pitcher was on her shoulder.
16. And the girl was very good looking, a virgin, and no man had known her. And she went down to the spring, and filled her pitcher, and went up.
17. And the servant ran to meet her and said, Let me sip now a little water from your pitcher.
18. And she said, Drink, my lord. And she hastened and lowered her pitcher on to her hand and gave him a drink.
19. And she finished giving him the drink and said, I will draw for your camels also until they have finished drinking.
20. And she hastened and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again to the well to draw, and drew for all his camels.
21. And the man, wondering at her, remained silent so as to know whether Jehovah had prospered his way or not.
22. And so it was, when the camels finished drinking, that the man took a gold nose-jewel, half a shekel in weight, and two bracelets to go on her hands, ten [shekels] of gold in weight.
23. And he said, Whose daughter are you? Tell me now, is there at your father's house a place for us to spend the night?
24. And she said to him, I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milkah, whom she bore to Nahor.
25. And she said to him, There is both straw and also much fodder with us, and a place to spend the night.
26. And the man bowed, and bowed down to Jehovah.
27. And he said, Blessed be Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned His mercy and His truth towards my master. As for me, being on the way, Jehovah has led me to the house of my master's brethren.
28. And the girl ran and told [those of] her mother's house all about these things.
29. And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban; and Laban ran to the man outside, to the spring.
30. And so it was - when he saw the nose-jewel and the bracelets on his sister's hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, who said, Thus the man spoke to me - that he went to the man, and behold, he was standing with the camels at the spring.
31. And he said, Come, O blessed of Jehovah; why do you stand outside? And I have swept the house, and there is a place for the camels.
32. And the man came to the house. And he ungirded the camels, and gave straw and fodder to the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.
33. And [food] was set before him to eat, and he said, I am not eating until I have spoken my words. And he said, Speak on!
34. And he said, I am Abraham's servant.
35. And Jehovah has blessed my master greatly and has made him great, and has given him flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and male and female servants, and camels and asses.
36. And Sarah my master's wife bore a son to my master in her old age; and to him he has given all that he has.
37. And my master made me swear, saying, You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I am dwelling;
38. But you shall go to my father's house, and to my family, and you shall take a wife for my son.
39. And I said to my master, Perhaps the woman is not going to follow me.
40. And he said to me, Jehovah, before whom I have walked, will send His angel with you and will prosper your way; and you shall take a wife for my son from my family and from my father's house.
41. Then you will be clear from my oath, because you have come to my family; and if they will not give her to you, you will be clear from my oath.
42. And I came today to the spring and said, O Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham, if You will, prosper now my way which I am walking in.
43. Behold, I am standing at a spring of water; and let it be that the young woman going out to draw, to whom I say, Give me a drink now of a little water from your pitcher,
44. And she says to me, Drink, and I will also draw for your camels - let her be the woman whom Jehovah has appointed for my master's son.
45. I had scarcely finished speaking in my heart, and behold, Rebekah came out, with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down to the spring and drew, and I said to her, Give me a drink now.
46. And she hastened and lowered her pitcher from upon her, and said, Drink, and also I will give your camels a drink; and I drank, and she gave the camels also a drink.
47. And I asked her and said, Whose daughter are you? And she said, The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milkah bore to him. And I put a jewel on her nose, and bracelets on her hands.
48. And I bowed, and bowed down to Jehovah, and blessed Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham, who led me into the way of truth to take the daughter of my master's brother for his son.
49. And now if you are going to show mercy and truth to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, and I will look to the right or to the left.
50. And Laban answered, then Bethuel, and they said, From Jehovah has this thing come; we cannot speak to you bad or good.
51. Behold, Rebekah is before you; take her and go, and let her be your master's son's wife, as Jehovah has spoken.
52. And so it was, when Abraham's servant heard their words, that he bowed down to the earth to Jehovah.
53. And the servant brought out vessels of silver and vessels of gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah; and he gave precious things to her brother and to her mother.
54. And they ate and drank, he and the men who were with him, and stayed the night; and they rose up in the morning, and he said, Send me to my master.
55. And her brother said, and her mother, Let the girl stay with us a week or ten days;`fff3` after that you will go.
56. And he said to them, Do not delay me, since Jehovah has prospered my way. Send me away and let me go to my master.
57. And they said, Let us call the girl and ask her personally.`fff4`
58. And they called Rebekah and said to her, Are you going to go with this man? And she said, I will go.
59. And they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham's servant and his men.
60. And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, Our sister, may you become thousands of myriads, and may your seed inherit the gate of those who hate you.
61. And Rebekah rose up, and her maids, and they rode on the camels and went after the man. And the servant took Rebekah and went.
62. And Isaac had come from`fff5` Beer Lahai Roi, and was dwelling in the land of the south.
63. And Isaac came out to meditate in the field towards evening, and lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, the camels were coming.
64. And Rebekah lifted up her eyes and saw Isaac, and dropped down from upon the camel.
65. And she said to the servant, Who is that man there walking in the field to meet us? And the servant said, He is my master. And she took a veil and covered herself.
66. And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done.
67. And Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother; and he took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. And Isaac was comforted after [the death of] his mother.
CONTENTS
Described in the internal sense is the whole process by which truth was joined to good in the Lord's Divine Rational. In this chapter it is the process of introduction which precedes that joining together. Isaac is the good of the rational, Rebekah here is the truth that has to be introduced into good, and Laban the affection for good in the natural man.
`nnn1. literally, came into days
`nnn2. literally, make it take place in front of me today
`nnn3. literally, stay with us days or ten
`nnn4. literally, ask her mouth
`nnn5. literally, came from coming [from]
ppp20837#pid#3013. The process of introduction is described in the internal sense as follows: When the state was reached in which all things had been rearranged by the Lord into a Divine celestial order so that Divine Truth might be joined to the Divine Good of His Rational - a re-arrangement achieved through the normal channel from the natural man, that is to say, from the facts, cognitions, and matters of doctrine in the natural man - truths were at that point summoned from there by means of the Lord's Divine influx, introduced into good in the rational, and made Divine. Thus the Rational was made Divine by the Lord as regards truth as well as regards good.
ppp20836#pid#3014. This chapter and those that follow show what arcana are contained in the internal sense of the Word.
ppp20835#pid#3015. THE INTERNAL SENSE
Verse 1. And Abraham, being old, was advanced in years;`fff1` and Jehovah blessed Abraham in all things.
'Abraham, being old, was advanced in years' means when the state was reached in which the Lord's Human could become Divine. 'And Jehovah blessed Abraham in all things' means when all things had been rearranged by the Lord into Divine order.
`nnn1. literally, came into days
ppp20834#pid#3016. 'Abraham, being old, was advanced in years' means when the state was reached in which the Lord's Human could become Divine. This is clear from the representation of 'Abraham' as the Lord, dealt with in `@@@1893`, `@@@1965`, `@@@1989`, `@@@2011`, `@@@2172`, `@@@2198`, `@@@2501`, `@@@2833`, `@@@2836`, and many times elsewhere; from the meaning of 'old' or old age as casting off what is human and putting on what is heavenly, dealt with in `@@@1854`, `@@@2198`, and when it has reference to the Lord, putting on what is Divine; and from the meaning of 'day' as state, dealt with in `@@@23`, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@893`, `@@@2788`, and therefore from the meaning of 'advanced in years' as the point when a state has been reached. The reason why 'old' and 'advanced in years' mean these things is that with angels the notion of old age does not exist, nor that of getting older, meant by 'advanced in years', only the notion of state as regards the life that is theirs. Consequently when getting older or old age is mentioned in the Word the angels present with man can have no other idea than that of the state of life that is theirs or that is men's as they pass through the different stages of life until they reach the last, that is to say, as they accordingly cast off what is human and put on what is heavenly. For man's life from infancy to old age is nothing else than an advance from the world towards heaven, the last stage of which is death and the actual transition from one life to the next. Burial therefore is also resurrection since the casting-off process is completed then, `@@@2916`, `@@@2917`. Such being the idea that angels have, nothing else can be meant by 'advanced in years' and by 'old age' in the internal sense - the sense which exists primarily for angels and for men who have minds like those of angels.
ppp20833#pid#3017. 'And Jehovah blessed Abraham in all things' means when all things had been re-arranged by the Lord into Divine order, or what amounts to the same, when the Lord had re-arranged all things into Divine order. This is clear from the consideration that 'Jehovah' is the Lord as regards the Divine Itself, `@@@1343`, `@@@1736`, `@@@1815`, `@@@2004`, `@@@2005`, `@@@2018`, `@@@2025`, `@@@2921`, in which case 'Abraham' represents the Lord as regards the Divine Human, `@@@2833`, `@@@2836`. Consequently when it is said that 'Jehovah blessed Abraham in all things' the meaning in the internal sense is that the Lord from the Divine Itself re-arranged all things in His Human into Divine order, for when 'blessing' is spoken of in regard to the Lord's Human it means those things. 'Being blessed', when it has reference to man, means being enriched with spiritual and celestial good, `@@@981`, `@@@1096`, `@@@1420`, `@@@1422`; and he is so enriched when the things residing with him are re-arranged by the Lord into a spiritual and celestial order, and so into the image and likeness of Divine order, `@@@2475`. The regeneration of man is nothing else.
ttt[2] But what is described by the statement that all things were re-arranged into Divine order by the Lord within the Divine Human is evident from what follows in the present chapter. It describes how His Divine Rational, represented by Isaac, which had been conceived from the Divine Good, represented by Abraham, and born from the Divine Truth, represented by Sarah, was now re-arranged into that Divine order, to the end that Divine Truths from the Human itself could be joined to it. These are the arcana which this chapter contains in the internal sense and which angels possess from the Lord in full light, for in the light of heaven they are plain to see as if in broad daylight. But in the light of the world in which man dwells hardly anything is visible except dimly and in some small measure with a regenerate person, since he also dwells in some light belonging to heaven.
ppp20832#pid#3018. Verse `Genesis 24bbbccc2` And Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his house, who administered all that he had, Put now your hand under my thigh.
'Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his house' means the ordering and influx of the Lord into His Natural, meant by 'the servant, the oldest of the house'. 'Who administered all that he had' means the functions of the natural man. 'Put now your hand under my thigh' means being bound, as regards its power, to the good of conjugial love.
ppp20831#pid#3019. 'Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his house' means the ordering and influx of the Lord into His Natural, meant by 'the servant, the oldest of the house'. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' here as commanding since it is a servant to whom Abraham's words are addressed; and since the subject is the re-arranging by the Divine of the things that exist in the natural man, ordering and influx are meant. For everything that is done in the natural or external man is an ordering by the rational or internal, and is effected by means of influx. The use of the expression 'the servant, the oldest of the house' to mean the natural, or the natural man, may be seen from the meaning of 'a servant' as that which is lower and serves what is higher, or what amounts to the same, that which is exterior and serves what is interior, see `@@@2541`, `@@@2567`. All things that belong to the natural man, as facts of every kind do, are nothing else than a body of servants, for they serve the rational by enabling it to be thoroughly fair in what it thinks and righteous in what it wills. That 'the oldest of the house' is the natural man becomes clear from what follows below.
ppp20830#pid#3020. 'Who administered all that he had' means the functions of the natural man. This is clear from the meaning of 'administering', and in particular of 'administering all things', as performing functions or duties. The relationship of the natural man to the rational, or what amounts to the same, of the external man to the internal, is like that of one who administers in a house, see `@@@1795`. All things in man are like one house, that is, one family, for there is one who has the duty to be head of the family, and others who have the duty of servants. The rational mind itself is the one that organizes everything, like the head of the family, and by influx brings order into the natural mind. The natural mind however is one that serves and administers. And because the natural mind is distinct and separate from the rational mind, existing on a level below the latter, and also in a sense acts independently, it is called in relationship to the rational 'the servant, the oldest of the house' and 'the one who administered all that he had there'.
ttt[2] The fact that the natural mind is distinct and separate from the rational, existing on a level below it, and in a sense acting independently, becomes clear from the things it has within it, and from the functions it performs. The things it has within it are all facts, and so also all cognitions of every kind - in short, every single thing belonging to the exterior or physical memory, dealt with in `@@@2471`, `@@@2480`. To this memory also belongs the whole faculty of imagination, which constitutes man's interior sensory awareness and is particularly active with children and during the early stages of adolescence. To the exterior memory belong in addition all the natural affections which man has in common with animals. From this it is evident what the functions of the natural mind are.
ttt[3] The rational mind however is interior. The items of knowledge it has within it, that is to say, every single thing belonging to the interior memory, are not evident to man, but are imperceptible during his lifetime, dealt with in `@@@2470-2474`, `@@@2489`, `@@@2490`. It also has within it the power of thought, which is a perceptivity of what is fair and righteous, as well as of what is true and good. In addition it has all the spiritual affections which are strictly human and which mark man off from animals. From these things within itself the rational mind flows into the natural mind and activates the things that are there, views them with a certain vision, and in this way forms judgements and conclusions. The fact that these two minds are distinct and separate is quite evident from this consideration: With many people the natural mind has dominion over the rational mind, or what amounts to the same, the external man has dominion over the internal; yet it does not have dominion and is subservient only with those in whom the good of charity is present, that is, who allow themselves to be led by the Lord.
ppp20829#pid#3021. 'Put now your hand under my thigh' means being bound, as regards its power, to the good of conjugial love. This is clear from the meaning of 'the hand' as power, dealt with in `@@@878`, and from the meaning of 'the thigh' as the good of conjugial love, dealt with in what follows. A binding of this good to that power is indeed the meaning, as is clear from the consideration that those who were bound by an obligation to carry out some matter connected with conjugial love put their hand, according to ancient custom, under the thigh of the one to whom they were so bound, and in so doing swore by him. This was done because 'the thigh' meant conjugial love, and 'the hand' power, or the full extent of whatever one's capability might be. For all parts of the human body correspond to spiritual and celestial things in the Grand Man, which is heaven, as shown in `@@@2996`, `@@@2998`, and will in the Lord's Divine mercy be shown more extensively later on. The thighs themselves, together with the loins, correspond to conjugial love. Those things were well known to the most ancient people, and for that reason so many customs came down from them, including that of putting their hands under the thigh when being bound by an obligation to carry out something connected with the good of conjugial love. Their knowledge of such things, which was valued most highly by the ancients, and belonged among the chief things that constituted their knowledge and intelligence, is totally lost today, so much so that not even the existence of any such correspondence is known, and for this reason people will probably be astounded that such things are meant by that custom. Here, because the subject is the betrothal of Isaac his son to another member of Abraham's family, and the oldest servant was called on to perform that task, this custom was therefore followed.
ttt[2] It has been stated that 'the thigh', because of its correspondence, means conjugial love, and this may also be seen from other places in the Word, for example, from the procedure to be followed when a woman was accused by her husband of adultery, in Moses,
The priest shall make the woman take the oath of a curse, and the priest shall say to the woman, Jehovah will make you a curse and an oath in the midst of your people, when Jehovah makes your thigh fall away and your belly swell. When he has made her drink the water, then it will happen, if she has defiled herself and committed a trespass against her husband, that the water causing the curse will enter into her and become bitter, and her belly will swell, and her thigh will fall away; and the woman will be a curse in the midst of her people. `Numbers 5bbb21`, `Numbers 5bbbccc27`.
'The falling away of the thigh' means the evil of conjugial love, which is adultery. Every other detail in the same procedure had some specific meaning, so that not even the smallest detail fails to embody something, though anyone reading the Word who has no concept of its sacredness will wonder why such things are included there. It is because 'the thigh' means the good of conjugial love that the expression 'those coming out of the thigh' is used frequently, as in a reference to Jacob,
Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations will be from you, and kings will go out from your thighs. `Genesis 35bbb11`.
And elsewhere in the same author,
Every soul coming with Jacob to Egypt, who came out of his thigh. `Genesis 46bbb26`; `Exodus 1bbb5`.
And in a reference to Gideon, Gideon had seventy sons, who came out of his thigh. `Judges 8bbb30`.
ttt[3] Since 'the thigh' and 'the loins' mean the things that belong to conjugial love they also mean those that belong to love and charity, the reason being that conjugial love underlies every other kind of love, see `@@@686`, `@@@2733`, `@@@2737-2739`. These all have the same source - the heavenly marriage - which is a marriage of good and truth, regarding which see `@@@2727-2759`. For 'the thigh' means the good of celestial love and the good of spiritual love, as may be seen from the following places: In John,
He who sat on the white horse had on His robe and on His thigh the name written, King of kings, and Lord of lords. `Revelation 19bbb16`.
'He who sat on the white horse' is the Word, and so the Lord, who is the Word, see `@@@2760-2762`. 'Robe' means Divine Truth, `@@@2576`, and for that reason He is called 'King of kings', `@@@3009`. From this it is evident what 'the thigh' means, namely the Divine Good which flows from His love, on account of which He is also named 'Lord of lords', `@@@3004-3011`. And this being the Lord's essential nature, it is said that He had a name written on His robe and on His thigh, for 'name' means essential nature, `@@@1896`, `@@@2009`, `@@@2724`, `@@@3006`.
ttt[4] In David,
Gird Your sword on Your thigh, O Mighty One, in Your glory and honour! `Psalms 45bbb3`.
This refers to the Lord. 'Sword' stands for truth engaged in conflict, `@@@2799`, 'thigh' for the good of love. 'Girding the sword on the thigh' means that the truth which He was to use in the fight was allied to the good of love. In Isaiah,
Righteousness will be the girdle of His loins, and truth the girdle of His thighs. `Isaiah 11bbb5`.
This too refers to the Lord. Because 'righteousness' has reference to the good that flows from love, `@@@2235`, it is called 'the girdle of His loins', while 'truth' because it comes from good, is called 'the girdle of His thighs'. Thus 'loins' is used in reference to the love within good, and 'thighs' to the love within truth.
ttt[5] In the same prophet'
None will be weary, and none will stumble in Him. He will not slumber nor sleep. Nor has the girdle of His thighs been loosed, nor the thong of His shoes torn away. `Isaiah 5bbb27`.
This refers to the Lord. 'The girdle of His thighs' stands, as above, for the love within truth. In Jeremiah Jehovah told the prophet to buy a linen girdle and put it over his loins but not dip it in water. He was then told to go away to the Euphrates and hide it in a cleft of the rock. When he went back at a later time to retrieve it from that place it was spoiled, `Jeremiah 13bbb1-7`. 'A linen girdle' stands for truth, but the placing of it over his loins was representative of the fact that truth was the outward expression of good. Anyone may see that these actions are representative. Their meaning however cannot be known except from correspondences, which will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with at the ends of certain chapters further on.
ttt[6] It is similar with the meaning of the things seen by Ezekiel, Daniel, and Nebuchadnezzar: Ezekiel saw,
Above the firmament that was above the heads of the cherubim, in appearance like a sapphire stone, there was the likeness of a throne, and above the likeness of a throne, there was a likeness, as the appearance of a Man (Homo) upon it above. And I saw as it were the shape of fiery coals, as the shape of fire, within it round about. From the appearance of His loins and upwards, and from the appearance of His loins and downwards, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, whose brightness was round about it like the appearance of the rainbow which is in the cloud on the day of rain; so was the appearance of the brightness round about, thus was the appearance of the likeness of the Glory of Jehovah. `Ezekiel 1bbb26-28`.
This scene was clearly representative of the Lord and His kingdom. 'The appearance of His loins upwards and the appearance, of His loins downwards' is descriptive of His love, as is evident from the meaning of 'fire' as love, `@@@934`, and from the meaning of 'brightness' and of 'the rainbow' as wisdom and intelligence from that love, `@@@1042`, `@@@1043`, `@@@1053`.
ttt[7] Daniel saw,
A man clothed in linen whose loins were girded with gold of Uphaz, and whose body was like tarshish,`fff1` and whose face was like the appearance of lightning and whose eyes were like fiery torches, and whose arms and feet were like the shine of burnished bronze. `Daniel 10bbb5-6`.
What each of these expressions means - the loins, the body, the face, the eyes, the arms, and the feet - does not become clear to anyone except from representations and correspondences involved in these. From these it is evident that in what Daniel saw the Lord's heavenly kingdom was represented, in which Divine Love constitutes the loins, and 'the gold of Uphaz' with which He was girded, the good resulting from wisdom that is grounded in love, `@@@113`, `@@@1551`, `@@@1552`.
ttt[8] In Daniel: Nebuchadnezzar saw a statue whose head was fine gold, breast and arms silver, belly and thighs bronze, feet partly iron, partly clay, `Daniel 2bbb32-33`. This statue represented consecutive states of the Church. The head of gold represented the first state, which was celestial because it was a state of love to the Lord; the breast and arms of silver represented the second state, which was spiritual because it was a state of charity towards the neighbour; the belly and thighs of bronze represented the third state, which was a state of natural good meant by 'bronze', `@@@425`, `@@@1551` - natural good being love or charity towards the neighbour as this exists on a lower level than spiritual good - while the feet of iron and clay were the fourth state, which was a state of natural truth meant by 'iron', `@@@425`, `@@@426`, and also a state involving complete lack of cohesion with good, which is meant by 'clay'.
From all this one may see what is meant by the thighs and loins, namely conjugial love primarily, and from this love every genuine kind of love, as is evident from the places quoted and also from `Genesis 32bbb25`, `Genesis 32bbbccc31-32`; `Isaiah 20bbb2-4`; `Nahum 2bbb1`; `Psalms 69bbb23`; `Exodus 12bbb11`; `Luke 12bbb35-36`. The thighs and loins also mean in the contrary sense those loves that are the reverse of conjugial love and all genuine loves, namely self-love and love of the world, `1 Kings 2bbb5-6`; `Isaiah 32bbb10-11`; `Jeremiah 30bbb6`; `Jeremiah ccc48bbb37`; `Ezekiel 29bbb7`; `Amos 8bbb10`.
`nnn1. A Hebrew word for a particular kind of precious stone, possibly a beryl.
ppp20828#pid#3022. Verses `Genesis 24bbbccc3-4` And I will make you swear by Jehovah, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you do not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites in whose midst I am dwelling, but that you go to my land and to the place of my nativity; and you shall take a wife for my son Isaac.
'And I will make you swear by Jehovah, the God of heaven and the God of the earth' means an utterly sacred binding to the Divine which existed in highest things and in the things derived from these. 'That you do not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites' means that the Divine Rational should not be joined to any affection incompatible with truth. 'In whose midst I am dwelling' means incompatible things in the maternal human that surround. 'But go to my land and to the place of my nativity' means to the Divine celestial and spiritual things which the Lord acquired to Himself. 'And you shall take a wife for my son Isaac' means that from this came the affection for truth which was to be joined to the affection for good belonging to the Rational.
ppp20827#pid#3023. 'I will make you swear by Jehovah, the God of heaven and the God of the earth' means an utterly sacred binding to the Divine which existed in highest things and in the things derived from these. This is clear from the meaning of 'making someone swear by' as binding by means of an oath, for to swear by is nothing else than to be bound to; and this bond is utterly sacred when one swears 'by Jehovah, the God of heaven and the God of the earth', that is, when one is bound to the Divine above and beneath, or what amounts to the same, to the Divine which exists in highest things and in the things derived from these. Since 'Jehovah the God of heaven' is used in reference to the Lord, it means Jehovah Himself, who is called 'the Father', from whom the Lord was conceived and so who was the Lord's Divine Essence; for His very conception transmitted that very Essence from which He had His being. 'Jehovah the God of the earth' means in this case Jehovah who is called 'the Son', and so means His Human Essence. The Human Essence came into being from the Divine Essence when the Lord made that Human Essence Divine also. Thus 'Jehovah the God of heaven' means the Divine as it exists in highest things, while 'Jehovah the God of the earth' means the Divine as it exists in the things derived from these. The Lord however is called 'Jehovah, the God of heaven' by virtue of His Divine in the heavens, and 'the God of the earth' by virtue of His Divine on earth. The Divine in the heavens is also that which resides with man in his internals, whereas the Divine on earth is that which does so in his externals. For man's internals constitute his 'heaven' because through them he is linked to angels, whereas his externals constitute his 'earth' because through them he is linked to men, `@@@82`, `@@@913`, `@@@1411`, `@@@1733`. When a person has been regenerated his internals flow into his externals, and externals exist from internals. From this one may also know what the internals of the Church are and what its externals.
ppp20826#pid#3024.'That you do not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites' means that the Divine Rational should not be joined to any affection incompatible with truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'taking a woman' as being joined by means of the marriage covenant; from the meaning of 'my son', namely Isaac, as the Lord's Divine Rational, dealt with in `@@@1893`, `@@@2066`, `@@@2083`, `@@@2630`; from the meaning of 'daughters' as affections, dealt with in `@@@489-491`, `@@@568`, `@@@2362`; and from the meaning of 'the Canaanites' as evil, dealt with in `@@@1444`, `@@@1573`, `@@@1574`. Consequently 'the daughters of the Canaanites' are affections incompatible with truth. The subject here is Divine truth which was to be allied to the Divine good of the Lord's Rational, as may be seen in `@@@3013` under 'Contents'. 'A woman' who was to be associated by means of a marriage covenant is used to mean that truth itself which is summoned from the natural man in the normal manner. 'My son' is used to mean the Lord's Rational as regards the good with which it was to be allied or associated. From this one may recognize that the command not to take a wife for his son from the daughters of the Canaanites means that the Divine Rational should not be joined to any affection incompatible with truth. All joining of truth to good is effected by means of affection, for no truth ever enters the rational part of a person's mind or is joined to it except by means of affection, for affection has within it the good that flows from love, which good alone effects the joining together, `@@@1895`, as also anyone may know who stops to reflect on it.
ttt[2] As regards 'the daughters of the Canaanites' meaning affections incompatible with truth, that is, affections for what is false, this becomes clear from the meaning of 'daughters'. For the noun 'daughters' occurs in many places in the Word, and in these anyone may see that it is not used to mean daughters. By such expressions as 'the daughter of Zion', 'the daughter of Jerusalem', 'the daughter of Tarshish', 'the daughter of My people', affections for good and truth are meant, as shown in the paragraphs referred to above. And since affections for good and truth are meant so also are Churches, for Churches are Churches by virtue of these affections. Consequently 'the daughter of Zion' means the celestial Church, and means this by virtue of the affection for good, whereas 'the daughter of Jerusalem' means the spiritual Church from the affection for truth, `@@@2362`. And it is the same with 'the daughter of My people' in `Isaiah 22bbb4`; `Jeremiah 6bbb14`, `Jeremiah 6bbbccc26`; `Jeremiah ccc8bbb19`, `Jeremiah 8bbbccc21-22`; `Jeremiah ccc9bbb1`; `Jeremiah ccc14bbb17`; `Lamentations 2bbb11`; `Lamentations ccc4bbb6`; `Ezekiel 13bbb17`.
ttt[3] This shows what is meant by the daughters of the nations, such as by the daughters of the Philistines, the daughters of Egypt, the daughters of Tyre and Sidon, the daughters of Edom, the daughters of Moab, the daughters of the Chaldeans and Babel, and the daughters of Sodom. They mean affections for evil and falsity, from which their varieties of religion sprang, and so mean those varieties themselves. That this is the meaning of 'daughters' becomes clear from the following places: In Ezekiel,
The daughters of the nations will lament over Egypt. Wail over the multitude of Egypt, and send her down, her and the daughters of majestic nations, to the lower earth, together with those who go down to the pit. `Ezekiel 32bbb16`, `Ezekiel 32bbbccc18`.
'The daughters of majestic nations' stands for affections for evil. In Samuel,
Tell it not in Gath; publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised exult. `2 Samuel 1bbb20`.
In Ezekiel,
You committed whoredom with the sons of Egypt. I delivered you to those who hated you, the daughters of the Philistines. Before your badness was revealed, as at the time of the reproach of the daughters of Syria, and of all round about her, the daughters of the Philistines who despise you from round about. `Ezekiel 16bbb26-27`, `Ezekiel 16bbbccc57`.
Anyone may see that not daughters were meant here but the varieties of religion among such people as are meant by the Philistines - those who speak repeatedly of faith yet do not at all pursue the life taught by faith, see `@@@1197`, `@@@1198`. This also explains why they are called 'the uncircumcised', that is, devoid of charity.
ttt[4] In Jeremiah,
Go up to Gilead and take balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt! Make for yourself vessels of migration, O inhabitant daughter of Egypt. The daughter of Egypt has been put to shame; she has been delivered into the hand of the people from the north. `Jeremiah 46bbb11`, `Jeremiah 46bbbccc19`, `Jeremiah 46bbbccc24`.
'The daughter of Egypt' stands for the affection for reasoning from facts about whether truths of faith really are true, and so stands for the variety of religion which springs from this, the nature of which is to believe nothing except that grasped by the senses, and so to believe nothing of the truth of faith, see `@@@215`, `@@@232`, `@@@233`, `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1186`, `@@@1385`, `@@@2196`, `@@@2203`, `@@@2209`, `@@@2568`, `@@@2588`. In Isaiah,
He said, You will no more exult, O oppressed virgin daughter of Sidon. `Isaiah 23bbb12`.
In David,
The daughter of Tyre with an offering, the rich of the people will entreat your face. `Psalms 45bbb12`.
What 'the daughter of Sidon' and 'the daughter of Tyre' mean is evident from the meaning of Sidon and Tyre, dealt with in `@@@1201`. In Jeremiah,
Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom. Your iniquity, O daughter of Zion, is at an end. He will no more cause you to migrate; your iniquity will be punished, O daughter of Edom. `Lamentations 4bbb21-22`.
In Isaiah,
Like a wandering bird, a scattered nest, will the daughters of Moab be. `Isaiah 16bbb2`.
In the same prophet,
Come down and sit on the dust, O virgin daughter of Babel; sit on the ground without a throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans. Sit quietly and go into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans, for no more will they call you the mistress of kingdoms. `Isaiah 47bbb1`, `Isaiah 47bbbccc5`.
In Jeremiah,
A people coming from the north, arrayed as a man for war against you, O daughter of Babel. `Jeremiah 50bbb41-42`.
In the same prophet,
The daughter of Babel is like the threshing-floor; it is time to thresh her. `Jeremiah 51bbb33`
In Zechariah,
Ho, Zion! escape, you who dwell with the daughter of Babel. `Zechariah 2bbb7`.
In David,
The daughter of Babel has been laid waste. `Psalms 137bbb8`.
In Ezekiel,
Your sisters, Sodom and her daughters will return to their condition as of old, and Samaria and her daughters will return to their condition as of old. `Ezekiel 16bbb55`.
ttt[5] Anyone may see that in these places 'daughters' is not used to mean daughters but affections incompatible with truth, and so the varieties of religion that spring from them. But which particular varieties they are is evident from the meaning of those peoples - from the meaning of Edom, Moab, the Chaldeans, Babel, Sodom, Samaria, all of which have been dealt with in various places in the explanations to previous chapters of Genesis. From this what is meant in the present chapter by 'the daughters of the Canaanites' becomes clear.
ttt[6] This command not to contract marriages with the daughters of the Canaanites also had regard to the spiritual requirements that good should not be joined to falsity, nor evil to truth, for the result of any such joining together is profanation. The prohibition was also a representative of the matter referred to in `Deuteronomy 7bbb3`, and in Malachi,
Judah has profaned the holiness of Jehovah, in that he loved and married the daughter of a foreign god. `Malachi 2bbb11`.
ppp20825#pid#3025. 'In whose midst I am dwelling' means incompatible things in the maternal human that surround. This is clear from the meaning of 'living in the midst of them', that is to say, of the Canaanites, as those things that are round about, or that surround - things incompatible with truth, as is clear from what has been stated just above about the meaning of 'the daughters of the Canaanites'. These are the things which the Lord received by heredity from the maternal side and which He subsequently cast away when He made His Human Divine, as becomes clear from what has been stated and shown already on the same subject in `@@@1414`, `@@@1444`, `@@@1573`, `@@@2159`, `@@@2574`, `@@@2649`.
ppp20824#pid#3026. 'But go to my land and to the place of my nativity' means to the Divine celestial and spiritual things which the Lord acquired to Himself. This is clear from the meaning of 'land' as the celestial element of love, dealt with in `@@@1413`, `@@@1607`, and from the meaning of 'nativity' or 'generation' as the spiritual element of love, dealt with in `@@@1145`, `@@@1255`. Here, since the Lord is the subject, those Divine celestial and spiritual things are meant which He acquired to Himself by His own power, see `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc1813`, `@@@1921`, `@@@2025`, `@@@2026`, `@@@2083`, `@@@2500`.
ppp20823#pid#3027. 'And you shall take a wife for my son Isaac' means that from this came the affection for truth which was to be joined to the affection for good belonging to the Rational. This is clear from what has been stated above in `@@@3024`.
ppp20822#pid#3028. Verses `Genesis 24bbbccc5-6` And the servant said to him, Perhaps the woman is not willing to go after me to this land. Must I take your son back to the land from which you came? And Abraham said to him, Beware that you do not by any chance take my son back there.
'The servant said to him' means the Lord's perception concerning the natural man. 'Perhaps the woman is not willing to go after me to this land' means doubt in the natural man as to whether that affection was separable. 'Must I take your son back to the land from which you came?' means whether it could nevertheless be joined to the Divine good of the Rational. 'Abraham said to him' means the Lord's perception coming from the Divine. 'Beware that you do not take my son back there' means that it could not possibly be joined.
ppp20821#pid#3029. 'The servant said to him' means the Lord's perception concerning the natural man. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as perceiving, dealt with in `@@@1791`, `@@@1815`, `@@@1819`, `@@@1822`, `@@@1898`, `@@@1919`, `@@@2080`, `@@@2506`, `@@@2515`, `@@@2552`, and from the meaning of 'the servant' here as the natural man, dealt with above in `@@@3019`, `@@@3020`. All that takes place in the natural man, and what the natural man is like, is perceived in the rational, for that in man which is lower is perceived from that which is higher, see `@@@2654`. Consequently 'the servant said to him' means the Lord's perception concerning the natural man.
ppp20820#pid#3030. 'Perhaps the woman is not willing to go after me to this land' means doubt in the natural man as to whether that affection was separable. This is clear from the meaning of 'the woman' as truth, here truth from the natural, that was to be joined to the Divine good of the Rational, though as all joining together is effected by means of affection, as stated above in `@@@3024`, 'the women' accordingly means the affection for that truth; and from the meaning of 'going after me', or following, 'to this land' as being separated from the natural and joined to the Rational, for 'land' here, as above in `@@@3026`, means the good of love which belongs to the Rational. The fact that doubt is meant may be seen from the remark 'perhaps she is not willing to'. From what has been stated above one may see what is embodied in these words and those that follow to verse `Genesis 24bbbccc8`, and beyond that. Yet to make them even more intelligible let a little more be stated here.
ttt[2] The genuine rational derives its being from good but its manifestation from truth. Good flows in by an internal route, but truth by an external route. In this manner good joins itself in the rational to truth and causes it to be the rational. Unless good is joined there to truth it is not the rational, even though it may seem to be because of the person's ability to reason, `@@@1944`. This is the normal way in which the rational is formed with man.
ttt[3] Now because the Lord was born like any other, and was willing to be taught like any other, He was also willing in a like manner to make His Rational Divine, that is to say, to make it Divine as regards good through influx from His Divine by the internal route, and as regards truth through influx by the external route. The Rational was therefore so formed as regards good that it was in a state ready to receive truth. (That forming is meant by the opening words of this chapter, 'Abraham, being old, was advanced in years, and Jehovah blessed Abraham in all things', namely, when the state was reached for the Lord's Human to become Divine, and all things had been re-arranged by the Lord into Divine order, see `@@@3016`, `@@@3017`.) And there now follows the consideration that truth was to be joined to the good of the Rational. And this, as has been stated, was effected in the normal way, that is, by means of facts and cognitions summoned from the natural man.
ttt[4] The good itself of the rational which is formed by the internal route is the ground itself, while truth is the seed that is to be sown in the ground. The genuine rational is born in no other way. So that the Rational might be formed in the same way in the Lord and be made Divine by His own power, the Lord came into the world and was willing to be born like any other. Otherwise he could have assumed a human presence without being born at all as He had done on many occasions in ancient times when He had appeared to men. These are the considerations contained in this chapter, namely the following: The way in which truth was summoned from the natural man to be joined to the good of the rational; and - since the good there was Divine - the truth there was to become Divine too. To man, especially to one who does not know that the rational is anything distinct and separate from the natural and who therefore does not know that the rational is formed by consecutive stages, by means of cognitions, all of this is so utterly obscure as to be unintelligible to him. But to those who do know something about the rational and the natural man, and have some enlightenment, such considerations are among those that are quite easy to grasp. And angels see them plainly as if in broad daylight. To gain some idea of them, see the following points that have been stated and shown already:
As to truth the rational is formed through influx into knowledge and cognitions, `@@@1495`, `@@@1563`, `@@@1900`, `@@@1964`.
It is not born from knowledge and cognitions but from the affection for these, `@@@1895`, `@@@1900`.
Knowledge and cognitions are merely vessels for good, `@@@1469`, `@@@1496`.
Empty facts have to be destroyed, `@@@1489`, `@@@1492`, `@@@1499`, `@@@1500`.
In the rational the affection for good is present as the soul within the affection for truth, `@@@2072`.
What the affection for rational truth and for factual truth are, `@@@2503`.
By means of cognitions the external man is joined to the internal man, that is, the rational man to the natural man, when cognitions are implanted in the celestial things of love and charity, `@@@1450`, `@@@1451`, `@@@1453`, `@@@1616`.
ppp20819#pid#3031. 'Must I take your son back to the land from which you came?' means whether it could nevertheless be joined to the Divine good of the Rational. This becomes clear from what has been stated already about Abram and about the land he came from, see `@@@1343`, `@@@1356`, `@@@1992`, `@@@2559`. From these paragraphs it is evident that the land from which Abram came was Syria, where the second Ancient Church existed, called the Hebrew Church after its founder Eber, `@@@1238`, `@@@1241`, `@@@1327`, `@@@1343`. But around the time of Abram this Church too had fallen away from the truth, some households so far away from it that they did not know Jehovah at all but worshipped other gods. This is the land which is meant here and to which the servant was referring when he asked whether he was required to take Abraham's son 'to the land from which you came'. Consequently 'the land' here means an affection which is not compatible with truth. This being the meaning of 'the land', 'taking his son there', or what amounts to the same, taking a woman for him and remaining with her there, means joining an affection incompatible with truth to the Divine good of the Rational. But this could not be done, as Abraham declares in his reply which follows.
ppp20818#pid#3032. 'Abraham said to him' means the Lord's perception coming from the Divine. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as perceiving, dealt with above in `@@@3029`, and from the representation of 'Abraham' as the Lord as regards the Divine Human, from which that perception came.
ppp20817#pid#3033. 'Beware that you do not take my son back there' means that it could not possibly be joined to that affection. This is clear from what has been stated just above in `@@@3031`, where the meaning in the internal sense of taking his son back to the land from which Abraham came is explained. The fact that an affection which is incompatible with truth cannot be joined to the good of the Rational may be seen from what has been stated already about good and truth when joined together, or what amounts to the same, about the heavenly marriage, `@@@2173`, `@@@2507`, `@@@2727-2759`. The fact that the ancients therefore established a marriage between the affection for good and the affection for truth, see `@@@1904`; and also that falsity cannot possibly be joined to good, nor truth to evil, since they are by nature complete opposites, `@@@2388`, `@@@2429`, `@@@2531`; and that good is introduced into the cognitions of truth as its recipient vessels, and in this way conjunction is effected, `@@@1469`, `@@@1496`, `@@@1832`, `@@@1900`, `@@@1950`, `@@@2063`, `@@@2189`, `@@@2261`, `@@@2269`, `@@@2428`, `@@@2434`, `@@@2697`.
ttt[2] It is not possible for falsity to be joined to good, nor truth to evil, but only falsity to evil and truth to good. This I have been allowed to perceive from actual observation; and I have perceived that the following is the truth of the matter: Whenever anyone who possesses the affection for good, that is, who wills good from the heart, gives any thought to what he ought to will and do, his will for good in that case flows into his thought about it and there attaches itself to and places itself within the cognitions present there as its recipient vessels. And by means of that joining together his will for good impels him to think, will, and act in the way he does. It is so to speak an ingrafting of good in truths or in cognitions of truth. But it is different with someone who has no affection for good, only for evil, that is, someone who wills what is evil - such as one who supposes that everything is good which benefits him personally, making him important and rich, and so enhancing his own position and wealth; and such is his end in view. Whenever that person gives any thought to what he ought to will and do, his will in like manner flows into his thought. There it activates the cognitions which resemble truth, and so impels him to think, will and act. In this case cognitions are used in a wrong way by him and he supposes that he can use certain general ideas which he has absorbed from the literal sense of the Word or from some other source of knowledge in any way he thinks. So it is evil that is coupled to falsity; for truth present there is deprived completely of all that makes it essentially the truth.
ttt[3] In the next life, no matter how much better informed than others they seemed to be during their lifetime, such spirits are more stupid than others. To the extent they are convinced that they possess the truth they bring thick darkness to others. Such spirits as these were once present with me for quite some time, but they were insensitive to any affection for good deriving from truth, no matter how many truths which they had known during their lifetime were called to mind, for evil resided with them to which truths could not be joined. Nor are these spirits able to remain in the company of spirits who are good, but if any natural good at all resides with them they undergo vastation even to the point of not knowing any truth at all, and then some truth is introduced into the good that remains, insofar as the tiny amount of good remaining is capable of receiving it. Those however with whom an affection for good from the heart has been present are receptive of all truth, depending on the extent and character of the good that existed with them.
ppp20816#pid#3034. Verse `Genesis 24bbbccc7` Jehovah, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and from the land of my nativity, and who spoke to me, and who swore to me, saying, To your seed I will give this land, He will send His angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.
'Jehovah, the God of heaven' means the Lord's Divine itself. 'Who took me from my father's house and from the land of my nativity' means the Divine itself by whom the Lord freed Himself from the evils and from the falsities received from the mother. 'And who spoke to me, and who swore to me, saying' means the Divine itself from whom came His Divine will and understanding. 'To your seed I will give this land' means the Divine Truth which belonged to the Lord's Human. 'He will send His angel before you' means Divine Providence. 'And you shall take a wife for my son from there' means that the affection for truth came indeed from there, yet from a new source.
ppp20815#pid#3035. 'Jehovah, the God of heaven' means the Lord's Divine itself. This is clear from what has been stated above in `@@@3023` - that 'Jehovah, the God of heaven' is the Lord's Divine itself, for the name 'Jehovah', which occurs so many times in the Old Testament Word, was used to mean the Lord alone. Every single detail there refers in the internal sense to Him, and every single religious observance of the Church represented Him, see `@@@1736`, `@@@2921`. Furthermore the most ancient people who belonged to the celestial Church did not mean by 'Jehovah' anyone other than the Lord, `@@@1343`. Here and elsewhere in the sense of the letter it seems as though someone other, who is higher, is meant by Jehovah; but the sense of the letter is such that it sets forth as separate entities things which the internal sense presents as one. The reason for this is that man who has to be taught from the sense of the letter is unable to have the idea of one without first of all having the idea of several. For with man that which is a single whole is formed from several parts, or what amounts to the same, things existing simultaneously come into being consecutively. Many attributes exist in the Lord, and all are Jehovah, and therefore the sense of the letter regards these as separate entities, whereas heaven never does so. Heaven acknowledges one God with an idea that does not divide Him; nor does it acknowledge anyone other than the Lord.
ppp20814#pid#3036. 'Who took me from my father's house and from the land of my nativity' means the Divine itself by whom the Lord freed Himself from the evils and from the falsities received from the mother. This is clear from the meaning of 'father's house' here and of 'land of nativity' as that received or inherited from the mother, which was the source of the evil and falsity which the Lord fought against and cast out, and in so doing made His Human Divine by His own power. Please see what has been stated in `@@@3031` about the house and the land from which Abram came, and in what was stated previously to the effect that the Lord's heredity from Jehovah was Divine and from the mother evil, in `@@@1414`, `@@@1444`; that He fought against the evil inherited from the mother but never committed any evil of His own, `@@@1444`, `@@@1573`; and that the Lord cast out everything inherited from the mother till at length He was not her son, `@@@2159`, `@@@2574`, `@@@2649`. That which was inherited from the mother is what is meant in the internal sense by 'father's house' and 'land of nativity'. 'Father's house' means the evil inherited from the mother, 'land of nativity' the falsities inherited from her, for where evil exists falsities are present, for the two exist joined together. That He cast them out by His own power, see `@@@1616`,`fff1``@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc1813`, `@@@1921`, `@@@2025`, `@@@2026`, `@@@2083`, `@@@2523`.
`nnn1. `@@@1661` possibly intended
ppp20813#pid#3037. 'And who spoke to me, and who swore to me, saying' means the Divine itself from whom came His Divine will and understanding. This is clear from the meaning of 'speaking' as perceiving, dealt with in `@@@3029`, and also as willing, `@@@2626`; and from the meaning of 'swearing' as confirmation from the Divine and as that which has reference to truths which belong to the understanding, `@@@2842`. When Jehovah is referred to as 'speaking' the meaning in the internal sense is that He wills, for whatever Jehovah speaks He also wills. But when Jehovah is referred to as 'swearing' the meaning in the internal sense is that He understands it to be true. Thus when used in reference to Jehovah, 'swearing' means understanding, as becomes clear also from the places quoted from the Word in `@@@2842`.
ppp20812#pid#3038. 'To your seed I will give this land' means the Divine Truth which belonged to the Lord's Human. This is clear from the meaning of 'seed' as the faith that is an expression of charity, and also those in whom such faith is present, dealt with in `@@@1025`, `@@@1447`, `@@@1610`, `@@@2848` (and since all good and truth of faith are received from the Lord, it is Divine Truth itself that is meant in the highest sense by 'seed'); and from the meaning of 'this land', namely Canaan, as heaven or the Lord's kingdom, dealt with in `@@@1413`, `@@@1437`, `@@@1607`. And as heaven or the Lord's kingdom is meant, it is the Lord's Divine Human itself that 'the land of Canaan' is used to mean in the highest sense. For the Divine itself cannot flow into heaven except through the Lord's Divine Human, which the Lord also made plain in Matthew,
All things have been delivered to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, nor does anyone know the Father except the Son and he to whom the Son wishes to reveal Him. `Matthew 11bbb27`.
And in John,
Nobody has ever seen God; the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, He has made Him known. `John 1bbb18`.
'The Son' is the Lord's Divine Human. Anyone who believes that in heaven they worship any other Father than the Lord is much mistaken.
ppp20811#pid#3039. 'He will send His angel before you' means Divine Providence. This is clear from the meaning of 'angel' in the Word as the Lord, though which aspect of the Lord it is appears from the train of thought, as dealt with in `@@@1925`. The aspect meant here is clearly Divine Providence. The reason why the Lord is meant in the Word by 'angels' is that everything spoken in the Word through the Prophets and all others, though dictated by angels, is received from the Lord, that is, it is the Lord's Own. Angels in heaven also acknowledge and perceive that nothing good or true originates in themselves but in the Lord; indeed so great is their acknowledgement and perception that they turn away from everything that suggests any other idea. This explains why 'angels', that is to say, good ones, are used to mean the Lord, though which aspect of the Lord it is appears from the train of thought.
ppp20810#pid#3040. 'And you shall take a wife for my son from there' means that the affection for truth came indeed from there, yet from a new source. This is clear from the meaning of 'a wife' as the affection for truth, dealt with above. For 'Rebekah' who is referred to in this present chapter represents Divine Truth that was to be joined to the Divine Good of the Rational, which is Isaac. That the affection for truth comes from there, that is to say, from the things meant by 'father's house' and 'land of nativity', yet from a new source, cannot as yet be fully explained, though the matter is dealt with extensively in what follows. Let just a brief explanation be given here. Every affection for truth in the natural man comes into being through an influx from the affection for good from the rational, that is, from the Divine by way of the rational. The affection for truth which through that influx comes into being in the natural man is at first not an affection for genuine truth, for genuine truth arrives gradually. It gradually takes the place of those things previously there which were not truths in themselves, but only means leading on to genuine truth. This brief explanation shows what is meant by the statement that the affection for truth comes indeed from there, yet from a new source.
ppp20809#pid#3041. Verses `Genesis 24bbbccc8-9` And if the woman is not willing to go after you, you are clear from this my oath; only do not take my son back there. And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.
'If the woman is not willing to go after you' means here, as previously, if the affection for truth were not separated. 'You are clear from my oath' means the freedom that the natural man has. 'Only do not take my son back there' means here, as previously, no resulting conjunction. 'And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master' means here, as previously, that the natural man was bound, as regards its power, to the good of conjugial love. 'And swore to him concerning this matter' means a very solemn undertaking.
ppp20808#pid#3042. 'If the woman is not willing to go after you' means here, as previously, if the affection for truth were not separated. This is clear from the meaning of 'the woman' as the affection for truth, and from the meaning of 'going after you' or following to that land, as being separated from the natural and joined to the rational, dealt with above in `@@@3030`, where the same words occur.
ppp20807#pid#3043. 'You are clear from my oath' means the freedom that the natural man has. This is clear from the meaning of 'the servant', to whom Abraham's words are addressed, as the natural man, `@@@3019`, and from the meaning of 'being clear if the woman is unwilling to follow' in the proximate sense as not being bound if the affection for truth were not separated. These words, it is evident, imply the freedom that the natural man has; for the affection for truth, which is the subject here, and also its separation, is in the internal sense attributed to the natural man. In the historical sense these words do indeed have other connotations, but in the internal sense their implications are such.
ttt[2] Regarding human freedom, see what has been stated and shown already in `@@@892`, `@@@905`, `@@@1937`, `@@@1947`, `@@@2744`, `@@@2870-2893`, for these paragraphs show what is implied by freedom. Freedom is attributed to the natural man, but not so much to the rational man, because it is by way of the rational man and into the natural man that good flows in, in heavenly freedom, from the Lord. It is the natural man that is the recipient of that good, and in order that it may receive it and so be joined to the heavenly freedom flowing in by way of the rational man, the natural man is left in freedom. For freedom goes with love or affection. If the natural man does not receive an affection for truth from an inflowing affection for good, that man is in no sense joined to the rational. This is how it is with man, whom the Lord reforms by means of freedom, see `@@@1937`, `@@@1947`, `@@@2876-2878`, `@@@2881`.
ttt[3] In the Lord's case He too left the Natural in freedom when He made His Rational Divine as regards truth, that is, when He allied Divine Truth to the Divine Good of the Rational, for He was willing to make His Human Divine in the ordinary way. The ordinary way is that which occurs in anyone who is being reformed and regenerated. The actual reformation and regeneration of man is therefore a replica of what took place in the Lord. For by reformation and regeneration he becomes a new person, and is consequently called one begotten anew, and one created anew; and to the extent that he has been reformed he seems to have the Divine within him. But there is this difference, that the Lord made Himself Divine by His own power, whereas man is not able to effect the slightest reformation by his own power, only from the Lord. The expression 'seems to have the Divine' is used because man is solely a recipient of life, whereas the Lord is Life itself as to both Essences, see `@@@1954`, `@@@2021`, `@@@2658`, `@@@2706`, `@@@3001`.
ppp20806#pid#3044. 'Only do not take my son back there' means no resulting conjunction. This is clear from what has been stated above in `@@@3031`, `@@@3033`, where the same words occur.
ppp20805#pid#3045. 'And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master' means that the natural man was bound, as regards its power, to the good of conjugial love. This is clear from what has been stated in `@@@3021`, where also the same words occur.
ppp20804#pid#3046. 'And swore to him concerning this matter' means a very solemn undertaking. This is clear from the meaning of 'swearing' as a bond, and indeed a most sacred bond since he swore by 'Jehovah, the God of heaven and the God of the earth', as dealt with in `@@@3023`. It is accordingly a very solemn undertaking, for a very solemn undertaking is nothing else than a bond.
ppp20803#pid#3047. Verse `Genesis 24bbbccc10` And the servant took ten camels from his master's camels, and went; and every good thing that was his master's was in his hand; and he rose up and went to Aram Naharaim, to the city of Nahor.
'The servant took ten camels from his master's camels, and went' means Divine general facts in the natural man. 'And every good thing that was his master's was in his hand' means the goods and truths associated with those facts residing with the natural man. 'And he rose up' means a raising up. 'And went to Aram Naharaim' means resulting cognitions of truth. 'To the city of Nahor' means kindred matters of doctrine.
ppp20802#pid#3048. 'The servant took ten camels from his master's camels, and went' means [Divine] general facts in the natural man. This is clear from the meaning of 'the servant' here as the natural man, dealt with above in `@@@3019`, `@@@3020`; from the meaning of 'ten' as remnants, which are the goods and truths stored away in a person by the Lord, see `@@@468`, `@@@530`, `@@@560`, `@@@561`, `@@@660`, `@@@661`, `@@@1050`, `@@@1906`, `@@@2284` (though when 'ten' or remnants is used in reference to the Lord, the Divine things that the Lord acquired to Himself are meant, `@@@1738`, `@@@1906`); and from the meaning of 'camels' as general facts which, being Divine or things acquired by the Lord, are said to be 'ten' in number, and also to be 'camels from his master's camels'. The words 'he went' mean the introduction which was effected by means of those facts, which is dealt with in this chapter. The whole subject is the process by which truth was joined to good in the Lord's Divine Rational, the first thing to be described in this line of thought being the nature of the process of introduction, referred to in `@@@3012`, `@@@3013`. The present verse describes how the Lord separated those things in the natural man that came from Himself, that is, that were Divine, from those that came from the mother. Those that came from Himself, or were Divine, are the things through which the introduction was effected, and they are meant here by 'the ten camels from his master's camels'. This explains why much reference is made in subsequent verses to camels, such as that he made the camels kneel down outside the city, verse `Genesis 24bbbccc11`; that Rebekah also gave the camels a drink, verses `Genesis 24bbbccc14`, `Genesis 24bbbccc19-20`; that they were led into the house, and given straw and fodder, verses `Genesis 24bbbccc31-32`; and further on, that Rebekah and her maids rode on the camels, verse `Genesis 24bbbccc61`; and that Isaac saw the camels coming, and that when Rebekah saw Isaac she dropped down from the camel, verses `Genesis 24bbbccc63-64`. The reason they are mentioned so many times lies in the internal sense in which they mean the general facts that are present in the natural man and from which comes the affection for truth that had to be introduced to the affection for good within the rational, this being effected in the ordinary way, as shown above. For the rational as regards truth cannot possibly be born and perfected without facts and cognitions.
ttt[2] That 'camels' means general facts is clear from other places in the Word where they are mentioned, as in Isaiah,
A prophecy of the beasts of the south. In the land of distress and anguish are the young lion and the old lion from them, the viper and the flying fiery-serpent. They carry their wealth on the shoulders of young asses, and their treasures on the backs of camels, to a people that do not profit them. And Egypt's help will be in vain and to no advantage. `Isaiah 30bbb6-7`.
'The beasts of the south' stands for those who possess cognitions or the light of cognitions but lead evil lives. 'Carrying their wealth on the shoulders of young asses' stands for the cognitions which belong to their rational, 'a young ass' being rational truth, see `@@@2781`. 'Their treasures on the backs of camels' stands for the cognitions which belong to their natural, 'the backs of camels' being the natural, 'camels' themselves the general facts there, 'treasures' the cognitions which they consider to be precious. The words 'Egypt's help will be in vain and to no advantage' mean that to them knowledge is of no use, 'Egypt' being knowledge, see `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1186`, `@@@1462`, `@@@2588` (end). It is evident that camels are not meant by 'camels' here because it is said that the young lion and the old lion carry their treasures on the backs of camels. Anyone may see that some arcanum of the Church is meant by this description.
ttt[3] In the same prophet,
The prophecy of the wilderness of the sea. Thus said the Lord, Go, set a watchman to point out what he sees. And he saw a chariot, a pair of horsemen, a chariot of asses, a chariot of camels, and he listened diligently. He answered and said, Fallen, fallen has Babel. `Isaiah 21bbb1`, `Isaiah 21bbbccc6-7`, `Isaiah 21bbbccc9`.
'The wilderness of the sea' stands for the hollowness of knowledge that serves no use. 'A chariot of asses' stands for a mass of specific facts, 'a chariot of camels' for a mass of general facts which are present in the natural man. It is the hollow reasonings found with people meant by Babel which are described in this fashion.
ttt[4] In the same prophet,
Your heart will enlarge itself because the abundance of the sea will be turned to you, the wealth of the nations will come to you. A multitude of camels will cover you, dromedaries of Midian and Ephah, all those from Sheba will come. They will bring gold and frankincense, and will spread abroad the praises of Jehovah. `Isaiah 60bbb5-6`.
This refers to the Lord, and to the Divine celestial and spiritual things within His natural. 'The abundance of the sea' stands for a vast quantity of natural truth, 'the wealth of the nations' for a vast quantity of natural good. 'A multitude of camels' stands for general facts in abundance, 'gold and frankincense' for goods and truths which are 'the praises of Jehovah'. 'From Sheba' is from the celestial things of love and faith, see `@@@113`, `@@@117`, `@@@1171`. The queen of Sheba's coming to Solomon in Jerusalem with vast amounts of wealth, with camels carrying spices, and very much gold, and precious stones, `1 Kings 10bbb1-2`, represented the wisdom and intelligence which came to the Lord, who in the internal sense of these verses is meant by Solomon. 'Camels carrying spices, gold, and precious stores' means matters of wisdom and intelligence in the natural man.
ttt[5] In Jeremiah,
To Arabia and to the kingdoms of Hazor which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babel smote: Arise and go up to Arabia, and lay waste the sons of the east. They will take their tents, their curtains, and all their vessels, and they will bear their camels away from them. Their camels will become booty, and the multitude of their flocks booty, and I will scatter them to every wind. `Jeremiah 49bbb28-29`, `Jeremiah 49bbbccc32`.
Here 'Arabia' and 'the kingdoms of Hazor', used in the contrary sense, stand for people who possess cognitions of celestial and spiritual things but whose only use for them is to be considered wise and intelligent in their own eyes and in those of the world. 'The camels that will be borne away from them to become booty and that will be scattered to every wind' means in general the factual knowledge of those people and their cognitions of good and truth, which will begin to be removed from these people in this life through their belief in things of a contrary nature, and in the next life removed altogether.
ttt[6] In Zechariah,
The plague with which Jehovah will smite all the peoples that wage war against Jerusalem: It will be a plague of the horse, the mule, the camel, and the ass, and every beast. `Zechariah 14bbb12`, `Zechariah 14bbbccc15`.
'A plague of the horse, the mule, the camel, the ass' stands for the removal of the powers of the understanding which follow one another in the same consecutive order, from rational concepts to natural images. What a horse is, see `@@@2761`, `@@@2762`; a mule, `@@@2781`; an ass, `@@@2781`. 'Camels' stands for general facts in the natural man. The pestilence in Egypt 'on the cattle in the field, on the horses, on the asses, on the camels, on the herd, and on the flock', `Exodus 9bbb2-3`, had a similar meaning.
From all these places it becomes clear that 'camels' in the internal sense of the Word means general facts which belong to the natural man. General facts are those which include within themselves many particular ones, while these include within themselves those that are specific. All these constitute in general the understanding part of the natural man.
ppp20801#pid#3049. 'And every good thing that was his master's was in his hand' means the goods and truths associated with those facts residing with the natural man. This is clear from the meaning of 'every good thing that was his master's' as both good and truth, for in itself truth is good since it springs from good - truth being the form that good takes, that is, when good receives a form so that it can be perceived in the understanding it is called truth; and from the meaning of 'the hand' as power, dealt with in `@@@878`. Thus the goods and truths residing with the natural man are meant here. General facts are not in themselves good, nor do they have any life; but the affection for them is what causes them to be good and to have life, for in that case they exist for the sake of their use. No one's affection is stirred by any fact or truth, except on account of the use it serves. The use is what makes it good, though the particular nature of the use determines the nature of the good.
ppp20800#pid#3050. 'And he rose up' means a raising up. This is clear from the meaning of 'rising up' as that which implies some kind of raising up whenever this phrase occurs, dealt with in `@@@2401`, `@@@2785`, `@@@2912`, `@@@2927`. In the present instance it means that Divine Truth from facts was to be introduced into the Divine Good of the Rational.
ppp20799#pid#3051. 'And went to Aram Naharaim' means resulting cognitions of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'Aram' or Syria as cognitions of good, dealt with in `@@@1232`, `@@@1234`. 'Aram Naharaim' - or Syria of the [Two] Rivers - means cognitions of truth. This is because 'Naharaim', or 'rivers', means intelligence which consists of cognitions of truth, as may be seen from the places quoted from the Word in `@@@108`, `@@@109`, `@@@2702`, and from many others, which will in the Lord's Divine mercy be presented elsewhere.
ppp20798#pid#3052. 'To the city of Nahor' means kindred matters of doctrine. This is clear from the meaning of 'a city' as doctrine, dealt with in `@@@402`, `@@@2449`, and from the representation of 'Nahor' as that which is kindred; for Nahor was Abram's brother, from whom Bethuel descended, and from him Rebekah. Facts and matters of doctrine are distinct and separate from each other in that matters of doctrine are formed out of facts. Matters of doctrine look to a use and are acquired through reflecting on facts. They are called kindred here because of their derivation from things that are Divine.
ppp20797#pid#3053. Verse `Genesis 24bbbccc11` And he made the camels kneel down outside and away from the city near a well of water, at evening time, at the time that women go out to draw water.
'He made the camels kneel down' means a holy ordering of general facts. 'Outside and away from the city' means removed from matters of doctrine. 'Near a well of water' means to receive the truths of faith. 'At evening time' means a more obscure state at that time. 'At the time that women go out to draw water' means a state of instruction.
ppp20796#pid#3054. 'He made the camels kneel down' means a holy ordering of general facts. This is clear from the meaning of 'making them kneel down' as ordering themselves into a holy array, and from the meaning of 'the camels' as general facts, dealt with just above in `@@@3048`.
ppp20795#pid#3055. 'Outside and away from the city' means removed from matters of doctrine. This is clear from the meaning of 'the city' as doctrine, dealt with in `@@@402`, `@@@2449`, from which it is evident that 'outside the city' means outside of, thus removed from, matters of doctrine.
`@@@3055`a 'Near a well of water' means to receive the truths of faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'a well of water' as the Word, the source of the truth of faith, and also truth itself, dealt with in `@@@2702`. The phrase 'a well of water' is used in this verse, but 'a spring' in all that follows; and for the difference between the two in the internal sense - between 'a well of water' and 'a spring' see the paragraph just referred to.
ppp20794#pid#3056. 'At evening time' means a more obscure state at that time. This is clear from the meaning of 'time' as state, dealt with in `@@@2625`, `@@@2788`, `@@@2837`, and from the meaning of 'evening' as obscurity. For in the Word evening means the state which precedes the final period of a declining Church, the period called night, or else it means the initial state of a rising Church, the state called morning, see `@@@2323`. In both cases evening means that which is obscure, but here it is the obscurity which precedes the morning.
ppp20793#pid#3057. 'At the time that women go out to draw water' means a state of instruction. This is clear from the meaning of 'time' as state, dealt with immediately above in `@@@3056`, and from the meaning of 'a woman who draws' or a drawer of water, as receiving instruction, dealt with below. What has been stated so far from `@@@3054` onwards presents the meaning in the internal sense of the details related in this verse as a historical event. What those details embody in a single sentence however is not readily apparent to anyone who has not been taught anything about the natural man, or about the facts and matters of doctrine belonging there, or indeed about the way in which truths are raised up from the natural man into the rational and become rational. They are even less apparent to him if he does not know the nature of the rational when compared with the natural, that is, the nature of the concepts present in the rational when compared with the images in the natural.
ttt[2] Those concepts in the rational do not come immediately into a person's view while he is living in the body. For it is the things in the natural which enter his awareness, rarely those in the rational except when a certain kind of light falls on those images in the natural, as when some mental power enters into and arranges into order the contents of a person's thought, or as when one gains an insight into the matter on which the mind is dwelling. Unless these and many other considerations are known, scarcely any intelligible explanation of what occurs in this verse is at all possible; such as that a holy ordering of general facts is meant, and also a removal from matters of doctrine so as to receive the truths of faith, and that this ordering and this removal occur during a state of obscurity, and that a state such as this is one of instruction.
ttt[3] Nevertheless let a brief description be given, insofar as the matter can be understood, of what goes on in a person when he is being reformed by the Lord, for man's reformation is to some extent an image of what happened to the Lord when He was in the world, as stated above in `@@@3043`. While a person is being reformed the things that are general within his natural man are being ordered by the Lord so that they correspond to things that are in heaven. What correspondence is, and the fact that it is a relationship between spiritual things and natural, see `@@@2987`, `@@@2989-2991`, `@@@3002`. The things which are general are first of all ordered in such a way that those which are particular can be gradually introduced into them by the Lord, and then those that are specific into these. For unless the general are ordered, no order can come to the particular, because the latter enter into and confirm the former. Still less can order come to the specific, for these enter into the particular (which act as general things for them) and give light to the particular. This is what is meant by a holy ordering of general facts, and what is meant in the internal sense by making the camels kneel down. In this way they submit themselves to receive influx.
ttt[4] While these things are being ordered in this manner matters of doctrine are removed since they are conclusions drawn from facts. For so to speak a dictate flows in by way of the rational, declaring that one thing is true, another not true - true because it agrees with general things when ordered, or not true because it disagrees. No other type of influx as to truths exists. Matters of doctrine are indeed present already, yet they are not really matters of doctrine until they are believed, but merely facts. When they are thought about therefore, any conclusion that is drawn is not from them but from other things concerning them. This is what is meant by being removed from matters of doctrine, and what is meant in the internal sense here by 'outside the city'. But this state is what is called an obscure state and is meant by 'evening time'; but once matters of doctrine have been confirmed so that they are believed morning, or a state of light arrives. All else in this verse is evident from what has now been stated.
ppp20792#pid#3058. The reason 'drawing water' means instruction and also consequent enlightenment, as in later verses of this chapter, is that 'water in the internal sense means the truths of faith, `@@@2702`. Thus 'drawing water' is nothing else than receiving instruction in the truths of faith and so being enlightened, as is also the meaning elsewhere in the Word, as in Isaiah,
With joy you will draw water from the springs of salvation, and [you will say] or that day, Confess Jehovah. `Isaiah 12bbb3-4`.
'Drawing water' stands for receiving instruction, having intelligence, and being wise. In the same prophet,
To the thirsty bring water, O inhabitants of the land of Tema. `Isaiah 21bbb14`.
'Bringing water to the thirsty' stands for giving instruction. In the same prophet,
The wretched and the needy are seeking water, and there is none; their tongue is parched with thirst. `Isaiah 41bbb17`.
'Those seeking water' stands for those desiring instruction in truths, 'and there is none' stands for the fact that nobody had any. In addition 'drawers of water' in the Jewish Church represented those who constantly seek to know truths but to no other end than just knowing them, and who consequently pay no attention to their purpose. Such persons were rated among the lowest of all. The Gibeonites mentioned in `Joshua 9bbb21`, `Joshua 9bbbccc23`, `Joshua 9bbbccc27`, represented them.
ppp20791#pid#3059. Verses `Genesis 24bbbccc12-14` And he said, O Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham, make it go right for me today`fff1` and deal mercifully with my master Abraham. Behold, I am standing beside a spring of water and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. And let it be that the girl to whom I say, Let down now your pitcher and I will drink, and she says, Drink, and also I will give your camels a drink - let her be the one whom You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. And in this I shall know that You have dealt mercifully with my master.
'He said' means communication. 'O Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham' means of the Divine itself, which is the Father, with the Divine Human, which is the Son. 'Make it go right for me today' means providence at work from eternity. 'And deal mercifully' means an influx of love. 'With my master Abraham' means the Divine Human. 'Behold, I am standing beside a spring of water' means a state when within the Human conjunction takes places involving Divine truth. 'And the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water' means affections for truth, and instruction acquired through those affections. 'And let the girl to whom I say' means an affection that has innocence within it. 'Let down now your pitcher' means submitting facts. 'And I will drink' means instruction from them in truth. 'And she says, Drink' means an affirmative response to the same. 'And also I will give your camels a drink' means consequent enlightenment of all facts within the natural man. 'Let her be the one whom You have appointed for Your servant Isaac' means the joining together of Divine truth and Divine Good in the Rational. 'And in this I shall know that You have dealt mercifully with my master' means that the beginning of the marriage lies in Divine love.
`nnn1. literally, make it take place in front of me today
ppp20790#pid#3060. 'He said' means communication. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'saying' in the historical parts of the Word as perceiving and willing, often dealt with already. And as it means these it also means communicating since communication followed from perceiving and willing.
ppp20789#pid#3061. 'O Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham' means of the Divine itself, which is the Father, with the Divine Human, which is the Son, that is to say, communication of these. This is clear from what has been stated and shown several times above, namely the following:
'Jehovah God' is the Lord's Divine itself, which is called the Father, while 'Abraham' represents His Divine Human, `@@@2833`, `@@@2836`.
Jehovah in the Old Testament Word is the Lord Himself, see `@@@1736`, `@@@1815`, `@@@2921`.
The Most Ancient Church before the Flood, and the Ancient Church after the Flood, meant by 'Jehovah' none other than the Lord, `@@@1343`, `@@@1676`, `@@@1990`, `@@@2016`, `@@@3035`.
Within the Lord exists the Trinity of the Divine itself, the Divine Human, and the Divine Holy proceeding, and these are one, `@@@1999`, `@@@2149`, `@@@2156`, `@@@2288`, `@@@2329`, `@@@2447`.
The entire Trinity within the Lord is Jehovah, `@@@2156`, `@@@2329`; and every single thing in the Lord is Jehovah, `@@@1902`, `@@@1921`.
The Lord is one with the Father, and no other is meant in heaven by the Father, `@@@14`, `@@@15`, `@@@1725`, `@@@1729`, `@@@1733`, `@@@1815`, `@@@2005`, `@@@2018`, `@@@2025`, `@@@2803`, `@@@3038`.
The Lord constitutes the whole of heaven since He is its All; from Him comes the whole of innocence, peace, love, charity, mercy, and conjugial love, as do all Good and Truth; Moses and the Prophets, and so the Word in every detail, have reference to Him; and all the religious observances of the Church were representative of Him, `@@@2751`.
As to the Divine Human the Lord is called the Son, `@@@2628`.
The Lord's Divine Human was not only conceived but also born from His Divine Essence, which is Jehovah, `@@@2798`.
Thus as to the Human the Lord became Jehovah, and Life from Himself, `@@@1603`, `@@@1737`
ttt[2] The Lord has existed from eternity, as is quite clear from the Word, see `@@@2803`, even though He was born at a particular point in time. For He it was who spoke through Moses and the Prophets (having also appeared to many) in whose writings it is said that He was Jehovah. But this very deep arcanum cannot be revealed to anyone except to those who possess Divine perception, and so to scarcely any apart from members of the Most Ancient Church, who were celestial and possessed such perception. From these people I have heard that Jehovah Himself was the Lord as regards the Divine Human whenever He came down into heaven or flowed in by way of heaven, for heaven resembles one human being as to all its members, and for that reason is also called the Grand Man, `@@@684`, `@@@1276`, `@@@2996`, `@@@2998`, `@@@3021`. The Divine itself within heaven or the Grand Man was the Divine Human, and was Jehovah Himself clothed in that manner with the Human.
ttt[3] But when the human race had become such that the Divine itself clothed as the Divine Human could no longer exert any influence on it, that is, when Jehovah could no longer reach down to mankind in that way because it had moved so far away, Jehovah, who is the Lord as regards the Divine Essence, came down and took upon Himself the Human, which was by conception Divine, but by birth from the virgin was like that of any other human being. But what He received from the virgin He cast out, and by Divine means made Divine the Human that had been born. From this Human made Divine proceeds all that is holy. Thus the Divine Human has come into being as an Essence by itself which fills the whole of heaven and causes those to be saved who previously could not be saved. This now is the Lord, who alone as to the Divine Human is Man, and from whom everyone has it to be [truly] human, `@@@49`, `@@@288`, `@@@477`, `@@@565`, `@@@1894`.
ppp20788#pid#3062. 'Make it go right for me today' means providence at work from eternity. This is clear from the meaning of 'making it go right' as providing, and from the meaning of 'today' as from eternity, dealt with in `@@@2838`. What is more, providence is plainly that which is meant here and to which the request is addressed.
ppp20787#pid#3063. 'And deal mercifully' means an influx of love. This is clear from the consideration that the essence of mercy is love. Love itself is converted into mercy and becomes mercy when anyone in need of help is regarded with love or charity. Consequently mercy is the expression of love towards those who are needy and wretched. But here in the internal sense 'mercy' is used to mean love and 'dealing mercifully' an influx of love, since it was an influx from the Lord's Divine itself into His Divine Human. In fact it was by means of Divine love that is the Lord's that He made His Human Divine, for love is the very being (esse) of life, while Divine love exists in none but the Lord. See what has been stated already about the Lord's love in the following places:
The Lord's life was a love towards the whole human race, `@@@2253`, and from that love He did battle, `@@@1690`, `@@@1789`, `@@@1812`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc1813`, `@@@1820`.
It surpasses all understanding, `@@@1799`, `@@@2077`.
The Lord is Divine love itself, `@@@2077`, `@@@2500`, `@@@2572`.
Jehovah is love, `@@@1735`.
Nothing apart from love has life, `@@@1589`.
Anyone who possesses mutual love possesses the Lord's life, `@@@1799`, `@@@1802`, `@@@1803`.
Love and charity are the celestial itself, `@@@1419`, `@@@1824`.
ppp20786#pid#3064. 'With my master Abraham' means the Divine Human. This is clear from the representation of 'Abraham' here as the Lord's Divine Human, dealt with in `@@@2833`, `@@@2836`.
ppp20785#pid#3065. 'Behold, I am standing beside a spring of water' means a state when within the Human conjunction takes place involving Divine truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'a spring' as truth, dealt with in `@@@2702`, here Divine truth since the subject is the Lord. The state itself in which the conjunction takes place is meant by 'standing beside the spring'; and the fact that it was effected within the Human is evident from the train of thought.
ppp20784#pid#3066. 'And the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water' means affections for truth, and instruction acquired through those affections. This is clear from the meaning of 'daughters' as affections, dealt with in `@@@489-491`, `@@@2362`; from the meaning of 'the men of the city' as truths, for in the Word the residents of a city are sometimes called 'the men of the city', sometimes 'the inhabitants of the city', truths being meant when they are called 'the men of the city', goods when they are called 'the inhabitants' - what 'men' means, see `@@@265`, `@@@749`, `@@@915`, `@@@1007`, `@@@2517`, what 'inhabitants' means, `@@@2268`, `@@@2451`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc2712`, and what 'a city' means, `@@@402`, `@@@2449`, `@@@2943`; and from the meaning of 'drawing water' as receiving instruction, dealt with above in `@@@3058`. From all this it is evident that 'the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water' means affections for truth, and instruction acquired through those affections.
ttt[2] No one is ever instructed through truths but through the affections for truth. For when truths are devoid of affection they do indeed flow as sounds into the ear but they do not pass into the memory. What causes them to pass into the memory and stay there is affection. For good that is the object of affection is like the soil into which truths are sown as seeds. But the quality of the soil, that is, the essential nature of the affection, determines the nature of that which is produced from the seed sown there. The end in view or the use dictates the essential nature of the ground - that is, of the affection - and so dictates the nature of that which is produced from the seed sown there. Or if you prefer, the love itself is what decides it, for love is to all things the end in view and the use. Nothing is considered to be an end in view and a use except that which is loved.
ppp20783#pid#3067. 'And let the girl to whom I say' means an affection that has innocence within it. This is clear from the meaning of 'the girl'. In the Word affections for good and truth are called young children, girls, young women, and daughters, but in every case the different usage has regard to state. When 'a daughter' is used affection in general is meant, but when 'a young woman' affection that has charity within it is meant. When however 'a girl' is used affection that has innocence within it is meant, the reason being that girlhood comes next after early childhood, which in the internal sense is innocence, as does 'a boy' or 'small child' by which is meant a state in which innocence is present, see `@@@430`.
ppp20782#pid#3068. 'Let down now your pitcher' means submitting facts. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'letting down' as submitting, and from the meaning of 'a pitcher' as facts. The reason why a water-pot or a pitcher means facts is that 'water' means truth, `@@@680`, `@@@739`, `@@@2702`, and a pitcher is a vessel with water in it, even as factual knowledge is a vessel with truth in it. All factual knowledge is a vessel for truth, and all truth is a vessel for good. Factual knowledge without truth is an empty vessel, and so is truth without good; but factual knowledge in which truth is held is a vessel that is filled, as is truth in which good is held. Affection which is an attribute of love is what joins them together so that they may exist in order. For love is spiritual conjunction.
ppp20781#pid#3069. 'And I will drink' means instruction from them in truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'drinking' as receiving instruction. References to 'drinking' occur in various places in the Word, and whenever the subject is the goods and truths of faith, instruction in these and reception of them is meant, as in Isaiah,
The new wine will mourn, the vine will languish, all the merry-hearted will sigh; they will not drink wine with singing, strong drink will be bitter to those drinking it. `Isaiah 24bbb7`, `Isaiah 24bbbccc9`.
'Not drinking wine with singing' stands for not receiving instruction from the affection for truth and not receiving any consequent delight. 'Strong drink being bitter to those drinking it' stands for repugnance. In the same prophet,
It will be as when a thirsting man dreams, and behold, he is drinking; and he awakes, and behold, he is faint, and the soul is craving. `Isaiah 29bbb8`.
'Thirsting' stands for desiring instruction, 'drinking' for receiving it, but in things that are valueless.
ttt[2] In Jeremiah,
Our waters we drink for silver, our timbers come for a price. `Lamentations 5bbb4`.
'Drinking waters for silver' stands for receiving instruction but not for nothing, and also attributing truth to oneself. Truth is a free gift and so does not come from oneself but from the Lord, as these words in Isaiah declare,
Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters, and he who has no money, come, buy! `Isaiah 55bbb1`.
And in John,
Jesus said, If anyone thirsts let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, out of his belly will flow rivers of living water. `John 7bbb37-38`.
Here 'drinking' means being given instruction and accepting it. In Luke,
They will say, We ate in Your presence and we drank, and You taught in our streets. But the Lord will say, I do not know where you come from; depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity! `Luke 13bbb26-27`.
Here 'eating and drinking in the Lord's presence' stands for giving instruction in, and proclaiming, the good and truth of faith, doing so from cognitions drawn from the Word, which is meant by 'You taught in our streets'. But because they did it for selfish reasons - for the sake of personal honour and gain, thus not out of any affection for good and truth, and so possessed cognitions of truth and yet led evil lives - it is said, 'I do not know where you come from; depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity!'
ttt[3] In the same gospel, where Jesus was talking to the disciples,
That you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom. `Luke 22bbb30`.
It is evident to anyone that in the Lord's kingdom they do not eat and drink, and that no table is there, thus that something different is meant by 'eating and drinking at the Lord's table in His kingdom', that is to say, enjoying a perception of good and truth. So also with what the Lord says in Matthew,
I tell you that I shall not drink from now on of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it [new] with you in My Father's kingdom. `Matthew 26bbb28`, `Matthew 26bbbccc29`.
'Drinking' stands for giving living instruction in truths and imparting a perception of good and truth. That which the Lord said -
Do not be anxious for your soul, what you are going to eat or what you are going to drink, nor for your body, what you are going to put on. `Matthew 6bbb25`, `Matthew 6bbbccc31`; `Luke 12bbb29` - is indicative of spiritual things, that so far as all things of faith are concerned, goodness and truth are imparted by the Lord. In John,
Jesus said to the Samaritan woman, Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again, but he who drinks from the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water leaping up into eternal life. `John 4bbb7-14`. 'Drinking' clearly stands for being given instruction in goods and truths, and the acceptance of them.
ppp20780#pid#3070. 'And she says, Drink' means an affirmative response to the same. This is clear from the fact that it is a reply and a confirmation, consequently an affirmative response.
ppp20779#pid#3071. 'And also I will give your camels a drink' means consequent enlightenment of all facts within the natural man. This is clear from the meaning of 'camels' as general facts, and so facts in general or in their entirety, dealt with above in `@@@3048`, and from the meaning of 'giving a drink' as enlightening. For 'drawing water' means giving instruction, as shown above in `@@@3058`, and so 'giving a drink' is enlightening, for enlightenment comes from instruction.
ppp20778#pid#3072. 'Let her be the one whom You have appointed for Your servant Isaac' means the joining together of Divine truth and Divine Good in the Rational. This is clear from the meaning of 'appointing', that is to say, the woman, as joining together by means of a marriage covenant, and from the representation of 'Isaac' as the Divine good of the Rational, dealt with above in `@@@3024`. Rebekah - to whom 'her' refers here - represents Divine truth that was to be joined to the Divine Good of the Rational, as stated in various places above and as is evident from the details in the internal sense in this chapter.
ppp20777#pid#3073. 'And in this I shall know that You have dealt mercifully with my master' means that the beginning of the marriage lies in Divine love. This is clear from the meaning of 'mercy' here in the internal sense as Divine love, dealt with in `@@@3063`. And since the subject is the betrothal of Rebekah to Isaac, that is, the joining of Divine truth to the Divine Good of the Rational, 'dealing mercifully with my master' means nothing else than a marriage, and so a marriage beginning in Divine love. For this statement is also the conclusion of his plea, and the purpose for which he made it.
ppp20776#pid#3074. What these three verses contain in the internal sense may be seen to some small extent from the explanation given. Yet because their contents are diffuse, the line of thought which runs through them cannot be seen unless they are viewed collectively as one entire idea, and unless at the same time one moves one's attention away from the sense of the letter. As long as one's attention rests there one's entire idea is not only muddled but also subjected to doubt. And to the extent it is subjected to doubt the mind is enveloped in obscurity. Described here in summary form is the process of how truth comes to be seen by means of facts - of how it is raised up from those facts, out of the natural man into the rational man and becomes rational truth, which in the Lord's case was Divine. In His case it was effected by an influx of Divine Love into the Human, from which came the affection for truth having innocence within it. That influx threw light on the facts present in the natural man, and the truths there, which were to be raised up into the Rational and here joined to the Good of Divine love, became visible. These same considerations are described in greater detail in what follows. But anyone who does not know that every single thing, even in the natural man, is ordered by means of the influx of love, and from that, of affection that has innocence within it, can have none but a very obscure concept, if any at all, of the things stated above and now here.
ppp20775#pid#3075. Verses `Genesis 24bbbccc15-16` And so it was, before he had finished speaking, that behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, the son of Milkah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother; and her pitcher was on her shoulder. And the girl was very good looking, a virgin, and no man had known her. And she went down to the spring, and filled her pitcher, and went up.
'And so it was, before he had finished speaking' means the realization of what he willed. 'That behold, Rebekah came out' means the affection for truth coming from matters of doctrine. 'Who was born to Bethuel, the son of Milkah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother' means the whole origin of that affection. 'And her pitcher was on her shoulder' means vessels that receive truth, and a total effort to uphold that truth. 'And the girl was very good looking' means the beauty of the affection for truth. 'A virgin, and no man had known her' means pure from everything false. 'And she went down to the spring' means Divine truth. 'And filled her pitcher' means vessels for receiving. 'And went up' means a raising up.
ppp20774#pid#3076. 'And so it was, before he had finished speaking' means the realization of what he willed. This is clear from what immediately follows, that is to say, that every single thing took place as he prayed it would, or was realized as he willed it. For 'speaking' means willing, see `@@@2626`, `@@@3037`.
ppp20773#pid#3077. 'That behold, Rebekah came out' means the affection for truth coming from matters of doctrine. This is clear from the representation of 'Rebekah' as Divine truth that was to be joined to the Divine Good of the Rational, though here, before she has been betrothed, she takes on the representation of the affection for truth coming from matters of doctrine; for from these comes forth truth. Truth however is not truth unless it has life within it, and that life is affection, which is an attribute of love. As regards 'Rebekah' representing Divine truth that was to be joined to the Divine good of the Rational, this is clear from the details that occur in this chapter in the internal sense, and also from the fact that 'Isaac' represents the Lord's Divine Rational, `@@@1893`, `@@@2066`, `@@@2083`, `@@@2630`. Thus 'Rebekah', who became Isaac's wife, represents something within the Rational that was to be joined like a wife to a husband, and this something was clearly Divine Truth, for 'Abraham' in a similar way represented Divine Good itself, and 'Sarah his wife' Divine Truth itself joined to Divine Good, `@@@1468`, `@@@1901`, `@@@2063`, `@@@2065`, `@@@2904`. Isaac and Rebekah represent something similar, but within the Lord's Divine Human, that is to say, within His Rational.
ttt[2] In general 'a husband' in the Word means good and 'his wife' truth, `@@@1468`, `@@@2517`; for the essence of every marriage is derived, that is, conjugial love is derived, from the marriage of Divine Good to Truth, and of Truth to Good in the Lord, `@@@2508`, `@@@2618`, `@@@2728`, `@@@2729`, `@@@2803`. The reason the affection for truth comes from matters of doctrine is that Rebekah is said 'to have come out', that is to say, out of the city, and 'a city' means matters of doctrine, see `@@@402`, `@@@2449`. Truths too come from matters of doctrine.
ppp20772#pid#3078. 'Who was born to Bethuel, the son of Milkah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother' means the whole origin of that affection. This is clear from the representation of 'Bethuel', and also of 'Milkah and Nahor', as well as of 'Abraham'. What the specific representation is of each of these cannot be explained and presented intelligibly, the reason being that the initial affection for truth had its origin indeed in the Divine things acquired by the Lord within the natural man, `@@@3019`, but maternal elements were nevertheless there which could not be separated in an instant and from which also affection came. The nature of that affection in its origin is described in the internal sense by the details given here, that she was 'born to Bethuel, the son of Milkah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother'.
ttt[2] Although it appears to be simple and a single entity, every affection nevertheless contains details within itself which are so countless that it cannot even be apprehended, let alone described by any idea. For present within every affection there is a person's whole life which he has acquired from his earliest childhood through to the time of life when that affection is active in him. Indeed even more is present there, namely that which at birth he derived by heredity from father and mother, grandparents, and great grandparents. In fact that affection constitutes the whole person such as he is. In the next life through a revelation of a person's affection one is sometimes enabled to see how far that person is moved by self-love, and how far by love of the world; to see how far he is moved by a love of the things of first importance such as the end in view and the purpose; also how far he is moved by a love of good and truth, and to see the nature of that good and truth; and to see as well how these are ordered, that is to say, whether joined together, close together, or separated; thus to see how far such good and truth do not accord with heavenly order or how far they do accord. All of these things are able to be seen, as has been stated, through the revelation of the affection because affection constitutes the whole person. The truth of this seems unbelievable to man, but it is still the truth.
ppp20771#pid#3079. 'And her pitcher was on her shoulder' means vessels that receive truth, and a total effort to uphold that truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'a pitcher' as factual knowledge, and so a receptacle of truth, dealt with in `@@@3068`, and from the meaning of 'shoulder' as all power, and so total effort, dealt with in `@@@1085`. 'Pitchers' or water-pots, and also vessels generally, mean in the internal sense things that serve in the place of a receptacle, as facts and cognitions do in relation to truths, and as truths themselves do in relation to good. This becomes clear from many places in the Word. The temple and the altar vessels had no other meaning, and having that meaning they were also sacred. For no other reason were they sacred. That was why - when Belshazzar, along with his nobles and his wives, drank wine out of the vessels of gold and silver which Nebuchadnezzar his father had brought from the Temple in Jerusalem, and they praised the gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone - writing appeared on the wall of his palace, `Daniel 5bbb2` and following verses. 'The vessels of gold and silver' stands for cognitions of good and truth which were rendered profane; for 'the Chaldeans' means those who possess cognitions but have rendered them profane through the falsities within those cognitions, `@@@1368`, so that cognitions serve them for worshipping 'the gods of gold and silver' (Belshazzar being called 'king of the Chaldeans' in verse `Genesis 24bbbccc30` of that same chapter).
ttt[2] That 'vessels' means the external containers of spiritual things is also evident from other places in the Word, as in Isaiah,
Even as the children of Israel bring their gift in a clean vessel to the house of Jehovah. `Isaiah 66bbb20`.
This refers to the Lord's kingdom. 'A gift in a clean vessel' is a representative of the external man in relation to the internal. The one who brings the gift is the internal man, 'the clean vessel' a compatible external man, and so the things present in the external man, which are facts, cognitions, and matters of doctrine. In Jeremiah,
The cry of Jerusalem went up, and the nobles sent their inferiors to the waters; they came to the pits, they found no water, they returned with their vessels empty, they were ashamed. `Jeremiah 14bbb2-3`.
'Empty vessels' stands for cognitions with no truth in them, and also truths with no good in them. In the same prophet,
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babel has devoured me, he has troubled me, he has made me an empty vessel. `Jeremiah 51bbb34`.
'An empty vessel' stands in like manner for empty cognitions - 'Babel' being one who lays waste, see `@@@1327` (end). In Moses,
Like valleys that are planted, like gardens beside a river. Waters will flow from buckets, and his seed will be towards many waters. `Numbers 24bbb6-7`.
These verses belong to Balaam's oracle concerning Jacob and Israel. 'Waters will flow from buckets' stands for truths flowing from cognitions. In the parable about the ten virgins it is said that five of them took oil in their vessels together with their lamps, but that the foolish did not, `Matthew 25bbb4`. 'Virgins' means affections; 'the wise took oil in their vessels' means that they took good within truths, and so charity within faith. 'Oil' is good, see `@@@886`; 'lamps' stands for love.
ppp20770#pid#3080. 'And the girl was very good looking' means the beauty of the affection for truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'a girl' as affection that has innocence within it, dealt with in `@@@3067`. The reason 'very good looking' means beauty, in this case the beauty of the affection for truth since it is called 'a girl', is that all beauty comes from good in which innocence is present. When flowing in from the internal man into the external man good itself constitutes that which is beautiful. This is the source of all human beauty. This may be recognized also from the fact that it is not a person's face but the affection shining out of it that stirs the feelings in another; and in the case of those who love what is good it is the affection for good seen in a person's face that stirs them, which it does in the measure that innocence is present in the good which they love. Thus it is the spiritual within the natural that stirs their affections, not the natural devoid of the spiritual. In a similar way the feelings of those who love what is good are stirred by young children whom they see as beautiful in the measure that the innocence which goes with charity is present in the children's faces, actions, and speech. It is goodness and charity that give form to and constitute beauty, see `@@@553`; and that is why 'the girl was very good looking' means the beauty of the affection for truth that has good within it.
ppp20769#pid#3081. 'A virgin, and no man had known her' means pure from everything false. This is clear from the meaning of 'a virgin'. The word 'virgin' occurs in various places in the Word, where it means the Lord's kingdom, and also the Church, and therefore means every person who is the Lord's kingdom or who is the Church; and it receives this meaning from conjugial love which exists in chaste virgins. Conjugial love in the spiritual sense is the affection for good present in truth, and the affection for truth grounded in good, from which affections, when joined so to speak in marriage, conjugial love flows, see `@@@2508`, `@@@2618`, `@@@2727-2729`. And because conjugial love, as has been stated, is seen in a virgin, the Lord's kingdom, which is also compared to and actually called a marriage, is called a virgin. The reason 'no man had known her' means pure from everything false is that 'a man' (vir) in the Word means not only rational truth but also in the contrary sense falsity, see `@@@265`, `@@@749`, `@@@1007`, so that 'known by a man' means defiled by falsity, and 'not known by a man' pure from falsity. The word 'man' (vir) is not used here in the sense of a husband.
ttt[2] 'A virgin' in the Word means those who are in the Lord's kingdom, or what amounts to the same, who have the Lord's kingdom within them. This is clear in John,
These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins, these are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes; for they are spotless before God's throne. `Revelation 14bbb4-5`.
ttt[3] Plainly, these are called 'virgins, who follow the Lamb', that is, who are in the Lord's kingdom; and they are also said to be 'spotless'. In the proper sense they are 'virgins' who are governed by love to the Lord - that is, who are celestial - and so who are moved by an affection for good. They too are called 'virgins' who are governed by charity towards the neighbour - that is, who are spiritual - and so are moved by the affection for truth, as becomes clear from the following places in the Word: In Isaiah,
She has spurned you, she has scorned you, the virgin daughter of Zion; she wags her head behind you, the daughter of Jerusalem. `Isaiah 37bbb22`.
These words are addressed to the king of Asshur. 'The virgin daughter of Zion' stands for the celestial Church, 'the daughter of Jerusalem' for the spiritual Church.
ttt[4] In Jeremiah,
Again I will build you, and you will be built, O virgin of Israel! Again you will adorn yourself with your timbrels and will go forth in the dance of the merrymakers. And their life`fff1` will become like a watered garden, and they will not sorrow any more: Then will the virgin rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old together. `Jeremiah 31bbb4`, `Jeremiah 31bbbccc12-13`.
'Virgin of Israel' stands for the spiritual Church. The affection for truth which springs from good which exists with that Church is described here and elsewhere as 'timbrels' and 'dances'. In the same prophet,
The roads of Zion mourn, her priests groan, her virgins are dejected. The Lord has trodden the winepress for the virgin daughter of Judah. See my grief - my virgins and my young men have gone into captivity. `Lamentations 1bbb4`, `Lamentations 1bbbccc15`, `Lamentations 1bbbccc18`.
'Virgins' stands for affections for good and truth. Elsewhere in the same prophet,
Women have been ravished in Zion, virgins in the cities of Judah. `Lamentations 5bbb11`.
'Virgins' stands for affections for good.
ttt[5] In Amos,
They will run to and fro to seek the Word of Jehovah, and will not find it. On that day the beautiful virgins and the young men will faint for thirst. `Amos 8bbb12-13`.
'The beautiful virgins' stands for affections for truth, 'the young men' for truths, or what amounts to the same, those with whom truths exist, of whom it is said that 'they will run to and fro to seek the Word of Jehovah, and will not find it', and so 'will faint for thirst'.
ttt[6] In Zechariah,
Jehovah their God will save them on that day; as a flock - His people. For how great is his goodness, and how great his beauty! Grain will make the young men flourish, and new wine the virgins. `Zechariah 9bbb16-17`.
'The young men' stands for truths, 'the virgins' for affections. In David,
All glorious is the king's daughter within, in her clothing with gold interweavings; in embroidered robes she is led to the king. Virgins following her, her friends, have been brought to You. `Psalms 45bbb13-14`.
'The king's daughter' stands for the Lord's spiritual kingdom. 'Virgins following her, her friends' stands for affections for truth.
ttt[7] In the same author,
They have seen Your goings, O God, the goings of my God in the sanctuary. The singers went before, players of the stringed instrument after, in the midst of the young women playing timbrels. `Psalms 68bbb24-25`.
'The young women playing timbrels' also stands for affections for truth. But young women are distinguished from virgins by innocence, the word 'virgins' being used because of conjugial love, thus of those in whom innocence is present since conjugial love is innocence itself, see `@@@2736`. This explains why in the verses quoted from John they are said 'to follow the Lamb wherever He goes', for 'the Lamb' is used to mean the Lord's innocence. Furthermore all in heaven are called virgins from the innocence present in their good. According to the amount and particular nature of the innocence present in that good 'they follow the Lamb'.
`nnn1. literally, soul
ppp20768#pid#3082. 'And she went down to the spring' means Divine truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'the spring' as Divine truth, dealt with in `@@@2702`, `@@@3065`.
ppp20767#pid#3083. 'And filled her pitcher' means vessels for receiving. This is clear from the meaning of 'a pitcher' in the internal sense, since it is a vessel able to receive water, as a recipient of cognitions of truth, also of truth itself, which are meant by 'water'. For 'water' in the internal sense means cognitions, and also truth, see `@@@28`, `@@@680`, `@@@2702`, `@@@3058`.
ppp20766#pid#3084. 'And went up' means a raising up. This is clear from the meaning of 'going up' as being raised up. The expression 'raised up' is used to describe from what is lower to what is higher, and because it is used to describe this it is also used to describe from what is exterior to what is interior, for the two are one and the same. Indeed what is lower and higher in human thought is exterior and interior in angelic thought, as with the idea of heaven. By men heaven is seen as that which is higher, but by angels as that which is interior. It is similarly so with the natural with man. In relation to his spiritual it is exterior, while the spiritual in turn is exterior in relation to the celestial. Or what amounts to the same, factual knowledge which belongs to the natural man is exterior in relation to truth, while truth is exterior in relation to good. Therefore also factual knowledge in relation to truth is called a covering as well as a garment, and so in a similar way is truth in relation to good.
ttt[2] This explains why the expressions 'going up' to Jerusalem, but 'coming down' from Jerusalem are used; also 'going up' from Jerusalem to Zion, and 'coming down' from Zion to Jerusalem; for the parts surrounding Jerusalem mean the exterior features of the Church, Jerusalem meaning the more interior features and Zion the inmost. Since in the internal sense this verse describes the initial stage in the raising up of truth from the natural man to the rational man, therefore it is first of all said here that the affection for truth represented by Rebekah 'went down to the spring' and shortly after that 'went up'. For as stated above in `@@@3074`, Divine love flows into the affection for good, and from there into the affection for truth, and in so doing brings life and light to the things that are in the natural man, and at the same time orders them. This is the meaning of 'going down'. In this way truths are raised up from the natural man into the rational man where they are joined to good. This is the meaning of 'going up'.
ppp20765#pid#3085. These two verses describe the affection for truth - its origin, its nature, and the initial stage of its introduction. Its origin is described by the words 'Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, the son of Milkah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother'. These words convey in the internal sense the whole origin of that affection, see `@@@3077`, `@@@3078`. Its nature is described by the words 'her pitcher was on her shoulder', and 'the girl was very good looking'. These words describe its nature, see `@@@3079-3081`. The initial stage of its introduction is described by the words 'she went down to the spring, and filled her pitcher, and went up', as may be seen in `@@@3082-3084`. But these considerations, as stated above, are beyond the grasp not only of any ordinary human intellect but also of one that is more advanced. For such is the nature of the things contained in the internal sense in this chapter and in some of those that follow.
ttt[2] The reason for this is that the idea can hardly enter anyone's head that there is a constant Divine influx by way of the internal man into the external man - that is, the idea that celestial and spiritual things flow by way of the rational man into the natural man, or what amounts to the same, into the natural things belonging to the external. Also, the idea that by means of that influx truths are constantly being summoned out of the natural man, raised up, and implanted in the good that is present in the rational can hardly enter in. And if not even these things are known to take place, what possibility is there of anyone knowing how the whole process takes place, a process involving wisdom so great, as it is from the Divine, that not the tiniest fraction can ever be explored? Only its most general aspects can be seen.
ttt[3] This therefore being so, let no one be surprised that the things present here in the internal sense cannot be described intelligibly, and the things which are described are beyond human comprehension, for they have reference to and describe that process. Furthermore the internal sense exists chiefly for angels, to the end that by means of the Word communication may exist between heaven and man; and to the angels these things are among such as give them great delight, because food in heaven consists of everything that constitutes intelligence and wisdom. And to them the blessedness of wisdom and intelligence consists in whatever has the Lord as its subject.
ppp20764#pid#3086. To have any idea at all, even a very general one, of the things contained here in the internal sense, it should be recognized that the whole of this chapter is dealing with Divine truth that was to be joined to Divine Good. That is to say, Divine Good flowed into the natural man, that is, into the facts, cognitions, and matters of doctrine there, for these belong to the natural man insofar as they are in his memory. And by means of that influx, Divine Good brought light and life, and ordered all that was there; for all light, life, and order in the natural man result from influx from the Divine, as anyone may know if he pays the matter any attention. By means of that influx affection comes into being, first of all a general affection for truth, the affection dealt with in these two verses - its origin, in `@@@3077`, `@@@3078`; its nature, in `@@@3079-3081`; and the initial stage of its introduction, in `@@@3082-3084`. But the verses that follow directly after them, in the internal sense describe that process further, that is to say, investigation of that truth, and also the separation of the elements received from the mother which had been allied to it first of all, and so on. But I realize that these arcana are too deep to be understood easily, the reason being, as has been stated, that they are not known. Nevertheless since the internal sense describes them, and does so in great detail, what else is to be done but explain them, no matter how much they appear to be beyond human apprehension? At least one may see from this how deep the arcana are within the internal sense of the Word, and also that those arcana are such as to be hardly visible at all in the light of the world which man has during his lifetime, but that they are always seen more clearly and plainly to the extent that he passes from the light of the world into the light of heaven, the light into which he passes after death, and so sees in the light in which blessed and happy souls, that is, angels, dwell.
ppp20763#pid#3087. Verses `Genesis 24bbbccc17-20` And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me sip now a little water from your pitcher. And she said, Drink, my lord. And she hastened and lowered her pitcher on to her hand and gave him a drink. And she finished giving him the drink and said, I will draw for your camels also until they have finished drinking. And she hastened and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again to the well to draw, and drew for all his camels.
'The servant ran to meet her, and said' means investigation by Divine Good. 'Let me sip now a little water from your pitcher' means to see whether it was possible for any truth from that source to be joined to it. 'And she said, Drink, my lord' means an affirmative response. 'And she hastened and lowered her pitcher on to her hand' means the submission of the recipients which was accomplished by power. 'And gave him a drink' means introduction. 'And she finished giving him the drink' means the subsequent stage. 'And said, I will draw for your camels also until they have finished drinking' means the affirmative response as regards the enlightenment of all facts within the natural man. 'And she hastened and emptied her pitcher into the trough' means the separation of the affection for truth which was being introduced into Divine good. 'And ran again to the well' means a lower affection for truth. 'And drew for all his camels' means by which general facts were enlightened.
ppp20762#pid#3088. 'The servant ran to meet her, and said' means investigation by Divine Good. This is clear from the meaning of 'running to meet her' as investigating to see whether things turned out as he declared in his heart - the internal sense dictates this; as well as from the meaning of 'saying' as perceiving, often dealt with already, and thus also as investigating. The reason the investigation was made by Divine Good is that here the servant is acting on behalf of his master`fff1` - who was Abraham, and also Isaac. For one who has been sent assumes the identity of him who sends him, as is the case many times in the Word - such as when one reads about angels, they are first spoken of as angels, but afterwards are called Jehovah. This was so with him who appeared to Moses in the bramble bush, `Exodus 3bbb2`, `Exodus 3bbbccc4` and following verses, and with the one who appeared to Gideon, `Judges 6bbb11-12`, `Judges 6bbbccc14`. This also explains why Rebekah addresses him as 'my lord' in the next verse.`fff1`
`nnn1. The English terms master and lord translate the same Latin word Dominus.
ppp20761#pid#3089. 'Let me sip now a little water from your pitcher' means to see whether it was possible for any truth from that source to be joined to it. This is clear from the meaning of 'sipping' as an activity similar to that meant by 'drinking', but taking in only a small amount because it was to be an investigation - for 'drinking' means perceiving, see `@@@3069`, and also in the internal sense being communicated and joined together, and has reference to what is spiritual just as 'eating' has reference to what is celestial, `@@@2187`, `@@@2343`; and from the meaning of 'water' as truth, dealt with in `@@@680`, `@@@739`, `@@@2702`. Here therefore 'let me sip now a little water from your pitcher' means an investigation to see whether it was possible for any truth from that source to be joined. 'A pitcher' is a recipient which has truth in it and from which truth is obtained, `@@@3068`, `@@@3079`. The reason for this investigation was that the initial affection for truth also carried with it something from the mother that was to be separated, `@@@3040`, `@@@3078`. With anyone who is to be regenerated his initial affection for truth is largely impure, for it holds within it the desire to satisfy a purpose and an end that have himself in view, the world, glory in heaven, and similar things which regard himself and not the common good, the Lord's kingdom, still less the Lord Himself. Such affection inevitably comes first. Nevertheless the Lord purifies it gradually so that at length falsities and evils are removed and banished so to speak to the circumference. But they have nevertheless served as means.
ppp20760#pid#3090. 'And she said, Drink, my lord' means an affirmative response. This is clear from the agreement or consent. What the affirmative response by truth is when it is to be joined to good is evident from marriages, for the basis of any marriage is the consent given by both parties. This has its origin in the marriage of good and truth, in that one party - good - proposes and the other - truth - consents, and the two are thereby joined together. Although this marrying of good and truth is not seen in a person while he is being regenerated, that is, while he is entering into the heavenly marriage, it is nevertheless taking place. This is quite evident from the consideration that while a person is being regenerated a kind of marriage must take place between the will and the understanding, good being on the side of the will, truth on that of the understanding. For this reason the ancients established a marriage between will and understanding, and between the individual parts of the will and the understanding, `@@@54`, `@@@55`.
ppp20759#pid#3091. 'And she hastened and lowered her pitcher on to her hand' means the submission of the recipients which was accomplished by power. This is clear from the meaning of 'lowering' as an act of submission, from the meaning of 'a pitcher' as a recipient, dealt with in `@@@3068`, `@@@3079`, and from the meaning of 'the hand' as power, dealt with in `@@@878`. By the description 'the submission of the recipients which was accomplished by power' one means that matters of doctrine, cognitions, and facts, which are recipients, `@@@3068`, `@@@3079`, place themselves ready to receive, for a chain of subordination exists and so a readiness to receive, and consequently a submission, from the Prime Source of life, which is the Lord. Things in a lower position in it must be submissive because they ought to be of service to what is higher. Without their submission no joining together takes place. The power referred to here is received from truth. Truth is what submits those things that are beneath. It is to truth especially that power is attributed in the Word, and so it is truth to which the hands, the arms, and also the shoulders have reference - by which in the internal sense powers are meant, `@@@878`, `@@@1085`. Though it seems to be received from truth, power itself is in fact received from good by way of truth.
ppp20758#pid#3092. 'And gave him a drink' means introduction. This is clear from the meaning of 'to drink' (potare), an expression meaning almost the same as 'to drink' (bibere). 'To drink' (potare) here however entails a more active role on the part of the one who drinks. 'To drink' (bibere) means to receive, and also to be joined to, see `@@@3069`, `@@@3089`, so that 'giving a drink to' (facere potare) means imparting the ability to receive, which is the initial stage of the introduction.
ppp20757#pid#3093. 'And she finished giving him the drink' means the subsequent stage, that is to say, in the process of introduction. This is clear from the consideration that 'she finished' or finishing implies the end of the activity which takes place prior to this and the beginning of that which follows, thus the subsequent stage, and from the meaning of 'giving a drink to' as introducing to, dealt with just above in `@@@3092`.
ppp20756#pid#3094. 'And said, I will draw for your camels also until they have finished drinking' means the affirmative response as regards the enlightenment of all facts within the natural man. This is clear from the meaning of 'camels' as general facts in the natural man, dealt with in `@@@3048`, `@@@3071`, and from the meaning of 'drawing', that is to say, drawing water, as giving instruction and also enlightening, dealt with in `@@@3058`, `@@@3071`. It is evident that an affirmative response is meant from the consideration that she said what she intended to do and then did it, that is to say, she drew water for the camels. The enlightenment which is the subject here comes from the part where truth is, though in fact it comes from good by way of truth. As regards the enlightenment of facts in the natural man, the source of all that enlightenment is good, for good which is fired by love may be compared to the flame of the sun, from which flame warmth and light are received, while truth may be compared to an object through which the flame shines as light, and from that light comes enlightenment. But as is the light from that source, so is the enlightenment.
ttt[2] Nothing else exists to receive good except truth; but as is the truth so is the reception, and so consequently the enlightenment. When therefore enlightenment comes by way of truth, the enlightenment from truth in that case appears to be attributable to truth, though in fact it is attributable to the good which is shining, as described, through the truth. Enlightenment from good by way of truth also penetrates further and affects more deeply, and it produces that lower affection for truth to be dealt with shortly. The light of heaven flows from the Lord's Divine Good by way of His Divine Truth. And because it comes by way of the Divine Truth in His Human it reaches not only celestial people but also spiritual, and enlightens all who are in heaven with wisdom and intelligence. This being the source of these, the internal sense of the Word therefore deals so much with Divine Good and Divine Truth within the Lord's Human. In the present context it deals with the initial enlightenment of truth from good and of good by means of truth.
ppp20755#pid#3095. 'And she hastened and emptied her pitcher into the trough' means the separation of the affection for truth which was being introduced into Divine good. This is clear from the meaning of 'emptying the pitcher' as separating truth (for 'a pitcher', being a containing vessel, means not only factual knowledge that has truth in it but also truth that has good in it, see `@@@3068`, `@@@3079`. In this instance truth that was being introduced into Divine good is meant, since introduction is the subject. And because truth itself is never joined to good except by means of its own affection, `@@@3024`, `@@@3066` - for within the affection there is the life which enables them to be joined together - it is the affection for truth that is meant here); and also from the meaning of 'a trough' or channel to accommodate water, as truth which rests in good, for 'the water' in the trough means truth, `@@@739`, `@@@2702`, while the trough itself is similar in meaning to wood, namely good, `@@@2784`, `@@@2812`. Truth which rests in good is that which is produced from good by means of truth, and is like offspring born from truth as mother and from good as father. All genuine good in the natural man originates in this way, that is, from the marriage of good and truth in the rational. This good is that which is called truth that rests in good and is meant in the Word by 'a bough' or channel to accommodate water.
ppp20754#pid#3096. 'And ran again to the well' means a lower affection for truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'a well' as truth, dealt with in `@@@2702`, but truth that is lower. And as the subject here is the introduction of truth, a lower affection for truth is meant, as stated just above in `@@@3094`. For the difference in meaning in the internal sense between 'a spring' and 'a well' see the paragraph just referred to, where it is explained that the expression 'a spring' is used in reference to purer and higher truth, but 'a well' in reference to truth that is not so pure and is lower, as in the present chapter also where 'a spring' is used at one point, 'a well' at another. Natural truth is a lower variety of truth, and the affection for natural truth a lower kind of affection for truth. This truth enables general facts to receive light most nearly, and that enlightenment penetrates further and affects more deeply, see `@@@3094`.
ppp20753#pid#3097. 'And drew for all his camels' means by which general facts were enlightened. This is clear from the meaning of 'drawing' as giving instruction and also as enlightening, dealt with in `@@@3058`, `@@@3071`, and from the meaning of 'camels' as general facts, dealt with in `@@@3048`.
ppp20752#pid#3098. The things contained in the internal sense from `@@@3088` to this point are also such as cannot be understood except by those who have been taught about the internal aspects of man and who are in possession of truths, for it is through truths and according to them that enlightenment comes. These verses deal with the initial introduction of truth into good, for as stated already, good itself flows into the natural by way of the rational, and so by an internal route, and enlightens the things that are there, while truth itself flows into the natural by way of the senses, in particular hearing and sight, and so by an external route. This is the origin of truth, as anyone may know if he stops to reflect. But good and truth do not exist joined together in the natural, but in the rational. Consequently truth is summoned from the natural - thus from a natural sphere into the spiritual sphere, for truth that is to be joined to good is spiritual. The situation with regard to truth when first summoned from there is the subject of the verses explained in `@@@3087-3097`.
ppp20751#pid#3099. Verses `Genesis 24bbbccc21-22` And the man, wondering at her, remained silent so as to know whether Jehovah had prospered his way or not. And so it was, when the camels finished drinking, that the man took a gold nose-jewel, half a shekel in weight, and two bracelets to go on her hands, ten [shekels] of gold in weight.
'The man, wondering at her, remained silent' means a state of perception regarding those things. 'So as to know whether Jehovah had prospered his way or not' means regarding Divine Truth, as to what sort it was. 'And so it was, when the camels finished drinking' means acknowledgement resulting from enlightenment in general facts. 'That the man took a gold nose-jewel' means Divine Good. 'Half a shekel in weight' means the amount needed for the introduction. 'And two bracelets' means Divine Truth. 'To go on her hands' means the power of the affection for truth. 'Ten [shekels] of gold in weight' means the full amount involved in the introduction.
ppp20750#pid#3100. 'The man, wondering at her, remained silent' means a state of perception regarding those things. This is clear from the meaning of 'wondering but remaining silent' - when he saw that the things he had spoken in his heart were actually taking place - as a state of acknowledgement, yet at the same time of waiting to see whether it really was so. He 'wondered' because he acknowledged that things were happening as he had prayed, but he 'remained silent' because he was waiting to see whether it was in fact so. This is the state of perception that is meant.
ppp20749#pid#3101. 'So as to know whether Jehovah had prospered his way or not' means regarding Divine Truth, as to what sort it was. This is clear from the meaning of 'way' as truth, dealt with in `@@@627`, `@@@2333`. The Divine nature of that truth is meant by the words 'whether Jehovah had prospered' which amounts to the same as, whether it was from Jehovah, that is, from the Divine. Accordingly what sort of truth is meant, for the truths that are summoned from the natural man into the rational man are not all received, only those that accord with the good there, and on being sown and implanted in this way act as one with that good. The rest, even though they may have appeared as truths prior to being raised up, are nevertheless not received because they are not acknowledged. Good is that which acknowledges its own truth, and truth that which acknowledges its own good. That it was an acknowledgement of what sort of truth it was, and that thus this truth was received, is also evident from what follows next.
ppp20748#pid#3102. 'And so it was, when the camels finished drinking' means acknowledgement resulting from enlightenment in general facts. This is clear from the fact that the two expressions 'it was' and 'they finished' mean a subsequent stage and imply the end of the activity which precedes, and the beginning of the activity which follows, dealt with above in `@@@3093`, and so mean acknowledgement, as shown above; from the meaning of 'the camels' as general facts, dealt with in `@@@3048`, `@@@3071`; and from the meaning of 'drinking' here as the same as that meant by 'drawing water', as above in `@@@3058`, `@@@3097`, and also by 'being given a drink', as above in `@@@3071`, that is to say, being enlightened. From this it is evident that the words 'and so it was, when the camels finished drinking' means acknowledgement - that is to say, of Divine truth - resulting from the enlightenment in general facts.
ttt[2] The real situation is as follows: Every truth that is raised up from the natural man - that is, out of facts, or cognitions and matters of doctrine since these belong in the natural man - into the rational man, and is received there, must first be acknowledged as to what sort it is, whether it accords with the good that is there or not. If it does accord it is received, but if it does not it is rejected. The apparent truths in an attendant group of them are many, but only those are joined which acknowledge the good that is there, and so which love good and are loved by good. But in order that they may be acknowledged as such there has to be the enlightenment in the natural man by means of which every single thing in the natural man can be seen simultaneously, and so a choice be made. Enlightenment such as this in the natural man comes from good, yet does so by way of truth, see `@@@3094`. This enlightenment is what is meant by Rebekah's drawing for the camels, causing them to drink, or giving them a drink.
ppp20747#pid#3103. 'And the man took a gold nose-jewel' means Divine Good. This is clear from the meaning of 'a gold nose-jewel' as good, and here, since the Lord is the subject in the internal sense, as Divine Good, which, since it comes from the Rational, is called 'the man'. For 'a man' means the rational, see `@@@265`, `@@@749`, `@@@1007`. In ancient times when forms of worship in Churches were representative and people knew what those forms meant, it was customary when initiating marriages to give a gold nose-jewel and bracelets to the bride because the Church was represented by the bride, its good by 'the nose-jewel' and its truth by 'the bracelets'. They did so because it was well known that conjugial love as it existed with a bride and wife came down from the marriage of the Lord's Divine Good and Divine Truth, see `@@@2508`, `@@@2618`, `@@@2727-2729`. The gold jewel was placed on the nose, as is evident also from where it is said later on that the servant put the jewel on her nose, verse `Genesis 24bbbccc47`, because 'the nose' meant the life of good. It had this meaning because the nose is used for breathing, which in the internal sense means life, and also for smelling, which means the delight of love, namely good, `@@@96`, `@@@97`.
ttt[2] As regards 'a nose-jewel' being a sign of the good involved in marriage, this is also clear from other places in the Word, as in Ezekiel,
I adorned you with ornaments and put bracelets on your hands and a chain on your neck, and I put a jewel on your nose. `Ezekiel 16bbb11-12`.
This refers to the Ancient Church, meant by Jerusalem here and described as a bride to whom bracelets, a chain, and a nose-jewel were given. 'Bracelets on the hands' were a representative sign of truth, 'a jewel on the nose' a representative sign of good. In Isaiah,
Because the daughters of Zion are haughty the Lord will make bald the crown of their heads, and will take away the rings and the nose-jewels, the changes of clothes, the robes. `Isaiah 3bbb16-18`, `Isaiah 3bbbccc21-22`.
'The daughters of Zion that are haughty' stands for affections for evil within the Church, `@@@2362`, `@@@3024`. 'The rings and the nose-jewels' that will be removed stands for good and the signs of it. 'The changes of clothes' and 'the robes' stand for truth and the signs of it. In Hosea,
I will visit on her the days of the baals to whom she burned incense and decked herself with her nose-jewel and her other jewellery and went after her lovers. `Hosea 2bbb13`.
This refers to the perverted Church and to the new one following it. 'Nose-jewel' also stands for a sign of the good of the Church. When those jewels were fitted to the ears they again meant good, though good put into practice, and in the contrary sense evil put into practice, as in `Genesis 35bbb4`; `Exodus 32bbb2`, `Exodus 32bbbccc4`.
ppp20746#pid#3104. 'Half a shekel in weight' means the amount needed for the introduction. This is clear from the meaning of 'a shekel', 'half a shekel', and 'weight'. 'A shekel' means the price or valuation of good and truth, and 'half a shekel' a defined amount of it, see `@@@2959`. 'Weight' means the state of something as regards good, as will be seen [below]. From these considerations it is evident that 'half a shekel in weight' means and embodies the amount as regards the good which 'a gold nose-jewel' is used to mean - that amount being the quantity of it that was needed for the introduction, as is plain from what comes before and after this point in the story.
ttt[2] That 'weight' is the state of something as regards good is evident from the following places in the Word:
In Ezekiel where the prophet was told to eat food each day twenty shekels in weight, and to drink water in measure the sixth of a hin,
For, behold, I am breaking the staff of bread in Jerusalem, so that they may eat bread by weight and with anxiety, and drink water by measure and with dismay; that they may be in want of bread and water. `Ezekiel 4bbb10-11`, `Ezekiel 4bbbccc16-17`.
This refers to the vastation of good and truth, which is represented by 'the prophet'. A state of good when vastated is meant by their having to eat food and bread 'by weight', and a state of truth when vastated by their having to drink water 'by measure' - 'bread' meaning that which is celestial, and so good, see `@@@276`, `@@@680`, `@@@2165`, `@@@2177`, and 'water' that which is spiritual, and so truth, `@@@739`, `@@@2702`, `@@@3058`. From this it is evident that 'weight' is used in reference to good, and 'measure' to truth.
ttt[3] In the same prophet,
You shall have just balances, and a just ephah, and a just bath. `Ezekiel 45bbb10` and following verses.
This refers to the holy land, by which the Lord's kingdom in heaven is meant, as may be recognized from every detail at this point in this prophet, where what are required are not balances, an ephah, and a bath that are just but the goods and truths meant by those weights and measures.
In Isaiah,
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand and weighed the heavens in [His] palm, and gathered the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in a balance, and the hills in the scales? `Isaiah 40bbb12`.
'Weighing the mountains in a balance and the hills in the scares' stands for the truth that the Lord is the source of the heavenly things of love and charity, and that He alone orders the states of these things. For 'the mountains' and 'the hills' referred to in connection with those weights mean the heavenly things of love, see `@@@795`, `@@@796`, `@@@1430`, `@@@2722`.
ttt[4] In Daniel,
The writing on the wall of Belshazzar's palace was, Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin. This is the interpretation: Mene, God has numbered your kingdom and brought it to an end; Tekel, you have been weighed in the scales and have been found wanting; Peres, your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians. `Daniel 5bbb25-28`.
Here 'mene' or 'He has numbered' has reference to truth, but 'tekel' or 'weighed in the scales' to good. Described in the internal sense is the time when the age is drawing to a close.
ppp20745#pid#3105. 'And two bracelets' means Divine Truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'bracelets' as truth, and here as Divine Truth since the subject in the internal sense is the Lord. The word 'two' is used because what is complete is then meant. The reason those bracelets were, placed over a bride's hands was that 'the bride' meant the Church and 'her hands' the powers derived from truth - 'the hands' having reference to truth, see `@@@3091`. That 'bracelets' means such things may be seen in `Ezekiel 16bbb11-12`, dealt with above in `@@@3103`, and again in the same prophet, in `Ezekiel ccc23bbb42`. Furthermore 'bracelets' were intended not only for a bride but also for a king, though a king wore them on his arm, as is clear in `2 Samuel 1bbb10`, the reason being that kingship represented and also meant Divine Truth, which was the Lord's, `@@@1672`, `@@@1728`, `@@@2015`, `@@@2069`, `@@@3009`, and 'arm' meant power, `@@@878`.
ppp20744#pid#3106. 'To go on her hands' means the power of the affection for truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'the hand' as power, dealt with in `@@@878`, `@@@3091`, and from the representation of 'Rebekah', to whom 'her' refers here, as the affection for truth, dealt with in `@@@2865`, `@@@3077`.
ppp20743#pid#3107. 'Ten [shekels] of gold in weight' means the full amount involved in the introduction. This is clear from the meaning of 'ten', like a hundred, as a complete state, dealt with in `@@@1988`, `@@@2636`, from the meaning of 'gold' which here is a type of currency whose weight is used to indicate value, and from the meaning of 'weight' as the state of something as regards good, dealt with above in `@@@3104`. From this it is evident that 'ten [shekels] of gold in weight' means a complete state of what is being valued as regards good. The fact that the full amount involved in the introduction is meant is clear from the details in this chapter which deals with the introduction or betrothing.
ppp20742#pid#3108. These two verses deal with the introduction of truth into good. But the nature of this introduction does not fit easily into the pattern of thought of anyone whose mind is illumined solely by such things as are seen in the light of the world, and not at the same time by those seen in the light of heaven, by which those belonging to the light of the world are illumined. People who are devoid of good and consequently of faith have no other ideas in their minds than those formed from objects seen in the light of the world. They do not know what the spiritual is, nor even what the rational is in the genuine sense, but only the natural, to which they ascribe everything. Here also is the reason why those things stated in the internal sense about the introduction of truth into good appear to them too remote to mean anything at all. Yet to those who see in the light of heaven they are considered most precious.
ttt[2] With regard to the introduction of truth into good, before truth has been introduced and rightly joined it does indeed reside with man, yet it has not so to speak become his or his own. But as soon as it is introduced into its own good it does become his own. It goes out of his external memory and passes over into the internal memory. Or what amounts to the same, it ceases to exist in the natural or external man, and passes over into the rational or internal man, where it clothes itself with the person himself and constitutes his humanity, that is, his own human character. This is the situation with all truth that is being joined to its good, as also in a similar way with falsity that is being joined to evil which it calls good. The difference however is that truth opens the rational and so makes a person rational, whereas falsity closes the rational and makes him irrational, though he seems to himself while in the darkness enveloping him at this time to be more rational than others.
ppp20741#pid#3109. Verses `Genesis 24bbbccc23-25` And he said, Whose daughter are you? Tell me now, is there at your father's house a place for us to spend the night? And she said to him, I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milkah, whom she bore to Nahor. And she said to him, There is both straw and also much fodder with us, and a place to spend the night.
'He said, Whose daughter are you?' means further investigation concerning innocence. 'Tell me now, is there at your father's house a place for us to spend the night?' means investigation concerning the good of charity. 'And she said to him, I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milkah, whom she bore to Nahor' means here, as previously, the whole origin of it. 'And she said to him' means perception. 'There is both straw' means factual truths. 'And also much fodder with us' means the goods that go with these. 'And a place to spend the night' means that state.
ppp20740#pid#3110. 'He said, Whose daughter are you?' means further investigation concerning innocence. This is clear from the question 'whose daughter?' as an investigation, a further investigation in this case, as is evident from what has been stated already in `@@@3088`, `@@@3101`. Its being an investigation concerning innocence that is meant is clear from the meaning of 'a girl' as affection that has innocence within it, dealt with in `@@@3067`. Here, it is true, the word 'girl' is not used, but because Rebekah is called 'a girl' in verses `Genesis 24bbbccc14` and `Genesis 24bbbccc16` above and she is the one to whom the question is addressed here, nothing else is meant here by 'you' than the girl. As for the subject itself - namely that truth was investigated to see what innocence it held within it, and shortly after that what charity, before it was introduced into good and then joined to it - this must inevitably seem extraordinary to those who have no knowledge of the matter. However let such persons recognize that an absolutely thorough investigation occurs in everyone when truth is to be introduced into and joined to good, an investigation which is such that it goes far beyond the full extent of his belief.
ttt[2] None but perfect truth is ever allowed to be with perfect good. When anything less than perfect truth approaches, this does not join itself to perfect good but to some variety of good that is not in itself good yet seems as if it were good. If falsity approaches, the good retires to an inward position and the falsity joins itself outwardly to some evil which it believes to be good. This Divine ordering is effected by the Lord by means of spirits and angels, and is completely hidden in this world, but fully known in the next. Anyone also of sound reason is able to know this and at least to comprehend it. For evil and falsity constitute hell and flow in from hell, whereas good and truth constitute heaven, and also flow in by way of heaven from the Lord. This being so, evil and truth can no more be joined together than hell to heaven. For this reason a more delicate balance is preserved in these matters than anyone can possibly believe. This then is what is meant by investigation.
ppp20739#pid#3111. 'Tell me now, is there at your father's house a place for us to spend the night?' means investigation concerning the good of charity. This is clear from the meaning of 'tell me now, is there?' as investigation; from the meaning of 'house' as good, dealt with in `@@@2048`, `@@@2233`, 22331; from the meaning of 'father' here, that is to say, of Bethuel, as the good of charity, such as exists with the more upright gentiles, dealt with in `@@@2863` - the origin itself also of the affection for truth, which Rebekah represents, existing in such good; and from the meaning of 'a place to spend the night' as a state of abiding, dealt with below in `@@@3115`.
ttt[2] The reason why investigation concerning the origin of the affection for truth as regards innocence and as regards the good of charity is described in the internal sense is that truth which is to be introduced into and joined to good does not have its first origin in any other source, as becomes clear from all with whom truth is received and wedded to good. Inside the Church, no matter how much those who do not possess any innocence or charity towards the neighbour know the truth and confess it with their lips, they in no way acknowledge it in their hearts. And outside the Church, in the case of gentiles who are called to the truth of faith or who receive instruction in it in the next life, only those receive it who possess innocence and lead charitable lives one with another. In fact innocence and charity constitute the ground in which the seeds of truth are able to take root and spring up.
ppp20738#pid#3112. 'And she said to him, I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milkah, whom she bore to Nahor' means the whole origin of it, that is to say, of the affection for truth. This is clear from the representation of 'Bethuel', and also of 'Milkah and Nahor', as the origin of the affection for truth which Rebekah represented, see `@@@3078`.
ppp20737#pid#3113. 'And she said to him' means perception. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying', in historical narratives of the Word, as perceiving in the internal sense, often dealt with already.
ppp20736#pid#3114. 'There is both straw' means factual truths, 'and also much fodder with us' means the goods that go with these. This is clear from the meaning of 'straw' and 'fodder'. The reason 'straw' means factual truths is that it has reference to camels, whose food is such; for when 'camels' means the natural man as regards the general facts there, the food of the natural man - 'straw' - cannot have any other meaning, since no other food exists to sustain his life. The nourishment of the natural man is received from this, for if deprived of that food, that is to say, of knowledge, the natural man would cease to exist. The truth of this is evident from the life after death, for in that life spirits receive such things in place of food, see `@@@56-58`, `@@@680`, `@@@681`, `@@@1480`, `@@@1695`, `@@@1973`, `@@@1974`.
ttt[2] Within the natural man, as within the rational man, there exist in general two kinds of things which constitute its essence - those that make up the understanding and those that make up the will. Truths belong to the things constituting the understanding, goods belong to those constituting the will. The truths present in the natural man are factual truths - that is to say, all the things housed in his external memory - and it is these that are meant by 'straw' when camels, and also horses, mules and asses are the subject. But the goods present in the natural man are chiefly the delights that go with an affection for those truths, and it is these goods that are meant by 'fodder'.
ppp20735#pid#3115. 'And a place to spend the night' means that state. This is clear from the meaning of 'a place' as a state, dealt with in `@@@2625`, `@@@2837`, and from the meaning of 'spending the night' as abiding or having a resting-place, dealt with in `@@@2330`. Here therefore the state of the affection for truth, as to its origin, is meant. Its origin is described by the things represented by Bethuel, Milkah, and Nahor, and its relationships by Laban who is mentioned later on. Since the origin of that affection is obscure its state is therefore meant by 'a place to spend the night', as also above in `@@@3111`.
ppp20734#pid#3116. These three verses deal with the investigation of truth that was to be introduced into good and so joined to it, in particular as regards its origin, for every single thing is dependent on its origin. Derivations take shape from their origin as their own root or seed in the way that a young plant does from its root or seed. These things residing with Him the Lord saw and investigated from the Divine, and from His own wisdom and intelligence introduced them, that is to say, introduced truths into the good of the rational. It is the investigation itself that is described in these verses in the internal sense; yet the things present in that sense can be explained to very few.
ttt[2] Investigation also takes place with everyone who is being reformed, also with anyone who receives remnants. But of this investigation man knows nothing at all. To him it is so shrouded in obscurity that he does not even believe that it exists, even though it is taking place moment by moment. The Lord however, who alone has sight of a person's state, not only as it is at present but also as it will be for ever, is the one who carries out that investigation. Investigation involves a very delicate balancing to prevent even the smallest amount of falsity being joined to good, or the least amount of truth to evil. If falsity were joined to good, or truth to evil, a person would perish for ever, for he would in that case be suspended in the next life between hell and heaven, ejected by hell on account of good, and by heaven on account of evil.
ppp20733#pid#3117. Verses `Genesis 24bbbccc26-27` And the man bowed, and bowed down to Jehovah. And he said, Blessed be Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned His mercy and His truth towards my master. As for me, being on the way, Jehovah has led me to the house of my master's brethren.
'The man bowed, and bowed down to Jehovah' means gladness and joy. 'And he said, Blessed be Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham' means here, as previously, from the Divine itself and the Divine Human. 'Who has not abandoned His mercy' means a perception of the influx of love. 'And His truth towards my master' means an influx of charity from that inflowing love. 'As for me, being on the way' means within a state of truth joined to good in the Rational. 'Jehovah has led me to the house of my master's brethren' means to good, the source of truth.
ppp20732#pid#3118. 'The man bowed, and bowed down to Jehovah' means gladness and joy. This is clear from the meaning of 'bowing' and of 'bowing down' as being glad and joyful. Bowing and bowing down are movements of the body that express humility, or humility in act, either in a state of grief or in a state of joy - in a state of grief when things do not turn out as one wishes, in a state of joy when they do turn out well, as here when Rebekah, according to the prayer already in the man's heart, gave him a drink from her pitcher, and also gave a drink to the camels. For bowing down can be a movement of the body expressing joy as well, see `@@@2927`, `@@@2950`. The reason why gladness is mentioned as well as joy is that 'gladness' in the Word has reference to truth, but 'joy' to good. Furthermore gladness belongs to the face whereas joy belongs to the heart; or what amounts to the same, gladness belongs to spiritual affection, or to truth, joy to celestial affection, or to good. Thus gladness occurs in a less degree than joy, as also does 'bowing' than 'bowing down'. This is also evident from the fact that the spiritual member of the Church merely bows before the Lord and calls upon grace, whereas the celestial member of the Church bows down before the Lord and pleads for mercy, `@@@598`, `@@@981`, `@@@2423`. Both are mentioned here on account of the marriage of truth and good existing in every individual part of the Word, `@@@683`, `@@@793`, `@@@801`, `@@@2516`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc2712`.
ppp20731#pid#3119. 'And he said, Blessed be Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham' means from the Divine itself and the Divine Human. This is clear from what has been stated above in `@@@3061`, where the same words occur with the exception of 'Blessed'. 'Blessed be Jehovah' was an expression of thanksgiving, and thus also of joy and gladness, that things had turned out as one wished. In addition, as to what the ancients meant by blessing Jehovah, see `@@@1096`, `@@@1422`.
ppp20730#pid#3120. 'Who has not abandoned His mercy' means a perception of the influx of love. This is clear from the meaning of 'mercy' as love, dealt with in `@@@1735`, `@@@3063`, `@@@3073`. The reason 'has not abandoned His mercy' is a perception of the influx of love is that these are words expressing acknowledgement and confession, and all acknowledgement and confession are the result of a perception of influx.
ppp20729#pid#3121. 'And His truth towards my master' means an influx of charity from that inflowing love. This is clear from the meaning of 'truth' as charity. In the proper sense 'truth' means the same as faith, and in the Hebrew language faith is expressed by such a term, so that what is called truth in the Old Testament Word is regularly called faith in the New Testament Word. This is also why, in what has gone before, truth has often been called the truth of faith, and good the good of love. But in the internal sense faith is nothing else than charity - see what has often been stated and shown already, such as the following:
No faith exists except through love, `@@@30-38`.
Faith does not exist except where charity does so, `@@@654`, `@@@724`, `@@@1162`, `@@@1176`, `@@@2261`.
Faith is faith grounded in charity, `@@@1608`, `@@@2049`, `@@@2116`, `@@@2343`, `@@@2349`, `@@@2417`.
Charity constitutes the Church, not faith separated from charity, `@@@809`, `@@@916`, `@@@1798`, `@@@1799`, `@@@1834`, `@@@1844`, `@@@2190`, `@@@2228`, `@@@2442`.
From these paragraphs it is evident that in the internal sense truth or faith is the same as charity. Indeed all faith springs from charity, and faith that does not spring from it is not faith. Or what amounts to the same, all truth in the internal sense is good, since all truth is grounded in good, and truth that is not grounded in it is not truth. For truth is nothing else than the form that good takes, `@@@3049`; it is born from, and receives its life from nothing other than good.
ppp20728#pid#3122. With regard to this truth, by which charity is meant, there is more to be said: The most ancient people, who were celestial, understood nothing else by mercy and truth from the Lord than the reception`fff1` of the influx of love to the Lord and from this of charity towards the neighbour; but the ancients, who were spiritual, took mercy and truth present with them from the Lord to mean charity and faith. The reason for this was that those who were celestial never thought about the things that are matters of faith or truth but about those that are matters of love or good, as becomes clear from what has been stated already about the celestial man in `@@@202`, `@@@337`, `@@@2669`, `@@@2715`. Furthermore it was by means of charity towards the neighbour that celestial people were led into love to the Lord when they were being reformed and regenerated. From this it is evident that 'mercy from the Lord' is used to mean nothing else than a perception of the influx of love to Him, and 'truth' to mean the influx of charity towards the neighbour from that inflowing love.
ttt[2] With those who are spiritual however it is different. These do think about the things that are matters of faith, and when they are being reformed and regenerated it is by means of the things which are matters of faith that they are led into charity towards the neighbour. Consequently when spiritual people are the subject 'mercy from the Lord' is used to mean the influx of charity towards the neighbour, and 'truth' to mean the influx of faith. Nevertheless once the spiritual man has been regenerated this faith becomes charity, for now he acts from charity, so much so that anyone among them who does not act from charity is not regenerate, whereas anyone who does act from charity is regenerate. Also, he now has no interest at all in matters of faith or truth, for his life springs from the good of faith, and no longer from the truth of faith. Indeed truth has now so joined itself to good that it ceases to be seen except as the form which good takes, that is, faith is now nothing else so to speak than the form which charity takes.
ttt[3] From this one may see what the most ancient people meant, and what the ancients meant, by mercy and truth which are mentioned so many times in the Word, as in David,
The king will dwell for ever before God. Prepare mercy and truth, let them watch over him. `Psalms 61bbb7`.
In the same author,
Mercy and truth will meet, righteousness and peace will kiss each other. `Psalms 85bbb10`.
In the same author,
The Lord God is great in mercy and truth. `Psalms 86bbb15`.
In the same author,
My truth and My mercy will be with Him. `Psalms 89bbb24`.
In the same author,
Jehovah has remembered His mercy and His truth to the house of Israel. `Psalms 98bbb3`.
In the same author,
O Jehovah, not to us, but to Your name give glory, for the sake of Your mercy and Your truth. `Psalms 115bbb1`.
In Micah,
Jehovah God will give truth to Jacob, mercy to Abraham, which You have sworn to our fathers from days of old. `Micah 7bbb20`.
Here 'Jacob' stands for the Lord's external man, 'Abraham' for the internal as regards the human. In Hosea,
Jehovah's controversy with the inhabitants of the land because there is no truth, and no mercy, and no knowledge of God. `Hosea 4bbb1`.
'No truth' stands for no reception of the influx of charity, 'no mercy' for no reception of the influx of love, 'no knowledge of God' for no reception of the influx of the truth of faith.
`nnn1. Or, reading what Swedenborg has in his rough draft the perception
ppp20727#pid#3123. 'As for me, being on the way' means within a state of truth joined to good in the Rational. This is clear from the meaning of 'the way' as truth, dealt with in `@@@627`, `@@@2333`, here 'on the way' as the joining of truth to good within the Rational, for this is the subject in this chapter, see `@@@3012`, `@@@3013`. For someone is said to be 'on his way' when he makes progress in the direction he intends to go.
ppp20726#pid#3124. 'Jehovah has led me to the house of my master's brethren' means to good, the source of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'brethren's house' from which Rebekah came, as good from which truth springs. For 'the house of the brethren' means good, here the good from which truth springs, as is clear from the meaning of 'a house' as good, dealt with in `@@@2233`, `@@@2234`, `@@@2559`, and of 'brethren' as the source of that good from which truth springs, represented by Rebekah.
ppp20725#pid#3125. Previous verses dealt with the investigation of truth that was to be joined to good in the Rational, as regards its innocence, charity, and origin. For since by His own power the Lord made His Rational Divine as regards good as well as regards truth, He consequently investigated the truth which He joined to good. With men however truth is never joined to good by means of their own power but by means of the Lord's. This becomes evident from the considerations that all good and truth flow in from the Lord, that the whole of reformation and regeneration is from Him, and that man does not know at all how he is being regenerated. At the present day man does not even know that he is regenerated by means of truth and good, let alone that truth is introduced into and joined to good, and that this is effected so to speak by investigation, that is, with very great precision. These two verses have dealt with perception of the nature and origin of truth, and at the same time with joy on that account. What follows next therefore deals with the introduction.
ppp20724#pid#3126. Verses `Genesis 24bbbccc28-30` And the girl ran and told [those of] her mother's house all about these things. And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban; and Laban ran to the man outside, to the spring. And so it was - when he saw the nose-jewel and the bracelets on his sister's hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, who said, Thus the man spoke to me - that he went to the man, and behold, he was standing with the camels at the spring.
'The girl ran' means the inclination of that affection. 'And told [those of] her mother's house all about these things' means towards whatever natural good enlightenment was able to reach. 'And Rebekah had a brother' means the affection for good in the natural man. 'His name was Laban' means the essential nature of that affection. 'And Laban ran to the man outside, to the spring' means its inclination towards truth that was to be introduced into Divine truth. 'And so it was, when he saw the nose-jewel and the bracelets on his sister's hands' means when it recognized Divine Good and Divine Truth within the power of the affection for truth, meant by 'a sister'. 'And when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister' means the inclination of it. 'Who said, Thus the man spoke to me' means the leanings of truth in the natural man. 'And he went to the man' means that it attached itself. 'And behold, he was standing with the camels' means presence in general facts. 'At the spring' means the enlightenment of them from Divine truth.
ppp20723#pid#3127. 'The girl ran' means the inclination of that affection. This is clear from the meaning of 'running' as some leaning or inclination, and from the meaning of 'the girl' as affection that has innocence within it, dealt with above in `@@@3067`, `@@@3110`.
ppp20722#pid#3128. 'And told [those of] her mother's house all about these things' means towards whatever natural good enlightenment was able to reach. This is clear from the meaning of 'mother's house' as the good of the external man, that is, natural good. For 'a house' means good, see `@@@2233`, `@@@2234`,`fff1` `@@@2559`; and man's external or natural is received from the mother, but his internal from the father, `@@@1815`. In the Word the good that exists with a person is compared to 'a house', and for that reason one who is governed by good is called 'the House of God'. But internal good is called one's 'father's house', while good of an identical degree is spoken of as one's 'brethren's house', and external good, which is the same as natural good, is referred to as one's 'mother's house'. Furthermore all good and truth is born in this fashion, that is to say, by means of the influx of internal good as the father into external good as the mother.
ttt[2] Since the subject in this verse is the origin of truth that was to be joined to good in the Rational it is therefore said that Rebekah, who represents that truth, 'ran to her mother's house', for this is where truth originates. As stated and shown above, all good flows in by an internal route, that is, by way of the soul, into man's rational, and through the rational into his factual knowledge, and even into his sensory awareness, and by means of enlightenment there causes truths to be seen. From there truths are summoned, stripped of the natural form they possess, and joined to good in the mid-way position, that is to say, in the rational, and together constitute the rational man, and at length the spiritual man. How all this is effected however is quite unknown to anyone, for at the present day scarcely any knowledge exists of what good is or of its being distinct and separate from truth. Still less does anyone know that a person is reformed by means of the influx of good into truth and by the joining together of the two. Nor is it known that the rational is distinct and separate from the natural. And since these matters which are very general are unknown, it cannot possibly be known how truth is introduced into good, and how the joining together of these two is effected - which are the things dealt with in this chapter in the internal sense. Now seeing that these arcana have been revealed and are open to view to any who are governed by good, that is, who have minds like those of angels, such arcana, no matter how obscure they may appear to others, must be explained since they are in the internal sense.
ttt[3] Regarding that enlightenment, which comes from good by way of truth in the natural man, here called 'the mother's house', the position is that Divine Good with man flows into his rational, and through the rational into his natural, and even into his factual knowledge, that is, into the cognitions and matters of doctrine there, as has been stated. Then by fitting the truths there to itself, inflowing Divine Good shapes them for itself, and by means of them enlightens everything in the natural man. But if the life of the natural man is such that it does not receive Divine Good, but either rejects, or perverts, or stifles it, Divine Good cannot fit truths to itself and so shape them for itself. As a consequence the natural cannot be enlightened any longer, for enlightenment in the natural man is effected by good through truths; and when there is no longer any enlightenment no reformation can take place. This is the reason why in the internal sense also so much reference is made to the nature of the natural man, and so to the origin of truth, namely that it arises from the good there.
`nnn1. This number does not appear to be correct.
ppp20721#pid#3129. 'And Rebekah had a brother' means the affection for good in the natural man. This is clear from the meaning of 'a brother' and of 'a sister' in the Word - 'a brother' being the affection for good, and 'a sister' the affection for truth, dealt with in `@@@367`, `@@@2360`, `@@@2508`, `@@@2524`. For in the natural man, as in the rational, all things there are interrelated like blood relatives and relatives by marriage, `@@@2556`, `@@@2739`. For that reason also the rational mind as well as the natural mind is called a house or family where parents, brothers, sisters, blood relatives, and relatives by marriage exist in order.
ppp20720#pid#3130. 'His name was Laban' means the essential nature of that affection. This is clear from the meaning of 'name' as a person's character or nature, dealt with in `@@@144`, `@@@145`, `@@@1754`, `@@@1896`, `@@@2009`, `@@@2724`. Here therefore 'Laban' means the essential nature of that affection which is being dealt with.
ppp20719#pid#3131. 'And Laban ran to the man outside, to the spring' means its inclination, that is to say, the inclination of the affection for good towards truth that was to be introduced into Divine truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'running' as some leaning or inclination towards, as above in `@@@3127`; from the representation of 'Laban' as the affection for good, dealt with immediately above in `@@@3129`, `@@@3130`; from the meaning of 'men' as truth, dealt with in `@@@265`, `@@@749`, `@@@1007`; and from the meaning of 'a spring' also as truth, here Divine truth, dealt with in `@@@2702`, `@@@3096`, and below in `@@@3137`.
ttt[2] These considerations and everything else dealt with show the nature of the internal sense and what arcana exist there. Except from interior exploration of the Word and at the same time from revelation, how can anyone know that these words - 'Laban ran to the man outside, to the spring' - mean the inclination of the affection for good towards truth that was to be introduced into Divine truth? Yet these are the things that angels perceive when these words are read by man. Indeed such are the correspondences between man's ideas and an angel's ideas that while man understands these words according to the sense of the letter and has the idea of Laban running to the man outside, to the spring, an angel perceives the inclination of the affection for good towards truth that was to be introduced into Divine truth. With angels there is no idea of Laban, or of running, or of a spring, but spiritual ideas corresponding to these. The existence of such correspondence between natural things and ideas based on these and spiritual things and ideas may also be seen from what has been stated about correspondences in `@@@1563`, `@@@1568`, `@@@2763`, `@@@2987-3003`, `@@@3021`.
ttt[3] As to the specific matter dealt with here - that truth was to be introduced into Divine truth - the situation is that at first truth in the natural man was not Divine truth but truth that had the appearance of being Divine. For no truth in its earliest stages is the actual truth but an appearance of truth. In the course of time however it sheds the cloak of appearance and puts on the real essence of truth. To make this intelligible it can be illustrated by examples, for the moment by this alone: It is a Divine truth that the Lord is never angry, never punishes anyone, let alone does evil to anyone, and that from the Lord nothing but good ever comes. Nevertheless in its earliest stages this truth declares that the Lord is angry when someone sins, and that the Lord therefore punishes; indeed with some people it declares that evil comes from the Lord. But as a person progresses from early childhood, grows up, and matures in judgement he casts away that which from the appearance seemed to him to be the truth and gradually takes up the truth itself, which is that the Lord is never angry and does not punish, let alone perform evil. Accordingly it is by means of apparent truth that a person is introduced into actual truth; for it is a general concept that enters first, which in itself is obscure, containing scarcely anything that is to be seen until it has been enlightened by means of particular ideas, and these in turn by specific details. And once it has been enlightened interior things are discernible. In this way the delusions and appearances which are truths at the time of ignorance are dispersed and banished.
ppp20718#pid#3132. 'And so it was, when he saw the nose-jewel and the bracelets on his sister's hands' means when it recognized Divine Good and Divine Truth within the power of the affection for truth, meant by 'a sister'. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing' as recognizing, dealt with in `@@@2150`, from the meaning of 'a nose-jewel' as Divine Good, dealt with in `@@@3103`, `@@@3104`, from the meaning of 'bracelets' as Divine Truth, also dealt with in `@@@3103`, `@@@3105`, from the meaning of 'hands' as power, dealt with in `@@@878`, `@@@3091`, and from the meaning of 'a sister' as the affection for truth, dealt with in `@@@2508`, `@@@2524`, `@@@2556`. From these paragraphs it is evident that 'seeing the nose-jewel and the bracelets on his sister's hands' means recognizing Divine Good and Divine Truth within the power of the affection for truth.
ttt[2] The truth of the matter is that Divine Good and Divine Truth joined together within the Lord constitute the Divine marriage itself, from which the heavenly marriage springs, which in a similar way is a marriage of good and truth. From this too conjugial love springs, see `@@@2727-2759`. Consequently when a marriage is the subject in the Word the heavenly marriage is meant in the internal sense, which is the marriage of good and truth, and in the highest sense the Divine marriage which exists within the Lord. For this reason nothing else is meant here by the marriage of Isaac and Rebekah. The marriage itself exists when good and truth have been joined together, but the betrothal of the two, or the state preceding the marriage, when one is being introduced into the other. But it is the state preceding the betrothal that is described here. In this state, as it is in the power of a [marriageable] girl to become betrothed, and subsequently as a wife to be joined to a husband, so it is in the power of the affection for truth to be introduced into Divine Truth and so to be joined to Divine Good. What is more, in the initial affection for truth and after that in every affection for it, with the Lord, Divine Good itself and Divine Truth itself were inmostly present because Jehovah Himself was present there. This was the source of the power which is the subject here.
ppp20717#pid#3133. 'And when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister' means the inclination of it. This is clear from the affection which these words hold within them and also which flows from the things that come before, for these bear witness to the inclination on the part of the affection for truth, represented here by 'Rebekah his sister'.
ppp20716#pid#3134. 'Who said, Thus the man spoke to me' means the leanings of truth in the natural man. This likewise is clear from the affection that occurs here, and also from what the man, or Abraham's servant, said to Rebekah, from which it is evident that the leanings of truth are meant; and from the meaning of 'the man' as truth, dealt with in `@@@265`, `@@@749`, `@@@1007`, here truth within the natural man and coming from the Divine, as he is Abraham's oldest servant, who means the natural man, see `@@@3019`. In the prophetical part of the Word especially 'man' (vir) is a word that occurs often - in the expressions 'man and wife', 'man and woman', 'man and inhabitant', and also 'man and human being' (vir et homo). In those expressions 'man' in the internal sense means that which belongs to the understanding, which is truth, while 'wife', 'woman', 'inhabitant', and 'human being' mean that which belongs to the will, which is good. As in Isaiah,
I look, and there is no man, and from these there is no counsellor. `Isaiah 41bbb28`.
'No man' stands for no one having intelligence, and so for no truth.
ttt[2] In the same prophet,
I came, and there was no man; I called and no one answered. `Isaiah 50bbb2`.
Here the meaning is the same. In the same prophet,
Truth has stumbled in the street, and uprightness has been unable to come in, and truth has been removed, and he who retreats from evil is insane. Jehovah saw, and it was evil in His eyes that there was no judgement. And He saw, and there was no man, and wondered. `Isaiah 59bbb14-16`.
'No man' clearly stands for no one having intelligence, and so in the universal sense for no truth. These verses in Isaiah refer to the final period of the Church when no truth at all exists any longer. Hence the statement 'truth has stumbled in the street, uprightness cannot come in, and truth has been removed'. 'The street' too has reference to truth, see `@@@2336`, as does 'judgement', `@@@2235`. In Jeremiah,
Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem and see now, and take note, and search in its broad places, if you find a man, if anyone is executing judgement and seeking truth. `Jeremiah 5bbb1`.
Here also 'a man' clearly stands for one having intelligence, and for truth. In Zephaniah,
I will make their streets desolate with none passing through; their cities will be devastated, with not a man and not an inhabitant there. `Zephaniah 3bbb6`.
'Not a man' stands for no truth, 'not an inhabitant' for no good, `@@@2268`, `@@@2451`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc2712`. The same occurs in many other places besides these.
ppp20715#pid#3135. 'He went to the men' means that it attached itself, that is to say, the affection for truth represented by 'Laban', `@@@3129`, `@@@3130`, allied itself to truth meant by 'the man', `@@@3134`, both of which were in the natural man.
ppp20714#pid#3136. 'And behold, he was standing with the camels' means presence in general facts. This is clear from the meaning of 'standing with' as being present, and from the meaning of 'the camels' as general facts, dealt with in `@@@3048`, `@@@3071`.
ppp20713#pid#3137. 'At the spring' means the enlightenment of them from Divine truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'a spring' as truth, dealt with in `@@@2702`, `@@@3096`, here Divine truth, as above in `@@@3131`. Because the Word is Divine truth it is therefore called 'a spring'. That 'standing at the spring' here embodies in the internal sense the enlightenment of things in the natural man follows from the train of thought; for where Divine truth is, enlightenment is there.
ppp20712#pid#3138. These three verses deal with the preparation and enlightenment of the natural man so that the truth which was to be joined to good in the Rational might be summoned from there. With regard to that preparation and enlightenment the position is that there are two kinds of light which shape man's intellectual concepts - the light of heaven, and the light of the world. The light of heaven comes from the Lord who to angels in the next life is the Sun and Moon, see `@@@1053`, `@@@1521`, `@@@1529`, `@@@1530`. The light of the world comes from the sun and moon which a person sees with his physical eyes. The internal man receives his sight and understanding from the light of heaven whereas the external man receives his sight and understanding from the light of the world. The influx of the light of heaven into ideas formed in the light of the world produces enlightenment and at the same time recognition - the recognition of truth if a correspondence exists, the recognition of falsity instead of truth if that correspondence does not exist. But enlightenment and recognition are not possible unless affection or love is present, which is spiritual warmth and imparts life to the things illumined by the light. This may be compared to the light of the sun. It is not the light of the sun but the warmth within the light that imparts life to plants, as is evident from the seasons of the year.
ttt[2] The verses which follow immediately after this describe the preparation further - the light of heaven, which is the Lord's Divine light, flowed into the ideas formed in the light of the world in His natural man so that He might bring forth from there the truth that was to be joined to good in the Rational. Thus it was to be brought forth in what is the ordinary way. Therefore to make His Human Divine the Lord came into the world in the ordinary way, that is, He was willing to be born as any other person is born, to receive instruction as any other does, and to be born again as any other, but with this difference: Man is born again from the Lord, whereas the Lord not only regenerated Himself from Himself, but also glorified Himself, that is, made Himself Divine; also man is made new through the influx of charity and faith, whereas the Lord was made so through the influx of Divine Love that was within Him and that was His own. From this it may be seen that man's regeneration is an image of the Lord's glorification, or what amounts to the same, that in the process of man's regeneration as the image one can envisage, though remotely, the process of the Lord's glorification.
ppp20711#pid#3139. Verses `Genesis 24bbbccc31-33` And he said, Come, O blessed of Jehovah; why do you stand outside? And I have swept the house, and there is a place for the camels. And the man came to the house. And he ungirded the camels, and gave straw and fodder to the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. And [food] was set before him to eat, and he said, I am not eating until I have spoken my words. And he said, Speak on!
'He said, Come, O blessed of Jehovah' means an invitation to the Divine within Himself. 'Why do you stand outside?' means at some distance away. 'And I have swept the house' means all things had been prepared and filled with forms of good. 'And there is a place for the camels' means a state for all the things which were to serve Him. 'And the man came to the house' means influx into the good there. 'And he ungirded the camels' means freedom for the things that were to be subservient. 'And gave straw and fodder to the camels' means instruction in truths and goods. 'And water to wash his feet' means purification there. 'And the feet of the men who were with him' means purification of all things that were His in the natural man. 'And [food] was set before him to eat' means that [the affection for] good in the natural man wished to make Divine things its own. 'And he said, I am not eating' means refusal. 'Until I have spoken my words' means until it had received instruction. 'And he said, Speak on!' means desire for it.
ppp20710#pid#3140. 'He said, Come, O blessed of Jehovah' means an invitation to the Divine within Himself. This is clear from the meaning of 'come' as an expression of an invitation, and from the meaning of 'blessed of Jehovah' as the Divine. 'Blessed be Jehovah' means the Divine itself, see `@@@1096`, `@@@1420`, `@@@1422`; consequently 'the blessed of Jehovah' means the Divine that proceeds from Him. Good is the Divine itself, but Truth is the Divine that proceeds from it. 'The man' here who was sent by Abraham means truth from the Divine, within the natural man, `@@@3134`. Divine truth is that which is called 'blessed of Jehovah' and which is 'invited'.
ppp20709#pid#3141. 'Why do you stand outside?' means at some distance away. This becomes clear without explanation; for the situation is that the Lord's Divine Rational was born from Divine Truth itself joined to Divine Good, the Divine Rational being Isaac whom Sarah, who is the Divine Truth here, bore to Abraham, who is the Divine Good here, as shown already. None but the Lord's Divine Rational was born in this fashion. It was indeed born from Himself because the Lord's Essential Being (Esse) was Jehovah or Divine Good itself, while the Lord's Essential Being (Esse) proceeding from it was also Jehovah's, that is, it was Divine Truth itself. The Divine Good within the Rational, which is Isaac, was born in such a way that Good was not separate from Truth, but was Divine Good together with Divine Truth. Both together however are called Good within the Rational to which truth from the natural man, the truth which is Rebekah, was to be joined. To make His Human Divine as regards Good as well as regards Truth, by the ordinary way, as stated above in `@@@3138`, the Lord could act in no other possible way. For this is the Divine order by which all regeneration takes place, thus by which the Lord's glorification took place, `@@@3138` (end). It was that Divine Good coming by way of Divine Truth within the Rational that was flowing into the natural man and enlightening all things there. The process itself is described here, that is to say, it first of all flowed in somewhat more remotely, which is meant here by at some distance away, and did not wish to do so more closely until instruction had taken place.
ttt[2] For the ordinary way is that instruction should come first. Then influx takes place according to the depth of knowledge laid down by that instruction - so that from that depth of knowledge truth may continually flow and be introduced into, and then be joined to, the good of the rational. From these considerations one may see the nature of the arcana contained in the internal sense of the Word, and that those arcana are such that even the most general of them are scarcely intelligible to man. To angels however they are plain to see, together with countless other things which cannot possibly be put into words.
ppp20708#pid#3142. 'And I have swept the house' means all things had been prepared and filled with goods. This is clear from the meaning of 'sweeping' as preparing and being filled, dealt with immediately below, and from the meaning of 'a house' as good, dealt with in `@@@2233`, `@@@2234`, `@@@2559`. And a person himself, from the good which governs him, is called a house, `@@@3128`. The reason why 'sweeping' means preparing and being filled is that nothing else is asked of anyone except to 'sweep his house', that is, to reject evil desires and resulting false persuasions. If he does this he is filled with all forms of good, for good from the Lord is constantly flowing in. It flows into 'the house', that is, into the person who has been cleansed of such things as hinder influx, that is, which turn away, or pervert, or stifle inflowing good. Hence the proverbial expression used by the ancients about sweeping or cleansing the house, and also about sweeping and preparing the way. 'Sweeping the house' was used to mean cleansing oneself of evils and thereby preparing oneself for goods to enter, while 'sweeping the way' was used to mean preparing oneself for the reception of truths; for 'a house' meant good, `@@@3128`, and 'the way' truth, `@@@627`, `@@@2333`.
ttt[2] As in Isaiah,
The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Sweep (prepare) the way of Jehovah; make straight in the lonely place a highway for our God. `Isaiah 40bbb3`.
In the same prophet,
Level out, level out, sweep (prepare) the way; remove the stumbling block from My people's way. `Isaiah 57bbb14`.
In the same prophet,
Go through, go through into the gates; sweep (prepare) the way of the people. Level out, level out the way; gather out the stones. `Isaiah 62bbb10`.
In Malachi,
Behold, I am sending My angel, and he will sweep (prepare) the way before Me; and suddenly there will come to His temple the Lord whom you are seeking. `Malachi 3bbb1`.
In these places 'sweeping the way' stands for getting oneself ready and preparing to receive truth. They refer to the Lord's coming, for which people were to prepare themselves so as to receive the truth of faith, and through that the good of charity, and through this in turn eternal salvation.
ttt[3] In David,
You caused a vine to journey out of Egypt. You cast out the nations, and You planted it, You swept before it and caused its root to be rooted, and it filled the land. `Psalms 80bbb8-9`.
This refers in the highest sense to the Lord. 'A vine out of Egypt' is truth based on facts, 'casting out the nations' cleansing from evils, 'sweeping before it' preparing for goods to fill it. 'Sweeping the house' also means in the contrary sense the person who dispossesses himself of all goods and truths and so is filled with evils and falsities, as in Luke,
If the unclean spirit finds no rest he says, I will return to my house out of which I came. And if when he comes he finds it swept and decorated, he goes away and brings seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they enter in and dwell there. `Luke 11bbb24-26`; `Matthew 12bbb43-45`.
ppp20707#pid#3143. 'And there is a place for the camels' means a state for all the things which were to serve Him. This is clear from the meaning of 'a place' as a state, dealt with in `@@@1273-1277`, `@@@1376-1381`, `@@@2625`, and from the meaning of 'the camels' as general facts, dealt with in `@@@3048`, `@@@3071`, which play a subservient role, see `@@@1486`, `@@@3019`, `@@@3020`. For everything that belongs to the natural man has no other use apart from that of serving the spiritual man. This also is why male servants, female servants, camels, and asses in the internal sense mean in particular things that belong to the natural man.
ppp20706#pid#3144. 'And the man came to the house' means influx into the good there. This is clear from the meaning of 'coming' here as flowing in, and from the meaning of 'a house' as good, dealt with in `@@@2233`, `@@@2234`, `@@@2559`.
ppp20705#pid#3145. 'And he ungirded the camels' means freedom for the things that were to be subservient. This is clear from the meaning of 'ungirding' as freeing, and from the meaning of 'the camels' as general facts, and so things that were to be subservient, as dealt with just above in `@@@3143`. The situation is that without freedom no production of truth ever takes place in the natural man, nor summoning of it from there into the rational man, where it becomes joined to good. It is in a state of freedom that all these things come about, for it is the affection for truth springing from good that sets them free. Unless truth is learned with an affection for it, and so in freedom, it is not even implanted in the mind, let alone raised up towards the interior parts of the mind to become faith there. For all reformation is effected in freedom; all freedom goes together with affection, and the Lord keeps man in freedom so that he can - as if of himself and from what is his own - have an affection for what is true and good and so be regenerated, see `@@@2870-2893`. These are the things meant by 'he ungirded the camels'; and unless those things were meant, the details recorded here would have been too trivial to mention.
ppp20704#pid#3146. 'And gave straw and fodder to the camels' means instruction in truths and goods. This is clear from the meaning of 'straw' as the truths present in the natural man, and from the meaning of 'fodder' as the goods there, dealt with above in `@@@3114`. Since these things are meant by 'straw and fodder' it therefore follows that 'giving straw and fodder' is giving instruction in truths and goods. The purpose of that freedom is this: Possessing the affection for truth and being stirred by that affection, a person may become instructed in such a way that truths are implanted deep within him - within the spiritual man or the soul - where they are joined to good, as may be seen from what has been shown regarding freedom in `@@@2870-2893`.
ttt[2] This is the way in which faith - that is, truth which is the truth of faith made to take root; and unless it is coupled to good in the rational the truth of faith never receives any life, nor does any fruit develop from it. For everything called the fruit of faith is the fruit of that good which is the good of love and charity coming by way of truth which is the truth of faith. Unless spiritual warmth, which is the good of love, is actively present in spiritual light, which is the truth of faith, man would be like ground frozen stiff, as in wintertime, when nothing grows, let alone bears any fruit. For just as light devoid of warmth is totally unproductive, so is faith devoid of love.
ppp20703#pid#3147. 'And water to wash his feet' means purification there. This is clear from the meaning of 'water to wash' or 'washing with water' as purifying, dealt with below, and from the meaning of 'feet' as natural things, or what amounts to the same, those things that are in the natural man, dealt with in `@@@2162`. In the representative Church washing feet with water was a ceremonial act which meant washing away the filth of the natural man. The filth of the natural man is composed of all the things that belong to self-love and love of the world, and when such filth has been washed away goods and truths flow in, for that filth alone is what hinders the influx of good and truth from the Lord.
ttt[2] For good is flowing in constantly from the Lord, but when by way of the internal or spiritual man it reaches the external or natural man it is either perverted there, or turned away, or stifled. But when indeed the things that belong to self-love and love of the world are removed, good is received there, and bears fruit there, since the person now performs the works of charity. This may become clear from many considerations, such as this: When the things that belong to the external or natural man are quiescent - as they are in times of ill-fortune, wretchedness, and sickness - a person instantly starts to become spiritually-minded and to will what is good, and also to perform acts of devotion insofar as he is able. But when that state alters, these things are altered too.
ttt[3] In the Ancient Church 'washings' were signs meaning these things, and in the Jewish Church the same were representations. The reason why in the Ancient Church they were meaningful signs but in the Jewish Church representations was that members of the Ancient Church regarded that custom as some external act of worship. Nor did they believe that they were purified by that kind of washing but by a washing away of the filth of the natural man, which, as has been stated, is composed of the things that belong to self-love and love of the world. But the member of the Jewish Church did believe that he was purified by such washing, for he did not know, and did not wish to know, that the purifying of a person's interior self was meant.
ttt[4] That 'washing' means the washing away of that filth is clear in Isaiah,
Wash yourselves; purify yourselves; remove the evil of your doings from before My eyes; cease to do evil. `Isaiah 1bbb16`.
Here it is evident that 'washing themselves' means purifying themselves and removing evils. In the same prophet,
When the Lord will have washed the excrement of the daughters of Zion and washed away the blood of Jerusalem from its midst in a spirit of judgement and in a spirit of purging. `Isaiah 4bbb4`.
Here 'washing the excrement of the daughters of Zion and washing away the blood of Jerusalem' stands for purifying from evils and falsities. In Jeremiah,
Wash your heart from wickedness, O Jerusalem, that you may be saved. How long will your iniquitous thoughts lodge within you? `Jeremiah 4bbb14`.
ttt[5] In Ezekiel,
I washed you with water, and washed away the blood from upon you, and anointed you with oil. `Ezekiel 16bbb9`.
This refers to Jerusalem, which is used here to mean the Ancient Church. 'Washing with water' stands for purifying from falsities, 'washing away the blood' for purging from evils, 'anointing with oil' for filling with good at that time. In David,
Wash me from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. You will purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean; You will wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. `Psalms 51bbb2`, `Psalms 51bbbccc7`.
'Being washed' plainly stands for being purified from evils and derivative falsities.
ttt[6] These were the things that were meant by 'washing' in the Representative Church. For the sake of the representation, when they had been made unclean and needed to be cleansed, people were commanded in that Church to wash the skin, hands, feet, and also their garments. All these meant things that belong to the natural man. Also for the sake of the representation, lavers made of bronze were placed outside the Temple - that is to say, 'the bronze sea and the ten bronze lavers' mentioned in `1 Kings 7bbb23-29`; there was also the bronze laver from which Aaron and his sons were to wash themselves, placed between the Tent of Meeting and the Altar, and so outside the Tent of Meeting, `Exodus 30bbb18-19`, `Exodus 30bbbccc21` - the meaning of which was that only external or natural things needed to be purified. And unless they have been purified, that is, unless things belonging to self-love and love of the world have been removed from them, internal things which belong to love to the Lord and towards the neighbour cannot possibly flow in, as stated above.
ttt[7] To enable these matters to be understood more easily, that is to say, regarding the need for external things to be purified, let good works - or what amounts to the same, the goods of charity, which are at the present day called the fruits of faith, and which, since they are actions, are external - serve to exemplify and illustrate the point: Good works are bad works unless the things belonging to self-love and love of the world are removed. For until these have been removed works, when performed, are good to outward appearance but are inwardly bad. They are inwardly bad because they are done either for the sake of reputation, or for financial gain, or for improvement of one's position, or for reward. They are accordingly either merit-seeking or hypocritical, for the things that belong to self-love and love of the world cause those works to be such. But when indeed these evils are removed, works become good, and are the goods of charity. That is to say, they are done regardless of self, the world, reputation, or reward, and so are not merit-seeking or hypocritical, because in that case celestial love and spiritual love flow from the Lord into those works and cause them to be love and charity in action. And at the same time the Lord also purifies the natural or external man by means of those things and orders it so that that man receives correspondingly the celestial and spiritual things that flow in.
ttt[8] This becomes quite clear from what the Lord taught when He washed the disciples' feet: In John,
He came to Simon Peter, who said to Him, Lord, do You wash my feet? Jesus answered and said to him, What I am doing you do not know now, but you will know afterwards. Peter said to Him, You will never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me. Simon Peter said to Him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and head! Jesus said to him, He who is washed has no need except that his feet be washed, but is clean all over. Now you are clean, but not all of you. `John 13bbb4-17`.
'He who is washed has no need except that his feet be washed' means that anyone who has been reformed needs to be cleansed only in regard to natural things, that is, to have evils and falsities removed from them. For when that happens all is ordered by the influx of spiritual things from the Lord. Furthermore 'feet-washing' was an act of charity, meaning that one ought not to dwell on the evils of another person. It was also an act of humility, meaning the cleansing of another from evils, like filth from the body, as also becomes clear from the Lord's words in verses `Genesis 24bbbccc12-17` of that chapter in John, and also in `Luke 7bbb37-38`, `Luke 7bbbccc44`, `Luke 7bbbccc46`; `John 11bbb2`; `1 Samuel 25bbb41`.
ttt[9] Anyone may see that washing himself does not purify a person from evils and falsities, only from the filth that clings to him. Yet because it belonged among the religious observances commanded in the Church it follows that it embodies some special idea, namely spiritual washing, which is purification from the filth that clings to man inwardly. Members of that Church therefore who knew these things and thought of purification of the heart, that is, the removal of the evils of self-love and love of the world from the natural man, and tried to achieve it with utmost zeal, practiced ritual washing as an external act of worship, as commanded. But among those who did not know and did not wish to know those things but who supposed that the mere ritual act of washing garments, skin, hands, and feet would purify them, and who supposed that provided they performed such rituals they would be allowed to continue leading lives of avarice, hatred, revenge, mercilessness, and cruelty - all of which constitute spiritual filth - the performance of the ritual was idolatrous. Nevertheless by means of that ritual they were still able to represent, and by means of the representation to display, some vestige of a Church, by means of which heaven was in a way joined to mankind prior to the Lord's Coming. But that conjunction was such that heaven had little or no influence at all on the member of that Church.
ttt[10] The Jews and Israelites were such that they did not think at all of the internal man, nor did they wish to know anything about the same. Thus they knew absolutely nothing about the celestial and spiritual things which belong to the life after death. Nevertheless to prevent the end of all communication with heaven and so with the Lord, they were bound to the performance of external observances by which internal things were meant. All their captivities and plagues were in general to the end that external observances might be duly carried out for the sake of the representation. It was for this reason that the following laws were given:
Moses was to wash Aaron and his sons with water at the tent door, to sanctify them. `Exodus 29bbb4`; `Exodus ccc40bbb12`; `Leviticus 8bbb6`.
Aaron and his sons were to wash their hands and feet before entering the Tent of Meeting and approaching the Altar to minister, lest they died. This was to them a statute for ever. `Exodus 30bbb18-21`; `Exodus ccc40bbb30-31`.
Before putting on his vestments Aaron was to wash his flesh. `Leviticus 16bbb4`, `Leviticus 16bbbccc24`.
Levites were to be purified by sprinkling the water of expiation over them, passing a razor over their flesh, and washing their clothes - then they were pure. `Numbers 8bbb6-7`.
Anyone who ate the carcass of a clean animal,`fff1` or that which had been torn to pieces, was to wash his clothes and bathe himself with water, and if he did not wash himself and bathe his flesh he would bear his iniquity. `Leviticus 17bbb15-16`.
Anyone who touched the bed of a person who had a discharge, or sat on a vessel on which that person had sat, and anyone who touched that person's flesh was to wash his clothes and to bathe himself with water, and be unclean until the evening. `Leviticus 15bbb5-7`, `Leviticus 15bbbccc10-12` and following verses.
The person who sent the goat away to Azazel was to wash his flesh. `Leviticus 16bbb26`.
When a leper was to be cleansed he was to wash his clothes, shave off all his hair, wash himself in water, and then he would be clean. `Leviticus 14bbb8-9`.
Even vessels themselves which had become unclean through contact with unclean persons were made to go through water and be unclean until the evening. `Leviticus 11bbb32`.
From all these laws it may be seen that nobody was made clean or pure internally through ritual washing, but that such a person merely represented him who was pure or spiritually clean, for the reason stated above. The Lord teaches the same quite explicitly in `Matthew 15bbb1-20`; `Mark 7bbb1-23`.
`nnn1. i.e. an animal that had not been slaughtered but had died naturally
ppp20702#pid#3148. 'And the feet of the men who were with him' means purification of all things that were His in the natural man. This is clear from the meaning of 'the feet' as the things that belong to the natural man, dealt with in `@@@2162`, and from the meaning of 'the men who were with him' as all things in the natural man. It was customary for wayfarers on entering any house to wash their feet, as when Joseph's brothers were brought into his house, `Genesis 43bbb24`; when the Levite and those accompanying him were received into the old man's house, `Judges 19bbb21`; and when Uriah after his journey was ordered by David to go down to his house and to wash his feet, `2 Samuel 11bbb8`. The reason for this custom was that journeys and travels meant things to do with instruction, and consequently with life, see `@@@1293`, `@@@1457`, `@@@1463`, `@@@2025`, and that these had to be purified, as shown just above in `@@@3147`. And there was the added reason that the filth that is meant in the spiritual sense should not cling to and defile the house, which is the human being, as also is evident from the requirement that they were to shake off the dust on their feet if a city or house did not receive peace, `Matthew 10bbb14`.
ppp20701#pid#3149. 'And [food] was set before him to eat' means that the affection for good in the natural man wished to make Divine things its own. This is clear from the representation of 'Laban', who 'set' the food before him, as the affection for good in the natural man, dealt with in `@@@3129`, `@@@3130`, and from the meaning of 'eating' as being communicated and made one's own, dealt with in `@@@2187`, `@@@2343`, that is to say, the Divine things, spoken of above in `@@@3140`, `@@@3141`.
ppp20700#pid#3150. 'And he said, I am not eating' means refusal, that is to say, the affection for good in the natural man had not yet made those Divine things its own. This is clear without explanation.
ppp20699#pid#3151. 'Until I have spoken my words' means until it had received instruction. This is clear from the meaning of 'speaking words' as giving instruction. And what he was to say, which comes next in the narrative, also has to do with instruction. Divine things flow into those things that exist in the natural man, in the measure that instruction has been received and truth has arisen out of it, see above in `@@@3141` (end).
ppp20698#pid#3152. 'And he said, Speak on!' means desire for it. This is clear from the meaning of 'speaking words' as giving instruction, here of 'Speak on!' as a command to give instruction. That these words imply the desire for it is self-evident.
ppp20697#pid#3153. What these three verses contain in the internal sense is indeed evident from the explanation given, that is to say, that the things belonging to the natural man were prepared for their reception of Divine things, and that thus those truths meant by Rebekah which were to be introduced into and joined to the good of the rational became Divine, and that this was effected by influx. But the contents of these verses in the internal sense are such that they seem too obscure to be able to be understood, the more so as they are not known, unless the mind sees them in one overall mental picture. Too obscure to be understood, for example, is the manner in which truths are summoned from the natural man and introduced into good in the rational man when a person is being regenerated.
ttt[2] At the present day these matters are so unknown to the majority that such people have no conception at all of any such thing taking place. The chief reason for this is that few at the present day are being regenerated, and even those who are do not know from doctrine that it is the good of charity into which the truth of faith is introduced and joined, or that this takes place in the rational. Nor do they know that when it takes place their state is completely altered, that is to say, their thought no longer runs from the truth of faith towards the good of charity, but from that good towards truth. With the Lord however it was not regeneration but glorification, that is, from Himself all things were made Divine, both those in the rational and those in the natural. How this was effected is described in the internal sense.
ppp20696#pid#3154. Verses `Genesis 24bbbccc34-48` And he said, I am Abraham's servant. And Jehovah has blessed my master greatly and has made him great, and has given him flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and male and female servants, and camels and asses. And Sarah my master's wife bore a son to my master in her old age; and to him he has given all that he has. And my master made me swear, saying, You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I am dwelling; but you shall go to my father's house, and to my family, and you shall take a wife for my son. And I said to my master, Perhaps the woman is not going to follow me. And he said to me, Jehovah, before whom I have walked, will send His angel with you and will prosper your way; and you shall take a wife for my son from my family and from my father's house. Then you will be clear from my oath because you have come to my family; and if they will not give her to you, you will be clear from my oath. And I came today to me spring and said, O Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham, if You will, prosper now my way which I am walking in. Behold, I am standing at a spring of water; and let it be that the young woman going out to draw, to whom I say, Give me a drink now of a little water from your pitcher, and she says to me, Drink, and I will also draw for your camels - let her be the woman whom Jehovah has appointed for my master's son. I had scarcely finished speaking in my heart, and behold, Rebekah came out, with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down to the spring and drew, and I said to her, Give me a drink now. And she hastened and lowered her pitcher from upon her, and said, Drink, and also I will give your camels a drink; and I drank, and she gave the camels also a drink. And I asked her and said, Whose daughter are you? And she said, The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milkah bore to him. And I put a jewel on her nose, and bracelets on her hands. And I bowed, and bowed down to Jehovah, and blessed Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham, who led me into the way of truth to take the daughter of my master's brother for his son.
'He said, I am Abraham's servant' means that it was from Divine Good. 'And Jehovah has blessed my master greatly and has made him great' means the Divine Human as regards good and as regards truth. 'And has given him flocks and herds' means goods in general. 'And silver and gold' means truths in general. 'And male and female servants, and camels and asses' means truths specifically. 'And Sarah my master's wife bore a son to my master' means the Divine Rational born from Divine Truth. 'In her old age' means when that state actually existed. 'And to him he has given all that he has' means that all Divine things are His. 'And my master made me swear' means here, as previously, a binding and solemn undertaking. 'Saying! You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites' means here, as previously, that the Divine Rational should not be joined to any affection incompatible with truth. 'In whose land I am dwelling' means incompatible things in which Divine good is present. 'But you shall go to my father's house' means good which comes from the Divine. 'And to my family' means truth which comes from the Divine. 'And you shall take a wife for my son' means that from this a joining together would be effected. 'And I said to my master, Perhaps the woman is not going to follow me' means here, as previously, doubt in the natural man as to whether that affection was separable. 'And he said to me' means instruction. 'Jehovah, before whom I have walked, will send His angel with you' means here, as previously, Divine Providence. 'And will prosper your way' means as regards truth. 'And you shall take a wife for my son' means that a joining together would be effected. 'From my family and from my father's house' means from the good and truth that came from the Divine there. 'Then you will be clear from my oath' means here, as previously, the freedom which the natural man has. 'Because you have come to my family; and if they will not give her to you' means as regards separation. 'You will be clear from my oath' means that in that case no blame was attached to the natural man. The remainder of this section, as far as verse `Genesis 24bbbccc48`, is similar in meaning to a previous part of the chapter.
ppp20695#pid#3155. It would be superfluous to explain all these individual meanings since they have already been explained above in this chapter. They have been repeated for the sake of informing the natural man. In fact the introduction and joining of truth to good is like the betrothing and after that the wedding of a virgin to her husband; that is to say, she has to be informed about everything before she gives her consent. Though not visible to him these are nevertheless the things that take place in a person when truths in the natural man are being introduced and joined to good, that is, when he is being reformed. That is to say, an informing takes place first - good is informed about truth, and truth about good - and after that both parties give their consent, which is the subject in what follows next.
ppp20694#pid#3156. Verses `Genesis 24bbbccc49-51` And now if you are going to show mercy and truth to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, and I will look to the right or to the left. And Laban answered, then Bethuel, and they said, From Jehovah has this thing come; we cannot speak to you bad or good. Behold, Rebekah is before you; take her and go, and let her be your master's son's wife, as Jehovah has spoken.
'Now if you are going to show mercy and truth to my master' means investigation of their consent by both mental powers - will and understanding. 'Tell me; and if not, tell me' means a state in which they are free to deliberate. 'And I will look to the right or to the left' means reciprocal freedom. 'And Laban answered, then Bethuel, and they said, From Jehovah has this thing come; we cannot speak to you bad or good' means acknowledgement that it was the Lord's alone. 'Behold, Rebekah is before you; take her and go, and let her be your master's son's wife, as Jehovah has spoken' means consent inspired from the Lord.
ppp20693#pid#3157. 'Now if you are going to show mercy and truth to my master' means investigation of their consent by both mental powers - will and understanding. This is clear from the meaning of 'mercy' as that which is the essence of good or love, dealt with in `@@@3063`, `@@@3073`, `@@@3120`, and from the meaning of 'truth' as that which is the essence of truth or faith, dealt with in `@@@3121`, `@@@3122`. Now since the good of love belongs properly to the will, and the truth of faith properly to the understanding, and since the words here - which speak of showing mercy and truth - are addressed to Laban and Bethuel, and so to ordinary human beings, those words mean the things which proceed from both mental powers, from both the will and the understanding. The fact that it is investigation of the consent is evident both from the words used here ('if you are going to show') and the words that follow ('tell me; and if not, tell me, and I will look to the right or to the left').
ttt[2] In human regeneration, which is an image of the Lord's glorification, `@@@3138`, the truth of faith may indeed be learned, but it is not acknowledged, still less accepted by good, until consent flows from both mental powers - from the will and from the understanding. Consent is acknowledgement itself. Through that acknowledgement acceptance takes place, especially by the will, for there good resides. And when the truth of faith has been accepted by the will, or what amounts to the same, by good, a person is regenerate, for in his case truth is grounded in good, and faith is grounded in charity; that is, as regards life, truth is charity itself, `@@@3121`.
ppp20692#pid#3158. 'Tell me; and if not, tell me' means a state in which they are free to deliberate. This is evident from the sense of the words themselves. From all that has gone before it is clear that while the sense of the letter in this chapter is dealing with the betrothal and marriage of Rebekah to Isaac, the internal sense is dealing with the introduction and joining together of truth and good, for the introduction and joining together of truth and good is spiritual betrothal and spiritual marriage. In both instances a free state to deliberate is necessary. The necessity for it in betrothal and marriage is well known, but the necessity for it in the introduction and joining together of truth and good is not so well known because it is not visible to the natural man and belongs among the things that go on quite apart from any reflecting on them. Yet this activity continues moment by moment in one who is being reformed and regenerated, that is to say, he experiences a free state when truth is being joined to good.
ttt[2] Everyone may know, if he merely stops to think, that nothing ever exists as a person's own unless it forms part of his will. That which belongs solely to the understanding does not become a person's own until it belongs also to his will, for what belongs to the will constitutes the essential being (esse) of a person's life, whereas what belongs to the understanding constitutes the manifestation (existere) of that essential being. Consent flowing from the understanding alone is not consent, but all consent springs from the will. Unless therefore the truth of faith which belongs to the understanding is received by the good of love which belongs to the will it is in no sense truth that has been acknowledged, and so is not faith. In order that it may be received by good that belongs to the will it is necessary that a free state should exist. Everything that belongs in the will looks to be free. The state itself of the will is freedom, for what I will, I choose and desire since that is what I love and acknowledge as that which is good. From this it becomes clear that the truth of faith in no sense becomes a person's own until it has been accepted by the will, that is, introduced and joined to the good there, which cannot happen except in a free state.
ppp20691#pid#3159. 'And I will look to the right or to the left' means reciprocal freedom. This is clear without any explanation. The situation is that good from the Lord is constantly flowing in by way of the internal man into the external, and in earliest years takes shape in the external man as the affection for truth. To the extent a person looks to celestial and spiritual good as the end in view, truth is introduced and joined to good, or what amounts to the same, the affection for truth is introduced and joined to the affection for good. To the extent however that a person looks to his own good, and so to himself and the world, as the end in view, celestial and spiritual good depart. This is the reciprocal freedom which is meant by 'looking to the right or to the left'.
ppp20690#pid#3160. 'And Laban answered, then Bethuel, and they said, From Jehovah has this thing come; we cannot speak to you bad or good' means acknowledgement that it was the Lord's alone. This could be shown by an explanation of the internal sense of all the individual words; yet the inference to be drawn is evident without any such explanation. 'From Jehovah has this thing come' clearly means that it is from the Lord, because the name 'Jehovah' mentioned so many times in the Old Testament is used to mean no one other than the Lord, see `@@@1343`, `@@@1736`, `@@@1815`, `@@@2156`, `@@@2329`, `@@@2921`, `@@@3023`, `@@@3035`. The embodiment of arcana within these words may be known from the consideration that here it was Laban - the brother - who answered, and then Bethuel - the father - not the father and the mother; and that the virgin herself did not answer until after that. The reason for this is that Laban as her brother represents the affection for good in the natural man, `@@@3129`, `@@@3130`, and Bethuel the origin of the affection for good. The affection for good and the affection for truth in the natural man are related to each other as brother and sister. But the affection for truth once summoned from the natural man into the rational man and joined to good there is as a married woman.
ttt[2] The arcanum embodied here in Laban and Bethuel's manner of reply - that is, in the brother speaking first, then the father - is that when good from the rational man flows into the natural man, it does not flow directly into the truth there but into the good, and then by way of the good into the truth. Unless that good flows in as described, the affection for truth cannot come into being. The affection for good in the natural man is that which acknowledges, and so is the first to consent, for a direct communication exists between rational good and natural good, but no direct communication between rational good and natural truth. Regarding the parallelism that exists between them, see `@@@1831`, `@@@1832`. Here two ancient customary sayings occur - 'from Jehovah has the thing come' meaning that it was done by Jehovah, and also 'we cannot speak to you bad or good' meaning that people did not dare either to deny or to affirm. Reference to the acknowledgement being the Lord's alone follows next.
ppp20689#pid#3161. 'Behold, Rebekah is before you; take her and go, and let her be your master's son's wife, as Jehovah has spoken' means consent inspired from the Lord. This too could be shown by an explanation of all the individual words, the general import of these in the internal sense being the meaning that has just been stated. The implications are as follows: When the Lord lived in the world He made the Human within Himself Divine by His own power, the human with everyone having its beginnings in the inmost part of the rational, `@@@2106`, `@@@2194`. This verse describes how He made it Divine, that is to say, already so as of good and of truth. The good there came from His essential Divinity, that is, from Jehovah the Father from whom He had been conceived; but the truth there had to be acquired by the ordinary way, as with every other human being.
ttt[2] It is well known that nobody is born rational but merely into the ability to become so, and that he becomes rational by means of factual knowledge, that is to say, by means of cognitions which divide up into many genera and species, the first of which are the means leading on to those next to them, and so on in order to the last of all which are cognitions of the spiritual things of the Lord's kingdom and are called matters of doctrine. These latter cognitions are learned in part from the doctrine of faith, in part directly from the Word, and in part therefore by a person's own efforts, as is also well known. As long as these matters of doctrine remain solely in the memory they are merely factual truths and have not as yet been made over to the individual as his own. They first become made over to him when he starts to love them for the sake of life, and more so when he applies them to life. When this happens truths are raised up from the natural memory into the rational part of the mind and are there joined to good. And when they have been joined they are no longer matters of knowledge but of life, for in that case a person is no longer learning from truths how to live but actually living by them. In this way truths come to be his own and become matters of the will. He accordingly enters the heavenly marriage, for the heavenly marriage consists in good and truth joined together in the rational. With men these things are accomplished by the Lord.
ttt[3] But in Himself the Lord did this by Himself, unaided. From the Divine itself He not only begot the Rational as regards Good, but also through this the Natural as regards Truth, which He joined to Good. For it is good that chooses truth for itself and also gives form to it, for good acknowledges nothing else as truth but that which is compatible with it. Thus Divine good that was the Lord's moulded Truth for itself. Nor did it acknowledge as Truth anything else than that which would be compatible with Divine Good, that is, which would be Divine of Itself. Thus He achieved every single thing by His own power. These are the things that are meant by 'acknowledgement that it was the Lord's alone' and by 'consent inspired from the Lord'.
ppp20688#pid#3162. Verses `Genesis 24bbbccc52-54` And so it was, when Abraham's servant heard their words, that he bowed down to the earth to Jehovah. And the servant brought out vessels of silver and vessels of gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah; and he gave precious things to her brother and to her mother. And they ate and drank, he and the men who were with him, and stayed the night; and they rose up in the morning, and he said, Send me to my master.
'So it was, when Abraham's servant heard their words, that he bowed down to the earth to Jehovah' means the perception of joy in the natural man. 'And the servant brought out vessels of silver and vessels of gold, and garments' means truth and good, and the adornment of these. 'And gave them to Rebekah' means which passed at that point to the affection for truth. 'And he gave precious things to her brother' means spiritual things passing from there to natural good. 'And to her mother' means to natural truth also. 'And they ate and drank' means making one's own the good and truth introduced in this way. 'He and the men who were with him' means the things which were in the natural man. 'And they stayed the night' means its peace. 'And they rose up in the morning' means a degree of raising up. 'And he said, Send me to my master' means the affection desiring the joining together.
ppp20687#pid#3163. 'So it was, when Abraham's servant heard their words, that he bowed down to the earth to Jehovah' means the perception of joy in the natural man. This is clear from the meaning of 'hearing the words' as perceiving, from the representation of 'Abraham's servant' as in general the natural man insofar as it is subservient to the rational, here to the Divine, dealt with in `@@@3019`, `@@@3020`, and from the meaning of 'bowing down to Jehovah' as rejoicing, dealt with in `@@@2927`, `@@@2950`, `@@@3118`.
ppp20686#pid#3164. 'And the servant brought out vessels of silver and vessels of gold, and garments' means truth and good, and the adornment of these. This is clear from the meaning in the internal sense of 'vessels of silver, vessels of gold, and garments' - 'silver' meaning truth, see `@@@1551`, `@@@2048`, and 'gold' good, `@@@113`, `@@@1551`, `@@@1552`. The words 'vessels of silver and vessels of gold' are used because they have reference to the affection for truth, meant here by 'Rebekah'. Indeed regarded in itself truth is nothing else than a vessel or recipient of good, `@@@1496`, `@@@1832`, `@@@1900`, `@@@2063`, `@@@2261`, `@@@2269`, `@@@3068`. Specifically, by 'vessels of silver' facts are meant since facts are the recipients of truth, and by 'vessels of gold' truths are meant because truths are the recipients of good. But as for 'garments' meaning adornment, this may be seen without explanation.
ttt[2] In ancient times such things used to be given to a virgin at her betrothal. They were given to her because of the representation and the meaningful sign which denoted that 'a betrothed virgin' corresponded to the truth of the Church that was to be joined to good. This also is how the Ancient Church in its earliest days is described in Ezekiel,
When it was the time for falling in love, I clothed you with embroidered cloth, swathed you in fine linen, and covered you with silk, and I adorned you with ornaments, and put bracelets on your hands and a chain on your neck, and I put a jewel on your nose, and earrings on your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head. Thus were you adorned with gold and silver, and your garments were fine linen, and silk, and embroidered cloth. `Ezekiel 16bbb8-13`.
And when the same Church had departed from truth and good it is described in that chapter as follows,
You took some of your garments and made for yourself gaily-decked high places. And for your adornment you took vessels made of My gold and of My silver, which I had given you, and you made for yourselves figures of the male. And you took your embroidered garments and covered them. `Ezekiel 16bbb16-18`.
From these places it is quite evident that 'silver, gold, and garments' means nothing else than things that are the Church's, that is to say, truth and good, and things that belong to truth and good.
ppp20685#pid#3165. 'And gave them to Rebekah' means which passed at that point to the affection for truth. This is clear from the representation of 'Rebekah' as the affection for truth, dealt with in `@@@2865`, `@@@3077`. The words immediately above - 'vessels of silver, vessels of gold, and garments' - describe the affection for truth as the bride. Those words mean therefore that at that point the affection for truth was such, or what amounts to the same, those things passed at that point to the affection for truth.
ppp20684#pid#3166. 'And he gave precious things to her brother' means spiritual things passing from there to natural good. This is clear from the meaning of 'precious things' as spiritual things, dealt with in what follows, and from the meaning of 'a brother' as natural good, dealt with in `@@@3160`, and also of 'Laban', to whom 'her brother' refers here, as the affection for good in the natural man, dealt with in `@@@3129`, `@@@3130`. It is also clear from other parts of the Word that 'precious things' means spiritual things, for example, from the reference to Joseph in Moses,
Blessed by Jehovah is his land, in regard to the precious things of heaven, to the dew, and to the deep lying beneath, and to the precious things of the fruits of the sun, and to the precious things of the produce of the months, and to the precious things of the eternal hills, and to the precious things of the earth and of its fulness. `Deuteronomy 33bbb13-16`.
Here 'the precious things of heaven', 'the precious things of the fruits of the sun', 'the precious things of the produce of the months', 'the precious things of the eternal hills', and 'the precious things of the earth' mean various kinds of spiritual things. The word 'precious' was also applied to precious stones, pearls, balms, spices, and similar commodities, which all mean spiritual things.
ttt[2] What spiritual things are has been stated many times already, namely that in the Lord's kingdom there are celestial things and there are spiritual things. Celestial things are forms of good, spiritual things forms of truth from that good. Nothing exists in the universe that is unrelated to good or to truth. Everything to do with use and life is related to good, whereas everything to do with doctrine and knowledge, in particular concerning use and life, is related to truth. Or what amounts to the same, that which belongs to the will is called good or evil, whereas that which belongs to the understanding is referred to as truth or falsity. Good therefore, being that alone which is the expression of love and charity and which flows in from the Lord, is celestial, whereas truth, being that which springs from good, is spiritual. The reason 'precious things' were given to the brother when 'vessels of silver, vessels of gold, and garments' were given to the sister when she became a bride was that the brother meant good in the natural man, and this good is enlightened when truth is introduced into good in the rational. Indeed this is the origin of all enlightenment of good and truth in the natural man.
ppp20683#pid#3167. 'And to [her] mother' means to natural truth also, that is to say, spiritual things passed from the rational to it, even as they passed to natural good, dealt with just above. This is clear from the meaning of 'a mother' as the Church, which by virtue of truth is called 'a mother', dealt with in `@@@289`, `@@@2717`. So that people may know how spiritual things pass to natural good and to natural truth as a result of truth being introduced into good in the rational, a brief description must be given here. Everyone has an internal and an external, his internal being called the internal man, and his external the external man. But few know what the internal man is and what the external. The internal man is one and the same as the spiritual man, and the external man one and the same as the natural man. The spiritual man depends for understanding and wisdom on things that belong to the light of heaven, whereas the natural depends for its understanding and wisdom on things that belong to the light of the world. Regarding those two kinds of light, see `@@@3138`. For in heaven none but spiritual things exist, whereas in the world none but natural exist. The human being was created in such a way that in him spiritual things and natural things, that is, his spiritual man and his natural man, should accord with each other or make one. But in that case the spiritual man ought to have control over the things in the natural, and the natural man ought to obey, like a servant his master.
ttt[2] Through the Fall however the natural man started to raise itself above the spiritual man and so turn Divine order itself upside down. As a consequence the natural man separated itself from the spiritual, and spiritual things could not reach it any longer except so to speak through chinks to provide the ability to think and speak. But so that spiritual things might flow in once more into the natural man this had to be regenerated by the Lord, that is, truth from the natural man had to be introduced and joined to good in the rational. When this happens spiritual things have access to the natural man, for now the light of heaven flows in and illuminates things in the natural man, and causes what is there to receive light. The goods there receive the warmth that the light conveys, which is love and charity, whereas the truth receives rays of light, which is faith. It is in this way that spiritual things pass from the rational into natural good and truth. Natural good in that case consists in all the delight and satisfaction gained from having service to the spiritual man as the end in view, and so service to the neighbour, more so to one's country, more so still to the Lord's kingdom, and above all to the Lord. And natural truth consists in all doctrinal teaching and factual knowledge which have wisdom, that is, the performance of those things, as the end in view.
ppp20682#pid#3168. 'And they ate and drank' means making one's own the good and truth introduced in this way. This is clear from the meaning of 'eating' as being communicated and joined together, thus being made one's own, dealt with in `@@@2187`, `@@@2343`, and more specifically (since 'eating' has reference to bread and 'bread' means good, `@@@276`, `@@@680`, `@@@2165`, `@@@2177`, `@@@2187`) making good one's own; and from the meaning of 'drinking' as being communicated and joined together, thus being made one's own, dealt with in `@@@3089`, and more specifically (since 'drinking' has reference to wine and 'wine' means truth, `@@@1071`, `@@@1798`) making truth one's own. The situation is as stated above in `@@@3167`, namely that when truth is introduced into good in the rational, more so when it is joined to it, the good and truth of the spiritual man, that is, spiritual things, become made over to the natural as its own.
ppp20681#pid#3169. 'He and the men who were with him' means the things which were in the natural man. This is clear from the representation of 'the servant', to whom 'he' refers here, as the natural man, dealt with in `@@@3019`, `@@@3020`, and from the meaning of 'the men who were with him' as all things that existed in the natural man, dealt with in `@@@3148`.
ppp20680#pid#3170. 'And they stayed the night' means its peace. This is clear from the meaning of 'staying the night' as resting, and in the internal sense as having peace. The implications of this are that when spiritual things become made over to the natural man, those things depart which are all part of evil desire and false persuasion, and so things which cause unrest; and those come in which are part of the affection for good and truth, and so the things that bring peace. For all unrest is the result of evil and falsity, and all peace the result of good and truth. What peace is, and the nature of its state, see `@@@92`, `@@@93`, `@@@1726`, `@@@2780`.
ppp20679#pid#3171. 'And they rose up in the morning' means a degree of raising up. This is clear from the meaning of 'rising up' as implying a raising up, dealt with in `@@@2401`, `@@@2785`, `@@@2912`, `@@@2927`, and from the meaning of 'the morning' as the Lord, also His kingdom, as well as the state of peace which this brings, dealt with in `@@@2405`, `@@@2780`. The natural is said to be raised up when spiritual things are made over to it as its own. All raising up originates in spiritual and celestial things, for it is by means of these that a person is raised up to heaven and so nearer to the Lord.
ppp20678#pid#3172. 'And he said, Send me to my master' means the affection desiring the joining together. This is clear from the general sense which results from the internal sense of these words, for the servant's wish to be sent back to his master was the expression of an affection - the affection which desired that the affection for truth, which is 'Rebekah', should be joined [to the rational] now that the betrothal, that is, the introduction was already completed. The affection desiring the joining together is what is meant here.
ppp20677#pid#3173. Verses `Genesis 24bbbccc55-58` And her brother said, and her mother, Let the girl stay with us a week or ten days;`fff1` after that you will go. And he said to them, Do not delay me, since Jehovah has prospered my way. Send me away and let me go to my master. And they said, Let us call the girl and ask her personally.`fff2` And they called Rebekah and said to her, Are you going to go with this man? And she said, I will go.
'Her brother said, and her mother' means doubt on the part of the natural man. 'Let the girl stay with us' means being kept back by them. 'A week or ten days; after that you will go' means a state of departure which was seen by them as a complete state. 'And he said to them, Do not delay me' means the will of the affection for good. 'Since Jehovah has prospered my way' means that all things had now been provided. 'Send me away, and let me go to my master' means as regards the state of introduction. 'And they said, Let us call the girl and ask her personally' means consent solely of the affection for truth. 'And they called Rebekah and said to her, Are you going to go with this man? And she said, I will go' means its full consent.
`nnn1. literally, stay with us days or ten
`nnn2. literally, ask her mouth
ppp20676#pid#3174. 'Her brother said, and her mother' means doubt on the part of the natural man. This is clear from the meaning of 'a brother' as the good within the natural man, dealt with in `@@@3160`, and from the meaning of 'a mother' as the truth there, dealt with in `@@@3167`. Consequently 'brother' and 'mother' mean the natural man since this is composed of good and truth. The fact that doubt is meant is self-evident, that is to say, doubt whether the girl would stay a few days longer or whether she would go with the man there and then.
ppp20675#pid#3175. 'Let the girl stay with us' means being kept back by them. This is clear from the meaning of 'staying' as being kept back, as is also evident from the train of thought in the internal sense. For the fact of the matter is that nobody is ever born into any truth at all, not even into any natural truth, such as the commandments not to steal, nor to kill, nor to commit adultery, and so on. Still less is he born into any spiritual truth, such as the truth that there is a God, that he has an inner being which will live after death; and so of himself such a person does not know anything whatever of that which has to do with eternal life. Every commandment and truth has to be learned by him, and if he did not learn them he would be far worse than any animal; for because of his heredity he is inclined to love himself above everybody else and to crave possession of everything that exists in the world. Consequently unless the laws of society, and the fear of losing position, gain, reputation, and life restrained him he would without any sense of conscience steal, kill, or commit adultery. The truth of this is absolutely plain, for even a person who has been taught nevertheless acts in such ways without conscience. Indeed he defends his actions and finds many arguments to support the lawfulness of them. What would he be like if he were not given any teaching at all? It is similar in spiritual things, in that among those who have been born within the Church, who possess the Word, and who are constantly receiving teaching, there are nevertheless very many who ascribe little, or scarcely anything, to God but every single thing to natural causes. They are accordingly people who in their hearts do not believe in the existence of any God, nor thus that they will live after death. Consequently they are people who do not wish to know anything at all about things to do with eternal life.
ttt[2] From these considerations it is evident that no one is born into any truth but that everything has to be learned - learned by an external way, namely that of hearing and sight. By this way truth has to be introduced into and implanted in a person's memory; but so long as truth is confined to the memory it is merely knowledge. So that truth may suffuse a person it has to be summoned from the memory and taken more towards the interior parts of his mind; for he is a human being by virtue of what is interiorly in him, which is the rational part of his mind. For without the faculty of reason no one is a human being. The character of a person's rationality, and the amount he has, therefore determine what kind of a human being and how much of a human being he is. No one can possibly be rational unless good exists in him. The good which sets the human being above other living beings consists in loving God and loving the neighbour. All human good comes from that source, to which good truth has to be introduced and joined, within the rational. Truth is introduced and joined to good when a person loves God and loves the neighbour, for in that case truth enters into good, since good and truth mutually acknowledge each other. Indeed good is the source of all truth, and truth regards good as its own end in view and as its own soul - thus the source of its life.
ttt[3] But it is not easy for truth to be separated from the natural man and to be raised up from there into the rational, for present in the natural man there are delusions, there are evil desires, and there are false persuasions. During the time these are present there and are linking themselves to truth the natural man holds on to such truth and does not allow it to be raised up into the rational. This is what is meant in the internal sense by these words, 'Let the girl stay with us for a week or ten days; after that you will go'. The reason for this is that it doubts the truth and it reasons whether it really is the truth. But as soon as the evil desires and false persuasions, with their resulting delusions, are separated by the Lord, and that person - from good - begins to reject his reasonings against truth, and to treat his doubts with disdain, truth is in a condition to depart from the natural, to be raised up into the rational and to assume a state of good. For in this case truth comes to be truth rooted in good, and possesses life.
ttt[4] To make these matters more intelligible let some examples be taken: It is a spiritual truth that all good comes from the Lord and all evil from hell. This truth has to be firmly established and elucidated in many ways before it can be raised up from the natural man into the rational. Nor can it possibly be raised up in that direction until the love of God abides in a person. For previously that truth is not acknowledged and so not believed. It is similar with other truths, such as with the truth that Divine providence exists in the most individual aspects of everything, and if it did not exist in these it would not exist in the whole. Or with the truth that a person first starts to live when that which in the world he believes to constitute the whole of life perishes and that the life which he now receives is in comparison with the life he had previously beyond words and boundless, and that no one has any knowledge at all of this life as long as he is under the influence of evil. These truths and others like them cannot be believed unless the person is governed by good. Good is what comprehends them, for the Lord flows in with wisdom by way of good.
ppp20674#pid#3176. 'A week or ten days; after that you will go' means a state of departure, which was seen by them as a complete state. This is clear from the meaning of 'day' as state, dealt with in `@@@23`, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@893`, `@@@2788`, from the meaning of 'ten' as that which is complete, dealt with in `@@@1988`, `@@@3107`, here that seen by the natural man, as that which is complete, and from the meaning of 'going' as departing. From this it is evident that 'a week or ten days; after that you will go' means a state of departure which was seen by them as a complete state. This is why the words 'he said to them, Do not delay me' come immediately after, by which the will of the affection for good is meant.
ppp20673#pid#3177. 'Jehovah has prospered my way' means that all things had now been provided. This becomes clear without explanation, for the words 'Jehovah prospers the way' mean that He provides, here as regards truth which was to be joined to good -'way' meaning truth, `@@@627`, `@@@2333`.
ppp20672#pid#3178. 'Send me away, and let me go to my master' means as regards the state of introduction. This is clear from that sense which results from the internal sense of the words. The same words also embody the affection that desires the joining together, for this affection belongs to the state of introduction.
ppp20671#pid#3179. 'And they said, Let us call the girl and ask her personally' means consent solely of the affection for truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'the girl' as an affection that has innocence within it, dealt with in `@@@3067`, `@@@3110`, in this case the affection for truth because Rebekah is meant, who is 'the girl' before she gives her consent, but 'Rebekah' once she has given it, as in what follows immediately after ('Rebekah' being the affection for truth, see `@@@3077`); and from the meaning of 'asking her personally' as perceiving whether it does consent. Thus it is consent solely of the affection for truth that is meant here. For the situation is this: Truth itself which is to be introduced into good acknowledges its own good because good acknowledges its own truth - and from this comes consent. It is however a consent inspired into truth by good, see above in `@@@3161`. With man it is in no way apparent that truth for its part consents when introduced and joined to good, that is, when a person is being regenerated, or that good for its part knows its own truth, and introduces and joins it to itself. Yet this is exactly what happens; for a person is totally unaware of the things that take place while he is being regenerated. If he were to know merely one of the thousands of things that occur he would be dumbfounded. There are countless, indeed an endless number of hidden ways by which a person is at that time being led by the Lord, only some of which shine from the internal sense of the Word.
ttt[2] The Ancient Church formed for itself an idea of these things from marriages. That is to say, they formed that idea from a virgin's state before betrothal; from her state after she had been betrothed; from her state when she was to be given away in marriage, and after that when she had been given away, and finally when she bore children to her husband.`fff1` The fruits of truth produced from good, or of faith from charity, they called children; and so on. Such was the wisdom of the Ancient Church. Their books were written in this style too, and the custom of writing in this fashion spread from them to the gentiles themselves. For by means of those things that exist in the world they wished to give expression to things in heaven; indeed from natural things they wished to see spiritual. But today that wisdom is entirely lost.
`nnn1. The Latin can mean this or else when she was subject to her husband. But since in his rough draft Swedenborg first wrote gigneret prolem (bring forth offspring) the translation bore children is preferred here.
ppp20670#pid#3180. 'And they called Rebekah and said to her, Are you going to go with this man? And she said, I will go' means its full consent. This becomes clear from the sense resulting from the internal sense of the words, for her reply 'I will go' to the question put to her means that she consented fully. The full consent of truth comes when truth perceives within itself the image of good, and within good the replica of itself from which it springs.
ppp20669#pid#3181. Verses `Genesis 24bbbccc59-61` And they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham's servant and his men. And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, Our sister, may you become thousands of myriads, and may your seed inherit the gate of those who hate you. And Rebekah rose up, and her maids, and they rode on the camels and went after the man. And the servant took Rebekah and went.
'They sent away Rebekah their sister' means separation from the affection for Divine truth. 'And her nurse' means from the innocence belonging to that affection. 'And Abraham's servant and his men' means from the Divine things within the natural man. 'And they blessed Rebekah and said to her' means heartfelt desires resulting from Divine enlightenment. 'Our sister, may you become thousands of myriads' means infinite fruitfulness of the affection for truth. 'And may your seed inherit the gate of those who hate you' means the Lord's spiritual kingdom arising from the marriage of good and truth in the Divine Human, a kingdom possessing charity and faith where evil and falsity had been previously. 'And Rebekah rose up' means a raising up of the affection for truth and the resulting separation. 'And her maids' means subsidiary affections. 'And they rode on the camels' means that the understanding part of the mind was raised up above natural facts. 'And went after the man' means under the guidance of natural Divine Truth. 'And the servant took Rebekah and went' means that natural Divine Good did the introducing.
ppp20668#pid#3182. 'They sent away Rebekah their sister' means separation from the affection for Divine truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'sending away' as being separated, and from the representation of 'Rebekah their sister' as the affection for Divine truth, dealt with above in `@@@3077`, `@@@3179` - 'a sister' meaning truth, see `@@@1495`, `@@@2508`, `@@@2524`, `@@@2556`, `@@@3160`. What is implied here may be seen from what has been stated and shown above in this chapter; yet to make it even clearer let a further brief comment be made about it. When truth that is to be introduced and joined to good is raised up from the natural it is separated from things present in the natural. That separation is what is meant by 'they sent away Rebekah their sister'. The separation takes place when the person looks no longer from truth to good but from good to truth, or what amounts to the same, when he looks no longer from doctrine to life but from life to doctrine - as the following example shows: Doctrine teaches the truth that no one is to be hated, for anyone who hates another slays him every moment. In his earliest years a person scarcely recognizes this, but as he grows older, if he is being reformed he places it among those matters of doctrine which ought to be matters of life. At length he lives according to that truth, in which case he no longer thinks from doctrine but acts from life. When that happens this truth of doctrine is raised up from the natural, indeed it is separated from the natural, and is implanted within good in the rational. Once this has happened he no longer permits the natural man to voice any doubt about it by means of any captious argument existing there; indeed he does not allow the natural man to reason against it at all.
ppp20667#pid#3183. 'And her nurse' means from the innocence belonging to that affection, that is to say, which also they sent away, or separated from themselves. This is clear from the meaning of 'a nurse' or wet nurse, as innocence. Sucklings and those who suckle them are mentioned frequently in the Word, where they mean the first state that young children pass through, which is plainly a state of innocence. For as soon as anyone is born he is brought into a state of innocence. This state then serves as the basis of all other states and is the inner core of them all; and this state is meant in the Word by 'a suckling'. After he has been brought into a state of innocence he is led into a state of affection for celestial good, that is, into a state of love towards parents, which with them exists in place of love to the Lord; this state is meant by 'a young child'. After that he is led into a state of affection for spiritual good, which is mutual love, or charity towards those who are children like himself, which state is meant by the expression 'boys'. When he grows up further still he is led into a state of affection for truth; this is meant by the expression 'young men'. Subsequent states however are meant by 'men' and at last 'old men'. This final state, which is meant by the expression 'old men', is a state of wisdom which has the innocence of earliest childhood within it, and so the first state and the last are united. And when he is old, being so to speak a small child again yet one who is now wise, that person is led into the Lord's kingdom.
ttt[2] From this it becomes clear that innocence is the first state, which is that of 'a suckling'. A woman who suckles an infant other than her own also means innocence therefore, for the state of giver and receiver, as with the one who acts and the other who is acted upon, is perceived as being similar. The reason why here it is said that they sent away 'the nurse' or wet nurse too is so that the affection for truth might be described, that is to say, that it sprang from innocence; for it is not the affection for truth unless it has innocence within it, `@@@2526`, `@@@2780`, `@@@3111`. Indeed it is by means of innocence that the Lord flows into that affection, doing so together with wisdom since true innocence is wisdom itself, see `@@@2305`, `@@@2306`; and those who possess it are seen in the eyes of angels as infants or small children, `@@@154`, `@@@2306`.
ttt[3] That 'a suckling' in the Word means innocence is also evident from other places, as in David,
Out of the mouth of infants and sucklings You have founded strength. `Psalms 8bbb2`; `Matthew 21bbb16`.
Here 'infants' stands for celestial love, 'sucklings' for innocence. In Jeremiah,
Why are you committing great evil against your own souls, to cut off from you man and woman, infant and suckling from the midst of Judah, so that I cause no remnant to be left to you? `Jeremiah 44bbb7`.
Here similarly 'infant and suckling' stands for celestial love and its innocence. When these cease to exist no remnants exist any longer, that is, no good or truth that has been stored away by the Lord in the internal man remains any longer, remnants being good and truth stored away there by Him, see `@@@1906`, `@@@2284`. For when innocence perishes so do all goods and truths, for innocence comes directly from the Divine Himself, and so is the essential element in them. In the same prophet,
The infant and the suckling faint in the streets of the city. `Lamentations 2bbb11`.
Here the meaning is similar. In the same prophet,
The sea monsters give the breast, they suckle their young; the daughter of My people is cruel, the tongue of the suckling has cleaved to the roof of its mouth for thirst; the little children begged for bread, none held it out to them. `Lamentations 4bbb3-4`.
Again 'suckling' stands for innocence, 'little children' for affections for good. In Moses,
Outside the sword will bereave - and out of the chambers terror - both young man and virgin, and suckling together with old man. `Deuteronomy 32bbb25`.
'The sword will bereave young man, virgin, and suckling together with old man' stands for the fact that falsity will destroy the affection for truth and the affection for good, and also innocence together with wisdom. In Isaiah,
They will bring your sons in their bosom, and your daughters will be carried on their shoulder; and kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your wet nurses. `Isaiah 49bbb22-23`.
'Kings as foster fathers' stands for intelligence, 'queens as wet nurses' for wisdom, which, as stated above, is the wisdom that goes with innocence.
ppp20666#pid#3184. 'And Abraham's servant and his men' means from the Divine things within the natural man. This is clear from the meaning of 'Abraham's servant' as the natural man, dealt with in `@@@3019`, `@@@3020`, and from the meaning of 'his men' as all things in the natural man, dealt with in `@@@3169`. Their being Divine things within the natural man is evident from the consideration that the servant had been sent by Abraham, who, as shown many times already, represents the Lord's Divine.
ppp20665#pid#3185. 'And they blessed Rebekah and said to her' means heartfelt desires resulting from Divine enlightenment. This is clear from the meaning of 'blessing', when bidding farewell to someone who is leaving, as expressing heartfelt desires for their happiness. The fact that here those desires are the result of Divine enlightenment is evident from what follows immediately after and also for the reason that enlightenment flows into the natural man by way of the affection for truth, which is 'Rebekah', when being introduced into good, which is 'Isaac'.
ppp20664#pid#3186. 'Our sister, may you become thousands of myriads' means infinite fruitfulness of the affection for truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'sister', who is Rebekah, as the affection for truth, dealt with in `@@@3077`, `@@@3179`, `@@@3182`, and from the meaning of 'may you become thousands of myriads' as infinite fruitfulness. Here 'thousands of myriads' means that which is infinite because the subject is the Lord in whom every single thing is infinite. With man the situation is that goods are not fruitful with him and truths are not multiplied until truth and good have become joined together in his rational, that is, until he has been regenerated. For at that point fruits or offspring from the rightful or heavenly marriage, which is the marriage of good and truth, come into being. Prior to this the goods which he puts into practice, it is true, look like goods, and truths like truths; but these are not genuine, since the soul which is good that has innocence from the Lord within it is not present in them. Thus they do not stir any affection in him nor do they bring him happiness. The affection that accompanies love and charity, together with happiness, is the soul, and that affection is imparted by the Lord to a person when being regenerated.
ttt[2] 'A thousand' meaning much, also that which is infinite - see `@@@2575` - 'a myriad' means that which is even more, and 'thousands of myriads' that which is even more again, as also elsewhere. In Moses,
When the Ark came to rest he said, Return, O Jehovah, to the myriads of the thousands of Israel. `Numbers 10bbb36`.
Here also 'the myriads of thousands' means that which is infinite because it has reference to the Lord, who is Jehovah here. In the same author,
Jehovah dawned from Seir upon them, He shone from Mount Paran, and came out of myriads of holiness. `Deuteronomy 33bbb2`.
'Myriads' again stands for that which is infinite. In David,
The chariots of God are myriads of thousands of peacemakers. `Psalms 68bbb17`.
'The chariots of God' stands for things which belong to the Word and to doctrine drawn from it, 'myriads of thousands' for infinite things present there. In John,
I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, numbering myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands. `Revelation 5bbb11`.
This stands for the fact that they were countless.
ppp20663#pid#3187. 'And may your seed inherit the gate of those who hate you' means the Lord's spiritual kingdom sprung from the marriage of good and truth in the Divine Human, a kingdom possessing charity and faith where evil and falsity had been previously. This becomes clear from what has been stated and explained above in `@@@2851` where practically the same words occur. 'Seed' means those who are called spiritual, and so in the universal sense means all who constitute the Lord's spiritual kingdom, or what amounts to the same, that kingdom itself. This is clear from the meaning of 'seed' as charity and faith, dealt with in `@@@1025`, `@@@1447`, `@@@1610`, `@@@1940`, consequently as those in whom charity received through faith is present. These are they who are spiritual, see `@@@2088`, `@@@2184`, `@@@2507`, `@@@2708`, `@@@2715`, `@@@2954`, and to whom charity and faith come from the marriage of good and truth in the Lord's Divine Human, and so to whom salvation comes, `@@@2661`, `@@@2716`, `@@@2833`, `@@@2834`.
ttt[2] In the Ancient Church there existed this customary expression of a heartfelt desire which was said to a betrothed virgin when about to be married - 'may you become thousands of myriads, and may your seed inherit the gate of your enemies (or those who hate you)'. But the wise of that Church understood spiritual things by these words. That is to say, to them that customary expression meant that when people entered into the marriage of good and truth - that is, once they were regenerate - goods and truths would become fruitful by thousands of myriads, that is, without end. That expression also meant to them that charity and faith would assume the position previously occupied by evil and falsity. But when the wisdom of the Ancient Church died out they no longer understood that customary expression in a spiritual way but in an altogether worldly one. That is to say, they meant that they would have countless descendants who would take possession of and inherit the land of the gentile nations. Jacob's descendants more than all others understood the expression in this way and convinced themselves that this was how it was to be understood from the fact that they not only did increase enormously but also inherited the land, which to them was 'the gate of their enemies'. They did not know that all these things were representatives, that is to say, representatives of the Lord's celestial and spiritual kingdom, and that consequently after the expulsion of evils and falsities good and truth took their place. This will be especially clear when, in the Lord's Divine mercy, those representatives are explained.
ttt[3] In particular, that is to say, with each individual person who becomes the Lord's kingdom, the situation is that before he becomes the kingdom, that is, before he is regenerated, nothing but evil and falsity exists within. Indeed hellish and devilish spirits are in possession of that which is called 'the gate', dealt with in `@@@2851`. But when he is becoming the Lord's kingdom, that is, being regenerated, evils and falsities, or what amounts to the same, hellish and devilish spirits, are driven away from there, and good and truth enter in and inherit that position. A conscience for good and truth is in that case present. And what applies to the individual in particular applies also to people in general. This shows what these words are used to mean in the internal sense.
ppp20662#pid#3188. 'And Rebekah rose up' means a raising up of the affection for truth and the resulting separation, namely a raising up of it towards the rational, and the separation of it from the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'rising up' as implying a raising up, dealt with in `@@@2401`, `@@@2785`, `@@@2912`, `@@@2927`, `@@@3171`, and because a raising up is meant a separation is meant also; and from the representation of 'Rebekah' as the affection for truth, dealt with in `@@@3077`, `@@@3179`. From this it is evident that 'Rebekah rose up' means a raising up of the affection for truth, and the separation of it from the natural, see `@@@3182`.
ppp20661#pid#3189. 'And her maids' means subsidiary affections. This is clear from the meaning of 'a girl'`fff1` when Rebekah is called such, as an affection that has innocence within it, dealt with in `@@@3067`, `@@@3110`; but when those who followed Rebekah to serve her are called 'maids', subsidiary affections are meant. Every affection appears to be a simple or single entity, but in fact it contains countless details within itself, see `@@@3078`. All these details are affections grouped together and existing in a form beyond comprehension. They also stand in positions subordinate one to another, for there are some that direct and others that obey. The communities of heaven assume a similar form, indeed heaven as a whole does so; for they are ordered by the Lord according to the Divine form which exists in Himself. The Lord's spiritual kingdom assumes its form in accordance with the ordered arrangement of affections in His Divine Human. This arrangement is the subject in the internal sense of this chapter and of those that follow. But very few of these details are able to be explained intelligibly, being suited to the perception of angels.
`nnn1. The English terms maid and girl translate the same Latin word puella.
ppp20660#pid#3190. 'And they rode on the camels' means the understanding part of the mind, raised up above natural facts. This is clear from the meaning of 'riding' as the understanding when raised up, dealt with in `@@@2761`, `@@@2762`, and from the meaning of 'camels' as general facts in the natural man, dealt with in `@@@3048`, `@@@3071`, and so natural facts. The implications of this are that when truth from the natural is raised up into the rational it is borne out of the sphere of worldly light into that of heavenly light - so to speak from the obscurity of night into the brightness of day. For the things that belong to the light of the world, in which all natural objects exist, dwell so to speak in night, compared with things belonging to the light of heaven; but things that belong to the light of heaven, in which all spiritual objects exist, dwell so to speak in daylight, compared with things belonging to the light of the world. Consequently when truth from the natural is raised up towards the rational, the person is raised up at the same time into intelligence and wisdom. All the intelligence and wisdom present with man comes from this source. These are the things meant by the understanding part, raised up above natural facts.
ppp20659#pid#3191. 'And went after the man' means under the guidance of natural Divine Truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'going after' or following in the internal sense here, as under the leading or guidance of, and from the meaning of 'man' as truth, dealt with in `@@@3134`, here natural Divine Truth, as above in `@@@3184`.
ppp20658#pid#3192. 'And the servant took Rebekah and went' means that natural Divine Good did the introducing. This is clear from the meaning of 'the servant' as natural Divine Good, as above in `@@@3184`, and from the meaning of 'taking Rebekah and going' as introducing, that is to say, bringing to 'Isaac', who is the Divine Good in the Rational, as becomes clear without further explanation. The implications of this are that truth from the natural could not be raised up to good in the rational except by means of natural Divine Truth and natural Divine Good. Natural Divine Truth, which is called 'the man', was to point the way and lead; natural Divine Good, which is referred to as 'the servant', was to bring truth from the natural and introduce it to the good in the rational. To use a comparison, they are like two wings which raise up the possessor of them. These matters cannot be explained any more fully or intelligibly here. One must first know what natural Divine Truth is, and what natural Divine Good is; and these are referred to later on in the internal sense where Joseph is the subject.
ppp20657#pid#3193. Verses `Genesis 24bbbccc62-63` And Isaac had come from`fff1` Beer Lahai Roi, and was dwelling in the land of the south. And Isaac came out to meditate in the field towards evening, and lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, the camels were coming.
'Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi' means Divine Rational Good born from Divine Truth itself. 'And was dwelling in the land of the south' means consequently in Divine light. 'And Isaac came out to meditate in the field' means a state of the Rational immersed in good. 'Towards evening' means as compared with the things below it. 'And lifted up his eyes and saw' means directing the attention. 'And behold, the camels were coming' means towards general facts in the natural man.
`nnn1. literally, came from coming [from]
ppp20656#pid#3194. 'Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi' means Divine Rational Good born from Divine Truth itself. This is clear from the representation of 'Isaac' as the Lord's Divine Rational, dealt with in `@@@2083`, `@@@2630`, here as regards Divine Good there since Divine truth, represented by Rebekah, had not yet been summoned out of the natural and joined to it - that joining together being the subject in what follows now; and from the meaning of 'coming from Beer Lahai Roi' as born from Divine Truth. In the original language Beer Lahai Roi means The spring of the Living One who sees me, as above in `Genesis 16bbb13-14`, where one reads,
Hagar called the name of Jehovah who spoke to her, You are a God who sees me; for she said, Have I not also here seen after Him who sees me? Therefore she called the spring, Beer Lahai Roi (The spring of the Living One who sees me).
For the meaning of these two verses, see `@@@1952-1958`, where also it is evident that 'a spring' means Divine Truth, and that 'the Living One who sees me' means Divine Rational Good, which is there called the Lord's Interior man, springing from Divine Truth. The substance of this very deep arcanum is that Good and Truth belong essentially to the Divine itself; but the Lord's Divine Human came into existence from Divine Good, and was born from Divine Truth. Or what amounts to the same, the Lord's Essential Being (Esse) was Divine Good, and the Manifestation (Existere) of Him was Divine Truth. This was the origin of the Lord's Divine Rational Good to which He joined Divine Truth from the Human.
ppp20655#pid#3195. 'And was dwelling in the land of the south' means consequently in Divine light. This is clear from the meaning of 'dwelling' as living, dealt with in `@@@1293`, and from the fact that it has reference to good, `@@@2268`, `@@@2451`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc2712`; and from the meaning of 'the land of the south' as Divine light. For 'the south' means light, indeed the light of intelligence, which is wisdom, `@@@1458`, but 'the land of the south' the place and state where that light exists. Thus the whole verse here 'Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi, and was dwelling in the land of the south' means that Divine Rational Good, because it had been born from Divine Truth, was in Divine light.
ttt[2] Light is mentioned many times in the Word, and in the internal sense it means truth springing from good. In the highest internal sense however 'light' means the Lord Himself since He is Good and Truth themselves. He Himself is also in actual fact the light in heaven, but this is infinitely brighter than the light on earth, see `@@@1053`, `@@@1117`, `@@@1521-1533`, `@@@1619-1632`. In that light spirits and angels behold one another, and by means of it all the glory that exists in heaven is clearly visible. In brightness that light seems to be much the same as the light in the world, but this is not the case, for it is not a natural light but a spiritual one. It holds wisdom within itself, so much so that it is nothing else than wisdom that shines in this manner before the eyes of those in heaven. Consequently the wiser the angels are, the brighter the light surrounding them, `@@@2776`. This light also enlightens the understanding of man, especially of one who is regenerate, but man does not discern it during his lifetime because the light of the world reigns at that time. Evil spirits too in the next life behold one another, and also behold many representatives which manifest themselves in the world of spirits. They do so indeed by the light of heaven. Yet it is an inferior light like that coming from a coal fire, for when the light of heaven reaches them it is turned into this inferior light.
ttt[3] As for the source itself of light, this from eternity has existed from the Lord alone, for Divine Good itself and Divine Truth itself, the source of light, is the Lord. The Divine Human which existed from eternity, `John 17bbb5`, was that actual light. Because such light was unable any longer to influence the human race which had retreated so far from good and truth, and so from the light, and had cast itself into darkness, the Lord was therefore willing to be born and assume the Human itself. Indeed in so doing He was able to bring light not only to man's rational concepts but also to his natural ideas. For the Lord made Divine within Himself both the Rational and the Natural so that people who were in such gross darkness could have light.
ttt[4] As regards the Lord's being 'the light', that is, Good and Truth themselves, and so the source of all intelligence and wisdom, and consequently of salvation, this becomes clear from many places in the Word, as in John,
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. John came to bear witness to the light. He was not that light but [came] to bear witness to the light. He was the true light which enlightens every man coming into the world. `John 1bbb1`, `John 1bbbccc4`, `John 1bbbccc7-9`.
'The Word' was Divine Truth, and so the Lord Himself as regards the Divine Human, of which it is said that 'the Word was with God, and the Word was God'.
ttt[5] In the same gospel,
This is the judgement, that light has come into the world, but men preferred darkness rather than light. `John 3bbb19`.
'Light' stands for Divine Truth. In the same gospel,
Jesus said, I am the light of the world. He who follows Me will not walk darkness but will have the light of life. `John 8bbb12`.
In the same gospel,
The light is with you for a brief while longer. Walk, as long as you have the light, lest the darkness overtakes you. As long as you have the light, believe in the light, that you may be sons of the light. `John 12bbb35-36`.
In the same gospel,
He who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. I have come as light into the world in order that everyone who believes in Me may not remain in darkness.
`John 12bbb45-46`.
In Luke,
My eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light for revelation to the gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel. `Luke 2bbb30-32`.
This is Simeon's prophecy regarding the Lord which was made after
His birth.
ttt[6] In Matthew,
The people sitting in darkness have seen a great light; and for those sitting in the region and shadow of death, the light has arisen. `Matthew 4bbb16`; `Isaiah 9bbb2`.
From all these places it is quite evident that as regards Divine Good and Truth within the Divine Human the Lord is called 'the light'. The same is also seen in prophetical parts of the Old Testament, as in Isaiah,
The light of Israel will be a fire, and his Holy One a flame. `Isaiah 10bbb17`.
In the same prophet,
I Jehovah have called You in righteousness, and I will give You for a covenant of the people, and a light of the nations. `Isaiah 42bbb6`.
In the same prophet,
I have given You as a light of the nations, that You may be My salvation right to the ends of the earth. `Isaiah 49bbb6`.
In the same prophet,
Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of Jehovah has risen upon you. Nations will walk to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. `Isaiah 60bbb1`, `Isaiah 60bbbccc3`.
ttt[7] All the light of heaven, consequently wisdom and intelligence, come from the Lord. This is taught in John,
The Holy City, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband, has no need of the sun or of the moon to shed light in it; the glory of God will give it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.
`Revelation 21bbb2-3`.
And further regarding the same city,
There will be no night there, nor do they need a lamp or light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. `Revelation 22bbb5`.
ttt[8] Also in Isaiah,
The sun will no longer be to you a light by day, and for brightness the moon will not give light to you, but Jehovah will be to you an everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun will no longer go down and your moon will not be withdrawn, for Jehovah will be to you an everlasting light. `Isaiah 60bbb19-20`.
'The sun will no longer be a light by day, and for brightness the moon will not give its light' stands for the fact that it is not the things that belong to natural light but those that belong to spiritual light which are meant by 'Jehovah will be an everlasting light'. The name Jehovah used here and elsewhere in the Old Testament means the Lord, see `@@@1343`, `@@@1736`, `@@@2156`, `@@@2329`, `@@@2921`, `@@@3023`, `@@@3035`.
ttt[9] His being the light of heaven was also disclosed to the three disciples Peter, James, and John - that is to say, at the Transfiguration when His face shone like the sun, and His garments became white as the light, `Matthew 17bbb2`. 'Face like the sun' meant Divine Good, 'garments as the light' Divine Truth. From this one may know what is meant by the words that occur in the blessing,
Jehovah make His face shine upon you and be merciful to you. `Numbers 6bbb25`.
'Jehovah's face' is mercy, peace, and good, see `@@@222`, `@@@223`; and as 'the sun' means Divine Love, the Lord's Divine Love is accordingly seen in the angelic heaven as the sun, `@@@30-38`, `@@@1053`, `@@@1521`, `@@@1529-1531`, `@@@2441`, `@@@2495`.
ppp20654#pid#3196. 'And Isaac came out to meditate in the field' means a state of the Rational immersed in good. This is clear from the representation of 'Isaac' as the Divine Rational, often dealt with already, and from the meaning of 'meditating in the field' as its state when immersed in good. For 'meditating' is a state of the rational when this controls the mind. 'A field' however is doctrine and the things that constitute doctrine, `@@@368`, and so the things that constitute the Church as regards good, `@@@2971`. Consequently the expression of old 'meditating in the field' stands for thought immersed in good, which is the condition of an unmarried man (homo) with thoughts of a wife.
ppp20653#pid#3197. 'Towards evening' means as compared with the things below it. This is clear from the meaning of 'evening' as obscurity, dealt with in `@@@3056`. And since the things of a lower nature in a person, namely those belonging to his natural mind, are in obscurity as compared with the things of a higher nature, namely those belonging to his rational mind, 'evening' therefore means those things which, compared with them in other states, are in obscurity, as may be seen from the train of thought in the internal sense. For the subject in the internal sense is truth from the natural that was to be joined to good in the rational. And since the subject at this point is the joining together of these two, and the enlightenment of the natural man through the rational, 'meditating in the field towards evening' therefore means a state of the rational that is immersed in good as compared with the things below it. The state of immersion in good is described by Isaac's dwelling 'in the land of the south', that is, dwelling in Divine light. Compared with this the things below the Rational dwelt in evening shade, before, that is, truth and good had been joined together and before the Natural too had been made Divine.
ppp20652#pid#3198. 'And lifted up his eyes and sew' means directing the attention. This is clear from the meaning of 'lifting up the eyes' as thinking, dealt with in `@@@2789`, `@@@2829`; here it means directing the attention since it is said that 'he lifted up his eyes and saw' and this has reference to Rational Good to which truth from the Natural had not yet been joined.
ppp20651#pid#3199. 'And behold, the camels were coming' means towards general facts in the natural man. This is clear from the meaning of 'camels' as general facts in the natural man, dealt with in `@@@3048`, `@@@3071`. It was a directing of the attention towards facts because truth was expected from them, as is clear from what has often been stated and shown above in this chapter.
ppp20650#pid#3200. These two verses describe the state of rational good when in expectation of truth that is to be joined to it as a bride to her husband. The two verses that follow next describe the state of truth when it is near and perceives the good to which it is to be joined. But it should be recognized that these states did not occur merely once but repeatedly throughout the Lord's entire life in the world until He had been glorified. The same applies also to those who are to be regenerated, for they are not regenerated in a single space of time but are being regenerated throughout their entire life, and even in the next life. In fact the perfecting of man can never be complete.
ppp20649#pid#3201. Verses `Genesis 24bbbccc64-65` And Rebekah lifted up her eyes and saw Isaac, and dropped down from upon the camel. And she said to the servant, Who is that man there walking in the field to meet us? And the servant said, He is my master. And she took a veil and covered herself.
'Rebekah lifted up her eyes and saw Isaac' means a reciprocal directing by the affection for truth. 'And dropped down from upon the camel' means the separation of this affection from facts within the natural man, at the point when rational good was seen. 'And she said to the servant' means investigation from the Divine Natural. 'Who is that man there walking in the field to meet us?' means regarding the Rational immersed in good alone. 'And the servant said, He is my master' means acknowledgement. 'And she took a veil and covered herself' means appearances of truth.
ppp20648#pid#3202. 'Rebekah lifted up her eyes and saw Isaac' means a reciprocal directing by the affection for truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'lifting up the eyes and seeing' as directing the attention, dealt with above in `@@@3198`, here a reciprocal directing because it has been said already of Isaac that he 'lifted up his eyes and saw', and now here it is said of Rebekah that she 'lifted up her eyes and saw Isaac'; and from the representation of 'Rebekah' as the affection for truth, often dealt with already.
ppp20647#pid#3203. 'And dropped down from upon the camel' means the separation of this affection from facts within the natural man, at the point when rational good was seen. This is clear from the meaning of 'dropped down' as being separated, and from the meaning of 'camels' as facts within the natural man, dealt with in `@@@3048`, `@@@3071`. That the separation took place when rational good, represented by Isaac, was seen is self-evident. What is meant by being separated from the natural man has been stated and shown above in `@@@3161`, `@@@3175`, `@@@3182`, `@@@3188`, `@@@3190`. There one may see that the affection for truth is separated from the natural man at the point when truth ceases to be merely something known and becomes a matter of life. For when it becomes a matter of life, then - through the person's habitual reliance on it - that truth permeates his whole being in the way that his innate disposition or character does. And when it permeates him in this way it flows so to speak spontaneously into action - without his thinking about any fact he has learned regarding that truth. Indeed when it becomes a matter of life, that truth can command those facts, drawing on innumerable ones as confirmations. The situation with all truth is that at its earliest stage it is merely something known, but as it develops with a person it becomes a matter of life. It is as it is with young children when they learn to walk, to talk, to think, and to use their intelligence and make sensible judgements. Once these activities - through habitual engagement in them - have become unpremeditated and so spontaneous, they disappear from among the facts they possess about how to do those things, because they are now instinctive.
ttt[2] A similar situation also exists with the things that constitute the cognitions of spiritual good and truth among people whom the Lord is regenerating or causing to be born again. At first they are exactly like young children, in that at that time the spiritual truths which they possess exist as facts, for when matters of doctrine are learned and introduced into the memory they are nothing other than facts. But then the Lord summons those facts from the memory one after another and implants them in the person's life, that is, in good; for good is his life. Once this has happened a conversion so to speak takes place, that is to say, the person starts to act from good, that is, from life, and no longer from knowledge as he had done previously. Accordingly, anyone who is being born anew is like a young child in this respect; but they are matters to do with spiritual life that he absorbs, so that he does not act from doctrine, or truth, but from charity, or good. When this happens a state of blessedness begins with him and wisdom begins to exist with him. These considerations show what separation from facts within the natural man is, meant by Rebekah's dropping down from upon the camel, which she did before she knew that it was Isaac. These details, as anyone may see, embody arcana within them.
ppp20646#pid#3204. 'And she said to the servant' means investigation from the Divine Natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' here as investigating, for she asked, 'Who is that man there walking in the field?' and from the meaning of 'a servant' as the Divine Natural, dealt with above in `@@@3191`, `@@@3192`.
ppp20645#pid#3205. 'Who is that man there walking in the field to meet us?' means regarding the Rational immersed in good alone, that is to say, an investigation regarding it. This is clear from what has been stated above about Isaac's coming out to meditate in the field, by which is meant a state of the Rational immersed in good, see `@@@3196`. Here the rational is meant by 'that man', and being immersed in good by 'walking' - that is to say, by meditating - 'in the field'. 'To meet us' means so as to be joined together.
ppp20644#pid#3206. 'And the servant said, He is my master' means acknowledgement, that is to say, by means of the Divine Natural, meant here by 'the servant'. This becomes clear without explanation. For introduction is effected by means of the Divine Natural, see `@@@3192`, also good acknowledges its own truth, and truth its own good, `@@@3179`.
ppp20643#pid#3207. 'And she took a veil and covered herself means appearances of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'a veil', with which brides used to cover their faces when they first saw their bridegroom, as appearances of truth. For among the ancients brides represented affections for truth and bridegrooms affections for good. Or what amounted to the same, they represented the Church which was called 'the bride' by virtue of the affection for truth, while the affection for good received from the Lord was 'the bridegroom', on which account the Lord Himself is called the bridegroom in various places in the Word. Brides veiled their faces when first approaching their bridegroom to represent appearances of truth. Appearances of truth are not truths in themselves but are such as have the appearance of being truths, regarding which something is said below. The affection for truth cannot approach the affection for good except by means of appearances of truth, and these it does not discard until it is joined to it. Once joined it becomes truth wedded to good and becomes genuine truth to the extent the good is genuine.
ttt[2] Good itself is holy because it is the Divine proceeding from the Lord, and flows in by a higher path or entrance within man. But truth, so far as its origin is concerned, is not holy because it flows in by a lower path or entrance, and at first belongs to the natural man. But when it is raised up from the natural man towards the rational man it is gradually purified, and at first sight of the affection for good is separated from facts, takes to itself the appearances of truth, and in this guise approaches good. This is a sign of the nature of its origins and that it could not endure the first sight of Divine good until it had entered the bridegroom's chamber, which was the sanctuary of good, and the two had become joined together. At that point truth no longer beholds good from or through appearances, but is beheld by good without any appearances.
ttt[3] But it should be recognized that no truths with man, nor even with an angel, are ever pure, that is, free of appearances. Every single one is an appearance of the truth, but appearances are nevertheless accepted by the Lord as truths if they hold good within them. To the Lord alone do pure truths, being Divine truths, belong - for as the Lord is Good itself, so is He Truth itself. See however what has been stated already about truths and appearances of truth:
The coverings and the veils of the Tent of Meeting meant appearances of truth, `@@@2576`.
Truths with man are appearances steeped in illusions, `@@@2053`.
Rational concepts are appearances of truth, `@@@2516`.
Truths exist within appearances, `@@@2196`, `@@@2203`, `@@@2209`, `@@@2242`.
Divine good flows into appearances, and even into illusions, `@@@2554`.
Appearances of truth are adapted by the Lord as though they were truths, `@@@1832`.
In the Word things are expressed in accord with appearances, `@@@1838`.
What appearances are however becomes quite clear from those places in the Word where things are expressed according to appearances. But there are different degrees of appearances of truth. Natural appearances of truth are for the most part illusions, but when they reside with people who are governed by good they ought not in their case to be called illusions but appearances, and even in some respects truths, for good is held within them which holds the Divine within itself and causes them to be different in essence. Rational appearances of truth however are more and more interior. These occur in heaven, that is to say, they exist with angels who are in heaven; see `@@@2576`.
ttt[4] To have some idea of what the appearances of truth are let the following serve by way of illustration:
i. Man supposes that he is reformed and regenerated by means of the truth of faith, but this is an appearance. He is reformed and regenerated by means of the good of faith, that is, by means of charity towards the neighbour and love to the Lord.
ii. Man supposes that because truth teaches, truth enables him to perceive what is good; but this is an appearance. It is good that enables truth to perceive, for good is the soul or life of truth.
iii. Man supposes that truth leads to good when he lives according to the truth he has learned; but it is good which flows into truth and leads truth towards itself.
iv. To man it seems as though truth perfects good, when in fact good perfects truth.
v. To man it seems as though the good actions of life are the fruits of faith, but they are the fruits of charity.
From these few illustrations one can know in some measure what appearances of truth are. Such appearances are countless.
ppp20642#pid#3208. Verses `Genesis 24bbbccc66-67` And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. And Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother; and he took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. And Isaac was comforted after [the death of] his mother.
'The servant told Isaac all the things that he had done' means perception from the Divine Natural showing how real things stood now. 'And Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother' means the sanctuary of truth within the Divine Human. 'And he took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her' means the joining together. 'And Isaac was comforted after [the death of] his mother' means a new state.
ppp20641#pid#3209. 'The servant told Isaac all the things that he had done' means perception from the Divine Natural showing how real things stood now. This is clear from the meaning of 'telling' as perceiving, for perception is so to speak an internal telling, and therefore perceiving is expressed in historical descriptions in the Word by the verb 'to tell', and also 'to say', `@@@1741`, `@@@1815`, `@@@1819`, `@@@1822`, `@@@1898`, `@@@1919`, `@@@2080`, `@@@2619`, `@@@2862`; from the meaning of 'the servant' here as the Divine Natural, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'the things' as real things, dealt with in `@@@1785`. From all this it is evident that 'the servant told all the things that he had done' means that Divine Rational Good perceived from the Divine Natural how real things stood now.
ttt[2] The situation is that the rational part of the mind exists in the degree above the natural, and Rational Good within the Lord was Divine. Truth however which was to be raised up from the natural was not Divine until joined to the Divine Good of the Rational. So that the Good of the Rational might flow into the natural therefore, there had to be a means in between. This means could not be anything else than the natural which was to partake of the Divine. This is represented by the oldest servant of Abraham's house administering all that he had, `@@@3019`, `@@@3020`, for that servant means the Divine Natural, see `@@@3191`, `@@@3192`, `@@@3204`, `@@@3206`.
ppp20640#pid#3210. 'And Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother' means the sanctuary of truth within the Divine Human. This is clear from the meaning of 'a tent' as that which is holy, dealt with in `@@@414`, `@@@1102`, `@@@2145`, `@@@2152`, `@@@2576`, and so the sanctuary; and from meaning of 'Sarah his mother' as Divine truth, dealt with in `@@@1468`, `@@@1901`, `@@@2063`, `@@@2065`, `@@@2904`, from which the Divine Human was born, the Rational of which is represented by 'the son Isaac'. From this it is evident that 'Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother' means that rational Good guided Truth represented by Rebekah into the sanctuary of truth. What the sanctuary of truth is becomes clear from what has been stated above in `@@@3194` about the Lord's Divine Human - that Good and Truth belong essentially to the Divine itself, but that the Lord's Divine Human came into existence from Divine Good and was born (as to the Divine itself, that is) from Divine Truth; or what amounts to the same, that the Lord's Essential Being (Esse) was Divine Good, but the Manifestation (Existere) of Him was Divine Truth. From this came Divine Rational Good to which He joined Divine Truth from the Human.
ttt[2] It is impossible to say anything more about this very deep arcanum than this: Divine Good and Truth themselves within the Lord's Divine Human to which Truth from the Human was joined are what were meant by the Sanctuary or Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle and in the Temple. The nature of that Good and Truth was represented by the objects within the Sanctuary, such as the golden altar, the table with the loaves of the presence, and the lampstand; and further within, by the Mercy Seat and the Ark; and within it, inmostly, by the Testimony which was the Law delivered from Sinai. This was the Holy of Holies itself or Sanctuary of Truth.
ppp20639#pid#3211. 'And he took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her' means the joining together, that is to say, of good and truth. This becomes clear without explanation. The reason why it is said, that Rebekah became his wife (mulier), not his wife (uxor), is that no marriage existed between rational Good on one side and Truth summoned from the natural and made Divine on the other, only a covenant similar to the marriage covenant. The Divine Marriage itself within the Lord consists in the union of the Divine Essence with the Human Essence, and of the Human Essence with the Divine Essence, see `@@@2803`. This is the reason why Rebekah is called a wife (mulier) and not a wife (uxor).
ppp20638#pid#3212. 'And Isaac was comforted after [the death of] his mother' means a new state. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'receiving comfort' as a new state, for a state of comfort is a new state, which, following the previous one, is meant by 'after his mother'. The new state is a state of glorification of the Rational; already so as to good, it now became glorified as to truth. The Rational was glorified when it became Divine as regards both good and truth.
ttt[2] As to the Human the Lord was made new, that is, was glorified, or what amounts to the same, was made Divine; but nobody can possibly grasp this, nor thus believe it, who is immersed in worldly and bodily loves. He has no knowledge at all of what spiritual or celestial is, and does not even wish to know. But anyone who is not immersed in worldly and bodily loves can perceive it, for he believes that the Lord is one with the Father, that everything holy comes from Him, and consequently that He is Divine even as regards the Human. And anyone who believes this perceives it in his own way.
ttt[3] The state of the Lord's glorification can be grasped to some extent from the state of man's regeneration, for man's regeneration is an image of the Lord's glorification, `@@@3043`, `@@@3138`. When a person is being regenerated he becomes completely different from before and is made new. Once he has been regenerated therefore he is called one who has been born again and created anew. At that point a person's face and speech remain the same, but not so his mind. Once he is regenerate his mind is open towards heaven, and love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour, together with faith, reside in it. It is the mind that makes him a person who is different and new. Change of state cannot be discerned in a person's body, only in his spirit. The body is merely the covering for his spirit. When he lays aside the former his spirit is seen, and indeed in a form altogether different if he has been regenerated. In this case it is a visible form of love and charity that possesses beauty beyond description, `@@@553`, replacing the previous form, which had been a visible form of hatred and cruelty possessing ugliness also beyond description. From this it may become clear what a regenerate person is, that is, one born again or created anew, namely one who is altogether different from before and who is new.
ttt[4] From this image one can have some conception of the Lord's glorification. He was not regenerated as man is but was made Divine, being made so from Divine love itself, for He was made Divine love itself. The nature of His form at that time was shown to Peter, James, and John when they were allowed to see Him not with their physical eyes but with those of the spirit, that is to say, on the occasion when His face shone like the sun, `Matthew 17bbb2`. This was His Divine Human, as is clear from the voice which at that time declared from the cloud, 'This is My beloved Son', `Matthew 17bbb5` - 'the Son' being the Divine Human, see `@@@2628`.
ppp20637#pid#3213. REPRESENTATIONS AND CORRESPONDENCES - continued
In the world of spirits countless representatives manifest themselves almost constantly. They are visible forms of spiritual and celestial things, not unlike the forms that occur in the world. The origin of them I have been given to know through daily association with spirits and angels. Representatives in the world of spirits flow in from heaven, and from the ideas and the discussions of the angels there. Indeed when angels' ideas and their discussions resulting from those ideas come down to spirits, they present themselves in a variety of ways as representatives. Upright spirits are able to know from those representatives what angels are discussing with one another, for inwardly representatives have within them that which comes from angels, and since this stirs the affections of those spirits, it is perceived even as to the essential nature of it. Angels' ideas and discussions cannot present themselves to spirits in any other way, for an idea existing with an angel contains immeasurably more than an idea existing with a spirit, and unless it were given visible form and presented itself in a representative way, and so visually by means of images, a spirit would understand hardly anything whatever of those things. For such things are for the most part inconceivable. But when they are represented by means of visible forms they are rendered such that spirits are able to comprehend some fairly general aspects. This is a marvel, for not even the smallest detail of the things that are represented fails to express something spiritual or celestial present in an idea existing with the angelic community from which the representative flows down.
ppp20636#pid#3214. Representatives of spiritual and celestial things sometimes manifest themselves in a lengthy sequence lasting one or two hours, and they follow consecutively in an order that is a marvel. There are communities among which those representatives are produced, and where I have been allowed to go for many months. But those representations are such that if I were to mention and describe just one of them in its sequence it would fill many pages. They are utterly delightful, for something new and unexpected is constantly occurring. And the sequence of representations continues until that which is being represented is displayed completely and perfectly. Then once all things have been displayed perfectly, one is allowed to look at them as a single whole, and at the same time to discern what each individual thing means by itself. Good spirits are also introduced to spiritual and celestial ideas in this fashion.
ppp20635#pid#3215. The representatives which manifest themselves to spirits are unbelievably varied. Nevertheless they are for the most part like things which exist on earth, and in its three kingdoms. To know the nature of them, see what has been told about them already in `@@@1521`, `@@@1532`, `@@@1619-1625`, `@@@1807`, `@@@1808`, `@@@1971`, `@@@1974`, `@@@1977`, `@@@1980`, `@@@1981`, `@@@2299`, `@@@2601`, `@@@2758`.
ppp20634#pid#3216. So that an even better knowledge may be had of the nature of representatives in the next life, that is to say, of the things that are seen in the world of spirits, let several examples also be given. When with angels a discussion is taking place about matters of doctrine regarding charity and faith, there is sometimes seen in that lower sphere where the corresponding community of spirits is situated the visible idea of a city or of cities with palaces in them. The architecture of these is so astounding that you would say architectural art itself existed there and was the inspiration of everything there. In addition the houses there are of varying appearance. And the marvel of it is that in every single palace or house not even the smallest point or tiniest visible detail exists that does not represent some aspect of the idea and discussion among the angels. From this it becomes clear how countless the details are which they contain, and also what was meant in the Word by the cities seen by prophets - what is meant by the Holy City or New Jerusalem, and also by the cities mentioned in the prophetical part of the Word, namely matters of doctrine regarding charity and faith, `@@@402`, `@@@2449`.
ppp20633#pid#3217. When angels' discussion has to do with the understanding part of the mind, horses appear in the world of spirits below them, that is, in the communities which correspond to them. The size, shape, colour, and stance of the horses depends on the ideas which the angels have concerning the understanding. The horses also carry differing adornments. There is also a place quite deep down and a little towards the right which is called the abode of the intelligent. There horses are seen constantly, the reason being that those there are engaged in thought about the understanding; and when the angels who are engaged in a discussion about the understanding flow into the thoughts of those spirits, horses are seen. From this I have come to see what was meant by the horses seen by the prophets, and also by the horses mentioned in the Word, namely aspects of the understanding, `@@@2760-2762`.
ppp20632#pid#3218. When angels are stirred by affections and at the same time are discussing these, such things manifest themselves among spirits in the lower sphere as representative types of animals. When the discussion concerns good affections, beautiful, gentle, and useful animals emerge such as those used in sacrifices in the Divine representative worship within the Jewish Church - such as lambs, sheep, kids, she-goats, rams, he-goats, calves, young bulls, and oxen. And whatever is seen at any time on the animal represents some mental image in the angels' thought, which upright spirits are also allowed to perceive. From this one may see what was meant by the animals in the religious observances of the Jewish Church, and what by the same animals when mentioned in the Word, namely affections, `@@@1823`, `@@@2179`, `@@@2180`. But when angels' discussion is about evil affections it is represented by offensive, vicious creatures serving no use, such as tigers, bears, wolves, scorpions, serpents, rats, and so on, even as such affections are also meant by these in the Word.
ppp20631#pid#3219. When angels are engaged in discussion about thoughts and ideas, and about influx, birds are seen at the same time in the world of spirits - the forms which the birds take being determined by the subject under discussion. This explains why birds in the Word mean rational concepts or things comprising thought, `@@@40`, `@@@745`, `@@@776`, `@@@991`. On one occasion birds came into view, and I saw that one was dark and ugly, two fine and beautiful. When I saw them, behold! certain spirits were there who then descended on me so violently as to send a tremor into my sinews and bones. I supposed that then, as had happened several times before, evil spirits were assailing me in an attempt to destroy me; but that was not so. When the tremor ceased and the spirits who had descended on me stopped moving, I spoke to them asking what it was all about. They said that they had fallen from a certain angelic community in which discussion was taking place about thoughts and influx, and that they had been of the opinion that the things which comprise thought flow in from without, that is to say, by way of the external senses, as is the appearance. But the angelic community in which they were present were of the opinion that it flowed from within. And because they themselves had been governed by falsity they had fallen from there. No one had cast them down, for angels do not cast anyone down from among themselves. It was owing to the falsity reigning in them that they had fallen from there. This had been the reason why it had happened. From this I was given to know that discussion in heaven about thoughts and influx is represented by birds - the discussion of those in whom falsity reigns by dark and ugly birds, but that of those who are governed by truth by fine and beautiful birds. I was at the same time told that all the ideas comprising thought enter into it from within, not from without, even though those ideas seem to do so. I was also told that it is contrary to order for what is posterior to flow into what is prior, or what is grosser into what is purer, and so for body to flow into soul.
ppp20630#pid#3220. When angels are engaged in discussion about matters of intelligence and wisdom, and about perceptions and cognitions, their discussion at the same time passes on from them into corresponding communities of spirits. Their discussion falls into representations involving such things as occur in the vegetable kingdom - into representations of paradise-like gardens, vineyards, woodlands, meadows with flowers, and into many other lovely things, which are quite beyond human imagination. This explains why things that constitute wisdom and intelligence are described in the Word as gardens, vineyards, woodlands, and meadows, and why such things are meant whenever these places are mentioned.
ppp20629#pid#3221. Angelic discussions are sometimes represented by means of clouds, and by the forms, colours, movements, and transpositions of them. Affirmations of truth are represented by bright and rising clouds, negations by dark and lowering clouds, while affirmations of falsity are represented by gloomy and black clouds. Agreement and disagreement is represented by various fusings together or detachments of clouds from one another; and these things occur in a dark-blue sky, as it is at night.
ppp20628#pid#3222. In addition to this, loves and the affections belonging to them are represented by means of flames, which are indescribably varied. Truths however are represented by means of lights and by means of countless modifications of light. From this it may be seen how it comes about that flames in the Word mean goods that are the goods of love, and lights truths that are the truths of faith.
ppp20627#pid#3223. There are two forms of light that give light to man, the light of the world and the light of heaven. The light of the world comes from the sun, the light of heaven from the Lord. The light of the world is intended for the natural or external man, and so for things that exist within the natural man. Although these things do not appear to belong to that light, nevertheless they do, for the natural man is not able to grasp anything except by means of such things as occur and are visible in the world of the natural sun, thus unless they are given some visible form by the light and the shade of that world. All concepts of time and concepts of space, which in the natural man play so great a role that without them he is incapable of thought, belong also to the light of the world. The light of heaven however is intended for the spiritual or internal man. Man's interior mind, where his intellectual concepts reside that are called immaterial, belongs in that light. Of this no one is immediately conscious even though he refers to his intellect as sight and attributes light to it. The reason why he is not immediately conscious of it is that as long as he is engrossed in worldly and bodily interests his perception is solely of such things as belong to the light of the world and not of such as belong to the light of heaven. The light of heaven comes from the Lord alone, and the whole of heaven is bathed in that light.
ttt[2] This light - the light of heaven - is immeasurably more perfect than the light of the world. Things which in the light of the world make a single ray make myriads in the light of heaven. The light of heaven holds intelligence and wisdom within it. This is the light which flows into the light of the world which shines in the external or natural man and causes the latter to perceive things with the senses. Unless the light of heaven were flowing in a person would have no discernment at all, for the life present in things which belong to the light of the world is received from that inflowing light. Between these two forms of light - that is, between things that belong to the light of heaven and those that belong to the light of the world - a correspondence exists when the external or natural man makes one with the internal or spiritual man, that is, when the external man is subservient to the internal. In this case things that occur in the light of the world are representative of such as occur in the light of heaven.
ppp20626#pid#3224. It is amazing that man does not yet know that his intellectual powers dwell in a certain light that is altogether different from the light of the world. But the human condition is such that to those who dwell in the light of the world the light of heaven is as though it were darkness, and to those who dwell in the light of heaven the light of the world is as though it were darkness. This difference is due primarily to differing loves, which are different types of heat accompanying light. Those who are steeped in self-love and love of the world, and so who feel no warmth apart from that accompanying the light of the world, are influenced solely by evils and falsities; and these are such as obliterate truths which belong to the light of heaven. But those who are suffused with love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour, and so who feel the spiritual warmth which belongs to the light of heaven, are influenced by goods and truths which obliterate falsities. But with the latter a correspondence nevertheless exists.
ttt[2] Spirits who are interested only in the things that belong to the light of the world, and who are consequently under the influence of falsities derived from evils, do indeed in the next life have light from heaven, but it is like a feeble light shed by that of an ignis fatuus, and like that emitted from a burning coal or a firebrand. This light however, as the light of heaven draws near, is instantly extinguished and turns into thick darkness. Those who see in that light are subject to delusions, and the things they see in their delusions they believe to be truths; and to them none else are truths. Their delusions are also tied up with filthy and disgusting objects in which they take very great delight, so that in their thinking they are like those who are crazy and insane. Where falsities are concerned they do not stop and reason whether these are accurate or not, but instantly affirm that they are so; but where goods and truths are concerned they engage all the time in reasoning, which ends in denial of them.
ttt[3] For truths and goods received from the light of heaven flow into the interior mind which with those people is closed, and therefore that light flows around outside that mind, and becomes such that it is modified only by the falsities which appear to them as truths. Truths and goods cannot be acknowledged except with those whose interior mind has been opened. Into that mind light from the Lord flows in, and to the extent it has been opened those things are acknowledged. That mind has been opened only with those in whom innocence, love to the Lord, and charity towards the neighbour are present. It is not opened with those in whom truths of faith are present unless goodness of life is present at the same time.
ppp20625#pid#3225. All this now makes clear what correspondence is and where it originates, and also what representation is and where this originates. That is to say, correspondence exists between the things belonging to the light of heaven and those belonging to the light of the world, that is, between things belonging to the internal or spiritual man and those belonging to the external or natural man; and representation is everything whatever manifesting itself within things belonging to the light of the world, or within the external or natural man, that stands in specific relationship to things belonging to the light of heaven, that is, to things that spring from the internal or spiritual man.
ppp20624#pid#3226. Though he is not aware of it, one of the abilities which are present in a person, and which are taken by him into the next life when he passes into that life on his being released from the body, is the ability to perceive what is meant by the representatives that are seen in the next life. He is also able intuitively (sensu animi) to express fully within an instant that which he was unable to do during his lifetime even if he spent hours over it. He does this by means of ideas gained from the things that belong to the light of heaven; and those ideas are strengthened, being so to speak equipped with wings, by the addition of visual images representative of the subject under discussion, images such as defy description. And since everyone enters into those abilities after death and does not need to be taught them in the next life, it may therefore be recognized that everyone possesses those things, that is, that those abilities exist within him during his lifetime even though he is not aware of this. The reason this is so is that with everyone the Lord is flowing in constantly by way of heaven. That influx is an influx of spiritual and celestial things which come down into his natural ideas and there manifest themselves in a representative manner. With angels in heaven their thoughts are fixed solely on celestial and spiritual things which belong to the Lord's kingdom, whereas with man in the world his thoughts are fixed on scarcely anything other than the bodily and natural things that constitute the kingdom in which he dwells and the necessities of life which he requires. And since the spiritual and celestial things of heaven that flow in manifest themselves in a representative manner in man's natural ideas they therefore remain ingrafted and exist with a person when he casts off bodily things and leaves behind worldly things.
ppp20623#pid#3227. The subject of representations and correspondences is continued at the end of the next chapter.
ppp20622#pid#3228. CHAPTER `Genesis ccc25bbb0`
The subject in this chapter is the sons of Abraham by Keturah, and then also the sons of Ishmael, who are mentioned by name. After that Isaac and Rebekah are referred to - that is, the birth of Esau and Jacob to them; and finally a description is given of how Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for lentil pottage. Anyone may see that these details are such as do indeed serve to present that period in the history of the Church, but that they are of little use where spiritual life is concerned, for the sake of which the Word exists. What value is it to anyone if he knows who the sons were that were born to Abraham by Keturah, and who that were born to Ishmael; and also if he knows that Esau, when exhausted from hunting, desired the lentil pottage, and that Jacob by being crafty in that situation acquired the birthright in exchange for that pottage? Similarly with the next chapter. What value is it to anyone if he knows that Abimelech's herdsmen disputed with Isaac's over the wells which they had dug, in almost the same way as they had done previously with Abraham's herdsmen in Chapter `Genesis ccc21bbb0`? In addition some places include mere lists of names, as in Chapter `Genesis ccc36bbb0`, where the descendants of Esau are listed. And the same is true with every other chapter. As historical narratives they contain so little of the Divine that you cannot possibly refer to them as that Word which is Divinely inspired as to every word and even to every jot - that is, the Word which was sent down from the Lord by way of heaven to the one who wrote those things. For what has been sent down from the Lord is Divine in every single part. Thus, being the exploits of men, the historical descriptions are not Divine, except by virtue of the things which are contained deeply concealed within those descriptions, every single one of which has regard to the Lord and His kingdom. In embodying such things within them the historical narratives of the Word are quite different from and superior to all other historical writings in all the world.
ppp20621#pid#3229. If only the historical narratives, that is, if merely the external or literal sense, constituted the Word, all the historical narratives there would in that case be holy. And what is more, many of the characters mentioned there would be considered holy, and, as indeed happens with many, would come to be venerated as gods merely because they are referred to in the holiest work ever to have been written - for example, those called the Patriarchs, namely, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and after these the twelve sons of Jacob who were forefathers of the tribes; and subsequently David and many more. Yet all these were only human beings, some of whom were little concerned about Divine worship. Moreover I can certify that their present condition is nothing at all out of the ordinary, and also that in heaven they are altogether unknown. Those characters and their state in the next life will in the Lord's Divine mercy be described elsewhere. From this it now becomes quite clear that the external or literal sense is the Word only by virtue of the internal or spiritual sense Lying within it and from which it exists.
ppp20620#pid#3230. `Genesis 25bbb0`
1. And Abraham took another wife; and her name was Keturah.
2. And she bore to him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah.
3. And Jokshan begot Sheba and Dedan; and the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim.
4. And the sons of Midian, Ephah and Epher, and Enoch,`fff1` and Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the sons of Keturah.
5. And Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac.
6. And to the concubines' sons, whom Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts; and he sent them away from being with Isaac his son - while he was still living - eastwards to the land of the east.
7. And these are the days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived, a hundred and seventy-five years.
8. And Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full [of years]; and he was gathered to his peoples.
9. And Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him at the cave of Machpelah, at the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which faced Mamre.
10. The field which Abraham bought from the sons of Heth, there Abraham was buried and Sarah his wife.
11. And so it was after the death of Abraham, that God blessed Isaac his son; and Isaac dwelt in`fff2` Beer Lahai Roi.
12. And these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's servant-girl, bore to Abraham.
13. And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their births: Nebaioth, Ishmael's firstborn, and Kedar, and Abdeel, and Mibsam;
14. And Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa;
15. Hadad, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah.
16. And these are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, in their villages, and in their fortified places; twelve princes of their peoples.
17. And these are the years of Ishmael's life, a hundred and thirty-seven years; and he breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his peoples.
18. And they resided from Havilah as far as Shur, which is opposite Egypt as you come towards Asshur. [His lot] fell opposite all his brothers.
19. And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham begot Isaac.
20. And Isaac was a son of forty years when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife.
21. And Isaac prayed to Jehovah on behalf of his wife because she was barren; and Jehovah granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
22. And the sons struggled together within her, and she said, If this is so, why am I [going through this]? And she went to inquire of Jehovah.
23. And Jehovah said to her, Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples will be separated from your bowels, and [one] people will prevail over [the other] people, and the greater will serve the less.
24. And her days for bringing forth were completed, and behold, there were twins in her womb.
25. And the first came out, ruddy all over, like a hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.
26. And after that his brother came out, and his hand was grasping Esau's heel; and he called his name Jacob. And Isaac was a son of sixty years when she bore them.
27. And the boys grew up, and Esau was a man skilled in hunting, a man of the field; and Jacob was a blameless man, dwelling in tents.
28. And Isaac loved Esau because of the venison`fff3` in his mouth; and Rebekah loved Jacob.
29. And Jacob boiled pottage; and Esau came from the field, and he was weary.
30. And Esau said to Jacob, Let me sip now from the red [pottage], this red [pottage], for I am weary. Therefore he called his name Edom.
31. And Jacob said, Sell me - as if today - your birthright.
32. And Esau said, Behold, I am going to die; so what is this birthright to me?
33. And Jacob said, Swear to me, as if today; and he swore to him, and he sold his birthright to Jacob.
34. And Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil pottage; and he ate, and drank, and he rose up, and went. And Esau despised the birthright.
CONTENTS
In this chapter the subject in the internal sense is this:
(1) The Lord's spiritual kingdom and its derivatives, verses `Genesis 25bbbccc1-4`. It was separated from the Lord's celestial kingdom, verses `Genesis 25bbbccc5-6`. The representation of the Lord by Abraham came to an end, verses `Genesis 25bbbccc7-8`; and the representation of the Lord by Isaac and Ishmael started, verses `Genesis 25bbbccc9-11`.
`nnn1. In most English versions this name appears as Hanoch, but in the Latin, as in the original Hebrew, the spelling is the same as that of the one mentioned in `Genesis 4bbb17-18`; `Genesis ccc5bbb18-24`.
`nnn2. literally, with
`nnn3. or hunting
ppp20619#pid#3231. (2) The spiritual Church represented by Ishmael, and its derivatives, verses `Genesis 25bbbccc12-18`.
ppp20618#pid#3232. (3) The conception and birth of the Divine Natural - as to Good, which is Esau, and as to Truth, which is Jacob, verses `Genesis 25bbbccc19-25`.
ppp20617#pid#3233. (4) The question whether Good or Truth took precedence in the Church, verses `Genesis 25bbbccc26-34`.
ppp20616#pid#3234. THE INTERNAL SENSE
Verse `Genesis 25bbbccc1` And Abraham took another wife; and her name was Keturah.
'Abraham took another wife' means a further state which the Lord, whom Abraham represents, passed through - for 'Abraham and Sarah' represented the Lord as regards the Divine Celestial, 'Abraham and Keturah' the Lord as regards the Divine Spiritual, so that 'Abraham' here represents the Lord as regards Divine Spiritual Good, and his wife as regards Divine Truth allied to that Good. 'And her name was Keturah' means the essence of this Divine Truth.
ppp20615#pid#3235. 'Abraham took another wife' means a further state which the Lord, whom Abraham represents, passed through - for 'Abraham and Sarah' represented the Lord as regards the Divine Celestial, 'Abraham and Keturah' the Lord as regards the Divine Spiritual. This is clear from what has been stated and shown so far about Abraham and his wife Sarah, and from what is recorded here about Abraham and Keturah. But as it is said that Abraham here represents a further state which the Lord passed through, and that Abraham and Sarah represented the Lord as regards the Divine Celestial, whereas Abraham and Keturah did so as regards the Divine Spiritual, one needs to know what is meant by the Divine Celestial and by the Divine Spiritual. The Divine Celestial and the Divine Spiritual have to do with those people who receive the Lord's Divine, for the Lord is seen by everyone according to the character of the recipient, as becomes clear from what has been stated in `@@@1838`, `@@@1861`, and is quite evident from the fact that the Lord appears to celestial people in one way but to spiritual in another. For He appears as the sun to those who are celestial, but as the moon to those who are spiritual, `@@@1529-1531`, `@@@1838`. The Lord appears to celestial people as the sun because in them celestial love, which is love to the Lord, is present, but to spiritual people as the moon because in these spiritual love, which is charity towards the neighbour, is present. The difference is like that between the light of the sun during the daytime and the light of the moon at night, and also between the warmth of both which causes things in the ground to grow. These are what were meant in `Genesis 1bbb0` by the words,
And God made the two great Lights, the greater Light to have dominion over the day, and the lesser Light to have dominion over the night. `Genesis 1bbb16`.
ttt[2] The Lord's kingdom is in general celestial and spiritual, that is, it consists of those who are celestial and of those who are spiritual. And because the Lord's Divine appears to those who are celestial as being celestial, but to those who are spiritual as being spiritual, it is therefore said that Abraham and Sarah represented the Lord as regards the Divine Celestial, but Abraham and Keturah as regards the Divine Spiritual. But as scarcely anyone knows what the celestial is or what the spiritual, and who they are who are celestial or spiritual, please see what has been stated and shown about them already in the following places:
What the celestial is and what the spiritual, `@@@1155`, `@@@1577`, `@@@1824`, `@@@2048`, `@@@2184`, `@@@2227`, `@@@2507`.
Who celestial people are and who spiritual, `@@@2088`, `@@@2669`, `@@@2708`, `@@@2715`.
The celestial man is a likeness of the Lord and does good from love, whereas the spiritual man is an image of the Lord and does it from faith, `@@@50-52`, `@@@1013`.
Those who are celestial perceive truth from good and never indulge in reasoning about it, `@@@202`, `@@@337`, `@@@607`, `@@@895`, `@@@1121`, `@@@2715`.
With the celestial man good is implanted in the will part of his mind, but with the spiritual man in the understanding part, within which, in the case of those who are spiritual, a new will is created, `@@@863`, `@@@875`, `@@@895`, `@@@897`, `@@@927`, `@@@1023`, `@@@1043`, `@@@1044`, `@@@2256`.
From good itself those who are celestial see things without limit, but those who are spiritual, because they reason whether a thing is so, cannot reach even the furthest limit to which the light that the celestial have spreads, `@@@2718`.
Compared with those who are celestial those who are spiritual dwell in obscurity, `@@@1043`, `@@@2708`, `@@@2715`.
The Lord came into the world to save those who are spiritual, `@@@2661`, `@@@2716`, `@@@2833`, `@@@2834`.
ppp20614#pid#3236. 'Abraham' here represents the Lord as regards Divine Spiritual Good, and his wife as regards Divine Truth allied to that Good. This becomes clear from what has been stated already about husbands and wives (maritus and uxor) - that 'the husband' represents good, and 'the wife' truth, as Abraham and Sarah did previously, `@@@1468`, `@@@1901`, `@@@2063`, `@@@2065`, `@@@2172`, `@@@2173`, `@@@2198`, `@@@2904`, and as Isaac and Rebekah did in the chapter before this, `@@@3077`. The reason why 'the husband' represents good and 'the wife' truth is that the Church is compared to a marriage, and also is a marriage of good and truth. Good is what the husband represents because this is primary, while truth is what the wife represents because that is secondary. This also is why in the Word the Lord is called bridegroom, man, and husband, while the Church is called bride, woman, and wife.
ttt[2] What spiritual good is and spiritual truth allied to that good becomes clear from the places referred to immediately above in `@@@3235`. With the spiritual man good is in general that which is called the good of faith, which is nothing else than charity towards the neighbour. But to be charity it must come from the new will which the Lord confers on the spiritual man. Spiritual truth allied to that good is what is called the truth of faith, which initially does nothing else than see charity as the end in view for which it exists, and later on as the source of its own existence. To be the truth of faith, or to be faith, it must in the case of the spiritual man come from a new understanding which the Lord confers on him, and which must receive its light from the new will.
ppp20613#pid#3237. 'And her name was Keturah' means the essence of this Divine Truth. This is clear from the meaning of the word 'name' as the essential nature, and of 'calling by name' as knowing the essential nature, dealt with in `@@@144`, `@@@145`, `@@@1754`, `@@@1896`, `@@@2009`. Now because one does not speak of the nature of what is Divine but of the Esse of this, 'name' here means the essence, indeed the essence of Divine Truth - Divine Truth being meant here by 'the wife', to whom 'her' refers. For here 'the wife' means Divine Truth, see just above in `@@@3236`. From this it is evident what 'Keturah' in general embodies.
ppp20612#pid#3238. Verses `Genesis 25bbbccc2-4` And she bore to him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. And Jokshan begot Sheba and Dedan; and the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim. And the sons of Midian, Ephah and Epher, and Enoch,`fff1` and Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the sons of Keturah.
'She bore to him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah' represents general divisions of the Lord's spiritual kingdom in heaven and on earth. 'And Jokshan begot Sheba and Dedan' means the derivatives from the first division. 'And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim' means the derivatives from the second division. 'And the sons of Midian, Ephah and Epher, and Enoch, and Abida and Eldaah' means the derivatives from the third division. 'All these were the sons of Keturah' means as regards matters of doctrine and the worship that sprang from these.
`nnn1. In most English versions this name appears as Hanoch, but in the Latin, as in the original Hebrew, the spelling is the same as that of the one mentioned in `Genesis 4bbb17-18`; `Genesis ccc5bbb18-24`.
ppp20611#pid#3239. 'She bore to him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah' represents general divisions of the Lord's spiritual kingdom in heaven and on earth. This is less clear from the Word since none of these names is mentioned anywhere else, except Midian, who is dealt with further on. The meaning becomes sufficiently clear however from the consideration that, without exception, all the persons named in the Word each have some representation, as with all those mentioned so far from the beginning of Genesis and onwards. In the internal sense of the Word the names both of persons and of kingdoms, and also of regions and cities, mean real things - see `@@@768`, `@@@1224`, `@@@1264`, `@@@1876`, `@@@1888`, and many times elsewhere, where this matter in particular is confirmed from the Word. The reason why the rest of these names apart from Midian are not mentioned elsewhere in the Word is that they are the names of 'the sons of the east' who are referred to in various places in the Word and who in general mean members of the Lord's spiritual kingdom, as will be seen below at verse `Genesis 25bbbccc6` of this chapter.
ttt[2] It is clear that these sons of Abraham by Keturah have this representation from the consideration that Abraham and Keturah represent the Lord's Divine Spiritual; that is to say, 'Abraham' represents the Lord's Divine Spiritual Good, 'Keturah' His Divine Spiritual Truth joined to that Good, dealt with just above in `@@@3235`, `@@@3236`. And because Abraham and Keturah represent the Lord's Divine Spiritual, their sons therefore represent general divisions of the kingdom which originates in the Lord's Divine Spiritual. The expression 'general divisions' is used because the Lord's kingdom is represented by 'the land' which is divided up among those to whom it is given to possess as an inheritance, as the land of Canaan was given to the children of Israel. There are in general twelve divisions, for twelve means all things of charity and of faith derived from this which constitute the Lord's kingdom, dealt with below at verse `Genesis 25bbbccc16`. Six, thus half that number, is mentioned here; but half of a number embodies the same as the whole number, for provided that which it embraces is similar, multiplying and dividing does not vary the essential character of the thing itself.
ppp20610#pid#3240. 'And Jokshan begot Sheba and Dedan' means the derivatives from the first division. This is clear from the representation of 'Jokshan' and his sons 'Sheba and Dedan' dealt with below. Since they are mere names here and they mean states and derivatives of the Lord's spiritual Church, something about what they are in general must be stated. The celestial Church differs from the spiritual Church in that in those who belong to the celestial Church and who are called celestial, love - that is to say, the good and truth of love - is present; but in those who belong to the spiritual Church and who are called spiritual, faith - that is to say, the good and truth of faith - is present. Good as it exists with those who are celestial consists in love to the Lord, and truth as it exists with them in love towards the neighbour. But good as it exists with those who are spiritual consists in charity towards the neighbour, and truth as it exists with them in faith insofar as this is doctrine concerning charity. From this it may be seen that good and truth are present in the Lord's spiritual kingdom, as they are in His celestial kingdom, yet are considerably different.
ttt[2] It should be recognized in addition that the inhabitants of those kingdoms are distinguished from one another by means of good and truth for the reason that some are governed more by good, others more by truth. And it is from this that derivatives arise, that is to say, derivatives of good and derivatives of truth. The derivatives of good in the Lord's spiritual kingdom are those which are represented by the sons of Jokshan, who are referred to in this verse, but the derivatives of truth there are those which are represented by the sons of Midian, who are referred to in the next verse. Now because there are two categories of spiritual people - those governed more by good and those governed more by truth - two varieties of doctrine therefore exist among them, namely matters of doctrine concerning charity and matters of doctrine concerning faith. Matters of doctrine concerning charity exist for the sake of those governed by the good of faith, who are meant here by the sons of Jokshan. But matters of doctrine concerning faith exist for the sake of those governed by the truth of faith, who are meant by the sons of Midian.
[3] Sheba and Dedan are those who constitute the first category, that is, people in the Lord's spiritual kingdom who are governed by the good of faith and with whom matters concerning charity exist. This explains why Sheba and Dedan mean the cognitions of celestial things, or what amounts to the same, those with whom such cognitions exist, that is, with whom matters of doctrine concerning charity exist, for matters of doctrine are cognitions, and that which is celestial with the spiritual man is charity. For Sheba and Dedan mean those cognitions, as has been shown in Volume One, in `@@@117`, `@@@1168`, `@@@1171`, `@@@1172`, though there they are the great-grandsons of Ham, and are called the sons of Raamah. It should be realized however that Ham, like Japheth and Shem also, never was an actual person, but that those who belonged to the Church after the Flood called Noah were distinguished as regards goods and truths into three groups, and these groups were referred to by those names, `@@@736`, `@@@1062`, `@@@1065`, `@@@1140`, `@@@1141`, `@@@1162`, and in various other places. Nevertheless there were nations which were so called, but these were descended from different individuals, as is evident here from Sheba and Dedan who were descended from Jokshan, Abraham's son by Keturah.
ttt[4] As regards 'Sheba' meaning those with whom cognitions of celestial things exist - thus those governed by the good of faith - this is clear from the places introduced in `@@@117`, `@@@1171`. 'Dedan' has a similar meaning, as is clear from the texts quoted in `@@@1172`, as well as from the following: In Isaiah,
The prophecy concerning Arabia. In the forest in Arabia you will spend the night, O bands of Dedanites. To the thirsty bring water; O inhabitants of the land of Tema, meet with his bread the fugitive, for they will flee before the swords, before the drawn sword. `Isaiah 21bbb13-15`.
'Spending the night in the forest in Arabia' stands for being made desolate as regards good. For 'Arabia' means those with whom celestial things exist, that is, the goods of faith, so that 'spending the night there in the forest' is when goods exist no longer, and therefore means desolation, which is also described by 'fleeing before the swords, before the drawn sword'. Celestial things, that is, the goods of faith - or what amount to the same, the works of charity - which are theirs, are meant by 'bringing water to the thirsty, and with bread meeting the fugitive'.
ttt[5] In Jeremiah,
I took the cup from Jehovah's hand and made all the nations to whom Jehovah sent me drink it - Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, and its kings and its princes, to turn them into a desolation; Pharaoh king of Egypt, and his servants, and his princes, and all his people; all the kings of Tyre and all the kings of Sidon; Dedan and Tema, and Buz, and all who have cut the corners [of their hair] all the kings of Zimri, and all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of Media, and all the kings of the north. `Jeremiah 25bbb17-19`, `Jeremiah 25bbbccc22-23`, `Jeremiah 25bbbccc25-26`.
This also refers to the desolation of the spiritual Church, different elements of which Church are mentioned in order and are meant by Jerusalem, the cities of Judah, Egypt, Tyre, Sidon, Dedan, Tema, Buz, Zimri, Elam, and Media.
ttt[6] In Ezekiel,
Sheba and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, and all its young lions will say to you, Have you come to seize the spoil? Have you assembled your company to carry off plunder, to carry away silver and gold, and to take cattle and possessions, and seize great spoil? `Ezekiel 38bbb13`.
This refers to Gog who means external worship separated from internal, which is idolatrous, `@@@1151`. 'Sheba and Dedan' stands for the internal aspects of worship, namely the goods of faith, 'Tarshish' for corresponding external worship. The silver, gold, cattle, possessions, and spoil which Gog - or external worship separated from the internal - wishes to 'carry away' are the cognitions of good and truth, which those who are meant by Sheba and Dedan fight for and defend, and who are on that account called 'young lions'. In the proper sense 'Sheba' is those with whom cognitions of good exist, 'Dedan' those with whom cognitions of truth derived from good are present.
ppp20609#pid#3241. 'And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim' means the derivatives from the second division. This becomes clear from the representation of 'Dedan' as those governed by the good of faith, or to be precise, those governed by the truth of faith derived from good, `@@@3240` (end). The fact that they are derivatives from the second division is self-evident. These three sons mean in particular the truths of faith derived from good, though just what each one means can indeed be stated but not confirmed from elsewhere in the Word since they are not mentioned again.
ttt[2] In the Lord's kingdom there are countless variations to goods and truths, yet all those countless variations make up one heaven. Indeed there are so many that one community is in no sense exactly like another, that is, governed by the same good and truth, see `@@@684`, `@@@685`, `@@@690`. One heaven there is made up of many varying parts arranged by the Lord in such a way that they all accord. This accordance or harmony of the many is effected by the Lord through the relationship which each of them has to Him, `@@@551`. It is like the organs, members, and viscera of the body. None is exactly like another. Yet although they are all different from one another they nevertheless make one, through the relatedness of them all to one soul, and through this soul to heaven and so to the Lord. For anything that has no connection with the Lord is in reality nothing. From this it may be seen that specific differences in truth and good are countless. But the kinds of these, indeed the most general kinds, which belong to the spiritual Church, are meant by these sons and grandsons of Abraham by Keturah.
ttt[3] Because members of the spiritual Church do not have perception, as those of the celestial Church do, of what good and truth are, but instead acknowledge as truths things which they have had to learn, they are therefore constantly engaged in discussion about them and in reasoning whether they are true. Everybody adheres to the teaching which his own Church upholds and calls it the truth. This is what gives rise to so many differences. Furthermore the majority make their minds up about goods and truths from appearances and illusions - each one in a different way from another. But no one does so from any perception; indeed they do not know what perception is. Since their understanding is so darkened as regards goods and truths of faith, it is no wonder that disagreements exist about the most essential truth of all, that is to say, about the Lord's Divine, His Human, and His Holy proceeding from these. Those who are celestial perceive that these are not three but one, but in the case of those who are spiritual a mental image of three remains, though they are willing to think of them as one. Since therefore disagreements exist regarding this most essential truth, it may be seen that the variations and differences in matters of doctrine are countless. From this one may know the origin of the derivatives meant by the names of those mentioned at this point. But although there are so many variations and differences in matters of doctrine, or so many derivatives, nevertheless they all together form one Church when everyone acknowledges charity to be the essential thing of the Church, or what amounts to the same, when everyone regards life as the end in view of doctrine - that is, when everyone asks, How does a member of the Church live? rather than, What does he think? For in the next life everyone is allotted a place by the Lord that accords with the good constituting his life, not with the truth he knows from doctrine separated from that good.
ppp20608#pid#3242. 'And the sons of Midian, Ephah and Epher, and Enoch, and Abida, and Eldaah' means the derivatives from the third division. This becomes clear from the representation of 'Midian' as those governed by the truth of faith, to be dealt with below; and since those governed by the truth of faith are 'Midian', it follows that 'sons' are derivatives from it. With regard to those governed by the truth of faith the position is that no one is admitted into the Lord's kingdom except him with whom the good of faith is present since the good of faith is the life of faith. The life of faith remains, but not the doctrine of faith except insofar as it makes one with life. Nevertheless people governed by the truth of faith, that is, who profess faith and refer to it as the essential thing because they have been taught that it is, but who, in spite of that teaching have goodness of life, that is, who are Christians in their hearts and not just on their lips, are in the Lord's spiritual kingdom. For anyone can easily be made to believe that faith is the essential thing if such an idea is handed on to him by teachers and at an early age he becomes steeped in that way of thinking. He is also made to believe because those who are reputed to be very learned, even church-leaders, say the same, some of whom are afraid to talk about the good of life because when life is the criterion they stand condemned, and also - in addition - because matters of faith, when they display themselves, are perceptible, whereas matters of charity are less so. Those therefore who are governed by the truth of faith, and yet also by the good of life are called Midian. But the truths which govern their lives are 'the sons of Midian'.
ttt[2] Just as those in whom the truth of faith is joined to the good of that faith are meant by Midian so also in the contrary sense Midian means those under the influence of falsity because the good of life is lacking in them - as becomes clear from the following: In Isaiah,
A drove of camels will cover you, dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba will come. They will bring gold and frankincense, and will proclaim the praises of Jehovah. `Isaiah 60bbb6`.
This refers to the Lord's spiritual kingdom. 'Dromedaries of Midian and Ephah' stands for matters of doctrine. Matters of doctrine concerning good are meant by 'gold', those concerning truth by 'frankincense'; and both by 'the praises of Jehovah'. From this also it is evident what 'Ephah' means. 'The Midianites' who pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him to Ishmaelites, and to Potiphar in Egypt, `Genesis 37bbb28`, `Genesis 37bbbccc36`, means people governed by truth coupled to simple good, as will in the Lord's Divine mercy be seen later on when those verses are dealt with.
ttt[3] As regards 'Midian' also meaning those under the influence of falsity because the good of life is lacking in them, this may be seen from what is said about Midian in Moses,
The elders of Moab and the elders of Midian with deceptions in their hand came to Balaam and spoke to him the words of Balak. `Numbers 22bbb4`, `Numbers 22bbbccc7`, and following verses.
In the good sense 'Moab' stands for people with whom natural good exists and who easily allow themselves to be misled, but in the contrary sense stands for those who adulterate goods, `@@@2468`. 'Midian' in the good sense, as has been stated, stands for those who are governed by truth coupled to simple good, and so who are easily led to believe things, but in the contrary sense, as here, stands for those who falsify truths. Falsifications are meant by 'deceptions in their hand', and deeds which are the product of falsities by their sending to Balaam to act against the children of Israel, who are the goods, and from these the truths, of faith.
ttt[4] The acts of whoredom committed by the sons of Israel with Midianite women which brought about the plague that Phinehas checked by running through with his spear the Midianite woman and the Israelite man in the brothel, `Numbers 25bbb6-8`, and following verses, has a similar meaning, for acts of whoredom represented falsifications of truth, `@@@2466`, `@@@2729`. And because falsifications of truth are what are meant in the internal sense by acts of whoredom, therefore by command twelve thousand of the children of Israel assailed them, killed their kings, all the males, and the women they had taken captive who had had carnal knowledge of a man, and divided the booty among themselves, `Numbers 25bbb16-17`; `Numbers ccc31bbb1`-end. The reason why 'twelve thousand' were involved was that 'twelve' means all things of faith, `@@@577`, `@@@2089`, `@@@2129` (end), `@@@2130` (end), by means of which falsities are destroyed. 'The kings' they killed are falsities, as also are 'the males', 'the women who had had carnal knowledge of a man' are affections for falsity, and 'the booty' which consisted of gold, silver, and cattle, are truths that have been falsified. From this it is evident that every single thing mentioned there is representative of the punishment and destruction of falsity by means of truths.
ttt[5] The same is meant by the facts related about the Midianites in the Book of Judges,
Because the children of Israel did evil in the eyes of Jehovah they were given into the hand of Midian for seven years.
On account of Midian the children of Israel made dens for themselves in the mountains, also caves, and strongholds. And whenever Israel put in seed, Midian and Amalek and the sons of the east came up and destroyed the produce of their land.
After that they were liberated by Gideon by means of the three hundred who had lapped water with their tongue like a dog, whereas those who had sunk down on their knees to drink had been sent home.
Further references to them, in addition to these, are made in `Genesis 6bbb0` Chapters-`Genesis ccc8bbb0`.
Here too every single detail is representative of the falsification of truth, and on that account of punishment even to the point of their being destroyed by the kind of things meant by 'lapping water with their tongue like a dog'. But what each detail means in the internal sense would take too long to explain here. All this will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with in its proper place. In Habakkuk,
He looked and scattered the nations, and the mountains of time were dissolved, and the hills of old sank down. Below Aven I saw the tents of Cushan, the curtains of the land of Midian trembled. `Habakkuk 3bbb6-7`.
This refers to the Coming of the Lord. 'The tents of Cushan' stands for a religion raised up out of evil, 'the curtains of the land of Midian' for a religion raised up out of falsity.
ppp20607#pid#3243. 'All these were the sons of Keturah' means as regards matters of doctrine and the worship that sprang from these. This is clear from the meaning of 'sons' as truths and matters of doctrine, dealt with in `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@533`, `@@@1147`, `@@@2623`, and from the representation of 'Keturah' as Divine Spiritual Truth joined to Divine Spiritual Good, dealt with in `@@@3236`, `@@@3237`; thus things which belong to the Lord's spiritual kingdom are meant. And because the worship of that kingdom is in accordance with matters of doctrine, therefore the sons of Keturah mean matters of doctrine, and also the worship that sprang from these.
ppp20606#pid#3244. Verses `Genesis 25bbbccc5-6` And Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac. And to the concubines' sons, whom Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts; and he sent them away from being with Isaac his son - while he was still living - eastwards to the land of the east.
'Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac' in the highest sense means all the Divine things within the Divine Rational, and in the relative sense the celestial things of love imparted to the Lord's celestial kingdom. 'And to the concubines' sons, whom Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts' means that places in the Lord's spiritual kingdom were allotted to those adopted by the Lord's Divine Human, namely those who were spiritual. 'And he sent them away from being with Isaac his son' means the distinguishing and separation of those who were spiritual from those who were celestial. 'While he was still living' means to whom he was able to impart life. 'Eastwards to the land of the east' means towards the good of faith.
ppp20605#pid#3245. 'Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac' in the highest sense means all the Divine things within the Divine Rational, and in the relative sense the celestial things of love imparted to the Lord's celestial kingdom. This is clear from the representation of 'Abraham' as the Lord as regards the Divine itself, dealt with already, and from the representation of 'Isaac' as the Lord as regards the Divine Rational, also dealt with already. Now because in the internal sense the Lord is represented by both Abraham and Isaac, and the Lord made His Rational Divine from His own Divine, 'Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac' therefore means all the Divine things within the Divine Rational. All that precedes and follows has regard to this, that is to say, to the consideration that everything in the Lord's Rational was made Divine. Indeed in the places where Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are the subject, the Lord's Human, how it was made Divine, is dealt with in the internal sense.
ttt[2] There are two components which strictly speaking make up the human - the rational and the natural. The Lord's Rational is represented by 'Isaac', but His Natural by 'Jacob'. The Lord made both of these Divine. How He made the Rational Divine is contained in what is stated regarding Isaac, but how He made the Natural so in what is stated later on regarding Jacob. But the latter - the Natural - could not be made Divine before the Rational was made Divine, for it was by means of the Rational that the Natural became Divine. This explains why the words that are being explained here mean all the Divine things within the Divine Rational.
ttt[3] Furthermore every single detail which in the internal sense has reference to the Lord also has reference to His kingdom and Church, the reason being that the Lord's Divine constitutes His kingdom. Consequently when the Lord is the subject so also is His kingdom the subject; see `@@@1965`. However when the internal sense has reference to the Lord it is the highest sense, but when it has reference to His kingdom it is the relative sense. The relative sense of these words - 'Abraham gave all to Isaac' - is that the celestial things of love were imparted to the Lord's celestial kingdom. Indeed in the relative sense 'Isaac' means the celestial kingdom, for the rest of Abraham's sons, that is to say, those he had by Keturah, mean the Lord's spiritual kingdom, as shown above, as also does Ishmael, who is dealt with below.
ppp20604#pid#3246. 'And to the concubines' sons, whom Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts' means that places in the Lord's spiritual kingdom were allotted to spiritual people adopted by the Lord's Divine Human. This is clear from the meaning of 'the concubines' sons' as those who are spiritual, to be dealt with below; from the representation of 'Abraham' here as the Lord's Divine Human (so that the words 'whom Abraham had' mean that they - those who were spiritual - were adopted by the Lord's Divine Human); and from the meaning of 'the gifts which Abraham gave them' as allotted places in the Lord's spiritual kingdom.
ttt[2] From what has been shown several times already about those who constitute the Lord's spiritual kingdom and who are called the spiritual, as in `@@@3235` and elsewhere, it becomes clear that they are not sons of the marriage itself of good and truth, but of a certain covenant not so conjugial. They are indeed descended from the same father but not from the same mother, that is, from the same Divine Good but not from the same Divine Truth. Indeed with those who are celestial, since they are the product of the marriage itself of good and truth, good exists and truth rooted in that good. They never make investigations into what the truth may be but have a perception of it from good. Nor in conversation do they say more than this regarding what is true, 'Yes, that is so', in keeping with the Lord's teaching in Matthew,
Let your words be Yes, yes; No, no; anything beyond this is from evil.`fff1` `Matthew 5bbb37`.
But those who are spiritual, since they are the product of a covenant not so conjugial, do not have any perception from which they can know what is true. Instead they call that the truth which parents and teachers have told them to be the truth. Consequently with them there is no marriage of good and truth. Nevertheless that which they believe to be the truth for the reason just given is adopted by the Lord as truth when goodness of life exists with them; see `@@@1832`. This now explains why the spiritual are here called 'the concubines' sons', which is used to mean all the sons of Keturah mentioned already, and also those descended from Hagar, dealt with shortly below in verses `Genesis 25bbbccc12-18`.
ttt[3] In former times - to enable both those who are celestial and those who are spiritual to be represented in marriages - a man was allowed to have a concubine in addition to a wife. That concubine was given to the husband by his wife (uxor), in which case the concubine was called his wife (mulier), or was said to have been given to him as a wife (mulier), as when Hagar the Egyptian was given to Abraham by Sarah, `Genesis 16bbb3`, when the servant-girl Bilhah was given to Jacob by Rachel, `Genesis 30bbb4`, and when the servant-girl Zilpah was given to Jacob by Leah, `Genesis 30bbb9`. In those cases they are called 'wives' (mulier), but elsewhere concubines, as is Hagar the Egyptian in the present verse, Bilhah in `Genesis 35bbb22`, and even Keturah herself in `1 Chronicles 1bbb32`.
ttt[4] The reason why those men of old had concubines in addition to a wife, as not only Abraham and Jacob did, but also their descendants, such as Gideon, `Judges 8bbb31`; Saul, `2 Samuel 3bbb7`; David, `2 Samuel 5bbb13`; `2 Samuel ccc15bbb16`; Solomon, `1 Kings 11bbb3`, was that they were permitted to do so for the sake of the representation. That is to say, the celestial Church was represented by the wife, and the spiritual Church by the concubine. They were permitted to do so because they were the kind of men with whom conjugial love did not exist; so that to them marriage was not marriage but merely copulation for the sake of begetting off-spring. With such persons those permissions were possible without any harm being done to love or consequently to the conjugial covenant. But such permissions are never possible among people with whom good and truth are present and who are internal people, or potentially so. For as soon as good and truth, and internal things, exist with the human being, such permissions come to an end. This is why Christians are not allowed, as the Jews were, to take a concubine in addition to a wife, and why such is adultery. Regarding the adoption of those who are spiritual by the Lord's Divine Human, see what has been stated and shown already on the same subject in `@@@2661`, `@@@2716`, `@@@2833`, `@@@2834`.
`nnn1. or from the evil one
ppp20603#pid#3247. 'And he sent them away from being with Isaac his son' means the distinguishing and separation of those who were spiritual from those who were celestial. This becomes clear from what has been stated immediately above - that the sons of Abraham by Keturah and by Hagar the Egyptian, who are called 'the concubines' sons' are those who are spiritual; that 'Isaac' in the relative sense means those who are celestial, `@@@3245`; and that they were separated.
ppp20602#pid#3248. 'While he was still living' means to whom he was able to impart life. This is clear from the meaning of 'while he was still living', or while he still lived, as imparting life; for 'Abraham' here represents the Lord as regards the Divine Human. Regarding the Lord's Divine Human being the source of life for those who are spiritual, see `@@@2661`, `@@@2716`, `@@@2833`, `@@@2834`. When that is the source of their life the Lord is said to live with them, as also in everyday speech. Consequently 'while Abraham was still living' means in the internal sense imparting life. Life is imparted to those who are spiritual through the good of faith, which is what the words that follow next are used to mean.
ppp20601#pid#3249. 'Eastwards to the land of the east' means towards the good of faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'the east' and 'the land of the east', to be dealt with below. The good of faith which is meant by 'the land of the east' is nothing else but that which in the Word is called charity towards the neighbour. And charity towards the neighbour is nothing else than a life according to the Lord's commandments. This is what 'the land of the east' means, see `@@@1250`. Those therefore who possessed cognitions regarding the good of faith were called 'the sons of the east'. The land of the sons of the east was Aram or Syria - Aram or Syria meaning cognitions of good, see `@@@1232`, `@@@1234`, and Aram Naharaim or Syria of the [Two] Rivers cognitions of truth, `@@@3051`. And because the Syrians, or 'the sons of the east' means those who possessed cognitions of good and truth, they above all others were referred to as wise, as in 1 Kings where Solomon is referred to,
The wisdom of Solomon surpassed the wisdom of all the sons of the east. `1 Kings 4bbb30`.
And in Matthew, in reference to those who came to Jesus at His birth,
Wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? for we have seen His star in the east and have come to worship Him. `Matthew 2bbb1-2`.
ttt[2] Indeed in Syria there existed the final remnants of the Ancient Church, which is why cognitions of good and truth still remained there, as also becomes clear from Balaam who not only worshipped Jehovah but also prophesied concerning the Lord and called Him,
A star out of Jacob and a sceptre out of Israel. `Numbers 24bbb17`.
The fact that he belonged to the sons of the east in Syria is self-evident, for he says of himself when delivering his discourse,
From Syria Balak has brought me, the king of Moab from the mountains of the east. `Numbers 23bbb7`.
The fact that Aram or Syria was where the sons of the east lived is made additionally clear from the consideration that when Jacob went to Syria he is said to have gone to the land of the sons of the east, `Genesis 29bbb1`.
ppp20600#pid#3250. Verses `Genesis 25bbbccc7-10` And these are the days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived, a hundred and seventy-five years. And Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full [of years]; and he was gathered to his peoples. And Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him at the cave of Machpelah, at the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which faced Mamre. The field which Abraham bought from the sons of Heth, there Abraham was buried and Sarah his wife.
'These are the days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived' means the state representative of the Lord as regards the Divine itself that was portrayed by means of Abraham. 'A hundred and seventy-five years' means the things constituting that state. 'And Abraham breathed his last and died' means the end of the representation portrayed by means of Abraham. 'In a good old age, an old man and full [of years]' means a new state of representation. 'And he was gathered to his peoples' means that these things involving Abraham [were completed]. 'And Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him' means that the representation of the Lord was now taken over by Isaac and Ishmael. 'At the cave of Machpelah' means resurrection as regards truth. 'At the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which faced Mamre' means as regards good; also meant, as previously, are those who are spiritual, who receive truth and good from the Lord's Divine Human and are saved. 'The field which Abraham bought from the sons of Heth' means the Lord's spiritual kingdom resulting from this. 'There Abraham was buried and Sarah his wife' means resurrection.
ppp20599#pid#3251. 'These are the days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived' means the state representative of the Lord as regards the Divine itself that was portrayed by means of Abraham. This is clear from the meaning of 'days' and of 'years' as states, dealt with in `@@@23`, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@893`, `@@@2788`, and from the meaning here of 'life' also as state, dealt with in `@@@2904`, here as the representative states portrayed by means of Abraham. Indeed his whole life as described in the Word was representative, the end of which life is the subject now. The consideration that Abraham represented the Lord as regards the Divine itself has been shown in the explanations that have been given, and so as to represent Him he was named Abraham - the letter H, taken from the name Jehovah, having been inserted, `@@@2010`. Abraham represented both the Divine itself, which is called the Father, and the Divine Human, which is referred to as the Son. He accordingly represented the Lord as regards both, though the Divine Human represented by Him was the Divine Human existing from eternity, of which the Lord was the manifestation and to which He subordinated the Human born in time when He glorified it. This is the representation of the Lord portrayed by means of Abraham.
ppp20598#pid#3252. 'A hundred and seventy-five years' means the things constituting that state. This becomes clear from the fact that every number used in the Word means some real thing, see `@@@482`, `@@@487`, `@@@575`, `@@@647`, `@@@648`, `@@@1963`, `@@@1988`, `@@@2075`, `@@@2252`, and so with this particular number which consequently means the things which constitute the state that is the subject here. As long as the mind confines itself to the historical sense it seems as though numbers, such as these`fff1` which give Abraham's age, do not hold any interior meaning within them. The fact that they do nevertheless hold such meaning within them is evident from all that has been shown already concerning numbers, and becomes clear from the consideration that no number as to its numerical value contains anything holy, and yet the smallest detail of all in the Word is holy.
`nnn1. i.e. the numbers 100, 70, and 5
ppp20597#pid#3253. 'And Abraham breathed his last and died' means the end of the representation portrayed by means of Abraham. This is clear from the meaning of 'breathing one's last and dying' as finishing or coming to an end, `@@@494`, here the end of the representation. For the whole of Abraham's life as described in the Word does not have to do with Abraham, except in the historical sense, but with the Lord and His kingdom. Consequently when he is spoken of as breathing his last and dying nothing else can be meant in the Word, that is, in its genuine sense, than that the state representative of the Lord which was portrayed by Abraham reaches its end.
ppp20596#pid#3254. 'In a good old age, an old man and full [of years]' means a new state of representation. This is clear from the meaning of 'old age' in the internal sense as laying aside the old and taking up the new, dealt with in `@@@1854`, `@@@2198`, `@@@3016`. The reason why that which is new, or a new state, is meant by 'old age' in the internal sense is that with angels for whose sake the internal sense of the Word exists there is no concept of time, and so no concept of things that belong to time, such as the ages of man, which are those of infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age. Instead of all these they have the concept of states - instead of the time of infancy they have the concept of the state of innocence; instead of the time of childhood and adolescence the concept of the state of affection for goodness and truth; instead of adulthood the concept of the state of intelligence; and instead of old age the concept of the state of wisdom, `@@@3183`. And since, when he dies, a person passes from things belonging to time into those of the life where time does not exist, and in so doing he assumes a new state, 'old age' means that which is new, here a new representative; for it is to this representation involving Abraham that 'old age', and also 'an old man and full [of years]' have reference, as may become clear from what has been stated just above.
ppp20595#pid#3255. 'He was gathered to his peoples' means that these things involving Abraham [were completed]. This is clear from the meaning of 'being gathered to his peoples' as his ceasing to be the subject any longer. In fact being gathered to his peoples means taking leave of those among whom he had been until then, passing over to his own, and so here ceasing to represent. Among the ancients it was customary when somebody was dying to speak of his being gathered to his fathers or to his peoples. By this they meant that he was in the process of going to his parents, blood relatives, and relatives by marriage in the next life. This saying had come down to them from the most ancient people who were celestial, for while they were living on earth they were simultaneously present with angels in heaven and so knew all about this. That is to say, they knew that all who are governed by the same good meet and remain together in the next life, as do all who are governed by the same truth. They spoke of the former as being 'gathered to their fathers', but of the latter as being 'gathered to their peoples'; for with them 'fathers' meant goods, `@@@2803`, and 'peoples' truths, `@@@1259`, `@@@1260`. Furthermore because a like good was present in those who belonged to the Most Ancient Church they now live together in heaven, `@@@1115`; and so too do many of those live together who belonged to the Ancient Church and in whom a like truth dwelt, `@@@1125`, `@@@1127`.
ttt[2] What is more, while he lives in the body a person's soul is always present in some community of spirits in the next life, `@@@1277`, `@@@2379` - one who is evil in a community of hellish spirits, one who is good in a community of angels. Accordingly, everyone is present in a community consisting of the kind of people with whom he agrees so far as good and truth, or evil and falsity, are concerned. And into that same community a person comes when he dies, `@@@687`. These are the things that were meant among the ancients by their being gathered to their fathers, or gathered to their peoples, as is said here of Abraham when he breathed his last, and of Ishmael in verse `Genesis 25bbbccc17` of this same chapter, of Isaac in `Genesis 35bbb29`, of Jacob in `Genesis 49bbb29`, `Genesis 49bbbccc33`, of Aaron in `Numbers 20bbb24`, `Numbers 20bbbccc26`, of Moses in `Numbers 27bbb13`; `Numbers ccc31bbb2`; `Deuteronomy 32bbb50`, and of the first generation which entered the land of Canaan, `Judges 2bbb10`. But in the internal sense of the Word when the subject has to do with anyone's life being representative, 'being gathered to his peoples', as stated above, in that case means that he ceases to be dealt with any longer.
ppp20594#pid#3256. 'And Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him' means that the representation of the Lord was now taken over by Isaac and Ishmael. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'burying', namely being raised up and rising again, as shown in `@@@2916`, `@@@2917`. The subject being that state where the representation of the Lord portrayed by means of Abraham came to an end, and the representation portrayed by Isaac and Ishmael now begins, 'burying' therefore means here the rise of that state. Phrases that carry a spiritual meaning depend for their exact meaning on the things to which they refer. With regard to representatives in the Word, they are continuous even though they seem to be broken off by the deaths of those who have played representative roles. Their deaths however do not mean any breaking off but a continuation, and therefore even their burial means that the representation was raised up again and continued in someone else.
ppp20593#pid#3257. 'At the cave of Machpelah' means resurrection as regards truth.
'At the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which faced Mamre' means as regards good; also meant, as previously, are those who are spiritual, who receive truth and good from the Lord's Divine Human and are saved.
'The field which Abraham bought from the sons of Heth' means the Lord's spiritual kingdom resulting from this.
'There Abraham was buried and Sarah his wife' means resurrection.
This may be seen from what has been stated and shown already about the meaning of all these statements in Chapter `Genesis ccc23bbb0`, in `@@@2913`, `@@@2928`, `@@@2968-2971`, `@@@2975`, `@@@2980`, and about the meaning of 'burying' in `@@@2916`, `@@@2917`.
ppp20592#pid#3258. Verse `Genesis 25bbbccc11` And so it was after the death of Abraham, that God blessed Isaac his son; and Isaac dwelt in`fff1` Beer Lahai Roi.
'So it was after the death of Abraham' means after the state and period of the representation of the Lord by means of Abraham. 'That God blessed Isaac his son' means the start of the representation of the Lord by means of Isaac. 'And Isaac dwelt in Beer Lahai Roi' means the Lord's Divine Rational dwelling in Divine light.
`nnn1. literally, with
ppp20591#pid#3259. 'So it was after the death of Abraham' means after the state and period of the representation of the Lord by means of Abraham. This is clear from the meaning of 'dying', when the representative life of someone is the subject, as the end of representation by means of that someone, dealt with above in `@@@3253`. Consequently here 'after the death of Abraham' means after the state and period of the representation of the Lord by means of Abraham.
ppp20590#pid#3260. 'That God blessed Isaac his son' means the start of the representation [of the Lord] by means of Isaac. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'God blessed'. When any task was to be begun it was customary for the ancients to say 'May God bless!' by which was meant the same as by the wish, 'May it be happy and prosperous!' Consequently in the more remote sense by 'May God bless!' as by 'May it be happy and prosperous!' the start was meant, here the start of the representation by means of Isaac, because it follows directly after the ending of the representation by means of Abraham, meant by his death.
ppp20589#pid#3261. 'And Isaac dwelt in`fff1` Beer Lahai Roi' means the Lord's Divine Rational dwelling in Divine light. This is clear from the meaning of 'dwelling' as living, dealt with in `@@@1293`, and from the meaning of 'Beer Lahai Roi' as Divine Rational Good born from Divine Truth itself, dealt with in `@@@3194`. Consequently the proximate sense is that the Divine Rational lived or existed along with, but not actually in Divine Good that was born from Divine Truth itself. This explains why it is not said 'in' but 'with' Beer Lahai Roi, which when translated means, With the Spring of the Living One who sees me; that is, With that Divine Good. Actually Isaac dwelt in the land of the south, according to the following statement made in Verse `Genesis 24bbbccc62` of the previous chapter, 'And Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi, and was dwelling in the land of the south'. And because in that verse 'the land of the south' means Divine light radiating from that Good, `@@@3195`, it has no other meaning here.
`nnn1. Literally, with [NCBS note: The Latin is "cum."]
ppp20588#pid#3262. Verse `Genesis 25bbbccc12` And these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's servant-girl, bore to Abraham. 'These are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son' means derivatives of the spiritual Church represented by Ishmael. 'Whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's servant-girl, bore to Abraham' means the birth of the spiritual man brought about by Divine influx into the affection for knowledge.
ppp20587#pid#3263. 'These are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son' means derivatives of the spiritual Church represented by Ishmael. This is clear from the meaning of 'generations' as derivatives of faith and so of the Church, dealt with in `@@@1145`, `@@@1255`, `@@@1330`; from the representation of 'Ishmael' as those who are rational, and who belong to the Lord's spiritual Church, dealt with in `@@@2078`, `@@@2691`, `@@@2699`; and from the meaning of Abraham's sons as those with whom truth from the Lord is present, for 'sons' means truths, `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@533`, `@@@1147`, `@@@2623`, and 'Abraham' represents the Lord, even as to the Divine Human, `@@@3251`, the source of truth and good received by those who are spiritual, `@@@2661`, `@@@2716`, `@@@2833`, `@@@2834`.
ttt[2] As regards the Lord's spiritual Church it should be realized that it exists throughout the whole world, for it is not confined to those who possess the Word and from the Word have knowledge of the Lord and of some truths of faith. It also exists among those who do not possess the Word and therefore do not know the Lord at all, and as a consequence have no knowledge of any truths of faith - for all truths of faith regard the Lord. That is, it exists with gentiles remote from the Church. For among those people there are many who know from the light of reason that there is one God, that He has created and preserves all things; and also that He is the source of everything good, and consequently of everything true; and that being the likeness of Him makes a person blessed. And what is more, they live up to their religion, in love to that God and in love towards the neighbour. From an affection for good they perform the works of charity, and from an affection for truth they worship the Supreme Being. Such people among the gentiles belong to the Lord's spiritual Church. And although they do not know the Lord while they are in the world they nevertheless have within themselves a worship and virtual acknowledgement of Him when good exists within them, for the Lord is present within all good. For this reason also they acknowledge the Lord in the next life without difficulty, and receive the truths of faith better than Christians do in whom good is not so much present, as may be seen from what has been disclosed from experience about the state and condition in the next life of nations and peoples outside the Church, in `@@@2589-2604`. Their natural light present in their minds holds spiritual light within it, for without spiritual light received from the Lord such truths cannot possibly be acknowledged.
ttt[3] From this it may now become clear what Ishmael means, and therefore what the Ishmaelites mean, in the representative sense - those belonging to the Lord's spiritual Church who lead lives of simple goodness and therefore rely on natural truth for doctrine. Such people are also meant by the Ishmaelites in the following statement regarding Joseph,
Behold, a band of Ishmaelites came from Gilead, and their camels bearing wax, resin, and stacte, taking them down into Egypt. `Genesis 37bbb25`.
Here 'Ishmaelites' stands for those in whom simple good is present, such as exists with upright gentiles. 'Camels bearing wax, resin, and stacte' stands for the interior goods of such people. The same is meant by the Ishmaelites mentioned in verse `Genesis 25bbbccc28` of that chapter, and in `Genesis ccc39bbb1`, as well as in the Book of Judges, in the reference to Gideon's requesting everyone to give him the earrings of his spoil, for being indeed Ishmaelites they had gold earrings, `Judges 8bbb24`. 'Gold earrings' means the things that constitute simple good, `@@@3103`.
ppp20586#pid#3264. 'Whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's servant-girl, bore to Abraham' means the birth of the spiritual man brought about by Divine influx into the affection for knowledge. This is clear from the meaning of 'bearing' as coming into being, dealt with in `@@@2621`, `@@@2629`, from the representation of 'Hagar the Egyptian' as the life of the exterior man', dealt with in `@@@1896`, `@@@1909`, and from the meaning of 'servant-girl' as the affection for knowledge and cognitions which belong in the exterior man, dealt with in `@@@1895`, `@@@2691`. She is called 'Sarah's servant-girl' because 'Sarah' represents the Lord's Divine Truth to which the affection for knowledge and cognitions of truth was subordinate. Since Ishmael represents the spiritual man it is evident that the words 'Whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's servant-girl, bore to Abraham' mean the birth of the spiritual man brought about by Divine influx into the affection for knowledge. This is the way in which man's rational is born, see `@@@1895`, `@@@1896`, `@@@1902`, `@@@1910`, `@@@2094`, `@@@2557`, `@@@3030`, `@@@3074`, and therefore the way in which his spiritual is born, seeing that this has no existence except within the rational.
ttt[2] Consequently the spiritual man and the rational man are practically the same. The difference between one spiritual person and another lies solely in what each person's reason and his life resulting from this are like. Their birth or regeneration is brought about by Divine influx into the affection for cognitions, see `@@@1555`, `@@@1904`, `@@@2046`, `@@@2063`, `@@@2189`, `@@@2657`, `@@@2675`, `@@@2691` (end), `@@@2697`, `@@@2979`. See what has been stated and shown already about Ishmael - that he represented the Lord's first rational which was not as yet Divine, `@@@1893`, and that later on he represented those who are truly rational, or who are spiritual, `@@@2078`, `@@@2691`, and so represented the Lord's spiritual Church, `@@@2699`.
ppp20585#pid#3265. Verses `Genesis 25bbbccc13-16` And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their births: Nebaioth, Ishmael's firstborn, and Kedar, and Abdeel, and Mibsam; and Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa; Hadad, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, in their villages, and in their fortified places; twelve princes of their peoples.
'These are the names of the sons of Ishmael' means the essential characteristics of those people's forms of doctrine. 'By their names, according to their births' means interior characteristics according to derivatives of faith. 'Nebaioth, Ishmael's firstborn, and Kedar, and Abdeel, and Mibsam; and Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa; Hadad, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah' means everything that constitutes the spiritual Church, in particular among the gentiles. 'These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names' means matters of doctrine and the essential nature of them. 'In their villages' means the external aspects of the Church. 'In their fortified places' means the internal aspects. 'Twelve princes of their peoples' means all the first and foremost features of that spiritual Church.
ppp20584#pid#3266. 'These are the names of the sons of Ishmael' means the essential characteristics of those people's forms of doctrine, that is to say, of those who are spiritual. This is clear from the meaning of 'name' as the essential nature, dealt with in `@@@144`, `@@@145`, `@@@1754`, `@@@1896`, `@@@2009`, `@@@2724`, `@@@3006`, from the meaning of 'sons' as truths, and also matters of doctrine, dealt with in `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@533`, `@@@1147`, `@@@2623`, and from the representation of 'Ishmael' as those who are spiritual, dealt with above in `@@@3263`.
ppp20583#pid#3267. 'By their names, according to their births' means interior characteristics according to derivatives of faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'name' as the essential nature, or of 'names' as the essential characteristics, dealt with immediately above in `@@@3266`, here interior characteristics since the words used are 'these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names'. In the first case 'the names' means the general characteristics, but here in the second case specific characteristics residing within those general ones are meant, that is, those which in relation to the general are interior. The word 'names' also means interior characteristics because these characteristics go according to derivatives of faith, meant by 'according to their births' - 'births' meaning derivatives of faith, and so of the Church, see `@@@1145`, `@@@1255`, `@@@1330`, `@@@3263`.
ttt[2] The situation with the Lord's spiritual Church is that it is spread throughout the whole world, and wherever it exists varies so far as matters of belief or truths of faith are concerned. Those variations are the derivatives meant by 'births', which occur either simultaneously or consecutively. The same applies to the Lord's spiritual kingdom in the heavens - that is to say, in matters of faith variety is so great that not one community, nor even one member of a community, is in complete agreement with any other in the things which constitute the truths of faith, `@@@3241`. But for all that, the Lord's spiritual kingdom in the heavens is one, the reason being that with everyone charity is the chief thing, for charity makes the spiritual Church, not faith, unless you say that faith is charity.
ttt[3] Anyone who has charity loves the neighbour, and when the latter differs from him in matters of belief he thinks nothing of it provided he leads a life that is good and true. Neither also does he condemn upright gentiles, in spite of the fact that they have no knowledge of the Lord and do not know any truth of faith. For the person who has charity, that is, who leads a good life, receives such truths from the Lord as agree with his good, and gentiles receive such things as can be turned in the next life into the truths of faith, `@@@2599-2603`. But the person who has no charity, that is, who does not lead a good life, cannot receive any truth. He can indeed know the truth, but it is not implanted in his life. He is indeed able to speak that truth with his lips, but not have it in his heart, for truth cannot be joined to evil. For this reason also, although they are in the Church because they were born in it, those who know truths which they call matters of belief and yet do not lead a charitable or good life nevertheless do not belong to the Church. For they have nothing of the Church within them, that is, no good at all to which truth may be joined.
ppp20582#pid#3268. 'Nebaioth, Ishmael's firstborn, and Kedar, and Abdeel, and Mibsam; and Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa; Hadad, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah' means everything that constitutes the spiritual Church, in particular among the gentiles. This is clear from the representation of these individuals whose names are given. Some of them are mentioned again in the Word, in particular in the prophetical part, such as Nebaioth, Kedar, Dumah, and Tema. There they mean such things as constitute the spiritual Church, in particular among gentiles. This is in addition evident from the fact that there are twelve of them, and 'twelve' means all things that make up faith, and so the Church, to be dealt with below. In verse `Genesis 25bbbccc16` below it is therefore said that they were 'twelve princes of their peoples'.
ttt[2] That 'Nebaioth and Kedar' represent those things that constitute the spiritual Church, in particular among gentiles, that is to say, its goods and its truths derived from these, is clear in Isaiah,
A drove of camels will cover you, dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba will come. They will bring gold and frankincense, and will proclaim the praises of Jehovah. The whole flock of Kedar will be gathered to you, the rams of Nebaioth will minister to you; they will come up with acceptance on My altar. `Isaiah 60bbb6-7`.
This refers in the highest sense to the Lord, and in the relative sense to His kingdom. 'The flock of Kedar' stands for spiritual good - 'a flock' being spiritual good, see `@@@343`, `@@@415`, `@@@2566`. 'The rams of Nebaioth' stands for spiritual truth - 'a ram' being spiritual truth, `@@@2833`.
ttt[3] Kedar is Arabia, as is evident from the places quoted below; and Arabia was named Kedar after Ishmael's son, as becomes clear from the fact that the names mentioned in these two verses are those of countries or nations which were all named after the sons and grandsons of Abraham, as Midian, Ephah, and Sheba above in verses `Genesis 25bbbccc2-4`, and so Kedar and Nebaioth here. In Ezekiel,
Arabia and all the princes of Kedar, these were the merchants of your hand in lambs, and in rams, and in he-goats. In these they were your merchants. `Ezekiel 27bbb21`.
This refers to Tyre, that is, to people who possess cognitions of good and truth - 'Tyre' being such persons, see `@@@1201`. 'Arabia' stands for spiritual good, 'the princes of Kedar' for spiritual truths. 'Lambs, rams, and he-goats' are spiritual goods and truths.
ttt[4] In Jeremiah,
Arise, go up to Kedar, and lay waste the sons of the east. They will take their tents and their flocks, their curtains and all their vessels, and bear their camels away from them. `Jeremiah 49bbb28-29`.
This refers to the vastation of the spiritual Church meant by 'Kedar' and 'the sons of the east'. 'Tents and flocks' stands for the goods of that Church, 'curtains and vessels' for its truths. The sacred things of worship are meant by 'tents and flocks', and by 'curtains and vessels'; but the sacred things of worship are all related to good and truth.
ttt[5] Those however who have no truth because no good resides with them are represented by Arabs and Kedarites in the wilderness, as in Isaiah,
Babel will not be dwelt in for ever, the Arab will not remain there. `Isaiah 13bbb20`.
In the same prophet,
Let the wilderness and its cities lift up [their voice], the villages which Kedar inhabits. `Isaiah 42bbb10-11`.
In Jeremiah,
By the wayside you have sat waiting for them, like an Arab in the wilderness. `Jeremiah 3bbb2`.
In David,
Woe is me, for I sojourn in Meshech; I delay among the tents of Kedar. `Psalms 120bbb5`.
In Isaiah,
In the forest in Arabia you will spend the night, O bands of Dedanites. To the thirsty bring water; O inhabitants of the land of Tema, meet with his bread the fugitive, for they will flee before the swords, before the drawn sword, before the bent bow, and before the grievousness of war. For thus said the Lord to me, Within a year, according to the year of a hireling, and all the glory of Kedar will come to an end; and the remainder of the number of the bows of the mighty men of the sons of Kedar [will be few]. `Isaiah 21bbb13-17`.
'Spending the night in the forest of Arabia' stands for being vastated as regards truth, and 'the bands of Dedanites' stands for those who possess cognitions, `@@@3240`, `@@@3241` (end). 'The inhabitants of the land of Tema' stands for those in whom simple good is present, such as exists with upright gentiles - people, it is clear, who were descended from Ishmael's son called Tema. 'Kedar' stands for those who possess simple truth, of whom it is said that 'they are going to flee before the swords, and before the grievousness of war', which means that they will not experience the conflicts that are brought about by temptations because good does not exist with them any longer.
ttt[6] In Jeremiah,
Pass over to the islands of the Kittians and see, and send to Kedar and examine closely, and see whether there has been such a thing, whether a nation has changed its gods, which are no gods. `Jeremiah 2bbb10-11`.
'The islands of the Kittians' stands for those who are more remote from worship, that is, for gentiles in whom simple good and consequently natural truth are present, `@@@1156`, `@@@1158` - 'Kedar' also meaning, it is evident, such people. In the same prophet,
I took the cup from Jehovah's hand and made all the nations to whom Jehovah sent me drink it - Dedan and Tema, and Buz, and all who have cut the corners [of their hair]; and all the kings of Arabia, and all the kings of the west, dwelling in the wilderness. `Jeremiah 25bbb17`, `Jeremiah 25bbbccc23-24`.
This too refers to the vastation of the spiritual Church which among other names is called Tema and Arabia. From this it is evident that Tema, like Arabia, means those who belong to the spiritual Church. To Arabia however kings and also cities are attributed, but to Kedar princes and villages.
ttt[7] In addition to these Dumah is also mentioned, in `Isaiah 21bbb11-12`. The reason why those nations mean the things that constitute the spiritual Church is that the Ancient Church, which was a spiritual Church, existed among them also, `@@@1238`, `@@@2385`, though their doctrinal teachings and religious observances varied. Nevertheless there was only one Church because those people made charity, not faith, the essential thing. In course of time however, as charity came to an end, that special feature of the Church which existed with them died out. Nevertheless a representative of the Church through them was maintained which differed according to that form of the Church that had once existed among them. Consequently when these nations are mentioned in the Word it is not these nations that are meant but only that form of the Church in general which had once existed there.
ppp20581#pid#3269. 'These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names' means matters of doctrine and the essential nature of them. This is clear from the meaning of 'sons' as truths, and also as matters of doctrine, and of 'name' as the essential nature, dealt with above in `@@@3266`.
ppp20580#pid#3270. 'In their villages' means the external aspects of the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'villages' as those things which constitute the external aspects of faith, and so of the Church. The external aspects of the Church are its religious observances, its internal aspects matters of doctrine when the latter are not matters of knowledge but of life. External aspects were represented by 'villages' because these lay outside cities, whereas internal aspects were represented by the cities themselves - 'cities' meaning matters of doctrine, see `@@@402`, `@@@2268`, `@@@2449`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc2712`, `@@@2943`, `@@@3216`.
ppp20579#pid#3271. 'In their fortified places' means the internal aspects. This is clear from the meaning of 'fortified places' as the internal aspects of faith, here of the Church, since they have reference in particular to gentiles, who do not possess the truth of faith but rational and natural truth. These truths are called 'fortified places' when the truths of faith are called 'cities'. In the original language these expressions which mean villages and fortified places also mean courts and palaces; and courts similarly are the external aspects of the Church, palaces the internal.
ppp20578#pid#3272. 'Twelve princes of their peoples' means all the first and foremost features of that spiritual Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'twelve' as all things of faith and so of the Church, dealt with in `@@@577`, `@@@2089`, `@@@2129` (end), `@@@2130` (end); from the meaning of 'princes' as first and foremost features, dealt with in `@@@1482`, `@@@2089`; and from the meaning of 'peoples' as those who are governed by truths, dealt with in `@@@1259`, `@@@1260`, and so those who belong to the spiritual Church, for they are said to be those with whom truths predominate. The fact that all numbers in the Word mean real things becomes quite clear from the number twelve which occurs so many times. Whenever that number is used in the Word it means all things. For example, the twelve tribes in the Old Testament and the twelve apostles in the New mean all things of faith, and so all things of the Church. Here 'twelve princes' accordingly means all the first and foremost features of that Church which are represented by just so many sons of Ishmael.
ttt[2] That the number twelve means those things becomes clear from what has been introduced in the places mentioned above, as well as from the following in the Word: In John,
I heard the number of the sealed out of every tribe of Israel - twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Reuben, twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Gad, and so on. `Revelation 7bbb4-6`, and following verses.
Here 'twelve thousand sealed out of every tribe' means nothing else than that everyone who receives faith, that is, who receives the good that accompanies it, is saved. In the same book,
A woman encircled with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. `Revelation 12bbb1`.
'A woman' stands for the Church, `@@@252`, `@@@253`, 'the sun' for celestial love, 'the moon' for spiritual love, `@@@30-38`, `@@@1529`, `@@@1530`, `@@@2441`, `@@@2495`. 'Twelve stars' stands for all things of faith - 'stars' being cognitions of good and truth, which are matters of faith, `@@@2495`, `@@@2849`.
ttt[3] In the same book,
The holy city New Jerusalem, having twelve gates, and above the gates twelve angels, and names written which are those of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. He measured the city with the measuring rod, twelve thousand stadia. And he measured its wall, a hundred and forty-four cubits (twelve twelves), which is the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. The twelve gates were twelve pearls. `Revelation 21bbb12`, `Revelation 21bbbccc14`, `Revelation 21bbbccc16-17`, `Revelation 21bbbccc21`.
Here nothing else is meant by the holy city than the Lord's spiritual kingdom, and by the gates, wall, and foundations the things that constitute charity and faith, all of which things are meant by the frequently mentioned number twelve. The fact that neither the twelve tribes nor the twelve apostles are meant literally may be recognized by anyone. In the same book,
In the middle of its street, and of the river, on this side and on that, was the tree of life bearing twelve fruits, yielding its fruit each month. `Revelation 22bbb2`.
'Twelve fruits' means all things of charity.
ttt[4] In Matthew,
Jesus said, Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on His throne of glory, will sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. `Matthew 19bbb28`.
Here 'the apostles' is not used to mean the apostles, nor 'thrones' to mean thrones, nor 'tribes' tribes, but matters of faith in their entirety, see `@@@2129`. Furthermore when the twelve tribes are referred to in the Old Testament Word they mean all things of the Church. The same applies to the twelve stones set according to the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, in the Urim and Thummim, `Exodus 28bbb21`; to the twelve loaves of the presence that were laid out on the table, `Leviticus 24bbb5-6`; and so on with every other reference to twelve. Also the names themselves of the twelve sons of Jacob or Israel contain all things of faith, as will be seen in the Lord's Divine mercy in Chapters `Genesis ccc29bbb0`, `Genesis ccc30bbb0` below.
ppp20577#pid#3273. Verses `Genesis 25bbbccc17-18` These are the years of Ishmael's life, a hundred and thirty-seven years; and he breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his peoples. And they resided from Havilah as far as Shur, which is opposite Egypt as you come towards Asshur. [His lot] fell opposite all his brothers.
'These are the years of Ishmael's life' means a state representative of the Lord's spiritual kingdom, portrayed by means of Ishmael. 'A hundred and thirty-seven years' means the things constituting that state. 'And he breathed his last and died' means the end of the representation portrayed by means of Ishmael. 'And he was gathered to his peoples' means that these things involving Ishmael [were completed]. 'And they resided from Havilah as far as Shur, which is opposite Egypt as you come towards Asshur' means the whole extent of intelligence. '[His lot] fell opposite all his brothers' means disputes concerning truth, but that he was the superior.
ppp20576#pid#3274. 'These are the years of Ishmael's life' means a state representative of the Lord's spiritual kingdom, portrayed by means of Ishmael. This is clear from the meaning of 'years' and 'life' at this point as representative states, dealt with above in `@@@3251`, and from the representation of 'Ishmael' as the Lord's spiritual kingdom, dealt with in `@@@2699`, `@@@3263`, `@@@3268`.
ppp20575#pid#3275. 'A hundred and thirty-seven years' means the things constituting that state. This becomes clear from what has been stated above in `@@@3252` about Abraham's age.
ppp20574#pid#3276. 'And he breathed his last and died' means the end of the representation portrayed by means of Ishmael. This also is clear from what has been stated above in `@@@3253`, where the same words occur and the internal sense is the same. And 'he was gathered to his peoples' means that these things involving Ishmael [were completed], as is likewise clear from what has been stated above, in `@@@3255`.
ppp20573#pid#3277. 'And they resided from Havilah as far as Shur, which is opposite Egypt as you come towards Asshur' means the whole range of intelligence, and '[his lot] fell opposite all his brothers' means disputes concerning the truth, but that he was the superior. This is clear from what has been stated in `@@@115`, `@@@1951`, where these matters have been explained.
ppp20572#pid#3278. Verses `Genesis 25bbbccc19-20` And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham begot Isaac. And Isaac was a son of forty years when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife.
'These are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son' means the Lord's Divine Rational, from which the Divine Natural sprang. 'Abraham begot Isaac' means that the Divine itself begot the Divine Rational. 'And Isaac was a son of forty years' means from His own power by means of the conflicts brought about by temptations. 'When he took Rebekah' means the joining of Divine Truth [to the Divine Rational]. 'The daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife' means its essential nature and its state.
ppp20571#pid#3279. 'These are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son' means the Lord's Divine Rational, from which the Divine Natural sprang. This is clear from the meaning of 'generations' as derivatives, dealt with in `@@@1145`, `@@@1255`, `@@@1330`, that is to say, derivatives of faith when faith is the subject, and derivatives of the Church when the Church is the subject, as above where derivatives of the spiritual Church are meant by the generations of Ishmael, `@@@3263`. Here however since 'generations' has reference to the Lord, Divine generations are meant. That is to say, the Divine Rational came into being from the Divine itself, which is meant by Isaac who was begotten by Abraham; and the Divine Natural came into being from the Divine Rational, which is meant by Esau and Jacob who were begotten by Isaac. For Esau and Jacob represent the Lord's Divine Natural, Esau as regards good, and Jacob as regards truth, both being dealt with in what follows next. These are the things meant here by 'generations'.
ppp20570#pid#3280. 'Abraham begot Isaac' means that the Divine itself begot the Divine Rational. This is clear from the representation of 'Abraham' as the Divine itself, and from the representation of 'Isaac' as the Divine Rational, often dealt with already.
ppp20569#pid#3281. 'And Isaac was a son of forty years' means from His own power by means of the conflicts brought about by temptations. This is clear from the representation of 'Isaac' as the Divine Rational, often dealt with already, from the meaning of 'forty' as temptations, dealt with in `@@@730`, `@@@862`, and from the meaning of 'years' as states, dealt with in `@@@23`, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@893`, `@@@2788`. Consequently the internal sense of these words is that the Lord made His Rational Divine even as regards truth by means of the conflicts brought about by temptations, and so by His own power. For the Lord by His own power made everything human within Himself Divine by means of the temptations He underwent, as has been shown already in `@@@1661`, `@@@1663`, `@@@1668`, `@@@1690`, `@@@1787`, `@@@2083`, `@@@2523`, `@@@2632`, `@@@2776`, `@@@3030`, `@@@3043`, `@@@3141`.
ppp20568#pid#3282. 'When he took Rebekah' means the joining of Divine Truth [to the Divine Rational]. This is clear from the representation of 'Rebekah' as Divine Truth allied to Divine Good in the Rational, the origin of which in the natural man was dealt with in the previous chapter.
ppp20567#pid#3283. 'The daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife' means its essential nature and its state. This is clear from the representation of 'Bethuel' and 'Laban', and also from the meaning of 'Aram' and 'Paddan Aram', as the original elements from which Divine Truth represented by Rebekah derived its essential nature and its state. But what Bethuel and Laban each represents, and what Aram or Syria means, has been explained in the previous chapter. The reason why they are mentioned again here is that in what follows below the Lord's Natural is the subject.
ttt[2] The Lord's Natural could not be made Divine until truth had been allied to His Rational and that truth had been made Divine - for the influx into the Natural had to be an influx from the Divine Good of the Rational by way of Divine Truth there. Indeed the entire life of the natural man so far as knowing and acting with understanding are concerned is due to such an influx. It is the rational in fact that coordinates everything in the natural, and in accordance with that coordination fittingly regards the things that are there. Indeed the rational is like a higher faculty of seeing which, when it looks at facts belonging to the natural man, is like someone looking down on to a plain below him. The light of that faculty of seeing is the light of truth, but the origin of that light rests with the good present in the rational. But more of this in what follows below.
ppp20566#pid#3284. Verses `Genesis 25bbbccc21-23` And Isaac prayed to Jehovah on behalf of his wife because she was barren; and Jehovah granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. And the sons struggled together within her, and she said, If this is so, why am I [going through this]? And she went to inquire of Jehovah. And Jehovah said to her, Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples will be separated from your bowels, and [one] people will prevail over [the other] people, and the greater will serve the less.
'Isaac prayed to Jehovah' means communication of the Divine which is the Son with the Divine which is the Father. 'On behalf of his wife because she was barren' means that the Divine Natural did not as yet exist. 'And Jehovah granted his prayer' means carried into effect. 'And Rebekah his wife conceived' means from Divine Truth as the mother. 'And the sons struggled together within her' means conflict, which is the subject here. 'And she said, If this is so, why am I [going through this]?' means distress. 'And she went to inquire of Jehovah' means a state of communication. 'And Jehovah said to her' means perception from the Divine. 'Two nations are in your womb' means the natural as regards good, interior and exterior, which is conception. 'And two peoples will be separated from your bowels' means resulting truth. 'And [one] people will prevail over [the other] people' means that at first truth must be superior to the good of truth. 'And the greater will serve the less' means that the good of truth must for a time be subordinate.
ppp20565#pid#3285. 'Isaac prayed to Jehovah' means communication of the Divine which is the Son with the Divine which is the Father. This is clear from the meaning of 'praying' as communicating, for prayer is nothing other than communication, and from the representation of 'Isaac' as the Divine Rational. The Divine which is the Son is 'Isaac' - that is, the Rational when truth had been joined to it - whereas the Divine which is the Father is 'Jehovah' here. This communication took place in the Lord, for 'the Father was in the Son, and the Son in the Father', `John 14bbb10-11`.
ppp20564#pid#3286. 'On behalf of his wife because she was barren' means that the Divine Natural did not as yet exist. This is clear from the meaning of 'a wife' as Divine Truth joined to the Divine Good of the Rational, which Truth, as shown in the previous chapter, is represented by 'Rebekah'; and from the meaning of 'barren' as the non-existence as yet of the Divine Natural. For the truth of the matter is that the Divine Natural came into being from the Divine Good of the Rational as the father and from Divine Truth there as the mother. While the Divine Natural does not as yet exist the Truth of the Rational is called 'barren', here 'a barren wife'.
ttt[2] In man's case the situation is that while he is being regenerated the Lord instills good, that is, goodwill to the neighbour, into his rational. This goodwill or good has truth from the natural man allied to it. Once this is completed his natural has still to be regenerated, as anyone may recognize from the fact that the internal or rational man often conflicts with the external or natural; and as long as conflict exists the natural is not regenerate. And while the natural remains unregenerate the rational as regards truth is barren. As is the case in general so it is similarly in every particular instance in which the rational does not agree with the natural; in every such instance the rational as regards truth is called barren.
ttt[3] The work of regeneration revolves for the most part around making the natural man correspond to the rational man, not only in general but also in particular. And the natural man is brought into such correspondence by the Lord by means of the rational. That is to say, good is instilled into the rational, and within this good as the soil truths are planted, after which by means of rational truths the natural is brought into obedience. When it is obedient it in that case corresponds; and to the extent it corresponds a person has been regenerated.
ppp20563#pid#3287. 'And Jehovah granted his prayer' means carried into effect. This becomes clear without explanation, for when Jehovah has granted a prayer, the prayer has been answered or carried into effect.
ppp20562#pid#3288. 'And Rebekah his wife conceived' means from Divine Truth as the mother. This is clear from the representation of 'Rebekah' as the Divine Truth of the Rational, dealt with in the previous chapter, and from the meaning of 'conceiving' as the first beginnings of the rise of the Divine Natural, as from the mother. For as stated just above, the Divine Natural came into being from the Divine Good of the Rational as father and from the Divine Truth of the Rational as mother. Scarcely anybody knows that this is so, especially since few know that the rational is distinct and separate from the natural. None but those who are truly rational know of that distinctness, and none are truly rational but those who have been regenerated by the Lord. People who have not been regenerated do not grasp it since to them the rational and the natural are one and the same.
ppp20561#pid#3289. 'And the sons struggled together within her' means conflict, which is the subject here. This is clear from the meaning of 'struggling' as conflicting, and from the meaning of 'sons' here as the Natural both as regards good and as regards truth. For Esau and Jacob, who are 'the sons' here, represent the Lord's Divine Natural - 'Esau' the good of the Divine Natural, 'Jacob' the truth - as will be clear from what is stated further on. This struggle or conflict is also the subject in the present chapter, being a struggle or conflict over priority - whether good is prior or whether truth is. Or what amounts to the same, whether charity which is akin to good is prior or faith which is akin to truth. In the spiritual Church this was from earliest times a point over which many were in conflict with one another. And since that question of priority is the subject in what follows, it is here said that 'the sons struggled together within her' meaning conflict, which is the subject here.
ppp20560#pid#3290. 'And she said, If this is so, why am I [going through this]?' means distress. This becomes clear from the sense of these words as distress, caused indeed by the struggle, that is, by the conflict between the brothers. 'If this is so' means, if they were engaged in conflict over this. 'Why this?' means that there ought to be no conflict over it. 'I' or 'why am I?' means if they were engaged in conflict over this they would receive no influx from rational truth, and distress would result.
ppp20559#pid#3291. 'And she went to inquire of Jehovah' means a state of communication. This is clear from the meaning of 'inquiring' as communicating when said of the Lord. Actually it was Jehovah within Himself who was being inquired of. In the historical sense however that communication is expressed as 'praying', `@@@3285`, and the state of communication as 'inquiring'.
ppp20558#pid#3292. 'And Jehovah said to her' means perception from the Divine. This is clear from what has just been stated, and also from the meaning of 'saying' as perceiving, dealt with in `@@@1791`, `@@@1815`, `@@@1819`, `@@@1822`, `@@@1898`, `@@@1919`, `@@@2080`, `@@@2506`, `@@@2515`, `@@@2552`, so that 'Jehovah's saying' is perceiving from the Divine.
ppp20557#pid#3293. 'Two nations are in your womb' means the natural as regards good, interior and exterior, which is conception. This is clear from the meaning of 'nations' as goods, in particular of the Church, dealt with in `@@@1159`, `@@@1258`, `@@@1260`, `@@@1416`, `@@@1849`. Here goods within the natural are meant, as is evident from the consideration that Esau and Jacob, who at that time were in the womb, represent the Lord's Divine Natural, as will be quite clear from what follows in the part where they are the subject. As with the rational the natural consists of good and of truth. The good within the natural includes all that which goes with natural affection and is called delight, whereas the truth within the natural includes all that which is part of knowledge and is termed factual knowledge. These two must be present in the natural for it to be the natural. By itself and isolated from the delight which belongs to affection, factual knowledge is not anything at all - it being from delight that the natural gets its life, since it is from this that the natural may come to know anything. However, if delight, which is the good of the natural, is devoid of factual knowledge, it is nevertheless something, though only a vital spark, as it is in young children. For the natural to be human therefore it has to consist of both elements, the one perfecting the other. But life itself it receives from good.
ttt[2] As for the good which is the subject here, it is twofold - interior and exterior. Interior good communicates with the interior man, that is, with the rational, while exterior good communicates with the external, that is, with the things that belong to the body, bringing life to the external senses as well as to actions. Without such communication in both parts no one is able to live as a rational being or as a physical organism. Interior communication is what remains with a person after death and then constitutes his natural life, for a spirit too possesses natural life since his spiritual life is encompassed in the natural as the ultimate level of it. For no one is able to think spiritually immediately after death except from the things that belong to his natural. Exterior communication however is what a person has while he is living in the body, but it comes to an end with the death of the body. From these considerations it may now be seen what 'two nations in the womb' means, namely the natural as regards good, interior and exterior. 'In the womb' means, in the internal sense, conception, and this is why at this point the expression 'which is conception' is used in reference to that good.
ppp20556#pid#3294. 'And two peoples will be separated from your bowels' means resulting truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'people' as truth, dealt with in `@@@1259`, `@@@1260`, and from the meaning of 'being separated from the bowers' as arising from there. When in the Word birth is the subject the expression 'going out of the womb or belly' is used in reference to the mother, but 'being separated from the bowels' in reference to the father. For womb and loins are used in reference to the things of love, that is, of good, but when the expression 'being separated from the bowels' is used the origin of truth is meant. Here therefore, where the subject is good, the words 'two nations from your womb' are used, and when truth is the subject, 'two peoples will be separated from your bowels'; and by these words the origin of truth from good is meant in the internal sense. The expression 'two peoples' is used because just as good is interior and exterior, `@@@3293`, so also is truth. Interior truth within the natural is that which is joined to the interior good of the natural, while exterior truth is that which is joined to the exterior good of the natural. Interior truth is called natural truth, whereas exterior truth is called sensory truth. What exactly these types of truth are, however, will in the Lord's Divine mercy be clear later on where Jacob is the subject, for Jacob represents both of these types of truth.
ppp20555#pid#3295. 'And [one] people will prevail over [the other] people' means that at first truth must be superior to the good of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'people' as truth, dealt with immediately above in `@@@3294`, and from the meaning of 'prevailing over' as being superior to. The 'people' mentioned first means truth, whereas the 'people' mentioned second means the good of truth. The good of truth is good which arises out of truth, and, as it exists first of all, is truth. It is called good however because it looks like good. Consequently 'people' also means this good, which is called the good of truth as it is when it first arises.
ttt[2] To have any concept of this good it should be recognized that until he has been regenerated a person does good from truth, but after he has been regenerated he does it from good. Or to make the point clearer still, before he has been regenerated the good he does is a product of the understanding, but after he has been regenerated it is a product of the will. Good therefore which is a product of the understanding is not in itself good but truth, whereas good that is a product of the will is good. For example, when a person does not honour his parents but then learns from the Ten Commandments to do so, his honouring of them is at first a product of the commandment. Such honouring however, being a product of the commandment, is not in itself good because it does not flow from love. It flows either from obedience to the law or from fear of the law, but is nevertheless called the good of truth. When it first arises however it is truth, for at that time it is not good that he performs but truth. When however his honouring of them is the product of love it is in that case good. The same is so in every other example that could be taken.
ppp20554#pid#3296. 'And the greater will serve the less' means that the good of truth must for a time be subordinate. This is clear from the meaning of 'the greater' as good, from the meaning of 'serving' as being subordinate, and from the meaning of 'the less' as truth. This matter may be seen from what follows, being described there by means of Esau and Jacob. For as has been stated, 'Esau' represents good, and 'Jacob' truth. The rise of a struggle or conflict over priority and over lordship is described in the internal sense by Jacob's stealing the birthright from Esau and also the blessing. But the fact that this situation would last for a time only is evident from Isaac's prophecy concerning Esau,
And by your sword you will live, and you will serve your brother; and it will be, when you have dominion over him, that you will break his yoke from above your neck. `Genesis 27bbb40`.
ttt[2] The fact that the things said in this verse have an internal sense, and that without that internal sense nobody can know what they mean, is quite evident, that is to say, what is meant by 'two nations are in your womb, and two peoples will be separated from your bowels', and by '[one] people will prevail over [the other] people, and the greater will serve the less'. The fact that they do mean the things that have been stated is clear from what follows where the subject is dealt with extensively. Furthermore one can scarcely credit that these statements embody such things unless one knows about good and truth, about the birth of the first from the second, and about the change of state with a person when being regenerated. In the internal sense the subject is indeed the Lord, here how the Lord made His Natural Divine. But in the representative sense the subject is the regeneration of man, for man's regeneration is an image of the Lord's glorification, `@@@3043`, `@@@3138`, `@@@3212` - that is, in regeneration one sees as in a certain image the manner in which the Lord glorified His Human, or what amounts to the same, made it Divine. For as the Lord changed completely His human state into a Divine one, so also does the Lord when He is regenerating man change his state completely, for He turns his old man into a new man.
ppp20553#pid#3297. Verses `Genesis 25bbbccc24-26` And her days for bringing forth were completed, and behold, there were twins in her womb. And the first came out, ruddy all over, like a hairy garment; and they called his name Esau. And after that his brother came out, and his hand was grasping Esau's heel; and he called his name Jacob. And Isaac was a son of sixty years when she bore them.
'Her days for bringing forth were completed' means the first state of the effect. 'And behold, there were twins in her womb' means that the two were conceived simultaneously. 'And the first came out, ruddy all over, like a hairy garment' means good constituting the life of natural truth. 'And they called his name Esau' means its essential nature. 'And after that his brother came out' means truth. 'And his hand was grasping Esau's heel' means the lowest level of natural good, to which [truth] clung with some power. 'And he called his name Jacob' means the doctrine of natural truth. 'And Isaac was a son of sixty years when she bore them' means the state of Rational Truth at that time.
ppp20552#pid#3298. 'Her days for bringing forth were completed' means the first state of the effect. This is clear from the meaning of 'days' as states, dealt with in `@@@23`, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@893`, `@@@2788`. The first state of the effect is meant by 'the days for bringing forth were completed' because 'bringing forth' in the spiritual sense has to do with good and truth, and means in that sense the manifestation of these, `@@@2621`, `@@@2629`. Good and truth are similar to offspring, in that they are conceived, carried in the womb, born, and after that grow to maturity. After conception the efficient, or conceived, seed starts to produce the effect. This takes place in the womb. Once these states have been completed and the time to give birth is at hand, the effect at that point begins to exist, which is called the first state of the effect. For at that point the offspring begins to act independently so to speak and to strive to reach that state which is called the state of the effect.
ppp20551#pid#3299. 'And behold, there were twins in her womb' means that the two were conceived simultaneously. This is clear from the meaning of 'twins' as the two, that is to say, good represented by 'Esau' and truth represented by Jacob', and from the meaning of 'in the womb' as conception, dealt with above in `@@@3293`. With regard to the two, that is to say, the good and the truth of the natural, being conceived simultaneously, the situation is that anything that is born owes its being (esse) to the father but its manifestation (existere) to the mother. Both are necessary if anything is to come into existence. As regards good the natural is conceived from the good of the rational as the father, and as regards truth from the truth of the rational as the mother, `@@@3286`, `@@@3288`. It is good that confers life, but it does so through truth. Though both are called the soul good is nevertheless primarily the soul, while truth clothes it in a kind of thin casing or body, so that the good resides within the truth. This is what is meant by 'twins in her womb'.
ppp20550#pid#3300. 'And the first came out, ruddy all over, like a hairy garment'`fff1` means good constituting the life of natural truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'coming out' as being born, from the meaning of 'ruddy' as good constituting the life, dealt with below, and from the meaning of 'a hairy garment' as the truth of the natural, also dealt with below. His being 'the first' means that in essence good is prior, as stated above in `@@@3299`. It is also called 'a hairy garment' so as to mean that good was clothed with truth as in a thin casing or body, as also stated above in `@@@3299`. In the Word 'a tunic' means nothing else in the internal sense than something that clothes another thing, and that also is why truths are compared to garments, `@@@1073`, `@@@2576`.
ttt[2] The reason why 'ruddy' or 'red' means good constituting the life is that all good flows from love, and love itself is celestial and spiritual fire. Love is also compared to and actually called fire, see `@@@933-936`, as well as being compared to and actually called blood, `@@@1001`. Because both fire and blood are red, good that flows from love is meant by 'ruddy' and 'red', as may also be seen from the following places in the Word: In the prophecy of Jacob, who by then was Israel,
He will wash his clothing in wine and his garment in the blood of grapes. His eyes will be redder than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk. `Genesis 49bbb11-12`.
This refers to Judah, who is used here to mean the Lord, as may be clear to anyone. 'Clothing' here and 'garment' are the Lord's Divine Natural. 'wine' and 'the blood of grapes' are the Divine Good and Divine Truth of the Natural - Divine Good being spoken of as 'eyes redder than wine', and Divine Truth as 'teeth whiter than milk'. It is the joining together of good and truth within the Natural that is described in this fashion.
ttt[3] In Isaiah,
Who is this who is coming from Edom, red as to his clothing, and his clothes like his that treads in the winepress? `Isaiah 63bbb1-2`.
Here 'Edom' stands for the Divine Good of the Lord's Divine Natural, as will be evident later on. 'Red as to clothing' is the good of truth, and 'clothes like his that treads in the winepress' the truth of good. In Jeremiah,
Her Nazirites were brighter than snow, they were whiter than milk. They were ruddier in body`fff2` than rubies, polished like sapphire.`fff3` `Lamentations 4bbb7`.
'Nazirites' represented the Lord's Divine Human, in particular the Divine Natural, and so the good of the latter was represented by their being 'ruddier in body than rubies'.
ttt[4] Because 'red' meant good, in particular the good of the natural, the Jewish Church - in which every single thing was representative of the Lord, and from this of His kingdom, and consequently of good and truth which are the source of the Lord's kingdom - was therefore commanded to have a covering for the tabernacle of red-rams' skins, `Exodus 25bbb5`; `Exodus ccc26bbb14`; `Exodus ccc35bbb5-7`, `Exodus 35bbbccc23`; `Exodus ccc36bbb19`. That Church was also commanded to prepare the water for making atonement from the ashes of the red heifer that had been burnt, `Numbers 19bbb2` and following verses. Unless the colour red had been a sign of something heavenly in the Lord's kingdom, it would never have been commanded that the rams should be red and that the heifer should be red. The fact that they represented sacred things anyone acknowledges who considers the Word to be sacred. Because the colour red had that meaning, therefore also the coverings of the Tabernacle were interwoven with, and had loops made of, scarlet, purple, and violet yarn, `Exodus 35bbb6`.
ttt[5] Seeing that almost everything also has a contrary sense, as often stated, so too has 'red'. In the contrary sense 'red' means evil that is the outcome of self-love, the reasons for this being that the desires belonging to self-love are compared to and actually called fire, `@@@934` (end), `@@@1297`, `@@@1527`, `@@@1528`, `@@@1861`, `@@@2446`, and are likewise compared to and actually called blood, `@@@374`, `@@@954`, `@@@1005`. Consequently 'red' in the contrary sense means those things, as in Isaiah,
Jehovah said, Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be white as snow. Though they are red as crimson,`fff4` they will be as wool. `Isaiah 1bbb18`.
In Nahum,
The shields of the mighty men of Belial have been made red, the mighty men are in crimson!; enveloped in the fire of torches are the chariots on the day [of preparation]. `Nahum 2bbb3`.
In John,
Another sign appeared in heaven, Behold, a great fiery-red dragon having seven heads, and on his heads seven jewels. `Revelation 12bbb3`.
In the same book,
I saw, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; to him a crown was given; he went out conquering and to conquer. Then there came out another horse, fiery-red; and he who sat on the horse was permitted to take peace away from the earth, and so that men would slay one another. Therefore to him was given a great sword. After that a black horse came out, and at length a pale horse, whose name is death. `Revelation 6bbb2-8`.
`nnn1. The Latin word is tunica, which is discussed in `@@@4677`.
`nnn2. literally, bone
`nnn3. literally, sapphire their polishing
`nnn4. literally, purple
ppp20549#pid#3301. 'A hairy garment' means the truth of the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'a tunic' as something that clothes another thing - that something being in this case truth because this serves to clothe good (for truth is like a garment, `@@@1073`, `@@@2576`, or what amounts almost to the same, truth is the recipient vessel for good, `@@@1469`, `@@@1496`, `@@@1832`, `@@@1900`, `@@@2063`, `@@@2261`, `@@@2269`); and also from the meaning of 'hairy' as the natural as regards truth. Hair, or the hair on the head, is mentioned several times in the Word, and in those places means that which is natural, the reason being that hairs are outgrowths on the most exterior parts of a person, as also is the natural in relation to its rational and to the interior parts of the rational. During his lifetime it seems to everyone as though the natural within him is all there is to him, but this is so far from being true, that the natural is rather an outgrowth from the internal parts of him, like hairs from the parts of the body. They also stem from internal parts in almost the same way. This also is why people who have been wholly natural during their lifetime are seen in the next life to have faces covered almost entirely with hair when a visual presentation is made of that state. What is more, man's natural is represented by 'the hair'. When it is an outgrowth from good it is represented by attractive and neatly arranged hair, but when it is not the outgrowth from good by unattractive and dishevelled hair.
ttt[2] It is from this representation that in the Word 'hair', or 'the hair on the head' is used to mean the natural, especially as regards truth, as in Zechariah,
It will happen on that day, that the prophets will be ashamed, [every] man on account of his vision when he has prophesied. And he will not put on a hairy garment in order to deceive. `Zechariah 13bbb4`.
'The prophets' stands for people who teach truths, here for those who teach falsities, `@@@2534`. 'Vision' stands for truths, here for falsities, 'hairy garment' for the natural as regards truth. But because it was not truth but falsity the phrase 'in order to deceive' is used. Such clothing was worn by the prophets so that truth, being external, might be represented by them. This also was why, dressed in a similar way, Elijah the Tishbite is called a hairy man, `2 Kings 1bbb8`, and why John, the last of the prophets, had a garment of camel hair, `Matthew 3bbb4` - 'camels' being facts in the natural man, see `@@@3048`, `@@@3071`, `@@@3143`, `@@@3145`, and facts being the truths of the natural man, `@@@3293`.
ttt[3] That 'the hair' meant the natural as regards truth is quite clear from the Nazirites who were commanded not to shave their heads with a razor all the days of their Nazirite vow, not until their days of abstinence to Jehovah had been completed. Then they were to let down the hair on their heads and at the door of the Tent of Meeting were to shave the head of their Naziriteship and put the hair on to the fire which was beneath the eucharistic sacrifice, `Numbers 6bbb5`, `Numbers 6bbbccc18-19`. They represented the Lord's Divine Human, and from this the person belonging to the celestial Church, who was a likeness of the Lord, `@@@51` - representing that person's natural man by 'the hair'. When they were being sanctified therefore they were to lay aside their old or previous natural man into which they had been born and were to assume the new. This was meant by the requirement, when the days of abstinence to Jehovah had been completed, to let down the hair on their heads and to put it on to the fire beneath the sacrifice. For the state of the celestial man is a state in which good is present in him and from that good he has a knowledge of all truths. He never thinks and talks from truths about good, still less from facts about good, see `@@@202`, `@@@337`, `@@@2715`, `@@@2718`, `@@@3246`. Furthermore those who are celestial are of such a nature that before they lay aside that state into which they were born their natural has become so powerfully equipped with truth that they are capable of fighting with the hells; for it is truth, never good, that goes into battle. The hells cannot make even the remotest approach towards good. That truth is of such a nature, and good of such a nature, see `@@@1950`, `@@@1951`.
ttt[4] From this it is evident how it was that Samson had strength from his hair, referred to as follows,
The angel of Jehovah appeared to Samson's mother, saying, Behold, you will conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come up over his head; the boy shall be a Nazirite of God from the womb. `Judges 13bbb3`, `Judges 13bbbccc5`.
Later on he revealed to Delilah that if he were shaved his strength would leave him and he would be rendered powerless. And immediately he had been shaved, his strength did leave him and the Philistines seized him. And when subsequently the hair on his head started to grow again, where he had been shaved, his strength returned to him, enabling him to dislodge the pillars of the house, `Judges 16bbb1`-end. Who does not see that this description holds a heavenly arcanum within it, and that nobody knows what that arcanum is unless he has been taught regarding representatives, that is to say, that a Nazirite portrayed the celestial man, and as long as he had his hair he portrayed the natural part of that man, with whom, as has been stated, such strong and powerful truth was present? And Samson had such strength because at that period of time all representatives which the Lord had commanded had such force and effect. But he was not a consecrated Nazirite like those mentioned above, that is to say, someone who had put on a state of good instead of truth. The chief reason why the ultimate existence of his strength lay in his hair was so that he might represent the Lord who from the natural man as regards truth was to fight the hells and overcome them. This He did before putting on Divine Good and Truth even as regards the natural man.
ttt[5] From this it is also evident why the high priest, on whose head the anointing oil had been poured and who had been consecrated`fff1` to wear the garments, was commanded not to shave his head or to rend his garments, `Leviticus 21bbb10`. And in a similar way where the new Temple is referred to the Levitical priests were commanded not to shave their head or to let their hair grow long, `Ezekiel 44bbb20`; that is to say, they represented the Lord's Divine Natural as regards truth that is derived from good and is called truth grounded in good. That 'hair' or the hair on the head means the natural as regards truth is clear also from the prophetical parts of the Word, as in Ezekiel,
I gave you to be like the seed of the field, from which you grew up and became tall to full beauty; your breasts were formed and your hair had grown. `Ezekiel 16bbb7`.
This refers to Jerusalem, which is the Ancient Church here and which in process of time became perverted. 'Breasts were formed' stands for natural good, 'hair which has grown' for natural truth.
ttt[6] In Daniel,
I saw, until thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days was seated. His clothing was white as snow, and the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was a flame of fire. `Daniel 7bbb9`.
And in John,
In the midst of the seven lampstands one like the Son of Man, clothed with a long robe and surrounded by a golden girdle around the breasts. His head however and hair were white, like white wool, like snow; but His eyes were like a flame of fire. `Revelation 1bbb13-14`.
'Hair white like pure wool' stands for the Divine Natural as regards truth. In the Word, and in the religious observances of the Jewish Church, truth itself was represented by 'white', and because truth is derived from good is called 'pure wool'. The reason why truth was represented by 'white' and good by 'red' was that truth is akin to light and good to fire, the source of the light.
ttt[7] As with everything else in the Word 'the hair' also has a contrary sense and means the natural as regards truth when perverted, as in Isaiah,
On that day the Lord will shave by means of a razor hired at the crossing-places of the River - by means of the King of Asshur - the head and the hair of the feet; and it will consume the beard also. `Isaiah 7bbb20`.
In Ezekiel,
Son of man, take for yourself a sharp sword, use it as a barber's razor which you shall run over your head and over your beard. Then you are to take balances and you are to divide it. A third you are to burn with fire in the midst of the city; a third you are to strike with the sword round about it; and a third you are to scatter to the wind. You shall take from it a small number, and bind it in your skirts. Finally you are to take from these again and cast them into the midst of the fire, and burn them with fire, and from this, fire will come forth to the whole house of Israel. `Ezekiel 5bbb1-4`.
All this, by the use of representatives, describes how natural truth, interior and exterior, meant by 'the hair' and 'the beard', ceased to exist any longer. Its destruction by lusts is meant by its being burned with fire, by reasonings by its being struck with the sword round about the city, by false assumptions by its being scattered to the wind. These statements are similar in content to what the Lord teaches in Matthew about some seed, which is the truth, falling among thorns, some on stony ground, and some along the path, `Matthew 13bbb1-9`.
ttt[8] That 'the heir' means the unclean truths and the falsities belonging to the natural man was also represented by the requirement that when a woman from among enemies who had been taken captive was to be married to [an Israelite], she was to be brought to his home, the hair on her head was to be shaved off, her nails were to be pared, and the garments of her captivity were to be removed, `Deuteronomy 21bbb12-13`. Also when Levites were consecrated, the water of expiation was to be sprinkled over them, they were to pass a razor over their entire flesh, and to wash their clothes, and so be pure, `Numbers 8bbb7`. Also, Nebuchadnezzar was driven from among men so that he ate grass like oxen, and his body was wet from the dew of heaven, till his hair grew to be like eagles' feathers and his nails like birds' claws, `Daniel 4bbb33`. In the case of leprosy they were required to note the colours of hair and beard, whether these were white, reddening, yellow, or black. They were to look for the same in garments. And the person who was cleansed from leprosy was required to shave all the hair on his head, his beard, and his eyebrows, `Leviticus 13bbb1-59`; `Leviticus ccc14bbb8-9`. The latter meant the unclean falsities that result from unholiness, which is leprosy in the internal sense.
ttt[9] 'Baldness' however meant the natural when no truth at all is present in it, as in Isaiah,
He is going up to Bayith, and to Dibon, the high places, to weep over Nebo; and Moab will howl over Medeba. On all their heads is baldness; every beard is shaved off. `Isaiah 15bbb2`.
In the same prophet, Instead of well-set hair there will be baldness, branding instead of beauty. `Isaiah 3bbb24`
The children who said to Elisha, Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead! and who were torn apart by the bears out of the forest, `2 Kings 2bbb23-24`, represent people who blaspheme the Word as though it had no truth within it; for Elisha represented the Lord as regards the Word, `@@@2762`. From this it is also evident how prevalent representatives were at that period of time.
`nnn1. literally, whose hand had been filled
ppp20548#pid#3302. 'And they called his name Esau' means its essential nature, that is to say, of the Natural as regards good. This is clear from the meaning of 'calling the name' or calling by name, as knowing the essential nature of a person or thing, and so knowing that nature itself, dealt with in `@@@144`, `@@@145`, `@@@440`, `@@@768`, `@@@1754`, `@@@1896`, `@@@2009`, `@@@2724`, `@@@3006`, and from the fact that names in the Word, however many these may be, in the internal sense mean spiritual realities, `@@@1224`, `@@@1888`, so that 'Esau' is some spiritual reality. That reality is the Lord's Divine Natural as regards Divine Good when first conceived, as is clear from what has been stated and from what follows concerning Esau, as well as from other places in the Word. But as Esau and Edom are very similar in meaning - the difference being that 'Edom' is the Divine Natural as regards good to which doctrinal matters concerning truth have been allied - confirmation from places in the Word will in the Lord's Divine mercy therefore be provided at verse `Genesis 25bbbccc30` below, where Esau is called Edom.
ppp20547#pid#3303. 'And after this his brother came out' means truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'brother' as good, and also as truth, for the two are called brothers. Charity is the brother of faith, or good the brother of truth, see `@@@367`, so that conversely faith is the brother of charity, or truth the brother of good. Also within the natural, the affection for good is called a brother and the affection for truth a sister, `@@@3160`, as well as husband and wife (mulier), and man and wife (mulier). But these are always used with respect to the states that are being described.
ppp20546#pid#3304. 'And his hand was grasping Esau's heel' means the lowest level of natural good, to which [truth] clung with some power. This is clear from the meaning of 'the hand' as power, dealt with in `@@@878`, and as having reference to truth, `@@@3091`; from the meaning of 'grasping' as clinging to; from the meaning of 'the heel' as the lowest part of the natural, dealt with in `@@@259`; and from the representation of 'Esau' as the good of the natural, dealt with in `@@@3302`. From these meanings it is evident that 'his hand was grasping Esau's heel' means the lowest level of natural good, which truth clung to with some power.
ttt[2] The implications of truth clinging with some power to the lowest good of the natural are that when the natural, or the natural man, is being regenerated, the conception of good and truth there is from the rational man, that is, from the spiritual man by way of the rational man, prior to this from the celestial man by way of the spiritual man, and prior to this from the Divine by way of the celestial man. Thus it is an influx which starts with the Divine and, passing through consecutive degrees, terminates in the lowest part of the natural, that is, in the worldly and bodily part. When the lowest natural has been contaminated by what is inherited from the mother, truth is unable to be united to good. It can do no more than cling to it with some power. Nor is truth united to good until the contamination has been eliminated. This is the reason why good but not truth is bred within a human being, and why small children therefore are devoid of all knowledge of truth and why truth has to be acquired through learning and after that joined to good, see `@@@1831`, `@@@1832`. This also explains why it is said that they struggled together within her, that is, they conflicted, `@@@3289`. Consequently when first conceived truth supplants good, as is said regarding Jacob, that he supplanted Esau,
Does he not call his name Jacob, and he has supplanted me these two times. `Genesis 27bbb36`.
And in Hosea,
He will make a visitation on Jacob over his ways and requite him according to his deeds; in the womb he supplanted his brother. `Hosea 12bbb2-3`.
ttt[3] Those whose attention is fixed solely on the historical details and who cannot take it off these know no more than this, that the details contained here, and also those that have gone before [regarding the circumstances of the twins' birth], foretell what took place between Esau and Jacob, as is also corroborated by what follows. But the Lord's Word is such that the historical details follow their own sequence, while the spiritual details, which belong to the internal sense, follow theirs, so that the historical details are seen by the external man, but the spiritual details by the internal man. This being so a correspondence exists between the two, that is to say, between the external man and the internal man; and this is effected by means of the Word, for the Word serves to unite heaven and earth, as shown many times. Thus when anyone in a holy frame of mind reads the Word, a union is effected of his external man which is on earth with his internal man which is in heaven.
ppp20545#pid#3305. 'And he called his name Jacob' means the doctrine of natural truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'calling the name' or calling by name as the essential nature, dealt with just above in `@@@3302`. The essential nature represented by 'Jacob' is the doctrine of natural truth, as becomes clear from the representation of Esau as good constituting the life of natural truth, `@@@3300`, and from very many places in the Word where he is mentioned. There are two elements which constitute the natural, as there are two which constitute the rational, and indeed which constitute the whole person - the first being that of life, the second that of doctrine. The element of life belongs to the will, that of doctrine to the understanding. The former is called good, but the latter truth. It is that good which is represented by Esau, but this truth by Jacob; or what amounts to the same, it is good constituting the life of natural truth that is represented by Esau, and the doctrine of natural truth that is represented by Jacob. Whether you speak of the good constituting the life of natural truth and of the doctrine of natural truth, or of those in whom such doctrine and life are present, it amounts to the same, for the good constituting the life and the doctrine of truth cannot exist apart from their subject. Without their subject they are mere abstractions, yet they nevertheless have regard to the person in whom they exist. Consequently Jacob here means people who possess the doctrine of natural truth.
ttt[2] Those who confine themselves to the sense of the letter suppose that in the Word Jacob is used to mean every one of those people descended from Jacob, and for that reason they apply to those people everything that has been stated about Jacob either as history or as prophecy. But the Word is Divine in that first and foremost every single thing within it has regard not just to one particular nation or people but to the whole human race, namely to everyone present, past, and future. More than that, it has reference to the Lord's kingdom in heaven; and in the highest sense to the Lord Himself. This is what makes it a Divine Word. If it were concerned with merely one particular nation it would be human only and would have nothing more of the Divine within it than the existence among that nation of holy worship. The fact that such worship did not exist among the people called 'Jacob' may be known to anyone. For this reason also it is evident that 'Jacob' is not used in the Word to mean Jacob, nor 'Israel' to mean Israel - for almost everywhere in prophetical parts, when Jacob is referred to, Israel is mentioned too. And no one can know what is meant specifically by the first or what by the second except from that sense which lies more deeply and conceals the arcana of heaven within itself.
ttt[3] In the internal sense therefore 'Jacob' means the doctrine of natural truth, or what amounts to the same, people who possess that doctrine, no matter what nation they belong to; and in the highest sense 'Jacob' is used to mean the Lord, as becomes clear from the following places: In Luke,
The angel said to Mary, You will conceive in your womb and bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His father David, so that He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of His kingdom there will be no end. `Luke 1bbb31-33`.
Everyone recognizes that here 'the house of Jacob' was not used to mean the Jewish nation or people, for the Lord's kingdom included not merely that people but all throughout the world who have faith in Him, and from faith have charity. From this it is clear that when the angel used the name Jacob he did not mean the people of Jacob. Nor consequently are those people meant anywhere else. Nor are the references to the seed of Jacob, the sons of Jacob, the land of Jacob, the inheritance of Jacob, the king of Jacob, and the God of Jacob, which occur so many times in the Old Testament Word, meant literally.
ttt[4] It is similar with the name Israel, as in Matthew,
The angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, Rise, take the Boy and His mother, and flee into Egypt, and be there until I tell you. He rose and took the Boy and His mother by night, and departed into Egypt, so that what had been said by the prophet might be fulfilled, when he said, Out of Egypt have I called My Son. `Matthew 2bbb13-15`.
In the prophet this promise is stated as follows,
When Israel was a boy I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. `Hosea 11bbb1`.
Here it is quite evident that 'Israel' is the Lord. From the sense of the letter however nothing more may be known beyond the fact that 'the boy Israel' means the immediate descendants of Jacob who came into Egypt and at a later time were summoned from there. It is similar in other places where the names Jacob and Israel occur, although it is not apparent from the sense of the letter, as in Isaiah,
Hear, O Jacob my servant, and Israel whom I have chosen, Thus said Jehovah who made you and formed you from the womb, who helps you, Fear not, O my servant Jacob, and Jeshurun whom I have chosen, for I will pour out waters upon thirsty land, and rivers upon the dry. I will pour out My spirit upon your seed, and My blessing upon your sons. This one will say, I am Jehovah's, and another will call himself by the name of Jacob, and he will write with his hand, Jehovah's, and surname himself by the name of Israel. `Isaiah 44bbb1-3`, `Isaiah 44bbbccc5`.
Here 'Jacob' and 'Israel' plainly stand for the Lord, and 'the seed' and 'the sons of Jacob' for those having faith in Him.
ttt[5] In the prophecy concerning Israel's sons, in Moses,
Joseph will sit in the strength of his bow, and the arms of his hands will be made strong by the hands of the mighty Jacob; from there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel. `Genesis 49bbb24`.
Here also 'the mighty Jacob' and 'the Stone of Israel' plainly stand for the Lord. In Isaiah,
My glory will I not give to another. Hearken to Me, O Jacob, and O Israel whom I called: I am the same; I am the first; I am also the last. `Isaiah 48bbb11-12`.
Here again 'Jacob' and 'Israel' are the Lord. In Ezekiel,
I will take the stick of Joseph which is in the hand of Ephraim and of the tribes of Israel his companions, and I will add them to it, to the stick of Judah, and make them into one stick, that they may be one in My hand. I will take the children of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and will gather them from all around and bring them on to their own land. And I will make them into one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king will be king to them all, and they will no longer be two nations, nor will they ever be divided into two kingdoms again. My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd. At that time they will dwell in the land which I gave to Jacob my servant, in which your fathers dwelt. They will dwell in it, they, and their sons, and their sons' sons even for ever. David My servant will be their prince for ever. I will make with them a covenant of peace; it will be an eternal covenant with them. I will bless`fff1` them, and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary in their midst for evermore. Thus will My dwelling-place be with them, and I will be their God. and they will be My people, so that the nations may know that I Jehovah sanctify Israel, to be My sanctuary in their midst for evermore. `Ezekiel 37bbb19`, `Ezekiel 37bbbccc21-22`, `Ezekiel 37bbbccc24-28`.
Here again it is quite clear that 'Joseph', 'Ephraim', 'Judah', 'Israel', 'Jacob', and 'David' are not used to mean those persons, but in the highest sense Divine spiritual things within the Lord and which exist in the Lord's kingdom and in His Church. Anyone may know that David will not be, as is said, their king and prince for ever, but that 'David' is used to mean the Lord, `@@@1888`. Anyone may also know that Israel will not be gathered together from where they have been scattered, or that they will be sanctified, or, as is said, that the sanctuary will be set in their midst, but that, as is well known, 'Israel' in the representative sense means all those who have faith.
ttt[6] In Micah,
I will surely gather Jacob, all of you, I will surely assemble the remnant of Israel; I will put them together, like the sheep of Bozrah. `Micah 2bbb12`.
Here the meaning is similar. In Isaiah,
Those who are to come Jacob will cause to take root. Israel will blossom and flower, and the face of the earth will be filled with produce. `Isaiah 27bbb6`.
Here also the meaning is similar. In the same prophet,
Thus said Jehovah, who redeemed Abraham, to the house of Jacob, Jacob will no more be ashamed, and no more will his face grow pale. For when he sees his male children, the work of My hands, in his midst they will sanctify My name, and they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and will fear the God of Israel. And those who err in spirit will know understanding. `Isaiah 29bbb22-24`.
In the same prophet,
Jehovah said to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped, to subdue nations before him, and I will ungird the loins of kings, to open doors before him, and gates may not be closed: I will go before you and make straight the crooked places; I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut asunder the bars of iron, I will give you the treasures of concealed places, and the secret wealth of hoarded objects, that you may know that it is I, Jehovah, who called you by your name, the God of Israel. For the sake of My servant Jacob, and of Israel My chosen, I have called you by your name. I have surnamed you when you did not know Me. `Isaiah 45bbb1-4`.
This also clearly refers to the Lord. In Micah,
In the latter days the mountain of the house of Jehovah will be established at the head of the mountains. Many nations will come and say, Come and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, and to the house of the God of Jacob, that He may teach us about His ways, and we will go in His paths. For out of Zion will go forth teaching, and the word of Jehovah from Jerusalem. `Micah 4bbb1-2`.
In David,
Jehovah loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwelling-places of Jacob. Glorious things are to be spoken in you, O city of God. `Psalms 87bbb1-3`.
In Jeremiah,
They will serve Jehovah their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them. And do not fear, O My servant Jacob, and do not be dismayed, O Israel, for behold, I am saving you from afar. `Jeremiah 30bbb9-10`.
In Isaiah,
Listen to Me, O islands, and hearken, O peoples from afar. Jehovah called me from the womb, from my mother's body`fff2` He remembered my name. And He said to me, You are My servant Israel in whom I will be rendered glorious. `Isaiah 49bbb1`, `Isaiah 49bbbccc3`.
In the same prophet,
Then will you take delight in Jehovah and I will convey you over the high places of the earth, and I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob. `Isaiah 58bbb14`.
In the same prophet,
I will bring forth seed from Jacob, and from Judah the heir of My mountain, so mat My chosen ones may possess it, and My servants may dwell there. `Isaiah 65bbb9`.
ttt[7] In all these places 'Jacob' and 'Israel' are used in the highest sense to mean the Lord, and in the representative sense the Lord's spiritual kingdom, and the Church which is the Church by virtue of the doctrine of truth and the life of good - 'Jacob' meaning those who are in the external aspects of that Church, and 'Israel' those who are in the internal. These and very many other places show that nowhere is 'Jacob' used to mean Jacob, or 'Israel' to mean Israel, any more than when the names 'Isaac' and 'Abraham' are used Isaac or Abraham is meant, as in Matthew,
Many will come from the east and from the west and will recline with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. `Matthew 8bbb11`.
In Luke,
You will see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God. `Luke 13bbb28`.
And in the same gospel,
Lazarus was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. `Luke 16bbb22`.
For in heaven angels have no knowledge at all of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Angels there perceive nothing else from those words when read by man than the Lord as regards the Divine and the Divine Human. When man reads about reclining with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob they perceive nothing else than being with the Lord; and when about being in Abraham's bosom nothing else than resting in the Lord. Such wording has been used however because mankind at that time was so far removed from things of an internal nature that it neither knew nor wished to know anything other than this, that everything in the Word was to be taken literally. And when the Lord spoke to them in that literal manner He did so in order that they might receive faith, and also at the same time in order that the internal sense might be contained within what He said, by means of which mankind was joined to Himself. This being so one may see what is meant in the Old Testament Word by 'the God of Jacob' and by 'the Holy One of Israel', namely the Lord Himself. For places where 'the God of Jacob' means the Lord, see `2 Samuel 23bbb1`; `Isaiah 2bbb3`; `Isaiah ccc41bbb21`; `Micah 4bbb2`; `Psalms 20bbb1`; `Psalms ccc46bbb7`; `Psalms ccc75bbb9`; `Psalms ccc76bbb6`; `Psalms ccc81bbb1`, `Psalms 81bbbccc4`; `Psalms ccc84bbb8`; `Psalms ccc94bbb7`; `Psalms ccc114bbb7`; `Psalms ccc132bbb2`; `Psalms ccc146bbb5`; and for places where 'the Holy One of Israel' means the Lord, `Isaiah 1bbb4`; `Isaiah ccc5bbb19`, `Isaiah 5bbbccc24`; `Isaiah ccc10bbb20`; `Isaiah ccc12bbb6`; `Isaiah ccc17bbb7`; `Isaiah ccc29bbb19`; `Isaiah ccc30bbb11-12`, `Isaiah 30bbbccc15`; `Isaiah ccc31bbb1`; `Isaiah ccc37bbb23`; `Isaiah ccc41bbb14`, `Isaiah 41bbbccc16`, `Isaiah 41bbbccc20`; `Isaiah ccc43bbb3`, `Isaiah 43bbbccc14`; `Isaiah ccc45bbb11`; `Isaiah ccc47bbb4`; `Isaiah ccc48bbb17`; `Isaiah ccc49bbb7`; `Isaiah ccc54bbb5`; `Isaiah ccc55bbb5`; `Isaiah ccc60bbb9`, `Isaiah 60bbbccc14`; `Jeremiah 50bbb29`; `Ezekiel 39bbb7`; `Psalms 71bbb22`; `Psalms ccc78bbb41`; `Psalms ccc89bbb18`.
`nnn1. literally, give
`nnn2. literally, viscera
ppp20544#pid#3306. 'And Isaac was a son of sixty years when she bore them' means the state of Rational Truth at that time. This becomes clear from what has been stated above about numbers in `@@@3252`, `@@@3275`. What the number 'sixty' entails however becomes clear from the simple numbers of which it is the product - from five and twelve, since five times twelve makes sixty (for the meaning of five, see `@@@649`, `@@@1686`, of twelve, `@@@2372`); also from six and ten, since six times ten makes sixty (for the meaning of six, see `@@@720`, `@@@737`, `@@@900`, and of ten, `@@@576`, `@@@2284`, `@@@3107`); from two and thirty as well, since two times thirty makes sixty (for the meaning of two, see `@@@720`, `@@@900`, `@@@1335`, `@@@1686`, and of thirty, `@@@2276`). Since the number sixty is the product in each of these multiplications of numbers, it embodies the things meant by such numbers in their order, all of which constitute the state experienced by the Lord's Rational at that time. Those things are displayed by the Lord in a clear light before the eyes of the angels, but before the eyes of men, especially of someone who does not believe that numbers in the Word have any meaning at all hidden within them, they cannot be disclosed, not only because of lack of belief but also because so many things contained in those numbers cannot be arranged into a sequence of ideas within man's mental grasp.
ppp20543#pid#3307. Verses `Genesis 25bbbccc27-28` And the boys grew up, and Esau was a man skilled in hunting, a man of the field; and Jacob was a blameless man, dwelling in tents. And Isaac loved Esau because of the venison`fff1` in his mouth; and Rebekah loved Jacob.
'The boys grew up' means the initial state. 'And Esau was a man skilled in hunting' means the good of life that has its origin in sensory truths and factual truths. 'A man of the field' means the good of life that has its origin in matters of doctrine. 'And Jacob was a blameless man' means truth. 'Dwelling in tents' means worship arising out of this. 'And Isaac loved Esau because of the venison in his mouth' means that the Divine Good of the Lord's Divine Rational loved the good of truth. 'And Rebekah loved Jacob' means that the Divine Truth of the Divine Rational loved the doctrine of truth.
`nnn1. or hunting
ppp20542#pid#3308. 'The boys grew up' means the initial state, that is to say, of the joining together of good and truth. This is clear from the meaning of growing up' when it has reference to the birth and development of good and truth, as the initial state of such development, dealt with in what follows; and from the meaning of 'the boys' as good and truth, for good is represented by the boy Esau, and truth by the boy Jacob, as shown above. Good and truth are like offspring, in that they are conceived, lie in the womb, are born, grow up, and also advance in years until they reach their final years. Their conception, lying in the womb, and being born belong to the state of birth, whereas their growing up and advancing in years until they reach their final years belong to the state of development. The state of development follows actual birth and is a state when good and truth are joined together. The initial phase of this state is what is meant here by 'growing up'. This state begins immediately after actual birth and continues through to the end of life; and with those in whom good is present it continues for ever following the life of the body. Angels go on being perfected constantly in this manner.
ppp20541#pid#3309. 'And Esau was a man skilled in hunting' means the good of life that has its origin in sensory truths and factual truths. This is clear from the representation of 'Esau' as the good of life, dealt with above, and from the meaning of 'a man skilled in hunting' as those who have the affection for truth, dealt with in what follows - for 'a skilled man' has reference to the affection for truth, that is, to those who have that affection for truth, whereas 'hunting' means truths themselves, though truths which belong to the natural man and in which goods have their origin. Now because the truths of the natural man are called factual, `@@@3293`, and factual truths are primarily of two kinds or two degrees - sensory and factual proper - 'hunting' here means both of these. Sensory truths occur with children, factual with those same children when they are growing up, for factual truths cannot exist with anyone before he has received sensory truths because the ideas that make up factual truths are acquired from sensory truths. Then, from those factual truths, other truths even more interior can be learned and grasped, which are called matters of doctrine, meant by 'a man of the field', dealt with below in the next paragraph.
ttt[2] The reason why 'hunting' means the sensory truths and factual truths that are taught to those in whom the good of life is present and who have the affection for those truths is that the word 'hunting' in a broad sense refers to creatures caught through hunting, such as rams, he-goats, she-goats, and the like, by which are meant spiritual goods, see `@@@2180`, `@@@2830`; and also because the weapons used in hunting, which were the quiver, the bow, and darts, mean matters of doctrine upholding what is true, `@@@2685`, `@@@2686`, `@@@2709`. These are the things meant by 'hunting', as may be seen from what Isaac his father told Esau, in Chapter `Genesis ccc27bbb0` below,
Take now your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt venison for me, and make me savoury food such as I love. `Genesis 27bbb3-4`; and, in the same chapter, from what he told Jacob, who was posing as Esau,
Bring it to me that I may eat from my son's venison, so that my soul may bless you. `Genesis 27bbb25`.
These quotations show what 'hunting' or 'venison' means.
ttt[3] Consequently 'hunting' is teaching [what is true] or else inducing a belief in what is false, and in both senses, that is to say, acting from an affection for truth or from an affection for falsity. Acting from an affection for truth is described in Jeremiah,
I will bring them back over their land which I gave to their fathers. Behold, I am sending to many fishermen, and they will fish them; and after that I will send to many hunters and they will hunt them from upon every mountain, and from upon every hill, and from the holes in the rocks. `Jeremiah 16bbb15-16`.
'Fishermen' stands for those whose teaching is drawn from sensory truths, `@@@40`, `@@@991`, 'hunters' those whose teaching is drawn from factual truths, and also from matters of doctrine. 'Upon every mountain, and upon every hill' stands for teaching people who are stirred by the affection for good and by the affection for truth - 'mountain' and 'hill' carrying such meanings, see `@@@795`, `@@@796`, `@@@1430`. 'Hunting in the field', as in `Genesis 27bbb3`, implies the same. Inducing others to believe what is false and doing so from the affection for falsity is described in Ezekiel,
Behold, I am against your little pillows with which you there hunt the souls to make them fly away, and I will tear them from on your arms, and I will let the souls go that you hunt, souls to fly away; and I will tear off your veils and deliver My people out of your hand, and they will be no more in your hand to be hunted. `Ezekiel 13bbb18-21`.
For the meaning of 'hunting' in this sense, see `@@@1178`, though nets are normally associated with this type of hunting.
ppp20540#pid#3310. 'A man of the field' means the good of life that has its origin in matters of doctrine. This is clear from the meaning of 'the field'. In the Word reference is made in many places to the earth (or the land), the ground, and the field. When used in a good sense 'the earth' means the Lord's kingdom in heaven and on earth, and so the Church, which is the Lord's kingdom on earth. 'The ground' is used in a similar though more limited sense, `@@@566`, `@@@662`, `@@@1066-1068`, `@@@1262`, `@@@1413`, `@@@1733`, `@@@1850`, `@@@2117`, `@@@2118` (end), `@@@2928`; and the same things are also meant by 'the field', though in a more limited sense still, `@@@368`, `@@@2971`. And since the Church is not the Church by virtue of matters of doctrine except insofar as these have the good of life as the end in view, or what amounts to the same, unless matters of doctrine are joined to the good of life, 'the field' therefore means primarily the good of life. But in order that such good may be that of the Church, matters of doctrine from the Word which have been implanted within that good must be present. In the absence of matters of doctrine the good of life does indeed exist, but it is not as yet that of the Church, and so not as yet truly spiritual, except in the sense that it has the potentiality to become so, like the good of life as this exists with gentiles who do not possess the Word and therefore do not know the Lord.
ttt[2] That 'the field' is the good of life in which the things of faith, that is, spiritual truths existing with the Church, are implanted, becomes quite clear from the Lord's parable about the sower in Matthew,
A sower went out to sow, And as he sowed some fell on the pathway, and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on rocky ground where they did not have much soil,`fff1` and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil`fff2`, but when the sun rose they were scorched; and since they had no root they withered away. Some fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them. But some fell on good soil`fff2` and yielded fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has an ear to hear let him hear. `Matthew 13bbb4-9`; `Mark 4bbb3-9`; `Luke 8bbb5-8`.
This describes four types of land or ground within the field, that is, within the Church. The fact that here 'the seed' is the Lord's Word, and so the truth which is called the truth of faith, and that 'the good soil' is the good which is called the good of charity is evident to anyone, for it is the good in man that receives the Word. 'The pathway' is falsity, 'rocky ground' is truth which is not rooted in good, 'thorns' are evils.
ttt[3] With regard to the good of life which has its origin in matters of doctrine being meant by 'a man of the field', the position is that those who are being regenerated first of all do good as matters of doctrine direct them, for they do not of themselves know what good is. They learn to do good from matters of doctrine concerning love and charity; from these they know who the Lord is, who the neighbour is, what love is, and what charity is, and so what good is. Those who have come into this stage are stirred by the affection for truth and are called 'men (vir) of the field'. But after that, once they have been regenerated they do good not from matters of doctrine but from love and charity, for the good itself which they have learned about through matters of doctrine exists with them, and they are in that case called 'men (homo) of the field'. It is like someone who is by nature inclined to commit adultery, steal, and murder but who learns from the Ten Commandments that such practices belong to hell and so refrains from them. In this state he is influenced by the Commandments, for he fears hell and learns from those Commandments and similarly from much else in the Word how he ought to conduct his life. In his case when he does what is good he does it from the Commandments. But when good exists with him he starts to loathe adultery, theft, and murder to which he was previously inclined. In this state he no longer does what is good from the Commandments but from the good which by now resides with him. In the first state the truth he learns directs him to good, but in the second state good is the source of truth taught by him.
ttt[4] The same also applies to spiritual truths which are called doctrinal and are more interior Commandments still. For matters of doctrine are interior truths which the natural man possesses, the first truths there being sensory ones, the second truths being factual, and interior truths matters of doctrine. The latter are based on factual truths inasmuch as a person can have and retain no idea, notion, or concept of them except from factual truths. But the foundations on which factual truths are based are sensory truths, for without sensory truths nobody is able to possess factual ones. Such truths, that is to say, factual and sensory, are meant by 'a man skilled in hunting', but matters of doctrine are meant by 'a man of the field'. Such is the order in which those kinds of truths stand in relation to one another in man. Until a person has become adult therefore, and through sensory and factual truths possesses matters of doctrine, he is incapable of being regenerated, for he cannot be confirmed in the truths contained in matters of doctrine except through ideas based on factual and sensory truths - for nothing is ever present in a person's thought, not even the deepest arcanum of faith there, which does not involve some natural or sensory idea, though generally a person is not aware of the essential nature of such ideas. But in the next life the nature of them is revealed before his understanding, if he so desires, and also a visual representation before his sight, if he wants it; for in the next life such things can be presented before one's eyes in a visual form. This seems unbelievable but it is nevertheless what happens there.
`nnn1. literally, ground
`nnn2. literally, earth or land
ppp20539#pid#3311. 'And Jacob was a blameless man' means truth. This is clear from the representation of 'Jacob' as the doctrine of natural truth, `@@@3305`, and from the meaning of 'blameless' as that which is used to refer to those governed by truth, and so to refer to truth, `@@@612`.
ppp20538#pid#3312. 'Dwelling in tents' means worship arising out of this. This is clear from the meaning of 'tents' as the holiness of love and of the worship arising out of this, `@@@414`, `@@@1102`, `@@@2145`, `@@@2152`. The reason 'tents' means the holiness of the worship arising is that in most ancient times the member of the Church with whom love to the Lord and consequently holy worship existed dwelt in tents and held his holy worship there. And because the holiness of love and the resulting holiness of worship started to be represented at that period by means of tents, they were commanded to make a Tent according to the pattern shown to Moses on Mount Sinai and to establish their Divine worship there. This was also the origin of the Feast of Tabernacles when they had to dwell in tents, which they were required to do so as to represent the holy worship which existed with the member of the celestial Church. From this it is evident that 'dwelling in tents' means worship.
ppp20537#pid#3313. 'And Isaac loved Esau because of the venison he had in his mouth' means that the Divine Good of the Divine Rational loved the good of truth. This is clear from the representation of 'Isaac' as the Lord's Divine Rational as regards Divine Good, dealt with in `@@@3012`, `@@@3013`, `@@@3194`, `@@@3210`, from the representation of 'Esau' as the Lord's Divine Natural as regards the good there, dealt with in `@@@3300`, `@@@3302`, and later on where Edom is referred to; and from the meaning of 'venison' as the good of life arising out of natural truths, dealt with in `@@@3309`. 'In his mouth' means within his natural affection, for in the Word that which is interior and stems from good is referred to as being 'in the heart', and that which is exterior and stems from truth as being 'in the mouth'. And since the good of truth, which is here represented by Esau and is meant by 'hunting', is exterior, that is to say, within natural affection and stemming from truth, it is spoken of as being 'in Isaac's mouth'.
ppp20536#pid#3314. 'And Rebekah loved Jacob' means that the Divine Truth of the Divine Rational loved the doctrine of truth This is clear from the representation of 'Rebekah' as the Divine Truth of the Divine Rational, dealt with in `@@@3012`, `@@@3013`, `@@@3077`, and in the whole of the previous chapter where Rebekah is the subject, and from the representation of 'Jacob' as the doctrine of natural truth, and in the highest sense the Lord's Divine Natural as regards truth, dealt with in `@@@3305`. With regard to the Divine Good of the Rational loving the Good belonging to the Natural, and the Divine Truth of the Divine Rational loving the Truth belonging to the Natural, the position is that there are good and truth that constitute the rational, and there are also good and truth that constitute the natural. The good of the rational flows into the good of the natural both independently of truth, thus into it directly, and also by way of truth, thus into it indirectly. But the good of the rational flows into the truth of the natural both by way of the truth of the rational, thus indirectly, and also by way of the good of the natural, thus again indirectly. Consequently rational good is joined more closely to natural good than to natural truth, a conjunction meant by 'Isaac loved Esau'; and rational truth is joined more closely to natural truth than to natural good, a conjunction meant by 'Rebekah loved Jacob'.
ttt[2] These considerations are such indeed as can be grasped only with great difficulty, in particular because the most general features of all regarding this matter are unknown in the world, even among the learned. The world does not know, for example, that the rational is quite distinct and separate from the natural, or that good and truth are what constitute the rational and what constitute the natural, let alone that the rational flows into the natural enabling a person to think and to will what he thinks. As long as these very general features remain unknown, one can understand only with great difficulty what the influx described above is. Yet these are things in which angels have light, things in which they perceive countless details. And they do this with the delight which is theirs when they are permitted at the same time to think about the Lord's Divine in relation to His Human. Anyone who is governed by good, and who, though still in the body, has what is angelic within him, is also given some light by the Lord in these matters and others like them. But anyone who is not governed by good finds it irksome when he thinks about such matters, the more so when he thinks about those things as they apply to the Divine which belongs to the Lord's Human. It is better therefore if such people turn their minds away from those matters, for they have no grasp of them at all - indeed they reject them, saying at heart, What value is any of this to me? It doesn't bring me any honour, or any material gain.
ppp20535#pid#3315. Verses `Genesis 25bbbccc29-30` And Jacob boiled pottage; and Esau came from the field, and he was weary. And Esau said to Jacob, Let me sip now from the red [pottage], this red [pottage], for I am weary. Therefore he called his name Edom.
'Jacob boiled pottage' means matters of doctrine when massed together. 'And Esau came from the field' means an urgent desire for the good of life. 'And he was weary' means a state of conflict. 'And Esau said to Jacob' means the Lord's perception from the good of the natural. 'Let me sip now from the red [pottage]' means a desire for matters of doctrine. 'This red [pottage]' means that which is seemingly good. 'For I am weary' means here, as previously, a state of conflict. 'Therefore he called his name Edom' means the resulting nature of the good, to which matters of doctrine regarding truth were allied.
ppp20534#pid#3316. 'Jacob boiled pottage' means matters of doctrine when massed together. This is clear from the representation of 'Jacob' as the doctrine of natural truth, dealt with in `@@@3305`, and so as matters of doctrine within the natural man, and from the meaning of 'pottage' as a massing together of such matters of doctrine. Indeed 'boiling pottage' is massing together; for the verb in the original language is strictly speaking the noun for 'pottage' - as if you were to say 'he pottaged pottage', that is, he massed it together. It is the first state in the joining together of good and truth that is described in this verse and in those that follow to the end of the chapter. The first state of one who is being regenerated - that is, with whom truth is being joined to good - is a state in which first of all matters of doctrine regarding what is true are massed together, without any definite order, in his natural man, that is, in the storehouse there called the memory. The matters of doctrine present there at that time may be compared to the undigested particles of some ingredient, not compounded with anything else but massed together, and may be compared to a kind of chaos. But the chaos exists to the end that they may be brought into an ordered condition; for with anything that is brought into an ordered condition chaos exists at first. This is what is meant by the pottage that Jacob boiled, that is, massed together. Those matters of doctrine are not brought into an ordered condition by anything within themselves but by the good that must enter into them; and the amount of good entering into them, also the essential nature of that good, determine how far they become ordered and the nature of their then ordered condition. When good first craves and desires matters of doctrine, to the end that they may be joined to itself, it is seen in the form of an affection for truth. These are the considerations meant by 'Esau said to Jacob, Let me sip now from the red [pottage], this red [pottage]'.
ttt[2] Such considerations do indeed appear to be quite remote from the sense of the letter, but nevertheless when man reads these words and understands them according to the sense of the letter, the angels who reside with him at the time do not have any [natural] idea at all of pottage, or of Jacob, or of Esau, or of red, or of sipping from red [pottage]. Instead they have a spiritual idea of them, which is altogether different and remote from that natural idea. The idea of those persons and objects is instantly converted into a spiritual idea. And so it is with everything else in the Word, such as, for example, when one reads of bread there the angels do not perceive bread but instead of bread instantly perceive celestial love and things that belong to celestial love, which is love to the Lord. And when one reads in the Word of wine they do not perceive wine but instead of wine spiritual love and the things that belong to that love, which is love towards the neighbour. Accordingly when one reads of pottage or soup they do not perceive pottage or soup but matters of doctrine that are not as yet joined to good, and thus a disordered massing together of them. This shows the essence and character of angels' thought and perception, and how remote these are from man's thought and perception. If a person when in a holy frame of mind were to think as they do - such as during the Holy Supper - and instead of bread were to perceive love to the Lord, and instead of wine love towards the neighbour, his thought and perception would then be similar to the angels' who in that case would draw nearer to him till at length it would be possible for them to share their thoughts with him, though only insofar as good was at the same time present in that person.
ttt[3] That 'pottage' or soup means a massing together may be seen also from what is said about the sons of the prophets and Elisha in the Book of Kings,
Elisha came again to Gilgal, and there was a famine in the land. And the sons of the prophets were sitting before him, and he said to his servant, Set on the great pot, and boil pottage for the sons of the prophets. And one of them went out into the field to gather herbs and found a wild vine, and gathered from it wild gourds his lap full, and came and cut them up into the pot of pottage, for they did not know [what they were]. And they poured out for the men to eat. And it happened, while they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out and said, There is death in the pot, O man of God! And they could not eat it. And he said, Then bring flour. And he threw it into the pot, and said, Pour out for the people. And they ate, and there was no harm in the pot. `2 Kings 4bbb38-41`.
In the internal sense these words have an altogether different meaning from what they do in the sense of the letter, that is to say, 'a famine in the land' means a dearth of cognitions of good and truth, `@@@1460`; 'the sons of the prophets' means those who teach, `@@@2543`; 'pottage' facts badly massed together; 'flour' truth which is obtained from good, or that which is spiritual obtained from that which is celestial, `@@@2177`. Thus the description of Elisha throwing the flour into the pot, at which point it ceased to contain anything harmful, means that those facts, massed together so, were put right by means of spiritual truth from the Lord's Word - for 'Elisha' represented the Lord as to the Word, `@@@2762`. Devoid of this spiritual sense the story about the pottage and the change effected by the flour would not have been worthy of mention in the most holy Word. As with the rest of the miracles in the Word, all of which conceal what is Divine within them, this miracle was performed for the sake of representing those things.
ppp20533#pid#3317. 'And Esau came from the field' means an urgent desire for the good of life. This is clear from the representation of 'Esau' as the good constituting the life of natural truth, dealt with in `@@@3300`, and from the meaning of 'coming from the field' as an urgent desire for good. For 'meditating in the field' is thought immersed in good, `@@@3196`, since 'the field' is the good which constitutes the Church, `@@@2971`.
ppp20532#pid#3318. 'And he was weary' means a state of conflict. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'weary' or weariness as the state following conflict. Here however, because the subject is a state of conflict in which good and truth within the natural man are joined together, the state of conflict itself is meant. As regards 'weary' here meaning a state of conflict, this is not apparent except from the train of thought in the internal sense, and in particular from the fact that without conflicts, or what amounts to the same, without temptations, good is unable to be joined to truth in the natural man.
ttt[2] So that the nature of this state may be known - though only as man experiences it - let a brief statement be made regarding it. Man is nothing other than an organ or vessel which receives life from the Lord, for man does not live of himself, `@@@290`, `@@@1954`, `@@@2021`, `@@@2536`, `@@@2706`, `@@@2886-2889`, `@@@3001`. The life flowing in with man from the Lord comes from His Divine Love. This Love, that is, the life from it, flows in and applies itself to the vessels that are in man's rational and that are in his natural. On account of the hereditary evil into which man is born, and on account of the evil of his own doing which man acquires to himself, these vessels with him are set the wrong way round for receiving that life. But insofar as it is possible for this inflowing life to do so, it resets those vessels to receive it. These vessels within the rational man and within his natural are such as are called truths. In themselves they are nothing else than perceptions of the variations in form possessed by those vessels and of the changes of state which in different ways give rise to those variations, which are produced in the most delicate of organic substances, and in ways that defy description, `@@@2487`. Good itself, which possesses life from the Lord, that is, which is life, is that which flows in and resets them.
ttt[3] When therefore those vessels, varying in the forms they take, are set and turned, as has been stated, the wrong way round for inflowing life, they clearly have to be re-positioned to receive that life, that is, to be controlled by it. This cannot possibly be effected as long as the person remains in that condition into which he was born or which he has brought upon himself. Indeed at that time they are unsubmissive because they resolutely withstand and harden themselves against the heavenly order governing the way that life acts. Indeed the good which moves them, and to which they are subservient, is that which stems from self-love and love of the world. From the dull warmth it contains that good makes these vessels what they are. Consequently before they can be made submissive and capable of receiving any of the life that belongs to the Lord's love, they have to be softened. The only ways that such softening can be achieved is by temptations, for temptations take away the things that constitute self-love and contempt for others in comparison with oneself, consequently that constitute self-glory, and also hatred and revenge on account of that. When therefore they have to some extent been subdued and mellowed by means of temptations those vessels start to become yielding and compliant to the life which belongs to the Lord's love and which is constantly flowing in with man.
ttt[4] From this point onwards good, first of all in the rational man and then in the natural, starts to be joined to the truths there, for as has been stated, truths are nothing else than perceptions of the variations in form which are determined by the states that are changing all the time - those perceptions being a product of the life that is flowing in. This is the reason why a person is regenerated, that is, is made new, by means of temptations, or what amounts to the same, by means of spiritual conflicts, and after that receives an inward disposition different from before, that is to say, becomes gentle, humble, single-minded, and contrite at heart. From these considerations one may now see the use served by temptations, which is that good from the Lord may not only flow in but also render the vessels subservient and so join itself to them. For truths are the recipient vessels of good, see `@@@1496`, `@@@1832`, `@@@1900`, `@@@2063`, `@@@2261`, `@@@2269`. Here therefore, since the subject is the joining together of good and truth in the natural man, and since the first stage of that conjunction comes about through the conflicts brought about by temptations, 'he was weary' clearly means a state of conflict.
ttt[5] As for the Lord however, who is the subject here in the highest sense, He so imposed Divine order on everything within Himself by means of the very severe conflicts that went with temptations that nothing remained of the human He had derived from the mother, `@@@1444`, `@@@1573`, `@@@2159`, `@@@2574`, `@@@2649`, `@@@3036`, so that He was not made new as any other human being but was made altogether Divine. For man, who is made new through regeneration, nevertheless retains within himself the inclination towards evil; indeed he retains the evil itself but is withheld from it by the influx of the life that is the life of the Lord's love, and by an extremely powerful force. But the Lord cast out completely everything evil that was His by heredity from the mother and made Himself Divine, doing so even as to the vessels, that is, as to the truths. This is what in the Word is called Glorification.
ppp20531#pid#3319. 'And Esau said to Jacob' means the Lord's perception from the good of the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as perceiving, dealt with in `@@@1791`, `@@@1815`, `@@@1819`, `@@@1822`, `@@@1898`, `@@@1919`, `@@@2080`, `@@@2862`, from the representation of 'Esau' as the Lord as regards the good of the Natural, dealt with in `@@@3300`, `@@@3302`, and in what follows shortly regarding Edom, and from the representation of 'Jacob' as the truth of the Natural, dealt with in `@@@3305`, regarding which there was perception.
ppp20530#pid#3320. 'Let me sip now from the red [pottage]' means a desire for matters of doctrine, and 'this red [pottage]' means that which is seemingly good. This is clear from the meaning of 'sipping' as being communicated and joined to, dealt with in `@@@3089` - and therefore 'let me sip now' is desiring the joining of truth or matters of doctrine to itself; and from the meaning of 'red' as good, dealt with in `@@@3300`, here that which is seemingly good, since these matters of doctrine, however they are grouped together, seem in outward appearance to be good, even though inwardly they are simply a massing together of them, `@@@3316`. A further reason why these details are given in the narrative here is that they show how Esau acquired the name Edom; for in the original language that which is red is called Edom, and this is in order that Edom may mean good to which matters of doctrine regarding truth are allied.
ppp20529#pid#3321. 'For I am weary' means a state of conflict. This is clear from the meaning of 'weary' or weariness as a state of conflict, dealt with above in `@@@3318`. A second reference occurs here to his being weary so as to confirm the point that the joining together of good and truth within the natural is effected by means of spiritual conflicts, that is, by means of temptations. With regard to the joining together of good and truth in the natural, the position in general is that man's rational receives truths before his natural receives them, the reason being that the Lord's life which, as has been stated, is the life of His love, may be able to flow in by way of the rational into the natural, bring order into it, and make it submissive. For the rational is purer, and the natural grosser, or what amounts to the same, the former is interior, the latter exterior. It is according to order - an order that one can know - that the rational is able to flow into the natural, but not the natural into the rational.
ttt[2] Consequently a person's rational is able to be adjusted to truths and to receive them before the natural does. This becomes quite clear from the fact that the rational man with someone who is to be regenerated conflicts greatly with the natural, or what amounts to the same, the internal man does so with the external. For as is also well known, the internal man is able to see truths and also to will them, but the external man refuses to see them and stands opposed to them. For in the natural man there are facts, which are to a great extent derived from the illusions of the senses, and which, although they are falsities, he nevertheless believes to be truths. There are also countless things which the natural man does not grasp, since the natural man, compared with the rational man, is in shade and thick darkness; and the things which the natural man does not grasp are thought not to exist or not to be so. There are also desires in the natural man which are those of self-love and love of the world, and the things which support those desires he calls truths. And when a person gives in to them everything that arises from them is contrary to spiritual truths. Present also are reasonings derived from falsities imprinted since early childhood. What is more, a person comprehends plainly with his senses the things which exist in his natural man, but less so those which exist in his rational until he has shed the body. This also causes him to suppose that the natural constitutes the whole, and what does not fall within the compass of his natural senses he believes to be scarcely anything.
ttt[3] These and many others are the factors which cause the natural man to receive truths much later and with greater difficulty than the rational man receives them. Consequently conflict occurs, which persists for rather a long time and does not end until the recipient vessels of good in the natural man have been softened by means of temptations, as shown above in `@@@3318`; for truths are nothing else than recipient vessels of good, `@@@1496`, `@@@1832`, `@@@1900`, `@@@2063`, `@@@2261`, `@@@2269`. The harder those vessels are the more firmly is a person settled in the things referred to above. And the more firmly settled he is, the more serious is the conflict if he is to be regenerated. This therefore being the situation with the natural man - that the joining of truths to good in the natural man is effected by means of the conflicts brought about by temptations - Esau's statement 'I am weary' occurs a second time here.
ppp20528#pid#3322. 'Therefore he called his name Edom' means the resulting nature of the good, to which matters of doctrine regarding truth were allied. This is clear from the meaning of 'calling the name' or calling by name as the essential nature, dealt with in `@@@144`, `@@@145`, `@@@1754`, `@@@1896`, `@@@2009`, `@@@2724`, `@@@3006`, and from the representation of 'Edom'. In the Word Esau is mentioned in various places, as also is Edom. In those places 'Esau' means the good of the natural before matters of doctrine regarding truth have been joined to it, and also before the good of life brought by an influx from the rational has been joined to it - to natural good; while 'Edom' means the good of the natural to which matters of doctrine regarding truth have been allied. But in the contrary sense 'Esau' means the evil stemming from self-love before falsities have been allied to it, that is to say, to self-love, while 'Edom' means the evil stemming from that love once they have been allied to it. The majority of names in the Word, as shown quite often, also have the contrary sense. The reason why is that in course of time the self-same things which in the Churches were forms of good and truth deteriorated into forms of evil and falsity through various kinds of adulterations.
ttt[2] That 'Esau' and 'Edom' mean these things becomes clear from the following places: In Isaiah,
Who is this who is coming from Edom, with spattered clothes from Bozrah glorious in his apparel, marching in the vast numbers of his strength? Why are you red as to your clothing, and your clothes like his that treads in the winepress? I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no man was with me. I looked around but there was none helping, and I wondered, and there was nobody to uphold, and my own arm saved me. `Isaiah 63bbb1-3`, `Isaiah 63bbbccc5`.
Here it is quite clear that 'Edom' is the Lord, and the fact that it is the Lord as regards the Divine Good of the Divine Natural is evident because the subject is the joining together of good and truth in the Lord's Human, and the conflicts brought about by temptations through which He joined the two together. 'Clothes' here means the truths of the natural man, or truths that are lower compared with other truths, see `@@@2576`, while 'red' is the good of the natural man, `@@@3300`. The Lord's work in which - by His own power, and through the conflicts brought about by temptations - He joined truths present there to good is described by the words 'I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no man was with me. I looked around but there was none helping; I wondered, and there was nobody to uphold, and my own arm saved me' - 'arm' meaning power, `@@@878`.
ttt[3] In the Book of Judges,
O Jehovah. when You went forth from Seir, when You set out from the field of Edom, the earth trembled, the heavens also dropped, the clouds indeed dropped [water], the mountains flowed down. `Judges 5bbb4-5`.
'Setting out from the field of Edom' is almost the same in meaning as 'coming from Edom' in Isaiah. Likewise in Moses,
Jehovah came from Sinai, and dawned from Seir upon them. `Deuteronomy 33bbb2`.
In the same author,
I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near. A star will arise out of Jacob, and a sceptre will rise up out of Israel. And Edom will be an inheritance, and Seir will be an inheritance, of his enemies - with Israel doing valiantly - and will have dominion in regard to Jacob, and will destroy what is left of the city. `Numbers 24bbb17-19`.
This refers to the Lord's Coming into the world, His Human Essence being called 'a star out of Jacob, and a sceptre out of Israel'. 'Edom' and 'Seir' which are to be 'an inheritance' stand for the Divine Good of the Lord's Divine Natural. Their becoming 'an inheritance of his enemies' stands for the fact that it would take the place of those things that existed previously in the Natural. Dominion at that time over the truths there is meant by 'he will have dominion over Jacob, and he will destroy what is left of the city' - 'Jacob' being the truth of the natural, `@@@3305`, and 'a city' doctrine, `@@@402`, `@@@2268`, `@@@2449`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc2712`, `@@@2943`, `@@@3216`. Dominion is said to be had over those truths when they are subsidiary to and subject to good. Before this comes about they are called enemies because they constantly offer resistance, as shown above in `@@@3321`.
ttt[4] In Amos,
On that day I will raise up the tent of David that is fallen down, and I will close up their breaches, and I will restore its destroyed places, and I will build it as in the days of old, that they may possess the remnants of Edom, and all the nations which have been called by My name. `Amos 9bbb11-12`.
'The tent of David' stands for the Church and worship of the Lord; 'the remnants of Edom' for those within the Church who are governed by good, 'the nations which have been called by His name' for those outside the Church who are governed by good - 'the nations' being those who are governed by good, `@@@1259`, `@@@1260`, `@@@1416`, `@@@1849`. In David,
Upon Edom I will cast my shoe. Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me even to Edom? Will not You, O God? `Psalms 60bbb8-10`.
'Edom' stands for the good of the natural. Its being the good of the natural is evident from the meaning of 'shoe' as the lowest part of the natural, `@@@1748`.
ttt[5] In Daniel,
At the time of the end the king of the south will clash with him; therefore the king of the north will rush upon him like a whirlwind with chariots, and will overflow and penetrate; and when he comes into the glorious land many will fall These however will be delivered out of his hand, Edom and Moab, and the firstfruits of the children of Ammon. `Daniel 11bbb40-41`.
This refers to the final state of the Church. 'The king of the north' stands for falsities, or what amounts to the same, for people in possession of falsities. 'Edom' stands for those in whom simple good is present, the type of good that exists with those who constitute the Lord's external Church. The same applies to 'Moab' and 'the children of Ammon', `@@@2468`; and as the two of them, that is to say, Edom and Moab, mean those in whom natural good exists, both are therefore mentioned together in many places. But the difference between them is that 'Edom' is the good of the natural to which matters of doctrine concerning truth have been allied, whereas 'Moab' is natural good such as also exists with those with whom the two have not been joined together. Both sets of people seem to outward appearance to be alike, but they are not so inwardly.
ttt[6] From this it is now evident why it was said that they were not to abhor an Edomite since he was a brother, nor an Egyptian since they had been strangers in his land, `Deuteronomy 23bbb7`. Because 'an Edomite' means the good of the natural, and 'an Egyptian' means the truths of the same, which are facts, `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1186`, `@@@1462`, therefore the two are mentioned in the good sense. It is also evident why Jehovah told Moses that they were not to quarrel`fff1` with the children of Esau, for none of their territory would be given to the children of Jacob, not even enough to leave a footprint, `Deuteronomy 2bbb4-6`.
ttt[7] In the contrary sense however Esau and Edom represent those who turn away from good by utterly despising truth and who are unwilling to associate any truth of faith at all with it, which happens chiefly for reasons of self-love. Consequently Esau and Edom in the contrary sense mean those people The same was also represented by the king of Edom coming out with many people and a strong force and refusing to let Israel pass across his frontier, `Numbers 20bbb14-22`. This evil, that is to say, the evil of self-love, which is such as does not accept the truths of faith, nor thus matters of doctrine concerning truth, is described in various places in the Word as Esau and Edom, the state of the Church when it comes to be such also being described at the same time; as in Jeremiah,
Against Edom. Is there no wisdom any longer in Teman? Has counsel perished from those who have intelligence? Has their wisdom become rotten? Flee! They have turned themselves away, they have gone down to dwell in the deep, O inhabitants of Dedan, for I will bring the calamity of Esau upon him. I will strip Esau bare, I will uncover his secret places, and he is not able to be concealed. His seed have been laid waste, and his brothers, and his neighbours. Leave your orphans, I will keep them alive, and let your widows trust in Me. Edom will become a waste; everyone who passes by it will be astonished and will hiss at all its plagues. `Jeremiah 49bbb7-8`, `Jeremiah 49bbbccc10-11`, `Jeremiah 49bbbccc17`, and following verses.
ttt[8] In David,
They say, Let not the name of Israel be remembered any more, for they consult together with one accord; against You they make a covenant - the tents of Edom, and the Ishmaelites, and Moab, and the Hagrites. `Psalms 83bbb4-6`.
In Obadiah,
Thus said the Lord Jehovih to Edom, Behold, I have made you small among the nations; you are utterly despised. The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who dwell in the clefts of the rock, whose seat is on high, who say in your heart, Who will bring me down to the ground? Though you exalt yourself like the eagle, and though you set your nest among the stars, from there will I bring you down. How are the men of Esau searched out, their hidden treasures sought out! Will I not on that day destroy the wise men out of Edom, and those who have intelligence out of Mount Esau, so that your mighty men may be dismayed, O Teman, and every man from Mount Esau cut off by slaughter? For the violence done to Jacob your brother shame will cover you, and you will be cut off for ever. The house of Jacob will be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau turned into stubble; and they will burn them and consume them, and there will be nothing left over to the house of Esau. And the people of the south will inherit the mountain of Esau. Obad. verses `Genesis 25bbbccc1-4`, `Genesis 25bbbccc6`, `Genesis 25bbbccc8-10`, `Genesis 25bbbccc18`, `Genesis 25bbbccc19`, `Genesis 25bbbccc21`.
'Edom' and 'Esau' here stand for the evil of the natural man, which evil, arising out of self-love, despises and rejects all truth - which leads to its devastation.
ttt[9] In Ezekiel,
Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir, and prophesy against it, and say to it, Thus said the Lord Jehovih, I am against you, Mount Seir, and I will stretch out My hand against you, and I will make you a waste and a desolation. Because you possess eternal enmity, and give over the children of Israel to the power of the sword`fff2` in the time of their disaster and in the time of the iniquity of the end. Because you said concerning the two nations and the two lands, They are mine and we will inherit them - and Jehovah is there. And you will know that I Jehovah have heard all your insults which you have uttered against the mountains of Israel. You will be a waste, Mount Seir, and all Edom. the whole of it. `Ezekiel 35bbb2-5`, `Ezekiel 35bbbccc8-10`, `Ezekiel 35bbbccc12`, `Ezekiel 35bbbccc15`.
Here it is quite clear that 'Edom' in the contrary sense is those who despise, reject, and insult spiritual goods and truths, meant by 'the mountains of Israel'.
ttt[10] In the same prophet,
Thus said the Lord Jehovih, Surely in the fire of My jealousy have I spoken against the remnants of the nations, and against the whole of Edom, who have given My land to themselves as an inheritance with the joy of all [their] heart, with utter contempt.`fff3` `Ezekiel 36bbb5`.
Here similarly 'giving the land to themselves as an inheritance' stands for laying waste the Church, that is, good and truth that are the Church's.
ttt[11] In Malachi,
The Word of Jehovah against Israel; I have loved you, said Jehovah, and you say, How have You loved us? Is not Esau Jacob's brother? And I love Jacob, and I hate Esau and am making his mountain into a waste. `Malachi 1bbb1-3`.
Here 'Esau' stands for the evil of the natural which does not accept spiritual truth, meant by 'Israel', `@@@3305`, or the doctrine of truth, meant by 'Jacob', `@@@3305`, and is for that reason 'laid waste', meant by 'hating'. For 'hating' has no other meaning, as is evident from what has been introduced above from the Word regarding Esau and Edom in the good sense. But when truth does not allow itself to be allied to good, Jacob is referred to in a contrary way, as in Hosea,
He will make a visitation on Jacob over his ways and requite him according to his deeds; in the womb he supplanted his brother. `Hosea 12bbb2-3`.
`nnn1. literally, mix hands
`nnn2. literally, and cause the children of Israel to flow over the hands of the swords
`nnn3. literally, with contempt of soul
ppp20527#pid#3323. Verses `Genesis 25bbbccc31-33` And Jacob said, Sell me - as if today - your birthright. And Esau said, Behold, I am going to die; so what is this birthright to me? And Jacob said, Swear to me, as if today; and he swore to him, and he sold his birthright to Jacob.
'Jacob said' means the doctrine of truth. 'Sell me - as if today - your birthright' means that in the short term the doctrine of truth was apparently prior. 'And Esau said, Behold, I am going to die' means that [the good of the natural] would after that rise again 'So what is this birthright to me?' means that at this time there is no need for that good to be prior. 'And Jacob said' means the doctrine of truth. 'Swear to me, as if today; and he swore to him' means confirmation. 'And he sold his birthright to Jacob' means that in the meantime priority was conceded [to the doctrine of truth].
ppp20526#pid#3324. 'Jacob said' means the doctrine of truth. This is clear from the representation of 'Jacob' as the doctrine of natural truth, dealt with in `@@@3305`, or what amounts to the same, as those with whom the doctrine of truth predominates. The subject in these verses to the end of this chapter is, To which does the priority of place rightly belong - whether to truth or to good; or what amounts to the same, whether it belongs to the doctrine of truth or to the life within good; or what also amounts to the same, whether it belongs to faith, insofar as faith is the truth taught by doctrine, or to charity, insofar as charity is the good of life? When a person judges things from natural perception he supposes that faith, insofar as it is truth taught by doctrine, is prior to charity, insofar as this is the good of life. He supposes this because he perceives how truth, which is taught by doctrine, enters in, but not how good, which is the good of life, does so; for truth enters in by an external route, that of the senses, whereas good enters in by an internal route. In addition he supposes that faith is prior for the reason that he cannot know other than that truth, since it teaches what good is, exists prior to good, and also for the reason that a person's reformation is effected by means of truth as well as in accordance with truth; indeed he is perfected in good only to the extent that truth can be joined to it, so that good is perfected by means of truth. Yet another reason why he supposes that faith is first is that a person may know the truth and be able to think and speak from it, and to do so seemingly with ardent zeal, even though at the same time no good exists with him; indeed from that truth he may be quite confident of salvation. These and many other considerations cause a person, when judging matters from the sensory and natural man, to think that truth, which constitutes faith, comes before good, which flows from charity. But all these ideas are reasonings based on illusions, for they are things as seen by the sensory and natural man.
ttt[2] That which is prior is good itself - the good of life. This good is the ground itself into which truths are sown, and the nature of the ground determines how the seeds, that is, the truths of faith, are received. Truths are, indeed, able to be stored away previous to this in the memory like seeds in a box or in the crop situated in the gullet of small birds, but they do not become part of a person until the ground is prepared. And the character of the ground, that is, of good, determines that of their growth and fruitfulness. But see what has been shown in many places already regarding these matters. Those places are indicated below so that from them it may be known what good is and what truth is, and that good has priority over truth, not truth over good:
ttt[3] Why no distinct idea may be had of the difference between good and truth, `@@@2507`.`fff1`
Good flows in by an internal route unknown to man, whereas truth is obtained by an external route, which is known to him, `@@@3030`, `@@@3098`.
Truths are the recipient vessels of good, `@@@1496`, `@@@1832`, `@@@1900`, `@@@2063`, `@@@2261`, `@@@2269`, `@@@3068`, `@@@3318`.
Good acknowledges its own truth to which it is joined, `@@@3101`, `@@@3102`, `@@@3179`.
Very careful examination is made and precaution taken to prevent falsity being joined to good, or truth to evil, `@@@3033`, `@@@3101`, `@@@3102`.
Good forms for itself the truth to which it is joined since it acknowledges no other as truth than that which accords with it, `@@@3161`.
Truth is nothing other than that which springs from good, `@@@2434`.
Truth is the form that good takes, `@@@3049`.
Truth possesses within itself the image of good, and within good the replica of itself from which it springs, `@@@3180`.
The seed that is truth is rooted in the good that stems from charity, `@@@880`.
Faith cannot possibly exist except within its own life, that is, within love and charity, `@@@379`, `@@@389`, `@@@654`, `@@@724`, `@@@1608`, `@@@2343`, `@@@2349`.
It is possible for truths that constitute matters of doctrine concerning faith to be looked at from love and charity, but not the reverse, `@@@2454`.
Looking from faith and not from love and charity is looking behind oneself and turning backwards, `@@@2454`.
Truth is given life according to the good anyone has, thus according to the state of innocence and charity residing with that person, `@@@1776`, `@@@3111`.
Truths of faith can be received only by those who are governed by good, `@@@2343`, `@@@2349`.
Those who have no charity are not able to acknowledge the Lord, nor thus any truth of faith at all. If they do profess it, it is something external devoid of what is internal, or something that is the product of hypocrisy, `@@@2354`.
No faith at all is present where there is no charity, `@@@654`, `@@@1162`, `@@@1176`, `@@@2429`.
Wisdom, intelligence, and knowledge are 'the sons' of charity, `@@@1226`.
Since love exists with angels, so do intelligence and wisdom, `@@@2500`, `@@@2572`.
Angelic life consists in the good deeds of charity; and angels are forms of charity, `@@@454`, `@@@553`.
Love to the Lord is His likeness and charity towards the neighbour His image, `@@@1013`.
Angels perceive through love to the Lord anything that is a matter of faith, `@@@202`.
Nothing has life except love and affection, `@@@1589`.
Those who have mutual love, or charity, have the Lord's life, `@@@1799`, `@@@1803`.
Love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour is heaven itself, `@@@1802`, `@@@1824`, `@@@2057`, `@@@2130`, `@@@2131`.
The Lord's presence is relative to the state of love and charity, `@@@904`.
All the Ten Commandments and all matters of faith have their origin in charity, `@@@1121`, `@@@1798`.
Knowledge of matters of doctrine concerning faith achieves nothing if a person does not have charity, for matters of doctrine have charity as the end in view, `@@@2049`, `@@@2116`.
No acknowledgement of truth, nor thus faith, can exist unless a person is governed by good, `@@@2261`.
The holiness of worship depends on the nature of and the amount of the truth of faith that has been implanted in charity, `@@@2190`.
There is no salvation through faith but through the life of faith, which is charity, `@@@2228`, `@@@2261`.
The heavenly kingdom belongs to those who have faith that is the expression of charity, `@@@1608`.
In heaven all are viewed from charity and from faith from this, `@@@1258`.
They are not allowed into heaven, except by willing what is good from the heart, `@@@2401`.
People are saved who possess faith provided that faith includes good, `@@@2261`, `@@@2442`.
Faith which has not been implanted in the good of life perishes altogether in the next life, `@@@2228`.
If faith that is purely thought could save, all would be brought into heaven; but it is because their life prevents them that some are not able to be saved, `@@@2363`.
Those who maintain the idea that faith alone saves defile truths with the falsity of that idea, `@@@2383`, `@@@2385`.
The fruits of faith are good works; a good work is charity; charity is love to the Lord; and that love is the Lord, `@@@1873`.
The fruits of faith are the fruit of good which stems from love and charity, `@@@3146`.
Trust or confidence which is called faith that saves cannot exist except with those who are leading a good life, `@@@2982`.
Good is the life of truth, `@@@1589`.
At what point truths may be said to have acquired life, `@@@1928`.
Good from the Lord flows into truths of every kind, but it is supremely important that they should be genuine truths, `@@@2531`.
The amount of good and truth that flows in from the Lord depends on the extent to which evil and falsity is being removed. `@@@2411`, `@@@3142`, `@@@3147`.
Good cannot flow into truth as long as a person is under the influence of evil, `@@@2388`.
Truth is not truth until it has been accepted by good, `@@@2429`.
The marriage of good and truth exists in every single thing, `@@@2173`, `@@@2508`, `@@@2517`.
The affection for good constitutes life, and the affection for truth exists for the sake of life, `@@@2455`.`fff1`
Truth tends towards good, and stems from good, `@@@2063`.
By means of influx truths are summoned out of the natural man, raised up, and implanted in the good present in the rational, `@@@3085`, `@@@3086`.
When truth is joined to good it becomes a person's own, `@@@3108`.
For truth to be joined to good there has to be consent from the understanding and the will. When there is consent from the will conjunction takes place, `@@@3157`, `@@@3158`.
Truth in the rational is acquired by means of cognitions, and truths become a person's own when they are joined to good. at which point they belong to the will and exist for the sake of life, `@@@3161`.
Truth is introduced and joined to good, not all at once but throughout the whole of life, and beyond, `@@@3200`.
Just as light devoid of warmth is unproductive, so is the truth of faith when devoid of good stemming from love, `@@@3146`.
The nature of the idea of truth devoid of good, and the nature of its light in the next life, `@@@2228`.
Separated faith is like the light in winter, whereas faith derived from charity is like the light in the spring, `@@@2231`.
Those who in action separate the truth, which constitutes faith, from charity are unable to have conscience, `@@@1076`, `@@@1077`.
The reason why they have separated faith from charity and said that faith saved, `@@@2231`.
When a person is being regenerated the Lord instills good into the truths residing with him, `@@@2063`, `@@@2189`.
A person is not regenerated by means of truth but by means of good, `@@@989`, `@@@2146`, `@@@2183`, `@@@2189`, `@@@2697`.
When a person is being regenerated the Lord comes to meet him and fills the truths residing with him with the good of charity, `@@@2063`.
Those who lead a good life but do not have the truth of faith, like gentiles and young children, receive truths of faith in the next life and undergo regeneration, `@@@989`; regarding gentiles, `@@@932`, `@@@1032`, `@@@2049`, `@@@2284`, `@@@2589-2604`; regarding young children, `@@@2290-2293`, `@@@2302-2304`.
A person is regenerated by means of the affection for truth, and one who is regenerate acts from the affection for good, `@@@1904`.
With one who is to be regenerated seed is unable to take root except in good, `@@@880`, `@@@989`.
The light that a regenerate person has flows from charity, not from faith, `@@@854`.
The same truths are indeed truths with one person, but with another less so, and with some they are even falsities; this variation is determined by the good of life in each of them, `@@@2439`.
What the difference is between the good of a young child, the good of one who does not know, and the good of one who has intelligence, `@@@2280`.
Who are able to enter into cognitions of truth and into faith, and who are not, `@@@2689`.
The Church does not exist unless truths of doctrine have been implanted in the good of life, `@@@3310`.
Doctrine does not make the Church, but charity, `@@@809`, `@@@916`, `@@@1798`, `@@@1799`, `@@@1834`, `@@@1844`.
The Church's doctrines count for nothing if people do not live according to them, `@@@1515`.
The doctrine of faith is the doctrine of charity, `@@@2571`.
The Church exists from charity, not from separated faith, `@@@916`.
Anyone may know from charity whether the internal dimension of worship exists with him, `@@@1102`, `@@@1151`, `@@@1153`.
The Lord's Church spread throughout the world is everywhere various so far as truths are concerned, but it is one through charity, `@@@3267`.
The Church would be one Church if all had charity even though they differed in religious observances and on points of doctrine, `@@@809`, `@@@1285`, `@@@1316`, `@@@1798`, `@@@1799`, `@@@1834`, `@@@1844`.
From being many it would become one Church if with everyone charity and not faith were the essential thing of the Church, `@@@2982`.
There are two kinds of doctrinal teachings - teachings to do with charity and teachings to do with faith. The Ancient Church possessed matters of doctrine concerning charity which today belong among things that have been lost, `@@@2417`.
How ignorant of the truth they are who do not possess matters of doctrine concerning charity, `@@@2435`.
And because at the present day faith is regarded as the essential thing of the Church people do not even see or pay any attention to the things that the Lord has said so many times about love and charity, `@@@1017`, `@@@2373`.
Good that is the expression of love to the Lord and of charity towards the neighbour is higher and prior to truth that constitutes faith, and not the reverse, `@@@363`, `@@@364`.
`nnn1. This number does not appear to be correct.
ppp20525#pid#3325. 'Sell me - as if today - your birthright' means that in the short term the doctrine of truth was apparently prior. This is clear from the meaning of 'selling' as claiming for oneself; from the meaning of 'as if today' as in the short term (for in the internal sense of the Word 'today' means that which is perpetual and eternal, `@@@2838`. But to avoid its meaning perpetual and eternal the expression 'as if today' is used, the expression as if indicating that it was so apparently); and from the meaning of 'birthright' as the fact that it - that is to say, the doctrine of truth, which Jacob represents, `@@@3305` - is prior.
ttt[2] By the expressions prior and priority of place, describing the birthright, are meant not only first in time but also first in degree; that is to say, it is a question of which one is to have dominion, good or truth? For until it has been joined to good truth is always prior; or what amounts to the same, until they have been regenerated, people governed by truth believe that truth is prior to and higher than good. That is how it appears at that time; but once truth with them has been joined to good, that is, once they have been regenerated, they see and perceive that truth is posterior and lower than good, and with them good has dominion over truth. This is what is meant by that which Isaac his father told Esau,
Behold, of the fatness of the earth will be your dwelling, and of the dew of heaven from above. And by your sword you will live, and you will serve your brother; and it will be, when you have dominion, that you will break his yoke from above your neck `Genesis 27bbb39-40`.
ttt[3] But because within the Church those who are not being regenerated outnumber those who are, and those who are not base their judgements on what is the appearance, it has therefore been disputed, even from ancient times, whether priority of place belongs to truth or to good. With those who have not been regenerated and also with those who are not completely regenerate the opinion prevails that truth is prior, for they have not yet acquired a perception of good; and as long as anybody is without a perception of good he is in the dark or ignorant regarding these matters. But because those who have been regenerated are governed by good itself, they are able to discern from resulting intelligence and wisdom what good is, and that good comes from the Lord and flows in by way of the internal man into the external, doing so constantly without the person being aware of it. They are able to perceive that it joins itself to the truths of doctrine that are in the memory, and that as a consequence good in itself is prior even though it has not appeared so beforehand. This then is why the dispute arose about which one was prior and higher than the other, a dispute which was represented by Esau and Jacob, as well as by Perez and Zerah, Judah's sons by Tamar, `Genesis 38bbb28-30`, and also after that by Joseph's sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, `Genesis 48bbb13-14`, `Genesis 48bbbccc17-20`. The dispute arises because the spiritual Church is such that it has to be led to good by means of truth, and while being led to good it does not have the perception of good except insofar as this, quantitatively and qualitatively, lies concealed within the affection for truth. At that time it is indistinguishable from the delight of self-love and of love of the world which exists at the same time within that affection and is believed to be good.
ttt[4] Good however is the firstborn, that is, good flowing from love to the Lord and from love towards the neighbour, for no other good is good except that which flows from these. This becomes clear from the fact that life is present within good but not within truth except the life received from good, and from the fact that good flows into truths and gives them life, as may be seen clearly from what has been stated and shown already in `@@@3324` about good and truth. For this reason all in whom love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour are present are called 'the firstborn'. They were also represented in the Jewish Church by firstborn creatures - that is, when these are understood in the relative sense; for the Lord is the Firstborn, and those people are likenesses and images of Him.
ttt[5] The Lord as regards His Divine Human is the Firstborn. This is clear in David,
He will cry to Me, You are My Father, My God, and the Rock of My Salvation; I will also make Him the Firstborn, supreme over the kings of the earth. My mercy I will keep for Him for ever, and My covenant will stand firm for Him, and I will establish His seed for ever, and His throne as the days of the heavens. `Psalms 89bbb26-29`.
This refers to the Lord. And in John,
From Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the Firstborn from mortal men, and Prince of the kings of the earth. `Revelation 1bbb5`.
And to fulfil those things that had been written regarding Him and that represented Him He was also the Firstborn Son, `Luke 2bbb7`, `Luke 2bbbccc22-23`.
ttt[6] The Lord also calls 'the firstborn' those in whom love to Him and charity towards the neighbour are present because they are likenesses and images of Him This is clear in John,
The hundred and forty-four thousand purchased from the earth - these are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins; these are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes; these have been purchased from men as firstfruits (the firstborn) to God and the Lamb, and in their mouth no lie was found, for they are spotless before God's throne. `Revelation 14bbb3-5`.
'A hundred and forty-four', or twelve times twelve, stands for those who have the faith that is grounded in charity, `@@@3272`, 'thousands' for countless numbers or for them all, `@@@2575`, 'virgins' for the good that flows from love to the Lord and from charity towards the neighbour, `@@@2362`, `@@@3081`, and so for those with whom innocence is present, which is also the meaning of 'following the Lamb' since the Lord by virtue of His innocence is called 'the Lamb'. This is why they are called the firstfruits or the firstborn.
ttt[7] From these quotations it is evident that the Lord as regards the Divine Human was represented in the Jewish Church by firstborn beings, as also are those with whom love to Him is present, for they abide in the Lord. But the firstborn beings mentioned in the Word have a dual representation. They represent the Lord as regards Divine celestial love and as regards Divine spiritual love. The Lord's Divine celestial love is specific to the celestial Church, or to those belonging to that Church, who are called celestial on account of their love to the Lord. The Lord's Divine spiritual love is specific to the spiritual Church, or to those belonging to that Church, who are referred to as spiritual on account of their love to the neighbour. The Lord's Divine love goes out to all, but because people receive it variously - the celestial person in one way, the spiritual in another - it is said to be specific.
ttt[8] Concerning the firstborn beings which represented the Lord as regards Divine celestial love, and also the people who belonged specifically to the celestial Church, the following is said in Moses,
The firstborn of your sons you shall give to Me. You shall do the same with your oxen and your flock. Seven days it shall be with its mother; on the eighth you shall give it to Me. And you shall be men who are sanctified to Me. `Exodus 22bbb29-31`.
The reason why it was to stay seven days with its mother was that the seventh day meant the celestial man, `@@@84-87`, and that seven consequently means that which is holy, `@@@395`, `@@@433`, `@@@716`, `@@@881`. The reason why on the eighth day they were to be given to Jehovah was that the eighth day meant the continuation from a new beginning, that is to say, the continuation of love, `@@@2044`. In the same author,
The firstborn among beasts, which is given as the firstborn to Jehovah, no man shall consecrate it; whether an ox or of the herd, it is Jehovah's. `Leviticus 27bbb26`, `Leviticus 27bbbccc27`.
In the same author,
The firstfruits of all that is in the land, which they bring to Jehovah, shall be yours (Aaron's); every clean person in your house shall eat them. All that opens the womb among all flesh which they offer to Jehovah, man and beast, shall be yours. Nevertheless you shall redeem the firstborn of man, and the firstborn of unclean beasts you shall redeem. The firstborn of an ox, or the firstborn of a sheep, or the firstborn of a goat you shall not redeem; they are holy. Their blood you shall sprinkle over the altar and burn their fat as a fire-offering for an odour of rest to Jehovah. `Numbers 18bbb13`, `Numbers 18bbbccc15-18`.
In the same author,
Every firstborn male that is born among your herds and among your flocks you shall sanctify to Jehovah your God; you shall do no work by means of the firstborn of your oxen, and you shall not shear the firstborn of your flock. And if there is a blemish in it, lameness or blindness, any ill blemish whatever, you shall not sacrifice it to Jehovah your God. `Deuteronomy 15bbb19-22`.
ttt[9] Because 'the firstborn [among beasts]' represented the Lord and those who are the Lord's by virtue of love to Him, the tribe of Levi was therefore taken instead of all the firstborn, the reason for this being that Levi represented the Lord as regards His love. Also, Levi means love, for Levi is a name that means to cling to and to be joined together - and 'to cling to' and 'to be joined together' in the internal sense is love. This will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with later on, at `Genesis 29bbb34`. Regarding the Levites the following is said in Moses,
Jehovah spoke to Moses. saying, Behold, I Myself will take the Levites from the midst of the children of Israel, instead of every firstborn, that which opens the womb, from the children of Israel; and the Levites will be Mine. For every firstborn is Mine; on the day I struck every firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified every firstborn for Myself in Israel; from man even to beast they shall be Mine. `Numbers 3bbb11-13`.
In the same author,
Jehovah said to Moses, Number every firstborn male from the children of Israel, a month old and over, and take the number of their names. And take the Levites for Me - I am Jehovah - instead of every firstborn among the children of Israel, and the beast of the Levites instead of every firstborn among the beasts of the children of Israel. `Numbers 3bbb40-41`, and following verses.
Also `Numbers 8bbb14`, `Numbers 8bbbccc16-18`. And the Levites were given to Aaron, `Numbers 8bbb19`, because Aaron represented the Lord as regards the priesthood, that is, as regards Divine love; for the priesthood represented the Lord's Divine love, see `@@@1728`, `@@@2015` (end).
ttt[10] Concerning the firstborn creatures however which represented the Lord as regards Divine spiritual love, and also the people who belonged specifically to the spiritual Church, the following is said in Jeremiah,
With weeping they will come, and with supplications I will lead them, I will bring them to springs of water in a straight path on which they will not stumble; and I will be a Father to Israel, and Ephraim will be My firstborn. `Jeremiah 31bbb9`.
This refers to a new spiritual Church. 'Israel' stands for spiritual good, 'Ephraim' for spiritual truth, who is called 'the firstborn' because the subject is a Church that is to be established in which the understanding - which is the holder of truth - is apparently the firstborn. Indeed Ephraim took Reuben's place and became the firstborn, `Genesis 48bbb5`, `Genesis 48bbbccc20`; `1 Chronicles 5bbb1`. He did so because Joseph, whose sons were Ephraim and Manasseh, represented the Lord as regards Divine spiritual love. But fundamentally Israel, that is, spiritual good, is the firstborn. This is clear in Moses,
Jehovah said to Moses, You shall say to Pharaoh, Thus said Jehovah, My firstborn son is Israel, and I say to you, Send My son so that he may serve Me, and you have refused to send him; behold, I kill your son, the firstborn. `Exodus 4bbb22-23`.
Here 'Israel' in the highest sense is the Lord as regards Divine spiritual love, and in the relative sense those in whom spiritual love, that is, charity towards the neighbour, is present.
ttt[11] In the case of the spiritual Church, in the beginning or when it is about to be established, it is the doctrine of truth that is the firstborn with the external Church and the truth taught by doctrine the firstborn with the internal Church - or what amounts to the same, the doctrine of faith is the firstborn with the external Church and faith itself with the internal Church. But once it has been set up, or is a reality among its members, it is the good flowing from charity that is the firstborn with the external Church and charity itself with the internal Church. When however the Church does not allow itself to be established, as happens when it is no longer possible for the member of the Church to be regenerated, it gradually retreats from charity and turns aside to faith. Furthermore it no longer concerns itself with life but with doctrine; and when that happens it casts itself into shadows and sinks into falsities and evils. In so doing it ceases to be a Church and brings about its own annihilation. This was represented by Cain, in that he slew Abel his brother - Cain meaning faith separated from charity, and Abel the charity which he annihilated, see `@@@340`, `@@@342`, `@@@357`, `@@@362`, and following paragraphs. Later on it was represented by Ham - and Canaan his son - in that he mocked Noah his father, `@@@1062`, `@@@1063`, `@@@1076`, `@@@1140`, `@@@1141`, `@@@1162`, `@@@1179`. After that it was represented by Reuben, Jacob's firstborn, in that he defiled his father's bed, `Genesis 35bbb22`, and at length by Pharaoh and the Egyptians, in that these afflicted the children of Israel. It is clear from the Word that all these were accursed, as the following shows:
Cain
Jehovah said, What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying out to Me from the ground. And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. `Genesis 4bbb10-11`.
Ham and Canaan
Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father's nakedness and pointed it out to his two brothers. And Noah awoke from his wine. He said, Cursed be Canaan, a slave of slaves will he be to his brothers. `Genesis 9bbb22`, `Genesis 9bbbccc24-25`.
Reuben
Reuben, my firstborn, you are my strength, and the beginning of my power, excelling in eminence, and excelling in might. Unstable as water, may you not excel, for you went up to your father's bed; then you defiled it. He went up to my couch. `Genesis 49bbb3-4`.
This was why he was deprived of the birthright, `1 Chronicles 5bbb1`. The same was represented by Pharaoh and the Egyptians, and therefore their firstborn sons and firstborn creatures were slain. This is clear from their representation as facts, `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1186`, for whenever anyone enters into the arcana of faith along the path of factual knowledge, he no longer believes anything, apart from that which he is able to grasp through sensory evidence and factual knowledge. In that case things which belong to the doctrine of faith, and above all those which are matters of charity, he perverts and annihilates.
ttt[12] These are the considerations which are represented in the internal sense by the slaying of the firstborn sons and firstborn creatures of Egypt, referred to in Moses as follows,
I will pass through the land of Egypt during that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from man even to beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgement; I am Jehovah. And the blood will be a sign on your houses where you are; and when I see the blood I will pass by over you, and the plague will not be on you for a destroyer when I strike the land of Egypt. `Exodus 12bbb12-13`.
'The firstborn of Egypt' is doctrinal teaching regarding faith and regarding charity, which is perverted, as has been stated, by means of facts. 'The gods of Egypt' on whom judgement would be executed are falsities. No plague would be brought by the destroyer where there was blood on houses means in the highest sense the place where the Lord as regards Divine spiritual love resides, and in the relative sense where spiritual love, that is, charity towards the neighbour, resides, see `@@@1001`.
ttt[13] Further reference to Pharaoh and the Egyptians is made in the same book as follows,
Moses said, Thus said Jehovah, As at midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt, and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt will die, and Pharaoh's firstborn who was to sit on his throne, even to the firstborn of the servant-girl who is behind the mill, and all the firstborn of the beasts. But on all the children of Israel not a dog will move its tongue, from man even to beast. `Exodus 11bbb4-7`.
And after that,
It happened at midnight, that Jehovah struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from Pharaoh's firstborn who was to sit on his throne even to the firstborn of the prisoner who was in the dungeon,`fff1` and all the firstborn of the beasts. `Exodus 12bbb29`.
The reason why it took place at midnight was that 'night' means the final state of the Church when there is no faith any longer because there is no charity any longer, `@@@221`, `@@@709`, `@@@1712`, `@@@2353`. In David,
He struck all the firstborn in Egypt, the beginning of powers in the tents of Ham. `Psalms 78bbb51`.
In the same author,
Then Israel came to Egypt, and Jacob became a sojourner in the land of Ham. God struck all the firstborn in their land, the beginning of all their powers. `Psalms 105bbb23`, `Psalms 105bbbccc36`.
'The tents of Ham' is the name given to the worship of the Egyptians, which is based on false assumptions that result from truth separated from good, or what amounts to the same, from faith separated from charity - 'tents' meaning worship, see `@@@414`, `@@@1102`, `@@@1566`, `@@@2145`, `@@@2152`, `@@@3312`, and 'Ham' faith separated from charity, `@@@1062`, `@@@1063`, `@@@1076`, `@@@1140`, `@@@1141`, `@@@1162`, `@@@1179`.
ttt[14] This confirms yet again that 'the slaying of the firstborn of Egypt' had no other meaning. Now because all the firstborn of Egypt had been slain, and yet so that the firstborn might represent the Lord as regards Divine spiritual love and at the same time represent those who are governed by that love, [the Israelites] were commanded to sanctify all the firstborn the instant they were leaving. These matters are stated in Moses as follows,
Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying, Sanctify to Me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel; with man and with beast let them be Mine. You shall make over to Jehovah all that opens the womb, and every firstling of a beast, that are yours; the males shall be Jehovah's. And every firstling of an ass you shall redeem in the herd. If you do not redeem it, you shall break its neck. And all the firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. And it shall be - when your son asks you in time to come, saying, What is this? - that you shall say to him, By a strong hand Jehovah led us out of Egypt, from the home of slaves. And so it was, that Pharaoh hardened himself against sending us away, and Jehovah slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of man even to the firstborn of the beasts. Therefore I sacrifice to Jehovah all that open the womb, the males, and all the firstborn of my sons I redeem. `Exodus 13bbb1-2`, `Exodus 13bbbccc12-15`; `Exodus ccc34bbb19-20`; `Numbers 33bbb3-4`.
From all these quotations one may now see what is meant in the spiritual sense by the birthright.
`nnn1. literally, in the house of the pit
ppp20524#pid#3326. 'Esau said, Behold, I am going to die' means that [the good of the natural] would after that rise again. This is clear from the representation of 'Esau' as the good of the natural, dealt with in `@@@3302`, `@@@3322`, and from the meaning of 'dying' as the final phase of a state when something ceases to exist, dealt with in `@@@2908`, `@@@2912`, `@@@2917`, `@@@2923`. And since the end of the previous state is the beginning of the next, 'going to die', like 'being buried', here means rising again after that. For 'being buried' means rising again, see `@@@2916`, `@@@2917`, `@@@3256`. His rising again after that implies that good will come to have priority and dominion over truth, after truth in the short term has apparently had priority, dealt with above.
ppp20523#pid#3327. 'So what is this birthright to me?' means that at this time there is no need for that good to be prior. This becomes clear without explanation.
ppp20522#pid#3328. 'And Jacob said' means the doctrine of truth. This is clear from the representation of 'Jacob' as the doctrine of truth, as above in `@@@3324`.
ppp20521#pid#3329. 'Swear to me, as if today; and he swore to him' means confirmation. This is clear from the meaning of 'swearing' as confirming, dealt with in `@@@2842`. And since it was a confirmation of what was so in the short term, the expression used is not 'today' but 'as if today', see `@@@3325`.
ppp20520#pid#3330. 'And he sold his birthright to Jacob' means that in the meantime priority was conceded - to the doctrine of truth represented by Jacob. This is clear from the meaning of 'the birthright' as that which has priority of place, dealt with above in `@@@3325`, which in the meantime was conceded, as is evident from what has been stated and shown above in `@@@3324`, `@@@3325`. The chief reason why with the spiritual man truth has dominion first is that in his initial state delights that belong to self-love and love of the world are present. These he believes to be the goods which attach themselves to his truths and constitute the greater part of the affection for truth with him. Indeed at this time he supposes that truths are able to assist him in the acquisition of important positions, or of material gain, or of reputation in the world, or also of merit in the next life. All these arouse that affection for truth with him and also set it ablaze. These are not however good but bad.
ttt[2] Nevertheless the Lord does allow such things in that initial period to carry him along because he could not otherwise be regenerated. The arrival at intelligence and wisdom takes time In the meantime he is led on by means of those truths to good, that is, to charity. And once he has charity he perceives for the first time what good is and acts from good, and at the same time good is the source of his decisions and conclusions concerning truths. And things that do not accord with that good he calls falsities and rejects. In this way he has dominion over truths like a master over his servants
ppp20519#pid#3331. Verse `Genesis 25bbbccc34` And Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil pottage; and he ate, and drank, and he rose up, and went. And Esau despised the birthright.
'Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil pottage' means that the good of life was given the good of truth and the good of doctrine. 'And he ate, and drank' means taking to oneself. 'And he rose up' means a consequent raising up. 'And went' means life. 'And Esau despised the birthright' means that the good of life did not in the meantime attach any importance at all to priority of place.
ppp20518#pid#3332. 'Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil pottage' means that the good of life was given the good of truth and the good of doctrine. This is clear from the representation of 'Esau' as the good of life, dealt with in `@@@3300`, `@@@3322`; from the meaning of 'bread' as in general the good of love - both celestial and spiritual good - dealt with in `@@@276`, `@@@680`, `@@@2165`, `@@@2177`, and so also the good of truth, this being spiritual good; and from the meaning of 'lentil pottage' as the good of doctrine, for 'pottage' or soup means the massing together of matters of doctrine, `@@@3316`, but 'lentils' the good that exists essentially in these. Jacob's giving them to Esau means in the internal sense that those goods come through the doctrine of truth, which Jacob represents, `@@@3305`.
ttt[2] These words and those that follow in this final verse describe progress made in regard to truth and good. They describe the situation with the spiritual man while being regenerated, that is to say, how he first learns matters of doctrine concerning truth; how next he is stirred by an affection for them, which is the good of doctrine; how after that, through insight into the matters of doctrine, he is stirred by an affection for the truths which they hold within them, which is the good of truth; and how at length he desires to live according to them, which is the good of life. Thus while undergoing regeneration the spiritual man advances from the doctrine of truth towards the good of life. But once he has reached that point the order is reversed - that good is the point from which he sees the good of truth, the latter the point from which he sees the good of doctrine, and this good in turn the point from which he sees matters of doctrine concerning truth. From these considerations it may be known how, from being sensory-minded, a person becomes spiritual, and what he is like when he has become spiritual.
ttt[3] Those varieties of good, that is to say, the good of life, the good of truth, and the good of doctrine, are all distinct from one another, as becomes clear to those who weigh the matter up. The good of life is that which issues from the will, the good of truth that which issues from the understanding, while the good of doctrine is that which issues from knowledge. Doctrinal teaching is such that it includes all three. It is clear that 'lentils' means the good of doctrine from the fact that wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt are such things as are meant by bread, though with specific differences. The fact that 'bread' in general means good is evident from what has been stated and shown in `@@@276`, `@@@680`, `@@@2165`, `@@@2177`; and so specific kinds of good are meant by the grains and beans that have been mentioned - nobler kinds of good by wheat and barley, but less noble by beans and lentils, as also becomes evident from these words in Ezekiel,
You, take for yourself wheat and barley, and beans and lentils, and millet and spelt, and put them into a single vessel, and make them into bread for yourself. `Ezekiel 4bbb9`, `Ezekiel 4bbbccc12-13`.
ppp20517#pid#3333. 'And he ate, and drank' means taking to oneself. This is clear from the meaning of 'eating' as taking good to oneself, dealt with in `@@@2187`, `@@@2343`, `@@@3168`, and from the meaning of 'clanking' as taking truth to oneself, dealt with in `@@@3069`, `@@@3089`, `@@@3168`.
ppp20516#pid#3334. 'And he rose up' means a consequent raising up. This is clear from the meaning of 'rising up' wherever it is used, as embodying a raising up, dealt with in `@@@2401`, `@@@2785`, `@@@2912`, `@@@2927`. A person is said to be raised up when he is being perfected as regards spiritual and celestial things, that is, as regards truth which belongs to faith, and as regards good which belongs to love and charity, `@@@3171`.
ppp20515#pid#3335. 'And went' means life. This is clear from the meaning of 'going' as advances into things that are matters of good, that is, of life, for all good is the good of life. The meaning is almost the same as travelling, sojourning, and advancing, dealt with in `@@@1293`, `@@@1457`.
ppp20514#pid#3336. 'And Esau despised the birthright' means that the good of life did not in the meantime attach any importance at all to priority of place. This is clear from the meaning of 'despising' as attaching no importance at all, from the representation of 'Esau' as the good of life, dealt with in `@@@3300`, `@@@3322`, and from the meaning of 'the birthright' as that which has priority of place, dealt with in `@@@3325`. That in the meantime or in the short term is meant, see `@@@3324`, `@@@3325`, `@@@3330`. From this it is evident that 'Esau despised the birthright' means that the good of life did not in the meantime attach any importance at all to priority of place. To grasp what is meant in the internal sense by these things that have been stated in this chapter regarding Esau and Jacob one's thought has to be removed completely from historical events, and so from the persons Esau and Jacob, and to be focused instead on the things which they represent, that is to say, on the good of the natural and its truth, or what amounts to the same, on the spiritual man, who is regenerated by means of truth and good. For in the internal sense of the Word names mean nothing other than real things. When the good of the natural and its truth are held in mind instead of Esau and Jacob, the manner in which a person is regenerated by means of truth and good is then evident, that is to say, how at first truth residing with him apparently occupies the prior and also higher position, when in fact good in itself is the prior and higher.
ttt[2] To make it quite clear which one is prior to and higher than the other - truth or good - let a further brief comment be made. It is probably well known that nothing is ever able to enter the human memory and remain there unless there is some affection or love to attract it. If there were no affection, or what amounts to the same, no love, there would not be any discernment. It is to this affection or love to which the thing entering in links itself, and once linked to that affection it remains. This becomes clear from the consideration that when a like affection or love returns that thing reappears as well, presenting itself together with many others which, from a like affection or love, have entered in previously. This goes on repeatedly. This is the origin of a person's thought, and from his thought, of his speech. It is similar also when a thing returns, whether it is the objects of the senses, or the objects of thought, or the speech of another that causes it to return, then the affection also with which the thing had entered in is reproduced. This is something which experience teaches, and anyone may confirm it for himself if he stops to reflect.
ttt[3] Matters of doctrine concerning truth as well enter the memory in a similar way and in the earliest stages it is the affections belonging to varying loves that bring them in, as stated above in `@@@3330`. Genuine affection which belongs to the good of charity, though not recognized at that time, is nevertheless present. And to the extent it is able to be present it is allied to matters of doctrine concerning truth from the Lord and also remains allied. When the time comes therefore when a person is able to be regenerated the Lord inspires the affection for good, and through that affection arouses the things that have been allied to that affection from Himself. In the Word these things are called remnants In that case by means of that affection for good the affections belonging to other loves are gradually removed, and so also are the things which have been linked to them. In this way the affection for good, or what amounts to the same, the good of life, starts to have dominion. It also had dominion before this but that could not be seen by the person himself, for to the extent someone is ruled by self-love and love of the world the good that belongs to genuine love is not apparent. From this one may now see what is meant in the internal sense by the historical details that have been told regarding Esau and Jacob.
ppp20513#pid#3337. CORRESPONDENCES AND REPRESENTATIONS - continued
What correspondences are, and what representations are, may be seen from what has been stated and shown already; namely that correspondences exist between things belonging to the light of heaven and those belonging to the light of the world, while representations consist of things belonging to the light of heaven which manifest themselves within those belonging to the light of the world, `@@@3225`. But what the light of heaven is, and the nature of it, cannot be known so easily by man because he dwells within the things that belong to the light of the world. And to the extent he dwells within these the things that exist within the light of heaven are seen by him as darkness and as nothing at all. These two, the light of heaven and the light of the world, are what form the whole of man's intelligence, when life is flowing in.
ttt[2] In man mental images are nothing else than the forms and shapes of such things as he has been taking in with his physical sight - forms and shapes wonderfully diverse or, as I will call it, modified. His interior mental images or thought however are nothing else than the forms and shapes of such things as he has absorbed with his mental sight - forms and shapes even more wonderfully diverse or, as again I will call it, modified. Things which come into being in this way are not in themselves animate but are made so from the influx of life from the Lord.
ppp20512#pid#3338. In addition to those two forms of light there are also two forms of warmth or heat, which likewise have two separate sources. The warmth of heaven comes from the Sun of heaven, which is the Lord, and the warmth of the world comes from the sun of the world, which is plainly visible before our eyes. The warmth of heaven manifests itself before the internal man by means of spiritual loves and affections, whereas the warmth of the world manifests itself before the external man by means of natural loves and affections. The first form of warmth constitutes the life of the internal man, whereas the second constitutes that of the external man; for without love and affection a person cannot live at all. Between those two forms of warmth also correspondences exist. Those two forms of it become loves and affections from the influx of the Lord's life, and therefore they show themselves to man as if they were not forms of warmth, when in fact that is what they are. For if a person did not receive warmth from the Lord's inflowing life, both in his internal man and in his external man, he would instantly fall down dead. These considerations are evident to anyone from the fact that to the extent a person is fired by love he also becomes warmer, and to the extent love departs he cools off. It is from this warmth that a person's will lives, but from the light spoken of above that his understanding lives.
ppp20511#pid#3339. In the next life those forms of light, and also those forms of warmth, manifest themselves visually. Angels live within the light of heaven and also within the warmth that has been spoken of. From that light they receive intelligence, and from that warmth the affection for good. Indeed the forms of light seen with their external sight have their origin in the Lord's Divine wisdom, and the forms of warmth which are also felt by them have their origin in the Lord's Divine love. To the extent therefore that spirits and angels possess intelligence in truth and affection for good they are closer to the Lord.
ppp20510#pid#3340. Existing as the opposite of that light is thick darkness, and as the opposite of that warmth is coldness. Within that thick darkness and that coldness dwell those in hell. Their thick darkness is the product of the falsities in which they are immersed, and their coldness the product of evils. And the further away they are from truths the thicker is their darkness; and the further away they are from good the more intense is their coldness. When one is allowed to see into the hells where such beings exist the very dark mist in which they live is visible. And when there is any exhalation from that mist the insane ideas flowing from falsities, and the forms of hatred from evils, are detected. They are also provided sometimes with a light, but this is the feeble light from an ignis fatuus, which however goes out on them and becomes thick darkness as soon as they look at the light of truth. In addition they are sometimes provided with warmth, but this warmth is like that of a filthy bathhouse, which however turns into coldness with them as soon as they detect any hint of good. A certain spirit was sent into that dark mist which envelops those in hell so that he might discover for himself what it is like with those who are there. But the Lord protected him by means of angels. From there he spoke to me and said that the maniacal rage against what is good and true, and above all against the Lord, was so great that he was astounded that it could ever be withstood. For those in hell were breathing out nothing else but all kinds of hatred, revenge, and murder, and doing so with such vehemence that they wanted to destroy everybody throughout the universe. Consequently if the Lord was not constantly driving back that rage the entire human race would perish.
ppp20509#pid#3341. Since representations in the next life cannot be manifested except through distinct variations of light and shade it should be realized that all light, and consequently all intelligence and wisdom, come from the Lord, while all shade, and consequently all insanity and stupidity, come from the proprium belonging to man, spirit, or angel. From these two sources all the variations of light and shade that occur in the next life flow and are derived.
ppp20508#pid#3342. Furthermore spirits and angels communicate everything to others by means of representatives. By means of wonderful variations of light and shade they bring their own thoughts in a vivid way before the internal sight and at the same time before the external sight of the one with whom they are communicating, and subtly introduce those thoughts by effecting appropriate changes in his affectional state. The representations manifested in their communications with others are not like those described already, but they are produced without delay and in an instant, together with the ideas conveyed in their communications. It is like a lengthy description of something, accompanied at the same time by the presentation before the eyes of a visual image of that thing. For amazing as it is, by means of varying kinds of images that are quite beyond man's comprehension any spiritual reality at all can be set forth in representative form in which inwardly there are things that go with the perception of truth, and still more inwardly those that go with the perception of good.
ttt[2] Such things also exist within man - for man is a spirit clothed with the body - as becomes clear from the fact that when anything spoken that is perceived by the ear rises up towards the more interior parts, it passes into mental images not unlike those of visual objects, and from these into conceptual ideas, and in this way one comes to perceive the sense of the words. Anyone who reflects on these matters properly may recognize from them that within him there is his spirit, which is his internal man, and also that he has this kind of ability to communicate following his separation from the body, for the same ability exists with him though this is not evident to him in his lifetime because of the obscurity, indeed the thick darkness brought about by earthly, physical, and worldly things.
ppp20507#pid#3343. The communication of angels who belong to the interior heaven is even more beautifully and delightfully representative, but the ideas which take shape in representatives cannot be put into words. If they were to be put into any words at all they would go not only beyond what anyone is able to grasp but also beyond what anyone is able to believe. Spiritual representatives, which are those of truth, are effected by means of modifications of heavenly light which have affections within them that are wonderfully varied in unlimited ways; while celestial representatives, which are those of good, are effected by variations of heavenly flame or warmth. In this way they stir all the affections. Into this interior ability to communicate also man enters following his separation from the body, but this happens only to one in whom spiritual good, that is, the good of faith, is present, or what amounts to the same, to one in whom, while living in the world, charity towards the neighbour is present. For he has that charity within him even though he himself is not aware of it.
ppp20506#pid#3344. The communication of angels who belong to the heaven more interior still, which is the third heaven, is also representative, but it is such as cannot possibly be conceived by any idea in the mind, nor accordingly be described. Their pattern of thought is present inwardly in man, yet only in one in whom celestial love, that is, love to the Lord, is present; and following his separation from the body he enters into that pattern of thought as though born to it, even though, as has been stated, he could not conceive anything at all of this with any idea present in his own mind while he was living in the body. In short, by means of the representatives that are combined with ideas, communication so to speak comes to life. Of all the forms this communication takes, that among men is the least lively because their form of it involves spoken words. The form it takes among angels of the first heaven is more lively, that among angels of the second is more lively still, while that among angels of the third heaven is the most lively of all, since these angels receive the Lord's life more fully than others. Whatever comes from the Lord is in itself living.
ppp20505#pid#3345. From this one can see that a range of interior forms of communication exists, yet these are such that one form springs from another in that range of them and one exists within another next to it. The nature of the communication used by man is well known, as also is his thought in which that form of communication originates and whose analytical workings are such as cannot possibly be examined closely. The communication, and the thought in which it originates, of the good spirits, or the angels of the first heaven, are more interior, containing things yet more wonderful and unexaminable. The communication, and again the thought in which it originates, of the angels of the second heaven are still more interior, containing yet more perfect and indescribable things, while the communication, and yet again the thought in which it originates, of the angels of the third heaven are inmost, containing things totally indescribable. And although all these forms of communication are such that they appear to be different and diverse, they nevertheless make a single whole since one gives form to the next and one is present within the next. But that which occurs in a more external form is representative of that which is interior to it. Anyone who does not think beyond worldly and bodily things cannot believe these things, and therefore he imagines that the interior things with him are nothing, when in fact the interior things with him constitute everything, while those that are exterior, that is, worldly and bodily, in which he makes everything to consist, are by contrast scarcely anything.
ppp20504#pid#3346. So that I might know these things and be certain of them I have in the Lord's Divine mercy been allowed for many years now almost continuously to talk to spirits and angels - to spirits or angels of the first heaven through the actual form of communication they use, and sometimes also to angels of the second heaven through theirs. But as to the form of communication among angels of the third heaven, I have done no more than see this as a radiation of light containing perception derived from the flame of good that was within it.
ppp20503#pid#3347. I have heard angels talking about human minds, and about their thought and the speech that flows from it. They compared them to a person's external form which nevertheless derives its being and is kept in being from countless forms that are within, such as the brains, medullary areas, lungs, heart, liver, pancreas, spleen, stomach, and intestines, in addition to many others, such as those devoted in both sexes to begetting offspring; and around these countless muscles, and at last the outer coverings. All of these in turn are composed of vessels and fibres, and indeed of vessels and fibres within vessels and fibres, from which ducts and smaller forms are derived. Thus a person's external form is derived from countless parts, all of which nevertheless contribute, each in its own way, to the composition of the external form in which nothing of the things that are within shows itself.
ttt[2] It was to this form - the external form - that the angels were comparing human minds, and their thoughts and speech flowing from these. But angelic minds they compared to the things that are within, which in comparison with those that make up the human mind are unlimited and also beyond comprehension. They also compared the ability to think to the ability which organs have to act according to the form which the fibres take. They said that this ability belonged not to the fibres but to the life within the fibres, just as the ability to think does not belong to the mind but to the life from the Lord that is flowing into it. When they are being made by angels such comparisons also at the same time manifest themselves in representatives, by means of which the interior forms referred to are presented both visually and mentally, and within an instant, even as to the smallest incomprehensible parts. But the comparisons which are made by means of spiritual and celestial things, such as those made among celestial angels, are immensely superior in the beauty of wisdom to those comparisons which are made by means of natural things.
ppp20502#pid#3348. Spirits from another planet were once present with me for quite a long while, during which time I told them about the wisdom of our world. I described to them how included among the branches of knowledge in which the reputation for being learned rests is that of analytics, by means of which men strive to examine closely the things that comprise the mind and its thoughts, and how they call this branch of knowledge metaphysics and logic, and yet they do not get very far beyond the use of terms or of a few general, yet variable, rules. I went on to describe how they argue over terms, asking for example, What is meant by a form, or by substance, or by the mind, or by the soul? And how by means of those variable general rules they engaged in acrimonious disputes over truths. Hearing all this those spirits from another planet perceived that such things remove all sense and understanding of a thing when people stick to terms and think about such by means of carefully constructed rules. They said that such terms and rules were merely little black clouds which blocked one's mental vision and lowered the understanding so to speak down into the dust. They added that it was not so among them, but that they had clearer ideas of things through having no knowledge at all of such terms and rules. I was also allowed to see how wise they were. They represented the human mind in a wonderful way as a heavenly form, and its affections as spheres of activity in keeping with that form. They effected this representation so deftly that the angels praised them for it. They also represented how the Lord bends those affections which are not in themselves delightful into those that are. Learned ones from our earth were present but they were unable to understand these representations in the slightest even though during their lifetime they had engaged in much philosophical discussion. When those from another planet perceived their thoughts and how they stuck solely to terms and were inclined to dispute the truth of every single thing they called such endeavours a froth full of dregs.
ppp20501#pid#3349. What has been stated so far shows what correspondences are, and what representations are. In addition to what has been stated and shown at the ends of the two previous chapters, in `@@@2987-3003`, `@@@3213-3227`, see also what appears concerning them elsewhere, namely the following:
All things in the literal sense of the Word are representatives and meaningful signs of those present in the internal sense, `@@@1404`, `@@@1408`, `@@@1409`, `@@@2763`.
The Word given through Moses and the Prophets was written by means of representatives and meaningful signs, and could not be written in any other style if it was to have an internal sense through which communication existed between heaven and earth, `@@@2899`.
The Lord too therefore spoke by means of representatives, and for the added reason that He spoke from the Divine itself, `@@@2900`.
Where the representatives and meaningful signs contained in the Word, and in religious observances, had their origin, `@@@2179`.
Representatives arose from the meaningful signs of the Ancient Church, and these arose from the perceptivity of the Most Ancient Church, `@@@920`, `@@@1409`, `@@@2896`, `@@@2897`.
The most ancient people received their representatives from dreams as well, `@@@1977`.
Enoch means those who gathered together the perceptivity of the most ancient people, `@@@2896`.
In heaven representatives of the Lord and of His kingdom occur constantly, `@@@1619`.
The heavens are full of representatives, `@@@1521`, `@@@1532`.
Angels' ideas are transformed in the world of spirits into various representatives, `@@@1971`, `@@@1980`, `@@@1981`.
The representatives by which young children are led into intelligence, `@@@2299`.
Representatives in the natural order are the product of influx from the Lord, `@@@1632`, `@@@1881`.
Within the whole natural order there are representatives of the Lord's kingdom, `@@@2758`.
Within the external man there are things that do correspond and those that do not correspond to the internal man, `@@@1563`, `@@@1568`.
ppp20500#pid#3350. To make the nature of representatives quite plain let one further example be introduced. I once heard very many angels of the interior heaven who were working together or in unison to form a representative. The spirits around me were unable to perceive it except from a certain influx of interior affection. It was a choir in which those very many angels thought the same thing together, and uttered the same thing. By means of representations they were forming a golden crown set with diamonds around the Lord's head. This was effected at the same time by means of a rapid sequence of representations like those of thought and speech mentioned above in `@@@3342-3344`. And the wonder of it was, although there were very many angels they all nevertheless thought and spoke as one, and in so doing represented as one. They did so because nobody wished to do anything by himself, let alone direct the rest and so lead the choir. Anyone who does this is of himself instantly severed from the choir. But all did allow themselves to be led by one another, and so they were all, individually and collectively, led by the Lord. Into such harmonious relationships all good persons are introduced who enter the next life.
ttt[2] After that I heard many more groups who presented various things within representatives; and although the choirs were many, and each choir had many members, they all nevertheless acted as one, for from the form taken by the various representations there resulted a single whole, containing that which was superbly heavenly. Such is the whole of heaven able to be - which consists of myriads upon myriads acting as one - through the mutual love reigning there, for thus they allow themselves to be led by the Lord. And the wonder of it is, the more there are, that is, the more myriads there are constituting heaven, the more distinct and separate, and the more perfect, does every single one become; all the more so in the case of the angels of the interior heaven, since all perfection increases towards the interior parts.
ppp20499#pid#3351. The angels who formed the choirs at that time belonged to the province of the lungs, and so to the Lord's spiritual kingdom; for they were flowing gently into my breathing. But the choirs were varied, some belonging to the conscious breathing, others to spontaneous breathing.
ppp20498#pid#3352. 'Correspondences and Representations' is continued at the end of the next chapter - especially those which exist in the Word.
CHAPTER 26
ppp20497#pid#3353. The majority of people believe that when the Last Judgement comes everything visible in the world is going to perish - that is to say, the earth will go up in flames, the sun and moon will be reduced to nothing, and the stars will disappear; and after that a new heaven and a new earth will come into being. They have acquired this idea from the prophetical revelations, among which such occurrences are mentioned. But what will in fact happen at that time is quite different, as becomes clear from what has been shown already concerning the Last Judgement in `@@@900`, `@@@931`, `@@@1850`, `@@@2117-2133`. Those paragraphs show that the Last Judgement is nothing else than the end of the Church with one group of people and the beginning of it with another. This end with one and beginning with another occurs when the Lord is not acknowledged any longer, or what amounts to the same, when there is no faith any longer. No acknowledgement or faith exists any longer when there is no charity any longer, for faith is in no way possible except with those in whom charity is present. In those circumstances the Church comes to an end and is transferred to others, as is plainly evident from all the things that the Lord Himself taught and foretold in the Gospels concerning the last day or the close of the age - in `Matthew 24bbb0`; `Mark 13bbb0`; and `Luke 21bbb0`. But since nobody without the key, which is the internal sense, is able to understand those things foretold by Him there, let them be explained one after another.
ttt[2] Here first let the following words be explained which appear in Matthew,
The disciples came to Jesus, saying, Tell us. when will those things take place, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the close of the age? And Jesus answering said to them, See that no one leads you astray, for many will come in My name, saying, I am the Christ; and they will lead many astray. But when you hear of wars and rumours of wars, see that you are not alarmed; for all things must take place; but the end is not yet. For nation will be roused against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines, and plagues, and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of sorrows. `Matthew 24bbb3-8`.
Those who confine themselves to the sense of the letter cannot know whether these words and those that follow in this chapter refer to the destruction of Jerusalem and the dispersion of the Jews, or whether they refer to the end of days which is called the Last Judgement. But those admitted into the internal sense see clearly that the end of the Church is being referred to, this end being that which here and in other places is called 'the coming of the Lord' and 'the close of the age'. And inasmuch as the end of the Church is meant one is able to see that all these statements made by the Lord mean such things as have to do with the Church. But their overall meaning may be seen from the individual meaning below which each of them has in the internal sense.
Many will come in My name, saying, I am the Christ; and they will lead many astray. 'Name' here does not mean name, nor 'the Christ' the Christ, but 'name' means that by which the Lord is worshipped, `@@@2724`, `@@@3006`, while 'the Christ' means truth itself, `@@@3009`, `@@@3010`. Thus the meaning is that people will come who say that this is the sum and substance of faith, that is, it is the truth, when in fact it is neither the sum and substance of faith, nor the truth, but falsity.
They will hear of wars and rumours of wars means that arguments and disagreements over truths will arise which are wars in the spiritual sense.
Nation will be roused against nation and kingdom against kingdom means that evil will conflict with evil, and falsity with falsity, 'nation' meaning good, but in the contrary sense evil, see `@@@1259`, `@@@1260`, `@@@1416`, `@@@1849`, and 'kingdom' meaning truth, but in the contrary sense falsity, `@@@1672`, `@@@2547`. And there will be famines, and plagues, and earthquakes in various places means that no cognitions of good and truth will exist any more, and thus that the state of the Church is altered, meant by 'an earthquake'.
ppp20496#pid#3354. These individual meanings show what the Lord's words are used to mean, namely the first state of the perversion of the Church, which occurs when people cease to know any longer what good is and what truth is, and instead argue with one another about them, which gives rise to falsities. But because this is only the first state it is said that the end is not yet, and that these are the beginning of sorrows; and that state is referred to as earthquakes in various places, which in the internal sense means an alteration of the state of the Church - a partial or initial alteration. The fact that this was told to the disciples means that it was addressed to all who belonged to the Church, for the twelve disciples represented these, `@@@2089`, `@@@2129`, `@@@2130`. This explains why they are told, See that no one leads you astray, and also, When you hear of wars and rumours of wars, see that you are not alarmed.
ppp20495#pid#3355. In the internal sense 'an earthquake' is an alteration of the state of the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'the earth' as the Church, dealt with in `@@@566`, `@@@662`, `@@@1066`, `@@@1068`, `@@@1262`, `@@@1733`, `@@@1850`, `@@@2117`, `@@@2118`, `@@@2928`, and from the meaning of 'a quake' as an alteration of state, here an alteration as regards the things that constitute the Church, namely good and truth. This is also evident from other places in the Word, as in Isaiah,
It will happen, that he who is fleeing from the sound of the terror will fall into the pit, and he who is climbing out of the middle of the pit will be caught in the snare, for the floodgates from on high have been opened and the foundations of the earth have been made to tremble, the earth has been utterly shattered. The earth has been made to quake thoroughly, the earth staggers like a drunken man, it sways to and fro like a hut, and heavy upon it is its transgression, and it will fall and not rise again. And it will be on that day, that Jehovah will visit the host of the height on high and the kings of the ground on the ground. `Isaiah 24bbb18-21`.
Here it is quite evident that 'the earth' is the Church, for the subject is a Church whose 'foundations' are said to 'have been made to tremble', while the Church itself, having been 'shattered' and 'made to quake', 'staggers' and 'sways to and fro' when good and truth are not known any longer. 'The kings of the ground' are truths, in this case falsities, upon which visitation will take place. As regards 'kings' meaning truths and in the contrary sense falsities, see `@@@1672`, `@@@2015`, and as regards 'the ground' being similar in meaning to 'the earth', namely the Church, though there is a difference, see `@@@566`, `@@@1068`.
ttt[2] In the same prophet,
I will make a man (homo) more rare than pure gold, and a man (homo) than the gold of Ophir. Therefore I will make heaven quake and the earth will quake out of its place, at the wrath of Jehovah Zebaoth and in the day of His fierce anger. `Isaiah 13bbb12-13`.
Here also, the subject being Judgement Day, 'the earth' plainly stands for the Church which is said to 'quake out of its place' when it undergoes a change of state - 'place' meaning state, see `@@@1273-1275`, `@@@1377`, `@@@2625`, `@@@2837`. In the same prophet,
Is this the man who, making the earth quake, making the kingdoms quake, makes the world into a wilderness and destroys its cities? `Isaiah 14bbb16-17`.
This refers to Lucifer. 'The earth' stands for the Church, which is said 'to quake' when it lays claim to all things as its own. For 'kingdoms' means the truths accepted by the Church, see `@@@1672`, `@@@2547`.
ttt[3] In Ezekiel,
It will be on that day, that Gog will come over the land of Israel. My wrath will come up in My anger and in My zeal. In the fire of My wrath I will say, Surely on that day there will be a great earthquake on Israel's ground. `Ezekiel 38bbb18-20`.
'Gog' stands for external worship that has been separated from internal and so made idolatrous, `@@@1151`. 'Israel's land' or 'ground' stands for the spiritual Church, 'an earthquake' for an alteration of its state. In Joel,
The earth quaked before Him, the heavens trembled. The sun and the moon were darkened, and the stars withdrew their shining. `Joel 2bbb10`.
This also refers to Judgement Day. 'The earth quaked' stands for an altered state of the Church, 'the sun and moon' for the good of love and the truth of faith, `@@@1529`, `@@@1530`, `@@@2441`, `@@@2495`, which are said to be 'darkened' when goods and truths are not acknowledged any longer. 'The stars' stands for cognitions of good and truth, `@@@2495`, `@@@2849`. In David,
The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook and trembled because He was angered. `Psalms 18bbb6-7`.
'The earth trembled and quaked' stands for the Church when its state has become perverted.
ttt[4] In John,
When he opened the sixth seal I looked again, and behold, a great earthquake took place, and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the full moon became like blood, and the stars in the sky fell to the earth. `Revelation 6bbb12-13`.
Here 'an earthquake', 'the sun', 'the moon', and 'the stars' have a similar meaning to that which they have above in Joel. In the same book,
At that hour a great earthquake took place, and a tenth part of the city fell, and there were killed in the earthquake seven thousand people.`fff1` `Revelation 11bbb13`.
From all these places it is evident that 'an earthquake' means nothing other than an alteration of the state of the Church, and that 'the earth' has no other meaning in the internal sense than the Church. And since 'the earth' is the Church it is clear that 'the new heaven and the new earth' which are to take the place of the previous heaven and earth, `Isaiah 65bbb17`; `Isaiah ccc66bbb22`; `Revelation 21bbb1`, means nothing other than a new Church, internal and external, `@@@1733`, `@@@1850`, `@@@2117`, `@@@2118` (end).
`nnn1. literally, seven thousand names of people
ppp20494#pid#3356. The reason 'a quake' means an alteration of state is that a quake occurs within the space-time continuum, and in the next life there is no concept of space and time, but instead of these the concept of state. In the next life it does indeed appear as though all things exist within space and follow one another in a time-sequence, but in themselves they are alterations of state, for space and time there are the products of these. This is very well known to all spirits, even evil ones, who by means of alterations of state effected in others cause them to appear somewhere other than where they in fact are. Man too is able to know of this from the fact that insofar as his state is one of affection and therefore of joy, or insofar as it is one of thought and therefore of withdrawal from the body, he is outside time. For while such a state lasts, many hours seem to him to be as scarcely one hour. The reason for this is that states belong to his internal man, which is his spirit, to which states intervals of space and periods of time in the external man correspond. 'A quake' therefore, being one of the consecutive events that occur within space and time, in the internal sense means an alteration of state.
ppp20493#pid#3357. `Genesis 26bbb0`
1. And there was a famine in the land, in addition to the previous famine that occurred in the days of Abraham; and Isaac went to Abimelech the king of the Philistines, to Gerar.
2. And Jehovah appeared to him, and said, Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which I tell you.
3. Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you, and will bless you, for to you and to your seed I will give all these lands, and I will fulfil the oath which I swore to Abraham your father.
4. And I will cause your seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and I will give to your seed all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth will be blessed,
5. Because Abraham hearkened to My voice and practiced My observances, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.
6. And Isaac dwelt in Gerar.
7. And the men of the place asked about his wife, and he said, She is my sister. For he was afraid to say, My wife, [thinking,] The men of the place may perhaps kill me on account of Rebekah; for she was good-looking.
8. And it happened, because his days were prolonged for him there, that Abimelech the king of the Philistines looked through a window and saw, and behold, Isaac was laughing with Rebekah his wife.
9. And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, But behold, she is your wife! So how did you come to say, She is my sister? And Isaac said to him, Because I said, Perhaps I may die because of her.
10. And Abimelech said, What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us.
11. And Abimelech commanded all the people, saying, Anyone touching this man and his wife will surely die.
12. And Isaac sowed in that land and reaped`fff1` in that year a hundred measures; and Jehovah blessed him.
13. And the man increased, and went on increasing, so much so that he became extremely prosperous.`fff2`
14. And he had acquired flocks, and had acquired herds, and he had many servants; and the Philistines envied him.
15. And all the wells which his father's servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines stopped them up and filled them up with dust.
16. And Abimelech said to Isaac, Go away from being with us, for you are much mightier than we are.
17. And Isaac went away from there, and camped in the Valley of Gerar and dwelt there.
18. And Isaac came back and dug again the wells of water which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father and which the Philistines had been stopping up after Abraham's death; and he called them names, according to the names which his father had called them.
19. And Isaac's servants dug in the valley and found there a well of living water.
20. And the herdsmen of Gerar disputed with Isaac's herdsmen, saying, The water is ours. And he called the name of the well Esek, because they contended with him.
21. And they dug another well and disputed over that also; and he called the name of it Sitnah
22. And he moved on from there and dug another well, and they did not dispute over that; and he called the name of it Rehoboth, and said, Because now Jehovah has made room for us and we shall be fruitful in the land.
23. And he went up from there to Beersheba.
24. And Jehovah appeared to him that night, and said, I am the God of Abraham your father; do not fear, for I am with you, and I will bless you, and will cause your seed to multiply, for the sake of Abraham My servant.
25. And he built an altar there and called on the name of Jehovah, and pitched his tent there. And Isaac's servants dug a well there.
26. And Abimelech went to him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath his companion, and Phicol the commander of his army.
27. And Isaac said to them, For what reason have you come to me, seeing that you hate me and have sent me away from you?
28. And they said, We saw clearly that Jehovah was with you, and we said, Let there be now a solemn agreement between us, between us and you, and let us make a covenant with you.
29. If you do us no harm as we have not touched you and as we have done to you nothing but good, and sent you away in peace; you are now the blessed of Jehovah.
30. And he made a feast for them, and they ate and drank.
31. And in the morning they rose up early, and swore, a man to his brother; and Isaac sent them away, and they went from being with him, in peace.
32. And so it was on that day, that Isaac's servants came and pointed out to him the reasons for the well which they had dug; and they said to him, We have found water.
33. And he called it Shibah; therefore the name of the city is Beersheba even to this day.
34. And Esau was a son of forty years, and he took for a wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and also Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite.
35. And they were a bitterness of spirit to Isaac and Rebekah.
CONTENTS
In this chapter the subject in the internal sense is how the three degrees of the appearances of truth were allied to Divine truth so that truths and matters of doctrine concerning these might be received and the Church come into existence.
`nnn1. literally, found
`nnn2. literally, great
ppp20492#pid#3358. The appearances of truth belonging to a higher degree, which occur in the internal sense of the Word, which are known to the angels, and which hold Divine Truth and Good within them, are dealt with in verses `Genesis 26bbbccc1-6`; and the consideration that Divine Good and Truth are incomprehensible and so cannot be received except within appearances, in verses `Genesis 26bbbccc7-13`.
ppp20491#pid#3359. Also dealt with are the appearances of truth belonging to a lower degree, which occur in the interior sense of the Word and which those who are members of the internal Church are able to know, in verses `Genesis 26bbbccc14-17`.
ppp20490#pid#3360. Dealt with after that are the appearances of truth belonging to a still lower degree, which constitute the literal sense of the Word and which those who are members of the external Church are able to know, in verses `Genesis 26bbbccc18-25`; and by means of these appearances those members are nevertheless joined to the Lord, in verses `Genesis 26bbbccc26-33`.
ppp20489#pid#3361. Factual truths that are allied to the good there are dealt with in verses `Genesis 26bbbccc34-35`.
ppp20488#pid#3362. THE INTERNAL SENSE
Included in Chapter `Genesis 21bbb0` is the description of a time when Abimelech made a covenant with Abraham, and when Abraham reproached him about a well of water that his servants had seized. Here a very similar description occurs again, involving Abimelech and Isaac, similar also in that, as Abraham had done, so also did Isaac call his wife his sister. From these considerations it is evident that the reason why similar events occurred again and are told again - with the mention of wells in both incidents - involves a Divine arcanum within it. Except for that which is Divine being concealed within them, there would be no value in knowing anything about those events. The internal sense however teaches what is concealed there and the fact that the subject is the Lord when joined to those who are in His Kingdom in heaven and on earth by means of truths - to angels by means of the appearances of truth belonging to a higher degree, and to men by the appearances of truth belonging to a lower degree, consequently by means of the Word where, in the internal sense and in the external sense, those appearances exist.
ttt[2] For Divine truths are such that they cannot possibly be grasped by any angel, still less by any man. They go far beyond the whole range of their understanding. Yet so that the Lord may be joined to angels and men Divine truths flow in, with both angels and men, within appearances; and when those appearances have Divine truths within them, then these Divine truths can be received and acknowledged. And this is done in such a way as is adequate for everyone to grasp them. Appearances therefore, that is, angelic and human truths, exist in three degrees. These are the Divine arcana that are contained in the internal sense within the deeds done and told involving Abimelech and Abraham in Chapter `Genesis ccc21bbb0`, and these involving Abimelech and Isaac in this.
ppp20487#pid#3363. Verse `Genesis 26bbbccc1` And there was a famine in the land, in addition to the previous famine that occurred in the days of Abraham; and Isaac went to Abimelech the king of the Philistines, to Gerar.
'There was a famine in the land, in addition to the previous famine that occurred in the days of Abraham' means an absence of cognitions of faith. 'And Isaac went to Abimelech the king of the Philistines, to Gerar' means matters of doctrine concerning faith - 'Abimelech' being the doctrine of faith which has regard to rational things, 'the king of the Philistines' matters of doctrine, and 'Gerar' faith.
ppp20486#pid#3364. 'There was a famine in the land, in addition to the previous famine that occurred in the days of Abraham' means an absence of cognitions of faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'a famine' as an absence of cognitions, dealt with in `@@@1460`; and that an absence of cognitions of faith is meant is evident from what follows next - from the representation of 'Abimelech' and from the meaning of 'Gerar' as the things that belong to faith. 'The famine in the days of Abraham', which is mentioned in Chapter `Genesis ccc12bbb10`, and is dealt with in `@@@1460`, was an absence of cognitions that belong to the natural man, whereas the famine referred to here is an absence of cognitions that belong to the rational man. This is why it is said that 'there was a famine in the land, in addition to the previous famine that occurred in the days of Abraham'.
ttt[2] The subject here in the internal sense is that the Lord received all matters of doctrine concerning faith from His own Divine; for no matter of doctrine exists, not even the smallest, that does not come from the Lord, for the Lord is doctrine itself. This is why the Lord is called the Word, for the Word is doctrine. But because everything in the Lord is Divine, and the Divine cannot be comprehended by any created being, matters of doctrine which come from the Lord, in that they present themselves before created beings, are not therefore wholly Divine truths but appearances of truth. All the same, appearances do include Divine truths within them, and because they include them, appearances also are called truths. These appearances are the subject in this chapter.
ppp20485#pid#3365. 'And Isaac went to Abimelech the king of the Philistines, to Gerar' means matters of doctrine concerning faith. This is clear from the representation of 'Isaac' as the Lord as regards the Divine Rational, dealt with in `@@@1893`, `@@@2066`, `@@@2072`, `@@@2083`, `@@@2630` - 'Isaac' being the Lord's Divine Rational as regards Divine Good, `@@@3012`, `@@@3194`, `@@@3210`, and also as regards Divine Truth, which is represented by Isaac's marriage to Rebekah, `@@@3012`, `@@@3013`, `@@@3077`, so that 'Isaac' here represents the Lord as regards the Divine Truth joined to the Divine Good of the Rational, since Isaac was accompanied by Rebekah, and she was called his sister; from the representation of 'Abimelech' as the doctrine of faith which has regard to rational concepts, `@@@2504`, `@@@2509`, `@@@2510`, `@@@2533`; from the meaning of 'the king of the Philistines' as matters of doctrine - 'the king' in the internal sense being truth that is the truth of doctrine, see `@@@1672`, `@@@2015`, `@@@2069`, and 'the Philistines' the knowledge of cognitions, which are also matters of doctrine, `@@@1197`, `@@@1198`; and from the meaning of 'Gerar' as faith, `@@@1209`, `@@@2504`. From these meanings one may see what 'Isaac went to Abimelech the king of the Philistines, to Gerar' means, namely that the Lord is the source of the doctrine of faith which has regard to rational concepts, or what amounts to the same, to matters of doctrine concerning faith.
ttt[2] The expression 'matters of doctrine' is used to describe all those things that constitute doctrine, and insofar as that doctrine is able to be received and to be acknowledged in heaven by angels and on earth by men it is said to have regard to rational concepts. Actually it is the rational that receives and acknowledges them; but the rational is such that it cannot possibly comprehend Divine things, for it is finite, and what is finite cannot comprehend anything of what is Infinite. For this reason Divine truths from the Lord present themselves before the rational by means of appearances. This is why matters of doctrine are no more than the appearances of Divine truth, that is, no more than celestial and spiritual vessels that hold what is Divine within them. And because they hold the Divine, that is, the Lord, within them, they therefore stir a person's affection, and thereby the Lord is joined to angels and to men.
ppp20484#pid#3366. Verses `Genesis 26bbbccc2-3` And Jehovah appeared to him, and said, Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which I tell you. Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you, and will bless you, for to you and to your seed I will give all these lands, and I will fulfil the oath which I swore to Abraham your father.
'Jehovah appeared to him, and said' means thought coming from the Divine. 'Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which I tell you' means not resorting to facts but to rational concepts which, when enlightened from the Divine, are appearances of truth. 'Sojourn in this land' means instruction. 'And I will be with you' means the Divine. 'And will bless you' means that in this way there would be an increase. 'For to you' means good. 'And to your seed' means truth. 'I will give all these lands' means spiritual things. 'And I will fulfil the oath which I swore to Abraham your father' means confirmation thereby.
ppp20483#pid#3367. 'Jehovah appeared to him, and said' means thought coming from the Divine. This is clear from the meaning of 'appearing', when said of the Lord who is Jehovah, as the Divine itself which was within Him. The fact that Jehovah was within the Lord, and that the Lord Himself was Jehovah, has been shown in many places already, see `@@@1343`, `@@@1725`, `@@@1729`, `@@@1733`, `@@@1736`, `@@@1791`, `@@@1815`, `@@@1819`, `@@@1822`, `@@@1902`, `@@@1921`, `@@@1999`, `@@@2004`, `@@@2005`, `@@@2018`, `@@@2025`, `@@@2156`, `@@@2329`, `@@@2447`, `@@@2921`, `@@@3023`, `@@@3035`, `@@@3061`; and that to the extent the Lord had united the Human Essence to the Divine Essence He spoke to Jehovah as though to Himself, `@@@1745`, `@@@1999`. Thus 'Jehovah's appearing to him' in the internal sense means coming from the Divine. The fact that it was thought doing so is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as perceiving and also thinking, as has been shown quite often.
ppp20482#pid#3368. 'Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which I tell you' means not resorting to facts but to rational concepts which, when enlightened from the Divine, are appearances of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'Egypt' as facts, dealt with in `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1186`, `@@@1462`, and from the meaning of 'the land' here as rational concepts which, when enlightened from the Divine, are appearances of truth. 'The land' meant here is in fact Gerar, where Abimelech the king of the Philistines was, and 'Gerar' means faith, 'Abimelech' the doctrine of faith that has regard to rational concepts, and 'the king of the Philistines' matters of doctrine, see `@@@3364`, `@@@3365`. 'The land' therefore, that is to say, Gerar where Abimelech was, has no other meaning in the internal sense. For 'the land' or 'the earth' varies in meaning, see `@@@620`, `@@@636`, `@@@1066`, since it means the character of the nation whose land it is said to be, `@@@1262`, though in the proper sense it means the Church, `@@@3355`; and as it means the Church it also means the things that belong to the Church, that is, the things which with anyone constitute the Church. Consequently it means the matters of doctrine concerning charity and faith, and so also the rational concepts which, when enlightened from the Divine, are appearances of truth; for these appearances are the truths of the Church, and so its matters of doctrine, see above in `@@@3364`, `@@@3365`.
ttt[2] Whether you speak of rational concepts enlightened from the Divine, or of appearances of truth, or of celestial and spiritual truths as these exist in the Lord's kingdom in the heavens, or in heaven, and as they exist in the Lord's kingdom on earth, or in the Church, it amounts to the same. The same are also called matters of doctrine, but this is so because of the truths they hold within them. The rational, both in angels and in men, has its being and is called rational from appearances of truth that have been enlightened from the Divine. Devoid of those appearances the rational has no existence, so that rational concepts are appearances. The reason it is said here that he was not to go down to Egypt, that is, not to resort to facts, is that facts have been dealt with already, in that Abraham's sojourning in Egypt represented the Lord's instruction in facts during childhood; see `@@@1502`.
ttt[3] The implications of the arcanum that he was not to go down into Egypt but was to sojourn in the land of Gerar, that is, He was not to have regard to facts but to rational concepts, are that all appearances of truth that hold the Divine within them belong to the rational, so much so that rational truths and appearances of truth are one and the same, whereas facts belong to the natural, so much so that natural truths and factual truths are one and the same. Rational truths, or appearances of the truth, cannot possibly exist or manifest themselves except from an influx of the Divine into the rational, and by way of rational concepts into the facts that belong to the natural. That which is produced at that time in the rational is seen in the natural as an image produced by many objects reflected simultaneously in a mirror. This is how they present themselves to men and to angels also, though with angels the presentation of rational concepts in the natural is not very manifest, as it is with those in the world of spirits and the spiritual-natural realm, who therefore have representatives of truth.
ttt[4] It is similar with men, with every one, for as stated already anyone who is governed by good is a miniature heaven, or what amounts to the same, an image of heaven as a whole. And because Divine Truth is unable to flow directly into the facts that are present in the natural man, but only - as has been stated - by way of rational concepts it is therefore said here, Do not go down to Egypt, but dwell in the land of Gerar. But as no clear idea of these matters is possible unless one knows the nature of influx, and also the nature of ideas, therefore they are in the Lord's Divine mercy to be dealt with at the ends of chapters, where experiences to do with influx will be described.
ppp20481#pid#3369. 'Sojourn in this land' means instruction. This is clear from the meaning of 'sojourning' as receiving instruction,`fff1` dealt with in `@@@1463`, `@@@2025`, and from the meaning here of 'land' as rational concepts which, when enlightened from the Divine, are appearances of truth, dealt with immediately above in `@@@3368`, so that 'sojourning in this land' means instruction in those things.
`nnn1. The Latin means instructing, but see `@@@1463`, `@@@2025`.
ppp20480#pid#3370. 'And I will be with you' means the Divine. This becomes clear from the fact that the speaker is Jehovah, and so the Divine Himself, by whom the words 'I will be with you' are spoken, which mean in the train of thought here that the Divine would accordingly be within those things.
ppp20479#pid#3371. 'And will bless you' means that in this way there would be an increase. This is clear from the meaning of 'blessing' as making fruitful in goods and multiplying in truths, dealt with in `@@@981`, `@@@1420`, `@@@1422`, `@@@1731`, `@@@2846`, `@@@3140`, thus as an increase.
ppp20478#pid#3372. 'For to you' means good. This becomes clear from the fact that Isaac, to whom 'to you' refers here, represents the Lord's Divine Rational, as has been shown often, and the Lord's Divine Rational is nothing other than Good, for even the Truth there, being Divine, is Good.
ppp20477#pid#3373. 'And to your seed' means truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'seed' as truth, dealt with in `@@@29`, `@@@255`, `@@@1025`, `@@@1447`, `@@@1610`, `@@@1940`, `@@@2848`, `@@@3310`, and so truth from the Lord's Divine, which is 'your seed'. Those who understand the Word solely according to the sense of the letter can know no more than this, that 'seed' means descendants - here Isaac's descendants through Esau and Jacob, primarily through Jacob since the Word existed among that nation and so many of its historical descriptions have to do with them. But in the internal sense 'seed' is not used to mean any descendants from Isaac but all who are the Lord's 'sons', and so who are 'the sons of His kingdom', or what amounts to the same, those in whom good and truth which come from the Lord are present. And as these constitute 'the seed' it follows that good and truth themselves from the Lord are 'the seed', for these are what make people His 'sons'. This is also the reason why truths themselves which come from the Lord are called 'the sons of the kingdom' in Matthew,
He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world, the seed are the sons of the kingdom. `Matthew 13bbb37-38`.
And for this reason also 'sons' generally means truths, `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@533`, `@@@1147`, `@@@2623`.
ttt[2] Anyone who thinks rather more deeply or inwardly may recognize that the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, mentioned so many times, and spoken of so many times as those who were to be blessed, and more so than all nations and peoples in all the world, cannot in the Divine Word mean the descendants of those three. For among all nations they least of all were moved by the good that flows from love to the Lord and from charity towards the neighbour. Nor indeed did any truth of faith exist with them. Who the Lord is, what His kingdom is, and so what heaven is and what the life after death, they did not know at all. They did not know these things because for one thing they did not wish to know and for another because if they had come to know about them they would have denied them completely in their hearts and so would have profaned interior goods and truths, as they did exterior by becoming on so many occasions open idolaters. This is the reason why any interior truths are rarely visible in the literal sense of the Old Testament Word. Because the nature of those people was such, the Lord therefore said about them, quoting Isaiah,
He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes and understand with their heart, and are converted and I heal them. `John 12bbb40`.
What He said about them when they declared they were 'the seed of Abraham',
They said, We are the seed of Abraham. Our father is Abraham. Jesus said to them, If you were Abraham's sons, you would do the works of Abraham. You are from your father the devil, and the desires of your father you will to do. `John 8bbb33`, `John 8bbbccc39`, `John 8bbbccc44`.
Here also 'Abraham' is used to mean the Lord, as in every other instance in the Word. The Lord explicitly states that they were not His seed or sons but came from the devil. From this it is quite evident that 'the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob' in both the historical part and the prophetical part of the Word is in no way used to mean such descendants, for the Word is Divine in every detail Instead it means all who constitute 'the Lord's seed', that is, those with whom the good and truth of faith in Him are present. The fact that heavenly seed, that is, all good and truth, comes from the Lord alone, see `@@@1438`, `@@@1614`, `@@@2016`, `@@@2803`, `@@@2882`, `@@@2883`, `@@@2891`, `@@@2892`, `@@@2904`, `@@@3195`.
ppp20476#pid#3374. 'I will give all these lands' means spiritual things. This is clear from the meaning of 'lands' here as rational concepts which, when enlightened from the Divine, are appearances of truth, dealt with above in `@@@3368`. These appearances are truths, as has also been shown above in `@@@3364`, `@@@3365`, and are therefore spiritual. In fact they are nothing else than truths from the Divine, as becomes clear from what has been stated many times about the meaning of spiritual things In the genuine sense the term 'spiritual' is used to mean the light itself of truth which comes from the Lord, just as the term 'celestial' is used to mean the whole flame of good which comes from the Lord. From this it becomes clear that because that light flows in from the Lord both into the rational part and into the natural part of a person's mind, the term 'spiritual' is applicable to both, and that it is the Divine in respect to truth that flows in. From these considerations one may know what is meant in the genuine sense by spiritual, and that there is a spiritual-rational and there is a spiritual-natural.
ppp20475#pid#3375. 'And I will fulfil the oath which I swore to Abraham your father' means confirmation. This is clear from the meaning of 'an oath' or 'swearing' as confirmation, dealt with in `@@@2842`. Here it does not say that the covenant made with Abraham is to be fulfilled but that 'the oath' will be. The reason for this is that 'a covenant' has reference to what is celestial, which is good, whereas 'an oath' has reference to what is spiritual, namely truths, see `@@@3037`; and truths are the subject here. For the same reason also in verse `Genesis 26bbbccc31` below it is not said of Isaac that he made a covenant with Abimelech but that 'he swore to him, a man to his brother', whereas in `Genesis 21bbb32` it is said of Abraham that he and Abimelech 'made a covenant'; see `Psalms 105bbb9`. By the confirmation here which is meant by 'an oath' is understood the Lord's being joined to those who are in His kingdom, for an oath is the confirmation of a covenant, and by 'a covenant' is meant being joined together, `@@@665`, `@@@666`, `@@@1023`, `@@@1038`, `@@@1864`, `@@@1996`, `@@@2003`, `@@@2021`.
ppp20474#pid#3376. The internal sense of these two verses is that when Divine Truth flows in by way of rational concepts it produces appearances of truth and so causes good to be fruitful and truth to be multiplied, and by means of these the Lord joins Himself to angels and men. This overall meaning of the two verses cannot be seen from the initial explanation of them where the several meanings appear to be unrelated to one another, that is to say, from the following in `@@@3366` - There was thought coming from the Divine about not resorting to facts but to rational concepts which, when enlightened from the Divine, are appearances of truth; and from this came instruction from the Divine, and an increase, and so good and truth, which are spiritual things by means of which the Lord is joined to the things that are in His Word. But those meanings which to man's eyes seem so unrelated to one another are nevertheless perfectly co-ordinated in the internal sense. And to angels' eyes, that is, in heaven, they appear and are perceived in a most beautiful sequence, accompanied indeed by angelic representations that occur in a heavenly form, and with indescribable variation. Such is the Word in every part in its internal sense.
ppp20473#pid#3377. Verses `Genesis 26bbbccc4-5` And I will cause your seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and I will give to your seed all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth will be blessed, because Abraham hearkened to My voice and practiced My observances, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.
'I will cause your seed to multiply as the stars of heaven' means truths and cognitions of faith 'And I will give to your seed all these lands' means derivative Churches. 'And in your seed all the nations of the earth will be blessed' means all with whom good is present, both inside and outside the Church. 'Because Abraham hearkened to My voice' means the union of the Lord's Divine Essence with the Human Essence by means of temptations. 'And practiced My observances, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws' means through revelations constantly coming from Himself.
ppp20472#pid#3378. 'I will cause your seed to multiply as the stars of heaven' means truths and cognitions of faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'seed' as truths, dealt with above in `@@@3373`, and from the meaning of 'the stars' as cognitions of faith, dealt with in `@@@2495`, `@@@2849`.
ppp20471#pid#3379. 'And I will give to your seed all these lands' means derivative Churches. This is clear from the meaning of 'seed' as truths, and so those who possess truths and are consequently called 'the sons of the kingdom', dealt with above in `@@@3373`, and from the meaning of 'lands' as rational concepts which, when enlightened from the Divine, are appearances of truth, also dealt with above, in `@@@3368`, and so those with rational concepts enlightened from the Divine, or what amounts to the same, those who dwell in heavenly light. Since none but those who are in the Lord's kingdom in the heavens, that is, in heaven, and those who are in the Lord's kingdom on earth, that is, in Churches, dwell in that heavenly light, it is evident that 'these lands' means Churches. For Churches are not Churches on account of their being called such and of their confessing the Lord's name, but on account of the good and truth of faith that exist in them. Good and truth of faith themselves are what make a Church, indeed they are the Church, for present within the good and truth of faith there is the Lord, and where the Lord is, there is the Church also.
ppp20470#pid#3380. 'And in your seed all the nations of the earth will be blessed' means all with whom good is present, both inside and outside the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'being blessed' as being fruitful in good, and being multiplied in truths, dealt with above in `@@@981`, `@@@1422`, `@@@1731`, `@@@2846`, `@@@3140`; from the meaning of 'seed' as goods and truths that are from the Lord, dealt with above in `@@@3373`; and from the meaning of 'the nations of the earth' as all with whom good is present - 'nations' meaning goods, or what amounts to the same, those with whom good exists, see `@@@1259`, `@@@1260`, `@@@1416`, `@@@1849`. Thus by 'in your seed all the nations of the earth will be blessed' is meant that from good and truth which come from the Lord all are saved who live in charity with one another, whether they are inside the Church or outside it. For gentile nations outside the Church who have good within them are as much among the saved as others who have it within them, see `@@@593`, `@@@932`, `@@@1032`, `@@@1059`, `@@@1327`, `@@@1328`, `@@@2049`, `@@@2051`, `@@@2284`, `@@@2589-2604`, `@@@2861`, `@@@2986`, `@@@3263`.
ppp20469#pid#3381. 'Because Abraham hearkened to My voice' means the union of the Lord's Divine Essence with the Human Essence by means of temptations. This is clear from the representation of 'Abraham' as the Lord even as to the Divine Human, dealt with in `@@@2833`, `@@@2836`, `@@@3251`, and from the meaning of 'hearkening to My voice' when it has reference to the Lord, as uniting the Divine Essence to the Human Essence by means of temptations, for it is in connection with temptations that in the Word obedience is attributed to the Lord. The mention of Abraham's hearkening here is a reference to what was said about him in Chapter `Genesis ccc22bbb0`, When God tempted him He told him to take his son and offer him as a burnt offering, verses `Genesis 26bbbccc1-2`. And when he hearkened to His voice it is said,
Now I know that you fear God and have not withheld your only son from Me. By Myself I have sworn, says Jehovah, that because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will certainly bless you, and I will certainly multiply your seed like the stars of the heavens. `Genesis 22bbb12`, `Genesis 22bbbccc16-17`.
'Not withholding your only son from Me', which was 'hearkening to His voice', means the union of the Human and the Divine effected by means of the final degree of temptation, see `@@@2827`, `@@@2844`.
ttt[2] That these considerations are meant by hearkening to the voice of Jehovah, or the Father, is also evident from the Lord's words uttered in Gethsemane, in Matthew,
My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless not as I will but as You will. Again, for the second time, My Father, if this cup cannot pass from Me unless I drink it, Your will he done. `Matthew 26bbb39`, `Matthew 26bbbccc42`; `Mark 14bbb36`; `Luke 22bbb42`.
But because Jehovah or the Father was within Him, that is, He was in the Father and Father in Him - `John 14bbb10-11` - 'hearkening to Jehovah's voice' is used to mean that the Lord through temptations united the Divine to the Human by His own power, as is also clear from the Lord's own words in John,
As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father, and I lay down My life,`fff1` for the sheep. For this reason the Father loves Me, that I lay down My life,`fff1` so that I may receive it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself; I have power to lay it down and I have power to receive it again; this commandment I have received from My Father. `John 10bbb15`, `John 10bbbccc17-18`.
Through temptations the Lord united His Divine Essence to His Human Essence by His own power, see `@@@1663`, `@@@1668`, `@@@1690`, `@@@1691` (end), `@@@1725`, `@@@1729`, `@@@1733`, `@@@1737`, `@@@1787`, `@@@1789`, `@@@1812`, `@@@1820`, `@@@2776`, `@@@3318` (end).
`nnn1. literally, soul
ppp20468#pid#3382. 'And practiced My observances, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws' means through revelations constantly coming from Himself; that is to say, as by means of temptations, so also by means of those revelations He united the Divine Essence to the Human Essence. This becomes clear from the fact that 'practicing observances, commandments, statutes, and laws' implies all aspects of the Word - 'observances' being everything in general there, 'commandments' the internal aspects, 'statutes' the external, and 'laws' every specific detail. Because all these are attributed to the Lord who from eternity has been the Word and is the author of them all, the meaning in the internal sense cannot be His practice of them but that He revealed them to Himself when His state was one in which the Human and the Divine had become united.
ttt[2] At first sight these matters do indeed seem to be quite remote from the sense of the letter, or even from the internal sense closest to the letter. All the same, when these words are read by man, this is the meaning those same words have in heaven, for as stated several times already, and as may be seen from the examples in `@@@1873`, `@@@1874`, the sense of the letter is laid aside as it rises up towards heaven and another heavenly sense takes its place, with the result that this latter sense cannot be recognized as that which arises out of the former. For the idea in the minds of those in heaven is that everything in the internal sense of the Word has to do with the Lord, and also that everything in the Word comes from the Lord. Also in their minds is the idea that even when He was in the world He thought from the Divine, and so from Himself, and acquired all intelligence and wisdom to Himself through revelations constantly coming from the Divine. Consequently they do not perceive anything other than this from the words used here. For the practice of all things of the Word, internal as well as external, meant by 'practicing the observances, commandments, statutes, and laws' is not applicable to the Lord because He Himself was the Word and therefore He Himself was the observance that was to be practiced; He Himself was the commandment, also the statute, and the law. For all these have regard to Him as the First from whom they spring and the Last to whom they lead. In the highest sense therefore these words can mean nothing else than the uniting of the Lord's Divine to His Human by means of revelations constantly coming from Himself. For unlike any others the Lord thought from the Divine, and so from Himself, see `@@@1904`, `@@@1914`, `@@@1935`, and acquired intelligence and wisdom to Himself by means of revelations constantly coming from the Divine, `@@@1616`, `@@@2500`, `@@@2523`, `@@@2632`.
ttt[3] As regards 'practicing observances' meaning in the genuine sense all aspects of the Word in general, 'commandments' the internal aspects of the Word, 'statutes' the external aspects of the Word, and 'laws' every specific detail in the Word, this becomes clear from many places when seen in the internal sense. Let some of these be brought in here, such as the following in David,
Blessed are the blameless in the way, walking in the law of Jehovah; blessed are those who keep His testimonies. O that my ways were directed to keep Your statutes! I will keep Your statutes; do not forsake me utterly. With my whole heart I have sought You; cause me not to wander from Your commandments. I have laid up Your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against You. Blessed are You, O Jehovah; teach me Your statutes! With my lips I have declared all the judgements of Your mouth. I take delight in the way of Your testimonies. I meditate on Your commands and look to Your ways. I delight in Your statutes, I do not forget Your Word. Recompense Your servant that I may live and keep Your Word. Open my eyes that I may see wondrous things out of Your law. Do not hide Your commandments from me. Quicken me according to Your Word. Teach me Your statutes. Make me understand the way of [Your] commands. `Psalms 119bbb1-27`.
The subject in the whole of this psalm is the Word and the things that constitute the Word, which plainly are commandments, statutes, judgements, testimonies, commands, and ways. But the specific meaning of each of these cannot possibly be seen from the sense of the letter. In that sense they are scarcely more than repetitions of the same thing, but it may be seen from the internal sense in which 'commandments' has an altogether different meaning from 'statutes'; and 'judgements', 'testimonies', 'commands', and 'ways' each have a different meaning again. Something similar occurs elsewhere in the same author,
The law of Jehovah is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of Jehovah is sure, making wise the simple; the commands of Jehovah are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of Jehovah is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of Jehovah is clean, standing for ever; the judgements of Jehovah are truth. `Psalms 19bbb7-9`.
And in the Book of Kings,
David said to Solomon, You shall practise the observance of your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, and His commandments, and His judgements, and His testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses. `1 Kings 2bbb3`.
'Practicing an observance' stands for all aspects of the Word in general, for this expression comes first, and those that follow are related to it as less general aspects. Actually 'practicing observances' means the same as 'keeping what has to be kept'. In Moses,
You shall love Jehovah your God, and you shall practice His observance, and His statutes and judgements, and His commandments, all your days. `Deuteronomy 11bbb1`.
Here 'practising an observance' or keeping something that is to be kept in a similar way stands for all aspects of the Word in general, 'statutes' for the external aspects of the Word such as forms of ritual, and things that are representatives and meaningful signs of the internal sense, but 'commandments' for the internal aspects of the Word such as matters of life and teaching, especially those that belong to the internal sense. But the meaning of commandments and statutes will in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed elsewhere.
ppp20467#pid#3383. Verses `Genesis 26bbbccc6-7` And Isaac dwelt in Gerar. And the men of the place asked about his wife, and he said, She is my sister. For he was afraid to say, My wife, [thinking,] The men of the place may perhaps kill me on account of Rebekah; for she was good-looking.
'Isaac dwelt in Gerar' means the Lord's state as regards matters of faith in respect to rational concepts which were to be allied. 'And the men of the place asked about his wife' means questions that people ask about Divine Truth. 'And he said, She is my sister' means rational truth. 'For he was afraid to say, My wife, [thinking,] The men of the place may perhaps kill me on account of Rebekah' means that it was impossible for Divine Truths themselves to be disclosed, and so for Divine Good to be received. 'For she was good-looking' means that it could be received without difficulty because of its being called Divine.
ppp20466#pid#3384. 'Isaac dwelt in Gerar' means the Lord's state as regards matters of faith in respect to the rational concepts which were to be allied. This is clear from the meaning of 'dwelling in Gerar' as possessing what are matters of faith, and so a state as regards those things, since 'dwelling in' means living, `@@@1293`, and 'Gerar' matters of faith, `@@@1209`, `@@@2504`, `@@@3365`; and from the representation of 'Isaac' as the Lord as regards the Divine Rational, dealt with in `@@@1893`, `@@@2066`, `@@@2072`, `@@@2083`, `@@@2630`. Their being matters of faith in respect to the rational concepts that were to be allied is clear from what comes before and after, for in the whole of this chapter those things are the subject, that is to say, rational concepts which, when enlightened from the Lord's Divine, are appearances of truth.
ttt[2] That 'dwelling in' means one's being and life, and so one's state, is evident from very many places in the Word, as in David,
I will dwell in the house of Jehovah for the length of days. `Psalms 23bbb6`.
One thing have I asked from Jehovah, that will I seek: I may dwell in the house of Jehovah all the days of the my life. `Psalms 27bbb4`
He shall not dwell within My house who practices deceit. `Psalms 101bbb7`.
Here 'dwelling in the house of Jehovah' stands for one's being and life residing in good that stems from love, for this good is 'the house of Jehovah'. In Isaiah,
Those dwelling in the land of the shadow of death, upon them has the light shone out. `Isaiah 9bbb2`.
'Those dwelling in the land of the shadow of death' stands for the state of those who have no knowledge of good and truth. In the same prophet,
Babel will not be dwelt in for ever. `Isaiah 13bbb20`.
This stands for the state of condemnation of those meant by 'Babel'.
ttt[3] In the same prophet,
O Jehovah God of Israel, dwelling among the cherubim. `Isaiah 37bbb16`.
O Shepherd of Israel, dwelling among the cherubim, shine forth. `Psalms 80bbb1`.
'Dwelling among the cherubim' means the Lord at work in a providential state, in which He prevents anyone's access to the sacred things of love and faith unless that person has been prepared for it by the Lord, `@@@308`. In David,
In peace I both lie down and sleep, for You, O Jehovah, alone make me dwell in safety. `Psalms 4bbb8`.
'Making a person dwell in safety' stands for a state of peace. In Jeremiah,
You who dwell on many waters, great in treasures, your end has come, the measure of your gain. `Jeremiah 51bbb13`.
This refers to Babel. 'Dwelling on many waters' stands for possessing cognitions concerning truth.
ttt[4] In Daniel,
God Himself reveals deep and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him. `Daniel 2bbb22`.
'Dwelling' stands for having its being. In the same prophet,
The beast of the field had shade under that tree, and in its branches dwelt the birds of the air. `Daniel 4bbb12`.
And in Ezekiel,
Under its branches every wild beast of the field brought forth, and in its shadow dwelt all great nations. `Ezekiel 31bbb6`.
'Dwelling' stands for one's being and life. In Hosea,
Threshing-floor and winepress will not feed them, and new wine will be deceptive to her. They will not dwell in Jehovah's land, but Ephraim will return to Egypt. `Hosea 9bbb2-3`.
'Not dwelling in Jehovah's land' stands for not being in a state where the good of love is present, and so for not being in the Lord's kingdom.
ppp20465#pid#3385. 'And the men of the place asked about his wife' means questions that people ask about Divine Truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'asking about' as the asking of questions; from the meaning of 'the men of the place (that is to say, of Gerar)' as people who possess matters of doctrine concerning faith - 'Gerar' meaning matters of faith, see `@@@1209`, `@@@2504`, and so 'the men of the place' people whose state is such; and from the meaning of 'wife', who is Rebekah here, as the Divine Truth of the Lord's Divine Rational, dealt with in `@@@3012`, `@@@3013`, `@@@3077`. The subject in previous verses has been the consideration that appearances of truth are the product of Divine influx from the Lord into a person's rational concepts. Now the subject is the reception of those appearances, and indeed first by people who possess matters of doctrine concerning faith, and who are meant by 'the men of the place (which is Gerar)' who belong to the first class of those called spiritual. In fact because these do not have perception, as those who are celestial do, and in comparison with whom they are in obscurity, `@@@1043`, `@@@2088`, `@@@2669`, `@@@2708`, `@@@2715`, `@@@2718`, `@@@2831`, `@@@3235`, `@@@3241`, `@@@3246`, they always question whether a thing is so, and also whether it is Divine Truth. And because they do not have perception by which they see whether it is so, they are given something which is an appearance of the truth, such as falls within the range of their rational thought, that is, within their mental grasp and so can be received by them. Everyone is allowed to believe truths in the measure that he understands them. If this were not so there would be no reception of them because there would be no acknowledgement. These are the matters which are the subject now.
ppp20464#pid#3386. 'And he said, She is my sister' means rational truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'a sister' as rational truth, dealt with in `@@@1495`, `@@@2508`, `@@@2524`, `@@@2556`. By rational truth is meant, as stated just above, that which is seen as the truth, in whatever form people grasp it mentally or see it rationally. Isaac's saying that Rebekah was his sister, as Abraham on a previous occasion in Egypt had said that Sarah was his sister, `Genesis 12bbb11-13`, `Genesis 12bbbccc19`, and after that in Gerar, `Genesis 20bbb2`, `Genesis 20bbbccc5`, `Genesis 20bbbccc12`, embodies a similar arcanum, as may be seen from the explanation given at those two points. And because a like event took place on three occasions, and also these are recorded in the Word, it is clear that it holds an arcanum of supreme importance within it which cannot possibly be known to anyone except from the internal sense. What this arcanum is however is evident from what follows.
ppp20463#pid#3387. 'For he was afraid to say, My wife, [thinking,] The men of the place may perhaps kill me on account of Rebekah' means that it was impossible for Divine Truths themselves to be disclosed, and so for Divine Good to be received. This is clear from the meaning of 'being afraid to say' as an inability to disclose; from the meaning of 'wife', who is Rebekah here, as the Lord's Divine Rational in respect to Divine Truth, dealt with in `@@@3012`, `@@@3013`, `@@@3077`; from the meaning of 'killing me' as good not being received, for 'Isaac', to whom 'me' refers here, represents the Divine Good of the Lord's Rational, `@@@3012`, `@@@3194`, `@@@3210` - good being said 'to be killed' or to perish when it is not received, for it ceases to exist with that person; and from the meaning of 'the men of the place' as people who possess matters of doctrine concerning faith, dealt with just above in `@@@3385`. From these meanings it is now evident what the internal sense of these words is, namely: If Divine truths themselves were disclosed they would not be received by those who possess matters of doctrine concerning faith because those truths go beyond the whole range of their rational grasp of things, and so go beyond the whole of their faith, and as a consequence of this no good at all could flow in from the Lord. For good from the Lord, or Divine good, cannot flow in except into truths, for truths are the vessels for good, as shown many times.
ttt[2] Truths or appearances of truth are given to a person to enable Divine Good to develop the understanding part of his mind, and so the person himself, for truths exist to the end that good may flow in. Indeed without vessels or receptacles good has nowhere to go, for it can find no condition answering to itself. Where no truths exist therefore, that is, where they have not been received, neither does any rational or human good exist; and as a consequence the person does not possess any spiritual life. Therefore, so that a person may nevertheless possess truths, and from these receive spiritual life, appearances of truth are given, to everyone according to his ability to grasp them; and these appearances are acknowledged as truths because they have the capacity to hold Divine things within them.
ttt[3] So that it may be known what appearances are and that they are what serve a person as Divine truths, let the following be used by way of illustration: If man were told that in heaven angels have no concept of place, and so no concept of distance, but that instead they have concepts of state, he could not possibly grasp it, for he would suppose from this that nothing distinct and separate existed but that everything was fused together, that is to say, all the angels were together in a single place. Yet everything there is so distinct and separate that nothing could ever be more so. Places, distances, and intervals of space which exist in the natural order exist in heaven as states, see `@@@3356`. From this it is evident that all the things that are stated in the Word about places and intervals of space between objects, also ideas that are formed from these and expressed through them, are appearances of truth; and unless everything were stated by means of those appearances it would in no way be received and would as a consequence be scarcely anything; for the concept of space and time is present in almost every single detail of a person's thought as long as he is in the world, that is, living within space and time.
ttt[4] The fact that the Word speaks according to appearances involving space is clear from almost every single part of it, as in Matthew,
Jesus said, How is it that David says, The Lord [said] to my Lord, Sit at My right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool? `Matthew 22bbb43-44`.
Here the expression 'sitting at the right hand' is derived from the concept of place and so according to the appearance - when in fact it is a state of the Lord's Divine power which is described by that expression. In the same gospel,
Jesus said, Hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of heaven. `Matthew 26bbb64`.
Here similarly 'sitting at the right hand' and also 'coming on clouds' are expressions derived from men's concept of place, whereas the concept angels have is one of the state of the Lord's power. In Mark,
The sons of Zebedee said to Jesus, Grant us to sit in Your glory, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left. Jesus replied, To sit at My right hand and at My left is not Mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared. `Mark 10bbb37`, `Mark 10bbbccc40`.
From this it is evident what kind of concept the disciples had of the Lord's kingdom, that is to say, one that involved sitting on the right hand and on the left. Such being the concept they had of it the Lord also replied to them in a way they could understand and so by an appearance that could be seen by them.
ttt[5] In David,
Like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, he rejoices as a mighty man to run the course. From the end of the heavens is His going forth, and His circuit to the ends of them. `Psalms 19bbb5-6`.
This refers to the Lord, the state of whose Divine power is described by means of such things as belong to space. In Isaiah,
How you have fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the dawn! You said in your heart, I will go up into the heavens, above the stars of God`fff1` I will raise my throne. I will go up above the heights of the clouds. `Isaiah 14bbb12-14`.
'Falling from heaven', 'going up the heavens', 'raising a throne above the stars of God', 'going up above the heights of the clouds' are all expressions derived from the concept and appearance of space or a place, and are used to describe self-love profaning holy things. Since celestial and spiritual things are presented to man by means of and according to visual objects like these, heaven too is therefore described as being on high when in fact it is not on high but in that which is internal, `@@@450`, `@@@1380`, `@@@2148`.
`nnn1. The Latin means heaven; but the Hebrew means God which Swedenborg has in other places where he quotes this verse.
ppp20462#pid#3388. 'For she was good-looking' means that it could be received without difficulty because of its being called Divine. This is clear from the meaning of 'good-looking' as something which because of its form is pleasing and so is received without difficulty. The subject is those who possess matters of doctrine concerning faith but who do not have from good any perception of truth, only a conscience regarding what is true which consists simply of what their parents and teachers have told them. These are they who are called 'the men of the place (which is Gerar)', `@@@3385`, `@@@3387`. With these people the first stage in the confirmation of such truth is reached, in that it is called Divine, for now they immediately have a concept of that which is holy, and this contributes an overall confirmation to every single thing they are told even though they do not grasp it. Nevertheless what they are told must come within their ability to grasp those things. It is not enough for a person to know that something exists; he also wishes to know something about it, and the nature of it if any confirmation of it is to reach the understanding part of his mind, and come back from there. If that wish is not present something may indeed be introduced into the memory, but it remains there as no more than something dead, like a meaningless sound, and unless some confirmatory evidence from whatever source drives it home it slips away like the remembrance of something that merely made a sound.
ppp20461#pid#3389. Verses `Genesis 26bbbccc8-9` And it happened, because his days were prolonged for him there, that Abimelech the king of the Philistines looked through a window and saw, and behold, Isaac was laughing with Rebekah his wife. And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, But behold, she is your wife! So how did you come to say, She is my sister? And Isaac said to him, Because I said, Perhaps I may die because of her.
'It happened, because his days were prolonged for him there' means a state of reception. 'That Abimelech the king of the Philistines looked through a window and saw' means the doctrine of faith which has regard to rational concepts held within cognitions. 'And behold, Isaac was laughing with Rebekah his wife' means that Divine Good was present within Divine Truth. 'And Abimelech called Isaac, and said' means the Lord's perception from doctrine. 'But behold, she is your wife! So how did you come to say, She is my sister?' means, if it was Divine Truth, then it was not also rational truth. 'And Isaac said to him, Because I said, Perhaps I may die because of her' means that it would not be received.
ppp20460#pid#3390. 'It happened, because his days were prolonged for him there' means a state of reception. This is clear from the meaning of 'prolonging for him there', that is to say, for Isaac, as this: When Divine Good, represented by Isaac, had been present for some time truth would be received, for it is the reception of truth by those who are spiritual that is the subject in the internal sense; and from the meaning of 'days' as states, dealt with in `@@@23`, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@893`, `@@@2788`.
ppp20459#pid#3391. 'That Abimelech the king of the Philistines looked through a window and saw' means the doctrine of faith which has regard to rational concepts held within cognitions. This is clear from the representation of 'Abimelech' as the doctrine of faith which has regard to rational concepts, dealt with in `@@@2504`, `@@@2509`, `@@@2510`, `@@@2533`; from the meaning of 'the king of the Philistines' as matters of doctrine, dealt with in `@@@3365`; and from the meaning of 'a window' as the understanding part of the mind, dealt with in `@@@655`, `@@@658`, and therefore internal sight, for this in former times was meant by 'windows'. Thus 'looking through a window' is perceiving things that are seen through internal sight. In general those things are cognitions which belong to the external man; but rational concepts - or what amounts to the same, appearances of truth, which are spiritual truths, `@@@3368` - are not cognitions but are held within cognitions since they belong to the rational man, and so to the internal man. And it is characteristic of the internal man to regard the things belonging to the external man, and so to regard the truths held within cognitions. Since cognitions belong to the natural man they are consequently the recipient vessels for rational concepts. For Divine truths flow into the rational part of the mind and by way of the rational into the natural, where they present themselves like an image produced by many objects reflected in a mirror, see `@@@3368`.
ttt[2] That 'windows' means the things that constitute internal sight, that is, the understanding, which are referred to by the single term 'intellectual concepts' is clear from the places in the Word introduced in `@@@655`, as well as from the following: In Joel,
They will run about the city, they will run on the wall, they will climb into the houses, they will go in through the windows like a thief. `Joel 2bbb9`.
This refers to the evils and falsities present in the final days of the Church. 'Climbing into the houses' stands for destroying goods which belong to the will - 'houses' being goods that belong to the will, see `@@@710`, `@@@2233`, `@@@2234`; and 'going in through the windows' for destroying truths and cognitions of those which belong to the understanding. In Zephaniah,
Jehovah will stretch out His hand over the north and will destroy Asshur. Herds will lie down in the midst of her, every wild beast of that nation. The spoonbill also and the duck will lodge in its pomegranates.`fff1` A voice will sing in the window, dryness will be on the threshold, for the cedar has been laid bare. `Zephaniah 2bbb13-14`.
This refers to the destruction of the truths of faith by means of reasonings, meant by Asshur, `@@@119`, `@@@1186`. 'A voice will sing in the window' stands for the desolation of truth, and so of the ability to understand what is true.
ttt[3] In the Book of Judges,
She looked through the window, and the mother of Sisera exclaimed through the lattices, Why is his chariot so long in coming? `Judges 5bbb28`.
These words come in the prophecy of Deborah and Barak and have to do with the resurgence of the spiritual Church. 'Looking through the window' stands for the reasonings of those who deny truths and in so doing destroy things that belong to the Church; for such reasonings are intellectual concepts in the contrary sense. In Jeremiah,
Woe to him who builds his house without righteousness, and his upper rooms without judgement, who says, I will build myself a wide house and spacious upper rooms, and he cuts out windows for himself, panelling it with cedar, and paints it with vermilion. `Jeremiah 22bbb13-14`.
'Building a house without righteousness, and upper rooms without judgement' stands for building a religion out of what is not good and not truth - 'righteousness and judgement' meaning good and truth, see `@@@2235`. 'Cutting out windows for oneself, panelling it with cedar, and painting it with vermilion' stands for falsifying truths, intellectual and spiritual. The windows of the Temple in Jerusalem represented nothing else than such things as constitute intellectual and thus spiritual concepts. The windows of the new temple that are mentioned in Ezekiel, `Ezekiel ccc40bbb16`, `Ezekiel 40bbbccc22`, `Ezekiel 40bbbccc25`, `Ezekiel 40bbbccc33`, `Ezekiel 40bbbccc36`; `Ezekiel ccc41bbb16`, `Ezekiel 41bbbccc26`, have a similar meaning, for anyone may see that the new temple, the new Jerusalem, and the new earth described in that prophet mean nothing else than the Lord's kingdom, and that accordingly the details mentioned concerning them are the kind of things that belong to that kingdom.
`nnn1. The original Hebrew word is thought to describe capitals shaped like pomegranates.
ppp20458#pid#3392. 'And behold Isaac was laughing with Rebekah his wife' means that Divine Good was present within Divine Truth, that is, to Divine Good Divine Truth was allied. This is clear from the representation of 'Isaac' as the Divine Good of the Lord's Rational, dealt with in `@@@3012`, `@@@3194`, `@@@3210`; from the meaning of 'laughing' as the love of truth or affection for it, dealt with in `@@@2072`, `@@@2216`; and from the representation of 'Rebekah' as the Divine Truth of the Lord's Rational, dealt with in `@@@3012`, `@@@3013`, `@@@3077`. From this it is evident that 'Isaac was laughing with Rebekah his wife' means that Divine Good was present together with Divine Truth. The meaning that these words have in the whole train of thought is that at first spiritual truth is received because it is called Divine, but that subsequently it is received because it holds within it that which is Divine and is clearly visible to those who are being regenerated and becoming members of the spiritual Church. These are the ones who are meant by 'Abimelech', that is, those who possess the doctrine of faith and have regard to the truths held within cognitions, dealt with just above in `@@@3391`.
ppp20457#pid#3393. 'And Abimelech called Isaac and said' means the Lord's perception from doctrine. This is clear from the representation of 'Abimelech' as doctrine which has regard to rational concepts, dealt with in `@@@2504`, `@@@2509`, `@@@2510`, `@@@2533`, `@@@3391`; from the representation of 'Isaac' as the Lord's Divine Rational, dealt with above; and from the meaning of 'laying' as perceiving, dealt with in `@@@1898`, `@@@1919`, `@@@2080`, `@@@2862`. And because 'Abimelech' means that doctrine, in which the Divine was now perceived, `@@@3392`, Abimelech also represents the Lord in regard to that doctrine. For every single thing in the Word refers in the highest sense to the Lord. Indeed the Lord is doctrine itself, that is, the Word, not only as to the highest sense there, but also as to the internal sense, and even as to the literal sense.
ttt[2] For the literal sense is the representative of, and carries all that is meant in the internal sense, and the internal sense in turn is representative of and carries all that is meant in the highest sense In the Word every representative or meaningful sign is in essence that which is represented or meant by it, and for that reason is the Lord's Divine. For a representative is nothing else than an image of the one who is being represented, and the image holds within itself the one who is presented. This may be seen from a person's speech and also from his gestures; that is to say, his speech and gestures are merely images of the things that are going on inwardly in that person's thought and will, so that speech and gestures are the thought and will expressed in outward form. Take away thought and will from them and you would be left with something wholly lifeless, and so with nothing human at all. From this one may see the true nature of the Word - that it is Divine, even in the letter.
ppp20456#pid#3394. 'But behold, she is your wife! So how did you come to say, She is my sister?' means, if it was Divine Truth, then it was not also rational truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'Rebekah', to whom 'wife' refers here, as the Divine Truth of the Lord's Divine Rational, dealt with in `@@@3012`, `@@@3013`, `@@@3077`, and from the meaning of 'a sister' as rational truth, dealt with in `@@@3386`, so that 'behold, she is your wife! So how did you come to say, She is my sister?' means that being Divine Truth, it cannot be rational truth.
ttt[2] The arcanum lying behind this matter is this: Spiritual people do not have perception as celestial people do, and therefore they do not know that Divine Truth becomes rational truth with a person once he has been regenerated. They do indeed assert that all good and all truth come from the Lord; but when these come to be present in their rational they still suppose that good and truth are their own and so originate so to speak in themselves. For they are unable to be separated from the proprium which desires this. With celestial people however the situation is that they do perceive Divine Good and Truth within the rational, that is, within rational concepts which, when enlightened from the Lord's Divine, are appearances of truth, `@@@3368`, and also within the natural, that is, within facts and sensory impressions. And this being the state in which celestial people live they are able to recognize that all good and truth flow in from the Lord, and that it is an ability to perceive what is good and true, which is communicated to them from the Lord as their own and is the cause of their delight, blessedness, and happiness. It was for this reason that the most ancient people who were celestial perceived within the particular objects which they saw with the eyes nothing else than spiritual and celestial things, `@@@1409`.
ttt[3] Because this arcanum has to do with the regenerated spiritual person who through his regeneration by the Lord has received Divine Good within a new will and Divine Truth within a new understanding, and because that person perceives nothing other than this - that if the truth were rational it could not be Divine, as stated above, and so if it were Divine it would have nothing in common with rational - it is therefore stated here that if it was Divine Truth, then it was not also rational truth. This also is the reason why such people desire matters of faith to be believed in simplicity without any scrutiny by the rational. They are unaware of the fact that no matter of faith, not even the deepest arcanum of faith, can be grasped by anyone without the aid of some rational idea, or even a natural one, though he has no knowledge of the nature of those ideas, `@@@3310` (end). In this way they are able to protect themselves against those who from a negative attitude argue about the truth of every single thing, `@@@2568`, `@@@2588`. But to those who have an affirmative attitude of belief in the Word the former is a harmful attitude to adopt, for it is one in which a person's freedom to think may be taken away and his conscience bound even to something extremely heretical, with the result that control is established over the person internally and externally. These are the considerations meant by Abimelech's saying to Isaac, 'Behold, she is your wife! So how did you come to say, She is my sister?'
ppp20455#pid#3395. 'And Isaac said to him, Because I said, Perhaps I may die because of her' means that it would not be received. This is clear from what has been stated above in `@@@3387`, at the words 'for he was afraid to say, My wife, [thinking,] The men of the place may perhaps kill me on account of Rebekah'. More plainly than anywhere else 'saying' here means perceiving and thinking.
ppp20454#pid#3396. Verses `Genesis 26bbbccc10-11` And Abimelech said, What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us. And Abimelech commanded all the people, saying, Anyone touching this man and his wife will surely die. 'Abimelech said, What is this you have done to us?' means anger. 'One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us' means that it could have been adulterated and so profaned. 'And Abimelech commanded all the people, saying' means a decree. 'Anyone touching this man and his wife will surely die' means that Divine Truth and Divine Good were not to be disclosed, insomuch that not even any approach was to be made towards them by faith because of the danger of eternal condemnation if they were profaned.
ppp20453#pid#3397. 'Abimelech said, What is this you have done to us?' means anger. This becomes clear without explanation.
ppp20452#pid#3398. 'One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us' means that it could have been adulterated and so profaned. This is clear from the meaning of 'lying wish' as being perverted or adulterated; from the meaning of 'one of the people' as one who belongs to the Church, that is to say, to the spiritual Church, dealt with in `@@@2928`; from the meaning of 'wife' - who is Rebekah here - as Divine Truth, dealt with above; and from the meaning of 'guilt' as blame for the profanation of truth. From this it is evident that 'one of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us' means that Divine Truth could easily have been adulterated by someone within the Church and so he would have made himself culpable of the profanation of truth. It has been stated above in `@@@3386` that the reason why Abraham on two occasions spoke of Sarah his wife as his sister - first of all in Egypt, and then, when dwelling with Abimelech, in Gerar - and why Isaac in a similar way spoke of Rebekah his wife as his sister, when he too was dwelling with Abimelech, and why those three occasions are mentioned in the Word, is a very deep arcanum. The actual arcanum contained in these words is evident in the internal sense, and it is this: 'A sister' means rational truth, and 'a wife' Divine Truth; and rational truth is called this - that is, 'a sister' - to prevent Divine Truth, which is 'a wife' (Rebekah in this case) from being adulterated and so perverted.
ttt[2] With regard to the profanation of truth the position is that Divine Truth cannot possibly be profaned except by those who have already acknowledged it. For these people have first of all, through acknowledgement and faith, come to the truth, and so have been introduced into it. If after this they depart from that truth there remains within them a permanent imprint of it, which is recalled together with falsity and evil whenever these are recalled. And being attached to falsity and evil that truth is consequently made profane. People therefore with whom this happens have within them permanently that which is condemning, and so the hell which is their own. Indeed when those in hell draw near a sphere where good and truth are present they instantly experience their own hell, for they run into that which they hate, and as a consequence into torment. People therefore who have profaned truth dwell permanently with that which torments them - the intensity of torment depending on the degree of profanation. This being so, the Lord makes the greatest provision to prevent Divine Good and Truth being made profane. He does so especially with anyone who is such that he cannot help profaning them, by keeping him as far back as possible from acknowledgement of and faith in truth and good. For as has been stated, no one is able to profane them except him who has already acknowledged and come to believe them.
ttt[3] This was the reason why internal truths were not disclosed to the descendants of Jacob - to the Israelites and Jews. Not even the existence of anything internal within man, nor thus any kind of internal worship was openly declared to them, and scarcely anything about life after death, or about the heavenly kingdom of the Lord or the Messiah whom they awaited. The reason why these truths were not declared was, as foreseen, that if they had been disclosed to them, the Jews and Israelites were such as could not help profaning them; for they had no desire for anything other than what was earthly. And because those descendants were such, and are so still, they are still allowed to remain without any belief at all in internal truths. For if at one point they had given their assent to them and then had withdrawn it they would inevitably have ended up in the worst hell of all.
ttt[4] This was also the reason why the Lord did not come into the world and reveal the internal features of the Word until the time when no good at all, not even natural good, remained with them. For at that point they were no longer capable of receiving any truth and acknowledging it internally - for good is what receives - and so were no longer capable of profaning it. It is this state that is meant by the fulness of time, and by the close of the age, and also by the last day, spoken of many times in the Prophets.
ttt[5] It is for the same reason also that at the present time the arcana belonging to the internal sense of the Word are being revealed, for today scarcely any faith exists because charity is non-existent, so that the close of the age is here. When these conditions prevail these arcana can be revealed without any risk of profanation since they are not acknowledged interiorly. It is for the sake of this arcanum that in the Word mention is made of Abraham and of Isaac, of how, when dwelling in Gerar with Abimelech, each called his wife his sister. See in addition what has been stated and shown already on the same subject, to the effect that those who acknowledge are able to profane, but not those who do not acknowledge, still less those who do not even know, `@@@593`, `@@@1008`, `@@@1010`, `@@@1059`. How much danger lies in profaning sacred things and the Word, see `@@@571`, `@@@582`. People inside the Church are able to profane sacred things, but not those outside, `@@@2051`. The Lord provides against the occurrence of profanation, `@@@1001`, `@@@2426`. Worship may become external to prevent the profaning of internal worship, `@@@1327`, `@@@1328`. People are kept in ignorance to prevent the truths of faith being made profane, `@@@301-303`.
ppp20451#pid#3399. The expression 'lying with a wife' means in the internal sense perverting and adulterating truth, here truth that is Divine, because 'a wife' - Rebekah - represents Divine Truth, as shown above. This may be seen from the consideration that instances of lying together, adultery, and prostitution in the Word do not mean anything other than perversions of good and falsifications of truth, as shown in `@@@2466`, `@@@2729`. The reason why they do so is that all adultery is absolutely contrary to conjugial love, so much so that it is destructive of it; and conjugial love originates in the marriage of good and truth, `@@@2508`, `@@@2618`, `@@@2727-2759`, `@@@3132`. Consequently things that are contrary to good and truth, or that destroy them, are in the Word called forms of adultery.
ttt[2] But it should be realized that those who belong to the spiritual Church are not able to adulterate good to such an extent that they profane it, for the reason that they are not able to receive good so far as to perceive it, as those who are celestial do. They are able however to profane truth because they are able to acknowledge it. Yet in the final period of the Church they are not able even to acknowledge truth, because at that time universal disbelief prevails concerning the Lord, concerning life after death, and concerning the internal man. And the disbelief which reigns universally makes it impossible for them to penetrate into the interior truths of faith. That which prevails with everyone universally limits them and keeps them back from entering more deeply into such things, even when the person is unaware of that universal disbelief and also when he supposes that he does believe.
ttt[3] But those who are able to profane good are such as belong to the celestial Church, for they are able to receive it so as to perceive it, as was done by those living before the Flood who have consequently been segregated from everyone else and are kept in a hell separated from the hells of others - regarding which see `@@@1265-1272`. The prevention of the occurrence ever again of the profanation of good is meant by the reference to Jehovah expelling man and causing cherubim to dwell away from the east towards the garden of Eden, and the flame of a sword turning this way and that to guard the way of the tree of life, `Genesis 3bbb24`. On these matters, see `@@@308`, `@@@310`.
ppp20450#pid#3400. The fact that 'guilt' means blame or imputation of sin and of transgression against good and truth becomes clear from those places in the Word where 'guilt' is mentioned and also described, as in Isaiah,
Jehovah was willing to bruise Him and make Him imperfect. If You make His soul [full of] guilt, He will see His seed, He will prolong His days, and the will of Jehovah will prosper by His hand. `Isaiah 53bbb10`.
This refers to the Lord. 'Making His soul [full of] guilt' stands for sin imputed to Him and so for blame laid on Him by those who hated Him. Not that He drew any sin at all to Himself to bear it away.
In Ezekiel,
By the blood which you have shed, you have been held guilty,`fff1` and by your idols which you have made you are defiled. `Ezekiel 22bbb4`.
'Shedding blood' stands for doing violence to good, `@@@374`, `@@@376`, `@@@1005`, leading to guilt.
In David,
Those who hate the righteous will be held guilty.`fff2` Jehovah redeems the soul of His servants, nor will all who trust in Him be held guilty.`fff2` `Psalms 34bbb21-22`.
ttt[2] 'Guilt' accordingly stands for all sin that remains. The separation of it by means of good from the Lord is redemption, which was also represented by the atonement made by the priest when people offered the guilt-offering, dealt with in `Leviticus 5bbb1-19`; `Leviticus ccc6bbb1-7`; `Leviticus ccc7bbb1-10`; `Leviticus ccc19bbb20-22`; `Numbers 5bbb1-8`, where also types of guilt are listed, namely these: When people have heard a curse uttered but do not say they have heard it: When they have touched something unclean: When they have sworn to do evil: When they have sinned unintentionally against holy things that are Jehovah's: When they have done one of the things which they are commanded not to do: When they have refused to return to somebody his deposit: When they deny that they have found something that was lost, and have sworn falsely: When they have lain with a woman who is a slave, betrothed to another man, and not yet redeemed or made free: When they have committed any sin against another person by transgressing against Jehovah.
`nnn1. literally, have had guilt
`nnn2. literally, will have guilt
ppp20449#pid#3401. 'And Abimelech commanded all the people, saying' means a decree. This is clear from the meaning of 'commanding' as making a decree; from the representation of 'Abimelech' as people who possess the doctrine of faith, dealt with in `@@@3392`, and in the highest sense the Lord, `@@@3393`; and from the meaning of 'people' as those who belong to the spiritual Church, dealt with in `@@@3398`. From this it is evident that 'Abimelech commanded all the people' means a decree from the Lord made within the spiritual Church. The decree itself is what follows next, which is that Divine Truth and Divine Good are not to be exposed, insomuch that not even any approach is to be made towards them by faith, because of the danger of eternal condemnation if they are made profane. This point is dealt with next.
ppp20448#pid#3402. 'Anyone touching this man and his wife will surely die' means that Divine Truth and Divine Good were not to be disclosed, insomuch that not even any approach was to be made towards them by faith because of the danger of eternal condemnation if they were profaned. This is clear from the meaning of 'touching this man and his wife' as making an approach towards Divine Truth and Divine Good, represented by Isaac and Rebekah - truth here being mentioned first and good second because the subject is people who belong to the spiritual Church and who are capable of adulterating and indeed of profaning truth, but not good, which is why the expression 'man and wife' (vir et mulier) is used, see `@@@915`, `@@@2517`; and from the meaning of 'surely dying' as eternal condemnation (which is spiritual death) resulting from profanation, under discussion here.
ttt[2] For information about the Lord in His providence not allowing anyone, because of the danger of eternal condemnation, to enter into goodness and truth, that is, into an acknowledgement of them and affection for them, beyond the point where he is able to remain with them, see above in `@@@3398`. For goodness and truth, as stated and shown several times already, are such that when present with a person they retreat to an internal position that is determined by the amount of evil and falsity also present in him. Consequently insofar as the angels present with him from heaven depart, the devil-spirits present with him from hell draw near, and vice versa. To one in whom evil and falsity are present, the removal of good and truth, and consequently of angels, is not apparent, for at that time he is convinced that evil is good, and falsity is truth. This conviction arises from his affection for them and from the resulting delight. And when this is his state he is quite incapable of recognizing that goodness and truth have been removed from him. Goodness and truth - or angels - are said to be removed from a person when he has no affection for them, that is, when he no longer takes any delight in them, and instead his affection is for the things that go with self-love and love of the world, that is, when he takes delight wholly in these.
ttt[3] Having a knowledge of goodness and truth - or holding them in the memory, and testifying to them with the lips - does not constitute possession of goodness and truth, but a heartfelt affection for them does. Nor does anyone possess goodness and truth when his affection for them springs from a desire to gain reputation or wealth by means of them. In his case he is not stirred by any real affection for them but by honour and gain, and he makes such goodness and truth the means for obtaining these. In the next life the goods and truths which such people have known, even proclaimed, are taken away from them, while the self-love and love of the world remain from which their life is derived. From these considerations it may be seen what the situation is with goodness and truth, namely that unless he is able to remain with them to the end of his life no one is allowed to approach goodness and truth with affection and faith, unlike those who actually profane them, for such people are unable to be held back from approaching them.
ppp20447#pid#3403. Verses `Genesis 26bbbccc12-14` And Isaac sowed in that land and reaped`fff1` in that year a hundred measures; and Jehovah blessed him. And the man increased, and went on increasing, so much so that he became extremely prosperous.`fff2` And he had acquired flocks, and had acquired herds, and he had many servants; and the Philistines envied him.
'Isaac sowed in that land' means interior truths from the Lord as they appear to the rational. 'And he reaped in that year a hundred measures' means an abundance. 'And Jehovah blessed him' means as regards the good that flows from love within them. 'And the man increased, and went on increasing, so much so that he became extremely prosperous' means increases. 'And he had acquired flocks, and had acquired herds' means as regards interior good and as regards exterior good. 'And he had many servants' means truth derived from that good. 'And the Philistines envied him' means that people governed by no more than a knowledge of cognitions did not have any grasp of such good and truth.
`nnn1. literally, found
`nnn2. literally, great
ppp20446#pid#3404. 'Isaac sowed in that land' means interior truths from the Lord as they appear to the rational. This is clear from the meaning of 'sowing' in the highest sense as Divine Truth from the Lord who is the Sower, `@@@3038`, and in the internal sense as the truth and good residing with a person, which stem from that Divine Truth, `@@@3373`; and from the meaning of 'land' as rational concepts which, when enlightened from the Divine, are appearances of truth, `@@@3368`, or what amounts to the same, are interior truths from the Lord as they appear to the rational. These appearances or truths belong on a higher degree, for as far as verse `Genesis 26bbbccc14` it is these that are the subject in the internal sense. These appearances of truth are the kind that exist with angels, and are such as go immeasurably above anyone's understanding as long as he lives in the world.
ttt[2] To make it clearer still what appearances of truth are, let the following example be added: It is well known that the Divine is infinite as regards Being (Esse) and eternal as regards Manifestation (Existere), and that what is finite is incapable of comprehending what is infinite, or indeed of comprehending what is eternal, since what is eternal is the Manifestation (Existere) of what is infinite. And because the Divine itself is infinite and eternal, so are all things which proceed from the Divine infinite and also eternal. And as those things are infinite angels are quite incapable of grasping them, for they too are finite beings. That being so, things that are infinite and eternal present themselves to angels within appearances that are finite, though within appearances such as are very far above the range of what man can comprehend. For example, man is quite incapable of possessing any idea of what is eternal except from what is temporal. And being incapable of having any idea other than this he is incapable of comprehending what 'from eternity' is and so what the Divine prior to the existence of time or creation of the world is. And as long as his thinking contains any idea at all that is formed from what is temporal, he slips inevitably, if he thinks about what is eternal, into errors from which he cannot be rescued. But the angels, whose ideas are not formed from anything temporal but from timeless state, are enabled to perceive it supremely well, for to them eternity is not eternity of time but eternity of state devoid of any idea of that which is temporal.
ttt[3] From this one may see what the appearances existing with angels are like compared with man's, and how superior their appearances are to man's. For man cannot have one shred of thought, not even the least shred, that is not in some way temporal and spatial in origin, whereas angels' thought has no such origin at all. Instead their thought has its origin in timeless state, in which the being (esse) and the manifestation (existere) of things is the only consideration. These few comments show the nature of the appearances of truth which are the subject in these verses, and that these appearances belong to a higher degree. The verses that follow deal in order with the appearances of truth that belong to a lower degree which are also suitable to the human race.
ppp20445#pid#3405. 'And he reaped in that year a hundred measures' means an abundance. This is clear from the meaning of 'a year' as the entire state of that which is being discussed, dealt with in `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@893`; from the meaning of 'a hundred' as that which is much and complete, dealt with in `@@@2636`; and from the meaning of 'a measure' as the state of a thing in regard to truth, dealt with in `@@@3104`. Taken all together these expressions mean an abundance of truth. In the highest sense the subject here, as everywhere else, is the Lord. That is, even He, when in the human from the mother, was subject to appearances of truth; but He cast off that human, and the appearances too, and assumed the Infinite and eternal Divine itself.
ttt[2] But in the internal or relative sense the subject is the appearances that belong to the higher degree, which, as has been stated, exist with angels; and it is the abundance of these appearances that is meant by the words 'he reaped in that year a hundred measures'. Thus the situation with the appearances of truth, or truths that come from the Divine, is that those belonging to the higher degree are immensely superior in their abundance and perfection to those that belong to the lower degree. For millions, indeed millions of millions, of things which beings on the higher degree perceive distinctly and separately appear as no more than a single whole with those on the lower degree; for the lower things are simply compound wholes made up of those things that are higher. This may be deduced from the two memories present in man, of which the interior memory, being on the higher degree, is immensely superior to the exterior which belongs to the lower degree, see `@@@2473`, `@@@2674`. This shows what wisdom angels enjoy in comparison with men. Indeed angels of the third heaven dwell in a fourth degree above man, and therefore, when shown to man, that wisdom can only be referred to as that which is above comprehension, indeed as that which defies description.
ppp20444#pid#3406. 'And Jehovah blessed him' means as regards the good that flows from love within them. This is clear from the meaning of 'being blessed' as being enriched with every celestial and spiritual good, dealt with in `@@@981`, `@@@1731`, `@@@2846`; so that 'being blessed by Jehovah' means being blessed with celestial good that flows from love, for Jehovah is the Being itself (Esse) of love or good, `@@@1735`, and therefore the name Jehovah is used when good is the subject but the name God when truth is the subject, `@@@2586`, `@@@2769`.
ppp20443#pid#3407. 'And the man increased, and went on increasing, so much so that he became extremely prosperous' means increases. This is clear from the meaning of 'increasing', of 'going on doing so', and of 'becoming extremely prosperous' as increases of good and truth in their proper order, that is to say, from truth to good, and from good to truth.
ppp20442#pid#3408. 'And he had acquired flocks, and had acquired herds' means as regards interior good and as regards exterior good, that is, as regards rational good and as regards natural good. This is clear from the meaning of 'a flock' as interior or rational good, dealt with in `@@@343`, `@@@2566`, and from the meaning of 'a herd' as exterior or natural good, dealt with in `@@@2566`. The natural good meant by 'a herd' is not the good that a person is born with but that which he acquires by means of cognitions of truth that are linked to an affection for good. The natural good that a person is born with is in itself no more than something animal-like, for it also exists with living creatures. But the natural good that is acquired, or that the Lord confers on a person, holds that which is spiritual within it, so that it is spiritual good within natural. This kind of good is human natural good itself, whereas the other kind - that which one is born with - notwithstanding its seeming to be good, is not necessarily good. Indeed it may be evil, for it is able to receive falsities too into itself and to believe that what is evil is good. Such natural good exists with nations who in life and faith are the most wicked of all.
ppp20441#pid#3409. 'And he had many servants' means truth derived from that good. This is clear from the meaning of 'servants' as everything that is beneath, that has been subordinated, and that is obedient, dealt with in `@@@1713`, `@@@2541`, `@@@3019`, `@@@3020` - thus truth since truth originates in good and ministers to good, dealt with extensively already.
ppp20440#pid#3410. 'The Philistines envied him' means that people governed by no more than a knowledge of cognitions did not have any grasp of such good and truth. This is clear from the meaning here of 'envying' as not having a grasp of, as is evident from what comes next, and from the meaning of 'the Philistines' as knowledge of cognitions. Thus 'the Philistines' are people who possess a knowledge of cognitions, dealt with in `@@@1197`, `@@@1198`.
ppp20439#pid#3411. Verses `Genesis 26bbbccc15-17` And all the wells which his father's servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines stopped them up and filled them up with dust. And Abimelech said to Isaac, Go away from being with us, for you are much mightier than we are. And Isaac went away from there, and camped in the Valley of Gerar and dwelt there.
'All the wells which his father's servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines stopped them up' means that people who possessed knowledge of cognitions did not wish to know interior truths that came from the Divine and so effaced them. 'And filled them up with dust' means by means of earthly things. 'And Abimelech said to Isaac' means the Lord's perception regarding that doctrine. 'Go away from being with us, for you are much mightier than we are' means that they would not be able to tolerate those things because of their Divine content. 'And Isaac went away from there' means that the Lord abandoned interior matters of doctrine. 'And camped in the Valley of Gerar and dwelt there' means that He did so for lower rational concepts, that is, He abandoned interior appearances for exterior ones.
ppp20438#pid#3412. 'All the wells which his father's servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines stopped them up' means that people who possessed knowledge of cognitions did not wish to know interior truths that came from the Divine and so effaced them. This is clear from the meaning of 'wells' as truths, dealt with in `@@@2702`, `@@@3096`, here interior truths coming from the Divine since the wells, which mean truths, are said to have been dug by 'his father's servants in the days of Abraham his father' - 'Abraham' representing the Lord's Divine itself, `@@@2011`, `@@@2833`, `@@@2836`, `@@@3251`, `@@@3305` (end); from the meaning of 'stopping up' as not wishing to know and so effacing; and from the representation of 'the Philistines' as people who possess no more than a knowledge of cognitions, dealt with in `@@@1197`, `@@@1198`.
ttt[2] The subject at this point is the appearances of truth that belong to the lower degree, which are able to exist with those who possess a knowledge of cognitions and whom 'the Philistines' are used to mean here. With regard to the interior truths that come from the Divine and are effaced by those called the Philistines, the position is that in the Ancient Church and after it the name Philistines was used for those who gave little thought to life and very much to doctrine, and who in course of time even rejected matters of life and acknowledged matters of faith - which faith was separated from life - as being the essential element of the Church. As a consequence they attached no importance at all to matters of doctrine concerning charity which in the Ancient Church constituted the all of doctrine, and so they effaced it. Instead they proclaimed matters of doctrine concerning faith and centred the whole of their religion in these. And since in this way they departed from the life of charity, that is, from charity as the sum and substance of life, they more than all others were called 'the uncircumcised'. For by 'the uncircumcised' were meant all in whom charity was not present, no matter how much doctrine they knew, `@@@2049` (end).
ttt[3] Because such people departed from charity they also removed themselves from wisdom and intelligence, for no one can have a wise and intelligent discernment of what truth is unless good, that is, charity, reigns in him. Indeed all truth originates in good and has regard to good, so that anyone who is devoid of good is unable to have an intelligent discernment of truth, and does not even wish to know it. When such people in the next life are far away from heaven, light bright as snow is sometimes seen to be with them. But that light is like the light in wintertime which, being devoid of warmth, is unproductive. This also explains why, when such persons draw near to heaven, their light is converted into utter darkness, and their minds into something akin to that darkness, which is stupidity. From these considerations it may now be seen what is meant by the statement that people who possessed no more than a knowledge of cognitions did not wish to know interior truths that came from the Divine and so effaced them.
ppp20437#pid#3413. 'And filled them up with dust' means by means of earthly things, that is, by means of self-love and love of material gain. This is clear from the meaning of 'dust' as such, dealt with in `@@@249`. The meaning is that those who are called 'the Philistines', that is, who are not concerned with life but with doctrine, efface interior truths by means of earthly loves, which are self-love and love of gain. Because of those loves they are called 'the uncircumcised', `@@@2039`, `@@@2049`, `@@@2056`, `@@@2632`. Indeed people who are under the influence of those loves cannot avoid 'filling up the wells of Abraham with dust', that is, effacing the interior truths of the Word by means of earthly things, for there is no way in which they are able from these loves to see spiritual things, that is, things which belong to the light of truth from the Lord. In fact those loves introduce darkness, and this banishes that light, for as stated just above in `@@@3412`, as the light of truth from the Lord draws nearer, people who are concerned with doctrine alone and not with life are plunged into complete darkness and stupidity. Indeed they become like those in a rage, doing all they can to destroy truths in every way. For self-love and the love of gain are such that they do not allow any truth at all from the Divine to come anywhere near them. Nevertheless those people are able to boast of and pride themselves in the fact that they know truths; indeed they proclaim them with seeming zeal. It is however the fires of self-love and love of gain which inflame them and spur them on, and their zeal is merely the enthusiasm fired by those loves. This becomes quite clear from the fact that even though truths run counter to such persons' actual lives they are able to proclaim them with the selfsame zeal or enthusiasm. These are the earthly things which block the Word itself, the fountain of all truth.
ppp20436#pid#3414. 'And Abimelech said to Isaac' means the Lord's perception regarding that doctrine. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as perceiving, often dealt with already; from the representation of 'Abimelech', here the king of the Philistines, as that doctrine, dealt with in `@@@3365`, `@@@3391`; and from the representation of 'Isaac' as the Lord's Divine Rational.
ppp20435#pid#3415. 'Go away from being with us, for you are much mightier than we are' means that they would not be able to tolerate those things because of their Divine content. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'going away from being with us' as finding its presence intolerable, and from the meaning of 'being much mightier' as on account of the riches, here the Divine riches, which interior truths hold within them. Those who are called 'the Philistines' cannot tolerate the presence of good, nor thus the presence of the Divine; see just above in `@@@3413`.
ppp20434#pid#3416. 'And Isaac went away from there' means that the Lord abandoned interior truths. This is clear from the meaning of 'going away from there' as abandoning, here abandoning interior truths since these are the subject; and from the representation of 'Isaac' as the Lord's Divine Rational. The Lord's abandonment of interior truths means that He does not expose these to such persons. Every part of the Word contains internal truths, but when such people read the Word as possess a knowledge of cognitions but are not at the same time concerned with life they do not even notice those truths, as becomes clear from the fact that those who make the essential thing of salvation to reside in faith pay no attention at all to those things which the Lord spoke of so many times regarding love and charity, `@@@1017`, `@@@2371`. And those who do pay any attention to them call them the fruits of faith, which they distinguish and indeed separate from charity, the nature of which is not known to them. Thus the things of the Word that are secondary are seen by them but not those that are primary, that is, its exterior features are seen but not the interior ones. And seeing the things that are secondary or exterior without those that are primary or interior amounts to seeing nothing Divine at all. These are the implications of the explanation that the Lord abandoned interior truths, meant by 'Isaac went away from there'. Not that the Lord abandons, but that those people remove themselves from the Lord by removing themselves from matters of life.
ppp20433#pid#3417. 'And camped in the Valley of Gerar and dwelt there' means that He did so for lower rational concepts, that is, He abandoned interior appearances for exterior. This is clear from the meaning of 'camping' as arranging into order, from the meaning of 'the Valley of Gerar' as lower rational concepts or exterior appearances of truth - for 'a valley' means lower things, or what amounts to the same, exterior things, `@@@1723`, while 'Gerar' means matters of faith and so of truth, `@@@1209`, `@@@2504`, `@@@3365`, `@@@3384`, `@@@3385`; and from the meaning of 'dwelling' as having one's being and life, dealt with in `@@@3384`. From this it is evident that 'he camped in the Valley of Gerar and dwelt there' means that the Lord arranged truths so that they would also be suitable for the mental grasp and the disposition of those who are not concerned so much with life as they are with matters of doctrine concerning faith, as may be seen from the Word, in which likewise truths are suited to people's ability to grasp them.
ttt[2] For example, people who are concerned with matters of doctrine and not so much with life do not know anything other than this, that the heavenly kingdom is like kingdoms on earth, in that people are made great there when they govern others. The delight that comes from this is the only delight they know of; and this they prefer to all other delight. For this reason the Lord has also spoken in the Word according to that appearance, as in Matthew,
He who does and teaches so will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. `Matthew 5bbb19`.
And in David,
I said, You are gods, and sons of the Most High, all of you. `Psalms 82bbb6`; `John 10bbb34-35`.
And because at first the disciples themselves did not have any other conception of the heavenly kingdom than that of greatness and position over others, like that on earth - as is clear in `Matthew 18bbb1`; `Mark 9bbb34`; `Luke 9bbb46`, and also the idea of their sitting on the right hand and on the left of a king, `Matthew 20bbb20-21`, `Matthew 20bbbccc24`; `Mark 10bbb37` - the Lord therefore replied according to their mental grasp and also inclination of mind when an argument arose among them about which one of them was to be greatest,
You will eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. `Luke 22bbb24`, `Luke 22bbbccc30`; `Matthew 19bbb28`.
For at that time they did not know that the delight of heaven is not the delight that goes with being great and having position over others, but the delight that goes with being humble and with the affection for serving others; and so it does not consist in wishing to be the greatest but to be the least, as the Lord teaches in Luke,
Whoever presents himself as least among you all will be great. `Luke 9bbb48`.
ttt[3] Thus people who have a knowledge of cognitions but are devoid of the life of charity cannot know of the existence of any other delight than that which results from having position over others. And since that delight alone occupies their minds and constitutes the whole of their life, therefore they do not have any knowledge at all of the heavenly delight which results from humility and from the affection for serving others. That is, they do not know the delight that accompanies love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour, and the consequent bliss and happiness. The reason why the Lord adapted what He had to say to their imperfect outlook was so that they could be aroused and led on to good, to learn it, to teach it, and to do it. And yet He does teach what greatness and position actually are in heaven, as in `Matthew 19bbb30`; `Matthew ccc20bbb16`, `Matthew 20bbbccc25-28`; `Mark 10bbb31`, `Mark 10bbbccc42-45`; `Luke 9bbb48`; `Luke ccc13bbb30`; `Luke ccc22bbb25-28`. These and other ideas like them belong to the lower degree of appearances of truth, for in relation to others those in heaven are made great, and are given positions, power, and authority over others, in that one single angel is more powerful than ten thousands of spirits in hell, yet not so from himself but from the Lord. And he has that power from the Lord in the measure that he believes he can achieve nothing from himself and is accordingly the least. And he is able to have such a belief in the measure that humility and an affection for serving others exist in him, that is, insofar as the good that is essentially love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour is present in him.
ppp20432#pid#3418. Verse `Genesis 26bbbccc18` And Isaac came back and dug again the wells of water which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father and which the Philistines had been stopping up after Abraham's death; and he called them names, according to the names which his father had called them.
'Isaac came back and dug again the wells of water which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father' means that the Lord disclosed the truths that had existed with the Ancients. 'And which the Philistines had been stopping up after Abraham's death' means that people who had no more than a knowledge of cognitions refused to recognize those truths. 'And he called them names' means the essential nature of them. 'Like the names which his father had called them' means meaningful signs of truth.
ppp20431#pid#3419. 'Isaac came back and dug again the wells of water which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father' means that the Lord disclosed the truths that had existed with the Ancients. This is clear from the representation of 'Isaac' as the Lord's Divine Rational, dealt with already; from the meaning of 'coming back and digging again' as disclosing once again; from the meaning of 'the wells of water' as truths that are the sources of cognitions - 'wells' being truths, see `@@@2702`, `@@@3096`, and 'waters' cognitions, `@@@28`, `@@@2702`, `@@@3058`; and from the meaning of 'the days of Abraham his father' as a former time and state as regards truths, which are meant by 'which they had dug in those days', and so which had existed with the Ancients - 'days' meaning a time and a state, see `@@@23`, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@893`. When a state is meant by 'days', 'Abraham his father' represents the Lord's Divine itself before this had joined the Human to Itself, see `@@@2833`, `@@@2836`, `@@@3251`; but when a time is meant by 'days', 'Abraham his father' means the goods and truths which came from the Lord's Divine before this had allied the Human to Itself, and so which had existed with the Ancients.
ttt[2] The truths which existed with the Ancients have been completely effaced at the present time, so much so that scarcely anybody knows that they have ever existed or that they could have been anything different from those also taught today. But those truths were indeed quite different. People had representatives and meaningful signs of celestial and spiritual things in the Lord's kingdom, and so of the Lord Himself; and those who understood them were called the wise. They were also wise, because they were accordingly able to talk to spirits and angels; for when angelic speech which is spiritual and celestial and therefore unintelligible to man comes down to someone in the natural realm, it falls into representatives and meaningful signs like those that occur in the Word and consequently make the Word a sacred document. To make correspondence complete the Divine cannot present Itself before man in any other way. And because with the Ancients there were manifested representatives and meaningful signs of the Lord's kingdom, which hold nothing else than celestial and spiritual love within them, the Ancients also possessed matters of doctrine too which wholly and completely were concerned with love to God and charity towards the neighbour, by virtue of which also they were called the wise.
ttt[3] From those matters of doctrine they knew that the Lord was going to come into the world, that Jehovah would be within Him, and that He would make the Human within Him Divine and in so doing would save the human race. From them they also knew what charity was, namely the affection for serving others without any thought of reward; and what was meant by the neighbour to whom they were to exercise charity, namely all persons throughout the world, though each one had to be treated differently. These matters of doctrine have now been completely lost, and instead there are matters of doctrine concerning faith, which the Ancients had regarded as being relatively worthless. These matters of doctrine, that is to say, those concerning love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour, have at the present time been rejected on one hand by those who in the Word are referred to as Babylonians and Chaldeans, and on the other by people called Philistines and also Egyptians. They have become so completely lost that scarcely any trace of them remains. Who at the present day knows what charity is which is devoid of all self-regard and repudiates all self-interest? Who knows what is meant by the neighbour - that individual persons are meant who are to be treated each one differently according to the nature and amount of good that resides with him? Thus good itself is meant, and therefore in the highest sense the Lord Himself since He resides in good and is the source of good; for good that does not originate in Him is not good, however much it may seem to be. And because there is no knowledge of what charity is and of what is meant by the neighbour, there is no knowledge of who are really meant in the Word by the poor, the wretched, the needy, the sick, the hungry and thirsty, the oppressed, widows, orphans, captives, the naked, strangers, the blind, the deaf, the lame, the maimed, and others such as these. Yet the matters of doctrine which existed with the Ancients taught who each of these really was and to which category of the neighbour and so of charity each belonged. It is in accordance with those matters of doctrine that the whole Word so far as the sense of the letter is concerned has been written, and therefore those who have no knowledge of them cannot possibly know of any interior sense of the Word.
ttt[4] As in Isaiah,
Is it not to break your bread to the hungry, and that you may bring afflicted outcasts to your house; when you see the naked and cover him, and not hide yourself from your own flesh? Then will your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing will spring up speedily, and your righteousness will walk before you, the glory of Jehovah will gather you up. `Isaiah 58bbb7-8`.
Anyone who keeps rigidly to the sense of the letter believes that if he merely gives bread to the hungry, brings afflicted outcasts or wanderers into his house, and clothes the naked, he will on that account enter into Jehovah's glory, or into heaven. Yet those actions are solely external, which the wicked also can perform to merit the same. But by the hungry, the afflicted, and the naked are meant those who are spiritually such, thus differing states of wretchedness in which one who is the neighbour may find himself and to whom charity is to be exercised.
ttt[5] In David,
He executes judgement for the oppressed, He gives bread to the hungry, Jehovah sets the bound free, Jehovah opens the blind [eyes], Jehovah lifts up the bowed down, Jehovah loves the righteous, Jehovah guards strangers, He upholds the orphan and the widow. `Psalms 146bbb7-9`.
Here the oppressed, the hungry, the bound, the blind, those bowed down, strangers, the orphan and the widow are not used to mean people who are ordinarily called such but those who are spiritually so, that is, as to their souls. It was who these were, what state and degree of the neighbour they belonged to, and so what charity needed to be exercised towards them, that was taught by the matters of doctrine which existed with the Ancients. Besides these verses from `Psalms 146bbb0` there are others elsewhere throughout the Old Testament. Indeed when the Divine comes down into what is natural existing with man it comes down into such things as constitute the works of charity, each work differing from the rest according to its genus and species.
ttt[6] The Lord also spoke in a similar way since He spoke from the Divine itself, as in Matthew,
The King will say to those at His right hand, Come, O blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you; for I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in, I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me, I was in prison and you came to Me. `Matthew 25bbb34-36`.
The works listed here mean all the main kinds of charity and the degree of good to which each work - that is, to which each person who is a neighbour towards whom charity is to be exercised - belongs. Also taught is the truth that the Lord in the highest sense is the neighbour, for He says,
Insofar as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers you did it to Me. `Matthew 25bbb40`.
From these few places one may see what is meant by truths as they existed among the Ancients. The utter effacement of these truths however by those concerned with matters of doctrine concerning faith and not with the life of charity, that is, by those who in the Word are called 'the Philistines', is meant in the words that come next - 'the Philistines stopped up the wells after Abraham's death'.
ppp20430#pid#3420. 'Which the Philistines had been stopping up after Abraham's death' means that people who had no more than a knowledge of cognitions refused to recognize these truths. This is clear from the meaning of 'stopping up' as not wishing to know, and what amounts to the same, refusing to recognize and so effacing, dealt with above in `@@@3412`; and from the representation of 'the Philistines' as those who have no more than a knowledge of cognitions, dealt with in `@@@1197`, `@@@1198`, `@@@3412`, `@@@3413`. It is the knowledge of cognitions that those ruled by matters of doctrine concerning faith possess, and they have no wish to know the truths that are the sources of cognitions or matters of doctrine. The truths that are the sources of cognitions or matters of doctrine are those that have to do with life and that have regard to charity towards the neighbour and love to the Lord. Religious teaching, which consists of matters of doctrine and of recognized facts, does no more than teach those things. Anyone therefore who teaches what ought to be done, but does not do it himself, does not wish to know truths since they run counter to his life. And things contrary to his life he also refuses to recognize. These are the reasons why the matters of doctrine concerning love and charity which in the Ancient Church constituted the whole of religious teaching have been effaced.
ppp20429#pid#3421. 'And he called them names' means the essential nature of them. This is clear from the meaning of 'calling the names' as the essential nature, dealt with in `@@@144`, `@@@145`, `@@@1754`, `@@@1896`, `@@@2009`, `@@@2724`, `@@@3006`, `@@@3237`. And since calling the names or the name means the essential nature, the expression calling without the addition of 'the name' therefore means in the internal sense of the Word to be of some such particular nature, as in Isaiah,
Hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel and who came out of the waters of Judah. For they are called after the city of holiness, and upon the God of Israel they place their reliance. `Isaiah 48bbb1-2`.
Here 'being called after the city of holiness' stands for being of some particular nature. And in Luke,
Behold, you will conceive in the womb and will bear a son, and you will call His name Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. `Luke 1bbb31-32`.
'Being called Son of the Most High' stands for His Essential Being (Esse).
ppp20428#pid#3422. 'Like the names which his father had called them' means meaningful signs of truth. This is clear from the fact that the names which were given in ancient times to persons, places, and things all carried spiritual meanings, see `@@@340`, `@@@1946`, `@@@2643`. Thus the names given to springs and wells were meaningful signs of the things which springs and wells had been used to mean in former times; and those things were matters of truth, as shown in `@@@2702`, `@@@3096`. And because names carried a spiritual meaning, the expressions 'name' and 'calling by name' also mean in general the essential nature either of a real thing or of a state, as said immediately above in `@@@3421`. That being so, any name used in the Word does not in its internal sense mean some person, or some nation, or some kingdom, or some city, but in every case some real thing. Anyone may deduce from this that 'wells' here means something belonging to heaven, for if this were not the case, so many details concerning wells would not have been worth mentioning in the Divine Word - since knowledge of them would be no use at all, such as that the Philistines stopped up the wells which Abraham's servants had dug; that Isaac dug them again and called them by names like those they had had previously; and that after that Isaac's servants dug a well in the valley, a well over which the herdsmen disputed; and that he dug yet another, which they also disputed over; and following that another which they did not dispute over; and yet another; and at length that they gave him an account of the new well, verses `Genesis 26bbbccc15`, `Genesis 26bbbccc18-22`, `Genesis 26bbbccc25`, `Genesis 26bbbccc32-33`. But the thing belonging to heaven that is meant by these is now evident from the internal sense.
ppp20427#pid#3423. Verses `Genesis 26bbbccc19-21` And Isaac's servants dug in the valley and found there a well of living water. And the herdsmen of Gerar disputed with Isaac's herdsmen, saying, The water is ours. And he called the name of the well Esek, because they contended with him. And they dug another well and disputed over that also; and he called the name of it Sitnah. 'Isaac's servants dug in the valley and found there a well of living water' means the Word as regards the literal sense, which holds the internal sense within it. 'And the herdsmen of Gerar disputed with Isaac's herdsmen' means that those who taught did not see anything of the sort there, because things in the internal sense appear contrary to those in the literal. 'Saying, The water is ours' means that they possess the truth. 'And he called the name of the well Esek, because they contended with him' means an attitude of denial on account of those things, and also of others, as being contrary to those persons, and on account of more things besides. 'And they dug another well and disputed over that also' means whether the internal sense of the Word even exists. 'And he called the name of it Sitnah' means their essential nature.
ppp20426#pid#3424. 'Isaac's servants dug in the valley and found there a well of living water' means the Word as regards the literal sense, which holds the internal sense within it. This is clear from the meaning of 'digging in the valley' as investigating lower down to discover where truths are, for 'digging' is investigating, and 'a valley' is that which is lower down, `@@@1723`, `@@@3417`; and from the meaning of 'a well of living water' as the Word in which Divine truths are present, thus the Word as regards the literal sense which holds the internal sense within it. It is well known that the Word is called 'a spring', in particular 'a spring of living waters'. The reason why the Word is also called 'a well' is that in relation to its other senses the sense of the letter is like a well, and that where spiritual people are concerned the Word is not a spring but a well, see `@@@2702`, `@@@3096`. Since a valley is that which is lower down, or what amounts to the same, that which is more external, and it was in the valley that the spring was found; and since the literal sense is the lower or more external sense of the Word, it is the literal sense that is therefore meant. But because that sense holds the internal sense, that is, the heavenly and Divine sense, its waters are for that reason called 'living', as also were the waters which went out under the threshold of the new house in Ezekiel,
And it will happen, that every wild creature that creeps, wherever the river comes to, is living; and there will be very many fish, for those waters go there, and become fresh; and everything is living where the river goes. `Ezekiel 47bbb8-9`.
Here 'the river' is the Word, 'the waters which cause everything to live' are the Divine Truths within it, 'fish' are facts, `@@@40`, `@@@991`.
ttt[2] The Lord teaches that the Word of the Lord is such that it gives life to him who is thirsty, that is, to one who desires life, and that it is a spring whose waters are living, in John,
Jesus said to the woman from Samaria at Jacob's well, If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, Give Me a drink, you would ask from Him, and He would give you living water. He who drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst, but the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up into eternal life. `John 4bbb10`, `John 4bbbccc14`.
The reason why the Word is living and therefore confers life is that in its highest sense the subject is the Lord, while in the inmost sense it is His kingdom in which the Lord is everything. And this being so it is life itself which the Word contains and which flows into the minds of those who read the Word devoutly. This is why the Lord, in regard to the Word which comes from Himself, calls Himself 'a spring of water welling up into eternal life'; see also `@@@2702`.
ttt[3] The fact that the Word of the Lord is called 'a well' in addition to 'a spring' is clear in Moses,
Israel sang the song: Spring up, O well! Answer to it! The well which the princes dug, which the chiefs of the people dug out, as directed by the Lawgiver,`fff1` with their staves. `Numbers 21bbb17-18`.
These words were sung at the place Beer, that is, the place of the well. In this case 'a well' means the Word which existed with the Ancient Church, as is evident from what has been said previously about the Word in `@@@2897`. 'The princes' means the first and foremost truths of which [the Word] consists - 'princes' being first and foremost truths, see `@@@1482`, `@@@2089` - 'nobles of the people' lower truths such as those present in the literal sense, `@@@1259`, `@@@1260`, `@@@2928`, `@@@3295`. 'The Lawgiver' is clearly the Lord, 'staves' the powers which those truths possessed.
`nnn1. literally, into the Lawgiver
ppp20425#pid#3425. 'The herdsmen of Gerar disputed with Isaac's herdsmen' means that those who taught did not see anything of the sort there, because things in the internal sense appear contrary to those in the literal. This is clear from the meaning, when the internal sense of the Word is the subject, of 'disputing' as refusing to recognize any such thing - by saying that they do not see it; from the meaning of 'herdsman' as people who teach, dealt with in `@@@343`;`fff1` and from the meaning of 'Gerar' as faith, dealt with in `@@@1209`, `@@@2504`, `@@@3365`, `@@@3384`. Thus 'the herdsmen of the Valley of Gerar' means those who do not acknowledge any sense in the Word other than its literal sense. The reason they do not see anything else - namely any interior sense - is that things appear to be contraries; that is to say, things in the internal sense appear to be contrary to those in the literal sense. Yet though they appear to be contrary they are not in fact so but exist in perfect correspondence with one another. The reason why they appear to be contrary however is that people who see only the literal sense of the Word are themselves dwelling in a state of contrariety. Anyone whose state is this - that is, in whom the external or natural man is totally at variance with the internal or spiritual man - sees the things that belong to the internal or spiritual man as though they stood contrary to himself, when in fact he himself as to his external or natural man is in a state of contrariety. And if he were not in that state, but his external or natural man were subservient to the internal or spiritual man, they would exist in perfect correspondence with one another.
ttt[2] For example, a person in a state of contrariety believes that to obtain eternal life he must renounce riches, and all physical and worldly pleasures, and so the delights of life; for he believes that all these things are contrary to spiritual life. But in themselves they are not contrary to that life but correspond to it; for they are means to an end, that is to say, they exist so that the internal or spiritual man may be enabled to find joy in performing the good deeds of charity, and in addition to live contentedly in a healthy body. It is ends in view which alone cause the internal man and the external man either to be contrary or to correspond to each other. They are contrary when the riches, pleasures, and delights spoken of become ends in view, for in that case spiritual and celestial things that belong to the internal man are despised and ridiculed, or even simply rejected, by a person. But they correspond when they do not become ends but means to higher ends, that is to say, to things that belong to life after death, and so to the heavenly kingdom and to the Lord Himself. In this case bodily and worldly things appear to him to be hardly anything compared with those just mentioned and when he does think about them he considers them to be merely means to ends in view.
ttt[3] From these considerations it is evident that things that appear to be contraries are not in themselves so, but that the reason why they appear to be such is that contrariety exists within the persons themselves. Those in whom it does not exist act in similar ways, utter similar things, seek wealth in similar ways, and pursue similar pleasures to those in whom contrariety does exist, so much so that to outward appearance scarcely any distinction can be made between them. The reason for this is that solely their ends in view distinguish the former from the latter, or what amounts to the same, that which they really love distinguishes one person from another, for what people love they have as their end in view. But although to outward appearance, that is, as to their bodies, people are similar, they are nevertheless completely different inwardly, that is, as to their spirits. The spirit of one in whom correspondence exists, that is, with whom the external man corresponds to the internal man, is shining and beautiful, like heavenly love when presented in visible form. But the spirit of one in whom contrariety exists, that is, with whom the external man is contrary to the internal man - even though he looks like the other in external appearance - is dark and ugly, like self-love and love of the world, that is, like contempt for others and like hatred, when presented in a visible form.
ttt[4] It is similar with very many things in the Word, that is to say, those in the literal sense appear as contraries to those in the internal sense. Yet they are in no way contraries but have a perfect correspondence with one another. For example, in the Word reference is made many times to Jehovah or the Lord being angry, being wroth, destroying, and casting into hell, when in fact He is never angry, let alone casts anyone into hell. The former ideas belong to the sense of the letter, but the latter to the internal sense. The latter appear to be contraries, but this is because man dwells in a state of contrariety. It is like the Lord's appearing as the Sun to angels in heaven, and therefore as spring-like warmth and as light like that of the dawn, but to those in hell like something altogether darkened and therefore as cold like that of winter and as thick darkness like that of night - as a consequence of which angels are governed by love and charity, but those in hell by hatred and enmity. Thus to those in hell He is, as the sense of the letter refers to Him, one who is angry and wrathful, who destroys and casts into hell, but to the angels He is, as the internal sense portrays Him, one who is never angry and wroth, still less one who destroys and casts into hell.
ttt[5] When the subject in the Word therefore is things that are contrary to the Divine such appearances inevitably present themselves. Even so, it is the Divine - which the wicked turn into that which is of the devil - that is then at work. Furthermore to the extent they draw near the Divine those in hell subject themselves to torments. Something similar is true of the words of the Lord's Prayer, Do not lead us into temptation. According to the letter the meaning is that He leads into temptation, but the internal sense is that He does not lead anyone into it, as is well known, see `@@@1875`. Similarly with everything else which occurs in the literal sense of the Word.
`nnn1. The same word (pastor) is used for a herdsman as for a shepherd.
ppp20424#pid#3426. 'Saying, The water is ours' means that they possess the truth, or that truths are theirs. This is clear from the meaning of 'water' as cognitions, and also as truths, dealt with in `@@@28`, `@@@680`, `@@@739`, `@@@2702`, `@@@3058`.
ppp20423#pid#3427. 'And he called the name of the well Esek, because they contended with him' means an attitude of denial on account of those things, and also others, as being contrary to those persons, and on account of more things besides. This is clear from the fact that names given in early times were meaningful signs of a thing or of a state, `@@@3422`. In this way they were enabled to recollect many details about that thing or state, especially its essential nature. Here the well took its name from the incident of the herdsmen of Gerar disputing with Isaac's herdsmen. The fact that 'disputing' or 'contending' also means an attitude of denial, see `@@@3425`. This is the origin of the name Esek which in the original language means contention or dispute, and is derived from a related word which means oppression and violence. And since 'a well' here means the Word as regards the literal sense which holds the internal sense, 'Esek' or contention means a denial of the existence of the internal sense of the Word. The same word also includes the reasons for such denial, which, it is evident, lie with those things described just above in `@@@3425`, that is to say, things that appear to be contraries and with other things also.
ttt[2] Thus the position with the internal sense of the Word is that those in whom no more than a knowledge of cognitions exists, who are referred to as 'the Philistines', and those in whom no more than matters of doctrine concerning faith are present, who are called 'the herdsmen of the Valley of Gerar', and with whom no charity towards the neighbour exists, inevitably refuse to recognize the existence of the internal sense of the Word. There are several reasons why they do so, the chief of which is that they do not acknowledge the Lord in their hearts, however much they confess Him with their lips. Nor in their hearts do they love the neighbour, however much they outwardly declare their love towards him. And anyone who in his heart does not acknowledge the Lord and does not in his heart love the neighbour inevitably refuses to recognize the internal sense of the Word, for the Word does not in the internal sense have anything else as its subject than love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour, on account of which the Lord says that on those two commandments depend the Law and the Prophets, that is, the whole Word, `Matthew 22bbb37-40`. I have also been allowed to see the extent to which those people do not recognize the internal sense of the Word from those who are like them in the next life. At the mere mention of the existence of the internal sense of the Word, which is not apparent in its literal sense, and of the fact that its subject is love to the Lord and towards the neighbour, not only is denial of its existence noticeable in those people but also repugnance and even loathing.
ttt[3] This is the chief reason. A second reason is that they turn the Word completely upside down by placing the bottom on top, or what amounts to the same, making what is secondary primary. Indeed they set up faith as the essential thing of the Church, and the things that constitute love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour as the fruits of faith. But the truth is that if love to the Lord is compared to the tree of life in the paradise of Eden, charity and its works are the fruits from it, while faith and everything that is part of faith are merely the leaves. When therefore people so turn the Word upside down that they derive the fruit not from the tree but from the leaves, it is not surprising that they fail to recognize the internal sense of the Word and acknowledge merely its literal sense. For as is well known. the literal sense can be used to confirm any dogma, including the most heretical.
ttt[4] A further reason why they do not recognize the internal sense is that the faith of people who are concerned solely with matters of doctrine concerning faith and not with goodness of life is inevitably persuasion of what is false, that is, it is a faith based on false assumptions as well as true ones. As a consequence they are more stupid than all others, for insofar as anyone is persuaded by what is false he is stupid, but insofar as anyone is concerned with goodness of life, that is, with love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour, he has intelligence, that is, faith from the Lord. Consequently the former cannot do other than have a negative attitude regarding the internal sense of the Word, whereas the latter cannot do other than have a positive attitude. For the interiors of people who have merely a knowledge of matters of doctrine and are devoid of the good of life are closed, so much so that the light of truth from the Lord cannot flow in and enable them to discern that it is so, whereas the interiors of those in whom love to the Lord exists are open, so much so that the light of truth from the Lord can flow in, inspire their minds with affection, and enable them to discern that it is so.
ttt[5] There is yet another reason why they do not take any delight in reading the Word, except to gain position and wealth, and a reputation on account of these things - which delight is the delight that goes with self-love and love of the world. So true is this that if such gains are not to be had they reject the Word altogether. Such people in their hearts refuse to recognize not only the internal sense of the Word when they hear about it but also the literal sense itself, no matter how much they imagine they do believe in it. For anyone whose end in view is the delight that goes with self-love and love of the world casts out of his heart altogether everything that has to do with eternal life, and speaks from his natural and bodily-minded man when he speaks about the kind of things that he calls truths not for the sake of the Lord and of His kingdom but for the sake of himself and those who are his own. These and many other considerations are what cause people called 'the herdsmen of the Valley of Gerar' and 'the Philistines' to refuse to recognize the internal sense of the Word.
ppp20422#pid#3428. 'And they dug another well and disputed over that also' means whether the internal sense of the Word even exists. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'another well' and of 'disputing', dealt with above, and so from the train of thought. For with people who deny the existence of something, such as those who deny the existence of the internal sense of the Word, any subsequent dispute or contention can only be about whether that thing exists. It is well known that most disagreements today never get beyond this point. But as long as men are locked in controversy about whether a thing even exists and whether it is so, they cannot possibly make any headway into wisdom at all. The thing itself about which they may be arguing includes countless facets which they cannot possibly see as long as they do not acknowledge the existence of that thing. For in that case every single aspect of it is unknown to them.
ttt[2] Learning at the present day does not go much beyond these limits, that is to say, beyond discussion of whether a thing exists and is so, and this as a consequence precludes people from an intelligent understanding of truth. For example, anyone who does no more than contend whether the internal sense of the Word exists cannot possibly see the countless, indeed unlimited, details which the internal sense contains. Or, anyone who argues whether charity is anything in the Church, and whether all things that constitute it are matters of faith, cannot know the countless, indeed unlimited, things which exist within charity. Indeed he remains totally ignorant of what charity is.
ttt[3] It is similar with life after death, the resurrection of the dead, the last judgement, and heaven and hell. Those who do no more than argue whether these exist remain outside the portals to wisdom. It is as though they merely knock but are not even able to see into the splendid palaces of wisdom. And what is remarkable, those who act in this way believe that they are wiser than all others, and that the wiser they are the better they are able to discern whether a thing is so, and more so to confirm that it is not. Yet simple persons in whom good is present, and whom the former despise, are able to discern in an instant that a thing exists, and the nature of it, without any disagreement, let alone learned argument. Such simple people have a common-sense discernment of truth, but the former annihilate such common-sense discernment by their wish to discuss first whether such things even exist. The Lord refers to these two groups when He says that things have been hidden from the wise and intelligent and have been revealed to infants, `Matthew 11bbb25`; `Luke 10bbb21`.
ppp20421#pid#3429. 'And he called the name of it Sitnah' means their essential nature. This is clear from the meaning of 'calling the name' as the essential nature, dealt with in `@@@144`, `@@@145`, `@@@1754`, `@@@1896`, `@@@2009`, `@@@2724`, `@@@3006`, `@@@3241`, and from the meaning of 'Sitnah' in the original language as hostility, which is a further degree of denial.
ppp20420#pid#3430. Verses `Genesis 26bbbccc22-23` And he moved on from there and dug another well, and they did not dispute over that; and he called the name of it Rehoboth, and said, Because now Jehovah has made room for us and we shall be fruitful in the land. And he went up from there to Beersheba.
'He moved on from there' means moving on to things lower still. 'And dug another well, and they did not dispute over that' means the literal sense of the Word. 'And he called the name of it Rehoboth' means the essential nature of the truth from there. 'And said, Because now Jehovah has made room for us' means increases of truth from there. 'And we shall be fruitful in the land' means increases of good from there. 'And he went up from there to Beersheba' means that the Divine doctrine of faith came from there.
ppp20419#pid#3431. 'He moved on from there' means moving on to things lower still. This is clear from the meaning of 'moving on' as moving on to other things that follow in the train of thought, here therefore to lower or more external things, for the subject up to this point has been higher or more internal truths. Lower or more external truths are those that are to be seen in the literal sense of the Word and are suited to the mental grasp of the natural man. It is these that are dealt with next.
ppp20418#pid#3432. 'And dug another well, and they did not dispute over that' means the literal sense of the Word. This is clear from the meaning of 'a well' as the Word, dealt with in `@@@2702`, `@@@3096`, `@@@3424`, here the Word as regards the literal sense. For the words 'he moved on from there and dug another well, and they did not dispute over that' mean that sense of the Word which is more external and which people do not refuse to recognize, namely that sense which is called the literal sense. The literal sense of the Word is threefold - historical, prophetical, and doctrinal. Each of these is such that it is intelligible even to those who see only external things.
ttt[2] As regards the Word, this did not exist in most ancient times when the Church was celestial, for members of that Church had the Word inscribed on their hearts. Indeed the Lord taught them directly by way of heaven what good was and from this what truth was, and enabled them to perceive each of these from love and charity, and to know each of them from revelation. To them the very Word itself was the Lord. This Church was succeeded by another which was not celestial but spiritual. At first this Church did not have a Word other than that which had been acquired from the most ancient people, a Word which was representative of the Lord and served spiritually to mean His kingdom. Thus to them the internal sense was the Word itself. The fact that they also had a written Word, both historical and prophetical, which is no longer extant, and that this in a similar way had an internal sense within it which was concerned with the Lord, see `@@@2686`. Consequently the wisdom of those times consisted in both speaking and in writing by means of representatives and meaningful signs - inside the Church about Divine things, and outside the Church about other matters, as is evident from the writings of these ancients which we possess. But in the course of time that wisdom perished, so that at length people were not aware that any internal sense existed even in the books of the Word. That was what the Jewish and Israelitish nation were like. They regarded the prophetical part of the Word to be holy because it sounded ancient and they heard the name of Jehovah when the sense of the letter was read, but at the same time they did not believe that anything deeper and Divine lay concealed in it. Nor does the Christian world think that the Word has any deeper holiness.
ttt[3] From this it becomes clear how as time went by wisdom shifted from things that were the most internal to those that were the most external, and how mankind removed itself from heaven and at length sank as low as the dust of the ground in which wisdom is now seen to reside. Since this is what happened to the Word, that is to say, its internal sense has gradually been effaced, so that at the present day its existence is not known, and yet that sense is the very Word itself in which the Divine is most nearly present, this chapter therefore describes its consecutive states.
ppp20417#pid#3433. 'And he called the name of it Rehoboth' means the essential nature of the truth from there. This is clear from the meaning of 'calling the name' as the essential nature, dealt with in `@@@144`, `@@@145`, `@@@1754`, `@@@1896`, `@@@2009`, `@@@2724`, `@@@3006`, `@@@3421`, and from the meaning of 'Rehoboth' as truths, for Rehoboth in the original language means broad places; and the fact that 'broad places' in the internal sense of the Word are truths, has been shown in `@@@1613`.
ppp20416#pid#3434. 'And he said, Because now Jehovah has made room for us' means increases of truth from there. This is clear from the meaning of 'a broad place' as truth, dealt with immediately above in `@@@3433`. 'Room being made' therefore is receiving increases of truth.
ppp20415#pid#3435. 'And we shall be fruitful in the land' means increases of good from there. This is clear from the meaning of 'being fruitful' as increases of good, for 'being fruitful' has reference to good, and 'being multiplied' to truth, see `@@@43`, `@@@55`, `@@@913`, `@@@983`, `@@@2846`, `@@@2847`; and from the meaning of 'the land' as the Church and whatever belongs to the Church, dealt with in `@@@662`, `@@@1066`, `@@@1067`, `@@@1262`, `@@@1733`, `@@@1850`, `@@@2928`, `@@@3355`.
ppp20414#pid#3436. 'And he went up from there to Beersheba' means that the Divine doctrine of faith came from there. This is clear from the meaning of 'Beersheba' as the Divine doctrine of faith, dealt with in `@@@2723`, `@@@2858`, `@@@2859`. The doctrine of faith, which is meant by Beersheba here, is the literal sense itself of the Word, for the Word is doctrine itself. And although the literal sense of the Word is such that people are able to draw truths from it, it is also such that they are able to confirm from it things that are not true, as is well known from heresies. But anyone who reads the Word with the intention of being wise, that is, of doing good and understanding truth, gains instruction according to his intention and affection. In fact without his knowing it the Lord flows in and enlightens the mind, and when he cannot grasp what is said in one place in the Word the Lord imparts to him understanding from others.
ttt[2] Furthermore anyone in whom simple good is present and who in simplicity believes the Word according to its literal sense is granted the ability to perceive truths when he is taught by angels in the next life. In the meantime the few truths that do reside with him are given life by charity and innocence. And when the latter are present in him the falsities which have also infiltrated the darkness of his ignorance do no harm. For these do not become allied to the good there but are held back from it so to speak on the boundaries and so can be removed without difficulty. But things are different in the case of those who are not leading a good life. With them the falsities which by wrong interpretation they hatched out of the Word occupy the middle or so to speak the centre, while truths are in the surrounding areas or boundaries. They are as a consequence falsities which do become allied to the evil life they are leading, and truths are scattered.
ppp20413#pid#3437. Verses `Genesis 26bbbccc24-25` And Jehovah appeared to him that night, and said, I am the God of Abraham your father; do not fear, for I am with you; and I will bless you, and will cause your seed to multiply, for the sake of Abraham My servant. And he built an altar there and called on the name of Jehovah, and pitched his tent there. And Isaac's servants dug a well there.
'Jehovah appeared to him that night, and said' means the Lord's perception regarding that obscurity. 'I am the God of Abraham your father; do not fear, for I am with you' means that the Divine also was present there [in the literal sense of the Word]. 'And I will bless you, and will cause your seed to multiply' means the increase of good and truth from there. 'For the sake of Abraham My servant' means because of the Lord's Divine Human. 'And he built an altar there' means that which is a meaningful sign of the Lord and a representative of Him. 'And he called on the name of Jehovah' means the worship derived from there. 'And pitched his tent there' means the holiness contained in it. 'And Isaac's servants dug a well there' means the doctrine that came from there.
ppp20412#pid#3438. 'Jehovah appeared to him that night, and said' means the Lord's perception regarding that obscurity. This is clear from the meaning of 'Jehovah's appearing and saying' - when it has reference to the Lord - as perceiving from the Divine ('Jehovah's appearing to him' is perception from the Divine, see `@@@3367`, and 'laying' is perceiving, `@@@2862`, `@@@3395`. For Jehovah was within Him, and so long as the Human was not yet glorified, Jehovah's 'appearing' was a Divine perception - or perception from the Divine. Therefore 'Jehovah's appearing to him and saying' has this meaning of perceiving from the Divine); and from the meaning of 'night' as a state of shade or obscurity, dealt with in `@@@1712`. By that obscurity is meant the literal sense of the Word, for the relationship of that sense to the internal sense is that of shade to light.
ttt[2] To enable people to have a clearer knowledge of what the situation is with the literal sense of the Word, let this be discussed briefly: The relationship of the internal sense to the literal is like the relationship between the interiors and the exteriors of the human being, that is, between all that is celestial or spiritual in him and all that is natural or bodily. His interiors dwell in the light of heaven, but his exteriors in the light of the world. For the nature of the difference between the light of heaven and the light of the world, consequently for the difference between things belonging to the light of heaven and those belonging to the light of the world, see `@@@1521-1533`, `@@@1619-1632`, `@@@1783`, `@@@1880`, `@@@2776`, `@@@3138`, `@@@3167`, `@@@3190`, `@@@3195`, `@@@3222`, `@@@3223`, `@@@3225`, `@@@3337`, `@@@3339`, `@@@3341`, `@@@3413`. That is to say, the difference is like that existing between the light of day and the shade of night. Since man dwells in that shade and does not wish to know that truth from the Lord has light within it he inevitably believes that his shade is light, and indeed the reverse also - that his light is shade. For he is like the owl which, when flying in the shade of night, imagines it is in the light, but when flying in the light of day imagines it is in the shade. Indeed the internal eye - that is, the understanding - by means of which a person sees interiorly, assumes no other shape with someone like that, such being exactly how he has shaped it. For he opens it when he looks downwards, that is, to worldly and bodily things, and shuts it when he looks upwards, that is, to spiritual and celestial. With these people it is similar with the Word. That which appears in its literal sense they imagine to belong to the light but that which appears in the internal sense they imagine to belong to the shade. For how the Word appears to anyone depends on his own essential nature. In reality the internal sense of the Word in relation to its literal sense is like the light of heaven to the light of the world, `@@@3086`, `@@@3108`, that is, it is like the light of day to the light of night.
ttt[3] Within the internal sense there are individual details, millions of which together constitute one particular feature that occurs in the literal sense. Or what amounts to the same, within the internal sense there exist particular features, millions of which together constitute just one general whole that occurs in the literal sense. This general whole is what is seen by man, but not the particular features which are present within it and which constitute it. Nevertheless man can see within the general whole the order that holds the particular features together, though he sees it according to his own essential nature. That order is the holiness which stirs his affections.
ppp20411#pid#3439. 'I am the God of Abraham your father; do not fear, for I am with you' means that the Divine also was present there, that is to say, in the literal sense of the Word. This is clear from the representation of 'Abraham' as the Lord's Divine, dealt with in `@@@2833`, `@@@2836`, `@@@3251`, `@@@3305` (end). Consequently 'Jehovah the God of Abraham' means the Lord's Divine, which 'Abraham' represents. And as the subject is the Word, which also is the Lord since the whole Word comes from Him and the whole of the Word has reference to Him, 'I am the God of Abraham; do not fear, for I am with you' therefore means that the Divine also was present there. With regard to the Divine presence in the Word the position is that the Divine itself is present in the highest sense of the Word because that is where the Lord is. The Divine is also present in the internal sense because that is where the Lord's kingdom in heaven is, and therefore that sense is called the celestial and spiritual. The Divine is also present in the literal sense of the Word because that is where the Lord's kingdom on earth is, and therefore that sense is called the external and also the natural, for this sense contains crude appearances that are quite remote from the Divine, though every single thing there is nevertheless Divine. Those three senses are related to one another as parts of the tabernacle are related. Its inmost part, or that inside the veil where the ark containing the testimony stood, was the most holy place or the holy of holies; the internal part, or that directly outside the veil where the golden table and the lampstand stood, was the holy place; while the external part, where the court was situated, was also a holy place. This was where all the people met, and therefore it was called 'the Tent of Meeting'.
ppp20410#pid#3440. 'And I will bless you, and will cause your seed to multiply' means the increase of good and truth from there. This is clear from the meaning of 'blessing you' as an increase of good, dealt with in `@@@3406`, and from the meaning of 'your seed multiplying' as an increase of truth, dealt with in `@@@43`, `@@@55`, `@@@913`, `@@@983`, `@@@2846`, `@@@2847` - 'seed' meaning truth, in reference to which 'multiplying' is used, see `@@@1025`, `@@@1447`, `@@@1610`, `@@@2848`, `@@@3038`, `@@@3373`, `@@@3380`. One reason why even from the literal sense of the Word an increase of good and truth takes place with man is that within that sense also every single thing is Divine, as stated just above in `@@@3439`. And another reason is that in many places in the literal sense the internal sense is openly revealed, for example in the Old Testament, in the Prophets, where the Lord's future coming to be the salvation of the human race is stated; where it is stated that to love God and to love the neighbour constitute all the Law and all the Prophets; or where it is stated that hatred is murder, for anyone who harbours hatred is committing murder moment by moment, insofar as his hatred is willful and is the delight of his life. These are examples of where the internal sense can be seen within the literal sense; and there are many others besides these.
ppp20409#pid#3441. 'For the sake of Abraham My servant' means because of the Lord's Divine Human. This is clear from the representation of 'Abraham' as the Lord's Divine, and also His Divine Human, dealt with in `@@@2833`, `@@@2836`, `@@@3251`, and from the meaning of 'My servant', when used in reference to the Lord, as the Divine Human. Not that the Divine Human is a servant, for the Divine Human also is Jehovah, `@@@1736`, `@@@2156`, `@@@2329`, `@@@2921`, `@@@3023`, `@@@3035`, but 'My servant' means the Divine Human because by means of that Divine Human the Lord serves the human race. Indeed it is by means of the Divine Human that a person is saved, for unless the Lord had united the Human to the Divine so that man could with his mind behold and worship the Lord's Human, and in so doing approach the Divine, he could not possibly be saved. The joining of man to the Divine Himself, called the Father, is effected through the Divine Human, called the Son, and so through the Lord, by whom one who is spiritual understands the Human, but one who is celestial understands the Divine Himself.
ttt[2] From these considerations it is evident why the Divine Human is called a servant, namely that it serves the Divine for the purpose of giving man access to Himself, and it serves the human race in their salvation. This then is what is meant by 'Abraham My servant', as also in David, Remember His marvellous acts that He has done, the signs and the judgements of His mouth, O seed of Abraham His servant, O sons of Jacob His chosen ones. He sent Moses His servant, Aaron whom He had chosen. He remembered His Holy word, with Abraham His servant. `Psalms 105bbb5-6`, `Psalms 105bbbccc26`, `Psalms 105bbbccc42`.
Here 'Abraham His servant' is used to mean the Lord's Divine Human. In a similar way the Lord's Divine Human is also meant in the highest sense by 'servant Israel', 'servant Jacob', and 'servant David':
SERVANT ISRAEL
In Isaiah,
You, Israel, My servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham My friend, you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from the extremities`fff1` of it, and said to you, You are My servant, I have chosen you. `Isaiah 41bbb8-9`.
Here, in the highest sense, 'Israel My servant' is the Lord in relation to the internal aspects of the spiritual Church, and 'Jacob' to the external aspects of that Church. In the same prophet,
He said to me, You are My servant Israel in whom I will be rendered glorious. It is a light thing that You should be a servant to Me to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel. And I have given You as a light of the nations, that You may be My salvation right to the ends of the earth. `Isaiah 49bbb3`, `Isaiah 49bbbccc6`.
Here 'servant Israel in whom I will be rendered glorious' clearly stands for the Lord's Divine Human. Plainly He is called 'a servant' from the service He performs, for it is said 'that You may be a servant to Me to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel'.
ttt[3] SERVANT JACOB
In Isaiah,
I will give you the treasures of darkness and the secret riches of hiding-places for the sake of My servant Jacob, and of Israel My chosen. `Isaiah 45bbb3-4`.
Here 'servant Jacob' and 'Israel the chosen' are used to mean the Lord - 'servant Jacob' in relation to the external Church, 'Israel the chosen' in relation to the internal Church.
ttt[4] SERVANT DAVID
In Ezekiel,
I will gather the children of Israel from all around. My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd. They will dwell in the land which I gave to My servant Jacob. And they will dwell in it, they and their sons, and their sons' sons even for ever. And David My servant will be their pence for ever. `Ezekiel 37bbb21`, `Ezekiel 37bbbccc24-25`.
'Servant David' clearly stands for the Lord's Divine Human, `@@@1888`, and does so by virtue of Divine Truth which is meant by 'the king', who is David in this case, `@@@1728`, `@@@2015`, `@@@3009`. Also, in relation to good truth itself is the servant, see `@@@3409`. This being so the Lord calls Himself one who serves or ministers, in Mark,
Whoever would be great among you must be your minister; and anyone who would be first among you must be the servant of all, even as the Son of Man did not come to be ministered to but to minister. `Mark 10bbb43-45`; `Matthew 20bbb26-28`.
And in Luke,
Who is the greater, one who sits at table or one who ministers? Is it not the one who sits at table? But I am in the midst of you as one who ministers. `Luke 22bbb27`.
`nnn1. literally, wings
ppp20408#pid#3442. 'And he built an altar there' means that which is a meaningful sign of the Lord and a representative of Him. This is clear from the meaning of 'an altar' as the chief representative of the Lord, dealt with in `@@@921`, `@@@2777`, `@@@2811`.
ppp20407#pid#3443. 'And he called on the name of Jehovah' means the worship derived from there. This is clear from the meaning of 'calling on the name of Jehovah' as worship, dealt with in `@@@440`, `@@@2724`, and the fact that 'the name of Jehovah' is everything in its entirety by which the Lord is worshipped, `@@@2628`, `@@@2724`, `@@@3006`.
ppp20406#pid#3444. 'And pitched his tent there' means the holiness contained in it. This is clear from the meaning of 'a tent' as the holiness of worship, dealt with in `@@@414`, `@@@1102`, `@@@2145`, `@@@2152`, `@@@3312`.
ppp20405#pid#3445. 'And Isaac's servants dug a well there' means the doctrine that came from there. This is clear from the meaning of 'a well' as the Word, dealt with in `@@@2702`, `@@@3424`. Now because the Word is doctrine itself and so the Word is the source of all doctrine taught by the Church, 'digging a well' therefore means doctrine drawn from there, that is to say, from the literal sense of the Word, since that sense is the subject here. But the doctrine itself drawn from the literal sense of the Word is invariably the same, that is to say, it is always concerned with charity and love - charity towards the neighbour and love to the Lord. For such doctrine and life lived according to it constitute the whole Word, as the Lord teaches in `Matthew 22bbb37-40`.
ppp20404#pid#3446. Verses `Genesis 26bbbccc26-27` And Abimelech went to him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath his companion, and Phicol the commander of his army. And Isaac said to them, For what reason have you come to me, seeing that you hate me and have sent me away from you?
'And Abimelech went to him from Gerar' means the doctrine of faith which has regard to rational concepts. 'And Ahuzzath his companion, and Phicol the commander of his army' means the first and foremost features of their doctrine of faith. 'And Isaac said to them, For what reason have you come to me, seeing that you hate me and have sent me away from you?' means, Why should they desire what is Divine seeing that they refused to recognize it and loathed that which is contained in the internal sense of the Word?
ppp20403#pid#3447. 'Abimelech went to him from Gerar' means the doctrine of faith which has regard to rational concepts. This is clear from the representation of 'Abimelech' as the doctrine of faith which has regard to rational concepts, dealt with in `@@@2504`, `@@@2509`, `@@@2510`, `@@@3391`, `@@@3393`, `@@@3398`, and from the meaning of 'Gerar' as faith, dealt with in `@@@1209`, `@@@2504`, `@@@3365`, `@@@3384`, `@@@3385`. For what doctrine having regard to rational concepts is, see `@@@3368`. From here to verse `Genesis 26bbbccc33` the subject has to do with those among whom the literal sense of the Word and from this matters of doctrine concerning faith exist, and with the agreement of those matters of doctrine, insofar as they are drawn from the literal sense, with the internal sense; for 'Abimelech, and Ahuzzath his companion, and Phicol the commander of his army' represent those matters of doctrine. They are those who make faith the essential thing, and who, though they do not reject charity, rank it below faith, and so rate doctrine above life. Almost all our Churches today are like this, with the exception of that which exists in Christian Gentilism where people are allowed to venerate saints and images of them.
ttt[2] As within every Church that is the Lord's some people are internal and others are external - the internal being those whose affection is for good, the external those whose affection is for truth - so it is also with those who are represented here by Abimelech, his companion, and the commander of his army. Those who are internal have been dealt with already in Chapter `Matthew ccc21bbb22-33`, where it is said of Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army that they came to Abraham and made a covenant with him in Beersheba, see `@@@2719`, `@@@2720`. But those who are external are dealt with here.
ppp20402#pid#3448. 'And Ahuzzath his companion, and Phicol the commander of his army' means the first and foremost features of their doctrine of faith. This is clear from the representation of 'Abimelech' as the doctrine of faith which has regard to rational concepts. Consequently 'his companion and the commander of his army' means those first and foremost things, indeed the first and foremost things of their doctrine; for 'a commander' like a prince means things that are first and foremost, `@@@1482`, `@@@2089`, and 'an army' means matters of doctrine themselves. The reason why 'an army' means matters of doctrine which are expressions of truth, that is, which are lower truths, is that by 'warfare' in the Word and by 'war' are meant those things that have to do with spiritual war and warfare, `@@@1664`, `@@@1788`, `@@@2686`. The same are also meant by weapons - by spears, shields, bows, arrows, swords, and so on, as has been shown in various places. And since they are truths or matters of doctrine through which spiritual conflicts are fought, armies therefore mean those truths or matters of doctrine, and also in the contrary sense falsities or heretical ideas.
ttt[2] It may be seen from many places that by 'armies' or 'hosts' in the Word are meant truths or falsities, as in Daniel,
The one [little] horn of the he-goat`fff1` grew exceedingly towards the south, and towards the east, and towards the glorious [land]. And it grew even towards the host of heaven, and cast down to earth some of the host, and of the stars, and trampled on them. It drew itself up even towards the pence of the host. His host was set over the continual [burnt offering] on account of the transgression, and it cast down truth to the earth. I heard a holy one speaking. He said, For how long is this vision, the continual burnt offering, and the desolating transgression, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden down? `Daniel 8bbb9-13`.
'The horn that grew towards the south, the east, and the glorious [land]' is the power of falsity that springs from evil, `@@@2832`, 'the host of heaven' truths, 'the prince of the host' the Lord as regards Divine Truth. And since in the good sense 'an army' or 'a host' is truth it is said that the horn cast down to earth some of the host, and then that it cast down truth to the earth.
ttt[3] In the same prophet,
The king of the north will raise a multitude greater than the former, and at the end of the period of years he wit surely come with a great army and with many riches. Then he will stir up his power and his heart against the king of the south with a great army. And the king of the south will engage in war with an exceedingly great and mighty army, but he will not stand. For even those who eat his food will break him, and his army will overflow, and many will fall down slain. `Daniel 11bbb13`, `Daniel 11bbbccc25-26`.
The whole of that chapter refers to war between the king of the north and the king of the south. 'The king of the north' is used to mean falsities as also is 'his army', while 'the king of the south and his army' is used to mean truths. It is prophecy concerning the vastation of the Church.
ttt[4] In John,
I saw heaven standing open, and behold, a white horse! and He who sat on it was called faithful and true. He was clothed in a garment dyed in blood, and His armies in heaven were following Him on white horses and were clothed in linen, white and clean. I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered to make war with Him who was sitting on the horse and with His army. `Revelation 19bbb11`, `Revelation 19bbbccc13-14`, `Revelation 19bbbccc19`.
'He who sat on the white horse' stands for the Word of the Lord, or the Lord as regards the Word, `@@@2760-2762`. 'His armies which in heaven were following Him' stands for truths from the Word and so for those in heaven who possess truths. 'The beast' stands for the evils that belong to self-love, 'the kings of the earth and their armies' for falsities. Conflicts between falsity and truth are what are described here.
ttt[5] In David,
By the word of Jehovah were the heavens made, and their host by the spirit of His mouth. `Psalms 33bbb6`.
'Their host' or the host of heaven stands for truths. Since 'an army' means truths, the children of the kingdom, and angels, by virtue of the truths which they possess, are called the host of heaven, as in Luke,
Suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God. `Luke 2bbb13`.
In David,
Bless Jehovah, all His hosts, His ministers doing His will. `Psalms 103bbb21`.
In the same author,
Praise Jehovah, all His angels, praise Him, all His hosts. `Psalms 148bbb2`.
In Isaiah,
Lift up your eyes on high and see; who created these? He who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name. From the multitude of the powerful and of the mighty not a man will be missing. `Isaiah 40bbb26`.
In the same prophet,
It was I that made the earth and created man on it. It was I - My hands - that stretched out the heavens; and I commanded all their host. `Isaiah 45bbb12`.
Here 'the host of the heavens' stands for truths, and so for angels since angels, as has been stated, are in possession of truths.
ttt[6] In the first Book of Kings,
I saw Jehovah sitting on His throne, and the entire host of heaven standing beside Him, on His right hand and on His left. `1 Kings 22bbb19`
In Joel,
Jehovah gave voice before His army, for His camp is exceedingly great; for that which executes His word is uncountable. `Joel 2bbb11`.
In Zechariah,
I will pitch by My house a camp composed of an army passing through and resuming, so that the oppressor passes over them no more. Exult greatly, O daughter of Zion! Make a noise, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King comes to you. `Zechariah 9bbb8-9`.
This refers to the Coming of the Lord. 'His army' stands for Divine truths For this reason, and also because the Lord alone fights on man's behalf against hells that are constantly endeavouring to attack, the Lord is called many times in the Word Jehovah Zebaoth, God Zebaoth, the Lord Zebaoth - that is, Jehovah, God, or Lord of Hosts - as in Isaiah,
The noise of a tumult of the kingdoms of the nations gathered together! Jehovah Zebaoth is leading an army of war. `Isaiah 13bbb4`.
'The kingdoms of the nations' stands for falsities that spring from evils, 'leading an army of war' for fighting on man's behalf.
ttt[7] Because the twelve tribes of Israel represented the Lord's heavenly kingdom, and 'tribes' as well as 'twelve' meant all things of faith in their entirety, that is, all the truths of the kingdom, `@@@577`, `@@@2089`, `@@@2129`, `@@@2130`, `@@@3272`, they were also called Jehovah's hosts, as in `Exodus 7bbb4`; `Exodus ccc12bbb17`, `Exodus 12bbbccc41`, `Exodus 12bbbccc51`. And commands were given to bring them out of Egypt according to their hosts, `Exodus 6bbb26`, to encamp according to their hosts, `Numbers 1bbb52`, and to divide them into hosts, `Numbers 2bbb1`- end.
ttt[8] That truths are meant by 'armies' is also clear in Ezekiel,
Persia and Lud and Put were in your army, as your men of war; they hung the shield and helmet in you, they gave you your reputation. The sons of Arvad, and your army, were on your walls round about, and the Gammadim were in your towers. `Ezekiel 27bbb10-11`.
This refers to Tyre which means interior cognitions of good and truth, and so those who possess them, `@@@1201`, 'army' standing for truths themselves 'Lud' and 'Put' too mean those who possess cognitions, see `@@@1163`, `@@@1164`, `@@@1166`, `@@@1195`, `@@@1231`. 'The shield and helmet' describes such things as belong to spiritual conflict.
ttt[9] As regards 'an army' or 'a host' in the contrary sense meaning falsities, this is evident in Isaiah,
It will be on that day, that Jehovah will visit the host of the height on high, and the kings of the earth on the earth. `Isaiah 24bbb21`.
Here 'the host of the height' stands for falsities that result from self-love. In Ezekiel,
I will bring you back and put hooks in your jaws, and I will bring you forth, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed perfectly, a great company with shield and buckler, all of them wielding swords. You will come from your place, from the uttermost parts of the north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding horses, a great company, a great army. `Ezekiel 38bbb4`, `Ezekiel 38bbbccc15`.
This refers to Gog, who means external worship separated from internal and so made idolatrous, `@@@1151`. 'His army' stands for falsities.
ttt[10] In Jeremiah,
I will send against Babel the archer, him who arches his bow and draws himself up in his breastplate. Do not spare the young men; utterly destroy all its host. `Jeremiah 51bbb2-3`.
'Babel' stands for worship whose external features appear holy but whose interiors are profane, `@@@1182`, `@@@1283`, `@@@1295`, `@@@1304`, `@@@1306-1308`, `@@@1321`, `@@@1322`, `@@@1326`. 'Its host' means the falsities that go with such as these, and the army of Babel in other places has the same meaning as in `Jeremiah 34bbb1`, `Jeremiah 34bbbccc21`; `Jeremiah ccc32bbb2`; `Jeremiah ccc39bbb1`.
In Ezekiel,
Pharaoh will see them and will comfort himself over all his multitude, Pharaoh and all his army, slain by the sword; for I will put My terror in the land of the living. `Ezekiel 32bbb31-32`.
This refers to Egypt, which means those who by means of reasonings based on facts pervert truths, `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`. 'His army', that is, Pharaoh's, stands for derivative falsities, as also does 'Pharaoh's army' in other places, as in `Jeremiah 37bbb5`, `Jeremiah 37bbbccc7`, `Jeremiah 37bbbccc11`; `Jeremiah ccc46bbb2`; `Ezekiel 17bbb17`.
In Luke,
When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its devastation is near. `Luke 21bbb20`.
This refers to the close of the age or final period of the Church when faith does not exist any longer. 'Jerusalem' - which means the Church, see `@@@2117` - is 'surrounded by armies' when beset by falsities.
ttt[11] From these quotations it is clear that 'the hosts of heaven', which Jews and Israelite idolaters worshipped, in the internal sense meant falsities. The second Book of Kings says of them,
They forsook all the commandments of their God and made for themselves a molten image of two calves, and made a grove, and bowed down to all the host of heaven. `2 Kings 17bbb16`.
This refers to the Israelites. And elsewhere it is said of Manasseh that he built altars for all the host of heaven, `2 Kings 21bbb5`, and that King Josiah brought out of the temple all the vessels made for Baal, and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven, `2 Kings 23bbb4`. And in Jeremiah it is said that they were to spread the bones of the princes, of the priests, and of the prophets before the sun, the moon, and all the host of heaven, which they had loved and had served and had gone after, `Jeremiah 8bbb1-2`. And elsewhere,
The houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the king of Judah will be defiled, like the place of Topheth - all the houses on whose roofs they have burned incense to all the host of heaven and have poured out drink offerings to other gods. `Jeremiah 19bbb13`.
And in Zephaniah,
I will stretch out My hand against those worshipping on their roofs the host of heaven. `Zephaniah 1bbb5`.
It is the stars to which the expression 'the host of heaven' refers primarily, and by 'the stars' is meant truths, and also in the contrary sense falsities; see `@@@1128`, `@@@1808`.
`nnn1. literally, The one horn of the he-goat of the she-goats i.e. the little horn that grew up out of one of four horns
ppp20401#pid#3449. 'And Isaac said to them, For what reason have you come to me, seeing that you hate me and have sent me away from you?' means, Why should they desire that which is Divine seeing that they refused to recognize it and loathed that which is contained in the internal sense of the Word? This becomes clear from what has been stated above at verses `Genesis 26bbbccc15-16`, `Genesis 26bbbccc19-21`.
ppp20400#pid#3450. Verses `Genesis 26bbbccc28-29` And they said, We saw clearly that Jehovah was with you, and we said, Let there be now a solemn agreement between us, between us and you, and let us make a covenant with you. If you do us no harm as we have not touched you and as we have done to you nothing but good, and have sent you away in peace; you are now the blessed of Jehovah.
'They said, We saw clearly that Jehovah was with you' means that they knew the Divine to be present within it. 'And we said, Let there be now a solemn agreement between us, between us and you, and let us make a covenant with you' means that their matters of doctrine concerning faith, regarded in themselves, should not be refused recognition. 'That you do us no harm as we have not touched you and as we have done to you nothing but good, and have sent you away in peace' means that they had not done and would not do violence to the internal sense of the Word. 'You are now the blessed of Jehovah' means that it came from the Divine.
ppp20399#pid#3451. 'They said, We saw clearly that Jehovah was with you' means that they knew the Divine to be present within it. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing clearly' as discerning and so as knowing for certain, and from the meaning of 'Jehovah being with you' as the Divine being present within it. As stated above in `@@@3447`, the subject here is the agreement of the literal sense of the Word with the internal sense, consequently the agreement of matters of doctrine concerning faith - meant by Abimelech, Ahuzzath, and Phicol - with that same internal sense, insofar, that is, as those matters of doctrine are drawn from the literal sense of the Word. Accordingly the subject is the joining together of the Lord's kingdom on earth with the Lord's kingdom in heaven, and so with the Lord, by means of the Word. For the Word, as to the highest sense, is the Lord Himself; as to the internal sense, the Lord's kingdom itself in heaven; and as to the literal sense, the Lord's kingdom itself on earth, as has also been stated already.
ttt[2] As regards the Lord's kingdom on earth, that is, His Church, because its matters of doctrine are drawn from the literal sense of the Word it is inevitably varying so far as these are concerned. That is to say, one group declares that this idea is the truth of faith because it is so stated in the Word, while another declares that that idea is the truth because that likewise is stated there, and so on. Consequently because its matters of doctrine are drawn from the literal sense of the Word the Lord's Church differs from one group to the next, and not only from group to group but sometimes from individual to individual within a group. But dissent in matters of doctrine concerning faith does not mean that the Church cannot be one Church, provided all are of one mind in willing what is good and doing it.
ttt[3] Take for example someone who acknowledges as a matter of doctrine that charity is the product of faith but nevertheless leads a life of charity towards the neighbour. Even though the truth does not exist with him so far as doctrine is concerned, yet it does exist with him so far as life is concerned, and consequently he has the Lord's Church or kingdom within him. Or, to take another example, someone who says that good works ought to be done for the sake of reward in heaven, as accords with the literal sense of the Word in `Matthew 10bbb41-42`; `Matthew ccc25bbb34-36`, and elsewhere, and yet when performing good works he gives no thought at all to merit. He likewise is in the Lord's kingdom because the truth exists in him so far as life is concerned. This being what he is really like so far as life is concerned, he readily allows himself to be told that nobody is able to reach heaven on merit and that the works which a person regards as meritorious are not good. So it is with every other example that could be taken. For the literal sense is such that in many places it seems to contradict itself, the reason being that it contains appearances of truth that are suited to those who are engrossed in external things, and therefore who are also filled with a love of worldly things as well as bodily pleasures.
ttt[4] Here therefore, through 'Abimelech', those people are dealt with who possess matters of doctrine concerning faith and who, as stated above, make faith the essential thing for salvation. Also dealt with is the agreement of their matters of doctrine with the internal sense. These people too, it is clear, are joined to heaven and the Lord by means of the literal sense, yet only those among them with whom good is present, that is, those who, though they make faith the essential thing so far as their doctrine is concerned, nevertheless make charity the essential so far as their life is concerned. For when they have confidence in, or put their trust in the Lord, which they call faith, affection that goes with love to the Lord is present, and therefore so far as life is concerned good is present in them. But see what has been stated and shown already in the following paragraphs:
Not doctrine but charity taught by it makes the Church, `@@@809`, `@@@916`, `@@@1798`, `@@@1799`, `@@@1834`, `@@@1844`.
Matters of doctrine have no value unless people live according to them, `@@@1515`.
The Church varies so far as truths are concerned, but is one through charity, `@@@3267`.
Parallelism exists between the Lord and man as regards celestial things that are matters of good, but not as regards spiritual things that are matters of truth, `@@@1831`, `@@@1832`.
Doctrine is invariably the same, that is to say, it is always concerned with love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour, `@@@3445`.
The Church would be one if charity were present with all, even though they differed from one another in forms of worship and in matters of doctrine, `@@@809`, `@@@1285`, `@@@1316`, `@@@1798`, `@@@1799`, `@@@1834`, `@@@1844`, `@@@2982`.
The Church would be like the Lord's kingdom in heaven if charity were present with all, `@@@2385`.
Countless variations of good and truth exist in heaven, but by acting in harmony with one another they nevertheless make one, like the organs and members of the body, `@@@684`, `@@@690`, `@@@3241`.
ppp20398#pid#3452. 'And we said, Let there be now a solemn agreement between us, between us and you, and let us make a covenant with you' means that their matters of doctrine concerning faith, regarded in themselves, should not be refused recognition, that is to say, insofar as they are drawn from the literal sense of the Word. This is clear from the meaning of 'a solemn agreement between us' as the general agreement between matters of doctrine and the literal sense of the Word; from the meaning of 'between us and you' as agreement with the internal sense; and from the meaning of 'let us make a covenant' as the fact that in this way they could be joined together - 'a covenant' meaning a joining together, see `@@@665`, `@@@666`, `@@@1023`, `@@@1038`, `@@@1864`, `@@@2003`, `@@@2021`. The meaning which flows from all this is that this being so, their matters of doctrine concerning faith, regarded in themselves, should not be refused recognition, for as has been stated, no matters of doctrine at all, provided they are drawn from the Word, are refused recognition. They are acceptable to the Lord provided that the person who possesses them is leading a charitable life, for everything in the Word is able to be joined to that life. But the interior aspects of the Word are able to be joined to the life present in the interior good that flows from charity. See what has been stated and brought forward in `@@@3324`.
ppp20397#pid#3453. 'If you do us no harm as we have not touched you and as we have done to you nothing but good, and have sent you away in peace' means that they had not done and would not do violence to the internal sense of the Word. This becomes clear from the train of thought in the internal sense and from what has been stated above at verses `Genesis 26bbbccc11`, `Genesis 26bbbccc22-23`.
ppp20396#pid#3454. 'You are now the blessed of Jehovah' means that it came from the Divine. This is clear from the meaning of 'the blessed of Jehovah', when said of the Lord - or what amounts to the same, of the internal sense of the Word, for the Lord is the Word - as Divine Truth, dealt with in `@@@3140`, and so as meaning that it came from the Divine. Accordingly, the meaning is that they had not done and would not do violence to the internal sense because it came from the Divine. Doing violence to the internal sense is refusing to recognize the first and foremost subjects of that sense, which are what make the Word holy, namely the Lord's Divine Human, love to Him, and love towards the neighbour. These three are the first and foremost subjects in the internal sense, which make the Word holy. They are also the inner reality and the holiness within all matters of doctrine drawn from the Word and within all forms of worship, for they hold the Lord's kingdom itself within them. A fourth subject is that the Word in every single detail, even to the smallest part of a letter, is Divine, and thus that the Lord is present in the Word, as is also confessed and acknowledged by all who possess matters of doctrine drawn from the Word. Yet all who in their hearts refuse to recognize this do not acknowledge anything holy in the Word except that which is seen in the letter. They are unable to discern anything holy at all in the historical sections, or in the prophetical parts, except some slight external holiness because people call it holy. Yet if it is indeed Divine even to the least part of a letter there must be an inner holiness to the Word.
ppp20395#pid#3455. Verses `Genesis 26bbbccc30-31` And he made a feast for them, and they ate and drank. And in the morning they rose up early, and swore, a man to his brother; and Isaac sent them away, and they went from being with him, in peace.
'He made a feast for them' means dwelling together. 'And they ate and drank' means communication. 'And in the morning they rose up early' means a state of enlightenment. 'And swore, a man to his brother' means confirmation with those who do the good of truth. 'And Isaac sent them away, and they went from being with him, in peace' means that they were satisfied.
ppp20394#pid#3456. 'He made a feast for them' means dwelling together. This is clear from the meaning of 'a feast' as dwelling together, dealt with in `@@@2341`.
ppp20393#pid#3457. 'And they ate and drank' means communication. This is clear from the meaning of 'eating' as communicating through the things that belong to good, dealt with in `@@@2187`, `@@@2343`, `@@@3168`, and from the meaning of 'drinking' as communicating through the things that belong to truth, dealt with in `@@@3089`, `@@@3168`.
ppp20392#pid#3458. 'And in the morning they rose up early' means a state of enlightenment. This is clear from the meaning of 'the morning' and 'rising up early' as a state of enlightenment. For by 'the morning' and 'the dawn' in the highest sense is meant the Lord, and in the internal sense the celestial element of His love, and also from this the state of peace, see `@@@2333`, `@@@2405`, `@@@2540`, `@@@2780`. And 'rising up' means in the internal sense a raising up, `@@@2401`, `@@@2785`, `@@@2912`, `@@@2927`, `@@@3171`. From these meanings it is evident that 'in the morning he rose up early' means a state of enlightenment.
ppp20391#pid#3459. 'And swore, a man to his brother' means confirmation with those who do the good of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'swearing' or of 'an oath' as confirmation, dealt with in `@@@2842`, `@@@3037`, `@@@3375`, and from the meaning of 'a man to his brother' as the good of truth, or what amounts to the same, one who is governed by that truth - 'man' meaning truth, see `@@@265`, `@@@749`, `@@@1007`, `@@@3134`, `@@@3309`, and 'brother' good, `@@@2360`. For what the good of truth is, see `@@@3295`, `@@@3332`. This good occurs with those represented here by Abimelech or by the Philistines, of whom Abimelech was the king, that is to say, those who make faith the essential thing of the Church and rank it above charity. No other good exists with such persons than the good of truth. Indeed they extract and draw out of the Word nothing else than references to faith and so to truth. They hardly notice references to good and so to life, and as a consequence they become more firmly convinced by matters of doctrine concerning faith and not by any concerning charity. When they do perform a good action it is one prescribed by matters of doctrine concerning faith. Good prescribed by these is called the good of truth.
ttt[2] The Lord does indeed join Himself to those with whom this good exists, but not in the same way as He does to those who do the good of charity, for love and charity constitute spiritual conjunction, but not so faith except through love and charity. It is for this reason that the words used are not 'they made a covenant with Isaac' but 'they swore, a man to his brother'; for 'a covenant' has reference to good, which is the good of love and charity, whereas 'an oath' has reference to truth, which is the truth of faith, `@@@3375`. Also 'dwelling together' meant by 'a feast', `@@@3456`, is used in reference to those who do the good of truth. From people such as these in the next life I have been given to know that they have been separated from those who do the good of charity; for the latter are joined more nearly to the Lord than the former, since the former's good is so to speak hard and inflexible, and not communicable, and so is not in heaven but on the threshold of heaven.
ppp20390#pid#3460. 'And Isaac sent them away, and they went from being with him, in peace' means that they were satisfied. This becomes clear without explanation. From this it is evident that in their case it is a dwelling together, not a being joined together, dealt with immediately above in `@@@3459`.
ppp20389#pid#3461. Verses `Genesis 26bbbccc32-33` And so it was on that day, that Isaac's servants came and pointed out to him the reasons for the well which they had dug, and they said to him, We have found water. And he called it Shibah; therefore the name of the city is Beersheba even to this day.
'So it was on that day' means that state. 'That Isaac's servants came' means rational concepts. 'And pointed out to him the reasons for the well which they had dug; and they said to him, We have found water' means interior truths obtained by means of these. 'And he called it Shibah' means the conjunction of confirmed truth by means of them. 'Therefore the name of the city is Beersheba' means the essential nature of the doctrine resulting from that conjunction. 'Even to this day' means the perpetuity of the state.
ppp20388#pid#3462. 'So it was on that day' means that state. This is clear from the meaning of 'day 'as state, dealt with in `@@@23`, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@893`, `@@@2788`, here the state of the doctrine that is being dealt with.
ppp20387#pid#3463. 'That Isaac's servants came' means rational concepts. This is clear from the meaning of 'servants' as rational concepts, and also as facts, dealt with in `@@@2567`, and from the representation of 'Isaac' as the Lord's Divine Rational, dealt with in `@@@1893`, `@@@2066`, `@@@2072`, `@@@2083`, `@@@2630`, `@@@3012`, `@@@3194`, `@@@3210`. From what has gone before it is clear what aspect of the Lord is represented here by Isaac, namely the Word as regards its internal sense. For by 'Abimelech, Ahuzzath, and Phicol' are meant matters of doctrine concerning faith which are drawn from the literal sense of the Word, like those matters of doctrine possessed by people who are called 'Philistines' in the good sense. That is, they are people who have no other matters of doctrine than those concerning faith, and yet so far as life is concerned they do what is good, though it is the good of truth. And these matters of doctrine do have a certain link with the internal sense, and so with the Lord.
ttt[2] For people who have no other matters of doctrine than those concerning faith and yet who live according to them are linked in some way to Him, though in a remote way. It is remote for the reason that they do not know from any affection what charity towards the neighbour is, let alone love to the Lord, but only from some concept that belongs to faith. Thus they do not possess any perception of good, only a type of persuasion that that is true and accordingly good which their matters of doctrine tell them to be so. And when they are confirmed in those matters of doctrine they are just as likely to be subject to falsity as to truth, for nothing else than good can confirm a person as to what the truth is.
ttt[3] Truth does indeed teach what good is, but it does so without perception, whereas good teaches what truth is from perception. Anyone may recognize this difference, and also the nature of it, simply from the following general command concerning charity,
All things whatever you would wish people to do to you, do so to them. `Matthew 7bbb12`.
The person who acts from this commandment does indeed do what is good to others; but he does it because it is so commanded rather than from any affection in the heart. And as often as he does that good deed he begins from a selfish motive, and also in doing such good his thoughts are of merit. But when he does not act from the commandment but from charity, that is, from affection, his actions begin in the heart, and so in freedom. And as often as he performs that act he begins from the desire itself for what is good, and so that which is a delight to him; and because in this delight he finds reward he has no thought of merit.
ttt[4] From this one may now see what the difference is between doing good from faith and doing it from charity, and that people who do it from faith are more remote from good itself, which is the Lord, than those who do it from charity. The former cannot be easily brought to the good that flows from charity so that they may perceive it because truths are not present in them to any great extent. For no one can be brought to that good unless untruths have been rooted out first, which cannot be effected as long as untruths are so deeply rooted that a person is persuaded that they are truths.
ppp20386#pid#3464. 'And pointed out to him the reasons for the well which they had dug; and they said to him, We have found water' means interior truths obtained by means of these. This is clear from the meaning of 'a well' as the Word, dealt with in `@@@3424`, and from the meaning of 'water' as truths, dealt with in `@@@2702`, that is to say, truths drawn from the Word. 'Pointing out to him the reasons for the well which they had dug' accordingly means concerning the Word, the source of matters of doctrine; 'and they said to him, We have found water' means that it is in these, that is to say, in matters of doctrine, that interior truths reside; for as stated above, all matters of doctrine drawn from the literal sense of the Word include interior truths within them. For the literal sense of the Word is like a well with water in it, in that every single thing in the Word holds within itself the internal sense, which resides also in matters of doctrine drawn from the Word.
ttt[2] The situation with matters of doctrine drawn from the literal sense of the Word is that when anyone possesses them and at the same time lives according to them a correspondence exists within himself. For the angels who reside with him are alive to the interior truths when he is alive to the exterior; and in this way he has communication with heaven by means of matters of doctrine, though this is conditioned by how good a life he leads. For example, when at the Holy Supper this person in simplicity thinks about the Lord from the words 'This is My body' and 'This is My blood' the angels residing with him have in mind love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour; for love to the Lord corresponds to the Lord's body and to the bread, while charity towards the neighbour corresponds to His blood and to the wine, `@@@1798`, `@@@2165`, `@@@2177`, `@@@2187`. This being the nature of the correspondence, there flows from heaven by way of the angels into that holiness present with the person at that time an affection which he receives according to the good within his life.
ttt[3] Actually angels dwell with every person in the affection that belongs to his life, and so in the affection for the matters of doctrine according to which he lives, but never in the matters of doctrine with which his life is at variance. If his life is at variance with them, as it is if his affection is to gain position and wealth for himself by means of matters of doctrine, the angels in that case depart and spirits from hell dwell in that affection. These either instill their confirmations into him that favour self and the world - thus a false persuasion, which is such that he does not care at all whether a thing is true or false, provided people's attention is drawn to himself - or they take away all faith, in which case the doctrine on that person's lips is merely a sound prompted and fashioned by the fire of those loves.
ppp20385#pid#3465. 'And he called it Shibah' means the conjunction of confirmed truth by means of them. This is clear from the meaning of 'calling', that is to say, 'calling by name', as the essential nature, dealt with in `@@@144`, `@@@145`, `@@@1754`, `@@@1896`, `@@@2009`, `@@@3421`, and so from the fact that names mean a real thing or a state, `@@@1946`, `@@@2643`, `@@@3422`. Meant here therefore is the conjunction of confirmed truth by means of them, that is, by matters of doctrine; for in the original language Shibah is a word for an oath, which means confirmation, `@@@2842`, `@@@3375`. It is called the conjunction of confirmed truth when interior truths join themselves to exterior truths, which are matters of doctrine drawn from the literal sense of the Word. The fact that with such persons the conjunction is effected by means of the truths of faith and not so much by the goods of charity has been stated above in `@@@3463`.
ppp20384#pid#3466. 'Therefore the name of the city is Beersheba' means the essential nature of the doctrine resulting from that conjunction. This is clear from the meaning of 'the name' as the essential nature, dealt with immediately above in `@@@3465`, and from the meaning of 'the city' as doctrine, dealt with in `@@@420`, `@@@2449`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc2712`, `@@@2943`, `@@@3216`. Consequently Beersheba, which in the original language means 'the well of the oath', accordingly means doctrine concerning confirmed truth. That 'Beersheba' means doctrine, see `@@@2723`, `@@@2858`, `@@@2859`. In Chapter `Matthew ccc21bbb30`, `Matthew 21bbbccc31` above it is said,
Because you will take the seven ewe-lambs from my hand, that there may be a witness for me that I dug this well. Therefore he called that place Beersheba, because there the two of them swore an oath.
'Beersheba' at that point meant the state and nature of the doctrine that came from the Divine and through which the conjunction was effected. And as the subject was the interior features of that Church it is said that 'that place' was called Beersheba, whereas here, the subject being the exterior features of that Church, it is said that 'the city' was so called. For in reference to its interior features the expression 'the place' - meaning its state, `@@@2625`, `@@@2837`, `@@@3356`, `@@@3387` - is used; but in reference to its exterior features the expression 'the city', meaning doctrine, is used; for the state and the essential nature of doctrine are determined by the Church's interior qualities.
ppp20383#pid#3467. 'Even to this day' means the perpetuity of the state. This is clear from the meaning of 'to this day' as perpetuity of the state, dealt with in `@@@2838`.
ppp20382#pid#3468. Verses `Genesis 26bbbccc34-35` And Esau was a son of forty years, and he took for a wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and also Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. And they were a bitterness of spirit to Isaac and Rebekah.
'Esau was a son of forty years' means a state of temptation as regards the natural good of truth. 'And he took for a wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and also Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite' means the wedding to it of natural truth from a source other than genuine truth itself. 'And they were a bitterness of spirit to Isaac and Rebekah' means that this led at first to grief.
ppp20381#pid#3469. 'Esau was a son of forty years' means a state of temptation as regards the natural good of truth. This is clear from the representation of 'Esau' as natural good of truth, dealt with in `@@@3300`, `@@@3302`, `@@@3322`, and from the meaning of 'forty years' as a state of temptation - 'forty' meaning temptations, see `@@@730`, `@@@862`, `@@@2272`, and 'years' states, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@893`. The reason why these details concerning Esau are added immediately after what has been told regarding Abimelech and Isaac is that the subject has been those who do the good of truth, that is, those who live in accordance with matters of doctrine drawn from the literal sense of the Word; for such people were meant by Abimelech, Ahuzzath, and Phicol, as stated above in various places.
ttt[2] People therefore who do the good of truth, or who live in accordance with matters of doctrine, are regenerate as regards interior things, which are their rational concepts, but not yet as regards exterior, which are their natural things. For a person is regenerated as to the rational part of his mind before being regenerated as to the natural part, `@@@3286`, `@@@3288`. The natural exists wholly in this world, and it is on the natural as their foundation that the person's thought and will are based. This is the reason why, while being regenerated, a person is aware of conflict between his rational or internal man and his natural or external man, and why his external is regenerated much later and with far more difficulty than the internal. Indeed what is closer to the world and closer to the body cannot be easily rendered subservient to the internal man except over a considerable period of time and by means of very many new states into which it has to be brought. These states are states of self-recognition and of recognition of the Lord, that is to say, of his own miserable condition and of the Lord's mercy, and so of humiliation, through conflicts brought about by temptations. This being so, there is immediately added at this point the reference to Esau and his two wives, by which such things are meant in the internal sense.
ttt[3] It is well known to anyone what natural good is, namely the good into which a person is born. But what the natural good of truth is, is known to few, if anyone. There are four types of natural good, or good that one is born with. These are, natural good that stems from the love of good; natural good that stems from the love of truth; also natural good that stems from the love of evil; and natural good that stems from the love of falsity. A person derives the good that he is born with from his parents, whether from father or from mother. For every characteristic which parents have acquired from frequent practice and conduct, that is, which they have taken into themselves by their own actions in life until with them they have become so habitual as to appear natural, is passed on to their children and becomes hereditary. If parents have led a good life from a love of good and have experienced delight and blessedness in that life, and if this is their state when they conceive an offspring, their offspring acquires from them an inclination towards this same form of good. If parents have led a good life from a love of truth - for which good, see `@@@3459`, `@@@3463` - and have experienced delight in that life, and if this is their state when they conceive an offspring, their offspring acquires from them an inclination towards that same form of good. And the same applies to those who by heredity receive the good that stems from a love of evil and the good that stems from a love of falsity.
ttt[4] The latter are called good because the kinds of good done by them seem in outward appearance to be good, despite the fact that there is nothing good at all about them. Very many with whom natural good is apparent possess this type of good. Those with whom natural good that stems from love of evil is present tend and incline towards evils of every kind, for they readily allow themselves to be led astray. That good is the source of their susceptibility especially towards foul delights, different kinds of adultery, and also of cruelty. Those with whom natural good stemming from a love of falsity is present incline towards falsities of every kind. Because of that good they seize on false persuasion, especially that used by hypocrites and deceivers, who know how to win people's attention, worm their way into affections, and feign innocence. Into these so-called forms of good - of good that stems from evil or from falsity - the majority are born at the present day in the Christian world, in whom natural good exists, the reason being that their parents have acquired a delight in evil and a delight in falsity through their own actions in life, and in this way have implanted it in their children, and so in their descendants.
ppp20380#pid#3470. 'And he took for a wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and also Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite' means the wedding to it of natural truth from a source other than genuine truth itself. This is clear from the meaning of 'a wife' as truth wedded to good, dealt with where Sarah and where Rebekah are the subject, `@@@1468`, `@@@1901`, `@@@2063`, `@@@2065`, `@@@2172`, `@@@2173`, `@@@2198`, `@@@2507`, `@@@2904`, `@@@3012`, `@@@3013`, `@@@3077`, here natural truth wedded to the natural good that is the subject here; and from the representation of 'Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite' as truth from a source other than genuine truth itself. The Hittites were one of the upright nations in the land of Canaan, among whom Abraham dwelt and from whom he bought as a grave the cave of Machpelah, `Genesis 23bbb3`-end. The Hittites also represent the spiritual Church among the nations in that land, see `@@@2913`, `@@@2986`. And because that Church does not possess truth that is from the Word the same persons mean truth not derived from genuine truth itself. For a nation which represents a Church also means truth and good, as these exist with that Church, since it is by virtue of truth and good that a Church is a Church. When therefore a Church is spoken of, its truth and good are meant, and vice versa.
ttt[2] The implications of this are that natural good of truth is not spiritual good, that is, it is not the good of faith nor the good of charity until it has been reformed. Natural good comes from parents, as stated immediately above in `@@@3469`, but spiritual good comes from the Lord. To receive spiritual good therefore a person has to undergo regeneration. At first, while this is taking place truths from a source other than genuine truth itself are allied to him, such as do not remain permanently with him but merely serve as the means by which genuine truths are brought in. Once these have been brought in, truths that are not genuine are separated. It is akin to the stages through which children pass: At first they learn very many things, including those that are childish - games and so on - not to make them wise but to prepare the way for them to receive the useful things that lead to wisdom. Once they have received the latter the former things are separated, indeed they are put away. Or it is like fruit which at first is filled with sour juice before it is able to receive sweet. The sour juice, which is not the genuine, is the means by which the sweet is brought in. As the latter comes in the former is dispelled.
ttt[3] So it is with the natural part of man's mind when this is being regenerated, for natural good is such that of itself it is unwilling to obey and serve the rational as a slave does his master but wishes to take command. To render it submissive and subservient however it is chastened by means of states of vastation and temptation to the point when its cravings die down. At that point it is moderated by means of an influx from the Lord, by way of the internal man, of the good of faith and charity, even to the point where good acquired by heredity is gradually rooted out and a new good implanted in place of it. Into this new good truths of faith are introduced, like new fibres into the human heart, along which fibres new fluid is borne in, until a new heart has slowly been developed. The truths that are borne in at first cannot come from the genuine fount of truth because evils and falsities exist within the good present previously, which is natural good. Instead they are the kind of seeming truths or appearances of truth that have some affinity with genuine truths, and through which little by little the opportunity and place for those genuine truths to insert themselves is provided. Genuine good is like the blood in blood vessels or the fluid in fibres, bringing truths along and giving them shape. The good which takes shape in this way in the natural or external man is general, structured or joined together so to speak from particular and individual facets of spiritual good coming by way of the rational or internal man from the Lord, who alone forms and creates things anew. This explains why so many times in the Word the Lord is called One who forms and Creator.
ppp20379#pid#3471. 'They were a bitterness of spirit to Isaac and Rebekah' means that this led at first to grief. This is clear from the meaning of 'bitterness of spirit' as grief, and from the representation of 'Isaac and Rebekah' as the Lord's Divine Rational as regards Divine Good and Divine Truth. For in the highest sense the Lord is the subject, but in the representative sense those who are likenesses and images of Him. That is to say, the highest sense describes how the Lord made His own Human Divine, the representative how the Lord regenerates man, or makes him celestial and spiritual. As regards man's regeneration being the image of the Lord's glorification, see `@@@3043`, `@@@3138`, `@@@3212`, `@@@3296`.
ttt[2] The reason why there was grief at first is that when truths are brought into association with natural good they give rise to grief initially since they weigh down the conscience and cause feelings of anxiety owing to the presence of cravings with which spiritual truth conflicts. But this initial grief lessens gradually and at length disappears. It is like the body, when feeble and ill, having to be restored to health by painful remedies. While in that condition it at first suffers pain and grief.
ppp20378#pid#3472. CORRESPONDENCES AND REPRESENTATIONS - continued
ESPECIALLY THOSE CONTAINED IN THE WORD
Every single thing in the sense of the letter of the Word is representative of something spiritual or celestial belonging to the Lord's kingdom in heaven, and in the highest sense is representative of the Lord Himself. This becomes clear from what has been shown already, and in the Lord's Divine mercy from what has yet to be shown. But because people have distanced themselves so far away from heaven and have engrossed themselves in nature far below, indeed in what is earthly, they are utterly repelled when told that the Word conceals deeper things than those grasped from the letter. They are even more repelled when told that the Word contains things that are beyond man's mental grasp and that are suited only to the wisdom of the angels; and they are still more repelled when told that it contains Divine things themselves infinitely transcending the angels' power of understanding. The Christian world does indeed acknowledge that the Word is Divine; but the fact that it is so Divine the Christian world nevertheless denies in its heart if not with its lips. Nor is this surprising since the earthly-mindedness which exists in people at the present day does not allow them to grasp more exalted things; nor do they wish to.
ppp20377#pid#3473. The fact that the Word in the letter conceals such things within itself is quite often presented in a visual way to spirits or souls entering the next life. And when this has happened I have several times been allowed to be present, as becomes clear from the experiences introduced in Volume One under 'Sacred Scripture, or the Word, and how it conceals within itself Divine matters which are fully visible to good spirits and to angels', `@@@1767-1776`, `@@@1869-1879`. For the sake of confirmation let some of those experiences be repeated immediately below.
ppp20376#pid#3474. A certain spirit came to me not long after he had departed this life. This I was able to deduce from the fact that he still did not know that he had entered the next life but supposed that he was living in the world. I perceived that he had been a person dedicated to scholarly pursuits, about which I spoke to him. But at that moment he was suddenly carried up on high, which amazed me. I presumed that he was one of those people who had aspired to high things, since such people are usually taken up on high; or else that he was one of those who imagined heaven to be far away up on high and who likewise are usually taken away up on high, so that from up there they may know that heaven does not exist up on high but in what is internal. But shortly after that I noticed that he was carried up to the angelic spirits who were in a forward position and slightly to the right, on the very threshold of heaven. From there he then spoke to me, saying that he saw things more exalted than human minds could ever take in. While all this was happening I was reading `Deuteronomy 1bbb0`, about the Jewish people - how the men were sent to explore the land of Canaan and what was in it. As I read it he said that he discerned nothing of that which occurs in the sense of the letter, only the things in the spiritual sense, and that these were marvels beyond his powers of description. This was merely at the threshold of the heaven of angelic spirits, so what must the marvels be within that heaven itself, and what must they be within the angelic heaven!
ttt[2] Certain spirits who were with me at the time, and who had not previously believed that the Word of the Lord was of such a nature, began to repent of their unbelief. They said that in their present state they now believed because they had heard that spirit say he had heard, seen, and perceived that it was so. But other spirits continued in their unbelief, saying that it was not so but all a delusion. They also were therefore suddenly carried up, and spoke to me from where they were. They now confessed that it was anything but a delusion, for now they perceived from amid spiritual realities that it was so, their perception indeed being far keener than can possibly be imparted to any of the senses during the life of the body. Shortly afterwards others also were carried up into the same heaven. I had known one of them during his lifetime, and he bore similar witness. Among other things he also said that he was so dazed by the glory of the Word in its internal sense that he was unable to describe it. Speaking at this time with some kind of compassion he said it was remarkable that people on earth know nothing at all of such matters. On two occasions after this I saw others who had been carried up to the second heaven among the angelic spirits, and from there they spoke to me, while I was reading `Deuteronomy 3bbb0` from beginning to end. They said that they understood none but the interior sense of the Word, declaring at the same time that there was not even the smallest part of a letter which did not have a spiritual sense within it that did not link with everything else in a very beautiful way. They also said that in the interior sense the names used in the Word mean real things. Thus these people as well were confirmed in the same knowledge of such things, for they had not previously believed that every single thing in the Word has been inspired by the Lord. This they also wished to affirm before others on oath, but they were not allowed to do so.
ppp20375#pid#3475. It has been stated and shown several times already that in heaven representatives like those contained in the Word are manifesting themselves constantly one after another. These representatives are such that spirits and angels see them in light far clearer than the light which shines in the world at midday. Indeed these representatives in heaven are such that all the things seen by the angels which take an outward form are also perceived by them as to the meaning which those same things carry in their inward form. And they also hold further things that are even more internal. For there are three heavens. In the first heaven an angel sees these representatives in the outward form they take, and at the same time he has a perception of the meaning which they possess in their inward form. In the second heaven an angel sees them as they exist in their inward form, and at the same time he has a perception of what they are in the form that is even more internal. In the third heaven an angel sees them as they exist in that even more internal form, which is the inmost. Things seen in the first heaven are general representations of the things seen in the second heaven; while these in turn are general representations of those seen in the third. Thus things seen in the first heaven hold within themselves those seen in the second; and those seen in the second hold within themselves those seen in the third. And since they manifest themselves by degrees as described it may be evident how perfect, how full of wisdom, and at the same time how blessed, those things are which are seen in the inmost heaven, and that they are utterly indescribable. For millions upon millions manifest themselves in one particular feature of a whole representation. Every single one of those representatives embodies such things as belong essentially to the Lord's kingdom, while these in turn embody those that belong essentially to the Lord Himself. Inhabitants of the first heaven see within their representatives such things as manifest themselves within the inner sphere of the kingdom. And within these they see things more interior still, and so, though remotely, things that are representative of the Lord. Inhabitants of the second heaven see within their representatives such things as exist in the inmost sphere of the kingdom; and within these they see representatives of the Lord more closely. Inhabitants of the third heaven however see the Lord Himself.
ppp20374#pid#3476. From this one may now see what the situation is with the Word; for the Lord has given the Word to mankind, and also to angels, so that by means of it they may be with Him. Indeed the Word is the means by which earth is united to heaven, and heaven to the Lord, its literal sense being that which unites mankind to the first heaven. Now seeing that the literal sense holds within itself the internal sense, the subject of which is the Lord's kingdom, and the latter holds the highest sense, the subject of which is the Lord; and seeing that these senses exist in order one within the next, it is evident what the union with the Lord by means of the Word is like.
ppp20373#pid#3477. It has been stated that in heaven representatives are of constant occurrence, such representatives in fact as embody wisdom's deepest arcana. Those that are evident to man from the literal sense of the Word are comparatively few, as few as the waters of a tiny pond when compared to the waters of the ocean. What the representatives in heaven are like may become clear from what I have related several times already from things I have seen, and also from the following: To certain spirits, as I saw, there were represented the broad road and the narrow road mentioned in the Word - the broad road which would lead them to hell, and the narrow to heaven. The broad road was planted with trees and flowers, and other such things as in outward appearance looked beautiful and delightful. But various types of snakes and serpents which they did not see had been concealed there. The narrow road was not adorned in the same way with trees and flower-beds for the eye to see but looked sad and dreary. Yet there were along that road young angel-children adorned most attractively among very lovely tree-gardens and flower-gardens, which those spirits however did not see. They were at that point asked which road they wished to take. They said, The broad one. But all of a sudden their eyes were opened and they saw the serpents along the broad road, but the angels along the narrow one. They were then again asked which road they wished to take. This time they were at a loss and remained silent. As long as their sight was opened they said that they wished to take the narrow road; but as long as it was closed they said that they wished to take the broad one.
ppp20372#pid#3478. To some there was also represented the tabernacle with the ark, for to those who, when they lived in the world, have taken very great delight in the Word such things are presented to them visually. So on the occasion referred to they saw the tabernacle with all its furnishings; that is to say, they saw its courts, its curtains round about, its veils inside, the golden altar or altar of incense, the table where the loaves were placed, the lampstand, and the mercy-seat with the cherubim. At the same time these upright spirits were allowed to perceive what each particular thing meant. It was the three heavens that were represented by the tabernacle, and the Lord Himself by the testimony inside the ark, above which there was the mercy-seat. And to the extent their sight was opened they saw within those objects more heavenly and Divine things, of which they had had no knowledge at all during their lifetime. And what was amazing, every least thing there, even every hook or ring, was representative. Consider merely the bread placed on the table. Within this as within a representative and symbol they perceived the food on which angels live, and so perceived celestial and spiritual love together with all the bliss and happiness that the angels enjoy. And within that love, also that bliss and happiness, they perceived the Lord Himself as the bread or manna from heaven. They perceived more besides from the shape, position, and number of the loaves, and from the gold which was around them, and from the lampstand which lit up those things and displayed further representations of things that are indescribable. The same was so with everything else in the tabernacle. From all this one might also see that the religious observances or the representatives of the Jewish Church contained all the arcana of the Christian Church, and also that those to whom the representatives and meaningful signs of the Old Testament Word are disclosed are able, while living in the world, to know and perceive the arcana which belong to the Lord's Church on earth. And when they enter the next life they are able to know and perceive the arcana of arcana which belong to the Lord's kingdom in heaven.
ppp20371#pid#3479. The Jews who lived before the Lord's Coming, as also those who have lived since then, had no other notion regarding the religious observances of their Church than that Divine worship consisted solely in things that were external. They were quite unconcerned about what those observances represented and meant. Indeed they neither knew nor wished to know that there was any internal element in worship or in the Word, nor thus that there was any life after death, nor consequently that there was any heaven; for they were entirely sensory- and bodily-minded. Now because they were engrossed in external things separated from internal, worship in their case was nothing but idolatrous, and for this reason they were very much inclined to worship any gods at all, provided they were convinced that those gods could enable them to prosper.
ttt[2] Yet because a sense of holiness within external things could exist with that nation, so that they were able to regard as holy the religious observances by which the heavenly things of the Lord's kingdom were represented; and because they were able to venerate Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, also Moses and Aaron, and after these David, all of whom represented the Lord; and above all because they were able to have a deep and holy respect for the Word in which every single thing was representative and a meaningful sign of Divine things, the representative Church was therefore established among that nation. But if that nation had known of internal things to the extent that they acknowledged them they would have rendered them profane and in so doing would have possessed simultaneously external holiness and internal unholiness, so that there could not have been any communication at all of representatives with heaven by means of that nation. This is why interior things were not disclosed to them, not even the truth that the Lord would come to save their souls.
ttt[3] Because this was the case with the tribe of Judah more than with all the other tribes, and because today as in former times they regard as holy the religious observances which can be performed outside Jerusalem; because also they venerate their patriarchs, and above all have a deep and holy respect for the Old Testament Word; and because it was foreseen that Christians would virtually reject the Old Testament and also would befoul their own internals with things that are unholy, that nation has been preserved up to the present day, in accordance with the Lord's words in `Matthew 24bbb34`. With Christians it was to be different, as they were to have knowledge of internal things and were also to live as internally-minded people. If Christians had in fact done so, the Jewish nation would like others have been annihilated before many centuries had gone by. With that nation however the situation is that their external holiness, or holiness of worship, can have no affect on them internally, for internally they are defiled from filthy self-love and filthy love of the world, and also from the idolatry in which they worship external things devoid of internal. And because accordingly they have nothing of heaven within themselves, they are not able to take anything heavenly with them into the next life, with the exception of the few who are governed by mutual love and so do not live in contempt of others compared with themselves.
ppp20370#pid#3480. I have also been shown how all the uncleanness present with that nation still did not prevent the interior aspects of the Word - that is, its inner spiritual and celestial content - from manifesting themselves in heaven. Actually all that uncleanness was taken away so as not to be noticed, and evils were also converted into good, so that mere external holiness might serve as a basis, in which the internal aspects of the Word were thereby presented to angels without the intrusion of any hindrances. From this it was evident to me how that inwardly idolatrous people were able to represent holy things, even the Lord Himself, and so how the Lord was able to dwell in the midst of all their uncleanness, `Leviticus 16bbb16`, and so to have the semblance of the Church there, for a merely representative Church is only a likeness of the Church and not the actual Church itself.
ttt[2] Among Christians it is less easy to create the same situation since they do have a knowledge of the interior aspects of worship, though they do not believe them. Thus they are not able to have any holy feelings for external things divorced from internal. Furthermore with people who lead the life of faith communication is effected by means of the goods present within them - evils and falsities having meanwhile been banished. And at this point - amazingly so - every single detail of the Word when read by them is manifested before the angels. This happens despite the fact that those persons reading the Word pay no attention to the sense of it. This has been shown to me from much experience, for with those people the internal which is not so perceptible serves as a basis.
ppp20369#pid#3481. I have quite often been in conversation with Jews in the next life. They appear in a forward position on the lower earth below the level of the left foot, and on one occasion I also spoke about the Word, the land of Canaan, and the Lord. I said that the Word contained very deep arcana which are not visible to men. This point they agreed with. After that I said that all the arcana there deal with the Messiah and His kingdom. This also they assented to. But when I told them that Messiah in Hebrew is the same as Christ in Greek they would not listen. And again when I said that the Messiah was the Most Holy One, that Jehovah was within Him, that none other was meant by the Holy One of Israel and by the God of Jacob, and that seeing that He is the Most Holy One none can be in His kingdom except those who are holy not outwardly but inwardly - who are not accordingly under the influence of the filthy love of the world, or of a superior attitude towards other nations, or of hatred for one another - they could not listen to it.
ttt[2] After that I said that the Messiah's kingdom according to prophecy was going to last for ever, and those with Him would also inherit the land for ever. If His kingdom were of this world and they were brought into the land of Canaan it would last only for the few years that constitute the human life-span. Besides, all who had died since the expulsion of the Jews from the land of Canaan would not enjoy such blessedness. From this, I said, they could recognize that the land of Canaan represented and meant the heavenly kingdom; indeed they would recognize it all the more easily, in that they now knew they were in the next life and were going to live for ever, from which it was evident that this next life was the place where the Messiah had His kingdom. And, I continued, if they were allowed to talk to angels they could know that the whole angelic heaven was the Lord's kingdom.
ttt[3] I added that by the new earth, the new Jerusalem, and the new temple described in Ezekiel nothing else could be meant than such a kingdom of the Messiah. To all these points they were unable to make any response apart from weeping bitterly at the prospect of being led into the land of Canaan by the Messiah only to die after so few years and leave behind the blessedness they were to enjoy there.
ppp20368#pid#3482. Although the language used in the Word appears to mankind to be simple, and in some places crude, it is angelic language itself, though in its lowest form. For when angelic language, which is spiritual, falls into human expressions it cannot fall into any other type of language than this. Individual things are representative, and individual expressions carry a meaning. Since they were in direct communication with spirits and angels the ancients possessed no other kind of language. Their language was full of representatives, and a spiritual sense was present in each expression. Also, the books of the ancients were written in the same fashion, for talking and writing in that fashion was the aim of their wisdom. How far mankind has since then retreated from heaven becomes clear from this as well. At present it does not even know that the Word includes anything apart from that which is seen in the letter, not even that there is a spiritual sense in it. Whatever is said to lie beyond the literal sense is termed mystical, which solely on these grounds is rejected. This also explains why at the present day communication with heaven has been interrupted, so much so that few believe in the existence of any heaven at all. Indeed, amazing to say, far fewer of the learned and scholarly than of the simple believe in it.
ppp20367#pid#3483. Everything at all visible in the universe is representative of the Lord's kingdom, so much so that nothing exists in the starry sky above, or on this planet and in its three kingdoms below, which is not in its own way representative. For every single thing within the natural order is an ultimate image, in that the Divine issues forth into celestial things, which are expressions of good; celestial things issue forth into spiritual, which are expressions of truth; and celestial and spiritual things issue forth into natural things. This shows how stupid, indeed how earthly and also topsy-turvy, human intelligence is which separates or isolates natural forces from that which is prior to them and flowing into them - that is, from their efficient cause - and then attributes everything to natural forces. And people who think and talk in this fashion seem to themselves to be wiser than anybody else, that is to say, by their attribution of everything to natural forces. Angelic intelligence however is quite the reverse - it attributes nothing to natural forces but every single thing to the Lord's Divine, and so to life, not to anything devoid of life.
ttt[2] The learned know that remaining in being consists in perpetual coming into being. Nevertheless it is contrary to their affection for falsity, and consequently to their reputation for being learned, to say that natural forces are constantly kept in being, even as they came into being, from the Lord's Divine. Now because every single thing remains in being from the Divine, that is, is constantly coming into being from Him, and every single thing from that source is inevitably a representative of the real thing by means of which it has come into being, the whole visible universe is therefore nothing else than a theatre that is representative of the Lord's kingdom. And this in turn is a theatre representative of the Lord Himself.
ppp20366#pid#3484. From very much experience I have come to know that there is but one life - the Lord's. This life flows in and gives life to man, to both good and evil alike. To that life the forms which consist of material substance correspond, and those forms - by means of a constant inflow of the Divine - receive life in such a way that they seem to themselves to live independently. This correspondence is a correspondence of the organs of life with life itself. Yet the nature of the recipient organs determines the kind of life they have. In those people who have love and charity within them that correspondence is present, for the life itself is received by them as it should be. But that correspondence is not present in those who have the reverse of love and charity within them, for the life itself is not received by them as it should be. Consequently the nature of the life received by them depends on what they are like themselves. This may be exemplified from the natural forms on to which the light of the sun falls - the nature of the forms receiving it determines the variations of the light reflected in them. In the spiritual world the variations are spiritual, and therefore the nature of recipient forms in that world determines that of the intelligence and the wisdom they have. This is why good spirits and angels are seen as embodiments of charity themselves, while evil and hellish spirits are seen as embodiments of hatred.
ppp20365#pid#3485. The representations that occur in the next life are appearances. But they are living representations because they come from the light of life. The light of life is Divine Wisdom, which is received from the Lord alone. Consequently all things that come into being from that light, unlike those from the light of the world, are real. For this reason people in the next life have said several times that the things they behold in that world are real, whereas those that man beholds are by contrast not real. The reason for this is that the former are living and so have a direct influence on their life, whereas the latter are not living and so have no direct influence on their life, except insofar as things with them belonging to the light of the world join themselves appropriately and by correspondence to those belonging to the light of heaven. From all these considerations it now becomes clear what representations are and what correspondences are.
ppp20364#pid#3486. The preliminary section of the previous chapter, paragraphs `@@@3353-3356`, explained what the Lord has said and foretold in `Matthew 24bbb3-7` about the close of the age or end of the days of the Church. Here, in the Lord's Divine mercy, let the next section be explained, that is to say, verses `Matthew 24bbbccc8-14` of the same chapter in that gospel, where it is said,
All these are the beginning of sorrows. At that time they will deliver you up to affliction, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. And at that time many will stumble, and betray one another, and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and will lead many astray. And because iniquity is multiplied the charity of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole inhabited earth as a testimony to all nations; and at that point the end will come.
ppp20363#pid#3487. The words which come before these and which were explained in `@@@3353-3356` are a description of the first state of the perversion of the Church - a state when people will cease to know any longer what goodness is and what truth is, and will start to argue with one another about these, with the result that falsities arise. The words in the present section however describe the second state of the perversion of the Church - a state when people will treat goodness and truth with contempt and will also loathe them, so that faith in the Lord will breathe its last, doing so by degrees as charity comes to an end.
ppp20362#pid#3488. The fact that these words spoken by the Lord and recorded in the gospel describe the second state of the perversion of the Church is evident from their internal sense, which is as follows,
All these are the beginning of sorrows means the things that have already happened, that is to say, the things that belong to the first state of the perversion of the Church, which, as has been stated, takes place when people cease to know any longer what goodness is and what truth is and start to argue with one another about them, with the result that falsities, and consequently heresies arise. The fact that such things perverted the Church before very many centuries had gone by is evident from the consideration that the Church in the Christian world became divided, and that its divisions were the result of opinions concerning goodness and truth; so that the Church began to be perverted a long way back in the past.
ttt[2] At that time they will deliver you up to affliction, and will kill you means that goodness and truth will perish, at first through 'affliction'- that is, through perversion - and then through men 'killing' them, that is, through denial. For 'killing', when used in reference to goodness and truth, means that these are not being accepted, and thus that people deny them, see `@@@3387`, `@@@3395`. 'You' - the apostles - means all things of faith in their entirety, and so means the good of faith as well as the truth of faith; for the twelve apostles meant those things, see `@@@577`, `@@@2089`, `@@@2129`, `@@@2130` (end), `@@@3272`, `@@@3354`. Here it is quite evident that they have that meaning, for the subject is not the preaching of the apostles but the close of the age.
ttt[3] And you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake means contempt for and loathing of everything to do with goodness and truth. 'Hating' is holding in contempt and loathing, for these are manifestations of hatred. 'By all nations' means by persons under the influence of evil, for 'nations' refers to these, see `@@@1259`, `@@@1260`, `@@@1849`, `@@@1868`, `@@@2588` (end). 'For My name's sake' is for the Lord's sake, and so for the sake of everything that comes from Him - 'the Lord's name' being everything in its entirety by which He is worshipped, and so everything belonging to His Church, see `@@@2724`, `@@@3006`.
ttt[4] At that time many will stumble, and betray one another, and hate one another means hostility on account of those things. 'Many will stumble' means the hostility in itself - the Lord's Human being that against which the hostility is directed. That this will be a cause of offence or a stumbling-block is foretold in various places in the Word. 'Betray one another' is hostility towards one another arising out of falsity conflicting with truth. 'And hate one another' is hostility towards one another arising out of evil conflicting with good.
ttt[5] And many false prophets will arise and will lead many astray means declarations of falsity - 'false prophets' meaning teachers of falsities, thus false doctrine, see `@@@2534`. 'And will lead many astray' means that there will be things that are the issue of that doctrine.
ttt[6] And because iniquity is multiplied the charity of many will grow cold means charity together with faith breathing its last. 'Because iniquity is multiplied' means in keeping with falsities of faith. 'The charity of many will grow cold' means charity breathing its last; for the two - charity and faith - go together side by side. Where there is no faith there is no charity; and where there is no charity there is no faith. Charity however is that which receives faith, and the absence of charity is that which rejects faith. This is the origin of all falsity and of all evil.
ttt[7] But he who endures to the end will be saved means the salvation of those who have charity. 'He who endures to the end' is the person who does not allow himself to be led astray, and so does not yield in times of temptation.
ttt[8] And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole inhabited earth as a testimony to all nations means that the Christian world will be the first to come to know it. 'Will be preached' means that it will come to be known. 'This gospel of the kingdom' is this truth, that it really is so - 'gospel' being pronouncement, 'the kingdom' truth, for 'the kingdom' means truth, see `@@@1672`, `@@@2547`. 'In the whole inhabited earth' is the Christian world, 'the earth' being that region where the Church, and so the Christian world, is, see `@@@662`, `@@@1066`, `@@@1068`, `@@@1262`, `@@@1733`, `@@@1850`, `@@@2117`, `@@@2118`, `@@@2928`, `@@@3355`. Here the Church is called 'the inhabited earth' from the life of faith, that is, from the good that dwells in truth, for 'inhabiting' in the internal sense is living, and 'inhabitants' are the goods that dwell in truth, `@@@1293`, `@@@2268`, `@@@2451`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc2712`, `@@@3384`. 'As a testimony' means to ensure that they know, and to prevent them pretending that they do not know. 'To all nations' means to the evil, `@@@1259`, `@@@1260`, `@@@1849`, `@@@1868`, `@@@2588`. For when people are under the influence of falsity and evil they no longer know what truth is or what good is; indeed they believe that falsity is truth, that evil is good, and vice versa. When the Church reaches this state, at that point the end will come. The words that follow next, to be explained in the Lord's Divine mercy in the preliminary section of the next chapter of Genesis, deal with that state of the Church which is called 'the abomination of desolation', which is the third state.
ppp20361#pid#3489. To those within the Church it is not apparent that this is the condition of the Church, that is to say, that they treat with contempt and loathe everything to do with goodness and truth, and also show hostility towards those things, especially towards the Lord Himself. They do indeed attend places of worship, listen to sermons with some kind of reverence while they are there, go to the Holy Supper, and sometimes discuss those things with one another in a seemly way. The evil accordingly do the same things as the good, even exercising common charity or friendship to one another, and as a consequence others do not see in them any contempt for the goods and truths of faith, or therefore any contempt for the Lord, still less any loathing of these, and least of all any hostility towards them. But those very actions are outward forms, by which one person leads another astray, whereas the inward forms existing with members of the Church are completely different and the complete reverse of those outward forms. It is the inward forms which are described here and which are of that nature. The essential nature of these inward forms is presented visually in heaven; for the angels pay no attention to anything else than the things that are internal - to ends in view, that is, to people's intentions and wills, and to their thoughts stemming from these. How different these are from external things becomes clear from members of the Christian world entering the next life, regarding whom see `@@@2121-2126`.
ttt[2] Indeed in the next life it is solely in accordance with internal things that people think and speak, for external things have been left behind with the body. There it is evident that however peaceable such people seemed to be in the world they nevertheless hated one another, and hated everything belonging to faith, hating the Lord above all else; for at the mere mention of the Lord's name in their presence in the next life a sphere not only of contempt but also of loathing and hostility towards Him clearly emanates from them and envelops them, including those who to outward appearances spoke about Him with reverence and also preached about Him. It is similar when charity and faith are mentioned. As to their inward form which is disclosed there, these people are such as they would have been while living in the world if external restraints had been released and taken away from them. That is, if they had not in the world feared for their lives and feared the law, and in particular if they had not feared for their reputation on account of the positions they strove and worked for, and of the wealth they desired and avidly sought after, they would on account of their deadly hatred have laid into one another, as their intentions and thought directed them. And without any conscience they would have seized other people's goods and also without any conscience would have butchered them, no matter how utterly innocent their victims may have been. Such is the nature of Christians interiorly at the present day, apart from a few who remain unknown. From all this it is evident what the nature of the Church is essentially.
ppp20360#pid#3490. `Genesis 27bbb0`
1. And so it was, that Isaac was old and his eyes were becoming dark so that he could not see; and he called Esau his elder son and said to him, My son; and he said to him, Here I am.
2. And he said, Behold now, I am old; I do not know the day of my death.
3. And now take, I beg you, your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt venison for me.
4. And make me savoury food such as I love, and bring it to me, and I will eat, so that my soul may bless you before I die.
5. And Rebekah was listening to Isaac while he spoke to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, to bring it [home].
6. And Rebekah said to Jacob her son - she said - Behold, I listened to your father speaking to Esau your brother, saying,
7. Bring me venison, and make me savoury food, and I will eat, and I will bless you before Jehovah, before my death.
8. And now, my son, hearken to my voice, to what I command you.
9. Go now to the flock, and take for me from there two good kids of the she-goats, and I will make them into savoury food for your father, such as he loves.
10. And bring it to your father, and let him eat, so that he may bless you before his death.
11. And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man.
12. Perhaps my father will feel me, and I shall be in his eyes as one who misleads, and I shall bring upon myself a curse and not a blessing.
13. And his mother said to him, Upon me be your curse, my son; only hearken to my voice, and go, take them for me.
14. And he went and took them, and brought them to his mother; and his mother made savoury food such as his father loved.
15. And Rebekah took the best clothes`fff1` of Esau her elder son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son.
16. And she put the skins of the kids of the she-goats on his hands and on the smooth of his neck.
17. And she gave the savoury food and the bread which she had made into the hand of Jacob her son.
18. And he went to his father, and said, My father. And he said, Behold, here I am; who are you, my son?
19. And Jacob said to his father, I am Esau your firstborn; I have done what you told me. Rise up now; sit, and eat from my venison, so that your soul may bless me.
20. And Isaac said to his son, Why have you found it so quickly, my son? And he said, Because Jehovah your God caused it to come before my face.
21. And Isaac said to Jacob, Come near now, and I will feel you, my son, whether you are my son Esau, or not.
22. And Jacob came near to Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob's voice, and the hands Esau's hands.
23. And he did not recognize him because his hands were hairy like the hands of Esau his brother; and he blessed him.
24. And he said, Are you my very son Esau? And he said, I am.
25. And he said, Bring it to me, and I will eat from my son's venison, so that my soul may bless you. And he brought it to him, and he ate; and he brought him wine, and he drank.
26. And Isaac his father said to him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son.
27. And he came near and kissed him. And he smelled the odour of his clothes, and he blessed him, and he said, See, the odour of my son, like the odour of the field that Jehovah has blessed.
28. And God will give to you of the dew of heaven, and of the fatness of the land, and abundance of grain and of new wine.
29. Peoples will serve you, and peoples will bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and your mother's sons will bow down to you. Cursed are those cursing you, and blessed those blessing you.
30. And so it was, as soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob had only just gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting.
31. And he too made savoury food, and brought it to his father; and he said to his father, Let my father arise, and eat from his son's venison, so that your soul may bless me.
32. And Isaac his father said to him, Who are you? And he said, I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.
33. And Isaac trembled very greatly, and he said, Who then is he who has hunted venison and brought it to me, and I have eaten from all of it before you came in, and have blessed him? Indeed, he will be blessed!
34. Even as Esau heard his father's words, he cried out with a great and exceedingly bitter cry, and said to his father, Bless me, me also, my father.
35. And he said, Your brother came in deceitfully, and has taken away your blessing.
36. And he said, Does he not call his name Jacob? And he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright, and behold, now he has taken away my blessing. And he said, Have you not reserved a blessing for me?
37. And Isaac answered, and said to Esau, Behold, I have made him lord over you, and have given all his brothers to him as servants, and I have sustained him with grain and new wine. And for you therefore, what shall I do, my son?
38. And Esau said to his father, Have you but one blessing, my father? Bless me, me also, my father. And Esau raised his voice, and wept.
39. And Isaac his father answered, and said to him, Behold, of the fatness of the land will be your dwelling, and of the dew of heaven from above.
40. And by your sword you will live, and you will serve your brother; and it will be when you have dominion over him, that you will break his yoke from above your neck.
41. And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him; and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are approaching, and I will kill Jacob my brother.
42. And the words of Esau her elder son were pointed out to Rebekah, and she sent and summoned Jacob her younger son, and said to him, Behold, Esau your brother is consoling himself concerning you [by planning] to kill you.
43. And now, my son, hearken to my voice, and arise, flee to Laban my brother, to Haran.
44. And stay with him for a few days, until your brother's wrath turns back,
45. Until your brother's anger turns back from you, and he forgets what you have done to him, and I send and fetch you from there. Why should I be bereft of you both in one day?
46. And Rebekah said to Isaac, I loathe my life on account of the daughters of Heth. If Jacob takes a wife from the daughters of Heth, like these of the daughters of the land, what would life hold for me?
CONTENTS
Previously, where Isaac and Rebekah were the subject, the internal sense dealt with the Rational and how the Lord had made it Divine within Himself. The internal sense now deals with the Natural and how the Lord made that Divine within Himself. Esau is the good, Jacob the truth, of the Natural, for while He was in the world the Lord did indeed make Divine within Himself His entire Human, both that which is interior, namely the Rational, and that which is exterior, namely the Natural, and the Bodily as well. He did so according to Divine order. According to the same order also the Lord renews or regenerates man, and this is why the representative sense here deals with a person's regeneration as regards his natural. In that sense also Esau is the good of the natural, and Jacob its truth. Nevertheless both are Divine because all good and truth that a regenerate person has come from the Lord.
`nnn1. literally, clothes of desires
ppp20359#pid#3491. THE INTERNAL SENSE
Verse `Genesis 27bbbccc1` And so it was, that Isaac was old and his eyes were becoming dark so that he could not see; and he called Esau his elder son and said to him, My son; and he said to him, Here I am.
'So it was, that Isaac was old' means when the state was reached. 'And his eyes were becoming dark so that he could not see' means when the Rational wished to enlighten the Natural from the Divine. 'And he called Esau his elder son' means the affection for natural good, or the good of life. 'And he said to him, My son; and he said to him, Here I am' means presence as the result of foresight and provision.
ppp20358#pid#3492. 'So it was, that Isaac was old' means when the state was reached. This is clear from the meaning of 'growing old' as the arrival and presence of a new state; for 'old age' in the Word means both the casting aside of the previous state and the assumption of the new one. The reason it has these two meanings is that old age is the final stage of life, when bodily things start to be cast aside together with the loves which belong to the preceding stage, and so when interior things start to be enlightened; for once bodily things have been removed interior things are enlightened. And a further reason for the two meanings is that angels, who perceive spiritually the things that are in the Word, no longer have the concept of old age but instead the concept of new life. Thus by Isaac's being old they perceive that the state was reached, that is to say, when the Divine Rational, represented by Isaac, desired the Natural which corresponded to itself, that is, that the Natural too should be Divine.
ppp20357#pid#3493. 'And his eyes were becoming dark so that he could not see' means when the Rational wished to enlighten the Natural from the Divine. This is clear from the meaning of 'the eyes' as interior or rational sight, dealt with in `@@@2701`, and from the meaning of 'seeing' as recognizing and understanding, dealt with in `@@@2150`, `@@@2325`, `@@@2807`. Consequently when 'the eyes' are said 'to be becoming dark' the meaning is that no discernment exists any longer, in this case no discernment of the things present in the natural. This being the meaning of these words, the fact that the Rational wished to enlighten the Natural from the Divine is meant. What this implies may be seen from the following things stated and shown already about the rational and the natural with man when he is being regenerated: The rational is regenerated before the natural, for the reason that the rational is interior and so closer to the Divine, and also is purer and so more suited to receiving the Divine than the natural is; and for the further reason that the natural has to be regenerated by way of the rational, see `@@@3286`, `@@@3288`, `@@@3321`.
ttt[2] When therefore the rational has been regenerated but not the natural the former in that case seems to itself to be made dark, for no correspondence exists between the two. Actually the rational receives its sight from the light of heaven, whereas the natural receives its sight from the light of the world; but unless a correspondence exists between the two the rational is unable to see anything that is in the natural. Everything there is like shadow or even like thick darkness. But once a correspondence does exist, things that are in light in the natural are then apparent to the rational, for things that belong to the light of the world are then enlightened by those that belong to the light of heaven, which are so to speak shining through. But these matters are more clearly evident from what has been stated and shown already about correspondence see `@@@2987`, `@@@2989-2991`, `@@@3002`, `@@@3138`, `@@@3167`, `@@@3222`, `@@@3223`, `@@@3225`, `@@@3337`, `@@@3485`. Through what is stated and shown in these paragraphs one may grasp to some extent that the words 'Isaac's eyes were becoming dark so that he could not see' mean that the Rational wished to enlighten the Natural from the Divine, that is to say, to make even the Natural Divine, for the subject in the highest sense is the Lord. Light is thereby shed on this matter by what occurs with man when he is being regenerated and which has been described already; for man's regeneration is an image of the Lord's glorification, `@@@3043`, `@@@3138`, `@@@3212`, `@@@3296`, `@@@3490`.
ppp20356#pid#3494. 'And he called Esau his elder son' means the affection for natural good, or the good of life. This is clear from the representation of 'Esau' as the Divine Good of the Natural, dealt with in `@@@3300`, `@@@3302`, `@@@3322`. And because the good of the natural is that which manifests itself in affection and life, it is accordingly the affection for natural good, or the good of life, that 'Esau' represents here. The affection for good in the natural and consequently the good of life is that which is called 'the elder son', whereas the affection for truth and consequently the doctrine of truth is that which is called 'the younger son'. The fact that the affection for good and consequently the good of life is the elder son, that is, the firstborn, is quite evident from the consideration that good reigns in anyone's children at first. Indeed they are in a state of innocence, and a state of love towards their parents or nursemaid, and a state of mutual charity towards playmates, so that good is the firstborn with everyone. This good which is fostered in this state within a person when he is a small child remains with him, for whatever is instilled in infancy acquires life to itself; and because it remains it becomes the good of life. Indeed if a person were devoid of such good as he has had with him from earliest childhood he would not be human but would be more savage than any wild animal of the forest. Not that its presence is apparent, for everything that has been instilled in earliest childhood inevitably appears to be something natural, as is quite evident from being able to walk, from all our other bodily movements, and from the right and proper ways to behave among other people; also from being able to talk, and from so many other abilities. From this it may be seen that good is 'the elder son', that is, the firstborn, and truth therefore 'the younger son', or one born later, for truth is not learned until childhood, adolescent, and adult years are reached.
ttt[2] Each of them, good and truth in the natural or external man, is 'a son', that is to say, a son of the rational or internal man, for whatever comes into being in the natural or external man flows in from the rational or internal man, and from there comes into being and is born. That which does not come into being and is not born from there is not living and human, but is like what you might call body and senses without a soul. Hence both good and truth are called 'sons', and indeed sons of the rational. Yet it is not the rational that produces and gives birth to the natural, but an influx by way of the rational into the natural, an influx coming from the Lord. His 'sons' therefore are all the young children who are born, and after that time whenever they become wise. Also, insofar as the latter are at that time 'young children' - that is, insofar as the innocence of a young child, the love of a child for its parent (who is now the Lord), and mutual charity towards playmates (who are now the neighbour) exist in them, they are adopted by the Lord as 'sons'.
ppp20355#pid#3495. 'And he said to him, My son; and he said to him, Here I am' means presence as the result of foresight and provision. This is clear from the meaning of 'he called him and said to him, My son' as that which results from foresight and provision, for reference is being made to the Lord's Divine; and from the meaning of 'he said to him, Here I am', which is the reply, as presence.
ppp20354#pid#3496. Verses `Genesis 27bbbccc2-4` And he said, Behold now, I am old; I do not know the day of my death. And now take, I beg you, your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt venison for me. And make me savoury food such as I love, and bring it to me, and I will eat, so that my soul may bless you before I die.
'He said, Behold now, I am old' means that the state was reached. 'I do not know the day of my death' means the life within the natural. 'And now take, I beg you, your weapons, your quiver and your bow' means the matters of doctrine concerning good which were in his possession. 'And go out to the field' means where a good ground exists. 'And hunt venison for me' means truth acquired from good. 'And make me savoury food such as I love' means the forms of pleasantness received from that truth, because it is acquired from good. 'And bring it to me, and I will eat' means making it its own. 'So that my soul may bless you' means allying it to its own life. 'Before I die' means the first state of awakening in the natural.
ppp20353#pid#3497. 'He said, Behold now, I am old' means that the state was reached. This is clear from what has been stated above, in `@@@3492`, about the meaning of 'growing old'.
ppp20352#pid#3498. 'I do not know the day of my death' means the life within the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'day' as state, dealt with in `@@@23`, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@893`, `@@@2788`, and from the meaning of 'death' as rising again or awakening into life, dealt with in `@@@3326`. 'The day of death' accordingly means a state of awakening to life, or what amounts to the same, it means life - the life within the natural, it is evident, being meant in particular here, because that life is the subject here. What is implied in all this does not become clear unless one knows about the life of the rational, and the life of the natural, or what amounts to the same, about the life of the internal man and the life of the external man. The life of the rational or internal man is distinct and separate from that of the natural or external man, so distinct indeed that the life of the rational or internal man may exist quite independently of the life of the natural or external man; but the life of the natural or external man cannot exist apart from that of the rational or internal man. For the external man lives from the internal man, so much so that if the life of the internal man ceased to be, the life of the external man would instantly be no more. Exterior things are accordingly dependent on interior in the way that things which are posterior exist from those that are prior, or as an effect exists from its efficient cause. For if the efficient cause ceased to be, the effect would instantly be no more. The same is also so with the life of the external man in relation to the life of the internal man.
ttt[2] This may be seen even more clearly in the human being, for while a person is in the world, that is, while he lives in the body, his rational is distinct and separate from the natural, so much so that he can be raised above the level of external sensory perceptions which belong to the body, and even to a certain extent above the level of inner sensory perceptions which belong to his natural man, and to be aware on the level of his rational, and so of spiritual thought. This is even more evident from the fact that when a person dies he leaves behind him altogether the external sensory perceptions that belong to the body, retaining at the same time the life of his interior man. Indeed he brings with him even the facts that exist in the external or natural memory, though he does not have the use of them, see `@@@2475-2477`, `@@@2479-2483`, `@@@2485`, `@@@2486`. From this it is evident that the rational or internal man is distinct and separate from the external man. But while a person is living in the body his rational does not seem to be distinct and separate from the natural, the reason being that he is living in the world or the natural order. That being so the life of the rational manifests itself within the natural, so much so that the rational does not seem to have any life at all if the natural does not at the same time have any. The amount of life that the rational seems to have in this case depends on how far the natural corresponds to it - see above in `@@@3493`. From this it may be seen that there is a corresponding life in the natural, which life is meant by the words which Isaac addressed to Esau, 'I do not know the day of my death'. For 'Isaac' represents the rational, and 'Esau' the natural, in both cases as regards good.
ppp20351#pid#3499. 'And now take, I beg you, your weapons, your quiver and your bow' means the matters of doctrine concerning good which were in his possession. This is clear from the meaning of 'weapons, quiver and bow' as matters of doctrine, dealt with in `@@@2686`, `@@@2709`, here the matters of doctrine concerning good which were in his possession, that is to say, which the good of the natural, represented by 'Esau', possessed.
ppp20350#pid#3500. 'And go out to the field' means where a good ground exists. This is clear from the meaning of 'the field' as the good that constitutes the Church and also the good taught by doctrine, dealt with in `@@@2971`, `@@@3196`, `@@@3310`, `@@@3317` - thus a ground that is good.
ppp20349#pid#3501. 'And hunt venison for me' means truth acquired from good. This is clear from the meaning of 'hunting' and of 'venison' as the truth of the natural from which the good of life is received, dealt with in `@@@3309`. Here truth acquired from good is meant because the words are addressed to Esau, who represents, as has been stated, the good of the natural.
ppp20348#pid#3502. 'And make me savoury food such as I love' means the forms of pleasantness received from that truth, because it is acquired from good. This is clear from the meaning of 'savoury food' as forms of pleasantness; and because that food was received from Esau who represents the good of the natural, that which is acquired from good is therefore meant. In the original language 'savoury food' refers to the forms of delight and pleasantness of taste, and means in the internal sense the delights which go with good and the forms of pleasantness which go with truth, the reason being that taste, as with all the other physical senses, corresponds to celestial and spiritual things - which correspondence will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with later on. The situation in these matters does not become clear unless one knows how the natural is made new or receives life from the rational, that is, from the Lord by way of the rational.
ttt[2] The natural is not renewed, it does not receive a corresponding life from the rational - that is, it is not regenerated - except by means of matters of doctrine or cognitions of good and truth, the celestial man being regenerated by means primarily of cognitions of good, the spiritual man by means primarily of cognitions of truth. Matters of doctrine or cognitions of good and truth cannot be conveyed to the natural man, nor thus be joined to it and made its own, except through all delight and pleasantness that are appropriate for it, for they are instilled by the external way or that of the senses. Anything that does not enter in by way of some delight or pleasantness does not attach itself there and so does not remain. These are the factors meant by truth acquired from good, and the forms of pleasantness received from this truth. And it is these that are the subject in what follows.
ppp20347#pid#3503. 'Bring it to me that I may eat' means making it its own. This is clear from the meaning of 'eating' as making one's own, dealt with in `@@@2187`, `@@@2343`, `@@@3168`.
ppp20346#pid#3504.'So that my soul may bless you' means allying it to its own life, consequently life that corresponds to the rational. This is clear from the meaning of 'being blessed' as being endowed with celestial and spiritual good, dealt with in `@@@981`, `@@@1731`, `@@@2846`, `@@@3017`, `@@@3406`. For the good of early childhood and consequently the good of life, which is the same as the good of the natural, and which is represented by 'Esau', is not spiritual good, for the good of early childhood is devoid of knowledge and intelligence, and so of wisdom. The good of early childhood becomes spiritual good through the implantation of truth, and so through regeneration, see `@@@1616`, `@@@1802`, `@@@2280`, `@@@2290`, `@@@2291`, `@@@2299`, `@@@2304`, `@@@2305`, `@@@2307`, `@@@3494` (end). This is how the correspondence between rational things and natural is effected, and so how the allying of the natural man to the life of the rational is effected. This allying to its own life is what is meant by 'my soul may bless you'.
ppp20345#pid#3505. 'Before I die' means the first state of awakening in the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'dying' as rising again or awakening into life, dealt with in `@@@3326`, `@@@3498`. That this is the first state is evident from the consideration that it is the good of early childhood and therefore the good of life which comes first in regeneration, which first state up to now has been represented by 'Esau'. Subsequent states, dealt with consecutively, form the subject in this chapter.
ppp20344#pid#3506. Verses `Genesis 27bbbccc5-7` And Rebekah was listening to Isaac while he spoke to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, to bring it [home]. And Rebekah said to Jacob her son - she said - Behold, I listened to your father speaking to Esau your brother, saying, Bring me venison, and make me savoury food, and I will eat, and I will bless you before Jehovah, before my death.
'Rebekah was listening to Isaac while he spoke to Esau his son' means the affection for truth and the life from that affection. 'And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, to bring it [home]' means the effort of the affection for good to acquire the truth that was to be allied to the Divine Rational. 'And Rebekah said to Jacob her son - she said' means the Lord's perception from Divine Truth concerning natural truth. 'Behold, I listened to your father speaking to Esau your brother, saying' means that the desire of the Divine Good of the Divine Rational was for the affection for good. 'Bring me venison' means truth acquired from good. 'And make me savoury food' means the desire and pleasure gained from the pleasantness received from that truth. 'And I will eat' means in that way making it its own. 'And I will bless you before Jehovah' means conjunction thereby. 'Before my death' means life thus within the natural.
ppp20343#pid#3507. 'Rebekah was listening to Isaac while he spoke to [Esau] his son' means the affection for truth and the life from that affection. This is clear from the representation of 'Rebekah' as the Lord's Divine Rational as regards Divine Truth joined to Divine Good there, and so as the affection itself for truth; and from the meaning of 'listening to Isaac while he spoke' as the life from that affection. For in the internal sense 'listening to someone speaking' means influx, and it does so because in the representative sense 'listening to' means being obedient, `@@@2542`, and 'speaking' means willing and flowing in, `@@@2626`, `@@@2952`, `@@@3037`; so that in the highest sense 'listening to someone speaking' is the life from that affection, that is to say, the life of Divine Truth received from Divine Good. 'To his son' in the internal sense has reference to the good of the natural and from this to the truth of the natural. Being far removed from the sense of the letter, which is the historical sense, the meaning held within these words is scarcely apparent; but such a meaning is nevertheless present there.
ttt[2] Indeed angelic ideas are not at all like human ideas. Angelic ideas are spiritual; and when they become more interior they are celestial, whereas human ideas are natural, and when formed from things that happened in history are sensory impressions. The Lord however has effected through the Word such a correspondence between spiritual things which belong to heaven and natural ones which belong to the world that natural ideas are converted in an instant into spiritual ones. Consequently heaven is joined to the world through mankind, and in particular through the Word, and so through the Church in which the Word is present. The fact that the correspondence of natural things and spiritual exists in every single thing that can be grasped and perceived mentally will in the Lord's Divine mercy be clear from what is to be stated from experience about the Grand Man at the ends of chapters below.
ppp20342#pid#3508. 'And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, to bring it [home]' means the effort of the affection for good to acquire the truth that was to be allied to the Divine Rational. This is clear from the representation of 'Esau' as the good of the natural, dealt with already, and therefore the affection for the good of the rational within the natural is meant, for the good that is within the natural does not belong to the natural but to the rational within the natural, see `@@@3498`; from the meaning of 'going to the field to hunt for venison, to bring it [home]' as the effort to acquire truth to itself, for 'the field' is where good ground exists, `@@@3500`, 'venison' truth acquired from good, `@@@3501`, 'to bring it [home]' to acquire it, and so to ally it to the Divine Rational.
ttt[2] Here, as stated above, the subject in the highest sense is the glorification of the Lord's Natural, and in the representative sense the regeneration of the natural with man, `@@@3490`. It is according to order that this is effected by means of truth, that is, by means of cognitions of good and truth, for without these the natural cannot receive light from the rational, that is, by way of the rational, and so be regenerated. Cognitions are vessels for receiving good and truth entering in from the rational. The way in which the vessels receive and the amount they receive determine the nature of their enlightenment and how far they are enlightened. Vessels which receive good and truth from the rational are the truths themselves belonging to the natural, which are no more than facts, cognitions, and matters of doctrine. From the order according to which they flow in and from the order which exists among them there they become goods. This is the origin of the good of the natural.
ppp20341#pid#3509. 'And Rebekah said to Jacob her son - she said' means the Lord's perception from Divine Truth concerning natural truth. This is clear from the representation of 'Rebekah' as the Divine Truth of the Lord's Divine Rational, dealt with in `@@@3012`, `@@@3013`, `@@@3077`; from the meaning of 'saying' as perceiving, dealt with in `@@@1791`, `@@@1815`, `@@@1819`, `@@@1822`, `@@@1898`, `@@@1919`, `@@@2080`, `@@@2506`, `@@@2515`, `@@@2552`, `@@@2619`; and from the representation of 'Jacob' as the Lord's Natural as regards truth, dealt with in `@@@3305`. From this it is evident that 'Rebekah said to Jacob her son' means the Lord's perception from Divine Truth concerning natural truth. For on the one hand the Lord wished to acquire truth from the Divine Good of the Divine Rational, represented by 'Isaac', through the good of the Natural, represented by 'Esau', by means of which truth He would glorify, or make Divine, the Natural. But on the other hand the Lord wished to acquire truth from the Divine Truth of the Divine Rational, represented by 'Rebekah', through the truth of the Natural, represented by 'Jacob', by means of which truth He would glorify, or make Divine, the Rational. But these two wishes of His cannot be grasped unless light is thrown on the subject from what happens with man when being regenerated or made new by the Lord. And even then it cannot be grasped unless one knows the situation with the rational as regards good and as regards truth there. So let this matter be discussed briefly.
ttt[2] The rational mind is distinguished into two separate mental powers, one called the will, the other the understanding. That which goes forth from the will when someone is being regenerated is called good, and that which goes forth from the understanding is called truth. Until a person has been regenerated the will does not act in unison with the understanding. Instead the will desires good whereas the understanding desires truth; and so different is each desire from the other that the effort of the will is perceived to be quite distinct and separate from that of the understanding. This is perceived however only by those who stop to reflect, knowing what the will is and the things that constitute this, and what the understanding is and the things that constitute that. But it is not perceived by those who do not know those things and therefore do not stop to reflect. And there is the added reason that the natural mind is regenerated by way of the rational mind, see `@@@3493`, and indeed according to order as follows: The good of the rational does not pass directly into the good of the natural and regenerate it but by way of truth which belongs to the understanding, thus giving the appearance that it enters in from the truth of the rational. These are the matters which this chapter deals with in the internal sense; for 'Isaac' is the rational mind as regards good present in the will, 'Rebekah' as regards truth present in the understanding. 'Esau' is the good of the natural springing from the good of the rational, 'Jacob' the truth of the natural springing from the good of the rational by way of the truth there.
ttt[3] These considerations show the kind of arcana contained in the internal sense of the Word; yet there are very few which can be described in a way intelligible to the human mind. The number of those which are beyond man's comprehension and defy description is unlimited. For the more deeply the Word goes, that is, the more interiorly into heaven, the more unlimited and also the more indescribable do they become not only to man but also to angels of the lower heaven. And when it reaches the inmost heaven the angels there perceive that the arcana are infinite and, being Divine are quite beyond their comprehension. Such is the nature of the Word.
ppp20340#pid#3510. 'Behold, I listened to your father speaking to Esau your brother, saying' means that the desire of the Divine Good of the Divine Rational was for the affection for good. This is clear from the representation of Isaac, to whom 'father' refers here, as the Divine Good of the Divine Rational, dealt with already; from the meaning of 'speaking' as willing, dealt with in `@@@2626`, `@@@2951`, `@@@3037`; and from the representation of 'Esau' as the affection for the good within the natural, dealt with above in `@@@3508`.
ppp20339#pid#3511. 'Bring me venison' means truth acquired from good. This is clear from the meaning of 'venison' as truth acquired from good, dealt with above in `@@@3501`.
ppp20338#pid#3512. 'And make me savoury food' means the desire and pleasure gained from the pleasantness received from that truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'savoury food' as forms of pleasantness, dealt with above in `@@@3502`, and so the desire and pleasure gained from the pleasantness received from this, that is to say, from truth. For as stated in the paragraph just referred to, truths are brought into man's natural by means of forms of pleasantness in keeping with it, and those that are not brought in by means of such forms do not attach themselves there and so are not joined to the rational by means of correspondence. Furthermore truths, like all other matters of knowledge, find their place in the memory belonging to the natural man according to all the pleasantness and delight that has brought them in. This is evident from the fact that when that pleasantness and delight reappears so do the things brought in by means of it; and conversely, when those things are recalled, so at the same time all the delight and pleasantness associated with them is aroused.
ppp20337#pid#3513. 'And I will eat' means in that way making it its own. This is clear from the meaning of 'eating' as being made one's own, dealt with in `@@@2187`, `@@@2343`, `@@@3168`, `@@@3503`. It is made its own when, by means of forms of pleasantness and delight, truths, that is, cognitions of good and truth, are instilled into the natural; and when these truths are allied to the good in the natural, communication is effected with the truth and good of the rational and so with the rational itself. It is this communication that the expression 'being made one's own' is used to describe, for those truths belong to the rational within the natural. Indeed truths in the rational are related to those in the natural in the way that individual parts are related to their general wholes. It is well known that a general whole is the product of its individual parts and that without the individual parts no general whole can be produced. It is the general whole produced from the individual parts belonging to the rational that is manifested in the natural. And being a general whole it takes a different form, doing so according to the order of the individual constituent parts, and so according to the form that results. If it is the more specific and the consequent individual parts of celestial good and spiritual truth that give form to the general whole within the natural, then it is a celestial and spiritual form that is presented, and something of heaven is represented as a kind of image in the specific parts constituting the general whole. But if the more specific and the individual parts which give form to the general whole within the natural do not consist of good and truth but of evil and falsity, something of hell is in that case represented as a kind of image in the specific parts constituting the general whole.
ttt[2] Such are the things meant by eating and drinking in the Holy Supper, where again eating and drinking mean making one's own; that is to say, 'eating' means making good one's own and 'drinking' making truth one's own. If good, that is to say, love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour, gives form to the internal or rational man, and by way of this rational man gives form to a corresponding external or natural man, the person becomes in particular and in general an image of heaven, and therefore an image of the Lord. But if contempt for the Lord and for the good and truth of faith, and hatred towards the neighbour give form to the rational man, the person becomes in particular and in general an image of hell - the more so if at the same time he eats and drinks in a holy manner, for profanation then results. Consequently people who eat and drink worthily make eternal life their own, whereas those who do so unworthily make [eternal] death their own.
ppp20336#pid#3514. 'And I will bless you before Jehovah' means conjunction thereby. This is clear from the meaning of 'I will bless you' as an alliance to its own life, dealt with above in `@@@3504`. Here, because the words 'I will bless you before Jehovah' are used, conjunction is meant. The expression 'alliance' is used to refer to the communication of the truth of the natural with the good of the rational, but the expression 'conjunction' to refer to the communication of the good of the natural with the good of the rational. For a parallelism exists between God and man so far as celestial things, which are forms of good, are concerned, but not where spiritual things, which are forms of truth, are concerned, see `@@@1832`.
ppp20335#pid#3515. 'Before my death' means life thus within the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'death' as awakening into life, dealt with above in `@@@3498`, `@@@3505`.
ppp20334#pid#3516. Verses `Genesis 27bbbccc8-10` And now, my son, hearken to my voice, to what I command you. Go now to the flock, and take for me from there two good kids of the she-goats, and I will make them into savoury food for your father, such as he loves. And bring it to your father, and let him eat, so that he may bless you before his death.
'Now, my son, hearken to my voice, to what I command you' means the desire and pleasure perceived by Divine Truth within the Divine Rational towards natural truth. 'Go now to the flock' means to homeborn natural good that has not been joined to the Divine Rational 'And take for me from there two good kids of the she-goats' means truths born from that good. 'And I will make them into savoury food for your father, such as he loves' means that from these it will produce things that are delightful. 'And bring it to your father, and let him eat' means for the Divine Good of the Divine Rational, which makes those things its own. 'So that he may bless you' means conjunction thereby. 'Before his death' means awakening in the natural.
ppp20333#pid#3517. 'Now, my son, hearken to my voice, to what I command you' means the desire and pleasure perceived by Divine Truth within the Divine Rational towards natural truth. This is clear from the representation of 'Rebekah', who speaks these words, as the Divine Truth of the Divine Rational, dealt with already, and from the representation of 'Jacob', to whom they are addressed, as natural truth, also dealt with already. The fact that desire and delight is meant is evident without explanation.
ppp20332#pid#3518. 'Go now to the flock' means to homeborn natural good that has not been joined to the Divine Rational. This is clear from the meaning of 'the flock' as good, dealt with in `@@@343`, `@@@415`, `@@@1565`, here natural good since the words are addressed to Jacob. Indeed homeborn good is meant since it was homebred, whereas the field from which Esau, who means the good of the natural, `@@@3500`, `@@@3508`, was to obtain his venison, means good that was not homeborn. In other places in the Word 'the flock' is used to refer to the good of the rational; but in such cases 'the herd' is used to refer to the good of the natural, see `@@@2566`. homeborn natural good is the good which a person possesses from his parents or is the good that he is born with, which is quite distinct and separate from the good of the natural which flows in from the Lord. What natural good is, and its essential nature, see `@@@3470`, `@@@3471`. To distinguish one from the other therefore, the first good is called the good of the natural, but the second natural good. What is more, everyone receives homeborn good both from father and from mother; and these are distinct from each other. Good received from the father is interior, that from the mother exterior. In the Lord's case these two forms of good were quite distinct and separate, for the Good which He had from the Father was Divine, whereas that which He had from the mother was polluted with hereditary evil. That Good within the Natural which the Lord had from the Father was His very own since it was His life itself; and this Good is represented by 'Esau'. But the natural good which the Lord possessed from the mother, being polluted with hereditary evil, was by its very nature evil; and it is this good that is meant by the description 'homeborn good'. Yet in spite of being thus polluted, homeborn good was nevertheless of service in the reformation of the natural. But once it had rendered its service it was cast away.
ttt[2] With everyone who is being regenerated something similar takes place. The good which a person receives from the Lord as a new Father is interior, but the good he possesses from parents is exterior. The good which he receives from the Lord is called spiritual good, whereas that which he possesses from parents is called natural good. The latter good - that which he possesses from parents - is of service first of all in the reformation of him, for it is through that good, serving as joy and delight, that facts, and after that cognitions of truth, are brought in. But once it has served as the means to effect that purpose it is separated, and spiritual good comes to the fore and manifests itself. This becomes clear from much experience, merely for example from the fact that when a child first starts to learn he is moved by a desire for knowing, not initially on account of any end in view that is seen by himself but because of some innate joy and delight and because of other incentives. Later on, as he grows up, he is moved by a desire for knowing on account of some end he has in view - excelling others, that is, his rivals. Later still he is so moved on account of some worldly end. But when about to be regenerated his desire for knowing stems from the delight and pleasantness of truth, and when undergoing regeneration, which takes place in adult years, from a love of truth, and later on from a love of good. The ends in view which had existed previously, and their delights, are now separated little by little, to be replaced by interior good which comes from the Lord and manifests itself in his affection. From this it is evident that previous delights, which seemed in outward appearance to be forms of good, have served as means. Consecutive series of means such as these occur unceasingly.
ttt[3] Such series may be compared to a tree, which at the initial stage or the start of spring decks its branches with leaves, and after that as that stage or spring advances it adorns them with blossom. Then, around summertime, it produces the elementary signs of its fruit, which go on to develop into the fruit itself; and at length within the fruit it produces seeds, in which are contained new trees like itself - potentially a whole garden, which becomes a reality if those seeds are planted. Such are the comparisons existing in the natural world. They are also representatives, for the whole natural order is a theatre representative of the Lord's kingdom in heaven, and therefore of the Lord's kingdom on earth, which is the Church, and consequently of the Lord's kingdom with every regenerate person. From all this it is evident how natural or homeborn good, despite being a merely external and indeed worldly delight, may be of service as the means for producing the good of the natural which may join itself to the good of the rational and so become regenerate or spiritual good, that is, good which comes from the Lord. These are the things which are represented and meant in this chapter by Esau and Jacob.
ppp20331#pid#3519. 'And take for me from there two good kids of the she-goats' means truths born from that good. This is clear from the meaning of 'kids of the she-goats' as truths born from good, dealt with below. The reason for having 'two' was that as in the rational so in the natural there are things of the will and those of the understanding. Things in the natural that belong to the will are delights, while those that belong to the understanding are facts. These two have to be joined together if they are to be anything at all.
ttt[2] As regards 'kids of the she-goats' meaning truths born from good, this becomes clear from those places in the Word where kids and she-goats are mentioned. It should be recognized that all gentle and useful beasts mentioned in the Word mean in the genuine sense celestial things, which are forms of good, and spiritual things, which are forms of truth, see `@@@45`, `@@@46`, `@@@142`, `@@@143`, `@@@246`, `@@@714`, `@@@715`, `@@@776`, `@@@2179`, `@@@2180`, `@@@2781`, `@@@3218`. And since there are various genera of celestial things or forms of good, and consequently there are various genera of spiritual things or forms of truth, one beast has a different meaning from another; that is to say, a lamb has one meaning, a kid another, and a sheep, she-goat, ram, he-goat, young bull, or ox another, while a horse or a camel has yet another meaning. Birds have a different meaning again, as also do beasts of the sea, such as sea monsters, and fish. The genera of celestial and spiritual things, and consequently of forms of good and truth, are more than anyone can number, even though when that which is celestial or good is mentioned, and also when that which is spiritual or truth, this is not envisaged as being anything complex, consisting of many parts, but as a single entity. Yet how complex both of these are, that is, how countless the genera are of which they consist, may be seen from what has been stated about heaven in `@@@3241`, to the effect that it is distinguished into countless separate communities, according to the genera of celestial and spiritual things, that is, of goods of love and of derivative truths of faith. Furthermore each genus of good and each genus of truth has countless species into which the communities of each genus are separated. And each species in a similar way has separate sub-species.
ttt[3] The commonest genera of good and truth are what the living creatures offered as burnt offerings and sacrifices represented. And because the genera are quite distinct and separate, people were explicitly commanded to use those living creatures and no others, that is to say, in some sacrifices lambs and ewe-lambs, and also kids and female kids of she-goats were to be used, in other sacrifices rams and sheep, and also he-goats, were to be used, while in other sacrifices again, calves, young bulls, and oxen, or else pigeons and doves, were to be used, see `@@@992`, `@@@1823`, `@@@2180`, `@@@2805`, `@@@2807`, `@@@2830`, `@@@3218`. What kids and she-goats meant however becomes clear both from the sacrifices in which they used to be offered and from other places in the Word. These show that lambs and ewe-lambs meant innocence belonging to the internal or rational man, and kids and she-goats innocence belonging to the external or natural man, and so the truth and the good of the latter.
ttt[4] The fact that truth and good present in the innocence that belongs to the external or natural man is meant by a kid and a she-goat is clear from the following places in the Word: In Isaiah,
The wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the kid, the calf also and the young lion and the sheep together; and a little child will lead them. `Isaiah 11bbb6`.
This refers to the Lord's kingdom and to the state there in which people have no fear of evil, that is, no dread of hell, because they are with the Lord. 'The lamb' and 'the kid' stand for people who have innocence within them, and who, being the most secure of all, are mentioned first.
ttt[5] When all the firstborn of Egypt were smitten the people were commanded to kill from among the lambs or among the kids a male without blemish, and to put some of the blood on the doorposts and on the lintel of their houses; and so the destroyer would not strike them with the plague, `Exodus 12bbb5`, `Exodus 12bbbccc7`, `Exodus 12bbbccc13`. 'The firstborn of Egypt' means the good of love and charity that was wiped out, `@@@3325`. 'The lambs' and 'the kids' are states of innocence, in which those with whom these exist are secure from evil. Indeed all in heaven are kept secure by the Lord through states of innocence. That security was represented by the killing of the lamb or kid, and putting the blood on the doorposts and on the lintel of the houses. .
ttt[6] To avert his own death when a person saw Jehovah manifested as an angel he would sacrifice 'a kid of the she-goats', as Gideon did when he saw Him, `Judges 6bbb19`, and also Manoah, `Judges 13bbb15-16`, `Judges 13bbbccc19`. The reason they offered a kid was that Jehovah or the Lord cannot appear to anybody, not even to an angel, unless the one to whom He appears is in a state of innocence. Therefore as soon as the Lord is present people are brought into a state of innocence, for the Lord enters in by way of innocence, even with angels in heaven. Consequently no one is able to enter heaven unless he has a measure of innocence, according to the Lord's words recorded in `Matthew 18bbb3`; `Mark 10bbb15`; `Luke 18bbb17`. Regarding people's belief that they would die when Jehovah appeared to them if they did not offer such a burnt offering, see `Judges 13bbb22-23`.
ttt[7] Since genuine conjugial love is innocence itself, `@@@2736`, it was customary in the representative Church for a man to go to his wife with the gift of a kid of the she-goats, as one reads of Samson in `Judges 15bbb1`, and also of Judah when he visited Tamar, `Genesis 38bbb17`, `Genesis 38bbbccc20`, `Genesis 38bbbccc23`. The fact that 'a kid' and 'a she-goat' meant innocence is also evident from the sacrifices made as guilt offerings that a person would offer if he had sinned through error, `Leviticus 1bbb10`; `Leviticus ccc4bbb28`; `Leviticus ccc5bbb6`. Sinning through error is sinning through ignorance that has innocence within it. The same is evident from the following Divine command in Moses,
You shall bring the first of the firstfruits of your land to the house of Jehovah your God. You shall not boil a kid in its mother's milk. `Exodus 23bbb19`; `Exodus ccc34bbb26`.
Here the requirement 'to bring the firstfruits of the land to the house of Jehovah' means the state of innocence which exists in early childhood; and 'not boiling a kid in its mother's milk' means that they were not to destroy the innocence of early childhood. This being their meaning, the one command, in both places referred to, follows directly after the other. In the literal sense there seems to be no connection at all between them as there is in the internal sense.
ttt[8] Because kids and she-goats, as has been stated, meant innocence it was also required that the curtains over the tabernacle should be made from she-goat hair, `Exodus 25bbb4`; `Exodus ccc26bbb7`; `Exodus ccc35bbb5-6`, `Exodus 35bbbccc23`, `Exodus 35bbbccc26`; `Exodus ccc36bbb14`, as a sign that all the holy things represented in it depended for their very being on innocence. 'She-goat hair' means the last or outermost degree of innocence present in ignorance, such as exists with gentiles who in the internal sense are meant by the curtains of the tabernacle. These considerations now show what truths born of good are, and what the nature of these is, meant by the two good kids of the she-goats which Rebekah his mother spoke about to Jacob. That is to say, they are truths belonging to innocence or early childhood, meant also by the things which Esau was to bring to Isaac his father, dealt with in `@@@3501`, `@@@3508`. They were not in fact such truths, but initially they appeared to be. Thus it was that Jacob pretended by means of them to be Esau.
ppp20330#pid#3520. 'And I will make them into savoury food for your father, such as he loves' means that from these it will produce things that are delightful. This is clear from the meaning of 'savoury food' as forms of pleasantness received from good, dealt with above in `@@@3502`. Here they are called delightful because the truths do not spring from genuine good but from homeborn good, `@@@3518`.
ppp20329#pid#3521. 'And bring it to your father, and let him eat' means for the Divine Good of the Divine Rational, which makes those things its own. This is clear from the representation of Isaac, to whom 'father' refers here, as the Divine Good of the Divine Rational, dealt with already, and from the meaning of 'eating' as making one's own, dealt with above in `@@@3513`. As regards truth that springs from homeborn good not being made its own, this will be clear from what follows below.
ppp20328#pid#3522. 'So that he may bless you' means conjunction thereby. This is clear from the meaning of 'blessing' as conjunction, dealt with above in `@@@3504`, `@@@3514`.
ppp20327#pid#3523. 'Before his death' means awakening in the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'death' as awakening, also dealt with above in `@@@3498`, `@@@3505` - an awakening, it is evident, in the natural.
ppp20326#pid#3524. Verses `Genesis 27bbbccc11-13` And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. Perhaps my father will feel me, and I shall be in his eyes as one who misleads, and I shall bring upon myself a curse and not a blessing. And his mother said to him, Upon me be your curse, my son; only hearken to my voice, and go, take them for me.
'Jacob said to Rebekah his mother' means the Lord's perception from Divine Truth concerning natural truth. 'Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man' means the nature of natural good compared with natural truth. 'And I am a smooth man' means the nature of natural truth compared with natural good. 'Perhaps my father will feel me' means an inmost degree of perception. 'And I shall be in his eyes as one who misleads' means rejection because of being, as it seems, contrary to order. 'And I shall bring upon myself a curse and not a blessing' means a separation. 'And his mother said to him' means perception from Divine Truth. 'Upon me be your curse, my son' means that there will be no separation. 'Only hearken to my voice, and go, take them for me' means from the effect.
ppp20325#pid#3525. 'Jacob said to Rebekah his mother' means the Lord's perception from Divine Truth concerning natural truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in historical narratives of the Word as perceiving, dealt with in `@@@3509`, from the representation of 'Jacob' as natural truth, dealt with in `@@@3305`, and from the representation of 'Rebekah' as the Divine Truth of the Lord's Divine Rational, dealt with in `@@@3012`, `@@@3013`, `@@@3077`. The reason why perception from Divine Truth concerning natural truth is the meaning and not, as appears to be the case from the sense of the letter, from natural truth concerning Divine Truth, is that all perception which the natural possesses originates in the rational. Here, therefore, since the subject has reference to the Lord, perception originating in the Divine Truth of the Divine Rational is meant.
ppp20324#pid#3526. 'Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy men' means the nature of natural good compared with natural truth. This is clear from the representation of 'Esau' as the good of the natural, dealt with above in `@@@3494`, `@@@3504`, and from the meaning of 'a hairy man' as the nature of it, that is to say, of good - 'hairy' meaning the natural in particular as regards truth, see `@@@3301` and also here, in the next paragraph.
ppp20323#pid#3527. 'And I am a smooth man' means the nature of natural truth compared with natural good. This is clear from the representation of Jacob, to whom 'I' refers here, as the natural as regards truth, dealt with in `@@@3305`, and from the meaning of 'a smooth man' as the nature of it, which is dealt with below. Before anyone can know what these words mean he needs to know what 'hairy' means and what 'smooth' means. The inner things present in a person manifest themselves outwardly in some visible form, especially in his face and facial expressions. The things that are inmost within him are not seen there at the present day, only to some extent things less interior than those inmost ones. But not even these are seen, if he has learned since early childhood to employ presence, for in that case he adopts so to speak a different disposition of mind (animus) and as a consequence produces a different facial expression - it being the disposition of mind (animus) that shows in the face. Hypocrites more than all others have become steeped in such presence from actually behaving, and so becoming accustomed to behave in such ways; and the more deceitful they are the more thoroughly are they steeped in it. With people who are not hypocrites rational good is seen in the face as the manifestation of a certain fire of life, and rational truth as the manifestation of the light of that fire. These matters a person is aware of from a certain innate knowledge without having to learn them, for it is the life of his spirit as regards good and as regards truth that manifests itself in this way. And because man is a spirit clothed with a body he knows about such a thing as this from a perception of it in his spirit, and so is aware of it from within himself. This is why a person is on occasions stirred with affection by another's facial expression, though it is not the facial expression that stirs him but the disposition of mind shining through it. The natural degree of the mind however reveals itself in the face as a more obscure fire of life and more obscure light of life, while the bodily degree scarcely does so as more than a warm and bright complexion, and as the change of their states in accordance with affections.
ttt[2] Because the inner things present in a person manifest themselves thus in a visible form, especially in the face, the most ancient people - who were celestial and had no knowledge at all of what it was to employ presence, let alone of what hypocrisy or what deceit was - were able to see the mind of another plainly revealed in his face. For this reason the face also meant things of the will and those of the understanding, that is, interior rational things as regards good and truth, `@@@358`, `@@@1999`, `@@@2434`. Indeed those interior things as regards good were meant by the blood and its redness, and as regards truths by the form resulting from it, and its pure whiteness. But interior natural things were meant by things growing out of these, such as hairs and scales are; that is to say, things stemming from the natural as regards good were meant by 'hairs' and those stemming from the natural as regards truth by 'scales'. Consequently people governed by natural good were called 'hairy men' whereas those governed by natural truth were called 'smooth men'. These considerations show what these words 'Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man' mean in the internal sense, namely the nature of natural good compared with natural truth, and the nature of natural truth compared with natural good. From this it is also evident what Esau represents, that is to say, the good of the natural; for he was called Esau because of his hairiness, `Genesis 25bbb25`, and Edom because of his ruddiness, `Genesis 25bbb30`. And Mount Seir where he dwelt also has a similar meaning, namely, shaggy. This being so, the mountain that led up to Seir was called the bald or smooth mountain, mentioned in `Joshua 11bbb17`; `Joshua ccc12bbb7`, which was also the representative of truth leading upwards to good.
ttt[3] 'Hairy' has reference to good and from this to truth, and also in the contrary sense to evil and from this to falsity, as has been shown in `@@@3301`. But 'smooth' has reference to truth and in the contrary sense to falsity, as is also evident from the following places in the Word: In Isaiah,
You who inflame yourselves among the gods under every green tree, among the smooth [stones] of the valley is your portion. `Isaiah 57bbb5-6`.
Here 'inflaming' has reference to evil, 'smooth [stones] of the valley' to falsity. In the same prophet,
The craftsman encourages the smith, the one rubbing smooth the hammer by his striking the anvil, and says of the soldering. It is good. `Isaiah 41bbb7`.
Here 'the craftsman encourages the smith' has reference to evil, 'the one rubbing smooth the hammer' to falsity. In David,
Butter makes his`fff1` mouth smooth; when his heart draws near, his words are softer than oil. `Psalms 55bbb21`.
Here 'a smooth mouth' or flattery refers to falsity, 'heart' and consequent soft words to evil. In the same author,
Their throat is an open sepulchre, they speak smooth things with their tongue. `Psalms 5bbb9`.
'Throat is an open sepulchre' refers to evil, 'tongue speaking smooth things' to falsity. In Luke,
Every valley will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be brought low; and the crooked places will be made straight, and the rough places into level ways. `Luke 3bbb5`.
'Valley' stands for what is lowly, `@@@1723`, `@@@3417`, 'mountain and hill' for what is exalted, `@@@1691`. 'The crooked made straight' stands for turning into good that evil which is due to ignorance, for 'length' and things to do with length have reference to good, `@@@1613`; 'rough places into level ways' stands for turning into truths those falsities which are due to ignorance - 'way' having reference to truth, `@@@627`, `@@@2333`.
`nnn1. The Latin means your but the Hebrew means his.
ppp20322#pid#3528. 'Perhaps my father will feel me' means an inmost degree of perception. This is clear from the meaning of 'feeling' and so perceiving with the senses as the inmost and the all of perception, and from the meaning of 'father' as good, in this case Divine Good, since the Lord is the subject. The reason why 'feeling' means the inmost and the all of perception is that all sensory awareness is related to the sense of touch, and it has its origin in and arises from the power of perception. For sensory awareness is nothing else than the external aspect of the power of perception, and the power of perception is nothing else than the internal aspect of sensory awareness. What perception or the power of perception is, see `@@@104`, `@@@371`, `@@@495`, `@@@503`, `@@@521`, `@@@536`, `@@@1383-1398`, `@@@1616`, `@@@1919`, `@@@2145`, `@@@2171`, `@@@2831`. What is more, all sensory awareness and all power of perception, seemingly so various, are related to one single general and universal sense, namely that of touch. The variants of this - which is what taste, smell, hearing, and sight are - being forms of external sensory awareness are nothing else than different kinds of touch which owe their existence to internal sensory awareness, which is the power of perception. These matters could be corroborated by much experience, but this will be done in the Lord's Divine mercy in its own proper place. From this it is evident that 'feeling' in the internal sense is the inmost and the all of perception. Furthermore all power of perception, which is the internal aspect of sensory awareness, arises out of good, but not out of truth except from good by way of truth. For the Lord's Divine life flows into good and by way of that good into truth, and in this way gives rise to perception. From this it may be seen what 'supposing my father feels me' means, namely the inmost and the all of perception coming from good, and so from the Lord's Divine Good.
ppp20321#pid#3529. 'And I shall be in his eyes as one who misleads' means rejection because of being, as it seems, contrary to order. This is clear from the meaning of 'being in his eyes' as a discernment of what it is really like, for 'the eye' means the discernment belonging to internal sight, `@@@212`, `@@@2701`, `@@@2789`, `@@@2829`, `@@@3198`, `@@@3202`, and from the meaning of 'one who misleads' or a misleader, as contrary to order, in this case seemingly contrary - all misleading being nothing else. And this would lead to rejection. But what is meant by being, as it seems, contrary to order will be evident below.
ppp20320#pid#3530. 'And I shall bring upon myself a curse and not a blessing' means a separation. This is clear from the meaning of 'a curse' as a separation or turning away from good, dealt with in `@@@245`, `@@@379`, `@@@1423`, and from the meaning of 'blessing' as being joined to good, dealt with in `@@@3504`, `@@@3514`.
ppp20319#pid#3531. 'And his mother said to him' means perception from the Divine Truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as perceiving, often dealt with already, and from the representation of Rebekah, to whom 'mother' refers here, as the Divine Truth of the Lord's Divine Rational, dealt with in `@@@3012`, `@@@3013`.
ppp20318#pid#3532. 'Upon me be your curse, my son' means that there will be no separation This is clear from the meaning of 'a curse' as a separation, dealt with just above in `@@@3530`. And because perception came from the Divine, `@@@3531`, it means that there will be no separation.
ppp20317#pid#3533. 'Only hearken to my voice, and go, take them for me' means from the effect. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'hearkening to a voice' as obeying, and from 'going, taking them for me' as carrying out. And because it was to the truth of the natural, represented by 'Jacob', that these words were addressed by the truth of the rational, in this case Divine Truth, represented by 'Rebekah', nothing else is meant than from the effect; for the natural sees from the point of view of the effect, but the rational sees from that of the cause.
ppp20316#pid#3534. Verses `Genesis 27bbbccc14-17` And he went and took them, and brought them to his mother; and his mother made savoury food such as his father loved. And Rebekah took the best clothes`fff1` of Esau her elder son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son. And she put the skins of the kids of the she-goats on his hands and on the smooth of his neck. And she gave the savoury food and the bread which she had made into the hand of Jacob her son.
'He went and took them, and brought them to his mother' means a state of the obedience of natural truth. 'And his mother made savoury food such as his father loved' means things that are delightful, yet not desirable. 'And Rebekah took the best clothes of Esau her elder son' means genuine truths that clothe good. 'Which were with her in the house' means which come from Divine Good by way of the Divine Truth of the Divine Rational. 'And put them on Jacob her younger son' means the affection for truth, that is, the life of good originating in truth. 'And she put the skins of the kids of the she-goats' means the external truths clothing homeborn good. 'On his hands' means according to the ability to receive. 'And on the smooth of his neck' means so that truth which disjoined was not apparent. 'And she gave the savoury food' means things that are delightful from that source. 'And the bread' means good from that source. 'Which she had made' means which came from Divine Truth. 'Into the hand of Jacob her son' means that such was the affection for natural truth.
`nnn1. literally, clothes of desires
ppp20315#pid#3535. 'He went and took them, and brought them to his mother' means a state of the obedience of natural truth. This becomes clear from what has been stated just above in `@@@3533`, and so is clear without any further explanation.
ppp20314#pid#3536. 'And his mother made savoury food such as his father loved' means things that are delightful, yet not desirable. This is clear from the representation of Rebekah, to whom 'mother' refers here, as the Divine Rational as regards truth, and from the meaning of 'savoury food' as the forms of pleasantness that belong to truth, dealt with above in `@@@3502`. The reason why here they are delightful but not desirable is that they were not the product of 'Esau's venison', that is, of truth acquired from genuine good, `@@@3501`, but the product of 'the kids of the she-goats of the flock', that is, of truth that is born from homeborn good, `@@@3518`, `@@@3519`. What is implied in all this becomes clear from what has been stated above in `@@@3502`, `@@@3512`, `@@@3518`, `@@@3519`.
ppp20313#pid#3537. 'And Rebekah took the best clothes of Esau her elder son' means genuine truths that clothe good. This is clear from the meaning of 'best clothes' as genuine truths. For 'clothes' means truths which, in relation to other truths, are lower ones, see `@@@2576`, 'the best' of these being genuine truths because they belong to genuine natural good, represented by 'Esau the elder son', `@@@3300`, `@@@3302`, `@@@3322`, `@@@3494`, `@@@3504`, `@@@3527`.
ppp20312#pid#3538. 'Which were with her in the house' means which come from Divine Good by way of the Divine Truth of the Divine Rational. This is clear from the representation of Rebekah, to whom the pronoun 'her' refers here, as the Divine Truth of the Divine Rational, dealt with already, and from the meaning of 'the house' as Divine Good in this instance because it has reference to the Lord. As regards 'house' meaning good, see `@@@710`, `@@@2233`, `@@@2234`, `@@@2559`, `@@@3128`. The reason why these considerations are meant by the words 'which were with her in the house' is that 'the house' means the rational both as regards good and as regards truth, or what amounts to the same, as regards both the will part of the mind, the dwelling-place of good, and the understanding part, the dwelling-place of truth. When the rational functions from the will or from good, by way of the understanding or of truth, the rational mind in that case is called 'one house'. This also is why heaven itself is called 'the house of God', for heaven consists of nothing else than good and truth, with good functioning through truth united or joined to itself. This is also represented in marriages in which husband and wife constitute one house, the reason being that conjugial love originates in the Divine marriage of good and truth, `@@@2728`, `@@@2729`, `@@@3132`, and forms the will of the two of them by virtue of good. There is a difference however, which is like the relationship of good to its own truth. Consequently 'husband' also means good and 'wife' truth. For when the house is one, good is in that case the all in it, and truth, being wedded to good, is good as well. The reason why the phrase 'with her in the house' is used, and not with him or with them, is that the subject is the state of conjunction of truth and good, that is, the state prior to their being fully united or joined together. This state is dealt with next.
ppp20311#pid#3539. 'And put them on Jacob her younger son' means the affection for truth, that is, the life of good originating in truth. This is clear from the representation of 'Rebekah' as the Divine Truth of the Divine Rational, from the representation of 'Jacob' as the Divine Truth of the Divine Natural, and from the meaning here of 'putting on' as the communication, also the learning, of something, namely truths that clothe good, meant by 'Esau's clothes', `@@@3537`, accordingly the affection for natural truth, which affection is at this point the same as the life of good originating in truth. How these matters are to be understood may be known from what has been stated above in `@@@3518`. Yet because they are such as are completely unknown at the present day, let some explanation enabling them to be grasped be given. The subject in this chapter [in the highest sense] is the Lord and how He made His Natural Divine, and in the representative sense man's regeneration as regards his natural, see `@@@3490`.
ttt[2] In the case of man the situation is as follows: The end in view of regeneration is that a person may be made new as regards his internal man, and so as regards the soul or spirit. But he is unable to be made new or be regenerated as regards that internal man without also being made new as regards the external man. For although a person becomes a spirit after death he nevertheless takes with him into the next life those things that belong to his external man, namely natural affections, also matters of doctrine, as well as factual knowledge; in short he takes with him everything belonging to the exterior or natural memory, see `@@@2475-2483`. Indeed these things form the groundwork on which his interiors ultimately rest. The disposition of those exterior things therefore determines what the interior become when these latter enter into the former, for within those exterior things they undergo modification. From this it is evident that a person has to be regenerated or made new not only as regards the internal or rational man but also as regards the external or natural man. Except for this there would not be any correspondence. Regarding the correspondence that exists between the internal man and the spiritual things belonging to the internal man with the external man and the natural things belonging to the external man, see `@@@2987`, `@@@2989-2991`, `@@@3002`, `@@@3493`.
ttt[3] The state of man's regeneration is described in the representative sense in this chapter as Esau and Jacob. At this point the nature of the first stage of that state is described, that is to say, when a person is being regenerated or before he has become regenerated. In fact this state is the complete reverse of the state in which a person has become regenerate. Indeed in the former state, that is to say, when a person is being regenerated or before he has become regenerated, things of the understanding, which are those of truth, seemingly take the lead; but once he has become regenerate those of the will, which are those of good, do so. The fact that things of the understanding or of truth seemingly take the lead in the first state was represented by Jacob claiming for himself Esau's birthright - see `@@@3325`, `@@@3336` - and then claiming his blessing, the subject under discussion here. And the fact that the state is the complete reverse of the regenerate state is represented by Jacob's impersonating Esau, that is to say, being dressed in Esau's clothes and with the skins of the kids of the she-goats. Indeed in this state rational truth has not yet been so joined to rational good, or what amounts to the same, the understanding has not been so joined to the will, as to flow and act into the natural and set in order the things that are so reversed there.
ttt[4] This also becomes clear from much experience, in particular from this. A person is able to discern in his understanding, and from this the natural is able to know many things that are good and true, but the will is unable as yet to act in accordance with those things. Take for example the truth that love and charity are the essential thing with a human being. He is able to see and confirm this in his understanding, but until he has been regenerated he is unable to acknowledge it in his will. There are also people totally lacking in love to the Lord and in charity towards the neighbour who can well grasp this truth. The same applies to the truth that love is the very life of man, and that the nature of his life is determined by that of his love; also the truth that all delight and all pleasantness stem from love, as do all gladness and all happiness, where again the nature of the love determines that of the gladness and the happiness. A person is also able to grasp in his understanding, even though the will disagrees with it or even opposes it, the truth that the happiest life originates in love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour because the Divine itself is flowing into that life, and conversely that the unhappiest life originates in self-love and love of the world because hell is flowing into that life.
ttt[5] Consequently the understanding, but not the will, is able to perceive the truth that love to the Lord is the life of heaven, and that mutual love is the soul from that life. In the measure therefore that a person does not think from the life of his [unregenerate] will, and does not reflect on his own life from there, he perceives that truth in his understanding; but in the measure that he does think from the life of his [unregenerate] will he does not perceive it, indeed he refuses to believe it. It may also be perfectly clear to a person in his understanding that it is into humility, if it exists in him, that the Divine is able to enter, because in that state of humility self-love and love of the world, and therefore hellish things which stand in the way, are removed. But as long as his will is not a new will, and his understanding is not united to this, no humility of heart can exist in a person. Indeed, in the measure that a person leads an evil life, that is, in the measure that his will is bent on evil, such humility cannot be there in him, and also the truth spoken of above is unclear to him and he refuses to believe it. Therefore a person may also be able to perceive in his understanding that when humility is present in someone it is not there for the sake of a love of glory in the Lord but for the sake of Divine Love, in which case the Lord is able to enter in with goodness and truth and bring blessing and happiness to that person. But to the extent that the will is consulted, this truth is obscured. And the same is so with very many other circumstances.
ttt[6] This ability of being able to understand what good and truth is even though he does not will it has been conferred on man to enable him to be reformed and regenerated. For this reason this ability exists with evil and good alike; indeed the ability is sometimes keener with the evil. But there is this difference - with the evil no affection for truth exists for the sake of life, that is, for the sake of the good of life which originates in truth, and so they are not capable of being reformed. But with the good there does exist the affection for truth for the sake of life, that is, for the sake of the good of life, and so they are capable of being reformed. The first state in the reformation of the latter however is a state in which truth taught by doctrine seems to them to be primary, and the good of life secondary, since truth is the source of their good actions. But their second state is a state in which the good of life is primary and truth taught by doctrine secondary, since good, that is, the will for good, is the source of their good actions. And when this is the case, because the will is joined to the understanding as in a marriage, the person is regenerate. These two states are the subject in the internal sense in these incidents involving Esau and Jacob.
ppp20310#pid#3540. 'And she put the skins of the kids of the she-goats' means the external truths clothing homeborn good. This is clear from the meaning of 'skins' as external things, dealt with below, and from the meaning of 'the kids of the she-goats', coming as they did from the flock bred within the homestead, as the truths which clothe homeborn good, dealt with in `@@@3518`, `@@@3519`, where it is also evident what homeborn good is and what truths from that source are. Any good whatever has its own truths, and any truths whatever have their own good. And they must be joined together - good to truths - if anything at all is to exist. The reason why 'skins' means external things is that the skin is the outer covering of an animal to which its exterior parts extend, even as the skin or the cuticles is such with a human being. The latter receives its spiritual meaning from what is representative in the next life, where there are people who belong to the province of the skin. These will in the Lord's Divine mercy be described at the ends of chapters below where the Grand Man will be presented as a separate subject. They are people in whom none but external good and the truths which go with this are present. This is why the skin, human or animal, means things that are external. The same is also evident from the Word, as in Jeremiah,
On account of the greatness of your iniquity your skirts have been uncovered, your heels have suffered violence. Can the Ethiopian change his skin and the leopard its spots? Also are you able to do good, having been taught to do evil? `Jeremiah 13bbb22-23`.
Here 'skirts' means external truths, 'heels' the lowest goods - 'the heel' and 'shoes' being the lowest natural things, see `@@@259`, `@@@1748`. And because those truths and goods, as it is said, spring from evil, they are compared to an 'Ethiopian', who was black, and his 'skin', and also to 'a leopard and its spots'.
ttt[2] In Moses,
If you take your neighbour's clothing as a pledge you shall restore it to him before the sun goes down; for this is his only covering; it is his clothing for his skin, in which he will lie down. `Exodus 22bbb26-27`.
Inasmuch as all the laws contained in the Word, including civil and judicial ones, have a correspondence with laws in heaven concerning what is good and true, and from this correspondence came to be laid down, so it was with the law just quoted. For why else would it have ever been laid down that they were to restore clothing that had been pledged before the sun went down, and why else is it said that 'it is his clothing for his skin, in which he lies down'? The correspondence is evident from the internal sense, which is that people were not to cheat their neighbour of external truths, which are the matters of doctrine by which they conduct their lives, and also religious observances - 'clothing' meaning such truths, see `@@@297`, `@@@1073`, `@@@2576`, and 'the sun' the good of love or of life that ensues from those truths, `@@@1529`, `@@@1530`, `@@@2441`, `@@@2495`. The prevention of that good from perishing is meant by the statement about the restoration of the pledge before the sun went down. And since the things laid down in those laws are the external coverings of interior things, or the outermost aspects of these, the words 'his clothing for his skin in which he lies down' are used.
ttt[3] Because 'skins' meant external things it was commanded that there should be for the tent a covering made of red ram skins and over that a covering of badger skins, `Exodus 26bbb14`. For the tent was representative of the three heavens, and so of the celestial and spiritual things of the Lord's kingdom. The curtains enveloping it represented natural things, which are external, `@@@3478`; and these are the ram skins and the badger skins. And since external things are those which cover internal, or natural things are those which cover spiritual and celestial, in the way that the body does the soul, that command was therefore given. It was for a like reason commanded that when the camp was on the move Aaron and his sons were to cover the ark of the testimony with the veil and were to place a badger-skin covering over it. And over the table and what was on it they were to spread a twice-dyed scarlet cloth and then cover that with a badger-skin covering. They were likewise required to place the lampstand and all its vessels under a covering made of badger skin - also all the vessels for ministering they were to place under a violet cloth, and then cover them with a badger-skin covering, `Numbers 4bbb5-6`, `Numbers 4bbbccc8`, `Numbers 4bbbccc10-12`. Anyone who thinks about the Word in a devout way may see that Divine things were represented by all these objects, such as the ark, the table, the lampstand, and the vessels for ministering, also the coverings of twice-dyed scarlet and of violet, as well as the coverings of badger skin, and that these objects represented Divine things contained within external ones.
ttt[4] Because the prophets represented those who teach, and therefore represented teaching from the Word concerning what is good and true, `@@@2534`; and because Elijah represented the Word itself, `@@@2762`, as also did John, who for that reason is called the Elijah who is to come, `Matthew 17bbb10-13`; and in order that these might represent the nature of the Word in its external form, that is, in the letter,
Elijah wore a skin girdle around his loins. `2 Kings 1bbb8`. And John had a garment of camel hair and a skin girdle around his waist. `Matthew 3bbb4`.
Because animal 'skin' and human 'skin' means external things, which in relation to spiritual and celestial are natural things, and because it was customary in the Ancient Church to speak and to write by means of meaningful signs, reference is also made to both types of skin, and with the same meaning, in Job, a book of the Ancient Church. This becomes clear from a number of places in that book, including the following,
I know my Redeemer; He is alive; and at the last He will rise above the dust; and afterwards these things will be encompassed by my skin, and out of my flesh shall I see God. `Job 19bbb25-26`.
'Encompassed by skin' stands for the natural as it exists with someone after he has died, dealt with in `@@@3539`. 'Out of one's flesh seeing God' is doing so from a proprium made alive. For the proprium is meant by 'flesh', see `@@@148`, `@@@149`, `@@@780`; and the Book of Job is a book of the Ancient Church, a fact which is evident, as has been stated, from its style which draws on representatives and meaningful signs. It is not however one of the books called the Law and the Prophets, the reason being that it has no internal sense in which the one subject is the Lord and His kingdom. For it is this alone that determines whether any book is a Book of the true Word.
ppp20309#pid#3541. 'On his hands' means according to the ability to receive. This is clear from the meaning of 'the hand' as power, dealt with in `@@@878`, `@@@3091`, and so the ability to receive.
ppp20308#pid#3542. 'And on the smooth of his neck' means so that truth which disjoined was not apparent. This is clear from 'smooth' or 'the smooth' having reference to truth, dealt with in `@@@3527`, and from the meaning of 'the neck' as that which joins together, dealt with below. Here therefore, since the appearance was 'on the smooth of his neck' it means so that truth which disjoins was not apparent. The implications of all this may be seen from what has been stated and shown above in `@@@3539`, to the effect that the good and the truths which flow from the understanding but not at the same time from the will are neither good nor truths, no matter how much they seem to be so to outward appearance. And if the will is bent on evil, good and truths are disjoined and do not join together. But if the will is in some measure desirous of good, they do not in that case disjoin but join together, even though the order in which they stand is the reverse of proper order; for it is by means of such good and truths that a person is regenerated. And because such good and truths standing thus serve first in the regeneration of man it is said that truth which disjoined would not be apparent. But more of this in what follows below.
ttt[2] The reason why 'the neck' means that which joins together is that higher things with man which belong to the head communicate with lower that belong to the body by means of the neck between. Consequently both influx and communication, and therefore conjunction, are meant by that which lies between. This will be seen far more clearly from the correspondences of the Grand Man with the parts of the human body, to be dealt with at the ends of chapters. The same is consequently meant in the Word by 'the neck', as in Isaiah,
His spirit, like an overflowing stream, will divide even at the neck. `Isaiah 30bbb28`.
Here 'an overflowing stream' stands for falsity flowing over in this fashion. 'Dividing at the neck' stands for blocking and cutting off the communication and consequent joining together of higher things with lower ones, which are blocked and cut off when spiritual good and truth are not being received.
ttt[3] In Habakkuk,
You crushed the head from the house of the wicked, laying bare the foundation even at the neck. `Habakkuk 3bbb13`.
'Crushing the head from the house of the wicked' stands for destroying false assumptions. 'Laying bare the foundation even at the neck' stands for preventing thereby any joining together. In Jeremiah,
Entangled transgressions have risen up above my neck. He has struck at my strength; the Lord has given me into [their] hands; I am unable to rise up again. `Lamentations 1bbb14`.
'Entangled transgressions have risen up above my neck' stands for falsities coming up towards interior or rational things.
ttt[4] Because 'the neck' meant that communication and joining together, 'bands around the neck' therefore meant the cutting off and so the destruction of truth, which occurs when spiritual things that are flowing in constantly from the Lord are no longer allowed to pass into the rational part of a person's mind, nor as a consequence into the natural part. It is this cutting off or destruction that is represented by Jeremiah's being told to make bands and bars for himself and put them on his neck; to send them to different peoples and say that they would be serving Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babel; and to say that those who did not place their necks under his yoke would be visited by sword, famine, and pestilence; but those who did bring their necks under it would be left in the land, `Jeremiah 27bbb2-3`, `Jeremiah 27bbbccc8`, `Jeremiah 27bbbccc11`. 'Placing the neck under the yoke of the king of Babel and serving him' stands for being made desolate as regards truth and vastated as regards good. For 'Babel' means one who lays waste, see `@@@1327` (end); and people undergo vastation to prevent holy things from being profaned, `@@@301-303`, `@@@1327`, `@@@1328`, `@@@2426`, `@@@3398`, `@@@3399`, `@@@3402`. And since evil and falsity come to be served once the influx of good and truth has been cut off, 'placing the neck under the yoke' also means serving. In the same prophet,
Jehovah said, I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babel from over the neck of all nations within two years. `Jeremiah 28bbb11`.
This stands for their being delivered from vastation. In Isaiah,
Shake yourself from the dust, arise, sit, O Jerusalem; loose the bonds from your neck, O captive daughter of Zion. `Isaiah 52bbb2`.
'Loosing the bonds from the neck' stands for letting in and receiving good and truth In Micah,
Behold, against this family I am devising this evil from which you will not remove your necks nor go erect, for that will be a time of evil. `Micah 2bbb3`.
'Not removing necks from evil' stands for not letting truth in. 'Not going erect' stands for not looking up to higher things, that is, to those of heaven, `@@@248`.
ppp20307#pid#3543. 'And she gave the savoury food' means things that are delightful from that source This is clear from the meaning of 'the savoury food' as forms of pleasantness and also things that are delightful, dealt with above in `@@@3502`, `@@@3536`.
ppp20306#pid#3544. 'And bread' means good from that source. This is clear from the meaning of 'bread' as good, dealt with in `@@@276`, `@@@680`, `@@@1798`, `@@@2165`, `@@@2177`, `@@@3464`, `@@@3478`.
ppp20305#pid#3545. 'Which she had made' means which came from the Divine. This is clear from the representation of 'Rebekah' as the Divine Truth of the Lord's Divine Rational. And since it is Rebekah who is said 'to have made it', good that came from the Divine is meant.
ppp20304#pid#3546. 'Into the hand of Jacob her son' means that such was the affection for natural truth This is clear from the fact that this phrase concludes those that go before it, and that at that point Jacob - who represents natural truth, `@@@3305`, `@@@3509`, `@@@3525` - appeared thus; that is to say, he was wearing the skins of the kids of she-goats on his hands and neck and had in his hand savoury food which he was to take to his father Isaac.
ppp20303#pid#3547. Verses `Genesis 27bbbccc18-20` And he went to his father, and said, My father. And he said, Behold, here I am; who are you, my son? And Jacob said to his father, I am Esau your firstborn; I have done what you told me. Rise up now; sit, and eat from my venison, so that your soul may bless me. And Isaac said to his son, Why have you found it so quickly, my son? And he said, Because Jehovah your God caused it to come before my face.
'He went to his father, and said, My father. And he said, Behold, here I am; who are you, my son?' means a state of perception resulting from the presence of that truth. 'And Jacob said to his father' means discernment by natural truth. 'I am Esau your firstborn' means that it believed itself to be natural good itself. 'I have done what you told me' means obedience. 'Rise up now; sit, and eat from my venison' means truth belonging to the affection for that kind of good. 'So that your soul may bless me' means conjunction. 'And Isaac said to his son' means perception. 'Why have you found it so quickly, my son?' means so rapid a production. 'And he said, Because Jehovah your God caused it to come before my face' means provision.
ppp20302#pid#3548. 'He went to his father, and said, My father. And he said, Behold, here I am; who are you, my son?' means a state of perception resulting from the presence of that truth. This becomes clear from the representation of Isaac, to whom 'father' refers here, and from the representation of Jacob, to whom 'son' refers, dealt with several times already; and also from the meaning of 'saying' as perceiving, also dealt with already. From these and all the other expressions used it is evident that it is a state of perception resulting from the presence of the truth represented by 'Jacob'. But the nature of this truth represented at this point by Jacob is evident from the internal sense of what comes before and after - that in outward form it is like the good and the truth acquired from good which are represented by 'Esau' and meant by his venison, but it is not so in inward form. With one who is being regenerated, that is, prior to his having been regenerated, the truth of the natural presents this outward appearance. Not indeed that the person himself sees it, for he is quite unaware of the presence of good and truth with him while he is being regenerated; but the eyes of angels who see such things in the light of heaven do behold it. Man is not even aware of what the good and the truth of the natural are, and being unaware of what they are he cannot perceive them. And because he does not perceive them in general nor is able to perceive them in particular, he does not perceive their differences, let alone their changes of state. Not perceiving these he is scarcely able to grasp from any description of them what this good and its truth are like. But as they are the subject in this chapter, an explanation is going to be given, so far as this can be made intelligible.
ppp20301#pid#3549. 'And Jacob said to his father' means discernment by natural truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as perceiving, dealt with already, in this case discerning because it comes from the natural, and from the representation of 'Jacob' as natural truth, also dealt with already.
ppp20300#pid#3550. 'I am Esau your firstborn' means that it believed itself to be natural good itself. This is clear from the representation of 'Esau' and from the meaning of 'firstborn' as good, and indeed natural good, represented by 'Esau'. For the truth which a person possesses prior to regeneration is believed by him to be good itself. People who have perception know that it is not good but truth appearing under the form of good; but those who do not have perception are not aware of any such difference, as will also be more evident from what follows below.
ppp20299#pid#3551. 'I have done what you told me' means obedience. This becomes clear without explanation.
ppp20298#pid#3552. 'Rise up now; sit, and eat from my venison' means truth belonging to the affection for that kind of good. This is clear from the meaning of 'rising up' as that which implies some raising up, dealt with in `@@@2401`, `@@@2785`, `@@@2912`, `@@@2927`, `@@@3171`, from the meaning of 'sitting' as that which implies some measure of quietness, from the meaning of 'eating' as making one's own, dealt with in `@@@2187`, `@@@3168`, and from the meaning of 'venison' as truth acquired from good, dealt with in `@@@3501`. Here therefore it is the affection for that kind of good from which truth is acquired that is meant; for the things meant in the internal sense by 'rising up', by 'sitting', and by 'eating' have to do with affection, and therefore the one word affection is used for all three.
ppp20297#pid#3553. 'So that your soul may bless me' means conjunction. This is clear from the meaning of 'being blessed' as conjunction, dealt with above in `@@@3504`, `@@@3514`, `@@@3530`.
ppp20296#pid#3554. 'And Isaac said to his son' means perception, that is to say, of the Rational represented by Isaac regarding the Natural represented by Jacob, for 'laying' means perceiving, as has often been shown already.
ppp20295#pid#3555. 'Why have you found it so quickly, my son?' means so rapid a production. This is clear without explanation.
ppp20294#pid#3556. 'And he said, Because Jehovah your God caused it to come before my face' means provision. This too becomes clear without explanation. The provision referred to here is that in which good and truths from that good are re-arranged into proper order in a person while he is being regenerated. That is to say, they are re-ordered so that they appear outwardly, or manifest themselves on the surface, as though they were genuine good and genuine truths from that good. In actual fact they are not such but, as stated above, are homeborn good and truths from this good, which serve solely to aid a person's regeneration, and so to bring in goods and truths of a grosser nature because such are conducive to his regeneration.
ppp20293#pid#3557. Verses `Genesis 27bbbccc21-23` And Isaac said to Jacob, Come near now, and I will feel you, my son, whether you are my son Esau, or not. And Jacob came near to Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob's voice, and the hands Esau's hands. And he did not recognize him because his hands were hairy like the hands of Esau his brother; and he blessed him.
'Isaac said to Jacob' means perception concerning this natural. 'Come near now, and I will feel you, my son' means inmost perception from its presence. 'Whether you are my son Esau, or not' means that it was not natural good. 'And Jacob came near to Isaac his father' means a state of being present. 'And he felt him' means complete perception from this. 'And said, The voice is Jacob's voice, and the hands Esau's hands' means that the understanding consists in this case of truth existing inwardly, while the will consists in this case of good existing outwardly, so that an inversion of order exists with them. 'And he did not recognize him because his hands were hairy like the hands of Esau his brother' means that from the will which occupied an external position he perceived that it was natural good. 'And he blessed him' means resulting conjunction
ppp20292#pid#3558. 'Isaac said to Jacob' means perception concerning this natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as perceiving, dealt with already, and from the representation of 'Jacob' as the truth of the natural, though at this point simply the natural. He represents simply the natural because he also apparently represented what Esau represented. That is, he adopted an outward appearance like Esau's - thereby representing the good of the natural, which is 'Esau' - and also produced venison like Esau's, which is the truth that is acquired by this good, `@@@3501`. The reason why the phrase 'he said' is used so many times is that something new, or a new perception, begins, see `@@@2061`, `@@@2238`, `@@@2260`.
ppp20291#pid#3559. 'Come near now, and I will feel you, my son' means inmost perception from its presence. This is clear from the meaning of 'coming near' as being present, and from the meaning of 'feeling' as inmost and complete perception, dealt with in `@@@3528`.
ppp20290#pid#3560. 'Whether you are my son, or not' means that it was not natural good. This is clear from the doubt expressed in these words and those immediately following. And because the rational is that which perceives what the natural is, and the nature of it, a perception that it was not natural good, or 'Esau', is meant.
ppp20289#pid#3561. 'And Jacob came near to Isaac his father' means a state of being present. This becomes clear from what goes before and so without any further explanation.
ppp20288#pid#3562. 'And he felt him' means complete perception. This is clear from the meaning of 'feeling' as inmost and complete perception, dealt with above in `@@@3528`, `@@@3559`, here complete perception because the perception of all things comes from inmost perception. That is, people who possess inmost perception possess a perception of everything that is below, for the things that are below are nothing else than derivatives and combinations of what is above. Indeed everything inmost exists in all the things below it that are its own, for unless that which is lower is the product of the things that are interior, or what amounts to the same, of those that are above it, as an effect is the product of its efficient cause, it does not come into existence at all. From this it is evident why the end in view determines a person's happiness or unhappiness in the next life, for the end is the inmost aspect of every cause, so much so that if the end does not exist within the cause, indeed if it is not its all, no cause exists at all. The end is in a similar way the inmost aspect of every effect, for an effect springs from such a cause. This being so, whatever exists with a person owes its very being (esse) to the end which he has in view. In the next life therefore a person's state is determined by the essential nature of whatever end he has in view, see `@@@1317`, `@@@1568`, `@@@1571`, `@@@1645`, `@@@1909`, `@@@3425`. From this it may be seen that, since it means inmost perception, 'feeling' consequently means complete perception.
ppp20287#pid#3563. 'And said, The voice is Jacob's voice, and the hands Esau's hands' means that the understanding consists in this case of truth existing inwardly, while the will consists in this case of good existing outwardly, so that an inversion of order exists with them. This is clear from the use of 'voice' to refer to truth and of 'hand' to refer to good. For 'voice' is used in reference to truth, as is evident from the places introduced in Volume One, in `@@@219`, `@@@220`, and from the fact that the actual words used are 'the voice is Jacob's voice', Jacob representing natural truth, as shown in various places above. And the reason why 'hand' is used in reference to good is that 'the hand' means power and ability, `@@@878`, `@@@3541`, the source of which is nothing other than good. All the power and ability that truth possesses comes from good, even though it seems to come from truth. This likewise is evident from the fact that the actual words used are 'the hands are Esau's hands', Esau representing natural good, as also shown above. The consequent existence of an inversion of order with them is evident from the consideration that proper order requires good, which belongs to the will, to exist inwardly, and truth, which belongs to the understanding, to exist outwardly. But these matters, as stated above, are such as can hardly be explained in any intelligible way because few have any knowledge of such things. For even if a perfectly clear explanation of them were given they would still not be understood if knowledge of them is lacking. Nevertheless the matter must be discussed since it is the subject at this point.
ttt[2] The only source of the good of the natural which manifests itself in a person is interior good, that is, the good of the rational. Natural good can have no other source, though that which flows in from the one determines the nature of the good in the other. And since the good of the natural comes from no other source, neither does the truth of the natural, for where good is, so also is truth. Both must be present if they are to be anything at all. And again, that which flows in determines the nature of the truth there. Influx is such that the good of the rational flows into the natural along two different routes - one a very short and thus direct route into the good itself of the natural, and then on through the good of the natural into the truth there, this good and this truth being represented by Esau and his venison. In addition to this, the good of the rational flows into the natural along a second route which is less short, that is to say, through the truth of the rational, by means of which influx it forms something resembling good, but which in fact is truth.
ttt[3] Everything is thus taking place according to order when the good of the rational flows directly into the good of the natural and at the same time into the truth there, and also indirectly by way of the truth of the rational into the good of the natural, and in a similar way both directly and indirectly into the truth of the natural. When all this is taking place the influx is according to order. Such is the influx with those who have been regenerated. But a different influx exists prior to regeneration, as has been stated above. That is to say, the good of the rational does not flow into the good of the natural directly but indirectly, by way of the truth of the rational, and so manifests something resembling good in the natural, which is not genuine good nor consequently genuine truth. Instead it is something such as does indeed possess good inmostly by virtue of influx through the truth of the rational; but there is nothing more. Therefore good too presents itself there under a different form, that is to say, outwardly as good represented by 'Esau' but inwardly as truth represented by 'Jacob'. And as this is not in accordance with order an inversion of order is said to exist with them. Yet insofar as nobody can be regenerated in any other way it is according to order.
ttt[4] I realize that no matter how clearly these matters are stated and as a consequence are able to be perceived clearly by those who have a knowledge of the existence of such things, they still remain obscure to those who do not know what influx is, more so to those who do not know that the rational is distinct and separate from the natural, and more so still to those who do not have any distinct and clear idea of what good is or of what truth is. But the nature of natural good and of natural truth in the state prior to regeneration is plain to see only from the desires present at that time. When a person desires truth not because he has life in view but some other ends, such as to become learned, and to become this because of some desire to outdo others, which amounts to childish envy, and also because of some desire for glory, the order existing with the good of the natural and the truth of the natural is akin to that represented here by Jacob. As these two exist in relation to each other, there is a reversal of order, that is to say, the will, to which good belongs, exists outwardly, while the understanding, to which truth belongs, exists inwardly.
ttt[5] But in the state following regeneration the situation is different. In this case the person desires truth not only because he has life in view but more still because he desires the good itself which constitutes that life. Previous desires, that is to say, those connected with outdoing, with childish envy, and with glory, now break away, so much so that they seem so to speak to have been dispelled. At this point good which belongs to the will exists inwardly, and truth which belongs to the understanding exists outwardly. The result then is that truth acts as one with good since it stems from good. This order is genuine order. The order existing previously also serves to bring this order about, for the will which at that time occupies an external position allows many things to come in which contribute to regeneration, like a sponge which absorbs water, clear or muddy, so that it absorbs such things as would otherwise be rejected. Indeed these things serve as means and also as ideas that have to be formed concerning genuine goods and truths, besides other uses which they serve.
ppp20286#pid#3564. 'And he did not recognize him because his hands were hairy like the hands of Esau his brother' means that from the will which occupied an external position he perceived that it was natural good. This is evident from the fact that he did not recognize Jacob as Jacob, that is, as the truth which 'Jacob' represents, but perceived him as Esau, that is, as natural good which exists outwardly. He did so because of an influx, dealt with immediately above in `@@@3563`. For between interior good and exterior good a communication takes place by virtue of parallelism, `@@@1831`, `@@@1832`, `@@@3514`, but not between good and truth unless the influx of good into truth is such as that described immediately above.
ppp20285#pid#3565. 'And he blessed him' means resulting conjunction. This is clear from the meaning of 'being blessed' as conjunction, dealt with in `@@@3504`, `@@@3514`, `@@@3530`. In this state however the conjunction was none other than that described in `@@@3563`. Inmost, but not intermediate, conjunction existed with truth represented by Jacob, so that it was a conjunction through the end in view, which is inmost good and which could be actualized in this way and no other way. When such an end exists a conjunction of inmost things with outermost ones is effected first. Intermediate conjunction comes gradually. This the end brings about, for all progress lies with the end. Indeed the Lord acts through ends, and by means of them gradually re-arranges intermediate things into proper order. This is the origin of the conjunction meant by the reference to Isaac blessing Jacob.
ppp20284#pid#3566. Verses `Genesis 27bbbccc24-25` And he said, Are you my very son Esau? And he said, I am. And he said, Bring it to me, and I will eat from my son's venison, so that my soul may bless you. And he brought it to him, and he ate; and he brought him wine, and he drank.
'He said, Are you my very son Esau? And he said, I am' means a state of affection for natural truth, in that at that point it believed itself to be natural good because of its outward form. 'And he said, Bring it to me, and I will eat from my son's venison' means a desire to join natural truth to itself by means of good. 'So that my soul may bless you' means conjunction. 'And he brought it to him, and he ate' means first of all a conjunction of good. 'And he brought him wine, and he drank' means followed by a conjunction of truth.
ppp20283#pid#3567. 'He said, Are you my very son Esau? And he said, I am' means a state of affection for natural truth, in that at that point it believed itself to be natural good because of its outward form. This becomes clear from Isaac's question, 'Are you my very son Esau?' which can have no other meaning in the internal sense than the influx of the rational from good into natural truth represented by Jacob, and from the reply 'he said, I am' as believing itself at that point to be good - see what has been stated above in `@@@3550`.
ppp20282#pid#3568. 'And he said, Bring it to me, and I will eat from my son's venison' means a desire to join natural truth to itself by means of good. This is clear from the meaning of 'eating' as joining together and making one's own, dealt with in `@@@2187`, `@@@2343`, `@@@3168`, `@@@3513` (end), and from the meaning of 'my son's venison' as truth acquired from good, dealt with in `@@@3309`, `@@@3501`, `@@@3508`. The fact that a desire is meant is self-evident.
ppp20281#pid#3569. 'So that my soul may bless you' means conjunction. This is clear from the meaning of 'being blessed' as conjunction, dealt with in `@@@3504`, `@@@3514`, `@@@3530`, `@@@3565`
ppp20280#pid#3570. 'And he brought it to him, and he ate' means first of all a conjunction of good, 'and he brought him wine, and he drank' means followed by a conjunction of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'eating' as being joined and being made one's own as regards good, dealt with just above in `@@@3568`; from the meaning of 'wine' as truth deriving from good, dealt with in `@@@1071`, `@@@1798`; and from the meaning of 'drinking' as being joined and being made one's own as regards truth, `@@@3168`. The implications of this - that the good of the rational, represented by Isaac, first of all joins good to itself, then it joins truth to itself, which it does through the natural, represented by Jacob - are as follows: While the natural dwells in that state when good occupies the external position and truth the internal one, dealt with above in `@@@3539`, `@@@3548`, `@@@3556`, `@@@3563`, many things are allowed to come in which are not good but which are nevertheless useful - such things as serve as means towards good in their own order. But the good of the rational does not join to itself and make its own anything from that source apart from that which is suited to its own good, for it receives no other kind of good. Whatever is unsuited it rejects. All else in the natural it leaves behind to serve as the means for allowing in and introducing further things suited to itself.
ttt[2] It is the rational that exists within the internal man. What goes on there is unknown to the natural since it is above its range of discernment. Consequently anyone who leads a merely natural life cannot know anything whatever about those things that are going on with him in his internal man, that is, in his rational. The Lord re-arranges those things without a person's being at all conscious of it. Consequently he knows nothing at all about how he is regenerated; indeed he is scarcely aware of his being regenerated. If he does wish to know however let him merely pay attention to his ultimate intentions, which are rarely disclosed to anyone. If those intentions are directed towards good, that is to say, if he considers the neighbour and the Lord more than he does himself he is in a state of regeneration. But if his intentions are directed towards evil, that is to say, if he considers himself more than he does the neighbour and the Lord, let him realize that he is not in any state of regeneration.
ttt[3] A person's ultimate aims and intentions in life determine where he is in the next life, aims which look towards what is good placing him among angels in heaven, aims which look towards what is evil placing him among devils in hell. A person's ultimate intentions are nothing else than his loves; for what a person loves he has as his end in view. And being his loves, his ultimate aims and intentions constitute his inmost life, see `@@@1317`, `@@@1568`, `@@@1571`, `@@@1645`, `@@@1909`, `@@@3425`, `@@@3562`, `@@@3565`. Aims present in a person which look towards what is good reside in his rational, and are called the rational as regards good or the good of the rational. Through those aims residing there, that is, by means of the good there, the Lord re-arranges all things that are in the natural; for the end in view is like the soul, and the natural like the body belonging to that soul. The nature of the soul determines that of the body which surrounds it, as does the nature of the rational as regards good determine that of the natural clothing it.
ttt[4] It is well known that a person's soul begins in the mother's ovum, and is after that developed in her womb, and is there surrounded with a tiny body, which indeed is such that by means of it the soul is able to function properly in the world into which it is born. A similar situation exists when a person is born again, that is, when he is regenerated. The new soul which he acquires at that time is an end which has good in view. This end in view has its beginnings in the rational, where first of all it is so to speak in the ovum, and is after that developed so to speak in the womb. The tiny body with which that soul is surrounded is the natural, and the good there comes to be of such a nature that it acts in obedience to the soul's ends in view. The truths there are like fibres in the body, for it is from good that truths take shape, `@@@3470`. From this it is clear that a person's reformation is imaged by the formation of him in the womb. And if you are willing to believe it, it is also celestial good and spiritual truth from the Lord that are shaping him and at that time endowing him with power that enables him to receive that good and that truth gradually - and indeed in the manner and to the extent that he looks as a human being towards ends that are of heaven and not as an animal towards those that are of the world.
ttt[5] The matter of the rational as regards good first of all joining the good, then the truth, to itself by means of the natural - meant by Jacob's bringing savoury food and bread to Isaac and his eating it, and bringing him wine and his drinking it - may also be illustrated by means of the duties the body performs for its soul. It is the soul that enables the body to desire food and it is also the soul that enables the body to savour it. Different kinds of food are introduced through the delight that goes with appetite and the delight that goes with taste, thus through external good; but not all of these pass into the life of the body. Rather, some kinds of food serve as solvents to digest food, some as neutralizers, some as openers of and others as introducers into vessels. But good types of food are selected and introduced into the bloodstream, and then become blood. And from the latter the soul joins to itself such things as are of use to it.
ttt[6] A similar situation exists with the rational and the natural. Corresponding to the desire for food and to taste are the desire and the affection for knowing truth; and corresponding to different kinds of food are facts and cognitions, `@@@1480`. And because they so correspond a similar situation exists with them. The soul which is the good of the rational provides the desire for those things and is moved by them, so that the things which belong to knowledge and doctrine are introduced through the delight that belongs to desire, and through the good that belongs to affection. But not everything that is introduced is such that it becomes the good which nourishes life; instead some things serve as the means so to speak to digest and neutralize, some to open up and introduce. But goods which nourish life are applied by the soul, and so joined by the soul, to itself, and from these it forms truths for itself. From this it is evident how the rational re-arranges the natural so that the rational as the soul may be served by it, or what amounts to the same, so that the natural may serve the end in view, which is the soul, in developing itself so that it may be of use in the Lord's kingdom.
ppp20279#pid#3571. Verses `Genesis 27bbbccc26-29` And Isaac his father said to him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son. And he came near and kissed him. And he smelled the odour of his clothes, and he blessed him, and he said, See, the odour of my son, like the odour of the field that Jehovah has blessed. And God will give to you of the dew of heaven, and of the fatness of the land, and abundance of grain and of new wine. Peoples will serve you, and peoples will bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and your mother's sons will bow down to you. Cursed are those cursing you, and blessed those blessing you.
'Isaac his father said to him, Come near now' means a degree of perception more interior still. 'And kiss me, my son' means as to whether union is possible. 'And he came near and kissed him' means presence and union. 'And he smelled the odour of his clothes' means the pleasing emanation from the truth of good which he perceived. 'And he blessed him' means conjunction thereby. 'And he said, See, the odour of my son' means pleasure perceived in truth acquired from good. 'Like the odour of the field' means as the good ground from which truth is acquired. 'That Jehovah has blessed' means which is multiplied and made fruitful from the Divine. 'And God will give to you of the dew of heaven' means from Divine Truth. 'And of the fatness of the land' means from Divine Good. 'And abundance of grain' means natural good from this. 'And of new wine' means natural truth from the same. 'Peoples will serve you' means truths of the Church.`fff1` 'And peoples will bow down to you' means truths grounded in good. 'Be lord over your brothers' means the apparent dominion at first of the affection for natural truth over affections for natural good. 'And your mother's sons will bow down to you' means over all other affections for truth. 'Cursed be those cursing you' means that the person who separates himself will be separated. 'And blessed those blessing you' means that the person who joins himself will be joined.
`nnn1. The printed Latin edition adds three words here which may be translated 'or spiritual churches'. But they are deleted from Swedenborg's rough draft, and they are not included in `@@@3581` below.
ppp20278#pid#3572. 'Isaac his father said to him, Come near now' means a degree of perception more interior still. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying that he should draw near' as a degree of more interior perception resulting from presence. 'Drawing near' does not describe anything else.
ppp20277#pid#3573. 'And kiss me, my son' means as to whether union is possible. This is clear from the meaning of 'kissing' as a uniting and joining together resulting from affection. Kissing, which is an external activity, is nothing else than the desire to become joined together, which is an internal activity; the two activities also correspond. The subject here, as is evident from what has been stated above, in the highest sense is the glorification of the Natural within the Lord, that is, how the Lord made the Natural within Him Divine. But in the representative sense the subject is the regeneration of the natural present in man and so the joining together of the natural and the rational; for the natural is not regenerate until it has been joined to the rational. This joining together is effected by means of both direct and indirect influx of the rational into the good and the truth of the natural; that is to say, by means of influx from the good of the rational directly into the good of the natural, and through the good of the natural into the truth of the natural, and by means of influx indirectly through the truth of the rational into the truth of the natural and from there into the good of the natural.
ttt[2] These instances of a joining together are the subject here. They cannot possibly be achieved except through the means provided by the Divine. Indeed they are effected by means such as are quite unknown to man and of which he can gain scarcely any idea through the things which belong to the light of the world, that is, which belong to the natural light with him, but rather through the things belonging to the light of heaven, that is, to rational light. Nevertheless all those means have been disclosed in the internal sense of the Word, and are evident to those who know the internal sense, and so to angels who see and perceive countless details relating to this subject, of which scarcely one can be drawn out and explained adequately for man to grasp it.
ttt[3] Yet from effects and the signs of those effects this joining of the rational to the natural is to some extent evident to man, for the rational mind, that is, the inward areas of will and understanding with a person ought to present themselves in his natural mind. Just as the natural mind presents itself in the face and facial expressions, so much so that the face is the outward expression of the natural mind, so ought the natural mind to be the outward expression of the rational mind. When rational and natural are joined together, as they are with those who are regenerate, whatever a person wills and thinks inwardly within his rational makes itself evident in his natural; and this in turn makes itself evident in the face. This is what the face is to angels and what it was to the most ancient people who were celestial. Indeed they were never afraid that others might know their ends and intentions, for they willed nothing but good. For anyone who allows himself to be led by the Lord never intends or thinks anything else. Where a state such as this exists the rational as regards good joins itself to the good of the natural directly, and through the good of the natural to the truths of the natural. It also joins itself indirectly through the truth there in the rational to the truth in the natural, and through this to the good there. All this effects an indissoluble joining together.
ttt[4] But how far mankind is removed at the present day from this state, and so from the heavenly state, may be seen from the belief that practical wisdom requires one, in the world, to use words, also to perform acts, as well as to adopt facial expressions which are other than what one in fact thinks and intends. Indeed it is believed that one should so control the natural mind itself that in unison with its face it acts in quite an opposite way from inward thoughts and desires that flow from an evil end in view. To the most ancient people this was utterly abominable, and people who behaved in that way were expelled as devils from their community. From these considerations, as from effects and the signs of those effects, one may see what the joining together of the rational or internal man as regards good and truth with his natural or external man implies. One may thus also see what one who is an angel is like and what one who is a devil is like.
ppp20276#pid#3574. 'And he came near and kissed him' means presence and union. This is clear from the meaning of 'coming near' as presence, and from the meaning of 'kissing' as uniting or joining together resulting from affection, `@@@3573`. That 'kissing' has this meaning is evident from other places in the Word, as in David,
Serve Jehovah with fear, and kiss the Son lest He be angry and you perish in the way; for His wrath will shortly blaze up. Blessed are all who trust in Him. `Psalms 2bbb11-12`.
This refers to the Lord, whose Divine Human is 'the Son'. 'Kissing Him' is being joined to Him by means of faith grounded in love. In the same author,
Let mercy and truth meet, let righteousness and peace kiss each other. `Psalms 85bbb10`.
'Let righteousness and peace kiss each other' stands for let them join themselves to each other. In Hosea,
Ephraim has uttered what is horrible and has become guilty through Baal. And now they sin more and more; they are making for themselves a molten image from their silver, even an idol by their own intelligence, the complete work of craftsman to these saying, Those offering human sacrifice kiss the calves. `Hosea 13bbb1-2`.
ttt[2] 'Ephraim' stands for intelligence, in this case one's own intelligence. That is, 'Ephraim' stands for those who believe and wish to believe that it is not the Lord who is the source of their wisdom. 'A molten image made from their silver' stands for good made false. 'The complete work of craftsmen' stands for intelligence that is one's own. Those who are such are said to 'kiss the calves', that is, to embrace magic and ally themselves to it. In the first Book of Kings,
Jehovah said to Elijah, I have caused seven thousand to be left over in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him. `1 Kings 19bbb18`.
'Kissing' stands for becoming joined to 'Baal' because of one's affection for him - and so stands for worshipping him.
ppp20275#pid#3575. 'And he smelled the odour of his clothes' means the pleasing emanation from the truth of good which he perceived. This is clear from the meaning of 'odour' as that which is pleasing, dealt with in `@@@925`, and of 'smelling' as perceiving that which is pleasant, and from the meaning of 'clothes' as truth, dealt with in `@@@297`, `@@@1073`, `@@@2576`. Because the clothes were Esau's, to whom 'his' refers here, and 'Esau' represents the good of the natural, it is the truth of good that is meant. The truth of good is that which is produced in the natural through the direct and indirect influx of the rational, dealt with above in `@@@3573`. This was the truth that was being sought. But because it could not be produced by means of direct influx from the good of the rational without indirect influx simultaneously, that is, influx through the truth of the rational, and this was not possible except through the many intermediate things which Esau and Jacob are used to describe here in the internal sense, 'smelling the odour of his clothes' therefore means the truth of good which was perceived.
ppp20274#pid#3576. 'And he blessed him' means conjunction thereby. This is clear from the meaning of 'being blessed' as conjunction, dealt with in `@@@3504`, `@@@3514`, `@@@3530`, `@@@3565`. From these details which refer to Esau and Jacob it becomes clear that the good of the rational joined itself inmostly to the good of the natural, and then through the good of the natural to the truth there. For 'Isaac' represents the rational as regards good, 'Rebekah' the rational as regards truth, while 'Esau' represents the good of the natural and 'Jacob' the truth of the natural. The idea that the rational as regards good, which is 'Isaac', joined itself inmostly to the good of the natural, which is 'Esau', but not to the truth of the natural, which is 'Jacob', except indirectly, is evident from the consideration that Isaac had Esau in mind when pronouncing the blessing on Jacob. At that time he was not thinking of Jacob but of Esau. When anyone pronounces a blessing he is blessing the person of whom he is thinking, not someone of whom he is not thinking. All blessing comes forth from something interior, for though pronounced with the lips it receives its life from the will and the thought of the person pronouncing it. It belongs essentially therefore to the individual to whom he wishes to impart it and of whom he is thinking. If anyone intercepts it and so makes it his own it is like something stolen which ought to be restored to the other person. The fact that Isaac, when pronouncing the blessing, was thinking of Esau and not of Jacob becomes clear from every single detail that goes before this - from verses `Genesis 27bbbccc18-19`, where Isaac said to Jacob,
Who are you, my son? And Jacob said to his father, I am Esau your firstborn.
Then from verses `Genesis 27bbbccc21-23`,
Isaac said to Jacob, Come near now, and I will feel you, my son, whether you are my son Esau, or not.
And after feeling him he said, The voice is Jacob's voice, and the hands Esau's hands; and he did not recognize him.
Also from verse `Genesis 27bbbccc24`,
And he said. Are you my very son Esau? And he said, I am.
And at length, when kissing him,
He smelled the odour of his clothes.
That is to say, he smelled Esau's clothes, at which point he blessed him and said,
See, the odour of my son.
From all this it is clear that by the son whom he blessed he meant none other than Esau. This also was why when he heard from Esau that it had been Jacob,
Isaac trembled very greatly. Verse `Genesis 27bbbccc33`.
And he said, Your brother came in deceitfully. Verse `Genesis 27bbbccc35`.
The reason why Jacob retained the blessing however, according to what is said in verses `Genesis 27bbbccc33-37`, was that truth represented by 'Jacob' would from the point of view of time apparently have dominion, as shown frequently above.
ttt[2] But once the time of reformation and regeneration is completed good itself which has been Lying hidden in the inmost parts and from there has been disposing every single thing which seemed to be a matter of truth, that is, which truth had ascribed to itself, comes to the fore and openly has dominion. And this is what Isaac's words addressed to Esau mean,
By your sword you will live, and you will serve your brother. And it will be when you have dominion over him, that you will break his yoke from above your neck, Verse `Genesis 27bbbccc40`.
The internal sense of these words is that all the time truth is joined to good, good appears to be in the lower position but will eventually be in the higher. At this point there will be a joining together of the rational with the good of the natural, and through the good of the natural with the truth. Truth will thus become the truth of good. In this case 'Esau' will consequently represent the good itself of the natural and 'Jacob' the truth of the natural, both joined to the rational. Accordingly in the highest sense they will represent the Lord's Divine Natural - 'Esau' as regards the Divine Good there and 'Jacob' as regards the Divine Truth.
ppp20273#pid#3577. 'Like the odour of the field' means as the good ground from which truth is acquired. This is clear from the meaning of 'the odour of the field' as the perception of truth acquired from good, like the scent from the harvest in the field - 'the field' meaning good ground, see `@@@3500`. The reason 'odour' means perception is that all the delight that good yields and all the pleasantness that truth gives, which people perceive in the next life, also manifest themselves there as corresponding odours, see `@@@1514`, `@@@1517-1519`. From this and from correspondences it is evident that 'odour' is nothing else than the power of perception, though a natural power of perception corresponding to a spiritual power of it.
ppp20272#pid#3578. 'That Jehovah has blessed' means which is multiplied and made fruitful from the Divine. This is clear from the meaning of 'Jehovah's blessing' as being multiplied as regards truth and being made fruitful as regards good, dealt with in `@@@2846`, `@@@3406`.
ppp20271#pid#3579. 'And God will give to you of the dew of heaven' means from Divine Truth; 'and of the fatness of the land' means from Divine Good. This is clear from the meaning of 'the dew of heaven' as truth, dealt with below, and from the meaning of 'fatness' as good, dealt with in `@@@353`. In the highest sense in which they have reference to the Lord both are Divine. As for the multiplication of truth and the fruitfulness of good, they involve this: When the rational flows into the natural its own good presented by it in the natural appears in a general form. Through this good it produces truths there, almost in the way that life develops tissues in man and organizes them into different forms according to the functions they perform. By means of these truths organized into a heavenly order, this good produces further good, and through this further truths, which are derivatives. It is possible to have a natural idea such as this concerning the formation of truth from good, and of further good through that truth, through which yet again truth is formed. But it is not possible for anyone to have a spiritual idea except those in the next life, for in that life ideas are formed from the light of heaven, which light holds intelligence within it.
ttt[2] As regards 'the dew' meaning truth, this too is clear from other places in the Word, as in Zechariah,
The seed of peace, the vine will give its fruit, and the land will give its increase, and the heavens will give their dew. `Zechariah 8bbb12`.
This refers to a new Church. 'The vine will give its fruit' stands for the fact that the spiritual element of the Church, which is the truth of faith, will yield good, while 'the land will give its increase' stands for the fact that the celestial element of the Church, which is the good of charity, will yield truth, 'the dew which the heavens will give' being that good and truth. In Haggai,
Because of My house which lies waste the heavens above you have withheld their dew, and the earth has withheld its increase. `Haggai 1bbb9-10`.
'The dew of the heavens' and 'the increase of the earth' which were held back stand for similar things.
ttt[3] In David,
From the womb of the dawn You have the dew of Your nativity. `Psalms 110bbb3-4`.
This refers to the Lord. 'The dew of nativity' stands for the celestial element of love. In Moses,
Blessed by Jehovah is his land, of the precious things of heaven, of the dew, of the deep also Lying below. `Deuteronomy 33bbb13`.
This refers to Joseph. 'The precious things of heaven' are spiritual things, `@@@3166`, which are 'the dew', 'the deep Lying below' being natural things. In the same author,
Israel dwelt securely. alone at Jacob's spring, in a land of grain and new wine; even his heavens distilled dew. `Deuteronomy 33bbb28`.
Here 'even his heavens distilled dew' stands for spiritual things, which are those of truth.
ttt[4] 'Dew' in the genuine sense is the truth of good which is the product of a state of innocence and peace, for by 'the morning' or dawn when the dew comes down are meant those states of innocence and peace, `@@@2333`, `@@@2405`, `@@@2540`, `@@@2780`. This also was why the manna from heaven accompanied the dew which used to come down in the morning time, as becomes clear in Moses,
In the morning there was a deposit of dew around the camp, and when the deposit of dew went up, behold, on the face of the wilderness a round congealed thing, a congealed thing like hoar frost on the earth. `Exodus 16bbb13-14`.
When the dew came down over the camp at night, the manna came down on it. `Numbers 11bbb9`.
Because 'the manna' was heavenly bread it meant in the highest sense the Lord as regards Divine Good, and consequently with men the celestial element of love, for this originates in the Lord's Divine, `@@@276`, `@@@680`, `@@@1798`, `@@@2165`, `@@@2177`, `@@@3464`, `@@@3478`. 'The dew' on which and with which the manna came down stands in the highest sense for Divine Truth, and in the relative sense for spiritual truth with men. 'The morning time' is the state of peace in which those goods and truths are present, `@@@92`, `@@@93`, `@@@1726`, `@@@2780`, `@@@3170`.
ttt[5] Because 'the dew' means truth which comes from good, or what amounts to the same, that which is spiritual originating in that which is celestial, spiritual truth is for that reason also compared in the Word to the dew, for the objects used as signs of spiritual things are also used as comparisons with those same things, as in Isaiah,
Thus said Jehovah to me, I will be still and I will behold in My dwelling-place; like clear warmth on the light, like a cloud of dew when the harvest is warm. `Isaiah 18bbb4`.
In Hosea,
What shall I do to you, O Ephraim? What shall I do to you, O Judah? For your holiness - like a dawn cloud, and like the dew that falls in the morning - [is going away]. `Hosea 6bbb4`; `Hosea ccc13bbb3`.
In the same prophet,
I will be as the dew to Israel, he will blossom`fff1` as the lily, and strike root like Lebanon. `Hosea 14bbb5`.
In Micah,
The remnant of Jacob will be in the midst of many peoples, like dew from Jehovah, like raindrops on the grass. `Micah 5bbb7`.
In David,
It is like the good oil upon the head, that runs down over the collar`fff2` of Aaron's robes. It is like the dew of Hermon which runs down over the mountains of Zion, for there Jehovah has commanded the blessing of life even for evermore. `Psalms 133bbb2-3`.
In Moses,
My doctrine will flow down like the rain, My word will distill like the dew, like showers on the tender grass, and like raindrops on the grass. `Deuteronomy 32bbb2`.
Here 'the dew' stands for the multiplication of truth that comes from good, and for the fruitfulness of good through truth. And because the dew is that which every morning causes field and vineyard to be fruitful, good and truth themselves are meant by the grain and new wine referred to next in this verse.
`nnn1. literally, sprout
`nnn2. literally, the mouth
ppp20270#pid#3580. 'And abundance of grain' means natural good from this, 'and of new wine' means natural truth from the same. This is clear from the meaning of 'grain' as good, and from the meaning of 'new wine' as truth. When these two are used in reference to the natural they mean natural good and truth, but when they are used in reference to the rational they are 'bread and wine' - 'bread' being celestial good, see `@@@276`, `@@@680`, `@@@1798`, `@@@2165`, `@@@2177`, `@@@3464`, `@@@3478`, and 'wine' that which is spiritual, namely truth deriving from good, `@@@1071`, `@@@1798`. These meanings of 'grain' and 'wine' may also be seen from the following places in the Word:
In Haggai,
The heavens have withheld their dew, and the earth has withheld its increase. And I have called for a drought over the land, and over the mountains, and over the grain, and over the new wine, and over that which the earth brings forth. `Haggai 1bbb10-11`.
Here 'a drought' stands for a lack of dew and rain, and so for a lack of truth deriving from any good. 'A drought over the grain' is the lack of good, and 'a drought over the new wine' the lack of truth.
ttt[2] In Moses,
Israel will dwell securely, alone at Jacob's spring, in a land of grain and new wine; and his heavens will distill dew. `Deuteronomy 33bbb28`.
'Alone' stands for those who are not infested by evils and falsities, `@@@139`, `@@@471`. 'A land of grain and new wine' stands for the good and truth of the Church.
In Hosea,
I will be as the dew to Israel, he will blossom`fff1` as the lily, and strike root like Lebanon. His branches will go out, and his beauty will be like the olive, and his odour like that of Lebanon. Those dwelling in its shadow will turn back, they will quicken the grain and will blossom as the vine; the memory of it will be as the wine of Lebanon. `Hosea 14bbb5-7`.
Here 'the grain' stands for spiritual good, 'the wine' for spiritual truth.
In Isaiah,
A curse will consume the earth. The new wine will mourn, the vine will languish; all the merry-hearted will sigh. `Isaiah 24bbb6-7`.
This refers to the vastation of the spiritual Church. 'The new wine will mourn' stands for the fact that truth will come to an end.
ttt[3] In Jeremiah,
Jehovah has redeemed Jacob. They will come and sing on the height of Zion, and they will converge towards the goodness of Jehovah. towards the grain, and towards the new wine, and towards the oil, and towards the young`fff2` of the flock and of the herd. `Jeremiah 31bbb11-12`.
'The grain' and 'the new wine' stand for good and for truth derived from good, 'the oil' for the good which is both a producer and a product of these, 'the young of the flock and of the herd' for the truth which is acquired in this manner. This being the meaning of those things they are called 'the goodness of Jehovah'.
In Hosea,
She did not know that it was I who gave her the grain and the new wine and the oil, and who multiplied the silver and the gold which they made for Baal. Therefore I will return and take back My grain and My new wine in its season, and I will snatch away My wool and My flax. `Hosea 2bbb8-9`.
This refers to the Church when perverted, and it is evident that 'grain' is not used to mean grain, nor 'new wine' new wine, nor yet oil, silver, gold, wool, and flax to mean such material things. Rather, spiritual things are meant, that is, those which consist in what is good and true.
Something similar is the case where in the same prophet a new Church is dealt with,
I will betroth you to Me in faith, and you will know Jehovah. And it will be on that day, that I shall hear the heavens, and they will hear the earth, and the earth will hear the grain, and the new wine, and the oil, and these will hear Jezreel. `Hosea 2bbb20-22`.
'Jezreel' stands for a new Church.
In Joel,
Awake, you drunkards, and weep; and wail, all you drinkers of wine, because of the new wine that has been cut off from your mouth. The field has been laid waste, the land is mourning because the grain has been laid waste; the new wine has dried up, the oil languishes. `Joel 1bbb5`, `Joel 1bbbccc10`.
ttt[4] In the same prophet,
Be glad, O children of Zion, and rejoice in Jehovah your God, for He has given you the morning rain for righteousness, and will cause the morning and the evening rain to come down on you in the first [month]. And the threshing-floors will be full of perfect grain, and the presses will overflow with new wine and oil. `Joel 2bbb23-24`.
In the same prophet,
It will happen on that day, that the mountains will drip new wine, and the hills will flow with milk, and all the streams of Judah will flow with water, and a spring will come forth from the house of Jehovah. `Joel 3bbb18`.
This refers to the Lord's kingdom, it being spiritual things that are meant by 'new wine', 'milk', and 'water', the abundance of which is being described in this fashion.
In Zechariah,
Jehovah their God will serve them on that day, as a flock His people. For how great is his goodness, and how great his beauty! Grain will make the young men flourish, and new wine the virgins. `Zechariah 9bbb16-17`.
In David,
You visit the earth and delight in it; You greatly enrich it; the stream of God is full of water; You prepare their grain. The meadows clothe themselves with flocks, and the valleys are covered over with grain; let them clap their hands, let them also sing. `Psalms 65bbb9`, `Psalms 65bbbccc13`.
From all these places it is now evident what 'grain' is and what 'new wine' is.
`nnn1. literally, sprout
`nnn2. literally, the sons
ppp20269#pid#3581. 'Peoples will serve you' means truths of the Church; 'and peoples will bow down to you' means truths grounded in good. This is clear from the use of 'serving' to refer to truths, dealt with in `@@@2567`, `@@@3409`, and from the meaning of 'peoples' as truths, dealt with in `@@@1259`, `@@@1260`, `@@@2928`, `@@@3295`. The word 'peoples' that occurs first means the truths of the Church, which are called spiritual truths, while the word 'peoples' that occurs secondly means truths grounded in good, which are spiritual goods, but in relation to other things are called truths. Goods stemming from charity are truths of this kind. Because there is this difference 'peoples' mentioned first is not in Hebrew the same word as 'peoples' mentioned second. They express different yet related matters.
ppp20268#pid#3582. 'Be lord over your brothers' means the apparent dominion at first of the affection for natural truth over affections for natural good. This is clear from the meaning of 'being lord over' as having dominion, and from the meaning of 'brothers' as affections for good, in this case natural good, dealt with in `@@@367`, `@@@2360`, `@@@3303`. Regarding the apparent dominion at first of truth over good, see `@@@3324`, `@@@3325`, `@@@3330`, `@@@3332`, `@@@3336`, `@@@3470`, `@@@3539`, `@@@3548`, `@@@3556`, `@@@3563`, `@@@3570`.
ppp20267#pid#3583. 'And your mother's sons will bow down to you' means over all other affections for truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'sons' also as truths, dealt with in `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@533`, `@@@1147`, `@@@2623`, `@@@3373`, and from the meaning of 'mother' as the affection for spiritual truth - therefore as the Church, for the Church exists from truth and the affection for this, and is given the name 'mother', dealt with in `@@@289`, `@@@2691`, `@@@2717`.
ppp20266#pid#3584. 'Cursed be those cursing you' means that the person who separates himself will be separated, while 'blessed be those blessing you' means that the person who joins himself will be joined. This is clear from the meaning of 'being cursed' as being separated from, and of 'being blessed' as being joined to, dealt with in `@@@3504`, `@@@3514`, `@@@3530`, `@@@3565`. These expressions have reference to truths - 'those cursing' meaning falsities, which sever themselves from truths, and 'those blessing' meaning truths, which link themselves to all other truths. For truths and goods are such that they form themselves into a community and at length constitute so to speak a single political unit. In the same way also such units group themselves together. The origins of all this lie in the form heaven takes. Within that form angels are positioned according to the blood relationships and relationships by marriage that exist between good and truth. In this way all the angels together constitute one kingdom or a single political unit. It is from this heavenly form that truths and goods flow in with man and become so positioned there that a similar form is produced, all of which is effected by the Lord alone. But what is involved here will be seen far more clearly from the correspondence of the Grand Man, which is heaven, with every single thing that exists with man. This correspondence will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with at the ends of chapters. From these considerations it is now evident what Isaac's blessing, pronounced over Jacob but meant for Esau, embodies, namely the fruitfulness of good through the multiplication of truth, and of further fruitfulness of the latter.
ppp20265#pid#3585. Verses `Genesis 27bbbccc30-33` And so it was, as soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob had only just gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting. And he too made savoury food, and brought it to his father; and he said to his father, Let my father arise, and eat from his son's venison, so that your soul may bless me. And Isaac his father said to him, Who are you? And he said, I am your son, your firstborn, Esau. And Isaac trembled very greatly, and he said, Who then is he who has hunted venison and brought it to me, and I have eaten from all of it before you came in, and have blessed him? Indeed, he will be blessed!
'And so it was, as soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob' means when the first joining together had accordingly been effected. 'And Jacob had only just gone out from the presence of Isaac his father' means the development and the change that took place in this state. 'That Esau his brother came in from his hunting' means truth acquired from good and its arrival. 'And he too made savoury food, and brought it to his father' means things that were desirable and delightful to the Divine Rational. 'And he said to his father, Let my father arise, and eat from his son's venison' means so that it might make truth acquired from natural good its own. 'So that your soul may bless me' means so that it might join itself to this. 'And Isaac his father said to him, Who are you? And he said, I am your son, your firstborn, Esau' means a state of perception concerning natural good and concerning truth from that good. 'And Isaac trembled very greatly' means the great change that accompanied the inversion of state. 'And he said, Who then is he who has hunted venison and brought it to me' means questioning regarding that truth. 'And I have eaten from all of it before you came in' means which had been made its own. 'And have blessed him? Indeed, he will be blessed!' means that it was indeed joined to it.
ppp20264#pid#3586. 'And so it was, as soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob' means when the first joining together had accordingly been effected. This is clear from the meaning of 'blessing' as joining together, dealt with above in `@@@3504`, `@@@3514`, `@@@3530`, `@@@3565`, `@@@3584`, so that 'as soon as he had finished blessing' means when the joining together had been effected. This first connection was with the truth represented by Jacob, as is evident from what has been stated above.
ppp20263#pid#3587. 'And Jacob had only just gone out from the presence of Isaac his father' means the development and the change that took place in this state. This is clear from the meaning of 'going out from the presence of' as the point when the things which Jacob represented came to an end, and so when the state underwent change, for now the subject has to do with Esau, and in the internal sense with the way in which the good of the natural, as stated above, comes to the fore from its inmost position and manifests itself, and - once reformation has been carried out through the services rendered by truth - has dominion.
ppp20262#pid#3588. 'That Esau his brother came in from his hunting' means truth acquired from good and its arrival. This is clear from the representation of 'Esau' as the good of the natural, dealt with above, from the meaning of 'coming in' as arrival, and from the meaning of 'venison' as truth which is acquired from good, dealt with in `@@@3501`.
ppp20261#pid#3589. 'And he too made savoury food, and brought it to his father' means things that were desirable and delightful to the Divine Rational. This is clear from the meaning of 'savoury food' as forms of delight that good yields and forms of pleasantness that truth gives, dealt with in `@@@3502`, `@@@3536`. The forms of delight that good yields are things that are desirable, while the forms of pleasantness that truth gives are things that are delightful; for the affection for good is such that it desires a thing, while the affection for truth is such that it delights in it.
ppp20260#pid#3590. 'And he said to his father, Let my father arise, and eat from his son's venison' means so that it might make truth acquired from natural good its own. This is clear from the representation of Isaac, to whom 'father' refers here, as the good of the rational, often dealt with already, from the meaning of 'eating' as making one's own, dealt with in `@@@2187`, `@@@2343`, `@@@3168`, `@@@3513` (end), and from the meaning of 'venison' as truth acquired from natural good, dealt with just above in `@@@3588`.
ppp20259#pid#3591. 'So that your soul may bless me' means so that it might join itself to this. This is clear from the meaning of 'being blessed' as a joining together, also dealt with above, in `@@@3504`, `@@@3514`, `@@@3530`, `@@@3565`, `@@@3584`.
ppp20258#pid#3592. 'And Isaac his father said to him, Who are you? And he said, I am your son, your firstborn, Esau' means a state of perception concerning natural good and concerning truth from that good. This is clear from what has been stated above in `@@@3548-3550`, - at verses `Genesis 27bbbccc18-19`, where similar words occur.
ppp20257#pid#3593. 'And Isaac trembled very greatly' means the great change that accompanied the inversion of state. This is clear from the meaning of 'trembling' as a change that took place. Its accompanying the inversion of state is evident from what has been stated above about the two states a person passes through when being regenerated - the state before he has been regenerated and the state after. That is to say, in the state before he has been regenerated truths apparently have dominion, but in the state after he has been regenerated, truths give way and good acquires dominion - see what has often been shown already, in `@@@1904`, `@@@2063`, `@@@2189`, `@@@2697`, `@@@2979`, `@@@3286`, `@@@3288`, `@@@3310` (end), `@@@3325`, `@@@3330`, `@@@3332`, `@@@3336`, `@@@3470`, `@@@3509`, `@@@3539`, `@@@3548`, `@@@3556`, `@@@3563`, `@@@3570`, `@@@3576`, `@@@3579`.
ppp20256#pid#3594. 'And he said, Who then is he who has hunted venison and brought it to me' means questioning regarding that truth. This is clear from the representation of Jacob, to whom 'who is he?' refers here, as the truth of the natural, dealt with above, and from the meaning of 'venison' as truth acquired from good, dealt with in `@@@3501`. Here the question asked is whether that truth was derived from good.
ppp20255#pid#3595. 'And I have eaten from all of it before you came in' means which had been made its own. This is clear from the meaning of 'eating' as making one's own, dealt with in `@@@2187`, `@@@2343`, `@@@3168`, `@@@3513` (end).
ppp20254#pid#3596. 'And have blessed him? Indeed, he will be blessed!' means that it was indeed joined to it. This is clear from the meaning of 'being blessed' as being joined to, dealt with in `@@@3504`, `@@@3514`, `@@@3530`, `@@@3565`, `@@@3584`. What is implied by making its own and joining to itself the truth represented by 'Jacob' may become clear from what has been stated already. But because these matters are such as to be beyond the range of anything grasped by the natural man and so cannot be seen except in the light in which the rational or internal man sees - a light in which few see at the present day because few are regenerate - it is better not to elucidate them any further, for the elucidation of things which are not known and which go beyond the range of a person's understanding does not throw light on them but rather puts them in the shade. What is more, such things ought also to exist as a superstructure built upon ideas of natural truths by means of which they can be grasped; but these ideas too are lacking at the present day. This also explains why the phrases prior to that under discussion here have been explained so briefly and solely as to the internal sense of the words used.
ttt[2] From what has gone before one may see what is embodied in the fact that Isaac asked for venison from his son so that he might eat of it before he blessed him; and that he did not bless him until after he had eaten; and thus that after he had eaten there followed the blessing of the one who made and brought him the food, as is also evident from Isaac's words here spoken in reference to Jacob, 'He brought it to me and I have eaten from all of it before you came in, and have blessed him. Indeed, he will be blessed!' The reason is evident from an internal understanding of the rituals of the Ancient Church With them 'eating' meant making one's own and being joined to - joined to him at whose house they had eaten, that is, shared his bread. 'Food' means in general those things which are the signs of love and charity, that is, the very things that constitute celestial and spiritual food - 'bread' in that case meant things that are the sign of love to the Lord, and 'wine' those that are the sign of charity towards the neighbour. When these things had been made their own, those persons were joined together. They accordingly talked to one another from affection and shared one another's company. Feasts among the ancients were nothing else than this; the meals of consecrated things in the Jewish Church represented nothing else; and the meals at midday or in the evening which those in the Primitive Christian Church took together did not entail anything else.
ppp20253#pid#3597. Verses `Genesis 27bbbccc34-40` Even as Esau heard his father's words, he cried out with a great and exceedingly bitter cry, and said to his father, Bless me, me also, my father. And he said, Your brother came in deceitfully, and has taken away your blessing. And he said, Does he not call his name Jacob? And he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright, and behold, now he has taken away my blessing. And he said, Have you not reserved a blessing for me? And Isaac answered, and said to Esau, Behold, I have made him lord over you, and have given all his brothers to him as servants, and I have sustained him with grain and new wine. And for you therefore, what shall I do, my son? And Esau said to his father, Have you but one blessing, my father? Bless me, me also, my father. And Esau raised his voice, and wept. And Isaac his father answered, and said to him, Behold, of the fatness of the land will be your dwelling-place, and of the dew of heaven from above. And by your sword you will live, and you will serve your brother; and it will be when you have dominion over him, that you will break his yoke from above your neck.
'Esau heard his father's words' means the discernment of natural good from Divine good. 'And he cried out with a great and exceedingly bitter cry' means the great change that accompanied the inversion of state. 'And said to his father, Bless me, me also, my father' means that natural good desired to be joined to Divine good, even though through it truth was already joined. 'And he said, Your brother came in deceitfully' means the reversal of order. 'And has taken away your blessing' means the conjunction thus effected. 'And he said, Does he not call his name Jacob?' means the nature of natural truth. 'And he has supplanted me these two times' means that order was reversed by this 'He took away my birthright' means the prior position that it occupied. 'And behold, now he has taken away my blessing' means conjunction 'And he said, Have you not reserved a blessing for me?' means, Was not natural good joined in any way at all in that previous state? 'And Isaac answered, and said to Esau' means an informing. 'Behold, I have made him lord over you' means that in that state natural truth would have dominion over natural good. 'And have given all his brothers to him as servants' means that in this case affections for good were to outward appearances subordinate to the affection for truth. 'And I have sustained him with grain and new wine' means, as previously, its good and truth. 'And for you therefore, what shall I do, my son?' means that in that state good has nothing else 'And Esau said to his father' means the discernment of natural good. 'Have you but one blessing, my father?' means, Was it not possible in that case for anything from natural good to be linked to it? 'Bless me, me also, my father' means that it desired to be joined even though through it truth was already joined. 'And Esau raised his voice, and wept' means a further state in the change that took place. 'And Isaac his father answered, and said to him' means a perception that natural good would be made Divine. 'Behold, of the fatness of the land will be your dwelling-place' means life received from Divine Good. 'And of the dew of heaven from above' means from Divine Truth. 'And by your sword you will live, and you will serve your brother' means that all the time truth was joined to good, that good would to outward appearance occupy the lower position. 'And it will be when you have dominion over him' means that it will come to occupy the prior position. 'That you will break his yoke from above your neck' means that good would now be the means through which any joining together was effected - and that truth would be the truth of good.
ppp20252#pid#3598. Since verses `Genesis 27bbbccc34-38` are similar in content to such things as have been explained above and what they embody may be seen from what has been stated already, it is therefore superfluous to give any further explanation of their internal sense. Only what is contained in verses `Genesis 27bbbccc39` and `Genesis 27bbbccc40`, which have to do with the blessing of Esau by Isaac his father, needs to have light cast upon it.
ppp20251#pid#3599. 'And Isaac his father answered, and said to him' means a perception that natural good would be made Divine. This is clear from the representation of 'Isaac' as the Lord's Divine Rational as regards the Divine Good there, dealt with in `@@@3012`, `@@@3194`, `@@@3210`, from the meaning, in historical descriptions in the Word, of 'laying' as perceiving, often dealt with already, and from the representation of 'Esau', to whom Isaac addressed these words, as Natural good, also dealt with many times above. That it would be made Divine is clear from the blessing which is the subject in what follows. It has been stated above that 'Esau' represents the Lord's Divine Natural as regards Divine Good, and 'Jacob' His Divine Natural as regards Divine Truth; but here 'Esau' represents Natural good that was to be made Divine, and in the verses prior to this 'Jacob' has represented Natural truth which too was to be made Divine. The implications of all this may become clear from what has been stated above in `@@@3494`, `@@@3576`. Yet to make the matter clearer still let a further brief statement be made about it here.
ttt[2] Natural good, which Esau represents at first, is the Lord's Natural when He was a young child. This was Divine from the Father but human from the mother; and to the extent it was from the mother it was steeped in hereditary evil Its nature being such it was not able instantly to exist within that kind of order in which it could receive the Divine that was present inmostly, but it had first of all to be brought into order by the Lord. It is similar with the truth which Jacob represents; for where good is, so must truth be if it is to be anything at all. The whole area of thought, where truth resides, is joined to the area of will, where good resides. This is so even with young children. Once therefore the Lord had brought into order the Natural as regards Good and as regards Truth within Himself - into the kind of order in which the Natural received the Divine, so that He Himself was flowing in from His own Divine - and once He had gradually driven out everything human received from the mother, 'Esau' at that point represents the Lord's Divine Natural as regards Good, and 'Jacob' His Divine Natural as regards Truth.
ttt[3] But Esau and Jacob represent the Divine Good and the Divine Truth of the Lord's Divine Natural when they have been joined together as brothers. Regarded in themselves Divine Good and Divine Truth are a single power working together to give form to and to receive good and truth that are put into practice. The latter, that is to say, good and truth put into practice, are dealt with later on. These considerations show how many are the arcana contained in the internal sense of the Word. Those arcana are such that not even the most general aspects of them are intelligible to man, as is the case perhaps with those that have just been referred to. How then [can he grasp] the countless specific details regarding them? But they are suited to the grasp and understanding of angels who gain from the Lord heavenly ideas concerning these things and others like them, which ideas are enlightened by representatives full of indescribable pleasantness and bliss. From this one can have an idea of what angelic wisdom is like, yet only a remote idea of it because such things remain in the unenlightened part of man's understanding.
ppp20250#pid#3600. 'Behold, of the fatness of the land will be your dwelling-place' means life received from Divine Good; 'and of the dew of heaven from above' means from Divine Truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'fatness' as good, dealt with in `@@@353`, in this case Divine Good since it is used in regard to the Lord; from the meaning of 'dwelling-place' as life, dealt with in `@@@1293`, `@@@3384`, for 'dwelling-place' has reference to good, `@@@2268`, `@@@2451`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc2712`; and from the meaning of 'the dew of heaven' as truth coming from good which is the product of a state of peace and innocence, dealt with above in `@@@3579`, in this case Divine Truth since it is used in regard to the Lord. Similar things had been told to Jacob, that is to say, 'God will give to you of the dew of heaven, and of the fatness of the land', in verse `Genesis 27bbbccc28` above. There however 'the dew', and so truth, is mentioned first, and 'the fatness of the land', and so good, second Jacob was also told that 'God would give of' these things to him. Here however Esau is first told about 'the fatness of the land', and so about good, and secondly about 'the dew of heaven', and so about truth. He is not told however that 'God would give of' these, but that 'of them would his dwelling-place be'. From this it is also evident that 'Jacob' represents truth and 'Esau' good, and also that truth apparently occupies the prior position at first, which is a reversal of order, as accords with what has been shown many times already.
ppp20249#pid#3601. 'And by your sword you will live, and you will serve your brother' means that all the time truth was joined to good, that good would to outward appearance occupy the lower position. This is clear from the meaning of 'sword' as truth engaged in conflict, dealt with in `@@@2799`, and therefore 'living by the sword' means the time when truth is joined to good - for conjunction is effected by means of conflicts, that is, temptations, since without them truth is hardly ever so joined; and from the meaning of 'serving a brother' as occupying the lower position. But as regards the occupation by good of the lower position being only the appearance, this is clear from what has been stated so many times above; see `@@@3582`.
ppp20248#pid#3602. 'And it will be when you have dominion over him' means that it will come to occupy the prior position. This is clear from the meaning of 'having dominion' as occupying the prior position. For these matters, see what now follows below.
ppp20247#pid#3603. 'That you will break his yoke from above your neck' means that good would now be the means through which any joining together was effected - and that truth would be the truth of good. This is clear from the meaning of 'breaking the yoke from above the neck' as release. For 'the neck' means influx and communication and consequently a joining together, while 'a yoke above the neck' means a blocking and cutting off, see `@@@3542`; so that 'breaking the yoke from above the neck' means release from such blocking and cutting off, and consequently a joining together through good. It also means that truth becomes the truth of good, for when there is no longer any blocking or cutting off, good flows in and joins itself to truth.
ttt[2] What is implied in all this may be seen from what has been stated and shown so far. But because few understand what is meant by the apparent priority of truth, and by the inferiority for the time being of good - the chief reason for their not understanding being that few stop to reflect on such matters, indeed they do not even reflect on the idea that good is distinct and separate from truth - [let some explanation be offered here]. None of those who pursue a life of self-love and love of the world are aware of what good is, for they do not believe in the existence of any other kind of good than that which is a product of that life. And being unaware of what good is they are also unaware of what truth is, for truth is the companion of good. They do, it is true, know from revelation that good consists in loving God and the neighbour, and truth in matters of doctrine drawn from the Word. But because they do not live according to those things they have no perception of that good and truth; for these are known to them but are not actually present in them. Indeed even those persons who are in the process of being regenerated do not know what good is until they have been regenerated. For prior to their regeneration they have supposed that truth is good and that acting in accordance with truth is good, when in fact it is not good that they are doing at that time but truth. While a person is passing through this state he is passing through that state which is described as Jacob and the blessing conferred on him. But once he passes on into the state in which he performs a good action from an affection for good, that is, once he has been regenerated, he passes into that state which is described in the blessing conferred on Esau.
ttt[3] This may be illustrated from what happens to a person in the first and second stages of life, and after that in the third and fourth stages. During the first stage nothing more than his memory is involved in his knowing things in the Word and likewise matters of doctrine regarding faith. During this stage also he believes he is good when he knows many things from the Word and from doctrine and is able to apply some of them not to his own life but to the lives of others. During the second stage when he is more grown up he is not content to know only with his memory things in the Word and matters of doctrine but now begins to reflect on these with his own ability to think, and insofar as he adds anything to these from his own thought he is pleased by it. Consequently he is moved by an affection for truth which originates in some worldly love, which is also a means to his learning further things which would be neglected by him but for that worldly love. During the third stage however, if he is among such people as are able to be regenerated he starts to think about use, and in that case to reflect on what he reads in the Word and absorbs from doctrine for the sake of the use these serve. While he is passing through this state order is reversed; that is to say, truth is no longer placed first quite so much. But during the fourth stage, when it is the stage of his regeneration, because now the state is complete, dealt with in `@@@2636`, he loves the Word and matters of doctrine drawn from the Word - that is, he loves truth - for the sake of the good of life, and therefore loves them from a desire for the good of life. Thus good, which up to that time has apparently taken second place, now comes to occupy the first.
ttt[4] The reason why good has apparently taken second place is that it has lain concealed inmostly within the person's entire affection. Nor has it been able to show itself because it has been surrounded by such things as those with which it could not accord, that is to say, by vain and worthless things like those that constitute worldly glory and self-glory. But once he has been regenerated these things depart and the good that has lain inmostly comes so to speak out of prison and enters into those things which are outside, and takes truths to itself, makes them the truths of good, and in this way manifests itself.
ttt[5] During all this time the good present with a person is something which so to speak he does not consciously will, yet is present within his will - present in every detail of his thought and consequently in every detail of his activity. He is not aware of possessing this which he does not consciously will because he does not perceive anything present with himself apart from that which is his own, that is, which he does will. That which he does not will is twofold: on the one hand there is that which he has inherited from father and mother, on the other that which flows in from the Lord by way of heaven. While a person is growing up that which he has inherited from parents manifests itself more and more, if he is such that he does not allow himself to be regenerated. For he draws on evils from his heredity and makes them properly his own. But that which is not consciously willed yet flows from the Lord by way of heaven manifests itself in adult years with those who are being regenerated. With the latter this activity has in the meantime arranged and governed every single detail of thought, and also of will, though that activity has not been apparent.
ppp20246#pid#3604. Verses `Genesis 27bbbccc41-45` And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him; and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are approaching, and I will kill Jacob my brother. And the words of Esau her elder son were pointed out to Rebekah, and she sent and summoned Jacob her younger son, and said to him, Behold, Esau your brother is consoling himself concerning you [by planning] to kill you. And now, my son, hearken to my voice, and arise, flee to Laban my brother, to Haran. And stay with him for a few days until your brother's wrath turns back, until your brother's anger turns back from you, and he forgets what you have done to him, and I send and fetch you from there. Why should I be bereft of you both in one day?
'Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him' means that natural good found the conjunction with truth - inverted as regards order - repugnant. 'And Esau said in his heart' means thought. 'The days of mourning for my father are approaching, and I will kill Jacob my brother' means an inversion, and the removal from truth of the life from itself. 'And the words of Esau her elder son were pointed out to Rebekah' means the Lord's perception coming from Divine Truth concerning the inclination of natural good at that time. 'And she sent and summoned Jacob her younger son, and said to him' means a state in which the affection for truth discerned from an influx coming by way of Divine truth.... 'Behold, Esau your brother is consoling himself concerning you [by planning] to kill you' means, the intention to invert the state and to remove from truth the life from itself. 'And now, my son, hearken to my voice, and arise' means a continuance. 'Flee to Laban my brother, to Haran' means in the direction of the affection for external or bodily good. 'And stay with him for a few days' means in that which was subsequent. 'Until your brother's wrath turns back' means until the state changes. 'Until your brother's anger turns back from you' means the subsequent stage of the state with natural good. 'And he forgets what you have done to him' means the condition that resulted from the delay. 'And I send and fetch you from there' means that at that point the end in view has been reached. 'Why should I be bereft of you both in one day?' means that otherwise there would be no conjunction.
ppp20245#pid#3605. 'Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him' means that natural good found the conjunction with truth - inverted as regards order - repugnant. This is clear from the meaning of 'hating' here in the internal sense as repugnance, dealt with below; from the representation of 'Esau' as natural good, and of 'Jacob' as natural truth, dealt with above; and from the meaning of 'a blessing' as conjunction, dealt with above in `@@@3504`, `@@@3514`, `@@@3530`, `@@@3565`, `@@@3584`. As regards its being a conjunction with truth - inverted as regards order - that is represented by Jacob, this is clear from what has been stated and shown above in `@@@3539`, `@@@3548`, `@@@3556`, `@@@3563`, `@@@3570`, `@@@3576`, `@@@3603`.
ttt[2] The reason why 'hating' in the internal sense means repugnance is that it has reference to good, represented by 'Esau', and good does not even know what hatred is, since it is the complete opposite of it. Things that are opposites cannot possibly coexist in the same subject. But instead of hatred, good - or the person in whom good is present - feels a certain kind of repugnance, and this is why hatred here in the internal sense means repugnance. Actually the internal sense is intended primarily for those who are in heaven, and therefore when it comes down from there and passes into the literal sense, the feeling of repugnance enters into words that denote hatred when historical narratives refer to hatred. Yet at the same time no idea of hatred is present in the minds of those in heaven. This is similar to what has been told from experience in Volume One, in `@@@1875`, about the words in the Lord's Prayer, Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. The idea of temptation and evil is rejected until something purely angelic, that is to say, good, devoid of any idea of temptation or evil remains. And coupled with this purely angelic idea there is a kind of indignation and a repugnance to any thought of evil when thinking about the Lord.
ttt[3] It is similar with those places in the Word where one reads about Jehovah or the Lord hating, as in Zechariah,
Let none of you in your hearts think evil of his companion, nor love any lying oath, for all these things I hate, says Jehovah. `Zechariah 8bbb17`.
In Moses,
You shall not erect for yourself a pillar, which Jehovah your God hates. `Deuteronomy 16bbb22`.
In Jeremiah,
My heritage has become to Me like a lion in the forest It has lifted up its voice against Me, therefore I hate it. `Jeremiah 12bbb8`.
In Hosea,
In Gilgal I hate them. Because of the wickedness of their deeds I will drive them out of My house; I will love them no more. `Hosea 9bbb15`.
Here 'the hatred' that is attributed to Jehovah or the Lord is not in the internal sense hatred but mercy, for the Divine is mercy. But when that mercy flows down to someone who is under the influence of evil he is exposed to the punishment that goes with evil, in which case mercy looks like hatred. And because it looks like hatred it is also called such in the sense of the letter.
ttt[4] The same applies when in the Word anger, wrath, or fury are attributed to Jehovah or the Lord, dealt with in `@@@245`, `@@@592`, `@@@696`, `@@@1093`, `@@@1683`, `@@@1874`, `@@@2335`, `@@@2395`, `@@@2447`. The Jewish and Israelitish people more than all others were such that as soon as they detected any enmity present even with allies they believed that they were entitled to treat them cruelly, not only killing them but also exposing their bodies to wild animals and birds. And because the Lord's inflowing mercy was converted in this way into such hatred with them, a hatred directed, as has been stated, not only against enemies but also against allies, they inevitably believed that Jehovah too was capable of hating, being angry, wrathful, and furious. This is the reason why the Word has spoken in this way according to the appearance. For what a person is in himself determines how he sees the Lord, `@@@1838`, `@@@1861`, `@@@2706`. But the nature of hatred in the case of these in whom love and charity, that is, good, are present, is clear from the Lord's words in Matthew,
You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy. But I say to you, Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who hurt and persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. `Matthew 5bbb43-45`.
ppp20244#pid#3606. 'And Esau said in his heart' means thought. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying in the heart' as thought.
ppp20243#pid#3607. 'The days of mourning for my father are approaching, and I will kill Jacob my brother' means an inversion, and the removal from truth of the life from itself. This is clear from the meaning of 'the days of mourning' as an inversion of state, and from the meaning of 'killing his brother Jacob' as removing from truth the life from itself. These matters are similar to those discussed just above about hatred not being meant in the internal sense by 'hatred'. The same is also evident from things that are happening all the time in the next life. In that life all good flowing down from heaven to those under the influence of evil is converted into that which is evil, and among those in hell into that which is an opposite of that good; and truth in a similar way is converted into falsity, see `@@@2123`. Conversely therefore, that which exists as evil and falsity among such evil spirits as these exists in heaven as good and truth; and to turn this into what is good, there are spirits along the way who remove ideas of evil and falsity so that an idea of good and truth may present itself. Concerning that removal, see `@@@1393`, `@@@1875`. Furthermore when evil and falsity reach people with whom good and truth are present they are not seen as evil and falsity but under some other form determined by the disposition and state of the goodness that exists with them.
ttt[2] From this it may also be seen that 'killing Jacob his brother' does not mean in the internal sense killing but the removal of that life which does not properly belong to truth. For of itself truth has no life except from good, truth being merely a vessel for receiving good, see `@@@1496`, `@@@1832`, `@@@1900`, `@@@2063`, `@@@2261`, `@@@2269`, `@@@2697`, `@@@3049`, `@@@3068`, `@@@3128`, `@@@3146`, `@@@3318`, `@@@3387`. It is in good that life lies, but not in truth unless it receives it from good `@@@1589`, and many other paragraphs. Consequently the removal from truth of the life from itself does not destroy truth but gives it life, for when truth seems to possess life from itself it does not possess any life at all other than that which is not life in itself. But when that life from itself is removed, life itself is then conferred on it, that is to say, the life received by way of good from the Lord, who is life itself.
ttt[3] This is plain to see in those in the next life with whom truth alone exists. Their ideas appear closed, so much so that things of heaven are unable to flow in except in so general a way that it is scarcely recognized as being influx from that source. But the ideas of those with whom good as well as truth exists appear to be open, so much so that things of heaven flow so to speak into a miniature heaven or an image of themselves, for such things flow by way of the good present with those persons into the truths, see `@@@1869`, `@@@2429`. The fact that truth has the life from itself removed from it when good starts to occupy the prior position or to have dominion may be seen from what has been stated and shown already about the apparent priority of truth in the first stage and about the priority of good later on. It is this removal from truth of life from itself that is meant here. The reason why these matters are referred to as 'mourning for a father' is that 'the days of mourning' means an inversion of state, the inversion of state that was meant above in verse `Genesis 27bbbccc33` by Isaac's 'trembling very greatly', `@@@3593`, and in verse `Genesis 27bbbccc34` by Esau's crying out 'with a loud and bitter cry', `@@@3597`.
ppp20242#pid#3608. 'And the words of Esau her elder son were pointed out to Rebekah' means the Lord's perception coming from Divine Truth concerning the inclination of natural good at that time. This is clear from the meaning of 'pointing out' as thought and reflection, dealt with in `@@@2862`, and so as perceiving; from the representation of 'Rebekah' as the Divine Truth of the Lord's Divine Rational; and from the representation of 'Esau' as natural good, dealt with above. From this it is evident that 'the words of Esau her elder son were pointed out to Rebekah' is the Lord's perception coming from Divine Truth concerning the inclination of natural good.
ppp20241#pid#3609. 'And she [sent and] summoned Jacob her younger son, and said to him' means a state in which the affection for truth discerned from an influx coming by way of Divine Truth.... This is clear from the representation of Rebekah - the one who 'summoned' and 'said' - as the Divine Truth of the Lord's Divine Rational joined to the Divine Good of that Divine Rational; from the representation of 'Jacob' as natural truth or the affection for truth there, dealt with already; and from the meaning of 'summoning him' and 'saying to him' as a state of perception, also dealt with already, here a state of discernment since the Natural is the subject.
ppp20240#pid#3610. 'Behold, Esau your brother is consoling himself concerning you [by planning] to kill you' means, the intention to invert the state and to remove from truth the life from itself. This is clear from the meaning of 'consoling oneself concerning somebody' as calming a turbulence of mind with a hope concerning some person or thing - the pronoun 'you' embodying an inversion of the state of truth; and from the meaning of 'killing you (Jacob)' as removing from truth the life from itself, dealt with just above in `@@@3607`, where it has been shown that removing from truth the life [from itself] is not destroying that truth but giving it life. For the situation with the life of truth is that when people with whom truth or the affection for truth is present do not live according to the truth they know and have an affection for, there is in that case a certain satisfaction and delight, stemming from self-love or love of the world, which attaches itself to the affection for truth. That satisfaction and delight seems to be like good, but it is not good except if considered in relation to the use it serves of enabling truths to be brought in and learned, which subsequently can be of service to good itself and to the life of good. When this is the state in which truth dwells, that is, when the affection for truth exists with people, truth is said to have life from itself. But this is not life, as is clear from the fact that life does not dwell in self-love and love of the world, that is, in the satisfaction and delight that goes with these loves, but in celestial and spiritual love and the delight and satisfaction that belongs to that love. Consequently when truth is removed - that is, when those with whom such an affection for truth is present have that life removed from them - then for the first time they receive life, that is, are given life.
ttt[2] These matters cannot be grasped at all by those whose affection is for themselves and the world, for they believe that no other kind of life can possibly exist, and consequently that if that life were removed they would have no life at all. For people possessing that life cannot by any means know what spiritual and celestial life is. But the truth of the matter is that when that life is removed, that is to say, the life belonging to an affection for self and the world, life flows in from the Lord such as is angelic and heavenly, bringing with it wisdom and intelligence that are beyond description. From the point of view of this life from the Lord, the previous life seems to be none at all or to be like the abject life of beasts, for it entails nothing Divine at all apart from being able to think and to talk, and so to have an outward form like everyone else has.
ttt[3] As regards the intention on the part of good to invert the state and to remove from truth the life from itself, meant by the words 'Esau is consoling himself concerning you [by planning] to kill you', the position is that with someone who is being regenerated good intends constantly to bring about an inversion of state and to produce that order in which truth does not occupy the prior position but, in conformity with the state of heaven, the secondary position. This intention however lies concealed deeply within it and is not discerned until it is actually carried into effect. It is like conjugial love, which does not show itself in infancy and childhood but nevertheless lies concealed within, and does not emerge until every single thing has been properly ordered to enable it to manifest itself. During all that time however it is producing all the means suited to it, that is, they are produced from it. Something similar may be seen in the vegetable kingdom in which within every tree and young plant there lies concealed inmostly the effort to produce fruit or seeds. But that effort cannot manifest itself until all the means have been produced first, that is to say, shoots, leaves, and blossom; and when these have been produced, that effort comes into act.
ttt[4] It is the same with those who are being born anew. The conjugial relationship which exists between good and truth lies concealed for a long time but is nevertheless present as the effort within the efficient cause and from this within the effect itself. But it does not appear until everything has been properly ordered, and once everything has been properly ordered only then does it emerge and manifest itself. This effort is what is meant by the intention to invert the state and to remove from truth the life from itself. From this it is evident that the note which is sounded in the internal sense is altogether different from that in the sense of the letter; that is to say, it speaks of truth being brought into order and receiving life, not of the destruction and removal of life from it.
ppp20239#pid#3611. 'And now, my son, hearken to my voice, and arise' means a continuance. This is clear from the meaning of 'hearkening to the voice' as obeying, that is to say, he was to continue in that inverted state, to be dealt with in what follows below.
ppp20238#pid#3612. 'Flee to Laban my brother, to Haran' means in the direction of the affection for external or bodily good. This is clear from the representation of 'Laban' as the affection for good in the natural man, dealt with in `@@@3129`, `@@@3130`, `@@@3160`, and from the meaning of 'Haran' as that which is external and therefore obscure in comparison with other things, dealt with in `@@@1430`. But what precisely 'Laban' and 'Haran' mean here becomes clear from what appears further on where Laban and Haran are mentioned; that is to say, a parallel good that springs from a common stock is meant. Indeed goods and truths are interrelated as parents, brothers, blood relatives, and relatives by marriage are in families, `@@@685`, `@@@917`, `@@@2508`, `@@@2524`, `@@@2556`, `@@@2739`. But these matters are completely concealed from anyone in whom the life of good is not present. He does not even know what good is, nor consequently what truth is. If he first knew these - that is to say, knew from doctrine coupled to life, or from life coupled to doctrine - he would know and discern countless things concerning good and truth, gradually knowing them more and more distinctly. He would eventually come to know and discern their various links and relationships to each other and at length their close ties to each other within their lines of descent, and again in each close relationship countless more things He would in the end accordingly know and discern heaven and the form it takes, that is, its beauty and happiness.
ppp20237#pid#3613. 'And stay with him for a few days' means in that which was subsequent. This is clear from the meaning of 'staying' as being similar to dwelling, and so as living, dealt with in `@@@1293`, `@@@2268`, `@@@2451`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc2712`, `@@@3384` - though 'staying' has reference to the life of truth when accompanied by good, and 'dwelling' to the life of good when accompanied by truth; and from the meaning of 'days' as periods of time and states, dealt with in `@@@23`, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@2788`, `@@@3462`. So it is the life belonging to periods of time and states that follow, to what is subsequent therefore, that is meant here by staying with him for a few days. This subsequent stage, or Jacob's staying with Laban, is dealt with in the chapters that follow.
ppp20236#pid#3614. 'Until your brother's wrath turns back' means until the state changes; and 'until your brother's anger turns back from you' means the subsequent stage of the state with natural good. This is clear from the meaning of 'wrath' and of 'anger' as states that are antagonistic to each other, dealt with below. And when these states become such that they cease to be antagonistic any longer and begin to join together, wrath is said to turn back and anger to turn back. Consequently 'until your brother's wrath turns back' means until the state changes, and 'until your brother's anger turns back' means the subsequent stage of the state with natural good. 'Wrath' implies something different from 'anger', as may be seen from the fact that in addition to their being similar expressions it is a pointless repetition to say, 'Until your brother's wrath turns back' and then 'until your brother's anger turns back'. What each implies is evident from the general explanation and also from that to which wrath and anger are each used to refer. 'Wrath' is used in reference to truth, in this case to the truth of good, represented by 'Esau', while 'anger' is used in reference to that good itself.
ttt[2] 'Wrath' and 'anger' are mentioned many times in the Word, but in the internal sense they do not mean wrath or anger but that which is antagonistic. The reason for this is that whatever is antagonistic towards any affection produces wrath or anger; so that in the internal sense simply forms of antagonism are meant by those two expressions. 'Wrath' is used to describe that which is antagonistic towards truth and 'anger' that which is antagonistic towards good; but in the contrary sense 'wrath' describes that which is antagonistic towards falsity or the affection for it, that is, towards false assumptions, while 'anger' describes that which is antagonistic towards evil or the desire for it, that is, towards self-love and love of the world. Also, in this contrary sense actual wrath is meant by 'wrath', and actual anger by 'anger'; but when those expressions are used in reference to good and truth the wrath and anger which are manifestations of zeal are meant. And because this zeal is to outward appearance like wrath and anger it is called such in the sense of the letter.
ttt[3] As regards 'wrath' or 'anger' in the internal sense meaning simply forms of antagonism, this may be seen from the following places in the Word: In Isaiah,
Jehovah's indignation is against all the nations, and wrath against all their host. `Isaiah 34bbb2`.
'Jehovah's indignation against the nations' stands for antagonism towards evil - 'the nations' meaning evils, see `@@@1259`, `@@@1260`, `@@@1849`, `@@@1868`, `@@@2588` (end). 'Wrath against all their host' stands for antagonism towards falsities derived from that evil, for by 'the stars' - here called 'the host of heaven' - are meant cognitions, and so truths, and in the contrary sense falsities, see `@@@1128`, `@@@1808`, `@@@2120`, `@@@2495`, `@@@2849`. In the same prophet,
Who gave Jacob over to plunder, and Israel to spoilers? Was it not Jehovah against whom we have sinned? And He poured out upon him the wrath of His anger. `Isaiah 42bbb24-25`.
'Wrath of anger' stands for antagonism towards falsity stemming from evil, 'Jacob' for people under the influence of evil, and 'Israel' for those under the influence of falsity.
ttt[4] In the same prophet,
I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples there was no man (vir) with Me. I trod them in My anger, and destroyed them in My wrath. And I trod down the peoples in My anger, and made them drunk in My wrath. `Isaiah 63bbb3`, `Isaiah 63bbbccc6`.
This refers to the Lord and His victories in temptations. 'Treading' and 'treading down in anger' stand for victories over evils, 'destroying' and 'making drunk in wrath' for victories over falsities. In the Word 'treading down' has reference to evil, and 'making drunk' to falsity. In Jeremiah,
Thus said the Lord Jehovih. Behold, My anger and My wrath have been poured out on this place, on man, and on beast, and on the tree of the field, and on the fruit of the ground; and it will burn and not be quenched. `Jeremiah 7bbb20`.
Both are mentioned - 'anger' and 'wrath' - because both evil and falsity are the subject.
ttt[5] In the Prophets, whenever evil is mentioned so also is falsity, even as whenever good is mentioned so also is truth, the reason being the heavenly marriage, which is the marriage of good and truth in every detail of the Word, `@@@683`, `@@@793`, `@@@801`, `@@@2173`, `@@@2516`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc2712`. It is also why 'anger' and 'wrath' are both mentioned; otherwise one of them would be enough. In the same prophet,
I Myself will fight against you with outstretched hand and strong arm, and in anger, and in wrath, and in great indignation; and I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast. `Jeremiah 21bbb5-6`.
Here in a similar way 'anger' has reference to the punishment of evil, 'wrath' to the punishment of falsity, and 'indignation' to that of both. Since anger and wrath describe antagonism they also mean punishment, for things antagonistic to one another also clash with one another; and in that case evil and falsity suffer punishment. For evil holds within itself antagonism towards good, and falsity holds within itself antagonism towards truth. And because there is antagonism a clash also occurs; and from this punishment results, see `@@@696`, `@@@967`.
ttt[6] In Ezekiel,
And My anger will be accomplished, and I will make My wrath on them die down, and I will be comforted; and they will know that I Jehovah have spoken in My zeal, when accomplishing My wrath on them - when executing judgements on you in anger and in wrath and in wrathful rebukes. `Ezekiel 5bbb13`, `Ezekiel 5bbbccc15`.
Here also 'anger' stands for the punishment of evil, and 'wrath' for the punishment of falsity, that result from antagonism and consequent aggression. In Moses,
Jehovah will not be pleased to pardon him, for then the anger of Jehovah, and His zeal, will smoke against that man, and Jehovah will separate him as evil from all the tribes of Israel. The whole land will be brimstone and salt, a burning; it will not be sown, and it will not sprout, nor will any plant come up on it, as at the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, of Admah and Zeboiim, which Jehovah overthrew in His anger and His wrath. And all the nations will say, Why has Jehovah done this to this land? What means the heat of this great anger? `Deuteronomy 29bbb20-21`, `Deuteronomy 29bbbccc23-24`.
Since 'Sodom' means evil, and 'Gomorrah' falsity deriving from this, `@@@2220`, `@@@2246`, `@@@232`, and the nation to which Moses is referring here is compared to those nations as regards evil and falsity, the expression 'anger' is used in reference to evil, 'wrath' in reference to falsity, and 'the heat of anger' to both. Such passions as these are attributed to Jehovah or the Lord according to the appearance, for the Lord does seem to man to display such when man enters into evil and evil punishes him, see `@@@245`, `@@@592`, `@@@696`, `@@@1093`, `@@@1683`, `@@@1874`, `@@@2335`, `@@@2395`, `@@@2447`, `@@@3605`.
ppp20235#pid#3615. 'And he forgets what you have done to him' means the condition that resulted from the delay. This is clear from the meaning of 'forgetting' here as the subsequent removal of antagonism which, because it comes about through the delay and the condition resulting from this, is what is meant by 'he forgets what you have done to him'.
ppp20234#pid#3616. 'And I send and fetch you from there' means that at that point the end in view has been reached. This is clear from what comes before and after; for the end in view, meant here by 'sending and fetching you from there', is reached when truth accords with good, and in that way truth has been made subject to good, and is subservient to it. This end, following Jacob's stay with Laban, is represented by the occasion when Esau ran to meet Jacob, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him, and they wept, `Genesis 33bbb4`. For when the end in view, which is conjunction, is reached, the good of the rational flows into the good of the natural directly, and through the good of the natural into the truth there, as well as indirectly through the truth of the rational into the truth of the natural, and through the truth of the natural into the good there, `@@@3573`. From this it is evident why Rebekah, who represents the truth of the rational, said to Jacob, who represents the truth of the natural, 'I send and fetch you from there'.
ppp20233#pid#3617. 'Why should I be bereft of you both in one day?' means that otherwise there would be no conjunction. This is clear from the fact that if those events that are represented in the internal sense in what follows below by Jacob's residing with Laban had not taken place truth could not have been joined to good, and so good could not have been united to truth in the natural, and the rational would consequently have been made bereft of both. For without the joining of truth to good, and the uniting of good to truth in the natural, no regeneration, which in this chapter has been the subject in the relative sense, would take place. This statement also serves as the conclusion to those that precede it.
ppp20232#pid#3618. Verse `Genesis 27bbbccc46` And Rebekah said to Isaac, I loathe my life on account of the daughters of Heth. If Jacob takes a wife from the daughters of Heth, like these of the daughters of the land, what would life hold for me?
'Rebekah said to Isaac' means the Lord's perception from Divine Truth. 'I loathe my life on account of the daughters of Heth' means a connection with natural truth from some other source. 'If Jacob takes a wife from the daughters of Heth' means that natural truth ought not to be associated with them. 'Like these of the daughters of the land' means because they are not from that ground. 'What would life hold for me?' means, and so there would not be any conjunction.
ppp20231#pid#3619. 'Rebekah said to Isaac' means the Lord's perception from Divine Truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as perceiving, from the representation of 'Rebekah' as the Divine Truth of the Lord's Divine Rational, and from the representation of 'Isaac' as the Divine Good of that Rational, all dealt with already. And because Divine Good is Essential Being (Esse) in itself, and Divine Truth the Life springing from that Being - and the Lord as a consequence of this is primarily the Lord by virtue of Divine Good - the words stating that the Lord's perception comes from Divine Truth are therefore used here. Perception from the Divine Truth of the Rational flows from the area of the understanding, whereas perception from Divine Good flows from that of the will. Yet perception from the understanding does not belong to the understanding but to the will flowing into it, for the understanding is nothing else than the external form which the will is given. Such is the nature of the understanding when it is joined to the will. But until it has been so joined the understanding seems to exist by itself, and the will by itself, though all that actually happens is that the external separates itself from the internal. For when the understanding inwardly desires and thinks something, it is the end in view originating in the will that constitutes its life and governs the thinking there. The reason the understanding receives its life from the end in view is that the end a person has in view is his life, see `@@@1909`, `@@@3570`. This shows to some extent what is meant in the representative sense by any ordinary human being's perception from truth, and what is meant in the highest sense by the Lord's Perception from Divine Truth.
ppp20230#pid#3620. 'I loathe my life on account of the daughters of Heth' means a connection with natural truth from some other source. This is clear from the meaning of 'loathing one's life' as no connection, that is to say, of the truth of the natural with the truth of the rational - for when these two are not connected to each other it seems to the rational as though its own life were no life, as may be seen from what has been stated above in `@@@3493`; and from the meaning of 'the daughters of Heth' as affections for truth from a non-genuine source, in this case affections for natural truth, since Rebekah said this to Jacob who, as shown above, represents natural truth. For 'the daughters' means affections, see `@@@2362`, and 'Heth' or Hittite truth from a non-genuine source, `@@@3470`. From these meanings it is clear that 'I loathe my life on account of the daughters of Heth' means that there should not be any connection with the natural through truth which does not come from a genuine source, thus that no connection with natural truth from some other source should exist. The connection with natural truth is dealt with later on where Jacob's stay with Laban is the subject - that is to say, when truths from a common stem have been joined on to it. Since the truths which 'the daughters of Heth' represent did not come from that common stem no connection of them with natural truth was possible, because they were dissimilar and did not accord with it. Actually the spiritual Church among gentiles, `@@@2913`, `@@@2956`, is represented by 'the sons of Heth', but as the Word does not exist in that Church the Word is not the source of its truths.
ppp20229#pid#3621. 'If Jacob takes a wife from the daughters of Heth' means that natural truth ought not to be associated with them. This is clear from the meaning of 'taking a wife' as being associated, and from the meaning of 'the daughters of Heth' as affections for truth from a non-genuine source, dealt with just above in `@@@3620`, or what amounts to the same, as [mere] truth, for truth devoid of affection is not joined, `@@@3066`, `@@@3336`. What is implied in all this is clear from what has been stated just above about the daughters of Heth.
ppp20228#pid#3622. 'Like these of the daughters of the land' means because they are not from that ground, that is, from truths which the genuine Church knows. This is clear from the meaning of 'the daughters of the land' as Churches, for 'the daughters' means affections for good and truth, `@@@2363`, and 'the land' means the region where the Church is situated, and so means the Church itself, dealt with in `@@@662`, `@@@1066`, `@@@1067`, `@@@1262`, `@@@1733`, `@@@1850`, `@@@2117`, `@@@2118` (end), `@@@2928`, `@@@3355`. 'The daughters of the land' accordingly means the goods and truths of the Church.
ppp20227#pid#3623. 'What would life hold for me?' means, and so there would not be any conjunction. This is clear from the meaning of 'life' as conjunction by means of truths and goods. For when it was not possible for any truth from a common stem or genuine source to be joined to natural truth, there could not be any alliance of the natural to the truth of the rational, in which case it seemed to the rational as though its own life were no life, `@@@3493`, `@@@3620`. This is why here 'what would life hold for me?' means, and so there would not be any conjunction. Here and in other places the word 'life' in the original language is plural, and the reason for this is that in man there are two powers of life. The first is called the understanding and is the receptacle of truth, the second is called the will and is the receptacle of good. These two forms or powers of life make one when the understanding is rooted in the will, or what amounts to the same, when truth is grounded in good. This explains why in Hebrew the noun 'life' is sometimes singular, sometimes plural. The plural form of that noun is used in all the following places, Jehovah God formed the man, dust from the ground; and He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul. `Genesis 2bbb7`. Jehovah God caused to spring up out of the ground every tree desirable to the sight and good for food, and the tree of life in the middle of the garden. `Genesis 2bbb9`. Behold, I am bringing a flood of waters over the earth, to destroy all flesh in which there is the spirit of life. `Genesis 6bbb17`.
They went in to Noah into the ark, two by two from all flesh in which there is the spirit of life. `Genesis 7bbb15` (in `@@@780`).
Everything which had the breath of the spirit of life in its nostrils breathed its last. `Genesis 7bbb12`.
In David,
I believe [I am going] to see the goodness of Jehovah in the land of the living. `Psalms 27bbb13`.
In the same author,
Who is the man who desires life, who loves [many] days, that he may see good? `Psalms 34bbb12`
In the same author,
With You, O Jehovah, is the fountain of life; in Your light do we see light. `Psalms 36bbb9`.
In Malachi,
My covenant with Levi was [a covenant] of life and peace. `Malachi 2bbb5`.
In Jeremiah,
Thus said Jehovah, Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death. `Jeremiah 21bbb8`.
In Moses,
To love Jehovah your God, to obey His voice, and to cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days, so that you may dwell in the land. `Deuteronomy 30bbb20`.
In the same author,
It is not an empty word from you; for it is your life, and through this word you will prolong your days in the land. `Deuteronomy 32bbb47`.
And in other places too the plural form of the noun 'life' is used in the original language because, as has been stated, there are two kinds of life which yet make one. It is similar with the word 'heavens' in the Hebrew language, in that the heavens are many and yet make one, or like the expression 'waters' above and below, in `Genesis 1bbb7-9` , by which spiritual things in the rational and in the natural are meant which ought to be one through being joined together. As for the plural form of 'life', when this is used both the life of the will and that of the understanding are meant, and therefore both the life of good and that of truth are meant. For man's life consists in nothing else than good and truth which hold life from the Lord within them. Devoid of good and truth, and of the life which these hold within them, no one is human. For devoid of these no one would ever have been able to will or to think anything. Everything that a person wills originates in good or in that which is not good, and everything he thinks originates in truth or in that which is not truth. Consequently man possesses two kinds of life and these make one when his thinking flows from his willing, that is, when truth which is the truth of faith flows from good which is the good of love.
ppp20226#pid#3624. THE CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE GRAND MAN, WHICH IS HEAVEN, OF ALL THE ORGANS AND LIMBS, BOTH INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR, OF THE HUMAN BEING
Let me now tell of and describe marvels which, so far as I know, have not as yet been known to anyone, nor has even the idea of them entered anyone's head - the marvel that the whole of heaven has been formed in such a way that it corresponds to the Lord, to His Divine Human; also the marvel that the human being has been formed in such a way that every single part of him corresponds to heaven, and through heaven to the Lord. This is a great mystery which is now to be revealed, it being the subject here and at the ends of chapters that follow this.
ppp20225#pid#3625. It explains why several times, in what has gone before, heaven and angelic communities have been referred to as belonging to some province of the body, such as that of the head, or of the breast, or of the abdomen, or of some organ or limb there. And the reason they are referred to in this way lies with the above-mentioned correspondence.
ppp20224#pid#3626. The existence of such correspondence is very well known in the next life not only to angels but also to spirits, even to evil ones. From it angels know the deepest secrets in man, and the deepest secrets in the world and in the whole natural order there. This has often been made clear to me from the fact that when I have spoken about some part of the human being they know not only how the whole of that part is structured, the way in which it functions, and the purpose it serves, but also countless other details about it, more than man is ever capable of discovering or indeed understanding. In fact they know the order within which these exist and the sequence in which they are related to one another. They know these things from an insight into heavenly order which they can trace and to which the order belonging to that particular part of the body corresponds. Thus because they are in touch with the first origins of things, they therefore know the things that spring from those first origins.
ppp20223#pid#3627. It is a general principle that nothing can come into being and be kept in being from itself but from, or rather through, something other than itself, and that nothing can be held together within a form except from, or rather through, something other, as is clear from every single thing in the natural system. The human body is held together in form by the surrounding atmospheres from without, as is well known; and if it were not also held together by some active or living force from within it would instantly fall apart. Anything unconnected to something prior to itself, and through things that are prior is not connected to that which is First, perishes in an instant. The Grand Man, or influx from it, is that prior something through which the human being - every single part of him - is connected to that which is First, that is, to the Lord, as will be evident from what follows below.
ppp20222#pid#3628. Much experience has taught me about these matters. Indeed it has taught me that not only things of the human mind, namely those belonging to its thought and affection, correspond to spiritual and celestial things which heaven has from the Lord, but also that the whole of a person in general, and whatever exists in him in particular, corresponds, so much so that neither the smallest part, nor even the smallest fraction of a part, fails to correspond. Such experience has also taught me that it is from this correspondence that man comes into being, and is constantly kept in being; and also that but for such correspondence of the human being with heaven, and through heaven with the Lord - and so with what is prior to himself, and with what is First through things that are prior - he would not continue in being for one instant but would dissolve into nothingness.
ttt[2] There are always two forces which, as stated above, serve to hold everything together in its own proper connection and proper form. That is to say, there is a force acting from without and a force acting from within, and in the midst of these is the object itself which is being held together by them. The same is also true of the human being as regards every individual part of him, even the tiniest part. It is well known that the surrounding atmospheres hold the whole body in a state of cohesion by their constant pressure or bearing down on it from without, and therefore by their acting as a force upon it. It is also well known that the atmosphere, entering as air into the lungs, keeps these in a state of cohesion, as it also does its own particular organ, the ear, together with its forms which are designed for the changes that take place in it. It is well known too that the subtler etherical atmosphere in a similar way holds interior things in connection, for it flows in freely through all the pores of the skin, and by means of an almost identical pressure, bearing down, and therefore force acting upon them, keeps intact each of the internal organs of the whole body. This finer atmosphere too has its own particular organ, the eye, together with its forms which are equipped for changes that take place in this atmosphere. Unless these had internal forces corresponding to them which reacted against those external forces and in so doing held together and placed in equilibrium those intermediate forms, the latter would not remain in being for a single moment. From this it is evident that two forces have to be at work if anything is to come into being and be kept in being.
ttt[3] The forces flowing and acting from within originate in heaven, and in the Lord by way of heaven; and they have life within them. This is evident quite clearly from the organ of hearing. Except for interior changes, which are those of life, and to which exterior changes correspond, which are those of the air, hearing would never become a reality. It is likewise evident from the organ of sight. Except for interior light, which is that of life and to which exterior light, which is that of the sun, corresponds, sight would never become a reality. The same is so with all the other organs and limbs in the human body. There are forces at work outwardly, which are natural and in themselves do not possess any life, and forces at work inwardly which do in themselves have life. These forces hold everything together and cause them to have life, doing so in accordance with the nature of the form conferred on them for the purpose they serve.
ppp20221#pid#3629. Few are able to believe that all this is so, for the reason that they do not know what the spiritual is and what the natural is, let alone what distinguishes one from the other. Also, they do not know what correspondence is and what influx is, and that when the spiritual flows into the organic forms belonging to the body, it establishes the living workings such as occur there. Nor do they know that without such influx and correspondence not even the smallest parts of the body can have life or be set in motion. These things I have learned about from actual experience, which has shown me not only that heaven in general flows in but also that specific communities do so; also which communities, and the character of those flowing into this or that organ of the body, and into this or that limb. It has shown me that not one community but very many flow into any one organ or limb, and that each community consists of very many angels; for the more angels there are the better and stronger the correspondence, since perfection and strength are the product of a like-minded multitude of many individuals who in the heavenly form act as one. This accordance of the many leads to a more perfect and stronger endeavour acting into individual parts.
ppp20220#pid#3630. From this it has become clear to me that all the individual organs and limbs, or motor and sensory organs, correspond to the communities in heaven, just so many as there are distinct and separate heavens. From those heavens, that is, from the Lord by way of them, celestial and spiritual things flow in with man, doing so in fact into forms fitted and suited to them, and so producing the effects seen by man. Yet these effects are not seen by him as other than natural effects, and so are seen by him in an entirely different form and shape. He so sees them that they cannot be recognized to have their origin in heaven.
ppp20219#pid#3631. On one occasion also I was shown in a wholly living way the communities which constitute the province of the face and which flow into the muscles of the forehead, the cheeks, the chin, and the neck. I was shown which particular communities they were, what those communities were like, the manner in which they flowed in, and how they communicated with one another. To make it a living presentation they were allowed by flowing in - in varying ways - to produce the likeness of a face. In a similar way I have been shown which ones they are, and what those communities are like which flow into the lips, the tongue, the eyes, and the ears. And I have also been allowed to talk to them, and so become thoroughly informed. From this it has also become clear to me that all who enter heaven constitute the organs or limbs of the Grand Man, and also that heaven is never shut, but that the more people there are in heaven the stronger is the endeavour, the stronger the force, and the stronger the activity. In addition it has become clear that the Lord's heaven is vast, so vast as to surpass all belief. Compared with heaven the inhabitants on this planet are very few, little more than a pond in comparison with the ocean.
ppp20218#pid#3632. Divine order and consequent heavenly order do not extend beyond man as their furthest limit - beyond the things related to his body, namely his gestures, actions, facial expressions, speech, external sensations, and the delights that go with these. Such bodily things are the furthest limits to which order extends and to which influx extends. But the interior things which flow in are not in themselves such as they are seen to be in external things but have a totally different face, countenance, sensation, and delight. Correspondences teach the nature of interior things, as do representations, dealt with already. The fact that they are different is clear from actions which flow from the will, and from utterances which flow from thought. Actions of the body are not such as they are in the will, nor are verbal utterances such as they are in thought. From this it is also evident that natural acts flow from spiritual, since things of the will and those of thought are spiritual; and that spiritual things in a correspondential way present a likeness of themselves in natural, even though in themselves they are quite different.
ppp20217#pid#3633. To themselves all spirits and angels look like men and women, having the same kind of faces and bodies as men and women do, together with organs and limbs. The reason for this is that their inmost being endeavours to produce that form, even as the primitive cell of the human being, which originates in the soul of the parent, strives in the ovum and womb to form the complete human being, though this first cell does not possess the form of a body but another most perfect form known only to the Lord. And because in a similar way the inmost being with every spirit or angel endeavours and strives to produce such a form, all in the spiritual world consequently look like men and women. What is more, the whole of heaven is such that every one is so to speak the focal point of all, for he is the focal point of influxes coming through the heavenly form from all. Consequently the image of heaven is reproduced in everyone, making him a likeness of heaven and so a human being; for the character of the general whole determines that of any part of the general whole, since the parts must be like their general whole if they are to belong to it.
ppp20216#pid#3634. The person with whom correspondence exists, that is to say, with whom love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour, and consequently faith, exist, is as to his spirit in heaven and as to his body in the world. And since accordingly he acts as one with the angels he is also an image of heaven; and since the influx of all or of the general whole takes place, as has been stated, into every individual person or part, he is also a miniature heaven under human form. For it is good and truth that enable a person to be human, and that mark him off from animals.
ppp20215#pid#3635. In the human body there are two organs which are the mainsprings of its entire movement, and also of every action and external or purely physical sensation - the heart and the lungs. These two so correspond to the Grand Man or Lord's heaven that celestial angels there constitute one kingdom, and spiritual angels the other, for the Lord's kingdom is celestial and spiritual. The celestial kingdom consists of those who are governed by love to the Lord, the spiritual kingdom of those who are governed by charity towards the neighbour, `@@@2088`, `@@@2669`, `@@@2715`, `@@@2718`, `@@@3235`, `@@@3246`. The heart and its kingdom in man corresponds to celestial angels, the lungs and their kingdom to spiritual ones. Also the angels flow into things belonging to the heart and lungs, so much so that these things receive their being and are kept in being by means of that influx from them. But the correspondence of heart and lungs with the Grand Man will in the Lord's Divine mercy be presented as a separate subject.
ppp20214#pid#3636. It is an entirely general and all-embracing law that the Lord is the Sun of heaven and that this is the source of all the light in the next life; that nothing at all from the light of the world is visible to angels and spirits, that is, to beings in the next life; and also that the light of the world which comes from the sun is to angels nothing else than thick darkness. From the Sun of heaven, or the Lord, comes not only light but also warmth; but these are spiritual light and spiritual warmth. The light that strikes their eyes is seen as light but it holds intelligence and wisdom within it since it is the outward manifestation of these. And the warmth is experienced by their senses as warmth but has love within it since it is the outward manifestation of that love. This being so, love is called spiritual warmth and is also the producer of the warmth which man's life possesses, while intelligence is called spiritual light and is also the producer of the light which his life possesses. From this all-inclusive correspondence all other correspondences are derived, for every single thing has regard to good which belongs to love and to truth which belongs to intelligence.
ppp20213#pid#3637. In relation to man the Grand Man is the whole of the Lord's heaven, but in the highest sense the Grand Man is the Lord Himself; for it is from Him that heaven has its being, and to Him everything there corresponds. Since the human race had become utterly corrupted on account of a life of evil and consequent false persuasions, and since at that time the lower things with man were beginning to take control over the higher, that is, natural things were taking control over spiritual, and as a result Jehovah or the Lord was no longer able to flow in by way of the Grand Man, that is, by way of heaven, and bring those things back into proper order, it was consequently necessary for the Lord to come into the world. It was necessary because in so doing He assumed a human and made this Divine. Then by means of that human made Divine He restored order so that the whole of heaven might have reference to Himself as the one and only Man and might correspond to Him alone, once those who were under the influence of evil and so of falsity had been trodden down and so cast outside the Grand Man. This explains why people in heaven are said to be 'in the Lord', indeed in His body; for the Lord is the All of heaven, and being in Him every single angel there is assigned to a particular province and function.
ppp20212#pid#3638. Consequently in the next life all the communities there, however many these may be, remain in the same fixed position in relation to the Lord, who appears throughout the whole of heaven as the Sun. It is also a marvel - though scarcely anyone will be able to believe it because he is not able to understand it - that the communities there remain in the same fixed position in relation to each individual there, wherever he may be and in whatever direction he turns his body and moves about. Thus communities seen on the right are always to the right of him, and those on the left are always to the left, even though he alters the direction in which his face and body are turned. This I have also been allowed to observe very often by turning my own body. From this it is evident that the form taken by heaven is such that unceasingly it has to do with the Grand Man's existence in relation to the Lord; and that all angels are not only with the Lord but are also in the Lord, or what amounts to the same, the Lord is with and in them, otherwise none of this could ever be so.
ppp20211#pid#3639. All positions in heaven exist in accordance with the human body and the directions away from it, that is to say, to the right of it, to the left, to the front, and to the rear, however it may be stationed. They also exist on different levels, for example, on the level of the head and parts of the head, such as the forehead, temples, eyes, and ears; on the level of the body, such as the level of the shoulder-blades, the breast, the abdomen, the loins, the knees, the feet, or the soles of the feet; also on the levels above the head and below the soles of the feet, and slanting away in every direction, as well as those at the back of the body, from the rear of the head downwards. From the actual position where they are set one recognizes which communities they are, and to which provinces of the organs and limbs of the human being they belong; and one is never mistaken. Yet the same is recognized even more clearly from the essential nature and character of their affections.
ppp20210#pid#3640. The hells too, which are very many, hold to the same fixed position, so much so that from their position alone one can know which hells they are and what they are like. So far as the position in which they are set is concerned, something similar may be said about them. They all exist beneath man on levels in every direction under the soles of the feet. Some from hell also seem to be dotted about overhead and elsewhere, but these do not have their true position there, for it is a false, persuasive notion which deceives and which counterfeits a position.
ppp20209#pid#3641. All appear erect - both those in heaven and those in hell - with their heads in the air and their feet on the ground. Yet in themselves, and in the eyes of the angels, the body-positions in heaven are different from those in hell. Those who are in heaven appear with their heads pointing up towards the Lord who is the Sun there and so the common centre from which every station and position is derived. But those who are in hell appear in the eyes of angels with their heads downwards and their feet upwards, and so with an upside down body-position and also a bent one. For that which to those in heaven is above is to those in hell below, and that which to those in heaven is below is to those in hell above. This shows to some extent how heaven can so to speak make one with hell, that is, how together they can resemble a single entity so far as position and station go.
ppp20208#pid#3642. One morning I was in company with angelic spirits who in thought and speech were acting as one, as they were accustomed to do. This unity of thought and speech also extended towards, and reached into hell, insomuch that the angelic spirits appeared to be acting as one with those in hell. But good and truth as these existed with the angels underwent among those in hell an amazing conversion into evil and falsity, a conversion that took place by degrees as the good and truth flowed downwards, where hell was acting as one by means of false persuasions and evil desires. Although the hells are outside the Grand Man, nevertheless in this way they are made so to speak into a single entity and thereby are kept in order, according to which they are associated with one another. Thus the Lord from the Divine governs the hells also.
ppp20207#pid#3643. I have noticed that those in heaven dwell beneath a clear, bright sky like that of morning and midday, extending also towards evening, and likewise in a warmth like that of spring, summer, and autumn. But those in hell dwell under a dim, cloudy, and darkened sky, and also in the cold [of winter]. I have noticed that between the two in general a balance is kept; also that insofar as love, charity, and consequently faith are present in angels, they dwell under a clear sky and in the warmth of spring, and that insofar as hatred and consequently falsity are present in those in hell they dwell in thick darkness and in coldness. And as stated above, the light in the next life holds intelligence within it, the warmth love within it, while thick darkness holds insanity within it, and cold hatred within it.
ppp20206#pid#3644. All human beings throughout the whole world have a position either in the Grand Man, that is, in heaven, or outside it in hell. They have that position as to their souls, or what amounts to the same, as to the spirit which will continue to live after death of the body. As long as he is living in the world, no one is actually conscious of being there in heaven or in hell, but all the same he is there and is governed from there. All are in heaven insofar as the good of love and consequently the truth of faith exist in them, and all are in hell insofar as the evil of hatred and consequently falsity exist with them.
ppp20205#pid#3645. The whole of the Lord's kingdom is a kingdom of ends and purposes, so that not even the least thing occurs there which does not have a purpose to achieve some end in view. I have been allowed to perceive clearly this Divine sphere of ends and purposes, some of which are beyond description. Every single thing flows from that sphere, and is governed by means of it. Insofar as his affections, thoughts, and actions have within them the end in view of doing good from the heart, man, spirit, or angel dwells in the Grand Man, that is, in heaven. But insofar as man's or spirit's end in view is to do evil from the heart, he dwells outside the Grand Man, that is, in hell.
ppp20204#pid#3646. So far as influx and correspondences are concerned, it is similar with animals as with men. That is to say, with an animal there is an influx from the spiritual world and an afflux from the natural world which hold it together and give it life. But the actual operation of that influx and afflux varies according to the forms which animals' souls take and consequently which their bodies take. It is like the light of the world which flows into varying objects on earth to the same degree and in the same way yet acts in differing ways within differing forms. In some it produces beautiful colours, in others horrid colours. Thus when spiritual light flows into the souls of animals its reception is completely different, and the effect it therefore has on the activity of their souls is different from its reception and the effect it has when it flows into the souls of human beings.
ttt[2] For the souls of human beings exist on a higher level and in a more perfect state, and are such that they are able to look upwards, and so to heaven and the Lord. Consequently the Lord is able to join them to Himself and grant them eternal life. But the souls of animals are such that they cannot do other than look downwards, thus merely to earthly things, and so can be joined only to these. This is also why they perish together with the body. It is their ends in view that show what the life possessed by man is like and what that possessed by a beast is like. Man is able to have spiritual and celestial ends in view, and to see, acknowledge, and believe them, and to have an affection for them. But beasts can have none but natural ends in view. Thus man is able to dwell in the Divine sphere of ends and purposes which exist in heaven and which constitute heaven, whereas beasts can dwell in no other sphere than that of ends and purposes which exist on earth. Ends are nothing else than loves, for the things which people love they have as an end in view.
ttt[3] The reason why most people do not know how to distinguish their own life from that of beasts is that the two are externally alike. Both are interested in and set their hearts solely on earthly, bodily, and worldly objects. Such people also believe that their life is similar to the life which beasts possess and that like these they are going to become nothing at all when they die. For what spiritual and celestial things may be they do not know because they are not interested in them. From this comes the insanity of our own times of people comparing themselves to animals and not recognizing any internal distinction. But anyone who believes in the existence of celestial and spiritual things, that is, who allows spiritual light to flow in and influence him, sees quite the reverse, and also sees the extent to which he is superior to animals. The life of animals however will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with as a separate subject.
ppp20203#pid#3647. The situation in these matters too has been shown to me. I have been allowed to see and observe certain persons who have just entered the next life - who during their lifetime paid attention solely to earthly things and who had no other end in view and had not been introduced into what is good or true through any knowledge of this. They had been sailors and farm labourers. They seemed, as also I perceived, to possess so little life that I presumed them to be incapable of sharing like other spirits in eternal life. They resembled machines almost at a stand-still. But angels showed great concern for them, and by means of an ability which they possessed as men were instilling the life of good and truth into the new arrivals. In this way these were being led more and more away from a life like that of animals into human life.
ppp20202#pid#3648. There is also an influx from the Lord by way of heaven into objects of the vegetable kingdom, such as every kind of tree and its fruitings, and every kind of young plant and its increases. But for the constant activity of that which is spiritual from the Lord into the primitive forms existing within their seeds they would never start to vegetate and grow in so amazing a manner and sequence. But the forms there are such that they do not receive any life at all. It is from this influx that they have an image of what is eternal and infinite within them, as is evident from the fact that they contain a constant endeavour to reproduce their own genus and their own species and in so doing to live so to speak for ever and also to fill the whole world.
ttt[2] This endeavour is inherent in every seed. Yet man attributes all those things that are so wondrous to natural forces themselves, not believing in any influx from the spiritual world since at heart he denies its existence. He does so even though he possibly knows that nothing can continue in existence apart from that which comes into existence, that is, he knows that a continuing in existence is a perpetual coming into existence, or what amounts to the same, reproduction is constant creation. Consequently the whole natural order is a theatre representative of the Lord's kingdom, see `@@@3483`. But these objects too, and their correspondence with the Grand Man, will in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed elsewhere.
ppp20201#pid#3649. The subject of the Grand Man, and correspondence with it, is continued at the ends of the chapters that follow.
ppp20200#pid#3650. CHAPTER 28
The preliminary section of the previous chapter, paragraphs `@@@3486-3489`, explained what the Lord has taught and foretold about the Last Judgement or last days of the Church in `Matthew 24bbb8-14`. In the preliminary section of the present chapter there now follows, in the section-by-section method of presentation that has been adopted, the explanation of verses `Matthew 24bbbccc15-18` of that chapter in Matthew,
When therefore you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place - let him who is reading this take note - then let those who are in Judea flee into the mountains. Let him who is on the roof of the house not go down to take anything out of his house; and let him who is in the field not turn back to get his clothing.
ppp20199#pid#3651. Anyone may see that these statements contain arcana and that until those arcana are disclosed no one can possibly know what is meant by those who are in Judea being told to flee into the mountains, what is meant by him who is on the roof of the house being forbidden to go down to take anything out of the house, and by him who is in the field being forbidden to turn back to get his clothing. Without the internal sense to teach what these things mean and imply, those who study the Word and those who explain it might be drawn towards and slide into opinions that are totally alien to the truth. More than this, people who at heart deny the sacredness of the Word may therefore conclude that no more is described by such words than flight and escape from an approaching enemy and that consequently nothing more sacred than this lies within them. But in fact these words spoken by the Lord give a full description of that state when the Church has been vastated as regards goods of love and as regards truths of faith, as may become clear from the explanation of these words that follows below.
ppp20198#pid#3652. The internal sense of these words is as follows:
When therefore you see the abomination of desolation means when the Church has undergone vastation, which is the situation when the Lord is acknowledged no longer, and therefore when there is no love of Him nor any belief in Him; also when there is no longer any charity towards the neighbour nor consequently any belief in what is good and true. When these conditions exist in the Church, or rather in the area where the Word is, that is to say, in the thoughts of the heart though not in the doctrine on the lips, it is a case of desolation, and the circumstances that have just been mentioned constitute 'the abomination of that desolation'. Consequently 'when you see the abomination of desolation' means when anyone witnesses such conditions. And what he is to do when he does witness them follows in verses `Matthew 24bbbccc16-18`.
ttt[2] Spoken of by the prophet Daniel means, in the internal sense, spoken of by the Prophets, for when any prophet is mentioned by name in the Word it is not simply that prophet who is meant but the whole prophetical part of the Word, the reason being that names do not ever come through into heaven, `@@@1876`, `@@@1888`. Even so, one prophet does not have the same meaning as another. For what Moses, Elijah and Elisha mean, see the Preface to Chapter `Genesis ccc18bbb0`, and `@@@2762`. By 'Daniel' however is meant every prophetical statement concerning the Lord's coming and the state of the Church, in this case its final state. Much reference is made in the Prophets to vastation, and by the reference to it here in Daniel is meant in the sense of the letter the vastation of the Jewish and Israelitish Church, but in the internal sense the vastation of the Church in general, and thus also the vastation of it which is now at hand.
ttt[3] Standing in the holy place means a vastation involving everything that forms part of what is good and true. 'The holy place' is a state of love and faith, for by 'a place' in the internal sense is meant a state, see `@@@2625`, `@@@2837`, `@@@3356`, `@@@3387`. The 'holy' element of that state consists in the good of love and in the truth of faith grounded in this. Nothing else is meant in the Word by the expression 'holy', for goodness and truth originate in the Lord, who is Holiness itself or the Sanctuary.
Let him who is reading this take note means that these matters are to be thoroughly understood by those within the Church, especially by those who have love and faith, to whom the present words refer.
ttt[4] Then let those who are in Judea flee into the mountains means that members of the Church are to fix their attention solely on the Lord and so on love to Him and on charity towards the neighbour. For 'Judea' means the Church, as will be shown below, while 'a mountain' means the Lord Himself but 'the mountains' love to Him and charity towards the neighbour, see `@@@795`, `@@@796`, `@@@1430`, `@@@2722`. According to the sense of the letter when Jerusalem was besieged, as was done by the Romans, they were not to resort to that city but to go onto the mountains, according to the following in Luke,
When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its devastation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee onto the mountains, and let those who are in the midst of it`fff1` depart, but those who are out in the country let them not enter it. `Luke 21bbb20-21`.
ttt[5] The same applies to this reference to Jerusalem; that is to say, in the sense of the letter it is the city of Jerusalem that is meant, but in the internal sense the Lord's Church, see `@@@402`, `@@@2117`. For every single thing mentioned in the Word concerning the Jewish and Israelitish people is representative of the Lord's kingdom in heaven and of the Lord's kingdom on earth, which is the Church, as has been shown often. Consequently nowhere in the internal sense is 'Jerusalem' used to mean Jerusalem, or 'Judea' to mean Judea. But every single thing so mentioned was such that by means of it the celestial and spiritual things of the Lord's kingdom were able to be represented. It was for the sake of what they represented that the events which have been recorded took place. Thus the Word was able to be written in such a way that it lay both within the mental grasp of people reading it, and within the understanding of angels who were present with them. This was also the reason why the Lord spoke in a similar way. Indeed if He had spoken in any other way it would not have come within the mental grasp of those reading it, especially at that time, nor simultaneously within the angels' power of understanding. Thus it would not have been accepted by man, nor understood by angels.
ttt[6] Let him who is on the roof of the house not go down to take anything out of his house means that those in whom the good of charity is present should not therefore resort to matters of doctrine concerning faith. 'The roof of the house' in the Word means a person's higher state, and so his state as regards good, whereas what is below means a person's lower state, and so his state as regards truth. For what 'house' is, see `@@@710`, `@@@1708`, `@@@2233`, `@@@2331`, `@@@3142`, `@@@3538`. With regard to the state of a member of the Church, while he is undergoing regeneration he is at that time learning truth for the sake of good; for he possesses an affection for truth for the sake of that good. But once he has been regenerated truth and good are the basis of his actions. Once he has reached this state he ought not to go back to the previous state, for if he did he would then reason from truth about the good which is present with him and in so doing would pervert his present state. For all reasoning does and must come to an end when a person's state is one in which he wills what is true and good, for in that case the will and therefore conscience are the source of his thought and action, and not the understanding, as it had been previously. If he went back to the understanding as the source of his thought and action he would encounter temptations in which he would go under. These are the considerations meant by the statement 'let him who is on the roof of the house not go down to take anything out of his house'.
ttt[7] And let him who is in the field not turn back to get his clothing (or tunic) means that neither should those in whom good that resides in truth is present forsake such good and resort to doctrine concerning truth. 'The field' in the Word means this state of man as regards good; for what 'field' means, see `@@@368`, `@@@2971`, `@@@3196`, `@@@3310`, `@@@3317`, `@@@3500`, `@@@3508`. And 'clothing' or tunic means that which clothes good, namely doctrine concerning truth, such being like clothing for good; for 'clothing' has that meaning, see `@@@297`, `@@@1073`, `@@@2576`, `@@@3301`. Anyone may see that deeper things lie concealed in these words than are visible in the letter; for the Lord Himself spoke them.
`nnn1. i.e. Jerusalem
ppp20197#pid#3653. From these considerations it may now be seen that these verses give a thorough description of the state of the Church when vastated as regards the goods of love and as regards the truths of faith. At the same time they urge what is to be done in those circumstances by those with whom such goods and truths are present. There are three kinds of people within the Church, namely, those who are moved by love to the Lord, those who are moved by charity towards the neighbour, and those who are moved by the affection for truth. Members of the first group - those moved by love to the Lord - are meant specifically in the injunction, Let those who are in Judea flee into the mountains. Members of the second group are those who are moved by charity towards the neighbour; and these are meant specifically in, Let him who is on the roof of the house not go down to take anything out of his house. Members of the third group are those who are moved by the affection for truth; and these are meant specifically in, Let him who is in the field not turn back to get his clothing. See what has been stated and explained already about these matters in Volume Two, in `@@@2454`, and also in the same paragraph what is meant by 'turning back' and 'looking back behind oneself'.
ppp20196#pid#3654. In the internal sense of the Word 'Judea' does not mean Judea, any more than 'Jerusalem' means Jerusalem. This becomes clear from many places in the Word. In the Word Judea is mentioned less frequently than the land of Judah, which, like the land of Canaan, means the Lord's kingdom, and therefore the Church also since the Church is the Lord's kingdom on earth. And Judea has this meaning because Judah or the Jewish nation represented the Lord's celestial kingdom, and Israel or the Israelitish people His spiritual kingdom. And because His kingdom was represented by them, therefore when that nation or people is mentioned in the Word, nothing else is meant in its internal sense.
ttt[2] The truth of this will be evident from those things which in the Lord's Divine mercy will be stated later on regarding Judah and the land of Judah. For the present it will be evident from the following few examples in the Prophets: In Isaiah,
My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill.`fff1` He surrounded it [with an enclosure] and gathered out the stones, and planted it with the choicest vine and built a tower in the midst of it, and also hewed out a winepress in it. And he looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes. And now, O inhabitant of Jerusalem and man of Judah, judge, I pray you, between Me and My vineyard. I will make it a desolation, for the vineyard of Jehovah Zebaoth is the house of Israel, and the man of Judah His pleasant plant.`fff2` And He looked for judgement, but behold, festering; for righteousness, but behold, a cry. `Isaiah 5bbb1-3`, `Isaiah 5bbbccc6-7`.
Here the subject in the sense of the letter is the perverted state of the
Israelites and Jews, but in the internal sense it is the perverted state of the Church represented by Israel and Judah. 'Inhabitant of Jerusalem' is the Church's good - 'inhabitant' meaning good, or what amounts to the same, those with whom good is present, see `@@@2268`, `@@@2451`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc2712`, `@@@3613`, and 'Jerusalem' the Church, `@@@402`, `@@@2117`. 'The house of Israel' has a similar meaning - 'house' meaning good, `@@@710`, `@@@1708`, `@@@2233`, `@@@2331`, `@@@3142`, `@@@3538`, and 'Israel' the Church, `@@@3305`. 'The man of Judah' also is very similar, for 'a man' means truth, `@@@265`, `@@@749`, `@@@1007`, `@@@3134`, `@@@3310`, `@@@3459`, and Judah good. The difference however is that 'the man of Judah' means truth grounded in the good of love to the Lord, which is called celestial truth, that is, those governed by that kind of truth are meant.
ttt[3] In the same prophet,
He will raise an ensign for the nations, and will gather the outcasts of Israel, and will assemble the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. Then the rivalry of Ephraim will depart, and the enemies of Judah be cut off. Ephraim will not vie with Judah, and Judah will not harass Ephraim. Jehovah will utterly destroy the tongue of the sea of Egypt, and will shake His hand over the River with the might of His spirit. Then there will be a highway for the remnant of His people which will remain from Asshur. `Isaiah 11bbb12-13`, `Isaiah 11bbbccc15-16`.
Here the subject in the sense of the letter is the bringing back of the Israelites and Jews from captivity, but in the internal sense it is a new Church in general and with each person in particular who is being regenerated or becoming the Church. 'The outcasts of Israel' stands for their truths, 'the dispersed of Judah' for their goods. 'Ephraim' stands for the understanding part of their minds, which will no longer offer any resistance. 'Egypt' stands for facts, and 'Asshur' for reasoning based on these, which they have perverted. 'The outcasts', 'the dispersed', 'the remnant', and 'those who remain' stand for truths and goods which survive. For 'Ephraim' means the understanding part of the mind, as will be shown elsewhere, while 'Egypt' means factual knowledge, see `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1186`, `@@@1462`, `@@@2588`, `@@@3325`, 'Asshur' reasoning, `@@@119`, `@@@1186`, and 'remnant' the goods and truths that the Lord has stored away in the interior man, `@@@468`, `@@@530`, `@@@560`, `@@@561`, `@@@660`, `@@@661`, `@@@798`, `@@@1050`, `@@@1738`, `@@@1906`, `@@@2284`.
ttt[4] In the same prophet,
Hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel and who came out of the waters of Judah. For they are called after the city of holiness, and upon the God of Israel they place their reliance. `Isaiah 48bbb1-2`.
'The waters of Judah' stands for truths which spring from the good of love to the Lord. The truths from that source are actually the goods of charity, which are called spiritual goods and constitute the spiritual Church, the internal of this Church being meant by 'Israel' and the external by 'the house of Jacob'. This shows what is meant by 'the house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel and who came out of the waters of Judah'.
ttt[5] In the same prophet,
I will bring forth seed from Jacob, and from Judah the heir of My mountains, and My chosen ones will possess it, and My servants will dwell there. `Isaiah 65bbb9`.
'From Judah the heir of mountains' stands in the highest sense for the Lord, and in the representative sense for those in whom love to Him is present and so the good of love to Him and the good of love towards the neighbour. As regards 'mountains' meaning these forms of good, this has been shown above in `@@@3652`.
ttt[6] In Moses,
A lion's whelp is Judah; from the prey you have gone up, my son. He crouched, he lay down like a lion, and like an old lion; who will rouse him up? `Genesis 49bbb9`.
Here it is quite evident that in the highest sense 'Judah' is used to mean the Lord, and in the representative sense those with whom the good of love to Him is present. In David,
When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a foreign people, Judah became His sanctuary, Israel His dominions. `Psalms 114bbb1-2`.
Here also 'Judah' stands for celestial good, which is the good of love to the Lord, while 'Israel' stands for celestial truth, which is spiritual good.
ttt[7] In Jeremiah,
Behold, the days are coming, says Jehovah, and I will raise up for David a righteous branch, who will reign as king, and will prosper, and execute judgement and righteousness in the land. In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is His name which they will call Him, Jehovah our Righteousness. `Jeremiah 23bbb5-6`; `Jeremiah ccc33bbb15-16`.
This refers to the Coming of the Lord. 'Judah' stands for those with whom the good of love to the Lord is present, 'Israel' for those with whom the truth that goes with that good is present. For 'Judah' is not used to mean Judah, nor 'Israel' to mean Israel, as may be seen from the fact that neither Judah nor Israel was actually preserved any longer. Similarly in the same prophet,
I will bring back the captivity of Judah, and the captivity of Israel, and build them as they were previously. `Jeremiah 33bbb7`.
The like may be seen here also. In the same prophet,
In those days and at that time, says Jehovah, the children of Israel will come, they and the children of Judah together, weeping as they come; and they will seek Jehovah their God; and they will seek Zion on the way, their faces towards it. `Jeremiah 50bbb4-5`.
In the same prophet,
At that time they will call Jerusalem the throne of Jehovah, and all the nations will be gathered to it, to Jerusalem, because of the name of Jehovah; and they will go no more after the stubbornness of their own evil heart. In those days the house of Judah will go to the house of Israel, and together they will come over the land out of the land of the north. `Jeremiah 3bbb17-18`.
ttt[8] In the same prophet,
Behold, the days are coming, said Jehovah, in which I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and the seed of beast; and I will make with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah a new covenant. This is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days: I will put My law in the midst of them, and will write it on their heart. `Jeremiah 31bbb27`, `Jeremiah 31bbbccc31`, `Jeremiah 31bbbccc33`.
This shows plainly that Israel or the house of Israel was not meant, for once dispersed among the gentiles they were never brought back from captivity. Nor consequently was Judah or the house of Judah meant. Instead Israel and Judah meant in the internal sense members of the Lord's spiritual and celestial kingdoms. It is with these people that the new covenant is made, and in whose hearts the law is written. 'The new covenant' stands for being joined to the Lord by means of good, `@@@665`, `@@@666`, `@@@1023`, `@@@1038`, `@@@1864`, `@@@1996`, `@@@2003`, `@@@2021`, `@@@2037`. 'The law written in their heart' stands for a perception of good and of truth springing from that good, and also for conscience.
ttt[9] In Joel,
It will happen on that day that the mountains will drip new wine, and the hills will flow with milk, and all the streams of Judah will flow with water; and a spring will come forth from the house of Jehovah and will water the river of Shittim. Egypt will become a waste, and Edom a desolate wilderness,`fff3` on account of the violence done to the children of Judah whose innocent blood they have shed in their land. And Judah will abide for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation. `Joel 3bbb18-20`.
From every detail here also it is evident that 'Judah' is not used to mean Judah, nor 'Jerusalem' to mean Jerusalem, but those in whom the holiness of love and charity dwells, for they are 'to abide for ever' and 'from generation to generation'.
ttt[10] In Malachi,
Behold, I am sending My angel, who will prepare the way before Me; and suddenly there will come to His temple the Lord whom you are seeking, and the angel of the covenant in whom you delight. Then the minchah`fff4` of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to Jehovah, as in the days of eternity, and as in former years. `Malachi 3bbb1`, `Malachi 3bbbccc4`.
This refers to the Coming of the Lord, at which time, it is clear, the minchah of Judah and Jerusalem was not acceptable to Jehovah. From this it is evident that Judah and Jerusalem mean such things as constitute the Lord's Church. The same applies wherever else Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem are mentioned in the Word. From this one may now see what is meant in Matthew by 'Judea', namely the Lord's Church, in that case when vastated.
`nnn1. literally, on a horn of a son of oil
`nnn2. literally, the young plant of His delights
`nnn3. literally, the wilderness of a waste
`nnn4. Generally rendered 'offering' in English versions of the Scriptures. It is a Hebrew word. The 'ch' in it has a hard or guttural pronunciation, as in German buch or Scottish loch.
ppp20195#pid#3655. The subject in the previous sections of `Matthew 24bbb0` has been the first and second states of the perversion of the Church. The first state exists when people cease to know any longer what good is or what truth is, and instead argue with one another about these, as a result of which falsities arise, see `@@@3354`. And the second state exists when they treat good and truth with contempt and also reject them, and so when belief in the Lord breathes its last, which things take place step by step as charity ceases to exist, see `@@@3487`, `@@@3488`. Here the third state is now dealt with, which exists when good and truth in the Church are made desolate.
ppp20194#pid#3656. `Genesis 28bbb0`
1. And Isaac called to Jacob, and blessed him, and commanded him, and said to him, You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan.
2. Rise up, go to Paddan Aram, to the home of Bethuel your mother's father, and take for yourself from there a wife from the daughters of Laban your mother's brother.
3. And God Shaddai will bless you, and make you fruitful and multiply you; and you will be an assembly of peoples.
4. And He will give you the blessing of Abraham, you and your seed with you, to inherit the land of your sojournings, which God gave to Abraham.
5. And Isaac sent Jacob away; and he went to Paddan Aram, to Laban the son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob and Esau's mother.
6. And Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and had sent him away to Paddan Aram to take a wife for himself from there, and in blessing him had commanded him, saying, You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan;
7. And that Jacob had listened to his father and to his mother, and had gone to Paddan Aram.
8. And Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan were evil in the eyes of Isaac his father.
9. And Esau went to Ishmael, and took Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son, the sister of Nebaioth, as a wife (mulier) in addition to the wives (femina) he had.
10. And Jacob went out from Beersheba and went to Haran.
11. And he came upon a place, and spent the night there because the sun had gone down. And he took one of the stones of the place and placed it as his headrest, and lay down in that place.
12. And he dreamed, and behold, a stairway set up on the earth, and its top reaching to heaven; and behold, the angels of God going up and coming down on it.
13. And behold, Jehovah was standing above it, and He said, I am Jehovah, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac; the land on which you are lying I will give to you and to your seed.
14. And your seed will be as the dust of the earth, and you will break forth towards the sea, and towards the east, and towards the north, and towards the south; and in you will all the families of the ground be blessed - and in your seed.
15. And behold, I am with you, and will guard you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this ground; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken about to you.
16. And Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, Surely Jehovah is in this place and I did not know it.
17. And he was afraid and said, How awesome is this place! This is nothing other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.
18. And in the morning Jacob rose up early, and took the stone which he had placed as his headrest, and placed it as a pillar and poured oil on the top of it.
19. And he called the name of that place Bethel, though Luz was the name of the city previously.
20. And Jacob made a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and guard me on this road on which I am walking, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear,
21. And I come back in peace to my father's house, then Jehovah will be my God.
22. And this stone which I have placed as a pillar will be God's house; and of all that You give me I will surely give You a tenth.
CONTENTS
The subject here in the highest sense is the way in which the Lord began to make Divine both the truth and the good of His Natural, a general description being given of the means by which He accomplished this. But in the representative sense the subject is the way in which the Lord regenerates or makes new both the truth and the good of the natural man, a general description likewise being given of the process by which He accomplishes it, verses `Genesis 28bbbccc1-9`.
ppp20193#pid#3657. Described in the highest sense is the way in which, starting from the lowest degree of order, the Lord began to make Divine the truth of His Natural, so that He might thereby set in order intermediate degrees and link every single one to that which is the First, that is, to His own Divine. But the internal representative sense describes the way in which, again starting from the lowest degree of order, the Lord regenerates the natural in man and thereby sets in order intermediate degrees, so that through the rational He may join these to Himself, verses `Genesis 28bbbccc10-22`.
ppp20192#pid#3658. THE INTERNAL SENSE
Verses `Genesis 28bbbccc1-2` And Isaac called to Jacob, and blessed him, and commanded him, and said to him, You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan. Rise up, go to Paddan Aram, to the home of Bethuel your mother's father, and take for yourself from there a wife from the daughters of Laban your mother's brother.
'Isaac called to Jacob' means perception by the Lord regarding the nature of the good of truth. 'And blessed him' means that this good was accordingly joined [to the rational]. 'And commanded him, and said to him' means reflection and consequent perception. 'You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan' means provided it was not joined to affections for falsity and evil. 'Rise up' means provided it raised up that good from these. 'Go to Paddan Aram' means the cognitions of such truth. 'To the home of Bethuel your mother's father, and take for yourself from there a wife from the daughters of Laban your mother's brother' means a parallel external good, and the truth which sprang from this good and was to be joined [to the good of the natural].
ppp20191#pid#3659. 'Isaac called to Jacob' means perception by the Lord regarding the nature of the good of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'calling to someone' as perception of the nature of a thing, dealt with in `@@@3609`, from the representation of 'Isaac' as the Lord as regards the Divine Good of the Divine Rational, dealt with in `@@@1893`, `@@@2066`, `@@@2072`, `@@@2083`, `@@@2630`, `@@@3012`, `@@@3194`, `@@@3210`, and from the representation of 'Jacob' as the Lord as regards natural truth, dealt with in `@@@1893`, `@@@3305`, `@@@3509`, `@@@3525`, `@@@3546`, `@@@3576`, `@@@3599`. Here however and in the rest of this chapter 'Jacob' represents the good of that truth. From this it is evident that these words 'Isaac called to Jacob' mean perception by the Lord of the nature of the good of truth.
ttt[2] The reason why 'Jacob' here represents the good of that truth is that by now he had taken Esau's birthright, and also his blessing, and in so doing had assumed Esau's identity; yet it was still no more than the good of that truth, which truth he had represented previously. For every kind of truth that exists holds good within it, because truth is not truth unless it arises out of good and for this reason is called truth. By means of the birthright which he took, and by means of the blessing, Jacob acquired for his descendants, in precedence over Esau, a succession to the promise made to Abraham and Isaac concerning the land of Canaan. In so doing he represented the Lord's Divine Natural, even as 'Isaac' represented the Divine Rational, and 'Abraham' His Divine itself. In order therefore that the representative might rest on one person he was thus allowed to take away the birthright from Esau, and after that the blessing. This is why Jacob now represents the good of the natural, though at first in this chapter he represents the good of that truth, which truth he represented immediately before. Esau is also dealt with further still, as in verses `Genesis 28bbbccc6-9` below, to the end that the good of truth and the interior truth of good of the Lord's Natural - which cannot as yet be represented by 'Jacob' - may nevertheless be represented. What the good of truth, represented here by 'Jacob' is, and the nature of it, will be clear from what follows.
ppp20190#pid#3660. 'And blessed him' means that this good was accordingly joined [to the rational]. This is clear from the meaning of 'being blessed' as being joined to, dealt with in `@@@3504`, `@@@3514`, `@@@3530`, `@@@3565`, `@@@3584`. The reason why Isaac the father now blessed Jacob his son [a second time] - even though the latter had come to him deceitfully and had taken the blessing that was Esau's, an action that had made Isaac tremble, as is evident from verses `Genesis ccc27bbb33`, `Genesis 27bbbccc35` of the previous chapter - is that he now perceived it was to be Jacob's descendants, not Esau's, who were to have possession of the land of Canaan. It was on account of this perception that the blessing was re-affirmed by Isaac. The deceit which had made Isaac tremble however meant and foretold the false impression which that nation would give in regard to representatives. That is to say, there was nothing in the least genuine or from the heart in its representation of the Divine or the heavenly things of the Lord's kingdom. Thus that nation was not at all like the Ancient Church but was interested only in things that were external separated from anything internal. Nor indeed did their interest end there, for they fell away so many times into plain idolatry.
ttt[2] But what the expression being joined to, or conjunction, describes, meant in the internal sense by 'being blessed', has been stated already, namely this: Both the good and the truth of the natural were to be linked to the rational, or what amounts to the same, the external man to the internal. For to make His Natural Divine, the Lord imparted such good and truth to it as could correspond to the good and truth of the Divine Rational. Unless goods and truths in the one correspond to those in the other no conjunction is possible. The goods and truths of the natural, that is, those proper to the natural man, are countless, so countless that a person can hardly know the most general kinds of them, though when natural good and truth are referred to these are seen by him as a simple whole; for the entire natural, and everything there, is nothing else. This being so one may see that goods and truths of the natural exist which are able to accommodate the goods and truths of the rational, and goods and truths of the natural exist which are not able to do so; consequently that goods and truths of the natural exist which, by means of correspondence, are able to be linked to the goods and truths of the rational. It is the latter that are referred to in this chapter and those that follow.
ttt[3] The ability to know those goods and truths and to distinguish one from another, and also to see the nature of them and so to see how suited they are for conjunction, can hardly exist in anyone as long as he does not think from what is interior, that is, from the enlightenment provided by the light of heaven. For at this time such things seem to him to be both obscure and joyless. But such things are nevertheless suited to the mental grasp and understanding of angels, and also to the mental grasp of spirits; for their thoughts are not interspersed with concerns about worldly, bodily, and earthly things, as they had been previously when they lived as men in the world. They - that is to say, angels and spirits - receive the delight of intelligence and the blessedness of wisdom when they have such things from the internal sense of the Word. Indeed the Divine is in that case shining on them, for in the highest sense the Lord is the subject, and in the representative sense the Church and regeneration. They come consequently within the Divine sphere of the Lord and of His ends and purposes.
ppp20189#pid#3661. 'And commanded him, and said to him' means reflection and consequent perception. This is clear from the meaning of 'commanding' in historical parts of the Word as reflecting, and from the meaning of 'saying' as perceiving, dealt with in `@@@1791`, `@@@1815`, `@@@1819`, `@@@1822`, `@@@1898`, `@@@1919`, `@@@2080`, `@@@2619`, `@@@2862`. Reflection is a mental looking at the disposition and nature of a thing, and from that reflection comes perception.
ppp20188#pid#3662. 'You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan' means provided it was not joined to affections for falsity and evil. This is clear from the meaning of 'taking a wife' as being brought into association with or joined to; from the meaning of 'daughters' as affections, dealt with in `@@@568`, `@@@2362`, `@@@3024`, and from the meaning of 'Canaan' as falsity and evil, dealt with in `@@@1093`, `@@@1140`, `@@@1141`, `@@@1167`, `@@@1205`, `@@@1444`, `@@@1573`, `@@@1574`, `@@@1868`.
ppp20187#pid#3663. 'Rise up' means provided it raised up that good from these. This is clear from the meaning of 'rising up' - whenever this is mentioned - as a phrase that implies some kind of raising up, dealt with in `@@@2401`, `@@@2785`, `@@@2912`, `@@@2927`, `@@@3171`. Here it is a raising up from such things as are meant by 'the daughters of Canaan' to such things as are meant by 'the daughters of Laban', dealt with below.
ppp20186#pid#3664. 'Go to Paddan Aram' means the cognitions of such truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'Aram' or Syria as cognitions, dealt with in `@@@1232`, `@@@1234`, `@@@3249`. The reason 'Paddan Aram' means cognitions of truth is that it was situated in Syria of the [Two] Rivers, where Nahor, Bethuel, and Laban lived; for 'Syria' means the cognitions of truth, see `@@@3051`. Paddan Aram has also been referred to previously in `Genesis ccc25bbb20`, and is mentioned again in `Genesis ccc31bbb18` below; and in those places too it means cognitions of truth.
ppp20185#pid#3665. 'To the home of Bethuel your mother's father, and take for yourself from there a wife from the daughters of Laban your mother's brother' means a parallel external good, and the truth which sprang from this good and was to be joined [to the good of the natural]. This is clear from the representation of 'Bethuel' as good existing with those who make up a first group of gentiles, dealt with in `@@@2865`; from the representation of 'Laban' as the affection for good in the natural man, that is, the affection for external good, strictly speaking a parallel good that springs from a common stock, dealt with in `@@@3129`, `@@@3130`, `@@@3160`, `@@@3612`; and from the meaning of 'taking a wife from his daughters' as being brought into association with or joined to affections for truth from that source. For 'taking a wife', as is self-evident, means being joined to, and 'daughters' means affections, see `@@@568`, `@@@2362`, `@@@3024`. From this it is clear what those words mean, namely that the good of the natural represented here by 'Jacob' was to be joined to truths which came from a parallel external good.
ttt[2] The implications of this are that when a person is being regenerated the Lord leads him first of all as an infant, then as a child, after that as a young person, and at length as an adult. The truths which he learns as a small child are totally external and bodily, for he is not yet capable of grasping more interior things. Those truths are no more than cognitions of such things as inmostly contain Divine things within them. For there are some cognitions of things which do not inmostly contain anything Divine and there are other cognitions which do. Cognitions that do contain the Divine inmostly are such that they can receive interior truths into themselves, increasingly so, one after another in their proper order, whereas cognitions that do not contain the Divine are such that they do not so receive them but spurn them. For the cognitions of external and bodily good and truth are like the soil which, depending on its own particular nature, receives into itself one kind of seed but not another, and is productive of one variety of seed but is destructive of another. Cognitions which inmostly contain the Divine receive spiritual and celestial truth and good into themselves, for it is by virtue of the Divine within, bringing order to them, that makes them what they are. But cognitions that do not contain the Divine receive only falsity and evil, such being their nature. Those cognitions of external and bodily truth which do receive spiritual and celestial truth and good are meant here by 'the daughters of Laban from the home of Bethuel', while those that do not receive them are meant by 'the daughters of Canaan'.
ttt[3] The cognitions which people learn from infancy onwards into childhood are like very general vessels, which exist to be filled with goods. And as they are filled a person is enlightened. If the vessels are such that they can contain genuine goods within them, the person is in that case enlightened, step by step and increasingly so from the Divine that is within them. But if they are such that they cannot contain genuine goods within them he is not in that case enlightened. He may indeed give the appearance of being enlightened, but this comes about from the illusory light that goes with falsity and evil. Indeed those cognitions place him all the more in obscurity as regards good and truth.
ttt[4] Such cognitions are manifold, so manifold that one can hardly count even the genera of them, let alone identify their species. For they derive in their multiplicity from the Divine and then pass by way of the rational into the natural. That is to say, certain of them flow in directly by way of the good of the rational, and from there into the good of the natural, and also into the truth that goes with that good, and again from there into the external or bodily natural, where also they depart into various channels; but others flow in indirectly by way of the truth of the rational into the truth of the natural, and also into the good that goes with this truth, and again from there into the external or bodily natural, see `@@@3573`, `@@@3616`. All this is like nations, families, and houses, in which there are blood relatives and relatives by marriage; that is to say, there are those in the direct line of descent from the chief ancestor and there are those belonging to an increasingly indirect or parallel line. In the heavens these things are quite distinct and separate, for all the communities there are distinguished according to genera and species of good and truth, and so according to how near they are in relation to one another, `@@@685`, `@@@2508`, `@@@2524`, `@@@2556`, `@@@2739`, `@@@3612`. The most ancient people, being celestial, also represented those communities by their dwelling as distinct and separate nations, families, and houses, `@@@470`, `@@@471`, `@@@483`, `@@@1159`, `@@@1246`. This was also the reason why members of the representative Church were commanded to contract marriages within the families which made up their own nation; for by so doing they could represent heaven and the interconnection of its communities as regards good and truth. That representation is exemplified here by Jacob's going to the home of Bethuel his mother's father and his taking a wife for himself from there from the daughters of Laban his mother's brother.
ttt[5] As regards cognitions themselves of external or bodily truth which come from a parallel good and, as has been stated, contain the Divine and so are able to receive genuine truths within them, they are like cognitions present with small children who at a later time undergo regeneration. They are in general such as those that are found in the historical narratives of the Word, for example, in what is said there about Paradise, about the first human being in Paradise, about the tree of life in the middle of it, and about the tree of knowledge where the deceiving serpent was. These are cognitions which contain the Divine and which receive spiritual and celestial goods and truths into themselves because they represent and mean these. Such cognitions also constitute all the other descriptions in historical narratives of the Word, for example, those in the Word concerning the Tabernacle, concerning the Temple, and concerning the construction of these; likewise what is said about Aaron's vestments and those of his sons; also about the feasts of tabernacles, of first fruits, and of unleavened bread, and about other matters of a similar nature. When these and similar details are known and thought about by a small child, the thoughts of the angels residing with him at that time are concerned with the Divine things which they represent and mean. And because the angels are stirred by an affection for these things, that affection is communicated. This produces the joy and delight that the child gets out of them, and it prepares his mind for the reception of genuine truths and goods. These and very many others are the cognitions of external and bodily truth that come from a parallel good.
ppp20184#pid#3666. Verses `Genesis 28bbbccc3-5` And God Shaddai will bless you, and make you fruitful and multiply you; and you will be an assembly of peoples. And He will give you the blessing of Abraham, you and your seed with you, to inherit the land of your sojournings, which God gave to Abraham. And Isaac sent Jacob away; and he went to Paddan Aram, to Laban the son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob and Esau's mother.
'God Shaddai will bless you' means the temptations to which that truth and good was subjected and by means of which the joining together was effected. 'And make you fruitful and multiply you' means the goods and truths deriving from that joining together. 'And you will be an assembly of peoples' means abundance. 'And He will give you the blessing of Abraham' means the joining of the Divine itself to the good and truth of the natural. 'You and your seed with you' means to the good and the truth born from this good. 'To inherit the land of your sojournings' means the life acquired through receiving instruction. 'Which God gave to Abraham' means which is received from the Divine. 'And Isaac sent Jacob away' means the beginning of the manifestation [of the Divine Natural]. 'And he went to Paddan Aram' means here, as previously, the cognitions of that truth. 'To Laban the son of Bethuel the Aramean' means a parallel good. 'The brother of Rebekah, Jacob and Esau's mother' means the relationship through the mother of the good of truth, represented by 'Jacob', with the truth of good, represented by 'Esau'.
ppp20183#pid#3667. 'God Shaddai will bless you' means the temptations to which that truth and good was subjected and by means of which the joining together was effected. This is clear from the meaning of 'God Shaddai' as temptations, dealt with below, and from the meaning of 'being blessed' as a joining together, dealt with in `@@@3504`, `@@@3514`, `@@@3530`, `@@@3565`, `@@@3584`. Since Jacob' now represents the good of truth, as shown above in `@@@3659`, that good and truth is here meant by 'you'. The reason why 'God Shaddai' means temptations is that in ancient times people gave the Supreme Deity, or the Lord, various illustrious names. They used these in accordance with His attributes and in accordance with the kinds of good derived from Him, as well as in accordance with the kinds of truth, which are manifold, as everyone knows. By all those descriptive names members of the Ancient Church meant none but the one God, namely the Lord, whom they called Jehovah. But after the Church fell away from goodness and truth, and at the same time from such wisdom, they started to worship as many gods as there were descriptive names of the one God - so much so that each nation, and at length each family, acknowledged one of them as its own god. This was how so many gods came into being, who are also referred to in various places in the Word.
ttt[2] The same happened in the family of Terah, Abraham's father, and also in Abraham's house. The fact that they worshipped other gods, see `@@@1356`, `@@@2559`, and in particular God Shaddai, `@@@1992`. And the fact that the worship of that God persisted in that house is also clear from the following places in Moses,
I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Shaddai, and by My name Jehovah I was not known to them. `Exodus 6bbb3`.
This explains why Abraham was told, I am God Shaddai; walk before Me and be blameless. `Genesis 17bbb1`.
And in the present case Isaac told Jacob, 'God Shaddai will bless you'. The truth of this is also quite evident from this chapter in which, after the Lord had said in a dream, 'I am Jehovah, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac', in verse `Genesis 28bbbccc13`, Jacob then said,
If God will be with me, and guard me on this road on which I am walking, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, and I come back in peace to my father's house, then Jehovah will be my God. Verses `Genesis 28bbbccc20-21`.
From this it is evident that neither did the house of Jacob acknowledge Jehovah, but that Jacob would acknowledge Him as his God if He conferred benefits on him. It was just the same as it is in Christian Gentilism at the present day.
ttt[3] But as regards the specific name God Shaddai, the Lord had been called by this in the Ancient Church in respect to temptations, and to the blessings and benefits following temptations, as shown in Volume Two, in `@@@1992`. This is why here in the internal sense 'God Shaddai' means temptations. Temptations are the means by which the conjunction of good and truth is effected - see what has been stated and shown already about temptations, in the paragraphs referred to in `@@@2819`.
ppp20182#pid#3668. 'And make you fruitful and multiply you' means the goods and truths deriving from that joining together. This is clear from the use of 'being fruitful' as having reference to good, and of 'multiplying' as having reference to truth, dealt with in `@@@43`, `@@@55`, `@@@913`, `@@@983`, `@@@2846`, `@@@2847`.
ppp20181#pid#3669. 'And you will be an assembly of peoples' means abundance. This becomes clear without explanation. 'An assembly of peoples' in particular has reference to truths; for 'peoples' in the Word means those who are governed by truth, see `@@@1259`, `@@@1260`, `@@@2928`, `@@@3581`, whereas 'nations' means those who are governed by good, `@@@1259`, `@@@1260`, `@@@1416`, `@@@1849`. The reason why the phrase 'an assembly of peoples' is used here is that the subject is the good of truth, represented by 'Jacob'; for good that results from truth is one thing, good from which truth stems is another. Good which results from truth is what 'Jacob' represents here, and good from which truth stems is what 'Esau' represents. Good which results from truth is the inverse of good from which truth stems. Good which results from truth is the good that exists with those who are being regenerated before they have been made regenerate; but good from which truth stems exists with the same persons once they have become regenerate. For their state is an inverse one, see `@@@3539`, `@@@3548`, `@@@3556`, `@@@3563`, `@@@3570`, `@@@3576`, `@@@3603`.
ppp20180#pid#3670. 'And He will give you the blessing of Abraham' means the joining of the Divine itself to the good and truth of the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'blessing' as a joining together, dealt with above in `@@@3660`, `@@@3667`, and from the representation of 'Abraham' as the Lord's Divine itself, which is called the Father, dealt with in `@@@2011`, `@@@3251`, `@@@3439`. And as these words are addressed to Jacob, who is to represent the Divine Good and Truth of the Lord's Divine Natural, it is a joining together of the Divine itself to the good and truth of the Natural - this joining together being meant in the internal sense by 'He will give you the blessing of Abraham'. In the sense of the letter it is possession of the land of Canaan that is meant by 'the blessing of Abraham', and also by the words that follow, 'to inherit the land of your sojournings, which God gave to Abraham'. This also is what these words are taken to mean by all who believe that the historical descriptions of the Word do not embody anything more heavenly and deeper than that. This is especially so with the Jewish nation, which also claims from that sense to hold a superior position to all other nations and peoples. Their forefathers understood those words in the same way, especially Jacob, who had that kind of disposition, as becomes clear from what has been stated just above in `@@@3667`. That is to say, he did not know Jehovah and was unwilling to acknowledge Him unless He conferred bodily and worldly benefits on him. The fact that neither Abraham, nor Isaac, nor Jacob were meant, but that Jacob represented the Lord's Natural which He was to make Divine is abundantly evident from the explanations given. The same applies to the character of any person who represents, whether evil or good; for the evil are no less able to represent, and have represented, the Lord's Divine, see `@@@665`, `@@@1097`, `@@@1361`.
ttt[2] The same may be seen from the representatives which also exist at the present day. For all kings, no matter who they are or what they are like, represent the Lord through the kingly office itself residing with them; and in like manner all priests, no matter who they are or what they are like, do so through their priestly office. The kingly office itself and the priestly office itself are sacred, no matter who serves in them. Consequently the Word taught by someone evil is no less sacred; nor is the Sacrament of Baptism, or the Holy Supper, or similar ministrations any less so. From this it may also be seen that no king can possibly claim as his own the sacredness that goes with his kingly office, nor any priest the sacredness that goes with his priestly office. Insofar as he does claim it or attribute it to himself he brands himself with the sign of a spiritual thief, or the mark of spiritual theft. And insofar as he commits what is evil, that is, acts contrary to what is right and fair, and contrary to what is good and true, a king throws off his representation of the sacred kingly office, and a priest his representation of the sacred priestly office, and then represents the reverse of this. This explains why so many laws were laid down in the Jewish representative Church concerning the sacredness which was to be attached in particular to priests when ministering. More on this matter will in the Lord's Divine mercy be stated later on.
ppp20179#pid#3671. 'You and your seed with you' means to the good and the truth born from this good. This is clear from the representation of Jacob, to whom 'you' refers here, as the good of truth, or good that is a product of truth, dealt with above, and from the meaning of 'seed' as the good and truth of faith, dealt with in `@@@1025`, `@@@1447`, `@@@1610`, `@@@2848`, `@@@3373`. 'With you' means that it was allied to the good of truth, represented by 'Jacob'. Good and truth are like seeds and the soil. Interior good is like seed that is productive, though not unless it is sown in good soil. Exterior good and truth are like the soil in which it is made productive. The former, that is to say, the seed, which is interior good and truth, cannot otherwise take root. This is why a person's rational is regenerated first of all, for the rational is where the seeds are; then after that the natural is regenerated to serve as the soil for them, `@@@3286`, `@@@3288`, `@@@3321`, `@@@3368`, `@@@3493`, `@@@3576`, `@@@3620`, `@@@3623`. And because the natural is like the soil, good and truth can be made fruitful and be multiplied within the rational, which could not take place if the soil where the seed has its root were anywhere else. From this comparison one may see as in a mirror what regeneration is like and the numerous arcana that go with it.
ttt[2] Understanding good and truth and willing them is the function of the rational, and perceptions of good and truth resulting from this are like seeds; but knowing them and doing them is the function of the natural. Facts and deeds are like the soil. When a person has an affection for the facts that corroborate what is good and true, the more so when he experiences joy in acting them out, those facts are seeds that are present and growing in the natural as their own proper soil; and there they grow. As a consequence good is made fruitful and truth is multiplied, and they are constantly springing up out of that soil into the rational and perfecting it. The situation is different when a person understands what is good and true, and also interiorly perceives that he wills something, and yet does not desire to know these things, let alone do them. In that case good cannot be made fruitful nor truth be multiplied within the rational.
ppp20178#pid#3672. 'To inherit the land of your sojournings' means the life acquired through receiving instruction. This is clear from the meaning of 'inheriting' as possessing the life of another, dealt with in `@@@2658`, `@@@2851`, in this case life received from the Divine, which is the meaning of the words that follow immediately after this, and from the meaning of 'sojournings' as forms of instruction, dealt with in `@@@1463`, `@@@2025`. 'The land' means where life is. A life acquired through receiving instruction, as referred to here, is the life of good springing from the truth which 'Jacob' represents here. For when a person lives according to the truths in which he receives instruction there is in him the life that is acquired through receiving instruction.
ppp20177#pid#3673. 'Which God gave to Abraham' means which is received from the Divine. This is clear from the representation of 'Abraham' as the Lord's Divine, which in the Word is called 'the Father', dealt with in `@@@2010`, `@@@3251`, `@@@3439`. The words 'God gave' clearly mean that which became the Lord's own; for that which is given comes to belong to the one to whom it is given. From this it is evident that 'which God gave to Abraham' means life received from the Divine.
ppp20176#pid#3674. 'And Isaac sent Jacob away' means the beginning of the manifestation [of the Divine Natural]. This is clear from the fact that Jacob now comes to represent the good of truth, and so represents the beginning of the manifestation of the Lord's Divine Natural. Indeed things said below regarding Jacob's stay with Laban contain those matters. Consequently 'Isaac sent Jacob away' means the beginning of that manifestation.
ppp20175#pid#3675. 'And he went to Paddan Aram' means the cognitions of that truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'Paddan Aram' as the cognitions of truth, dealt with above in `@@@3664`.
ppp20174#pid#3676. 'To Laban the son of Bethuel the Aramean' means a parallel good. This is clear from the representation of 'Laban' as a parallel good that springs from a common stock, also dealt with above in `@@@3665`, and from the representation of 'Bethuel' as good existing with those who make up a first group of gentiles, dealt with in `@@@2865`, `@@@3665`, from which good, as from a common stock, comes the good which 'Laban' represents. The reason Bethuel is here surnamed 'the Aramean' is that 'Aram' or Syria means cognitions of good and truth, `@@@1232`, `@@@1234`, `@@@3249`, and these cognitions are the subject here.
ttt[2] The external truth from which good springs, meant by 'Jacob' here, is nothing else than cognitions, for cognitions are the truths that are absorbed first by anyone. Cognitions are also what people in the earliest stage of regeneration possess instead of truths. Cognitions however are not in themselves truths, yet they are such by virtue of the Divine things present within them; and only when these shine through them are they first made truths. Till then they are no more than general vessels by means of which and within which truths can be received, as those cognitions are which have been referred to already at the end of `@@@3665`, and as all the facts are that one learns at first.
ppp20173#pid#3677. 'The brother of Rebekah, Jacob and Esau's mother' means the relationship through the mother of the good of truth, represented by 'Jacob', with the truth of good, represented by 'Esau'. This is clear from the representation of 'Rebekah' as the Lord's Divine Rational as regards Divine Truth, often dealt with already, from the representation of 'Jacob' as the good of truth, or good which springs from truth in the natural, and from the representation of 'Esau' as the truth of good, or good from which truth springs in the natural, dealt with above in `@@@3669`. And seeing that all goods and truths which exist in the natural or external man are conceived and born from the rational or internal man, that is to say, from the good of the rational as the father, and from the truth of the rational as the mother, `@@@3314`, `@@@3573`, `@@@3616`, those words therefore mean a relationship through the mother of the good of truth, represented by 'Jacob', with the truth of good, represented by 'Esau'. This is exactly how they are related to one another.
ttt[2] But to explain these things intelligibly is extremely difficult, the reason being that the most general features of this matter are not known at the present day, such as what spiritual good is and what the truth that goes with it is, and that there are countless genera of good and accompanying truth, and still more countless species, and also that there are degrees of them which are interconnected like those of blood relationships and relationships by marriage. While these very general features remain unknown a description of degrees and relationships would not be at all clear to anyone, especially at the present day when the learned have no wish to know those things. For these do not like to go beneath the surface of these matters and discuss the nature of them, only whether they exist or not. And as long as that is their state they have no wish at all to know anything about those countless kinds of good and truth.
ppp20172#pid#3678. Verses `Genesis 28bbbccc6-9` And Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and had sent him away to Paddan Aram to take a wife for himself from there, and in blessing him had commanded him, saying, You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan; and that Jacob had listened to his father and to his mother, and had gone to Paddan Aram. And Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan were evil in the eyes of Isaac his father. And Esau went to Ishmael, and took Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son, the sister of Nebaioth, as a wife (mulier) in addition to the wives (femina) he had.
'Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob' means the thought which natural good had regarding the joining [to the Divine Rational] through the good of truth, represented by 'Jacob'. 'And had sent him away to Paddan Aram' means the beginning of the manifestation [of the Natural] through cognitions of that good. 'To take a wife for himself from there' means a joining together thereby through the affection for truth. 'In blessing him had commanded him, saying' means reflection and consequent perception so that the joining together might be effected. 'You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan' means that it had not to be joined to affections for falsity and evil. 'And that Jacob had listened to his father and to his mother' means obedience and affection. 'And had gone to Paddan Aram' means here, as previously, so as to be furnished with those cognitions of good and truth. 'And Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan were evil in the eyes of Isaac his father' means the Lord's foresight and provision that the affections for that truth - the affections to which natural good had been joined until then - would not be suitable for such conjunction. 'And Esau went to Ishmael, and took Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son' means the joining of that good to truth from a Divine source. 'The sister of Nebaioth, as a wife in addition to the wives he had' means an affection for celestial truth more internally.
ppp20171#pid#3679. 'Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob' means the thought which natural good had regarding the joining [to the Divine Rational] through the good of truth, represented by 'Jacob'. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing' as thinking, for thinking is nothing else than inward seeing, or internal sight; from the representation of 'Esau' as the good of the natural, dealt with in `@@@3300`, `@@@3302`, `@@@3322`, `@@@3404`, `@@@3504`, `@@@3576`, `@@@3599`; from the meaning of 'being blessed' as a joining together, dealt with in `@@@3504`, `@@@3514`, `@@@3530`, `@@@3565`, `@@@3584`; from the representation of 'Isaac' as the Lord's Divine Rational as regards Divine Good, dealt with already; and from the representation of 'Jacob' as the good of truth, dealt with in `@@@3669`, `@@@3677`. From all this it is evident that 'Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob' means the thought which natural good had regarding the joining through the good of truth.
ttt[2] But as to what thought which natural good had regarding the joining through the good of truth may be, no wholly intelligible explanation is possible. Even so, let a brief explanation be given. The thought which natural good has is the thought which exists in the rational or internal man and from there in the natural or external man, in particular from the good of the rational man. It is the rational or internal man which thinks, not the natural or external; for the rational or internal man dwells in the light of heaven, a light which holds intelligence and wisdom from the Lord within it, `@@@3195`, `@@@3339`, `@@@3636`, `@@@3643`, whereas the external man dwells in the light of the world, a light which does not hold any intelligence or indeed life within it. Consequently unless the internal man thought within the external no thought at all could ever exist. Yet to the person himself it seems as though his thought were located within his external, for it is from things which have come in by way of the senses and belong to the world that he thinks.
ttt[3] This matter is like the sight of the eye. A sensory-minded person imagines that the eye sees of itself, when in fact the eye is no more than an organ in the body by means of which the internal man sees things outside of the body, that is, things in the world. The same matter is also like speech. The sensory-minded person might imagine that the mouth and tongue spoke of themselves, and anyone who thinks somewhat more deeply that the larynx and interior organs activated by the lungs did so, when in fact it is the thought which speaks by means of those organic parts - for speech is nothing else than thought expressed in speech. Such delusions of the senses are very many. The matter under consideration is also similar to all the life manifested in the external man, in that the life of the internal is within it, as within its own material or physical organ. The same is so with thought.
ttt[4] As long as he is living in the body a person thinks from the rational within the natural; but it is one thing when the natural corresponds to the rational, quite another when the natural does not correspond. When the natural does correspond a person is rational and thinks spiritually; but when the natural does not correspond, he is not rational, and is unable to think spiritually. For with one whose natural does correspond to his rational, a line of communication is open enabling the light of heaven to flow in from the Lord by way of the rational into the natural, and to enlighten it with intelligence and wisdom. As a consequence he is rational and thinks spiritually. But with one whose natural does not correspond to his rational the line of communication is closed, and no more than a limited amount of light exists in general round about which enters in through chinks by way of the rational into the natural. Consequently he is not rational and does not think spiritually. For as is the influx of the light of heaven into a person, so is his thinking. From this it is evident that the nature of every person's thought is determined by the way in which, as regards good and truth, the natural corresponds to the rational.
ttt[5] But spirits and angels scarcely think in the same way as men do. Their thought, it is true, is likewise based ultimately in the natural; for they have with them the whole natural memory and its affections, though they are not allowed to use that memory, `@@@2475-2479`. But although they are not allowed to use this, it nevertheless serves them as the ground-work or foundation for the ideas comprising their thought. Consequently the ideas which comprise their thought are interior, and their speech does not take the form of verbal expressions as with men but the form of real things. From this it is evident that with them also the nature of their thought is determined by that of the correspondence of their natural with their rational. Evident also is the fact that there are some spirits who are rational and think spiritually, and others who are not rational and do not think spiritually, the difference between the two depending entirely on the nature of their affections and consequent thoughts of things during their lifetime, that is, depending on the state of the life which they have acquired to themselves in the world.
ttt[6] Therefore what thought may be which natural good possesses is evident to some extent from what has just been said above. That is to say, it is thought existing within the good of the natural. (According to spirits' way of thinking it is called the thought which natural good has, but according to men's it is called thought within the good of the natural.) It is within the latter - within the good of the natural - that the rational thinks. When good is the end in view, the thought which natural good has regarding the joining through the good of truth is accordingly thought within the natural - regarding the end in view. That is to say, it is thought about how truth can be joined to it, and joined according to Divine order, by the ordinary way, which, as often stated already, comes from the kinds of things that are external and therefore exist - in the ordered sequence of things - as those that are last or outermost. The entire regeneration of the natural begins with these. These outermost or last things are initial cognitions, such as those learned by infants and children, dealt with in `@@@3665` (end).
ttt[7] At first the truth of good, represented by 'Esau', is not in outward form joined to the good of truth, represented by 'Jacob', for in relation to the truth of good the good of truth exists inversely, `@@@3669`. Nevertheless they are joined together inmostly, that is, as regards ends in view. For the end that truth springing from good has in view is, as has been stated that truths may be joined according to order to itself, while the end in view of good springing from truth is the same. And since it is the end in view that joins them together, those two also are therefore so joined together, `@@@3562`, `@@@3565`. The inversion of order in the early stages is merely the means to an attainment of the end in view.
ppp20170#pid#3680. 'And had sent him away to Paddan Aram' means the beginning of the manifestation [of the Natural] through cognitions of that good. This is clear from the meaning of 'he sent him away' as the beginning of its manifestation, dealt with above in `@@@3674` and from the meaning of 'Paddan Aram' as the cognitions of truth, dealt with in `@@@3664`. They are called cognitions of good because all truths are cognitions of good. Truths which are not rooted in good, or which do not have good as the end in view, are not truths. But insofar as they look to doctrine they are called cognitions of truth.
ppp20169#pid#3681. 'To take a wife for himself from there' means a joining together thereby through the affection for truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'a wife' as the affection for truth, dealt with in `@@@1468`, `@@@2517`, `@@@3236`. 'Taking a wife' is being joined through that affection.
ppp20168#pid#3682. 'In blessing him had commanded him, saying' means reflection and consequent perception so that the joining together might be effected. This is clear from the meaning of 'being blessed' as a joining together, dealt with in `@@@3504`, `@@@3514`, `@@@3530`, `@@@3565`, `@@@3584`, and from the meaning of 'commanding and saying' as reflection and consequent perception, dealt with in `@@@3661`.
ppp20167#pid#3683. 'You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan' means that it had not to be joined to affections for falsity and evil. This is clear from the meaning of 'taking a wife' as being brought into association with, or joined to, and from the meaning of 'the daughters of Canaan' as affections for falsity and evil, also dealt with above in `@@@3662`.
ppp20166#pid#3684. 'And that Jacob had listened to his father and to his mother' [means obedience and affection]. This is clear from the meaning of 'listening to someone' or hearkening as obeying, dealt with in `@@@2542`. Doing so 'to father and mother' means obedience due to affection.
ppp20165#pid#3685. 'And had gone to Paddan Aram' means so as to be furnished with cognitions of that good and truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'going' or journeying as the order and established pattern of life dealt with in `@@@1293`, `@@@3335`. Here therefore it means so as to be furnished - according to order - with cognitions of that good and truth, which are meant by 'Paddan Aram', `@@@3664`, `@@@3675`.
ppp20164#pid#3686. 'And Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan were evil in the eyes of Isaac his father' means the Lord's foresight and provision that the affections for that truth - the affections to which natural good had been joined until then - would not be suitable for such conjunction. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing' here as foresight and provision, dealt with in `@@@2837`, `@@@2839`; from the representation of 'Esau' as the Lord as regards the Divine Good of the Natural, dealt with already; from the meaning of 'the daughters of Canaan', in this case the daughters of Heth, as affections for truth from a non-genuine source, dealt with in `@@@3470`, `@@@3620-3622`; and from the meaning of '[evil] in the eyes of Isaac his father' as not being suitable for such conjunction, that is to say, through the good of the natural, represented by 'Esau', with the good of the rational, represented by 'Isaac'. From this it is evident that all these words mean the Lord's foresight and provision that the affections for that truth, being from a non-genuine source, would not be suitable for conjunction. The truth of all this may be seen from the explanation given at `Genesis ccc26bbb34-35`, where the subject is the daughters of Heth whom Esau had taken as wives, and at `Genesis ccc27bbb46`, where the subject is the plea to Jacob not to marry one of the daughters of Canaan. The reason why 'the daughters of Canaan' here means affections for truth from a non-genuine source, whereas above 'the daughters of Canaan' meant affections for falsity and evil, `@@@3662`, `@@@3683`, is that the Hittites in the land of Canaan belonged to the Church as it existed among gentiles. They were not so much under the influence of falsity and evil as other nations there, such as the Canaanites, Amorites, and Perizzites. This also was why the Hittites represented the Lord's spiritual Church among the gentiles, `@@@2913`, `@@@2986`.
ttt[2] The Most Ancient Church which was celestial and existed before the Flood was situated in the land of Canaan, see `@@@567`. The Ancient Church which existed after the Flood was also situated there, as well as in many other countries, `@@@1238`, `@@@2385`. This was how it came about that all the gentile nations there, and also all the territories there, and all the rivers there, served as representatives. For the most ancient people, who were celestial, perceived through all the objects they beheld the kind of things that belong to the Lord's kingdom, `@@@920`, `@@@1409`, `@@@2896`, `@@@2897`, `@@@2995`, and so beheld the same through the territories and the rivers there.
ttt[3] After their times those representatives survived in the Ancient Church, including the representatives related to the places there. Furthermore the Word that existed in the Ancient Church, dealt with in `@@@2897-2899`, contained place-names which were for the same reason representative; and the Word existing after their times, which is called Moses and the Prophets, also contains them. This was why Abraham was commanded to go there, and the promise was made to him that his descendants would possess that land. That promise was not made because they were any better than all the other nations, for they were the worst of them all, `@@@1167`, `@@@3373`. But it was made so that through them the representative Church might be established, in which no attention was paid to representative persons and places themselves but to the actual things which these represented, `@@@3670`, and thus also so that the names existing in the Most Ancient and the Ancient Churches might be preserved.
ppp20163#pid#3687. 'And Esau went to Ishmael, and took Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son' means the joining of that good to truth from a Divine source. This is clear from the representation of 'Esau' as the good of the natural, dealt with above, and from the representation of 'Ishmael the son of Abraham' as truth from a Divine source - 'Ishmael' representing the Lord's spiritual Church, and consequently truth, see `@@@1949-1951`, `@@@2078`, `@@@2691`, `@@@2699`, `@@@3268`, and 'Abraham' the Lord's Divine, which is called 'the Father', `@@@2010`, `@@@3251`, `@@@3439`. Consequently 'Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son' means truth from a Divine source. That 'taking a wife' means being brought into association or joined together is self-evident. From this it is clear that 'Esau went to Ishmael, and took Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son' means the joining of that good to truth from a Divine source.
ppp20162#pid#3688. 'The sister of Nebaioth, as a wife in addition to the wives he had' means an affection for celestial truth more internally. This is clear from the meaning of 'a sister' as intellectual or rational truth, dealt with in `@@@1495`, `@@@2508`, `@@@2524`, `@@@2556`, `@@@3386`; from the representation of 'Nebaioth' as the good that constitutes the spiritual Church, dealt with in `@@@3268` - therefore 'the sister of Nebaioth' means the affection for celestial truth, or what amounts to the same, the affection for spiritual good; from the meaning of 'wives' or the daughters of Heth as affections for truth from a non-genuine source, dealt with in `@@@3470`, `@@@3620-3622`, `@@@3686`, and from the meaning of 'taking a wife' as being brought into association or joined together. From all these meanings it is evident that these words, together with those that come immediately before them, mean the joining together of the good represented by 'Esau' with truth from a Divine source, thus with the affection for celestial truth more internally.
ttt[2] The actuality of these matters is indeed as stated already, yet they are of such a nature that they can hardly be understood at all as long as the most general features of the subject remain unknown. Furthermore they are the kind of things in which the world of today does not have any interest, for it is earthly things, not heavenly ones, in which it is interested, for the reason, as people even say, that they see and know earthly things, but they do not see or know the heavenly. Now because what is contained in the internal sense of the Word has to be not merely disclosed but also explained, let an example be taken to show what the expressions the truth of good, which 'Esau' represents, and the good of truth, which 'Jacob' represents, are used to mean. At the same time the example will clarify the point that until a person has been regenerated the good of truth in relation to the truth of good exists inversely, but after he has been regenerated they are joined together. This example will accordingly illustrate the matters stated so far.
ttt[3] Take as our example the kind of person who can be regenerated; for the Lord foresees that he can be, and because He foresees it He also makes provision for it. At the outset while a young child he does not yet know what the works of charity towards the neighbour are, for he does not yet know what charity is or what the neighbour is. Consequently because he knows from the Word that one ought to give to the poor and that anyone who does so has his reward in heaven he helps beggars more than all others for he believes that these are the poor who are meant in the Word. He does not take into account the fact that the kind of people who beg on the streets for the most part lead godless and even criminal lives, despise everything associated with Divine worship, and surrender themselves completely to laziness and inactivity. Nonetheless a person in the first stages of regeneration helps those people with all his heart. These good actions are examples of the good which springs from external truth and with which his regeneration begins. The truth of good, which is more internal, flows accordingly into those actions, fashioning these as directed by the cognitions which the child knows?
ttt[4] At a later stage however, when more enlightened, he is willing to do good to all he believes to be poor and needy, but he still makes scarcely any distinction between the godly poor and needy and the ungodly poor and needy. He believes that all are to be regarded and rated equally as the neighbour. But when he becomes more enlightened in these matters he does make a distinction and provides help only to the good and upright. He knows that providing help to the evil does harm to many, for by the aid and support these get he gives them the opportunity to harm others. At length when he is being regenerated he does not do good to any but the good and the godly, for at this point he is not stirred by an affection simply for the person he does good to but by the good itself residing with that person. And since the Lord is present within all good and godliness he accordingly bears witness also, through his affection towards what is good, to his love to the Lord. When he is at heart moved by charity such as this he can become regenerate.
ttt[5] From this it is evident that in relation to this state his previous state was an inverse one, that is to say, he believed that to be good which was not in fact good. Nevertheless at the beginning of regeneration he still had to put into practice that which, though not in fact good, he believed to be so since what he knew went no further and since more interior good that flows from charity was not able to enter into any truth apart from that of which he actually knew. It is also evident that more interior good was always present and fashioning it, and this good could not have manifested itself previously until by means of cognitions he had been gradually enlightened about the nature of goods and truths. From this it is evident to some extent what is meant by the good of truth, which 'Jacob' represents here, what is meant by the truth of good, which 'Esau' represents, and that at first these exist inversely but subsequently are joined together.
ppp20161#pid#3689. Verses `Genesis 28bbbccc10-11` And Jacob went out from Beersheba and went to Haran. And he came upon a place, and spent the night there because the sun had gone down. And he took one of the stones of the place and placed it as his headrest, and lay down in that place.
'Jacob went out from Beersheba' means life more remote from matters of doctrine that are Divine. 'And went to Haran' means closer to that degree of good and truth. 'And he came upon a place' means a state. 'And spent the night there because the sun had gone down' means life enveloped in obscurity. 'And he took one of the stones of the place' means the truths belonging to that state. 'And placed it as his headrest' means a very general communication with the Divine. 'And lay down in that place' means the serenity of that state.
ppp20160#pid#3690. 'Jacob went out from Beersheba' means life more remote from matters of doctrine that are Divine. This is clear from the meaning of 'going' as living, dealt with in `@@@3335`, `@@@3685`, and so of 'going away' as living more remotely; and from the meaning of 'Beersheba' as doctrine that is Divine, dealt with in `@@@2723`, `@@@2858`, `@@@2859`, `@@@3466`. From this it is evident that 'Jacob went out from Beersheba' means life more remote from matters of doctrine that are Divine. Life is said to be more remote when it consists in external truths and is governed by these, as was the case in the early and later childhood of those who are being regenerated, dealt with just above in `@@@3688`.
ttt[2] To demonstrate more fully what that life is, and what it is like, let a further brief statement be made about it. All the details of the historical tales contained in the Word are truths more remote from the actual matters of doctrine that are Divine. Nevertheless they are of service to young and older children in that by means of those tales they are led gradually into more interior matters of doctrine concerning what is true and good, and at length into Divine ones; for inmostly those tales hold what is Divine within them. When young children read them and in innocence are filled with affection for them, the angels present with them experience a delightful heavenly state, for the Lord fills those angels with affection for the internal sense and so for the things which the events of the historical tales represent and mean. It is that heavenly delight experienced by angels which flows in and causes the young children to take delight in those tales. In order that this first state may exist, that is, the state in early and later childhood of those who are to be regenerated, the historical tales in the Word have therefore been provided and written in such a way that every single detail there contains that which is Divine within them.
ttt[3] How remote they are from matters of doctrine that are Divine may be seen from an example taken from those historical tales. When at first someone knows merely that God came down on Mount Sinai and gave Moses the tablets on which the Ten Commandments were written, and that Moses smashed them and God wrote similar commandments on another set of tablets, and this historical description in itself delights him, his life is governed by external truth and is remote from matters of doctrine that are Divine. Later on however when he starts to take delight in and have an affection for the commands or precepts there, and lives according to them, his life is now governed by actual truth; yet his life is still remote from matters of doctrine that are Divine. For the life he leads in keeping with those commands is no more than a morally correct life, the precepts of which are well known to everyone living in human society from the life of the community and from the laws existing there, such as worship of the Supreme Being, honouring parents, not committing murder, not committing adultery, and not stealing.
ttt[4] But a person who is being regenerated is gradually led away from this more remote or morally correct life to life that comes closer to matters of doctrine that are Divine, that is, closer to spiritual life. When this happens he starts to wonder why such commands or precepts were sent down from heaven in so miraculous a fashion and why they were written on tablets with the finger of God, when they are in fact known to all peoples and are also written in the laws of those who have never heard anything from the Word. When he enters into this state of thinking he is then led by the Lord, if he belongs among those who are able to be regenerated, into a state more interior still, that is to say, into a state when he thinks that deeper things lie within which he does not as yet know. And when he reads the Word in this state he discovers in various places in the Prophets, and especially in the Gospels, that every one of those precepts contains within it things more heavenly still.
ttt[5] In the commandment about honouring parents, for example, he discovers that when people are born anew, that is, are being regenerated, they receive another Father, and in that case become His sons, and that He is the one who is to be honoured, thus that this is the meaning which lies more interiorly in that commandment. He also gradually learns who that new Father is, namely the Lord, and at length how He is to be honoured, that is to say, worshipped, and that He is worshipped when He is loved. When a person who is being regenerated possesses this truth and lives according to it, a matter of doctrine that is Divine exists with him. His state at that time is an angelic state, and from this he now sees the things he had known previously as things which follow in order one after another and which flow from the Divine, like the steps of a stairway, at the top of which is Jehovah or the Lord, and on the steps themselves His angels going up and coming down. So he sees things that had previously delighted him as steps more remote from himself. The same may be said of the rest of the Ten Commandments, see `@@@2609`. From this one may now see what the life more remote from matters of doctrine that are Divine is, meant by the statement that Jacob went out from Beersheba.
ppp20159#pid#3691. 'And went to Haran' means closer to that degree of good and truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'Haran' as external good and truth, for 'Haran' means that which is external, and 'Laban' who lived there means that which is good and true, so that 'Haran' here means external good and truth. That this is what 'Haran' means, see `@@@1430`, `@@@3612`. From this it is evident that 'Jacob went out from Beersheba and went to Haran' means in the internal sense that he took himself to a position more remote from matters of doctrine that were Divine and so closer to external good and truth.
ttt[2] The reason why the phrase 'that degree of good and truth' is used is that goods and truths are quite distinct and separate from one another according to the degrees they belong to. Interior goods and truths exist in a higher degree, exterior goods and truths in a lower one. In a higher degree are the goods and truths which belong to the rational, in a lower one the goods and truths that belong to the natural, and in the lowest degree are the sensory goods and truths that belong to the body. Interior goods and truths, or those which exist in the higher degree, flow into exterior goods and truths, or those existing in the lower degree, and present an image of themselves there, almost as a person's interior affections present themselves in his face and in the changing expressions seen there. From this it is evident that interior goods and truths are entirely separate from exterior goods and truths, or what amounts to the same, those which exist in the higher degree are entirely separate from those in the lower one, so separate that those which are interior or existing in the higher degree are able to manifest themselves independently of those that are exterior or existing in the lower one. Anyone who does not have a clear-cut idea of degrees cannot have a clear-cut idea of interior and exterior goods and truths, or of how a person's soul or spirit and his body are related to each other, or of how in the next life the heavens are related to one another.
ttt[3] It is well known that there are three heavens, that one heaven is interiorly within another, and that the third heaven is the inmost. These heavens are utterly distinct and separate, each a separate degree from the others. Members of the inmost or third are closer to the Lord; members of the less interior or second are more remote; and members of the exterior or first are more remote still. No communication between those heavens is possible other than a communication like that of the inmost parts of the human being with the exterior parts of him, for anyone who is governed by love to the Lord and by charity towards the neighbour is a miniature heaven, corresponding in image to the three heavens. In addition, he receives from those three heavens an influx, in three similar degrees, of good and truth from the Lord. What each of these is like compared with the other two becomes clear from the two examples introduced above in `@@@3688`, `@@@3690`.
ttt[4] Those who are governed by true love to the Lord, so much so that they have a perception of that love, are in the higher degree of good and truth. They are in the inmost or third heaven, thus closer to the Lord, and are called celestial angels. Those however who are governed by charity towards the neighbour, so much so that they have a perception of that charity but not so much a perception of love to the Lord, are in a lower degree of good and truth. They are in the interior or second heaven, accordingly more remote from the Lord, and are referred to as spiritual angels. Those however who are governed by charity towards the neighbour that arises solely from an affection for truth, so much so that they do not have any perception of that charity towards the neighbour except from the truth for which they have an affection, are in a still lower degree of good and truth. They are in the exterior or first heaven, accordingly more remote still from the Lord, and are termed good spirits.
ttt[5] This shows to some extent the relationship of these degrees to one another, that is to say, it shows that things existing in a higher degree present an image of themselves that is formed from the things belonging to the degree immediately below them. Love to the Lord contains the closest image of the Lord. That image is called a likeness and therefore people who are governed by true love to the Lord are called likenesses of Him. Charity too contains an image of the Lord, though in a more remote way - for within genuine charity the Lord is present - and therefore people who are governed by such charity are referred to as His images, see `@@@50`, `@@@51`, `@@@1013`. But those who are governed by the affection for truth and consequently by a certain kind of charity towards the neighbour are also images of the Lord, yet in a more remote way still. Into these separate degrees the three heavens are distinguished, and in accordance with those same degrees the Lord flows in with Divine Good and Truth, and so with wisdom and intelligence, together with heavenly joy and happiness.
ppp20158#pid#3692. 'And he came upon a place' means a state. This is clear from the meaning of 'a place' as a state, dealt with in `@@@1273-1275`, `@@@1377`, `@@@2625`, `@@@2837`, `@@@3356`, `@@@3387`.
ppp20157#pid#3693. 'And spent the night there because the sun had gone down' means life enveloped in obscurity. This is clear from the meaning of 'the night' as a state of shade, dealt with in `@@@1712`, so that 'spending the night' is living within that state; and from the meaning of 'the sun going down' as being in obscurity, for at sundown it is evening, which means obscurity' see `@@@3056`. The obscurity meant here is obscurity of intelligence as regards truth, and obscurity of wisdom as regards good, for the light which angels receive from the Lord holds intelligence and wisdom within it, and also has its origin in these, `@@@1521`, `@@@1524`, `@@@1529`, `@@@1530`, `@@@3138`, `@@@3167`, `@@@3195`, `@@@3339`, `@@@3341`, `@@@3636`, `@@@3637`, `@@@3643`. To the extent therefore that the light is with them so also is intelligence and wisdom, but to the extent that the light is not with them, and so shade instead, neither is intelligence or wisdom, `@@@2776`, `@@@3190`, `@@@3337`. This is why something that comes to be understood is said in everyday language to have light shed upon it. People do not know the origin of this use of words, and so they believe the usage to be no more than a comparison. In addition to this one there are many other expressions used by a person which spring from a perception of such things as exist in the next life where he is as to his spirit. Those things have entered into his vocabulary because they have been acknowledged interiorly yet have become hidden from view through things of the body which are such that they blot out the matters of perception among which his interior man exists.
ttt[2] 'Sundown' in the Word means the falsity and evil in which those people are immersed with whom no charity or faith is present, and so means the last period of the Church - see `@@@1837`. Also it means obscurity as regards things that belong to good and truth, the kind of obscurity which envelops people who are in a degree more remote from matters of doctrine that are Divine - see `@@@3691`. For 'sundown' or 'the sun went down' means these things, as becomes clear from the following places in the Word: In Micah,
It will be night for you instead of vision, and darkness for you instead of divination; and the sun will go down over the prophets, and the day will become black over them. `Micah 3bbb6`.
'The sun will go down over the prophets' stands for their not possessing truth and an understanding of it any longer - 'the prophets' standing for people who teach the truths of doctrine, `@@@2534`. In Amos,
It will happen on that day, that I will make the sun go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in broad daylight; and I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation. `Amos 8bbb9-10`.
'Making the sun go down at noon' stands for obscurity as regards truth with people who possess cognitions of good and truth - 'noon' being a state of light or of cognitions of truth, see `@@@1458`, `@@@3195`.
ttt[3] In Isaiah,
Your sun will no longer go down, and your moon will not be withdrawn, for Jehovah will be to you an everlasting light. `Isaiah 60bbb20`.
This refers to the Lord's kingdom. 'The sun will no longer go down' stands for those who will be provided with the life of good and with wisdom because the Lord's celestial love and light will be with them. 'The moon will not be withdrawn' stands for those who will be provided with the life of truth and with intelligence because the Lord's spiritual love and light will be with them. For in the next life the Lord is to celestial angels a sun, and to spiritual a moon, and from that sun and moon they receive wisdom and intelligence, see `@@@1053`, `@@@1521`, `@@@1529-1531`, `@@@2441`, `@@@2495`, `@@@3636`, `@@@3643`. From this it is evident what is meant in the internal sense of the Word by 'sunrise' and 'sundown'.
ttt[4] In David,
O Jehovah my God, You are very great! You are clothed with glory and honour - He who covers Himself with light as with a garment, [who] stretches out the heavens like a curtain, [Who] made the moon for established festivals - the sun knows its going down. You dispose the darkness, and it becomes night. `Psalms 104bbb1-2`, `Psalms 104bbbccc19-20`,
Here similarly 'the moon' stands for intelligence, and 'the sun' for wisdom from the Lord, while 'sundown' stands for obscurity in both. 'Disposing the darkness so that it becomes night' stands for lessening the state of obscurity. For angels experience changes of state, ranging from a great profusion of light to a smaller amount of light, or from a great profusion of wisdom to a smaller amount of wisdom, and those changes of state are like morning, when the sun rises, noon when at its highest point, evening when it goes down, and then morning once again, as will in the Lord's Divine mercy be stated elsewhere.
ttt[5] In Joshua,
From the wilderness and Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea, the going down of the sun, will be your boundary. `Joshua 1bbb4`.
This is describing the full extent of the land of Canaan, which in the internal sense is the Lord's kingdom, see `@@@1607`, `@@@3038`, `@@@3481`. 'The River Euphrates' is one boundary of this, that is to say, of spiritual and celestial things, `@@@1866`, while 'the Great Sea' and 'the going down of the sun' are the other boundary, by which their furthest limit - which is obscurity compared with all else - is represented. For all the boundaries and all the places in that land have a representation, see `@@@1585`.
ttt[6] In Moses,
If you take your neighbour's clothing as a pledge you shall restore it to him before the sun goes down; for this is his only covering; it is his clothing for his skin, in which he will lie down. `Exodus 22bbb26-27`.
And elsewhere in the same author,
If the man is poor you shall not lie down upon his pledge; you shall surely restore the pledge to him before the sun goes down, and let him lie on his own clothing and bless you; and it shall be righteousness to you before Jehovah your God. `Deuteronomy 24bbb12-13`.
This law, like every other, holds within it that which is a representative and a meaningful sign of Divine Law, which has to do with that which is good and true in the Lord's kingdom; and, as every detail shows, that which is held within it is also the origin of it. The goodness and truth held within it and from which the law springs is the precept that companions are not to be cheated out of external truths, which consist both in the matters of doctrine on which they base their lives and in their religious practices - 'clothing' meaning such truths, see `@@@297`, `@@@1073`, `@@@2576`, and the requirement to restore it [to the one who is poor] before the sun went down meaning before truth present with him perished. And since that truth is external it is said that that clothing is for his skin, in which he will lie down.
ttt[7] In the same author,
The soul which has touched anything unclean shall be unclean until the evening and shall not eat any of the holy things; but when he has bathed his flesh with water, and the sun has gone down, he will be clean; and afterwards he shall eat from the holy things. `Leviticus 22bbb6-7`.
And elsewhere in the same author,
The person who is not clean - towards evening he shall bathe himself with water; and when the sun goes down he shall enter the midst of the camp. `Deuteronomy 23bbb10-11`.
This law also, it is clear, has its origin in the laws of good and truth, or the laws of order, existing in the Lord's kingdom, for why else would it have been commanded that the unclean person was to wait until evening when he was to bathe himself with water, and after the sun had gone down would be clean? The law of order existing in the Lord's kingdom from which the law stated above derives is this: When good and angelic spirits sink into a state of self-love and consequently into a state of falsity, they are returned for a brief while into their own natural or lower state and there they are equipped with cognitions of good and truth that relate to that matter. This is what is meant by 'bathing themselves with water in the evening', for 'bathing oneself with water' means being purified from falsities, see `@@@3147`, `@@@3148`, and 'water' means cognitions of truth, `@@@28`, `@@@680`, `@@@739`, `@@@2702`, `@@@3058`. And after being in that state of obscurity meant by 'sundown' they return to their previous state, meant by their then being clean and entering into the midst of the camp. This matter will in the Lord's Divine mercy be described from experience elsewhere. From all these places that have been quoted it is evident that 'sundown' in the Word means a state of obscurity as regards truth in the case of those who are good and a state of falsity in the case of those who are evil.
ppp20156#pid#3694. 'And he took one of the stones of the place' means the truths belonging to that state. This is clear from the meaning of 'the stones' as lower truths such as the natural man knows, dealt with in `@@@643`, `@@@1298`.
ppp20155#pid#3695. 'And placed it as his headrest' means a very general communication with the Divine. This is clear from the meaning of 'headrest' or pillow as communication with external things, and so a very general communication. For the neck or collar means the communication of interior things with exterior, or what amounts to the same, of higher things with lower, and consequently means a joining together of them, see `@@@3542`, `@@@3603`. This being so, that which goes underneath the neck or collar, that is, the pillow, here means the communication of innermost or Divine things with outermost, a communication which is also very general. For in relation to what is internal that which is external is general, and that which is outermost is very general; for the individual parts constituting interior things are seen in exterior as a single whole and so as something general. These are also what is represented and meant by the stairway set up on the earth with its top reaching up to heaven and the angels of God going up and coming down on it, dealt with further on.
ppp20154#pid#3696. 'And lay down in that place' means the serenity of that state. This is clear from the meaning of 'lying down' as being in a state of serenity, for lying down or sleeping is nothing else. This meaning which 'lying down' has in the internal sense may also be seen from other places in the Word, which are dealt with immediately below. In the case of those who are to undergo regeneration, and who are the subject here in the representative internal sense, they are first of all in a state of serenity or external peace, for external peace or peace experienced in external things is called serenity. Indeed it is a product of the Divine state of peace which exists inmostly and which manifests itself in external things through the removal of evil desires and false ideas; for it is these that cause all unrest. Furthermore everyone at the start of his life, that is, in early childhood, is in a state of calm, but as one advances in, years or grows up he moves away from that state, for he gives himself up to worldly concerns and consequent anxious cares caused by the desires of self-love and of love of the world, and by falsities that spring from these.
ttt[2] Something very similar to this occurs with the new life with one who is being regenerated. At first he experiences a state of serenity, but as he moves on into the new life so he moves into a state that is not serene. For evils and falsities which he has taken into himself previously now emerge and show themselves, and these trouble him, so much so at length that he undergoes temptations and trials from the devil's crew who try all the time to destroy his state of new life. But despite this a state of peace exists with him inmostly. But for its presence inmostly he would not put up any fight at all, for in all the conflicts he experiences he sees that state as the end in view. If that end were not in view he would never have the power and strength to fight. And this is also what enables him to overcome. And since it is the end in view he also enters that state once conflict or temptations are past. It is like the state of spring which follows that of autumn and winter, or like the state of dawn following evening and night. Regarding the resemblance of the state of peace in spiritual things to spring and dawn in natural ones, see `@@@1726`, `@@@2780`; and as regards peace being the result of goodness and truth, but unrest the result of evil and falsity, `@@@3170`.
ttt[3] That 'lying down' in the Word means a state of serenity may be seen from the following places: In Moses,
If you walk in My statutes and observe My commandments and do them, I will give peace in the land, and you will lie down, and none will make you afraid. And I will cause evil wild animals to cease from the land, and the sword will not pass through your land. `Leviticus 26bbb3`, `Leviticus 26bbbccc6`.
'Lying down' clearly applies to a state of peace and serenity. 'Evil wild animals' stands for desires for evil, `@@@45`, `@@@46`, `@@@908`, which 'are going to cease'. 'The sword' stands for falsity in conflict with truth, `@@@2799`, which 'is not going to pass through the land'. From this it is also evident that peace and the serenity of peace is the result of goodness and truth, and the destruction of it is the result of evils and falsities.
ttt[4] In Isaiah,
The wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion together; and a little child will lead them. And the young cow and the beer will feed; their young will lie down together. `Isaiah 11bbb6-7`.
This refers to the Lord and to the state of peace existing in His kingdom. 'They will lie down together' stands for their being unable to be infested by anything evil or false. In Hosea,
I will make for them a covenant on that day with the wild beasts of the field, and with the birds of the air, and with the creeping things of the earth. And I will abolish`fff1` the bow, and the sword, and war from the land, and I will make them lie down in safety. `Hosea 2bbb18`.
Here likewise 'lying down' stands for a state of serenity following the removal of falsities and evils which are responsible for unrest.
ttt[5] In David,
I will lie down and sleep, and will awake again, for Jehovah sustains me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, who set themselves against me round about. `Psalms 3bbb5-6`.
'Lying down and sleeping' stands for a state of serenity and security. In the same author,
In peace I will both lie down and sleep, because You, O Jehovah, alone make me dwell with confidence. `Psalms 4bbb8`.
And in the same author,
He will make me to down in green pastures; He will lead me to still waters; He will restore my soul. `Psalms 23bbb2-3`.
From these places it is evident that a state of peace and serenity is described by 'lying down', and that 'lying down in that place' means the serenity of the state - for 'place' in the internal sense is state, `@@@3692`.
`nnn1. literally, break
ppp20153#pid#3697. Verses `Genesis 28bbbccc12-15` And he dreamed, and behold, a stairway set up on the earth, and its top reaching to heaven; and behold, the angels of God going up and coming down on it. And behold, Jehovah was standing above it, and He said, I am Jehovah, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac; the land on which you are lying I will give to you and to your seed. And your seed will be as the dust of the earth, and you will break forth towards the sea, and towards the east, and towards the north, and towards the south; and in you will all the families of the ground be blessed - and in your seed. And behold, I am with you, and will guard you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this ground; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken about to you.
'He dreamed' means foresight. 'And behold, a stairway set up on the earth' means a communication of lowest truth and of good derived from this truth. 'And its top reaching to heaven' means with the Divine. 'And behold, the angels of God going up and coming down on it' means an infinite and eternal communication and the consequent joining together - a going up, so to speak, from what is lowest, and after that, when order has been inverted, a coming down to it. 'And behold, Jehovah was standing above it' means the Lord at the highest point. 'And He said, I am Jehovah, the God of Abraham your father' means the Lord in whom that good originated. 'And the God of Isaac' means the Lord's Divine Human. 'The land on which you are lying I will give to you' means that the good on which the Natural rested was His own in origin. 'And to your seed' means truth also. 'And your seed will be as the dust of the earth' means that Divine natural Truth would be as natural good. 'And you will break forth towards the sea, and towards the east' means infinite extension of good, while 'and towards the north, and towards the south' means infinite extension of truth - thus every state of good and truth. 'And in you will all the families of the ground be blessed' means that all truths taught by doctrine which look to good will be joined to good. 'And in your seed' means and to truth. 'And behold, I am with you' means the Divine. 'And will guard you wherever you go' means Divine Providence. 'And will bring you back to this ground' means conjunction with doctrine that is Divine. 'For I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken about to you' means that nothing would be missing to prevent its actually happening.
ppp20152#pid#3698. 'He dreamed' means foresight. This is clear from the meaning of 'dreaming' in the internal sense as foretelling things to come, for prophetical dreams, which were Divine, were foretellings of things to come, as becomes clear from the dreams described in the Word, `@@@1975`, `@@@1976`. Because 'dreams' and 'dreaming' in the internal sense mean things to come, foresight is meant in the highest sense in which the subject is the Lord, for the Lord's Divine foresight is the source of foretellings of things to come. The fact that the foretellings of events which are out of the ordinary and cannot therefore be foreseen have no other origin becomes clear from the Word, as from the following words in Moses,
When a prophet has spoken in the name of Jehovah but that event has not happened or taken place it was not Jehovah who spoke. The prophet spoke it presumptuously. `Deuteronomy 18bbb22`.
ttt[2] And even the foretellings of events which did take place may have been made by evil people and worshippers of another god, as stated in the same book,
If a prophet or the dreamer of a dream arises in the midst of you, and gives you a sign or else a wonder, and the sign or wonder he has told you comes to pass, and he says, Let us go after other gods which you have not known, and let us serve them; you shall not obey the words of that prophet or the dreamer of that dream; for Jehovah your God is testing you. `Deuteronomy 13bbb1-3`.
From these words it is evident that the actual foretelling originated in the Divine but the incitement to worship other gods in the proprium of the prophet, who was allowed to make such a suggestion to people so that they could be tested, as is stated. This among other reasons is also why on many occasions in former times people who worshipped the baals and other gods even prophesied, saw visions, and dreamed dreams, and also why what they uttered actually happened, so that they frequently led others astray. These people are referred to in `Jeremiah 23bbb0`. And besides these there were others called diviners, soothsayers, sorcerers, familiar spirits, among those who applied themselves to natural magic, from which nothing at all Divine could be foretold, only what was contrary to the Divine, that is, to the Lord, and contrary to the good of love and to the truth of faith in Him. This is magic, no matter what it looks like in outward appearance.
ppp20151#pid#3699. 'And behold, a stairway set up on the earth' means a communication of lowest truth and of good derived from this truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'a stairway' as communication, dealt with below, and from the meaning of 'the earth' as what is lowest, for immediately after this it is stated that its top reached to heaven, which is the highest point. From this it is evident that a stairway between earth and heaven, or what is lowest and what is highest, is communication. For it is the communication of lowest truth and of good derived from this truth that is meant by 'a stairway set up on the earth', as is evident from the fact that that degree of truth and of good derived from it, which 'Jacob' represents here, is the subject at this point in the internal sense.
ttt[2] In the original language the word for a stairway is derived from a word meaning a pathway or highway, which is used in reference to truth, see `@@@627`, `@@@2333`. Furthermore when angels are discussing truth their discussion manifests itself representatively in the world of spirits as pathways, see `@@@189`, `@@@3477`. From this it is evident what 'a stairway' means, one end of which is set up on the earth while the other reaches up to heaven. That is to say, it means a communication of truth in the lowest place with truth in the highest place, a communication dealt with below. For there are lowest truths and goods and highest truths and goods, and degrees of them in between like a stairway, see `@@@3691`.
ppp20150#pid#3700. 'And its top reaching to heaven' means with the Divine, that is to say, communication with Him. This is clear from the meaning of 'the top of the stairway', or the uppermost part of it, as the highest point, and from the meaning of 'heaven' as the Divine. For in the highest sense, where the Lord is the subject, heaven is the Divine Himself; but in the representative sense, where the person who is being regenerated is the subject, it is inmost good and attendant truth from the Lord such as exist in heaven and from which heaven itself is formed. Heaven too is called Divine because it has its origin in the Lord. For heaven is the Lord, or what amounts to the same, the Divine coming from the Lord alone, who is the All in all of heaven. Anything which does not derive from the Divine there is not part of heaven. This is why it has been frequently stated already that the Lord is heaven itself, and that those who are in heaven abide in the Lord.
ppp20149#pid#3701. 'And behold, the angels of God going up and coming down on it' means an infinite and eternal communication and the consequent joining together - a going up, so to speak, from what is lowest, and after that, when order has been inverted, a coming down to it. This is clear from the meaning of 'the angels' as some aspect of the Lord's Divine meant by the expression 'angels' when used in the Word, dealt with in `@@@1925`, `@@@2319`, `@@@2821`, `@@@3039`. The aspect meant here is Divine Truth. This is clear from the fact that they are called 'the angels of God', for the name God is used when truth is the subject in the internal sense, but Jehovah when good is the subject, see `@@@2586`, `@@@2769`, `@@@2807`, `@@@2822`. This is why although the name Jehovah is used directly after this in the phrase 'Jehovah standing above it', they are nevertheless referred to here as 'the angels of God', since the subject is truth from which good springs, represented by 'Jacob' here, as stated many times above. As regards the expression 'going up and coming down on the stairway' meaning in the highest sense infinite and eternal communication and the consequent joining together, this is clear without further explanation. But one cannot speak of a communication between, and the consequent joining together of the Lord's Divine itself and His Divine Human unless at the same time one calls these attributes infinite and eternal, for in the Lord everything is infinite and eternal - infinite so far as Being (Esse) is concerned and eternal so far as Manifestation (Existere) is concerned. From what has been stated up to now it is evident that 'a stairway set up on the earth, and its top reaching to heaven, and behold, the angels of God going up and coming down on it' means in a nutshell a going up so to speak from what is lowest, and after that, when order is inverted, a coming down to it.
ttt[2] The nature of this going up and coming down becomes clear from what has been stated and shown above in `@@@3539`, `@@@3548`, `@@@3556`, `@@@3563`, `@@@3570`, `@@@3576`, `@@@3603`, `@@@3607`, `@@@3610`, `@@@3665`, `@@@3690`. But because this order - which comes into effect when a person is being regenerated and which is described in the internal sense here and in what follows - is completely unknown in the Church, let the nature of it be illustrated further: It is well known that a person is born into the same disposition as his parents, grandparents, and great grandparents, going back for centuries, and so into hereditary evil gradually accumulated by all those before him, so much so that there is nothing but evil in what he does when he acts from himself. As a consequence both his understanding and his will have been totally spoiled and of himself he does not will anything good at all and therefore does not understand anything true at all. That which he calls good, indeed believes to be good, is in fact evil, and that which he calls the truth, indeed believes to be the truth, is in fact falsity. Take, for example, loving himself more than others, wanting things to be better for himself than for others, desiring what belongs to someone else, and considering only himself and not others unless he himself will benefit. Because he desires these things of himself he indeed calls them good and also true. And what is more, if anyone harms or tries to harm these things which by him are called good and true, he hates him and is also filled with thoughts of revenge. He desires and also seeks that person's ruin, and takes delight in this insofar as he actually strengthens such intentions in himself, that is, as frequently as he actually puts them into effect.
ttt[3] When such a person enters the next life his desires remain the same. The actual disposition which he has acquired in the world by the life he led remains, and that delight is perceived plainly by others. Consequently he is unable to be in any heavenly community where everyone wants things to be better for others than for himself; but he is in some community of hell whose delight is similar to his own. It is that disposition of his which needs to be rooted out while he is living in the world, something that cannot possibly be achieved except through regeneration from the Lord, that is, through receiving quite another will and therefore quite another understanding - by becoming a new person so far as both those powers of mind are concerned. But for this to come about he must first of all be born like a young child again, learn what evil and falsity are, and learn what good and truth are, for without knowledge or awareness of these he is unable to have any good conferred on him. Indeed of himself he does not acknowledge anything else as good except that which is evil, nor anything else as truth except that which is false.
ttt[4] To make a person new, cognitions are instilled into him such as are not completely contrary to those he has already - for example, the idea that all love starts in himself; the idea that one should consider oneself first and others only after that; the idea that those people who are outwardly poor and wretched should be helped irrespective of what they are like inwardly; and that similarly widows and orphans should be helped solely because they are called such; and at length the idea that enemies in general should be helped irrespective of who they may be; and also the idea that by acting in these ways one is able to merit heaven. These and other ideas like them are the cognitions proper to the early childhood of his new life. They are such that because they derive to some extent from his previous life, or the disposition belonging to his previous life, they also derive to some extent from his new life into which he is being led in this way. They are consequently such as allow into themselves things that contribute towards the formation of a new will and of a new understanding. They are the lowest forms of good and truth, and it is with these that people who are being regenerated start out. And because these lowest forms of good and truth allow more interior truths into themselves, that is, truths closer to Divine truths, falsities which a person had previously believed to be truths are also rooted out.
ttt[5] People who are being regenerated however do not learn such things simply as matters of knowledge but as matters of life, for they practice those truths. But their practice of them has its beginnings in the new will which the Lord is instilling, though they are totally unaware of it. And to the extent they welcome that new will they also welcome those cognitions, put them into practice, and believe them. But to the extent they do not welcome that new will they are indeed able to learn such truths but not to put them into effect since they consider them purely as matters of knowledge and not of life.
ttt[6] That state is the state of early and later childhood as regards the new life which is to replace the previous life, but the state of the early and later youth of that life is a state when no attention is paid to any person's outward presentation of himself but to what he is like with regard to good - first of all with regard to it in public affairs, then in private affairs, and at length in spiritual, at which point he starts to possess and to love good first and foremost, and from good the person. And when after that he is more perfect still his concern is to aid those who are governed by good, his help depending on the kind of good present with those whom he helps. At length he takes delight in helping them. And because he takes delight in good he also takes pleasure in ideas that support it. Those supporting ideas he acknowledges as truths, which also constitute the truths of his new understanding which flow from the forms of good which belong to his new will.
ttt[7] To the same extent as he takes delight in that good and takes pleasure in those truths he also feels an aversion to the evils of his previous life and a displeasure in its falsities. This is why things belonging to the previous will are now separated from those belonging to the new will, and those belonging to the previous understanding from those belonging to the new understanding. The determining factor in this separation is not the affection for knowing them, but the affection for doing them. As a consequence he now sees that the truths belonging to his early childhood in relation one to another have existed inversely and that those same truths have been reorganized little by little into another order, that is to say, their interrelationship has been changed so that those which initially occupied the first place now occupy the last. In this way he sees that by means of those truths which belonged to his early and later childhood the angels of God so to speak went up by means of a stairway from earth to heaven, whereas now by means of the truths belonging to his adult life the angels of God so to speak come down by means of the stairway from heaven to earth.
ppp20148#pid#3702. 'And behold, Jehovah was standing above it' means the Lord at the highest point. This becomes clear from the fact that the Lord is called Jehovah so many times in the Old Testament Word, see `@@@1736`, `@@@3023`, `@@@3035`, and that in the New Testament Word He is not referred to anywhere as Jehovah but as the Lord instead, `@@@2921`. As regards the meaning of 'standing above it' as being at the highest point, this is clear without explanation. The arcanum concealed in the internal sense of these words is that every good and truth come down from the Lord and go up to Him, that is, He is the First and the Last. For the human being has been so created that Divine things that are the Lord's may come down through him even to the lowest things of the natural order, and from the lowest things of the natural order may go up to Him. Thus the human being was created to be the means through which the Divine was linked to the natural world, and the natural world was linked to the Divine, and in this way through the human being as the means linking the two together, the lowest degree of the natural order might receive life from the Divine - which would be a reality if mankind had lived in accordance with Divine order.
ttt[2] The creation of the human being in this particular form is evident from the fact that his body is a world in miniature, because every arcanum that is part of the natural world is also stowed in the body. Each arcanum present in the ever-changing sky is also stowed in the eye; and each one in the air is also stowed in the ear. Anything floating unseen and active in the air is stowed - where it is detected - in the organ of smell, anything unseen that is present in water or any other fluid is stowed in the organ of taste. And actual changes of state likewise occur in the sense of touch throughout the body. Besides these even further arcana are stored away in the body which could be detected by a person within his interior organs if his life accorded with order. From this it is evident that a descent of the Divine through the human being into the lowest degree of the natural order would take place, and from the lowest degree of the natural order an ascent to the Divine, if only the human being with heartfelt faith, that is, with love, acknowledged the Lord as his Final and Primary end.
ttt[3] A state such as this existed with the most ancient people, who were celestial, for whatever they discerned with any of their senses was to them a means to thought about things which are the Lord's, and so about the Lord and His kingdom. This was the source of the delight they gained from worldly and earthly things, see `@@@1409`, `@@@2896`, `@@@2897`, `@@@2995`. Furthermore whenever these people contemplated in this fashion the lower and the lowest things of the natural order, such things appeared to them to have life in them; for the life from which these came down existed in those people's internal sight and perception. The objects which they saw with their eyes were so to speak images of that life, and although those images were inanimate they were nevertheless animate to those people. This is the kind of perception that celestial angels have of every thing in the world, as I have often been allowed to perceive, and it is also the source of the kind of perception which young children have, see `@@@2297`, `@@@2298`. This shows what those people are like through whom Divine things that are the Lord's come right down to the lowest things of the natural order, and from the lowest things of the natural order rise up to Him - people that represent Divine communication and the consequent joining together, meant in the highest sense by 'the angels going up and coming down the stairway set up on the earth, and its top reaching to heaven, with Jehovah standing above it'.
ppp20147#pid#3703. 'And He said, I am Jehovah, the God of Abraham your father' means the Lord in whom that good originated. This becomes clear from the fact that Jehovah is the Divine Being (Esse) itself of the Lord, who is called 'the God of Abraham' by virtue of Divine Good - 'Abraham' representing the Lord as regards Divine Good, see `@@@2172`, `@@@2198`. And because Divine Good is the source of all celestial and spiritual goods, and consequently of all truths also, the phrase 'your (that is, Jacob's) father Abraham' is used, when in fact Isaac was his father. The reason why 'father' in the internal sense means good is that good is the source of every single thing that has being and truth the means by which it is brought into being. Thus every single thing is born from a marriage of good and truth. Heaven itself, which consists of nothing else at all but the Divine marriage of Good and Truth, derives from the Divine Marriage of Good and Truth and of Truth and Good within the Lord.
ttt[2] The whole natural order also in every single part has reference to what is good and what is true. In it, that is, the natural order, the celestial and spiritual goods and truths that belong to heaven are represented, and in heaven Divine Goods and Truths that are the Lord's are represented. From this it becomes clear that good is like the father and truth is like the mother, and that therefore 'father' in the internal sense of the Word means good, and 'mother' truth. Indeed they mean the goodness and truth in which lower or derived goods and truths originate, which in relation to them are as daughters and sons, and are also consequently called daughters and sons in the Word, `@@@489-491`, `@@@2362`. They are also in relation to that good and truth as brothers and sisters, as grandchildren and great grandchildren, as sons-in-law, fathers-in-law, and daughters-in-law; in short they are as every degree of blood relationship and relationship by marriage. And all these relationships stem from the marriage of good, which is the father, to truth, which is the mother. For all things - every single one - in heaven exist as in blood relationships of love to and faith in the Lord, or what amounts to the same, of good and truth, see `@@@685`, `@@@917`, `@@@2739`, `@@@3612`, and the most ancient people therefore compared all these things to marriages, `@@@54`, `@@@55`. See also `@@@718`, `@@@747`, `@@@1432`, `@@@2508`, `@@@2516`, `@@@2524`, `@@@2556`.
ttt[3] That 'father' in the internal sense of the Word means good may be seen from very many places, as from the following: In Isaiah,
Pay attention to Me, you who are pursuing righteousness, who are seeking Jehovah; look to the rock from which you were hewn; and to the hole of the pit from which you were dug; look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who bore you, for when he was but one I called him; and I blessed him, and I will multiply him. For Jehovah will comfort Zion, He will comfort all her waste places, and will make her wilderness like Eden and her desert like the garden of Jehovah. `Isaiah 51bbb1-3`.
This refers to the Lord and His Coming, as is evident from every detail. As regards Divine Truth He is called 'a rock' and 'a pit', and as regards Divine Good 'Abraham your father'. And because the Divine marriage of Good and Truth is represented by Abraham and Sarah, see `@@@1468`, `@@@1901`, `@@@1965`, `@@@1989`, `@@@2011`, `@@@2063`, `@@@2065`, `@@@2172`, `@@@2173`, `@@@2198`, `@@@2507`, `@@@2833`, `@@@2836`, `@@@2904`, `@@@3245`, `@@@3251`, `@@@3305` (end), the expressions 'Abraham your father' and 'Sarah who bore you' are used. This explains why it is said that they were to look to the rock and to the pit, and to Abraham their father and to Sarah. It also explains why the promises follow immediately after, declaring that 'Jehovah will comfort Zion', which is the celestial Church, see `@@@2362`, and that 'He will comfort her waste places, and will make her wilderness like Eden and her desert like the garden of Jehovah'.
ttt[4] Abraham has a similar meaning when elsewhere in the Word he is called 'father', as in John,
Jesus said, I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you also do what you have seen with your father. They answered and said to Him, Our father is Abraham. Jesus said to them, If you were Abraham's sons, you would do the works of Abraham. You do the works of your father. `John 8bbb38-39`, `John 8bbbccc41`.
And in Matthew,
Do not presume to say within yourselves, We have Abraham as our father. I tell you that God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees; every tree not bearing good fruit will be cut down and cast into the fire. `Matthew 3bbb9-10`.
And in Luke,
When the poor man Lazarus died he was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried; and when he was in hell he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off, and Lazarus in his bosom. Calling out he said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me. I ask you, father, to send him to my father's house. `Luke 16bbb19`-end.
In these places it is evident that Abraham was not meant but the Lord as regards Divine Good. For Abraham is unknown in heaven, and when his name is used in the Word the Lord is meant, see `@@@1834`, `@@@1876`, `@@@1989`, `@@@3305` (end).
ttt[5] That 'father' means good in the internal sense becomes clear from the following places: In Moses,
Honour your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged on the land which Jehovah your God gives you. `Exodus 20bbb12`; `Deuteronomy 5bbb16`.
This commandment, like the rest of the Ten Commandments, is true in both senses - in the internal sense 'honouring father and mother' is loving what is good and true, and in what is good and true loving the Lord, see `@@@2609`, `@@@3690`. 'Days on the land' means resulting states of good within the Lord's kingdom, as is clear from the meaning of 'days' as states, `@@@23`, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@893`, `@@@2788`, and from the meaning of Canaan, to which 'the land' refers here, as the Lord's kingdom, `@@@1607`, `@@@3038`, `@@@3481`, and from 'being prolonged' having reference to good, `@@@1613`.
ttt[6] Since 'father and mother' had these meanings many laws were therefore laid down in the Jewish representative Church relating to parents and sons. In every case good and truth were meant in the internal sense, and in the highest sense the Lord as regards Divine Good and Divine Truth, as in Moses,
Whoever strikes his father and his mother shall surely die. If anyone curses his father or his mother he shall surely die. `Exodus 21bbb15`, `Exodus 21bbbccc17`.
In the same author,
Any man who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death; he who curses his father and his mother, his blood shall be on him. `Leviticus 20bbb9`.
Cursed is he who treats his father and his mother with contempt; and all the people shall say, Amen. `Deuteronomy 27bbb16`, `Deuteronomy 27bbbccc17`.
In Ezekiel,
Behold, the princes of Israel, every one according to his power,`fff1` have in you been intent on shedding blood; in you they have treated father and mother with contempt. `Ezekiel 22bbb6-7`.
In Moses,
When a man has a stubborn and rebellious son, in no way obeying the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and though they correct him he still does not obey them, his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him to the elders of the city, and to the gateway of their place. And all the men of that city shall stone him with stones so that he dies. `Deuteronomy 21bbb18-19`, `Deuteronomy 21bbbccc21`.
ttt[7] In all these places 'father and mother' in the sense of the letter is used to mean father and mother, but in the internal sense good and truth are meant, and in the highest sense the Lord as regards Divine Good and Divine Truth. This is also the Lord's own teaching in Matthew,
Jesus stretching out His hand over His disciples said, Beyond My mother and My brothers; whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven is My brother, and sister, and mother. `Matthew 12bbb49-50`.
And in the same gospel,
Refuse to be called master, for one is your Master, Christ; but all you are brothers. And call nobody your father on earth, for one is your Father who is in heaven. `Matthew 23bbb8-9`.
It is not being called master or being called father on earth that is forbidden here, but acknowledging in the heart any other father than the Lord. That is, when the names master and father are used one should understand the Lord whom in the highest sense they represent, in the same way, as stated just above in `@@@3702`, as anything perceived on earth by the most ancient people who were celestial was to them the means for thought concerning the Lord.
ttt[8] Much the same is embodied in what the Lord told one of the disciples who said,
Lord, let me first go away and bury my father. Jesus said to him, Follow Me; leave the dead to bury the dead. `Matthew 8bbb21-22`.
Indeed the relationship of father on earth to Father in heaven, who is the Lord, is as one who is dead to one who is living, even as the law itself about honouring parents is so to speak dead unless it holds honour, worship, and love to the Lord within it. For that law about honouring parents comes down from the latter Divine law. And because it comes down from the latter, the living element which exists within the law about honouring parents is received from this Divine law. This is why the Lord said, 'Follow Me, leave the dead to bury the dead'. What Elijah told Elisha is also similar in meaning,
Elijah passed beside Elisha and cast his mantle over him, and he left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me kiss, I beg you, my father and mother; then I will go after you. He therefore said to him, Go away; go back again; for what have I done to you? `1 Kings 19bbb19-20`.
Elijah represented the Lord - see Preface to Chapter `Genesis ccc18bbb0`, and `@@@2762`.
ttt[9] In Malachi,
Lo, I am sending you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of Jehovah comes. And he will turn the heart of the fathers to the sons, and the heart of the sons to their fathers lest I come and smite the earth with a ban. `Malachi 4bbb5-6`.
And in Luke where the angel addresses Zechariah regarding his son John,
He will go before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children. `Luke 1bbb17`.
From these places it is evident that 'fathers' and 'sons' are not used to mean fathers and sons but the goods and truths of the Church which the Lord is going to restore.
ttt[10] In Malachi,
May Jehovah be magnified upon the border of Israel! A son should honour his father, and a servant his lord. If I am a Father, where is My honour? If I am a Lord, where is the fear of Me? `Malachi 1bbb5-6`.
'A son' stands for those who are governed by the good of the Church, 'a servant' those who are governed by its truth. Here 'a Father' clearly stands for the Lord as regards Divine Good, and 'a Lord' as regards Divine Truth.
ttt[11] In David,
My father and my mother have forsaken me, and Jehovah welcomes me. `Psalms 27bbb10`.
'Father and mother' stands for good and truth which are said to have forsaken a person when it is realized that of himself he is unable to perform anything good or to know anything true. For the meaning, it is evident, is not that David's mother and father forsook him.
ttt[12] In the same author,
You are more beautiful by far than the sons of men. All glorious is the king's daughter within, in her clothing with gold interweavings. Instead of your fathers will be your sons; you will make them into princes in all the earth. `Psalms 45bbb2`, `Psalms 45bbbccc13`, `Psalms 45bbbccc16`.
This refers to the Lord. 'Instead of your fathers will be your sons' stands for Divine Truths becoming as Divine Goods. 'The king's daughter' stands for the love of truth; 'clothing with gold interweavings' for the nature of that truth grounded in good. Since the subject is the Lord and His Divine Human, as is evident from this Psalm as a whole and in every part, every single phrase clearly has reference to one and the same thing. So the phrase 'the king's daughter' is not used to mean the daughter of the king, nor are the phrases 'clothing with gold interweavings', 'instead of your fathers will be your sons', and 'their being made into princes in all the earth' to be taken literally, but each phrase means Divine celestial and spiritual things. 'A daughter' means affection or love, see `@@@490`, `@@@491`, `@@@2362`; 'the king' Divine Truth, `@@@1672`, `@@@1728`, `@@@2015`, `@@@2069`, `@@@3009`; 'gold' good, `@@@113`, `@@@1551`, `@@@1552`. 'That which is interwoven' has reference to natural knowledge, `@@@2831`, in this case therefore to Divine natural truth. 'Clothing' means such truths as clothe good, `@@@297`, `@@@2576`; 'sons instead of fathers' truths begotten from good, in this case Divine Truths being as Divine Goods, `@@@264`, `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@533`, `@@@1147`, `@@@1729`, `@@@1733`, `@@@2159`, `@@@2623`, `@@@2803`, `@@@2813`. 'Princes in all the earth' are the first and foremost things of the Lord's kingdom and Church - 'princes' being the things that are first and foremost, `@@@1482`, `@@@2089`, 'the earth' the Lord's kingdom and Church, `@@@1413`, `@@@1607`, `@@@1733`, `@@@1850`, `@@@2117`, `@@@2118` (end), `@@@3355`.
ttt[13] In Moses,
Your fathers Jehovah delighted to love, and He chose their seed after them, even you out of all peoples, as at this day. Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart and be stiff-necked no longer. `Deuteronomy 10bbb15-16`.
'Fathers' here in the internal sense stands for the Ancient and Most Ancient Churches, whose members were so called by virtue of the love they had of good and truth - the most ancient people, who were celestial, by virtue of their love of good, the ancients, who were spiritual, by virtue of their love of truth. The goods and truths existing in the Church are referred to as 'the seed Jehovah chose'. Clearly Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and the latter's twelve sons are not meant by the fathers referred to here, nor the Israelite and Jewish people by 'the seed'. Rather the statement is made regarding them and addressed to them in order that the internal sense may be given some external form and so be intelligible to men.
ttt[14] In Isaiah,
The boy will uplift himself against the old man, and the base fellow against the honourable; for a man will take hold of his brother in his father's house, [saying,] You have clothing, you will be leader for us. He will say, In my house there is neither bread [nor clothing]. Do not make me a leader`fff2` of the people. `Isaiah 3bbb5-7`.
This refers in the internal sense to a perverted state of the Church when truth is no longer acknowledged as truth, and it is not known what good is. 'A man will take hold of his brother in his father's house' stands for acknowledging everything as good. 'Clothing' stands for truth, `@@@1073`, `@@@2576`, 'a leader (or prince)' for a first and foremost matter of doctrine drawn from truth, `@@@1482`, `@@@2089`. 'In the house there is neither bread nor clothing' stands for neither good nor truth - 'bread' meaning good, `@@@276`, `@@@680`, `@@@3478`, and 'clothing' truth, `@@@297`, `@@@2576`.
ttt[15] Because father and mother, and also daughters and sons, represented goodness and truth in the representative Churches many laws existed which possessed from those representatives that which was Divine within them, such as the following,
If a priest's daughter has acted profanely by committing whoredom, she is profaning her father; she shall be burnt with fire. `Leviticus 21bbb9`.
'A priest's daughter' stands for the affection for good, 'father' for the good from which that affection springs. 'Committing whoredom' stands for profaning what is good. What 'committing whoredom' is, see `@@@2466`, `@@@2729`, `@@@3399`, and what 'acting profanely', `@@@1008`, `@@@1010`, `@@@1059`, `@@@2051`, `@@@3398`, `@@@3399`. Also,
If a priest's daughter has been made a widow or divorced and has no seed she shall return to her father's house, as in her youth; she shall eat of her father's bread. No stranger shall eat of it. `Leviticus 22bbb13`.
ttt[16] And this law also,
If you see among the captives a wife with a beautiful form and you desire her to take her for yourself as wife you shall bring her inside your home; and she shall shave her head and pare her nails; and she shall take off the clothing of her captivity born upon her, and shall sit in your house and lament her father and her mother a whole month; and after that you shall go in to her and know her, and she shall be your wife. `Deuteronomy 21bbb11-13`.
Every single detail in this law is representative of natural truth, which is adopted by good once it has been purified from falsities. Such truth is meant by 'a wife beautiful in form among the captives'; purification from falsities by 'bringing her inside your home', and by her 'shaving her head, paring her nails, taking off the clothing of her captivity, and lamenting her father and mother'; and adoption by 'after that going in to her, knowing her, and taking her as a wife'.
ttt[17] The Marriage Laws requiring marriages to be contracted within the tribe and the family, and also the Inheritance Laws forbidding the transfer of inheritances from one tribe to another, which are written in the Word, also had the same origins, that is to say, in the celestial and spiritual marriage in the Lord's kingdom, or the marriage of good and truth, which are meant by 'father and mother'. The same applies to the laws laid down relating to the permissible and the forbidden degrees of affinity. Each law in the Word concerning those matters has reference inwardly to the law of the affiliation and joining together of good and truth in heaven, and to the affiliations of evil and falsity in hell, which are separated from the former. For laws to do with permissible and forbidden degrees, see `Leviticus 20bbb0`; for laws forbidding the transfer of inheritances from one tribe to another, and for those requiring marriages to be contracted within the tribe, see `Numbers 27bbb7-9`, and elsewhere. In heaven the position of every single thing is fixed according to blood relationships of good and truth and to relationships of them through marriage, see `@@@685`, `@@@917`, `@@@2739`, `@@@3612`.
ttt[18] Since the Israelitish people represented the Lord's kingdom in heaven and so the heavenly order existing there, the command was also given for them to be singled out according to tribes, according to families, and according to the houses of their fathers, see `Numbers 26bbb1`-end. In addition to this they were required to pitch camp around the tent of meeting in conformity with that heavenly order, and also to journey in conformity with it, as stated in Moses,
Each one of the children of Israel shall pitch camp beneath his own standard, by the ensigns of his father's house, at a distance around the tent of meeting. And in the same formations they also set out. `Numbers 2bbb2`, `Numbers 2bbbccc34`.
This was why, when Balaam saw Israel dwelling according to their tribes, the Spirit of God came upon him and he delivered this utterance, How good your tabernacles are, O Jacob, your dwelling-places, O Israel? They are like valleys that are planted, like gardens beside a river, etc., etc. `Numbers 24bbb2`, `Numbers 24bbbccc5-6`, and following verses.
From every word used here it is evident that not Jacob or Israel were meant but the Lord's kingdom in heaven and His Church on earth, which were represented by that order in which he saw them spread out at that time.
ttt[19] From these examples one may also know what is meant in the internal sense of the Word by orphans! that is, the fatherless, namely people whose state is a state of innocence and charity and who wish to know and put into effect what is good but are not able to do so. Such a state exists in particular with those outside the Church whom the Lord cares about and adopts in the next life as His sons. And since those people are meant by 'orphans', when these are mentioned in the Word, sojourners and widows are in many instances mentioned too. For 'sojourners' means those who are receiving instruction in goods and truths, `@@@1463`, and 'widows' those whose state is one of good but not so much of truth, or those whose state is one of truth but not so much of good, and who yet desire what they lack. Since these three - orphans, sojourners, and widows - belong to a very similar line of meaning, therefore all three are in most places mentioned together, as has been stated, see `Deuteronomy 14bbb29`; `Deuteronomy ccc16bbb11`, `Deuteronomy 16bbbccc14`; `Deuteronomy ccc24bbb17`, `Deuteronomy 24bbbccc19`; `Jeremiah 7bbb6`; `Jeremiah ccc22bbb3`; `Ezekiel 22bbb6-7`; `Zechariah 7bbb10`; `Psalms 94bbb6`; `Psalms ccc146bbb9`. From these considerations one may now see what 'father' means in the genuine sense, namely good, and in the highest sense the Lord.
ttt[20] Now because most things in the Word also have a contrary sense, so has the word 'father'. In that sense it means evil. Equally so 'mother', which in the genuine sense means truth, in the contrary sense means falsity. The contrary meanings may be seen from the following places: In David,
The iniquity of his fathers will be remembered before Jehovah, and the sin of his mother will not be wiped out. `Psalms 109bbb14`.
In the same author,
They drew back and acted treacherously like their fathers; they turned about like a deceitful bow. `Psalms 78bbb57`.
In Moses,
Until the remainder of you waste away in their iniquity in the lands of your enemies: and they will also waste away in their fathers' iniquities with them. `Leviticus 26bbb39`. In Isaiah,
Prepare slaughter for his sons because of the iniquity of their fathers, and let them not rise up again and possess the earth, and fill the face of the earth with cities. `Isaiah 14bbb21`.
In the same prophet, I will repay your iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together. `Isaiah 65bbb7`.
ttt[21] In Jeremiah,
The house of Israel is ashamed, they, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets, who say to wood, You are my father, and to a stone, You gave birth to me. For they have turned their neck to Me and not their face. `Jeremiah 2bbb26-27`.
In the same prophet,
Behold, I am laying before this people stumbling-blocks, and fathers and sons together will stumble against them, neighbour and his friend, and they will perish. `Jeremiah 6bbb21`.
In the same prophet,
The sons gather pieces of wood, and the fathers kindle fire, and the women knead dough to make cakes for Melecheth.`fff3` `Jeremiah 7bbb18`.
In Ezekiel,
I will do in you that which I have not done, and such things as I will not do any longer, because of your abominations. Therefore fathers will eat their sons, and sons will eat their fathers; and I will execute judgements on you, and I will scatter the whole remnant of you to every wind. `Ezekiel 5bbb9-10`.
This refers to the profanation of what is holy. In the same prophet,
Thus said the Lord Jehovih to Jerusalem, Your tracings and your births are of the land of the Canaanite. Your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. `Ezekiel 16bbb3`.
ttt[22] In Matthew,
Brother will deliver up brother to death, and father the son; and children will rise up against parents and put them to death. And so you will be hated by everyone for My name's sake. I have come to set a man (homo) against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man's (homo) foes will be those in his own household. Whoever loves father and mother more than Me is not worthy of Me, and whoever loves son and daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. `Matthew 10bbb21-22`, `Matthew 10bbbccc35-37`; `Luke 12bbb49`, `Luke 12bbbccc52-53`.
In the same gospel,
Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for My name's sake will receive a hundredfold and will be allotted the inheritance of eternal life. `Matthew 19bbb29`; `Luke 18bbb29-30`; `Mark 10bbb29-30`.
In Luke,
If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and his mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own soul, he cannot be My disciple. `Luke 14bbb26`.
ttt[23] In Mark,
Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his children, and children will rise up together against parents and will kill them; for you will be hated by all for My name's sake. `Mark 13bbb12-13`; `Luke 21bbb16-17`.
This refers to the close of the age and is describing the state of the Church when perverted as regards good and truth, that is to say, when evil rises up against truth, and falsity against good. The meaning of 'father' in the contrary sense as evil is evident from the places just quoted and also from the following in John,
Jesus said, If God were your father you would love Me, for from God I went forth and now come. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning and took no stand on the truth because the truth is not in him. When he speaks a lie he speaks from what are his own, for he is the teller of a lie and the father of it. `John 8bbb42`, `John 8bbbccc44`.
`nnn1. literally, arm
`nnn2. or a prince
`nnn3. melecheth is a Hebrew word for a queen.
ppp20146#pid#3704. 'And the God of Isaac' means the Lord's Divine Human. This is clear from the representation of 'Isaac' as the Lord's Divine Rational; and since it is in the Rational that the Human has its beginnings, `@@@2194`, and so is that from which and through which the Human has its being, 'the God of Isaac' therefore means here the Lord's Divine Human. Since every single thing in heaven, every single thing with man, and indeed every single thing in the whole natural order has reference to good and truth the Lord's Divine too is therefore distinguished into Divine Good and Divine Truth - the Lord's Divine Good being called 'the Father', and His Divine Truth 'the Son'. Yet the Lord's Divine is nothing else than Good, indeed it is Good itself; but Divine Truth is the Lord's Divine Good as it presents itself visually in heaven, that is, to angels. In this it is like the sun. Essentially the sun is nothing else than fire; but the light which one sees coming from it is not in the sun but flowing from it. For the Lord as regards Divine Good is represented by the sun, and also in the next life He is the Sun for the whole of heaven, see `@@@1053`, `@@@1521`, `@@@1529-1531`, `@@@2495`, `@@@3636`, `@@@3643`, and the Lord as regards Divine Truth is represented by the light, and also in the next life He is the Light for the whole of heaven, `@@@1053`, `@@@1521`, `@@@1529`, `@@@1530`, `@@@2776`, `@@@3138`, `@@@3195`, `@@@3222`, `@@@3223`, `@@@3339`, `@@@3341`, `@@@3636`, `@@@3643`.
ttt[2] So essentially the Lord is nothing else than Divine Good, and this applies to both essentials - to the Divine itself and to the Divine Human. Divine Truth however does not exist within Divine Good but flows from it, for as stated above, Divine Truth is the Divine Good presenting itself visually in heaven. Now because Divine Good presents itself as Divine Truth, therefore the Lord's Divine is distinguished, to enable man to grasp it mentally, into Divine Good and Divine Truth, Divine Good being called in the Word 'the Father' and Divine Truth 'the Son'. This is the arcanum that lies behind the Lord Himself on so many occasions speaking of His Father as though He were separate from and so to speak One other than Himself, and yet at other times speaking of His being one with Himself. The fact that in the internal sense 'father' means good, and in the highest sense the Lord as regards Divine Good, has been shown just above in `@@@3703`, and the fact that 'son' means truth while 'the Son of God' and 'the Son of Man' mean the Lord as regards Divine Truth, in `@@@1729`, `@@@1733`, `@@@2159`, `@@@2803`, `@@@2813`. The matter is also clear from all those places where the Lord uses the name Father and calls Himself the Son.
ttt[3] Not only in the Old Testament Word is the Lord called Jehovah - see `@@@1343`, `@@@1736`, `@@@2921` - but He is also referred to there as 'Father', as is clear from the following places: In Isaiah,
To us a Boy is born, to us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder, and His name will be called, Wonderful, Counsellor, God, Hero, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace. `Isaiah 9bbb6`.
From this it is quite evident that 'the Boy born to us and me Son given to us' is the Lord, and so it is He who is called 'the Father of Eternity'. In Jeremiah,
I will be a Father to Israel, and Ephraim will be my firstborn. `Jeremiah 31bbb9`.
This refers to the Lord, who, being the God of Israel and me Holy One of Israel, see `@@@3305`, is here 'a Father to Israel'. In Malachi,
Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? `Malachi 2bbb10`.
'Creating' here in the internal sense stands for regenerating, as it also does elsewhere in the Word, see `@@@16`, `@@@88`, `@@@472`. And since me Lord alone is Regenerator and Redeemer it is He who is here called 'Father' and 'God', as also in Isaiah,
You are our Father, for Abraham does not know us and Israel does not acknowledge us. You, O Jehovah, are our Father, our Redeemer; from eternity is Your name. `Isaiah 63bbb16`.
ttt[4] In the same prophet,
I will clothe him with your robe and strengthen him with your girdle, and will commit your dominion into his hand, so that he may be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. And I will place the key of the house of David on his shoulder; and he will open and none will shut, and he will shut and none will open. And I will fasten him like a peg in a sure place, so that he may be the throne of his father's glory, and on him they may hang all the glory of his father's house, of sons and grandsons, every small vessel - from the vessels of bowls even to all the vessels of stringed instruments. `Isaiah 22bbb21-24`.
From this it is quite evident that it is the Lord who in the internal sense here is represented and meant, and who is called 'a father to me inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah'. For He is the one 'on whose shoulder the key of the house of David is placed, who opens and none shuts, and who shuts and none opens' - see the Preface to Chapter `Genesis ccc22bbb0`. And to Him belongs 'the throne of His Father's glory', and on Him all holy things are based and from Him they are derived. Those holy things are here called 'vessels' celestial ones being called 'vessels of bowls', and spiritual ones 'vessels of stringed instruments'.
ttt[5] Since kings and priests represented the Lord - 'kings' through their kingship representing the Lord as regards Divine Truth, and 'priests' the Lord as regards Divine Good, `@@@3670` - priests were therefore called 'fathers', as may be seen in the Book of Judges,
Micah said to the Levite, Stay with me, and be to me a father and a priest. `Judges 17bbb10`.
The children of Dan spoke to the same man in a similar way,
Keep quiet, put your hand over your mouth, and come with us, and be to us a father and a priest. `Judges 18bbb19`.
Even kings called them the same, in the second Book of Kings,
The king of Israel said to Elisha, My father, shall I smite them? He said, You shall not smite them. `2 Kings 6bbb21-22`.
And King Joash's words to Elisha when the latter was dying,
King Joash wept before him and said, My father, my father! The chariot of Israel and its riders! `2 Kings 13bbb14`.
Kings called a priest 'father' because 'kings' represented the Lord as regards Divine Truth, 'priests' as regards Divine Good, and also because truth in relationship to good is as son to father, for truth stems from good.
ttt[6] This matter is very well known in the next life, and for this reason those in heaven call no one other than the Lord 'Father', and by 'Father' mentioned in the Gospels they perceive no one other than Him, see `@@@15`, `@@@1729`. All young children there, when being introduced to the good that flows from love and to the truth partnering that love, are taught to acknowledge the Lord alone as Father. And newcomers to heaven also are taught with utmost care that God is one; and if they have been from within the Church they are taught that the whole of the Trinity resides in the Lord - for almost everybody from the Christian world possesses the idea of three Gods, even though with the lips they used to declare that there is only one God. For once the idea of three has entered in, and each one of these is called God and is also distinguished from the other so far as attributes and functions are concerned, and are even worshipped individually, it is no longer humanly possible to think of one God. Consequently there is in the heart a worship of three Gods but on the lips that of only one.
ttt[7] The truth that the whole of the Trinity resides in the Lord is well known in the Christian world, and yet among Christians in the next life little thought takes place regarding the Lord. Indeed His Humanity is to many people a stumbling-block, for they distinguish the Human from the Divine and do not believe that it is Divine. A person will declare himself to be righteous and so made pure and almost sanctified; but to the idea that the Lord has been glorified, that is, His Human has been made Divine, they do not give any thought. But in fact He was conceived from Jehovah Himself, and in any case nobody can be made righteous, let alone be sanctified, except from the Divine, and especially from the Lord's Divine Human, which is represented and meant in the Holy Supper, where it is explicitly stated that the bread is His body and the wine His blood.
ttt[8] The truth that the Lord is one with the Father and that He has existed from eternity, rules over all, and so is Divine Good itself and Divine Truth itself, is quite clear from the Word:
The Lord is One with the Father In John,
Nobody has ever seen God; the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, [He has made Him known.] `John 1bbb18`.
In the same gospel,
The Jews sought to kill Jesus because He had called God His Father, making Himself equal to God. Jesus answered and said, Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son cannot do anything by Himself except what He will have seen the Father doing, for that which He does the Son also does likewise. For as the Father raises the dead and quickens them, so also does the Son quicken whom He will. For the Father does not judge anyone, but has given all judgement to the Son, so that all may honour the Son even as they honour the Father. He who does not honour the Son does not honour the Father who sent Him. As the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son also to have life in Himself. The Father who sent Me has Himself borne witness to Me. You have never heard His voice nor seen His shape. Search the Scriptures; it is they that bear witness to Me. `John 5bbb18-39`.
'The Father' is used here, as has been stated, to mean the Divine Good and 'the Son' the Divine Truth, both being within the Lord. From Divine Good, which is 'the Father', nothing but what is Divine is able to proceed or come forth, and that which proceeds or comes forth is Divine Truth, which is 'the Son'.
ttt[9] In the same gospel,
Everyone who has heard from the Father and has learned comes to Me. No one has seen the Father except Him who is with the Father, He has seen the Father. `John 6bbb44-48`.
In the same gospel,
They said to Him, Where is your Father? Jesus answered, You know neither Me nor My Father; if you knew Me you would know My Father also. `John 8bbb18-19`.
In the same gospel,
I and the Father are one. Even though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father. `John 10bbb30`, `John 10bbbccc38`.
In the same gospel,
Jesus said, He who believes in Me believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me; and he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. I have come as light into the world in order that everyone who believes in Me may not remain in darkness. `John 12bbb44-46`.
'The Father sent Him' means in the internal sense that He proceeds from the Father. This is so in this and other places where the Lord says that the Father sent Him. 'Light' means Divine Truth, see above.
ttt[10] In the same gospel,
I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but by Me. If you know Me you know My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him. Philip said to Him, Lord, show us the Father. Jesus said, Have I been with you so long, and yet you do not know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father. So why do you say, Show us the Father? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak from Myself, the Father who dwells in Me, He does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me. Whatever you ask in My name I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. `John 14bbb6-11`, `John 14bbbccc13`.
In the same gospel,
He who has My commandments and does them, he it is who loves Me; but he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will manifest Myself to him. If anyone loves Me he will keep My word, and My father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. `John 14bbb21`, `John 14bbbccc23`.
ttt[11] Those governed by Divine Truth are meant by the ones who 'have His commandments and do them', while those governed by Divine Good are meant by the ones who 'love Him'. This is why it is said that 'he will be loved by the Father', and 'We will come to him and make Our home with him', that is to say, Divine Good and Divine Truth will come and dwell in him. It is also the reason why the following is said in the same chapter,
On that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me. `John 14bbb20`.
And elsewhere in the same gospel,
Holy Father, keep them in Your name, that they may be one as We are one. `John 17bbb11`.
From these places it is clear that the Lord talks of the Father by virtue of the Divine Good that is His, and of the Son by virtue of the Divine Truth which springs from the Divine Good. And so they are not two but one. The Lord spoke in this fashion however in order that the Word might be received both on earth and in heaven, and also because prior to His glorification the Lord was Divine truth that sprang from Divine Good, but once He had been glorified He was as to both Essences Divine Good itself in which all Divine Good and Divine Truth have their origin.
ttt[12] The Lord has existed from Eternity
This becomes clear from the fact that it was the Lord who spoke through the prophets, and that both for this reason and the fact that Divine Truth came from Him He was called the Word, which is spoken of in John,
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the Only Begotten from the Father. `John 1bbb1-4`, `John 1bbbccc14`.
'The Word' stands for all truth in heaven and on earth which comes from the Divine.
ttt[13] His existence from eternity is explicitly taught by Him elsewhere in John,
John said, This was He who though coming after me was before me, for He was before me. Among you stands one whom you do not know. He it is who is to come after me, who was before me. `John 1bbb15`, `John 1bbbccc26-27`, `John 1bbbccc30`.
In the same gospel,
What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before? `John 6bbb62`.
In the same gospel,
Jesus said, Truly, truly, I say to you, Before Abraham was, I am. `John 8bbb58`.
In the same gospel,
He knew that He had come from God and was going to God. `John 13bbb3`.
In the same gospel,
The Father Himself loves you because you have loved Me and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and have come into the world; again I am leaving the world and am going to the Father. `John 16bbb27-28`.
In the same gospel,
I have glorified You on earth; I have accomplished the work which You gave Me to do. Now therefore, Father, glorify Me in Your Own Self with the glory I had with You before the world was, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me, because You loved Me before the foundation of the world. `John 17bbb4-5`, `John 17bbbccc24`.
In Isaiah,
To us a Boy is born, to us a Son is given; and His name will be called Wonderful Counsellor, God, Hero, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace. `Isaiah 9bbb6`.
ttt[14] The Lord rules over All
This is clear in Matthew,
All things have been delivered to Me by My Father. `Matthew 11bbb27`.
In the same gospel, Jesus said to the disciples, All power in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. `Matthew 28bbb18`.
In John,
The Father has given all things into the hand of the Son. He who believes in the Son has eternal life. `John 3bbb35-36`.
The Father does not judge anyone, but has given all judgement to the Son. `John 5bbb22`.
In the same gospel,
Jesus knew that the Father had given all things into His hands. `John 13bbb3`.
In the same gospel, All that the Father has is Mine. `John 16bbb15`.
In the same gospel,
Jesus said, Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him power over all flesh. `John 17bbb1-2`.
In the same gospel,
All Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. I am no longer in the world, for I am coming to You. `John 17bbb10-11`.
In Luke,
All things have been delivered to Me by My Father. `Luke 10bbb22`.
ttt[15] From all these places it is clear that it is Divine Good which is called 'the Father' and Divine Truth 'the Son', and that the Lord governs every single thing in all creation from Divine Good by means of Divine Truth. This being so, manifestly so from the Word, it is astounding that people in the Christian world know and teach that the whole of the Trinity resides in the Lord, and yet they do not, as those in heaven do, acknowledge and adore the Lord alone, and so one God. The truth that the Holy Spirit, who also is worshipped as God distinct and separate from Father and Son, is the holiness of the spirit - or the holiness that proceeds from the Lord through spirits or angels, that is, from His Divine Good through the Divine Truth - will in the Lord's Divine mercy be made plain elsewhere.
ppp20145#pid#3705. 'The land on which you are lying I will give to you' means that the good on which the Natural rested was His own in origin. This is clear from the meaning of 'the land' here as the good of the natural, dealt with below; from the meaning of 'on which you are lying' as on which it rested; and from the meaning of 'giving it to you' as His own in origin, also dealt with below. The reason 'the land' means the good of the natural, which Jacob will represent from now on, is that 'the land of Canaan' means the Lord's kingdom, `@@@1413`, `@@@1437`, `@@@1585`, `@@@1607`, `@@@1866`. And since it means the Lord's kingdom it also means in the highest sense the Lord, `@@@3038` - for the Lord is the All in all of His kingdom, and anything there which does not originate in Him and have regard to Him is not part of His kingdom. The Lord's kingdom is also meant in the Word by 'heaven and earth',`fff1` `@@@1733`, `@@@1850`, `@@@2117`, `@@@2118` (end), though in this case the interior of that kingdom is meant by 'heaven' and the exterior by 'earth', `@@@82`, `@@@1411`, `@@@1733`, `@@@3355` (end). Consequently 'heaven' in the highest sense means the Lord as regards His Divine Rational and 'earth' as regards His Divine Natural. Here therefore 'the land on which you are lying' means the Good of the Natural on which the Natural, represented by 'Jacob', rested. For 'Jacob' represents the Lord's Divine Natural, as stated many times above.
ttt[2] Furthermore the word 'land' has various meanings, see `@@@620`, `@@@636`, `@@@1066`, `@@@2571`, `@@@3368`, `@@@3379`, the reason being that Canaan, which is called the Holy Land, means the Lord's kingdom in general; and when 'heaven' is mentioned together with 'earth', 'heaven' in that case means, as has been stated, that which is interior, 'earth' that which is exterior. This being so it also means the Lord's kingdom on earth, that is, the Church; and having that meaning, it also means a person who is the Lord's kingdom or who is the Church. With that person 'heaven' accordingly means that which is interior, 'earth' that which is exterior; or what amounts to the same, 'heaven' is the rational and 'earth' the natural since the rational exists more interiorly with man and the natural more exteriorly. And since 'land' [or 'earth'] has all these meanings it also means that which a person puts into effect - namely the good of love which he receives from the Divine - so that he may become the Lord's kingdom. From this it is evident in what way the meaning of 'land' in the Word varies.
ttt[3] 'I will give to you' means that in origin it was His own. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'giving' in the Word when used in reference to the Lord, for as shown just above, the Lord is Divine Good and also Divine Truth, the former being called 'the Father' and the latter 'the Son'. Now because Divine Good is His and consequently that which is His own, it follows that 'giving to you', when spoken by Jehovah and used in reference to the Lord, means that which was His own in origin. From this one may see what is meant in the internal sense by the Lord's frequent reference to the Father's having given to Him - that is to say, to Himself, the Lord - as in John,
Father, glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him power over all flesh, in order that all You have given Him, to them He may give eternal life. I have glorified You on earth; I have accomplished the work which You gave Me to do. I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; Yours they were, and You gave them to Me. Now they know that everything which You have given Me is from You; for the words which You gave Me I have given to them. I am praying for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours; for all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine. `John 17bbb1-2`, `John 17bbbccc4`, `John 17bbbccc6-10`.
Each reference here to the Father's giving means originating in the Divine Good that was His, and so in that which was His own.
ttt[4] From this one may see how great an arcanum lies within the particular words spoken by the Lord, and also how greatly different the sense of the letter is from the internal sense, and more so from the highest sense. The Lord spoke in this fashion in order that mankind which at that time had no knowledge at all of any Divine truth might nevertheless be enabled in its own way to grasp and so accept the Word, while angels did so in theirs, for the angels knew that Jehovah and He were one and that the Father was Divine Good. For this reason also they knew that when He spoke of the Father giving to Him He would be giving to Himself and so drawing on what was His own.
`nnn1. or land
ppp20144#pid#3706. 'And to your seed' means truth also. This is clear from the meaning of 'seed' as the truth of faith, dealt with in `@@@255`, `@@@880`, `@@@1025`, `@@@1447`, `@@@1610`, `@@@2848`, `@@@3038`, `@@@3310`, `@@@3373`.
ppp20143#pid#3707. 'And your seed will be as the dust of the earth' means that Divine natural Truth would be as natural good. This is clear from the meaning of 'seed' as truth, dealt with immediately above in `@@@3706`, 'your seed' - that is, Jacob's - consequently meaning Divine natural Truth, for as shown above 'Jacob' represents the Lord's Divine Natural; and from the meaning of 'the dust of the earth' as good, dealt with in `@@@1610`. Consequently 'your seed will be as the dust of the earth' means in the internal sense that Divine natural Truth will be as Divine natural Good. The reason 'the dust of the earths means good is that 'the earth' means the Lord's kingdom and accordingly good, as shown just above in `@@@3705`. 'The dust of the earth' therefore means good, though natural good since the earth, as also shown in that place, means that which is lower in the Lord's kingdom, thus the natural, while heaven when mentioned as well means that which is interior, or the rational. This is why the fruitfulness of good and the multiplication of truth are described in various places by means of expressions stating that someone's seed will be as the stars of heaven and as the dust of the earth. 'The stars of heaven' in that case means rational concepts, and 'the dust of the earth' natural images, which will increase in this fashion. What is meant by natural truth becoming as natural good will in the Lord's Divine mercy be explained later on.
ppp20142#pid#3708. 'And you will break forth towards the sea, and towards the east' means infinite extension of good, while 'towards the north, and towards the south' means infinite extension of truth - thus every state of good and truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'breaking forth' as extension, here infinite extension since it has reference to the Lord; from the meaning of 'the sea' or the west as good which is as yet obscure and so at only an initial stage; from the meaning of 'the east' as bright and so perfected good; from the meaning of 'the north' as truth which is still shrouded in obscurity; and from the meaning of 'the south' as truth bathed in light.
ttt[2] Many references are made in the Word to the sea or west, the east, the north, and the south. But because nobody up to now has known that, as with every other single expression, these possessed an internal sense in which they did not mean things to do with the world, as they do in the sense of the letter, but spiritual and celestial things, and that in the highest sense those expressions meant Divine things belonging to the Lord Himself, what else could people have known therefore other than that west, east, north, and south are used in the Word simply to mean the four quarters? What else other than that 'breaking forth' towards those four quarters means a multiplying? But the fact that they do not mean the four quarters or the multiplying of any group of people, but states of good and truth, and the extension of these, may become clear from all the places in the Word, especially those in the Prophets, where reference is made to them. For what west, east, north, or south are is totally unknown in heaven. There the Sun, which is the Lord - unlike the sun of this world which rises and sets, reaching its highest point at midday and its lowest at night - is visible all the time, though how visible depends on the states of those receiving its light; for the light from it holds wisdom and intelligence within it, see `@@@1619-1632`, `@@@2776`, `@@@3138`, `@@@3167`, `@@@3190`, `@@@3195`, `@@@3222`, `@@@3223`, `@@@3339`, `@@@3341`, `@@@3485`, `@@@3636`, `@@@3643`. Consequently it is visible to each individual according to the wisdom and intelligence existing with him. Among those with whom good and truth are present - which are warmth and light, but of the celestial and spiritual kind - the sun is as it is when rising and at midday; but among those with whom good and truth are not present the sun is as it is when setting and at night. From this it is evident that in the internal sense of the Word 'east, south, west, and north' means states of good and truth.
ttt[3] It should be recognized that the Word does not use only the four quarters, as indicated, to describe states of good and truth. It also uses both the annual seasons or states of spring, summer, autumn, and winter, and the daily times or states of morning, midday, evening, and night. These are used for a similar purpose; but when the subject is the extension of good and truth, the four quarters are employed to describe it. What each one means specifically however may be seen from the places where they are mentioned in the Word. 'East' means the Lord and also the good of love and charity, which comes from the Lord, as shown already in `@@@101`, `@@@1250`, `@@@3249`, and 'south' means the truth bathed in light, in `@@@1458`, `@@@3195`.
ttt[4] But what 'west' and what 'north' mean in the genuine sense, and what they mean in the contrary sense, may be seen from the following places: In Isaiah,
Fear not, for I am with you; from the east I will bring your seed, and from the west I will gather you. I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Do not withhold. Bring My sons from afar and My daughters from the end of the earth. `Isaiah 43bbb5-6`
This refers to a new spiritual Church, meant here by Jacob and Israel. 'Bringing the seed from the east and gathering from the west' stands for people governed by good; 'saying to the north, Give up; and to the south, Do not withhold' stands for those governed by truth.
ttt[5] In David,
The redeemed of Jehovah will speak, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy and gathered together out of the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the sea. They wandered in the wilderness, in a desolate way; they did not find an inhabited city.`fff1` `Psalms 107bbb2-4`.
This refers to people who are without knowledge of good and truth. 'From the east and from the west' stands for those without knowledge of good, 'from the north and from the sea' for those without knowledge of truth. Those without knowledge of good are referred to as 'wandering in the wilderness', and those without knowledge of truth as doing so 'in a desolate way'. And those without knowledge of both are referred to as their not finding an inhabited city - 'a city' meaning doctrinal teaching consisting of truth, see `@@@402`, `@@@2449`, `@@@2943`, `@@@3216`, and 'a habitation' being used in reference to good, `@@@268`, `@@@2451`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc2712`.
ttt[6] In Isaiah,
Behold, these will come from afar, and behold, those from the north and from the west, and those from the land of Sinim. `Isaiah 49bbb12`.
'The north' stands for people in obscurity as regards truth, 'the west' for those in obscurity as regards good. They are said 'to come from afar' because they are remote from the light which flows from the Lord.
ttt[7] In Amos,
Behold, the days are going to come in which I will send a famine on the land. And they will wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east they will run to and fro to seek the Word of Jehovah, and will not find it. `Amos 8bbb11-12`.
'A famine' stands for a lack and absence of cognitions, `@@@1460`, `@@@3364`. 'Wandering from sea to sea' stands for searching for the place where cognitions may be found - 'seas' meaning cognitions in general, `@@@28`, `@@@2850`. 'Running to and fro from the north even to the east' stands for going from those cognitions that are in obscurity to cognitions that are in the light. As regards cognitions being meant, this is evident because the words 'to seek the Word of God and will not find it' are used.
ttt[8] In Jeremiah,
Proclaim these words towards the north, and say, Return, backsliding Israel; I will not cause My face to fall upon you, for I am merciful. In those days the house of Judah will go to the house of Israel, and together they will come out of the north land over the land I gave as a heritage to your fathers. `Jeremiah 3bbb12`, `Jeremiah 3bbbccc18`.
This refers to the restoration of the Church from among the gentiles. 'The north' stands for people without knowledge of truth but who lead a good life. It is evident that neither the north nor the north land is meant here for the reason that Israel did not exist any longer.
ttt[9] In the same prophet,
The living Jehovah who caused the children of Israel to come up out of the north land. `Jeremiah 16bbb15`.
'North' in a similar way stands for being without knowledge of truth. In the same prophet,
Behold, I am bringing them from the north land, and I will gather them from the furthest parts of the earth, among them the blind one and the lame. `Jeremiah 31bbb8`.
The 'north land' stands for no knowledge of good because of no knowledge of truth. Now because the land of Canaan represented the Lord's kingdom - and therefore also represented good, see above in `@@@3705` - and places within that land, such as Zion and Jerusalem, represented inmost good to which truth was joined, the places which lay away from that land consequently represented obscurity so far as good and truth were concerned. Everything that lies in obscurity is called 'the north land' and also 'the furthest parts of the earth'.
ttt[10] In addition to this, since all good that flows in with light from the Lord is confined within man's obscurity, the north is also called 'an assembly' as in Isaiah,
You said in your heart, I will go up the heavens, above the stars of God I will raise my throne, and I will sit on the mount of assembly, in the furthest parts of the north. `Isaiah 14bbb13`.
In the same prophet,
Wail, O gate; cry, O city; you have melted away, O Philistia, all of you, for smoke comes from the north, and not a solitary person in the assemblies. `Isaiah 14bbb31`.
In David,
Great is Jehovah and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, the mountain of His holiness - the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, the furthest parts of the north, the city of the great King. `Psalms 48bbb1-2`.
And again in the same author,
The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours. The world and the fullness of it You have founded; the north and the right hand`fff2` You have created. `Psalms 89bbb11-12`.
'The north' here stands for those who are more remote from the light of good and truth, 'the right hand' for those who are closer to them. For the latter are on the Lord's right hand, see `@@@1274`, `@@@1276`.
ttt[11] In Zechariah,
He saw four chariots coming out between two mountains of bronze. The horses coupled to them were reddish, black, white, and mottled - strong ones. The angel said, These are the four winds of heaven, which go forth from standing before the Lord of the whole earth, the black horses going into the north land; and the white have gone out after them, and the mottled have gone out into the south land. Those going towards the north land have caused My spirit to rest on the north land. `Zechariah 6bbb1-8`.
'Chariots coming out between two mountains of bronze' stands for matters of doctrine concerning good. For 'chariots' means matters of doctrine, as will be shown elsewhere, while 'a mountain' means love, see `@@@795`, `@@@1430`, `@@@2722`, and two mountains therefore two kinds of love - celestial love, which is love to the Lord, and spiritual love, which is love towards the neighbour. 'Bronze' is good originating in those loves as it exists within the natural, `@@@425`, `@@@1551`; 'horses' things of the understanding, and so an understanding of matters of doctrine concerning good, `@@@2760-2762`, `@@@3217`; 'the south land' stands for people who possess cognitions of good and truth, `@@@1458`, `@@@3195`, 'the north land' for those who are without knowledge of good and truth but who lead a good life, as upright gentiles do among whom, when a new Church is established, God's Spirit is said to rest.
ttt[12] In Jeremiah,
Jehovah who brought up and led back the seed of the house of Israel out of the land towards the north and out of all the lands to where I have driven them, so that they might dwell on their own land. `Jeremiah 23bbb8`.
'Out of the land towards the north' stands for away from the obscurity that is due to a lack of knowledge about what is good and true. In the same prophet,
Can one break iron, iron from the north, and bronze? `Jeremiah 15bbb12`.
'Iron' stands for natural truth, `@@@425`, `@@@426`, 'bronze' for natural good, `@@@425`, `@@@1551`. These are said to come 'from the north' because they derive from the natural which, though lying in obscurity compared with other degrees, serves as the outer limit of these. It is evident without explanation that this prophetic utterance does not mean the use of iron and bronze from the north, for what would be Divine about that, indeed what connection would it have with what goes before and after if no more than iron and bronze from there were meant?
ttt[13] In Matthew,
I tell you that many will come from the east and from the west and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. `Matthew 8bbb11`; `Luke 13bbb29`.
'Many from the east and from the west' stands for those who possess cognitions and lead a good life, and also for those who are in obscurity and have no knowledge of such cognitions; and so it stands for people inside the Church and those outside it. It has been stated above that states of good are meant by the east and the west. 'Reclining with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob' means being with the Lord, see `@@@3305` (end). And the Prophets in a similar way speak of people coming from east and west who are going to be with the Lord in His kingdom or Church, as in Isaiah,
From the east I will bring your seed, and from the west I will gather you. `Isaiah 43bbb5`.
Elsewhere in the same prophet,
They will fear the name of Jehovah from the west, and His glory from the east. `Isaiah 59bbb19`.
Elsewhere in the same,
From the rising of the sun and from its setting they will know that there is none besides Me; I am Jehovah and there is no one else. `Isaiah 45bbb6`.
Elsewhere in the same,
I will stir up one from the north, and he will come; from the rising of the sun he will call on My name. `Isaiah 41bbb25`.
ttt[14] In addition one may see that east, west, south, and north have these meanings from the following: The Construction of the Tabernacle; The Children of Israel when they were encamped and when they journeyed; The Description of the Land of Canaan; also, The Description of the New Temple, New Jerusalem, and New Land:
THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE TABERNACLE
Everything in it was positioned according to the four quarters, see `Exodus 38bbb0` - what went on the east and west sides, and what on the south and north, is stated in `Exodus 26bbb18`, `Exodus 26bbbccc20`, `Exodus 26bbbccc22`, `Exodus 26bbbccc27`; `Exodus ccc27bbb9`, `Exodus 27bbbccc12`, `Exodus 27bbbccc13`; and the requirement that the lampstand was to be placed towards the south across from the table, the table itself being on the north side, `Exodus 26bbb35`; `Exodus ccc40bbb22`.
ttt[15] THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL WHEN THEY WERE ENCAMPED AND WHEN THEY JOURNEYED
Here also positions were determined according to the four quarters. That is to say, they encamped around the Tent of Meeting, with the tribes of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun towards the east; the tribes of Reuben, Simeon, and Gad towards the south; the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin towards the west; and the tribes of Dan, Asher, and Naphtali towards the north, `Numbers 2bbb1`- end. In addition to this, the Levites encamped with the Gershonites towards the west, the Kohathites towards the south, the Merarites towards the north; and Moses, Aaron and his sons in front of the Tabernacle towards the east, `Numbers 3bbb23-38`. In this way the heavenly order which in the Lord's kingdom exists in accordance with states of good and truth was represented. Towards the south side also they were to sound the call for them to begin their journeys, `Numbers 10bbb6`. And even as they took up specific positions when they encamped, so they did when they journeyed, `Numbers 2bbb34`.
ttt[16] THE DESCRIPTION OF THE LAND OF CANAAN
First Moses described its border lands - those indeed in the south, those in the west, those in the north, and those in the east, `Numbers 34bbb2-12`, as they were again described when the land had been apportioned to the tribes by lot, in `Joshua 15bbb0` Chapters-`Joshua ccc19bbb0` of Joshua. From these circumstances, and also from the most ancient people who dwelt in the land of Canaan, all places in that land became representatives and meaningful signs determined by their position, distance, and boundaries in relation to the four quarters, `@@@1607`, `@@@1866`.
ttt[17] THE DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW TEMPLE, NEW JERUSALEM, AND NEW LAND
These also are described in Ezekiel in relation to the four quarters. The structure of the city, for example, started from the south. When dealing with the gateway to the building he says that its sides faced towards the east, towards the north, and towards the south, `Ezekiel 40bbb2`, `Ezekiel 40bbbccc6`, `Ezekiel 40bbbccc19`, `Ezekiel 40bbbccc20-46`. When dealing with the measurement of the Temple, he says that its doors looked towards the north and the south, `Ezekiel 41bbb11`, while the outer court looked towards the north, the east, the south, and the west, `Ezekiel 42bbb1`, `Ezekiel 42bbbccc4`, `Ezekiel 42bbbccc11`, `Ezekiel 42bbbccc16-19`. He also says that the glory of Jehovah the God of Israel came in from the way of the east, `Ezekiel 43bbb1-2`, `Ezekiel 43bbbccc4`. The gates to the outer court are dealt with in `Ezekiel 44bbb1-2`, `Ezekiel 44bbbccc4`; `Ezekiel ccc46bbb1`, `Ezekiel 46bbbccc9`, `Ezekiel 46bbbccc10`, `Ezekiel 46bbbccc19`, `Ezekiel 46bbbccc20`; and the boundaries of the Holy Land in Chapter `Genesis ccc47bbb0` - towards the north in verses `Genesis 28bbbccc15-17`, towards the east in verse `Genesis 28bbbccc18`, towards the south in verse `Genesis 28bbbccc19`, towards the west in verse `Genesis 28bbbccc20`; while Chapter `Genesis ccc48bbb0` specifies in relation to the four quarters the territories allotted to each tribe. And in the description of the Holy Jerusalem it is said that the gates were on the east, north, south, and west, `Revelation 21bbb13`. From these references it is quite evident that the four quarters of the world in relation to which those holy things, or representatives of what is holy, were arrayed do not mean in the internal sense the four quarters but states of good and truth within the Lord's kingdom.
ttt[18] In the contrary sense 'the north' and 'the west' mean falsity and evil, as may be seen from the following places: In Jeremiah,
The word of Jehovah came to me a second time, saying, What do you see? I said, I am seeing an open pot with it's face towards the north. And Jehovah said, From the north evil will be opened over all the inhabitants of the land. Lo, I am calling all the families of the north to come. `Jeremiah 1bbb13-15`.
In the same prophet,
Set up a standard towards Zion; assemble, stay not, for I am bringing evil from the north, and a great destruction. `Jeremiah 4bbb6`.
In the same prophet,
The sound of crashing; behold, it is coming, and a great commotion out of the land of the north to reduce the cities of Judah into a waste. `Jeremiah 10bbb22`.
In the same prophet,
In Tekoa sound the trumpet, for evil stares from the north, and great destruction. Behold, a people coming from the land of the north, a mighty nation will be stirred up from the furthest parts of the earth. `Jeremiah 6bbb1`, `Jeremiah 6bbbccc22`.
In the same prophet,
I took the cup from Jehovah's hand and made all the nations drink it - Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, and its kings, Pharaoh king of Egypt, and the whole western crowd; all the kings of Arabia, and all the kings of the west, dwelling in the wilderness, and all the kings of the north, far and near. `Jeremiah 25bbb17-26`.
ttt[19] In the same prophet,
The swift will not flee away, nor the strong man escape. Northwards on the bank of the River Euphrates they have stumbled and fallen. Who is this coming up like a river? Egypt comes up like the river, for he said, I will go up, I will cover the earth, I will destroy the city and those who dwell in it. But that day is to the Lord Jehovih Zebaoth a day of vengeance - for the Lord Jehovih Zebaoth holds a sacrifice in the land of the north by the River Euphrates. A very beautiful heifer is Egypt, but destruction from the north has come. The daughter of Egypt has been put to shame; she has been delivered into the hand of a people from the north. `Jeremiah 46bbb6-10`, `Jeremiah 46bbbccc20`, `Jeremiah 46bbbccc24`.
In the same prophet,
Thus said Jehovah, Behold, waters rising out of the north which are like a deluging stream, and they will deluge the land and all that fills it, the city and those who dwell in it. `Jeremiah 47bbb2`.
ttt[20] In the same prophet,
[The word which] Jehovah spoke against Babel: There will come up against her a nation from the north, which will make her land a desolation so that none may dwell in it. `Jeremiah 50bbb1`, `Jeremiah 50bbbccc3`.
In the same prophet,
Behold, I am stirring up and bringing up against Babel an assembly of great nations out of the north land, and they will array themselves against her; from there she will be taken. Behold, a people coming out of the north, a mighty nation, and many kings will be stirred up from the furthest parts of the earth. `Jeremiah 50bbb9`, `Jeremiah 50bbbccc41`.
In the same prophet,
Then the heavens and the earth, and all that is in them, will sing over Babel, because those who lay waste will come out of the north. `Jeremiah 51bbb48`.
In Ezekiel,
Say to Gog, You will come out of your place from the furthest parts of the north, you and many peoples with you. You will come up against My people Israel, like a cloud to cover the land. `Ezekiel 38bbb14-16`.
In the same prophet,
Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince. I will make you turn back and will split you into six, and make you come up from the furthest parts of the north and bring you onto the mountains of Israel. On the mountains of Israel you will fall. On the surface of the field you will fall. `Ezekiel 39bbb1-2`, `Ezekiel 39bbbccc4-5`.
In Zechariah,
Ho! Flee from the land of the north, says Jehovah, for like the four winds of the heavens I will spread you abroad. Ho, Zion! escape, you who dwell with the daughter of Babel. `Zechariah 2bbb6-7`.
ttt[21] These quotations show what 'the north' means in the contrary sense, namely falsity which is the source of evil, or falsity which is the result of evil. Because falsity which is the source of evil originates in reasoning about Divine things and against Divine things, which reasoning is based on factual knowledge belonging to the natural man, it is called 'a people from the north out of Egypt' - 'Egypt' meaning such factual knowledge, see `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@2588` (end). And because falsity which is the result of evil originates in worship which to outward appearance is holy but interiorly is unholy, it is called 'a nation from the north out of Babel' - 'Babel' meaning such, see `@@@1182`, `@@@1283`, `@@@1295`, `@@@1304`, `@@@1306-1308`, `@@@1321`, `@@@1322`, `@@@1326`, as well as that which lays waste, `@@@1327`. Both types of falsity - that which is the source of evil, and that which is the result of evil - are said to come out of Gog, for 'Gog' is worship consisting in external observances devoid of anything internal, which is idolatrous worship, as at all times was that of the Jews. That 'Gog' means such worship, see `@@@1151`.
ttt[22] Out of the obscurity in which the natural man dwells either truth can arise or falsity can do so. When anyone allows himself to be enlightened by means of the Word from the Lord his obscurity is turned into brightness, for the internal path is opened and so influx and communication from the Lord by way of heaven takes place. But when he does not allow himself to be enlightened by means of the Word from the Lord, but by his own intelligence, his obscurity is turned into darkness and so into falsity, for the internal path is closed and no influx and communication from the Lord by way of heaven takes place, apart from such as enables him to be seen outwardly to be human, when he thinks and so speaks from evil and falsity. This is why 'the north' means truth with those who allow themselves to be enlightened, falsity with those who do not. For the former come up from obscurity, that is, they are raised up to light, but the latter go down from obscurity, that is, remove themselves from light. The former are accordingly brought into [the light of] the south, the latter into [the gloom of] Tartarus.
ttt[23] The fact that 'the north' means the thick darkness of falsity and 'the south' the light of truth is quite evident in Daniel where the ram and the he-goat are the subject, and also where the king of the south and the king of the north are. Referring to the ram and the he-goat it is said that the ram butted with his horns towards the west and towards the north and towards the south, so that none of the beasts could stand before him, and that a he-goat came from the west across the surface of the whole earth, and out of one of his horns there came forth a [little] horn which grew exceedingly towards the south, and towards the east, and towards the glorious [land], `Daniel 8bbb4-5`, `Daniel 8bbbccc9`. And referring to the king of the south and the king of the north in the place where 'the king of the south' means those possessing cognitions of truth, and 'the king of the north' those who are governed by falsity, it is said that
After some years they will make an alliance, as a result of which the daughter of the king of the south will come to the king of the north to negotiate equitable terms but her arm will not gain strength. One will rise from that stem who will enter into the fortress of the king of the north and will prevail and will carry [the gods] they have captured into Egypt. The king of the south will come into the kingdom and fight with the king of the north, and the king of the north will return and raise a multitude greater than the former. Many will stand up against the king of the south. The king of the north will come and take the fortified city and destroy much. The king of the south will be stirred up to battle with a great army, but he will not stand, for they will devise plots against him. After that he will return, but it will not be as previously. The people consisting of those who know their God will stand firm. At length, at the time of the end, the king of the south will clash with him; therefore the king of the north will rush upon him like a whirlwind, with chariots and horsemen. In the glorious land many will fall. But rumours will terrify him from the east and from the north, so that he goes forth with great fury. He will come to his end, with none to help him. `Daniel 11bbb1`-end.
The fact that 'the king of the south' means those who dwell in the light of truth, 'the king of the north' those who first dwell in shade and then in the thick darkness of falsity, may become clear from the details in that chapter. So it is a description of how the state of the Church is in course of time perverted. They are called kings of the south and of the north because 'kings' in the internal sense of the Word means truths, and in the contrary sense falsities, `@@@1672`, `@@@2015`, `@@@2069`, while 'kingdoms' means things that belong to truth, and in the contrary sense those that belong to falsity, `@@@1672`, `@@@2547`.
`nnn1. literally, city of habitation
`nnn2. i.e. the south
ppp20141#pid#3709. 'In you will all the families of the ground be blessed' means that all truths taught by doctrine which look to good will be joined to good. This is clear from the meaning of 'being blessed' as being joined together, dealt with in `@@@3504`, `@@@3514`, `@@@3530`, `@@@3565`, `@@@3584`, from the meaning of 'families' as goods and also truths which look to good, dealt with in `@@@1159`, `@@@1261`, and from the meaning of 'the ground' as that which is the Church's, consequently the doctrine of good and truth within the natural or external man, which 'Jacob' represents here, dealt with in `@@@268`, `@@@566`, ago, `@@@3671`. From this it is evident that 'in you will all the families of the ground be blessed' means that all truths taught by doctrine which look to good will be joined to good. Truths taught by doctrine which look to good are matters of doctrine concerning love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour, which are said to be joined to good within the natural man when satisfaction and delight exists in knowing those things with the intention of acting upon them.
ppp20140#pid#3710. 'And in your seed' means and to truth, that is to say, those truths taught by doctrine will be joined to it. This is clear from the meaning of 'seed' as truth, dealt with in `@@@29`, `@@@1025`, `@@@1447`, `@@@1610`, `@@@2848`, `@@@3373`.
ppp20139#pid#3711. 'Behold, I am with you' means the Divine, while 'and will guard you wherever you go' means Divine Providence. This is clear from the fact that 'I' here is Jehovah and so the Lord's Divine; and from the meaning of 'guarding you wherever you go' as Providence that springs from the Divine, in this case Divine Providence since the Lord is the subject. By the Divine and the Divine Providence here is meant that the Lord made Divine even His Natural.
ppp20138#pid#3712. 'And will bring you back to this ground' means conjunction with doctrine that is Divine. This is clear from the meaning of 'bringing back' as joining together once again, and from the meaning of 'the ground' as the doctrine of good and truth within the natural man, dealt with in `@@@268`, `@@@566`, `@@@990`, in this case Divine doctrine since Jacob's sojourning with Laban represents the intervening means through which the Lord made Divine the Natural, and Jacob's being brought back or resumed to the land of Canaan represents the end of the intervening means, that is to say, when He had made the Natural Divine. Accordingly 'I will bring you back to this ground' means conjunction with Divine doctrine. Divine doctrine is Divine Truth, and Divine Truth is the Word of the Lord in its entirety. Divine doctrine itself constitutes the Word in the highest sense, in which the only subject is the Lord. As a consequence Divine doctrine also constitutes the Word in the internal sense, in which the Lord's kingdom in heaven and on earth is the subject.
ttt[2] Divine doctrine constitutes in addition the Word in the literal sense, in which things in the world and on earth are the subject. Now because the literal sense contains the internal sense, and this in turn contains the highest sense, and because the literal corresponds entirely by means of representatives and meaningful signs, doctrine drawn from that sense too is therefore Divine. Since 'Jacob' represents the Lord's Divine Natural he also represents the literal sense of the Word, for as is well known the Lord is the Word, that is, Divine Truth in its entirety. The natural degree of the Word does not present itself as anything other than the literal sense of the Word, for in relation to the other senses the literal is the cloud, see the Preface to Chapter `Genesis ccc18bbb0`. The rational degree of the Word however, that is, the interior spiritual degree of it, presents itself as its internal sense; and insomuch as the Lord is the Word it may be said that this sense is represented by 'Isaac'. But the highest sense is represented by 'Abraham'. This shows what conjunction with Divine doctrine is where the Lord's Divine Natural which is represented by 'Jacob' is concerned. These distinct degrees of truth do not however exist in the same way within the Lord because everything in Him is Divine Good, not Divine Truth, still less Divine Natural Truth. Divine Truth is the manifestation of Divine Good to angels in heaven and to men on earth. Though only the manifestation it is nonetheless Divine Truth because it flows from Divine Good, even as light is a manifestation of the sun because it flows from the sun, see `@@@3704`.
ppp20137#pid#3713. 'For I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken about to you' means that nothing would be missing to prevent its actually happening. This becomes clear without explanation.
ppp20136#pid#3714. Verses `Genesis 28bbbccc16-17` And Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, Surely Jehovah is in this place and I did not know it. And he was afraid and said, How awesome is this place! This is nothing other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.
'Jacob awoke from his sleep' means enlightenment. 'And said, Surely Jehovah is in this place' means the Divine present within this state. 'And I did not know it' means being in obscurity. 'And he was afraid' means a holy change. 'And said, How awesome is this place' means the holiness of the state. 'This is nothing other than the house of God' means the Lord's kingdom as it exists in the ultimate degree of order. 'And this is the gate of heaven' means that which serves as the ultimate degree of order, through which there is, so to speak, a way in from the natural creation.
ppp20135#pid#3715. 'Jacob awoke from his sleep' means enlightenment. This is clear from the meaning of 'sleep' as a state of obscurity compared to wakefulness which is a state of light; therefore 'awakening from sleep' in the spiritual sense means being enlightened.
ppp20134#pid#3716. 'And said, Surely Jehovah is in this place' means the Divine present within this state. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in the historical descriptions of the Word as perceiving, often dealt with already; from the meaning of 'place' as state, dealt with in `@@@1273-1275`, `@@@1377`, `@@@2625`, `@@@2837`, `@@@3356`, `@@@3387`. 'Jehovah', it is clear, means the Divine. From these meanings it is evident that 'he said, Surely Jehovah is in this place' means perception that the Divine was present in this state.
ppp20133#pid#3717. 'And I did not know it' means being in obscurity. This becomes clear without explanation, for 'not knowing' or being ignorant of something means obscurity so far as things understood by the mind are concerned. Because 'not knowing' or being ignorant of something means obscurity, and because also 'awakening from sleep' means becoming enlightened, one may see what the internal sense is and what this is like. That is to say, one may see that the nature of the images belonging to the literal sense is such that they present themselves to a person's external sight or any of his other senses and are also perceived by him as those senses perceive them. But the nature of the images belonging to the internal sense is such that these present themselves to a person's internal sight or any of his other inner sensory powers. The things therefore that are contained in the literal sense and are perceived by a person on the level of the external senses, that is, on the level of worldly images or of ideas formed from these, are perceived by the angels on the level of the internal senses, that is, on that of things in heaven or of ideas formed from these. The difference between images in the literal sense and those in the internal is like that between the things that belong to the light of the world and those that belong to the light of heaven. Those belonging to the light of the world are devoid of life compared with those belonging to the light of heaven; for the light of heaven holds wisdom and intelligence from the Lord within it, `@@@3636`, `@@@3643`. Consequently when things belonging to the light of the world are removed or cast away those that belong to the light of heaven are left, celestial images replacing earthly ones and spiritual replacing natural. So, as stated above, not knowing or being ignorant comes to mean being in a state of obscurity where good and truth are concerned, and 'awakening from sleep' comes to mean becoming enlightened. And it is similar with all other images in the literal sense.
ppp20132#pid#3718. 'And he was afraid' means a holy change. This is clear from the meaning of 'fear' as a holy change, as is evident from what follows directly after this. For Jacob's words, 'How awesome is this place! This is nothing other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven', clearly imply a holy change that took place. For what is meant in the internal sense by 'fear', see `@@@2826`. In general there are two kinds of fear - fear that is not inspired by holiness, and fear that is inspired by it. Fear that is not inspired by holiness fills those who are evil, whereas fear that is inspired by it fills those who are good. The latter kind of fear - that which fills the good - is called holy fear and is that which accompanies reverential awe of the Divine and also love. Love devoid of holy fear is like something insipid, or like food that has no salt in it and so no flavour, whereas love accompanied by fear is like food which is salted but does not taste of salt. The fear that goes with love is a fear lest harm is done to the Lord in any way, or to the neighbour in any way, and so to good and truth in any way. Consequently it is a fear lest harm is done to the holiness present in love and faith, and so in worship. But such fear can vary; it is not the same with one person as it is with another. In general the more love anyone has for what is good and true, the more fear he has lest what is good and true will suffer harm, though the less that fear manifests itself as fear. But the less love anyone has for what is good and true, the less fear he has for their safety and the more this manifests itself not as love but as fear. And with the latter kind of person the fear of hell is present. But with one who has no love at all of what is good and true, no holy fear at all is present, only the fear of losing honour, gain, and reputation on account of these; also the fear of punishments and execution. This kind of fear is external, affecting principally the body and the natural man, and his thinking there. But the other kind of fear - holy fear - affects principally the spirit or internal man, and his conscience there.
ppp20131#pid#3719. 'And said, How awesome is this place' means the holiness of the state. This is clear from the meaning of 'fear' as a holy change, dealt with immediately above in `@@@3718` (because the word for 'awesome' in the original language is derived from the same word as fear is derived from, holiness is therefore meant by it. And because in the internal sense 'fear' means that which is holy, as stated immediately above, the same word in the original language also means veneration and respect, which likewise is holy fear); and from the meaning of 'place' as state, dealt with just above in `@@@3716`.
ppp20130#pid#3720. 'This is nothing other than the house of God' means the Lord's kingdom as it exists in the ultimate degree of order. This is clear from the meaning of 'the house of God'. In the Word 'the house of God' is referred to in many places, and in the external sense, that is, literally, it means a building where holy worship takes place. But in the internal sense it means the Church, in the more universal sense it means heaven, and in the most universal the Lord's kingdom. In the highest sense however it means the Lord Himself as regards the Divine Human. But in the Word sometimes the expression 'House of God' is used and sometimes 'Temple'. The two are similar in meaning, the difference being that the expression 'House of God' is used when the subject is good but 'temple' when the subject is truth. From this it is evident that 'the House of God' means the Lord's celestial Church, and in the more universal sense the heaven of celestial angels, in the most universal the Lord's celestial kingdom, and in the highest sense the Lord as regards Divine Good; whereas 'the Temple' means the Lord's spiritual Church, and in the more universal sense the heaven of spiritual angels, in the most universal the Lord's spiritual kingdom, and in the highest the Lord as regards Divine Truth, see `@@@2048`. The reason why 'the House of God' means that which is celestial and the dwelling-place of good, while 'the Temple' means that which is spiritual and the dwelling-place of truth, is that 'a house' in the Word means good, see `@@@710`, `@@@2233`, `@@@2559`, `@@@3128`, `@@@3652`, and among the most ancient people used to be built of pieces of wood for the reason that 'wood' meant good, `@@@643`, `@@@1110`, `@@@2784`, `@@@2812`, whereas 'the Temple' means truth because it was built of stones - 'stones' meaning truths, see `@@@643`, `@@@1296`, `@@@1298`.
ttt[2] These meanings that 'pieces of wood' and 'stones' possess are clear not only from the Word where they are mentioned but also from representatives in the next life. For people who assume that merit lies in good works seem to themselves to be cutting wood, and those who assume that it lies in truths, that is to say, people who have believed that they knew more truths than anybody else and yet have lived wickedly, seem to themselves to be breaking up stones. I have often seen such people wood-cutting or stone-breaking, from which the meaning of 'wood' and of 'stone' was made clear to me - that good is meant by 'wood' and truth by 'stone'. It has in like manner been made clear to me from the fact that when I have seen a wooden house the concept of good has instantly presented itself, and when I have seen a stone house the concept of truth has done so. And I have also learned from angels about this matter. This is why, when in the Word 'the House of God' is mentioned, the concept of good presents itself to angels, the kind of good depending on the nature of the subject that is being dealt with. And when 'the Temple' is mentioned, the concept of truth presents itself, the kind of truth depending on the subject that is being dealt with. From this one may also deduce how deeply and inwardly concealed the heavenly arcana lie in the Word.
ttt[3] The reason 'the House of God' here means the Lord's kingdom as it exists in the ultimate degree of order is that the subject is Jacob who, as often shown already, represents the Lord's Divine Natural. The natural exists in the ultimate degree of order, for the natural encompasses all interior degrees and includes them all together within itself. And since they are included all together within the natural, and so countless things are beheld as a single whole, obscurity exists there compared with other degrees. This obscurity too has been dealt with frequently.
ppp20129#pid#3721. 'And this is the gate of heavens means that which serves as the ultimate degree of order, through which there is, so to speak, a way in from the natural creation. This is clear from the meaning of 'the gate' as that through which exit or entrance is made. The reason why here that which serves as the ultimate degree of order is meant is that the subject is the natural, which 'Jacob' represents. What 'a gate' means is clear from what has been stated and shown in `@@@2851`, `@@@3187`, and the fact that the natural is the ultimate degree of order from what has been introduced in `@@@775`, `@@@2181`, `@@@2987-3002`, `@@@3020`, `@@@3147`, `@@@3167`, `@@@3483`, `@@@3489`, `@@@3513`, `@@@3570`, `@@@3576`, `@@@3671`. The reason why through that ultimate degree there is so to speak a way in from the natural creation is that man's natural mind is the place through which things of heaven, that is, which are the Lord's, flow in and come down into the natural creation; and through that same mind the things that belong to the natural creation go back up, see `@@@3702`. The fact that there is so to speak an entrance from the natural creation through the natural mind into interior parts may be seen from what has been stated and shown in various places before.
ttt[2] It seems to man as though worldly objects enter in through his physical or external senses and affect interior things, and so that there is an entrance from the ultimate degree of order into things that are within. But this is an appearance and illusion, as is evident from the general rule that what is secondary cannot flow into what is primary, or what amounts to the same, what is lower cannot flow into what is higher, or what is also the same, what is exterior into what is interior, or what is still the same, things of the world and the natural creation into those of heaven and of the spirit. For the former are grosser, the latter purer, and the grosser things that belong to the external or natural man come into being and are kept in being from those belonging to the internal or rational man. Those grosser things are unable to have any effect on the purer things but are affected by them. The nature of this influx however, seeing that appearance and illusion itself convince people that the reverse is true, will in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed separately, where influx is the subject. This then is why it is said that through the ultimate degree of order there is, so to speak, a way in from the natural creation.
ppp20128#pid#3722. Verses `Genesis 28bbbccc18-19` And in the morning Jacob rose up early, and took the stone which he had placed as his headrest, and placed it as a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel, though Luz was the name of the city previously.
'In the morning Jacob rose up early' means a state of enlightenment. 'And took the stone' means truth. 'Which he had placed as his headrest' means with which communication took place with the Divine. 'And placed it as a pillar' means a holy boundary. 'And poured oil on the top of it' means holy good in which it originated. 'And he called the name of that place Bethel' means the nature of the state. 'Though Luz was the name of the city previously' means the nature of the previous state.
ppp20127#pid#3723. 'In the morning Jacob rose up early' means a state of enlightenment. This is clear from the meaning of 'in the morning rising up early' as a state of enlightenment, dealt with in `@@@3458`, for where 'rising up' is mentioned in the Word it implies some kind of a raising up, `@@@2401`, `@@@2785`, `@@@2912`, `@@@2927`, `@@@3171`. And 'morning' means the arrival of heavenly light, in this case a raising up from obscurity into that light, and so means a state of enlightenment.
ppp20126#pid#3724. 'And took the stone' means truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'the stone' as truth, dealt with in `@@@643`, `@@@1296`, `@@@1298`, `@@@3720`.
ppp20125#pid#3725. 'Which he had placed as his headrest' means with which communication took place with the Divine. This is clear from the meaning of 'a headrest' or pillow as a very general communication, dealt with above in `@@@3695`.
ppp20124#pid#3726. 'And placed it as a pillar' means a holy boundary. This is clear from the meaning of 'a pillar', dealt with in the next paragraph. The meaning here becomes clear from what has gone before, that is to say, the subject is the order by which the Lord made Divine His Natural, and in the representative sense how the Lord makes new or regenerates man's natural. The nature of that order has been stated and shown above in various places, that is to say, order is inverted while a person is being regenerated, and truth is placed first; but proper order is restored once that person has been regenerated, and good is in first place and truth in the last; see `@@@3325`, `@@@3330`, `@@@3332`, `@@@3336`, `@@@3539`, `@@@3548`, `@@@3556`, `@@@3563`, `@@@3570`, `@@@3576`, `@@@3603`, `@@@3688`. This was represented by the stairway by which angels were going up and coming down, where first it is said that they were going up, and then that they were coming down, `@@@3701`. This going up is the subject at present, that is to say, a going up from the ultimate degree of order, which is referred to just above in `@@@3720`, `@@@3721`. Here therefore truth as it exists in the ultimate degree of order is meant. This ultimate degree is called a holy boundary, and is meant by the stone which Jacob took and placed as a pillar. The existence of truth as the ultimate degree of order becomes clear from the consideration that good cannot be encompassed by good, only by truth, for truth is the recipient of good, `@@@2261`, `@@@2434`, `@@@3049`, `@@@3068`, `@@@3180`, `@@@3318`, `@@@3387`, `@@@3470`, `@@@3570`.
ttt[2] Good with a person which is devoid of truth, that is, which is not joined to any truth, is like the good which exists with young children, with whom as yet no wisdom at all is present because no intelligence at all is there. But as a young child grows older so he receives truth stemming from good, that is, as in his case truth is joined to good, so he becomes more truly human. From this it is evident that good is the primary degree of order and truth the ultimate. Consequently from facts which are the truths of the natural man, and then from matters of doctrine which are the truths of the spiritual man within its natural, a person must start to be introduced into the intelligence that leads to wisdom, that is, he must start to enter into spiritual life which makes a person human, `@@@3504`. For example, to be able to love the neighbour as a spiritual man does, a person must first learn what spiritual love or charity is, and who the neighbour is. Until he knows these things, he is indeed able to love the neighbour, but only as a natural man, not as a spiritual man does; that is, his love towards the neighbour is a product of natural good, not of spiritual good, see `@@@3470`, `@@@3471`. But once he does know those things spiritual good from the Lord may be implanted within cognitions concerning love towards the neighbour. The same applies to all other things that are called cognitions, matters of doctrine, or truths in general.
ttt[3] Reference is being made here to good from the Lord that may be implanted within cognitions, and also to truth that is the recipient of good. But people who have no other conception of cognitions, and also of truths, than that these exist as mere abstractions - which is most people's conception too of thoughts - cannot possibly grasp what is meant by good implanted within cognitions or by truth that is the recipient of good. But it should be recognized that cognitions and truths no more exist in isolation from the purest substances belonging to the interior man or man's spirit than sight exists in isolation from its own organ, which is the eye, or hearing from its own organ, which is the ear. There are purer substances, which have real existence, and it is from these that cognitions and truths are brought into actual being. The variations in form taken by those substances are such that they give life to and modify those cognitions through the influx of life from the Lord and enable them to be apprehended. And it is the agreements and harmonious relationships of those substances, whether these exist consecutively or simultaneously, that stir people's affections and constitute that which is called beautiful, pleasant, and delightful.
ttt[4] Spirits themselves are forms, that is, they consist, as much as men do, of a whole combination of forms. But those forms consist of purer substances not visible to the sight of the body, that is, of the eye. Now because those forms or substances are not visible to the eye of the body mankind today inevitably conceives of cognitions and thoughts as mere abstractions. This is also the reason for the insanity of our times, in that people do not believe that they have a spirit within them which will live after the body has died - yet the spirit is a substance far more real than the material substance constituting the body. Indeed, if you can believe it, following its release from bodily things the spirit is the purified body itself, which many say they will possess at the time of the last judgement when, they believe, they will first be resurrected. The fact that spirits, or what amounts to the same, souls, are endowed with a body, see one another in broad daylight, talk to one another, hear one another, and actually have far keener senses than when they were in the body or the world, becomes quite clear from what I have told so abundantly from experience.
ppp20123#pid#3727. As regards the meaning of 'a pillar', the reason why it means a holy boundary and so the ultimate degree of order is that in most ancient times people used to place stones where their boundaries ran which separated one person's property or inheritance from another's. These served as a sign and witness to the existence of the boundaries there. The most ancient people, who in every object and in every pillar thought of something celestial or spiritual, `@@@1977`, `@@@2995`, thought, when they saw these stones set up as pillars, of the ultimate things present in man, and so of the ultimate degree of order, which is truth in the natural man. And it was from those most ancient people who lived before the Flood that the ancients who lived after it acquired this custom, `@@@920`, `@@@1409`, `@@@2179`, `@@@2896`, `@@@2897`, and began to regard the stones they set up on their boundaries as sacred, for the reason, as stated, that they meant holy truth as it exists in the ultimate degree of order, and also called those stones 'pillars'. This was how it came about that pillars were introduced into their worship, and why they erected them where they had their sacred groves and subsequently their temples, and also anointed them with oil, a point to be dealt with shortly. Indeed the worship of the Ancient Church consisted of things that had been perceived and things that had carried a meaning among the most ancient people prior to the Flood, as is evident from the paragraphs that have just been referred to. Since the most ancient people talked to angels and were in their company while still on earth, they received it from heaven that 'stones' means truth and 'wood' good; see just above in `@@@3720`. This then is why 'pillars' means a holy boundary, and so truth as it exists in the ultimate degree of order with man. For good which flows in from the Lord by way of the internal man terminates in the external man, and in the truth that is there. Man's thought, speech, and activity, which are the ultimates of order, are nothing else than truths stemming from good. In fact they are the images or forms which good takes, for they belong to the understanding part of the human mind, whereas the good that is within them, and from which they spring, belongs to the will part.
ttt[2] The fact that pillars were erected as a sign and a witness, and were also introduced into worship, and that in the internal sense they mean a holy boundary, or truth within man's natural, which is the ultimate degree of order, becomes clear from other places in the Word, as in the following verses where the subject is the covenant made between Laban and Jacob,
Now come, let us make a covenant, I and you, and let it be a witness between me and you. And Jacob took a stone and erected it as a pillar. Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold the pillar which I have erected between me and you. This heap is a witness and the pillar is a witness, that I will not pass beyond this heap to you, and that you will not pass beyond this heap and this pillar to me, to do harm. `Genesis 31bbb44-45`, `Genesis 31bbbccc51-52`.
Here 'pillar' means truth, as will be seen in the explanation of those verses.
ttt[3] In Isaiah,
On that day there will be five cities in the land of Egypt which speak with the lips of Canaan and swear to Jehovah Zebaoth. On that day there will be an altar to Jehovah in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at its border to Jehovah, which will be a sign and a witness to Jehovah Zebaoth in the land of Egypt. `Isaiah 19bbb18-20`.
'Egypt' stands for facts which belong to the natural man, 'an altar' for Divine worship in general, for in the second Ancient Church that began with Eber the altar became the first and foremost representative in its worship, `@@@921`, `@@@1343`, `@@@2777`, `@@@2811`. 'The midst of the land of Egypt' stands for the primary and inmost aspect of worship, `@@@2940`, `@@@2973`, `@@@3436`. 'Pillar' stands for truth as it exists in the ultimate degree of order in the natural. The fact that it stood at the border as a sign and a witness is quite evident.
ttt[4] In Moses,
Moses wrote down all the words of Jehovah and rose up in the morning and built an altar beside Mount Sinai, and twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel. `Exodus 24bbb4`.
Here similarly 'an altar' was the representative of all worship, and indeed was the representative of good present in worship. 'The twelve pillars' however were the representative in worship of truth that stems from good - 'twelve' meaning every aspect of truth in its entirety, see `@@@577`, `@@@2089`, `@@@2129` (end), `@@@2130` (end), `@@@3272`; and the twelve tribes likewise meaning every aspect of truth in the Church, as in the Lord's Divine mercy will be shown in the next chapter.
ttt[5] Because altars were representative of all good in worship, and the Jewish Church was established so as to represent the celestial Church which acknowledged no other truth than truth stemming from good, which is called celestial truth (for the celestial Church was totally unwilling to separate truth from good, so much so that it was unwilling even to refer to anything of faith or truth without thinking about good, and doing so from good, see `@@@202`, `@@@337`, `@@@2069`, `@@@2715`, `@@@2718`, `@@@3246`), truth was therefore represented by the stones of the altar. And they were forbidden to represent it by means of pillars lest in so doing they separated truth from good and by representation worshipped truth instead of good. This accounts for the following prohibition in Moses,
You shall not plant for yourself a grove of any kind of tree beside the altar of Jehovah your God which you shall make for yourself. And you shall not erect for yourself a pillar, which Jehovah your God hates. `Deuteronomy 16bbb21-22`.
For worshipping truth separated from good, or faith separated from charity, is contrary to the Divine since it is contrary to order, meant by 'you shall not erect for yourself a pillar, which Jehovah your God hates'.
ttt[6] Despite this they did erect them and so represented things that are contrary to order, as is clear in Hosea,
Israel, according to the multiplying of his fruit, multiplies altars; according to the goodness of their land they make well their pillars. But He will overturn their altars, and lay waste their pillars. `Hosea 10bbb1-2`.
In the first Book of Kings,
Judah did what was evil in the eyes of Jehovah, and they built for themselves high places and pillars and groves on every high hill, and under every green tree. `1 Kings 14bbb22-23`.
In the second Book of Kings,
The children of Israel set up pillars for themselves and groves on every high hill and under every green tree. `2 Kings 17bbb10`.
In the same book,
Hezekiah removed the high places, and broke down the pillars, and cut down the grove, and smashed the bronze snake which Moses had made, because they had been burning incense to it. `2 Kings 18bbb4`.
ttt[7] Since gentile nations too derived through tradition the idea that the holiness of worship was to be represented by means of altars and pillars, and yet they were under the influence of evil and falsity, the altars among the nations therefore mean the evils of worship and the pillars the falsities. This was why the command was given for them to be destroyed. In Moses,
The altars of the nations you shall overthrow, and you shall break down their pillars and tear down their groves. `Exodus 34bbb13`; `Deuteronomy 7bbb5`; `Deuteronomy ccc12bbb3`.
In the same author,
You shall not bow down to the gods of the nations, or worship them, or do according to their works, for you shall utterly destroy them, and utterly break down their pillars. `Exodus 23bbb24`.
'The gods of the nations' stands for falsities, 'their works' for evils, 'breaking down their pillars' for destroying worship arising out of falsity.
ttt[8] In Jeremiah,
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babel will break down the pillars of the house of the sun that is in the land of Egypt, and the houses of the gods of Egypt he will burn with fire. `Jeremiah 43bbb13`.
In Ezekiel,
By means of the hoofs of his horses Nebuchadnezzar king of Babel will trample all your streets, slay the people with the sword, and cause your mighty pillars to come down to the ground. `Ezekiel 26bbb11`.
This refers to Tyre. 'Nebuchadnezzar king of Babel' stands for that which lays waste, `@@@1327` (end). 'The hoofs of horses' stands for the lowest form of intellectual concepts, such as facts based on mere sensory impressions - 'hoofs' meaning lowest concepts, as will in the Lord's Divine mercy be confirmed elsewhere. 'Horses' stands for matters of the understanding, `@@@2760-2762`, 'streets' for truths, and in the contrary sense for falsities, `@@@2336`. 'trampling' on them is destroying cognitions of truth, which are meant by 'Tyre' - 'Tyre', the subject here, meaning cognitions of truth, `@@@1201`. 'Slaying the people with the sword' stands for destroying truths by means of falsity - 'people' being used in reference to truths, `@@@1259`, `@@@1260`, `@@@3295`, `@@@3581`, and 'sword' meaning falsity engaged in conflict, `@@@2799`. From this one may see what 'causing your mighty pillars to come down to the ground' means - 'might' being used in reference either to truth or to falsity, as is also clear from the Word.
ppp20122#pid#3728. 'And poured oil on the top of it' means holy good [in which it originated]. This is clear from the meaning of 'oil' as the celestial element of love, which is good, dealt with in `@@@886`, `@@@3009`, and from the meaning of 'the top' as that which is higher, or what amounts to the same, that which is interior - good being that which is higher or interior, and truth that which is lower or exterior, as has been shown in many places. From this one may see what was meant by the ancient practice when people poured oil on the top of a pillar, namely that truth should not be devoid of good but should be grounded in good, thus that good should rule, like the head on top of the body. For truth devoid of good is not truth but is a meaningless sound and the kind of thing that is reduced to nothing. In the next life it is so reduced even with those whose knowledge of truth or matters of doctrine concerning faith, and with those whose knowledge of matters of doctrine concerning love, has been superior to anybody else's, if they have not led a good life and so have not out of a desire for good held on to truth.
ttt[2] Consequently the Church is not the Church by virtue of truth separated from good, nor therefore by virtue of faith separated from charity, but by virtue of truth that is grounded in good, or faith that is grounded in charity. The same is also meant by what the Lord said to Jacob,
I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you made a vow to Me. `Genesis 31bbb13`
Also,
Jacob again set up a pillar, a stone pillar, and poured out a drink-offering over it, and poured oil over it. `Genesis 35bbb14`.
'Pouring out a drink-offering over the pillar' means the Divine good of faith, and 'pouring oil over it' the Divine good of love. Anyone may see that unless it meant something celestial and spiritual, pouring oil over a stone would be a ridiculous and idolatrous action.
ppp20121#pid#3729. 'And he called the name of [that] place Bethel' means the nature of the state. This is clear from the meaning of 'name' and 'calling the name' as the essential nature, dealt with in `@@@144`, `@@@145`, `@@@1754`, `@@@1896`, `@@@2009`, `@@@2724`, `@@@3006`, `@@@3421`, and from the meaning of 'place' as state, dealt with in `@@@2625`, `@@@2837`, `@@@3356`, `@@@3387`. The nature of the state is what 'Bethel' means. In the original language Bethel means God's house, which is good as it exists in the ultimate degree of order, see `@@@3720`.
ppp20120#pid#3730. 'Though Luz was the name of the city previously' means the nature of the previous state. This is clear from the meaning of 'name' as the essential nature, dealt with immediately above in `@@@3729`, and from the meaning of 'the city' as doctrine that teaches the truth, dealt with in `@@@402`, `@@@2268`, `@@@2449`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc2712`, `@@@2943`, `@@@3216`. In the original language 'Luz' means a moving back and so a severance, which takes place when doctrine that teaches the truth, or truth itself, is placed first and good is disregarded, and so when truth alone stands in the ultimate degree of order. But when truth together with good stands in the ultimate degree of order, no moving back or severance takes place but a coming and joining together. This is the nature of the state meant by 'Luz'.
ppp20119#pid#3731. Verses `Genesis 28bbbccc20-22` And Jacob made a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and guard me on this road on which I am walking, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, and I come back in peace to my father's house, then Jehovah will be my God. And this stone which I have placed as a pillar will be God's house; and of all that You give me I will surely give You a tenth.
'Jacob made a vow, saying' means a state of Providence. 'If God will be with me, and guard me on this road on which I am walking' means the ever-present Divine. 'And will give me bread to eat' means even to the point of being joined to Divine Good. 'And clothing to wear' means being joined to Divine Truth. 'And I come back in peace to my father's house' means even to the point of perfect union. 'Then Jehovah will be my God' means that the Divine Natural also is Jehovah. 'And this stone which I have placed as a pillar' means truth as it exists in the ultimate degree. 'Will be God's house' means here, as previously, the Lord's kingdom as it exists in the ultimate degree of order where higher things are accommodated as in their own house. 'And of all that You give me I will surely give You a tenth' means that by His own Divine power He made every single thing Divine.
ppp20118#pid#3732. 'Jacob made a vow, saying' means a state of Providence. This is clear from the meaning of 'making a vow' in the internal sense as wishing the Lord to provide; and therefore in the highest sense, in which the Lord is the subject, a state of Providence is meant. The reason why in the internal sense 'making a vow' means wishing the Lord to provide is that present within vows there is a desire and affection that what is wished for may come about, thus that the Lord may provide it. Within them something of a bargain is present, and at the same time on man's part something of a bounden duty to keep his side of it, should he obtain his desire. This was the case with Jacob, in that Jehovah was to be his God, and the stone which he placed as a pillar was to be God's house, and he would devote a tenth of everything He had given him, if Jehovah guarded him on the road, gave him bread to eat and clothing to wear, and he went back in peace to his father's house. From this it is evident that the vows made in those times were particular agreements, involving primarily men's acknowledgement of God as their God if He provided them with what they desired, and involving also their repayment to Him with some gift if He did provide it.
ttt[2] That state of affairs shows quite clearly what the fathers of the Jewish nation were like. They were like Jacob here, who did not as yet acknowledge Jehovah and was still at the stage of choosing whether to acknowledge Him or some other as his own God. It was a special feature of that nation, even of their fathers, that everyone wished to have his own God; and anyone who worshipped Jehovah worshipped Him merely as some god called Jehovah, the name which distinguished Him from the gods of other nations. Accordingly their worship even in this respect was idolatrous, for the worship of the name only, even of Jehovah's, is nothing but idolatrous, `@@@1094`. This is like people who call themselves Christians and say that they worship Christ, but do not live according to His commandments. They worship Him in an idolatrous way since they worship only His name, it being a false Christ whom they worship; reference to that false Christ is made in `Matthew 24bbb23-24` - see `@@@3010`.
ppp20117#pid#3733. 'If God will be with me, and guard me on this road on which I am walking' means the ever-present Divine. This is clear from the meaning of 'God being with someone, and guarding him on the road on which he walks' as the ever-present Divine. For these words are used in reference to the Lord, the very Essence of whose life was Jehovah. His entire life from earliest childhood through to its final stage was the ever-present Divine, and this was so even to the attainment of the perfect union of the Human Essence with the Divine Essence.
ppp20116#pid#3734. 'And will give me bread to eat' means even to the point of being joined to Divine Good. This is clear from the meaning of 'bread' as all celestial and spiritual good, which comes from the Lord, and in the highest sense the Lord Himself as regards Divine Good, dealt with in `@@@276`, `@@@680`, `@@@1798`, `@@@2165`, `@@@2177`, `@@@3464`, `@@@3478`, and from the meaning of 'eating' as being communicated, being made one's own, and being joined to, dealt with in `@@@2187`, `@@@2343`, `@@@3168`, `@@@3513` (end), `@@@3596`.
ppp20115#pid#3735. 'And clothing to wear' means being joined to Divine Truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'clothing' as truth, dealt with in `@@@1073`, `@@@2576`, Divine Truth here since the Lord is the subject; and from the meaning of 'wearing' as making it one's own and being joined to it. As for the nature of the internal sense of the Word, that becomes clear from these and all other details; that is to say, when the sense of the letter refers to bread and to clothing, and also when it does so within historical narrative, as here in 'If God will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear', the angels present with a person at the time have no thought at all of bread but of the good of love, and in the highest sense, of the Lord's Divine Good. Nor do they have any thought at all of clothing but of truth, and in the highest sense, of the Lord's Divine Truth. To them such things as are referred to in the sense of the letter are simply objects for thought regarding heavenly and Divine matters, for such things are vessels existing in the ultimate degree of order.
ttt[2] So when with holiness of mind a person thinks about bread - for example, when he thinks about the bread in the Holy Supper, or about the daily bread in the Lord's Prayer - that thought which he has about bread serves the angels present with him as an object for thought regarding the good of love which comes from the Lord. For the angels do not take hold of anything at all of the person's actual thought concerning bread, but instead their thought concerns good; for such is the correspondence between the two. It is similar when with holiness of mind a person thinks about clothing. The angels' thought in that case concerns truth. So it is with everything else in the Word. From this the nature of the joining together of heaven and earth by means of the Word becomes clear; that is to say, the joining together is such that when with holiness of mind anyone reads the Word he is joined by means of such correspondences more closely to heaven, and through heaven to the Lord, even though that person's thought is concerned solely with things in the Word which are stated in the sense of the letter. His holiness of mind at that time is the product of the influx of celestial and spiritual thoughts and affections such as exist with angels.
ttt[3] So that such influx might exist and from that influx man might be joined to the Lord, the Lord has instituted the Holy Supper where it is explicitly stated that the Lord is the bread and wine. For the Lord's body means His Divine love, and the reciprocal love in man, love such as exists with celestial angels, while His blood in a similar way means His Divine love, and the reciprocal love in man, but love such as exists with spiritual angels. From this it is evident how much of the Divine there is within every individual part of the Word, though man does not know what that Divine content is or the nature of it. People however who, while in the world, have led a good life enter after death into cognitions and a perception of all those things, for at that time they cast off earthly and worldly things and take to themselves heavenly ones, and have, like angels, spiritual and celestial ideas.
ppp20114#pid#3736. 'And I come back in peace to my father's house' means even to the point of perfect union. This becomes clear from the fact that 'father's house', used in reference to the Lord, is the Divine itself which was the Lord's from actual conception. 'Coming back to that house' is resuming to Divine Good itself, which is called 'the Father' - Divine Good being 'the Father', see `@@@3704`. 'Coming back to that house' clearly means being united. The same was meant by the Lord when He said that He had come forth from the Father and had come into the world, and that He would be going again to the Father. That is to say, His coming forth from the Father means that the Divine itself had taken on the Human; His coming into the world means that He was as a human being; and His going again to the Father means that He would unite the Human Essence to the Divine Essence. This was the meaning of the following words spoken by the Lord in John,
What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before? `John 6bbb62`.
In the same gospel,
Jesus knew that the Father had given all things into His hands and that He had come forth from God and was going to God. My children, yet a little while I am with you. Where I am going you cannot come. `John 13bbb3`, `John 13bbbccc33`.
In the same gospel,
Now I am going away to Him who sent Me; but none of you asks Me, Where are you going away? It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I did not go away the Paraclete would not come to you; but if I go away I will send Him to you. A little while, and you will not see Me, and again a little while, and you will see Me [because I am going away to the Father. Some of His disciples said to one another, What is this that He says to us, A little while, and you will not see Me, and again a little while, and you will see Me,] and, Because I am going away to the Father? `John 16bbb5`, `John 16bbbccc7`, `John 16bbbccc10`, `John 16bbbccc16-17`.
In the same gospel,
I came forth from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and going to the Father. `John 16bbb28`.
'Going away to the Father' in these places means uniting the Human Essence to the Divine Essence.
ppp20113#pid#3737. 'Then Jehovah will be my God' means that the Divine Natural also is Jehovah. This becomes clear from the train of thought in the highest internal sense in which the subject is the Lord's Human when united to His Divine. But in order to see this sense thought must be detached from the historical events concerning Jacob and fixed on the Lord's Divine Human, in this case on His Divine Natural, which 'Jacob' represents. The human itself, as stated several times already, consists of the rational, which is the same as the internal man, and of the natural, which is the same as the external man, as well as of the body, which serves the natural as the means or outermost organ for living in the world, and through the natural serves the rational, and so on through the rational serves the Divine. Now because the Lord came into the world to make the entire Human within Him Divine, doing so according to Divine order; and because 'Jacob' represents the Lord's Natural and his life as a sojourner represents in the highest sense how the Lord made Divine His Natural; the statement here 'If I come back in peace to my father's house, then Jehovah will be my God' means the Lord's Human when united to His Divine. Furthermore that statement means that even as regards the Divine Natural also He was to be Jehovah through the Divine Essence united to the Human Essence, and the Human Essence united to the Divine Essence. One does not mean by this a union such as exists when two people who are separate individuals are bound together solely through love, as for example in the case of a father and a son, when the father loves the son and the son loves the father, or as when a brother loves a brother, or a friend loves a friend. Rather it is a real uniting together into a single whole, so that His two Essences are not two but one, which is also the Lord's teaching in many places. And being one, the whole of the Lord's Human is the Divine Being (Esse) or Jehovah, see `@@@1343`, `@@@1736`, `@@@2156`, `@@@2329`, `@@@2447`, `@@@2921`,
ppp20112#pid#3738. 'And this stone which I have placed as a pillar' means truth as it exists in the ultimate degree. This is clear from what appears above in `@@@3724`, `@@@3726`, where the same words occur.
ppp20111#pid#3739. 'Will be God's house' means the Lord's kingdom as it exists in the ultimate degree of order where higher things are accommodated as in their own house. This too is clear from what has been stated above in `@@@3720`, where also the same words occur, and in addition from what has been stated in `@@@3721`. The implications of this - that higher things are accommodated in the ultimate degree of order as in their own house - are as follows: The Lord has so ordered things that higher ones flow into lower ones, where they present a general image of themselves. Those higher things are therefore present all together within a certain form that is a general one, and so exist there in an order that begins from what is Highest, that is, from the Lord. Consequently the closest image of the Lord is the inmost heaven, which is the heaven of innocence and peace where those who are celestial dwell. Being closest to the Lord, this heaven is called His likeness. The second heaven, that is to say, the one that comes below, and exists in a lower degree, is the Lord's image, for the things that exist in the higher heaven present themselves all together, in some general form, in that second heaven. And the last heaven, which in turn comes below the second, stands in a similar relationship to it, for the particular and the specific entities of the heaven directly above it flow into that heaven and there present themselves in a general form that corresponds to what is above it.
ttt[2] A similar situation exists with man, in that he has been created and formed in such a way that he resembles the three heavens. That which is inmost in him flows in a similar way into that which is lower, and this in a similar way flows into what is lowest or last. The natural and bodily degree is established by such an influx and coming together of higher things within lower ones, and at length within those that are last ones. In this way the latter are linked to Him who is First, and but for this link with Him that which is last in order could not continue to exist for one single moment. This shows what is meant by the statement that higher things are accommodated in the ultimate degree of order as in their own house. Whether you speak of higher and lower or of interior and exterior things it amounts to the same, since by man interior things are seen as those that are higher; and this is why he places heaven on high when in fact it is something internal.
ppp20110#pid#3740. 'And of all that You give me I will surely give You a tenth' means that by His own Divine power He made every single thing Divine. This is clear from the meaning of 'giving' when used in reference to the Lord as the fact that He gave to Himself, dealt with in `@@@3705` (end), and so by His own power; and from the meaning of 'giving a tenth' and of 'tenths' as goods and truths which are stored away by the Lord in a person within the interior parts of him, which goods are called remnants, dealt with in `@@@576`, `@@@1738`, `@@@2280`. With reference to the Lord, Divine Goods and Divine Truths are meant, which the Lord acquired to Himself by His own power, see `@@@1738`, `@@@1906`.
ppp20109#pid#3741. THE GRAND MAN AND CORRESPONDENCE WITH IT - continued
The heavenly kingdom resembles one human being since every specific thing in it corresponds to the only Lord - that is to say, to His Divine Human - who alone is Man, `@@@49`, `@@@288`, `@@@565`, `@@@1894`. By virtue of its correspondence with Him, and of its being the image and likeness of Him, heaven is called the Grand Man. The Lord's Divine is the source in heaven of everything celestial, which in essence is good, and of everything spiritual, which in essence is truth. Every angel there is a form, that is, every angel is substance taking a form that is determined by his reception of Divine qualities flowing from the Lord. These Divine qualities which are the Lord's and are received by the angels are called celestial and spiritual because Divine life, and from this Divine light, manifests itself and is modified in them as the recipients.
ttt[2] In addition therefore the forms and material substances with man too are of a similar nature, though they exist in a lower degree since they are grosser and more composite. The fact that these too are recipient forms of celestial and spiritual qualities is quite evident from the plainly visible signs of them - for example, from thought which flows into the organic forms of the tongue and produces speech; from the feelings of mind which manifest themselves visibly in the face; or from the will which passes through the muscles of the body into actions; and so on. The thought and will which produce these activities are spiritual and celestial entities, whereas the forms or substances which receive them and carry them into effect are material. These material substances, it is clear, have been used to produce forms solely for the reception of those spiritual and celestial entities. From this it is evident that spiritual and celestial qualities are the source of the material forms, and that if they were not, such forms could not come into being at all.
ppp20108#pid#3742. The truth that there is but one life alone and that this flows from the only Lord, and the truth that angels, spirits, and men are merely recipients of that life, I have been made to know from so much experience that not even the smallest shadow of doubt has remained. Heaven itself sees with perception that these things are so, insomuch that the angels have a clear perception of that life flowing in and also of the way in which it flows in, as well as a perception of the extent and the nature of their reception of it. When their state of reception is more complete they enjoy the peace and happiness that is theirs - otherwise their state is one of unrest and of some anxiety. But to so great an extent do they make the Lord's life their own that they perceive themselves to be living seemingly of themselves, even though they know that they do not live of themselves. They make the Lord's life their own because His love and mercy towards the entire human race desire it; that is to say, He wishes to impart Himself and what is His own to everyone, and in actual fact does so insofar as they are receptive of Him, that is, insofar as they are His likenesses and images in whom the life of good and the life of truth are present. And because such Divine endeavour proceeds from the Lord unceasingly, His life, as has been stated, is made their own.
ppp20107#pid#3743. People however in whom love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour are not present, nor consequently the life of good and truth, are incapable of acknowledging that but one life alone flows in, let alone that this life comes from the Lord. But all such persons are incensed, indeed they are repelled, when told that they do not live of themselves. Self-love is what causes this. And what is amazing, although those people are shown by actual experiences in the next life that they do not live of themselves and at those times say that they are convinced of the truth of it, they nevertheless subsequently cling to their same old opinion and imagine that if they did live from another and not from themselves every joy of their life would melt away - unaware that quite the contrary is the case.
ttt[2] Consequently the evil make evil their own because they do not believe that evils originate in hell; and they are incapable of making good their own because they believe that good begins in themselves and not from the Lord. Even so, the evil, as also those in hell, are recipient forms of life from the Lord, but they are forms such as either reject, or stifle, or pervert what is good and true; and so with them goods and truths, which come with the Lord's life, are turned into evils and falsities. It is like the light of the sun. Although that light is one alone and white it is nevertheless made varied as it strikes different objects, that is, flows into them, producing colours that are beautiful and pleasant, and also those that are hideous and unpleasant.
ppp20106#pid#3744. From this one may now see what heaven is like and why it is called the Grand Man. Yet the variations there in the life of good and truth are countless; and each variation is determined by the way in which life from the Lord is received. Those variations are interrelated in exactly the same way as the organs, members, and viscera in the human being, all of which are ever-varying recipient forms of life from the soul, or rather from the Lord through the soul. Yet for all their variety they nevertheless together constitute one human being.
ppp20105#pid#3745. How far that variety extends, and the nature of it, becomes clear from the variety present in the human body. It is well known that no one organ or member is like another. For example, the organ of sight is unlike the organ of hearing, and likewise unlike the organ of smell, the organ of taste, and also the organ of touch which is spread throughout the whole body. The same applies to members, such as the arms, hands, lower limbs, feet, and soles of the feet; also to inlying viscera, such as those in the head, namely the cerebrum, cerebellum, medulla oblongata, and spinal cord, together with all the parts of organs or viscera, vessels, and fibres which compose them; and those of the body beneath the head, such as the heart, lungs, stomach, liver, pancreas, spleen, intestines, mesentery, and kidneys; and also the reproductive organs in both sexes. Every single one, as is well known, is in form and function unlike the rest, so unlike as to be totally different. The same applies to the forms within forms, which also are so varied that not one form, not even one individual part, is exactly like another, that is to say, so alike that it can take the place of another without some alteration, however tiny. All these, every one, correspond to the heavens, but in such a way that the bodily and material things with man are in heaven celestial and spiritual. They correspond in such a way that they are manifestations of the latter and are kept in being from the latter.
ppp20104#pid#3746. Regarded generally all these variations have reference to the parts of the head, to those of the chest, to those of the abdomen, and to those of the generative organs. Those variations likewise have reference to the interior and the exterior parts in each of these.
ppp20103#pid#3747. I have spoken on several occasions to spirits about the learned of our own day who know of the distinction in the human being between internal and external but nothing more beyond this; nor do they know even this from reflecting on the interior aspects of their own thoughts and affections but from the Word of the Lord. They do not know what the internal man is, and what is more very many doubt and even deny the existence of it, the reason being that they are not living the life of the internal man but of the external. I have also spoken to those spirits about many a thing that may lead the learned astray, such as the fact that animals seem to be like themselves so far as organs, viscera, senses, appetites, and feelings are concerned. It has been said in our discussions that the learned know less about such matters than the simple, even though they seem to themselves to know far more. For they argue about the interaction of the soul and the body, and indeed about what the soul itself may be, whereas the simple know that the soul is the internal man and that it is a person's spirit which is going to live after death of the body, and also that it is the real person himself who is within the body.
ttt[2] It has been added that the learned more than the simple equate themselves with animals, ascribing all things to natural forces and scarcely anything to the Divine. Nor do they stop to reflect that man, unlike animals, is able to think about heaven and about God, and in so doing to be raised above himself, and consequently to be joined to the Lord by means of love; and that for these reasons they must inevitably live for ever after death. We have gone on to refer to their particular ignorance of the fact that every single thing with man traces back to the Lord through heaven, and that heaven is the Grand Man to which every single thing in man corresponds, as does everything in the natural system. And when perhaps they hear or read of these things they will be to them so paradoxical that unless experience proved the truth of them they would reject them as something delusive. It is similar when they hear that there are three degrees of life in man just as there are three degrees of life in heaven, that is, there are three heavens, and that man corresponds to the three heavens in such a way that in image he is a small-scale heaven when he leads the life of good and truth and through that life is an image of the Lord.
ttt[3] I have been told the following about those degrees of life: The ultimate degree of life is that which is called the external or natural man, which makes man similar to animals so far as his pressing desires and his delusions are concerned. The second degree is that which is called the internal or rational man which makes man superior to animals. For by means of the internal man he is able to think and to will what is good and true and to govern the natural man by controlling his desires and disregarding his resulting delusions, and on top of this by reflecting within himself about heaven, indeed about the Divine, which animals are quite incapable of doing. I have been told that the third degree of life is one which is totally unknown to man, and yet it is the degree through which the Lord enters into the rational mind, from which he has the ability to think as a human being, to have conscience, to have perception of what is good and true, and to be raised up by the Lord towards Himself. These considerations however are remote from the ideas of the learned of this present age, who do no more than dispute whether the internal man exists at all. And as long as they cannot be sure that it exists they are even less able to know what it is.
ppp20102#pid#3748. There was a certain spirit who during his lifetime had the reputation among ordinary people for being learned. He was well-skilled in the art of confirming falsities, but extremely stupid so far as goods and truths were concerned. He imagined, as he had done previously in the world, that he knew everything, for such people believe that they are very wise and that nothing is hidden from them. And such as they have been during their lifetime, so they are in the next life, for all the things that constitute someone's life, that is, that constitute his love and affection, follow him and are present in him like the soul in its body, since it is from these that he has given form and character to his soul. This person who was now a spirit came and spoke to me, and such being his character I asked him, 'Who understands more, someone who knows many falsities or someone who knows a little truth?' He replied, 'The one who knows a little truth', for he imagined that the falsities which he knew were truths and that in knowing these he was wise.
ttt[2] Then he wanted to reason about the Grand Man and about the influx from it into every individual part of a human being. But since he understood nothing at all about it I asked him how he understood the idea that thought, which belongs to the spirit, moves the whole face and expresses itself in the countenance, and also sets in motion all the organs of speech, and doing this so accurately as to lead to a spiritual perception of that thought. Then how he understood the idea that the will sets in motion the muscles of the whole body and the thousands of fibres spread throughout it, to perform a single activity. What belongs to the spirit therefore is that which sets in motion, and what belongs to the body is that which is set in motion. But he did not know what to say in reply. I then went on to speak about intention. Did he know that intention produced activity and motion, and that intention is present within activity and motion, so that it manifests itself and continues to do so within them? He said that he did not know this. I therefore asked him how in that case could he want to reason about something when he did not even know the first thing about it. And I went on to say that such reasoning is like loose dust scattered about, which falsities drive away until at length nothing is known and so nothing believed.
ppp20101#pid#3749. A certain spirit came to me without warning and flowed into my head (spirits can be identified one from another by whatever parts of the body they flow into). I wondered who he was and where he came from. But after he had stayed silent for some while the angels present with me said that he had been chosen from the spirits present with some learned person still alive in the world today. He - that is, the learned man - had sought the reputation of possessing more learning than others. At that point communication through this intermediary spirit with the thought of that man was also permitted. I asked the spirit what idea that learned man was able to have about the Grand Man and about its influx, and therefore about correspondence. He replied that he was able to have none. After that I asked what idea did that man have of heaven. He said, None at all, apart from blasphemous ones, such as that those in heaven spend their time playing musical instruments like those on which country people are accustomed to produce a tune. Yet that individual is held in higher esteem than others and is thought to know what influx is, what the soul is, and what its interaction with the body is. He is also probably thought to have greater knowledge than others of what heaven is. This shows what those are really like who teach others at the present day; that is to say, using mere stumbling-blocks they oppose the goods and truths of faith, though publicly they declare something different.
ppp20100#pid#3750. What kind of idea about heaven those people have who, superior to all others, are thought to be in communication with heaven and to be under its influence has also been shown to me visually. Appearing overhead are those who in the world wished to be worshipped as gods and with whom self-love had been raised up as far as it could possibly go as they rose up in the hierarchy and acquired the supposed liberty that went with such powerful positions. At the same time those people are deceitful, acting under a presence of innocence and of love to the Lord. Their appearance on high overhead is the result of a delusion about height; but in fact they are underfoot in hell.
ttt[2] One of them brought himself down to me, who, I was told by others, had been Pope when in the world. He spoke to me very courteously, first of all about Peter and his keys which he imagined that he had held. But when I asked him about the power of letting into heaven whomever he liked he had so crude an idea about heaven that he represented it as a door through which entrance was gained. He said that he opened the door to the poor for nothing, but that the rich were assessed according to their means, and that what they gave was holy. I asked whether he believed that those he let in remained there. He said that he did not know; if they did not, then they went away. I went on to say that he could not know those persons interiorly - whether they were worthy persons or possibly robbers who should be in hell. He said that this was no concern of his; if they were not worthy they could be sent away. But he was told what was meant by Peter's keys, namely faith rooted in love and charity; and because the Lord alone confers such faith the Lord alone is the one who lets people into heaven. He was also told that Peter does not appear to anyone but is a simple ordinary spirit who has no more power than anyone else. Concerning the Lord this former Pope held no other opinion than that He ought to be worshipped insofar as He confers such power; and that if He did not confer it, he thought - as I perceived - that He ought not to be worshipped any longer. I then went on to talk to him about the internal man, of which he had a foul idea.
ttt[3] I was shown visually the nature of the freedom, fullness, and delight of the respiration he enjoyed when seated on his throne in his consistory and believed that he spoke under the influence of the Holy Spirit. He was taken back into a similar state he had passed through there - for in the next life anyone can be taken back without difficulty into the state of life which he had passed through in the world, because the state of his life remains with him after death - and the nature of his respiration in that state was conveyed to me. It was free and attended with delight, slow, regular, deep, and filling the whole breast. But when he was contradicted there was in the abdomen, into which his respiration extended, something that seemed to be turning over and crawling about. And when he imagined that what he pronounced was Divine he perceived it from his respiration, which was more soundless and so to speak in harmony with it.
ttt[4] I was then shown who the spirits are who direct Popes like this one, namely the horde of sirens overhead who have acquired that disposition and life by which they worm their way into every kind of affection with the intention of ruling over others and subjecting them to themselves, and of destroying for selfish reasons whomever they can, employing holiness and innocence as the means. They fear for themselves and so act cautiously; but given the opportunity they plunge for selfish reasons into merciless acts of cruelty.
ppp20099#pid#3751. The preliminary section of the previous chapter explained what the Lord has foretold about the final period of the Church in `Matthew 24bbb15-18`. In the preliminary section of the present chapter, in which the same section-by-section method of presentation is adopted, the explanation is given of the words that follow in verses `Matthew 24bbbccc19-22` of that chapter in Matthew, which are these,
But woe to those who are with child or giving suck in those days! Pray that your flight may not take place in winter or on a sabbath. For then there will be great affliction, unlike any from the beginning of the world until now, or any in the future. And unless those days were cut short, no flesh would be saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.
ppp20098#pid#3752. No one can possibly grasp what these words mean unless he has been enlightened by means of the internal sense. The fact that they are not utterances concerning the destruction of Jerusalem is apparent from many things said in that chapter, for example from the statement 'unless those days were cut short, no flesh would be saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short'; and the statement further on, 'after the affliction of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then will appear the sign of the Son of Man; and they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and glory'; and from other statements. Nor are they utterances concerning the destruction of the world, as is also evident from many things said in this same chapter. In what has gone before, for example, it is said, 'Let him who is at that time on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house, and let him who is in the field not turn back to fetch his clothes', then in what is up for consideration in this section - 'Pray that your flight may not take place in winter or on a sabbath', and in what occurs further on, 'At that time two will be in the field; one will be taken, the other left; two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, the other left'. But such utterances, it is evident, concern the final period of the Church, that is, its vastation. It is said to have undergone vastation when charity does not exist any longer.
ppp20097#pid#3753. Anyone who thinks with reverence about the Lord and who believes that the Divine was within Him and that He spoke from the Divine may know and believe that, as with everything else the Lord taught and said, those utterances do not refer to one particular nation but to the entire human race. Anyone may also know and believe that they do not refer to the worldly but to the spiritual condition of the human race, as well as that the Lord's words embraced the things that constitute His kingdom and those that constitute the Church, for those things are Divine and are eternal. One who believes these things concludes that the words 'Woe to those who are with child or giving suck in those days' do not mean those who are with child or giving suck, and that the words 'Pray that your flight may not take place in winter or on a sabbath' do not mean any flight on account of a worldly foe, and so on.
ppp20096#pid#3754. In the verses prior to these the subject was three states of the perversion within the Church of what is good and true, and the subject now is a fourth state, which is also the last. The first state exists when people cease to know any longer what good is or what truth is, but begin to argue with one another about these, as a result of which, falsities arise, see `@@@3354`. The second state exists when they treat good and truth with contempt and also reject them, and so when belief in the Lord breathes its last, which things take place step by step as charity ceases to exist, see `@@@3487`, `@@@3488`. The third state exists when good and truth in the Church are made desolate, see `@@@3651`, `@@@3652`. Now in this present section the fourth state is dealt with, which exists when good and truth are made profane. The fact that the present section describes that state may be seen from each detail in the internal sense, which is as follows.
ppp20095#pid#3755. But woe to those who are with child or giving suck in those days! means those who have been endowed with the good that flows from love to the Lord and with the good that goes with innocence. 'Woe!' is an expression meaning the danger of eternal condemnation. 'Being with child' means conceiving good that stems from heavenly love. 'Giving suck' is also a state of innocence, 'those days' the state which the Church is passing through at that time.
ttt[2] Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a sabbath means removal from those things to prevent it happening rapidly during a state of excessive cold or a state of excessive heat. 'Flight' is removal from a state of good stemming from love and from innocence, dealt with just above. 'Flight in winter' is a removal from these during a state of excessive cold - cold being a time when there is an aversion to those things, which is caused by all kinds of self-love. 'Flight on a sabbath' is removal from them during a state of excessive heat - heat being external holiness when self-love and love of the world exist inwardly.
ttt[3] For then there will be great affliction, unlike any from the beginning of the world until now, or any in the future means the furthest degree of the perversion and vastation of the good and truth of the Church, which is profanation. For the profanation of that which is holy leads to eternal death, a death far more serious than that to which any other states of evil lead, and which is all the more serious insofar as they are interior goods and truths which are made profane. And since they are interior goods and truths that have been disclosed and made known in the Christian Church and have then been made profane it is said that 'then there will be great affliction, unlike any from the beginning of the world until now, or any in the future'.
ttt[4] And unless those days were cut short, no flesh would be saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short means the removal of those who belong to the Church from interior goods and truths to exterior in order that those who lead lives that are good and true may nevertheless be saved. 'Cutting days short' means a state of such removal; 'no flesh being saved' means that otherwise nobody could be saved; 'the elect' means those who lead lives that are good and true.
ppp20094#pid#3756. One could show quite fully here that this is the internal sense of these words. It could be shown fully that 'those who are with child' means those who first are endowed with good, and 'those who give suck' those who are endowed with a state of innocence. It could also be shown fully that 'flight' means a removal from these, 'winter' an aversion to those forms of good because self-love is in possession of the interiors, while 'flight on a sabbath' means profanation, which comes about when holiness exists externally but self-love and love of the world reign inwardly. But since the same words, and expressions like them, occur in various places further on, the meaning of them will in the Lord's Divine mercy be shown in those places.
ppp20093#pid#3757. Few however know what is meant by profaning that which is holy. But this may be seen by looking at what has been stated and shown already -
Those who know, acknowledge, and are endowed with good and truth are able to profane these, but not those who have not acknowledged them, still less those who do not know them, `@@@593`, `@@@1008`, `@@@1010`, `@@@1059`, `@@@3398`.
So it is possible for those inside the Church to profane holy things but not those outside it, `@@@2051`.
It is possible for members of the celestial Church to profane any holy good, and for members of the spiritual Church to profane any holy truth, `@@@3399`.
To the Jews therefore interior truths were not disclosed, lest they profaned them, `@@@3398`.
Least of all are gentiles able to profane them, `@@@2051`.
Profanation is mixing and linking good and evil together, and also truth and falsity together, `@@@1001`, `@@@1003`, `@@@2426`.
It was meant by eating blood, something strictly forbidden in the Jewish Church, `@@@1003`.
People are therefore withheld as far as possible from an acknowledgement of and a faith in what is good and true if they are unable to remain steadfast in the same, `@@@3398`, `@@@3402`, and are therefore kept in ignorance, `@@@301-303`; and their worship also becomes external, `@@@1327`, `@@@1328`.
Internal truths are not revealed until the Church has undergone vastation, for at that point it is no longer possible for good and truth to be rendered profane, `@@@3398`, `@@@3399`.
As soon as this was the case therefore the Lord came into the world, `@@@3398`.
How much danger lies in profaning the Word and that which is holy, `@@@571`, `@@@582`.
ppp20092#pid#3758. `Genesis 29bbb0`
1. And Jacob lifted up his feet and went to the land of the sons of the east.
2. And he saw, and behold, a well in the field, and behold, three droves of a flock there, lying nearby it; for out of that well they watered the droves; and there was a large stone over the mouth of the well.
3. And all the droves would be gathered there; and they would roll the stone from over the mouth of the well and water the flock; and they would put the stone back in its place over the mouth of the well.
4. And Jacob said to them, My brothers, where are you from? And they said, We are from Haran.
5. And he said to them, Do you know Laban the son of Nahor? And they said, We do.
6. And he said to them, Does he have peace?`fff1` And they said, [He has] peace; and behold, Rachel his daughter is coming with the flock.
7. And he said, Behold, it is still high day; it is not time for the cattle to be gathered together; water the flock, and go and pasture them.
8. And they said, We cannot until all the droves are gathered together, and they have rolled the stone from over the mouth of the well, and we water the flock.
9. While he was still speaking to them Rachel came with the flock which was her father's, for she was a shepherdess.
10. And so it was, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the flock of Laban his mother's brother, that Jacob came near and rolled the stone from over the mouth of the well, and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother.
11. And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice and wept.
12. And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's brother, and that he was Rebekah's son; and she ran and told her father.
13. And so it was, when Laban heard the news about Jacob his sister's son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things.
14. And Laban said to him, Surely you are my bone and my flesh. And he dwelt with him for a full month.
15. And Laban said to Jacob, Because you are my brother should you serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your reward be?
16. And Laban had two daughters; the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger Rachel.
17. And Leah's eyes were weak; and Rachel was beautiful in form and beautiful in appearance.
18. And Jacob loved Rachel and said, I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter.
19. And Laban said, It is better for me to give her to you than to give her to another man; remain with me.
20. And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they were in his eyes like a few days, because of his love for her.
21. And Jacob said to Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are completed, and I will go [in] to her.
22. And Laban gathered together all the men of the place and made a feast.
23. And so it was in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter and brought her to him; and he came [in] to her.
24. And Laban gave to her Zilpah his servant-girl - to Leah his daughter to be her servant-girl.
25. And so it was in the morning, that behold it was Leah. And he said to Laban, What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served with you? And why have you cheated me?
26. And Laban said, It is not done that way in our place, to give the younger before the firstborn.
27. Complete this week, and we will give you this one also for the service which you render with me for another seven years.
28. And Jacob did so and completed this week, and he gave him Rachel his daughter for his wife.
29. And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his servant-girl, to her to be a servant-girl.
30. And he came [in] also to Rachel, and he loved Rachel also, more than Leah; and he served with him yet another seven years.
31. And Jehovah saw that Leah was hated, and He opened her womb; and Rachel was barren.
32. And Leah conceived and bore a son; and she called his name Reuben, for she said, Because Jehovah has seen my affliction; for now my husband (vir) will love me.
33. And she conceived again and bore a son, and she said, For Jehovah has heard that I was hated and has given me this one also; and she called his name Simeon.
34. And she conceived again and bore a son, and she said, Now this time my husband (vir) will cling to me, because I have borne him three sons; therefore she called his name Levi.
35. And she conceived again and bore a son, and she said, This time I will confess Jehovah; therefore she called his name Judah. And she left off bearing.
CONTENTS
In this chapter 'Jacob' refers, in the internal sense, to the Lord's Natural, the subject being how the Good of Truth in His Natural was joined to a kindred good from a Divine source, meant by 'Laban'. First these were so joined through the affection for external truth, meant by 'Leah', and then through the affection for internal truth, meant by 'Rachel'.
`nnn1. A Hebrew idiom used in inquiring after a person's welfare
ppp20091#pid#3759. After that the birth of Jacob's four sons by Leah describes in the highest sense an ascent from external truth towards internal good; but in the representative sense it describes the condition of the Church, which is such that it does not acknowledge and welcome internal truths present in the Word, only the external truths there. That being so, the order according to which it ascends towards interior things is as follows: First of all it possesses truth which is called the truth of faith; then comes the application of that truth; after that charity arising out of it; and finally heavenly love. These four steps up are meant by the four sons Jacob had by Leah, namely Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah.
ppp20090#pid#3760. THE INTERNAL SENSE
Verse `Genesis 29bbbccc1` And Jacob lifted up his feet and went to the land of the sons of the east.
'Jacob lifted up his feet' means a raising up of the natural. 'And went to the land of the sons of the east' means towards truths that relate to love.
ppp20089#pid#3761. 'Jacob lifted up his feet' means a raising up of the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'lifting up' as a raising up, and from the meaning of 'the feet' as the natural, dealt with below. The raising up meant here is the subject of the chapter itself, namely a raising up from external truth towards internal good. In the highest sense the subject is how the Lord according to order raised His Natural even up to the Divine, rising up step by step from external truth towards internal good. In the representative sense it is how the Lord according to a similar order makes man's natural new when regenerating him. The fact that a person who is being regenerated in adult life progresses according to the order described in the internal sense of this chapter and of those that follow is known to few. This fact is known to few because few stop to reflect on the matter and also because few at the present day are able to be regenerated; for the last days of the Church have arrived when no charity exists any longer, nor consequently any faith. This being so, people do not even know what faith is, even though the assertion 'men is saved by faith' is on everyone's lips; and not knowing this they therefore have even less knowledge of what charity is. And since they know no more than the terms faith and charity and have no knowledge of what these are essentially, it has therefore been stated that few are able to reflect on the order in accordance with which a person is made new or regenerated, and also that few are able to be regenerated.
ttt[2] Because the subject here is the natural, and the latter is represented by 'Jacob', it is not said that he rose up and went to the land of the sons of the east but that 'he lifted up his feet'. Both these expressions mean a raising up. As regards 'rising up' having this meaning, see `@@@2401`, `@@@2785`, `@@@2912`, `@@@2927`, `@@@3171`; and as regards the expression 'lifting up the feet' which occurs here, this is used in reference to the natural - 'the feet' meaning the natural, see `@@@2162`, `@@@3147`. 'The feet' means the natural or natural things because of their correspondence with the Grand Man - currently the subject at the ends of chapters. In the Grand Man those belonging to the province of the feet are those who dwell in natural light and little spiritual light. This also is why the parts beneath the foot - the sole and the heel - mean the lowest natural things, see `@@@259`, and why 'a shoe', which is also mentioned several times in the Word, means the bodily-natural, which is the lowest part of all, `@@@1748`.
ppp20088#pid#3762. 'And went to the land of the sons of the east' means a raising up towards truths that relate to love. This is clear from the meaning of 'the land of the sons of the east'. For Aram or Syria was called 'the land of the sons of the east', as is evident from the fact that it was the land to which Jacob went, see also `@@@3249`. In general, 'Syria' means cognitions of good, as shown in `@@@1232`, `@@@1234`, but specifically 'Aram Naharaim' or Syria of the [Two] Rivers means cognitions of truth, in `@@@3051`, `@@@3664`. Here however it is not said that he went to Aram or Syria but 'to the land of the sons of the east', so as to mean that which is the subject in the whole of this chapter, namely an ascent towards truths that relate to love. The expression 'truths that relate to love' is used to describe those truths which in other places have been called celestial truths, for they are cognitions concerning charity towards the neighbour and concerning love to the Lord. In the highest sense, where the Lord is the subject, they are truths that relate to Divine love.
ttt[2] These truths, that is to say, those concerning charity towards the neighbour and concerning love to the Lord, must first be learned before a person can be regenerated, and must also be acknowledged and believed. And insofar as those truths are acknowledged and believed, and are endowed with life, that person is also regenerated and those truths are implanted in his natural, where they exist as in their own soil. They are first implanted there through the instruction received from parents and teachers, then from the Word of the Lord, and after that from personal reflection on them. But all of this does no more than to deposit those truths in the person's natural memory and so to place them among the cognitions there. They are still not acknowledged, believed, and received unless life is led in accordance with them, in which case the person enters into an affection for them; and insofar as he enters into an affection for them because his life accords with them, those truths are implanted in his natural as their own soil. Things that are not so implanted do indeed remain with that person, but only in his memory as some item of knowledge or historical fact which does no more than enable him to talk about such things, to further his reputation by means of them, and in so doing to grow in wealth and position. When this is the case truths have not been implanted within him.
ttt[3] As regards the meaning of 'the land of the sons of the east' as truths relating to love, and so as cognitions of truth leading the way to good, this may be seen from the meaning of 'sons' as truths, dealt with in `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@533`, `@@@1147`, `@@@2623`, and from the meaning of 'the east' as love, dealt with in `@@@101`, `@@@1250`, `@@@3249`. Their land is the soil in which they exist. For 'the sons of the east' are those who possess cognitions concerning truth and good and therefore the truths that relate to love. This may be seen further from other places in the Word, as in the first Book of Kings,
The wisdom of Solomon surpassed the wisdom of all the sons of the east and all the wisdom of the Egyptians. `1 Kings 4bbb30`.
Here 'the wisdom of the sons of the east' means interior cognitions concerning truth and good, and so means people who possess them. 'The wisdom of the Egyptians' however means knowledge of the same things as they exist in a lower degree -'the Egyptians' meaning factual knowledge in general, see `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1462`.
ttt[4] In Jeremiah,
Thus said Jehovah, Arise, go up against Kedar; lay waste the sons of the east. They will take their tents and flocks, their curtains and all their vessels, and will take their camels. `Jeremiah 49bbb28-29`.
Here 'the sons of the east' is used to mean those who possess cognitions concerning good and truth. This is clear from the fact that 'they will take their tents and flocks, also their curtains and all their vessels, as well as their camels'. For 'tents' means holy forms of good, `@@@414`, `@@@1102`, `@@@2145`, `@@@2152`, `@@@3312`; 'flocks' the goods that flow from charity, `@@@343`, `@@@2566`; 'curtains' holy truths, `@@@2576`, `@@@3478`; 'vessels' the truths of faith, and facts, `@@@3068`, `@@@3079`; 'camels' factual knowledge in general, `@@@3048`, `@@@3071`, `@@@3143`, `@@@3145`. Thus 'the sons of the east' means those who possess these, that is, cognitions concerning what is good and what is true.
ttt[5] The wise men from the east who came to Jesus when He was born belonged to those people called the sons of the east. This becomes clear from the fact of their awareness that the Lord was to be born, and that they knew of His Coming from the star which appeared to them in the east. These matters are described in Matthew as follows,
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, behold wise men from the east came into Jerusalem, saying, Where is He born King of the Jews? for we have seen His star in the east and have come to worship Him. `Matthew 2bbb1-2`.
The fact that such a prophecy existed from of old among the sons of the east, who were from Syria, is clear from Balaam's prophecy concerning the Lord's Coming, in Moses,
I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near. A star will arise out of Jacob and a sceptre will rise up out of Israel. `Numbers 24bbb17`.
The fact that Balaam was from the land of the sons of the east, that is, from Syria, is evident from the following in Moses,
Balaam uttered his declaration and said, From Syria has Balak, the king of Moab, brought me, from the mountains of the east. `Numbers 23bbb7`.
The wise men who came to Jesus when He was born are called the magi, but this expression was used for wise men at that time, as is clear from many places, such as `Genesis 41bbb8`; `Exodus 7bbb11`; `Daniel 2bbb27`; `Daniel ccc4bbb6-7`; `1 Kings 4bbb30`; and in various places in the Prophets.
ttt[6] 'The sons of the east' in the contrary sense means cognitions concerning evil and falsity, and so means those who possess these. This is clear in Isaiah,
The envy of Ephraim will depart, and the enemies of Judah will be cut off. They will fly down onto the shoulder of the Philistines towards the sea, and together they will plunder the sons of the east. `Isaiah 11bbb13-14`.
In Ezekiel, when prophesying against the sons of Ammon,
Behold, I have handed you over to the sons of the east as an inheritance, and they will station their ranks among you. `Ezekiel 25bbb4`, `Ezekiel 25bbbccc10`.
In the Book of Judges,
When Israel put in seed, Midian came up and Amalek, and the sons of the east; and they came up upon them. `Judges 6bbb3`.
'Midian' stands for those under the influence of falsity because the good of life does not exist with them, `@@@3242`; 'Amalek' for those under the influence of falsities with which they assail truths, `@@@1679`; 'the sons of the east' for those who possess cognitions that support what is false.
ppp20087#pid#3763. Verses `Genesis 29bbbccc2-3` And he saw, and behold, a well in the field, and behold, three droves of a flock there, lying nearby it; for out of that well they watered the droves; and there was a large stone over the mouth of the well. And all the droves would be gathered there; and they would roll the stone from over the mouth of the well and water the flock; and they would put the stone back in its place over the mouth of the well.
'He saw' means perception. 'Behold, a well' means the Word. 'In the field' means provided for the Churches. 'And behold, three droves of a flock there, lying nearby it' means the holy things that constitute the Churches and their matters of doctrine. 'For out of that well they watered the droves' means knowledge obtained from there. 'And there was a large stone over the mouth of the well' means that it was closed up. 'And all the droves would be gathered there' means that all the Churches and their doctrinal teaching come from there. 'And they would roll the stone from over the mouth of the well' means that they opened it up. 'And water the flock' means that the doctrine was drawn from it. 'And they would put the stone back in its place over the mouth of the well' means that it was closed up for the time being.
ppp20086#pid#3764. 'He saw' means perception. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing' as perceiving, dealt with below at verse `Genesis 29bbbccc32` of this chapter where Reuben, who was given that name from the word 'seeing', is the subject.
ppp20085#pid#3765. 'Behold, a well' means the Word. This is clear from the meaning of 'a well' as the Word and also as doctrine drawn from the Word, dealt with in `@@@2702`, `@@@3096`, `@@@3424`. The Word is called 'a well' here because the subject is the natural, which by itself can do no more than understand the literal sense of the Word. But the Word is called 'a spring' when the subject is the rational, by which one is able to see the internal sense of the Word.
ppp20084#pid#3766. 'In the field' means provided for the Churches. This is clear from the meaning of 'the field' as the Church as regards good, dealt with in `@@@2971`. In the Word the Church is meant by the expressions 'land', 'ground', and 'the field', though each has a different shade of meaning. The reason 'the field' means the Church is that like a field it receives the seeds of goodness and truth; for the Church has the Word, the source of those seeds. This also is why everything included in the field means some aspect of the Church, such as that which is sown, that which is harvested, standing grain, wheat, barley, and everything else. And each of these too has a different shade of meaning.
ppp20083#pid#3767. 'And behold, three droves of a flock there, lying nearby it' means the holy things that constitute the Churches and their matters of doctrine. This is clear from the meaning of 'three' as that which is holy, dealt with in `@@@720`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc901`, and from the meaning of 'droves of a flock' as the things that constitute a Church, and so as matters of doctrine. Specifically 'a flock' means people who are within the Church, and who are learning and being endued with forms of good which are the goods of charity and forms of truth which are the truths of faith. In this case 'a shepherd' means one who teaches those things. In general however 'a flock' means all people who are governed by good and so belong to the Lord's Church throughout the whole world. And since they are all led into what is good and true by means of matters of doctrine, therefore 'a flock' also means matters of doctrine. For the things which make a person such, and the person himself who is such, are both meant in the internal sense by the same expression. For one's understanding of the subject - which in this case is the human being - begins with knowing what makes anyone a human being.
ttt[2] This is why it is stated many times that names mean real things and also the people with whom these real things exist. For example, 'Tyre and Sidon' means cognitions concerning what is good and true and also the people who possess those cognitions. 'Egypt' means knowledge and 'Asshur' reasoning, but these names are used at the same time to mean people with whom that knowledge or reasoning is present. And the same is so with every other name. But speech among angels in heaven is composed of real things that do not involve any concept of persons, and so is composed of universal ideas. The reason for this is that in this way they include countless things in what they say, and in particular for the reason that they attribute everything good and true to the Lord and nothing to themselves. Consequently the ideas which compose their kind of speech know no limits except insofar as those ideas involve the Lord. From these considerations it is now evident why 'a flock' is said to mean the Churches and also their matters of doctrine. 'Droves of a flock' are said to be 'lying nearby the well' because the Word is the source of matters of doctrine - 'a well' meaning the Word, as stated just above in `@@@3765`.
ppp20082#pid#3768. 'For out of that well they watered the droves' means knowledge obtained from there, that is to say, from the Word. This is clear from the meaning of 'a well' as the Word, dealt with just above in `@@@3765`, from the meaning of 'watering', or giving a drink, as receiving instruction, dealt with in `@@@3069`, and from the meaning of 'droves' as knowledge of matters of doctrine, also dealt with just above, in `@@@3767`. From these meanings it is evident that 'out of the well they watered the droves' means that from the Word knowledge of matters of doctrine concerning what is good and true was obtained. In all that appears below regarding Jacob the subject in the highest sense is the Lord - how He made Divine His Natural, this chapter dealing with the inception of this process. And in the internal representative sense the subject is those who are being regenerated - how the Lord renews their natural man, this chapter dealing with the inception of that process. Here therefore the subject is the Word and doctrine obtained from it, for it is by means of doctrine drawn from the Word that the process is begun and regeneration takes place. And it is because these are meant by 'a well' and by 'three droves of a flock' that these historical details are mentioned at all. Unless they had that meaning they would be too trivial to be mentioned in the Divine Word. What they embody is clear, namely that all knowledge and doctrine concerning what is good and true is derived from the Word.
ttt[2] The natural man, it is true, can know and also perceive what good and truth are, but only the natural and social variety of good and truth. Spiritual good and truth he cannot know or perceive. Knowledge of these has to come from revelation, and so from the Word. For example, from the rational present in everyone a person may know that he ought to love his neighbour and to worship God; but how he ought to love his neighbour and worship God, and so what constitutes spiritual good and truth, he cannot know except from the Word. Except from the Word he cannot know that good itself is the neighbour, and that consequently those governed by good are the neighbour and in the measure that it governs them. Nor can he know that good is therefore the neighbour because the Lord is present in good, and that accordingly when good is loved the Lord is loved.
ttt[3] In the same way those who do not possess the Word cannot know that all good comes from the Lord, and that it flows in with man and forms his affection for good, and that that affection is called charity. Those who do not possess the Word cannot know who is the God of the universe. The truth that He is the Lord is hidden from them, yet the inmost part of affection or charity, and therefore the inmost part of good must have Him in view. From this one may see what spiritual good is and that there can be no knowledge of it except from the Word. As regards gentiles, as long as they are in this world they do not indeed know that good. Yet when they lead charitable lives one with another they thereby have an ability to learn such things in the next life, and also do receive them and adopt them without difficulty, see `@@@2589-2604`.
ppp20081#pid#3769. 'And there was a large stone over the mouth of the well' means that it, that is to say, the Word, was closed up. This becomes clear without explanation. The Word is said to be closed up when it is understood purely according to the sense of the letter and everything there is taken for doctrine. It is even more closed up when those things are acknowledged as doctrine which show favour to the desires that go with self-love and love of the world, for these especially roll the large stone over the mouth of the well, that is, they close the Word up. In this case people neither know nor wish to know that any interior sense exists within the Word. Yet they can see that the Word has an interior sense from the many places where the interior sense is used to explain the literal, and also from the generally accepted teachings within the Church which, by means of various explanations, are brought to bear on the literal sense.
ttt[2] What is meant by the Word's being closed up becomes particularly clear from the Jews who explain every single thing literally, and as a consequence believe that they have been chosen in preference to everybody else in all the world, and that the Messiah is coming who will lead them into the land of Canaan and will exalt them above all nations and peoples of the world. For the Jews are governed by loves of an earthly and bodily nature, which are such that they close the Word altogether so far as interior teachings are concerned. What is more, they do not even know whether any heavenly kingdom exists, whether they are going to live after death, what the internal man is, or even the existence of anything spiritual, let alone that the Messiah has come to save souls. The fact that the Word is in their case closed up may also be seen quite clearly from the consideration that although they live among Christians they nevertheless accept nothing whatever of Christian teaching, in accordance with the following words in Isaiah,
Say to this people, Hearing hear, and do not understand; and seeing see, and do not comprehend. Make the hearts of this people fat and their ears heavy, and plaster over their eyes. And I said, How long, O Lord? And He said, Until cities have been laid waste till no inhabitant [is left], and houses till no man [is left], and the land has been laid waste as a desolation. `Isaiah 6bbb9-11`; `Matthew 13bbb14-15`; `John 12bbb40-41`.
ttt[3] To the extent that someone is under the influence of self-love and love of the world, and of the desires that go with these loves, the Word is to him closed up. For those loves have self as the end in view, an end which fosters natural light but extinguishes heavenly light. As a result people see clearly the things that belong to self and the world but nothing whatever of those that belong to the Lord and to His kingdom. When this is so they may indeed read the Word, but their end in view is the increase of personal position and wealth, or that they may be seen by others; or else they read it because it is the done thing and therefore merely from force of habit, or they read it as a religious duty, but without any amendment of life in view. To these people the Word has in different ways become closed up, for some so closed that they do not wish to know anything at all apart from that which their own teachings - whatever these may be - declare.
ttt[4] If anyone were to say, for example, that the power of opening and of shutting heaven has not been granted to Peter but to faith rooted in love, which faith is meant by Peter's keys, they would never acknowledge it because self-love and love of the world stand in the way. Or if anyone were to say that the saints ought not to be worshipped but the Lord alone, they would not accept that either. Nor would they believe it if someone were to say that the bread and wine in the Holy Supper mean the Lord's love towards the whole human race and man's love for the Lord in return. And if anyone were to say that faith - other than the good of faith, which is charity - does not achieve anything, they would give a completely contrary explanation. And so it would be with everything else. People like these can see nothing at all of the truth contained in the Word and do not wish to see it. Instead they adhere rigidly to their own doctrinal opinions. They do not even wish to hear of the existence of the internal sense in which the holiness and the glory of the Word reside. Indeed when they hear about the existence of it they are revolted because of their detestation of the mere mention of it. So the Word has been closed up. Yet the Word is such that it is open right into heaven, and through heaven towards the Lord, and is closed only in relation to man, that is, insofar as he is subject to the evils of self-love and love of the world where the ends in view of his life are concerned, and is subject to false assumptions resulting from those evils. From this one may see what is meant by 'a large stone over the mouth of the well'.
ppp20080#pid#3770. 'And all the droves would be gathered there' means that all the Churches and their doctrinal teachings come from there. This is clear from the meaning of 'droves' as Churches and also as matters of doctrine belonging to the Churches, dealt with above in `@@@3767`, `@@@3768`. Their derivation from the Word is meant by their 'being gathered there'.
ppp20079#pid#3771. 'And they would roll the stone from over the mouth of the well' means that they opened it up. This is clear from what has been stated just above in `@@@3769` about the meaning of 'a large stone over the mouth of the well' as the fact that the Word was closed up. From this it is evident that 'they would roll the stone from over the mouth of the well' means that they opened it up.
ppp20078#pid#3772. 'And water the flock' means that the doctrine was drawn from it. This is clear from the meaning of 'watering', or giving a drink, as giving instruction, dealt with in `@@@3069`, `@@@3768`, and from the meaning of 'the flock' as people who are governed by the goods and truths of faith, dealt with in `@@@343`, `@@@3767`. Thus 'watering it' means giving instruction from the Word, and therefore from doctrine.
ppp20077#pid#3773. 'And they would put the stone back in its place over the mouth of the well' means that it was closed up for the time being. This is clear from what has been stated about the stone over the mouth of the well, in `@@@3769`, `@@@3771`. With regard to these considerations, namely that the Word was uncovered for the Churches and after that closed up, the position is that in the beginning, when any Church is established, the Word is in that initial period closed up to them but later on, through the Lord's provision, is opened up. And from there people learn that all doctrine is based on these two commandments, that the Lord is to be loved above everything else, and the neighbour as themselves. When these two commandments are the end in view the Word is in that case opened up, for all the Law and all the Prophets, that is, the whole of the Word, hangs on them, as does everything from them, and so everything has reference to them. And being in that case governed by the primary teachings concerning truth and good people receive light in each particular thing they see in the Word. For the Lord is present with them at that time by means of angels and is teaching them even though they are not directly aware of it, and is also guiding them into the life of truth and good.
ttt[2] This may also be seen from the consideration that in their infancy all Churches have been such, and have from love worshipped the Lord, and have from the heart loved the neighbour. But in course of time Churches have moved away from these two commandments, and have turned away from good flowing from love and charity towards those things called matters of faith, and so have turned away from life towards doctrine. And to the extent this happens the Word is closed up. These are the factors meant in the internal sense by the words, 'Behold, a well in the field, and behold, three droves of a flock there, lying nearby it; for out of that well they watered the droves; and there was a large stone over the mouth of the well. And all the droves would be gathered there; and they would roll the stone from over the mouth of the well and water the flock; and they would put the stone back in its place over the mouth of the well'.
ppp20076#pid#3774. Verses `Genesis 29bbbccc4-6` And Jacob said to them, My brothers, where are you from? And they said, We are from Haran. And he said to them, Do you know Laban the son of Nahor? And they said, We do. And he said to them, Does he have peace?`fff1` And they said, [He has] peace; and behold, Rachel his daughter is coming with the flock.
'Jacob said to them' means the truth of good. 'My brothers, where are you from?' means, What is the origin of the charity there? 'And they said, We are from Haran' means good that springs from a common stock. 'And he said to them, Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?' means, Did they possess good from that stock? 'And they said, We do' means, Yes, they did. 'And he said to them, Does he have peace?' means, Does it come from the Lord's kingdom? 'And they said, [He has] peace' means, Yes, it does. 'And behold, Rachel his daughter' means the affection for interior truth. 'Is coming with the flock' means interior matters of doctrine.
`nnn1. A Hebrew idiom used in inquiring after a person's welfare
ppp20075#pid#3775. 'Jacob said to them' means the truth of good. This is clear from the representation of 'Jacob' as the Lord's Divine Natural; dealt with already. Since every single thing, wherever it may be, has reference to good and truth, `@@@3166`, `@@@3513`, `@@@3519`, so also does everything in the natural; and since during a person's regeneration good and truth in the natural exist in a different state at the beginning from the state in which they exist during the process of regeneration and at the end of it, 'Jacob' therefore represents truth and good present in the natural, in a relationship to each other determined by the particular state; here he represents the truth of good. But to explain their varying relationship to each other every time they occur would cast the subject into obscurity, especially with people who have no distinct concept of truth and good, let alone of truth through which good comes, and of truth which stems from good.
ppp20074#pid#3776. 'My brothers, where are you from?' means, What is the origin of the charity there? This is clear from the meaning of 'brothers' as people governed by good, and consequently as good itself and therefore as charity, dealt with in `@@@367`, `@@@2360`, `@@@3303`, `@@@3459`, and from the meaning of 'Where are you from?' as, What is the origin? From these considerations it is also evident that the matters which in the sense of the letter are expressed as a question and have reference to persons fall in the internal sense into a mental image which has no reference to any person. For when the historical descriptions that belong to the letter leave man and pass into heaven they cease to be anything among the angels in heaven. From this it is clear that Jacob's question addressed to the men of Haran, 'My brothers, where are you from?' means, What is the origin of the charity there? The implications of this are that charity which looks like charity in outward appearance is not always charity inwardly. It is from the end in view that one recognizes which kind of charity it is and where it originates. Charity which springs from a selfish or a worldly end in view is not charity inwardly. Nor indeed ought it to be called charity. But charity which springs from the neighbour, the common good, heaven, and so the Lord, as the end in view is charity itself and contains the affection for doing good from the heart, and therefore contains the delight of life, which in the next life becomes a blessed delight. It is highly important for a person to know this if he is to know what the Lord's kingdom is within himself. Inquiry concerning this charity, or what amounts to the same, concerning this good, is the subject in the present verses. And the question is first put here, What is the origin of the charity there? meant by the question, 'My brothers, where are you from?'
ppp20073#pid#3777. 'And they said, We are from Haran' means good that springs from a common stock. This is clear from the meaning of 'Haran' as a parallel good that springs from a common stock, dealt with in `@@@3612`.
ppp20072#pid#3778. 'And he said to them, Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?' means, Did they possess good from that stock? This is clear from the representation of 'Laban' as a parallel good springing from a common stock, dealt with in `@@@3612`, `@@@3665`, and from the representation of 'Nahor' as that common stock from which the good meant by 'Laban' springs - 'knowing' meaning, in the internal sense, from that source, as is evident from the train of thought. Let a brief statement be made about the representation of a parallel good by means of Nahor, Bethuel, and Laban. Terah who was the father of three sons - Abram, Nahor, and Haran, `Genesis 11bbb27` - represents the common stock from which the Churches sprang. Terah himself was in fact an idolater, but representatives have no regard to the person, only to the actual subject represented by him, see `@@@1361`. And since the Jewish representative Church had its beginnings in Abraham and was re-established among his descendants from Jacob, Terah and his three sons take on the representation of Churches. Abram takes on the representation of the genuine Church as it exists among those who possess the Word, while Nahor his brother takes on that of the Church as it exists among gentiles who do not possess the Word. The Lord's Church is spread throughout the whole world, existing also among gentiles who lead charitable lives, as is evident from what has been shown in various places regarding the gentiles.
ttt[2] This then is why Nahor, his son Bethuel, and Bethuel's son Laban represent a parallel good that springs from a common stock, that is, the good which exists with people who belong to the Lord's Church among the gentiles. This good differs from good coming in a direct line from the common stock, in that those gentiles do not have genuine truths which are joined to their good. Instead they have for the most part external appearances which are called illusions of the senses, for they do not possess the Word from which they may receive light. Actually good is in essence a single entity, but it acquires a specific character from the truths implanted in it and in this way is made various. The truths that are seen by gentiles as truths are in general the idea that they should worship some God from whom they seek their own good and to whom they attribute it - though they do not know so long as they live in this world that that God is the Lord; also the idea that they should adore their God under images which they hold sacred; besides many other ideas. But these ideas do not make it any less possible for them to be saved than for Christians, provided that they lead lives in which love to their God and love towards the neighbour are present. For by leading such lives they have the ability to receive interior truths in the next life, see `@@@932`, `@@@1032`, `@@@1059`, `@@@2049`, `@@@2051`, `@@@2284`, `@@@2589-2604`, `@@@2861`, `@@@2863`, `@@@3263`. This shows what is meant by a parallel good that springs from a common stock. For Nahor represents those outside the Church who by virtue of good are bound together as brethren, see `@@@2863`, `@@@2864`, `@@@2868`; Bethuel represents good as it exists with those who make up a first group of gentiles, `@@@2865`, `@@@3665`; and Laban represents the affection for external or bodily good, strictly speaking a parallel good springing from a common stock, `@@@3612`, `@@@3665`.
ttt[3] This good is such that first of all it serves a person as a means for acquiring spiritual good, for it is external and bodily and derives from external appearances which in themselves are illusions of the senses. In childhood a person acknowledges nothing other than these as truth and good, and although taught what internal good and truth are he still has no more than a bodily concept of it. This being his concept at first, this kind of good and truth is the initial means by which interior truths and goods are brought in. This is the arcanum which Jacob and Laban represent here.
ppp20071#pid#3779. 'And they said, We do' means, Yes, they did. This becomes clear without explanation.
ppp20070#pid#3780. 'And he said to them, Does he have peace?' means, Does it - that good - come from the Lord's kingdom? This is clear from the meaning of 'peace' dealt with below. In the historical sense it is an inquiry into whether Laban 'has peace', but in the internal sense it is an inquiry concerning the good which Laban represents. For 'Laban' is a parallel good springing from a common stock, that is, the kind of good that exists among gentiles who belong to the universal Church, that is, to the Lord's kingdom, see immediately above in `@@@3778`. From this it is evident what those words mean - Does it come from the Lord's kingdom?
ttt[2] As regards 'peace', this means in the highest sense the Lord Himself, and from this in the internal sense His kingdom. Peace is also the Lord's Divine affecting inmostly the good which governs people there. The fact that these things are meant in the Word by 'peace' becomes clear from many places, as in Isaiah,
To us a Boy is born, to us a Son is given, whose government will be upon His shoulder; and His name will be called, Wonderful, Counsellor, God, Hero, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom. `Isaiah 9bbb6-7`.
Here 'Prince of Peace' clearly stands for the Lord, 'the increase of government and of peace' for the things that exist in His kingdom, and so it stands for the kingdom itself. In the same prophet,
The work of righteousness will be peace, and the labour of righteousness quietness and security for ever. And My people will abide in a habitation of peace. `Isaiah 32bbb17-18`.
This refers to the Lord's kingdom, where 'peace', 'quietness', and 'security' follow consecutively. 'A habitation of peace' stands for heaven.
ttt[3] In the same prophet,
The angels of peace weep bitterly. The highways have been laid waste, the wayfarer has ceased. `Isaiah 33bbb7-8`.
'The angels of peace' stands for members of the Lord's kingdom, and so 'peace' stands for the kingdom itself, and in the highest sense for the Lord. 'The highways have been laid waste and the wayfarer has ceased' stands for the fact that truth existed nowhere any longer - 'highways' and 'ways' meaning truths, see `@@@627`, `@@@2333`. In the same prophet,
How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of Him who is bringing good tidings, causing peace to be heard, bringing good tidings of good, causing salvation to be heard, saying to Zion, Your God reigns. `Isaiah 52bbb7`.
'Bringing good tidings and causing peace to be heard' stands for the Lord's kingdom. In the same prophet,
The mountains will depart and the hills be removed, but My mercy will not depart from you, and the covenant of My peace will not be removed. `Isaiah 54bbb10`.
In the same prophet,
The way of peace they have not known, and there is no judgement in their tracks. `Isaiah 59bbb8`.
ttt[4] In Jeremiah,
I will assemble My peace from this people, said Jehovah, pity and mercy. `Jeremiah 16bbb5`.
In the same prophet, The folds of peace have been laid waste, because of the fierce anger of Jehovah. `Jeremiah 25bbb37`.
In the same prophet,
The prophet who prophesies of peace, when the word of the prophet comes to pass, the prophet will be known, that Jehovah has in truth sent him. `Jeremiah 28bbb9`.
In the same prophet,
I know the thoughts that I am thinking towards you, said Jehovah, thoughts of peace. `Jeremiah 29bbb11`.
In Haggai,
The glory of this latter house will be greater than that of the former, for in this place I will give peace. `Haggai 2bbb9`.
In Zechariah,
They will be the seed of peace; the vine will give its fruit, and the land will give its increase, and the heavens will give their dew. `Zechariah 8bbb12`.
In David,
Care for the blameless one, and behold the upright, for the latter end of that man is peace. `Psalms 37bbb37`.
In Luke,
Jesus said to the disciples, Whatever house you enter, first say, Peace be to this house! And if a son of peace is there, your peace shall rest on it; but if not, it shall return to you. `Luke 10bbb5-6`.
In John,
Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. `John 14bbb27`.
In the same gospel,
Jesus said, These things I have said to you, that in Me you may have peace. `John 16bbb33`.
ttt[5] In all these places 'peace' in the highest sense means the Lord, in the representative sense His kingdom and good from the Lord in that kingdom, and so means the Divine which flows into good or into affections for good, which also, from what is inmost, brings feelings of joy and happiness. This shows what is meant by the words of the blessing,
Jehovah will lift up His face upon you and give you peace. `Numbers 6bbb26`.
It also shows what is meant by the customary greeting received from ancient times, Peace to you, the same words as were used by the Lord to greet the apostles, `John 20bbb19`, `John 20bbbccc21`, `John 20bbbccc26`. See also about 'peace' in `@@@92`, `@@@93`, `@@@1726`, `@@@2780`, `@@@3170`, `@@@3696`.
ppp20069#pid#3781. 'And they said, [He has] peace' means, Yes, it does. This becomes clear without explanation, for it is an affirmative reply.
ppp20068#pid#3782. 'And behold, Rachel his daughter' means the affection for interior truth. This is clear from the representation of 'Rachel' as the affection for interior truth, and of 'Leah' as the affection for exterior truth, dealt with below.
ppp20067#pid#3783. 'Is coming with the flock' means interior matters of doctrine. This is clear from the meaning of 'the flock' as the Church and also matters of doctrine, dealt with in `@@@3767`, `@@@3768`, `@@@3772`, here interior matters of doctrine since the words 'is coming with the flock' refer to Rachel.
ppp20066#pid#3784. Verses `Genesis 29bbbccc7-8` And he said, Behold, it is still high day; it is not time for the cattle to be gathered together; water the flock, and go and pasture them. And they said, We cannot until all the droves are gathered together, and they have rolled the stone from over the mouth of the well, and we water the flock.
'He said, Behold, it is still high day' means that the state was now in progress. 'It is not time for the cattle to be gathered together' means that goods and truths constituting the Churches and their matters of doctrine were not yet gathered into one. 'Water the flock, and go and pasture them' means instruction from these was nevertheless to be given to a few. 'And they said, We cannot until all the droves are gathered together' means that they ought to be all together. 'And they have rolled the stone from over the mouth of the well' means that in this way things of the Word are disclosed. 'And we water the flock' means that at that point they receive instruction.
ppp20065#pid#3785. 'He said, Behold, it is still high day' means that the state was now in progress. This is clear from the meaning of 'day' as state, dealt with in `@@@23`, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@893`, `@@@2788`, `@@@3462`, while the meaning of the words 'Behold, it is still high [day]' as in progress is evident from the train of thought.
ppp20064#pid#3786. 'It is not time for the cattle to be gathered together' means that goods and truths constituting the Churches and their matters of doctrine were not yet gathered into one. This is clear from the meaning of 'time' as state in general, dealt with in `@@@2625`, `@@@2788`, `@@@2837`, `@@@3254`, `@@@3356`; from the meaning of 'being gathered together' as being made into one; and from the meaning of 'the cattle' in general as goods and truths constituting the Churches and their matters of doctrine. The reason why 'the cattle' in general has this meaning is that in the religious observances of the representative Church, and in the Word, living creatures mean affections for what is good and for what is true, as becomes clear from what has been shown in `@@@45`, `@@@46`, `@@@142`, `@@@143`, `@@@246`, `@@@714`, `@@@715`, `@@@776`, `@@@1823`, `@@@2179`, `@@@2180`, `@@@2781`, `@@@3218`, `@@@3519`. And since goods and truths constitute the Churches and their matters of doctrine, and these are the subject in the internal sense, it is evident that 'not time for the cattle to be gathered together' means that the goods and truths constituting the Churches and their matters of doctrine are not yet gathered into one. The situation with these in the representative sense is as follows: The person who is casting aside the old state and assuming the new, that is, who is being regenerated, must prior to this learn and be endued with the goods and truths that constitute the Churches and their matters of doctrine. For cognitions, and also affections for them, are the vessels which receive the new life. This is why nobody is able to be regenerated until he is passing through the appropriate period of life, that is, until one state has been completed, see what has been shown in `@@@677`, `@@@679`, `@@@711`, `@@@1555`, `@@@2046`, `@@@2063`, `@@@2636`, `@@@2679`, `@@@2697`, `@@@2979`, `@@@3203`, `@@@3502`, `@@@3508`, `@@@3510`, `@@@3665`, `@@@3699`, `@@@3701`.
ttt[2] It is in general the same with the Church. When this is being re-established matters of doctrine concerning good and truth have first to be gathered into one since they are the base on which it is built. Matters of doctrine also have connections one with another and relate one to another. Consequently unless they are first gathered into one a defect would exist and things that are missing would have to be supplied from the person's rational. And how blind and deluded the rational is so far as spiritual and Divine things are concerned when it relies on itself in the conclusions it reaches has been shown in various places already. To the Church therefore the Word has been given which contains all matters of doctrine concerning good and truth. In this respect the Church answers in a general way to what exists in particular with the individual who is being regenerated, for he is the Church in particular. The point that with any person matters of doctrine concerning good and truth which are the Church's ought first to be gathered together in him before regeneration takes place has been stated above. It is those goods and truths that are meant in the internal sense by 'Behold, it is still high day; it is not time for the cattle to be gathered together'.
ppp20063#pid#3787. 'Water the flock, and go and pasture them' means instruction from these was nevertheless to be given to a few. This is clear from the meaning of 'watering the flock' as giving instruction from the Word, dealt with in `@@@3772`, and from the meaning of 'go and pasture them' as resulting life and teaching - 'going' meaning life, see `@@@3335`, `@@@3690`, and 'pasturing' teaching, `@@@343`, and in what is said below. The arcanum that lies hidden within is that there are a few people who do nevertheless reach a state that is complete, dealt with in `@@@2636`, and so are able to be regenerated.
ppp20062#pid#3788. 'And they said, We cannot until all the droves are gathered together' means that they ought to be all together. This is clear from the meaning of 'being gathered together' as being made into one or brought together, as above in `@@@3786`, and from the meaning of 'droves' as matters of doctrine, dealt with in `@@@3767`, `@@@3768`. What these words embody becomes clear from what has been stated immediately above in `@@@3786`, `@@@3787`.
ppp20061#pid#3789. 'And they have rolled the stone from over the mouth of the well' means that in this way things of the Word are disclosed. This is clear from the meaning of 'rolling the stone' as disclosing, dealt with in `@@@3769`, `@@@3771`, `@@@3773`, and from the meaning of 'a well' as the Word, dealt with in `@@@3424`, `@@@3765`.
ppp20060#pid#3790. 'And we water the flock' means that at that point they receive instruction. This is clear from the meaning of 'watering the flock' as giving instruction, dealt with in `@@@3772`, `@@@3787`. These matters also are evident from what has gone before.
ppp20059#pid#3791. Verses `Genesis 29bbbccc9-11` While he was still speaking to them Rachel came with the flock which was her father's, for she was a shepherdess. And so it was, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the flock of Laban his mother's brother, that Jacob came near and rolled the stone from over the mouth of the well, and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother. And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice and wept.
'While he was still speaking to them' means thought during that time. 'Rachel came with the flock' means the affection for interior truth belonging to the Church and to doctrine. 'Which was her father's' means from good in origin. 'For she was a shepherdess' means that the affection for interior truth contained in the Word is that which teaches. 'And so it was, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother' means an acknowledgement of the affection for that truth as to its origin. 'And the flock of Laban his mother's brother' means the Church and doctrine from that origin. 'That Jacob came near and rolled the stone from over the mouth of the well' means that the Lord, by virtue of natural good, disclosed the interior contents of the Word. 'And watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother' means instruction. 'And Jacob kissed Rachel' means love directed towards interior truths. 'And lifted up his voice and wept' means the warmth of love.
ppp20058#pid#3792. 'While he was still speaking to them' means thought during that time. This is clear from the meaning of 'speaking' in historical parts of the Word as thinking, dealt with in `@@@2271`, `@@@2287`, `@@@2619`. During that time is clearly the meaning, for it was during the actual time he was speaking to them, or what amounts to the same 'while he was still speaking to them' that Rachel came.
ppp20057#pid#3793. 'Rachel came with the flock' means the affection for interior truth belonging to the Church and to doctrine. This is clear from the representation of 'Rachel' as the affection for interior truth, and from the meaning of 'the flock' as the Church and also as doctrine, dealt with in `@@@3767`, `@@@3768`, `@@@3783`. To enable it to be known how 'Rachel' represents the affection for interior truth, and 'Leah' the affection for exterior truth, let a brief statement be made about the matter: The natural, which 'Jacob' represents, consists of good and of truth; and within the natural, as within every single part in the human being, and indeed within the whole natural order, there ought to be a marriage of good and truth. Without this marriage nothing is produced, for every act of bringing forth and every effect is from that marriage. When he is born there is no marriage of good and truth within a person's natural because the human being, unlike other creatures, is not born into a condition where Divine order is present. It is true that good which goes with innocence and charity is present, flowing from the Lord in earliest childhood; but no truth is present to which that good may be coupled. As he advances in life this good which has been instilled by the Lord into a person in early childhood is drawn in towards the interior parts and kept there by the Lord so that it may serve to modify the states of life which he experiences subsequently. As a consequence without the good belonging to his infancy and early childhood the human being would be worse and more vicious than any wild animal. When that good belonging to earliest childhood is drawn inwards, evil in that case takes its place and enters the person's natural. Falsity then couples itself to that evil, and a joining together and so to speak a marriage of evil and falsity takes place with him. If a person is to be saved therefore, he has to be regenerated. Evil has to be removed and good instilled by the Lord. And in the measure that he receives good truth is instilled into him so that a coupling, or so to speak marriage, of good and truth takes place.
ttt[2] These are the matters represented by Jacob and his two wives, Rachel and Leah. 'Jacob' now takes on the representation of natural good therefore, and 'Rachel' that of truth. But since all joining of truth to good is effected through affection, it is the affection for truth coupled to good that 'Rachel' represents. Furthermore the natural, like the rational, has an interior and an exterior. 'Rachel' represents the affection for interior truth, and 'Leah' the affection for exterior truth. 'Laban', who is their father, represents a good that springs from a common stock, but is a parallel good, as has been stated. That good is the good which in the parallel line corresponds to the truth of the rational, which is 'Rebekah', `@@@3012`, `@@@3013`, `@@@3077`. Daughters descended from that good therefore represent affections existing within the natural, for these are like daughters fathered by that good. And because those affections are to be coupled to natural good they consequently represent affections for truth - the first representing the affection for interior truth, the second the affection for exterior truth.
ttt[3] The regeneration of a person's natural is altogether like Jacob and Laban's two daughters, Rachel and Leah. Anyone therefore who can see and understand the internal sense of the Word sees this arcanum which has been disclosed to him, but no one else is able to see it except him in whom good and truth are present. No others, no matter how good a perception they may have of the things to do with personal life and life in society and may seem to be highly intelligent, are able to see and then to acknowledge anything at all of that arcanum. Indeed they do not know what good and truth are, for they imagine evil to be good, and falsity to be truth. For this reason the moment good is mentioned the idea of evil presents itself, and the moment truth is mentioned the idea of falsity does so. Consequently they perceive nothing of the things contained in the internal sense, but as soon as they hear anything of it darkness descends which extinguishes the light.
ppp20056#pid#3794. 'Which was her father's' means from good in origin. This is clear from the representation of Laban, to whom 'father' refers here, as a parallel good springing from a common stock, dealt with in `@@@3612`, `@@@3665`, `@@@3778`, and also from the meaning of 'father' as good, dealt with in `@@@3703`.
ppp20055#pid#3795. 'For she was a shepherdess' or one who feeds the flock means that the affection for interior truth contained in the Word is that which teaches. This is clear from the meaning of 'a shepherd' or one who feeds the flock`fff1` as one who leads and teaches, dealt with in `@@@343`, and from the representation of Rachel, to whom 'she' refers here, as the affection for interior truth, dealt with just above in `@@@3793`. The reason why interior truth is said to come from the Word is that it was the well to which Rachel came with the flock - 'a well' meaning the Word, see `@@@3765`. What is more, it is the affection for interior truth that teaches, for it is by virtue of that affection that the Church is the Church and a shepherd or pastor is a pastor. The reason 'a shepherd' and one who feeds the flock means in the Word those who lead and teach is that 'the flock' means those who are led and taught, and therefore means Churches and also the doctrines which a Church teaches, `@@@3767`, `@@@3768`, `@@@3783`. The fact that shepherd or pastor and flock have these meanings is very well known in the Christian world, for these are the terms used for those who teach and those who learn. It is therefore superfluous to confirm these points from the Word.
`nnn1. The Latin word pastor, translated shepherdess above, is used of anyone - male or female - who tends a flock or herd. But in the original Hebrew the word is taken to be feminine.
ppp20054#pid#3796. 'And so it was, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother' means an acknowledgement of the affection for that truth as to its origin. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing' here as acknowledging, as is evident from the train of thought, and from the representation of 'Rachel' as the affection for interior truth, dealt with above in `@@@3793`. The expression 'the daughter of Laban his mother's brother' embodies the origin of that affection; that is to say, it came from a parallel good which had been joined in a brotherly relationship to rational truth represented by 'Rebekah, Jacob's mother'.
ttt[2] As regards affections for truth and good, genuine affections for truth and good which are perceived by a person all have a Divine origin since they come from the Lord. But as they come down they branch off into various and different streams where they form new origins for themselves. For as they flow into affections which are not genuine but spurious, and into affections for evil and falsity present with a person, so they become varied. Affections which often have a similar outward appearance to genuine ones present themselves, but these are nevertheless not genuine inwardly. The only way to establish their true identity is to discover the end they have in view. If that end is selfish or worldly those affections are not genuine. But if the end is the good of the neighbour, the good of the community, the good of the country, and more still if it is the good of the Church and the good of the Lord's kingdom, they are genuine, for in that case the Lord is their end, since the Lord is within those varieties of good.
ttt[3] But it is the mark of someone wise to be aware of which ends are present in himself. Sometimes it does seem as though his ends are selfish when in fact they are not, for the human being is such that in everything he considers how it affects himself. This he does regularly and habitually. But if anyone wishes to know the ends he himself has in view he has merely to take note of his feeling of delight - whether it is on account of his receiving praise and glory, or whether it is on account of his performing some unselfish service. If it is the latter delight which he feels, genuine affection is present in him. He ought also to take note of the varying states he passes through, for those states cause his feelings to vary considerably. A person is able to find these things out in himself, but not in others, for the ends in view to anyone's affection are known to the Lord alone. This is why the Lord said,
Do not judge, lest you are judged; do not condemn, lest you are condemned. `Luke 6bbb37`.
For a thousand people may apparently share the same affection for truth and goodness, and yet the affection in each of them may have a different origin, that is, each may have a different end in view.
ttt[4] The reason the end makes the affection what it is - that is to say, genuine, spurious, or false - is that the end is the person's actual life. Indeed a person has as his end in view that which constitutes his life, or what amounts to the same, his love. When the good of the neighbour, the common good, the good of the Church and of the Lord's kingdom is the end in view, a person's soul is in the Lord's kingdom and so abides with the Lord. For the Lord's kingdom is nothing else than a kingdom of ends and purposes directed towards the good of the human race, `@@@3645`. Angels themselves present with a person are nowhere else than within his ends in view. To the extent that someone's end in view is such as that which exists in the Lord's kingdom, angels take delight in him and join themselves to him as a brother. But to the extent a person's end is himself, angels depart and evil spirits from hell draw near, for in hell no other end in view reigns. From these considerations one may see how important it is to find out and to know where one's affections originate; these can be known from nothing else than one's end in view.
ppp20053#pid#3797. 'And the flock of Laban his mother's brother' means the Church and doctrine from that origin. This is clear from the meaning of 'the flock' as the Church and doctrine, dealt with in `@@@3767`, `@@@3768`, `@@@3783`. The reason why Laban is also called 'his mother's brother' here is that this phrase again means acknowledgement of the origin, as in the previous paragraph.
ppp20052#pid#3798. That Jacob came near and rolled the stone from over the mouth of the well' means that the Lord, by virtue of natural good, disclosed the interior contents of the Word. This is clear from the representation of 'Jacob' as the Lord's Divine Natural, dealt with already, here as regards the good in it, and from the meaning of 'rolling the stone from over the mouth of the well' as disclosing the interior contents of the Word, dealt with in `@@@3769`, `@@@3771`, `@@@3773`, `@@@3789`. The reason why the highest sense here means that the Lord by virtue of natural good disclosed the interior contents of the Word is that 'Jacob' here represents good within the Natural. For Jacob takes on the representation of good because truth had now to be allied to it through the affection which 'Rachel' represents, see just above in `@@@3775`, `@@@3793`; and it is by virtue of good that the interior contents of the Word are disclosed, `@@@3773`.
ttt[2] It is plainly evident that the Word is disclosed by virtue of good. Everyone looks from the love present in him at the things that belong to that love; and what he sees he calls truths because these are in harmony with it. Everyone's love holds the light of his life within it, for love is like a flame which radiates light. The nature of a person's love or flame therefore determines that of the light of truth with him. Those who are stirred by a love of good are able to see the things belonging to that love, and so to see the truths that are in the Word. They do so according to the amount and the quality of their love of good, for light or intelligence flows in from heaven, that is, from the Lord by way of heaven. This is why, as already stated, no one is able to see and acknowledge the interior contents of the Word except one whose life is governed by good.
ppp20051#pid#3799. 'And watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother' means instruction. This is clear from the meaning of 'watering the flock' as instruction, dealt with in `@@@3772`. The reason why here Laban for the third time is called 'his mother's brother' is to point out the flock's origin and Rachel's origin, that is, the origin of doctrine and of the affection for interior truth.
ppp20050#pid#3800. 'And Jacob kissed Rachel' means love directed towards interior truths. This is clear from the meaning of 'kissing' as a uniting and joining together resulting from affection, dealt with in `@@@3573`, `@@@3574`, and therefore as love since love regarded in itself is a uniting and joining together resulting from affection; and from the representation of 'Rachel' as the affection for interior truth, dealt with in `@@@3793`. From this it is evident that 'Jacob kissed Rachel' means love directed towards interior truths.
ppp20049#pid#3801. 'And lifted up his voice and wept' means the warmth of love. This is clear from the meaning of 'lifting up the voice and weeping' as the warmth of love, for weeping is an expression of sorrow and also an expression of love, and is the highest degree of either of them.
ppp20048#pid#3802. Verses `Genesis 29bbbccc12-13` And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's brother, and that he was Rebekah's son; and she ran and told her father. And so it was, when Laban heard the news about Jacob his sister's son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things. 'Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's brother' means the kinship of the good represented by 'Jacob' and of the good represented by 'Laban'. 'And that he was Rebekah's son' means the link between these kindred varieties of good. 'And she ran and told her father' means acknowledgement by means of interior truths. 'And so it was, when Laban heard the news about Jacob his sister's son' means an acknowledgement of the kindred good. 'That he ran to meet him' means agreement. 'And embraced him' means affection. 'And kissed him' means the initial stage. 'And brought him to his house' means to their being joined together. 'And he told Laban all these things' means from truths.
ppp20047#pid#3803. 'Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's brother' means the kinship of the good represented by 'Jacob' and of the good represented by 'Laban'. This is clear from the meaning of 'telling' as making known; from the representation of 'Jacob' as good, dealt with already; from the representation of 'Rachel', to whom it was made known, as the affection for interior truth, dealt with in `@@@3793`; from the meaning of 'brother', who in this place is Jacob, as good, dealt with in `@@@367`, `@@@2360`, `@@@3303`, `@@@3459`; and from the meaning of 'father', who in this place is Laban, as good also, dealt with in `@@@3703`. From these meanings and from the train of thought it is evident that 'Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's brother' means the kinship of the good meant by 'Jacob' and of the good meant by 'Laban'. To explain the actual kinship however and so the joining together of the two through the affection for interior truth meant by 'Rachel' would only throw the matter into obscurity, for few know what the good of the natural is and that this is distinct and separate from the good of the rational. Neither do they know what a parallel good springing from a common stock is, nor also what the affection for interior truth is. Anyone who has not by finding out for himself gathered some idea of these matters gains merely a superficial idea, if any at all, from a description of them; for a person takes in only as much of a description given by others as fits in with ideas of his own or else which he acquires by coming to see the thing in himself. All else passes him by. It is enough if one knows that countless kinships of good and truth exist, and that heavenly communities exist in accordance with those kinships, `@@@685`, `@@@917`, `@@@2739`, `@@@3612`.
ttt[2] The reason why Jacob calls himself Laban's brother when he was in fact his sister's son is that by virtue of good all are brothers. This also is why Laban in turn calls Jacob 'brother' in verse `Genesis 29bbbccc15`. For it is good that constitutes blood-relationship and which effects any joining together, since good is an attribute of love, and love is a spiritual joining together. This also was the reason why in the ancient Churches all who were governed by good were called brothers. The same happened in the Jewish Church, but because that Church despised everybody else and imagined that they alone were the elect it spoke only of those who had been born Jews as brothers. The rest it called companions or foreigners. The primitive Christian Church also referred to as brothers all who were governed by good, but later on it confined the term to those inside its own group. But the name brother disappeared from among Christians when good did so. And when truth took the place of good, or faith the place of charity, none was able any longer to call another brother by virtue of good, only neighbour. This is also a feature of the doctrine of faith when devoid of the life of charity, in that it seems to be beneath them to exist as a brotherhood when this includes any of lower rank than themselves. For being brothers in their case does not have its origin in the Lord, and therefore in good, but in themselves, and therefore in position and gain.
[`@@@3803`a] 'And that he was Rebekah's son' means the link between these kindred varieties of good. This becomes clear without explanation, for Rebekah, who was Jacob's mother and Laban's sister, was the one in whom the link existed.
ppp20046#pid#3804. 'And she ran and told her father' means acknowledgement by means of interior truths. This is clear from the meaning of 'running and telling' as the affection for making known, in this case from acknowledgement; and from the meaning of 'her father' as the good meant by 'Laban'. The bringing about of that acknowledgement by means of interior truths is represented by 'Rachel', who means the affection for interior truth. Consequently these words mean acknowledgment by means of interior truths. The situation is this: The existence of the good which Jacob represents, the good of the natural, like all good in general, is known and acknowledged, but not the specific character of it except by means of truths. For good receives its own specific character from truths, and so it is by means of truths that it is known and acknowledged. For good does not become the good which is called the good of charity until truths have been implanted in it. And the character of the truths implanted in it determines that of the good.
ttt[2] This is why one person's good, though seemingly just the same, is not however like another's, for the good in every single human being throughout the whole world is different from that in any other. It is like human faces in which for the most part affections present themselves, in that none throughout the whole human race is exactly like another. Truths themselves compose so to speak the face of good, whose beauty arises from the form which truth takes; but it is good that produces the affections there. All angelic forms are such, and man would be such if from interior life he were ruled by love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour. Man was created into forms such as these because he was created in the likeness and image of God, and forms such as these are the ones whose spirits have been regenerated, whatever appearance their bodies present. From this one may see what is meant by the statement that good is acknowledged by means of interior truths.
ppp20045#pid#3805. 'And so it was, when Laban heard the news about Jacob his sister's son' means an acknowledgement of the kindred good. This in a similar way is clear from what results from the meaning of these words in the internal sense. It is a reciprocal acknowledgement which is described in this fashion. The subject here, it is evident, is the choice made by good, which choice precedes the marriage of good and truth.
ppp20044#pid#3806. 'That he ran to meet him' means agreement. This is clear from the meaning of 'running to meet' as agreement, for it has regard to the joining together, dealt with next. Agreement or likeness, as is well known, brings about a joining together.
ppp20043#pid#3807. 'And embraced him' means affection. This is clear from the meaning of 'embracing' as affection. For interior affection can express itself in any action in the body, since every affection has appropriate actions in the body which correspond to it - affection in general, as is well known, being expressed by embracing.
ppp20042#pid#3808. 'And kissed him' means the initial stage. This is clear from the meaning of 'kissing' as a joining together resulting from affection, dealt with in `@@@3573`, `@@@3574`, `@@@3800`. In this case it is the initial stage to that joining together, for an initial stage comes before the joining together.
ppp20041#pid#3809. 'And brought him to his house' means to their being joined together. This is clear from the meaning of 'bringing to the house' as taking to oneself, for in the internal sense a person himself is called 'a house', see `@@@3128`, `@@@3242`, `@@@3538`. He is so called by virtue of good, which strictly speaking is 'the house', `@@@2233`, `@@@2331`, `@@@3652`, `@@@3720`. In this case therefore a bringing to the good represented by 'Laban' is meant. That being so, 'bringing to his house' here means a joining together. This verse in the internal sense describes the whole process by which natural good meant by 'Jacob' is joined to a parallel good meant by 'Laban'. The following five phases constitute that process: Mutual acknowledgement, agreement, affection, an initial stage to a joining together, and actual joining together. Mutual acknowledgement was meant by 'Rachel ran and told her father' and by 'Laban heard the news about Jacob his sister's son', dealt with in `@@@3804`, `@@@3805`: agreement by 'Laban ran to meet him', dealt with in `@@@3806`: affection by 'Laban embraced him', dealt with in `@@@3807`: the initial stage to a joining together by 'he kissed him', dealt with in `@@@3808`: and the joining together by 'he brought him to his house', dealt with in this paragraph.
ppp20040#pid#3810. 'And he told Laban all these things' means from truths, that is to say, acknowledgement, agreement, affection, the initial stage, and the joining together were from them. This is clear from the train of thought and also from the words explained according to the internal sense, for which this statement forms the conclusion; see what has been stated just above in `@@@3804`.
ppp20039#pid#3811. Verses `Genesis 29bbbccc14-15` And Laban said to him, Surely you are my bone and my flesh. And he dwelt with him for a full month. And Laban said to Jacob, Because you are my brother should you serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your reward be?
'Laban said to him, Surely you are my bone and my flesh' means joined together as regards truths and as regards goods. 'And he dwelt with him for a full month' means a new state of life. 'And Laban said to Jacob, Because you are my brother' means, because they are kindred, by virtue of good. 'Should you serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your reward be?' means that there must be a means by which they are joined together.
ppp20038#pid#3812. 'Laban said to him, Surely you are my bone and my flesh' means joined together as regards truths and as regards goods. This is clear from the meaning of 'you are my bone and my flesh' as a being joined together. The ancients were accustomed to speak of people who belonged to the same house, or to the same family, or who were related in some other way, as 'my bone and my flesh', see `@@@157`. This is why those words mean a being joined together. The reason it is as regards truths and as regards goods is that all spiritual joining together is effected by them, and all natural joining together has reference to them. Furthermore by 'bone and flesh' is meant a person's proprium - 'bone' the understanding side of the proprium, 'flesh' the will side of it. 'Bone' accordingly means the proprium as regards truth since truth belongs to the understanding, while 'flesh' means the proprium as regards good since good belongs to the will, see `@@@148`, `@@@149`.
ttt[2] As regards the proprium in general there are two kinds, the first being the hellish proprium, the second the heavenly. The hellish proprium is acquired by a person from hell, the heavenly from heaven, that is, from the Lord through heaven. For all evil and all falsity from evil enter in from hell, and all good and all truth from good do so from the Lord. People know this from the doctrine of faith, but scarcely one in a million believes it. Consequently a person appropriates - that is, makes his own - evil entering in from hell; but good entering in from the Lord does not move him and cannot therefore be said to have a place in him. The reason why a person does not believe that evil enters in from hell and good from the Lord is that he is governed by self-love, a love which carries such unbelief with it and which goes so far as to be highly indignant when that person is told that everything comes into him from somewhere else. This then is why a person's entire proprium is nothing but evil, see `@@@210`, `@@@215`, `@@@694`, `@@@731`, `@@@874-876`, `@@@987`, `@@@1023`, `@@@1044`, `@@@1047`. But the belief that evil is from hell and good from the Lord exists with him when he is not governed by self-love but by love towards the neighbour and love to the Lord; for this love carries such belief with it. So it is that a person receives from the Lord the heavenly proprium referred to in `@@@155`, `@@@164`, `@@@731`, `@@@1023`, `@@@1044`, `@@@1937`, `@@@1947`, `@@@2882`, `@@@2883`, `@@@2891`.
ttt[3] In both senses this proprium is meant by 'bone and flesh'. Consequently 'bones' in the Word means truth and in the contrary sense falsity, and 'flesh' good and in the contrary sense evil. As regards truth being meant by 'bones', this may be seen from the following places: In Isaiah,
Jehovah will guide you all the time, and will satisfy your soul in arid places, and will render your bones free, so that you are like a watered garden. `Isaiah 58bbb11`.
'Rendering bones free' stands for bringing life to the understanding side of the proprium, that is, enlightening it with intelligence. Hence the statement 'so that you are like a watered garden' - 'a garden' meaning intelligence, see `@@@100`, `@@@108`, `@@@1588`. In the same prophet,
Then you will see, and your heart will be joyful, and your bones will flourish like the grass. `Isaiah 66bbb14`.
'Bones flourishing like the grass' has a similar meaning.
ttt[4] In Jeremiah,
[Her] Nazirites were brighter than snow, they were whiter than milk. Their bodies`fff1` were ruddier than gem stones, polished like sapphire.`fff2` Their form is darker than black; they are not recognized in the streets; their skin has stuck to their bone; it has dried up; it has become like wood. `Lamentations 4bbb7-8`.
'Nazirite' stands for a celestial man, `@@@3301`. 'Brighter than snow and whiter than milk' stands for his possession of celestial truth. And because this truth derives from the love of good, it is said that 'their bodies were ruddier than gem stones'. 'Brightness' and 'whiteness' have reference to truth, `@@@3301`, 'ruddiness' to good, `@@@3300`, 'gem stones' to truths stemming from good, `@@@114`. 'Their skin stuck to their bone' describes a changed state as regards the celestial things of love, which is to say, that there was no flesh on the bones, that is, there was no longer any good, for in that case all truth comes to be like skin which sticks to the bone, dries up, and becomes like wood.
ttt[5] In Ezekiel,
Tell a parable against the house of rebellion, and say to them, Thus said the Lord Jehovih, Put on the pot, put it on, and also pour water into it; gather the pieces of it into it - every good piece, the thigh and the shoulder. Fill it with the choice of the bones by taking the choice of the flock, and let there be a hearth of bones under it. Let the bones also be cooked in the midst of it. `Ezekiel 24bbb3-5`, `Ezekiel 24bbbccc10`.
'The pot' stands for violence offered to good and truth, which is why it is called 'the city of bloodshed' in verse `Genesis 29bbbccc6`. 'The pieces', 'the good piece, the thigh and the shoulder' gathered into it are pieces of flesh, which are items of good. 'The choice of the bones' with which the pot was filled stands for truths, 'the hearth of bones' for the affection for truth. 'Let the bones be cooked in the midst of it' stands for violence offered to them. Anyone may see that this parable conceals arcana that are Divine, and also that these can in no way be known unless one knows what is meant in the internal sense by 'a pot', by 'pieces, the thigh and the shoulder', by 'the choice of the bones', by 'a hearth of bones', and by 'cooking'. In Micah,
Is it not for you to know judgement - you who hate the good and love the evil, who tear their skin from upon them and their flesh from upon their bones; who have eaten the flesh of My people and flayed their skin from upon them and broken their bones in pieces, and divided them as into a pot and like flesh into the middle of the cauldron? `Micah 3bbb1-3`.
Here the meaning is similar.
ttt[6] In Ezekiel,
He brought me out in the Spirit of Jehovah and set me down in the midst of the valley, which was full of bones. He said to me, Will these bones live? He said to me, Prophesy over these bones and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of Jehovah: Thus said the Lord Jehovih to these bones, Behold, I am bringing spirit into you that you may live. I will lay sinews upon you and cause flesh to come over you and cover you with skin, and I will put spirit within you so that you may live. I prophesied, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. I looked, and behold, there were sinews upon them, and flesh came up, and skin covered them above, but there was no spirit in them. And spirit entered into them, and they were alive again and stood upon their feet. `Ezekiel 37bbb1` and following verses.
This refers in general to the re-establishment of the Church among gentiles, and in particular to the regeneration of the individual. 'Dry bones' stands for the understanding side of the proprium, which is lifeless until it receives the life of good from the Lord. The latter life is what quickens it or brings life to it. The flesh which the Lord causes to come up over the bones is the will side of the proprium, which is called the heavenly proprium, and so means good. 'Spirit' means the Lord's life, and when this flows into a person's good which he seems to himself to will and perform from his proprium, the good is in that case made alive, and from that good the truth also; and out of the dry bones a human being is made.
ttt[7] In David,
All my bones have been disconnected; my heart has become like wax. I can count all my bones. They have divided my garments among them, and for my clothing have cast lots. `Psalms 22bbb14`, `Psalms 22bbbccc17-18`.
This refers to the Lord's temptations as regards Divine Truths, which, being the Lord's own, are consequently called 'my bones', and as regards Divine Good, which, being the Lord's own, is consequently called 'my heart'. For 'heart' means good, see `@@@3313`, `@@@3635`. And because 'bones' means those truths, 'counting' them is wishing to get rid of them by means of reasonings and falsities. This is also the reason for the statement immediately following about their dividing garments and casting lots for clothing, for 'garments' also means truths, though a more external variety, `@@@297`, `@@@1073`, `@@@2576`. 'Dividing garments and casting lots for clothing' has the same meaning as it does also in `Matthew 27bbb35`. In the same author,
Let my soul exult in Jehovah, let it be glad in His salvation. Let all my bones say, Who is like You? `Psalms 35bbb9-10`.
'Bones' in the spiritual sense clearly means the understanding side of the proprium. In the same author,
You shall cause me to hear joy and gladness; the bones You have broken will be exultant. `Psalms 51bbb8`.
'The bones which You have broken will be exultant' stands for a re-creation by means of truths following temptations.
ttt[8] Because 'bone' meant the understanding side of the proprium, or the proprium as regards truth, and in the highest sense meant Divine Truth, which was the Lord's Proprium, it was therefore required at the Passover not to break any bone of the paschal lamb. This is referred to in Moses as follows,
It shall be eaten in one house; you shall not bring any of the flesh outside the house; and you shall not break a bone in it. `Exodus 12bbb46`.
And elsewhere in Moses,
They shall not leave any of it until morning, and they shall not break a bone of it. `Numbers 9bbb12`.
'Not breaking a bone' stands in the highest sense for not offering violence to Divine truth, and in the representative sense for not offering violence to the truth connected with any good at all, for the nature of good and the form it takes depend on truths, and truth is the mainstay of good, as the bones are of the flesh.
ttt[9] The fact that the Word, which is Divine truth itself, gives life to the dead was represented by the revival and the standing on his feet of the man who, having been cast into the grave of Elisha, touched his bones, `2 Kings 13bbb21`. Elisha represented the Lord as regards Divine truth or the Word, see `@@@2762`.
'Bones' in the contrary sense means falsity which springs from the proprium, as is evident from the following places: In Jeremiah,
At that time they will bring the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of its princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem out of their tombs, and they will spread them before the sun and the moon, and all the host of heaven, which they have loved and which they have served. `Jeremiah 8bbb1-2`.
In Ezekiel,
I will lay the corpses of the children of Israel before their idols, and I will scatter your bones around your altars. `Ezekiel 6bbb5`.
In Moses,
God who brought him out of Egypt has as it were the strength of a unicorn. He will eat up the nations, his enemies, and will break their bones, and smash their weapons. `Numbers 24bbb8`.
In the second Book of Kings,
King Josiah broke in pieces the pillars, and cut down the groves, and filled their places with the bones of people. He took the bones out of the graves and burned them on the altar to render it unclean. He sacrificed all the priests of the high places who were there, on the altars, and burned the bones of people on them. `2 Kings 23bbb14`, `2 Kings 23bbbccc16`, `2 Kings 23bbbccc20`.
In Moses,
The soul which has touched on the surface of the field anyone slain with the sword, or one dead, or a human bone, or a sepulchre, will be unclean for seven days. `Numbers 19bbb16`, `Numbers 19bbbccc18`.
ttt[10] Since 'bones' means falsities, and 'sepulchres' evils containing them, and since hypocrisy is evil which on the outside looks like good but is inwardly rotten from things that are false and unholy, the Lord therefore says the following in Matthew,
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you make yourselves like white-washed sepulchres, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and of all uncleanness. So too do you outwardly appear just to men (homo) but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. `Matthew 23bbb27-28`.
From all these quotations it is now evident that 'bones' means the understanding side of the proprium either as regards truth or else as regards falsity.
`nnn1. literally, bones
`nnn2. literally, sapphire their polishing
ppp20037#pid#3813. As regards 'flesh', this means in the highest sense the Proprium of the Lord's Divine Human, which is Divine Good, and in the relative sense means the will side of the human proprium when made alive by the Proprium of the Lord's Divine Human, that is, by His Divine Good. This proprium is the one called the heavenly proprium which, in itself the Lord's alone, is appropriated to those who are governed by good and consequently by truth. Such a proprium exists with angels in heaven, and also with men whose interiors, that is, their spirits, are in the Lord's kingdom. But in the contrary sense 'flesh' means the will side of the human proprium, which in itself is nothing but evil, and not having been made alive by the Lord is called dead; and the individual himself is for that reason called dead.
ttt[2] That 'flesh' in the highest sense means the Proprium of the Lord's Divine Human, and so His Divine Good, is clear from the Lord's words in John,
Jesus said, I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if anyone eats of this bread he will live for ever. The bread which I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. The Jews disputed with one another, saying, How can this man give his flesh to eat? Jesus therefore said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you will have no life in yourselves. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day; for My flesh is truly food, and My blood is truly drink. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. This is the bread which came down from heaven. `John 6bbb51-58`.
Here it is quite evident that 'flesh' means the Proprium of the Lord's Divine Human, and so the Divine Good - His flesh in the Holy Supper being called 'the body'. His body or flesh in the Holy Supper is the Divine Good, and His blood the Divine Truth, see `@@@1798`, `@@@2165`, `@@@2177`, `@@@3464`, `@@@3735`. And since bread and wine have the same meaning as flesh and blood - that is to say, 'bread' is the Lord's Divine Good, and 'wine' His Divine Truth - bread and wine were commanded in place of flesh and blood. This is why the Lord says, 'I am the living bread; the bread which I will give is My flesh; he who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me and I in him; this is the bread which came down from heaven'. 'Eating' means being communicated, being joined to, and being made one's own, see `@@@2187`, `@@@2343`, `@@@3168`, `@@@3513` (end), `@@@3596`.
ttt[3] The same was represented in the Jewish Church by the law that the flesh of sacrifices was to be eaten by Aaron and his sons, by those persons who brought the sacrifice, and by others who were clean; and that this flesh was holy, see `Exodus 12bbb7-9`; `Exodus ccc29bbb30-34`; `Leviticus 7bbb15-21`; `Leviticus ccc8bbb31`; `Deuteronomy 12bbb27`; `Deuteronomy ccc16bbb4`. That being so, if any unclean person ate some of that flesh he was to be cut off from his people, `Leviticus 7bbb21`. The fact that these sacrifices were called 'bread', see `@@@2165`, and that that sacrificial flesh was called 'holy flesh', `Jeremiah 11bbb15`; `Haggai 2bbb12`. And in `Ezekiel 40bbb43` where the new Temple is the subject, it is called 'the flesh of the offering which is on the tables in the Lord's kingdom', by which clearly worship of the Lord in His kingdom is meant.
ttt[4] That 'flesh' in the relative sense means the will side of man's proprium when made alive by the Lord is Divine Good is clear also from the following places: In Ezekiel,
I will give them one heart, and will put a new spirit in your midst; and I will remove the heart of stone out of their flesh and will give them a heart of flesh. `Ezekiel 11bbb19`; `Ezekiel ccc36bbb26`.
'The heart of stone out of their flesh' stands for a will and proprium when not made alive, 'a heart of flesh' for a will and proprium when made alive; for 'the heart' is a representative of good in the will, see `@@@2930`, `@@@3313`, `@@@3635`. In David,
O God, You are my God; in the morning I seek You. My soul thirsts for You, my flesh in a dry land longs for You, and I am weary without water. `Psalms 63bbb1`.
In the same author,
My soul longs for the courts of Jehovah; my heart and my flesh shout for joy to the living God. `Psalms 84bbb2`.
ttt[5] In Job,
I have come to know my Redeemer; He is alive; and at the last He will rise above the dust; and afterwards these things will be encompassed by my skin, and out of my flesh shall I see God, whom I shall see for myself; and my eyes will behold, and no other. `Job 19bbb25-27`.
'Being encompassed by skin' stands for the natural, such as a person possesses after death, dealt with in `@@@3539`. 'Out of his flesh seeing God' stands for the proprium when made alive, which is why Job says, 'Whom I shall see for myself; and my eyes will behold, and no other'. Since it was well known in the ancient Churches that 'flesh' meant the proprium, and since the Book of Job is a book of the Ancient Church, `@@@3540` (end), he accordingly followed the custom of the day and drew on meaningful signs to speak of these, as of many other matters. Those therefore who conclude from what Job said that their dead body is going to be reassembled from the four winds and is going to rise again do not know the internal sense of the Word. Those who are conversant with that sense know that they will enter the next life in a body, but in a purer one. In that life people have purer bodies, for they behold one another, talk to one another, and are endowed with each of the senses, which though like those in the physical body are now keener. The body which a person carries around on earth is designed for activities on earth and therefore consists of flesh and bones, whereas the body that a spirit carries around in the next life is designed for activities in that life and does not consist of flesh and bones but of such things as correspond to these, see `@@@3726`.
ttt[6] That 'flesh' in the contrary sense means the will side of the human proprium which in itself is nothing but evil is clear from the following places: In Isaiah,
Every man will eat the flesh of his own arm. `Isaiah 9bbb20`.
In the same prophet,
I will feed your oppressors with their own flesh, and they will be drunk with their blood as with new wine. `Isaiah 49bbb26`.
In Jeremiah,
I will feed them with the flesh of their sons and with the flesh of their daughters, and every man will eat the flesh of his companion. `Jeremiah 19bbb9`.
In Zechariah,
Those that are left will eat, every one the flesh of another. `Zechariah 11bbb9`.
In Moses,
I will chastise you seven times for your sins, and you will eat the flesh of your sons: and the flesh of your daughters will you eat. `Leviticus 26bbb28-29`.
The will side of the human proprium, or man's own natural inclinations, is described in this way because it is nothing but evil and consequent falsity, and so hatred against every form of truth or good, that are meant by 'eating the flesh of their own arm', 'the flesh of sons and daughters', and 'the flesh of another'.
ttt[7] In John,
I saw an angel standing in the sun, who called out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds flying in mid-heaven, Come and gather yourselves to the supper of the great God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses and those seated on them, and the flesh of all free men and slaves, both small and great. `Revelation 19bbb17-18`; `Ezekiel 39bbb17-20`.
Anyone may see that the flesh of kings, captains, mighty men, horses and those seated on them, free men and slaves, is not meant by such expressions. 'Flesh' accordingly has another meaning which has not been known up to now. The fact that evils resulting from falsities, and evils producing falsities, are meant - which evils originate on the will side of the human proprium - is evident from each expression used here.
ttt[8] Since falsity which springs from the understanding side of man's proprium is meant by 'blood' in the internal sense, and evil which springs from the will side of his proprium by 'flesh', the Lord speaks of the person who is to be regenerated as follows,
As many as received Him, to them He gave power to be sons of God, to those believing in His name, who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. `John 1bbb12-13`.
For this reason 'flesh' is used to mean in general all mankind, see `@@@574`, `@@@1050` (end). For whether you speak of man or of man's proprium it amounts to the same.
ttt[9] That 'flesh' in the highest sense means the Lord's Divine Human is evident from the verses quoted above, as well as from the following in John,
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the Only Begotten from the Father. `John 1bbb14`.
It is by virtue of this flesh that all other flesh is made alive, that is, by virtue of the Lord's Divine Human, every human being is made alive, through making His love his own, which is meant by 'eating the flesh of the Son of Man', `John 6bbb51-58`, and by eating the bread in the Holy Supper - for the bread is His body or flesh, `Matthew 26bbb26-27`.
ppp20036#pid#3814. 'And he dwelt with him for a full month' means a new state of life. This is clear from the meaning of 'dwelling' as life, dealt with in `@@@1293`, `@@@3384`, `@@@3613`, and from the meaning of 'a full month' as a new state. All periods of time mean states, see `@@@1274`, `@@@1382`, `@@@2625`, `@@@2788`, `@@@2837`, `@@@3254`, `@@@3356`, `@@@3404`, so that years, months, and days mean such. What kind of states are meant however is clear from the numbers attached to them. When however year, month, or day is used in the singular, an entire state is meant, and so the end of the previous state and the beginning of the next, as has also been shown in various places in the explanations. Here therefore 'month' means the end of the previous state and the beginning of the next, and so means a new state, as in other places in the Word, as in Isaiah,
At length from month to its month, and from sabbath to sabbath, all flesh will come to bow down before Me, said Jehovah. `Isaiah 66bbb23`.
In John,
He showed me a pure river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and of the river, on this side and on that, was the tree of life bearing twelve fruits, yielding its fruit each month. `Revelation 22bbb1-2`.
'Yielding its fruit each month' stands for a state for ever new as regards the reception of good and the consequent practice of it. In Moses, Count the sons of Levi according to their father's house and according to their families. Every male a month old and over shall you count. Count every firstborn male of the children of Israel, a month old and over, and take the number of their names. `Numbers 3bbb15`, `Numbers 3bbbccc40`.
ttt[2] It was because the end of the previous state and the beginning of the next, that is, a new state, was meant by 'a month' that they were ordered to count those who were 'a month old and over'. In the same author,
If you see among captives a beautiful woman, and have a desire for her so that you would take her to yourself for a wife, she shall remove the clothing of her captivity from upon her, and she shall sit in your house and lament her father and her mother for a full month. After that you shall go in to her and know her, and she shall be your wife. `Deuteronomy 21bbb11`, `Deuteronomy 21bbbccc13`.
Here 'a full month' clearly stands for the end of the previous and the beginning of the next or new state.
ppp20035#pid#3815. 'And Laban said to Jacob, Because you are my brother' means, because they are kindred, by virtue of good. This is clear from the representation of 'Laban' as a parallel good that springs from a common stock, and from the representation of 'Jacob' as the good of the natural, both dealt with above; and from the meaning of 'brother' as good, dealt with in `@@@3803`, in this case that which is kindred since these words are spoken by Laban to Jacob, and therefore by good to good. Furthermore every kinship has its origin in good, for good is related to love. It is the nearest degree of love in the line of descent that is called kindred, and is meant in the proper sense by 'brother'. In the spiritual world or in heaven no other kinships or relationships by marriage exist except those of love to the Lord and of love towards the neighbour, or what amounts to the same, those of good. This has been made clear to me by the fact that all the communities that constitute heaven, and that are countless, are quite distinct and separate from one another according to degrees and differences of love and of faith deriving from this, see `@@@685`, `@@@917`, `@@@2739`, `@@@3612`.
ttt[2] This has also been made clear to me by the fact that in heaven they do not acknowledge one another because of any family relationship that had been theirs during their lifetime but solely on the basis of good and attendant truth. A father does not acknowledge a son or daughter, a brother does not acknowledge a brother or sister, and even a husband does not acknowledge his wife, unless they have been governed by similar good. They do, it is true, meet when they first enter the next life, but they part company after that; for good itself - that is, love and charity - determines whichever community a person is sent to. Kinship begins in the community in which each person belongs and spreads from there into all places round about.
ppp20034#pid#3816. 'Should you serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your reward be?' means that there must be a means by which they are joined together. This is clear from the meaning of 'serving for nothing' as without any binding agreement, and from the meaning of 'reward' as the means by which they were joined together. The expression 'reward' is used frequently in the Word, and in the places where it occurs nothing else is meant in the internal sense than a means by which things are joined together. The reason for this is that angels utterly refuse to listen to any talk of reward being due on account of anything in themselves. Indeed they utterly loathe the very idea of a reward for the sake of any good or good action. For they know that with everyone the proprium, or that which is his own, is nothing but evil, and this being so, that whatever they do from the proprium or what is their own would hold the reverse of any reward within it. Angels also know that all good originates in the Lord, and that it flows in from Him, and solely out of mercy. Thus it is not on account of that which begins in themselves that they think about reward; indeed good itself ceases to be good when there is thought of reward on account of it, for a selfish end in view then instantly attaches itself. And to the extent this end attaches itself it introduces a denial that good originates in the Lord and is imparted out of mercy. This therefore removes the influx of good and consequently removes heaven and the blessedness present in good and in the affection for good. The affection for good, that is, love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour, includes blessing and happiness within it. These are present in the affection or love itself. Doing something for reasons of affection and the blessing it brings and doing it at the same time for the sake of reward are utterly contrary motives. This is why angels do not perceive any reward at all when reward is mentioned in the Word but that which the Lord grants them for nothing and out of mercy.
ttt[2] But reward serves as a means to join together in the case of those who have not yet reached that point; for those who have not yet been brought into good and the affection for it, that is, who are not yet wholly regenerate, inevitably think of reward as well; for they do not do the good they do from an affection for good but from an affection for their own blessedness and happiness, and at the same time from fear of hell. But when a person is being regenerated this is reversed and becomes an affection for good. And when it is an affection for good he no longer has reward in view.
ttt[3] This may be illustrated from aspects of public life. Someone who loves his country and is so governed by an affection for it that he desires out of goodwill to further its welfare would be hurt if prevented from doing so and would plead to be given an opportunity to further its welfare. For such is the object of his affection and consequently of his desire and blessedness. Indeed such a person receives honours and is promoted to important positions because these are the means by which he serves his country even though those honours and positions are called rewards. But people who have no affection for their country, only for themselves and for the world, act for the sake of position and wealth, which are also their ends in view. Such people put themselves before their country, that is, their own good before the common good, and in comparison with the others are sordid. And yet more than all others they want it to be seen that they do what they do from a love that is sincere. But when they think about this on their own they deny that anyone acts from such love, and are amazed that anyone is able to do so. Those whose attitude during their lifetime is such towards their country or the public good have the same attitude in the next life towards the Lord's kingdom, for a person's affection or love follows him, since affection or love constitute the life of everyone.
ppp20033#pid#3817. Verses `Genesis 29bbbccc16-17` And Laban had two daughters; the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger Rachel. And Leah's eyes were weak; and Rachel was beautiful in form and beautiful in appearance.
'Laban had two daughters' means affections for truth from the good which springs from a common stock. 'The name of the elder was Leah' means the nature of the affection for external truth. 'And the name of the younger Rachel' means the nature of the affection for internal truth. 'And Leah's eyes were weak' means that the affection for external truth is weak so far as the understanding of it is concerned. 'And Rachel was beautiful in form and beautiful in appearance' means that the affection for interior truth is beautiful so far as what is spiritual is concerned.
ppp20032#pid#3818. 'Laban had two daughters' means affections for truth from the good which springs from a common stock. This is clear from the representation of 'Laban' as good springing from a common stock but belonging to a parallel branch, dealt with in `@@@3612`, `@@@3665`, `@@@3778`, and from the meaning of 'daughters' as affections, dealt with in `@@@2362`, in this case affections for truth which stem from the good represented by 'Laban', see `@@@3793`.
ppp20031#pid#3819. 'The name of the elder was Leah' means the nature of the affection for external truth; 'and the name of the younger Rachel' means the nature of the affection for internal truth. This is clear from the representation of 'Leah' as the affection for external truth, and of 'Rachel' as the affection for internal truth, both dealt with in `@@@3793`; and from the meaning of 'the name' as the nature of, dealt with in `@@@144`, `@@@145`, `@@@1754`, `@@@1896`, `@@@2009`, `@@@2724`, `@@@3006`. Leah is called 'the elder' because external truth is learned first, and Rachel 'the younger' because internal truth is learned from then on after that; or what amounts to the same, a person first of all feels an affection for external truths, and from then on after that an affection for internal truths. external truths provide the basic outline for internal truths, for they are the general outlines into which particular details are added. Unless a person has a general outline of the idea of a thing he does not make sense of any particular aspect of it. This explains why the literal sense of the Word contains general truths but the internal sense particular truths. General truths are called external, but particular truths internal. And because truths devoid of affection are not truths because there is no life to them, the affections for them are therefore meant when external and internal truths are referred to.
ppp20030#pid#3820. 'And Leah's eyes were weak' means that the affection for external truth is weak so far as the understanding of it is concerned. This is clear from the representation of 'Leah' as the affection for external truth, dealt with in `@@@3793`, and immediately above in `@@@3819`; from the meaning of 'the eyes' as the understanding, dealt with in `@@@2701`; and from the meaning of 'weak' as its being such in comparison with the affection for internal truth. The fact that affections for external truth are weak so far as the understanding of it is concerned, or what amounts to the same, so far as people governed by those affections are concerned, becomes clear from external - that is, general - ideas which have not yet been filled in with their particular details. They are feeble and shaky ideas, which so to speak allow themselves to be carried along by every puff of wind, that is, to be won over to every opinion. But when those same ideas have been filled in with their particular details they emerge as firm and steadfast ideas, for they then possess the essence and form meant by 'beautiful in form and beautiful in appearance' as Rachel was, who represents the affections for interior truth.
ttt[2] Let the following example show what is meant by external truths and the affections for them, and what by internal truths and the affections for these, and the fact that the former are 'weak eyed' in comparison with the latter, which are 'beautiful in form and appearance': Those governed by external truths know no more than the general truth that good should be done to the poor. They do not know how to tell who are truly the poor, let alone know that in the Word the expression 'the poor' is used to mean those who are so spiritually. Consequently they do good to bad persons and to good ones alike, without realizing that doing good to bad people is doing bad to good, for the bad are then given the opportunity to do bad to those who are good. This is why people possessing this kind of simple zeal are infested so strongly by the crafty and deceitful. But those governed by internal truths know who the poor are, tell one poor person from another, and do good to each according to his individual character.
ttt[3] Take another example. Those governed by external truths know no more than the general truth that the neighbour ought to be loved. They as a consequence believe that every individual is the neighbour in the same degree, and so every individual ought to be embraced with the same love. Believing this, they allow themselves to be misguided. Those however who are governed by internal truths know which degree of the neighbour each person belongs to and that any one person is the neighbour in a different degree from another. Consequently they are aware of countless things which those governed by external truths do not know. They do not therefore allow themselves to be led astray by the mere name of neighbour, or to do what is evil by performing that good which the name alone persuades them to do.
ttt[4] Take yet another example. Those governed by external truths alone imagine that the learned will shine like stars in the next life, and that all who have worked in the Lord's vineyard will have a greater reward than others. But those governed by internal truths know the expressions 'learned', 'wise', and 'intelligent' are used to mean those in whom good is present, whether they possess any human wisdom and intelligence or not, and that it is these who will shine like stars. They also know that those who work in the vineyard receive a reward, each according to the affection for good and truth which motivated him in his work, and that those who work from selfish and worldly motives, that is, from self-aggrandizement and enrichment as motives, have their reward during their lifetime, but in the next life their lot is with the evil there, `Matthew 7bbb22-23`.
From these examples it is evident how weak in understanding those people are who are governed by external truths alone, and that internal truths are what give them essence and form, and also what determine the character of the good with them. Nevertheless people governed by external truths, and at the same time when in the world simple good was present in them, receive internal truths and resulting wisdom in the next life, for by virtue of that simple good they are in the right state and have the capacity to receive them.
ppp20029#pid#3821. 'And Rachel was beautiful in form and beautiful in appearance' means that the affection for interior truth is beautiful so far as what is spiritual is concerned. This is clear from what has been stated immediately above. 'Form' means essence, and 'appearance' the resulting beauty.
ppp20028#pid#3822. Verses `Genesis 29bbbccc18-20` And Jacob loved Rachel and said, I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter. And Laban said, It is better for me to give her to you than for me to give her to another man; remain with me. And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they were in his eyes like a few days, because of his love for her.
'Jacob loved Rachel' means the love which good has for internal truth. 'And said, I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter' means a diligent effort to be made during a holy state, to the end that it might be joined to internal truth. 'And Laban said, It is better for me to give her to you than for me to give her to another man; remain with me' means the means by which interior truth is joined to that good. 'And Jacob served seven years for Rachel' means the fulfilment. 'And they were in his eyes like a few days, because of his love for her' means a state of love.
ppp20027#pid#3823. 'Jacob loved Rachel' means the love which good has for internal truth. This is clear from the representation of 'Jacob' as the good of the natural, dealt with in `@@@3599`, `@@@3659`, `@@@3775`, and from the representation of 'Rachel' as the affection for internal truth, dealt with in `@@@3793`, `@@@3819`, at this point internal truth that was to be joined to the good of the natural, which conjunction the love had in view.
ppp20026#pid#3824. 'And said, I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter' means a diligent effort, to be made during a holy state, to the end that it might be joined to internal truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'serving' as a diligent effort; from the meaning of 'seven' as that which is holy, dealt with in `@@@395`, `@@@433`, `@@@716`, `@@@881`; and from the meaning of 'years' as states, dealt with in `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@893`. And as anyone may see, such effort was so that the two might be joined together. From these meanings it is evident that 'I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter' means a diligent effort, to be made during a holy state, to the end that it might be joined to internal truth.
ttt[2] Internal truths are said to be joined to the natural when they are learned, acknowledged, and believed. Within man's natural, that is, within his natural memory, both external and internal truths are present. These reside there as religious knowledge, but they have not been joined to the natural man until that person has an affection for them because they have application to his life, that is, life is the reason why he loves them. For when this stage is reached good is coupled to those truths, and by means of that good they are joined to the rational and so to the internal man. By this route life enters into them from the Lord.
ppp20025#pid#3825. 'And Laban said, It is better for me to give her to you than for me to give her to another man; remain with me' means the means by which interior truth is joined to that good. This is clear from the meaning of 'the reward', of which the words in this reply are a definite promise, as the means by which the two are joined together, dealt with in `@@@3816` - Rachel, to whom 'her' refers here, representing interior truth, and Jacob, to whom 'you' refers, representing good, as shown already. As regards the joining of the good represented by 'Jacob' to the good represented by 'Laban' through interior truth represented by 'Rachel', this is an arcanum which cannot be described easily and intelligibly. A clear mental image of both kinds of good, and also of the affection for interior truth, must be gained first. Furthermore the understanding of any subject is dependent on the ideas about it. No understanding exists if there is no idea at all about it; an obscure understanding if the idea is obscure; a perverted understanding if the idea is perverted; and a clear understanding if the idea is clear. The understanding is also dependent on the affections which cause the idea, even if clear, to be varied.
ttt[2] Let it be stated briefly that with everyone who is being regenerated the good of his natural, like that represented here by 'Jacob', is first of all joined to good like that represented here by 'Laban', through the affection for interior truth, which is represented here by 'Rachel', and subsequently together with the good of the rational and its truth, which are 'Isaac and Rebekah'. By means of that initial conjunction a person is in a right state for receiving internal or spiritual truths, which are the means by which the natural is joined to the rational, that is, the external man to the internal.
ppp20024#pid#3826. 'And Jacob served seven years for Rachel' means the fulfilment. This is clear from the meaning of these words as a diligent effort to be made during a holy state, to the end that it might be joined to internal truth, dealt with above in `@@@3824` - the fulfilment of all this, it is evident, being meant now.
ppp20023#pid#3827. 'And they were in his eyes like a few days, because of his love for her' means a state of love, that is to say, a state without any tedium. This is clear from the meaning of 'being in his eyes' as its appearing to be so, from the meaning of 'days' as states, dealt with in `@@@893`, `@@@2788`, `@@@3462`, `@@@3785`; therefore 'like a few days, because of his love for her' means a state of love. When anyone enters a state of love or heavenly affection he enters an angelic state; that is to say, it is as though time does not exist, provided that that affection holds no urge for change. That urge is a bodily affection; and insofar as anyone is subject to it time exists for him, but insofar as he is not subject to it time does not exist. This is reflected somewhat in the delights and glad feelings that go with affection or love. When someone experiences these he is not conscious of time, since he is living within the internal man during such experiences. By means of the affection that is an attribute of genuine love a person is drawn away from bodily and worldly interests, for his mind is lifted up towards heaven, and so he is drawn away from things that belong to time. Indeed it is reflecting on those things which are not the objects of one's affection or love, and so on things that are tedious, that gives rise to an apparent sense of time. From this one may also see what is meant by the seven years being in his eyes like a few days, because of his love for her.
ppp20022#pid#3828. Verses `Genesis 29bbbccc21-24` And Jacob said to Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are completed, and I will go [in] to her. And Laban gathered together all the men of the place and made a feast. And so it was in the evening that he took Leah his daughter and brought her to him; and he came [in] to her. And Laban gave to her Zilpah his servant-girl - to Leah his daughter to be her servant-girl.
'Jacob said to Laban, Give me my wife' means that general good was now to be joined to the affection for interior truth. 'For my days are completed, so that I may go [in] to her' means that that state had now been reached. 'And Laban gathered together all the men of the place' means all the truths belonging to that state. 'And made a feast' means the introduction. 'And so it was in the evening' means when the state was still obscure. 'That he took Leah his daughter and brought her to him; and he came [in] to her' means that as yet it was a joining merely to the affection for external truth. 'And Laban gave to her Zilpah his servant-girl - to Leah his daughter to be her servant-girl' means external affections or external bonds which are subservient means.
ppp20021#pid#3829. 'Jacob said to Laban, Give me my wife' means that general good was now to be joined to the affection for interior truth. This is clear from the representation of 'Jacob' as the good of the natural, dealt with already, in this case general good because the things that constitute the natural are general in comparison with internal things. For countless things flow in from the internal man into the natural or external man where they manifest themselves as a general whole, the more so when the particular things that make up general wholes have not yet been received, as is the case here. This is why the good which 'Jacob' represents is now called general good. The joining of this good to the affection for interior truth is clearly meant, for Rachel, to whom 'my wife' refers here, represents the affection for interior truth, as shown above.
ppp20020#pid#3830. 'For my days are completed, so that I may go [in] to her' means that that state has now been reached. This is clear from the meaning of 'days' as states, dealt with in `@@@23`, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@893`, `@@@2788`, `@@@3462`, `@@@3785` - 'days having been completed, so that I may go [in] to her' meaning, as is evident without explanation, that that state had now been reached.
ppp20019#pid#3831. 'And Laban gathered together all the men of the place' means all the truths belonging to that state. This is clear from the meaning of 'the men' as truths, dealt with in `@@@3134`, and from the meaning of 'the place' as state, dealt with in `@@@2625`, `@@@2837`, `@@@3356`, `@@@3387`.
ppp20018#pid#3832. 'And made a feast' means the introduction. This is clear from the meaning of 'a feast' as making one's own and being joined to, dealt with in `@@@3596`. Here it is the introduction, for this precedes the joining together, and is a pledge and witness to it. The feasts which were held in early times by people among whom meaningful signs and representatives existed meant nothing else than the introduction into the mutual love which is the essence of charity. Wedding feasts meant the introduction into conjugial love, and sacred feasts the introduction into spiritual and celestial love, the reason being that 'feasting' or eating and drinking meant making one's own and becoming joined to, as shown in `@@@3596`.
ttt[2] This being the meaning of 'feasts' the Lord also spoke in the same vein,
Many will come from the east and from the west and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. `Matthew 8bbb11`.
And elsewhere He said to the disciples,
That you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom. `Luke 22bbb30`.
And when He instituted the Holy Supper He said,
I tell you that I shall not drink from now on of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom. `Matthew 26bbb29`.
Anyone may see that 'reclining', 'eating', and 'drinking' in the Lord's kingdom do not mean reclining, eating, and drinking, but the kind of thing that exists in that kingdom; that is to say, these experiences are used to mean making the good of love and the truth of faith one's own, and so to mean that which is called spiritual food and celestial food. The quotations given above also show plainly that there is an internal sense within words spoken by the Lord, and that without an understanding of that sense one cannot know what is meant by reclining with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, by eating and drinking at the Lord's table in His kingdom, and by drinking of the fruit of the vine with them in the Father's kingdom. Nor indeed can one know what is meant by eating bread and drinking wine in the Holy Supper.
ppp20017#pid#3833. 'And so it was in the evening' means when the state was still obscure. This is clear from the meaning of 'the evening' as an obscure state, dealt with in `@@@3056`. Furthermore feasts held in the evening, that is, suppers, meant nothing else among the ancients who had appropriate religious observances than the introductory state which comes before an actual joining together, which is obscure compared with that state when the joining together has taken place. Indeed when a person is being introduced into truth and from this into good, everything he learns at that time is obscure. But once good is joined to him and he regards truth from the standpoint of good, everything he learns becomes clear to him, gradually and increasingly so. For he is now no longer in doubt about whether something exists or whether it is true but knows that it exists and is true.
ttt[2] Once a person has reached this state he starts to know countless things, for he now proceeds from the good and truth which he believes and perceives. He proceeds so to speak from the central point out to the peripheral regions; and in the measure that he proceeds from such good and truth, he sees in the same measure the things round about, and gradually more and more widely since he is constantly pushing out and extending the boundaries. Thereafter he also begins from each subject situated in the space within those boundaries, and from those subjects as new centres he pushes out new peripheral regions; and so on in the spaces within these. Consequently the light of truth radiating from good increases enormously and becomes one expanse of light, for he is now bathed in the light of heaven which shines from the Lord. But to people who are prone to doubt and who question whether something exists and is true, those countless, indeed limitless things are not visible at all. To them every single one is totally obscure. Those things are scarcely seen by them as a single whole which definitely exists, only as a single whole whose very existence they are uncertain of. Such is the condition into which human wisdom and intelligence has fallen at the present day. Being able to reason cleverly whether something exists is now the mark of a wise man, and being able to reason that it does not exist is the mark of one wiser still.
ttt[3] Take for example the question whether in the Word an internal sense exists which such people call the mystical sense. Until they believe in the existence of it they cannot know a single one of the countless things existing within that sense, so many that they fill the whole of heaven in unending variety. Take as another example one who reasons about whether Divine Providence is merely universal and does not extend to specific details. That person cannot know the countless arcana which have to do with Providence, as many in number as the occurrences in everyone's life from start to finish and in the world from its creation to its end, and even for ever. Take as yet another example one who reasons whether good can exist in anyone, seeing that the will of man is fundamentally depraved. He cannot possibly be aware of all the arcana that have to do with regeneration, nor even that a new will is implanted by the Lord and the arcana concerning this. And the same is so with everything else. From this one may recognize what obscurity surrounds such people and that they do not even see, let alone reach, the outskirts of wisdom.
ppp20016#pid#3834. 'That he took Leah his daughter and brought her to him, and he came [in] to her' means that as yet it was a joining merely to the affection for external truth. This is clear from the representation of 'Leah' as the affection for external truth, dealt with in `@@@3793`, `@@@3819`. 'Bringing her to him' clearly means a joining together as in marriage. The implications of this are that with a person who feels an affection for internal truth, that is, has a desire to know the more internal arcana of the Lord's kingdom, those arcana are not in the beginning joined to him even though he knows them and sometimes even though he acknowledges and seemingly believes them. For worldly and bodily affections are still present, and these cause him to take them in and seemingly believe them. But insofar as those affections are present those truths cannot be joined to him. It is solely the affection for truth deriving from good and the affection for good which attach them to him. Insofar as anyone is stirred by these affections more internal truths are joined to him, for truths are the recipient vessels of good.
ttt[2] Indeed the Lord provides against celestial and spiritual truths, such as all interior truths are, being joined to any affections other than genuine ones. This is why the general affection for truth deriving from good comes first and why truths that are implanted in it are none but general truths. States of truth are altogether what they are by virtue of states of good, that is, a state of faith is what it is by virtue of a state of charity. For example, even the evil are able to know that the Lord rules the whole of heaven, and also that heaven consists in mutual love and love to the Lord, as well as that these loves enable those in heaven to be joined to the Lord, and to receive wisdom and happiness there. The evil can indeed be convinced that all this is true. But the truth of faith has not been joined to them, still less the good of love. It is from the life that one knows whether these have been joined to a person, as a tree is known from its fruit. In the case of the evil it is like grapes containing no pips. When these are cast into the soil, no matter how fertile this is, they turn into mere compost. It is also like the glow at night of an ignis fatuus which vanishes the moment the sun comes up. But in the Lord's Divine mercy further discussion of this matter will appear later on.
ppp20015#pid#3835. 'And Laban gave to her Zilpah his servant-girl - to Leah his daughter to be her servant-girl' means external affections or external bonds which are subservient means. This is clear from the meaning of 'a servant-girl' as external affections, dealt with in `@@@1895`, `@@@2567`. Laban's giving her means that they derive from a parallel good springing from a common stock, for this is the source of such affections. They are called external bonds because all affections are bonds, see `@@@1077`, `@@@1080`, `@@@1835`, `@@@1944`. For nothing else holds someone in bonds than his affection. No person's affection seems to him to be a bond, but it is nevertheless called such for the reason that it governs him and is for him binding. Internal affections however are called internal bonds, even as affections for truth and good are called the bonds of conscience. External bonds or affections correspond to these, for everything internal possesses a corresponding external. Since it is by means of external things that one who is being regenerated is introduced to internal things, and since this state is the subject here, mention is therefore made here of Laban's servant-girl's being given to his daughter Leah as a servant-girl. This description means that the kind of affections which served as means were given. The fact that these affections were the most external, like those called bodily affections, is evident from the consideration that 'Leah' represents the affections for external truth. But in the Lord's Divine mercy more about these matters too will appear elsewhere.
ppp20014#pid#3836. Verses `Genesis 29bbbccc25-26` And so it was in the morning, that behold it was Leah. And he said to Laban, What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served with you? And why have you cheated me? And Laban said, It is not done that way in our place, to give the younger before the firstborn.
'So it was in the morning' means enlightenment in that state. 'That behold it was Leah' means that it was a joining to external truth. 'And he said to Laban, What is this you have done to me?' means indignation. 'Was it not for Rachel that I served with you?' means that it was a diligent effort made for the affection for internal truth. 'And why have you cheated me?' means greater indignation. 'And Laban said, It is not done that way in our place' means that the state is not such...... 'To give the younger before the firstborn' means, that the affection for interior truth should precede the affection for external truth.
ppp20013#pid#3837. 'So it was in the morning' means enlightenment in that state. This is clear from the meaning of 'the morning' as enlightenment, dealt with in `@@@3458`, `@@@3723`. And since every period of time means a state, `@@@2625`, `@@@2788`, `@@@2837`, `@@@3356`, the earliest period of the day or the morning accordingly means the enlightenment belonging to that state, that is, in that state. The enlightenment has regard to that which follows shortly, that is to say, his acknowledgement that it was a joining merely to external truth.
ppp20012#pid#3838. 'That behold it was Leah' means that it was a joining to external truth. This is clear from the representation of 'Leah' as the affection for external truth, dealt with in `@@@3793`, `@@@3819`; and a joining to this affection is obviously meant for the reason that she had been given in marriage instead of Rachel. What these events embody may become clear from what has been stated above in `@@@3834`, and from what is going to be stated below in `@@@3843`, about [natural good] having to be joined to external truths before being joined to internal truths.
ppp20011#pid#3839. 'And he said to Laban, What is this you have done to me?' means indignation. This is clear from the affectional content of these words and of those that follow; for as accords with the sequence of events in this historical narrative it is the feeling of indignation that is expressed in these words. There are two elements which constitute the internal sense of the Word - affections and subject-matter. The affections lying within expressions of the Word are not visible to man but are concealed there inmostly. Nor can they be visible since man during his lifetime is governed by worldly and bodily affections, which have nothing in common with the affections present in the internal sense of the Word. That sense contains affections which belong to spiritual and celestial love, affections which mankind is that much less capable of perceiving because those in whom they exist are few, and the few in whom they do exist are for the most part simple people who have no ability to reflect on affections. All others do not even know what genuine affection is. These affections that belong to celestial and spiritual love manifest themselves in charity towards the neighbour and in love to God. Those in whom such affections do not exist do not believe that they are anything at all, when in fact those affections fill the whole of heaven, doing so in varying ways beyond description. These are the affections, together with the variations of them, which have been stored away in the internal sense of the Word, residing not only in every sentence but also in every expression, indeed in every detail. And they reveal themselves to angels when the Word is read by people in whom simple good and at the same time innocence are present; and they reveal themselves, as has been stated, in ways unendingly various.
ttt[2] There are principally two kinds of affections which shine out of the Word for angels to see - affections for truth and affections for good. Affections for truth reveal themselves to spiritual angels, affections for good to celestial angels. The latter, namely affections for good, which belong to love to the Lord, are altogether indescribable to man and are consequently incomprehensible too. But affections for truth, which belong to mutual love, are to some extent comprehensible in their most general aspects, though only to people in whom mutual love is present. And even those general aspects are not comprehensible to them from any internal perception except one that is obscure.
ttt[3] Take for example the affection or feeling of indignation referred to in this verse. Anyone who does not know what charitable affection is, for the reason that this is not present in him, can have no other idea of what it is but the kind of indignation that is aroused in a person when some wrong is done to him - which in reality is a feeling of anger. But that kind of indignation does not exist with angels but an altogether different kind, which is not the expression of anger but of zeal, and holds nothing evil in it at all. This indignation is as far away from hatred, or revenge, or repaying evil with evil, as heaven is from hell; for it wells up out of good. But the nature of that indignation, as has been stated, cannot be expressed by any words. The situation is similar with all other affections which originate in good and truth and which belong to good and truth.
ttt[4] This is also evident from the fact that angels are concerned solely with ends in view, and with the purposes engendered by those ends, `@@@1317`, `@@@1645`, `@@@3645`. Ends in view are nothing else than loves or affections, `@@@1317`, `@@@1568`, `@@@1571`, `@@@1909`, `@@@3425`, `@@@3796`; for what a person loves he has as his end in view. This being so, angels are acquainted with the affections enclosed in the subject-matter of the Word; and this entails every variation according to the types of affections present in the angels. From this it becomes quite clear how holy the Word is, for Divine love, that is, love coming from the Divine, has holiness within it, and so therefore do the subjects within the Word.
ppp20010#pid#3840. 'Was it not for Rachel that I served with you?' means that it was a diligent effort made for the affection for internal truth. This is clear from the representation of 'Rachel' as the affection for internal truth, dealt with in `@@@3758`, `@@@3782`, `@@@3793`, `@@@3819`, and from the meaning of 'serving' as diligent effort, dealt with in `@@@3824`.
ppp20009#pid#3841. 'And why have you cheated me?' means greater indignation. This becomes clear from what has been stated immediately above in `@@@3839`.
ppp20008#pid#3842. 'And Laban said, It is not done that way in our place' means that the state is not such.... This is clear from the meaning of 'place' as state, dealt with in `@@@1273-1275`, `@@@1377`, `@@@2625`, `@@@2837`, `@@@3356`, `@@@3387`; and from this it is evident that 'It is not done that way in our place' means that the state is not such.
ppp20007#pid#3843. 'To give the younger before the firstborn' means, that the affection for interior truth should precede the affection for external truth. This is clear from the representation of Rachel, to whom 'the younger' refers here, as the affection for interior truth, dealt with in `@@@3758`, `@@@3782`, `@@@3793`, `@@@3819`, and from the representation of Leah, to whom 'the firstborn' refers here, as the affection for external truth, dealt with in `@@@3793`, `@@@3819`. From this it is evident that 'giving the younger before the firstborn' means [that the state is not such] that the affection for interior truth should precede the affection for external truth. A brief explanation of these matters has been given above in `@@@3834`, and is further evident from the following: Anyone who does not know the state of man may believe that the joining together is effected not only with external truths but also with internal once he is acquainted with both kinds of truths, that is, once he has them in his memory. But no joining together is effected until he lives according to them; for the life reveals whether the joining together has been effected.
ttt[2] The same applies to everything implanted in someone since childhood. It does not become his own until he acts according to it, and does so from affection. For when he acts from affection that which has been implanted in him passes into his will. Then it is no longer put into practice by him simply because he knows that he should or because he has been taught to do it, but because some delight unknown to himself and so to speak his own disposition or nature lead him to do so. For everyone acquires such a disposition or nature from frequent practice or habit, and that practice or habit from the things he has learned. This does not come about until the things he has absorbed through his being taught them have been passed through from the external man to the interior; for when they exist in the interior man he no longer acts from the sensory memory but from his acquired disposition, till at length they flow into action spontaneously. For in this case they have been inscribed on the person's interior memory, and the things that proceed from this give the appearance of being innate. This may be recognized from the languages a person has learned in childhood, also from the ability to reason, and from conscience too. From these considerations it is evident that the truths of doctrine, even those that are interior, are not joined to a person until they are matters of life. But further information on these points will in the Lord's Divine mercy appear elsewhere.
ppp20006#pid#3844. Verses `Genesis 29bbbccc27-30` Complete this week, and we will give you this one also for the service which you render with me for another seven years. And Jacob did so, and completed this week, and he gave him Rachel his daughter for his wife. And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter, Bilhah his servant-girl - to her to be a servant-girl. And he came [in] also to Rachel, and he loved Rachel also, more than Leah; and he served with him yet another seven years.
'Complete this week' means the continuance of the diligent effort. 'And we will give you this one also for the service which you render with me for another seven years' means that in that case it would be a complete state of diligent effort. 'And Jacob did so, and completed this week' means the fulfilment of these things. 'And he gave him Rachel his daughter for his wife' means the joining of good at that point to the affection for interior truth. 'And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter, Bilhah his servant-girl - to her to be a servant-girl' means exterior affections which are subservient bonds or means. 'And he came [in] also to Rachel' means a joining to the affection for internal truth. 'And he loved Rachel also, more than Leah' means greater love for internal truth than for external. 'And he served with him yet another seven years' means holy diligent effort.
ppp20005#pid#3845. 'Complete this week' means the continuance of the diligent effort. This is clear from the meaning of 'completing' here as serving or completing by serving, and so as meaning diligent effort, dealt with in `@@@3824`; and from the meaning of 'a week' as a state and also a whole period, dealt with in `@@@728`, `@@@2044`, in this case therefore the state and the subsequent period, and so a continuance. What has been said in `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc3814` about the meaning of 'a month' applies equally to the meaning of 'a week'. When used in the singular 'week' means the end of some previous state and the beginning of the one that follows it, and so a new state; and by the completing of this is meant from its beginning to its end. The reason why 'a week', like every other time-measurement specifically, means a state and also a period of time is that all states also have their own individual periods of the beginning, the continuance, and the end. In the next life however these are not perceived as periods of time but as states and their integral cycles. Here it is quite evident what 'a week' meant to the ancients, namely - in the proper sense - every period that was divided into seven phases, whether it was a period of seven days or of seven years or of seven ages, and so whether it was a long period or a short one. Here it is plainly a period of seven years. And because 'seven' with those people meant that which was holy, see `@@@84-87`, `@@@395`, `@@@433`, `@@@716`, `@@@881`, 'a week' therefore meant a holy period, and also the holiness of a period.
ppp20004#pid#3846. 'And we will give you this one also for the service which you render with me for another seven years' means that in that case it would be a complete state of diligent effort. This is clear from the meaning of 'service' and of 'serving' as diligent effort, dealt with in `@@@3824`, and from the meaning of 'seven years', which has the same meaning as 'a week', namely a state and a whole period - as immediately above in `@@@3845` - and so a complete state which is also holy, as in `@@@3824`. 'We will give you this one also' means that in that case there would be a joining to the affection for internal truth. The reason why 'serving' in the internal sense means diligent effort is that the exertions of the external man exist as diligent effort in the internal man, which is why a diligent effort is called mental toil.
ppp20003#pid#3847. 'And Jacob did so, and completed this week' means the fulfilment of these things. This is clear from the meaning of 'completing the week' as the continuance of the diligent effort, as above in `@@@3845`. Here it is plainly the fulfilment of it.
ppp20002#pid#3848. 'And he gave him Rachel his daughter for his wife' means the joining of good at that point to the affection for interior truth. This is clear from the representation of 'Jacob' as the good of the natural, dealt with already, and from the representation of 'Rachel' as the affection for interior truth, also dealt with already; and the 'giving for a wife' clearly means their being joined together. Since every joining of good to truth at first seemingly goes in order from exterior things to interior, and at length to inmost, the expression affection for interior truth is therefore used here, for the affection itself which is an affection for truth flows in from good. The joining of good to the affection for internal truth first takes place when the good of the natural is joined to rational truth, and through this to rational good. This joining together is represented by 'Jacob' after the birth of his twelve sons, when he went back to his mother and father's house, about which more will be said later on.
ppp20001#pid#3849. 'And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter, Bilhah his servant-girl - to her to be a servant-girl' means exterior affections which are subservient bonds or means. This is clear from what has been stated above in `@@@3835`. The reason 'Bilhah the servant-girl' means exterior affections, and 'Zilpah, Leah's servant-girl' external affections, is that 'Rachel' represents the affection for internal truth and 'Leah' the affection for external truth. Exterior affections are natural affections subservient to internal. The reason these exterior affections are means that serve in the joining of truth to good is that no matter of doctrine, nor indeed any item of knowledge, can enter anyone except by means of affections. For affections hold life within themselves, but truths which belong to doctrine and knowledge do not without those affections hold it within themselves. The truth of this is quite evident, for without affection no one can even think, or indeed utter a single word. Anyone who gives this matter any consideration will perceive that a voice devoid of affection is the voice of an automaton and so simply a sound with no life to it; but that when it does have affections present in it the amount and the nature of that affection determines the amount and the nature of the life present in it. This shows what truths are without good, and that the affection present in truths springs from good.
ttt[2] Anyone who gives the matter any consideration may also be aware of the same point from the fact that the human understanding is no understanding unless the will is present in it, for the life of the understanding is received from the will. This consideration too shows what truths are without good, namely that they are not truths at all, and that good is the source from which they draw their life; for truths belong to the understanding part of the mind and good to the will part. From this anyone is able to judge for himself what faith, which essentially is truth, is when devoid of charity, which essentially is good, and to judge that the truths of faith when devoid of the good of charity are dead, for as has been stated, the amount of affection present in truths, and the nature of it, determine the amount and nature of the life present there. But what give truths the appearance of still possessing life even when the good of charity is absent are the affections that go with self-love and love of the world, which possess no other life than that which in the spiritual sense is called death and is the life of hell. The word affection is used, and by that is meant that which is an extension from some love.
ttt[3] From these considerations it may now be seen that affections are meant that serve in the joining of truth and good, and that affections are the means by which truths are introduced and also by which these are arranged into order. Genuine affections which go with love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour bring them into a heavenly order, but evil affections which go with self-love and love of the world bring them into a hellish order, that is, into that which is the contrary of heavenly order.
ttt[4] The most external affections of all are those which belong to the body and are called appetites and desires. Those immediately interior to these belong to the lower mind (animus) and are called natural affections. But internal affections belong to the rational mind find are called spiritual affections. To the latter, that is to say, to spiritual affections which belong to the higher mind (mens), truths expressed in matters of doctrine are introduced by means of the more external and the most external affections, that is, by natural and bodily ones. These are consequently subservient means and are meant by the servant-girls given by Laban to Rachel and to Leah. When they are called Laban's servant-girls the meaning is that those affections had their origin in the good represented by Laban, a good dealt with already. For the truths that are learned first cannot at first be instilled by means of any other affections. Genuine affections arrive in the process of time, but not until a person is acting from good.
ppp20000#pid#3850. 'And he came [in] also to Rachel' means a joining to the affection for internal truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'coming [in] to' as being joined to, and from the representation of 'Rachel' as the affection for internal truth, dealt with already.
ppp19999#pid#3851. 'And he loved Rachel also, more than Leah' means greater love for internal truth than for external. This is clear from the representation of them both, 'Rachel' being internal truth and 'Leah' external truth. What internal truth is and what external truth, see `@@@3820`.
ppp19998#pid#3852. 'And he served with him yet another seven years' means holy diligent effort. This is clear from the meaning of 'serving' as diligent effort, dealt with in `@@@3824`, `@@@3846`, and from the meaning of 'seven' as that which is holy, dealt with in `@@@395`, `@@@433`, `@@@716`, `@@@881`, `@@@3824`. The expression 'holy diligent effort' is used for that effort by means of which internal truths are joined to good, for internal truths in every case regard the Lord and are joined to a person by means of love to Him. This love is holiness itself.
ppp19997#pid#3853. Verse `Genesis 29bbbccc31` And Jehovah saw that Leah was hated, and He opened her womb; and Rachel was barren.
'Jehovah saw' means the Lord's foresight and providence. 'That Leah was hated' means that the affection for external truth was not so dear because it was further away from the Divine. 'And He opened her womb' means that this affection gave rise to the doctrines taught by the Churches. 'And Rachel was barren' means that interior truths were not received.
ppp19996#pid#3854. 'Jehovah saw' means the Lord's foresight and providence. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing' in reference to the Lord as foresight and providence, dealt with in the next verse where Reuben is the subject, who was so named from the expression 'to see' - 'Jehovah' being the Lord, see `@@@1343`, `@@@1736`, `@@@1793`, `@@@2156`, `@@@2329`, `@@@2921`, `@@@3023`, `@@@3035`.
ttt[2] As regards foresight and providence in general, foresight has reference more to man, providence more to the Lord. The Lord foresaw from eternity what the human race was going to be like in the future and what every member of it was going to be like, and that evil was going to increase all the time, so that at length man, of himself, would rush headlong into hell. That being so, the Lord has provided not only the means by which He makes it possible for him to be diverted from hell and led towards heaven, but also does in His providence divert and lead him all the time. The Lord also foresaw that it would be impossible for any good to take root in man except in his freedom, for that which does not take root in freedom is dispelled at the first sign of evil and of temptation. This the Lord foresaw, as well as the fact that of himself, that is, from his own freedom, man would be inclined towards the deepest hell. That being so, the Lord provided that if he would not allow himself to be led in freedom towards heaven he could still be diverted towards a milder hell; but if he would allow himself to be led in freedom towards good then he could be diverted towards heaven. From these considerations one may see what foresight is and what providence is, and that appropriate provisions are made for things that are foreseen.
ttt[3] From this it may be seen how far someone errs who believes that the Lord has not foreseen and does not see the smallest individual thing with man, or that within the smallest individual thing He does not foresee and lead, when in fact the Lord's foresight and providence are present within the tiniest details of all the smallest individual things with him, and in details so tiny that it is impossible to comprehend in any manner of thought one in many millions of them. For every smallest fraction of a moment of a person's life entails a chain of consequences extending into eternity. Indeed every one is like a new beginning to those that follow, and so every single moment of the life both of his understanding and of his will is a new beginning. And since the Lord foresaw from eternity what man was going to be like in the future and even into eternity it is clear that providence is present in the smallest individual things, and, as has been stated, is governing him and diverting him so that he may be such, this being achieved by constant re-shaping of his freedom. But this subject will in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed further later on.
ppp19995#pid#3855. 'That Leah was hated' means that the affection for external truth was not so dear because it was further away from the Divine. This is clear from the meaning of 'hated' as not dear, and from the representation of 'Leah' as the affection for external truth, dealt with already. The fact that external truths are more remote from the Divine than internal truths are may be seen from the consideration that external truths are manifestations of internal ones, for external truths are images and forms made of many thousands of internal truths which are seen as a simple whole. And because this is what external truths are like they are further away from the Divine; for the Divine is above what is inmost, that is, the Divine is in the highest. The Lord flows in from the highest into the inmost parts of man, and through these into his interior parts, and through these in turn into his external parts, and so is flowing mediately as well as immediately. And because external things are further away from the Divine they are also for that reason lacking order when compared with internal and do not allow themselves to be brought into order in the way that internal ones do.
ttt[2] It is like seeds, which are more perfect inwardly than they are outwardly, so perfect inwardly that from within they are able to bring forth a whole young plant or a whole tree in its own ordered way, together with leaves and fruit, whose outward forms can easily suffer all kinds of damage, more so than the internal and inmost forms of the seeds which are by their very nature more interior and perfect. It is similar with the internal and external parts of man. Consequently when a person is being regenerated, the rational is regenerated before the natural, `@@@3493`. The regeneration of the natural comes later and is more difficult because many things remain unordered there and are subject to damage from the body and the world. That being so, it is said that these are not so dear. But to the extent that they agree with internal things and contribute to the life and to a sight of the internal things within them, as well as to the regeneration of man, they too are dear.
ppp19994#pid#3856. 'And He opened her womb' means that this affection gave rise to the doctrines taught by the Churches. This is clear from the meaning of 'opening the womb', or conceiving and bearing, as a Church coming into being. And since it comes into being through doctrinal teachings, 'opening the womb' also means the doctrines taught by the Churches. For conceptions and births in the Word mean spiritual conceptions and births, like those that take place when a person is born anew, see `@@@1145`, `@@@1255`, `@@@1330`, `@@@2584`. The implications of these matters will be evident from what follows shortly.
ppp19993#pid#3857. 'And Rachel was barren' means that interior truths were not received. This is clear from the representation of 'Rachel' as the affection for interior truth, dealt with already, and from the meaning of 'barren' as not giving rise to doctrines, nor thus Churches. This statement expresses the opposite of what is said in reference to Leah, that is, that 'Jehovah opened her womb', meaning that the affection represented by her gave rise to the doctrines taught by the Churches. The reason interior truths were not received is that interior truths are such as go above the range of man's belief, that is to say, they do not fall into ideas he has and are not conditioned by the outward appearances or the illusions of the senses by which everyone allows himself to be led. He does not believe interior truths unless in some way they coincide with those appearances or illusions.
ttt[2] For example, it is an interior truth that intervals of time and of space do not exist in the next life, but states instead. Man who is within time and space while he lives in the world forms all his ideas from these, so much so that he cannot have any thought without them, `@@@3404`. Consequently unless the states which exist in the next life were described by means of the intervals of time and space which man experiences, that is, by means of the kind of things that are moulded by time and space, he would perceive nothing and so believe nothing, and as a consequence would receive nothing. Doctrine would in that case be barren and no Church would arise from it.
ttt[3] Take another example. Unless celestial and spiritual affections were described by means of such things as constitute worldly and bodily affections man would not perceive anything, for these are the affections he experiences, and it is from them that he is able to have notions about celestial and spiritual affections. Yet the two types of affections are as different from each other, or as far apart, as heaven from earth. Take for example the glory of heaven, that is, of the angels in heaven, `@@@3839`. Unless man modelled his idea of the glory of heaven on the idea of the glory which exists in the world he would not grasp it at all and so would not acknowledge it. The same applies to all other interior or heavenly things.
ttt[4] For this reason the Lord has spoken in the Word in accordance with man's own ability to grasp things and with the appearances that go with that grasp of them. The literal sense of the Word is such, yet at the same time is of such a nature that it holds within it the internal sense which contains interior truths. This then explains why it is said in reference to Leah that 'Jehovah opened her womb', and that 'Rachel was barren'; for as has been stated, 'Leah' represents the affection for exterior truth, 'Rachel' the affection for interior truth. But because exterior truths are the first truths which a person learns, the Lord has provided that by means of them he can be introduced into interior truths. This provision is meant by the statement in `Genesis 30bbb22` that God at last remembered Rachel, hearkened to her, and opened her womb.
ttt[5] The truth of all this may be seen from the Churches which existed in ancient times, and from their doctrinal teachings, namely that their teachings were formed from external truths. With the Ancient Church which existed after the Flood their doctrinal teachings were for the most part external representatives and meaningful signs which had internal truths stored within them. For the majority of its members holy worship consisted in those external representatives and signs. If anyone had told them that the essential ingredients of Divine worship were not those representatives and meaningful signs but the spiritual and celestial realities represented and meant by these, they would have rejected them altogether, and so the Church would have ceased to exist. This applied even more to the Jewish Church. If anyone had told them that their religious observances received their holiness from the Divine things that were the Lord's within them they would not have acknowledged them at all.
ttt[6] Such also was mankind when the Lord came into the world. They had grown even more bodily-minded, especially so those who were members of the Church. This is quite evident even from the disciples who, though with the Lord constantly and hearing so many things about His kingdom, were as yet unable to perceive interior truths. They were still unable to have any other concept of the Lord than such as exists with the Jews at the present day about the Messiah whom they are still awaiting. They imagined that He would promote that people to a position of dominion and glory over all nations throughout the world. And after hearing so many things from the Lord about the heavenly kingdom the disciples were still unable to think anything else than that the heavenly kingdom would be like an earthly kingdom, where God the Father would be supreme, after Him the Son, and then themselves the twelve, and so would reign in this order. For the same reasons also James and John asked to sit one on His right and the other on the left, `Mark 10bbb35-37`; and the rest of the disciples were angry at these two wishing to be greater than the rest, `Mark 10bbb41`; `Matthew 20bbb24`. For the same reason also, after teaching them what it was to be greatest in heaven, `Matthew 20bbb25-28`; `Mark 10bbb42-45`, the Lord still spoke in the way that they themselves thought. That is to say, He spoke of them sitting on twelve thrones and judging the twelve tribes of Israel, `Luke 22bbb24`, `Luke 22bbbccc30`; `Matthew 19bbb28`.
ttt[7] If they had been told that the word 'disciples' was not used to mean themselves but all people in whom the good of love and faith dwells, `@@@3354`, `@@@3488`, and also that in the Lord's kingdom there are no thrones, nor positions of government and dominion, as in the world, and that they would not be able to pass judgement on even the smallest aspect of any one person, `@@@2129`, `@@@2553`, they would have rejected that saying, and each would have left the Lord and gone back to his own employment. The reason why the Lord spoke in the way He did was so that they would receive those things and through them be introduced into internal truths. For within the external truths which the Lord spoke internal truths lay stored away which in course of time are laid bare. And when these are laid bare those external truths are dispelled and serve solely as the objects or the means for thought about internal ones. From these considerations one may recognize what is meant by the fact that Jehovah opened Leah's womb first and she bore sons to Jacob, and that Rachel did so subsequently.
ppp19992#pid#3858. Since the subject in the verses that follow now is the twelve sons of Jacob, and since the twelve tribes of Israel were named after them as their fathers, let an introductory statement be made here about what the tribes mean and why there were twelve. Nobody as yet has known the arcanum lying within these considerations, for people have believed that the historical descriptions of the Word are purely history and hold nothing more of the Divine within them than their ability to be made to apply to matters of a holy nature when these are under discussion. Consequently they have also believed that the twelve tribes meant nothing else than the divisions of the Israelitish people into so many separate nations or general families, when in fact Divine realities are implied in those tribes. That is to say, those tribes mean so many universal divisions of faith and love and so mean things that constitute the Lord's kingdom in heaven and on earth, each tribe in particular meaning some universal division. But what exactly each tribe means will be evident from the verses that follow directly after this, where the subject is the sons of Jacob after whom the twelve tribes were named. In general the twelve tribes meant everything constituting the doctrine of truth and good, that is, of faith and love; for these - that is to say, truth and good, or faith and love - constitute the Lord's kingdom, since what are essentially matters of truth or faith constitute the whole of thought there, and what are essentially matters of good or love constitute the whole of affection. And because the Jewish Church was established so as to represent the Lord's kingdom the divisions of that people into twelve tribes therefore meant those things of His kingdom. This is an arcanum which has not previously been disclosed.
ttt[2] Twelve means all things in general, as shown already in `@@@577`, `@@@2089`, `@@@2129`, `@@@2130` (end), `@@@3272`, while 'tribes' means matters of truth and good, or of faith and love, so that 'the twelve tribes' means all of these. Let this meaning of 'the twelve tribes' be substantiated here from the Word before each one is dealt with individually. In John,
The holy city New Jerusalem, having twelve gates, and above the gates twelve angels, and names written which are those of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. He measured the city with the measuring rod, twelve thousand stadia. And he measured its wall, a hundred and forty-four cubits, which is the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. The twelve gates were twelve pearls. `Revelation 21bbb12`, `Revelation 21bbbccc14`, `Revelation 21bbbccc16-17`, `Revelation 21bbbccc21`.
'The holy city', or the New Jerusalem, means the Lord's new Church, as is evident from each detail of this description. Previous chapters refer to what the condition of the Church was going to be like before its end; this chapter refers to a new Church. That being so, 'the gates', 'the wall', 'the foundations' mean nothing else than things constituting the Church, which are those of charity and faith since these constitute the Church.
ttt[3] From this it may be clear to anyone that 'twelve' used so many times in that description, also 'tribes', and 'apostles' too, are not used to mean twelve, or tribes, or apostles, but that 'twelve' is used to mean all things in their entirety; see what has been shown in `@@@577`, `@@@2089`, `@@@2129`, `@@@2130` (end), `@@@3272`. The same is true of the number 'a hundred and forty-four', for this is twelve twelves. And since 'twelve' means all things it is evident that 'the twelve tribes' means all things constituting the Church, which, as stated above, are truth and good, or faith and love. The same is also true of 'the twelve apostles' who as well represented all things constituting the Church, that is, all things of faith and love, see `@@@2129`, `@@@3354`, `@@@3488`, `@@@3857`. That number is therefore called 'the measure of a man, that is, of an angel', by which is meant a state of truth and good. For 'measure' means state, see `@@@3104`, and 'man' means that which constitutes the Church, as is evident from things said about the meaning of 'man' in `@@@478`, `@@@479`, `@@@565`, `@@@768`, `@@@1871`, `@@@1894`, and also from the fact that the Lord's kingdom is called the Grand Man, which it is called by virtue of good and truth which come from the Lord, dealt with at the ends of chapters in `@@@3624-3649`, `@@@3741-3750`. And 'angel' has the same meaning, `@@@1705`, `@@@1754`, `@@@1925`, `@@@2821`, `@@@3039`.
ttt[4] As in John, so also in the Prophets, in the Old Testament Word, is the new Jerusalem referred to, where in a similar way the Lord's new Church is meant, as in `Isaiah 65bbb18-19`, and following verses; in `Zechariah 14bbb0`; and in particular in Ezekiel, Chapters `Ezekiel ccc40bbb0`-`Ezekiel ccc48bbb0`, where the new Jerusalem, the new Temple, and a new earth describe in the internal sense the Lord's kingdom in heaven, and the Lord's kingdom on earth, which is the Church. The contents of those chapters, plainer than anywhere else, show what 'earth', 'Jerusalem', 'Temple', and everything in them meant, and also what 'the twelve tribes' means. For the subject of those chapters is the division of the land and the inheritance of it according to tribes, as well as the city and its walls, foundation, and gates, and everything that was to go with the Temple there. From those chapters let simply matters relating to the tribes be quoted here,
The Lord Jehovih said, This is the boundary of your inheritance of the land, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. You shall divide this land according to the tribes of Israel. But you shall divide it by lot as an inheritance, and for sojourners sojourning in your midst. They shall cast lots with you for an inheritance in the midst of the tribes of Israel. `Ezekiel 47bbb13`, `Ezekiel 47bbbccc21-23`.
As regards the land, it will be for the prince as a possession in Israel. And the princes will no longer oppress My people, and the land they will give to the house of Israel according to their tribes. `Ezekiel 45bbb8`.
Concerning inheritances and how they were assigned to individual tribes which are also referred to there by name, see `Ezekiel 48bbb1` and following verses; and concerning the gates of the city which are named after the tribes of Israel, verses `Genesis 29bbbccc31-34` of the same chapter.
ttt[5] Quite plainly, when the tribes are spoken of here it is not the tribes who are meant, for by that time ten tribes had long since been scattered throughout the whole world, and had not subsequently returned. Nor can they possibly return, for they have become gentiles. And yet reference is made to each individual tribe, and to how it was to inherit the land and what its boundary was to be. What the boundary for the tribe of Dan was to be is stated in verse `Genesis 29bbbccc2`; what the boundary for the tribe of Asher was to be in verse `Genesis 29bbbccc3`; what those of Naphtali, Manasseh, Ephraim, Reuben, and Judah were to be, and concerning the inheritance of the Levites; and what the boundaries of Benjamin, Simeon, Issachar, Zebulun, and Gad were to be in verses `Genesis 29bbbccc4-29`. In addition to all this that chapter declares that the city was to have twelve gates named after the tribes of Israel - three gates facing north, those of Reuben, Judah, and Levi; three gates facing east, those of Joseph, Benjamin, and Dan; three gates facing south, those of Simeon, Issachar and Zebulun; and three gates facing west, those of Gad, Asher, and Naphtali, in verses `Genesis 29bbbccc31-34`.
ttt[6] From all this it is evident that 'the twelve tribes' means all things that belong to the Lord's kingdom, and so all that are matters of faith and love, for these constitute the Lord's kingdom, as stated above. Because the twelve tribes meant all things of the Lord's kingdom they also represented that kingdom by their encampments and by their travellings. In Moses it is said that they were to encamp according to the tribes around the Tent of Meeting - to the east, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun; to the south, Reuben, Simeon, and Gad; to the west, Ephraim Manasseh, and Benjamin; and to the north, Dan, Asher, and Naphtali, and as they were encamped so they travelled, `Numbers 2bbb1`-end. In all this they represented the Lord's kingdom, as is quite evident from Balaam's prophecy,
When Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel dwelling according to tribes, the Spirit of God came upon him and he delivered his utterance, and said, How good your tabernacles are, O Jacob; your dwelling-places, O Israel! They are like valleys that are planted, like gardens beside a river, like aloes Jehovah has planted, like cedars beside the waters. `Numbers 24bbb2-3`, `Numbers 24bbbccc5-6`.
The fact that Balaam received from Jehovah these words spoken by him is explicitly stated in `Numbers 22bbb8`, `Numbers 22bbbccc18-19`, `Numbers 22bbbccc35`, `Numbers 22bbbccc38`; `Numbers ccc23bbb5`, `Numbers 23bbbccc12`, `Numbers 23bbbccc16`, `Numbers 23bbbccc26`; `Numbers ccc24bbb2`, `Numbers 24bbbccc13`.
ttt[7] From this also it is evident what the inheritances of the land of Canaan according to tribes represented, in connection with which it is said in Moses that he was to take a census of the congregation of the children of Israel, according to their fathers' houses; a census of those twenty or more years old, everyone going into the army of Israel. The land was to be distributed by lot; according to the names of their fathers' tribes they were to receive an inheritance, `Numbers 26bbb2`, `Numbers 26bbbccc7-56`; `Numbers ccc33bbb54`; `Numbers ccc34bbb19-29`. And Joshua's actual division of the land by lot according to tribes is described in Chapters `Joshua ccc13bbb0`, `Joshua ccc15bbb0`, `Joshua ccc19bbb0` of the Book of Joshua. From these particular details it is evident that the Lord's kingdom was represented, as has been stated; for the land of Canaan meant that kingdom, see `@@@1585`, `@@@1607`, `@@@3038`, `@@@3481`, `@@@3705`.
ttt[8] The reason why they are called 'armies' and why it is said that 'they encamped according to their armies and travelled according to their armies', `Numbers 2bbb4`, `Numbers 2bbbccc6`, `Numbers 2bbbccc8`, `Numbers 2bbbccc11`, `Numbers 2bbbccc13`, `Numbers 2bbbccc15`, `Numbers 2bbbccc19`, `Numbers 2bbbccc21-23`, `Numbers 2bbbccc26`, `Numbers 2bbbccc28`, `Numbers 2bbbccc30`, is that 'an army' had the same meaning [as 'a tribe'], namely truths and goods, see `@@@3448`. And the Lord is called Jehovah Zebaoth or 'Jehovah of Armies (or Hosts)' `@@@3448`. They were for these reasons called 'the armies of Jehovah' when they departed from Egypt, as in Moses,
It happened at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, on that same day it happened that all the armies of Jehovah were to come out of the land of Egypt. `Exodus 12bbb41`.
Anyone may recognize that such people in Egypt, and after that in the wilderness, were not called 'the armies of Jehovah' except in a representative sense, for no good or truth was present in them, the worst of all nations.
ttt[9] From this it is also quite evident what was meant by the names of the twelve tribes on Aaron's breastplate, which was called the Urim and Thummim. Concerning the breastplate the following is said in Moses,
There shall be four rows in it and twelve stones. These stones shall be according to the names of the sons of Israel, twelve according to their names. The engravings of a signet, for each one over its name, there shall be for the twelve tribes. `Exodus 28bbb17`, `Exodus 28bbbccc21`; `Exodus ccc39bbb14`.
For 'Aaron' represented the Lord's Divine priesthood, and therefore all the vestments worn by him as high priest meant Divine celestial and spiritual things. But the exact meaning of those vestments will in the Lord's Divine mercy be clear where they are the subject. Since the breastplate itself was most holy, the names of it were representations of all the essential characteristics of love and faith in the Lord. These are the Urim and Thummim. The reason why the names were engraved on the precious stones was that 'stones' in general meant truths, `@@@1298`, `@@@3720`, and 'precious stones' truths shining through from good, `@@@114`. And because the name of each individual tribe meant some essential characteristic, a specific stone was also allocated for each tribe, `Exodus 28bbb17-20`; `Exodus ccc39bbb10-13`, which expressed by means of its colour and transparence the characteristic meant by that tribe. This was how Jehovah or the Lord gave answers by means of the Urim and Thummim.
ttt[10] The two shoham stones which were on the two shoulder-pieces of the ephod had a similar representation but in a lesser degree than the twelve stones on the breastplate. For 'the shoulders' meant all power, and so the Lord's omnipotence, `@@@1085`, whereas 'the breast' or heart and lungs meant Divine celestial and spiritual love - 'the heart' Divine celestial love, 'the lungs' Divine spiritual love, see `@@@3635` and the end of the present chapter where the Grand Man and its correspondence with the province of the heart and the province of the lungs is the subject. The two stones on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod are referred to in Moses as follows,
You shall take two shoham stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel, six of the names on one stone and the remaining six names on the other stone, according to their births. You shall put two stones on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod, stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel. `Exodus 28bbb9-12`; `Exodus ccc39bbb6-7`.
ttt[11] Because 'the tribes' meant what are essentially matters of truth and good, or faith and love, and each tribe meant some universal aspect of these, and since the tribe of Levi meant love, as will be evident from the explanation at verse `Genesis 29bbbccc34` below, one can therefore recognize what was meant by their placing rods, one for each tribe, in the Tent of Meeting and by Levi's rod alone blossoming with almonds. All this is described in Moses as follows,
He was told to take twelve rods, one rod for each head of their fathers' houses, and these were to be left in the Tent of Meeting, the name of Aaron being written on the rod of Levi. Aaron's rod was placed in the middle of them. And the next day, behold, Aaron's rod for the tribe of Levi had blossomed; it had produced buds,`fff1` so that it flowered and produced almonds. `Numbers 17bbb2-8`.
These occurrences meant that love was the essential, also the first and foremost, thing of all in the Lord's kingdom and that love is the source of all fruitfulness. And the reason why Aaron's name was on the rod was that Aaron represented the Lord as regards His Divine priesthood. For by the Lord's priesthood is meant Divine Good, which essentially is His love and mercy, and by the Lord's kingship is meant Divine Truth which stems from Divine Good, see `@@@1728`, `@@@2015` (end), `@@@3670`.
ttt[12] From what has been introduced so far one may now see what 'tribes' and 'the twelve tribes' mean in the following places: In John,
I heard the number of the sealed, a hundred and forty-four thousand sealed out of every tribe of Israel - twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Reuben, twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Gad, twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Asher, twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Naphtali, twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Manasseh, twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Simeon, twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Levi, twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Issachar, twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Zebulun, twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Joseph, twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Benjamin. `Revelation 7bbb4-8`.
In Moses,
Remember the days of old, understand the years of generation after generation.
When the Most High gave to the nations an inheritance, when He separated the sons of man, He fixed the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel. `Deuteronomy 32bbb7-8`.
In David,
Jerusalem, built as a city which is closely compacted together, to which the tribes go up, the tribes of Jah, a testimony to Israel, to confess the name of Jehovah. `Psalms 122bbb3-4`.
ttt[13] In Joshua, who was told,
The Ark of the Covenant of the Lord of all the earth is going to pass over before you into the Jordan. Take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man from each tribe. And it will happen when the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the Ark of Jehovah, the Lord of all the earth, rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the Jordan will be cut off. They will stand in one heap. `Joshua 3bbb11-17`.
And further,
Take out of the midst of the Jordan, from the places where the priests' feet stood, twelve stones which you are to prepare and carry with you. And let each man take a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of Israel, that it may be a sign that the waters of the Jordan were cut off. Moreover Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, beneath the places where the feet of the priests bearing the Ark of the Covenant had stood. `Joshua 4bbb1-9`.
Also in the description about Elijah,
Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word had come, Israel shall be your name; and he built an altar to the name of Jehovah. `1 Kings 18bbb31-32`.
ttt[14] That 'the tribes' means the goods of love and the truths of faith is also clear from the Lord's words in Matthew,
Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and glory. `Matthew 24bbb30`.
Here 'all the tribes of the earth will mourn' means that the acknowledgement of truth and the life of good will not exist any longer, for the subject in that chapter is the close of the age. Similarly in John,
Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, and those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will wail over Him. `Revelation 1bbb7`.
What 'coming in the clouds of heaven' means, see Preface to `Genesis 18bbb0`. See in addition what I have been shown from experience about the number 'twelve', in `@@@2129`, `@@@2130`.
ttt[15] The reason why all things of faith and love are called 'tribes' is that the same expression in the original language also means a sceptre and a rod. For 'a sceptre' and also 'a rod' mean power, as will in the Lord's Divine mercy be shown elsewhere. For this reason the noun 'tribe' entails the idea that forms of good and truth possess within them all power from the Lord. And angels too are therefore referred to as 'powers' and also 'principalities', for 'princes' means the first and foremost aspects of charity and faith, such as the twelve princes descended from Ishmael, `Genesis 25bbb16`, see `@@@2089`, as well as the princes who were leaders of the tribes, `Numbers 7bbb0`; `Numbers ccc13bbb4-16`.
ttt[16] From what has been said up to now about the twelve tribes one can recognize why the Lord's disciples, who later on were called apostles, were twelve in number, and that like the tribes they represented the Lord's Church as regards goods and truths, `@@@2129`, `@@@3354`, `@@@3488`, `@@@3857`. 'Peter' represented faith, 'James' charity, and 'John' the works that flow from charity, see the Prefaces to `Genesis 18bbb0`, `Genesis ccc22bbb0`, and also `@@@3750`. This is also quite evident from the things which the Lord said about them and to them.
`nnn1. literally, flower
ppp19991#pid#3859. Verse `Genesis 29bbbccc32` And Leah conceived and bore a son; and she called his name Reuben, for she said, Because Jehovah has seen my affliction; for now my husband (vir) will love me.
'Leah conceived and bore a son' means spiritual conception and birth from what is external to what is internal. 'And she called his name Reuben' means the essential nature of it, which is described. 'For she said, Because Jehovah has seen' in the highest sense means foresight, in the internal sense faith, in the interior sense understanding, and in the external sense sight - faith received from the Lord being meant here. 'My affliction' means a state of arriving at good. 'For now my husband will love me' means that from this state would come the good of truth.
ppp19990#pid#3860. 'Leah conceived and bore a son' means spiritual conception and birth from what is external to what is internal. This is clear from the meaning of 'conceiving and bearing' in the internal sense as being regenerated, for a person who is being regenerated is conceived and born anew. Regeneration is for' this reason called rebirth, but that rebirth is spiritual. A person is indeed born a human being from his parents, but he does not become truly human until he is born again from the Lord. Spiritual and celestial life is what makes a person truly human, for that life distinguishes him from animals. This conception and birth is what is meant in the Word by the conceptions and births of all who are mentioned there, and by the words used here, 'Leah conceived and bore a son'. As to its being the generations and births of faith and love that are meant, see `@@@613`, `@@@1145`, `@@@1255`, `@@@2020`, `@@@2584`, `@@@3856`. Those conceptions and births take place from what is external to what is internal, and this is meant by 'Leah conceived and bore', for 'Leah' represents the affection for external truth, `@@@3793`, `@@@3819`, and 'Reuben' the truth of faith, which is the first stage of regeneration and the external from which it begins. The implications of all this will be evident from all that follows regarding Jacob's children by Leah and by Rachel.
ppp19989#pid#3861. 'And she called his name Reuben' means the essential nature of it, which is described. This is clear from the meaning of 'name' and 'calling the name' as the essential nature, dealt with in `@@@144`, `@@@145`, `@@@1754`, `@@@1896`, `@@@2009`, `@@@2724`, `@@@3006`, `@@@3421`. That nature itself is described by the statement, 'Because Jehovah has seen my affliction, for now my husband will love me', the literal meaning of the name Reuben. Spiritually however all names in the Word mean real things, as has been shown often, see `@@@1224`, `@@@1264`, `@@@1876`, `@@@1888`; and among me ancients when a name was given it meant some state, `@@@340`, `@@@1946`, `@@@2643`, `@@@3422`. Here it will be seen that the names of all the sons of Jacob mean the universal attributes of the Church. Also one specific universal attribute has been combined within each name, but what that attribute is no one can possibly know unless he knows the internal sense embodied in the words from which each son's name is derived. That is, he needs to know the internal sense embodied in 'has seen' from which Reuben is derived, and in 'has heard' from which Simeon is derived, and in 'has clung to' from which Levi is derived, and in 'to confess' from which Judah is derived, and so on with all the other sons.
ppp19988#pid#3862. In `@@@3858` above it was shown that 'the twelve tribes' meant all things forming part of truth and good, or of faith and love. In this present paragraph, now that the sons of Jacob individually after whom the tribes were named are the subject, a second arcanum is to be brought to light, namely the meaning which each son carries. In heaven all celestial and spiritual warmth, or love and charity, is in its external form felt as the glow from the sun, and in heaven all celestial and spiritual light, or faith, is in its external form seen as the light from the sun. Also that celestial and spiritual warmth holds wisdom within itself, and the light from that source holds intelligence, and they do so because they flow from the Lord, who is the Sun of heaven, see `@@@1053`, `@@@1521-1533`, `@@@1619-1632`, `@@@2441`, `@@@2495`, `@@@2776`, `@@@3138`, `@@@3167`, `@@@3190`, `@@@3195`, `@@@3222`, `@@@3223`, `@@@3338`, `@@@3339`, `@@@3341`, `@@@3413`, `@@@3485`, `@@@3636`, `@@@3643`.
These paragraphs show that all good is a product of the warmth which flows from the Lord as the Sun, and that all truth is a product of the light from that source. They also show that all affections which go with love or good are variations of that celestial and spiritual warmth flowing from the Lord, and that this is the origin of changes of state. They show too that all thoughts which go with truth or faith are variations of that celestial and spiritual light which flows from the Lord, and that this is the origin of intelligence. All angels in heaven are bathed in that warmth and light. Their affections and thoughts have no other source, nor are they anything else. This is evident from the different forms of communication employed by the angels, in that because those forms of communication have their origin in heavenly warmth and light, they consist of variations and modifications of heavenly light containing heavenly warmth, and are therefore indescribable and so varying and complete as to be quite beyond one's comprehension, `@@@3342`, `@@@3344`, `@@@3345`.
ttt[2] So that these things might be manifested in a representative way in the world names were given to each of the sons of Jacob which meant the universal divisions of good and truth, or of love and faith, and so the universal manifestations of variation in celestial and spiritual warmth and of variation in light from that source. What determines the intensity of the flame and the brightness from it is the actual order of those universal manifestations. When love comes first in such order, everything which follows within genuine order from that love is flaming, but when faith comes first everything which follows within genuine order is full of light, yet with all the differences that the things which follow entail. If however they do not follow according to genuine order everything is obscure, and in ever differing ways. But this order and resulting differences will in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed later on. This then is how the Lord gave answers by means of the Urim and Thummim and how according to the state of the actual thing in question they received answers by means of lights and their flashes from the precious and transparent stones on which the names of the twelve tribes had been inscribed. For as has been stated, inscribed on the names were the universal divisions of love and faith which exist in the Lord's kingdom and so the universal manifestations of flame and light by which those divisions of love and faith are represented in heaven.
ttt[3] First therefore let evidence from the Word be presented to confirm that the order of the names in which the tribes are mentioned varies in the Word, and that each variation of their order is determined by the particular state of the subject under discussion there. And from such evidence one may see that the answers from the Lord given by means of the Urim and Thummim were radiations of light determined by the particular states of the thing - such variations being due to the order of all that was involved. For the entire light of heaven is made to vary by the different states which that thing passes through, and those states are made to vary by the order in which good and truth come. But which aspect of truth or good is meant by each name will be evident from the explanation that is being given. That is to say, Reuben means faith from the Lord; Simeon faith possessed by the will which is received from the Lord; Levi spiritual love, which is charity; Judah the Divinity of love, and the Lord's heavenly kingdom. What the other eight mean will be stated in the next chapter. Described here is the order in which they were born, which was as follows: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, Benjamin - see verses `Genesis 29bbbccc32-35` of the present chapter, and then `Genesis 30bbb6`, `Genesis 30bbbccc8`, `Genesis 30bbbccc11`, `Genesis 30bbbccc13`, `Genesis 30bbbccc18`, `Genesis 30bbbccc20`, `Genesis 30bbbccc24`; `Genesis ccc35bbb18`. This order is determined by the state of the subject that is being dealt with at this point, which is that of the regeneration of man, for this starts with the truth of faith, meant by 'Reuben', progresses from this towards the willing of truth, meant by 'Simeon', and from this to charity, meant by 'Levi', and so on to the Lord, who is meant in the highest sense by 'Judah'. The progression of spiritual conception and birth, or regeneration, from what is external to what is internal has been stated immediately above in `@@@3860`; that is, the progression is from the truth of faith to the good of love.
ttt[4] Before Jacob came to Isaac his father in Mamre, or Kiriath Arba, his sons are mentioned in `Genesis 35bbb23-26` in the following order: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher. In this case those by Leah and Rachel come first, and those by the servant-girls last, this being determined by the state of the subject dealt with at that point. They are listed in yet another order when they travelled and came into Egypt, in `Genesis 46bbb9-19`; in another when before his death they were blessed by Jacob, who by then was Israel, in `Genesis 49bbb3-27`; and in another again when blessed by Moses, in `Deuteronomy 33bbb6-24`. And when they encamped around the Tent of Meeting they did so in the following order: To the east Judah, Issachar, Zebulun; to the south Reuben, Simeon, Gad; to the west Ephraim, Manasseh, Benjamin; to the north Dan, Asher, Naphtali, `Numbers 2bbb1`-end. In what order they stood on Mount Gerizim to bless the people, or on Mount Ebal to curse them, see `Deuteronomy 27bbb12-13`. When the princes chosen from each tribe were sent to spy out the land they are listed in `Numbers 13bbb4-16` in the following order: Reuben, Simeon, Judah, Issachar, Ephraim, Benjamin, Zebulun, Joseph or Manasseh, Dan, Asher, Naphtali, Gad. But there is a different order to the princes who were to divide the land for inheritance, `Numbers 34bbb19-29`. In what order the lot fell when it was cast, at the time that the land was divided for inheritance, see Chapters `Joshua ccc13bbb0` - `Joshua ccc19bbb0` of Joshua.
ttt[5] When the boundaries of the new or holy land which the tribes were to inherit are referred to in Ezekiel the tribes are mentioned in the following order: Dan, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Ephraim, Reuben, Judah, Benjamin, Simeon, Issachar, Zebulun, Gad. All are described from the corner pointing east to the corner pointing to the sea or west, except Gad which was situated at the south corner pointing towards the south, `Ezekiel 48bbb1-7`, `Ezekiel 48bbbccc23-26`. And where the gates of the new or holy city are referred to they are mentioned in the following order: Facing north the three gates of Reuben, Judah, and Levi; facing east the three gates of Joseph, Benjamin, and Dan; facing south the three gates of Simeon, Issachar, and Zebulun; facing west the three gates of Gad, Asher, and Naphtali, `Ezekiel 48bbb31-34`. For the order of those sealed, twelve thousand from each tribe, see `Revelation 7bbb5-8`. In all these places the listing of the tribes depends completely on the state of the subject dealt with, to which the order corresponds. That particular state is evident from what comes before and after.
ttt[6] The order of the precious stones in the Urim and Thummim is mentioned and described in the Word, but which tribes individual stones corresponded to is not mentioned. For those stones represented all things belonging to the light shed by heavenly flame, that is, all aspects of truth originating in good, or of faith originating in charity. And because they represented these things heavenly light itself shone through them in a miraculous way in accordance with the state of the subject concerning which a question was asked and an answer was given. Flashing and bright light stood for a positive answer concerning good and truth, which light was accompanied by variations of the stones' colours according with the differences of the state of good and truth, as in heaven where all celestial and spiritual things are expressed by means of lights and their differences, and in a way beyond description and completely incomprehensible to man. For as has been shown frequently, heavenly light includes life from the Lord, and so includes wisdom and intelligence. Consequently the differences in light include everything that constitutes the life, that is, everything that constitutes wisdom and intelligence, while the differences in flaming, flashing, and shining include everything that constitutes the life of good and the life of truth received from good, that is, of love to the Lord and of faith derived from that love. Such then were the Urim and Thummim which were on the breastplate of the ephod and were over Aaron's heart. The nature of them is also evident from the fact that the terms Urim and Thummim mean lights and perfections, and that the breastplate in which they were set is called the breastplate of judgement, because judgement consists in intelligence and wisdom, `@@@2235`. The reason it was worn over Aaron's heart was that 'the heart' means Divine love, see `@@@3635` and the section at the end of the present chapter. For this reason also those precious stones were placed in settings of gold, for 'gold' in the internal sense means good which is an attribute of love, `@@@113`, `@@@1551`, `@@@1552`, and 'precious stone' truth which shines through from good, `@@@114`.
ttt[7] The Urim and Thummim are spoken of in Moses as follows,
You shall make the breastplate of judgement, the work of designing, like the work of the ephod you shall make it; out of gold, violet, and purple, and twice-dyed scarlet, and of fine-twined linen you shall make it. It shall be square when doubled. And you shall set within it stone-settings, four rows of stones shall there be. There shall be sockets of gold in their settings. And the stones shall be according to the names of the sons of Israel, twelve according to their names. The engravings of a signet, each one according to its name, there shall be for the twelve tribes. `Exodus 28bbb15-21`; `Exodus ccc39bbb8-14`.
Which stones had to be set in each row is also specified in those chapters. And further,
The breastplate shall not come away from the ephod. And Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel on the breastplate of judgement over his heart when he goes into the holy place, for a remembrance before Jehovah continually. And you shall put into the breastplate of judgement the Urim and Thummim, and they shall be over Aaron's heart when he goes in before Jehovah. And Aaron shall bear the judgement of the sons of Israel over his heart before Jehovah continually. `Exodus 28bbb28-30`; `Leviticus 8bbb7-8`.
The fact that Jehovah or the Lord was inquired of and gave answers by means of the Urim is seen in Moses,
Jehovah said to Moses, Take Joshua the son of Nun. You shall place some of your glory on him, so that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient. He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, and he shall inquire for him in the judgement of the Urim before Jehovah. `Numbers 27bbb18`, `Numbers 27bbbccc20-21`.
And in Samuel,
Saul inquired of Jehovah, but Jehovah did not answer him by dreams, or by the Urim, or by prophets. `1 Samuel 28bbb6`.
ppp19987#pid#3863. 'For she said, Because Jehovah has seen' in the highest sense means foresight, in the internal sense faith, in the interior sense understanding, and in the external sense sight - faith received from the Lord being meant here. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing', dealt with below. What has been presented above shows that the twelve tribes, named after the twelve sons of Jacob, meant all things forming part of truth and good, or of faith and love, and so all aspects of the Church. It also shows that each tribe meant some universal division, and so the twelve tribes the twelve universal divisions which embrace and include within themselves every specific thing which is part of the Church, and in the universal sense everything that is part of the Lord's kingdom. The universal division meant by 'Reuben' is faith. The reason faith is the first universal division is that when a person is being regenerated, or becoming the Church, he must first learn and absorb aspects of faith, that is, of spiritual truth, for it is by means of doctrine about faith or truth that he is led into regeneration. For man is such that of himself he does not know what heavenly good is but has to learn about it from doctrine, which is called the doctrine of faith. Every doctrine of faith has life as the end in view, and because it has life it also has good in view, for good is the sum and substance of life.
ttt[2] Controversy existed among the ancients over which was the firstborn of the Church, whether it was the truth of faith or whether it was the good of love. Those who said that the truth of faith was the firstborn based their conclusions on the outward appearance and decided that such truth was the firstborn because it is and must be learned first and because a person is led by means of it into good. But they did not know that good is essentially the firstborn and that it is instilled by the Lord through the internal man so that he may adopt and accept the truth which is brought in by way of the external. They did not know that good holds life from the Lord within it, or that truth does not possess any life except that which comes through good, so that good is the soul of truth by making truth its own and clothing itself with it as the soul does the body. From this it may be seen that to outward appearance truth occupies first place and is so to speak the firstborn while a person is being regenerated, though essentially good occupies first place and is the firstborn, and does actually come to occupy it once he has been regenerated. For the truth of this, see `@@@3539`, `@@@3548`, `@@@3556`, `@@@3563`, `@@@3570`, `@@@3576`, `@@@3603`, `@@@3701`.
ttt[3] The subject in this and previous chapters being the regeneration of the natural - at this point its first state, which is a state of being led by means of truth into good - the first son of Jacob, who was Reuben, was so named from the phrase Jehovah seeing, which in the internal sense means faith originating in the Lord. Regarded in itself faith consists in faith in the understanding and faith in the will. Knowledge and understanding of the truth of faith is called faith in the understanding, but willing the truth of faith is called faith in the will. The former - faith in the understanding - is the faith meant by 'Reuben', but the latter - faith in the will - is that meant by 'Simeon'. It may be seen by anyone that faith existing in the understanding, or the ability to understand truth, comes before faith existing in the will, or the actual willing of it. For when a person does not know of something, such as heavenly good, he must first come to know of its existence and then to understand what it is before he is able to will it.
ttt[4] 'Seeing' in the external sense means sight, as is clear without explanation. 'Seeing' in the interior sense means the understanding, as is likewise clear, for the sight that the internal man has is nothing else than the understanding, which also is why in everyday speech the understanding is called internal sight, and the word light is used in reference to it as well as to external sight and is called the light of the understanding. 'Seeing' in the internal sense means faith received from the Lord, as is clear from the consideration that interior understanding has no other objects than those of truth and good, for these are the objects of faith. This interior understanding, or internal sight, which has truths of faith as its objects, does not show itself so plainly as the understanding does which has truths to do with public and private life as its objects, the reason being that it exists inside this latter understanding and dwells in the light of heaven, which light is in obscurity as long as a person dwells in the light of the world. Nevertheless it does reveal itself with those who are regenerate, in particular by means of conscience. 'Seeing' in the highest sense clearly means foresight, for the intelligence spoken of in reference to the Lord is an infinite intelligence, which is nothing else than foresight.
ttt[5] That 'seeing' after which Reuben was named means in the internal sense faith received from the Lord is evident from very many places in the Word, of which let the following be brought forward: In Moses,
Jehovah said to Moses, Make a serpent and set it on a standard, and it will be that everyone who has been bitten, when he sees it, will live. And Moses made a serpent of bronze and set it on a standard. And so it was, if a serpent had bitten a man, when he looked at the serpent of bronze, that he was restored to life again. `Numbers 21bbb8-9`.
'The bronze serpent' represented the Lord's external sensory perception, which is natural, see `@@@197` - 'bronze' meaning that which is natural, `@@@425`, `@@@1551`. Faith in Him was represented by the restoration to life again of those who saw it, that is, looked at it, as the Lord Himself teaches in John,
As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but have eternal life. `John 3bbb14-15`.
ttt[6] In Isaiah,
The Lord said, Go and say to this people, Hearing, hear - but do not understand; and seeing, see - but do not comprehend. Make the heart of this people fat and their ears heavy, and plaster over their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and their heart understands. `Isaiah 6bbb9-10`.
Here it is quite evident that 'seeing, see - but do not comprehend' means understanding what is true and yet not acknowledging. The words 'plastering over their eyes, lest they see with their eyes' means depriving them of the understanding of truth, faith in the Lord being meant in this case by 'seeing', as is clear from the Lord's words in `Matthew 13bbb13-14`, and in `John 12bbb36-37`, `John 12bbbccc39-40`.
ttt[7] In Ezekiel,
Son of man, you are dwelling in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see but they do not see, who have ears to hear but they do not hear. `Ezekiel 12bbb2`
'Eyes to see but they do not see' stands for their being able to understand the truths of faith but not willing them. They do not will them on account of evils, meant by 'a rebellious house', which bring an untrue light to falsities and darkness to truths, in accordance with the following in Isaiah,
They were a rebellious people, lying sons, sons who did not wish to hear the law of Jehovah, who said to the seers, Do not see; and to those who had visions, Do not see for us things that are right, tell us smooth things, see illusions. `Isaiah 30bbb9-10`.
In Isaiah,
This people walking in darkness have seen a great light; those dwelling in the land of the shadow of death, upon them has the light shone out. `Isaiah 9bbb2`.
'Seeing a great light' stands for receiving and believing the truths of faith. It is over those who have faith that heavenly 'light' is said 'to shine out', for the light which is shed in heaven is Divine Truth coming from Divine Good.
ttt[8] In the same prophet,
Jehovah has poured out over you a spirit of slumber, and has closed your eyes, the prophets and your heads, the seers, He has covered. `Isaiah 29bbb10`.
'Closing the eyes' stands for closing the understanding of truth - 'the eye' meaning the understanding, see `@@@2701`. 'Covering the seers' stands for covering those who know and teach the truths of faith. 'Seers' in former times were called prophets, and prophets mean those who teach as well as meaning the truths of doctrine, see `@@@2534`. In the same prophet,
The priest and the prophet err through strong drink, they err among those who see, they are tottery in judgement. `Isaiah 28bbb7`.
Here the meaning is similar. 'The judgement in which they are tottery' means the truth of faith, see `@@@2235`. In the same prophet,
The eyes of those who see will not be closed, and the ears of those who hear will listen. `Isaiah 32bbb3`.
Here the meaning is similar.
ttt[9] In the same prophet,
Your eyes will behold the king in his beauty, they will see a land stretching far. `Isaiah 33bbb17`.
'Beholding the king in his beauty' stands for beholding truths of faith which come from the Lord and are called beautiful by virtue of good. 'Seeing a land stretching far' stands for seeing the good of love. For 'the king' means the truth of faith, see `@@@1672`, `@@@2015`, `@@@2069`, `@@@3009`, `@@@3670`, this being called beautiful by virtue of good, `@@@553`, `@@@3080`, `@@@3821`; and 'a land' means the good of love, `@@@620`, `@@@636`, `@@@3368`, `@@@3379`. In Matthew,
Blessed are the pure in heart, for these will see God. `Matthew 5bbb8`.
Here it is quite evident that 'seeing God' means believing in Him, and so seeing Him by faith, for people who possess faith, from faith see God, since God is within faith and is that within faith which constitutes true faith.
ttt[10] In the same gospel,
If your eye causes you to stumble pluck it out. It is better for you to enter into life one-eyed than having two eyes to be thrown into the Gehenna of fire. `Matthew 18bbb9`.
Here, as is quite evident, 'the eye' does not mean the eye. Nor does it mean that the eye has to be plucked out, for it is not the eye that causes the stumbling but the understanding of truth meant here by 'the eye', `@@@2701`. The law that it is better not to know and grasp the truths of faith than to know and grasp them and yet to lead a life of evil is what is meant by 'better to enter into life one-eyed than having two eyes to be thrown into the Gehenna of fire'.
ttt[11] In the same gospel,
Blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. Truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, but did not see. `Matthew 13bbb13-17`; `John 12bbb40`.
'Seeing' stands for knowing and understanding the things that constitute faith in the Lord, and so stands for faith. For it was not their seeing the Lord and seeing His miracles that made them 'blessed' but their believing, as becomes clear from the following words in John,
I said to you that you have both seen Me and not believed. This is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have eternal life. No one has seen the Father except Him who is with the Father; He has seen the Father. Truly, truly, I say to you, He who believes in Me has eternal life. `John 6bbb36`, `John 6bbbccc40`, `John 6bbbccc46-47`.
'Seeing and not believing' stands for knowing the truths of faith and not accepting them, 'seeing and believing' for knowing them and accepting them. The words 'No one has seen the Father except Him who is with the Father' stands for not being able to acknowledge Divine Good except through Divine Truth - 'the Father' being Divine Good and 'the Son' Divine Truth, see `@@@3704`. Consequently the internal sense is that nobody is able to possess heavenly good unless he acknowledges the Lord.
ttt[12] Similarly in the same gospel,
Nobody has ever seen God; the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, He has made Him known. `John 1bbb18`.
And in the same gospel,
Jesus said, He who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. I have come as Light into the world in order that everyone who believes in Me may not remain in darkness. `John 12bbb45-46`.
Here it is explicitly stated that 'seeing' means believing or possessing faith. And in the same gospel,
Jesus said, If you know Me you know My Father also. And from now you know Him and have seen Him. He who has seen Me has seen the Father. `John 14bbb7`, `John 14bbbccc9`.
In the same gospel,
The Spirit of truth the world cannot receive because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. I will not leave you orphans, I am coming to you. Yet a little while, the world will see Me no longer, but you will see Me; because I live you will live also. `John 14bbb17-19`.
'Seeing' stands for possessing faith, for it is solely through faith that the Lord is seen. Actually faith is the eye of love, since it is from love through faith that the Lord is seen, love being the life of faith. Hence His statement, 'You will see Me; because I live you will live also'.
ttt[13] In the same gospel,
Jesus said, For judgement I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, but that those who see may become blind. The Pharisees said, Are we also blind? Jesus said to them, If you were blind you would have no sin; but now you say, 'We see', therefore your sin remains. `John 9bbb39-41`.
'Those who see' stands for those who imagine themselves to be more intelligent than everybody else. Of them it is said that they will become blind, that is, will not acquire faith. 'Not seeing' or being blind is used in reference to those immersed in falsities, and also to those who have no knowledge [of the truth], see `@@@2383`. In Luke,
To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but for everyone else in parables, that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not hear. `Luke 8bbb10`.
Here the meaning is similar. In the same gospel,
I tell you truly, There are some of those standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God. `Luke 9bbb27`; `Mark 9bbb1`.
'Seeing the kingdom of God' stands for believing. In the same gospel,
Jesus said to the disciples, The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see. `Luke 17bbb22`.
This refers to the close of the age or last period of the Church when no faith exists any longer.
ttt[14] In the same gospel,
It happened, when Jesus was at table with them, that He took the bread and said a blessing, and broke it and gave to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him. `Luke 24bbb30-31`.
The meaning of this event was that the Lord comes into sight through good, but not through truth devoid of good; for 'bread' means the good of love, `@@@276`, `@@@680`, `@@@2165`, `@@@2177`, `@@@3478`, `@@@3735`, `@@@3813`. From these and many other places it is clear that 'seeing' in the internal sense means faith received from the Lord, for no other faith exists which is truly faith except faith which comes from the Lord. This is also the faith that enables a person to see, that is, to believe. But faith originating in self or a person's proprium is not truly faith, for it causes him to see falsities as truths and truths as falsities; or if he does see truths as truths he does not truly see them because he does not believe them. For in them he sees himself and not the Lord.
ttt[15] That 'seeing' means possessing faith in the Lord is quite evident from what has been stated often about the light of heaven, namely that because it flows from the Lord the light of heaven holds intelligence and wisdom within it, and so holds faith in Him since faith in the Lord is inwardly present in intelligence and wisdom. Consequently seeing by that light, as angels do, can mean nothing else than faith in the Lord. The Lord Himself too is within that light because it proceeds from Him. That light is also the light which shines within the conscience of those who possess faith in Him, though no one is directly conscious of its doing so as long as he lives in the body, for during that time the light of the world is obscuring that light.
ppp19986#pid#3864. 'My affliction' - that is to say, 'Because Jehovah has seen it' - means a state of arriving at good. This is clear from the meaning of 'affliction' as temptation, dealt with in `@@@1846`. And because temptation is the means by which a person arrives at good 'my affliction' here means a state of moving on from truth which is external and of arriving at good which is internal.
ppp19985#pid#3865. 'For now my husband will love me' means that from this state would come the good of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'will love' as the good coming from this state, for all good is the product of love and is therefore the meaning of 'love' at this point; and from the meaning of 'husband' (vir) as truth, dealt with in `@@@3134`. What the good of truth is has been explained frequently already, namely an affection for truth for the sake of life, for life is the good seen within truth by those who are subsequently regenerated. Without life in accordance with truth no truth can ever become joined to good nor consequently can good be made one's own.
ttt[2] This can be seen quite clearly by anyone if he turns his attention to those who lead evil lives and to those who lead good lives. Those who lead evil lives, though instructed in the teachings of the Church during childhood and youth like everybody else, will be found on examination to believe nothing at all about the Lord, about faith in Him, or about the truths of the Church, whereas those who lead good lives will be found in every case to have faith in those truths which they believe to be truths. Those however who teach truths, as Church leaders do, and yet lead evil lives will indeed say that they believe, yet they do not believe in their hearts.
ttt[3] With some a persuasive faith exists which is an imitation of true faith, but that faith is no more than factual knowledge which has been corroborated by them not because it is the truth but because by declaring their allegiance to it they improve their chances of personal position, honour, and gain. That knowledge goes no further than through the ears into the memory, and from the memory passes out on to the lips. It does not enter the heart and from there into a confession of it. From these considerations it is evident that the life is the guide to what kind of acknowledgement of truth exists, that is, to what kind of faith. They also show that faith separated from the good of life declares that no matter how a person lives he can still be saved by grace, and that such faith argues against the teaching that everyone's life remains with him after death.
ppp19984#pid#3866. From the internal sense of the words that Leah uttered concerning Reuben when he was born, namely 'Jehovah has seen my affliction, for now my husband will love me', one may recognize which attribute of the Church is meant by Reuben or the tribe named after Reuben, namely that which is the first stage of regeneration, or that which comes first when a person becomes the Church; and that that which comes first is the truth of doctrine by means of which he is able to arrive at the good of life.
ppp19983#pid#3867. Verse `Genesis 29bbbccc33` And she conceived again and bore a son, and she said, For Jehovah has heard that I was hated and has given me this one also; and she called his name Simeon.
'She conceived again and bore a son', as previously, means spiritual conception and birth from what is external towards things that are more internal still. 'For Jehovah has heard' means in the highest sense providence, in the internal sense the will of faith, in the interior sense obedience, in the external sense the sense of hearing - faith in the will which is received from the Lord alone being meant here. 'That I was hated' means the state of faith if there is no will corresponding to it. 'And has given me this one also' means that which happens next. 'And she called his name Simeon' means the essential nature of it.
ppp19982#pid#3868. 'She conceived again and bore a son' means spiritual conception and birth from what is external towards things that are more internal still. This is clear from what has been stated above in `@@@3860`, where the same words occur. An advance is said to be made from what is external towards things that are more internal still when that advance is from knowledge, which is a property of the understanding, to the will; or spiritually speaking, from truth which is the truth of faith to charity. For the understanding is that which proceeds from the will and gives the will a certain visual form, as faith in a similar way proceeds from charity and gives charity a certain outward form. From this it is evident that the external manifestation of the will is the understanding and the external manifestation of charity is faith. Or what amounts to the same, it is evident that the internal substance of the understanding is the will and the internal substance of faith is charity. Consequently an advance from what is external to things that are more internal still consists in an advance from faith in the understanding to faith in the will, and so from faith to charity - which is represented by 'Levi', dealt with shortly below.
ttt[2] It should be recognized that when distinguished from charity the word faith is used to mean truth, such as the truth of doctrine, that is, such as is incorporated in the confession called the Apostles' Creed. This usage is in accord with the general meaning the word has in the Church, for the belief is that possessing faith in truths constitutes the faith through which salvation comes. Few know that faith is trust and confidence, and among these few fewer still know that trust or confidence originates in charity and is unable to exist with anyone who does not possess the life of charity.
ppp19981#pid#3869. 'For Jehovah has heard' means in the highest sense providence, in the internal sense the will of faith, in the interior sense obedience, in the external sense the sense of hearing - faith in the will which is received from the Lord alone being meant here. This is clear from the meaning of 'hearing'. As regards 'hearing' meaning the sense of hearing, this needs no explanation; but that 'hearing' in the interior sense means obedience and in the internal sense faith in the will, this is clear from the many places in the Word that are referred to below. The same is clear also from the nature of the sense of hearing when compared with that of sight. Sight in the interior sense means the understanding and in the internal sense faith in the understanding, see `@@@3863`; and the reason why it has these meanings is that the essential nature of things comes to be seen by means of one's internal sight and with the aid of this comes to be grasped by a kind of faith, though such as exists only in the understanding. When however things that are heard penetrate to the interior parts they too are converted into something similar to sight, for things that are heard are then seen interiorly. Consequently that which is meant by the sense of sight is also meant by the sense of hearing; that is to say, that which is of the understanding and also that which is of faith is meant. But the sense of hearing at the same time convinces a person that the thing is true, for it has an influence not only on the understanding part of a person's mind but also on the will part, and so reaches more interiorly. That is to say, it reaches the will and causes that person to will that which he sees. This is why 'hearing' means the understanding of a thing and at the same time obedience, and why in the spiritual sense it means faith in the will.
ttt[2] It is because these two - obedience, and faith in the will - lie thus within 'hearing' that these attributes are also meant in everyday speech by the phrases hearing, listening to, and paying attention to; for a person who 'hears' is one who is obedient, and 'listening to' somebody also means obeying him. For those entities which exist interiorly within something are sometimes included within the actual expressions a person uses when he speaks. These occur there because it is a person's spirit which thinks and which grasps the meaning of the expressions used by others when they speak; and his spirit is in a way in contact with spirits and angels among whom the first beginnings of verbal expressions exist. What is more, the whole range of man's experience is such that whatever enters in through the ear and eye, or hearing and sight, passes into his understanding, through the understanding into the will, and from the will into deed. So it is with the truth of faith. This first becomes the truth of faith present within knowledge, then the truth of faith within the will, and finally the truth of faith in deed, and so finally charity. Faith within knowledge or the understanding is meant by 'Reuben', as has been shown; faith in the will by 'Simeon'; and faith in the will when it becomes charity by 'Levi'.
ttt[3] As regards 'hearing' in the highest sense meaning providence, this may become clear from what has been stated above in `@@@3863` about 'seeing' in the highest sense meaning foresight, for the Lord's foresight is a seeing from eternity to eternity that a thing is so, whereas His providence is a governing that that thing should be so and a bending of a person's freedom towards good insofar as He foresees that that person is going to allow himself in freedom to be bent towards it, see `@@@3854`.
ttt[4] That 'Jehovah heard', the phrase from which Simeon received his name, in the interior sense means obedience, and in the internal sense faith in the will acquired from the Lord alone, is evident from very many places in the Word, such as the following: In Matthew,
Behold, a voice from the cloud, saying, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear Him. `Matthew 17bbb5`.
'Hearing Him' stands for possessing faith in Him, and obeying His commandments, and so possessing faith in the will. In John,
Truly, truly, I say to you, that the hour will come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. Do not marvel at this, for the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice. `John 5bbb25`, `John 5bbbccc28`.
'Hearing the voice of the Son of God' stands for possessing faith in the Lord's words, and willing them. People who possess faith that is part of the will receive life, and that is why the words 'those who hear will live' are used.
ttt[5] In the same gospel,
The one entering by the door is the shepherd of the sheep; to him the gate-keeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice, and there will be one flock and one shepherd. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. `John 10bbb2-3`, `John 10bbbccc16`, `John 10bbbccc27`.
'Hearing the voice' plainly stands for obedience resulting from faith that is part of the will. In the same gospel,
Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice. `John 18bbb37`.
Here the meaning is similar. In Luke,
Abraham said to him, They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them. If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets neither will they be persuaded if someone rose from the dead. `Luke 16bbb29`, `Luke 16bbbccc31`.
'Hearing Moses and the Prophets' stands for knowing things contained in the Word and possessing faith in it, and so also willing those things. For possessing faith without willing is seeing but not hearing, whereas possessing faith together with willing is seeing and hearing. This is why both - seeing and hearing - are mentioned together in various places throughout the Word, seeing meaning that which is portrayed through 'Reuben' and hearing that which is portrayed through 'Simeon', since the two are joined together like brother to brother.
ttt[6] The fact that seeing and hearing are referred to jointly is clear from the following places: In Matthew,
Therefore I speak to them in parables, because those who see do not see, and those who hear do not hear, nor do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah which says, By hearing you will hear and not understand, and seeing you will see and not discern. This people's heart has become gross, and with ears they have heard in a dull manner, and their eyes they have closed, lest perhaps they see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and with their heart understand. But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. Truly I say to you, that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it. `Matthew 13bbb13-17`; `John 12bbb40`; `Isaiah 6bbb9`.
In Mark,
Jesus said to the disciples, Why do you discuss the fact that you have no loaves? Are you still without understanding and do not understand? Do you still have your heart hardened? Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? `Mark 8bbb17-18`.
ttt[7] In Luke,
To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but for everyone else in parables, that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not hear. `Luke 8bbb10`.
In Isaiah,
The eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will be opened. `Isaiah 35bbb5`.
In the same prophet,
Then on that day the deaf will hear the words of the book, and out of thick darkness and out of darkness the eyes of the blind will see. `Isaiah 29bbb18`.
In the same prophet,
Hear, you deaf, and look and see, you blind. `Isaiah 42bbb18`.
In the same prophet, Bring forth the blind people, who will have eyes, and the deaf, who will have ears. `Isaiah 43bbb8`.
In the same prophet,
The eyes of those who see will not be closed, and the ears of those who hear will listen. `Isaiah 32bbb3`.
In the same prophet, Let your eyes be looking at your teachers, and let your ears hear the word. `Isaiah 30bbb20-21`.
In the same prophet,
He who stops his ear lest it hears of blood, and shuts his eyes lest they see evil, will dwell on the heights. `Isaiah 33bbb15-16`.
In Ezekiel,
Son of man, you are dwelling in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see but they do not see, who have ears to hear but they do not hear. `Ezekiel 12bbb2`.
In these places both seeing and hearing are mentioned because one follows the other. That is to say, faith in the understanding, meant by 'seeing', is followed by faith in the will, meant by 'hearing'. Otherwise it would have been sufficient to mention only one. From this it is also evident why one son of Jacob was named from the expression 'seeing' and the other from 'hearing'.
ttt[8] The origin of 'seeing' meaning faith within knowledge or the understanding, and 'hearing' faith within obedience or the will rests in correspondences in the next life and in meaningful signs based on these. People who have understanding and faith resulting from that understanding belong to the province of the eye, and those who are obedient and have faith resulting from that obedience belong to the province of the ear. The truth of this will be seen from what, in the Lord's Divine mercy, is going to be shown at the ends of chapters concerning the Grand Man and the correspondence with it of everything in the human body.
ttt[9] So it is then that 'the eye' in the internal sense means the understanding, see `@@@2701`, and 'the ear' obedience. And in the spiritual sense 'the ear' means faith resulting from obedience, or faith in the will, as is also clear from the following places: In Isaiah,
Even so, you have not heard, even so, you have not known; even so, from that time your ear has not opened itself. `Isaiah 48bbb8`.
In the same prophet,
The Lord Jehovih will arouse my ear to hear like those who are being taught. The Lord Jehovih opened my ear, and I was not rebellious. `Isaiah 50bbb4-5`.
In the same prophet,
Attend diligently to Me, and eat what is good, that your soul may delight in fatness; incline your ear and come to Me; hear, that your soul may live. `Isaiah 55bbb2-3`.
In Jeremiah,
To whom am I to speak and testify, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot listen. `Jeremiah 6bbb10`.
In the same prophet,
This I commanded them, saying, Hear My voice, and I will be your God, and you will be My people. But they did not hear, nor did they incline their ear. `Jeremiah 7bbb23-24`, `Jeremiah 7bbbccc26`
In the same prophet,
Hear, O women, the word of Jehovah, and let your ear receive the word of His mouth. `Jeremiah 9bbb20`.
In the same prophet,
You did not incline your ear, and you did not obey Me. `Jeremiah 35bbb15`.
In Ezekiel,
Son of man, all My words that I have spoken to you, receive in your heart, and hear with your ears. `Ezekiel 3bbb10`.
In the same prophet,
I will bring My zeal against you, and they will deal with you in fury. Your nose and your ears they will remove `Ezekiel 23bbb25`.
'Removing nose and ears' stands for removing the perception of truth and good, and the obedience that goes with faith. In Zechariah,
They refused to pay attention, and fumed a stubborn shoulder, and made their ears heavy so that they might not hear, and set their heart adamant, so that they might not hear the law. `Zechariah 7bbb11-12`.
ttt[10] In Amos,
Thus said Jehovah, As the shepherd rescues from the mouth of the lion two legs or a piece of an ear, so will the children of Israel in Samaria be rescued, on the corner of a bed and on the end of a couch. `Amos 3bbb12`.
'Rescuing two legs' stands for rescuing the will for good, 'a piece of an ear' for rescuing the will for truth. It may be seen that 'a piece of an ear' has this meaning, as has been stated, solely from correspondences in the next life and from the meaningful signs based on these, with which the internal sense of the Word and also the ritual observances in the Israelitish and Jewish Church are in accordance. This explains why, when Aaron and his sons were to be consecrated for their specific function, Moses was commanded among other things to take some of the ram's blood and to put it on the tip of Aaron's ear and on the tips of the ears of his sons, and on the thumbs of their right hands and on the large toes of their right feet, `Exodus 29bbb20`. This ritual act represented the will anointed by faith, into which also as priest he was to be initiated. Anyone can recognize that this ritual act was holy since it was Jehovah who commanded Moses to perform it, and so also that putting blood on the tip of the ear was holy. But what holy thing was meant cannot be known except from the internal sense of the things in the Word, which at this point is that the holiness of faith when applied to the will must be preserved.
ttt[11] The meaning of 'the ear' as obedience, and in the internal sense as faith resulting from that obedience, is even more plainly evident from the ritual that was to be observed when a slave did not wish to go free, described in Moses as follows: If a slave or servant-girl did not wish to go free,
His master shall bring him to God, and shall bring him to the door or to the doorpost; and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl, and he shall serve him for ever. `Exodus 21bbb6`; `Deuteronomy 15bbb17`.
'Piercing his ear with an awl at the doorpost' stands for serving and obeying for ever. In the spiritual sense it stands for having no wish to understand what is true, only a wish to be obedient to it. This, compared with an understanding of what is true, is not freedom.
ttt[12] Since the obedience of faith is meant in the internal sense by 'the ears', and being obedient by 'hearing', one may see what is meant by the following words spoken by the Lord many times, He who has an ear to hear, let him hear, `Matthew 13bbb9`, `Matthew 13bbbccc43`; `Mark 4bbb9`, `Mark 4bbbccc23`; `Mark ccc7bbb16`; `Luke 8bbb8`; `Luke ccc14bbb35`; `Revelation 2bbb7`, `Revelation 2bbbccc11`, `Revelation 2bbbccc29`; `Revelation ccc3bbb13`, `Revelation 3bbbccc22`.
ttt[13] As regards 'hearing' in the highest sense meaning providence and 'seeing' foresight, this is clear from the following places in the Word in which eyes and also ears are attributed to Jehovah or the Lord; as in Isaiah,
Incline Your ear, O Jehovah, and hear; open Your eyes, O Jehovah, and see. `Isaiah 37bbb17`.
In Daniel,
Incline Your ear, O my God, and hear; open Your eyes`fff1` and see our devastations. `Daniel 9bbb18`.
In David,
O God, incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech. `Psalms 17bbb6`.
In the same author,
Incline to me Your ear, and save me. `Psalms 71bbb2`.
In the same author,
Turn an ear to my prayers, on account of Your truthfulness; answer me, on account of Your righteousness. `Psalms 143bbb1`.
In Jeremiah,
O Jehovah, You heard my voice; do not hide Your ear at my sighing, at my cry. `Lamentations 3bbb56`.
In David,
O Jehovah, do not hide Your face from me in the day of my distress; incline to me Your ear; in the day I cry answer me. `Psalms 102bbb2`.
ttt[14] It is well known that Jehovah does not have ears or eyes as man does but that some attribute which may be ascribed to the Divine is meant by the ear and the eye, namely infinite will and infinite understanding. Infinite will is providence, and infinite understanding foresight; and it is these that are meant in the highest sense by ear and eye when these are attributed to Jehovah. These considerations now show what is meant in each sense [of the Word] by 'Jehovah heard', the phrase from which 'Simeon' received his name.
`nnn1. The Latin adds O Jehovah but this does not appear in the Hebrew or in Sw's rough draft.
ppp19980#pid#3870. 'That I was hated' means the state of faith if there is no will corresponding to it. This is clear from the meaning of 'hated' as not loved, for this is the state of faith if the will does not correspond to it. The subject in the internal sense is the advance of a person's regeneration from what is external to what is internal, that is, from the truth of faith towards the good of charity. Truth which is the truth of faith is external, and good which is the good of charity is internal. So that it may be living, truth which is the truth of faith must be introduced into the will so as to receive life there. For truth which issues from knowledge is not living, only truth which issues from the will. Through the new will which the Lord creates in man life flows in from Him. The life which comes first manifests itself in obedience, this being the first degree of the will. The life which comes second manifests itself in the affection for doing what is true, this being a more advanced degree of the will, which is arrived at when delight and blessing are felt in the doing of what is true. Unless faith advances in this way truth does not become truth but something separated from life. Sometimes it becomes the corroboration of falsity, sometimes persuasive belief, and so something debased, for it couples itself to man's evil affection or desire, that is, to the will that is properly his own and the reverse of charity. Such is the faith which is believed to be true faith by many at the present day; they believe that this faith is able - of itself, without the works of charity - to save a person.
ttt[2] But this faith - that is to say, faith separated from charity and therefore contrary to charity - is represented later on by Reuben's lying with Bilhah his father's concubine, `Genesis 35bbb22`, and by the expression of disgust by Jacob, who by then was named Israel, in the following words,
Reuben, my firstborn, you are my strength and the beginning of my power. Unstable as water, may you not excel, for you went up to your father's bed; then you defiled it. He went up to my couch. `Genesis 49bbb3-4`.
Also described in that chapter, by means of Simeon and Levi, is the contrariety to charity of the will and affection that go with this faith, namely faith separated from charity, in the following words,
Simeon and Levi are brothers; weapons of violence are their swords. Into their secret place let my soul not come; in their assembly let not my glory be united; for in their fury they killed a man, and in their wilfulness they hamstrung an ox. Cursed be their fury, for it is fierce, and their anger, for it is severe. I will divide them in Jacob, and will scatter them in Israel. `Genesis 49bbb5-7`.
That faith separated from charity is described in this case by Simeon and Levi will in the Lord's Divine mercy be shown later on.
ppp19979#pid#3871. 'And has given me this one also' means that which happens next, namely faith within obedience or the will, which, it was shown above, happens after faith within knowledge or the understanding. This is the meaning of 'has given me this one also'.
ppp19978#pid#3872. 'And she called his name Simeon' means the essential nature of it. This is clear from the meaning of 'name' or 'calling the name' as the essential nature, dealt with in `@@@144`, `@@@145`, `@@@1754`, `@@@1896`, `@@@2009`, `@@@2724`, `@@@3006`, `@@@3421`. That nature is contained in the internal sense of the words spoken by Leah, 'Jehovah has heard that I was hated, and has given me this one also', and is that which is meant by 'Simeon' and also by the tribe named after him. It is the second universal attribute of the Church, or the second with the person who is being regenerated and becoming the Church. That is to say, it is an obedience or a will to put into practice truth that is the truth of faith; and into that obedience and within that will charity - which follows next and is meant by 'Levi' - is implanted.
ppp19977#pid#3873. Verse `Genesis 29bbbccc34` And she conceived again and bore a son, and she said, Now this time my husband (vir) will cling to me, because I have borne him three sons; therefore she called his name Levi.
'She conceived again and bore a son', as previously, means spiritual conception and birth from what is external towards that which is more internal still. 'And she said, Now this time my husband will cling to me' means in the highest sense love and mercy, in the internal sense charity, in the external sense a joining together - spiritual love being meant here. 'For I have borne him three sons' means that which happens next. 'Therefore she called his name Levi' means the essential nature of it.
ppp19976#pid#3874. 'She conceived again and bore a son' means spiritual conception and birth from what is external towards that which is more internal still. This is clear from what has been stated above in `@@@3860`, `@@@3868`, where the same words occur.
ppp19975#pid#3875. 'And she said, Now this time my husband will cling to me' means in the highest sense love and mercy, in the internal sense charity, in the external sense a joining together - spiritual love being meant here. This is clear from the meaning of 'clinging to'. As regards 'clinging' in the external sense, or inner sense nearest to the literal, meaning a joining together, this may be seen without explanation; and as regards 'clinging' in the internal sense meaning charity, this is evident from the consideration that charity, or what amounts to the same, mutual love, is a spiritual joining together. For mutual love is a joining together of affections belonging to the will and a consequent agreement of thoughts belonging to the understanding, and so is a joining of minds as to both parts. That 'clinging' in the highest sense means love and mercy is evident from this, for when the description 'infinite and eternal' is applied to charity or spiritual love the attribute of mercy is meant, mercy being Divine love directed towards the human race engulfed in such great miseries. For man of himself is nothing but evil, and what is within him, insofar as this has its origin in himself, is altogether from hell. Yet the Lord beholds him with Divine Love, and therefore the raising up of him from the hell in which of himself he dwells and his deliverance from it is called mercy. And because that mercy is an attribute of Divine Love, 'clinging' in the highest sense therefore means both love and mercy.
ttt[2] As regards 'clinging' in the internal sense meaning spiritual love, or what amounts to the same, charity towards the neighbour, this may also be seen from other places in the Word, as in Isaiah,
Do not let the son of the foreigner who has clung to Jehovah say, Jehovah surely separates me from being with His people. The sons of the foreigner who cling to Jehovah, to minister to Him and to delight in the name of Jehovah, will be His servants. `Isaiah 56bbb3`, `Isaiah 56bbbccc6`.
'Clinging to Jehovah' stands for keeping His commandments, which is an act of spiritual love, for no one at heart keeps God's commandments except him in whom good that flows from charity towards the neighbour is present. In Jeremiah,
In those days the children of Israel will come, they and the children of Judah weeping as they come; and they will seek Jehovah their God. They will ask Zion concerning the way, their faces towards it, [saying,] Come and let us cling to Jehovah in an everlasting covenant that is not forgotten. `Jeremiah 50bbb4-5`.
'Clinging to Jehovah' in like manner stands for keeping His commandments at heart, that is, doing so from good that flows from charity.
ttt[3] In Zechariah,
Many nations will cling to Jehovah on that day and will be My people. `Zechariah 2bbb11`.
Here the meaning is similar. In Isaiah,
Jehovah will have compassion on Jacob, and will again choose Israel, and will set them on their own land. And the sojourner will cling to them, and they will join themselves to the house of Jacob. `Isaiah 14bbb1`.
'The sojourner clinging to them' stands for having a similar allegiance to the law. 'Joining themselves to the house of Jacob' stands for the good that flows from charity, which is present in those meant by 'the house of Jacob'. In Matthew,
No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other or he will cling to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. `Matthew 6bbb24`.
Here the celestial form of love is meant by 'loving', the spiritual form by 'clinging to'. Both of these expressions are used because those two forms of love are distinct and separate. Otherwise one expression would have been sufficient.
ttt[4] People who are stirred by spiritual love are therefore called 'the sons of Levi', as in Malachi,
Who can endure the day of His coming, and who will stand when He appears? He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and purge them like gold, and like silver. `Malachi 3bbb2-3`.
In the highest sense the Lord is meant by 'Levi' by virtue of Divine love and of mercy towards those in whom spiritual love is present. This may be seen in the same prophet,
That you may know that I have sent this command to you, to be My covenant with Levi, said Jehovah Zebaoth. My covenant with him will be [a covenant] of life and peace. You have turned back from the way; you have caused many to stumble at the law, you have corrupted the covenant of Levi; therefore I have made you despised. `Malachi 2bbb4-5`, `Malachi 2bbbccc8-9`.
And because in the highest sense the Lord's Divine Love or His Mercy was meant by 'Levi', and in the internal sense spiritual love, the tribe of Levi was therefore established as the priesthood; for in the internal sense of the Word 'the priesthood' is nothing other than the holiness of love and 'kingship' the holiness of faith, `@@@1728`, `@@@2015` (end), `@@@3670`.
ttt[5] Because the expression 'cringing to' from which Levi received his name means spiritual love, which is the same as mutual love, the same expression in the original language is used to mean lending and borrowing.`fff1` And these two - lending and borrowing - in the Jewish Church represented mutual love, a representation which will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with elsewhere. Mutual love is different from friendship inasmuch as mutual love has a person's good in view, and in directing itself towards that good is directed towards the person in whom good is present. Friendship however has the person in view, which is also mutual love when it looks at that person from the point of view of, that is, on account of, that good. But when it does not look at him from the point of view of good or on account of that good but on account of self which it calls good, friendship is not in that case mutual love but something close to the love of self. And insofar as it is close to this it is opposed to mutual love. In itself mutual love is nothing else than charity towards the neighbour, for in the internal sense 'the neighbour' means nothing else than good, and in the highest sense the Lord because all good originates in Him and He is Good itself, see `@@@2425`, `@@@3419`. This mutual love or charity towards the neighbour is what is understood by spiritual love and meant by 'Levi'. What is more, in the Word celestial love, and also conjugial love, is expressed in the sense of the letter as 'clinging to', but this is derived from a different expression in the original language from that from which the name Levi is obtained.
ttt[6] This other expression means an even closer joining together, as in the following places: In Moses,
You shall fear Jehovah your God: you shall serve Him and cling to Him. `Deuteronomy 10bbb20`.
You shall go after Jehovah your God, and fear Him, and keep His commandments, and hear His voice, and serve Him, and cling to Him. `Deuteronomy 13bbb4`.
To love Jehovah your God, to go in all His ways, and to cling to Him. `Deuteronomy 11bbb22`.
To love Jehovah your God, to obey His voice, and to cling to Him, for He is your life. `Deuteronomy 30bbb20`.
In Joshua,
Take good care to carry out the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of Jehovah commanded you, to love Jehovah your God, and to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments, and to cling to Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul. `Joshua 22bbb5`.
In the second Book of Kings,
King Hezekiah trusted in Jehovah the God of Israel. He clung to Jehovah; he did not turn back from going after Him, and he kept His commandments which
Jehovah had commanded Moses. `2 Kings 18bbb5-6`.
In Jeremiah,
As a waistcloth clings to the loins of a man, so I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah to cling to Me, to be for Me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory; but they were not obedient. `Jeremiah 13bbb11`.
ttt[7] The fact that conjugial love as well is expressed by 'clinging to' is evident from the following,
Therefore a man will leave his father and his mother and will cling to his wife, and they will be one flesh. `Genesis 2bbb24`.
On account of your hardness of heart Moses wrote this commandment, but from the beginning of creation God made them male and female. For this reason a man (homo) will leave his father and mother and cling to his wife, and the two will be one flesh. What therefore God has joined together man (homo) must not put asunder. `Mark 10bbb5-9`; `Matthew 19bbb5`.
The soul of Shechem clung to Dinah, Jacob's daughter. He loved the girl, and spoke to the girl's heart. `Genesis 34bbb3`.
Solomon loved many foreign women. Solomon clung to these in love. `1 Kings 11bbb1-2`.
These quotations show then that 'clinging to' is an expression descriptive of love which was adopted in ancient times by Churches in which meaningful signs were prominent, and that it means nothing else in the internal sense than a spiritual joining together, which is charity and love.
`nnn1. literally, mutually giving and receiving
ppp19974#pid#3876. 'For I have borne him three sons' means that which happens next. This is clear from what has been stated above in `@@@3871`. That which happens next, meant here by 'three sons', is the arrival of charity. For when a person is being regenerated, that is, becoming the Church, the first thing is his need to know and understand what the truth of faith is; the second is his determination to will and do it; and the third comes when he has an affection for it. When a person has an affection for truth, that is, when he experiences delight and blessing in acting in accordance with truth, charity or mutual love has arrived in him. This next stage is what is meant here by 'I have borne him three sons'.
ppp19973#pid#3877. 'Therefore she called his name Levi' means the essential nature of it. This is clear from the meaning of 'name' or 'calling the name' as the essential nature, dealt with above in `@@@3872`. That nature is what is contained in the words, 'Now this time my husband will cling to me, for I have borne him three sons', dealt with immediately above in `@@@3875`, `@@@3876`. This nature is what is meant by 'Levi', and also by the tribe named after him; and it is the third universal attribute of the Church, or the third development when a person is being regenerated or is becoming the Church. It is also charity. The situation with charity is that it contains the will for truth within itself, and through the will for truth contains the understanding of truth. For one in whom charity is present possesses those abilities to will truth and to understand it. But before a person arrives at charity he must pass through an external stage, that is to say, of understanding truth, then of willing truth, until at last he has an affection for truth, which is charity. And when charity is present in that person he looks to the Lord, who is meant in the highest sense by 'Judah', Jacob's fourth son.
ppp19972#pid#3878. Verse `Genesis 29bbbccc35` And she conceived again and bore a son, and she said, This time I will confess Jehovah; therefore she called his name Judah. And she left off bearing.
'She conceived again and bore a son' means, as previously, spiritual conception and birth from what is external towards that which is more internal still. 'And she said, This time I will confess Jehovah' means in the highest sense the Lord, in the internal sense the Word, in the external sense doctrine from the Word - the Divinity of love, also His celestial kingdom being meant here. 'Therefore she called his name Judah' means the essential nature of it. 'And she left off bearing' means the ascent up a stairway from earth even to Jehovah or the Lord.
ppp19971#pid#3879. 'She conceived again and bore a son' means spiritual conception and birth from what is external towards that which is more internal still. This is clear from what has been stated in `@@@3860`, `@@@3868`, where similar words occur.
ppp19970#pid#3880. 'And she said, This time I will confess Jehovah' means in the highest sense the Lord, in the internal sense the Word, in the external sense doctrine from the Word - the Divinity of love, also His celestial kingdom being meant here. This is clear from the meaning of 'confessing'. As regards 'confessing' - in the external sense or inner sense nearest to the literal - meaning doctrine from the Word, this is self-evident, since confession, even in everyday speech, is nothing else than a declaration of personal conviction before the Lord and so comprehends within it the things which a person believes and which for him therefore constitute doctrine. That 'confessing' in the internal sense means the Word follows from this, for all teaching regarding faith and charity must be drawn from the Word. Of himself man does not know anything about celestial and spiritual things, and therefore he knows them only from Divine revelation, which is the Word. The reasons why 'confessing' in the highest sense means the Lord are that the Lord is the Word and therefore doctrine from the Word, and that the Word in the internal sense, having regard to the Lord alone, deals with His kingdom, `@@@1871`, `@@@2859`, `@@@2894`, `@@@3245`, `@@@3305`, `@@@3393`, `@@@3432`, `@@@3439`, `@@@3454`. This is why 'confessing Jehovah' means the Divinity of love, also His celestial kingdom, for the Lord is Divine Love itself and the influx of this love makes His kingdom, doing so by means of the Word received from Him. For 'Judah' who received his name from the expression 'confessing Jehovah' means the Divinity of love, also the Lord's celestial kingdom, see what has been shown already in `@@@3654`; and this explains why it is stated here that 'confessing' has that meaning.
ttt[2] But what 'confessing' or 'confession' really is will be seen from places in the Word where these expressions are used, as in Isaiah,
You will say on that day, I will confess You O Jehovah; for You were angry with me, Your anger turned away, and You comforted me. And you will say on that day, Confess Jehovah, call on His name, make His deeds known among the people, make mention that His name is exalted. `Isaiah 12bbb1`, `Isaiah 12bbbccc4`.
In David, we will confess You O God; we will confess, and Your name is near. They tell of Your wonders. `Psalms 75bbb1`.
In the same author,
A Psalm for confession. Make a joyful noise to Jehovah, all the earth. He made us and not we ourselves, His people and the flock of His pasture; therefore we are His, His people and the flock of His pasture.`fff1` Enter through His gates in confession, His courts in praise; confess Him, bless His name, for Jehovah is good, His mercy is for ever, and His truth from generation to generation. `Psalms 100bbb1-5`.
What 'confessing' and 'confession' mean here is self-evident, namely acknowledging Jehovah or the Lord, and the things that are His - that acknowledgement clearly being doctrine and the Word.
ttt[3] In Isaiah,
Jehovah will comfort Zion, He will comfort all her waste places. Gladness and joy will be found in her, confession and the voice of song. `Isaiah 51bbb3`.
In Jeremiah,
Thus said Jehovah, Behold, I will bring back the captivity of the tents of Jacob and have compassion on his dwellings. And the city will be built upon its mound, and the palace will be inhabited in its accustomed manner. And there will come out from these confession and the voice of those amusing themselves. `Jeremiah 30bbb18-19`.
In David,
I will confess Jehovah according to His righteousness, and will sing of the name of Jehovah Most High. `Psalms 7bbb17`.
In the same author,
When I shall have gone to the house of God with the voice of song and of confession, a multitude keeping festival. `Psalms 42bbb4`.
In the same author,
I will confess You among the nations, O Lord, I will make melody to You among the peoples, for great even to heaven is Your mercy. `Psalms 57bbb9-10`.
ttt[4] From these places it is evident that 'confession' has reference to the celestial form of love, for in the descriptions 'confession and the voice of song', 'confession and the voice of those amusing themselves', 'I will confess You among the nations and I will make melody to You among the peoples', 'confession' is used to mean something distinct and separate from that meant in phrases describing the spiritual form of love. 'Confession' or 'confessing' is a celestial term, whereas 'the voice of song', 'the voice of those amusing themselves', and also 'making melody' are spiritual expressions. In addition confession is said to occur 'among the nations' but melody to be made 'among the peoples' because 'the nations' means those who are governed by good, 'the peoples' those who are governed by truth, `@@@1416`, `@@@1849`, `@@@2928`, that is, those governed by celestial love and those governed by spiritual love. For in the Word, in the Prophets, dual expressions commonly occur in which one has reference to what is celestial or good, the other to what is spiritual or true, so that the Divine marriage may exist in every individual part of the Word, and so a marriage of good and truth, see `@@@683`, `@@@793`, `@@@801`, `@@@2173`, `@@@2516`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc2712`, `@@@3132`. From this it is also evident that confession implies the celestial form of love and that genuine confession, or that which flows from the heart, flows from nothing else than good. But confession which flows from truth is called 'the voice of song', 'the voice of those amusing themselves', and 'making melody'.
ttt[5] A similar duality occurs in the following places: In David,
I will praise the name of God with a song and will magnify Him with confession. `Psalms 69bbb30`.
In the same author,
I will confess You on a ten-stringed instrument, Your truth, O my God. I will sing to You with the harp, O Holy One of Israel. `Psalms 71bbb22`.
'Singing with the harp' and all other stringed instruments mean spiritual things, see `@@@418-420`. In the same author,
Enter His gates in confession, His courts in praise; confess Him, bless His name. `Psalms 100bbb4`.
'Confession' and 'confessing' flow from the love of good, but 'praise' and 'blessing' from the love of truth. In the same author,
Reply to Jehovah by means of confession; make melody to our God with the harp. `Psalms 147bbb7`.
In the same author,
I will confess You in the great congregation, I will praise You among a numerous people. `Psalms 35bbb18`.
In the same author,
I will confess Jehovah with my mouth, and in the midst of many will I praise Him. `Psalms 109bbb30`.
In the same author,
We, Your people and the flock of Your pasture, will confess You for ever; generation after generation we will recount Your praise. `Psalms 79bbb13`.
In the same author,
Let them confess Jehovah for His mercy, and for His marvellous works to the children of men. Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of confession, and proclaim His works with a song. `Psalms 107bbb21-22`.
ttt[6] In all these places it is evident that dual expressions occur describing the same thing, which would be seen as pointless repetitions if one did not embody something celestial, which is good, and the other something spiritual, which is truth, and so did not embody the Divine marriage. The Lord's kingdom is that marriage. This arcanum is present in every part of the Word but it cannot possibly be disclosed except by means of the internal sense, and of knowledge derived from this, showing which in a dual expression belongs to the celestial category and which to the spiritual. But a general impression of what the celestial is and what the spiritual, to which reference has often been made already, must exist first.
ttt[7] True confession of the heart, because it flows from celestial love, is confession in the genuine sense. The person with whom it exists acknowledges that everything good comes from the Lord and everything evil from self. When that acknowledgement exists with him it is a state of humiliation, for in this case he acknowledges the Lord to be everything in him and he himself in comparison to be nothing. And when confession is made in this state it flows from celestial love.
ttt[8] But the sacrifices of confession which were offered in the Jewish Church were thanksgivings, and in the universal sense were called eucharistic and repayment sacrifices, of which there were two kinds - those of confession and those that were votive. As regards sacrifices of confession embodying the celestial form of love within them, this becomes clear from the institution of them, described in Moses as follows,
This is the law of the sacrifice of eucharistic offerings made to Jehovah. If someone offers it as a confession, he shall offer in addition to the sacrifice of confession unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and fine flour fried, cakes mixed with oil. With leavened cakes of bread he shall offer his gift, in addition to the sacrifice of confession. `Leviticus 7bbb11-13`, `Leviticus 7bbbccc15`.
All the things mentioned here, such as 'unleavened cakes mixed with oil', 'unleavened wafers anointed with oil', 'fine flour fried', 'leavened cakes of bread' mean the celestial things of love and faith and so mean confessions. It also means that these must be present within humiliation. For 'fine flour' and cakes made from it mean the celestial element of love and from this the spiritual element of faith, which is charity, see `@@@2177`; 'unleavened' means purification from evils and falsities, `@@@2342`; 'oil' means the celestial element of love, `@@@886`, `@@@3728`, as does 'bread' also, `@@@2165`, `@@@2177`, `@@@3464`, `@@@3478`, `@@@3735`.
ttt[9] Votive offerings however, which constituted the second kind of eucharistic sacrifices, in the external sense meant repayment, in the internal sense the will that the Lord should provide, and in the highest sense a state of Providence, see `@@@3732`. This is why both types of offerings are mentioned in various places in the Word, as in David,
Sacrifice to God confession, and render to the Most High your vows. He who sacrifices confession honours Me, and he who sets in order the way, to him will I show the salvation of God. `Psalms 50bbb14`, `Psalms 50bbbccc23`.
In the same author,
Upon me, O God, are Your vows; I will repay confessions to You. `Psalms 56bbb12`.
In the same author,
To You will I sacrifice the sacrifice of confession, and on the name of Jehovah will I call. I will render my vows to Jehovah. `Psalms 116bbb17-18`.
ttt[10] In Jonah,
I with the voice of confession will sacrifice to You; that which I have vowed I will render. `Jonah 2bbb9`.
From all this one may now see what 'confession' is, from which Judah received his name, namely this: In the highest sense the Lord and the Divinity of love; in the internal sense the Word, and also the Lord's celestial kingdom; and in the more exterior sense doctrine from the Word which the celestial Church possesses. Evidence that these things are meant in the Word by 'Judah' may be seen in what is presented below.
`nnn1. The first and second halves of this sentence are in fact alternative ways of understanding the original Hebrew.
ppp19969#pid#3881. 'Therefore she called his name Judah' means the essential nature of it. This is clear from the meaning of 'name' and of 'calling the name' as the essential nature, dealt with in `@@@144`, `@@@145`, `@@@1754`, `@@@1896`, `@@@2009`, `@@@2724`, `@@@3006`, `@@@3421`. That nature is contained in the internal sense of these words spoken by Leah - 'This time I will confess Jehovah', dealt with immediately above in `@@@3880`. That is to say, in the highest sense those words mean the Lord and the Divinity of His Love, in the internal sense the Word and also the Lord's celestial kingdom, and in the more exterior sense doctrine from the Word which the celestial Church has. But as yet scarcely anyone knows that these things are meant in the Word when the name Judah is mentioned, the reason being that the historical descriptions of the Word are thought to be simply historical descriptions, and the prophetical utterances to belong among such things as have fallen into oblivion, except for some of them from which doctrinal inferences may be drawn out. No belief exists that those descriptions and utterances have a spiritual sense within them, because at the present day no knowledge exists of what the spiritual sense is, or indeed of what the spiritual is. And the chief reason for this is that the life which people lead is the natural life. This is such that when they have that life as their end in view or it is the only life they desire, it blots out both spiritual knowledge and faith - so much so that when spiritual life and a spiritual sense are spoken of, these are like something that does not really exist or else are something unpleasant and depressing which, because it does not accord with natural life, they find distasteful. Such being the condition of the human race at the present day it neither understands nor wishes to understand by the names mentioned in the Word anything else than the nations, peoples, individual persons, regions, cities, mountains, or rivers, which those names denote. Yet in the spiritual sense names mean real things.
ttt[2] That 'Judah' in the internal sense means the Lord's celestial Church, in the universal sense His celestial kingdom, and in the highest sense the Lord Himself may be seen from many places in the Old Testament where Judah is mentioned, for example, from the following: In Moses,
You are Judah; your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; the sons of your father will bow down to you. A lion's whelp is Judah; from the prey you have gone up, my son. He crouched, he lay down like a lion, and like an old lion; who will rouse him up? The sceptre will not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet until Shiloh comes; and to him will be the gathering of peoples. Binding his ass's colt to the vine, and the foal of his she-ass to a choice vine, he will wash his clothing in wine, and his garment in the blood of grapes. His eyes are red from wine, and his teeth white from milk. `Genesis 49bbb8-12`.
ttt[3] Nobody can know the meaning of this prophetical declaration about Judah uttered by Jacob, who by then was Israel - not even one expression used there - except from the internal sense. He cannot know for example what is meant by 'his brothers will praise him' and 'his father's sons will bow down to him', or by 'his going up from the prey like a lion's whelp', and 'his crouching and lying down like a lion'. Nor can he know what is meant by 'Shiloh', by 'binding his ass's colt to the vine, and the foal of his she-ass to a choice vine', by 'washing his clothing in wine, and his garment in the blood of grapes', by 'eyes red from wine', or by 'teeth white from milk'. As has been stated, these expressions cannot possibly be understood by anyone except from the internal sense, yet all of them - each one - mean celestial things belonging to the Lord's kingdom, also things that are Divine. The same words also foretell that the Lord's celestial kingdom, and in the highest sense the Lord Himself, were to be represented by Judah. All these things declared by Jacob will in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed in the explanations of the chapter in which they occur.
ttt[4] Similar examples involving the name Judah occur elsewhere, especially in the Prophets, as in Ezekiel,
You son of man, take a stick and write on it, For Judah and for the children of Israel, his companions'. And take another stick and write on it, For Joseph - the stick of Ephraim and of the whole house of Israel, his companions - and join them together, one to the other into one stick for you, and they will be one in your, hand. I will make them into one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel, and one king will be king to them all. My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd. And they will walk in My judgements, and keep My statutes and do them. And they will dwell in the land which I gave to Jacob My servant, in which your fathers dwelt. And they will dwell in it, they and their sons, and their sons' sons even for ever. And David My servant will be their prince for ever, and I will make with them a covenant of peace, it will be an eternal covenant with them. I will bless them, and multiply them, and I will grant My sanctuary in their midst for evermore. Thus will My dwelling-place be with them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people. `Ezekiel 37bbb15-28`.
Anyone who takes Judah, Israel, Joseph, Ephraim, and David in this passage to mean those actual people will believe all these things will actually take place as described in the sense of the letter. That is to say, he will believe that Israel is going to be reunited with Judah, as well as the tribe of Ephraim; also that David is going to reign as king; that in this manner they are going to dwell in the land given to Jacob for ever, and that at that time an eternal covenant will exist with them and the sanctuary will be in the midst of them for ever. But in fact the meaning of this passage has nothing whatever to do with that nation but with the Lord's celestial kingdom meant by 'Judah', and His spiritual kingdom meant by 'Israel', and with the Lord Himself meant by 'David'. From this it is quite evident that names are not used to mean actual persons but things that are celestial and Divine.
ttt[5] The same is so with the following words in Zechariah,
Many peoples and numerous nations will come to seek Jehovah Zebaoth in Jerusalem and to placate Jehovah's face. Thus said Jehovah Zebaoth, In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue will take hold; and they will take hold of the hem of a man of Judah, saying, We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you. `Zechariah 8bbb22-23`.
Those who take these words literally will say, as the Jewish nation believes still, that being a prophecy not yet fulfilled it is going to be fulfilled in the future. These say that they are going to go back to the land of Canaan, that many from every nation and tongue will follow them, and take hold of the hem of a man of Judah and plead to be allowed to follow. They say that at that time God - that is to say, the Messiah, whom Christians call the Lord - will be among them, to whom they must first be converted. This would be the true implication of these words if 'a man of Judah' were used to mean a man of Judah. But in fact the internal sense at this point deals with a new spiritual Church among gentiles, and 'a man of Judah' means saving faith which results from love to the Lord.
ttt[6] That 'Judah' is not used to mean Judah but, as has been stated, means in the internal sense the Lord's celestial kingdom which was represented in the Church established among Judah or the Jews, becomes quite clear from the following places: In Isaiah,
When the Lord raises an ensign for the nations He will gather the outcasts of Israel, and will assemble the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. Then the envy of Ephraim will depart, and the enemies of Judah will be cut off. Ephraim will not envy Judah, and Judah will not harass Ephraim. `Isaiah 11bbb12-13`.
In Jeremiah,
Behold, the days are coming, said Jehovah, when I will raise up for David a righteous branch, who will reign as king, and prosper, and execute judgement and righteousness in the land. In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is His name which they will call Him, Jehovah our Righteousness. `Jeremiah 23bbb5-6`.
In Joel,
Then you will know that I am Jehovah your God, who dwell in Zion, My holy mountain; and Jerusalem will be holy. It will happen on that day, that the mountains will drip new wine, and the hills will flow with milk, and all the streams of Judah will flow with water; and a spring will come forth from the house of Jehovah and will water the river of Shittim. Judah will abide for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation. `Joel 3bbb17-18`, `Joel 3bbbccc20`.
ttt[7] In Zechariah,
On that day I will strike every horse with panic, and its rider with madness. And on the house of Judah I will open My eyes, and every horse of the peoples I will strike with blindness. And the leaders of Judah will say in their hearts, I will strengthen for myself the inhabitants of Jerusalem in Jehovah Zebaoth their God. On that day I will set the leaders of Judah like a hearth of fire in sticks of wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they will devour to the right and to the left all the peoples round about, and Jerusalem will yet again be inhabited in her own place, in Jerusalem. And Jehovah will save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David, and the glory of the inhabitant of Jerusalem, may not exalt itself over Judah. On that day Jehovah will protect the inhabitant of Jerusalem, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of Jehovah in front of them. And I will pour out over the house of David and over the inhabitant of Jerusalem a spirit of grace. `Zechariah 12bbb4-10`.
This refers to the Lord's celestial kingdom, where truth should not have dominion over good but ought to be subordinate to it, truth being meant by 'the house of David' and 'the inhabitant of Jerusalem', and good by 'Judah'. From this it is evident why first it is said that 'the glory of the house of David, and the glory of the inhabitant of Jerusalem, will not exalt itself over Judah', and after this that 'the house of David will be like God, and like the angel of Jehovah', and that 'a spirit of grace will be poured out over it and over the inhabitant of Jerusalem'. For such is the state when truth is subordinate to good or faith to love. 'The horse which will be struck with panic, and the horse of the peoples with blindness' is self-intelligence, see `@@@2761`, `@@@2762`, `@@@3217`.
ttt[8] In the same prophet,
On that day there will be on the horses' bells, Holiness to Jehovah. And the pots in the house of Jehovah will be as the bowls before the altar. And every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah will be holiness to Jehovah Zebaoth. `Zechariah 14bbb20-21`.
This refers to the Lord's kingdom. In Malachi,
Behold, I am sending My angel, who will prepare the way before Me, and suddenly there will come to His temple the Lord whom you are seeking, and the angel of the covenant in whom you delight. Behold, He is coming. Who can endure the day of His coming? Then the minchah of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to Jehovah, as in the days of old and as in former years. `Malachi 3bbb1-2`, `Malachi 3bbbccc4`.
This plainly refers to the Coming of the Lord. The meaning is that Judah and Jerusalem's minchah was not, as is well known, acceptable but that worship flowing from love, Judah's minchah, and worship flowing from faith rooted in love, Jerusalem's minchah, are acceptable.
ttt[9] In Jeremiah,
Thus said Jehovah Zebaoth, Again they will speak this word in the land of Judah and in its cities when I turn again their captivity: Jehovah bless you, O habitation of righteousness, O holy mountain! And Judah and all its cities will dwell in it together. Behold, the days are coming, said Jehovah, in which I will sow the house of Judah with the seed of man and the seed of beast. Behold, the days are coming, said Jehovah, in which I will make with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah a new covenant, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers. `Jeremiah 31bbb23-24`, `Jeremiah 31bbbccc27`, `Jeremiah 31bbbccc31-32`.
In David,
The Lord chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which He loved, and built His sanctuary as the heights, as the earth He founded it for ever. `Psalms 78bbb68-69`.
ttt[10] From these places and very many others which have not been mentioned one may see what 'Judah' means in the Word. They show that 'Judah' does not mean the Jewish nation, for that nation was anything but the celestial Church or the Lord's celestial kingdom; for so far as love to the Lord, charity towards the neighbour, and faith; went they were the worst nation of all. This has been so from their earliest forefathers, namely the sons of Jacob, even to the present day. But in spite of this such people were able to represent the celestial and spiritual things of the Lord's kingdom, see `@@@3479-3481`. For in representations no attention is paid to the person who represents, only to what is represented by him, `@@@665`, `@@@1097` (end), `@@@1361`, `@@@3147`, `@@@3670`.
ttt[11] But when they did not adhere to the religious observances commanded by Jehovah or the Lord but deviated from them into acts of idolatry they no longer represented those things but such as are contrary to them, namely those of hell and the devil, according to the Lord's words in John,
You are from your father the devil, and the desires of your father you will to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and did not take a stand on the truth. `John 8bbb44`
Such is the meaning of 'Judah' in the contrary sense, as becomes clear from the following: In Isaiah,
Jerusalem has stumbled, and Judah has fallen, because their tongue and their works are against Jehovah, to provoke the eyes of His glory to anger. `Isaiah 3bbb8`.
In Malachi,
Judah has acted faithlessly, and abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem, and Judah has profaned the holiness of Jehovah, for he loved and married the daughter of a foreign god. `Malachi 2bbb11`.
And in addition in the following places - `Isaiah 3bbb1` and following verses;
`Isaiah ccc8bbb7-8`; `Jeremiah 2bbb28`; `Jeremiah ccc3bbb7-11`; `Jeremiah ccc9bbb26`; `Jeremiah ccc11bbb9-10`, `Jeremiah 11bbbccc12`; `Jeremiah ccc13bbb9`; `Jeremiah ccc14bbb2`; `Jeremiah ccc17bbb1`; `Jeremiah ccc18bbb11-13`; `Jeremiah ccc19bbb7`; `Jeremiah ccc32bbb35`; `Jeremiah ccc36bbb31`; `Jeremiah ccc44bbb12`, `Jeremiah 44bbbccc14`, `Jeremiah 44bbbccc26`, `Jeremiah 44bbbccc28`; `Hosea 5bbb5`; `Hosea ccc8bbb14`; `Amos 2bbb4-5`; `Zephaniah 1bbb4`; and many times elsewhere.
ppp19968#pid#3882. 'And she left off bearing' means the ascent up a stairway from earth even to Jehovah or the Lord. This is clear from the meaning of 'bearing' or birth as truth and good, for these are births in the spiritual sense, in that a person is regenerated or born anew by means of truth and good. Such truth and good is also what were meant by Leah's four who were born to her - Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah. 'Reuben' meant truth as this exists on the first step in regeneration or rebirth - truth which is no more than knowledge, and so merely a knowledge of truth. 'Simeon' meant truth as this exists on the second step in regeneration or rebirth - truth present in the will, and so a will desiring truth. 'Levi' meant truth as it exists on the third step in regeneration or rebirth - truth for which one feels an affection, and so an affection for truth, which is the same as charity. But 'Judah' meant good which exists on the fourth step in regeneration or rebirth - good which is the celestial form of love. When a person who has been regenerated or born anew has come this far the Lord manifests Himself to him, for he has by now risen up from the lowest step, as if by a stairway, to the one where the Lord is.
ttt[2] This stepping up is also meant by the stairway seen in a dream by Jacob which was set up on the earth, a stairway whose top reached to heaven, and on which the angels of God were going up and coming down, with Jehovah or the Lord standing above it, described in Chapter `Genesis ccc28bbb12`. From this it is evident that 'she left off bearing' has the meaning that has been stated. For explanations that the four conceptions and births spoken of meant an advance from what is external to what is internal, or from truth to good, that is, from earth to heaven, see `@@@3860`, `@@@3868`, `@@@3874`, `@@@3879`. Coming down is subsequent to this, for no one is able to come down before he has gone up. Coming down however is nothing else than surveying truth from good, as when one climbs a mountain and then regards the things that lie below. From that position he can, in a single survey of the scene, take in an incalculably greater number of things than people standing below or in the valley, as is evident to anyone. It is exactly the same with those who are governed by good, that is, by love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour. These can see incalculably more than those governed merely by truth, that is, by faith alone.
ppp19967#pid#3883. THE GRAND MAN AND CORRESPONDENCE - continued IN THIS SECTION THE CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE HEART AND LUNGS
What the Grand Man is, and what correspondence with it is, has been stated already. The Grand Man consists in heaven in its entirety, which in general is a likeness and image of the Lord. Correspondence is a correspondence of the Lord's Divine with the celestial and spiritual things of heaven, and of those celestial and spiritual things of heaven with natural things in the world, primarily those in man. Thus there exists, by means of heaven or the Grand Man, a correspondence of the Lord's Divine with man and every individual part of him, so much so that man comes into being from that correspondence and is all the time coming into being, that is, is kept in being, from it.
ppp19966#pid#3884. As the world knows nothing at all about the correspondence of heaven or the Grand Man with every individual part of man or about the truth that man comes into being and is kept in being from it, and as what is going to be said on these matters will seem paradoxical and unbelievable, let me refer to things which I have experienced and of which I am therefore firmly convinced. On one occasion when the interior heaven was opened to me and I was talking to the angels there I was allowed to observe the following activities there. (It should be realized that although I was present there in heaven I had not left my body at all, for heaven is within a person wherever he is situated. So when it pleases the Lord a person can be in heaven and yet not withdrawn from the body. In this way I was allowed to perceive the general activities of heaven as plainly as anything perceived by any of the senses.) On this particular occasion I perceived four activities taking place, the first being into the brain at the left temple. This was a general activity involving the organs of reason, for the left side of the brain corresponds to rational powers or those of the understanding, but the right to affections or powers of the will.
ttt[2] The second general activity which I perceived was into the breathing of the lungs, which was gently controlling my own breathing. But it did so from what was interior and so I had no need to call on my own will to control my breathing or drawing of breath. I perceived plainly at that time the actual breathing of heaven. It is an internal breathing and not therefore perceptible to man, but flows in by means of a wonderful correspondence into man's breathing, which is external or of the body. And if man were deprived of that influx he would instantly fall down dead.
ttt[3] The third activity which I perceived was into the systole and the diastole of the heart, which was at that time gentler in myself than it had ever been at any other times. The pulse rate was regular - round about three beats for every breath that was taken - yet such that beats ended in and so conditioned actions taking place in the lungs. How at the end of each breath taken the alternating actions of the heart fitted into those of the lungs I was allowed to observe to a certain extent. The alternate sounds of the pulse could be observed so easily that I was able to count them. They were separate and gentle.
ttt[4] The fourth general activity was into the kidneys; this too I was allowed to perceive, though obscurely. From these activities it was evident that heaven or the Grand Man has heartbeats and draws breaths, and that the heartbeats of heaven or the Grand Man have a correspondence with the heart and its systolic and diastolic motions, and that the breathing actions of heaven or the Grand Man have a correspondence with the lungs and their breathing actions. But neither can be observed by man, being imperceptible because they are internal.
ppp19965#pid#3885. On another occasion also when I was led away from ideas formed from sensory impressions in the body a heavenly light appeared to me. That light led me even further away from those ideas, for the light of heaven holds spiritual life within it, see `@@@1524`, `@@@2776`, `@@@3167`, `@@@3195`, `@@@3339`, `@@@3636`, `@@@3643`. While I was surrounded with this light bodily and worldly interests looked to be underneath me. I was still aware of them, but it seemed as though they were more remote from me and did not belong to me. At this time it seemed to me as though I was present in heaven with my head but not with my body. In this condition I was also allowed to observe the general breathing of heaven and also the nature of it. It was interior, relaxed, spontaneous, and corresponded to my own breathing in a ratio of three breaths to one. In a similar way I was also allowed to observe my heartbeats complementing those of heaven. At this point the angels told me that the beating of the heart and the breathing of the lungs in each individual being on earth sprang from those corresponding actions in heaven. They also said that the reason why one heart beats or a pair of lungs breathes at a different rate from another is that the beat of the heart and the breathing of the lungs in heaven is spread out into a kind of continuum and so into an endeavour whose nature is such that it gives rise to those varying motions in living beings, the variations in each one depending on its particular state.
ppp19964#pid#3886. But it should be realized that variations in heartbeat and breathing from one heaven to another are manifold and that those variations are as many as the communities there. For those variations are determined by the differing states of thought and affection from one community to another, and those states are determined by the differing states of faith and love. But the general heartbeat and the general breathing of heaven is as has been described above. On yet another occasion I was allowed to observe the heartbeats of communities which belonged to the province of the back part of the head, to observe the heartbeat of each celestial community there and the heartbeat of each spiritual community. The heartbeats of the celestial communities were soundless and gentle whereas those of spiritual ones were strong and vibrating. There were five spiritual beats to every two celestial, for the heartbeat of the celestial communities flows into that of the spiritual, and in this ratio are emitted and pass into the natural creation. And marvel that it is, the speech of celestial angels is not something spiritual angels hear but something they perceive as a kind of heartbeat, the reason being that the speech of celestial angels is not intelligible to spiritual angels because it is produced through the affections which belong to love, whereas the speech of spiritual angels is produced through intellectual ideas, see `@@@1647`, `@@@1759`, `@@@2157`, `@@@3343`. And those affections belong to the province of the heart, but these ideas to that of the lungs.
ppp19963#pid#3887. In heaven or the Grand Man there are two kingdoms, one called celestial, the other spiritual. The celestial kingdom consists of angels who are called celestial and are those who have been governed by love to the Lord and so by all wisdom. For they more than all others abide in the Lord and so more than all others experience the state of peace and innocence. To others they look like young children, for the state of peace and innocence gives them this appearance. Everything there is living so to speak in their eyes, for that which comes directly from the Lord is living. Such is the celestial kingdom. The second kingdom is called spiritual. This consists of angels who are called spiritual and are those who have been governed by the good that flows from charity towards the neighbour. The delight of life is considered by them to lie in being able to do good to others without reward. To them being allowed to do good to others is itself a reward. And the more this is their will and desire the greater the intelligence and happiness they experience, for in the next life the Lord confers intelligence and happiness on everyone according to the use which he performs from the affection that belongs to his will. Such is the spiritual kingdom.
ttt[2] Inhabitants of the Lord's celestial kingdom all belong to the province of the heart, and those of His spiritual kingdom all belong to the province of the lungs. The influx from the celestial kingdom into the spiritual kingdom is similar to the influx of the heart into the lungs, and also to the influx of all things belonging to the heart into those belonging to the lungs. For the heart reigns in the whole of the body and in every individual part of it by means of the blood vessels, as do the lungs in every individual part by means of the breathing. Consequently throughout the body there is so to speak an influx of the heart into the lungs, but this is dependent on the forms there and on the states. This is how all sensation arises and also all activity which belongs properly to the body. This point can also be proved from embryos and new-born infants. These cannot have any bodily sensation or any act of individual will until the lungs have been opened for them and an influx consequently takes place of heart into lungs. It is similar in the spiritual world, the difference being that bodily and natural things do not exist in that world but celestial and spiritual, which are the good of love and the good of faith. With them therefore motions of the heart are determined by the states of love, and respiratory motions by the states of faith. The influx of one into the other causes them to have sensations of things in a spiritual manner and to act in a spiritual manner. These ideas are bound to seem paradoxical to man because he has no other idea of the good of love or of the truth of faith than that they are some abstract qualities which have no power to effect anything. In fact the contrary is the case; that is to say, they are the source of all perception and sensation, of all energy and activity, including those in man.
ppp19962#pid#3888. Those two kingdoms manifest themselves in man through the two kingdoms which exist within him - the kingdom of the will and the kingdom of the understanding which constitute man's mind, indeed man himself. It is the will to which the beating of the heart corresponds, and the understanding to which the breathing of the lungs corresponds. Those two kingdoms also manifest themselves in man's body, where again there are two kingdoms - that of the heart and that of the lungs. Anyone who knows this arcanum is also able to know about the influx of the will into the understanding and of the understanding into the will and consequently to know about the influx of the good of love into the truth of faith, and vice versa, and so about the regeneration of man. But people who are restricted solely to bodily ideas, that is, people who have evil as the object of their will and falsity the object of their understanding cannot grasp these matters, for they cannot think about spiritual and celestial things except with the senses and the body. Consequently they cannot think of those things except from a thick darkness concerning the things that constitute heavenly light, which is the truth of faith, and from a coldness concerning the things that constitute heavenly flame, which is the good of love. Those two - the thick darkness and the coldness - so blot out celestial and spiritual things that they do not seem to those people to be anything.
ppp19961#pid#3889. To enable me to know not only that there is a correspondence of celestial things, which are those of love, with the motions of the heart, and of spiritual things, which are those of faith derived from love, with the motions of the lungs, but also the nature of this correspondence, I was allowed to spend a significant amount of time with angels who were to demonstrate this to me visually. By means of wonderful circular movements, impossible to describe, they formed a resemblance of the heart and a resemblance of the lungs, including all the intricate interior and exterior parts which the heart and lungs possess. They traced the spontaneous flow of heaven, for heaven strives to exhibit that form from the influx into itself of love from the Lord. In this manner each individual part of the heart was exhibited, and after that the union of the heart and the lungs, which union they also represented by means of the marriage of good and truth. From this also it was evident that the heart corresponds to the celestial element of good and the lungs to the spiritual element of truth, and that the material form in which the two exist joined together is the heart and lungs. I was also told that the same applies throughout the whole body, that is, to things of the heart and those of the lungs within all the individual members, organs, and viscera of the body. For where the two are not acting together but each one by turns separately, no motion of life belonging in any way in the will can exist there nor any feeling of life beginning in any way in the understanding there.
ppp19960#pid#3890. It has been stated frequently already that heaven or the Grand Man is distinguished into countless separate communities, and into as many broad divisions as there are organs and viscera in the body; and that each individual community belongs to one of those broad divisions, `@@@3745`. It has also been stated that, though countless and varying, communities nevertheless act as one, just as all things within the body, though varying, act as one. The communities in heaven which belong to the province of the heart are celestial communities and are situated in the middle or the inmost parts. But the communities in heaven which belong to the province of the lungs are spiritual and are situated round about or more externally. Influx from the Lord passes by way of the celestial communities into the spiritual ones or from the middle into what is surrounding; that is, it flows from inmost parts to more external. The reason for this is that the Lord flows in by way of love or mercy, and this is the source of everything celestial in His kingdom. And by way of love and mercy He flows into the good of faith, and this is the source of everything spiritual in His kingdom. There is also an indescribable variety to all this, but that variety is not a product of the influx but of the reception of it.
ppp19959#pid#3891. The fact that not only the whole of heaven breathes as one human being but also that all the individual communities breathe unitedly, indeed that all angels and spirits do so, has been proved to me by very many living experiences, so that I was not left in any doubt about it. Indeed spirits are amazed that anyone should be in any doubt about it. But because few have any other idea about angels and spirits than the idea of their being non-material (in which case they would be mere thoughts and so scarcely real substances) still less any idea about their enjoying the senses of sight, hearing, and touch as men do, and least of all any idea about angels and spirits breathing and therefore possessing life similar to man's (though a more interior life, as a spirit's life is in contrast to man's) let further experiences be introduced.
ttt[2] On one occasion I was told before going to sleep that many were plotting against me who had it in mind to make me perish by suffocation. But I took no notice of their threats because the Lord protected me, and so I went comfortably off to sleep. But at midnight I woke up and plainly experienced that I was not breathing from myself but was doing so from heaven. For the act of breathing was not my own and yet I myself was still breathing. On countless other occasions I have been allowed to feel what the breathing of spirits and also of angels is like through the experience of them breathing within me, though my own breathing continued at the same time yet separately from theirs. But nobody is allowed to have such an experience unless the interior parts of him have been opened and communication with heaven granted to him in this way.
ppp19958#pid#3892. I have been told by the most ancient people who were celestial and who more than any others were governed by love to the Lord that they did not have external breathing like those who came after them but internal breathing. They have said that they breathed with angels whose company they shared because they were governed by heavenly love. I have also been told that their state of breathing was determined entirely by their states of love and of faith deriving from it. On these points see what has been related already in `@@@608`, `@@@805`, `@@@1118-1120`.
ppp19957#pid#3893. Angelic choirs were once praising the Lord and doing so with heartfelt joy. Their praises were heard sometimes as sweet singing, for to one another spirits and angels have resounding voices and they hear one another as well as men hear one another. But no human singing, however heavenly its sweetness and harmony, can compare with that of those angelic choirs. From the variety of sound I perceived that there were many choirs. I was told by the angels present with me that those choirs belonged to the province of the lungs and the functions of these, singing being their role because that is an activity of the lungs, as I was also given to know from experience. They were allowed to control my breathing, which was done so gently and softly and also interiorly that I was scarcely aware of myself breathing at all. I was also told that those assigned to involuntary breathing are distinct and separate from those assigned to voluntary. They said that those assigned to involuntary breathing were present when a person is asleep, for as soon as he is asleep his voluntary breathing stops and the involuntary takes over.
ppp19956#pid#3894. Since the breathing of angels and spirits is determined entirely by their states of love and of faith deriving from it, as stated above in `@@@3892`, one community does not therefore breathe in the same way as another. Nor can the evil who are governed by self-love and love of the world and as a consequence by falsity share the company of the good. When they come near the good it seems to them as though they are unable to breathe and are so to speak being suffocated. As a consequence they sink down like somebody half-dead, and so like stones, into hell where they regain their ability to breathe along with those who are already in that place. From this it may be seen that those immersed in evil and falsity cannot be in the Grand Man or heaven, for when their breathing starts to falter as they are approaching heaven all their discernment and thought too starts to falter, as well as all their effort to perform what is evil and press what is false. And with that effort their whole action and impetus perishes. Consequently they are unable to do anything else but cast themselves down headlong from that place.
`@@@3894`[a] Because this is the case, and because the upright on entering the next life are first of all taken back to the life which had been theirs in the world, `@@@2119`, and so are also taken back to the desires and pleasures of that life, they cannot move among angels and breathe with them, for the reason that they have not yet undergone preparation for this. So when they undergo such preparation they are first of all introduced into angelic life by means of their taking breaths in unison with angels, and as they do so they enter at the same time into interior perceptions and into heavenly freedom. This takes place in a community consisting of many, that is, in choirs, in which one member breathes in the same way as another, and also perceives in the same way, and in the same way acts in freedom. And the way in which this is effected I have been shown visually.
ppp19955#pid#3895. When persuasive argument supporting what is evil and false, or even what is true, is employed by one who is leading a life of evil, that argument is such in the next life that so to speak it suffocates others, even upright spirits before they have been introduced into angelic breathing. Therefore those with that power of persuasive argument are removed by the Lord and detained in a hell where they cannot do one another any harm, for one spirit's power of persuasive argument is almost the same as that of another, and so their breathing is accordant. Some who had that power of persuasive argument came to me with the intention of suffocating me, and also did suffocate me partially. But the Lord rescued me. At that point the Lord sent a young child, whose presence tormented them so much that they could scarcely breathe. They were kept in this condition until they cried out and so were thrust down into hell.
ttt[2] Persuasive argument supporting what is true with a person leading a life of evil is such that he convinces himself that the truth is the truth not because he has good as his end in view but evil. That is to say, he convinces himself of it so that by means of the truth he may gain in position, reputation, and wealth. Such power of persuasion can exist with the most evil people of all. They can be so zealous seemingly for the truth that they condemn to hell all who, though good exists with them, do not possess the truth. Regarding this persuasion, see `@@@2689`, `@@@3865`. When such people first enter the next life they believe that they are angels, but they are unable to come near any angelic community, being suffocated so to speak by their own power of persuasive argument. They are those of whom the Lord spoke in Matthew,
Many will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy through Your name and cast out demons through Your name, and do many mighty works in Your name? But then I will confess to them, I do not know you; depart from Me, you workers of iniquity. `Matthew 7bbb22-23`.
ppp19954#pid#3896. 'The Grand Man and Correspondence' is continued at the end of the next chapter.
ppp19953#pid#3897. CHAPTER 30
In the preliminary section of this chapter - in accordance with the method of presentation adopted previously - those things which the Lord has taught in `Matthew 24bbb0` about the Last Judgement or final stages of the Church come up for explanation. The preliminary section of the previous chapter explained the contents of `Matthew 24bbb19-22`, and now an explanation appears below of verses `Matthew 24bbbccc23-28`, which are,
Then if anyone says to you, Behold, here is the Christ! or There! do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will arise, and they will show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. Behold, I have told you beforehand. If therefore they say to you, Behold, He is in the wilderness! do not go out; Behold, He is in the inner rooms! do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and is seen as far as the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For wherever the carcass is, there also the eagles will be gathered together.
ppp19952#pid#3898. What these words embody no one can know except from the teaching of the internal sense - such as the prediction that false Christs will arise who will show great signs and wonders; the command that they should not go out if they were told that Christ was in the wilderness, and that they should not believe it if they were told that He was in the inner rooms; the declaration that the coming of the Son of Man will be like lightning which comes from the east and is seen as far as the west; and also the comment that where the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together. These various statements - like those that come before and those that follow them in this chapter - do not seem, in the sense of the letter, to have any connection with one another. But in the internal sense there is a most wonderful flow of ideas, and this starts to be seen when one understands what is meant by 'false Christs', by 'great signs and wonders', by 'the wilderness' and 'the inner rooms', also by 'the coming of the Son of Man', and lastly by 'the carcass' and 'the eagles'.
ttt[2] The Lord's reason for speaking in this manner was that people should not understand the Word in case they profaned it; for once the Church had been destroyed, as it had been at that time among the Jews, people would have profaned the Word if they had understood it. This was also why the Lord spoke in parables, as He himself teaches in `Matthew 13bbb13-15`; `Mark 4bbb11-12`; `Luke 8bbb10`. For the Word cannot be profaned by those who have no knowledge of its mysteries, only by those who do, see `@@@301-303`, `@@@593`, `@@@1008`, `@@@1010`, `@@@1059`, `@@@1327`, `@@@1328`, `@@@2051`, `@@@3398`, `@@@3402`; and more so by those who consider themselves learned than by those who consider themselves unlearned.
ttt[3] But the reason why the interior contents of the Word are being disclosed at the present time is that the Church today has been so much vastated, that is, is so devoid of faith and love, that although people know and understand they still do not acknowledge, let alone believe, see `@@@3398`, `@@@3399` - with the exception of a few who lead a good life and are called the elect. Among these few who are now able to be taught the new Church is to be established. But where those few are the Lord alone knows. Few of these will be inside the Church. In the past it has been the gentiles among whom new Churches have been established, see `@@@2986`.
ppp19951#pid#3899. The subject in the verses prior to these in this chapter of Matthew was the progressive ruination of the Church. That is to say, first of all people ceased to know any longer what good or truth was, and instead began to argue with one another about these; after that they treated them with contempt; then in a third phase they did not acknowledge them; and in a fourth they profaned them, see `@@@3754`. But now the subject is the kind of doctrine that is taught generally in the Church, and especially by those whose worship is outwardly holy but inwardly profane; that is, those who with their lips praise the Lord in holy and reverent ways, but in their hearts they worship self and the world, so that for them worshipping the Lord is a means by which they gain position and wealth. When this is what their worship becomes, then to the extent they have come to acknowledge the Lord, the heavenly life and faith, they profane the same. This state of the Church is the subject now, as may be seen more clearly from the internal sense of the Lord's words quoted above, which is as follows:
ppp19950#pid#3900. Then if anyone says to you, Behold, here is the Christ! or There! do not believe it means a warning to beware of what they teach. 'The Christ' refers to the Lord as regards Divine Truth, and therefore to the Word and to doctrine from the Word. But here the contrary is clearly meant - Divine Truth falsified, or doctrine that teaches what is false. For 'Jesus' means Divine Good and 'Christ' Divine Truth, see `@@@3004`, `@@@3005`, `@@@3008`, `@@@3009`.
ttt[2] For false Christs and false prophets will arise means the falsities taught by that doctrine. 'False Christs' means matters of doctrine from the Word that have been falsified, that is, truths that are not Divine, as is evident from what has been stated immediately above; see also `@@@3010`, `@@@3732` (end). And 'false prophets' means those who teach those falsities, `@@@2534`. In the Christian world those who teach falsities are in particular those who have self-aggrandizement and also worldly wealth as their end in view. Indeed they twist the truths of the Word to suit themselves. For when self-love and love of the world is the end in view, nothing else is contemplated. These are the 'false Christs and false prophets'.
ttt[3] And they will show great signs and wonders means proofs and convincing reasons that are based on outward appearances and on illusions by which the simple allow themselves to be led astray. The meaning of 'signs and wonders' will in the Lord's Divine mercy be shown elsewhere.
ttt[4] So as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect means those who lead lives that are good and true and who therefore abide in the Lord. These are the ones who in the Word are called 'the elect'. They are rarely present in a group of those who cloak worship that is profane with outward reverence; or if they are present there they go unrecognized because the Lord hides them and so protects them. Until they have been made strong by Him, they easily allow themselves to be led astray by external practices expressing reverence; but once they have been made strong they are not deceived. For though they are not aware of it, they are kept by the Lord in the company of angels, when it is impossible for them to be led astray by that unspeakable crew.
ttt[5] Behold, I have told you beforehand means an exhortation to be shrewd, that is, to be on their guard, since they are among false prophets who appear in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves, `Matthew 7bbb15`. Those false prophets are the sons of the age who are more shrewd, that is, more cunning, in their own generation than the sons of light, referred to in `Luke 16bbb8`. For this reason the Lord warns them as follows,
Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves. `Matthew 10bbb16`.
ttt[6] If therefore they say to you, Behold, He is in the wilderness! do not go out; Behold, He is in the inner rooms! do not believe it means that what they say about the truth, what they say about good, and many other things, are not to be believed. Nobody can see that this is the meaning of these words except one who is acquainted with the internal sense. They contain an arcanum within them, as one may see from the fact that the Lord spoke them and that without some other sense concealed within them interiorly they would not amount to anything. That is to say, the injunctions not to go out if they said that Christ was in the wilderness and not to believe it if they said that He was in the inner rooms would not amount to anything. But truth that has undergone vastation is what 'the wilderness' means, and good that has undergone vastation, what 'the inner rooms' or inward parts means. The reason why truth that has undergone vastation is meant by a wilderness is that when the Church has undergone vastation, that is, when there is no Divine truth there any longer because no good exists there any longer, that is, no love to the Lord or charity towards the neighbour, it is called a wilderness or said to be in the wilderness. For the word wilderness is used to mean everything that is uncultivated or uninhabited, `@@@2708`, and also to mean that which has little life to it, `@@@1927`, as is the case at that time with truth in the Church. From this it is evident that 'the wilderness' here means a Church in which truth does not exist.
ttt[7] 'The inner rooms' or inward parts however in the internal sense means the Church as regards good, and also simply that which is good. A Church in which good is present is called 'the House of God', 'the inner rooms' in this case being forms of good, as also are the contents of that house. For 'the House of God' means Divine good, and 'a house' in general means good that flows from love and charity, see `@@@2233`, `@@@2234`, `@@@2559`, `@@@3142`, `@@@3652`, `@@@3720`. The reason why what they say about truth and what they say about good is not to be believed is that they call falsity the truth and evil good. Indeed people whose end in view is self and the world do not understand anything else by truth and good than that they themselves should be adored and they themselves should receive benefits. And if they give the impression that they are devout it is so that they may be seen dressed in sheep's clothing.
ttt[8] What is more, the Word which the Lord has spoken contains more in it than anyone can calculate, and 'the wilderness' is an expression that has a wide range of spiritual meanings. As everything uncultivated or uninhabited is called 'the wilderness' and all things that are interior are called 'the inner rooms', therefore 'the wilderness' also means the Old Testament Word since this is considered to be superseded, while 'the inner rooms' means the New Testament Word since this teaches about interior things, that is, it is concerned with the internal man. The Word as a whole is likewise referred to as 'the wilderness' when it no longer serves to supply matters of doctrine, and 'inner rooms' is the name given to human practices which, being departures from the commands and ordinances of the Word, turn the Word into a wilderness. This is also well known in the Christian world, for people whose worship is outwardly holy but inwardly profane owing to the introduction of novelties which have as their end in view pre-eminence over all others and becoming wealthier than all others set aside the Word. Indeed they go so far as not to allow others to read it. And even in the case of those whose worship is not profane as just described and who do regard the Word to be holy and do allow it a place among ordinary people, they nevertheless bend and explain everything in accordance with their own teachings. And this turns the rest of the Word which does not accord with their own teachings into a wilderness, as becomes quite clear from those who focus salvation on faith alone and show contempt for the works of charity. They turn so to speak into a wilderness everything which the Lord Himself has stated in the New Testament, and so many times in the Old, about love and charity. And everything to do with faith without works is turned so to speak into inner rooms. From this it is evident what is meant by, If they say to you, Behold, He is in the wilderness! do not go out; Behold, He is in the inner rooms! do not believe it.
ttt[9] For as the lightning comes from the east and is seen as far as the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be means that internal worship of the Lord will be like lightning which is instantly dispersed. For 'lightning' means that which is a manifestation of heavenly light and thus that which has reference to love and faith since these are the components of heavenly light. 'East' in the highest sense means the Lord, in the internal sense good that flows from love, charity, and faith received from the Lord, see `@@@101`, `@@@1250`, `@@@3249`. 'West' in the internal sense however means that which has gone down or ceased to be, and so means the non-acknowledgement of the Lord or of good that flows from love, charity, and faith. Accordingly 'the lightning which comes from the east and is seen as far as the west' means dispersal. The Lord's coming does not consist, as the letter has it, in His appearing once again in the world, but in His presence within everyone. He is present there as often as the gospel is preached and that which is holy is contemplated.
ttt[10] For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together means that confirmations of falsity by means of reasonings will be multiplied in the Church that has undergone vastation. When the Church is devoid of good and as a consequence devoid of the truth of faith, that is, when it has undergone vastation, it is called dead, since good and truth are the source of its life. And so when it is dead it is compared to 'the carcass'. Reasonings to the effect that goods and truths are nothing except insofar as they can be grasped mentally, and confirmations of evil and falsity by means of those reasonings, are meant by 'the eagles', as may be seen from what follows immediately below. The fact that 'the carcass' here means the Church when devoid of the life of charity and faith is evident from the Lord's words where the close of the age is the subject, in Luke,
The disciples said (referring to the close of the age or the Last Judgement), Where, Lord? Jesus said to them, Where the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together. `Luke 17bbb37`.
'The body' is used here instead of the carcass, it being a dead body that is understood in this case, which means the Church. For it is clear from many references in the Word that the House of God - that is, the Church - is where the Judgement begins. These then are the details meant in the internal sense by the Lord's words which have been introduced and explained above. The most wonderful flow of ideas, though barely visible at all in the sense of the letter, may be seen by anyone who thinks about them in the connected sequence explained above.
ppp19949#pid#3901. The reason why the final state of the Church is compared to eagles gathered together where there is a carcass or body is that 'eagles' means man's rational ideas. When used in reference to forms of good 'eagles' means true rational ideas, but when used in reference to forms of evil 'eagles' means false rational ideas, or reasonings. 'Birds' in general means a person's thoughts, and in both the genuine and the contrary senses, `@@@40`, `@@@745`, `@@@776`, `@@@866`, `@@@991`, `@@@3219`; and each species has some individual meaning, 'eagles' meaning rational ideas because they are high-flyers and sharp-sighted. This meaning may be seen from many places in the Word, from which let the following be brought forward to confirm it. First, places where true rational ideas are meant: in Moses,
Jehovah found His people [Jacob] in a wilderness land and in the emptiness, the howling, the lonely place He encompassed him, instructed him, and kept him as the pupil of His eye. As an eagle stirs up its nest, hovers over its young, spreads out its wings, takes one, carries it on its wings. `Deuteronomy 32bbb10-11`.
That which is described here and compared to the eagle is instruction in the truths and goods of faith. The actual process up to the point when a person becomes rational and spiritual is what this description and comparison contains. All comparisons in the Word are made by means of meaningful signs, in this case by 'the eagle', which means the rational.
ttt[2] In the same author,
Jehovah said to Moses, You have seen the things which I did to the Egyptians, and I bore you on eagles' wings so that I might bring you to Myself. `Exodus 19bbb3-4`.
Here the meaning is similar. In Isaiah,
Those who await Jehovah will be renewed with strength; they will mount up with strong wings like eagles; they will run and not be weary, they will walk and not faint. `Isaiah 40bbb31`.
'Being renewed with strength' stands for growth in the willing of good, 'mounting up with strong wings like eagles' for growth in the understanding of truth, and so growth of the rational. Here, as elsewhere, dual expressions are used to present the subject, the first of a pair involving good which belongs to the will, the second truth which belongs to the understanding. 'Running and not being weary' and 'walking and not fainting' are similar dual expressions.
ttt[3] In Ezekiel,
Speak a parable about the house of Israel, and say, Thus said the Lord Jehovih, A great eagle with long pinions, full of feathers, in its embroidery, came on Lebanon and took a twig of the cedar. He carried it into a land of trade, he placed it in a city of perfumers. It sprouted and became a spreading vine. There was another great eagle with great wings and full of feathers, towards which, behold, this vine directed its roots, and sent out its branches towards it to water it from the beds of its young plants in a good field, by many waters. But it will be laid waste. He sent his ambassadors to Egypt that they might give him horses and many people. `Ezekiel 17bbb2-9`, `Ezekiel 17bbbccc15`.
The eagle mentioned first stands for the rational enlightened by the Divine, the eagle mentioned second for the rational originating in the proprium, subsequently perverted by means of reasonings based on sensory evidence and factual knowledge - 'Egypt' standing for factual knowledge, `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1186`, `@@@1462`, and 'horses' for understanding resulting from all this, `@@@2761`, `@@@2762`, `@@@3217`.
ttt[4] In Daniel,
A vision of Daniel. Four beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another. The first was like a lion, but had eagle's wings. I watched it until its wings were torn away and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on its feet like a human being; and the heart of a human being was given to it. `Daniel 7bbb3-4`.
That which is described by 'a lion which had eagle's wings' is the first state of the Church, 'eagle's wings' in this case meaning rational ideas originating in the proprium. And when these had been removed, rational ideas and desires in the will which had a Divine origin were given to it. These are meant by the lifting up of the eagle from the ground and the standing of it on its feet like a human being, and the gift to it of the heart of a human being.
ttt[5] In Ezekiel,
As for the likeness of the faces of the four living creatures or cherubs, each of the four had the face of a human being, and the face of a lion on the right side; and each of the four the face of an ox on the left side; and each of the four had the face of an eagle. `Ezekiel 1bbb10`.
Their wheels were called Galgal; and each one had four faces - the first face was the face of a cherub, the second face the face of a human being, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle. `Ezekiel 10bbb13-14`.
In John,
Around the throne were four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind. The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature was like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a human being, the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. `Revelation 4bbb7`.
Clearly, those living creatures that were seen mean Divine arcana, as consequently does the likeness of their faces. But exactly which arcana are meant cannot be known unless one knows what 'lion', 'calf', 'human being', and 'eagle' mean in the internal sense. It is evident that 'the face of an eagle' means vigilance and therefore providence, for the cherubs who were represented by the living creatures in Ezekiel mean the Lord's providence which guards against anyone entering the mysteries of faith from himself and his own rationality as the starting point, see `@@@308`. This also shows that when 'an eagle' is used in reference to a human being the rational is meant in the internal sense. It has this meaning because an eagle is a high-flyer and from its more exalted position has a wide view of things below.
ttt[6] In Job,
Is it through your intelligence that the hawk flies up and spreads its wings towards the south? Is it at your command`fff1` that the eagle lifts itself up and makes its nest up high? `Job 39bbb26-27`.
In this verse it is evident that 'the eagle' means reason which is an attribute of intelligence. This was what 'eagle' meant in the Ancient Church, for the Book of Job is a book of the Ancient Church, `@@@3540` (end). In fact the writing of almost all the books of that period involved the use of meaningful signs, but with the passage of time meaningful signs have been so eclipsed that it is not even known that 'birds' in general means thoughts, even though these are referred to many times in the Word and in those places quite clearly is meant something different from birds.
ttt[7] As regards 'the eagle' in the contrary sense meaning rational ideas that are not true, and so are false, this is evident from the following places: In Moses,
Jehovah will raise up above you a nation from far away, from the end of the earth, as an eagle flies, a nation whose language you do not understand, a hard-faced nation. `Deuteronomy 28bbb49-50`.
In Jeremiah,
Behold, he comes up [like] clouds, and his chariots like a whirlwind; his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us, for we have been laid waste! `Jeremiah 4bbb13`.
In the same prophet,
Your bragging has deceived you, and the pride of your heart, you who dwell in the clefts of the rock, who hold the height of the hill; because, like the eagle, you have made your nest up high, I will cast you down from there. Behold, he mounts up and flies like an eagle, and spreads his wings over Bozrah; and the heart of the powerful men of Edom has become on that day like the heart of a woman in distress. `Jeremiah 49bbb16`, `Jeremiah 49bbbccc22`.
In the same prophet,
Our pursuers were swifter than eagles; they pursued us over the mountains, they laid in wait for us in the wilderness. `Lamentations 4bbb19`.
In Micah,
Make yourself bald, and shave your head for the children of your delight; extend your baldness like an eagle, for they have departed from you. `Micah 1bbb16`.
In Obadiah,
If you raise yourself up like the eagle, and if you place your nest among the stars, I will bring you down from there. Obad. verse `Genesis 29bbbccc4`.
In Habakkuk,
I am rousing the Chaldeans, a bitter and headlong nation, marching into the breadths of the earth, to inherit habitations that are not its own. Its horses are swifter than leopards.`fff2` Its horsemen will come from afar. They will fly in like an eagle hastening to devour. `Habakkuk 1bbb6`, `Habakkuk 1bbbccc8`.
ttt[8] In all these places 'eagles' means falsity that has been introduced through reasonings - the delusions of the senses and external appearances being the source of that falsity. 'The Chaldeans' referred to in the last of the Prophets quoted means people who outwardly are holy but inwardly are under the influence of falsity, see `@@@1368`, and these like Babel are those who lay waste the Church, `@@@1367`. 'The breadths of the earth' means truths (the vastation of which is meant by 'marching into the breadths of the earth') see `@@@3433`, `@@@3434`, and 'horses' their intellectual concepts, which are similar, `@@@2761`, `@@@2762`, `@@@3217`. What is meant by 'an eagle hastening to devour' is clear from all this, namely a hastening to make man desolate of truths, for the desolation of the Church is the subject in these verses. Comparisons are made with eagles, but as has been stated, comparisons in the Word are made by means of meaningful signs. From all this one may now see what is meant by the comparison with the eagles which will be gathered together where the carcass is.
`nnn1. literally, mouth
`nnn2. The Latin means eagles, but the Hebrew means leopards, which Swedenborg has in other places where he quotes this verse.
ppp19948#pid#3902. `Genesis 30bbb0`
1. And Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob [any children], and Rachel was jealous of her sister, and said to Jacob, Give me sons; if you do not, I am dead.
2. And Jacob flared up in anger against Rachel, and he said, Am I in God's place, who is withholding from you the fruit of the womb?
3. And she said, Behold, my maidservant Bilhah; go [in] to her, and let her bear [a child] upon my knees, and I too shall be built up from her.
4. And she gave him Bilhah her servant-girl as his wife, and Jacob went [in] to her.
5. And Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son.
6. And Rachel said, God has judged me, and also has heard my voice, and has given me a son. Therefore she called his name Dan.
7. And Bilhah, Rachel's servant-girl, conceived again and bore a second son to Jacob.
8. And Rachel said, With the wrestlings of God I have wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed. And she called his name Naphtali.
9. And Leah saw that she had stopped bearing, and she took Zilpah her servant-girl, and gave her to Jacob as his wife.
10. And Zilpah, Leah's servant-girl, bore Jacob a son.
11. And Leah said, A troop comes! And she called his name Gad.
12. And Zilpah, Leah's servant-girl, bore a second son to Jacob.
13. And Leah said, In my blessedness! for the daughters will call me blessed. And she called his name Asher.
14. And Reuben went in the days of the wheat harvest and found dudaim in the field, and brought them to Leah his mother. And Rachel said to Leah, Give me now some of your son's dudaim.
15. But she said to her, Is it a small thing for you to have taken my husband? And will you take also my son's dudaim? And Rachel said, Therefore he will lie with you this night [in return] for your son's dudaim.
16. And Jacob came from the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him and said, You must come [in] to me, for I have surely hired you with my son's dudaim. And he lay with her that night.
17. And God hearkened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son.
18. And Leah said, God has given me my reward, because I gave my servant-girl to my husband. And she called his name Issachar.
19. And Leah conceived again and bore a sixth son to Jacob.
20. And Leah said, God has endowed me with a good dowry; once again my husband will dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons. And she called his name Zebulun.
21. And afterwards she bore a daughter and called her name Dinah.
22. And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her and opened her womb.
23. And she conceived and bore a son, and she said, God has taken away`fff1` my reproach.
24. And she called his name Joseph, saying, May Jehovah add to me another son.
25. And it happened, when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said to Laban, Send me away and let me go to my own place and to my own land.
26. Give me my womenfolk and my children for whom I have served you, and let me go; for you know my service with which I have served you.
27. And Laban said to him, If now I have found grace in your eyes have learned from experience, and Jehovah has blessed me for your sake.
28. And he said, Indicate your wages to me, and I will give them.
29. And [Jacob] said to him, You know how I have served you, and how your cattle have fared with me.
30. For you had few before I came, and they have increased into a multitude; and Jehovah has blessed you since I set foot here. And now, when shall I, even I, provide for my own house?
31. And he said, What shall I give you? And Jacob said, You shall not give me anything; if you will do this one thing for me, I will return, feed, and guard your flock.
32. I will pass through all your flock today, removing from it every speckled and spotted member of the flock, and every black one among the lambs, and the spotted and speckled among the she-goats; and that will be my wages.
33. And my righteousness will answer for me on the morrow, when you come [to look] over my wages that are before you; every one that is not speckled and spotted among the she-goats, and black among the lambs, is one stolen by me.
34. And Laban said, Behold, let it be according to your word.
35. And he removed on that day the variegated and spotted he-goats, and all the speckled and spotted she-goats, every one that had white in it, and every black one among the lambs; and he gave them into the hand of his sons.
36. And he put three days' journey between himself and Jacob; and Jacob was feeding the rest of Laban's flocks.
37. And Jacob took for himself fresh rods of poplar, and hazel and plane, and stripped white strips on them - an exposing of the white which was on the rods.
38. And he set the rods which he had stripped in runners, in the troughs of water where the flocks came to drink, in front of the flocks; and they came on heat as they came to drink.
39. And the flocks came on heat at the rods, and the flocks brought forth variegated, speckled, and spotted ones.
40. And Jacob singled out the lambs, and set the faces of the flock towards the variegated, and every black one in Laban's flock; and he put his own droves apart and did not put them near Laban's flock.
41. And so it was, whenever those came on heat - those of the flock which came together first - that Jacob put the rods before the eyes of the flock in the runners, so that they would come on heat at the rods.
42. And before [the eyes of those of] the flock which came together later he did not put [the rods] in. And those which came together later were Laban's, and those which came together first were Jacob's.
43. And the man became very very prosperous,`fff2` and he had many flocks, and servant-girls and slaves, and camels and asses.
CONTENTS
The previous chapter dealt, through Jacob's four sons by Leah, with the state of the Church, that is, of the person who is becoming the Church, as regards the ascent from truth which is the truth of faith towards good which is the good of love. The present chapter deals - through Jacob's sons by the servant-girls of Rachel and Leah, and through those also by Leah and lastly Rachel - with the means by which natural truth becomes joined to spiritual good, and also with the order in which this is effected with one who is being regenerated.
`nnn1. literally, gathered up
`nnn2. literally, spread himself exceedingly exceedingly
ppp19947#pid#3903. After that conjunction the chapter goes on to describe the fruitfulness and multiplication of truth and good, which is meant by the flock which Jacob acquired to himself by means of Laban's flock.
ppp19946#pid#3904. THE INTERNAL SENSE
Verses `Genesis 30bbbccc1-2` And Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob [any children], and Rachel was jealous of her sister, and said to Jacob, Give me sons; if you do not, I am dead. And Jacob flared up in anger against Rachel, and he said, Am I in God's place, who is withholding from you the fruit of the womb?
'Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob [any children]' means that interior truth was not yet acknowledged. 'And Rachel was jealous of her sister' means indignation that it was not being acknowledged as external truth was. 'And said to Jacob, Give me sons' means a desire to have interior truths by the good of natural truth. 'If you do not, I am dead' means that otherwise [the affection for interior truth] would not rise again. 'And Jacob flared up in anger against Rachel' means indignation on the part of natural good. 'And he said, Am I in God's place' means that good was powerless. 'Who is withholding from you the fruit of the womb' means that it had to originate in what was internal.
ppp19945#pid#3905. 'Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob [any children]' means that interior truth was not yet acknowledged. This is clear from the representation of 'Rachel' as the affection for interior truth, or as interior truth itself, dealt with in `@@@3758`, `@@@3782`, `@@@3793`, `@@@3819`; from the meaning of 'bearing' as acknowledging in action as well as in faith, dealt with below; and from the representation of 'Jacob' as the good of natural truth, dealt with in `@@@3669`, `@@@3677`, `@@@3829`, and in the whole of the previous chapter. The reason why 'bearing' means acknowledging in action as well as in faith is that births in the Word mean spiritual births, `@@@1145`, `@@@1255`, `@@@3860`, `@@@3868`. Spiritual birth is the acknowledgement of and faith in truth and good, in this verse acknowledgement in action as well as in faith, that is to say, an acknowledgement of the interior truth represented by 'Rachel'. Since something is not acknowledged in faith until a person is living according to it the phrase 'acknowledgement in action as well as in faith' is therefore used. Truths of faith which are not learned for the sake of putting them into action but solely for the sake of knowing them attach themselves to affections for evil and falsity, and as a consequence are not the truths of faith with the person who learns them but within him go against faith.
ppp19944#pid#3906. 'And Rachel was jealous of her sister' means indignation that it was not being acknowledged as external truth was. This is clear from 'being jealous' as an expression of indignation - indignation because she was not bearing as Leah was; from the representation of 'Rachel' as interior truth, dealt with immediately above in `@@@3905`; and from the meaning of 'a sister', who in this case is Leah, as external truth - for 'Leah' means external truth, see `@@@3793`, `@@@3819`. The experience of those who are being regenerated is as follows: They come to know what internal truth is, but at first they do not acknowledge it with the kind of faith that results in their living according to it. For internal truths are joined to spiritual affection, and this cannot flow in until external truths are ready to correspond to internal truths.
ttt[2] Take for example the internal truth that all good comes from the Lord and that no good exists which springs from man's proprium. This truth can be known when regeneration begins, but it cannot as yet be acknowledged in action as well as in faith since the acknowledgement of it in faith and action involves a discernment in the mind that that truth is indeed a truth and a desire in the heart for it to be a truth; and this is the situation whenever good is put into action. That acknowledgement also involves the discernment that good springing from the proprium inevitably entails self-regard, thus putting self before others, and as a consequence contempt for others and above all thoughts of merit for the good that one does. These faults are present in external truth before internal truth has been joined to it, and the two cannot be joined together until self-regard starts to wane and a regard for the neighbour begins to be felt. From this one may see what is meant by indignation that internal truth was not yet being acknowledged as external truth was.
ppp19943#pid#3907. 'And said to Jacob, Give me sons' means a desire to have interior truths by the good of natural truth. This is clear from the representation of 'Jacob' as the good of natural truth, dealt with immediately above in `@@@3905`, and from the meaning of 'sons' as truths, dealt with in `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@533`, `@@@1147`, `@@@2623`, in this case interior truths since they are born from Rachel who represents interior truth, see `@@@3758`, `@@@3782`, `@@@3793`, `@@@3819`.
ppp19942#pid#3908. 'If you do not, I am [in]' means that otherwise [the affection for interior truth] would not rise again. This is clear from the meaning of 'dying' as not rising again into life. In ancient times wives used to call themselves dead when they did not bear any son or daughter and also believed themselves to be so since no memory of them - no life so to speak - would remain for posterity. But the reason why they called and believed themselves to be such lay in fact in worldly causes. But since every cause is the manifestation of another cause prior to itself, and thus every aspect of a cause existing in the natural world is the product of a cause in the spiritual world, so too is the cause referred to. The cause existing in the spiritual world originated in the heavenly marriage of good and truth, in which marriage no other births take place than the truths of faith and the goods of charity. Those truths and goods are the sons and daughters born in that world, and are also meant by sons and daughters in the Word. Anyone who does not give birth to these - to the truths of faith and the goods of charity - is so to speak dead. For he belongs among the dead who do not rise again, that is to say, into life or heaven. From this one may see what is meant by Rachel's words, If you do not, I am dead.
ppp19941#pid#3909. 'And Jacob flared up in anger against Rachel' means indignation on the part of natural good. This is clear from the meaning of 'flaring up in anger' as being indignant, dealt with below, and from the representation of 'Jacob' as the good of the natural, dealt with above. The phrase 'against Rachel' is used because interior truth represented by 'Rachel' was not yet able to be acknowledged in faith and action by the good of the natural, represented by 'Jacob'. The reason why in the internal sense 'flaring up in anger' means being indignant is that when any natural affection rises up towards interior things, that is, towards heaven, it mellows and is at length changed into a heavenly affection. Indeed the ideas that present themselves in the sense of the letter, such as 'flaring up in anger' here, are rather crude, being natural and bodily; but they mellow and soften as they are raised up from the bodily and natural man to the internal or spiritual man.
ttt[2] This also explains why the literal sense is such, but not the internal sense, in that the literal is accommodated to the mental grasp of the natural man, the internal to the mental grasp of the spiritual man. This shows that 'flaring up in anger' means being indignant. Truly spiritual indignation does not originate at all, and celestial still less so, in the anger of the natural man but in the inner heart of zeal. To outward appearance such zeal looks like anger, but inwardly it is neither anger nor even indignation expressing anger, but a kind of sorrow coupled with a wish that something should not be, and more inwardly still a kind of vague displeasure that interrupts heavenly delight because what is good and true does not exist in another.
ppp19940#pid#3910. 'And he said, Am I in God's place' means that that good was powerless. This is clear from the meaning of 'not being in God's place' as powerlessness, for the name 'God' is derived from potentiality (posse) or power (potentia), whereas the name 'Jehovah' is derived from being (esse) or essence (essentia), see `@@@300`. Consequently 'God' is used when truth is the subject and 'Jehovah' when good is the subject, `@@@2769`, `@@@2807`, `@@@2822`, since potentiality (posse) is used in reference to truth, and being (esse) to good. Indeed it is through truth that good has any power, for it is through truth that good can effect anything that comes into being. From this it may be seen that the words 'Am I in God's place' in the internal sense mean that natural good was powerless.
ppp19939#pid#3911. 'Who is withholding from you the fruit of the womb' means that it had to originate in what was internal. This is clear from the meaning that results from the internal sense of these words. 'The fruit of the womb' is similar in meaning in the internal sense to birth, namely the acknowledgement of truth and good in faith and action, `@@@3905`. Indeed it means more than this, namely the joining together of truth and good as a result of that acknowledgement. Such acknowledgement and joining together cannot begin in the external man, only in the internal; for all good flows in from the Lord by way of the internal man into the external and adopts the truths which have been introduced through the sensory experiences of the external man, causing the person to acknowledge them in faith and action and causing them to be joined together and so made the person's own. The truth that all good from the Lord flows in by way of the internal man into the truths gathered together in the memory belonging to the external man has been shown many times already. This is what these words mean when explained - that it had to originate in what was internal.
ppp19938#pid#3912. Verses `Genesis 30bbbccc3-5` And she said, Behold, my maidservant Bilhah; go [in] to her, and let her bear [a child] upon my knees, and I too shall be built up from her. And she gave him Bilhah her servant-girl as his wife, and Jacob went [in] to her. And Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son.
'She said, Behold, my maidservant Bilhah' means the affirming means, which has its place between natural truth and interior truth. 'Go [in] to her' means that with this means there exists the ability to effect a joining together. 'And let her bear [a child] upon my knees' means acknowledgement by the affection for interior truth, in which affection the joining together begins. 'And I too shall be built up from her' means that in this way it has life. 'And she gave him Bilhah her servant-girl as his wife' means that a link with the affirmative means was established. 'And Jacob went [in] to her' means a joining to it. 'And Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son' means reception and acknowledgement.
ppp19937#pid#3913. 'She said, Behold, my maidservant Bilhah' means the affirming means, which has its place between natural truth and interior truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'a maidservant', and also of 'a servant-girl' as the affection for the cognitions which belong to the exterior man, dealt with in `@@@1895`, `@@@2567`, `@@@3835`, `@@@3849`, and in this particular case since that affection is the means by which interior truths become joined to natural or external truths, 'a maidservant' therefore describes the affirming means that has its place between these; and from the representation of 'Bilhah' as the nature of that means. The two servant-girls which Rachel and Leah gave to Jacob as wives for producing offspring represented and meant in the internal sense nothing else than something which is of service, in this case something serving as the means by which those two things are joined together, namely interior truth with external truth, for 'Rachel' represents interior truth, 'Leah' external, `@@@3793`, `@@@3819`. Indeed by means of the twelve sons of Jacob twelve general or principal requisites are described here by which a person is introduced into spiritual and celestial things while he is being regenerated or becoming the Church.
ttt[2] Actually when a person is being regenerated or becoming the Church, that is, when from being a dead man he is becoming a living one, or from being a bodily-minded man is becoming a heavenly-minded one, he is led by the Lord through many states. These general states are specified by those twelve sons, and later by the twelve tribes, so that the twelve tribes mean all aspects of faith and love - see what has been shown in `@@@3858`. For any general whole includes every particular and individual detail, and each detail exists in relation to the general whole. When a person is being regenerated the internal man is to be joined to the external man, and therefore the goods and truths which belong to the internal man are to be joined to those which belong to the external man, for it is truths and goods that make a person a human being. These cannot be joined together without means. These means consist in such things as take something from one side and something from the other, and act in such a way that insofar as a person moves closer to one the other plays a subordinate role. These means are meant by the servant-girls - Rachel's servant-girls being the means available from the internal man, Leah's the means available from the external man.
ttt[3] The necessity for means by which the joining together is effected may be recognized from the consideration that of himself the natural man does not agree at all with the spiritual but disagrees so much as to be utterly opposed to the spiritual. For the natural man regards and loves self and the world, whereas the spiritual man does not, except insofar as to do so leads to the rendering of services in the spiritual world, and so he regards service to it and loves this service because of the use that is served and the end in view. The natural man seems to himself to have life when he is promoted to high positions and so to pre-eminence over others, but the spiritual man seems to himself to have life in self-abasement and in being the least. Not that he despises high positions, provided they are means by which he is enabled to serve the neighbour, society as a whole, and the Church. Neither does the spiritual man view the important positions to which he is promoted in any selfish way but on account of the services rendered which are his ends in view. Bliss for the natural man consists in his being wealthier than others and in his possessing worldly riches, whereas bliss for the spiritual man consists in his having cognitions of truth and good which are the riches he possesses, and even more so in the practice of good in accordance with truths. Not however that he despises riches, because these enable him to render a service in the world.
ttt[4] These few considerations show that on account of their different ends in view the state of the natural man and the state of the spiritual are the reverse of each other, but that the two can be joined one to the other. That conjunction is effected when things which belong to the external man become subordinate and are subservient to the ends which the internal man has in view. In order that a person may become spiritual therefore it is necessary for the things belonging to the external man to be brought into a position of subservience, and so for ends that have self and the world in view to be cast aside and those that have the neighbour and the Lord's kingdom to be adopted. The former cannot possibly be cast aside or the latter adopted, and so the two cannot be joined, except through means. It is these means that are meant by the servant-girls, and specifically by the four sons born to the servant-girls.
ttt[5] The first means is one that affirms, or is affirmative towards, internal truth; that is to say, it affirms that it really is internal truth. Once this affirmative attitude is present, a person is in the first stage of regeneration, good from within being at work and leading to that spirit of affirmation. That good cannot pass into a negative attitude, nor even into one of doubt, until this becomes affirmative. After this, that good manifests itself in affection; that is to say, it causes the person to feel an affection for, and delight in, truth - first through his coming to know this truth, then through his acting in accordance with it. Take for example the truth that the Lord is the human race's salvation. If the person does not develop an affirmative attitude towards this truth, none of the things which he has learned about the Lord from the Word or in the Church and which are included among the facts in his natural memory can be joined to his internal man, that is, to the truths that are able to be truths of faith there. Nor can affection accordingly enter in, not even into the general aspects of this truth which contribute to the person's salvation. But once he develops an affirmative attitude countless things are added and are filled with the good that is flowing in. For good is flowing in constantly from the Lord, but where no affirmative attitude exists it is not accepted. An affirmative attitude is therefore the first means and so to speak first dwelling-place of the good flowing in from the Lord. And the same is so with all other truths called the truths of faith.
ppp19936#pid#3914. 'Go [in] to her' means that with this means there exists the ability to join together. This is clear from the meaning of 'going to someone' or going in, when used in a marital context, as a joining together, in this case the ability to be joined to an affirmative attitude. For the first requirement in that joining together is an affirmative attitude, that is, that the thing is indeed so.
ppp19935#pid#3915. 'And let her bear [a child] upon my knees' means acknowledgement by the affection for interior truth, in which affection the joining begins. This is clear from the meaning of 'bearing' as acknowledging in action as well as in faith, dealt with above in `@@@3905`, and from the meaning of 'the knees' or the thighs as things which belong to conjugial love, dealt with in `@@@3021`, and so to things to do with the joining of the truth of faith to the good of love, since this joining of truth and good is the fundamental marriage in the Lord's kingdom. Thus 'bearing upon my knees' means an acknowledgement of interior truth represented by 'Rachel'. The custom among the ancients of acknowledging as legitimate sons and daughters those who, with the consent of the wife, were borne by servant-girls, and who were born upon their [wives'] knees so that they would be acknowledged as such, was a custom that derived from the Ancient Church whose worship consisted in religious practices which were representatives and meaningful signs of celestial and spiritual things. Since 'bearing' meant the acknowledgement of truth, and 'knees' conjugial love, and so the joining of good and truth from affection, such a practice was followed in that Church when a wife was childless, to prevent her representing the dead who do not rise again to life, in accordance with what was stated just above in `@@@3908`.
ttt[2] These words mean in the internal sense a second degree of affirmation or acknowledgement resulting from affection, for affection has to be present in acknowledgement or affirmation if the joining together is to be effected. Indeed all conjunction is effected by means of affection, for without affection truths do not have any life. For example, knowing the truths that the neighbour ought to be loved, and that charity consists in that love, and spiritual life in charity, is no more than knowledge if affection is not present, that is, if there is no desire in the heart for any of this. Without affection these truths have no life, and no matter how well a person knows them he still does not love the neighbour but himself more than the neighbour, and is leading a natural life, not a spiritual one. In his case natural affection has dominion over spiritual affection, and as long as natural affection predominates a person is called 'dead', for the life he has in him is the reverse of heavenly life - heavenly life being true life.
ppp19934#pid#3916. 'And I too shall be built up from her' means that in this way it has life. This is clear from the meaning of 'being built up' as not dying, dealt with in `@@@3908`, and so rising again or having life.
ppp19933#pid#3917. 'And she gave him Bilhah her servant-girl as his wife' means that a link with the affirmative means was established. This is clear from the representation of 'Bilhah', and from the meaning of 'a servant-girl' as an affirmative means, dealt with just above in `@@@3913`; and from the meaning of 'giving as his wife' as establishing a link.
ppp19932#pid#3918. 'And Jacob went [in] to her' means a joining to it. This is clear from the meaning of 'going, or going in, to someone', when used in a marital context, as a joining together, dealt with just above in `@@@3914`.
ppp19931#pid#3919. 'And Bilhah conceived, and bore Jacob a son' means reception and acknowledgement. This is clear from the meaning of 'conceiving' as reception, and from the meaning of 'bearing' as acknowledgement, dealt with in `@@@3860`, `@@@3868`, `@@@3905`, `@@@3911`. For in the spiritual sense conceptions and births are receptions of truth from good, and consequent acknowledgements.
ppp19930#pid#3920. Verse `Genesis 30bbbccc6` And Rachel said, God has judged me, and also has heard my voice, and has given me a son. And therefore she called his name Dan.
'Rachel said, God has judged me, and also has heard my voice' in the highest sense means righteousness and mercy, in the internal sense the holiness of faith, in the external sense the good of life. 'And has given me a son' means that this truth was acknowledged. 'Therefore she called his name Dan' means the essential nature of it.
ppp19929#pid#3921. 'Rachel said, God has judged me, and also has heard my voice' in the highest sense means righteousness and mercy, in the internal sense the holiness of faith, in the external sense the good of life. This is clear from the meaning of 'God's judging me', and from the meaning of 'hearing my voice'. 'God's judging me' means the Lord's righteousness, as may be seen without explanation, while 'hearing my voice' means mercy, as may likewise be seen; for the Lord judges everyone from righteousness, and hears everyone from mercy. He judges from righteousness in that He does so from Divine Truth, and hears from mercy in that He does so from Divine Good. He judges from righteousness those who do not receive Divine Good, and hears from mercy those who do. Yet when He judges from righteousness He does so at the same time from mercy since all Divine righteousness includes mercy within itself, even as Divine Truth includes Divine Good within it. But as these arcana are too deep for brief comment, they will in the Lord's Divine mercy be explained more fully elsewhere.
ttt[2] The reason why 'God has judged me, and also has heard my voice' in the internal sense means the holiness of faith is that faith, which is associated with truth, corresponds to Divine righteousness, and holiness, which is goodness, corresponds to the Lord's Divine mercy; and in addition to this, judging or judgement is associated with the truth of faith, `@@@2235`. And since it is God who is said to have judged, that which is good or holy is meant. From this it is evident that the holiness of faith, at the same time as righteousness and mercy, is meant by these two expressions - 'God has judged me' and 'has heard my voice'. And because the two together mean a single entity they are joined by the words 'and also'. The reason the good of life is meant in the external sense is also rooted in correspondence, for the good of life corresponds to the holiness of faith. Without the internal sense no one can know what 'God has judged me, and also has heard me' means, and this is evident from the consideration that in the sense of the letter the two phrases do not fit together very easily to present one complete and intelligible idea.
ttt[3] The reason why in this verse and in those that follow as far as 'Joseph' the name God is used and why in the verses immediately before these Jehovah is used is that in this and the following verses the regeneration of the spiritual man is the subject, whereas in those before them the regeneration of the celestial man was the subject. For God is used when the good of faith which is an attribute of the spiritual man is the subject, but Jehovah when the good of love which is an attribute of the celestial man is the subject, see `@@@2586`, `@@@2769`, `@@@2807`, `@@@2822`. For Judah, down to whom the births of sons went in the previous chapter, represented the celestial man, see `@@@3881`, whereas Joseph, down to whom those births go in the present chapter, represents the spiritual man, dealt with below in verses `Genesis 30bbbccc23-24`. The name Jehovah is used down to Judah, see `Genesis 29bbb32-33`, `Genesis 29bbbccc35`, but God down to Joseph, see verses `Genesis 30bbbccc6`, `Genesis 30bbbccc8`, `Genesis 30bbbccc17-18`, `Genesis 30bbbccc20`, `Genesis 30bbbccc22-23` of the present chapter, after which Jehovah occurs again because the subject moves on from the spiritual man to the celestial. This is the arcanum which lies concealed in these words and which no one can know except from the internal sense, and also unless he knows what the celestial man is and what the spiritual.
ppp19928#pid#3922. 'And has given me a son' means that this truth was acknowledged. This is clear from the meaning of 'a son' as truth, dealt with in `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@533`, `@@@1147`, and from the meaning of 'giving a son' as giving this truth, which is the same as acknowledging it since every truth that is acknowledged is a gift from the Lord. 'Giving a son' also implies the same as 'bearing', and 'bearing' means acknowledging, see `@@@3905`, `@@@3915`, `@@@3919`.
ppp19927#pid#3923. 'Therefore she called his name Dan' means the essential nature of it. This is clear from the meaning of 'name' and 'calling the name' as the essential nature, dealt with in `@@@144`, `@@@145`, `@@@1754`, `@@@1896`, `@@@2009`, `@@@2724`, `@@@3421`. The particular nature is contained in the name Dan, for he was so called from the verb 'to judge'. But although he was given this name from that verb, it nevertheless includes those things meant in the whole of Rachel's utterance 'God has judged me, and also has heard my voice'. That is, the name Dan holds within it the good of life and the holiness of faith, and also in the highest sense the Lord's righteousness and mercy. This general essential of the Church is meant by Dan and represented by the tribe named after Dan, and it is the first that has to be affirmed and acknowledged before a person can be regenerated or become the Church. Unless such goodness and holiness are affirmed and acknowledged, all the other qualities constituting faith and life cannot possibly be received, nor therefore affirmed, still less acknowledged. For anyone whose affirmation does not go beyond faith to the holiness of faith, which is charity - for charity is the holiness of faith - and does not affirm that holiness of faith through the good of life, that is, through charitable works, can no longer have any enthusiasm for the essence of faith since he rejects it. Acknowledgement as well as affirmation is the first general attainment in a person who is being regenerated but the last with one who has been regenerated. This explains why Dan comes first with one who is to be regenerated and Joseph last, for Joseph is the spiritual man himself, but why Joseph comes first with one who has been regenerated and Dan last. The reason for this is that one who is to be regenerated is at the point of beginning to affirm that these qualities - the holiness of faith and the good of life - are truly such. But one who is regenerate - a spiritual man - has arrived at spiritual good itself, and from here he sees the affirmation of those qualities as that which comes last, because the things that constitute the holiness of faith and the good of life have become firmly established in him.
ttt[2] That 'Dan' means this affirmative attitude which must exist first when a person is being regenerated may also be seen from other places in the Word where Dan is mentioned, for example from the prophecy of Jacob, who by then was Israel, concerning his own sons, Dan will judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan will be a serpent on the road, an asp on the path, biting the horse's heels; and its rider falls backwards. I am awaiting Your salvation, O Jehovah. `Genesis 49bbb16-18`.
'Dan' in this case stands for an affirmative attitude to truth. This attitude is spoken of as a serpent which will be on the road and an asp on the path when someone reasoning about truth does so from sensory evidence. 'Biting the horse's heels' means when that person resorts to the lowest level of the understanding - namely factual knowledge - and bases his conclusions on this. And the fact that when he does so he is drawn away from the truth is meant by 'its rider falls backwards', as a consequence of which it is said that 'I am awaiting Your salvation, O Jehovah'. For 'a serpent' means one who reasons from sensory evidence and from factual knowledge about Divine arcana, see `@@@195-197`; 'road' and 'path' mean truth, `@@@627`, `@@@2333`; 'the horse's heels' means the lowest level of the understanding, which is factual knowledge, `@@@259` - 'a horse' meaning the understanding, `@@@2761`, `@@@2762`, the lowest level of which is meant by 'the heel'.
ttt[3] In Moses' prophecy regarding the twelve tribes,
To Dan he said, Dan is a lion's whelp; he leaps out from Bashan. `Deuteronomy 33bbb22`.
'A lion' in the internal sense of the Word means the truth of the Church, on account of its strength, truth being that which fights and overcomes. 'A lion's whelp' therefore stands for the first stage truth passes through, which is one of affirmation and acknowledgement. The phrase 'from Bashan' is used because these begin in the good of the natural. In Jeremiah,
Wash your heart from wickedness, O Jerusalem, that you may be saved. How long are you causing your iniquitous thoughts to lodge within you? For there is a voice of one declaring from Dan, and of one causing iniquity to be heard from Mount Ephraim. `Jeremiah 4bbb14-15`.
'From Dan' stands for truth that is to be affirmed, 'from Mount Ephraim' for this being done from the affection for it.
ttt[4] In the same prophet,
Await peace, and no good comes; for a time of healing, and behold, terror! From Dan the snorting of his horses was heard; at the sound of the neighing of his strong ones the whole land quaked. And they came and devoured the land and the fulness of it, the city and those dwelling in it. For behold, I am sending into you poisonous serpents which do not respond to charming; and they will bite you. `Jeremiah 8bbb15-17`.
'From Dan the snorting of horses was heard' stands for reasoning about truth from an unaffirmative attitude. 'The land which quaked' and 'they devoured the fulness of it' stand for the Church and all things constituting the Church. For people who reason about truth from an unaffirmative or negative attitude destroy everything that is part of faith. 'Poisonous serpents' stands for reasonings, as above.
ttt[5] In Ezekiel,
Dan and Javan came and exchanged wrought iron at your fairs, cassia and calamus were in your trading. `Ezekiel 27bbb19`.
This refers to Tyre, which means cognitions of truth and good, `@@@1201`. 'Dan' stands for the first truths that are affirmed, 'fairs and tradings' for acquisitions of truth and good, `@@@2967`, 'wrought iron' stands for natural truth, which is primary, `@@@425`, `@@@426`, 'cassia and calamus' for the same, but natural truth from which good flows.
ttt[6] In Amos,
On that day the beautiful virgins and the young men will faint for thirst. Those swearing to the offence of Samaria, who say, Your God lives, O Dan, and the way of Beersheba lives, they will both fall and not rise again. `Amos 8bbb13-14`.
'Your God lives, O Dan, and the way of Beersheba lives' stands for their negative attitude towards everything that constitutes faith and its doctrine - 'way' meaning truth, `@@@627`, `@@@2333`, and 'Beersheba' doctrine, `@@@2723`, `@@@2858`, `@@@2859`, `@@@3466`. The reason a negative attitude towards everything constituting faith is meant is that Dan was the last boundary of the land of Canaan, and Beersheba the first; that is, it was situated in the middle or inmost part of the land. For the land of Canaan represented and meant the Lord's kingdom, and so the Church, `@@@1607`, `@@@3038`, `@@@3481`, and therefore every detail of love and faith, since these constitute the Lord's kingdom and Church. Consequently everything in the land of Canaan was representative, being determined by the distances, positions, and boundaries there, `@@@1585`, `@@@1866`, `@@@3686`.
ttt[7] The first - that is, the central or inmost - point of reference to the land, before Jerusalem became such, was Beersheba; for this was where Abraham and also Isaac lived. But the outermost point of reference or the last boundary was Dan. Consequently when everything in its entirety was meant the phrase 'Dan even to Beersheba' was used, as in the second Book of Samuel,
To transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beersheba. `2 Samuel 3bbb10`:.
In the same book,
David said to Joab, Go through all the tribes of Israel from Dan even to Beersheba. `2 Samuel 24bbb2`, `2 Samuel 24bbbccc15`.
In the first Book of Kings,
Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every one under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba. `1 Kings 4bbb25`.
This phrase is used in the historical sense to mean every part of the land of Canaan, but in the internal sense everything constituting the Lord's kingdom, and also everything constituting the Church.
ttt[8] Dan means the first boundary, and also - as stated above - the last boundary, for the reason that the affirmative attitude towards truth and good is the first requirement of all when faith and charity begin to be present in a person, but the last when charity and consequently faith are established in him. This is also why the last lot fell to Dan when the land of Canaan was divided up for inheritance, `Joshua 19bbb40` and following verses; for the lot was cast before Jehovah, `Joshua 18bbb6`.
ttt[9] That lot fell therefore according to what each tribe represented. And since the lot to Dan did not fall among the inheritances of all the other tribes but beyond their boundaries, `Judges 18bbb1`, that tribe was also left out of the description in John, in `Revelation 7bbb5-8`, concerning each twelve thousand who had been sealed. For those who merely affirm truth and also good, but go no further, are not within the Lord's kingdom, that is, among those who have been sealed. Even very wicked people may know truths and goods, and may also affirm them; but the true nature of their affirming is recognized from the life they lead.
ttt[10] Dan is also referred to as a boundary in `Genesis 14bbb14`, in which verse it is said that Abraham pursued his enemies as far as there, and in which verse Dan has a similar meaning. The city called Dan, it is true, had yet to be built by Dan's descendants at a later time, `Joshua 19bbb47`; `Judges 18bbb29`; but even at that time it was referred to as the first boundary when one was entering the land of Canaan but the last when one was leaving it, the inmost part of the land being Hebron, and later on Beersheba, where Abraham and Isaac lived.
ppp19926#pid#3924. Verses `Genesis 30bbbccc7-8` And Bilhah, Rachel's servant-girl, conceived again and born a second son to Jacob. And Rachel said, With the wrestlings of God I have wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed. And she called his name Naphtali.
'Bilhah, Rachel's servant-girl, conceived again and bore' means here, as previously, reception and acknowledgement. 'A second son to Jacob' means a second general truth. 'And Rachel said, With the wrestlings of God I have wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed' in the highest sense means [the Lord's] own power, in the internal sense temptation in which a person overcomes, in the external sense resistance offered by the natural man. 'And she called his name Naphtali' means the essential nature of it.
ppp19925#pid#3925. 'Bilhah, Rachel's servant-girl, conceived again and bore' means reception and acknowledgement. This is clear from the meaning of 'conceiving' as reception, and from the meaning of 'bearing' as acknowledgement, dealt with above in `@@@3919`; and also from the meaning of 'a servant-girl' as a subservient means, also dealt with above, in `@@@3913`, `@@@3917`. For here the second subservient general means by which the internal man is joined to the external is the subject.
ppp19924#pid#3926. 'A second son to Jacob' means a second general truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'son' as truth, dealt with in `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@533`, `@@@1147`, a general truth being meant at this point, as is clear from what has been stated and shown above concerning the twelve sons of Jacob and concerning the twelve tribes named after them; that is to say, the general aspects of the Church, and consequently the general aspects of faith and love, or of truth and good, are meant and represented by those sons. They also mean in the contrary sense every general aspect of that which is not faith or love, that is, every aspect of falsity and evil, as will be evident from what is said further on.
ppp19923#pid#3927. 'And Rachel said, With the wrestlings of God I have wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed' in the highest sense means [the Lord's] own power, in the internal sense temptation in which a person overcomes, in the external sense resistance offered by the natural man. This is clear from the meaning of 'the wrestlings of God' and of 'wrestling' as temptations, since temptations are nothing else than the wrestlings of the internal man with the external, or of the spiritual man with the natural, for each desires to have dominion over the other. And when there is any to-do about that dominion, conflict takes place, which in this case is portrayed as 'wrestling'. As regards 'prevailing' meaning overcoming, this is clear without explanation.
ttt[2] The reason these words in the highest sense mean His own power is that when in the world He was in the [infirm] Human the Lord suffered all temptations by His own power and overcame them by His own power, unlike any human being who never endures any spiritual temptation by his own power and overcomes in it; only the Lord residing with him does so. But see what has been stated and shown already concerning these matters:
The Lord suffered the severest temptations, much severer than those suffered by others, `@@@1663`, `@@@1668`, `@@@1690`, `@@@1737`, `@@@1787`, `@@@1789`, `@@@1812`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc1813`, `@@@1815`, `@@@1820`, `@@@2776`, `@@@2786`, `@@@2795`, `@@@2813`, `@@@2816`, `@@@3318`.
The Lord fought and overcame by His own power, `@@@1616`, `@@@1692`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc1813`, `@@@3381`.
And the Lord alone fights in man's conflicts, `@@@1692`.
ttt[3] As regards 'the wrestlings of God' and 'prevailing' meaning, in the internal sense, temptations in which a person overcomes, this is clear from what has been stated immediately above. But the reason why in the external sense resistance from the natural man is meant is that no temptation is anything else. For as has been stated, in spiritual temptations there is a to-do over who is to have dominion, that is to say, who is going to have the power. Is the internal man to have it or the external - or what amounts to the same, the spiritual man or the natural? For they stand opposed to each other, `@@@3913`. Indeed when a person undergoes temptations his internal or spiritual man is governed by the Lord through angels, but his external or natural man by spirits from hell. And the conflict that takes place between these is experienced by that person as temptation. When a person both in faith and in life is such that he is able to be regenerated he overcomes in temptations, but when he is such that he is not able to be regenerated he goes under in temptations. The resistance offered by the natural man is meant by Rachel's statement that she had wrestled with her sister, for Leah, to whom 'sister' refers here, means the external man's affection, but 'Rachel' the internal man's, `@@@3793`, `@@@3819`.
ppp19922#pid#3928. 'And she called his name Naphtali' means the essential nature of it, that is to say, of the temptation in which one overcomes and also of the resistance offered by the natural man. This is clear from the meaning of 'name' and of 'calling the name' as the essential nature, dealt with in `@@@144`, `@@@145`, `@@@1754`, `@@@1896`, `@@@2009`, `@@@2724`, `@@@3421`. The particular nature is that which is meant by 'Naphtali', for the name Naphtali is derived from the word 'wrestlings'. And for the same reason 'Naphtali' represents this second general truth of the Church. Temptation is the means by which the internal man is joined to the external, for they are at variance with each other but are made to agree and to correspond by means of temptations. The external man is indeed such that of itself it does not desire anything except bodily and worldly things; these are the delights of the natural man's life. But the internal man - when opened towards heaven and desiring the things of heaven, as is the case with those who are able to be regenerated - takes delight in heavenly things. And when a person undergoes temptations these two types of delight conflict with each other. The person is not directly aware of the conflict, because he is not aware of what heavenly delight is and of what hellish delight is, let alone that they are so utterly contrary to each other. But celestial angels cannot be present at all with a person in his bodily and worldly delight until this has been made subservient, that is to say, until bodily and worldly delight is no longer regarded as an end in itself but something which is meant to be subservient to heavenly delight, as shown above in `@@@3913`. Once this has been achieved the angels are able to reside with that person in both; but in this case his delight becomes blessedness, and at length happiness in the next life.
ttt[2] Anyone who believes that the delight of the natural man prior to regeneration is not hell-like, and that devilish spirits are not in possession there, is much mistaken. He is unaware of what the situation is with man - that prior to regeneration genii and spirits from hell have possession of his natural man, no matter how much he seems to himself to be like any other person, and also that he is able to participate with everybody else in what is holy and to reason about the truths and goods of faith, indeed is able to believe that he has become strong in these. If this person does not feel within himself some measure of affection for what is right and fair in his daily work, and for what is good and true in society and in life, let him recognize that his kind of delight in things is the kind that exists with those in hell, for his delight entails no other love than self-love and love of the world. And when these constitute his delight no charity or any faith is present within it. The only means that will weaken and dispel this delight once it has become predominant is the affirmation and acknowledgement of the holiness of faith and of the good of life, which is the first means meant, as shown above, by Dan, and after this by temptation, which is the second means and is meant by Naphtali; for this second means follows the other. Indeed people who do not affirm and acknowledge the goodness and the truth which constitute faith and charity are unable to enter any conflict brought about by temptation as there is nothing within to oppose the evil and falsity towards which natural delight gravitates.
ttt[3] In other places in the Word where Naphtali is mentioned he means a person's state following temptations, as in the prophecy of Jacob, who by then was Israel,
Naphtali is a hind let loose, giving beautiful words. `Genesis 49bbb21`.
'A hind let loose' stands for the affection for natural truth in a state that is free, which arises following temptation. This state is also what is at stake within temptations, which are meant by 'Naphtali', for the battle fought in temptations is a struggle for freedom. Likewise in Moses' prophecy,
To Naphtali he said, Naphtali, satisfied with favour, and full with the blessing of Jehovah, will possess the west and the south. `Deuteronomy 33bbb23`.
For the representations of Jacob's sons, and of the tribes, depend on the order in which they are mentioned, `@@@3862`. And in the prophecy of Deborah and Barak,
Zebulun is a people that consigned its soul to die, as did Naphtali, on the heights of the field. `Judges 5bbb18`.
This too refers in the internal sense to the conflicts brought about by temptations, and to a person's presence among those who do not fear anything evil because they are rooted in forms of truth and good, meant by 'being on the heights of the field'.
ppp19921#pid#3929. Verses `Genesis 30bbbccc9-11` And Leah saw that she had stopped bearing, and she took Zilpah her servant-girl, and gave her to Jacob as his wife. And Zilpah, Leah's servant-girl, bore Jacob a son. And Leah said, A troop comes! And she called his name Gad.
'Leah saw that she had stopped bearing' means that no other external truths had been acknowledged. 'And she took Zilpah her servant-girl' means an affirmative means through which [the external man and the internal] could be joined together. 'And gave her to Jacob as his wife' means that this means joined the two together. 'And Zilpah, Leah's servant-girl, bore Jacob a son' means acknowledgement. 'And Leah said, A troop comes!' in the highest sense means Omnipotence and Omniscience, in the internal sense the good of faith, and in the external sense works. 'And she called his name Gad' means the essential nature of it.
ppp19920#pid#3930. 'Leah saw that she had stopped bearing' means that no other external truths had been acknowledged. This is clear from the representation of 'Leah' as external truth, dealt with in `@@@3793`, `@@@3819`; and from the meaning of 'bearing' as acknowledging in faith and in action, dealt with in `@@@3905`, `@@@3915`, `@@@3919`. Consequently 'Leah had stopped bearing' in the internal sense means that no other external truths had been acknowledged.
ppp19919#pid#3931. 'And she took Zilpah her servant-girl' means an affirmative means through which [the external man and the internal] could be joined together. This is clear from the meaning of 'a servant-girl' as an affirmative means that serves to join the external man to the internal, dealt with in `@@@3913`, `@@@3917`.
ppp19918#pid#3932. 'And gave her to Jacob as his wife' means that this means joined the two together. This is clear from the meaning of 'giving as his wife' as joining together, as above in `@@@3915`, `@@@3917`.
ppp19917#pid#3933. 'And Zilpah, Leah's servant-girl, bore Jacob a son' means acknowledgement, that is to say, of external truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'bearing' as acknowledgement; from the meaning of 'a servant-girl' as an affirmative means joining two together; and from the meaning of 'a son' as truth, dealt with in `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@533`, `@@@1147`.
ppp19916#pid#3934. 'And Leah said, A troop comes!' in the highest sense means Omnipotence and Omniscience, in the internal sense the good of faith, and in the external sense works. This is clear from the meaning of 'a troop' in this context. The reason 'a troop' in the highest sense means Omnipotence and Omniscience is that the word troop here denotes a large number; and when a large number is used in reference to the Lord's Divine an infinitely large number is meant, and this is nothing else than Omnipotence and Omniscience. But the term omnipotence is rooted in the idea of vastness in dimension, and omniscience in the idea of vastness in number. Omnipotence is also rooted in the idea of infinite good, or what amounts to the same, in Divine love and so in the Divine will, whereas omniscience is rooted in the idea of infinite truth, or what amounts to the same, in Divine intelligence. Why 'troop' in the internal sense means the good of faith is a question of correspondence, for good that is the good of charity corresponds to the Lord's Divine omnipotence, and truth which is the truth of faith to His omniscience.
ttt[2] The reason why 'a troop' in the external sense means works is that these correspond to the good of faith. Indeed works are the product of that good, for the good of faith cannot exist without works, just as thinking what is good and willing it cannot exist without the doing of it. The one is the internal, the other the corresponding external. What is more, so far as works are concerned, if they do not correspond to the good of faith they are not the works of charity, nor are they the works of faith, since they are not the outcome of what should properly be within them, but dead works that have no good or truth within them. But when the external does correspond to the internal, works are either those of charity or of faith. The works of charity are those which flow from charity as their soul, but the works of faith are those which flow from faith. The works of charity are done by one who is regenerate, whereas the works of faith are done by one who is not yet regenerate but is becoming so. The same applies to affections, that is to say, to the affection for good and the affection for truth. The regenerate person does good out of an affection for that good and so from a desire for good, whereas the one who is to be regenerated does good out of an affection for truth, and so from a knowledge of good. (How these affections differ from each other has often been shown already.) From this one may see what is meant by works.
ttt[3] Furthermore the relationship of the good of faith to works is like that of a person's will and consequent thought to his face, which, as is well known, is an image of the mind, that is, of the person's will and consequent thought. If will and thought do not present themselves in the face as their true image then hypocrisy or deceit, not will and thought, are manifested there because that person presents a different face from what he wills and thinks. It is similar with every act of the body in relation to the more internal things of thought and will. The internal side of a person lives within his external by means of act or action. If act or action does not accord with his internal it is a sign either that that act is not the product of his internal but a mere response to custom and habit, or that it is something untrue as in hypocrisy and in deceit. Here again one may see what is meant by works. Consequently anyone who professes faith, more so anyone who professes the good of faith, and yet denies works, and more so if he rejects them, is without faith and still more without charity.
ttt[4] This being the nature of the works of charity and faith, and since nobody has any charity or faith in him unless works are being done, the Word therefore mentions works so many times, as may be seen from the following places: In Jeremiah,
Your eyes have been opened upon all the ways of the sons of man, giving to everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his works. `Jeremiah 32bbb19`.
In the same prophet,
Turn now every one of you from his evil way, and make your works good. `Jeremiah 35bbb15`.
In the same prophet, I will requite them according to their work and according to the work of their hands. `Jeremiah 25bbb14`.
In Hosea,
I will visit upon him his ways, and requite him for his works. `Hosea 4bbb9`.
In Micah,
The earth will be a desolation over its inhabitants, on account of the fruit of their works. `Micah 7bbb13`.
In Zechariah,
Thus said Jehovah Zebaoth, Turn from your evil ways and from your evil works. Jehovah Zebaoth thought to deal with us according to our ways, and according to our works so He dealt with us. `Zechariah 1bbb4`, `Zechariah 1bbbccc6`.
In John,
Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. Yes indeed, says the Spirit, that they may rest from labours, for their works follow them. `Revelation 14bbb13`.
ttt[5] In the same book,
I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged by the things written in the books, according to their works. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and hell gave up the dead that were in them. They were judged therefore every one according to their works. `Revelation 20bbb12-13`.
In the same book,
Behold, I am coming quickly, My reward with Me, to give to everyone according to his work. `Revelation 22bbb12`.
In John the Evangelist,
This is the judgement, that light has come into the world, but men preferred darkness rather than light, for their works were evil. Everyone who performs evil deeds hates the light and does not come to the light lest his works should be exposed. Anyone however who does the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen, because they have been wrought in God. `John 3bbb19-21`.
In the same gospel,
The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that their works are evil. `John 7bbb7`.
In the same gospel,
Jesus said to the Jews, If you were Abraham's sons you would do the works of Abraham. You do the works of your father. `John 8bbb39`, `John 8bbbccc41`.
In the same gospel,
If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. `John 13bbb17`.
ttt[6] In Matthew,
Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works. He who does and teaches so will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. `Matthew 5bbb16`, `Matthew 5bbbccc19`.
In the same gospel,
Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by Your name, and by Your name cast out demons, and do many mighty works in Your name? But then I will confess to them, I do not know you; depart from Me, you workers of iniquity! `Matthew 7bbb21-23`.
In Luke,
The householder replying says to them, I do not know where you are from. Then you will begin to say, We ate in your presence and we drank; you taught in our streets. But He will say, I tell you, I do not know where you come from; depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity! `Luke 13bbb25-27`.
In Matthew,
Everyone who hears My words and does them I will liken to a wise man. But everyone hearing My words and not doing them will be likened to a foolish man. `Matthew 7bbb24`, `Matthew 7bbbccc26`.
In the same gospel,
The Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father together with His angels, and at that time He will repay everyone according to his works. `Matthew 16bbb27`.
ttt[7] From all these places it is evident that works are what save a person or what condemn him, good works being those that save, evil those that condemn; for his works contain what he wills. Anyone who wills what is good does what is good, but anyone who does not do what is good, no matter how much he may say that he wills it, does not will it when he does not do it. It is as though he were to say, I will it, yet I don't will it. And because the will itself is contained in works, and charity belongs to the will, and faith to charity, it is evident what kind of will, that is, what kind of charity and faith, is present in someone when he does not do good works, and more so when he does the opposite of these.
ttt[8] In addition it should be recognized that the Lord's kingdom begins in a person in the life that belongs to works, for he is then at the start of regeneration; but once the Lord's kingdom is established in him the kingdom ends in works, and then he is regenerate. Indeed the internal man is in this case present in the external in a corresponding fashion; and since works are done by the external man while charity and faith rooted in charity dwell in the internal man, works are therefore at the same time charity. And as it is in the works of the external man that the life of the internal so presents itself, therefore - when speaking about the Last Judgement in `Matthew 25bbb32-46` - the Lord lists nothing else than works, declaring that those who have done good works will enter into eternal life and those who have done evil into a state of damnation. What has been said also shows the meaning of what one reads about John's lying at Jesus' breast and in His bosom and about His loving him more than the rest, `John 13bbb23`, `John 13bbbccc25`; `John ccc21bbb20`; for John represented good works, see the Prefaces to `Genesis 18bbb0`, `Genesis ccc22bbb0`. What the works of faith are, which from their appearance may be called the fruits of faith, and what the works of charity are, will in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed more fully elsewhere.
ppp19915#pid#3935. 'And she called his name Gad' means the essential nature of it. This is clear from the meaning of 'name' and 'calling the name' as the essential nature, dealt with above. The particular nature is meant by 'Gad', namely the nature of the good of faith and the nature of works. By the essential nature is meant everything within, in this case within the good of faith and within works; and all things present within this are countless, for that nature varies from one person to the next. And in addition to this, a contrary nature exists with those in whom the good of faith is not present, and so by whom no good works are done. This nature also is meant by Gad when he is referred to in the contrary sense. When the good of faith which belongs to the internal man, and good works which belong to the external man, correspond they constitute a third general means, as stated above, which has to be acknowledged in faith and in action before the person can enter the Lord's kingdom, that is, by means of regeneration become the Church.
ppp19914#pid#3936. Verses `Genesis 30bbbccc12-13` And Zilpah, Leah's servant-girl, bore a second son to Jacob. And Leah said, In my blessedness! for the daughters will call me blessed. And she called his name Asher.
'Zilpah, Leah's servant-girl, bore a second son to Jacob' means acknowledgement of a second [general truth]. 'And Leah said, In my blessedness! for the daughters will call me blessed' in the highest sense means eternity, in the internal sense the happiness of eternal life, in the external sense the delight that belongs to the affections. 'And she called his name Asher' means the essential nature.
ppp19913#pid#3937. 'Zilpah, Leah's servant-girl, bore a second son to Jacob' means acknowledgement of a second - a second general truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'bearing' as acknowledgement, dealt with above in `@@@3911`, `@@@3915`, `@@@3919`; from the meaning of 'a servant-girl' as an affirmative means that serves to join the external man to the internal, dealt with in `@@@3913`, `@@@3917`; from the meaning of 'son' as truth, in this case a general truth, dealt with above in `@@@3926`; and from the representation of 'Jacob', and also 'Leah' as well as 'Zilpah', dealt with above. These considerations show what the internal sense of these words is, namely the acknowledgement of the second general truth which serves as the means to join the external man to the internal.
ppp19912#pid#3938. 'And Leah said, In my blessedness! for the daughters will call me blessed' in the highest sense means eternity, in the internal sense the happiness of eternal life, in the external sense the delight that belongs to the affections. This is clear from the meaning of 'blessedness', and from the meaning of 'the daughters will bless me'. That 'blessedness' in the highest sense means eternity cannot be seen except from its correspondence with the things which exist with man, for the mind cannot have any grasp of things that are Divine or infinite except through those that are finite, of which man is able to have mental images. Without mental images formed from finite things, and especially images formed from things that exist within space and time, man cannot begin to comprehend Divine things, let alone the Infinite. Without mental images formed from space and time man is not even capable of thinking anything, `@@@3404`, for as to the body, and so as to thoughts which are formed from external sensory impressions, he dwells within the confines of time. But angels, since they are not bounded by time or space, have mental images formed from states of being. This is why spatial or temporal references in the Word mean states, see `@@@1274`, `@@@1382`, `@@@2625`, `@@@2788`, `@@@2837`, `@@@3254`, `@@@3356`, `@@@3827`.
ttt[2] But there are two states - a state which corresponds to space and a state which corresponds to time. The state which corresponds to space is a state in regard to being, while the state which corresponds to time is a state in regard to manifestation, `@@@2625`. There are two entities which constitute man, namely being (esse) and manifestation (existere). Man's being is nothing else than a recipient of the eternal which proceeds from the Lord. Indeed men, spirits, or angels are nothing else than recipients - that is, recipient forms - of life from the Lord. The actual reception of life is what the term manifestation refers to. Man imagines that he has being, and indeed that he is self-existent, when in fact he is not a self-existent being but, as has been stated, one who manifests being. Self-existent BEING occurs solely in the Lord, and that BEING is called JEHOVAH. This BEING which is JEHOVAH is the source from which all things that seem to be self-existent derive their being. But the Lord's or Jehovah's actual BEING cannot possibly be imparted to any, except to the Lord's Human. This Human was made the Divine Being, that is, it was made Jehovah. On the point that the Lord is Jehovah as to both Essences, see `@@@1736`, `@@@2004`, `@@@2005`, `@@@2018`, `@@@2025`, `@@@2156`, `@@@2329`, `@@@2921`, `@@@3023`, `@@@3035`.
ttt[3] Manifestation too is used of the Lord, but only of the time when He was in the world and there assumed the Divine Being. But ever since He was made the Divine Being the term Manifestation could no longer be used of Him except to refer to whatever proceeds from Him. That which proceeds from Him seems like a Manifestation within Him, but it is not. Rather it is that which goes forth from Him and causes men, spirits, and angels to be forms manifesting His Being, that is, to have life. In so manifesting His Being man, spirit, or angel has life, and the life he has is eternal happiness. The happiness of eternal life is what eternity, the source of which is the Lord's Divine Being, corresponds to in the highest sense. The fact that the happiness of eternal life is what is meant in the internal sense by 'blessedness' is evident from this, as also is the fact that the delight which belongs to the affections is meant in the external sense, and so is evident without explanation.
ttt[4] But it is the delight belonging to the affections for truth and good, a delight which corresponds to the happiness of eternal life, that is meant. All affections have their own delights, but the nature of the affections determines that of the delights. The affections for evil and falsity have their own delights as well, and before a person is regenerated and receives from the Lord the affections for truth and good those delights seem to be the only delights, so much so that people believe that no other delights are possible, and consequently that if these were taken away from them they would perish completely. But people who do receive from the Lord the delights which belong to the affections for truth and good gradually see and perceive the true nature of the delights of that life which they had believed to be the only possible delights - that they are by comparison worthless, indeed foul. But the more he enters into the delights that belong to the affections for truth and good the more a person begins to despise those delights in evil and falsity, and at length to loathe them.
ttt[5] I have on occasions spoken to spirits in the next life whose delights have been those of evil and falsity, and I have been allowed to tell them that they do not have life until these delights are taken away from them. But as with people like them in the world those spirits have said that if they were deprived of such delights they would no longer have any life at all. I have been allowed to reply however that that is just when that life begins, and with that life happiness such as exists in heaven, which compared with any other happiness defies description. But this they have been unable to grasp because of unbelief in anything which they do not actually know. They are like all those in the world who are governed by self-love and love of the world and who do not therefore have any charity. They know the delight that belongs to self-love and love of the world, but not the delight that belongs to charity. Consequently they have no knowledge at all of what charity is, and have less idea still of any delight residing within charity, when in fact the delight belonging to charity is the delight which fills the whole of heaven and is the producer of the blessedness and happiness there. And if you are willing to believe it, it is also the producer of intelligence and wisdom together with the delights that go with them, for the Lord enters with the light of truth and with the flame of good, and therefore with intelligence and wisdom, into the delights belonging to charity. But falsities and evils reject, stifle, and pervert those delights, and thereby cause stupidity and madness. These considerations show the identity and the nature of the delight which belongs to the affections and corresponds to the happiness of eternal life.
ttt[6] People of the present day and age imagine that if only a person has the confidence received through faith even in his final hour before death, then regardless of whatever affection has been pre-eminent throughout the whole course of his life, he can enter heaven. I have on occasions spoken to spirits who have lived and believed as these people do. When they enter the next life they at first think of nothing else than of being able to enter heaven, irrespective of their previous life, that is to say, irrespective of the fact that by means of that life they have acquired the delight that belongs to the affection for evil and falsity arising out of self-love and love of the world, which loves constituted the ends they had in view. I have been allowed to tell them that everyone is able to be admitted into heaven, for the Lord denies heaven to none. But whether they have the ability to live in that place they will be able to know if admitted. Some who were resolute in the belief were admitted. But because the life that belongs to love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour reigns in heaven, which life enters into the whole sphere of life and the happiness there, when they arrived they began to feel a pain, for they were unable to breathe in such a sphere and began to become aware of the foulness of their own affections, and so to suffer hellish torment. As a consequence they hurried away from there, saying that they wanted to get right away from it, amazed that heaven should be what to them was hell. This shows the essential nature of the two different delights, and that people whose delight has been that of the affection for evil and falsity cannot in any way be among those whose delight has been that belonging to the affection for good and truth, and that the two delights are opposites, like heaven and hell, see `@@@537-539`, `@@@541`, `@@@547`, `@@@1397`, `@@@1398`, `@@@2130`, `@@@2401`.
ttt[7] Furthermore as regards the happiness of eternal life, no one who is moved by the affection for good and truth is able when he is living in the world to perceive that happiness, but only a certain delight instead. The reason why he is unable to do so is that he is confined to the body, and when confined in the body he is subject to worldly cares and as a consequence to anxieties. These prevent the happiness of eternal life, which is inwardly present in him, being manifested in any other way, for when that happiness passes from the inward parts of his being into cares and anxieties which reside in his outward parts, it sinks into the cares there and the anxieties, and becomes a kind of obscure delight. Nevertheless it is a delight that holds blessedness within it, and happiness within that. Being content in God constitutes such happiness. But once a person casts aside the body, and at the same time those worldly cares and anxieties, the happiness which has been so lying hidden in obscurity within his more internal man comes forward and reveals itself.
ttt[8] As the term affection is used so often, let a definition of what that term means be given here. Affection is nothing else than love, yet it is an extension branching out of it. For the affection anyone has, whether for evil and falsity or for good and truth, stems from love. And as this love is present with and exists in every single part of a person it, is not perceived as love but is varied according to circumstances and according to the states, and the changes of these states, through which that person is passing. And this is unceasingly the case in everything he wills, thinks and does. This extension from love is what is called affection, and it is this extension which reigns in a person's life and which produces every delight residing with him. And in producing his every delight it produces his actual life, for a person's life is nothing else than the delight which belongs to his affection, and so is nothing else than the affection which belongs to his love. Love constitutes man's willing, and from this his thinking, and thereby his acting.
ppp19911#pid#3939. 'And she called his name Asher' means the essential nature. This is clear from the meaning of 'calling the name' as the essential nature, as above. The essential nature itself is what 'Asher' represents. In the original language Asher means blessedness, but the name includes within it everything meant by the words of Leah his mother - 'in my blessedness! for the daughters will call me blessed'. That is to say, the name also means the delight that belongs to the affections and corresponds to the happiness of eternal life. This is the fourth general means which joins the external man to the internal man. Indeed when anyone perceives within himself that corresponding delight his external man is beginning to be joined to the internal. It is the delights belonging to the affections for truth and good which cause the internal man and the external to be joined together, for without such delights no joining together at all is achieved since it is within those delights that the person's life dwells. For affections are the means by which every joining together is effected, see `@@@3024`, `@@@3066`, `@@@3336`, `@@@3849`, `@@@3909`. By 'the daughters who will call her blessed' Churches are meant; for 'daughters' in the internal sense of the Word are Churches, see `@@@2362`. This exclamation about blessedness was made at this point by Leah because the births by the servant-girls mean general truths which are the means that serve to effect any joining together so that the Church may come into being in a person. For when a person perceives this delight or affection he is starting to become the Church. That being so, Leah's exclamation about the fourth or last son by the servant-girls occurs here.
ttt[2] Asher is mentioned in various places in the Word, but in those places - as with all the other sons also - the essential nature of the thing that is being referred to is meant by him, that is, the essential nature of people passing through the state under discussion at that point is meant. Also, what the essential nature is varies according to the order in which the sons are named. One thing is meant when Reuben or faith heads the list, another when Judah or celestial love does so, and yet another when Joseph or spiritual love. For the essence and nature of whichever one heads the list leads off and passes over into those that follow. This is why their spiritual meanings vary from place to place where they are mentioned. At this point where the birth of them is the subject they mean the general aspects of the Church and therefore all things of faith and love which constitute the Church. They have this meaning because the subject previous to this was the regeneration of man, that is, a person's states before he becomes the Church, and in the highest sense it was the Lord and how He made His Human Divine. So the subject is the ascent by means of the stairway even up to Jehovah which was seen in Bethel by Jacob.
ppp19910#pid#3940. Verses `Genesis 30bbbccc14-16` And Reuben went in the days of the wheat harvest and found dudaim in the field, and brought them to Leah his mother. And Rachel said to Leah, Give me now some of your son's dudaim. But she said to her, Is it a small thing for you to have taken my husband? And will you take also my son's dudaim? And Rachel said, Therefore he will lie with you this night [in return] for your son's dudaim. And Jacob came from the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him and said, You must come [in] to me, for I have surely hired you with my son's dudaim. And he lay with her that night.
'Reuben went in the days of the wheat harvest' means faith in regard to its state of love and charity. 'And found dudaim in the field' means the essentials of conjugial love that are present within the truth and good of charity and love. 'And brought them to Leah his mother' means application to the affection for external truth. 'And Rachel said to Leah' means perception by the affection for interior truth, and the desire for it. 'Give me now some of your son's dudaim' means for the things belonging to conjugial love, to which it might be joined mutually and reciprocally. 'But she said to her, Is it a small thing for you to have taken my husband?' means the existence of conjugial desire. 'And will you take also my son's dudaim?' means that in that case the conjugial element linking natural good to external truth would be taken away. 'And Rachel said' means consent. 'Therefore he will lie with you this night [in return] for your son's dudaim' means that external truth should be joined to natural good. 'And Jacob came from the field in the evening' means the good of truth in a state of good, yet also in obscurity such as envelops the natural. 'And Leah went out to meet him' means a desire on the part of the affection for external truth. 'And said, You must come [in] to me' means that it might be joined to that good. 'For I have surely hired you with my son's dudaim' means that this had accordingly been seen to and agreed beforehand. 'And he lay with her that night' means the actual joining together.
ppp19909#pid#3941. 'Reuben went in the days of the wheat harvest' means faith in regard to its state of love and charity. This is clear from the representation of 'Reuben' as faith, which is the first stage of regeneration, dealt with in `@@@3862`, `@@@3866`; from the meaning of 'days' as states, dealt with in `@@@23`, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@893`, `@@@2788`, `@@@3462`, `@@@3785`; and from the meaning of 'wheat' as love and charity, dealt with below - 'wheat harvest' therefore meaning a developing state of love and charity. Jacob's four sons by the servant-girls have portrayed the various means by which the external man is joined to the internal man. Now his remaining four sons portray the actual joining together of good and truth, on account of which reference is made first of all to 'dudaim', by which that joining together or conjugial relationship is meant. The reason why 'wheat harvest' means a developing state of love and charity is that 'the field' means the Church and so the things that constitute the Church, while the seeds sown in it mean the germs of good and truth. And what springs up from those seeds, such as wheat, barley, and many other crops, are the fruits of love and charity, and also of faith. The states of the Church so far as those things are concerned are therefore compared to seedtime and harvest, and are also actually called seedtime and harvest, as in `Genesis 8bbb22` - see `@@@932`.
ttt[2] That 'wheat' means the things which constitute love and charity may also be seen from the following places: In Moses,
Jehovah causes him to ride over the heights of the land and He feeds [him] with the produce of the fields, causes him to suck honey out of the crag, and oil out of the stony rock - butter from the cattle, and milk from the flock, with the fat of lambs and rams, the breed`fff1` of Bashan, and of goats, with the kidney-fat of wheat; and of the blood of the grape you drink unmixed wine. `Deuteronomy 32bbb13-14`.
This refers in the internal sense to the Ancient Church and its state when it was established, every aspect of love and charity, and every aspect of faith there, being described by means of things that have spiritual meanings. 'The kidney-fat of wheat' means the celestial side of love and charity. And because 'fat' or 'fatness' means that which is celestial, `@@@353`, and 'wheat' means love, the two words are therefore linked together in various places in the Word, as also in David,
O that My people were obedient to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways! He would feed them with the fat of wheat, and with honey out of the rock I will satisfy you. `Psalms 81bbb13`, `Psalms 81bbbccc16`.
And elsewhere in the same author,
Jehovah is the one who makes peace your border; with the fat of wheat He satisfies you. `Psalms 147bbb14`.
ttt[3] That 'wheat' means love and charity is evident in Jeremiah,
Many shepherds have destroyed My vineyard, they have trampled down the portion of My field, they have rendered the portion of My field into a lonely wilderness. On all the hills in the wilderness those who cause devastation have come, for the sword of Jehovah is devouring from one end of the land even to the other end of the land. There is no peace for any flesh. They have sown wheat and reaped thorns. `Jeremiah 12bbb10`, `Jeremiah 12bbbccc12-13`.
'Vineyard' and 'the field' stand for the Church, 'a lonely wilderness' for the vastation of it, 'a devouring sword' for the vastation of truth, 'no peace' for the absence of good stirring the affections, 'sowing wheat' for forms of good which are the product of love and charity, 'sowing thorns' for evils and falsities which are the result of self-love and love of the world. For 'vineyard' means the spiritual Church, `@@@1069`; 'the field' the Church as regards good, `@@@2971`; 'wilderness' vastation, `@@@1927`, `@@@2708`; 'a devouring sword' vastation of truth, `@@@2799`; 'peace' good that stirs the affections, `@@@3780`.
ttt[4] In Joel,
The field has been laid waste, the ground has been mourning because the grain has been laid waste, the new wine has failed, the oil languishes. Farmers have been put to shame, vinedressers have wailed over the wheat and over the barley, because the harvest of the field has perished. Gird yourselves and lament, O priests; wail, O ministers of the altar. `Joel 1bbb10-11`, `Joel 1bbbccc13`.
It is evident to anyone that here the state of the Church when it has been vastated is what is described, and this being so, that 'the field' and 'the ground' mean the Church, 'the grain' its good, and 'the new wine' its truth, `@@@3580`, while 'wheat' means celestial love, 'barley' spiritual love. And since the state of the Church is the subject, the call to 'gird yourselves and lament, O priests, and wail, O ministers of the altar' is used.
ttt[5] In Ezekiel,
The Spirit of Jehovah addressing the prophet, Take for yourself wheat and barley, and beans, and lentils, and millet, and spelt, and put them into a single vessel, and make them for yourself into bread. With human excrement you shall make a cake before their eyes. Thus shall the children of Israel eat their unclean bread. `Ezekiel 4bbb9`, `Ezekiel 4bbbccc12-13`.
This refers to the defilement of good and truth. 'Wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, spelt' stands for different kinds of good and of truth derived from good. 'Bread' or a cake made from these together with human excrement stands for the defilement of them all.
ttt[6] In John,
I saw, and behold, a black horse, and the one seated on it held a balance in his hand I heard a voice from the midst of the four living creatures saying, A choenix of wheat for a denarius, and three choenices of barley for a denarius; but do no harm to oil and wine. `Revelation 6bbb5-6`.
This too refers to the vastation of good and truth. 'A choenix of wheat for a denarius' stands for a scarcity of love, 'three choenices of wheat for a denarius' for a scarcity of charity.
ttt[7] In Ezekiel,
Judah and the land of Israel, they were your merchants. Wheat of minnith and pannag, and honey, and oil, and balm, they exchanged for your tracings. `Ezekiel 27bbb17`.
This refers to Tyre, which means the cognitions of good and truth. The goods of love and charity, and the happiness they bring, are meant by 'wheat of minnith and pannag, and honey, oil, and balm'. 'Judah' means the celestial Church, 'the land of Israel' the spiritual, which are the source of those goods. 'Tracings' means acquisitions.
ttt[8] In Moses,
A land of wheat and barley, and of the vine and of the fig and of the pomegranate, a land of olive oil and honey. `Deuteronomy 8bbb8`.
This is a description of the land of Canaan, which in the internal sense means the Lord's kingdom, `@@@1413`, `@@@1437`, `@@@1585`, `@@@1607`, `@@@3038`, `@@@3705`. Forms of good which are the product of love and charity in that kingdom are meant by 'wheat and barley', forms of good which are the product of faith by 'the vine and the fig'.
ttt[9] In Matthew,
Whose fan is in His hand, and He will purge His threshing-floor and gather His wheat into the granary, but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire. `Matthew 3bbb12`; `Luke 3bbb17`.
John the Baptist referred in this way to the Lord. 'Wheat' stands for the goods of love and charity, 'chaff' for those things which do not have any good at all within them. In the same gospel,
Let both grow together until the harvest; and at the time of harvest I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to burn them but gather the wheat into my barn. `Matthew 13bbb30`.
'Weeds' stands for evils and falsities, 'wheat' for goods. These are comparisons, but all comparisons in the Word are made through the use of things that carry a spiritual meaning.
`nnn1. literally, sons
ppp19908#pid#3942. 'And found dudaim in the field' means the essentials of conjugial love that are present within the truth and good of charity and love. This is clear from the meaning of 'dudaim' as the essentials of conjugial love, dealt with below, and from the meaning of 'the field' as the Church, and therefore the truth of faith and the good of charity since these constitute the Church, dealt with in `@@@368`, `@@@2971`, `@@@3196`, `@@@3310`, `@@@3500`, `@@@3508`, `@@@3766`. Translators do not know what dudaim were. They all think that they were fruits or flowers and each translator uses a name that fits in with his particular ideas of what dudaim were. But knowledge of what kind of fruit or flower they were is unimportant. All that one needs to know is that among the ancients who belonged to the Church all fruits and flowers had spiritual meanings, for the ancients knew that the whole natural order was a theatre representative of the Lord's kingdom, `@@@3483`. They knew that all things in its three kingdoms were representative, and that every individual thing, and so also every particular kind of fruit or flower, represented some specific thing in the spiritual world. As regards 'dudaim' meaning for them the conjugial element present in good and in truth, this may be seen from the train of thought in the internal sense here, and also from the derivation of that word in the original language. For dudaim is derived from the word dudim which means loves and being joined together by means of these. This origin of the word dudaim, meaning the conjugial element, is evident from the following,
In the morning we will get up to the vineyards, we will see if the vine has flowered and produced the grape, if the pomegranates have brought forth flowers. There will I give you my loves (dudim). The dudaim have given a fragrance. `Cant. 7bbb12-13`.
This quotation shows what dudaim were.
ttt[2] As regards the book in which these verses appear, called the Song of Songs, it does not belong among the books called Moses and the Prophets because it does not have an internal sense. But it is written in the ancient style, and is full both of things with spiritual meanings that were gathered together from the books of the Ancient Church, and also of many things which in the Ancient Church meant celestial and spiritual love, especially conjugial love. The fact that it is a book of this nature is also evident from the consideration that, unlike the books known as Moses and the Prophets, the sense of the letter presents many things which are quite improper. But because the kind of things that have heavenly and conjugial love as their real meaning are massed together there, this book is therefore seen to have some mystical meaning.
ttt[3] From the meaning of 'dudaim' one may now see that the reference to Reuben finding dudaim in the field means the conjugial element which is present within the truth and good of love and charity, that is, that which enables the two to become joined together is meant. For nothing else is meant in the spiritual sense by the conjugial element than such truth as can be joined to good, and such good as can be joined to truth. This joining together of good and truth is also the origin of all conjugial love, `@@@2728`, `@@@2729`, `@@@3132`. Consequently genuine conjugial love does not exist except within good and truth, and so at the same time within the heavenly marriage.
ppp19907#pid#3943. 'And brought them to Leah his mother' means application to the affection for external truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'bringing to' here as application, and from the representation of 'Leah' as the affection for external truth, dealt with in `@@@3793`, `@@@3819`.
ppp19906#pid#3944. 'And Rachel said to Leah' means perception by the affection for interior truth, and the desire for it. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as perceiving, dealt with in `@@@1898`, `@@@1919`, `@@@2080`, `@@@2619`, `@@@2862`, `@@@3395`, `@@@3509`, and from the representation of 'Rachel' as the affection for interior truth, dealt with in `@@@3758`, `@@@3782`, `@@@3793`, `@@@3819`. That the affection and the desire for that truth is meant is also evident from what comes next, for Rachel says, 'Give me now some of your son's dudaim'.
ppp19905#pid#3945. 'Give me now some of your son's dudaim' means affection and desire for the things belonging to conjugial love, to which it might be joined mutually and reciprocally. This is clear from the meaning of 'dudaim' as the essentials of conjugial love, dealt with above in `@@@3942`. For it is clear that affection and desire are meant, `@@@3944`; and conjugial love is a mutual and reciprocal joining together, see `@@@2731`.
ppp19904#pid#3946. 'But she said to her, Is it a small thing for you to have taken my husband?' means the existence of conjugial desire. This is clear from the meaning of 'taking a husband', who is also another's - in this case taking Jacob who is also Leah's husband - as that entailing mutual love between them. Consequently the words 'Is it a small thing for you to have taken my husband?' means conjugial desire.
ppp19903#pid#3947. 'And will you take also my son's dudaim?' means that in that case the conjugial element linking natural good to external truth would be taken away. This is clear from the meaning of 'taking' here as taking away; from the meaning of 'dudaim' as the conjugial element, dealt with in `@@@3942`; and from the meaning of 'son' as truth, dealt with in `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@533`, `@@@1147`, in this case external truth since it is Leah who is speaking and who, as shown above, means external truth.
ppp19902#pid#3948. 'And Rachel said, Therefore he will lie with you this night [in return] for your son's dudaim' means consent that external truth should be joined to natural good. This becomes clear without explanation.
ppp19901#pid#3949. 'And Jacob came from the field in the evening' means the good of truth in a state of good, yet also in obscurity such as envelops the natural. This is clear from the representation of 'Jacob' as the good of natural truth, dealt with in `@@@3669`, `@@@3677`, `@@@3775`, `@@@3829`; from the meaning of 'the field' as the Church as regards good, dealt with in `@@@2971`, and so as good itself; and from the meaning of 'evening' as obscurity, dealt with in `@@@3056`, `@@@3833`.
ppp19900#pid#3950. 'And Leah went out to meet him, and said, You must come [in] to me' means a desire on the part of the affection for external truth to be joined to that good. This becomes clear from the representation of 'Leah' as the affection for external truth, dealt with above. That a desire to be joined to it is meant is evident without explanation.
ppp19899#pid#3951. 'For I have surely hired you with my son's dudaim' means that this had accordingly been seen to and agreed beforehand. This is clear from the meaning of 'surely hiring' as an agreement, as well as its being evident from what is said prior to this. The reason why it had been seen to beforehand is that the joining of truth to good or of good to truth in a person is something seen to beforehand, that is, seen to by the Lord in His providence. For at present the subject is the joining of good to truth and of truth to good, and so the subject is the good which is made a person's own. Indeed good is not good with anyone until it has been joined to truth. And since all good comes from the Lord, that is, all good is made a person's own through the joining of that good to truth, the expression 'seen to beforehand' is used here. The Lord's providence is concerned first and foremost with that joining together of the two. It is good and truth thus joined together that makes a person human and marks him off from animals, making him a human being insofar as he accepts that providence, that is, insofar as he allows the Lord to achieve the objective. This therefore is the good that exists with a person. No other kind of good exists which is spiritual and lasts for ever.
ttt[2] Furthermore, forms of good with the external man, which are the delights of life while a person lives in the world, are truly good only in the measure that they hold that spiritual good within them. Take for example the good served by riches. In the measure that riches hold spiritual good within them, that is, in the measure that a person regards the good of his neighbour, the good of his country or the public good, and the good of the Church, as the end in view to be served by riches, they are truly good. But people who come to the conclusion that the spiritual good spoken of here and material opulence do not go together, one within the other, and who therefore become convinced that to make room for heaven they must renounce riches, are much mistaken. For if they renounce them or divest themselves of them they are not then in a position to do good to anyone and they themselves cannot live in the world in anything but misery. Thus they are not able any longer to have the good of their neighbour and the good of their country, or even the good of the Church, as their end in view, only their own salvation and their becoming greater than others in heaven. What is more, when they renounce worldly possessions they also throw themselves open to contempt, which makes them of little value in the sight of others and therefore useless for rendering service and the performing of duties. But when they do have the good of their neighbour, country, and Church as their end in view, they also have as their end in view, or the means to it, the conditions in which they will be able to attain that end.
ttt[3] It is exactly the same with a person's food, for the end in view with food is that he may have a healthy mind in a healthy body. If someone deprives the body of its food he also deprives himself of the conditions necessary for the attainment of that end. Consequently no one who is a spiritual man despises food or its pleasures. He does not however regard it as an end in itself but the means to an end. From this as an example one can work out the situation with all other forms of such good.
ppp19898#pid#3952. 'And he lay with her that night' means the actual joining together. This too becomes clear without explanation. The reason why the explanation of the expressions immediately preceding this has for the most part been limited to giving simply the meanings which they have in the internal sense is that they are the kind of things which cannot be understood unless they are presented separately one after another. For the subject is the joining of truth to good and of good to truth, and this joining together of them is the conjugial relationship meant in the spiritual sense; that is, when with man or in the Church the two are so joined together the heavenly marriage is effected. The arcana of this heavenly marriage have been described in the verses above, where they are shown to be the following: As has been stated, the heavenly marriage is a marriage of good to truth and of truth to good. It is not however a marriage between good and truth which both belong to one and the same degree, but between good and truth which belong one to a lower degree, the other to a higher. That is, it is not a marriage between the good of the external man and the truth of the same, but between the good of the external man and the truth of the internal man; or what amounts to the same, it is not a marriage between the good of the natural man and the truth of the same, but between the good of the natural man and the truth of the spiritual man. It is when good and truth of different degrees are joined together that the marriage comes into effect.
ttt[2] The same applies in the internal or spiritual man. The heavenly marriage is not a marriage between the good and the truth present there but between the good of the spiritual man and the truth of the celestial man, for compared with the spiritual man the celestial man belongs to a higher degree. Nor again is the heavenly marriage between the good and the truth present there, but between the good of the celestial man and the Divine truth which proceeds from the Lord. From this it is in addition evident that the Divine marriage itself within the Lord is not a marriage between the Divine good and the Divine truth present in His Divine Human but between the Good of the Divine Human and the Divine itself, that is, between the Son and the Father, for the Good of the Lord's Divine Human is that which in the Word is called 'the Son of God' and the Divine itself that which is called 'the Father'.
ttt[3] These are the arcana contained in the internal sense present within the things said about the dudaim. Anyone may see that there is some arcanum hidden within them. For the following details - those about Reuben's finding dudaim in the field and Rachel's desiring them, and, so that she might acquire them, about her agreeing to their husband's lying with Leah, and about Leah's going out to meet Jacob when he came from the field in the evening and her saying that she had hired him for the dudaim - would not have been important enough for them to be mentioned in any historical description in the Word unless something Divine had lain hidden within them. Exactly what that something Divine is nobody can know unless he knows what is meant by the sons of Jacob and by the tribes named after them, and also unless he knows the flow of ideas belonging to the subject dealt with in the internal sense, and on top of this unless he knows what the heavenly marriage is. For that marriage is the subject; that is to say, the joining of the good of the external man to the affection for the truth of the internal man is the subject. But to enable this arcanum to be seen more clearly, let a further illustration be given.
ttt[4] The truths of the external man are the facts and the matters of doctrine which he acquires first through parents and also teachers, after that through books, and at length by his own endeavours. The good of the external man is the pleasure and delight which he finds in those facts and matters of doctrine. Facts which are essentially truths, and delights which are essentially good, are joined together, but these do not constitute the heavenly marriage with him, for even with people who are governed by self-love and love of the world and who are consequently under the influence of evil and falsity, facts, and indeed matters of doctrine, are joined to delights; but they are the delights that go with self-love and love of the world, to which truths are able to be joined. All the same, such people are outside the heavenly marriage. But the heavenly marriage exists in a person when pleasure or delight, which essentially is the good of the external or natural man, stems from spiritual love. That is, the heavenly marriage exists with him when that good stems from love towards the neighbour, towards his country or the general public, towards the Church, towards the Lord's kingdom; and it exists even more fully when it stems from celestial love, which is love to the Lord. For when that spiritual or celestial love passes from the internal or spiritual man into the delight of the external or natural man and fashions that delight, it is then joined to the facts and the matters of doctrine of the external or natural. But such a marriage cannot exist with the evil, only with the good, that is to say, with those who have those things as the end in view. But see what has been said already in `@@@3286`, `@@@3288`, `@@@3314`, `@@@3321`, about the influx of the internal or spiritual man into the external or natural man.
ttt[5] Once acquainted with these arcana one may now come to see the overall meaning of the individual expressions, the explanations of which in preceding paragraphs was limited simply to giving their individual meanings in the internal sense, those expressions and their meanings being these: 'Reuben', who means the truth of faith, which is the first stage of regeneration, 'found dudaim'; 'he brought them to Leah his mother' who means the affection for external truth; 'Rachel' who means the affection for interior truth 'desired them', and they were also 'given to her'; Leah therefore 'lay with Jacob her husband' who means the good of truth within the natural man. Likewise the expressions in what comes after this: Sons were born to Jacob by Leah, 'Issachar and Zebulun', by whom things to do with conjugial love and so with the heavenly marriage are meant and represented; and after this, 'Joseph' was born, by whom the Lord's spiritual kingdom - the marriage itself, which is the subject here - is meant and represented.
ppp19897#pid#3953. Verses `Genesis 30bbbccc17-18` And God hearkened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. And Leah said, God has given me my reward, because I gave my servant-girl to my husband. And she called his name Issachar.
'God hearkened to Leah' means Divine love. 'And she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son' means reception and acknowledgement. 'And Leah said, God has given me my reward, because I gave my servant-girl to my husband' in the highest sense means Divine Good wedded to Truth, and Truth wedded to Good; in the internal sense heavenly conjugial love; and in the external sense mutual love. 'And she called his name Issachar' means the essential nature of it.
ppp19896#pid#3954. 'God hearkened to Leah' means Divine love. This is clear from the meaning of 'hearkening to someone', when it has reference to God or the Lord, as Divine love; for 'hearkening to someone' means carrying out what he prays for and desires. And because He acts from Divine Good, and Divine Good comes from Divine love, Divine love is the meaning in the highest sense of 'hearkening to someone'. For the situation with the internal sense of the Word is that when the literal sense rises up towards heaven and there enters the sphere where the Lord is the source of thought, and where the Lord and things that are His are the subject of thought, the literal sense finally becomes, as perceived by the angels, the internal sense. For to the angels the internal sense is the Word, for which the sense of the letter serves as the groundwork or means of their thinking. Indeed the sense of the letter is unable to reach the angels because it deals in most places with worldly, earthly, and bodily matters, about which angels are unable to think since they live among things of a spiritual and celestial nature and so they are far above the former. A Word has been given therefore which is able to serve mankind and at the same time angels. In this respect the Word is different from all other literature.
ppp19895#pid#3955. 'And she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son' means reception and acknowledgement. This is clear from the meaning of 'conceiving' as receiving, and of 'bearing' as acknowledgement, dealt with above in `@@@3860`, `@@@3868`, `@@@3905`, `@@@3911`, `@@@3919`.
ppp19894#pid#3956. 'And Leah said, God has given me my reward, because I gave my servant-girl to my husband' in the highest sense means Divine Good wedded to Truth, and Truth wedded to Good; in the internal sense heavenly conjugial love; and in the external sense mutual love. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'reward'. 'Reward' is mentioned in various places in the Word, but few know what is meant there by 'reward'. It is well known in the Churches that man can merit nothing through the good deeds which he performs, for the good deeds which he performs are not his but the Lord's, and that merit-seeking or the earning of merit has man himself in view and so joins itself to self-love and to thought of superiority over others, consequently to contempt for others. Works therefore which are done for the sake of reward are not good in themselves since they do not spring from a genuine source, that is to say, out of charity towards the neighbour. Charity towards the neighbour holds within itself the desire that the neighbour will fare as well as oneself, and in the case of the angels the desire that he will fare better than themselves. Such is the nature of the affection that goes with charity. Consequently the affection that goes with charity loathes all idea of merit and so every good action done with a view to reward. Reward for people who have charity consists in their having the ability to do good, in being allowed to do it, and in the recipient's willing acceptance of it. This is the actual delight, indeed blessing, that is present with people with whom the affection that goes with charity exists.
ttt[2] This shows what is meant by 'reward' which is mentioned in the Word, namely the delight and blessing belonging to the affection that goes with charity, or what amounts to the same, the delight and blessing belonging to mutual love, `@@@3816`, for the affection that goes with charity is one and the same as mutual love; see what has been stated already on these matters in `@@@1110`, `@@@1111`, `@@@1774`, `@@@1835`, `@@@1877`, `@@@2027`, `@@@2273`, `@@@2340`, `@@@2373`, `@@@2400`. From these paragraphs it is evident that at this point 'reward' in the external sense means mutual love. In the sense higher than this, which is the internal sense, 'reward' means heavenly conjugial love, as may be seen from what has been stated already about the heavenly marriage in `@@@2618`, `@@@2739`, `@@@2741`, `@@@2803`, `@@@3024` (end), `@@@3132`, `@@@3952` - that is to say, it is the joining together of good and truth, and mutual love is the offspring of that conjunction or marriage, `@@@2737`, `@@@2738`. From all this one may see that in the internal sense 'reward' means heavenly conjugial love.
ttt[3] As regards 'reward' meaning in the highest sense Divine Good wedded to Truth, and Truth wedded to Good, this is evident from the fact that from these comes the heavenly marriage. For that union of the two exists within the Lord and proceeds from Him; and when it passes into heaven, the conjugial relationship between good and truth is effected, and through this relationship mutual love exists. From what has been stated here and in what has gone before one may see what is meant in the internal sense by these words spoken by Leah, 'God has given me my reward, because I gave my servant-girl to my husband'; 'a servant-girl' has meant an affirmative means that serves in the joining together of the external man and the internal man, `@@@3913`, `@@@3917`, `@@@3931`. So until those things meant by the sons of the servant-girls have been affirmed and acknowledged no joining together of good and truth, and so no mutual love, is able to come about, for those affirmations must of necessity come first. These are the considerations meant by these words.
ppp19893#pid#3957. 'And she called his name Issachar' means the essential nature of it. This is clear from the meaning of 'calling the name' as the essential nature, as above in `@@@3923`, `@@@3935`. For he was given the name Issachar from the word 'reward', a name which therefore embodies the things stated above concerning 'reward', and at the same time the things meant by the rest of the words uttered by Leah. Since 'Issachar' means reward, and 'reward' in the external sense is mutual love and in the internal sense the joining together of good and truth, let it be said that very few nowadays in the Christian world know that 'reward' has such a meaning. And the reason why they do not know is that they do not know what mutual love is, still less that good has to be joined to truth if the heavenly marriage is to exist in a person. I have been allowed in the next life to talk about this to very many who were from the Christian world, including the more learned. But what is surprising, scarcely any one of those I talked to knew anything about it, even though they could have come to know much about those matters for themselves if only they had been willing to use their reason. But because they were not concerned about life after death, only about life in the world, they were not interested in such matters. The things they could have known for themselves if only, as has been stated, they had been willing to use their reason were the following:
ttt[2] a When a person is stripped of the body he has a far more enlightened power of understanding than when he is living in the body, the reason being that when he is in the body worldly and bodily interests occupy his thoughts and bring obscurity there. But once he has been stripped of the body those worldly and bodily interests do not get in the way, but through the removal of his mind from sensory experiences of external things he is like those whose thought is more interior. From this consideration they could have known that in the state after death a person is far more clear-sighted and enlightened than in the state before death, and that when a person dies he passes from shade into that which, in comparison with it, is light, because he passes from the things which belong to the world to those which belong to heaven, and from those which belong to the body to those which belong to the spirit. But what is amazing, although people have the ability to understand these things they still think the contrary. That is to say, they think it is in the state of life within the body that a person enjoys clear-sightedness, as compared with the state of life after being stripped of the body, which to them is a state of obscurity.
ttt[3] b They are able to know, if only they use their reason, that the life which a person acquires to himself in the world follows him when he dies, that is, his life is the same after death. For they are able to know that nobody can cast aside the life he has acquired to himself since earliest childhood except by death itself, and that that life cannot be transformed in a moment into any other life, let alone into a contrary life. For example: Someone who has acquired to himself a life of deceit and finds the delight of his life in that deceit cannot cast aside the life of deceit but goes on with that life after death. Or to take another example, people who are governed by self-love and consequently by forms of hatred and revenge against those who are not subservient, or by other similar traits, continue to be governed by these after the life of the body, for they are the things which they love and which constitute the delights of their life and so their very life itself. Such traits cannot therefore be taken away from them unless everything making up their life is wiped out at the same time. And the same applies to all other kinds of life that people have acquired.
ttt[4] c A person is able to know for himself that when he passes into the next life he leaves many things behind him. He knows - since they have no place there - that he leaves behind, for example, anxious cares over food, clothing, accommodation, and the acquisition of money and wealth, as well as anxious cares about his promotion to positions of importance - matters to which a person gives so much thought during the life of the body. Indeed he knows that other things which do not belong to the earthly kingdom take the place of these.
ttt[5] d From this he is able to know that anyone who in the world has thought about nothing else than worldly things such as these, so much so that they have taken a complete hold on him, and who has acquired a delight of life in those things alone, is not suited to be among those who delight to think of heavenly matters, that is, of things of heaven.
ttt[6] e From this in turn he is able to know that if the external things of the body and of the world are taken away from those people, the individual is in that case such as he has been inwardly, that is to say, he thinks and wills as he did previously. If the thoughts within had at that time been deceits, schemings, aspirations after positions of importance, gain, and reputation on account of these; if hatred and revenge and similar passions have been present within, he goes on thinking such things, and so thinking the things of hell, though to achieve those ends he has concealed his thoughts from other people and to outward appearance has seemed honourable and produced in others the conviction that he was not turning such thoughts over in his mind. Knowledge that such outward appearance or presence at being honourable is removed in the next life may also be had from the fact that outward things are cast aside along with the body and have no further use. From this anyone can decide for himself that a person's real character will then be visible to the angels.
ttt[7] f A person is also able to know that heaven, or the Lord by means of heaven, is constantly at work, flowing in with good and truth. But if there is not within a person's interior man that lives after death of the body some solid surface or some plane so to speak to receive good and truth, these cannot be received at all when they flow in. Therefore while a person is living in the world he ought to be anxious to obtain such an interior plane within himself. But he cannot obtain this unless he thinks of good towards his neighbour, desires for him that which is good, and consequently does this for him, and so acquires to himself the delight of life in such actions. This plane is acquired by means of charity towards the neighbour, that is, by mutual love; and it is what is called conscience. Into this plane good and truth from the Lord are able to flow in and be received there. But where charity does not exist, and so conscience does not exist, good and truth flowing in pass through and are converted into evil and falsity.
ttt[8] g A person is able to know for himself that love to God and love towards the neighbour are what make a person a human being, different from animals, and that those things constitute heavenly life or heaven itself and their opposites hellish life or hell itself. But these things are not known by a person because, for one thing, he has no wish to know them since he is leading a life to the contrary; for another, he does not believe in the existence of life after death; and for yet another, ideas about faith but none about charity have taken hold of him, and therefore he believes, as many teach, that if there is a life after death he can be saved by faith, no matter what kind of life he has led, and that he can be saved if faith is received by him only in his last hour when he is dying.
ppp19892#pid#3958. Verses `Genesis 30bbbccc19-20` And Leah conceived again and bore a sixth son to Jacob. And Leah said, God has endowed me with a good dowry; once again my husband will dwell with me' because I have borne him six sons. And she called his name Zebulun.
'Leah conceived again and bore a sixth son to Jacob' means reception and acknowledgement. 'And Leah said, God has endowed me with a good dowry; once again my husband will dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons' in the highest sense means the Lord's Divine itself and His Divine Human, in the internal sense the heavenly marriage, and in the external sense conjugial love. 'And she called his name Zebulun' means the essential nature of it.
ppp19891#pid#3959. 'Leah conceived again and bore a sixth son to Jacob' means reception and acknowledgement, that is to say, of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'conceiving' as receiving, and of 'bearing' as acknowledging, dealt with above in `@@@3955`, and from the meaning of 'son' as truth, dealt with in `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@533`, `@@@1147`, `@@@2623`, `@@@3373`.
ppp19890#pid#3960. 'And Leah said, God has endowed me with a good dowry; once again my husband will dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons' in the highest sense means the Lord's Divine itself and His Divine Human, in the internal sense the heavenly marriage, and in the external sense conjugial love. This is clear from the meaning of 'dwelling together' and also from all the other words which Leah uttered at this point. The reason why 'dwelling together' in the highest sense means the Lord's Divine itself and His Divine Human is that the Divine itself, and the Father, exists mutually and reciprocally within the Divine Human, termed the Son of God, according to the words of the Lord Himself in John,
Jesus said, Philip, he who has seen Me has seen the Father. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me. `John 14bbb9-11`; `John ccc10bbb38`.
This union is the Divine Marriage itself, see `@@@3211`, `@@@3952`. That union is not however a dwelling together, though it is expressed as such in the sense of the letter. For things which are one present themselves in the sense of the letter as two - as the Father and the Son - or even as three, as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They do so for many reasons which will in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed elsewhere.
ttt[2] Here also lies the reason why 'dwelling together' in the internal sense means the heavenly marriage, for it is from the Divine Marriage - the union of the Father and the Son, that is, of the Lord's Divine itself with His Divine Human - that the heavenly marriage comes into being. The heavenly marriage exists as that which is called the Lord's kingdom and also heaven, and it is so called because it comes into being from the Divine Marriage, which is the Lord. This then is what is meant in the internal sense by 'dwelling together', and is also the reason why heaven is called God's dwelling-place, as in Isaiah,
Look out from heaven, and see from the dwelling-place of Your holiness and of Your glory. Where are Your zeal and Your might? The yearning of Your loins, and Your compassion`fff1` towards me have held themselves back. `Isaiah 63bbb15`.
'The dwelling-place of holiness' stands for the celestial kingdom, and
'The dwelling-place of glory' for the spiritual kingdom. 'Dwelling-place' used here in Isaiah is derived from the same word as 'dwelling together' and 'Zebulun' are derived.
ttt[3] The reason why 'dwelling together' in the external sense means conjugial love is that all genuine conjugial love has its origin nowhere else than in the heavenly marriage, which is a marriage of good and truth, and this in turn has its origin in the Divine Marriage, which is that of the Lord's Divine itself and His Divine Human. See what has been stated already on these matters in the following places:
The heavenly marriage descends from Divine Good present within the Lord, and from Divine Truth proceeding from Him, `@@@2508`, `@@@2618`, `@@@2803`, `@@@3132`.
This marriage is the origin of conjugial love, `@@@2728`, `@@@2729`.
People who live in genuine conjugial love are dwelling together in the inmost things of life, `@@@2732`, and so in love for good and truth since these constitute the inmost things of life.
Conjugial love is the fundamental love of all loves, `@@@2737-2739`.
The marriage of good and truth exists in heaven, in the Church, with every member of heaven and the Church, and in every individual thing within the natural order, `@@@718`, `@@@747`, `@@@917`, `@@@1432`, `@@@2173`, `@@@2516`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc2712`, `@@@2758`; it exists in every detail of the Word, `@@@683`, `@@@793`, `@@@801`, `@@@2516`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc2712`; and so in the highest sense it is the Lord Himself.
The names Jesus Christ mean the Divine Marriage, `@@@3004`.
ttt[4] These are the things meant not only by 'dwelling together', that is, by the words 'once again my husband will dwell with me' but also by those preceding them, 'God has endowed me with a good dowry'. The former however means the truth of good whereas the latter means the good of truth, for these two constitute the heavenly marriage. And because this is a conclusion the statement 'because I have borne him six sons' is added; for 'six' here is similar in meaning to twelve. In the Word half a number, or twice that number, has the same meaning as the number itself when the subject is similar.
`nnn1. literally, compassions
ppp19889#pid#3961. 'And she called his name Zebulun' means the essential nature of it. This is clear from the meaning of 'calling the name' as the essential nature, dealt with above. He was given the name Zebulun from the expression 'dwelling together', a name which embodies the things stated immediately above in `@@@3960` about 'dwelling together', and at the same time the things meant in the rest of the words uttered by Leah.
ppp19888#pid#3962. Verse `Genesis 30bbbccc21` And afterwards she bore a daughter and called her name Dinah.
'Afterwards she bore a daughter' means the affection for all these, and also means the Church of faith in which good is present. 'And she called her name Dinah' means the essential nature of it.
ppp19887#pid#3963. 'Afterwards she bore a daughter' means the affection for all these, and also means the Church of faith in which good is present. This is clear from the meaning of 'a daughter' as an affection, and also as a Church, dealt with in `@@@2363`. But as to what the object of the affection is, or what kind of Church is meant, this is evident from whatever is added on to the word 'daughter'. For example, it is evident from the addition of 'Zion' after 'daughter' that the celestial Church, which is called 'the daughter of Zion', is meant; from the addition of 'Jerusalem' that the spiritual Church, which is referred to as 'the daughter of Jerusalem', is meant, and so on. In the present verse, in which nothing is added on to it, 'daughter' means the Church of faith in which good is present. For up to this point the subject has been the general truths which constitute faith in which good is present, and the reception and acknowledgement of those truths, that is to say, the truths that were meant, as has been shown, by the ten sons of Jacob dealt with above. And since immediately after these sons reference is made to the birth of a daughter it is evident from the train of thought that a Church is meant in which all these truths are present.
ttt[2] Whether you call it the Church of faith in which good is present, or you call it the spiritual Church, it amounts to the same; or again if you call it the affection for all these, that is, all these general truths. For it is from the affection for truth in which good is present, and the affection for good from which truth springs, that the Church has its being, not from the affection for truth in which good is not present or the affection for good from which truth does not spring. People who are governed by an affection for truth but not by the good from which truth springs, that is, who do not live according to truths, are much mistaken when they say that they belong to the Church. Though within a congregation, they are outside the Church, for they are governed by the affection for evil to which truth cannot be joined. Their affection for truth does not originate in the Lord but in themselves, for they have themselves in view, their intention being by means of the truth they know to earn repute, and thereby important positions and wealth. But they do not have the Church in view, or the Lord's kingdom, let alone the Lord. But people governed by the affection for good from which truth does not spring do not belong to the Church even though they are within a congregation, for they are governed by natural good, not by spiritual, and allow themselves to be led into every kind of evil and also of falsity, provided that evil is made to look like good and falsity to look like truth, see `@@@3470`, `@@@3471`, `@@@3518`.
ppp19886#pid#3964. 'And she called her name Dinah' means the essential nature of it. This is clear from the meaning of 'name' and 'calling her name' as the essential nature, dealt with above. That which Dinah represents and means includes everything belonging to the Church of faith in which good is present, dealt with above. The same is also evident from the derivation of her name, for in the original language Dinah means judgement. 'Judgement' in the Word has reference to the truth of faith, see `@@@2235`, and 'judging' in the internal sense means the holiness of faith, and in the external sense the good of life, `@@@3921`. These things belong to the Church.
ppp19885#pid#3965. Verses `Genesis 30bbbccc22-24` And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her and opened her womb. And she conceived and bore a son, and she said, God has taken away`fff1` my reproach. And she called his name Joseph, saying, May Jehovah add to me another son.
'God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her' means Foresight and Providence. 'And opened her womb' means the ability to receive and acknowledge. 'And she conceived and bore a son' means reception and acknowledgement. 'And she said, God has taken away my reproach. And she called his name Joseph, saying, May Jehovah add to me another son' in the highest sense means the Lord as regards the Divine Spiritual, in the internal sense the spiritual kingdom or the good of faith, and in the external sense salvation, also fruitfulness and multiplication.
`nnn1. literally, gathered up
ppp19884#pid#3966. 'God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her' means Foresight and Providence. This is clear from the meaning of 'remembering' as Foresight, when, as is the case here, God is said to do so, for 'remembering' implies seeing to someone's needs, while 'seeing' in the highest sense means Foresight, see `@@@3863`; and from the meaning of 'hearkening to someone' as Providence, when God is said to do so, dealt with in `@@@3869`.
ppp19883#pid#3967. 'And opened her womb' means the ability to receive and acknowledge. This is clear from the meaning of 'opening the womb' as conferring the ability to conceive and bear, and so in the internal sense the ability to receive and acknowledge the goods of truth and the truths of good. For 'conceiving and bearing' means reception and acknowledgement, as shown in various places above.
ppp19882#pid#3968. 'And she conceived and bore a son' means reception and acknowledgement, as above in `@@@3919`, `@@@3925`, `@@@3955`, `@@@3959`.
ppp19881#pid#3969. 'And she said, God has taken away my reproach. And she called his name Joseph, saying, May Jehovah add to me another son' in the highest sense means the Lord as regards the Divine Spiritual, in the internal sense the spiritual kingdom or the good of faith, and in the external sense salvation, also fruitfulness and multiplication. This is clear from the representation of 'Joseph' in the Word, dealt with below, also from the meaning of 'God has taken away my reproach', as well as 'May Jehovah add to me another son', for the name Joseph was derived from the verbs 'to gather up' and 'to add'. 'God has taken away my reproach' means that Rachel was now no longer barren, and so no longer 'dead', as she spoke of herself to Jacob in verse `Genesis 30bbbccc1` above; see `@@@3908`. For 'Rachel' represents the affection for interior truth, that is, the interior man as regards truth, `@@@3758`, `@@@3782`, `@@@3793`, `@@@3819`. The interior man is so to speak dead as regards truth and good if the exterior or natural man does not correspond to it as regards goods and truths, see `@@@3493`, `@@@3620`, `@@@3623`. They must be so joined each to the other that they are not two but together form one man.
ttt[2] But the two cannot become joined together until the natural or external man has been prepared, that is, until it has received and acknowledged the general truths which have been meant by Jacob's ten sons by Leah and the servant-girls, and until the good of the natural man has been joined to the truths in that man, which joining together was meant by Jacob's last son by Leah, namely Zebulun, who was so called from the expression 'dwelling together', `@@@3960`, `@@@3961`. After this joining together has taken place the interior man and the exterior man enter into the heavenly marriage spoken of in `@@@3952`. The reason they do not enter it until then is a very deep arcanum, for it is the good of the interior man which in that case joins itself to the good of the exterior man, and through that exterior good to the truth in the exterior man. At the same time the good of the interior man joins itself through the affection for truth in that interior man to the good of the exterior man and also to the truth there, and so joins itself directly and indirectly. concerning this direct and indirect linking together, see `@@@3314`, `@@@3573`, `@@@3616`. Since the interior man is only then joined to the exterior, and until this joining together has taken place the interior man is seemingly non-existent and so seemingly dead, as stated above, the phrase 'God has taken away my reproach' is therefore used. This then is what is meant by 'the reproach' which God is said to have 'gathered up', that is, to have taken away, meaning to have released her from it.
ttt[3] But the words which follow - 'May Jehovah add to me another son', from which Joseph received his name - mean a second arcanum, which is this: 'Joseph' represents the Lord's spiritual kingdom and so the spiritual man, for that kingdom exists within every spiritual man. There are two things which constitute the spiritual man - charity and faith, or what amounts to the same, good and truth. Charity from which faith, or good from which truth springs, is the thing that Joseph represents. And faith which has charity within it, or truth which has good within it, is the thing that the second son means - that Benjamin represents, dealt with at `Genesis 35bbb16-18`. So Joseph means the celestial-spiritual man, and Benjamin the spiritual-celestial. The nature of the difference between them may be seen from what has been said fairly often already about good from which truth springs and truth that has good within it. This then is what is meant by Rachel's second utterance 'May Jehovah add to me another son'. But these arcana cannot be seen except by those who are governed by charity from which faith springs, for interiorly those people are dwelling in the light of heaven, which light also includes intelligence within it. But those arcana cannot be seen by those who are dwelling solely in the light of the world, for that light does not include intelligence except insofar as it holds the light of heaven within itself. To angels who dwell in the light of heaven these arcana belong among the most ordinary things they know.
ttt[4] From these considerations one may now see that the words 'God has taken away my reproach' and 'May Jehovah add to me another son' in the highest sense mean the Lord as regards the Divine Spiritual, and in the internal sense the Lord's spiritual kingdom or the good of faith, for such good is the spiritual as this exists in that kingdom. But the reason why those words in the external sense mean salvation, also fruitfulness and multiplication, is that these come as the product of that good, `@@@3971`. But what the Lord's spiritual kingdom is may become clear from what has been stated and shown many times already about that kingdom, that is to say, it consists of those who are governed by charity and from charity by faith. This kingdom is distinct and separate from the Lord's celestial kingdom, for the celestial kingdom consists of those who are governed by love to the Lord and from that love by charity. The latter constitute the third or inmost heaven, whereas the spiritual constitute the second or interior heaven.
ttt[5] The reason why the name God is used first, in 'God has taken away my reproach', then Jehovah, in 'May Jehovah add to me another son', is that God has regard to the ascent from truth up to good but Jehovah to the descent from good down to truth. The spiritual man is governed by the good of faith, that is, by the good from which truth springs; but prior to his becoming spiritual he is governed by the truth of faith, that is, by truth that has good within it. For the name God is used when truth is the subject, but Jehovah when good is the subject, `@@@2586`, `@@@2769`, `@@@2807`, `@@@2822`, `@@@3921`.
ttt[6] The fact that 'Joseph' represents the Lord's spiritual kingdom, or the spiritual man, and so represents the good of faith, becomes clear also from those places in the Word where his name is mentioned, as in the prophecy of Jacob, who by then was Israel,
The son of a fruitful one is Joseph, the son of a fruitful one beside a spring; O daughters, he trails over the wall; and the archers will exasperate him and shoot at him and hate him. And he will sit in the strength of his bow, and the arms of his hands will be made strong by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob; from there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel. By the God of your father, and he will assist you; and with Shaddai, and he will bless you with the blessings of heaven from above, with the blessings of the deep lying beneath, with the blessings of the breasts and of the womb. The blessings of your father will prevail over the blessings of my ancestors, even to the desire of the everlasting hills. They will be upon the head of Joseph and upon the crown of the head of the Nazirite among his brothers. `Genesis 49bbb22-26`.
These prophetic utterances in the highest sense contain a description of the Lord's Divine Spiritual, in the internal sense a description of His spiritual kingdom. What each detail entails will in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed in the explanation of that chapter.
ttt[7] Similarly in the prophecy of Moses,
For Joseph he said, Blessed by Jehovah is his land, of the precious things of heaven, of the dew, of the deep also lying beneath, and of the precious things of the fruits of the sun, and of the precious things of the produce of the months, and of the precious things of the mountains of the east, and of the precious things of the everlasting hills, and of the precious things of the earth and of its fullness; and the good pleasure of Him dwelling in the bramble bush. They will come upon the head of Joseph and upon the crown of the head of the Nazirite among his brothers. `Deuteronomy 33bbb13-17`.
ttt[8] Because 'Israel' represents the Lord's spiritual Church, `@@@3305`, `@@@3654`,
Jacob, who by then was Israel, said to Joseph,
Your two sons who were born to you in the land of Egypt, before I came to you in Egypt, will be mine. Ephraim and Manasseh will be as Reuben and Simeon. May the angel who has redeemed me from every evil bless the boys, that in them my name may be called, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and may they increase into a multitude in the midst of the earth. `Genesis 48bbb5`, `Genesis 48bbbccc16`.
There are two things which constitute the spiritual Church - the understanding and the will, the understanding being represented by 'Ephraim' and the will by 'Manasseh'. From this one can see why Joseph's two sons were adopted by Jacob, by then Israel, and acknowledged as his own. Ephraim is also mentioned often in the Word, especially the prophetical part, in which places that name means the ability which the spiritual Church possesses to understand what is true and what is good.
ttt[9] In Ezekiel,
Jehovah said, Son of man, take a stick and write on it, For Judah and for the children of Israel, his companions. And take another stick and write on it, For Joseph - the stick of Ephraim and of the whole house of Israel, his companions and join them together, one to the other into one stick for you, that both may be one in your`fff1` hand. Thus said the Lord Jehovih, I, behold, I am taking the stick of Joseph which is in the hand of Ephraim and of the tribes of Israel his companions, and I will add them to the stick of Judah, and make them into one stick, and they will be one in My hand. And I will make them into one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king will be king to them all, and they will no longer be two nations, nor will they ever be divided into two nations again. `Ezekiel 37bbb16-17`, `Ezekiel 37bbbccc19`, `Ezekiel 37bbbccc22`.
This refers to the Lord's kingdom, to the celestial and to the spiritual - 'Judah' being the celestial kingdom, `@@@3654`, `@@@3881`, `@@@3921` (end), and 'Joseph' the spiritual. It is also said that those kingdoms will not be two but one - they were actually made one by the Lord's Coming into the world.
ttt[10] By the Lord's Coming the spiritual were saved, see `@@@2661`, `@@@2716`, `@@@2833`, `@@@2834`. It is those who are spiritual that the Lord is speaking about in John,
And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice, and there will be one flock and one shepherd. `John 10bbb16`.
This is what is meant by 'the two sticks', the stick of Judah and the stick of Joseph, which will be joined into one, and will be one in the Lord's hand, like one nation, even as they are one in the Lord's kingdom. For celestial angels constitute the third heaven, which is the inmost heaven, but spiritual angels the second, which is the interior heaven, and in that kingdom they are one because one flows into the other, namely the celestial heaven into the spiritual. The spiritual kingdom is so to speak the groundwork on which the celestial is based, and in this way the two are made firm and stable. For the Divine celestial within the third or inmost heaven is love to the Lord, the celestial-spiritual in that heaven being charity. The latter, namely charity, is the chief thing in the second or interior heaven where spiritual angels are. This shows the nature of influx and also how things are made firm and stable by means of influx. 'Wood' means good, both the good which belongs to love to the Lord and the good which belongs to charity towards the neighbour, `@@@2784`, `@@@2812`, `@@@3720`. For this reason the command was given to write Judah and Joseph on the two sticks which were to be made one.
ttt[11] In Zechariah,
I will make the house of Judah powerful, and I will save the house of Joseph, and I will restore them,`fff2` for I have had compassion on them, and they will be as though I had not forsaken them, for I am Jehovah their God and I will answer them. `Zechariah 10bbb6`.
This too refers to the two kingdoms, the celestial and the spiritual, 'Judah' being the celestial kingdom and 'Joseph' the spiritual. Also referred to is the salvation of the spiritual.
ttt[12] In Amos,
Thus said Jehovah to the house of Israel, Seek Me and you will live. Seek Jehovah and you will live, lest like fire He invades the house of Joseph and it devours and there is nobody quenching it. Hate evil, and desire good, and establish judgement in the gate; it may be that Jehovah God Zebaoth will have compassion on the remnant of Joseph. `Amos 5bbb4`, `Amos 5bbbccc6`, `Amos 5bbbccc15`.
Here also those who are spiritual are meant by 'Joseph'. 'The house of Israel' means the spiritual Church, `@@@3305`, `@@@3654`, 'Joseph' the good of that Church. Hence the statement 'Jehovah said to the house of Israel, Seek Me and you will live, lest like fire He invades the house of Joseph'.
ttt[13] In David,
Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, leading Joseph like a flock. You who are seated on the cherubim, shine forth before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh. Stir up Your might and come to save us. `Psalms 80bbb1-2`.
Here similarly 'Joseph' means the spiritual man, 'Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh' being three essentials of that Church.
ttt[14] In the same author,
Raise a song, and sound the timbrel, the sweet harp with the lyre; blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the festival, on our feast day. For it is a statute for Israel, a judgement to the God of Jacob. [As] a testimony for Joseph He appointed it, when He went out against the land of Egypt. I heard a language that I did not know. `Psalms 81bbb2-5`.
From each individual word or term used here it is evident that 'Joseph' means the spiritual Church or spiritual man. For there are in the Word terms which present spiritual realities and terms which present celestial ones, and these terms occur consistently throughout the Word. In this quotation terms that present spiritual realities are used - 'a song', 'the timbrel', 'the harp with the lyre', and 'blowing the trumpet at the new moon, at the festival, on a feast day'. From this also it is evident that the subject is the spiritual Church meant by 'Joseph'.
ttt[15] In Ezekiel,
Thus said the Lord Jehovih, This is the boundary by which you will inherit the land according to the twelve tribes of Israel, the portions for Joseph. `Ezekiel 47bbb13`.
This refers to the Lord's spiritual kingdom, and therefore the phrase 'the portions for Joseph' is used. The Lord's Divine spiritual is that which is also called His kingship, for the Lord's kingship is Divine Truth, but His priesthood Divine Good, `@@@2015`, `@@@3009`, `@@@3670`. The Lord's kingship itself is that which 'Joseph' represents, in that he was made king in the land of Egypt. That representation will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with when that chapter is reached.
ttt[16] As regards the Lord's Divine spiritual, or Divine Truth, which is represented in the highest sense by 'Joseph', it does not exist within the Lord but flows from the Lord; for the Lord is nothing else than Divine Good. But Divine Truth proceeds from Divine Good. To use a comparison, it is like the sun and the light of the sun. Light does not exist within the sun but proceeds from the sun. Or it is like fire. Light does not exist in fire but proceeds from it. And in the Word Divine Good itself is compared to the sun and also to fire, and is actually called sun and fire. The Lord's celestial kingdom receives its life from the good which proceeds from the Lord, but the spiritual kingdom receives its life from the truth derived from that good. For this reason in the next life the Lord is seen as the Sun by those who are celestial, but as the Moon by those who are spiritual, see `@@@1053`, `@@@1521`, `@@@1529-1531`, `@@@3636`, `@@@3643`. For both warmth and light proceed from the sun. Its warmth is comparable to the good of love, which is also called celestial and spiritual warmth, its light to the truth flowing from it, which is also referred to as spiritual light, see `@@@3636`, `@@@3643`. But the celestial warmth and the spiritual light which proceed from the Lord as the Sun in the next life, include within them the good of love and the truth of faith, and so include wisdom and intelligence, `@@@1521-1523`, `@@@1542`, `@@@1619-1632`, `@@@2776`, `@@@3138`, `@@@3190`, `@@@3195`, `@@@3222`, `@@@3223`, `@@@3339`, `@@@3485`, `@@@3636`, `@@@3643`, `@@@3862`. For things which proceed from the Lord are living.
ttt[17] From this one may see what the Divine Spiritual is; in what the spiritual kingdom and the celestial kingdom have their origins; and also that the spiritual kingdom is the good of faith, which good is charity, flowing in from the Lord directly, and also indirectly through the celestial kingdom. In the Word the Divine Spiritual which proceeds from the Lord is called the Spirit of truth, and is holy truth. The Divine Spiritual does not belong to any spirit but is the Lord's, who imparts it through a spirit sent by Him, as becomes clear from the Lord's own words in John,
When He the Spirit of truth comes He will guide you into all the truth, for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak. He will also declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify Me, for He will receive from what is Mine and declare it to you. `John 16bbb13-14`.
`nnn1. The Latin means my but the Hebrew means your.
`nnn2. literally, I will cause them to dwell
ppp19880#pid#3970. Verses `Genesis 30bbbccc25-26` And it happened, when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said to Laban, Send me away and let me go to my own place and to my own land. Give me my womenfolk and my children for whom I have served you, and let me go; for you know my service with which I have served you.
'It happened, when Rachel had borne Joseph' means acknowledgement of the spiritual represented by Joseph. 'That Jacob said to Laban' means the good of natural truth turned to the parallel good from a Divine origin, by means of which good interior things are joined together. 'Send me away and let me go to my own place and to my own land' means that at that time there was in the natural represented by Jacob a strong desire to arrive at a state in which it would be joined to everything Divine in the Rational. 'Give me my womenfolk' means that the affections for truth belonged to that natural. 'And my children' means as did the truths born from those affections. 'For whom I have served you' means from His own power. 'And let me go' means to be joined to everything Divine in the Rational. 'For you know my service with which I have served you' means toil and endeavour from His own power.
ppp19879#pid#3971. 'It happened, when Rachel had borne Joseph' means acknowledgement of the spiritual represented by Joseph. This is clear from the meaning of 'bearing' as acknowledging, dealt with in `@@@3905`, `@@@3911`, `@@@3915`, `@@@3919`; from the representation of 'Rachel' as the affection for interior truth, dealt with in `@@@3758`, `@@@3782`, `@@@3793`, `@@@3819`; and from the representation of 'Joseph' as the spiritual kingdom and so the spiritual man, dealt with in `@@@3969`, and therefore as the spiritual; for having its origin in the Lord, the spiritual is that which makes the spiritual man and also the spiritual kingdom what they are. By means of Jacob's sons by the servant-girls and by Leah, the sections prior to this have dealt with the reception and acknowledgement of general truths, and eventually with the joining of those truths to the interior man, and so have dealt with man's regeneration up to and including his becoming spiritual. 'Joseph' is that spiritual man. The present sections coming directly after them deal with the fruitfulness and the multiplication of truth and good, which are meant by the flock which Jacob obtained for himself by means of Laban's flock.
ttt[2] Indeed after the joining of the interior man to the external man has taken place, that is, of the spiritual and the natural, fruitfulness of good and multiplication of truth take place, for that joining together of the two is the heavenly marriage with man. It is from this marriage that such fruitfulness and multiplication spring. This also is why 'Joseph' in the external sense means fruitfulness and multiplication, `@@@3965`, `@@@3969`, the expressions 'fruitfulness' being used in reference to good, and 'multiplication' to truth, `@@@43`, `@@@55`, `@@@913`, `@@@983`, `@@@2846`, `@@@2847`.
ppp19878#pid#3972. 'That Jacob said to Laban' means the good of natural truth turned to the parallel good from a Divine origin, by means of which good interior things are joined together. This is clear from the representation of 'Jacob' as the good of natural truth, dealt with in `@@@3659`, `@@@3669`, `@@@3677`, `@@@3775`, `@@@3829`, and from the representation of 'Laban' as a parallel good from a Divine origin, dealt with in `@@@3612`, `@@@3665`, `@@@3778`. As regards the joining together of interior things being effected by means of that good, this has been explained several times already, see `@@@3665`, `@@@3690`, and elsewhere. This good is also that which is meant by 'Laban's flock', by means of which Jacob obtained for himself his own flock - matters dealt with in what follows.
ppp19877#pid#3973. 'Send me away and let me go to my own place and to my own land' means that at that time there was in the natural represented by Jacob a strong desire to arrive at a state in which it would be joined to everything Divine in the Rational. This is clear from the representation of 'Jacob', who is the speaker, as the good of natural truth, dealt with immediately above in `@@@3972`; from the meaning of 'place' as state, dealt with in `@@@2625`, `@@@2837`, `@@@3356`, `@@@3387`; and from the meaning of 'land' in this case as everything Divine in the Rational. For 'my land' is used to mean Isaac his father and Rebekah his mother, it being to them that he wished to be sent away and to go. 'Isaac' means the Divine Rational as regards good, see `@@@2083`, `@@@2630`, `@@@3012`, `@@@3194`, `@@@3210`, and 'Rebekah' Divine truth joined to the Divine good of the Rational, `@@@3012`, `@@@3013`, `@@@3077`. It is evident from the affectional content of the words themselves that a strong desire to be joined to these is meant.
ppp19876#pid#3974. 'Give me my womenfolk' means that the affections for truth belonged to that natural, 'and my children' means as did the truths born from those affections. This is clear from the meaning of 'womenfolk' or 'wives' as affections for truth - his wife 'Leah' meaning the affection for external truth, and 'Rachel' the affection for internal truth, both dealt with often above; and from the meaning of 'children' as truths born from those affections. For 'sons' means truths, `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@533`, `@@@1147`, `@@@2623`, `@@@3373`, and the children born of the womenfolk truths that spring from those affections.
It was a regulation among the Ancients that women given to slaves belonged to the master with whom they served, and so did the children born from them, as may be seen in Moses,
If you buy a Hebrew slave he shall serve for six years; and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing. If his master has given him a wife and she has borne him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall belong to her master, and he shall go out by himself.`fff1` `Exodus 21bbb2`, `Exodus 21bbbccc4`.
It was because this was also a regulation in the Ancient Church and was therefore well known to Laban that he laid claim to Jacob's wives and children, as is evident in the next chapter,
Laban said to Jacob, The daughters are my daughters, and the sons are my sons, and the flock is my flock, and all that you see belongs to me. `Genesis 31bbb43`.
And because Jacob knows this he says to Laban, 'Give me my womenfolk and my children'. But this regulation as stated in Moses in the verses quoted above represented the right of the internal or rational man to the goods and truths of the external or natural man which the latter has obtained for itself. For a slave represented the truth of the natural man as that truth exists at first before genuine truths are instilled. The truth which is present at first is not truth but the outward appearance of it. Nevertheless it serves as the means by which genuine truths and goods are introduced, as has been shown already. For this reason once goods and truths have been instilled through that truth present at first, that is, through the service it renders, it is dispensed with, but the genuine truths obtained in that way are retained. It was for the sake of this representation that this law about slaves was laid down.
ttt[2] But as for Jacob, he was not a slave who had been purchased, but a man from a more distinguished family than Laban. He himself - that is to say, Jacob - purchased Laban's daughters, and so also the children by them, through the service he rendered; for they were his instead of wages. Consequently Laban's assumptions concerning them were not correct. Furthermore 'a Hebrew slave' means the truth which serves to introduce genuine goods and truths, and his wife the affection for natural good. But Jacob's position was different from that of a slave. He represented the good of natural truth, and his wives the affections for truth. Nor does Laban have the same representation as the master in the law that has been quoted relating to a Hebrew slave. That is to say, he does not represent the rational, but a parallel good, `@@@3612`, `@@@3665`, `@@@3778`, which is such that it is not genuine good but the outward appearance of the genuine, serving to introduce truths, `@@@3665`, `@@@3690`, which were accordingly 'Jacob's'.
ttt[3] These details which have been presented are indeed such as fall within the mental grasp of none but a very few, for most people do not know what the truth and good of the natural are, and that these are different from the truth and good of the rational. Still less do they know that goods and truths which are not genuine but only so to external appearance serve to introduce genuine truths and goods, especially at the outset of regeneration. All the same, as these details are contained in the internal sense of these words, and also in the internal sense of those that follow concerning Laban's flock from which Jacob obtained a flock for himself, they ought not to be passed over in silence. There will perhaps be some who grasp them. Any who have a strong desire to know such things, that is, who are stirred by an affection for spiritual good and truth, receive enlightenment in such matters.
`nnn1. literally, with his own body
ppp19875#pid#3975. 'For whom I have served you' means from His own power. This is clear from the meaning of 'serving' as toil and endeavour, dealt with in `@@@3824`, `@@@3846`. When these terms are used in reference to the Lord, His own power is meant, for it was from His own power that the Lord obtained Divine Goods and Divine Truths for Himself and made His Human Divine, see `@@@1616`, `@@@1749`, `@@@1755`, `@@@1921`, `@@@2025`, `@@@2026`, `@@@2083`, `@@@2500`, `@@@2523`, `@@@2632`, `@@@2816`, `@@@3382`.
ppp19874#pid#3976. 'And let me go' means to be joined to everything Divine in the Rational. This is clear from the meaning of 'going', that is to say, to his own place and to his own land, as above in `@@@3973`, meaning a strong desire to be joined to everything Divine in the Rational.
ppp19873#pid#3977. 'For you know my service with which I have served you' means toil and endeavour from His own power. This becomes clear from what has been stated and referred to just above in `@@@3975`, and so without any further explanation. But what else these words embody is evident from what has been stated above in `@@@3974` as well as from what follows below.
ppp19872#pid#3978. Verses `Genesis 30bbbccc27-30` And Laban salt to him, If now I have found grace in your eyes.... I have learned from experience, and Jehovah has blessed me for your sake. And he said, Indicate your wages to me, and I will give them. And [Jacob] said to him, You know how I have served you, and how your cattle have fared with me. For you had few before I came, and they have increased into a multitude; and Jehovah has blessed you since I set foot here. And now, when shall I, even I, provide for my own house? 'Laban said to him' means perception from the good meant by Laban. 'If now I have found grace in your eyes' means a strong inclination. 'I have learned from experience, and Jehovah has blessed me for your sake' means originating in the Divine, for the sake of the good of the natural which it is to serve. 'And he said, Indicate your wages to me, and I will give them' means that it would of itself impart that which was desired. 'And [Jacob] said to him, You know how I have served you' means that it knew its mind and power. 'And how your cattle have fared with me' also means originating in the Divine. 'For you had few before I came' means that its good is barren before it is joined to the good of the natural. 'And they have increased into a multitude' means fertility after that. 'And Jehovah has blessed you since I set foot here' means resulting from the Divine endowment which the natural possessed. 'And now, when shall I, even I, provide for my own house?' means that now its own good will be made fruitful from this.
ppp19871#pid#3979. 'Laban said to him' means perception from the good meant by Laban. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as perception, dealt with in `@@@1898`, `@@@1919`, `@@@2080`, `@@@2619`, `@@@2862`, `@@@3395`, `@@@3509`, and from the representation of 'Laban' as a parallel good from the Divine, dealt with in `@@@3612`, `@@@3665`, `@@@3778`. The reason why it is perception from this good that is meant by 'Laban said to him' is that in the Word persons mean nothing else than spiritual realities. In the highest sense Divine things present in the Lord are meant, in the internal sense the kind of things present in man which are discussed here, so that two persons are used to mean two things present in the same individual.
ppp19870#pid#3980. 'If now I have found grace in your eyes' means a strong inclination. This is clear from the meaning of 'finding grace in somebody's eyes' as a strong inclination. Strong inclination is used in reference to the good meant by 'Laban' when it desires to be present. Anyone who reflects or is able to reflect on the affections present in himself for what is good and for what is true, and also on the delight and pleasure that accompany them, becomes aware of a strong inclination towards one rather than towards the other. But without such reflection these and other things like them are not apparent.
ppp19869#pid#3981. 'I have learned from experience, and Jehovah has blessed me for your sake' means originating in the Divine, for the sake of the good of the natural which it is to serve. This is clear from the meaning of 'learning from experience that Jehovah has blessed' as knowing for certain of its origin in the Divine. That this was for the sake of the good of the natural which it is to serve is meant by 'for your sake'. For 'Jacob' means the good of natural truth, `@@@3659`, `@@@3669`, `@@@3677`, `@@@3775`, `@@@3829`, and 'Laban' the parallel good which serves it, as shown above in various places; and see also below in `@@@3982`, `@@@3986`.
ppp19868#pid#3982. 'And he said, Indicate your wages to me, and I will give them' means that it would of itself impart that which was desired. This becomes clear without explanation. The things that have been mentioned up to now are not such as can be explained easily and intelligibly. One reason for this is that the mind cannot be turned away instantaneously from the historical details concerning Laban and Jacob to the spiritual matters which are the subject in the internal sense; for the historical picture always lingers and fills one's whole mental view, and yet it must completely fade so to speak, in order that things which are not historical may be comprehended in a connected sequence. Another reason why the things mentioned up to now cannot be explained intelligibly is that one needs to have a clear conception of the types of good which the two of them - Laban and Jacob - represent. And one also needs to know that the good which Laban represents is such that it is of limited use - namely the use it serves to introduce genuine truths and goods; and that once it has performed that use it is discarded. The nature of that good has been discussed already. It is like the unripe part of fruits when they are first formed. Through that which is unripe, juice is introduced, and once the unripe part has served its purpose it passes away and the fruits ripen by means of other fibres, and at length by means of the fibres carrying the real juice.
ttt[2] It is well known that a person learns many things in early and later childhood, the sole purpose being that through them as means he may learn things that are more useful, and then through these, things that are more useful still, until finally he learns those that have to do with eternal life; and that when he learns the latter the earlier things he has learnt are virtually obliterated. In a similar way when somebody is being born anew from the Lord he is led by means of many affections for good and truth which are not affections for genuine good and truth but those which enable him to have a mental grasp of the genuine and after that to be endued with them. Once he has been endued with them the previous things sink into oblivion and are discarded, because they have served solely as means. The same also applies to the parallel good meant by 'Laban' in relation to the good of truth meant by 'Jacob', and also by each one's flock, dealt with below.
ttt[3] These are the arcana contained in these words and those that follow, but they have been conveyed within a historical description so that the Word may be read with pleasure even by children and by the simple - the end in view being that when these persons take delight in the historical sense the angels present with them may enter into the holiness of the internal sense; for the internal sense is suited to the intelligence of angels, while the external sense is suited to that of men. In this way man is in fellowship with angels, though he is not directly conscious of it. All that he perceives from that fellowship is a kind of delight in which holiness is present.
ppp19867#pid#3983. 'And [Jacob] said to him, You know how I have served you' means that it knew its mind and power. This becomes clear from the train of thought in the internal sense. 'Knowing what someone is like' clearly means knowing his mind, and so 'what one is like in his service' or 'how I have served you' means knowing his power, as may be seen from the meaning here of 'serving' as one's own power, dealt with in `@@@3975`, `@@@3977`. For 'Jacob' represents the Lord's Divine Natural as regards the good of truth, which possesses power. Consequently 'how your cattle have fared with me' also means originating in the Divine.
ppp19866#pid#3984. 'For you had few before I came' means that its good is barren unless it is joined to the good of the natural. This too becomes clear from the train of thought in the internal sense. For the nature of the good represented by Laban before it has been joined to the good of truth represented by Jacob is referred to as being of little use, that is, barren. But the implications of these matters will be evident from what follows next.
ppp19865#pid#3985. 'And they have increased into a multitude' means fertility after that. This is clear from the meaning of 'increasing into a multitude' as fertility, that is to say, after the joining together had taken place.
ppp19864#pid#3986. 'And Jehovah has blessed you since I set foot here' means resulting from the Divine endowment which the natural possessed. This is clear from the meaning of 'Jehovah blessing' as being endowed with good, dealt with in `@@@3406`, and as a joining together, `@@@3504`, `@@@3514`, `@@@3530`, `@@@3565`, `@@@3584`. 'Jehovah blessing' accordingly means being endowed with Divine good by means of a joining together, at this point a joining to the good of the natural represented by 'Jacob', the natural being meant by 'the foot'. As regards 'the foot' meaning the natural, see `@@@2162`, `@@@3147`, `@@@3761`; and this will be clear in addition from the correspondence of the Grand Man with every part of the human being, the subject in the sections at the ends of chapters. From this it is evident that 'Jehovah has blessed you since I set foot here' means originating in the Divine which the natural possessed.
ttt[2] The arcanum which lies concealed in these words and in those immediately before them is known to few, if any, and is therefore to be revealed. The goods present with people both inside the Church and outside it vary in every case. They vary so much that no one person's good is ever exactly like another's. These variations arise out of the truths to which those goods are joined, for the nature of every type of good is received from truths, and truths derive their essential nature from goods. Such variations also arise out of the affections that belong to each person's love, and which become rooted in a person and are made his own through the life he leads. Few genuine truths exist even with someone inside the Church, and fewer still with one outside. Consequently affections for genuine truth seldom exist with anyone.
ttt[3] All the same, people who lead good lives, that is, who live in love to God and in charity towards the neighbour, are saved. The reason they are able to be saved is that the Lord's Divine is present within good that stems from love to God and within good that stems from charity towards the neighbour. And when the Divine is inwardly present everything is being arranged into order so that it can be joined to genuine goods and genuine truths which exist in the heavens. The truth of this may be proven from the communities constituting heaven, which are countless. Every single community varies as regards good and truth, and yet all of them taken together form one complete heaven. They are like the members and organs of the human body which, though varying in every case, still constitute one complete human being. For no complete whole is ever made up of any identical or entirely similar individual parts, but of varying parts harmoniously joined together. Varying parts joined together harmoniously present a single whole. The same applies to goods and truths in the spiritual world. Although these vary so much as never to be exactly similar with one person as with another, nevertheless from the Divine through love and charity they make one since love and charity are spiritual conjunction. Their variation is a heavenly harmony which produces such accord that they are one in the Divine, that is, in the Lord.
ttt[4] Furthermore, however much truths may vary, and however much affections for truth may do so, good that stems from love to God and good that stems from charity towards the neighbour are nevertheless capable of receiving genuine truth and good, as they are not so to speak hard and resistant but soft and yielding. They allow themselves to be led by the Lord and in so doing to be turned towards good, and through good to be turned towards Him. It is different with those in whom self-love and love of the world reign. They do not allow themselves to be led and turned by the Lord towards the Lord but strongly resist, since each wishes to be his own leader, even more so when they have become subject to false and firmly established assumptions. As long as they are such they do not allow the Divine to come in.
ttt[5] These considerations now make clear what is meant in the internal sense by these words which Jacob addressed to Laban, for 'Laban' means the kind of good which is not genuine because it does not have genuine truths planted within it but is nevertheless capable of having these joined to it and of having the Divine present within it. This kind of good is what normally exists with young children before they have received genuine truths. It is also the kind of good present with simple people within the Church who know few truths of faith but who nevertheless lead a charitable life. It is in addition the kind of good present with upright gentiles who offer holy worship to their gods. By means of such good, genuine truths and goods are able to be introduced, as may be seen from what has been stated about young children and simple people inside the Church in `@@@3690`, and about upright gentiles outside the Church in `@@@2598-2603`.
ppp19863#pid#3987. 'And now, when shall I, even I, provide for my own house?' means that now its own good will be made fruitful from this. This is clear from the meaning of 'house' as good, dealt with in `@@@2231`, `@@@2233`, `@@@3128`, `@@@3652`, in this case 'my own house' as the good meant by Jacob. 'Providing for his own house' means that the good from this is to be made fruitful, as is evident from the fact that the fruitfulness of good and the multiplication of truth is the subject now because the joining of the interior man to the external has taken place; for 'Joseph', the one born last, means that fruitfulness, `@@@3965`, `@@@3969`, `@@@3971`, and 'the flock' which Jacob acquired to himself by means of Laban's flock, dealt with below, describes that fruitfulness. As regards good not being made fruitful nor truth being multiplied until the external man has been joined to the internal, this becomes clear from the consideration that the desire that another shall have what is good, and consequently the thought of good, belong to the interior man, whereas doing good and consequently making known what is good belong to the external man. Unless doing good has been joined to the desire for what is good, and making good known to the thought of good, a person possesses no good at all. For the wicked can desire what is evil and yet do good, and also think evil and yet declare what is good, as anyone can well know. Hypocrites and unholy persons are more bent on this and better at it than others, so much so indeed that they are able to pass themselves off as angels of light, when in fact they are devils within. This proves that good cannot be made fruitful with anyone unless doing what is good has been joined to the desire for good, and making good known to the thought of it; that is, unless the external man has been joined to the internal.
ppp19862#pid#3988. Verses `Genesis 30bbbccc31-33` And he said, What shall I give you? And Jacob said, You shall not give me anything; if you will do this one thing for me, I will return, feed, and guard your flock. I will pass through all your flock today, removing from it every speckled and spotted member of the flock, and every black one among the lambs, and the spotted and speckled among the she-goats; and that will be my wages. And my righteousness will answer for me on the morrow, when you come [to look] over my wages that are before you; every one that is not speckled and spotted among the she-goats, and black among the lambs, is one stolen by me.
'He said, What shall I give you?' means knowledge. 'And Jacob said' means a reply. 'You shall not give me anything; if you will do this one thing for me' means that the finding of the wages should rest with the good that springs from truth. 'I will return, feed, and guard your flock' means that the good meant by Laban has a use to perform. 'I will pass through all your flock today' means that [the good of truth] recognizes the nature of all that good. 'Removing from it every speckled and spotted member of the flock' means that everything good and true that is meant by 'Laban' and which - when mingled with evil, meant by 'speckled', or mingled with falsity, meant by 'spotted' - will be separated. 'And every black one among the lambs' means a proprium of innocence, which belongs to the good meant by 'Laban'. 'And the spotted and speckled among the she-goats' means that after this all the good of truth that has falsity and evil mingled within it will be 'Jacob's'. 'And that will be my wages' means that it was the result of His own effort. 'And my righteousness will answer for me' means the Divine holiness which He possessed. 'On the morrow' means into eternity. 'When you come [to look] over my wages that are before you' means what was His own. 'Every one that is not speckled and spotted among the she-goats' means that which does not originate in the good meant by Laban and is not mingled with evil and falsity within the goods of truth. 'And black among the lambs' means the first state of innocence. 'Is one stolen by me' means that it was not His.
ppp19861#pid#3989. 'He said, What shall I give you?' means knowledge. This becomes clear from its being an anxious desire and a request to know what he wanted for wages and how much.
'And Jacob said' means a reply. This is clear without explanation.
ppp19860#pid#3990. 'You shall not give me anything; if you will do this one thing for me' means that the finding of the wages should rest with the good that springs from truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'not giving anything' as the finding resting not with the good represented by 'Laban' but with the good represented by 'Jacob', which is the good of truth, `@@@3669`, `@@@3677`, `@@@3829`. But what was to be found as wages is described in what follows below.
ppp19859#pid#3991. 'I will return, feed, and guard your flock' means that the good represented by Laban has a use to perform, namely of introducing genuine goods and truths, as shown above. This is clear from the meaning of 'flock', in this case Laban's, as the good which he represented. 'Returning, feeding, and guarding his flock' means putting that good to use, as is also evident below, for Jacob acquired his own flock by means of that flock; it indeed served him as a means, and so served him a use.
ppp19858#pid#3992. 'I will pass through all your flock today' means that [the good of truth] recognizes the nature of all that good. This is clear from the meaning of 'flock' as good, dealt with in `@@@343`, `@@@3518`, and from the meaning of 'passing through it all' as knowing and perceiving the nature of it.
ppp19857#pid#3993. 'Removing from it every speckled and spotted member of the flock' means that everything good and true that is meant by 'Laban' and which - when mingled with evil, meant by 'speckled', or mingled with falsity, meant by 'spotted' - will be separated. This is clear from the meaning of 'removing' as separating, and from the meaning of 'member of the flock', in this case she-goats and lambs, as goods and truths, dealt with in `@@@1824`, `@@@3519`. The fact that these details and those that follow in this chapter hold arcana within them may be recognized from the consideration that for the most part they would not be worth mentioning in the Divine Word if they did not include any deeper arcana than those to be seen in the letter, such as the following: For his wages Jacob asked for the speckled and the spotted among the she-goats and for the black among the lambs; and after this, in the runners he placed rods - which he had peeled down to the white and which were of hazel and of plane - in front of Laban's flocks when these came on heat, and in the case of the lambs he set the faces of the flock towards the variegated and the black in Laban's flock, thereby making himself rich not by the use of a good skill but of an evil one. These details do not seem to hold anything Divine within them, and yet the Word is Divine in every single part, even to the smallest part of a letter. And what is more, knowing all these details does not contribute one tiny bit to a person's salvation, yet being Divine the Word does not contain within itself anything else than such things as lead to salvation and eternal life.
ttt[2] From these details and others like them elsewhere anyone may come to the conclusion that some arcanum is concealed within them, and that although in the literal sense they are the kind of facts that are not worth mentioning, those details - every single one - are pregnant with ideas much more Divine. But what exactly these ideas may be cannot possibly be seen by anyone except from the internal sense, that is, unless he knows the way in which angels perceive these matters; for they perceive the spiritual sense when man sees the historical natural sense. How remote these two senses seem to be from each other when in fact they are closely linked to one another may become quite evident from the historical details explained above and from all other such details. The actual arcanum present within the details here and in those after them in this chapter may, it is true, be known to some extent from what has been stated already about Laban and Jacob - about 'Laban' meaning the kind of good by means of which genuine goods and truths are able to be introduced, while 'Jacob' means the good of truth. Yet few know what natural good corresponding to spiritual good is, even fewer what spiritual good is and that a correspondence ought to exist between the two, and fewer still that a type of good which merely looks like good is the means for introducing genuine goods and truths. This being so, the arcana which describe these matters cannot be explained easily and intelligibly since they fall within the poorly lit parts of the understanding. It is rather like someone talking in a foreign language, in that no matter how clearly the thing is explained in that language the hearer does not understand. Even so, because what is concealed in the internal sense of the Word is to be made known, the actual arcanum within the details here has to be discussed.
ttt[3] In the highest sense the subject at this point is how the Lord made His own Natural Divine, and in the representative sense how the Lord regenerates the natural as it exists with man and brings it into correspondence with his interior man, that is, with that which is going to live after the death of the body. At that point it is called man's spirit which, when released from the body, takes with it every part of the external man except the flesh and bones. If the correspondence of the internal man with the external has not been effected in the temporal state, that is, during a person's life in the body, it is not effected after that. The Lord's joining of the two together through regeneration is the subject in the internal sense here.
ttt[4] Previous sections have dealt with the general truths which a person ought to receive and acknowledge before he can be regenerated, those truths being meant by Jacob's ten sons by Leah and the servant-girls; then they deal - after he has received and acknowledged them - with the joining of the external man to the interior, that is, of the natural man to the spiritual, which was meant by 'Joseph'. Now in the sequence of ideas the subject is the fruitfulness of good and the multiplication of truth which begin to occur once the rational man has been joined to the spiritual, and in the measure that they are so joined. These are the considerations meant by the flock which Jacob acquired to himself by means of Laban's flock. 'Flock' here means good and truth, as it does many times elsewhere in the Word. 'Laban's flock' means the good that is represented by 'Laban', the nature of which has been stated above; 'Jacob's flock' means the genuine good and truth which is acquired by means of that good represented by Laban.
ttt[5] It is the way in which genuine goods and truths are acquired that is described here. Yet this cannot by any means be comprehended unless one knows what is meant in the internal sense by 'speckled', 'spotted', 'black' and 'white', and therefore these must first be dealt with here. That which is speckled or that which is spotted consists of black and of white. In general 'black' means that which is evil, in particular man's proprium since this is nothing but evil. 'Dark' however means that which is false, and in particular false assumptions. 'White' in the internal sense means truth; strictly speaking it means the Lord's Righteousness and Merit, and from this the Lord's righteousness and merit as these exist with man. This whiteness is called bright because it shines from the light that radiates from the Lord. But 'white' in the contrary sense means self-righteousness or one's own merit. Indeed truth devoid of good has such merit within it, for when any good action performed by a person does not stem from the good of truth that person always desires something in return since he acts for the sake of himself. But when good lies behind the truth that a person carries into effect, that truth is enlightened by the light which radiates from the Lord. From this one may see what is meant by 'spotted', namely truth with which falsity has been mingled, and what by 'speckled', namely good with which evil has been mingled.
ttt[6] Actually visible in the next life are colours so beautiful and bright that they defy description, `@@@1053`, `@@@1624`. They are the product of the variegation of light and shade within white and black. But although it appears before the eyes as light, the light there is unlike the light in the world. The light in heaven includes intelligence and wisdom, for Divine Intelligence and Wisdom from the Lord manifest themselves there as light and also light up the whole of heaven, `@@@2776`, `@@@3138`, `@@@3167`, `@@@3190`, `@@@3195`, `@@@3222`, `@@@3223`, `@@@3225`, `@@@3339-3341`, `@@@3485`, `@@@3636`, `@@@3643`, `@@@3862`. Shade likewise in the next life, although it appears as shade, is unlike shade in the world, since the shade in that life is the absence of light and as a consequence the lack of intelligence and wisdom. So because the white and the black are in the next life a product of light which has intelligence and wisdom within it, and a product of the shade which is the lack of these, it is evident that white and black mean such things as have been stated above. Consequently, since colours are the modifications of light and shade within surfaces consisting of white and black, it is the variegations produced by those modifications that are called colours, `@@@1042`, `@@@1043`, `@@@1053`.
ttt[7] From all this one may see what is meant by speckled, or marked and dotted with black and white specks, namely good with which evil has been mingled, and also what is meant by spotted, namely truth with which falsity has been mingled. These are the things that were taken from 'Laban good' to serve in the introducing of genuine goods and truths. But in what way they are able to serve is an arcanum which can indeed be presented clearly to those who see in the light of heaven because this light, as has been stated, holds intelligence within it, but not to those who see in the light of the world unless their light of the world is lit up by the light of heaven, as it is with those who are regenerate. For every regenerate person sees goods and truths within his own natural light from the light of heaven, because the light of heaven brings sight to his understanding even as the inferior light of the world gives him natural sight.
ttt[8] But all this needs to be taken a little further. No pure good, or good with which evil is not mingled, exists with anyone. Neither does any pure truth, or truth with which falsity is not mingled, exist with him. This is because man's will is nothing but evil, from which falsity is constantly passing into his understanding; for as is well known, he possesses by inheritance the evil that has been accumulated consecutively by his forefathers. From this inheritance he brings out evil into his own actions and makes it his own, adding further evil from himself to the inheritance. But the evils residing with man are of various kinds. There are evils with which goods cannot be mingled and there are evils with which they can. And the same applies to falsities. If this were not so nobody could ever have been regenerated. The evils and falsities with which goods and truths cannot be mingled are ones that are contrary to love to God and love towards the neighbour - forms of hatred, revenge, and cruelty, and consequent contempt for others in comparison with oneself, and also consequent false persuasions. But the evils and falsities with which goods and truths can be mingled are ones that are not contrary to love to God and love towards the neighbour.
ttt[9] Take for example anyone who loves himself more than others and because of that love strives to excel others in private life and in public life, to excel them in knowledge and doctrine, and to be promoted to positions of greater importance than others, and also to greater affluence than others. If at the same time he acknowledges and adores the Lord, from the heart performs acts of kindness to the neighbour, and from conscience behaves justly and fairly, the evil that belongs to his self-love is such that good and truth can be mingled with it. For this is an evil which belongs to a person as his own and into which he is born by heredity. And to take that away from him suddenly would be to put out the fire of life that burns in him at first. But in the case of someone who loves himself more than others and because of that love despises others in comparison with himself, hates those who do not hold him in esteem and so to speak adore him, and therefore enjoys the feelings of hatred that are present in revenge and cruelty, the evil of that love is such that good and truth cannot be mingled with it because they are contraries.
ttt[10] Take as another example anyone who believes that he is pure from sins, and so is cleansed like somebody from whom dirt has been washed away by means of much water, once he has repented and carried out the prescribed penances, or after he has made his confession and heard the confessor declare him free from sins, or after he has been to the Holy Supper. If he leads a new life, being stirred by an affection for good and truth, that falsity is such that good can be mingled with it. But if he goes on leading a carnal and worldly life as before, it is in that case a falsity with which good cannot be mingled. Also, with anyone who believes that man is saved by virtue of believing what is good and not of willing it, and yet who does will what is good and therefore does it, that falsity is such that good and truth can be attached to it. But not so if he does not will what is good and therefore does not do it.
ttt[11] Take yet another example. If anyone does not know that man rises again after death and consequently does not believe in the resurrection, or else if anyone who does know but nevertheless doubts or practically denies it, and yet each one leads a life of truth and goodness, good and truth can be mingled with that falsity also. But if a person leads a life of falsity and evil they cannot be mingled with that same falsity because they are contraries. The falsity destroys the truth, and the evil destroys the good.
ttt[12] And still another example. Pretence and shrewdness which have a good end in view, whether the good of the neighbour, or of one's country, or of the Church, constitute prudence. The evils that are mixed up with them can be mingled with good by reason of and for the sake of the end in view. But presence and shrewdness which have an evil end in view do not constitute prudence but trickery and deceit. Good cannot possibly be joined to these, for deceit which goes with an evil end in view brings what is of hell into every single part of a person, sets evil in the middle, and casts good away to the circumferences. This order is the order itself of hell. And so with countless other examples that could be taken.
ttt[13] The fact that there are some evils and falsities to which goods and truths can be attached may be seen merely from the consideration that so many different dogmas and teachings exist, many of them totally heretical, and yet subscribing to each one there are people who are saved. The same may also be seen from the consideration that among gentiles outside of the Church there is another Church that is the Lord's, and that those are saved who lead charitable lives, even though falsities exist with them, `@@@2589` `@@@2604`. This could by no means be the case if there were no evils with which goods can be mingled, and no falsities with which truths can be mingled. For the evils with which goods are mingled, and the falsities with which truths are mingled, are wonderfully arranged into order by the Lord. For they are not combined with one another, still less are they made into one, but lie adjacent to and touch one another, so that in fact the goods together with the truths occupy the middle, at the central point so to speak, while the evils and falsities occupy positions radiating outwards to the surrounding areas or circumferences. Consequently the evils and falsities receive light from the goods and truths, and are variegated like patches of white and black created by light radiating from the middle or centre. This constitutes heavenly order. These are the things meant in the internal sense by 'speckled' and 'spotted'.
ppp19856#pid#3994. 'And every black one among the lambs' means a proprium of innocence, which belongs to the good meant by 'Laban'. This is clear from the meaning of 'black' as the proprium, dealt with immediately above in `@@@3993`, and from the meaning of 'a lamb' as innocence, dealt with below. With regard to a proprium of innocence meant by 'black one among the lambs' the position is that, to be good, all good must contain innocence. Charity devoid of innocence is not charity, and still less can love to the Lord exist without it. Innocence is therefore an absolutely essential element of love and charity, and consequently of good. A proprium of innocence consists in knowing, acknowledging, and believing, not with the lips but with the heart, that nothing but evil originates in oneself, and everything good in the Lord, and therefore that such a proprium is altogether black, that is to say, both the will side of the proprium, which is evil, and the understanding side, which is falsity. When a person confesses and believes that in his heart, the Lord flows in with good and truth and instills a heavenly proprium into him which is bright and shining. Nobody can possibly be truly humble unless that acknowledgement and belief are present in his heart; and when they are present he is self-effacing, indeed self-loathing, and so is not preoccupied with himself, in which case he is in a fit state to receive the Lord's Divine. These are the circumstances in which the Lord flows in with good into a humble and contrite heart.
ttt[2] Such is the proprium of innocence meant here by 'the black one among the lambs' which Jacob chose for himself, whereas 'the white one among the iambs' means the merit that is placed in good deeds - 'white' meaning merit, as stated above in `@@@3993`. Jacob did not choose this because it goes against innocence. Indeed anyone who places merit in good deeds acknowledges and believes that all good originates in himself, for he regards himself, not the Lord, in the good deeds he does and as a consequence seeks reward on the basis of that merit. For the same reason he also despises others in comparison with himself, indeed he even condemns them, and therefore to the same extent departs from heavenly order, that is, from good and truth. From all this it may be seen that charity towards the neighbour and love to the Lord are by no means able to exist unless they have innocence within them, and consequently that no one can enter heaven unless he possesses some degree of innocence, according to the Lord's words,
Truly I say to you, Whoever has not received the kingdom of God like a young child will not enter into it. `Mark 10bbb15`; `Luke 18bbb17`.
Here and elsewhere in the Word 'a young child' means innocence - see what has been stated already on these matters in the following paragraphs,
Early childhood is not innocence, but innocence resides in wisdom, `@@@2305`, `@@@3494`.
The nature of the innocence of early childhood, and the nature of the innocence of wisdom, `@@@2306`, `@@@3183`; also the nature of the proprium when, with innocence and charity, the Lord gives it life, `@@@154`.
Innocence causes good to be good, `@@@2526`, `@@@2780`.
ttt[3] The fact that innocence is meant by 'lambs' may be seen from many places in the Word, of which let the following be quoted to confirm the point,
The wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion and the ox together; and a little child will lead them. `Isaiah 11bbb6`.
This refers to the Lord's kingdom and to the state of peace and of innocence there. 'The wolf' stands for those who are opposed to innocence, 'the lamb' for those in whom innocence is present. A similar example occurs elsewhere in the same prophet,
The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox; and for the serpent, dust will be his bread. They will not hurt and will not destroy on all My holy mountain. `Isaiah 65bbb25`.
As above, 'the wolf' stands for those who are opposed to innocence, and 'the lamb' for those in whom innocence is present. Because 'the wolf' and 'the lamb' are opposites, the Lord also said to the seventy whom He sent out, in Luke,
Behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. `Luke 10bbb3`.
In Moses,
He causes him to suck honey out of the crag, and oil out of the stony rock - butter from the cattle, and milk from the flock, with the fat of lambs and rams, the breed`fff1` of Bashan. `Deuteronomy 32bbb13-14`.
This refers in the internal sense to the celestial qualities of the Ancient Church. 'The fat of lambs' stands for the charity that goes with innocence.
ttt[4] In the original language various nouns exist for lambs, and each is used to mean a different degree of innocence, for as has been stated, all good, if it is to be good, must have innocence within it. And so also must truth. Here in `Genesis 30bbb32` the word used for lambs is also used for sheep, as in `Leviticus 1bbb10`; `Leviticus ccc3bbb7`; `Leviticus ccc5bbb6`; `Leviticus ccc17bbb3`; `Leviticus ccc22bbb19`; `Numbers 18bbb17`; and by that word is meant the innocence belonging to faith grounded in charity. Different words are used elsewhere, as in Isaiah,
Send the lamb of the ruler of the land from the rock towards the wilderness, to the mountain of the daughter of Zion. `Isaiah 16bbb1`.
A different word again is used in the same prophet,
The Lord Jehovih is coming with strength, and His arm will exercise dominion for Him. He will pasture His flock like a shepherd, He will gather the lambs into His arm, He will carry them in His bosom, and will lead those that give suck. `Isaiah 40bbb9-11`.
'Gathering the lambs into the arm and carrying in the bosom' stands for people who are governed by charity that has innocence within it.
ttt[5] In John,
When He appeared [to the disciples] Jesus said to Peter, Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these? He said to Him, Yes, Lord; You know that I love You. He said to him, Feed My lambs. He said to him again, Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me? He said to Him, Yes, Lord, You know that I love You. He said to him, Feed My sheep. `John 21bbb15-16`.
Here as elsewhere 'Peter' means faith - see the Prefaces to Chapters `Genesis ccc18bbb0` and `Genesis ccc22bbb0`, and `@@@3750`. And since faith is not faith if it does not arise out of charity towards the neighbour, and so out of love to the Lord, neither are charity and love charity and love if they do not arise out of innocence. This is why the Lord first asks whether he loves Him, that is, whether love is present within faith, and after that says, 'Feed My lambs', that is, feed those who are innocent. Then after putting the same question again, He says, 'Feed My sheep', that is, feed those who have charity.
ttt[6] Because the Lord is the Innocence itself which exists in His kingdom, for He is the source of all innocence, the Lord is therefore called the Lamb, as in John,
The next day John Baptist saw Jesus coming towards him, and said, Behold, the Lamb of God who bears away the sin of the world. `John 1bbb29`, `John 1bbbccc36`.
And in Revelation,
They will fight with the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords, and King of kings, and those with Him have been called and chosen. `Revelation 17bbb14`.
There are other places in Revelation besides this - `Revelation ccc5bbb6`; `Revelation ccc6bbb1`, `Revelation 6bbbccc16`; `Revelation ccc7bbb9`, `Revelation 7bbbccc14`, `Revelation 7bbbccc17`; `Revelation ccc12bbb11`; `Revelation ccc13bbb8`; `Revelation ccc14bbb1`, `Revelation 14bbbccc4`; `Revelation ccc19bbb7`, `Revelation 19bbbccc9`; `Revelation ccc21bbb22-23`, `Revelation 21bbbccc27`; `Revelation ccc22bbb1`, `Revelation 22bbbccc3`. It is well known that in the highest sense the paschal lamb means the Lord - for the Passover meant the Lord's glorification, that is, His enduing the Human with the Divine - and in the representative sense means the regeneration of man. Indeed the paschal lamb means that which is the essential feature of regeneration, namely innocence; for nobody can be regenerated except by means of charity that has innocence within it.
ttt[7] Because innocence is the first essential in the Lord's kingdom and is the celestial itself there, and because sacrifices and burnt offerings used to represent the spiritual and celestial things of the Lord's kingdom, the essential itself of the Lord's kingdom, which is innocence, was therefore represented by 'lambs'. This was why the continual or daily burnt offering was made from lambs, the first in the morning and the second 'between the evenings', `Exodus 29bbb37-39`; `Numbers 28bbb3-4`; and a double offering on the sabbath, `Numbers 28bbb9-10`; and many more lambs still at the appointed festivals, `Leviticus 23bbb12`; `Numbers 28bbb11`, `Numbers 28bbbccc14`, `Numbers 28bbbccc19`, `Numbers 28bbbccc27`; `Numbers ccc28bbb1`-end. After the days of her cleansing had been completed a woman who had given birth was required to offer a lamb as a burnt offering, also a young pigeon or else a turtledove, `Leviticus 12bbb6`. This was required in order that the sign of the fruit of conjugial love - a love which is innocence itself, see `@@@2736` - might be represented, and because innocence is meant by 'babes'.
`nnn1. literally, sons
ppp19855#pid#3995. 'And the spotted and speckled among the she-goats' means that after this all the good of truth that has falsity and evil mingled within it will be 'Jacob's'. This is clear from the meaning of 'spotted' as falsity, and from the meaning of 'speckled' as evil, dealt with just above in `@@@3993`, and from the meaning of 'she-goats' as the good of truth, or the charity of faith, dealt with in `@@@3519`. The fact that all of this will be 'Jacob's' is also meant by the statement which follows, 'And that will be my wages'.
ttt[2] What is meant by the good of truth, or the charity of faith, will be discussed briefly. While a person is being regenerated it seems as though the truth of faith takes precedence and as though the good of charity is secondary; but once he has been regenerated it is quite plain that the good of charity takes precedence, and that the truth of faith is secondary. For what is seen before regeneration is the appearance but what is seen after it is the reality of the situation, see `@@@3539`, `@@@3548`, `@@@3556`, `@@@3563`, `@@@3570`, `@@@3576`, `@@@3603`, `@@@3616`, `@@@3701`. For while a person is being regenerated he does what is good from the truth he has learned, it being from truth that he learns what good is. Yet it is the good present inwardly that performs what is good because good is flowing in from the Lord by an internal route, that is, by way of the soul, while truth flows in by an external route, that is, by way of the senses, which is that of the body. Truth which enters by the external route is adopted by the good present inwardly and is joined to it, an activity which continues until that person has been regenerated. Then a reversal takes place and truth is done from good. This shows what is meant by the good of truth and by the truth of good. It also explains why so many at the present day speak of the good deeds of charity as the fruits of faith, for these are what those deeds are seen to be when regeneration first begins. These people base such a conclusion on the appearance and know nothing else, for those who are being regenerated are few and none can have a knowledge of this matter except one who has been regenerated, that is, who has an affection for good, which is charity. It is from an affection for good, or charity, that it can be seen clearly, and also perceived, by him. People however who are not regenerate do not even know what the affection for good is, that is, what charity is, but reason about it as something foreign or extraneous to themselves. As a consequence they call charity the fruit of faith, when in fact faith is a product of charity. However, it does not matter very much whether simple people know which is prior and which is posterior, provided they are leading charitable lives, for charity is the life of faith.
ttt[3] By the expression 'member of the flock' here is meant not only lambs but also sheep, kids, she-goats, rams, and he-goats, though only lambs and she-goats are actually mentioned. These alone are mentioned because 'lambs' means innocence, and 'she-goats' the charity of faith, these being the subject at this point in the internal sense. This too is why in the original language 'spotted' is expressed by a word which also means lambs, as in `Isaiah 40bbb10-11`, while 'speckled' is expressed by a word which also means a sheep breeder, as in `2 Kings 3bbb4`; `Amos 1bbb1`.
ppp19854#pid#3996. 'And that will be my wages' means that it was the result of His own effort. This is clear from the meaning of 'wages' as that which was his, that is to say, Jacob's, because of the service he rendered. For these words mean that the Lord achieved it by His own power, or, what amounts to the same, it was the result of His own effort, see above in `@@@3975`, `@@@3977`, `@@@3983`.
ppp19853#pid#3997. 'And my righteousness will answer for me' means the Divine holiness which He possessed. This is clear from the meaning of 'righteousness' as that which has regard to good, dealt with in `@@@612`, `@@@2235`. But when used of the Lord, as it is here, Divine holiness is meant, for all spiritual or celestial good proceeds from the Lord's Holy Divine.
ppp19852#pid#3998. 'On the morrow' means into eternity. This is clear from the meaning of 'the morrow'. When yesterday, today, or tomorrow is mentioned in the Word eternity is meant in the highest sense, 'yesterday' meaning from eternity, 'today' eternity, and 'tomorrow' into eternity. As regards 'today' meaning eternity, see `@@@2838`. Indeed periods of time mentioned in the Word - ages, years, months, weeks, days, hours - mean states, as has often been shown. With the Lord however there are no states, but everything is eternal and infinite. From this it is evident that 'on the morrow' means into eternity.
ppp19851#pid#3999. 'When you come [to look] over my wages that are before you' means what was His own. This is clear from the meaning of 'wages' when used in reference to the Lord, as what was His own, that is to say, what was acquired by His own power, dealt with above in `@@@3975`, `@@@3977`, `@@@3982`, `@@@3996`.
ppp19850#pid#4000. 'Every one that is not speckled and spotted among the she-goats' means that which does not originate in the good meant by Laban and is not mingled with evil and falsity within the goods of truth. This is clear from what has been said above in `@@@3993`, `@@@3995`, where similar words occur.
ppp19849#pid#4001. 'And black among the lambs' means the first state of innocence. This is clear from the meaning of 'black' as the proprium, and from the meaning of 'a lamb' as innocence, dealt with just above in `@@@3994`. The reason why 'black among the lambs' at this point means the first state of innocence is that the proprium of a person who is being regenerated rules at first, for he imagines that he does good from his proprium, and also, so that he can be granted a heavenly proprium, he must do it as if from his proprium, see `@@@1712`, `@@@1937`, `@@@1947`, `@@@2882`, `@@@2883`, `@@@2891`. This is why 'black among the lambs' here means the first state of innocence.
ppp19848#pid#4002. 'Is one stolen by me' means that it was not His. This becomes clear without explanation. In the sense of the letter this, it is true, sounds rather sharp; but when the phrase passes nearer to heaven it loses that sharp ring and becomes one that is mild and temperate, as also in Matthew,
Watch, for you do not know at what hour your Lord will be coming. But recognize this, if the master of the house knew at what hour the thief would be coming, he would watch, and would not let his house be broken into. `Matthew 24bbb42-43`.
In John,
If you do not wake up I will come upon you like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come upon you. `Revelation 3bbb3`.
In the same book,
Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is he who is awake and keeps his garments. `Revelation 16bbb15`.
These are references to the Lord. 'Like a thief means nothing else than suddenly and unexpectedly. 'Stealing' in the internal sense means claiming for oneself that which is the Lord's, namely good and truth. And because all do so at the beginning of their regeneration, and this is the first state of innocence, see immediately above in `@@@4001`, the expression that is used is therefore milder than it sounds in the letter. This explains why the words 'is one stolen by me' mean that it was not His.
ppp19847#pid#4003. Verses `Genesis 30bbbccc34-36` And Laban said, Behold, let it be according to your word. And he removed on that day the variegated and spotted he-goats, and all the speckled and spotted she-goats, every one that had white in it, and every black one among the lambs; and he gave them into the hand of his sons. And he put three days' journey between himself and Jacob; and Jacob was feeding the rest of Laban's flocks.
'Laban said, Behold, let it be according to your word' means consent. 'And he removed on that day the variegated and spotted he-goats' means that the truths of good that were interspersed among and mingled with the evils and falsities belonging to the good meant by 'Laban' were singled out. 'And all the speckled and spotted she-goats' means every good of truth among which evil and falsity have been mingled. 'Every one that had white in it' means truth. 'And every black one among the lambs' means a proprium of innocence. 'And he gave them into the hand of his sons' means that they were given to truths. 'And he put three days' journey between himself and Jacob' means that their state was one in which they were totally set apart. 'And Jacob was feeding the rest of Laban's flocks' means that from the ones that were left there were taken the goods and truths which were to be joined to the good of truth.
ppp19846#pid#4004. 'Laban said, Behold, let it be according to your word' means consent. This is clear without explanation.
ppp19845#pid#4005. 'And he removed on that day the variegated and spotted he-goats' means that the truths of good that were interspersed among and mingled with the evils and falsities belonging to the good meant by 'Laban' were singled out. This is clear from the meaning of 'removing' as singling out; from the meaning of 'he-goats' as the truths of good, dealt with below; from the meaning of 'variegated' as those which were interspersed among and mingled with evils, also dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'spotted' as those which were interspersed among and mingled with falsities, dealt with above. 'He-goats' are mentioned here and then 'she-goats' after them because 'he-goats' means the truths of good and 'she-goats' the goods of truth. For the nature of the difference between the two, see above in `@@@3995`.
ttt[2] In the Word a careful distinction is made between the males and the females, as is evident from the sacrifices and the burnt offerings in which it was explicitly laid down whether a male lamb was to be offered or a ewe-lamb, a she-goat or a he-goat, a sheep or a ram, and so on. From these it becomes clear that one thing was meant by a male, another by a female. In general a male means truth and a female good. Here therefore 'he-goats' is used to mean the truths of good, and 'she-goats', mentioned immediately after, to mean the forms of good which are coupled with those truths. And this difference between males and females also explains why it is said that he removed the variegated he-goats but not, as in the reference to the she-goats, the speckled ones; for 'variegated' means truth interspersed among and mingled with evils, whereas 'speckled' means good interspersed among and mingled with them, dealt with above in `@@@3993`. Truth mingled with evils belongs specifically to the understanding, but good mingled with evils specifically to the will. This is how the two differ from each other. And they come from the good meant by 'Laban', as is evident from the fact that the he-goats and the she-goats were taken from Laban's flock. For 'a flock' in the Word means good and truth, or what amounts to the same, those in whom good and truth are present, and so those who belong to the Lord's Church.
ttt[3] This arcanum is unable to be explained any further because it cannot become clear except to a mind that has been taught about truths and goods, and at the same time has been enlightened. Indeed one has to know what the truths of good are and what the kinds of good originating in these are, as well as the fact that from the one kind of good represented here by Laban so many varying forms of it can be singled out. Nor do people who are unaware of these matters know that each kind of good includes countless forms of it, so many indeed that these can hardly be arranged into general divisions by even the most knowledgeable mind. For there are forms of good which are acquired by means of truths, truths which are born from those forms of good, and forms of good acquired in turn by means of these truths. There are truths born from forms of good, which also exist in a connected series. Then there are forms of good mingled with evils, and truths with falsities, dealt with above in `@@@3993`, the minglings and mutual modifications of which are so varying and manifold that they exceed many millions. These are also made various by all the states of life through which people pass, and these states of life in general by the time of life which those people have reached, in particular by whatever affections reign in them. From all this one can comprehend to some extent that so many varying things were able to be singled out from 'Laban' good, some of which were joined to the truths meant by the sons of Jacob, and some left behind from which others were derived. But as has been stated, these matters are of such a nature that they cannot be understood unless the mind has been taught about goods and truths and has at the same time been enlightened.
ppp19844#pid#4006. 'And all the speckled and spotted she-goats' means every good of truth among which evil and falsity have been mingled. This is clear from the meaning of 'she-goats' as the goods of truth, dealt with in `@@@3995`, in this case the forms of good that are coupled with truths, dealt with immediately above in `@@@4005`; from the meaning of 'speckled' as the forms of good with which evils have been mingled; and from the meaning of 'spotted' as truths with which falsities have been mingled, dealt with in `@@@3993`, `@@@3995`.
ppp19843#pid#4007. 'Every one that had white in it' means that which has truth in it. This is clear from the meaning of 'white' as truth, but strictly speaking as the Lord's Righteousness and Merit, and from this the Lord's righteousness and merit as these exist with man, dealt with in `@@@3301`, `@@@3993`. 'White' has that meaning because the light of heaven which radiates from the Lord, a light which is the source of splendour and brightness, means truth. Anything therefore on which that light falls and is made splendid and bright is that which is called the Lord's righteousness and merit existing with man. Those who acknowledge this, the Lord's righteousness, and who from good take it to themselves and reject their own, are specifically the ones meant by 'the righteous' whom the Lord refers to, in Matthew,
The righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. `Matthew 13bbb43`.
ttt[2] The fact that that which is 'white', being splendid and bright, has this meaning is also evident from other places in the Word, as in Moses,
His eyes will be redder than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk. `Genesis 49bbb12`.
This refers to Judah, who represents the Lord as regards the Divinity of His Love, and in the internal sense the celestial kingdom, and so the celestial man, see `@@@3881`. 'Eyes redder than wine' means Divine Wisdom, and 'teeth whiter than milk' means Righteousness. In David,
You will purify me with hyssop and I shall be clean; You will wash me, and I shall become whiter than snow. `Psalms 51bbb7`.
'Washing and becoming whiter than snow' stands for being purified from sins by means of receiving and putting on the Lord's righteousness. In John,
In the midst of the seven lampstands one like the Son of Man. His head and hair were white, like white wool, like snow; and his eyes were like a flame of fire. `Revelation 1bbb13-14`.
ttt[3] In the same book,
You have a few names in Sardis, who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. He who conquers will be clad in white garments. `Revelation 3bbb4-5`.
In the same book,
I counsel you to buy from Me gold purified in fire, that you may be rich, and white garments to clothe you. `Revelation 3bbb18`.
In the same book,
To each soul under the altar were given white robes. `Revelation 6bbb9`, `Revelation 6bbbccc11`.
In the same book,
I saw, standing before the throne and before the Lamb those clothed in white robes. One of the elders said to me, These clothed in white robes - who are they, and where have they come from? I said to him, Sir, you know. He said to me, These are they who are coming out of the great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and have made their robes white in the blood of the Lamb. `Revelation 7bbb9`, `Revelation 7bbbccc13-14`.
In the same book,
The angels were clothed in linen, white and splendid, and were girded around their breasts with golden girdles. `Revelation 15bbb6`.
In the same book,
I saw, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; to him a crown was given. `Revelation 6bbb2`.
And elsewhere,
After this I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. His armies in heaven were following Him on white horses and were clothed in linen white and clean. `Revelation 19bbb11`, `Revelation 19bbbccc14`.
ttt[4] In all these places 'white' means the truth of faith; 'white garments' and 'white robes' have no other meaning. But the truth of faith does not exist with any who believe that they have faith of themselves and so believe that they are wise of themselves. Rather, it exists with those who believe that their faith and wisdom come from the Lord, for faith and wisdom are imparted to them because they do not ascribe any truth or good at all to themselves. Even less do they believe that they possess any merit through the truths and goods residing with them, and less still any righteousness, but only by ascribing these to the Lord, and so everything to His grace and mercy. This is what 'putting on white garments' means, and also what 'being made white in the blood of the Lamb' means. There are two things which all who enter heaven cast aside, namely their proprium and consequent confidence, and merit that is their own or self-righteousness. Then they assume a heavenly proprium which comes from the Lord, and the Lord's merit or righteousness. And to the extent that these are so assumed those persons advance further into heaven. These two things specifically are meant by 'red' and by 'white'; 'red' means the good of love and is present with those people at that time, 'white' the truth of faith.
ppp19842#pid#4008. 'And every black one among the lambs' means a proprium of innocence. This is clear from what has been stated above in `@@@3994`, where the same words occur.
ppp19841#pid#4009. 'And he gave them into the hand of his sons' means that they were given to truths. This is clear from the meaning of 'sons' as truths, dealt with in `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@533`, `@@@2623`, `@@@3373`. 'Giving into their hand' means giving them the right of control, for 'the hand' means power, `@@@878`, `@@@3387`. The truths which are meant by 'sons' in this case are those which are called sensory truths, for what the senses perceive as truths exist as the boundaries of the natural mind. For the natural degree of man's mind communicates on one side with sensory impressions which belong to the body and on the other side with the rational concepts which belong to the rational mind. By means of what lies in between a way of ascent so to speak is provided from sensory impressions which belong to the body, and are open in the direction of the world, up to the rational concepts which belong to the rational mind and are open in the direction of heaven. And in the same manner they provide a way of descent, that is to say, from heaven down to the world. This situation exists only with man. It is this ascent and descent that is dealt with in the internal sense of the chapters at this point in Genesis. And in order that every single thing may be expressed representatively, the rational is represented by Isaac and Rebekah, the natural by Jacob and both his wives, and the sensory awareness by the latters' sons. But since the sensory awareness as the ultimate degree of order incorporates everything prior to it each son represents something general in which those things are present, as shown above.
ppp19840#pid#4010. 'And he put three days' journey between himself and Jacob' means that their state was one in which they were totally set apart. This is clear from the meaning of 'putting a journey' as being set apart; from the meaning of 'three' as that which is last, completed, or the end, dealt with in `@@@1825`, `@@@2788`, and so is totally set apart; and from the meaning of 'days' as states, dealt with in `@@@23`, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@893`, `@@@2788`, `@@@3462`.
ppp19839#pid#4011. 'And Jacob was feeding the rest of Laban's flocks' means that from the ones that were left there were taken the goods and truths which were to be joined to the good of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'flocks' as goods and truths, dealt with in `@@@343`, `@@@2566`, `@@@3767`, `@@@3768`, `@@@3772`, `@@@3783`. The fact that 'feeding the rest of the flocks' means that from the ones that were left there were taken the goods and truths which were to be joined to the truth of good is evident from what follows below, for this is what is dealt with there.
ppp19838#pid#4012. Verses `Genesis 30bbbccc37-40` And Jacob took for himself fresh rods of poplar, and hazel and plane, and stripped white strips on them - an exposing of the white which was on the rods. And he set the rods which he had stripped in runners, in the troughs of water where the flocks came to drink, in front of the flocks; and they came on heat as they came to drink. And the flocks came on heat at the rods, and the flocks brought forth variegated, speckled, and spotted ones. And Jacob singled out the lambs, and set the faces of the flock towards the variegated, and every black one in Laban's flock; and he put his own droves apart and did not put them near Laban's flock.
'Jacob took for himself fresh rods of poplar' means the power proper to natural good. 'And hazel and plane' means the power deriving from this which natural truths possess. 'And stripped white strips on them - an exposing of the white which was on the rods' means an ordering effected by the interior power of truth. 'And he set the rods which he had stripped in runners' means further preparation. 'In the troughs of water where the flocks came to drink' means affections for truth. 'In front of the flocks; and they came on heat as they came to drink' means even to the point of an intense desire in the affection for truth that a joining [to the goods and truths within the natural] might be effected. 'And the flocks were on heat at the rods' means the effect produced by His own power. 'And the flocks brought forth variegated, speckled, and spotted ones' means that as a consequence natural good itself possessed such things, from the intermediate good meant by Laban. 'And Jacob singled out the lambs' means as regards innocence. 'And set the faces of the flock towards the variegated' means towards truths interspersed with evils and falsities. 'And every black one' means towards such a state. 'In Laban's flock' means within the good meant by Laban. 'And he put his own droves apart' means the separation of goods and truths by His own power. 'And did not put them near Laban's flock' means total separation from the good meant by Laban.
ppp19837#pid#4013. 'Jacob took for himself fresh rods of poplar' means the power proper to natural good. This is clear from the meaning of 'a rod' as power, and from the meaning of 'poplar' as the good of the natural, dealt with below. 'A rod' is referred to in various places in the Word, and in every case it means power, for one reason because of its use by shepherds in the exercise of power over their flocks, and for another because it served to support the body, and existed so to speak for the sake of the right hand - for 'the hand' means power, `@@@878`, `@@@3387`. And because it had that meaning a rod was also used in ancient times by a king; and the royal emblem was a short rod and also a sceptre. And not only a king used a rod, but also a priest and a prophet did so, in order that he too might denote by means of his rod the power which he possessed, as Aaron and Moses did. This explains why Moses was commanded so many times to stretch out his rod, and on other occasions his hand, when miracles were performed, the reason being that 'a rod' and 'the hand' means Divine power. And it is because 'a rod' means power that the magicians of Egypt likewise used one when performing magical miracles. It is also the reason why at the present day a magician is represented with a rod in his hand.
ttt[2] From all these considerations it may be seen that power is meant by 'rods'. But in the original language the word used for the rod that a shepherd, or else a king, or else a priest or a prophet possessed, is different from that used for the rods which Jacob took. The latter were used by wayfarers and so also by shepherds, as becomes clear from other places, such as `Genesis 32bbb10`; `Exodus 12bbb11`; `1 Samuel 17bbb40`, `1 Samuel 17bbbccc43`; `Zechariah 11bbb7`, `Zechariah 11bbbccc10`. In the present verse, it is true, the rod is not referred to as one supporting the hand but as a stick cut out from a tree, that is to say, from the poplar, hazel, or plane, to be placed in the troughs in front of the flock. Nevertheless the word has the same meaning, for in the internal sense it describes the power of natural good and from that the good that empowers natural truths.
ttt[3] As regards 'the poplar' from which a rod was made, it should be recognized that trees in general mean perceptions and cognitions - perceptions when they have reference to the celestial man, but cognitions when they have reference to the spiritual man, see `@@@103`, `@@@2163`, `@@@2682`, `@@@2722`, `@@@2972`. This being so, trees specifically mean goods and truths, for it is these that are involved in perceptions and cognitions. Some kinds of trees mean the interior goods and truths which belong to the spiritual man, such as olives and vines, other kinds mean the exterior goods and truths which belong to the natural man, such as the poplar, the hazel, and the plane. And because in ancient times each tree meant some kind of good or truth, the worship which took place in groves accorded with the kinds of trees there, `@@@2722`. The poplar referred to here is the white poplar, so called from the whiteness from which it gets its name. Consequently 'poplar' means good which was a product of truth, or what amounts to the same, the good of truth, as also in `Hosea 4bbb13`, though in this instance the good has been falsified.
ppp19836#pid#4014. 'And hazel and plane' means the power deriving from this which natural truths possess. This is clear from the meaning of 'hazel and plane' as natural truths. This meaning which these trees have cannot be demonstrated in the same way from other places in the Word because they are not mentioned anywhere else, except for the following reference to 'the plane trees' in Ezekiel,
The cedars did not hide it in the garden of God, the fir trees were not equal to its branches, and the plane trees were nothing compared to its branches. No tree was equal to it in its beauty. `Ezekiel 31bbb8`.
This refers to the facts and to the rational concepts present in the member of the spiritual Church. 'The garden of God' means the spiritual Church, 'the cedars' rational concepts, 'the fir trees' and 'the plane trees' natural ideas - 'the fir trees' natural ideas involving good, 'the plane trees' those involving truth.
ppp19835#pid#4015. 'And he stripped white strips on them - an exposing of the white which was on the rods' means an ordering effected by the interior power of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'stripping' and of 'strips' as peelings away of the exterior parts so that the interior may be laid bare, and so as exposings; from the meaning of 'while' as truth, dealt with above in `@@@3993`, `@@@4007`; and from the meaning of 'a rod' as power, dealt with just above in `@@@4013`, in this case an interior power because the surface of the rods beneath their outer covering is meant. By an ordering effected by the interior power of truth is meant the power of the interior man acting on the exterior man, that is, of the spiritual man acting on the natural man. For all ordering of good and truth within the natural man comes from the spiritual man, that is, it comes from the Lord by way of the spiritual man - by way of the truth there. For the Lord flows into the good of the spiritual or interior man; and through the truth there He flows into the natural man. But He does not flow in directly by way of good into the natural until the person has been regenerated. All ordering within the natural man therefore is effected by the interior man. The natural - that is, the natural man - cannot possibly be ordered, that is, regenerated, in any other way.
ttt[2] The fact that this ordering is effected by the interior man is evident from a person's acknowledgement of truth. Unless this acknowledgement is made by the interior man it is not acknowledgement; nor is it so unless it is made by conscience too, which is the acknowledgement by the interior man, and also by perception. Because the ordering by the interior man is effected by means of truth, power is therefore attributed to truth, as it is also to a rod, by which power is meant, as well as to the hand, by which likewise power is meant, `@@@3091`, as may be substantiated from very many places in the Word. Not that the power which truth possesses is from that truth but from good; and so it is truth empowered by good, that is, by the Lord through good. This shows to some extent what is meant by an ordering effected by the interior power of truth. In the highest sense, where the Lord is the subject, His own power is meant, for the power which the Divine has is His own power since it does not come from another.
ppp19834#pid#4016. 'And he set the rods which he had stripped in runners' means further preparation. This is clear from what appears below, for there the subject is that which is effected within the natural by the interior power of truth. For 'rods' means power, `@@@4013`, `@@@4015`, 'stripping' an ordering effected by the interior man, `@@@4015`, and 'runners' the good of truth within the natural, `@@@3095`.
ppp19833#pid#4017. 'In the troughs of water where the flocks came to drink' means affections for truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'water' as cognitions and facts, which are the truths of the natural, dealt with in `@@@28`, `@@@2702`, `@@@3058`; from the meaning of 'troughs' or water-holders, which, since they are containers of water, in the internal sense mean the goods that go with truth, for these goods are the holders of truth, dealt with in `@@@3095`- and from the meaning of 'coming to drink' as the affection for truth. The reason why 'coming to drink' means the affection for truth is that it implies thirst, and 'thirst' in the Word means appetite and desire, and so the affection for knowing and taking in truth. It has this meaning because 'water' means truth in general. 'Hunger' however means appetite and desire, and so the affection for assimilating good. It does so because 'bread', which is used to denote food in general, `@@@2165`, means good. From this it is evident that these words mean affections for truth.
ppp19832#pid#4018. 'In front of the flocks; and they came on heat as they came to drink' means even to the point of an intense desire in the affection for truth that a joining [to the goods and truths within the natural] might be effected. This is clear from the meaning of 'coming on heat as they came to drink' as an intense desire. The meaning of 'being on heat' as an intense desire is self-evident; and for the meaning of 'coming to drink' as the affection for truth, see immediately above in `@@@4017`. The reason why 'in front of the flocks' means that a joining to the truths and goods within the natural might be effected is that this phrase implies seeing and consequent arousal of affection, for this is the manner in which spiritual things are joined to a person. What is more, every implantation of truth or good in a person, as well as every joining of them to him, is effected by means of affection. The truths and goods which a person has learned but for which he has no affection do indeed enter the memory, but they are lodged there as insecurely as a feather on top of a wall which is blown off by the slightest puff of wind.
ttt[2] As regards the things that enter the memory the position is this: Those for which there is no affection pass into the unlit parts of the memory when they enter it, whereas those for which there is affection pass into the light there. Things present in that light are seen and appear clearly and distinctly when any matter of a similar nature is brought up, but not so the things lying around in the unlit parts. Such is the effect that affection belonging to love has. From this it may be seen that all implanting of truth and joining of it to good is effected through affection; and the greater that affection, the stronger the tie joining the two together.
ttt[3] The intense desire of the affection is in this case inmost affection. But truths are not capable of being implanted and joined to good except by means of affections for truth and good, which affections well up from charity towards the neighbour and love to the Lord as their sources. But evils and falsities are implanted by means of affections for evil and falsity, and these affections well up from self-love and love of the world as their sources. This being so, and the subject at this point in the internal sense being the joining of good and truth within the natural man, mention is therefore made here and in what follows of the flock being on heat when they came to drink, by which such considerations are meant.
ppp19831#pid#4019. 'And the flocks came on heat at the rods' means the effect produced by His own power. This is clear from the meaning of 'coming on heat' here as the effect, that is to say, that produced by the affection `@@@4018`; and from the meaning of 'the rods' as His own power, dealt with above in `@@@4013`, `@@@4015`.
ppp19830#pid#4020. 'And the flocks brought forth variegated, speckled, and spotted ones' means that as a consequence natural good itself possessed such things, from the intermediate good meant by Laban. This is clear from the meaning of 'bringing forth' as acknowledgement and a joining together, dealt with in `@@@3911`, `@@@3915`; from the meaning of 'variegated ones' as truths with which evils have been mingled, `@@@4005`; from the meaning of 'speckled ones' as goods with which evils have been mingled; and from the meaning of 'spotted ones' as truths with which falsities have been mingled, dealt with in `@@@3993`, `@@@3995`, `@@@4005`. These are the things meant here which passed from the good meant by 'Laban' to the good of natural truth represented by 'Jacob'.
ppp19829#pid#4021. 'And Jacob singled out the lambs' means as regards innocence. This is clear from the meaning of 'the lambs' as innocence, dealt with above in `@@@3994`. The phrase 'as regards innocence' is used because the subject in what follows is the ordering of natural good and truth for the reception and accommodation of innocence.
ppp19828#pid#4022. 'And set the faces of the flock towards the variegated' means towards truths interspersed with evils and falsities. This is clear from the meaning of 'variegated' as truth interspersed and mingled with evils, dealt with in `@@@4005`, `@@@4020`.
ppp19827#pid#4023. 'And every black one' means towards such a state, that is to say, a state meant by 'black one among the lambs', for which see `@@@3994`, `@@@4001`.
ppp19826#pid#4024. 'In Laban's flock' means within the good meant by Laban. This is clear from the meaning of 'flock' and from the representation of 'Laban' as good, that is to say, intermediate good by means of which goods and truths were supplied to the natural, dealt with above.
ppp19825#pid#4025. 'And he put his own droves apart' means the separation of goods and truths by His own power. This is clear from the meaning of 'droves', or flock, as goods and truths; and from the meaning of 'putting his own apart' as separating the things which had been acquired by His own power. The highest sense here deals with how the Lord Himself made His Natural Divine, doing so by His own power, yet employing such means as order required. The goods and truths which He made Divine within Himself are meant here by the droves which, being His own, He put apart from others.
ppp19824#pid#4026. 'And did not put them near Laban's flock' means total separation from the good meant by Laban. This is clear from what has just been stated, and so is clear without any further explanation. For Divine goods and truths were separated completely from goods and truths which derive anything from what is human, for they transcend them and become infinite.
ppp19823#pid#4027. The arcana presented up to this point in the explanation of the internal sense of the words used in this section are more interior ones and are therefore too deep to be laid bare and then be seen by the understanding. For the subject in the highest sense is the Lord - how He Himself made His Natural Divine; and in the representative sense it deals with how man's natural is made new by the Lord when He regenerates him. All this is presented fully at this point in the internal sense.
ttt[2] The details contained here in the highest sense concerning the Lord and how He Himself by His own power made Divine His Natural are such that they go beyond even that which angels can understand. Something of what they are may be seen in the regeneration of man, for the regeneration of man is an image of the Glorification of the Lord, `@@@3138`, `@@@3212`, `@@@3296`, `@@@3490`. Some idea of this subject may indeed be had by man, but not by anyone other than a regenerate person, and even then only an obscure idea as long as he is living in the body. For bodily and worldly matters which occupy his attention constantly cloud his mind and confine it to lower things. But those who are not regenerate are not able to grasp anything at all of the subject; they are devoid of all knowledge of it because they are devoid of any perception of it. Indeed they are totally unaware of what regeneration is, and do not believe in the possibility of it. They do not even know what the affection belonging to charity is by which regeneration is accomplished, nor consequently what conscience is, still less what the internal man is, and least of all what the correspondence of the internal man with the external is. They may, it is true, know - and many do know - the words that are used, but they know nothing of the subject itself. Consequently when they lack even some notion of these, then no matter how clearly the arcana contained in the internal sense at this point are presented to them, such a presentation would be like something displayed in the dark or like something spoken to the deaf. What is more, the affections belonging to self-love and love of the world which reign with them do not allow them to know or even to hear of such arcana, for they instantly reject them; indeed they loathe them. It is different with people who are stirred by the affection belonging to charity. They are delighted with such things; for the angels present with those people experience their own angelic happiness when a person is conscious of such arcana, the reason being that they too are then conscious of things to do with the Lord in whom they abide, and of things to do with the neighbour and his regeneration. From the angels, that is, from the Lord by way of the angels, joy and blessing flow in when anyone who is stirred by the affection belonging to charity reads those things, more so when he believes that holiness lies within them, and more so still when he grasps something contained in the internal sense.
ttt[3] The matter under consideration at this point is the influx of the Lord into the good of the internal man, and indeed through the good into the truth there. Also under consideration are: the influx from there into the external or natural man; the affection for good and truth, into which affection the influx takes place; the reception of truth and the joining of it to the good there; and in addition, the good which serves as a means and is meant here by 'Laban and his flock'. Of these matters the angels, who are aware of the internal sense of the Word - that is, for whom the internal sense is the Word - see and perceive countless details. But scarcely any of those details come within the range of man's understanding, and those which do come within it pass into the unlit part, which is why these matters are not being explained in any greater detail.
ppp19822#pid#4028. Verses `Genesis 30bbbccc41-42` And so it was, whenever those came on heat - those of the flock which came together first - that Jacob put the rods before the eyes of the flock in the runners, so that they could come on heat at the rods. And before [the eyes of those of] the flock which came together later he did not put [the rods] in. And those which came together later were Laban's, and those which came together first were Jacob's.
'So it was, whenever those came on heat - those of the flock which came together first' means the things that were spontaneous. 'That Jacob put the rods before the eyes of the flock in the runners, so that they would come on heat at the rods' means summoned and joined together by His own power. 'And before [the eyes of those of] the flock which came together later he did not put [the rods] in' means things that are compulsory. 'Those which came together later were Laban's' means that these things were left behind. 'And those which came together first were Jacob's' means that the spontaneous things - or those which were from his freedom - were joined together.
ppp19821#pid#4029. 'So it was, whenever those came on heat - those of the flock which came together first' means the things that were spontaneous. This is clear from the meaning of 'coming on heat' as an intense desire, and the effect that resulted from this, dealt with above in `@@@4018`, `@@@4019`; from the meaning of 'the flock' as truth and good, also dealt with above; and from the meaning of 'those coming together first' as things that are spontaneous. This meaning of 'those which came together first' - namely things that are spontaneous - is evident from the sequence of thought in the internal sense. It is in addition evident from the consideration that anything done from affection is spontaneous, very much so when done from an intense desire, meant by 'coming on heat' - hence the use twice in this verse of the expression 'coming on heat'. And the meaning of 'those which came together first' is still further evident from the derivation of this expression in the original language as becoming joined together through deepest love, as well as from the subject here being the joining of truth and good in the natural which is effected only through that which is spontaneous, that is, done in freedom. From all this it may be seen that 'whenever those came on heat - those of the flock which came together first' or 'wherever those from the flock which came together first came on heat' means truths and goods which are spontaneous, that is, which are the product of freedom, or what amounts to the same, of deepest affection.
A person's feeling of freedom involves everything that is in keeping with his love or affection, see `@@@2870`.
Every joining together of truth and good is effected in freedom and none under compulsion, `@@@2875`, `@@@3145`, `@@@3146`, `@@@3158`.
Consequently all reformation and regeneration is effected through freedom, `@@@1937`, `@@@1947`, `@@@2876-2881`.
If it were possible to effect it through compulsion all would be saved, `@@@2881`.
ppp19820#pid#4030. 'That Jacob put the rods before the eyes of the flock in the runners, so that they would come on heat at the rods' means summoned and joined together by His own power. This is clear from the meaning of 'the rods' as power, and when used in reference to the Lord as His own power, dealt with in `@@@4013`, `@@@4015`; and from the meaning of 'putting before the eyes of the flock in the runners, so that they would be on heat' as summoning them so that they might be joined together, as is evident from what has been stated above in `@@@4018` and elsewhere about the meaning of these expressions.
ppp19819#pid#4031. 'And before [the eyes of those of] the flock which came together later he did not put [the rods] in' means things that are compulsory. This is clear from the meaning of 'coming together later'. 'Coming together first' means, as shown above in `@@@4029`, that which is spontaneous or free; and from this, as well as from the sequence of thought in the internal sense, it is evident that 'coming together later' means that which is compulsory or non-free. It is also evident from the consideration that the expression 'coming on heat' is not used here as it is of those which came together first. For 'coming on heat' means affection, in this case an intense desire. Anything that does not begin from affection is not spontaneous or free, for everything spontaneous or free is in keeping with one's affection or love, `@@@2870`. This consideration is also evident from the derivation of the expression in the original language as a lack, for if the intense desire is lacking, all sense of freedom is at an end, in which case that which a pervert does is referred to as non-freedom and at length that which is compulsory.
ttt[2] It may be seen from the paragraphs quoted above in `@@@4029` that every joining together of truth and good, and therefore all reformation and regeneration, is effected in freedom, that is, is the outcome of what is spontaneous. Consequently no joining together of truth and good, thus no regeneration, is possible in the absence of freedom, that is, through compulsion. What freedom is, and the origin of it, see `@@@2870-2893`, where Human Freedom is the subject. Anyone who is unaware of the fact that no joining of truth and good, that is, no making of these one's own, and so no regeneration, is possible except in a person's freedom, ends up - if he reasons about the Lord's Providence, about human salvation, and about the eternal damnation of many - with utterly dim misconceptions and then with serious errors. For he imagines that if the Lord is willing, He is able to save anyone, and to do so by all manner of means beyond number - by miracles, by the dead coming back again, by direct revelations, by angels withholding people from evils, and driving them to good by the plain use of force, and by many states into which a person is introduced and becomes repentant, and by many other means.
ttt[3] But he does not know that all of these means involve compulsion and that nobody can be reformed through them. For anything that compels a person does not impart any affection to him; or if it is of such a nature that it does impart an affection, it binds itself to an affection for evil. Indeed it seems to instill, and does in fact instill, some holiness, but even so, when the state is altered he goes back to his previous affections, which are evils and falsities. In that case that holiness links itself to the evils and falsities and is turned into profanity, such as leads him into the worst hell of all. For that person first of all acknowledges and believes, and also has an affection for what is holy; but after that he denies it, indeed he loathes it. For profaners are those who at one point acknowledge with the heart and after that deny, not those who have not acknowledged with the heart, see `@@@301-303`, `@@@571`, `@@@582`, `@@@593`, `@@@1001`, `@@@1008`, `@@@1010`, `@@@1059`, `@@@1327`, `@@@1328`, `@@@2051`, `@@@2426`, `@@@3398`, `@@@3399`, `@@@3402`, `@@@3898`. For this reason evident miracles do not take place at the present day, only miracles which are not evident or plain to see and which are of such a nature that they do not enforce any holiness or take away a person's freedom from him. This is why the dead do not come back again and why no one is withheld from evil by direct revelations, or by angels, and led to good by the plain use of force.
ttt[4] It is man's freedom into which the Lord operates, and by means of which He turns him in a different direction. For all freedom involves that which is present in his love or affection, and so in his will, `@@@3158`. If he does not receive good and truth in freedom it cannot be made or become his own, since that which is for him compulsory is not his own but belongs to whoever compels it. For he is not acting of himself even though the action is done by him. It does sometimes seem as though a person is drawn under compulsion towards good, as in temptations and spiritual conflicts. But within these experiences he is in greater freedom than when he is outside them, see `@@@1937`, `@@@1947`, `@@@2881`. It also seems as though a person is acting under compulsion when he compels himself to do good; but self-compulsion is one thing, being compelled is another. Self-compulsion with anyone is a product of the freedom within him, but being compelled is a product of non-freedom. This shows what dim misconceptions and then what errors people end up with who reason about the Lord's Providence, about human salvation, and about the eternal damnation of many, yet who are unaware of the fact that it is freedom through which the Lord operates and by no means through compulsion. For compulsion in things of a holy nature if not freely accepted is dangerous.
ppp19818#pid#4033.`fff1` 'Those which came together later were Laban's' means that these things were left behind, that is to say, those that were compulsory. 'And those which came together first were Jacob's' means that the spontaneous things - those which were from his freedom - were joined together. This is clear from what has been stated immediately above in `@@@4029`, 4032. By the things that were compulsory are meant in this case those that had not been joined together, and were incapable of being joined; and by the things that were spontaneous those that had been joined, and also such as were capable of being joined. The reason why the latter are meant as well is that affections and the essential nature of those affections make spontaneous things what they are. After the good meant by 'Laban and his flock' has served the uses described above it is separated. That separation is dealt with in the next chapter.
`nnn1. There is no paragraph 4032 in the Latin.
ppp19817#pid#4034. Verse `Genesis 30bbbccc43` And the man became very very prosperous,`fff1` and he had many flocks, and servant-girls and slaves, and camels and asses.
'The man became very very prosperous' means multiplication. 'And he had many flocks' means resulting interior goods and truths. 'And servant-girls and slaves' means intermediate goods and truths. 'And camels and asses' means the rather external and the fully external truths of good.
`nnn1. literally, spread himself exceedingly exceedingly
ppp19816#pid#4035. 'The man became very very prosperous' means multiplication, that is to say, of good and truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'becoming prosperous' as being multiplied. A multiplication into something immense is meant by 'very very'.
ppp19815#pid#4036. 'And he had many flocks' means resulting interior goods and truths. This is clear from the meaning of 'flocks' as goods and truths, dealt with in `@@@343` - interior ones, `@@@2566`, `@@@3783`.
ppp19814#pid#4037. 'And servant-girls and slaves' means intermediate goods and truths, that is, the natural goods and truths themselves. This is clear from the meaning of 'servant-girls' as affections belonging to the natural, and therefore as the goods belonging to it, dealt with in `@@@1895`, `@@@2567`, `@@@3835`, `@@@3849`; and from the meaning of 'slaves' as facts, which are the truths of the natural man, dealt with in `@@@2567`, `@@@3019`, `@@@3020`, `@@@3409`.
ppp19813#pid#4038. 'And camels and asses' means the rather external and the fully external truths of good. This is clear from the meaning of 'camels' as general facts belonging to the natural man, dealt with in `@@@3048`, `@@@3071`, `@@@3143`, `@@@3145` - general facts being lower or rather external truths of good; and from the meaning of 'asses' as still lower or fully external truths of natural good, dealt with in `@@@2781`. What interior goods and truths are, also what intermediate ones are, as well as what the rather external and the fully external are, may be seen from what has been stated in `@@@4009`. With man three general areas exist - the bodily, the natural, and the rational. The bodily is outermost, the natural is intermediate, and the rational is interior. Insofar as one of these reigns over another in someone he is called either bodily-minded, or natural, or rational. These three parts of man's mind intercommunicate in a wonderful way - the bodily part with the natural, and the natural with the rational.
ttt[2] When a person is first born only the immature bodily part exists; but this has within it the capacity to become fully developed. Subsequently he becomes natural, and at length rational. From this one may see that communication takes place between one part and another. The bodily part communicates with the natural by means of the senses, doing so through the senses belonging to the understanding in a distinct and separate way from its communication through those belonging to the will; for both understanding and will have to become fully developed in a person if he is to become and is to be fully human. The perceptions of the senses of sight and hearing serve in particular to develop fully his understanding, while the other three senses have regard in particular to his will. The bodily part of man's mind communicates with his natural - which, as has been stated, is the intermediate part - by means of the senses. For the things that enter through sensory experience accommodate themselves within the natural as a kind of receptacle for them. This receptacle is the memory. The delight, pleasure, and desire there belong to the will and are called natural goods, but the facts there belong to the understanding and are called natural truths.
ttt[3] By means of these things just mentioned the natural part of man's mind communicates with his rational which, as has been stated, is the interior part. The things which rise up from the natural to the rational accommodate themselves in the rational likewise as in a kind of receptacle. This receptacle is the interior memory, dealt with in `@@@2469-2480`. The blessing and happiness there belong to the will and are forms of rational good, while the interior insights into things, and the perceptions of these, belong to the understanding, the objects of those insights and perceptions being called rational truths. These three - the bodily, the natural, and the rational - are what constitute a human being. Means of communication exist between these three, the external senses being the means by which the bodily part of a person's mind communicates with his natural, and the interior senses those by which the natural part of his mind communicates with his rational. Therefore it is those things which are present in the natural part of a person's mind, and which have been derived from the external senses that belong properly to the body, that are called the rather external and the fully external truths of good. But those which have been derived from the interior senses, which belong properly to his spirit and communicate with the rational, are the ones which are called interior goods and truths. And those which come in between and partake of both are the ones which are called intermediate goods and truths. These three groups of truths, starting in order with interior, are what are meant in the internal sense by 'flocks', by 'servant-girls and slaves', and by 'camels and asses'.
ppp19812#pid#4039. THE GRAND MAN AND CORRESPONDENCE - continued - IN THIS SECTION CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE CEREBRUM AND CEREBELLUM
The correspondence of the heart and lungs with the Grand Man or heaven was dealt with at the end of the previous chapter. In this section the correspondence of the cerebrum and cerebellum, and of the medullary parts which are joined on to them, is to be the subject. But before this correspondence is dealt with, some preliminary remarks must be made about the form of the brain in general, about the origin of that form, and what it represents.
ppp19811#pid#4040. When the skull and the coverings surrounding the brain are removed, wonderful sinuously curving and overlapping masses of tissue are visible, in which there are deposited what are called the cortical substances. Running out from these there are fibres which constitute the medulla of the brain. These fibres proceed from there by way of nerves into the body and perform functions there as the brain bids and chooses. All of this is in perfect accord with the heavenly form, for such a form is imprinted by the Lord on the heavens, and from the heavens on the things within the human being, in particular on his cerebrum and cerebellum.
ppp19810#pid#4041. The heavenly form is amazing, completely surpassing all human intelligence, for it is far beyond and above the ideas of forms which anyone can possibly gain from worldly things, even with the help of analytical arguments. In accordance with this form all the heavenly communities are arranged in their proper order; and what is remarkable, a rotatory movement involving those forms is taking place - a movement of which angels and spirits do not have any actual sensation. It is like the progress of the earth, spinning daily on its axis and orbiting yearly around the sun, which is not perceptible to its inhabitants. I have been shown the nature of the heavenly form as it exists in the lowest sphere. It was like the form taken by the sinuous curvings which are visible in the human brain. This curving round or sinuous overlapping I was allowed to observe clearly, and to do so for several days. From this I was able to be shown that the brain has been formed in accordance with the flowing movement belonging to heaven. But the interior parts of it which are not visible to the eye accord with the interior forms of heaven, which are quite beyond comprehension. I was also told by angels that from this one can see that the human being has been created according to the forms which the three heavens take, and that in this way the image of heaven has been imprinted on him, so much so that the human being is in form a very small-scale heaven and that this is the origin of his correspondence with the heavens.
ppp19809#pid#4042. From this one may now see that through the human being alone is a descent from the heavens into the world possible, and an ascent from the world into the heavens. It is the brain and the interior parts of it by which the descent and ascent is effected; for there in the brain reside the very beginnings, or the first and final ends, from which every single thing in the body emanates and is derived. There also is the source of the thoughts which belong to the understanding, and the source of the affections which belong to the will.
ppp19808#pid#4043. The reason why the still more interior forms, which are also more universal ones, are, as has been stated, beyond comprehension, is that when mention is made of such forms, these convey an idea that is spatial and also temporal. But in fact within interior things, where heaven exists, nothing is perceived through spatial and temporal things since these belong properly to the natural order, but through states and variations and changes of states. But since man is unable to conceive of variations and changes without the help of such things as are connected with form, or as has been stated, to conceive of forms without such things as belong to space and time - and yet such do not exist in the heavens - it may therefore be seen how far beyond comprehension they are and also how indescribable. Nor also are any human words adequate to express those things which need to be described and comprehended, because human words entail natural images. In the heavens such things are made known by means of variations of heavenly light and of heavenly flame radiating from the Lord, which do so in such great fullness that thousands and thousands of perceptions could scarcely pass into anything perceptible with man. Nevertheless the things which are taking place in the heavens are represented in the world of spirits by means of forms to which the forms seen in the world bear some resemblance.
ppp19807#pid#4044. Representations are nothing else than images of spiritual things manifested in natural ones, and when the former are accurately represented in the latter they correspond. But anyone who does not know what the spiritual dimension is but only what the natural is may imagine that such representations and consequent correspondences are not possible. For he might say to himself, How can that which is spiritual act on that which is material? But if he will reflect on the things taking place every moment within himself he will be able to gain some concept of them - that is to say, if he will reflect on how the will can act on the muscles of the body and produce actual movements; or on how thought can act on the organs of speech, by moving the lungs, windpipe, throat, tongue, and lips, and so produce speech; also on how affections can act on the face and there produce images of themselves, so much so that from these one person often knows what another thinks and wills. These actions are able to provide some idea of representations and correspondences. Now as such things are produced in man and not one continues to be produced there by itself but is effected by something else, and this is effected by something else again, which finally is effected by the First - all of which is achieved by means of a connected series of correspondences - those who enjoy some fair measure of judgement may deduce that there is a correspondence between the human being and heaven, and in addition between heaven and the Lord, who is the First.
ppp19806#pid#4045. Because such correspondence exists and heaven is divided up into many smaller heavens, and these into still smaller ones, and everywhere into separate communities, there are heavens which correlate with the cerebrum and cerebellum in general, and within these heavens smaller ones which correlate with the parts or members in the brains. There are those, for example, which correlate with the dura mater, those which do so with the soft or pia mater, those with the sinuses, also those which correlate with the corpora and cava there - the corpus callosum, corpora striate, the lesser glands, the ventricles, the infundibulum, and so on. The nature of the things therefore which correlate with one part or another has been disclosed to me, as may become clear from what follows below.
ppp19805#pid#4046. A number of spirits once appeared overhead in a midway place, who were acting collectively like the beating of the heart. But it was so to speak a wave-like motion, alternatively falling and rising, with a kind of cold breath which struck my forehead. From this I was able to deduce that they were of the intermediate sort, that is to say, that they belonged both to the province of the heart and to that of the lungs, and also that they were not interior spirits. Afterwards the same spirits produced a flaming light, of poor quality but nevertheless luminous, which was first of all visible under the left side of the chin, then under the left eye, and after that above the eye. But it was a dim light; though flowing it was not bright. From all this I was enabled to know the nature of those spirits - lights being indicative of affections and also of levels of intelligence. When after this I laid my hand over the left side of my skull or head I felt a beating underneath my palm, which had a similar falling and rising wave-like motion. From this indication I knew that they belonged to the cerebrum. When I asked who they were they were unwilling to speak. Others said of them that it was their own choice not to speak. Compelled at length to do so they said that in that way they disclosed what kind of spirits they were. I perceived that among them there were those who constituted the province of the dura mater, which is the general covering of the cerebrum and of the cerebellum.
ttt[2] Then it was disclosed what sort of spirits they were, for this I was allowed to know by talking to them. Just the same as when they had lived as people in the world, they were spirits who gave no thought to spiritual or celestial matters and who did not talk about those things because they were the kind of people who did not believe in the existence of anything other than that which was natural. They had not believed in anything more because they could not think beyond that which was natural; yet they had not declared their unbelief. Rather, they had worshipped the Divine as others had done, had said their prayers, and had been good citizens.
ttt[3] After this there were others who also entered into the beating of the heart, though not with a motion falling and rising but in a crosswise manner. There were others again who did not act in an alternating way but in a more continuous one. And there were others yet again by whose action the beating leapt from one place to another. They said that they had correlated with the outer layer of the dura mater, and that among them were some who thought about spiritual and celestial matters solely on the basis of such things as are the objects of the external senses. They did not comprehend interior things in any other way. To me they sounded like members of the female sex. People who reason on the basis of the experiences of the external senses, and so on the basis of worldly and earthly things, about the things of heaven, that is, about the spiritual things of faith and love - insofar as they make them all the same and confuse them together - move away to what is more and more outward until they reach, on the outside of the head, the skin which they represent. They are still inside the Grand Man even though in its outermost parts, if they have led a good life. For everyone is saved who leads a good life from a desire inspired by charity.
ppp19804#pid#4047. Others also appeared overhead whose collective action, inflowing above the head, was passing in a crosswise manner from the front backwards, and others again whose inflowing action was passing from both temples towards the middle of the brain. I perceived that they were spirits who belonged to the province of the pia mater, which is another covering and which surrounds the cerebrum and cerebellum more closely and communicates with them by means of fine cords sent out from itself. I was allowed to know the character of these spirits from their speech, for they talked to me. They were the same as they had been in the world, in that they did not have much confidence in their own thinking, and so did not commit themselves to any definite thought about holy things, but relied on what others believed without testing it to see whether it was true. This particular nature of theirs was also shown to me by an influx of their perception into the Lord's Prayer when I was reciting it. For the particular natures of all spirits and angels, however many these may be, may be known from the Lord's Prayer - through the influx of the ideas comprising their thought and affections into the contents of that prayer. From this also I perceived that such was the particular nature of these spirits, and in addition that they were able to serve angels as intermediaries. For there are intermediate spirits between the heavens through whom communication is effected. Their ideas were not closed but capable of being opened, and so they permitted things to happen to them by allowing an easy entry to influx from the angels and welcoming it. What was more, those spirits were unassuming and peaceable; and they said they were in heaven.
ppp19803#pid#4048. There was a certain spirit close to my head who spoke to me. From the sound I perceived that his state was a state of tranquillity, like that of a peaceful sleep. He asked about this and that, but so cautiously that someone wide awake could not have displayed greater caution. I perceived that interior angels spoke through him, and that his state was one in which he perceived and reproduced what they said. I made some inquiries about that state and then I told him that the nature of it was as I had perceived it. He replied that he did not speak anything other than what was good and true, and that he detected whether anything else was present; and if anything other came along he did not entertain it or utter it. In reference to his state he said that it was peaceful, as I was also allowed to perceive through the communication of it to me. I was told that of such a nature were the spirits who correlate with the sinuses or major blood vessels in the brain, and that those who were like that particular spirit correlate with the longitudinal sinus which lies between the two hemispheres of the brain, and in a quiet state there even though the brain on either side of it may be in utter turmoil.
ppp19802#pid#4049. There were certain spirits overhead, slightly to the front, who spoke to me. They spoke in a manner that was pleasant, and flowed in quite gently. They were different from others in that an unceasing longing and desire existed with them to enter heaven. I was told that those spirits are such as correlate with the ventricles or cava majora of the brain and who belong to that province. The reason was also added that the nature of the better kind of lymphatic secretion within that province is such that it flows back into the brain, to which it therefore possesses the endeavour to go. The brain is heaven, and this endeavour is that longing and desire. Such is the nature of these correspondences.
ppp19801#pid#4050. A certain face was first of all visible to me above a skylight and then presently withdrew inside. At that point I saw a little star around the region of the left eye, after that many little stars that were ruddy and were glittering with white. Then I saw some walls without a roof, the walls being on the left side only, and lastly I saw what looked like a starry sky. And because these things were seen in a place where those present were evil, I supposed that something hideous would be displayed for me to see. But shortly the wall disappeared, and also the starry sky, and a well appeared from which a brilliant cloud or vapour emerged. Something else also seemed to be pumped out of the well.
ttt[2] I asked what those things meant and represented, and was told that it was a representation of the infundibulum within the brain, above which was the brain itself, meant by the sky. And what I had seen after that was the vessel meant by the well and called the infundibulum, while the cloud or vapour which emerged from it was the lymph which passes through and is pumped out of it. I was also told that there were two kinds of this lymph - that which is mingled with the vital substances, which belongs among the useful lymphs, and that which is mingled with serous substances, which belongs among the excrementitious lymphs.
ttt[3] I was shown after this the nature of those who belong to this province, though only those of the baser sort, whom I also saw running about this way and that, devoting themselves to those they saw, paying attention to everything, and reporting to others the things they heard. They were disposed to be suspicious, impatient, and restless, just like that lymph which is within and is carried to and fro. Their reasonings are the fluids there which they represent. But these belong to an intermediate sort.
ttt[4] Those however who correlate with the excrementitious lymphs there are those spirits who bring spiritual truths down to earthly things and there defile them. For example, when they hear anything to do with conjugial love they apply it to acts of whoredom and adultery, and in so doing bring what belongs to conjugial love down to these. So in everything else. These spirits were visible in front, some way out on the right. But those who belong to the good sort are like those referred to just above in `@@@4049`.
ppp19800#pid#4051. There are communities correlative with that region in the brain called the isthmus and also spirits correlative with the little knots of fibres in the brain which have a glandular appearance, from which fibres flow forth for different functionings. That is to say, these fibres behave in one and the same way in the glands where they originate but in differing ways at the points where they terminate. One community of spirits to whom such things correspond was brought before me, of which the following is a description: The spirits came in front and addressed me, saying that they were men. But I was allowed to reply to them that they were not men provided with bodies, but were spirits and so also men, the reason being that everything in a spirit seeks to attain that which is of man, including a form akin to that of a man provided with a body. For the spirit is the internal man. I was also allowed to tell them that men were men by virtue of intelligence and wisdom, not of their form, and consequently that good spirits, and more so angels, are more pre-eminently men than those who are in the body, because they dwell in the light of wisdom more than those in the body.
ttt[2] After I had made this reply they said that their community consisted of a large number, yet not one of them was like another. But because it did not seem possible to me that a community consisting of those who were not alike could exist in the next life I talked to them about it and at length I learned that although they were not alike they were nevertheless united as regards their end in view, which was the same for them all. They went on to say that they were such that each individual acted in a different way from the next and also spoke in a different way, and yet they were similar in what they willed and thought. They also illustrated this with an example. When someone in their community speaks of an angel being least in heaven, a second of his being greatest, and a third of his being neither least nor greatest, and so on with many varying ideas, they are still in their thoughts acting as one, for he who wishes to be least is the greatest, and in comparison with others is the greatest because of that wish; and yet neither least nor greatest enters into it because they are not thinking of pre-eminence over others. So it is with everything else. They are united so far as their first intentions are concerned, but in their ultimate deeds they act in differing ways. They spoke into my ear and said that they were good spirits and that this was their normal manner of speaking. Concerning them I was told that it was not known where they came from and that they belonged among communities that wander from place to place.
ppp19799#pid#4052. Furthermore such is the correspondence of the brain with the Grand Man that those whose first intentions are directed to what is good correlate with those parts in the brain which are the first beginnings there and are called the glands or cortical substances. But those whose first intentions are directed to what is true correlate with those parts in the brains which emanate from those first beginnings and are called fibres. But the following distinction has to be made - those who correspond to the right side of the brain are those with whom the will for what is good and so for what is true predominates, whereas those who correspond to the left side of the brain are those with whom the understanding of what is good and true and so the affection for such predominates. The reason for this is that the good done by those in heaven who are on the Lord's right springs from the will, but the good done by those on the Lord's left springs from the understanding. The former are the ones who are called celestial, but the latter the ones who are called spiritual.
ppp19798#pid#4053. Nobody up to now has known of the existence of such correspondences, and I realize that people will marvel when they hear of them. They will do so because they do not know what the internal man is and what the external man is, or that the internal man exists in the spiritual world and the external in the natural, or that it is the internal man which lives within the external, flowing into it and governing it. From these considerations, as well as from those introduced above in `@@@4044`, it is nevertheless possible to know of the existence of influx, and also of correspondence. Their existence is very well known in the next life, as is the fact that the natural is nothing else than the representation of spiritual things from which it comes into being and is kept in being, and that as is the correspondence of natural with spiritual so is its representation of it.
ppp19797#pid#4054. The brain, like heaven, belongs to the realm of ends which are uses, for whatever flows in from the Lord is an end looking towards the salvation of the human race. This is the end which reigns in heaven, and also which as a result reigns in the brain, for the brain, where man's mind is seated, looks to ends in the body, that is to say, so that the body may serve the soul and that the soul may be eternally happy. But some communities exist which have no end that has any use in view apart from mixing with friends, male and female, and enjoying themselves there; thus they are wholly self-indulgent and care about no one else but themselves. Whether at home or in public their end in view is the same. More communities of spirits such as these exist at the present day than one can possibly imagine. As soon as they arrive their sphere gets to work and destroys in others their affections for truth and good. And once these have been destroyed those spirits experience the delight which they share as friends with one another.
ttt[2] These are obstructions in the brain, and they cause nonsensical confusions there. Many communities of such spirits have been with me, and I have perceived their presence from a dullness, slowness, and loss of emotional feeling. I have also talked to them on several occasions. They are pestilential and pernicious, though in everyday life when they were in the world they had apparently been good, pleasant, well-mannered, and also clever people, for they know how to behave correctly and how to worm their way in by such behaviour, especially into friendships. What is meant by being a friend to good, or by the friendship that is concerned for what is good, they neither know nor wish to know. A sad fate awaits them. In the end they live in squalor and in such stupidity that scarcely anything at all of their human ability to understand things is left to them. For the end he has in view is what makes a person, and the essential nature of his end determines the nature of him as a person and therefore of his human ability to understand after death.
ppp19796#pid#4055. 'The Grand Man and Correspondence' is continued at the end of the next chapter.`fff1`
`nnn1. Volume Three of the Latin ends here.
ppp19795#pid#4056. The preliminary sections of `Genesis 26bbb0`-`Genesis ccc30bbb0` in Volume Three explained what the Lord has said and foretold in `Matthew 24bbb0` about the Close of the Age, or the Last Judgement. Those sections covered verse `Matthew 24bbbccc3` through to verse `Matthew 24bbbccc28`, and now the statements next in line come up for explanation. The preliminary section of this chapter deals with what is stated in verses `Matthew 24bbbccc29-31` in the following words,
But immediately after the affliction of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn; and they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory; and He will send out His angels with a trumpet and a loud voice, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other end of them.
ppp19794#pid#4057. What the Close of the Age or the Last Judgement is has been explained already, namely the final period of the Church. It is called the final period of it when no charity or faith exists there any longer. It has also been shown already that such closes or final periods have been reached on several occasions. The close of the first Church has been described by the Flood; the close of the second Church by the uprooting of the nations in the land of Canaan, and also by the many uprootings and exterminations referred to in the Prophets. The close of the third is not described in the Word, but is foretold; it was the destruction of Jerusalem and the scattering throughout the whole world of the Jewish nation, with whom the Church existed. The fourth close of an age is that of the present-day Christian Church, which is foretold by the Lord in the Gospels and also in John, in the Book of Revelation, and which is now at hand.
ppp19793#pid#4058. The subject in previous verses of this chapter in Matthew has been the progressive ruination of the Church, which took place as follows: First of all people ceased to know what good or truth was, and instead began to argue with one another about these. In a second phase they treated them with contempt; in a third they did not in their hearts acknowledge them; and in a fourth they profaned them. These phases were the subject in verses `Genesis 30bbbccc3-22` of this chapter. And because the truth of faith and the good of love would continue to exist at the centre, that is, with some called 'the elect', the state of the truth of faith as this will be at that time is dealt with in verses `Genesis 30bbbccc23-28`, and the state of the good of charity and love as that will be then, and also the beginning of a new Church, are dealt with in the verses which have just been quoted [in `@@@4056`].
ppp19792#pid#4059. Each individual phrase in these verses is clear evidence of the existence of an internal sense, and of the fact that unless that sense is understood no one can possibly know what is implied in any of the following descriptions: The sun will be darkened, and the moon also; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken; the Lord will appear in the clouds of heaven; and the angels will sound a trumpet and in so doing will gather together the elect. Anyone who is not acquainted with the internal sense of these words will believe in a literal fulfilment of such events - that the world really is going to perish, together with everything visible in the universe. It is not the destruction of the world that is meant however by a last judgement but the coming to an end or the ruination of the Church as regards charity and faith; see `@@@3353`. The same is also quite evident from the words which come later on in this same chapter in Matthew,
At that time two will be in the field; one will be taken, the other left. Two women grinding; one will be taken, the other left. `Matthew 24bbb40-41`.
ppp19791#pid#4060. Therefore the words quoted above [in `@@@4056`] mean the state of the Church at that time as regards good, that is, as regards charity towards the neighbour and love to the Lord. This is clear from the internal sense of these words, which is as follows:
But immediately after the affliction of those days means the state of the Church as regards the truth of faith, which is dealt with in the verses immediately before this. In the Word desolation of truth is called 'affliction' in various places - 'days' being states, see `@@@23`, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@893`, `@@@2788`, `@@@3462`, `@@@3785`. From this it is evident that these words mean that once faith no longer exists neither will any charity exist. For faith leads to charity because it teaches what charity is, and charity acquires its particular character from the truths of faith. The truths of faith however receive their essence and life from charity, as has been shown many times in previous volumes.
ttt[2] The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light means love to the Lord, which is 'the sun', and charity towards the neighbour, which is 'the moon'. 'Being darkened' and 'not giving light' mean that that love and charity will not be in evidence and so will disappear. For 'the sun' means the celestial kind of love and 'the moon' the spiritual kind; that is, 'the sun' means love to the Lord, and 'the moon' charity towards the neighbour which comes through faith, see `@@@1053`, `@@@1529`, `@@@1530`, `@@@2120`, `@@@2441`, `@@@2495`. The reason why the sun and the moon have these meanings is that the Lord is seen in the next life as a sun by those in heaven who are governed by love to Him and are called celestial, and as a moon by those who are governed by charity towards the neighbour and are referred to as spiritual, see `@@@1053`, `@@@1521`, `@@@1529-1531`, `@@@3636`, `@@@3643`.
ttt[3] The sun and the moon in heaven, or the Lord, are never darkened, nor do they lose their light but are shining unceasingly. Thus in heaven there is no darkening or loss of light in the love which celestial angels have for the Lord or in the charity which spiritual angels show towards the neighbour. Nor on earth is there any in people with whom angels are present, that is, in people who are governed by love and charity. But those who are not governed by any love or charity, only by self-love and love of the world, and consequently by feelings of hatred and revenge, bring that kind of obscurity to themselves. It is like the sun of this world which is shining constantly; yet when clouds intervene the sun is not visible, see `@@@2441`.
ttt[4] And the stars will fall from heaven means that cognitions of good and truth will perish. When mentioned in the Word 'stars' have no other meaning than those cognitions, `@@@1808`, `@@@2849`.
And the powers of the heavens will be shaken means the foundations of the Church which are said to be shaken and jolted when those cognitions perish. This is because the Church on earth is heaven's foundation; for the influx of good and truth from the Lord through the heavens culminates ultimately in the goods and truths present with the member of the Church. Consequently when the state of the member of the Church is so perverse that he no longer allows good or truth to flow into him 'the powers of the heavens' are in that case said 'to be shaken'. That being so, the Lord always provides for some vestige of the Church to be left. And when the old Church perishes a new one is established.
ttt[5] And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven means the manifestation of Divine truth - 'sign' meaning a manifestation, 'the Son of Man' the Lord as regards Divine truth, see `@@@2803`, `@@@2813`, `@@@3704`. This manifestation, or this 'sign', is what the disciples asked for when they said to the Lord,
Tell us, when will those things take place; what especially will be the sign of Your coming and of the close of the age? `Matthew 24bbb3`.
For they knew from the Word that when the age drew to a close the Lord would come, and they knew from the Lord that He would be coming again, by which they understood the Lord's coming a second time into the world since they were not yet aware of the fact that the Lord had come as often as the Church had been brought to ruin. Not that any of these comings had been a coming in person, as was the case when, through birth in the world, He took on the Human and made this Divine. Rather, those comings had been made through appearances or manifestations of Himself, such as when He appeared in Mamre to Abraham, in the bush to Moses, on Mount Sinai to the Israelites, and to Joshua when he entered the land of Canaan. There were other comings of a less visible nature, such as those at times when inspiration was received and the Word was given by means of it, and later on through the Word itself. For the Word has the Lord present within it; every detail there comes from Him and has reference to Him, as may be recognized from what has been shown many times up to now. This is the kind of appearance that is meant here by 'the sign of the Son of Man' and is the subject in the present verse under consideration.
ttt[6] And then all the tribes of the earth will mourn means that all in whom the good of love and the truth of faith dwell will experience grief. This is what is meant by 'mourning', see `Zechariah 12bbb10-14`; and 'the tribes' means all aspects of good and truth, that is, of love and faith, `@@@3858`, `@@@3926`, and so consequently those in whom these things dwell. The phrase 'the tribes of the earth' is used because those inside the Church are meant - 'the earth' being the Church, see `@@@662`, `@@@1066`, `@@@1067`, `@@@1262`, `@@@1733`, `@@@1850`, `@@@2117`, `@@@2928`,
ttt[7] And they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory means that at that time a revelation of the internal sense of the Word - the sense in which the Lord is present - will take place. 'The Son of Man' means Divine truth within the Word, `@@@2803`, `@@@2813`, `@@@3704`, 'the clouds' the literal sense. 'Power' has reference to the good and 'glory' to the truth present there. For this meaning of 'seeing the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven', see Preface to `Genesis 18bbb0`. This is the kind of coming of the Lord that is meant here, not a literal manifestation of Him in clouds. Next follows a reference to the establishment of a new Church, which takes place once the old has been brought to ruin and cast aside.
ttt[8] He will send out His angels with a trumpet and a loud voice means election - not by visible angels, still less by trumpets and by loud voices, but by an influx of holy good and of holy truth from the Lord through angels, so that the expression 'angels' in the Word means something essentially the Lord's, `@@@1925`, `@@@2821`, `@@@3039`. In this instance it means things which come from the Lord and have reference to the Lord. 'A trumpet and a loud voice' means the proclamation of the Gospel, as in other places in the Word.
ttt[9] And they will gather the elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other end of them means the establishment of a new Church, 'the elect' being people in whom the good of love and faith dwell, `@@@3755` (end), `@@@3900`, 'the four winds' from which they will be gathered being all states of good and truth, `@@@3708`, and 'one end of the heavens to the other' the internal and the external features of the Church. These are the considerations that are meant by these words spoken by the Lord.
ppp19790#pid#4061. `Genesis 31bbb0`
1. And he`fff1` heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, Jacob has taken all that belonged to our father, and from what belonged to our father he has gained all this wealth.
2. And Jacob saw Laban's face, and behold, he was not at all friendly towards him as before.`fff2`
3. And Jehovah said to Jacob, Return to the land of your fathers, and to [the place of] your nativity, and I will be with you.
4. And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field, to his flock.
5. And he said to them, I see your father's face, that it is not at all friendly towards me as before;`fff3` and the God of my father has been with me.
6. And you yourselves know that with all my strength I have served your father.
7. And your father has deceived me, and has changed my wages in ten ways, and God has not allowed him to do evil to me.
8. If he said thus: The speckled will be your wages, then all the flocks bore speckled. And if he said thus: The variegated will be your wages, then all the flocks bore variegated.
9. And God has taken away your father's cattle and given them to me.
10. And it happened, when the flock came on heat, that I lifted up my eyes and saw in a dream, and behold, the he-goats mounting the flock were variegated, speckled, and mottled.
11. And the angel of God said to me in the dream, Jacob. And I said, Behold, here I am.
12. And he said, Lift up now your eyes, and see all the he-goats mounting the flock, variegated, speckled, and mottled; for I have seen everything that Laban is doing to you.
13. I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you made a vow to Me; now rise up, go out of this land, and return to the land of your nativity.
14. And Rachel answered, and Leah, and they said to him, Is there still any portion and inheritance for us in our father's house?
15. Are we not considered strangers by him, for he has sold us, and also completely consumed our money?`fff4`
16. For all the riches which God has snatched from our father belong to us and to our sons; and now do everything that God has told you.
17. And Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his womenfolk on camels.
18. And he brought away all his cattle and all his substance which he had gathered, the cattle`fff5` he had purchased, which he had gathered in Paddan Aram, to come to Isaac his father, to the land of Canaan.
19. And Laban had gone to shear his flock, and Rachel stole the teraphim which belonged to her father.
20. And Jacob stole the heart`fff6` of Laban the Aramean by not giving him any indication that he was fleeing.
21. And he fled with all that he had; and he rose up, and crossed the river; and he set his face towards mount Gilead.
22. And it was told to Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled.
23. And he took his brothers with him and pursued him for seven days;`fff5` and he caught up with him on mount Gilead.
24. And God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream by night, and said to him, Take care not to speak to Jacob either good or evil.
25. And Laban overtook Jacob, and Jacob pitched his tent in the mountain, and Laban pitched with his brothers in mount Gilead.
26. And Laban said to Jacob, What have you done, that you have stolen my heart,`fff6` and carried away my daughters like captives taken with the sword?
27. Why was it that you concealed your flight, and stole from me, and gave me no indication; for I might have sent you away with gladness and with songs, and with drums and with harps?
28. And you have not allowed me to kiss my sons and my daughters; now you have acted foolishly in what you have done.
29. Let my hand be for God to do you evil! And the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, Beware of speaking to Jacob either good or evil.
30. And now you have surely gone because you longed greatly for your father's house. But why did you steal my gods?
31. And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid; for I said, Perhaps you will take your daughters from me by force.
32. Anyone with whom you find your gods shall not live in the presence of our brothers. Examine for yourself what is with me, and take them to yourself. And Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.
33. And Laban came into Jacob's tent, and into Leah's tent, and into the tent of both servant-girls, and did not find them. And he went out of Leah's tent and came into Rachel's tent.
34. And Rachel had taken the teraphim and put them in the camel's straw, and sat on them. And Laban felt around all the tent and did not find them.
35. And she said to her father, Let there not be any anger in my Lord's eyes, for I cannot rise up before you, for the way of women is upon me. And he searched and did not find the teraphim.
36. And Jacob was incensed and wrangled with Laban; and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my transgression, what is my sin, that you have hotly pursued after me?
37. Because you have felt around all my vessels, what have you found belonging to all the vessels of your house? Put it here in front of my brothers and your brothers, and let them decide between the two of us.
38. These twenty years I have been with you; your sheep and your she-goats have not miscarried, and I have not eaten the rams of your flock.
39. That which was torn [by beasts] I did not bring to you; I myself bore the loss of it; from my hand you required it - that stolen by day and that stolen by night.
40. This is how I was: By day the heat consumed me, and the cold by night; and my sleep was banished from my eyes.
41. These twenty years I have served you in your house - fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock; and you have changed my wages in ten ways.
42. Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Dread of Isaac, had been with me, you would now have sent me away empty-handed. My affliction and the tiredness of my hands`fff8` God has seen, and has given judgement last night.
43. And Laban answered and said to Jacob, The daughters are my daughters, and the sons are my sons, and the flock is my flock, and all that you see is mine. And for my daughters, what am I to do for them today, or for their sons whom they have borne?
44. And now come, let us make a covenant, I and you, and let it be a witness between me and you.
45. And Jacob took a stone and erected it as a pillar.
46. And Jacob said to his brothers, Gather stones; and they took stones and made a heap; and they ate there upon the heap.
47. And Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha; and Jacob called it Galeed.
48. And Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and you today; therefore he called its name Galeed -
49. And Mizpah, for he said, Let Jehovah watch between me and you, for we are going to be hidden from each other.`fff9`
50. If you afflict my daughters, and if you take wives (femina) besides my daughters, after we have parted from each other `fff10` - see, God is witness between me and you.
51. And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold the pillar which I have erected between me and you.
52. This heap is a witness, and the pillar is a witness, that I will not pass beyond this heap to you, and that you will not pass beyond this heap and this pillar to me, to do harm.
53. May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor judge`fff11` between us, the God of their father. And Jacob swore by the Dread of his father Isaac.
54. And Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain, and called his brothers to eat bread; and they ate bread and stayed the night in the mountain.
55. And in the morning Laban rose up early, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them; and Laban went and resumed to his place.
CONTENTS
The subject now in the internal sense is the separation of the good and truth which are represented by Jacob and his wives from the good meant by Laban, in order that they might be joined to the Divine coming from a direct Divine stock. The subject is also the state of the two so far as separation is concerned.
`nnn1. i.e. Jacob
`nnn2. literally, not at all with him as yesterday three days ago (an ancient way of describing the day before yesterday)
`nnn3. literally, not at all towards me as yesterday three days ago
`nnn4. or silver
`nnn5. literally, acquisition
`nnn6. i.e. he deceived or outwitted Laban
`nnn8. literally, palms
`nnn9. literally, a man from his companion
`nnn10. literally, no man being with us
`nnn11. The verb rendered may judge here is plural.
ppp19789#pid#4062. THE INTERNAL SENSE
Verses `Genesis 31bbbccc1-3` And he`fff1` heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, Jacob has taken all that belonged to our father, and from what belonged to our father he has gained all this wealth. And Jacob saw Laban's face, and behold, he was not at all friendly towards him as before.`fff2` And Jehovah said to Jacob, Return to the land of your fathers, and to [the place of] your nativity, and I will be with you.
'He heard the words of Laban's sons, saying' means the nature of the truths belonging to the good meant by 'Laban' in comparison with the good thereby acquired in the Natural by the Lord. 'Jacob has taken all that belonged to our father' means that every aspect of good now meant by 'Jacob' had been given to Him from that source. 'And from what belonged to our father he has gained all this wealth' means that He gave it to Himself. 'And Jacob saw Laban's face' means a change of state with that good when the good meant by Jacob was departing from it. 'And behold, he was not at all friendly towards him as before' means that towards the good meant by 'Jacob' the state was completely altered; yet nothing had been taken away from that good, for it possessed what was its own as it had done previously, apart from its link with [the intermediate good]. 'And Jehovah said to Jacob' means the Lord's perception from the Divine. 'Return to the land of your fathers' means that He had now to bring Himself closer to Divine good. 'And to [the place of] your nativity' means towards the truth deriving from that good. 'And I will be with you' means that in that case it will be Divine.
`nnn1. i.e. Jacob
`nnn2. literally, not at all with him as yesterday three days ago (an ancient way of describing the day before yesterday)
ppp19788#pid#4063. 'He heard the words of Laban's sons, saying' means the nature of the truths belonging to the good meant by 'Laban' in comparison with the good thereby acquired in the Natural by the Lord. This is clear from the meaning of 'sons' as truths, dealt with in `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@533`, `@@@1147`, `@@@2623`, `@@@3373`, and from the representation of 'Laban' as a parallel good that springs from a common stock, dealt with in `@@@3612`, `@@@3665`, `@@@3778`, and so the kind of good which might serve to introduce genuine goods and truths, dealt with in `@@@3974`, `@@@3982`, `@@@3986` (end), here which had in fact served to do so because the separation of that good is the subject. Jacob 'heard the words' implies in the internal sense the nature of such truths in comparison with the good which the Lord acquired in the Natural. This may be seen from what immediately follows, in that the scene was one of anger: Laban's sons said that Jacob had taken everything that belonged to their father, and Jacob saw that Laban's face was not friendly towards him as it had been before. For 'Jacob' represents the Lord's Natural, and in the previous chapter the good of truth within the Natural, see `@@@3659`, `@@@3669`, `@@@3677`, `@@@3775`, `@@@3829`, `@@@4009`.
ttt[2] How the good meant by 'Laban' compares with the good of truth, represented by 'Jacob', may be seen from what has been stated and shown in the previous chapter. The same may be further illustrated by means of the states which a person passes through when being regenerated, a subject which is also dealt with here, in the representative sense. When someone is being regenerated the Lord maintains him in an intermediate kind of good, a good which serves to introduce genuine goods and truths. But once those goods and truths have been introduced, that intermediate good is separated from them. Anyone who knows anything at all about regeneration and about the new man can appreciate that the new man is entirely different from the old, for the new man has an affection for spiritual and celestial matters since these constitute his feelings of delight and blessedness, whereas the old man's affections are for worldly and earthly things, and these constitute his feelings of delight and pleasure. The new man's ends in view therefore lie in heaven, whereas the old man's lie in the world. From this it is evident that the new man is entirely different from and unlike the old.
ttt[3] So that a person may be led from the state of the old man into that of the new, worldly passions have to be cast aside and heavenly affections assumed. This is effected by countless means known to the Lord alone, many of which the Lord has made known to angels but few if any to man. Even so, every single one of those means is revealed in the internal sense of the Word. When therefore a person is converted from an old man into a new one, that is, when he is regenerated, it does not take place in an instant as some people believe, but over many years. Indeed the process is taking place throughout the person's whole life right to its end. For his passions have to be rooted out and heavenly affections implanted, and he has to have a life conferred on him which he did not possess previously, and of which in fact he scarcely had any knowledge previously. Since therefore his states of life have to be changed so drastically he is inevitably maintained for a long time in an intermediate kind of good which partakes both of worldly affections and of heavenly ones. And unless he is maintained in that intermediate good he in no way allows heavenly goods and truths into himself.
ttt[4] That intermediate good is the kind meant by 'Laban and his flock'. But a person is maintained in that good only so long as it serves its particular use. Once it has served it, it is separated. This separation is the subject in this chapter. The existence of this intermediate good, and its separation when it has served its use, may be illustrated from the changes of state which everyone undergoes from early childhood even to old age. It is well known that in each phase of life - early childhood, later childhood, youth, adulthood, and old age - a person's state is different. It is also well known that a person lays aside the state of early childhood and its playthings when he passes into the state of later childhood, and that he lays aside the state of later childhood when he passes into that of youth, and this in turn when he passes into the state of adulthood, and that he finally lays this aside when he passes into the state of old age. And if anyone thinks it over he can also recognize that each phase of life has its particular delights. He can recognize that by means of these he is introduced by consecutive stages into those which belong to the next phase and that such delights have served to bring him through to that next phase, till at length he is brought to the delight of intelligence and wisdom in old age.
ttt[5] From this it is evident that former things are always left behind when a new state of life is assumed. But this comparison merely serves to make the point that delights are simply means and that they are left behind when a person enters whatever state comes next. When however a person is being regenerated his state is made entirely different from the previous one, towards which the Lord is leading him not by any natural process but by a supernatural one. Nor does anyone reach that state except by the means belonging to regeneration which the Lord alone provides, and so by the intermediate good which has been referred to. And once he has been brought to that state, to the point of his no longer having worldly, earthly, and bodily things as his end in view but those of heaven, that intermediate good is separated. Having something as one's end in view means loving it more than anything else.
ppp19787#pid#4064. 'Jacob has taken all that belonged to our father' means that every aspect of good meant by 'Jacob' had been given to Him from that source, that is to say, from that intermediate good. This becomes clear without explanation. None had in actual fact been given to Him, as is evident from what follows. It was 'the sons of Laban' who said it.
ppp19786#pid#4065. 'And from what belonged to our father he has gained all this wealth' means that He gave it to Himself. This is clear from the meaning of 'gaining wealth' as giving to oneself. For the highest sense has reference to the Lord, who in no way took anything of what was good and true from anybody else, only from Himself. Another type of good had served Him, it is true, as a means, a good which was related to the maternal side of Him, for Laban, who means that good, was the brother of Rebekah, Jacob's mother. But through that means He acquired to Himself the things by which He made His Natural Divine by His own power. It is one thing to acquire something to oneself from a means and another to do so through a means. He acquired them through that means because He was born a human being and derived from the mother something hereditary which had been cast away. He did not however acquire anything from that means since He was conceived from Jehovah from whom He had the Divine. Consequently He gave Himself all the goods and truths which He made Divine. For the Divine Himself has no need of anyone, not even of that intermediate good, except that His will was that everything should be done in keeping with order.
ppp19785#pid#4066. 'And Jacob saw Laban's face' means a change of state with that good when the good meant by Jacob was departing from it. This is clear from the representation of 'Jacob' as the good of the Natural, and from the representation of 'Laban' as intermediate good, both of which have often been dealt with already; and from the meaning of 'the face' as things that are interior, `@@@358`, `@@@1999`, `@@@2434`, `@@@3527`, `@@@3573`, in this case as changes of such interiors, or what amounts to the same, changes of state, for it is said that he saw his face 'and behold, he was not at all friendly towards him as before'. The reason why in the Word the things that are interior are meant by 'the face' is that those things shine out of a person's face, and present themselves in his face as in a mirror or in an image; and so 'the face' or the countenance means the states in which a person's thoughts and those in which his affections reside.
ppp19784#pid#4067. 'And behold, he was not at all friendly towards him as before' means that towards the good meant by 'Jacob' the state was completely altered; yet nothing had been taken away from that good, for it possessed what was its own as it had done previously, apart from its link with [the intermediate good]. This becomes clear from the statement that 'he was not at all friendly towards him as before' meaning that the state had altered completely towards Jacob, that is, towards the good meant by 'Jacob'; and from what was said previously [in `Genesis ccc30bbb31`] about nothing being received from Laban, that is, from the good meant by 'Laban'. Rather it possessed what was its own as it had done previously.
ttt[2] To enable people to understand the way in which goods and truths exist with a person, something scarcely known by anyone must be revealed. It is indeed known and acknowledged that all good and all truth come from the Lord; and some also acknowledge the existence of influx, the nature of which however remains unknown to man. Now because no knowledge exists, at least no acknowledgement in the heart, of the truth that around man spirits and angels are present and that the internal man dwells in the midst of these and is thereby governed by the Lord, there is little belief in that truth even when it is spoken about. Countless communities exist in the next life, and these are arranged and set in order by the Lord according to all the genera of good and truth; also communities that are the complete opposite, according to all the genera of evil and falsity. They are so arranged and set in order that no genus of good or truth exists, nor any species of that genus, nor even any specific difference, which does not have [a link with] such angelic communities, that is, to which angelic communities do not correspond. Nor on the other hand does any genus of evil or falsity exist, or any species of that genus, or even any specific difference, to which communities of devils do not correspond. Interiorly, that is, as regards his thoughts and affections, everyone is within a community of such angels or devils, although he is not actually aware of it. Everything that a person thinks and wills originates there, so much so that if the communities of spirits or angels in which he dwells were taken away from him, he would instantly cease to have any thought or will at all; indeed he would instantly fall down completely dead. Such is the nature of man's state of being, though he believes that he himself is the originator of all he thinks and wills, and that neither hell nor heaven exists, or that hell is far removed from him, and heaven too.
ttt[3] What is more, the good present with a person seems to him to be something that is a simple or single whole, but in fact it is something so complex, consisting of so many varying features, that he cannot possibly explore even so much as its general ones. And the same applies to the evil present with a person. But as is the good present with a person, so is the community of angels present with him; and as is the evil present with a person, so is the community of evil spirits present with him. A person chooses certain communities for himself, that is, he places himself within one of these; for like is brought into association with like. For example, one who is grasping chooses for himself communities of like-minded spirits who are motivated by his kind of desire; one who loves himself pre-eminently and despises others chooses for himself others who are like himself; while one who takes delight in acts of revenge chooses for himself such as delight in these; and so on with everyone else. Those spirits are in communication with hell, with man in the midst of them and utterly under their control, so much so that he is not under his own jurisdiction but under theirs, although he imagines from the delight he experiences, and so from the freedom he has, that he is in control of himself. But one who is not grasping, or one who does not love himself pre-eminently and does not despise others, or one who does not take delight in acts of revenge, dwells in a community of like-minded angels and through them is led by the Lord, and indeed by means of freedom to everything good and true to which he allows himself to be led. And as he allows himself to be led to good which is more interior and more perfect, so he is conveyed to more interior and more perfect angelic communities. His changes of state are nothing else than changes of communities. The truth of this is evident to me from continuing experience which has lasted for several years now, from which it has become something as ordinary and everyday for me as any ordinary everyday thing experienced by anyone since he was a young child.
ttt[4] These considerations now make clear the situation with the regeneration of man, and with the intermediate delights and forms of good by which a person is conveyed by the Lord from the state of the old man to that of the new, that is to say, it is effected by means of angelic communities and by changes of those communities. Intermediate forms of good and delight are nothing else than such communities, with which the Lord brings man into contact so that by means of them he may be introduced to spiritual and celestial kinds of good and truth. Once he has been conveyed to these, those communities are separated, and more interior and more perfect ones become linked to him. Nothing else than this is understood by the intermediate good meant by 'Laban', and nothing else by the separation of that good, which is the subject of the present chapter.
ppp19783#pid#4068. 'And Jehovah said to Jacob' means the Lord's perception from the Divine. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in historical narratives of the Word as perceiving, dealt with in `@@@1791`, `@@@1815`, `@@@1819`, `@@@1822`, `@@@1898`, `@@@1919`, `@@@2080`, `@@@2619`, `@@@2862`, `@@@3395`, `@@@3509`; and 'Jehovah' means the Lord, see `@@@1343`, `@@@1736`, `@@@1793`, `@@@2921`, `@@@3023`, `@@@3035`. From all this it is evident that 'Jehovah said' means the Lord's perception from the Divine.
ppp19782#pid#4069. 'Return to the land of your fathers' means that He had now to bring Himself closer to Divine good. This is clear from the meaning of 'the land of your fathers' as Divine good in this case because it has reference to the Lord, for 'the land', which is Canaan, means the Lord's kingdom, `@@@1607`, `@@@3481`, and in the highest sense the Lord's Divine Human since this Human flows in and makes His kingdom, `@@@3038`, `@@@3705`; and 'father' means good, `@@@3703`. And since the goods and truths by means of which the Lord was to make the Natural Divine had now been acquired - those goods and truths being represented by Jacob's stay with Laban and by the cattle he acquired there - 'returning to the land of your fathers' consequently means bringing Himself closer to Divine good.
ppp19781#pid#4070. 'And to [the place of] your nativity' means towards the truth deriving from that good. This is clear from the meaning of 'nativity' as truth which derives from good, for all truth is born from good and has no other origin. Indeed it is called truth because it belongs to good and because it makes firm that from which it derives, namely good. This is why 'nativity' means what it does at this point. As regards 'nativities' or 'generations' meaning generations of faith, see `@@@1145`, `@@@1255`, and 'bearing' meaning acknowledgement in faith and act, `@@@3905`, `@@@3915`.
ppp19780#pid#4071. 'And I will be with you' means that in that case it will be Divine. This is clear from the fact that the speaker was Jehovah, and 'Jehovah' is used to mean the Lord, as above in `@@@4068`, and so to mean the Divine. 'Being with him' in whom this is - that is, one who is this - means being Divine. The highest sense, whose subject is the Lord, is such that separate entities are seen in the sense of the letter but a single entity in the highest internal sense.
ppp19779#pid#4072. Verses `Genesis 31bbbccc4-13` And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field, to his flock. And he said to them, I see your father's face, that it is not at all friendly towards me as before;`fff1` and the God of my father has been with me. And you yourselves know that with all my strength I have served your father. And your father has deceived me, and has changed my wages in ten ways, and God has not allowed him to do evil to me. If he said thus: The speckled will be your wages, then all the flocks bore speckled. And if he said thus: The variegated will be your wages, then all the flocks bore variegated. And God has taken away your father's cattle and given them to me. And it happened, when the flock came on heat, that I lifted up my eyes and saw in a dream, and behold, the he-goats mounting the flock were variegated, speckled, and mottled. And the angel of God said to me in the dream, Jacob. And I said, Behold, here I am. And he said, Lift up now your eyes, and see all the he-goats mounting the flock, variegated, speckled, and mottled; for I have seen everything that Laban is doing to you. I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you made a vow to Me; now rise up, go out of this land, and return to the land of your nativity.
'Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field, to his flock' means a linking of the affections for truth to the good now meant by 'Jacob' - achieved by that good itself; also the use to which those affections were applied when that good departed. 'And he said to them, I see your father's face, that it is not at all friendly towards me as before' means a change of state within the good meant by 'Laban'. 'And the God of my father has been with me' means that the Divine was the author of all that He had. 'And you yourselves know that with all my strength I have served your father' means that He acted by His own power. 'And your father has deceived me, and has changed my wages in ten ways' means the state of good in relation to Himself when, acting of Himself, He applied to Himself the things which constituted that good, and also a very great change in that good. 'And God has not allowed him to do evil to me' means that it was nevertheless unable to cause any hindrance. 'If he said thus: The speckled will be your wages, then all the flocks bore speckled' means His freedom, and that in His freedom the Lord adopted those things - even evils that were linked to the goods. 'And if he said thus: The variegated will be your wages, then all the flocks bore variegated' means even falsities that were linked to them. 'And God has taken away your father's cattle and given them to me' means that those things came from the Divine. 'And it happened, when the flock came on heat' means an intense desire to be joined together. 'That I lifted up my eyes and saw in a dream' means the perception of natural good when in obscurity. 'And behold, the he-goats mounting the flock were variegated, speckled, and mottled' means the effect that was produced when natural good meant by 'Jacob' was endowed with such things from this source. 'And the angel of God said to me in a dream, Jacob. And I said, Behold, here I am' means perception from the Divine, and presence within that state of obscurity. 'And he said, Lift up now your eyes' means observation from what was His own. 'And see all the he-goats mounting the flock, variegated, speckled, and mottled' means that such things were being introduced. 'For I have seen everything that Laban is doing to you' means that the proprium of the good meant by 'Laban' was not such as acted of itself. 'I am the God of Bethel' means the Divine within the Natural. 'Where you anointed a pillar' means where the good of truth exists, and the boundary of it. 'Where you made a vow to Me' means that which is holy. 'Now rise up' means a raising up. 'Go out of this land' means a separation from that good. 'And return to the land of your nativity' means becoming joined to the Divine Good of Truth.
`nnn1. literally, not at all towards me as yesterday three days ago
ppp19778#pid#4073. 'Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field, to his flock' means a linking of the affections for truth to the good now meant by 'Jacob' - achieved by that good itself; also the use to which those affections were applied when that good departed. This is clear from the representation of 'Jacob' as the good of the natural, often dealt with already, and from the representation of 'Rachel and Leah' as affections for truth which were linked to that good - 'Rachel' the affection for interior truth, and 'Leah' the affection for external truth, dealt with in `@@@3758`, `@@@3782`, `@@@3793`, `@@@3819`. The fact that sending to them and calling them to the field, to his flock, means linking them to itself is self-evident. 'Field' means the things that constitute good, and the place where good exists, `@@@2971`, `@@@3196`, `@@@3310`, `@@@3317`, while 'flock' means the actual goods and truths which had now been acquired and to which the affections for truth meant by 'Rachel' and 'Leah' were to be applied when that good departed. 'Jacob' in this chapter represents the good of the Natural which was to become joined more closely to the Divine, `@@@4069`, since it was in a state of readiness to separate itself, and was actually doing so, from the good meant by 'Laban' - see what is said about Jacob in `@@@3775`. For representations are conditioned by the changes of state that happen to good and truth, and changes of state are conditioned by the changes which spirits and angels who are governed by such good and truth undergo, discussed above in `@@@4067`.
ttt[2] With the departure of the communities of spirits and angels that are governed by intermediate good new communities draw nigh which are governed by a more perfect type of good. Man's state is altogether conditioned by the communities of spirits and angels in whose midst he has his being. These determine the state of his will and also that of his thought. But when he himself chooses those communities for himself, that is, when he links himself to them, the changes of state which he undergoes are entirely different from when those communities are linked to him by the Lord. When he links himself to them evil reigns in him, but when they are linked to him by the Lord good reigns in him. When good reigns in him the kind of good that flows in by way of those communities is such as contributes to the reformation of his life. The things that are stated here in the internal sense about the good represented by 'Jacob', about the affections for truth meant by 'Rachel' and 'Leah', and about the use to which these affections were applied when that good departed from the good meant by 'Laban', give an exact and vivid picture of the communities and the changes they undergo. From these communities angels perceive the states which exist with man, and so perceive the nature of his goods and truths. Consequently they perceive countless details which are seen by man as little more than a single whole. Angels therefore are aware of actual causes since they see and perceive those communities, whereas man is aware of effects and does not see those communities, but has merely a dim perception of them gained through some changes of state which originate in those communities. He sees and perceives nothing regarding what is happening to good and truth, unless he is enlightened by the Lord through angels.
ppp19777#pid#4074. 'And he said to them, I see your father's face, that it is not at all friendly towards me as before' means a change of state within the good meant by 'Laban'. This is clear from what has been stated above in `@@@4067`, where the same words occur.
ppp19776#pid#4075. 'And the God of my father has been with me' means that the Divine was the author of all that He had. This is clear from the fact that when used in reference to the Lord 'the God of His father' means the Divine which was His, and that 'has been with me' means the author of all that He had. When the Lord made the Human within Himself Divine, He too had communities of spirits and angels around Him; for it was His will that everything should be accomplished in keeping with order. But He chose for Himself the kind of communities that would be of service, and changed them as seemed good to Him. Yet He did not take any good or truth at all from them and apply it to Himself, but only from the Divine. And by acting in this way He also restored to order both heaven and hell; He restored them step by step until He had glorified Himself completely. The fact that these communities of spirits and angels were able to be of service and that the Lord took nothing from them can be shown from examples:
ttt[2] Communities which are such that they believe good to originate in themselves, and as a consequence place merit in good deeds, served the use of introducing Him to a knowledge of such good, and from this knowledge to wisdom regarding good that is devoid of merit, such as originates in the Divine. That knowledge and wisdom deriving from it did not originate in those communities but was obtained through them. Take as another example communities which believe themselves to be rather wise, and yet reason about the validity of every aspect of good and truth. Such communities belong in the main to those which are spiritual. They served the use of introducing Him to a knowledge of those people and to how far they dwelt in shade in comparison with others, and that unless the Divine took pity on them they would perish. They also served to introduce Him to further things from the Divine which did not originate in those communities but were obtained through them.
ttt[3] Take as yet another example communities which love God but believe that if they look to the Infinite, and so worship a God who is hidden from them, they are able to love Him. They cannot in fact do so unless by means of some idea or other they make that Infinite finite, or else within themselves visualize the hidden God by means of finite intellectual concepts. Otherwise it would be looking into thick darkness and embracing with love that which is enveloped in that darkness, and so would lead to further ill-formed and sketchy notions resulting from each person's own ideas. Such communities likewise served the use of introducing Him to a knowledge of the nature of the interior features of those people, and also to a knowledge of the nature of their love, as well as to a sense of pity for them, in that they could not be saved unless the Lord's Human was made Divine also for them to look to. This wisdom did not come from those communities but through them from the Divine. The same is so with any other examples that one might take. From all this one may see what is implied by the statement that nothing was taken from the good meant by 'Laban', but that the Divine - that is, the Lord Himself - was the author of everything He had.
ppp19775#pid#4076. 'And you yourselves know that with all my strength I have served your father' means that He acted by His own power. This is clear from the meaning of 'serving' as diligent effort, dealt with in `@@@3824`, `@@@3846`, but in reference to the Lord, as His own power, dealt with in `@@@3975`, `@@@3977`, the more so when the phrase 'with all my strength' is added.
ppp19774#pid#4077. 'And your father has deceived me, and has changed my wages in ten ways' means the state of good in relation to Himself when, acting of Himself, He applied to Himself the things which constituted that good, and also a very great change in that good. This is clear from the meaning of 'father', who in this case is Laban, as intermediate good, dealt with already; from the meaning of 'wages' as His acting of Himself, dealt with in `@@@3996`, `@@@3999`; and from the meaning of 'ten ways' as a very great change - 'ten' meaning very great, `@@@1988`, and 'ways' changes. All this implies a change in the actual state of that good when, acting of Himself, the Lord applied to Himself the things constituting that good. Now if instead of the good meant by 'Laban' a community of spirits or angels is thought of such as are governed by that kind of good, what is involved is then made plain. Communities do not readily depart from someone with whom they have been present; but when a person with whom they are present departs they become annoyed, and they react in a way similar to Laban's behaviour here towards Jacob. Indeed even if they do perceive that some good has come to that person through them they say that it has done so from them; for when they are annoyed evil governs what they say.
ttt[2] A similar situation exists with a person who is being regenerated. That is to say, the Lord applies communities to that person which serve to introduce genuine goods and truths, not from those communities but through them. And when the one who is being regenerated is transferred to other communities those which have been present hitherto are annoyed. But such communities are not visible to him because he does not believe that he is within any community of spirits or angels. They are however clearly visible to angels, and also to those who in the Lord's Divine mercy are allowed to talk to them and go among them as one of them. This is how I have been given to know about such things.
ttt[3] Spirits deplore very much the fact that man does not know about such things too, not even that they are present with him, and more still the fact that many deny not only their presence but also the very existence of hell and of heaven. This ignorance however they attribute to human stupidity, for man does not in actual fact possess the smallest amount of thought or the smallest amount of will except by means of influx through those spirits themselves from the Lord. And it is through them as a means that the Lord governs the human race, and in particular every member of it.
ppp19773#pid#4078. 'And God has not allowed him to do evil to me' means that it was nevertheless unable to cause any hindrance. This is clear from the meaning of 'not allowing to do evil', when it has reference to the Lord, as being unable to cause any hindrance. For nothing is able to do evil to the Divine, but influx from it can be hindered, this being what all evil does. From this it is evident what 'doing evil' means here.
ppp19772#pid#4079. 'If he said thus: The speckled will be your wages, then all the flocks bore speckled' means His freedom, and that in His freedom the Lord adopted those things - even evils that were linked to the goods. This is clear from the state of the matter in the internal sense, which is that He had the freedom to change the wages, and in so doing that in His freedom He adopted those things. That even evils linked to the goods are meant is clear from the meaning of 'the speckled' as good with which evils have been mingled, dealt with in `@@@3993`, `@@@3995`, `@@@4005`.
ppp19771#pid#4080. 'And if he said thus: The variegated will be your wages, then all the flocks bore variegated' means even falsities that were linked to them. This is clear from what has just been stated, and from the meaning of 'the variegated' as truths interspersed among and mingled with evils, dealt with in `@@@4005`, and so as falsities.
ppp19770#pid#4081. 'And God has taken away your father's cattle and has given them to me' means that those things came from the Divine. This is clear from what has been stated and shown above in `@@@4065` and in `@@@4075`.
ppp19769#pid#4082. 'And it happened, when the flock came on heat' means an intense desire to be joined together. This is clear from the meaning of 'coming on heat' as an intense desire and the effect produced from this, dealt with in `@@@4018`, `@@@4019`, and so that those goods and truths should be joined together.
ppp19768#pid#4083. 'That I lifted up my eyes and saw in a dream' means the perception of natural good when in obscurity. This is clear from the meaning of 'lifting up the eyes' as thinking and also directing one's attention, dealt with in `@@@2789`, `@@@2892`, `@@@3198`, and so as perceiving; and from the meaning of 'in a dream' as being in obscurity, dealt with in `@@@2514`, `@@@2528`. The good of the natural is meant by 'Jacob'.
ppp19767#pid#4084. 'And behold, the he-goats mounting the flock were variegated, speckled, and mottled' means the effect that was produced when natural good meant by 'Jacob' was endowed with such things from this source. This becomes clear from what has been stated about them in the previous chapter, for the variegated, speckled, and spotted - that is, the kind of things meant by these - came to Jacob through Laban's flock.
ppp19766#pid#4085. 'And the angel of God said to me in a dream, Jacob. And I said, Behold, here I am' means perception from the Divine, and presence within that obscurity. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in historical narratives of the Word as perceiving - often dealt with already; from the meaning of 'the angel of God' as from the Divine (for when mentioned in the Word 'an angel' means something essentially the Lord's, that is, something belonging to the Divine, `@@@1925`, `@@@2319`, `@@@2821`, `@@@3039`, the reason being that no angel speaks from himself but from the Lord, especially when he does so in a dream, as he does here to Jacob. What is more, angels are such that they are annoyed if anything of what is good and true spoken by them is attributed to themselves; and so far as possible they remove any such ideas existing in others, especially in man. For they know and perceive that everything good and true which they think, will, and carry into effect originates in the Lord, and so in the Divine. And from this it may be seen that in the Word something essentially the Lord's, that is, something Divine, is meant by 'angels'); and from the meaning of 'in a dream' as within obscurity, dealt with in `@@@2514`, `@@@2528`. Presence within the natural, where it dwells in obscurity, is the meaning of Jacob's reply.
ppp19765#pid#4086. 'And he said, Lift up now your eyes' means observation from what was His own. This is clear from the meaning of 'lifting up the eyes' as thinking and directing one's attention, dealt with in `@@@2789`, `@@@2829`, and so as observing. The fact that in this case such observation was made from what was His own is evident from the use of the words 'lift up your eyes and see', as well as from the train of thought.
ppp19764#pid#4087. 'And see all the he-goats mounting the flock, variegated, speckled, and mottled' means that such things were being introduced, and so that it was being endowed with them. This is clear from what has been stated just above in `@@@4084`, where similar words occur.
ppp19763#pid#4088. 'For I have seen everything that Laban is doing to you' means that the proprium of the good meant by 'Laban' was not such as acted of itself. This is clear from the representation of 'Laban' as intermediate good, often dealt with already. The proprium of that good not being such as acted of itself is the meaning of the statement 'I have seen everything that he is doing to you'. This meaning is evident from a discernment of things in the internal sense, and also from the communities which are governed by that kind of good. For the nature of that good can be seen clearly from those communities, since they are communities of spirits which serve as means and as a medium of communication, dealt with in `@@@4047`. They are not the kind that act very much from themselves and their proprium, but allow themselves to be led by others and so to be led to good by angels and to evil by evil spirits. This feature shines even out of the historical details recorded here concerning Laban, and especially out of those which follow. This shows what is meant by the proprium of the good meant by 'Laban' - that it is not the kind that acts of itself. These matters which verses `Genesis 31bbbccc6-12` contain in the internal sense have been explained only cursorily, the reason being that they are similar to those dealt with in the previous chapter, where they have been explained more fully.
ppp19762#pid#4089. 'I am the God of Bethel' means the Divine within the Natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'Bethel' as good as it exists within the ultimate degree of order, dealt with in `@@@3729`, and consequently within the natural, for the natural is the ultimate degree of order, it being that by which celestial and spiritual things are bounded. From this it is evident that 'the God of Bethel' means the Divine within the Natural. Since Bethel means good within the natural it also means cognitions of celestial things within it, for these are cognitions of good.
ppp19761#pid#4090. 'Where you anointed a pillar' means where the good of truth exists, and the boundary of it. This is clear from the meaning of 'a pillar' as a holy boundary and so the ultimate degree of order, and therefore as truth, dealt with in `@@@3727`, and from the meaning of 'anointing', or pouring oil, as Jacob did, over the head of the pillar, as making truth good, dealt with in `@@@3728`.
ppp19760#pid#4091. 'Where you made a vow to Me' means that which is holy. This is clear from the meaning of 'making a vow' as wishing the Lord to provide, and in the highest sense, which has reference to the Lord, as the fact that He does provide, dealt with in `@@@3732`. And since whatever the Lord provides proceeds from Him, and whatever proceeds from Him is holy, 'making a vow' at this point therefore means that which is holy. The fact that 'making a vow' means that which proceeds from the Lord, and therefore that which is holy, at first glance seems to be rather remote. But this is because it is man who makes the vow by which he binds himself to something, that is, imposes something on himself that has to do with the Divine, if he is to get what he wants. But when it is the Divine itself or the Lord to which this phrase has reference, it is not any vow at all that is meant, but willing and providing, that is, doing. That which the Divine or the Lord does therefore proceeds from Himself; and whatever proceeds from Himself is holy.
ppp19759#pid#4092. 'Now rise up' means a raising up. This is clear from the meaning of 'rising up', when the expression is used, as that which implies a raising up, dealt with in `@@@2401`, `@@@2785`, `@@@2912`, `@@@2927`. And what a raising up implies, see `@@@3171`.
ppp19758#pid#4093. 'Go out of this land' means a separation from that good, that is to say, the good meant by 'Laban'. This is clear without explanation.
ppp19757#pid#4094. 'And return to the land of your nativity' means becoming joined to the Divine Good of Truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'returning to the land' as bringing Himself closer to Divine good, dealt with above in `@@@4069`, and from the meaning of 'nativity' as truth, also dealt with above in `@@@4070`. From this it is evident that 'resuming to the land of one's nativity' means becoming joined to the Divine Good of Truth.
ppp19756#pid#4095. Verses `Genesis 31bbbccc14-16` And Rachel answered, and Leah, and they said to him, Is there still any portion and inheritance for us in our father's house? Are we not considered strangers by him, for he has sold us, and also completely consumed our money?`fff1` For all the riches which God has snatched from our father belong to us and to our sons; and now do everything that God has told you.
'Rachel answered, and Leah, and they said to him' means a reciprocation by the affections for truth. 'Is there still any portion and inheritance for us in our father's house?' means the first state of the separation of those affections from the good meant by 'Laban'. 'Are we not considered strangers by him, for he has sold us' means that it had alienated them so that they did not belong to it any longer. 'And also completely consumed our money' means it would destroy the truth belonging to those affections if they were not separated. 'For all the riches which God has snatched from our father belong to us and to our sons' means that all had been acquired by His own power and nothing given to Him by anyone else - by flowing in from His Divine into that which He received from [intermediate good]. 'And now do everything that God has told you' means the Lord's Providence.
`nnn1. or silver.
ppp19755#pid#4096. 'Rachel answered, and Leah, and they said to him' means a reciprocation by the affections for truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'answering', when assent is being given, as that which is reciprocal, dealt with in `@@@2919`, and as receptivity, `@@@2941`, `@@@2957`; and from the representation of 'Rachel' as the affection for interior truth, and of 'Leah' as the affection for external truth, dealt with in `@@@3758`, `@@@3782`, `@@@3793`, `@@@3819`. In the sections previous to this the subject in the internal sense has been the good of the natural meant by 'Jacob' when it was being separated from intermediate good meant by 'Laban', and how that good of the natural linked to itself the affections for truth which are meant by 'Rachel and Leah'.
ttt[2] The subject now is the reciprocal application to good of those affections for truth. This application is contained in the internal sense of the words which Rachel and Leah utter now. But these matters are such that they do not come within the range of anyone's understanding unless he has been informed about them and takes delight in knowing about such things, and consequently has the discernment of spiritual matters as his end in view. All others have no interest at all in such matters and cannot even direct their minds towards them. For having worldly and earthly things as their end in view all others cannot detach their thoughts and feelings from those things; and if they did detach them they would not take any delight in doing so, for in that case they would be departing from and removing themselves from the things which they have as their end in view, that is, which they love. Let anybody like this put himself to the test, to see whether he has any wish to know how good links itself to affections for truth and how affections for truth apply themselves to that good, and whether knowing this irritates him or not. He will then say that such items of knowledge are of no use to him, and also that he does not get anything out of them.
ttt[3] But if someone discusses with him the kind of things that are connected with his business in the world, no matter how very complex these matters may be, and he is told where another's affections lie and also how he can use these to draw that person to himself by bending his own mind and words in his direction, he not only grasps what he is told but also perceives further ideas within it. It is similar with one who desires and strives to investigate the abstruse areas of knowledge. He loves to look at, and does look at, more complicated things than those within what is told to the person just mentioned above. But when spiritual good and truth are referred to he finds it a bore and also turns away from it. These things have been stated so that people may know what the member of the Church is like at the present day.
ttt[4] But the whole idea of good linking itself to truths by means of affections, and of truths applying themselves to good, is less clear when imagination or thought is focused on good and on truth than when it is focused on the communities of spirits and angels through which good and truth flow in. For as stated in `@@@4067`, that which man wills and thinks originates in these, that is, it flows in from them, and appears as if it existed within him. To know the part played by those communities of spirits and angels in this case is to know the actual causes; and to know the part played by the heaven of angels is to know the ends behind these causes. There are also the historical details which are added to illustrate the matter and so enable it to be seen more plainly.
ttt[5] In the internal sense the subject is the linking of good to truths, and the application of those truths to good within the natural. For as has often been stated, 'Jacob' is the good in the natural, and 'his wives' affections for truth. Good which is the good of love and charity flows in from the Lord, doing so through the angels present with man. It does not flow into anything else with man than the cognitions discerned by him. And good being established in these, thought is concentrated on the truths thus known to him, and from these further things are aroused which are related to them and harmonize with them. And this activity continues until the person thinks that a thing is true and from affection wills it because it is true. When this point is reached the good joins itself to the truths and the truths apply themselves in freedom; for all affection leads to freedom, `@@@2870`, `@@@2875`, `@@@3158`, `@@@4031`.
ttt[6] But even when this point is reached, the spirits who have become linked to that person arouse doubts, and sometimes even denials. But insofar as affection prevails he is brought to an affirmative attitude and is at the same time confirmed in truths through those very doubts and denials. When good enters in this manner there is no perception of its doing so through angels, since it enters by such an interior way and passes into the parts of his mind that are darkened by worldly and bodily interests. But it should be realized that good does not flow in from angels but through them from the Lord. This all the angels also confess, and for that reason never claim that anything good is theirs; indeed they are angry when anyone attributes it to them. From all that has been said then, as from causes themselves, some idea may be had of what happens when good is linked to truths, and when these apply themselves to good, the subject at this point in the internal sense.
ppp19754#pid#4097. 'Is there still any portion and inheritance for us in our father's house?' means the first state of the separation of those affections from the good meant by 'Laban'. This is clear from the meaning of 'Is there still any portion and inheritance for us?' as the question, 'Were they still in any way joined to that good?' and from the meaning of 'our father's house' as the good represented by 'Laban'. Consequently these words mean the first state of the separation of those affections from the good meant by Laban. For the first state exists at a time when the mind is subject to doubt; the second state when doubt is dispelled by means of reasons; the third is affirmation; and the last is action. In this way good together with truths passes gradually from the understanding part of the mind into the will part, and is made the person's own.
ppp19753#pid#4098. 'Are we not considered strangers by him, for he has sold us?' means that it had alienated them so that they did not belong to it any longer. This is clear from the meaning of 'being considered strangers' as being alienated, and from the meaning of 'selling' as so alienating them that they did not belong to it any longer.
ppp19752#pid#4099. 'And also completely consumed our money' means it would destroy the truth belonging to those affections if they were not separated. This is clear from the meaning of 'consuming' as destroying, and from the meaning of 'money' or 'silver' as truth, dealt with in `@@@1551`, `@@@2954`. 'Our money' clearly means the truth belonging to those affections since 'Rachel' and 'Leah' represent affections for truth, as shown in various places already. No one can know what is implied in all this unless he knows about the implanting of goods and truths by means of intermediate good, that is, unless he knows the nature of those communities of spirits which serve as intermediate good. Communities of spirits which serve as intermediate good are interested in worldly things, whereas communities of angels which serve to introduce affections for truth are not interested in worldly things but in heavenly ones.
ttt[2] These two types of communities are present with and active in a person who is being regenerated. To the extent he is introduced into heavenly things through the angels, the spirits who are interested in worldly things are removed. And if they are not removed truths are dispersed, for worldly things and heavenly things accord with one another in a person when the heavenly have dominion over the worldly, but they do not accord when the worldly have dominion over the heavenly. When they accord, truths within man's natural are in that case multiplied, but when they do not accord, they decrease in number, indeed they are destroyed since worldly things darken heavenly ones, and so make them subject to doubt. But when heavenly things have dominion they shed light on worldly ones, set them in clear light and dispel doubts. Those things have dominion that are loved more than anything else. From this one may see what is meant by the statement about the destruction of the truth belonging to affections if they were not separated, meant by 'he has completely consumed our money'.
ppp19751#pid#4100. 'For all the riches which God has snatched from our father belong to us and to our sons' means that all had been acquired by His own power and nothing given to Him by anyone else - by flowing in from His Divine into that which He received from [intermediate good]. This is clear from what has been stated and explained above in `@@@4065`, `@@@4075`, `@@@4081`.
ppp19750#pid#4101. 'And now do everything that God has told you means the Lord's Providence. This is clear from the meaning of 'doing everything God tells' as obeying. But when this phrase is used in reference to the Lord, providing is meant, for He does not act from another but from Himself. Nor is God telling Him to act but He Himself does the telling, that is, He acts from Himself.
ppp19749#pid#4102. Verses `Genesis 31bbbccc17-18` And Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his womenfolk on camels. And he brought away all his cattle and all his substance which he had gathered, the cattle`fff1` he had purchased, which he had gathered in Paddan Aram, to come to Isaac his father, to the land of Canaan.
'Jacob rose up' means a raising up of the good meant by 'Jacob'. 'And set his sons and his womenfolk on camels' means a raising up of truths and of affections for these, and the arrangement of them within things that are general. 'And he brought away all his cattle and all his substance which he had gathered' means the separation of truth and good acquired from what belonged to Laban. 'The cattle he had purchased' means the things acquired by these from other sources. 'Which he had gathered in Paddan Aram' means cognitions of truth and good within the natural. 'To come to Isaac his father, to the land of Canaan' means so as to be joined to the Divine Good of the Rational, in order that the Human might be made Divine.
`nnn1. literally, acquisition
ppp19748#pid#4103. 'Jacob rose up' means a raising up of the good meant by 'Jacob'. This is clear from the meaning of 'rising up' as that which implies a raising up, dealt with in `@@@2410`, `@@@2785`, `@@@2912`, `@@@2927`, and from the representation of 'Jacob' as the good of the natural, often dealt with already, at this point good which is coming closer to the Divine because it is to be separated from intermediate good, or 'Laban', `@@@4073`. By the raising up that is meant by 'rising up' one should understand a coming closer to the Divine. As regards man, he is said to be raised up when he comes closer to heavenly things, and the reason for this is the belief that heaven exists raised up or on high. But this description of where heaven is is due to the appearance; for heaven and therefore the things that belong to heaven, namely celestial and spiritual ones, do not exist on high but in what is internal, see `@@@450`, `@@@1735`, `@@@2148`. Consequently a person is in heaven inwardly when spiritual love and faith are present in him.
ppp19747#pid#4104. 'And set his sons and his womenfolk on camels' means a raising up of truths and of affections for these, and the arrangement of them within things that are general. This is clear from the meaning of 'sons' as truths, dealt with in `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@533`, `@@@1147`, `@@@2623`; from the meaning of 'womenfolk', who in this case are Rachel and Leah, and also their servant-girls, as affections for truth, for cognitions, and for facts, dealt with already; and from the meaning of 'camels' as general facts within the natural, dealt with in `@@@3048`, `@@@3071`, `@@@3143`, `@@@3145`.
ttt[2] Anyone who does not have some knowledge of representations and correspondences is incapable of believing that the words 'he set his sons and his womenfolk on camels' mean such things. To him they seem too remote to incorporate and contain within them that which is spiritual; for he thinks about sons, womenfolk, and camels. But the angels, who see and perceive all such things in a spiritual manner, do not think of sons but of truths when 'sons' are mentioned; they do not think of womenfolk but of affections for truth, cognitions, and facts when 'womenfolk' are mentioned; nor do they think of camels but of things that are general within the natural when these are mentioned. For such is the correspondence between the one thing and the other, and such is the way in which angels think. And what is remarkable, it is also the way in which the internal spiritual man thinks while living in the body, though the external man is totally unaware of it. For the same reason when a person who has been regenerated dies he enters into a similar manner of thinking and is able to think with and talk to angels. And this he does without being taught to do so, something that would never have been possible if his interior thought had not been such. The fact that it is such is due to the correspondence of natural things with spiritual. From this it may be seen that although the literal sense of the Word is natural it nevertheless contains spiritual things within it, and in every single part, that is, it contains the kind of things that belong to thought and therefore to interior or spiritual language, such as angels employ.
ttt[3] With regard to the raising up of truths and of the affections for these, and the arrangement of them within things that are general, truths and affections are raised up when the things of eternal life and of the Lord's kingdom are thought to be more important than those of life in the body and of the kingdom of this world. When a person acknowledges the former to be first and foremost, and the latter to be secondary and subordinate, the truths he knows and his affections for them are raised up. For as is his acknowledgement so in the same measure is that person conveyed into the light of heaven, which light holds intelligence and wisdom within it, and so also in the same measure do things belonging to the light of this world become for him images and so to speak mirrors in which he sees the things belonging to the light of heaven. The contrary takes place when he thinks the things of the life of the body and of the kingdom of this world to be more important than those of eternal life and of the Lord's kingdom. He does this when he believes that the latter do not exist because he does not see them and because nobody has come from there and given an account of them - or if he does believe that they may exist, nothing worse will happen to him than to others - and in so believing confirms himself in these ideas, leads a worldly life, and despises charity and faith altogether. With such a person truths and the affections for them are not raised up but are either smothered, or rejected, or perverted. For he dwells in natural light into which no heavenly light at all flows in. This shows what is meant by a raising up of truths and of affections for them.
ttt[4] As for the arrangement of these truths and affections within things that are general, this is the inevitable consequence; for insofar as a person thinks heavenly things are more important than worldly ones, things within his natural are arranged into an order in keeping with the state of heaven. As a result they are seen in the natural, as has been stated, as images and mirrors of heavenly things, for they are representatives that correspond. It is the ends in view which effect the arranging, that is, the Lord effects it by means of the ends which the person has in view. For there are three things which follow in order ends, causes, and effects. Ends bring about causes, and by means of causes bring about effects. As is the nature of the ends therefore so is that of the emanating causes, and from these that of the effects. Ends constitute the inmost things with man; causes constitute the intermediate things and are called the intermediate ends; and effects constitute the ultimate things and are called the ultimate ends. Effects also constitute the things which are termed general. From this one may see what is meant by an arrangement within things that are general, namely this: When anyone has the things of eternal life and of the Lord's kingdom as his end in view, then all intermediate ends, which are causes, and all ultimate ends, which are effects, are arranged in accordance with the end itself. And this is situated within the natural because that is where effects reside, or what amounts to the same, where things that are general reside.
ttt[5] Every adult person possessing any judgement at all can recognize, if he gives the matter any consideration, that he is living in two kingdoms, the spiritual kingdom and the natural one. He can recognize that the spiritual kingdom is interior and the natural exterior, and consequently that he is able to think one more important than the other, that is, to have one rather than the other in view, and therefore that with him the one which he has as his end in view or makes more important is predominant. If therefore he has the spiritual kingdom, that is, the things which constitute that kingdom, as his end and thinks the spiritual kingdom more important than the natural one, then he acknowledges as being first and foremost love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour, and consequently all ideas that reinforce love and charity, and are called the truths of faith; for these belong to that kingdom. When this is the situation in a person, everything within his natural is distributed and arranged in keeping with the things of that kingdom so as to be subservient and obedient. But when he has the natural kingdom, that is, the things that exist there, as his end in view, and makes that more important, he annihilates all love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour, and all faith. Indeed he goes so far as to set no value at all on these things, but makes love of the world and self-love, and the things which go with these, all important. When this is the case everything within his natural is arranged in keeping with those ends, and so is entirely at odds with the things of heaven. In this way he brings about hell within himself. Having something as the end in view consists in loving it, for every end exists as the object of a person's love because that which he loves he has as his end in view.
ppp19746#pid#4105. 'And he brought away all his cattle and all his substance which he had gathered' means the separation of truth and good acquired from what belonged to Laban. This is clear from the meaning of 'bringing away' as separating; from the meaning of 'cattle' as truth; and from the meaning of 'substance' as good. The phrase 'which he had gathered' has regard to Laban and his flock by means of which they had been acquired. The reason why 'cattle' means truth and 'substance' good is that the word used in the original language for 'acquisition' also means small cattle in general, by which truths are meant specifically when 'flocks' means goods. And 'substance' in this case means the resources from which those truths and goods are acquired. For when two things are mentioned in the Word which have almost the same meaning, the first has reference to truth but the second to good. They do so because of the heavenly marriage, which is the marriage of truth and good, present in every detail of the Word, see `@@@683`, `@@@793`, `@@@801`, `@@@2173`, `@@@2516`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc2712`.
ppp19745#pid#4106. 'The cattle he had purchased' means the things acquired by these from other sources. This is clear from the meaning of 'cattle' as truths, dealt with immediately above, and from the meaning of 'purchasing' as things acquired from other sources. For 'the cattle' which had been purchased came from another source, even though they had been gathered with the aid of Laban's flock.
ppp19744#pid#4107. 'Which he had gathered in Paddan Aram' means cognitions of good and truth within the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'Paddan Aram' as cognitions of good and truth, dealt with in `@@@3664`, `@@@3680`.
ppp19743#pid#4108. 'To come to Isaac his father, to the land of Canaan' means so as to be joined to the Divine Good of the Rational, in order that the Human might be made Divine. This is clear from the representation of 'Isaac' as the Divine Rational, dealt with in `@@@1893`, `@@@2066`, `@@@2083`, `@@@2630`, and specifically as the Divine Good of the Rational, `@@@3012`, `@@@3194`, `@@@3210`; and from the meaning of 'the land of Canaan' as the Lord's heavenly kingdom, dealt with in `@@@1607`, `@@@3481`, and in the highest sense - that is, when the subject is the Lord - as His Divine Human, `@@@3038`, `@@@3705`. From these meanings it is evident that 'to come to Isaac his father, to the land of Canaan' means so as to be joined to the Divine Good of the Rational, in order that the Human might be made Divine.
ttt[2] As regards the joining together of the rational and the natural in man's case, it should be realized that the rational constitutes the internal man and the natural the external man, and that the joining together of these produces the human. The nature of that human is determined by that of the joining together of the two; and they exist joined together when they act as one. And they act as one when the natural acts as the servant and is subservient to the rational. With man this is not possible unless it is done by the Lord, but with the Lord He did it by Himself.
ppp19742#pid#4109. Verses `Genesis 31bbbccc19-21` And Laban had gone to shear his flock, and Rachel stole the teraphim which belonged to her father. And Jacob stole the heart`fff1` of Laban the Aramean by not giving him any indication that he was fleeing. And he fled with all that he had; and he rose up and crossed the river; and he set his face towards mount Gilead.
'Laban had gone to shear his flock' means a state of use and of an end in view involving the good meant by 'Laban's flock'. 'And Rachel stole the teraphim which belonged to her father' means a change, as regards truth, of the state meant by 'Laban'. 'And Jacob stole the heart of Laban the Aramean' means a change, as regards good, of the state meant by 'Laban' - 'Laban the Aramean' meaning, as previously, a type of good which does not include Divine Truth and Good. 'By not giving him any indication that he was fleeing' means through the separation. 'And he fled with all that he had' means separation. 'And he rose up' means a raising up. 'And crossed the river' means a state in which a joining together takes place. 'And he set his face towards mount Gilead' means good within it.
`nnn1. i.e. he deceived or outwitted Laban
ppp19741#pid#4110. 'Laban had gone to shear his flock' means a state of use and an end in view involving the good meant by 'Laban's flock'. This is clear from the meaning of 'shearing' as use, and so the end in view, for the use that is served is the end in view, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'flock' as good, dealt with in `@@@343`, `@@@2566`. From this it is evident that the state of use and an end in view is meant by 'going to shear'. The subject now is the separation of intermediate good meant by 'Laban' from the good meant by 'Jacob' which was acquired from that intermediate good. But the nature of this separation cannot be known except from those communities of spirits who are governed by that good and from whom it comes to man. But let some facts be given on this matter which I have learned from my experiences.
ttt[2] There are good spirits, there are spirits of an intermediate kind, and there are evil spirits. These are linked to a person when he is being regenerated, to the end that through them he may be introduced into genuine goods and truths - which the Lord effects by means of angels. But they are the kinds of spirits or communities of spirits who do not accord, except for a time, with the one to be regenerated, and therefore when they have performed their use they are separated. The separation of them is effected in differing ways - the separation of the good spirits in one way, that of the spirits of the intermediate kind in another, and that of the evil spirits in yet another. The separation of the good spirits is effected without their being directly conscious of it, for they know from the Lord's good pleasure that all is well with them wherever they are or to wherever the Lord takes them. But the separation of the spirits of the intermediate kind is effected by many means until they depart in freedom. They are returned to the state of their own good, and consequently to the state of the use they serve and of the end they therefore have in view, so that in that state they may experience the delight and blessing that are their own. But because they have derived pleasure out of their previous connection with the one who is being regenerated they are several times returned to and then released from that connection until they no longer take any delight in staying with him and so depart in freedom. Evil spirits too are indeed removed in freedom, but in a kind of freedom which appears to them to be freedom. They are linked to the person who is being regenerated so that they may introduce negative ideas which have to be dispelled, the intention being that this person may be strengthened all the more in truths and goods. And when he starts to be strengthened in these, those spirits take no delight in staying with him, only in separation from him. In this way they are separated by a feeling of freedom that accompanies their delight. This is how the separation takes place of spirits present with a person when he is being regenerated, and how as a consequence changes of his state as regards good and truth are brought about.
ttt[3] As regards 'sheering a flock' meaning performing a use, this is evident from the consideration that the shearing of a flock in the internal sense means nothing else than a use that is served, for wool is obtained in this way. That the shearing of a flock means a use that is served is also evident from the following in Moses,
Every firstborn that is born among your herds and among your flocks you shall sanctify to Jehovah your God; you shall do no work by means of the firstborn of your oxen, and you shall not shear the first born of your flock. But before Jehovah your God you shall eat it year by year in the place which Jehovah will choose. `Deuteronomy 15bbb19`, `Deuteronomy 15bbbccc10`.
Here 'not shearing the firstborn of the flock' is a command not to put it to a domestic use. Because 'the shearing of a flock' meant a use that is served, 'shearing the flock' and 'being present at shearings' are included among important duties and functions, as becomes clear from the reference in `Genesis 38bbb12-13`, to Judah shearing his flock, and from that to the sons of David in 2 Samuel,
So it was after two full years, that Absalom had shearers in Baalhazor, which is in Ephraim; and Absalom called all the king's sons. And Absalom came to the king and said, Behold, I beg you, your servant has shearers; let the king go, I beg you, and his servants, with your servant. `2 Samuel 13bbb23-24`.
ppp19740#pid#4111. 'And Rachel stole the teraphim which belonged to her father' means a change, as regards truth, of the state meant by 'Laban'. This is clear from the meaning of 'stealing' here as taking away that which is cherished and holy, and so changing the state; from the meaning of 'the teraphim' as truths, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'father', who in this case is Laban, as the good meant by him, dealt with already. 'Father' too means good, `@@@3703`. From this it is evident that 'Rachel stole the teraphim which belonged to her father' means a change, as regards truth, of the state meant by 'Laban'.
ttt[2] What is implied in all this may be seen from the state in which spirits dwell when they are being separated. The states of good and truth in which spirits dwell are determined by the communities they are in, for as shown already, all thought flows in through others, doing so most immediately through those in whose community they are at the time. When therefore they are removed from one community and sent into another the states of their thoughts and affections are changed, and so therefore are the states of truth and good in which they dwell. If however they are sent into communities unlike themselves they take no delight in it, and consequently feel coerced; and therefore they are separated from them and taken to communities which are like themselves. This explains why the evil are unable to be present in and to stay among communities of the good, or the good to do so among communities of the evil, and also why all spirits and angels are distinguished into separate communities in accordance with those affections that belong to love. But every affection belonging to love contains many and varying features, `@@@3078`, `@@@3189`, `@@@4005`, though one feature is predominant. Each spirit therefore is capable of being in a number of communities, but he strives to get to the one in which his predominant affection reigns, and to which at length he is brought.
ttt[3] As regards the good meant by 'Laban' and a change in the state of that good, as long as it was present with the good represented by 'Jacob' it was closer to the Divine; for 'Jacob' means that good within the Natural, and being closer to the Divine was also at that time in a more perfect state of truth and good. But when it was separated from it, it entered another state as regards truth and good, for in general changes of state in the next life are nothing else than movements towards the Divine or away from the Divine. This then shows what is understood by a change of state when the good meant by 'Laban' was separated.
ttt[4] The reason why 'Rachel stole the teraphim which belonged to her father' means a change of state as regard truth is that by 'the teraphim' are meant his gods, as is evident from what follows below. For in verse `Genesis 31bbbccc30` Laban says to Jacob, 'Why did you steal my gods?' and in verse `Genesis 31bbbccc32` Jacob replies, 'Anyone with whom you find your gods shall not live in the presence of our brothers'. In the internal sense 'gods' means truths, which is also the reason why the name 'God' is used in the Word when truth is the subject, see `@@@2586`, `@@@2769`, `@@@2807`, `@@@2822`.
ttt[5] The teraphim were idols which were used when people consulted God or asked Him something. And because the replies which they received were to those people Divine truths, truths were therefore meant by them, as in Hosea,
The children of Israel sat many days with no king and with no prince and with no sacrifice, nor ephod and teraphim. `Hosea 3bbb4`.
'Ephod and teraphim' stands for Divine truths which they received through the replies given, for when they asked God something they also put on the ephod, `1 Samuel 23bbb9-12`. In Zechariah,
The teraphim speak iniquity, and the diviners see a lie, and the dreams speak vanity. `Zechariah 10bbb2`.
Here too 'the teraphim' stands for replies, but in that state iniquitous ones.
ttt[6] And because 'the teraphim' had this kind of meaning, some also had them in their houses, even though this was forbidden. One such person was Micah, in the Book of Judges,
Micah had a house of God and he made an ephod and teraphim, and he consecrated`fff1` one of his sons to be his priest. And some of the Danites said to their brethren, Do you know that in these houses there is an ephod and teraphim, and a graven image and a molten image? And when they had entered Micah's house and took the graven image, the ephod and the teraphim, and the molten image... And the priest's heart was glad,`fff2` and he took the ephod and the teraphim, and the graven image. And Micah pursued the children of Dan, then he said, You have taken my gods which I made, and the priest, and have gone away. What have I more? `Judges 17bbb5`; `Judges ccc18bbb14`, `Judges 18bbbccc18`, `Judges 18bbbccc20`, `Judges 18bbbccc24`.
Michal too, David's wife, had them, as described in 1 Samuel,
Michal, David's wife, took the teraphim, and placed them in the bed and covered them over with a garment. Saul's messengers came, but behold, the teraphim were in the bed. `1 Samuel 19bbb13`, `1 Samuel 19bbbccc16`.
The fact that they were however idols which were forbidden is evident from what is said in reference to them in `1 Samuel 15bbb23`; `2 Kings 23bbb24`; `Ezekiel 21bbb21`.
`nnn1. literally, filled the hand
`nnn2. literally, good
ppp19739#pid#4112. 'And Jacob stole the heart of Laban the Aramean' means a change, as regards good, of the state meant by 'Laban'. This is clear from the meaning of 'stealing' as taking away that which is cherished and holy, and so changing the state, dealt with immediately above in `@@@4111`; from the meaning of 'the heart' as that which proceeds from the will, and - when the will desires good - as good, dealt with in `@@@2930`, `@@@3313`, `@@@3888`, `@@@3889`; and from the representation of 'Laban' as intermediate good which is now being separated. And because it is being separated Laban is now called the Aramean, as also in verse `Genesis 31bbbccc24` below, for 'Laban the Aramean' means, as previously, a kind of good which does not have any Divine Good and Truth within it. The reason why this is meant is that Aram or Syria was separated from the land of Canaan by the river, namely the Euphrates, and so lay outside the land of Canaan which in the internal sense means the Lord's kingdom and in the highest sense the Lord's Divine Human, see above in `@@@4108`.
ttt[2] Specifically 'Aram' or Syria means cognitions of truth and good, see `@@@1232`, `@@@1234`, `@@@3051`, `@@@3249`, `@@@3664`, `@@@3680`. The reason why it has this meaning is that the Ancient Church existed there also, with remnants of it remaining there for a long time, as is evident from Balaam who came from there and who was acquainted with Jehovah and also prophesied concerning the Lord. But after the growth of idolatry in that country, and after Abram had been summoned from it and the representative Church was established in the land of Canaan, 'Aram' or Syria took on the representation of a region outside the Church, that is, of a region separated from the Church and as a consequence remote from the things that constituted the Lord's kingdom. But it continued to mean cognitions of good and truth. The reason why Jacob is said to have 'stolen Laban's heart' by not giving any indication that he was fleeing is that immediately above a change of state as regards truth was spoken of, and therefore a change of state as regards good is spoken of here. For when truth is dealt with in the Word so also is good, on account of the heavenly marriage, which is the marriage of truth and good, present in every individual part of the Word, `@@@683`, `@@@793`, `@@@801`, `@@@2516`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc2712`.
ppp19738#pid#4113. 'By not giving him any indication that he was fleeing' means through the separation. This becomes clear without explanation. The statement that 'Jacob stole the heart of Laban the Aramean by not giving any indication that he was fleeing' is used in the historical sense to mean that Jacob deprived Laban of the hope of gaining possession of everything that was his and drove him into a state of dismay. For Laban believed that because Jacob served him everything belonging to Jacob would become his - not only his own daughters, who were Jacob's wives, and his daughters' sons, but also Jacob's flocks, according to the law known and accepted in those times, which is recorded in Moses,
If you buy a Hebrew slave he shall serve you six years; and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing. If his master has given him a wife and she has borne him sons and daughters, the wife and her children shall belong to her master, and he shall go out by himself.`fff1` `Exodus 21bbb2`, `Exodus 21bbbccc4`.
The fact that Laban had this law in mind is evident from Jacob's words later on in this chapter,
Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Dread of Isaac, had been with me, you would now have sent me away empty-handed. `Genesis 31bbb42`.
And from Laban's words,
Laban answered and said to Jacob, The daughters are my daughters, and the sons are my sons, and the flock is my flock, and all that you see is mine. `Genesis 31bbb43`.
Laban was not taking into consideration the fact that Jacob had not been bought as a slave, nor indeed was a slave, or that he belonged to a more illustrious family than he himself did, or also that Jacob had received his wives as well as the flock as wages. All this being so, that law did not apply to Jacob. Because by his fleeing Jacob now deprived Laban of that hope and as a consequence drove him into a state of dismay it is said that 'he stole the heart of Laban the Aramean by not giving any indication that he was fleeing'. In the internal sense however these words mean a change as regards good of the state meant by 'Laban' through separation. Concerning a change of state effected through separation, see what has been stated just above in `@@@4111`.
`nnn1. literally, with his own body
ppp19737#pid#4114. 'And he fled with all that he had' means separation. This is clear from what has just been stated, and so without any further explanation.
ppp19736#pid#4115. 'And he rose up' means a raising up. This is clear from what has been stated above in `@@@4103` about the meaning of 'rising up'.
ppp19735#pid#4116. 'And crossed the river' means a state in which a joining together takes place. This is clear from the meaning of 'the river', which in this case is the Euphrates, as a joining together, namely a joining to the Divine. The reason 'the river' has this meaning here is that it was the boundary separating the land of Canaan from that region, and all the boundaries of the land of Canaan were representative of and consequently meant spiritually that which came last and yet first - last because that was where it came to an end, and first because it was where it began. For all boundaries are such that they come last for those who are going out of the country but first for those who are coming in. Because Jacob was at that point coming in, that river was the first boundary that he crossed, and so means a joining together - in the highest sense a joining to the Divine; for 'the land of Canaan' in the internal sense means the Lord's heavenly kingdom, `@@@1607`, `@@@3481`, and in the highest sense the Lord's Divine Human, `@@@3038`, `@@@3705`. From all this one may see what is meant here by 'he crossed the river'. For all things in the land of Canaan were representative, with distances, positions, and boundaries determining their individual representations, see `@@@1585`, `@@@3686`; thus the rivers which served as boundaries, such as the river of Egypt, the river Euphrates, and the river Jordan, were representative, `@@@1866`.
ppp19734#pid#4117. 'And he set his face towards mount Gilead' means good within it. This is clear from the meaning of 'mount' as the celestial element of love, which is good, dealt with in `@@@795`, `@@@1430`, to which the good meant by 'Jacob' was joined - 'Gilead' meaning the essential nature of it. Since the river was the boundary and, as has been stated, meant the first phase of the joining together, 'mount Gilead', which lay in this part away from the Jordan, means the good involved in that first stage of the joining together.
ttt[2] The land of Gilead where the mountain was situated lay within the confines of the land of Canaan understood in a wide sense. It was situated on this side of the Jordan, and was granted as an inheritance to the Reubenites and the Gadites, and in particular to the half-tribe of Manasseh. And since the inheritances stretched out that far, it is said that it was situated within the confines of the land of Canaan understood in a wide sense. The fact that this territory was granted as an inheritance to those tribes is clear in Moses, `Numbers 32bbb1`, `Numbers 32bbbccc26-41`; `Deuteronomy 3bbb8`, `Deuteronomy 3bbbccc10-16`; `Joshua 13bbb24-31`. For this reason when the land of Canaan was envisaged in its entirety it was said to stretch from Gilead even to Dan, and in another sense from Beersheba even to Dan, for Dan also was a boundary, `@@@1710`, `@@@3923`. Regarding its stretching from Beersheba even to Dan, see `@@@2858`, `@@@2859`; and reference to its doing so from Gilead to Dan occurs in Moses,
Moses went up from the plains of Moab onto mount Nebo, the top of Pisgah, which is in the direction of Jericho. There Jehovah showed him the whole land, Gilead even to Dan. `Deuteronomy 34bbb1`.
And in the Book of Judges,
Gilead dwelling at the crossing of the Jordan; and Dan, why will he fear ships? `Judges 5bbb17`.
ttt[3] Because it was a boundary, 'Gilead' in the spiritual sense means the good that comes first, which is that of the bodily senses, for it is the good or delight of the senses that a person who is being regenerated is introduced into first of all. This is the sense in which 'Gilead' is taken in the Prophets, as in `Jeremiah 8bbb22`; `Jeremiah ccc22bbb6`; `Jeremiah ccc46bbb11`; `Jeremiah ccc50bbb19`; `Ezekiel 47bbb18`; Obad. verse `Genesis 31bbbccc19`; `Micah 7bbb14`; `Zechariah 10bbb10`; `Psalms 60bbb7`; and in the contrary sense, in `Hosea 6bbb8`; `Hosea ccc12bbb11`.
ppp19733#pid#4118. Verses `Genesis 31bbbccc22-25` And it was told to Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled. And he took his brothers with him and pursued him for seven days;`fff1` and he caught up with him on mount Gilead. And God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream by night, and said to him, Take care not to speak to Jacob either good or evil. And Laban overtook Jacob, and Jacob pitched his tent in the mountain, and Laban pitched with his brothers in mount Gilead.
'It was told to Laban on the third day' means an ending. 'That Jacob had fled' means a separation. 'And he took his brothers with him' means forms of good replacing those which it had lost. 'And pursued him' means a continuing intense desire to be joined. 'For seven days' means the holiness of truth. 'And he caught up with him on mount Gilead' means a kind of joining together was thereby effected. 'And God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream by night' means the obscure perception of that good when left to itself. 'And said to him, Take care not to speak to Jacob either good or evil' means that no communication existed any longer. 'And Laban overtook Jacob' means a kind of joining together. 'And Jacob pitched his tent in the mountain' means a state of love, the state in which the good now meant by 'Jacob' dwelt. 'And Laban pitched with his brothers in mount Gilead' means the state of the good existing to some extent in that joining together.
`nnn1. literally, pursued him a way of seven days
ppp19732#pid#4119. 'It was told to Laban on the third day' means an ending, that is to say, of being joined together. This is clear from the meaning of 'the third day' as the last stage, also the completion, and so an ending, dealt with in `@@@1825`, `@@@2788`. The beginning too is meant, `@@@2788`, for the ending of a state in which two have been joined together is also the beginning of the subsequent state of their separation from each other. This state is meant here by 'the third day'.
ppp19731#pid#4120. 'That Jacob had fled' means a separation. This is clear from the meaning of 'fleeing' as being separated, dealt with above in `@@@4113`, `@@@4114`.
ppp19730#pid#4121. 'And he took his brothers with him' means forms of good replacing those which it had lost. This is clear from the meaning of 'brothers' as forms of good, dealt with in `@@@2360`, `@@@3160`, `@@@3303`, `@@@3459`, `@@@3803`, `@@@3815`. In the internal sense 'brothers' means people who are governed by the same kind of goodness and truth, that is, they share the same affection for these. Indeed all in the next life are grouped together in different communities on the basis of their affections; and those so grouped together in any community constitute a brotherhood. They do so not because they call themselves brothers but because they are such through their being joined to one another. In the next life it is goodness and truth that lie behind that which on earth is called a blood-relationship and a relationship by marriage, and for this reason the latter correspond to that goodness and truth. Indeed regarded in themselves forms of goodness and truth acknowledge no other father than the Lord, for they exist from Him alone, and therefore all who are governed by forms of goodness and truth exist in a brotherly relationship with one another. Yet degrees of affinity exist, determined by the particular nature of each form of goodness or truth. In the Word these degrees are meant by brothers, sisters, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, grandsons, granddaughters, and many other names for relatives in a family.
ttt[2] On earth however these names are given to people because they have the same parents, no matter how much these people differ from one another in affection. But that kind of brotherly relationship and affinity is dissolved in the next life, and unless on earth they have been governed by the same affection they all enter different brotherly relationships. Such people, it is true, do as a general rule come together initially, but in a short while they are parted. For in the next life it is not money that holds people together but, as has been stated, affections, the nature of which are plain to see as if in clear daylight, as also is the nature of the affection which one person has had for another. Since affections are so plain to see there, and since everyone's affection attracts him towards the community that is his, the association with one another of people whose mental dispositions have not been in agreement is therefore broken. In that case all ties of brotherly relationship and of friendship possessed by the external man are eliminated in both parties, while those which had existed with the internal man remain. The reason why 'he took his brothers with him' means forms of good replacing those which it had lost is that when one community is being separated from another, as stated above in `@@@4077`, `@@@4110`, `@@@4111`, it moves towards another and so towards other forms of good which replace the former.
ppp19729#pid#4122. 'And pursued him' means a continuing intense desire to be joined. This is clear from the meaning here of 'pursuing' as a continuing intense desire to be joined. The subject at this point in the internal sense is the separation of intermediate good from genuine good after intermediate good had served its use. A full description of the process of separation is what the internal sense contains here. Yet the process is such that not even the existence of it is perceptible to man, but to angels it is seen quite clearly, including its countless variations. Thus they see and perceive in one who is being regenerated and with whom they are present as servants all the changes of state he undergoes. And in accordance with those changes, and by means of them, the Lord enables those angels to lead him towards good, insofar as he allows himself to be led. It is because that process serves so great a use in heaven that it is dealt with so extensively here. It also shows the nature of the internal sense - that it is the angelic Word.
ppp19728#pid#4123. 'For seven days' means the holiness of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'a way' as truth, dealt with in `@@@627`, `@@@2333`, and from the meaning of 'seven' as holiness, dealt with in `@@@395`, `@@@433`, `@@@716`, `@@@881`. Here the meaning is that there was an intense desire to be joined, that is, to join itself to the holiness of truth:
ppp19727#pid#4124. 'And he caught up with him on mount Gilead means a kind of joining together was thereby effected. This is clear from the meaning of 'catching up with' as a joining together, and from the meaning of 'mount Gilead' as good involved at the first stage of the joining together, dealt with above in `@@@4117`; so that 'he caught up with him on mount Gilead' means a kind of joining together.
ppp19726#pid#4125. 'And God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream by night' means the obscure perception of that good when left to itself. This is clear from the representation of 'Laban' as intermediate good, dealt with already, also called 'the Aramean' when separated from the good represented by 'Jacob', `@@@4112`; and from the meaning of 'a dream by night' as obscurity, dealt with in `@@@2514`, `@@@2528`. Perception within that obscurity is the meaning of the statement 'God came in a dream by night'.
ppp19725#pid#4126. 'And said to him, Take care not to speak to Jacob either good or evil' means that no communication existed any longer. This is clear from the meaning of 'speaking either good or evil' as speaking good but thinking evil, and at length consequently speaking evil and practicing it. For anyone who thinks evil at length speaks it and practices it. Anyone like this is no longer joined to another, since it is people's thought and also their will which join them together, not their words. In the world words do, it is true, join people together, but in this case the hearer believes that the speaker also thinks good and wills it. But in the next life all thought stands revealed, for it is communicated by a certain kind of sphere, a spiritual sphere which emanates from another and reveals the nature of his inclination and mind, that is, of his will and thought. Consequently it is in accordance with this sphere that he becomes joined to others. From this it is evident that the words forbidding Laban 'to speak good or evil' in the internal sense mean that no communication existed any longer.
ppp19724#pid#4127. 'And Laban overtook Jacob' means a kind of joining together. This becomes clear from what appears above in `@@@4124`.
ppp19723#pid#4128. 'And Jacob pitched his tent in the mountain' means a state of love, the state in which the good now meant by 'Jacob' dwelt. This is clear from the meaning of 'tent' as the holiness of love, dealt with in `@@@414`, `@@@1102`, `@@@2145`, `@@@2152`, `@@@3312`, and of 'pitching a tent' as the state involving that love; and from the meaning of 'the mountain' as good, as above in `@@@4117`, here the good meant now by 'Jacob', see above in `@@@4073`.
ppp19722#pid#4129. 'And Laban pitched with his brothers in mount Gilead' means the state of the good existing to some extent in that joining together. This is clear from the representation of 'Laban' as the good now separated from the good represented by 'Jacob'; from the meaning of 'pitching' as the state involving that good (the phrase 'pitching his tent' is not used because it was not a state of holy love except insofar as the two kinds of good were to some extent so joined together); from the meaning of 'brothers' as the forms of good with which the good meant by 'Laban' is grouped together, dealt with above in `@@@4121`; and from the meaning of 'mount Gilead' as the first stage and the last of the joining together, dealt with above in `@@@4117`. From this it is evident that 'Laban pitched with his brothers on mount Gilead' means the state of the good existing to some extent in that joining together.
ttt[2] Anything more that is embodied within the matters that have now been explained cannot be presented intelligibly in the same way except by reference to the occurrences which take place in the next life when the Lord links communities of spirits and angels to man or separates them from him. The actual process by which they are linked or separated is determined by the order as it exists there. The stages of this process have been described fully in this chapter, but because man has no knowledge of them at all it would be declaring mere arcana if they were to be explained individually. Some have been discussed above where the joining and the separation of communities residing with one who is to be regenerated have been the subject. But it is enough if one knows that the arcana of that process are contained here in the internal sense, so many and of such a nature in fact that not even a thousandth part can be explained fully and intelligibly.
ppp19721#pid#4130. Verses `Genesis 31bbbccc26-30` And Laban said to Jacob, What have you done, that you have stolen my heart,`fff1` and carried away my daughters like captives taken with the sword? Why was it that you concealed your flight, and stole from me, and gave me no indication; for I might have sent you away with gladness and with songs, and with drums and with harps? And you have not allowed me to kiss my sons and my daughters; now you have acted foolishly in what you have done. Let my hand be for God to do you evil! And the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, Beware of speaking to Jacob either good or evil. And now you have surely gone, because you longed greatly for your father's house. But why did you steal my gods?
'Laban said to Jacob' means a state of communication. 'What have you done?' means anger. 'That you have stolen my heart' means that it no longer possessed Divine good as it had done previously. 'And carried away my daughters' means that neither did it possess affections for truth as it had done previously. 'Like captives taken with the sword' means that they were taken away from it. 'Why was it that you concealed your flight, and stole from me, and gave me no indication' means the nature of the state if the separation had taken place with its free consent. 'For I might have sent you away with gladness and with songs' means the state in which - thinking from the proprium - it had believed itself to be as regards truths. 'With drums and with harps' means as regards spiritual good. 'And you have not allowed me to kiss my sons and my daughters' means a disjoining in a free state as intermediate good believed it to be. 'Now you have acted foolishly in what you have done' means anger. 'Let my hand be for God to do you evil!' means a state of anger if it did possess the power. 'And the God of your father spoke to me last night' means that the Divine did not allow it. 'Saying, Beware of speaking to Jacob either good or evil' means that communication was forbidden. 'And now you have surely gone' means that, acting from its proprium, it had separated itself. 'Because you longed greatly for your father's house' means a longing to be joined to Divine good flowing in down a direct line. 'But why did you steal my gods?' means anger over its being a state in which truth had been lost.
`nnn1. i.e. he deceived or outwitted Laban.
ppp19720#pid#4131. 'Laban said to Jacob' means a state of communication, that is to say, of the good which is now represented by 'Laban' with the good now represented by 'Jacob'. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' at this point as communication - as in `@@@3060`. Since a kind of joining together has been effected, described just above in `@@@4124`, `@@@4127`, `@@@4129`, and the statement 'Laban said to Jacob' follows immediately after communication is therefore meant by 'saying'.
ppp19719#pid#4132. 'What have you done?' means anger. This is clear from the emotion present in these and the following words spoken by Laban, for they are an expression of anger.
ppp19718#pid#4133. 'That you have stolen my heart' means that it no longer possessed Divine good as it had done previously. This is clear from the meaning of 'stealing the heart' as taking away that which is cherished and holy, dealt with above in `@@@4112`, and so means that through that separation it no longer possessed Divine good as it had done previously.
ppp19717#pid#4134. 'And carried away my daughters' means that neither did it possess affections for truth as it had done previously. This is clear from the meaning of 'daughters', who in this case are Rachel and Leah, as affections for truth, dealt with in `@@@3758`, `@@@3782`, `@@@3793`, `@@@3819`.
ppp19716#pid#4135. 'Like captives taken with the sword' means that those affections for truth were taken away from it. This is clear without explanation. They are called 'captives taken with the sword' because 'a sword' has reference to truth, `@@@2799`. The implications of this have been explained already.
ppp19715#pid#4136. 'Why was it that you concealed your flight, and stole from me, and gave me no indication' means the nature of the state if the separation had taken place with its free consent. This is clear from the meaning of 'concealing your flight' as the separating [of genuine good meant by 'Jacob'] without the consent [of intermediate good meant by 'Laban'], for 'fleeing' means being separated, see `@@@4113`, `@@@4114`, `@@@4120`; from the meaning of 'stealing from me' as taking away that which is cherished and holy, dealt with in `@@@4112`, `@@@4133`; and from the meaning in this case of 'giving me no indication' as through separation, dealt with in `@@@4113`. From all these meanings it follows that these words mean that the separation had taken place without its consent, when it ought to have taken place with its free consent. A state of freedom and consent is meant and described by the words which immediately follow - 'I might have sent you away with gladness and with songs, with drums and with harps'. These however are words used by Laban which express what he believed the situation to be then. But as to what happens with those people who are being regenerated, when intermediate good is separated from genuine good, that is to say, how this is effected with its free consent, see above in `@@@4110`, `@@@4111`.
ttt[2] None of this can be seen by man since he has no knowledge of how different kinds of good exist with him, still less of how the state of each form of good undergoes change. He does not even have any knowledge of how the good present with him in early childhood is different from and is changed into that of later childhood, or of how this is changed into the good succeeding that, which belongs to youth, and after this into the good belonging to adult years, and lastly into that of old age. With people who are not being regenerated no good undergoes change, only affections and accompanying delights; but with those who are being regenerated changes of state take place with every form of good. And this process continues from early childhood through to the last phase of their life. For the Lord foresees what kind of life someone is going to lead and how he is going to allow the Lord to lead him. And since every single thing, even the smallest, is foreseen, it is also provided. But as for the ways in which changes of state take place with those forms of good, man has no knowledge at all, the chief reason being that he does not possess any cognitions concerning this matter and does not at the present day wish to possess them. And because the Lord does not take the direct way into man to teach him but enters into the cognitions he knows and so takes the indirect way, man cannot possibly have any knowledge of changes of state taking place with those forms of good. Man being such, that is to say, one devoid of all knowledge of this subject, coupled with the fact that at the present day those who allow themselves to be regenerated are few, these matters would not be understood even if they were explained more fully.
ttt[3] The fact that few at the present day know anything about spiritual good, and also that few know anything about freedom, has been made known to me by my experience of people who enter the next life from the Christian world. For the sake of illustration let just one example be mentioned. There was a certain Church dignitary who believed that he was more learned than others, and who was also acknowledged as such by others when he was alive. Because he had led an evil life he was so totally ignorant about good and freedom, and about the delight and blessing which flow from these, that he was not aware of even the smallest difference between hellish delight and freedom and heavenly delight and freedom. Indeed he said that there was no difference. Since such ignorance exists even with those reputed to be more learned than others, one can imagine how dark the shadows would be, indeed one can imagine the nature and the greatness of the resulting delusions, to which the things which might be stated here about good and about freedom - the matters dealt with in the internal sense - would be subjected. Yet in actual fact not so much as one single expression is used in the Word which does not embody a heavenly arcanum, though to man it seems to contain nothing of any importance at all. The reason why it does not seem to do so lies in the lack of knowledge, or the ignorance of heavenly things in which people of today live and also prefer to live.
ppp19714#pid#4137. 'For I might have sent you away with gladness and with songs' means the state in which - thinking from the proprium - it had believed itself to be as regards truths. This is clear from the meaning of 'I might have sent you away' as that it would have separated itself in freedom. But the fact that it had not separated itself when in that state is clear from what has been stated already in `@@@4113`. From this it is evident that these words were uttered by Laban in the state in which - thinking from the proprium - he had believed himself to be. For when a person's belief is based on his own thought it is not the truth, whereas when it is not based on his own thought but is received from the Lord it is based on the truth. The state referred to at this point is a state as regards truths, and this is meant by 'sending away with gladness and with songs', for gladness and songs have reference to truths.
ttt[2] In the Word the expressions 'gladness' and 'joy' are used in various places, sometimes the two appearing together. But 'gladness' is used when truth or the affection for truth is the subject, and 'joy' when good or the affection for good is, as in Isaiah,
Behold, joy and gladness consist in slaying oxen and killing sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine. `Isaiah 22bbb13`.
Here 'joy' has reference to good and 'gladness' to truth. In the same prophet,
There will be an outcry in the streets over [the lack of] wine, all gladness will be made desolate, and the joy of the earth`fff1` will be banished. `Isaiah 24bbb11`.
In the same prophet,
The ransomed of Jehovah will return, and come to Zion with song, and everlasting joy upon their heads; they will obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing will flee away. `Isaiah 35bbb10`; `Isaiah ccc51bbb11`.
In the same prophet,
Jehovah will comfort Zion. Joy and gladness will be found in her, confession and the voice of song. `Isaiah 51bbb3`.
In Jeremiah,
I will make to cease from the cities of Judah and from the streets of Jerusalem the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, for the land will become a waste. `Jeremiah 7bbb34`; `Jeremiah ccc25bbb10`.
In the same prophet,
The voice of joy and the voice of gladness, and the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those that say, Give thanks`fff2` to Jehovah Zebaoth. `Jeremiah 33bbb11`.
In the same prophet,
Joy and exultation have been plucked from Carmel, and from the land of Moab. `Jeremiah 48bbb33`
In Joel,
Is not the food cut off before our eyes, gladness and exultation from the house of our God? `Joel 1bbb16`.
In Zechariah, The fast will be to the house of Judah one of joy and gladness and good feasts. `Zechariah 8bbb19`.
ttt[3] Anyone who does not know that the heavenly marriage, that is, the marriage of good and truth, is present in every detail of the Word might suppose that these two - joy and gladness - are exactly the same as each other and that both are used merely for the sake of greater emphasis, so that one of them is superfluous. But this is not the case, for not even the smallest part of an expression is used which lacks the spiritual sense. In the places that have been quoted, and in others too, 'joy' has reference to good and 'gladness' to truth, see also `@@@3118`. The fact that 'songs' also has reference to truths is clear from many places in the Word where songs are mentioned, for example `Isaiah 5bbb1`; `Isaiah ccc24bbb9`; `Isaiah ccc26bbb1`; `Isaiah ccc30bbb29`; `Isaiah ccc42bbb10`; `Ezekiel 26bbb13`; `Amos 5bbb23`; and elsewhere.
ttt[4] It should be recognized that everything in the Lord's kingdom has reference either to good or to truth, that is, to the things that are aspects of love or to those that are aspects of faith wedded to charity. Those which have reference to good or aspects of love are called celestial, while those which have reference to truth or aspects of faith wedded to charity are called spiritual. Since in every single detail of the Word the Lord's kingdom is the subject and in the highest sense the Lord Himself; and since the Lord's kingdom consists in a marriage of goodness and truth, or the heavenly marriage, and the Lord Himself is the one in whom the Divine marriage exists and from whom the heavenly marriage derives, that marriage is present in every single part of the Word. It stands out in particular in the Prophets where repetitions of one and the same thing occur with merely a change of words. In no case however are those repetitions pointless, for one expression means that which is celestial, that is, which has to do with love or good, and the other that which is spiritual, that is, which has to do with faith wedded to charity, or with truth. These considerations show how the heavenly marriage, that is, the Lord's kingdom, is present in every detail of the Word, and how in the highest sense the Divine marriage itself or the Lord is present there.
`nnn1. The Latin means all joy, but the Hebrew means the joy of the earth, which Swedenborg has in other places where he quotes this verse.
`nnn2. literally, Confess
ppp19713#pid#4138. 'With drums and with harps' means as regards spiritual good, that is to say, the state in which - thinking from the proprium - it had believed itself to be as regards that good. This is clear from the fact that 'drums and harps' has reference to good - spiritual good - as may be recognized from many places in the Word. Spiritual good is that which is called the good of faith, and is charity, whereas celestial good is that which is called the good of love, and is love to the Lord. The Lord has two kingdoms in the heavens, the first being called His celestial kingdom and consisting of those who are governed by love to the Lord, and the second being referred to as the spiritual kingdom and consisting of those who are governed by charity towards the neighbour. These kingdoms are quite distinct and separate, and yet in the heavens they act as one. Regarding these distinct and separate kingdoms - the celestial and the spiritual - see what has been stated many times already.
ttt[2] In the Churches of long ago various kinds of musical instruments were used, such as drums, lyres, flutes, harps, instruments of ten strings, and many others. Some of these belonged to the group connected with celestial things, and some to the group connected with spiritual. When these instruments are mentioned in the Word they imply such celestial or spiritual things, so that from the instrument mentioned one can know which kind of good forms the subject - whether spiritual good or celestial good. Drums and harps belonged to the group connected with spiritual things, and that is why the phrase 'as regards spiritual good' is being used in this paragraph. For 'a harp' is used in reference to spiritual things, and stringed instruments serve to mean spiritual things, but wind instruments celestial ones, see `@@@418-420`.
ppp19712#pid#4139. 'And you have not allowed me to kiss my sons and my daughters' means a disjoining in a free state as intermediate good believed it to be. This is clear from the meaning of 'kissing' as a joining together resulting from affection, dealt with in `@@@3573`, `@@@3574`, `@@@3800`, and 'not allowing to kiss' therefore as disjoining; from the meaning of 'sons' as truths, and of 'daughters' as goods, dealt with several times already. Thus a disjoining so far as truths and goods are concerned is meant. The fact that this occurred in a free state as intermediate good believed it to be, see what has appeared already in `@@@4136`, `@@@4137`.
ppp19711#pid#4140. 'Now you have acted foolishly in what you have done' means anger. This is clear from the emotion contained in these words.
ppp19710#pid#4141. 'Let my hand be for God to do you evil!' means a state of anger if it did possess the power. This is clear from the meaning of 'hand' as power, dealt with in `@@@878`, `@@@3387`. The fact that it is a state of anger in which these words were spoken and which is meant by them is self-evident.
ppp19709#pid#4142. 'And the God of your father spoke to me last night' means that the Divine did not allow it. This becomes clear without explanation, for he was forbidden in a dream to speak to Jacob 'either good or evil', as also in the words that follow here.
ppp19708#pid#4143. 'Saying, Beware of speaking to Jacob either good or evil' means that communication was forbidden. This is clear from the meaning of 'speaking either good or evil' as no communication any longer, dealt with above in `@@@4126`, and so a forbiddance of communication.
ppp19707#pid#4144. 'And now you have surely gone' means that, acting from its proprium, it had separated itself. This is clear from the meaning of 'surely going' as being separated - this separation, it is evident, being in the proprium.
ppp19706#pid#4145. 'Because you longed greatly for your father's house' means a longing to be joined to Divine good flowing in down a direct line. This is clear from the meaning here of 'father's house' - that is, Isaac and Abraham's house - as good flowing in along the direct line of descent. For 'house' means good, see `@@@2233`, `@@@2234`, `@@@3652`, `@@@3720`; 'father' too means good, `@@@3703`; 'Isaac' means the good of the Rational, `@@@3012`, `@@@3194`, `@@@3210`. In addition to this 'Abraham together with Isaac' represents Divine good flowing along the direct line of descent, and 'Laban' parallel good or good which does not flow in along the direct line, `@@@3665`, `@@@3778`. Parallel good or that which does not flow in along the direct line is the good which has been called intermediate good, for this good derives very much from things that are worldly which seem to be good but are not. Good flowing in along the direct line comes immediately from the Lord or else from the Lord by way of heaven as an intermediary; it is also Divine good separated from the kind of worldly good just mentioned.
ttt[2] With everyone who is being regenerated good is at first intermediate good, for the purpose that it may serve in the introduction of genuine goods and truths. But once it has served that use it is separated; and that person is guided towards good which flows in along the direct line of descent. So a person who is being regenerated is perfected gradually. For example: a person who is being regenerated believes at first that the good which he thinks and which he does begins in himself, and also that he earns some reward, for he does not yet know, or if he does know does not comprehend, that good is able to flow in from some other source. Neither does he know of or comprehend any other possibility than that he should be rewarded because he does it of himself. If he did not believe this at first he would never do anything good. But by this means he is introduced not only into the affection for doing good but also into cognitions concerning good and also concerning merit. And once he has been guided in this way into the affection for doing good he starts to think differently and to believe differently. That is to say, he starts to think and to believe that good flows in from the Lord and that he merits nothing through good which he does from the proprium. And when at length true affection lies behind his willing and doing of what is good he rejects merit altogether and indeed loathes it, and he is moved by an affection for good for the sake of what is good. When this state is reached good is flowing in down a direct line.
ttt[3] Take as another example conjugial love. The good which comes first and is introductory is good looks, or good manners, or outward compatibility, or similarity of social class, or aspiration. These forms of good are the first intermediate ones of conjugial love. After this comes the joining together of minds (animus) in which one wills as the other does and finds delight in doing that which is pleasing to the other. This is the second state, and although those initial forms of good are still present they are no longer kept in view. Finally there follows a uniting involving celestial good and spiritual truth. That is to say, one believes as the other believes, and one is moved by an affection for good as the other is moved. When this state is reached both together experience the heavenly marriage, which is a marriage of good and truth, and so experience conjugial love since conjugial love is nothing else. At the same time the Lord is flowing into the affections of them both as into a single affection. This is a good which flows in down a direct line, whereas the previous kind of good which had flowed in down an indirect line had served as the means of introduction to this good.
ppp19705#pid#4146. 'But why did you steal my gods?' means anger over its being a state in which truth had been lost. This is clear from what has been stated and shown above in `@@@4111` about the teraphim which Rachel stole.
ppp19704#pid#4147. Verses `Genesis 31bbbccc31-32` And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid; for I said, Perhaps you will take your daughters from me by force. Anyone with whom you find your gods shall not live in the presence of our brothers. Examine for yourself what is with me, and take them to yourself. And Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.
'Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid; for I said, Perhaps you will take your daughters from me by force' means the nature of the state if the separation had taken place with the free consent of that good, in that harm would have been done to it so far as affections for truth were concerned. 'Anyone with whom you find your gods shall not live in the presence of our brothers' means that that truth was not 'Laban's', and that what was 'Laban's' truth could not reside in his - 'Jacob's' - good. 'Examine for yourself what is with me, and take them to yourself' means that everything belonging to that good had been separated. 'And Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them' means that they belonged to the affection for interior truth.
ppp19703#pid#4148. 'Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid; for I said, Perhaps you will take your daughters from me by force' means the nature of the state if the separation had taken place with the free consent of that good, in that harm would have been done to it so far as affections for truth were concerned. This is clear from what has gone before where separation with the free consent on the part of the good meant by 'Laban' was the subject, and to which an answer is recorded here. All the words used here - each one - include heavenly arcana within them in the internal sense, but these cannot be disclosed for the reason discussed just above in `@@@4136`. Yet they mean, it is evident, the nature of the state if the separation had taken place with the free consent of that good. And the consideration that the affections for truth would in that case be harmed is meant by 'Perhaps you will take your daughters from me by force', for 'daughters', who in this case are Rachel and Leah, means affections for truth, as shown many times already. The implications of all this are shown more clearly by what follows next.
ppp19702#pid#4149. 'Anyone with whom you find your gods shall not live in the presence of our brothers' means that that truth was not 'Laban's', and that what was 'Laban's' truth could not reside in his - 'Jacob's' - good. This is clear from the meaning of 'gods' which in this case are the teraphim, as truths, dealt with in `@@@4111`, not however the truths belonging to the good meant by 'Laban' but to the affection which 'Rachel' represents. It is because those truths are meant by 'gods' here that the reference to Rachel's having stolen them is added. And more concerning them appears further on which would not have been recorded if that deed of hers had not entailed arcana which are evident solely in the internal sense. And because the truths under discussion here were not truths belonging to the good meant by 'Laban' but those belonging to the affection for truth which 'Rachel' represents, the words 'Anyone with whom you find your gods shall not live in the presence of our brothers' therefore mean that that truth was not 'Laban's', and that what was 'Laban's' truth could not reside in his - 'Jacob's' - good.
ttt[2] The implication of this arcanum is that all spiritual good has its own truths, for wherever that good exists truths are present also. Regarded in itself good is a single whole, but it is made various by means of truths. Indeed truths may be compared to the fibres which compose some organ of the body. It is the form which these fibres take that determines the nature of the organ and therefore of its function. And this - that is to say, its function - is dependent on the life which flows in through the soul, a life that comes from good which originates in the Lord. So although good is a single whole it nevertheless varies with each individual; it is so varying that it is never exactly the same with one person as with another. This also is why one person's truth cannot possibly abide in another person's good. For all the truths residing with someone in whom good is present intercommunicate and produce some form or other. For this reason one person's truth cannot be transferred to another, for when it is transferred it passes into the form that is peculiar to the recipient and takes on a different appearance. But this arcanum demands exploration which is too deep to enable it to be revealed in just a few words. This explains why the mind of one person is never exactly like another's, but that the differences in people's affections and ways of thinking are as numerous as the people themselves. It also explains why the whole of heaven consists of angelic forms which are endlessly varying. Arranged by the Lord into the form heaven takes, those forms act as a single whole. For no single whole is ever composed of parts that are identical but of those that are various existing in a single form and which make one in keeping with that form. This now shows what is meant by the statement that what was 'Laban's' truth could not reside in his own - 'Jacob's' - good.
ppp19701#pid#4150. 'Examine for yourself what is with me, and take them to yourself means that everything belonging to that good had been separated. This is clear from the literal meaning of these words, which is that 'nothing that is yours resides with me', that is, nothing belonging to the good meant by 'Laban' is present in the good which 'Jacob' represents, and therefore that everything belonging to that good had been separated.
ppp19700#pid#4151. 'And Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them' means that they belonged to the affection for interior truth. This is clear from the representation of 'Rachel' as the affection for interior truth, dealt with in `@@@3758`, `@@@3782`, `@@@3793`, `@@@3819`, and from the meaning of 'stealing' as taking away that which is cherished and holy, dealt with in `@@@4112`, `@@@4113`, `@@@4133`. It was stated above that Rachel's stealing the teraphim or Laban's gods meant a change as regards truth of the state represented by 'Laban', see `@@@4111`. That change of state is described further still in this verse and in those immediately following; for the change came about when the good represented by 'Laban' had been separated from the good meant by 'Jacob' and so through that separation passed into a different state. For the truths that had appeared to him to be his own when the two kinds of good were joined together were regarded in such a way that it seemed as though they had been taken away. This is the reason why Laban complained bitterly about the teraphim, and why he searched the tents for them, though he did not find them. For the truths which in the good sense are meant by 'the teraphim', `@@@4111`, were not his but belonged to the affection for truth meant by 'Rachel'.
ttt[2] These matters cannot be made plain except from things that take place in the next life. For things taking place in the next life near a person in this life seem to him to occur within him. And virtually the same is so with spirits in the next life. When communities of spirits which are governed by intermediate good are in association with angels it seems to them, altogether so, as though they possessed as their own the truths and goods which are the angels'; indeed those spirits are not aware of them being anything other than their own. But when they are separated they then realize that this is not true. They too therefore complain bitterly, believing that those goods and truths have been taken away from them by the angels with whom they have been in association. These are the considerations that are meant in the internal sense by 'teraphim' in this verse and those immediately following.
ttt[3] In general the situation is that no one ever possesses good or truth that is his own but that all good and truth flow in from the Lord, doing so both immediately and through angelic communities serving as intermediaries. Nevertheless it seems as though that good or truth is his own, and the reason for this is that these may be made over to him as his own until the time when he enters that state in which he may know, then acknowledge, and at length believe that they are not his but the Lord's. It is also well known from the Word and thereby in the Christian world that all good and all truth are derived from the Lord and nothing good at all from man. Indeed the teachings of the Church which are drawn from the Word declare that of himself man cannot even strive after good and so cannot will it, and as a consequence cannot do it, since the doing of good springs from the willing of it. They also declare that the whole of faith is received from the Lord, so that man cannot have the smallest measure of belief unless it flows in from the Lord.
ttt[4] These ideas are declared in the teachings of the Church and are taught in sermons. But few, indeed very few people, really believe them, as is proven by their presumption that life in its entirety exists inherently within themselves, and by the fact that scarcely any believe that life is something inflowing. Man's life in its entirety consists in being able to think and being able to will, for if that ability to think and to will is taken away no life remains at all. And the very essence of life consists in his thinking what is good and willing what is good, and also in his thinking what is true and willing that which he thinks is true. Since these abilities, according to teachings from the Word, are not man's but the Lord's and they flow in from the Lord by way of heaven, people who have any power of judgement and who are capable of reflecting could from this fact deduce that life in its entirety is something which inflows.
ttt[5] The same applies to evil and falsity. According to teachings drawn from the Word the devil is constantly trying to lead man astray and constantly breathing evil into him. This also is why, when anyone has committed a serious crime, it is said that he has allowed the devil to lead him astray. This again is the truth and yet few if any believe it. For just as all good and truth come from the Lord, so all evil and falsity come from hell, that is, from the devil - hell being the devil. This also shows that just as all good and truth are things that flow in, so too are all evil and falsity, and as a consequence every thought of evil or willing of it flows in too. Since these too are things that flow in, those who have any power of judgement and reflection may deduce that life is something which flows in, though it seems to exist inherently in man.
ttt[6] The truth of this has been demonstrated on many occasions to spirits who had recently arrived in the next life from the world. But some of them have said, If all evil or falsity too is something that flows in, then no evil or falsity at all can be attributed to them and they are free from blame since such evil or falsity comes from somewhere else. But they were told in reply that they had made that evil and falsity their own through their belief that when they had thought or willed anything they had acted independently, by themselves. Yet if that which is truly so had been believed by them they would not then have made that evil and falsity their own. For in that case they would have believed also that all good and truth come from the Lord; and if they had believed this, they would have allowed themselves to be led by the Lord and so their state would have been different. In that case also the evil which had entered their thought and will would have had no effect on them; that is to say, evil would not have come out of them but good, since, according to the Lord's words in `Mark 7bbb15`, it is not the things going in which affect a person but those coming out of him.
ttt[7] Many are able to know this but few believe it. Even those who are evil can do so, but they still do not believe it since they prefer their own ideas, which they love to such an extent that when it is demonstrated to them that everything is such that it flows in they become worried and demand fiercely that they be allowed to live according to their own ideas, saying that if these are taken away from them they could not go on living. Such is the belief even of people who do know. These matters have been stated so that people might know what it is like with those communities of spirits which are governed by intermediate good, both when they are joined to others and when they are separated from them. That is to say, when joined to others they are not aware of the goods and truths being anything other than their own, when in fact they are not theirs.
ppp19699#pid#4152. Verses `Genesis 31bbbccc33-35` And Laban came into Jacob's tent, and into Leah's tent, and into the tent of both servant-girls, and did not find them. And he went out of Leah's tent and came into Rachel's tent. And Rachel had taken the teraphim and put them in the camel's straw, and sat on them. And Laban felt around all the tent and did not find them. And she said to her father, Let there not be any anger in my lord's eyes, for I cannot rise up before you, for the way of women is upon me. And he searched and did not find the teraphim.
'Laban came into Jacob's tent, and into Leah's tent, and into the tent of both servant-girls, and did not find them' means that within the holiness which these possessed no such truths were present. 'And he went out of Leah's tent and came into Rachel's tent' means the holiness of that truth. 'And Rachel had taken the teraphim' means interior natural truths which came from the Divine. 'And put them in the camel's straw' means in facts. 'And sat on them' means that they were interior. 'And Laban felt around all the tent and did not find them' means that what was his own was not there. 'And she said to her father' means to good. 'Let there not be any anger in my lord's eyes, for I cannot rise up before you' means that they are unable to be revealed. 'For the way of women is upon me' means that as yet they were among things that were unclean. 'And he searched and did not find the teraphim' means that they were not his.
ppp19698#pid#4153. 'Laban came into Jacob's tent, and into Leah's tent, and into the tent of both servant-girls, and did not find them' means that within the holiness which these possessed no such truths were present. This is clear from the meaning of 'a tent' as holiness, dealt with in `@@@414`, `@@@1102`, `@@@2145`, `@@@2152`, `@@@3210`, `@@@3312`, `@@@4128`, in this case the holiness which their tents possessed since each one's tent is mentioned - Jacob's, Leah's, and the servant-girls'. The non-presence of those truths within this holiness is meant by the teraphim not being found there in those tents. In the good sense 'teraphim' means truths, see above in `@@@4111`; 'Jacob' represents the good of the natural, 'Leah' the affection for external truth, and 'the servant-girls' external affections, each of which have been dealt with already. And because the truths referred to here were not external but internal, the teraphim were not found in the tents of these persons, that is, in the holiness of any of them, but were in Rachel's tent, that is, in the holiness belonging to the affection for interior truth; for 'Rachel' represents the affection for interior truth.
ppp19697#pid#4154. 'And he went out of Leah's tent and came into Rachel's tent' means the holiness of that truth. This is clear from what has been stated immediately above. Truths, like goods, divide into exterior and interior ones, for there is an internal man and an external man. The internal man's goods and truths are called internal goods and truths, while the external man's are referred to as external goods and truths. The internal man's goods and truths exist in three degrees, as they do in the three heavens; and the external man's goods and truths likewise exist in three degrees and correspond to those internal ones. Indeed there are goods and truths which stand midway between the internal man and the external, which are intermediaries, for without those that are midway or intermediary no communication is possible. There are goods and truths proper to the natural man which are called external goods and truths, and there are also sensory goods and truths which belong to the body and so are the most external. These goods and truths existing in three degrees belong to the external man and, as has been stated, correspond to the same number of goods and truths of the internal man, which will in the Lord's Divine Providence be dealt with elsewhere.
ttt[2] The goods and truths belonging to each degree are entirely distinct and separate from one another and not in the least muddled up. The more interior are ones which give form, and the more exterior are ones which receive it. But although they are entirely distinct and separate from one another they are not seen by man as being distinct. Anyone who is sensory-minded cannot do other than regard all interior things, and indeed internal things themselves, as being merely objects perceived with the senses; for he sees things from the senses and so from a very external point of view. Interior things cannot possibly be seen from the most external, but the most external can be seen from interior things. The natural man, that is, one who bases his thinking on facts, cannot see other than that the natural things on which his thinking is based are inmost things, when in reality they are external. And the more interior man, who bases his judgements and conclusions on analytical arguments revealed by natural facts, in a similar way believes that they are the inmost things which man possesses, because they seem to him to be the inmost. Actually they come below his rational ideas, and so in relation to genuine rational ideas are more exterior or lower. Such is the manner of man's mental grasp of things. The matters which have just been discussed concern the natural or external man existing in three degrees. But those which belong to the internal man also exist, as has been stated, in three degrees, as they do in the three heavens.
ttt[3] From these considerations that have now been mentioned one may see what is implied by truths, meant by 'the teraphim', not being found in the tents of Jacob, Leah, or the servant-girls, but in Rachel's tent, that is, within the holiness of the affection for interior truth. All truth which comes from the Divine exists within holiness, for it cannot be otherwise, seeing that truth which comes from the Divine is holy. It is called holy from the affection, that is, from the love which flows in from the Lord and causes truth to stir a person's affection.
ppp19696#pid#4155. 'And Rachel had taken the teraphim' means interior natural truths which came from the Divine. This is clear from the representation of 'Rachel' as the affection for interior truth, dealt with already, and from the meaning of 'the teraphim' as truths which come from the Divine, `@@@4111`, and so interior truths, the nature of which and the place where they reside being described immediately above in `@@@4154`.
ppp19695#pid#4156. 'And put them in the camel's straw' means in facts. This is clear from the meaning of 'the camel's straw' as facts, `@@@3114`. These are called straw not only because straw is the food for camels but also because facts, compared with rational ideas, are coarse and lacking in order. For the same reason too facts are meant by 'the entangled boughs of trees and of the wood', `@@@2831`. Also 'camels' means general facts that belong to the natural man, see `@@@3048`, `@@@3071`, `@@@3143`, `@@@3145`.
ttt[2] As to the assertion that facts, compared with rational ideas, are coarse and lacking in order and for that reason are meant by 'straw' and also by 'entangled boughs', as has been stated, this idea is not open to those who rely solely on facts and are on that account reputed to be learned. They believe that the amount a person knows, that is, how much knowledge he possesses, determines how wise he is. But the situation is quite different, as has been made clear to me from those in the next life who, when they lived in the world, relied solely on facts and as a result acquired a name and reputation for being learned. Such people are sometimes far more stupid than those who have not possessed any skill in the use of factual knowledge. The reason for that stupidity has also been disclosed to me, which is this: Facts are indeed a means towards becoming wise, but they can also be a means towards becoming insane. For people who are leading a good life facts are a means to becoming wise, but for those leading an evil life they are a means to becoming insane since they use facts to support not only a life of evil but also false assumptions, which they do arrogantly and convincingly because they believe that they are wiser than others.
ttt[3] This leads to the destruction of their rational. It is not the person who is able to reason from facts, doing so sometimes in a seemingly more masterly way than others, who is endowed with rationality. This skill which he possesses is the product of a wholly illusory light. But that person has the proper gift of rationality who is able to see clearly that good is good and truth is truth, and as a consequence that evil is evil and falsity is falsity. But anyone who looks on good as evil and on evil as good, and who also looks on truth as falsity and falsity as truth, cannot in any sense be called rational, but rather irrational, no matter how capable he is at reasoning. With the person who sees clearly that good is good and that truth is truth, and conversely that evil is evil and falsity is falsity, there is light flowing in from heaven and enlightening the area of his understanding and causing reasons which he sees with the understanding to be just so many rays of that light. The same light also gives light to facts so that they serve to support those reasons, besides imposing order and the heavenly form on such facts. People however who stand opposed to good and truth, as all do who are leading an evil life, do not allow that heavenly light in. Instead they take delight solely in their own illusory light, whose nature is such that one sees things rather like a person in the dark who sees streaks on a wall, and is deluded into making all kinds of shapes out of them, when yet they are not shapes, for as daylight falls on them they are seen to be merely streaks.
ttt[4] From all this it may be seen that facts are a means to becoming wise and also a means to becoming insane; that is, that they are a means to perfecting the rational or else a means to destroying it. Those therefore who have destroyed the rational by means of facts are in the next life far more stupid than those who have not possessed any skill in the use of factual knowledge. The coarseness of facts compared with rational ideas is evident from the consideration that they belong to the natural or external man, and that the rational which is cultivated by means of them belongs to the spiritual or internal man. How far facts are different from and distant from the rational as regards purity can be known from what has been stated and shown about the two memories in `@@@2469-2494`.
ppp19694#pid#4157. 'And sat on them' means that they were interior - the teraphim being underneath her within the camel's straw. 'Camel's straw' means facts, as has been stated immediately above; and the truths meant by 'the teraphim' were not facts but contained within facts. For the interconnection of the three degrees of truths, dealt with just above in `@@@4154`, is that of interior truths within exterior; those degrees arrange themselves in that order.
ppp19693#pid#4158. 'And Laban felt around all the tent and did not find them' means that what was his own was not there. This is clear from the train of thought in the internal sense, and so is clear without any further explanation.
ppp19692#pid#4159. 'And she said to her father' means to good. This is clear from the meaning of 'father' as good, dealt with in `@@@3703`, and from the representation of Laban, to whom 'father' refers here, as intermediate good, dealt with already.
ppp19691#pid#4160. 'Let there not be any anger in my lord's eyes, for I cannot rise up before you', means that they are unable to be revealed. This too becomes clear from the train of thought in the internal sense, and is consequently clear without any further explanation. For 'rising up' would amount to an uncovering, and consequently a revealing, of the truths which are meant by 'the teraphim'. So 'being unable to rise up' means that they were unable to be revealed.
ppp19690#pid#4161. 'For the way of women is upon me' means that as yet they were among things that were unclean. This is clear from the meaning of 'the way of women' as uncleanness, and also that the things on which she sat were unclean, `Leviticus 15bbb19-31`. So they were among things that were unclean. Interior truths are said to be among things that are unclean when they are among facts which do not as yet correspond, that is, which are not in harmony with them. Such things are removed when a person is being made clean, that is, when being regenerated.
ppp19689#pid#4162. 'And he searched and did not find the teraphim' means that they were not his, that is to say, that those truths were not Laban's. This is clear from the meaning of 'searching and not finding'. The implications in the external historical sense are that they really were Laban's and had therefore been hidden away, but in the internal sense that they were not his; for 'the teraphim' means truths from the Divine, see `@@@4111`. What all this implies, that is to say, how these truths did not belong to the good meant by 'Laban' but to the affection for interior truth, may be seen from what has been stated above in `@@@4151`. From all this it is evident which particular arcanum lies concealed within these details which are recorded concerning the teraphim.
ttt[2] The reason why 'the teraphim' means truths from the Divine is that those who belonged to the Ancient Church gave to the Divine or the Lord various illustrious names which were descriptive of His different attributes as these manifested themselves in outward effects. The name God Shaddai, for example, was descriptive of the temptations in which the Lord fights on man's behalf and after which He bestows benefits, see `@@@1992`, `@@@3667`. His providence guarding against man's entering of himself into the mysteries of faith they called 'cherubim', `@@@308`, and Divine truths which they received through answers they referred to as 'teraphim'. And for every other Divine attribute also they had a specific name. But the wise among them did not understand by each of those names anything but the one and only Lord, whereas the simple made images for themselves which were representative of that Divine, as many images as were those names. Then, when Divine worship began to be converted into idolatry, they invented as many gods for themselves. This was how many forms of idolatry arose among the gentiles, who added to the number of these gods. But because in ancient times Divine attributes had been meant by those names, some were retained, such as Shaddai and also 'cherubim' and 'teraphim', and when used in the Word mean the kinds of things that have been mentioned. By 'the teraphim' are meant Divine truths contained in the answers given by them, as is evident in `Hosea 3bbb4`.
ppp19688#pid#4163. Verses `Genesis 31bbbccc36-42` And Jacob was incensed and wrangled with Laban; and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my transgression, what is my sin, that you have hotly pursued after me? Because you have felt around all my vessels, what have you found belonging to all the vessels of your house? Put it here in front of my brothers and your brothers, and let them decide between the two of us. These twenty years I have been with you; your sheep and your she-goats have not miscarried, and I have not eaten the rams of your flock. That which was torn [by beasts] I did not bring to you; I myself bore the loss of it; from my hand you required it - that stolen by day and that stolen by night. This is how I was: By day the heat consumed me, and the cold by night; and my sleep was banished from my eyes. These twenty years I have served you in your house - fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock; and you have changed my wages in ten ways. Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Dread of Isaac, had been with me, you would now have sent me away empty-handed. My affliction and the tiredness of my hands`fff1` God has seen, and has given judgement last night.
'Jacob was incensed and wrangled with Laban' means the zeal of the natural. 'And Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my transgression, what is my sin, that you have hotly pursued after me?' means that it was not because of evil that it had separated itself. 'Because you have felt all around my vessels, what have you found belonging to all the vessels of your house?' means that no truths had been that good's very own but all had been given. 'Put it here in front of my brothers and your brothers, and let them decide between the two of us' means that judgement should be made on the basis of that which is just and fair. 'These twenty years I have been with you' means the proprium. 'Your sheep and your she-goats have not miscarried' means its state as regards good and the good of truth. 'And I have not eaten the rams of your flock' means the truth of good, in that He took nothing of his. 'That which was torn [by beasts] I did not bring to you' means that evil for which He was not blameworthy resided with that good. 'I myself bore the loss of it' means that good came out of it. 'From my hand you required it' means that it came from Himself. 'That stolen by day and that stolen by night' means the evil of merit-seeking in a similar way. 'This is how I was: By day the heat consumed me, and the cold by night; and my sleep was banished from my eyes' means temptations. 'These twenty years I have served you in your house' means the proprium. 'Fourteen years for your two daughters' means the first period, the purpose of which was that He might acquire to Himself the affections for truth. 'And six years for your flock' means the purpose of which was that He might acquire good after that. 'And you have changed my wages in ten ways' means its state towards Him when He was linking those goods to Himself. 'Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Dread of Isaac, had been with me' means but for the Divine and the Divine Human. 'You would now have sent me away empty-handed' means that it would have claimed all things to itself. 'My affliction and the tiredness of my hands God has seen, and has given judgement last night' means that all things were effected by Him by His own power.
`nnn1. literally, palms
ppp19687#pid#4164. 'Jacob was incensed and wrangled with Laban' means the zeal of the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'being incensed' or being angry, and as a result 'wrangling', as zeal; and from the representation of 'Jacob' as the good of the natural, dealt with already. The reason why 'being incensed', or being angry, and as a result 'wrangling', means zeal is that in heaven or among angels no anger exists, but instead of anger zeal. For anger is different from zeal, in that anger contains evil but zeal contains good. Or to put it another way, a person who is filled with anger intends evil to another with whom he is angry, whereas someone who is filled with zeal intends good to another for whom he is zealous. For this reason also a person who is filled with zeal is able to be good in an instant, and in what he is actually doing to be good towards others. Not so with a person who is filled with anger. Although in outward form zeal has a similar appearance to anger, in inward form it is altogether dissimilar.
ppp19686#pid#4165. 'And Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my transgression, what is my sin, that you have hotly pursued after me?' means that it was not because of evil that it had separated itself. This is clear from the meaning of 'transgression' and of 'sin' as evil. Laban's 'hot pursuit' was due to Jacob's having separated himself; so the meaning is that it was not because of evil that it had separated itself.
ppp19685#pid#4166. 'Because you have felt all around my vessels, what have you found belonging to all the vessels of your house?' means that no truths had been that good's very own but all had been given. This is clear from the meaning of 'the vessels of his house' as the truths that are its own. 'Vessels' means the truths, see `@@@3068`, `@@@3079`, `@@@3316`, `@@@3318`, and so 'the vessels of his house', it is evident, means the truths that are its own. 'Feeling around for those vessels and not finding them' means that none had been its own and consequently that all had been given. For the implications of all this, see `@@@4151`.
ppp19684#pid#4167. 'Put it here in front of my brothers and your brothers, and let them decide between the two of us' means that judgement should be made on the basis of that which is just and fair. This is clear from the meaning of 'brothers' as goods, dealt with in `@@@2360`, `@@@3803`, `@@@3815`, `@@@4121`, from which it follows that 'my brothers and your brothers' means that which is just and fair. As regards 'let them judge between the two of us' meaning judgement, this is self-evident. The reason why 'my brothers and your brothers' means that which is just and fair is that the subject here is the natural; for to be exact that within the natural is called just and fair which within the spiritual is referred to as good and true. With man there are two bases on which celestial and spiritual things coming from the Lord are founded, the first base being more internal, the second more external. Those bases are in fact nothing else than conscience. Without such bases, that is, without conscience, nothing celestial or spiritual coming from the Lord can possibly be held in place but flows away like water through a sieve. For this reason people who lack such a base, that is, who lack conscience, do not know what conscience is; indeed they do not believe in the existence of anything spiritual or celestial.
ttt[2] The more internal base or more internal conscience is the place where good and truth in the genuine sense reside, for good and truth flowing in from the Lord are what activate this conscience. But the more external base is the more external conscience, and this is where that which is just and fair in the proper sense resides; for a sense of what is just and fair in private and public affairs, which also flows in from Him, is what activates that conscience. There is in addition a most external base, which resembles conscience but is not conscience at all, namely the performance of what is just and fair for selfish and worldly reasons, that is, for the sake of one's own position and reputation, and for the sake of worldly wealth and possessions, as well as fear of the law. These three bases are what govern a person, that is, they are the means by which the Lord governs him. By the more internal base, or the conscience consisting of spiritual good and truth, the Lord governs those who are regenerate. By the more external base or conscience consisting of what is just and fair, that is, by means of the conscience consisting of good and truth in private and in public affairs, the Lord governs those who are not yet regenerate but who are capable of being regenerated, and are also being regenerated, if not in this life then in the next. But by means of the most external base, which resembles conscience but is not in fact this, the Lord governs all others, including the evil. But for His government of them the latter would plunge into every kind of wickedness and insanity, as they in fact do when the restraints belonging to that base are lacking. And people who do not allow themselves to be governed by those bases are either the insane or else those who are punished as laws prescribe.
ttt[3] These three bases act as one with regenerate persons, for one flows into another, the more internal one regulating the more external. The first base, which is the conscience consisting of spiritual good and truth, is laid down within man's rational, whereas the second, or the conscience consisting of good and truth in private and public life, that is, the sense of what is just and fair, exists within man's natural. From all this one may now see what is implied by that which is just and fair, meant by 'brothers' - that which is just being meant by 'my brothers', and that which is fair by 'your brothers'. The expression 'that which is just and fair' is used because the natural man is the subject; for, to be exact, justice and fairness are attributes of the natural man.
ppp19683#pid#4168. 'These twenty years I have been with you' means the proprium. This is clear from the meaning of 'twenty' as the good present in remnants, `@@@2280`. But when the term remnants is used in reference to the Lord nothing else is meant than His proprium, `@@@1906`. 'Twenty years' means states of the proprium - 'years' meaning states, see `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@893`. In the highest sense the content of Jacob's words addressed to Laban refers to the proprium within the Natural which the Lord acquired to Himself by His own power, in particular to the various states of that proprium.
ppp19682#pid#4169. 'Your sheep and your she-goats have not miscarried' means its state as regards good and the good of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'sheep' as good, dealt with below, and from the meaning of 'she-goat' as the good of truth, dealt with in `@@@3995`, `@@@4006`. The word good when used by itself means the good of the will, whereas the expression the good of truth means the good of the understanding. The good of the will consists in doing good from good, whereas the good of the understanding consists in doing it from truth. To people who do good from truth those two activities seem to be one and the same, when in fact they are considerably different from each other. For doing good from good consists in doing it from the perception of good, and that perception does not exist with any except those who are celestial. But doing good from truth is doing it from knowledge and consequently from the understanding. It amounts to doing it without any perception that it is good, and so solely as something that a person has been taught to do by others, or else by the exercise of his own intellect has decided that it is good. Such truth may well be faulty, but if it has good as its end in view, then a person's action arising out of that truth becomes tantamount to good.
ttt[2] 'Sheep' means goods. This may be seen from many places in the Word, from which places let merely the following be quoted: In Isaiah,
He was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth. He is led like a lamb`fff1` to the slaughter, and like a sheep before its shearers, he did not open his mouth. `Isaiah 53bbb7`.
This refers to the Lord, where He is compared to 'a sheep' not by virtue of truth but of good. In Matthew,
Jesus said to the twelve whom He sent out, Do not go into the way of the gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. `Matthew 10bbb5-6`.
'The gentiles' to whom they were forbidden to go stands for those among whom evils exist - 'gentiles' meaning evils, see `@@@1259`, `@@@1260`, `@@@1849`; 'the cities of the Samaritans' stands for those among whom falsities are present; and 'sheep' stands for those among whom forms of good may be found.
ttt[3] In John,
Jesus after the Resurrection said to Peter, Feed My lambs. A second time He said, Feed My sheep; the third time He said, Feed My sheep. `John 21bbb15-17`.
'Lambs' stands for those who have innocence within them. The first reference to 'sheep' stands for people whose practice of good stems from good, the second for those whose practice of it stems from truth. In Matthew,
When the Son of Man comes in His glory He will place the sheep at His right hand but the goats at His left. And He will say to those at His right hand, Come, O blessed of My Father, possess as an inheritance the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in, I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me, I was in prison and you came to Me. Insofar as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers you did it to Me. `Matthew 25bbb31-40`.
Here it is quite plain that 'sheep' stands for goods, that is, for those in whom good is present. Every kind of good flowing from charity, which will in the Lord's Divine mercy be described elsewhere, is included here in the internal sense. 'Goats' means in particular those who have faith but no charity.
ttt[4] Similarly in Ezekiel,
As for you, O My flock, said the Lord Jehovih, Behold, I am judging between one member of the flock and another, between rams of the sheep, and he-goats. `Ezekiel 34bbb17`.
'He-goats' means in particular those whose faith is not linked to any charity. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'he-goats' in the good sense as those who possess the truth of faith and from this some charity, but in the contrary sense those whose faith is not linked to any charity. Such people reason about salvation from basic assumptions that faith is what saves. The same point is apparent from what the Lord says about the goats in the passage in Matthew quoted above. But people who do not possess any truth of faith, or at the same time any good of charity, are carried away into hell without undergoing any such judgement, that is to say, without any examination to prove that they are governed by falsity.
`nnn1. The Latin means cattle, but the Hebrew means lamb, which Swedenborg has in other places where he quotes this verse.
ppp19681#pid#4170. 'And I have not eaten the rams of your flock' means the truth of good, in that He took nothing of his. This is clear from the meaning of 'rams' as the truths of good - for 'sheep' means goods, and 'rams' consequently the truths that go with good since rams partner sheep; and from the meaning of 'eating' as making one's own, dealt with in `@@@3168`, `@@@3513`, `@@@3596`, `@@@3832`, and so taking, for that belonging to another which is made one's own is something taken from him.
ppp19680#pid#4171. 'That which was torn [by beasts] I did not bring to you' means that evil for which He was not blameworthy resided with that good. This is clear from the meaning of 'torn' as death caused by another, and so evil for which He was not blameworthy. The evils present with man have many origins. The first lies in the heredity passed down to him by the series of transmissions to his father from grandfathers and forefathers, and then from his father, in whom evils have thereby become heaped up, down to himself. The second origin lies in what he himself makes actual, that is to say, in what a person acquires to himself by a life of evil. This evil consists partly of that which he draws from his heredity, as from an ocean of evils, and puts into practice, and partly of much more which he adds for himself to these. This is the source of the proprium which a person acquires to himself. But this actual evil which a person makes his own also has various origins, though in general there are two. First there is the evil he receives from others, for which he is not worthy of blame; second there is that which he adopts of his own accord and for which he is thus worthy of blame. That which anyone receives from others and for which he is not blameworthy is meant in the Word by 'that which is torn', whereas that which he adopts of his own accord and for which he is thus blameworthy is meant in the Word by 'a carcass'.
ttt[2] This explains why, as in the Ancient Church so also in the Jewish they were forbidden to eat anything that had died naturally, that is, was a carcass, or to eat 'that which had been torn'. This prohibition is contained in the following,
Every soul - homeborn or settler - who eats a carcass`fff1` or that which has been torn to pieces shall wash his clothes and bathe himself with water; he shall be unclean until the evening, and then he shall be clean; and if he has not washed himself and bathed his flesh he shall bear his iniquity. `Leviticus 17bbb15-16`.
In the same author,
He shall not eat a carcass`fff1` or that which has been torn, to defile himself with it; I am Jehovah. `Leviticus 22bbb8`.
'That which has been torn' stands for evil that is a product of falsity, which is caused by the evil who are meant by the wild animals in the wood which tear to pieces, for in the Word those in hell are compared to wild animals. In the same author,
You shall be men who are sanctified to Me; therefore you shall not eat flesh torn in the field, you shall throw it to the dogs. `Exodus 22bbb31`.
In Ezekiel,
The prophet said to Jehovah, My soul has not been polluted, and from my childhood even till now I have not eaten any carcass`fff1` or that which has been torn nor has abominable flesh come into my mouth. `Ezekiel 4bbb14`.
In the same prophet,
The priests shall not eat any carcass`fff1` or anything that has been torn, whether bird or beast. `Ezekiel 44bbb31`.
This refers to the Lord's kingdom - that it is where the new earth is situated.
ttt[3] All these places show what is meant in the internal sense by 'that which has been torn'; yet to make this plainer still, take as an example someone who leads a good life, that is, who does good to another because he wishes him well. Suppose that this someone then allows himself to be persuaded by another who is under the influence of evil that a good life contributes nothing to salvation for the reason that everyone is born in sins and nobody is able of himself to will good or consequently do it. And suppose he therefore allows himself to be persuaded by the idea that a means of salvation is supplied which is called faith, and accordingly that a person can be saved without leading a good life, even though his reception of faith were to take place at his final hour. If such a person who has been leading a good life allows himself to be persuaded by such an idea and then ceases to care about that life and also shows contempt for it, he is called 'one who has been torn'. For 'torn' is used in reference to good into which falsity is introduced, with the result that good ceases to be living any longer.
ttt[4] Take as another example marriage, which a person thinks of as a heavenly institution. Then he - and perhaps his partner also - allows himself to be persuaded that marriage is instituted purely for the sake of order in the world, for the sake of the upbringing and proper care of children, and for the sake of inheritances. In addition he allows himself to be persuaded that the bond of marriage is nothing more than a kind of contract which can be terminated or modified by either partner if the other is in agreement. Once he has accepted these ideas he does not see anything heavenly about marriage. If this leads on to debauchery, then that which is called 'torn' is the result. So with every other example that could be taken.
ttt[5] The fact that the evil are the ones who 'tear to pieces' - which they do by means of reasonings drawing on things of an external nature, into which things of an internal kind cannot be imported because of an evil life - may be seen from the following in Jeremiah,
A lion from the forest has struck the great men down, a wolf of the deserts has devastated them, a leopard is watching over their cities, every one going out of them is torn to pieces, because their transgressions have been multiplied, their turnings away have become firm. `Jeremiah 5bbb5-6`.
And in Amos,
Edom pursued his brother with the sword, and extinguished his own feelings of compassion, and his anger tore perpetually, and he kept his wrath for ever. `Amos 1bbb11-12`.
`nnn1. i.e. an animal that has not been slaughtered but has died naturally
ppp19679#pid#4172. 'I myself bore the loss of it' means that good came out of it. This is clear from the meaning of 'bearing the loss' as making good, in this case as good coming out of it. With regard to the evil for which a person is blameworthy and the evil for which he is not, meant respectively by 'a carcass' and 'that which has been torn', and dealt with immediately above, the position is this: The evil for which a person is blameworthy - that is, the evil which he has acquired by his own practice of it in life, and which he has also established so firmly in his thinking that he believes in it and is thoroughly convinced of it - cannot be corrected but remains for ever. But the evil for which he is not blameworthy - that which he has not firmly established in his thinking and of which inwardly he has not become thoroughly convinced - does indeed remain. Yet it clings only to what is external, for it does not enter into anything more internal and corrupt the internal man. This kind of evil is such that good can come out of it, for the internal man, which has not yet been affected nor has yet acquiesced, is able to see that evil in the external man is indeed evil. Thus it is able to be removed. Also, because the internal man is able to see this evil, therefore at the same time good can be seen more clearly. For good is shown up more clearly by that which is the opposite of it than by that which is not; and the person himself then feels a deeper affection for that good. This then is what is meant by good coming out of it.
ppp19678#pid#4173. 'From my hand you required it' means that it came from Himself. This is clear from the meaning of 'hand' as power, dealt with in `@@@878`, `@@@3387`, and so that which came from Himself, since that which is from His own power comes from Himself.
ppp19677#pid#4174. 'That stolen by day and that stolen by night' means the evil of merit-seeking in a similar way. This is clear from the meaning of 'stolen' or theft as the evil of merit-seeking. The evil of merit-seeking exists when someone attributes good to himself and supposes that it originates in himself, and on that account wishes to merit salvation. This is the evil meant in the internal sense by 'theft'. But the situation with this evil is that at first all who are being reformed imagine that good originates in themselves and as a consequence that they merit salvation through the good which they perform. For the supposition that they merit salvation through the good which they perform is the outcome of their supposition that good originates in themselves, since the one supposition clings to the other. But people who allow themselves to be regenerated do not set their minds firmly in that way of thinking or convince themselves that such ideas are right. Instead these are gradually dispersed. Indeed as long as a person stays in the external man, as all do at the beginning of reformation, he inevitably thinks in that way. But he is thinking solely from the external man.
ttt[2] But when the external man together with its evil urges is being removed and the internal man is starting to be active, that is, when the Lord is flowing in through the internal man with the light of intelligence and by means of it giving light to the external man, that person starts to think in a different way and to attribute good not to himself but to the Lord. From this one may see what the evil of merit-seeking is, which is meant here by evil through which good comes - the kind of evil for which one is not blameworthy, dealt with already. But if, on reaching adult years, a person firmly establishes this evil in his thinking and becomes utterly convinced that he merits salvation through the good which he performs, that evil becomes strongly rooted in him and cannot be put right. For such people claim to themselves that which is the Lord's. So they are not receivers of good which flows in constantly from the Lord; for the moment this enters them they channel it into themselves and into their proprium, and in so doing they defile it. These evils are what are meant in the proper sense by 'thefts', see `@@@2609`.
ppp19676#pid#4175. 'This is how I was: By day the heat consumed me, and the cold by night; and my sleep was banished from my eyes' means temptations. This is clear from the meaning of 'treat' and of 'cold' as that which is the over-abundance of love and that which is the complete lack of it, and so the two extremes - 'day' meaning a state of faith or of truth which is at its height, and 'night' a state when no faith or truth exists at all, `@@@221`, `@@@935`, `@@@936`; and from the meaning of 'sleep banished from the eyes' as constantly or without respite. Because in temptations people undergo experiences such as these, temptations in general are therefore meant by the words used here. The reason 'heat' means an over-abundance of love is that spiritual fire or warmth is love, while spiritual cold on the other hand is the lack of it. In fact man's actual life is nothing other than love, for without love he does not possess any life at all. Indeed, if a person stops to reflect, he can recognize that all vital heat or warmth which is within the body comes from it. But 'cold' does not mean the deprivation of all love, only the deprivation of spiritual and celestial love, a deprivation which is called spiritual death.
ttt[2] When a person is deprived of that love he is fired by love of himself and of the world. This latter love, compared with spiritual and celestial love, is cold, and also becomes cold, not only with a person when living in the body but also when he enters the next life. If love of self and the world is taken away from him when he is living in the body, he grows so cold that he possesses scarcely any life at all, as would likewise be so if he were compelled to think reverently about heavenly and Divine things. In the next life, when such a person is among those who inhabit hell, he is inflamed with the fire or heat of evil passions. But if he draws near to heaven that fire and heat is converted into cold, the intensity of which increases the nearer he gets; and so does the torment to the same extent. This cold is what is meant by 'the gnashing of teeth' which is associated with those in hell, `Matthew 8bbb12`; `Matthew ccc13bbb42`, `Matthew 13bbbccc50`; `Matthew ccc22bbb13`; `Matthew ccc24bbb51`; `Matthew ccc25bbb30`; `Luke 13bbb28`.
ppp19675#pid#4176. 'These twenty years I have served you in your house' means the proprium. This is clear from the meaning of 'twenty' as the good present in remnants, dealt with in `@@@2280`, which good, in reference to the Lord, consists in that which He acquired to Himself, `@@@1906`, and so in His proprium; and from the meaning of 'serving' when used in reference to the Lord, as His own power, dealt with in `@@@3975`, `@@@3977`.
ppp19674#pid#4177. 'Fourteen years for your two daughters' means the first period, the purpose of which was that He might acquire to Himself the affections for truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'fourteen', or two 'weeks', as the first period (for the expression 'weeks' in the Word means nothing else than a whole period, long or short, see `@@@2044`, `@@@3845`; and when 'two weeks' are referred to as a single period the same applies, since the doubling and the squaring of a number does not alter the meaning. From this it is evident what 'fourteen' or two 'weeks' means here); and from the meaning of 'two daughters', who in this case are Rachel and Leah, as affections for truth, dealt with in `@@@3758`, `@@@3782`, `@@@3793`, `@@@3819`, and in addition in `@@@2362`, where the meaning of 'daughters' as affections is dealt with.
ppp19673#pid#4178. 'And six years for your flock' means the purpose of which was that He might acquire good after that. This is clear from the meaning of 'six' as conflict and labour, dealt with in `@@@720`, `@@@737`, `@@@900`, in this case that which remained after conflict and labour, and so that which came after; and from the meaning of 'flock' as good, dealt with in `@@@343`, `@@@2566`, `@@@3518`.
ppp19672#pid#4179. 'And you have changed my wages in ten ways' means its state towards Him when He was linking those goods to Himself. This is clear from the meaning of 'wages' when used in reference to the Lord, as that which He achieved for Himself, dealt with in `@@@3996`, `@@@3999`, and so means when He was linking goods to Himself; and from the meaning of 'changing them' as the state of that good meant by 'Laban' towards Himself. 'Ten ways' means a very great change, `@@@4077`.
ppp19671#pid#4180. 'Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Dread of Isaac, had been with me' means but for the Divine and the Divine Human. This is clear from the meaning of 'the God of my father' when used in reference to the Lord, as the Divine as regards Good - 'Father' meaning Divine Good, and 'Son' Divine Truth, see `@@@2803`, `@@@3704`, in this case the Divine Good of each Essence; from the meaning of 'the God of Abraham' as the Divine itself which is called the Divine Essence - 'Abraham' representing the Lord as regards the Divine itself, `@@@2011`, `@@@3439`; and from the meaning of 'the Dread of Isaac' as the Divine Human. The expression 'the Dread' is used because it is Divine Truth that is meant by it. For among people who are not governed by good Divine Truth holds fear, dread, and terror within it, unlike Divine Good which does not strike fear into anyone. The same expression and meaning occur later on in this chapter,
Jacob swore by the Dread of Isaac his father. Verse `Genesis 31bbbccc53`.
Because he had been separated from Jacob by now, that is, because intermediate good had been separated from Divine good, Laban's state was such that he wished to do harm, as is evident from the things that are mentioned regarding Laban. It is because his state was such that the expression 'the Dread of Isaac' is used. Anyone can see that 'the Dread of Isaac' means the God of Isaac, and also that Laban's state was such. For 'Isaac' represents the Lord's Divine Human, in particular as regards the Divine Rational, see `@@@1893`, `@@@2066`, `@@@2072`, `@@@2083`, `@@@2630`, `@@@3012`, `@@@3194`, `@@@3210`, `@@@3704`.
ttt[2] As regards what is said above, that Divine Truth coming from the Lord, unlike Divine Good, holds dread within it so far as those not governed by good are concerned, the position is this: The holiness which radiates from the Lord has Divine Good and Divine Truth within it. These go forth from the Lord unceasingly and are the source of the light which shines in the heavens and the source of the light which shines in human minds. Consequently they are the source of wisdom and intelligence, for these are present within that light. But the way in which anyone is affected by that light, or wisdom and intelligence, depends on how he receives it. Those who are governed by evil do not receive Divine Good since they possess no love or charity, for everything good is a manifestation of love and charity. But Divine Truth is able to be received even by the evil, though only by their external man, not by their internal.
ttt[3] It is like the warmth and light which come from the sun. Spiritual warmth is love, and so good, whereas spiritual light is faith, and so truth. When warmth from the sun is being received, trees and flowers grow, producing leaves and blossom and fruit, or seeds. This occurs in spring and summer-time. But when warmth from the sun is not received, only light, nothing grows. All vegetation then becomes inactive, as it does in autumn and winter-time. The same also applies to spiritual warmth and spiritual light which come from the Lord. If a person is spring-like or summer-like he receives the good which flows from love and charity and produces fruit; but if he is autumn-like or winter-like he does not receive that good and therefore does not produce any fruit. Yet he is still able to receive light, that is, he is able to know things that are matters of faith or truth. The effect of the light of winter is similar to that of summer, in that it too produces colourful and beautiful sights and enables them to be seen. But it is different in that it does not penetrate beneath the surface because it has no warmth in it, and as a consequence nothing can grow.
ttt[4] The reception of light alone therefore and not of good is as when objects do not receive any warmth. Merely the outward form and the beauty of that form is received from the light, so that they are cold within; and when they are cold within they are all inactive, looking so to speak like something wrinkled with its hairs standing on end when the light meets it. And these are the conditions which produce fear, dread, and terror in living creatures. This comparison enables one to comprehend to some extent the nature of the fear, dread, and terror experienced by the evil. That is to say, such feelings are not the product of Divine Good but of Divine Truth; and they occur when people do not receive Divine Good yet do receive Divine Truth. The comparison also enables one to comprehend that Divine Truth devoid of Good cannot penetrate beneath the surface but stays in the outermost parts, that is, in the external man, and mainly in the area of sensory awareness belonging to the external man. More than this it enables one to comprehend that a person may sometimes look beautiful in outward form and yet in inward form be detestable. From all this one may also see the nature of the faith with very many - faith which, they say, saves without good works, that is, without goodwill and good actions.
ttt[5] It being the Divine Human, and not the Divine itself, from which Divine Truth proceeds, it is the Divine Human therefore which is meant here by 'the Dread of Isaac'. For as has been stated, it is Divine Truth which strikes fear into someone, not Divine Good. That it is the Lord's Divine Human, and not the Divine itself, from which Divine Truth proceeds is an arcanum that has not been disclosed up to now. The implications of the arcanum are as follows: Before the Lord came into the world the Divine itself flowed into the whole of heaven; and because heaven at that time consisted for the most part of those who were celestial, that is, who were governed by the good of love, that influx of God's Almighty power furnished the light which shone in the heavens, and with that light wisdom and intelligence. But when the human race departed from the good of love and charity it was no longer possible for that light to be provided by way of heaven, nor consequently for the wisdom and intelligence to come through to the human race. For this reason, so that the human race might be saved, the Lord out of necessity came into the world and made Divine the Human within Himself in order that as to that Divine Human He might become Divine Light, and in so doing might bring light to the whole of heaven and to the whole world. He had been from eternity Light itself, for the Divine itself passing through the heavens was the source of that Light. And it was the Divine itself which took on the Human and made this Human Divine; and once that Human had been made Divine He was then able to bring light not only to the celestial heaven itself but also to the spiritual heaven, and to the human race too, which received and receives Divine Truth within good, that is, within love to Him and within charity towards the neighbour, as is evident in John,
As many as received Him, to them He gave power to be sons of God, to those believing in His name, who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. `John 1bbb12-13`.
ttt[6] The things that have now been stated make clear the meaning of the following in John,
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. He was the true Light that enlightens every man coming into the world. `John 1bbb1-4`, `John 1bbbccc9`.
Here 'the Word' means Divine Truth. Yet as to both Essences the Lord is Divine Good, whereas Divine Truth is that which proceeds from Him, see `@@@3704`. For Divine Good cannot be received by any man, nor even by any angel, but only by the Lord's Divine Human, which is what the following words in John are used to mean,
Nobody has ever seen God; the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, He has made Him known. `John 1bbb18`.
Man is however able to receive Divine Truth, though only in a form possible for it to exist with the recipient. And within that Truth, Divine Good is able to dwell, but in differing ways according to the kind of reception it is given.
ttt[7] Such are the arcana which come to mind among the angels when man reads the words 'Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Dread of Isaac, had been with me'. It shows how heavenly in content the Word is, and every detail of it, although nothing of that content is visible in the sense of the letter. It also shows how superior angelic wisdom is to human wisdom, and that angels are aware of the deepest arcana while man does not even know that the Word contains any arcanum at all. Those which have been mentioned are only a very few, for within these arcana angels see and perceive countless details. Indeed, compared with those few arcana an infinity of details are seen by angels which cannot possibly be made known here because human language is inadequate to express what they are. Nor is the human mind capable of receiving them.
ppp19670#pid#4181. 'You would now have sent me away empty-handed' means that it would have claimed all things to itself. This is clear from the meaning of 'sending away empty-handed' as taking all things away from him, and so claiming all for itself.
ppp19669#pid#4182. 'My affliction and the tiredness of my hands God has seen, and has given judgement last night' means that all things were effected by Him by His own power. This is clear from the meaning of 'affliction and tiredness of hands' in this case as temptations. And since by temptations and victories the Lord united the Divine to the Human and made the Human Divine too, doing so by His own power, these things are therefore meant by these same words. By temptations and victories the Lord united the Divine to the Human, and made the Human Divine by His own power, see `@@@1661`, `@@@1737`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc1813`, `@@@1921`, `@@@2776`, `@@@3318` (end). 'Palms or hand means power, `@@@878`, `@@@3387`, and therefore 'my palms' or 'my hands' means one's own power. 'God has seen, and has given judgement' means that the Lord's Divine - the Divine within Him and which is His - effected it.
ppp19668#pid#4183. Verse `Genesis 31bbbccc43` And Laban answered and said to Jacob, The daughters are my daughters, and the sons are my sons, and the flock is my flock, and all that you see is mine. And for my daughters, what am I to do for them today, or for their sons whom they have borne?
'Laban answered and said to Jacob' means an obscure state of perception. 'The daughters are my daughters, and the sons are my sons, and the flock is my flock' means that all affections for truth, all truths and goods were its own. 'And all that you see is mine' means all ability to perceive and to understand. 'And for my daughters, what am I to do for them today, or for their sons whom they have borne?' means that it did not dare to lay claim to those things as its own.
ppp19667#pid#4184. 'Laban answered and said to Jacob' means an obscure state of perception. This is clear from the meaning of 'answering and saying' as perception; for 'saying' in historical narratives of the Word means perceiving, see `@@@1898`, `@@@1919`, `@@@2080`, `@@@2862`, `@@@3395`, `@@@3509`. The fact that an obscure state of perception is meant is clear from the assertions made here by Laban - that the daughters, the sons, and the flock were his own, when in fact they were not. The meaning in the internal sense is that intermediate good claimed all goods and truths to itself. Regarding these assertions made by Laban, see what has been said already in `@@@3974`, `@@@4113`.
ppp19666#pid#4185. 'The daughters are my daughters, and the sons are my sons, and the flock is my flock' means that all affections for truth, all truths and goods were its own. This is clear from the meaning of 'daughters', who in this case are Rachel and Leah, as affections for truth, dealt with in `@@@3758`, `@@@3782`, `@@@3793`, `@@@3819`; from the meaning of 'sons' as truths, dealt with in `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@533`, `@@@1147`, `@@@3373`; and from the meaning of 'flock' as goods, dealt with in `@@@343`, `@@@1565`, `@@@2566`. The fact that intermediate good laid claim to these as its own is self-evident, for Laban said 'the daughters are my daughters, and the sons are my sons, and the flock is my flock'.
ppp19665#pid#4186. 'And all that you see is mine' means all ability to perceive and to understand. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing' as perceiving and understanding, dealt with in `@@@2150`, `@@@3863`, and so as all its ability to perceive and understand truth and good. The implications of all this have been discussed already and have been illustrated by the things that happen in the next life - in the description of what happens when spirits of the intermediate kind in particular are in some angelic community. At such times those spirits are not aware that the affections for good and truth flowing in from that community are anything other than their own. For that is what the communication of affections and thoughts is like in the next life; and in the measure that the spirits have become linked to that community they imagine those affections to be their own. When those same spirits are separated from that community they are extremely annoyed, and as they enter a state of annoyance they also enter the obscure state referred to above in `@@@4184`. Having no interior perception in that state they claim as their own the goods and truths which belong to that angelic community and which they too have possessed through the communication described above. It is this state that is described in the present verse.
ttt[2] Furthermore, I have been given to know through much experience about the way in which affections for good and truth are communicated to others. Spirits of that kind have sometimes been with me, and when they have become linked to me through any degree of affection they have not been aware of the things that were mine as being anything other than their own. And I have been told that the same happens to all people, for everyone has spirits with him, who, the moment they come to him and enter his affection, are not conscious of anything at all which that person possesses - that is to say, any facet of his affection or thought - as being anything other than their own. This is the way in which spirits are linked to man, and through them the Lord governs him, `@@@2488`. A discussion of these matters from actual experience will appear below at the ends of chapters.
ppp19664#pid#4187. 'And for my daughters, what am I to do for them today, or for their sons whom they have borne?' means that it did not dare to lay claim to those things as its own. This is clear from the meaning of 'daughters' as affections for truth, and of 'sons' as truths, dealt with just above in `@@@4185`. Its not daring to lay claim to those things as its own is meant by 'what am I to do for them today?' This is evident from what has gone before, that is to say, in God's telling him in a dream, 'Take care not to speak to Jacob either good or evil', verse `Genesis 31bbbccc24`.
ppp19663#pid#4188. Verses `Genesis 31bbbccc44-46` And now come, let us make a covenant, I and you, and let it be a witness between me and you. And Jacob took a stone and erected it as a pillar. And Jacob said to his brothers, Gather stones; and they took stones and made a heap; and they ate there upon the heap.
'Now come, let us make a covenant, I and you, and let it be a witness between me and you' means a joining of the Divine Natural to works inherently good that are done by people on the sidelines, that is, by the gentiles. 'And Jacob took a stone and erected it as a pillar' means a like truth and worship based on this. 'And Jacob said to his brothers' means people who perform works that are inherently good. 'Gather stones; and they took stones and made a heap' means truths arising out of good. 'And they ate there upon the heap' means making their own that which came from Divine good.
ppp19662#pid#4189. 'Now come, let us make a covenant, I and you, [and let it be a witness between me and you]' means a joining of the Divine Natural to works inherently good that are done by people on the sidelines, that is, by the gentiles. This is clear from the meaning of 'a covenant' as a joining together, dealt with in `@@@665`, `@@@666`, `@@@1023`, `@@@1038`, `@@@1864`, `@@@1996`, `@@@2003`, `@@@2021`; from the representation of Laban here, to whom 'I' refers, as works that are inherently good, dealt with below; and from the representation of Jacob, to whom 'you' refers here, as the Divine Natural.
ttt[2] The reason why 'Laban' here means works inherently good that are done by people on the sidelines, that is, by the gentiles, is that now Laban has been separated from Jacob, that is, intermediate good from the Divine good of the Natural, he is no longer able to represent intermediate good. But since he has served as a means he therefore represents some good - to be exact, good on the sidelines, or a parallel good. For prior to his becoming joined thus to Jacob 'Laban' represented that parallel good, see `@@@3612`, `@@@3665`, `@@@3778`. He therefore means good that is on the sidelines, the nature of which good however is to be discussed below. The situation with Laban is similar to that with Lot and that with Ishmael. As long as Lot was with Abraham he represented the Lord as regards the external sensory man, `@@@1428`, `@@@1434`, `@@@1547`, `@@@1597`, `@@@1598`, `@@@1698`. But once he was separated from Abraham he represented those whose worship was external but who nevertheless had charity, `@@@2317`, `@@@2324`, `@@@2371`, `@@@2399`, as well as representing many consecutive states of the Church, `@@@2422`, `@@@2459`.
ttt[3] As long as Ishmael likewise was with Abraham he represented the Lord's first rational, `@@@1893`, `@@@1949-1951`; but after that, once he was separated from him, he represented those who were spiritual, `@@@2078`, `@@@2691`, `@@@2699`, `@@@3263`, `@@@3268`. And the situation involving Laban is similar, for the reason that although separation had taken place, intermediate good was still joined to the Divine Natural, yet not in the way it had been previously. This is why in this verse and in those immediately following 'Laban' represents works that are inherently good, such as are performed by people on the sidelines, that is, by gentiles. Gentiles are said to be on the sidelines, or to be governed by a parallel good, because they are outside the Church. Those within the Church who are governed by good and truth do not belong to a parallel line but to the direct line of descent since they possess the Word, and by means of the Word they have a direct communication with heaven, and through heaven with the Lord. This is not so with gentiles since they do not have the Word and do not know the Lord. That is why they are said to be on the sidelines. But those particular gentiles are meant here who do works that are inherently good, that is, who perform deeds of an external nature which have the good of charity within them. Their deeds are not called good works but works that are inherently so. For though it cannot be so in the case of works that are inherently good, good works can be devoid of any good within them.
ppp19661#pid#4190. 'And Jacob took a stone and erected it as a pillar' means a like truth and worship based on this. This is clear from the meaning of 'a stone' as truth, dealt with in `@@@643`, `@@@1298`, `@@@3720`, and from the meaning of 'a pillar' as worship based on it, that is, on truth, dealt with in `@@@3727`, from which paragraphs it is evident that these words mean a like truth and worship based on this. The expression 'a like truth' is used, that is, truth as it exists among gentiles, because although gentiles do not know anything about the Word or as a consequence about the Lord, they still have the same external truths as Christians, such as these: One should worship God with due reverence, keep religious festivals, and honour one's parents; one should not steal, commit adultery, or kill; also, one should not covet what belongs to another. Thus gentiles have the same kind of truths as are included in the Ten Commandments and are also the standards of behaviour set within the Church. The wise among them act in conformity not only with the external but also with the internal form which those same commandments take, for they think that the kinds of things which are forbidden are not only contrary to their religion but also contrary to the common good and so to the internal obligation which they owe to other people, and that as a consequence such actions are contrary to charity. And they think in this way even though they have little knowledge of what faith is. In their obscurity they possess a kind of conscience against which they are unwilling to act, indeed against which some are incapable of acting. From this it becomes clear that the Lord governs their interiors which are in obscurity, and in so doing imparts to them an ability to receive interior truths, which they also do receive in the next life - see what has been shown concerning gentiles in `@@@2589-2604`.
ttt[2] I have been allowed to talk on several occasions to Christians in the next life about the state and fortune of gentiles outside the Church - that they accept the truths and goods of faith more easily than do Christians who have not lived according to the Lord's commandments, and that Christians think of gentiles in a heartless fashion. That is to say, they think that all outside the Church stand condemned, a way of thinking based on the established rule that outside the Lord there is no salvation. I have told the Christians to whom I have been speaking that this rule is true, but that gentiles who have led charitable lives with one another and who, moved by some kind of conscience, have done what is just and fair, receive faith and acknowledge the Lord more easily in the next life than those who are inside the Church and have not led charitable lives. I have gone on to say that Christians are subject to falsity when they believe that heaven is theirs alone because they have the Book of the Word, written down on paper but not in their hearts, and also when they know the Lord but do not believe that He is Divine as to His Human, indeed when they do not acknowledge Him, as to His second Essence which they term the human nature, as any more than an ordinary human being. Therefore, left to themselves and their own ideas they do not even adore Him. So it is they themselves who are outside the Lord, and for whom there is no salvation.
ppp19660#pid#4191. 'And Jacob said to his brothers' means people who perform works that are inherently good. This is clear from the representation of 'Jacob' as the Lord's Divine Natural, dealt with already, and from the meaning of 'brothers' as goods, dealt with in `@@@3815`, `@@@4121`, in this case people performing works that are inherently good, who, as shown above in `@@@4189`, are the gentiles. For all who are governed by good are joined to the Lord's Divine, and because they are joined to Him they are called 'brothers' by the Lord, as in Mark,
Jesus looking around on those who were sitting around Him said, Behold My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God is My brother, and My sister, and My mother. `Mark 3bbb31`, `Mark 3bbbccc34-35`.
Every joining together is effected through love and charity, as anyone may recognize, for a joining together spiritually is nothing other than love and charity. Love to the Lord, it is evident, causes one to be joined to Him; and so does charity towards the neighbour, as is clear from the Lord's words in Matthew,
Insofar as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers you did it to Me. `Matthew 25bbb40`.
This refers to charitable works.
ppp19659#pid#4192. 'Gather stones; and they took stones and made a heap' means truths arising out of good. This is clear from the meaning of 'stones' as truths, dealt with just above in `@@@4190`, and from the meaning of 'a heap' as good. The reason why 'a heap' means good is that in former times before they used to construct altars people made heaps and ate on them as a witness to their being joined together in love. But later on, when the representatives of the ancients were regarded as being holy, instead of heaps they built altars, which also consisted of stones but arranged more methodically, `Joshua 22bbb28`, `Joshua 22bbbccc34`. This is why 'a heap' has a similar meaning to an altar, namely the good of love, the stones of it meaning the truths of faith.
ppp19658#pid#4193. 'And they ate there upon the heap' means making their; own that which came from Divine good. This is clear from the meaning of 'eating' as communication, a joining together, and a making one's own, dealt with in `@@@2187`, `@@@2343`, `@@@3168`, `@@@3513` (end), `@@@3596`, `@@@3832`, and from the meaning of 'a heap' as good, dealt with immediately above in `@@@4192`, in this case Divine good.
ppp19657#pid#4194. Verses `Genesis 31bbbccc47-50` And Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha; and Jacob called it Galeed. And Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and you today; therefore he called its name Galeed - and Mizpah, for he said, Let Jehovah watch between me and you, for we are going to be hidden from each other.`fff1` If you afflict my daughters, and if you take wives (femina) besides my daughters, after we have parted from each other`fff2` - see, God is witness between me and you.
'Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha' means the nature of it on the part of the good represented by 'Laban'. 'And Jacob called it Galeed' means the nature of it on the part of the good of the Divine Natural. 'And Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and you today; therefore he called its name Galeed' means that it will be so for ever - hence the nature of it is described a second time. 'And Mizpah, for he said, Let Jehovah watch between me and you' means the presence of the Lord's Divine Natural. 'For we are going to be hidden from each other' means a separation so far as things of the Church are concerned. 'If you afflict my daughters, and if you take wives besides my daughters, after we have parted from each other' means that the affections for truth are to remain inside the Church. 'See, God is witness between me and you' means confirmation.
`nnn1. literally, a man from his companion
`nnn2. literally, no man being with us
ppp19656#pid#4195. 'Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha' means the nature of it on the part of the good represented by 'Laban'. This is clear from the meaning of 'calling' and 'calling the name' as the essential nature, dealt with in `@@@144`, `@@@145`, `@@@1754`, `@@@2009`, `@@@2724`, `@@@3421`. 'Jegar Sahadutha' means 'heap of the testimony' in the language of Syria, where Laban came from. Such heaps in ancient times stood as a sign or else as a witness, and later on played a part in worship too. The heap referred to here stood as a sign and as a witness - as a sign that the boundary came there, and as a witness that the covenant had been made there and that neither of them would pass beyond that boundary to do harm to the other, as is also clear from Laban's words in verse `Genesis 31bbbccc52`,
This heap is a witness, and the pillar is a witness, that I will not pass beyond this heap to you, and that you will not pass beyond this heap and this pillar to me, to do harm.
From this one may see what the name Jegar Sahadutha, or heap of the testimony, implies. But in the internal sense it means the nature of the good confirmed by truths on the part of 'Laban', that is, on the part of those who perform works that are inherently good, that is, on the part of the gentiles.
ppp19655#pid#4196. 'And Jacob called it Galeed' means the nature of it on the part of the good of the Divine Natural. This is clear from the representation of 'Jacob' as the Lord's Divine Natural, often dealt with already. 'Galeed' means a heap and a witness, or a witness-heap, in the Hebrew language or language of Canaan, where Jacob came from. What a witness-heap means in the internal sense follows next.
ppp19654#pid#4197. 'And Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and you today; therefore he called its name Galeed' means that it will be so for ever - hence the nature of it is described a second time. This is clear from the meaning of 'a heap' as good, dealt with above in `@@@4192`, and from the meaning of 'a witness' as the confirmation of good by means of truth, and of truth derived from good, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'today' as for ever, dealt with in `@@@2838`, `@@@3998`; and from the meaning of 'calling the name' as the essential nature, dealt with in `@@@144`, `@@@145`, `@@@1754`, `@@@2009`, `@@@2724`, `@@@3421`. The particular nature of that good is contained in the name Galeed; for in ancient times when a name was given to anything the name contained the essential nature of that thing, `@@@340`, `@@@1946`, `@@@2643`, `@@@3422`. From this one may see what is meant by 'Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and you today; therefore he called its name Galeed', namely this: A testimony that the good meant here by 'Laban' was joined to the Divine good of the Lord's Natural, and therefore that the Lord was joined to the gentiles through good, it being this good that 'Laban' represents now, `@@@4189`. The truths belonging to this good are what bear witness to that conjunction; but as long as gentiles are living in this world their good is 'out of line' because they do not possess Divine truths. Nevertheless although those who are governed by that good, that is, who lead charitable lives with one another, do not have Divine truths straight from the Divine source, that is, from the Word, the good they have is not closed up but such as can be opened. What is more, it is opened in the next life when they receive instruction there in the truths of faith, and about the Lord. With Christians it is different. With those of them who lead charitable lives with one another, more so with those who are governed by love to the Lord, good straight from the Divine source is present even while they live in this world because they are in possession of Divine truths. For this reason they enter heaven without undergoing such instruction, provided that their truths have not contained falsities which must first be dispelled. But Christians who have not led charitable lives close heaven against themselves, very many doing so to such an extent that it cannot be opened. For they know truths but deny them and also harden themselves against them, if not with the lips nevertheless in their hearts.
ttt[2] Why Laban first of all called the heap Jegar Sahadutha, its name in his own language, and after that Galeed, its name in the Canaanite language, when in fact the two have practically the same meaning, is for the sake of a bringing together and thereby a joining together. Speaking in the language or 'lip' of Canaan means responding to what is Divine, for 'Canaan' means the Lord's kingdom, and in the highest sense the Lord, `@@@1607`, `@@@3038`, `@@@3705`, as is evident in Isaiah,
On that day there will be five cities in the land of Egypt which speak in the lip of Canaan and swear by Jehovah Zebaoth. On that day there will be an altar to Jehovah in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to Jehovah at its border; and it will be for a sign and a witness to Jehovah Zebaoth in the land of Egypt. `Isaiah 19bbb18-20`.
ttt[3] The meaning of 'a witness' as the confirmation of good by means of truth, and of truth derived from good, and the consequent meaning of 'a testimony' as good in which truth is rooted, and truth which arises out of good, may be seen from other parts of the Word. 'A witness' is seen to mean the confirmation of good by means of truth, and of truth derived from good, from the following places: In Joshua,
Joshua said to the people, You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen Jehovah, to serve Him. And they said, We are witnesses. Then put away the foreigner's gods which are in the midst of you, and incline your heart to Jehovah the God of Israel. And the people said to Joshua, Jehovah our God we will serve, and His voice we will obey. And Joshua made a covenant with the people on that day, and set them a statute and a judgement in Shechem. And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God; and he took a great stone and set it up there under the oak that was in the sanctuary of Jehovah. And Joshua said to all the people, Behold, this stone will be a witness to us, for it has heard all the words of Jehovah which He spoke to us; and it will be a witness to you, lest you deny your God. `Joshua 24bbb22-27`.
'A witness' in this passage clearly means a confirming - a confirming of the covenant and therefore of their being joined [to Jehovah]; for a covenant means a joining together, `@@@665`, `@@@666`, `@@@1023`, `@@@1038`, `@@@1864`, `@@@1996`, `@@@2003`, `@@@2021`. And since being joined to Jehovah or the Lord is not possible except through good, and since no good effecting that conjunction is possible apart from that which gains its true nature from truth, 'a witness' consequently means the confirmation of good by means of truth. The good meant in this passage consisted in being joined to Jehovah or the Lord, which came about through their choosing Him, to serve Him; and the truth by which it was confirmed was meant by 'the stone'; for 'a stone' means truth, see `@@@643`, `@@@1298`, `@@@3720`. In the highest sense 'the stone' is the Lord Himself since He is the source of all truth, and for that reason is also called 'the Stone of Israel' in `Genesis 49bbb24`, and in what is said here in Joshua, 'Behold, this stone will be a witness to us, for it has heard all the words of Jehovah which He spoke to us'.
ttt[4] In John,
I will grant My two witnesses to prophesy `@@@1260` days, clothed in sackcloth. The are the two olive trees and the two lampstands which are standing before the God of the earth. And if anyone wishes to harm them, fire will come out of their mouth and devour their enemies. These have power to shut heaven. But when they have finished their testimony, the beast that ascends from the abyss will make war with them and conquer them and kill them. But after three and a half days the spirit of life from God entered them, so that they stood up on their feet. `Revelation 11bbb3-7`, `Revelation 11bbbccc11`.
'The two witnesses' in this case are good and truth - that is, good in which truth is present and truth arising out of good - when both of these have been confirmed in people's hearts, as is evident from the statement that the two witnesses are the two olive trees and the two lampstands. For 'an olive tree' means that kind of good, see `@@@886`, and 'the two olive trees' stands for celestial good and for spiritual good. Celestial good is essentially love to the Lord, spiritual good is essentially charity towards the neighbour. 'The lampstands' are the truths that belong to those two kinds of good, as will be clear when, in the Lord's Divine mercy, the lampstands are the subject. And it is these - forms of goodness and truth - which have the power to close heaven or to open it; see the Preface to Chapter `Genesis ccc22bbb0`. 'The beast out of the abyss, which is hell, will kill them' means the vastation of good and truth within the Church, and 'the spirit of life from God entered them, so that they stood up on their feet' means a new Church.
ttt[5] Just as heaps in ancient times were set up to serve as witnesses, so later on were altars, as is clear in Joshua,
The Reubenites and the Gadites said, See the replica of the altar of Jehovah which our fathers made, not for burnt offering or for sacrifice, but to be a witness between us and you. And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad called it The Altar - a witness between us that Jehovah is God. `Joshua 22bbb28`, `Joshua 22bbbccc34`.
'An altar' means the good of love, and in the highest sense the Lord Himself, `@@@921`, `@@@2777`, `@@@2811`. 'A witness' stands in the internal sense for the confirmation of good by means of truth.
ttt[6] Since 'a witness' means the confirmation of good by means of truth, and of truth derived from good, 'a witness' in the highest sense therefore means the Lord, for He Himself is the Divine Truth that confirms, as in Isaiah,
I will make with you an eternal covenant, even the true mercies of David. Lo, I have given him as a witness to the peoples, a prince and teacher to the peoples. `Isaiah 55bbb3-4`.
In John,
And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. `Revelation 1bbb5`.
In the same book,
These things says the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation. `Revelation 3bbb14`.
ttt[7] The requirement in the representative Church that the truth must always be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses, not on that of one, `Numbers 35bbb30`; `Deuteronomy 17bbb6-7`; `Deuteronomy ccc19bbb15`; `Matthew 18bbb16`, originates in the Divine Law that one truth does not make good firm but many truths do so. For one truth unconnected to others does not confirm it only a number together, because from one truth it is possible to see another. One by itself does not give any form to good, and so does not manifest any essential quality possessed by good; but many in a connected series do so. For just as one musical note by itself does not constitute the melody, still less the full harmony, neither does one truth achieve anything. This is where the law requiring two or three witnesses originates, though to outward appearance it seems to have its origin in secular legislation. The one however is not contrary to the other, as is also the case with the Ten Commandments, dealt with in `@@@2609`.
ttt[8] As regards 'a testimony' meaning good in which truth is rooted, and truth which arises out of good, this follows from what has just been said. It is also clear from the fact that the Ten Commandments written on tablets of stone are referred to by the single expression 'the Testimony', as in Moses,
Jehovah gave Moses, when He had finished speaking to him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God. `Exodus 31bbb18`.
In the same author,
Moses came down from the mountain, and the two tablets of the Testimony were in his hand; the tablets were written from the two sides of it. `Exodus 32bbb15`.
And because those tablets were placed inside the Ark, the Ark is called 'the Ark of the Testimony'; in Moses,
Jehovah said to Moses, You shall put into the Ark the Testimony which I shall give to you. `Exodus 25bbb16`, `Exodus 25bbbccc21`.
Moses took the Testimony and put it into the Ark. `Exodus 40bbb20`.
In the same author,
I will meet you, and talk to you from above the Mercy-seat, from between the two cherubs which are over the Ark of the Testimony. `Exodus 25bbb22`.
In the same author,
The cloud of incense covers the Mercy-seat which is over the Testimony. `Leviticus 16bbb13`.
In the same author,
The rods of the twelve tribes were left in the Tent of Meeting, in front of the Testimony. `Numbers 17bbb4`.
For evidence that the Ark was also called the Ark of the Testimony, see in addition to `Exodus 25bbb22` quoted above, `Exodus 31bbb7`; `Revelation 15bbb5`.
ttt[9] The Ten Commandments therefore were called the Testimony because they were the conditions of the covenant and so the conditions whereby God and man were joined to each other. But that joining to each other is not possible unless man keeps those commandments not only in their external form but also in their internal. What the internal form of those commandments is, see `@@@2609`; consequently it is good made firm by means of truth, and truth derived from good, that are meant by 'the Testimony'. And this being so, the tablets were also called 'the Tablets of the Covenant', and the Ark 'the Ark of the Covenant'. From this one may now see what is meant in the Word by 'the Testimony' in the genuine sense, for example in `Deuteronomy 4bbb45`; `Deuteronomy ccc6bbb17`, `Deuteronomy 6bbbccc20`; `Isaiah 8bbb16`; `2 Kings 17bbb15`; `Psalms 19bbb7`; `Psalms ccc25bbb10`; `Psalms ccc78bbb5`, `Psalms 78bbbccc56`; `Psalms ccc93bbb5`; `Psalms ccc119bbb2`, `Psalms 119bbbccc22`, `Psalms 119bbbccc24`, `Psalms 119bbbccc59`, `Psalms 119bbbccc79`, `Psalms 119bbbccc88`, `Psalms 119bbbccc138`, `Psalms 119bbbccc167`; `Psalms ccc122bbb4`; `Revelation 6bbb9`; `Revelation ccc12bbb17`; `Revelation ccc19bbb10`.
ppp19653#pid#4198. 'And Mizpah, for he said, Let Jehovah watch between me and you' means the presence of the Lord's Divine Natural, that is to say, within the good that 'Laban' represents now. This is clear from the meaning of 'watching' or keeping watch as presence, for one who keeps watch on another, or sees him from high up in a watchtower, is present with his sense of sight with him below. What is more, when used in reference to the Lord, 'seeing' means Foresight and Providence, `@@@2837`, `@@@2839`, `@@@3686`, `@@@3854`, `@@@3863`, and so presence too, but through Foresight and Providence.
ttt[2] As regards the Lord's presence, the Lord is present with everyone, yet only to the extent He is received; for all receive their life from the Lord alone. The life in people who receive His presence within good and truth is the life of intelligence and wisdom, whereas the life of those who do not receive His presence within good and truth but within evil and falsity is the life of insanity and foolishness. All the same, the latter have the capacity to be intelligent and wise. The fact that they do have that capacity is shown by their knowing how to counterfeit and imitate the outward appearance of what is good and true and to win people over by means of that outward appearance. This would not be possible if they did not have that capacity. The nature of the presence is meant by 'Mizpah', at this point the nature of it with those whose works are inherently good, that is, with the gentiles, who are represented here by 'Laban'. Indeed the name Mizpah in the original language is derived from the verb 'to watch'.
ppp19652#pid#4199. 'For we are going to be hidden from each other' means a separation so far as the things of the Church are concerned. This is clear from the meaning of 'to be hidden' here as separation, and from the meaning of 'from each other', as those who are inside the Church and those who are outside. They are said 'to be hidden' because they have been separated as regards good and truth, and so separated so far as the things of the Church are concerned.
ppp19651#pid#4200. 'If you afflict my daughters, and if you take wives besides my daughters, after we have parted from each other' means that the affections for truth are to remain inside the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'daughters', who in this case are Rachel and Leah, as affections for truth, dealt with in `@@@3758`, `@@@3782`, `@@@3793`, `@@@3819`; from the meaning of 'wives' as affections for truth that is not genuine, and so affections which do not belong to the Church - for affections for truth constitute the Church, and so 'taking wives besides those daughters' means taking no other affections than those for genuine truth; from the meaning of 'parted from each other' as when they are going to be parted from each other, that is, when they have been separated, dealt with immediately above in `@@@4199`. From these considerations it is evident that these words mean that affections for genuine truth are to remain inside the Church, and not to be defiled with truths that are not genuine.
ppp19650#pid#4201. 'See, God is witness between me and you' means confirmation, in this case by the Divine. This is clear from the meaning of 'witness' as confirmation, dealt with just above in `@@@4197`.
ppp19649#pid#4202. Verses `Genesis 31bbbccc51-53` And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold the pillar which I have erected between me and you. This heap is a witness, and the pillar is a witness, that I will not pass beyond this heap to you, and that you will not pass beyond this heap and this pillar to me, to do harm. May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor judge`fff1` between us, the God of their father. And Jacob swore by the Dread of his father Isaac.
'Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold the pillar which I have erected between me and you' means a joining together. 'This heap is a witness, and the pillar is a witness' means confirmation. 'That I will not pass beyond this heap to you, and that you will not pass beyond this heap and this pillar to me, to do harm' means the limit which determines how much can flow in from good. 'May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor judge between us' means the Divine flowing into both. 'The God of their father' means from the Supreme Divine. 'And Jacob swore by the Dread of his father Isaac' means confirmation from the Divine Human, which in that state is called 'the Dread'.
`nnn1. The verb rendered may judge here is plural.
ppp19648#pid#4203. 'Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold the pillar which I have erected between me and you' means a joining together. This is clear from what has been stated above. Indeed the heap and the pillar served as a sign and a witness that a covenant had been made, that is, they were a sign of and witness to friendship; and so in the internal sense a joining together is meant.
ppp19647#pid#4204. 'This heap is a witness, and the pillar is a witness' means confirmation. This is clear from the meaning of 'a witness' as confirmation - of good by means of truth, meant by' the pillar', and of truth derived from good, meant by 'the heap', dealt with above in `@@@4197`.
ppp19646#pid#4205. 'That I will not pass beyond this heap to you, and that you will not pass beyond this heap and this pillar to me, to do harm' means the limit which determines how much can flow in from good. This is clear from the meaning of 'passing beyond' here as flowing in; from the meaning of 'a heap' as good, dealt with in `@@@4192`; and from the meaning of 'a pillar' as truth, dealt with in `@@@3727`, `@@@3728`, `@@@4090`. It is also clear from the fact that those two objects - a heap and a pillar - stood as a sign or else as a witness, though in this instance they were a sign indicating a limit. Now because a joining together is the subject, there flows from the train of thought the idea - in the internal sense - of a limit determining how much can flow in from good. It has been stated above that the joining together is effected by means of good, and that the inflow of good is determined by the way it is received. But the reception of good depends entirely on truths, truths being the objects into which good flows. For good is the active force and truth the recipient, and therefore all truths are recipient vessels, `@@@4166`. And as truths are the vessels into which good flows, truths set the limit to the inflow of good. This is what is meant here by a limit determining how much can flow in from good.
ttt[2] The implications of this are briefly as follows: The truths that a person knows, no matter what kind they may be, enter his memory by means of affection, that is, of some delight that accompanies his love. Without affection or delight accompanying his love nothing is able to enter a person, for it is in these that his life consists. The things which have entered in are reintroduced when a similar delight returns, together with many other things which have allied or joined themselves to them. And in a similar way when the same truth is reintroduced by the individual himself or by somebody else, the affection or delight that accompanied his love when it entered is likewise stimulated, for having been joined together they adhere to one another. From this one may see what the situation is with the affection for truth. Truth which has entered in together with an affection for good is reintroduced when a similar affection returns, as is affection when a similar truth does so. From this it is also evident that no truth together with genuine affection can possibly be implanted and take root interiorly unless the person is governed by good. For a genuine affection for truth has its origins in good, and good stems from love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour. This good flows in from the Lord, but does not become fixed within anything apart from truths, for truths receive good as a guest since the two are congenial. From this it is in addition evident that the nature of the truths determines the way in which the good is received. The truths known to gentiles who have led charitable lives with one another are such that in them also good flowing in from the Lord is able to be received as a guest. But so long as they are living in the world their situation is not the same as that with Christians who have truths from the Word and lead spiritually charitable lives based on those truths, see `@@@2589-2604`.
ppp19645#pid#4206. 'May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor judge between us' means the Divine flowing into both, that is to say, into the good existing with those inside the Church, and into the good with those outside it. This is clear from the meaning of 'the God of Abraham' as the Lord's Divine regarding those inside the Church, and from the meaning of 'the God of Nahor' as the Lord's Divine regarding those outside the Church; and from this it is evident that these two expressions mean the Divine flowing into both kinds of good. The reasons why 'the God of Abraham' means the Lord's Divine regarding those inside the Church is that 'Abraham' represents the Lord's Divine, and consequently that which comes directly from the Lord, `@@@3245`, `@@@3778`. Those therefore who are inside the Church are meant in particular by 'Abraham's children', `John 8bbb39`. And the reason why 'the God of Nahor' means the Lord's Divine regarding those outside the Church is that 'Nahor' represents the Church consisting of gentiles, and 'his children' those among them who dwell in a brotherly relationship with one another, `@@@2863`, `@@@2864`, `@@@2868`, `@@@3052`, `@@@3778`. So also at this point, 'Laban' who was Nahor's son represents good that is 'out of line', such as gentiles receive from the Lord.
ttt[2] The reason why such variations involving the Lord are represented is not that those variations exist within the Lord but that His Divine is received variously by men. It is like the life present in man. This life flows into and activates the various sensory and motor organs of the body, and the various members and viscera. At every point variety presents itself, for the eye sees in one way, the ear hears in another, and the tongue discerns in yet another; also the arm and hand have one kind of movement, the lower limbs and feet another; then again the lungs act in one way, the heart in another; also the liver in one way, the stomach in another; and so on. Yet it is one single life that activates them all so variously; not that the life itself acts in different ways but because it is received in different ways. Indeed it is the form that each organ takes that determines how it acts.
ppp19644#pid#4207. 'The God of their father' means from the Supreme Divine. This is clear from the meaning of 'the God of one's father' as the Supreme Divine. For in the internal sense when the expression 'father' is used in the Word good is meant, see `@@@3703`; and when 'the Lord's Father' is mentioned there, that is, when the Lord uses the name 'Father', the Divine Good dwelling within Him is meant, `@@@3704`. Divine Good is the Supreme Divine, whereas Divine Truth is that which proceeds from Divine Good and which is also called the Son. Furthermore 'father' in this instance is used to mean Terah who was the father of them both - of Abraham and Nahor - and 'Terah' represents the common stock from which Churches sprang, see `@@@3778`. In the relative sense therefore 'Abraham' represents the genuine Church and 'Nahor' the Church consisting of gentiles, as stated immediately above in `@@@4206`.
ppp19643#pid#4208. 'And Jacob swore by the Dread of his father Isaac' means confirmation from the Divine Human, which in that state is called 'the Dread'. This is clear from the meaning of 'swearing' as confirmation, dealt with in `@@@2842`, `@@@3375`; and from the meaning of 'the Dread of Isaac' as the Lord's Divine Human, dealt with in `@@@4180`. The fact that when people swore oaths they did so by the Lord's Divine Human, see `@@@2842`.
ttt[2] The reason for the use here of the expressions 'the God of Abraham, the God of Nahor, the God of their father (who was Terah)' and 'the Dread of Isaac, Jacob's father' is that Terah's sons acknowledged just so many gods, for they were idolaters, `@@@1353`, `@@@1356`, `@@@1992`, `@@@3667`. It was also a peculiar feature of that house that each family worshipped its own individual god. This is why at this point the expressions 'the God of Abraham', 'the God of Nahor', 'the God of their father', and 'the Dread of Isaac' are used. Abraham's family however was commanded to acknowledge Jehovah as its God. All the same, they did not acknowledge Him to be anything more than just another god by whom they could distinguish themselves from the gentiles, and so only His name was different. This also accounts for their defection on so many occasions to other gods, as is made clear in the historical sections of the Word. The reason why they defected was that they were interested solely in things of an external nature. What things of an internal nature were they did not know at all and did not wish to know.
ttt[3] So far as those people's participation in them was concerned, the religious practices of their Church were wholly idolatrous because they had been separated from the things of an internal nature; for every religious practice of the Church when separated from what is internal is idolatrous. Yet it was still possible for those people to represent the genuine condition of the Church since representations have nothing to do with the person who represents, only with the thing represented, `@@@665`, `@@@1097` (end), `@@@1361`, `@@@3147`. But in order that a representative Church might come into being, and in this way some kind of communication between the Lord and man through heaven might exist, it was particularly necessary for them to be kept in their acknowledgement of Jehovah, if not in their hearts yet with their lips. For among them representatives were not an expression of internal entities but of external ones. And this was the kind of communication they had, different from that in the genuine Church in which communication was effected through things of an internal nature. For this reason also their Divine worship made no difference to their souls, that is, it did not yield them blessings in the next life, only prosperity in the world.
ttt[4] In order that they might be kept in external things so many miracles were therefore performed among them which would never have taken place if things of an internal nature had had a place among them. For the same reason they were also compelled on many occasions to worship Jehovah through the imposition of punishments, captivities, and threats, though no one is compelled by the Lord to engage in internal worship, for this is implanted only in a state of freedom, `@@@1937`, `@@@1947`, `@@@2874-2881`, `@@@3145`, `@@@3146`, `@@@3158`, `@@@4031`. The chief external practice required of them was that they should confess the name Jehovah, for Jehovah was the Lord who was represented in all the practices of that Church. On the point that Jehovah was the Lord, see `@@@1343`, `@@@1736`, `@@@2921`, `@@@3035`.
ppp19642#pid#4209. Verses `Genesis 31bbbccc54-55` And Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain, and called his brothers to eat bread; and they ate bread and stayed the night in the mountain. And in the morning Laban rose up early, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them; and Laban went and returned to his place.
'Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain' means worship founded on good that stems from love. 'And called his brothers to eat bread' means [an invitation] to make the good from the Lord's Divine Natural their own. 'And they ate bread' means the achievement of this. 'And stayed the night in the mountain' means serenity. 'And in the morning Laban rose up early' means the enlightenment of that good by the Lord's Divine Natural. 'And kissed his sons and his daughters' means the acknowledgement of those truths and of affections for them. 'And blessed them' means the resulting joy. 'And Laban went and returned to his place' means the end of the representation by means of Laban.
ppp19641#pid#4210. 'Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain' means worship founded on good that stems from love. This is clear from the meaning of 'a sacrifice' as worship, dealt with in `@@@922`, `@@@923`, `@@@2180`, and from the meaning of 'the mountain' as good that stems from love, `@@@795`, `@@@796`, `@@@1430`. 'A sacrifice' means worship because sacrifices and burnt offerings were the major features of all worship in the later representative Church, which was the Hebrew Church. They also used to sacrifice on mountains, as is clear from various places in the Word, because 'mountains' on account of their height meant the things which were high, such as those are which belong to heaven and are called heavenly; and having this meaning they also meant, in the highest sense, the Lord, whom they called the Most High. It was the outward appearance that led them to think in this way, for the things that are interior give the appearance of being higher, as heaven does with man. Heaven is interiorly within him, and yet he supposes it to be on high. This is the reason why, when the expression 'high' is used in the Word, that which is interior is meant in the internal sense.
ttt[2] In the world people inevitably take heaven to be on high. One reason why they do so is that the word 'heaven' is used for the visible expanse which encircles them on high and another is that man is a dweller within time and space and so thinks from ideas derived from these. And a further reason is that few are aware of what anything interior may be, and fewer still are aware that neither place nor time exist there. This is why the mode of expression employed in the Word is one that accords with the ideas present in man's thought. If it had not accorded with those ideas but with angelic ideas man would have perceived nothing at all, but everyone would have stood wondering what it was and whether it was anything at all, and so would have rejected it as being devoid of anything intelligible.
ppp19640#pid#4211. 'And called his brothers to eat bread' means [an invitation] to make the good from the Lord's Divine Natural their own. This is clear from the meaning of 'brothers' as those who were now to be joined together by the covenant, that is, by friendship, and in the internal sense as those who are governed by good and truth (for such people are called 'brothers', see `@@@367`, `@@@2360`, `@@@3303`, `@@@3459`, `@@@3803`, `@@@3815`, `@@@4121`, `@@@4191`); from the meaning of 'eating' as making one's own, dealt with in `@@@3168`, `@@@3513` (end), `@@@3832` (for meals taken together and feasts among the ancients meant making things their own and being joined together by means of love and charity, `@@@3596`); and from the meaning of 'bread' as good that stems from love, dealt with in `@@@276`, `@@@680`, `@@@1798`, `@@@3478`, `@@@3735`, and in the highest sense means the Lord, `@@@2165`, `@@@2177`, `@@@3478`, `@@@3813`. Since 'bread' in the highest sense means the Lord it therefore means everything holy which comes from Him, that is, it means everything good and true. And since no other good exists which is good except the good of love and charity, 'bread' therefore means love and charity. Sacrifices in former times had no other meaning, and for that reason were referred to by the single word 'bread', see `@@@2165`. And some of the flesh of the sacrifices was eaten so that the heavenly feast - that is, a joining together through good flowing from love and charity - might be represented. The same is meant today by the Holy Supper, for this has replaced sacrifices and feasts of consecrated things. The Holy Supper is in the Church an external practice that has an internal reality within it, and by means of this reality it joins one who is governed by love and charity to heaven, and by means of heaven to the Lord. For in the Holy Supper too 'eating' means making one's own - 'the bread' being celestial love and 'the wine' spiritual love - so much so that while it is being eaten by one in a state of holiness nothing else is perceived in heaven.
ttt[2] The reason why the phrase 'making the good from the Lord's Divine Natural their own' is used is that the subject is the good that exists with the gentiles, for it is this good that 'Laban' represents now, `@@@4189`. When man is joined to the Lord he is not joined to His Supreme Divine itself but to His Divine Human, for man cannot have any idea at all of the Lord's Supreme Divine, because this lies so far beyond anything he can conceive of that it fades from view altogether and ceases to mean anything to him. But he is able to have an idea of His Divine Human. For everyone is joined through thought and affection to one of whom he can have some idea but not to one of whom he cannot have any idea. If, when a person thinks about the Lord's Human, holiness is present in his ideas he also thinks of the holiness which comes from the Lord and fills heaven, and at the same time he thinks of heaven, since heaven in its entirety corresponds to a complete human being, which correspondence has its origin in the Lord, `@@@684`, `@@@1276`, `@@@2996`, `@@@2998`, `@@@3624-3649`. This explains why it is not possible to be joined to the Lord's Supreme Divine, only to His Divine Human, and through that Divine Human to His Supreme Divine. Hence the statement in `John 1bbb18` about nobody, except the only begotten Son, ever having seen God, also the statement about there being no way to the Father except through Him; as well as from the statement that He is the Mediator. The truth of all this can be plainly recognized from the fact that all within the Church who declare their belief in a Supreme Being and yet set the Lord at nought are people who have no belief in anything at all, not even in the existence of heaven or of hell, and who worship nature. And if such people are ready to learn from experience it will be clear to them that the wicked, even those who are extremely so, declare a like belief.
ttt[3] But the way in which people think of the Lord's Human varies, one person's ideas being different from another's, and one person's more holy than another's. Those within the Church are able to think that His Human is Divine, and also that He is one with the Father, as He Himself says that the Father is in Him and He is in the Father. But those outside the Church are unable to do this, for one thing because they do not know anything about the Lord and for another because their idea of the Divine is gained solely from visible images and tangible idols. Nevertheless the Lord joins Himself to them by means of the good they do from the charity and obedience present within their crude notions of Him. And this is why mention is made here about them making the good from the Lord's Divine Natural their own. For when the Lord is joined to man the state of thought and consequent affection in him determines the exact nature of that conjunction. Those who have an entirely holy conception of the Lord and who at the same time have a true knowledge of and affections for what is good and true - as those within the Church are able to have - have been joined to the Lord as to His Divine Rational. Those however who do not have so holy a notion of Him and who do not have so interior a notion and affection, and yet the good of charity exists with them, have been joined to the Lord as regards His Divine Natural. And those whose holiness is cruder still are joined to the Lord as to His Divine Sensory Perception. This last type of joining is what is represented by 'the bronze serpent', in that those who looked at it recovered from serpent-bites, `Numbers 21bbb9`. This is the type of joining together which those among the gentiles have who worship idols and yet lead charitable lives in accordance with their own religion. From these considerations one may now see what is meant by making the good from the Lord's Divine Natural their own, meant by 'Jacob called his brothers to eat bread'.
ppp19639#pid#4212. 'And they ate bread' means the achievement of this, that is to say, in the external sense the achievement of friendship, and in the highest sense a joining together effected through the good and truth within the Natural.
ppp19638#pid#4213. 'And stayed the night in the mountain' means serenity. This is clear from the meaning of 'staying the night' as having peace, dealt with in `@@@3170`, and so as serenity. It was also the practice for those who entered into a covenant to spend the night together in one place, because staying the night in one place meant that no enmity existed any longer. The meaning in the internal sense is the existence of serenity and peace, for those who have been joined together as regards good and truth experience serenity and peace. The expression 'in the mountain' is therefore used here because 'a mountain' means good stemming from love and charity, `@@@4210`, it being this good that confers peace. What peace and serenity are, see `@@@92`, `@@@93`, `@@@1726`, `@@@2780`, `@@@3170`, `@@@3696`, `@@@3780`.
ppp19637#pid#4214. 'And in the morning Laban rose up early' means the enlightenment of that good by the Lord's Divine Natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'in the morning rising up early' as enlightenment, dealt with in `@@@3458`, `@@@3723`, and from the representation of 'Laban' as good such as exists with gentiles, dealt with in `@@@4189`. It is evident from the train of thought that the enlightenment of this good by the Lord's Divine Natural is what is meant here. As regards enlightenment, all enlightenment is received from the Lord; it comes by way of the good present in a person, the exact nature of the enlightenment depending on the nature of that good there.
ttt[2] Most people believe that the enlightened consist of those who are able to reason about what is good and true, or about what is evil and false, and that the measure of their enlightenment increases in direct proportion to their growing ability to speak about those things with greater precision and accuracy, and at the same time to back up what they say with many facts, and also to make their assertions ring true by the use of comparisons drawn mainly from sensory evidence and by the use of other convincing ways of presentation. These reasoners however, in spite of all their mental and perceptive ability, are incapable of being enlightened at all. Two different kinds of mental and perceptive ability exist, the first of which comes from the light of heaven, the second from an illusory light. Both kinds look the same in outward form but are entirely different in internal form. That which comes from the light of heaven exists within good, that is, it exists with people who are governed by good. By virtue of that good they are able to see what is true, and to know - clear as daylight - whether something is right or not. But the kind which comes from the illusory light exists within evil, that is, with people who are governed by evil. The reason why they are able to reason about the things mentioned is that they do have a capacity to know them but no desire to practice them, a situation in which, as anyone can see, no enlightenment is present.
ttt[3] With regard to illusory light and its existence in the next life, the following may be said: People who have dwelt in such light in the world dwell in a similar light in the next life. There also they reason about what is good and true, and about what is evil and false, doing so indeed far more perfectly and completely than during their lifetime since their thoughts are not held back and inhibited in that life by the cares which belong to the body and the world, nor are they so confined within them as they had been when in the body and the world. But it is immediately apparent, not to them but to good spirits and to angels, that their reasonings are the product of illusory light and that the light of heaven flowing in with them is instantly converted into that inferior kind of light. That which begins with them as the light of heaven is either stifled, as when sunlight falls on something opaque and turns black, or is cast back, as happens with people under the influence of false assumptions, or else is perverted, as when sunlight strikes objects that are offensive and foul and produces offensive colours as well as offensive odours. It is similar with people who dwell in illusory light and believe that they are more enlightened than everybody else because of their ability to reason intelligently and wisely, even though they lead evil lives.
ttt[4] Who these spirits are and what they are really like is evident from every syllable of what they say, so long as they are simulating what is good with the intent to deceive. Such spirits include those who deny the Lord or hold Him in contempt, and among themselves mock those who do confess Him. Also included are those who delight in adultery and deride people who believe that marriages are holy and ought never to be dishonoured. Among such spirits too are those who believe that the commands and teachings of the Church are intended for the common people, who by means of them may be kept in bonds; but among themselves those spirits set no value at all on those commands and teachings. Likewise included are those who attribute all things to nature and suppose people to be simpletons and weak in judgement who claim that all things come from the Divine. Spirits who ascribe every single thing to their own prudence, and who have convinced themselves of the idea and say that a Supreme Being exists who has a kind of general or overall control of things but no particular or specific control of them, are included too. And the same applies to other cases.
ttt[5] People like these dwell in illusory light in the next life also, where among those like themselves they reason with precision. But when they approach any heavenly community that light goes out and turns into darkness. As a consequence their thought is so beclouded that they are not in fact able to think at all. For the light of heaven there has an adverse effect on them, which with them, as has been stated, is either stifled or cast back or perverted. As a result they reel back from there and cast themselves down into hell, where that kind of light shines. These considerations show what true enlightenment is, namely that which is a product of good originating in the Lord, and what false enlightenment is, namely that which is a product of evil originating in hell.
ppp19636#pid#4215. 'And kissed his sons and his daughters' means the acknowledgement of those truths and of affections for them. This is clear from the meaning of 'kissing' as a joining together resulting from affection, dealt with in `@@@3573`, `@@@3574`, and therefore as acknowledgement, for where any joining together through good and truth exists, acknowledgement of them exists also; from the meaning of 'sons' as truths and things that are true, dealt with in `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@533`, `@@@1147`, `@@@2623`, `@@@3373`; and from the meaning of 'daughters', who in this case are Rachel and Leah, as affections for those same truths, dealt with in `@@@3758`, `@@@3782`, `@@@3793`, `@@@3819`.
ttt[2] The reason why 'kissing' means a joining together resulting from affection lies in correspondence; for as is being shown at the ends of chapters, a correspondence exists between heaven and every organ and limb of the body. A correspondence exists between man's inner self and every part of his face, so that his general frame of mind (animus) is revealed in his countenance, and more internal aspects of it - his inner mind (mens) - in his eyes. A correspondence also exists between the thoughts and affections of the mind and the actions and gestures of the body; and this is recognized to be so with all voluntary actions and gestures as well as involuntary ones. Humility of heats, for example, brings a person to his knees, an external gesture of the body; and still greater and more interior humility extends him prostrate on the ground. A feeling of gladness and joy of mind leads to singing and jubilation, sadness and inner grief to weeping and wailing. But a joining together resulting from affection leads to kissing.
ttt[3] From this it is evident that because external actions like these correspond to inner virtues they are visible signs of these, and that as visible signs they hold within them something internal from which they receive their specific nature. With people however who wish by means of external actions to give the impression that they possess those inner virtues, their external actions are likewise visible signs; but they are signs of pretence, hypocrisy, and deceit. This is so with kisses, because everyone wishes by means of kisses to express his heartfelt love for another. For one who gives the impression that he possesses inner virtues knows that kisses have their origins in the heart and that they are a sign of a joining together resulting from affection. By means of them he wishes to convince his neighbour that he loves him because of the good he sees in him, but in fact it is all for his own sake and for the sake of personal position and gain, and it is not for good but for evil reasons that he loves him. For anyone who sees himself as the end in view and not as an intermediate end to promote good, and who wishes to be joined to another to succeed in gaining that end, is governed by evil.
ppp19635#pid#4216. 'And blessed them' means the resulting joy. This is clear from the meaning of 'blessing' as heartfelt desires for their happiness, dealt with in `@@@3185`, and so as giving evidence of joy when one is going away.
ppp19634#pid#4217. 'And Laban went and resumed to his place' means the end of the representation by means of Laban. This is clear from the meaning of 'returning to his place' as going back to a previous state - for 'place' means state, see `@@@2625`, `@@@2837`, `@@@3356`, `@@@3387`, `@@@3404` - and therefore the words used here mean the end of the representation by means of Laban. All that has been shown makes it clear that every single part of the Word has an interior content, which is of such a nature that it is suited to the perception of the angels present with man. For example, when the word 'bread' is used in the Word the angels do not call to mind material bread but spiritual bread, and so instead of bread perceive the Lord who, as He Himself teaches in `John 6bbb33`, `John 6bbbccc35`, is the Bread of life. And because they perceive the Lord they perceive the things which derive from Him, and therefore His love towards the whole human race. In so doing they perceive at the same time man's reciprocal love to the Lord, for these two kinds of love are knit together within one idea occupying their thought and affection.
ttt[2] Not unlike this are the thoughts of the person who has a holy mind, when he receives the bread in the Holy Supper; for at that time he does not think of the bread but of the Lord and His mercy, and of the things which constitute love to Him and charity towards the neighbour, because he is thinking about repentance and amendment of life. Yet the way people think about these things varies according to the degree of holiness present not only in their thought but also in their affection. From this it is evident that when 'bread' is mentioned in the Word no idea of bread presents itself to angels but the idea of love and of countless things connected with love. It is similar when wine is referred to in the Word and also received in the Holy Supper. In this case angels do not think at all of wine but of charity towards the neighbour. This being so, and since man in this way is linked to heaven and through heaven to the Lord, bread and wine have been made the symbols and unite a person who leads a holy life to heaven, and through heaven to the Lord.
ttt[3] The same applies to every detail within the Word, and therefore the Word is the means by which man is united to the Lord. If that uniting means did not exist heaven would not be able to flow in with man - for without a means no uniting together would be possible - but would remove itself from him. And if heaven were removed it would no longer be possible for anyone to be led to that which is good, not even to physical and worldly good. Instead all restraints, including external ones, would be abolished. For the Lord governs the person in whom good dwells by means of internal restraints, which are those of conscience, whereas the person in whom evil dwells is governed solely by external restraints. If these were abolished everybody governed solely by external restraints would become insane in the way a person is insane who has no fear of the law, no fear for his life, nor any fear of losing position and gain, and so of reputation - for these are the external bonds - and so the human race would perish. This explains why the Word exists, and the true nature of the Word. The Lord's Church where the Word exists is like the heart and the lungs, and the Lord's Church where it does not exist is like all the other internal organs which get their life from the heart and lungs - see `@@@637`, `@@@931`, `@@@2054`, `@@@2853`.
ppp19633#pid#4218. THE GRAND MAN AND CORRESPONDENCE - continued
At the ends of chapters in the previous volumes`fff1` things are recorded which I have been allowed to see and to be made aware of in the world of spirits and in the heavens of angels, the last subject to be dealt with being the Grand Man and Correspondence. To enable people to understand more fully man's state of being - that he lives connected to heaven not only as to his thoughts and affections but also as to his bodily organs, interior and exterior, and that without that connection he cannot remain in existence for a single instant - let what was begun at the ends of chapters immediately before the present one regarding Correspondence with the Grand Man be continued in this volume.
`nnn1. i.e. Volumes One, Two, and Three of the Latin
ppp19632#pid#4219. To have a general knowledge concerning the Grand Man it must be kept in mind that heaven in its entirety is the Grand Man, and that heaven is called the Grand Man because it corresponds to the Lord's Divine Human. For the Lord alone is Man, and angels and spirits, as well as people on earth, are likewise men only insofar as they are dependent on Him. Let nobody suppose that anyone is man because he has a human face and a human body, and has a brain and also organs and limbs. All of these he has in common with animals, and therefore these are the things which die and become a corpse. But a person is man by virtue of his being able to think and will as a human being, and so of his being able to receive things that are Divine, that is which are the Lord's. These things mark the human being off from beasts and wild animals; and in the next life too he becomes such a human being in the measure that by accepting those things during his lifetime he has made them his own.
ppp19631#pid#4220. In the next life those who during their lifetime have been receiving Divine things which are the Lord's - that is, who have been receiving His love towards the whole human race, and so those who have been receiving charity towards the neighbour, also those who have been receiving reciprocal love to the Lord - are granted intelligence and wisdom, and indescribable happiness. For they become angels and thus human beings in the truest sense. But the lot in the next life of those who during their lifetime have not been receiving Divine things which are the Lord's - that is, those who have not been receiving His love towards the human race, let alone reciprocal love to the Lord, but have loved, indeed worshipped, only themselves, and as a consequence have had as their end in view the things which belong to self and the world - is different. After a few short periods there those people are deprived of all intelligence and become utterly stupid, being among the stupid ones in hell.
ppp19630#pid#4221. To enable me to know that this is so I have been allowed to talk to those who have lived in this manner and also to one person whom I had even known during his lifetime. Whatever good he had done to the neighbour during that time he had done for selfish reasons, that is to say, for the sake of his own position and gain. The rest to whom he did not do good he treated with contempt and also hated. He did, it is true, confess God with the lips, but he did not acknowledge Him in his heart. When I was allowed to talk to him there emanated from him a sphere which was so to speak of a bodily and unspiritual nature. His speech was not like that of spirits but of people still living in this world - for the speech of spirits differs from that of men in that it is filled with ideas, that is, it incorporates something spiritual and so a living quality that cannot be described. But the speech of the spirit to whom I spoke was not like this. The sphere emanating from him and which was perceptible in every single thing he said was such as mentioned above. He was to be seen there among those who are base, and I was told that such people gradually become in their thoughts and affections so dull and stupid that no one on earth could be more stupid than they are. They have a place under the buttocks where their hell is situated. From there one had also appeared previously who did not look like a spirit but an extremely bodily-minded man in whom the life of intelligence which is truly human was so minimal that you would call it the embodiment of stupidity. These experiences showed me what kind of spirits those people become who have no love for their neighbour, nor any for the general public, still less any for the Lord's kingdom, but who love only themselves and consider only themselves in every single thing, indeed who adore themselves as gods and also wish to be so adored by others, having this intent in everything they do.
ppp19629#pid#4222. As regards the correspondence of the Grand Man with the things present in man, this is a correspondence with every single part of him. That is to say, it is a correspondence with his organs, members, and viscera, in so much indeed that not one organ or member exists in the body, not one part within any organ or member, nor even one small part of any part, with which there is no correspondence. It is well known that every organ and every member within the body consists of parts, and of parts of the parts. The brain, for example, consists in general of the cerebrum, the cerebellum, the medulla oblongata, and the medulla spinalis, the latter being a continuation or so to speak appendage. But the cerebrum consists of many members which are its parts, namely the membranes called the dura mater and the pia mater, the corpus callosum, the corpora striate, the ventricles and cavities, the smaller glands, the septa, in general the cineritious substance and the medullary substance, in addition to sinuses, blood vessels, and plexuses. It is similar with the sensory and motor organs of the body, and with the viscera, as is well known from anatomical studies. All these parts of the body in general and in particular correspond most exactly to the Grand Man, being as many in number so to speak as the heavens. For the Lord's heaven in a similar way divides up into smaller heavens; the smaller into those that are smaller still; the smaller still into the smallest; and lastly the smallest into individual angels, of whom each one is a miniature heaven corresponding to the grand one. These heavens are quite distinct and separate from one another, yet each one belongs to its own general heaven, and the general heavens to the most general or whole, which is the Grand Man.
ppp19628#pid#4223. But the true position with correspondence is that although the heavens mentioned above do certainly correspond to the organic forms themselves of the human body - on account of which these communities or those angels have been spoken of as belonging to the province of the brain, or to the province of the heart, or to the province of the lungs, or to the province of the eye, and so on - they correspond primarily to the functions belonging to those viscera or organs. The position really is that, like the organs or viscera themselves, their functions make one with their organic forms. For it is impossible to gather any idea of a function except from forms, that is, from substances, since the substances are the subjects from which they exist. It is impossible to gather any idea of sight, for example, except from the eye, or of breathing except from the lungs. The eye is the organic form from which and through which sight exists, and the lungs the organic form from which and through which breathing does so; and the same applies to all other organic forms. It is the functions therefore to which heavenly communities correspond primarily, and then because they correspond to the functions they correspond to the organic forms too; for the one is indivisible from the other and inseparable, so much so that it makes no difference whether you speak about the function or about the organic form through which and from which that function exists. Consequently there is a correspondence with organs, members, and viscera because there is such with the functions. And therefore when the function is brought into action the organ also is stimulated. The same also applies in every single thing a person does. When he wishes to do this or that, and to do so in this or some other way, and is thinking of it, the organs move in response, and so in accordance with the aim of the function or use; for it is the use they serve that governs the forms.
ttt[2] This shows also that the use they serve existed before the organic forms of the body came into being, and that the use produced and adapted those forms to itself, and not the reverse. But once the forms have been produced or the organs adapted, the uses they serve then flow from them, in which event it seems as though the forms or organs were prior to the uses, when that is not in fact the case. For the use flows in from the Lord, doing so by way of heaven, in keeping with order and with the form in which the Lord has arranged heaven, and so in keeping with correspondences. This is the manner in which man is brought into existence and in which he is kept in existence. This again shows the origin of the correspondence of the human being - every single part of him - with the heavens.
ppp19627#pid#4224. Organic forms consist not merely in those which are visible to the eye or which can be discovered by means of microscopes. Still purer organic forms exist which cannot possibly be discovered by any naked eye or any artificial device. These purer forms are more internal, such as the forms which belong to internal sight, and which in the end belong to the understanding. These are unsearchable, but are nevertheless forms, that is, substances, since no sight, not even intellectual sight, is possible except that which exists from something beyond itself. This is also well known in the learned world, that is to say, the point that without substance which is the subject, no mode, nor any modification, nor any quality which manifests itself in an active manner is possible. Those purer or more internal forms which are unsearchable are those which give rise to man's internal senses, as well as producing his interior affections. And these are the forms to which the interior heavens correspond since the interior heavens correspond to those internal senses and interior affections. But as there are very many things which have been disclosed to me concerning those heavens and their correspondence, they cannot be presented clearly unless each one is dealt with separately. For that reason, in the Lord's Divine mercy let the subject of the correspondence of man with the Grand Man begun in the previous volume be continued below. This will enable anyone to know, not on the basis of any reasoning, still less of any mere speculation, but from actual experience, about his own state of being, about his internal man which is called his soul, and lastly about how he is joined to heaven and through heaven to the Lord. He will then know about what it is that makes anyone a human being and what it is that marks him off from animals. In addition he will know about how a person separates himself from that conjunction with heaven and the Lord and joins himself to hell.
ppp19626#pid#4225. In the first place it must be stated who are within the Grand Man and who are outside it. All who are governed by love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour, and who from their hearts do good to him in the measure that good is present in him, and who have a conscience of what is just and fair, are within the Grand Man, for they abide in the Lord and are consequently in heaven. Not so all who are governed by self-love and love of the world and therefore by their own very evil desires. These do good solely because laws require them to do it; they do it for the sake of personal position, worldly wealth, and reputation resulting from these. Thus they are ruthless interiorly, and being selfish and worldly-minded they are steeped in hatred of and revenge against their neighbour, and take delight in his injury when he does not favour them. These are outside the Grand Man; indeed they are in hell. They do not correspond to any organs or members within the body but to various defects and diseases induced into them, which too will in the Lord's Divine mercy be described from experience later on.
ttt[2] Those outside the Grand Man, that is, outside heaven, cannot enter it since their lives are contrary to it. Indeed if they do gain any kind of entrance, as some on occasions do who during their lifetime have learned to impersonate angels of light (their entry into heaven being sometimes permitted to let them see what they themselves are really like), they are admitted no further than the first part of the way in, that is, no further than the part where those people are gathered who are still simple and have not yet been fully taught. Such people who come in impersonating angels of light are able to remain there for barely a few moments because the life there is that of love to the Lord and of love towards the neighbour. And because nothing there corresponds to their own life they are scarcely able to breathe; for spirits and angels too are beings who breathe, see `@@@3884-3893`. As a consequence those impersonating angels start to experience pain, because the act of breathing is directly related to one's freedom to live in one's own way; and what is remarkable, they are at length scarcely able to move but become such as are weighed down, inwardly seized with anguish and torment, as a result of which they cast themselves away from there headlong, even into hell where breathing and freedom of movement return to them. And this is why in the Word life is represented by movement.
ttt[3] The breathing of those who are within the Grand Man however is free when the good of love is alive in them. Yet they are distinguishable any one from another according to the nature and the amount of that good; and this is the origin of so many heavens, which in the Word are called 'rooms', `John 14bbb2`. And anyone present in his own heaven leads the life that is his own and has the whole of heaven flowing into him. Everyone there is a focal point of all influxes, and because of that he experiences most perfect equilibrium, doing so in accordance with the amazing form heaven takes, which is received from the Lord alone, with much variety from person to person.
ppp19625#pid#4226. Spirits recently arrived there who have been inwardly evil during their life in the world but who outwardly have tried to acquire an appearance of good by means of works which they had done to others for selfish and worldly reasons, have sometimes complained about not being allowed into heaven. For they had no other concept of heaven than of being allowed in 'by grace'. They have been told in reply sometimes that heaven is not denied to anyone and if they so desire they will be let in. Some of them have indeed been let into the heavenly communities situated nearest the entrance; but having entered those spirits realized that their breathing had stopped, in the way described above, and that they were seized with a hell-like pain and torment, all of which was due to the contrary and antagonistic nature of their life. So they reeled back from there, saying finally that to them heaven was hell, and that they would never have believed that heaven was what they now saw it to be like.
ppp19624#pid#4227. There are many people of both sexes who whenever possible during their lifetime have been the sort to try by the use of craft and deceit to subjugate the minds of others to themselves with the intent of exercising control over them, trying to do so in particular among the powerful and the rich in order that they alone might rule in the name of the powerful or rich. They have acted secretly, and by various methods have removed others, especially the upright, not indeed by bringing discredit on them, for uprightness can take care of itself, but by other methods - by distorting what they suggest, calling them simpletons and also 'a bad lot', attributing misfortunes to them when these occur, besides other similar practices. People who have behaved like this during their lifetime are just the same in the next life, for everyone's life follows him.
ttt[2] I have come to know all this from actual experience of spirits of this sort when they have been with me, for at that time they acted in a similar manner but even more expertly and craftily - for spirits act more skillfully than men do because they have been released from all connection with the body and from being shackled to gross modes of sensation. They were so skillful that on some occasions I did not perceive that their intention or end in view was to exercise control; and while talking among themselves they took care that I did not hear or realize what they were saying. But I was told by others who did hear them that their proposals were unspeakable, and that they were planning by the use of the arts of magic, and so with the aid of the devil's crew, how to attain their end. They thought nothing of murdering the upright; and as for the Lord in whose name they said that they wished to exercise control, they did not rate Him highly at all but regarded Him as just another human being, the worship of whom was a practice left over from ancient times, akin to that which existed among other nations who treated and worshipped human beings as gods. Yet they did not dare to decry Him because they had been born to that worship of Him, and if they did decry Him they would damage their own reputation. Of these spirits I can say this, that they beset the thoughts and will of people who are like themselves and worm their way into their affection and intention in such a manner that, but for the Lord's mercy, those persons cannot possibly know that such spirits are present or that they are within a community of such spirits.
ttt[3] These spirits correspond to the harmful elements present in man's purer blood, termed the animal spirit, into which those elements enter without any order. They spread everywhere and are like poisons, freezing and putting out of action nerves and fibres, from which very serious and fatal diseases break out. When such spirits act in combination with one another, one knows that they do so from the fact that they go down on all fours, so to speak, and station themselves, at the back of one's head below the left side of the cerebellum. For spirits who act below the back of the head work in a more clandestine way than others; and those whose activity is directed on one's back desire to exercise control.
ttt[4] They have reasoned with me regarding the Lord, saying that it was extraordinary He did not hear their prayers when they prayed and so did not come to the aid of those asking for help. But I was led to reply that they could not be heard because they had as their end in view such things as were contrary to the health of the human race and because they prayed for their own prosperity against that of all others. And when they prayed in this fashion, I added, heaven was closed, for those in heaven pay attention solely to the ends which those praying have in view. These spirits certainly did not wish to acknowledge anything I said; nevertheless they could not find anything to say in reply.
ttt[5] There have been some men of this kind, accompanied by women, who said that they could follow many suggestions made by the women because women have a quicker and shrewder insight into such matters. They were especially delighted to have the company of those who had been whores. Such apply themselves in the next life to secret and magical arts for the most part, for very many magical arts exist in the next life which are totally unknown in the world. As soon as people of this nature enter the next life they apply themselves to those arts and learn how to bewitch those with whom they are present, especially those in whose name they wish to bear rule. They have no abhorrence of wicked ways. The nature of their hell and where they are when not in the world of spirits will be discussed elsewhere. From all this it may be seen that everyone's life remains with him after death.
ppp19623#pid#4228. 'The Grand Man and Correspondence' is continued at the end of the next chapter, where the subject will be Correspondence with the Senses in general.
ppp19622#pid#4229. CHAPTER 32
In Volume Three`fff1` an explanation was begun of what the Lord has foretold in `Matthew 24bbb0` about the Last Judgement. The explanation stands in the preliminary sections to the final chapters of that volume and has been taken as far as `Matthew 24bbb31`, see `@@@3353-3356`, `@@@3486-3489`, `@@@3650-3655`, `@@@3897-3901`, `@@@4056-4060`. The internal sense in brief of all that He foretold is evident from the explanations contained in those paragraphs; that is to say, He foretold the progressive ruination of the Church and the establishment at length of a new Church, in the following order:
1. People ceased to know what good or truth was, and instead began to argue with one another about these.
2. They treated them with contempt.
3. They did not in their hearts acknowledge them.
4. They profaned them.
5. And because the truth of faith and the good of love would continue to exist with some who are called the elect, the state of faith as this will be at that time is described.
6. Then the state of charity as this will be.
7. And finally the beginning of a new Church is dealt with, which is meant by the words which were explained last of all, namely,
And He will send out His angels with a trumpet and a loud voice, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other end of them. Verse `Genesis 31bbbccc31`.
These words are used to mean the beginning of a new Church, see the end of `@@@4060`.
`nnn1. i.e. of the Latin, which begins with paragraph number `@@@2760`. The treatment of Matthew begins with paragraph number `@@@3353`.
ppp19621#pid#4230. When the end of the old Church and the start of the new is at hand, that is the time of the Last Judgement. For such a time is meant in the Word by the Last Judgement, see `@@@2117-2133`, `@@@3353`, `@@@4057`. That time is also meant by the coming of the Son of Man. It is that very coming which is being referred to now, and the coming which the disciples asked the Lord about when they said,
Tell us, when will those things take place; what especially will be the sign of Your coming and of the close of the age? `Matthew 24bbb3`.
There now remains to be explained therefore that which the Lord has foretold about the actual time of His coming and of the close of the age, which is the Last Judgement.
ttt[2] But in this present foregoing section to a chapter the contents of only verses `Genesis 31bbbccc32-35` are covered, which verses are these,
But from the fig tree learn a parable. When its branch now becomes tender and leaves sprout forth, you know that summer is near. So also yourselves - when you see all these things, know that He is near at the doors. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away
The internal sense of these words is as follows.
ppp19620#pid#4231. But from the fig tree learn a parable. When its branch now becomes tender and leaves sprout forth, you know that summer is near means the first period of a new Church. 'The fig tree' means the good of the natural, 'branch' the affection belonging to that good, while 'leaves' means truths. 'A parable' which they were to learn from means that those things are what is really meant. Anyone unacquainted with the internal sense of the Word cannot possibly know what is included within the description in which the Lord's coming is compared to a fig tree and its branch and leaves. But since all comparisons in the Word are also meaningful signs, `@@@3579`, one can know from these what is really meant by such a comparison. Whenever 'a fig tree' is mentioned in the Word it means in the internal sense the good of the natural, see `@@@217`. The reason why 'a branch' means the affection for that good is that affection stems from good as a branch from its trunk. And as for 'leaves' meaning truths, see `@@@885`. From these considerations one may now see what is really meant by that parable, namely this: When a new Church is being created by the Lord, the good of the natural shows itself first of all, that is, good in external form together with the affection belonging to it and with truths. The expression 'the good of the natural' is not used to mean the good into which a person is born or derives from parents, but good which is spiritual in origin. Nobody is born into this kind of good but is brought into it by the Lord by means of cognitions of good and truth. Consequently until this good - that is to say, spiritual good - exists with a person, he is not a member of the Church, no matter how much he may seem to be by virtue of that good which he is born with.
ttt[2] So also yourselves; when you see all these things, know that He is near at the doors means that when those things are apparent that are meant in the internal sense by the words spoken immediately before this in verses `Genesis 31bbbccc29-31` as well as by these words concerning the fig tree, the end of the Church has arrived, which is the Last Judgement and the Coming of the Lord - a time therefore when the old Church is cast aside and a new one established. The phrase 'at the doors' is used because the good of the natural and its truths are the first things to be introduced into a person when he is being regenerated and becoming the Church.
Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place means that the Jewish nation will not be eradicated like other nations. For the reason why, see `@@@3479`.
ttt[3] Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away means that the internal and the external features of the former Church will perish, but the Word of the Lord will remain. For 'heaven' means the internal aspect of the Church and 'earth' the external aspect of it, see `@@@82`, `@@@1411`, `@@@1733`, `@@@1850`, `@@@2117`, `@@@2118`, `@@@3355` (end). The fact that the Lord's 'words' include not only those stated here concerning His coming and the close of the age but also all contained in the Word is self-evident. The words under consideration here were spoken immediately after those concerning the Jewish nation because the Jewish nation has been preserved for the sake of the Word, as may be seen from `@@@3479`, mentioned already. From all this it is now evident that these verses foretell the beginnings of a new Church.
ppp19619#pid#4232. `Genesis 32bbb0`
1. And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.
2. And Jacob said when he saw them, This is God's camp. And he called the name of that place Mahanaim.
3. And Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau, to the land of Seir, the field of Edom.
4. And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall you say to my lord Esau, Thus says your servant Jacob, With Laban I have sojourned, and have stayed until now.
5. And I have oxen and asses, flocks and men servants and women servants; and I am sending to tell my lord, so as to find favour in your eyes.
6. And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to your brother, to Esau, and he also is coming to meet you, and four hundred men with him.
7. And Jacob was exceedingly afraid, and was distressed; and he split up the people who were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two camps.
8. And he said, If Esau comes towards one camp and smites it, the camp that is left will escape.
9. And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O Jehovah, who says to me, Return to your land, and to the place of your nativity, and I will deal well with you,
10. I am not worthy of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown to Your servant, for with just my staff I passed over this Jordan, and now I have become two camps.
11. Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he comes and smites me, the mother with the children.`fff1`
12. And You have said, I will certainly deal well with you and I will make your seed like the sand of the sea which cannot be counted for multitude.
13. And he spent that night there, and took from what came into his hand a gift for Esau his brother:
14. Two hundred she-goats and twenty he-goats; two hundred sheep and twenty rams;
15. Thirty milking camels and their colts; forty young cows and ten young bulls; twenty she-asses and ten foals
16. And he gave them into the hand of his servants, drove by drove separately; and he said to his servants, Pass over in front of me and put a space between drove and drove.
17. And he commanded the first, saying, When Esau my brother meets you and asks you, saying, To whom do you belong; and where are you going; and whose are these in front of you?
18. Then you shall say, They belong to your servant Jacob; it is a gift sent to my lord Esau; and behold, he also is behind us.
19. And he commanded the second also, the third also, and all also following the droves, saying, In this manner`fff2` shall you speak to Esau when you find him.
20. And you shall also say, Behold, your servant Jacob is behind us. For he said, I will appease him with the gift that is going in front of me, and after that I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me.
21. And the gift passed over in front of him, and he spent that night in the camp.
22. And he rose up that night, and took his two wives (femina), and his two servant-girls, and his eleven sons, and passed over at the passage of Jabbok.
23. And he took them and made them pass over the river, and made all that he had pass over.
24. And Jacob remained alone; and a man wrestled with him until dawn came up.
25. And he`fff3` saw that he did not prevail against him, and he touched the hollow of his thigh, and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint as he wrestled with him.
26. And he`fff3` said, Let me go, for the dawn is coming up. And he said, I will not let you go unless you bless me.
27. And he`fff3` said to him, What is your name? And he said, Jacob.
28. And he' said, Your name will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for as a prince you have contended with God and with men, and have prevailed.
29. And Jacob asked and said, Tell me, I pray, your name. And he said, Why is it that you ask my name? And he blessed him there.
30. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, [saying,] For I have seen God face to face, and my soul is delivered.
31. And the sun rose on him as he passed over Penuel, and he was limping on his thigh.
32. Therefore the children of Israel do not eat the sinew of that which was displaced, which is on the hollow of the thigh, even to this day, because he touched, in the hollow of Jacob's thigh, the sinew of that which was displaced.
CONTENTS
The subject now in the internal sense is a turning round of the state within the Natural, so that good comes to occupy the first place and truth the second. The implanting of truth within good is dealt with in verses `Genesis 32bbbccc1-23`, and the wrestlings involved in the temptations which have to be endured then, in verses `Genesis 32bbbccc24-32`. At the same time the subject is the Jewish nation - how even though it was incapable of receiving anything of the Church, that nation did nevertheless represent things of the Church.
`nnn1. literally, mother over children (or sons)
`nnn2. literally, According to this word
`nnn3. i.e. the man
ppp19618#pid#4233. THE INTERNAL SENSE
Verses `Genesis 32bbbccc1-2` And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. And Jacob said when he saw them, This is God's camp. And he called the name of that place Mahanaim.
'Jacob went on his way' means the progression of truth so that it might be joined to spiritual and celestial good. 'And the angels of God met him' means enlightenment coming from good. 'And Jacob said when he saw them, This is God's camp' means heaven. 'And he called the name of that place Mahanaim' means the nature of that state.
ppp19617#pid#4234. 'Jacob went on his way' means the progression of truth so that it might be joined to spiritual and celestial good. This is clear from the representation of 'Jacob' at this point as the truth of the natural. What 'Jacob' represented has been stated already, namely the Lord's Natural. And because the subject in the internal sense where the historical narrative has to do with Jacob is the Lord and how He made His Natural Divine, Jacob therefore first represented truth within that Natural and then truth to which the parallel good meant by Laban had been allied. And once this good had been allied to it Jacob represented that kind of good. That kind of good is not however Divine good within the Natural but intermediate good by means of which He was able to receive Divine good. Jacob represented such intermediate good when he departed from Laban, though essentially that good is truth, which by virtue of being intermediate has the capacity to join itself to Divine good within the Natural. It is that kind of truth that Jacob represents now.
ttt[2] The good however to which that truth was to be joined is represented by 'Esau' - 'Esau' being the Divine Good of the Lord's Divine Natural, see `@@@3300`, `@@@3302`, `@@@3494`, `@@@3504`, `@@@3527`, `@@@3576`, `@@@3599`, `@@@3669`, `@@@3677`. It is the actual joining together of the two - the joining of the Divine truth to the Divine good of the Lord's Divine Natural - that is the subject now in the highest sense. For once Jacob has departed from Laban and come to the Jordan, and so to the place of entry into the land of Canaan, he comes to represent that conjunction; for in the internal sense the land of Canaan means heaven, and in the highest sense the Lord's Divine Human, `@@@3038`, `@@@3705`. This explains why the words 'And Jacob went on his way' mean the progression of truth so that it might be joined to spiritual and celestial good.
ttt[3] But these matters are such that a full and intelligible explanation of them cannot be given at all, for the reason that not even the learned in the Christian world possess the vaguest notions on the subject. For scarcely any knowledge exists of what man's natural is, or of what his rational is, or of the fact that the two are altogether distinct and separate from each other. Nor is there much knowledge of what spiritual truth is or of the good which goes with that truth, or of the fact that these likewise are distinct and separate. Still less is it known that when a person is being regenerated truth is joined to good, in one distinct and separate way in the natural, in another in the rational, and by means that are countless. In fact it is not even known that the Lord made His Human Divine according to the same order as that by which He regenerates man.
ttt[4] Since therefore not even the vaguest notions exist about these matters, any statements made about them are bound to seem obscure. Nevertheless such statements must be made because the internal sense of the Word cannot be explained in any other way. If nothing else they will show what angelic wisdom is and the nature of it, for the internal sense of the Word is primarily for angels.
ppp19616#pid#4235. 'And the angels of God met him' means enlightenment coming from good. This is clear from the meaning of 'the angels of God' as some aspect of the Lord, in this case the Divine which is within the Lord, for within the Lord there was the Divine itself which is called the Father. The very Essence of the Lord's life, which with man is termed the soul, was from the Divine and was Himself. That Divine is what is normally referred to as the Divine Nature, or rather the Lord's Divine Essence. For in the Word 'the angels of God' means some aspect of the Lord's Divine, see `@@@1925`, `@@@2319`, `@@@2821`, `@@@3039`, `@@@4085`. This statement about the angels of God meeting him means in the proximate sense an inflowing of the Divine into the Natural, which brought enlightenment; for all enlightenment comes about from an influx of the Divine. As the subject is a turning round of the state within the Lord's Natural, so that good came to occupy the first place and truth the second, and the implanting of truth within good there, dealt with in `@@@4232`; and as this could not be effected without enlightenment from the Divine, enlightenment from the good in which the truth was to be implanted is here dealt with first.
ppp19615#pid#4236. 'And Jacob said [when he saw them], This is God's camp' means heaven. 'God's camp' means heaven, for the reason that 'an army' means truths and goods, `@@@3448`, and goods and truths are arranged by the Lord in conformity with heavenly order. Hence the arrangement of them like armies when arrayed is meant by 'an encampment', and the heavenly order itself, which is heaven, by 'a camp'. This camp or order is such that it cannot in any way be broken apart by hell, despite the constant effort from hell to break it apart. This also is why this order, which is heaven, is referred to as 'a camp', and why truths and goods, that is, angels, who are arranged in conformity with that order are called 'armies'. From all this it is now evident how 'God's camp' comes to mean heaven. It is that actual order, and so heaven itself, which was represented by the encampments of the children of Israel in the wilderness; and their actual dwelling together there according to their tribes was referred to as 'the camp'. The Tabernacle pitched in the middle and around which they encamped represented the Lord Himself. Regarding the children of Israel's encampment in this manner, see `Numbers 1bbb1`-end, and `Numbers ccc33bbb2-56`; and regarding their encampment around the Tabernacle according to their tribes - Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun to the east; Reuben, Simeon, and Gad to the south; Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin to the west; Dan, Asher, and Naphtali to the north; and the Levites in the middle next to the Tabernacle - `Numbers 2bbb2` and following verses.
ttt[2] The tribes' means all goods and truths in their entirety, see `@@@3858`, `@@@3862`, `@@@3926`, `@@@3939`, `@@@4060`. Consequently when Balaam saw Israel dwelling according to tribes and the Spirit of God came upon him, he delivered the utterance,
How good your tabernacles are, O Jacob; your dwelling-places, O Israel! They are like valleys that are planted, like gardens beside a river. `Numbers 24bbb2-3`, `Numbers 24bbbccc5-6`.
It is quite plain that this prophecy did not mean the people named Jacob and Israel but that it was the Lord's heaven which was represented. This also is why in other places in the Word their ordered settlements in the wilderness, or encampments according to tribes, are called camps, and in those places 'a camp' in the internal sense means heavenly order and 'encampment' an arrangement in conformity with that order, that is to say, with the order in which goods and truths exist in heaven - as in `Leviticus 4bbb12`; `Leviticus ccc8bbb17`; `Leviticus ccc13bbb46`; `Leviticus ccc14bbb8`; `Leviticus ccc16bbb26`, `Leviticus 16bbbccc28`; `Leviticus ccc24bbb14`, `Leviticus 24bbbccc23`; `Numbers 3bbb0`; `Numbers ccc4bbb4` and following verses; `Numbers ccc5bbb2-4`; `Numbers 9bbb17`-end; `Numbers ccc10bbb1-10`, `Numbers 10bbbccc28`; `Numbers ccc11bbb31-32`; `Numbers ccc12bbb14-15`; `Numbers ccc31bbb19-24`; `Deuteronomy 23bbb9-14`.
ttt[3] The meaning of 'God's camp' as heaven may also be seen in Joel,
The earth quaked before Him, the heavens trembled. The sun and the moon were darkened, and the stars gathered back their shining; and Jehovah gave voice before His army, for His camp is exceedingly many; for that which executes His word is uncountable. `Joel 2bbb10-11`.
In Zechariah,
I will encamp by My house with an army set against anyone passing through and against anyone leaving, so that the oppressor passes over them no more. `Zechariah 9bbb8`.
In John,
Gog and Magog went up over the breadth`fff1` of the earth, and surrounded the camp of the saints, and the beloved city; but fire came down`fff2` from God and consumed them. `Revelation 20bbb9`.
'Gog and Magog' stands for people whose worship is external separated from internal - worship that has become idolatrous, `@@@1151`. 'The breadth of the earth' stands for truth possessed by the Church - 'breadth', or a plain, meaning truth that constitutes doctrinal teaching, `@@@2450`, and 'earth' the Church, `@@@556`, `@@@662`, `@@@1066`, `@@@1067`, `@@@1850`, `@@@2117`, `@@@2118`, `@@@3355`. 'The camp of the saints' stands for heaven or the Lord's kingdom on earth, which is the Church.
ttt[4] Since most things in the Word also have a contrary sense, so too does the word 'camp'. In this case it means evils and falsities, and consequently hell, as in David,
Though the evil pitch camp against me, my heart will not fear. `Psalms 27bbb3`.
In the same author,
God has scattered the bones of those encamping against you;`fff3` you have put them to shame, for God has rejected them. `Psalms 53bbb5`.
The camp of Asshur in which the angel of Jehovah smote a hundred and eighty-five thousand, `Isaiah 37bbb36`, does not have any other meaning, nor likewise does the camp of the Egyptians, `Exodus 14bbb19-20`.
`nnn1. literally, the plain
`nnn2. The Latin means went up, but the Greek means came down, which Swedenborg has in another place where he quotes this verse.
`nnn3. The Latin means me, but the Hebrew means you.
ppp19614#pid#4237. 'And he called the name of that place Mahanaim' means the nature of that state. This is clear from the meaning of 'calling the name' as the essential nature, dealt with in `@@@144`, `@@@145`, `@@@1754`, `@@@1896`, `@@@2009`, `@@@3421`, and from the meaning of 'place' as state, dealt with in `@@@2625`, `@@@2837`, `@@@3356`, `@@@3387`. In the original language Mahanaim means the two camps, and 'the two camps' means both heavens, or both kingdoms of the Lord - the celestial and the spiritual - and in the highest sense the Lord's Divine celestial and Divine spiritual. From this it is evident that the nature of the Lord's state when His Natural was being enlightened by spiritual and celestial good is the meaning of 'Mahanaim'. But this - that is to say, the nature of that state - cannot be described because the Divine states which the Lord experienced when He made the Human within Him Divine do not fall within the mental grasp of any man, or indeed of any angel. They can be seen only by means of appearances when enlightened by the light of heaven received from the Lord, and by means of the states which a person experiences when being regenerated since the regeneration of man is an image of the glorification of the Lord, `@@@3138`, `@@@3212`, `@@@3296`, `@@@3490`.
ppp19613#pid#4238. Verses `Genesis 32bbbccc3-5` And Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau, to the land of Seir, the field of Edom. And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall you say to my lord Esau, Thus says your servant Jacob, With Laban I have sojourned, and have stayed until now. And I have oxen and asses, flocks and men servants and women servants; and I am sending to tell my lord, so as to find favour in your eyes.
'Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau' means the first communication by that truth with celestial good. 'To the land of Seir' means celestial-natural good. 'The field of Edom' means truth derived from this. 'And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall you say to my lord Esau' means the first acknowledgement that good occupied the higher position. 'With Laban I have sojourned, and have stayed until now' means that it had taken to itself the good meant by 'Laban'. 'And I have oxen and asses, flocks and men servants and women servants' means acquisitions existing there in their proper order. 'And I am sending to tell my lord, so as to find favour in your eyes' means information concerning its state, and also deference and self-abasement on the part of truth in the presence of good.
ppp19612#pid#4239. 'Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau' means the first communication of that truth with celestial good. This is clear from the meaning of 'sending messengers' as communicating, and from the representation of 'Esau' as celestial good within the natural, dealt with in `@@@3300`, `@@@3302`, `@@@3494`, `@@@3504`, `@@@3527`, `@@@3576`, `@@@3599`, `@@@3669`. The subject at present, as stated above in `@@@4234`, is the joining of the Divine truth of the Natural, meant by 'Jacob', to the Divine good there, meant by 'Esau'. Consequently the enlightenment of the Natural by the Divine has been dealt with first, `@@@4235`, and now the first communication by the truth there, which is meant by the statement that 'Jacob sent messengers to his brother Esau'. Also, in the Word good and truth are referred to as 'brothers', see `@@@367`, `@@@3303`.
ppp19611#pid#4240. 'To the land of Seir' means celestial-natural good. This is clear from the meaning of 'the land of Seir' in the highest sense as the Lord's celestial-natural good. The reason why 'the land of Seir' has this meaning is that Mount Seir formed a boundary to the land of Canaan on one side, `Joshua 11bbb16-17`, and all boundaries such as rivers, mountains, and stretches of land represented the things that came last, `@@@1585`, `@@@1866`, `@@@4116`. Indeed these boundaries acquired their individual representations from the land of Canaan contained within them, which land represented the Lord's heavenly kingdom, and in the highest sense His Divine Human, see `@@@1607`, `@@@3038`, `@@@3481`, `@@@3705`. Things that are last, existing as boundaries, are those which are called natural, for natural things are the boundaries holding spiritual and celestial realities within them. This is so in the heavens, for the inmost or third heaven is celestial because it is governed by love to the Lord; the intermediate or second heaven is spiritual because it is governed by love towards the neighbour; and the last or first heaven is celestial-natural and spiritual-natural because it is governed by simple good, which is the last degree of order there. And the same is true with the regenerate person who is a miniature heaven. From all this one may now see the origin of the meaning of 'the land of Seir' as celestial-natural good. 'Esau' too, who dwelt there, represents that good, as has been shown above, and therefore the land where he dwelt has the same meaning. For lands take on the particular representations of their inhabitants, `@@@1675`.
ttt[2] From all this one may now see what is meant in the Word by 'Seir', as in Moses,
Jehovah came from Sinai, and dawned from Seir upon them; He shone from Mount Paran, and came out of myriads of holiness. `Deuteronomy 33bbb2-3`.
In the Song of Deborah and Barak in the Book of Judges,
O Jehovah, when You went forth from Seir, when You set out from the field of Edom, the earth trembled, the heavens also dropped, the clouds indeed dropped water, the mountains flowed down, this Sinai before Jehovah God of Israel. `Judges 5bbb4-5`.
In Balaam's prophecy,
I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near. A star will arise out of Jacob, and a sceptre will rise up out of Israel. And Edom will be an inheritance and Seir will be an inheritance of his enemies; and Israel is gaining strength. `Numbers 24bbb17-18`.
Anyone can see that in these places 'Seir' means some aspect of the Lord, since it is said that 'Jehovah dawned from Seir', that 'He went forth from Seir and set out from the field of Edom', and that 'Edom and Seir will be an inheritance'. But what aspect of the Lord is meant no one can know except from the internal sense of the Word. It is the Lord's Divine Human that is meant, and in particular the good of the Divine Natural within that Human, as may be seen from what has been mentioned above. 'Dawning from and going out of Seir' means that He made even the Natural Divine in order that this also might be a source of light, that is, of intelligence and wisdom, and in this way He might become Jehovah not only as regards the Human Rational but also as regards the Human Natural. This is why it is said that 'Jehovah dawned from Seir' and 'Jehovah went out of Seir' - the Lord being Jehovah, see `@@@1343`, `@@@1736`, `@@@2004`, `@@@2005`, `@@@2018`, `@@@2025`, `@@@2156`, `@@@2329`, `@@@2921`, `@@@3023`, `@@@3035`. Something similar is embodied in the prophetic utterance concerning Dumah,
One is calling to me from Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night? The watchman said, Morning comes, and also the night. `Isaiah 21bbb11-12`.
ttt[3] In the relative sense 'the land of Seir' strictly speaking means the Lord's kingdom existing with those outside the Church, that is, with gentiles when the Church is being established among them, while the previous or old Church is simultaneously falling away from charity and faith. As is clear from many places in the Word, light comes at that time to those who are in darkness. And this is strictly speaking the meaning of 'dawning from Seir', and of 'going forth from Seir and setting out from the field of Edom'. It is also the meaning of 'Seir will be an inheritance', as well as of the words in Isaiah, 'One is calling to me from Seir, Watchman, what of the night? The watchman said, Morning comes, and also the night.' 'Morning comes' means the Lord's advent, `@@@2405`, `@@@2780`, and as a consequence enlightenment coming to people who are 'in the night', that is, who dwell in ignorance; but that enlightenment is from the Lord's Divine Natural, `@@@4211`. Since most things in the Word also have a contrary sense, so too does the name 'Seir', as in `Ezekiel 25bbb8-9`; `Ezekiel ccc35bbb2-15`, and in various places in the historical parts of the Word.
ppp19610#pid#4241. 'The field of Edom' means truth derived from this, that is to say, from good. This is clear from the meaning of 'the field of Edom' as the Lord's Divine Natural as regards good to which truths, or matters of doctrine regarding truth, were joined, dealt with in `@@@3302`, `@@@3322`. Truths derived from this, that is, from good, are quite different from truths which are the source of good. Truths which are the source of good are those which a person takes to himself before regeneration, whereas truths which are derived from good are those which he takes to himself after regeneration. For after regeneration truths are the product of good since good is now the source of his perception and knowledge that they are truths. Such truth - truth which is the product of good - is that which is meant by 'the field of Edom', as also in the place quoted above from the Book of Judges,
O Jehovah, when You went forth from Seir, when You set out from the field of Edom. `Judges 5bbb4`.
ppp19609#pid#4242. 'And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall you say to my lord Esau' means the first acknowledgement that good occupied the higher position. This becomes clear from the meaning here of 'commanding the messengers to say' as reflection and consequent perception that this is so, dealt with in `@@@3661`, `@@@3682`, and therefore as acknowledgement; and from the representation of 'Esau' as good, dealt with above in `@@@4234`, `@@@4239`. The acknowledgement that it occupied the higher position is meant by his calling Esau not his brother but his 'lord' and also by calling himself in the next breath his 'servant', and likewise further on. For while a person is being regenerated truth seemingly occupies first position and good second, but once he has been regenerated good occupies first and truth second, see `@@@1904`, `@@@2063`, `@@@2189`, `@@@2697`, `@@@2979`, `@@@3286`, `@@@3288`, `@@@3310` (end), `@@@3325`, `@@@3330`, `@@@3332`, `@@@3336`, `@@@3470`, `@@@3509`, `@@@3539`, `@@@3548`, `@@@3556`, `@@@3563`, `@@@3570`, `@@@3576`, `@@@3579`, `@@@3603`, `@@@3701`. This is also what is meant by the prophetic utterances made by father to son - when Isaac declared to Esau,
By your sword you will live, and you will serve your brother; and it will be, when you have dominion over him, that you will break his yoke from above your neck. `Genesis 27bbb40`.
It is the turning round within this state, foretold in these prophetic utterances, that is dealt with here.
ppp19608#pid#4243. 'With Laban I have sojourned, and have stayed until now' means that it had taken to itself the good meant by 'Laban'. This is clear from the representation of 'Laban' as intermediate good, that is, good which is not genuine good but nevertheless serves to introduce genuine truths and goods, dealt with in `@@@3974`, `@@@3982`, `@@@3986` (end), `@@@4063`; from the meaning of 'sojourning' as receiving instruction, dealt with in `@@@1463`, `@@@2025`; and from the meaning of 'staying' or 'staying wish' as that which has reference to the life of truth when accompanied by good, dealt with in `@@@3613`, at this point as taking to oneself. From this it is evident that the words 'With Laban I have sojourned, and have stayed until now' mean that it had taken to itself the good meant by 'Laban'.
ttt[2] The implications of all this are as follows: Truth cannot be implanted in good unless means exist to effect this. Those means were the subject in previous chapters, where Jacob's sojourning and staying with Laban, and the flock he acquired there, are referred to. The present chapter deals with the process by which truth and good are joined together, and so with an inversion of state, when order is turned around so that truth is made subordinate to good. Truth seemingly occupies the first position during the time a person is learning truth from an affection for it, though he is not as yet living in accordance with it to any real extent. But good occupies the first position when he does live in accordance with the truth he has learned from an affection for it, for in that case truth becomes good since that person now believes that good consists in acting in accordance with truth. People who are regenerate are governed by this good, as also are those who possess conscience, that is, who no longer reason whether it is the truth but do it because it is the truth, and so who have taken it to themselves in faith and in life.
ppp19607#pid#4244. 'And I have oxen and asses, flocks and men servants and women servants' means acquisitions existing there in their proper order. This is clear from the meaning of 'oxen and asses, flocks and men servants and women servants' as subservient goods and truths, exterior and interior, and so acquisitions in their proper order. 'An ox' means exterior natural good, and 'an ass' exterior natural truth, see `@@@2781`; and 'a flock' means interior natural good, 'a man servant' its truth, and 'a woman servant' the affection for that truth, as is clear from the meaning of each, dealt with several times already. Those kinds of good and truth constitute the acquisitions referred to here, which are, it is evident, mentioned in their proper order since exterior ones are meant by 'oxen and asses' and interior ones by 'flocks, men servants and women servants'.
ppp19606#pid#4245. 'And I am sending to tell my lord, so as to find favour in your eyes' means information concerning its state, and also deference and self-abasement on the part of truth in the presence of good. This is clear from the meaning of 'sending to tell' as providing information concerning one's state. The consequent deference and self-abasement on the part of truth in the presence of good is self-evident, for Jacob calls Esau his 'lord' and speaks of sending to him 'to find favour in your eyes', which are words of deference and self-abasement. Described at present is the nature of the state when truth and good are turned around, that is to say, when truth is becoming subordinate to good; or what amounts to the same, when people who have had an affection for truth begin to have an affection for good. But the incidence of that turning around and subordination is not recognized by any but the regenerate, yet not by any of the regenerate except those who reflect on the matter.
ttt[2] At the present day those who are being regenerated are few, and those who reflect fewer still. For that reason these things which are stated about truth and good are bound to be obscure and are perhaps of such a nature as not to be acknowledged, especially among people who place the truths of faith in first position and the good which flows from charity in second and who as a result give much thought to matters of doctrine but not to the good deeds of charity, and who consider eternal salvation to be a product of the former, not of the latter. Those who think in this way cannot possibly know, let alone perceive, that the truth of faith is subordinate to the good that flows from charity. The things which are the substance and the basis of a person's thought have an affect on him. If he were to think from the goods of charity he would see plainly that the truths of faith occupied the second position, and he would also see truths themselves so to speak in light. For the good which flows from charity is like a flame which provides light and so illuminates every single thing which he had previously assumed to be true. He would also discern how falsities had intermingled themselves and had taken on the appearance of truths.
ppp19605#pid#4246. Verses `Genesis 32bbbccc6-8` And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to your brother, to Esau, and he also is coming to meet you, and four hundred men with him. And Jacob was exceedingly afraid, and was distressed; and he split up the people who were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two camps. And he said, If Esau comes towards one camp and smites it, the camp that is left will escape.
'The messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to your brother, to Esau, and he also is coming to meet you' means that good flows in constantly so as to make [truths] its own. 'And four hundred men with him' means its state now, set to take up the first position. 'And Jacob was exceedingly afraid, and was distressed' means the state when it is being changed. 'And he split up the people who were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two camps' means the preparation and arrangement of truths and goods within the natural so as to receive the good represented by 'Esau'. 'And he said, If Esau comes towards one camp and smites it, the camp that is left will escape' means to meet every eventuality.
ppp19604#pid#4247. 'The messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to your brother, to Esau, and he also is coming to meet you' means that good flows in constantly so as to make them, that is to say, truths, its own. This is clear from the meaning of 'brother', who in this case is Esau, as good - that is to say, the good of the Lord's Divine Natural, dealt with above; and from the meaning of 'coming to meet' as flowing in, dealt with below. And because flowing in is meant, making its own is meant also.
ttt[2] From what has been stated several times already on these matters one may see what the situation is with regard to good and truth, and with the influx of good into truth, and in this connection with good making truth its own. That is to say, one may see that good flows constantly into truth, and truth receives good, since truths are the vessels for good. The only vessels into which Divine Good can be placed are genuine truths, for good and truth match each other. When a person is moved by the affection for truth, as everyone is at first prior to being regenerated, good is constantly flowing in even then, but as yet it has no vessels, that is, no truths in which to place itself or make its own; for nobody at the outset of regeneration possesses any cognitions as yet. But because good at that time is flowing in constantly it produces the affection for truth, for there is no origin to the affection for truth other than the constant endeavour of Divine good to flow in. This shows that even at that time good occupies the first position and plays the leading role, although it seems as though truth did so. When a person is being regenerated however, which takes place in adult years when he possesses cognitions, good reveals itself, for he is then moved not so much by the affection for knowing truth as for doing it. For previously truth had been in the understanding, but now it is in his will, and when in his will it is in the person's true self, since the will constitutes the person's true self. With man the recurrent cycle of events exists in which every fact and every bit of knowledge is introduced through sight or hearing into his thought-process, and from there into his will, then passing from the will through thought into action. A similar cycle also exists starting from the memory which is so to speak an inner eye or inner sight. Starting from that inner sight it passes through the thought-process into the will, and from the will through thought into action; or else if some obstacle stands in the way it passes into the endeavour to act, that endeavour being actualized the moment the obstacle is removed.
ttt[3] All of this shows the way in which good flows into truth and makes it its own. That is to say, it shows that first of all truths which belong to faith are introduced through hearing or sight and are then stored away in the memory, from where they are raised up one after another into the person's thought-process and at length introduced into his will. Once in the will they pass from there through thought into action, or if they are not able to pass into action they remain in the endeavour. The very endeavour is internal action, for as often as the opportunity exists it is made an external action. It should be realized however that although there is this cycle of events it is nevertheless good which produces the cycle. For the life which comes from the Lord flows solely into good, and thus through good, doing so from things that are inmost. It may be seen by anyone that the life flowing in through the things that are inmost produces the cycle, for without life nothing is produced. And since the life which comes from the Lord flows only into good and through good, good is consequently that which produces and that which flows into truths and makes them its own, to the extent that a person possesses cognitions of truth and at the same time is a willing recipient.
ppp19603#pid#4248. 'And four hundred men with him' means its state now, set to take up the first position. This is clear from the meaning of 'four hundred' strictly speaking as temptations and the time these lasted, dealt with in `@@@2959`, `@@@2966`. This is the state that is meant, as becomes clear from the details that follow, namely that he was exceedingly afraid and was distressed and therefore divided his camp into two, verses `Genesis 32bbbccc7-8`, and also that out of fear he prayed intensely to Jehovah, verses `Genesis 32bbbccc9-12`, and finally wrestled with an angel, by which wrestling is meant temptation, as will be clear from the explanation of that wrestling later on in this chapter. When the state of one who is being regenerated is turned around, that is, when good takes up the first position, temptations arrive. He is unable to undergo them prior to that because he does not as yet possess the cognitions with which he may defend himself and to which he may resort to receive comfort. For this reason also no one undergoes temptations until he reaches adult life, temptations being experiences which unite truths to good, `@@@2272`, `@@@3318`, `@@@3696`, `@@@3928`. From this it is evident that 'four hundred men with him' means a state when good is set to take up the first position.
ppp19602#pid#4249. 'And Jacob was exceedingly afraid, and was distressed' means the state when it is being changed. This is clear from the fact that fear and distress are the first stage in temptations, and that they are precursors to the turning round or the change taking place within a state. The arcana which lie deeper still within these details - that is to say, Esau's coming to meet Jacob with four hundred men, and Jacob's consequent fear and distress - cannot be explained easily and intelligibly since they are rather more internal ones. Let just this one be brought forward here. When good takes up the first position and subordinates truths to itself, as happens when a person undergoes spiritual temptations, the good which flows in from the interior is accompanied by very many truths which have been stored away in the person's interior man. Those truths cannot come into focus and be seen by him until good is playing the leading role, for when this happens the natural starts to receive light from good, and it is apparent to him which things in the natural agree and which ones do not. And this is what gives rise to the fear and distress that are the precursors to spiritual temptation. For spiritual temptation acts upon the conscience, which is an attribute of the interior man, and therefore when entering such temptation a person does not know the origin of his fear and distress. But the angels present with him know it full well. Indeed temptation has its origin in angels' maintenance of the person in goods and truths, while evil spirits maintain him in evils and falsities.
ttt[2] The things that occur among the spirits and angels present with a person are perceived by him purely as things going on within himself. For while he lives in the body and does not believe that everything within him flows in from somewhere other than himself, he imagines that the causes of the things that go on within him do not lie outside himself but that all causes lie within him and are his own - which is not in fact the case. For whatever a person thinks and what he wills, that is, all his thought and all his affection, originate either in hell or in heaven. When he thinks and wills anything evil and as a consequence takes delight in falsities, let him realize that his thoughts and affections originate in hell; but when he thinks and wills anything good and as a consequence takes delight in truths, let him realize that these originate in heaven, that is, in the Lord by way of heaven. But the person's thoughts and affections more often than not take on a different outward appearance. A conflict between evil spirits and angels, for example, arising from the things in one who is to be regenerated, takes on the different outward appearance of fear and distress, and of temptation.
ttt[3] These matters are bound to seem paradoxes to man, for almost every member of the Church at the present day believes that all the truth he thinks, and the good he wills and does, originate in himself, even though he says something other than that when speaking from doctrine taught by faith. Indeed his nature is such that if anyone told him that spirits from hell exist who flow into his thought and will when he thinks and wills anything evil, and angels from heaven when he thinks and wills anything good, he would be dumbfounded at anyone putting forward such an idea, for he would say that he can feel the life within himself and that he thinks from himself and wills from himself. His belief is based on that feeling and not on what doctrine teaches. Yet that doctrine is true and such feeling deceptive. This I have been allowed to know from almost uninterrupted experience lasting several years now, and to know it in such a way as to leave me in no doubt whatsoever.
ppp19601#pid#4250. 'And he split up the people who were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two camps' means the preparation and arrangement of truths and goods within the natural so as to receive the good represented by 'Esau'. This is clear from the meaning of 'the people' as truths, and also as falsities, dealt with in `@@@1259`, `@@@1260`, `@@@3581`; from the meaning of 'flocks' as interior goods, and also interior things that are not good; from the meaning of 'herds' as exterior goods, and also exterior things that are not good, dealt with in `@@@2566`, `@@@4244`; from the meaning of 'camels' as exterior or general truths, and so also as things that are not true, dealt with in `@@@3048`, `@@@3071`, `@@@3143`, `@@@3145`; and from the meaning of 'a camp' as order - in the good sense genuine order and in the contrary sense order that is not genuine, dealt with in `@@@4236`. The fact that 'splitting up into two' means dividing in two and in so doing arranging oneself to receive is self-evident.
ttt[2] The implications of all this may be seen from what has been stated just above. That is to say, when good flows in, as happens when order is turned around and good takes up the first position, the natural receives light, and within the natural a person can see what genuine truth or good is and what that which is not genuine is. In this case genuine and non-genuine are so distinguished one from the other, that some things are retained while others are removed, as a consequence of which an altogether different order emerges from that which had existed previously. That is what happens when good has dominion over truth, for truths are then nothing else than ministers and servants, and they are arranged in ever closer conformity to heavenly order, to the reception of good by truths, and also to the character of the good, for good gets its specific character from truths.
ppp19600#pid#4251. 'And he said, If Esau comes towards one camp and smites it, the camp that is left will escape' means to meet every eventuality. This is clear from the meaning of 'a camp' as order - the same as immediately above; from the meaning of 'smiting' as destroying; and from the meaning of 'the camp that is left will escape' as preventing the destruction of order within the natural and enabling something to survive. So the meaning is a preparation and arrangement to meet every eventuality. For as long as truth has dominion in it the natural is unable to see what is genuine truth and what is not genuine, or what is good. But once good which flows from love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour has dominion there it does see it. Consequently when that time or state is at hand in which good takes up the dominant position, the individual is at that point quite unaware of what good and truth are and so of what is to be destroyed or to be retained, as is plainly evident in temptations. When such unawareness exists in a person preparation and arrangement is not carried out by man but by the Lord. In the present instance it was carried out by the Lord acting within Himself, for by His own power the Lord arranged and restored to Divine order all things within Himself.
ppp19599#pid#4252. Verses `Genesis 32bbbccc9-12`. And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O Jehovah, who says to me, Return to your land, and to the place of your nativity, and I will deal well with you; I am not worthy of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown to Your servant, for with just my staff I passed over this Jordan, and now I have become two camps. Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he comes and smites me, the mother with the children.`fff1` And You have said, I will certainly deal well with you and I will make your seed like the sand of the sea which cannot be counted for multitude.
'Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O Jehovah' means the holiness of preparation and arrangement. 'Who says to me, Return to your land, and to the place of your nativity, and I will deal well with you' means to become joined to Divine Good and Truth. 'I am not worthy of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown to Your servant' means an expression, in that state, of humbleness before good and before truth. 'For with just my staff I passed over this Jordan, and now I have become two camps' means that from having little He now had much. 'Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him' means the state of truth in relation to good, in which truth has made itself first. 'Lest he comes and smites me, the mother with the children' means that it is about to perish. 'And You have said, I will certainly deal well with you' means that it would nevertheless obtain life then. 'And I will make your seed like the sand of the sea which cannot be counted for multitude' means the fruitfulness and multiplication then.
4252[a]. '[Jacob] said, O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O Jehovah' means the holiness of preparation and arrange meet. This is clear from the meaning of 'the God of my father Abraham' as the Lord's Divine itself, dealt with in `@@@3439`, and from the meaning of 'the God of my father Isaac' as His Divine Human, dealt with in `@@@3704`, `@@@4180`. And because each of these is 'Jehovah', the words used are 'O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O Jehovah'. Here however the holiness is meant which proceeds from the Divine, for all holiness begins there. The reason why holiness is meant is that all this was within the natural, represented by 'Jacob', and good, represented by 'Esau', had not yet been joined in the natural to truth. For the subject now is the state when good is received, at this point the state of preparation and arrangement to receive it. Jacob's prayer does not embody anything else, and therefore the words he used mean the holiness of preparation and arrangement.
`nnn1. literally, mother over children (or sons)
ppp19598#pid#4253. 'Who says to me, Return to your land, and to the place of your nativity, and I will deal well with you' means to become joined to Divine Good and Truth. This is clear from what has been stated already in `@@@4069`, `@@@4070`, where almost the same words occur.
ppp19597#pid#4254. 'I am not worthy of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown to Your servant' means an expression, in that state, of humbleness before good and before truth. This is clear from the use of the word 'mercy' which has reference to the good of love, and from the use of the word 'truth' which has reference to the truth of faith, see `@@@3122`; for they are words that obviously belong to an expression of humbleness. From this it becomes clear that an expression, in that state, of humbleness before good and before truth is meant here.
ppp19596#pid#4255. 'For with just my staff I passed over this Jordan, and now I have become two camps' means that from having little He now had much. This is clear from the meaning of 'a staff' as power - a word used in reference to truth, and dealt with in `@@@4013`, `@@@4015`; from the meaning of 'Jordan' as introduction into cognitions of good and truth, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'two camps' as goods and truths, as above in `@@@4250` - the two camps referred to here consisting of the people, flocks, herds, and camels, which he split into two groups. From this one may see what these words mean in the proximate sense - that when being introduced into cognitions He had only a small amount of truth but subsequently He had many truths and goods; or what amounts to the same, from having little He now had much. From the explanations given up to now it is evident that the subject in the internal sense has been the way in which the Lord made the Human within Him Divine, doing so step by step in keeping with order. So the subject has been His advance into intelligence and wisdom, at length into Divine intelligence and wisdom. This shows what the phrase 'from having little He now had much' is used to mean.
ttt[2] The reason 'the Jordan' means introduction into cognitions of good and truth is that it was a boundary to the land of Canaan. For all the boundaries of that land meant things that are first and last in the Lord's kingdom, and also those that are first and last in the Church, and so those that are first and last in the celestial and spiritual things which constitute the Lord's kingdom and His Church, see `@@@1585`, `@@@1866`, `@@@4116`, `@@@4240`. Therefore, being a boundary, 'the Jordan' meant introduction into cognitions of good and truth, for these come first; but when at length a person becomes in himself a Church or the Lord's kingdom they come to be last.
ttt[3] That 'the Jordan' means things that are first and those that are last may be seen from other places in the Word, as in David,
O my God, my soul bows itself down within me;`fff1` therefore I remember You from the land of Jordan, and the Hermons from the little mountain. `Psalms 42bbb6`.
'Remembering from the land of Jordan' stands for doing so from what is last and so from a position of humbleness. In the same author,
Judah became His sanctuary, Israel His dominions. The sea saw and fled; the Jordan turned about backwards. `Psalms 114bbb2-3`, `Psalms 114bbbccc5`.
'Judah' stands for the good of celestial love, and 'Israel' for the good of spiritual love, `@@@3654`. 'The sea' stands for cognitions of truth, `@@@28`, 'the Jordan' stands for cognitions of good which are said 'to turn about backwards' when the good of love gains dominion, for in that case cognitions are viewed from that good, not the good from those cognitions - in accordance with the things that have often been shown already.
ttt[4] In the Book of Judges,
Gilead dwelling at the crossing of the Jordan; and Dan, why will he fear ships? `Judges 5bbb17`.
'Gilead' stands for the sensory good or pleasure by means of which a person is first introduced into the path of his regeneration, `@@@4117`, `@@@4124`. 'Dwelling at the crossing of the Jordan' stands for the things effecting that introduction, and so things that are first and last in the Church and the Lord's kingdom. These introductory things were also represented by 'the Jordan' when the children of Israel entered the land of Canaan, `Joshua 3bbb14`-end; `Joshua ccc4bbb1`-end; for 'the land of Canaan' represented the Lord's kingdom, `@@@1413`, `@@@1437`, `@@@1607`, `@@@3038`, `@@@3481`, `@@@3686`, `@@@3705`.
And the dividing of the Jordan and their passing through on dry ground meant the removal of evils and falsities and the admission into the Lord's kingdom of those who are governed by goods and truths. Similar in meaning is the dividing of the waters of the Jordan by Elijah when he was carried up into heaven, `2 Kings 2bbb8`, and by Elisha when he entered in place of Elijah into the prophetic role, `2 Kings 2bbb14`.
ttt[5] The cure of Naaman's leprosy, effected by his having washed himself seven times in the Jordan according to Elisha's command, `2 Kings 5bbb1-14`, represented baptism, for baptism means introduction into the Church and into the things that belong to the Church, and so into regeneration and the things that belong to regeneration. Not that anyone is regenerated by baptism; rather it is the sign of it, which he should call to mind. And because the things which constitute the Church are meant by baptism, and baptism is meant by 'the Jordan', as mentioned above, it was the Jordan therefore in which people were baptized by John, `Matthew 3bbb6`; `Mark 1bbb5`. And the Lord too was willing to be baptized in it by John, `Matthew 3bbb13-17`; `Mark 1bbb9`.
ttt[6] Because 'the Jordan' means things that are first and last in the Lord's kingdom and in the Church - such as the cognitions of good and truth, since these serve to introduce a person into His kingdom and Church - the Jordan is also for that reason referred to as a boundary of the new earth or holy land, in `Ezekiel 47bbb18`. The new earth or holy land means the Lord's kingdom and also the new Church which is the Lord's kingdom on earth, see `@@@1733`, `@@@1850`, `@@@2117`, `@@@2118` (end), `@@@3355` (end).
`nnn1. literally, upon me
ppp19595#pid#4256. 'Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him' means the state of truth in relation to good, in which truth has made itself first. This becomes clear from what has been stated in various places above, especially from those which deal with the birthright which Jacob acquired to himself by means of the lentil pottage and with the blessing which he took from Esau by the use of deceit. What is represented and meant by those two incidents may be seen in the places dealing with them, where it is shown that truth seems to occupy the first position when a person is being regenerated and good the second, but that in reality good occupies the first and truth the second, as is plainly so once he has been regenerated. These matters are dealt with in `@@@3539`, `@@@3548`, `@@@3556`, `@@@3563`, `@@@3570`, `@@@3576`, `@@@3603`, `@@@3701`, `@@@4243`, `@@@4244`, `@@@4247`. When therefore order is being turned around and good plainly takes up the first position, that is, when it starts to have dominion over truth, the natural man experiences fear and distress, `@@@4249`, and also enters into temptations.
ttt[2] The reason for this is that when truth occupied the first position, that is, when it seemed to itself to have dominion over good, falsities intermingled themselves. For truth is not able to see from itself whether it is the truth, but has to do so from good; and where falsities exist so does fear when good draws near. Furthermore all who are governed by good start to experience fear when falsities are seen in the light received from good, for they fear falsities and want to have them rooted out. But they cannot be rooted out if they are well established, except by Divine means provided by the Lord. This explains why, following the experience of fear and distress, those who are to be regenerated enter into temptations too; for temptations are the Divine means by which falsities are removed. And this reason why a person who is being regenerated undergoes spiritual temptations is a most profound one. Yet it is not seen at all by the person himself because it lies beyond his range of discernment, as does everything which stirs, pricks, and torments his conscience.
ppp19594#pid#4257. 'Lest he comes and smites me, the mother with the children' means that it is about to perish. This becomes clear without explanation. Among the ancients who lived in an age of representatives and meaningful signs 'smiting the mother with the children`fff1` was a proverbial expression meaning the destruction of the Church and of everything that belonged to the Church either in general, or in particular with anyone who in himself is a Church. For 'mother' was used by them to mean the Church, `@@@289`, `@@@2691`, `@@@2717`, and 'children' or 'sons' truths which belonged to the Church, `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@533`, `@@@1147`, `@@@2623`, `@@@3373`. Consequently 'smiting the mother with the children' means to perish completely, as a person too perishes completely when the Church and that which belongs to the Church perishes in him; that is, when the affection for truth, which strictly is the meaning of 'mother' and which constitutes the Church in a person, is destroyed.
`nnn1. literally, mother over children (or sons)
ppp19593#pid#4258. 'And You have said, I will certainly deal well with you' means that it would nevertheless obtain life then. This is clear from the meaning of 'dealing well with' as obtaining life, for 'Jacob' represents truth and truth does not have life independently but receives it from the good flowing into it, as shown many times above. This is why 'dealing well wish' here means obtaining life. The life which truth has from good is also the subject here.
ppp19592#pid#4259. 'And I will make your seed like the sand of the sea which cannot be counted for multitude' means the fruitfulness and multiplication then. This is clear from the meaning of 'seed' as faith that comes from charity, and also charity itself, dealt with in `@@@1025`, `@@@1447`, `@@@1610`, `@@@2848`, `@@@3373`; and 'making it like the sand of the sea which cannot be counted for multitude' obviously means the multiplication of these. 'Fruitfulness' is used in reference to the good of charity, and 'multiplication' to the truth of faith, `@@@913`, `@@@983`, `@@@2846`, `@@@2847`.
ppp19591#pid#4260. Verses `Genesis 32bbbccc13-15` And he spent that night there, and took from what came into his hand a gift for Esau his brother: two hundred she-goats and twenty he-goats; two hundred sheep and twenty rams; thirty milking camels and their colts; forty young cows and ten young bulls; twenty she-asses and ten foals.
'He spent that night there' means in that state of obscurity. 'And took from what came into his hand a gift for Esau his brother' means Divine things that were to be introduced into celestial-natural good. 'Two hundred she-goats and twenty he-goats; two hundred sheep and twenty rams' means Divine goods and accompanying truths. 'Thirty milking camels and their colts; forty young cows and ten young bulls; twenty she-asses and ten foals' means things that are subservient, general and specific.
ppp19590#pid#4261. 'He spent that night there' means in that state of obscurity. This is clear from the meaning of 'spending the night' and also of 'night' as a state of obscurity, dealt with in `@@@1712`, `@@@3693`.
ppp19589#pid#4262. 'And took from what came into his hand a gift for Esau his brother' means Divine things that were to be introduced into celestial-natural good. This is clear from the meaning of 'taking from what came into his hand' as from what had been provided and supplied and so what had been supplied by Divine Providence - and since the things attributable to Divine Providence are Divine, 'taking from what came into his hand' here means things that are Divine; from the meaning of 'a gift' as introduction, dealt with below; and from the representation of 'Esau' as the good of the Divine Natural, dealt with in `@@@3302`, `@@@3322`, `@@@3504`, `@@@3599`, which in this case is celestial good, because the Natural had not yet been made Divine.
ttt[2] The reason 'a gift' means introduction is that it was made to initiate goodwill and favour. Indeed in former times the gifts which were made and offered had differing meanings, the gifts presented by people to kings or priests when they went to them having one meaning, those offered on the altar another. The former meant introduction but the latter meant worship, `@@@349`, for all sacrifices in general of every kind were called 'gifts' while the minchahs, which were offerings of bread and wine, that is, of cakes accompanied by a libation, were specifically called such; for in the original language 'minchah' means a gift.
ttt[3] The fact that gifts were presented to kings or priests when people went to them is clear from many places in the Word. Saul did so when he went to consult Samuel, `1 Samuel 9bbb7-8`, whereas the men who despised Saul did not bring him any gift, `1 Samuel 10bbb27`. And the Queen of Sheba brought a gift when she came to Solomon, `1 Kings 10bbb2`, like everyone else, of whom the following is said,
The whole earth sought Solomon's presence to hear his wisdom; and every one brought his gift, vessels of silver and vessels of gold, and garments and armour, and spices, horses and mules. `1 Kings 10bbb24-25`.
And as this was a customary and holy practice, meaning introduction, the wise men from the east who came to Jesus soon after His birth brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, `Matthew 2bbb11`. 'Gold' meant celestial love, 'frankincense' spiritual love, and 'myrrh' those loves as they exist within the natural.
ttt[4] Indeed this customary practice was commanded, as is clear in Moses, Jehovah's face shall not be seen by the empty-handed. `Exodus 23bbb15`; `Deuteronomy 16bbb16-17`.
Also, when gifts were presented to priests or kings it was as though they were presented to Jehovah, as may be seen from other places in the Word. As regards gifts that were sent meaning introduction, this is evident from the gifts which the twelve princes of Israel sent when the altar was introduced or dedicated after it had been anointed, `Numbers 7bbb1`-end. In Verse `Numbers 7bbbccc88` of that chapter their gifts are actually called 'the dedication (or introduction) offering'.
ppp19588#pid#4263. 'Two hundred she-goats and twenty he-goats; two hundred sheep and twenty rams' means Divine goods and accompanying truths. This is clear from the meaning of 'she-goats and sheep' as goods, dealt with in `@@@3995`, `@@@4006`, `@@@4169`; from the meaning of 'he-goats and rams' as truths, dealt with in `@@@4005`, `@@@4170`, in this case Divine goods and truths. The reason why goods and truths are mentioned so many times, and why they are meant by so many different things, is that everything in heaven or in the Church has a relationship with them - everything of love and charity with good, and everything of faith with truth. Yet the genera and species of good and truth are countless, indeed limitless, as becomes clear from the fact that all who are governed by good are within the Lord's kingdom and yet good is not one and the same with one community as it is with another, nor is it even one and the same with one individual within a community as it is with another. For it is by no means possible for one and the same good to exist in two individuals, still less in many, for if one and the same good existed in them, there would not even be two, let alone many of them. Every single whole consists of varying parts, doing so through heavenly harmony and concord.
ppp19587#pid#4264. 'Thirty milking camels and their colts; forty young cows and ten young bulls; twenty she-asses and ten foals' means things that are subservient, general and specific. This is clear from the meaning of 'camels and their colts', also of 'young cows and young bulls' as well as of 'she-asses and their foals' as things which belong to the natural man. These things have been referred to several times already - 'camels' in `@@@3048`, `@@@3071`, `@@@3143`, `@@@3145`; 'young bulls' in `@@@1824`, `@@@1825`, `@@@2180`, `@@@2781`, `@@@2830`; 'she-asses' in `@@@2781`; and these things which belong to the natural man, in relation to other things are subservient, see `@@@1486`, `@@@3019`, `@@@3020`, `@@@3167`. Consequently things that are subservient, general and specific, are meant by the animals mentioned here. As regards the numbers of the animals being 200 she-goats, 20 he-goats, 200 sheep, 20 rams, 30 camels and their colts, 40 young cows, 10 young bulls, 20 she-asses and 10 foals, these are arcana which cannot be revealed without much explanation and an extensive drawing of inferences. For all numbers used in the Word mean real things, `@@@482`, `@@@487`, `@@@575`, `@@@647`, `@@@648`, `@@@755`, `@@@813`, `@@@1988`, `@@@2075`, `@@@2252`, `@@@3252`; and what they mean has been shown where they have occurred in previous chapters.
ttt[2] I have sometimes been amazed that when angels' conversing together came down into the world of spirits their conversation revealed itself in various numbers, and also that when numbers have been read in the Word the angels have understood real things. For no numerical value ever penetrates into heaven since numbers belong to measurements both of space and of time, and these belong to the world and to the natural order to which, in the heavens, states and changes of states correspond. The most ancient people, who were celestial and had communication with angels, were aware of what simple numbers and also compound numbers meant. The meanings of these were conveyed from those people to their descendants and to members of the Ancient Church. These are things which find scarcely any acceptance in the member of the Church at the present day who believes that nothing holier is concealed in the Word apart from that which is seen in the letter.
ppp19586#pid#4265. Verses `Genesis 32bbbccc16-23` And he gave them into the hand of his servants, drove by drove separately; and he said to his servants, Pass over in front of me and put a space between drove and drove. And he commanded the first, saying, When Esau my brother meets you and asks you, saying, To whom do you belong, and where are you going; and whose are these in front of you? then you shall say, They belong to your servant Jacob; it is a gift sent to my lord Esau; and behold, he also is behind us. And he commanded the second also, the third also, and all also following the droves, saying, In this manner`fff1` shall you speak to Esau when you find him. And you shall also say, Behold, your servant Jacob is behind us. For he said, I will appease him with the gift that is going in front of me, and after that I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me. And the gift passed over in front of him, and he spent that night in the camp. And he rose up that night, and took his two wives (femina), and his two servant-girls, and his eleven sons, and passed over at the passage of Jabbok. And he took them and made them pass over the river, and made all that he had pass over.
'He gave them into the hand of his servants, drove by drove separately, and he said to his servants, Pass over in front of me and put a space between drove and drove' means an arrangement of them into the order in which they were to be introduced. 'And he commanded the first, saying, When Esau my brother meets you and asks you, saying, To whom do you belong; and where are you going; and whose are these in front of you? then you shall say, They belong to your servant Jacob; it is a gift sent to my lord Esau; and behold, he also is behind us' means submission. 'And he commanded the second also, the third also, and all also following the droves, saying, In this manner shall you speak to Esau when you find him' means a continuation. 'And you shall also say, Behold, your servant Jacob is behind us. For he said, I will appease him with the gift that is going in front of me, and after that I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me' means preparation for what follows. 'And the gift passed over in front of him' means being carried into effect. 'And he spent that night in the camp' means the things which follow. 'And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two servant-girls, and his eleven sons, and passed over at the passage of Jabbok' means the first instillation of the affections for truth, together with truths that had been acquired, 'the passage of Jabbok' meaning the first instillation. 'And he took them and made them pass over the river, and made all that he had pass over' means a further instillation.
`nnn1. literally, According to this word
ppp19585#pid#4266. 'He gave them into the hand of his servants, drove by drove separately, and he said to his servants, Pass over in front of me and put a space between drove and drove' means an arrangement of them into the order in which they were to be introduced. This is clear from the meaning of 'giving into the hand' as providing with power, for 'the hand' means power, see `@@@878`, `@@@3091`, `@@@3387`, `@@@3563`; from the meaning of 'servants' as things which belong to the natural man, dealt with in `@@@3019`, `@@@3020` - for all things in the natural or external man are subordinate to the spiritual or internal man, and therefore in relation to the latter all things in the natural man are servants and are actually called 'servants'; from the meaning of 'a drove' as facts and also cognitions, and so matters of doctrine, dealt with in `@@@3767`, `@@@3768`, which, as long as they remain in the natural or external man, that is, in the memory there, and have not yet been implanted in the spiritual or internal man, are meant by the droves which were given into the hand of those servants; from the meaning of 'separately' as to each one according to its own class, or according to its genus and species; from the meaning of 'passing over in front of me and puffing a space between drove and drove' as preparing a way for the good which was to be received - for the reception of good by truth and the joining together of these within the natural man is the subject here. From these specific details it is evident that this whole verse means the arrangement of them into the order in which they were to be introduced.
ttt[2] As regards the introduction of truth into good within the natural man, this cannot by any means be explained intelligibly, for the member of the Church at the present day does not even know what the internal or spiritual man is even though he often speaks about it. Nor does he know that if he is to become a member of the Church, truth has to be introduced to good within his external or natural man; and he knows even less about any arranging into order effected by the Lord within that natural man so that this may become joined to the internal man. These considerations, which are very general ones, are at the present day so hidden from people's eyes that the existence of them is not even known. For that reason if one were to explain to them the specific details contained here in the internal sense concerning arrangement into order and concerning introduction, one would be declaring utter mysteries to them and so things wholly beyond what they are able to believe. One's words would therefore be uttered in vain, or so to speak sown like seed on water or sand. This is the reason why specific details are being passed over here, and in this and the following verses of this section no more than a general explanation is given.
ppp19584#pid#4267. 'And he commanded the first, saying, When Esau my brother meets you and asks you, saying, To whom do you belong; and where are you going; and whose are these in front of you? then you shall say, They belong to your servant Jacob; it is a gift sent to my lord Esau; and behold, he also is behind us' means submission. This likewise is clear from the internal sense of individual words, from which this general meaning emerges. Submission and what goes with submission is clearly the meaning, for Jacob commanded his servants to call his brother 'lord' and himself 'servant', and to say that the gift was being sent as if to a lord from his servant. It has been shown many times that in relation to each other good is 'lord' and truth 'servant', and also that they are nevertheless called 'brothers'. They are called 'brothers' because when good and truth have been joined together, good manifests itself within truth as in an image, and after that they act conjointly to bring about the effect. But good is called 'lord' and truth 'servant' before they have been joined together, the more so when there is argument over which one has priority over the other.
ppp19583#pid#4268. 'And he commanded the second also, the third also, and all also following the droves, saying, In this manner shall you speak to Esau when you find him' means a continuation, that is to say, of the arrangement into order and of submission. This is clear without any further explanation from what has been stated immediately above in `@@@4266`, `@@@4267`.
ppp19582#pid#4269. 'And you shall also say, Behold, your servant Jacob is behind us. For he said, I will appease him with the gift that is going in front of me, and after that I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me' means preparation for what follows; 'and the gift passed over in front of him' means being carried into effect; also 'he spent that night in the camp' means the things which follow. These meanings become clear from each individual word in the internal sense, which, it is evident, has to do with making preparation to gain a friendly reception. But each individual word cannot be explained intelligibly, for as long as the general aspects of something are not known the individual details of that same thing cannot install themselves where there is any light, only where total shade exists. General conceptions come first, and unless they do, individual details do not have anywhere to go. If they go where total shade exists they are not seen; if they go where falsities reign they are either rejected or smothered or perverted; and if they go where evils reign they are ridiculed. It is enough that those general aspects of truth are received, which are these: A person must be regenerated before he can enter the Lord's kingdom, `John 3bbb3`; before he undergoes regeneration truth seemingly occupies the first position and good the second, but when he does undergo it order becomes turned around and good comes to occupy the first position and truth the second; also when order is turned around the Lord deploys and arranges them into order within the natural or external man in such a way that truth is there received by good and truth submits itself to good, with the result that truth is no longer the basis of the person's action but good, that is, charity; also charity is the basis of his action when he leads a life in keeping with the truths of faith and loves what is taught for the sake of that life. The process by which these things are effected - things which have to do with the arrangement of truth into order, its introduction to good, and its submission in the presence of good, and which are the content of the internal sense here - can be seen by angels in clear light; for such matters belong to angelic wisdom, although man sees nothing of those matters. Nevertheless those who are governed by simple good arising out of simple faith have the capacity to know them. If they do not come to know them during the life of the body on account of worldly cares and resulting naive ideas, they do so in the next life when worldly and bodily concerns have been removed; for in that case they receive light and enter into angelic intelligence and wisdom.
ppp19581#pid#4270. 'And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two servant-girls, and his eleven sons, and passed over at the passage of Jabbok' means the first instillation of the affections for truth, together with truths that had been acquired. This is clear from the meaning of 'the two wives', who in this case are Rachel and Leah, as affections for truth, dealt with in `@@@3758`, `@@@3782`, `@@@3793`, `@@@3819`; from the meaning of 'the two servant-girls', who in this case are Bilhah and Zilpah, as exterior affections for truth that serve as means, dealt with in `@@@3849`, `@@@3931`; from the meaning of 'sons' as truths, dealt with in `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@533`, `@@@1147`, `@@@2623`, `@@@3373`; and from the meaning of 'the passage of Jabbok' as the first instillation. The reason why 'Jabbok' means the first instillation is that it was a boundary to the land of Canaan. All the boundaries of that land were signs meaning the celestial and spiritual things of the Lord's kingdom, the distance and position of them determining their exact meanings, see `@@@1585`, `@@@1866`, `@@@4116`, `@@@4240`. The same applies to 'the ford (or passage) of Jabbok', which in relation to the land of Canaan was across the Jordan and was the boundary of the inheritance of the children of Reuben and Gad, as becomes clear from `Numbers 21bbb24`; `Deuteronomy 2bbb36-37`; `Deuteronomy ccc3bbb16-17`; `Joshua 12bbb2`; `Judges 11bbb13`, `Judges 11bbbccc22`. The reason why that territory had fallen to them as an inheritance was that Reuben represented faith in the understanding, or doctrine, which is the first stage of regeneration, or the truth of doctrine as a whole, by means of which the good of life is arrived at, see `@@@3861`, `@@@3866`; while Gad represented the works of faith, `@@@3934`. That is to say, those truths of faith or matters of doctrine, and these works of faith which are the works performed first, are the ones by means of which a person who is being regenerated is led on into good. This is why 'the passage of Jabbok' means the first instillation.
ppp19580#pid#4271. 'And he took them and made them pass over the river, and made all that he had pass over' means a further instillation. This is clear from what has been stated immediately above, for he made not only wives, servant-girls, and sons pass over but also herds and flocks, and so everything he had, into the land of Canaan in which he met Esau. And since the subject in the internal sense is the joining together of truth and good within the natural, 'passing over the river' means nothing else than the first instillation, and here where the same words are repeated, with the addition of the phrase about his making all that he had pass over, a further instillation is meant.
ppp19579#pid#4272. Verses `Genesis 32bbbccc24-25` And Jacob remained alone; and a man wrestled with him until dawn came up. And he`fff1` saw that he did not prevail against him, and he touched the hollow of his thigh, and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint as he wrestled with him.
'Jacob remained alone' means the good of truth, which had now been arrived at and was at this point the ultimate form of good. 'And a man wrestled with him' means temptation that concerns truth. 'Until dawn came up' means before natural good, meant by 'Jacob', was joined to the celestial-spiritual, that is, to the Divine good of truth. 'And he saw that he did not prevail against him' means that in temptations He conquered. 'And he touched the hollow of his thigh' means where celestial-spiritual good is joined to natural good meant by 'Jacob'. 'And the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint as he wrestled with him' means that truth did not as yet have the power to join itself completely to good.
ttt[2] The same statements used here also have regard to Jacob and his descendants, in which case they are used to mean the essential nature of those people. Regarded in this sense the words 'he touched the hollow of his thigh' mean where conjugial love is joined to natural good, while the words 'the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint as he wrestled with him' mean that in the descendants of Jacob that conjunction had been thoroughly damaged and the two loves pulled apart.
`nnn1. i.e. the man
ppp19578#pid#4273. 'Jacob remained alone' means the good of truth, which had now been arrived at and was at this point the ultimate form of good. This is clear from the representation of 'Jacob' at this point as the good of truth. What 'Jacob' had represented has been shown in previous paragraphs, as also has the fact that he represented varying relationships of good and truth within the natural. For these exist together in one condition at the beginning of a process, in another during it, and in yet another at the end of it, `@@@3775`, `@@@4234`. At present he represents the good of truth. The reason for this representation is that the subject dealt with next is his wrestling, which in the internal sense means temptation, and that he was named Israel, after which he represents the celestial-spiritual man. And a further reason is that after that wrestling his reunion with Esau is described, by which the introduction of truth into good is meant. These are the reasons why 'Jacob' now represents the ultimate form of the good of truth within the natural.
ppp19577#pid#4274. 'And a man wrestled with him' means temptation that concerns truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'wrestling' as temptation. Temptation itself is nothing other than a wrestling or conflict, for truth is attacked by the evil spirits and defended by the angels who are present with a person. And his awareness of that conflict taking place within himself is temptation, `@@@741`, `@@@757`, `@@@761`, `@@@1661`, `@@@3927`, `@@@4249`, `@@@4256`. But no temptation can arise unless the good of truth, that is, the love or affection for truth, exists in him. For anyone who does not love the truth he knows, or is not affected by it, does not trouble about it at all, whereas anyone who does love it is worried lest it should suffer harm. Nothing else constitutes the life in a person's understanding than that which he believes to be the truth, and nothing else the life of his will than that which, he has become convinced, is good. This being so, when that which he believes to be the truth is attacked the life of his understanding is attacked; and when that which, he has become convinced, is good is attacked the life of his will is attacked. And therefore when a person is being tempted his life is under attack.
ttt[2] The reason why the conflict at first concerns truth or is about truth is that truth is what a person loves first. That which anyone loves is the object of evil spirits' attack, but once he starts to love good more than truth, which takes place when order is being turned around, the temptation of him concerns good. But few know what temptation is, because few at the present day undergo any temptation; for none are able to be tempted except those who are governed by the good of faith, that is, by charity towards the neighbour. If those who are not governed by such charity experienced temptation they would instantly give way; and in those who give way evil becomes more firmly established and falsity more firmly believed, because in their case the evil spirits with whom they are thereby associated are victorious. This is the reason why at the present day few are allowed to enter into any spiritual temptation, but only into some natural forms of distress in order that they may be held back by means of them from self-love and love of the world into which they would otherwise plunge without any restraint.
ppp19576#pid#4275. 'Until dawn came up' means before natural good, meant by 'Jacob', was joined to the celestial-spiritual, that is, to the Divine good of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'the dawn' in the highest sense as the Lord, in the representative sense as His kingdom, and in the universal sense as the celestial element of love, dealt with in `@@@2405`, and in this case the celestial-spiritual. For when the dawn came up Jacob received the name Israel, by which the celestial-spiritual man is meant. Before the coming up of the dawn therefore means before natural good, now meant by 'Jacob', was joined to celestial-spiritual good. What celestial-spiritual is will be stated below at verse `Genesis 32bbbccc28`, where Israel is the subject.
ppp19575#pid#4276. 'And he saw that he did not prevail against him' means that in temptations He conquered. This is clear without explanation.
ppp19574#pid#4277. 'And he touched the hollow of his thigh' means where celestial-spiritual good is joined to natural good meant by 'Jacob'. This is clear from the meaning of 'the thigh' as conjugial love, and consequently as all celestial and spiritual love, since these are derived from conjugial love as offspring from their parent, dealt with in `@@@3021`; and from the meaning of 'the hollow' or socket or cavity of it - that is to say, of the thigh - as the place where the joining together exists, and here therefore where celestial-spiritual good is joined to natural good meant by 'Jacob'. But no one can be told anything about that conjunction unless he knows first of all what celestial-spiritual good, meant by 'Israel', is, and what natural good, meant by 'Jacob', is. It will be told below at verse `Genesis 32bbbccc28` where Jacob, who at that point is named Israel, is the subject and also further on where Jacob's descendants are the subject.
ppp19573#pid#4278. 'And the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint as he wrestled with him' means that truth did not as yet have the power to join itself completely to good. This is clear from the meaning of 'being out of joint' as a situation in which truths have not yet been arranged into such an order that together with good they could all enter celestial-spiritual good, dealt with in the explanation at verse `Genesis 32bbbccc31` below. The meaning as a consequence is that truth did not as yet have the power to join itself completely to good, for 'the hollow of the thigh' means the place where different kinds of good are joined together, as stated immediately above in `@@@4277`.
ppp19572#pid#4279. The explanations given so far to these two verses present what they contain in the highest sense and in the internal sense. But in the lower sense they have a different meaning. There the essential nature of Jacob and his future descendants is the subject. Because the Word originates in the Lord and comes down from Him by way of heaven to man its nature is therefore such that it is Divine in every detail. And as it has come down from the Lord so it goes up, that is, is raised up to Him, returning by way of the heavens. It is well known that there are three heavens, and that the inmost is termed the third heaven, that the middle one is called the second heaven, while the lowest is referred to as the first heaven. Consequently since it goes up by the same path as it comes down the Word as it exists in the Lord is Divine, celestial as it exists in the third heaven since that heaven is the celestial heaven, spiritual as it exists in the second heaven since that heaven is the spiritual heaven, but celestial-natural and spiritual-natural as it exists in the first heaven, which is also given the names celestial-natural and spiritual-natural. As it exists in the Church with man however, the Word in the sense of the letter is natural, that is, worldly and earthly.
ttt[2] From this one may see the nature of the Word and what happens to it when a person reads it with a holy mind, that is, one in whom good and truth are present. For when he reads it, it is seen by him as something existing in this world or as a historical document, but which nevertheless is inwardly holy. But in the first heaven it is seen as something celestial-natural and spiritual-natural, which however is inwardly Divine. In the second heaven it is spiritual, and in the third celestial; and in the Lord it is Divine. The sense in the Word varies according to whatever heaven it may be. The highest sense of the Word, whose subject is the Lord, exists for the inmost or third heaven; the internal sense, whose subject is the Lord's kingdom, exists for the middle or second heaven; the lower sense, in which the internal sense is narrowed down to the nation referred to there, exists for the lower or first heaven. But the lowest or literal sense exists for man while he is still living in the world. Yet man's nature is such that the more interior sense, and also the internal and highest sense, can be communicated to him. For man has communication with the three heavens; indeed he is created on the pattern of the three heavens, so much so that when love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour constitute his life he is heaven in miniature. Consequently such a person has the Lord's kingdom within him, as the Lord Himself teaches in Luke,
Behold, the kingdom of God is within you. `Luke 17bbb21`.
ttt[3] These things have been stated so that people may know that the Word contains not only a highest sense and an internal sense but also a lower sense, and that in this sense, that is to say, in the lower, the internal sense is narrowed down to the nation referred to there; and when this is done that sense is plain to see from the train of thought. At present it is self-evident that the man's wrestling with Jacob and the disjointing and displacing of his thigh also has reference to Jacob and his descendants. That being so, let these same words be explained according to that sense. In what follows below this sense will be termed the INTERNAL HISTORICAL SENSE. It will be called this for the added reason that it is quite usual for this sense to be represented from time to time in the first heaven as something animate and taking visible form, as also I have been allowed to see several times. See the explanation given already in the latter part of `@@@4272`.
ppp19571#pid#4280. In that lower sense the words 'he touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh' mean where conjugial love is joined to natural good. This is clear from the meaning of 'the hollow of the thigh' as the place where conjugial love is linked to it, see above in `@@@4277`. The reason why the place where it is linked to natural good is meant is that it is the place where the thigh is joined to the feet. 'The feet' in the internal sense means natural good, see `@@@2162`, `@@@3147`, `@@@3761`, `@@@3986`.
ttt[2] As regards 'the thigh' meaning conjugial love and 'the feet' natural good, that is one of those realities known in the past which have grown old and died. The Ancient Church, which existed in an age of representatives and meaningful signs, was extremely well acquainted with these meanings, such knowledge of them constituting their intelligence and wisdom. Indeed it constituted the intelligence and wisdom not only of those who belonged to the Church but also of those outside the Church, as becomes clear from the oldest books written by gentiles and from the stories in them which are nowadays called myths - for meaningful signs and representatives spread from the Ancient Church to those gentiles. With these also 'the thighs and loins' meant that which belonged to marriage, and 'the feet' things that were natural. The origin of this meaning of 'the thighs and the feet' lies in the correspondences of all the members, organs, and viscera of the human being with the Grand Man, which - that is to say, such correspondences - are being dealt with now at the ends of chapters. The correspondences with the thigh and the feet will be discussed again further on, where actual experience will be used to corroborate that their meaning is as indicated above.
ttt[3] These things are bound to seem like enigmas at the present day because, as has been stated, that knowledge has grown very old indeed and died. Yet how far that knowledge excels other types of knowledge becomes clear from the consideration that the internal sense of the Word cannot possibly be known without that knowledge, as well as for the reason that the angels present with man perceive the Word according to that sense. It becomes clear also from the consideration that by means of that knowledge man is provided with communication with heaven. And what is unbelievable, the internal man himself does not think in any other way; for when the external man understands the Word according to the letter the internal man does so according to the internal sense, though while living in the body a person is not at all conscious of doing so. This becomes particularly clear from the fact that when anyone enters the next life and becomes an angel he has no need to learn the internal sense but knows it instinctively, so to speak.
ttt[4] What conjugial love is which is meant by 'the thighs' and also by 'the loins', see `@@@995`, `@@@1123`, `@@@2727-2759`; and conjugial love is the basic love of all loves, `@@@686`, `@@@3021`. Consequently people who have genuine conjugial love in them also have celestial love, which is love to the Lord, and spiritual love, which is charity towards the neighbour. For this reason the expression 'conjugial love' is used to mean not only that love itself but also all celestial and spiritual love. These kinds of love are said to be joined to natural good when the internal man is joined to the external, that is, the spiritual man to the natural - that joining together of them being meant by 'the hollow of the thigh'. The fact that with Jacob and his descendants in general no such conjunction existed will be evident from what follows, for this is the subject dealt with here in the internal historical sense.
ppp19570#pid#4281. 'The hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint as he wrestled with him' means that in the descendants of Jacob that conjunction had been thoroughly damaged and the two loves pulled apart. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'wrestling' in this sense as being pulled apart and so suffering damage. It is evident from what has been stated above in `@@@4280` that 'the hollow of the thigh' means a joining together; and that 'Jacob' in the Word means not only Jacob but also all his descendants is clear from very many places, such as `Numbers 23bbb7`, `Numbers 23bbbccc10`, `Numbers 23bbbccc21`, `Numbers 23bbbccc23`; `Numbers ccc24bbb5`, `Numbers 24bbbccc17`, `Numbers 24bbbccc19`; `Deuteronomy 33bbb10`; `Isaiah 40bbb27`; `Isaiah ccc43bbb1`, `Isaiah 43bbbccc22`; `Isaiah ccc44bbb1-2`, `Isaiah 44bbbccc21`; `Isaiah ccc48bbb12`; `Isaiah ccc59bbb20`; `Jeremiah 10bbb16`, `Jeremiah 10bbbccc25`; `Jeremiah ccc30bbb7`, `Jeremiah 30bbbccc10`, `Jeremiah 30bbbccc18`; `Jeremiah ccc31bbb7`, `Jeremiah 31bbbccc11`; `Jeremiah ccc46bbb27-28`; `Hosea 10bbb11`; `Amos 7bbb2`; `Micah 2bbb12`; `Micah ccc3bbb8`; `Psalms 14bbb7`; `Psalms ccc24bbb6`; `Psalms ccc59bbb13`; `Psalms ccc78bbb5`; `Psalms ccc99bbb4`; and in other places.
ttt[2] Jacob and his descendants were by nature such that with them celestial and spiritual love could not be joined to natural good, that is, the internal or spiritual man could not be joined to the external or natural man. This is evident from the details told in the Word concerning that nation. For they neither knew nor wished to know what the internal or spiritual man was, and therefore that matter was not revealed to them. In fact it was their belief that nothing existed with man apart from the external and natural. Nor in all their worship did they have anything else in mind, so that Divine worship with them was wholly idolatrous; for once internal worship is separated from external, it is nothing but idolatrous. The Church which was established among them was not in fact a Church but only a representative of the Church, for which reason that Church is called a representative Church. For it was possible for a representative of the Church to exist among such people, see `@@@1361`, `@@@3670`, `@@@4208`.
ttt[3] Indeed in representations no attention is paid to the person who represents, only to the thing represented by him. Consequently not only persons represented Divine, celestial, or spiritual things, but also inanimate objects, such as Aaron's garments, the ark, the altar, the oxen and sheep which used to be sacrificed, the lampstand with its lamps, the bread of the presence on the table of gold, the oil with which they were anointed, the frankincense, and other objects like these. This was why their kings, bad ones no less than the good, represented the Lord's kingship, and why their high priests, bad ones no less than the good, represented the things that belong to the Lord's Divine priesthood, when they performed their own function in external form according to the prescribed rules and commands. In order therefore that among them a representative of the Church might come into existence they were provided through plainly visible revelation with such prescribed rules and such laws as would be entirely representative. Therefore as long as they kept to them and strictly complied with them, those people were able to play a representative role. But when they deviated from them into the prescribed rules and laws of other nations, and in particular to the worship of another god, they deprived themselves of their ability to play that representative role. For this reason they were coerced by external means - which were captivities, calamities, threats, and miracles - into obeying laws and prescribed rules that were truly representative, not by internal means, as those people are whose external worship has internal within it. These are the considerations that are meant in the internal historical sense by the words 'the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint', which sense has regard to Jacob and his descendants.
ppp19569#pid#4282. Verses `Genesis 32bbbccc26-28` And he' said, Let me go, for the dawn is coming up. And he said, I will not let you go unless you bless me. And he`fff1` said to him, What is your name? And he said, Jacob. And he' said, Your name will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for as a prince you have contended with God and with men, and have prevailed.
'He said, Let me go, for the dawn is coming up' means that the temptation came to an end when the joining together was at hand. 'And he said, I will not let you go unless you bless me' means that a joining together was to take place. 'And he said to him, What is your name? And he said, Jacob' means the essential nature of good done from truth. 'And he said, Your name will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel' means the Divine celestial-spiritual at this point, for 'Israel' is the celestial-spiritual man within the natural, and so is the natural man, whereas the celestial-spiritual man proper - that is, the rational man - is 'Joseph'. 'For as a prince you have contended with God and with men, and have prevailed' means repeated victories in conflicts over truths and goods.
ttt[2] In the internal historical sense in which Jacob and his descendants are the subject the same words have the following meaning: 'Let me go, for the dawn is coming up' means that the genuine representative role would depart from the descendants of Jacob before they entered into the representatives connected with the land of Canaan. 'And he said, I will not let you go unless you bless me' means that they insisted on being representative. 'And he said to him, What is your name? And he said, Jacob' means that they were the descendants of Jacob - together with their essential nature. 'And he said, Your name will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel' means that they could not as [the descendants of] Jacob play the representative part, except by virtue of the new nature that was imparted to them. 'For as a prince you have contended with God and with men, and have prevailed' means on account of the stubborn perverseness which was a product of their evil desires and of false delusions.
`nnn1. i.e. the man
ppp19568#pid#4283. 'He said, Let me go, for the dawn is coming up' means that the temptation came to an end when the joining together was at hand. This is clear from the meaning of 'letting me go' - that is to say, 'give up wrestling with me' - as the ending of the temptation (for 'wrestling' means temptation, see above in `@@@4274`; and the fact that it did come to an end is evident from what follows); and from the meaning of 'the dawn' as the joining of natural good, meant by 'Jacob', to the celestial-spiritual, that is, to the Divine good of truth, also dealt with above in `@@@4275`.
ttt[2] The reason why the wrestling began before the dawn came up and why it finished after it came up, and why what happened when the sun had risen is mentioned after that, is that the times of day, like the seasons of the year, mean states, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@893`, `@@@2788`, `@@@3785`. At present the state of conjunction effected by temptations is meant; for when the joining of the internal man to the external takes place it is 'dawn' to him, because at that time he enters a spiritual or a celestial state. At that time also light like that at dawn is seen by him, if his state is such that he is able to observe it. What is more, the understanding part of his mind receives light and becomes for him like the experience of waking up in the morning from sleep, when dawn first sheds her light and starts off the day.
ppp19567#pid#4284. 'And he said, I will not let you go unless you bless me' means that a joining together was to take place. This is clear from the meaning of 'not letting you go' as the fact that the temptation was not going to come to an end, dealt with immediately above in `@@@4283`, and from the meaning of 'blessing' as conjunction, dealt with in `@@@3504`, `@@@3514`, `@@@3530`, `@@@3584`. From this it is evident that 'I will not let you go unless you bless me' means that it would not come to an end until the conjunction was effected, that is, when the joining together was to take place.
ppp19566#pid#4285. 'And he said to him, What is your name? And he said, Jacob' means the essential nature of good done from truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'name' as the essential nature, dealt with in `@@@144`, `@@@145`, `@@@1754`, `@@@1896`, `@@@2009`, `@@@2724`, `@@@3006`, and from the representation of 'Jacob' as the good of truth, dealt with above in `@@@4273`.
ppp19565#pid#4286. 'And he said, Your name will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel' means the Divine celestial-spiritual at this point, for 'Israel' is the celestial-spiritual man within the natural, and so is the natural man, whereas the celestial[- spiritual] man proper - that is, the rational man - is 'Joseph'. This becomes clear from what is said below about Jacob and Israel, and also about Joseph, for one must begin here by stating what the celestial-spiritual is. At the present day within the Church the existence of the spiritual man and the natural man, or the internal man and the external, is indeed well known; but as to what the spiritual or internal man may be, this is not as yet so well known. Still less is it known what the celestial man is and the fact that this is distinct and separate from the spiritual man. And as this is not known it is impossible to know what the celestial-spiritual man is, meant here by 'Israel', and therefore a brief statement about it must be made.
ttt[2] It is well known that there are three heavens - the inmost heaven, the middle heaven, and the ultimate heaven, or what amounts to the same, the third, second, and first heavens. The inmost or third heaven is celestial, the angels there being called celestial because they are governed by love to the Lord and as a consequence are the ones most closely linked to the Lord. And that being so they excel all other angels in wisdom. They are innocent and are for that reason called embodiments of innocence and wisdom. These angels are divided into internal and external, the internal being more celestial than the external. The middle or second heaven is spiritual, the angels there being called spiritual because they are governed by charity towards the neighbour, that is, by mutual love, the nature of which is such that one angel loves another more than himself. And because their nature is such, intelligence is present within them and for that reason they are called embodiments of intelligence. These angels too are divided into internal and external, the internal being more spiritual than the external. But the ultimate or first heaven is also celestial and spiritual, though not in the same degree as the previous ones; for the natural is closely associated with them, and so for that reason they are called celestial-natural and spiritual-natural. They too are governed by mutual love, but they do not love others more than themselves, only as themselves. What governs them is an affection for good and a knowledge of truth. They also are divided into internal and external.
ttt[3] But what the celestial-spiritual is must also be stated briefly. The term celestial-spiritual applies to those who have been called spiritual immediately above and who are in the middle or second heaven. They are given the name celestial because of their mutual love, and spiritual because of their intelligence arising out of this. The internal members of that heaven are represented by Joseph, and also in the Word are actually called 'Joseph', whereas its external members are represented by Israel, and also in the Word are actually called 'Israel'. The former, namely the internal members who are called Joseph, partake of the rational, whereas the external members who are called Israel partake of the natural, for they are half-way between the rational and the natural. These are the reasons why it has been said that 'Israel' is the celestial-spiritual man within the natural man, and so is the natural man, and that 'Joseph' is the celestial-spiritual man proper, which is the rational man. For in the universal sense all good which flows from love and charity is called celestial, and all truth which derives from this and constitutes faith and intelligence is referred to as spiritual.
ttt[4] These things have been stated so that people may know what is meant by 'Israel'. But by 'Israel' the Lord's Divine celestial-spiritual is meant in the highest sense, whereas the Lord's spiritual kingdom in heaven and on earth is meant in the internal sense. The Lord's spiritual kingdom on earth is the Church, which is called the spiritual Church. And as 'Israel' means the Lord's spiritual kingdom, 'Israel' also means the spiritual man, for the Lord's kingdom exists within all who are spiritual, since each is heaven and also the Church in the smallest form these can take, `@@@4279`. As for Jacob, in the highest sense he represents the Lord's natural, both His celestial-natural and His spiritual-natural, and in the internal sense the Lord's kingdom as it exists in the ultimate or first heaven, and so also the corresponding area of the Church. Good within the natural is that which is called celestial here, and truth within it that which is called spiritual. From all this one may see what 'Israel' and 'Jacob' mean in the Word, and also why Jacob received the name Israel.
ttt[5] But these ideas that have been stated will inevitably seem obscure, the chief reason being that few people know what the spiritual man is, and scarcely any what the celestial man is, or consequently that there is any difference between the spiritual man and the celestial man. The reason why they do not know is that no clear difference is perceived between good which is the good of love and charity, and truth which is the truth of faith. And the reason why these are not perceived is that genuine charity does not exist any longer. When something is non-existent no perception of it is possible. And a further reason why they are not perceived is that people do not bother very much about the things that have to do with the life after death, and so about those to do with heaven, but much about things to do with life in the body, and so with things which belong to the world. If people did bother about the things that have to do with the life after death, and so about those which have to do with heaven, they would easily grasp all that has been mentioned above, for that which a person loves he absorbs and grasps with ease, but that which he does not love with difficulty.
ttt[6] The fact that 'Jacob' has one meaning and 'Israel' another is quite evident from the Word, for in its historical sections, and in the prophetical ones too, Jacob is used at one point, Israel at another; and sometimes the two names occur in the same verse. From this it becomes clear that there is an internal sense to the Word, and that without that sense this matter could in no way be known. The use of Jacob at one point, Israel at another is clear from the following,
Jacob dwelt in the land of his father's sojournings. These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph was a son of seventeen years. And Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons. `Genesis 37bbb1-3`.
Here Jacob is first called 'Jacob' and immediately after that 'Israel' - Israel being used when Joseph is referred to. Elsewhere,
Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt; Jacob said to his sons . . . And the sons of Israel came to buy in the midst of others who came. `Genesis 42bbb1`, `Genesis 42bbbccc5`.
And after this,
They went up out of Egypt and came to the land of Canaan, to Jacob their father. When they told him all Joseph's words which he had spoken to them the spirit of Jacob their father revived. And Israel said, Enough; Joseph my son is still alive. `Genesis 45bbb25`, `Genesis 45bbbccc27-28`.
Then,
And Israel set out and all that he had. God spoke to Israel in visions in the night and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Behold, here I am. And Jacob rose up from Beersheba; and the sons of Israel carried away`fff1` Jacob their father. `Genesis 46bbb1-2`, `Genesis 46bbbccc5`.
And in the same chapter,
These are the names of the sons of Israel who came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons. `Genesis 46bbb8`.
Further on,
Joseph brought in Jacob his father and placed him before Pharaoh. Pharaoh said to Jacob . . . and Jacob said to Pharaoh . . . `Genesis 47bbb7-10`.
And in the same chapter,
And Israel dwelt in the land of Goshen. And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. And Israel's days drew near when he must die; he called his son Joseph. `Genesis 47bbb27-29`.
Yet again,
And someone reported to Jacob and said, Behold, your son Joseph has come to you, and Israel found some strength in himself and sat up on his bed. And Jacob said to Joseph, God Shaddai appeared to me in Luz. `Genesis 48bbb2-3`.
The name Israel is again used in the same chapter in verses `Genesis 32bbbccc8`, `Genesis 32bbbccc10`, `Genesis 32bbbccc11`, `Genesis 32bbbccc13`, `Genesis 32bbbccc14`, `Genesis 32bbbccc20-21`. And finally,
Jacob called his sons and said, Gather together, and hear, O sons of Jacob; and hearken to Israel your father. And when Jacob had finished commanding his sons . . . `Genesis 49bbb1-2`, `Genesis 49bbbccc33`.
From all these places it becomes clear that Jacob is called Jacob at one point, Israel at another, thus that Jacob has one meaning, Israel another, that is, one thing is meant when he is called Jacob, another when he is called Israel. They also make it quite clear that this arcanum can in no way be known except from the internal sense.
ttt[7] What 'Jacob' means however, and what 'Israel', has been stated above. In general 'Jacob' in the Word means the external aspect of the Church and 'Israel' the internal, for every Church has an external aspect and it has an internal one, that is, it is internal and also external. And because that which constitutes the Church is meant by 'Jacob' and by 'Israel' and because the Church in its entirety originates in the Lord, both Jacob and Israel therefore mean the Lord in the highest sense - 'Jacob' the Lord's Divine natural, 'Israel' His Divine spiritual. Consequently the external aspect of the Lord's kingdom and of His Church is meant by 'Jacob' and the internal by 'Israel', as becomes additionally clear from the following places in which again each name is used in its own sense. In the prophecy uttered by Jacob, who by then was Israel,
By the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob; from there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel. `Genesis 49bbb24`.
In Isaiah,
Hear, O Jacob My servant, and Israel whom I have chosen. Fear not, O My servant Jacob, and Jeshurun whom I have chosen. I will pour out My spirit upon your seed, and My blessing upon your sons. This one will say, I am Jehovah's, and another will call himself by the name of Jacob: and he will write with his hand, Jehovah's, and surname himself by the name of Israel. `Isaiah 44bbb1-3`, `Isaiah 44bbbccc5`.
Here 'Jacob' and 'Israel' plainly stand for the Lord, while Jacob or Israel's 'seed' and 'sons' stand for those whose faith is in Him. In Balaam's prophecy in Moses,
Who will count the dust of Jacob, and its number together with a fourth part of Israel? `Numbers 23bbb10`.
And again,
There is no divination against Jacob, nor enchantments against Israel. At that time it will be said to Jacob and to Israel, What has God done? `Numbers 23bbb23`.
Further still,
How fine are your tabernacles, O Jacob; your dwelling-places, O Israel. `Numbers 24bbb5`.
And again,
A star will arise out of Jacob, and a sceptre out of Israel. `Numbers 24bbb17`.
In Isaiah,
My glory will I not give to another. Hearken to me, O Jacob, and O Israel whom I called: I am the same; I am the first; I am also the last. `Isaiah 48bbb11-12`.
In the same prophet,
Those who are to come Jacob will cause to take root. Israel will blossom and flower, and the face of the earth will be filled with produce. `Isaiah 27bbb6`.
In Jeremiah,
Do not fear, O My servant Jacob, and do not be dismayed, O Israel, for behold, I have saved you from afar. `Jeremiah 30bbb9-10`.
In Micah,
I will surely gather Jacob, all of you, I will surely assemble the remnant of Israel, I will put them together, like the sheep of Bozrah. `Micah 2bbb12`.
ttt[8] The reason why Jacob received the name Israel is clear from the actual words used when he was given it, which are these,
Your name will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for as a prince you have contended with God and with men, and have prevailed.
Israel in the original language means 'one contending as a prince with God', and these words mean in the internal sense that he overcame in the conflicts that accompany temptations; for it was through temptations and the conflicts which take place in temptations`fff2` that the Lord made His Human Divine, `@@@1737`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc1813`, and elsewhere. And it is temptations and victories in temptations that make the spiritual man. This is why Jacob first received the name Israel after his wrestling - 'wrestling' meaning to undergo temptation, see `@@@4274`. It is well known that the Church, or the member of the Christian Church, calls itself Israel, but no one in the Church is an Israel except the one who has become a spiritual man through temptations. The name itself also implies the same. A subsequent confirmation of the fact that Jacob was to be called Israel was also given to him, as is clear from the following words further on,
And God appeared again to Jacob when coming from Paddan Aram, and blessed him; and God said to him, Your name is Jacob; your name will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel will be your name. And He called his name Israel. `Genesis 35bbb9-10`.
The reason for this confirmation will be discussed below.
`nnn1. i.e. in a cart
`nnn2. Or, reading what Swedenborg had in his rough draft for it was through temptations and victories in temptations
ppp19564#pid#4287. 'For as a prince you have contended with God and with men, and have prevailed' means repeated victories in conflicts over truths and goods. This is clear from the meaning of 'contending as a prince' as overcoming in conflicts, in this case conflicts that accompany temptations since these are the subject at present; and from the meaning of 'with God and with men' as conflicts over truths and goods, to be dealt with below.
ttt[2] The subject in the highest sense being the Lord, it is He who is meant in that sense by 'one contending as a prince with God and with men', for by His own power He suffered all temptations and through them overcame the hells. Indeed He allowed into Himself all the hells in their order, and even the angels, as will be explained later on. In so doing he brought into order everything in the heavens and in the hells, and at length glorified Himself, that is, made the Human within Him Divine.
ttt[3] From this it is evident that in the highest sense the Lord is meant by Jacob and Israel, as shown immediately above in `@@@4286`. Not only has He Himself 'contended as a prince', that is, has suffered all the conflicts brought about by temptations and has overcome in them, but also He suffers them in every individual human being. But see what has been stated many times already on these matters in the following references,
The Lord suffered the severest temptations, greater than anybody else has done, `@@@1663`, `@@@1668`, `@@@1787`, `@@@2776`, `@@@2786`, `@@@2795`, `@@@2816`.
Unlike any others the Lord fought out of Divine love, `@@@1690`, `@@@1691` (end), `@@@1789`, `@@@1812`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc1813`, `@@@1820`.
The Lord fought against hereditary evil from the mother, so that at length He was not her son; even so, no evil of His own doing was attached to Him, `@@@1444`, `@@@1573`, `@@@2025`, `@@@2574`, `@@@2649`, `@@@3318` (end).
Through the conflicts brought about by temptations and through repeated victories the Lord arranged all things into the form which heaven possesses, `@@@1928`.
And through repeated victories in conflicts brought about by temptations He united the Divine Essence to the Human Essence, `@@@1616`, `@@@1737`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc1813`, `@@@1921`, `@@@2025`, `@@@2026`, `@@@2500`, `@@@2523`, `@@@2632`, `@@@2776`.
The Lord suffers the temptations that take place in man, subduing evil and the hells, `@@@987`, `@@@1661`, `@@@1692` (end).
ttt[4] The arcanum that 'contending with God and with men' means being tempted over truths and over goods is one that is not open to view in the letter. It is clear to anyone, and will also be evident from the explanation given below, that it was not God with whom Jacob contended, for it cannot be said of anyone that he contends with God and prevails. But the internal sense teaches what 'God' and 'men' mean here - that 'God' means truth, and 'men' good. The reason for this is that 'God' in the internal sense means truth, and therefore whenever truth is dealt with the name God is used, `@@@2586`, `@@@2769`, `@@@2807`, `@@@2822`, whereas the term 'man' is used to mean good. And 'man' means good because the Lord is the only Man and anyone else is called such by virtue of Him, `@@@49`, `@@@288`, `@@@565`, `@@@1894`. A further reason is that by virtue of Him heaven is man and is called the Grand Man, `@@@684`, `@@@1276`, `@@@3624-3649`, `@@@3741-3750`. And this also was why the Most Ancient Church which was governed by celestial good was referred to as Man, `@@@478`.
ttt[5] Therefore whenever good is dealt with in the Word, 'man' (homo) means good, as in Isaiah,
I will make the male person (vir homo) more rare than gold, and man (homo) than the gold of Ophir. `Isaiah 13bbb12`.
In the same prophet,
The inhabitants of the land will be scorched and few male persons (vir homo) left. `Isaiah 24bbb6`.
'Male persons' stands for spiritual good or the good of truth. 'Man' stands for good. In the same prophet, The highways have been laid waste, the wayfarer has ceased. He has broken the covenant, he has despised the cities, he has no regard for the male person (vir homo). `Isaiah 33bbb8`.
In Jeremiah,
I looked to the earth, and behold, that which is void and empty, and towards the heavens, and they had no light I looked, and behold, there was no man; and all the birds of the air had flown away. `Jeremiah 4bbb23`, `Jeremiah 4bbbccc25`.
In the same prophet, behold, the days are coming, said Jehovah, in which I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and the seed of beast. `Jeremiah 31bbb27`.
In Ezekiel,
Your merchants [traded] in the souls of men and vessels of bronze, giving these for your merchandise. `Ezekiel 27bbb13`.
In the same prophet, You, O my flock, the flock of My pasture, you are men; I am your God. `Ezekiel 34bbb31`.
In the same prophet, They will be cities laid waste, filled with the flock of mankind. `Ezekiel 36bbb38`.
In these places 'man' (homo) stands for people who are governed by good, and so stands for good, since good is what causes anyone to be 'man'. Truth however which is grounded in good is referred to in the Word as 'a male person' (vir homo) and also as 'the son of man'.
ppp19563#pid#4288. These same verses which have been explained so far also have regard to the Jewish and Israelitish nation which is called 'Jacob' in the Word, as stated and shown above in `@@@4279`. In the sense which is being called the internal historical the words 'Let me go, for the dawn is coming up' mean that the genuine representative role would depart from the descendants of Jacob before they entered into the representatives connected with the land of Canaan. The nature of that nation has been shown above, namely that among them no internal worship existed, only external worship; that is to say, they had become cut off from the heavenly marriage, and therefore no Church could be established among that nation, only that which was a representative of the Church, see `@@@4281`.
ttt[2] But one must know what a representative Church is and what a representative of the Church is. A representative Church exists when internal worship is present within external, but a representative of the Church when no internal worship exists even though external does so. In both cases they observe very similar external practices, that is to say, they follow similar ordinances, laws, and commands. But in the representative Church external things correspond to internal so that they make one, whereas in a representative of the Church that correspondence does not exist because external things are either devoid of internal or else at variance with them. In the representative Church celestial and spiritual love is supreme, but in a representative of the Church bodily and worldly love is supreme. Celestial and spiritual love constitutes the internal itself, but when no celestial or spiritual love exists, only bodily and worldly, that which is external devoid of what is internal exists. The Ancient Church which existed after the Flood was a representative Church, but that which was established among the descendants of Jacob was merely a representative of the Church. But to make the difference between the two quite plain, let it be illustrated by examples.
ttt[3] In the representative Church Divine worship took place on mountains because 'mountains' meant celestial love, and in the highest sense the Lord, `@@@795`, `@@@1430`, `@@@2722`, `@@@4210`; and when they held worship on mountains they were in their own holy place because they were at the same time abiding in celestial love. In the representative Church Divine worship also took place in groves because 'groves' meant spiritual love, and in the highest sense the Lord in regard to that love, `@@@2722`; and when they held worship in groves they were in their own holy place because they were at the same time abiding in spiritual love. When they held Divine worship in the representative Church they used to turn their faces towards the rising of the sun because 'the rising sun' too meant celestial love, `@@@101`, `@@@1529`, `@@@1530`, `@@@2441`, `@@@2495`, `@@@3636`, `@@@3643`. And when they looked up at the moon they were again filled with holy reverence because 'the moon' meant spiritual love, `@@@1529-1531`, `@@@2495`, `@@@4060`. And the same applied when they looked up at the starry sky because this meant the angelic heaven or the Lord's kingdom. In the representative Church they had tents or tabernacles in which they held Divine worship, and this was holy worship because 'tents' or 'tabernacles' means the holiness of love and of worship, `@@@414`, `@@@1102`, `@@@2145`, `@@@2152`, `@@@3312`. And countless other examples could be mentioned.
ttt[4] In the representative of the Church Divine worship did indeed take place at first on mountains and also in groves. The practice also existed then of turning to face the rising of the sun, as well as that of beholding the moon and the stars. There was likewise worship in tents or tabernacles. But because their external worship was devoid of internal - that is, they were governed by bodily and worldly love and not by celestial and spiritual, and so worshipped the actual mountains or groves, and also the sun, moon, and stars, as well as their tents or tabernacles - those practices, which had been holy in the Ancient Church, were now made idolatrous by those belonging to a representative of the Church. They were therefore restricted to the same place and practices for them all, that is to say, to the mountain on which Jerusalem and at length Zion stood, where from the temple they beheld the rising of the sun, and also to one tent for them all, called the tent of meeting, and ultimately to the ark in the temple. They were restricted to these things to the end that a representative of the Church might come into being when they practiced what was outwardly holy. Otherwise they would have rendered holy things unholy.
ttt[5] From these examples one may see what the difference is between a representative Church and a representative of the Church. In general, one may see that members of the representative Church communicated with the three heavens, and that they did so in things of an interior kind, for which external ones could serve as the foundation on which they rested. But those who belonged to a representative of the Church did not communicate with heaven in things of an interior kind. Yet the external things to which those people were limited were nevertheless able to serve as the foundation for interior ones. The Lord's Providence in a miraculous manner enabled this to be so, for the reason that some kind of communication might be established between heaven and mankind through what was a semblance of the Church. For without any communication of heaven with mankind by means of some kind of Church the human race would perish. But what the communication is like when it takes place through external things devoid of any correspondence with internal ones cannot be stated briefly. In the Lord's Divine mercy a statement is to be made about this later on.
ppp19562#pid#4289. 'Let me go, for the dawn is coming up' means that the genuine representative role would depart from the descendants of Jacob before they entered into the representatives connected with the land of Canaan. This becomes clear from the train of thought in the internal historical sense in which the descendants of Jacob are the subject. Their state in regard to things of the Church is also described in the Word as evening, night, and morning or dawn - dawn being used to describe the time when they entered the land of Canaan and as a consequence into that which was a representative of the Church in that land. The implications of this are as follows: A representative of the Church could not be established among them until they had been completely vastated, that is, until no knowledge of internal things existed with them. For if knowledge of internal things had existed with them it would have been possible for them to have an affection for them, in which case they would have profaned them. For the ability to profane holy things, that is, internal truths and goods, exists with those who know and acknowledge them, more so with those who have an affection for them, but not with those who do not acknowledge them. But see what has been stated and shown already about profanation:
People who know and acknowledge holy things are able to profane them, but not those who do not know and acknowledge them, `@@@593`, `@@@1008`, `@@@1010`, `@@@1059`, `@@@3398`, `@@@3898`.
People inside the Church are capable of profaning holy things, but not those outside, `@@@2051`.
Therefore all who are unable to remain steadfast in goodness and truth are kept as far as possible from an acknowledgement of and faith in them, `@@@3398`, `@@@3402`; and they are kept in ignorance to prevent their profanation of them, `@@@301-303`.
What danger comes from profaning holy things, `@@@571`, `@@@582`.
Worship becomes external to prevent what is internal being profaned, `@@@1327`, `@@@1328`.
Therefore internal truths were not disclosed to the Jews, `@@@3398`.
ttt[2] The Lord therefore made provision so that anything genuinely representative of the Church, that is, any internal representation of it, would have departed from the descendants of Jacob before they entered into the representatives connected with the land of Canaan. It so departed that they did not know anything at all about the Lord. They knew, it is true, that the Messiah was to come into the world, but they supposed that the reason for His coming would be to promote them to glory and pre-eminence over all nations in the whole world, but not that He would save their souls for ever. Neither indeed did they know anything whatever about the heavenly kingdom, nor anything about the life after death, nor even anything about charity and faith. To reduce them to such ignorance they were kept for several centuries in Egypt, and when summoned from there did not even know the actual name Jehovah, `Exodus 3bbb12-14`. What is more, they had lost all the worship of the representative Church, so much so that a month after the Ten Commandments had been publicly declared in their presence from mount Sinai they reverted to Egyptian worship, which was that of the golden calf, `Exodus 32bbb0`.
ttt[3] And this being the nature of the nation which had been brought out of Egypt they all died in the wilderness. For nothing more was required of them than to keep ordinances and commands in the outward form these took, because to keep these in their outward form was to play the part of a representative of the Church. Those who had grown up in Egypt however could not be fitted for that part, but their children could, though with difficulty, at first by means of miracles and after that by terrors and captivities, as is evident from the Books of Joshua and Judges. From this it becomes clear that the entire genuine or internal representative of the Church had departed from them before they entered the land of Canaan where the full form of an external representative of the Church was begun among them; for the land of Canaan was the actual land where the representatives of the Church could be introduced. For all the places and all the boundaries had, since ancient times, been representative in that land, see `@@@3686`.
ppp19561#pid#4290. In the internal historical sense 'he said, I will not let you go unless you bless me' means that they insisted on being representative, for being insistent is meant by 'I will not let you' and the representative of the Church by 'being blessed'. This particular matter - the insistence of Jacob's descendants that they should be representative of the Church, though they were no more the elect than any other nation - is not very clear, it is true, from the historical narratives of the Word contained in the sense of the letter. It is not clear because those narratives hold the arcana of heaven within them, which accordingly follow one another in a connected sequence, and also because the actual names there are used to mean spiritual realities, many of which names indeed are used in the highest sense to mean the Lord. Examples of these are Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who mean in the highest sense the Lord, as has been shown many times in what has gone before; see also `@@@1965`, `@@@1989`, `@@@2011`, `@@@3245`, `@@@3305` (end), `@@@3439`.
ttt[2] The fact that Jacob's descendants were not the elect, yet they insisted that the Church should have its existence among themselves, may be seen from the internal historical sense in many places in the Word, openly so in the following statements in Moses,
Jehovah said to Moses, Go up from here, you and the people which you made to go up out of the land of Egypt, into the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, To your seed I will give it. I will not go up in your midst, for you are a stiff-necked people, lest I consume you on the way. When the people heard this bad news,`fff1` they mourned and took off every one his ornament from upon him. And Moses took a tent and pitched it for himself outside the camp, far away from the camp. Moses said to Jehovah, See, You say to me, Make this people go up, when You have not made known to me whom You will send with me. Now therefore, if, I pray, I have found favour in Your eyes, make known to me, I pray, Your ways, so that I may know of You, that I have found favour in Your eyes. See also that this nation is Your people. He said therefore, My presence will go [with you], until I give you rest. `Exodus 33bbb1`, `Exodus 33bbbccc3-4`, `Exodus 33bbbccc7`, `Exodus 33bbbccc12-14`.
In this chapter of Exodus it is said that Moses made the people go up out of Egypt and then that they took off their ornaments and mourned, and that Moses pitched the tent outside the camp and that Jehovah gave His assent. This shows plainly that they themselves were insistent.
ttt[3] In the same author,
Jehovah said to Moses, How long will this people provoke Me? And how long will they not believe, for all the signs which I have performed in their midst? I will strike them down with pestilence and annihilate them, and I will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they are. But Moses entreated Jehovah, who being appeased said, I will be gracious according to your word. But yet, I am the living One, and all the earth will be filled with the glory of Jehovah; for as for all the men who have seen My glory and My signs which I performed in Egypt and in the desert, and despite this have tempted Me these ten times and have not obeyed My voice, they will not see the land which I swore to their fathers; all who provoke Me will not see it. In this desert will your bodies fall, but I will bring in your children. Numbers 14[`Numbers 14bbbccc11-13`, `Numbers 14bbbccc20-23`, `Numbers 14bbbccc29`, `Numbers 14bbbccc31`].
From these verses also it is evident that Jehovah was willing to annihilate them and therefore not to establish the Church among them, but that they insisted it should be established among them, and therefore it was done. And there were many other occasions besides this when Jehovah would have wiped out that repeatedly rebellious nation but repeatedly He allowed Himself to be appeased by their entreaties.
ttt[4] The same is also implied by the fact that Balaam was not allowed to curse that people, in `Numbers ccc22bbb0` Chapters, `Numbers ccc24bbb0` of Numbers; in addition to other places where it is said that Jehovah repented of having brought that people in; also that Jehovah was appeased, as well as that He repeatedly made a new covenant with them. These are the kinds of things that are meant in the internal historical sense by the words 'I will not let you go unless you bless me'. Something similar is also meant by Jacob's taking the birthright from Esau as well as taking the blessing by deceit from him, in Chapters `Genesis ccc25bbb0`, `Genesis ccc27bbb0` of Genesis.
`nnn1. literally, evil word
ppp19560#pid#4291. In the internal historical sense 'he said to him, What is your name? And he said, Jacob' means that they were the descendants of Jacob - together with their essential nature. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'name' as the essential nature, dealt with in `@@@144`, `@@@145`, `@@@1754`, `@@@1896`, `@@@2009`, `@@@2724`, `@@@3006`, and from the meaning of 'Jacob' as Jacob's descendants, dealt with above in `@@@4281`.
ppp19559#pid#4292. In the internal historical sense 'he said, Your name will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel' means that they could not as [the descendants of] Jacob play the representative part, except by virtue of the new nature that was imparted to them. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'Jacob' in the Word as his descendants, dealt with above in `@@@4281`, and from the meaning of 'name' as the essential nature, dealt with immediately above in `@@@4291`. The new nature itself is meant by 'Israel' in the internal sense, for 'Israel' is the celestial-spiritual man and consequently the internal man, `@@@4286`. And since 'Israel' means the celestial-spiritual man, and so the internal man, 'Israel' also means the internal spiritual Church. For whether you use the expression spiritual man or spiritual Church, it amounts to the same thing because any spiritual person in particular is the Church, even as many are in general. If the individual person in particular were not the Church, no Church in general could exist. The expression Church is used in everyday language to describe a congregation in general; but each member of the congregation must be a Church if that greater Church is to exist. Every general whole incorporates parts that are like that whole.
ttt[2] The implications of this particular matter - the inability of [the descendants on Jacob to play the representative part, except by virtue of the new nature imparted to them, meant by 'Israel' - are as follows: It was specifically Jacob's descendants who were to represent the Church but not specifically Isaac's since Isaac's descended not only through Jacob but also through Esau. Still less was it specifically Abraham's, for Abraham's descended not only through Jacob but also through Esau, and likewise through Ishmael, as well as through his sons by his second wife Keturah, who were Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, Shuah, and the sons of these, see `Genesis 25bbb1-4`. Now because Jacob's descendants insisted that they should be representative, as shown just above in `@@@4290`, they could not represent as Jacob, or as Isaac, or as Abraham. The reason why they could not do so as Jacob was that 'Jacob' represented the external aspect of the Church, but not the internal. And they could not do so as Isaac at the same time or as Abraham at the same time for the reason advanced immediately above.
ttt[3] So that they could represent the Church therefore, a new name had inevitably to be given to Jacob, and through that name a new nature, which new nature was to be a sign of the internal spiritual man, or what amounts to the same, of the internal spiritual Church. That new nature is meant by 'Israel'. Every Church of the Lord is internal and external, as has been shown several times already, the internal Church being that which is represented, the external that which represents. The internal Church is also either spiritual or else celestial, the internal spiritual Church being represented by 'Israel', but the internal celestial Church at a later time by 'Judah'. Therefore a division also took place, and the Israelites became a kingdom on their own and the Jews another on their own. But these matters will in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed later on. From this it is evident that 'Jacob', that is, Jacob's descendants, could not represent the Church as Jacob, for that would have been to represent solely the external aspect of the Church. They had to do so as Israel as well because 'Israel' is the internal aspect.
ttt[4] It has been shown in various places already that it is the internal which is represented and the external which represents, as may also be seen in the human being. A person's speech represents his thought, and a person's action represents his will. Speech and action are the external aspects of the person, thought and will the internal. In addition the various looks seen on a person's face represent both, that is to say, both his thought and his will. It is well known to everyone that the looks on a person's face are representative, for the looks on the faces of people who are sincere enable their interior states to be seen. In short, every part of the body represents some facet of a person's inclination (animus) and mind (mens).
ttt[5] It is similar with the external aspects of the Church, for these are like the body, while its internal aspects are like the soul. There were, for example, the altars and the sacrifices on them, which, as is well known, were external things. There was likewise the bread of the presence, also the lampstand with its lamps, as well as the fire that was kept burning all the time. Anyone can recognize that these external things represented internal ones, as likewise did everything else of a ritual nature. The fact that these external things could not represent anything external, only what was internal, becomes clear from the considerations introduced already. So 'Jacob' could not represent as Jacob, because 'Jacob' means the external aspect of the Church, but he could do so as Israel because 'Israel' means its internal aspect. This is what is meant by a new nature being imparted to enable the descendants of Jacob to play the representative part.
ppp19558#pid#4293. In the internal historical sense 'for as a prince you have contended with God and with men, and have prevailed' means on account of the stubborn perverseness which was a product of their false delusions and evil desires. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'God' and the meaning of 'men' as truths and goods, dealt with above in `@@@4287`, though here the selfsame words have the opposite meaning because in this internal historical sense they are expressions used in reference to the descendants of Jacob, with whom no truths or goods were present interiorly, as shown above, only falsities and evils. Falsities are false delusions because they are the product of such delusions, and evils are evil desires because they are the product of such desires.
ttt[2] As regards that nation's insistence that they should play the representative part, that is, that they themselves should constitute the Church in preference to all nations throughout the whole world, see above in `@@@4290`. More than this it is the fact that they were allowed to do so on account of the stubborn perverseness which was a product of their false delusions and of their evil desires that is meant here. No one can know the nature of those delusions and desires unless he has some contact with them in the next life. To enable me to know, such contact has been granted to me, for I have talked on several occasions to those people there. They love themselves and worldly wealth more than anybody else does, and above all they fear loss of position as well as loss of gain more than anybody else does. Consequently today as in former times they despise everyone else in comparison with themselves; they are also utterly intent on the acquisition of wealth, and in addition are full of fear. Because that nation has been like this since ancient times they were better able than others to be kept in external holiness devoid of all internal holiness, and so in outward form to represent things that constituted the Church It was these false delusions and evil desires that produced such stubborn perverseness.
ttt[3] This is also apparent from many things which are mentioned regarding them in the historical narratives of the Word. After being punished they were able to demonstrate an external humility such as no other nation could do, for they were able for whole days to lie prostrate on the ground and to roll themselves in the dust and not get up until the third day. They were also able for many days to beat their breasts, and to go around in sackcloth, in tattered garments, with ashes or dust sprinkled over their head. They were able to fast continuously for many days, and during that time to burst into bitter tears. But these were the expressions solely of bodily and earthly love, and a fear of losing their pre-eminence and worldly wealth. For there was not anything internal which moved them since they did not know at all, and did not even wish to know, what the internal was, such as the matter of a life after death, or that of eternal salvation.
ttt[4] From this it may be seen that because their nature was such they had to be dispossessed of all internal holiness, for this holiness accords in no way at all with the kind of external holiness that has just been described; indeed the two are utterly contrary to each other. It may also be seen that they were better able than others to play the part of a representative of the Church, that is to say, to represent holy things in external form, devoid of all internal holiness; and that thus by means of that nation some kind of communication with the heavens was possible, see `@@@4288`.
ppp19557#pid#4294. Verses `Genesis 32bbbccc29-32` And Jacob asked and said, Tell me, I pray, your name. And he said, Why is it that you ask my name? And he blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, [saying,] For I have seen God face to face, and my soul is delivered. And the sun rose on him as he passed over Penuel, and he was limping on his thigh. Therefore the children of Israel do not eat the sinew of that which was displaced, which is on the hollow of the thigh, even to this day, because he touched, in the hollow of Jacob's thigh, the sinew of that which was displaced.
'Jacob asked and said, Tell me, I pray, your name' means the angelic heaven and the nature of that heaven. 'And he said, Why is it that you ask my name?' means that heaven was unwilling to reveal itself. 'And he blessed him there' means a joining to the Divine celestial-spiritual. 'And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel' means a state of temptations. 'For I have seen God face to face, and my soul is delivered' means that He suffered the severest temptations, seemingly attributable to the Divine. 'And the sun rose on him' means when the one kind of good was joined to the other. 'As he passed over Penuel' means a state of truth within good. 'And he was limping on his thigh' means that truths were not yet arranged into such an order that together with good they could all enter celestial-spiritual good. 'Therefore the children of Israel do not eat the sinew of that which was displaced, which is on the hollow of the thigh' means that no truths containing falsities were assimilated. 'Even to this day' means that, perpetually so, falsities would not be attached. 'Because he touched, in the hollow of Jacob's thigh, the sinew of that which was displaced' means for the reason that they were indeed falsities.
ttt[2] In the internal historical sense, where the descendants of Jacob are the subject, 'Jacob asked and said, Tell me, I pray, your name' means evil, spirits 'He said, Why is it that you ask my name?' means that they did not acknowledge evil spirits to be the origin. 'He blessed him there' means that so it was done. 'Jacob called the name of the place Peniel' means a state in which they took on representations. 'For I have seen God face to face, and my soul is delivered' means His presence through representations. 'The sun rose on him' means when they entered into representations. 'As he passed over Penuel' means when they entered the land of Canaan. 'He was limping on his thigh' means that with those descendants goods and truths had been destroyed completely. 'Therefore the children of Israel do not eat the sinew of that which was displaced, which is on the hollow of the thigh' means that those descendants ought to know this. 'Even to this day' means that their nature was perpetually so. 'Because he touched, in the hollow of Jacob's thigh, the sinew of that which was displaced' means because of their heredity which could not be rooted out through regeneration because they would not allow that to happen.
ppp19556#pid#4295. 'And Jacob asked and said, Tell me, I pray, your name' means the angelic heaven and the nature of that heaven. This becomes clear from the representation of Jacob' as the Lord's Divine Natural, dealt with already, and from the meaning of 'God' whose name he asked for, and also of 'men', with whom he contended as a prince and prevailed, as truths and goods, and so as those who are governed by truths and goods, dealt with above in `@@@4287`. And since the angelic heaven is heaven by virtue of truths and goods it is that heaven specifically which is meant by God and men with whom the Lord prevailed. Angels are also sometimes called 'gods' in the Word, it being by virtue of truths and goods that they are called such, as in David,
God stands in the assembly of God, in the midst of the gods will He judge. I said, You are gods, and sons of the Most High, all of you. `Psalms 82bbb1`, `Psalms 82bbbccc6`.
Here it is quite plain that 'the assembly of God' and 'the gods' are the angelic heaven. In the same author,
Who in the sky will be compared to Jehovah? Who will be likened to Jehovah among the sons of gods? `Psalms 89bbb6`.
In the same author,
Confess the God of gods; confess the Lord of lords `Psalms 136bbb2-3`.
From these quotations it is evident - as it is also from the fact that no one can contend as a prince with God and prevail, and likewise from the fact that the one who is called a god was unwilling to reveal his name - that it was the angelic heaven with which the Lord fought. It is quite plain from the actual words themselves 'Why is it that you ask my name?' that an arcanum lies within them, for if he had been Jehovah God he would not have concealed his name. Nor would Jacob have asked 'What is your name?' for asking the name implies some person or persons other than God Himself.
ttt[2] The truth that the Lord at length fought with actual angels, indeed with the whole angelic heaven, is an arcanum which has not been disclosed up to now. But the implications of this are as follows: Angels do indeed possess supreme wisdom and intelligence, yet all their wisdom and intelligence comes to them from the Lord's Divine. They have no wisdom or intelligence at all that originates in themselves, that is, in their proprium. Therefore it is only insofar as they are governed by truths and goods received from the Lord's Divine that they are wise and intelligent. The fact that angels have no wisdom or intelligence at all originating in themselves they themselves openly confess. Indeed they are also quite angry if anyone attributes to them any wisdom or intelligence at all, for they know and perceive that it would be taking away from the Divine that which is His and it would be claiming for themselves that which is not theirs, and so would be engaging in the crime of spiritual theft. Angels also say that their entire proprium consists in evil and falsity, both because of their heredity and also because of their own conduct in the world when they were men, `@@@1880`. Nor, they say, is evil or falsity separated - that is, wiped away - from them, whereby they are made righteous; rather, the whole of it remains with them, though the Lord withholds them from that evil and falsity and keeps them in good and truth, `@@@1581`. These things are confessed by every angel, and no one is allowed into heaven if he does not know and believe them. For otherwise they cannot dwell in the light of wisdom and intelligence coming from the Lord, nor consequently in good and truth. From this one can also know how the words in `Job 15bbb15` stating that heaven is not pure in the eyes of God are to be understood.
ttt[3] This being so, in order that the Lord might bring the whole of heaven into proper heavenly order, He even allowed angels into Himself to tempt Him, who, insofar as they acted from their proprium, did not do so from good and truth. These temptations are the inmost of all, for they go to work solely on the ends one has in view and with a subtlety such as can by no means be detected. But insofar as angels do not act from their proprium they act from good and truth and are unable to tempt anyone. What is more, angels are being perfected constantly by the Lord, and yet their perfection cannot ever reach the point when their wisdom and intelligence can be compared with the Lord's Divine wisdom and intelligence, since they are finite whereas the Lord is Infinite, and no comparison of finite with Infinite is possible. From all this one may now see what 'God with whom Jacob contended as a prince' is used to mean, and also why he was unwilling to reveal his name.
ppp19555#pid#4296. 'Why is it that you ask my name?' means that heaven was unwilling to reveal itself. This is clear from what has been stated and shown immediately above in `@@@4295`.
ppp19554#pid#4297. 'And he blessed him there' means a joining to the Divine celestial-spiritual. This is clear from the meaning of 'blessing' as a joining together, dealt with in `@@@3504`, `@@@3514`, `@@@3565`, `@@@3584`, a joining to the Divine celestial-spiritual being meant here, as is clear from what has gone before concerning Jacob's being named Israel; for 'Israel' represents the Lord's Divine celestial-spiritual, `@@@4286`. What the celestial-spiritual is, see that same paragraph.
ppp19553#pid#4298. 'And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel' means a state of temptations. This is clear from the train of thought, for in former times names were given to places where some special incident took place, and those names served to mean that incident which took place there, and the state associated with it, `@@@340`, `@@@2643`, `@@@3422`. To this place a name was given which meant a state of temptations, because it is a state of temptations that is described here by Jacob's wrestling and contending. In the original language 'Peniel' means 'the face of God', and the fact that 'seeing the face of God' means suffering the severest temptations will be explained in what follows immediately below.
ppp19552#pid#4299. 'For I have seen God face to face, and my soul is delivered' means that He suffered the severest temptations, seemingly attributable to the Divine. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing God' as going closer to Him by means of interior things, that is to say, by means of goods and truths, and consequently as presence, dealt with in `@@@4198`; and from the meaning of 'the face' as interior things, dealt with in `@@@1999`, `@@@2434`, `@@@3527`, `@@@3573`, `@@@4066`, and so as thoughts and affections, for affections and thoughts are interior things because they belong to the disposition and mind (animus et mens) and reveal themselves in the face; and from the meaning of 'my soul is delivered' as suffering God's presence. The fact that all these words mean that He suffered the severest temptations seemingly attributable to the Divine, cannot be seen from anything else than the immediate causes and the remote causes of temptations. The evils and falsities present with a person which lead him into temptations, and therefore the evil spirits and genii who instill them are the immediate causes, `@@@4249`. Nevertheless, no one can be tempted, that is, undergo any spiritual temptation, except him who has a conscience. Indeed spiritual temptation is nothing else than the torture of a person's conscience, and consequently none can be tempted but those who are governed by celestial and spiritual good. For the latter have conscience, but all others do not; indeed they do not even know what conscience is.
ttt[2] Conscience is a new will and a new understanding received from the Lord, and so is the Lord's presence with a person, a presence which becomes all the closer the more the person is stirred by the affection for good or for truth. If the closeness of the Lord's presence exceeds the amount of affection for good or for truth in him, he enters into temptation. The reason why is that the evils and falsities which reside with him, and which are moderated by the goods and truths residing with him, cannot suffer that closer presence. This becomes clear from the following things that happen in the next life: Evil spirits cannot by any means move towards any heavenly community without starting to feel distress and torment; also, evil spirits cannot stand angels looking at them because they are instantly tormented and collapse unconscious. And in addition there is the fact that hell is remote from heaven, for the reason that it cannot suffer heaven, that is, the Lord's presence in heaven. This explains why in the Word it is said in reference to evil spirits,
Then they will begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us. `Luke 23bbb30`.
And elsewhere,
They will say to the mountains and rocks, Rush down on us and hide us from the face of Him who is seated on the throne. `Revelation 6bbb16`.
Also the sphere of cloud and thick darkness which emanates from the evils and falsities of those in hell looks like a mountain or rock beneath which they are hidden, see `@@@1265`, `@@@1267`, `@@@1270`.
ttt[3] From these considerations it can now be recognized that 'I have seen God face to face and my soul is delivered' means the severest temptations, seemingly attributable to the Divine. Temptations and torments do seem to be attributable to the Divine because they arise, as has been stated, through the Lord's Divine presence. Yet they do not originate in the Divine or the Lord but in the evils and falsities residing with the person who is being tempted or tormented. From the Lord nothing else proceeds but a holiness which is good and true and merciful, and it is this holiness - which is good, true, and merciful - that those subject to evils and falsities cannot suffer; for such evils and falsities are opposite or contrary to it. Evils, falsities, and lack of mercy are bent all the time on doing violence to those qualities belonging to holiness; and in the measure they assail these, they themselves suffer torment. And when they assail them and consequently suffer torment they imagine that it is the Divine who torments them. These are the considerations meant by 'seemingly attributable to the Divine'.
ttt[4] It was well known to the ancients that no one can see Jehovah face to face and live, and from them knowledge of the same came down to the descendants of Jacob. This explains why they were so glad when they saw any angel and remained alive, as in the Book of Judges,
Gideon saw that he was the angel of Jehovah, therefore Gideon said, O Lord Jehovih! Inasmuch as I have seen the angel of Jehovah face to face. And Jehovah said to him, Peace be to you; do not fear, for you will not die. `Judges 6bbb22-23`.
In the same book, Manoah said to his wife, We shall surely die, for we have seen God. `Judges 13bbb22`.
And in Moses, Jehovah said to Moses, You cannot see My face, for no man will see Me and live. `Exodus 33bbb20`.
ttt[5] The reason why it is said of Moses that he spoke to Jehovah face to face, `Exodus 33bbb11`, and that Jehovah knew him face to face, `Deuteronomy 34bbb10`, is that He showed Himself to him in a human form suited to his reception, which was an external form - as a bearded old man sitting with him, as I have learned from angels. For the same reason the Jews had no other idea of Jehovah than of one who was very old with a long white beard, who was better able to perform miracles than other gods. They did not have the idea of His being the most holy because they did not know what holiness was, let alone that they could not in any way see the holiness proceeding from Him because they were governed by bodily and earthly love devoid of internal holiness, `@@@4289`, `@@@4293`.
ppp19551#pid#4300. 'And the sun rose on him' means when the one kind of good was joined to the other. This is clear from the meaning of 'the sun's rising' as the joining together of the two kinds of good. 'The dawn is coming up' means the time when conjunction is at hand or just beginning, see `@@@4283`, from which it follows that 'the sun's rising' means that conjunction itself. 'The sun' in the internal sense means celestial love, `@@@1529`, `@@@1530`, `@@@2441`, `@@@2495`, `@@@3636`, `@@@3643`, `@@@4060`, and consequently it means forms of good since these are attributes of that love. When celestial love reveals itself with a person, that is, when it is seen in him, the sun is said to rise on him, for the forms of good which are attributes of that love have a connection with him.
ppp19550#pid#4301. 'As he passed over Penuel' means a state of truth within good. This is clear from the meaning of 'Penuel' as a state of truth within good. It was the Jabbok that Jacob passed over first when he entered the land of Canaan, by which the first instillation of the affections for truth is meant, see `@@@4270`, `@@@4271`, whereas it is Penuel which he passes over now. Hence 'Penuel' means a state of truth that has been instilled into good. The subject is also the joining of the one kind of good to the other; but good is not good unless it has truth within it, for good derives its specific nature as well as its form from truth' so much so that good cannot with anyone be called good unless truth is present within it. But truth acquires its essence and consequently its life from good. This being so and the joining of the one kind of good to the other being the subject, the state of truth within good is dealt with too.
ttt[2] As for the state of truth within good, this can indeed be described but no one can grasp what it is except those who have celestial perception. People who do not have this perception cannot even have any concept of the joining of truth to good, since for them truth lies in obscurity. Indeed they call the truth that which they have learned from matters of doctrine, and they call good that which is done in accordance with that truth. But those who do have perception have an understanding or mental sight that dwells in heavenly light, and they take delight in truths which are joined to good, just as the eye or physical sight takes delight in flowers growing in gardens and meadows in springtime. And people who have interior perception take delight so to speak in the lovely scent coming from them. Such is the angelic state, and therefore those angels perceive all the differences and all the variations that go with the instillation of truth into good and the joining together of them one within the other. So they perceive immeasurably more than man does, for man does not even know of any such instillation and joining together and that it is in this way that man becomes spiritual.
ttt[3] But so that people may have some concept of this matter a brief statement must be made about it. There are two things which constitute the internal man - understanding and will. To the understanding truths belong and to the will goods, for that which a person knows and understands to be true he calls the truth, and that which he does from the will, and so that which he wills, he calls good. These two abilities must constitute a single unit. This may be illustrated by comparison with the sight of the eye and with the pleasure and delight which is experienced through the use of this sight. When the eye beholds objects it takes pleasure and delight in their form and colour and the resulting beauty which these bring to the objects as a whole and to the individual parts; in short it takes delight in the order or patterns in these. That pleasure and delight does not belong to the eye but to the mind (animus) and its affection. And insofar as a person has any affection for them he beholds them and retains them in his memory. But things which the eye beholds without any affection for them slip away and are not sown in the memory and so made part of it.
ttt[4] From this it is evident that the objects of external sight are implanted insofar as there exists the pleasure and delight that go with affections for them, and that those objects are present in that pleasure and delight. For whenever much the same pleasure or delight occurs such objects return with them; and likewise whenever much the same objects are seen again such pleasure and delight returns with them, though with variations that depend on the states involved. A similar situation exists with the understanding, which is internal sight. The objects of that sight am spiritual and are called truths, for the field in which those objects are active is the memory, and the pleasure and delight associated with that sight is good. So it is good in which truths are sown and implanted. From this one may gain some idea of what the instillation of truth into good is and the joining together of them one within the other, also some idea of what that good is which is the subject here, a kind of good about which angels perceive countless things, whereas man perceives scarcely anything.
ppp19549#pid#4302. 'And he was limping on his thigh' means that truths were not yet arranged into such an order that together with good they could all enter celestial-spiritual good. This is clear from the meaning of 'limping' as possessing good which does not as yet contain genuine truths but does contain general truths into which genuine ones can be instilled and which are such as do not disagree with genuine ones, dealt with below. In the highest sense, however, in which the Lord is the subject, 'limping on the thigh' means that truths were not yet arranged into such an order that with good they could all enter celestial-spiritual good - 'the thigh' meaning celestial-spiritual good, see above in `@@@4277`, `@@@4278`.
ttt[2] As regards the order which truths must possess when they enter good, in this case celestial-spiritual good, no intelligible explanation of it is possible, for one needs to know before that what order is, and then what kind of order goes with truths, also what celestial-spiritual good is and then how these truths enter by way of good into that celestial-spiritual good. Even if these matters were described they would not be understood except by those who see with heavenly perception; nothing at all would be understood by those who see with merely natural perception. For those who see with heavenly perception dwell in the light of heaven which comes from the Lord, a light that holds intelligence and wisdom within it. But those who dwell in natural light do not possess any intelligence or wisdom except insofar as the light of heaven flows into that natural light and uses it in such a way that things belonging to heaven may be seen - as in a mirror or in some representative image - within things belonging to natural light. For natural light does not render any spiritual truth visible unless the light of heaven is flowing into it.
ttt[3] This alone can be said regarding the order in which truths must exist to enable them to enter good. As with goods, all truths - not only the general ones but also the particular, and indeed the most specific - must in heaven have been arranged into that order so that one truth relates to another within a form like that in which the members, organs, and viscera of the human body relate to one another. That is, their uses relate to one another in general, also in particular, as well as most specifically, and act so as to be a single whole. From this - that is to say, from the order in which truths and goods exist - heaven itself is called the Grand Man. Its actual life comes from the Lord, who from Himself arranges every single thing into such order. Consequently heaven is a likeness and image of the Lord. When therefore truths have been arranged into an order like that into which heaven is arranged they exist in heavenly order and are able to enter good. Truths and goods exist in such order with every angel, and they are also being arranged into such order with every person who is being regenerated. In short, the order of heaven consists in the proper arrangement of truths that are the truths of faith within goods that are those of charity towards the neighbour, and the arrangement of these goods within the good that is the good of love to the Lord.
ttt[4] The fact that 'limping' means possessing good which does not as yet contain genuine truths but does nevertheless contain general truths into which genuine ones can be instilled, and which are the kind that do not disagree with genuine truths; and thus the fact that 'the lame' are those who do possess good though not genuine good because they are without knowledge of truth - good such as gentiles possess who lead charitable lives with one another - becomes clear from those places in the Word where the lame and those who limp are mentioned in the good sense, as in Isaiah,
The eyes of the blind will be opened. and the ears of the deaf will be opened; then will the lame man leap like a hart, and the dumb man sing with his tongue. `Isaiah 35bbb5-6`.
In Jeremiah,
Behold, I am bringing them from the north land, and I will gather them from the extremities of the earth, among them the blind one and the lame, the woman who is with child and her who is giving birth, together. Jeremiah 31-8.
In Micah,
On that day, said Jehovah, I will bring together her who limps and will gather her who has been driven away. And I will make her who limps into the remnant, and her who was driven away into a numerous nation; and Jehovah will reign over them in Mount Zion, from now on and for ever. `Micah 4bbb6-7`.
In Zephaniah,
At that time I will save her who limps and will gather her who has been driven away, and I will make them a praise and a name. `Zephaniah 3bbb19`.
Anyone can see that in these places 'the lame' and 'her who limps' does not mean the lame or one who limps; for it is said of them that they will leap, be gathered together, be made into the remnant, and be saved. But it is evident that people who are governed by good and less so by truths are meant, as upright gentiles are and also those like them within the Church.
ttt[5] Such persons are also meant by 'the lame' to whom the Lord refers in Luke,
Jesus said, When you give a feast invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind, and you will be blessed. `Luke 14bbb13-14`.
And in the same gospel,
The householder said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in here the poor, and the maimed, and the lame, and the blind. `Luke 14bbb21`.
The Ancient Church distinguished the neighbour or neighbours to whom they were to perform charitable works into different categories. Some they called the maimed, others the lame, some the blind, and others the deaf, by which they meant those who were spiritually such. Some they also called the hungry, the thirsty, strangers, the naked, the sick, or prisoners, as in `Matthew 25bbb35-36`, and likewise widows, orphans, the needy, the poor, and the wretched, by whom they meant none others than those who were such so far as truth and good were concerned, who were to be furnished with whatever was appropriate to their needs, led into 'the way', and thereby receive counsel regarding their souls. But because at the present day charity does not constitute the Church but faith, what those categories of people are used to mean in the Word is totally unknown. Yet it is evident to everyone that it is not an inviting of the maimed, the lame, and the blind to a feast that is meant, nor that the householder commanded such persons to be brought in, but that those who are like this spiritually are meant. It is also evident to them that every single utterance of the Lord contains what is Divine, and so has a celestial and a spiritual sense.
ttt[6] The Lord's words in Mark have a similar meaning,
If your foot causes you to stumble cut it off, it is better for you to enter into life lame than having two feet to be cast into the Gehenna of fire, into the unquenchable fire. `Mark 9bbb45`; `Matthew 18bbb8`.
A foot which has to be cut off if it causes stumbling means the natural which constantly sets itself against the spiritual and has to be destroyed if it is trying to crush truths, and so means that because of the disagreement and contrary-mindedness of the natural man it is preferable to be governed by simple good even though there is a denial of truth. This is what 'entering into life lame' means. As regards 'the foot' meaning the natural, see `@@@2162`, `@@@3147`, `@@@3761`, `@@@3986`, `@@@4280`.
ttt[7] 'The lame' also means in the Word those who possess no good at all and consequently no truth, as in Isaiah,
Then the prey will be divided; the prey multiplying, those who limp will take the prey. `Isaiah 33bbb23`.
In David,
When I am limping they are glad and are gathered together; the lame whom I do not know are gathered together against me. `Psalms 35bbb15`.
Such persons being meant by 'the lame' it was also forbidden to sacrifice anything that was lame, `Deuteronomy 15bbb21-22`; `Malachi 1bbb8`, `Malachi 1bbbccc13`. Also, no lame person belonging to the seed of Aaron could serve in the priesthood, `Leviticus 21bbb18`. As with the lame likewise with the blind, for 'the blind' in the good sense means people who have no knowledge of truth, and in the contrary sense those who are subject to falsities, `@@@2383`.
ttt[8] In the original language one word is used to express a person who is lame, another a person who limps. In the proper sense one who is lame means people who are governed by natural good into which spiritual truths are unable to flow owing to the outward natural appearances and the delusions of the senses, while in the contrary sense one who is lame means those who are not governed by any natural good but by evil, which totally blocks the inflow of spiritual truth. One who limps however means in the proper sense those who are governed by natural good into which general truths are allowed to enter but not particular and specific truths owing to lack of knowledge, whereas in the contrary sense one who limps means those who are subject to evil and so do not even allow general truths to enter in.
ppp19548#pid#4303. 'Therefore the children of Israel do not eat the sinew of that which was displaced, which is on the hollow of the thigh' means that no truths containing falsities were assimilated. This is clear from the meaning of 'eating' as being joined to and made one's own, dealt with in `@@@2187`, `@@@2343`, `@@@3168`, `@@@3513`, `@@@3596`, `@@@3832`, and from the meaning of 'the sinew' as truth, for truths within good are like sinews within the flesh, and truths are also meant in the spiritual sense by 'sinews' and good by 'flesh', `@@@3579`, `@@@3813`. 'Sinews' and 'flesh' have a similar meaning in Ezekiel,
Thus said the Lord Jehovih to these bones, I will lay sinews upon you and cover you with flesh, and I will put spirit within you I looked, and behold, there were sinews upon them, and flesh came up. `Ezekiel 37bbb6`, `Ezekiel 37bbbccc8`.
Here the new creation of man, that is, the regeneration of him, is the subject. But once truths have been distorted they cease to be truths any longer; and the more they are distorted into the reverse of truths the nearer they get to falsities. This is why 'the sinew of that which was displaced' means falsity. For 'the hollow of the thigh' means the point where conjugial love is joined to natural good, and therefore the point where the influx of spiritual truth into natural good takes place, see `@@@4277`, `@@@4280`. From this it is evident that 'therefore the children of Israel do not eat the sinew of that which was displaced, which is on the hollow of the thigh' means that no truths containing falsities were assimilated. The reason why these things are said concerning the children of Israel is that 'Israel' means the Divine celestial-spiritual, `@@@4286`, while 'children' or 'sons' means truths, `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@2623`. So the meaning is that the truths belonging to the Divine celestial-spiritual did not assimilate any falsities as part of themselves.
ppp19547#pid#4304. 'Even to this day' means that, perpetually so, falsities would not be attached. This is clear from the meaning of 'even to this day', where this phrase is used in the Word, as that which is perpetual and eternal, dealt with in `@@@2838`.
ppp19546#pid#4305. 'Because he touched, in the hollow of Jacob's thigh, the sinew of that which was displaced' means for the reason that they were indeed falsities. This is clear from the meaning of 'touching in the hollow of Jacob's thigh' as, in this instance, for the reason that they were falsities. This meaning of 'touching in the hollow of Jacob's thigh' may be seen from what has been stated already in `@@@4277`, `@@@4278`, `@@@4303`.
ppp19545#pid#4306. The fact that the same words which have been explained so far also deal with the descendants of Jacob, and that that sense of them is called the lower sense and also the internal historical sense, see `@@@4279`, `@@@4288`. So now their meaning in this lower sense will be explained.
ppp19544#pid#4307. In the internal historical sense 'Jacob asked and said, Tell me, I pray, your name' means evil spirits. This becomes clear from many connections in this sense, in which these words and those that follow have reference to the descendants of Jacob; for the meaning in the internal sense depends on the specific subject under discussion. For not good spirits but evil ones are meant by him who wrestled with Jacob, as becomes clear from the consideration that 'wrestling' means temptation, `@@@3927`, `@@@3928`, `@@@4274`; and no temptation is ever carried out by good spirits, only by evil ones. For temptation consists in the activation of the evil and falsity residing with a person, `@@@741`, `@@@751`, `@@@761`, `@@@1820`, `@@@4249`, `@@@4299`. Good spirits and angels never activate evils and falsities but defend a person against them and turn them to good; for good spirits are led by the Lord, and from the Lord nothing except holy good and holy truth ever proceeds. The Lord does not tempt anyone, as is well known from teaching accepted in the Church; see also `@@@1875`, `@@@2768`. From this and also from the fact that the descendants of Jacob gave in to every temptation not only in the desert but also after that, it is evident that they were not good spirits but evil ones who are meant by him who wrestled with Jacob. What is more, the nation meant by 'Jacob' here was not governed by any spiritual or celestial love, only by bodily and worldly love, `@@@4281`, `@@@4288-4290`, `@@@4293`. The spirits present with any people depend on the loves governing those people, good spirits and angels being present with those who are governed by spiritual or celestial love, evil spirits with those who are governed solely by bodily or worldly love. So true is this that anyone can know which kind of spirits are present with him merely by noting the nature of his own loves, or what amounts to the same, the nature of his ends in view, since everyone has that which he loves as his end in view.
ttt[2] The reason the one who wrestled with him called himself 'God' is Jacob's own belief that he was. In this he was like his descendants who believed unceasingly that Jehovah was present in their holy external observances, when in fact Jehovah was present solely in what these represented, as will be clear from what follows below. They also believed that Jehovah led them into temptations, was the author of all evil, and was full of anger and fury whenever they were punished. It is because they believed He was like this that such descriptions of Him appear in the Word, when in actual fact Jehovah never leads anyone into temptations, is never the author of anything evil, and is never full of anger, still less of fury, see `@@@223`, `@@@245`, `@@@592`, `@@@696`, `@@@1093`, `@@@1683`, `@@@1874`, `@@@1875`, `@@@2395`, `@@@3605`, `@@@3607`, `@@@3614`. This also explains why the one who wrestled with Jacob was unwilling to reveal his name. The reason why in the internal spiritual sense the one who wrestled with Jacob is used to mean the angelic heaven, `@@@4295`, is that the Lord, who in the highest sense is there represented by 'Jacob', allowed even angels to enter in and tempt Him, and that the angels were in that case left alone to their proprium, as has been shown in the paragraph just referred to.
ppp19543#pid#4308. In the internal historical sense 'He said, Why is it that you ask my name?' means that they did not acknowledge evil spirits to be the origin. This is clear from what has been stated immediately above in `@@@4307`.
ppp19542#pid#4309. In the internal historical sense 'He blessed him there' means that so it was done. This is clear from the meaning of 'blessing' in this case as the fact that they played the part of a representative of the Church, dealt with in `@@@4290`. Therefore the meaning here of 'He blessed him there' means that so it was done.
ppp19541#pid#4310. In the internal historical sense 'Jacob called the name of the place Peniel' means a state in which they took on representations. This is clear from the meaning of 'calling the name' as the essential nature, often dealt with already; from the meaning of 'place' as state, dealt with in `@@@2625`, `@@@2837`, `@@@3356`, `@@@3387`; and from the meaning of 'Peniel', in this sense, as taking on representations, for representations are the subject in what has gone before and directly follows. The literal meaning of Peniel is explained in the words 'for I have seen God face to face, and my soul is delivered', the spiritual meaning of which is the Lord's presence in that which was represented, dealt with immediately below. So the meaning here is that they took on representations. Names of places, as with the names of persons, and also of actual things, do not have the same meaning in one sense as they do in another. Jacob himself, for example, in the sense of the letter means Jacob himself; in the internal historical sense his descendants, `@@@4281`; in the internal spiritual sense the natural man in the case of one who is regenerate; but in the highest sense the Lord's Divine Natural is meant, as has been shown often. This applies to all other names, and so no less to Peniel.
ppp19540#pid#4311. In the internal historical sense 'for I have seen God face to face, and my soul is delivered' means His presence through representations. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing God face to face' when used in reference to the state which Jacob's descendants were passing through, as the Lord's presence through representations, for if anyone 'sees God face to face' in an external form, and with his physical sight, it is not God Himself that he sees present then, `@@@4299`. The fact that He was not present with those people then, as He is with those who are regenerate and who for that reason are governed by spiritual love and by faith, is evident from what has been stated about that nation in `@@@4281`, `@@@4288`, `@@@4290`, `@@@4293`, namely about their worship being external and not at the same time internal; or what amounts to the same, about their being governed by bodily and worldly love and not by spiritual and celestial. With such people the Lord cannot possibly be present except through representations.
ttt[2] What presence through representations is must be discussed briefly. Anyone who is governed by bodily and worldly love, and not at the same time by spiritual or by celestial love, does not have any but evil spirits with him, even when external holiness exists with him. Good spirits cannot in any way be present with such a person, for they perceive in an instant the kind of love which governs a person. There is a sphere emanating from the interior parts of him which the spirits perceive as plainly as man by his sense of smell perceives offensive and foul odours floating around him in the air. This is what the state of good and truth, or love and faith, was like with that nation dealt with here. But in order that they might nevertheless play the part of a representative of the Church, the Lord made provision in a miraculous way so that when an external holiness existed with them, and at the same time they were surrounded by evil spirits, that holiness existing with them might nevertheless be raised up to heaven. But this was effected through good spirits and angels who were not within them but outside them, for within them there was nothing but an empty void or else uncleanness. For this reason there was no communication with any person himself, only with the holiness which existed with them when they observed ordinances and commandments, all of which were representative of the spiritual and celestial things of the Lord's kingdom. This is what is meant by the Lord's presence with that nation through representations. But He is present in a different way with those within the Church in whom spiritual love and therefore faith are present. With these people good spirits and angels are present not only within external worship but also at the same time within internal, and therefore in their case the communication of heaven is with those persons themselves. Indeed the Lord is flowing in by way of heaven through their internals into their externals. For these latter people the holiness of worship is of value to them in the next life, but of no value to the former.
ttt[3] It is similar with priests and ministers who preach about holy things and yet live wickedly and believe in what is wicked. With them no good spirits are present, only evil ones, even when they officiate at external acts of worship in a manner which is outwardly holy. For it is self-love and love of the world - that is, love directed towards the attainment of prominent positions and love directed towards the acquisition of gain and so of reputation - which fires them and is the reason for their display of holiness. Sometimes such ambitions are so great that those priests and ministers do not see any false presence in themselves, nor at the same time do they believe that such presence can even exist. Yet in fact they are in the midst of evil spirits whose state is at that time the same as theirs and who serve as their aspiration and inspiration. The presence of evil spirits in that kind of state - when priests or ministers officiate at external acts of worship and when a brake is put on their self-love and love of the world - I have been allowed to know from a considerable amount of experience, which will in the Lord's Divine mercy be described further on at the ends of chapters. Those priests and ministers do not themselves have any communication with heaven, but those who hear and receive the words coming from their lips do so if internal reverence and holiness exists with them. For it does not matter at all who declares what is good and true, provided their lives are not openly wicked, because that would give offence.
ttt[4] This was the situation with the nation descended from Jacob; that is to say, they were surrounded by evil spirits and yet the Lord was present with them through representations, as becomes clear from many places in the Word. In their hearts they did anything but worship Jehovah, for as soon as miracles ceased they instantly turned to other gods and became idolaters, which was a sure sign that in their hearts they worshipped other gods and made mere lip confession to Jehovah; and they made this to Him solely for the reason that they might be the greatest and be pre-eminent over all the nations round about them. The fact that this nation - Aaron included - in their hearts worshipped an Egyptian idol and made mere lip confession to Jehovah because of His miracles, is plainly evident from the golden calf which Aaron made for them, one month after they had seen such great miracles on Mount Sinai, in addition to those they had seen previously in Egypt - see `Exodus 32bbb0`. That Aaron too was like this is explicitly stated in verses `Exodus 32bbbccc2-5` of that same chapter, and especially in Verse `Exodus 32bbbccc35`. The same traits in that nation are in addition evident from many other places in Moses, in the Book of Judges, in the Books of Samuel, and in the Books of the Kings.
ttt[5] It is also evident that their worship was solely external and not at all internal from the fact that they were forbidden to go near Mount Sinai when the Law was being proclaimed, and that if they touched the mountain they would certainly die, `Exodus 19bbb11-13`; `Exodus ccc20bbb19`. The reason they were forbidden to do so was that internally they were unclean. It is also stated in Moses that Jehovah dwelt with them in the midst of their uncleannesses, `Leviticus 16bbb16`. What that nation was like is also clear from the Song of Moses, `Deuteronomy 32bbb15-43`, and from many places in the Prophets. From this it can be recognized that no Church resided with that nation but merely a representative of the Church, and that the Lord was present with it merely through representations.
ttt[6] See also what has been presented already regarding these people,
With the descendants of Jacob a representative of the Church existed but not a Church, `@@@4281`, `@@@4288`.
A representative of the Church was not established among them until they had been vastated altogether as regards internal holiness, otherwise they would have profaned holy things, `@@@3398`, `@@@4289`.
When they adhered to ordinances they were able to play a representative role, but not when they deviated from them, `@@@3881` (end).
Therefore they were kept strictly to religious observances and were coerced by external means, `@@@3147`, `@@@4281`.
So that they could play the part of a representative of the Church their worship became external worship devoid of internal, `@@@4281`.
Therefore also interior things of the Church; were not disclosed to them, `@@@301-303`, `@@@2520`, `@@@3398`, `@@@3479`, `@@@3769`.
They were of such a nature that they were better able than others to have external holiness devoid of internal, `@@@4293`.
This is why they have been preserved even to the present day. `@@@3479`.
Their external holiness made no difference to their souls, `@@@3479`.
ppp19539#pid#4312. In the internal historical sense 'the sun rose on him' means when they entered into representations. This is clear from the meaning - in this sense, in which the subject is the descendants of Jacob - of 'the rising of the sun' as when they entered into representations. 'The coming up of the dawn' meant the state before they entered into representations, `@@@4289`. The sun is also said to rise with anyone who is becoming the Church, and so is said to do so with anyone who is becoming a representative of the Church.
ppp19538#pid#4313. In the internal historical sense 'as he passed over Penuel' means when they entered the land of Canaan. This is clear from the fact that Penuel was the first stopping-place after Jacob passed over the river Jabbok, and that every boundary had a spiritual meaning, its distance and position determining its specific meaning, `@@@1585`, `@@@1866`, `@@@4116`, `@@@4240`. Accordingly because it was the first boundary, 'Penuel' means when they entered the land of Canaan.
ppp19537#pid#4314. In the internal historical sense 'he was limping on his thigh' means that with those descendants goods and truths had been destroyed completely. This is clear from the representation of Jacob, to whom 'he' refers here, as his descendants, dealt with in `@@@4281`, and from the meaning of 'limping on the thigh' as those who are without any good or consequently any truth, dealt with in `@@@4302`. Here therefore 'he was limping on his thigh' means that with those descendants goods and truths had been destroyed completely.
ttt[2] The nature of that nation is made very plain by many things which the Lord Himself spoke in parables and which in the internal historical sense were said of that nation, as in the following,
In the parable about a certain king who was settling the account with the servant who showed no mercy towards another. `Matthew 18bbb23`-end.
In the parable about the householder who let his vineyard out to vine-dressers and went abroad; and the vine-dressers seized the servants he sent, beating one with rods, killing another, and stoning another. At length he sent his son whom they cast out of the vineyard and killed. When the scribes and Pharisees heard this parable they realized that He was speaking about themselves. `Matthew 21bbb33-45`; `Mark 12bbb1-9`; `Luke 20bbb9` and following verses.
In the parable about the man who gave talents to his servants and how the servant who received one talent went and hid it in the ground. `Matthew 25bbb14-30`; `Luke 19bbb12-27`.
In the parable about those who came upon the man who had been wounded by the robbers. `Luke 10bbb30-37`.
In the parable about those who were invited to the great supper and all of whom made excuses, and of whom the master said, I tell you, none of those men who were invited will taste my supper. `Luke 14bbb16-24`.
In the parable about the rich man and Lazarus. `Luke 16bbb19`-end.
In the parable about those who despised others compared with themselves. `Luke 18bbb10-14`
In the parable about the two sons, one of whom said, I will go off into the vineyard, but did not go, and in which Jesus said, Truly I say to you, Tax collectors and prostitutes will go into the kingdom of heaven before you. `Matthew 21bbb28-32`.
ttt[3] The Lord states plainly what that nation was like in `Matthew 23bbb13` onwards, towards the end of which passage He says,
You witness against yourselves that you are the sons of those who slew the prophets; and you are filling up the measure of your fathers. `Matthew 23bbb31-33`.
In Mark,
Jesus said to them, Rightly did Isaiah prophesy concerning you, This people honours Me with their lips, but their heart is very far away from Me. In vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men, forsaking the commandment of God. `Mark 7bbb6-13`.
In John,
The Jews answered Jesus that they were the seed of Abraham. But Jesus said to them, You are from your father the devil, and the desires of your father you will to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and did not take a stand on the truth because the truth is not in him. When he speaks a lie he speaks from the things that are his own, for he is the teller of a lie and the father of it. `John 8bbb33`, `John 8bbbccc44`.
Because their nature was such they are also called 'a wicked and adulterous generation', `Matthew 12bbb39`, as well as 'a brood of vipers', `Matthew 3bbb7`; `Matthew ccc23bbb33`; `Luke 3bbb7`; and in Matthew,
O brood of vipers, how can you speak good things when you are evil? `Matthew 12bbb34`.
ttt[4] The fact that with that nation not even any natural good was left is meant by the fig tree referred to in Matthew,
Jesus seeing a fig tree by the wayside went to it but found nothing on it but leaves only, therefore He said to it, Let no fruit from now on ever be born from you! Therefore the fig tree withered at once. `Matthew 21bbb19`.
'A fig tree' means natural good, see `@@@217`. From all these places it may be seen that with that nation goods and truths had been destroyed completely.
ttt[5] Goods and truths are said to have been destroyed when none exist interiorly. Goods and truths which are visible externally derive their being and their life from those that are internal. The nature of internal goods and truths therefore determines that of external ones, however these present themselves to human eyes. There are some people whom I knew during their lifetime and who during that period were to outward appearance zealous for the Lord, for the Church, for their country and the common good, and for what was right and fair; and yet in the next life these same people are among those in hell. Indeed I have been astonished to find them among the most evil ones there. The reason why they were there was that interiorly they had been filthy and profane, and that they had pretended to be zealous for the sake of reputation, so as to gain important positions and also to acquire wealth. Thus they had been zealous for selfish reasons and not for the things which they professed with their lips. Consequently when those external things are laid aside, as happens when people die, internals are laid bare and one sees what those people have been like inwardly; for during their lifetime they had concealed their internals from the eyes of the world. These are the considerations that are meant by the statement that goods and truths have been destroyed completely.
ppp19536#pid#4315. In the internal historical sense 'therefore the children of Israel do not eat the sinew of that which was displaced, which is on the hollow of the thigh' means that those descendants ought to know this. This becomes clear from the consideration that this was something serving to remind them about what they were really like, and so was something by which they ought to know this.
ppp19535#pid#4316. In the internal historical sense 'even to this day' means that their nature was perpetually so. This is clear from the meaning of 'even to this day', when used in the Word, as that which is perpetual, dealt with in `@@@2838`. The fact that the nature of those descendants was such from earliest times becomes clear from Jacob's sons themselves - from Reuben, in that he lay with Bilhah, his father's concubine, `Genesis 35bbb22`; from Simeon and Levi, in that they killed Hamor and Shechem and all the men of their city [`Genesis 34bbb25-26`]; and from the remaining sons, in that these came on the slain and destroyed the city, `Genesis 34bbb27-29`. Because of all this Jacob, who by then was Israel, spoke of them in the following manner before he died: Of Reuben he said,
You shall not be a superior one, for you went up to your father's bed; then you made yourself unworthy. He went up to my couch. `Genesis 49bbb3-4`.
And of Simeon and Levi he said,
Into their secret place let my soul not come; with their congregation let not my glory be united; for in their anger they killed a man, and deliberately hamstrung an ox. Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce, and their fury, for it is severe. I will divide them within Jacob, and will scatter them within Israel. `Genesis 49bbb5-7`.
ttt[2] What Judah was like becomes additionally clear from his marriage to a Canaanite, `Genesis 38bbb1-2`, which was nevertheless contrary to what had been commanded, as may be seen from Abraham's words addressed to the servant who was sent to betroth Rebekah to Isaac his son, `Genesis 24bbb3`, `Genesis 24bbbccc6`, and from many places in the Word. A third of that nation belonged to this lineage, that is to say, a third descended from his son Shelah who was born from a Canaanite mother, `Genesis 38bbb11`; `Genesis ccc46bbb12`. See `Numbers 26bbb20`; and `1 Chronicles 4bbb21-22`. Further evidence of what these and the rest of Jacob's sons were like lies in the unspeakable crime which they committed against Joseph, `Genesis 37bbb18`-end. What their descendants in Egypt were like is evident from the details which are recorded about them when they were in the desert, where they were rebellious on so many occasions, and after that in the land of Canaan where they became idolaters on so many occasions; and lastly what they were like in the Lord's time is shown just above, in `@@@4314`. And what they are like today is well known - they are opposed to the Lord, opposed to the things that constitute the Church, and opposed to charity towards the neighbour, being opposed even to one another. These considerations show that the nature of that nation has been such perpetually. Let no one therefore assume any longer that any Church has existed among them, only that which is a representative of the Church. Still less should anyone assume that they have been chosen in preference to others.
ppp19534#pid#4317. In the internal historical sense 'because he touched, in the hollow of Jacob's thigh, the sinew of that which was displaced' means because of their heredity which could not be rooted out through regeneration because they would not allow that to happen. This is clear from the meaning of 'the thigh' as conjugial love, and consequently all celestial and spiritual love, dealt with in `@@@4280`, and 'the hollow of the thigh' as the place where conjugial love, and also all celestial and spiritual love, is joined to natural good, `@@@4277`, `@@@4280`. Consequently 'touching it', that is, so damaging it that limping results, means destroying the good that flows from those loves. And since it was Jacob in whom this was done, that among his descendants which had come down from him, and so was hereditary, is meant. 'The sinew of that which was displaced' means falsity, see `@@@4303`, in this case falsity which stems from hereditary evil. The fact that this heredity could not be rooted out through regeneration because they would not allow that to happen follows from this and from the whole train of thought.
ttt[2] The possession of such a heredity and their inability to be regenerated is quite clear from all that is recorded in the Word about them, and especially from the following in Moses,
Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, You yourselves saw all that Jehovah did before your eyes in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh and all his servants, and to all his land; and Jehovah has not given you a heart to know, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, even to this day. `Deuteronomy 29bbb2`, `Deuteronomy 29bbbccc4`.
In the same author,
I know the people's imagination, which they are performing today, before I bring them into the land which I have sworn [to give them]. `Deuteronomy 31bbb21`.
And further on,
I will hide My face from them; I will see what their end will be, for they are a perverse generation, sons with no truth in them. I would scatter them far, I would make the memory of them cease from mankind, except that I feared the wrath of the enemy. For they are a nation from whose counsel is perishing and in whom there is no intelligence. For from the vine of Sodom comes their vine, and from the fields of Gomorrah their grapes; they have grapes of hemlock, clusters that are bitter. The poison of dragons is their wine, and the cruel head of asps. Is not this stored up with Me, sealed up in My treasuries? `Deuteronomy 32bbb20`, `Deuteronomy 32bbbccc26-34`.
The same things are said in many other places, in particular in Jeremiah.
ttt[3] Further evidence that their heredity is meant by the touching of Jacob's thigh and his consequently having a limp may be seen in Hosea,
The controversy of Jehovah with Judah: He will make a visitation on Jacob over his ways, and will render to him according to his deeds. In the womb he supplanted his brother; in his grief he contended with God, and contended against the angel and prevailed; he wept and appealed to him. `Hosea 12bbb2-4`.
Here 'contending with God' means, in the internal historical sense, their insistence that a representative of the Church should exist with them, `@@@4290`, `@@@4293`. From this it is evident that the kind of heredity they possessed had been derived from Jacob himself, as may be shown from further places still but must be passed over for the time being.
ttt[4] As regards heredity specifically, the belief at the present day in the Church is that all hereditary evil is derived from the first parent and that all are therefore condemned in respect of that evil. But this is untrue. The origin of hereditary evil in everyone lies with his parents and parents' parents, that is, with successive generations of ancestors. Every evil which each of these has acquired to himself by his own actions in life, inasmuch as it becomes so to speak part of his character through regular practice or habit, is passed on to his children and becomes hereditary in them; and that evil accompanies what has been implanted in parents from grandparents and ancestors. Hereditary evil coming from the father is more internal, and hereditary evil from the mother more external. That coming from the father cannot be rooted out easily whereas that from the mother can. When a person is being regenerated the deeply-implanted hereditary evil that is received from immediate forbears is rooted out; but with those who are not being regenerated, or who are unable to be, it remains. This then is hereditary evil; see also `@@@313`, `@@@494`, `@@@2122`, `@@@2910`, `@@@3518`, `@@@3701`. This matter is also plain to anyone who reflects, as well as from the fact that every family has some evil or good characteristic by which it is distinguished from other families; and that characteristic, as is well known, is inherited from parents and ancestors. The same applies to the Jewish nation which is still in existence. It is clearly different from all other nations and may be recognized not only from its particular disposition but also from its customs, speech, and facial characteristics.
ttt[5] But few people know what hereditary evil is. It is believed to consist in the doing of evil, when in fact it consists in the willing and therefore thinking of it. It is within the will itself and therefore within thought that hereditary evil dwells. It is the actual inclination to evil which is within them and which attaches itself even when the person does what is good. It is recognized through the kind of delight which enters in when evil befalls another. This root lies hidden deep down, for the interior form itself receiving good and truth from heaven, that is, from the Lord by way of heaven, is perverted and so to speak twisted out of shape, with the result that when good and truth flow in from the Lord these are either cast back or perverted or smothered. This is why no perception of what is good and true exists at the present day, but instead, in the case of the regenerate, conscience which acknowledges as good and true that which has been learned from parents and teachers. Hereditary evil leads to loving oneself more than others, willing evil on another if he does not promote oneself to honour, and taking delight in acts of revenge. It also leads to loving the world more than heaven and to all evil desires or evil affections, which spring from the same source. Man does not know that such things exist within him, still less that they are the opposite of heavenly affections. In the next life however he is shown plainly how much evil, hereditary in origin, he has drawn to himself through his own actions in life, and also how far he has removed himself from heaven through evil affections from the same source.
ttt[6] The fact that hereditary evil in Jacob's descendants could not be rooted out through regeneration because they would not allow that to happen is also evident from the historical descriptions in the Word - in all their temptations in the desert they gave in, as described in Moses, which they also did subsequently in the land of Canaan as often as they did not see miracles taking place. Those temptations however were external ones, and not internal or spiritual. In spiritual things they were incapable of being tempted because they had no knowledge of internal truths nor any possession of internal goods, as shown already; and nobody is able to be tempted except in what he knows or possesses. Temptations are the actual means by which regeneration is accomplished. This is what is meant by them not allowing regeneration to happen. Concerning their state and fate in the next life, see `@@@939-941`, `@@@3481`.
ppp19533#pid#4318. THE GRAND MAN AND CORRESPONDENCE - continued
IN THIS SECTION CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE SENSES IN GENERAL
The chief characteristic of angels' intelligence is their knowledge and perception that all life comes from the Lord, also that heaven in its entirety corresponds to His Divine Human and consequently that all angels, spirits, and men correspond to heaven. They also know and perceive in what way they correspond. These are the main characteristics of intelligence which are present in angels far more than in men. From them angels know and perceive countless things which exist in the heavens and consequently things in the world also, since the things which manifest themselves in the world and the natural order there are causes and effects that stem from those things in the heavens as their first beginnings. For the whole natural order is a theatre representative of the Lord's kingdom.
ppp19532#pid#4319. Much experience has shown me that no man or spirit, or any angel, thinks, says, or does anything at all from himself, but from others. Nor are these others themselves the source of anything they think, say, or do but others again, and so on with these. Thus all, corporately and individually, think, speak, and act from the First Source of life, that is, from the Lord, no matter how completely they seem to do so independently, by themselves. This has often been shown to spirits who had believed during their lifetime, and had convinced themselves of the idea, that nothing lay outside themselves, that is, the whole source of their thought, speech, and activity lay within themselves and their own souls in which life has been implanted and shows itself. They have also been shown through actual experiences (such as one can have in the next life but are not possible in the world) that the source of evil people's thought, will, and action is hell, and the source of good people's is heaven, that is, the Lord through heaven; yet for all that, their evil or else their good seems to begin within those people themselves. This is something Christians know from teaching drawn from the Word, that is to say, the teaching that all evil comes from the devil and all good from the Lord. Yet there are few who believe it. And because they do not believe it they make their own the evils which they think, will, and do. They do not however make any good their own, for people who believe that the source of the good they do lies within themselves lay claim to it and attribute it to themselves, and in so doing place merit in it. They also know from what is taught in the Church that no one is able independently, by himself, to do anything good, insomuch that whatever originates in himself and in his proprium is evil, no matter how much it may seem to be good. This also few people believe, even though it is the truth.
ttt[2] Evil people who have convinced themselves of the idea that they live independently by themselves, and therefore that whatever they think, will, and do begins in themselves, have declared, when shown that the truth of the matter is exactly as doctrine teaches, their readiness to believe it. But they have been told that knowing does not amount to believing, and that believing is something internal and cannot exist except within the affection for good and truth, and therefore can exist only with those who are governed by the good of charity towards the neighbour. Those same spirits, being evil ones, insisted that they were ready to believe it because they had seen it. But they were subjected to examination in a way commonly experienced in the next life, namely that of close inspection by angels. When they were inspected the upper part of their heads seemed to have been removed and their brains to be rough and hairy and also full of darkness. This showed the inner nature of people whose faith is no more than knowledge and not true faith, and that knowing something does not amount to believing it. For the heads of those who know and also believe look like human heads, and their brains look well-ordered, white, and shining, since heavenly light is received by them. But with those who merely know and imagine that in knowing they therefore believe, when in fact they do not believe because they lead an evil life, heavenly light is not received, nor consequently intelligence and wisdom which are present within that light. For this reason when they approach angelic communities, that is, heavenly light, it turns for them into darkness. This is why their brains are seen to be full of darkness.
ppp19531#pid#4320. The reason why the life which comes from the Lord alone seems with everyone to be intrinsically his own lies in the Lord's love or mercy towards the whole human race. That is to say, His will is to make that which is His every person's own and to confer eternal happiness on every person. It is well known that love imparts that which is its own to another, for it manifests itself within that other and causes itself to be present within him. What then must the situation be with Divine love? The reception by the evil also of the life which comes from the Lord is like objects in the world, all of which receive light from the sun and as a result colours, though each object receives these according to the form it takes. Objects which absorb the light and pervert it appear black or hideous, and yet they acquire their black and hideous appearance from the light of the sun. So too with the light or life with the evil which comes from the Lord, though this life is not really life but, as it is also called, spiritual death.
ppp19530#pid#4321. Though these are apparent contradictions and unbelievable to man, they must not for all that be rejected as untrue, because experience itself declares that they are true. If everything for which the cause is not known were so rejected, countless things that reveal themselves in the natural order, for which scarcely one ten-thousandth of their causes is known, would be rejected. For the arcana belonging to the natural order are so many and so great that those which man knows are scarcely any in comparison with those he does not know. What must the situation be with the arcana that reveal themselves in the sphere above the natural order, that is, in the spiritual world, such as the following?
There is one life alone, and from this all receive their life, each individual in a different way from another. Even the evil receive their life from that one life alone, and so too do the hells. Inflowing life acts according to the way it is received.
Heaven is ordered by the Lord in such a way that it is like a Human Being, on account of which it is called the Grand Man. Consequently everything in the human being corresponds to it.
Without influx from heaven into everything with him the human being cannot remain in being even for an instant. All in the Grand Man occupy an unchanging position determined by the nature and the state of the truth and good which governs them. Position there is not position but state, and therefore those on the left are seen constantly on the left, those on the right constantly on the right, those in front constantly in front, and those behind constantly behind. They are seen to be on a level horizontal with the head, chest, back, loins, or feet, overhead or underfoot, straight ahead or obliquely, closer in or further away. They occupy these positions, no matter how or in which direction a spirit turns.
The Lord as the Sun is seen constantly on the right, in the middle of the sky there, a little above a line horizontal with the right eye; and everything exists in relation to the Lord as the Sun and to the Centre there, and so in relation to its one and only source from which it is brought into being and kept in being. And since all appear before the Lord occupying their own unchanging positions, which are determined by states of good and truth, they are therefore seen in the same way by everyone, for the reason that the Lord's life, and therefore the Lord Himself, is present in everyone in heaven.
And there are countless other arcana besides these.
ppp19529#pid#4322. Who at the present day does not believe that a person comes into being by a natural process involving a seed and an ovum, and that this seed has within it the capacity passed down from the beginning of creation to bring itself forth in such forms, first within an ovum, then in a womb, and after that to exist by itself, and that there is no longer any need of the Divine to help bring it forth? The reason for such belief today is that no one knows about an influx from heaven, that is, from the Lord by way of heaven; and the reason why no one has any knowledge is that none wish to know about the existence of any heaven. For in meetings with one another the learned openly discuss whether there is a hell, and so whether there is a heaven. And being in doubt about a heaven they are also unable to accept any notion of an influx from the Lord by way of heaven. Yet that influx brings forth all things in earth's three kingdoms, especially those in the animal kingdom, and in particular those in the human being, and holds them together in their forms that are determined by the uses they serve. Consequently they cannot know the existence of any correspondence between heaven and the human being, let alone about the nature of this, which is such that every. single detail, indeed every smallest detail in him, comes into being from, and is also kept in being by, that influx. For to be kept in being is constantly to come into being, and therefore the preservation of something in connection and form is the constant creation of it.
ppp19528#pid#4323. At the ends of previous chapters I have begun to show that every single part of the human being corresponds to heaven. I have done so from actual experience from the world of spirits and from heaven, to the end that people may know the source from which they receive their being and from which they are kept in being, and that there is constant flow from that source into them. Later on it will be shown, likewise from experience, that although a person rejects the influx from heaven - that is, from the Lord by way of heaven - and accepts that from hell, the Lord nevertheless maintains constantly that person's correspondence with heaven, so that if he chooses he can be led from hell to heaven, and through heaven to the Lord.
ppp19527#pid#4324. The correspondence of the heart and lungs, and also of the brain, with the Grand Man has been dealt with already at the ends of chapters. That which has to be dealt with next in accordance with the manner of presentation adopted already is the correspondence with the human external sensory organs, namely the organ of sight or the eye; the organ of hearing or the ear; and those of smell, taste, and touch. But correspondence with sensory activity in general must be discussed first.
ppp19526#pid#4325. The activity of the senses in general, or general sensory activity, is divided into voluntary and involuntary. Voluntary sensory activity belongs properly to the cerebrum, but involuntary to the cerebellum. These two forms of general sensory activity are combined in the human being; yet they are distinct and separate. The fibres which issue from the cerebrum establish voluntary sensory activity in general, and the fibres which do so from the cerebellum establish involuntary. The fibres from these two sources combine together in the two appendages called the medulla oblongata and the medulla spinalis, and through these pass into the body and there shape its members, viscera, and organs. The parts which envelop the body, such as muscles and skin, and also the sensory organs, for the most part receive fibres from the cerebrum, and through these a person has sensory awareness and also movement controlled by his conscious will. But the parts which are contained within that outer envelopment or enclosure and which are called the viscera of the body receive fibres from the cerebellum, and therefore a person does not experience any feeling in these, and they are not subject to his conscious will. This shows something of what sensory activity in general is, that is, what general sensory activity is, both voluntary and involuntary. In addition it should be recognized that the general whole must exist first before any individual part can do so; that no individual part can possibly come into being and be kept in being without the general whole, and indeed that it is kept in being within this; and that every individual part is conditioned by the nature and state of the general whole. The same applies to sensory activity in the human being, and also to movements.
ppp19525#pid#4326. I once heard a rumbling of thunder which came from fairly high up above the rear of the head and persisted around the whole of that region. I wondered who they were and was told that they were those who related to general sensory activity that is involuntary. I was told in addition that they can perceive well a person's thoughts but that they are not willing to uncover them and declare what they are, like the cerebellum which perceives every activity of the cerebrum but does not divulge it. When their overt operation into the whole province of the rear of the head had come to an end, the extent of their operation was shown. First of all it reached into the whole face; after that it moved away towards the left side of the face, and finally towards the ear on that side. And what this series of events meant was the nature of general sensory activity which is involuntary as this existed from earliest times with people on this planet and how that activity developed.
ttt[2] Influx from the cerebellum instills itself primarily into the face. This is clear from the consideration that a person's disposition is written into his face and his affections are visible on it. This occurs for the most part independently of the person's conscious will, as when fear, awe, shame, various kinds of gladness and also of sadness present themselves, besides many other emotions which become known to another in such a way that he recognizes from the person's face which affections stir him and what changes of disposition and mind are taking place in him. These feelings are conveyed from the cerebellum through its fibres when no presence lies within. I was shown in the manner referred to above that in earliest times, that is, among the most ancient people, general sensory activity went on in the whole of the face, but that after those earliest times it was gradually limited to the left side of it, and finally after those later times moved away from the face, so much so that nowadays scarcely any general sensory activity that is involuntary is left in the face. The right side of the face, together with the right eye, corresponds to the affection for good, whereas the left corresponds to the affection for truth. The region where the ear belongs corresponds to mere obedience that is devoid of affection.
ttt[3] For with the most ancient people, whose age was called the Golden Age, because they lived in a state of wholeness and in love to the Lord and in mutual love, as angels do, every involuntary endeavour of the cerebellum was evident in the face, and at that time they did not know how to display anything in the countenance in any way other than as heaven, in a comparable manner, flows into involuntary endeavours, and so into the will. But with the ancients whose age was called the Silver Age, because theirs was a state of truth from which they had charity towards the neighbour, the involuntary endeavour of the cerebellum was not evident on the right side of the face, only on the left. But with their descendants, whose times were called the Iron Age, because the affection for truth did not govern their lives, only an obedience to it, that involuntary endeavour was no longer evident in the face but moved away into the region around the left ear. I have been informed that the fibres of the cerebellum have thus effected a change in their outward flow into the face, and that in their place fibres from the cerebrum have been transferred to go in that direction, which now control those from the cerebellum. All this control of them stems from an endeavour to form expressions on the face as the person bids by his own will from the cerebrum. It is not apparent to man that these things are so, but it is quite evident to angels from the influx of heaven and from correspondence.
ppp19524#pid#4327. General and involuntary sensory activity like this exists today with those who are governed by the good and truth of faith. But with those who are subject to evil and therefore to falsity, no general sensory activity that is involuntary takes place any longer, neither in the face, nor in their speech, nor in their gestures. Instead there is a voluntary kind which is an imitation of the involuntary - or natural as it is called - and which they have made such by regular use or from habit since early childhood. What that voluntary kind of it with them is like was demonstrated by means of influx that was silent and cold into the whole face, into the right side as well as the left; from there it reached towards the eyes and extended from the left eye into the face. What was meant by this series of events was that the fibres of the cerebrum have intruded and taken control of the fibres of the cerebellum, and as a result that which is unauthentic, simulative, imitative, and fraudulent reigns inwardly, while sincerity and goodness are seen outwardly. Its reaching towards the left eye, and from there into the face also, meant that evil was the end they had in view and that they employed the understanding part of the mind to achieve their end, for the left eye means the understanding part.
ttt[2] These at the present day are the ones who for the most part constitute general and involuntary sensory activity. In ancient times however such people were the most heavenly of all, but at the present day they are the most infamous of all, most especially those from the Christian world. They are many in number and they present themselves beneath the rear of the head and at the back, where I have seen and perceived them many times. For those who relate at the present day to that sensory activity are ones who think deceitfully and devise evil against the neighbour. They present a friendly, indeed a very friendly, countenance, and their gestures too are such. They also speak agreeably as though they excelled everyone else in charity, and yet they are most bitter enemies not only of any person with whom they have contact but also of the human race. Their thoughts have been communicated to me, and these were unmentionable and abominable, full of ideas of cruelty and butchery.
ppp19523#pid#4328. I have also been shown the situation in general with regard to the will part of the mind and the understanding part. The most ancient people who constituted the Lord's celestial Church, and who are described in `@@@1114-1123`, had a will which contained good and an understanding which contained truth derived from that good; and with them these two parts made one. The ancients however who formed the Lord's spiritual Church had a will that was completely destroyed, but an intact understanding within which, through regeneration, the Lord formed a new area of will, and through this a new area of understanding also, see `@@@863`, `@@@875`, `@@@895`, `@@@927`, `@@@928`, `@@@1023`, `@@@1043`, `@@@1044`, `@@@1555`, `@@@2256`.
ttt[2] What the situation had been in the celestial Church so far as good was concerned was demonstrated by means of a blue-coloured column coming down from the sky, the left side of which was full of light, like the blazing light of the sun. This was a representation of the first state of those people, the blue colour representing their will, which was good, and the blazing light their understanding. After that the blue of the column turned to a dull red, which was a representation of their second state, a state in which their two kinds of life - that of the will and that of the understanding - still acted as one, though this was more dull so far as good from the will was concerned. For blue means good, and blazing light truth derived from good. After that the column became completely black, and surrounding the column there was a brightness which was variegated by means of something glittering and which presented colours. These changes meant the state of the spiritual Church. The black column meant that the will had been completely destroyed and that it was nothing but evil. The light variegated by something glittering meant the understanding in which a new will was provided by the Lord; for in heaven the understanding is represented by brightness.
ppp19522#pid#4329. Some spirits arrived at a point fairly high up who, to judge by the sound they made, seemed to be many. I learnt from the ideas comprising their thought and speech which were channelled in my direction that they did not have a distinct idea of anything, only a general idea of many things. This led me to suppose that they were not capable of perceiving anything distinct and separate, but only something general and not distinct, and so something obscure; for I was of the opinion that something general could not be other than obscure. That their thought was general, that is, the thought of many things at one and the same time, I was able to recognize clearly from the ideas which were flowing into my thought from them.
ttt[2] But they were provided with a spirit as an intermediary through whom they talked to me; for that kind of general thought could not be put into words without the help of others. And when I spoke to the spirits through the intermediary I said, as I supposed, that general things could not present a distinct and separate idea of any particular matter, only an idea so obscure as to be so to speak none at all. But after a quarter of an hour they showed that they had a distinct idea of things that were general, and of many aspects of those that were general. They showed this in particular by observing, so accurately and distinctly that no other spirits could do better, all the variations and changes in my thoughts and affections, and noting the smallest details in these. From these experiences I was able to deduce that a general idea which is obscure, as it is among people who have little knowledge and are therefore in obscurity about everything, is quite different from a general idea which is clear, as it is among those who have been taught about truths and forms of good. For those truths and forms of good have been introduced - in their own order and own connected series - into a general profile of them, and have been arranged in such a way that those people are able from that general profile to see them all distinctly.
ttt[3] The spirits are those who in the next life constitute the general and voluntary sensory activity, and who by means of cognitions of goodness and truth have acquired to themselves the ability to look at things from what is general, and by doing that to contemplate things broadly and to discover instantly whether something is true. They see things, it is true, in obscurity so to speak, since they see them from the general profile to which they belong. Yet because they have been ordered and made distinct within the general profile, those things are therefore clear to them. This general sensory activity that is voluntary does not occur except in the wise. The fact that these spirits were such was another thing I learnt, for they could see in me every single detail of what I had concluded, and from this drew conclusions about the interior aspects of my thoughts and affections. Those conclusions were so accurate that I began to be afraid even to think anything more at all. For they uncovered things which I did not know to exist with me, and yet from the conclusions reached by them I had to admit to what they had uncovered. From this I perceived in myself a disinclination to talk to them, a disinclination which, when I became aware of it, took on the appearance of something hairy and of something in it speaking yet making no sound. I was told that this meant the general sensory awareness in the body that corresponds to those spirits. The next day I again spoke to them and once more discovered that they had a general perception that was not obscure but clear, and that as general things and the states that go with these varied so did particular ones and the states that go with them since the latter are related by their order and connected series to the former.
ttt[4] I was told that general and voluntary sensory powers that are yet more perfect exist within the interior sphere of heaven and that when angels have a general or universal idea they have at the same time specific ideas which are ordered and made distinct by the Lord within the universal. General and universal wholes, I have been told, are not anything if they do not include within them the individual and the specific parts from which they exist and are so called, and that they exist just insofar as these individual and specific parts are present within them. From this it is also evident that without every most specific detail within it and from which it exists the Lord's Providence is nothing at all, and that it is quite stupid to think of the existence of something universal in the case of the Divine and to take specific details away from it.
ppp19521#pid#4330. Inasmuch as the three heavens together constitute the Grand Man and, as has been stated above, all the members, viscera, and organs of the body correspond to it according to the functions and uses they serve, not only things which are external and outwardly visible correspond to it but also those which are internal and not outwardly visible. Consequently things of the external man correspond to it, and so do those of the internal man. The communities of spirits and angels to which things of the external man correspond come to a considerable extent from this planet, whereas the communities to which things of the internal man correspond come for the most part from elsewhere. These communities in the heavens act as one in the way that the external man and the internal man do with someone who is regenerate. But at the present day few from this planet are entering the next life with whom the external man acts in unison with the internal, for the majority are sensory-minded, so much so that there are few who believe anything other than that man's external constitutes the whole person and that when this departs, as happens when the person dies, scarcely anything is left which has life. Still less do they believe that there is an internal which has life within the external, and that when the external departs the internal especially has life.
ttt[2] I was shown by an actual experience how these persons are opposed to the internal man. Very many spirits from this planet were present who had been like them when they lived in the world. Before their eyes there came other spirits who related to the internal sensory man, at which point they began instantly to annoy these other spirits, almost in the way irrational persons annoy rational ones by speaking and reasoning all the time from the misconceptions of the senses and from illusions resulting from such misconceptions and wholly groundless assumptions, and as they do so believing nothing except that which could be proved by external sensory evidence. And in addition to this those spirits subjected the internal man to insults.
ttt[3] But those who related to the internal sensory man were not troubled at all by such things, being amazed not only at the madness of those spirits from this planet but also at their stupidity. And wonder that it was, when the external, sensory-minded spirits drew near the internal sensory ones and came virtually into the sphere of their thoughts the external, sensory-minded spirits began to find it difficult to breathe (for spirits and angels breathe no less than men, though their breathing in contrast to men's is internal, `@@@3884`, `@@@3885` and following paragraphs, `@@@3893`) and so were almost choked, on account of which they drew back. And the further away they moved from the internal sensory-minded spirits the more tranquil and quiet it became among them because they found it easier to breathe, and again the nearer they came to them the more intranquil and unquiet it became.
ttt[4] The reason for this was that when with external sensory-minded spirits their own misconceptions, delusions and groundless assumptions, and consequently falsities, are pre-eminent they feel tranquil but when conversely such things are removed from them, as happens when the internal man flows in with the light of truth, they feel intranquil. For thoughts and affections create spheres around themselves in the next life and these are communicated mutually from one party to another insofar as they become present with and draw near one another, `@@@1048`, `@@@1053`, `@@@1316`, `@@@1504-1512`, `@@@1695`, `@@@2401`, `@@@2489`. The conflict described lasted for several hours, and in that way I was shown how at the present day members of this planet are opposed to the internal man and that with them external sensory awareness constitutes almost the whole in them.
ppp19520#pid#4331. 'The Grand Man and Correspondence' is continued at the end of the next chapter, and there the subject will be Correspondence with the senses in particular.
ppp19519#pid#4332. The preliminary section of the previous chapter explained what the Lord foretold in `Matthew 24bbb32-35` about His coming, by which was meant, as was shown there and in previous preliminary sections to chapters, the final period or end of the former Church and the first period or beginning of the new Church - see the preliminary section to Chapter `Genesis ccc31bbb0`, in `@@@4056-4060`, and the preliminary section to Chapter `Genesis ccc32bbb0`, in `@@@4229-4231`. To be explained next are the words which follow in Verses `Matthew 24bbbccc36-41` of the same chapter in that gospel, which are these,
But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as they were in the days before the Flood - eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage - up to the day on which Noah entered the ark (and they were unaware of anything until the flood came and took them all away) so also will be the coming of the Son of Man. At that time two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left behind. Two women grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left behind.
ppp19518#pid#4333. What those words mean in the internal sense will be clear from the following explanation, namely that they describe what the state will be at the time when the old Church is set aside and the new is established. It has been shown many times already that the setting aside of the old Church and the establishment of the new is that which is meant by the close of the age and the coming of the Son of Man and in general by the last judgement. It has also been shown that a like judgement has occurred several times on this planet, the first taking place when the Lord's celestial Church, which was the Most Ancient, perished among those living before the flood through the deluge of evils and falsities meant in the internal sense by the flood.
ttt[2] The second judgement occurred when the spiritual Church, which existed after the Flood and is called the Ancient, and which was spread through much of the Asiatic world, reached a point when it had destroyed itself.
ttt[3] The third occurred when the representative of the Church among the descendants of Jacob was destroyed, a destruction which took place when the ten tribes were carried off into everlasting captivity and were scattered among the gentiles, and finally when Jerusalem was destroyed and the Jews too were dispersed. Because the close of that age was reached after the Lord's Coming, many of the Lord's statements in the Gospels about the close of that age are therefore applicable to that nation also; many at the present day do apply statements to it. But though these can be understood in that way, they refer specifically and primarily to the close of the age which is now imminent; that is to say, they refer to the end of the Christian Church, which is the subject also in John, in the Book of Revelation. This will be the fourth last judgement on this planet. Exactly what is implied by the words contained in verses `Matthew 24bbbccc36-42` quoted above will be clear from the internal sense of them, which is this.
ppp19517#pid#4334. But of that day and hour no one knows means that the state of the Church at that time so far as forms of good and truth are concerned is not going to be visible to anyone either on earth or in heaven, for 'day' and 'hour' in this case are not used to mean day and hour, that is, a period of time, but a state so far as good and truth are concerned. Periods of time in the Word mean states, see `@@@2625`, `@@@2788`, `@@@2837`, `@@@3254`, `@@@3356`, and 'day' also has the same meaning, `@@@23`, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@893`, `@@@2788`, `@@@3462`, `@@@3785`. 'Hour,' too therefore is descriptive of state, but some specific aspect. The reason why state so far as good and truth are concerned is meant is that the subject is the Church, for good and truth constitute the Church.
ttt[2] Not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only means that heaven does not know the specific nature of the state of the Church so far as good and truth are concerned; the Lord alone knows. Nor does it know when that state of the Church is going to be reached. The Lord Himself is meant by 'the Father', see `@@@15`, `@@@1729`, `@@@2004`, `@@@2005`, `@@@3690`; also the Divine Good within the Lord is called 'the Father' and the Divine Truth originating in Divine Good is called 'the Son', see `@@@2803`, `@@@3703`, `@@@3704`, `@@@3736`. People therefore who believe that the Father is one and the Son another, and who keep the two apart, do not understand the Scriptures.
ttt[3] But as they were in the days before the Flood means the state of vastation undergone by those who belonged to the Church. This state is compared to the state of vastation which the first or Most Ancient Church underwent, the close of their age, that is, their last judgement, being described in the Word by means of the Flood. For 'the Flood' means a deluge of evils and falsities and the close of that age which followed as a result, see `@@@310`, `@@@660`, `@@@662`, `@@@705`, `@@@739`, `@@@790`, `@@@805`, `@@@1120`; and 'days' means states, see above.
ttt[4] Eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage means their state insofar as they made evil and falsity their own, and by doing this became joined to these. For 'eating' means making good one's own, and 'drinking' making truth one's own, see `@@@3168`, `@@@3513` (end), `@@@3596`; and so in the contrary sense they mean making evil and falsity one's own. 'Marrying' means becoming joined to evil and 'giving in marriage' becoming joined to falsity, as may be seen from what has been stated and shown about marriage and conjugial love in `@@@686`, `@@@2173`, `@@@2618`, `@@@2728`, `@@@2729`, `@@@2737-2739`, `@@@2803`, `@@@3132`, `@@@3155`, to the effect that in the internal sense the joining together of good and truth is meant by them, though here in the contrary sense the joining together of evil and falsity is meant. Everything the Lord has said, since it is Divine, is of a different nature in the internal sense from what it is in the letter. So eating and drinking in the Holy Supper do not in the spiritual sense mean eating and drinking but making the good of the Lord's Divine love one's own, `@@@2165`, `@@@2177`, `@@@2187`, `@@@2343`, `@@@2359`, `@@@3464`, `@@@3478`, `@@@3735`, `@@@4211`, `@@@4217`. And as the joining of good which is the good of love to truth which is the truth of faith is meant when the idea of a marriage is used in reference to the Church or to the Lord's kingdom, so therefore is the Lord's kingdom in the Word called the heavenly marriage.
ttt[5] Up to the day on which Noah entered the ark means the end of the former Church and the beginning of the new one, for 'Noah' means the Ancient Church in general which replaced the Most Ancient after the Flood, `@@@773` and elsewhere, while 'the ark' means the Church itself, `@@@639`. The word 'day' which is used several times in these verses means state, as shown just above.
ttt[6] And they were unaware of anything until the flood came and took them all away means that members of the Church at that time will not know that they have been swamped by evils and falsities because, on account of the evils and falsities in which they are immersed, they will have no knowledge of what the good of love to the Lord is and what the good of charity towards the neighbour is, nor also what the truth of faith is. Nor will they know that such truth originates in those forms of good and that it cannot exist except with people who lead lives filled with such love and charity, in addition to which they will have no knowledge of the fact that what is internal saves or condemns, not what is external separated from internal.
ttt[7] So also will be the coming of the Son of Man means Divine Truth which they will not entertain. The meaning of 'the coming of the Son of Man' as Divine Truth which will be revealed at that time has been discussed already at verses `Genesis 32bbbccc27-30`, and in `@@@2803`, `@@@2813`, `@@@3704`, as well as `@@@3004-3006`, `@@@3008`, `@@@3009`.
ttt[8] At that time two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left behind means those within the Church who are governed by good and those within the Church who are governed by evil; the former will be saved and the latter condemned. For 'the field' means the Church as regards good, see `@@@2971`, `@@@3196`, `@@@3310`, `@@@3317`, `@@@3766`.
ttt[9] Two women grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left behind means the future salvation of those within the Church who know the truth, that is, who are led by good to have an affection for it, and the future condemnation of those within the Church who know the truth, but who are led by evil to have an affection for it. These meanings which 'grinding' and 'mill' have in the Word will be clear from what appears immediately below.
From all this it is now evident that the words under consideration describe what the state of good and truth will be like within the Church when that Church is set aside and the new one is adopted.
ppp19516#pid#4335. In the Word 'those who are grinding' means those within the Church who are led to know the truth by an affection for good, and in the contrary sense those within the Church who are led to know it by an affection for evil, as may be seen from the following places: In Isaiah,
Come down and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babel; sit on the ground, without a throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans. Take a mill and grind flour; uncover your hair, bare your feet, uncover your thigh, pass through the rivers. `Isaiah 47bbb1-2`.
'The daughter of Babel' stands for those among whom externally things give the appearance of being holy and good but interiorly they are unholy and evil, `@@@1182`, `@@@1326`. 'The daughter of the Chaldeans' stands for those among whom externally things give the appearance of being holy and true, but interiorly they are unholy and false, `@@@1368`, `@@@1816`. 'Taking a mill and grinding flour' stands for producing teachings out of the truths which they pervert; for 'flour', being the product of wheat or of barley, means truths which are products of good, but in the contrary sense truths which they pervert so as to lead people astray. In Jeremiah,
I will banish from them the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the sound of mills, and the light of the lamp. And this whole land will be a waste and desolation. `Jeremiah 25bbb10-11`.
ttt[2] In John,
No craftsman of any craft will be found in Babylon any more; no sound of a mill will be heard in it any more; and the light of a lamp will not shine in it any more, and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride will not be heard in it any more. `Revelation 18bbb21-23`.
'No sound of a mill will be heard in Babylon any more' means that there will not be any truth. 'The light of the lamp will not shine any more' means that neither will there be any understanding of truth. In Lamentations,
They have ravished women in Zion, virgins in the cities of Judah. Princes have been hung up by their hands, the faces of the old men have not been honoured. The young men have been led away to grind at the mill, and the boys collapse under the wood. `Lamentations 5bbb11-14`.
'The young men have been led away to grind at the mill' stands for being led away to produce falsities by the use of truths, and so by the power of persuasion.
ttt[3] In Moses,
Ah the firstborn in the land of Egypt will die, from Pharaoh's firstborn seated upon his throne, even to the servant-girl's firstborn who is behind the mill. `Exodus 11bbb5`.
'The firstborn of Egypt' stands for truths of faith which have been separated from the good of charity and therefore become falsities, `@@@3325`.
'The servant-girl's firstborn who is behind the mill' stands for the affection for such truth from which falsities are obtained. These were the things represented by such historical events.
ttt[4] In the same author,
He shall not take as a pledge the mill or the milling stone, for they are the livelihood`fff1` of him who pledges them. `Deuteronomy 24bbb6`.
This law was laid down because 'the mill' meant matters of doctrine and 'the milling stone' the truths that were an integral part of them and are called 'the livelihood of him who pledges them'. But for the spiritual meaning which 'mill' and 'milling stone' possess that law would obviously not have been given; nor would it have been said that they were 'his livelihood'.
ttt[5] I have been shown that 'grinding' derives its spiritual meaning from the representatives which manifest themselves in the world of spirits. For I have seen people there who seemed to be grinding; these spirits, I have been told, mean those who gather large numbers of truths together not with any use in view, other than for the sake of their own pleasure. Because truths in that case are devoid of their own affection which originates in good, they do indeed look like truths to external appearance; but because there is no inner substance to them they are sheer fancies. But if evil is present within them truths are used to support that evil, and so are made falsities through that use of them.
`nnn1. literally, the soul
ppp19515#pid#4336. `Genesis 33bbb0`
1. And Jacob lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, Esau was coming, and four hundred men with him. And he divided the sons over towards Leah, and over towards Rachel, and over towards the two servant-girls.
2. And he put the servant-girls and their sons first, and Leah and her sons further back, and Rachel and Joseph even further back.
3. And he himself passed over in front of them, and bowed to the ground seven times, until he came right up to his brother.
4. And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him; and they wept.
5. And he lifted up his eyes and saw the women and their sons, and said, Who are these with you? And he said, The sons whom God has graciously bestowed on your servant.
6. And the servant-girls came near, they and their sons, and bowed down.
7. And Leah also came near, then her sons, and they bowed down; and after that Joseph came near, then Rachel, and they bowed down.
8. And he said, What do you mean by all this camp which I met? And he said, To find favour in the eyes of my lord.
9. And Esau said, I have much, my brother; let what is yours be yours.
10. And Jacob said, No, I beg of you; if now I have found favour in your eyes, then take my gift from my hand; inasmuch as I have seen your face, as though seeing the face of God, and you have accepted me.
11. Take now my blessing which is brought to you, because God has graciously bestowed much on me, and because I have everything. And he urged him, and he took it.
12. And he said, Let us travel on and go, and I will go beside you.
13. And he said to him, My lord knows that the children are tender, and the flocks and herds with me are suckling, and if the men overdrive them for one day, all the flocks will die.
14. Let my lord now pass over before his servant, and I will move on slowly at the walking-pace of the cattle`fff1` that are before me, and at the walking-pace`fff2` of the children, until I come to my lord, to Seir.
15. And Esau said, Let me now place with you some of the people who are with me. And he said, Why so? Let me find favour in my lord's eyes.
16. And Esau returned on that day on his own way, to Seir.
17. And Jacob travelled on to Succoth, and built a house for himself, and made booths for his cattle; therefore he called the name of the place Succoth.
18. And Jacob came to Salem, the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, as he was coming from Paddan Aram; and he encamped towards the face of the city.
19. And he bought the portion of the field where he had stretched his tent, from the hand of the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for a hundred kesitahs.
20. And he set up an altar there and called it El Elohe Israel.
CONTENTS
The subject now in the internal sense is the joining together of Divine Natural Good, meant by 'Esau', and the Good of Truth, meant by 'Jacob'. So the subject is the submission of this latter Good and the introduction of it into Divine Natural Good. The process by which this is effected is described. In the last part of the chapter the subject is the acquisition of interior truths.
`nnn1. lit at the foot of the work
`nnn2. literally, at the foot
ppp19514#pid#4337. THE INTERNAL SENSE
Where Jacob is referred to in previous chapters, the subject in the internal sense has been the acquisition of truth within the Natural, an acquisition which is made there so that such truth may be joined to good; for all truth exists for the sake of that end. In the internal sense 'Jacob' is that truth, and 'Esau' is the good to which it is joined. Before the two are joined together truth seems to occupy first place, but after they have been joined good in fact does so, see `@@@3539`, `@@@3548`, `@@@3556`, `@@@3563`, `@@@3570`, `@@@3576`, `@@@3603`, `@@@3701`, `@@@3995`.
This is also what is meant by Isaac's prophecy addressed to Esau,
By your sword you will live, and you will serve your brother; and it will be, when you have dominion over him, that you will break his yoke from your neck. `Genesis 27bbb40`.
That state foretold there is the actual subject now. And this is why in verses `Genesis 33bbbccc5`, `Genesis 33bbbccc8`, `Genesis 33bbbccc13-14` of the present chapter Jacob calls Esau his lord and himself Esau's servant
ttt[2] It should be recognized that 'Jacob' at this point represents the good of truth. But regarded in itself such good is simply truth, for as long as truth exists solely in the memory it is referred to as truth. But once it exists in the will and as a consequence in action it is called the good of truth, for the performance of truth is nothing else. Whatever proceeds from the will is called good since in essence the will consists in love and in affection flowing from love, and everything that is done from love and attendant affection is termed good. Nor is truth able to be joined to good which flows in by way of the internal man and is Divine in origin - which good is represented here by 'Esau' - until truth exists as truth in will and action, that is, as the good of truth. For good which flows in by way of the internal man and is Divine in origin flows into the will, and there meets the good of truth which has been introduced by way of the external man.
ppp19513#pid#4338. Verses `Genesis 33bbbccc1-3`. And Jacob lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, Esau was coming, and four hundred men with him. And he divided the sons over towards Leah, and over towards Rachel, and over towards the two servant-girls. And he put the servant-girls and their sons first, and Leah and her sons further back, and Rachel and Joseph even further back. And he himself passed over in front of them, and bowed to the ground seven times, until he came right up to his brother.
'Jacob lifted up his eyes and saw' means the perception and the attention of the good of truth, meant by 'Jacob'. 'And behold, Esau was coming' means Divine Natural Good. 'And four hundred men with him' means a state. 'And he divided the sons over towards Leah' means the deployment of external truths beneath their own specific affection. 'And over towards Rachel' means the deployment of interior truths beneath their own specific affection. 'And over towards the two servant-girls' means beneath the affection for the things that serve those two affections. 'And he put the servant-girls and their sons first, and Leah and her sons further back, and Rachel and Joseph even further back' means an ordering beginning with general things in which all else is included. 'And he himself passed over in front of them' means that which is universal, and so means all things. 'And bowed to the ground seven times' means the submission of all things. 'Until he came right up to his brother' means a joining on the part of good that develops from truth, meant by 'Jacob'.
ppp19512#pid#4339. 'Jacob lifted up his eyes and saw' means the perception and the attention of the good of truth, meant by 'Jacob'. This is clear from the meaning of 'lifting up the eyes and seeing' as perception and attention. For 'lifting up the eyes' is an external action which corresponds to a raising of the mind, an internal activity, and so corresponds to perception, while 'seeing' corresponds to consequent attention. Also, 'Jacob' at this point represents the good of truth, see just above in `@@@4337`.
ppp19511#pid#4340. 'Esau was coming' means Divine Natural Good. This is clear from the representation of 'Esau' as Divine Good within the natural, dealt with in `@@@3576`.
ppp19510#pid#4341. 'And four hundred men with him' means a state, in this case the state when Divine Good and Truth within the Natural are joined together, since that joining together is the subject. In the Word 'four hundred' means a state of temptation and the duration of it, `@@@1847`, `@@@2959`, `@@@2966`. And since every joining together of good and truth is effected by means of temptations it is the state of temptations that is meant here. For temptations are the means by which goods are joined to truths, see `@@@2272`, `@@@3318`, and temptations come when good starts to play the leading role, `@@@4248`, `@@@4249`; also the union of the Lord's Divine Essence with His Human Essence was effected by means of temptations, `@@@1737`.
ttt[2] It is not the good itself which is to be joined to truth that is tempted, but the truth. Nor is truth tempted by good but by falsities and evils, and also by misconceptions and illusions, and by the affection for these, which cling to the truths within the natural. For when good flows in, which it does by an internal route, that is, through the internal rational man, the ideas possessed by the natural man which have been formed from the misconceptions of the senses and from illusions resulting from these cannot bear the approach of it, for they do not accord with it; and this gives rise to distress within the natural and to temptation. These are the factors which in the internal sense of this chapter are described by the fear and therefore the distress that Jacob felt, and his consequent state of submission and humiliation when Esau was coming with four hundred men. For the joining together of good and truth is never effected by any other means. From this it may be seen that 'four. hundred men' means a state of temptations - 'four hundred' the actual state itself, 'men' rational truths which have been joined to good when this flows into the natural. For 'men' means things of the understanding and of the rational, see `@@@265`, `@@@749`, `@@@1007`, `@@@3134`.
ttt[3] But these considerations are such that they pass into the unlit parts of the human mind, the reason being that while a person is living in the body the difference between the rational and the natural cannot be seen. It is not seen at all by those who are not regenerate, and barely so by those who are, since they neither reflect on nor are even interested in the matter. For knowledge of the interior aspects of the human being has been virtually wiped out, yet in former times that knowledge constituted the whole of intelligence among people within the Church. Those considerations are however able to be substantiated to some extent from what has been shown already about the rational and its influx into the natural, that is to say, from the explanation that the natural is regenerated by means of the rational, `@@@3286`, `@@@3288`, and that the rational receives truths before the natural does so, `@@@3321`, `@@@3368`, `@@@3671`. It is these truths which flow, accompanied by good, from the rational into the natural that are meant in the internal sense by the four hundred men who accompanied Esau.
ppp19509#pid#4342. 'And he divided the sons over towards Leah' means the deployment of external truths beneath their own specific affection. This is clear from the meaning of 'dividing over towards' as deployment; from the meaning of 'the sons' as truths, dealt with in `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@533`, `@@@1147`, `@@@2623`, `@@@3373`; and from the representation of 'Leah' as the affection for exterior truth, dealt with in `@@@3793`, `@@@3819`. Consequently 'the sons' in this case means the truths that belong to exterior affection, and therefore means external truths. The expression external truths is being used for those which are called sensory truths, that is to say, truths which enter in immediately from the world by way of the bodily senses, while interior truths, meant by Rachel's sons, are those which are present interiorly within the natural and more immediately beneath the eye of the rational, and to which misconceptions and resulting illusions cling less easily than to sensory truths. For the more that truths enter in by the interior way the more they are purified from worldly and earthly things.
ppp19508#pid#4343. 'And over towards Rachel' means the deployment of interior truths beneath their own specific affection. This is clear from the representation of 'Rachel' as the affection for interior truth, dealt with in `@@@3758`, `@@@3782`, `@@@3793`, `@@@3819`. Consequently her 'sons' in this case are interior truths. See what has been stated immediately above in `@@@4342` about interior truths.
ppp19507#pid#4344. 'And over towards the two servant-girls' means beneath the affection for the things that serve those two affections. This is clear from the meaning of 'the servant-girls' as the affections for knowledge and for cognitions, dealt with in `@@@1895`, `@@@2567`, `@@@3835`, `@@@3849`, and as subservient means employed in the joining together of the external man and the internal, dealt with in `@@@3913`, `@@@3917`; and from the representation of Zilpah and Bilhah, to whom 'the servant-girls' refers here, as subservient exterior affections that are employed as means, dealt with in `@@@3849`, `@@@3931`.
ppp19506#pid#4345. 'And he put the servant-girls and their sons first, and Leah and her sons further back, and Rachel and Joseph even further back' means an ordering beginning with quite general things in which all else is included. This becomes clear from what has been stated directly above about the meaning of 'the servant-girls, Leah, Rachel, and their sons' to the effect that 'the servant-girls' means the affections for knowledge and for cognitions, 'Leah' the affection for exterior truth, and 'Rachel' the affection for interior truth. The affections for knowledge and for cognitions are the most external ones since knowledge and cognitions are the foundations out of which truths arise and on which they are based. The affection for external truth follows them and is more interior, while the affection for interior truth is more interior still. The more external they are the more general they are too, and the more internal they are the less general they are and in relation to the general are called particular and specific.
ttt[2] With regard to general truths, they are called general because they are made up of the particular truths and so include the particular ones within them. General truths without particular ones are not general truths, but are called such from the particular. They are like a general whole and its parts. No general whole can be called a whole if there are no parts, for the parts make up the whole. Indeed nothing exists in the nature of things which does not first exist from and then continue to exist from things other than itself. That which exists and continues to exist from things other than itself is called general, and the things which compose it and keep it in existence are called particular. Being composed of internal things, external ones in relation to internal are therefore general. The same applies to the human being and his mental faculties: the more external these are the more general they are since they are composed of things that are more interior, while these in turn are composed of those that are inmost.
ttt[3] In relation to the rest of the human being the actual body and the things belonging to the body, as its external senses and its actions are called, are most general. The natural mind and the things belonging to the natural mind are less general because they are more internal, and in relation to the body and bodily things are called particulars. The rational mind however and the things belonging to the rational mind are more internal still, and are - in relation to the body, the natural mind and the things belonging to these - called specifics. These differences are clearly observable by a person when he casts aside his body and becomes a spirit, for then he is able to observe clearly that the things of the body had been nothing more than the most general forms taken by the things of his spirit, and that bodily things received their existence and were kept in existence by those of his spirit. Thus he sees that the things of his spirit in relation to those of his body were particulars. And when the same spirit becomes an angel, that is, when he is raised up into heaven, he is able to observe that the same things which previously he has seen and experienced in an obscure light he now sees and experiences in their particular form and in bright light. For he now observes countless details which previously he had seen and experienced as a single entity.
ttt[4] The same is also evident from what is the case while that person is living in the world. The things which he sees and experiences in early childhood are most general, whereas those which he sees and experiences in later childhood and youth are the particular aspects of those general ones; and those that he sees and experiences in adult years are the specific details of those particular aspects. For as a person advances in years he introduces the particular ideas into general ones acquired in early childhood, and after that specific notions into the particular ideas; for he advances gradually towards more interior things, filling what is the general with the particular, and the particular with the specific. From this one may now see the implications of an ordering beginning with general things in which all else is included, which is the meaning of 'he put the servant-girls and their sons first, Leah and her sons further back, and Rachel and Joseph even further back'.
ttt[5] A similar situation exists when a person is being regenerated, or what amounts to the same, when in him truths are being joined to good; and this situation is the subject here. During that time general affections together with their truths, meant here by 'the servant-girls and their sons', are the first to be introduced into good; after that the less general are introduced, that is, those which in relation to the general are particular, meant here by 'Leah and her sons'; and finally the less general still, that is, those which in relation to the same are specific, meant here by 'Rachel and Joseph'. For when being regenerated a person passes so to speak through comparable phases of life - he experiences early childhood first; after that later childhood and youth; and finally adult years.
ppp19505#pid#4346. 'And he himself passed over in front of them' means that which is universal and so means all things. This is clear from the representation of Jacob, to whom 'he' refers here, as that good of truth, that is, truth in will and action, dealt with in `@@@4337`. The good of truth is the universal embodiment of every kind of truth, for the general, the particular, and the specific kinds of it spoken of immediately above all go with it because they are included within it.
ppp19504#pid#4347. 'And bowed to the ground seven times' means the submission of all things. This is clear from the meaning of 'bowing to the ground' as the feeling of humility, dealt with in `@@@2153`, and so as submission. The highest degree of submission is meant by 'seven times' and the submission of all things by the fact that Jacob bowed down; for 'Jacob' represents the universal existence of all things, as stated immediately above in `@@@4346`.
ttt[2] As regards the expression of humility and submission, few know why these are necessary in the presence of the Divine when a person is engaged in worship. Nor consequently do they know what is accomplished by these actions. Those who have no knowledge of interior things cannot do other than believe that, like any human being bent on glory, the Divine desires people's expression of humility and their submission to Him, and that therefore the Divine desires glory from them and is affected by the glory which people ascribe to Him. But the truth of the matter is altogether different from this. The Divine is not moved by any desire for glory. Indeed what glory does the Divine have which comes from man? He desires humility and submission not for His own sake but for man's. For when humility is present in a person he turns away from the evil and falsity present in him, `@@@2327`, `@@@2423`, `@@@3994`, and in so doing removes them. Once these have been removed the Divine is able to flow in with good and truth. Anyone can recognize this within himself. One who is haughty is ruled by self-love and not only sets himself up above others but also does not care a thing about what is Divine; as a consequence he turns back the influx of good and therefore prevents it from being joined to truths. This is the real reason why a person should express humility in the presence of the Divine.
ttt[3] From this it is evident that good cannot be joined to truths, and so a person cannot be regenerated, unless he humbles himself and is submissive. Humility and submission are attributed to truths because truths flow in by way of the external man whereas good does so by way of the internal. The things which flow in by way of the external man hold within them misconceptions and consequently falsities together with affections for them. Not so the things which flow in by way of the internal man since it is the Divine which flows in by way of this internal man and goes to meet truths so that they may be joined together. From this one may now see the implications of 'the submission of all things', which is the meaning of 'Jacob bowed to the ground seven times until he came right up to his brother'.
ppp19503#pid#4348. 'Until he came right up to his brother' means a joining on the part of good that develops from truth, meant by 'Jacob'. This is clear from the meaning of 'coming right up to' as so as to join oneself; from the representation of Esau, to whom 'brother' refers here, as Divine Good within the natural, dealt with above in `@@@4337`; and from the representation of 'Jacob' as the good of truth, also dealt with above in `@@@4337`. The implications of all this have been explained immediately above in `@@@4347`.
ppp19502#pid#4349. Verse `Genesis 33bbbccc4` And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him; and they wept.
'Esau ran to meet him' means the influx of Divine Natural Good. 'And embraced him' means a first joining together effected by love. 'And fell on his neck' means a second joining together involving everything included within that universal embodiment of truth. 'And kissed him' mean an interior joining together brought about by love. 'And they wept' means the outward expression.
ppp19501#pid#4350. 'Esau ran to meet him' means the influx of Divine Natural Good. This is clear from the meaning of 'running to meet' as influx, and from the representation of 'Esau' as Divine Natural Good, dealt with in `@@@4337`, `@@@4340`. The reason why 'running to meet' means influx in this case is that Divine Good flows in by way of the internal man and goes to meet truth introduced through the external man, so that the two may be joined together. This is also evident from what follows, for the description which follows concerning his embracing him, falling on his neck, and kissing him, will be seen to mean a joining together effected through love.
ppp19500#pid#4351. 'And embraced him' means a first joining together effected by love. This is clear from the meaning of 'embracing' as affection, dealt with in `@@@3807`; and since all affection is essentially love, and love strives to effect conjunction, it is a joining together effected by love that is therefore meant here. The reason why a first joining together effected by love is meant is that the words 'he fell on his neck' follow and after that 'he kissed him', which mean closer and more interior joinings together brought about by love. It is plain without any further explanation that 'embracing' means the outward expression that flows from a joining together effected by love, and consequently means in the internal sense that joining together. For the ideas which belong to the internal sense present themselves in the Word by means of external events.
ppp19499#pid#4352. 'And fell on his neck' means a second joining together involving everything included within that universal embodiment of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'falling on the neck' as a closer joining together since it is a closer kind of embrace. Furthermore 'the neck' in the internal sense means the influx and communication of interior things with exterior, and therefore means a joining together of them, see `@@@3542`, `@@@3603`. The reason why this is a joining together of everything - or with everything - within that universal embodiment of truth is that Jacob, to whom 'his' refers here, means the universal embodiment of every kind of truth, `@@@4346`.
ttt[2] The joining together of good and truths within the natural is described here, and the nature of that joining together is as follows: Good flows by way of the internal man into the external man, where it joins itself to the truths which have been introduced by way of the external man. For the good which flows in by way of the internal man is the good of love; indeed no good exists, spiritual or celestial, which is not the good of love. Love is the source of such good and the reason why it is called good with man. It is the actual love present within good and going with good that effects any joining together. Unless love were present within and at hand no joining together would ever be possible, for love is nothing other than a spiritual joining together since it is love that brings it about. This love comes from nowhere else than the Lord, for He is the fountain and source of all celestial and spiritual love, and therefore of all good which flows from that love. That love is twofold, celestial and spiritual. Celestial love is love to the Lord, while spiritual love is love to the neighbour and is called charity. These are the kinds of love from which all celestial or spiritual good is derived and which join themselves to truths which are called the truths of faith. For the truths of faith regarded without love are mere sounds devoid of any life; but through love, and so through being joined to the good of love, they receive life. From this it becomes clear that no measure of faith at all exists except with those who have the good of love in them, and that faith exists insofar as love is present.
ttt[3] And since no measure of faith at all exists except with those who have the good of love within them, neither therefore does any confidence or trust exist with them. With people other than those who have love and charity, trust or confidence which is called the trust or confidence of faith is either spurious or else the kind that can exist even with devil-spirits when subject to fear or to anguish, or else to false persuasion resulting from self-love and love of the world. However, even though at the present day faith without the good works of charity has been made the bringer of salvation, people in a remote way still see that the truths of faith have no power to save because those truths are known also by the evil. Therefore they recognize confidence or trust, to which they give the name faith. They call it faith without being aware of what it really is, or that such is possible even with the evil, or that no spiritual confidence exists if it does not flow in by way of the good of love and charity. They are unaware of the fact that such spiritual confidence does not flow in when a person is subject to fear or anguish, or to false persuasion resulting from self-love and love of the world, but when he is in a state of freedom. Nor are they aware that spiritual confidence does not exist in people other than those with whom good has been joined to truths and become deeply rooted during the course of their lives prior to this, and so does not exist in cases of illness, misfortune, danger to life, or when death is at hand. If this confidence or trust which shows itself in a case of compulsion could save a person, then every mortal human being would be saved, for every one is brought with ease to that confidence; indeed there are none to whom the Lord - who desires the salvation of all - would not grant it. But regarding the confidence or trust which is called faith - what it is, the nature of it, and whom it exists with - this must in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed elsewhere.
ppp19498#pid#4353. 'And kissed him' means an interior joining together brought about by love. This is clear from the meaning of 'kissing' as a joining together brought about by love, dealt with in `@@@3573`, `@@@3574`, `@@@4215`, in this case an interior joining together. The present verse deals with the joining of Divine Natural Good, meant by 'Esau', to Natural Truth, meant by 'Jacob'. It deals with this in general, whereas the verses which follow deal more specifically with that joining together. As regards the actual joining together, it is that which brings about a person's regeneration, for he is regenerated through the joining of the truths he knows to the good he cherishes, that is, through the joining of matters of faith to the deeds of charity. The process of that joining together is described fully in this verse and in those that follow. The subject, it is true, is the Lord - how He made His Natural Divine and therefore how He united Divine Good to Truth within the Natural; but because the regeneration of man is an image of the glorification of the Lord, `@@@3138`, `@@@3212`, `@@@3296`, `@@@3490`, that regeneration too is at the same time the subject in the internal sense. And because man can get an idea of regeneration more easily than he can of the Lord's glorification, let His glorification be illustrated by means of man's regeneration.
ttt[2] It is evident from the explanations which have been given that the joining together of good and truths which leads to regeneration is a process that grows more and more interior; that is, truths are joined step by step more interiorly to good. For the object of regeneration is that the internal man may be joined to the external, and so the spiritual man be joined to the natural through the rational. Unless the two are joined together no regeneration is accomplished. Nor can that joining together be effected until good has first been joined to the truths within the natural; for the natural has to exist as the underlying groundwork, and things within the natural have to exist in correspondence with those above them. This is the reason why, when the natural is being regenerated, the joining together of good and truths becomes step by step more interior; for the spiritual first joins itself to the things that are inmost in the natural, and after that through these to those that are more exterior. Nor can man's internal join itself to his external unless the truth within that external becomes the good of truth, that is, becomes truth in will and action, `@@@4337`. Only then can they be joined together, for the Lord flows into a person through his internal man, especially through the good there. The good there is able to be joined to the good in the external man, but not directly to the truth.
ttt[3] From this it becomes clear that the truth residing with man must first of all become truth in will and action, that is, become the good of truth, before the joining together of the rational and the natural, or of the internal man and the external, can come about. But in what way truth becomes the good of truth may be clear to anyone who gives his attention to it. Every Divine truth is related to the following two commandments: Love God above all things, and love your neighbour as yourself. These two commandments are the base from which truths are derived, the reason why truths exist, and the end to which truths lead - immediately or remotely. Therefore when truths are translated into action they are introduced step by step into their beginning and into their end, that is to say, into charity towards the neighbour and love to the Lord, and as a consequence truth becomes the good which is called the good of truth. Once truth becomes such it is able to be joined to the internal man, a conjunction which becomes step by step more interior as truths that are more interior are implanted within that good. Action comes first, then the desire for it in the person's will follows. For when a person is led by his understanding to carry out any action, he is at length led by his will to do it, till at last he has taken it on as an action performed habitually. When this point is reached it is introduced into the rational or internal man; and once it has been introduced, truth is no longer that which motivates him when he does a good action but good. For now he begins to feel within it something of what is blessed and so to speak of heaven. This remains with him after death, and by means of it the Lord raises him up to heaven.
ppp19497#pid#4354. 'And they wept' means the outward expression. This is clear from the meaning of 'weeping' as the outward expression of grief or else the outward expression of joy, dealt with in `@@@3081`, in this case of joy resulting from the joining together of good and truths effected through love.
ppp19496#pid#4355. Verses `Genesis 33bbbccc5-7` And he lifted up his eyes and saw the women and their sons, and said, Who are these with you? And he said, The sons whom God has graciously bestowed on your servant. And the servant-girls came near, they and their sons, and bowed down. And Leah also came near, then her sons, and they bowed down; and after that Joseph came near, then Rachel, and they bowed down.
'He lifted up his eyes' means a perception . . . 'And saw the women and their sons' means, of the affections for truth and of the truths which belong to those affections. 'And said, Who are these with you?' means acknowledgement. 'And he said, The sons whom God has graciously bestowed on your servant' means truths conferred by Divine Providence. 'And the servant-girls came near, they and their sons, and bowed down' means sensory knowledge and its truths, and their submission. 'And Leah also came near, then her sons, and they bowed down' means the affection for the truth of faith so far as exterior things and their truths are concerned, and their submissive introduction. 'And after that Joseph came near, then Rachel, and they bowed down' means affections for the truth of faith so far as interior things are concerned, and their submissive introduction.
ppp19495#pid#4356. 'He lifted up his eyes' means a perception . . . This is clear from the meaning of 'lifting up the eyes' as a perception, dealt with in `@@@4083`, `@@@4339`.
ppp19494#pid#4357. 'And saw the women and their sons' means, of the affections for truth and of the truths which belong to those affections. This is clear from the meaning of 'the women', who in this case are Leah and Rachel's servant-girls, as affections for truth, dealt with in `@@@3758`, `@@@3782`, `@@@3793`, `@@@3819`, `@@@4344`, and from the meaning of 'sons' as truths, dealt with in `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@533`, `@@@1147`, `@@@2623`, `@@@3373`, in this case the truths which belong to those affections.
ppp19493#pid#4358. 'And said, Who are these with you?' means acknowledgement. This becomes clear from the fact that questions in the sense of the letter are not such in the highest sense, for the Lord, who is the subject in that highest sense, has no need to ask man any questions since He knows every single thing. Consequently this question 'Who are these with you?' means acknowledgement, for 'Esau' represents the Lord as regards Divine Natural Good, and Divine Good acknowledges instantly the truths which it has to join to itself. What is more, all good does so, for good cannot exist without the things it calls truths, nor can truths exist without that which they call good. The two join together of their own accord; but as is the good so are the truths it joins to itself. It is good that acknowledges them and links itself to them like a husband to his wife; indeed the joining together of good and truths is a marriage in the spiritual sense, `@@@2508`, `@@@2618`. For good acknowledges its own truth, and truth its own good, and thereby they are joined together, see `@@@3101`, `@@@3102`, `@@@3161`, `@@@3179`, `@@@3180`.
ppp19492#pid#4359. 'And he said, The sons whom God has graciously bestowed on your servant' means truths conferred by Divine Providence. This is clear from the meaning of 'the sons' as truths, dealt with just above in `@@@4357`, and from the meaning of 'whom God has graciously bestowed' as conferred by Divine Providence, for whatever God bestows is conferred by His Providence.
ppp19491#pid#4360. 'And the servant-girls came near, they and their sons, and bowed down' means sensory knowledge and its truths, and their submission. This is clear from the meaning of 'the servant-girls' as affections for knowledge and for cognitions which belong to the external man, dealt with above in `@@@4344`, and therefore sensory knowledge, the nature of which is discussed below; from the meaning of 'sons' as truths, dealt with above in `@@@4357`; and from the meaning of 'bowing down' as submission. Sensory knowledge, meant by 'the servant-girls', is factual knowledge about external things which belong to the world, and is therefore the most general kind of all, `@@@4345`. It consists in the things which enter immediately through the external senses and which are perceived by that sensory awareness. The knowledge which everyone possesses in early childhood is sensory knowledge, and this serves as a basis not only for cognitions of interior natural things but also later on for cognitions of spiritual things. For spiritual things are founded on natural ones and are represented within them. It is because truths are joined to good in conformity with an ordering that begins with things that are quite general, as shown above in `@@@4345`, that the reference is made at this point to the servant-girls and their sons bowing down first, that is, they were submissive.
ppp19490#pid#4361. 'And Leah also came near, then her sons, and they bowed down' means the affection for the truth of faith so far as exterior things and their truths are concerned, and their submissive introduction. This is clear from the representation of 'Leah' as the affection for exterior truth, dealt with in `@@@3793`, `@@@3819`, and therefore the affection for the truth of faith so far as exterior things were concerned; from the meaning of 'sons' as truths, dealt with immediately above; and from the meaning of 'bowing down' as submission, that is, a submissive introduction into Divine Natural Good, which 'Esau' represents.
ppp19489#pid#4362. 'And after that Joseph came near, then Rachel, and they bowed down' means affections for the truth of faith so far as interior things are concerned, and their submissive introduction. This is clear from the representation of 'Joseph' as the celestial-spiritual, dealt with in `@@@4286`; from the representation of 'Rachel' as the affection for interior truth, dealt with in `@@@3758`, `@@@3782`, `@@@3793`, `@@@3819`; and from the meaning of 'bowing down' as submissive introduction, as immediately above in `@@@4361`. The implications of all this have been explained above at verse `Genesis 33bbbccc2`.
ppp19488#pid#4363. Verses `Genesis 33bbbccc8-11` And he said, What do you mean by all this camp which I met? And he said, To find favour in the eyes of my lord. And Esau said, I have much, my brother; let what is yours be yours. And Jacob said, No, I beg of you; if now I have found favour in your eyes, then take my gift from my hand; inasmuch as I have seen your face, as though seeing the face of God, and you have accepted me. Take now my blessing which is brought to you, because God has graciously bestowed much on me, and because I have everything. And he urged him, and he took it.
'He said, What do you mean by all this camp which I met?' means the specific things which came from the good of truth. 'And he said, To find favour in the eyes of my lord' means an introduction that went favourably. 'And Esau said, I have much, my brother; let what is yours be yours' means a tacit acceptance, in order that in this way He might instill the affection for good that develops out of truth. 'And Jacob said, No, I beg of you' means the birth of that affection. 'If now I have found favour in your eyes, then take my gift from my hand' means the reciprocation of that affection, in order that it might be instilled. 'Inasmuch as I have seen your face, as though seeing the face of God, and you have accepted me' means the affection itself within that perception by which it was instilled reciprocally. 'Take now my blessing which is brought to you' means the Divine goods and truths which were to become linked to Divine Natural Good. 'Because God has graciously bestowed much on me' means conferred by Providence. 'And because I have everything' means his spiritual riches. 'And he urged him, and he took it' means that that affection originating in the good of truth was instilled by means of affection inspired by Divine Good.
ppp19487#pid#4364. 'He said, What do you mean by all this camp which I met?' means the specific things which came from the good of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'camp' here as things that are specific, for these are meant by the animals mentioned in verses `Genesis 32bbbccc14`, `Genesis 32bbbccc15` of the previous chapter - two hundred she-goats and twenty he-goats, two hundred sheep and twenty rams, thirty milking camels and their colts, forty young cows and ten young bulls, twenty she-asses and ten foals. By these are meant the goods and truths together with the things that are subservient, by means of which the instillation was to be effected, see `@@@4263`, `@@@4264`, and so mean those that are specific. The specific ones meant here are nothing other than those which serve to prove that truths really are truths and forms of good really are forms of good. They support a person's thoughts and affections - that is, the things he knows and the things he loves - which lead him to favour an idea and maintain that it is true. The gifts which in the Church of old were made to kings and to priests also held the same meaning It is well known that another is led to one's own way of thinking - that is, to the things which one says are good and true - both by the use of rational arguments and by the appeal to affections. It is the actual supporting proofs to which the term 'specific' applies and that are meant at this point by 'this camp'. This is the reason why the words 'to find favour in the eyes of my lord' appear, explaining why 'the camp' was sent, and after that, 'If now I have found favour in your eyes, then take my gift from my hand'.
ttt[2] It is similar with spiritual things or matters of faith, when these are being joined to the good of charity. People believe that goods and truths flow in immediately from heaven, and so without any intermediate agents in man; but in this they are much mistaken. The Lord leads everyone through the agency of his affections and in so doing bends him by means of a Providence working silently; for He leads people by means of their freedom, `@@@1937`, `@@@1947`. All freedom entails a person's affection or love, see `@@@2870`, `@@@2873`. Consequently every joining together of good and truth takes place in freedom and not under compulsion, `@@@2875-2878`, `@@@2881`, `@@@3145`, `@@@3146`, `@@@3158`, `@@@4031`. When therefore a person has been brought in freedom to good, truths find acceptance and are implanted. That person also starts to be stirred by an affection for them and is in this manner introduced little by little into heavenly freedom. One who is regenerate, that is, who loves the neighbour - more so one who loves the Lord - will discover, if he reflects on his life before then, that he has been led to that point by many ideas present in his thought and many impulses of his affection.
ttt[3] What exactly is meant here by the things which came from the good of truth may be seen more easily from examples. Let truth which has to be introduced into good be exemplified by the truth that man has life after death. Unless this is supported by specific truths, it does not find acceptance, that is, not unless it is supported by the following: Man is able to think not only about the things he sees and perceives with the senses but also about those which he does not see or perceive with the senses. Also his affection can be stirred by them; and through his affection he can become linked to them and therefore to heaven, indeed to the Lord Himself. And those who are able to be linked to the Divine can never die. These and many more like them are the specific truths which present themselves before that truth is instilled into good, that is, before it is believed fully. That truth does indeed submit itself first, yet these specific truths nevertheless cause it to find acceptance.
ttt[4] Take as another example the truth that man is a spirit and that he is clothed with a body while he lives in the world. This also is a truth that has to be instilled into good, for if it is not instilled he has no concern for heaven, in which case he looks on himself in the same way as he does on animals. But this truth cannot be instilled except by means of specific ones such as the following: The body which a person carries around ministers to uses in the world; that is to say, it enables him by means of material eyes to see things that are in the world, and to perform actions by means of material muscles, which give him power that is sufficient to lift heavy objects. Nevertheless some more interior part of him exists which thinks and wills, and for which the body is the instrumental or material organ. Also his spirit is his true self, or the person himself, who performs actions and has sensory perception through these organic forms. And there are many other personal experiences by which he can prove that truth to be so once he believes it. All of these are specific truths which are put forward first and which cause that truth itself to be instilled into good and also to come from it. It is these and other things like them that are meant here by 'a camp'.
ppp19486#pid#4365. 'And he said, To find favour in the eyes of my lord' means an introduction that went favourably. This becomes clear without explanation, for 'finding favour' means that they may find acceptance, and things that find acceptance are introduced, that is, instilled, favourably.
ppp19485#pid#4366. 'And Esau said, I have much, my brother; let what is yours be yours' means a tacit acceptance, in order that in this way He might instill the affection for good that develops out of truth. This becomes clear from this refusal to accept what was offered, in that it really implies a willingness to take it; for Esau went on to accept it. One sometimes refuses an offer when in fact accepting it, to the end that affection may be instilled. That affection is also increased by such a refusal and so advances from the thought of what is good to the desire for it. Man is led by the Lord in the spiritual life by means of things that are virtually the same as those by which one leads others in everyday life. In everyday life it is quite normal to refuse an offer so that the one who makes it may do so with affection, thus not simply because he has thought of making it but also because he desires to do so. Should the offer not be accepted the ultimate intention would perish, and therefore that intention incites the one making the offer to think more intently about it and so to make it his heart's desire.
ttt[2] The reason why this procedure is not apparent in the spiritual life as it is in everyday life is that the people with whom good is being joined to truths, that is, who are being regenerated, are few; and what is more, the few who are being regenerated neither reflect on nor are able to reflect on such matters as they do not know what spiritual good is because they do not know what charity is and what the neighbour is in the genuine sense. And because they do not know these things they cannot have any interior conception about truth which is the truth of faith. In addition to this they set the spiritual life and everyday life so far apart from each other that they do not dare to infer from everyday life any notion about the spiritual life. They are totally unaware of the fact that these correspond to each other and that the spiritual life is represented within everyday life; indeed some do not even allow any comparison to be made. But the fact of the matter is that no notion of the spiritual life can be had except from the things which belong to everyday life. Once everyday life is taken away therefore spiritual life falls to nothing, until at length belief in the existence of it remains no longer. This is made perfectly clear by the fact that people no longer have any belief in the idea that spirits and angels mix with one another as men mix, or that they converse with one another, reason with one another just as men reason, though in a far more perfect way, about what is honourable and decent, about what is just and fair, and about what is good and true. Even less belief exists in the idea that spirits and angels can see, hear, and find out about one another, combine into communities and live together, besides many other things.
ppp19484#pid#4367. 'And Jacob said, No, I beg of you' means the birth of that affection. This becomes clear from what has been stated immediately above, that is to say, that the refusal to accept a gift instills affection, which is manifested here in his saying 'No, I beg of you'. From this it is evident that the birth of an affection is meant here.
ppp19483#pid#4368. 'If now I have found favour in your eyes, then take my gift from my hand' means the reciprocation of that affection, in order that it might be instilled. This is clear from what comes both before and after, for the subject is the joining together of good and truths within the natural and so the instilling of affection from good into truth. As shown above in `@@@4366`, this is the reason why the refusal of the gift sent from Jacob has the meaning it does, namely that an affection might be instilled into truth, and in `@@@4367` why the immediately previous exclamation 'No, I beg of you' means the birth of that affection. Consequently these words 'If now I have found favour in your eyes, then take my gift from my hand' means a reciprocation of that affection, in order that it might be instilled; for Jacob says this from a desire for what is good, that is, from affection. Hence also the reference further on to his urging him.
ttt[2] The reciprocation of that affection which is instilled by the good, meant by 'Esau', into the truth, meant by 'Jacob', is used to mean the affection for truth. For two affections that are heavenly exist - the affection for good and the affection for truth. These have been the subject several times already. The affection for truth has no other origin than good, the affection coming from there also; for by itself truth has no life but acquires it from good. Consequently when someone feels an affection for truth that affection does not originate in the truth but in the good which flows into the truth and creates the affection itself. This is what is meant at this point by the reciprocation of that affection in order that it might be instilled. It is well known that there are many within the Church who feel an affection for the Word of the Lord and put a lot of effort into reading it; but those whose end in view is to learn about what is true are only a few. The majority cling to their own dogmas, and are anxious only to confirm these from the Word. These people seem to be moved by an affection for truth, but they are not. The affection for truth exists solely with those who love to learn about truths, that is, to know what is true, and who search the Scriptures with that end in view. Nobody is moved by this affection except one who is governed by good, that is, one who is governed by charity towards the neighbour, and more so who is governed by love to the Lord. With people of this kind good itself flows into truth and creates the affection, for the Lord is present within that good.
ttt[3] This can be illustrated by the following examples: Take those who are governed by the good of genuine charity and who read the following words which the Lord addressed to Peter,
I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. `Matthew 16bbb15-19`.
These people - that is to say, those who are moved by an affection for truth that originates in the good of genuine charity - like to be told what these words were really used to mean. When they hear that 'the rock' referred to here, on which 'the Church will be built', means faith rooted in charity, and that 'Peter' therefore has that meaning; and when they hear that the keys for opening and closing heaven are given to that faith, see Preface to Chapter `Genesis ccc22bbb0` of Genesis, they are delighted and are stirred with affection for that truth, because it is in that case the Lord alone, the Source of faith, who possesses that power. But people who are not moved by an affection for truth that originates in the good of genuine charity but by an affection for truth originating in some other kind of good, and more so if it originates in self-love and love of the world, are not stirred by any affection for that truth, but become depressed and also angry since they wish to lay claim to that power as a priestly one. They are angry because they are deprived of the power to control, and depressed because they are deprived of other people's deference to them.
ttt[4] Take another example. If people who are moved by an affection for truth that originates in the good of charity hear that charity makes the Church, and not faith separated from charity, they accept that truth joyfully, whereas those who are moved by an affection for truth originating in self-love and love of the world do not accept it. Furthermore when those who are moved by an affection for truth that originates in the good of charity hear that love towards the neighbour does not begin in themselves but in the Lord they are delighted, whereas those who are moved by an affection for truth originating in self-love and love of the world do not accept that truth but fiercely defend the idea that love begins in themselves. Consequently they do not know what loving the neighbour as themselves really is. When people who are moved by an affection for truth that originates in the good of genuine charity hear that heavenly blessedness consists in doing good to others out of a desire to do it, with no selfish end in view, they are delighted, whereas those who are moved by an affection for truth originating in self-love and love of the world, want none of this; nor can they even understand what it is.
ttt[5] When people who are moved by an affection for truth that originates in the good of genuine charity learn that the works of the external man are nothing if they do not proceed from the internal man, and so from the desire to do what is good, they accept it joyfully, whereas those who are moved by an affection for truth originating in self-love and love of the world applaud the works of the external man but show no interest in the desire to do good present in the internal man. Nor indeed are they even aware that this desire, if present in the internal man, remains after death and that when the works performed by the external man have no connection with the internal man they are dead and come to nothing.
The same may be seen in every other example that might be mentioned. The examples that have been given show that the truths of faith cannot possibly be joined to anyone if he is not governed by the good of genuine charity, and so cannot be joined to anything other than good. They show also that all genuine affection for truth originates in that good. Anyone can see a confirmation of this from his daily experience - when he sees that people moved by evil have no real belief, unlike those moved by good. From this it is quite evident that the truth of faith is joined to good and never to evil.
ppp19482#pid#4369. 'Inasmuch as I have seen your face, as though seeing the face of God, and you have accepted me' means the affection itself within that perception by which it was instilled reciprocally. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing a face, as though seeing the face of God' as affection within perception, for 'the face' means things that are interior, `@@@358`, `@@@1999`, `@@@2434`, `@@@3527`, `@@@3573`, `@@@4066`, and 'the face of God' all good, `@@@222`, `@@@223`, which, when it flows in, imparts affection within perception; and from the meaning of 'accepting me' as instilled affection. It is evident from what has been stated immediately above about the instilling of affection, and so from the sequence of thought, that instilled affection is meant.
ppp19481#pid#4370. 'Take now my blessing which is brought to you' means the Divine goods and truths which were to become linked to Divine Natural Good. This is clear from the meaning of 'my blessing' here as the animals mentioned in verses `Genesis 32bbbccc14`, `Genesis 32bbbccc15` of the previous chapter, which meant Divine goods and truths together with those that are subservient by means of which the introduction was to be effected, see `@@@4263`, `@@@4264`. The need for these goods and truths to become linked to Divine Natural Good has been explained above in `@@@4364`.
ppp19480#pid#4371. 'Because God has graciously bestowed much on me' means conferred by Providence. This is clear from the meaning of the words used here as Providence, as above in `@@@4359`.
ppp19479#pid#4372. 'And because I have everything' means his spiritual riches. This is clear from the meaning of 'everything he has' in this case as his spiritual riches. For this 'everything' was made up of 'flocks and herds', by which goods and truths are meant, as shown already; and those goods and truths are called spiritual riches. 'Spiritual riches' serves to describe truth, while 'the uses' to which such riches are put are descriptive of good.
ppp19478#pid#4373. 'And he urged him. and he took it' means that that affection originating in the good of truth was instilled by means of affection inspired by Divine Good. This becomes clear from the explanations given so far in `@@@4364` onwards. Further evidence of the actual affection for truth, inspired within the good by Divine Good, is displayed by his urging him, see above in `@@@4366`. Before anything more can be said about the affection for truth which is the subject in these verses, it should be recognized that although that affection seems to derive from truth and so to exist within truth it does not derive from truth but from good; for truth has no life at all within it apart from that which comes from good. Its seeming to derive from truth is, to use a comparison, like the life which is present within the body. That life does not in fact belong to the body but to the soul, nor yet to the soul but flows in by way of the soul from the Prime source of life, that is, from the Lord, however much it seems to belong to the body It is also like an image in a mirror, which is seen within the mirror but is in fact a reflection of a shape entering from outside.
ttt[2] To people who confine their minds to the historical details it is not indeed apparent that the internal sense of these words and those before them is anything of the kind; for their thought is of Esau, and of Jacob and the gift he sent ahead of him. They are not aware of the fact that 'Esau' represents Divine Good within the natural and 'Jacob' truth which is to be joined there to Divine Good. Nor are they aware that their friendly dialogue here means an affection inspired within truth by good. Yet the angels understand these historical details in no other way when these are read by man, for angels possess no other mental picture of things than a spiritual one. With them the historical sense is converted into that spiritual picture, and in this way angelic thoughts correspond to those of men. It is never-ending correspondences such as these that cause the Word to be holy and Divine, for as it rises up to heaven the literal sense becomes spiritual. It also rises all the way up to the Lord, where it becomes Divine. This is Inspiration.
ppp19477#pid#4374. Verses `Genesis 33bbbccc12-16` And he said, Let us travel on and go, and I will go beside you. And he said to him, My lord knows that the children are tender, and the flocks and herds with me are suckling, and if the men overdrive them for one day, all the flocks will die. Let my lord now pass over before his servant, and I will move on slowly at the walking-pace of the cattle`fff1` that are before me, and at the walking-pace`fff2` of the children, until I come to my lord, to Seir. And Esau said, Let me now place with you some of the people who are with me. And he said, Why so? Let me find favour in my lord's eyes. And Esau returned on that day on his own way, to Seir.
'He said, Let us travel on and go' means a further stage. 'And I will go beside you' means that they are to be joined together. 'And he said to him, My lord knows that the children are tender' means truths which have not yet acquired Divine life. 'And the flocks and herds with me are suckling' means goods, interior ones and natural ones, which have not yet acquired Divine life. 'And if the men overdrive them for one day, all the flocks will die' means a passage of time and a subsequent stage; also that otherwise they would not live, and so needed to be prepared to be joined together. 'Let my lord now pass over before his servant' means a more general presence. 'And I will move on slowly' means the subsequent state of preparation. 'At the walking-pace of the cattle that are before me' means as determined by the things that are general. 'And at the walking-pace of the children' means as determined by the truths situated within. 'Until I come to my lord, to Seir' means until they could be joined together, 'Seir' meaning the joining of spiritual things to celestial ones within the natural. 'And Esau said, Let me now place with you some of the people who are with me' means that some truths supplied by the truth of good might be joined. 'And he said, Why so? Let me find favour in my lord's eyes' means enlightenment received from their comparatively internal presence. 'And Esau returned on that day on his own way, to Seir' means the state at the time of Divine Natural Good to which the goods of truth had been linked, 'way' meaning, when compared with that Good, the good of truth.
`nnn1. literally, at the foot of the work
`nnn2. literally, at the foot
ppp19476#pid#4375. 'He said, Let us travel on and go' means a further stage, that is to say, in the joining together of good and truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'travelling and going' which, it is evident, implies progress towards things that stand further away. For progress and a stage further are contained in the internal sense of the phrases that follow next.
ppp19475#pid#4376. 'And I will go beside you' means that they are to be joined together. This is clear from the meaning of 'going beside you' as the linking of one to another, and so the meaning here is that they - good and truths - are to be joined together.
ppp19474#pid#4377. 'And he said to him, My lord knows that the children are tender' means truths which have not yet acquired Divine life. This is clear from the meaning of 'children' or sons as truths, dealt with in `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@533`, `@@@1147`, `@@@2623`, `@@@3373`, and from the meaning of 'tender ones' as truths that are recent and so those which have acquired some life but not as yet genuine life, in this case Divine Life since the subject is the glorification of the Lord's Divine Natural. These matters can be illustrated by means of what happens to a person who is being regenerated, for the regeneration of man is a model of the glorification of the Lord. A person who is being regenerated passes through different phases, akin to those which follow birth - phases akin to infancy, childhood, adolescence or youth, and adult years. Indeed a person who is being regenerated is born anew. During the phase when he is an infant the truths he knows do indeed possess life, though not as yet spiritual life. At this stage they are merely general truths which lack particular and specific ones, yet to which good is being joined. That joining of truths to good is therefore purely exterior, not interior. A more interior joining together of them is effected step by step as he advances into the phases that follow infancy. It is the state belonging to this type of infancy that is meant by the reference to the children being tender and by what is said immediately after that - 'and the flocks and herds with me are suckling, and if the men overdrive them for one day, all the flocks will die'.
ppp19473#pid#4378. 'And the flocks and herds with me are suckling' means goods, interior ones and natural ones, which have not yet acquired Divine life. This is clear from the meaning of 'flocks' as interior goods, dealt with in `@@@2566`, `@@@3783`; from the meaning of 'herds' as exterior or natural goods, in `@@@2566`, and in addition in `@@@2180`, `@@@2781`; and from the meaning of 'sucklings' as goods which also are recent, and are in this case spiritual ones that am being born within the natural.
ttt[2] In the state of infancy that a person passes through when being regenerated spiritual things are present in potentiality, for spiritual life emerges, as if from an egg, out of each consecutive age. The phase of infancy is so to speak the egg for that of childhood; the phase of childhood is so to speak the egg for that of adolescence and youth; and this phase is as it were the egg for that of adult years. Thus the person is so to speak repeatedly experiencing birth. This shows what is implied by goods, interior ones and natural ones, which have not yet acquired Divine life, meant here by 'flocks and herds that are suckling'. See also what has been stated immediately above in `@@@4377` about the state of infancy.
ppp19472#pid#4379. 'And if the men overdrive them for one day, all the flocks will die' means a passage of time and a subsequent stage; also that otherwise they would not live, and so needed to be prepared to be joined together. This becomes clear from the actual train of thought. For in what has gone before the subject has been the joining of good to truths in general, whereas now the same joining together of them in particular is dealt with. The actual process in which truth is instilled into good is described at this point in the internal sense. One may catch a glimpse of what that process is like from the explanation in general; but one can see nothing of the countless arcana to do with it. Such arcana are clearly visible only to those who dwell in the light of heaven, while a rough outline of them is seen by those dwelling in the light of the world when the light of heaven is allowed to brighten that light.
ttt[2] Clear enough evidence of this exists in the fact that when a person is being born again he passes through phases analogous to those passed through after birth, and from the fact that a previous state is always like the egg in relation to the state that follows it, thus that there is a repeated occurrence of conception and birth. This is so not only when he lives in the world, but also when he enters the next life for ever. And even then he cannot be perfected beyond the point of being at the egg-stage so far as the limitless things to come are concerned. From this one may see how countless the things are which are involved in a person's regeneration, but of which people know scarcely anything, and one may see how many are the things contained in the internal sense at this point, where a subsequent state and the manner by which good is instilled into truths is the subject.
ppp19471#pid#4380. 'Let my lord now pass over before his servant' means a more general presence. This is clear from the meaning here, where the joining of good to truths is the subject, of 'passing over before anyone' as a more general presence. For with regeneration which is achieved by means of the joining of good to truths the situation is that good is that which acts and truth that which allows itself to be acted upon. Whenever good has brought itself in touch with truths and linked itself to them a little, truth is seen to react. Yet it is not the truth itself that reacts but the good combined with it or else attached to it, doing so by means of that truth. Such an attachment is what is meant by a more general presence. The phrase joining good to truths is used, but what is meant is the person in whom goodness and truth are present, for goodness and truth are meaningless attributes if they have no subject - that is, man - to which they can be applied. In heaven people do employ abstract terms such as these in their thought and speech, for the reason that they do not attribute good or truth to themselves but to the Lord, and also for the reason that goodness and truth from the Lord fill heaven in its entirety. The ancients too were accustomed to employ such terms in their speech.
ppp19470#pid#4381. 'And I will move on slowly' means the subsequent state of preparation. This becomes clear from the meaning here, where the subject is the instillation of good into truth and the reception of it by truth, of 'moving on slowly' as the subsequent state of preparation.
ppp19469#pid#4382. 'At the walking-pace of the cattle that are before me' means as determined by the things that are general. This becomes clear from what has gone before. By 'the walking-pace of the cattle' are meant the things that have been stated above - 'the children are tender, and the flocks and herds with me are suckling; and if the men overdrive them for one day, all the flocks will die' which, as is evident from what has been stated there, meant as determined by the things that are general. The expression 'the walking-pace of the cattle' is used, and after that 'the walking-pace of the children', because 'the foot' means the natural, see `@@@2162`, `@@@3147`, `@@@3761`, `@@@3986`, `@@@4280`, and the subject at present is the natural.
ppp19468#pid#4383. 'And at the walking-pace of the children' means as determined by the truths situated within. This is clear from the meaning of 'children' or sons as truths, dealt with a number of times above. The truths situated within are truths present within the things that are general. Actually these general things are those which have been compared above, in `@@@4378`, to the egg, for general things contain particular ones, and the particular contain specific ones, `@@@4325` (end), `@@@4329`, `@@@4345`. In the first state - that of infancy - the particular are present within in potentiality, and the specific within these. But later on they come forth and display themselves in action, thus successively. This is the way in which people who are being regenerated are led by the Lord, for they are endowed with general things having within them those which follow later, which also come forth successively, doing so in an order and sequence beyond description. For every single thing is foreseen by the Lord, even as its nature will be for evermore. For this reason no other general truths are joined to good with one who is being regenerated except those that can have particular truths inserted into them, and specific truths within the particular.
ttt[2] Nevertheless these particular truths, and indeed the specific ones that go with these, are themselves entirely general when considered in relation to even further truths that exist; for specific truths include an incalculable number of individual ones. Although their wisdom in contrast to man's is so great that the things which they know and perceive are indescribable, angels nevertheless confess that, compared with what is above their knowledge, the truths they know are very general, while those which they do not know are limitless. They do not dare to call them infinite since finite and infinite are completely different from each other and cannot be measured one against the other. From this one can also deduce the nature of the Word. Being Divine the Word contains within itself things that are infinite which come from its first source, and as a consequence contains things beyond description such as constitute angelic wisdom; but in its lowest form it contains only such things as those that man is able to grasp.
ppp19467#pid#4384. 'Until I come to my lord, to Seir' means until they - the truth meant by 'Jacob' and the good meant by 'Esau' - could be joined together. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'Seir' as the joining of spiritual things to celestial ones within the natural, that is, the joining of truth which belongs to faith to good which belongs to charity. Good to which truth has been joined within the natural, and in the highest sense the Lord's Divine Natural as regards good joined to truth there, is what is meant strictly speaking by 'Seir' in the following places in the Word: In Moses' prophecy concerning the children of Israel,
Jehovah came from Sinai, and dawned from Seir upon them; He shone from Mount Paran, and came out of myriads of holiness. `Deuteronomy 33bbb2-3`.
In Balaam's prophecy,
I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near. A star will arise out of Jacob, and a sceptre will rise up out of Israel. And Edom will be an inheritance, and Seir will be an inheritance, of His enemies - with Israel doing valiantly. `Numbers 24bbb17-18`.
In the Song of Deborah and Barak,
O Jehovah, when You went forth from Seir, when You set out from the field of Edom, the earth trembled, the mountains flowed down, this Sinai before Jehovah God of Israel. `Judges 5bbb4-5`.
In Isaiah,
One is calling to me from Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night? The watchman said, Morning comes, and also the night. `Isaiah 21bbb11-12`.
See `@@@4240` for these texts referring to Seir, as well as others quoted there.
ppp19466#pid#4385. 'And Esau said, Let me now place with you some of the people who are with me' means that some truths supplied by the truth of good might be joined. This is clear from the meaning of 'placing with you' as joining together, and from the meaning of 'the people who are with me' as some truths supplied by the truth of good 'The people' means truths, see `@@@1259`, `@@@1260`, `@@@2928`, `@@@3295`, `@@@3581`; and therefore 'the people who are with me' means truths of good. What truths of good are has been stated a number of times already. They are those truths which proceed from good and which the good flowing in by way of the internal man into the external holds within itself. As regards those truths being meant by the four hundred men that Esau had with him, see above in `@@@4341`. At this point therefore some of those truths are meant since the expression 'some of the people who are with me' is used.
ppp19465#pid#4386. 'And he said, Why so? Let me find favour in my lord's eyes' means enlightenment received from their comparatively internal presence. This becomes clear from the implications of this stock-phrase to do with submission. The phrase is used to mean a rejection of their very close presence but an acceptance of their distant presence, which is the same as saying their comparatively internal presence, from which enlightenment is received.
ppp19464#pid#4387. 'And Esau returned on that day on his own way, to Seir' means the state at that time of Divine Natural Good to which the goods of truth had been linked. This is clear from the meaning of 'day' as state, dealt with in `@@@23`, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@893`, `@@@2788`, `@@@3462` - hence 'he returned on that day' means the state which it assumed at that point; from the representation of 'Esau' as Divine Natural Good, dealt with above in `@@@4340`; from the meaning of 'way' as truth, dealt with in `@@@627`, `@@@2333`, in this case the good of truth, which is truth in will and action, `@@@4337`, `@@@4353`; and from the meaning of 'Seir' as the joining of truth to good, dealt with above in `@@@4384`. These different meanings when drawn together to give one overall sense show that the words used here mean the state at that time of Divine Natural Good to which the goods of truth had been linked.
ttt[2] It is not at all apparent from the historical sense of these words that such ideas are meant by them. All the same, it is just these ideas that those words hold within them in the spiritual or internal sense. For heaven, which is within man - that is, the angels who reside with him - do not have the slightest interest in details to do with the history of the world. Neither do they know who or what Esau was, who or what Seir was. Nor do they have any thought of the day when Esau returned or of the way to Seir; instead they gather ideas of the spiritual things which correspond to those historical facts, instantly deriving such a spiritual meaning from them. For correspondences work in the following way: They are very much like a person talking in a foreign language to someone else who instantly understands what is meant as if in his own language, the sounds and pronunciation of the words actually used being no hindrance to him. So it is with the internal sense of the Word, which sense is in perfect agreement with the universal language which angels use, that is, with the spiritual speech which is expressive of their thought. Their speech is spiritual because their thought is a product of the light of heaven which shines from the Lord.
ppp19463#pid#4388. Verses `Genesis 33bbbccc17-20` And Jacob travelled on to Succoth, and built a house for himself, and made booths for his cattle; therefore he called the name of the place Succoth. And Jacob came to Salem, the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, as he was coming from Paddan Aram; and he encamped towards the face of the city. And he bought the portion of the field where he had stretched his tent, from the hand of the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for a hundred kesitahs. And he set up an altar there and called it El Elohe Israel.
'Jacob travelled on to Succoth' means the state of the life of the good from truth at that time. 'And built a house for himself' means an increase of good from truth within that state. 'And made booths for his cattle' means an increase in a similar way of the things which exist in general within good from truth at that time. 'Therefore he called the name of the place Succoth' means the nature of that state. 'And Jacob came to Salem, the city of Shechem' means interior truths of faith which go with a state of serenity. 'Which is in the land of Canaan' means within the Lord's kingdom. 'As he was coming from Paddan Aram' means that which happened after the previous state. 'And he encamped towards the face of the city' means application. 'And he bought the portion of the field' means making the good that springs from that truth its own. 'Where he had stretched his tent' means holiness. 'From the hand of the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem' means that the origin of that truth lay in a Divine stock from a different source. 'A hundred kesitahs' means that which is complete. 'And he set up an altar there' means interior worship. 'And called it El Elohe Israel' means that it originated in the Divine Spiritual.
ppp19462#pid#4389. 'Jacob travelled on to Succoth' means the state of life of the good from truth at that time. This is clear from the representation of 'Jacob' as the good of truth, dealt with above - at this point the good from truth at that time, a product of the truths referred to above which were linked to that good by the good meant by 'Esau'; from the meaning of 'travelling' as the order and established patterns of life, dealt with in `@@@1293`, and so the state of life; and from the meaning of 'Succoth' as the nature of that state, dealt with below in `@@@4391`, `@@@4392`.
ppp19461#pid#4390. 'And built a house for himself means an increase of good from truth within that state. This is clear from the meaning of 'building a house' as providing the external man with intelligence and wisdom, dealt with in `@@@1488`. And because intelligence is essentially truth, and wisdom is essentially good, 'building a house' here means an increase of good from truth. 'A house' means good, see `@@@2233`, `@@@2234`, `@@@3128`, `@@@3142`, `@@@3652`, `@@@3720`; and what the good of truth is has been stated above in `@@@4337`, `@@@4353` - namely, truth in will and action. This truth is such that it is called good; and conscience which is a product of that good is termed the conscience of truth. This good which springs from truth increases in the measure that a person exercises charity which stems from a desire to do good, and so to the extent and degree that he loves his neighbour.
ttt[2] The reason why good and truth are mentioned so many times in the explanations given is that all things in heaven, and consequently all in the Lord's Church, have a connection with truth and good In general these two include everything that is part of doctrine and everything that is part of life, ideas that are true being part of doctrine and those that are good being part of life. Furthermore the human mind generally does not have any objects of its thought and desire which do not involve truth or good, thought in the understanding involving truth and desire in the will involving good. From this it is evident that truth and good possess a very wide range of meaning and that they have an unimaginable number of derivations. This is why truth and good are mentioned so many times.
ppp19460#pid#4391. 'And made booths for his cattle' means a similar increase in good and truth at that time. This is clear from the meaning of 'cattle' as goods and truths in general, and from the meaning of 'making booths', which are tents, as something similar to what is meant by 'building a house', namely receiving an increase of good from truth. The two phrases differ in that 'building a house' means that which is less general, and so rather more internal, while 'making booths', or tents, means that which is more general, and so rather more external. The house was intended for themselves, that is to say, for Jacob, his womenfolk and children, the booths for the servants, flocks and herds. In the Word 'booths' or tents, strictly speaking, means the holiness of truth, and they are distinguished from tabernacles, which too are called tents, by the fact that the latter mean the holiness of good, `@@@414`, `@@@1102`, `@@@2145`, `@@@2152`, `@@@4128`. The word in the original language for booths is 'succoth', whereas that for tabernacles is 'ohalim'. The holiness of truth is the good which springs from truth.
ttt[2] This meaning carried by the booths or tents called 'succoth' is further evident from the following places in the Word: In David,
Jehovah God rode on a cherub, and flew, and was borne on the wings of the wind. He made darkness His hiding-place, and His surroundings His tent - darkness of waters, clouds of the heavens. `Psalms 18bbb10-11`.
And elsewhere,
He bowed the heavens when He came down, and thick darkness was under His feet. And He rode on a cherub, and new, and was borne on the wings of the wind. And He made tents of darkness around Him, clusters of water, clouds of the heavens. `2 Samuel 22bbb10-12`.
This refers to Divine revelation, or the Word. 'Bowing the heavens when He came down' stands for hiding the interior truths of the Word. 'Thick darkness under His feet' stands for the fact that compared with interior truths, those visible to man are like darkness, the literal sense of the Word being of such a nature. 'Riding on a cherub' stands for the fact that it was provided in this way. 'Making tents of the darkness around Him' or 'making His surroundings His tent' stands for the holiness of truth concealed in its hiding-place, that is to say, inwardly - within the literal sense. 'Clusters of waters and clouds of the heavens' means the Word in the letter. Regarding 'clouds of the heavens' meaning the Word in the letter, see Preface to Chapter `Genesis ccc18bbb0` of Genesis, and `@@@4060`.
ttt[3] The same is meant by the following in Isaiah,
Jehovah will create over every habitation of mount Zion, and over her assemblies, a cloud by day, and smoke and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory there will be a covering. And there will be a tent for shade by day, and for a refuge and hiding-place from deluge and rain. `Isaiah 4bbb5-6`.
Here again 'cloud' means the literal sense of the Word and 'the glory' the internal sense, as they do in `Matthew 24bbb30`; `Mark 13bbb26`; `Luke 21bbb27`. Again also 'a tent' stands for the holiness of truth. Interior truths are said to be in a hiding-place for the reason that if they had been revealed they would have been made profane, see `@@@3398`, `@@@3399`, `@@@4289`, a point that is also expressed in the following words in David,
In the hiding-place of Your face You conceal them from the treacherous plans of man; You hide them in a tent from the strife of tongues. `Psalms 31bbb20`.
ttt[4] The fact that 'a tent' means the holiness of truth is also evident in Amos,
On that day I will raise up the tent of David that is fallen down, and I will close up the breaches, and I will raise up its destroyed places, and I will build it as in the days of old. `Amos 9bbb11`.
'Raising up the tent of David that is fallen down' stands for reestablishing the holiness of truth after it has perished. 'David' stands for the Lord as regards Divine Truth, `@@@1888`, since 'a king' means Divine Truth, `@@@2015`, `@@@2069`, `@@@3009`. Because 'tent' meant the holiness of truth and 'dwelling in tents' means worship that was the product of this, the feast of tents, called the feast of tabernacles, was established in the Jewish and Israelitish Church, `Leviticus 23bbb34`, `Leviticus 23bbbccc42-43`; `Deuteronomy 16bbb13`, `Deuteronomy 16bbbccc16`, where also that feast is called the feast of succoth, or of tents.
ppp19459#pid#4392. 'Therefore he called the name of the place Succoth' means the nature of that state. This is clear from the meaning of 'calling the name' as the essential nature, dealt with in `@@@144`, `@@@145`, `@@@1754`, `@@@1896`, `@@@2009`, `@@@2724`, `@@@3006`, `@@@3421`, and from the meaning of 'place' as state, dealt with in `@@@2625`, `@@@2837`, `@@@3356`, `@@@3387`, `@@@4321`. It is the nature of this state that is embodied in the name 'Succoth', that is to say, the nature of the state of the holiness present within truth from good at that time. For 'Succoth' means tents, and 'tents' means the holiness of truth, as shown immediately above in `@@@4391`. 'Succoth' carries a similar meaning in David,
I will divide Shechem and portion out the valley of Succoth. Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine, and Ephraim is the strength of My head, Judah is My lawgiver. `Psalms 60bbb6-7`, and `Psalms 108bbb7-8`.
ppp19458#pid#4393. 'And Jacob came to Salem, the city of Shechem' means interior truths of faith which go with a state of serenity. This is clear from the meaning of 'Salem' as the serenity of peace, dealt with below, and from the meaning of 'the city of Shechem' as interior truths of faith, dealt with in the next chapter where Shechem and his city are the subject. For 'a city' means the truth of faith, see `@@@402`, `@@@2268`, `@@@2449`, `@@@2451`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc2712`, `@@@2943`, `@@@3216`, while 'Salem' means the serenity of peace, as may be seen in David,
In Judah is God known, in Israel His name is great; and in Salem is His tent, and His dwelling-place in Zion. There He broke the bow's flashing arrows, the shield and the sword, and war. `Psalms 76bbb1-3`.
Here 'Salem' plainly means the serenity of peace since it is said that there He broke the bow's flashing arrows, the shield, the sword, and war, as well as from the meaning of that name in the original language - for Salem means serenity and perfection. What the serenity of peace is, see `@@@1726`, `@@@3696`. Such peace involves interior truths, that is, it is experienced by those who in faith and life are governed by interior truths. But as long as they are governed by exterior truths, and especially while progressing from exterior to interior, their state is not one of serenity, for at that time the conflicts brought about by temptations are taking place. The same is also represented here by Jacob in that, following his fear and anxiety on account of Esau, he entered a state of serenity.
ppp19457#pid#4394. 'Which is in the land of Canaan' means within the Lord's kingdom. This is clear from the meaning of 'the land of Canaan' as the Lord's kingdom, dealt with in `@@@1413`, `@@@1437`, `@@@1607`, `@@@3038`, `@@@3481`, `@@@3705`. When a person in faith and life is governed by interior truths he is within the Lord's kingdom and experiences the state of serenity, at which time his vision of exterior truths is like that of a person looking down from a tall hill onto a boisterous sea.
ppp19456#pid#4395. 'As he was coming from Paddan Aram' means that which happened after the previous state. This is clear from the meaning of 'as he was coming' as that which happened after, and from the meaning of 'Paddan Aram' as cognitions of good and truth, dealt with in `@@@3664`, `@@@4107`, `@@@4112`, though exterior cognitions which serve in the introduction of genuine goods and truths; for Laban dwelt there, and he represents the affection for that kind of good, see `@@@3612`, `@@@3665`, `@@@3778`, `@@@3974`, `@@@3982`, `@@@3986` (end), `@@@4063`, `@@@4189`, `@@@4206`. Consequently the words 'as he was coming from Paddan Aram' are used because the point was reached when external truths and goods gave way to interior, and so when the previous state gave way to the present one.
ppp19455#pid#4396. 'And he encamped towards the face of the city' means application, that is to say, to the goods of that truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'encamping', strictly speaking, as an arrangement in conformity with true order, dealt with in `@@@4236`, though here application, since encamping here denotes settling down with his herds and flocks, which above in `@@@4364` have also been called 'a camp'; and from the meaning of 'towards the face of the city' as towards the goods of that truth, for 'the face' means things that are interior, `@@@358`, `@@@1999`, `@@@2434`, `@@@3527`, `@@@3573`, `@@@4066`, and consequently affections for good or truth which shine out of the face. 'The city' means truth, see `@@@402`, `@@@2268`, `@@@2449`, `@@@2451`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc2712`, `@@@2943`, `@@@3216`.
ppp19454#pid#4397. 'And he bought the portion of the field' means making the good that springs from that truth its own. This is clear from the meaning of 'buying' as making one's own, and from the meaning of 'the portion of the field' as good springing from that truth. For 'the field' means the Church as regards good and so means good itself, see `@@@2971`, `@@@3196`, `@@@3317`, `@@@3500`, `@@@3508`, `@@@3766`.
ppp19453#pid#4398. 'Where he had stretched his tent' means holiness. This is clear from the meaning of 'a tent' as holiness, dealt with in `@@@414`, `@@@1102`, `@@@2145`, `@@@2152`, `@@@3210`.
ppp19452#pid#4399. 'From the hand of the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem' means that the origin of that truth lay in a Divine stock from a different source. This will be clear from what is to be stated in the next chapter, where Hamor and Shechem are the subject.
ppp19451#pid#4400. 'A hundred kesitahs' means that which is complete. This is clear from the meaning of 'a hundred' as a complete state, dealt with in `@@@2636`, and therefore that which is complete. But strictly speaking 'a hundred' in the present instance means much, for the subject is making its own the good from interior truths, which are meant by 'the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem', `@@@4399`. 'Kesitahs', which were coins, in the internal sense means truths of this kind, for this word is also derived from another which means truth, `Psalms 60bbb4`. The joining of good to those truths will be discussed below in `@@@4402`.
ppp19450#pid#4401. 'And he set up an altar there' means interior worship. This is clear from the meaning of 'setting up an altar' as worship, for the altar was the chief representative of the Lord, `@@@921`, `@@@2777`, `@@@2811`, and therefore the chief feature of worship. By worship here is meant interior worship originating in the Divine Spiritual, dealt with in the paragraph following this.
ppp19449#pid#4402. 'And he called it El Elohe Israel' means that it, that is to say, interior worship, originated in the Divine Spiritual. This is clear from the meaning of 'El Elohe', dealt with below, and from the meaning of 'Israel' as the spiritual, dealt with in `@@@4286`, `@@@4292`. The things stated so far in this chapter from verse `Genesis 33bbbccc17` onwards appear there because the subject in the highest sense of the chapter is how the Lord made His Natural Divine. But since things in the highest sense which are concerned with the Lord are beyond the range of ideas present in a person's thought because such things are Divine, let them be illustrated by means of the kind of things that do fall more immediately within the range of a person's ideas. That is to say, let those things that are Divine be illustrated by means of the way in which the Lord regenerates man's natural. Indeed the regeneration of man, that is, of his natural, is also the subject here in the internal sense; for the regeneration of man is a model of the glorification of the Lord, `@@@3138`, `@@@3212`, `@@@3296`, `@@@3490`. In fact the Lord glorified Himself, that is, made Himself Divine, according to Divine order, according to which same order He also regenerates man, that is, makes him celestial and spiritual. Here the way in which He makes him spiritual is dealt with, for 'Israel' means that spiritual man.
ttt[2] The spiritual man is not the interior rational man but the interior natural. The interior rational man is that which is called celestial. How the spiritual man and the celestial differ from each other has often been stated already. A person becomes spiritual through the joining of the truths residing with him to good, that is, through the joining of matters of faith to those of charity, a joining together which takes place within his natural. There exterior truths first are joined to good, and after that interior truths. The joining of exterior truths within the natural has been dealt with in verses `Genesis 33bbbccc1-16` of this chapter, the joining of interior truths to good in verses `Genesis 33bbbccc17`-end. Interior truths are not joined to good except by means of an enlightenment entering through the internal man into the external. That enlightenment makes Divine truths visible in a purely general way, as when, to use a comparison, countless objects are seen by the eye as an obscure single whole devoid of any distinguishable features. This enlightenment making truths visible in a purely general way was meant by Esau's words to Jacob, 'Let me now place with you some of the people who are with me', and by Jacob's reply, 'Why so? Let me find favour in your eyes', dealt with in `@@@4385`, `@@@4386`.
ttt[3] On the point that the spiritual man, compared with the celestial, dwells in obscurity, see `@@@2708`, `@@@2715`, `@@@2716`, `@@@2718`, `@@@2831`, `@@@2849`, `@@@2935`, `@@@2937`, `@@@3241`, `@@@3246`, `@@@3833`. It is this spiritual man that is represented by 'Israel', `@@@4286`. The expression spiritual man is used because the light of heaven, which holds intelligence and wisdom within it, flows into those things with man which belong to the light of the world and causes those which belong to the light of heaven to be represented in those belonging to the light of the world, and in this way causes them to correspond. For regarded in itself the spiritual is the Divine Light itself which comes from the Lord, and therefore consists in intelligence which essentially is truth and as a consequence is wisdom. With the spiritual man however that light falls on things which are matters of faith with him and which he believes to be true, whereas with the celestial man it falls on the good of love. But although these considerations are clear to those who dwell in the light of heaven they are nevertheless obscure to those who dwell in the light of the world, and so to the majority at the present day. They are perhaps so obscure as to be barely intelligible. All the same, since they constitute the subject in the internal sense and are by nature as described, the exposition of them must not be left out. The time will come when people will be enlightened
ttt[4] The reason why the altar was called El Elohe Israel and why interior worship originating in the Divine Spiritual was meant by it is that in the highest sense El Elohe is identical with the Divine Spiritual; as also is Israel. For 'Israel' means the Lord's Divine Spiritual, and in the representative sense the Lord's spiritual Church, or what amounts to the same, a person like that, see `@@@4286`, `@@@4292`. In the original language El Elohe means 'God God', and also, to be strictly literal, 'God of gods'.`fff1` In the Word Jehovah, or the Lord, is referred to in very many places by the singular name 'El', or else 'Eloah', as well as by the plural name 'Elohim'. Both names are sometimes used within the same verse or in the same section. A person who is not acquainted with the internal sense of the Word cannot know the reason why. Anyone may conclude that 'El' implies one thing, 'Eloah' another, and 'Elohim' another, from the consideration that the Word is Divine, that is, has its origin in the Divine, and that it is for that reason inspired as to every word, indeed as to the smallest part of every letter.
ttt[5] What the name 'El' implies when it is used, or the name 'Elohim', may be seen from what has been shown in various places above, namely that El or Elohim - that is, God - is used when truth is the subject, see `@@@709`, `@@@2586`, `@@@2769`, `@@@2807`, `@@@2822`, `@@@3921` (end), `@@@4287`. This is why in the highest sense El and Elohim mean the Divine Spiritual, this being the same as Divine Truth. The two names differ however in that 'El' means truth in will and action, which is the same as the good of truth, `@@@4337`, `@@@4353`, `@@@4390`. The plural form Elohim exists for the reason that by Divine truth is meant all the truths which come from the Lord. This is also the reason why in the Word angels are sometimes called elohim or gods, `@@@4295`, as will be further evident from places in the Word that are quoted below. Now because El and Elohim in the highest sense mean the Lord as regards truth, they also mean Him as regards power; for truth is the entity to which power is attributed. Indeed when exercising power good acts by means of truth, `@@@3091`, `@@@4015`. Therefore when in the Word reference is made to the power received from truth, the Lord is called El and Elohim, that is, God. Hence also it is that El in the original language means one who is powerful.
ttt[6] The fact that the names El and Elohim, or God, are used in the Word where the Divine Spiritual is the subject, or what amounts to the same, Divine Truth, and Divine Power received from this, may be seen in addition from the following places,
God spoke to Israel in visions in the night. I am the God of gods (El Elohe) of your father, do not be afraid of going down into Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. `Genesis 46bbb2-3`.
Since these words are addressed to Israel, whom He is going 'to make into a great nation', and so the subject is truth and the power this possesses, El Elohe is used, which in the proximate sense means the God of gods. The fact that in the proximate sense Elohim means gods because it has reference to truths and to the power received from them, is also evident in the same author,
There Jacob built an altar, and called the place El Beth El, for there the Elohim were revealed to him, when he was fleeing from before his brother. `Genesis 35bbb7`.
And elsewhere in the same author,
Jehovah your God, He is God of gods, and Lord of lords, the God (El) who is great, powerful, and fearful. `Deuteronomy 10bbb17`.
Here 'God of gods' is expressed by Elohe Elohim, and after that 'God' by El, to whom greatness and power are attributed
ttt[7] In David,
A great God (El) is Jehovah, and a great King above all gods (elohim), in whose hand are the deep places`fff2` of the earth; and the strength`fff3` of the mountains are His. `Psalms 95bbb3-4`.
The name 'God' or El is used here because reference is made to Divine Truth and the Power received from this, and also 'gods' because reference is made to subordinate truths. For in the internal sense 'a king' means truth, `@@@1672`, `@@@2015`, `@@@2069`, `@@@3009`, `@@@3670`. From this it is clear what 'a great King above all gods' implies. 'The deep places of the earth' too means the truths of the Church, which are called 'the strength of the mountains' from power rooted in good. In the same author,
Who in heaven will compare himself to Jehovah? Who will be likened to Jehovah among the sons of gods (elim)? God (El) mighty in the secret place of the holy ones, O Jehovah God Zebaoth, who is strong as You are, O Jah? `Psalms 89bbb6-8`.
Here 'sons of gods (or of elim)' stands for Divine truths, to which, it is evident, power is attributed, since it is said 'God (El) mighty, Jehovah God of hosts, who is strong as You are?'
ttt[8] Similarly elsewhere in the same author,
Give to Jehovah, O sons of gods, give to Jehovah glory and strength. `Psalms 29bbb1`.
In Moses,
They fell on their faces, and said, O God of gods (El elohe) of the spirits of all flesh. `Numbers 16bbb22`.
In David,
I said, You are gods (elohim), and sons of the Most High, all of you. `Psalms 82bbb6`; `John 10bbb34`.
Here they are called 'gods' from truths, for 'sons' means truths, `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@533`, `@@@1147`, `@@@2628`, `@@@3373`, `@@@3704`. In the same author,
Confess the God of gods (Elohe elohim), confess the Lord of lords. `Psalms 136bbb2-3`.
In Daniel,
The king will act according to his own pleasure, and will uplift himself, and exalt himself above every god (el), and will speak astonishing things above the God of gods (El elohim). `Daniel 11bbb36`.
These quotations show that in the proximate sense El elohe means God of gods, and that in the internal sense 'gods' is used in reference to truths which come from the Lord.
ttt[9] The fact that the singular name El or God is used where the power which comes from Divine Truth is the subject, or what amounts to the same, from the Lord's Divine Spiritual, becomes clear from the following places: In Moses,
Let my hand be for God (El) to do you evil! `Genesis 31bbb29`.
And elsewhere,
Nor is there a hand for God (El). `Deuteronomy 28bbb32`.
And in Micah,
Let there be a hand for God (El). `Micah 2bbb1`.
'Let there be a hand for God' means, let there be power. For 'hand' means power, see `@@@878`, `@@@3387`, and 'hand' is used in reference to truth, `@@@3091`. In David,
I will set His hand in the sea, and His right hand in the rivers. He will cry to Me, You are My Father, My God (El), the Rock of My Salvation. `Psalms 89bbb25-26`.
This refers to power from truths. In the same author,
The wicked says in his heart, God (El) has forgotten; He has hidden His face; He never sees. Arise, O Jehovah God (El); lift up Your hand. For what reason does the wicked despise God (Elohim)? `Psalms 10bbb11-13`.
Here the meaning is similar.
ttt[10] In the same author,
Jehovah is my rock (petra) and my fortress, and my deliverer, my God (El), my rock (rupes). `Psalms 18bbb2`.
This refers to power. In Isaiah, A residue will return, the residue of Jacob, to the God (El) of power. `Isaiah 10bbb21`.
In the same prophet,
To us a Boy is born, to us a Son is given, the government upon His shoulder; He will call His name, Wonderful, Counsellor, God (El), the Powerful One, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace. `Isaiah 9bbb6`.
In the same prophet,
Behold the God (El) of my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid, for He is my strength. `Isaiah 12bbb2`.
In the same prophet,
I am God (El) even from today; I am He, and nobody delivers from My hand; I work, and who will reverse it? `Isaiah 43bbb12-13`.
This refers to power. In Jeremiah, Great and powerful God (El), whose name is Jehovah of hosts. `Jeremiah 32bbb18`.
In the second Book of Samuel,
With my God (El) I will leap over the wall. God (El) is perfect in His way; the word of Jehovah is pure. Who is God (El) besides Jehovah? Who is a rock besides our God (Elohim)? God (El) is the strength of my refuge. `2 Samuel 22bbb30-33`.
In Moses,
God (El) is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not act? Or has He spoken, and will He not carry it out? He brought them out of Egypt; He has so to speak the strength of a unicorn. At that time it will be said to Jacob and to Israel, What has God (El) been doing? `Numbers 23bbb19`, `Numbers 23bbbccc22-23`.
This in the internal sense refers to power and to truth.
ttt[11] And in the same author,
God (El) who brought him out of Egypt has as it were the strength of a unicorn. He will consume the nations, his enemies, and will break their bones, and smash their weapons. `Numbers 24bbb8`.
'Horns' and 'the strength of a unicorn' mean the power of truth that springs from good, see `@@@2832`. And there are many other places besides all these. Since most things in the Word also have a contrary sense, no less do 'god' and 'gods', names which are used when the subject is falsity and power from falsity, as in Ezekiel,
The gods (elim) of the mighty will speak to him in the midst of hell. `Ezekiel 32bbb21`.
In Isaiah,
You inflamed yourselves among the gods (elim) under every green tree. `Isaiah 57bbb5`.
Here the name 'gods' is used on account of falsities. Similar examples exist in other places.
`nnn1. 'El Elohe Israel may be understood in two different ways - 'God, the God of Israel' or 'Israel's God of gods'. Most English versions of the Bible prefer the first of these (e.g. in `Genesis 46bbb3`; `Deuteronomy 10bbb17`).
`nnn2. literally, the searchings
`nnn3. literally, the strengths
ppp19448#pid#4403. THE GRAND MAN AND CORRESPONDENCE - continued
IN THIS SECTION CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE EYE AND WITH LIGHT
I have also been allowed to become aware of and get to know the character of spirits and which province of the body they belonged to from their position and place in relation to myself, and also from the level they were on, and from how far away they were on that level. Those I saw close to me were for the most part the subordinates of whole communities, for communities send spirits from themselves to other spirits, and through these they perceive others' thoughts and affections, and in this manner communicate with others. But those subordinates so-called, or emissary spirits, will in the Lord's Divine mercy be taken as a separate subject. Concerning them I have made the following observations. Those to be seen over and close to my head are ones who teach and also readily allow themselves to be taught. Those beneath the back of my head are ones who act quietly and with circumspection, and those just away from my back act in a similar yet differing manner to these. Those close to my chest or breast are ones who are moved by charity; those close to the loins ones moved by conjugial love; those close to the feet ones who are natural; and those close to the soles of the feet are more inferior members of this last kind. But those close to my face vary in disposition, that variation being determined by their correspondence with the sensory organs located there. Those close to the nostrils, for example, excel in perception; those close to the ears are the obedient; those close to the eyes are the intelligent and wise; and so on.
ppp19447#pid#4404. Each of the five external senses - touch, taste, smell, hearing, and sight - has a correspondence with one of the internal senses. But today correspondences are known to scarcely anyone because people are not even aware of the existence of correspondences, let alone of the correspondence of spiritual things with natural ones, or what amounts to the same, of things belonging to the internal man with those belonging to the external. As regards the correspondences of the senses, the sense of touch in general corresponds to the affection for good; the sense of taste to the affection for knowing; the sense of smell to the affection for perceiving; the sense of hearing to the affection for learning, and also to obedience; while the sense of sight corresponds to the affection for being intelligent and wise.
ppp19446#pid#4405. The reason why the sense of sight corresponds to the affection for being intelligent and wise is that the sight of the body corresponds in every way to the sight of its spirit, and so to the understanding. For there are two kinds of light, the first being that of the world coming from the sun, the second that of heaven coming from the Lord. The light of the world does not hold any intelligence at all within it, whereas the light of heaven does hold intelligence within it. Consequently in the measure that the things with man which belong to the light of the world receive light from those that belong to the light of heaven, and so to the extent that the one set of things corresponds to the other, he is intelligent and wise.
ppp19445#pid#4406. Since the sight of the eye corresponds to the understanding, sight is therefore attributed to the understanding also, and is called intellectual sight. In addition the things which a person discerns are referred to as the objects of that sight. In everyday language too one speaks of seeing things when one understands them; and one also uses the terms light and enlightenment, and consequently clarity, in reference to the understanding, or conversely shade and darkness, and consequently obscurity. These and other terms like them have entered into a person's use of language because of their correspondence. For his spirit dwells in the light of heaven and his body in the light of the world - it being the spirit which has life within the body and also which thinks. Consequently there are many things of an interior nature which have passed down in this manner into the actual expressions people use.
ppp19444#pid#4407. The eye ranks as the finest organ in the face and communicates more directly with the understanding than any of man's other sensory organs. It is also affected by a more rarefied atmosphere than the ear, and sight also reaches the internal sensorium within the brain by a shorter and more internal route than speech perceived by the ear. This also explains why certain living creatures, lacking the understanding, have two so to speak substitute brains within the orbits of their eyes. For their power of understanding is dependent on their sight, unlike man who has the use of a larger brain, so that his power of understanding is not dependent on his sight but his sight on his power of understanding. It is quite evident that his sight is dependent on his power of understanding from the fact that man's natural affections display themselves in a representative fashion within the face, while his more interior affections which belong to his thought are seen in his eyes, from a kind of burning flame sending out flashes of light expressive of the affection occupying his thought. This is something further which a person can know about and observe even without first learning about it through any kind of systematized knowledge. The reason why such learning is not necessary is that his spirit is in association with spirits and angels in the next life who know it from a clear perception of it. For the truth that everyone as to his spirit is in association with spirits and angels, see `@@@1277`, `@@@2379`, `@@@3644`, `@@@3645`.
ppp19443#pid#4408. The existence of a correspondence between the sight of the eye and that of the understanding is perfectly plain to those who stop to reflect, since the objects that make up the world, each of which derives something from the light of the sun, come in through the eye and store themselves in the memory. They deposit themselves there as visual impressions of those objects, for the things which a person recalls from the memory are seen inwardly by him. They are the source of man's formation of mental images, whose constituent ideas philosophers term material ideas. And when a person sees these objects even more inwardly within himself they present themselves as thought, doing so again as something like visual impressions, though purer ones, whose constituent ideas are called immaterial, and also intellectual. The existence of an interior light holding life, and therefore intelligence and wisdom, within it, which provides the light for the interior sight and meets those impressions which have come in through the external sight, is plainly evident, as also is the fact that the action of the interior light is dependent on the way in which things that are present there from the light of the world are deployed. The things which come in through hearing are also converted inwardly into impressions similar to the visual ones which are formed from the light of the world.
ppp19442#pid#4409. Because the sight of the eye corresponds to that of the understanding it also corresponds to truths, for everything seen by the understanding has a connection with what is true. It is also connected with what is good; that is to say, a person should not only be aware of what is good but should also feel an affection for it. Everything seen by one's external sight likewise has a connection with what is true and good, since these have to do with the way objects are shaped and so with their beauty and the delight this gives. Anyone who is clearheaded can see that every single thing in the natural creation has a connection with what is true and good, and from this can recognize that the whole natural creation is a theatre in which the Lord's kingdom is represented.
ppp19441#pid#4410. Much experience has made it plain to me that the sight of the left eye corresponds to the truths seen by the understanding and the right eye to the affections for truth which are also present with the understanding; and therefore that the left eye corresponds to the truths of faith and the right eye to the goods of faith. The reason why such correspondence exists is that the light which comes from the Lord is heat as well as light, the light itself being the truth which proceeds from the Lord and the heat the good. This, together with influx into the two hemispheres of the brain, is the origin of that correspondence; for those who are governed by good are on the Lord's right, and those governed by truth on His left.
ppp19440#pid#4411. Every single part of the eye has its own corresponding counterpart in the heavens. This is so, for example, with the three humours, the aqueous, the vitreous, and the crystalline; and not only with the humours but also with the tunics, indeed with every part. The more interior parts of the eye have more beautiful and delightful corresponding counterparts, which however are different in one heaven from in another. When the light which proceeds from the Lord flows into the inmost or third heaven it is received there as good which is called charity. When it flows into the middle or second heaven, directly or indirectly, it is received as truth which is rooted in charity. But when this truth flows into the ultimate or first heaven, indirectly or directly, it is received in objects formed from spiritual substance and is to be seen there as a paradise garden, or in other places as a city containing palaces. This is how those counterparts, rising one above the other, present themselves to angels' external sight. It is similar in man. In his ultimate part, which is his eye, that inflowing truth presents itself in a material form, by means of the sight of the eye, whose objects are those existing in the visible world. When love and charity, and consequently faith, exist in a person, his interiors are like the counterparts described above, for he corresponds to the three heavens and resembles a miniature heaven.
ppp19439#pid#4412. There was a certain person whom I had known during his lifetime, though not so far as his disposition and interior affections were concerned. He spoke to me several times in the next life, but for a short while from a distance. Ordinarily he revealed himself by means of lovely representatives, for he was able to produce the kinds of things that gave pleasure, such as colours of every kind and beautiful coloured forms; to bring on the scene young children beautifully adorned like angels, and very many other representatives similar to these which were lovely and delightful. He did it by means of a mild and gentle influx into the tunic of the left eye. By means of such representatives he entered into the affections of others, his end in view being to bring pleasure and delight into their life. I was told by the angels that this is the character of those who belong to the tunics of the eye and that they communicate with the paradise-like heavens where truths and goods are represented in objects formed from spiritual substance, as stated above in `@@@4411`.
ppp19438#pid#4413. The fact that the light of heaven holds intelligence and wisdom within it, and the Lord's gift of intelligence, which essentially is truth, and of wisdom, which essentially is good, are seen by angels' eyes as light, I have been given to know through actual experience. I was raised up into light which was flashing like the sparkling light of diamonds. While I was kept in this light it seemed to me that I was taken away from bodily ideas to spiritual ones, and so to matters belonging to an intelligent understanding of what was true and good. Ideas present in my thinking which had been formed in the light of the world seemed at that time to have been removed from me and so to speak no longer belonged to me, although they were vaguely present. From this I was given to know that insofar as a person enters the light of heaven he enters intelligence. This explains why the more intelligent the angels are, the greater and brighter is the light in which they dwell.
ppp19437#pid#4414. The variations of light in heaven are as many as the angelic communities which constitute heaven; indeed they are as many as the angels within each community. The reason why is that heaven is arranged into order conforming with all the variations there are of good and truth, and so conforming with all the states there are of intelligence and wisdom, and consequently with the ways that light from the Lord is received. This is the reason why in the whole of heaven the light is nowhere entirely the same but varies according to the different ways in which red and white enter into the composition of it, and according to degrees of intensity. For intelligence and wisdom are nothing other than the higher kind of modification of heavenly light which radiates from the Lord.
ppp19436#pid#4415. Recently arrived souls, or novitiate spirits - that is to say, people who a few days after death of the body have entered the next life - are utterly amazed at the existence of light in the next life, for they bring with them the uninformed idea that there are no other sources of light than the sun and material flame. Still less do they know of a light which brings light to the understanding, for they have not observed it during their lifetime; and still less that such light provides the capacity to think, and by flowing into forms which exist from the light of the world frames everything seen in the understanding. If those novitiate spirits have been good people they are raised up, for the purpose of their instruction, to heavenly communities, passing from one community to another. They are raised up to these so that they may recognize through actual experience that light exists in the next life, a light that is brighter than that which shines in the world can ever be, and that the amount of light they dwell in there determines the amount of intelligence. Some borne up into spheres of heavenly light have spoken to me from there, confessing that they had never believed in any such thing and that the light of the world in comparison was darkness. From there they also looked through my eyes into the light of the world, which they saw to be nothing other than dark cloud. And they said, doing so with feelings of pity, that such was the darkness in which men dwelt. From what has been said one may also see why in the Word the angels of heaven are called angels of light; also that the Lord is the Light, and consequently the Life, for men, `John 1bbb1-8`; `John ccc8bbb12`.
ppp19435#pid#4416. The character of spirits in the next life is apparent from the light in which they dwell, for, as has been stated, the light by which they see corresponds to the light by which they perceive. People who have been acquainted with truths and have also substantiated them, and yet have led a life of evil, are seen to dwell in light which is white as snow, yet cold like the light of winter. But when such people approach those who dwell in the light of heaven their own light becomes thoroughly darkened and turns into pitch darkness. And when they withdraw from the light of heaven an inferior yellow light like that from sulphur takes its place, in which they themselves look like ghosts and their truths like ethereal shapes. For their truths have accompanied a false faith, the nature of this faith being such that they believed truths, but only because they thereby earned position, gain, and reputation. It made no difference to them what the truth may have been; all that mattered was the acceptance of it.
ttt[2] Those however who are under the influence of evil and consequently of falsities are seen dwelling in an inferior light like that of a charcoal fire. This becomes a thoroughly murky light when it comes near the light of heaven. But the light by which those people see varies according to the falsity and evil which govern them. From this one could also see why people who lead a life of evil cannot possibly have faith in Divine truths that springs from sincerity of heart, for they are dwelling in that smoke-filled light which, when heavenly light falls upon it, becomes dark to them, as a result of which they see neither with their eyes nor with their mind. At the same time they suffer intense pains and some sink into a kind of unconsciousness. Consequently the evil cannot possibly accept truth, only the good can.
ttt[3] Someone who is leading a life of evil is incapable of believing that he dwells in an inferior light like that because he is not able to see the light in which his spirit dwells, only the light in which the sight of his eye and consequently his natural mind dwells. But if he could see the light of his spirit and could find out what it would then become if the light of truth and good from heaven were to flow into it, he would know full well how far away he was from receiving the things of light, that is, matters of faith, and how much farther away he was from assimilating the things of charity, and so how distant he was from heaven.
ppp19434#pid#4417. I once held a conversation with spirits about life, to the effect that no one has any life at all of himself but receives it from the Lord, even though he does seem to live of himself; compare `@@@4320`. The conversation centred first around what life is - that it consists in having the mental powers of understanding and will; and as understanding is altogether a matter of comprehending what is true and will is altogether a matter of desiring what is good, `@@@4409`, it is in an intelligent understanding of what is true and in a will desiring what is good that life consists. But some spirits then spoke who were reasoners; for spirits exist who must be called reasoners because they always reason whether something is really true, and who for the most part dwell in obscurity so far as all truth is concerned. Some spirits, as I say, then spoke, who declared that those without any intelligent understanding of truth or any will desiring what is good do nevertheless have life. Indeed such people, they said, believe that they have life more truly than all others. I was led to say in reply to them that the life of the evil does indeed look to them like life, but this is the life that is called spiritual death. I also told them that they could recognize this from the consideration that if understanding truth and desiring good constitute life from the Divine, then understanding falsity and desiring evil cannot constitute life since evils and falsities are the opposites of life itself.
ttt[2] To convince them of this they were shown what their own life was like. When presented visually it was seen as smoke-filled light emitted from a charcoal fire. While dwelling in that inferior light they cannot do other than suppose that the life of their thought and of their will is the only life there is, all the more so from the fact that the light of the understanding of truth, which is the light of life itself, cannot be seen by them at all. For as soon as they enter that light their own inferior light becomes darkened, so much so that they cannot see anything distinctly, and so cannot perceive anything either. They were also shown what their state of life was like at that time by the removal of the delight they derived from falsity, which removal is effected in the next life by separating them from the spirits in whose community they dwell. Once this was done, they appeared with pallid faces, like those of corpses, so that one might have called them death masks. Regarding the life of animals however, this will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with as a separate subject.
ppp19433#pid#4418. Those in hell are said to be in darkness, but they are said to be in darkness because they dwell in falsities. For just as light corresponds to truths so darkness corresponds to falsities; and those in hell dwell in an inferior light, as stated above, like the yellow light of burning coal and sulphur. This light is what 'darkness' is used to mean, for their understanding is dependent on the light and therefore the sight this gives them, since that darkness and their understanding correspond to each other. The word darkness is used because light like this turns into darkness at the approach of heavenly light.
ppp19432#pid#4419. There was a spirit present with me who, when he lived in the world, had been very knowledgeable and on that account had believed that he was wiser than everyone else. This belief had led him to become infected with the evil of wishing, wherever he was, to take control of everything. He had been sent to me from a certain community to serve as their subordinate, that is, for the purpose of communication, `@@@4403`, and also to get rid of him because he proved to be a nuisance on account of his wanting to rule them by the use of his own intelligence. When he was with me I was allowed to talk to him about self-derived intelligence. I said that in the Christian world that kind of intelligence prevails to such an extent that all intelligence is believed by people to be self-derived, so that there is none which comes from God. They believe this even though they declare, when they speak from the doctrinal teachings of faith, that everything good and true comes from heaven and so from the Divine, including all intelligence since this involves understanding what is true and good. But when that spirit refused to pay any attention to these matters I said that it would be better if he went away as the sphere of his own intelligence was making me very uncomfortable. But because he was convinced that he was more intelligent than anybody else, he was unwilling to go.
ttt[2] At that point he was shown by angels the nature of self-derived intelligence and the nature of intelligence derived from the Divine. Different kinds of light were used to do this, for matters like these are presented visually in the next life in wonderful ways by means of variegations of light. Self-derived intelligence was demonstrated by means of an inferior light which resembled a will-o'-the-wisp that had a band of darkness around it, and that spread only a little way from its centre. He was shown in addition that it was extinguished in an instant when some angelic community looked at it, just as a will-o'-the-wisp is extinguished on the arrival of the light of the sun or daylight. After this he was shown the nature of intelligence derived from the Divine, again by means of light. This time the light was brighter and more luminous than that of the sun at midday, spreading far and wide, and ending in the way sunlight does out in space. He was also told that intelligence and wisdom enter in from every side into the sphere of that light and cause truth and good to be perceived with an insight virtually unlimited. But this depends on the nature of the truth stemming from good.
ppp19431#pid#4420. All this information shows that the things with man which belong to the light of the world correspond to those which belong to the light of heaven, and consequently that the sight of the external man which is that of the eye corresponds to the sight of the internal man which is that of the understanding. It also shows that in the next life the nature of intelligence is revealed by means of different kinds of light.
ppp19430#pid#4421. 'Correspondence with the eye and with light' is continued at the end of the next chapter.
ppp19429#pid#4422. In the preliminary section of this chapter the Lord's words in `Matthew 24bbb42`-end come up for explanation. These last verses in that chapter concerning the close of the age or the coming of the Lord read in the letter as follows,
Watch therefore, for you do not know at what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, if the master of the house knew at which period of the night the thief is coming, he would watch, and would not let his house be broken into. Therefore you also, be ready, for the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect. Who then is the faithful and careful servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find doing so. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his goods. But what if that wicked servant shall say in his heart, My master is delaying his coming, and he shall begin to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with drunkards? The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and in an hour he does not know. And he will cut him off and assign him his part with the hypocrites, where there is wailing and gnashing of teeth.
What these words hold within them may be seen from the train of thought, for the subject throughout this chapter in the gospel has been the last days of the Church, by which in the internal sense are meant the close of the age and the coming of the Lord. This can be seen plainly in the explanation of every statement in that chapter, in the preliminary sections of the chapters of Genesis immediately previous to this. That is to say, see `@@@3353-3356`, `@@@3486-3489`, `@@@3650-3655`, `@@@3751-3757`, `@@@3897-3901`, `@@@4056-4060`, `@@@4229-4231`, and `@@@4332-4335`, the preliminary sections of Chapters-`Genesis ccc33bbb0`..
ttt[2] The sequence of thought contained in this chapter of the gospel has also been stated in those paragraphs, that sequence being as follows: When the Christian Church established after the Lord's Coming began to ruin itself, that is, to depart from good,
1. People ceased to know what good or truth was and began to argue with one another about them.
2. They treated them with contempt.
3. Then they did not in their hearts acknowledge them.
4. After that they profaned them.
5. And because the truth of faith and the good of charity were still to remain in existence with some who are called the elect, the state of faith as this will be at that time is described.
6. Then the state of charity as this will be.
7. Finally the beginning of a new Church is dealt with, and
8. The state of good and truth within the Church, so called, when that Church is set aside and the new one adopted.
From this sequence of thought one may come to see what is included within the final verses of `Matthew 24bbb0`, which are set out above. That is to say, they contain an exhortation to those within the Church to keep to the good of faith or else they will perish.
ppp19428#pid#4423. Scarcely anyone is aware of what actually happens when the old Church is set aside and the new adopted. One who has no knowledge of the interior aspects of man, or of the states in which these exist, and who therefore does not know about man's states after death, cannot do otherwise than take it to mean that those who belong to the old Church - among whom good and truth have been brought to ruin, that is, are no longer acknowledged in the heart - are going to perish either as those before the Flood did in the floodwaters, or as the Jews did by being expelled from their own land, or in some other way. But when the Church is brought to ruin, that is, when it ceases to keep at all to the good of faith, the interior aspects of the Church, and so the states in which it exists in the next life, perish. Heaven, and as a consequence the Lord, in that case departs from them and transfers itself to others who are adopted in place of them. For without the Church somewhere on earth no communication of heaven with mankind exists, the Church being like the heart and lungs of the Grand Man on earth, `@@@468`, `@@@637`, `@@@931`, `@@@2054`, `@@@2853`.
ttt[2] The interior aspects of those who belong at such a time to the old Church and so have been removed from heaven are subjected to a kind of deluge, a deluge in fact that rises above the head. Of this deluge no one has any awareness during his lifetime, but comes to know it after death. The deluge is clearly visible in the next life; indeed it is like a dark cloud which envelops people and separates them from heaven. The state of those within that dark cloud is such that they cannot possibly see what the truth of faith is, let alone what the good of faith is. For the light of heaven which holds intelligence and wisdom within it cannot penetrate that cloud. This is the state of the Church once it has been ruined.
ppp19427#pid#4424. What the Lord's words quoted above embody in the internal sense becomes clear without explanation, for at this point the Lord uses comparisons rather than representatives and meaningful signs. Only the meaning of the words of the final verse has to be stated - 'He will cut him off and assign him his part with the hypocrites, where there is wailing and gnashing of teeth'.
He will cut him off means separation and removal from goods and truths, for people who have a knowledge of what is good and true, as those within the Church do, but who lead a life of evil are said to be cut off when that knowledge is removed from them; for in the next life their knowledge of good and truth is separated from them and they are restricted to evils and derivative falsities also. The reason why this takes place is so that they do not communicate with heaven through their knowledge of good and truth and with hell through their evil and consequent falsity, and thereby are left hanging between the two. A further reason is so that they do not profane goods and truths, as happens when these are mixed together with falsities and evils. The same is also meant by the Lord's words addressed to the one who hid his talent in the earth,
Take the talent from him and give it to him who has ten talents, for to everyone who has, it will be given, so that he may have in abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. `Matthew 25bbb28-29`.
And what the Lord says elsewhere has the same meaning - `Matthew 13bbb12`; also `Mark 4bbb25`, and `Luke 8bbb18`.
ttt[2] And assign him his part with the hypocrites means that his lot, meant by 'part', lies with those who outwardly give the appearance of knowing the truth so far as doctrine is concerned, and of cherishing good so far as life is concerned, but who inwardly have no belief at all in truth nor any desire at all for good, who are 'the hypocrites'. People like this have become 'cut off' in the sense described here. Consequently when external things are taken away from these people, as happens to all in the next life, they are seen to be what they are like internally - people devoid of faith and charity. Yet they have pretended to have these, so that, capturing the attention of others, they could earn themselves positions of importance, monetary gain, and reputation. Within the Church that has become ruined virtually everyone is like this, for they have things that are external but none that are internal. Hence the interior aspects of those people are engulfed in the deluge described immediately above in `@@@4423`.
ttt[3] Where there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth means their state in the next life, 'wailing' that state as regards evils, and 'gnashing of teeth' that state as regards falsities, for 'teeth' in the Word means lowest natural things - in the genuine sense truths going with these, and in the contrary sense falsities going with them. Teeth also correspond to those things. For these reasons 'the gnashing of teeth' means the clash of falsities and truths. People immersed in wholly natural things and governed by ideas resulting from sensory illusions, believing nothing which they do not see by means of these, are said to be where there is 'the gnashing of teeth', and in the next life seem to themselves to be there when they draw conclusions about the truths of faith on the basis of their own illusions. A Church in which good and truth have been brought to ruin teems with people such as these. The same is meant again in other places by the gnashing of teeth, as in Matthew,
The sons of the kingdom will be thrown into outer darkness, where there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. `Matthew 8bbb12`.
'The sons of the kingdom' means those within the ruined Church.
'Darkness' means falsities, `@@@4418`, for they are in darkness when surrounded by the dark cloud mentioned above. 'The gnashing of teeth' means the clash of falsities with truths there. The same matter occurs in other places, such as `Matthew 13bbb42`, `Matthew 13bbbccc50`; `Matthew ccc22bbb13`; `Matthew ccc25bbb30`; and `Luke 13bbb28`.
ppp19426#pid#4425. `Genesis 34bbb0`
1. And Dinah went out, the daughter of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob, to see the daughters of the land.
2. And Shechem saw her, the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land; and he took her, and lay with her, and ravished her.
3. And his soul clung to Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the young woman and spoke comfortingly to the young woman.`fff1`
4. And Shechem spoke to Hamor his father, saying, Get me this girl for a wife.
5. And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter; and his sons were with his cattle in the field; and Jacob kept silent until they came.
6. And Hamor, Shechem's father, went out to Jacob to speak to him.
7. And Jacob's sons came from the field when they heard; and the men were grieved and blazing with anger, because he had done something disgraceful in Israel by lying with Jacob's daughter, a thing that ought not to be done.
8. And Hamor spoke to them, saying, Shechem my son, his soul longs for your daughter; give her, I beg you, to him for a wife.
9. And intermarry with us; give your daughters to us, and take our daughters to yourselves.
10. And you shall dwell with us, and the land shall be before you; dwell, and carry on trade throughout it, and have possessions in it.
11. And Shechem said to her father and to her brothers, Let me find grace in your eyes, and I will give that which you tell me.
12. Increase the dowry and gift to any size,`fff2` and I will give whatever you tell me, and give me the young woman for a wife.
13. And Jacob's sons answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, and [so] spoke, because he had defiled Dinah their sister.
14. And they said to them, We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to a man who has a foreskin; for that would be a reproach to us.
15. Only on this [condition] will we consent to you: If you will be as we are, by circumcising every male among you,
16. Then we will give our daughters to you, and your daughters we will take to ourselves, and we will dwell with you, and we will be one people.
17. And if you do not listen to us to be circumcised, then we will take our daughter and go.
18. And their words were good in the eyes of Hamor and in the eyes of Shechem, Hamor's son.
19. And the young man did not delay to do the thing, because he delighted in Jacob's daughter. And he was honoured above all those of his father's house.
20. And Hamor came, then Shechem his son, to the gate of their city, and they spoke to the men of their city, saying,
21. These men are at peace with us; let them dwell in the land and carry on trade throughout it; behold, the land is broad and spacious before them. Let us take their daughters to us as wives (femina), and let us give our daughters to them.
22. Only on this [condition] will the men consent to us to dwell with us, to be one people: That every male among us be circumcised, as they are circumcised.
23. Their acquisition,`fff3` and their purchase, and all their beasts, will these not be ours? Only let us consent to them, and they will dwell with us.
24. And they listened to Hamor and Shechem his son, all who went out of the gate of his city; and they circumcised every male, all who went out of the gate of his city.
25. And it happened on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, each took his sword, and came with confidence upon the city, and killed every male.
26. And they killed Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and they took Dinah from Shechem's house, and went away.
27. The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and plundered the city, because they had defiled their sister.
28. Their flocks, and their herds, and their asses, and whatever was in the city, and whatever was in the field, they took.
29. And all their wealth, and all their young children, and their women, they took captive and plundered, and everything that was in the house.
30. And Jacob said to Simeon and to Levi, You have brought trouble on me, by making me stink to the inhabitant of the land, to the Canaanite and the Perizzite; and I am [a few] mortals in number, and they will be gathered together against me and will smite me, and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.
31. And they said, Is he going to treat our sister like a prostitute?
CONTENTS
The subject now in the internal sense is the annihilation by the descendants of Jacob of all truth of doctrine which the Ancient Church possessed, Hamor and Shechem together with the people of their city representing that truth. For the representative of the Church among the descendants of Jacob consisted wholly in external things devoid of internal, whereas the representative Church among the Ancients consisted in external things together with internal.
`nnn1. literally, spoke to the young woman's (or girl's) heart
`nnn2. literally, Multiply upon me exceedingly dowry and gift
`nnn3. i.e. small cattle - see `@@@4487`.
ppp19425#pid#4426. THE INTERNAL SENSE
Verses `Genesis 34bbbccc1-4` And Dinah went out, the daughter of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob, to see the daughters of the land. And Shechem saw her, the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land; and he took her, and lay with her, and ravished her. And his soul clung to Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the young woman and spoke comfortingly to the young woman.`fff1` And Shechem spoke to Hamor his father, saying, Get me this girl for a wife.
'Dinah went out' means the affection for all things of faith, and also means the Church arising from that affection. 'The daughter of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob' means in things that are external. 'To see the daughters of the land' means to get to know the affections for truth, and the Churches which arise from these. 'And Shechem saw her' means truth. 'The son of Hamor the Hivite' means received from the Ancients. 'The prince of the land' means which was first and foremost among the Churches. 'And he took her, and lay with her, and ravished her' means that there was no other way in which it could be joined to the affection for truth meant by the sons of Jacob, her brothers. 'And his soul clung to Dinah, the daughter of Jacob' means the inclination to be joined to it. 'And he loved the young woman and spoke comfortingly to her' means love. 'And Shechem spoke to Hamor his father' means thought from truth among the Ancients. 'Saying, Get me this girl for a wife' means that it wished to be joined to the affection for that truth.
`nnn1. literally, spoke to the young woman's (or girl's) heart
ppp19424#pid#4427. 'Dinah went out' means the affection for all things of faith, and also means the Church arising from that affection. This is clear from the representation of 'Dinah' as the affection for all truths, and as the Church arising from that affection, dealt with in `@@@3963`, `@@@3964`. For 'the twelve sons of Jacob' represented all things of faith, and so all things that constitute the Church, `@@@2129`, `@@@2130`, `@@@3858`, `@@@3926`, `@@@3939`; and therefore 'Dinah', who was born after Jacob's ten sons by Leah and the servant-girls, means the affection for those things of faith, and so means the Church. Indeed the Church arises from the affection for truth, so much so that whether you speak of the affection for truth or of the Church it amounts to the same; for it is by virtue of the affection for truth that anyone is a Church.
ppp19423#pid#4428. 'The daughter of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob' means in things that are external. This is clear from the representation of 'Leah' as the affection for external truth, dealt with in `@@@3793`, `@@@3819`, and from the representation of 'Jacob' in the highest sense as the Lord as regards the Divine Truth of the Natural, dealt with in `@@@3305`, `@@@3509`, `@@@3525`, `@@@3546`, `@@@3576`, `@@@4234`, `@@@4273`, `@@@4337`, and in the relative sense as the external Church, or what amounts to the same, the external aspect of the Church, dealt with in `@@@3305`, `@@@4286`. From all this it is evident that 'the daughter of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob' means the affection for truth in things that are external.
ppp19422#pid#4429. 'To see the daughters of the land' means to get to know the affections for truth, and the Churches which arise from these. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing' as getting to know, dealt with frequently already; from the meaning of 'the daughters' as affections, and consequently Churches, dealt with in `@@@2362`, `@@@3024`, `@@@3963`; and from the meaning of 'the land', in this case the land of Canaan, as that area where the Church is, and therefore also the Church itself, dealt with in `@@@662`, `@@@1066`, `@@@1067`, `@@@1262`, `@@@1733`, `@@@1850`, `@@@2117`, `@@@2118`, `@@@2928`, `@@@3355`, `@@@3686`, `@@@3705`.
ttt[2] The meaning of these things contained in this verse becomes clear from those that follow, for the subject is the representative of the Church which was to be established among the descendants of Jacob. This representative among them could not be established until they had undergone complete vastation so far as interior truths were concerned, that is, until they no longer had any knowledge of them; see `@@@4289`. Interior truths are all those which are represented and meant by the religious observances which they were commanded to keep; for every religious observance represented, and was a sign meaning, something in the Lord's kingdom in heaven, and consequently something in the Lord's kingdom on earth, that is, in the Church. The things which they meant and represented are in this instance interior truths. The fact that all the things, each one, which the descendants of Jacob were commanded to observe when a representative of the Church was established among them - which things are laid down in the books of Moses, especially in Exodus and Leviticus - were representatives and meaningful signs of the celestial and spiritual things of the Lord's kingdom has been shown throughout the explanatory sections. None of these spiritual and celestial things were known to the descendants of Jacob, for the character of those descendants was such that if they had known them they would have profaned them, `@@@301-303`, `@@@2520`, `@@@3398`, `@@@3479`, `@@@3769`, `@@@4281`, `@@@4293`. For that reason they did not enter into those representatives until they had undergone complete vastation so far as interior things were concerned. The subject in this chapter therefore is those truths and that people's annihilation of them.
ttt[3] The representatives which the descendants of Jacob were commanded to observe were not new, the majority being like those that had been in use formerly among the Ancients. Unlike the descendants of Jacob however, that is, unlike the Jews and Israelites, the Ancients did not worship external things but internal ones. Through internal things they acknowledged the Lord Himself. Remnants of the Church from ancient times still existed in the land of Canaan, especially among those who were called Hittites and Hivites. This is why those nations represent the truths of the Church. From all this one may now have some idea of what is meant by Dinah, the daughter of Jacob by Leah, going out to see the daughters of the land. For 'Dinah' represents the external Church such as was established among the descendants of Jacob, while 'the daughters of the land' means Churches existing among the Ancients. Everywhere in the Word Churches are meant in its internal sense by 'daughters', see `@@@2362`, `@@@3024`, where this meaning has been shown; and 'land' means an area and a nation where the Church exists, and so means the Church, `@@@662`, `@@@1066`, `@@@1067`, `@@@1733`, `@@@1850`, `@@@2117`, `@@@2118`, `@@@2928`, `@@@3355`, `@@@3686`, `@@@3705`.
ppp19421#pid#4430. 'And Shechem saw her' means truth. This is clear from the representation of 'Shechem' as truth, in this case the truth received by the Church from ancient times. The reason why 'Shechem' has this representation is that remnants of the Church still existed with the nation to which Shechem belonged. The fact that his nation was one of the upright nations is evident from the genuineness behind the things that Hamor and Shechem said to Jacob and his sons, verses `Genesis 34bbbccc8-12`, and from the deference that was shown by them in order that Shechem might marry Dinah, verses `Genesis 34bbbccc18-24`, on account of which they represented the truth of the Church. Furthermore the city of Shechem was Abram's first stopping-place when he came from Syria into the land of Canaan, `Genesis 12bbb6`, and was now also Jacob's first stopping-place when he too came from Syria, where he stretched his tent, made booths, and set up an altar, `Genesis 33bbb17-20`. It has been shown frequently that the journeys or wanderings of Abraham and Jacob represented advances into the truths of faith and the goods of love - in the highest sense, the Lord's own advances, and in the relative sense those made by the person who is being regenerated by the Lord. Hence 'Shechem' meant the first degree of light, `@@@1440`, `@@@1441`, and therefore interior truth since this is the first degree of light.
ttt[2] But in the present chapter the subject in the internal sense is the way in which the descendants of Jacob annihilated this first degree of light or interior truth residing with them. In this sense, which is the internal historical sense, 'the sons of Jacob' means all his descendants, for the internal sense of the Word deals solely with the things that belong to the Lord's kingdom, and so those that belong to His Church. Jacob's actual sons did not constitute any Church but their descendants did, though not until after they had come out of Egypt, and in actual fact not until they entered the land of Canaan.
ttt[3] Furthermore regarding this city named after Shechem, it was called Salem in ancient times, as is clear in the previous chapter,
Jacob came to Salem, the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan. `Genesis 32bbb18`.
'Salem' means serenity, and 'the city of Shechem' the interior truths of faith; and a person comes into a state of serenity when he arrives at those truths, see `@@@4393`. But later on the same city was called Shechem, as may be seen in Joshua,
The bones of Joseph which the children of Israel caused to be brought up out of Egypt they buried in Shechem, in the part of the field which Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for a hundred kesitahs. `Joshua 24bbb32`.
And in the Book of Judges,
Gaal the son of Ebed said to the citizens of Shechem, Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal. and Zebul is his commander? Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem; and why shall we serve him? `Judges 9bbb28`.
ttt[4] The same city after that was called 'Sychar', as is evident in John,
Jesus came into a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to Joseph his son; Jacob's well was there. `John 4bbb5-6`.
From these places, as well as from others where it is mentioned, it is evident that this city means interior truth. It is also clear in Hosea,
Gilead is a city of those who work iniquity; it is stained with blood; and as troops wait for a man so the company of priests murder on the way to Shechem, for they have committed villainy. In the house of Israel I have seen a foul thing. `Hosea 6bbb8-10`.
Here 'they murder on the way to Shechem' means that they annihilate truths, including interior ones, and so annihilate all truths. The annihilation of interior truth is also meant by the reference to Abimelech's destruction of that city and sowing it with salt, `Judges 9bbb45`.
ppp19420#pid#4431. 'The son of Hamor the Hivite' means received from the Ancients. This is clear from the meaning of 'the son', who in this case is Shechem, as interior truth, dealt with immediately above - for 'a son' means truth, see `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@533`, `@@@1147`, `@@@2623`, `@@@3373`, `@@@4257`; and from the representation of 'Hamor' as the father of that truth, and so truth received from the Ancients. Indeed the truth which was present interiorly within religious observances and within representatives emanated from the Church of old. This being so, Hamor was also named 'the Hivite', for the Hivites were a nation which meant that kind of truth among the Ancients, because that kind of it had existed with them since ancient times. This is the reason why at this point Hamor is called 'the Hivite'.
ttt[2] Actually every nation in the land of Canaan had in ancient times meant some good or else truth of the Church, for the Most Ancient Church, which was celestial, had existed there, `@@@4116`. But subsequently the nations there, like every other with whom the Church existed, turned aside into idolatrous practices, and therefore these same nations also mean forms of idolatry. But because the Hivites since ancient times meant interior truth, and because they were one of the more upright nations among whom iniquity had not become so complete, that is, the truth of the Church had not been completely annihilated, as it had among others, the Lord in His Providence therefore preserved the Hivite Gibeonites by means of the covenant which Joshua and the princes made with them, `Joshua 9bbb15`. For those Gibeonites were Hivites, see `Joshua 9bbb7`; `Joshua ccc11bbb19`. From all this one may now see how 'Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite' comes to mean interior truth received from the Ancients.
ppp19419#pid#4432. 'The prince of the land' means which was first and foremost among the Churches. This is clear from the meaning of 'the prince' as that which is first and foremost, dealt with in `@@@1482`, `@@@2089`, and from the meaning of 'the land' as the Church, dealt with in `@@@662`, `@@@1066`, `@@@1067`, `@@@1262`, `@@@1733`, `@@@1850`, `@@@2117`, `@@@2138`, `@@@2928`, `@@@3355`, `@@@3686`, `@@@3705`.
ppp19418#pid#4433. 'And he took her, and lay with her, and ravished her' means that there was no other way in which it could be joined to the affection for truth meant by the sons of Jacob, her brothers. This is clear from the meaning of 'taking her, lying with her, and ravishing her' as being joined together, though not in the rightful way, which is through betrothal. But the meaning these words carry, that there was no other way in which they could be joined together, cannot be seen by anyone unless he knows the fuller implications of them. Interior truth received from the Ancients, which is meant by 'Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite', is the truth which among the Ancients had served the internal dimension of the Church, and so had been the internal dimension of their statutes, judgements, and laws, in short of their religious observances and the like. Those truths were their matters of doctrine on which they based their lives, which were in fact matters of doctrine concerning charity; for in ancient times those who belonged to the genuine Church had no other kind of doctrine. These same truths may be called, in relation to doctrine, the interior truths of faith, but in relation to life, goods. If a Church was to be established among the nation descended from Jacob it was necessary for them to be introduced into those truths and goods. For unless internal things are present within external ones, that is, unless people have internal things in mind when involved with external ones - and unless at the same time they feel an affection for internal things or at least unless they feel an affection for external things on account of internal ones, nothing of the Church is there. Internal things constitute the Church, for the Lord is present within these; that is to say, spiritual and celestial things originating in Him are present within them.
ttt[2] But the nation descended from Jacob, that is, the Israelitish and Jewish nation, was unable to be introduced in the rightful way which is through betrothal, for the reason that their external worship did not correspond [to anything internal]. For they received from their fore-fathers - from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - the worship established by Eber, which was different externally from the worship of the Ancient Church, see `@@@1238`, `@@@1241`, `@@@1343`, `@@@2180`. And because that worship was different, interior truths which existed among the Ancients were not able to be joined to it in the rightful way through betrothal, only in the way described in this chapter. This enables one to understand what is involved in the assertion that there was no other way in which it could be joined to the affection for truth meant by 'the sons of Jacob, Dinah's brothers'.
ttt[3] But although a joining together could have been effected in this way, in accordance with the law, also known to the Ancients, which is set out in `Exodus 22bbb16`; `Deuteronomy 22bbb28-29`, the character of that nation was nevertheless such that it would by no means allow any joining of interior truth received from the Ancients to the external forms of worship that existed among the descendants of Jacob, `@@@4281`, `@@@4290`, `@@@4293`, `@@@4307`, `@@@4314`, `@@@4316`, `@@@4317`. Among that nation therefore no Church could be established, but instead merely that which was a representative of the Church, see `@@@4281`, `@@@4288`, `@@@4307`. The character of that nation, which was such that it was not only unable to receive interior truths but also completely annihilated them among themselves, is represented in this chapter by the sons of Jacob answering Shechem and Hamor deceitfully, verse `Genesis 34bbbccc13`; and after that by Simeon and Levi's smiting the city with the edge of the sword and killing Shechem and Hamor, verses `Genesis 34bbbccc25-26`; and by the rest of the sons coming upon the slain and plundering the city, and taking away the flocks, the herds, and whatever there was in the city, in the field, and in the houses, verses `Genesis 34bbbccc27-29`. This shows what is meant by the prophetical utterances of Jacob, who by then was Israel,
Simeon and Levi are brothers; instruments of violence are their swords. Into their secret place let my soul not come; in their congregation let not my glory be united; for in their anger they killed a man, and in their pleasure they hamstrung an ox. Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce, and their fury, for it is severe. I will divide them in Jacob, and will scatter them in Israel. `Genesis 49bbb5-7`.
ppp19417#pid#4434. 'And his soul clung to Dinah, [the daughter of Jacob]' means the inclination to be joined to it. This is clear from the meaning of 'the soul clinging' as an inclination. It is evident that an inclination to be joined is meant because things connected with conjugial love imply in the internal sense the joining together of truth and good, and of good and truth. The reason why things connected with conjugial love imply in the internal sense that spiritual joining together is that conjugial love has its origin in the marriage of truth and good and of good and truth, see `@@@2618`, `@@@2727-2729`, `@@@2737`, `@@@2803`, `@@@3132`. Consequently the adulteration of good is meant by an act of adultery, and the falsification of truth by an act of whoredom described in the Word, `@@@2466`, `@@@2729`, `@@@2750`, `@@@3399`. From these considerations it may be seen that all the details mentioned in this chapter concerning Shechem and Dinah mean nothing else in the internal sense than the joining of truth, represented by 'Shechem', to the affection for truth, represented by 'Dinah', so that the words 'his soul clung to Dinah' mean the inclination to be joined to this affection.
ttt[2] Since the subject in the whole of this chapter is Shechem's love towards Dinah and how he sought to make her his wife, and since things connected with conjugial love mean spiritual joining together, let it now be established from the Word that marriages and things that have a connection with marriages do not imply anything else: In John,
Let us be glad and exult, and let us give glory to Him, for the time of the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His Wife has made herself ready. Blessed are those who have been called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. `Revelation 19bbb7`, `Revelation 19bbbccc9`.
In the same book,
I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. One of the seven angels spoke to me, saying, Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb. He carried me away in the spirit onto a great and high mountain and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. `Revelation 21bbb2`, `Revelation 21bbbccc9-10`.
It is quite evident that betrothal and marriage in these places mean nothing other than the joining of the Lord to the Church, which is effected by means of truth and good. For 'the holy city' and 'the new Jerusalem' mean nothing other than the Church - 'city' meaning the truth of the Church, see `@@@402`, `@@@2268`, `@@@2449`, `@@@2451`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc2712`, `@@@2943`, `@@@3216`, and 'Jerusalem' the spiritual Church, `@@@402`, `@@@2117`, `@@@3654`.
ttt[3] In Malachi,
Judah has acted faithlessly, and abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem, for Judah has profaned the holiness of Jehovah, for he loved and married the daughter of a foreign god. Jehovah was a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have acted faithlessly. `Malachi 2bbb11`, `Malachi 2bbbccc14-15`.
'Loving and marrying the daughter of a foreign god' means joining oneself to falsity instead of truth, which is 'the wife of one's youth'.
ttt[4] In Ezekiel,
You took your sons and your daughters whom you had borne to Me, and sacrificed them so as to be devoured. Was the matter of your acts of whoredom a small one? You are your mother's daughter who loathes her husband and her sons, and you are the sister of your sisters who loathed their husbands and their sons. `Ezekiel 16bbb20`, `Ezekiel 16bbbccc45`.
This refers to the abominations of Jerusalem which, because they were the product of evils and falsities, are described in this chapter by means of the kind of things that are the direct opposite of marriages, that is to say, acts of adultery and of whoredom. 'The husbands' whom they loathed are goods, 'the sons' truths, and 'the daughters' the affections for these.
ttt[5] In Isaiah,
Sing, O barren one that did not bear; resound with singing and cry out for joy, O one that has not been in travail, for the sons of her that is desolate will be more than the sons of her that is married. You will not remember any more the reproach of your widowhood, for your Maker is your Husband,`fff1` Jehovah Zebaoth is His name, and your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the God of the whole earth He is called. For Jehovah has called you like a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth when she is put away, said your God. All your sons are taught by Jehovah, and much is the peace of your sons. `Isaiah 54bbb1`, `Isaiah 54bbbccc4-6`, `Isaiah 54bbbccc13`.
Since 'a marriage' means the joining together of truth and good and of good and truth, one may see what is meant by husband and wife, sons and daughters, widows, women who have been put away, and by bearing, giving birth, being desolate, and being barren; for all these expressions have some connection with marriage. The meaning in the spiritual sense of each of these expressions has been shown many times in the explanatory sections.
ttt[6] In the same prophet,
For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest. You will no more be called Deserted, but your land will be named Married, for Jehovah will take His pleasure in you, and your land will be married. Forasmuch as a young man will marry a virgin, your sons will marry you; and there will be the joy of a bridegroom over a bride, your God will rejoice over you. `Isaiah 62bbb1`, `Isaiah 62bbbccc4-5`.
Anyone unacquainted with the internal sense of the Word may suppose that such imagery in the Word is simply an employment of comparisons like many of those used in everyday speech, and that this is the reason why the Church is compared to a daughter, a virgin, and a wife, and so why matters of faith and charity are compared to things which have some connection with marriage. But in the Word everything is representative of that which is spiritual or celestial, and it is a real correspondence; for the Word has come down from heaven, and because it has come down from there it is in origin something Divinely celestial and spiritual, to which everything in the sense of the letter corresponds. Consequently things connected with the heavenly marriage, which is good and truth joined together, pass into those that correspond to them, and so into those which have some connection with marriages on earth.
ttt[7] This also explains why the Lord likened the kingdom of heaven - that is, His kingdom in heaven and His kingdom on earth, which is the Church - to a certain king, who arranged a wedding for his son and invited many to it, `Matthew 22bbb2` and following verses, and also to ten virgins who took lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom, `Matthew 25bbb1` and following verses. The Lord also referred to those who belong to the Church as 'the sons of the wedding',
Jesus said, Can the sons of the wedding mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. `Matthew 9bbb15`.
ttt[8] For the same reasons the affection for good and the affection for truth are called 'the joy and gladness of a bridegroom and bride', for heavenly joy is the product of those affections and resides within them, as in Isaiah,
Your sons will marry you; and there will be the joy of a bridegroom over a bride, Jehovah your God will rejoice over you. `Isaiah 62bbb5`.
In Jeremiah,
The voice of joy and the voice of gladness, and the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those that say, Give thanks`fff2` to Jehovah, for Jehovah is good. `Jeremiah 33bbb11`.
In the same prophet,
I will make to cease from the cities of Judah and from the streets of Jerusalem the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, for the land will turn into a waste. `Jeremiah 7bbb34`; `Jeremiah ccc16bbb9`; `Jeremiah ccc25bbb10`.
And in John,
The light of a lamp will not shine in Babylon any more, and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride will not be heard in it any more. `Revelation 18bbb23`.
ttt[9] Since marriages on earth correspond through truly conjugial love to the heavenly marriage which is that of good and truth, the laws laid down in the Word concerning betrothals and marriages correspond completely to the spiritual laws of the heavenly marriage, such as the law that men were to marry one wife only, `Mark 10bbb2-8`; `Luke 16bbb18`; for in the case of the heavenly marriage the situation is that no good can be joined to any but its own truth, or truth to any but its own good. If joined to any truth other than its own, good could not possibly be held together but would be torn apart and so would perish. In the spiritual Church 'wife' (uxor) represents good and 'man' (vir) represents truth, but in the celestial Church 'husband' (maritus) represents good and 'wife' (uxor) truth. Furthermore - and this is an arcanum - they not only represent those things but also in actual fact correspond to them.
ttt[10] The laws also concerning marriages which have been laid down in the Old Testament have in a similar way a correspondence with the laws of the heavenly marriage, such as those in `Exodus 21bbb7-11`; `Exodus ccc22bbb15-16`, `Exodus 22bbbccc17`; `Exodus ccc34bbb16`; `Numbers 36bbb6`; `Deuteronomy 7bbb3-4`; `Deuteronomy ccc22bbb28-29`; and also the laws about the forbidden degrees of affinity, `Leviticus 18bbb6-20`. In the Lord's Divine mercy these will be dealt with individually in some other place. The fact that the degrees and laws of marriages have their origin in the laws of truth and good which belong to the heavenly marriage and with which they correlate is evident in Ezekiel,
The priests the Levites shall not take as wives for themselves a widow or a woman that has been put away, but virgins from the seed of the house of Israel; only a widow who is the widow of a priest may they take. `Ezekiel 44bbb22`.
This refers to the holy city, the new Jerusalem, and to the heavenly Canaan which clearly mean the Lord's kingdom and His Church. Consequently 'the Levites' do not mean Levites, nor do 'a widow and a woman who has been put away' mean a widow and one put away, but the kind of things they correspond to.
`nnn1. In both the Latin and the original Hebrew the words meaning Maker and Husband are plural at this point.
`nnn2. literally, Confess
ppp19416#pid#4435. 'And he loved the young woman and spoke comfortingly to her' means love. This is clear without explanation.
ppp19415#pid#4436. 'And Shechem spoke to Hamor his father' means thought from truth among the Ancients. This is clear from the meaning of 'speaking' in the historical descriptions in the Word as perception and consequent thought, dealt with in `@@@3395`, and from the representation of 'Shechem the son of Hamor' as truth among the Ancients, dealt with in `@@@4430`, `@@@4431`. From this it is evident that 'Shechem spoke to Hamor his father' means thought from truth among the Ancients.
ppp19414#pid#4437. 'Saying, Get me this girl for a wife' means that it wished to be joined to the affection for that truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'girl', who in this case is Dinah, as the affection for truth meant by 'Jacob's sons, her brothers' dealt with in `@@@4427`, `@@@4433`, and from the meaning of 'getting for a wife' as being joined together, dealt with just above in `@@@4434`.
ppp19413#pid#4438. Verses `Genesis 34bbbccc5-7` And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter; and his sons were with his cattle in the field; and Jacob kept silent until they came. And Hamor, Shechem's father, went out to Jacob to speak to him. And Jacob's sons came from the field when they heard; and the men were grieved and blazing with anger, because he had done something disgraceful in Israel by lying with Jacob's daughter, a thing that ought not to be done.
'Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter' means a wrongful joining together, 'Jacob' here being the external Ancient Church. 'And his sons were with his cattle in the field' means that his descendants dwelt in their own semblance of religion. 'And Jacob kept silent until they came' means counsel taken with the truths of faith which were known to him and his descendants. 'And Hamor, Shechem's father, went out to Jacob to speak to him' means consultation regarding the truth of that Church. 'And Jacob's sons came from the field' means that the counsel they took was based in their semblance of religion. 'When they heard; and the men were grieved and blazing with anger' means that they were under the influence of evil that was directed against the truth of the Church among the Ancients. 'Because he had done something disgraceful in Israel by lying with Jacob's daughter, a thing that ought not to be done' means a joining together which in their eyes was not permissible, going against the truth which they possessed.
ppp19412#pid#4439. 'Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter' means a wrongful joining together, that is to say, a wrongful joining to the affection for truth which the external Church represented here by 'Jacob' possessed. This is clear from the meaning of 'defiling' as a wrongful joining together, for by 'marriages' is meant a rightful joining together, `@@@4434`, and therefore by the defilement of them a wrongful one, concerning which see `@@@4433`; from the representation of 'Dinah' as the affection for all things of faith, also the Church arising from that affection, dealt with in `@@@4427`; and from the representation of 'Jacob', who at this point is the external Ancient Church. The reason why Jacob' at this point means the external Ancient Church is that such a Church was to have been established among his descendants, and would in fact have been. established if those descendants had received the interior truths which existed among the Ancients. Jacob's representation of that Church at this point is also evident from the train of thought in this chapter, for he had no part in his sons' plan to smite the city and kill Hamor and Shechem, a deed which was also the reason for his telling Simeon and Levi,
You have brought trouble on me, by making me stink to the inhabitant of the land. Verse `Genesis 34bbbccc30`; and in the prophetical utterance he made before his death,
Into their secret place let my soul not come; in their congregation let not my glory be united; for in their anger they killed a man, and in their pleasure they hamstrung an ox. `Genesis 49bbb6`.
And there are very many other places in the Word besides these in which 'Jacob' represents the external Ancient Church, `@@@422`, `@@@4286`. The reason why 'Jacob' represents that Church is that in the highest sense he represents the Lord's Divine Natural, to which the external Church corresponds. His sons however mean his descendants who annihilated truth known to the Ancients as this existed among themselves, and in so doing destroyed that which was to constitute the Church, so that only that which was the representative of it remained with them, `@@@4281`, `@@@4288`, `@@@4289`, `@@@4303`.
ppp19411#pid#4440. 'And his sons were with his cattle in the field' means that his descendants dwelt in their own semblance of religion. This is clear from the meaning of 'his sons' as descendants; from the meaning of 'cattle' as external truths, dealt with in `@@@1435`,`fff1` `@@@4391`; and from the meaning of 'the field' as the Church, dealt with in `@@@2971`, `@@@3766`. Consequently 'his sons were with his cattle in the field' means that they dwelt in their own semblance of religion; for the kind of Church that existed with them must be called a semblance of religion since it involves external worship devoid of internal.
`nnn1. The primary meaning of the word translated cattle here in `Genesis 34bbb5` is acquisition. See also `@@@4487`.
ppp19410#pid#4441. 'And Jacob kept silent until they came' means counsel taken with the truths of faith which were known to him and his descendants. This is clear from the meaning of 'keeping silent' as thinking and keeping one's own counsel; and from the meaning of 'until they (his sons) came' as counsel taken by the truths of faith which belonged to him and his descendants - 'sons' meaning truths, see `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@533`, `@@@1147`, `@@@2623`, `@@@3373`, `@@@4257`. Since the counsel was to be taken with the sons, and so with the truths meant by 'Jacob's sons', it was therefore a counsel taken with the truths known to him and his descendants.
ppp19409#pid#4442. 'And Hamor, Shechem's father, went out to Jacob to speak to him' means consultation regarding the truth of that Church. This is clear from the representation of 'Hamor, Shechem's father' as the truth known to the Ancients, dealt with in `@@@4430`, `@@@4431`; from the representation of 'Jacob' as the external Ancient Church, dealt with just above in `@@@4439`; and from the meaning of 'speaking to him' as consultation. Consequently these words mean consultation regarding the truth of that Church. Anyone who does not know that names in the Word mean spiritual entities will be amazed to learn that these words 'Hamor, Shechem's father, went out to Jacob to speak to him' mean consultation by the truth of the Church among the Ancients with the truth which was suited to the Ancient Church that was to be established among Jacob's descendants. But no one who knows what the internal sense of the Word is like will be amazed; nor indeed will those who from books by the Ancients have acquainted themselves with the literary style customary among them. For the Ancients commonly presented entities as if conversing with one another, such as wisdom, intelligence, knowledge, and the like. They also commonly gave these entities names by which such things were meant. The gods and demigods of the people of old were nothing other, and neither were the personalities whom they invented to link those entities together into a historical tale.
ttt[2] The philosophers of old received this customary style from the Ancient Church which had been spread throughout much of the Asiatic world, `@@@1238`, `@@@2385`; for those who belonged to the Ancient Church linked together entities that were holy by means of representatives and meaningful signs. The Ancient Church however received the same by word of mouth from the most ancient people who lived before the Flood, `@@@920`, `@@@1409`, `@@@1977`, `@@@2896`, `@@@2897`; and these people received it from heaven since they had communication with heaven, `@@@784`, `@@@1114-1125`. For such representatives and meaningful signs occur in the first heaven, which is the lowest of the three heavens. This explains why the Word was written in that kind of style. But in contrast to the writings of the men of old the Word has this peculiar feature, that the separate entities in a continuous chain represent the celestial and spiritual things of the Lord's kingdom, and in the highest sense the Lord Himself; that the actual historical details are also such; and what is more, that they are real correspondences, these being continuous, extending through the three heavens from the Lord.
ppp19408#pid#4443. 'And Jacob's sons came from the field' means that the counsel they took was based in their semblance of religion. This is clear from the meaning of 'the sons of Jacob' as the nation descended from them, among whom a representative of the Church was established, and from the meaning of 'the field' as their semblance of religion, dealt with above in `@@@4440`. The fact that 'coming' from there means consultation based on this follows from the sequence of thought, and also from the fact that it is their semblance of religion to which the verb 'coming' has reference.
ppp19407#pid#4444 .'When they heard; and the men were grieved and blazing with anger' means that they were under the influence of evil that was directed against the truth of the Church among the Ancients. This is clear from the meaning of 'being grieved and blazing with anger' here as being under the influence of evil. Its direction against the truth of the Church among the Ancients follows because the anger was against Shechem the son of Hamor, who means the truth known to the Ancients, as stated above in `@@@4430`, `@@@4431`. Their being under the influence of evil is evident from details given further on, namely that they spoke deceitfully, verse `Genesis 34bbbccc13`, and then after Shechem and Hamor had submitted to their demands they killed them, verses `Genesis 34bbbccc26-29`. Consequently 'being grieved' here and 'blazing with anger' mean that they were under the influence of evil. Their action looks like zeal aroused in them because he had lain with their sister, to judge by the words which immediately follow 'because he had done something disgraceful in Israel by lying with Jacob's daughter, a thing that ought not to be done' - and by those at the end of the chapter 'They said, Is he going to treat our sister like a prostitute?' verse `Genesis 34bbbccc31`. But it was not zeal, for zeal cannot possibly exist with someone who is under the influence of evil, only with one governed by good; for zeal has good within it, `@@@4164`.
ttt[2] The semblance of religion which existed among their descendants did indeed have good within it, in that all its details, each one, represented the celestial and spiritual things of the Lord's kingdom. But in the case of those with whom it existed it did not hold anything good at all since they were confined solely to external things devoid of internal, as shown above. It is the same with the semblance of religion possessed by that nation among whom it exists even at the present day. They acknowledge Moses and the Prophets, and so the Word. In itself this is holy but in their case it is not holy, for within every detail there they see themselves and so that which is worldly. Indeed they turn the Word into something earthly, for they do not know or even care about anything heavenly within it. If the state of a people is like this, no good can exist in them when their own semblance of religion holds sway over them. Instead evil is present, for nothing heavenly enters into them because they will annihilate it.
ttt[3] There was a law, also known in the Ancient Church, according to which anyone who ravished a virgin had to provide her with a dowry and take her to be his wife, as the following words in Moses laid down,
If a man persuades a virgin who is not betrothed, and lies with her, he shall endow her with a dowry to be his wife; if her father utterly refuses to give her to him he shall weigh silver according to the dowry of virgins. `Exodus 22bbb16-17`.
And elsewhere,
If a man finds a young woman, a virgin, who is not betrothed, and he seizes her and lies with her, and they are discovered, the man who lay with her shall give to the young woman's father fifty pieces of silver, and she shall become his wife, because he ravished her; and he will not be able to divorce her all his days. `Deuteronomy 22bbb28-29`.
The fact that this same law was known to the Ancients is quite evident from Shechem's words to the young woman's father and brothers,
Shechem said to her father and to her brothers, Let me find grace in your eyes, and I will give that which you tell me. Increase the dowry and gift to any size and I will give you whatever you tell me, and give me the young woman for a wife. Verses `Genesis 34bbbccc11-12`.
Also, because Shechem was willing to fulfill this law and Dinah's brothers gave their consent provided he became as they themselves were, by circumcising every male, according to the words that follow
Only on this [condition] will we consent to you: If you will be as we are, by circumcising every male among you, then we will give our daughters to you, and your daughters we will take to ourselves, and we will dwell with you, and we wit be one people. Verses `Genesis 34bbbccc15-16`
- it is therefore evident that they did not act in conformity with the law, thus were not motivated by good, but acted contrary to the law, and consequently were motivated by evil.
ttt[4] The law forbade them, it is true, to enter into marriages with the gentile nations, as laid down in Moses,
Lest you take their daughters for your sons, and their daughters go whoring after their gods, and they cause your sons to go whoring after their gods. `Exodus 34bbb16`.
And elsewhere,
You shall not establish a marriage relationship with the nations; you shall not give your daughter to his son, and you shall not take his daughter for your son, for he will turn your son from following Me, to serve other gods. `Deuteronomy 7bbb3-4`.
But this law referred to idolatrous nations. It was laid down to prevent their turning away, through such marriages, from truly representative worship to idolatrous worship; for once they became idolaters they were no longer able to represent the celestial and spiritual things of the Lord's kingdom, only their opposites, namely the things of hell. In fact, once they were idolaters, they summoned from hell a certain devil whom they worshipped and to whom they applied Divine representatives. This accounts for its being said that they were not to go whoring after their gods. That law was also laid down for the further reason that 'the nations' means evils and falsities with which the goods and truths which they represented were not to be mingled, and therefore devilish and hellish things were not to be mingled with celestial and spiritual ones, `@@@3024` (end).
ttt[5] But they were in no way forbidden to contract marriages with nations who willingly adopted their worship and who, after being circumcised, acknowledged Jehovah. These they called sojourners sojourning with them, of whom the following is said in Moses,
If a sojourner sojourns with you and wishes to keep the Passover to Jehovah, every male he has shall be circumcised, and then he shall come near and keep it; and he will be as an inhabitant of the land. There shall be one law for the inhabitant and for the sojourner who sojourns in the midst of you. `Exodus 12bbb48-49`.
And elsewhere,
When the sojourner has sojourned with you, he shall keep the Passover to Jehovah according to the statute for the Passover, and according to the regulations`fff1` for it. There shall be one statute for you, both for the sojourner and for the native of the land. `Numbers 9bbb14`.
The reason why they were called sojourners sojourning in the midst of them and with them was that 'sojourning' meant receiving instruction, and so 'a sojourner' those who allowed themselves to receive instruction in statutes and matters of doctrine, see `@@@1463`, `@@@2025`, `@@@3672`. In the same author,
If a sojourner should sojourn with you who would make a fire-offering of an odour of rest to Jehovah, he shall do as you do. As for the assembly, one statute shall there be for you and for the sojourner who sojourns, an eternal statute throughout your generations. As you are, so shall the sojourner be before Jehovah. There shall be one law and one judgement for you and for the sojourner sojourning with you. `Numbers 15bbb14-16`.
And elsewhere,
As the native among you shall the sojourner sojourning with you be to you.
`Leviticus 19bbb34`.
One judgement shall there be for you; it shall be for the sojourner as for the native. `Leviticus 24bbb22`.
ttt[6] The fact that this statute was known not only to Jacob and his sons but also to Shechem and Hamor is evident from the words spoken by them. For the statutes, judgements, and laws which were given to the Israelite and Jewish nation were not new but such as existed previously in the Ancient Church and in the second Ancient Church which, from Eber, was called the Hebrew, as has been shown in various places. The consequent knowledge of this law is evident from the words of Jacob's sons,
Jacob's sons said to Hamor and Shechem, We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to a man who has a foreskin; for that would be a reproach to us. Only on this [condition] will we consent to you: If you will be as we are, by circumcising every male among you, then we will give our daughters to you, and your daughters we will take to ourselves, and we will dwell with you, and we will be one people. Verses `Genesis 34bbbccc14-16`.
That knowledge is also evident from Hamor and Shechem's words, in that they not only consented but also did cause themselves and every male of their city to be circumcised, verses `Genesis 34bbbccc18-24`.
ttt[7] This shows that Shechem became a sojourner such as is referred to in the Law, and so could take Jacob's daughter as a wife; and that their killing them was accordingly an unmentionable deed, as Jacob also bore witness before his death, `Genesis 49bbb5-7`. The fact that not only Judah but also Moses, as well as the kings of the Jews and Israelites, and many of the people too, married wives from gentile nations is clear from the historical sections of the Word; and one should not doubt that those wives accepted their statutes, judgements, and laws and were acknowledged as sojourners.
`nnn1. literally, statutes
ppp19406#pid#4445. 'Because he had done something disgraceful in Israel by lying with Jacob's daughter, a thing that ought not to be done' means a joining together which in their eyes was not permissible, going against the truth which they possessed. This is clear from the meaning of 'doing something disgraceful by lying with Jacob's daughter' as a joining together that was not permissible. As regards lying with her and defiling her meaning a wrongful joining together, see above in `@@@4439`. The expression 'in Israel' is used because 'Israel' means the internal Church, and after that the expression 'Jacob's daughter' because 'Jacob' means the external aspect of the Church. For 'Israel' means the internal aspect of the Church and 'Jacob' the external, see `@@@4286`, `@@@4292`, `@@@4439`. Its seeming in their eyes to be a joining together that was not permissible, though in fact it was permissible, becomes clear from what has been stated and shown immediately above in `@@@4444` and elsewhere.
ppp19405#pid#4446. Verses `Genesis 34bbbccc8-12` And Hamor spoke to them, saying, Shechem my son, his soul longs for your daughter; give her, I beg you, to him for a wife. And intermarry with us; give your daughters to us, and take our daughters to yourselves. And you shall dwell with us, and the land shall be before you; dwell, and carry on trade throughout it, and have possessions in it. And Shechem said to her father and to her brothers, Let me find grace in your eyes, and I will give that which you tell me. Increase the dowry and gift to any size,`fff1` and I will give whatever you tell me, and give me the young woman for a wife.
'Hamor spoke to them, saying' means the good of the Church among the Ancients. 'Shechem my son' means the truth derived from that good. 'His soul longs for your daughter; give her, I beg you, to him for a wife' means a longing to be joined to this new Church which in outward appearance was similar to the Ancient Church. 'And intermarry with us; give your daughters to us, and take our daughters to yourselves' means the union of goods and truths. 'And you shall dwell with us' means life. 'And the land shall be before you; dwell' means the Church which would be one. 'Carry on trade throughout it, and have possessions in it' means matters of doctrine which, because they are communicated, would accord with one another. 'And Shechem said to her father and to her brothers' means counsel taken by the truth from the ancient Divine stock with the good and truth of this semblance of religion. 'Let me find grace in your eyes, and I will give that which you tell me' means that if they on their part were similar in mind to him on his part. 'Increase the dowry and gift to any size, and I will give whatever you tell me' means that he will accept the things which exist with them and will make those things his own. 'And give me the young woman for a wife' means provided the joining together takes place.
`nnn1. literally, Multiply upon me exceedingly dowry and gift
ppp19404#pid#4447. 'Hamor spoke to them, saying' means the good of the Church among the Ancients. This is clear from the representation of 'Hamor' as that which was received from the Ancients, dealt with in `@@@4431`, namely the good of the Church received from them, for the good of the Church is 'a father', and the truth derived from that good, meant here by 'Shechem', is 'a son' - which also is why 'father' in the Word means good, and 'son' truth. The expression 'the good of the Church among the Ancients' is used here, not the good of the Ancient Church, for the reason that the phrase 'the Church among the Ancients' is used to mean the Church that descended from the Most Ancient Church which existed before the Flood, whereas the Ancient Church is used to mean the Church which came into existence after the Flood. Those two Churches have been dealt with several times previous to this, when it has been shown that the Most Ancient Church which existed before the Flood was celestial whereas the Ancient Church which came into existence after the Flood was spiritual. The difference between the two has also been dealt with often.
ttt[2] Remnants of the Most Ancient Church which was celestial were still in existence in the land of Canaan, especially among those in that land who were called Hittites and Hivites. The reason why such remnants did not exist anywhere else was that the Most Ancient Church, which was called Man or Adam, `@@@478`, `@@@479`, existed in the land of Canaan, where the garden of Eden, which meant the intelligence and wisdom of the members of that Church, `@@@100`, `@@@1588`, and the trees in it their perception, `@@@103`, `@@@2163`, `@@@2722`, `@@@2972`, was therefore situated. And because intelligence and wisdom were meant by that garden or paradise the Church itself is also meant by it. And because the Church is meant, so also is heaven; and because heaven is meant, so also in the highest sense is the Lord. So it is that in the highest sense the land of Canaan also means the Lord, in the relative sense heaven and also the Church, and in the personal sense the member of the Church, `@@@1413`, `@@@1437`, `@@@1607`, `@@@3038`, `@@@3481`, `@@@3705`. So it is too that the word 'land' standing by itself in the Word has a similar meaning, `@@@566`, `@@@662`, `@@@1066`, `@@@1067`, `@@@1413`, `@@@1607`, `@@@3355`; while a new heaven and a new earth mean a new Church, internally and externally, `@@@1733`, `@@@1850`, `@@@2117`, `@@@2118` (end), `@@@3355` (end). The Most Ancient Church was situated in the land of Canaan, see `@@@567`, and it was from this that places there became representative. It explains why Abram was commanded to go there, and also why the land was given to his descendants from Jacob, namely that the representatives connected with the places which were to be used in the composition of the Word might be perpetuated, `@@@3686`. This was why every place in that land, including mountains and rivers, and also all the borders surrounding it, became representative, `@@@1585`, `@@@1866`, `@@@4240`.
ttt[3] From all these considerations one may see what the expression 'Church among the Ancients' is used to mean, namely remnants of the Most Ancient Church. And because those remnants existed among the Hittites and Hivites, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, with their wives, acquired a burial-place among the Hittites in their land, `Genesis 23bbb1`-end; `Genesis 49bbb29-32`; `Genesis ccc50bbb13`; and Joseph among the Hivites, `Joshua 24bbb32`. Hamor, Shechem's father, represented the remnants of that Church, and as a consequence means the good of the Church among the Ancients and therefore the origin of interior truth from a Divine stock, `@@@4399`. What the difference is between the Most Ancient Church which existed before the Flood and the Ancient Church which came into existence after the Flood, see `@@@597`, `@@@607`, `@@@608`, `@@@640`, `@@@641`, `@@@765`, `@@@784`, `@@@895`, `@@@920`, `@@@1114-1128`, `@@@1238`, `@@@1327`, `@@@2896`, `@@@2897`.
ppp19403#pid#4448. 'Shechem my son' means the truth derived from that good. This is clear from the representation of 'Shechem' as interior truth, dealt with in `@@@4430`, and so truth derived from the good meant by Hamor, `@@@4447`. Actually all the truth of the Church is derived from its good; such truth never arises from any other source. This truth which Shechem represents is called interior truth, being in essence nothing other than the good of charity. Indeed the Most Ancient Church, being celestial, was governed by the good of love to the Lord and as a consequence they had a perception of all truth; for the members of that Church were almost as angels. They also had communication with angels, that being the source of their perception. They never therefore reasoned about any truth of faith, but simply said 'Yes, that is the truth' because they had a perception of it from heaven. They did not even wish to make mention of faith, but of charity instead, see `@@@202`, `@@@337`, `@@@2715`, `@@@2718`, `@@@3246`. For this reason it is the good of charity that is meant at this point by interior truth. As regards the remnants of that Church existing with Hamor the Hivite and his son Shechem, see immediately above in `@@@4447`.
ttt[2] With the Ancient Church, which was spiritual, it was different. This Church was not governed like the Most Ancient Church by love to the Lord but by charity towards the neighbour. Nor was it able to arrive at charity except through the truth of faith, of which, unlike the Most Ancient people, they did not have any perception and therefore began to make investigations into whether the truth was the truth. Regarding the difference between celestial people who had perception and spiritual ones who do not, see `@@@2088`, `@@@2669`, `@@@2708`, `@@@2715`, `@@@3235`, `@@@3240`, `@@@3246`, `@@@3887`.
ppp19402#pid#4449. 'His soul longs for your daughter; give her, I beg you, to him for a wife' means a longing to be joined to this new Church which in outward appearance was similar to the Ancient Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'the soul's longing' as a longing; from the representation of Dinah, to whom 'daughter' refers here, as the affection for truth, and therefore as the Church, for a Church is a Church by virtue of its affection for truth - such a Church being meant here by a new Church; and from the meaning of 'giving her for a wife' as a joining together, dealt with in `@@@4434`.
ttt[2] As regards that new Church which was established among the descendants of Jacob being in outward appearance similar to the Ancient Church, it should be realized that the statutes, judgements, and laws which were prescribed through Moses for the Israelite and Jewish nation were no different from the statutes, judgements, and laws which existed in the Ancient Church, such as those concerning betrothals and marriages, concerning slaves, concerning the living creatures which were suitable for food and those which were not suitable, concerning cleansings, festivals, tabernacles, the perpetual fire, and many other things; also concerning altars, burnt offerings, sacrifices, libations, that had been received in the second Ancient Church which began with Eber. The fact that all of these were known before they were prescribed for that nation is quite evident from the historical descriptions of the Word.
ttt[3] Take merely altars, burnt offerings, and sacrifices. Of Balaam it is recorded that he ordered them to build seven altars and to offer on them burnt offerings and sacrifices of young bulls and rams, `Numbers 23bbb1-2`, `Numbers 23bbbccc14-15`, `Numbers 23bbbccc29`. Besides this, it is said of the nations in many places, that their altars were to be destroyed; and of the prophets of Baal whom Elijah slew, that they offered sacrifices. These facts make it clear that sacrifices which were prescribed for the descendants of Jacob were not new; nor were the rest of the statutes, judgements, and laws. But because these things became idolatrous among the nations - in particular through their use of those things to worship some profane god, which resulted in them turning representatives of Divine things to what is of hell, in addition to the many: practices which they added to these - those same things were reinstated so that the representative worship of the Ancient Church might be restored. From this it becomes clear that this new Church which was established among Jacob's descendants was in outward appearance similar to the Ancient Church.
ppp19401#pid#4450. 'And intermarry with us; give your daughters to us, and take our daughters to yourselves' means the union of goods and truths. This is clear from the meaning of 'intermarrying' as union, dealt with in `@@@4434`; from the meaning of 'daughters' as affections, and so goods, dealt with in `@@@489-491`, `@@@2362`, `@@@3963`. Its being a union with truths is meant by 'give to us' and 'take to yourselves', for 'Shechem' and 'the sons of Jacob' mean truths, as shown above. From this it is evident that these words mean the union of goods and truths, that is, that through that union this new Church was to be similar to the Ancient Church not only in outward appearance but also in inward.
ppp19400#pid#4451. 'And you shall dwell with us' means life. This is clear from the meaning of 'dwelling' as living, dealt with in `@@@1293`, `@@@3384`, `@@@3613`, and so 'dwelling with us' means living together and making one Church.
ppp19399#pid#4452. 'And the land shall be before you; dwell' means the Church which would be one. This is clear from the meaning of 'the land' as the Church, dealt with in `@@@566`, `@@@662`, `@@@1066`, `@@@1067`, `@@@1413`, `@@@1607`, `@@@3355`, `@@@4447`, and from the meaning of 'dwelling with us' as living together, dealt with immediately above in `@@@4451`, thus that the Church would be one.
ppp19398#pid#4453. 'Carry on trade throughout it, and have possessions in it' means matters of doctrine which, because they are comunicated, would accord with one another. This is clear from the meaning of 'carrying on trade" as acquiring cognitions for oneself and also communicating them, dealt with in `@@@2967` - 'carrying on trade throughout the land' therefore meaning entering into the cognitions of good and truth which Shechem the son of Hamor and his city mean; and from the meaning of 'having posession of a land make one and accord with one another. The reason why 'carrying on trade' means acquiring cognitions for oneself and also communicating them is that in heaven, where the Word is perceived, which in general is the acquisition and communication of cognitions, and specifically the reality meant my whatever commodity is mentioned. For example, if gold is mentioned, the good of love and wisdom is understood, `@@@113`, `@@@1551`, `@@@1552`; if silver, the truth that belongs to intelligence and faith, `@@@1551`, `@@@2048`, `@@@2954`. If mention if made of sheep, rams, kids, or lambs with which people traded in ancient times, the kinds of things meant by sheep, rams, kids and lambs are understood; and so on.
ttt[2] As in Ezekiel,
Say to Tyre, one that dwells upon the entrances of the seas, that she is the trader of the peoples to many islands: Tarshish was your merchant because of the abundance of all riches; silver, iron, tin, and lead, they exchanged for your wares. Javan, Tubal, and Meshech, they were your traders in the souls of men - and they gave vessels of bronze for your commerce. The sons of Dedan were your traders; many islands were the merchandise of your hand. Syria was your merchant in the multitude of your handiworks; Judah, and the land of Israel, they were your traders. Wheat of Minnith, and pannag, and honey, and oil, and balm they exchanged for your commerce. Damascus was your merchant in the multitude of your handiworks, because of the multitude of all riches - in the wine of Helbon, and the wool of Zahar. Dan and Javan traded with yarn for your wares. Dedan was your trader in chariot cloaks.`fff1`. The Arab and all the princes of Kedar were the merchants of your hand, in lambs, and rams, and goats; in these were they your merchants. The traders of Sheba and Raamah, they were your traders in the best of every spice; and by means of every precious stone and gold they provided your tradings. Haran and Canneh and Eden, the traders of Sheba; Asshur, Chilmad, was your trader. These were your traders in choice wares - balls of violet, and embroidered garments; and treasure-chests of precious garments, bound cords, and objects made of cedar were among your merchandise. The ships of Tarshish were your squadrons in your merchandise from which you have been filled and made exceedingly honoured in the heart of the seas. `Ezekiel 27bbb1-25`.
ttt[3] From here and many other paces in the Word it may be seen that tradings, commerce, merchandise, and wares mean nothing other than undertakings involving cognitions of good and truth. For what connection can the prophetical Word have with the trading activities of Tyre unless they mean things that are spiritual and celestial? That being so, it is quite clear not only that things other than wares are meant by 'wares' but also that the nations mentioned by name there mean people among whom these other things reside. It is also clear that no one can know what is meant by any of them except from the internal sense - what is meant by Tarshish, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, the sons of Dedan, Syria, Judah, Israel, Dan, Javan, Dedan, the Arab, Shebah, Raamah, Haran, Canneh, Eden, Asshur, and Chilmad. Nor can one know what is meant by their wares - by silver, iron, tin, lead, vessels of bronze, wheat, minnith, pannag, honey, oil, balm, the wine of Helbon, the wool of Zahar, yarn, chariot-cloaks, lambs, rams, goats, spices, precious stones, gold, balls of violet embroidered garments, bound cords, and objects made of cedar. These and others like them mean the goods and truths of the Church and of the Lord's kingdom, and the cognitions of those goods and truths. It is because Tyre means cognitions, `@@@1201`, that Tyre is the subject at this point in Ezekiel. And because such 'wares', that is, goods and truths, exist in the Church and the Lord's kingdom, the land of Canaan, which means the Church and the Lord's kingdom, was from most ancient times so named from a word meaning wares or merchandise, for this is what the name Canaan means in the original language. From all this one may now see what is meant by 'carrying on trade throughout the land'.
`nnn1. literally garments of liberty for the chariot - possibly garments with loose sleves.
ppp19397#pid#4454. 'And Shechem said to her father and to her brothers' means counsel taken by the truth from the ancient Divine stock with the good and truth of this semblance of religion. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in this case as taking counsel; from the representation of 'Shechem' as the truth from the ancient Divine stock, dealt with above in `@@@4447`; from the meaning of 'father', who in this case is Jacob, as the good of truth, dealt with in `@@@4273`, `@@@4337`; and from the meaning of 'brothers', who in this case are the sons of Jacob, as truths, dealt with above. It is evident from the references quoted above in `@@@4447` that Shechem means truth from the ancient Divine stock; for Hamor the Hivite together with his nation and family in the land of Canaan were part of the remnants of the Most Ancient Church, which was celestial. This Church, more than all other Churches in the whole world, was in origin Divine, for the good of love to the Lord was present in it. Will and understanding with them made one, and so one mind, and on that account they had from good a perception of truth. For the Lord was flowing in by an internal route into the good present in their will and from this into the good present in their understanding, that is, into their truth, as a consequence of which that Church more than all others was called Man, `@@@477-479`, and also the Likeness of God, `@@@51`, `@@@473`, `@@@1013`. From this one may see why Hamor and Shechem are said to be from the ancient Divine stock, as previously in `@@@4399`. The fact that the Most Ancient Church, which was called 'Man', or to use the Hebrew word 'Adam', was located in the land of Canaan, as stated above in `@@@4447`, is quite evident from their descendants who were called the Nephilim, `Genesis 6bbb4`. The presence of the latter in the land of Canaan is referred to in `Numbers 13bbb33`; see `@@@581`. But at that time the expression 'the land of Canaan' was used to mean all the land from the river of Egypt to the river Euphrates, `Genesis 15bbb18`.
ppp19396#pid#4455. 'Let me find grace in your eyes, and I will give that which you tell me' means that if they on their part were similar in mind to him on his part. This is clear from the meaning of 'finding grace in someone's eyes' as a phrase implying a strong inclination, dealt with in `@@@3980`, here a strong inclination to give whatever they told him. The meaning of the words used here - if they on their part were similar in mind to him on his part - is evident from the sequence of thought in the internal sense, for 'giving that which they told him' in that sense means making one with them in truth and good.
ppp19395#pid#4456. 'Increase the dowry and gift to any size, and I will give whatever you tell me' means that he will accept the things which exist with them and will make those things his own; that it is to say, he will accept the external things of the Church which are theirs and make those things his own together with the internal ones which are his own, and in this way they will constitute one Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'giving whatever you tell me' as making one with them in truth and good; dealt with immediately above in `@@@4455`. The actual 'dowry and gift' which he told them to increase to any size means a consenting to become one, for the dowry that was given to a virgin who was to be betrothed was a token of the consent given by both parties. One reason why he tells them to increase the dowry and gift to any size - and so to go above the statutory requirement, which was fifty pieces of silver - is that he lay with her before his adoption of their semblance of religion, and therefore it was a matter for Jacob either to consent or to refuse, in accordance with the law also known to the ancients which is set out in `Exodus 22bbb16-17`. But the chief reason why he tells them to do so was the desire for the joining together, that is to say, for the joining of interior truth meant by 'Shechem' to the affection for exterior truth meant by 'Dinah'. The reason why a dowry was a token of consent and so a strengthening of the first stage is that weighing or giving silver was a sign that a thing was one's own, and so that the virgin was his; and the acceptance of the silver was a sign of reciprocation. It was accordingly a sign that the bride was the bridegroom's, and the bridegroom the bride's.
ppp19394#pid#4457. 'And give me the young woman for a wife' means provided the joining together takes place. This is clear from the meaning of 'giving as a wife' as a joining together, dealt with in `@@@4434`, in this case as provided the joining together takes place, because as yet no bargain has been made.
ppp19393#pid#4458. Verses `Genesis 34bbbccc13-17` And Jacob's sons answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, and [so] spoke, because he had defiled Dinah their sister. And they said to them, We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to a man who has a foreskin; for that would be a reproach to us. Only on this [condition] will we consent to you: If you will be as we are, by circumcising every male among you, then we will give our daughters to you, and your daughters we will take to ourselves, and we will dwell with you, and we will be one people. And if you do not listen to us to be circumcised, then we will take our daughter and go.
Jacob's sons answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully' means evil thought and intention regarding the truth and the good of the Church among the Ancients. 'And [so] spoke, because he had defiled Dinah their sister' means that the first stage in the joining together which could not be anything different was effected through acceptance. 'And they said to them, We cannot do this thing' means their disapproval. 'To give our sister to a man who has a foreskin' means unless they could identify the truth and the good of the Church with representatives and disregard the spiritual entities meant by these. 'For that would be a reproach to us' means that it would be contrary to them. 'Only on this [condition] will we consent to you: If you will be as we are' means acceptance of their semblance of religion. 'By circumcising every male among you' means a merely external representative, and then to them they would be pure. 'Then we will give our daughters to you, and your daughters we will take to ourselves' means a joining together in this manner. 'And we will dwell with you' means in life. 'And we will be one people' means in doctrine. 'And if you do not listen to us to be circumcised' means unless they forsook their own truths and accepted external representatives. 'Then we will take our daughter and go' means that there would be no joining together.
ppp19392#pid#4459. 'Jacob's sons answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully means evil thought and intention regarding the truth and the good of the Church among the Ancients. This is clear from the representation of 'Shechem' as truth among the Ancients, or what amounts to the same, truth from the ancient Divine stock, dealt with in `@@@4399`, `@@@4454`; from the representation of 'Hamor' as the good from which that truth sprang, dealt with in `@@@4399`, `@@@4431`, `@@@4447`, `@@@4454`; and from the meaning of 'deceit' as evil thought and intention. In general deceit implies evil against another and against what he says and does, for the thought and intention of the one who is deceitful is different from that of the other person, as is also clear from the outcome of events described in this chapter. From this it is evident that 'the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully' means evil thought and intention regarding the truth and the good of the Church among the Ancients.
ttt[2] The sons of Jacob, that is, his descendants, could have none but an evil thought and intention regarding the truth and the good belonging to the internal man, because they were interested in external things devoid of internal, `@@@4281`, `@@@4293`, `@@@4307`, `@@@4429`, `@@@4433`. They saw no value at all in internal things, and therefore utterly despised them. Such is also the nature of that nation at the present day, and so it is of all who are interested only in external things. People who are interested only in external things do not even know what it is to be interested in internal things, since they have no knowledge of what is internal. If anyone in their presence mentions that which is internal they either endorse the existence of it because they know from doctrine of its existence, though that endorsement is attributable to their deceit, or else they deny the existence of it with their lips as they do in their hearts. For they do not go further than the experiences of the senses of the external man, and as a consequence do not believe in any life after death. Nor do they believe any resurrection to be possible apart from their rising again in the physical body. That being so, they are allowed to have these thoughts concerning the resurrection, or else they would not have any at all. For they centre the whole of life in the body, not knowing that the life of their body flows from the life of their spirit which lives after death. People who are interested only in external things cannot possibly have any faith, for external things with them annihilate all thought concerning internal ones, and consequently all belief in them.
ttt[3] Since this kind of ignorance reigns at the present day, an explanation needs to be given of what it is to be interested in external things devoid of internal. All people who are devoid of conscience are interested only in external things, for the internal man reveals itself through conscience. Anyone is devoid of conscience if he thinks and does what is true and good not for the sake of what is true and good but for the sake of his own personal position and gain, and also merely because he fears the law and fears for his own life. For if reputation, position, gain, and life were not endangered he would plunge without conscience into every unmentionable act. This is quite evident from those in the next life who were such during their lifetime. Because interior things are laid bare in that life those people are constantly endeavouring to destroy others, on account of which they are in hell, where they are held in bonds in a spiritual manner.
ttt[4] To enable anyone to have a fuller knowledge of what is meant by an interest in external things, and what by an interest in internal ones; to enable him to know also that people who are interested only in external things cannot have any conception of what internal ones are and so cannot feel any affection for them (for nobody feels any affection for things of which he has no conception) let the following, for example, be considered. One who is least in heaven is the greatest, one who is humble is exalted, and also one who is poor and needy is rich and affluent. People who are interested only in external things cannot have any conception of these matters, for they think that the least cannot possibly be the greatest, nor the humble be the exalted, and that the poor cannot possibly be rich or the needy affluent. Yet this is precisely how it is in heaven. And because they cannot have any conception of these matters they are consequently unable to feel any affection for them; and when they reflect on them from the point of view of the bodily and worldly things which interest them they feel an aversion to them. How it is in heaven they do not know at all, and as long as they are interested only in external things they do not wish to know, nor indeed are they capable of knowing. For in heaven one who knows, acknowledges, and believes in his heart that is, with affection - that none of his power is self-derived, but that all the power he has comes from the Lord, is called the least. Yet he is the greatest because his power comes from the Lord. Similarly so with one who is humble yet exalted; for one who is humble, acknowledging and believing from affection that he has no self-derived power at all, nor any self-derived intelligence and wisdom, nor any goodness and truth, has power, an intelligent understanding of truth, and a wise discernment of good, conferred on him by the Lord more than on others. And likewise so with the poor and the needy being rich and affluent; for he is called poor and needy who believes in his heart and with affection that nothing he possesses begins in himself, nor does anything he knows and is wise in, nor does anything he has power in. In heaven he is rich and is affluent, the Lord granting him total wealth since he is wiser and richer than all others and lives in most magnificent palaces, `@@@1116`, `@@@1626`, `@@@1627`, and among the treasures constituting all the riches of heaven.
ttt[5] Take as another example someone who is interested only in external things. Such a person cannot have any conception at all that heavenly joy consists in loving the neighbour more than himself and the Lord above all things, and that happiness depends on the amount and the quality of that love. For one interested only in external things loves himself more than his neighbour, and if he does love others it is because they show him favour; and so he loves them for a selfish reason - and he therefore loves himself in them and them in himself. A person like this cannot know what loving others more than himself is; indeed he does not wish to know, and is incapable of knowing. Consequently when told that heaven consists in such love, `@@@548`, he is repelled by the idea. Hence those who have been like this during their lifetime are unable to draw near any heavenly community; and when they do draw near, because they feel repelled by it, they cast themselves down headlong into hell.
ttt[6] Because few at the present day know what it is to be interested in external things and what it is to be interested in internal ones, and because the majority believe that those interested in internal things cannot be interested in external ones, and vice versa, let one further example be introduced to illustrate the matter. Take the nourishment of the body and the nourishment of the soul. A person who is interested in merely external pleasures takes care of his own skin, gratifies his stomach, likes to live sumptuously, and finds that the choicest food and drink yields him the highest pleasure. A person however who is interested in internal things also takes delight in those same pleasures, but his governing affection is to nourish the body with pleasurable foods so that it may be healthy, the end in view being a healthy mind in a healthy body. His primary concern is health of mind, for which health of the body serves as a means. One who is a spiritual man does not stop there but regards health of mind or of the soul as the means provided to acquire intelligence and wisdom, not for the sake of reputation, position, or gain, but for the sake of the life after death. And one who is spiritual in a more interior degree regards intelligence and wisdom as a mediate end enabling him to serve as a useful member in the Lord's kingdom; while one who is celestial regards the same as that which enables him to serve the Lord. To him bodily food is a means to the enjoyment of spiritual food; and spiritual food is a means to the enjoyment of celestial food. And because they ought to serve in this manner those foods also correspond, and are therefore called foods. From these examples one may see what is meant by being interested only in external things and what by being interested in internal ones.
ttt[7] The Jewish and Israelite nation, which is the subject in this chapter in the internal historical sense, apart from those who have died as children, are for the most part such. They more than all others are interested in external things, for they are governed by avarice. Those who do not love profit and gain for the sake of any use, only for the sake of gold and silver, and who focus the whole delight of life in those possessions, dwell in the outermost or lowest places, since they are entirely earthly things which they love. But those loving gold and silver because of some use these may serve are people who rise above earthly things, in accordance with that use. The use itself which a person loves is what gives direction to his life and marks him off from others, an evil use making him like one in hell and a good use like one in heaven. It is not indeed the use itself that does so but the love behind it, for everyone's life is inherent in his love.
ppp19391#pid#4460. 'And [so] spoke, because he had defiled Dinah their sister' means that the first stage in the joining together which could not be anything different was effected through acceptance. This becomes clear from the explanation of the words 'he took her, and lay with her, and ravished her' which meant that there was no other way in which it could be joined to the affection for truth meant by 'the sons of Jacob', who were his brothers, see `@@@4433`. The reference here to his defilement of her implies much the same.
ppp19390#pid#4461. 'And they said to them, We cannot do this thing' means their disapproval. This is clear without explanation.
ppp19389#pid#4462. 'To give our sister to a man who has a foreskin' means unless they could identify the truth and the good of the Church with representatives and disregard the spiritual entities meant by these. This is clear from the meaning of 'the foreskin' as an external representative - as the sign that they were members of the Church. It was usual therefore to speak of circumcision and the foreskin when they needed to distinguish between those who belonged to the Church and those who did not. For circumcision meant the departure from filthy loves, namely self-love and love of the world, and the acceptance of heavenly loves, which are love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour, and so an acceptance of the Church. This is why these words mean an acceptance of their semblance of religion and that therefore they identified the truth and the good of the Church with representatives, disregarding the internal things meant by these. For otherwise they would not be like them, as the words that follow show, 'Only on this [condition] will we consent to you: If you will be as we are'. As regards 'circumcision' being the sign of purification from filthy loves, see `@@@2039`, `@@@2632`, and the expression 'uncircumcised' being used of those who were governed by those loves, `@@@2049`, `@@@3412`, `@@@3413`.
ttt[2] Scarcely anyone at the present day knows what circumcision means specifically, and this therefore must be stated. The genital organs in both sexes mean things associated with the joining together of good and truth. They not only mean them but also in actual fact correspond to them. It has been shown at the ends of chapters that all the organs and members in the human being have a correspondence with spiritual things in heaven, including therefore the organs and members devoted to procreation. These correspond to the marriage of good and truth, from which marriage conjugial love also comes down, see `@@@2618`, `@@@2727-2729`, `@@@2803`, `@@@3132`, `@@@4434`. Because the foreskin covered the genital organ it corresponded in the Most Ancient Church to the obscuration of good and truth, but in the Ancient Church to the defilement of them. With a person who belonged to the Most Ancient Church, because he was an internal man, good and truth were able to be obscured but not defiled, but with one who belonged to the Ancient Church, because he was in comparison with his predecessor an external man, good and truth were able to be defiled since it is external things, that is to say, external loves, that cause defilement. For this reason those who belonged to the Most Ancient Church had no knowledge of circumcision, only those who belonged to the Ancient Church had it.
ttt[3] In addition circumcision spread from this Church to many nations. It was imposed on Abraham and his descendants not as something new but as the revival of a practice which had been abandoned, it becoming for his descendants the sign that they belonged to the Church. But that nation did not know, and did not wish to know, what it was a sign of, for they identified religion with representatives alone, which are externals. They therefore condemned the uncircumcised as a whole, when yet circumcision was to be merely a sign representative of purification from self-love and love of the world, from which those are purified who have been circumcised spiritually and are called circumcised at heart, as in Moses,
Jehovah God will circumcise your heart, and the heart of your seed, so that you will love Jehovah your God with all your heart and with all your soul. `Deuteronomy 30bbb6`.
In the same author,
You shall circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and you shall be stiff-necked no longer. `Deuteronomy 10bbb16`, `Deuteronomy 10bbbccc18`.
And in Jeremiah,
Break up your fallow ground, and remove the foreskin of your heart. `Jeremiah 4bbb3-4`.
ttt[4] People however who are governed by self-love and love of the world are called 'uncircumcised', in spite of their having been circumcised, as in Jeremiah,
Behold, the days are coming in which I will visit every one circumcised in the foreskin - Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab, and all that have the corners [of their hair] cut and who dwell in the wilderness, for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel is uncircumcised in heart. `Jeremiah 9bbb25-26`.
From this it is also evident that many other nations were circumcised, for it is said 'I will visit every one circumcised in the foreskin', and so, as stated above, that circumcision was not something new, nor was it confined to the descendants of Jacob as a distinguishing feature. The Philistines were not circumcised, and therefore 'the uncircumcised' is generally used to mean the Philistines, `1 Samuel 14bbb6`; `1 Samuel ccc17bbb26`, `1 Samuel 17bbbccc36`; `1 Samuel ccc31bbb4`; `2 Samuel 1bbb20`; and elsewhere.
ppp19388#pid#4463. 'For that would be a reproach to us' means that it would be contrary to them. This is clear from the meaning of 'a reproach' as that which would be contrary to their semblance of religion and so contrary to them.
ppp19387#pid#4464. 'Only on this [condition] will we consent to you: If you will be as we are' means acceptance of their semblance of religion. This is clear from the meaning of 'consenting' as acceptance, and from the meaning of 'being as they are' as being interested only in external things and not in internal ones, for they would in that case have been as they were, see just above in `@@@4459`. There it was shown - in `@@@4459` - what an interest only in external things is and what an interest in internal ones is. Here the reason why a person ought to be interested in internal ones is going to be stated. Anyone who reflects may see that man has communication with heaven by means of internal things, for the whole of heaven dwells within internal things. Unless a person is in heaven as regards his thoughts and affections, that is, as regards the thoughts in his understanding and the affections in his will, he cannot go to heaven after death, since he has no communication with it at all. During his lifetime a person secures that communication by means of truths in his understanding and goods in his will, and unless he secures it then he cannot do so subsequently, since his mind cannot be opened after death to interior things if it has not been opened to them during his lifetime.
ttt[2] Man is not immediately conscious of the fact that a spiritual sphere surrounds him, the nature of which is determined by the life of his affections. That sphere the angels are able to perceive more clearly than any aroma reaching the keenest sense of smell in the world. If in his life he has been interested only in external things, that is to say, in the pleasures that are gained from hatred against the neighbour, from consequent revenge and cruelty, from committing adultery, from self-aggrandizement and consequent contempt for others, from unseen acts of robbery, from avarice, from deceit, and from luxuriousness, and other vices like these, the spiritual sphere which surrounds him is as offensive as the aroma in the world coming from dead bodies, dung, stinking refuse, and other things such as these. Anyone who has been leading a life like this takes that sphere with him after death; and being entirely surrounded by that sphere he cannot exist anywhere else than in hell where such spheres belong. Concerning spheres in the next life and their origins, see `@@@1048`, `@@@1053`, `@@@1316`, `@@@1504-1519`, `@@@1695`, `@@@2401`, `@@@2489`.
ttt[3] People however who are interested in internal things - that is to say, who have taken delight in expressing good-will and charity towards the neighbour, and most of all who have found blessedness in love to the Lord - have a pleasing and lovely sphere surrounding them, which is the heavenly sphere itself; and for that reason they are in heaven. All the spheres which are perceived in the next life have their origin in the loves and in the affections deriving from those loves which have governed them. Such spheres have their origins as a consequence in their life, for their loves and affections derived from these loves constitute their life itself. And because they have their origins in their loves and affections derived from these they have their origins in the intentions and the ends in view which cause a person to will and to act in the way he does. For everyone has as his end in view that which he loves, and therefore a person's ends determine what his life is and constitute the essential nature of it; and this is the main source of the sphere around him. That sphere is perceived most perfectly in heaven the reason being that the sphere emanating from ends in view exists throughout the whole of heaven. These considerations show what someone is like whose interest is in internal things and what someone is like whose interest is in external ones, and why a person ought not to be interested only in external things but to be interested in internal ones also.
ttt[4] But someone who is interested only in external things pays no attention to internal ones - no matter how skillful he may be in the conduct of public affairs and no matter how great a reputation he has earned for being learned - because he is the kind of person who does not believe in the existence of anything which he does not see with his eyes or feel by touch, and therefore does not believe in heaven or in hell. And if he were told that he was going to enter the next life immediately after death, where he will see, hear, speak, and enjoy a sense of touch more perfectly than when in the body he would reject it as an absurdity or sheer fantasy, when in actual fact that happens to be the truth. His reaction would be the same if anyone were to tell him that the soul or spirit which lives after death is the real person and not the body which he carries around in the world.
ttt[5] From this it follows that those who are interested only in external things pay no attention at all to what is said concerning internal things, when yet it is these that make people blessed and happy in the kingdom which they are going to enter and in which they are going to live for ever. Such unbelief is present in most Christians, as I have been allowed to know from those to whom I have spoken who have entered the next life from the Christian world. For in the next life they are not able to conceal what they have thought since thoughts are laid completely bare there; nor are they able to conceal what ends they have had in view, that is, what they have loved, for this reveals itself through the sphere surrounding them.
ppp19386#pid#4465. 'By circumcising every male among you' means a merely external representative, and then to them they would be pure. This is clear from the meaning of 'circumcising every male' as an external representative - the sign that they belonged to the Church, in this case to their semblance of religion, dealt with above in `@@@4462`. The fact that they would then be pure in their eyes follows from this, for the descendants of Jacob saw no purity or holiness in internal things, only in external ones.
ppp19385#pid#4466. 'Then we will give our daughters to you, and your daughters we will take to ourselves' means a joining together in this manner. This is clear from what has been stated above about marriage, in `@@@4434`, namely that 'marriage' in the spiritual sense means good and truth joined together. For 'giving our daughters to you and taking your daughters to ourselves' describes an intermarrying.
ppp19384#pid#4467. 'And we will dwell with you' means being joined together in life. This is clear from the meaning of 'dwelling with you' as living as one, dealt with in `@@@1293`, `@@@3384`, `@@@3613`, `@@@4451`.
ppp19383#pid#4468. 'And we will be one people' means being joined together in doctrine. This is clear from the meaning of 'people' as the truth of the Church, and therefore doctrine, `@@@1259`, `@@@1260`, `@@@3295`, `@@@3581`. 'Being one people' accordingly means being joined together through doctrine. There are two things which join members of the Church together - life and doctrine. When life joins them together doctrine does not separate them, but if doctrine alone joins them together, as happens within the Church at the present day, they separate themselves from one another and form as many Churches as there are varieties of doctrine, even though doctrine exists for the sake of life, and life ensues from doctrine. Their separation from one another if doctrine alone joins them together is evident from the fact that a person who subscribes to one doctrine condemns him who subscribes to another, sometimes to hell. But doctrine does not separate people if life joins them together. This is evident from the fact that a person who leads a good life does not condemn another because he has a feeling about something different from his own but leaves it be as a matter of the other's faith and conscience. And this is an attitude which he adopts even towards those outside the Church, for he says in his heart that ignorance cannot condemn any of them, provided that they lead lives of innocence and mutual love, as young children do, who also, if they die, are in ignorance.
ppp19382#pid#4469. 'And if you do not listen to us to be circumcised' means unless they forsook their own truths and accepted external representatives. This is clear from what has been explained above in `@@@4462`. The statements made in these verses by Jacob's sons carry a meaning which is the opposite of that which Hamor and Shechem had in mind, and therefore also that which is the opposite in the internal sense, as shown by the explanations given. The reason for this is as stated in verse `Genesis 34bbbccc13`, that they spoke deceitfully, and the thoughts and feelings of one who speaks deceitfully are different from those of the one to whom he is speaking, `@@@4459`.
ppp19381#pid#4470. 'Then we will take our daughter and go' means that there would be no joining together. This is clear from the meaning of 'a marriage' as the joining together of good and truth, dealt with above in `@@@4466`. 'Taking their daughter and going' therefore means not giving her in marriage, and so means that there would be no joining together. At this point Jacob's sons speak as Jacob their father, for they do not say 'we will take our sister' but 'our daughter'. The reason for this is evident from the internal sense, namely that it was a matter for the father either to refuse or accept, in accordance with the law set out in `Exodus 22bbb16-17`. But because the subject here is those descended from Jacob and their semblance of religion, it is his sons, by whom that kind of religion is represented, who answer here in place of their father Jacob himself could not do so because here he represents the Ancient Church, `@@@4439`.
ppp19380#pid#4471. Verses `Genesis 34bbbccc18-24` And their words were good in the eyes of Hamor and in the eyes of Shechem, Hamor's son. And the young man did not delay to do the thing, because he delighted in Jacob's daughter; and he was honoured above all those of his father's house. And Hamor came, then Shechem his son, to the gate of their city, and they spoke to the men of their city, saying, These men are at peace with us; let them dwell in the land and carry on trade throughout it; behold, the land is broad and spacious before them. Let us take their daughters to us as wives (femina), and let us give our daughters to them. Only on this [condition] will the men consent to us to dwell with us, to be one people: That every male among us be circumcised, as they are circumcised. Their acquisition,`fff1` and their purchase, and all their beasts, will these not be ours? Only let us consent to them, and they will dwell with us. And they listened to Hamor and Shechem his son, all who went out of the gate of his city; and they circumcised every male, all who went out of the gate of his city.
'Their words were good in the eyes of Hamor' means conformity in life. 'And in the eyes of Shechem, Hamor's son' means in doctrine. 'And the young man did not delay to do the thing' means a strong desire to accept. 'Because he delighted in Jacob's daughter' means the semblance of religion in that Church. 'And he was honoured above all those of his father's house' means the foremost of the truths of the Church among the Ancients. 'And Hamor came, then Shechem his son, to the gate of their city' means the goods and truths of the Church among the Ancients which lay within their doctrine. 'And they spoke to the men of their city, saying' means persuasion. 'These men are at peace with us' means agreement. 'Let them dwell in the land' means in life. 'And carry on trade throughout it' means in doctrine. 'Behold, the land is broad and spacious before them' means extension. 'Let us take their daughters to us as wives, and let us give our daughters to them' means a joining together. 'Only on this [condition] will the men consent to us to dwell with us' means that they would agree in life. 'To be one people' means in doctrine. 'That every male be circumcised, as they are circumcised' means provided they were introduced by this means into their representatives and meaningful signs, solely into the external observances involved in these. 'Their acquisition, and their purchase' means their truths. 'And all their beasts' means goods. 'Will these not be ours?' means that these two kinds of goods and truths would be alike and take the same form. 'Only let us consent to them, and they will dwell with us' means, If we conform to this. 'And they listened to Hamor and Shechem his son' means consent. 'All who went out of the gate of his city' means that they departed from the doctrine of the Church among the Ancients. 'And they circumcised every male, all who went out of the gate of his city' means the acceptance of externalities.
`nnn1. i.e. small cattle - see `@@@4487`
ppp19379#pid#4472. 'Their words were good in the eyes of Hamor' means conformity in life. This is clear from the meaning of 'words being good' as conformity, and from the representation of 'Hamor' as the good of the Church among the Ancients, dealt with in `@@@4447`. At this point 'Hamor' represents life, for life in essence is good, even as doctrine, represented by 'Shechem', is in essence truth, as in the phrase following this. The reason why good is not represented by Hamor at this point but life is that he was going to conform to the external usages of the sons of Jacob.
ppp19378#pid#4473. 'And in the eyes of Shechem, Hamor's son' means in doctrine. This is clear from the representation of 'Shechem' as the truth of the Church among the Ancients which sprang from the good meant by 'Hamor', dealt with in `@@@4454`. Here however 'Shechem' means doctrine, for the reason given immediately above in `@@@4472`.
ppp19377#pid#4474. 'And the young man did not delay to do the thing' means a strong desire to accept. This is clear from the meaning of 'not delaying to do' that which is required as a strong desire to conform to it, and so to accept it.
ppp19376#pid#4475. 'Because he delighted in Jacob's daughter' means the semblance of religion in that Church. This is clear from the representation of Dinah, to whom 'Jacob's daughter' refers here, as an affection for the truth which the Ancient Church possessed, for this Church is represented by 'Jacob', `@@@4439`. With the affection for the truth possessed by this Church, or what amounts to the same, with this Church, there existed a strong desire to be joined. But because the Church among Jacob's descendants, which is represented here by 'his sons', who spoke in place of their father, `@@@4470`, became wholly external, and Hamor and Shechem agreed to accept the external usages, therefore 'Jacob's daughter' now means the semblance of religion in that Church.
ppp19375#pid#4476. 'And he was honoured above all those of his father's house' means the foremost of the truths of the Church among the Ancients. This is clear from the meaning of 'honoured above all' as that which is foremost. 'One who is honoured above all' is almost the same in meaning as a prince, who means that which is first and foremost, see `@@@1482`, `@@@2089`. But the expression 'honoured above all those of his father's house' is used and not 'prince' because Hamor and Shechem were part of the remnants of the Most Ancient Church, `@@@4447`, `@@@4454`, and one who in the Ancient Church was called a prince was in the Most Ancient called 'honoured'. The reason why the foremost of the truths of the Church among the Ancients is meant is that this description is used of Shechem, who represents the truth of the Church among the Ancients, see `@@@4454`.
ppp19374#pid#4477. 'And Hamor came, then Shechem his son, to the gate of their city' means the goods and truths of the Church among the Ancients which lay within their doctrine. This is clear from the representation of 'Hamor' as the good of the Church among the Ancients, dealt with in `@@@4447`; from the representation of 'Shechem' as the truth springing from that good, dealt with in `@@@4454`; and from the meaning of 'the gate of the city' as the doctrine of truth, dealt with in `@@@2943`.
ppp19373#pid#4478. 'And they spoke to the men of the city, saying' means persuasion. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'speaking' as willing and also as flowing in, dealt with in `@@@2951`, `@@@3037`. In this case persuading is meant because persuasion exists in one who wills something; and when anyone like this influences another he communicates his persuasion. Furthermore 'the men of the city' means those with whom the truths of doctrine are present, in this case truths like those with Shechem. For in ancient times a city was nothing other than one family belonging to a nation; the dwelling together of those who belonged to one family was called a city. And because in the internal sense it is not the family that is meant but the essential nature of that family so far as life and doctrine are concerned, 'city' means the truth of doctrine and 'inhabitants' the good of doctrine, see `@@@402`, `@@@2268`, `@@@2449`, `@@@2451`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc2712`, `@@@2943`, `@@@3216`. But when the inhabitants of a city are referred to as 'the men of the city' it is not the good of doctrine that is meant but the truths of it; for in the Word 'men' means truths, `@@@3134`.
ppp19372#pid#4479. 'These men are at peace with us' means agreement, in this case in matters of doctrine. This is clear from the meaning of 'men' as truths, dealt with in `@@@3134`, and consequently as matters of doctrine also since the truths of the Church, when gathered together into one and acknowledged, are called matters of doctrine; and from the meaning of 'those at peace' as their being in agreement, for in the spiritual sense people are called 'those at peace' who agree with one another in the matters of doctrine and the dogmas of the Church.
ppp19371#pid#4480. 'Let them dwell in the land' means in life. This is clear from the meaning of 'dwelling' as life, dealt with above in `@@@4467`. Here as elsewhere 'the land' means the Church, `@@@662`, `@@@1066`, `@@@1067`, `@@@1262`, `@@@1733`, `@@@1850`, `@@@2117`, `@@@2118` (end), `@@@2928`, `@@@3355`, `@@@4447`, so that 'dwelling in the land' means similarity of life that conforms to the ways of the Church. Everything written in the Word is in itself and in essence spiritual. It is well known that the Word is spiritual, but this spirituality is not visible in the letter, for the content of the letter is worldly, especially in the historical sections. But when it is read by man the worldly content in it becomes spiritual in the spiritual world, that is, among the angels. For the angels are unable to think except in a spiritual way about anything whatever, and so cannot think of 'dwelling in the land' except in a spiritual way. Thinking in a spiritual way is thinking about the things that belong to the Lord's kingdom, and so about those that belong to the Church.
ppp19370#pid#4481. 'And carry on trade throughout it' means in doctrine. This is clear from the meaning of 'carrying on trade throughout the land' as entering into cognitions of good and truth, dealt with in `@@@4453`, and so into doctrine, for doctrine contains and teaches those cognitions.
ppp19369#pid#4482. 'Behold, the land is broad and spacious before them' means extension, that is to say, of truth which is the truth of doctrine. This is clear from the meaning of 'the land' as the Church, dealt with just above in `@@@4480`, and from the meaning of 'broad and spacious' as extension as regards truths, and so as regards those taught by doctrine. When in the Word the measurements of something are given, it is not those measurements that are meant in the internal sense but the essential characteristics of a state that is being described. For measurements involve spatial dimensions and in the next life there are no intervals of space, as there are no periods of time, but states which correspond to these, see `@@@2625`, `@@@2837`, `@@@3356`, `@@@3387`, `@@@3404`, `@@@4321`. That being so, lengths, breadths, and heights, which are spatial measurements, mean the aspects of a state - length meaning holiness, height good, and breadth truth, see `@@@650`, `@@@1613`, `@@@3433`, `@@@3434`. This then is why 'the land is broad and spacious' means the extension of truth which is the truth of doctrine within the Church.
ttt[2] Anyone who does not know of the existence of anything spiritual in the Word other than that which stands out in the literal sense is bound to be amazed by the statement that 'the land is broad and specious' means the extension of truth which is the truth of doctrine within the Church. But the truth of this statement may be established from places where 'breadth' is mentioned in the Word, as in Isaiah,
Asshur will go through Judah, it will deluge it and pass through and will reach even to the neck; and the outstretchings of its wings will fill the breadth of the land. `Isaiah 8bbb8`.
In David,
O Jehovah, You have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy. You have made my feet stand in a broad place. `Psalms 31bbb8`.
In the same author,
Out of my distress I called on Jah; He answered me in a broad place. `Psalms 118bbb5`.
In Habakkuk,
I am rousing the Chaldeans, a bitter and hasty nation, marching' into the breadths of the earth. `Habakkuk 1bbb6`.
'Breadths' here means nothing other than the truth of the Church.
ttt[3] The reason why breadth has this meaning is that in the spiritual world, that is, in heaven, the Lord is the centre of all, for He is the Sun there. Those in a state of good are more interior, their exact position towards the middle being determined by the character and the amount of the good present in them. This is why 'height' is used in reference to good. Those who are in a similar degree of good are also in a similar degree of truth, and so dwell so to speak at the same distance from the centre, or one might say, dwell on the same contour; and this is why 'breadth' is used in reference to truths. Therefore when a person reads the Word the angels present with him do not understand by 'breadth' anything other than truths. When in the Historical sections, for example, the ark, the altar, the temple, and the spaces outside cities are referred to, states of good and truth are perceived by the dimensions indicating the lengths, breadths, and heights of these. The same is so with the new earth, new Jerusalem, and new Temple - described in Chapters `Ezekiel ccc40bbb0`-`Ezekiel ccc47bbb0` of Ezekiel - by which heaven and a new Church are meant, as may be seen from the detailed descriptions in those chapters. So also in John where it is said of the New Jerusalem that it will be foursquare, 'its length being as great as its breadth', `Revelation 21bbb16`.
ttt[4] Things which in the spiritual world are interior are described as those that are higher, while those that are exterior are described by those that are lower, `@@@2148`, for while in the world, no one can conceive of interior things and exterior ones in any other way, for the reason that he dwells within space and time, and things that belong to space and time have entered in among the ideas comprising his thought and have conditioned the majority of these. From this it is also evident that expressions which give the spatial measurements of things such as the height, length, and breadth of them, are in the spiritual sense expressions used to indicate the magnitude of affections for good and affections for truth.
ppp19368#pid#4483. 'Let us take their daughters to us as wives, and let us give our daughters to them' means a joining together. This is clear from what has been explained above in `@@@4466`, where similar words occur.
ppp19367#pid#4484. 'Only on this [condition] will the men consent to us to dwell with us' means that they would agree in life. This is clear from the meaning of 'consenting' as agreeing, and from the meaning of 'dwelling' as life, dealt with above in `@@@4451`, `@@@4452`.
ppp19366#pid#4485. 'To be one people' means in doctrine. This is clear from the meaning of 'people' as doctrine, also dealt with above, in `@@@4468`.
ppp19365#pid#4486. 'That every male be circumcised, as they are circumcised' means provided they were introduced by this means into their representatives and meaningful signs, solely into the external observances involved in these. This is clear from the meaning of 'being circumcised' as an external representative - as the sign that they were members of the Church, in this case of the semblance of religion which existed with those descended from Jacob, dealt with in `@@@4462`. And because they accepted their kind of religion which consisted solely in external observances, `@@@4281`, `@@@4293`, `@@@4307`, it is therefore said 'as they are circumcised'. From this it is evident 'that every male be circumcised, as they are circumcised' means provided they were introduced by this means into their representatives and meaningful signs, solely into the external observances involved in these. What more is embodied in those words will be clear from what follows below.
ppp19364#pid#4487. 'Their acquisition, and their purchase' means their truths. This is clear from the meaning of 'acquisition and purchase' as truths. But a distinction exists between these two expressions in that 'acquisition' when also used of small cattle means the good of truth, for that is what is meant by 'small cattle', but the good of truth is truth in will and action, see `@@@4337`, `@@@4353`, `@@@4390`. 'Purchase' however, which is elsewhere called 'the purchase of silver', means truth. The former - the good of truth - is called celestial truth, whereas the latter is called spiritual truth, `@@@2048`. Celestial truth is truth which has been made part of life, whereas spiritual truth is truth that constitutes doctrine.
ppp19363#pid#4488. 'And all their beasts' means goods. This is clear from the meaning of 'beast' as goods, dealt with in `@@@45`, `@@@46`, `@@@142`, `@@@143`, `@@@246`, `@@@714`, `@@@715`, `@@@1823`, `@@@2179`, `@@@2180`, `@@@2781`, `@@@3218`, `@@@3519`.
ppp19362#pid#4489. 'Will these not be ours?' means that these two kinds of goods and truths would be alike and take the same form. This becomes clear from the train of thought, the essence of which is that the goods and truths of the Most Ancient Church, which in some measure still remained in existence among Hamor and Shechem and their families, would accord with the goods and truths which came from the Ancient Church and existed among the descendants of Jacob. For the observances which were established among the descendants of Jacob were nothing other than external things which represented and meant the internal things of the Most Ancient Church. 'Will these not be ours?' - or, Would they not belong to them? - means that they would be alike and take the same form.
ttt[2] But let an example illustrate this matter. The altar on which they used to offer sacrifice was the chief representative of the Lord, `@@@921`, `@@@2777`, `@@@2811`. The altar was also for that reason fundamental to the worship in the Ancient Church that was called the Hebrew Church, and therefore every single thing that went into the construction of the altar was representative, such as its dimensions - its height, breadth, and length - its stones, its network of bronze, its horns; and so was the fire which was kept burning on it perpetually; and above all the sacrifices and burnt offerings. What they represented were the truths and goods which are the Lord's and which come from the Lord. These were the internal things of worship which, because they were represented in that external object, were alike and took the same form as the truths and goods of the Most Ancient Church. Its dimensions - its height, breadth, and length - meant in general the good, the truth, and the holiness from these, see `@@@650`, `@@@1613`, `@@@3433`, `@@@3434`, `@@@4482`. 'Its stones' meant in particular those truths that are more basic, `@@@1298`, `@@@3720`. 'The bronze' from which the network around the altar was made meant natural good, `@@@425`, `@@@1551`. 'The horns' meant the power of truth that springs from good, `@@@2832`. 'The fire' on the altar meant love, `@@@934`. 'The sacrifices and burnt offerings' meant celestial and spiritual things, according to their various kinds, `@@@922`, `@@@1823`, `@@@2180`, `@@@2805`, `@@@2807`, `@@@2830`, `@@@3519`. From all this it becomes clear that internal things were to be contained within external ones, and that internally the two sets of goods and truths would be alike. The same applies to all other external aspects of worship.
ttt[3] But those who belonged to the Most Ancient Church had no interest in those external things because they were internal people, and the Lord flowed in by an internal way existing with them and taught them what was good. To them the variations and differences of good were truths, and from this they knew what every single thing in the world represented in the Lord's kingdom; for the whole world or whole natural order is a theatre representative of the Lord's kingdom, `@@@2758`, `@@@3483`. Those however who belonged to the Ancient Church were not internal people but external, as a consequence of which the Lord was not able with them to flow in by an internal way and teach them what was good, only by an external way. At first He flowed in and taught them by means of such things as were representatives and meaningful signs, from which the representative Church arose, and later on by means of matters of doctrine concerning good and truth which were so represented and meant, from which the Christian Church arose. In essence the Christian Church is identical so far as its internal form is concerned with the representative Church, but the representatives and meaningful signs of the latter were done away with after the Lord came into the world, for the reason that every single thing represented Him Himself and as a consequence the things of His kingdom, for these are derived from Him and are so to speak the Lord Himself.
ttt[4] But the difference between the Most Ancient Church and the Christian Church is as great as that between the bright light of the sun by day and the inferior light of the moon or stars by night. For seeing goods by the internal or earlier way is like seeing in the daytime by the bright light of the sun, whereas seeing by the external or later way is like seeing in the night by the inferior light of the moon or stars. The difference was almost the same between the Most Ancient Church and the Ancient, except that those who belonged to the Christian Church could have dwelt in fuller light if they had acknowledged internal things, that is, if they had believed and practiced the truths and goods which the Lord taught. The actual good is the same in both, but the difference between them is that one sees that good in brightness, the other in obscurity. Those who see in brightness see countless arcana almost as angels in heaven do and also feel an affection for those which they see, whereas those who see in obscurity see scarcely anything that is free from doubt, and the things they do see mingle themselves with the shades of night, that is, with falsities. Nor can they inwardly feel any affection for them. Now because the good is the same in both, so also as a consequence is the truth; and this is why the words 'will these not be ours?' mean that the two sets of goods and truths would be alike and take the same form. For as stated already, Hamor and Shechem were part of the remnants of the Most Ancient Church, while the descendants of Jacob belonged to the Ancient Church called the Hebrew Church, though they were interested only in the external things of that Church. But the fact that Hamor and Shechem his son committed an enormous sin by accepting circumcision will be seen below in `@@@4493`.
ppp19361#pid#4490. 'Only let us consent to them, and they will dwell with us' means, If we conform to this, and, their lives will thereby be linked to ours. This is clear from the meaning of 'consenting' as conforming to, and from the meaning of 'dwelling with us' as living together or linking their lives together, dealt with in `@@@4467`.
ppp19360#pid#4491. 'And they listened to Hamor and Shechem his son' means consent. This is clear without explanation.
ppp19359#pid#4492. 'All who went out of the gate of his city' means that they departed from the doctrine of the Church among the Ancients. This is clear from the meaning of 'going out' here as departing from, and from the meaning of 'the gate of the city' as doctrine, dealt with in `@@@2943`, `@@@4477`, here the doctrine of the Church among the Ancients, since it was the gate of 'his', that is, Shechem's, city. For 'Shechem' represents the truth of the Church among the Ancients, `@@@4454`, the phrase 'the Church among the Ancients' being used to mean that which descended from the Most Ancient Church, as also stated already. The implications of this will be evident from what follows next.
ppp19358#pid#4493. 'And they circumcised every male, all who went out of the gate of his city' means the acceptance of externalities. This is clear from the meaning of 'circumcising every male' as being introduced into the representatives and meaningful signs of that people (that is, into those of Jacob's descendants) - solely into the external observances involved in these, dealt with in `@@@4486`; and from the meaning of 'going out of the gate of the city' as departing from the doctrine of the Church among the Ancients, dealt with immediately above in `@@@4492`. And as the departure from doctrine and the acceptance of externalities is meant, the expression 'those who went out of the gate of his city' occurs twice, without any reference at the same time, as is so elsewhere, to those who went into it. For 'going in' means an acceptance of doctrine and a departure from externalities; but the reverse of this is described here.
ttt[2] The implications of this must now be stated. Members of the Most Ancient Church, the remnants of which Hamor and Shechem with their families were a part, had an entirely different mental constitution and different disposition from adherents to the Ancient Church. The will in the case of the members of the Most Ancient Church contained that which was whole; but this was not so with adherents to the Ancient Church. Because of this the Lord was able with members of the Most Ancient Church to flow in through the will, and therefore by an internal way, but not so with adherents to the Ancient Church, since in these the will had been destroyed. But the Lord flowed into their understanding, and so not by an internal way but by an external one, as stated above in `@@@4489`. Flowing in through the will involves flowing in through the good of love, for all good belongs to the will part of the mind, whereas flowing in through the understanding involves flowing in through the truth of faith, for all truth belongs to the understanding part. Within the latter - the understanding - the Lord formed, in the case of adherents to the Ancient Church, a new will when He regenerated them. For goods and truths were implanted in the will part of the mind of members of the Most Ancient Church, see `@@@895`, `@@@927`, but in the understanding part of that of adherents to the Ancient Church, `@@@863`, `@@@875`, `@@@895`, `@@@927`, `@@@2124`, `@@@2256`, `@@@4328`. The new will is formed within the understanding part of the mind, `@@@928`, `@@@1023`, `@@@1043`, `@@@1044`, `@@@4328`. A parallelism exists between the Lord and the good residing with man, but not between Him and the truth there, `@@@1831`, `@@@1832`, `@@@2718`, `@@@3514`. As a consequence adherents to the Ancient Church dwelt in obscurity compared with members of the Most Ancient, `@@@2708`, `@@@2715`, `@@@2935`, `@@@2937`, `@@@3246`, `@@@3833`. From all this it may be seen that members of the Most Ancient Church had an entirely different mental constitution and different disposition from adherents to the Ancient Church.
ttt[3] It was for this reason that those who belonged to the Most Ancient Church were internal people and had no external forms of worship, while those who belonged to the Ancient Church were external people and did have them. For the former saw external things in the light of internal ones, as if by the light of the sun in the daytime, whereas the latter saw internal things in the light of external ones, as if by the light of the moon or stars at night. This also explains why the Lord is seen by the former in heaven as the Sun, but by the latter as the Moon, `@@@1521`, `@@@1529-1531`, `@@@2441`, `@@@2495`, `@@@4060`. The former are those who in explanations above are called celestial, the latter those who are called spiritual.
ttt[4] To illustrate the essential difference between the two let an example be taken. If a member of the Most Ancient Church had read the Word, the historical or the prophetical, he would have seen its internal sense without prior instruction or any explanation. He would have seen it so perfectly that the celestial and spiritual things belonging to the internal sense would have instantly met his eyes, and scarcely anything belonging to the sense of the letter. Thus the internal sense would have been for him in brightness, but the sense of the letter in obscurity. He would be like someone listening to a person speaking, and taking in only the sense and paying no attention to the words used by the speaker. But if a member of the Ancient Church had read the Word he would not have been able, without prior instruction or explanation, to see its internal sense, and so the internal sense would have been for him in obscurity but the sense of the letter in brightness. He would be like someone listening to a person speaking and in thought hanging on to the words used by him, all the while paying no attention to the sense of them, which would therefore be lost on him. But when a member of the Jewish Church reads the Word he does not understand anything beyond the sense of the letter. He does not know of and also denies the existence of any internal sense. And it is similar with the member of the Christian Church at the present day.
ttt[5] These considerations show the essential difference between those represented here by Hamor and Shechem who, being part of the remnants of the Most Ancient Church, were interested in internal things and not in external ones, and those meant by the sons of Jacob who were interested in external things and not in internal ones. Those considerations show in addition that Hamor and Shechem could not have acceded to external things and accepted those which existed among the sons of Jacob unless their internals were closed. But if these had been closed they would have perished for ever.
ttt[6] This is the hidden reason why Hamor and Shechem with their families were slain, a deed that would not otherwise have been allowed. Not that this absolves the sons of Jacob from blame for having committed that hideous crime. They had no knowledge of that hidden reason, nor did they have that as their end in view. Everyone is judged according to the end he has in view, that is, his intention; and it is plainly stated in verse `Genesis 34bbbccc13` that their intention was deceitful. When the Lord allows any such crime as this it is carried out by the evil and by those in hell who instigate it. But all evil which the evil intend and do to the good the Lord converts into good, as is the case here in that Hamor and Shechem with their families were [eternally] saved.
ppp19357#pid#4494. Verses `Genesis 34bbbccc25-29` And it happened on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, each took his sword, and came with confidence upon the city, and killed every male. And they killed Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and they took Dinah from Shechem's house, and went away. The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and plundered the city, because they had defiled their sister. Their flocks, and their herds, and their asses, and whatever was in the city, and whatever was in the field, they took. And all their wealth, and all their young children, and their women, they took captive and plundered, and everything that was in the house.
'It happened on the third day' means that which is continuous even to the end. 'When they were in pain' means evil desires. 'That two of Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi' means faith and love. 'Dinah's brothers' means the truths and goods of that Church. 'Each took his sword' means falsity and evil. 'And came with confidence upon the city, and killed every male' means that they utterly destroyed the truths of doctrine of the Church among the Ancients. 'And [they killed] Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword' means the Church itself. 'And they took Dinah from Shechem's house, and went away' means that they took away the affection for truth. 'The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and plundered the city' means that all his descendants destroyed that doctrine. 'Because they had defiled their sister' means that they had violated the truth of faith. 'Their flocks, and their herds' means that they destroyed rational good and natural good. 'And their asses' means the truths derived from these. 'And whatever was in the city, and whatever was in the field, they took' means every truth and good of the Church. 'And all their wealth' means all factual knowledge which they had acquired for themselves. 'And all their young children' means all innocence. 'And their women' means charity. 'They took captive and plundered' means that they seized them and perverted them. 'And everything that was in the house' means everything of the Church.
ppp19356#pid#4495. 'It happened on the third day' means that which is continuous even to the end. This is clear from the meaning of 'the third day' as that which is complete from beginning to end, dealt with in `@@@2788`, and so also as that which is continuous. People who suppose that the historical events described in the Word are no more than the facts of earthly history and are holy only because they appear in a sacred book are scarcely able to believe that 'the third day' has that meaning. But, as shown in preceding explanations, it is not only the actual historical narratives that include spiritual and celestial things which are not plainly visible in the letter, but also every word and every number too. The truth of this will in the Lord's Divine mercy be seen far more clearly in the prophetical sections which in the sense of the letter do not hold the mind to the sequence of events in the way that the historical sections do. But anyone who looks carefully into the interior contents of the Word comes to see that the number three, like the number seven, and also the number twelve, holds some arcanum. And if these numbers hold such it follows that every other number in the Word holds the same, for the Word is holy in every part.
ttt[2] Sometimes, when I have been talking to angels, I have seen in front of me what looked like numbers written, as if on a sheet of paper, in broad daylight, and I have realized that the spiritual entities about which the angels spoke pass into numbers like these. From this experience I have also been given to know that each number in the Word contains some arcanum. This may be seen plainly from the following in John,
He measured the wall of the holy Jerusalem, a hundred and forty-four cubits, which is the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. `Revelation 21bbb17`.
And elsewhere,
Let him who has intelligence reckon the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, that is, its number is six hundred and sixty-six. `Revelation 13bbb18`.
It is evident that the first of these numbers, namely a hundred and forty-four, is the product of twelve times twelve, and that the number six hundred and sixty-six is a product of that involving three or six; but what degree of holiness is implied by them may be seen from the holiness associated with the number twelve, concerning which number see `@@@577`, `@@@2089`, `@@@2129` (end), `@@@2130` (end), `@@@3272`, `@@@3858`, `@@@3913`; and concerning the holiness associated with the number three, `@@@720`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc901`, `@@@1825`, `@@@2788`, `@@@4010`.
ttt[3] Because the number three meant that which is complete even to the end, and so an entire period, whether long or short, it was therefore adopted in the representative Church and used whenever such a meaning needed to be conveyed. It is also used in the same way in the Word, in which every detail carries a spiritual meaning, as may be seen from the following places:
They were to go a three days' journey and to offer sacrifice. `Exodus 3bbb18`; `Exodus ccc5bbb3`.
They were to be ready on the third day, for on the third day Jehovah would come down onto Mount Sinai. `Exodus 19bbb11`, `Exodus 19bbbccc15-16`, `Exodus 19bbbccc18`.
Nothing from the flesh of a sacrifice was to be left until the third day. `Leviticus 7bbb16-18`; `Leviticus ccc19bbb6-7`.
The water of separation was to be sprinkled over the unclean person on the third day and on the seventh day. `Numbers 19bbb11`-end.
Those who touched one killed in war were to be cleansed on the third day and on the seventh day. `Numbers 31bbb19-25`.
ttt[4] Joshua commanded the people that within three days they would be crossing the Jordan. `Joshua 1bbb11`; `Joshua ccc3bbb2`.
Jehovah called Samuel three times, and three times Samuel ran to Eli and the third time Eli understood that Jehovah was calling Samuel. `1 Samuel 3bbb1-8`.
Jonathan told David to hide in the field until the third evening. And Jonathan sent to him on the third day from then, and revealed his father's intention. Jonathan at that point fired three arrows to the side of the stone. And after that David bowed down to the ground three times before Jonathan. `1 Samuel 20bbb5`, `1 Samuel 20bbbccc12`, `1 Samuel 20bbbccc19-20`, `1 Samuel 20bbbccc35-36`, `1 Samuel 20bbbccc41`.
Three things were set before David, of which he was to choose one - either the coming of famine for seven years, or his fleeing before his enemies for three months, or the existence of pestilence in the land for three days. `2 Samuel 24bbb11-13`.
ttt[5] Rehoboam told the assembly of Israel which asked for relief from his father's yoke that they should go away for three days and then return And they came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king said, Return to me on the third day. `1 Kings 12bbb5`, `1 Kings 12bbbccc12`.
Elijah stretched himself over the widow's son three times. `1 Kings 17bbb21`.
Elijah told them to pour water over the burnt offering and the wood a third time and they did so a third time. `1 Kings 18bbb34`.
Jonah was in the stomach of the monster for three days and three nights `Jonah 1bbb17`; `Matthew 12bbb40`.
The Lord talked of someone who planted a vineyard and sent servants three times, and after that his son. `Mark 12bbb2`, `Mark 12bbbccc4-6`, `Luke 20bbb12-13`.
Of Peter, He said that he was to deny Him three times. `Matthew 26bbb34`, `John 13bbb38`.
He said to Peter three times, Do you love Me? `John 21bbb15-17`.
ttt[6] From these and many other places in the Word it becomes clear that the number three holds an arcanum within it, and that for this reason this number was adopted within the ancient Churches as a meaningful sign. It is evident that it means the entire period of a Church and of things within a Church, whether long or short, and therefore that which is complete and also that which is continuous even to the end, as is plain in Hosea,
Jehovah will revive us after two days, on the third day He will raise us up, and we shall live before Him. `Hosea 6bbb2`.
ppp19355#pid#4496. 'When they were in pain' means evil desires. This is clear from the meaning of 'the pain' that follows circumcision as evil desire. The reason why such desire is meant by that pain following circumcision is that 'circumcision' means purification from self-love and love of the world, `@@@2039`, `@@@2044`, `@@@2049`, `@@@2632`, `@@@3412`, `@@@3413`, `@@@4462`, and every desire of the flesh stems from those loves. This is why 'pain' means such desire. Indeed when a person is being purified from those loves, as happens when he is being regenerated, he suffers pain and distress. It is the desires which are being removed that feel the pain and distress. When some arcanum is represented by means of a religious ceremony every part of the ceremony through to the completion of it embodies some facet of that arcanum. For example, the daggers or knives used in circumcision did so, as did their being made of flint, `@@@2093` (end), `@@@2046` (end), `@@@2799`; the blood that flowed at that time did so, and the method employed, and thus the state also. The same is also evident from the procedures followed in cleansings, inaugurations, and consecrations, and all other ceremonies. Here 'the pain' that followed circumcision means the desire on the part of Hamor, Shechem, and the men of his city for the external things in which alone Jacob's descendants had any interest, dealt with above in `@@@4493`.
ppp19354#pid#4497. 'That two of Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi' means faith and love. This is clear from the representation of 'Simeon' as faith in the will, dealt with in `@@@3869-3872`, and from the representation of 'Levi' as spiritual love or charity, dealt with in `@@@3875`, `@@@3877`. These are the things meant in the genuine sense by Simeon and Levi and also by the tribes named after Simeon and Levi. But in the contrary sense falsity and evil are meant, for falsity is the contrary of the truth of faith, and evil the contrary of the good of charity. These are the things that Simeon and Levi represent when the context is the Jewish nation which had annihilated among themselves everything of faith and everything of charity, such as constitute the internal aspects of worship. This becomes much clearer in what follows where it is said that they killed Hamor, Shechem, and the men of the city, and that the sons of Jacob came upon the slain and plundered everything. Simeon and Levi were the ones to commit this deed, so as to represent the fact that the truth of faith and the good of charity had been made into falsity and evil. For when truth becomes falsity and good becomes evil within the Church, the Church is done for.
ppp19353#pid#4498. 'Dinah's brothers' means the truths and goods of that Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'brothers' as truths and goods, or faith and charity, dealt with in `@@@367`, `@@@3303`, `@@@3803`, `@@@3815`, `@@@4121`, `@@@4191`, `@@@4267`, and from the representation of 'Dinah' as the affection for truth, and therefore the Church, dealt with in `@@@3963`, `@@@3964`, 44227.
ppp19352#pid#4499. 'Each took his sword' means falsity and evil. This is clear from the meaning of 'a sword' as truth engaged in conflict and consequently the defence of truth, and in the contrary sense falsity engaged in conflict, and consequently the vastation of truth, dealt with in `@@@2799`. The reason why 'a sword' at this point also means evil is that Levi was implicated, who represented charity, and so good. When good is turned into evil it uses falsity from evil to fight with, in which case anything it does is evil.
ppp19351#pid#4500. 'And came with confidence upon the city, and killed every male' means that they utterly destroyed the truths of doctrine of the Church among the Ancients. This is clear from the meaning of 'the city' as the doctrine of the Church, dealt with in `@@@402`, `@@@2449`, `@@@2943`, `@@@3216`, `@@@4478`, in this case of the Church among the Ancients, for that Church is represented by Hamor and Shechem whose city it was; from the meaning of 'with confidence' as with trust, in this case with trust in falsity and evil; and from the meaning of 'a male' as truth, dealt with in `@@@749`, `@@@2046`, `@@@4005`. From these meanings it is evident that 'they came with confidence upon the city, and killed every male' means that with a trust in falsity and evil they utterly destroyed the truths of doctrine of the Church among the Ancients.
ttt[2] It was the Church among the Ancients, a descendant of the Most Ancient Church, that was going to be established among the descendants from Jacob, because the Ancient Church had begun to perish. But the fact that they utterly destroyed every truth of faith and good of charity, and thus every internal aspect of worship among them, and so the fact that no Church could be established among Jacob's descendants, is described at this point in the internal sense. This explains how it came about that, because of their stubborn insistence, that which was merely a representative of the Church was established among them `@@@4281`, `@@@4288-4290`, `@@@4293`, `@@@4307`, `@@@4314`, `@@@4316`, `@@@4317`, `@@@4429`, `@@@4433`, `@@@4444`.
ppp19350#pid#4501. 'And [they killed] Hamor and Shechem [his son] with the edge of the sword' means the Church itself. This is clear from the representation of 'Hamor' as the Church among the Ancients as regards good, dealt with in `@@@4447`; from the representation of 'Shechem' as the Church among the Ancients as regards truth, dealt with in `@@@4454`, `@@@4472`, `@@@4473`, and from the meaning of 'with the edge of the sword' as falsity and evil engaged in conflict, dealt with in `@@@4499`, and so by means of which they annihilated the Church among themselves.
ppp19349#pid#4502. 'And they took Dinah from Shechem's house, and went away' means that they took away the affection for truth. This is clear from the representation of 'Dinah' as the affection for truth, dealt with above in `@@@4498`. The meaning according to the internal proximate sense is that they took away the affection for truth from those who were part of the remnants of the Most Ancient Church, for the phrase 'from Shechem's house' is used and by 'Shechem's house' is meant the good of truth of that Church. But as the subject here is the utter destruction of truth and good among those descended from Jacob, who are meant here by Jacob's sons, and as every detail mentioned has a specific application to the particular subject that is under discussion, 'Shechem's house' therefore means here simply the good of truth, like that which had existed with the member of the Most Ancient Church. Thus the meaning is that this good was wiped out among the nation descended from Jacob. For in the internal sense of the Word every expression or name means some aspect of the subject to which it belongs. At the same time the extinction of good and truth among Hamor and Shechem and his family is meant, because they accepted external usages, as shown in `@@@4493`.
ttt[2] The truth of what has been explained so far regarding Simeon and Levi becomes clear from the prophetical utterances of Jacob before he died, where the following occurs,
Simeon and Levi are brothers; instruments of violence are their swords. Into their secret place let my soul not come; in their congregation let not my glory be united; for in their anger they killed a man, in their pleasure they hamstrung an ox. Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce, and their fury, for it is severe. I will divide them in Jacob, and will scatter them in Israel. `Genesis 49bbb5-7`.
'Simeon and Levi' means the truth of faith which among the descendants of Jacob was turned into falsity, and the good of charity into evil, as above in `@@@4499`, `@@@4500`. They are called 'brothers' because good is the brother of truth, or charity is the brother of faith, `@@@4498`. 'Instruments of violence are their swords' means that falsities and evils did violence to truths and goods, `@@@4499`. 'Into their secret place let my soul not come, in their congregation let not my glory be united' means severance as regards life and doctrine, for in the Word 'soul' is used to refer to life, `@@@1000`, `@@@1040`, `@@@1742`, `@@@3299`, and 'glory' to doctrine. 'For in their anger they killed a man, in their pleasure they hamstrung an ox' means that with evil intent they annihilated the truth of the Church and the good of the Church, 'a man' meaning the truth of the Church, `@@@3134`, and 'an ox' its good, `@@@2180`, `@@@2566`, `@@@2781`. 'Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce, and their fury, for it is severe' means the punishment incurred for turning away from truth and good - 'cursing' meaning turning oneself away and also being punished on that account, `@@@245`, `@@@379`, `@@@1423`, `@@@3530`, `@@@3584`, while anger means the departure from good, and 'fury' the departure from truth, `@@@357`, `@@@3614`. 'I will divide them in Jacob, and will scatter them in Israel' means that goods and truths will exist no longer within either the external or the internal aspect of their Church - 'dividing' and 'scattering' meaning separating and completely removing from them, `@@@4424`, 'Jacob' being the external aspect of the Church and 'Israel' the internal, `@@@4286`.
ttt[3] These things are said about Simeon and Levi in this prophetical utterance because those two mean in general the truth and good of the Church, and when these cease to exist, and more so when falsities and evils take their place, the Church has been wiped out. Nothing other than this is contained in these prophetical words, as may be seen from the fact that neither the tribe of Simeon nor the tribe of Levi was cursed more than any other tribe. For the tribe of Levi was selected for the priesthood, and the tribe of Simeon existed as one of the rest of the tribes of Israel.
ppp19348#pid#4503. 'The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and plundered the city' means that all his descendants destroyed that doctrine. This is clear from the meaning of 'the sons of Jacob' as descendants from Jacob, dealt with above; from the meaning of 'plundering' as destroying; and from the meaning of 'the city' as the doctrine of the Church, dealt with above in `@@@4500`. Simeon and Levi's going away after they had killed every male in the city as well as Hamor and Shechem, and then Jacob's sons' coming upon the slain and plundering the city, involves an arcanum, the meaning of which is not evident except from the internal sense.
ttt[2] That arcanum is this: After the truth and good of the Church which are represented by 'Simeon and Levi' were wiped out and falsity and evil took their place, further falsities and evils were added, which are meant in the contrary sense by the rest of Jacob's sons. Each son of Jacob represented some general aspect of faith and charity, as has been shown in `@@@2129`, `@@@3858`, `@@@3913`, `@@@3926`, `@@@3939`, `@@@4060`.
Which aspect is represented by each, see the following:
Reuben, `@@@3861`, `@@@3866`, `@@@3870`;
Judah, `@@@3881`;
Dan, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc3921-3923`;
Naphtali, `@@@3927`, `@@@3928`;
Gad, `@@@3934`, `@@@3935`;
Asher, `@@@3938`, `@@@3939`;
Issachar, `@@@3956`, `@@@3957`;
Zebulun, `@@@3960`, `@@@3961`.
These general aspects of faith and charity which those sons represented become falsities and evils of that kind once the truth and good of the Church have been wiped out and those further falsities and evils have been added to them; for falsities and evils are constantly on the increase within the Church once it has been perverted and wiped out. It is these added falsities and evils that are meant by the reference to Jacob's sons coming upon the slain and plundering the city after Simeon and Levi had killed every male in the city as well as Hamor and Shechem, and had taken Dinah and gone away.
ttt[3] That 'the slain' in the Word means truths and goods which have been wiped out may be seen from the following places: In Isaiah,
You are cast out from your sepulchre like an abominable branch, a garment of the killed - slain with the sword - who go down to the stones of the pit like a dead body trodden underfoot. `Isaiah 14bbb19`.
This refers to Babel. 'Those slain with the sword' stands for those who have profaned the truths of the Church. In the same prophet,
So that their slain are cast out and the stench of their dead bodies rises up. `Isaiah 34bbb3`.
This refers to the falsities and evils which infest the Church, 'the slain' standing for these.
ttt[4] In Ezekiel,
The violent of the nations will draw the sword against the beauty of your wisdom, and they will profane your loveliness. They will bring you down into the pit and you will die the deaths of those slain in the midst of the seas. `Ezekiel 28bbb7-8`.
This refers to the prince of Tyre who means the leading cognitions of truth and good. 'Dying the deaths of those slain in the midst of the seas' stands for those who use facts to hatch falsities and in consequence defile the truths of the Church.
ttt[5] In the same prophet,
They also will go down with them into hell, to those slain with the sword. You will be made to go down with the trees of Eden into the nether world, in the midst of the uncircumcised you will lie with those slain with the sword. `Ezekiel 31bbb17-18`.
In the same prophet,
Go down and lie with the uncircumcised; they will fall in the midst of those slain with the sword; the chief of the powerful ones will speak to him in the midst of hell. `Ezekiel 32bbb19-21`.
This refers to Pharaoh and Egypt. 'Those slain with the sword' stands for those who by their use of knowledge become insane; by their use of it they destroy all belief in the truth known to the Church.
ttt[6] In David,
I have been reckoned with them going down to the pit; I have become as a man with no strength, neglected among the dead, like the slain lying in the sepulchre whom you remember no more and who have been cut off by your hand.
'The slain' in hell - those in the pit and 'in the sepulchre' - stands for those who have destroyed the truths and goods residing with them by means of falsities and evils. Anyone can recognize that these are not in hell merely because they have been slain with the sword.
ttt[7] In Isaiah,
A city of tumults, an exultant city, [your slain] have not been slain with the sword, and they have not been killed in war. All who have been found in you have been bound together in chains. They have fled from far away. `Isaiah 22bbb2-3`.
This refers to the illusions resulting from the evidence of the senses which do not enable the truths of the Church to be seen. It refers therefore to people subject to negative doubt, and these are called 'slain but not with the sword'.
ttt[8] In Ezekiel,
I am bringing a sword upon you and destroying your high places; and your altars will be destroyed, and your statues will be broken; and I will cause your slain to lie before your idols. When the slain have fallen in the midst of you, you will know that I am Jehovah. Then you will acknowledge, when the slain are in the midst of their idols, around their altar. `Ezekiel 6bbb3-4`, `Ezekiel 6bbbccc7`, `Ezekiel 6bbbccc13`.
'The slain' stands for those who are governed by falsities of doctrine.
ttt[9] In the same prophet,
Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain. They went forth and smote in the city. `Ezekiel 9bbb7`.
This is a prophetic vision. 'Defiling the house and filling the courts with the slain' stands for profaning goods and truths. In the same prophet,
You have multiplied your slain in this city, and have filled its streets with the slain. Therefore said the Lord Jehovih, Your slain whom you have placed in the midst of it, they are the flesh, and that is the pot; and he will lead you out from the midst of it. `Ezekiel 11bbb6-7`.
ttt[10] Because 'the slain' meant those who have annihilated the truths of the Church by means of falsities and evils, therefore also in the representative Church those who touched one who had been slain were unclean. Such persons are referred to in Moses as follows,
Everyone who has touched on the surface of the field one slain with the sword, or one dead, or a human bone, or a sepulchre will be unclean for seven days. `Numbers 19bbb16`, `Numbers 19bbbccc18`.
Inquiry was therefore made and atonement effected by means of a heifer. In the same author,
If one is found slain, lying in the field, and it is not known who smote him, then the elders of the city and the judges shall come out and they shall measure [the distance] to the cities which are around the one slain. It shall be, that in the city nearest to the one slain the elders of that city shall take a heifer by means of which no work has been done, which has not pulled in the yoke, and they shall bring it down to the river or valley, and there they shall break the heifer's neck. And they shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck has been broken and shall say, Our hands have not shed blood, and our eyes have not seen it. Expiate Your people Israel, O Jehovah, and do not set innocent blood in the midst of Your people; and the blood shall be expiated for them. `Deuteronomy 21bbb1-8`.
ttt[11] These laws were laid down because one who has been slain means the perversion, destruction, and profanation of the truth of the Church by means of falsity and evil, as is evident from each detail in the internal sense. The expression 'one slain, lying in the field' is used because 'the field' means the Church, see `@@@2971`, `@@@3310`, `@@@3766`. 'A heifer by means of which no work has been done' means the innocence of the external man which is present within ignorance. Without a clear knowledge of these things meant in the internal sense everyone will be surprised that a procedure such as this for making expiation should ever have been ordained.
ppp19347#pid#4504. 'Because they had defiled their sister' means that they had violated the truth of faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'defiling' as violating, and from the meaning of 'a sister' as truth, dealt with in `@@@1495`, `@@@2508`, `@@@2524`, `@@@2556`, `@@@3386`, in this case the truth of faith because Dinah, to whom 'their sister' refers here, means the affection for all things of faith, `@@@4427`. The reason why Shechem's defilement of their sister means that they befouled the truth of faith is that she represents the affection for all truths, and so means the Church itself, `@@@3963`, `@@@3964`. And because she was not given by her brothers to Shechem as a wife but remained with them as one defiled, therefore like her brothers she subsequently had a contrary representation. That is to say, she represented the affection for all falsities, and so represented the corrupted Church. Consequently the statement that they defiled their sister means that they had violated the truth of faith.
ppp19346#pid#4505. 'Their flocks, and their herds' means that they destroyed rational good and natural good. This is clear from the meaning of 'flocks' as rational good, and from the meaning of 'herds' as natural good, dealt with in `@@@2566`.
ppp19345#pid#4506. 'And their asses' means the truths derived from these, namely from natural good and rational good. This is clear from the meaning of 'asses', also of 'the sons of the she-ass', as well as of 'mules', as the truths of the natural and of the rational, dealt with in `@@@2781`.
ppp19344#pid#4507. 'And whatever was in the city, and whatever was in the field they took' means every truth and good of the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'the city' as doctrine, and so the truth of the Church, dealt with in `@@@402`, `@@@2268`, `@@@2449`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc2712`, `@@@2943`, `@@@3216`, `@@@4492`, `@@@4493`, and from the meaning of 'the field' as the Church in regard to good, and so as the good of the Church, dealt with in `@@@2971`, `@@@3310`, `@@@3766`, `@@@4440`, `@@@4443`. Consequently 'whatever was in the city, and whatever was in the field' means every truth and good of the Church.
ppp19343#pid#4508. 'And all their wealth' means all factual knowledge which they had acquired for themselves. This is clear from the meaning of 'wealth' as factual knowledge, as may be seen from many places in the Word. For spiritual wealth, and so the wealth that is meant in the spiritual sense, is nothing other. Insofar as such wealth consists in actual knowing, it is factual knowledge. In the Lord's kingdom, and therefore in the Church, that knowledge exists in place of material wealth, as will be substantiated in the Lord's Divine mercy from other places in the Word.
ppp19342#pid#4509. 'And all their young children' means all innocence. This is clear from the meaning of 'a young child' as innocence, dealt with in `@@@430`, `@@@2126`, `@@@3183`.
ppp19341#pid#4510. 'And their women' means charity. This is clear from the meaning of the words for 'woman' and 'wife' (femina, mulier, uxor) as affections for truth and affections for good. Affections for truth are meant when the partner is mentioned or when the expression 'husband' is used, affections for good when the partner is not mentioned or when the term 'man' is used, `@@@915`, `@@@1468`, `@@@2517`, `@@@3236`. At present affections for good are meant because the women belonged to the men of the city, who meant truths, `@@@4478` (end), and because the city is everywhere called the city of Shechem, who represented the truth of the Church among the Ancients, `@@@4454`. The affection for spiritual good is the same as charity, and this is why 'women' here means charity.
ppp19340#pid#4511. 'They took captive and plundered' means that they seized them and perverted them. This is clear from the train of thought in the internal sense.
ppp19339#pid#4512. 'And everything that was in the house' means everything of the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'the house' as the Church as regards good, dealt with in `@@@1795`, `@@@3720`, and so everything of the Church. It is because 'house' has this meaning that it is mentioned last.
ppp19338#pid#4513. Verses `Genesis 34bbbccc30-31` And Jacob said to Simeon and to Levi, You have brought trouble on me, by making me stink to the inhabitant of the land, to the Canaanite and the Perizzite; and I am [a few] mortals in number, and they will be gathered together against me and will smite me, and I shall be destroyed, I and my house. And they said, Is he going to treat our sister like a prostitute?
'Jacob said' means the external Ancient Church. 'To Simeon and Levi' means that which was the representative of spiritual and celestial things. 'You have brought trouble on me, by making me stink to the inhabitant of the land' means that those who belonged to the Ancient Church abominated them. 'To the Canaanite and the Perizzite' means those who are governed by good and truth. 'And I am [a few] mortals in number' means that it would be easy.... 'And they will be gathered together against me and will smite me, and I shall be destroyed' means, for the Ancient Church so to perish. 'I and my house' means as regards truth and good. 'And they said' means the reply. 'Is he going to treat our sister like a prostitute?' means on account of the fact that they had no affection [for truth].
ppp19337#pid#4514. 'Jacob said' means the external Ancient Church. This is clear from the representation of 'Jacob' as the Ancient Church, dealt with in `@@@4439`. And since the Ancient Church, like every other Church, is external and internal, 'Jacob' in the Word represents the external Church and 'Israel' the internal, `@@@4286`.
ppp19336#pid#4515. 'To Simeon and Levi' means that which was the representative of spiritual and celestial things. This is clear from the representation of 'Simeon' as faith, but in the contrary sense falsity, and from the representation of 'Levi' as love, but in the contrary sense evil, dealt with above in `@@@4497`, `@@@4502`, `@@@4503`. The representative of spiritual and celestial things is therefore meant here, for the reason that the things of faith are called spiritual, and those of love celestial. The reason for saying that Simeon and Levi mean the representative of those things is that representing them is not the same as being them; for with representations no attention is paid to the person who represents but to that which is represented by that person, `@@@665`, `@@@1097` (end), nor likewise is any attention paid to his character, `@@@3670`. That which was a representative of the Church was able to be established among the descendants of Jacob irrespective of what they were like in character, provided they strictly carried out the statutes in outward form, `@@@3147`, `@@@4208`, `@@@4281`, `@@@4292`, `@@@4307`, `@@@4444`. Consequently 'Simeon and Levi' here means that which was the representative of spiritual and celestial things.
ppp19335#pid#4516. 'You have brought trouble on me, by making me stink to the inhabitant of the land' means that those who belonged to the Ancient Church abominated them. This is clear from the meaning of 'bringing trouble on me, by making me stink' as causing them to abominate, and from the meaning of 'the inhabitant of the land' here as those who belonged to the Ancient Church. For 'the land' means the Church, `@@@566`, `@@@662`, `@@@1066`, `@@@1067`, `@@@1262`, `@@@1733`, `@@@1850`, `@@@2117`, `@@@2118` (end), `@@@2928`, `@@@3355`, `@@@4447`, and so 'the inhabitant of the land' those who belong to the Church, which in this case is the Ancient Church since that Church continued to exist among some nations in the land of Canaan. But that which was a representative of the Church was not established among the people descended from Jacob until that Ancient Church had completely come to an end. This fact is also meant by those descended from Jacob not being allowed into the land of Canaan until the iniquity of the inhabitants of the land had come to a close, as stated in `Genesis 15bbb16`. For no new Church is ever established until the previous one has been laid waste.
ppp19334#pid#4517. 'To the Canaanite and the Perizzite' means those who are governed by good and truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'the Canaanite' here as those who are governed by the good of the Church, and 'the Perizzite' those who are governed by the truth of the Church. Canaanite and Perizzite have these meanings because the Ancient Church continued to exist in that land among those people, as stated just above in `@@@4516`. For in that land there were people who belonged to the Most Ancient Church, see `@@@4447`, `@@@4454`. There were also those who belonged to the Ancient Church, in particular the one called the Hebrew Church, which was why people from the land of Canaan were in general called the Hebrews, `Genesis 40bbb15`, and had altars and offered sacrifices, and why after they had become idolaters the command was frequently given for their altars to be destroyed. Therefore so long as the Church or something like the Church remained with them 'the Canaanites' meant the good of the Church and 'the Perizzites' the truth of the Church. But once everything of the Church with these had reached its end 'Canaanite' means evil and 'Perizzite' falsify, `@@@1573`, `@@@1574`.
ppp19333#pid#4518. 'And I am [a few] mortals in number' means that it would be easy.... This is clear from the meaning of 'mortals in number' as a few. But when the train of thought in the internal sense refers to the quality of something instead of its quantity, that which is easy is meant. For when many are gathered together against them, as mentioned next, those who are a few are easily destroyed.
ppp19332#pid#4519. 'And they will be gathered together against me and will smite me, and I shall be destroyed' means, for the Ancient Church so to perish. This is clear from the meaning of 'being gathered together, smitten, and destroyed' as perishing. The reason why the Ancient Church is meant is that Jacob says this of himself and his house. For here 'Jacob' means the Ancient Church, see above in `@@@4514`.
ppp19331#pid#4520. 'I and my house' means as regards truth and good. This is clear from the representation of Jacob, to whom 'I' refers here, as the Church, in particular the Church as regards truth (as may be deduced from what has been shown concerning Jacob's representation in `@@@3305`, `@@@3509`, `@@@3525`, `@@@3546`, `@@@3576`, `@@@3599`, `@@@3775`, `@@@4234`, `@@@4337`; that is to say, he represents the Lord as regards Divine Natural Truth. For in representations when a person in the highest sense represents the Lord as regards the Divine Truth of His Natural, he also represents the Lord's kingdom as regards Divine Truth there, and consequently the Church as regards truth, because these correspond to each other; for all truth within His kingdom and Church is the Lord's); and from the meaning of 'a house' as the Church as regards good, dealt with in `@@@2233`, `@@@2234`, `@@@3720`.
ppp19330#pid#4521. 'And they said' means the reply. This is clear without explanation.
ppp19329#pid#4522. 'Is he going to treat our sister like a prostitute?' means on account of the fact that they had no affection [for truth]. This becomes clear from the representation of 'Dinah' after she had been defiled or treated like a prostitute, as the affection for falsities, and so a corrupted Church, dealt with in `@@@4504`, one therefore which no longer had any affection for truth, as may also be seen in that paragraph.
ppp19328#pid#4523. THE CORRESPONDENCE OF THE EYE AND OF LIGHT WITH THE GRAND MAN - continued
Everyone who has any knowledge about air and sound may know that the formation of the ear is determined wholly and completely by the nature of the modifications of these, so that the actual physical and material ear corresponds to such modifications. And everyone who has acquired any knowledge concerning the atmosphere and light knows that the actual physical and material eye is formed in such a way that it corresponds to the modifications of these. So perfectly do the ear and the eye correspond to them that any arcanum hidden within the natural existence of air and sound is inscribed on the organism of the ear, and any arcanum hidden within the existence of the atmosphere and light is inscribed on the organism of the eye.
ttt[2] Consequently anyone who has studied anatomy and at the same time physics may know by investigation that other physical and material organs - not merely the sensory but also the motor ones, as well as the internal organs - correspond to things that are part of the natural world. Thus the whole body is an organ composed of the deepest arcana belonging to everything which exists within the natural world, and its formation is determined by the hidden forces by which all things act and the wonderful manner in which they flow. This was why the ancients called the human being a little world or microcosm.
ttt[3] One who knows these things may also know that whatever exists in the world and in the natural system does not come into being of itself but from something prior to itself; and that this something prior cannot come into being of itself but from something even more prior; and so on back to Him who is the First, from whom in their ordered sequence things come into being. And because they come into being from Him they are also kept in being from Him, for being kept in being is constant coming into being. Consequently all things without exception, right down to the last that belong to the natural order, have not only come into being from the First but are also being kept in being from the First. For if every single thing were not constantly coming into being, and if this continuous connection extending from the First and so linked to the First did not exist, it would instantly fall to pieces and perish.
ppp19327#pid#4524. Now because every single thing that exists in the world and in the natural system comes into being, and is constantly coming into being - that is, is kept in being - from something prior to itself, it follows that it comes into being and is kept in being from a world above the natural system, which is called the spiritual world. And because there must be a continuous connection with that spiritual world in order that every single thing may be kept in being, or constantly come into being, it follows that the purer or more interior things present within the natural order, and consequently within the human being, spring from that world, and that purer or more interior things are forms such as are able to receive influx. But because there can be only one source of life, as in the natural system there is only one source of light and warmth, it is clear that every trace of life originates in the Lord, who is the Primary Source of life. This being so, every single thing which exists in the spiritual world corresponds to Him, and so therefore does every single thing within man, for man is a tiny spiritual world in miniature form. Consequently the spiritual man is also an image of the Lord.
ppp19326#pid#4525. From all this it is evident that in man in particular everything has a correspondence with the spiritual world, and that without this correspondence he cannot remain in being for a single moment; for without correspondence nothing continuous from the very Being of life, that is, from the Lord, could have any existence. Thus lack of connection would exist, leading so to speak to dissolution into nothingness. The reason why the correspondence with man is more immediate and consequently more exact is that he has been created so that he may take to himself life flowing from the Lord, and so has been created, as regards his thoughts and affections, with the capacity to be raised up by the Lord above the natural world, as a consequence to have thoughts about God, to be moved by an affection for the Divine, and thereby to be joined to Him, unlike other living creatures on earth. Beings who have this capacity to be joined to the Divine do not die when everything of the body belonging to this world is laid aside, for interiorly those beings remain joined to him.
ppp19325#pid#4526. To take further the correspondence of the sight of the eye, begun at the end of the previous chapter, it should be recognized that its correspondence is with the things of the understanding, for the understanding is internal sight and this internal sight functions in the light which is above the light of the world. The reason why man is able to acquire intelligence to himself by means of the things which are seen by him in the light of the world is that a higher light, or the light of heaven, flows into the objects made visible by the light of the world and causes them to be seen in a representative and correspondential fashion. For the light that is above the light of the world is that which proceeds from the Lord who enlightens the whole of heaven. Intelligence and wisdom themselves which come from the Lord are seen there as light, and it is this light which constitutes man's understanding or internal sight. When that light is flowing in through the understanding into the objects made visible by the light of the world it causes them to be seen in a representative and correspondential fashion, and so to be seen with understanding. And because the sight of the eye which operates in the natural world corresponds to the sight of the understanding which operates in the spiritual world, it corresponds to the truths of faith, for these belong to a genuine understanding. Indeed truths constitute the whole understanding of man, for every part of his thought revolves around the matter of whether something is so or not so, that is, whether it is true or not true. As regards the sight of the eye corresponding to the truths and goods of faith, see above in `@@@4410`.
ppp19324#pid#4527. I have talked to some just a few days after their decease, and being at that time recent arrivals they dwelt in a light which to them was little different from the light of the world. Because that light seemed little different to them they doubted whether it came from any source other than that of the world's light. They were for that reason taken to where heaven begins, to where the light was brighter still, and from there they talked to me. They said that they had never seen light like that, and yet this was long after the sun had set. They now wondered at the fact that spirits had eyes to see with, since during their lifetime they had believed that the life spirits had was pure thought, entirely separated indeed from any subject. The reason they had believed this was that they had been unable to think about any subject of thought because they had not seen it. This being so, they inevitably supposed that, being thought alone, the soul would be dissipated together with the body in which it existed, just like a puff of wind or fire, if the Lord did not in a miraculous way hold it together and keep it in being. Those spirits taken to where heaven begins also saw how easily the learned may fall into error concerning the life after death and that they more than any others do not believe anything apart from what they actually see. They were amazed therefore at their possessing not only thought but also sight, as well as each of the other senses. They were even more amazed that they looked to themselves entirely like people, that they saw, heard, and conversed with one another, and that they could touch and feel their own bodily parts, doing so more perfectly than during their lifetime. Consequently they were astounded that when living in the world man is totally ignorant of all this, and they felt pity for the human race's complete lack of knowledge about such things because of their utter lack of belief, most of all among those who dwell in greater light than others, namely those who are within the Church and possess the Word.
ttt[2] Some of them had not believed anything other than that after death human beings would be like ghosts, an idea which they had become convinced was true because of the apparitions they had heard about. But from this they concluded that a ghost was no more than some gross principle of life which is initially released from the life of the body but then returns again to the corpse, and in so doing is snuffed out. Others had believed however that they would not rise again until the time of the Last Judgement when the world would be destroyed, at which time they would rise again with the body which, though it had crumbled to dust, would be reassembled and in this way they would rise again with their bones and flesh. And because they had in vain been awaiting that Last Judgement or destruction of the world for many centuries they had sunk into the error of thinking that they would not rise again at all. They had not thought about what they had learned from the Word, and had sometimes even quoted that when a person dies his soul is in the hand of God,`fff1` and is among the happy or the unhappy depending on the life he had come to know; nor have they thought about what the Lord said concerning the rich man and Lazarus. But these recently arrived spirits were informed that everyone's last judgement takes place when he dies, at which time it seems to him that he is endowed with a body as when in the world, and has the use of every sense as he has done here, though that sense is now purer and more perfect because nothing bodily imposes any limitations on it, and things which belong to the light of the world no longer cloud over those that belong to the light of heaven. Thus he now lives in a body that so to speak has been purified. In that world he could not possibly carry around a body of bones and flesh like that he had in the world, for in this case he would once again be invested with earthly dust.
ttt[3] I have talked on this subject to some on the very day that their bodies were being buried, and through my eyes they have seen their own dead body, bier, and interment. They then said that they were casting that body aside, and that it had served them for uses performed in the world in which they had been but that now they were living in a body which served them for the uses performed in that world in which they were now. They also wished me to tell these things to their mourning relatives, but I was led to reply that if I did they would laugh at it because they did not believe in the existence of anything which they were unable to see with their own eyes, and so they would include what I said among visions which were mere illusions. For people cannot be brought to believe that as men see one another with their eyes so spirits see one another with theirs, and that man is unable to see spirits except with the eyes of his spirit, and that he sees them when the Lord opens his sight, as happened to the prophets, who saw spirits and angels, and also many of the things in heaven. But whether people living today would have believed those things if they had seen them at that time is open to doubt.
`nnn1. A saying that is possibly derived from `Deuteronomy 33bbb3`, or from Wisdom of Solomon `Deuteronomy ccc3bbb3` in the Apocrypha.
ppp19323#pid#4528. The eye, or rather the sight of the eye, corresponds in particular to those communities in the next life which are surrounded by paradise gardens, which appear up above, in front and slightly to the right. There one can see gardens containing trees and flowers belonging to genera and species so numerous that in comparison with them those found on this entire planet are few. Each object there holds a measure of intelligence and wisdom shining out of it, enabling you to say that the people in those gardens are at the same time in the paradise gardens of intelligence and wisdom. Those gardens stir the inner feelings of the people there, and so gladden not only the eye but also at the same time the understanding.
ttt[2] The paradise gardens are in the first heaven, on the verge leading to the inner parts of that heaven. They are representations which come down from the heaven above it when the angels of that higher heaven are engaged in serious discussion about the truths of faith. To communicate with one another the angels there rely on spiritual and celestial ideas to serve them as verbal expressions, and on consecutive sequences of representations, the beauty and loveliness of which cannot be described in any way at all. It is these beautiful and lovely expressions of ideas that are represented in the lower heaven as paradise gardens.
ttt[3] This heaven is divided into many separate heavens, to which the individual parts within the chambers of the eye correspond. There is a heaven where the paradise gardens referred to above may be found. There is a heaven where different coloured skies may be seen, where the whole air is flashing so to speak with gold, silver, pearls, precious stones, very tiny flowers, and countless other things. There is a rainbow heaven where very beautiful rainbows appear, large and small, variegated with most splendid colours. Each of these is a product of the light from the Lord which holds intelligence and wisdom within it, and therefore every single object there holds some measure of intelligence and wisdom - the attributes of truth and good respectively - which is manifested in this representative fashion.
ttt[4] Those who do not have any concept of heaven or of the light there can scarcely be led to believe that such things exist there. Consequently if those who bring that absence of belief with them into the next life have been governed by the truth and good of faith, they are taken by angels to those sights, and when they see them they are astounded. Concerning the paradise gardens, the skies, and the rainbow scenes, see previous descriptions of my experience of them in `@@@1619-1626`, `@@@2296`, `@@@3220`; also in the heavens consecutive representations occur constantly, `@@@1807`, `@@@1808`, `@@@1971`, `@@@1980`, `@@@1981`, `@@@2299`, `@@@2763`, `@@@3213`, `@@@3216-3218`, `@@@3222`, `@@@3350`, `@@@3475`, `@@@3485`.
ppp19322#pid#4529. A certain person who had been famous and renowned in the learned world because of his expert knowledge in botany heard in the next life, after he had died, that flowers and trees were to be seen in that life also. At this he was astounded, and because botany had been the delight of his life he was burning with the desire to see whether what he had heard was true. He was as a consequence taken to the paradise gardens where he saw very beautiful plantations of trees and very lovely flower-beds extending very far. Because he had now entered into his heart's desire he was allowed to wander through those grounds and not only to see each thing growing there but also to pluck it, hold it up to his eye and examine whether it was really what it appeared to be.
ttt[2] He spoke to me from there and said that he had never believed anything such as this, and that if people in the world were to hear of such things they would regard them as absurdities. He went on to say that the flowers visible there were far more abundant than those he had seen at any time in the world and were scarcely able to be appreciated by any worldly kind of discernment, and that each one sparkled with unimaginable brightness because it was a product of the light of heaven. He was not as yet able to perceive that that sparkling had a spiritual origin, namely that in every one there existed some measure of intelligence and wisdom - the attributes of truth and good - as the source of their sparkling. He said in addition that people on earth would never believe this because few believe in the existence of any heaven or hell; and those who do believe may know merely that there is joy in heaven, few among these believing that things exist there such as the eye has never seen, the ear has never heard, and the mind has never been able to contemplate. Such unbelief exists in spite of their knowing from the Word that amazing scenes were seen by the Prophets, like the many seen by John, as described in the Book of Revelation, which however were nothing other than representatives which occur continuously in heaven and which were seen by him once his internal sight had been opened.
ttt[3] But these things are comparatively unimportant. People who possess true intelligence and wisdom, in which those representatives originate, dwell in a state of happiness which is such that the things which have been mentioned belong among those that are not so important. There have also been others who have said when in the paradise gardens that these surpass every degree of happiness. They were therefore taken into a heaven further over to the right whose radiancy was brighter still, and at length to that heaven where they experienced the blessedness of intelligence and wisdom which those representatives hold within them. While they were there they spoke to me, saying that the things which they had seen previously were as nothing compared with what they experienced now. At last they were taken to that heaven where they were scarcely able to bear the bliss of interior affection, for that bliss pierced them through to the marrow; and when their marrow so to speak was dissolved into bliss they began to sink into a holy swoon.
ppp19321#pid#4530. Colours are also seen in the next life whose splendour and brilliance so surpass the richness of the colours in the world that scarcely any comparison is possible. They are products of the variegation of light and shade there. And because intelligence and wisdom from the Lord exist there which are seen as light by the eyes of angels and spirits, and at the same time inwardly enlighten their understanding, the colours there are in essence variations, or one may say, modifications, of intelligence and wisdom. The colours there with which not only the flowers are adorned, different skies painted, and different rainbows produced, but also those which are manifested in other forms, I have seen so many times that I can hardly number them. Their splendour derives from the truth which belongs to intelligence, and their brilliance from the good which belongs to wisdom, while the colours themselves are products of the brightness and the dullness of these, and so are the products of light and shade, like the colourings produced in this world. Consequently the colours which are mentioned in the Word - such as those of the precious stones in Aaron's breastplate, and on his holy vestments; those in the curtains of the tent where the Ark was; those in the foundation-stones of the New Jerusalem which are described by John in the Book of Revelation; and those mentioned elsewhere in the Word - represented aspects of intelligence and wisdom, though what each represents individually will in the Lord's Divine mercy be stated in the explanations of those parts of the Word. In general to the extent that they contain splendour and derive from the shining brightness of light the colours there are products of the truth which belongs to intelligence, and to the extent they possess brilliance and derive from the purple glow of light they are products of the good which belongs to wisdom. Those colours which owe their origin to such sources also belong to the provinces of the eyes.
ppp19320#pid#4531. As it is intelligence and wisdom from the Lord which appear in heaven as light, and the angels are consequently called angels of light, so it is the folly and insanity deriving from the proprium which reign in hell, and those who are there are consequently referred to as those belonging to the darkness. Actually there is no darkness in hell but a dim light like that emitted from a coal fire, in which light they see one another. Without this they would not be able to live. This light of theirs originates in the light of heaven which is converted into that dull light when it enters into their manias, that is, into their falsities and evil desires. The Lord is present with light everywhere, even in the hells, otherwise they would not have any ability to think and consequently to speak; but the light is conditioned by the reception of it. The dim light of hell is that which in the Word is called the shadow of death and is compared to the darkness. With those there it is also converted into darkness when they go near the light of heaven; and when they are in darkness foolishness and stupidity reign. From this one may see that as light corresponds to truth, so darkness corresponds to falsity; and that those governed by falsities are said to be in a state of blindness.
ppp19319#pid#4532. There are those who believe that the source of their understanding of what is good and true resides within themselves, and who as a consequence trust solely in themselves, thus imagining that they are wiser than all others. These - though in fact they do not have any knowledge of what is good and true, especially those who do not wish to have an understanding of what is good and true and are therefore governed by falsities - are sometimes consigned in the next life to a state of darkness. While they are in that state what they say is foolish since they dwell in a state of stupidity. I have been told that there are many like these, included among them those who had believed themselves to be dwelling in the greatest light and had also seemed to others to do so.
ppp19318#pid#4533. Included among the wonders that occur in the next life is this: When the angels of heaven look at evil spirits these spirits appear altogether different to them from how the spirits appear to one another. Among themselves and in their own false light, which is like that emitted from a coal fire, as has been stated, evil spirits and genii appear to themselves to exist in human form, which in keeping with their own delusions is not unattractive. But when the same spirits are looked at by the angels of heaven that dim light is immediately dispelled and they acquire an altogether different facial appearance, each spirit now having a face that expresses his particular disposition. Some are swarthy and dark like devils; some have ghastly faces like those of dead bodies; some have almost no face at all but instead something covered in hair; some are all teeth, looking like a crate; others like skeletons. Even more amazing than this, some look like monsters, the deceitful like serpents, and the very deceitful like vipers; and there are others with different faces again. But as soon as the angels cease to look at them those spirits appear in the form which they possessed previously in their own dim light. The angels take a look at the evil as often as they realize that they are endeavouring to leave their hells for the world of spirits with the intention of doing harm to others. As a consequence they are found out and turned back. The reason why angelic sight is so efficient is that there is a correspondence between the sight of the understanding and that of the eye; their sight possesses an acuteness which dispels the light of hell, and then the true nature of the evil spirits' form and disposition is visible.
ppp19317#pid#4534. 'The Grand Man and Correspondence' is continued at the end of the next chapter.
ppp19316#pid#4535. The preliminary sections of previous chapters - Chapter `Genesis ccc26bbb0` onwards - explained what the Lord foretold about His Coming or THE CLOSE OF THE AGE. Frequently in those sections it has been shown that His Coming or the Close of the Age means the last period of the Church, which in the Word is called the Last Judgement. Those who do not look beyond the literal sense cannot know of the Last Judgement as anything else than the destruction of the world, the particular source for such an idea being the Book of Revelation. There it is said that [John] saw 'a new heaven and a new earth, for the former heaven and the former earth had passed away; and there was no more sea', and in addition that he saw 'the Holy City, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven', `Revelation 21bbb1-2`. Prophetical utterances in Isaiah, where similar predictions occur, are also a source of the same idea,
Behold, I am creating new heavens and a new earth; therefore the former things will not be remembered or come to mind.`fff1` Be glad and rejoice for ever in the things I am creating; behold, I will create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. `Isaiah 65bbb17-18`; `Isaiah ccc66bbb22`.
ttt[2] Those who do not look beyond the literal sense cannot conceive of anything else than this - that the whole sky together with this planet will be annihilated, and then the dead - for the first time - will rise again and dwell in the new heaven and on the new earth. But these places in the Word should not be understood in that way, as may be recognized from other places in the Word where the heavens and the earth are referred to. Those who have any belief in an internal sense can see plainly that 'a new heaven' and 'a new earth' are used to mean a new Church which takes over when the previous one passes away, `@@@1733`, `@@@1850`, `@@@3355` (end), and that 'heaven' is the internal aspect of that new Church and 'earth' the external aspect of it.
ttt[3] This last period of the previous Church and the first of the new one are also called the Close of the Age, about which the Lord has spoken in `Matthew 24bbb0`. They are called also His Coming, for at that time the Lord departs from the previous Church and comes to the new. The description of that period as the Close of the Age may also be seen from other places in the Word, as in Isaiah,
On that day a remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the God of power. For though your people Israel will be as the sand of the sea, a remnant of it will return. The close has been determined, overflowing with righteousness, for the Lord Jehovih Zebaoth is bringing the whole earth to its close and to its determined end. `Isaiah 10bbb20-23`.
In the same prophet,
Now do not be derisive, lest your punishments increase, for a close and a cutting off I have heard from the Lord Jehovih Zebaoth over the whole earth. `Isaiah 28bbb22`.
In Jeremiah,
Thus said Jehovah, The whole earth will be a waste, yet I will not bring it to a close. `Jeremiah 4bbb27`.
In Zephaniah,
I will bring men into distress, and they will go as the blind, because they have sinned against Jehovah; and their blood will be poured out like dust, and their flesh like dung. For Jehovah will bring to a close, indeed to a hasty one, all the inhabitants of the earth. `Zephaniah 1bbb17-18`.
From each detail stated here it is evident that 'a close' means the last period of the Church and 'the earth' the Church itself.
ttt[4] The reason why 'the earth (or land)' means the Church is that the land of Canaan was the land where the Church had existed since most ancient times, and later on where among the descendants of Jacob a representative of the Church existed. When this land is said to have been 'brought to a close' it is not the nation dwelling there that is meant but the holiness of worship which existed with the nation where the Church was. For the Word is spiritual; but the actual land is not spiritual, nor is the nation dwelling in it, only that which constitutes the Church there. For evidence that the land of Canaan was the land where the Church had existed from most ancient times, see `@@@567`, `@@@3686`, `@@@4447`, `@@@4454`, `@@@4516`, `@@@4517`; and this explains why 'the land' or 'the earth' in the Word means the Church, `@@@566`, `@@@662`, `@@@1066`, `@@@1067`, `@@@1262`, `@@@3355`, `@@@4447`. From all this one may see what is meant in Isaiah by 'bringing the whole earth to a close', and in Zephaniah by 'bringing all the inhabitants of the earth to a hasty one'. It is well known that the Jewish nation which inhabited that land was not 'brought to a close' but that the holiness of worship among them was.
ttt[5] This meaning of 'the close' is even clearer in Daniel,
Seventy weeks have been decreed concerning your people and your holy city to bring transgression to a close and to seal up sins and to atone for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up vision and prophet, and to anoint the Most Holy Place. In the middle of the week he will cause sacrifice and offering to cease. At length upon the bird of desolations will come desolation; until a close and a cutting off will it drop upon the devastation. `Daniel 9bbb24`, `Daniel 9bbbccc27`.
ttt[6] From this one may now see that the close of the age - about which the disciples were asking when they said to the Lord 'What will be the sign of Your coming and of the close of the age?' `Matthew 24bbb3` - does not mean anything else than the final period of the Church. The same is also meant by the Lord's words, which are the very last in the same gospel,
Jesus said to the disciples, Teaching them to observe`fff2` all things whatever I have commanded you; and behold, I am with you at all times`fff3` even to the close of the age. `Matthew 28bbb20`.
The reason why the Lord said that He would be with the disciples even to the close of the age is that the Lord's twelve disciples are similar in meaning to the twelve tribes of Israel. That is to say, they mean all things of love and faith, and therefore all things of the Church, see `@@@3354`, `@@@3488`, `@@@3858`, as do the twelve tribes, `@@@3858`, `@@@3926`, `@@@3939`, `@@@4060`. The fact that the Church reaches its close when no charity exists there any longer, nor consequently any faith, has been shown several times already; and that within the Church at the present day, called the Christian Church, scarcely any trace of charity or consequently of faith survives there; and that the close of the age is accordingly now at hand, will in the Lord's Divine mercy be shown further on.
`nnn1. literally, come up upon the heart
`nnn2. Reading servare (to observe) for the imperative servate (observe)
`nnn3. literally, I am with you all the days
ppp19315#pid#4536. `Genesis 35bbb0`
1. And God said to Jacob, Rise up, go up to Bethel and settle there, and make there an altar to the God who appeared to you when you fled from before Esau your brother.
2. And Jacob said to his household, and to all who were with him, Remove the gods of the foreigner which are in the midst of you, and be purified, and change your garments.
3. And let us rise up and go up to Bethel, and I will make there an altar to the God who answered me on the day of my distress, and was with me in the way that I went.`fff1`
4. And they gave to Jacob all the gods of the foreigner which were in their hand, and the jewels which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.
5. And they travelled on; and the terror of God was on the cities which were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.
6. And Jacob came to Luz which is in the land of Canaan - that is, Bethel - he and all the people who were with him.
7. And he built an altar there, and called the place El Bethel, for there the gods were revealed to him, when he was fleeing from before his brother.
8. And Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died, and was buried below Bethel under an oak; and its name was called Allon Bacuth.
9. And God was seen by Jacob again, when he was coming from Paddan Aram; and He blessed him.
10. And God said to him, Your name is Jacob; your name will no longer be called Jacob, but indeed Israel will be your name; and He called his name Israel.
11. And God said to him, I am God Shaddai, be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations will be from you, and kings will go out from your loins.
12. And the land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and to your seed after you I will give the land.
13. And God went up from over him in the place where He talked to him.
14. And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where He talked to him, a stone pillar, and poured out a drink-offering onto it, and poured oil onto it.
15. And Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke to him, Bethel.
16. And they travelled on from Bethel, and there was still a stretch of land to go to Ephrath; and Rachel gave birth, and suffered severely' in giving birth.
17. And it happened in her suffering severely,`fff2` in giving birth, that the midwife said to her, Do not be afraid, for this also is a son for you.
18. And it happened as her soul was departing, when she was about to die, that she called his name Ben-oni; and his father called him Benjamin.
19. And Rachel died, and was buried on the way to Ephrath, that is, Bethlehem.
20. And Jacob set up a pillar over her grave; this is the pillar of Rachel's grave even to this day.
21. And Israel travelled on and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder.
22. And it happened while Israel was residing in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine; and Israel heard of it. And the sons of Jacob were twelve.
23. The sons of Leah: Reuben, Jacob's firstborn, and Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun.
24. The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.
25. And the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's servant-girl: Dan and Naphtali.
26. And the sons of Zilpah, Leah's servant-girl: Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan Aram.
27. And Jacob came to Isaac his father, to Mamre, Kiriath Arba, which is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac sojourned.
28. And the days of Issac were a hundred and eighty years.
29. And Isaac breathed his last, and died, and was gathered to his peoples, old and full of days. And Esau and Jacob his sons buried him.
CONTENTS
This chapter deals in the internal sense with how all else in the Lord's Natural was made Divine, the interior aspects of the Natural which were made Divine being meant by 'Israel' now. Progress towards aspects even more interior, where the Rational is situated, is described by the birth of Benjamin, and after that by Jacob's sons when they came to Isaac.
`nnn1. literally, walked
`nnn2. literally, hard things
ppp19314#pid#4537. THE INTERNAL SENSE
Verses `Genesis 35bbbccc1-4` And God said to Jacob, Rise up, go up to Bethel and settle there, and make there an altar to the God who appeared to you when you fled from before Esau your brother. And Jacob said to his household, and to all who were with him, Remove the gods of the foreigner which am in the midst of you, and be purified, and change your garments. And let us rise up and go up to Bethel, and I will make there an altar to the God who answered me on the day of my distress, and was with me in the way that I went.`fff1` And they gave to Jacob all the gods of the foreigner which were in their hand, and the jewels which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.
'God said to Jacob' means the perception which the kind of natural good that 'Jacob' now represents received from the Divine. 'Rise up, go up to Bethel' means concerning the Divine Natural. 'And settle there' means life. 'And make there an altar to the God who appeared to you' means that which is holy there. 'When you fled from before Esau your brother' means when truth was placed above good. 'And Jacob said to his household, and to all who were with him' means the arrangement within the kind of natural good that existed at that point. 'Remove the gods of the foreigner which are in the midst of you' means that falsities were to be cast aside. 'And be purified, and change your garments' means the holiness that was to be put on. 'And let us rise up and go up to Bethel' means the Divine Natural. 'And I will make there an altar to the God' means the holiness by which interior things are enveloped. 'Who answered me on the day of my distress' means within the state in which truth is placed above good. 'And was with me in the way that I went' means His Divine Providence. 'And they gave to Jacob all the gods of the foreigner which were in their hand' means that [natural good] did, as far as possible, cast aside all falsities. 'And the jewels which were in their ears' means realized in actions. 'And Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem' means an eternal casting away, 'the oak of Shechem' meaning the deceptive natural.
`nnn1. literally, walked
ppp19313#pid#4538. 'God said to Jacob' means the perception which the kind of natural good that 'Jacob' now represents received from the Divine. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in historical descriptions in the Word as perceiving, dealt with in `@@@1602`, `@@@1791`, `@@@1815`, `@@@1822`, `@@@1898`, `@@@1919`, `@@@2061`, `@@@2080`, `@@@2238`, `@@@2260`, `@@@2619`, `@@@2862`, `@@@3395`, `@@@3509`, so that 'God said' means perception received from the Divine; and from the representation of 'Jacob' in the highest sense here as the Lord as regards natural good. Jacob's representation in the Word has been shown in previous sections; but because it is varying, his representation must be discussed briefly here.
ttt[2] In the highest sense 'Jacob' represents in general the Lord's Divine Natural. But the Lord's Natural, when He glorified it, was different at the beginning of the process of glorification from what it was during this and at the end of it; and this is why Jacob's representation was varying. That is to say, at the beginning of the process the Lord's Natural as regards truth is represented by him, during that process the Lord's Natural as regards the good of truth, and at the end of it as regards good. For the Lord's glorification advanced from truth to the good of truth, and finally to good, as shown many times in what has gone before. The end of the process being the subject at present, 'Jacob' represents the Lord as regards natural good. See what has been shown already about these matters, that is to say, about Jacob's representation in the highest sense - how at the beginning of the process he represents the Lord's Divine Natural as regards truth, `@@@3305`, `@@@3509`, `@@@3525`, `@@@3546`, `@@@3576`' `@@@3599`, during it the Lord's Divine Natural as regards the good of truth, `@@@3659`, `@@@3669`, `@@@3677`, `@@@4234`, `@@@4273`, `@@@4337`. But now he represents the Lord's Divine Natural as regards good, for the reason, as stated, that it is the end of the process.
ttt[3] Such was the process which took place when the Lord made His Natural Divine. A similar process also takes place when the Lord regenerates man, for when the Lord made His Human Divine He was pleased to do things in the same sequence as He does when He makes man new. This explains why it has been stated frequently that man's regeneration is an image of the Lord's glorification, `@@@3138`, `@@@3212`, `@@@3296`, `@@@3490`, `@@@4402`. When the Lord makes man new He first of all supplies him with the truths of faith, for without the truths of faith he does not know who the Lord is, what heaven is, or what hell is; he does not even know of their existence, let alone of the countless things which have to do with the Lord, His kingdom in heaven, and His kingdom on earth, which is the Church. Nor does he know the identity or nature of the opposite of these, namely the things of hell.
ttt[4] Until he does know these things no one can know what good is. The word 'good' is not used to mean the public good or the good of the individual, for one can learn in the world about these through laws and regulations and through reflection on human customs and habits, which is why gentiles outside the Church know such things too. 'Good' is a word used to mean spiritual good, which in the Word is called charity, and this good in general implies willing and doing to another that which is good not for any selfish reason but out of delight and affection for doing it. This good is spiritual good, which no one can possibly arrive at except through the truths of faith, which are taught by the Lord through the Word and regular preaching of the Word.
ttt[5] Once a person has been supplied with the truths of faith he is then gradually led by the Lord to will the truth, and from willing it to putting it into practice. This truth is called the good of truth, for that good is truth present in will and action and is called the good of truth because truth which has been a matter of doctrine now becomes a matter of life. When at length the person takes delight in willing good and so putting it into practice, it is no longer called the good of truth, but simply good. For now he is regenerate, and it is no longer truth leading him to will and do what is good, but good moving him to will and put truth into practice. And the truth now practiced by him is also so to speak good, since that truth derives its essential being from that in which it originates - in good. From all this one may see what is meant by the statement that in the highest sense 'Jacob' represents the Lord's Natural as regards good, and one may see where that representation has its origin. The reason why 'Jacob' here represents this good is that the subject now in the internal sense is further advances, that is to say, advances made into more interior parts of the natural, which are meant by 'Israel', `@@@4536`. No one who is being regenerated by the Lord can be led to those more interior things until the truth present with him has become good.
ppp19312#pid#4539. 'Rise up, go up to Bethel' means concerning the Divine Natural, that is to say, the perception concerning this. This is clear from the meaning of 'rising up' as implying some kind of raising up, dealt with in `@@@2401`, `@@@2785`, `@@@2912`, `@@@2927`, `@@@3171`, `@@@4103`, here a raising up of the Natural towards the Divine; from the meaning of 'going up' as doing so towards aspects even more interior, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'Bethel' as the Divine within the natural, that is, within the ultimate degree of order, dealt with in `@@@4089`. In the original language Bethel means the house of God, and since 'the house of God' is a place where the cognitions of good and truth exist, 'Bethel' accordingly means, in the proximate sense, those cognitions, as shown in `@@@1453`. But because interior degrees are enveloped by and terminate in the parts which constitute the ultimate degree of order where they come together and so to speak inhabit the same house, and because man's natural is the ultimate degree, enveloping interior ones, 'Bethel' or the house of God therefore means, strictly speaking, the Natural, `@@@3729`, `@@@4089`, and in particular the good there. For 'a house' in the internal sense means good, `@@@2233`, `@@@2234`, `@@@3720`, `@@@3729`. It is also within the natural or the ultimate degree of order that cognitions exist.
ttt[2] The reason why 'going up' means a raising up towards more interior aspects is that things which are interior are spoken of as those that are higher, `@@@2148`, and therefore when the subject in the internal sense is an advance towards things that are more interior the expression 'going up' is used. Examples of this usage are, going up from Egypt to the land of Canaan; going up into the interior parts of the land of Canaan itself; going up from any part there to Jerusalem; and when in Jerusalem itself, going up to the house of God there. Going up from Egypt to the land of Canaan is referred to in Moses,
Pharaoh said to Joseph, Go up and bury your father. And Joseph went up. And there went up with him all Pharaoh's servants. And there went up with him chariot and horseman. `Genesis 50bbb6-9`.
And in the Book of Judges,
The angel of Jehovah went up from Gilgal to Bochim, and he said, I caused you to go up out of Egypt. `Judges 2bbb1`.
In the internal sense 'Egypt' means factual knowledge which helps people to have some conception of things belonging to the Lord's kingdom, while 'the land of Canaan' means the Lord's kingdom. And because facts are lower, or what amounts to the same, exterior, while things belonging to the Lord's kingdom are higher, or what amounts to the same, interior, the Word therefore speaks of 'going up' from Egypt to the land of Canaan, or - when travelling in the opposite direction - of 'going down' from the land of Canaan to Egypt, as in `Genesis 42bbb2-3`; `Genesis ccc43bbb4-5`, `Genesis 43bbbccc15`; and elsewhere.
ttt[3] Going up into the interior parts of the land of Canaan itself is spoken of in Joshua,
Joshua said, Go up and spy out the land. And the men went up and spied out Ai, and they resumed to Joshua and said to him, Do not let all the people go up; let about `@@@2000` men or about `@@@3000` men go up. Therefore there went up of the people about `@@@3000` men. `Joshua 7bbb2-4`.
Because 'the land of Canaan' means the Lord's kingdom, parts further in from its border regions meant things that are interior; hence the use in this quotation of the verb 'to go up'. The same is true of Jerusalem in relation to all the regions surrounding it, and of the house of God in relation to Jerusalem within which it stood, `1 Kings 12bbb27-28`; `2 Kings 20bbb5`, `2 Kings 20bbbccc8`; `Matthew 20bbb18`; `Mark 10bbb33`; `Luke 18bbb31`; and in many other places besides these. For Jerusalem was the inmost part of the land because the Lord's spiritual kingdom was meant by it, and the house of God was the inmost part of Jerusalem because the Lord's celestial kingdom, and in the highest sense the Lord Himself were meant by it. This is why one speaks of 'going up' to these places. From all this one can see what is meant by 'rise up, go up to Bethel', namely that 'going up' means an advance towards things that are more interior, the subject dealt with in the present chapter, [see] `@@@4536`.
ppp19311#pid#4540. 'And settle there' means life. This is clear from the meaning of 'settling' or dwelling as life, dealt with in `@@@1293`, `@@@3384`, `@@@3613`, `@@@4451`.
ppp19310#pid#4541. 'And make there an altar to the God who appeared to you' means that which is holy there. This is clear from the meaning of 'an altar' as the chief representative of the Lord, dealt with in `@@@921`, `@@@2777`, `@@@2811`, `@@@4489`. This being so, the holiness of worship is meant by 'making an altar to God'.
ppp19309#pid#4542. 'When you fled from before Esau your brother' means when truth was placed above good. This is clear from the representation of 'Esau' as the Divine Good of the Lord's Divine Natural, dealt with in `@@@3322`, `@@@3494`, `@@@3504`, `@@@3576`, `@@@3599`. This meaning - when truth was placed above good - may be seen from the explanations - given at Chapter `Genesis ccc27bbb0` of Genesis - of the events which led to Jacob's flight from Esau. The reason he fled from him was that Jacob had stolen the birthright from Esau, by which action truth's placing itself above good is meant; for in that chapter Jacob represents the truth, and Esau the good, of the Lord's Natural. The reason why truth placed itself above good was that while a person is being regenerated truth seemingly occupies the first place, but once he is regenerated good occupies the first place and truth the last, for which see `@@@3324`, `@@@3539`, `@@@3548`, `@@@3556`, `@@@3563`, `@@@3570`, `@@@3576`, `@@@3603`, `@@@3610`, `@@@3701`, `@@@4243`, `@@@4244`, `@@@4247`, `@@@4337`. This explains why 'when you fled from before Esau your brother' means when truth was placed above good.
ppp19308#pid#4543. 'And Jacob said to his household, and to all who were with him' means the arrangement within the kind of natural good that existed at that point. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying to his household, and to all who were with him' as arrangement, and from the representation of 'Jacob' here as natural good, dealt with above in `@@@4538`. The reason 'saying to his household, and to all who were with him' means arrangement is that in what follows next the subject in the internal sense is the arrangement of truths by good; for when spiritual good, dealt with above in `@@@4538`, starts to play the leading role in the natural mind it arranges into order the truths that are there.
ppp19307#pid#4544. 'Remove the gods of the foreigner which are in the midst of you' means that falsities were to be cast aside. This is clear from the meaning of 'removing' as casting aside, and from the meaning of 'the gods of the foreigner' as falsities; for in the Word 'gods' means truths and in the contrary sense falsities, `@@@4402`. Those people were called 'foreigners' who were outside the Church and therefore those who were subject to falsities and evils, `@@@2049`, `@@@2115`; and this explains why 'the gods of the foreigner' means falsities.
ppp19306#pid#4545. 'And be purified, and change your garments' means the holiness that was to be put on. This is clear from the meaning of 'being purified' or being cleansed as being made holy, dealt with below, and from the meaning of 'changing one's garments' as putting on, in this case putting on holy truths, for in the internal sense of the Word truths are meant by 'garments'. It is quite evident that 'changing one's garments' was an accepted representative within the Church, but what that custom represented no one can know unless he knows what 'garments' means in the internal sense - namely truths, see `@@@2576`. Because in the internal sense the casting aside of falsities and the arrangement by good of truths within the natural is the subject here, it is therefore recorded that Jacob commanded them to change their garments.
ttt[2] 'Changing their garments' was representative of the need to put on holy truths, as may also be seen from other places in the Word, as in Isaiah,
Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion, put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city, for there will no more come into you the uncircumcised and the unclean. `Isaiah 52bbb1`.
Since 'Zion' means the celestial Church and 'Jerusalem' the spiritual Church, and the celestial Church is that which dwells in good by virtue of its love to the Lord, and the spiritual Church in truth by virtue of its faith and charity, 'strength' is therefore used in reference to Zion, and 'garments' in reference to Jerusalem. And when clothed with these the two are 'clean'.
ttt[3] In Zechariah,
Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and so stood before the angel. And [the angel] answered and said to those standing before him - he said - Remove the filthy garments from upon him. And he said to him, See, I have caused your iniquity to pass away from upon you, by putting on you a change of garments `Zechariah 3bbb3-4`.
From this place too it is evident that 'removing garments' and 'putting on a change of garments' represented purification from falsities, for the words 'I have caused your iniquity to pass away from upon you' are used. This also explains why people had changes of garments - which they called simply 'changes', an expression occurring in various places in the Word - because different representations were set forth by means of those changes.
ttt[4] Because the kinds of things mentioned here were represented by changes of garments it is therefore said in Ezekiel, in the description of the new Temple, which in the internal sense means a new Church,
When the priests enter they shall not go out of the holy place to the outer court, but there shall lay aside their garments in which they have ministered, for these are holy,`fff1` and they shall put on other garments and go near the things which are for the people. `Ezekiel 42bbb14`.
And in the same prophet,
When they go out to the outer court, to the people, they shall put off their garments in which they have been ministering and lay them in the holy chambers, and they shall put on other garments, and they shall not sanctify the people in their own garments.`fff2` `Ezekiel 44bbb19`.
ttt[5] Anyone may see that a new temple and the holy city and land which are referred to by the prophet in this chapter, and in the chapters before and after it, are not used to mean any new temple, new city, or new land. For reference is made to sacrifices and religious ceremonies being introduced anew, when in fact these had to be brought to an end; and mention is also made of how the tribes of Israel, referred to by name, were to divide the land among themselves into inheritances, when in fact they were dispersed and never returned to the land. From this it is evident that the religious ceremonies referred to in those chapters mean the spiritual and celestial things constituting the Church. Much the same is meant by Aaron's change of garments when he was going to minister, to offer a burnt offering; in Moses,
He shall put on his linen robe, and linen breeches. He shall place the ashes at the side of the altar. After he takes off his own garments and puts on other garments he shall carry away the ashes to a clean place outside the camp. `Leviticus 6bbb9-12`.
This was what he had to do when offering the burnt offering.
ttt[6] As regards 'being cleansed' meaning being made holy, this may be seen from the cleansings that were commanded, such as the command to wash their flesh and their garments, and the command to be sprinkled with the waters of separation. Everyone who knows anything about the spiritual man may also recognize that nobody is made holy by carrying out commands such as these. For what does iniquity or sin have to do with the garments a person is wearing? Yet it is stated several times that after people had cleansed themselves they would be holy. From this it is also evident that such rituals which the Israelites were commanded to carry out were in no way holy except by virtue of their representation of holy things, and that as a consequence people who served as representers did not on that account become holy persons. It was the holiness they represented, quite apart from them as actual persons, that stirred the affections of the spirits present with them, and through these the affections of the angels in heaven, `@@@4307`.
ttt[7] For in order that the human race may be kept in being, human beings must of necessity live in communication with heaven; and that communication is effected through the Church. Otherwise human beings would become like animals, lacking any restraints internally or externally, so that all would plunge unchecked into the destruction of others and would annihilate one another. And because in the time of the Israelites no communication through any Church was possible, the Lord therefore provided in an amazing way for a communication to be effected by means of representatives. It is evident from many places in the Word that being made holy was represented by the ritual observance of washing and cleansing, as when Jehovah came down on Mount Sinai and then said to Moses,
Make them holy today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments and be ready on the third day. `Exodus 19bbb10-11`.
In Ezekiel,
I will sprinkle clean water over you, and you will be cleansed from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit will I give in the midst of you. `Ezekiel 36bbb25-26`.
Here it is plain that 'sprinkling clean water' represented purification of the heart, so that 'being cleansed' means being made holy.
`nnn1. literally, holiness
`nnn2. The Latin means they shall sanctify the people in other garments, but the Hebrew means they shall not sanctify the people in their own garments, which Swedenborg has in another place where he quotes this verse.
ppp19305#pid#4546. 'And let us rise up and go up to Bethel' means the Divine Natural. This is clear from what has been stated above in `@@@4539`, where the same words occur.
ppp19304#pid#4547. 'And I will make there an altar to the God' means the holiness by which interior things are enveloped. This is clear from the meaning of 'making an altar to God' as the holiness of worship, dealt with above in `@@@4541`. The reason for saying 'by which interior things are enveloped' is that the altar was to be made in Bethel, to which place 'there' refers here, and 'Bethel' means the natural by which interior things are enveloped, see above in `@@@4539`.
ppp19303#pid#4548. 'Who answered me on the day of my distress' means within the state in which truth is placed above good. This is clear from the meaning of 'day' as state, dealt with in `@@@23`, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@893`, `@@@2788`, `@@@3462`, `@@@3785`. As for 'the day of my distress' meaning a state in which truth is placed above good, this becomes clear from what has been stated above in `@@@4542`, for the expression 'the day of distress' used here embodies the same as the words used there, 'When you fled from before Esau your brother'.
ppp19302#pid#4549. 'And was with me in the way which I went' means His Divine Providence. This is clear from the meaning, when used in reference to the Divine or the Lord, of 'being with someone in the way which he is going' as His Divine Providence, for strictly speaking 'providing' implies being present with someone and protecting him from evils.
ppp19301#pid#4550. 'And they gave to Jacob all the gods of the foreigner which were in their hand' means that [natural good] did, as far as possible, cast aside all falsities. This is clear from the meaning of 'the gods of the foreigner' as falsities, dealt with in `@@@4544`, and from the meaning of 'which were in their hand' as, as far as possible. For 'the hand' means power, `@@@878`, `@@@3387`, and therefore 'that which is in one's hand' means within one's power, or as far as possible. 'They gave them to Jacob' means that good cast aside those falsities, for in this chapter 'Jacob' represents the good of the natural, `@@@4538`.
ppp19300#pid#4551. 'And the jewels which were in their ears' means realized in actions. This is clear from the meaning of 'jewels' as symbols representative of obedience, for the reason that by 'the ears' is meant obedience, `@@@2542`, `@@@3869`, and acts of obedience are realizations in actions; for obeying implies carrying into action. Here the expression 'realized in actions' has reference to the falsities which were to be cast aside. But this matter of the casting aside of falsities, which are realized also in actions - the subject at this point in the internal sense - must be discussed briefly here. Before a person through being regenerated by the Lord arrives at good and is moved by good to do what is true, he possesses very many falsities mixed up with truths. Indeed he is led into regeneration by means of the truths of faith, about which in the first stage of life he has no ideas other than those learned in infancy and childhood. These ideas are formed from external things in the world and from the experiences of the physical senses, and therefore they cannot be anything but illusions and consequently falsities, which are also realized in actions; for what a person believes he puts into practice. It is these falsities that are meant here. They remain with him until he has been regenerated, that is, until good is the source of his actions. Once this is the situation, good - that is, the Lord by means of good - imposes order on the truths which he has learned up to then; and while this is being done the falsities are separated from the truths and taken away.
ttt[2] A person is totally unaware of this happening to him, yet that kind of removal and casting aside of falsities is going on from earliest childhood to the last stage of his life. This activity goes on in everyone, but it does so in a particular manner in one who is being regenerated. In one who is not being regenerated a similar activity is taking place, for when he becomes grown up and he matures in judgement that belongs to that stage in life, he regards his childhood judgements as unintelligent and absurd, thus very far removed from what he now thinks. But the difference between one who is regenerate and one who is not is that the regenerate regards as being remote from his thinking those things which do not accord with the good of faith and charity, whereas the unregenerate regards as being remote from his thinking those which do not accord with the delight he takes in what he loves. The unregenerate therefore, for the most part, regards truths as falsities, and falsities as truths. As regards jewels there were two kinds - those fastened above the nose to the forehead and those fastened to the ears. Those fastened above the nose to the forehead were symbols representative of good and were called nose-jewels, dealt with in `@@@3103`, whereas those fastened to the ears were symbols representative of obedience and are ear-jewels. But in the original language the same word is used to describe both nose-jewel and ear-jewel.
ppp19299#pid#4552. 'And Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem' means an eternal casting away. This is clear from the meaning of 'hiding' as casting away and burying as dead, and from the meaning of 'under the oak' as for ever, for being a tree that lives to a very great age, 'the oak' meant, when anything was hidden under it, that which is everlasting. It also had the meaning of that which is tangled up, and above all that which is deceptive and false, because compared with everything above it the lowest part of the natural is tangled up and deceptive, inasmuch as it relies on the physical senses, and so on deceptive ideas, for its knowledge and delight. Specifically 'the oak' means the lowest part of the natural, and therefore in the good sense means the truths and goods there, and in the contrary sense the evils and falsities there.
ttt[2] Furthermore, when falsities are being removed in the case of a regenerate person they are cast away to the lowest part of the natural. For this reason when anyone has become mature in judgement and clear-sighted, and especially when he has become intelligent and wise, those things in the natural seem to be far removed from the interior sight he has. For with one who is regenerate truths are present within the inmost part of his natural alongside the good there, which is like a small sun. Other kinds of truths which are dependent on these are distanced from them by, so to speak, their relationships by blood or through marriage to good. Deceptive truths exist in the more outlying parts, and falsities are cast away to the outermost parts. These remain with a person for ever, arranged - when he allows himself to be led by the Lord - into the kind of order that has just been described. For that ordering is a heavenly one since heaven itself is ordered in a similar way. But when a person does not allow himself to be led by the Lord but by evil, a contrary ordering exists. In his case evil together with falsities is at the centre; truths have then been cast away to the surrounding parts, and actual Divine truths to the ultimate parts. This ordering is a hellish one since hell itself is ordered in a similar way. The most outlying parts constitute the lowest of the natural.
ttt[3] The reason why 'the oak' means falsities which are the lowest parts of the natural is that in the Ancient Church, when external worship representative of the Lord's kingdom existed, all trees of every kind had some spiritual or else celestial meaning. The olive, for example, and consequently olive oil, meant those things which belonged to celestial love; the vine and consequently wine those things that belonged to charity and from this to faith; and so on with every other kind of tree, such as the cedar, the fig, the poplar, the beech, and the oak, which too had their own individual meanings, as shown in various places in explanatory sections. It is because of the meaning these trees had in the Ancient Church that they are mentioned so many times in the Word, as also in general are gardens, groves, and forests, and that people held their worship in these, under particular trees. But because that worship became idolatrous, and the descendants of Jacob, among whom a representative of the Church was to be established, were inclined to idolatrous practices and therefore set up so many idols in such places, they were forbidden to hold worship in gardens and groves, under the trees there. Even so, these trees retained their spiritual or celestial meanings. Consequently not only the more noble trees, such as olives, vines, and cedars, but also the poplar, the beech, and the oak, when mentioned in the Word, have the same meanings as they had in the Ancient Church.
ttt[4] 'Oaks' in the good sense means the truths and forms of good that make up the lowest parts of the natural, and in the contrary sense the falsities and evils which do so, as is clear from places where they are mentioned in the Word and understood in the internal sense, as in Isaiah,
Those forsaking Jehovah will be consumed, for they will be ashamed of the oaks which you have desired. And you will be like an oak, casting down its leaves and like a garden that has no water. `Isaiah 1bbb28-30`.
In the same prophet,
The day of Jehovah Zebaoth upon everyone uplifted or lowly, and upon all the cedars of Lebanon, and upon all the oaks of Bashan. `Isaiah 2bbb12-13`.
Anyone may recognize that 'the day of Jehovah' is not going to be a visitation upon cedars and oaks but upon people meant by those trees. In the same prophet,
He who fashions a god cuts down cedars for himself, and takes a beech and an oak and strengthens himself among the trees of the forest. `Isaiah 44bbb10`, `Isaiah 44bbbccc14`.
ttt[5] In Ezekiel,
You will acknowledge that I am Jehovah, when their slain lie in the midst of the idols around their altars, upon every high hill, on all the mountain-tops, and under every green tree, and under every entangled oak, in the place where they offered an odour of rest to all their idols. `Ezekiel 6bbb13`.
The ancients also worshipped on hills and mountains because 'hills and mountains' means heavenly love - though when idolaters do the same, self-love and love of the world are meant, `@@@795`, `@@@796`, `@@@1430`, `@@@2722`, `@@@4210` - and also under trees because, as stated above, each had a meaning of its own depending on what kind of tree it was. 'Under an entangled oak' here means worship based on falsities constituting the lowest parts of the natural, for they exist there in an entangled condition, `@@@2831`. In Hosea,
They offer sacrifice on mountain-tops and burn incense on hills, under oak, poplar, and hard oak, because its shade is good. Therefore your daughters commit whoredom, and your daughters-in-law commit adultery. `Hosea 4bbb13`.
'Committing whoredom' means falsifying truths, and 'committing adultery' perverting forms of good - see `@@@2466`, `@@@2729`, `@@@3399`. In Zechariah,
Open your doors, O Lebanon, and let fire consume your cedars, for the cedar is fallen, for the magnificent ones are ruined. Howl, O oaks of Bashan, for the forest of Bazir has come down. `Zechariah 11bbb1-2`.
ppp19298#pid#4553. Verses `Genesis 35bbbccc5-7` And they travelled on; and the terror of God was on the cities which were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob. And Jacob came to Luz which is in the land of Canaan - that is, Bethel - he and all the people who were with him. And he built an altar there and called the place El Bethel, for there the gods were revealed to him, when he was fleeing from before his brother.
'They travelled on' means a continuation. 'And the terror of God was on the cities which were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob' means that falsities and evils were unable to come near. 'And Jacob came to Luz which is in the land of Canaan' means the natural as it was in the previous state. 'That is, Bethel' means the Divine Natural. 'He and all the people who were with him' means with all things there. 'And he built an altar there' means through being made holy. 'And called the place El Bethel' means a holy natural. 'For there the gods were revealed to him' means holy truths. 'When he was fleeing from before his brother' means after truths were placed above good.
ppp19297#pid#4554. 'They travelled on' means a continuation. This is clear from the meaning of 'travelling on' as a further stage, dealt with in `@@@4375`, and so a continuation, that is to say, a continuation of the progress towards aspects more interior.
ppp19296#pid#4555. 'And the terror of God was on the cities which were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob' means that falsities and evils were unable to come near. This is clear from the meaning of 'the terror of God' as protection, dealt with below; from the meaning of 'the cities which were round about them' as falsities and evils (for in the genuine sense 'cities' are the truths of doctrine and in the contrary sense the falsities of doctrine, `@@@402`, `@@@2449`, `@@@2943`, `@@@3216`, `@@@4478`, `@@@4492`, `@@@4493`; but in the present instance 'the cities' is used to mean evils as well as falsities, because their inhabitants must be included too, meaning goods in the genuine sense, and so evils in the contrary sense, `@@@2268`, `@@@2451`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc2712`); and from the meaning of 'not pursuing after them' as being unable to come near.
ttt[2] The truth that 'the terror of God' means protection may be illustrated by things that happen in the next life. There the hells cannot possibly go near heaven, nor evil spirits go near any heavenly community, because the terror of God enters into them. Indeed when evil spirits approach any heavenly community they are suddenly seized by feelings of distress and torment, and those who have been through this experience a number of times do not dare to make such an approach. This not daring to do so is what 'the terror of God' is used to mean in the internal sense. Not that God or the Lord sets out to terrify them. Rather they are terrified because they are under the influence of falsities and evils, and so of things that are the opposite of goods and truths; and it is those actual falsities and evils, when they approach goods and truths, that cause the evil spirits to feel distressed and tormented.
ppp19295#pid#4556. 'And Jacob came to Luz which is in the land of Canaan' means the natural as it was in the previous state, while 'that is, Bethel' means the Divine Natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'Luz' as the natural as it was in the previous state, that is, the actual natural which was human. But this was made Divine, and that is the meaning of 'that is, Bethel'; for 'Bethel' is the Divine Natural, see `@@@4089`, `@@@4539`. This also explains why, when Bethel is referred to by name elsewhere in the Word, the expression 'Luz, that is, Bethel' or 'Bethel, formerly Luz' is used, as in Joshua,
The boundary of the lot of the children of Benjamin between the children of Judah and the children of Joseph went out to Luz, to the side of Luz southwards, that is, Bethel. `Joshua 18bbb13`.
And in the Book of Judges,
The house of Joseph went up to Bethel and spied out Bethel; and the name of the city formerly was Luz. `Judges 1bbb23`.
ppp19294#pid#4557. 'He and all the people who were with him' means with all things there, that is to say, all things within the natural. This is clear from the representation of Jacob, to whom 'he' refers here, as the good there, dealt with in `@@@4538`, and from the meaning of 'the people' as the truths there, dealt with in `@@@1259`, `@@@1260`, `@@@2928`, `@@@3295`, `@@@3581`; so that 'the people who were with him' means the truths that go with that good. And because all the things within the natural are connected with goods and truths, the words used here mean with all things there.
ppp19293#pid#4558. 'And he built an altar there' means through being made holy. This is clear from the meaning of 'an altar' as the chief representative of the Lord, and from this as the holiness of worship, dealt with in `@@@4541`; and when it has reference to the Lord, as His Divine Human and the holiness which proceeds from this, `@@@2811`. For that which in the Church is the chief representative of the Lord also means in the highest sense the Lord Himself as to His Divine Human, because that which is the representative of it is in the highest sense that Human itself. The making holy of the natural is meant by 'he built an altar there (that is, in Bethel)', for 'Bethel' means the Divine Natural, see just above in `@@@4556`.
ppp19292#pid#4559. 'And called the place El Bethel' means a holy natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'Bethel' as the Divine Natural, dealt with in `@@@4089`, `@@@4539`, `@@@4556`. But when this place is called El Bethel it is not the Divine Natural that is meant but a holy natural, for when He made His Human Divine the Lord first of all made it holy. The difference between making Divine and making holy is that what is Divine is Jehovah Himself, whereas what is holy is from Jehovah. The former is the Divine Being (Esse) itself, the latter that which comes into being from this. When the Lord glorified Himself, He made even His Human the Divine Being (Esse) or Jehovah, `@@@2156`, `@@@2329`, `@@@2921`, `@@@3023`, `@@@3035`; but before He made His Human Divine He made it holy. It was by a process such as this that the Lord glorified His Human. This also is why in this verse Bethel is called El Bethel, to which the phrase 'for there the gods were revealed to him' is added, to explain what El means. In the original language El means God, but in this explanatory phrase the plural 'gods' is used because in the internal sense 'gods' means holy truths, `@@@4402`. In what follows however that place is called simply Bethel. That is, verse `Genesis 35bbbccc15` says, 'Jacob called the name of the place Bethel', then adds, 'where God spoke to him', the singular 'God' being used this time. In the original language Bethel is 'the house of God', whereas El Bethel is 'the God of the house of God', and therefore El Bethel means a holy natural, Bethel the Divine Natural.
ppp19291#pid#4560. 'For there the gods were revealed to him' means holy truths. This is clear from the meaning of 'the gods' as holy truths, dealt with in `@@@4402`; and the alliance of these to the good represented by 'Jacob' is meant by the revelation of the gods to him there. Jacob's calling the place El Bethel, when yet previously he called it Bethel, `Genesis 28bbb19`, and again calls it this in verse `Genesis 35bbbccc15` below; also, the addition of the phrase here, 'for there the gods (plural) were revealed to him' but in verse `Genesis 35bbbccc15` below of the phrase, 'where God (singular) spoke to him', is an arcanum. And that arcanum, it is evident, cannot be known except from the internal sense. There are even more arcana lying concealed within these details, but it is not possible for them to be disclosed.
ppp19290#pid#4561. 'When he was fleeing from before his brother' means after truths were placed above good. This is clear from the explanation above in `@@@4542`, where the same words occur.
ppp19289#pid#4562. Verse `Genesis 35bbbccc8` And Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died, and was buried below Bethel under an oak; and its name was called Allon Bacuth.
'Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died' means that hereditary evil was cast out. 'And was buried below Bethel under an oak' means cast away for ever. 'And its name was called Allon Bacuth' means the essential nature of the natural which was cast out.
ppp19288#pid#4563. 'Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died' means that hereditary evil was cast out. This is clear from the meaning of 'dying' as the end or something ceasing to be such as it has been, dealt with in `@@@494`, `@@@3253`, `@@@3259`, `@@@3276`, and here therefore, since the subject is hereditary evil, that this was cast out; and from the representation of 'Deborah, who was Rebekah's nurse' as hereditary evil. Inasmuch as she nourishes and suckles an infant, 'a nurse' strictly speaking means the instilling of innocence by means of what is celestial-spiritual, for 'milk' means that which is celestial-spiritual, `@@@2184`, and the infant whom she suckles means innocence, `@@@430`, `@@@1616`, `@@@2126`, `@@@2305`, `@@@2306`. But in this verse 'Deborah, Rebekah's nurse' means that which was received from the mother and nourished from infancy. This was the hereditary evil from the mother which the Lord fought against, as may be seen from what has been shown regarding that heredity, `@@@1414`, `@@@1444`, `@@@1573`, which heredity He cast out, so that at length He was not Mary's son, `@@@2159`, `@@@2574`, `@@@2649`, `@@@3036`.
ttt[2] It is well known that a person derives evil from both parents and that this evil is called hereditary evil. He is therefore born with that evil, but it does not show itself until he grows up and acts from his understanding and his will based on his understanding. In the meantime it lies hidden, especially during early childhood. Now because in the Lord's mercy no one can come to be blamed for his hereditary evil, only for the evil of his own doing, `@@@966`, `@@@2308`, and hereditary evil cannot become evil of his own doing until he acts from his own understanding and his own will, young children are therefore guided by the Lord by means of young children and angels. It is for this reason that they are seen to live in a state of innocence; yet hereditary evil lies hidden within each particular thing they do, `@@@2300`, `@@@2307`, `@@@2308`. This hereditary evil even provides them with nourishment, that is, it acts like a nurse until they reach the age of discretion, `@@@4063`. Then, if they are being regenerated, they are brought by the Lord into the state of a new infancy, and at length into heavenly wisdom, and so into genuine infancy, which innocence is; for genuine infancy, or innocence, dwells within wisdom, `@@@2305`, `@@@3183`. The difference is that the innocence of infancy is present outwardly and hereditary evil inwardly, whereas the innocence of wisdom is present inwardly and evil - hereditary and that of the person's own doing - outwardly. From these considerations, and many others mentioned previously, it is evident that hereditary evil serves so to speak as nourishment from earliest infancy to the age of the new infancy. This explains why 'a nurse' means hereditary evil, as well as meaning the instillation of innocence by means of that which is celestial-spiritual.
ttt[3] Since the arrangement or ordering of truths by good within the Lord's Natural, and consequently the progression towards aspects more interior, `@@@4536`, is the subject in the internal sense of this chapter therefore the casting out of hereditary evil is dealt with too. This is the reason why in this verse the death of Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, and her burial under an oak tree are recorded, which are matters that would be too unimportant to interrupt the sequence of events described here if they did not embody the kind of the things that have been mentioned.
ttt[4] The actual arcanum meant specifically by Rebekah's nurse cannot as yet be disclosed. One must first know about the nature of the influx of the rational into the natural, which is an influx from the good of the rational directly into the good of the natural, and an influx from the good of the rational indirectly by way of the truth there into the good of natural truth. 'Rebekah' is the truth of the rational, `@@@3012`, `@@@3013`, `@@@3077`, whereas 'Isaac' is the good of the rational, `@@@3012`, `@@@3194`, `@@@3210`. 'Esau' is the good of the natural resulting from direct influx from the good of the rational, meant by 'Isaac', and 'Jacob' is the good - that is, the good of natural truth - resulting from an indirect influx through the truth of the rational, meant by 'Rebekah'. Regarding this indirect and direct influx see `@@@3314`, `@@@3573`. This must be known first before anyone can have specific knowledge of the arcanum why 'Rebekah's nurse' means and describes hereditary evil here. It is from such knowledge about influx that one is able to see the nature of that hereditary evil.
ppp19287#pid#4564. 'And was buried below Bethel under an oak' means cast away for ever. This is clear from the meaning of 'being buried' as being cast away, for that which is buried is cast away; and from the meaning of 'under an oak' as for ever, dealt with above in `@@@4552`. 'Below Bethel' means outside the natural, for that which is said to be beneath or below is in the internal sense outside, `@@@2148`; 'Bethel' is the Divine Natural `@@@4089`, `@@@4539`.
ttt[2] The implication of this is that with a person who is being regenerated, neither hereditary evil nor that of his own doing is removed in such a way as to disappear or be eliminated, but is merely separated and through the rearrangement effected by the Lord is cast away to the most outlying parts, `@@@4551`, `@@@4552`. It accordingly remains with that person, and does so for ever, but he is withheld from evil by the Lord and maintained in good. When this happens it seems as though evils have been cast away and the person has been purified from them or, as it is said, made righteous. All the angels of heaven confess that in their case, insofar as anything originates in themselves it is entirely evil and consequently false, but insofar as it originates in the Lord it is good and consequently true.
ttt[3] People who have adopted any other notion concerning this matter, and who from the teaching they received while living in the world have become convinced that they have been made righteous and are in that case without sins, and so are holy, are taken back to the state where their evils reigned - both those of their own doing and those received through heredity. They are then kept in that state until they know from personal experience that of themselves they are nothing but evil and the good which had seemed to them to be their own came from the Lord, and that therefore it was not theirs but the Lord's. This is the situation with angels, as it is with the regenerate among men.
ttt[4] But in the Lord's case it was different. He entirely removed, cast out, and cast away from Himself all hereditary evil from His mother, for being conceived from Jehovah He had no evil by heredity from His Father, only from His Mother. This is the difference; and this is what is meant by the Lord's being made Righteousness, the Holy itself, and the Divine.
ppp19286#pid#4565. 'And its name was called Allon Bacuth' means the essential nature of the natural which was cast out. This is clear from the meaning of 'calling the name' as the essential nature, dealt with in `@@@144`, `@@@145`, `@@@1754`, `@@@1896`, `@@@2009`, `@@@2724`, `@@@3006`, `@@@3421`. In the original language 'Allon Bacuth' means an oak of weeping; and that place was called this because 'an oak' means the lowest part of the natural, into which and finally outside which hereditary evil was cast. As regards 'an oak' meaning the lowest part of the natural and also that which lasts for ever, see `@@@4552`. But 'weeping' means the final farewell - hence the custom to weep for the dead when they were being buried, even though people recognized that through burial merely the corpse was cast away, and those who had lived in what was now their corpse were still alive so far as the interior aspects of them were concerned. From this one may see what the essential nature is that is meant by 'Allon Bacuth' or an oak of weeping.
ppp19285#pid#4566. Verses `Genesis 35bbbccc9-13` And God was seen by Jacob again, when he was coming from Paddan Aram; and He blessed him. And God said to him, Your name is Jacob; your name will no longer be called Jacob, but indeed Israel will be your name; and He called his name Israel. And God said to him, I am God Shaddai, be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations will be from you, and kings will go out from your loins. And the land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and to your seed after you I will give the land. And God went up from over him in the place where He talked to him.
'God was seen by Jacob again, when he was coming from Paddan Aram; and He blessed him' means interior natural perception. 'And God said to him, Your name is Jacob' means the nature of the Lord's external Divine Natural. 'Your name will no longer be called Jacob' means that it would no longer be solely external. 'But indeed Israel will be your name' means the nature of the internal natural, or the nature of the spiritual aspect of it, represented by 'Israel'. 'And He called his name Israel' means the internal natural or celestial-spiritual aspect of the natural. 'And God said to him' means perception from the Divine. 'I am God Shaddai' means a state of temptation is past, and now there is Divine comfort. 'Be fruitful and multiply' means good, and Divine truth arising out of this. 'A nation and a company of nations will be from you' means good and Divine forms of good. 'And kings will go out from your loins' means truths from the Divine Marriage. 'And the land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you' means Divine Natural Good made over to Him. 'And to your seed after you I will give the land' means Divine Natural Truth made over to Him. 'And God went up from over him in the place where He talked to him' means the Divine within that state.
ppp19284#pid#4567. 'God was seen by Jacob again, when he was coming from Paddan Aram; and He blessed him' means interior natural perception. This is clear from the meaning of 'God was seen' as interior perception. 'Seeing' means understanding and perceiving, see `@@@2150`, `@@@2807`, `@@@3764`, `@@@3863`, `@@@4403-4421`, and therefore the words 'God was seen' used in reference to the Lord mean perception from the Divine, which is the same as interior perception. The possession by the natural of this perception is meant by 'God was seen by Jacob', for 'Jacob' represents the Lord's natural, as has been shown many times. 'Again, when he was coming from Paddan Aram' means after He had absorbed cognitions of good and truth, which, being meant by 'Paddan Aram', are dealt with in `@@@3664`, `@@@3680`, `@@@4112`. 'He blessed him' means progress towards the more interior aspects of the natural, and the joining together there of good and truth. For 'blessing' is used to refer to all the good which anyone has conferred on him by the Divine, `@@@1420`, `@@@1422`, `@@@2846`, `@@@3017`, `@@@3406`; in particular the expression refers to the joining together of good and truth, `@@@3504`, `@@@3514`, `@@@3530`, `@@@3565`, `@@@3584`.
ppp19283#pid#4568. 'And God said to him, Your name is Jacob' means the nature of the Lord's external Divine Natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'name' as the essential nature, dealt with in `@@@144`, `@@@145`, `@@@1754`, `@@@1896`, `@@@2009`, `@@@2724`, `@@@3006`, `@@@3421`, and from the representation of 'Jacob' as the Lord's Divine Natural, often dealt with already. The reason for calling it external is that 'Israel' is the Lord's Divine internal Natural, dealt with immediately below.
ppp19282#pid#4569. 'Your name will no longer be called Jacob' means that it would no longer be solely external. This is clear from what has been stated immediately above and from what now follows concerning 'Israel'.
ppp19281#pid#4570. 'But indeed Israel will be your name' means the nature of the internal natural, or the nature of the spiritual aspect of it, represented by 'Israel'; 'and He called his name Israel' means the internal Natural or the celestial-spiritual aspect of the Natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'name' as the essential nature, dealt with just above in `@@@4568`, and from the meaning of 'Israel' as the internal aspect of the Lord's natural and also the celestial-spiritual aspect of the Natural. No one can know why Jacob was called Israel unless he knows what the internal natural is and what the external natural is, and in addition what the celestial-spiritual aspect of the natural is. These matters have in actual fact been explained already, when Jacob was named Israel by the angel; but because they are the kind of things about which people know little, if anything, they need to be explained again.
ttt[2] Two quite distinct and separate degrees exist in man - the rational and the natural. The rational constitutes the internal man and the natural the external; but the natural, like the rational also, has an external aspect of its own and an internal one. The external aspect of the natural is composed of the physical senses and of the impressions received from the world through these senses immediately. By means of his sensory impressions a person is in touch with things belonging to the world and to the body; and people who are confined solely to this natural are called sensory-minded because their thought goes scarcely at all beyond sensory experience. But the internal part of the natural is made up of ideas inferred - by the use of analysis and analogies - from what is in the external, even though it draws on and derives its ideas from sensory impressions. So the natural is in touch through the senses with things belonging to the world and to the body, and through ideas, arrived at by the use of analogy and analysis, with the rational, thus with things belonging to the spiritual world. Such is the composition of the natural. There is another part that exists between and has links with both of them - with the external aspect and with the internal - and so is in touch through the external with things in the natural world, and through the internal with those in the spiritual world. This external natural is represented specifically by 'Jacob', and the internal natural by 'Israel'. The situation is similar with the rational; that is to say, there is an external aspect and an internal, and a further one between the two. But this, in the Lord's Divine mercy, is to be discussed where Joseph is the subject, for 'Joseph' represents the external aspect of the rational.
ttt[3] What the celestial-spiritual is however has been stated several times already - that essentially the celestial is good and the spiritual truth, so that the celestial-spiritual is that which is good resulting from truth. Now because the Lord's Church is both external and internal, and internal features of the Church had to be represented by the descendants of Jacob through things of an external nature, Jacob could not therefore be called Jacob any longer, but was called Israel - see what has been introduced already about these matters in `@@@4286`, `@@@4292`. Further to this it should be recognized that the terms celestial and spiritual are used both of the rational and of the natural. Celestial is used when people receive good, and spiritual when they receive truth from the Lord; for the good which flows from the Lord into heaven is called celestial, and the truth is called spiritual. In the highest sense the naming of Jacob as Israel means that the Lord progressed towards more interior aspects and made the Natural within Him Divine, both the external aspect of it and the internal. For in the highest sense that which is represented is the Natural itself.
ppp19280#pid#4571. 'And God said to him' means perception from the Divine. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in the historical narratives of the Word as perceiving, dealt with in `@@@1791`, `@@@1815`, `@@@1819`, `@@@1822`, `@@@1898`, `@@@1919`, `@@@2080`, `@@@2619`, `@@@2862`, `@@@3395`, `@@@3509`. The Divine as the source of that perception is meant by the words 'God said', for the Divine was present within the Lord from conception; the Divine was His actual Being (Esse) since He had been conceived from Jehovah. His perception therefore was from the Divine, but the degree of perception depended on the state of reception by the Human; for He made the Human within Himself Divine in successive stages. From this it is evident that because the Divine or God was within Him, 'God said to him' means perception from the Divine.
ppp19279#pid#4572. 'I am God Shaddai' means a state of temptation is past, and now there is Divine comfort. This is clear from the meaning of 'God Shaddai' as temptation and subsequent comfort, for the ancients had called Jehovah or the Lord 'God Shaddai' whenever they referred to Him in connection with temptations and the comfort that followed these, see `@@@1992`, `@@@3667`. Therefore 'God Shaddai' means a state of temptation that is past, and now there is Divine comfort. The reason why it is past is that previously, in particular when he wrestled with the angel, Chapter `Genesis ccc32bbb25`-end, and when he met Esau, Chapter `Genesis ccc33bbb0`, 'Jacob' represented temptations; and the reason why now there is comfort is that the joining of good and truth within the natural is effected by means of those temptations. The actual joining together brings that comfort since such a joining together is the end in view of the temptations. Indeed whoever attains that end receives comfort, as much as he has suffered severely in the means to that end.
ttt[2] In general it should be recognized that every joining together of good and truth is effected by means of temptations. The reason for this is that evils and falsities offer resistance and so to speak engage in rebellion, and by every means try to prevent the joining of good to truth, and of truth to good. This conflict takes place between the spirits present within man, that is to say, between the spirits governed by evils and falsities and the spirits governed by goods and truths. Man experiences that conflict as temptation within himself. When therefore the spirits governed by evils and falsities are conquered by the spirits governed by goods and truths, the former are compelled to depart and the latter receive joy from the Lord by way of heaven. This joy is also felt by the person concerned as comfort; he feels it within himself. Yet the joy and comfort do not come because a victory has been won but because good and truth have been joined together. Joy is present within every joining together of good and truth, for that joining together is the heavenly marriage, in which the Divine is present.
ppp19278#pid#4573. 'Be fruitful and multiply' means good, and Divine truth arising out of this. This is clear from the fact that 'being fruitful' has reference to good and 'multiplying' to truth, `@@@43`, `@@@55`, `@@@913`, `@@@983`, `@@@2846`, `@@@2847`.
ppp19277#pid#4574. 'A nation and a company of nations will be from you' means good and Divine forms of good. This is clear from the meaning of 'a nation' as the good of the Church, dealt with in `@@@1259`, `@@@1260`, `@@@1362`, `@@@1416`, `@@@1849`, and from the meaning of 'a company of nations' as truths which spring from good, or what amounts to the same, which are forms of good, and as - in the highest sense in which the Lord is the subject - Divine Truths which spring from Divine Good, which are Divine forms of Good.
ttt[2] What forms of good are must be stated first, and after this the fact that 'a company of nations' means such forms. Truths which spring from good are called forms of good because they are nothing else than goods that have been given outward form. Anyone who conceives of truths in any other way, more so anyone who separates them from good, does not know what truths are. Truths do indeed seem to be separate from good and so seem to be forms that exist unconnected to anything else. Yet they seem to be so only to those who have no affection for what is good, that is, people whose thought and speech are at variance with what they will and therefore do. For the human being has been so created that his understanding and will may constitute a united mind; and they do constitute a united mind when the understanding acts in unison with the will, that is, when his thought and speech are in keeping with what he wills and therefore does, in which case also the thoughts in his understanding are the forms which give expression to his will. Thoughts present in the understanding are called truths, for truths belong properly to the understanding, whereas desires present in the will are called goods, for goods belong properly to the will. Consequently, regarded in itself that which exists in the understanding is nothing else than the form taken by that which exists in the will.
ttt[3] But since the expression 'forms' smacks of human philosophy, let an example serve to show that truths are the forms taken by good: Two virtues of everyday life, public or private, are integrity and propriety. Integrity consists in the heartfelt desire for another person's good within everyday life, whereas propriety consists in the demonstration of that integrity in speech and gestures, so that regarded in itself propriety is nothing other than the form which integrity takes, for this is what gives rise to propriety. This being so, when integrity displays itself through propriety, that is, through proper and appropriate speech and gestures, integrity is seen in every aspect of proper behaviour. This is so much the case that everything uttered through speech or expressed through gestures is seen as integrity, for everything is a form or image by means of which integrity shines forth. Integrity and propriety accordingly go together like essence and its form, or what is essential and what is formal. But if anyone severs integrity from propriety - that is, if he bears ill-will towards his fellow man, yet speaks well of him and behaves well towards him - there is no longer any integrity at all in his words or actions, no matter how much he tries to present through propriety an outward form that looks like integrity. It is absence of integrity, and one who is clear-sighted calls it this, because it is either pretentious, fraudulent, or deceitful.
ttt[4] From all this one may see what the situation is with truths and goods. Truths in spiritual life may be likened to propriety in everyday life, and good in spiritual life to integrity in everyday life. This comparison shows what truths are like when they are the forms assumed by good, and what they are like when severed from good. When they are not extensions from good, they are extensions from something bad and are forms assumed by this, no matter how much they may be spoken of as forms assumed by good. As regards 'a company of nations' meaning forms of good, this becomes clear from the meaning of 'nations' as goods, dealt with immediately above. Hence a company or assembly of them is a gathering together of them, which is nothing other than the form they receive; and this, as has been shown, is truth. Since truths are meant, yet 'a nation' means good, not only 'a nation'- it is said - will descend from him but also 'a company of nations'. Otherwise one of the expressions would be sufficient. Furthermore 'company', 'assembly', and 'multitude', when used in the Word, have reference to truths. For 'multitude' or 'being multiplied', see `@@@43`, `@@@55`, `@@@913`, `@@@983`, `@@@2846`, `@@@2847`.
ppp19276#pid#4575. 'And kings will go out from your loins' means truths from the Divine Marriage. This is clear from the meaning of 'kings' as truths, dealt with in `@@@1672`, `@@@1728`, `@@@2015`, `@@@2069`, `@@@3009`, `@@@3670`, and from the meaning of 'the loins' as the things of conjugial love, dealt with in `@@@3021`, `@@@4277`, `@@@4280`, and therefore as the things of the heavenly marriage, and in the highest sense of the Divine Marriage. Truths from the Divine Marriage proceed from the Lord's Divine Human and are called holy; for the Lord's Divine Human is the Divine Marriage itself, and the things proceeding from that Marriage are holy. These are called celestial and spiritual, and they constitute the heavenly marriage, which is the marriage of truth joined to good, and of good joined to truth. This marriage exists in heaven and in every person who has heaven within him It also exists in every person within the Church, if good and at the same time truth are present in him.
ppp19275#pid#4576. 'And the land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you' means Divine Good when made over [to the Natural] as its own. This is clear from the meaning of 'the land' as good (for in the internal sense the land of Canaan, understood by 'the land' here, means the Lord's kingdom and consequently the Church, which is the Lord's kingdom on earth, `@@@1607`, `@@@3481`, `@@@3705`, `@@@4447`, `@@@4517`. And as these are meant good is meant, for good is the essential element in the Lord's kingdom and in the Church. But in the highest sense the land of Canaan means the Lord's Divine Good, for the good which exists in the Lord's kingdom in heaven and on earth originates in the Lord); from the representation of 'Abraham and Isaac' as the Lord's Divine, 'Abraham' being the Divine itself and 'Isaac' the Divine Human, in particular the Lord's Divine Rational (regarding Abraham, see `@@@1989`, `@@@2011`, `@@@3245`, `@@@3251`, `@@@3439`, `@@@3703`, `@@@4206`, `@@@4207`, and Isaac, `@@@1893`, `@@@2066`, `@@@2072`, `@@@2083`, `@@@2630`, `@@@2774`, `@@@3012`, `@@@3194`, `@@@3210`, `@@@4180`); and from the meaning of 'giving it (the land) to you' as making over to the Natural as its own, for Jacob, to whom 'you' refers here, represents the Lord's Divine Natural, as has often been shown. From all this it is evident that 'the land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you' means Divine Good when made over [to the Natural] as its own.
ppp19274#pid#4577. 'And to your seed after you I will give the land' means Divine Truth when made over [to the Natural] as its own. This is clear from the meaning of 'seed' as the truth of faith, dealt with in `@@@1025`, `@@@1447`, `@@@1610`, `@@@1940`, but in the highest sense Divine Truth, `@@@3038`; and from the meaning of 'giving the land' as making over good, dealt with immediately above in `@@@4576`; so that in the highest sense 'giving the land to your seed' means making Divine Good over to Divine Truth. But the reason why Divine Truth was made over is that before the Lord's Human was glorified it was Divine Truth, which is why the Lord speaks of Himself in `John 14bbb6` as 'the Truth', and in `Genesis 3bbb1` 'He is called 'the seed of the woman'. But after the Lord's Human was glorified it was made Divine Good. At this point it was from Him as Divine Good that Divine Truth went forth, and goes forth still. Such Divine Truth is the Spirit of Truth whom the Lord will send, referred to in `John 14bbb16-17`; `John ccc15bbb26-27`; `John ccc16bbb13-15`; see `@@@3704`. From this it may be seen that 'to your seed after you' in the highest sense means Divine Truth when made over to Him as His own, and also that Divine Truth goes forth from Divine Good which He is and is made over as their own to those in whom good and its partner truth are present.
ppp19273#pid#4578. 'And God went up from over him in the place where He talked to him' means the Divine within that state. This is clear from the meaning of 'God going up from over him' as the Divine, for 'going up' implies a raising up to more interior aspects, and when used in connection with the Lord, to whom 'God' refers here, a raising up to the Divine, `@@@4539`; and from the meaning of 'the place where He talked to him' as that state. 'Place' means state, see `@@@2625`, `@@@2837`, `@@@3356`, `@@@3387`, `@@@4321`, and therefore 'the place where He talked to him' means the state that He was passing through.
ppp19272#pid#4579. Verses `Genesis 35bbbccc14-15` And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where He talked to him, a stone pillar, and poured out a drink-offering onto it, and poured oil onto it. And Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke to him, Bethel.
'Jacob set up a pillar in the place where He talked to him, a stone pillar' means the holiness of truth within that Divine state. 'And he poured out a drink-offering onto it' means the Divine Good of Truth. 'And poured oil onto it' means the Divine Good of love. 'And Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke to him, Bethel' means the Divine Natural and its state.
ppp19271#pid#4580. 'Jacob set up a pillar in the place where He talked to him, a stone pillar' means the holiness of truth within that Divine state. This is clear from the meaning of 'a pillar' as the holiness of truth, dealt with below, and from the meaning of 'in the place where He talked to him' as within that state, dealt with just above in `@@@4578`.
First, let something be said about the origin of erecting pillars in those times, of pouring out drink-offerings onto them, and of pouring wine onto them.
ttt[2] The pillars which were erected in ancient times were set up to serve either as a sign, or as a witness, or for worship. Those set up for worship used to be anointed with oil and were thereby made holy; and in these places, people also held their worship - in temples, in groves, under trees in forests, and in other places. This practice of erecting pillars owed its representative nature to the fact that in most ancient times stones were set up on the boundaries between families of nations, to stop them crossing those boundaries to do one another any harm, as with the pillar set up by Laban and Jacob, `Genesis 31bbb51`. Not crossing them to do harm was the law of nations among those people. And because those stones were on the boundaries, whenever the most ancient people saw them as boundary stones they thought of the truths which exist in the ultimate degree of order; for those people saw in every object on earth the spiritual or celestial reality to which it corresponded. Their descendants however, who saw less of what was spiritual and celestial within the same objects and more of what was worldly, began to regard these in a holy way merely because they were objects venerated from of old. At length those descendants of the most ancient people who lived immediately before the Flood, and who no longer saw anything spiritual or celestial in earthly and worldly things as objects, began to make the actual stones holy, pouring out drink-offerings onto them and anointing them with oil. These were now called pillars and were used for worship. The position remained the same after the Flood - in the Ancient Church which was a representative Church - though with this difference, that pillars served these people as a means enabling them to offer internal worship. For infants and children were taught by parents what those pillars represented, and in this way they were led to know holy objects and to have an affection for the things which these represented. This explains why the ancients had pillars for worship in their temples, groves, and forests, also on hills and mountains.
ttt[3] But once the internal existence of worship had perished completely in the Ancient Church and people began to regard external objects as being holy and Divine and in so doing began to worship those objects in an idolatrous manner, they erected pillars to particular deities. And because the descendants of Jacob were very inclined towards idolatrous practices, they were forbidden to erect pillars or have groves. They were not even allowed to offer any worship on mountains or hillsides, but were required to meet in one particular place - where the Ark was, and later on where the Temple stood, thus in Jerusalem. Otherwise each family would have had its own external objects and idols which it would have worshipped, and so no representative of the Church could have been established among that nation. See what has been shown already about pillars in `@@@3727`.
From all this one may see how the erecting of pillars originated, and what they were signs of, and that when they were used for worship, holy truth was represented by them, for which reason the expression 'a stone pillar' is also used, 'stone' meaning truth in the ultimate degree of order, `@@@1298`, `@@@3720`, `@@@3769`, `@@@3771`, `@@@3773`, `@@@3789`, `@@@3798`. It should be recognized in addition that holiness is a particular attribute of Divine Truth, for Divine Good exists within the Lord, while Divine Truth proceeds from that Good, `@@@3704`, `@@@4577`, and is called holiness.
ppp19270#pid#4581. 'And he poured out a drink-offering onto it' means the Divine Good of Truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'a drink-offering' as the Divine Good of Truth, dealt with below. But first one must say what the good of truth is. The good of truth is that which elsewhere has been called the good of faith, which is love towards the neighbour, or charity. There are two universal kinds of good, the first being that which is called the good of faith, the second that which is referred to as the good of love. The good of faith is the kind of good meant by 'a drink-offering', and the good of love the kind meant by 'oil'. The good of love exists with those whom the Lord brings to what is good by an internal way, while the good of faith exists with those He brings to it by an external way. The good of love exists with members of the celestial Church, and likewise with angels of the inmost or third heaven, but the good of faith with members of the spiritual Church, and likewise with angels of the middle or second heaven. Consequently the first kind of good is called celestial good, whereas the second kind is called spiritual good. The difference between the two is, on the one hand, willing what is good out of a will for good and, on the other, willing what is good out of an understanding of it. The second kind of good therefore - spiritual good or the good of faith, which is the good of truth - is meant by 'a drink-offering'; but the first - celestial good or the good of love - is meant in the internal sense by 'oil'.
ttt[2] Nobody, it is true, can see that such things as these were meant by 'oil' and 'a drink-offering' unless he does so from the internal sense. Yet anyone may see that things of a holy nature were represented by them, for unless those holy things were represented by them what else would pouring out a drink-offering or pouring oil onto a stone pillar be but some ridiculous and idolatrous action? It is like the coronation of a king. What else would the ceremonies performed on that occasion be if they did not mean and imply things of a holy nature - placing the crown on his head; anointing him with oil from a horn, on his forehead and on his wrists; placing a sceptre in his hand, as well as a sword and keys; investing him with a purple robe, and then seating him on a silver throne; and after that, his riding in his regalia on a horse, and later still his being served at table by men of distinction, besides many other ceremonies? Unless these represented things of a holy nature and were themselves holy by virtue of their correspondence with the things of heaven and consequently of the Church, they would be no more than the kind of games that young children play, though on a grander scale, or else like plays that are performed on the stage.
ttt[3] But all those ceremonies trace their origin back to most ancient times when ceremonies were holy by virtue of their representation of things that were holy and of their correspondence with holy things in heaven and consequently in the Church. Even today they are considered holy, though not because people know their spiritual representation and correspondence but through the interpretation so to speak they put on symbols in common use. If however people did know what the crown, oil, horn, sceptre, sword, keys, purple robe, silver throne, riding on a white horse, and eating while men of distinction act as the servers, all represented and to what holy thing each corresponded, they would conceive of those things in an even holier way. But they do not know, and surprisingly do not wish to know; indeed that lack of knowledge is so great that the representatives and the meaningful signs included within such ceremonies and within every part of the Word have been obliterated from people's minds at the present day.
ttt[4] The fact that 'a drink-offering' means the good of truth, or spiritual good, may be seen from the sacrifices in which drink-offerings were used. When sacrifices were offered they were made either from the herd or from the flock, and they were representative of internal worship of the Lord, `@@@922`, `@@@923`, `@@@1823`, `@@@2180`, `@@@2805`, `@@@2807`, `@@@2830`, `@@@3519`. To these the minchah and the drink-offering were added. The minchah, which consisted of fine flour mixed with oil, meant celestial good, or what amounted to the same, the good of love - 'the oil' meaning love to the Lord and 'the fine flour' charity towards the neighbour. But the drink-offering, which consisted of wine, meant spiritual good, or what amounted to the same, the good of faith. Both these therefore, the minchah and the drink-offering, have the same meaning as the bread and wine in the Holy Supper.
ttt[5] The addition of a minchah and a drink-offering to a burnt offering or to a sacrifice is clear in Moses,
You shall offer two lambs in their first year, each day continually. One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the second you shall offer between the evenings; and a tenth of fine flour mixed with beaten oil, a quarter of a hin, and a drink-offering of a quarter of a hin of wine, for the first lamb; and so also for the second lamb. `Exodus 29bbb38-41`.
In the same author,
You shall offer on the day when you wave the sheaf of the firstfruits of the harvest a lamb without blemish in its first year as a burnt offering to Jehovah, its minchah being two tenths of fine flour mixed with oil, and its drink-offering wine, a quarter of a hin. `Leviticus 23bbb12-13`, `Leviticus 23bbbccc18`.
In the same author,
On the day when the days of Naziriteship are completed he is to offer his gift to Jehovah, sacrifices and also a basket of unleavened [loaves] of fine flour, cakes mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, together with their minchah and their drink-offerings. `Numbers 6bbb13-17`.
In the same author,
Upon the burnt offering they shall offer a minchah of a tenth [of an ephah] of fine flour mixed with a quarter of a hin of oil, and wine as the drink-offering, a quarter of a hin - in one way upon the burnt offering of a ram, and in another upon that of a bull. `Numbers 15bbb3-11`.
In the same author,
With the continual burnt offering you shall offer a drink-offering, a quarter of a hin for a lamb; in the holy place pour out a drink-offering of wine to Jehovah. `Numbers 28bbb6-7`.
Further references to minchahs and drink-offerings in the different kinds of sacrifices are continued in `Numbers 28bbb7`-end; `Numbers ccc29bbb1`-end.
ttt[6] The meaning that 'minchah and drink-offering' had may be seen in addition from the considerations that love and faith constitute the whole of worship, and that in the Holy Supper 'the bread' - described in the quotations above as fine flour mixed with oil - and 'the wine' mean love and faith, and so the whole of worship, dealt with in `@@@1798`, `@@@2165`, `@@@2177`, `@@@2187`, `@@@2343`, `@@@2359`, `@@@3464`, `@@@3735`, `@@@3813`, `@@@4211`, `@@@4217`.
ttt[7] But when people fell away from the genuine representative kind of worship of the Lord and turned to other gods and poured out drink-offerings to these, 'drink-offerings' came to mean things that were the reverse of charity and faith, namely the evils and falsities that go with the love of the world; as in Isaiah,
You inflamed yourselves among the gods under every green tree. You have also poured out a drink-offering to them, you have brought a minchah. `Isaiah 57bbb5-6`.
'Inflaming oneself among the gods' stands for cravings for falsity - 'gods' meaning falsities, `@@@4402` (end), `@@@4544`. 'Under every green tree' stands for the trust in all falsities which leads to those cravings, `@@@2722`, `@@@4552`. 'Pouring out a drink-offering to them' and 'bringing a minchah' stand for the worship of those falsities. In the same prophet,
You who forsake Jehovah, who forget My holy mountain, who set a table for Gad, and fill a drink-offering for Meni. `Isaiah 65bbb11`.
In Jeremiah,
The sons gather pieces of wood, and the fathers kindle fire, and the women knead dough to make cakes for the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink-offerings to other gods. `Jeremiah 7bbb18`.
ttt[8] In the same prophet,
We will surely do every word that has gone out of our mouth, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink-offerings to her, as we did, we and our fathers, and our princes in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. `Jeremiah 44bbb17-19`.
'The queen of heaven' stands for all falsities, for 'the hosts of heaven' in the genuine sense means truths, and in the contrary sense falsities, and so in the same way do 'king' and 'queen'. 'Queen' accordingly stands for all [falsities] and 'pouring out drink-offerings to her' means worshipping them.
ttt[9] In the same prophet,
The Chaldeans will burn the city, and the houses upon whose roofs they have burned incense to Baal and poured out drink-offerings to other gods. `Jeremiah 32bbb29`.
'The Chaldeans' stands for people whose worship involves falsity. 'Burning the city' stands for destroying and laying waste those whose doctrines teach falsity. Upon the roofs of the houses burning incense to Baal' stands for the worship of what is evil, 'pouring out drink-offerings to other gods' for the worship of what is false.
ttt[10] In Hosea,
They will not dwell in Jehovah's land, but Ephraim will return to Egypt, and in Assyria they will eat what is unclean. They will not pour libations of wine to Jehovah. `Hosea 9bbb3-4`.
'Not dwelling in Jehovah's land' stands for not abiding in the good of love. 'Ephraim will return to Egypt' stands for the Church when its understanding will come to be no more than factual and sensory knowledge. 'In Assyria they will eat what is unclean' stands for impure and profane desires that are the product of reasoning. 'They will not pour libations of wine to Jehovah' stands for no worship based on truth.
ttt[11] In Moses,
It will be said, Where are their gods, the rock in which they trusted, who ate the fat of the sacrifices, [who] drank the wine of their drink-offering? Let them rise up and help them! `Deuteronomy 32bbb37-38`.
'Gods' stands for falsities, as above. 'Who ate the fat of the sacrifices' stands for their destruction of the good belonging to worship, '[who] drank the wine of their drink-offering' for their destruction of the truth belonging to it. A reference to 'drink-offerings of blood' also occurs in David,
They will multiply their pains; they have hastened to another, lest I pour out their drink-offerings of blood, and take up their names upon My lips. `Psalms 16bbb4`.
By these 'drink-offerings' are meant profanations of truth, for in this case 'blood' means violence done to charity, `@@@374`, `@@@1005`, and profanation, `@@@1003`.
ppp19269#pid#4582. 'And poured oil onto it' means the Divine Good of love. This is clear from the meaning of 'oil' as the Divine Good of love, dealt with in `@@@886`, `@@@3728`. In the internal sense 'setting up a stone pillar, pouring out a drink-offering onto it, and pouring oil onto it' describes the process of progression from truth, as this exists in the ultimate degree, to truth and good that are more interior, and at length to the good of love. For 'a stone pillar' means truth as this exists in the ultimate degree of order, `@@@4580`; 'a drink-offering' means truth and good that are more interior, `@@@4581`; but 'oil' means the good of love. This was the nature of the process by which the Lord progressed when making Divine His Human; it is also the nature of the process by which man progresses when, through regeneration, the Lord makes him heaven-like.
ppp19268#pid#4583. 'And Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke to him, Bethel' means the Divine Natural and its state. This is clear from the meaning of 'calling the name' as the essential nature, dealt with in `@@@144`, `@@@145`, `@@@1754`, `@@@2009`, `@@@2724`, `@@@3006`, `@@@3421`, and from the meaning of 'Bethel' as the Divine Natural, dealt with in `@@@4559`, `@@@4560`. The state of that Natural is what is meant by 'the place where God spoke to him', as above in `@@@4578`.
ppp19267#pid#4584. Verses `Genesis 35bbbccc16-20` And they travelled on from Bethel, and there was still a stretch of land to go to Ephrath; and Rachel gave birth, and suffered severely`fff1` in giving birth. And it happened in her suffering severely,`fff1` in giving birth, that the midwife said to her, Do not be afraid, for this also is a son for you. And it happened as her soul was departing, when she was about to die, that she called his name Ben-oni; and his father called him Benjamin. And Rachel died, and was buried on the way to Ephrath, that is, Bethlehem. And Jacob set up a pillar over her grave; this is the pillar of Rachel's grave even to this day.
'They travelled on from Bethel, and there was still a stretch of land to go to Ephrath' means the spiritual of the celestial at this point - 'Joseph' being the celestial of the spiritual. 'And Rachel gave birth, and suffered severely in giving birth' means the temptations endured by interior truth. 'And it happened in her suffering severely, in giving birth' means following temptations. 'That the midwife said to her, Do not be afraid' means perception received from the natural. 'For this also is a son for you' means spiritual truth. 'And it happened as her soul was departing, when she was about to die' means a state of temptations. 'That she called his name Ben-oni' means the nature of that state. 'And his father called him Benjamin' means the nature of the spiritual of the celestial. 'And Rachel died, and was buried on the way to Ephrath' means the end of the initial affection for interior truth. 'That is, Bethlehem' means a new spiritual of the celestial raised up in place of it. 'And Jacob set up a pillar over her grave' means the holiness of the spiritual truth that was to be raised up again there. 'This is the pillar of Rachel's grave even to this day' means the state of holiness lasting perpetually.
`nnn1. literally, hard things
ppp19266#pid#4585. 'They travelled on from Bethel, and there was still a stretch of land to go to Ephrath' means the spiritual of the celestial at this point. This is clear from the meaning of 'travelling on from Bethel' as a continuation of the progress of the Divine from the Divine Natural - 'travelling on' meaning a continuation, see `@@@4554`, and here in the highest sense a continuation of the progress made by the Divine, while 'Bethel' means the Divine Natural, `@@@4559`, `@@@4560`; from the meaning of 'a stretch of land to go' as that which exists in between, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'Ephrath' as the spiritual of the celestial within the initial state, dealt with below where Bethlehem is the subject.`fff1` 'Bethlehem' means the spiritual of the celestial within the new state, and this is why the phrase 'Ephrath, that is, Bethlehem' is used in verse `Genesis 35bbbccc19` below.
ttt[2] In these verses progress made by the Lord's Divine towards aspects more interior is the subject, for when the Lord made His Human Divine His progress involved a similar order to that employed by Him when He makes man new through regeneration. That is to say, it was a progression from external things to more interior ones, and so from truth as this exists in the ultimate degree of order to good which is more interior and is called spiritual good, and from this to celestial good. But ideas about these things do not come within the mental grasp of anyone unless he knows what the external man is and what the internal man is, and that the former is distinct and separate from the latter, though the two seem to be one and the same while a person lives in the body. Nor do those ideas come within his grasp unless he knows that the natural constitutes the external man, and the rational the internal man, and above all unless he knows what the spiritual is, and what the celestial is.
ttt[3] These matters, it is true, have been explained several times already. Even so, those who have not previously had any idea concerning them - for the reason that they have not had any desire to know the things which belong to eternal life - are incapable of having any such idea. These people say, 'What is the internal man? How can it be anything different from the external man?' They also say, 'What is the natural, or the rational? Are these not one and the same thing?' Then they ask, 'What is the spiritual and the celestial? Isn't this some new distinction? We've heard about the spiritual, but not that the celestial is something different'. But the fact of the matter is that these are people who have not previously acquired any idea of these matters. They have failed to do so either because the cares of the world and of the body occupy their whole thought and take away all desire to know anything else, or because they suppose that no one needs to know anything beyond what the common people are taught and that there is nothing to be gained if their thought goes any further. For these say, 'The world we see, but the next life we do not see. Maybe it exists, maybe it doesn't'. People like these push those ideas away from themselves, for at heart they reject them the moment they see them.
ttt[4] All the same, because such ideas are contained in the internal sense of the Word, though they cannot be explained without suitable terms to depict them, and as no terms more suitable exist than 'natural' to express exterior things and 'rational' to express interior, or 'spiritual' to express matters of truth and 'celestial' matters of good, the use of words like these is unavoidable. For without the right words nothing can be described. Therefore so that some idea may be formed by those who have a desire to know what the spiritual of the celestial is, which 'Benjamin' represents and which 'Bethlehem' means, a brief reference to it must be made here. The subject so far in the highest sense has been the glorification of the Lord's Natural, and in the relative sense the regeneration of man's natural. It was shown above, in `@@@4286`, that 'Jacob' represented the external man of one who belongs to the Church, and 'Israel' his internal man, thus that 'Jacob' represented the exterior aspect of the natural and 'Israel' the interior aspect; for the spiritual man develops out of the natural, but the celestial man out of the rational. It was also shown that the Lord's glorification advanced, even as the regeneration of man advances, from external things to more interior ones, and that for the sake of such a representation Jacob received the name Israel.
ttt[5] But now the subject is further progress towards aspects more interior still, that is, towards the rational, for as stated immediately above, the rational constitutes the internal man. The part which exists between the internal of the natural and the external of the rational is what the term 'the spiritual of the celestial' - meant by 'Ephrath' and 'Bethlehem', and represented by 'Benjamin' - is used to denote. This intermediate part is derived to some extent from the internal of the natural, meant by 'Israel', and to some extent from the external of the rational, meant by 'Joseph'; for that intermediate part must be derived to some extent from each one, or else it cannot serve as an intermediary. So that anyone who is already spiritual can be made celestial he must of necessity make progress by means of this intermediate part. Without it no advance to higher things is possible.
ttt[6] The nature of the progress made therefore by means of this intermediate part is described here in the internal sense by the statements that Jacob went to Ephrath, and that Rachel gave birth to Benjamin there. From this it is evident that 'they travelled on from Bethel, and there was still a stretch of land to go to Ephrath' means a continuation of the progress of the Lord's Divine from the Divine Natural to the spiritual of the celestial, meant by 'Ephrath' and 'Bethlehem', and represented by 'Benjamin'. The spiritual of the celestial is the intermediate part about which something is said above; it is spiritual insofar as it is derived from the spiritual man, which regarded in itself is the interior natural man, and it is [celestial] insofar as it is derived from the celestial man, which regarded in itself is the rational man. 'Joseph' is the exterior rational man, and therefore he is spoken of as the celestial of the spiritual derived from the rational.
`nnn1. i.e. in `@@@4594`
ppp19265#pid#4586. 'And Rachel gave birth, and suffered severely in giving birth' means the temptations endured by interior truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'giving birth' as the coming into being of spiritual entities, which are those of truth, and of celestial entities, which are those of good - for in the internal sense 'giving birth' does not mean anything else than things connected with spiritual birth, see `@@@1145`, `@@@1255`, `@@@2584`, `@@@3860`, `@@@3868`, `@@@3905`, `@@@3915`, `@@@3919`, `@@@4070`; from the representation of 'Rachel' as the affection for interior truth, dealt with in `@@@3758`, `@@@3782`, `@@@3793`, `@@@3819`; and from the meaning of 'suffering severely' as undergoing temptations. For when used in reference to truths and goods, or spiritual and celestial entities, 'suffering severely' does not mean anything else, since nobody can come to those things except through temptations. Indeed in times of temptation interior goods and truths clash with the evils and falsities which are a product of a person's heredity and of his own actions. That is to say, at such times the Lord acts from within to preserve the goods and truths in him, while an attack is mounted by the evils and falsities which erupt from his heredity and are present as a result of his own actions. That is, the attack is mounted by spirits and genii who are present within those evils and falsities and who dwell with that person. This is how temptations arise, and they lead not only to the casting aside and removal of evils and falsities when these are conquered but also to the strengthening of goods and truths. These are the things which are meant by the statement that Rachel gave birth and suffered severely in giving birth.
ppp19264#pid#4587. 'And it happened in her suffering severely, in giving birth' means following temptations. This is clear from what has been stated immediately above in `@@@4586`, and so is clear without any further explanation.
ppp19263#pid#4588. 'That the midwife said to her, Do not be afraid' means perception received from the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in the historical narratives of the Word as perception, dealt with in `@@@1791`, `@@@1815`, `@@@1819`, `@@@1822`, `@@@1898`, `@@@1919`, `@@@2080`, `@@@2619`, `@@@2862`, `@@@3395`, `@@@3509`, and from the meaning of 'the midwife' as the natural. The reason 'the midwife' here means the natural is that when anyone undergoes interior temptations, that is, when the interior man undergoes temptations, the natural is like a midwife. For unless the natural assists no birth of interior truth is possible, since it is the natural that receives interior truths into its bosom once these are born; indeed it is the natural that enables them to push their way out. The same applies to instances of spiritual birth, in that reception must take place wholly within the natural. This is the reason why, when a person is being regenerated, the natural is first of all made ready to receive, and to the extent it is then able to receive, interior truths and goods are able to emerge and multiply. This also explains why, if the natural man has not been made ready during the life of the body to receive the truths and goods of faith, that person cannot receive them in the next life and so cannot be saved. This is the implication of the common saying 'As the tree falls, so it must lie', meaning, What a person is when he dies, so he comes to be. For a person has with him in the next life his whole natural memory, that is, the memory belonging to his external man, though he is not allowed to use it in that life, `@@@2469-2494`. In the next life therefore that memory serves as the groundwork on which interior truths and goods rest; but if that groundwork is not able to support the goods and truths which flow into it from within, interior goods and truths are either annihilated, or perverted, or cast aside. From all this it may be seen that the natural is like a midwife.
ttt[2] The likeness of the natural to a midwife, inasmuch as it is a recipient when the interior man gives birth, becomes clear also from the internal sense of what is recorded concerning the midwives who, contrary to Pharaoh's orders, allowed the sons of the Hebrew women to live. This is described in Moses as follows,
The king of Egypt spoke to the midwives of the Hebrew women, and he said, When you act as midwives to the Hebrew women and see them on the stools, if it is a son you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter she shall be allowed to live. And the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt told them, but allowed the sons to live. And the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them Why have you done this thing and allowed the sons to live? And the midwives said to Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are lively; before the midwife reaches them they have given birth. And God did well to the midwives; and the people multiplied and became extremely numerous. And it happened because the midwives feared God, that He made them houses. `Exodus 1bbb15-21`.
'The daughters and sons' to whom the Hebrew women gave birth represent the goods and truths of a new Church; 'the midwives' represent the natural, inasmuch as this is the recipient of goods and truths; 'the king of Egypt' represents factual knowledge in general, `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1186`, that wipes out truths, as happens when factual knowledge enters into matters of faith by a wrong path, which it does when nothing except that dictated by sensory experience and factual knowledge is believed. The fact that 'the midwives' in that passage means receptions of truth, within the natural, will in the Lord's Divine mercy be corroborated when the contents of that chapter in Exodus come up for explanation.
ppp19262#pid#4589. 'For this also is a son for you' means spiritual truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'a son' as truth, dealt with in `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@533`, `@@@1147`, `@@@2623`, `@@@3373`, in this case spiritual truth since Benjamin is the son referred to here, who represents the spiritual of the celestial.
ppp19261#pid#4590. 'And it happened as her soul was departing, when she was about to die' means a state of temptations. This is clear from the meaning of 'the soul departing, and dying' as the final phase of temptation, which is reached when the old man dies and the new receives life. This meaning is evident from what comes before this, where it is stated that 'she suffered severely in giving birth', meaning the temptation endured by interior truth, `@@@4586`, `@@@4587`, and from what follows at verse `Genesis 35bbbccc19`, stating that 'Rachel died'.
ppp19260#pid#4591. 'That she called his name Ben-oni' means the nature of that state. This is clear from the meaning of 'calling the name' as the essential nature, often dealt with already. The state that is described here in the internal sense is a state of temptations, the nature of this state being meant by 'Ben-oni'; for in the original language Ben-oni means Son of my pain (or sorrow). In ancient times infants were given names by which states were meant spiritually, see `@@@1946`, `@@@2643`, `@@@3422`, `@@@4298`.
ppp19259#pid#4592. 'And his father called him Benjamin' means the nature of the spiritual of the celestial. This is clear from the representation of 'Benjamin' as the spiritual of the celestial. What this is has been explained above in `@@@4585`, namely the intermediate part between the spiritual and the celestial, or between the spiritual man and the celestial man. In the original language Benjamin means Son of the right hand, and by 'son of the right hand' is meant spiritual truth which springs from celestial good, and consequent power; for good receives power through truth, `@@@3563`. 'Son' means truth, `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@533`, `@@@1147`, `@@@2623`, `@@@3373`, and 'hand' means power, `@@@878`, `@@@3091`, `@@@3563`, 'right hand' therefore meaning supreme power. From this one may see what is meant by 'sitting at God's right hand', namely a state of power received from truth that springs from good, `@@@3387`. When used in reference to the Lord this phrase denotes omnipotence, and also Divine Truth which proceeds from the Lord's Divine Good, as in `Psalms 110bbb1`; `Matthew 22bbb44`; `Matthew ccc26bbb63-64`; `Mark 14bbb61-62`; `Mark ccc6bbb19`; `Luke 22bbb69`. And since it is Divine power, that is, omnipotence, that is meant, the phrase 'at the right hand of God's power (or virtue`fff1`)' is used in these places.
ttt[2] From this it is evident what 'Benjamin' means in the genuine sense, namely spiritual truth which springs from celestial good, meant by 'Joseph'. Both together therefore constitute that which lies between the spiritual man and the celestial man, as stated above in `@@@4585`. But this good and this truth are distinct and separate from the celestial represented by 'Judah' and from the spiritual represented by 'Israel', the former entity being higher or more interior, the latter one lower or more exterior, for as stated they constitute that which lies between. But no one can have any conception of the good represented by 'Joseph' or of the truth represented by 'Benjamin' except him who has been enlightened by the light of heaven. Angels have a clear conception of them because all the ideas forming their thought are products of the light of heaven which comes from the Lord, a light in which they see and perceive an unending number of things which man cannot possibly understand, let alone speak about.
ttt[3] Take the following as an illustration. All without exception are born natural yet with the capacity to become either celestial or spiritual, whereas the Lord alone was born spiritual-celestial. It was for this reason that He was born in Bethlehem, where the border of the land of Benjamin ran. Indeed 'Bethlehem' means the spiritual of the celestial, and 'Benjamin' represents the same. The reason He alone was born spiritual-celestial is that the Divine dwelt within Him. These are matters which no one can possibly comprehend who does not dwell in the light of heaven; for one who dwells in the light of the world, and relies for his perception on that light, hardly knows what truth is or what good is, still less what it is to rise up by degrees to more interior levels of truth and good, and so hardly knows anything at all about the countless manifestations of truth and good in every degree which are visible to angels in light as clear as that shining at midday. This shows the nature of angels' wisdom in comparison with men's.
ttt[4] There are six names which occur frequently [in the Word] - in the prophetical sections, where the Church is the subject. These are Judah, Joseph, Benjamin, Ephraim, Israel, and Jacob. Anyone who does not know which aspect of good or truth of the Church each of these is used to mean in the internal sense cannot know a single one of the Divine arcana of the Word in those sections. Nor can he know which aspect of the Church is meant unless he knows what the celestial is, meant by 'Judah'; what the celestial of the spiritual is, meant by 'Joseph'; what the spiritual of the celestial is, meant by 'Benjamin'; what the intellectual side of the Church is, meant by 'Ephraim'; what the internal spiritual is, meant by 'Israel'; and what the external spiritual is, meant by 'Jacob'.
ttt[5] As regards 'Benjamin' in particular, he represents the spiritual of the celestial, while 'Joseph represents the celestial of the spiritual; and both together accordingly represent the intermediate part between the celestial man and the spiritual man. This being so they are linked together very closely, and for this reason that close link between them is also described by the following details in the historical narratives about Joseph,
Joseph told his brothers to bring their youngest brother, so as not to die. `Genesis 42bbb20`.
When they resumed with Benjamin, and Joseph saw Benjamin his brother, he said, Is this your youngest brother, of whom you told me? And he said, God be kind to you, my son. And Joseph hastened, for his bowels were stirred with emotion for his brother, and he sought to weep, and therefore went into his room and wept there. `Genesis 43bbb29-30`.
He multiplied Benjamin's portion five times more than the portion of any of the others. `Genesis 43bbb34`.
After disclosing who he was to his brothers he fell on the neck of Benjamin his brother and wept; and Benjamin wept on his neck. `Genesis 45bbb14`.
He gave changes of clothing to them all, but to Benjamin three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of clothing. `Genesis 45bbb22`.
ttt[6] From these places it is evident that Joseph and Benjamin were linked very closely together, not because they had the same mother but because the spiritual link that exists between the good meant by 'Joseph' and the truth meant by 'Benjamin' is represented by them. And because these two constitute that which lies between the celestial man and the spiritual man Joseph and his brothers could not be brought together, nor he and his father brought together, except by means of Benjamin; for without that intermediary no such bringing together is possible. This was the reason why Joseph did not reveal his true identity before he did.
ttt[7] Elsewhere in the Word, especially the prophetical part, there are other places where Benjamin means the spiritual truth which is the Church's, as in Moses' prophecy regarding the sons of Israel,
To Benjamin he said, Beloved of Jehovah, he will dwell in confidence upon him, covering him all the day, and he will dwell between his shoulders. `Deuteronomy 33bbb12`.
'Beloved of Jehovah' means spiritual truth springing from celestial good. The presence of this good with that truth is referred to as 'dwelling in confidence', 'covering it the whole day', and also 'dwelling between his shoulders', for in the internal sense 'the shoulders' means all power, `@@@1085`, and all power which good possesses is expressed by means of truth, `@@@3563`.
ttt[8] In Jeremiah,
Flee, sons of Benjamin, out of the midst of Jerusalem, and sound the trumpet, and take up a prophecy over the house of the vine; for evil stares from the north, and great destruction. `Jeremiah 6bbb1`.
'Sons of Benjamin' stands for spiritual truth springing from what is celestial. 'Jerusalem' stands for the spiritual Church, as does 'the house of the vine' or Beth Hakkerem. 'Evil from the north' stands for man's sensory perception and his knowledge acquired through this. In the same prophet,
It will happen if you keep the sabbath day holy, that people will come in from the cities of Judah and from places surrounding Jerusalem, and from the land of Benjamin, and from the plain, and from the mountain, and from the south, bringing burnt offering and sacrifice, and minchah, and frankincense, and bringing thanksgiving, to the house of Jehovah. `Jeremiah 17bbb24`, `Jeremiah 17bbbccc26`.
ttt[9] And elsewhere in the same prophet,
In the mountain cities, in the cities of the plain, and in the cities of the south, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the places surrounding Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, flocks will again pass under the hands of him who counts them. `Jeremiah 33bbb13`.
Here 'the land of Benjamin' too stands for spiritual truth which is the Church's, for all things that constitute the Church, from the first to the final degree of these, are meant by 'the cities of Judah', 'the places surrounding Jerusalem', 'the land of Benjamin', 'the plain', 'the mountain', and 'the south'.
ttt[10] In Hosea,
Sound the trumpet (buccina) in Gibeah, the trumpet (tuba) in Ramah. Cry out, Beth Aven; after you, Benjamin. Ephraim will become lonely places on the day of reproach. `Hosea 5bbb8-9`.
'Gibeah', 'Ramah', and 'Beth Aven' stand for aspects of the spiritual springing from the celestial meant by 'Benjamin', for Gibeah was part of Benjamin, `Judges 19bbb14`, as also was Ramah, `Joshua 18bbb25`, as well as Beth Aven, `Joshua 18bbb12`. 'Sounding the trumpets (buccina et tuba)' and 'crying out' stand for declaring that the intellectual side of the Church, meant by 'Ephraim', has been destroyed.
ttt[11] In Obadiah,
The house of Jacob will become fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, the house of Esau stubble; and those in the south will inherit the mountain of Esau, and those who are in the plain the Philistines; and they will inherit the field of Ephraim and the field of Samaria, and Benjamin [will inherit] Gilead. Obad. verses `Genesis 35bbbccc18`, `Genesis 35bbbccc19`.
Here, as in other places, it is quite evident that the names used mean spiritual realities, for unless one knows what is meant by 'the house of Jacob', 'the house of Joseph', 'the house of Esau', 'the mountain of Esau', 'the Philistines', 'the field of Ephraim', 'the field of Samaria', 'Benjamin', and 'Gilead', and in addition to these what is meant by 'those in the south', 'the house', 'the plain', 'the mountain', and 'the field', one will never understand anything here. Nor did the details described here as historical events actually take place. But anyone who knows what each individual expression implies will discover heavenly arcana within this particular use of them. Here also 'Benjamin' stands for what is spiritual springing from that which is celestial.
ttt[12] Similarly the following in Zechariah,
Jehovah will be King over all the earth; in that day there will be one Jehovah, and His name one. Round about the whole land will be as the plain from Geba even to Rimmon. And [Jerusalem] will dwell in her own place, from the Gate of Benjamin even to the place of the first gate, to the corner gate,`fff2` and the tower of Hananel, even to the king's winepresses. `Zechariah 14bbb9-10`.
Similarly in David,
Turn Your ear, O Shepherd, You who lead`fff3` Joseph like a flock, who are seated on the cherubim; before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, stir up Your power and come to save us. `Psalms 80bbb1-2`.
Similarly in the prophecy of Deborah and Barak,
Jehovah will have dominion for me among the strong. Out of Ephraim whose root is in Amalek, following you, Benjamin, among your peoples, out of Machir lawgivers will come down, and out of Zebulun those who carry the sceptre of the scribe. `Judges 5bbb13-14`.
ttt[13] In John,
I heard the number of the sealed, a hundred and forty-four thousand sealed out of every tribe of Israel - twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Zebulun, twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Joseph, twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Benjamin. `Revelation 7bbb4`, `Revelation 7bbbccc8`.
By 'the tribes of Israel' here are meant those with whom goods and truths exist and who as a consequence are in the Lord's kingdom. For 'the tribes' and 'twelve', or what amounts to the same 'twelve thousand', mean all aspects of love and faith, or all aspects of good and truth, `@@@577`, `@@@2089`, `@@@2129`, `@@@2130`, `@@@3272`, `@@@3858`, `@@@3913`, `@@@3926`, `@@@3939`, `@@@4060`. In that chapter of the Book of Revelation the tribes are divided into four groups, the last group being made up of twelve thousand sealed out of Zebulun, twelve thousand out of Joseph, and twelve thousand out of Benjamin, because 'the tribe of Zebulun' means the heavenly marriage, `@@@3960`, `@@@3961`, in which marriage heaven and so all things consist. 'Joseph' in this case means the celestial of the spiritual, or the good of truth, while 'Benjamin' means the truth of that good, or the spiritual of the celestial. These form the marriage in which heaven consists, and this is why these three tribes are mentioned last.
ttt[14] Because 'Benjamin' was to represent the spiritual of the celestial of the Church, or the truth of good, which is the intermediate part between celestial good and spiritual truth, Jerusalem was therefore allowed to the children of Benjamin as an inheritance; for before Zion was built there Jerusalem meant the Church in general. For the allotment of Jerusalem to Benjamin, see `Joshua 18bbb28` and `Judges 1bbb21`.
`nnn1. virtue is used here in the now almost obsolete sense of 'The power or operative influence inherent in a supernatural or divine being'. (Shorter Oxford English Dictionary)
`nnn2. literally, the sate of the corners
`nnn3. The Latin means He who leads, but the Hebrew means You who lead.
ppp19258#pid#4593. 'And Rachel died, and was buried on the way to Ephrath' means the end of the initial affection for interior truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'dying' as ceasing to be as previously, dealt with in `@@@494`, and so the end; from the representation of 'Rachel' as the affection for interior truth, dealt with in `@@@3758`, `@@@3782`, `@@@3793`, `@@@3819`; from the meaning of 'being buried' as the casting aside of the initial state and the raising up of a new one, dealt with in `@@@2916`, `@@@2917`, `@@@3256`; and from the meaning of 'Ephrath' as the spiritual of the celestial in the initial state, dealt with in `@@@4585`. From this it is evident that 'Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath' means the end of the initial affection for interior truth and the raising up of a new one meant by 'Bethlehem', dealt with below in the next paragraph.
ttt[2] In the genuine sense 'Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath' means that an inherited characteristic was cast out for ever by means of temptations, that characteristic being the human affection for interior truth, cast out by the Divine affection. This also explains why this son was called Ben-oni, or Son of pain, by his mother, but Benjamin, or Son of the right hand, by his father. Present in the human affection derived from the mother there is a hereditary characteristic that holds evil within it, whereas in the Divine affection nothing but good is present. In the human affection there is a self-concern which has the glory of self and the world as the end in view, but in the Divine affection a self-concern exists that it should effect the salvation of the human race, as accords with the Lord's words in John,
I pray for those whom You have given Me, for all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; but I am glorified in them; that they may all be one, as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they may also be one in Us. The glory which You have given Me I have given to them that they may be one even as We are one, I in them and You in Me. `John 17bbb9-10`, `John 17bbbccc21-23`.
ppp19257#pid#4594. 'That is, Bethlehem' means a new spiritual of the celestial raised up in place of it. This is clear from the meaning of 'Bethlehem' as the spiritual of the celestial within the new state, for 'Ephrath' is the spiritual of the celestial within the initial state, `@@@4585`, while her burial there means the raising up of a new state, `@@@4593`. The fact that Bethlehem was the place where Rachel gave birth to her second son, Benjamin, and died in giving birth to him, also the place where David was born and where he was anointed king, and finally the place where the Lord was born, involves an arcanum which has not yet been revealed. Nor could it have been revealed to anyone who did not know what was meant by 'Ephrath' and by 'Bethlehem', and what was represented by 'Benjamin' and also by 'David'. Least of all could it have been revealed to anyone who did not know what the spiritual of the celestial was; for this is what was meant spiritually by those places and what was represented by those personages.
ttt[2] The reason the Lord was born there and nowhere else was that He alone has been born a spiritual-celestial man. Everyone else has been born a natural man with the ability or capacity to become, through regeneration by the Lord, either celestial or spiritual. The Lord was born a spiritual-celestial man to the end that He might make His Human Divine, doing so according to order from the lowest degree to the highest, and so would bring order to everything in the heavens and everything in the hells. For the spiritual of the celestial is an intermediate part between the natural or external man and the rational or internal man, see above in `@@@4585`, `@@@4592`, so that below it there was the natural or external, and above it the rational or internal.
ttt[3] Until he can grasp these things no one will ever come to understand in the light of any revelation at all why the Lord was born in Bethlehem. From most ancient times 'Ephrath' meant the spiritual of the celestial, as therefore did 'Bethlehem' subsequently. This now explains why the following words occur in David,
He swore to Jehovah, he made a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob, If I enter the tent of my house, if I go up onto the couch of my bed, if I give sleep to my eyes, slumber to my eyelids, until I find a place for Jehovah, dwelling-places for the Mighty One of Jacob. Behold, we heard of Him in Ephrath, we found Him in the fields of the forest; we will enter His dwelling-places, and bow down at His footstool. `Psalms 132bbb2-7`.
It is quite evident that these words are used to refer to the Lord. In the original language the pronoun 'Him' in 'we have heard of Him' and in 'we have found Him' is expressed by a letter added to the end of the verb - by the letter H, taken from the name Jehovah.
ttt[4] And in Micah,
You, Bethlehem Ephrath, it is little that you are among the thousands of Judah; from you will come forth for Me one who will be ruler in Israel; and His origins are from of old, from the days of eternity `Micah 5bbb2`; `Matthew 2bbb6`.
From these prophecies it was well known to the Jewish people that the Messiah or Christ was to be born in Bethlehem, as is clear in Matthew,
Assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people Herod inquired of them where the Christ (the Messiah) was to be born. They told him, In Bethlehem of Judea. `Matthew 2bbb4-5`.
And in John,
The Jews said, Does not the Scripture say that the Christ (the Messiah) is going to come from the seed of David, and from Bethlehem, the city where David was? `John 7bbb42`.
His birth did in fact take place there, see `Matthew 2bbb1`; `Luke 2bbb4-7`. For this reason also, and because He was descended from David, the Lord is called 'a shoot from the stem of Jesse', and 'the root of Jesse', `Isaiah 11bbb1`, `Isaiah 11bbbccc10`. For Jesse, David's father, was a Bethlehemite, and David was born there and also anointed king there, `1 Samuel 16bbb1-14`; `1 Samuel ccc17bbb12`, for which reason Bethlehem was called the city of David, `Luke 2bbb4`, `Luke 2bbbccc11`; `John 7bbb42`. David in particular represents the Lord's kingship or Divine Truth, `@@@1888`.
ppp19256#pid#4595. 'And Jacob set up a pillar over her grave' means the holiness of the spiritual truth that was to be raised up again there. This is clear from the meaning of 'a pillar' as the holiness of truth, dealt with in `@@@4580`; in this case of spiritual truth stemming from the celestial, since that truth is the subject; and from the meaning of 'a grave' as resurrection, dealt with in `@@@2916`, `@@@2917`, `@@@3256`.
ppp19255#pid#4596. 'This is the pillar of Rachel's grave even to this day' means the state of holiness lasting perpetually. This is clear from the meaning of 'a pillar' as the holiness of truth, and from the meaning of 'a grave' as resurrection, dealt with immediately above, and from the meaning of 'even to this day' as that which is perpetual, dealt with in `@@@2838`, `@@@3998`.
ppp19254#pid#4597. Verses `Genesis 35bbbccc21-22` And Israel travelled on and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder. And it happened while Israel was residing in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine; and Israel heard of it.
'Israel travelled on' means the celestial-spiritual of the natural then. 'And pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder' means more interior aspects of this. 'And it happened while Israel was residing in that land' means during this state. 'That Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine' means the profanation of good by means of faith separated from charity. 'And Israel heard' means that this faith was cast aside.
ppp19253#pid#4598. 'Israel travelled on' means the celestial-spiritual of the natural then. This is clear from the meaning of 'travelling on' as a further stage or a continuation, dealt with in `@@@4375`, `@@@4554`, in this case towards aspects more interior still, and from the representation of 'Israel' here as the celestial-spiritual of the natural, dealt with in `@@@4286`. What the celestial-spiritual of the natural is has been explained already, namely the good of truth, or the good of charity arrived at through the truth of faith. Little knowledge exists in the world of what an advance towards more interior aspects is. It is not an advance into knowledge of facts, for that kind of advance is often made without any advancement towards interior things, and more often still is accompanied by a movement away from these. Neither is it an advance in maturity of judgement, for this too is sometimes accompanied by a movement away from interior things. Nor yet is it an advance made into cognitions of interior truth, for these count for nothing if a person does not have any affection for them. An advance towards interior things is an advance nearer to heaven and the Lord made by means of the cognitions of truth which have been implanted in an affection for them, and so is an advance made by means of the affections.
ttt[2] What an advance towards interior things is like is not apparent to anyone in the world; but in the next life it is plain to see. In that life it is an advance out of a kind of haze into light; for compared with others people who are concerned solely with more external things live in a haze, and are also seen by the angels to do so, whereas those who have a concern for more internal things dwell in light, and consequently in wisdom since the light there is wisdom. And what is amazing, those living in the haze cannot see that those in light are in light, whereas those dwelling in light can see that those in the haze are in a haze. Since the subject is the advance made by the Lord's Divine towards more interior aspects, Jacob is called Israel here; but where that advance is not the subject he is called Jacob, as in verse `Genesis 35bbbccc20` immediately before this, and in the final verse of this chapter.
ppp19252#pid#4599. 'And pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder' means more interior aspects of this. This is clear from the meaning of 'pitching a tent' as an advance in holiness, in this case towards more interior aspects - 'a tent' meaning holiness, see `@@@414`, `@@@1102`, `@@@2145`, `@@@2152`, `@@@3312`, `@@@4391`; from the meaning of 'beyond the tower' as into more interior aspects, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'Eder' as the nature of the state, that is to say, the nature of the advance made in holiness towards more interior aspects. This tower possessed that meaning from of old, but because there is no further reference to it in the Word apart from `Joshua 15bbb21`, this cannot be proved from parallel passages in the way other names can. The reason 'beyond the tower' means towards more interior aspects is that things which are more interior are expressed as objects that are lofty and high - as mountains, hills, towers, housetops, and the like. The reason for this is that minds which form their ideas from natural objects in the world as perceived through the external senses see things of an interior nature as objects that are higher than others, `@@@2148`.
ttt[2] That 'towers' means interior things may also be seen from other places in the Word, as in Isaiah,
My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill,`fff1` which he surrounded [with an enclosure] and gathered out the stones, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it. `Isaiah 5bbb1-2`.
'A vineyard' stands for the spiritual Church, 'the choicest vine' for spiritual good, 'he built a tower in the midst of it' for the interior aspects of truth. Similarly also in the Lord's parable in Matthew,
A householder planted a vineyard, and set a hedge around it, and dug a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to tenants. `Matthew 21bbb33`; `Mark 12bbb1`.
ttt[3] In Ezekiel,
The sons of Arvad, and your army, were on your walls round about, and Gammadim were in your towers; they hung their shields on your walls round about; they made perfect your beauty. `Ezekiel 27bbb11`.
This refers to Tyre, by which are meant cognitions of good and truth, or people who possess these cognitions. 'Gammadim in its tower' stands for cognitions of interior truth.
ttt[4] In Micah,
Jehovah will reign over them in Mount Zion, from now on and for ever. And you, O tower of the flock, hill of the daughter of Zion, to you will it come, and the former kingdom will return, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem. `Micah 4bbb7-8`.
This describes the Lord's celestial kingdom. 'Mount Zion' describes the inmost part of it, which is love to the Lord; 'hill of the daughter of Zion' its immediate derivative, which is mutual love, called in the spiritual sense charity towards the neighbour; 'tower of the flock' describes its interior truths of good. The existence of a spiritual-celestial kingdom from this is meant by 'the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem'. In David,
Mount Zion will be glad, the daughters of Judah will be exultant, because of Your judgements. Encompass Zion, and go around her; count up her towers. `Psalms 48bbb11-12`.
Here 'towers' stands for interior truths which defend the things that constitute love and charity.
ttt[5] In Luke,
Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For who of you, when he wishes to build a tower, does not first sit down and work out the cost, whether he has the means to complete it? Or what king going to encounter another king in war does not first sit down and take counsel whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? So every one of you who does not renounce all that is his own cannot be My disciple. `Luke 14bbb27-28`, `Luke 14bbbccc31`, `Luke 14bbbccc33`.
Anyone who is not acquainted with the internal sense of the Word can only suppose that here the Lord was using comparisons, and that the expressions 'building a tower' and 'going to war' were not used to mean anything more. He does not know that each comparison in the Word has a spiritual meaning, and is representative, and that 'building a tower' means acquiring interior truths to oneself and 'going to war' fighting from those truths. For the subject in this quotation is the temptations undergone by those who belong to the Church and are here called the Lord's disciples. Those temptations are meant by 'his own cross' which each of them has to carry; and the truth that they do not in any way conquer of themselves and from what is their own but from the Lord is meant by 'he who does not renounce all that is his own cannot be My disciple'. This is how these expressions hang together; but if the references to a tower and to war are understood to be simply comparisons without a more interior sense they do not hang together. From this one may see what light flows from the internal sense.
ttt[6] The interiors of those who are governed by self-love and love of the world, and so the falsities from which they fight and from which they reinforce their kind of religion, are also expressed as 'towers' in the contrary sense, as in Isaiah,
The height of men (vir) will be brought low, and Jehovah alone will be exalted on that day, for the day of Jehovah Zebaoth will be against everyone that is lofty and high, and against everyone that is lifted up, and he will be humbled; and against all the cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up and against all the oaks of Bashan, and against all high mountains, and against all hills that are lifted up, and against every lofty tower and against every fortified wall. `Isaiah 2bbb11-18`.
Here the interior and exterior aspects of those loves are described by cedars, oaks, mountains, hills, a tower, and a wall - interior falsities being described by 'a tower'. Thus interior things are again described by objects that are 'high'. The difference however is this: People who are governed by these - by evils and falsities - believe that they themselves are high and above others, whereas those who are governed by goods and truths believe that they themselves are least and below others, `Matthew 20bbb26-27`; `Mark 10bbb44`. All the same, goods and truths are described as things that are 'high' because in heaven they are closer to the Most High, that is, to the Lord. Furthermore 'towers' is used in the Word in reference to truths, but 'mountains' to forms of good.
`nnn1. literally, on a horn of a son of oil
ppp19251#pid#4600. 'And it happened while Israel was residing in that land' means during this state, namely that of good arising out of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'residing' as living, for residing is similar in meaning to 'dwelling', the difference being that 'residing' has reference to truth but 'dwelling' to good - 'dwelling' meaning being and living, and so state, see `@@@3384`; and from the meaning of 'land' as the Church as regards good, dealt with in `@@@566`, `@@@662`, `@@@1066`, `@@@1067`, `@@@1262`, `@@@1413`, `@@@1607`, `@@@1733`, `@@@1850`, `@@@2117`, `@@@2118`, `@@@2571`, `@@@2928`, `@@@3355`, `@@@4447`, `@@@4535`, in this case as regards the good of truth. A state involving this good which Israel had now arrived at is the state meant here.
ppp19250#pid#4601. 'That Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine' means the profanation of good by means of faith separated from charity; 'and Israel heard' means that this faith was cast aside. This is clear from the representation of 'Reuben' as faith present in doctrine and in the understanding, which is the attribute of the Church that is born first, dealt with in `@@@3861`, `@@@3866`, at this point when that faith has been separated from charity, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'lying with Bilhah his father's concubine' as the profanation of good, for committing adultery means perverting or adulterating forms of good, `@@@2466`, `@@@2729`, `@@@3399`, but 'lying with a father's concubine' profaning them; and from the meaning of 'Israel heard' as the fact that this faith was cast aside. In the proper sense the expression 'Israel heard' means that the spiritual Church knew this and assented to it, for 'hearing' means hearkening, while 'Israel' means the spiritual Church. But the fact that the true Church does not assent to it will be evident from what is going to be said about Reuben. In the internal sense however the meaning is that that faith was cast aside, for although Jacob's feelings and thoughts concerning this unmentionable and outrageous deed are not stated, his utter disgust and abhorrence is evident from his prophecy concerning Reuben,
Reuben, you my firstborn, are my strength and the beginning of my might, excelling in eminence, and excelling in power. Unstable as water, may you not excel, for you went up to your father's bed; then you profaned It. He went up to my couch. `Genesis 49bbb3-4`.
The same is also evident from the fact that because of what he did Reuben was deprived of the birthright, `1 Chronicles 5bbb1`. These considerations show that 'Israel heard' means that that faith was cast aside. As regards the birthright meaning the faith of the Church, see `@@@352`, `@@@2435`, `@@@3325`.
ttt[2] The profanation of good by faith separated from charity takes place when people acknowledge and believe the truth of the Church and its good and yet lead lives contrary to these. Indeed with those who in understanding and consequently in life separate matters of faith from those of charity, evil is joined to truth and falsity to good; and it is this joining together that is called profanation. The situation is different with those who, though they know what the truth and good of faith are, nevertheless do not in their hearts have any belief in these. See what has been stated and shown already concerning profanation in `@@@301-303`, `@@@571`, `@@@582`, `@@@593`, `@@@1001`, `@@@1003`, `@@@1008`, `@@@1010`, `@@@1059`, `@@@1327`, `@@@1328`, `@@@2051`, `@@@2426`, `@@@3398`, `@@@3399`, `@@@3402`, `@@@3489`, `@@@3898`, `@@@4050`, `@@@4289`; also that the profanation of good by faith separated from charity was represented by Cain when he killed Abel, by Ham when he was cursed by his father, and by the Egyptians when they were drowned in the Red Sea, `@@@3325`,`fff1` as well as here by Reuben, `@@@3325`, `@@@3870`.
ttt[3] In order that members of the spiritual Church might be saved the Lord miraculously separated the understanding part of their minds from the will part and imparted to the understanding the ability to accept a new will, `@@@863`, `@@@875`, `@@@895`, `@@@927`, `@@@928`, `@@@1023`, `@@@1043`, `@@@1044`, `@@@2256`, `@@@4328`, `@@@4493`. When therefore the understanding takes hold of and perceives the [truth and] good of faith and makes these its own, and yet the person's own will - that is, his will to do evil - reigns and rules, truth comes to be joined to evil and good to falsity. This joining of truth to evil and of good to falsity is profanation and is meant by eating and drinking in an unworthy manner in the Holy Supper. From people like this the good meant by the body and the truth meant by the blood [cannot] be separated; for when these have been joined to falsity and evil as described, they cannot be separated ever at all, and as a consequence the deepest hell awaits those persons. But those who know what the truth and good of faith are and yet in their hearts have no belief in them, as is the case with the vast majority of people at the present day, are unable to profane them because the understanding does not accept them and absorb them into itself.
ttt[4] The subject here is the casting aside of this faith, for in what follows immediately after this the subject is truths and goods in their genuine order, and immediately after that the joining of these to the rational or understanding part, 'the sons of Jacob' who in the verses immediately after this are mentioned by name being truths and goods in that order, 'Isaac' the rational or understanding part, and 'Jacob's coming with his sons to Isaac' being in the internal sense that joining to the understanding part.
`nnn1. `@@@3325` refers to the death of the firstborn but not to the drowning in the Red Sea.
ppp19249#pid#4602. Verses `Genesis 35bbbccc22-26` And the sons of Jacob were twelve. The sons of Leah: Reuben, Jacob's firstborn, and Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun. The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. And the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's servant-girl: Dan and Naphtali. And the sons of Zilpah, Leah's servant-girl: Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan Aram.
'The sons of Jacob were twelve' means a state in which all things were now present in the Divine Natural. 'The sons of Leah' means external Divine Goods and Truths in their proper order. 'Reuben, Jacob's firstborn' means the good of faith. 'And Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun' means the essential characteristics of these. 'The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin' means interior goods and truths. 'And the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's servant-girl: Dan and Naphtali' means secondary goods and truths which serve the interior ones. 'And the sons of Zilpah, Leah's servant-girl: Gad and Asher' means those that serve the exterior ones. 'These are the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan Aram' means the origin and the state of these at this point.
ppp19248#pid#4603. 'The sons of Jacob were twelve' means a state in which all things were now present in the Divine Natural. This is clear from the representation of 'Jacob' as the Divine Natural, often dealt with already; and from the meaning of 'twelve' as all, and when used in reference to the sons of Jacob, or to the tribes named after these, as all aspects of truth and good, dealt with in `@@@2089`, `@@@2129`, `@@@2130`, `@@@3272`, `@@@3858`, `@@@3913`, `@@@3939`. The subject so far has been the way in which the Lord made his Natural within Him Divine, for 'Jacob' has represented the Natural; but now the subject becomes the joining of the Divine Natural to the Rational. This joining together is represented by Jacob's coming to Isaac, for 'Isaac' represents the Lord's Divine Rational. This explains why all the sons of Jacob are listed once again, since every aspect of truth and good had to be present within the Natural before it could be fully joined to the Rational. The reason for this particular listing of them is the service which the natural renders the rational as the receptacle for it. But one should recognize that Jacob's sons are now mentioned in a different order from before; the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah - Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher - are mentioned last, though in actual fact these were born before Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin. The reason for this difference is that at this point the subject is the order in which truths and goods exist within the Natural when this has been made Divine, for it is the state belonging to the subject under discussion that determines the order in which their names appear, see `@@@3862`, `@@@3926`, `@@@3939`.
ppp19247#pid#4604. 'The sons of Leah' means external Divine Goods and Truths in their proper order. This is clear from the representation of 'Leah' as the affection for external truth, dealt with in `@@@3793`, `@@@3819`. Consequently her 'sons' are the aspects represented by Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun, dealt with below.
ppp19246#pid#4605. 'Reuben, Jacob's firstborn' means the good of faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'the firstborn' as faith, dealt with in `@@@352`, `@@@367`, `@@@2435`, `@@@3325`; also from the representation of 'Jacob' as the good of natural truth, dealt with in `@@@4538`, and from that of 'Reuben' as the essential nature of faith. For in the genuine sense 'Reuben' means the truth of faith, `@@@3861`, `@@@3866`, but after the truth of faith has become good he means the good of faith. Furthermore faith essentially is charity, and so the truth of faith essentially is the good of faith, because it cannot have any existence at all unless it springs from charity - that is, truth cannot have any real existence unless it springs from good. This being so, once a person has been regenerated good occupies the first place, or is the firstborn, see `@@@3325`, `@@@3494`. This is the reason why 'Reuben, Jacob's firstborn' at this point means the good of faith. A similar instance of this meaning occurs in Moses,
May Reuben live and not die; and his mortal men will be [few in] numbers. `Deuteronomy 33bbb6`.
The reason 'Reuben' here means the good of faith is that in the Prophecy of Moses regarding the sons of Jacob, Reuben is placed first and Judah second, thus in a different ordering in this prophecy from that of Jacob in `Genesis 49bbb0`. For, as stated above at the end of `@@@4603`, the order in which their names appear is determined by the state belonging to the subject under discussion.
ttt[2] Similarly in John,
I heard the number of the sealed, a hundred and forty-four thousand sealed out of every tribe - twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Reuben, twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Gad. `Revelation 7bbb4-5`.
In this case Judah is mentioned first, Reuben second, and Gad third. These three in this place make up a first group; and because the Lord's kingdom is the subject here, 'Judah' means celestial good such as exists in the inmost or third heaven, 'Reuben' spiritual good, which is the same as the good of faith, such as exists in the second or middle heaven, and 'Gad' the good of the natural, such as exists in the first heaven. But a different meaning is found in the prophecy of Deborah and Barak,
Princes in Issachar were with Deborah; and as was Issachar, so was Barak, into the valley he was sent under his command`fff1` - into the divisions of Reuben great decrees of the heart. Why do you dwell between two burdens to hear the hissings of the droves? - towards the divisions of Reuben great searchings of the heart. `Judges 5bbb15-16`.
Unless he knows what 'Issachar', 'Deborah', 'Barak', and 'Reuben' represent, and what 'princes', 'the valley', 'a division', 'decrees of the heart', 'two burdens' and 'the hissings of the droves' mean, no one can know what these words are used to mean. But 'Reuben', it is evident, means faith here.
`nnn1. literally, at his feet
ppp19245#pid#4606. 'And Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun' means the essential characteristics of these, that is to say, of external Divine Goods and Truths. This is clear from the representation of each of these sons - from the representation of 'Simeon' in the highest sense as providence, in the internal sense faith within the will, and in the external sense obedience, dealt with in `@@@3869-3872`; of 'Levi' in the highest sense as love and mercy, in the internal sense charity or spiritual love, and in the external sense a joining together, dealt with in `@@@3875`, `@@@3877`; of 'Judah' in the highest sense as the Divinity of the Lord's Love, in the internal sense the Lord's celestial kingdom, and in the more exterior sense doctrine from the Word which the celestial Church has, dealt with in `@@@3881`; of 'Issachar' in the highest sense as Divine Good wedded to Truth, and Truth wedded to Good, in the internal sense heavenly conjugial love, and in the external sense mutual love, dealt with in `@@@3956`, `@@@3957`; and from the representation of 'Zebulun' in the highest sense as the Lord's Divine itself and His Divine Human, in the internal sense the heavenly marriage, and in the external sense conjugial love, dealt with in `@@@3960`, `@@@3961`. These are the essential characteristics within the Lord's external Divine Goods and Truths; but no one is able to explain how each one is present within them except him who dwells in heavenly light. For in that light they reveal themselves like the replies seen in the Urim and Thummim as flashes of light and fire, from which answers given by the Lord were perceived. For the Urim and Thummim contained twelve precious stones in conformity with the twelve tribes of Israel.
ppp19244#pid#4607. 'The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin' means interior goods and truths. This is clear from the representation of 'Rachel' as the affection for interior truth, dealt with in `@@@3758`, `@@@3782`, `@@@3793`, `@@@3819`, and therefore 'the sons of Rachel' are interior goods and truths, the essential characteristics of which are represented by 'Joseph and Benjamin'. In the highest sense 'Joseph' means the Divine Spiritual, in the internal sense the spiritual kingdom, and in the external sense the good of that kingdom, dealt with in `@@@3969`, while 'Benjamin' means the Divine spiritual of the celestial, dealt with in `@@@3969`, `@@@4592`. These are the essential characteristics within interior goods and truths.
ppp19243#pid#4608. 'And the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's servant-girl: Dan and Naphtali' means secondary goods and truths which serve the interior ones. This is clear from the representation of 'Bilhah, Rachel's servant-girl' as a secondary affection which, as a means, serves the affection for interior truth, dealt with in `@@@3849`. 'A servant-girl' furthermore is used to denote a means which serves to effect a joining together, `@@@3913`, `@@@3917`, `@@@3931`, her 'sons' being the same kinds of means. By secondary goods and truths are meant those goods and truths which do not enter in directly but are derived from these and are associated with them like maidservants, acting also as intermediaries and facilitators. The essential characteristics of them are represented by 'Dan and Naphtali'. In the highest sense 'Dan' means righteousness and mercy, in the internal sense the holiness of faith, and in the external sense the good of life, `@@@3921`, `@@@3923`, while 'Naphtali' in the highest sense means [the Lord's] own power, in the internal sense temptation in which a person overcomes, and in the external sense resistance offered by the natural man, `@@@3927`, `@@@3928`. These are the essential characteristics of the means that serve interior goods and truths.
ppp19242#pid#4609. 'And the sons of Zilpah, Leah's servant-girl: Gad and Asher' means those that serve the exterior ones. This is clear from the representation of 'Zilpah, Leah's servant-girl' as a secondary affection which, as a means, serves the affection for exterior truth, dealt with in `@@@3835`, 'a servant-girl' being a means that serves to effect a joining together, as immediately above in `@@@4608`. Her 'sons' are the same kinds of means, the essential characteristics of which are represented by 'Gad and Asher'. In the highest sense 'Gad' means Omnipotence and Omniscience, in the internal sense the good of faith, and in the external sense works, `@@@3934`, while 'Asher' in the highest sense means eternity, in the internal sense the happiness of eternal life, and in the external sense the delight that belongs to affection, `@@@3938`, `@@@3939`. These are the matters implied in the listing of Jacob's sons at this point. But how they all fit together, one following another and one included within another, cannot be seen in the light of the world unless this light is brightened by the light of heaven. Yet even then the things that can be seen are such that no words are adequate to express them. This is because human words are the product of ideas formed from things that exist within the light of the world. But ideas that are formed from the light of heaven are so superior to those worldly ideas that no words exist to express them, though they do to a small extent find a place in the thinking of people who are enabled to separate their minds from ideas formed from the senses.
ppp19241#pid#4610. 'These are the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan Aram' means the origin and state of these at this point. This is clear from what has now been stated generally and specifically about the sons of Jacob, namely that in general they mean all things which were now present in the Lord's Divine Natural, `@@@4603`, so much so that all those things taken together are now meant by 'Jacob'. Where they originate is meant by the words 'born to him in Paddan Aram', that is, in cognitions of truth and good, these being meant by Paddan Aram, `@@@3664`, `@@@3680`. And because all taken together are now meant by 'Jacob', the singular 'who was born to him' is therefore used in the original language. In what follows next the subject is the joining of the Divine Natural to the Divine Rational, that joining together being represented by Jacob's coming to his father Isaac.
ppp19240#pid#4611. Verses `Genesis 35bbbccc27-29` And Jacob came to Isaac his father, to Mamre, Kiriath Arba, which is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac sojourned. And the days of Isaac were a hundred and eighty years. And Isaac breathed his last, and died, and was gathered to his peoples, old and full of days. And Esau and Jacob his sons buried him.
'Jacob came to Isaac his father' means that at this point the Divine Rational was joined to the Divine Natural. 'To Mamre, Kiriath Arba' means its state. 'Which is Hebron' means the state when they were joined together. 'Where Abraham and Isaac sojourned' means Divine life together with it. 'And the days of Isaac were' means the state of the Divine Rational at this point. 'A hundred and eighty years' means the nature of this state. 'And Isaac breathed his last, and died' means an awakening within the Divine Natural. 'And was gathered to his peoples' means that it was now among the things which belonged to the Divine Natural. 'Old and full of days' means newness of life. 'And Esau and Jacob his sons buried him' means that it rose again within the good of the Natural and within the good of truth in the Natural.
ppp19239#pid#4612. 'Jacob came to Isaac his father' means that at this point the Divine Rational was joined to the Divine Natural. This is clear from the representation of 'Jacob' as the Divine Natural during the state dealt with just above in `@@@4604-4610`, and from the representation of 'Isaac' as the Divine Rational, dealt with in `@@@1893`, `@@@2066`, `@@@2072`, `@@@2083`, `@@@2630`, `@@@3012`, `@@@3194`, `@@@3210`. A joining together is meant by these words stating that he came to him. In all that follows to the end of the chapter the subject is the joining of the natural to the rational, and therefore what has gone immediately before has contained a description of the essential nature of that natural. That is to say, it has described how all aspects of good and truth were now present within it, the essential nature of it being meant by the twelve sons of Jacob; for as has been shown, each of his sons represents some general aspect of truth or good.
ttt[2] As regards the joining of the natural to the rational, the subject in what follows below, it should be remembered that the rational receives truths and goods before the natural does, and in a more perfect way, `@@@3286`, `@@@3288`, `@@@3321`, `@@@3368`, `@@@3498`, `@@@3513`. For the rational is purer and more perfect than the natural because it is more internal or higher, and regarded essentially dwells in the light of heaven to which it is suited. This is why the rational receives things belonging to that light - that is to say, truths and goods, or what amounts to the same, the things that constitute intelligence and wisdom - before the natural does, and in a more perfect way. The natural, on the other hand, is grosser and less perfect because it is more external or lower, and regarded essentially dwells in the light of the world, a light which holds no intelligence or wisdom within itself, except insofar as it receives these from the light of heaven shining through the rational. Influx, which the learned talk about at the present day, is nothing other than this.
ttt[3] With the natural however the position is that from earliest infancy and childhood it receives its essential nature from impressions gained from the world which come through the external senses; and a person uses and draws on these impressions to develop his understanding. But because the delights of self-love and love of the world reign in him at that time of life, and consequently selfish desires, which are the product of both his heredity and his own actions, the understanding so developed is filled with those desires. And all that accords with his delights he sees as goods and truths. Consequently the way these are ordered in the natural is the reverse or opposite of a heavenly ordering. When this is a person's state the light of heaven is, it is true, flowing in through the rational, for it is this that gives him the ability to think, to reason, to speak, and in outward appearance to act decently and politely. But things belonging to the light of heaven which contribute to such a person's eternal happiness are not present in the natural, since the delights which reign there are antagonistic towards them; for the delights of self-love and love of the world are by nature utterly opposed to the delights that go with love of the neighbour and consequently with love to the Lord. That person is able, it is true, to have a knowledge of the things belonging to light or heaven, but he cannot have any affection for them, except insofar as they are conducive to the acquisition of important positions and material gain, thus insofar as they accord with the delights of self-love and love of the world.
ttt[4] From this it may be seen that order within the natural is the complete reverse or opposite of heavenly order. This being so, when the light of heaven flows in by way of the rational into the natural it is inevitably turned back, or smothered, or perverted. This is why the natural must be regenerated before it can be joined to the rational. Once the natural has been regenerated the things which flow in from the Lord by way of heaven, and so through the rational into the natural, are received there because they accord with it. For the natural is nothing else than the receptacle of good and truth coming from the rational, that is, from the Lord by way of the rational. By the natural is meant the external man, also called the natural man, and by the rational the internal man. These preliminary remarks have been made to enable one to see the implications of what follows below, for there the joining of the natural to the rational is the subject.
ppp19238#pid#4613. 'To Mamre, Kiriath Arba' means its state. This is clear from the meaning of 'Mamre' as the nature and extent of that to which it is allied, dealt with in `@@@2970`, and from the meaning of 'Kiriath Arba' as the Church as regards truth, dealt with in `@@@2909`, and so means truth. Hence 'Mamre, Kiriath Arba' means the state of the natural as regards truth, and 'Hebron' its state as regards good, dealt with immediately below.
ppp19237#pid#4614. 'Which is Hebron' means the state when they were joined together. This is clear from the meaning of 'Hebron' as the good of the Church, dealt with in `@@@2909`, at this point the Divine Good of the Lord's Divine Natural; for things which in the internal sense mean some aspect of the Church mean, in the highest sense, some aspect of the Lord's Divine, the reason being that everything constituting the Church originates in the Lord. The reason 'Hebron' means the state when they - the rational and the natural - were joined together is that it is the place where Isaac was, who represents the Lord's Divine Rational, also the place to which 'Jacob' came, who represents His Divine Natural and whose coming there means the joining together of the two, `@@@4612`. The names 'Mamre, Kiriath Arba, which is Hebron' are used because the Divine Natural was joined through its Good to the Good of the Rational, 'Isaac' representing the Lord's Divine Rational as regards good, `@@@3012`, `@@@3194`, `@@@3210`. 'Rebekah' however represents the same as regards truth, `@@@3012`, `@@@3013`, `@@@3077`, but no mention is made of Rebekah at this point.
ppp19236#pid#4615. 'Where Abraham and Isaac sojourned' means Divine life together with it. This is clear from the meaning of 'sojourning' as life, dealt with in `@@@1463`, `@@@2025`; from the representation of 'Abraham' as the Lord's Divine itself, `@@@1989`, `@@@2011`, `@@@3245`, `@@@3251`, `@@@3439`, `@@@3703`, `@@@4206`, `@@@4207`; and from the representation of 'Isaac' as His Divine Rational, `@@@1893`, `@@@2066`, `@@@2072`, `@@@2083`, `@@@2630`, `@@@2774`, `@@@3012`, `@@@3194`, `@@@3210`, `@@@4180`. It is because the joining together of the Divine Natural and the Divine Rational is the subject here that Abraham and Isaac are mentioned at this point and are said to have sojourned there [in Hebron], so as to mean Divine life together with it, that is to say, together with the Divine Natural meant by 'Jacob'. And because the Divine itself, the Divine Rational, and the Divine Natural are one within the Lord, the verb used in the phrase 'where Abraham and Isaac sojourned' is singular, not plural.
ppp19235#pid#4616. 'And the days of Isaac were' means the state of the Divine Rational at this point. This is clear from the meaning of 'days' as states, dealt with in `@@@23`, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@893`, `@@@2788`, `@@@3462`, `@@@3785`, and from the representation of 'Isaac' as the Divine Rational, dealt with immediately above in `@@@4615`.
ppp19234#pid#4617. 'A hundred and eighty years' means the nature of this state. This becomes clear from the fact that all numbers in the Word have spiritual realities as their meaning, see `@@@482`, `@@@487`, `@@@575`, `@@@647`, `@@@648`, `@@@755`, `@@@813`, `@@@1963`, `@@@1988`, `@@@2075`, `@@@2252`, `@@@3252`, `@@@4264`, `@@@4495`. 'A hundred and eighty years' accordingly means the nature of the reality, that is, of the state, which is being dealt with. 'A hundred' means a complete state, see `@@@2636`, and 'eighty' temptations, `@@@1963`, here by means of temptations - in addition to many other things which cannot be known. Numbers obtain their meanings from the simpler numbers of which they are the products when the simpler are brought together or multiplied, as with the number here which is the product of twelve and fifteen and also of others yet simpler than these.
ppp19233#pid#4618. 'And Isaac breathed his last, and died' means an awakening within the Divine Natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'breathing one's last, and dying' as an awakening, dealt with in `@@@3326`, `@@@3498`, `@@@3505`; for when mention is made in the Word of someone having died, the latter end of that person's [representation] and a new beginning in another, and so a continuation, is meant in the internal sense. When for instance the kings of Judah and Israel, or the high priests, are referred to as having died, the meaning in the internal sense is the end of the representation by means of them and the continuation of it in another, and so an awakening of it. What is more, those in the next life who are present with man when these references are read have no conception of death, since in that life they are completely unaware of what it is to die. Instead of death therefore they perceive the representation which is continued in the other person. Besides, when a person dies he does so only so far as his body is concerned, which has been of service to him for performing uses on earth. So far as his spirit is concerned he continues his life in a world where what belongs to that body is no longer of any use to him.
ttt[2] The reason why 'Isaac breathed his last, and died' means an awakening within the Divine Natural is that the rational has no life until the natural corresponds to it, `@@@3493`, `@@@3620`, `@@@3623`. It is like the sight of the eye. If this does not have any objects outside itself to look at it perishes; and it is similar with each of the other senses. It likewise perishes if the objects are utterly incompatible with it, for these bring death to it. It is also like the outlet of a spring from which no water flows, and therefore is a stream that is blocked up. Similarly with the rational. Unless its light is received within the natural its sight perishes, for facts present within the natural are the objects of sight for the rational. Or if these objects are incompatible with that light, that is, with an intelligent understanding of truth and a wise discernment of good, again the sight of the rational perishes, for it is unable to enter into things incompatible with itself. This is why in the case of those under the influence of evils and falsities the rational is closed, so that no communication with heaven lies open through it, except so to speak through chinks enabling them to think, reason, and speak. Consequently, so that the natural may be joined to the rational, it must be made ready to receive it; and this is effected through regeneration by the Lord. When it is so joined the rational lives within the natural, for within the natural it sees objects proper to the rational, as has been stated, just as within the world the eye sees objects proper to the eye.
ttt[3] The rational does indeed possess life within itself which is distinct and separate from the life of the natural. Nevertheless the rational exists within the natural, like a person within his own house, or the soul within the body. The same is true of the heavens, in that the inmost or third heaven lives distinct and separate from the heavens beneath it, and yet if there were no reception of it in the second or middle heaven the wisdom there would evaporate. In a similar way if there were no reception of the light and intelligence of this middle heaven within the ultimate or first heaven, and finally of this heaven within man's natural, the intelligence of those heavens would likewise evaporate unless the Lord provided for its reception somewhere else. The heavens therefore have been formed by the Lord in such a way that one serves as the recipient of another, and lastly man who, as to his natural and sensory degrees, serves as the ultimate recipient of all; for at this point in him the Divine is present in the ultimate degree of order and passes into the world. If therefore the ultimate degree accords or corresponds with the degrees prior to it, those prior degrees exist simultaneously within the ultimate; for the things constituting the ultimate are the receptacles of those prior to itself, and things that are consecutive to one another are present together there within it. This shows what is meant by an awakening within the Divine Natural.
ppp19232#pid#4619. 'And was gathered to his peoples' means that it was now among the things which belonged to the Divine Natural. This is clear from the meaning, when representatives are involved, of 'being gathered to his peoples' as its ceasing to be the subject any longer, dealt with in `@@@3255`, `@@@3276`, and so here that it was now among the things which belonged to the Divine Natural, as also follows from what has been stated immediately above in `@@@4618`. The ancients used to say, when anyone died, that he was gathered to his peoples; and when they said this they meant in the proximate sense that he was among his own in the next life. For every human being while living in the body is in company with spirits and angels as to his spirit, and also comes among the same after death, `@@@1277`, `@@@2379`. This was what they meant by 'the peoples' to whom he was gathered. But in the internal sense of the Word, where the goods and truths of the Church, or the Lord's kingdom, are the subject, 'being gathered to one's peoples' means being among truths and goods which accord or correspond. Truths and goods exist with all heavenly communities, but because truths and goods there are interrelated as in blood relationships and relationships by marriage on earth, with every variation involved in these, `@@@685`, `@@@917`, `@@@3815`, `@@@4121`, 'his peoples' therefore means the truths which govern concordant communities, that is, communities which abide in those truths. As regards 'peoples' meaning truths, see `@@@1259`, `@@@1260`, `@@@2928`, `@@@3295`, `@@@3581`.
ppp19231#pid#4620. 'Old and full of days' means newness of life. This is clear from the meaning of 'old' as the casting aside of the previous state and the assumption of the new one, dealt with in `@@@2198`, `@@@3016`, `@@@3254`, `@@@3492`, at this point therefore newness of life; and from the meaning of 'full of days' as a complete state.
ppp19230#pid#4621. 'And Esau and Jacob his sons buried him' means that it rose again within the good of the Natural and within the good of truth in the Natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'being buried' as resurrection, dealt with in `@@@2916`, `@@@2917`, and as the state of representation that has been raised up in someone else, `@@@3256`; from the representation of 'Esau' as the Lord's Divine Natural as regards good, dealt with in `@@@3302`, `@@@3576`, `@@@4241`; and from the representation of 'Jacob' as the Lord's Divine Natural as regards the good of truth, dealt with in `@@@4273`, `@@@4337`, `@@@4538`. From these considerations and those stated above in `@@@4618` it is evident that 'Esau and Jacob his sons buried him' means that it rose again within the good of the Natural and within the good of truth in the Natural. The reason 'being buried' in the internal sense means rising again is that once the body has died the soul rises again. Consequently when burial is referred to in the Word angels do not think of the body which is cast aside but of the soul which rises again; for angels possess spiritual ideas, and so ones that are ideas of life. Therefore anything to do with death in the natural world means something to do with life in the spiritual world.
ppp19229#pid#4622. CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE GRAND MAN - continued
IN THIS SECTION THE CORRESPONDENCE OF SMELL AND OF THE NOSTRILS WITH THAT GRAND MAN
The dwelling-places of the blessed in the next life are many and varying. They are built so elegantly that they are so to speak the embodiments of architectural art itself or the direct products of that art. Concerning the dwelling-places of the blessed, see what has been described already from experience, in `@@@1119`, `@@@1626-1630`. The blessed are aware of these dwelling-places not only through the sense of sight but also through that of touch; for everything in that life is suited to the sensory powers which spirits and angels possess. Consequently their dwelling-places are not of the same nature as the objects perceived by man with his physical senses, but as the objects perceived by the senses which those in the next life possess. I realize that many cannot believe this, and the reason they cannot do so lies in their lack of belief in anything which they cannot see with their bodily eyes or touch with their physical hands. As a consequence man today, the interiors of whose being are closed, has no knowledge of the things which come into being in the spiritual world or in heaven. He does, it is true, say - because the Word and doctrine so teach it - that there is a heaven, where angels live in joy and glory; but beyond that he knows nothing. He would indeed like to know what it is like there, but when he is told this he still fails to believe it, because in his heart he denies the very existence of heaven. The reason he would like to know stems from no more than curiosity aroused by what is taught in doctrine; it does not stem from any delight to know because of any real belief. Those who do not have any real belief in heaven also deny its existence in their hearts, whereas those who do have such belief acquire to themselves ideas about heaven, its joy and glory, from various sources. Each individual does so from whatever knowledge or understanding he has gained, or in the case of the simple from what they discern by means of their bodily senses.
ttt[2] Even so, the majority of people do not grasp the idea that spirits and angels have sensory powers that are far keener than men's in the world; that is to say, they have the powers of sight, hearing, smell, something analogous to taste, and touch, and above all else delights belonging to affections. If people did but believe that the inner essence of their being is spirit and that the body, and the senses and members of this, are suited solely to uses that are served in the world, whereas the spirit, and the senses and organs of this, are suited to uses that are served in the next life, they would arrive unaided and almost spontaneously at ideas about the state of their spirit after death. For in that case they would think of a person's spirit as his true self which thinks, has longings, has desires, and feels emotions, and after that they would think of each sensory power manifested in the body as that which belongs to the spirit, and to the body only through influx from this. These thoughts they would subsequently confirm for themselves from many other pieces of evidence, and so at length they would take more delight in the powers of their spirit than in those of their body.
ttt[3] There is something further to be said on this matter, namely that it is not the body which sees, hears, smells, and feels through touch, but a person's spirit. That being so, when the spirit sheds its body it retains the sensory powers it possessed when within the body; indeed these are now far keener. For that which belongs to the body, being gross compared with that belonging to the spirit, has blunted those sensory powers; and these have been made even blunter because of the person's immersion of them in earthly and worldly interests. I can say this quite definitely, that a spirit has far keener eyesight than man has in the body, as well as far keener hearing. A spirit also has - and this fact will astonish people - the sense of smell, and especially the sense of touch. For spirits can see one another, hear one another, and touch one another. Anyone who believes in a life after death would also deduce this from the fact that no life is possible without the senses, and that the exact nature of that life is determined by that of the senses. Indeed he would deduce that the power of understanding is nothing else than a keener sensory awareness of interior things, a more superior power of understanding being a sensory awareness of spiritual realities. This also explains why the powers of the understanding and their perception of things are called the internal senses.
ttt[4] So far as a person's sensory powers immediately after death are concerned, the position is this: As soon as he dies and the parts of the body grow cold, he is raised up into life, into a state which involves each of his sensory powers. At first he is scarcely aware that he is not still in the body, for the experience of his senses leads him to think he is still in it. But when he notices that his sensory powers are keener than before, and especially when he starts to speak to other spirits, he realizes that he is in the next life and that the death of his body has been a continuation of the life of his spirit. I have spoken to two of my acquaintances on the very day they were to be buried, and to one who through my eyes beheld his own coffin and bier. Since he still possessed each of the senses he had in the world, he spoke to me about his burial service even as I was taking part in the funeral procession. Regarding his body he said that they were putting this away because he was alive.
ttt[5] But it should be recognized that those in the next life cannot see anything whatever of what is in the world through the eyes of anyone in the world. The reason they have been able to do so through my eyes is that in my spirit I am present with them at the same time as I am present in my body with those who are in the world; see also `@@@1880`. In addition to this it should be recognized that I have not used the eyes of my body to see those I have spoken to in the next life, but the eyes of my spirit. I have seen them as clearly, and sometimes more clearly, than with my bodily eyes, for in the Lord's Divine mercy the sensory powers of my spirit have been opened.
ttt[6] But I realize that what has been stated up to now is not going to be believed by people who are concerned solely with bodily, earthly, and worldly interests, that is, by those of them who have these interests as their end in view. For such people have no conception of anything apart from that which is dissipated by death. I also realize that what has been stated up to now is not going to be believed by those who have thought a lot about the soul and have asked many questions about it, without at the same time grasping the point that man's soul is his spirit and that his spirit is his real self living within the body. For these people have been unable to conceive of the soul as anything else than something like thought, or flame, or what is ethereal, which operates solely within the organic forms of the body, not within purer forms belonging to his spirit within the body, and so is the kind of thing that is dissipated along with the body. This applies especially to those who have convinced themselves of ideas like these because the picture they have of themselves has been magnified out of all proportion by the false notion that they are wiser than others.
ppp19228#pid#4623. But it should be recognized that with spirits the life of their senses is of two different kinds - that which is real and that which is not real. One is distinguished from the other by the fact that everything seen by those in heaven is real, whereas everything seen by those in hell is not real. Whatever comes from the Divine, that is, from the Lord, is real since it comes from the Essential Being (Esse) itself within things and from self-existent Life; but whatever comes from a spirit's proprium is not real since it does not come from the Essential Being (Esse) within things nor from self-existent Life. Those who have an affection for goodness and truth have the Lord's life, and so the life that is real, within themselves; for the Lord is present within goodness and truth through the affection for these. But those who are governed by evil and falsity through their affection for these have the life of the proprium within them and so the life that is not real; for the Lord is not present within evil and falsity. The real is distinguishable from that which is not real by this - that the real is in actual fact what it appears to be, whereas that which is not real is not in actual fact what it appears to be.
ttt[2] Those in hell have the five senses no less than anyone else, and are not aware of things being in reality or in actual fact anything other than what they perceive them to be with their senses. Yet when the angels look at the selfsame things these look to them like phantoms which then disappear, while the spirits themselves do not look like human beings but like monsters. I have also been allowed to talk to those in hell about this matter, and certain of them have said that they believe things are real when they can see and touch them, adding that the senses cannot mislead one. But I have been led to reply that no matter how real such things were seen to be by those spirits they were not real because those spirits themselves were governed by what was contrary or opposed to the Divine, that is to say, by evils and falsities. Furthermore, insofar as evil desires and false notions existed with those spirits, every thought they had was nothing else than an illusion. And when illusions lie behind one's view of anything, one sees real things as those which are not real, and those which are not real as those which are real. Also, unless the Lord in His Divine mercy gave them the use of the five senses they would not have any life that depends on sensory experience, nor therefore any life at all; for the whole of life involves the use of the senses. But to include every experience I have had in these matters would fill up very many pages.
ttt[3] Let people therefore be on their guard when they enter the next life, so that they are not deceived; for evil spirits know all kinds of ways to deceive the eyes of those recently arrived there from the world. Or if they are unable to delude them, those evil spirits nevertheless try by means of their deceptions to convince recent arrivals that nothing is real but that all things, including those in heaven, are no more than mental abstractions.
ppp19227#pid#4624. But to come to the correspondence of the sense of smell and therefore of the nostrils with the Grand Man. Those who belong to this province share the gift of perception of a more general kind, so that one may call them 'perceptions'. To these the sense of smell corresponds, as therefore does the organ serving that use. This also explains why 'smelling', 'scenting' and 'being sagacious',`fff1` also 'having a good nose', are used in everyday speech in reference to people whose predictions are usually correct, and also to those who are perceptive. For much of the inner content of the words a person uses has its origin in correspondence with the Grand Man, because as to his spirit he is in the company of spirits but as to his body he is with men.
`nnn1. Used here in the primary sense of 'Acute in perception, esp. by smell' (Shorter Oxford English Dictionary)
ppp19226#pid#4625. But the communities that make up the whole of heaven, which is the Grand Man, are many, some being more universal ones, others less so. The more universal are those to which an entire member, organ, or vital part corresponds, the less universal those to which the parts of these and the parts of those parts do so. Each community is an image of the whole, for that which is a harmonious whole is made up of as many images of itself as constituent parts. Being images of the Grand Man these more universal communities have individual ones within them, which in a similar way correspond. I have on occasions talked to those who, in the community to which I was sent, belonged to the province of the lungs, the heart, the face, the tongue, the ear, or the eye, as well as to those who belonged to the province of the nostrils. From this I was given to know what kind of people they were, namely 'perceptions'; for they saw with perception whatever took place within their community, though that perception was of a more general kind and not so specific as that of those in the province of the eye. This was because those in the province of the eye discriminate and carefully examine matters of perception. I have also been allowed to see how their ability to perceive varies in keeping with the general changes of state of the community which they are part of.
ppp19225#pid#4626. When any spirit is approaching, even though still a long way off and out of sight, his presence is detected, as often as the Lord allows it to be, from a certain kind of spiritual sphere. From that sphere one recognizes what his life is like, what his affection is like, and what his faith is like. Angelic spirits with keener perception know from his sphere countless things about the state of his life and faith, as has been demonstrated to me many times. When it pleases the Lord these spheres are also converted into odours; one smells quite distinctly an actual odour. The reason those spheres are converted into odours is that odour corresponds to perception and that perception is so to speak spiritual odour, from which also [natural] odour descends. But see what has been brought forward already on these matters - regarding spheres, in `@@@1048`, `@@@1053`, `@@@1316`, `@@@1504-1519`, `@@@1695`, `@@@2401`, `@@@2489`, `@@@4464`; perception, in `@@@483`, `@@@495`, `@@@503`, `@@@521`, `@@@536`, `@@@1383`, `@@@1384`, `@@@1388`, `@@@1391`, `@@@1397`, `@@@1398`, `@@@1504`, `@@@1640`; and odours produced by these, in `@@@1514`, `@@@1517-1519`, `@@@1631`, `@@@3577`.
ppp19224#pid#4627. But the state of perception among those who correlate with the interior parts of the nostrils is more perfect than it is among those described above, who correlate with the exterior parts. Let the following be told regarding the former. I once saw what looked like a bath which had long seats or benches, and which was steaming. A woman then appeared there, who shortly disappeared into a blackening cloud. I also heard young children saying they didn't want to be there. After that I noticed a group of angels who were sent to me to forestall the endeavours of certain evil spirits. At this point some openings suddenly appeared above my forehead, large and small ones, through which a lovely yellow light was shining, and in this light within the openings I saw certain women in snowy white. Then some more openings appeared, arranged in a different way, through which the women within them were looking out; and again even more openings appeared through which less light was passing.
ttt[2] Finally I was aware of a brilliant white light. I was told that here were situated the dwelling-places of those women who constitute the province of the inner nostrils - for those there were members of the female sex - and that the sharpness of perception of the women there is represented in the world of spirits by means of the kinds of openings I saw. For spiritual things in heaven are represented by means of natural ones, or rather by means of the kinds of things in the world of spirits that resemble natural ones. After this I was allowed to speak to those women, who said that through the representative openings they were able to have a perfect view of things happening below, and that the openings, as could be seen, were facing the communities which they were endeavouring to observe. And because at that time the openings were facing in my direction, the women said that they were able to detect all the ideas forming my thought, and also the ideas of those around me. More than that, they declared that they not only detected those ideas but also saw them represented in varying ways - those of the affection for good, for example, by appropriate little flames, those of the affection for truth by variations of light. They added that they saw certain angelic communities present with me, the thoughts of these communities being represented by objects of many different colours, by purple shades of colour like those used on painted curtains, and also by the colours of the rainbow set against a darker background. From these representations, they said, they perceived that those angelic communities belonged to the province of the eye.
ttt[3] After this I saw some other spirits who were cast down from there and were scattered in all directions. Speaking about these, the women said that they were the kind of spirits who had wormed their way into their own company to find something out, and to see what was going on below, but with insidious intentions. I saw those spirits being cast down every time groups of angels drew near, to whom also I spoke. These said, referring to the ones who were cast down, that they correlated with mucus in the nose and that they were lacking in perception and intelligence, as well as in conscience, and thus were utterly devoid of any interior perception. The woman whom I had seen, and have referred to above, represented such women as have insidious intentions. I was allowed to speak to these women also. These were astonished by the idea that anyone possessing conscience should have no knowledge at all of what conscience is. But when I said that conscience was an inward discernment of goodness and truth, and that acting contrary to that discernment gave rise to distress, they did not understand this. Such is the nature of those who correspond to the mucus which irritates the nose and is therefore expelled from it.
ttt[4] I was then shown what the bright light is in which those women live who correlate with the inner parts of the nostrils. It was a light beautifully varied by beams of golden flame and silver light, affections for good being represented in it by the beams of golden flame, and affections for truth by those of silver light. I was also shown that they have openings positioned at the side, through which they see what looks like a blue sky studded with stars; and I was told that the light in their chambers is so bright that not even the light of the world at midday can be compared to it. In addition I was told that the temperature where these women are is warm, like that in spring and summer on earth; and that young children, who are just a few years old, also live with them, but that these do not wish to be there when the women with insidious intentions, who are meant by mucus, come around. Countless representatives such as these are seen in the world of spirits, but these were representatives of the perceptions which those women share who correspond to the sense of smell possessed by the inner nostrils.
ppp19223#pid#4628. To continue what has been said about the odours into which spheres associated with perceptions are converted, one smells them as plainly as odours on earth. But they do not enter the sensory awareness of anyone whose interiors are closed, because they come in by an internal route, not by an external one. These odours have two different origins, namely the perception of good and the perception of evil. Those originating in the perception of good are most pleasing, being like the perfume from fragrant flowers in a garden, and from other fragrancies, and are indescribably lovely as well as various. Among odorous spheres such as these live the inhabitants of heaven.
ttt[2] But the odours which originate in the perception of evil are most displeasing. They are foul and stinking, like the reek of stinking waters, excrement, dead bodies, or people with the disgusting smell like that of mice or lice coming from them. Among malodorous spheres such as these live the inhabitants of hell. And what is astonishing, those living among them do not find them offensive. Indeed those foul smells are delightful to them, and when such exist the inhabitants of hell are within the sphere of things that give them joy and delight. But when hell is opened and the exhalation from it reaches good spirits, these are seized with horror and also distress, like those in the world who encounter the sphere of such stenches.
ppp19222#pid#4629. To set down my entire experience involving the conversion of the spheres associated with perceptions into odours would take up a whole book. See what has been recorded already concerning them in `@@@1514`, `@@@1517-1519`, `@@@1631`, `@@@3577`, to which let simply the following be added. I once perceived the general drift of what many spirits were thinking about the Lord's being born a man (homo) and realized that it consisted of mere objections; for both the general drift and the particular point of spirits' thoughts are clearly perceptible to others. The odour of the sphere on this occasion, when perceived, was like stinking water, and like water contaminated by foul refuse.
ppp19221#pid#4630. A certain spirit was once present, but was invisible over my head. I detected his presence from a stink that was like that of rotten teeth, and after that a stench like that coming from burnt horn or bone. Then a large crowd of spirits like this one came on the scene, rising up like a cloud from below, not far from my back; and because these too were invisible I presumed that they were particularly clever but nevertheless evil. I was told that where the spiritual sphere obtained they were not visible, but where the natural sphere did so they were visible. For people who are so naturally-minded that they give no thought to spiritual matters and do not believe in the existence of hell or of heaven, and yet are clever in their dealings, are like those spirits and are called 'the invisible natural ones'. But they are sometimes made known to others by their stink described above.
ppp19220#pid#4631. Two or three times also the odour of a dead body has swept over me, and when I asked whom this came from I was informed that it came from the hell where heartless thieves and killers live, as well as those who have committed crimes by serious fraud. Sometimes there has also been the odour of excrement, and when I asked where this one came from I was told that it did so from the hell where adulterers live. When the odour of excrement was mingled with that of a dead body it came, I was told, from the hell where adulterers who are cruel live; and so on.
ppp19219#pid#4632. On one occasion when I was thinking about the government of the soul within the body and about the influx of the will into actions, I noticed that those in the hell of excrement, which at that time had been opened for a short while, thought about nothing else than the soul's control of the anus and about the influx of the will into the voidings of excrement from there. This revealed the kind of sphere created by their perception in that hell and the stink produced by it. Something similar happened when I was thinking about conjugial love. In this case those in the hell where adulterers live were turning over in their minds nothing else than the kind of shameful acts and nasty practices that go with adultery. And when I was thinking about honesty, those given to deceit thought of nothing else but committing what was criminal by fraud.
ppp19218#pid#4633. From all that has been stated about perceptions and also odours it is evident that in the next life everyone's life, and consequently everyone's affection, are in full view. Anyone therefore who thinks that his previous character and consequently his present life are not known there, or that he is able to conceal his intentions as he could in the world, is much mistaken. In that life also not only the things that a person recognizes in himself are in full view but also those he does not recognize, namely those which through his repeated use of them come at length to be immersed among the delights of his life; for in that case they fade from his view and reflection about himself. The actual ends in view contained in his thought, speech, and actions, which for a similar reason have become hidden from him, are fully perceived in heaven; for the sphere and perception of ends obtain in heaven.
ppp19217#pid#4634. 'Correspondence with the Grand Man' is continued at the end of the next chapter, there the correspondence with it of hearing and the ears.
ppp19216#pid#4635. The preliminary sections of the chapters of Genesis immediately before this one contain explanations of what the Lord foretold in `Matthew 24bbb0` about the final period of the Church. This being what those sections contain, and because Chapter `Genesis ccc25bbb0` of that gospel goes on to deal with the same matters, let an explanation now be given of the internal sense of those matters in the order in which they come, which in the letter is as follows,
Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the Bridegroom. Five of them however were wise, but five were foolish. Taking their lamps the foolish did not take oil with them, whereas the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the Bridegroom was tarrying they were all drowsy and went to sleep. At midnight there was a shout, Behold, the Bridegroom is coming; go out to meet Him. Then all those virgins were roused and they trimmed their lamps. But the foolish said to the wise, Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out. But the wise replied, saying, Perhaps there will not be enough for us and for you; go rather to those who sell and buy for yourselves. While they were going to buy however, the Bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with Him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. Afterwards the remaining virgins came also, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But He replying said, Truly, I say to you, I do not know you. Watch therefore, for you do not know the day, nor the hour, in which the Son of Man will be coming. `Matthew 25bbb1-13`.
ppp19215#pid#4636. The Lord used this parable to describe His own coming. This is clear from every detail in it as well as from the final sentence where He says, 'Watch therefore, for you do not know the day, nor the hour, in which the Son of Man will be coming' - words similar to those used in Chapter `Genesis ccc24bbb0`, where He makes a like explicit reference to His coming,
Watch therefore, for you do not know at what hour your Lord will be coming. `Matthew 24bbb42`.
It has been shown already that His coming is the close of the age or the final period of the Church.
ppp19214#pid#4637. It is quite clear that all the details, every single one, mentioned by the Lord in His parables are representative of and mean the spiritual and celestial attributes of His kingdom, and in the highest sense Divine attributes in Himself. Consequently anyone who does not know this cannot make anything else out of the Lord's parables than ordinary comparisons which hold nothing deeper within them, as with this particular parable concerning the ten virgins. He makes nothing more out of it if he does not know what 'virgins' means in the internal sense, and also what ten, five, lamps, vessels, oil, those who sell, a wedding feast, and every other detail mean. And the same is true with all other parables. As has been stated, the details mentioned by the Lord in them look, in the outward form they take, like ordinary comparisons, but in their internal form their nature is such that they fill the whole of heaven. This is because the internal sense is contained within every detail, and that sense is such that its spiritual and celestial content spreads like light and flame throughout the heavens in all directions. That sense is utterly superior to the sense of the letter, flowing from every phrase and every word, indeed from every tiny letter. But what is embodied in the internal sense of this particular parable may be seen from what follows below.
ppp19213#pid#4638. Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins means the final period of the old Church and the first of the new. The Church is the Lord's kingdom on earth; 'the ten virgins' are all who belong to the Church, that is to say, both those who are governed by good and truth, and those who are under the influence of evil and falsity. 'Ten' in the internal sense means remnants, also that which is full and complete, and so means all, while 'virgins' means those who belong to the Church, as in other places in the Word.
ttt[2] Who took their lamps means spiritual things which have what is celestial within them, or truths that have good within them, or what amounts to the same, faith that has charity towards the neighbour within it, and charity that has love to the Lord within it. For 'oil' means the good of love, dealt with below; but 'lamps that have no oil in them' means those same things when there is no good within them.
ttt[3] They went out to meet the Bridegroom means their reception.
Five of them however were wise, but five were foolish means that one group of them possessed truths which had good within them, and another group possessed truths which did not have good within them. The former are 'the wise', but the latter 'the foolish'. In the internal sense 'five' means some, in this case therefore a group from within the whole.
Taking their lamps the foolish did not take oil with them means that they did not have within their truths the good of charity, 'oil' in the internal sense being the good of charity and love.
Whereas the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps means that they did have within their truths the good of charity and love - 'vessels' being matters of doctrine concerning faith.
ttt[4] While the Bridegroom was tarrying they were all drowsy and went to sleep means delay, and therefore doubt. In the internal sense, 'being drowsy' means becoming, because of the delay, inattentive to things of the Church, while 'going to sleep' means nurturing doubt, in the case of 'the wise' doubt that goes with an affirmative attitude of mind, but in the case of 'the foolish' doubt that goes with a negative one.
At midnight there was a shout means the period of time which is the final one of the old Church and the first of the new. In the Word when the subject is the state of the Church this period is called 'night'. 'A shout' means a change taking place.
Behold, the Bridegroom is coming; go out to meet Him means judgement, that is to say, a time of being accepted or rejected.
ttt[5] Then all those virgins were roused and they trimmed their lamps means the preparation of all, for those whose truths do not have good within them believe themselves to be no less accepted than those whose truths do have good within them. Indeed they imagine that faith alone saves and are unaware of the fact that no faith can exist where no charity does so.
But the foolish said to the wise, Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out means their desire for that good to be communicated from others to their own empty truths, that is, to their own hollow faith. For those who are in the next life communicate to one another every spiritual or celestial thing they possess, though only through good.
ttt[6] But the wise replied, saying, Perhaps there will not be enough for us and for you means that no communication of it is possible because the small amount of good they have would be taken away from them. For in the next life, when good is communicated to those whose truths are devoid of good, they take away good so to speak from those who do have it and then keep it to themselves. They do not communicate it to others but defile it, which is why no good is communicated to them. My own experience of these people will be seen at the end of Chapter `Genesis ccc37bbb0` below.
ttt[7] Go rather to those who sell and buy for yourselves means meritorious good. Those who boast of having this kind of good are meant by 'those who sell'. Also, more than all others in the next life, people whose truth has no good within it think that they have earned merit through every deed they have performed which to all outward appearance looked like good, though inwardly it was evil, as the Lord says of them in Matthew, Many will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by Your name, and by Your name cast out demons, and do many mighty works in Your name? But then I will confess to them, I do not know you; depart from Me, you workers of iniquity! `Matthew 7bbb22-23`.
And in Luke,
Once the Householder has risen up and shut the door, then you will begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But He replying will say to you, I do not know where you come from. Then you will begin to say, We ate in your presence and we drank; and You taught in our Streets. But He will say, I tell you, I do not know where you come from; depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity! `Luke 13bbb25-27`.
This describes what those meant here by the foolish virgins are like, and that is why the following words referring to them occur in this parable - they 'came also, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he replying said, Truly, I say to you, I do not know you'.
ttt[8] While they were going to buy however, the Bridegroom came means their perverse approach.
And those who were ready went in with Him to the wedding feast means that those who were governed by good, and from this by truth, were accepted into heaven. Heaven is likened to a wedding feast by virtue of the heavenly marriage, which is a marriage of good and truth, and the Lord to the Bridegroom because these people are joined to Him, while the Church is therefore called the Bride.
And the door was shut means that no others can enter.
ttt[9] Afterwards the remaining virgins came also, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us means that they wish to enter on the basis of faith alone without charity, and of works in which the life of the Lord is not present, only selfish life.
But He replying said, Truly, I say to you, I do not know you means rejection. In the internal sense 'not knowing them' means that they lack any charity towards the neighbour, and are not joined through such charity to the Lord. Those who are not so joined to Him are said 'not to be known' by Him.
ttt[10] Watch therefore, for you do not know the day, nor the hour, in which the Son of Man will be coming means an eagerness to live according to the commandments constituting a person's faith, meant by 'watching'. The actual time of acceptance, which is unknown to a person, and his state then, are meant by 'you do not know the day, nor the hour, in which the Son of Man will be coming'. One who is governed by good, that is, whose deeds conform to the commandments, is called 'wise', but one who has a knowledge of the truth, yet does not act in accordance with this, is called 'foolish', as they are elsewhere by the Lord in Matthew,
Everyone who hears My words and does them I will liken to a wise man. But everyone hearing My words and not doing them will be likened to a foolish man. `Matthew 7bbb24`, `Matthew 7bbbccc26`.
ppp19212#pid#4639. `Genesis 36bbb0`
1. And these are the generations of Esau, he being Edom.
2. Esau took his wives (femina) from the daughters of Canaan: Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite; and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite;
3. And Basemath, Ishmael's daughter, the sister of Nebaioth.
4. And Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau; and Basemath bore Reuel;
5. And Oholibamah bore Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah. These were the sons of Esau who were born to him in the land of Canaan.
6. And Esau took his wives (femina), and his sons, and his daughters, and all the souls of his house, and his cattle, and all his beasts, and all his purchase which he had acquired in the land of Canaan, and went to a land away from Jacob his brother.
7. For their acquirements were too many for them to dwell together, and the land of their sojournings could not bear them because of their cattle.
8. And Esau dwelt on Mount Seir, Esau himself being Edom.
9. And these are the generations of Esau the father of Edom on Mount Seir.
10. These are the names of Esau's sons: Eliphaz the son of Adah the wife of Esau; Reuel the son of Basemath the wife of Esau.
11. And the sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, and Gatam, and Kenaz.
12. And Timna was a concubine belonging to Eliphaz the son of Esau; and she bore Amalek to Eliphaz. These were the sons of Adah, Esau's wife.
13. And these were the sons of Reuel: Nahath and Zerah, Shammah and Mizzah. These were the sons of Basemath, Esau's wife.
14. And these were the sons of Oholibamah, Esau's wife, the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon; and to Esau she bore Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah.
15. These were the chiefs of the sons of Esau. The sons of Eliphaz, the firstborn of Esau: Chief Teman, Chief Omar, Chief Zepho, Chief Kenaz,
16. Chief Korah, Chief Gatam, Chief Amalek; these were the chiefs of Eliphaz in the land of Edom, these were the sons of Adah.
17. And these were the sons of Reuel, Esau's son: Chief Nahath, Chief Zerah, Chief Shammah, Chief Mizzah; these were the chiefs of Reuel in the land of Edom, these were the sons of Basemath, Esau's wife.
18. And these were the sons of Oholibamah, Esau's wife: Chief Jeush, Chief Jaalam, Chief Korah; these were the chiefs of Oholibamah the daughter of Anah, Esau's wife.
19. These were the sons of Esau, and these were their chiefs - he being Edom.
20. These were the sons of Seir the Horite, the inhabitants of the land: Lotan, and Shobal, and Zibeon, and Anah,
21. And Dishon, and Ezer, and Dishan; these were the chiefs of the Horites, the sons of Seir, in the land of Edom.
22. And the sons of Lotan were Hori and Hemam; and the sister of Lotan was Timna.
23. And these were the sons of Shobal: Alvan, and Manahath, and Ebal, Shepho and Onam.
24. And these were the sons of Zibeon: Both Aiah and Anah, this being the Anah who found the mules in the desert while he was feeding the asses for Zibeon his father.
25. And these were the children of Anah: Dishan, and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah.
26. And these were the sons of Dishon: Hemdan, and Eshban, and Ithran, and Cheran.
27. These were the sons of Ezer: Bilhan, and Zaavan, and Akan.
28. These were the sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran.
29. These were the chiefs of the Horites: Chief Lotan, Chief Shobal, Chief Zibeon, Chief Anah,
30. Chief Dishon, Chief Ezer, Chief Dishan. These were the chiefs of the Horites, according to their chiefs in the land of Seir.
31. And these were the kings who reigned in the land of Edom, before a king reigned over the children of Israel.
32. And Bela the son of Beor reigned in Edom; and the name of his city was Dinhabah.
33. And Bela died, and Jobab the son of Zerah from Bozrah reigned in place of him.
34. And Jobab died, and Husham from the land of the Temanites reigned in place of him.
35. And Husham died, and Hadad the son of Bedad, who smote Midian in the field of Moab, reigned in place of him; and the name of his city was Avith.
36. And Hadad died, and Samlah from Masrekah reigned in place of him.
37. And Samlah died, and Saul from Rehoboth on the river reigned in place of him.
38. And Saul died, and Baal Hanan the son of Achbor reigned in place of him.
39. And Baal Hanan the son of Achbor died, and Hadar reigned in place of him; and the name of his city was Pau. And his wife's name was Mehetabel the daughter of Matred the daughter of Mezahab.
40. And these were the names of the chiefs of Esau, according to their families, according to their places, by their names: Chief Timna, Chief Alvah, Chief Jetheth,
41. Chief Oholibamah, Chief Elah, Chief Pinon,
42. Chief Kenaz, Chief Teman, Chief Mibzar,
43. Chief Magdiel, Chief Iram. These were the chiefs of Edom according to their habitations, in the land of their possession, Esau himself being the father of Edom.
CONTENTS
The subject now in the internal sense is the Lord's Divine Natural Good. The entire order which that Good possesses is described by the names that are given, the Lord's Divine Natural Good being meant by 'Esau'.
ppp19211#pid#4640. THE INTERNAL SENSE
Verse `Genesis 36bbbccc1` And these are the generations of Esau, he being Edom. 'These are the generations of Esau' means the derivatives within the Lord's Divine Natural Good. 'He being Edom' means the Natural and bodily degree of the Lord's Divine Human.
ppp19210#pid#4641. 'These are the generations of Esau' means the derivatives within the Lord's Divine Natural Good. This is clear from the meaning of 'generations' as derivatives, that is to say, derivatives of good and truth, dealt with in `@@@1330`, `@@@3263`, `@@@3279`, `@@@3860`, `@@@3868`, `@@@4070`, and from the representation of 'Esau' as the Lord's Divine Natural Good, dealt with in `@@@3302`, `@@@3322`, `@@@3494`, `@@@3504`, `@@@3576`, `@@@3599`. This Good is the subject now in this chapter. But because its nature is such that it does not come within the range of understanding which any man possesses, and scarcely within that of any angel, mere names are therefore used to describe this Good. The Lord's Divine Natural Good represented by 'Esau' is that which was Divine and which He had from when He was born; for He had been conceived from Jehovah and therefore had what was Divine even from birth. It existed in Him as His soul and was consequently the central core of His life.
ttt[2] Outwardly this had been clothed with what He took upon Himself from His mother. But since that which He took from her was not good but essentially evil, He cast this out by means of His own power, in particular by means of the conflicts that came with temptations. Then after that He joined this Human which He made new within Himself to the Divine Good which He had had from when He was born. 'Jacob' represented the good which He acquired to Himself by His own power and which has been the subject in the chapters immediately before the present one. This acquired good is what He joined to the Divine Good; and in this way He made the entire Human within Him Divine. The Good which 'Esau' represents was coming in by an internal route, through rational good directly into the Natural. But the good which 'Jacob' or 'Israel' represents was coming in by an external route to be met by the Divine coming through rational good, though indirectly through the truth of the Rational into the Natural. 'Isaac' represents the rational good, and 'Rebekah' the rational truth; see what has been stated already concerning them in `@@@3334`, `@@@3573`, `@@@4563` (end).
ppp19209#pid#4642. 'He being Edom' means the Natural and bodily degree of the Lord's Divine Human. This is clear from the representation of 'Edom' as the Lord's Divine Human as regards natural good to which doctrinal matters concerning truth have been allied, dealt with in `@@@3302`, `@@@3322`, `@@@4241`, and so as regards the Natural and bodily degree. For so far as their relationship to truth is concerned matters of doctrine are so to speak its body; that is, in the spiritual sense they form the bodily parts of natural truth. This explains why 'Edom' represents the Natural and bodily degree of the Lord's Divine Human. The reason why doctrine is like the bodily covering given to truth is that in itself doctrine is not truth; rather truth resides within doctrine as the soul does within the body.
ttt[2] In the verses that follow now the subject is the Lord's Divine Natural Good. But mere names are used to describe the derivatives within this, for the reason, as stated above, that the derivatives within that Good are far beyond the understanding any man possesses, and even beyond that of an angel. For angels are finite beings, and that which is finite cannot comprehend that which is Infinite. Even so, when this chapter is read a general impression is conveyed to angels of the derivatives contained in the names that are given. It is conveyed to them by an influx of Divine Love from the Lord, and this influx by a heavenly flame which gives them a feeling for what Divine Good is.
ttt[3] Anyone who thinks that the Word is not inspired even to the smallest letter, or who thinks that the Word is inspired in some other manner than one in which strings of detailed information represent Divine matters, and so also celestial and spiritual ones, and that such strings of information have those matters as their spiritual meaning, cannot do other than suppose that the names used imply nothing more than genealogical details to do with the people descended from Esau. What real connection do genealogical details have with the Word; do they have anything Divine within them? But all names in the Word have spiritual realities as their meaning, see `@@@1224`, `@@@1264`, `@@@1876`, `@@@1888`, `@@@4442`, as well as every other place where explanations are given regarding the spiritual meanings of names.
ppp19208#pid#4643. Verses `Genesis 36bbbccc2-5` Esau took his wives (femina) from the daughters of Canaan: Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite; and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite; and Basemath, Ishmael's daughter, the sister of Nebaioth. And Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau; and Basemath bore Reuel; and Oholibamah bore Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah. These were the sons of Esau who were born to him in the land of Canaan.
'Esau took his wives from the daughters of Canaan' means the first joining of Natural good - to the affection for apparent truth. 'Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite' means its essential nature which it received from the Ancient Church. 'And Basemath, Ishmael's daughter, the sister of Nebaioth' means the second joining - to the affection for truth from a Divine stem. 'And Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau, and Basemath bore Reuel' means the first derivatives. 'And Oholibamah bore Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah' means the second derivative. 'These were the sons of Esau who were born to him in the land of Canaan' means from the good of the Lord's kingdom.
ppp19207#pid#4644. The present chapter deals with the following matters - the Good which was Divine and which the Lord had from when He was born; the joining of that Good to the truth and good which, as one who was born a human being, He acquired to Himself; also the derivatives from this. But because these matters, as has been stated, are of a kind which does not come within the range of anyone's understanding, not even that of any angel, it is not therefore possible for them to be explained in detail. What is more, mere names are used to describe that Divine [Natural Good] together with its derivatives, and to explain mere names devoid of any historical context which sheds light confirming the explanation given would leave the whole thing in doubt. For few are able to believe that spiritual things are meant by the names used in the Word, no matter how clearly this is shown to them. For all these reasons the actual words used in this chapter are being copied out, with the addition of no more than a general explanation of them involving the kinds of things which people are able to grasp, yet which are merely vague outlines. For no one can possibly see the things that exist within the Divine; but people can gain a general picture of things emanating from the Divine. What is then seen depends on the kind of understanding within whose range those things can come, though even then they are but vague outlines.
ttt[2] In addition it should be recognized that no human being at all is born into any good. Rather, each person is born into evil - into more internal evil from his father and into more external from his mother - for everyone's heredity is an evil one. The Lord alone was born into good, actually into Divine Good itself, in that He received this from His Father. This Divine Good into which the Lord was born is the subject now. Its derivatives are those things which came to exist in the Lord's Human when He made this Divine and by means of which He glorified it. All this explains why it is possible for just a general explanation to be added here.
ppp19206#pid#4645. Verses `Genesis 36bbbccc6-8` And Esau took his wives (femina), and his sons, and his daughters, and all the souls of his house, and his cattle, and all his beasts, and all his purchase which he had acquired in the land of Canaan, and went to a land away from Jacob his brother. For their acquirements were too many for them to dwell together, and the land of their sojournings could not bear them because of their cattle. And Esau dwelt on Mount Seir, Esau being Edom.
'Esau took his wives, and his sons, and his daughters, and all the souls of his house, and his cattle, and all his beasts, and all his purchase which he had acquired in the land of Canaan, and went to a land away from Jacob his brother' means all forms of Divine Good, and of Truth rooted in that Good, which were nevertheless His, with which there was correspondence in heaven and from which heaven existed. Esau's departure from Jacob took place for the sake of what was represented by his departure. 'For their acquirements were too many' means on account of the infinity of them. 'For them to dwell together' means the representatives. 'And the land of their sojournings could not bear them because of their cattle' means that it is impossible to describe them all. 'And Esau dwelt on Mount Seir' means the truth of Natural Good. 'Esau being Edom' means the Lord's Divine Human.
ppp19205#pid#4646. Verses `Genesis 36bbbccc9-14` And these are the generations of Esau the father of Edom on Mount Seir. These are the names of Esau's sons: Eliphaz the son of Adah the wife of Esau; Reuel the son of Basemath the wife of Esau. And the sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, and Gatam, and Kenaz. And Timna was a concubine belonging to Eliphaz the son of Esau; and she bore Amalek to Eliphaz. These were the sons of Adah, Esau's wife. And these were the sons of Reuel: Nahath and Zerah, Shammah and Mizzah. These were the sons of Basemath, Esau's wife. And these were the sons of Oholibamah, Esau's wife, the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon; and to Esau she bore Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah.
'These are the generations of Esau the father of Edom' means derivatives within Divine Natural Good, 'the father of Edom' meaning Divine Good from which other forms of good were derived. 'On Mount Seir' means with regard to the Truths of Good. 'These are the names of Esau's sons' means the essential nature of the derivatives. 'Eliphaz the son of Adah the wife of Esau; Reuel the son of Basemath the wife of Esau' means the states of those derivatives from the marriage of Good and Truth. 'And the sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, and Gatam, and Kenaz' means first derivatives of Good. 'And Timna was a concubine belonging to Eliphaz the son of Esau' means things of service to these. 'And she bore Amalek to Eliphaz' means a derivative of a sensory nature. 'These were the sons of Adah, Esau's wife' means second derivatives. 'And these were the sons of Reuel: Nahath and Zerah, Shammah and Mizzah. These were the sons of Basemath, Esau's wife' means third derivatives. 'And these were the sons of Oholibamah, Esau's wife, the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon; and to Esau she bore Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah' means subsequent derivatives.
ppp19204#pid#4647. Verses `Genesis 36bbbccc15-19` These were the chiefs of the sons of Esau. The sons of Eliphaz, the firstborn of Esau: Chief Teman, Chief Omar, Chief Zepho, Chief Kenaz, Chief Korah, Chief Gatam, Chief Amalek; these were the chiefs of Eliphaz in the land of Edom, these were the sons of Adah. And these were the sons of Reuel, Esau's son: Chief Nahath, Chief Zerah, Chief Shammah, Chief Mizzah; these were the chiefs of Reuel in the land of Edom, these were the sons of Basemath, Esau's wife. And these were the sons of Oholibamah, Esau's wife: Chief Jeush, Chief Jaalam, Chief Korah; these were the chiefs of Oholibamah the daughter of Anah, Esau's wife. These were the sons of Esau, and these were their chiefs - he being Edom.
'These were the chiefs of the sons of Esau' means the leading Truths of Good. 'The sons of Eliphaz, the firstborn of Esau: Chief Teman, Chief Omar, Chief Zepho, Chief Kenaz, Chief Korah, Chief Gatam, Chief Amalek' means a first grouping and the essential nature of those Truths, and also what they are like in the Lord's kingdom. 'These were the chiefs of Eliphaz in the land of Edom, these were the sons of Adah' means the leading truths belonging to the first group. 'And these were the sons of Reuel, Esau's son: Chief Nahath, Chief Zerah, Chief Shammah, Chief Mizzah' means a second group, and the essential nature of them, as they are in heaven. 'These were the chiefs of Reuel in the land of Edom' means a second grouping. 'These were the sons of Basemath, Esau's wife' means from the marriage of Good and Truth. 'And these were the sons of Oholibamah, Esau's wife' means the leading Truths of a third grouping. 'Chief Jeush, Chief Jaalam, Chief Korah' means the essential nature of them, and what they are consequently like in the Lord's kingdom. 'These were the chiefs of Oholibamah the daughter of Anah, Esau's wife' means the leading Truths from the joining together of Good and Truth. These twelve chiefs are like the twelve tribes in the way they are ranged in order by Good. 'These were the sons of Esau, and these were their chiefs' means that these are the leading Truths from among the Truths of Good. 'He being Edom' means within the Lord's Divine Human.
ppp19203#pid#4648. Verses `Genesis 36bbbccc20-28` These were the sons of Seir the Horite, the inhabitants of the land: Lotan, and Shobal, and Zibeon, and Anah, and Dishon, and Ezer, and Dishan; these were the chiefs of the Horites, the sons of Seir, in the land of Edom. And the sons of Lotan were Hori and Hemam; and the sister of Lotan was Timna. And these were the sons of Shobal: Alvan, and Manahath, and Ebal, Shepho and Onam. And these were the sons of Zibeon: Both Aiah and Anah, this being the Anah who found the mules in the desert while he was feeding the asses for Zibeon his father. And these were the children of Anah: Dishan, and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah. And these were the sons of Dishon: Hemdan, and Eshban, and Ithran, and Cheran. These were the sons of Ezer: Bilhan, and Zaavan, and Akan. These were the sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran.
ttt[2] 'These were the sons of Seir the Horite, the inhabitants of the land' means derivative truths in their proper order. 'Lotan, and Shobal, and Zibeon, and Anah, and Dishon, and Ezer, and Dishan' means the essential nature of these. 'These were the chiefs of the Horites, the sons of Seir' means the leading truths of good which are secondary to the truths mentioned above. 'In the land of Edom' means within the Lord's Divine Human. 'And the sons of Lotan were Hori and Hemam; and the sister of Lotan was Timna' means a second group of truths. 'And these were the sons of Shobal: Alvan, and Manahath, and Ebal, Shepho and Onam' means a third group and its essential nature.
ttt[3] 'And these were the sons of Zibeon: Both Aiah and Anah' means a third group and its essential nature. 'This being the Anah who found the mules in the desert' means truths arising out of factual knowledge. 'While he was feeding the asses for Zibeon his father' means when He was occupied with factual knowledge. 'And these were the children of Anah: Dishan, and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah' means a third group and its essential nature. 'And these were the sons of Dishon: Hemdan and Eshban, and Ithran, and Cheran' means a fourth group and its essential nature. 'These were the sons of Ezer: Bilhan, and Zaavan, and Akan' means a fourth group and its essential nature. 'These were the sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran' means a fifth group and its essential nature.
ppp19202#pid#4649. Verses `Genesis 36bbbccc29-30` These were the chiefs of the Horites Chief Lotan, Chief Shobal, Chief Zibeon, Chief Anah, Chief Dishon, Chief Ezer, Chief Dishan. These were the chiefs of the Horites, according to their chiefs in the land of Seir.
'These were the chiefs of the Horites' means the leading truths from among those next in order. 'Chief Lotan, Chief Shobal, Chief Zibeon, Chief Anah, Chief Dishon, Chief Ezer, Chief Dishan' means their essential nature. 'These were the chiefs of the Horites, according to their chiefs in the land of Seir' means the leading truths among those next in line.
ppp19201#pid#4650. Verses `Genesis 36bbbccc31-39` And these were the kings who reigned in the land of Edom, before a king reigned over the children of Israel. And Bela the son of Beor reigned in Edom; and the name of his city was Dinhabah. And Bela died, and Jobab the son of Zerah from Bozrah reigned in place of him. And Jobab died, and Husham from the land of the Temanites reigned in place of him. And Husham died, and Hadad the son of Bedad, who smote Midian in the field of Moab, reigned in place of him; and the name of his city was Avith. And Hadad died, and Samlah from Masrekah reigned in place of him. And Samlah died, and Saul from Rehoboth on the river reigned in place of him. And Saul died, and Baal Hanan the son of Achbor reigned in place of him. And Baal Hanan the son of Achbor died, and Hadar reigned in place of him; and the name of his city was Pau. And his wife's name was Mehetabel the daughter of Matred the daughter of Mezahab.
'These were the kings who reigned in the land of Edom' means the main truths within the Lord's Divine Human. 'Before a king reigned over the children of Israel' means when interior spiritual-natural truth had not yet arisen. 'And Bela the son of Beor reigned in Edom' means the first truth. 'And the name of his city was Dinhabah' means teaching arising out of this truth. 'And Bela died, and Jobab the son of Zerah from Bozrah reigned in place of him' means the truth which derived from this as its essential element, and the essential nature of it. 'And Jobab died, and Husham reigned in place of him' means the truth which derived from this. 'From the land of the Temanites' means where it originated. 'And Husham died, and Hadad the son of Bedad reigned in place of him' means the truth which derived from this. 'Who smote Midian in the field of Moab' means purification from falsity. 'And the name of his city was Avith' means doctrinal teachings arising out of this truth. 'And Hadad died, and Samlah from Masrekah reigned in place of him' means the truth which derived from this, and the essential nature of it. 'And Samlah died, and Saul reigned in place of him' means the truth which derived from this, 'from Rehoboth on the river' meaning the essential nature of it. 'And Saul died, and Baal Hanan the son of Achbor reigned in place of him' means the truth which derived from this, and the essential nature of it. 'And Baal Hanan the son of Achbor died, and Hadar reigned in place of him' means the truth which derived from this. 'And the name of his city was Pau' means teaching. 'And his wife's name was Mehetabel the daughter of Matred the daughter of Mezahab' means the good of that truth.
ppp19200#pid#4651. Verses `Genesis 36bbbccc40-43` And these were the names of the chiefs of Esau, according to their families, according to their places, by their names: Chief Timna, Chief Alvah, Chief Jetheth, Chief Oholibamah, Chief Elah, Chief Pinon, Chief Kenaz, Chief Teman, Chief Mibzar, Chief Magdiel, Chief Iram. These were the chiefs of Edom according to their habitations, in the land of their possession, Esau himself being the father of Edom.
'These were the names of the chiefs of Esau, according to their families, according to their places, by their names' means matters of doctrine concerning good which are derived from these truths, and the origin, state, and essential nature of them. 'Chief Timna, Chief Alvah, Chief Jetheth, Chief Oholibamah, Chief Elah, Chief Pinon, Chief Kenaz, Chief Teman, Chief Mibzar, Chief Magdiel, Chief Iram' means the essential nature of those matters of doctrine. 'These were the chiefs of Edom' means the leading matters of doctrine. 'According to their habitations, in the land of their possession' means with regard to truths and goods. 'Esau himself being the father of Edom' means the Lord's Divine Natural Good within the Lord's Divine Human.
ppp19199#pid#4652. CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE GRAND MAN, WHICH IS HEAVEN - continued
IN THIS SECTION THE CORRESPONDENCE OF HEARING AND OF THE EARS WITH HEAVEN
The nature of the correspondence that exists between the soul and the body - that is, between the things constituting a person's inward spirit and those constituting his outward body - may be clearly recognized from the correspondence, influx, and communication of thought and discernment, which are functions of the spirit, with speech and hearing, which are functions of the body. When a person is speaking, his thought is nothing else than the power of speech which his spirit possesses, while his discernment of speech is nothing else than the power of hearing which his spirit possesses. When a person speaks, his thought does not, it is true, present itself to him as speech because it links itself to and is present within the power of speech that his body possesses. And when he hears something his discernment of it seems to him to be simply a hearing within his ear. For this reason the majority of people who have not stopped to reflect on the matter do not know that all five senses are located somewhere else than within organs belonging to the body; so they think that when these organs cease to function through death no sensory perception remains, when in actual fact a person, that is, his spirit, then passes into a life of perfect sensory perception.
ttt[2] The fact that it is the spirit which has the powers of speech and hearing has become quite clear to me from my conversations with spirits. Their speech was communicated to my spirit; it entered my own interior power of speech, and from there into the organs corresponding to it. What they communicated ended as an endeavour in me, which I have perceived clearly on several occasions. Consequently I have heard what they said in tones as clear as anything spoken by someone on earth. Sometimes spirits have spoken to me while I was among a group of people, and some of those spirits have imagined that, because I could hear so clearly what they - the spirits - said, those people present with me could hear them too. But I have told them that their speech was flowing into my ear by the internal route, whereas human speech comes in by the external route. From this one may see how a spirit spoke to one of the prophets - not as a man speaks to another man but as a spirit speaks to a man, that is to say, within him - as in `Zechariah 1bbb9`, `Zechariah 1bbbccc13`, `Zechariah 1bbbccc19`; `Zechariah ccc2bbb3`; `Zechariah ccc4bbb1`, `Zechariah 4bbbccc4-5`; `Zechariah ccc5bbb5`, `Zechariah 5bbbccc10`; `Zechariah ccc6bbb4`; and elsewhere. But I realize that these matters are unintelligible to people who do not believe that man is a spirit, the body serving him solely for functions to be performed in the world. Those who have become quite convinced that man is not a spirit refuse even to listen to talk about any kind of correspondence; and if they do listen they reject what they hear because they have a negative attitude Indeed they are unhappy if anything is said not to belong to the body.
ppp19198#pid#4653. The spirits who correspond to hearing, that is, those who constitute the province of the ear, are ones who lead lives of simple obedience; that is to say, they do not use reason to establish whether a thing is true but believe it to be so because others say it is. They may therefore be called 'obediences'. The reason why they are as they are is that the relationship of hearing to speech is like what is passive to what is active, and so like a person who hears and acquiesces in what another says. This also explains why in everyday speech hearing someone may mean being obedient to him, and to hearken to his voice to obey him. For the deeper meanings which human utterances possess have their origin for the most part in correspondence, the reason being that man's spirit exists among spirits in the next life, and exercises its power of thought there, though man himself has no knowledge at all of this and one interested solely in the body has no wish to know it.
[`@@@4653`a] There are many different kinds of spirits who correspond to the ear, that is, to its functions and duties. There are those who correlate with the specific parts of that organ - those who correlate with the outer ear; those who do so with the membrane there which is called the ear-drum, the interior membranes termed fenestrae; and those who correlate with the malleus, the stapes, the incus, the cylinders, and the cochlea. There are also those who correlate with parts more interior still, including those immaterial or insubstantial parts that are closer to the spirit. Lastly there are those spirits, within the spirit itself, who are linked ultimately - at the most internal point - to spirits belonging to internal sight, from whom they differ in that they themselves are not so discerning, yet, like those who are passively obedient, support them.
ppp19197#pid#4654. Some spirits were once present with me who were entering with great force into my thought when this was directed towards such things as were matters of Providence, in particular when I was thinking about things not turning out as I expected or desired. Angels told me that these spirits were ones who during their lifetime had been annoyed when they did not get something they had prayed for, and had on that account entertained doubts regarding Providence. But apart from this state they had led devout lives, doing what others told them to do, and so led lives of simple obedience. I was told that such spirits belong to the province of the outer ear or auricle, where I also actually saw them when they spoke to me.
ppp19196#pid#4655. What is more, there have been many occasions when I have noticed spirits nearby, around my ear, and also inside it so to speak. I say 'inside it' because that is where they seem to be, it being one's state in the next life which causes them to seem to be there. They were all simple and obedient spirits.
ppp19195#pid#4656. Once there was a spirit who spoke to me, doing so next to my left auricle, to the rear part of it where the elevator muscles of the auricle are placed. He told me that he had been sent to me to say that he did not reflect at all on what others said but merely took it in with his ears. When he spoke he seemed to belch out each word, and said that this was how he actually spoke. From this I was allowed to see that his speech had no interior content and thus little life, and that this was the reason why he belched his words out I was told that the kind of people who pay little attention to what anything really means are ones who belong to the cartilage-like and bony part of the outer ear.
ppp19194#pid#4657. There are certain spirits who have spoken to me several times, but in undertones, doing so very close to my left ear, as though they wished to speak in my ear so that no one could hear. But I have been allowed to tell them that this is unacceptable in the next life, because it shows that they were whisperers during their lifetime and so have now acquired a disposition to engage in such whispering. It shows that many of them are the sort who note the vices and failings of others, and when no one else is listening tell their companions about those vices and failings, or if other people are within earshot whisper them in the ear. They see and put a sinister interpretation on everything, and set themselves above others. They cannot therefore by any means be allowed into the company of good spirits, whose nature is such that they do not conceal their thoughts. I have been told that in the next life this kind of speaking sounds louder than the open kind.
ppp19193#pid#4658. To the inner parts of the ear belong those who have 'the sight' of the inner hearing, who obey whatever its spirit there tells them and make exactly right declarations of what it tells them. I have also been shown what these are like from the following experience. I became aware of a kind of noise coming through from below me, coming up on the left side of me into my left ear. I realized that they were spirits who were trying to work their way out, but I could not make out what kind of spirits they were. Having worked their way out, however, they then spoke to me. They said that they were students of logic and metaphysics and that they had confined their thoughts to these areas of knowledge with no other end in view than that they would be considered learned and so would acquire positions and wealth. They moaned about the wretched life they now led, for they had become steeped in those areas of knowledge for no other purpose, and so had not used this to bring perfection to their power of reason. Their speech was slow and muted.
ttt[2] Meanwhile two were talking to each other overhead, and I asked who they were. I was told that one of them was a very renowned figure in the learned world, and I was led to believe that he was Aristotle. Who the second one was, I was not told. The first of them was at that point taken back to a state he had passed through when he lived in the world; for anyone can easily be taken back to a state of his life when in the world because every state of his life is present within him. But to my surprise he positioned himself at my right ear and there spoke in a hoarse yet intelligible voice. From the meaning conveyed in his utterances I became aware that he was of an entirely different disposition from those schoolmen who had emerged first, in that the things he had written were the product of his own thought and that this was the origin of his philosophical ideas. Consequently the terms which he invented and gave to different facets of his thoughts were verbal expressions by which he described the things of an interior kind. I also became aware of the fact that he had been prompted to engage in such pursuits by a great delight and a desire to know the ideas that are part of thought, and that he followed obediently whatever his spirit had told him. This was why he had positioned himself at my right ear. His followers, called the Schoolmen,`fff1` are different. They do not proceed from thought to terms but from terms to ideas comprising thought, and so go down the road from the opposite end. Indeed, many do not even set off down it to these ideas but stay with terms; and if they use these it is to prove whatever they like, and to give falsities an appearance of truth, in keeping with their desire to convince people of these. Consequently their pursuit of philosophy serves to make them stupid rather than wise persons, so that darkness prevails among them instead of light.
ttt[3] I talked to them after that about the science of analysis, and I was led to say that a small child speaking for merely half an hour presents more philosophy, analysis, and logic than he could have done in volumes describing them, for the reason that every detail of human thought and consequently of human speech involves analysis, the laws of which originate in the spiritual world. I went on to say that anyone who wishes in his thinking to begin in an artificial way with terms is not unlike a dancer who wishes to start to learn how to dance from what he knows about motor fibres and muscles. If in trying to dance he fixed his mind simply on his knowledge of these he could scarcely lift a foot. Yet even without that knowledge he moves all his motor fibres spread throughout the whole body, using them to operate his lungs, diaphragm, sides, arms, neck, and every other part of the body, to describe all of which many volumes would not be sufficient. Similar to such a dancer were those who wish in their thinking to begin with terms. He agreed with what I said and declared that if that is the way people learn they are proceeding in the wrong direction. If anyone wished to be so stupid, he added, then let him go that way; even so, let him always keep in mind what is useful and what is interior.
ttt[4] After this he showed me what kind of idea he had had about the Supreme Deity. He had represented Him to himself as one with a human face and a halo around his head. He now knew that the Lord was that Person, that the halo was the Divine as this proceeded from Him, and that He flowed not only into heaven but also into the whole world, disposing and ruling over these. He added that the one who disposes and rules heaven also disposes and rules the whole world because the one is inseparable from the other. He also declared that he had believed in one God alone whose attributes and qualities had been designated by the same number of names as there were gods whom others worshipped.
ttt[5] I saw a woman who was reaching out her hand, desiring to stroke his cheek. When I wondered at this he said that while in the world he had often seen a woman like this one who seemed to be stroking his cheek, and that her hand had been beautiful. Angelic spirits said that women like her had been seen on occasions by people in early times who gave the name Pallas to them, and that whoever had appeared to him had been one of those spirits who, when they had lived as people in ancient times, had taken delight in ideas and so had gone into the field of thought, though not into philosophy. And since such spirits had resided with him and had taken delight in him because he had begun in his thinking with that which was interior they had put forward such a woman to represent this.
ttt[6] Finally he intimated what kind of idea he had had about the human soul or spirit, which he called pneuma, namely something living but invisible, like something ethereal. He also said that he had known his spirit would live on after death because it was his inward essential self which, having the ability to think, could not die. He then went on to say that he had not been able to have any clear thought about the soul, only an obscure one, because his only source of knowledge about it was himself and, to a small extent, what he had received from the ancients. Aristotle himself lives among intelligent spirits in the next life, but many of his followers dwell among people who are stupid.
`nnn1. i.e. medieval Aristotelians
ppp19192#pid#4659. It was stated towards the end of `@@@4652` that man is a spirit and that the body serves him for functions he performs in the world, and in other places elsewhere that the spirit is a person's internal and the body his external. People who do not have a proper grasp of the relationship between a person's spirit and his body may suppose from this that the spirit accordingly dwells within the body and that the body so to speak surrounds it and clothes it. But it should be recognized that a person's spirit exists within the body, within the whole of it and within each part of it, and that its substance is purer, both in its motor organs and in its sensory organs, as well as in every other part, whereas the body is something material linked to it at every point and suited to the world it inhabits at that time. This is what is meant by the statement that man is a spirit and that the body serves him for functions performed in the world, and that the spirit is man's internal and the body his external. From this it is also evident that after death a person continues to lead a life which is just as active, involving the senses, as before; also, that he exists in a human form as in the world, though it is now a more perfect one.
ppp19191#pid#4660. Correspondence with the Grand Man, which is Heaven, is continued at the end of the next chapter, in that section the correspondence with it of taste and the tongue.
ppp19190#pid#4661. The preliminary section of the previous chapter continued the explanation of what the Lord foretold about the last period of the Church, that section dealing with what He foretold by means of the parable of the ten virgins in `Matthew 25bbb1-13`. After this another parable follows, the one about the servants to whom a man going away on a journey gave talents. He gave five to the first, two to the second, and one to the third, which they were to trade with. He who received five talents used them to gain five more; he who received two used his to gain two more; but he who received one hid it in the ground. But this parable holds practically the same ideas within it as those in the parable of the ten virgins, so let us move on to and explain the final section in that chapter - `Matthew 25bbb31`-end - which in the letter reads as follows:
ppp19189#pid#4662. When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. And before Him all nations will be gathered, and He will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will place the sheep at His right hand but the goats at the left. Then the King will say to those who are at His right hand, Come, O blessed of My Father, possess the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in, naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me, I was in prison and you came to Me. Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You? But the King answering will say to them, Truly I say to you, Insofar as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers you did it to Me. Then He will also say to those on the left hand, Depart from Me, O cursed ones, into eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave Me no food, I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me. Then they also will answer Him, saying, Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not minister to You? Then He will answer them, saying, Truly I say to you, Insofar as you did not do it to one of the least of these you did not do it to Me. And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.
ppp19188#pid#4663. Anyone without a knowledge of the internal sense cannot do other than suppose that these words were spoken by the Lord to refer to some last day when all throughout the world will be gathered together before the Lord for judgement and that the process of judgement will be exactly as described in the letter. That is to say, they believe that He will place them at His right hand and at His left and will address them in the actual words used there. But a person who is acquainted with the internal sense and who has learned from other places in the Word that the Lord never sentences anyone to eternal fire - but that everyone sentences himself, that is, casts himself into that place - and also who has learned that each person's last judgement takes place when he dies, is able to gain a general impression of what the Lord's words imply. And if from the internal sense and from correspondence he is acquainted with the interior connotations of individual words, he is able to gain a more detailed idea of them, which is that the reward everyone receives in the next life is determined by the life he has led in the world.
ttt[2] Those who maintain that a person is saved by faith alone cannot explain the things which the Lord speaks of as works as anything else than the fruits of faith, and that He made mention of these alone for the sake of the simple who know nothing about mysteries. But even this opinion of theirs shows that the fruits of faith are what make a person blessed and happy after death. The fruits of faith are nothing else than a life led in keeping with what faith commands, and therefore it is a life in keeping with what faith commands that saves a person, not faith apart from life. For a person takes with him after death every state of his life, so that he is like what he was when in the body. That is to say, anyone who during his lifetime despised others compared with himself continues in the next life to despise others compared with himself. Anyone who hated his neighbour during his lifetime continues in the next life to hate his neighbour. Anyone who engaged in deceitful practices against companions during his lifetime continues to engage in them against companions in the next life. And so on. Everyone retains in the next life the essential character he has acquired during his lifetime; and it is well known that it is not possible to get rid of one's essential character, for if one does so, no life at all remains.
ttt[3] This then is the reason why solely the works of charity are mentioned by the Lord, for anyone who practices the works of charity - or what amounts to the same, leads the life of faith - possesses the ability to receive faith, if not during his lifetime, then in the next life. But anyone who does not practice the works of charity, or lead the life of faith, has no ability at all to receive faith, neither during his lifetime nor in the next life. For evil never does accord with truth; rather, the one rejects the other. And even if people who are under the influence of evil utter truths, they do so with their lips but not from their hearts, so that evil and truths are still very far away from each other.
ppp19187#pid#4664. But what is embodied within the internal sense of the things stated by the Lord in this passage about the last judgement, that is, about each person's judgement after death, would take far too long to explain in this preliminary section of the chapter. Therefore they will in the Lord's Divine mercy be explained in order in the preliminary sections of the chapters following this one.
ppp19186#pid#4665. `Genesis 37bbb0`
1. And Jacob dwelt in the land of his father's sojournings, in the land of Canaan.
2. These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, a son of seventeen years, was pasturing the flock with his brothers; and he, still a boy, was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father's womenfolk; and Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father.
3. And Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, for he was the son of his old age; and he made him a tunic of various colours.
4. And his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, and they hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him.
5. And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him all the more.`fff1`
6. And he said to them, Hear now this dream which I have dreamed.
7. Behold, we were binding sheaves in the middle of the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and also stood up, and behold, your sheaves gathered round it and bowed down to my sheaf.
8. And his brothers said to him, Are you indeed going; to reign over us? Or are you indeed going to have dominion over us? And they hated him all the more`fff1` for his dreams and for his words.
9. And he dreamed yet another dream, and he recounted it to his brothers, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream again, and behold, the sun and the moon, and the eleven stars were bowing down to me.
10. And he recounted it to his father and to his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall we indeed come - I and your mother, and your brothers - to bow down to you to the earth?
11. And his brothers envied him; and his father kept the matter`fff2` [in mind].
12. And his brothers went to pasture the flock of their father, in Shechem.
13. And Israel said to Joseph, Are not your brothers pasturing [the flock] in Shechem? Go, and I will send you to them. And he said to him, Behold, here I am.
14. And he said to him, Go now, see the peace of your brothers and the peace of the flock,`fff3` and bring back word to me. And he sent him out of the Valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
15. And a man found him, and behold, he was wandering in the field and the man asked him, saying, What are you looking for?
16. And he said, I am looking for my brothers; tell me now, where they are pasturing [the flock].
17. And the man said, They have travelled on from here, for I heard them saying, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brothers and found them in Dothan.
18. And they saw him from a distance; and before he drew near to them they plotted against him, to put him to death.
19. And they said, a man to his brother, Behold, that dreamer`fff4` is coming.
20. So now come, and let us kill him, and let us throw him into one of the pits, and let us say, An evil wild animal has devoured him, and we shall see what his dreams are going to be.
21. And Reuben heard it and rescued him out of their hands, and said Let us not strike him, [as to his] soul.`fff5`
22. And Reuben said to them, Do not shed blood; throw him into this pit in the wilderness and do not lay a hand on him - so that he might therefore rescue him out of their hands, to return him to his father.
23. And it happened, when Joseph came to his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of various colours that was on him.
24. And they took him and threw him into the pit, and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.
25. And they sat down to eat bread; and they lifted up their eyes and saw, and behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites came from Gilead, and their camels bearing spices, and resin, and stacte,`fff6` taking them down to Egypt.
26. And Judah said to his brothers, What profit is there in our killing our brother and concealing his blood?
27. Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, because he is our brother, our flesh. And his brothers hearkened.
28. And men passed by, Midianites, who were traders; and they drew Joseph out and caused him to come up out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. And they led Joseph to Egypt.
29. And Reuben resumed to the pit, and behold, there was no Joseph in the pit; and he rent his clothes.
30. And he resumed to his brothers and said, The lad is no more; and I, where do I go?
31. And they took Joseph's tunic and killed a he-goat of the she-goats, and dipped the tunic in the blood.
32. And they sent the tunic of various colours, and brought it to their father, and said, We have found this; recognize now whether this is your son's tunic or not.
33. And he recognized it, and said, My son's tunic! An evil wild animal has devoured him; Joseph has been torn to pieces.
34. And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth on his loins, and mourned over his son many days.
35. And all his sons rose up, and all his daughters, to comfort him; and he refused to comfort himself, and said, For I will go down to my son, to the grave mourning. And his father wept for him.
36. And the Midianites sold him into Egypt to Potiphar, Pharaoh's bedchamber-servant, the chief of the attendants.
CONTENTS
This chapter deals in the internal sense with the eventual rejection, within the Church, of Divine truths received from the Lord's Divine Human, and the acceptance at length of falsities instead. Specifically the chapter deals with the opposition to the Lord's Divine Human of those governed by faith separated from charity.
`nnn1. literally, they added more still to hating him
`nnn2. literally, word
`nnn3. A Hebrew idiom meaning See whether all is well with your brothers and with the flock.
`nnn4. literally, lord of dreams
`nnn5. i. e. Let us not kill him
`nnn6. spices, resin, and stacte are all aromatic substances.
ppp19185#pid#4666. THE INTERNAL SENSE
Verses `Genesis 37bbbccc1-3` And Jacob dwelt in the land of his father's sojournings, in the land of Canaan. These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, a son of seventeen years, was pasturing the flock with his brothers; and he, still a boy, was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father's womenfolk; and Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father. And Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, for he was the son of his old age; and he made him a tunic of various colours.
'Jacob dwelt in the land of his father's sojournings, in the land of Canaan' means the Lord's Divine Natural, which existed in accord with and beneath Divine Rational Good. 'These are the generations of Jacob' means the things that follow. 'Joseph' means the Lord's Spiritual [from His] Divine Human. 'A son of seventeen years' means His state. 'Was pasturing the flock with his brothers' means its presence among those governed by faith who were teachers. 'And he, still a boy' means at first. 'Was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father's womenfolk' means that he was cast away from them. 'And Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father' means that this showed up the essential nature of those people. 'And Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons' means a joining of the Divine Spiritual of the Rational to the Divine Spiritual of the Natural. 'For he was the son of his old age' means its own life within it. 'And he made him a tunic of various colours' means the resulting appearances of truth by which the spiritual of the natural is recognized and distinguished.
ppp19184#pid#4667. 'Jacob dwelt in the land of his father's sojournings, in the land of Canaan' means the Lord's Divine Natural, which existed in accord with and beneath Divine Rational Good. This is clear from the meaning of 'dwelling' as living, dealt with in `@@@1293`, `@@@3384`, `@@@3613`, `@@@4451`; from the representation of 'Jacob' in the highest sense as the Lord's Divine Natural, dealt with in `@@@3305`, `@@@3509`, `@@@3525`, `@@@3544`, `@@@3576`, `@@@3599`, `@@@3775`, `@@@4009`, `@@@4234`, `@@@4286`, `@@@4538`, `@@@4570`; from the representation of Isaac, to whom 'father' refers here, as the Lord's Divine Rational as regards good, dealt with in `@@@1893`, `@@@2066`, `@@@2630`, `@@@3012`, `@@@3194`, `@@@3210`; and from the meaning of 'the land of Canaan' in the highest sense as the Lord's Divine Human, dealt with in `@@@3038`, `@@@3705`. From all this one may now see that 'Jacob dwelt in the land of his father's sojournings, in the land of Canaan' means the Lord's Divine Natural living together with, or in accord with and beneath, Divine Rational Good, within the Divine Human. The fact that the Lord's Natural now had everything Divine within it has been dealt with already at Chapter `Genesis ccc35bbb22-26`, see `@@@4602-4610`; and the fact that the Lord's Divine Natural was joined to His Divine Rational, at verses `Genesis 37bbbccc27-29` of that same chapter, see `@@@4611-4619`. What is said now forms a conclusion, namely that the Divine Natural led a life in accord with and beneath Divine Rational Good.
ttt[2] The phrase 'beneath Divine Rational Good' is used because the Natural lives beneath that Good. For the Rational is higher or more internal - or prior, to use the customary expression - whereas the Natural is lower or more external, and therefore posterior. Thus the Natural is subordinate to the Rational; indeed when they accord with each other the Natural is nothing else than the general outline of the Rational, for whatever the Natural possesses does not belong to it but to the Rational, the only difference between the two being like that between particular aspects and their general outline, or like that between individual details and the form in which those details are seen as a single whole. It is well known to the learned that the end in view constitutes the whole within the cause, and the cause the whole within the effect so that the cause is the outward form given to the end, and the effect the outward form given to the cause. Consequently the effect altogether ceases to exist if you take away the cause, and the cause altogether ceases to exist if you take away the end. Also, the cause comes beneath the end, and the effect beneath the cause. The relationship between the Natural and the Rational is similar to all this.
ppp19183#pid#4668. 'These are the generations of Jacob' means the things that follow. This is clear from the meaning of 'generations' as derivatives of the things which constitute the Church - truth derived from good, or faith from love - for no other generations are meant in the internal sense of the Word. These are also the subject in what follows, and this is why it is said that 'the generations of Jacob' means the things which follow. That things like these are meant by 'generations' is also evident from the fact that in what follows no subsequent generations are recorded. Instead Joseph, his dreams, his brothers' designs against him are described, and lastly the carrying away of him into Egypt. As regards 'generations' meaning derivatives of the kinds of things mentioned above, see `@@@1145`, `@@@1255`, `@@@1330`, `@@@3263`, `@@@3279`, `@@@3860`, `@@@3868`, `@@@4070`.
ppp19182#pid#4669. 'Joseph' means the Lord's Spiritual [from His] Divine Human. This is clear from the representation of 'Joseph' in the highest sense as the Lord's Divine Spiritual, dealt with in `@@@3969`. It is well known in the Church that the Lord is represented by 'Joseph', for when the heavenly Joseph is spoken of, no one else is meant. But what aspect of the Lord is represented by 'Joseph' is less well known, namely the Divine Spiritual which proceeds from His Divine Human. The Divine Spiritual which proceeds from the Lord's Divine Human is the Divine Truth received from Him in heaven and in the Church; essentially the Spiritual is nothing else. The Divine Spiritual or Divine Truth is also that which is called the kingship of the Lord, as well as being that which is meant by 'Christ' or 'Messiah', see `@@@2015` (end), `@@@3009`, `@@@3670`. This also explains why Joseph became virtually the king in Egypt - so that he might at that time represent the things which constitute the Lord's kingship.
ppp19181#pid#4670. 'A son of seventeen years' means His state. This is clear from the ages measured in years of people mentioned in the Word - spiritual realities and states are meant by them, as these are by all other numbers. For all numbers in the Word have spiritual realities and states as their meaning, see `@@@575`, `@@@647`, `@@@648`, `@@@1988`, `@@@2075`, `@@@2252`, `@@@3252`, `@@@4264`, `@@@4495`, as also do years, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@893`.
ttt[2] It does indeed seem as though numbers of years, or ages measured in years, mean nothing else than numbers of years. This is because these numbers more than any others have so to speak a more specific historical application. But these numbers too include spiritual realities and states within them, as is clear from the applications given at `Genesis 5bbb0` and from what has been stated at `Genesis 17bbb1` and `Genesis 25bbb7` about Abraham's age and at `Genesis 35bbb28` about Isaac's. The same is clear in addition from the fact that no historical detail exists anywhere in the Word which does not include within it something heavenly into which it is also changed when it passes from the thought of the reader to the angels present with him, and through those angels into heaven where the spiritual sense rises up out of every historical reference in the Word.
ttt[3] But what is meant by Joseph's being seventeen years old may be seen from the meaning which this number has elsewhere, namely a beginning, in this case the beginning of the representation through Joseph. As to its meaning a beginning and that which is new, see `@@@755`, `@@@853`. What is more, this number includes within itself in a general way, and so to speak potentially, all the things that are represented by 'Joseph' - 'seven' meaning that which is holy and 'ten' remnants. For 'seven' when used in the Word adds holiness to any meaning, see `@@@881`, while 'ten' means remnants, `@@@576`, `@@@1906`, `@@@2284`. The remnants present in the Lord were Divine and His own, and by means of them He united the Human Essence to the Divine Essence, `@@@1906`.
ppp19180#pid#4671. 'Was pasturing the flock with his brothers' means its presence among those governed by faith who were teachers. This is clear from the meaning of 'pasturing the flock' as teaching those within the Church, in particular from matters of doctrine. For one who pastures the flock, or a shepherd, means one who teaches, see `@@@343`, `@@@3772`, `@@@3795`. In this case the meaning is presence among those who taught, because the words 'pasturing the flock with his brothers' are used - Joseph's brothers in this chapter representing the Church which turned aside from charity to faith, and at length to faith separated from charity and so to falsities, as will be evident in what follows below.
ppp19179#pid#4672. 'And he, still a boy' means at first. This is clear from the meaning of 'a boy' - when this expression is used to refer to a new Church - as at first, that is, as the first state of that Church. For the Church is like an infant, a boy, a man, and at length an old man, in that it passes as the individual does through its own phases of life. The Church also resembles the human being in general, and is actually called one. Furthermore, within the Church which is called 'a boy' because of the phase it is at, and which is by nature such that it soon becomes wayward, the Lord is present at first, both with those who teach and those who learn. But after a while they dissociate themselves from Him, as is also represented by the brothers throwing Joseph into the pit and selling him.
ttt[2] Every Church which begins with faith is like this, but a Church beginning with charity is different. A Church that begins with faith is controlled solely by the understanding, and the understanding by that which has been inherited, namely self-love and love of the world. These loves induce the understanding to gather texts from the Word which support their desires, and to give its own interpretation to those which do not support them. It is different in the case of a Church which begins with charity. This Church is controlled by good, the Lord being within that good. For good which is the good of charity and love is a mediator between the Lord and faith; and unless it is there as a mediator between them no spiritual communication is possible. Without that intermediary He cannot possibly flow into faith. If evil exists there instead of good it drives away the Lord and casts aside or else perverts everything that is the Lord's and so the whole of faith; for faith comes from Him through good.
ppp19178#pid#4673. 'Was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father's womenfolk' means that he was cast away from them. This is clear from the meaning of 'the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah' as exterior or lower affections for truth that serve as means, dealt with in `@@@3849`, `@@@3931`. Thus 'with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah' means that Divine Truth, represented by 'Joseph', was cast away among lower things which, compared with higher, are ones that serve. Divine Truth is said to be cast away among lower things when faith is placed before charity, that is, is made first in people's hearts, and charity is placed behind faith and made secondary in their hearts. For all Divine Truth exists from Divine Good and proceeds from it; and if the same is not so with man he is not 'in the Lord'. This Divine Truth is the holiness of the spirit which proceeds from the Lord and is called the Paraclete and the Spirit of truth in `John 14bbb16-17`.
ppp19177#pid#4674. 'And Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father' means that this showed up the essential nature of those people. This is clear from the representation of 'Joseph' as the Divine Spiritual or Divine Truth from the Lord, dealt with in `@@@4286`, `@@@4675`;`fff1` from the meaning of 'father' as good, dealt with in `@@@3703`, `@@@3704`, in this case the good of the Ancient Church, which is represented by 'Jacob', as will be seen at the end of this chapter; and from the meaning of 'a bad report' as faults and blemishes in those meant by 'Joseph's brothers' who, it was stated above in `@@@4671`, are members of the Church who turn aside from goodness and truth. From all this one may see what these words mean in the proximate internal sense, namely that the faults and blemishes meant by 'Joseph's brothers' were brought into focus, that is, were shown up by Divine Truth when this was directed by the good of the Ancient Church to look at them. Or what amounts to the same, the essential nature of those people was thereby shown up by it.
ttt[2] As regards the falsities and evils of the Church - that is, of people in the Church - they are not seen by those people, because from falsities one cannot see falsities, nor from evils see evils. For false assumptions altogether darken truths, and a life of evil snuffs them out. Both of these - false assumptions and a life of evil - make falsities look like truths and truths like falsities, and good look like evil and evil like good, as experience abundantly makes plain. But the Church, or its members, are seen completely differently in heaven, for in heaven Divine Truth from the Lord is present, and Divine Truth constitutes the light there. Within that light the essential nature of those people is revealed, for the soul or spirit of every one is present in some community, whether it is one of angels or of devils. His thought exists there, but his speech and actions exist among men in their associating with one another.
ttt[3] Further evidence that the essential nature of members of the Church is shown up by Divine Truth, that is, within Divine Light, is provided by the following: Before casting themselves into hell evil spirits recently arrived from the world desire more strongly than anyone else to be accepted into heaven. They believe that it is merely a matter of being accepted and that anyone, irrespective of what he is really like, may by grace be admitted into heaven. They are sometimes told that the Lord refuses heaven to none and that they can be admitted if they feel able to live there. Some are even taken up to the first communities situated in the outskirts of heaven. But when these get there they start to be seized with pain and to be almost suffocated, because of the strain placed on the life of their thought and will - the life of their thought consisting of false assumptions and the life of their will of the evil life they led in the world. And when they look at themselves in the light there they see themselves as devils, some being corpse-like, some monster-like. For this reason they cast themselves down headlong from that community, passing from the light there into a hellish mist, where they start to breathe again as they had done previously and where they are deluded into thinking they look like spirits who are not evil ones. This is the way they get to know what they are like essentially. From this it is now plain how one is to understand the explanation that this - Divine Truth - showed up the essential nature of those people.
`nnn1. This reference appears to be incorrect. Probably `@@@4592` or `@@@4669` is intended.
ppp19176#pid#4675. 'And Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons' means a joining of the Divine Spiritual of the Rational to the Divine Spiritual of the Natural. This is clear from the representation of Jacob, when he is called 'Israel', as the Divine Spiritual of the Natural, or the celestial manifestation of the spiritual from the natural, dealt with in `@@@4286`, `@@@4598`; from the representation of 'Joseph' as the Divine Spiritual of the Rational, or the celestial manifestation of the spiritual from the rational, dealt with in `@@@4286`, `@@@4592`; and from the meaning of 'loving' as being joined together, for love is a joining together spiritually. From all this it is evident that 'Israel loved Joseph' means a joining of the Divine Spiritual of the Rational to the Divine Spiritual of the Natural. That joining together being referred to here, Jacob is not called Jacob at this point, as he is above in verses `Genesis 37bbbccc1` and `Genesis 37bbbccc2`, but 'Israel'. From this change of name too one may conclude that the internal sense here contains a specific arcanum. But the exact nature of that joining together - of the Divine Spiritual of the Rational to the Divine Spiritual of the Natural - cannot as yet be explained because it is not the subject in the present chapter but in those that follow, where it is going to be explained as far as it is possible to do so. Only this need be mentioned here, that the expression spiritual is used both of the rational and of the natural, for the spiritual is Divine Truth received from the Lord, which is called the spiritual of the rational when it shines within the rational or the internal man, and the spiritual of the natural when it shines from there within the natural or the external man.
ppp19175#pid#4676. 'For he was the son of his old age' means its own life within it. This is clear from the meaning of 'old age' as the casting aside of the previous state and the assumption of the new one, and also as newness of life, dealt with in `@@@3492`, `@@@4620`. For in the internal sense 'old age' does not mean old age, for the reason that the internal man, or man's spirit, does not know what old age is; but as the body or the external man grows old, so he passes into newness of life. As he ages man's spirit is made more perfect, at the same time as his physical powers diminish. This is truer still in the next life, for those in heaven are constantly being led by the Lord into a more perfect life, and at length into the bloom of youth, including those people who have died at a ripe old age. From these considerations it may be seen that in the internal sense 'old age' means life. What is meant by the expression 'its own life within it' has been explained above in `@@@4667`.
ttt[2] Just above it was said that man's spirit or the internal man does not know what old age is, and yet before that it was said that it is in this spirit within the body where thinking takes place, and also that life flows from the spirit to the body. The reason why that thought belonging to the spirit cannot be communicated to the body, enabling the person to know that he lives after death is that as long as his spirit remains within the body he cannot do other than think from the assumptions which his natural man has been adopting. And if he has made the assumption and is convinced that only the body is living and that when this dies the whole human being does so, the influx of that spiritual reality is not received. Evidence of the existence of that influx may nevertheless be seen in the fact that most people are concerned about their own burial and the tributes paid to them after death, some about their reputation then, on account of which they also erect splendid monuments to themselves so that the memory of them may not be lost. These are the kinds of things into which the influx from heaven regarding the continuance of life is channeled by those who otherwise have no belief in that life. Without that influx they would treat with utter disdain all remembrance of themselves after they have died.
ppp19174#pid#4677. 'And he made him a tunic of various colours' means the resulting appearances of truth by which the spiritual of the natural is recognized and distinguished. This is clear from the meaning of 'a tunic' as the truth of the natural, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'various colours' as appearances of truth by which the spiritual of the natural is recognized and distinguished. No one can know that these things are meant by 'various colours' unless he knows that colours may be seen in the next life no less than in the world - colours which are far more beautiful and various - and unless he knows the origins of those colours. Colours seen in the next life are produced by the variegation of light there and are so to speak modifications of intelligence and wisdom, for the light which is seen there is a manifestation of Divine Truth received from the Lord, that is, it is the Divine Spiritual from Him, or what amounts to the same, is Divine Intelligence and Wisdom. These two are seen as light before the eyes of angels and spirits. From this one may see what is meant by the colours being products of that light, namely different kinds and so appearances of truth that are due to varying affections for good and truth. Regarding colours in the next life, see `@@@1042`, `@@@1043`, `@@@1053`, `@@@1624`, `@@@3993`, `@@@4530`.
ttt[2] It has been stated already in `@@@3301` that 'a tunic' means the truth of the natural, but as this meaning was not substantiated there from other places in the Word, let these be mentioned here. Because kings in the Jewish Church represented the Lord as regards the Divine Spiritual or Divine Truth, `@@@2015`, `@@@2069`, `@@@3009`, `@@@3670`, their daughters therefore wore tunics of various colours, for 'daughters' meant affections for good and truth, and so meant Churches, `@@@2362`, `@@@3963`. The following is said of them in the second Book of Samuel,
On Tamar, David's daughter, there was a tunic of various colours, for virgin daughters of the king wore such clothes. `2 Samuel 13bbb18`.
ttt[3] And because high priests represented the Lord as regards the Divine
Celestial or Divine Good, Aaron therefore wore vestments which represented Divine Truth that was derived from the Lord's Divine Good; for Divine Good exists within the Lord, whereas Divine Truth proceeds from Him. This was what those vestments represented. Something similar was represented when the Lord was transfigured before Peter, James, and John, in that Divine Good was seen as the sun, and Divine Truth was manifested by means of His garments which had the appearance of light, `Matthew 17bbb2`.
ttt[4] Regarding the vestments worn by Aaron and his sons, the following is said in Moses,
You shall make for Aaron a tunic of fine linen, and a turban of fine linen; and you shall make a girdle, the work of an embroiderer. And you shall make tunics for Aaron's sons, and you shall make girdles for them, and you shall make head-coverings for them, for glory and adornment. `Exodus 28bbb39-40`.
Each article of clothing here meant something connected with Divine Truth derived from the Lord's Divine Good, 'a tunic of fine linen' meaning specifically the Divine Spiritual. The same applies elsewhere in the same author,
You shall take the vestments, and put the tunic on Aaron, and the robe of the ephod, and the ephod, and the breastplate, and you shall clothe him with the girdle of the ephod. Then you shall cause his sons to come near, and you shall put them in tunics. `Exodus 29bbb5`, `Exodus 29bbbccc8`; `Exodus ccc40bbb14`.
What each article of clothing means here will in the Lord's Divine mercy be stated when those verses come up for consideration. 'Garments' in general are truths, see `@@@297`, `@@@1073`, `@@@2576`, `@@@4545`.
ttt[5] Prophets too wore tunics, though theirs were made of hair. This was because prophets represented the Lord as regards truths of doctrine, and since truths belong to the natural or external man, their tunics were made of hair - 'hair' meaning the natural, see `@@@3301`.
ttt[6] The fact that 'a tunic' means Divine Truth received from the Lord is evident further still from those places where a tunic is mentioned in the New Testament, as in John,
The soldiers took His garments and made four parts, a part for each soldier, and His tunic. But the tunic was without seam, woven from the top throughout. Therefore they said to one another, Let us not divide it - so that the Scripture might be fulfilled, saying They divided My garments for themselves, and for My tunic they cast lots. `John 19bbb23-24`.
Anyone reading this description supposes that it does not hold anything deeper within it than the facts that the garments were divided among the soldiers and that lots were cast for the tunic. But each detail described here represented and meant spiritually something Divine - that is to say, those two details about the garments being divided into four and about the tunic not being divided but having lots cast for it, and above all the detail about the tunic being without seam and woven from the top throughout. 'The tunic' meant the Lord's Divine Truth, which being singular - derived from Good - was represented by the tunic's being without seam and woven from the top throughout.
ttt[7] Much the same was meant by Aaron's tunic which, as is evident in Moses, was woven or the work of a weaver,
They made tunics of fine linen, the work of a weaver, for Aaron and his sons `Exodus 39bbb27`.
Also represented by the tunic without seam was the fact that the Lord did not allow Divine Truth to be torn apart, as was done by the Jews to the lower truths of the Church.
ttt[8] Because Divine Truth is singular - that is to say, it is derived solely from Divine Good - the twelve disciples were commanded, when they were being sent out to preach the gospel of the kingdom, not to have two tunics. This is recorded in Luke as follows,
Jesus sent the twelve disciples to preach the kingdom of God. And He said to them, Take nothing for the way, neither staves, nor bag, nor bread, nor silver, nor have two tunics each. `Luke 9bbb2-3`.
In Mark,
He charged them to take nothing for the way except a staff; not a bag, nor bread, nor bronze in the belt, but to wear sandals; and do not put on two tunics. `Mark 6bbb8-9`.
And in Matthew,
Do not possess gold, nor silver, nor bronze in your belts, nor bag for the way, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staves. `Matthew 10bbb9-10`.
ttt[9] All the individual instructions given in these places are representative of the celestial and spiritual things of the Lord's kingdom which the disciples were sent to preach. The reason they were not to take gold, silver, bronze, bag, or bread with them was that those things meant different kinds of good and truth received from the Lord alone. 'Gold' means good, `@@@113`, `@@@1551`, `@@@1552`, while 'silver' means truth derived from that good, `@@@1551`, `@@@2954`; 'bronze' means natural good, `@@@425`, `@@@1551`, and 'bread' the good of love, which is heavenly good, `@@@276`, `@@@680`, `@@@2165`, `@@@2177`, `@@@3478`, `@@@3735`, `@@@4211`, `@@@4217`. 'Tunic' however and 'sandal' meant the truths with which they were to be endued, and 'staff the power of truth derived from good. For 'staff' means that power, see `@@@4013`, `@@@4015`; 'sandal' the lowest natural, `@@@1748`, here its truth; and 'tunic' interior natural truth. Now because these things had to be not twofold but singular, they were forbidden to have two staves, two pairs of sandals, or two tunics. These are the arcana contained in what the Lord commanded, but no one can possibly know about them except from the internal sense.
ttt[10] All the detailed instructions spoken by the Lord were representative of Divine things, and consequently of the celestial and spiritual things of His kingdom. They were accordingly suited to the mental grasp of men and at the same time to the understanding of spirits and angels. Therefore the things spoken by the Lord pervaded the whole of heaven and continue to do so. From this it is also evident how valuable and important it is to know the internal sense of the Word. Without it anyone can use the Word to support whatever dogma he likes; and because this is seen to be so by those who are subject to evil, they therefore deride the Word and think it is anything but Divine.
ppp19173#pid#4678. Verses `Genesis 37bbbccc4-11` And his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, and they hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him. And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him all the more.`fff1` And he said to them, Hear now this dream which I have dreamed. Behold, we were binding sheaves in the middle of the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and also stood up, and behold, your sheaves gathered round it and bowed down to my sheaf. And his brothers said to him, Are you indeed going to reign over us? Or are you indeed going to have dominion over us? And they hated him all the more`fff1` for his dreams and for his words. And he dreamed yet another dream, and he recounted it to his brothers, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream again, and behold, the sun and the moon, and the eleven stars were bowing down to me. And he recounted it to his father and to his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall we indeed come - I and your mother, and your brothers - to bow down to you to the earth? And his brothers envied him; and his father kept the matter`fff2` [in mind].
'His brothers saw' means things that are matters of faith - in the proximate sense, the descendants of Jacob. 'That their father loved him more than all his brothers' means that [the Lord's Divine Spiritual or Divine Truth] was joined to the Divine Natural - in the proximate sense, to the Ancient Church meant by 'father'. 'And they hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him' means contempt and aversion. 'And Joseph dreamed a dream' means a declaration concerning Himself. 'And he told it to his brothers' means to the adherents to faith separated from charity. 'And they hated him all the more' means still greater contempt and aversion. 'And he said to them, Hear now this dream which I have dreamed' means the contents of the declaration. 'Behold, we were binding sheaves in the middle of the field' means that they were teaching from doctrine. 'And behold, my sheaf arose and also stood up' means teaching concerning the Lord's Divine Human. 'And behold, your sheaves gathered round it' means those who were governed by faith. 'And bowed down to my sheaf' means worship. 'And his brothers said to him' means the adherents to faith separated from charity. 'Are you indeed going to reign over us? Or are you indeed going to have dominion over us?' means, Were the concepts in their understandings and the desires in their wills to be made subject to it? 'And they hated him all the more for his dreams and for his words' means still greater contempt and aversion on account of that declaration of truth. 'And he dreamed yet another dream' means a further declaration. 'And he recounted it to his brothers, and said' means to the adherents to faith separated from charity. 'Behold, I have dreamed a dream again' means the contents. 'And behold, the sun and the moon' means natural good and natural truth. 'And the eleven stars' means cognitions of good and truth. 'Were bowing down to me' means worship. 'And he recounted it to his father and to his brothers' means being given to know it. 'And his father rebuked him and said to him, What is this dream that you have dreamed?' means indignation, 'father' at this point being the Jewish religion, an offspring of ancient religion. 'Shall we indeed come - I and your mother, and your brothers - to bow down to you to the earth?' means, Will the Church come to worship? 'And his brothers envied him' means their aversion. 'And his father kept the matter [in mind]' means that truth remained within their semblance of religion.
`nnn1. literally, they added more still to hating him
`nnn2. literally, word
ppp19172#pid#4679. 'His brothers saw' means things that are matters of faith, and in the proximate sense, the descendants of Jacob. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing' as recognizing and understanding, dealt with in `@@@2150`, `@@@2325`, `@@@2807`, `@@@3764`, `@@@3863`, and from the representation of 'Joseph's brothers' as things that are matters of faith. For in the present chapter 'Joseph' represents the Lord's Divine Spiritual or Divine Truth, while 'his brothers' represents the Church which turns aside from charity to faith, then to faith separated from charity, and after that to falsities, see above in `@@@4665`, `@@@4671`. From this it is clear that by 'Joseph's brothers' here are meant things that are matters of faith; and because the descendants of Jacob were by nature such, these are meant in the proximate sense.
ppp19171#pid#4680. 'That their father loved him more than all his brothers' means that [the Lord's Divine Spiritual or Divine Truth] was joined to the Divine Natural - in the proximate sense, to the Ancient Church meant by 'father'. This is clear from the explanations given above in `@@@4675`, where similar words occur. The reason why in the proximate sense the meaning is that [the Lord's Divine Spiritual or Divine Truth] was joined to the Ancient Church, and why in that sense 'father' is used to mean that Church, is that in the proximate sense, as stated immediately above in `@@@4679`, the descendants of Jacob and therefore the Church that was represented among them are meant by 'Joseph's brothers'. This whole matter has been discussed several times already, but in view of the train of thought that occurs in what follows the main points will be restated briefly here.
ttt[2] The Ancient Church established by the Lord after the Flood was a representative Church. It was the kind of Church in which the external features of its worship, every single one, represented the celestial and spiritual things belonging to the Lord's kingdom, and in the highest sense represented those Divine things which are the Lord's own. Every single internal aspect of its worship however had to do with charity. This Church was widespread in much of the Asiatic world and in many kingdoms there. And although differences existed among them so far as teachings about matters of faith were concerned, there was nevertheless one Church because all people everywhere made charity the essential element of the Church. People at that time who separated faith from charity and made faith the essential element of the Church were called Ham. But in process of time this Church turned aside to idolatrous practices, and in Egypt, Babylon, and other places to magical ones; for they began to worship external things devoid of anything internal. So because they departed from charity, heaven departed from them, and in its place spirits from hell came and led them.
ttt[3] Once this Church had been laid in ruins a new Church originating in Eber came into being, which was called the Hebrew Church. This existed in Syria and Mesopotamia, and also among other nations in the land of Canaan. But it differed from the Ancient Church in that it made sacrifices the essential requirement of external worship. It did, it is true, acknowledge charity as the inner substance of worship, but not so much with the heart as the Ancient Church had done. This Church too became idolatrous.
ttt[4] At length the Lord was pleased to establish a new type of Church among Abraham's descendants through Jacob and to introduce among that nation the external features of the worship of the Ancient Church. But that nation was the kind that could not accept anything internal constituting the Church because their hearts were utterly opposed to charity. For this reason no more than what was representative of the Church was set up among that nation. From this it is now clear that 'Jacob's sons' or 'Joseph's brothers' in the proximate sense means that kind of Church, and that 'Jacob their father' means the Ancient Church. Furthermore, in many other places in the Word, especially the prophetical part, 'Jacob' is used to mean the Ancient Church, in addition to which this Church - the Ancient - is frequently called 'father' or 'mother', 'father' to refer to its good and 'mother' to its truth. From this it is now evident that 'their father loved Joseph more than all his brothers' means that the Lord's Divine Truth was joined to the Ancient Church.
ppp19170#pid#4681. 'And they hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him' means contempt and aversion, that is to say, contempt for Divine Truth represented by 'Joseph', and an aversion to it. This is clear from the meaning of 'hating' as holding in contempt, for in the internal sense 'hatred' does not mean hatred as this exists with people given to hatred (for as this word rises up to heaven it takes on a milder meaning, because in heaven they do not know what hatred is, and therefore it is contempt that is meant by it); and from the meaning of 'not being able to speak peaceably to him' as being averse, for speaking peaceably is wishing another person well. Indeed by peace the ancients understood in the highest sense the Lord Himself, in the internal sense His kingdom and life in that kingdom, which is a state of salvation. But in the external sense they understood a comparable state in the world, which is a state of healthiness. The reverse of this is meant by being 'unable to speak peaceably to him', that is, not wishing him well, and so being averse, in this case to Divine Truth.
ppp19169#pid#4682. 'And Joseph dreamed a dream' means a declaration concerning Himself. This is clear from the meaning of 'dreaming a dream' as declaring. And because the dream has to do with Joseph, a declaration concerning the Lord's Divine Human is meant. The reason why 'a dream' here means a declaration is that Joseph's two dreams contain in summary form all that was foreseen and provided concerning Joseph. This in the internal sense means that which was foreseen and provided regarding Divine Truth within the kind of Church represented by 'Joseph's brothers', that is, the kind that starts out from faith. What is more, Divine Truths were made known in ancient times either through the spoken word, or through visions, or through dreams, followed by declarations made on the basis of these. Consequently by 'prophets' in the Word - to whom Divine truth was made known either through the spoken word, or through visions, or through dreams - are meant teachers of truths, and in the abstract sense the truths of doctrine, `@@@2534`.
ttt[2] The same is therefore meant by 'seeing visions', and 'dreaming dreams', as in Joel,
I will pour out My spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy; your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on your men servants and women servants in those days I will pour out My spirit. `Joel 2bbb28-29`.
'Pouring out the spirit on these' stands for informing them of truths, 'prophesying' for teaching and declaring them, as also does 'dreaming dreams'. 'Old men' stands for those who have wisdom, 'young men' for those who have intelligence, and 'men servants' for those who have knowledge.
ttt[3] In Jeremiah,
Thus said Jehovah Zebaoth, Pay no attention to the words of prophets prophesying to you; they render you worthless. They speak a vision of their own heart, not from the mouth of Jehovah I have heard what the prophets have said, who prophesied a lie in My name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed! Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let him who has My word tell My word truthfully. Behold, I am against those prophesying lying dreams, said Jehovah; they tell them and lead My people astray by their lies. `Jeremiah 23bbb16`, `Jeremiah 23bbbccc25`, `Jeremiah 23bbbccc28`, `Jeremiah 23bbbccc32`.
Here also 'prophesying' stands for teaching and declaring, but from lying dreams which are the substance of their declaration.
ttt[4] The same theme occurs elsewhere, as in `Jeremiah 29bbb8-9`; `Zechariah 10bbb2`. In Moses:
When a prophet or the dreamer of a dream arises in the midst of you, who has given you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder comes to pass, which he has spoken to you, saying, Let us go to other gods, whom you have not known, and let us serve them; you shall not obey the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of a dream. And that prophet and that dreamer of a dream shall be slain because he has spoken rebellion against Jehovah your God. `Deuteronomy 13bbb1-3`, `Deuteronomy 13bbbccc5`.
'A prophet' and 'the dreamer of a dream' both stand for one who teaches and declares, in this case falsities.
ppp19168#pid#4683. 'And he told it to his brothers' means to the adherents to faith separated from charity. This is clear from the representation of 'Joseph's brothers' as the Church which turns aside from charity to faith, and in the abstract sense as things that are matters of faith, dealt with above in `@@@4665`, `@@@4671`, `@@@4679`. In this case the adherents to faith separated from charity are meant because the statement that follows about them hating him all the more means still greater contempt and aversion. The position with that Church is that when it first comes into being its members proclaim charity. But they are led to do so solely on the basis of doctrine and thus of factual knowledge, not of actual charity nor thus of affection or what is in their hearts. In course of time, as charity and affection are blotted out in their hearts they proclaim faith, and at length when no charity exists any longer they proclaim faith alone, saying that this faith without works enables one to be saved. At this point also they no longer call works the works of charity but those of faith, naming them the fruits of faith.
ttt[2] Members of that Church do, it is true, link faith and works together in this way, but doctrine, not life, is the basis on which they do so. And because they do not make salvation depend in any way at all on the life of faith, which is good, only on faith - even though they know plainly from the Word, and their own understanding also tells them, that doctrine is nothing without life, or that faith is nothing without its fruits - they make the saving power of faith depend on confidence. As a result of this they also forsake the fruits of faith, unaware that all confidence owes its existence to the end in view which is life, or that true confidence cannot possibly exist except in good, and that spurious and also false confidence rest in evil. And to set faith and charity even further apart they also declare persuasively that the confidence of only a moment's duration, engendered even in the final moment of life, can save a person, no matter what his life had been prior to that. Yet for all this they know that the life which is his own awaits everyone after death and that each will be judged according to the works he has done in life. These few remarks make clear the nature of faith separated from charity, and therefore the nature of the Church which makes faith essential and not the life of faith. The falsities which flow from this as their fountainhead will in the Lord's Divine mercy be mentioned further on.
ppp19167#pid#4684. 'And they hated him all the more' means still greater contempt and aversion. This is clear from what has been stated above in `@@@4681`, where similar words occur.
ppp19166#pid#4685. 'And he said to them, Hear now this dream which I have dreamed' means the contents of the declaration. This is clear from the meaning of 'dreaming a dream' as a declaration, dealt with above in `@@@4682`, in this case the contents of the declaration because the nature of the dream he had follows next.
ppp19165#pid#4686. 'Behold, we were binding sheaves in the middle of the field' means that they were teaching from doctrine. This is clear from the meaning of 'a sheaf' as doctrine, and consequently of 'binding sheaves' as teaching from doctrine, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'a field' as the Church, dealt with in `@@@2971`, `@@@3766`, `@@@4440`, `@@@4443`. 'The middle of the field' means the more internal part of the Church and so those who are governed by faith that is grounded in some charity - 'the middle' meaning in the internal sense that which is more internal and that which is inmost, `@@@1074`, `@@@2940`, `@@@2973`. For every Church has members in the middle, that is, those who are its inmost ones. They consist of those governed by charity, or in this case by faith grounded in some charity. With these the Lord is present because the Lord is present within charity and through charity within faith, `@@@4672`. It is also evident that these people are meant from what follows - from the description that Joseph's sheaf arose and the remaining sheaves gathered around it. By 'Joseph's sheaf' is meant doctrine drawn from the Lord's Divine Truth.
ttt[2] The reason 'a sheaf means doctrine is that 'a field' means the Church, as has just been stated, while the grain-crop in the field means truth present in the Church. Thus a sheaf of the crop means doctrine containing truth. 'Sheaves' has a similar meaning in David,
Those who sow in tears will reap with singing; he who indeed goes forth weeping, carrying a cast of seed, will indeed come with singing, carrying his sheaves. `Psalms 126bbb5-6`.
This refers to people who have been in spiritual captivity and then have been set free. 'Carrying a cast of seed' stands for instruction in truths, 'coming with singing' for the gladness that results from the affection for truth, 'carrying sheaves' for matters of doctrine belonging to that truth.
ppp19164#pid#4687. 'And behold, my sheaf arose and also stood up' means teaching concerning the Lord's Divine Human. This is clear from the meaning of 'a sheaf' as doctrinal teaching, dealt with immediately above; and from the meaning of 'arising and standing up' as that which is the highest and is going to reign and which they are going to worship. The highest object of worship is the Lord's Divine Human, as is evident from the descriptions which follow: The eleven sheaves bowed down to that sheaf, and in the second dream the sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed down to Joseph (meaning that which is highest and is going to reign and which they are going to worship), on account of which dreams Jacob says, 'Are we indeed to come - I and your mother, and your brothers - to bow down to you to the earth?' The Lord's Divine Truth is that which is represented by 'Joseph', as stated above, the highest aspect of it being the Lord Himself, and the highest among matters of doctrine being that His Human is Divine.
ttt[2] So far as this highest matter of doctrine is concerned, the Most Ancient Church, which was celestial and was called Man more so than all others, worshipped the Infinite Being (Esse) and the Infinite Manifestation (Existens) of that Being. And because they could not have any perception of an Infinite Being, yet could have - from what they could perceive in their internal man, what they could experience with their senses in their external man, and what was visible to them in the world - some perception of the Infinite Manifestation of the Infinite Being, they therefore worshipped the Infinite Manifestation which held the Infinite Being within it. That Infinite Manifestation holding the Infinite Being within it they perceived as a Divine Man. They did so because they knew that the Infinite Manifestation was brought forth from the Infinite Being by means of heaven. And because heaven is the Grand Man corresponding to every single part of the human being - as has been shown at the ends of chapters before this one and will be shown at the ends of several more coming after it they were unable to have through perception any other conception of the Infinite Manifestation of an Infinite Being than that of a Divine Man. For whatever passes from the Infinite Being by way of heaven as the Grand Man presents an image of that Being in every single thing. When that celestial Church started to fall they foresaw that that Infinite Manifestation could not continue any longer to come into people's minds and that this being so the human race would perish. For this reason they received by revelation the knowledge that One was to be born who would make Divine the Human within Himself and in this way an Infinite Manifestation like that which had existed previously would come about, and would at length be one with the Infinite Being as this had also been previously. From this arose their prophecy concerning the Lord contained in `Genesis 3bbb15`.
ttt[3] This whole matter is described in John as follows,
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us; and we beheld His glory as of the Only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. `John 1bbb1-4`, `John 1bbbccc14`.
'The Word' is Divine Truth which in its Essence is the Infinite Manifestation of the Infinite Being, and is the Human of the Lord Himself. This Human is the source from which Divine truth now proceeds and flows into heaven, and through heaven into the minds of men. Consequently this Human rules and governs everything, even as it has done so from eternity; for it is one and the same with the Infinite being by virtue of His joining the Human to the Divine, which He effected by making even the Human within Him Divine. From this it may now be seen that the highest aspect of Divine truth is the Lord's Divine Human, and from this that the Church's highest matter of doctrine is that His Human is Divine.
ppp19163#pid#4688. 'And behold, your sheaves gathered round it' means those who were governed by faith, that is to say, by faith grounded in some charity. This is clear from the meaning of 'gathering round' here as an approach in order to worship, for the statement follows that 'they bowed down to his sheaf', by which worship is meant; and from the meaning of 'a sheaf' as doctrine, dealt with just above in `@@@4686`, in this case every aspect of doctrine, that is, every aspect of faith. The reason 'sheaves' has this meaning here is that all the sons of Jacob represent in the genuine sense every aspect of faith, `@@@3858`, `@@@3926`, and so also do 'sheaves' because in the dream these stood in place of the sons of Jacob. 'Sheaves' also has that meaning because what was seen took place in the middle of the field, and 'the middle of the field' means that which is more internal, or those within the Church who are more internal ones, dealt with in `@@@4686`, and so means those governed by faith grounded in charity. These are the ones who are meant by the sheaves which gathered round and bowed down to Joseph's sheaf. The fact that those who were more external, that is, more remote from the middle, and whom 'Joseph's brothers' stand for here in the proper sense, are not meant is evident from what is stated before and after, namely that they hated him all the more, that is, they held him in contempt and turned away in aversion. For 'hating,' 'not speaking peaceably', and 'being envious' - expressions used in reference to his brothers - mean contempt and aversion.
ppp19162#pid#4689. 'And bowed down to my sheaf' means worship. This is clear from the meaning of 'bowing down' as the expression of humility, dealt with in `@@@2153`, and therefore as worship; and from the meaning of 'Joseph's sheaf' here as the teaching concerning the Lord's Divine Human, dealt with in `@@@4687`, and so means the Divine Human which those in the more internal part of the Church worshipped. But those who are more external, that is, the adherents to faith separated from charity, do anything but worship it. Faith separated from charity leads to this lack of worship because, as stated above, the Lord is present within charity but not within faith except through charity, for charity is the means by which a joining together is effected. What is truth without good, and what is the understanding without the will? So what can faith be without charity, or what can confidence be without the essence of it?
ttt[2] The fact that adherents to faith separated from charity do anything but worship the Lord's Divine Human has been proved to me quite clearly from this kind of people entering the next life from the Christian world, many of whom I have spoken to. For in that life it is not their lips that speak, as in the world, but people's hearts. Everyone's thoughts there are communicated far more perfectly than by the use of any speech in the world; nor are those there allowed to say anything other than what they think, and so what they believe. Many of those who have also preached the Lord in the world deny Him altogether in the next life. If one asks what end or purpose they had in view when they preached Him and also worshipped Him outwardly with reverence, one learns that they did so because the office they held required them to do so and because they thereby acquired important positions and wealth. And those who did not preach Him but did nevertheless confess Him did so because they were born inside the Church and would have earned themselves a bad reputation if they had spoken out against religion. Not a single person from the Christian world knows that the Lord's Human is Divine, and scarcely any that He alone rules heaven and the whole world, let alone that His Divine Human is the all in heaven. The truth of this could not have been plainly revealed because the Lord foresaw that the Christian Church would turn aside from charity to faith, thereby separating itself from Him, and so would not only cast aside but would also profane the holiness proceeding from His Divine Human. For faith separated from charity cannot do anything other than this.
ttt[3] Faith is clearly separated from charity at the present day. For doctrinal reasons one Church separates itself from another, and any individual who believes something different from what official doctrine teaches is excommunicated and also vilified. But anyone who acts like a robber, mercilessly depriving others of their goods, provided he does not do so openly, or who practices deceit against his neighbour, or infects the works of charity with dishonour, or commits adultery, is for all that called a Christian, provided that he attends church services and utters what doctrine teaches. From this it is evident that at the present day doctrine constitutes the Church, not life, and that the fruits which people link with faith reside merely in doctrine and have no place at all in their minds.
ppp19161#pid#4690. 'And his brothers said to him' means the adherents to faith separated from charity. This is clear from the representation of 'Joseph's brothers' as the Church which turns aside from charity to faith and at length separates faith from charity, dealt with in `@@@4665`, `@@@4671`, `@@@4679`. The more internal members of that Church however were meant by the sheaves seen in the dream, `@@@4686`, `@@@4688`. The reason 'Joseph's brothers' represent that Church is that in the proximate sense they mean that which was a representative of the Church, that is, the semblance of religion established among the descendants of Jacob. They did not, it is true, know anything of faith such as the Christian Church knows of, but they knew of truth. Truth for them consisted in the same things as faith does for Christians. What is more, the same word is used in the original language for both faith and truth. But by truth the Jewish Church meant the Ten Commandments, and also the laws, judgements, testimonies, and statutes which were handed down to it through Moses. Interior aspects of truth they neither knew nor wished to know.
ttt[2] The Christian Church however applies the term faith to matters of doctrine which constitute the more internal features of the Church and are called matters of belief. For by faith the ordinary people understand nothing other than that contained in the Creeds or that taught by books expounding the Creeds. But those who think that matters of doctrine concerning faith or knowledge of these cannot save anyone, and that few lead the life of faith, call faith confidence. But these are above the ordinary people and are more learned than others. From these considerations one may see that the subject at this point in the internal sense is not only that representative of the Church which had been established among the descendants of Jacob but also the Christian Church that followed it. For the Lord's Word is all-embracing and in general includes every Church. Indeed the Lord foresaw what the Christian Church would be like no less than what the Jewish Church would be like, though more immediately or proximately in the case of the Jewish. This is why this sense is called the proximate or internal historical sense, and the other the internal sense.
ppp19160#pid#4691. 'Are you indeed going to reign over us? Or are you indeed going to have dominion over us?' means, Were the concepts in their understandings and the desires in their wills to be made subject to it? This is clear from the meaning of 'reigning' as the subjection of concepts in the understanding, and from the meaning of 'having dominion' as the subjection of desires in the will. This meaning of 'reigning over them' and 'having dominion over them' - being made subject to - is self-evident; but the reason both expressions are used here is that one has regard to concepts in the understanding, the other to desires in the will. It is common in the Word, especially in the prophetical part, for one particular matter to be described by a dual expression. Anyone unaware of the arcanum lying behind this inevitably supposes that it is no more than a repetition made for the sake of emphasis. But that is not the case. Within every single part of the Word the heavenly marriage is present, namely the marriage of truth to good and of good to truth, just as there is a marriage of understanding and will in the human being. One part of a dual expression has reference to truth, the other to good, so that one has to do with the understanding since that is where truth belongs, the other with the will since this is where good belongs. Expressions used in the Word consist of words which in every case mean things like these. This is the arcanum lying behind the use of a dual expression to describe one particular matter, see `@@@683`, `@@@793`, `@@@801`, `@@@2173`, `@@@2516`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc2712`, `@@@4138`(end). So that is the case here also with 'reigning over them' and 'having dominion over them'. 'Reigning' has regard to truth which belongs in the understanding, while 'dominion' has regard to good which belongs in the will; also, 'a kingdom' is used in reference to truth, `@@@1672`, `@@@2547`, and 'dominion' to good, as is also the case in Daniel where again the Lord's Divine Human is the subject,
To Him was given dominion and glory and kingdom, so that all peoples, nations and languages might worship Him. His dominion is an eternal dominion which will not pass away, and His kingdom one that will not perish. `Daniel 7bbb14`.
And in David,
Your kingdom is a kingdom to all eternity, and Your dominion to every generation after generation. `Psalms 145bbb13`.
ppp19159#pid#4692. 'And they hated him all the more for his dreams and for his words' means still greater contempt and aversion on account of that declaration of truth, namely concerning the Lord's Divine Human. This is clear from the meaning of 'adding' as making still greater; from the meaning of 'hating' as holding in contempt and turning away in aversion, dealt with above in `@@@4681`; from the meaning of 'a dream' as a declaration, also dealt with above, in `@@@4682`, `@@@4685`; and from the meaning of 'words' as truths. The reason 'words' means truths is that every word in heaven is received from the Lord, and therefore 'words' in the internal sense means truths, while 'the Word' in general means all Divine Truth.
ttt[2] The subject in particular is that the Church which has separated faith from charity holds in utter contempt and turns away in utter aversion from the highest truth of all - the truth that the Lord's Human is Divine. All who belonged to the Ancient Church and did not separate charity from faith believed that the God of the whole world was a Divine Man, and that He was the Divine Being (Esse), which also was why they called Him Jehovah. They knew of Him as such from the most ancient people, and also because He had appeared to many of their brethren as Man. They also knew that all the ritual and external practices of their Church represented Him. But those who adhered to faith separated from charity were unable to share that belief of those who did not separate faith from charity because they could not grasp how the Human could ever be Divine, or that Divine love could make it such. For anything they did not grasp with some idea acquired through their bodily senses they considered to be worthless. This is what faith separated from charity is like; for with those people the internal degree of perception is closed because nothing intermediate exists to enable one to flow into the other.
ttt[3] The Jewish Church which came next did in fact believe that Jehovah was Man as well as God, because He had appeared to Moses and the Prophets as a human being, on account of which they called every angel who appeared Jehovah. Yet their idea of Him was no different from ideas the gentiles had of their gods, though they preferred Jehovah God because He could work miracles, `@@@4299`. They were unaware of the fact that this Jehovah was the Lord in the Word, `@@@2921`, `@@@3035`, and that His Divine Human was represented in all their religious observances. They had no other idea of the Messiah or Christ than one who would be a very great prophet, greater than Moses, and a very great king, greater than David, who would lead them into the land of Canaan to the accompaniment of amazing miracles. Of His heavenly kingdom they did not wish to hear anything at all, for the reason that they grasped none but worldly ideas since they were people separated from charity.
ttt[4] The Christian Church, it is true, does in its religious services adore the Lord's Human as one that is Divine. It does so in particular in the Holy Supper, because He has said that the bread there is His body, and the wine His blood. But they do not in their doctrine make His Human Divine, for they make a distinction between His Divine nature and His human nature. Also, they make this distinction because the Church has turned aside from charity to faith, and at length to faith separated from charity. And failing to acknowledge that the Lord's Human is Divine, many go wrong and in their heart deny Him, `@@@4689`. Yet the truth of the matter is that the Lord's Divine Human is the Divine Manifestation of the Divine Being, dealt with above in `@@@4687`, and that He Himself is the Divine Being; for Divine Being and Divine Manifestation make one, as the Lord also plainly teaches in John,
Jesus said to Philip, Have I been so long a time with you and you do not know Me? He who has seen Me has seen the Father. Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me. `John 14bbb9-11`.
The same teaching occurs elsewhere. The Divine Manifestation is the Divine itself proceeding from the Divine Being and in image is Man, since heaven, of which He is its all, represents the Grand Man, as stated above in `@@@4687` and shown at the ends of chapters where the correspondence with heaven of everything in the human being is dealt with. The Lord, it is true, was born as any human being is born, and received an infirm human from His mother; but the Lord cast out this human completely, to the point of His being no longer Mary's son, and made the Human within Himself Divine, which is what is meant by His being glorified. He also showed Peter, James, and John that He was a Divine Man, when He was transfigured.
ppp19158#pid#4693. 'And he dreamed yet another dream' means a further declaration. This is clear from the meaning of 'a dream' as a declaration, dealt with above in `@@@4682`.
ppp19157#pid#4694. 'And he recounted it to his brothers, and said' means to the adherents to faith separated from charity. This is clear from the representation of 'Joseph's brothers' as those who are adherents to faith separated from charity, dealt with above in `@@@4665`, `@@@4671`, `@@@4679`, `@@@4690`.
ppp19156#pid#4695. 'Behold, I have dreamed a dream again' means the contents, that is to say, of the declaration. This is clear from what has been stated above in `@@@4685`.
ppp19155#pid#4696. 'And behold, the sun and the moon' means natural good and natural truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'the sun' as celestial good, dealt with in `@@@1529`, `@@@1530`, `@@@2120`, `@@@2441`, `@@@2495`, `@@@3636`, `@@@3643`, `@@@4060`; and from the meaning of 'the moon' as spiritual good, which is truth, dealt with in `@@@1529`, `@@@1530`, `@@@2495`. In the highest sense 'the sun' means the Lord because He is seen as the sun by those in heaven who are governed by celestial love, and in the highest sense 'the moon' too means the Lord because He is seen as the moon by those in heaven who are governed by spiritual love. Also He is the source of every ray of light in heaven. Consequently the light received from the sun there is the celestial form of love, which is good, and the light received from the moon there is the spiritual form of love, which is truth. Here therefore 'the sun' means natural good and 'the moon' natural truth, since these two sources of light are used to refer to Jacob and Leah (as is evident from verse `Genesis 37bbbccc10`, where Jacob says, 'Shall we indeed come - I and your mother, and your brothers - to bow down to you to the earth?') and 'Jacob' represents natural good and 'Leah' natural truth, as shown already in various places. The Divine which comes from the Lord is in the highest sense the Divine within Him, but in the relative sense is the Divine going forth from Him. The Divine good received from Him is that which is called celestial, and the Divine truth received from Him is that which is referred to as spiritual. When the rational receives these it is in this case the good and truth of the rational that are meant; but when the natural receives them it is the good and truth of the natural that are meant. Here the good and truth of the natural are meant because the words used refer to Jacob and Leah.
ppp19154#pid#4697. 'And the eleven stars' means cognitions of good and truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'stars' as cognitions of good and truth. The reason 'stars' in the Word means those cognitions is that they are tiny sources of light shining in the night, which send out flickers of light at that time into our sky, even as cognitions transmit glimmers of goodness and truth. This meaning of 'stars' as those cognitions may be seen from many places in the Word, as in Jeremiah,
[Thus] said Jehovah who gives the sun for light by day and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar. `Jeremiah 31bbb35`.
This refers to a new Church. 'Giving the sun for light by day' means good flowing from love and charity, and 'the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for light by night' means truth and cognitions.
ttt[2] Similarly in David,
Jehovah who made the great lights, the sun to have dominion by day, the moon and stars to have dominion by night. `Psalms 136bbb7-9`.
Anyone unacquainted with the internal sense of the Word will presume that here 'the sun' is used to mean the sun of this world, and 'the moon and stars' to mean the moon and the stars, but no spiritual and heavenly meaning comes out of that presumption. Yet the Word in every individual part is heavenly. From this it is also evident that it is the goods of love and charity, and the truths of faith, together with cognitions of these, that are meant.
ttt[3] This is similar to what occurs in Chapter `Genesis ccc1bbb0` of Genesis, where the new creation of the heavenly man is the subject,
God said, Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens, to make a distinction between the day and the night; and they will be for signs, and for set times, and for days and for years. And they will be for lights in the expanse of the heavens, to give light upon the earth; and it was so. And God made the two great lights, the greater light to have dominion over the day, and the lesser light to have dominion over the night, and the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth, and to have dominion over the day and the night, and to make a distinction between the light and the darkness. `Genesis 1bbb14-18`.
See [in Volume One, paragraphs] `@@@30-38`.
ttt[4] In Matthew,
Immediately after the affliction of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. `Matthew 24bbb29`.
Here 'the sun' and 'the moon' mean love and charity, or good and truth, while 'stars' means cognitions - see `@@@4060`; and because the last day or last state of the Church is the subject here, 'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light' means that at that time the good of love and charity will perish, and 'the stars will fall from heaven' means that the cognitions of good and truth will perish too. That these things are meant is evident from the prophetical parts of the Word where similar descriptions occur regarding the day or state of the Church.
ttt[5] As in Isaiah,
Behold, the day of Jehovah will come, cruel, to make the earth a waste, and He will destroy sinners from it. For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not shine with their light. The sun will be obscured in its rising, and the moon will not give its light. `Isaiah 13bbb9-10`.
In Joel,
The day of Jehovah is near. The sun and the moon have been darkened, and the stars have withdrawn their shining. `Joel 3bbb14-15`.
In Ezekiel,
When I have blotted you out, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars, I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light. All the bright lights in heaven I will make dark over you, and I will put darkness over your land. `Ezekiel 32bbb7-8`.
And in John,
The fourth angel sounded, and a third part of the sun was struck, and a third part of the moon, and a third part of the stars, so that a third part of them was darkened and the day did not shine for a third part of it; and the night likewise. `Revelation 8bbb12`.
ttt[6] This meaning of 'stars' as cognitions of good and truth is in addition evident from the following places: In Daniel,
Out of one horn of the he-goat of the she-goats there grew one small-sized horn and it grew exceedingly towards the south, and towards the east, and towards the glorious [land]; and it grew even towards the hosts of heaven, and it cast down to the earth some of the host, and of the stars, and trampled on them. `Daniel 8bbb9-10`.
And in John,
The great dragon drew with his tail a third part of the stars of heaven and cast them down to the earth. `Revelation 12bbb4`.
Clearly the actual stars are not meant here, the subject in Daniel and John being the state of the Church in the last times.
ttt[7] Similarly in David,
Jehovah counts the number of stars; He gives names to them all. `Psalms 147bbb4`.
In the same author,
Praise Jehovah, sun and moon; praise Him, all stars of light. `Psalms 148bbb3`.
In John,
A great sign was seen in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. `Revelation 12bbb1`.
ttt[8] Since cognitions of good and truth are meant by 'stars', the teachings of the Church are meant too, since these are cognitions. Teaching to do with faith separated from charity in the last times is described as 'a star' in the following verses in John,
The third angel sounded, and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and It fell onto a third part of the rivers, and onto the fountains of waters. The name of the star is called Wormwood; and a third part of the waters became wormwood, and many people died in the waters, because they were made bitter. `Revelation 8bbb10-11`.
'The waters' which were made bitter by that star are truths, and 'the rivers' and 'the fountains of waters' are intelligence imparted by those truths, and wisdom from the Word. For 'waters' meaning truths, see `@@@2702`, `@@@3058`, `@@@3424`; for 'rivers' intelligence, `@@@3051`; and for 'fountains' wisdom from the Word, `@@@2702`, `@@@3424`.
ppp19153#pid#4698. 'Were bowing down to me' means worship. This is clear from the meaning of 'bowing down' as worship, dealt with above in `@@@4689`.
ppp19152#pid#4699. 'And he recounted it to his father and to his brothers' means being given to know it. This becomes clear without explanation.
ppp19151#pid#4700. 'And his father rebuked him and said to him, What is this dream that you have dreamed?' means indignation. This is clear from the meaning of 'rebuking' as being indignant, in particular on account of the declaration of the truth concerning the Lord's Divine Human - that declaration being meant by 'dreaming a dream', dealt with in `@@@4682`, `@@@4693`, `@@@4695`. 'Joseph's father and brothers' at this point are the Jewish religion, an offspring of ancient religion. The external ceremony of that Jewish religion was for the most part like that of the Ancient Church. There was however an internal dimension to external rituals in the case of those who belonged to the Ancient Church, but not in the case of those who belonged to the Jewish semblance of religion. For the Jews did not acknowledge the existence of anything internal; nor do they at the present day. But though they failed to acknowledge it, something internal did exist. External ceremony together with the internal side of it is called 'father' here, but external ceremony devoid of any such internal is called 'brothers'. This accounts for the phrases which follow, stating that 'his brothers envied him' and 'his father kept the matter [in mind]'. The first phrase means the aversion of those whose external ceremony is devoid of anything internal, the second means that truth nevertheless remained within their kind of religion.
ttt[2] It is much the same with the Christian Church. Those of its members among whom external ceremony is devoid of anything internal eat the bread and drink the wine in the Holy Supper; but their thought goes no further than the idea that they should do this because it has been commanded and the Church has complied. Some of these people also believe that the bread and the wine are holy, yet not that the bread and wine contain what is holy because the bread corresponds to the holiness of love and charity in heaven and the wine to the holiness of charity and faith there, `@@@3464`, `@@@3735`. But those members of the Church among whom external worship is at the same time internal do not venerate the bread and wine but the Lord whom these represent, and from whom springs the holiness of love, charity, and faith. They are led to do this not by doctrine but by love, charity, and faith which have been assimilated by them into their life.
ppp19150#pid#4701. 'Shall we indeed come - I and your mother, and your brothers - to bow down to you to the earth?' means, Will the Church come to worship? This is clear from the meaning of 'coming to bow down' as coming to worship, dealt with in `@@@4689`, `@@@4698`; and from the meaning of 'father and mother' ('I' being in this instance his father) and also of 'brothers' as the Church, in this case the Jewish Church, as immediately above.
ppp19149#pid#4702. 'And his brothers envied him' means their aversion. This is clear from the meaning of 'envying' - like 'hating' and 'not speaking peaceably to him', as above in `@@@4681` - as aversion. The word for 'envying' in the original language also means vying and wrangling with someone; and because vying and wrangling are the outcome of hatred, aversion too is meant by that same word.
ppp19148#pid#4703. 'And his father kept the matter [in mind]' means that truth remained within their semblance of religion. This is clear from the meaning here of 'father' as the Jewish religion, an offspring of ancient religion, dealt with above in `@@@4700`; from the meaning of 'keeping' as preserving within, and so as remaining; and from the meaning of 'word' as truth, dealt with above in `@@@4692`. What else is meant by the statement that truth remained within their semblance of religion, see above in `@@@4700`.
ppp19147#pid#4704. Verses `Genesis 37bbbccc12-17` And his brothers went to pasture the flock of their father, in Shechem. And Israel said to Joseph, Are not your brothers pasturing [the flock] in Shechem? Go, and I will send you to them. And he said to him, Behold, here I am. And he said to him, Go now, see the peace of your brothers and the peace of the flock,`fff1` and bring back word to me. And he sent him out of the Valley of Hebron and he came to Shechem. And a man found him, and behold, he was wandering in the field; and the man asked him, saying, What are you looking for? And he said, I am looking for my brothers; tell me now, where they are pasturing [the flock]. And the man said, They have travelled on from here, for I heard them saying, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brothers, and found them in Dothan.
'His brothers went to pasture the flock' means those teaching from faith. 'Of their father' means of the Ancient Church and of the Primitive [Christian] Church. 'In Shechem' means the broad outlines. 'And Israel said to Joseph' means perception from the Divine Spiritual. 'Are not your brothers pasturing [the flock] in Shechem?' means that they are teaching. 'Go, and I will send you to them' means that it would teach Divine spiritual forms of good. 'And he said, Behold, here I am' means assent. 'And he said to him, Go now, see the peace of your brothers' means every coming of the Lord, and a perception of what the situation was with those who taught. 'And the peace of the flock' means what the situation was with those who learned, that is, with the Church. 'And bring back word to me' means knowledge. 'And he sent him out of the Valley of Hebron' means going forth from the Divine Natural and Sensory degrees. 'And he came to Shechem' means knowledge of the general aspects of doctrine. 'And a man found him, and behold, he was wandering in the field' means that they had fallen away from general truth known to the Church. 'And the man asked him, saying, What are you looking for?' means foresight. 'And he said, I am looking for my brothers; tell me now, where they are pasturing [the flock]' means knowledge of what the situation was and what their state was. 'And the man said, They have travelled on from here, for I heard them saying, Let us go to Dothan' means that they moved on from the general aspects to the specific details of doctrine. 'And Joseph went after his brothers, and found them in Dothan' means that they were steeped in the specific details belonging to false assumptions.
`nnn1. A Hebrew idiom meaning See whether all is well with your brothers and with the flock.
ppp19146#pid#4705. 'His brothers went to pasture the flock' means those teaching from faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'Joseph's brothers' as those in the Church who are governed by faith, dealt with above in `@@@4665`, `@@@4671`, `@@@4679`, `@@@4690`, and from the meaning of 'pasturing the flock' as teaching, dealt with in `@@@343`, `@@@3767`, `@@@3768`, `@@@3772`, `@@@3783`.
ppp19145#pid#4706. 'Of their father' means of the Ancient Church and of the Primitive Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'father' here, who in this case is Jacob, as the Ancient Church, dealt with above in `@@@4680` (end). Regarding the Primitive Christian Church being meant too, see `@@@4690` (end), the term Primitive Church being used to mean the Christian Church when it first began. In general the Word describes four separate Churches. There is the Church existing before the Flood, named Man; this is called the Most Ancient Church. Then there is the Church existing after the Flood; this is referred to as the Ancient Church. Also there is the Church existing among the descendants of Jacob which was not a Church but a representative of the Church, which is also called a semblance of religion. And there is the Church which was established after the Lord's Coming and is called the Christian Church; this Church when it first began is referred to as the Primitive Church.
ppp19144#pid#4707. 'In Shechem' means the broad outlines. This is clear from the meaning of 'Shechem' as truth derived from an ancient Divine stock, dealt with in `@@@4399`, `@@@4454`, and as doctrine, `@@@4472`, `@@@4473`. At this point it is the broad outlines of doctrine concerning faith that are meant, for what a name has reference to is determined by the subject of the train of thought in which it appears. The broad outlines are also the general aspects of doctrine, it being general aspects that are received first, then specific details follow after that.
ppp19143#pid#4708. 'And Israel said to Joseph' means perception from the Divine Spiritual. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in the historical narratives of the Word as perceiving, dealt with in `@@@1791`, `@@@1815`, `@@@1819`, `@@@1822`, `@@@1898`, `@@@1919`, `@@@2080`, `@@@2619`, `@@@2862`, `@@@3395`, `@@@3509`, and from the representation of 'Joseph' as the Divine Spiritual, dealt with in `@@@4669`.
ppp19142#pid#4709. 'Are not your brothers pasturing [the flock] in Shechem?' means that they are teaching. This is clear from the meaning of 'pasturing' as teaching, dealt with just above in `@@@4705`; and from the meaning of 'Shechem' as the broad outlines of doctrine concerning faith, dealt with just above in `@@@4707`.
ppp19141#pid#4710. 'Go, and I will send you to them' means that it would teach Divine spiritual forms of good. This is clear from the representation of 'Joseph' as the Lord's Divine Spiritual, dealt with in `@@@4669`, `@@@4708`. When this Spiritual is said 'to be sent', the teaching of Divine spiritual forms of good is meant. In the internal sense 'being sent' means coming out and going forth, `@@@2397`, and also at the same time means teaching; here therefore Divine spiritual forms of good which go forth from the Lord's Divine Spiritual are meant Divine spiritual forms of good are attributes of love and charity, whereas Divine spiritual truths are attributes of faith derived from love and charity. Anyone who teaches those forms of good also teaches these truths, for these truths derive from and have reference to those forms of good. The fact that 'being sent' means going forth and teaching may be seen from many places in the Word. It may be seen in the phrase used many times, that the Lord 'was sent from the Father', meaning that He came forth from Him, that is, from Divine Good. It may also be seen in references to the Lord sending the Paraclete or the Spirit of truth, meaning that holy truth goes forth from Him. The prophets too 'were sent', and by this is meant that they were to teach that which goes forth from the Lord. Anyone may confirm these matters from the Word, for they occur frequently there.
ppp19140#pid#4711. 'And he said, Behold, here I am' means assent. This becomes clear without explanation.
ppp19139#pid#4712. 'And he said to him, Go now, see the peace of your brothers' means every coming of the Lord, and a perception of what the situation was with those who taught. This is clear from the meaning of 'laying' as perception, dealt with just above in `@@@4708`; from the meaning of 'peace' as salvation, dealt with in `@@@4681`, and so a perception of what the situation was; and from the representation of 'brothers' here as those teaching from faith, dealt with above in `@@@4705`. From this it is evident that the words used here mean a perception of what the situation was with those who taught. The reason every coming of the Lord is also meant is that 'Joseph' represents the Lord's Divine Spiritual, `@@@4669`, `@@@4708`, `@@@4710`, and therefore when it is said that Joseph was told to 'go and see the peace of his brothers' His coming is meant. The expression 'every coming' is used to describe whenever truth enters into thought from the Word.
ppp19138#pid#4713. 'And the peace of the flock' means what the situation was with those who learned, that is, with the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'peace' as what the situation was, dealt with immediately above in `@@@4712`, and from the meaning of 'the flock' as those who learn. For 'a shepherd' or one who pastures the flock means the one who teaches and leads to good flowing from charity, while 'the flock' means the one who learns and is led, dealt with in `@@@343`, and so means the Church also.
ppp19137#pid#4714. 'And bring back word to me' means knowledge. This is clear from the meaning of 'bringing back word' as describing what the situation was, and so means knowledge.
ppp19136#pid#4715. 'And he sent him out of the Valley of Hebron' means going forth from the Divine Natural and Sensory degrees. This is clear from the meaning of 'being sent' as going forth and teaching, dealt with above in `@@@4710`; from the meaning of 'a valley' as things that are low, dealt with in `@@@1723`, `@@@3417`; and from the meaning of 'Hebron' as the Lord's Church as regards good, dealt with in `@@@2909`. The words used at this point accordingly mean that it was to teach the lower things of the Church, for the reason that people would not grasp the higher ones. Indeed one who teaches faith and not charity cannot possibly discern the higher and more internal things of the Church since he does not possess the wherewithal that leads him to see and lays down for him whether a particular idea is part of faith or is the truth. But if he teaches charity he is in that case in possession of good. Good lays down the truth for him and leads him, for all truth stems from good and has to do with good; or what amounts to the same, every aspect of faith stems from charity and has to do with charity. The fact that everything taught by doctrine has regard to life anybody can recognize from natural enlightenment alone.
ttt[2] The meaning 'going forth from the Divine Natural and Sensory degrees' carried by the words used here is their higher meaning. For the expression 'lower things of the Church' is used to describe those which have their origin in the Lord's Divine Natural and Sensory degrees. Not that within the Lord these things are lower ones - for within the Lord and within His Divine Human everything is Infinite, indeed He is Jehovah as regards both Essences, `@@@2156`, `@@@2329`, `@@@2921`, `@@@3023`. Those things are lower because of what the situation is with man. People who are sensory-minded rely on ideas as grasped by the senses to think of things which exist within the Lord and which go forth from the Lord, and those who are natural-minded rely on natural ideas. The nature of the recipients is the reason for the way any matter is stated. People however who are heavenly-minded and are as a consequence truly rational do perceive interior things. These are the ones of whom it is said that they teach from the Lord's Divine Rational. This, as has been stated, is the higher meaning which these words carry.
ttt[3] The meaning of 'a valley' as the lower things of the Church may be seen from other places in the Word, as in Isaiah,
The prophecy of the valley of vision. What is this, that you have gone up, every one onto the housetops? The Lord Jehovih Zebaoth has a day of tumult and of trampling and of confusion in the valley of vision. `Isaiah 22bbb1`, `Isaiah 22bbbccc5`.
'The valley of vision' stands for false notions about spiritual things - notions formed from sensory impressions, and so from lower things. In the same prophet,
The choicest of your valleys were filled with chariots, and the horsemen positioned themselves at the gate. `Isaiah 22bbb7`.
'The choicest of the valleys' stands for goods and truths within the natural or external man. In the same prophet,
The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of Jehovah; make plain in the lonely place a highway for our God; every valley will be lifted up. `Isaiah 40bbb3-4`.
'Valley' stands for things that are lowly.
ttt[4] In Jeremiah,
How will you say, I have not been defiled, I have not gone after the baalim. Look at your way in the valley; acknowledge what you have done. `Jeremiah 2bbb23`.
'The valley' stands for factual knowledge and sensory impressions, which are lower things, by means of which they would pervert truths. In the same prophet,
I am against you, O inhabitant of the valley, O rock of the plain, said Jehovah, you who say, Who will come down against us? `Jeremiah 21bbb13`.
'Inhabitant of the valley' and 'rock of the plain' stand for faith which has no charity in it. In the same prophet,
He who lays waste will come upon every city, and no city will escape; but the valley will perish, and the plain will be destroyed. `Jeremiah 48bbb8`.
Here the meaning is similar. In the same prophet,
You will not boast of valleys; your valley has flowed away, O perverse daughter. `Jeremiah 49bbb4`.
'Valley' stands for the external things within worship which are also the lowest.
ttt[5] In Ezekiel,
I will give to Gog a place for burial in Israel, the valley of those that pass over. There they will bury Gog and all his multitude, from which they will call it the valley of the multitude of Gog. `Ezekiel 39bbb11`, `Ezekiel 39bbbccc15`.
'Gog' stands for those whose worship is external devoid of internal, `@@@1151`, which is why the expressions 'his grave', 'the valley of those that pass over', and 'the valley of his multitude' are used. In David,
Even when I walk in the valley of the shadow I will fear no evil. `Psalms 23bbb4`.
'The valley of the shadow' stands for lower things which, compared with others, are in shadow.
ttt[6] Because valleys lay between mountains and hills and beneath them, 'valleys' therefore means the lower or more external things of the Church; for 'hills' and 'mountains' mean the higher or more internal things of it, 'hills' things of charity and 'mountains' those of love to the Lord, `@@@795`, `@@@1430`, `@@@2722`, `@@@4210`. And because 'the land of Canaan' means the Lord's kingdom and His Church, that Church is therefore called,
A land of mountain's and valleys, on the arrival of the rain of heaven it drinks water. `Deuteronomy 11bbb11`.
The reason Joseph is said at this point of have been sent out of the Valley of Hebron is that he was sent to those who taught about faith, `@@@4705`.
Those who are governed by faith, not by charity, adhere to lower things, for with them faith exists merely in the memory and consequently on the lips, not in the heart and consequently in action.
ppp19135#pid#4716. 'And he came to Shechem' means knowledge of the general aspects of doctrine. This is clear from the meaning of 'Shechem' as the broad outlines - or what amounts to the same, general aspects - of doctrine which are received first, dealt with in `@@@4707`.
ppp19134#pid#4717. 'And a man found him, and behold, he was wandering in the field' means that they had fallen away from general truth known to the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'wandering in the field' as falling away from general truth known to the Church; for 'a field' means the Church as regards good, `@@@2971`, `@@@3196`, `@@@3766`, and 'a man of the field' means the good of life that has its origin in matters of doctrine, `@@@3310`. The word 'men' (vir) is used because 'a man' means the truth which the Church possesses, `@@@3134`. People are said to fall away from general truth known to the Church when they acknowledge the Lord but not the Divinity of His Human, and also when they acknowledge faith, not charity, as that which is essential. Each of these - the Lord's Divine Human, and charity - is a general truth known to the Church, and when a member of the Church departs from either one he falls away from general truth. Anyone who falls away from this goes on to fall away from specific truths, which are the subject in what follows. For example, anyone who begins with a false assumption, and makes deductions on the basis of that assumption, thereby produces false ideas; for the basic assumption reigns in all his deductions, and these serve to corroborate the false assumption.
ppp19133#pid#4718. 'And the man asked him, saying, What are you looking for?' means foresight. This become clear from the sequence of thought, for that sequence implies foresight.
ppp19132#pid#4719. 'And he said, I am looking for my brothers; tell me now, where they are pasturing [the flock]' means knowledge of what the situation was and what their state was - in line with the meaning of these words in the proximate sense, which is, What the situation was with those teaching from faith, and his knowledge of their state. For 'brothers' means those who teach from faith, `@@@4712`; 'looking for (or seeing) their peace' means what the situation was with them, `@@@4712`, `@@@4713`; 'where' means the state, for in the internal sense everything denoting place means state, `@@@2625`, `@@@2837`, `@@@3356`, `@@@3387`, `@@@4321`; and 'those pasturing [the flock]' means those who teach, `@@@343`, `@@@3767`, `@@@3768`, `@@@3772`, `@@@3783`.
ppp19131#pid#4720. 'And the man said, They have travelled on from here, for I heard them saying, Let us go to Dothan' means that they moved on from the general aspects to the specific details of doctrine. This is clear from the meaning of 'travelled on' as moving on; from the meaning of 'from Shechem', to which 'from here' refers here, as from the general aspects of doctrine, `@@@4707`, `@@@4716`; and from the meaning of 'Dothan' as the specific details of doctrine. This meaning of 'Dothan' - the specific details of doctrine - cannot be easily demonstrated from other places in the Word because no other mention is made of it apart from that in `2 Kings 6bbb13`, where the narrative states that the king of Syria sent chariots and horsemen and a large army to Dothan to seize Elisha, and that they were struck with blindness and were led by Elisha to Samaria.
ttt[2] Since all historical details in the Word are representative of the celestial and spiritual things of the Lord's kingdom, so too are these. 'The king of Syria' represents people who possess cognitions of truth, `@@@1232`, `@@@1234`, `@@@3249`, `@@@3664`, `@@@3680`, `@@@4112`, though at this point in the contrary sense he represents those who possess cognitions which have no connection with truth. 'Elisha' represents the Word of the Lord, `@@@2762`. 'Dothan' means matters of doctrine drawn from the Word. 'Chariots and horsemen and the large army which the king of Syria sent' means falsities of doctrine. 'The mountain full of horses and chariots of fire surrounding Elisha that were seen by his servant' means goods and truths taught by doctrine drawn from the Word, `@@@2762`. 'The blindness' with which those were struck whom the king of Syria sent there means utter falsities, `@@@2383`. 'Their being led by Elisha to Samaria', where their eyes were opened, means instruction given through the Word. These are the kinds of things implied in the historical narrative here, 'Dothan', where Elisha was, meaning matters of doctrine drawn from the Word concerning goodness and truth. The historical details here in Genesis are much the same in meaning, for specific details of doctrine are not anything different. Yet at this particular point the specific details of false assumptions are meant, for the subject is a Church which begins with faith and so right from the start separates it from charity. Matters of doctrine which are formulated after that all smack of the general assumption made initially, and so of faith devoid of charity. Consequently those matters of doctrine are falsities which are the specific details belonging to false assumptions.
ttt[3] When it first begins every Church knows only the general aspects of doctrine, for at that time it is in a state of simplicity and so to speak in childhood. With the passage of time it adds particular aspects, which in part are confirmations of general aspects, in part are additions which do not however conflict with what is general, and also explanations which resolve manifest contradictions but do not in any way offend the dictates of common sense. But in the present instance all the specific details belong to false assumptions, for all aspects of any kind of doctrine are interrelated like members within a community, and are linked to one another as in blood relationships and relationships by marriage, acknowledging a general assumption made initially as their father. From this it is evident that everything smacks of falsity when the general assumption made initially is false.
ppp19130#pid#4721. 'And Joseph went to his brothers, and found them in Dothan' means that they were steeped in the specific details belonging to false assumptions. This is clear from the representation of 'Joseph' as the Lord as regards Divine Truth, dealt with in `@@@4669`; from the representation of 'his brothers' as the Church which turns aside from charity to faith, and at length to faith separated from charity, dealt with in `@@@4665`, `@@@4671`, `@@@4679`, `@@@4680`, `@@@4690`; and from the meaning of 'Dothan' as the specific details belonging to false assumptions' deals with immediately above in `@@@4720`. From this it is evident that the words used here mean that he found them steeped in the specific details belonging to false assumptions.
ttt[2] So that anyone can know what 'specific details belonging to false assumptions' is used to mean, let some of the ideas taught by the Church making and acknowledging faith alone as its basic assumption serve to illustrate that phrase. That is to say, the ideas that a person is justified by faith alone; that in this case all sins are wiped away from him; that by faith alone he is saved even in the last hour of his life; that salvation is simply being admitted by grace into heaven; that even young children are saved through faith; that because they do not possess that faith gentiles are not saved; besides many other ideas that are taught. These ideas and others like them are the specific details belonging to the basic assumption made regarding faith alone. But if the Church were to make and acknowledge the life of faith as its basic assumption it would acknowledge charity towards the neighbour and love to the Lord, and consequently the works of charity and love. Then all those specific details that have just been mentioned would fall to the ground. Instead of justification the Church would acknowledge regeneration, of which the Lord speaks in John,
Unless anyone is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. `John 3bbb3`.
It would also acknowledge that regeneration is effected by means of the life of faith, not by faith separated from charity. It would not acknowledge that all sins are in that case wiped away from a person, but that in the Lord's mercy he is withheld from them and maintained in good and from this in truth; so the Church would acknowledge that all good originates in the Lord and all evil in oneself. Nor would it acknowledge that a person is saved through faith even in the last hour of his life but through his life of faith which awaits his arrival [in heaven]. It would not acknowledge either that salvation is simply being admitted by grace into heaven, for heaven is refused to none by the Lord, but that if his life is not the kind that enables him to exist together with angels he is impelled to flee from it, `@@@4674`. Nor would the Church acknowledge that young children are saved through faith, but that in the next life they are taught about the good deeds of charity and about the truths of faith by the Lord and in this way are accepted into heaven, `@@@2289-2308`. Nor also would it acknowledge that because they do not possess faith gentiles are not saved, but that the life they have led awaits their arrival in heaven, and that those who have led charitable lives with one another are taught about the good deeds of faith and are equally accepted in heaven. Those who lead a good life also desire the same and believe in it, see `@@@2589-2604`. And so on with many other specific ideas.
ttt[3] The Church which makes and acknowledges faith alone as its basic assumption cannot possibly know what charity is, not even what the neighbour is, and so cannot know what heaven is. It will be astonished whenever anyone says that the happiness of the life after death and the joy in heaven consist in the Divine which flows into desiring and doing for others that which is good, and that the happiness resulting from this, and the bliss, surpass one's entire ability to perceive them. It will be astonished to learn that the reception of that influx from the Divine is by no means possible with anyone who has not been leading the life of faith, that is, with whom the good of charity has not been present. That the life of faith is what saves a person is also explicitly taught by the Lord in `Matthew 25bbb31`-end. The same teaching is found in many other places, and that too is why the Creed, called the Athanasian, states towards the end of it,
Everyone will give an account of his works: he who has done well will go into eternal life, but he who has done wickedly into eternal fire.
ppp19129#pid#4722. Verses `Genesis 37bbbccc18-22` And they saw him from a distance; and before he drew near to them they plotted against him, to put him to death. And they said, a man to his brother, Behold, that dreamer`fff1` is coming. So now come, and let us kill him, and let us throw him into one of the pits, and let us say, An evil wild animal has devoured him; and we shall see what his dreams are going to be. And Reuben heard it and rescued him out of their hands, and said, Let us not strike him, [as to his] soul.`fff2` And Reuben said to them, Do not shed blood; throw him into this pit in the wilderness and do not lay a hand on him - so that he might therefore rescue him out of their hands, to return him to his father.
'They saw him from a distance' means the Lord's Divine Human perceived remotely. 'And before he drew near to them they plotted against him, to put him to death' means that they desired to annihilate the Divine Spiritual which proceeded from the Lord's Divine Human. 'And they said, a man to his brother' means the thoughts held mutually by them. 'Behold, that dreamer is coming' means those futile ideas. 'So now come, and let us kill him' means an annihilation of the essential teaching regarding the Lord's Divine Human. 'And let us throw him into one of the pits' means among falsities. 'And let us say, An evil wild animal has devoured him' means a lie invented out of a life of evil desires. 'And we shall see what his dreams are going to be' means that declarations concerning Him were by their reckoning false ones and were seen by them as such. 'And Reuben heard it' means the Church's confession of faith in general. 'And rescued him out of their hands' means deliverance. 'And said, Let us not strike him, [as to his] soul' means that it must not be annihilated because it is the life of religion. 'And Reuben said to them' means an exhortation. 'Do not shed blood' means not to do violence to what is holy. 'Throw him into this pit in the wilderness'' means that for the time being they should conceal it among their falsities. 'And do not lay a hand on him' means, and should not do any violence to it. 'So that he might therefore rescue him out of their hands, to return him to his father' means so that it might lay claim to it for the Church.
`nnn1. lit lord of dreams
`nnn2. literally, Let us not kill him
ppp19128#pid#4723. 'They saw him from a distance' means the Lord's Divine Human perceived remotely. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing' as perception, dealt with in `@@@2150`, `@@@3764`; from the meaning of 'from a distance' as remotely; and from the representation of 'Joseph' - the one they saw from a distance - as the Lord as regards Divine Truth, dealt with in `@@@4669`. The reason the Lord's Divine Human is what 'Joseph' is used to mean here is that His Divine Human is the highest aspect of Divine Truth. There are two essentials which constitute the Church and as a consequence it has two main teachings, the first being that the Lord's Human is Divine, the second that love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour constitute the Church, not faith separated from these. Being the primary aspects of Divine Truth, these too are represented by 'Joseph'. Anyone who represents Divine Truth in general also represents the specific aspects of Divine Truth. But which specific aspect is represented at any point is evident from the train of thought.
ppp19127#pid#4724. 'And before he drew near to them they plotted against him, to put him to death' means that they desired to annihilate the Divine Spiritual which proceeded from the Lord's Divine Human. This is clear from the meaning of 'plotting' as desires resulting from ill-intent, for that which they desire because of ill-intent is the object of their plotting; from the meaning of 'putting to death' as annihilating; and from the representation of 'Joseph' as the Divine Spiritual or Divine Truth, dealt with above several times. Because Divine Truth proceeds from the Lord's Divine Human it is therefore referred to as the Divine Spiritual that proceeds from His Divine Human.
ttt[2] The implications of this are as follows: All Divine Truth in the whole of heaven proceeds from no other source than the Lord's Divine Human. That which proceeds from the Divine itself, since this is Infinite, cannot possibly flow directly to any angel, only indirectly through the Lord's Divine Human. This is also what the following words spoken by the Lord mean,
Nobody has ever seen God; the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, He has made Him known. `John 1bbb18`.
This also explains why as to His Divine Human the Lord is called the Mediator.
ttt[3] This Human has existed even from eternity, for unless the Divine Being flowed through heaven, and in so doing became the Divine Manifestation, that Being could not have been communicated to any angel, still less to any spirit, and least of all to any man. For as regards the Divine itself the Lord is the Divine Being, and as regards the Divine Human He is the Divine Manifestation, see `@@@4687`. Yet the Lord's Human could not have received any influx from the Divine Being if the Human within Him had not been made Divine, for that which is to receive the Divine Being must itself be Divine.
ttt[4] From these few observations it may be seen that Divine Truth does not proceed directly from the Divine itself but from the Lord's Divine Human. What is more, those who champion faith alone within themselves and do not lead the life of faith annihilate that Divine Human, for they believe that the Lord's Human is purely human, not unlike the human of any other person. Many of these people as a consequence also deny the Lord's Divinity, even though they confess Him with their lips. But those who lead the life of faith worship the Lord, on bended knees and with humble hearts, as their God and Saviour. As they do so the teaching that His Divine Nature is distinct and separate from His Human Nature does not enter their heads, as is likewise the case with them during the Holy Supper. From this it is evident that in their case the Lord's Divine Human has a place in their hearts.
ppp19126#pid#4725. 'And they said, a man to his brother' means the thoughts held mutually by them. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as perceiving and thinking, dealt with in `@@@3395`; and from the meaning of 'a man to his brother' as mutually. Among the ancients 'a man to his brother' was a customary saying used by them to mean something mutual, the reason being that 'a man' meant truth, `@@@3134`, `@@@3459`, and 'a brother' good, `@@@4121`, and a perfect mutual bond exists between truth and good. For when truth is joined to good, and good to truth, the action is mutual and reciprocal, `@@@2731`.
ppp19125#pid#4726. 'Behold, that dreamer is coming' means those futile ideas. This is clear from the meaning of 'dreams' as declarations, dealt with in `@@@4682`, in this case declarations of Divine Truth since the words used here have reference to Joseph. But because Divine Truth - that is, its essential teachings - is rejected by those who adhere to faith alone, as shown above where the Lord's Divine Human and charity are spoken of, 'dreams' in this case therefore means futile ideas. For people of this kind see falsities as truths, and truths as falsities, or if not as falsities then as futile ideas; and 'a dreamer' is one who declares such ideas.
ttt[2] Many things reveal that Divine Truths are seen by such people as futile ideas. For example, one Divine Truth is that the Word is holy and divinely inspired even to every tiny letter, and that its holiness and Divine inspiration are due to the fact that everything in it serves as a representative and as a sign meaning celestial and spiritual things in the Lord's kingdom. But when the internal sense of the Word is laid open and teaching is provided to show what each detail represents and means, such adherents to faith alone reject those things as futile ideas, saying that they have no use, when in fact they are celestial and spiritual matters that would bring more delight to the internal man than worldly ones do to the external man. The same is so with many other Divine Truths.
ppp19124#pid#4727. 'So now come, and let us kill him' means an annihilation of the essential teaching regarding the Lord's Divine Human. This is clear from the meaning of 'killing' as annihilating, and from the representation of 'Joseph', whom they desired to kill, as the Lord's Divine Truth, specifically the teaching regarding His Divine Human, see `@@@4723`, where it may be seen that this is the essential truth taught by doctrine. It is well known that the Church acknowledging faith alone has annihilated that essential truth, for who among them believes that the Lord's Human is Divine? Do they not turn away in aversion from the very idea? Yet in the Ancient Churches people believed that the Lord who was to come into the world was a Divine Man, and also when seen by them He was called Jehovah, as is evident from many places in the Word. But for the time being let simply the following in Isaiah be quoted,
The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of Jehovah; make plain in the lonely place a highway for our God. `Isaiah 40bbb3`.
It is quite clear from the writers of the Gospels that these words were used to refer to the Lord and that the way was prepared for Him, and the highway made plain, by John the Baptist, `Matthew 3bbb3`; `Mark 1bbb3`; `Luke 3bbb4`; `John 1bbb23`. The same is additionally clear from the Lord's own actual words stating that He was one with the Father, that the Father was within Him and He was within the Father; also that all power was given to Him in heaven and on earth, and that judgement was His. Anyone who has but little knowledge about power in heaven and on earth, or about judgement, can see that these words would be meaningless if He were not Divine even as to His Human.
ttt[2] Adherents to faith alone cannot have any knowledge of what makes a human being new, that is, makes him holy, let alone what makes the Lord's Human Divine, since they know nothing about love and charity - it being love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour that make a human being new and make him holy. It was Divine love itself however that made the Lord Divine. Love constitutes a person's very being (esse), and lies at the root of the life he leads. That Divine love fashions him to be an image of itself, being much like the human soul - a person's inner and essential self - which so to speak creates or moulds the body into an image of itself, so that it uses the body to enable it to act and to discern things exactly as it wills and thinks. The body is then so to speak the effect, and the soul is so to speak the cause that has the end within it, the soul therefore being the all within the body, even as the cause containing the end is the all within the effect. The soul of Divine love was Jehovah Himself, as He was the Lord's soul, since He was conceived from Jehovah; and His Human, once it was glorified, could not be anything else. These considerations show how much those people go astray who make the Lord's Human after it has been glorified like the human of anyone else. In fact it is Divine, and from His Divine Human all wisdom, all intelligence, and also all light go forth in heaven. Whatever goes forth from Him is holy, and anything [regarded as] holy which does not go forth from the Divine is not holy.
ppp19123#pid#4728. 'And let us throw him into one of the pits' means among falsities. This is clear from the meaning of 'pits' as falsities. The reason 'pits' means falsities is that people who are immersed in false assumptions are kept for a considerable time after death beneath the lower earth, until falsities have been removed from them and so to speak cast away to the sidelines. The places situated there are called pits. Those who go there are people who have to undergo vastation, dealt with in `@@@1106-1113`, `@@@2699`, `@@@2701`, `@@@2704`.`fff1` This is why by 'pits' in the abstract sense falsities are meant. The lower earth is directly below the feet, and is a region that does not extend to any great distance all around. There the majority stay after death before being raised up into heaven. Mention is also made of this lower earth in various places in the Word. Below it are places where vastation takes place, and they are called pits. Beneath these places and extending to quite a distance all around are the hells.
ttt[2] From this one may have some idea of what is meant by hell, the lower earth, or the pit, when these are mentioned in the Word, as in Isaiah,
You have been sent down to hell, to the sides of the pit; you are cast out from your sepulchre like an abominable branch, a garment of the slain, those pierced by the sword, who go down to the stones of the pit. `Isaiah 14bbb15`, `Isaiah 14bbbccc19`.
This refers to the king of Babel, who represents the profanation of truth, for 'a king' represents truth, `@@@1672`, `@@@2015`, `@@@2069`, `@@@3009`, `@@@4581`, and 'Babel' profanation, `@@@1182`, `@@@1326`. 'Hell' is the place where the condemned are, and their state of condemnation is compared to 'an abominable branch' and 'a garment of the slain and of those pierced by the sword, who go down to the stones of the pit'. 'A garment of the slain' means truth that has been made profane; 'those pierced by the sword' means people among whom truth has been annihilated; 'the pit' means falsity that is to be laid waste, 'stones' the limits of that falsity, which are also therefore called 'the sides', for surrounding the pits there are the hells. 'A garment' means truth, `@@@2576`, and therefore 'a garment of the slain' means truth that has been made profane, for 'the blood' with which it has been stained means that which has been made profane, `@@@1003`. 'Those pierced by the sword' means those among whom truth has been annihilated, `@@@4503`. From all this it is also evident that without the internal sense one cannot by any means know what these things mean.
ttt[3] In Ezekiel,
When I cause you to go down with those going down to the pit, to the people of old, and I cause you to dwell in the land of the lower ones, in the desolations from of old, so that you do not dwell with those going down to the pit, I will give beauty in the land of the living. `Ezekiel 26bbb20`.
'Those going down to the pit' stands for those who are made to undergo vastation. 'Not dwelling with those who go down to the pit' stands for being delivered from falsities.
ttt[4] In the same prophet,
That none of all the trees by the waters may become arrogant because of their height nor send their trunk up among entangled boughs, and that none of all [the trees] that drink water may reach above them because of their height - all will be given over to death, to the lower earth in the midst of the sons of men, to those going down to the pit. At the sound of its crashing down I will make the nations tremble, when I cause him to go down into hell with those going down to the pit. And all the trees of Eden, the choicest and the most excellent of Lebanon, all those drinking water, will comfort themselves on the lower earth. `Ezekiel 31bbb14`, `Ezekiel 31bbbccc16`.
This refers to Egypt, meaning knowledge, which enters by itself into the mysteries of faith, that is, people who enter into them, `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1186`. What has been stated above makes plain the meaning of hell, the pit, and the lower earth mentioned at this point in the prophet. Nor from anywhere else than the internal sense can anyone see what is meant by 'the trees by the waters', 'the trees of Eden', 'the trunk sent up among entangled boughs', 'the choicest and the most excellent of Lebanon', and 'those drinking water'.
ttt[5] In the same prophet,
Son of man, wail over the multitude of Egypt, and cause it and the daughters of magnificent nations to go down to the lower earth. with those going down into the pit. Asshur is there to whom graves have been given in the sides of the pit, all of them slain with the sword. `Ezekiel 32bbb18`, `Ezekiel 32bbbccc22-23`.
What these words mean may be seen from the explanations given above. In David,
Jehovah, You have caused my soul to come up out of hell; You have caused me to live, out of those going down to the pit. `Psalms 30bbb3`.
In the same author,
I have been reckoned with them going down to the pit; I have become as a man with no strength. You have put me in the pit of the lower ones, in darkness, in the depths. `Psalms 88bbb4`, `Psalms 88bbbccc6`.
In Jonah,
I had gone down to the bottoms of the mountains; the bars of the land were upon me for ever. Nonetheless You brought up my life from the pit. `Jonah 2bbb6`.
This refers to the Lord's temptations, and to deliverance from them. 'The bottoms of the mountains' means where the most condemned are, for the gloomy dark clouds which seemingly surround them are mountains.
ttt[6] As regards 'the pit' meaning falsity laid waste, and in the abstract sense falsity itself, this is clear in addition in Isaiah,
They will be gathered together, in a gathering as the bound for the pit, and they will be shut up in the dungeon; but after a multitude of days they will be visited. `Isaiah 24bbb22`.
In the same prophet,
Where is the anger of the oppressor? He that leads out will hasten to open, and he will not die at the pit; nor will bread fail. `Isaiah 51bbb13-14`.
In Ezekiel,
Behold, I am bringing strangers upon you, the violent of the nations, who will draw their swords against the loveliness of your wisdom, and they will profane your splendour. They will bring you down into the pit, and you will die the deaths of those slain in the heart of the seas. `Ezekiel 28bbb7-8`.
This refers to the prince of Tyre, who means people under the influence of false assumptions.
ttt[7] In Zechariah,
Exult greatly, O daughter of Zion! Make a noise, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King comes to you, just, meek, and riding on an ass, and on a colt, the young of she-asses. Through the blood of the covenant I will let out your bound ones from the pit in which there is no water. `Zechariah 9bbb9`, `Zechariah 9bbbccc11`.
'The pit in which there is no water' stands for falsity that has no truth at all within it, as also in verse `Genesis 37bbbccc24` below where it is said that they cast Joseph into the pit and the pit was empty, having no water in it. In David,
To You, O Jehovah, do I call; my rock, do not be silent to me, lest if You are silent to me I seem like those going down into the pit. `Psalms 28bbb1`.
In the same author,
Jehovah caused me to come up out of the pit of VASTATION, out of the miry clay, and He set my feet upon a rock. `Psalms 40bbb2`.
ttt[8] In the same author,
Do not let the flow of waters rush over me, nor the deep swallow me up, nor the pit close its mouth over me. `Psalms 69bbb15`.
In the same author,
He sent His word and healed them, and rescued them from their pits. `Psalms 107bbb20`.
'From pits' stands for from falsities. In the same author,
Make haste, answer me, O Jehovah. My spirit is consumed. Do not hide Your face from me, lest I become like those going down into the pit. `Psalms 143bbb7`.
Because 'a pit' means falsity, and 'the blind' those who are immersed in falsities, `@@@2383`, the Lord therefore says,
Let them alone; they are blind leaders of the blind. For if the blind leads the blind both will fall into a pit. `Matthew 15bbb13`, `Matthew 15bbbccc14`; `Luke 6bbb39`.
Something similar to what was represented by Joseph was also represented by the prophet Jeremiah, who describes what happened to him as follows,
They took Jeremiah and cast him into the pit which was in the court of the guard, and let Jeremiah down by ropes into the pit where there was no water. `Jeremiah 38bbb6`.
That is, they cast Divine Truths away among falsities that had no truth at all within them.
`nnn1. The Latin has `@@@2711`, `@@@2714`, but `@@@2701`, `@@@2704` seem to be intended
ppp19122#pid#4729. 'And let us say, An evil wild animal has devoured him' means a lie invented out of a life of evil desires. This is clear from the meaning of 'a wild animal' as affection or else evil desire, dealt with in `@@@45`, `@@@46`, for in the genuine sense 'a wild animal' means that which is living, `@@@774`, `@@@841`, `@@@908`, and therefore 'an evil wild animal' here means a life of evil desires. The fact that a lie is meant is self-evident; and this lie is connected with what has come immediately before about them casting that Divine truth away among falsities - a lie invented out of a life of evil desires. For falsity arises from three different sources, the first being the teaching of the Church, the second the illusions of the senses, and the third the life of evil desires. Falsity arising from the teaching of the Church occupies solely the understanding part of a person's mind, for he has been convinced since early childhood that such falsity is the truth, confirmations coming in by and by to strengthen that conviction. But falsity arising from the illusions of the senses has less impact on the understanding part, for people who are under the influence of falsity arising from the illusions of the senses receive little insight from their understanding because their thinking is founded on base ideas and on sensory impressions. Falsity arising from a life of evil desires however springs from the will itself, or what amounts to the same, from the heart, for a person desires that which he wills from the heart. This is the worst kind of falsity because it clings and is not rooted out except by means of a new life received from the Lord.
ttt[2] As is well known, man has two inner mental powers - the understanding and the will. That which the understanding takes in and absorbs does not therefore pass over into the will, but that which the will takes in and absorbs does pass over into the understanding; for what is in a person's will occupies his thought also. Consequently when his desires lead him to will what is evil he is also thinking about it and confirming it. And when thoughts of evil have become confirmations of it they are called falsities arising from a life of evil desires. These falsities are seen by that person as truths, and once he has confirmed those falsities, truths are then seen by him as falsities, for he has now blocked off the light that flows from the Lord through heaven. But if he has not confirmed those falsities, truths which have been previously absorbed by his understanding stand in the way and prevent those falsities from being confirmed.
ppp19121#pid#4730. 'And we shall see what his dreams are going to be' means that declarations concerning Him were by their reckoning false ones and were seen by them as such. This is clear from the meaning of 'dreams' as declarations, dealt with in `@@@4682`. Because these declarations seemed in their eyes to be falsities, `@@@4726`, `@@@4729`, 'dreams' here means declarations concerning Divine Truth - in particular the declaration that the Lord's Human is Divine - which in their view were false ones. The fact that they were also seen by them as falsities is meant by their saying, 'We shall see what they are going to be'. The fact that declarations concerning the Lord's Human seemed and still seem to be falsities to the adherents to faith alone may be seen from what has been stated immediately above at the end of `@@@4729`; for confirmations arising from a life of evil desires do not present themselves as anything else.
ttt[2] A further reason why the life of evil desires leads to the confirmation of falsities is that those people do not know what heaven is or what hell is, nor also what love towards the neighbour is, and what self-love and love of the world are. If they did know what these were, indeed if they had merely the wish to know, their thoughts would be completely different. Who at the present day knows of love towards the neighbour as anything other than giving what he possesses to the poor, using his own wealth to help anyone else, and doing good to him in every possible way, irrespective of whether he is good or wicked? And because by doing this he would deprive himself of his own resources and would make himself poor and wretched, he therefore casts aside teaching concerning charity and embraces that concerning faith. Then he uses many ideas to confirm himself against charity, that is to say, the idea that he is born in sins and as a consequence cannot by himself do anything good at all; and that if he does do the works of charity or genuine piety he inevitably places merit in them. And when on the one hand he has thoughts like these, and on the other he is motivated by a life of evil desires, he associates himself with those who say that faith alone saves. In doing this he confirms himself all the more in that idea, until he is convinced that the works of charity are not necessary for salvation. Once these ideas have crystallized, he then easily accepts a new one - that because this is what a person is like the Lord has provided the means of salvation which is called faith. At length he accepts the idea that he is saved even in his final hour when he dies, provided that in confidence or trust he asks that God may be merciful to him by looking upon the Son as having suffered for his sake - giving no weight at all to what the Lord said in `John 1bbb12-13`, and in a thousand places elsewhere. So it is that faith alone has been acknowledged within Churches as the essential thing. But the reason it is not acknowledged everywhere in this way is that parish priests can gain nothing from faith alone, only from preaching about works.
ttt[3] But if those same people had known what charity towards the neighbour really was they would never have fallen for this falsity that is taught. The fundamental requirement of charity is to act in an upright and just way in everything connected with one's duty or function. For example, if a judge punishes a wrong-doer in accordance with the laws, and does so out of zeal, he is moved by charity towards the neighbour, for he desires the reform, and so the good, of that person, as well as desiring what is good for the community and his country. He punishes him to prevent him doing further harm to the community, and so is able to love him if he is reformed - as a father loves a son whom he chastises - and in so doing loves the community and his country, which in general is his neighbour. The same applies to all other people in the duties or functions they perform. But in the Lord's Divine mercy these matters will be discussed more fully elsewhere.
ppp19120#pid#4731. 'And Reuben heard it' means the Church's confession of faith in general. This is clear from the representation of 'Reuben' as faith in the understanding, or doctrine, which is the first stage of regeneration - the truth of doctrine in its entirety by means of which one is able to arrive at the good of life, dealt with in `@@@3861`, `@@@3866`, here therefore the Church's confession of faith in general. The reason for Reuben's intervention here is that the Church which begins with faith would cease to be a Church if this Divine truth did not remain within it, namely the truth that the Lord's Human is Divine, this being the highest or inmost truth of the Church. This is the reason for Reuben's wishing to rescue Joseph, who represents that truth here, from the hands of his brothers to return him to his father - actions meaning that he wished to claim that truth for the Church. And further on, when Reuben went back to the pit and saw no Joseph there, it is said that he rent his clothes and said to his brothers, 'The lad is no more; and I, where do I go?' verses `Genesis 37bbbccc29-30`, meaning that no faith in the Lord existed any longer and so no Church.
ttt[2] This supreme or inmost truth that the Lord's Human is Divine is denied by those within the Church who adhere to faith alone. Nevertheless because they know from the Word that there is a Divine side to the Lord and yet they do not grasp how the Human can be Divine, they therefore say He is both, by making a distinction between His Divine nature and His Human nature. But those who lead the life of faith - that is, those who have charity - worship the Lord as their God and Saviour; and while engaged in worship they think of the Lord's Divine without separating it from His Human. In so doing they acknowledge in their hearts everything in the Lord to be Divine. But because, when thinking from doctrine, they cannot grasp how the Human can be Divine, they speak purely from what doctrine teaches.
ppp19119#pid#4732. 'And rescued him out of their hands' means deliverance. This is clear without explanation.
ppp19118#pid#4733. 'And said, Let us not strike him, [as to his] soul' means that it must not be annihilated because it is the life of religion. This is clear from the meaning of 'striking' as annihilating, and from the meaning of 'soul' as life, dealt with in `@@@1000`, `@@@1005`, `@@@1436`, `@@@1742`, in this case the life of religion. It is evident that the acknowledgement and worship of the Lord's Divine Human constitutes the life of religion from what has been stated just above in `@@@4731`, and also from the fact that people's disposition is such that they wish to worship One of whom, by the use of their perception and thought, they can form some mental idea, or - in the case of those who are ruled by their senses - One of whom they can have some sensory image. Nor do they wish to worship Him unless the Divine is present within Him. This is a common feature throughout the human race. Consequently gentiles worship idols in which, they believe, One who is Divine is present, while others worship people that have died whom they believe to be gods or else saints. For nothing can be stimulated in man unless there is something to bring his senses into play.
ttt[2] The majority of those who say that they acknowledge a supreme being, but of whom they have no mental picture, do not acknowledge any God, but nature instead, which they acknowledge because they have a mental grasp of what this is. Very many learned persons among Christians are like this, and for the added reason that they do not believe that the Lord's Human is Divine. Therefore to withhold from the worship of wood and stones those people who have set themselves far apart from the Divine and have become bodily-minded; to withhold them also from the worship of anyone after his death and so of some devil within this person, instead of the worship of God Himself because they could not perceive Him in any way; thus to withhold everything of the Church from destruction, and the human race along with the Church, the Divine was willing to take the Human upon Himself and make this Divine. Let the learned beware therefore of thinking of the Lord's Human without at the same time believing that this is Divine. Otherwise they set themselves a stumbling-block and at length believe nothing.
ppp19117#pid#4734. 'And Reuben said to them' means an exhortation. In the proximate sense this describes the Church's confession of faith in general, meant by 'Reuben', `@@@4731`, exhorting or charging them not to do violence, as follows below.
ppp19116#pid#4735. 'Do not shed blood' means not to do violence to what is holy. This is clear from the meaning of 'blood' as that which is holy, dealt with below, and therefore 'shedding blood' means doing violence to it. Everything holy in heaven proceeds from the Lord's Divine Human, as consequently does everything holy in the Church. For this reason to prevent people from doing violence to that which is holy the Lord instituted the Holy Supper, in which it is explicitly declared that the bread there is His flesh and the wine His blood, thus that His Divine Human is the source of that which is holy in the Holy Supper. Among the Ancients 'flesh and blood' meant the human proprium, for that which is human consists of flesh and blood. This explains what the Lord said to Simon,
Blessed are you, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. `Matthew 16bbb17`.
Therefore the flesh and blood meant in the Holy Supper by the bread and wine are the Lord's Human Proprium. The Lord's actual Proprium which He acquired to Himself by His own power is Divine. His Proprium was since His conception that which He had from Jehovah His Father and was Jehovah Himself, and therefore the Proprium which He acquired to Himself within the Human was Divine. It is this Divine Proprium within the Human that is called flesh and blood, 'flesh' being His Divine Good, `@@@3813`, 'blood' Divine Truth that goes with Divine Good.
ttt[2] The Lord's Human, now that it has been glorified or made Divine, cannot be thought of as something merely human but as Divine Love within a human form. This is more true of Him than it is of angels, who - when they come to be seen, as I myself have seen them - are seen as forms of love and charity taking on a human appearance, the Lord enabling this to be so. For it was by Divine Love that the Lord made His Human Divine, even, as has been stated, as heavenly love serves to make someone an angel after death, so that he too is seen as a form of love and charity taking on a human appearance. From this it is evident that in the celestial sense the Lord's Divine Human means Divine Love itself, which is a love directed towards the whole human race whom He wishes to save, making them blessed and happy for ever, and to whom He wishes to impart, insofar as its members can accept it, what is His and is Divine, so that it becomes their own. This love, and man's reciprocated love to the Lord as well as his love towards the neighbour, are meant and represented in the Holy Supper, Divine celestial love by the flesh or bread in it and Divine spiritual love by the blood or wine.
ttt[3] From all this one may now see what is meant by eating the Lord's flesh and drinking His blood in John,
I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread he will live for ever. But the bread which I shall give is My flesh. Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drank His blood you will have no life in you. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For My flesh is truly food, and My blood is truly drink. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. This is the bread which came down from heaven. `John 6bbb50-58`.
Because 'flesh' and 'blood' mean the Divine Celestial and the Divine Spiritual that proceed from the Lord's Divine Human, as has been stated, or what amounts to the same, mean Divine Good and Divine Truth that proceed from His Love, 'eating' and 'drinking' mean making these things one's own. They become one's own through the life of love and charity which is also the life of faith. For 'eating' means making good one's own, and 'drinking' making truth one's own, see `@@@2187`, `@@@3069`, `@@@3168`, `@@@3513`, `@@@3596`, `@@@3734`, `@@@3832`, `@@@4017`, `@@@4018`.
ttt[4] Because 'blood' in the celestial sense means the Divine Spiritual or Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord's Divine Human, it therefore means that which is holy, for Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord's Divine Human is Holiness itself. There is no other Holiness, nor any other source of it.
ttt[5] As regards 'blood' meaning that Holiness, this may be seen from many places in the Word, of which let the following be quoted here: In Ezekiel,
Son of man, thus said the Lord Jehovih, Say to every bird of the air, to every wild animal of the field, Assemble and come, gather yourselves from all around to My sacrifice which I am sacrificing for you, a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, so that you may eat flesh and drink wine. You will eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth - rams, lambs, and he-goats, all of them fatlings of Bashan. And you will eat fat till you are glutted and drink blood till you are drunk, from My sacrifice which I will sacrifice for you. You will be glutted at My table with horse and chariot, with the mighty, and with every man of war. Thus will I set My glory among the nations. `Ezekiel 39bbb17-21`.
This refers to the calling together of all people to the Lord's kingdom, and specifically to the establishment of the Church among gentiles. 'Eating flesh and drinking wine' means making Divine Good and Divine Truth one's own, and so making one's own the Holiness which proceeds from the Lord's Divine Human. Is there anyone who cannot see that here in the references to their eating the flesh of the mighty and drinking the blood of the princes of the earth, and their being glutted with horse, chariot, the mighty, and every man of war, 'flesh' is not used to mean flesh nor 'blood' to mean blood?
ttt[6] Similarly in John,
I saw an angel standing in the sun, who called out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds flying in mid-heaven, Come, gather yourselves together to the supper of the Great God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses and those seated on them, and the flesh of all, free men and slaves, small and great. `Revelation 19bbb17-18`.
Can anyone ever understand these things unless he knows what 'flesh' means in the internal sense, or what 'kings', 'captains', 'mighty men', 'horses', 'those seated on them', 'free men and slaves' mean?
ttt[7] Also in Zechariah,
He will speak peace to the nations; His dominion will be from sea to sea, and from the River even to the ends of the earth As for you also, through the blood of your covenant I will let out your bound ones from the pit. `Zechariah 9bbb10-11`.
This refers to the Lord. 'The blood of the covenant' is Divine Truth proceeding from His Divine Human and is the Holiness itself which has gone out from Him since He was glorified. This Holiness is that which is also called the Holy Spirit, as is evident in John,
Jesus said, If anyone thirsts let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, Out of his belly will flow rivers of living water. This He said about the spirit which those believing in Him were to receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet because Jesus was not yet glorified. `John 7bbb37-39`.
As regards the holiness proceeding from the Lord being 'the spirit', see `John 6bbb63`.
ttt[8] Further to 'blood' meaning the holiness proceeding from the Lord's Divine Human - in David,
From deceit and from violence He will redeem`fff1` their soul, and precious will their blood be in His eyes. `Psalms 72bbb14`.
'Precious blood' stands for the holiness which they are to receive. In John,
These are they who are coming out of the great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and have made their robes white in the blood of the Lamb. `Revelation 7bbb14`.
And in the same author,
They have conquered the dragon by the blood of the Lamb and by the Word of their testimony; and they did not love their soul even to death. `Revelation 12bbb11`.
ttt[9] The Church at the present day knows no more than this, that 'the blood of the Lamb' here means the Lord's passion, for it believes that people are saved solely through the Lord's passion and that it was to endure this that He was sent into the world, a belief which may be enough for the simple who are incapable of grasping interior arcana. The Lord's passion was the last stage of His temptation, by which He fully glorified His Humanity, `Luke 24bbb26`; `John 12bbb23`, `John 12bbbccc27-28`; `John ccc13bbb31-32`; `John ccc17bbb1`, `John 17bbbccc4-5`. But 'the blood of the Lamb' here in Revelation is the same as the Divine Truth or that which is holy proceeding from His Divine Human, and so is the same as 'the blood of the covenant' referred to just above, and also in Moses,
ttt[10] Moses took the book of the covenant, and read it in the ears of the people, who said, All that Jehovah has spoken we will do and hear. Then Moses took the blood and sprinkled it over the people. and said, Behold the blood of the covenant which Jehovah has made with you, upon all these words. `Exodus 24bbb7-8`.
'The book of the covenant' was Divine Truth as it existed with them at that time, which Truth was corroborated by means of the blood that bore witness to the fact that such Truth proceeded from His Divine Human.
ttt[11] In the ritual requirements of the Jewish Church 'blood' meant nothing other than the holiness proceeding from the Lord's Divine Human. When people were being consecrated blood was therefore used to effect this, as when Aaron was consecrated along with his sons. At that time the blood was sprinkled over the horns of the altar, the residue being poured out at the base of it. Some was also put on the tip of their right ear, on their right thumb and the big toe of their right foot, and on their vestments, `Exodus 29bbb12`, `Exodus 29bbbccc16`, `Exodus 29bbbccc20-21`; `Leviticus 8bbb15`, `Leviticus 8bbbccc19`, `Leviticus 8bbbccc23`, `Leviticus 8bbbccc30`. And when Aaron went within the veil to the mercy-seat the blood had also to be sprinkled with his finger seven times over the east side of the mercy-seat, `Leviticus 16bbb12-15`. Likewise in all other consecrations, as well as expiations and cleansings, mentioned in `Exodus 12bbb7`, `Exodus 12bbbccc13`, `Exodus 12bbbccc22`; `Exodus ccc30bbb10`; `Leviticus 1bbb5`, `Leviticus 1bbbccc11`, `Leviticus 1bbbccc15`; `Leviticus ccc3bbb2` , `Leviticus ccc8bbb0`, `Leviticus ccc13bbb0`; `Leviticus ccc4bbb6-7`, `Leviticus 4bbbccc17-18`, `Leviticus 4bbbccc25`, `Leviticus 4bbbccc30`, `Leviticus 4bbbccc34`; `Leviticus ccc5bbb9`; `Leviticus ccc6bbb27-28`; `Leviticus ccc14bbb14-19`, `Leviticus 14bbbccc25-30`; `Leviticus ccc16bbb12-15`, `Leviticus 16bbbccc18-19`; `Deuteronomy 12bbb27`.
ttt[12] As 'blood' in the genuine sense means that which is holy, so in the contrary sense 'blood' and 'bloods' mean things which bring violence to it. This is because 'shedding innocent blood' means doing violence to that which is holy. For the same reason too infamous deeds in life and profane acts of worship are called 'blood'. The fact that such things are meant by 'blood' and 'bloods' is clear from the following places: In Isaiah,
When the Lord will have washed the excrement of the daughters of Zion and washed away the blood of Jerusalem from its midst by a spirit of judgement and by a spirit of purging. `Isaiah 4bbb4`.
In the same prophet,
The waters of Dimon are full of blood. `Isaiah 15bbb9`.
In the same prophet,
Your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity. Their feet run to evil, and they hasten to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity. `Isaiah 59bbb3`, `Isaiah 59bbbccc7`.
In Jeremiah,
Yes, in your skirts the blood of poor innocent souls is found. `Jeremiah 2bbb34`.
ttt[13] In the same prophet,
For the sins of the prophets, the iniquities of the priests who shed in the midst of Jerusalem the blood of the righteous. They went astray blind in the streets, they are defiled with blood. Things which have no power they touch with their garments. `Lamentations 4bbb13-14`.
In Ezekiel,
I passed by you and saw you weltering in your blood,`fff2` and I said to you, Live in your blood;`fff2` I indeed said to you, Live in your blood'. I washed you with water and washed away your blood`fff2` from upon you, and anointed you with oil. `Ezekiel 16bbb6`, `Ezekiel 16bbbccc9`.
In the same prophet,
You, son of man, will you dispute with the city of blood?`fff2` Declare to her all her abominations. By your blood which you have shed you have become guilty, and by the idols which you have made you are defiled. Behold, the princes of Israel, each according to his power,`fff3` have been among you and have shed blood. Men of intrigue have been among you, [ready] to shed blood, and among you have eaten on the mountains. `Ezekiel 22bbb2-4`, `Ezekiel 22bbbccc6`, `Ezekiel 22bbbccc9`.
In Moses,
If anyone sacrifices anywhere else than on the altar at the tent of meeting it shall be [regarded as] blood, and as though he had shed blood. `Leviticus 17bbb1-9`.
ttt[14] Truth that has been falsified and rendered profane is meant in the following references to 'blood': In Joel,
I will give portents in the heavens and on earth, blood and fire, and columns of smoke. The sun will be turned into thick darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of Jehovah comes. `Joel 2bbb30-31`.
In John,
The sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the full moon became like blood. `Revelation 6bbb12`.
In the same author,
The second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third part of the sea became blood. `Revelation 8bbb8`.
In the same author,
The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became like the blood of one dead, from which every living soul died in the sea. The third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and into the fountains of water, and blood was made. `Revelation 16bbb3-4`.
ttt[15] A similar meaning occurs in the turning of the rivers, pools and ponds in Egypt into blood, `Exodus 7bbb15-22`, for 'Egypt' means knowledge which enters of its own accord into heavenly arcana and as a consequence perverts Divine truths, refuses to accept them, and renders them profane, `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1186`. Being Divine ones, all the miracles performed in Egypt embodied the same kind of meanings. 'The rivers' which were turned into blood means the truths that go with intelligence and wisdom, `@@@108`, `@@@109`, `@@@3051`, as likewise do 'waters', `@@@680`, `@@@2702`, `@@@3058`, and 'springs', `@@@2702`, `@@@3096`, `@@@3424`. 'Seas' means factual truths taken as a single whole, `@@@28`. 'The moon', which, it is also said, is to be turned into blood, means Divine Truth, `@@@1529-1531`, `@@@2495`, `@@@4060`. From this it is evident that the turning of the moon, sea, springs, waters, and rivers into blood means Truth that has been falsified and rendered profane.
`nnn1. The Latin means bring back (imperative singular), but the Hebrew means He will redeem.
`nnn2. literally, bloods
`nnn3. literally, arm
ppp19115#pid#4736. 'Throw him into [this] pit in the wilderness' means that for the time being they should conceal it among their falsities, that is, that they should consider it a falsehood but nevertheless keep it because it is of importance to the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'the pit' as falsities, dealt with above in `@@@4728`, and from the meaning of 'the wilderness' as a place where there is no truth; for 'wilderness' has a wide range of meanings. It is a place that is uninhabited and so uncultivated, and when used to refer to the Church means a place where there is no good and consequently no truth, `@@@2708`, `@@@3900`. Thus 'the pit in the wilderness' is used here to mean falsities among which no truth is present because no good is there.
ttt[2] The expression 'no truth is present because no good is there' is used for the reason that if a person believes that faith saves without works, truth may indeed exist. Even so, it is not truth residing with him, because it does not look to good nor is it rooted in good. This truth is not a living one because it contains a false premise, and therefore when a truth of this kind exists with that person it is nothing but a falsehood based on the false premise that reigns within it. That premise may be likened to the soul from which all else has its life. On the other hand falsities can exist which are accepted as truths if good lies within them, especially if it is the good of innocence, as with gentiles and even with many within the Church.
ppp19114#pid#4737. 'And do not lay a hand on him' means, and should not do any violence to it. This becomes clear without explanation.
ppp19113#pid#4738. 'So that he might therefore rescue him out of their hands, to return him to his father' means so that it might lay claim to it for the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'rescuing out of their hands' as delivering, as above in `@@@4732`, and from the meaning of 'returning to his father' as laying claim to it for the Church; for Jacob, to whom 'father' refers here, represents the Jewish religion which sprang from the Ancient Church, as above in `@@@4700`, `@@@4701`. What was laid claim to for the Church was the Divine Truth concerning the Lord's Divine Human, for, as stated already, 'Joseph' means that truth specifically.
ttt[2] To know more regarding this truth, it should be recognized that the Ancient Church acknowledged it, as also did the Primitive Christian Church. But there came a time when the papacy so extended its authority that it had control over every human soul; it exalted itself in the way the king of Babel is said to have done, in Isaiah,
You said in your heart. I will go up into the heavens, above the stars of God`fff1` I will raise my throne, and I will sit on the mount of assembly, I will go up above the heights of the clouds, and I will make myself like the Most High. `Isaiah 14bbb13-14`.
Then - at that time - Divinity was taken away from the Lord's Human, that is, His Divine was made distinct and separate from His Human.
ttt[3] The way in which this distinction was decreed in a certain council`fff2` has also been revealed to me. I saw some people appear on the right in front of me, some distance away on a level with the sole of my foot. They were talking among themselves, but I did not hear what about. I was told that they were some of those who had come together in the council when the decree was made regarding the Lord's two Natures - His Divine one and His Human one. Shortly after that I was allowed to talk to them. They said that those who had the greatest influence in the council and who held higher positions and had higher authority than the rest met together. They did so in a room that was dark, where they decided that both Divinity and Humanity should be attributed to the Lord, the main reason for their decision being that otherwise the papacy could not have remained in being. For if they had acknowledged that the Lord was one with the Father, as He Himself says, no one could then have been acknowledged as His vicar on earth. Schisms were developing at that time, which would have toppled and destroyed the power of the papacy, had they not made that distinction. To strengthen it they also assembled proof texts from the Word and swayed the rest of the council.
ttt[4] Those who spoke to me added that by doing this they were able to have control in heaven and on earth. They knew from the Word that all power in heaven and on earth had been given to the Lord, and this power could not have been granted to any vicar [of Christ] if the Human too were acknowledged to be Divine. For they knew that no one was allowed to make himself equal to God and that that power existed essentially in the Divine, not in the Human unless it was granted to it as it was also subsequently granted to Peter. They said that by doing what they did they were then able to keep the schismatics quiet who were most astute, and were also able to strengthen the power of the papacy. From this it is clear that they invented the distinction they made purely for the sake of having control, and that therefore they had no wish to know that the gift of power to the Lord's Human in heaven and on earth demonstrates that His Human too is Divine. It is also clear that 'Peter', to whom the Lord gave the keys of heaven, does not mean the man Peter but faith rooted in charity, which is received from the Lord alone and is therefore a power that belongs to the Lord alone - see Preface to `Genesis 22bbb0`.
`nnn1. The Latin means heaven, but the Hebrew means God, which Swedenborg has in other places where he quotes this verse.
`nnn2. Council of Chalcedon 451 AD
ppp19112#pid#4739. Verses `Genesis 37bbbccc23-30` And it happened, when Joseph came to his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of various colours that was on him. And they took him and threw him into the pit; and the pit was empty, there was no water in it. And they sat down to eat bread; and they lifted up their eyes and saw, and behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites came from Gilead, and their camels bearing spices, and resin, and stacte,`fff1` taking them down to Egypt. And Judah said to his brothers, What profit is there in our killing our brother and concealing his blood? Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, because he is our brother, our flesh. And his brothers hearkened. And men passed by, Midianites, who were traders; and they drew Joseph out and caused him to come up out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. And they led Joseph to Egypt. And Reuben returned to the pit, and behold, there was no Joseph in the pit; and he rent his clothes. And he returned to his brothers and said, The lad is no more; and I, where do I go?
'It happened, when Joseph came to his brothers' means when a declaration was made concerning Him. 'That they stripped Joseph of his tunic' means that they removed and annihilated the appearances of truth. 'The tunic of various colours that was on him' means the nature of the appearances which is determined by that of the truths derived from good. 'And they took him and threw him into the pit' means among falsities. 'And the pit was empty, there was no water in it' means that at that time there was no truth at all. 'And they sat down to eat bread' means making evil that was a product of falsity their own. 'And they lifted up their eyes and saw' means further thought. 'And behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites came from Gilead' means those in whom simple good is present like that present in gentiles. 'And their camels bearing spices, and resin, and stacte' means interior natural truths. 'Taking them down to Egypt' means teaching based on factual knowledge. 'And Judah said to his brothers' means the corrupt within the Church who are opposed to all good whatever. 'What profit is there in our killing our brother and concealing his blood?' means that no advantage would be gained, nor any supremacy, if that truth was completely destroyed. 'Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites' means that those in whom simple good is present acknowledge Him. 'And let not our hand be upon him' means so that they may be blameless. 'Because he is our brother, our flesh' means because that which is received from them is accepted. 'And his brothers hearkened' means acquiescence. 'And men passed by, Midianites, who were traders' means those in whom the truth partnering that good is present. 'And they drew Joseph out and caused him to come up out of the pit' means the help provided by these so that [Divine Truth] is no longer among falsities. 'And sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites' means the acceptance of it by those in whom simple good is present and the alienation of it from those adhering to faith separated from charity. 'For twenty pieces of silver' means the value set upon it. 'And they led Joseph to Egypt' means a consultation with factual knowledge. 'And Reuben returned to the pit' means the Church's faith in general. 'And behold, there was no Joseph in the pit' means that no faith existed any longer. 'And he rent his clothes' means mourning. 'And he returned to his brothers' means those teaching [from faith]. 'And said, The lad is no more' means that no faith in Him exists. 'And I, where do I go?' means, Where now is the Church?
`nnn1. spices, resin, and stacte are all aromatic substances.
ppp19111#pid#4740. 'It happened, when Joseph came to his brothers' means when a declaration was made concerning Him. This is clear from the representation of 'Joseph' as Divine truth, in particular concerning the Lord's Divine Human. When this is said 'to come to them' the meaning is that it is declared to them, for 'his brothers' represents the Church that adheres to faith separated from charity, whose members have that truth declared to them.
ppp19110#pid#4741. 'That they stripped Joseph of his tunic' means that they removed and annihilated the appearances of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'stripping', when used in reference to Divine Truth represented here by 'Joseph', as removing and also annihilating; and from the meaning of 'tunic', because this consisted of various colours, as appearances of truth, dealt with in `@@@4677`. The removal and annihilation of the appearances of truth takes place once truth itself has been cast aside, for truth itself cannot but shine in people's minds, and no matter how much it is blotted out it remains visible, especially to those who are governed by good. Those who have annihilated truth see it too, and therefore they try to remove and annihilate even those appearances of it.
ttt[2] Take an example to illustrate this. Who does not see that willing what is good and doing it is the whole essence of the Christian life? And if anyone is told that this is charity he is bound to agree. Indeed all who agree will go on to say that they know what willing and doing good is because this is a matter of life. But as for thinking, by the confidence imparted through faith, that this or that is true, as the adherents to faith separated from charity wish to do, they will say that they do not know what this is, for they can have no other conception of it than of smoke which vanishes. Now since faith alone and the confidence it imparts is seen to be like this by all who think seriously about it, especially by the good, those adherents to faith separated from charity strive to remove and annihilate even those appearances by cutting away every idea that is close to Divine Truth or in the neighbourhood of it. This is what is meant by stripping Joseph of the tunic that was on him.
ttt[3] The same people also believe that those persons are wiser than all others who, once they have accepted some dogma, can substantiate it in various ways, and use various reasonings to present it as the truth. This however is anything but the mark of one who is wise. Anyone who is clever enough can do it, the wicked being more expert at it than the upright. Nor indeed is it the mark of a rational man; for a rational man can see from so to speak a higher viewpoint whether it is truth that is being substantiated or whether it is falsity. And this being what he sees he is quite unmoved by arguments substantiating falsity but regards them as senseless and absurd, no matter how much another person believes they are the result of wrestling to obtain pure wisdom. In short, it is anything but the mark of one who is wise, indeed anything but rationality, to be able to substantiate falsities; for it is the mark of a wise one, and it is rationality, when something is first seen to be the truth and is substantiated only after that. That is to say, seeing the truth implies seeing it by the light of heaven which comes from the Lord, but seeing falsity as truth implies seeing it by the inferior light which comes from hell.
ppp19109#pid#4742. 'The tunic of various colours that was on him' means the nature of the appearances which is determined by that of the truths derived from good. This is clear from the meaning of 'the tunic of various colours' as appearances of truth by which the spiritual of the natural is recognized and distinguished, dealt with in `@@@4677`, here therefore the nature of those appearances; and for this reason the word 'tunic' is used twice - 'they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of various colours'. The fact that the nature of these appearances is determined by that of the truths derived from good may be known from appearances of truth when these are manifested visually in the light of heaven, that is, in the next life. There no other light exists than that which comes from the Lord by way of heaven and which emanates from His Divine Truth; for this appears before the eyes of the angels as light, `@@@2776`, `@@@3190`, `@@@3195`, `@@@3222`, `@@@3339`, `@@@3340`, `@@@3636`, `@@@3643`, `@@@3993`, `@@@4302`, `@@@4413`, `@@@4415`. This light varies with each angel, depending on his reception of it. Angels' entire thought is formed by the variegation of that light, as also is man's thought, though he is not conscious of this because in man's case that light falls onto material images or ideas present in his natural or external man which are formed from the light of the world.
Consequently in his case the light of heaven is dimmed to such an extent that he scarcely knows that the light and sight in his understanding are a product of the light of heaven. But in the next life when the sight of the eye is no longer reliant on the light of the world but on that of heaven it is then obvious that his thought is formed from the latter.
ttt[2] When this light passes from heaven into the world of spirits it manifests itself there in the form of various colours, the beauty, variation, and loveliness of these colours being immensely superior to the colours produced by the light of the world; see what has already been presented from experience regarding colours, in `@@@1053`, `@@@1624`, `@@@3993`, `@@@4530`, `@@@4677`. Because colours in the next life are formed from the light of heaven they are in origin nothing else than appearances of truth derived from good. The source from which truth shines is not truth itself because by itself alone it does not possess any flame; rather, good is the source of it since this is like the flame from which light shines. The nature of good therefore determines the nature of the truth that appears from it, and the nature of the truth is the same as that of the good from which it shines. From this one may see what is meant in the internal sense by 'the tunic of various colours' - that the nature of the appearances is determined by that of the truths derived from good; for as shown already, 'Joseph', to whom the tunic belonged, represents Divine Truth.
ppp19108#pid#4743. 'And they took him and threw him into the pit' means among falsities. This is clear from what has been stated above in `@@@4728`, `@@@4736`, where similar words occur.
ppp19107#pid#4744. 'And the pit was empty, there was no water in it' means that at that time there was no truth at all. This is clear from the meaning of 'the pit' as falsities, dealt with in `@@@4728`; from the meaning of 'empty' as a place where there is no truth at all because there is no good at all, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'water' as truth, dealt with in `@@@680`, `@@@739`, `@@@2702`, `@@@3058`, `@@@3424`. The meaning of 'empty' as a place where there is no truth at all because there is no good at all is clear from other places in the Word, as in Jeremiah,
The nobles sent their inferiors for water, they came to the pits, and they found no water; they resumed with empty vessels, they were subjected to shame and ignominy, and they covered their heads. `Jeremiah 14bbb3`.
'Empty vessels' stands for truths in which there is no truth derived from good. In the same prophet,
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babel has devoured me, he has troubled me, he has made me an empty vessel, he has swallowed me up. `Jeremiah 51bbb34`.
'An empty vessel' stands for where there is no truth, 'Babel' for those who lay waste, that is, divest others of truths, `@@@1327` (end). In the same prophet,
I looked to the earth, and behold, it was void and empty; and towards the heavens, and they had no light. `Jeremiah 4bbb23`.
In Isaiah.
The spoonbill and the duck will possess it, and the owl and the raven will dwell in it; and they will stretch over it the line of a void and the plumb-line of emptiness. `Isaiah 34bbb11`.
ttt[2] In the same prophet,
The city of emptiness will be broken down, every house will be shut up so that no one may enter in. There is an outcry in the streets over [the lack of] wine. The joy of the earth will be banished; what is left in the city will be a waste. `Isaiah 24bbb10-12`.
In this case a different word is used in the original language to denote that which is 'empty', but it carries a similar meaning. The meaning of 'empty' as a place where there is no truth because there is no good is evident from the particular expressions here in the internal sense, that is to say, from the meaning of 'city', 'house', 'outcry', 'wine' and 'streets'. In Ezekiel,
The Lord Jehovih said, Woe to the city of bloodshed!`fff1` I too will make the hearth great, placing the pot empty on the burning coals, so that it is heated and is bronze becomes hot and is filthiness in it may be melted, its scum consumed. `Ezekiel 24bbb9`, `Ezekiel 24bbbccc11`.
Here it is quite plain what 'empty' means - 'the pot' is said to be 'empty', having filthiness and scum, that is, evil and falsity, inside it.
ttt[3] Similarly in Matthew,
When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person he goes through dry places seeking rest, but does not find it. Then he says, I will return into my house from which I came out; and when he comes and finds it empty, and swept, and prepared for him, he goes away and links to himself seven other spirits more evil than himself; and they enter and dwell there. `Matthew 12bbb43-45`.
'The unclean spirit' stands for the unclean life led by a person and also for the unclean spirits that reside with him, for unclean spirits dwell in a person's unclean life. 'Dry places', or places where there is no water, stands for where there are no truths. 'The house that is empty' stands for that person's interiors which have been filled again with forms of uncleanness, that is, with falsities that are the products of evil. In Luke,
God has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty. `Luke 1bbb53`.
'The rich' stands for those who know a great deal, for in the spiritual sense factual knowledge, matters of doctrine, and cognitions of good and truth are meant by 'riches'. People are called 'rich' but 'empty' if they know these things but do not carry them out; for with them truths are not truths because these are devoid of good, `@@@4736`.
`nnn1. literally, bloods
ppp19106#pid#4745. 'And they sat down to eat bread' means making evil that was a product of falsity their own. This is clear from the meaning of 'eating' as making one's own, dealt with in `@@@3168`, `@@@3513` (end), `@@@3596`; `@@@3832`; and from the meaning of 'bread' as the good of love, dealt with in `@@@276`, `@@@680`, `@@@2165`, `@@@2177`, `@@@3464`, `@@@3478`, `@@@3735`, `@@@3813`, `@@@4211`, `@@@4217`, `@@@4735`, as well as all food in general, `@@@2165`. Here however 'bread' means the opposite of that good, namely evil, for it is well known that those who eat bread in the Holy Supper in an unworthy manner do not make good but evil their own. From this it is evident that in the contrary sense 'eating bread' means making evil their own. It was a practice among the ancients to eat together when they reached an important decision that was endorsed by everyone else. By eating together they were indicating that they approved the decision and so had made it their own, as in Ezekiel,
Behold, the princes of Israel, each according to his power,`fff1` have been among you and have shed blood. Men of intrigue have been among you, [ready] to shed blood, and have eaten on the mountains. `Ezekiel 22bbb6`, `Ezekiel 22bbbccc9`.
What is more, it should be recognized that generally evil has two sources, the first being life and the second doctrine. That which has its origin in false doctrine is called evil that is a product of falsity; and it is this kind of evil that is meant here.
`nnn1. literally, arm
ppp19105#pid#4746. 'And they lifted up their eyes and saw' means further thought. This is clear from the meaning of 'lifting up the eyes and seeing' as directing one's attention and giving thought to something, that is, thinking attentively, dealt with in `@@@2789`, `@@@2829`, `@@@3198`, `@@@3202`, `@@@4339`. In this case further thought is meant, as is evident from the sequence of ideas.
ppp19104#pid#4747. 'And behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites came from Gilead' means those in whom simple good is present like that present in gentiles. This is clear from the representation of 'Ishmaelites' as those in whom simple good is present so far as life is concerned, and who consequently rely on natural truth so far as doctrine is concerned, dealt with in `@@@3263`, and from the meaning of 'Gilead' as exterior good into which, when a person is being regenerated, he is introduced first, dealt with in `@@@4117`, `@@@4124`. From this it is evident that 'a caravan of Ishmaelites from Gilead' means the kind of good that exists with gentiles, that is, those in whom that kind of simple good is present.
ttt[2] The implications of this may be seen from what has been stated up to now and from what follows below, in advance of which only this needs to be mentioned: If people within the Church who have set themselves firmly against Divine truths - in particular against the truths that the Lord's Human is Divine and that the works of charity do contribute something towards salvation - have so set themselves against them not only from doctrine but also in life, they have driven themselves interiorly into the kind of state in which they cannot possibly be brought after that to accept those truths. For once such opposition has become firmly established in life as well as from doctrine it remains for ever. People who have no knowledge of man's interior state may suppose that no matter how much he has set himself firmly against those truths he can still accept them without difficulty after that, provided he is convinced they are truths. But this is impossible, as I have been allowed to know from a great deal of experience of such persons in the next life. For that which is firmly accepted from doctrine is absorbed into the understanding, and that which is firmly accepted in life is absorbed into the will. That which is deeply implanted in both areas of life in man - that is to say, in the life of his understanding and in the life of his will - cannot be rooted out. A person's essential soul which lives after death is shaped by these and it is such that it never withdraws from them. This also is the reason why the lot of those within the Church in whom such attitudes of mind have developed is worse than the lot of those outside the Church. Those outside the Church, called the gentiles, have not set themselves firmly against those truths because they have no knowledge of them. For this reason those among them who have led charitable lives with one another accept Divine truths with ease, if not in the world then in the next life. See what has been presented from experience regarding the state and lot of gentile nations and peoples in the next life, in `@@@2589-2604`.
ttt[3] Consequently when a new Church is established by the Lord it is not established among those within the Church but among those outside it, that is, among gentiles. These are referred to many times in the Word. These preliminary remarks have been made so that what is implied by Joseph's being thrown into the pit by his brothers may be known and what by his being drawn out of it by the Midianites and sold to the Ishmaelites. For by 'Joseph's brothers' are represented those people within the Church who have set themselves firmly against Divine Truth, in particular against the two truths that the Lord's Human is Divine and that the works of charity do contribute something towards salvation, being opposed to them not only from doctrine but also in life. By 'the Ishmaelites' however those in whom simple good is present are represented, and by 'the Midianites' those who rely on the truth partnering that good. The latter are recorded as having drawn Joseph out of the pit, the former as having bought him. But what is meant by their bringing him down into Egypt where they sold him to Potiphar, Pharaoh's bedchamber-servant, will be stated further on.
ppp19103#pid#4748. 'And their camels carrying spices, and resin' and stacte' means interior natural truths. This is clear from the general meaning of 'camels' as things belonging to the natural man which serve the spiritual, and from their specific meaning as general facts within the natural man, dealt with in `@@@3048`, `@@@3071`, `@@@3114`, `@@@3143`, `@@@3145`, `@@@4156`; and from the meaning of 'spices, resin, and stacte' as interior natural truths joined to the good there, which are dealt with below. Among the ancients, sweet smelling and fragrant substances were used in their sacred worship; from these substances they obtained their frankincense and incense, similar substances being mixed with oil for their anointings. But no one today knows why those fragrances were used, for the reason that no knowledge at all exists of the fact that all aspects of the worship of the ancients had their origin in the spiritual and celestial things existing in heaven, or that those aspects of it corresponded to these. Mankind has been removing itself so far from spiritual and celestial things, immersing itself in natural, worldly, and bodily ones, that it lives in obscurity, many people having a negative attitude of mind to the existence of anything spiritual or celestial.
ttt[2] The reason frankincense and incense were used among the ancients in sacred acts of worship is that 'odour' corresponds to perception, and 'a fragrant odour' - like that of the aromas which various kinds of spices have - to a pleasing and acceptable perception, as is the perception of truth derived from good, or of faith from charity. Indeed the correspondence of one to the other is such that, as often as it pleases the Lord, actual perceptions in the next life are converted into odours. Regarding these, see what has already been told from experience in `@@@925`, `@@@1514`, `@@@1517-1519`, `@@@3577`, `@@@4624-4634`. What specifically is meant here by 'spices, resin, and stacte' may be seen from other places where these three are mentioned. In general they mean interior truths within the natural, but those truths which are derived from the good there; for truths do not on their own constitute the natural, but good does by means of truths. Consequently variations exist, conditioned by what the truth joined to the good is like and therefore by what the good is like, since the particular nature of the good depends on what the truths are like.
ttt[3] 'Gilead' means exterior good like that belonging to the senses, called pleasure, `@@@4117`, `@@@4124`, while 'Egypt' in the good sense means facts, which are the external truths of the natural man that correspond to, that is, are in accord with, that good, `@@@1462`. Therefore the reference to Ishmaelites from Gilead bringing down those aromatic commodities on camels to Egypt means bringing their own interior truths, based on their own facts, to the facts meant by 'Egypt', which matters are dealt with below. Interior truths are conclusions based on exterior truths, that is, on facts; for the facts belonging to the natural man are the means that enable conclusions to be drawn about interior truths and thereby to identify them, just as a person identifies another's state of mind in his facial expressions and in the twinkling of light in his eyes, as well as in his tone of voice and his gestures.
ttt[4] Because such truths are the means by which a person's natural is made more perfect and also receives correction, healing is therefore associated with spices of this kind - with resin, for example, in Jeremiah,
Is there no balsamic resin in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why has not the healing of the daughter of my people arisen? `Jeremiah 8bbb22`.
In the same prophet,
Go up to Gilead to take resin, O virgin daughter of Egypt! In vain you have multiplied medicaments; there is no healing for you. `Jeremiah 46bbb11`.
In the same prophet,
Suddenly Babel has fallen and been broken; wail over her! Take resin for her pain; perhaps she will be healed. `Jeremiah 51bbb8`.
ttt[5] Wares similar to this mean spiritual things, as is quite evident in John,
The merchants of the earth will weep and will mourn over Babel, that nobody buys their wares any longer, wares of gold and silver, and precious stones, and pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and every vessel of ivory, and every vessel made of most precious wood, and bronze, and iron, and marble, and cinnamon, and incense, and ointment, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and draught-cattle, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and the bodies and souls of people. `Revelation 18bbb11-13`.
These wares would never have been listed in this specific manner if each and all had not meant the kinds of things that exist in the Lord's kingdom and in His Church. Otherwise they would have been words that had no real meaning. It is well known that 'Babel' means those who turn all worship of the Lord into worship of themselves, so that profanity exists inwardly while outwardly they are doing what is holy. This being so, 'their wares' means the things which, for the sake of worship of themselves, they themselves have invented enthusiastically and skillfully, as well as doctrinal teachings and ideas of good and truth from the Word which they have twisted to suit themselves. Thus the individual wares mentioned in these verses mean specific features of their invention, 'cinnamon, incense, ointment, and frankincense' meaning truths that are derived from good, but with those people perverted truths and falsities that are the products of evil.
ttt[6] Something similar may be seen in what is recorded in Ezekiel regarding the wares of Tyre,
Judah and the land of Israel, they were your traders. Wheat of minnith and pannag, and honey, and oil, and resin, they exchanged for your trading. `Ezekiel 27bbb17`.
Here also 'resin' means truth derived from good. To one who has no belief in the internal sense of the Word all these expressions will be mere words and so vessels with nothing in them, when in fact they hold Divine, celestial, and spiritual things within them.
ppp19102#pid#4749. 'Taking them down to Egypt' means teaching based on factual knowledge. This is clear from the meaning of 'Egypt' as facts, dealt with in `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1462`; and because 'spices, resin, and stacte' means interior truths based on the facts possessed by those in whom simple good is present, like that present in gentiles, therefore 'taking them down to that place' means receipt of teaching. The position is this: The facts meant by 'Egypt' are facts which contribute to spiritual life and correspond to spiritual truths, for in former times the Ancient Church had existed there also. But once the Church there had been turned into magic, facts which pervert spiritual things were meant after that by 'Egypt'. This explains why facts are meant in the Word, both in the good sense and in the contrary sense, by 'Egypt', see `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1462`; in this case in the good sense.
ttt[2] The factual knowledge on which the interior truths meant by the spices, resin, and stacte which the Ishmaelites were carrying on their camels are based are not the kind of facts which the Church possesses but the kind found among gentiles. The truths obtained from these facts found among gentiles cannot receive correction and be made sound except by means of the facts which the genuine Church possesses, and so by instruction in those facts. These are the matters meant at this point.
ppp19101#pid#4750. 'And Judah said to his brothers' means the corrupt within the Church who are opposed to all good whatever. This is clear from the representation of 'Judah' in the good sense as the good of celestial love, dealt with in `@@@3654`, `@@@3881`, but in the contrary sense as an opposition to all good whatever, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'his brothers' as those in the Church who are adherents to faith separated from charity. The reason 'Judah' here represents those who are opposed to all good whatever is that in the good sense 'Judah' in the Word represents those who are governed by the good of celestial love. Celestial love consists in love to the Lord and from this in love towards the neighbour. Those governed by this love are the ones who are the most closely joined to the Lord and therefore they live in the inmost heaven, and in a state of innocence there. This being so, they are seen by all others as small children, and entirely as visual forms of love. No one else can go near them, and therefore when they are sent to others they are surrounded by other angels, through whom the sphere of love emanating from them is moderated. If not moderated this sphere would cause those to whom they have been sent to faint, for the sphere of their love penetrates even to one's marrow.
ttt[2] Since this love, that is, this form of the good of love, which is called celestial, is represented in the good sense by 'Judah', he therefore represents in the contrary sense the kind of thing that is the opposite of celestial good, and so is opposed to any good whatever. Most things in the Word have two meanings - a good one, and another contrary to this. The good meaning they have enables one to see the nature of their contrary one, for things in the contrary sense are the direct opposite of whatever are meant in the good sense.
ttt[3] Each form of the good of love falls in general into one of two categories - the good of celestial love and the good of spiritual love. The opposite of the good of celestial love is in the contrary sense the evil of self-love, and the opposite of the good of spiritual love is in the contrary sense the evil of love of the world. Those governed by the evil of self-love are opposed to all good whatever, but those governed by the evil of love of the world less so. In the Word 'Judah' in the contrary sense represents those who are governed by self-love, while 'Israel' in the contrary sense represents those who are governed by love of the world, the reason being that 'Judah' represented the Lord's celestial kingdom, and 'Israel' His spiritual kingdom.
ttt[4] The hells too are distinguished in accordance with those two loves. Spirits governed by self-love, being opposed to all good whatever, are in the deepest and consequently the most dreadful hells, whereas those governed by love of the world, being less opposed to all good whatever, are in hells not quite so deep and consequently less dreadful ones.
ttt[5] The evil of self-love is not, as people commonly regard it, the display of superiority which is called arrogance; rather, it is hatred against the neighbour and a resulting burning desire for revenge and a delight in cruelty. These are the more internal features of self-love. Its more external features are contempt for others in comparison with oneself and an aversion to those in whom spiritual good is present. These more external features of it are sometimes accompanied by a manifest display of superiority or arrogance, sometimes they are not. For anyone who hates his neighbour in that fashion loves solely himself inwardly, and only any others whom he regards to be at unity with him, so that they are part of him and he is part of them, solely for the sake of his own selfish ends.
ttt[6] This is what those people are like whom 'Judah' represents in the contrary sense. The Jewish nation was governed by that kind of love right from the start, for it regarded all people throughout the world as the basest slaves, of no value at all compared with themselves, and it also hated them. What is more, when self-love and love of the world did not hold them together they persecuted even their companions and brethren with similar hatred. This disposition remains with that nation even now, but because they have to seek asylum in lands not their own they conceal it.
ppp19100#pid#4751. 'What profit is there in our killing our brother and concealing his blood?' means that no advantage would be gained, nor any supremacy, if that truth was completely destroyed. This is clear from the meaning of 'what profit?' as no advantage gained, nor any supremacy, dealt with below; from the meaning of 'killing' as destroying, in this case Divine Truth, specifically the Truth regarding the Lord's Divine Human, which 'brother', that is, Joseph, is used to mean; and from the meaning of 'concealing blood' as removing holy truth completely out of sight, 'blood' meaning holy truth, see above in `@@@4735`. The implications of all this are made plain in what follows below.
ttt[2] The reason why 'profit' here means not only advantage but also superiority - that is, why 'what profit?' means that no advantage would be gained, nor any superiority - is that what was said was motivated by the desire for gain and by avarice. For the desire for gain and avarice hold within themselves not only the wish to possess the whole world but also, for the sake of gain, to rob and even to kill no matter whom. Indeed one who is minded in this way would kill for little return if laws did not stand in the way to deter him. Furthermore, in the gold and silver he possesses such a person sees himself as one who is very powerful, however much to outward appearance he seems to be anything but powerful. From this it is evident that avarice includes not only love of the world but also self-love, indeed the foulest self-love. But with the disgustingly avaricious the sense of superiority or arrogance is not so obvious to outward appearance - for sometimes they have no interest in wealth for the sake of show, and do not have that kind of self-love which is usually tied up with the pursuit of pleasures. Indeed the disgustingly avaricious take little interest in their body, or in food and clothing for it. Theirs is a wholly earthly love, aiming at nothing else than money which, they believe, makes them, potentially if not actually, superior to all. From this one may see that avarice holds within it the lowest and basest self-love of all, which is why the avaricious in the next life seem to themselves to live among pigs, `@@@939`. They are also opposed more than anyone else to all good whatever. They dwell as a consequence in darkness so thick that they cannot by any means see what good is or what truth is. They do not grasp at all the idea that in the human being there is something internal which lives after death, and in their hearts they mock those who say there is.
ttt[3] The Jewish nation was like this from the start, and for that reason nothing internal could be plainly revealed to it, as is evident from the Old Testament Word. They were indeed rooted in this worst kind of self-love, and therefore, if their avarice had not removed them very far away from internal things and as a consequence had not kept them in thickest darkness, they would have defiled interior truths and goods, and in so defiling them would have rendered them profane more than anyone else did. For they are unable to profane them as long as they do not acknowledge them, `@@@1008`, `@@@1010`, `@@@1059`, `@@@2051`, `@@@3398`, `@@@3402`, `@@@3489`, `@@@3898`, `@@@4289`, `@@@4601`. This is why the Lord says of them in John,
You are from your father the devil, and the desires of your father you will to do. He was a murderer from the beginning. `John 8bbb44`.
And of Judas Iscariot who represented the Jewish Church He says in the same gospel,
Did I not choose you twelve, but one of you is a devil? `John 6bbb70`.
Also when he sold the Lord, Judas' representation was similar to that which Judah has here who said, Come, and let us sell Joseph.
ppp19099#pid#4752. 'Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites' means that those in whom simple good is present acknowledge Him. This is clear from the meaning of 'selling' as alienating something from oneself and so its acceptance by others, dealt with in `@@@4098`, and when used in reference to truth, as it is here, it means being acknowledged by others; and from the representation of 'the Ishmaelites' as those in whom simple good is present, dealt with above in `@@@4747`. The fact that those in whom simple good is present acknowledge Divine Truth, in particular regarding the Lord's Divine Human, has been shown already.
ppp19098#pid#4753. 'And let not our hand be upon him' means so that they may be blameless. This is clear from the meaning of 'let not a hand be laid upon someone' as so that no violence be done, as above in `@@@4737`; and because in doing no violence they may be blameless, this too is the meaning of the words used here.
ppp19097#pid#4754. 'Because he is our brother, our flesh' means because that which is received from them is accepted. This is clear from the meaning of 'brother' as a blood relationship by virtue of good, dealt with in `@@@3815`, and from the meaning of 'flesh' as that which is one's own in both the genuine and the contrary senses, dealt with in `@@@3813`, and so means that it was accepted because it was received from those who belonged to the Church, and that it was accepted by these because it was accepted by those in whom simple good was present. For the Ishmaelites represent those in whom simple good is present, while Joseph's brothers represent the Church that adheres to faith separated from charity. Those in whom simple good is present acknowledge that the Lord's Human is Divine and also that the works of charity must be done so that a person may be saved. Adherents to faith separated from charity know this, and therefore they do not in everyone's presence insist emphatically on faith separated from charity; indeed they hardly mention it among those in whom simple good is present. The main reason for this is that they do not dare to express anything contrary to common sense, thereby robbing themselves of position and gain. For if those in whom simple good is present rejected such ideas about faith separated from charity, they would say that these adherents to those ideas were stupid. Those in whom simple good is present know what love is and what the works of love are; but what faith separated from these may be they do not know. Arguments favouring faith rather than works and concerning the distinction drawn between the Lord's Divine and His Human they would call sophisticated ones beyond their grasp. This being so, to get themselves accepted, and because what is received from them is accepted, the adherents to faith alone choose to compromise their position; for if those truths were annihilated it would be no profit to them and would not give them any superiority, `@@@4751`.
ppp19096#pid#4755. 'And his brothers hearkened' means acquiescence. This is clear without explanation.
ppp19095#pid#4756. 'And men passed by, Midianites, who were traders' means those in whom the truth partnering that good is present. This is clear from the representation of 'Midianites' as those in whom the truth that partners simple good is present, dealt with in `@@@3242`; and from the meaning of 'traders' as those who possess cognitions of good and truth, for such cognitions are meant by riches, wealth, and wares in the spiritual sense, and therefore 'trading' means acquiring and communicating these cognitions, `@@@2967`, `@@@4453`. Here not cognitions of good but those of truth are meant, for, as stated above, 'Midianites' means those in whom the truth that partners simple good is present. For the same reason they are called 'men', since the expression 'men' is used of those who possess truth, `@@@3134`, `@@@3309`. From the historical chain of events described here it is plain that Joseph was sold to Ishmaelites, but that he was drawn out of the pit by Midianites and was also sold by the Midianites to Potiphar in Egypt; for it is said in the final verse of this chapter, 'And the Midianites sold him into Egypt to Potiphar, Pharaoh's bedchamber-servant'. One would think that because Joseph was sold to the Ishmaelites that these, not the Midianites, would be the ones to sell him in Egypt. But things happened the way they did for the sake of the representation of what is contained in the internal sense. 'Joseph', that is, Divine Truth, cannot be sold by those governed by good, only by those governed by the truth partnering that good. The reason for this will be seen in the explanation of the final verse of this chapter.
ppp19094#pid#4757. 'And they drew Joseph out and caused him to come up out of the pit' means the help provided by these so that [Divine Truth] is no longer among falsities. This is clear from the meaning of 'drawing out and causing to come up' as delivering and therefore as providing help, dealt with below, and from the meaning of 'the pit' as falsities, dealt with in `@@@4728`, and so as its being no longer among falsities. The reason 'drawing out and causing to come up' here means providing help is that truth is what brings help to good. For truth has power attributed to it because good exercises its power by means of truth, `@@@3091`, `@@@3563`. Furthermore truth is the means by which falsity is recognized, and so by which help is provided so that it is no longer among falsities. This is the reason why it was the Midianites who drew Joseph out and caused him to come up out of the pit, but why it was the Ishmaelites who bought him.
ppp19093#pid#4758. 'And sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites' means the acceptance of it by those in whom simple good is present and the alienation of it from those adhering to faith separated from charity. This is clear from the meaning of 'selling' as alienation in the case of the adherents to faith separated from charity, who are meant here by 'Joseph's brothers', it being these who sold him, and as acceptance in the case of those in whom simple good was present, who are meant here by 'the Ishmaelites', it being these who bought him. It has been shown above in `@@@3263`, `@@@4747`, that by 'the Ishmaelites' are meant those in whom simple good is present. For these matters, see what has been mentioned already in `@@@4756`.
ppp19092#pid#4759. 'For twenty pieces of silver' means the value set upon it. This is clear from the meaning of 'twenty' as the good and truth stored away by the Lord within the interior man, which are called remnants, dealt with in `@@@2280`, and so as holy good or truth. In this case holy truth is meant because the phrase 'twenty pieces of silver' is used, 'silver' meaning truth, `@@@1551`, `@@@2954`. The same number also means that which is not holy, for most things in the Word have a contrary meaning also, here truth that is not holy in the case of those who alienated Divine Truth, or 'sold Joseph', `@@@4758`, but is holy in the case of those who accepted it or 'bought him'. The meaning here therefore is that which is not holy separated from charity, but which is holy in the case of the Ishmaelites, that is, those in whom simple good is present. These are the things that are meant by the value set upon it. The reason why 'twenty' also means that which is not holy is that 'twenty' means remnants, as stated above. If people do not have any remnants of good and truth within their interior man, only evil and falsity instead, their holiness is not holiness, and depending on the kind of evil and falsity present in them it is either filthiness or else profanity.
ttt[2] This further meaning which 'twenty' has of that which is not holy is clear in Zechariah,
I looked, and behold, a flying scroll. And he said to me, What do you see? I said to him, I see a flying scroll; its length is twenty cubits, its breadth ten cubits. And he said to me, This curse is going out over the face of the whole land. `Zechariah 5bbb1-3`.
In Haggai,
When one came to the winevat to draw fifty measures from the winevat, there were only twenty; I smote you with blight, and all the work of your hands with mildew. `Haggai 2bbb16-17`.
ttt[3] In Ezekiel,
Your food which you eat shall be in weight twenty shekels each day; from time to time shall you eat it; and you shall eat it indeed as a barley-cake. As regards that cake, with human excrement you shall make it in their sight. For thus, Jehovah said, shall the children of Israel eat their bread unclean among the nations. `Ezekiel 4bbb10`, `Ezekiel 4bbbccc12-13`.
In these places 'twenty' stands for that which is unholy, unclean, and profane. The death in the wilderness of all over twenty years - a prediction recorded in `Numbers 14bbb29`; `Numbers ccc32bbb11` - also represented that which was holy in the case of those under that age, and that which was not holy in the case of those over it. For all numbers in the Word mean spiritual realities, see `@@@482`, `@@@487`, `@@@575`, `@@@647`, `@@@648`, `@@@755`, `@@@813`, `@@@1963`, `@@@1988`, `@@@2075`, `@@@2252`, `@@@3252`, `@@@4264`, `@@@4495`, `@@@4670`; and remnants are good and truth stored away by the Lord within the interior man, `@@@468`, `@@@530`, `@@@560`, `@@@561`, `@@@576`, `@@@660`, `@@@798`, `@@@1050`, `@@@1738`, `@@@1906`, `@@@2284`.
ppp19091#pid#4760. 'And they led Joseph to Egypt' means a consultation with factual knowledge. This is clear from the meaning of 'Egypt' as facts, dealt with in `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1186`, `@@@1462`; and when Divine Truth is brought to these it is to consult them, for as shown above, 'Joseph' represents Divine Truth. What is implied by a consultation with factual evidence regarding Divine Truth must be stated briefly. Consulting facts regarding Divine Truth is seeing from them whether it is indeed such. But those with an affirmative attitude that the truth is the truth do so in one way, in that when they consult facts they use them to confirm the truth and so to strengthen their belief, whereas those with a negative attitude do so in another way. When these people consult facts they sink themselves all the more into falsities; for a negative attitude reigns in these people but an affirmative one in the former ones. And these differences are determined in addition in each individual by his capacity to understand. If those who do not have higher, that is, interior insight, consult facts, they fail to see any confirmation of what is true within these and therefore they are drawn aside into a negative attitude. But those who do have higher, that is, interior insight see confirmations, through correspondences if in no other way.
ttt[2] Take for example the truth that a person lives after death. When those with a negative attitude towards this truth consult facts they confirm the contrary for themselves by means of countless ideas, such as that animals have life, sensory perception, and activity no less than man does, and in many respects to a more perfect degree; that thought which man possesses pre-eminently over animals is something he comes to have because he takes longer to reach maturity, and that man is an animal belonging to a genus of this kind; and a thousand other ideas besides these. From this it is evident that if those with a negative attitude consult facts they sink themselves all the more into falsities, so that at length they believe nothing whatever about eternal life.
ttt[3] But when those with an affirmative attitude to the truth that man lives after death consult facts they confirm themselves in it by means of them, doing so by means of countless ones. They see that everything in nature is below man; that animals act from instinct-but man from reason; and that animals cannot do other than look downwards, whereas man can look upwards and by the use of thought can come to understand things belonging to the spiritual world and also to feel an affection for them - indeed that through love he can be joined to God, thereby making life from the Divine his own; and that it is to enable him to be led and raised up to Him that he takes longer to reach maturity. And in everything else in addition belonging to nature he sees confirmations, and at length within the whole natural order sees that which is representative of the heavenly kingdom.
ttt[4] It is a common and well-known fact that the learned have less belief than the simple in a life after death, and that in general they see Divine Truths less clearly than the simple do. The reason is that they consult facts, of which they possess a greater abundance than others, with a negative attitude, and by this destroy in themselves any insight gained from a higher or more interior position. Once this has been destroyed they no longer see anything in the light of heaven but in the light of the world; for facts exist in the light of the world, and if they are not lit up by the light of heaven they bring darkness, however different it may seem to be to them. This was why the simple believed in the Lord but not the scribes and Pharisees, who were the learned in that nation, as is evident from the following in John,
Many from the crowd when they heard this utterance said, This is truly the Prophet. Others said, This is the Christ (Messiah). The Pharisees answered them, Has any of the leaders believed in Him, or any of the Pharisees? `John 7bbb40-41`, `John 7bbbccc47-48`.
And in Luke,
Jesus said, I confess to You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden such things from the wise and intelligent but have revealed them to infants. `Luke 10bbb21`.
'Infants' stands for the simple. Also in Matthew,
Therefore I speak to them in parables, because those who see do not see, and those who hear do not hear, nor do they understand. `Matthew 13bbb13`.
ppp19090#pid#4761. 'And Reuben returned to the pit' means the Church's faith in general. This is clear from the representation of 'Reuben' as the Church's confession of faith in general, dealt with in `@@@4731`, `@@@4734`, and from the meaning of 'the pit' as falsities, dealt with in `@@@4728`. Consequently the statement that 'Reuben returned to the pit' means that the Church's faith in general came to behold the falsities that belong to faith separated from charity.
ppp19089#pid#4762. 'And behold, there was no Joseph in the pit' means that no faith existed any longer. This is clear from the representation of 'Joseph' as Divine Truth, and whenever this appears among falsities, which are meant by 'the pit', `@@@4728`, no faith exists any longer.
ppp19088#pid#4763. 'And he rent his clothes' means mourning. This is clear from the meaning of 'rending clothes' as mourning, that is to say, mourning on account of the loss of truth, or the fact that no faith exists. In the Word, especially the historical part, one often reads about people rending their clothes, but the origin of that practice is not known at the present day. Nor is it known that it was representative of grief on account of the loss of truth. This practice became representative from the fact that 'clothes' meant truths, as has been shown and may be seen in `@@@4545`. Further on in this chapter it is also said that when Jacob recognized his son's tunic he rent his clothes, verse `Genesis 37bbbccc34`, by which mourning for lost truth is meant. Similar instances of this practice occur elsewhere in the Word, where it is stated that when the Rabshakeh was sent by Sennacherib king of Asshur and uttered insults against Jerusalem, Eliakim who was over the king's house, and Shebna the secretary, and Joash the recorder`fff1` rent their clothes and reported these things to king Hezekiah; and when he heard them the king too rent his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth, `Isaiah 36bbb22`; `Isaiah ccc37bbb1`; `2 Kings 18bbb37`; `2 Kings ccc19bbb1`. The insults he uttered were directed against God, the king, and Jerusalem, and so against Divine Truth, as is even more evident from the internal sense of this narrative. It was to express mourning therefore that their clothes were rent.
ttt[2] When Jehudi had read before the king the scroll which Jeremiah wrote, it is said that he threw it into the fire, but the king and his servants who were listening to all those words did not tear their clothes apart, `Jeremiah 36bbb23-24`. 'They did not tear their clothes apart' meant that they did not mourn on account of the non-acceptance of Divine Truth. Something similar is implied by Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh rending their clothes, when the spies spoke in opposition to them, by speaking unfavourably about the land of Canaan, `Numbers 14bbb6`; for 'the land of Canaan' means the Lord's kingdom, and 'to speak in opposition to this' describes falsity in opposition to Divine Truth. Mourning over the loss of Divine Truth and Divine Good is meant where it is said, in `1 Samuel 4bbb11-12`, that when the ark of God was captured by the Philistines and both of Eli's sons died, a man ran from the line of battle to Shiloh, with rent clothes and dust on his head. Because 'the ark' represented the Lord's kingdom, and in the highest sense the Lord Himself, and consequently represented everything holy in the Church, 'rent clothes' meant grief over the loss of Divine Truth, while 'dust on his head' meant grief over the loss of Divine Good.
ttt[3] In the narrative about Samuel and Saul one reads,
When Samuel turned to go away Saul took hold of the skirt of his tunic, and it was torn away. Therefore Samuel said to him, Jehovah has torn the kingdom of Israel from upon you this day and has given it to your companion. I will not return with you, for you have rejected the word of Jehovah, and Jehovah has rejected you from being king over Israel. `1 Samuel 15bbb26-28`.
The tearing away by Saul of the skirt of Samuel's tunic represented that which Samuel then stated - that the kingdom would be torn from him and that he would not be the king of Israel any longer. For 'the kingdom' in the internal sense means Divine Truth, `@@@1672`, `@@@2547`, `@@@4691`, as also does 'king' and 'kingship', `@@@1672`, `@@@1728`, `@@@2015`, `@@@2069`, `@@@3009`, `@@@3670`, `@@@4575`, `@@@4581`, especially the king and the kingdom of Israel, since 'Israel' represented the Lord's kingship. The meaning is similar in what is recorded concerning Jeroboam and Ahijah the prophet,
When Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, and Ahijah the prophet found him on the road, when he was covered with a new garment and both were alone in the field, Ahijah took hold of the new garment that was on him and rent it into twelve pieces; and he said to Jeroboam, Take for yourself ten pieces; for thus said Jehovah, the God of Israel, behold, I am rending [the kingdom] from the hand of Solomon and I will give you ten tribes. `1 Kings 11bbb29-31`.
ttt[4] The second Book of Samuel likewise records that when Saul was killed in battle they tore their clothes apart,
When Saul was killed in battle, on the third day a man came from the camp, whose clothes had been rent. And when David heard about the death of Saul, David took hold of his garments and tore them apart; and so did all his servants who were with him. `2 Samuel 1bbb2`, `2 Samuel 1bbbccc10-12`.
This too represented mourning because of Divine Truth, lost and cast away by those who adhered to faith separated from charity. For as stated above, 'kingship' meant Divine Truth, while 'the Philistines' by whom Saul was slain represented adherents to faith separated from charity, `@@@1197`, `@@@1198`, `@@@3412`, `@@@3413`. The same is also evident from David's lament over him, in verses `Genesis 37bbbccc18-27` of the same chapter.
ttt[5] When Absalom had slain Amnon his brother and the news reached David that Absalom had slain all the king's sons, David tore his clothes apart and lay on the ground; and all his servants standing by tore their clothes apart, `2 Samuel 13bbb28`, `2 Samuel 13bbbccc30-31`. This too was done for the sake of the representation that truths from the Divine were lost, those truths being meant in the internal sense by 'the king's sons'. A similar meaning exists in the reference to Hushai the Archite who with his tunic torn apart came to meet David when he fled from Absalom, `2 Samuel 15bbb32`; for in the Word 'a king', and in particular David, represents Divine Truth. The meaning is also very similar in the reference to Ahab, who tore his clothes apart and put sackcloth over his flesh when Elijah told Ahab the king of Israel the words of Jehovah, to the effect that he would be completely wiped out for the evil he had done, `1 Kings 21bbb27-29`.
ttt[6] The fact that tearing apart or rending clothes represented mourning the loss of Truth is additionally clear from the following: Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the law in the house of Jehovah. When Shaphan read it before king Josiah and the king heard the words of the Book of the law, he tore his clothes apart, `2 Kings 22bbb11`. Plainly the king did so because the Word, that is, Divine truth, had been lost for so long and in their hearts and life had been blotted out.
ttt[7] The tearing apart of his own clothes by the high priest, when the Lord confessed He was the Christ the Son of God, and his declaration that He had spoken utter blasphemy, `Matthew 26bbb63-65`; `Mark 14bbb63-64`, meant that the high priest was absolutely convinced that the Lord had spoken against the Word and so against Divine truth. When Elijah went up in the whirlwind, and Elisha saw it, it is said,
He took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces. And he took up Elijah's tunic that had fallen from upon him, and he struck the waters and they were divided this way and that, and Elisha went over. `2 Kings 2bbb11-14`.
Elisha tore his own clothes apart at that time to express mourning the loss of the Word, that is, of Divine Truth; for 'Elijah' represents the Lord as regards the Word, that is, Divine Truth, `@@@2762`. When the tunic fell from Elijah and was picked up by Elisha, the continuation of Elijah's representation by Elisha was represented, 'the tunic' meaning Divine Truth, see `@@@4677`. This also explains why the garment torn apart when such mourning took place was the tunic, as is evident from some of the places that have been quoted. Because 'a garment' meant the truth possessed by the Church, and in the highest sense Divine Truth, it was therefore shameful, except when one was mourning, to go about with clothes that were torn. This is evident from what was done to David's servants by Hanun king of the children of Ammon, when he cut off half the beard of each one, and their garments at the middle even to their buttocks, for which reason they were not allowed to come to David, `2 Samuel 10bbb4-5`.
`nnn1. Reading commemorator (recorder) for commentator (interpreter)
ppp19087#pid#4764. 'And he returned to his brothers' means those teaching [from faith]. This is clear from the representation of 'Joseph's brothers' as adherents to faith separated from charity, and also - because they were shepherds - as those teaching from faith, as above in `@@@4705`.
ppp19086#pid#4765. 'And said, The lad is no more' means that no faith in Him exists. This is clear from the meaning of 'the lad' as the truth of faith; for 'a son' means truth, `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@533`, `@@@1147`, `@@@2623`, `@@@2803`, `@@@2813`, `@@@3373`, `@@@3704`, and so 'the lad', which here refers to Joseph, represents Divine Truth, as has been shown. Now because all truth is the truth of faith - for that which was called truth or what is true in the Ancient Churches is called faith in the new Church, `@@@4690` - 'the lad is no more' consequently means that no faith in Him exists.
ppp19085#pid#4766. 'And I, where do I go?' means, Where now is the Church? This is clear from the representation of 'Reuben' as the Church's faith in general, dealt with in `@@@4731`, `@@@4734`, `@@@4761`. And because Reuben says of himself, 'And I, where do I go?' the meaning is, Where now is the Church's faith? or what amounts to the same, Where now is the Church? For the Church does not exist where no heavenly Joseph - that is, no Lord as regards Divine Truth - does so. In particular it has no existence where the Divine Truth that the Lord's Human is Divine and the Truth that charity, and therefore the works of charity, is the essential element of the Church have no existence, as may be seen from what has been shown in this chapter about these two Truths.
ttt[2] If there is no acceptance of this Divine Truth, that the Lord's Human is Divine, then of necessity it follows that a triad and not a single entity should be worshipped, and only half the Lord, that is, His Divine but not His Human (for is there anyone who worships that which is not Divine?) Is the Church anything when a triad is worshipped, each of the three separately from another, or what amounts to the same, when equal homage is paid to each of them? For although the three are called one, thought still keeps them separate and makes them three, the declaration 'a single entity' being no more than a saying spoken with the lips. Let anyone ask himself, when he says that he acknowledges and believes in one God, whether or not he has thoughts of three. Or when he says that the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, and that these are distinct and separate both in their persons and as to their functions, whether he can think that there is one God, except in the way that three who are distinct from one another make one through unanimity and also through deference insofar as one goes forth from another. When therefore three gods are worshipped, where then is the Church?
ttt[3] But if the Lord alone is worshipped, in whom the perfect Triad dwells, and in whom is the Father and the Father in Him, as He Himself says in the following places -
Even though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father. `John 10bbb38`.
He who has seen Me has seen the Father. Do you not believe, Philip, that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me. `John 14bbb9-11`.
He who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. `John 12bbb45`.
All Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine. `John 17bbb10`.
- then it is a Christian Church, as it is when it keeps to the following spoken by the Lord,
The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord; therefore you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. The second is like it, You shall love your neighbour as yourself. There Is no other commandment greater than these. `Mark 12bbb29-31`.
'The Lord our God' is the Lord, see `Matthew 4bbb7`, `Matthew 4bbbccc10`; `Matthew ccc22bbb43-44`; `Luke 1bbb16-17`; `John 20bbb28`, 'Jehovah' in the Old Testament being called 'the Lord' in the New, see `@@@2921`.
ttt[4] If this Divine Truth too goes unaccepted both in doctrine and in life - the Truth that love towards the neighbour, that is, charity, and therefore the works of charity, is the essential element of the Church - then of necessity it follows that thinking what is true exists in the Church but not thinking what is good. That being so, the thought of one who belongs to the Church may consist of elements that contradict and stand opposed to each other; that is to say, thinking what is evil and thinking what is true may be present simultaneously. In thinking what is evil he lives with the devil and in thinking what is true he does so with the Lord. But truth and evil cannot possibly be in accord,
No one can serve two masters, either he will hate the one and love the other . . . `Luke 16bbb13`.
When faith separated from charity advocates this, and endorses it in life, then no matter how much it talks about the fruits of faith, where indeed is the Church?
ppp19084#pid#4767. Verses `Genesis 37bbbccc31-35` And they took Joseph's tunic and killed a he-goat of the she-goats, and dipped the tunic in the blood. And they sent the tunic of various colours, and brought it to their father, and said, We have found this; recognize now whether this is your son's tunic or not. And he recognized it, and said, My son's tunic! An evil wild animal has devoured him; Joseph has been torn to pieces. And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth on his loins, and mourned over his son many days. And all his sons rose up, and all his daughters, to comfort him; and he refused to comfort himself, and said, For I will go down to my son, to the grave mourning. And his father wept for him.
'They took Joseph's tunic' means appearances. 'And killed a he-goat of the she-goats' means external truths received from delights. 'And dipped the tunic in the blood' means that they defiled those appearances with falsities arising from evils. 'And they sent the tunic of various colours' means the appearances that have been defiled in this way. 'And brought it to their father' means comparison with the goods and truths of the Ancient Church and of the Primitive [Christian] one. 'And said, We have found this' means that this is what they see it to be. 'Recognize now whether this is your son's tunic or not' means whether there was any likeness. 'And he recognized it' means, yes, there was. 'And said, My son's tunic!' means that it was the truth possessed by the Church. 'An evil wild animal has devoured him' means that desires for evil annihilated it. 'Joseph has been torn to pieces' means that falsities render that truth entirely non-existent. 'And [Jacob] rent his clothes' means mourning for lost truth. 'And put sackcloth on his loins' means mourning for lost good. 'And mourned over his son many days' means a state. 'And all his sons rose up' means those who are governed by falsities. 'And all his daughters' means those who are governed by evils. 'To comfort him' means to provide explanations based on the sense of the letter of the Word. 'And he refused to comfort himself' means that this was not possible. 'For I will go down to my son, to the grave mourning' means that the Ancient Church was perishing. 'And his father wept for him' means interior mourning.
ppp19083#pid#4768. 'They took Joseph's tunic' means appearances. This is clear from the meaning of 'tunic', in this case a tunic of various colours, as appearances of truth, dealt with in `@@@4677`, `@@@4741`, `@@@4742`. The subject in what follows next is the removal of blame for the crime they had committed, and in the internal sense the corroboration of falsity opposed to the Divine Truths that are dealt with just above in `@@@4766`, a corroboration which was effected by means of appearances presented by means of reasonings from the sense of the letter of the Word. Corroborations of falsity involving the use of interpretations made from the sense of the letter of the Word are in every case appearances, by which the simple are normally led astray, falsity being presented as truth, and truth as falsity .These are the matters that constitute the subject in the internal sense of what follows next.
ppp19082#pid#4769. 'And killed a he-goat of the she-goats' means external truths received from delights. This is clear from the meaning of 'a he-goat of the she-goats' in the Word as natural truths, that is, truths belonging to the external man which give rise to the delights of life, and also as external truths received from delights, dealt with below. Truths belonging to the external man which give rise to the delights of life are Divine truths such as are present in the literal sense of the Word, which form the basis of the teachings of the genuine Church. These truths are meant strictly speaking by 'the he-goat', and the delights which spring from them are meant by 'the she-goats'. This being so, 'a he-goat of the she-goats' in the genuine sense means those who know truths of this kind and enjoy the delights that spring from them. But in the contrary sense 'a he-goat of the she-goats' means those who know external truths, that is, appearances of truth drawn from the sense of the letter which go along with their delights of life, such as things delighting the body, which are generally called pleasures, and those delighting the mind, which are generally called honours and gains. People of this kind are meant in the contrary sense by 'a he-goat of the she-goats'. In short, 'a he-goat of the she-goats' in this contrary sense means adherents to faith separated from charity, for these people take no other truths from the Word than those which are in agreement with their delights of life, that is, which accord with self-love and love of the world. And they reduce other truths to the same level by the use of interpretations, and in this way they present falsities as appearances of truth.
ttt[2] This meaning of 'a he-goat of the she-goats' as adherents to faith separated from charity may be seen in Daniel,
Behold, a he-goat of the she-goats came from the west across the face of the whole earth, without touching the ground;`fff1` and this goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes. Out of one of the four horns there came forth one little hoary, and it grew exceedingly towards the south, and towards the east, and towards the glorious [land]. Indeed, it grew even towards the host of heaven, and cast down to the earth some of the host, and of the stars, and trampled on them; and it cast down truth to the earth. `Daniel 8bbb5`, `Daniel 8bbbccc9-10`, `Daniel 8bbbccc12`.
This refers to the state of the Church in general, not merely to the state of the Jewish Church but also to the state of the Church that followed it, the Christian one; for the Word of the Lord is all-embracing. When used in reference to the Jewish Church 'a he-goat of the she-goats' means those who considered internal truths to be worthless; but they did accept external truths, insofar as these were in accord with their loves, which were their desire to be the greatest and to be the wealthiest people. Consequently they did not think of their expected Christ or Messiah as anyone other than a king who would exalt them above all nations and peoples throughout the world and would make these subject to them as the meanest slaves. This was the level to which they reduced their love of Him. As for what love towards the neighbour was, they had no knowledge at all, except as being associated with others with whom they shared the exalted position referred to above and as enjoying material gain.
ttt[3] But when used in reference to the Christian Church 'a he-goat of the she-goats' means those who possess external truths received from delights, that is, who adhere to faith separated from charity, for these people too have no interest at all in internal truths. If they do teach these it is solely so that they may thereby earn acclaim, be raised to exalted positions, and acquire material gains. These are the delights their hearts are set on when they utter truths with their lips. What is more, by wrong interpretations of the truths of genuine faith they make these accord with their own loves. From this one may see what the words in Daniel that are quoted above mean in the internal sense. The phrase 'a he-goat of the she-goats' means adherents to faith separated from charity. The he-goat 'came from the west' means coming from evil, for 'the west' means evil, see `@@@3708`. It came 'across the face of the whole earth, without touching the ground' means coming into the whole Church, for 'earth' or 'land' in the Word means nothing else than the earth where the Church exists, and so means the Church, `@@@566`, `@@@662`, `@@@1067`, `@@@1262`, `@@@1413`, `@@@1607`, `@@@1733`, `@@@1850`, `@@@2117`, `@@@2118` (end), `@@@2928`, `@@@3355`, `@@@4435`, `@@@4447`. 'The horns' it had means powers derived from falsity, `@@@2832`, 'a conspicuous horn between the eyes' meaning power derived from reasoning about the truths of faith, as becomes clear from what has been shown regarding the eye in `@@@4403-4421`, `@@@4523-4534`. 'The one horn which grew towards the south, the east, and the glorious [land]' means the expansion of power derived from faith separated from charity even into states lit by the light of heaven - states of goodness and truth; for 'the south' means a state of light, see `@@@3708`, 'the east' a state of goodness, `@@@1250`, `@@@3249`, `@@@3708`, 'the glorious [land]' a state of truth, as is clear from various places in the Word. 'It grew even towards the host of heaven, and cast down to the earth some of the host, and of the stars, and trampled on them' means that such a thing happened to cognitions of good and truth, for 'the hosts of heaven, and the stars' means cognitions of good and truth, `@@@4697`. From this one may see what is meant by 'it cast down truth to the earth', namely that faith itself was cast down, which in essence is charity; for faith looks to charity because it stems from it. That which in the Ancient Church was called truth is in the new one called faith, `@@@4690`.
ttt[4] 'He-goat' is used with a similar meaning in Ezekiel,
Behold, I am judging between one member of the flock and another, between rams and he-goats. Is it a small thing to you? You feed off the good pasture and tread down with your feet the rest of your pastures; you drink the water that has settled down`fff2` and stir up the rest with your feet. You butt with your horns all the weak [sheep] till you have scattered them abroad. `Ezekiel 34bbb17-18`, `Ezekiel 34bbbccc21`.
Here also 'he-goats' means adherents to faith separated from charity, that is, those who set doctrine above life and at length have no interest at all in life. Yet it is life that makes the human being, not doctrine separated from life; and it is life that remains after death, not doctrine except insofar as this teaches about life. Of these people it is said that they feed off the good pasture and tread down the rest of the pastures with their feet, and that they drink the water that has settled down and stir up the rest with their feet; also that with their horns they butt the weak [sheep] till they have scattered them.
ttt[5] From this one may now see which persons are meant by 'the he-goats', and which by 'the sheep', that the Lord speaks of in Matthew,
Before Him will be gathered all the nations, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the he-goats; and He will peace the sheep at His right hand, out the he-goats at the left, etc. `Matthew 25bbb32-33`.
The fact that 'the sheep' means those who have charity and therefore have the truths of faith, and that 'the he-goats' means those who do not have any charity even though they have the truths of faith - that is, they are adherents to faith separated from charity - is plain from each detail in this passage, where such people are described.
ttt[6] Which ones are the adherents to faith separated from charity, meant by 'the he-goats', and what kind of people they are, may be seen from the following two places: In Matthew,
Every tree that does not make good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore you will know them by their fruits. Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and by Your name cast out demons, and do many mighty works in Your name? But then I will confess to them, I do not know you; depart from Me, you workers of iniquity. `Matthew 7bbb19-23`.
And in Luke,
Then you will begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But He replying will say to you, I do not know where you are from. Then you will begin to say, We ate in Your presence and we drank; and You taught in our streets. But He will say, I tell you, I to not know where you come from; depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity. `Luke 13bbb25-27`.
These are the ones who adhere to faith separated from charity and are called 'the he-goats'. But what is meant by 'he-goats' in the good sense, such as the ones used in sacrifices and those mentioned in various places in the Prophets, will in the Lord's Divine mercy be stated elsewhere.
`nnn1. literally, earth or land
`nnn2. literally, the sediment of the waters
ppp19081#pid#4770. 'And dipped the tunic in the blood' means that they defiled those appearances with falsities arising from evils. This is clear from the meaning of 'dipping in blood' as defiling with falsities, for in the contrary sense 'blood' means truth that has been falsified, `@@@4735`. Because it was the blood of 'a he-goat, which means external truths derived from delights such as adherents to faith separated from charity enjoy, it is plain that falsities arising from evils are meant. This is also evident from what follows below where Jacob says, 'An evil wild animal has devoured him; Joseph has been torn to pieces'; for these words mean that desires for evil annihilated [truth possessed by the Church], thus that falsities rendered this entirely non-existent. For falsity arises from three different sources - the teaching of the Church, the illusions of the senses, and the life of evil desires, the last of the three being the worst kind of falsity, see `@@@4729`.
ppp19080#pid#4771. 'And they sent the tunic of various colours' means the appearances that have been defiled [in this way]. This is clear from the meaning of 'the tunic of various colours' as appearances, dealt with in `@@@4677`, `@@@4741`, `@@@4742`, `@@@4768`. The defilement of them is meant by the fact that the tunic had been dipped in blood, `@@@4770`.
ppp19079#pid#4772. 'And brought it to their father' means comparison with the goods and truths of the Ancient Church and of the Primitive [Christian] one. This is clear from the representation of Jacob, to whom 'father' refers here, as the Ancient Church, dealt with in `@@@4680`, `@@@4700`, and also the Primitive Church, that is, the Christian Church when it first began, dealt with below. 'Bringing the tunic' in the condition in which it now was to the Church means in the internal sense bringing about a comparison of falsified goods and truths with the genuine goods and truths of the Church.`fff1` The reason Jacob here represents not only the Ancient Church but also the Primitive one - that is, the Christian Church when it first began - is that the two are exactly alike so far as internal features are concerned and differ from each other only so far as external ones are concerned. The external features of the Ancient Church consisted of all the representatives of the Lord and of the celestial and spiritual realities of His kingdom, which are love and charity, and faith derived from these, and so the kinds of things that constitute the Christian Church. When therefore the external features of the Ancient Church, and also of the Jewish, are opened out and are so to speak stripped away from what is present within them, the Christian Church is laid bare. This was also meant by the veil in the Temple being torn apart, `Matthew 27bbb51`; `Mark 15bbb38`; `Luke 23bbb45`. This explains why Jacob 'their father' represents not only the Ancient Church but also the Primitive Christian one.
`nnn1. The translation here represents what Swedenborg had in his rough draft and appears in the third Latin edition. The words used in the first and second Latin editions mean the goods and truths of the genuine Church.
ppp19078#pid#4773. 'And said, We have found this' means that this is what they see it to be. This is clear from the train of thought in the internal sense, for the brothers did not say that it was Joseph's tunic, only that they had 'found this' - leaving it to their father to recognize whether it was his son's tunic. Consequently these words mean that this is what they see it to be.
ppp19077#pid#4774. 'Recognize now whether this is your son's tunic or not' means whether there was any likeness. This is clear from the meaning of 'recognize whether this is' as whether it is like. These words are closely connected with the ones that come both before them and after them. That is to say, they relate to the comparison that was brought about of falsified goods and truths with the genuine goods and truths of the Church, meant by the statement that they brought the tunic which had been dipped in blood to their father, `@@@4772`. This explains why 'recognize now whether this is your son's tunic' means that a comparison should be made to see whether it was like, that is, whether there was any likeness.
ppp19076#pid#4775. 'And he recognized it' means, yes, there was; 'and said, My son's tunic!' means that it was the truth possessed by the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'tunic' as the truth possessed by the Church, dealt with in `@@@4677`. But because this truth was defiled, it was indeed recognized to be that truth, though not like that of the Ancient Church and the Primitive Christian one. This is why the words of explanation here are 'yes, there was'.
ppp19075#pid#4776. 'An evil wild animal has devoured him' means that desires for evil annihilated it. This is clear from the meaning of 'an evil wild animal' as a lie invented out of a life of evil desires, dealt with in `@@@4729`, and therefore as such desires; and from the meaning of 'devouring' as annihilating, because it has reference to the truth of the Church. The one great Truth the Church possesses is that love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour are first and foremost, `Mark 12bbb29-31`, a truth that evil desires annihilate. For those who lead a life of evil desires cannot lead a life of love and charity since these two kinds of life are complete opposites. A life of evil desires is one in which a person loves only himself and not his neighbour except out of self-interest or for his own sake. People like this therefore annihilate charity among themselves, and those who annihilate charity also annihilate love to the Lord; for charity is the only means through which anyone loves the Lord, and the Lord dwells within charity. An affection that belongs to charity is a genuine heavenly affection, which comes from the Lord alone. From this it may be seen that desires for evil annihilate the one great truth the Church possesses; and once it has been annihilated some other means is invented which is called the way to salvation; and this is faith. When faith moreover is separated from charity actual truths are defiled, for in that case no knowledge exists any longer of what charity is, or even of what the neighbour is. Nor as a consequence does any knowledge exist about the inner essence of a human being, nor indeed of what heaven is. For the essence of a human being, or heaven within him, is charity, which consists in goodwill to others, to his community, to his country, to the Church, to the Lord's kingdom, and so to the Lord Himself. From this one may deduce what truth possessed by the Church must be like when there is no knowledge of the essential truths and when evil desires reign, standing opposed to these essential truths. When a life of evil desires speaks about them, are not truths defiled to such an extent that they cease to be recognizable?
ttt[2] The truth that no one can be saved unless he has led a good charitable life, and so has acquired affections for that life, which exist in him as goodwill shown to others and as good deeds done to them which are motivated by that goodwill; also, the truth that no one can possibly accept the truths of faith - that is to say, take them in and make them his own - except him who leads a charitable life, have been made perfectly plain to me from those in heaven to whom I have been allowed to speak. Everyone there is a form of charity, the beauty and goodness of that form depending on the nature of the charity. The pleasure, bliss, and happiness of those there flow from their being able - because they are motivated by goodwill - to do good to others. Anyone who has not been leading a charitable life cannot possibly know that heaven and heavenly joy consist in goodwill and in good deeds motivated by that goodwill. To one of his kind heaven consists in goodwill shown to himself, with any good deeds done to others being motivated by this selfish goodwill. But this is in fact hell; for as has been stated, heaven is distinguished from hell in that heaven consists in doing good because one is motivated by goodwill, and hell in doing ill because one is motivated by ill will. Those governed by love towards the neighbour are motivated by goodwill to do good deeds, but those governed by self-love are motivated to do ill ones by ill will. The reason the latter are like this is that they love no one but themselves, and others only insofar as they see themselves in others, and others in themselves. They also hate these others, that hatred revealing itself the moment these go away from them and are no longer part of them. They are like robbers who love one another while they are in league with one another; but at heart they long to kill one another if any spoils can be gained by doing so.
ttt[3] From all this one may see what heaven is, namely love towards the neighbour, and what hell is, namely self-love. Those governed by love towards the neighbour are able to accept all truths of faith, to take them in and make them their own; for love towards the neighbour holds every truth of faith within it since it has heaven within it and the Lord within it. But those governed by self-love cannot possibly accept the truths of faith since hell lies within that love. In no way can they accept the truths of faith apart from doing so for the sake of improving their own positions and for the sake of material gain; thus they cannot possibly take them in and make them their own. What they do take in and make their own are denials of the truth. For in their hearts they do not believe in the existence of hell and heaven, or in the life after death. Nor therefore do they believe anything that is said about hell and heaven, or about the life after death, and so nothing whatever from the Word and from doctrine regarding faith and charity. They seem to themselves to be believers when they take part in worship, but they do so because that state has been instilled into them since early childhood. But as soon as they leave that worship behind them they also leave that state of belief behind them. At this point, now left to think for themselves, they do not have any belief at all; and what is more, the life that their love fires them to lead causes them to think up ideas to justify it. These ideas they call truths, and also back them up from the literal sense of the Word; but they are in fact falsities. This is what all are like who in life and doctrine are adherents to faith separated from charity.
ttt[4] In addition it should be recognized that a person's love includes everything, for his love determines the life he leads, and therefore only into a person's love does the Lord enter with His life. As is people's love therefore, so is their life because so is their reception of it. Love towards the neighbour receives the life of heaven, while self-love receives the life of hell. Thus everything of heaven lies within love towards the neighbour, and everything of hell within self-love. The fact that love includes everything may be illustrated by many observations of nature. All living creatures, not only those that walk on dry land but also those which fly in the air or swim in water, move in response to their own love. Into their love comes whatever is of use to them in the life they lead, that is, to their feeding, housing, and reproducing themselves. Therefore every genus knows its own food, dwelling-places, and mating habits such as pairing off, building nests, laying eggs, and rearing chicks.
ttt[5] Bees likewise know how to build cells, extract honey from flowers, fill honeycombs with it, and make provision for the winter. Indeed they know how to establish a system of government under a single ruler, besides many other remarkable activities. All this is a product of what is entering their love, it being merely the different forms their affections take that lead to the different results their life produces. Their love includes all this. So what would heavenly love include if the human being was governed by heavenly love? Would not the whole of wisdom and intelligence as these exist in heaven be included? From this too it is evident that those who have led charitable lives, these and no others, are accepted into heaven, and that because they have charity they have the ability to accept and take in all truths, that is, every truth of faith. The reverse however takes place with adherents to faith separated from charity, that is, to those who know some truths but have no charity. Their love accepts ideas such as are suited to itself; that is to say, self-love and love of the world accept ideas that are the reverse of truths, the kind that exist in hell.
ppp19074#pid#4777. 'Joseph has been torn to pieces' means that falsities render that truth entirely non-existent. This is clear from the meaning of 'being torn to pieces' as being scattered by falsities, or what amounts to the same, falsities rendering it entirely non-existent. They are falsities arising from evils, that is, from evil desires, that are meant here, `@@@4770`. Regarding these desires, see what has been stated immediately above in `@@@4776`.
ppp19073#pid#4778. 'And [Jacob] rent his clothes' means mourning for lost truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'rending clothes' as an act representative of mourning for lost truth, dealt with above in `@@@4763`.
ppp19072#pid#4779. 'And put sackcloth on his loins' means mourning for lost good. This is clear from the meaning of 'putting sackcloth over the loins' as an act representative of mourning for lost good. For 'the loins' means conjugial love and from this all celestial and spiritual love, `@@@3021`, `@@@3294`, `@@@4277`, `@@@4280`, `@@@4575`. This meaning of 'the loins' is derived from correspondence, for as all the organs, members, and viscera of the human body correspond to the Grand Man, as shown at the ends of chapters, so the loins correspond to those who are within the Grand Man, which is heaven, and in whom genuine conjugial love has existed. And because conjugial love is the fundamental of all kinds of love 'the loins' therefore means in general all celestial and spiritual love. From this arose the custom of putting sackcloth over their loins when they mourned over lost good; for all good belongs to love.
ttt[2] The fact that people put sackcloth over their loins to testify to this mourning becomes clear from the historical and the prophetical parts of the Word, as in Amos,
I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation; so will I cause sackcloth to come up over all loins, and baldness over every head, and I will make it as the mourning for an only-begotten son, and its end as a bitter day. `Amos 8bbb10`.
'Causing sackcloth to come up over all loins' stands for mourning over lost forms of good, 'all loins' standing for all forms of the good of love. In Jonah,
The men of Nineveh believed in God, and therefore they proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloths, from the greatest even to the least of them. And when word reached the king of Nineveh he rose up from his throne, and laid aside his royal robe from upon him, and covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. And he proclaimed that man and beast were to be covered with sackcloths. `Jonah 3bbb5-8`.
Clearly this was a sign representative of mourning over evil on account of which Nineveh was to perish, and so mourning over lost good.
ttt[3] In Ezekiel,
They will let forth a cry over you with their voice and will cry out bitterly; and they will cause dust to come up over their heads, and will roll themselves in ashes, and will make themselves bald over you, and will gird themselves with sackcloths. `Ezekiel 27bbb30-31`.
This refers to Tyre, each action mentioned here being representative of mourning for falsities and evils and so for lost truths and goods. 'Letting forth a cry and crying out bitterly' stands for lamentation over falsity or lost truth, `@@@2240`; 'causing dust to come up over the head' stands for having been condemned on account of evil, `@@@278`; 'rolling themselves in ashes' for having been condemned on account of falsities; 'making themselves bald' for mourning because the natural man has no truth, `@@@3301` (end); 'girding themselves with sackcloths' for mourning because the natural man has no good. Similarly in Jeremiah,
O daughter of My people, gird yourself with sackcloth. and roll yourself in ashes; make mourning as for an only-begotten son, very bitter wailing; for suddenly he who lays waste will come upon you. `Jeremiah 6bbb26`.
And elsewhere in the same prophet,
The elders of the daughter of Zion will sit on the ground, they will become silent; they will cause dust to come up over their head, they will gird themselves with sackcloths; the virgins of Jerusalem will cause their heads to come down to the ground. `Lamentations 2bbb10`.
Here similar representative actions are described which, as above, were appropriate for the types of good and truth which had become lost.
ttt[4] In Isaiah,
A prophecy concerning Moab. He will go up to Bayith, and to Dibon into the high places to weep; over Nebo and over Medeba Moab will howl. On all heads there is baldness; every beard is shaved off; in its streets they have girded themselves with sackcloth; on its roots and in its streets everyone will wail, descending into weeping. `Isaiah 15bbb2-3`.
'Moab' stands for those who adulterate all good, `@@@2468`. The mourning over that adulteration meant by 'Moab' is described by the kinds of things that correspond to that type of evil. Virtually the same description therefore occurs in Jeremiah,
Every head is bald, and every beard shaved off; upon all hands are cuts, and over the loins is sackcloth; on all the roofs of Moab and in its streets there is mourning everywhere. `Jeremiah 48bbb37-38`.
ttt[5] When king Hezekiah heard the blasphemous utterances of the Rabshakeh against Jerusalem 'he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth', `Isaiah 37bbb1`; `2 Kings 19bbb1`. The reason for mourning was that his utterances were directed against Jehovah, the king, and Jerusalem. Their being utterances made in opposition to truth is meant by the king rending his clothes, `@@@4763`, and utterances made in opposition to good by his covering himself with sackcloth; for when in the Word truth is dealt with, so also is good. This is so because of the heavenly marriage, which is a marriage of good to truth and of truth to good in every single part; as also in David,
You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have loosed`fff1` my sackcloth and girded me with gladness. `Psalms 30bbb11`.
Here 'dancing' has reference to truths, and 'gladness' to goods, as they also do in other parts of the Word. 'Loosing sackcloth' accordingly means releasing from mourning over lost good.
ttt[6] In 2 Samuel,
David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, Rend your clothes, and gird sackcloth round you, and wail before Abner. `2 Samuel 3bbb31`.
Because an outrageous act had been committed against that which was true and good David therefore commanded them to rend their clothes and gird sackcloths round them. Something similar occurred in the case of Ahab, for when he heard Elijah's words that he was to be cut off because he had acted contrary to what was fair and right - meaning in the spiritual sense contrary to what is true and good - 'he tore his clothes apart, and put sackcloth over his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went about slowly, `1 Kings 21bbb27`.
ttt[7] The use of 'sackcloth' to refer to lost good is also clear in John,
When he opened the sixth seal, behold, a great earthquake took place, and the sun became black as sackcloth, and the full moon became like blood. `Revelation 6bbb12`.
'An earthquake' stands for an alteration in the state of the Church as regards good and truth, `@@@3355`. 'The sun' stands for the good of love, `@@@1529`, `@@@1530`, `@@@2441`, `@@@2495`, `@@@4060`, `@@@4300`, `@@@4696`, and therefore 'sackcloth' here has reference to lost good. 'The moon' stands for the truth of faith, `@@@1529`, `@@@1530`, `@@@2120`, `@@@2495`, `@@@4060`, and 'blood' has reference to this because 'blood' means truth that has been falsified and rendered profane, `@@@4735`.
ttt[8] Because 'being clothed in sackcloth and rolling oneself in ashes' represented mourning over evils and falsities, it also represented both humility and repentance. For humility begins first with the acknowledgement that in oneself one is nothing but a source of evil and falsity. Repentance begins with the same acknowledgement and does not become a reality except through humility, and humility does not become a reality except through heartfelt confession that in oneself one is such a source of evil and falsity. For 'putting on sackcloth' was an expression of humility, see `1 Kings 21bbb27-29`, also of repentance, `Matthew 11bbb21`; `Luke 10bbb13`. But the fact that this was no more than some representative, and so merely an external activity of the body and not an internal activity of the heart, is evident in Isaiah,
Is he to bow his head like a rush and to lie in sackcloth and ashes? Will you call this a fast, and a day of that which is pleasing to Jehovah? Is not this the fast that I choose, to loose`fff2` the bonds of wickedness, to break bread for the hungry? `Isaiah 58bbb5-7`.
`nnn1. literally, opened
`nnn2. literally, to open
ppp19071#pid#4780. 'And mourned over his son many days' means a state, namely one of mourning for lost good and truth. This is clear from the representation of Joseph, to whom 'son' refers here, as Divine Truth, specifically the truths spoken of above in `@@@4776`; and from the meaning of 'days' as states, dealt with in `@@@23`, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@893`, `@@@2788`, `@@@3785`, in this case a state of great mourning since the expression 'many days' is used.
ppp19070#pid#4781. 'And all his sons rose up' means those who are governed by falsities. This is clear from the meaning of 'sons' as truths and in the contrary sense as falsities, that is, those who are governed by truths or by falsities, dealt with in `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@533`, `@@@1147`, `@@@2623`, `@@@2803`, `@@@2813`, `@@@3373`, `@@@3704`. Here those governed by falsities are meant because Jacob's sons or Joseph's brothers represent those who are adherents to faith separated from charity' and so who have annihilated Divine Truth and are as a consequence governed by falsities, as shown above.
ppp19069#pid#4782. 'And all his daughters' means those who are governed by evils. This is clear from the meaning of 'daughters' as goods and in the contrary sense as evils, that is, those who are governed by goods or by evils, dealt with in `@@@489-491`, `@@@568`, `@@@2362`, `@@@3024`, `@@@3963`.
ppp19068#pid#4783. 'To comfort him' means to provide explanations based on the sense of the letter of the Word. This is clear from the meaning of 'comforting' as calming a turbulence of mind with a hope concerning some thing, dealt with in `@@@3610`, in this case a turbulence or mourning over lost good and truth. And because this mourning cannot be subdued except by means of explanations based on the Word, and because reference is being made at this point to Jacob's sons and daughters, who mean those governed by falsities and evils, `@@@4781`, `@@@4782`, 'comforting' means explanations based on the sense of the letter. For the sense of the letter of the Word contains general ideas which, being like vessels, can be filled with truths or else with falsities and so can be given whatever explanation suits one's own point of view. And because they are general ones they are also obscure compared with other ideas, receiving light from nowhere else than the internal sense. For the internal sense exists in the light of heaven because it is the Word as angels know it, whereas the sense of the letter exists in the light of the world because it is the Word as men know it before they come to the light of heaven received from the Lord, by which light they are then enlightened. From this it is evident that the sense of the letter serves to introduce the simple to the internal sense.
ttt[2] This use of explanations when one is expounding the Word - explanations which are based on the sense of the letter and which fit in with one's own point of view - is quite evident from the fact that all religious ideas, including heretical ones, are substantiated by such explanations. For example, the accepted teaching about faith separated from charity is substantiated by the following words spoken by the Lord,
God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but have eternal life. `John 3bbb16`.
From these words and other places people deduce that eternal life is acquired through faith alone without works. And once these people have become convinced of this they no longer pay any attention to what the Lord said so many times about love to Him, and about charity and works, `@@@1017`, `@@@2373`, `@@@3934`. Thus they pay no attention to the following in John,
As many as received Him, to them He gave power to be sons of God, to those believing in His name, who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. `John 1bbb12-13`.
If they are told that no one can believe in the Lord except him who has charity, they instantly take refuge in explanations like these: The law has been abolished; people are born in sins and so cannot do good of themselves, and those who do do it cannot do other than claim merit for it. These explanations too they substantiate from the sense of the letter of the Word, for example from what is stated in the parable about the Pharisee and the tax collector, `Luke 18bbb10-14`, and from other things that are stated. But these statements have an altogether different meaning from the explanations they resort to.
ttt[3] Also, the adherents to faith separated from charity can have no other belief than that everyone is able by grace to be admitted into heaven, no matter what kind of life he has been leading, so that it is not a person's life but his faith that awaits him after death. This too they substantiate from the sense of the letter of the Word. But from the spiritual sense of the Word it is clear that the Lord has mercy on everyone, so that if a person reached heaven by mercy or grace irrespective of whatever life he has led everyone would be saved. The reason the adherents to faith separated from charity believe the way they do is that they have no knowledge at all of what heaven is because they do not know what charity is. If they knew how much peace, joy, and happiness is present within charity they would know what heaven is; but this is entirely hidden from them.
ttt[4] Nor can the adherents to faith separated from charity have any other belief than that they will rise again with the physical body, though not until judgement day. This too they substantiate from many places in the Word, explained according to the sense of the letter. They give no thought at all to what the Lord said - many times in addition to the following - about the rich man and Lazarus, `Luke 16bbb22-31`, or to what He told the robber,
Truly I say to you, Today you will be with Me in paradise. `Luke 23bbb43`.
The reason the adherents to faith separated from charity believe the way they do is that if they were told that the body is not going to rise again they would refuse to believe in any resurrection at all, for what the internal man is they neither know nor have any conception of. Indeed no one can know what the internal man is and the internal man's life after death is except him who has charity; for charity is an attribute of the internal man.
ttt[5] The adherents to faith separated from charity can have no other belief than that the works of charity consist solely in giving to the poor and helping the distressed. This belief too they substantiate from the sense of the letter of the Word. But in fact the works of charity consist in each person doing what is right and fair in his employment, from a love of what is right and fair, and of what is good and true.
ttt[6] The adherents to faith separated from charity do not see anything in the Word apart from what substantiates their own accepted teachings, for they have no real insight. Indeed people who are not moved by the affection belonging to charity have merely external sight, or an inferior insight. With this no one can possibly behold higher things, for higher things are seen by him as darkness. Consequently such people see falsities as truths, and truths as falsities, and so by explanations based on the sense of the letter they ruin the good pasture and pollute the pure waters of that sacred spring which is the Word, as accords with the following in Ezekiel,
Is it a small thing to you? You feed off the good pasture and tread down with your feet the rest of your pastures; you drink the water that has settled down`fff1` and stir up the rest with your feet. You butt with your horns all the weak [sheep] till you have scattered them abroad. `Ezekiel 34bbb17-18`, `Ezekiel 34bbbccc21`.
`nnn1. literally, the sediment of the waters
ppp19067#pid#4784. 'And he refused to comfort himself' means that this was not possible. This is clear from what has now been stated.
ppp19066#pid#4785. 'For I will go down to my son, to the grave mourning' means that the Ancient Church was perishing. This is clear from the representation of Jacob - who says this about himself - as the Ancient Church, dealt with above in `@@@4680`, `@@@4700`, `@@@4772`; from the representation of Joseph, to whom 'my son' refers here, as the Divine Spiritual or Divine Truth, dealt with above; and from the meaning of 'going down to the grave mourning' as dying, and in reference to the Church, and also to Divine Truth, as perishing.
ppp19065#pid#4786. 'And his father wept for him' means interior mourning. This is clear from the meaning of 'weeping' as the extremity of grief and sadness, and so as interior mourning. In the ancient Churches the external practices by which, internal things were represented included those of wailing and weeping over the dead. Their wailing and weeping meant interior mourning, although their actual mourning was not interior. One reads the following, for example, about the Egyptians who had set out with Joseph to bury Jacob,
When they came to the threshing-floor of Atad which is at the crossing of the Jordan they wailed there with an exceedingly great and grievous wailing, and he mourned for his father seven days. And the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning at the threshing-floor of Atad, and they said, This is a grievous mourning by the Egyptians. `Genesis 50bbb10-11`.
And one reads about David weeping over Abner,
They buried Abner in Hebron, and the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner; and all the people wept. `2 Samuel 3bbb32`.
ppp19064#pid#4787. Verse `Genesis 37bbbccc36` And the Midianites sold him into Egypt to Potiphar, Pharaoh's bedchamber-servant, the chief of the attendants.
'The Midianites sold him into Egypt' means that those in whom some truth partnering simple good was present consulted facts. 'To Potiphar, Pharaoh's bedchamber-servant' means facts of a more internal kind. 'The chief of the attendants' means those facts which are first and foremost in explanations.
ppp19063#pid#4788. 'The Midianites sold him into Egypt' means that those in whom some truth partnering simple good was present consulted facts. This is clear from the representation of 'the Midianites' as those in whom the truth that partners simple good is present, dealt with in `@@@3242`, `@@@4756`; from the meaning of 'Egypt' as facts, dealt with in `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1186`, `@@@1462`, `@@@2588`, `@@@4749`; from the meaning of 'selling' as alienating, dealt with in `@@@4752`, `@@@4758`; and from the representation of 'Joseph' as Divine Truth. When the latter is said to have been alienated - or 'sold' to facts, meant by 'Egypt' - by those in whom the truth partnering simple good is present, the meaning is that they consulted those facts. For people in whom the truth partnering simple good is present allow themselves to be led away, very much so, by the illusions of the senses, and so by means of facts based on these.
ttt[2] In verse `Genesis 37bbbccc28` above it was stated that Joseph was drawn out of the pit by the Midianites, who then sold him to the Ishmaelites. From this it would seem that only the Ishmaelites could have sold him in Egypt. Yet he was not sold by the Ishmaelites but by the Midianites, and the reason for this is that the Ishmaelites represent those in whom simple good is present, `@@@4747`, whereas the Midianites represent those in whom the truth partnering that good is present. 'Joseph' or Divine Truth could not be sold by those who are governed by good, only by those governed by truth; for those governed by good know from good what Divine truth is, whereas those governed by truth have no such knowledge.
ttt[3] Members of the Church fall into two distinct categories - those governed by good and those governed by truth, the former being called celestial, the latter spiritual. Between the two there is a wide difference. Those governed by good are moved by an affection to do good for its own sake and without thought of reward. To them being allowed to do good is itself the reward, for doing good gives them feelings of joy. Those governed by truth however are not moved by an affection to do good for its own sake; rather, they are moved to do it because they have been commanded to do it. For the most part these people do think about reward; and this, as well as boasting about what they do, is what gives them their feeling of joy.
ttt[4] From this it is evident that people motivated by good to do good act from an internal affection, whereas those motivated by truth to do good act from some external affection. From this the difference between the two groups may be seen, namely that the former are internal people, the latter external ones. Those therefore who are internal people are unable 'to sell' - that is, to alienate - Divine Truth represented by 'Joseph', because good enables them to discern what is true. Neither the illusions of the senses therefore, nor consequently facts, lead them away. But those who are external people are able 'to sell' or alienate it because no good is present enabling them to discern what is true. They do know what is true, but only because doctrine and teachers have given them that knowledge. If they consult facts they easily let themselves be led away by illusions, for they have no inner gift to speak to them. This now explains why Joseph was not sold by the Ishmaelites but by the Midianites.
ppp19062#pid#4789. 'To Potiphar, Pharaoh's bedchamber-servant' means facts of a more internal kind. This is clear from the meaning of 'a bedchamber-servant' as things that are more internal, dealt with below, and from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as facts - for 'Egypt' means knowledge in general, as shown in `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1186`, `@@@1462`, and so likewise does 'Pharaoh' because in the Word what is meant by a land or nation is also meant by its king since he is head of the nation. The reason facts of a more internal kind are meant by 'Pharaoh's bedchamber-servant' is that bedchamber-servants belonged among a king's more intimate assistants; for they were his more intimate courtiers and higher-ranking officials, as is also evident from the meaning of the word used in the original language.
ppp19061#pid#4790. 'The chief of the attendants' means those facts which are first and foremost in explanations. This is clear from the meaning of 'the chief (or prince) as that which is first and foremost, dealt with in `@@@1482`, `@@@2089`. The reason 'the chief of the attendants' here means facts which come first and foremost in explanations is that the subject is Divine Truth which was 'sold' by those in whom the truth partnering simple good was present, through their consultation of facts. This led to a straying and alienation from Divine Truth, and so to explanations based on the sense of the letter of the Word, `@@@4783`. Also, 'the attendants' means things that minister.
ppp19060#pid#4791. CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE GRAND MAN - continued
IN THIS SECTION THE CORRESPONDENCE OF TASTE AND OF THE TONGUE, AND ALSO OF THE FACE, WITH THAT GRAND MAN
The tongue provides an entrance leading into both the lungs and the stomach, and so represents a kind of forecourt leading to spiritual things and to celestial ones, to spiritual because it serves the lungs and thereby speech, to celestial because it serves the stomach which supplies nourishment to the blood and the heart. For the lungs correspond to spiritual realities, the heart to celestial ones, see `@@@3635`, `@@@3883-3896`. All this being so, the tongue corresponds in general to the affection for truth, that is, to those in the Grand Man whose affection is for truth, and after that whose affection is for good which is a product of that truth. People therefore who love the Word of the Lord and wish to gain from it a knowledge of what is good and true belong to that province. Yet they differ from one another, in that some belong to the actual tongue, some to the larynx and trachea, some to the throat, some also to the gums, while others belong to the lips. For not even the smallest part of the human being fails to have a correspondence.
ttt[2] I have been allowed on many occasions to learn by experience that those governed by an affection for truth belong to that province understood in the broad sense. On one occasion they plainly entered my tongue, on another my lips; and I have been allowed to talk to them. I have also noticed that some correspond to the more internal parts of the tongue and lips, others to their more external parts. There are some who have an affection for and receive only exterior truths, not interior ones, though they do not reject them. The operation of these I have felt in the exterior but not the interior parts of my tongue.
ppp19059#pid#4792. Because food and nourishment correspond to spiritual food and nourishment, taste consequently corresponds to a perception of and an affection for this food. Spiritual food consists in knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom. These are what quicken and also sustain spirits and angels, who desire them and have an appetite for them as men desire and have an appetite for food when they are very hungry. Therefore appetite corresponds to that desire for them. And what is amazing, spirits and angels also grow to maturity on that spiritual food, for those who die as young children do not in the next life look like any but young children, and they are young children too as far as their understanding goes. But as they grow in intelligence and wisdom they cease to look like young children. They now look like those who are coming of age, and at length like adults. I have talked to some who died when they were young children and who looked to me like youths, for by then they had grown in understanding. From this one may see what spiritual food and nourishment are.
ppp19058#pid#4793. Because taste corresponds to a perception of and affection for knowing, understanding, and becoming wise, and because a person's life is contained within that affection, no spirit or angel is therefore permitted to enter a person's taste, for if the spirit or angel did so he would be entering the life present inherently in that person. Yet wandering about there are spirits belonging to the hellish crew who are more lethal than any others. Because during their lifetime these spirits became addicted to entering a person's affections so as to cause harm, they also retain that desire in the next life. They endeavour in every way to enter a person's taste, and once they have done so they take control of him interiorly, that is to say, of the life belonging to his thoughts and affections; for as has been stated, these correspond, and things which correspond act as one. Very many people are under their control at the present day, for at the present day interior obsession takes place, but not exterior obsession as in former times.
ttt[2] Interior obsession is the work of this kind of spirit. The nature of it may be seen if people pay attention to their thoughts and affections, above all to their inward intentions which they fear to reveal and which with some are so insane that if they were not kept in check by external restraints - which are position, material gain, reputation, fear for their life and of the law - they would plunge more than the obsessed themselves into murder and pillage. Who these spirits are, and what they are like, who obsess such persons interiorly, see `@@@1983`.
ttt[3] To enable me to know all about it, those spirits were allowed to try and enter my own taste, which they strove to do with utmost endeavour. At that time I was told that if they did indeed penetrate my taste they would also take control of me interiorly, because taste is dependent through correspondence on what exists interiorly. But they were allowed to do it solely to enable me to know all about the correspondence of taste; for they were driven away from there in an instant.
ttt[4] Those lethal spirits attempt above all to dissolve all internal restraints, which are the affections for what is good and true, right and fair; fear of God's law; and a sense of shame at doing harm to society and one's country. Once those internal restraints have been dissolved a person is obsessed by spirits of this kind. But if they cannot thus gain entrance to a person interiorly by their persistent effort to do so, they then attempt to enter by the use of magical devices which are many in the next life, totally unknown in the world. By these devices they debase the facts known by the one they possess and use only those which give support to their foul desires. Obsession like this is inevitable unless a person has an affection for good and consequently has faith in the Lord.
ttt[5] I was also shown how those spirits were driven away, namely as follows: When they thought they would penetrate the interior parts of the head and brain, they were removed through the channels there along which waste matter is drained away to the external parts of the skin. Then they seemed to be ejected into a trench full of liquid filth. I was told that such spirits correspond to tiny holes full of filth on the surface of the skin where scabies occurs, so that they correspond to scabies.
ppp19057#pid#4794. A spirit, or human being after death, has all the sensory powers he had while living in the world, namely sight, hearing, smell, and touch, but not taste. Instead of taste he has something analogous to it, linked to the sense of smell. The reason he does not have taste is so that he can be prevented from entering man's taste, thereby taking control of him interiorly. Another reason is to prevent him from being diverted by this sense from the desire to acquire knowledge and wisdom, and so from spiritual appetite.
ppp19056#pid#4795. From these considerations one may also see why the tongue is assigned a dual function - that of serving in the production of speech and of serving in the provision of nourishment. For insofar as it serves in the provision of nourishment it corresponds to the affection for knowing, understanding, and becoming wise in truths, which also is why the root meaning of the expression wisdom (sapientia) or being wise (sapere) is taste (sapor); and insofar as it serves in the production of speech it corresponds to the affection of thinking about and bringing forth truths.
ppp19055#pid#4796. When angels manifest themselves visually, all their interior affections are seen clearly in their faces and shine out of them, so that the face is the external form and a representative image of those affections. To have any other face than that expressing their affections is not allowed in heaven. Those who deceitfully wear any other face are expelled from that community. From this it is evident that the face corresponds to everything in general present interiorly - both to a person's affections and to his thoughts, that is, to the affections in his will and to the thoughts in his understanding. This also explains why in the Word 'face', whether a singular or a plural noun, means affections; and when it is said that the Lord lifts up His face on someone, the meaning is that out of Divine Affection belonging to His Love He has compassion on him.
ppp19054#pid#4797. The changes that take place in the state of their affections are also clearly visible in angels' faces. When they are in their own community the face they present is their own particular one; but when they enter another community the affections for goodness and truth belonging to this other community bring a change to their faces. Yet their own true face is so to speak the basic surface, which is identifiable within all the changes that take place. I have witnessed the consecutive variations taking place in keeping with the affections of the communities with which they were communicating. For every angel is in some province of the Grand Man and so communicates generally and widely with all throughout the same province, even though he is in one part of that province to which he specifically corresponds. I have seen them bringing variations to their faces by changing from one border-line of affection to another; yet I observed that they preserved the same faces in general, so that the ruling affection shone out in every variation of them. Thus their faces displayed the full range of that entire affection.
ttt[2] And what was quite astonishing, the changes which affections undergo from young childhood to adult life were also shown by variations in the face. I was allowed to see how much of young childhood was preserved in adult life, and that it was this that gave adult life its essentially human quality. For innocence - the external form of it - is present in a young child, and innocence constitutes that essentially human quality; indeed innocence is so to speak the basic attribute into which love and charity from the Lord can enter. When a person is being regenerated and becoming wise the innocence of infancy which has been external becomes internal. Consequently true wisdom resides in no other abode than innocence, `@@@2305`, `@@@2306`, `@@@3183`, `@@@3994`; also, no one can enter heaven except one who has some degree of innocence, according to the Lord's words,
Unless you become as young children you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. `Matthew 18bbb3`; `Mark 10bbb15`.
ppp19053#pid#4798. From their faces one can also identify evil spirits, for all their desires or evil affections are written on their faces. One can also identify from their faces which hells they are communicating with. For the hells are very many, their genera and species of desires for evil making each one distinct and separate. In general when their faces are seen in the light of heaven they are practically devoid of life, pallid like those of dead bodies - some black, others grotesque. For those faces are forms of hatred, cruelty, deceit, and hypocrisy. But the inferior light in which those evil spirits dwell together deludes them into seeing one another differently.
ppp19052#pid#4799. Spirits from another planet which will be described elsewhere were once present with me, whose faces were different from those of people belonging to our own planet. Their faces protruded, especially around the lips; and in addition to this, they were flexible. When I spoke to them about their normal lifestyle and about the nature of their associations with one another, they said that they spoke to one another in particular by means of the production of variations of their faces, chiefly by variations around the lips, and that they expressed their affections by means of those parts of the face which are around the eyes, so that their companions could thereby have a full understanding not only of what they were thinking but also of what their wishes were. They also tried to demonstrate this to me by entering my own lips, round about which they tried to produce various folds and twists. But I could not receive these variations because my lips had not been trained since I was a small child to make such movements there. Nevertheless I was able to ascertain what they said through their communication of their thought to me. Yet the possibility of speech in general being expressed by means of the lips becomes clear to me from the manifold series of muscle fibres which exist in the lips and have become twisted together. If these were unravelled, so that they acted without any entanglements and freely, they would be able to produce many variations there that are unknown to those with whom those muscle fibres lie squashed together.
ttt[2] The reason the speech of the spirits there was as described is that they are incapable of presence, that is, of thinking one thing and expressing another with their face; for they live with one another with such openness that they do not conceal anything whatever from fellow spirits. Indeed these know instantly what they are thinking and what their wishes are, also what kind of people they are, as well as what deeds they have done; for the acts done by those who live in that openness are lodged in their conscience, and therefore others can, when they first see them, discern what their inner countenances or dispositions of mind are.
ttt[3] The spirits showed me that they do not strain their faces but let them move freely, unlike those people who since their youth have become accustomed to put on a presence, that is to say, to speak and act in a different way from how they think and desire. The faces of the latter are kept taut, ready to produce the kind of variation which their artfulness tells them to produce. Anything a person wishes to conceal causes his face to be made taut; and this ceases to be taut and expands when something seemingly open and sincere can be fraudulently displayed there.
ttt[4] While I was reading about the Lord in the New Testament Word, the spirits from another planet were with me as well as certain Christians. I perceived that inwardly these Christians cherished offensive ideas opposed to the Lord, and also that they wished in some quiet way to communicate these. Those from another planet were astonished that they were like this, but I was allowed to tell them that in the world they had not been such in their utterances, but had been in their hearts. There even exist, I added, people like them who nevertheless preach about the Lord. When these do so it is with a pseudo-religious zeal by which they move the common people to emit groans and sometimes to shed tears; yet they communicate nothing at all of what is in their hearts. On hearing all this the spirits from another planet were astounded that such a dichotomy between interior things and exterior ones could exist, that is, between thought and speech. They said they were totally unacquainted with that kind of dichotomy, and that it was impossible for them to utter anything with the lips or to express anything in the face other than that which matched the affections of the heart; and that if it were other than this, they would be torn asunder and would perish.
ppp19051#pid#4800. Very few people are able to believe that communities of spirits and angels exist with which every individual part of the human being has a correspondence, and also that the more communities there are, and the more members within any community, the better and stronger is the correspondence. For a multitude having one mind possesses real strength. To enable me to know that this is so, I was shown how they act on and enter into the face, how they do so into the muscles of the forehead, into those of the cheeks, and also into those of the chin and the throat. Those belonging to the province of the face were allowed to enter my face, where in response to their entry variations were produced in every individual part. Some of them also spoke to me. But they did not know that they were assigned to the province of the face, for this province to which they have been assigned is hidden from spirits, but not from angels.
ppp19050#pid#4801. Some spirit once spoke to me, whose knowledge of the exterior truths of faith, when he lived in the world, had been greater than others' knowledge of them. Yet for all that he had not led a life in keeping with the precepts of faith. He had loved only himself, despised others in comparison with himself, and believed that in heaven he would be one of those at the top. But being like this he had been unable to have any other conception of heaven than as a worldly kingdom. In the next life however he learned that heaven was altogether different. Indeed when he learned that those at the top were not people who had set themselves above others, but were in particular people who had considered that they were unworthy of any mercy and so on merit ranked last, he was highly indignant and cast aside the ideas which during his lifetime had been part of his faith. He endeavoured constantly to do violence to those belonging to the province of the tongue, and I was allowed for several weeks to receive a sensation of his endeavour, from which I was also allowed to know the identity and nature of those who correspond to the tongue, and the identity of those opposed to them.
ppp19049#pid#4802. There are also spirits who, even though they are evil ones, do to some extent allow the light of heaven to come in and who accept the truths of faith, so that they have some perception of truth. They accept the truths enthusiastically, yet not so that they may live according to them, but so that they may boast about being seen to have more understanding and keen-sightedness than others. For the human understanding is such that it can accept truths, even though none make truths their own except those people who live according to them. Unless the human understanding was like this no one could be reformed.
ttt[2] Those who have been like this in the world, that is to say, have understood truths and yet have led a life of evil, remain the same in the next life. But there they put their ability to understand truths to the misuse of gaining dominion over others; for there they know that in truths they have a means of communication with some communities of heaven, and consequently that they can exist among the evil and be strong; for truths in the next life have power within them. But because their life is one of evil they are in hell.
ttt[3] I have talked to two who during their lifetime were like this. They were amazed they should be in hell even though they had believed very strongly in the truths of faith. But I told them that the light in them by which they understood truths was like that of winter in the world. I said that objects in all their beauty and colours were no less visible than in the light of summer; yet in that winter light everything died off and nothing at all pleasant and delightful showed itself. Then I told those two spirits that because the end they had in view to understanding truths had been their own exaltation and consequently had been a selfish end, the sphere emanating from their ends in view when these rose towards the interior heavens, to the angels there, who perceived solely people's ends, could not be tolerated and were cast aside. This is why they were in hell.
ttt[4] I went on to say that in former times people of this kind, more than any others, were called serpents of the tree of knowledge; for when life is the subject of their reasoning they speak against truths. They are, what is more, like a woman who has a lovely face but a foul stench, and who is therefore an outcast from society wherever she goes. Like her, when such people in the next life move towards angelic communities they are in actual fact emitting a stench, which even they themselves are aware of when they approach those communities. From this also one may see what faith is when devoid of the life of faith.
ppp19048#pid#4803. A matter wholly unknown in the world and worthy of mention is this: The states in which good spirits and angels live undergo constant change and perfection. In this way they are conveyed to the more internal parts of the province in which they dwell, and so into more excellent functions. For in heaven purification takes place constantly, which is so to speak a new creation. Yet the situation is that no angel to all eternity can possibly attain complete perfection. The Lord alone is the perfect One, He being the root and the source of all perfection. Those who correspond to the mouth constantly wish to be speaking, for speaking gives them utmost pleasure. While undergoing perfection they are restricted to speaking nothing but that which is beneficial to companions, the community, heaven, and the Lord. The delight they take in speaking in that way grows in the measure that the desire to regard themselves in what they speak and to strive after wisdom from what is properly their own passes away from them.
ppp19047#pid#4804. There are very many communities in the next life which are called friendship-communities. They consist of those who during their lifetime preferred the delight of association with others to any other delight and who loved those with whom they associated, without any interest at all in whether these were good or evil people, provided they gave them delight. Thus they were not ones who befriended what was good and true. Those who have been like this during their lifetime remain the same in the next life; they attach themselves to one another solely because of their delight of association with others. Many such communities have been present with me, though kept at a distance, visible for the most part overhead, slightly to the right. I was made aware of their presence by a dull and sluggish feeling, and by a loss of my own feeling of delight; for the presence of communities such as these leads to this. Indeed when they arrive on the scene they remove others' feeling of delight, and what is remarkable they make it their own. For they turn away the spirits present with others and direct them towards themselves, thereby transferring another's delight to themselves. And because such communities are for this reason dangerous and harmful to those governed by good, the Lord therefore holds them back to prevent them going near heavenly communities. From this I was enabled to know how much harm friendship does to someone's spiritual life if he pays attention to the person but not to what is good. Anyone can indeed befriend another; but most of all he ought to befriend what is good.
ppp19046#pid#4805. There are also communities of interior friendship which remove from another and channel to themselves not his external delight but his internal delight, that is, the bliss which his affection for spiritual things gives him. The position of those spirits is out in front, on the right immediately above the lower earth, though some of them are positioned somewhat higher up than the rest. I have spoken on several occasions to those in the lower position, and whenever I did so a general influx from those above took place. During their lifetime they were the kind of people who had a heartfelt love for others in their common fellowship and with brotherly feelings embraced one another. They had believed that they alone were living and in the light, and that compared with themselves those outside their community were neither living nor in the light. Being of this frame of mind they also imagined that the Lord's heaven was made up of their own few.
ttt[2] But I was allowed to tell them that the Lord's heaven is boundless and that it consisted of those from every people and language, and that all are in heaven in whom the good of love and faith has existed. I also showed them that those in heaven correlate with all the provinces of the body, both its exterior and its interior parts. But if their minds were set on anything beyond and out of keeping with their life, in particular if they were to condemn others outside their community, they could not receive heaven. For in this case their community is a community of interior friendship which, as has been stated, is such that when they get near others they dispossess them of the bliss which their spiritual affection gives them. They see these people as the ones who are not the elect and as those who are not living; and this thought, when it is communicated, leads to sadness. But in keeping with the law of order in the next life this sadness comes back to themselves.
ppp19045#pid#4806. Correspondence with the Grand Man is continued at the end of the next chapter.
ppp19044#pid#4807. CHAPTER 38
In the preliminary section of the previous chapter, in `@@@4661-4664`, an explanation was begun of what, in `Matthew 25bbb31`-end, the Lord said about judgement on the good and the evil, who are there called the sheep and the goats. What the internal sense of those words is has not yet been explained, but comes up for explanation now in the preliminary sections of this and a couple of chapters`fff1` following it. From these explanations it will be clear that by a last judgement in this parable He did not mean a last phase of the world, when - for the first time - the dead will rise again and will be gathered before the Lord and will be judged, but that He meant the last phase of a person passing over from the world to the next life, this point being his time of judgement. This is the judgement He meant. But none of this is seen from the sense of the letter, only from the internal sense. The reason the Lord spoke in the way He did is that He spoke using representatives and meaningful signs, as He has done everywhere else in the Old Testament Word and in the New. For to speak using representatives and meaningful signs is to speak simultaneously to the world and to heaven, that is, both to men and to angels. This kind of speech, being universal, is Divine and therefore proper to the Word. Consequently, those who are in the world and are interested only in worldly matters grasp nothing else from the words spoken by the Lord regarding a last judgement than the idea that everyone's resurrection will take place at one and the same point in time, when the Lord will sit on a throne of glory and address those gathered together there in the words used in the parable. But those who are interested in heavenly matters know that each person rises again at the point in time when he dies, and that the Lord's words in the parable carry the teaching that everyone will be judged according to what his life is, thus that everyone brings his judgement with him because he brings his life with him.
`nnn1. The Latin means 'several chapters', but they are in fact only two.
ppp19043#pid#4808. It will be clear that this is the substance of the internal sense of this passage when each word is explained in line with that sense. But here only those contained in verses `Genesis 37bbbccc31-33` are to be explained, namely these,
When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. And before Him all nations will be gathered, and He will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will place the sheep at His right hand and the goats at the left.
ppp19042#pid#4809. When the Son of Man comes in His glory means when Divine Truth will be visible in its own light, as happens to everyone when he dies; for at that time he comes into the light of heaven, in which light he is able to perceive what is true and good, and from this the nature of it. 'The Son of Man' in the internal sense of the Word is the Lord as regards Divine Truth, and so it is Divine Truth which comes from the Lord; 'glory' is intelligence and wisdom that flow from this, which is seen as light, and by angels as brilliant light. This brilliant light that holds within it wisdom and intelligence flowing from Divine Truth that comes from the Lord is that which in the Word is called 'the glory'. As regards 'the Son of Man' in the internal sense meaning Divine Truth, see `@@@2159`, `@@@2803`, `@@@2813`, `@@@3704`.
ttt[2] And an the holy angels with Him means the angelic heaven. 'The holy angels' in the internal sense are truths which come from the Lord's Divine Good, for in the Word the expression 'angels' is not used to mean angels but things that are from the Lord, see `@@@1925`, `@@@4085`. Angels are recipients of the life of truth proceeding from the Lord's Divine Good; and in the measure they receive it they are angels. From this it is evident that 'angels' means those truths. Because the subject here is the state of each person after death, and the judgement of each one according to what his life is, it is said that all the holy angels will be with Him, meaning that the judgement will be effected through heaven; for every influx of Divine Truth takes places through heaven. No one can receive a direct influx.
ttt[3] Then He will sit on the throne of His glory means the judgement, for 'throne' is used to refer to the Lord's kingship, and the Lord's kingship is Divine Truth, `@@@1728`, `@@@2015`, `@@@3009`, `@@@3670`, Divine Truth being the starting-point and the standard of that judgement.
ttt[4] And before Him all nations will be gathered means that every good and every evil of everyone will be disclosed - for 'nations' in the internal sense of the Word means forms of good, and in the contrary sense forms of evil, `@@@1259`, `@@@1260`, `@@@1416`, `@@@2588` (end), `@@@4574`. Thus it is the showing up in Divine light - that is, in light flowing from Divine Truth - of every good and every evil that is meant by 'before Him all nations will be gathered'.
ttt[5] And He will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats means the separation of good from evil, for 'the sheep' are those in whom good is present, and 'the goats' those in whom evil is present. Strictly speaking the expression 'the sheep' is used to describe those in whom charity, and faith derived from charity, are present, 'the goats' to describe those in whom faith but no charity is present. Both these types of people are referred to here. As regards 'the sheep' meaning those in whom charity and faith derived from it are present, see `@@@2088`, `@@@4169`, and 'the goats' those in whom faith but no charity is present, `@@@4769`.
ttt[6] And He will place the sheep at His right hand and the goats at the left means a separation into truths derived from good, and falsities derived from evil. Those governed by truths derived from good are also visibly present in the next life on the right, while those governed by falsities are on the left. Consequently being stationed on the right hand and on the left implies an ordering in which life is the determining factor.
ppp19041#pid#4810. From this one may see what these words spoken by the Lord imply and that they must not be understood literally. That is to say, they must not be taken to mean that the Lord is going at some last phase to come in glory and all the holy angels with Him, that He is going to sit on a throne of glory, and that He is going to judge all nations gathered together before Him. Rather, the meaning is that each person will be judged according to what his life is, when he passes over from life in the world to eternal life.
ppp19040#pid#4811. `Genesis 38bbb0`
1. And it happened at that time, that Judah went down from his brothers, and turned aside even to a man, an Adullamite; and his name was Hirah.
2. And there Judah saw the daughter of a man, a Canaanite, and his name was Shua; and he took her and came [in] to her.
3. And she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er.
4. And she conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Onan.
5. And yet again she bore a son, and she called his name Shelah; and he was in Kezib as she was giving birth to him.
6. And Judah took a wife (mulier) for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.
7. And Er, Judah's firstborn, was evil in the eyes of Jehovah, and Jehovah caused him to die.
8. And Judah said to Onan, Come [in] to your brother's wife (uxor) and perform the duty of a husband's brother to her, and raise up seed for your brother.
9. And Onan knew that the seed would not be his; and so it was, when he came [in] to his brother's wife (uxor), that he spilled it on the ground,`fff1` so that he should not provide seed for his brother.
10. And what he had done was evil in the eyes of Jehovah; and He caused him to die also.
11. And Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, Remain a widow in your father's house, until Shelah my son is grown up; for he said, In case he also dies, like his brothers. And Tamar went and remained in her father's house.
12. And the days were multiplied, and Shua's daughter died, the wife of Judah; and Judah was comforted, and he went up to the shearers of his flock, he and his companion Hirah the Adullamite, to Timnah.
13. And it was pointed out to Tamar, saying, Behold, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his flock.
14. And she took off the clothes of her widowhood from upon her, and covered herself with a veil, and concealed herself, and sat in the gate of the fountains, which is on the road to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah had grown up, and she had not been given to him as a wife.
15. And Judah saw her and supposed that she was a prostitute, because she had covered her face.
16. And he turned aside to her at the wayside, and said, Allow me now to come [in] to you; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, What do you give me for coming [in] to me?
17. And he said, I will send a kid of the she-goats from the flock. And she said, If you give a pledge until you send it.
18. And he said, What is the pledge which I am to give you? And she said, Your seal, your cord, and your rod which is in your hand. And he gave them to her, and came [in] to her; and she conceived from him.
19. And she rose up and went, and took off her veil from upon her and put on the clothes of her widowhood.
20. And Judah sent the kid of the she-goats by the hand of his companion the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman's hand; and he did not find her.
21. And he asked the men of her place, saying, Where is the harlot in the fountains on the wayside? And they said, There has been no harlot there.
22. And he returned to Judah and said, I did not find her; and also the men of the place said, There has been no harlot there.
23. And Judah said, Let her keep [them]; maybe we shall be put to shame. Behold, I sent this kid, and you did not find her.
24. And so it was about three months later, that it was pointed out to Judah, saying, Tamar your daughter-in-law has committed whoredom, and also, behold, she is pregnant owing to acts of whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her out, and let her be burnt.
25. She was brought out; and she sent to her father-in-law, saying, By the man to whom these belong I am pregnant. And she said, Acknowledge now to whom these belong, the seal and the cord and the rod.
26. And Judah acknowledged them and said, She is more righteous than I am, seeing that I have not given her to Shelah my son. And he did not know her ever again.
27. And it happened at the time she was giving birth, that behold, there were twins in her womb.
28. And it happened as she was giving birth, that one put out a hand; and the midwife took and bound on his hand a twice-dyed thread, saying, This one came out first.
29. And it happened as he drew back his hand, that behold, his brother came out; and she said, Why have you made a breach upon yourself? And he called his name Perez.
30. And afterwards his brother came out, on whose hand was the twice-dyed thread; and he called his name Zerah.
CONTENTS
The internal sense deals in this chapter with the Jewish Church and the genuine Church. The Jewish Church is described by means of Judah, and the genuine Church by Tamar.
`nnn1. literally, wasted [it] onto the earth
ppp19039#pid#4812. His sons by Tamar mean the two essentials of the Church, which are faith and love - Perez meaning faith and Zerah love. Their birth represents the truth that love is in actual fact the firstborn of the Church, and that faith only appears to be this.
ppp19038#pid#4813. THE INTERNAL SENSE
Verses `Genesis 38bbbccc1-5` And it happened at that time, that Judah went down from his brothers, and turned aside even to a man, an Adullamite; and his name was Hirah. And there Judah saw the daughter of a man, a Canaanite, and his name was Shua; and he took her and came [in] to her. And she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er. And she conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Onan. And yet again she bore a son, and she called his name Shelah and he was in Kezib as she was giving birth to him.
'It happened at that time' means the state belonging to the things that follow. 'That Judah went down from his brothers' means the descendants of Jacob, in particular the tribe of Judah which was separated from the rest. 'And turned aside even to a man, an Adullamite' means a turning to falsity. 'And his name was Hirah' means the nature of that falsity. 'And there Judah saw the daughter of a man, a Canaanite' means the affection for evil begotten by falsity springing from evil. 'And his name was Shua' means the essential nature of this. 'And he took her and came [in] to her' means that the tribe of Judah joined itself to these.
'And she conceived and bore a son' means that from this came the falsity of the Church. 'And he called his name Er' means the essential nature of that falsity. 'And she conceived again and bore a son' means evil. 'And she called his name Onan' means the essential nature of this. 'And yet again she bore a son' means idolatry. 'And she called his name Shelah' means the essential nature of this. 'And he was in Kezib as she was giving birth to him' means the state.
ppp19037#pid#4814. 'It happened at that time' means the state belonging to the things that follow. This is clear from the meaning of 'time' as state, dealt with in `@@@2625`, `@@@2788`, `@@@2837`, `@@@3254`, `@@@3356`, `@@@3404`, `@@@3938`. The state belonging to the things that follow is indeed the meaning of 'it happened at that time', because what happened next is recorded in the descriptions that follow. What is more, these descriptions carry on from the train of thought contained in the descriptions that go immediately before them. For the subject in the previous chapter is the sons of Jacob and their selling of Joseph. They were persuaded to sell him by Judah, of whom the previous chapter speaks as follows,
Judah said to his brothers, What profit' is there in our killing our brother and our concealing his blood? Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites. `Genesis 37bbb26-27`.
The meaning there is that Divine Truth was alienated by the brothers, especially by Judah, who at that point means in the proximate sense the tribe of Judah, and in general the corrupt within the Church who are opposed to all good whatever, see `@@@4750`, `@@@4751`. A reference back to this is contained in the words 'at that time'. For now the subject is Judah, his sons by the Canaanite woman, and after these his sons by Tamar his daughter-in-law, all of which in the internal sense describes the tribe of Judah so far as things of the Church established among that tribe were concerned.
ttt[2] As for 'time' meaning state, and 'it happened at that time' consequently meaning the state belonging to the things that follow, this is bound to appear quite strange, for the reason that no one can comprehend how the idea of a time can be turned into that of a state; that is, how when reading 'time' in the Word one has to understand something to do with some state. But it should be realized that angels' thoughts are not formed from anything having a temporal or a spatial origin, because they are in heaven. When they left the world they also left behind all idea of time and space and adopted ideas of state, that is, of the state in which good and truth exist. Therefore when a person reads the Word and from this thinks of a certain time and of the things taking place at that time, the angels present with him do not perceive anything to do with a certain time but instead the aspects of a state, to which those things also correspond.
Nor indeed with his interior thought does the reader conceive of a time, only with his exterior thought, as may be recognized from the state when a person's exterior thought lies dormant, that is, while he is asleep, as well as from many other kinds of experience.
ttt[3] But it should be realized that in general there are two kinds of state - a state involving good and one involving truth. The former is called a state of being (esse), but the latter a state of manifestation (existere), for being is the essential characteristic of good, and the manifestation of this the essential characteristic of truth. Space corresponds to a state of being, time to a state of manifestation. From this it may be seen that when a person reads this statement 'and it happened at that time', the angels present with him cannot perceive these words at all in the way that the reader does. Similarly with every other statement, for whatever has been written in the Word is such that among angels it is converted into a corresponding meaning which cannot at all be seen in the sense of the letter; for that which is worldly belonging to the sense of the letter is converted into that which is spiritual belonging to the internal sense.
ppp19036#pid#4815. 'That Judah went down from his brothers' means the descendants of Jacob, in particular the tribe of Judah which was separated from the rest. This is clear from the representation of 'Judah' in the universal sense as the descendants of Jacob, and in a particular sense as the tribe called the tribe of Judah; and from the meaning of 'going down from his brothers' as being separated from the rest of the tribes, here as a departure into evil worse than theirs. 'Going down' implies a decline into evil, since 'going up' implies a lifting up to what is good, `@@@3084`, `@@@4539`. The reason for this is, as also stated already, that the land of Canaan represented the Lord's kingdom, and Jerusalem and Zion in that land the inmost part of this kingdom. But the regions outside the boundaries of that land represented things outside the Lord's kingdom, namely falsity and evil. Consequently the expression 'to go down' was used when going from Zion and Jerusalem towards the boundaries of the land, but 'to go up' when going from the boundaries towards Jerusalem and Zion. This is why 'going up' implies a lifting up to truth and goodness, and 'going down' a decline into falsity and evil. As the reference here is to the falsity and evil into which the tribe of Judah declined, the expression 'Judah went down' is used, and after that 'he turned aside to a man, an Adullamite', 'turning aside' meaning that it declined into falsity and then into evil.
ttt[2] It is well known that the tribe of Judah was separated from the rest of the tribes. The reason for the separation was so that the tribe might represent the Lord's celestial kingdom, and the rest of the tribes His spiritual kingdom. This being so, Judah also describes, in the representative sense, the celestial man, and in the universal sense the Lord's celestial kingdom, `@@@3654`, `@@@3881`. The rest of the tribes however were referred to by the single term 'the Israelites', for in the representative sense Israel describes the spiritual man, and in the universal sense the Lord's spiritual kingdom, `@@@3654`, `@@@4286`.
ttt[3] The decline of the tribe of Judah into evil worse than that of the rest is the particular meaning of these words - 'and Judah went down from his brothers, and turned aside'. The departure of the tribe of Judah into evil worse than that of the rest is clear from many places in the Word, in particular in the Prophets, as in Jeremiah,
Her treacherous sister Judah saw when, because of all the ways in which estranged Israel committed adultery, I sent her away and gave her a decree of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but she also went and committed whoredom, so much so that with the voice of her whoredom she profaned the land; she committed adultery with stone and wood. Yet for all this treacherous Judah has not returned to Me. Estranged Israel has justified her soul more than treacherous Judah. `Jeremiah 3bbb7-11`.
And in Ezekiel,
Her sister did indeed see, yet she corrupted her own love more than she, and her own acts of whoredom beyond her sister's acts of whoredom. `Ezekiel 23bbb11`-end.
These, in addition to many others elsewhere, are references to Jerusalem and Samaria, that is, to the tribe of Judah and the tribes of Israel.
ttt[4] Described in the internal sense of this chapter is the way in which that tribe sank into falsity, and from this into evil, and at length into that which was wholly idolatrous. This, it is true, is described in the internal sense even before that tribe was separated from the rest and before it came to be as mentioned above. But that which is contained in the internal sense is Divine, and to the Divine future things are also present ones. See what was foretold about that nation in `Deuteronomy 31bbb16-21`; `Deuteronomy ccc32bbb15-43`.
ppp19035#pid#4816. 'And turned aside [even] to a man, an Adullamite' means a turning to falsity. This is clear from the meaning of 'turning aside' as a departure into perversity, for turning aside, like going down, is used to refer to a retreat from good to evil, and from truth to falsity; from the meaning of 'a man' as one who has intelligence, and in the abstract sense as truth since a genuine understanding is formed from truths, dealt with in `@@@265`, `@@@749`, `@@@1007`, `@@@3134`, `@@@3309`, but in the contrary sense as one who has no intelligence, and therefore as falsity. This falsity is represented by 'an Adullamite', for Adullam was on the border of the inheritance of Judah, `Joshua 15bbb35`, and consequently meant truth coming from good, as also in Micah,
I will again bring an heir to you, O inhabitant of Mareshah; even to Adullam the glory of Israel will come. `Micah 1bbb15`.
But because most things in the Word also have a contrary sense, so also does Adullam, in which case it means falsity coming from evil. The reason most things also have a contrary sense is that before the land of Canaan became an inheritance for the sons of Jacob it was occupied by nations who meant falsities and evils, as it also was subsequently when the sons of Jacob entered into what was contrary. For territories take on the same representations as those of the nations or peoples inhabiting them, in accordance with the essential nature of these.
ppp19034#pid#4817. 'And his name was Hirah' means the nature of that falsity. This is clear from the meaning of 'name' and 'calling the name' as the essential nature, dealt with in `@@@144`, `@@@145`, `@@@1754`, `@@@1896`, `@@@2009`, `@@@2724`, `@@@3006`, `@@@3421`. The nature of the falsity referred to immediately above is what is meant, for names used in the Word, both of places and of persons, mean states and spiritual entities, see `@@@1224`, `@@@1264`, `@@@1876`, `@@@1888`, `@@@1946`, `@@@2643`, `@@@3422`, `@@@4298`, `@@@4442`.
ppp19033#pid#4818. 'And there Judah saw the daughter of a man, a Canaanite' means the affection for evil begotten by falsity springing from evil. This is clear from the meaning of 'the daughter' as the affection for good, dealt with in `@@@2362`, and in the contrary sense as the affection for evil, `@@@3024`; from the meaning of 'a man' as one who has intelligence and, in the abstract sense, as truth, but in the contrary sense as one who has no intelligence and as falsity, dealt with just above in `@@@4816`; and from the meaning of 'a Canaanite' as evil, dealt with in `@@@1573`, `@@@1574`. From these meanings it is evident that 'the daughter of a man, a Canaanite' means evil begotten by falsity springing from evil. What evil begotten by falsity springing from evil is will be stated below.
ttt[2] Here the origins of the tribe of Judah must be stated first, since these are the subject in this chapter. That tribe, or the Jewish nation, has three origins, the first being Shelah, Judah's son by his Canaanite wife, the second and third being Perez and Zerah, Judah's sons by his daughter-in-law. The descent of the whole Jewish nation from these three sons of Judah is evident from the list of Jacob's sons and grandsons who accompanied him into Egypt, `Genesis 46bbb12`, and also from the grouping of them into families, referred to in Moses,
The sons of Judah according to their families were: of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites; of Perez, the family of the Parzites; of Zerah, the family of the Zarhites. `Numbers 26bbb20`; `1 Chronicles 4bbb21`.
From this the nature of that nation's origin is evident; that is to say, a third of them were descended from a Canaanite mother and two thirds from a daughter-in-law. They were all therefore the product of an illicit union, because marriages to daughters of the Canaanites were strictly forbidden - as may be seen in `Genesis 24bbb3`; `Exodus 34bbb16`; `Deuteronomy 7bbb3`; `1 Kings 11bbb2`; and Chapters `Genesis ccc9bbb0`, `Genesis ccc10bbb0` of Ezra - while lying with a daughter-in-law was a capital offence, as is evident in Moses,
As regards a man who has lain with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall be killed; they have committed perversion;`fff1` their blood shall be upon them. `Leviticus 20bbb12`.
What Judah and his daughter-in-law had done together was linked by him to the law regarding leviratical marriages, which lays down the duty of a brother but never of a father, as is evident from verse `Genesis 38bbbccc26` of the present chapter. Judah's linking of their deed together to this law implies that the sons of Tamar were to be recognized as the sons of Er the firstborn, who was born from the Canaanite mother, and who was evil in Jehovah's eyes and was therefore made to die, verse `Genesis 38bbbccc7`. For initially those born in a leviratical marriage did not belong to the one from whom they had been conceived but to him whose seed was being raised up, as is clear from `Deuteronomy 25bbb5-6`, and also from verses `Genesis 38bbbccc8` and `Genesis 38bbbccc9` of the present chapter. Furthermore, the sons whom Tamar bore were the result of whoredom, for when Judah went in to her he thought she was a prostitute, verses `Genesis 38bbbccc15-16`, `Genesis 38bbbccc21`. From all this one can see the origin of the Jewish nation and what kind of origin this was; and one can see that their words in John were founded on a lie,
The Jews said to Him, We were not born of whoredom. `John 8bbb41`.
ttt[3] As regards what that origin implies and what it represents, this is evident from what follows. That is to say, those people's interiors were the same or had the same origin. Judah's marriage to a Canaanite implies and represents an origin that consisted in evil begotten by falsity springing from evil, for this is what is meant in the internal sense by 'the daughter of a man, a Canaanite'. And his lying through whoredom with his daughter-in-law implies and represents condemnation due to truth falsified by evil, for throughout the Word 'whoredom' means the falsification of truth, see `@@@3703`.`fff2` Evil begotten by falsity springing from evil is an evil life resulting from a false teaching hatched by the evil of self-love - that is, by those governed by this evil - and backed up by a use of the sense of the letter of the Word. This is what the origin of the evil in the Jewish nation is like, and what the origin of the evil is like in the Christian world, especially among those meant in the Word by Babel. The nature of that evil is such that it closes every path leading into the internal man, closing every path so completely that no conscience at all can be formed there. For if any evil done by a person is due to a false teaching, he believes that this is good because he believes that it is true. He accordingly does it, because he has warrant to do so, with a sense of freedom and delight. All this being so, heaven is closed so completely against him that it cannot be opened.
ttt[4] As an example to explain what this evil is like, take those who from the evil of self-love believe the following: One nation alone is Jehovah's chosen people, in comparison with whom all the rest of mankind are slaves. The rest, they believe, are so base that they may be killed at will and may be treated in a cruel fashion. Such ideas, likewise backed up by a use of the sense of the letter of the Word, were the beliefs of the Jewish nation, as they are also of the Babylonish`fff3` nation at the present day. Whatever kind of evil done by the latter that is the result of that false teaching, and of any other false teachings built on that one as their foundation, is evil begotten by falsity springing from evil. It destroys the internal man and shuts out even the possibility of any conscience being formed there. These people are referred to in the Word as those immersed in bloodshed; for they treat in savage ways the entire human race because it does not venerate what they believe and so themselves too, and because it does not present its gifts on their altars.
ttt[5] Take another example - those who from the evil of self-love and love of the world believe in the necessity for someone to act as the Lord's vicar on earth. They believe that this person has power to open and close heaven, and so to control everyone's mind and conscience, and they back up this falsity by a use of the sense of the letter of the Word. In their case whatever kind of evil they perform as a result of these ideas is evil begotten by falsity springing from evil, which similarly destroys the internal man in those who are led by that evil to lay claim to that power and so control others. That evil destroys the internal man so completely that people cease to know any longer what the internal man is, or to know of the existence of conscience in anyone, with the result that they cease to believe any longer in a life after death, or in the existence of hell and of heaven, however much they talk about these.
ttt[6] The nature of this evil is such that people in the world cannot tell it apart from other evils; but in the next life angels recognize it quite clearly. For in the next life the countless differences in the essential nature and the origin of evils and falsities are in full view; and it is also the genera and species to which these evils and falsities belong that mark off the hells from one another. Of these countless differences man knows scarcely anything. He believes in the existence of evil but has no knowledge of its essential nature, for the simple reason that he does not know what good is, and does not know what good is because he does not know what charity is. If he knew what the good of charity was he would also know its opposites, which are evils, and also their differences.
`nnn1. literally, confusion
`nnn2. Reading `@@@3703` for `@@@3708`
`nnn3. i. e. Papal
ppp19032#pid#4819. 'And his name was Shua' means the essential nature of this. This is clear from the meaning of 'name' as the essential nature, dealt with above in `@@@4817`, in this case the essential nature of evil begotten by falsity springing from evil, also dealt with above, in `@@@4818`.
ppp19031#pid#4820. 'And he took her and came [in] to her' means that the tribe of Judah joined itself to these, that is to say, to evils begotten by falsities springing from evil. This is clear from the meaning of 'taking her', that is to say, making her his wife, and of 'coming (or going in) to her' as being joined together, dealt with frequently already; for in the internal sense marriages represent the joining together of good and truth, because good and truth are the source of them, `@@@2727-2759`. But in the contrary sense marriages represent the joining together of evil and falsity, in this case the joining of the tribe of Judah to these; for what is said here refers to Judah who, as seen above in `@@@4815`, means the tribe named after him. It is not said that he took her as his wife, only 'he took her and came [in] to her'. This wording is used because the coupling was an illicit one, `@@@4818`, and also because, without actually saying so, it points out that the union was not a marriage but whoredom, and thus that the sons born from her were also the result of whoredom. The fact that after this she is called his wife - in the words 'And the days were multiplied, and Shua's daughter died, the wife of Judah', verse `Genesis 38bbbccc12` - will be discussed below.
ppp19030#pid#4821. 'And she conceived and bore a son' means that from this came the falsity of the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'conceiving and bearing' as acknowledging in faith and action, dealt with in `@@@3905`, `@@@3915`, `@@@3919`, and from the meaning of 'a son' as the truth of the Church, but in the contrary sense falsity, dealt with in `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@533`, `@@@1147`, `@@@2623`, `@@@3373`, `@@@4257`. Consequently 'she conceived and bore a son' here means that the Church among the tribe of Judah acknowledged falsity in faith and action. The reason this son means the falsity of the Church is that he was the firstborn, and in the Ancient Churches 'the firstborn' meant the truth of faith, `@@@352`, `@@@3325`, and so in the contrary sense falsity, which was also the meaning of the firstborn among men and the firstborn among beasts in Egypt, `@@@3325`. The fact that truth is not meant but falsity is evident from what follows shortly, for in verse `Genesis 38bbbccc7` it says, 'Er, Judah's firstborn, was evil in the eyes of Jehovah, and Jehovah caused him to die'. Er, this son's name, also implies the particular nature of this falsity, even as Onan, his second son's name, implies the particular nature of that meant by him, namely what is wrong or evil.
ppp19029#pid#4822. 'And he called his name Er' means the essential nature of that falsity. This is clear from the meaning of 'calling the name' as the essential nature, dealt with in `@@@144`, `@@@145`, `@@@1754`, `@@@1896`, `@@@2009`, `@@@2724`, `@@@3006`, `@@@3421`, namely the nature of the falsity of the Church, dealt with immediately above in `@@@4821`. The expression 'the nature of the falsity' is used because falsities differ from one another, even as truths do, so much so that the different types of falsity can hardly be counted; and each type of falsity has its own specific nature by which it is distinguished from any other. Common falsities reign among the wicked in every Church, but each person's falsity varies in keeping with the life he leads. The falsity which existed in the Jewish Church and is referred to here was falsity springing from the evil of self-love and of love of the world based on this, see `@@@4818`.
ppp19028#pid#4823. 'And she conceived again and bore a son' means evil. This is clear from the meaning of 'a son' as truth and also good, dealt with in `@@@264`, and so in the contrary sense as falsity and also evil, though evil that arises out of falsity. Essentially this kind of evil is falsity, because it has its origin in this. For anyone who does what is evil arising out of false teaching does what is false; but because this falsity is realized in action it is called evil. The meaning which the firstborn carries of falsity and consequent evil is evident from the statement made here regarding this [second] son, to the effect that in action he did what was evil. The actual words are 'he spilled his seed on the ground, so that he should not provide seed for his brother; and what he had done was evil in the eyes of Jehovah; and He caused him to die also', verses `Genesis 38bbbccc9-10`. The fact that this evil arose out of falsity is also evident at that point. What is more, in the ancient Churches the secondborn meant the truth of faith realized in action; therefore the second son here means falsity realized in action, which is evil. It may also be recognized that evil is meant by this son from the fact that the firstborn was named Er by his father or Judah, but this son, Onan, by his mother, the daughter of Shua, as may be seen in the original language. For 'man' in the Word means falsity and his wife (mulier) evil, see `@@@915`, `@@@2517`, `@@@4510`; and so also does 'the daughter of Shua' mean evil, `@@@4818`, `@@@4819`. Therefore because he was given his name by his father, 'Er' means falsity; and because Onan was given his name by his mother, evil is meant by him. Thus the first was so to speak the father's son, the second so to speak the mother's son.
ttt[2] In the Word the expression 'man and wife' (vir et uxor) is used many times, as also is 'husband and wife' (maritus et uxor). When 'man and wife' is used, 'man' means truth and 'wife' good; or in the contrary sense 'men' means falsity and 'wife' evil. But when 'husband and wife' is used, 'husband' means good and 'wife' truth; or in the contrary sense 'husband' means evil and 'wife' falsity. The reason underlying this arcanum is this In the celestial Church good resided with the husband and the truth of that good with the wife; but in the spiritual Church truth resided with the man and the good of that truth with the wife: Such is and was the actual relationship between the two, for in human beings interior things have undergone this reversal. This is the reason why in the Word, when celestial good and celestial truth from this are the subject, they are called 'husband and wife', but when spiritual good and spiritual truth from this are dealt with, these are called 'man and wife', or rather 'man and woman' (vir et mulier). From this, as well as from the actual expressions used, one can come to know which kind of good and which kind of truth are being dealt with in the internal sense of the Word.
ttt[3] Here also is the reason why it has been stated already in various places that marriages represent the joining of good to truth, and of truth to good. Furthermore conjugial love has its origin in these two joined together. Among celestial people conjugial love has its origin in good joined to truth, but among spiritual people in truth joined to good. Marriages also correspond in actual fact to these joinings together. From all this one may see what is implied by the father giving the first son his name, but the mother giving the second and also the third sons theirs, as is clear from the original language. The father named the first son because the first son meant falsity, while the mother named the second son because the second son meant evil.
ppp19027#pid#4824. 'And she called his name Onan' means the essential nature of this, that is to say, of the evil referred to immediately above in `@@@4823`. This is clear from the meaning of 'calling the name' as the essential nature, dealt with in `@@@4822`. 'Onan' means and implies the nature of that evil.
ppp19026#pid#4825. 'And yet again she bore a son' means idolatry. This is clear from the meaning of 'a son' in this case as idolatry; for those born before him meant falsity and evil, `@@@4821`, `@@@4823`. From this it follows that the third son means idolatry, for these two - falsity and evil - lead to idolatry and are contained within it. Of the three born to Judah by the Canaanite this son was the only one to survive, a third of the Jewish nation being descended from him. The meaning in the internal sense at this point is that this nation sprang from idolatry. Its very strong inclination to idolatrous practice is clear from the historical and the prophetical parts - from the sense of the letter - of the Word; and from its internal sense it is evident that this nation was constantly an idolatrous one. For idolatry consists not only in the worship of idols and graven images, and also the worship of other gods, but even in the worship of external things devoid of internal ones. This kind of idolatrous practice existed constantly among that nation, for they revered external things alone and cast internal ones completely aside, and did not even wish to know about them. They indeed had holy things - such as the Tent of Meeting containing the Ark and the Mercy seat on this, the tables with the loaves on them, the lampstand, and incenses; and outside the Tent there was the altar on which they presented burnt offerings and sacrifices. All these things were called holy, while the inmost part there was called the Holy of Holies, as well as the Sanctuary. Also, there were the vestments they had which were worn by Aaron and their high priests, which were referred to as holy vestments, for these included the ephod and the breastplate where the Urim and Thummin were, besides much else. But these things were not inherently holy; they were holy because they were representative of holy things, that is to say, they were representative of the Divine celestial and spiritual things of the Lord's kingdom, and representative of the Lord Himself. Still less was the holiness of those things due to the people among whom they existed, for those people had no affection at all for the internal things that were represented, only for external ones; and having an affection for external things alone is idolatry. This involves the worship of wood and stone, and also of gold and silver covering these, from a delusion that those objects are inherently holy. This is what the nation was like then and is also like at the present day.
ttt[2] Yet a representative of the Church was nevertheless able to exist among such people because in that which is representative no attention is paid to the person who represents, only to whatever is represented, see `@@@665`, `@@@1097` (end), `@@@3670`, `@@@4208`, `@@@4281`, `@@@4288`. Consequently their worship did not lead them to blessing and happiness in the next life, but merely to worldly prosperity, provided they adhered to those representatives and did not turn aside to the idols of the gentiles, and in so doing did not become openly idolatrous. For if they did it was no longer possible for that nation to represent anything at all of the Church. This then is what the idolatry, meant by Judah's third son by his Canaanite wife, is describing. This idolatry among that nation had its origin in internal idolatry, for more than all others this nation was governed by self-love and love of the world, `@@@4459` (end), `@@@4570`. Among those governed by self-love and love of the world internal idolatry exists, for they worship themselves and they worship the world. They pay attention to holy things for the sake of personal adoration and gain; that is, they have a selfish end in view, and do not have the Lord's Church and kingdom, and so the Lord Himself, in view.
ppp19025#pid#4826. 'And she called his name Shelah' means the essential nature of this. This is clear from the meaning of 'calling the name' as the essential nature, dealt with above where Judah's first two sons, Er and Onan, are dealt with, `@@@4822`, `@@@4824`. The essential nature of that idolatry is meant by Shelah, for there are many kinds of idolatry. There is external idolatry and there is internal; and in general both involve the worship of falsity and evil.
ppp19024#pid#4827. 'And he was in Kezib as she was giving birth to him' means the state. This is clear from the meaning of 'Kezib' as the state, namely that of idolatry meant by 'Shelah' which existed among the Jewish nation, and from the meaning of 'giving birth' as being joined in action, dealt with in `@@@3905`, `@@@3915`, `@@@3919`. And because it was joined to the evil present in that idolatry, it is said that 'she' called his name Shelah, as is evident from the original language; for 'she' - the daughter of Shua - means evil begotten by falsity springing from evil, `@@@4818`, `@@@4819`.
ppp19023#pid#4828. Verses `Genesis 38bbbccc6-10` And Judah took a wife (mulier) for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. And Er, Judah's firstborn, was evil in the eyes of Jehovah, and Jehovah caused him to die. And Judah said to Onan, Come [in] to your brother's wife (uxor) and perform the duty of a husband's brother to her, and raise up seed for your brother. And Onan knew that the seed would not be his; and so it was, when he came [in] to his brother's wife (uxor), that he spilled it on the ground,`fff1` so that he should not provide seed for his brother. And what he had done was evil in the eyes of Jehovah; and He caused him to die also.
'Judah took a wife' means the Church which was for his descendants. 'For Er his firstborn' means falsity of faith. 'And her name was Tamar' means the essential nature of the Church - a Church representative of spiritual and celestial things. 'And Er, Judah's firstborn, was evil in the eyes of Jehovah' means that it was immersed in falsity springing from evil. 'And Jehovah caused him to die' means that there was no representative of the Church. 'And Judah said to Onan' means so as to preserve a representative of the Church. 'Come [in] to your brother's wife and perform the duty of a husband's brother to her' means that that representative might be continued. 'And raise up seed for your brother' means so that the Church does not perish. 'And Onan knew that the seed would not be his' means a loathing and hatred. 'And so it was, when he came [in] to his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground' means the reverse of conjugial love. 'So that he should not provide seed for his brother' means that this being so there was no continuation. 'And what he had done was evil in the eyes of Jehovah' means that it was contrary to Divine order. 'And He caused him to die also' means that again there was no representative of the Church.
`nnn1. literally, wasted [it] onto the earth
ppp19022#pid#4829. 'Judah took a wife' means the Church which was for his descendants. This is clear from the representation of Tamar, to whom 'a wife' refers here, as the Church, dealt with below. Its being for his descendants is meant by the fact that he took her for Er his firstborn, so as to have descendants from them.
ppp19021#pid#4830. 'For Er his firstborn' means falsity of faith. This is clear from the representation of 'Er' as falsity, dealt with in `@@@4821`, `@@@4822`, and from the meaning of 'firstborn' as faith, dealt with in `@@@352`, `@@@3325`, `@@@4821`.
ppp19020#pid#4831. 'And her name was Tamar' means the essential nature of the Church - a Church representative of spiritual and celestial things. This is clear from the meaning of 'name' as the essential nature, dealt with in `@@@144`, `@@@145`, `@@@1754`, `@@@1896`, `@@@2009`, `@@@2724`, `@@@3006`, `@@@3421`, in this case the essential nature of the Church because Tamar in this chapter represents the Church, in particular the Church representative of spiritual and celestial things which was to be established among the descendants of Judah. Tamar's representation of that Church is evident from what follows. This whole chapter deals in the internal sense with the Jewish Church, with how it was intended to become a Church representative of the spiritual and celestial things of the Lord's kingdom, as the Ancient Church had been, and to become such not only in external form but also in internal. For a Church is not a Church by virtue of its externals, that is, of its religious observances, but by virtue of its internals; for these are the essential realities, the externals merely forms expressing those realities. But the descendants of Jacob were the kind of people who had no wish to receive internal things. Among them therefore the Ancient Church could not be raised up, only that which was a representative of that Church, `@@@4307`, `@@@4444`, `@@@4500`. The internal dimension of the Church is meant here by 'Tamar', and the external by 'Judah' together with his three sons by his Canaanite wife.
ppp19019#pid#4832. 'And Er, Judah's firstborn, was evil in the eyes of Jehovah' means that it was immersed in falsity springing from evil. This is clear from the representation of 'Er' and from the meaning of 'firstborn' as falsity of faith, dealt with just above in `@@@4830`. Evidence that this falsity was falsity springing from evil is given in what has been stated above in `@@@4818`. But with this son the falsity springing from evil was of such a nature that not even that which was representative of the Church could be established among any who would have been descended from him, and therefore it is said that 'he was evil in the eyes of Jehovah, and Jehovah caused him to die'. Among that whole nation - right from the start, and especially from Judah onwards - falsity springing from evil was present, that is, a false teaching that resulted from evil living, though that falsity was different with one son of Judah from what it was with another. Which of these could serve a purpose was foreseen, and this was not that existing with Er the firstborn; nor was it that with Onan the secondborn, but that existing with Shelah. Therefore those first two sons were destroyed, whereas this third was preserved. The existence among that whole nation, from when it first began, of falsity springing from evil is described plainly in Moses in the following words,
Self-corrupted; not his sons; the blemish is theirs; a perverse and crooked generation. When Jehovah saw, and rejected - with more than indignation - His sons and His daughters. And He said, I will hide My face from them; I will see what their posterity will be, for they are a perverse generation, sons in whom there is no faithfulness. I will add evils upon them, I will expend My arrows on them; they will be exhausted with famine, and consumed with burning coal, and with bitter destruction. They are a nation from whom counsel has perished, in whom there is no intelligence; from the vine of Sodom comes their vine, and from the ploughed fields of Gomorrah, their grapes are grapes of gall, their dusters are bitterness. The poison of dragons is their wine, and the cruel gall of asps. Is not this stored up with Me, sealed up in My treasures? The day of their destruction is near, and the things to come upon them are hastening on. `Deuteronomy 32bbb5`, `Deuteronomy 32bbbccc10`, `Deuteronomy 32bbbccc20`, `Deuteronomy 32bbbccc23-24`, `Deuteronomy 32bbbccc28`, `Deuteronomy 32bbbccc32-35`.
In the internal sense these words describe falsity springing from evil which existed among that nation, and the fact that this falsity was rooted deeply within them.
ppp19018#pid#4833. 'And Jehovah caused him to die' means that there was no representative of the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'dying' as ceasing to be such, dealt with in `@@@494`, and also as the end of representation, `@@@3253`, `@@@3259`, `@@@3276`. The meaning here therefore is that no representative of the Church could exist with any who would have been descended from him, as accords with what has been stated immediately above in `@@@4832`.
ppp19017#pid#4834. 'And Judah said to Onan' means so as to preserve a representative of the Church. This is clear from the words which follow, since these here have regard to them. That is, he said that Onan was to perform for his brother the duty of a husband's brother, by which the preservation and continuation of the Church, to be discussed next, is represented.
ppp19016#pid#4835. 'Come [in] to your brother's wife and perform the duty of a husband's brother to her' means that this - that representative of the Church - might be continued. This is clear from the meaning of 'coming (or going in) to a brother's wife and performing the duty of a husband's brother to her' as preserving and continuing that which constitutes the Church. The requirement laid down in the Mosaic Law, that if a man died without issue his brother was to marry his widow and raise up seed for his brother, and that the firstborn was to receive his dead brother's name, whereas all other sons were to be his own, was called the duty of a brother-in-law. The fact that this directive was nothing new in the Jewish Church but a practice already in existence is clear from the words used here; and the same goes for many other directives given to the Israelites through Moses, such as the law forbidding them to take wives from the daughters of the Canaanites and requiring them to marry within their own families, `Genesis 24bbb3-4`; `Genesis ccc28bbb1-2`. From these and many other examples it is evident that a Church had existed previously in which the same kind of practices were followed as those at a later time which were declared to and demanded of the sons of Jacob. Altars and sacrifices likewise had been in use since ancient times, as is evident from `Genesis 8bbb20-21`; `Genesis ccc22bbb3`, `Genesis 22bbbccc7-8`. From this it is plain that the Jewish Church was not a new Church but a revival of the Ancient Church which had perished.
ttt[2] What the law regarding the duty of a brother-in-law had been is clear in Moses,
If brothers dwell together but one of them dies, and has no son, the wife of the dead one shall not marry a stranger outside [the family]; her brother-in-law shall go in to her, and take her to himself as his wife, and so perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her. Then it will happen, that the firstborn whom she bears shall succeed to the name of his dead brother, so that his name is not wiped out from Israel. But if the man is unwilling to take his sister-in-law, his sister-in-law shall go up to the gate to the elders, and she shall say, My brother-in-law refuses to raise up for his brother a name in Israel; he is unwilling to perform the duty of a brother-in-law for me. Then the elders of his city shall call him and speak to him; and if he stands and says, I do not desire to take her, his sister-in-law shall go up to him in the sight of the elders, and she shall remove his shoe from upon his foot and spit in his face; and she shall answer and say, So will it be done to the man who does not build up his brother's house. Therefore his name will be called in Israel, The house of him who has his shoe taken off. `Deuteronomy 25bbb5-10`.
ttt[3] Anyone who does not know what the duty of a brother-in-law represents inevitably believes that the practice existed solely for the sake of preserving a name and consequently an inheritance. But the preservation of a name and an inheritance was not in itself a great enough reason why a brother should have been required to enter into a marriage with his sister-in-law. Rather, the practice was ordained so that the preservation and continuation of the Church might be represented through it. For a marriage represented the marriage of good and truth, which is the heavenly marriage. It therefore represented the Church too, for the Church is a Church by virtue of the marriage of good and truth, and when this marriage exists within it the Church makes one with heaven, which is the true heavenly marriage. And because a marriage represented these things, 'sons and daughters' were therefore representations and also meaningful signs of truths and goods. This being so, 'being without issue' meant a lack of good and truth, and so meant that no representative of the Church existed in that house any longer, and that as a consequence it was not in communion with the Church. In addition 'brother' represented a kindred good to which the truth represented by a widow might be joined. For to be the kind of truth that has life, produces fruit, and thereby continues that which constitutes the Church, truth cannot be joined to any other good but that which is its own and a kindred one. This was how those in heaven perceived the duty of a brother-in-law.
ttt[4] The meaning of this practice - of a sister-in-law removing the shoe from upon the foot of the man who refused to do the duty of a brother-in-law, and of her spitting in his face - was this: Anyone devoid of good and truth, external and internal, would destroy those things that constitute the Church; for 'the shoe' means that which is external, `@@@1748`, and 'the face' that which is internal, `@@@1999`, `@@@2434`, `@@@3527`, `@@@4066`, `@@@4796`. From this it is evident that 'the duty of a brother-in-law' represented the preservation and continuation of the Church. But when through the Lord's Coming representatives of internal things came to an end, that particular law was done away with. It is like a person's soul or spirit in relation to his body. A person's soul or spirit is the internal part of him and his body the external; or what amounts to the same, the soul or spirit is the true likeness of the person, whereas the body is merely a representative image of him. When a person rises again his representative image or that which is external, namely his body, is cast aside, for he is now conscious in that which is internal, namely the true likeness of him. It is also like a person who is in darkness and from there looks at things belonging to light; or what amounts to the same, like one who is in the light of the world and from there looks at things belonging to the light of heaven. For the light of the world in comparison with the light of heaven is as darkness. Within that darkness, that is, within the light of the world, things belonging to the light of heaven as they exist essentially cannot be seen, but are seen so to speak within a representative image, even as the human mind is seen in a person's face. Therefore when the light of heaven is seen in its own essential brightness, the darkness of representative images is dispelled. This was effected through the Lord's Coming.
[`@@@4835`a] 'And raise up seed for your brother' means so that the Church does not perish. This is clear from the meaning of 'seed' as truth derived from good, or faith grounded in charity, dealt with in `@@@1025`, `@@@1447`, 16110, `@@@1940`, `@@@2848`, `@@@3310`, `@@@3373`, `@@@3671`. The same is also meant by the firstborn who was to succeed to the name of the dead brother, `@@@352`, `@@@367`, `@@@2435`, `@@@3325`, `@@@3494`. 'Raising up seed for a brother' means continuing that which constitutes the Church, in line with what has been stated just above in `@@@4834`, and thus means so that the Church does not perish.
ppp19015#pid#4836. 'And Onan knew that the seed would not be his' means a loathing and hatred. This is clear from the representation of 'Onan' as evil, dealt with in `@@@4823`, `@@@4824`; and because 'not providing seed for a brother', or not performing the duty of a brother-in-law, means having no desire for the good and truth of the Church or the continuation of it, `@@@4834`, the words used here mean a loathing and hatred, for evil is nothing else than loathing and hatred directed against the good and truth of the Church.
ppp19014#pid#4837. 'And so it was, when he came [in] to his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground' means the reverse of conjugial love. [This is clear from the following considerations:] 'Er, Judah's firstborn' is used to describe falsity springing from evil which reigned in the Jewish nation at first, and 'Onan the secondborn' to describe evil begotten by falsity springing from evil which reigned in that nation later on. And 'Shelah the third son' is used to describe the idolatry which followed on from this and reigned in that nation at a still later time, `@@@4826`. Evil begotten by falsity springing from evil is described by the action Onan took, which was this: Being unwilling to provide seed for his brother, he spilled it on the ground. The reason this means that which is the reverse of conjugial love is that the conjugial relationship is used to mean in the internal sense that which is the essential element of the Church. Essentially the Church is a marriage of goodness and truth; and evil begotten by falsity springing from evil is the complete reverse of that marriage, that is, those with whom that kind of evil exists are the reverse of it.
ttt[2] Nothing of true marriage meant both in a spiritual sense and in a natural one existed with that nation. This is quite evident from the fact that men were permitted to marry more than one wife; for where a marriage meant in a spiritual sense exists - that is, where the good and truth of the Church exist, consequently where the Church exists - that practice is not at all permitted. Genuine marriage cannot possibly exist except among those with whom the Lord's Church or kingdom exists, yet not with these except between pairs, `@@@1907`, `@@@2740`, `@@@3246`. The marriage of a pair in whom genuine conjugial love is present corresponds to the heavenly marriage, that is, to good and truth joined together. That is to say, the husband corresponds to good and the wife to the truth of that good. Also, when genuine conjugial love is present in them, that heavenly marriage is present too. Therefore where the Church exists men are never permitted to marry more than one wife. But because no Church existed among those descended from Jacob, only that which was a representative of the Church - that is, the external shell of the Church without its internal substance, `@@@4307`, `@@@4500` - they were therefore permitted to have more than one. Furthermore the marriage of one husband to a number of wives would present in heaven an idea or image in which so to speak one good was joined to a number of truths which do not agree with one another, and so an image in which there was no good at all. For when its truths do not agree with one another good ceases to be good, since good receives its particular nature from truths and their agreement with one another.
ttt[3] It would also present an image in which so to speak the Church was not one Church but many, set apart from one another along the lines of the truths of faith, that is, along doctrinal lines, when in fact the Church is one if good is the essential element there and this receives its particular nature from truths and is so to speak moderated by these. The Church is an image of heaven, because it is the Lord's kingdom on earth. Heaven consists of many distinct and separate general communities, and of smaller ones subordinate to these general ones; nevertheless good makes them a united whole. Good there enables the truths of faith to stand in agreement with one another; for these look to good and are grounded in it. If the truths of faith and not good were the lines along which parts of heaven were separated from one another, heaven would cease to be heaven, because there would not be any unanimity at all. For their oneness of life or unity in soul could not come to them from the Lord and exist among them. That oneness dwells solely within good, that is, within love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour. Love binds everyone together, and when the love of what is good and true is present in each individual, everyone shares that which comes from the Lord, so that the Lord is the One who binds everyone together. The love of what is good and true is called love towards the neighbour, for the neighbour is one with whom good and accompanying truth are present, and in the abstract sense good itself and its truth. From these considerations one may see why within the Church marriage must be a relationship involving one husband and one wife, and why the descendants of Jacob were permitted to marry more than one wife. They were permitted to do so for the reason that no Church existed among them, and therefore a representative of the Church could not be established among them by means of marriages, because the reverse of conjugial love reigned among them.
ppp19013#pid#4838. 'So that he should not provide seed for his brother' means that this being so there was no continuation. This is clear from the meaning of 'providing seed for a brother', or performing the duty of a husband's brother, as continuing that which constitutes the Church, dealt with above in `@@@4835`, which shows that 'not providing seed for his brother' means that, this being so, there was no continuation.
`@@@4835`, but the Latin is `@@@4834`.
ppp19012#pid#4839. 'And what he had done was evil in the eyes of Jehovah' means that it was contrary to Divine order. This is clear from the meaning of 'evil in the eyes of Jehovah', or evil contrary to Him, as that which is contrary to the order originating in Him. This is evident both from what Onan actually did and from what was laid down regarding a husband's brother - the sister-in-law was required to remove the shoe from his foot and to spit in his face; and his name in Israel was to be called, The house of him that has his shoe taken off, `Deuteronomy 25bbb8-10`. These actions meant that he was devoid of good, external and internal; and those who are devoid of that good and are governed by evil are contrary to Divine order. All evil that wells up or flows from evil present interiorly - that is, which, like Onan's, is intentional or has an evil end in view - is contrary to Divine order. But that which does not well up or flow from evil present interiorly - that is, which is unintentional or has no evil end in view - may sometimes look like evil but is not in fact this if the end in view is not an evil one; for it is the end that determines the true nature of every action. The end holds a person's life within it; that is to say, what a person loves and consequently thinks he has as his end in view. The life of his soul is nothing else.
ttt[2] Everyone realizes that evil is contrary to Divine order and good is in keeping with it. Divine Order is the Lord Himself in heaven, for Divine Good and Truth received from Him constitute order. They do this so completely that they are order, Divine Good being the essential element of it and Divine Truth the form given to this. When represented in a visible shape Divine order is seen as a Human Being, for the Lord alone who is the producer of it is Man, `@@@49`, `@@@288`, `@@@477`, `@@@565`, `@@@1871`, `@@@1894`, `@@@3638`, `@@@3639`. And insofar as angels, spirits, and men are recipients of Him, that is, insofar as good and accompanying truth are present in them, thus insofar as His Divine order is present there, they are human beings. This is the reason why the whole of heaven represents one complete human being, called the Grand Man, and every single thing in the human being corresponds to it, as has been shown at the ends of chapters. It also explains why all the angels in heaven are seen in a human shape; but evil spirits on the other hand are deluded into seeing one another as human beings, whereas in the light of heaven they look like monsters, ever more dreadful and horrid, depending on the evil which governs them, `@@@4533`. The reason for this is that evil itself is contrary to order and so contrary to the human form. For as has been stated, when represented in a visible form, Divine order looks like a human being.
ppp19011#pid#4840. 'And He caused him to die also' means that again there was no representative of the Church. This is clear from what has been shown above in `@@@4833`, where similar words occur.
ppp19010#pid#4841. Verse `Genesis 38bbbccc11` And Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, Remain a widow in your father's house, until Shelah my son is grown up; for he said, In case he also dies, like his brothers. And Tamar went and remained in her father's house.
'Judah said' means in general the descendants of Jacob, specifically those descended through Judah. 'To Tamar his daughter-in-law' means a Church representative of spiritual and celestial things, which is called 'a daughter-in-law' from truth. 'Remain a widow in your father's house' means the alienation of this Church from the Jewish Church. 'Until Shelah my son is grown up' means until the time. 'For he said' means thought. 'In case he also dies, like his brothers' means fear lest it should perish. 'And she remained in her father's house' means the alienation of this Church from the Jewish Church.
ppp19009#pid#4842. 'Judah said' means in general the descendants of Jacob, specifically those descended through Judah. This is clear from the meaning of 'Judah' in the proximate sense as the nation descended from Jacob, and specifically those descended from Jacob through Judah, as also stated above in `@@@4815`. In the Word a distinction is indeed drawn between Judah and Israel, 'Judah' being used in the historical sense to mean the tribe of Judah, and 'Israel' to mean the ten tribes that had been separated from that tribe. But in the internal or spiritual sense 'Judah' represents the celestial element of the Church, which is good, and 'Israel' the spiritual element, which is truth. In the contrary sense however 'Judah' represents the evil of the Church and 'Israel' the falsity of the Church, wherever such evil or falsity existed, whether among Jews or among Israelites. For the internal or spiritual sense of the Word is universal and does not draw the same distinctions between the tribes as are drawn in the external or historical sense. This is the reason why in the proximate sense 'Judah' means the whole nation descended from Jacob, but specifically those descended from Jacob through Judah.
ppp19008#pid#4843. 'To Tamar his daughter-in-law' means a Church representative of spiritual and celestial things, which is called 'a daughter-in-law' from truth. This is clear from the representation of 'Tamar' as a Church representative of spiritual and celestial things, dealt with above in `@@@4831`, and from the meaning of 'a daughter-in-law' as the spiritual element of the Church, which is truth. The reason 'a daughter-in-law' has this meaning in the internal sense is that everything connected with a marriage, and all persons who were the offspring of a marriage, represented the kinds of things that belong to the heavenly marriage, see above in `@@@4837`, and consequently the kinds of things that belong to good and truth since these are the two partners in the heavenly marriage. This is why in the Word 'husband' means good and 'wife' truth, and also why 'sons and daughters' means the forms of truth and good which are the offspring of these. Consequently, being the wife of a son who has now become a husband, 'a daughter-in-law' means the truth of the Church which has been joined to good, and so on. But the meaning is different in the case of those who belong to the celestial Church from that of those who belong to the spiritual Church; for in the spiritual Church the husband is called 'the men' and means truth, while the wife is called 'the woman' and means good, see above in `@@@4823`.
ttt[2] As regards 'a daughter-in-law' in the internal sense of the Word meaning the truth of the Church linked to its good, and consequently in the contrary sense meaning the falsity of the Church linked to its evil, this may also be seen from places in the Word where the expression 'daughter-in-law' is used, as in Hosea,
They offer sacrifice on mountain-tops and burn incense on hills, under oak. and poplar, and hard oak, because its shade is good. Therefore your daughters commit whoredom, and your daughters-in-law commit adultery. Shall I not punish`fff1` your daughters, in that they commit whoredom and your daughters-in-law in that they commit adultery? `Hosea 4bbb13-14`.
This refers to the worship of evil and falsity, the worship of evil being meant by 'offering sacrifices on mountain-tops' and the worship of falsity by 'burning incense on hills'. A life of evil is meant by 'daughters committing whoredom', and the teaching of what is false from which a life of evil results is meant by 'daughters-in-law committing adultery'. As regards acts of adultery and whoredom in the Word meaning adulterations of what is good and falsifications of what is true, see `@@@2466`, `@@@2727`, `@@@3399`. 'Daughters-in-law' therefore stands here for affections for falsity.
ttt[3] In Micah,
The great man utters the perversity of his soul. and he twists it out of shape. The best of them is like a brier, the upright like a thorn-bush. The son treats the father with contempt, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man's enemies are those of his own household. `Micah 7bbb3-4`, `Micah 7bbbccc6`.
This refers to falsity that is the offspring of evil and which exists with the Church in the last times when it has been laid waste, in the proximate sense as it existed with the Jewish Church. 'The daughter rises up against her mother' means that the affection for evil stands opposed to truth, and 'the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law' that the affection for falsity stands opposed to good.
ttt[4] Because the experience of a person undergoing temptations is of a similar nature to this - for in temptations a conflict takes place between evil and truth and between falsity and good, spiritual temptations being nothing else than experiences when the falsity and evil present in a person are laid waste - temptations or spiritual conflicts are described by the Lord in practically the same words,
Jesus said, Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man's enemies will be these of his own household. `Matthew 10bbb34-36`, `Matthew 10bbbccc38`.
The words from the Prophet that are similar to these, quoted a little above them, meant the laying waste of the Church. But here the temptations of those who belong to the Church are meant, for, as has been stated, temptations are nothing else than experiences in which falsity and evil are laid waste or taken away. For this reason also temptations as well as vastations are meant and described by deluges and floods of waters, `@@@705`, `@@@739`, `@@@756`, `@@@790`. Here also therefore 'daughter against mother' means the affection for evil standing opposed to truth, and 'daughter-in-law against mother-in-law' the affection for falsity standing opposed to good. Now because the evils and falsities present with a person undergoing temptation exist inwardly, or are his own, they are called members of his own household in the words 'a man's enemies will be those of his own household'. The fact that temptations are described in this passage is evident from the Lord's saying that He had not come to bring peace on earth but a sword; for 'a sword' means truth engaged in conflict, and in the contrary sense falsity engaged in conflict, `@@@2799`, `@@@4499`. (Yet He did come to bring peace, `John 14bbb27`; `John ccc16bbb33`.) The description of temptations in this passage is also clear from what the Lord goes on to say - 'He who does not take up his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me'.
ttt[5] Similarly in Luke,
Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division; for from now on there will be in one house five divided, three against two, and two against three. Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. `Luke 12bbb51-53`.
From these words too it is evident that 'father', 'mother', 'son', 'daughter', 'daughter-in-law', and 'mother-in-law' mean the kinds of things that originate in the heavenly marriage, namely goods and truths in their own order, and also their opposites; as also in Mark,
Jesus said, There is no one who has forsaken house, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or fields, for the sake of Me and of the Gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold, now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and fields, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. `Mark 10bbb29-30`.
Anyone unacquainted with the internal sense of the Word will think that 'house', 'brothers', 'sisters', 'father', 'mother', 'wife', 'children', and 'fields' mean house, brothers, sisters, father, mother, wife, children, and fields. But the meaning here is this: The kinds of things present in a person which are properly his own must be forsaken by him, and instead of these, spiritual and celestial things which are the Lord's must be received by him. This change is effected by means of temptations, which are meant here by 'persecutions'. Anyone can see that if he forsakes his mother he is not going to receive mothers, nor likewise to receive brothers and sisters by forsaking these.
`nnn1. literally, visit
ppp19007#pid#4844. 'Remain a widow in your father's house' means the alienation of this Church from the Jewish Church. This becomes clear from the fact that Judah's wish was that by doing this she would go away and not return to him any more. He did, it is true, say that she should remain there until Shelah his son was grown up; nevertheless he had it in mind not to give her to Shelah his son, for he said to himself, 'In case he also dies, like his brothers'. He gave further proof of his intentions by his actions, as is evident from verse `Genesis 38bbbccc14` - 'Tamar saw that Shelah had grown up, and she had not been given to him as a wife'. From all this it is evident that the words used here mean that he alienated her from himself. That is, the meaning in the internal sense is that he alienated the Church representative of spiritual and celestial things - the Church represented by 'Tamar', `@@@4811`, `@@@4831` - from the Jewish Church represented by 'Judah'. The two could not be in agreement with each other because Judaism was not a representative Church, only a representative of the Church, `@@@4307`, `@@@4500`; for it acknowledged what was external but not that which was internal.
ttt[2] 'A widow' also means the truth of the Church without its good; for in the representative sense 'a wife' means truth and 'a husband' good, `@@@4823`, `@@@4843`, and therefore 'a wife without a husband' means the truth of the Church without its good. This being so, when it is said in reference to Tamar that she should remain in the house of her father, the meaning is that the truth of the Church would be alienated, and also that it would not find acceptance in his house, even as the Jewish nation could not accept it because not good but evil was present among that nation.
ttt[3] A widow is referred to many times in the Word; but anyone unacquainted with the internal sense inevitably thinks that 'a widow' means a widow. In the internal sense 'a widow' means the truth of the Church without good, that is, people who have truth that is without good but who nevertheless have a desire for good, who consequently love to be led by good; for 'a husband' means good which ought to take the lead. In the Ancient Church people like these were meant in the good sense by 'the widowed', whether they were women or men. For the Ancient Church distinguished the neighbour to whom charity was to be performed into many separate classes. Some were called the poor, some the wretched and afflicted, some the bound and in prison, some the blind and the lame, and others strangers, orphans, and widows. It performed different charitable works, whichever were appropriate to the character each class possessed. The teachings of that Church showed them what those works were, for that Church had no other teachings than these. Therefore whenever those living in those times either taught or wrote, they did so in conformity with these teachings, so that when they spoke of 'widows' they meant none but the kind of persons among whom truth existed without good but who nevertheless had a desire to be led to good.
ttt[4] From this it is also evident that the teachings of the Ancient Church were ones that had to do with charity and the neighbour, and that all its religious knowledge and factual knowledge existed to enable people to know what was meant spiritually by external things. For the Church was representative of spiritual and celestial things, and therefore it was these spiritual and celestial things, represented and meant by that Church, that people came to know about through the Church's teachings and through its factual knowledge. But those teachings and factual knowledge have become at the present day completely wiped out, so completely indeed that there is no knowledge of their having existed. For their place has been taken by teachings to do with faith which, if widowed and separated from those to do with charity, have virtually nothing to teach. For teachings to do with charity show what good is, but those to do with faith show what truth is. Teaching what truth is without what good is amounts to walking like someone blind, it being good that is the teacher and leader, truth the one that is taught and led. Between the two kinds of teaching there is a vast difference, as great as that between light and darkness. If the darkness is not lightened by means of the light, that is, if truth is not lightened by good, or faith by charity, it is nothing but darkness. For this reason no one knows intuitively, nor consequently by perception, whether truth is the truth; he knows it only from what he was taught and what he absorbed in childhood and substantiated in adult years. This also explains why Churches are so much at variance with one another, one giving the name truth to that which another calls falsity, and are never in agreement.
ttt[5] The meaning in the good sense of 'widows' as people who have truth existing without good but who nevertheless have a desire to be led by good may be seen from places in the Word where widows are mentioned, as in David,
Jehovah who executes judgement for the oppressed, who gives bread to the starving, Jehovah who sets the bound free; Jehovah who opens the blind [eyes]; Jehovah who lifts up the bowed down; Jehovah who loves the righteous; Jehovah who guards sojourners, upholds the orphan and the widow. `Psalms 146bbb7-9`.
This refers, in the internal sense, to those whom the Lord furnishes with truths and leads to good. But some of them are called the oppressed, some the starving, while others are called the bound, the blind, the bowed down, sojourners, orphans and widows, each name appropriate to the character of the ones to whom it is applied. No one however can know what each particular nature is except from the internal sense; but the teachings of the Ancient Church showed what any particular nature was. Here, as in many other places, sojourner, orphan, and widow are referred to jointly because 'a sojourner' means those who wish to be furnished with the truths of faith, `@@@1463`, `@@@4444`, 'an orphan' those with whom good exists without truth but who have a desire to be led to good by means of truth, and 'a widow' those with whom truth exists without good and who have a desire to be led to truth by means of good. These three are referred to jointly here and elsewhere in the Word because in the internal sense they form a single group, for all three together mean those who wish to be taught and to be led to good and truth.
ttt[6] In the same author,
A father of the orphans, and a judge of the widows, is God in the habitation of His holiness. `Psalms 68bbb5`.
'The orphans' stands for those with whom, like young children, the good that goes with innocence is present but no truth as yet. The Lord is said to be 'a father' of these because He leads them like a father; He leads them by means of truth into good, that is to say, into the good constituting life or wisdom. 'The widows' stands for those who as adults know the truth but are not as yet doing good. The Lord is said to be 'a judge' of these because He leads them; He leads them by means of good into truth, that is to say, into the truth constituting intelligence. For by 'a judge' a leader is meant. Good without truth, meant by 'an orphan', is made into good filled with wisdom by means of teaching about truth; and truth without good, meant by 'a widow', is made into truth filled with intelligence by means of a life of good.
ttt[7] In Isaiah,
Woe to those decreeing decrees of iniquity, to turn aside the poor from judgement and to carry off into judgement the wretched of My people, so that widows may be their spoil and so that they may make orphans their prey. `Isaiah 10bbb1-2`.
Here 'the poor', 'the wretched', 'widows', and 'orphans' do not mean those who are literally so but those who are spiritually such. Now because in the Jewish Church, as in the Ancient, everything was representative, so also was doing good to orphans and widows, for doing good to these represented in heaven charity towards those who are orphans and widows in the spiritual sense.
ttt[8] In Jeremiah,
Do judgement and righteousness, and deliver the plundered out of the hand of the oppressor; and do not defraud the sojourner, the orphan, and the widow, and do not use force, and do not shed innocent blood in this place. `Jeremiah 22bbb3`.
Here also 'the sojourner, the orphan, and the widow' means those who are spiritually such. In the spiritual world or heaven they do not know who a sojourner, orphan, or widow is, for the condition of such persons there is not the same as what it had been in the world. When therefore these words are read by man, angels perceive the spiritual or internal meaning they possess.
ttt[9] Similarly in Ezekiel,
Behold, the princes of Israel, each according to his power,`fff1` have in you been intent on shedding blood; in you they have treated father and mother with contempt; in you they have dealt with the sojourner by means of oppression; in you they have defrauded the orphan and the widow. `Ezekiel 22bbb6-7`.
Also in Malachi,
I will draw near to you to judgement, and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against those who swear falsely, and against oppressors of the hireling in his wages, of the widow and the orphan, and [against] those who turn aside the sojourner, and do not fear Me. `Malachi 3bbb5`.
Similarly in Moses,
You shall not press down a sojourner or oppress him. You shall not afflict any widow or orphan. If you do indeed afflict him, and if he indeed cries out to Me, I will surely hear his cry, and My anger will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, so that your wives become widows, and your children orphans. `Exodus 22bbb21-24`.
ttt[10] This, like every other commandment, judgement, and statute in the Jewish Church, was representative. Also, members of that Church were tied down to things of an external nature so that they would observe that command, and by means of their observance of it they represented the inner spirit of charity, even though they themselves had no charity, that is, they did not act from any inner affection. An inner spirit flowed from an affection to furnish with truths those who were without knowledge, and to lead those people to good by means of truths. If they had done this, members of the Jewish Church would have been doing good, in a spiritual sense, to the sojourner, orphan, and widow. But so that what was external might be kept going for the sake of what it represented, the curses declared on Mount Ebal included 'turning aside the judgement of the sojourner, the orphan, and the widow', `Deuteronomy 27bbb19`. 'Turning aside the judgement of these' stands for doing the reverse, that is, leading through teaching and life to falsity and evil. Also, because taking goods and truths away from others, and then making them one's own so as to enhance one's own position and gain, was included among curses, the Lord therefore said,
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees! for you devour widows' houses, and for a presence you make long prayers; on account of this you will receive greater condemnation.`fff2` `Matthew 23bbb14`; `Luke 20bbb47`.
'Devouring widows' houses' stands for taking truths away from those who have a desire for them, and teaching them falsities.
ttt[11] To leave for the sojourner, orphan, and widow that which remained in fields, olivegroves, and vineyards, `Deuteronomy 24bbb19-22`, was likewise representative. So too was the command that when they had finished paying the tithes of their produce in the third year, the people should give to the sojourner, orphan, and widow, so that they ate within their gates and were satisfied, `Deuteronomy 26bbb12-13`. It being the Lord alone who teaches a person and leads him to good and truth, it is said in Jeremiah,
Leave your orphans, I will keep them alive; and the widows will trust in Me. `Jeremiah 49bbb10-11`.
And in Moses,
Jehovah executes judgement for the orphan and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him bread and clothing. `Deuteronomy 10bbb18`.
'Bread' stands for the good of love, `@@@2165`, `@@@2177`, `@@@3478`, `@@@3735`, `@@@3813`, `@@@4211`, `@@@4217`, `@@@4735`, and 'clothing' for the truth of faith, `@@@4545`, `@@@4763`.
ttt[12] It is recorded in `1 Kings 17bbb1-17` that Elijah was sent, when there was a famine because there was no rain in the land, to a widow in Zarephath. He asked her for a little cake, which she had to make for him first and give it to him; after that she was to make one for herself and her son. When she did so her jar of meal was not used up and her cruse of oil did not run dry. All this was representative, like everything else recorded about Elijah, and in general throughout the Word. 'A famine in the land because there was no rain' represented truth laid waste within the Church, `@@@1460`, `@@@3364`; 'a widow in Zarephath' those outside the Church who have a desire for truth; 'a cake which she had to make for him first' the good of love to the Lord, `@@@2177`, whom, from the very little she had, she was to love above herself and her son. 'The jar of meal' means truth derived from good, `@@@2177`, and 'the cruse of oil' charity and love, `@@@886`, `@@@3728`, `@@@4582`. 'Elijah' represents the Word, by means of which such things are effected, `@@@2762`.
ttt[13] The same is also meant, in the internal sense, by the Lord's words in Luke,
No prophet is accepted in his own country. In truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, while there was a great famine over the whole land; yet Elijah was sent to none of them, except to a woman - a widow - in Zarephath of Sidon. `Luke 4bbb24-26`.
That is, he was sent to those outside the Church who had a desire for truth. But 'widows' within the Church that had been laid waste, to whom Elijah was not sent, are those with whom no truth exists because no good does so; for where there is no good neither is there any truth. However much among those people truth seems to outward appearance like truth it is nothing more so to speak than a shell without any nut in it.
ttt[14] Those among whom this kind of truth exists, also those among whom falsity exists, are meant by 'widows' in the contrary sense, as in Isaiah,
Jehovah will cut off from Israel head and tail, the branch and the bulrush in one day. The old and the honourable in face is the head, and the prophet, the teacher of a lie, the tail. Therefore the Lord will not rejoice over its young men, and He will not have compassion on its orphans and its widows. `Isaiah 9bbb14-15`, `Isaiah 9bbbccc17`.
In Jeremiah,
I will winnow them with a winnowing-fork in the gates of the land; I will bereave, I will destroy My people; they have not turned from their ways. Their widows are increased to Me more than the sand of the seas. I will bring to them, against the mother of the young men, one who lays waste at midday. She who bore seven languishes; she has breathed her last. Her sun is going down while it is still day. `Jeremiah 15bbb7-9`.
In the same prophet,
Our inheritance has been turned over to aliens, our houses to foreigners. We have become orphans with no father; our mothers are widows. `Lamentations 5bbb2-3`.
ttt[15] Because 'widows' meant those with whom no truth existed because no good did so, it was therefore shameful for Churches to be called widows, even those Churches governed by falsities springing from evil, as in John,
In her heart she said, A queen I sit, and I am no widow, and shall not see mourning. On account of this in one day will her plagues come, death and mourning and famine, and she will be burned with fire. `Revelation 18bbb7-8`.
This refers to Babel. A similar reference to Babel occurs in Isaiah,
Hear this, you lover of pleasures, sitting securely, saying in her heart, I am, and there is no one else like me; a widow I shall not sit, nor shall I know loss of children. But these two things will come to you in a moment in one day - loss of children and widowhood. `Isaiah 47bbb8-9`.
ttt[16] From these quotations one may now see what is meant by 'a widow' in the internal sense of the Word. One may see that since 'a widow' represented and consequently meant the truth of the Church without its good - for 'a wife' meant truth and 'a husband' good - priests in the Ancient Churches, in which every single thing was representative, were therefore forbidden to marry any widow who was not a priest's widow, as the following in Moses declares,
The high priest shall take a wife in her virginity; a widow or a woman that has been put away or one defiled or a prostitute, these he shall not take, but a virgin of his own people shall he take as his wife. `Leviticus 21bbb13-15`.
And in the references to a new temple and a new priesthood in Ezekiel,
Priests the Levites shall not take as wives for themselves a widow or a woman that has been put away, but virgins from the seed of the house of Israel; but a widow who is the widow of a priest may they take. `Ezekiel 44bbb22`.
For 'the virgins' whom they were to marry represented and consequently meant the affection for truth, and 'the widow of a priest' the affection for truth from good, since 'a priest' in the representative sense is the good of the Church. For this reason also any widow [who was the daughter] of a priest and who had no children was allowed to eat some of the offerings or holy things, `Leviticus 22bbb12-13`.
ttt[17] Those who belonged to the Ancient Church knew this meaning of 'a widow' from the teachings of the Church, for among them these teachings had to do with love and charity, which included countless matters which at the present day have become completely wiped out. From them they knew which particular kind of charitable act they were required to perform - that is, which service they ought to render towards the neighbour - for those who were called 'widows', for those who were called 'orphans', for those who were called 'sojourners', and so on. From their religious knowledge of truth and from factual knowledge they had a discernment and a knowledge of what the ritual observances of their Church represented and meant. The learned among them knew what it was that things on earth and in this world represented, for they recognized that the whole natural creation was a theatre representative of the heavenly kingdom, `@@@2758`, `@@@2989`, `@@@2999`, `@@@3483`. Such knowledge raised their minds up to heavenly things, and the teachings of their Church led the way to life. But after the Church turned aside from charity to faith, more so after it separated faith from charity, and made faith without charity and the works of charity the bringer of salvation, their minds could no longer be raised up by means of religious knowledge to heavenly things, nor be led by any means of the teachings of the Church to life. Indeed the decline has been so great that in the end scarcely anyone believes in a life after death, and scarcely anyone knows anything about heaven. Also, there is no belief at all in the existence of a spiritual sense of the Word which is not visible in the letter. In this way people's minds have become closed.
`nnn1. literally, arm
`nnn2. literally, more abundant judgement
ppp19006#pid#4845. 'Until Shelah my son is grown up' means until the time. This is clear from the meaning of 'growing up' as being of that age, and so as until the time; and from the representation of 'Shelah my son' as idolatry, dealt with above in `@@@4825`, `@@@4826`, and so as the Jewish religion which, compared with others, was idolatrous, `@@@4825`. Consequently the words 'until my son Shelah is grown up' mean until the time that the Jewish religion was able to accept internal things willingly, that is, the spiritual and celestial things of the representative Church, meant by 'Tamar', `@@@4829`, `@@@4831`, `@@@4843`.
ppp19005#pid#4846. 'For he said' means thought. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in the historical narratives of the Word as perceiving, and also as thinking, dealt with in `@@@1791`, `@@@1815`, `@@@1819`, `@@@1822`, `@@@1898`, `@@@1919`, `@@@2080`, `@@@3395`. Here therefore 'he said' means that he said or thought to himself that Tamar should not be given as a wife to Shelah his son; and in the internal sense means that the internal things of the representative Church should be alienated, `@@@4844`.
ppp19004#pid#4847. 'In case he also dies, like his brothers' means fear lest it should perish, that is to say, that the representative of the Church among those descended from Jacob, specifically among those descended from Jacob through Judah, should perish. This is clear from the meaning of 'in case he dies' as fear lest it may perish. As regards the perishing of the representative of the Church among those descended from Jacob if the internal things of a genuine representative Church were linked to it, this implies that among those descended from Jacob a representative Church was to have been established like that which had existed with the ancients. But the disposition of that nation was such that its only wish was to worship and adore external things; it had no wish to know anything at all about internal ones, since it was immersed in desires belonging to self-love and love of the world, and in falsities that resulted from these. It believed, more than gentiles did, that a number of gods existed, but that Jehovah was greater than the rest because He could perform greater miracles. This was why as soon as the miracles ended, or when - because they were of frequent and common occurrence - little importance was placed on them, that nation instantly turned to other gods, as one can see quite clearly from the historical and prophetical parts of the Word.
ttt[2] Such being the nature of that nation, a representative Church like that which had existed among the ancients could not be established among it, only that which was a representative of the Church. Also, the Lord made provision so that through that representative of the Church some degree of communication with heaven might be established; for what is representative can exist even in people who are evil because one does not look at the person who represents, only at the reality represented by him. From this it is evident that in the case of that nation worship was nothing else than idolatrous, `@@@4825`, even though the representatives held holy and Divine realities within them. To that kind of worship - to idolatrous worship - what was internal could not be joined; for if what was internal had been linked to it, that is, if they had acknowledged internal things, they would have rendered holy things unholy. For a holy internal, if joined to an idolatrous external, is rendered unholy.
This explains why internal things were not disclosed to that nation, for if these had been disclosed to it, it would have perished.
ttt[3] The inability of that nation to receive and acknowledge internal things, however fully these might have been revealed to them, is quite evident from members of it at the present day. At the present day they do, it is true, have a knowledge of internal things since they live among Christians; yet they reject these things and also deride them. Even the majority of those who have been converted do nothing else in their hearts. From these considerations it is clear that a Church representative of spiritual and celestial things did not exist among that nation, only a representative of the Church, that is, an external without an internal, which in itself is idolatrous. From them it may also be seen how mistaken is the thinking of those Christians who believe that when the Church reaches its end the Jewish nation will be converted, and will at that time be chosen in preference to Christians. Even more mistaken is the thinking of those who believe that at that time the Messiah or Lord is going to appear to them, when by means of a great prophet and great miracles He is going to lead them back into the land of Canaan. These are the errors that people fall into who take 'Judah', 'Israel', and 'the land of Canaan' in the prophetical parts of the Word to mean Judah, Israel, and the land of Canaan, and who consequently believe the literal sense alone and have no interest in any internal sense
ppp19003#pid#4848. 'And she remained in her father's house' means the alienation of this Church from the Jewish Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'remaining a widow in her father's house' as alienation, dealt with above in `@@@4844`.
ppp19002#pid#4849. Verses `Genesis 38bbbccc12-14` And the days were multiplied, and Shua's daughter died, the wife of Judah; and Judah was comforted, and he went up to the shearers of his flock, he and his companion Hirah the Adullamite, to Timnah. And it was pointed out to Tamar, saying, Behold, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his flock. And she took off the clothes of her widowhood from upon her, and covered herself with a veil, and concealed herself, and sat in the gate of the fountains, which is on the road to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah had grown up, and she had not been given to him as a wife.
'The days were multiplied' means a change of state. 'And Shua's daughter died' means so far as evil begotten by falsity was concerned. 'The wife of Judah' means the semblance of religion existing among the nation descended from Jacob, specifically that from Judah. 'And Judah was comforted' means rest. 'And he went up to the shearers of his flock' means some kind of raising up to consult the interests of the Church. 'He and his companion Hirah the Adullamite' means that falsity was present with it still. 'To Timnah' means the state. 'And it was pointed out to Tamar, saying' means some kind of communication with the Church that was representative of spiritual and celestial things. 'Behold, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his flock' means that the Jewish Church had a wish to consult its own interests. 'And she took off the clothes of her widowhood from upon her' means an imitation of truth that springs from good. 'And covered herself with a veil' means the truth was rendered obscure. 'And concealed herself' means and so was not acknowledged. 'And sat in the gate of the fountains, which is on the road to Timnah' means that which lies between the truths of the Church and falsities. 'For she saw that Shelah had grown up, and she had not been given to him as a wife' means the insight that it could not otherwise be joined to the semblance of religion existing with those descended from Jacob, specifically those descended through Judah.
ppp19001#pid#4850. 'The days were multiplied' means a change of state. This is clear from the meaning of 'the days being multiplied' as undergoing a change of state, for 'day' or a time in the internal sense means state, `@@@23`, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@893`a, `@@@2788`, `@@@3462`, `@@@3785`, and 'being multiplied' when used in reference to days or times means undergoing a change. The fact that a change of state is the meaning is also evident from the details that follow. The expression 'to be multiplied' is used because it implies a change of state so far as truths are concerned; for 'to be multiplied' is used in reference to truths, `@@@43`, `@@@55`, `@@@913`, `@@@983`, `@@@2846`, `@@@2847`. Since the terms state and change of state are being used time and again, and yet few know what a state or a change of state is, a statement needs to be made about what these are. Neither time and the passage of time nor space and the extension of space can be associated with the interior aspects of the human being - that is to say, with his affections and his thoughts formed by these - because his affections and thoughts are not located in time and place, though to the senses in the world they do seem to be thus located. Rather, they are located in the interior things which correspond to time and place. The things which correspond to them cannot be called anything else than states, for no other term exists to describe the things that correspond to time and place. A change of state in interior things is said to take place when the affections and resulting thoughts in a person's mind or disposition (mens seu animus) undergo change, as when sadness turns to joy, or joy back to sadness, when ungodliness turns to godliness or devotion, and so on. These changes are called changes of state and are attributable to affections and, insofar as thoughts are governed by these, to thoughts also. But the changes of state which thoughts held within affections undergo are like those of individual parts within their general wholes, compared with which they are variations.
ppp19000#pid#4851. 'And Shua's daughter died' means so far as evil begotten by falsity was concerned. This is clear from the meaning of 'dying' as ceasing to be of such a nature, dealt with in `@@@494`, and from the meaning of 'Shua's daughter' as evil begotten by falsity, dealt with above in `@@@4818`, `@@@4819`. Here therefore 'Shua's daughter died' after 'the days were multiplied' - that is, after many days - means a change of state so far as evil begotten by falsity was concerned; this was not as it had previously been.
ppp18999#pid#4852. 'The wife of Judah' means the semblance of religion existing among the nation descended from Jacob, specifically that from Judah. This is clear from the meaning of 'the wife' as the Church, dealt with in `@@@252`, `@@@253`, `@@@409`, `@@@749`, `@@@770`, but here as a semblance of religion because the subject is the Jewish nation, among which no Church existed, only an external shell of a Church separated from anything internal, `@@@4281`, `@@@4288`, `@@@4289`, `@@@4307`, `@@@4433`, `@@@4500`, `@@@4680`, `@@@4825`, `@@@4844`, `@@@4847` (this cannot be called anything else than the semblance of religion, for only external holiness completely devoid of any internal holiness could exist with them, `@@@4293`); and from the representation of 'Judah' as the nation descended from Jacob, and specifically that descended from Judah, dealt with above in `@@@4815`, `@@@4842`.
ppp18998#pid#4853. 'And he went up to the shearers of his flock' means some kind of raising up to consult the interests of the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'going up' as being raised up, namely from what is exterior to what is interior, dealt with in `@@@3084`, `@@@4539`; from the meaning of 'a shearer' as use, dealt with in `@@@4110`, and so as the wish that a use be served or a consultation in the interests of this; and from the meaning of 'a flock' as the Church, dealt with in `@@@343`, `@@@3767`, `@@@3768`, `@@@3772`.
ppp18997#pid#4854. 'He and his companion Hirah the Adullamite' means that falsity was present with it still. This is clear from the representation of 'Hirah the Adullamite' as falsity, dealt with above in `@@@4816`, `@@@4817`. When therefore the expression 'his companion' is used, the attachment of falsity to that Church is meant, that is, that falsity was present with it still.
ppp18996#pid#4855. 'To Timnah' means the state, namely the state when the interests of the Church were consulted. This is also evident from the Book of Judges, where Samson is described as going down to Timnah to take a wife there from the daughters of the Philistines. `Judges 14bbb1-4`, `Judges 14bbbccc7`. There likewise 'Timnah' means a state when the interests of the Church are consulted. The wife he took from the daughters of the Philistines is in the representative sense truth received from what is not good, and so is truth rendered obscure, which is also represented here by 'Tamar' - the Philistines being those who have a knowledge of matters of doctrine regarding faith but who do not lead lives in accordance with these, `@@@1197`, `@@@1198`, `@@@3412`, `@@@3413`. In addition to this, the name Timnah appears among the places belonging to the inheritance of the tribe of Dan, `Joshua 19bbb43`. All place-names in the Word have spiritual realities and states as their meaning, see `@@@1224`, `@@@1264`, `@@@1888`, `@@@3422`, `@@@4298`, `@@@4442`.
ppp18995#pid#4856. 'And it was pointed out to Tamar, saying' means some kind of communication with the Church that was representative of spiritual and celestial things. This is clear from the meaning of 'being pointed out' as discernment, dealt with in `@@@3608`, and so as communication, here some kind of communication; and from the representation of 'Tamar' as the Church that was representative of spiritual and celestial things, dealt with in `@@@4829`, `@@@4831`. Communication with this Church is a phrase describing what happened when the state underwent a change and there was some kind of a raising up to consult the interests of the Church, dealt with above in `@@@4850`, `@@@4853`.
ppp18994#pid#4857. 'Behold, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his flock' means that the Jewish Church had a wish to consult its own interests. This is clear from the representation of 'Judah' as the Church among the nation descended from Jacob, specifically among that descended from Judah, dealt with in `@@@4815`, `@@@4842`, `@@@4852` (here the expression 'father-in-law' is used because there was some kind of communication with the Church that was representative of the spiritual and celestial things meant here by 'daughter-in-law'); from the meaning of 'going up' as some kind of raising up, dealt with just above in `@@@4853`; and from the meaning of 'shearing a flock' as consulting the interests of the Church, dealt with above in `@@@4853`, the state when those interests were consulted being meant by 'Timnah', `@@@4855`.
ttt[2] Such is the internal sense within these words, but this sense cannot in any way be seen from the letter, for when these descriptions are read the mind thinks of Judah, Timnah, and the shearing of a flock, not of spiritual entities separate from person, place. or worldly use. But living as they do amid spiritual things, angels do not perceive from these descriptions anything else than the spiritual realities that have been mentioned. For when the literal sense passes over into the spiritual sense the things descriptive of person, place, or the world fade and those descriptive of the Church, its state, and the uses served there take their place.
ttt[3] It indeed seems to be unbelievable that all this can be so. But it is so because, as long as a person is living in the world, his thought is based on natural and worldly ideas, not on spiritual or celestial ones. Also, those who are immersed in bodily and earthly interests do not even know of the existence of anything spiritual or anything celestial, let alone that these are distinct and separate from what is worldly or natural, when in fact they are as distinct as a person's spirit is from his body. Nor do they know that the spiritual sense lives within the literal sense as a person's spirit does within his body, and that like a person's spirit the spiritual sense continues to live when the literal sense fades away. Therefore the internal sense may be called the soul of the Word.
ppp18993#pid#4858. 'And she took off the clothes of her widowhood from upon her' means an imitation of truth that springs from good. This is clear from the meaning of 'a widow' as those with whom truth exists without good but who nevertheless have a desire to be led by good, dealt with in `@@@4844`. The clothes worn by a widow represented that kind of truth, for the reason that truths are meant by 'clothes', `@@@2576`, `@@@4545`, `@@@4763`, and therefore 'taking off those clothes' means laying aside the representation of a widow, that is, of truth existing without good. And because 'she covered herself with a veil' an imitating of truth that springs from good is meant.
ppp18992#pid#4859. 'And covered herself with a veil' means the truth was rendered obscure. This is clear from the meaning of 'covering oneself (that is, covering one's face) with a veil' as concealing and so rendering obscure truth which pretended to spring from good, as immediately above in `@@@4858`. Tamar did this so that she might become joined to Judah. For when brides first approached their bridegrooms they used to cover themselves with a veil, as one reads of Rebekah doing when she came to Isaac, `Genesis 24bbb65`, by which appearances of truth were meant, see `@@@3207`. 'A wife' means truth and 'a husband' good; but because truth as it really is does not show itself before it is joined to its good, therefore - to represent this reality - brides used to cover themselves with a veil when seen for the first time by their husbands. Here Tamar acted in a similar way, for she supposed that Shelah, Judah's son, should be her husband. But because she had not been given to him she then supposed that his father should perform the duty of a husband's brother instead. Therefore she covered herself with a veil as a bride would do. She did not cover herself as a whore would have done, though Judah supposed that this was what she was because in those times whores were likewise accustomed to cover their faces, as is evident from verse `Genesis 38bbbccc15`. The reason Judah supposed she was that kind of woman was that the Jewish nation, which is there meant by 'Judah', rated the internal truths of the representative Church as low as a whore. Therefore Judah was joined to her as though she were a whore; but Tamar's joining to him was not like that. Because internal truths could not be seen by that nation in any other way than this, the words used here 'she covered herself with a veil' therefore mean that truth was rendered obscure. The fact that the truth of the Church has been rendered obscure to members of that nation is also represented at the present day in their synagogues when they cover themselves with shawls or veils.
ttt[2] Something similar was also represented by the skin on Moses' face shining when he came down from Mount Sinai, so that he covered himself with a veil every time he spoke to the people, `Exodus 34bbb28`-end. Moses represented the Word that is called the Law, see Preface to Chapter `Genesis ccc18bbb0`; and that is why sometimes the expression 'the Law and the Prophets' is used, as in `Matthew 5bbb17`; `Matthew ccc11bbb13`; `Matthew ccc22bbb36`, `Matthew 22bbbccc40`, and sometimes 'Moses and the Prophets', as in `Luke 16bbb29`, `Luke 16bbbccc31`; `Luke ccc24bbb27`, `Luke 24bbbccc44`. The skin shining on his face represented the inner reality of the Word, for 'the face' means that which is internal, `@@@358`, `@@@1999`, `@@@2434`, `@@@3527`, `@@@4066`, `@@@4796`, `@@@4797`; for being spiritual, that inner reality dwells in the light of heaven. The veiling of his face every time he spoke to the people represented the fact that for members of that nation internal truth was covered and thus was rendered obscure so that they would not be exposed to any light at all from it.
ppp18991#pid#4860. 'And concealed herself' means and so was not acknowledged. This is clear from the meaning of 'concealing' as hiding away, and so as not being acknowledged. See what is said immediately above in `@@@4859`.
ppp18990#pid#4861. 'And sat in the gate of the fountains, which is on the road to Timnah' means that which lies between the truths of the Church and falsities. This is clear from the meaning of 'the fountains' as the truths of the Church which arise out of the Word, for 'a fountain' in the universal sense means the Word, dealt with in `@@@2702`, `@@@3096`, `@@@3424`. 'In the gate of them' means at the place of entry into them. And because the external truths which belong to the sense of the letter of the Word serve as the place of entry, these are meant by 'the gate'. Unless those truths receive light from internal truths, that is, from those which belong to the internal sense, they present themselves as falsities among those governed by evil. Therefore 'the gate of the fountains' here means that which lies between the truths of the Church and falsities. 'On the road to Timnah' means for the use of the Church, for 'Timnah' means a state when the interests of the Church are consulted, `@@@4855`, `@@@4857`.
ppp18989#pid#4862. 'For she saw that Shelah had grown up, and she had not been given to him as a wife' means the insight that it could not otherwise be joined to the semblance of religion existing among those descended from Jacob, specifically those descended through Judah. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing' as an insight, dealt with in `@@@2150`, `@@@2325`, `@@@3764`, `@@@3863`, `@@@4403-4421`. The reason this was the insight - that it could not otherwise be joined to the semblance of religion existing among the descendants of Jacob, specifically among those descended through Judah - is that 'Judah' means those descendants, `@@@4815`, `@@@4842`, `@@@4852`, and therefore the semblance of religion existing among them, to which it was joined because it could not be joined to Shelah. Also, 'Shelah' represents idolatry, `@@@4825`, `@@@4826`, `@@@4845`, to which the truth of the representative Church meant by 'Tamar' could not be joined.
ppp18988#pid#4863. Verses `Genesis 38bbbccc15-18` And Judah saw her and supposed that she was a prostitute, because she had covered her face. And he turned aside to her at the wayside, and said, Allow me now to come [in] to you; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, What do you give me for coming [in] to me? And he said, I will send a kid of the she-goats from the flock. And she said, If you give a pledge until you send it. And he said, What is the pledge which I am to give you? And she said, Your seal, your cord, and your rod which is in your hand. And he gave them to her, and came [in] to her; and she conceived from him.
'Judah saw her' means the way in which at that time the semblance of religion existing among the Jewish nation looked on the internal features of the representative Church. 'And supposed that she was a prostitute' means that it supposed them to be nothing else than something false. 'Because she had covered her face' means that interior things were hidden from them. 'And he turned aside to her at the wayside' means that it associated itself because of what it was by nature. 'And said, Allow me now to come [in] to you' means a lustful desire to be connected with it. 'For he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law' means that it did not see it as the truth of the representative Church. 'And she said, What do you give me for coming [in] to me?' means a conditional acceptance to become joined. 'And he said, I will send a kid of the she-goats from the flock' means a pledge assuring a joining together. 'And she said, If you give me a pledge until you send it' means an acceptance provided it was made a certainty. 'And he said, What is the pledge that I am to give you?' means that which made it certain. 'And she said, Your seal' means a token of consent. 'Your cord' means through truth. 'And your rod which is in your hand' means through the power of this. 'And he gave them to her' means that in this way it was made certain. 'And came [in] to her' means the joining together. 'And she conceived from him' means and so reception.
ppp18987#pid#4864. 'And Judah saw her' means the way in which at that time the semblance of religion existing among the Jewish nation looked on the internal features of the representative Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing' as discerning and understanding, dealt with in `@@@2150`, `@@@2325`, `@@@2807`, `@@@3764`, `@@@3863`, and so as looking on; from the representation of Tamar, to whom 'her' refers here, as the Church representative of spiritual and celestial things, dealt with in `@@@4829`, `@@@4831`, at this point as the internal aspect of that Church, for the subject is the way in which it was looked on and accepted by the semblance of religion existing among the Jewish nation; and from the representation of 'Judah' as the Jewish nation specifically, dealt with in `@@@4815`, `@@@4842`, and from this as the semblance of religion among that nation. For when this nation is mentioned in the Word something to do with that Church is meant in the internal sense. The internal sense has no interest at all in the memorable and historical exploits of a nation, only in what it is like so far as things of the Church are concerned. From this it is evident that 'Judah saw her' means the way in which at that time the semblance of religion existing among the Jewish nation looked on the internal features of the representative Church.
ppp18986#pid#4865. 'And supposed that she was a prostitute' means that it supposed them to be nothing else than something false. This is clear from the meaning of 'a prostitute' as that which is false, dealt with in `@@@2466`, `@@@2729`, `@@@3399`, and so as the fact that with its semblance of religion the Jewish nation looked on the internal aspect of the Church as nothing else than something false. The reason 'a prostitute' means that which is false is that a marriage represents the heavenly marriage, which is that of good and truth. The husband represents good and the wife truth, and therefore sons represent truths and daughters forms of good, while a son-in-law and a daughter-in-law, a father-in-law and a mother-in-law, and many others as determined by their degrees of affinity, represent aspects of the heavenly marriage. Therefore, being opposites of these, acts of adultery and prostitution mean evil and falsity, and are in all reality the opposite of them, for people who spend their lives committing adultery or behaving as prostitutes have no concern at all for what is good and true. The reason for this is that genuine conjugial love comes down from the heavenly marriage, that is, from the marriage of good and truth, whereas adultery and prostitution spring from evil and falsity joined together - from hell; see `@@@2727-2759`.
ttt[2] The fact that the Jewish nation looked, as also at the present day it looks, on the internal features of the Church as nothing else than falsities is meant by Judah's supposition that Tamar his daughter-in-law was no one else than a prostitute and by his connection with her as with a prostitute. This origin of that nation represents the origin and also the essential nature of their semblance of religion. It is plain to see that this nation looks on the internal aspect of the Church as a harlot, that is, as something false. For example, if anyone tells them it is an internal truth of the Church that the Messiah, who is foretold in the prophetical parts of the Word and whom they await, is the Lord, they completely reject this as something false. If anyone tells them it is an internal truth of the Church that the Messiah's kingdom is not a worldly and temporal but a heavenly and eternal one, they declare this too to be something false. If anyone tells them that the ritual observances of their Church represented the Messiah and His heavenly kingdom they have no idea what this is.
ttt[3] If anyone tells them that the internal aspect of the Church is the good of charity and the truth of faith, both in doctrine and at the same time in life, they regard this as nothing else than a falsity. And so it is with every other truth told them. Indeed at the mere suggestion of an internal aspect of the Church they laugh nonsensically. The reason for this is that they are immersed solely in things of an external nature, and indeed in the lowest of these, which consist in the love of earthly things; for more than all others they are steeped in avarice, which is utterly worldly. Such people cannot possibly look on the interior features of the Church in any other way, since they are further removed than all others from the light of heaven, and so more than all others dwell in thickest darkness.
ppp18985#pid#4866. 'Because she had covered her face' means that interior things were hidden from them. This is clear from the representation of 'Tamar' as the representative Church, dealt with in `@@@4829`, `@@@4831`; from the meaning of 'covering' as being hidden; and from the meaning of 'the face' as internal things, dealt with in `@@@358`, `@@@1999`, `@@@2434`, `@@@3527`, `@@@3573`, `@@@4066`, `@@@4326`, `@@@4796-4799`. From this it is evident that 'she covered her face' means that the interior things of the Church were hidden from them. Regarding these, see above in `@@@4859`, `@@@4865`.
ppp18984#pid#4867. 'And he turned aside to her at the wayside' means that it associated itself because of what it was by nature. This is clear from the meaning of 'the way' as truth, dealt with in `@@@627`, `@@@2333`, `@@@3123`, `@@@3142`, `@@@3477`, and so in the contrary sense as falsity. Falsity is meant here because he supposed that she was a prostitute, by whom falsity is meant; see just above in `@@@4865`. For the same reason it is also said that 'he turned aside' at the wayside, for 'turning aside' is used in reference to falsity, `@@@4815`, `@@@4816`.
ppp18983#pid#4868. 'And said, Allow me now to come [in] to you' means a lustful desire to be connected with it. This is clear from the meaning of 'coming (or going in) to someone' as being joined to, dealt with in `@@@4820`. The meaning here - a lustful desire like that involved in connection with a prostitute, by whom falsity is meant in the internal sense - is self-evident. For the Jewish nation, meant here by 'Judah', `@@@4815`, `@@@4842`, `@@@4864`, looked on the internal truth of the representative Church, and still looks on it at the present day, as nothing else than falsity, see above in `@@@4865`. Dealt with here is the fact that it nevertheless linked itself to that truth, not however as a wife but as a prostitute; that is, it did not link itself to it as truth but as falsity. The expression 'a lustful desire' is used to describe a link with falsity that is like a connection with a prostitute.
ttt[2] All who believe solely the external sense of the Word, that is, its literal sense, and completely cast aside the whole internal - that is, spiritual - sense link themselves to internal truth as to a prostitute. This is above all the case among those who employ the external or literal sense of the Word to lend support to the desires that belong to their self-love and love of the world, that is, the desires for rule and gain. Those who behave like this cannot do other than look on internal truth in that kind of way; and if they attach themselves to it they do so with a lustful desire, like that for connection with a prostitute. Members of the Jewish nation in particular do this, and so also do those meant in the Word by Babel. But those people are different who do, it is true, have a simple belief in the literal sense of the Word, yet lead lives in keeping with what is contained in the internal sense. That is to say, they are people with whom love and charity exist, and also faith derived from these (for these three are the subject in the internal sense of the Word); also they are people who base their teachings on these. For the internal sense and the external sense come together in the two commandments, to love the Lord above all things and one's neighbour as oneself.
ttt[3] Let some examples show that the Jewish nation regards internal truth as a prostitute, and that if it associates itself with that truth it does so from a lustful desire akin to that for a connection with that kind of woman. If, for example, they are told that the Word is holy, indeed most holy, and also that every part of a letter there is holy, they acknowledge and associate themselves with what is said; yet they do so from that kind of lustful desire. For they believe that holiness lies within the actual letter of the Word and not that holiness is something which enters by means of the Word when people with an affection for what is good and true read it.
ttt[4] If they are told that many of those mentioned in the Word are to be revered as holy ones - such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, or David - they acknowledge and associate themselves with this. But they do so from a like lustful desire, for they believe that these historical figures were chosen in preference to others and are on that account holy ones, who ought therefore to be worshipped as gods. Any holiness attached to these figures however is due solely to the fact that they represented the Lord. No one by being a holy representative undergoes a change of personality; indeed one can go further and say that without exception everyone's life after death is the same as before it.
ttt[5] If they are told that the ark among them, the temple, the altar of burnt offering, the altar of incense, the bread on the table, the lampstand with its lamps, the continual fire, the sacrifices, the incense, the oil, and also Aaron's vestments, especially the breastplate with the urim and thummim on it, were holy, they acknowledge this and associate themselves with it, but from the same kind of lustful desire. For they believe that all these objects were inherently holy, thus that wood, stone, gold, silver, bread, and fire were so; they believe that they had holiness in them because Jehovah was within them. That is to say, they believe that the holiness of Jehovah which was attached to these objects resided in actual fact within them. This is their internal truth, which however is falsity when compared with genuine truth; for holiness exists solely within good and truth which, being from the Lord, reside within love to Him and love towards the neighbour, and from these within faith. It accordingly exists only within the living, that is, within those who accept these gifts from the Lord.
ttt[6] If they are told that the Christian Church is one with the Church that was established among them but that the Christian was internal whereas theirs was external, so that when the external features of the Church established among them are peeled away and it is laid bare, the Christian Church is seen, they do not acknowledge this truth as anything else than a harlot, that is, as something false. Nevertheless many of them who are converted from Judaism to Christianity associate themselves with this truth; but they do so from a lustful desire. Many times in the Word these kinds of things are called acts of whoredom. As regards those however who are meant in the Word by 'Babylon', they likewise look in a similar way on the internal truths of the Church; yet because they have a knowledge of internal things, and in addition acknowledge these during childhood but in adult life refuse to do so, they are described in the Word by means of foul acts of adultery and unmentionable sexual unions; for they are forms of profanation.
ppp18982#pid#4869. 'For he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law' means that it did not see it as the truth of the representative Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'a daughter-in-law' as the truth of the Church linked to its good, dealt with in `@@@4843`. The reason the truth of the representative Church is meant is that Tamar, to whom 'his daughter-in-law' refers here, represents the Church that was representative of spiritual and celestial things, `@@@4829`, `@@@4831`. Regarding these matters, see what has been shown above in `@@@4865`, `@@@4866`, `@@@4868`.
ppp18981#pid#4870. 'And she said, What do you give me for coming [in] to me?' means a conditional acceptance to become joined. This is clear from the meaning of 'coming [in] to me' as a joining together, dealt with in `@@@4820`, `@@@4868`. The fact that a conditional acceptance is meant is evident without explanation.
ppp18980#pid#4871. 'And he said, I will send a kid of the she-goats from the flock' means a pledge assuring a joining together. This is clear from the meaning of 'a kid of the she-goats' as innocence present in the external or natural man, dealt with in `@@@3519`; and being innocence it is a pledge of conjugial love or a pledge assuring a joining together, for genuine conjugial love consists in innocence, see `@@@2736`. From this arose the custom received from the ancients that when they went in once again to their wives men would send ahead of them 'a kid of the she-goats', as is also evident from what is recorded concerning Samson in the Book of Judges,
It happened after a while,`fff1` in the days of the wheat harvest, that Samson visited his wife with a kid of the she-goats; for he said, I will go in to my wife into the chamber. `Judges 15bbb1`.
Much the same situation is described here in Genesis; but as the promised kid of the she-goats was not going to be accepted by her, Tamar asked for a pledge. The expression 'pledge assuring a joining together' is used, not a conjugial pledge, because on Judah's side the joining together was as it is with a prostitute.
`nnn1. literally, after days
ppp18979#pid#4872. 'And she said, If you give me a pledge until you send it' means an acceptance provided it was made a certainty. This is clear from the words above spoken by Tamar, 'What do you give me for coming [in] to me?' which mean a conditional acceptance to become joined, `@@@4870`. But now an acceptance provided the same was made a certainty is meant, because the purpose of the pledge was to make certain that what was promised would be given.
ppp18978#pid#4873. '[And he said'] What is the pledge that I am to give you?' means that which made it certain. This is clear from the meaning of 'the pledge' as that which served to make it a certainty, dealt with immediately above in `@@@4872`. This meaning - that which made it certain - is also evident from what follows next regarding the pledge that was given.
ppp18977#pid#4874. 'And she said, Your seal' means a token of consent. This is clear from the meaning of 'a seal' as a token of consent. The reason 'a seal' means a token of consent is that in ancient times decrees were authenticated by means of one, and therefore 'a seal' strictly speaking means authentication itself, and so a witness to the truth of the matter. Tamar's demand for his seal, cord, and rod as a pledge that the kid of the she-goats (which subsequently she did not accept) would be sent holds an arcanum which cannot in any way be known without the internal sense. The arcanum is this: 'A kid of the she-goats' meant that which belonged to genuine marriage, and consequently meant everything internal, for everything genuine is at the same time something internal. But nothing like this existed on Judah's side, and therefore, as is evident from what follows, Tamar did not accept the kid of the she-goats, but instead took something external with which the internal aspect of the Church, meant by 'Tamar', could be joined. The external aspect of the Church is meant by the seal, cord, and rod - actual consent by 'the seal', external truth by 'the cord', and the power of that truth by 'the rod'. These are also pledges assuring a joining to the external or natural man.
ttt[2] The joining of internal truth to something external, that is, to the semblance of religion existing among the Jewish nation, is represented by Tamar's being joined to Judah as a daughter-in-law joined to her father-in-law under the pretext that the duty of a near kinsman was being performed. But the joining of the semblance of religion existing among the Jewish nation to the internal aspect of the Church is represented by Judah's being joined to Tamar as to a prostitute. This is exactly what these joinings together are like, but it is not so easy to give an intelligible explanation of the essential nature of them. Their essential nature is laid quite bare before the eyes of angels and good spirits, for it is set before them in the light of heaven. In this light the arcana of the Word are laid bare in broad daylight so to speak, quite unlike their appearance in the light of the world which man sees by. Let just a brief word be said about this. The representatives which had been established among the descendants of Jacob were not exactly the same as those which existed in the Ancient Church. For the most part they were like those in the Church established by Eber, which was called the Hebrew Church. Within this Church many new forms of worship existed, such as burnt offerings and sacrifices, which had been unknown in the Ancient Church, and other forms besides these. To these representatives the internal aspect of the Church was not linked in the way it had been to the representatives of the Ancient Church. But in what way the internal aspect of the Church was linked to the representatives among the Jewish nation, and these representatives to that internal aspect, is described in the internal sense by Tamar's being joined to Judah as a daughter-in-law to her father-in-law under the pretext that the duty of a near kinsman was being performed, and by Judah's being joined to Tamar as to a prostitute. Regarding the Hebrew Church, see `@@@1238`, `@@@1241`, `@@@1327`, `@@@1343`, `@@@3031`, `@@@4516`, `@@@4517`; and for information about the sacrifices offered in this Church not being a feature of the Ancient Church, `@@@923`, `@@@1128`, `@@@1343`, `@@@2180`, `@@@2818`.
ppp18976#pid#4875. 'Your cord' means through truth, that is to say, truth accompanying the token of consent. This is clear from the meaning of 'a cord' as truth. The reason 'a cord' means truth is that it is one of the items associated with 'garments', and 'garments' in general means truths, for the reason that as garments clothe the flesh, so truths clothe good, `@@@297`, `@@@2132`, `@@@2576`, `@@@4545`, `@@@4763`. Among the ancients therefore whatever clothing they wore meant some specific or individual truth. Consequently a tunic had one meaning, a chlamys another, and a toga another; also coverings for the head, such as a turban and a mitre, had one meaning, coverings for the thighs and feet, such as breeches, stockings, and so on, had another meaning. But 'a cord' meant outermost or lowest truth, for it was made from threads twisted together, by which the final demarcation of that kind of truth was meant. This kind of truth is again meant by 'a cord' in Moses,
Every open vessel on which there is no covering [or] cord [to fasten it] is unclean. `Numbers 19bbb15`.
By this was meant that nothing should exist without having an outer limit, for that which does not have an outer limit is 'open'. Furthermore outermost truths serve as the outer limit and terminus of interior truths.
ppp18975#pid#4876. 'And your rod which is in your hand' means through the power of this, that is, of this truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'a rod' as power, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'the hand' too as power, dealt with in `@@@876`, `@@@3091`, `@@@3387`, `@@@3563`. The phrase 'which is in your hand' is used because the power of that truth, namely lowest truth, is meant, like that present with the semblance of religion among the Jewish nation, meant here by 'Judah'. Regarding the attribution of power to truth, see `@@@3091`, `@@@3563`. Frequent mention is made in the Word of 'a rod', yet surprisingly few at the present day know that something in the spiritual world was represented by it, as for instance when Moses was commanded, every time a miracle was performed, to lift up his rod and so it was accomplished. The existence of such knowledge even among gentiles may be recognized from their myths in which rods are assigned to magicians. The reason 'a rod' means power is that it is a support, for it gives support to the hand and arm, and through these to the whole body. This being so, a rod takes on the meaning of the part to which it immediately gives support, namely that of the hand and the arm, both of which mean in the Word the power of truth. Also, the hand and arm correspond to that power in the Grand Man, as will be seen at the ends of chapters.
ttt[2] That 'a rod' represented power is evident, as has been stated, from what is recorded about Moses,
He was commanded to take a rod and use it to perform miracles; so he took the rod of God in his hand. `Exodus 4bbb17`, `Exodus 4bbbccc20`.
When the waters in Egypt were struck with the rod, they turned to blood.
`Exodus 7bbb15`, `Exodus 7bbbccc19`.
When the rod was stretched out over the streams, frogs came forth. `Exodus 8bbb5-15`.
When the dust was struck by the use of the rod, it turned into lice. `Exodus 8bbb16-20`.
When the rod was stretched out towards heaven, hail fell. `Exodus 9bbb23`.
When the rod was stretched out over the earth, locusts came forth. `Exodus 10bbb3-21`.
Since 'the hand', which means power, comes first, while 'a rod' is merely its instrument, the following references to 'the hand' also occur:
The miracles happened when Moses' hand was stretched out. `Exodus 10bbb12-13`. When he stretched out his hand towards heaven, thick darkness came over the land of Egypt. `Exodus 10bbb21-22`. When he stretched out his hand over the Sea Suph, an east wind made the sea dry land; and when again he stretched out his hand, the waters returned. `Exodus 14bbb21`, `Exodus 14bbbccc26-27`.
ttt[3] Reference is in addition made to the rod being used to strike the rock at Horeb, after which water flowed out, `Exodus 17bbb5-6`; `Numbers 20bbb7-10`. Also, when Joshua was about to fight against Amalek,
Moses said to Joshua, Choose men for us, and go out, fight with Amalek; tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill, with God's rod in my hand. And it happened, that when Moses lifted up his hand, Israel prevailed, and when he let down his hand Amalek prevailed. `Exodus 17bbb9-11`.
From these references it is quite plain that 'a rod', like the hand, represented power, and in the highest sense the Lord's Divine almighty power. It is also evident that at that time representatives constituted the external features of the Church, and that its internal features - which were spiritual and celestial realities such as exist in heaven - corresponded to those external ones, which owed their efficacy to that correspondence. From this it is also evident how crazy those people are who believe that power had been infused into and therefore dwelt in Moses' rod or hand.
ttt[4] The meaning in the spiritual sense of 'a rod' as power is also evident from many places in the Prophets, as in Isaiah,
Behold, the Lord Jehovah Zebaoth is taking away from Jerusalem rod and stay, the whole rod of bread, and the whole rod of water. `Isaiah 3bbb1`.
'The rod of bread' stands for the support and power provided by the good of love, 'the rod of water' for the support and power provided by the truth of faith. For 'bread' means the good of love, see `@@@276`, `@@@680`, `@@@2165`, `@@@2177`, `@@@3464`, `@@@3478`, `@@@3735`, `@@@3813`, `@@@4211`, `@@@4217`, `@@@4735`; and 'water' the truth of faith' `@@@28`, `@@@680`, `@@@739`, `@@@2702`, `@@@3058`, `@@@3424`. 'The rod of bread' is used with a similar meaning in `Ezekiel 4bbb16`; `Ezekiel ccc5bbb16`; `Ezekiel ccc14bbb13`; `Psalms 105bbb16`.
ttt[5] In addition to this, in Isaiah,
The Lord, Jehovih Zebaoth, said, Do not be afraid - O My people, inhabitant of Zion - of Asshur, who will smite you with a stick and will lift up the rod over you in the way of Egypt. Jehovah will lift up the scourge against him, as when Midian was smitten in the rock of Oreb, and his rod will be over the sea, which he will lift up in the way of Egypt. `Isaiah 10bbb24`, `Isaiah 10bbbccc26`.
Here 'the rod' stands for power provided by reasoning and knowledge, like that which those people possess who, with ideas based on factual knowledge, reason against the truths of faith and pervert these or else treat them as worthless. This is what is meant by 'the stick with which Asshur will smite' and by 'the rod which he will lift up in the way of Egypt'. For 'Asshur' means reasoning, see `@@@1186`, and 'Egypt' knowledge, `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1186`, `@@@1462`.
ttt[6] Similarly in Zechariah,
The pride of Asshur will be thrown down, and the rod of Egypt will depart. `Zechariah 10bbb11`.
In Isaiah,
You relied on the rod of a bruised reed, on Egypt, which, when anyone leans on it, goes into his hand and pierces it. `Isaiah 36bbb6`.
'Egypt' stands for factual knowledge, as above; and power in spiritual things which is received from that knowledge is meant by 'the rod of a bruised reed'. By 'the hand which it enters and pierces' is meant power received from the Word. In the same prophet,
Jehovah has broken the rod of the wicked, the stick of those who have dominion. `Isaiah 14bbb5`
'The rod' and 'the stick' plainly stand for power.
ttt[7] In Jeremiah,
Grieve, all regions surrounding Moab; say, How is the rod of strength, the rod of beauty, broken! `Jeremiah 48bbb17`.
'The rod of strength' stands for power received from good, and 'the rod of beauty' for power received from truth.
ttt[8] In Hosea,
My people enquire of their piece of wood, and their rod gives them a reply, for the spirit of whoredom has led them astray. `Hosea 4bbb12`.
'Inquiring of a piece of wood' stands for consulting evils, 'the rod gives reply' for the fact that falsity results from these, its power being derived from the evil to which they give support. 'The spirit of whoredom' stands for the life of falsity resulting from evil. In David,
Even when I walk in the valley of the shadow I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your stick and Your rod comfort me. `Psalms 23bbb4`.
'Your stick and your rod' stands for Divine truth and good, which have power. In the same author,
The rod of the wicked will not rest on the lot of the righteous. `Psalms 125bbb3`.
ttt[9] In the same author,
You will break them in pieces with a stick of iron, you will dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. `Psalms 2bbb9`.
'A stick of iron' stands for the power of spiritual truth within the natural, for all natural truth that has spiritual truth present within it possesses power. 'Iron' means natural truth, `@@@425`, `@@@426`. Similarly in John,
He who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations to rule`fff1` them untie a stick of iron as when earthen pots are broken in pieces. `Revelation 2bbb26-27`. (Also `Revelation 12bbb5`; `Revelation ccc19bbb15`.)
ttt[10] Because 'a rod' represented the power of truth, that is, the power of good expressed by means of truth, kings therefore had sceptres; and those sceptres were shaped like short rods. For kings represent the Lord as regards truth, while kingship itself means Divine Truth, `@@@1672`, `@@@1728`, `@@@2015`, `@@@2069`, `@@@3670`, `@@@4581`. The sceptre means the power which is theirs not by virtue of their high position but of truth which must reign. Nor must this be any other kind of truth than that which is grounded in good, and so is primarily Divine Truth, and among Christians is the Lord, the source of all Divine Truth.
`nnn1. literally, pasture
ppp18974#pid#4877. 'And he gave them to her' means that in this way it was made certain. This is clear from the meaning of 'the pledge' which Tamar demanded and which was given to her, as that it was made certain, dealt with above in `@@@4872`, `@@@4873`.
ppp18973#pid#4878. 'And came [in] to her' means the joining together. This is clear from the meaning of 'coming (or going in) to someone' as a joining together, also dealt with above, in `@@@4820`, `@@@4868`, `@@@4870`.
ppp18972#pid#4879. 'And she conceived from him' means and so reception. This is clear from the meaning of 'conceiving' as reception, dealt with in `@@@3860`, `@@@3868`, `@@@3919`. But as to the nature of that reception, see above in `@@@4874`.
ppp18971#pid#4880. Verses `Genesis 38bbbccc19-23` And she rose up and went, and took off her veil from upon her and put on the clothes of her widowhood. And Judah sent the kid of the she-goats by the hand of his companion the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman's hand; and he did not find her. And he asked the men of her place, saying, Where is the harlot in the fountains on the wayside? And they said, There has been no harlot there. And he returned to Judah and said, I did not find her; and also the men of the place said, There has been no harlot there. And Judah said, Let her keep [them]; maybe we shall be put to shame. Behold, I sent this kid, and you did not find her.
'She rose up' means a raising up. 'And went' means life. 'And took off her veil from upon her' means the obscurity. 'And put on the clothes of her widowhood' means intelligence. 'And Judah sent the kid of the she-goats' means a conjugial pledge. 'By the hand of his companion the Adullamite' means by means of falsity. 'To receive the pledge from the woman's hand' means instead of external pledges. 'And he did not find her' means because nothing of marriage existed on his side. 'And he asked the men of her place, saying' means that truths were consulted. 'Where is the harlot?' means as to whether it was something false. 'In the fountains on the wayside' means that had the appearance of being something true. 'And they said' means perception received from truths. 'There has been no harlot there' means that it was not something false. 'And he resumed to Judah' means reflection. 'And said, I did not find her' means that by falsity this cannot be discovered. 'And also the men of the place said, There has been no harlot there' means perception received from truths that it was not something false. 'And Judah said, Let her keep [them]' means that he was no longer interested. 'Maybe we shall be put to shame' means even though subject to reproach. 'Behold, I sent this kid' means it is enough that a pledge exists. 'And you did not find her' means even if nothing of marriage exists.
ppp18970#pid#4881. 'And she rose up' means a raising up. This is clear from the meaning of 'rising up' as implying some kind of raising up, dealt with in `@@@2401`, `@@@2785`, `@@@2912`, `@@@2927`, `@@@3171`, `@@@4103`. The raising up meant by 'rising up' describes in the spiritual sense a raising up from an obscure state into a clearer one, such as from a state of being without knowledge into a state of intelligence; for when this happens a person is raised from a state of the light of the world into a state of the light of heaven.
ppp18969#pid#4882. 'And went' means life. This is clear from the meaning of 'going' as living, dealt with in `@@@3335`, `@@@3690`. This meaning of 'going' in the internal sense as living does indeed seem quite remote from or unrelated to ideas man has which constitute his thought. The reason for this is that man dwells within space and time, and with these has formed the ideas comprising his thought, such as the idea of going, advancing, setting out, sojourning, or moving on. Now because these actions occur within both space and time, and as a consequence space and time have become embedded in ideas of those actions, man therefore finds it difficult to grasp that states of life are meant. But when his idea of those actions is relieved or divested of spatial and temporal elements the spiritual reality that is meant leaps out. For in the spiritual world or heaven nothing at all spatial or temporal enters the ideas they have, but instead aspects of a state of life, `@@@1274`, `@@@1382`, `@@@2625`, `@@@2788`, `@@@2837`, `@@@3356`, `@@@3404`, `@@@3827`, `@@@4814`. It does indeed appear to spirits and angels that they too move about, going from one place to another, and indeed exactly in the same way as it appears so to men. All the same, it is the changes taking place in their state of life that are responsible for this appearance. To them also, no less than to men, the appearance is that they live self-dependently, when in fact they do not live self-dependently but are dependent on the Lord's Divine, the source of every spark of life. Among angels these appearances are called real ones, because they seem in all reality to exist.
ttt[2] I have on occasions spoken to spirits about these appearances, but those who are not governed by good, nor consequently by truth, do not wish to listen when told it is but an appearance that they live self-dependently; for their wish is to live self-dependently. But in addition to showing them from actual experience that they do not lead self-dependent lives and that every advance made from one place to another is a change to, and an advance made in, their state of life, I have also told them that for them it may be sufficient for them to know no other than that they live self-dependently, and that their life would be life no more if they did not live self-dependency. It would nevertheless be better for them to know what the situation really is, for in that case they would have the truth; and if they have the truth they also dwell in the light of heaven, since the light of heaven is the truth itself which flows from the Lord's Divine. Furthermore, if the truth existed with them in this way they would not claim that good was their own, nor would evil cling to them. Angels possessing that truth do not merely know it; they also have a perception of it.
ttt[3] Intervals of time and space in the spiritual world are states of life, and every spark of life has its origin in the Lord, as the following experience may show. Each spirit and angel sees on his right those who are good and on his left those who are evil; this is so in whatever direction he turns himself. If he turns and looks eastwards he sees the good to the right and the evil to the left. The same happens if he turns and looks to the west, and likewise to the south or the north. This is the case with every spirit or angel, so that if there were two, and one of these turned and looked to the east and the other did so to the west, each would still see the good on his right and the evil on his left. Those far removed from, even behind the backs of, those who behold them are seen in those unchanging positions. From these considerations one may deduce clearly that every spark of life has its origin in the Lord, that is, that the Lord is within the life of everyone; for in the spiritual world the Lord is seen as the Sun, the good or sheep being on His right, and the evil or goats on His left. The same is therefore the case with each spirit or angel, for the reason, as stated, that the Lord exists in every spark of life. This is bound to look like a paradox to man, for as long as he is in the world man has ideas that are formed from worldly things, and therefore from what is spatial and temporal. But as stated above, in the spiritual world no ideas are formed from what is spatial and temporal but from the state belonging to affections and the thoughts flowing from these. It is for this reason also that the intervals of space and time in the Word mean states.
ppp18968#pid#4883. 'And took off her veil from upon her' means the obscurity; that is to say this was dispelled. This is clear from the meaning of 'covering oneself with a veil' as rendering truth obscure, dealt with above in `@@@4859`, and therefore 'faking off the veil' as dispelling that obscurity.
ppp18967#pid#4884. 'And put on the clothes of her widowhood' means intelligence. This is clear from the meaning of 'a widow' as one with whom truth exists without good but who nevertheless desires to be led by good, dealt with above in `@@@4844`; and from the meaning of 'clothes' as truths, dealt with in `@@@297`, `@@@2576`, `@@@4545`, `@@@4763`. The reason why these taken together mean intelligence is that nothing else than truths constitute intelligence, for those in possession of truths rooted in good possess intelligence. Indeed truths rooted in good enable the human understanding to dwell in the light of heaven, and the light of heaven is intelligence because Divine Truth rooted in Divine Good constitutes it. Also, a further reason why 'putting on the clothes of widowhood' here means intelligence is that 'a widow' in the genuine sense means one with whom truth exists and who desires to be led by good to truth that constitutes intelligence, as also shown above in `@@@4844`, and so to intelligence itself.
ttt[2] To enable the implications of all this to be seen a brief explanation is necessary. When a person knows the truth it is not truth constituting intelligence until he is led by good; but when he is led by good it starts to become the truth of intelligence. For truth does not receive its life from itself but from good; and truth receives its life from good when the person lives in conformity with that truth. When he does this, truth injects itself into the intentions of his will, and from these into his actions, and so into the entire person. Truth that is merely known or grasped intellectually by a person remains excluded from his will, and so from his life since the intentions of a person's will constitute his life. But once he is intent on truth it stands at the gateway into his life; and when he is intent on it and therefore practices it, that truth is present within the entire person. Then, when his practice of that truth is frequent its reappearance is attributable not merely to habit but also to an affection for it and so to a free desire to practise it. Let anyone at all consider whether anything can be taken in by a person apart from that which he is intent on putting into practice. That which he merely thinks about but does not actually do, more so that which he thinks about but does not wish to do, is nothing else than something which remains excluded from that person, and is also driven away like a straw by the smallest puff of wind, and is actually blown away in that manner in the next life. From this one can know what faith without works is. These considerations now show what truth constituting intelligence is, namely truth which is rooted in good. Truth is the characteristic feature of the understanding and good that of the will; or what amounts to the same, truth is the substance of doctrine and good that of life.
ppp18966#pid#4885. 'And Judah sent the kid of the she-goats' means a conjugial pledge. This is clear from the meaning of 'the kid of the she-goats' as a pledge of conjugial love or a pledge assuring a joining together, dealt with above in `@@@4871`.
ppp18965#pid#4886. 'By the hand of his companion the Adullamite' means by means of falsity. This is clear from the representation of 'Hirah the Adullamite' - who was Judah's companion - as falsity, dealt with in `@@@4817`, `@@@4854`.
ppp18964#pid#4887. 'To receive the pledge from the woman's hand' means instead of external pledges. This is clear from the meaning of 'the seal, cord, and rod', which were 'the pledge', as pledges of a joining to the external or natural man, and so as external pledges, dealt with in `@@@4874`.
ppp18963#pid#4888. 'And he did not find her' means because nothing of marriage existed on his - Judah's - side. For he did not go in to her as to a wife but as to a prostitute, on account of which Tamar did not want the kid of the she-goats, by which a conjugial pledge was meant, `@@@4885`. There was nothing of genuine marriage even on Tamar's side, for she joined herself as a daughter-in-law to her father-in-law under the pretext that the duty of a near kinsman was being performed. This is the meaning of the words 'he did not find her'.
ppp18962#pid#4889. 'And he asked the men of her place' means that truths were consulted. This is clear from the meaning of 'asking' as consulting, and from the meaning of 'the men' as truths, dealt with in `@@@265`, `@@@749`, `@@@1007`, `@@@3134`, `@@@3309`. 'The men of the place' means truths connected with the state belonging to the matter, for 'place' means state, `@@@2625`, `@@@2837`, `@@@3356`, `@@@3387`.
ppp18961#pid#4890. 'Where is the harlot?' means as to whether it was something false. This is clear from the meaning of 'the harlot' or the prostitute as something false, dealt with in `@@@4865`.
ppp18960#pid#4891. 'In the fountains on the wayside' means that had the appearance of being something true. This is clear from the meaning of 'the fountains' as the truths of the Church, dealt with in `@@@2702`, `@@@3096`, `@@@3424`, `@@@4861`. The expression 'on the wayside' is used because 'way' has reference to truth, and in the contrary sense to falsity, `@@@627`, `@@@2333`, `@@@3123`, `@@@3142`. And because he asked, 'Where is the harlot in the fountains on the wayside?' the meaning is, Was it something false having the appearance of being something true?
ppp18959#pid#4892. 'And they said' means perception received from truths. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in the historical descriptions of the Word as perceiving, dealt with in `@@@1791`, `@@@1815`, `@@@1819`, `@@@1822`, `@@@1898`, `@@@1919`, `@@@2080`, `@@@2619`, `@@@2862`, `@@@3509`. Perception received from truths is meant because it was 'the men of the place' who spoke - 'the men of the place' meaning truths, see just above in `@@@4889`.
ppp18958#pid#4893. 'There has been no harlot there' means that it was not something false. This is clear from the meaning of 'a harlot' or a prostitute as something false, as above in `@@@4890`. What train of thought runs through the expressions, of which until now only explanations of their individual meanings has been given, may be to a certain extent evident from what has been stated above in `@@@4865`, `@@@4868`, `@@@4874`. They are, what is more, the kind of matters that are unintelligible unless one knows what the joining together of internal truth and the external of the Jewish Church is like - both on the side of the internal truth represented by 'Tamar' and that of the external represented by 'Judah'. Because these are matters about which nothing at all is known, any further explanation of them would enter the unlit parts of the mind, and so where no ideas exist to understand them; for the understanding, which is the power of sight the internal man possesses, has its own lit and unlit parts. The unlit are the parts where things enter that do not conform in any way at all with anything of which the mind already has some conception. Nevertheless each specific meaning in the train of thought so far, together with countless matters which man cannot even begin to comprehend, enter with clarity the lit parts of angels' understandings. From this one may see what angelic intelligence is like and how much greater it is compared with that of men.
ppp18957#pid#4894. 'And he returned to Judah' means reflection. This becomes clear from the fact that 'the Adullamite, Judah's companion' means falsity, `@@@4817`, `@@@4854`, `@@@4886`, and when falsity is said 'to return' and, as Judah's companion does here, to report what had happened, nothing else is meant than a recalling to mind and reflection on what the situation is.
ppp18956#pid#4895. 'And said, I did not find her' means that by falsity this cannot be discovered. This is clear from the meaning of 'I did not find' as not discovering; and because these words are spoken by the Adullamite who means falsity, as above in `@@@4894`, it follows that 'he said, I did not find her' means that falsity was unable to discover it, or that by falsity this cannot be discovered.
ppp18955#pid#4896. 'And also the men of the place said, There has been no harlot there' means perception received from truths that it was not something false. This is clear from what is said just above in `@@@4892`, `@@@4893`, where similar words occur.
ppp18954#pid#4897. 'And Judah said, Let her keep [them]' means that he was no longer interested. This becomes clear from the emotional content of the words as annoyance and lack of further interest.
ppp18953#pid#4898. 'Maybe we shall be put to shame' means even though subject to reproach. This is clear from the meaning of 'being put to shame' as being subject to reproach.
ppp18952#pid#4899. 'Behold, I sent this kid' means it is enough that a pledge exists. This is clear from the meaning of 'a kid of the she-goats' as a pledge of conjugial love or of one assuring a joining together, dealt with in `@@@4871`, in this case simply a pledge since the kid was not accepted for the reason given already, that nothing of marriage existed. And because it was not for that reason accepted, 'you did not find her' therefore means even if nothing of marriage exists. This also ensues from the lack of interest referred to in `@@@4897`. Any further explanation of these matters is abandoned here for the reason given above in `@@@4893`, namely that it would enter the unlit parts of the understanding, and any ideas entering those unlit parts enter where no belief is present. For example the idea that something of marriage must be present if the Church is to exist; that is to say, the idea that some marriage must exist between truth and good. Also, the idea that what is internal must be present within what is external, and that without this and the previous requirement no Church at all exists. It is the exact nature of these realities within the Jewish Church that forms the subject here in the internal sense. That is to say, this sense deals with how, so far as that nation itself was concerned, nothing internal within what was external existed, but so far as their actual statutes and laws were concerned, something internal existed within these.
ttt[2] Does anyone at the present day believe anything other than this, that the Church existed among the Jewish nation, indeed that this nation was chosen and loved in preference to all others, the chief reasons for such belief being that so many and such great miracles were performed among that nation, so many prophets were sent to it, and also the Word existed among it? Yet that nation possessed nothing at all of the Church within it, for no charity existed there; of what genuine charity was they were completely unaware. Nor did any faith in the Lord exist there. It knew that He was to make His coming, but believed that this was to set it above all people throughout the world. As this did not happen it rejected Him altogether. Of His heavenly kingdom it had no wish to know anything at all. The things which constitute the internal features of the Church were not even acknowledged in what that nation taught, let alone in its life. From all this one can only conclude that no Church at all existed within that nation.
ttt[3] It is one thing for the Church to exist among a nation, and another for the Church to exist within a nation. For example, the Christian Church exists among those who have the Word and use doctrine to preach about the Lord. Yet no Church at all exists within them if no marriage of good and truth is present in them, that is, if charity towards the neighbour and faith rooted in this is not present in them, thus if the internal features of the Church are not present within the external ones. Those with whom solely external features separated from internal are present do not have the Church within them. Nor do those with whom faith separated from charity is present have the Church within them. Neither do those who acknowledge the Lord in their teachings but not in life have the Church within them. From this example it is evident that it is one thing for the Church to exist among a nation, and another for it to do so within a nation.
ttt[4] The subject in the internal sense of this chapter is the Church among the Jewish nation and within that nation. The essential nature of the Church existing among that nation is described by Tamar's being joined to Judah under the pretext that the duty of a near kinsman was being performed, while the essential nature of the Church existing within that nation is described by Judah's being joined to Tamar as a prostitute. But a more detailed explanation of these matters is abandoned here for the reason given above, that it would enter, as stated, the unlit parts of the understanding. The accommodation of these matters in the unlit parts of the understanding is evident from the fact that at the present day scarcely anyone knows what the internal aspect of the Church is. This internal aspect is essentially charity towards the neighbour present within the intentions of a person's will, and from these in his actions, and from these again in faith within his perception; yet who knows this? When this is unknown, more so when it is denied, as is done by people who make faith without the works of charity the bringer of salvation, how unlit must those parts of the mind be, into which the ideas pass that are stated here in the internal sense about the joining of the internal aspect to the external aspect of the Church among the Jewish nation and within that nation? Those who have no knowledge of the existence of that internal and so essential aspect of the Church stand far removed from the first step towards understanding such ideas, and as a consequence from the countless, indescribable things existing in heaven, where realities connected with love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour constitute every trace of life, and consequently every trace of wisdom and intelligence.
ppp18951#pid#4900. Verses `Genesis 38bbbccc24-26` And so it was about three months later, that it was pointed out to Judah, saying, Tamar your daughter-in-law has committed whoredom, and also, behold, she is pregnant owing to acts of whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her out, and let her be burnt. She was brought out; and she sent to her father-in-law, saying, By the man to whom these belong I am pregnant. And she said, Acknowledge now to whom these belong, the seal and the cord and the rod. And Judah acknowledged them and said, She is more righteous than I am, seeing that I have not given her to Shelah my son. And he did not know her ever again.
'So it was about three months later' means a new state. 'That it was pointed out to Judah' means communication. 'Saying, Tamar your daughter-in-law has committed whoredom' means a perception at this point that to say anything of marriage exists between them is a falsity. 'And also, behold, she is pregnant owing to acts of whoredom' means, or to say anything can be brought forth from this. 'And Judah said' means the verdict of the semblance of religion existing among the Jewish nation. 'Bring her out, and let her be burnt' means that it should be exterminated. 'She was brought out' means near to being carried out. 'And she sent to her father-in-law' means an intimation. 'Saying, By the man to whom these belong I am pregnant' means that this characteristic was contained in their semblance of religion. 'And she said, Acknowledge now to whom these belong, the seal and the cord and the rod' means that one could recognize it from the pledges. 'And Judah acknowledged them' means that because these were theirs they affirmed that they were. 'And said, She is more righteous than I am' means that no joining of what was external to what was internal existed, only what was internal to what was external. 'Seeing that I have not given her to Shelah my son' means because what was external was of such a nature. 'And he did not know her ever again' means that there was no further joining together.
ppp18950#pid#4901. 'So it was about three months later' means a new state. This is clear from the meaning of 'three' as that which is complete, and therefore the last and at the same time the first, or the end and at the same time the beginning, dealt with in `@@@1825`, `@@@2788`, `@@@4495`; and from the meaning of 'a month' as a state, dealt with in `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc3814`. All periods of time in the internal sense mean states, such as an hour, day, week, month, year, or age. And states are likewise meant by the periods making up these, such as the times of day, which are midday, evening, night, and morning; the seasons of the year, which are summer, autumn, winter, and spring; and also the phases of life, which are infancy and childhood, adolescence, adult years, and old age. All these periods and many more have states as their meaning. What a state actually is, see `@@@4850`.
ttt[2] The reason periods of time mean states is that in the next life such periods do not really exist. Spirits' and angels' lives do, it is true, seem to move forward within a time-sequence; but periods of time play no part in the formation of their thought, as those periods do in the formation of men's in the world. Rather, states of life contribute to the formation of their thought, without the help of any temporal notion. Also, a further reason why such periods of time mean states is that consecutive stages in the lives of spirits and angels are not distinguished as separate times of life. For those in the next life do not age; nor are there any days or years there because the Sun there - the Lord - is always rising and never sets. Consequently no temporal notion can enter their thinking, only the notion of a state and of the stages by which this moves forward It is the things present and taking place before people's senses that are the source of the notions gained by them.
ttt[3] These matters are bound to look like a paradox, but the reason they do so is that every single idea present in a person's thought has something of time and space attached to it. These are the source of what is in his memory and of what he recollects, and they are the source of his lower level of thought, consisting of ideas called material ones. But the memory from which such ideas are recollected is quiescent in the next life. Those who are in the next life use their interior memory and the ideas present in the thought there. Thought flowing from this interior memory does not have any temporal or spatial content, but instead of this states and the stages by which those states move forward. Consequently periods of time correspond to these, and because they correspond periods of time are used in the Word to mean states. For details about man's possession of an exterior memory which belongs properly to him while in the body, and also of an interior memory which belongs properly to his spirit, see `@@@2469-2494`.
ttt[4] The reason 'about three months later' means a new state is that 'months', into which periods of time in the world are also divided, means state, and that, as mentioned above, 'three' means the last and at the same time the first, or the end and at the same time the beginning. Because in the spiritual world states are constantly moving forward from one into another, and as a consequence the last phase or end of each state includes the first phase or beginning of the next, resulting in a continuous sequence, 'about three months later' therefore means a new state. The same applies within the Church too, which is the spiritual world or the Lord's kingdom on earth. The last phase of the Church among one nation is always the first phase of the Church among another. Because a last phase is in this way continued into a first, the Lord is spoken of several times as the Last and the First, as in `Isaiah 41bbb4`; `Isaiah ccc44bbb6`; `Revelation 21bbb6`; `Revelation ccc22bbb13`; and by this is meant in the relative sense that which is perpetual, and in the highest sense that which is eternal.
ppp18949#pid#4902. 'That it was pointed out to Judah' means communication. This is clear from the meaning of 'being pointed out' as communication, dealt with above in `@@@4856`.
ppp18948#pid#4903. 'Saying, Tamar your daughter-in-law has committed whoredom' means a perception at this point that to say anything of marriage exists between them is a falsity. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in the historical descriptions of the Word as perception, dealt with above in `@@@4892`; from the meaning of 'committing whoredom' as falsity, dealt with in `@@@2466`, `@@@2729`, `@@@3399`, `@@@4865`; from the representation of 'Tamar' as the internal aspect of the representative Church, also dealt with above, in `@@@4864`; and from the meaning of 'a daughter-in-law' as the truth of the Church, dealt with in `@@@4843`, `@@@4869`. Consequently the words 'saying, Tamar your daughter-in-law has committed whoredom' means a perception at this point that to say anything of marriage exists between them is a falsity. The implications of all this may be seen above in `@@@4864-4866`; with its semblance of religion the Jewish nation perceived the internal aspect of the Church to be nothing else than a harlot, and its preaching and life based on this to be nothing else than whoredom. For those people who are confined to what is external devoid of anything internal do not look on the internal aspect of the Church in any other way. They give the name falsity to that which is true, and the name truth to that which is false. They do so for the reason that being confined to what is external does not enable anyone to see whether a thing is false or true; only what is internal makes this possible internal sight is a necessary ability which can make judgements about things seen by external sight; and to make such judgements internal sight must be fully in the light of heaven. But it is not in the light of heaven unless the person has faith in the Lord and this faith leads him to read the Word.
ttt[2] The fact that the Jewish nation were confined to what was external devoid of anything internal, so that it believed what was true to be falsity, and conversely what was false to be the truth, is quite evident from their teaching that one was allowed to hate an enemy and also from their life of hating all who did not belong to their semblance of religion. Indeed it is quite evident from their belief that they pleased and served Jehovah when they treated gentile nations in a savage and cruel fashion, that is to say, when they exposed the bodies of those whom they had slaughtered to be devoured by wild animals or birds, cut up those who were still alive, hacked them to pieces with iron picks and axes, or made them pass through the brickkiln, `2 Samuel 12bbb31`. Indeed their teachings asserted that even an ally who for some reason had been declared an enemy was to be treated in much the same way. From these considerations it becomes quite clear that nothing internal at all lay within their semblance of religion. If anyone at that time had told them that such actions were contrary to the inner spirit of the Church they would have replied that this was a falsity. The fact that they were confined to what was external, having no knowledge at all of anything internal and leading lives contrary to what was internal, is also evident from what the Lord teaches in `Matthew 5bbb21-48`.
ppp18947#pid#4904. 'And also, behold, she is pregnant owing to acts of whoredom' means, or to say anything can be brought forth from this. This is clear from the meaning of carrying in the womb or 'being pregnant' as bringing something forth (for 'seed' means the truth of faith and 'conception' the reception of it, and therefore carrying in the womb or 'being pregnant' means bringing forth); and from the meaning of 'whoredom' as falsity, that is to say, from their semblance of religion, as above in `@@@4903`. From this it is evident that 'saying, Tamar your daughter-in-law has committed whoredom, and also, behold, she is pregnant owing to acts of whoredom' means the perception that it is a falsity to say that anything of marriage exists between them, or that anything can be brought forth from it. In reference to the Church, 'being brought forth' is used to describe the good which is brought forth by means of truth, that good being actually brought forth when truth passes by way of the understanding into the will, and from the will into action. For as stated above, 'seed' means the truth of faith, and 'conception' the reception of it; and reception takes place when truth present in the understanding passes into good present in the will - that is, when truth that is the truth of faith passes into good that is the good of charity. When present in the will good is in its own womb and is first brought forth; but when it is present in a person's action - that is, when the will, and so delight and freedom, lead him to bring forth good - that good leaves the womb and is born. The expressions 'being born again' and 'being regenerated' are also used with the same meaning. All this shows what is meant in the internal sense by 'being pregnant', though here the contrary is meant - that no good at all could be brought forth since no truth at all, only falsity, existed among that nation which is the subject here, because no internal aspect of the Church existed among them.
ttt[2] That nation had no knowledge at all of rebirth or regeneration, that is, of becoming an internal man, and as a consequence saw this as 'a harlot'. Such ignorance may be seen from Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, in `John 3bbb1-13`, for he said,
How can a person be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born? `John 3bbb4`.
It is well known that the Lord revealed the internal truths of His kingdom and of His Church. Even so, those truths had been known to the ancients, such as the truth that a person needed to be born again, so that he could enter into life; the truth that in this case he needed to cast aside the old man, that is, self-love and love of the world together with their lusts, and to put on the new man, that is, love towards the neighbour and towards God; and the truth that heaven needed to exist within the regenerate person; and many more truths that were internal ones. Those who belonged to the Ancient Church knew these truths, but they were led to know them through external representatives. However, because among the Jewish nation such truths had become completely lost the Lord presented those same truths in His teaching. Actual representatives were done away with by Him since the majority of them had regard to Himself; for the image must pass away when the actual likeness presents itself.
ttt[3] The Lord therefore established a new Church which was not to be led to know internal truths, as that former Church had been led, by means of representatives but was to know them without the help of representatives. In place of these representatives He ordained certain external forms, baptism and the Holy Supper. Baptism was ordained so that it might enable people to call regeneration to mind, and the Holy Supper so that it might enable them to bring to mind the Lord and His love towards the entire human race, and man's reciprocation of His love. These matters have been mentioned so that it may be recognized that the internal truths of the Church which the Lord taught had been known to the ancients but that among the Jewish nation they had become completely lost, so completely that they were regarded to be nothing else than falsities.
ppp18946#pid#4905. 'And Judah said' means the verdict of the semblance of religion existing among the Jewish nation. This is clear from the representation of 'Judah' as the semblance of religion existing among the Jewish nation, dealt with in `@@@4864`. That the verdict of that semblance of religion is meant is evident from what follows below.
ppp18945#pid#4906. 'Bring her out, and let her be burnt' means that it - that is to say, the internal aspect of the Church which Tamar represented - should be exterminated. This is clear from the meaning of 'bringing her out, and burning her' as exterminating, 'bringing out' having reference to the truth and 'burning' to the good which were to be exterminated. The use of 'burning' in reference to the extermination of good is clear from many places in the Word. The reason for the usage is that in the spiritual sense 'fire' and 'flame' mean good, `@@@934`, and the heat radiated from them the affection for good, while 'fire' and 'flame' in the contrary sense mean evil, and the heat radiated from these the affection for evil, `@@@1297`, `@@@1861`, `@@@2446`. Also, in actual fact good is spiritual fire from which spiritual heat which is life-giving is radiated; and evil too is a fire, but from this a heat which is a consuming one is radiated. Anyone who turns his attention to this matter and reflects on it can plainly see that the good of love is spiritual fire, and that the affection for that good is spiritual heat if he reflects on the question where do man's vital fire and heat come from, he will discover that love is the source of it; for as soon as love departs a person begins to grow cold, but as love increases in him he becomes warmer. Unless man's vital fire and heat came from that source he could not possibly have life at all. But this life-bringing fire or spiritual heat becomes among the evil a destroying and consuming fire, for in their case it is converted into this kind of fire. Among living creatures which do not possess reason spiritual heat likewise flows in and brings life, but life which is varied, depending on the ways in which their organic forms, and therefore their knowledge and innate affections receive that life, as with bees and all other creatures.
ppp18944#pid#4907. 'She was brought out' means near to being carried out, namely to being exterminated. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'being brought out and burnt' as being exterminated, dealt with immediately above in `@@@4906`, and here therefore her being brought out to be burnt means near to its extermination being carried out.
ppp18943#pid#4908. 'And she sent to her father-in-law' means an intimation - that she was pregnant by him. This is clear from the train of thought from which this meaning results.
ppp18942#pid#4909. 'Saying, By the man to whom these belong I am pregnant' means that this characteristic was contained in their semblance of religion. This is clear from the representation of Judah, to whom 'the man' refers here, as the semblance of religion existing among the Jewish nation, dealt with in `@@@4864`, `@@@4905`, and from the meaning of 'carrying in the womb' or 'being pregnant' as being brought forth, dealt with in `@@@4904`, but here as being contained within; for what has been brought forth is that contained within, that is to say, that which has been conceived. That which has been brought forth is a first effect; and because this in turn produces an effect it is called the cause from which this further effect is produced, dealt with above in `@@@4904`. What exactly was contained within their semblance of religion may be seen from what has been stated above in `@@@4899` and also from what follows below.
ppp18941#pid#4910. 'And she said, Acknowledge now to whom these belong, the seal and the cord and the rod' means that one could recognize it from the pledges. This is clear from the meaning of 'the seal, the cord, and the rod' as the pledges of a joining to the external or natural man, dealt with in `@@@4874`, `@@@4887`.
ppp18940#pid#4911. 'And Judah acknowledged them' means that because these were theirs they affirmed that they were. This is clear from the meaning of 'acknowledging' as affirming, in this case because he acknowledged from the pledges that the child she was carrying was his own. Described here is that nation's predisposition, which is such that although it rejects any internal truth of the Church as a falsity, that nation nevertheless accepts and affirms such truth on receiving an intimation that this does belong to it. People who are governed, as this nation is, by loves that are filthy - that is, by avarice and by self-love accompanying this - are unable to raise their minds to a level where truth is seen from a viewpoint other than themselves. Therefore when a truth is attributed to them they affirm it. For example, if they are told that the Word is inwardly Divine and contains the arcana of heaven and also the kind of arcana that only angels comprehend, they affirm this truth because they regard the Word to be their own since it came to them, exists with them, and in the letter has to do with them. But if the actual arcana - spiritual truths - are disclosed to them they reject them.
ttt[2] If they are told that every one of the ritual observances of their Church are inwardly holy, they affirm this truth because they regard those observances to be their own. But if they are told that such holiness dwells within, yet is separate from those observances, they refuse to accept this. If they are told that the Jewish Church was celestial and the Israelitish Church spiritual, and if they are given an explanation of what the celestial is, and what the spiritual is, they affirm that also. But if they were told that these two Churches are called celestial and spiritual from the fact that all the particular aspects of them were representative of celestial and spiritual things, and that representatives have regard to the reality represented, not to the one who represents it, they refuse to accept it. If they are told that Moses' rod had power from Jehovah, and so had Divine power within it, they affirm this and call it the truth. But if they are told that this power did not lie in the rod, only in the Divine command, they refuse to accept it and call it a falsity.
ttt[3] If they are told that the bronze serpent lifted up by Moses healed those who were bitten by the serpents and that this object was for that reason miraculous, they affirm it. But if they are told that no healing or miraculous power lay within it but these came from the Lord whom that object represented, they refuse to accept this and call it a falsity. (Compare what has been narrated and stated about that serpent in `Numbers 21bbb7-9`; `2 Kings 18bbb4`; `John 3bbb14-15`.) They react in the same way to everything else they are told. These are the kinds of things that are meant by 'Judah acknowledged them' and which on the part of the nation meant by him were joined to that internal aspect of the Church represented by 'Tamar'. Also, such being the nature of those things, Judah did not go in to her as a near kinsman going in to a dead husband's wife but as a fornicator going in to a prostitute.
ppp18939#pid#4912. 'And said, She is more righteous than I am' means that no joining of what was external to what was internal existed, only what was internal to what was external. This is clear from what has been stated above regarding the Church among the Jewish nation and within that nation, in `@@@4899`, namely that the Church existed among that nation, that is, what was internal was joined to what was external, but that no Church existed within that nation, that is, what was external was not joined to what was internal. For if a Church is to exist within a nation, a reciprocal relationship must exist.
ppp18938#pid#4913. 'Seeing that I have not given her to Shelah my son' means because what was external was of such a nature. This becomes clear from what has been explained already - that Tamar could not be given to Shelah, Judah's son, because if she had been the joining together would have been as that of a wife and husband married to each other through the law of leviratical marriage. But the semblance of religion existing among the Jewish nation which he was to represent was not like that husband but like a father-in-law joined to a daughter-in-law as to a prostitute.
ppp18937#pid#4914. 'And he did not know her ever again' means that there was no further joining together. This is clear from the meaning of 'knowing' as being joined to and from the meaning of 'not ever again' as no further. The meaning is therefore that there was no further joining to the internal aspect of the Church - for 'Tamar' represents that internal aspect. For this reason also Judah did not have any more sons.
ppp18936#pid#4915. Verses `Genesis 38bbbccc27-30` And it happened at the time she was giving birth, that behold, there were twins in her womb. And it happened as she was giving birth, that one put out a hand; and the midwife took and bound on his hand a twice-dyed thread, saying, This one came out first. And it happened as he drew back his hand, that behold, his brother came out; and she said, Why have you made a breach upon yourself? And he called his name Perez. And afterwards his brother came out, on whose hand was the twice-dyed thread; and he called his name Zerah.
'It happened at the time' means the subsequent state. 'As she was giving birth' means acknowledgement on the part of internal truth. 'That behold, there were twins in her womb' means the two essentials of the Church. 'And it happened as she was giving birth' means a bringing forth. 'That one put out a hand' means power. 'And the midwife took' means the natural. 'And bound on his hand a twice-dyed thread' means that a sign was placed on it - 'twice-dyed' meaning good. 'Saying, This one came out first' means that it had priority of place. 'And it happened as he drew back his hand' means that it concealed its own power. 'That behold, his brother came out' means the truth of good. 'And she said, Why have you made a breach upon yourself?' means this truth's apparent separation from good. 'And he called his name Perez' means the essential nature of it. 'And afterwards his brother came out' means good which in actual fact is prior. 'On whose hand was the twice-dyed thread' means the acknowledgement that good is such. 'And he called his name Zerah' means the essential nature of it.
ppp18935#pid#4916. 'It happened at the time' means the subsequent state. This is clear from the meaning of 'the time' as the state, dealt with in `@@@1274`, `@@@1382`, `@@@2625`, `@@@2788`, `@@@2837`, `@@@3254`, `@@@3356`, `@@@3827`, `@@@4882`, `@@@4901`. 'It happened at the time' plainly means the subsequent state because a description of what happened then follows next. See also `@@@4814`.
ppp18934#pid#4917. 'As she was giving birth' means acknowledgement on the part of internal truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'giving birth' as acknowledging in faith and action, dealt with in `@@@3905`, `@@@3915`, `@@@3919`; and from the representation of Tamar, to whom 'she' refers here, as the internal aspect of the representative Church, and from this as internal truth.
ppp18933#pid#4918. 'That behold, there were twins in her womb' means the two essentials of the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'twins' as the two - good and truth - dealt with in `@@@3299`; and from the meaning of 'the womb' as the place where good and truth have been conceived and are lying, and consequently the place where the essentials of the Church are lying. In the genuine sense 'the womb' means the inmost centre of conjugial love where innocence is present, for the womb corresponds to that love in the Grand Man. Now because conjugial love has its origin in the love of good and truth, which love is at the heart of the heavenly marriage, and because this marriage is heaven itself or the Lord's kingdom, and the Lord's kingdom on earth is the Church, therefore 'the womb' also means the Church. For the Church exists where the marriage of good and truth exists. This explains why 'opening the womb' means the resulting doctrines taught by the Churches, `@@@3856`, as well as the ability to receive the truths and goods of the Church, `@@@3967`; while 'going out of the womb' means being born again or being regenerated, `@@@4904`, that is, becoming the Church since one who is born again or regenerated becomes the Church.
ttt[2] Since 'going out of the womb' means rebirth, and therefore the Church, the Lord is called in the Word 'He who formed from the womb' and 'He who brought out of the womb', and those who have been regenerated and become the Church are said 'to have been carried from the womb', as in Isaiah,
Thus said Jehovah. your Maker. He who formed you from the womb, and who helps you. `Isaiah 44bbb2`.
In the same prophet,
Thus said Jehovah, your Redeemer, He who formed you from the womb. `Isaiah 44bbb24`.
In the same prophet,
Thus said Jehovah. who formed me from the womb to be His servant, to bring back Jacob to Him, and that Israel might be gathered to Him. `Isaiah 49bbb5`.
In David,
Jehovah who brought me out of the womb. `Psalms 22bbb9`.
In Isaiah,
Hearken to Me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel who have been carried from the womb, and borne from the belly. `Isaiah 46bbb3`.
In David,
The wicked are alienated from the womb, and go astray from the belly, with lying words. `Psalms 58bbb3`.
Here 'being alienated from the womb' means alienation from the good fostered by the Church, and 'going astray from the belly' straying from the truth. In Hosea,
The pains of childbirth will come upon him, he is an unwise son, for now he does not present himself at the womb of sons. `Hosea 13bbb13`.
'Not presenting himself at the womb of sons' stands for not coming to the good of truth fostered by the Church.
ttt[3] In the same prophet,
Their glory will fly away like a bird, away from birth, from the belly, and from conception. `Hosea 9bbb11`.
This means that the truth of the Church will perish fully - 'from birth' being that to which birth is given, 'from the belly' that which is undergoing gestation, 'from conception' that which is taking rise. In Isaiah,
I knew that you would certainly act treacherously, and that you were called [a man] of transgression from the womb. `Isaiah 48bbb8`.
This means that from the time when the Church first began he was like this. In John,
A great sign was seen in heaven - a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet. and on her head a crown of twelve stars. Carrying in the belly however, she cried out in labour, and was in anguish to give birth. `Revelation 12bbb1-2`.
'The woman' is the Church, `@@@252`, `@@@253`, `@@@255`. 'The sun' with which she was clothed is the good of love, `@@@30-38`, `@@@1529`, `@@@1530`, `@@@2441`, `@@@2495`, `@@@4060`, `@@@4696`; 'the moon' which was under her feet is the truth of faith, `@@@30-38`, `@@@1529`, `@@@1530`, `@@@2120`, `@@@2495`, `@@@4696`; 'the stars' are cognitions of good and truth, `@@@2495`, `@@@2849`, `@@@4697` - there being 'twelve stars' because 'twelve' means all things, thus all aspects of faith, `@@@577`, `@@@2089`, `@@@2129` (end), `@@@2130` (end), `@@@3272`, `@@@3858`, `@@@3913`; 'carrying in the belly' is the truth of the Church that had been conceived; 'being in labour and in anguish to give birth' is the fact that it was received with difficulty.
ppp18932#pid#4919. 'And it happened as she was giving birth' means a bringing forth. This is clear from the meaning of 'giving birth' as acknowledging in faith and action, dealt with in `@@@3905`, `@@@3915`, `@@@3919`. And because that which is acknowledged in faith and action is something that is brought forth, 'giving birth' also means a bringing forth - a bringing forth of good and truth, the essentials of the Church.
ppp18931#pid#4920. 'That one put out a hand' means power. This is clear from the meaning of 'a hand' as power, dealt with in `@@@878`, `@@@3387`.
ppp18930#pid#4921. 'And the midwife took' means the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'the midwife' as the natural, dealt with in `@@@4588`. The implications of this will be evident from the following considerations. In the spiritual world 'midwife' means something different from what the word means in the natural world, as may be recognized from the consideration that in the spiritual world there is no such thing as childbirth or consequently midwifery. From this it is evident that when a person reads the words used here, the angels present with him do not perceive a midwife but instead something completely different; indeed they perceive something spiritual. Consequently because angels concentrate their ideas on things to do with a spiritual childbirth, their perception of 'the midwife' is therefore that which assists and receives this offspring - that which assists and receives it being the natural, see what has been shown in `@@@4588`.
ppp18929#pid#4922. 'And bound on his hand a twice-dyed thread' means that a sign was placed on it, namely on that power - 'twice-dyed' meaning good. This is clear from the meaning of 'binding on the hand' as placing a sign on power, for 'the hand' means power, `@@@4920`; and from the meaning of 'twice-dyed' as good, in particular spiritual good. The reason 'twice-dyed' means spiritual good is that this expression describes a shade of scarlet, and in the next life whenever one sees scarlet spiritual good is meant, which is the good of charity towards the neighbour. For all colours clearly visible in the next life mean something connected with good and truth since they are products of the light of heaven, which essentially is wisdom and intelligence flowing from the Lord's Divine. The variegations or modifications of that light are consequently variegations and so to speak modifications of wisdom and intelligence, and therefore of good and truth. For details about the light in heaven flowing from the Lord's Divine wisdom and intelligence, where the Lord is seen as the Sun, see `@@@1053`, `@@@1521-1533`, `@@@1619-1632`, `@@@2776`, `@@@3138`, `@@@3167`, `@@@3190`, `@@@3195`, `@@@3222`, `@@@3223`, `@@@3225`, `@@@3337`, `@@@3339`, `@@@3340`, `@@@3485`, `@@@3636`, `@@@3643`, `@@@3862`, `@@@3993`, `@@@4180`, `@@@4214`, `@@@4302`, `@@@4405`, `@@@4408`, `@@@4413`, `@@@4415`, `@@@4523-4533`; and for details about colours having their origin in that light and about their being variegations and modifications of that light, and therefore of intelligence and wisdom, `@@@1042`, `@@@1043`, `@@@1053`, `@@@1624`, `@@@3993`, `@@@4530`, `@@@4677`, `@@@4742`.
ttt[2] As regards 'twice-dyed' meaning spiritual good, this is evident from places in the Word where this expression is used, as in Jeremiah,
If therefore you have been laid waste, what will you do? If you clothe yourself in twice-dyed and deck yourself with ornaments of gold, in vain will you make yourself beautiful; your lovers will abhor you. `Jeremiah 4bbb30`.
This refers to Judah. 'Clothing yourself in twice-dyed' stands for spiritual good, 'decking yourself with ornaments of gold' for celestial good. In 2 Samuel,
David lamented over Saul and over Jonathan, and wrote it down that they teach the children of Judah the bow. Daughters of Israel, weep over Saul who clothed you in twice-dyed delicately,`fff1` and placed an ornament of gold on your apparel. `2 Samuel 1bbb17-18`, `2 Samuel 1bbbccc24`.
Here 'teaching the bow' stands for teaching the doctrine of love and charity, for 'the bow' means that doctrine. 'Clothing in twice-dyed' stands for spiritual good, as previously, and 'placing an ornament of gold on one's apparel' for celestial good.
ttt[3] Such being the meaning of 'twice-dyed', instructions were also given to use twice-dyed scarlet on the curtains of the Dwelling-place, the veil, the covering for the door of the tent, the covering to the gate of the court, the table of the Presence when they were about to set out, Aaron's sacred vestments such as the ephod, the breastplate of judgement, and the fringes of the robe of the ephod:
The curtains of the Dwelling-place
You shall make for the Dwelling-place ten curtains - fine-twined linen, and violet and purple and twice-dyed scarlet. `Exodus 26bbb1`.
The veil
You shall make a veil of violet and purple, and of twice-dyed scarlet, and of fine-twined linen. `Exodus 26bbb31`.
The covering for the door of the tent
You shall make a covering for the door of the tent, of violet and purple and twice-dyed scarlet, and of fine-twined linen. `Exodus 26bbb36`.
ttt[4] The covering to the gate of the court
For the gate of the court you shall make a covering of violet and purple and twice-dyed scarlet, and fine-twined linen, the work of an embroiderer. `Exodus 27bbb16`.
The table of the Presence when they were about to set out
When the camp sets out they shall spread over the table of the Presence a cloth of twice-dyed scarlet, and shall cover this with a covering of badger skin. `Numbers 4bbb8`.
The ephod
You shall make an ephod out of gold, violet and purple, and twice-dyed scarlet, fine-twined linen, the work of a craftsman; and the girdle similarly. `Exodus 28bbb5-6`, `Exodus 28bbbccc8`; `Exodus ccc39bbb2-3`.
The breastplate of judgement
You shall make the breastplate of judgement, the work of a craftsman, like the work of the ephod, out of gold, violet, and purple. and twice-dyed scarlet, and fine-twined linen. `Exodus 28bbb15`.
The fringes of the robe of the ephod
Pomegranates of violet, and purple, and twice-dyed scarlet. `Exodus 28bbb33`.
ttt[5] It was because the Tent of Meeting with the Ark in it represented heaven that the colours mentioned in these places were required. They meant in their order celestial and spiritual things, as follows: 'Violet and purple' meant celestial kinds of good and truth, 'twice-dyed scarlet and fine-twined linen' spiritual kinds of good and truth. Anyone believing that the Word is holy can recognize that each has a specific meaning, and anyone believing that the Word is holy for the reason that it has been sent down from the Lord by way of heaven can recognize that the celestial and spiritual things belonging to His kingdom are meant. Similar instructions were given, in cleansings from leprosy, to use 'cedarwood, scarlet, and hyssop', `Leviticus 14bbb4`, `Leviticus 14bbbccc6`, `Leviticus 14bbbccc52`; and to cast 'cedarwood and hyssop and twice-dyed of purple' on to the fire in which the red heifer was being burned, from which the water of separation was prepared, `Numbers 19bbb6`.
ttt[6] The profanation of good and truth is described by similar words in John,
I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names. It had seven heads and ten horns. The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet. and covered`fff2` with gold and precious stones and pearls. holding in her hand a golden cup, full of abominations and the uncleanness of whoredom. `Revelation 17bbb3-4`.
And after this,
Woe, woe, the great city, you that were clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and covered' with gold and precious stones and pearls. `Revelation 18bbb16`.
This refers to 'Babel' by which the profanation of good is meant, `@@@1182`, `@@@1283`, `@@@1295`, `@@@1304`, `@@@1306-1308`, `@@@1321`, `@@@1322`, `@@@1326`, in this case the profanation both of good and of truth, which is 'Babylonian'. Among the Prophets in the Old Testament 'Babel' describes the profanation of good and 'Chaldea' the profanation of truth.
ttt[7] In the contrary sense 'scarlet' means the evil that is the contrary of spiritual good, as in Isaiah,
Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be white as snow. Though they are red as crimson,`fff3` they will be as wool. `Isaiah 1bbb18`.
The reason 'scarlet' means this evil is that 'blood', likewise, because of its red colour, in the genuine sense means spiritual good or charity towards the neighbour, and in the contrary sense violence done to charity, `@@@374`, `@@@1005`.
`nnn1. literally, with delights
`nnn2. literally, gilded
`nnn3. literally, purple
ppp18928#pid#4923. 'Saying, This one came out first' means that it had priority of place. This is clear from the meaning of 'coming out first', or being the firstborn, as priority of place and a higher position, dealt with in `@@@3325`. Dealt with here and in the remainder of this chapter is the birthright. Anyone unacquainted with the internal sense of the Word may suppose that merely the birthright, and consequently the privileges which the firstborn might lawfully acquire, are dealt with. But one who does have some knowledge of the internal sense may see plainly enough that something of higher significance also lies concealed in this description. He may see this not only from the actual fact that one of the infants put out a hand and then drew it back, at which point the other infant came out, but also from the fact that they received their names from this, and from the fact that the midwife bound a twice-dyed thread on the hand of him who was first. Other descriptions may also lead him to see the same, such as the incident very like the present one when, after Esau and Jacob had struggled together in the womb, Esau came out first with Jacob grasping his - Esau's - heel, `Genesis 25bbb23-24`, `Genesis 25bbbccc26`. In addition to this there is the incident involving the two sons of Joseph; when blessing them Jacob placed his right hand on the younger and his left on the older, `Genesis 48bbb17-19`.
ttt[2] The Jews and also some Christians do, it is true, believe that these, along with all other descriptions in the Word, contain some hidden meaning which they call mystical, the reason for that belief being the holiness, so far as the Word is concerned, which has been impressed on them since early childhood. But when asked what that mystical meaning may be, they do not know. One may tell them that because the Word is Divine the mystical meaning within it must of necessity be the kind of meaning the angels in heaven understand, and that the Word cannot have any other mystical content, or if it does, that content would be either mythical, magical, or idolatrous. One may in addition tell them that this mystical meaning understood by the angels in heaven is nothing else than what is called spiritual and celestial, the sole subject of which is the Lord, His kingdom and the Church, and consequently good and truth, and that if they knew what good and truth were, or what love and faith were, they would also be acquainted with that mystical sense. Yet scarcely any Jew or Christian believes any of this when told it. Indeed members of the Church are so lacking in knowledge at the present day that any mention of that which is celestial and spiritual is barely intelligible to them. But even so, because in the Lord's Divine mercy I have been allowed to be simultaneously in heaven as a spirit and on earth as a man, and consequently to talk to angels, doing so now without a break for many years, what else can I do but disclose those things which are called the mystical contents of the Word, that is, its interiors, which are the spiritual and celestial things of the Lord's kingdom? What the details recorded here hold within them in the internal sense - the details regarding Tamar's two sons - will be stated in what follows below.
ppp18927#pid#4924. 'And it happened as he drew back his hand' means that it concealed its own power. This is clear from the meaning of 'hand' as power, dealt with in `@@@878`, `@@@3387`, `@@@4920`, the concealment of which is meant by 'drawing back'.
ppp18926#pid#4925. 'That behold, his brother came out' means the truth of good. This is clear from the meaning of 'brother' as that which is kindred, by virtue of good, dealt with in `@@@3815`, `@@@4267`, and so the truth of good. The truth of good is that truth which is rooted in good, or that faith which is rooted in charity. Dealt with here in the internal sense is the birthright in the case of those who are being born again or regenerated by the Lord, and therefore the birthright within the Church. It has been a matter of argument since most ancient times as to which is the firstborn, whether this is the good of charity or whether it is the truth of faith. Unseen while a person is being born again and becoming a Church, good conceals itself within the interior man and reveals itself solely within some affection which does not pass into the conscious feelings of the external or natural man until he has been born again. But truth reveals itself, for this does enter his conscious feelings and lodges in the memory belonging to the external or natural man. This explains why many have fallen into the error that truth is the firstborn, and at length even thinking that truth is the vital element of the Church, so vital that truth which is called faith can save a person without the good of charity.
ttt[2] From this one error very many others have been derived which have infected not only what is taught but also life, such as the error that no matter what kind of life a person leads he can be saved provided he has faith. A further derivative error is that very wicked people are accepted into heaven provided that in the final hour before they die they declare their belief in those things which are matters of faith; and another such error is that, irrespective of the kind of life one has led, one is accepted into heaven solely by grace. Because people hold to this teaching they fail at length to know what charity is or to have any concern about what it is, till in the end they do not believe in the existence of it, or consequently in the existence of heaven and hell. The reason for this is that faith without charity, or truth without good, teaches a person nothing; and the more it departs from good, the more foolish it makes him. For good is what the Lord flows into and through which He flows, imparting intelligence and wisdom and consequently a superior ability to see, and also perception whether something is really true or not.
ttt[3] From these considerations one may now see the position with regard to the birthright, namely that in actual fact it belongs to good but appears to belong to truth. This is what the birth of Tamar's two sons is used to describe in the internal sense. 'The twice-dyed thread' which the midwife bound on the hand that came out means good, as shown in `@@@4922`; 'coming out first' means priority of place, `@@@4923`; 'withdrawing the hand' means that good concealed its own power, as stated immediately above [in `@@@4924`]; 'his brother came out' means truth; 'you have made a breach upon yourself means this truth's apparent separation from good; 'afterwards his brother came out' means that good is in actual fact first; and 'on whose hand was the twice-dyed thread' means the acknowledgement that good is first. For it is not until after a person has been born again that good is acknowledged to be first, at which point that person's actions spring from good, and his view of truth and what this is like springs from the same.
ttt[4] These are the matters contained within the internal sense, in which teaching is given regarding the good and truth with a person who is being born anew, namely that good in actual fact occupies first place but truth appears to do so, and that good is not seen to occupy the first place while a person is being regenerated but is plainly seen to do so once he has been regenerated. But there is no need to explain these matters any further since they have been explained already - see `@@@3324`, `@@@3325`, `@@@3494`, `@@@3539`, `@@@3548`, `@@@3556`, `@@@3563`, `@@@3570`, `@@@3576`, `@@@3603`, `@@@3701`, `@@@4243`, `@@@4244`, `@@@4247`, `@@@4337`; and the fact that controversy has taken place since ancient times over whether the birthright belonged to good or to truth, that is, to charity or to faith, `@@@2435`.
ttt[5] Because in the highest sense the Lord is the firstborn, and therefore love to Him and charity towards the neighbour are the firstborn, the law was for that reason laid down in the representative Church that firstborn things were Jehovah's: in Moses,
Sanctify to Me all the firstborn, that which opens the womb among the children of Israel; with man and with beast let them be Mine. `Exodus 13bbb2`.
You shall make over to Jehovah all that opens the worm', and every firstling of a beast; however many males you have they shall be Jehovah's. `Exodus 13bbb12`.
All that opens the womb is Mine; therefore among all your cattle, you shall give the male. that among oxen and small cattle which opens [the womb]. `Exodus 34bbb19`.
All that opens the womb among all flesh which they bring to Jehovah, from men and from beasts, shall be yours. Nevertheless you shall surely redeem all the firstborn of men. `Numbers 18bbb15`.
Behold, I Myself have taken the Levites from the midst of the children of Israel, instead of every firstborn, that which opens the womb, from the children of Israel, so that the Levites may be Mine. `Numbers 3bbb12`.
ttt[6] Because the firstborn is the one that opens the womb, the expression 'that which opens the womb' is therefore added, when the firstborn is mentioned in these places, so as to mean good. It is evident that this expression means good from the specific details contained in the internal sense, especially from those which are recorded regarding the sons of Tamar: Zerah is said to have opened the womb with his hand, and 'Zerah' represents good, as is also clear from the twice-dyed thread placed on his hand, dealt with in `@@@4922`. In addition to this 'the womb', to which the expression 'opened' is applied, means the place where good and truth, consequently the Church, lie, see `@@@4918`, while 'opening the womb' means supplying the power which enables truth to be born.
ttt[7] Because the Lord is the only firstborn - He being Good itself, and His Good being the source of all truth - Jacob, who was not the firstborn, was therefore allowed to purchase the birthright from Esau his brother so that he might represent Him. Also, because this was not sufficient, he was called Israel, so that by this name he might represent the good of truth; for 'Israel' in the representative sense means good which comes through truth, `@@@3654`, `@@@4286`, `@@@4598`.
ppp18925#pid#4926. 'And she said, Why have you made a breach upon yourself?' means this truth's apparent separation from good. This is clear from the meaning of 'a breach' as an infringement upon and perversion of truth through its separation from good, dealt with below. Here 'making a breach' plainly means pulling away the twice-dyed thread from the hand and so separating good; for good is meant by 'twice-dyed', `@@@4922`. As regards this separation being an apparent one, this follows from the fact that it appeared to the midwife that a separation had taken place; but in reality it was not the twin with the twice-dyed thread who came out but his brother, who represents truth. On these matters, see what has been shown immediately above in `@@@4925`, where it is shown that good is in actual fact the firstborn but that truth appears to be such. This can be illustrated further still from the functions and members within the human body. The appearance is that the members and organs are first and that the functions these perform are subsequent; for the organs and members present themselves to the eye and are also known before their functions are seen or known. But in spite of this appearance the functions are prior to the members and organs since these derive their existence from the functions they serve and so receive their own forms to accord with these functions. Indeed the function itself gives them these forms and accommodates them to itself. If this were not so, all the individual parts of the human body could not possibly act together in so harmonious a way that they make a single whole. The same may be said about good and truth. The appearance is that truth is first, but in reality good is, in that good gives truths the forms they take and accommodates them to itself. Therefore regarded essentially truths are nothing else than goods which have been given form, that is, they are the forms good takes. In relation to good, truths are also like the internal organs and the fibres of the body in relation to the functions these perform. Also, regarded essentially good is nothing else than the function.
ttt[2] The meaning of 'a breach' as an infringement upon truth and a perversion of it through its separation from good is also clear from other places in the Word, as in David,
Our storehouses are full, yielding food and still more food; our flocks are thousands, and ten thousands in our streets, our oxen are laden; there is no breach. `Psalms 144bbb13-14`.
This refers to the Ancient Church as it was in its youth. 'The food' with which 'the storehouses are full' stands for spiritual food, that is, for truth and good. 'Flocks' and 'oxen' stand for forms of good, internal and external. 'There is no breach' stands for the fact that truth has not suffered any infringement upon it or perversion of it through separation from good.
ttt[3] In Amos,
I will raise up the tent of David that is fallen down, and I will close up their breaches, and I will restore its destroyed places; and I will build it as in the days of old. `Amos 9bbb11`.
This refers to a Church where good is present. 'The tent of David that is fallen down' means the good of love and charity received from the Lord. For 'a tent' meaning that good, see `@@@414`, `@@@1102`, `@@@2145`, `@@@2152`, `@@@3312`, `@@@4128`, `@@@4391`, `@@@4599`, and 'David' the Lord, `@@@1888`. 'Closing up the breaches' stands for correcting falsities which have entered in through the separation of truth from good. 'Building it as in the days of old' stands for as the state of the Church was in ancient times. In the Word that state at that time is called 'the days of eternity', 'the days of old', and also 'of generation upon generation'.
ttt[4] In Isaiah,
He that is of you is building the waste places of old; raise up the foundations of generation upon generation, and may you be called the one repairing the breach, the one restoring paths to dwell in. `Isaiah 58bbb12`.
This refers to a Church where charity and life are the essential thing. 'Repairing the breach' again stands for correcting falsities which have crept in through the separation of good from truth, the origin of all falsity. 'Restoring paths to dwell in' stands for truths which are linked to good, for 'paths' or ways are truths, `@@@627`, `@@@2333`, and 'dwelling in' is used in reference to good, `@@@2268`, `@@@2451`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc2712`, `@@@3613`.
ttt[5] In the same prophet,
You saw that the breaches of the city of David were very many, and you collected the waters of the lower pool. `Isaiah 22bbb9`.
'The breaches of the city of David' stands for falsities of doctrine. 'The waters of the lower pool' stands for traditions by which they introduced blemishes into the truths contained in the Word, `Matthew 15bbb1-6`; `Mark 7bbb1-13`. In Ezekiel,
You have not gone up into the breaches and made a hedge for the house of Israel, so that you might stand in war on the day of Jehovah. `Ezekiel 13bbb5`.
In the same prophet,
I sought from among them a man making a hedge and standing in the breach before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found none. `Ezekiel 22bbb30`.
'Standing in the breach' stands for defending and guarding against the intrusion of falsities. In David,
Jehovah said He would destroy the people, unless Moses His chosen had stood in the breach before Him. `Psalms 106bbb23`.
'Standing in the breach' again means guarding against the intrusion of falsities; 'Moses' here meaning the Word - see Preface to Chapter `Genesis ccc18bbb0` of Genesis, and `@@@4859` (end).
ttt[6] In Amos,
They will drag out the last of you with fish-hooks; you will go out through the breaches, every one from her own region; and you will cast down the palace. `Amos 4bbb2-3`.
'Going out through the breaches' stands for doing so through falsities resulting from reasonings. 'The palace' means the Word and consequently the truth of doctrine that is grounded in good. And because 'breaches' means falsity which arises through the separation of good from truth, the same is also meant in the representative sense by 'strengthening and repairing the breaches of the house of Jehovah', `2 Kings 12bbb5`, `2 Kings 12bbbccc7-8`, `2 Kings 12bbbccc12`; `2 Kings ccc22bbb5`. In the second Book of Samuel,
It grieved David that Jehovah had made a breach into Uzzah; therefore he called that place Perez Uzzah. `2 Samuel 6bbb8`.
This refers to Uzzah, who died because he touched the ark. 'The ark' represented heaven, or in the highest sense the Lord, and therefore Divine Good. But 'Uzzah' represented that which ministers, and so represents truth since truth ministers to good. This separation is meant by 'a breach into Uzzah'.
ppp18924#pid#4927. 'And he called his name Perez' means the essential nature of it, that is to say, of the apparent separation of that truth from good. This is clear from the meaning of 'calling the name' as the essential nature, dealt with in `@@@144`, `@@@145`, `@@@1754`, `@@@1896`, `@@@2009`, `@@@2724`, `@@@3006`, `@@@3421`, the actual nature being meant by 'Perez', for in the original language 'Perez' describes a breach.
ppp18923#pid#4928. 'And afterwards his brother came out' means good which in actual fact is prior. This is clear from the representation of Zerah, to whom 'brother' refers here, as good. For he was the one who opened the womb, and so who was the firstborn, and on whose hand was the twice-dyed thread - such good being meant by him, see `@@@4925`. The reason 'afterwards his brother came out' means that good in actual fact is prior is that while a person is being regenerated good is not seen because it conceals itself within the interior man and flows into truth solely through affection in whatever degrees that truth is joined to it. When therefore truth has been joined to good, which is effected once the person has been regenerated, good reveals itself; for at this point good motivates his actions and good is so to speak the standpoint from which he sees truths since he is more concerned with life than with doctrine.
ppp18922#pid#4929. 'On whose hand was the twice-dyed thread' means the acknowledgement that good is such. This is clear from the fact that he was then acknowledged to be the firstborn because of 'the twice-dyed thread on his hand', thus that it was good which opened the womb or was the firstborn. The midwife binding on his hand a twice-dyed thread means that she provided a sign to indicate which one was the firstborn, and therefore acknowledgement is meant here.
ppp18921#pid#4930. 'And he called his name Zerah' means the essential nature of it. This is clear from the meaning of 'calling the name' as the essential nature, as above in `@@@4927`. The essential nature meant by 'Zerah' is the nature of the reality which has been the subject in the internal sense up to this point, this reality being that in actual fact good is the firstborn but that truth appears to be such. That nature contains countless details, countless details such as cannot be seen in the light of the world, only in the light of heaven, and so by the eyes of the angels. If man could see the essential nature of a single reality like those visible to the angels he would be dumbfounded and would confess he would never have believed it, adding that compared with the angels he knew scarcely anything. In the original language Zerah means 'the rise' and is used to refer to the sun and the first sign of its light. This explains why this son was named Zerah, for good behaves in a similar way in the case of one who is being regenerated. Good first rises and sheds light, and from this light things within the natural man are lightened, enabling them to be seen, acknowledged, and finally believed. If light did not flow from the good present within that person he would never be able to see truths so that he could acknowledge and believe them. Instead he would see them as no more than the kind of things that have to be called truths for the common people's sake, or else as falsities.
ppp18920#pid#4931. CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE GRAND MAN - continued
IN THIS SECTION THE CORRESPONDENCE OF THE HANDS, THE ARMS, THE FEET, AND THE LOINS WITH IT
It has been shown already that the whole of heaven bears resemblance to a human being, together with each of his organs, members, and viscera. It has been shown too that this is so because heaven bears resemblance to the Lord; for the Lord is the All in all of heaven, so much its All that, properly speaking, heaven is essentially Divine Good and Divine Truth received from the Lord. For this reason heaven is distinguished into many so to speak separate provinces, as many as there are in a person's viscera, organs, and members, with which also there is a correspondence. Unless such a correspondence existed of the human being with heaven, and through heaven with the Lord, he could not remain in existence for even a single moment, all things being held in connection with one another by means of influx.
ttt[2] But all those provinces are linked to two kingdoms - the celestial kingdom and the spiritual kingdom. The first of these - the celestial kingdom - is the kingdom of the heart within the Grand Man; the second - the spiritual kingdom - is the kingdom of the lungs there. And in the same way as in the human being, the heart reigns, and so do the lungs, in every single part of the Grand Man. These two kingdoms combine in a marvellous way. Their combination likewise is represented in the combination of the heart and lungs in the human being, and in the combined workings of the two within each member and interior organ.
ttt[3] While a person is an embryo, that is, while still in the womb, he is in the kingdom of the heart. But once he has struggled out of the womb he enters the kingdom of the lungs. Then, if he allows the truths of faith to lead him into the good of love, he returns from the kingdom of the lungs within the Grand Man to the kingdom of the heart. For thereby he enters the womb a second time and is born again. Once again those two kingdoms become combined in him, but the order has been turned around. Previously the kingdom of the heart in him was under the control of the lungs, but now the kingdom of the lungs comes under the control of the heart. That is, first of all the truth of faith has dominion in him, but afterwards the good of charity does so. For the correspondence of the heart with the good of love and that of the lungs with the truth of faith, see `@@@3635`, `@@@3883-3896`.
ppp18919#pid#4932. The ones who in the Grand Man correspond to the hands and arms, and also the shoulders, are those with power received through the truth of faith grounded in good. For those who have received the truth of faith grounded in good have received power from the Lord. They attribute all their power to Him and none to themselves; and the more they attribute no power to themselves, doing so not with their lips but in their hearts, the greater power they have. This is why angels are called powers and authorities.
ppp18918#pid#4933. The reason why the hands, arms, and shoulders correspond to power in the Grand Man is that the strength and powers of the whole body and of all its internal organs are linked to them, in that the body employs the arms and hands to exercise its strength and powers. This also is the reason why in the Word powers are meant by 'the hands', 'the arms', and 'the shoulders'. As regards 'the hands' having this meaning, see `@@@878`, `@@@3387`, and as regards 'the arms' meaning the same, this is evident from many places, such as the following,
Be their arm every morning. `Isaiah 33bbb2`.
The Lord Jehovih is coming with might, and His arm will exercise dominion for Him. `Isaiah 40bbb10`.
He works it by means of His arm of strength. `Isaiah 44bbb12`.
My arms will judge the peoples. `Isaiah 51bbb5`.
Put on strength, O arm of Jehovah. `Isaiah 51bbb9`.
I looked around, and there was no helper, therefore My own arm brought salvation to Me. `Isaiah 63bbb5`.
Cursed is he who trusts in man (homo) and makes flesh his arm. `Jeremiah 17bbb5`.
I have made the earth, man, and beast, by My great strength and by My outstretched arm. `Jeremiah 27bbb5`; `Jeremiah ccc32bbb17`.
The horn of Moab has been cut off and his arm broken. `Jeremiah 48bbb25`.
I am breaking the arms of the king of Egypt, but I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babel. `Ezekiel 30bbb22`, `Ezekiel 30bbbccc24-25`.
O Jehovah, break the arm of the wicked. `Psalms 10bbb15`.
According to the greatness of Your arm preserve those who are appointed to die.`fff1` `Psalms 79bbb11`.
They were brought out of Egypt by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. `Deuteronomy 7bbb19`; `Deuteronomy ccc11bbb2-3`; `Deuteronomy ccc26bbb8`; `Jeremiah 32bbb21`; `Psalms 136bbb12`.
From these places it may also be recognized that by the right hand in the Word superior power is meant, and by 'sitting on the right hand of Jehovah' almighty power, `Matthew 26bbb63-64`; `Luke 22bbb69`; `Mark 14bbb61-62`; `Mark ccc16bbb19`.
`nnn1. literally, cause the sons of death to remain
ppp18917#pid#4934. I have seen a bare arm, bent forwards, possessing so much strength and at the same time rousing so much terror that I not only shuddered at the sight of it but also felt as though I could be entirely smashed to pieces by it. It was irresistible. I have seen this arm on two occasions, and from this I was led to realize that 'the arms' means strength and 'the hands' power. I also felt the heat radiating from this arm.
ppp18916#pid#4935. When made visible that bare arm is bent in varying attitudes that strike terror. When seen bent in the attitude mentioned above it strikes unbelievable terror, since it seems to be able to break bones and marrow to pieces instantaneously. Those who during their lifetime have been afraid of nothing are nevertheless in the next life driven by that arm to feel utterly terrified by it.
ppp18915#pid#4936. On several occasions spirits have appeared holding rods, who, I was told, were magicians. They are in front, a long way off on the right, deeply within caverns. Magicians who have been more malevolent ones are hidden more deeply than the rest within them. They seem to themselves to have rods, and by means of delusions they also produce many more kinds of rods, believing that they can use these to perform miracles. For they imagine that these rods have power within them, and they imagine this because the right hand and the arm, which by correspondence are embodiments of strength and power, support themselves on those rods. This has made it evident to me why people of old assigned rods to magicians, for the gentiles of old received this idea from the representative Ancient Church, in which rods, like the hand, meant power, see `@@@4876`. And because these meant power Moses was commanded, when miracles were performed, to stretch out his rod or his hand, `Exodus 4bbb17`, `Exodus 4bbbccc20`; `Exodus ccc8bbb5-20`; `Exodus ccc9bbb23`; `Exodus ccc10bbb3-21`; `Exodus ccc14bbb21`, `Exodus 14bbbccc26-27`; `Exodus ccc17bbb5-6`, `Exodus 17bbbccc11-12`; `Numbers 20bbb7-10`.
ppp18914#pid#4937. Spirits from hell sometimes use delusion to produce a shoulder with which they cause force to be repelled; it cannot even pass by them. But all this is solely for the protection of those employing that kind of delusion; for they know that in the spiritual world the shoulder corresponds to all power. In the Word too 'the shoulder' means all power, as is evident in the following places,
You have broken the yoke of his burden, and the rod of his shoulder. `Isaiah 9bbb4`.
You push with side and with shoulder, and butt with your horns. `Ezekiel 34bbb21`.
You will tear for them every shoulder. `Ezekiel 29bbb6-7`.
That they may serve Jehovah with one shoulder. `Zephaniah 3bbb9`.
To us a Boy is born, and the government will be upon His shoulder. `Isaiah 9bbb6`.
I will place the key of the house of David on His shoulder. `Isaiah 22bbb22`.
ppp18913#pid#4938. The ones who in the Grand Man correspond to the feet, soles, and heels are those who are natural, which is why in the Word natural things are meant by 'the feet', `@@@2162`, `@@@3147`, `@@@3761`, `@@@3986`, `@@@4280`. By 'the soles' lower natural things are meant, and by 'the heels' lowest natural, `@@@259`. In the Grand Man celestial things constitute the head, spiritual ones the body, and natural ones the feet; they exist in this consecutive order. In addition, celestial things, which are the highest, are ringed about by spiritual ones, which are in the middle; and spiritual things are ringed about by natural, which are lowest ones.
ppp18912#pid#4939. Once when I had been raised up to heaven it seemed to me as though my head was there, but that my body was below it, and my feet even further below. From this I had a perception of how the higher and lower things present in the human being correspond to the same in the Grand Man, and how one flows into another; that is to say, how the celestial, which is the good of love and the first degree of order, flows into the spiritual, which is truth springing from that good and the second degree of order, and then into the natural, which is the third degree of order. From this it is evident that natural things are like the feet on which the higher things support themselves. What is more, things in the spiritual world and those in heaven are ringed about by the natural world. Consequently the whole natural system is a theatre representative of the Lord's kingdom, every individual part of it being representative, `@@@2758`, `@@@3483`. The natural system is kept in being by an influx conforming to that order, and without this influx it could not remain in being for even a single moment.
ppp18911#pid#4940. On another occasion, when ringed by a column of angels I was taken down to the places where lower things exist, and then my senses perceived that those living in the land of lower things corresponded to the feet and soles of the feet. Those places are also located beneath the feet and soles of the feet. I also spoke to those there. They are the kind of people in whom natural delight has existed, but no spiritual delight. Regarding this lower earth, see `@@@4728`.
ppp18910#pid#4941. In those places too there are those who have ascribed everything to nature, and little to the Divine. I have talked to them there, and when the discussion has turned to Divine Providence, they have attributed everything to nature. All the same, those of them who have led a morally good life are kept there for a period of time, and then gradually they get rid of such assumptions and adopt ones that are true,
ppp18909#pid#4942. While I was down there I also heard in one of the rooms a noise which sounded like people on the other side of the wall wishing to break in. Those in the room believed they were robbers and were utterly terrified by them. I was told that those present in this room are held in that kind of fear to deter them from evils, for with some people fear is the means by which they are corrected.
ppp18908#pid#4943. On the lower earth beneath the feet and soles of the feet there are also those who have regarded good deeds and works to be meritorious. Many of these appear to themselves to be cutting pieces of wood. The place where they are is quite a cold one, but they seem to themselves to find warmth in the work they do. I talked to these people too and was allowed to ask them whether they wished to leave that place. Their replies were that they had not done enough meritorious work. But once this stage is completed they are released from there. These people likewise are natural, for the desire to earn salvation through merit is not a spiritual desire. What is more, they regard themselves to be those who are superior to others, and some of them are also contemptuous of others. If in the next life they do not receive greater joy than all others, they are angry with the Lord, which explains why sometimes when they are cutting pieces of wood, it appears as though something of the Lord is underneath their pile of wood - their anger being that which produces this appearance. But because they have led a devout life and have acted in the ways they did out of ignorance that had some degree of innocence within it, angels are therefore sent to them periodically to console them. Sometimes, in addition, something that looks like a sheep appears from above on the left, and from this too they receive consolation when they see it.
ppp18907#pid#4944. Christians coming from the world who have led morally good lives and possessed some degree of charity towards the neighbour, but who have cared little about spiritual matters, are for the most part sent to places beneath the feet and soles of the feet where they are kept until they get rid of the natural interests in which they have been immersed and become absorbed in spiritual and celestial interests insofar as these are in keeping with the life they lead. Once they have become absorbed in these they are raised up from there to heavenly communities. On several occasions I have seen them emerging and have observed their gladness because they were going into heavenly light.
ppp18906#pid#4945. Where exactly those places beneath the feet are situated I have not yet been allowed to know. There are very many of them, all quite distinct and separate from one another. In general they are called the land of lower things.
ppp18905#pid#4946. Certain spirits exist who during their lifetime absorbed the idea that no one should bother himself with matters that concern the internal man, consequently with spiritual things, only with matters that concern the external man, that is, with natural things. Their reason for thinking this way is that things of a more internal nature unsettle their comfortable lifestyle and create discomfort. Those spirits were acting into my left knee, a little above the front of it, and also into the sole of my right foot. I talked to them in their dwelling-place. They said that during their lifetime they had imagined that none but external interests had held any life in them and that they had had no idea of what anything internal was. Consequently they had been acquainted with natural things but with nothing spiritual. So I was allowed to tell them that thinking the way they did they had shut out from themselves countless things which could have come in from the spiritual world, had they acknowledged and so allowed these to enter among the ideas constituting their thought.
ttt[2] I was allowed to go on and tell them that each idea present in human thought has countless facets which to the human being, especially to one who is natural, are not seen as anything else than a simple whole, when in fact there is an unlimited number of things coming in from the spiritual world which produce in the spiritual man a superior power of sight enabling him to see and also perceive whether something is indeed the truth or not the truth. Also, because these spirits doubted what they were told, the matter was demonstrated to them through actual experience. An idea was represented to them which they saw as a simple whole, and therefore as a faint dot - a representation such as this being produced easily in the light of heaven. When that idea was opened up and at the same time their interior sight was opened, a general whole leading to the Lord was revealed. They were also told that the same was the case with every idea of good and truth; that is to say, it is an image of the whole of heaven, because it comes from the Lord, who is the All of heaven or the essential reality that is called heaven.
ppp18904#pid#4947. Also beneath the soles of the feet there are those who during their lifetime led a worldly, self-indulgent life. They took delight in things of a worldly nature and liked to live in splendour; but they were motivated by a wholly external or bodily desire to do so, not by any internal or mental desire. For they were not haughty, setting themselves up above others even when appointed to eminent positions. This being the kind of life they led, they were motivated by the body. Consequently people such as these have not rejected the teachings of the Church, still less hardened themselves against them. In their hearts they have declared these teachings to be the truth, because those who study the Word know that they are. With some of this kind of people their interiors have been opened towards heaven, and within these, heavenly virtues are implanted - righteousness, uprightness, devotion, charity, and mercy. After that they are raised up to heaven.
ppp18903#pid#4948. Those however who during their lifetime thought about and desired within themselves nothing but that which was selfish and worldly shut off from themselves every path or influx from heaven; for self-love and love of the world are the opposite of heavenly love. Those of them who at the same time immersed themselves in pleasures or else luxurious living coupled with inner deceitfulness are beneath the sole of the right foot, but deep down and so below the land of lower things, where the hell, of such people is situated. Within their dwellings there is nothing but filth. They also seem to themselves to be carrying such, for filth corresponds to the kind of life they lead. One smells there the stench of different kinds of filth matching the genera and species of that kind of life. In that place live many who in the world were quite famous people.
ppp18902#pid#4949. There are quite a number with dwelling-places beneath the soles of the feet to whom I have talked occasionally. I have seen some of them trying to work their way up from there, and I have also been allowed to have a sensation in my body of their attempts to do so. They reached as far as my knees, but then they sank down. This is what the representation involving the physical senses is like when any have the desire to move up from their own dwelling-places to higher ones, like those described here who had the desire to come up to the dwelling-places of those in the province of the knees and thighs. I was told that these are the kind of people who despised others in comparison with themselves, which is also the reason why they wish to rise up from where they are, not only through the foot into the thigh but also if possible above the head. But for all that, they sink down. In a way they are stupid, for that kind of arrogance blots out and smothers the light of heaven and therefore intelligence. This explains why the sphere which surrounds them looks like a thick sediment.
ppp18901#pid#4950. Slightly to the left beneath the left foot there are the kind of people who have attributed everything to nature, even though they proclaimed their belief in a supreme being who is the author of everything in the natural creation. But investigations were carried out to see whether they in fact believed in a supreme being or deity who had created all things. I perceived from their thought which was communicated to me that what they believed in was so to speak something inanimate possessing no life at all. From this it became clear that they did not acknowledge the creator of the universe but nature. They also said that they could not form any idea of a living deity.
ppp18900#pid#4951. Beneath the heel and somewhat behind it a hell, at a great depth is situated, with the intervening space seemingly empty. The inhabitants of that hell are most malevolent, for secretly they discover people's inclinations with the intention to do harm, and secretly lie in wait so as to destroy them. This has been the delight of their life. I have watched them quite a number of times. They pour out their malevolent poison on those who are in the world of spirits, and use various tricks to arouse those there. These are interiorly malevolent ones. They appear there in what look like cloaks, or occasionally in some other clothing. Often they are punished, when they are taken down to an even greater depth where something like a cloud is spread over them, this being the sphere of malevolence that emanates from them. From that very deep place an uproar, like that of murders taking place, is sometimes heard. Those spirits are able to bring others to tears, and also to strike fear into them. They acquired this ability during their lifetime, when they attended sick or simple people whom, to gain possession of their wealth, they drove to tears, thereby moving them to pity. But if they did not obtain such people's wealth in this way, those spirits then struck fear into them. The majority of them are the kind who used these methods to plunder many houses for the benefit of monasteries. Some could also be seen only half the distance away; these seemed to themselves to be sitting in a room in consultation with one another. These too are malevolent, but not in the same degree.
ppp18899#pid#4952. Some of those who are natural, have said that they do not know what to believe, for a destiny awaits everyone in keeping with the life he has led and also in keeping with his thoughts that result from the basic ideas of which he is firmly convinced. But I have told them in reply that it would have been sufficient if they had believed that God is the one who governs all things and that there is a life after death. In particular it would have been sufficient if they had not lived like a wild animal but as a human being should; that is to say, if they had loved God and exercised charity towards their neighbour, and had accordingly welcomed what was good and true and not been opposed to it, These people have then said that they had led that kind of life, but I have again replied that they had done so only in external actions. If laws had not stood in their way they would have made an attack on everyone's life and wealth in a fiercer way than any animal. To this they have responded that they had not known what charity towards the neighbour was nor known about anything internal, but I answered that they could not know these things because self-love and love of the world, also external interests, had occupied their entire thought and will.
ppp18898#pid#4953. This is continued at the end of the next chapter.
ppp18897#pid#4954. CHAPTER 39
The preliminary section of the previous chapter contained an explanation of what the Lord said about judgement on the good and on the evil, in `Matthew 25bbb31-33`; see `@@@4807-4810`. In the present preliminary section what the Lord said next in that connection comes up for explanation, that is to say, the following words,
Then the King will say to those at His right hand, Come, O blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in, naked and you clothed Me around, I was sick and you visited Me, I was in prison and you came to Me. `Matthew 25bbb34-36`.
ppp18896#pid#4955. What these words hold within them in the internal sense will be evident from what is presented below. But first of all one needs to know that by these works listed one after another the essential ingredients of charity in their own ordered sequence are meant. This cannot be seen by anyone if he is unacquainted with the internal sense of the Word, that is, unless he knows what is really meant by giving food to the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, taking in a stranger, clothing the naked, visiting the sick, and coming to those in prison. Anyone who restricts himself to the sense of the letter when thinking about these actions assumes that good works in the outward form these take are meant by them and that nothing deeper lies concealed within them, when in fact each action that is described contains some deeper reality, which is of a Divine nature because it has its origin in the Lord. But at the present day no understanding of any deeper reality exists because at the present day nothing is taught about charity. For after people separated charity from faith, teachings to do with charity perished, and in place of these, teachings to do with faith were accepted and invented, that is, teachings which provide no information at all about what is meant by charity or by the neighbour.
ttt[2] Teachings that existed among the Ancients specified all the genera and species of charity. They also taught who the neighbour was towards whom charity should be exercised, and how one person was the neighbour in a different degree and different respect from another, and consequently how charity was to be exercised in different ways according to the individual needs of the neighbour. The Ancients also made classifications of the neighbour and gave names to each of these. Some people they called the poor, the needy, the wretched, and the afflicted; some they called the blind, the lame, the maimed, as well as orphans and widows; and others they called the hungry, the thirsty, strangers, the naked, the sick, the bound, and so on. From these classifications they knew what they ought to do for one person and what for another. But, as stated, such teachings have perished, and with them any understanding of the Word too. They have perished so completely that no one at the present day knows anything else than this, that when the poor, widows, and orphans are mentioned in the Word none but those who are literally called such are meant. The same applies whenever mention is made of the hungry, the thirsty, strangers, the naked, the sick, and those in prison. But the truth of the matter is that these names are used to describe charity - what it is like in its essence and what the exercise of charity ought to be like in a charitable life.
ppp18895#pid#4956. Essentially charity towards the neighbour is an affection for goodness and truth and a recognition of oneself as being nothing but evil and falsity. Indeed the neighbour is one and the same as goodness and truth, and to have an affection for these is to have charity, while the opposite of the neighbour is evil and falsity, which a person who has charity turns away from. Anyone therefore who has charity towards the neighbour is moved by an affection for goodness and truth because they come from the Lord, and such a one turns away from evil and falsity because these come from himself. When he does this, humility is present in him as a consequence of his recognition of what he is in himself; and when such humility is present his state is one in which goodness and truth are received from the Lord. These essential ingredients of charity are the message in the internal sense of the following words used by the Lord,
I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in, naked and you clothed Me around, I was sick and you visited Me, I was in prison and you came to Me.
Except from the internal sense no one can know that these words hold the essential ingredients of charity within them. The ancients who possessed teachings regarding charity knew these things, but at the present day matters such as these seem so far-fetched that everyone will be astonished by the assertion that those words hold the essential ingredients of charity within them. What is more, the angels present with a person do not perceive those words in any other way, for by 'the hungry' they perceive those led by affection to desire good, by 'the thirsty' those led by affection to desire truth, by 'a stranger' those wishing to receive instruction, by 'the naked' those acknowledging that no goodness or truth at all is present within them, by 'the sick' those acknowledging that within themselves there is nothing but evil, and by 'the bound' or 'those in prison those acknowledging that within themselves there is nothing but falsity. All these if taken as a whole mean the aspects of charity described immediately above.
ppp18894#pid#4957. From all this it may be seen that all the things the Lord spoke about held matters of Divine concern within them, though it seems to people whose interests are entirely worldly, and especially to those whose interests are bodily ones, that He spoke about the same kinds of things as anyone else might have spoken. Indeed those immersed in bodily interests will say of these and all other words spoken by the Lord that they are no more full of grace and therefore do not carry any more weight than the sermons and preaching of those in our own day and age who, because of their learning, are excellent speakers. But in fact their sermons and preaching are like the shell and husk when compared with the kernel inside them.
ppp18893#pid#4958. The reason 'hungering' means being led by affection to desire good is that in the internal sense 'bread' means the good of love and charity, while food in general means good, `@@@2165`, `@@@2177`, `@@@3478`, `@@@4211`, `@@@4217`, `@@@4735`. The reason 'thirsting' means being led by affection to desire truth is that wine and also water mean the truth of faith - wine, `@@@1071`, `@@@1798`, water, `@@@2702`. 'A stranger' means one who wishes to receive instruction, see `@@@1463`, `@@@4444`; and one who is 'naked' means a person who acknowledges that no good or truth at all exists within him, one who is 'sick' a person who acknowledges that evil is present within him, and one who is 'bound' or 'in prison' a person who acknowledges that falsity is present, as is evident from many places in the Word where such names are used.
ppp18892#pid#4959. The reason the Lord speaks of all these things being done to Himself is that He is present in those kinds of people, which is why He also says,
Truly I say to you, insofar as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers you did it to Me. `Matthew 25bbb40-45`.
ppp18891#pid#4960. `Genesis 39bbb0`
1. And Joseph was made to go down to Egypt, and Potiphar bought him - Pharaoh's bedchamber servant, the chief of the attendants, an Egyptian man - from the hand of the Ishmaelites who made him go down there.
2. And Jehovah was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his lord the Egyptian.
3. And his lord saw that Jehovah was with him, and everything that he did Jehovah made to prosper in his hand.
4. And Joseph found favour in his eyes, and ministered to him; and he put him in charge over his house, and whatever he had he gave into his hand.
5. And it happened from the time he put him in charge in his house and over all that he had, that Jehovah blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of Jehovah was on all that he had in the house and in the field.
6. And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand, and did not concern himself with anything`fff1` except the bread that he ate. And Joseph was beautiful in form and beautiful in appearance.
7. And it happened after these events, that his lord's wife lifted up her eyes towards Joseph and said, Lie with me.
8. And he refused and said to his lord's wife, Behold, my lord does not concern himself with anything`fff2` in the house, and all that he has he has given into my hand.
9. He himself is no greater in this house than I am, and he has not held back anything from me except yourself, in that you are his wife. How then shall I do this great evil, and sin against God?
10. And it happened as she spoke to Joseph day after day, that he did not listen to her, to lie with her, to be with her.
11. And it happened on a certain day, that he went to the house to do his work, and none of the men`fff3` of the house was there in the house.
12. And she took hold of him by his garment, saying, Lie with me. And he left his garment in her hand and fled, and went out of doors.
13. And it happened as she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled out of doors,
14. That she cried out to the men of her house, and said to them - she said, See, he has brought us a Hebrew man to make sport of us. He came to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice.
15. And it happened as he was hearing [me], that I lifted up my voice and cried out, and he left his garment with me, and fled, and went out of doors.
16. And she kept his garment with her until his lord came to his house.
17. And she spoke to him in`fff4` these words, saying, The Hebrew slave whom you have brought to us came to me, to make sport of me.
18. And it happened as I lifted up my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me and fled out of doors.
19. And it happened - as his lord heard his wife's words which she spoke to him, saying, This is what`fff5` your slave did to me - that his anger flared up.
20. And Joseph's lord took him and committed him to the prison-house, a place where the king's bound ones were bound; and he was there in the prison-house.
21. And Jehovah was with Joseph, and showed mercy to him, and gave him favour in the eyes of the governor`fff6` of the prison-house.
22. And the governor`fff6` of the prison-house gave into Joseph's hand all the bound who were in the prison-house; and everything they did there, he was the doer of it.`fff7`
23. The governor of the prison-house oversaw nothing whatever that was in his hand, in that Jehovah was with him; and whatever he did, Jehovah made it prosper.
CONTENTS
The internal sense deals here with the way in which the Lord made His Internal Man Divine. 'Jacob' was the External Man, the subject in preceding chapters, now 'Joseph' is the Internal Man, the subject in the present chapter and those that follow it.
`nnn1. literally, did not know anything with him
`nnn2. literally, does not know what is with me
`nnn3. literally, no man from the men
`nnn4. literally, according to
`nnn5. literally, According to these words
`nnn6. literally, prince or chief
`nnn7. i.e. it was done under his instructions
ppp18890#pid#4961. And because the making Divine of His Internal Man was carried out in conformity with Divine order, that order is described here. Temptation too is described, such temptation being the means by which a joining together is effected.
ppp18889#pid#4962. THE INTERNAL SENSE
Verse `Genesis 39bbbccc1` And Joseph was made to go down to Egypt, and Potiphar bought him - Pharaoh's bedchamber servant, the chief of the attendants, an Egyptian man - from the hand of the Ishmaelites who made him go down there.
'And Joseph' means the celestial of the spiritual from the rational. 'Was made to go down to Egypt' means to factual knowledge which the Church possessed. 'And Potiphar bought him - Pharaoh's bedchamber servant' means among facts of a more internal kind. 'The chief of the attendants' means which facts come first and foremost in explanations. 'An Egyptian man' means natural truth. 'From the hand of the Ishmaelites' means from simple good. 'Who made him go down there' means a descent from this simple good to that factual knowledge.
ppp18888#pid#4963. 'And Joseph' means the celestial of the spiritual from the rational. This is clear from the representation of 'Joseph' as the celestial-spiritual man that comes from the rational, dealt with in `@@@4286`. Here therefore, since the Lord is the subject, the Lord's Internal Man is represented by him. Everyone born a human being is external and internal. His external man is that which is seen with the eyes; it is that which enables him to live in association with other people and enables him to carry out what belongs properly to the natural world. But the internal man is one that is not seen with the eyes; it is what enables a person to live in association with spirits and angels and to carry through what belongs properly to the spiritual world. Everyone has an internal and an external, that is, the internal man and the external man exist, to the end that through man heaven may be joined to the world. For heaven flows by way of the internal man into the external and from that influx gains a perception of what exists in the world, while the external man in the world gains from the same influx a perception of what exists in heaven. It is to this end that the human being has been created the way he has.
ttt[2] The Lord's Human too had an External and an Internal because it pleased Him to be born like any other human being. The External, or His External Man, has been represented by 'Jacob' and after that by 'Israel', but His Internal Man is represented by 'Joseph'. The latter - the Internal Man - is what is called the celestial-spiritual man from the rational; or what amounts to the same, the Lord's Internal, which was the Human, was the celestial of the spiritual from the rational. This, and the glorification of it, are dealt with in the internal sense of the present chapter and those that follow it in which Joseph is the subject. What the celestial of the spiritual from the rational is has been explained already in `@@@4286`, `@@@4585`, `@@@4592`, `@@@4594`, namely that which comes above the celestial of the spiritual from the natural, represented by 'Israel'.
ttt[3] The Lord was indeed born like any other human being. But it is well known that everyone who is born depends for his make-up on both his father and his mother; also that he derives his inmost self from his father, but his more external aspects, or those which clothe his inmost self, from his mother. That is to say, both what he derives from his father and what he derives from his mother are defiled with hereditary evil. But in the Lord's case it was different. That which He derived from His mother possessed a hereditary nature essentially the same as that existing in any other human being; but what He derived from His Father, who was Jehovah, was Divine. Consequently the Lord's Internal Man was unlike the internal of any other human being, for His Inmost Self was Jehovah. Being intermediate this is therefore called the celestial of the spiritual from the rational. But in the Lord's Divine mercy more will be said about this later on.
ppp18887#pid#4964. 'Was made to go down to Egypt' means to factual knowledge which the Church possessed. This is clear from the meaning of 'Egypt' as knowledge, or factual knowledge in general, dealt with in `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1186`, `@@@1462`. But no explanation of the essential nature of that factual knowledge properly meant by 'Egypt' has been provided as yet. In the Ancient Church there was doctrinal knowledge and there was factual knowledge. Doctrinal knowledge had regard to love to God and charity towards the neighbour, whereas factual knowledge had to do with the correspondences of the natural world with the spiritual world, and with the representations of spiritual and heavenly realities within natural and earthly ones. Such was the factual knowledge of those in the Ancient Church.
ttt[2] Egypt was one of those parts of the world and one of those kingdoms where the Ancient Church also existed, `@@@1138`, `@@@1385`; but since in that land mainly factual knowledge was handed down from one generation to another, 'Egypt' means factual knowledge in general. This also explains why frequent reference is made to Egypt in the prophetical part of the Word, where that knowledge is meant specifically by 'Egypt'. What is more, the actual magic practised by the Egyptians had its origin in the same knowledge; for they were acquainted with the correspondences of the natural world with the spiritual, and at a later time, after the Church among them had come to an end, they misused these in magical practices. Now because such factual knowledge existed among them - that is to say, knowledge which taught correspondences, and also representatives and meaningful signs - and because this factual knowledge was the servant of the doctrinal teachings of the Church, especially in their understanding of things stated in their Word (for the Word of the Ancient Church was both prophetical and historical, like the Word that exists today, though this is a different Word, see `@@@2686`) 'he was made to go down to Egypt' consequently means made to go down to the factual knowledge which the Church possessed.
ttt[3] Because the Lord is represented by 'Joseph' and the words 'Joseph was made to go down to Egypt' are used here, the meaning is that when the Lord was to glorify His Internal Man, that is, make it Divine, He first of all assimilated the factual knowledge possessed by the Church. Then, starting from and using that knowledge He advanced towards things increasingly interior and at length even to those that were Divine. For it pleased Him to glorify or make Himself Divine in conformity with the same kind of order as that by which He regenerates the human being or makes him spiritual, `@@@3138`, `@@@3212`, `@@@3296`, `@@@3490`, `@@@4402`. That is to say, there is a gradual advance from external ideas, which are known facts and the truths of faith, towards internal ones, which are ideas of charity towards the neighbour and of love to Him. From this one may see what is meant by the following words in Hosea,
When Israel was a boy I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son. `Hosea 11bbb1`.
These words refer to the Lord, see `Matthew 2bbb15`.
ppp18886#pid#4965. 'And Potiphar bought him - Pharaoh's bedchamber servant' means among facts of a more internal kind. This is clear from the meaning of 'Pharaoh's bedchamber servant' as facts of a more internal kind, dealt with in `@@@4789`. 'Buying' means that He availed Himself of them, `@@@4397`, `@@@4487`. Facts of a more internal kind are those that come closer to spiritual ideas, being facts that are applied to heavenly matters. For heavenly matters are what the internal man sees when the external man sees no more than the facts in the outward form these take.
ppp18885#pid#4966. 'The chief of the attendants' means which facts come first and foremost in explanations. This is clear from the meaning of 'the chief of the attendants' as the facts which come first and foremost in explanations, dealt with in `@@@4790`. Ones which come first and foremost in explanations are those which are pre-eminently suitable for explaining the Word, and so for coming to understand teachings drawn from the Word about love to God and charity towards the neighbour. It should be recognized that the factual knowledge of the people of old was entirely different from that existing at the present day. As stated above, the factual knowledge of the people of old had to do with the correspondences of things in the natural world with realities in the spiritual world. Knowledge which at the present day is called philosophical knowledge, such as Aristotelian systems and their like, did not exist among them. This is also evident from the books written by ancient authors, most of which consisted of descriptions of such things as were signs of, represented, and corresponded to more internal realities, as may be seen from the following evidence, and ignoring all else.
ttt[2] They envisaged Helicon on a mountain and took it to mean heaven, and Parnassus on a hill below that, and took it to mean factual knowledge. They spoke of a flying horse, called Pegasus by them, which broke open a fountain there with its hoof; they called branches of knowledge virgins; and so on. For with the help of correspondences and representatives they knew that 'a mountain' meant heaven, 'a hill' the heaven beneath this, which is heaven as it exists among men, a horse' the power of understanding, 'its wings with which it flew' spiritual things, 'its hoof' that which was natural, 'a fountain' intelligence, while three virgins called 'the Graces' meant affections for good, and virgins who were named 'the Heliconians and 'the Parnassians' meant affections for truth. To the sun they likewise allotted horses, whose food they called ambrosia and whose drink they called nectar; for they knew that 'the sun' meant heavenly love, 'horses' powers of the understanding which sprang from that love, while 'food' meant celestial things and 'drink' spiritual ones.
ttt[3] The Ancients are also the originators of customs that are still followed when kings are crowned. The king has to sit on a silver throne, wear a purple robe, and be anointed with oil. He has to wear a crown on his head, while holding in his hands a sceptre, a sword, and keys. He has to ride in regal splendour on a white horse shed with horseshoes made of silver; and he has to be waited on at table by the chief nobles of the kingdom. And many other customs are followed besides these. The Ancients knew that 'a king' represented Divine Truth that is rooted in Divine Good, and from this they knew what was meant by a silver throne, a purple robe, anointing oil, crown, sceptre, sword, keys, white horse, horseshoes made of silver, and what was meant by being waited on at table by the chief nobles. Who at the present day knows the meaning of any of these customs, or where the information exists to show him their meaning? People refer to them as symbols, but they know nothing at all about correspondence or representation. All this evidence shows what the factual knowledge possessed by the Ancients was like, and that this knowledge gave them a discernment of spiritual and heavenly realities, which at the present day are scarcely known to exist.
ttt[4] The factual knowledge that has replaced that of the Ancients, and which strictly speaking is called philosophical knowledge, tends to draw the mind away from knowing such things because such knowledge can also be employed to substantiate false ideas. Furthermore, even when used to substantiate true ones it introduces darkness into the mind, because for the most part mere terms are used to substantiate them, which few people can understand and which the few who do understand them argue about. From this it may be seen how far the human race has departed from the learning of the Ancients, which led to wisdom. Gentiles received their factual knowledge from the Ancient Church, whose external worship consisted in representatives and meaningful signs and whose internal worship consisted in the realities represented and meant by these. This was the kind of factual knowledge that is meant in the genuine sense by 'Egypt'.
ppp18884#pid#4967. 'An Egyptian man' means natural truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'a man' as truth, dealt with in `@@@3134`, and from the meaning of 'Egypt' as factual knowledge in general, dealt with immediately above in `@@@4964`, `@@@4966`. And since 'Egypt' means factual knowledge it also means the natural, for all the factual knowledge present with a person constitutes his natural since it resides in his natural man, and includes knowledge about spiritual and heavenly realities. The reason for this is that the natural is the position within which and from which he sees those realities. Those which he does not see from that position are unintelligible to him. But a regenerate person, who is called spiritual, sees them in one way, an unregenerate person, who is called merely natural, in another. In the case of a regenerate person factual knowledge has the light of heaven shed upon it, but not so in the case of an unregenerate one. The light shed on the unregenerate person's factual knowledge comes by way of spirits governed by falsity and evil, a light which, it is true, begins as the light of heaven but among such spirits is reduced to a dim light like that of evening or night. Indeed spirits of this kind, and consequently men like them, see in the way owls do - clearly at night but dimly during the daytime. That is, they see falsities clearly and truths dimly, and therefore worldly things clearly but heavenly ones dimly, if at all. From this one may recognize that genuine factual knowledge is natural truth; for all genuine factual knowledge that is of the kind meant in the good sense by 'Egypt' is natural truth.
ppp18883#pid#4968. 'From the hand of the Ishmaelites' means from simple good. This is clear from the representation of 'the Ishmaelites' as those in whom simple good is present, dealt with in `@@@3263`, `@@@4747`, and therefore here as natural truth which is received from simple good. Chapter `Genesis ccc37bbb36` says that 'the Midianites sold Joseph into Egypt to Potiphar, Pharaoh's bedchamber servant, the chief of the attendants'; but now it is said that 'Potiphar, Pharaoh's bedchamber servant, the chief of the attendants, bought him from the hand of the Ishmaelites, who made him go down there'. The matter is stated in these different ways for the sake of the internal sense. Previously - in Chapter `Genesis ccc37bbb0` - the subject was the alienation of Divine truth, which is done not by those in whom simple good exists but by those in whom simple truth is present, whom 'the Midianites' represent, see `@@@4788`. But now the subject is the acquisition or the availing oneself of factual knowledge; also natural truth, which is acquired from simple good. This is why the expression 'from the Ishmaelites' is used, for these people represent those in whom simple good is present. From this it is evident that the matter is stated in the way it is for the sake of the internal sense. Nor is there any discrepancy in the historical narrative, for this states that the Midianites drew Joseph out of the pit and then handed him over to the Ishmaelites by whom he was led away into Egypt. Thus since the Midianites handed him over to the Ishmaelites who were going to Egypt, it was the Midianites who sold him to Egypt.
ppp18882#pid#4969. 'Who made him go down there means a descent from this simple good to that factual knowledge. This is clear from the representation of 'the Ishmaelites who made him go down' as those in whom simple good is present, dealt with immediately above in `@@@4968`, and from the meaning of Egypt, to which 'there' refers here, as factual knowledge in general, dealt with just above in `@@@4964`, `@@@4966`. The expression 'going down' is used because the subject is factual knowledge which is exterior. For in the Word passing from interior things to exterior ones is described as 'going down', and passing from exterior to interior ones as 'going up', see `@@@3084`, `@@@4539`.
ppp18881#pid#4970. Verses `Genesis 39bbbccc2-6` And Jehovah was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his lord the Egyptian. And his lord saw that Jehovah was with him, and everything that he did Jehovah made it to prosper in his hand. And Joseph found favour in his eyes, and ministered to him; and he put him in charge over his house, and whatever he had he gave into his hand. And it happened from the time he put him in charge in his house and over all that he had, that Jehovah blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and he blessing of Jehovah was on all that he had in the house and in the field. And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand, and did not concern himself with anything`fff1` except the bread that he ate. And Joseph was beautiful in form and beautiful in appearance.
'And Jehovah was with Joseph' means that the Divine existed within the celestial of the spiritual. 'And he was a prosperous man' means that all things had been provided. 'And he was in the house of his lord the Egyptian' means to enable it to be introduced into natural good. 'And his lord saw that Jehovah was with him' means a perception within natural good that the Divine existed within it. 'And everything that he did Jehovah made to prosper in his hand' means that all things were the conferments of Divine Providence. 'And Joseph found favour in his eyes' means that it had found acceptance. 'And ministered to him' means that factual knowledge was assigned to its own good. 'And he put him in charge over his house' means that this good applied itself to that factual knowledge. 'And whatever he had he gave into his hand' means that all that belonged to that good was seemingly subject to the power and control of its associated truth. 'And it happened from the time he put him in charge in his house and over all that he had' means a second state, after this good had applied itself to that truth and had made all that belonged to it seemingly subject to the power and control of that truth. 'That Jehovah blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake' means that at this point the Divine imparted the celestial-natural to that truth. 'And the blessing of Jehovah was' means increases. 'On all that he had in the house and in the field' means in life and in doctrine. 'And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand' means that it seemed as though all things were subject to its power and control. 'And did not concern himself with anything except the bread that he ate' means that the good from there was its own. 'And Joseph was beautiful in form means the good of life springing from this. 'And beautiful in appearance' means the truth of faith springing from it.
`nnn1. literally, did not know anything with him
ppp18880#pid#4971. 'And Jehovah was with Joseph' means that the Divine existed within the celestial of the spiritual. This is clear from the representation of 'Joseph' as the celestial of the spiritual from the rational, dealt with above in `@@@4963`; and because the Lord is the subject, at this point His Internal Man within His Human, 'Jehovah was with him' means that the Divine existed within it. The Divine existed within His Human because He had been conceived from Jehovah. The Divine does not exist within angels; it is merely present with them, because they are merely forms receiving the Divine coming forth from the Lord.
ppp18879#pid#4972. 'And he was a prosperous man' means that all things had been provided. This is clear from the meaning of the phrase 'being made to prosper', when used in reference to the Lord, as provision being made so that He might be enriched with all good.
ppp18878#pid#4973. 'And he was in the house of his lord the Egyptian' means to enable it to be introduced into natural good. This is clear from the meaning of 'lord' as good, dealt with below, and from the meaning of 'the Egyptian' as factual knowledge in general, and from this as that which is natural, dealt with in `@@@4967`. The reason 'being in the house' means being introduced is that 'house' is the mind in which good dwells, `@@@3538`, in this case the natural mind. Moreover 'house' is used in reference to good, `@@@3652`, `@@@3720`. The human being has both a natural mind and a rational mind. The natural mind exists within his external man, the rational within his internal. Known facts make up the truths that belong to the natural mind, and these are said to be there 'in their own house' when they are joined to good there; for good and truth together constitute a single house like husband and wife. But the forms of good and the truths which are the subject at present are of a more interior kind, for they are suited to the celestial of the spiritual from the rational, which is represented by 'Joseph'. Those suitable interior truths within the natural are applicable to useful purposes, while interior forms of good in the same are the useful purposes themselves.
ttt[2] The expression 'lord' is used many times in the Word, but unless a person is acquainted with the internal sense he assumes that 'lord' has no other meaning than what the word has when used in ordinary conversation. But 'lord' is used nowhere in the Word other than in reference to good, as is similarly the case with the name 'Jehovah'. When however reference is being made to truth, 'God' and also 'king are used. This then is the reason why 'lord' means good, as may also be seen from the following places: In Moses,
Jehovah your God, He is God of gods, and Lord of lords. `Deuteronomy 10bbb17`.
In David,
Confess Jehovah, confess the God of gods, confess the Lord of lords. `Psalms 136bbb1-3`
In these places Jehovah or the Lord is called 'God of gods' by virtue of Divine Truth which goes forth from Him, and 'Lord of lords' by virtue of Divine Good which exists within Him.
ttt[3] Similarly in John,
The Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords, and King of kings. `Revelation 17bbb14`.
And in the same book,
The One sitting on the white horse has on His robe and on His thigh the name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. `Revelation 19bbb16`.
The Lord is called 'King of kings' by virtue of Divine Truth, and 'Lord of lords' by virtue of Divine Good, as is evident from the individual expressions used here. 'The name written' is His true nature, `@@@144`, `@@@145`, `@@@1754`, `@@@1896`, `@@@2009`, `@@@2724`, `@@@3006`. 'His robe' on which it is written is the truth of faith, `@@@1073`, `@@@2576`, `@@@4545`, `@@@4763`. 'His thigh' on which likewise that nature is written is the good of love, `@@@3021`, `@@@4277`, `@@@4280`, `@@@4575`. From this too it is evident that by virtue of Divine Truth the Lord is called 'King of kings and by virtue of Divine Good 'Lord of lords'. For more about the Lord being called King by virtue of Divine Truth, see `@@@2015`, `@@@2069`, `@@@3009`, `@@@3670`, `@@@4581`.
ttt[4] From this it is also plain what 'the Lord's Christ' means in Luke,
Simeon received an answer from the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he had seen the Lord's Christ. `Luke 2bbb26`.
'The Lord's Christ' is the Divine Truth that goes with Divine Good, for 'Christ' is one and the same as Messiah, and Messiah is the Anointed or King, `@@@3008`, `@@@3009`, 'the Lord' in this case being Jehovah. The name Jehovah is not used anywhere in the New Testament Word, but instead of Jehovah, the Lord and God are used, see `@@@2921`, as again in Luke,
Jesus said, How can they say that the Christ is David's son when David himself says in the Book of Psalms, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand? `Luke 20bbb41`, `Luke 20bbbccc41`.
The same appears in David as follows,
Jehovah said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand. `Psalms 110bbb1`.
It is obvious that Jehovah in David is called Lord in the gospel, 'Lord' in this case standing for the Divine Good of the Divine Human. Omnipotence is meant by 'sitting at the right hand', `@@@3387`, `@@@4592`, `@@@4933` (end).
ttt[5] While in the world the Lord was Divine Truth, but once He was glorified, that is, had made the Human within Him Divine, He became Divine Good, from which Divine Truth subsequently goes forth. This explains why after the Resurrection the disciples did not call Him Master, as they had before, but Lord, as is evident in `John 21bbb7`, `John 21bbbccc12`, `John 21bbbccc15-17`, `John 21bbbccc20`, and also in the other gospels. Divine Truth - which the Lord was while in the world and which subsequently goes forth from Him, that is, from Divine Good - is also called 'the Angel of the Covenant', in Malachi,
Suddenly there will come to His temple the Lord whom you are seeking, and the Angel of the Covenant in whom you delight. `Malachi 3bbb1`.
ttt[6] Because 'Lord' is used to mean Divine Good and 'King' Divine Truth, therefore in places where the Lord is spoken of as having dominion and a kingdom 'dominion' has reference to Divine Good and 'a kingdom' to Divine Truth. For the same reason the Lord is called 'Lord of the nations' but 'King of the peoples', for 'nations' means those governed by good, 'peoples' those governed by truth, `@@@1259`, `@@@1260`, `@@@1849`, `@@@3581`
[7] Good is called 'lord' as against a servant, and 'father' as against a son, as in Malachi,
A son should honour his father, and a servant his lord. If I am a Father, where is My honour? And if I am a Lord, where is the fear of Me? `Malachi 1bbb6`.
And in David,
To be a slave JOSEPH was sold. The word of Jehovah tested him. The king sent and released him, he who had dominion over nations set him free and placed him as lord of his house and as one with dominion over all his possessions. Psalms 105:17, 19-22.
Here, as is evident from each individual expression, 'Joseph' is used to mean the Lord, 'lord' in this instance being the Divine Good of the Divine Human.
ppp18877#pid#4974. 'And his lord saw that Jehovah was with him' means a perception within natural good that the Divine existed within it. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing' as understanding and discerning, dealt with in `@@@2150`, `@@@3764`, `@@@4339`, `@@@4567`, `@@@4723`, and from the meaning of 'lord' as good, dealt with immediately above in `@@@4973`, in this case natural good because it is 'the Egyptian' who is the lord. The existence inwardly of the Divine is meant by 'Jehovah was with him', as above in `@@@4971`.
ppp18876#pid#4975. 'And everything that he did Jehovah made to prosper in his hand' means that all things were the conferments of Divine Providence. This is clear from the meaning of 'being made to prosper' as being provided for, dealt with above in `@@@4972`. Consequently 'Jehovah made it prosper in his hand' is Divine Providence.
[`@@@4975`a] 'And Joseph found favour in his eyes means that it had found acceptance, that is to say, by natural good meant by 'his lord'. This is clear from the meaning of 'finding favour in someone's eyes' as finding acceptance. The expression 'in his eyes' is used because 'favour' has reference to the understanding, and this is meant by 'the eyes', `@@@2701`, `@@@3820`, `@@@4526`.
ppp18875#pid#4976. 'And ministered to him' means that factual knowledge was assigned to its own good. This is clear from the meaning of 'ministering' as serving by supplying what another has need of, in this case as being assigned to since the subject is natural good to which factual knowledge is to be assigned. 'Ministering' is also used to describe known facts, for in the Word a minister and a servant mean factual knowledge or natural truth because this is subservient to good as its lord. Factual knowledge stands in relation to delight present in the natural man - or what amounts to the same, natural truth stands in relation to its good - in exactly the same way as water does to bread, or drink to food. Water or drink enables bread or food to be dissolved, and once dissolved to be conveyed into the blood, from which it passes into all parts around the body and nourishes them. Without the water or drink the bread or food is not broken down into extremely small particles and carried around the body to fulfill its purpose.
ttt[2] The same applies to factual knowledge in relation to delight, or truth in relation to good. That being so, good longs for and desires truth, and does so because of the purpose such truth can fulfill by ministering to it and serving it. Food and drink also correspond to these. No one in the next life is nourished by any natural food or natural drink, only by spiritual food and spiritual drink, spiritual food being good, and spiritual drink truth. This is why, when bread or food is mentioned in the Word, angels understand spiritual bread or food, which is the good of love and charity; and when water or drink is mentioned they understand spiritual water or drink, which is the truth of faith. From this one may see what the truth of faith without the good of charity is, and also what kind of nourishment the former without the latter is able to supply to the internal man; that is to say, it is like the nourishment supplied by water or drink alone without bread or food. It is well known that a person fed on water or drink alone wastes away and dies.
ppp18874#pid#4977. 'And he put him in charge over his house' means that this good applied itself to that factual knowledge. This is clear from the meaning of his 'lord', who put him in charge, as good, dealt with above in `@@@4977`, and from the meaning of 'putting him in charge over his house' as applying itself to it - to factual knowledge or natural truth. This meaning is evident from what follows, where it says that 'whatever he had he gave into his hand', meaning that all belonging to that good was seemingly subject to the other's power and control. For good is the lord and truth its minister, and when it says that the lord put the minister in charge, that is, that good put truth in charge, the meaning in the internal sense is not that the lordship ceased to rest with that good but that it applied itself to the truth. For in the internal sense one perceives what a thing really is, whereas the sense of the letter presents it in the form of an appearance. The lordship always rests with good, but good applies itself so that truth may be joined to it.
ttt[2] While a person is governed by truth, as happens before he has been regenerated, he knows scarcely anything at all about good. For truth flows in by an external route, or that of the senses, whereas good flows in by an internal route. Before he has been regenerated a person is aware of that which flows in by the external route, but not of that which comes by the internal one. Consequently unless in that state which comes first the lordship seemed to be given to truth, that is, unless good applied itself to it, that truth could never become attached to this good as its own. This is the same factor as has been presented many times before - that truth seemingly occupies the first place, that is, it is so to speak the lord, while a person is being regenerated, but that good plainly occupies the first place and is the lord once he has been regenerated, for which see `@@@3539`, `@@@3548`, `@@@3556`, `@@@3563`, `@@@3570`, `@@@3576`, `@@@3607`, `@@@3701`, `@@@4925`, `@@@4926`, `@@@4928`, `@@@4930`.
ppp18873#pid#4978. 'And whatever he had he gave into his hand' means that all that belonged to that good was seemingly subject to the power and control of its associated truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'whatever he had' as all that belonged to it, and from the meaning of 'hand' as power, dealt with in `@@@878`, `@@@3091`, `@@@3787`, `@@@3563`, `@@@4931-4937`. 'Giving into his hand' accordingly means placing under its power and control. Yet because this is only the appearance of what happens, the phrase 'seemingly subject to its power and control' is used. As regards its being what is apparently or seemingly the situation, see immediately above in `@@@4977`.
ppp18872#pid#4979. 'And it happened from the time he put him in charge in his house and over all that he had' means a second state, after this good had applied itself to that truth and had made all that belonged to it seemingly subject to the power and control of that truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'it happened' or 'so it was' - an expression used many times in the Word - as that which implies something new and therefore a second state (similarly in verses `Genesis 39bbbccc7`, `Genesis 39bbbccc10-11`, `Genesis 39bbbccc13`, `Genesis 39bbbccc15`, `Genesis 39bbbccc18-19` below); from the meaning of 'from the time he put him in charge in his house' as after good had applied itself to that truth, dealt with above in `@@@4977`; and from the meaning of 'over all that he had' as all that belonged to such good was made seemingly subject to the power and control of that truth, also dealt with above, in `@@@4978`.
ppp18871#pid#4980. 'That Jehovah blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake' means that at this point the Divine imparted the celestial-natural to that truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'being blessed' as being enriched with celestial and spiritual good, so that an imparting by the Divine is meant by 'Jehovah blessed'; and from the meaning of 'the Egyptian's house' as the good dwelling in the natural mind, as above in `@@@4973`. From this it follows that the words 'Jehovah blessed the Egyptian's house' mean that at this point the Divine imparted the celestial-natural to it. The celestial-natural is good present in the natural which corresponds to the good belonging to the rational, that is, which corresponds to the celestial of the spiritual from the rational, meant by 'Joseph', `@@@4963`.
ttt[2] The term celestial, like spiritual, is used in reference both to the rational and to the natural, that is, both to the internal man, which is the rational man, and to the external, which is the natural man. For essentially, the spiritual is Divine Truth which goes forth from the Lord, while the celestial is Divine Good present within that Divine Truth. When Divine Truth containing Divine Good is received by the rational, or by the internal man, it is called the spiritual within the rational, but when it is received by the natural, or by the external man, it is called the spiritual within the natural. The same is so with Divine Good present within Divine Truth. When this good is received by the rational, or by the internal man, it is referred to as the celestial within the rational, but when it is received by the natural, or by the external man, it is referred to as the celestial within the natural. In man's case these two flow in both directly from the Lord and indirectly from Him through angels and spirits; but in the Lord's case while He was in the world they flowed in from Himself because the Divine existed within Him.
ppp18870#pid#4981. 'And the blessing of Jehovah was' means increases. This is clear from the meaning of 'the blessing of Jehovah'. In the genuine sense 'the blessing of Jehovah' means love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour, for those who are endowed with these are called 'the blessed of Jehovah' since they are in that case endowed with heaven and eternal salvation. Consequently 'the blessing of Jehovah' in the external sense, that is, in the sense which has to do with a person's state in the world, means resting content in God and on that account being content with one's position in society and with the amount of wealth one possesses, whether one is among the highly honoured and is wealthy or among the not so honoured and the poor. For the person who rests content in God regards positions and wealth as means to fulfill useful purposes; and when he thinks about these and at the same time about eternal life, he rates them as nothing and eternal life as that which is essential.
ttt[2] Because 'the blessing of Jehovah (or the Lord)' implies such increases in the genuine sense, blessing also implies countless other benefits and consequently means the various gifts which flow from it, such as enrichment with spiritual and celestial good, `@@@981`, `@@@1731`; fruitfulness resulting from the affection for truth, `@@@2846`; undergoing rearrangement into heavenly order, `@@@3017`; being endowed with the good of love and thereby being joined to the Lord, `@@@3406`, `@@@3504`, `@@@3514`, `@@@3530`, `@@@3584`; and joy, `@@@4216`. What is meant by 'blessing' therefore in any specific instance becomes clear from the context in which it appears. Here the meaning of 'the blessing of Jehovah' as increases in good and truth, that is, in life and doctrine, is evident from what follows it, for there it says that this blessing of Jehovah was 'in the house and in the field', and 'house' means good which is the good of life, while 'field' means truth which is the truth of doctrine. From this it is evident that increases in these are meant in this case by 'the blessing of Jehovah'.
ppp18869#pid#4982. 'On all that he had in the house and in the field' means in life and in doctrine. This is clear from the meaning of 'the house' as good, dealt with in `@@@2048`, `@@@2233`, `@@@2234`, `@@@2559`, `@@@3128`, `@@@3652`, `@@@3720`, and as 'the house' means good it also means life, since all good is the good of life; and from the meaning of 'the field' as the Church's truth, dealt with in `@@@368`, `@@@3508`, `@@@3766`, `@@@4440`, `@@@4443`, and as this means the Church's truth it also means doctrine, for all truth is the truth of doctrine. House and field are also referred to several times in other parts of the Word, and when in such places the celestial man is the subject, 'house' means celestial good and 'field' spiritual good. In this case celestial good is the good of love to the Lord, and spiritual good is the good of charity towards the neighbour. But when the spiritual man is the subject 'house' means the celestial as it exists with him, which is the good of charity towards the neighbour, while 'field' means the spiritual as it exists with him, which is the truth of faith. 'The house' and 'the field' have the same meanings in Matthew,
Let him who is on the roof of the house not go down to take anything out of his house; and let him who is in the field not turn back to get his clothing. `Matthew 24bbb17-18`.
See `@@@3652`.
ppp18868#pid#4983. 'And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand' means that it seemed as though all things were subject to its power and control. This is clear from what has been explained above in `@@@4978` where practically the same words occur, and also from what has been stated in `@@@4977`.
ppp18867#pid#4984. 'And he did not concern himself with anything except the bread that he ate' means that the good from there was made its own. This is clear from the meaning of 'bread' as good, dealt with in `@@@276`, `@@@680`, `@@@3478`, `@@@3735`, `@@@4211`, `@@@4217`, `@@@4735`; and from the meaning of 'eating' as being made one's own, dealt with in `@@@3168`, `@@@3513` (end), `@@@3596`, `@@@3832`, `@@@4745`. 'He did not concern himself with anything except the bread' means that it took to itself nothing else than good. One might think that when good makes truth its own, it makes its own that kind of truth which is the truth of faith; but in fact it makes the good of truth its own. Truths that have no useful purpose do indeed come near it but they do not enter into it. All useful purposes led to by truths are instances of the good of truth. Truths which have no useful purpose are separated, some of which are then retained, others laid aside. The ones that are retained lead in some direct or else more remote way to good and actually have a useful purpose. Ones that are laid aside do not lead to good, nor do they become linked to it. Initially all useful purposes exist as the truths of doctrine, but they move on to become forms of good. They become such when a person acts in conformity with them, for it is what the person actually practises that imparts such a nature to those truths. Every action springs from the will, and the will is what causes that which existed initially as truth to become good. From this it is evident that, when in the will, truth is no longer the truth of faith but the good of faith, and that it is not the truth of faith but the good of faith that brings happiness. For the latter exerts an influence on the essential constituent of a person's life, that is to say, on the intentions in his will, bringing him interior delight or bliss, and in the next life happiness that is called heavenly joy.
ppp18866#pid#4985. 'And Joseph was beautiful in form' means the good of life springing from this, 'and beautiful in appearance' means the truth of faith springing from it. This is clear from the meaning of 'beautiful in form and beautiful in appearance', for 'the form' is the essence of a thing, whereas 'the appearance' is the outward manifestation derived from it. And since good is the actual essence and truth is the outward manifestation springing from it, 'beautiful in form' means the good of life and 'beautiful in appearance' the truth of faith. For the good of life is a person's essential being (esse) since it resides in his will, while the truth of faith is the manifestation of it since it inhabits his understanding. Indeed whatever inhabits the understanding is a manifestation of something that originates in the will. The essential being (esse) constituting a person's life resides in the intentions of his will, and the manifestation (existere) of his life resides in the thoughts of his understanding. A person's understanding is nothing else than an unfolding of his will, also the imparting of a form to it that enables its true nature to be seen in an outward appearance.
ttt[2] From this one may see where the beauty - the beauty of the interior man - comes from. That is, it comes from the good present in the will by way of the truth of faith. The truth of faith presents that beauty in an outward form, but the good in the will is the supplier of that beauty and the producer of the outward form. Here is the reason for the indescribable beauty of the angels of heaven, for each is so to speak love and charity embodied in a form. When therefore anyone sees them in their beauty his deepest feelings are stirred. For the good of love received from the Lord shines forth from them through the truth of faith, enters into him, and stirs those feelings within him. From this, as also in `@@@3821`, one may see what is meant in the internal sense by 'beautiful in form and beautiful in appearance.
ppp18865#pid#4986. Verses `Genesis 39bbbccc7-9` And it happened after these events, that his lord's wife lifted up her eyes towards Joseph and said, Lie with me. And he refused and said to his lord's wife, Behold, my lord does not concern himself with anything`fff1` in the house, and all that he has he has given into my hand. He himself is no greater in this house than I am, and he has not held back anything from me except yourself, in that you are his wife. How then shall I do this great evil, and sin against God?
'And it happened after these events' means a third state. 'That his lord's wife lifted up her eyes towards Joseph' means unspiritual natural truth wedded to natural good, and its perception. 'And said, Lie with me' means that it desired a joining together. 'And he refused' means an aversion. 'And he said to his lord's wife' means a perception regarding that truth. 'Behold, my lord does not concern himself with anything in the house' means that natural good did not have even the desire to make anything its own. 'And all that he has he has given into my hand' means that everything was subject to its power and control. 'He himself is no greater in this house than I am' means that that good is prior in respect of time but not of state. 'And he has not held back anything from me except yourself' means that becoming joined to the truth wedded to that good was forbidden. 'In that you are his wife' means because this truth must not be joined to any other good. 'How then shall I do this great evil, and sin against God?' means that, this being so, they exist set apart and not joined together.
`nnn1. literally, does not know what is with me
ppp18864#pid#4987. 'And it happened after these events' means a third state. This is clear from the meaning of 'it happened' or 'so it was' as that which implies something new, as above in `@@@4979`, and therefore at this point a third state; and from the meaning of 'after these events' as after those things were completed. In the original language one line of thought is not separated from another by punctuation marks,`fff1` as in other languages, but the text seems to run so to speak from start to finish without any breaks in it. Ideas in the internal sense follow one another in a similar way without breaks, moving on from one state of a thing into another state of it. But when one state comes to an end and another major one takes its place, this is indicated by the expression 'so it was' or 'it happened', while a minor change of state is indicated by the word 'and'. This is the reason why these expressions occur so frequently. This third state described now is more internal than the previous one.
`nnn1. i.e. before the introduction of Masoretic pointing and punctuation
ppp18863#pid#4988. 'That his lord's wife lifted up her eyes towards Joseph' means unspiritual natural truth wedded to natural good, and its perception. This is clear from the meaning of 'wife' as truth wedded to good, dealt with in `@@@1468`, `@@@2517`, `@@@3236`, `@@@4510`, `@@@4823`, and in this case as unspiritual natural truth wedded to natural good since that kind of truth and this kind of good are described - the good to which that truth is joined being meant here by 'lord', `@@@4973`; and from the meaning of 'lifting up the eyes' as thought, attention, and also perception, dealt with in `@@@2789`, `@@@2829`, `@@@3198`, `@@@3202`, `@@@4339`.
ttt[2] 'Wife' in this instance means natural truth, but not natural truth that is spiritual, while her husband, to whom 'lord' refers here, means natural good, but not natural good that is spiritual. But some explanation is needed to show what is meant by natural good and truth that are not spiritual and what is meant by natural good and truth that are spiritual. With the human being, good has two different origins - one being heredity and consequently that which is adventitious, the other being the doctrine of faith and charity or, in the case of gentiles, their religious belief. Good arising from the first origin is unspiritual natural good, whereas good arising from the second is spiritual natural good. Truth too comes from a like origin, for all good has its own truth wedded to it.
ttt[3] Natural good arising from the first origin, which is hereditary and consequently adventitious, bears many similarities to natural good arising from the second origin, which is the doctrine of faith and charity or some other set of religious beliefs. But those similarities are confined to outward appearances; inwardly the two are completely different. Natural good arising from the first origin may be compared to the good that is also present among living creatures of a gentle nature, whereas natural good arising from the second is peculiar to the human being who uses his reason when he acts, and who consequently knows how to administer what is good in different ways, in keeping with useful purposes that need to be served. These different ways in which good has to be administered are what the doctrine regarding what is right and fair teaches, and in a higher degree what the doctrine regarding faith and charity teaches; and in the case of people who are truly rational, reason also serves in many instances to corroborate what doctrine teaches.
ttt[4] Those whose performance of good arises from the first origin are moved as if by blind instinct in their exercise of charity, whereas those whose performance of good arises from the second origin are moved by an inner sense of duty and so with their eyes so to speak fully open to what they are doing. In short, those whose performance of good arises from the first origin are not led by any conscientious regard for what is right and fair, still less by any such regard for spiritual truth and good; but those whose performance of good arises from the second origin are led by conscience. See what has been stated already on these matters in `@@@3040`, `@@@3470`, `@@@3471`, `@@@3518`, and what is said below in `@@@4992`. But what is involved in all this cannot possibly be explained intelligibly; for anyone who is not spiritual, that is, not regenerate, sees good from the point of view of the outward form it takes. He does this because he does not know what is meant by charity or by the neighbour; and the reason why he does not know this is that no doctrinal teachings regarding charity exist. Such matters can be seen very clearly in the light of heaven, and they can consequently be seen clearly by spiritual or regenerate persons because they dwell in the light of heaven.
ppp18862#pid#4989. 'And said, Lie with me' means that it desired a joining together. This is clear from the meaning of 'lying with me' as a joining together, that is to say, of spiritual natural good, meant here by 'Joseph', and unspiritual natural truth, meant by 'his lord's wife'; but this would be an unlawful joining together. Joinings together of good and truth, and of truth and good, are described in the Word by means of marriages, see `@@@2727-2759`, `@@@3132`, `@@@3665`, `@@@4434`, `@@@4837`, and therefore unlawful joinings together are described by means of liaisons with prostitutes. Here therefore the joining of unspiritual natural truth to spiritual natural good is described by his lord's wife's wanting to lie with him. No joining together of these exists internally, only externally, where they appear to be joined together but in fact have no more than a mere association with each other. This also is the reason why it says that she took hold of him by his garment and that he left his garment in her hand; for in the internal sense 'a garment' means what is external, by means of which the two only appear to be joined, that is, they have no more than a mere association with each other, as will be seen below at verses `Genesis 39bbbccc12-13`.
ttt[2] These meanings cannot be seen as long as the mind or thought concentrates solely on the historical details, for in that case there is no thought of anything else than Joseph, Potiphar's wife, and Joseph's flight after leaving behind his garment. But if the mind or thought were to concentrate on what is meant spiritually by 'Joseph', 'Potiphar's wife', and the 'garment', it would be seen that some spiritual but unlawful joining together was also meant here. When this is so, the mind or thought is able to concentrate on what is meant spiritually, provided the belief is present that the historical Word is Divine not by virtue of the mere historical narrative but by virtue of what is spiritual and Divine contained within it. If a person possessed such a belief he would know that its spiritual and Divine content was concerned with the goodness and truth present in the Church and in the Lord's kingdom, and in the highest sense with the Lord Himself. When a person enters the next life, which happens immediately after death, if he is one of those who are being raised up to heaven he will come to realize that he retains none of the historical details recorded in the Word. He knows nothing whatever about Joseph, nor anything about Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but only about the spiritual and Divine realities which he has learned from the Word and made part of his own life. These therefore are the kinds of matters inwardly present in the Word, which are called its internal sense.
ppp18861#pid#4990. 'And he refused' means an aversion. This is clear from the meaning of 'refusing' as being filled with aversion - with aversion for that joining together - for anyone whose refusal is so great that he even flees out of doors is filled with aversion.
ppp18860#pid#4991. 'And he said to his lord's wife' means a perception regarding that truth. This is clear from the meaning in the historical narratives of the Word of 'saying' as perceiving, often dealt with already, and from the meaning of 'his lord's wife' as unspiritual natural truth, wedded to natural good, dealt with above in `@@@4988`.
ppp18859#pid#4992. 'Behold, my lord does not concern himself with anything in the house' means that natural good did not have even the desire to make anything its own. This is clear from the meaning of 'his lord' as natural good, dealt with in `@@@4973`, and from the meaning of 'not concerning himself with anything in the house' as having no desire to make anything its own. This meaning of these words cannot be seen except from the train of thought in the internal sense, for now the subject is a third state, in which the celestial of the spiritual was present in the natural. In this state natural good and truth which are spiritual are separated from natural good and truth which are not spiritual. Consequently 'not concerning himself with anything in the house' means that no desire existed to make anything its own. But being arcana, these matters cannot be seen clearly without the help of examples.
ttt[2] Let the following serve to shed light on the matter. If mere lust leads a man to be joined to his wife, this is something natural which is unspiritual; but if conjugial love leads him to be joined to her this is something natural which is spiritual. And if after that - when he is her husband - it is mere lust that joins him to her, he considers himself to be a sinner who is no different from someone behaving in a sexually immoral way; which being so he has no further wish to make such lust his own. Or let another example be given. To do good to a friend, regardless of his character and simply because he is one's friend, is a natural action that is unspiritual; but to do good to a friend on account of the good residing with him, all the more so when one regards good itself as the friend to whom one is to do good, is a natural action that is spiritual. When this attitude exists with a person, he realizes that he himself is a sinner if he does good to a friend who is evil; for in that case he does evil to others through that friend. When this is his state he turns away from making his own that unspiritual natural good which had existed with him previously. The same is so with everything else.
ppp18858#pid#4993. 'And all that he has he has given into my hand' means that everything was subject to its power and control. This is clear from what has been stated above in `@@@4978`, where similar words occur. But the difference is that there the subject is the second state which the celestial of the spiritual within the natural passed through, for at that point natural good applied itself to truth and made this its own, `@@@4976`, `@@@4977`. In that state good in actual fact had dominion, though truth appeared to do so, which was why the words used there meant that everything belonging to that good was seemingly subject to its power and control. Now however the subject is the third state which the celestial of the spiritual passed through when that good present within the natural was made spiritual. And because in this state spiritual natural good makes nothing its own, the words now used therefore mean that all was subject to the power and control of the celestial of the spiritual.
ppp18857#pid#4994. 'He himself is no greater in this house than I am' means that that good is prior in respect of time but not of state. This is clear from the meaning of 'his being no greater in this house than I am' as the fact that the lordship of the one has equal status with that of the other, and therefore both are prior. But from the train of thought in the internal sense it is evident that unspiritual natural good is prior in respect of time, and that spiritual natural good is prior in respect of state, as is also plain from what has been shown above in `@@@4992`. To be prior in respect of state means to be superior as regards essential nature.
ppp18856#pid#4995. 'And he has not held back anything from me except yourself' means that becoming joined to truth wedded to that good was forbidden. This is clear from the meaning of 'having held back from him' as that which has been forbidden, and from the meaning of the wife whom he held back, to whom 'yourself' refers here, as unspiritual natural truth, dealt with in `@@@4988`.
ppp18855#pid#4996. 'In that you are his wife' means because this truth must not be joined to any other good. This is clear from the meaning of 'wife' as truth wedded to its own good, dealt with in `@@@1468`, `@@@2517`, `@@@3236`, `@@@4510`, `@@@4823`, in this case unspiritual natural truth wedded to unspiritual natural good, as above in `@@@4988`.
ppp18854#pid#4997. 'How then shall I do this great evil, and sin against God?' means that, this being so, they exist set apart and not joined together. This is clear from the meaning of 'evil' and likewise of 'sin' as a state when things are set apart and not joined together. That is to say, it describes what happens if spiritual natural good is joined to unspiritual natural truth; being unlike and incompatible the two pull away from each other. The expressions 'doing evil' and 'sinning against God' are used because regarded in itself evil, and sin too, is nothing else than being parted from good. Also, evil exists essentially in disunion, as is evident from what good is. Essentially good is a joining together because all good stems from love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour. The good of love to the Lord joins a person to the Lord and consequently to all good that goes forth from the Lord; and the good of love towards the neighbour joins him to heaven and the communities there, so that by means of this love as well he is joined to the Lord. For properly speaking, heaven is the Lord since He is the All in all there.
ttt[2] But with evil the opposite applies. Evil stems from self-love and love of the world. Evil stemming from self-love sets a person apart not only from the Lord but also from heaven, for he loves no one but himself and others only insofar as he sees them as part of his self-interest, or as they identify themselves with him. Consequently he turns everyone's attention towards himself and entirely away from others, most of all away from the Lord. When a large number act like this within a single community it follows that all are set apart from one another; inwardly each sees another as his enemy. If anyone acts contrary to his self-interest he hates that person and takes delight in his destruction. The evil of the love of the world is not dissimilar, for this consists in a longing for other people's wealth and goods, and in a longing to gain possession of everything owned by others; and these longings too lead to all kinds of enmity and hatred, though in a lesser degree. For anyone to come to know what evil is, and so what sin is, let him merely try to see what self-love and love of the world are; and to come to know what good is, let him merely try to see what love to God and love towards the neighbour are. By trying to do this he will come to see what evil is, and as a consequence what falsity is; and from this he will come to see what good is, and as a consequence what truth is.
ppp18853#pid#4998. Verses `Genesis 39bbbccc10-15` And it happened as she spoke to Joseph day after day, that he did not listen to her, to lie with her, to be with her. And it happened on a certain day, that he went to the house to do his work, and none of the men`fff1` of the house was there in the house. And she took hold of him by his garment, saying, Lie with me. And he left his garment in her hand and fled, and went out of doors. And it happened as she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled out of doors, that she cried out to the men of her house, and said to them - she said, See, he has brought us a Hebrew man to make sport of us. He came to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. And it happened as he was hearing [me], that I lifted up my voice and cried out, and he left his garment with me, and fled, and went out of doors.
'And it happened' means a fourth state. 'As she spoke to Joseph day after day' means thought regarding that matter. 'That he did not listen to her, to lie with her' means that it was filled with aversion to such a joining together. 'To be with her' means lest it should thereby be made one with it. 'And it happened on a certain day' means a fifth state. 'That he went to the house to do his work' means when engaged in the work of being joined to spiritual good within the natural. 'And none of the men of the house was there in the house' means without the help of any other. 'And she laid hold of him by his garment' means that unspiritual truth attached itself to the outermost existence of spiritual truth. 'Saying, Lie with me' means to the end that a joining together might be effected. 'And he left his garment in her hand' means that this outermost truth was removed. 'And fled, and went out of doors' means that this being so it did not have that truth with which to protect itself. 'And it happened as she saw' means a perception regarding this matter. 'That he had left his garment in her hand and had fled out of doors' means regarding the separation of that outermost truth. 'That she cried out to the men of the house' means falsities. 'And said to them - she said' means an urgent demand. 'See, he has brought us a Hebrew man means something servile. 'To make sport of us' means that this rose up. 'He came to me to lie with me' means that that truth wanted to be joined to it. 'And I cried out with a loud voice' means that it was filled with aversion. 'And it happened as he was hearing [me]' means when it was discerned. 'That I lifted up my voice and cried out' means that there was a great aversion. 'And he left his garment with me' means evidence that an approach had been made. 'And fled, and went out of doors' means that it nevertheless separated itself.
`nnn1. literally, no man from the men
ppp18852#pid#4999. 'And it happened' means a fourth state. This becomes clear from what has been stated above in `@@@4979`, `@@@4987`.
ppp18851#pid#5000. 'As she spoke to Joseph day after day' means thought regarding that matter. This is clear from the meaning of 'speaking' as thinking, dealt with in `@@@2271`, `@@@2287`, `@@@2619`, that is to say, thought regarding Joseph, and so regarding the matter which 'Joseph' represents here. 'Day after day' or every day means intently. The reason why in the internal sense 'speaking' means thinking is that thought is an inward conversing, and when a person is thinking he is conversing with himself. Things of an inward kind are expressed in the sense of the letter by means of the outward ones that correspond to them.
ppp18850#pid#5001. 'That he did not listen to her, to lie with her' means that it was filled with aversion to such a joining together. This is clear from the meaning of 'not listening to' as not hearkening to or not obeying, dealt with in `@@@2542`, `@@@3869`, in this case as being filled with aversion since he refused to hearken to her, so much so that he left his garment in her hand and fled; and from the meaning of 'lying with her' as being unlawfully joined together, dealt with in `@@@4989`.
ppp18849#pid#5002. 'To be with her' means lest it should thereby be made one with it. This is clear from the meaning of 'being with someone' as existing joined more closely or united together. The reason 'being' means existing united is that the actual being (esse) of a thing is good, and all good flows from love, love being essentially a spiritual togetherness or oneness. This explains why in the highest sense the Lord is called 'Being' (Esse), or Jehovah; for all good flowing from love or spiritual togetherness is derived from Him. Because the love that is derived from Him and returned to Him through the acceptance of it, and also mutual love, make heaven one, heaven is therefore called a marriage, which gives it its 'being'. One would be able to say the same of the Church if love and charity existed there as its essential being. Therefore where no togetherness or unity exists, the Church has no 'being', for unless something were present there to unite its members or make them one, the Church would disintegrate and cease to exist.
ttt[2] The same happens to civil society if everyone there is out only for himself and nobody, except for his own purposes, takes any interest in anyone else. Without laws to unite its members, and without any fears for loss of gain, position, reputation, or life, society would fall completely to pieces. Therefore the 'being' of such a society in which everyone is out for himself consists in its members being joined or united together, but at a purely external level. Internally that society does not have any 'being'. Consequently in the next life people like this are confined to hell, where in a similar way they are kept in check by external restraints, especially by fears. But as often as those restraints are eased, one individual hastens to destroy another, there being nothing he wants to do more than to destroy another completely. It is different in heaven, where love to the Lord and mutual love deriving from that love join its members together at an internal level. When external restraints are removed there, angels become even more closely joined to one another. And being thereby drawn nearer to the Divine Being (Esse) coming to them from the Lord, they are filled deeper still with affection, and from this with a sense of freedom, and as a consequence with feelings of blessedness, happiness, and joy.
ppp18848#pid#5003. 'And it happened on a certain day' means a fifth state. This is clear from the meaning of 'it happened' or 'so it was' as that which implies something new, as above in `@@@4979`, `@@@4987`, `@@@4999`, and so a new state, in this case a fifth one.
ppp18847#pid#5004. 'That he went to the house to do his work' means when engaged in the work of being joined to spiritual good within the natural. This becomes clear from the fact that it is this joining together that 'Joseph' serves to describe in this chapter, and therefore when it says 'he went to the house to do his work' the work involved in that joining together is meant.
ppp18846#pid#5005. 'And none of the men of the house was there in the house' means without the help of any other. This becomes clear from the fact that this statement means that Joseph was alone; and because in the internal sense 'Joseph' is descriptive of the Lord, of how He glorified His Internal Human or made this Divine, these words are used to mean that He made it so without the help of any other. This truth that the Lord made His Human Divine by His own power, and so without the help of any other, may be recognized from the consideration that because He was conceived from Jehovah, the Divine was within Him, and thus that the Divine was His own. Therefore when He was in the world and made the Human within Him Divine, He did so with the aid of the Divine, which was His own, that is, He did it by Himself. This is described in Isaiah as follows,
Who is this who is coming from Edom, with spattered clothes from Bozra, He that is glorious in His apparel, marching in the vast numbers of His strength? I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no man was with Me. I looked about but there was none helping, and I wondered, but there was not one to uphold; therefore My own arm brought salvation to Me. `Isaiah 63bbb1`, `Isaiah 63bbbccc3`, `Isaiah 63bbbccc5`.
And elsewhere in the same prophet,
He saw that there was no man, and as it were wondered that there was no intercessor; therefore His own arm brought salvation to Him, and His righteousness lifted Him up. Consequently He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation upon His head. `Isaiah 59bbb16-17`.
For more about the Lord making the Human within Him Divine by His own power, see `@@@1616`, `@@@1749`, `@@@1755`, `@@@1812`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc1813`, `@@@1921`, `@@@1928`, `@@@1999`, `@@@2025`, `@@@2026`, `@@@2083`, `@@@2500`, `@@@2523`, `@@@2776`, `@@@3043`, `@@@3141`, `@@@3382`, `@@@3637`, `@@@4286`.
ppp18845#pid#5006. 'And she took hold of him by his garment' means that unspiritual truth attached itself to the outermost existence of spiritual truth. This is clear from the representation of Potiphar's wife, to whom these words refer, as unspiritual natural truth, dealt with in `@@@4988`; from the meaning of taking hold of' in this case as attaching itself; and from the meaning of 'garment' as truth, dealt with in `@@@1073`, `@@@2576`, `@@@4545`, `@@@4763`, in this case the outermost existence of spiritual truth, which in this state is Joseph's - 'Joseph' here representing spiritual natural good, `@@@4988`, `@@@4992`. For it was to the truth belonging to this good that unspiritual natural truth wished to become joined, as is evident from the train of thought in the internal sense.
ttt[2] But as to what a wish on the part of unspiritual natural truth to become joined to spiritual natural truth may be and what is implied by it, this is a mystery at the present day, chiefly because few people have any concern or wish to know what spiritual truth is and what unspiritual truth is. Indeed that lack of concern is so great that people are hardly willing to listen when the word spiritual is used, for at the mere mention of this a kind of darkness instantly descends upon them, and along with this a melancholy feeling, which gives rise to a distaste for the word and so a rejection of it. The truth of this has also been demonstrated to me. While I was once pondering on these matters, some spirits from the Christian world were present, who were then taken back into the state that had been theirs in the world. The mere thought of spiritual good and truth not only gave them a melancholy feeling; it also seized them with such loathing on account of their aversion to it that they said they felt as they had done in the world when they wanted to vomit. But I was allowed to tell them that this happened because their affections were centred solely on earthly, bodily, and worldly interests; and when a person is concerned solely with these, the things of heaven nauseate him. I also told those spirits that when they had gone to church where the Word was preached they had not gone out of any wish to know the things of heaven, but out of some other desire present in them since early childhood. This experience showed me what the Christian world is like at the present day.
ttt[3] The overall reason why this is the situation is that the Christian Church at the present day preaches faith alone, not charity, and so doctrine, not life. And when the Church fails to preach life, no one acquires any affection for good; and when there is no affection for good, neither is there any for truth. Consequently most people find it contrary to their life's delight to listen to anything about the things of heaven beyond what they have known since they were young children.
ttt[4] But the fact of the matter is that a person exists in the world to the end that he may be introduced through the services he renders there into the things of heaven. But his life in the world lasts barely a moment so to speak, compared with his life after death; for the latter goes on for ever. Yet there are few who believe that they will be alive after death, which explains why heavenly things are of little importance to them. And this I can positively declare, that a person is in the next life as soon as he has died, carrying on to the full the life he was leading in the world; the nature of his life remains the same as it was in the world. I can positively declare this to be so because I know it to be so. I have talked to almost all those I knew during their earthly lives after these were over. I have therefore been allowed to know through actual experience the nature of the lot that awaits everyone - that each person's lot is determined by the life he has led. But the kind of people mentioned above do not believe any of this. As to what a wish on the part of unspiritual natural truth to become joined to spiritual natural truth may be, and what is implied by it, meant by 'she took hold of Joseph by his garment', this will be discussed in what follows immediately below.
ppp18844#pid#5007. 'Saying, Lie with me' means to the end that a joining together might be effected. This is clear from the meaning of 'lying' as a 'lying' together, dealt with above in `@@@4989`, `@@@5001`, in this case to the end that a joining together might be effected, that is, with the consequent object that one might be joined to the other.
ppp18843#pid#5008. 'And he left his garment in her hand' means that this outermost truth was removed. This is clear from the meaning of 'leaving in her hand' as leaving to its power and control, for 'the hand' means power or power and control, `@@@878`, `@@@3091`, `@@@3387`, `@@@3563`, `@@@4931-4937`, a removal being meant here since it is said that 'she took hold of his garment'; and from the meaning of 'a garment' as outermost truth, dealt with above in `@@@5006`. No one can begin to understand what is meant by a wish on the part of unspiritual natural truth to join itself to spiritual natural truth, or by the latter being filled with aversion to such a joining together and therefore leaving the outermost truth behind, that is, allowing this to be removed, except with the help of examples to shed light on the matter. But first, see what unspiritual natural truth is, and what spiritual natural truth is, in `@@@4988`, `@@@4992`; also the fact that the two are associated with each other so far as outermost things are concerned but that they are in no way joined to each other [`@@@4989`].
ttt[2] But, as has been said, examples will help to shed light on this matter. Take this one first. Within the Church there exists the unspiritual natural truth which says that good should be done to the poor, widows and orphans, and that doing good to these is the charity which is commanded in the Word. But unspiritual truth, or rather, people guided by unspiritual truth, understand the poor, widows and orphans to be those who are literally called such, whereas spiritual natural truth, or rather, people guided by this kind of truth - while giving their firm assent to this unspiritual natural truth - place such an understanding of the expression 'poor, widows and orphans' in the last or outermost position. For in their hearts they say that not all people calling themselves the poor are in fact such, and also that some of those who are poor lead very wicked lives, fearing neither God nor men, and ready to plunge into every unmentionable deed but for the fear that holds them back. They also say in their hearts that in the Word the expression 'the poor' is used to mean those who are such spiritually, that is to say, those who know and in their hearts confess that nothing good or true at all that originates in themselves resides with them and that everything that is there has been freely given them. The expressions 'widows' and 'orphans' are considered by them in a similar way, the difference being that each involves some different state. From this example it may be seen that to people guided by spiritual natural truth doing good to the poor, widows and orphans who are literally called such is an outermost truth, and that this outermost truth is like a garment covering the things within. One may also see that this outermost truth fits in with the truth as understood by those guided by unspiritual natural truth; and that even so the two are not joined together but have merely an association with each other.
ttt[3] Take the example of doing good to the neighbour. Those guided by spiritual natural truth consider every individual person to be their neighbour, yet each one to be such in a different manner and degree. In their hearts they say that those governed by good are pre-eminently the neighbour to whom good should be done. They also say that those governed by evil are likewise the neighbour, but that good is done to these if they suffer the punishments prescribed by laws, because those punishments serve to correct them, as well as to prevent evil being done to the good by them and the bad examples they set. Those within the Church who are guided by unspiritual natural truth likewise call every individual person the neighbour; but they do not take into consideration the degree or manner in which each one is a neighbour. Therefore if motivated by natural goodness they do good indiscriminately, to everyone who moves them to pity, most of all to the evil rather than the good because the evil in their malice know how to arouse feelings of pity. From this example too one may see that this outermost truth brings together those guided by unspiritual natural truth and those guided by spiritual natural truth, and yet the two are still not joined together but have merely an association with each other, since one has a different idea and different perception from the other of the neighbour and of charity towards him.
ttt[4] Take a further example. Those guided by spiritual natural truth say in general that the poor and the wretched are to inherit the kingdom of heaven. But for them this is an outermost truth since they gather up within this the belief that 'the poor' and 'the wretched' are those who are spiritually such, and that these are the ones meant in the Word, to whom the heavenly kingdom will belong. But those within the Church who are guided by unspiritual natural truth say that no others can inherit the kingdom of heaven but those who in the world have been reduced to poverty, live in wretched circumstances, and suffer greater affliction than everyone else. They also call riches, important positions, and worldly joys just so many distractions or means that divert a person from heaven. This example also shows what an outermost truth is and the nature of the harmony between the two kinds of natural truth; it shows that they are not joined together, but have merely an association with each other.
ttt[5] Take this example too. Those guided by spiritual natural truth consider it an outermost truth that those objects which in the Word are called holy really were holy, such as the ark and mercy seat, the lampstand, the incense, the leaves, and so on, as well as the altar; also the temple; and Aaron's vestments too, which are called vestments of holiness - in particular the ephod together with the breastplate where the urim and thummim were. Yet the idea they have so far as this outermost truth is concerned is that those objects were not in themselves holy, nor had they had any holiness instilled into them, but that they were holy in a representative sense, that is to say, they represented the spiritual and celestial realities of the Lord's kingdom, and in the highest sense the Lord Himself. People guided by unspiritual natural truth however also call those objects holy, but holy in themselves because holiness has been instilled into them. From this one may see that the two kinds of truth meet but do not become joined to each other; for as the spiritual man's conception of that outermost truth is different from that of the merely natural man, a different form is taken by each.
ttt[6] Take yet another example. To the spiritual man it is an outermost truth that all Divine truths can be substantiated from the literal sense of the Word, and also by means of the rational or intellectual concepts known to the enlightened. That same outermost or general truth is also accepted by the natural man, but he has the simple belief that everything is true which can be substantiated from the Word, above all that which he himself has substantiated from it. The spiritual man and the natural man meet each other therefore in their common acceptance of the idea that every Divine truth can be substantiated; yet one sees this general truth in a different way from the other. The merely natural man believes that whatever he himself has substantiated for himself, or else has heard others substantiate, is a Divine truth. He does not realize that falsity can be substantiated just as easily as truth, and that, once substantiated, falsity has all the appearance of truth; indeed it appears to be more true than the truth itself, because the illusions of the senses enter in and present it in the light of the world separated from the light of heaven.
ttt[7] This too shows what outermost spiritual truth seems like to the natural man - like a garment. It also shows that when this garment is removed nothing at all is left to draw the two together, as a consequence of which the spiritual man no longer has anything with which to protect himself from the natural man, which considerations are meant by Joseph's leaving his garment behind, fleeing, and going out of doors. For the merely natural man does not acknowledge interior truths, and therefore when exterior ones are taken away or removed a severance instantly takes place. What is more, all the ideas introduced by the spiritual man to substantiate outermost truth are called falsities by the natural man since he has no ability to see whether the idea substantiated by the spiritual man is really true. It is not possible to see by natural light what belongs to spiritual light, for to do so is contrary to order. But seeing by spiritual light what belongs to natural light is in keeping with order.
ppp18842#pid#5009. 'And fled, and went out of doors' means that this being so it did not have that truth with which to protect itself. This is clear from the meaning of 'fleeing and going out of doors' after he had left his garment behind, as a separation that had taken place, or the fact that the two no longer had anything in common. Consequently, since 'a garment' means outermost truth, the meaning is that it had no truth with which to protect itself, regarding which see what has been shown immediately above, towards the end of `@@@5008`.
ppp18841#pid#5010. 'And it happened as she saw means a perception regarding this matter. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing' as perception, dealt with in `@@@2150`, `@@@3764`, `@@@4567`, `@@@4723`. The matter that was perceived is the separation which came about through the non-acknowledgement of outermost truth any longer, meant by 'he left his garment in her hand and fled out of doors', as is evident from what has been stated above in `@@@5008`, `@@@5009`.
ppp18840#pid#5011. 'That she cried out to the men of the house' means falsities. This is clear from the meaning of 'a cry' as falsity, dealt with in `@@@2240`, and consequently 'crying out' is used in reference to falsity. In the genuine sense 'the men of the house' are truths in the service of good, but in the contrary sense they are falsities in the service of evil. The fact that they are falsities which Potiphar's wife tells the men of the house now, and her husband later on, is evident from what she actually tells them. For the natural truth that is meant here by 'Potiphar's wife' is incapable of telling anything but falsities, which are the opposite of the truth, once outermost spiritual truth, the most external aspect of which can seemingly effect a joining together, has been torn away, see above towards the end of `@@@5008`.
ppp18839#pid#5012. 'And said to them - she said' means an urgent demand. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' here as an urgent demand, for in the internal sense 'saying' means perception, `@@@2862`, `@@@3395`, `@@@3509`, and also communication, `@@@3060`, `@@@4131`. Here therefore, because the expression 'she cried' is used, followed by 'said - she said', a communication delivered with intense feeling, that is, an urgent demand to listen, is meant.
ppp18838#pid#5013. 'See, he has brought us a Hebrew man' means something servile. This is clear from the meaning of 'a Hebrew man', an expression that is used to refer to servitude, dealt with in `@@@1703`. The meaning is also plain from what follows below, for there Joseph is called 'a Hebrew slave' and also simply 'a slave' - 'The Hebrew slave whom you have brought to us came to me' verse `Genesis 39bbbccc17`, and 'this is what your slave did to me' verse `Genesis 39bbbccc19`. The principal reason why 'a Hebrew man' here means something servile is that those governed by unspiritual natural truth and good, represented here by 'Potiphar and his wife', do not regard spiritual truth and good, represented here by 'Joseph', as anything other than their slave. So far as both the life and the doctrine of these people are concerned, order is upside down, for with them the natural is lord and the spiritual is slave, whereas, when true order exists, the spiritual is lord and the natural is slave. For the spiritual is prior, more internal and higher, also closer to the Divine, while the natural is posterior, more external and lower, and further removed from the Divine. For this reason both with the individual person and within the Church the spiritual is compared to heaven and also actually called heaven, and the natural is compared to the earth and also actually called the earth. This also explains why, when spiritual people - that is, those with whom the spiritual is lord - are seen in the next life in the light of heaven, they have their heads pointing upwards towards the Lord and their feet downwards towards hell. But when natural people - that is, those with whom the natural is lord - are seen in the light of heaven, they have their feet pointing upwards and their heads downwards; and this is so, even though they are seen differently in their own light, which is a feeble light produced by the evil desires and consequent false notions they are steeped in, `@@@1528`, `@@@3340`, `@@@4214`, `@@@4418`, `@@@4531`, `@@@4532`.
ttt[2] The way natural people look upon spiritual things as so to speak a body of slaves was also represented by the way the Egyptians regarded the Hebrews as nothing else than their slaves; for the Egyptians represented those who are preoccupied with natural knowledge, and so are natural people, whereas the Hebrews represented those who belong to the Church and so are spiritual when considered in relation to the Egyptians. Furthermore the Egyptians thought the Hebrews were of so low or slave-like a degree that it was an abomination to them to eat with Hebrews, `Genesis 43bbb32`; also the sacrifices which Hebrews offered were an abomination to them, `Exodus 8bbb26`.
ppp18837#pid#5014. To make sport of us' means that this rose up. This is clear from the train of thought in the internal sense, and also from the meaning of 'making sport of', when this is stated with intense feeling, as rising up.
ppp18836#pid#5015. 'He came to me to lie with me' means that that truth - spiritual natural truth - wanted to be joined to it. This is clear from the meaning of 'coming' in this case as wanting, for anyone who comes intent on something is wanting it; and from the meaning of 'lying with' as joining together, dealt with above in `@@@4989`, `@@@5001`, `@@@5007`.
ppp18835#pid#5016. 'And I cried out with a loud voice' means that it was filled with aversion. This is clear from the meaning of 'a cry' as speaking falsely, dealt with in `@@@5011`, and therefore 'crying out' here implies the same. That is to say, false speaking is implied in her crying out to the men of the house for help, meaning that the unspiritual natural truth felt repelled by the spiritual; it is also implied by her assertion that she cried out with a loud voice, meaning that it was filled with aversion to the spiritual.
ppp18834#pid#5017. 'And it happened as he was hearing [me]' means when it was discerned. This is clear from the meaning of 'hearing' as obeying and also discerning. As regards obeying being meant, see `@@@2542`, `@@@3869`; but the fact that discerning is meant as well is evident from the actual function performed by the ear and consequently from the nature of hearing. The function of the ear is to receive what is spoken by another and to convey this to the general seat of sensation, so that this may discern from what has been conveyed to it the other person's thought. This is the reason why 'hearing' means discerning. The nature of hearing therefore is to carry one person's utterances expressing his thought to another's thought, and from there into his will, and from there into actions. This is the reason why 'hearing' means obeying. Such are the two functions proper to hearing, and in spoken languages they are distinguished from each other by the expressions 'to hear someone', meaning to discern what he says, and 'to listen to someone or hearken to him, meaning to obey him. The reason hearing has these two functions is that the human being is unable to communicate the contents of his thought and also of his will in any other way; nor can he do other than use reasons to persuade and lead others to do and obey what he wills. From this one may see the circle through which desires and ideas are communicated - from will into thought and thus into speech, then from speech by way of his ear into another's thought and will. From this one may also see why spirits and angels who correspond to the ear or sense of hearing in the Grand Man are not only 'discernments' but also 'obediences'. As regards their being 'obediences', see `@@@4652-4660`; and being these they are also 'discernments', for the one entails the other.
ppp18833#pid#5018. 'That I lifted up my voice and cried out' means that there was a great aversion. This is clear from the meaning of 'crying out with a loud voice' as aversion, dealt with above in `@@@5016`; here therefore 'lifting up the voice and crying out' means a great aversion.
ppp18832#pid#5019. 'And he left his garment with me' means evidence that an approach had been made. This is clear from the meaning of 'leaving one's garment' as removing outermost truth, dealt with in `@@@5008`, but in this case as evidence, for the garment in her hand which she showed - that is, outermost truth by which it gave proof that it wished to be joined - would be evidence that an approach had been made. This meaning, it is true, seems rather far-fetched; nevertheless it is what her words hold within them, see below in `@@@5028`.
ppp18831#pid#5020. 'And fled, and went out of doors' means that it nevertheless separated itself. This is clear from the meaning of 'fleeing, and going out of doors' as separating itself, as above in `@@@5009`. These then are the falsities told by Potiphar's wife to the men of the house regarding Joseph, meaning in the internal sense the falsities which unspiritual natural truth tells regarding spiritual natural truth or which the unspiritual natural man tells regarding the spiritual natural man, see `@@@4988`, `@@@4992`, `@@@5008`.
ppp18830#pid#5021. Verses `Genesis 39bbbccc16-18` And she kept his garment with her until his lord came to his house. And she spoke to him in`fff1` these words, saying, The Hebrew slave whom you have brought to us came to me, to make sport of me. And it happened as I lifted up my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me and fled out of doors.
And she kept his garment with her' means that it retained outermost truth. 'Until his lord came to his house' means so that it might communicate with natural good. 'And she spoke to him in these words' means speaking falsely. 'Saying, The Hebrew slave whom you have brought to us came to me' means that servile thing. 'To make sport of me' means that it rose up. 'And it happened as I lifted up my voice and cried out' means when it discerned the great aversion. 'That he left his garment with me' means proof. 'And fled out of doors' means that at that point it separated itself.
`nnn1. literally, according to
ppp18829#pid#5022. 'And she kept his garment with her' means that it retained outermost truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'keeping with oneself' as retaining, and from the meaning of 'a garment' as outermost truth, dealt with above, in `@@@5006`, `@@@5008`; for once that truth is removed the spiritual man no longer has anything with which he may protect himself against people who are merely natural, `@@@5008` (end), `@@@5009`, and so he suffers harm. For any utterance made in this case by the spiritual man is declared by those who are merely natural to be something they do not perceive and also something that is not true. At the mere mention of anything internal or spiritual they either ridicule it or else call it something arcane, as a result of which any link they may have with the spiritual man is severed. And once that link has been severed the spiritual man undergoes trying experiences at the hands of those who are merely natural. This is also represented by the fact that after the wife used the garment to prove to her husband the accusation she was making, Joseph was thrown into the prison-house.
ppp18828#pid#5023. 'Until his lord came to his house' means so that it might communicate with natural good. This is clear from the meaning of 'lord' as unspiritual natural good, dealt with in `@@@4973`, `@@@4988`. 'House' in the internal sense is the natural mind, for the natural mind, like the rational mind also, resembles a house. 'The husband' in it is good, 'the wife' truth; 'the daughters and sons' are affections for good and truth, as well as being forms of good and truth which are begotten from that aforesaid good and truth as their parents, while 'the women servants and the men servants' are the desires and the known facts that minister to and support them. Here therefore 'until his lord came to his house' means when natural good comes to its own dwelling-place, where also there is the truth that is joined to it, though in this case it is falsity which convinces the good that it is truth. For unspiritual natural good is easily convinced that falsity is truth and that truth is falsity. The expression 'his lord' is used because the unspiritual natural looks on the spiritual as something servile, `@@@5013`.
ttt[2] The fact that a person's natural mind, like his rational mind, is called 'a house' is evident from the following places:
In Luke,
When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person he passes through dry places seeking rest; and if he does not find any he says, I will return to my house out of which I came. And if when he comes he finds it swept and decorated, he goes away and brings seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they enter in and dwell there. `Luke 11bbb24-26`.
'House' here stands for the natural mind, which is called a house that is 'empty and swept'`fff1` when there are no forms of good and truth in it meant by 'husband and wife', no affections for good and truth meant by 'daughters and sons', nor anything such as supports these meant by 'women servants and men servants'. The person himself is 'the house' because the rational mind together with the natural mind constitutes a human being. Without the inhabitants just mentioned - that is, without the forms of good and truth, and without the affections for these, and the service rendered by those affections - a person is not a human being but a beast.
ttt[3] The human mind is again meant by 'a house' in the same gospel,
Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and house falls upon house. `Luke 11bbb17`.
And in Mark,
If a kingdom is divided against itself, this kingdom cannot stand. Also, if a house is divided against itself, this house cannot stand. No one can go into the house and plunder the vessels of a strong man unless he first binds the strong man, and then he may plunder his house. `Mark 3bbb14`, `Mark 3bbbccc25`, `Mark 3bbbccc27`.
'Kingdom' means truth, `@@@1672`, `@@@2547`, `@@@4691`, and 'house' good, `@@@2233`, `@@@2234`, `@@@3720`, `@@@4982`, 'house' meaning good on account of its greater importance.
ttt[4] In Luke,
If the householder had known at what hour the thief was coming he would certainly have been awake and would not have permitted his house to be broken into. `Luke 12bbb39`.
In the same gospel,
From now on there will be in one house five divided, three against two, and two against three. Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother. `Luke 12bbb52-53`.
This refers to the spiritual conflicts which members of the Church enter into once the internal or spiritual contents of the Word have been opened up to them. 'House' stands for the actual person or his mind, while the 'father', 'mother', 'son', and 'daughter' in it are forms of good and truth together with affections for these, or in the contrary sense evils and falsities together with affections for these, which are the source of conflict and the things to be grappled with in such conflict.
ttt[5] The Lord commanded His disciples, in Luke,
Whatever house you enter, first say, Peace be to this house! And if indeed a son of peace is there, your peace shall rest on it; but if not, it shall return to you. But remain in the same house; eat and drink what they have there. Do not pass on from house to house. `Luke 10bbb5-7`.
This represented the requirement for them to remain with genuine good, that is, with the good of love to the Lord and of charity towards the neighbour, and not to pass on to any other kind. For more about the actual person or his mind being meant by 'a house', see also `@@@3538`, `@@@4973`.
`nnn1. empty and swept belongs to `Matthew 12bbb44`.
ppp18827#pid#5024. 'And she spoke to him in these words' means speaking falsely. This is clear from what follows, for the things she told her husband were false.
ppp18826#pid#5025. 'Saying, The Hebrew slave whom you have brought to us came to me' means that servile thing. This is clear from what has been stated above in `@@@5013`. Here 'that servile thing' is used to mean spiritual truth and good, which at this particular point is represented by 'Joseph'. This truth and good is seen by the unspiritual natural man as something servile. For example, the desire on the part of spiritual truth and good is that a person's delight should lie not at all in eminent positions or any kind of superiority over others but in the services rendered by him to his country and to communities corporately and individually, thus that a person's delight should lie in the purpose that positions of importance are meant to serve. The merely natural man is entirely ignorant of what this delight is and denies the existence of it. Although he too can in a hypocritical manner say much the same thing, he nevertheless makes 'a lord' out of the delight received from important positions existing for his own benefit and 'a slave' out of such positions existing for the benefit of communities corporately and individually. For in every single thing he does he regards himself first and communities only after himself, promoting their welfare only insofar as they promote his.
ttt[2] Take another example. If one says that the purpose and end in view determine whether something is spiritual or unspiritual - spiritual when the purpose and end have the common good, the Church, and God's kingdom in view, but unspiritual when the purpose and end have, preponderating over these, oneself and one's own family and friends in view - the natural man is indeed able to affirm this with his lips but not in his heart. He can do so with his lips because of the instruction received by his understanding, but he cannot do so in his heart because his understanding has been ruined by evil desires. Consequently he makes 'a lord' out of the purpose and end that has himself in view, and 'a slave' out of the purpose and end that has the common good, the Church, and God's kingdom in view. Indeed he says in his heart, How can anyone possibly be any different from this?
ttt[3] In short, everything that the natural man regards as being separated from himself is considered utterly worthless by him and is cast aside; and everything that he regards as being linked to himself is considered by him to be valuable and acceptable. The natural man neither knows nor wishes to know about any spiritual way of thinking in which a person sees himself linked to everyone who is governed by good, whether or not he is actually acquainted with him, and separated from everyone who is governed by evil, whether or not he is actually acquainted with him. For when this is a person s way of thinking he is linked to those in heaven and cut off from those in hell. But since the natural man does not experience any delight in that spiritual attitude, for the reason that he does not entertain any spiritual influence, he therefore looks upon it as something utterly base and servile, thus something worthless compared with the delight he experiences, coming to him through his physical senses and through the desires of his selfish and worldly love. But this delight is a dead one because it originates in hell, whereas the delight brought by a spiritual influence is living, since this delight, which comes by way of heaven, begins in the Lord.
ppp18825#pid#5026. 'To make sport of me' means that it rose up. This is clear from the meaning of 'making sport of' as rising up, as above in `@@@5014`.
ppp18824#pid#5027. 'And it happened as I lifted up my voice and cried out' means when it discerned the great aversion. This is clear from the meaning of 'lifting up the voice and crying out' as a great aversion, also as above, in `@@@5018`.
ppp18823#pid#5028. That he left his garment with me' means proof. This is clear from the meaning of 'leaving his garment with her' as evidence that an approach had been made, dealt with in `@@@5019`. 'A garment' in the internal sense means truth, and 'leaving a garment' means removing outermost truth, `@@@5008`. The reason why evidence or proof that an approach had been made is meant here is that when outermost truth is left behind or removed it supplies to the natural man evidence against the spiritual man. For it seems as though the spiritual man is joined to the natural man by means of outermost truth, but it is not in fact so joined, see `@@@5008` - the reason being that when the spiritual man explains that truth the lack of any similarity between the two becomes apparent. But let the examples introduced previously in `@@@5008` serve to illustrate this.
ttt[2] The spiritual man says, just as the natural man does, that good should be done to the poor, widows, and orphans; but the spiritual man thinks that good should not be done to the poor, widows, or orphans who are evil, or who call themselves poor when in fact they are rich; for then they would mislead simply by the words they use. From this the spiritual man is led to deduce that the poor, widows, and orphans mentioned in the Word mean those who are spiritually so. But the natural man thinks that good should be done to the poor, widows, and orphans who are literally called such, and that none other than these are meant in the Word; nor is he interested in whether they are evil or good people. What the poor, widows, and orphans may be on a spiritual level he neither knows nor wishes to know. From this one may see that this outermost truth - that good should be done to the poor, widows, and orphans - appears to be the same with both the spiritual man and the natural man; but when it is explained no such similarity exists. But when the lack of any similarity comes out, the two are consequently parted from each other, and then outermost truth serves the natural man as evidence or proof that an approach has been made. Therefore it speaks falsely against the spiritual man who no longer has anything with which to protect himself. Accordingly this example too serves to show why and in what way 'a garment' means evidence or proof.
ttt[3] Take another example. The spiritual man says, just as the natural man does, that good should be done to the neighbour. He also says that everyone is his neighbour, yet he thinks that one person is his neighbour in a different respect and degree from another, and that to do good to an evil person because he calls himself his neighbour is to do evil to the neighbour. The natural man joins the spiritual man in subscribing to that outermost truth - the truth that good should be done to the neighbour, and also the truth that everyone is the neighbour. But he supposes that the neighbour is anyone who is favourably disposed towards him; and he has no interest in whether that person is good or evil. This example too shows that the two appear to be joined together so far as outermost truth is concerned, but that there is no real joining together, also that as soon as that truth is explained they become parted from each other. Once they are parted outermost truth serves the natural man as evidence against the spiritual man that the latter has been making sport of it so to speak. The same can be seen in all the other examples [in `@@@5008`].
ppp18822#pid#5029. 'And fled out of doors' means that at that point it separated itself. This is clear from the meaning of 'fleeing out of doors' as separating itself, as above in `@@@5020`, as a consequence of which it has no truth with which to protect itself, as in `@@@5009`.
ppp18821#pid#5030. Verses `Genesis 39bbbccc19-20` And it happened - as his lord heard his wife's words which she spoke to him, saying, This is what`fff1` your slave did to me - that his anger flared up. And Joseph's lord took him and committed him to the prison-house, a place where the king's bound ones were bound; and he was there in the prison-house.
'And it happened' means a new state. 'As his lord heard his wife's words which she spoke to him' means the communication of falsity which looked like the truth. 'Saying, This is what your slave did to me means corroboration. 'That his anger flared up' means an aversion to spiritual truth. 'And Joseph's lord took him' means temptation coming from the natural. 'And committed him to the prison-house' means involving false-speaking against good. 'A place where the king's bound ones were bound' means the state of those governed by falsities. 'And he was there in the prison-house' means the duration of that temptation.
`nnn1. literally, According to these words
ppp18820#pid#5031. 'And it happened' means a new state. This is clear from the meaning of 'it happened' or 'so it was' as that which implies something new or a new state, dealt with in `@@@4979`, `@@@4987`, `@@@4999`, in this case the state of spiritual natural good, represented by 'Joseph' after the outermost covering of truth has been removed from it, and so after it has ceased to be joined any longer to unspiritual natural truth and good.
ppp18819#pid#5032. 'As his lord heard his wife's words which she spoke to him' means the communication of falsity which looked like the truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'hearing the words' as communication, for 'hearing' means discerning, `@@@5017`, and so being communicated; from the meaning of 'wife' as unspiritual natural truth, dealt with already, though in this case falsity is meant. Actual false-speaking is meant by the things she told him, as above in `@@@5024`, and the one to which the falsity is communicated is unspiritual natural good, meant here by 'his lord', as above in `@@@5023`. The idea that to that good this falsity looked like the truth is clear from what follows below.
ttt[2] Dealt with here is the fact that unspiritual natural good is easily convinced, so easily that to it falsity looks altogether like truth. For what unspiritual natural good is and what it is like - that is, who those people are with whom that good resides, and what they are like - see above in `@@@4988`, `@@@4992`, `@@@5008`, `@@@5013`, `@@@5028`. In these places it is shown that they are those who by heredity and consequently adventitiously are disposed to be meek and upright, and so who do what is good from some natural inclination and not from any religious motive. Doing good from some natural inclination is entirely different from doing it from a religious motive. In the world a person cannot distinguish one from the other because he is not immediately aware of inward things; but in the next life he can clearly tell the difference because in that world inward things are laid bare. There thoughts, intentions, and ends in view reveal themselves, being laid bare as if in broad daylight.
ttt[3] This being so I have been allowed to know what those people are like with whom unspiritual good resides and what those are like with whom spiritual good resides. Those with whom unspiritual natural good resides allow themselves to be persuaded by no matter whom, easily so by the evil, for evil spirits and genii are in their element or their life's delight when they can get into another's desires; and once they have entered them they allure that person into every kind of evil. For at such times they convince him that what is false is true. This they can easily do to those with whom unspiritual natural good resides. They cannot do the same to those with whom spiritual good resides because these know from within themselves what evil and falsity are. The reason for this is that when those with whom spiritual good resides lived in the world they welcomed whatever doctrine prescribed, and disciplined their internal man in the same, thereby enabling heaven to act upon their internal man. But when those with whom unspiritual natural good resides lived in the world they did not welcome anything prescribed by doctrine or discipline their internal man in the same. Consequently they have nothing laid down in them into which heaven can operate, but whatever enters them from heaven passes straight through; and when this enters the natural man it is not welcomed there because evil ones, that is, the devil's crew, instantly remove it by smothering it, or repelling it, or perverting it.
ttt[4] Therefore those whose good is wholly natural suffer severely in the next life. Sometimes they complain profusely about being among those in hell even though, they believe, they have done good, just as has everyone else. But they have been told that in their doing of good they were no different from harmless living creatures that are not endowed with reason. They had shown no concern, they are told, for anything good and true that is known to the Church; and since, as a consequence of this, nothing existed in their internal man to receive what was good and true, they now have nothing enabling angels to protect them. Furthermore, under a cloak of goodness, they had performed very many evil deeds.
ppp18818#pid#5033. 'Saying, This is what your slave did to me' means corroboration. This becomes clear from his firm belief that his wife had spoken the truth, and that as a result her accusation, so far as he was concerned, was corroborated. The wife who convinced him means unspiritual natural truth, though at this point falsity is meant; for unspiritual natural good easily allows itself to be convinced by falsity, see immediately above in `@@@5032`. It is Well known that falsities can be corroborated to look exactly like truths. This is evident from all heresies and from every aspect of any heresy. Though they are falsities, corroborations of them nevertheless cause people who adhere to a heresy to see them as truths. The same point is evident in people who are not religious. These people in their thinking set themselves firmly against things of the Church, so firmly that they see as the truth the idea that the Church exists merely to keep the common people down. They also see as the truth the idea that natural forces are the be-all and end-all and that the Divine is so remote as to be virtually nothing at all, as well as the idea that in death the human being is no different from any animal. People with whom unspiritual natural good resides allow themselves, more easily than others, to be persuaded and convinced of these and similar ideas, for they have no mirror so to speak within themselves, only one outside themselves which makes illusions look like realities.
ppp18817#pid#5034. That his anger flared up' means an aversion to spiritual truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'anger' as a departure from the good of charity, dealt with in `@@@357`, and so an aversion, in this case an aversion to spiritual truth since that truth is the subject here. The reason 'anger' means an aversion is that as long as a person is angry with another he feels averse to him; for anger arises or is aroused in someone when the love linking him to some other person, or to some particular object, is offended by that person or object. When the link is broken, that person flares up or becomes angry, as though something in his life that gives him delight, and thus something of his own life, has been lost. This sorrow turns into grief, and the grief into anger.
ppp18816#pid#5035. 'And Joseph's lord took him' means temptation coming from the natural. This is clear from what follows immediately after this, for the narrative goes on to refer to the committal of Joseph to the prison-house, describing in the internal sense the temptation of spiritual good within the natural. This being the implication of the words 'Joseph's lord took him', it is also their spiritual meaning. There are two kinds of temptations - those which involve truths and those which involve forms of good. Temptations involving truths are the work of spirits, but those involving forms of good are the work of genii. Spirits in the next life are distinguished from genii by the fact that spirits act upon the understanding part of the mind, and so upon matters of faith, whereas genii act upon the will part and so upon matters of love. That is to say, such spirits allow themselves to be seen, and also reveal themselves by making utterances, but genii make themselves inconspicuous and do not reveal themselves except by their entry into a person's passions and desires. They also exist separated in the next life, for the evil or hellish spirits appear in front and to either side beneath the lower earth, whereas the evil or hellish genii are beneath and to the rear, deep down at the back underneath the lower earth. Temptations involving truths are the work, as stated, of evil spirits, but temptations involving forms of good are the work of evil genii. From here onwards the subject is temptations - those which are the work of evil spirits, and so ones that involve false-speaking against good. These temptations are milder than those which are the work of evil genii; they also arise before the latter kind do.
ppp18815#pid#5036. 'And committed him to the prison-house' means involving false-speaking against good. This is clear from the meaning of 'being committed to the prison-house' and 'being kept bound there' as being subjected to temptations involving false-speaking against good, dealt with below. But first of all something must be said about temptations. At the present day scarcely anyone in the Christian world knows where temptations originate. Those who undergo them do not believe them to be anything more than the feelings of anguish which creep in because of the evils residing inwardly with a person, which first make him uneasy, then fill him with anxiety, and finally torment him. But he is totally unaware of the fact that they are the work of the evil spirits present with him. The reason he is unaware that this is so is that he does not believe he is in the company of spirits while he is living in the world; indeed he has scarcely any belief that any spirit at all is present with him, when in fact a person, so far as his interiors are concerned, exists in constant association with spirits and angels.
ttt[2] As for temptations themselves, they are going on while a person is in the actual process of being regenerated, for no one can be regenerated unless he also undergoes temptations; and the evil spirits around him are the means through which those temptations are brought about. In temptation the person is brought into a state in which the evil that possesses him, that is, possesses his own essential self, is dominant. Once he enters this state evil and hellish spirits surround him, and when they realize that inwardly he is protected by angels those evil spirits reactivate the false ideas he has previously contemplated and the evil deeds he has committed. But the angels defend him from within. This conflict is what the person experiences as temptation, yet the experience is so vague that he is aware of it as scarcely anything more than a feeling of anxiety. For a person, especially one who has no belief at all in influx, dwells in a state of complete obscurity and discerns scarcely the smallest fraction of the things over which evil spirits and angels are engaged in conflict. Yet a battle is taking place at such a time over that person and his eternal salvation, with both sides using what is within him; for both draw on what resides with the person and engage in conflict over it. The truth of this I have been led most certainly to know. I have heard such conflict going on, I have perceived the influx taking place, and I have seen the spirits and the angels, to whom I spoke at the time and subsequently about what was happening.
ttt[3] As stated, temptations arise primarily when a person is becoming spiritual, for at that time he is gaining a spiritual understanding of the truths of doctrine. The person himself is often unaware that this is happening; even so, the angels present with him see spiritual concerns within his natural ones since his interiors at this time are open towards heaven. (This also explains why, after living in the world, a person who has been regenerated is among angels, where he both sees and perceives the spiritual concerns which had previously appeared to him as natural ones.) When therefore a person is such as this, it is possible for the angels to defend him in temptation when he is assailed by evil spirits; for the angels then have a place that has been established in him into which they can operate; that is, they can flow into the spiritual level established in him, and through this into that which is natural.
ttt[4] Once therefore outermost truth has been removed, with the result that the person does not possess anything to protect himself from those who are natural, dealt with in `@@@5006`, `@@@5008`, `@@@5009`, `@@@5022`, `@@@5028`, he enters into temptations in which evil spirits, all of whom are wholly natural, make accusations against him, especially that of false-speaking against good. They say, for example, that he has thought and said that good should be done to the neighbour and has also given proof of this in his actions, yet by the neighbour he now means only those with whom good and truth are present, not those with whom evil and falsity are present and who are incapable of receiving correction. Consequently, because he is no longer willing to do good to the evil, apart from punishing them so as to correct them and to protect his neighbour from what is evil, they accuse him of having thought and spoken what was false and of not thinking as he speaks.
ttt[5] Take another example. Because a person, once he has become spiritual, no longer believes it to be a holy and godly act to give to monasteries or even churches where great wealth exists, and because prior to his becoming spiritual he had thought it a holy and godly thing to do, those spirits accuse him of falsity. They reactivate all the thoughts he had cherished previously about such holy and godly giving, as well as all his actual deeds resulting from that way of thinking. Those spirits make similar accusations in countless other instances which these examples serve merely to illustrate somewhat. In particular those spirits enter the affections which the person possessed previously and reactivate these, reactivating also the falsities and evils which he had thought and committed, and in this way they fill him with anxiety and quite often with doubt extending to the point of despair.
ttt[6] Such then is the origin of spiritual kinds of anxiety and of those feelings called the pangs of conscience. What makes these appear to exist essentially within himself is influx and communication. Anyone who knows and believes this may be compared to a person who sees himself in a mirror but knows that it is not he himself who appears in the mirror or on the other side of it, only his image, whereas anyone who does not know and believe this may be compared to a person who sees himself in the mirror and supposes that he himself, not his image, appears there.
ppp18814#pid#5037. The reason why 'being committed to the prison-house' and 'being kept bound there' mean being subjected to temptations involving false-speaking against good is that the expression 'the prison house' is used for the entire place just beneath and round about the soles of the feet where those undergoing vastation are kept. Those undergoing vastation there are people who, in spite of their false assumptions and of their evil life arising from falsity, have nevertheless had good intentions. Such people cannot be received into heaven until they have divested themselves of their false assumptions and also of a living delight in them which sprang from these assumptions. People in that place are subjected to temptations, for the false assumptions and the living delights springing from these cannot be ousted except by means of temptations. The place where those people are, or rather the state which they are passing through, is meant in general by 'the prison-house' and those actual places by 'pits'. Regarding vastations in the next life, see `@@@698`, `@@@699`, `@@@1106-1113`, `@@@2699`, `@@@2701`, `@@@2704`. Those undergoing vastations are called 'the bound'; not that they are literally bound in any way but that they lack freedom so far as their previous thoughts and resulting affections are concerned.
ttt[2] Such is the condition of those meant in the Word by 'the bound' and by 'those who are in prison', as is evident from other places in the Word:
In Isaiah,
I will give You to be a covenant of the people, a light of the nations, to open the blind eyes, to bring the bound out of prison, out of the dungeon-house those who sit in darkness. `Isaiah 42bbb6-7`.
This refers to the Lord and His Coming. Here 'opening the blind eyes and bringing the bound out of prison, and out of the dungeon-house those who sit in darkness' stands for those who have no knowledge of goodness and truth but who nevertheless have the desire to know and be taught about these. But in this instance a different word is used in the original language to describe a prison.
ttt[3] In the same prophet,
All the young men are hidden in prison houses; they have become a prey, and none delivers and none says, Bring out. `Isaiah 42bbb22`.
'The young men' in the internal sense are the truths of faith, which are said 'to be hidden in prison-houses and to become a prey' when they are not acknowledged any longer. In the same prophet,
It will be on that day, that Jehovah will visit the host of the height on high, and the kings of the ground on the ground, and the bound will be gathered together over the pit, and they will be shut in`fff1` the dungeon; after a multitude of days they will be visited. `Isaiah 24bbb21-22`.
'The bound over the pit' stands for those undergoing experiences of vastation, that is, temptation.
ttt[4] In the same prophet,
What will you do on the day of visitation and vastation? It will come from afar. To whom will you flee for help? [Anyone] who has not bowed himself down will fall beneath the bound and beneath the slain. `Isaiah 10bbb3-4`.
'Beneath the bound' stands for the hell which lies below the places of vastation.' The slain' stands for those who through the false assumptions adopted by them have destroyed the truths of faith to a smaller extent than those pierced [by the sword] have done, dealt with in `@@@4503`.
ttt[5] In Zechariah,
He will speak peace to the nations, and His dominion will be from sea to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth. Also as for You, through the blood of Your covenant I will let out the bound ones from the pit in which there is no water. Return to the stronghold, O bound ones of hope. `Zechariah 9bbb10-12`.
'Letting out the bound ones from the pit' stands for those who are undergoing vastation and temptation; for the places where such undergo vastation are called 'pits', see `@@@4728`, `@@@4744`. In David,
Jehovah hears the needy and does not despise His bound ones. `Psalms 69bbb33`.
In the same author,
Let the groaning of him who is bound come before You. `Psalms 79bbb11`.
In the same author,
Jehovah looked from the heavens towards the earth to hear the groaning of him who was bound, to open to the sons of death. `Psalms 102bbb19-20`.
'Those who are bound' stands for those who are undergoing vastation and temptations. In Isaiah,
In a time of good pleasure I have answered You, and in a day of salvation I have helped`fff2` You; I have also guarded You, and I have given You for a covenant of the people to restore the land, to apportion the inheritances that have been laid waste, to say to those that are bound, Go out; and to those who are in darkness, Reveal yourselves. They will feed`fff3` along the roads, and on all slopes will their pasture`fff4` be. And they will neither hunger nor thirst. `Isaiah 49bbb8-10`.
ttt[6] In the same prophet,
The Spirit of the Lord Jehovih is upon Me, Jehovah has anointed Me; to bring good tidings to the poor He has sent Me, and to bind up the broken in heart; to preach liberty to captives, and to those who are bound, to him who is blind; to proclaim the year of Jehovah's good pleasure.
In David,
Jehovah who executes judgement for the oppressed, who gives bread to the hungry; Jehovah who sets the bound free; Jehovah who opens the blind [eyes]; Jehovah who lifts up the bowed down; Jehovah who loves the righteous; Jehovah who guards strangers, upholds the orphan and the widow. `Psalms 146bbb7-9`.
'The bound' stands for those who are undergoing vastation and temptations because of falsities.
From all these places it is also evident who are meant in Matthew by those who are bound or 'in prison' and likewise who are meant by 'the hungry, the thirsty, and strangers',
Then the King will say to those at His right hand, I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in, naked and you clothed Me around, I was sick and you visited Me, I was in prison and you came to Me. `Matthew 25bbb34-36`
Regarding these verses, see the preliminary section of the present chapter, `@@@4954-4958`.
`nnn1. literally, over
`nnn2. The Latin means heard, but the Hebrew means helped.
`nnn3. literally, pasture
`nnn4. The Latin means good pasture, but the Hebrew means their pasture, which Swedenborg has in other places where he quotes this verse.
ppp18813#pid#5038. 'A place where the king's bound ones were bound' means the state of those governed by falsities. This is clear from the meaning of 'a place' as a state, dealt with in `@@@2625`, `@@@2837`, `@@@3356`, `@@@3387`, `@@@4321`, `@@@4882`; and from the meaning of 'the king's bound ones' as those who are governed by falsities and who, being governed by falsities, undergo vastation, and those who, while being regenerated in the world, undergo temptation. For temptation involves the laying waste of falsity and at the same time the consolidation of truth. The expression 'the king's bound ones' is used because 'a king' in the internal sense means truth, `@@@1672`, `@@@1728`, `@@@2015`, `@@@2069`, `@@@3009`, `@@@3670`, `@@@4575`, `@@@4581`, `@@@4789`, `@@@4966`, and therefore 'his bound ones' means those governed by falsity. The places where the king's bound ones were kept were also called 'pits', which was why Joseph said, in verse `Genesis 40bbbccc15` of the next chapter,
By theft I have been taken out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also I have not done anything for which they should have put me in the pit.
As regards 'a pit' meaning a place of vastation, see `@@@4728`, `@@@4744`.
ppp18812#pid#5039. 'And he was there in the prison-house' means the duration of that temptation. This is clear from the meaning of 'the prison-house' as vastation and also temptation, dealt with just above in `@@@5036`, `@@@5037`, and from the meaning of 'being in that house' as staying there, and so the duration.
ppp18811#pid#5040. Verses `Genesis 39bbbccc21-23` And Jehovah was with Joseph, and showed mercy to him, and gave him favour in the eyes of the governor`fff1` of the prison-house. And the governor`fff1` of the prison-house gave into Joseph's hand all the bound who were in the prison-house; and everything they did there, he was the doer of it.`fff2` The governor of the prison-house oversaw nothing whatever that was in his hand, in that Jehovah was with him; and whatever he did, Jehovah made it prosper.
'And Jehovah was with Joseph' means that the Divine was inwardly present. 'And showed mercy to him' means Divine love within every individual thing. 'And gave him favour in the eyes of the governor of the prison-house' means consequent support in temptations. 'And the governor of the prison-house gave' means the truth governing in a state of temptations. 'Into Joseph's hand all the bound who were in the prison-house' means from Him over all falsities. 'And everything they did there, he was the doer of it' means absolute power and control. 'The governor of the prison-house oversaw nothing whatever that was in his hand' means that He Himself governed truth. 'In that Jehovah was with him' means from the Divine that was within Him. 'And whatever he did, Jehovah made it prosper' means that the Divine Providence began in Himself.
`nnn1. literally, prince or chief
`nnn2. i.e. it was done under his instructions
ppp18810#pid#5041. 'And Jehovah was with Joseph' means that the Divine was inwardly present, that is, present within the Lord, who is represented in the highest sense by 'Joseph'. At this point the Divine presence in temptations is meant, temptations being the subject here. For the Divine itself is Jehovah, whose existence or presence within the Lord is meant by 'Jehovah was with Joseph'. Because the sense of the letter is dealing with Joseph the expression 'with Joseph' is used, but in the internal sense, where the Lord is the subject, 'within the Lord' is meant. Anybody within the Church can recognize this from the consideration that the Lord was conceived from Jehovah and for that reason calls Him His Father on so many occasions. A person's essential being (esse) and consequently the inmost centre of life in him is received from his father, its coverings or outward clothing from his mother. Therefore the Lord's Essential Being (Esse) and consequently the inmost centre of life in Him was the Divine because it was Jehovah Himself, while its coverings or outward clothing constituted the human which He took upon Himself from His mother by being born from her. The nature of this human was such that it could undergo temptation, for it was defiled by hereditary evil received from His mother. But because the inmost centre of Him was the Divine, He was able by means of the power that was His own to cast out that hereditary evil received from His mother. This casting out took place in succeeding stages by means of temptations, until He underwent the final temptation, that on the Cross, at which point He fully glorified His Human, that is, made it Divine. From this one may see what is meant when it is said that the Divine was inwardly present.
ppp18809#pid#5042. 'And showed mercy to him' means Divine love within every individual thing. This is clear from the meaning of 'mercy' in the highest sense as Divine Love, dealt with in `@@@1735`, `@@@3063`, `@@@3073`, `@@@3120`, `@@@3875`. The Divine Being (Esse) itself is that Love which is meant in the highest sense and is completely beyond human comprehension. Acting by means of truth, that love brings all things into being and keeps them in being, both those which are animate and those which are inanimate. This Divine Love that emanated from that Essential Being (Esse) was flowing through the inmost centre of life within the Lord into every individual thing He did from the human which He had taken to Himself from His mother; it directed His attention towards particular ends, leading on to the final one, which was that the human race might be saved. And because the Lord could see, from the Divine itself present within Him, the essential nature of His human - that owing to its heredity it was steeped in evil - the words 'Jehovah showed mercy to him' are used, meaning in the highest sense the presence of Divine Love within every single thing. Divine mercy (misericordia) is nothing else than Divine Love directed towards those trapped in misery (miseriae), `@@@1099`, `@@@3063`, `@@@3875`, that is, towards those undergoing temptations. For people who undergo temptations dwell in misery, and these primarily are meant in the Word by 'the wretched' (miseri).
ppp18808#pid#5043. 'And gave him favour in the eyes of the governor of the prison-house' means consequent support in temptations. This is clear from the meaning of 'giving favour' as support, for 'giving favour' in temptations is bringing comfort and supporting with hope; from the meaning of 'the governor (or the prince)' as primary truth, dealt with in the next paragraph; and from the meaning of 'the prison-house' as the laying waste of falsity, and therefore temptation, dealt with above in `@@@5038`, `@@@5039`.
ppp18807#pid#5044. 'And the governor of the prison-house gave' means the truth governing in a state of temptations. This is clear from the meaning of 'the governor (or the prince)' as the primary and so governing truth, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'the prison-house' as the laying waste of falsity, and therefore temptation, dealt with above in `@@@5038`, `@@@5039`, `@@@5043`. What the truth governing in a state of temptations is must first be discussed. With all who are undergoing temptations truth from the Lord is flowing in, and this truth rules and governs their thoughts, uplifting them every time they are given to doubt and also to feelings of despair. This truth is what that governing truth is, and it is the kind of truth which they have learned from the Word and from doctrine and which they themselves have confirmed. Other kinds of truth may also be called on at such times, but these do not govern those persons interiorly. Sometimes the truth governing them does not make itself clearly visible in their understanding but lies obscured, yet continues to govern. For the Lord's Divine flows into that governing truth and in so doing keeps the interior parts of the mind within its domain, so that when it comes out into the light the person undergoing temptation receives comfort from it and is uplifted by it.
ttt[2] Not the actual truth but an affection for it is what the Lord uses to govern those undergoing temptations; for the Divine does not flow into anything except that which is regarded with affection. Truth that has been implanted and become rooted in a person interiorly has been implanted and become rooted there through affection. Absolutely nothing grows there without affection. Truth that has been implanted and become rooted through affection sticks in the mind, and it is recollected through an affection for it. Furthermore when that truth is recollected it also manifests the affection attached to it, an affection which in that person is a reciprocal one. This being what goes on in a person who undergoes temptations, no one is therefore allowed to experience any spiritual temptation until he reaches adult years and so has acquired some truth by means of which he may be governed. Without that truth he goes under, in which case his latter state is worse than his former one. From all this one may see what is implied by the truth governing in a state of temptations, meant by 'the governor of the prison-house'.
ttt[3] The reason 'a prince (or a governor)' means a primary truth is that 'a king' in the internal sense means the truth itself, `@@@1672`, `@@@1728`, `@@@2015`, `@@@2069`, `@@@3009`, `@@@3670`, `@@@4575`, `@@@4581`, `@@@4789`, `@@@4966`, and consequently because 'princes' are the king's chief subjects the primary features of that truth are meant by them. For this meaning of 'princes', see `@@@1482`, `@@@2089`; yet because those two paragraphs have not shown that meaning from other places in the Word, let some be introduced here: In Isaiah,
To us a boy is born, to us a son is given, on whose shoulder will be the government`fff1` - the prince of peace, increasing government`fff2` and peace [to which] there will be no end. `Isaiah 9bbb6-7`.
This refers to the Lord. 'The government upon his shoulder' means all Divine Truth in the heavens originating in Him, for the heavens are distinguished into separate principalities in keeping with the varieties of truth derived from good, which also explains why angels are called principalities. 'Peace' means the state of bliss in the heavens which inmostly affects what is good and true, `@@@3780`. This is why the Lord is called 'the prince of peace' and why it speaks of Him 'increasing government and peace to which there will be no end'.
ttt[4] In the same prophet,
The princes of Zoan are foolish, the wise counsellors of Pharaoh. How do you say to Pharaoh, I am a son of the wise, a son of the kings of old? The princes of Zoan have become fools, the princes of Noph deluded, and they have led Egypt astray, the corner-stone of the tribes. `Isaiah 19bbb11`, `Isaiah 19bbbccc13`.
This refers to Egypt, by which the Church's factual knowledge is meant, `@@@4749`, and so natural truth, which is the last and lowest degree of order. For the same reason Egypt is here called 'the corner-stone of the tribes', for by 'the tribes' are meant all aspects of truth in their entirety, `@@@3858`, `@@@3862`, `@@@3926`, `@@@3939`, `@@@4060`. Here however 'Egypt' is factual knowledge that perverts the truths known to the Church, and so is truths in the lowest degree of order that have been falsified, meant by 'the princes of Zoan and the princes of Noph'. The reason Egypt calls itself 'a son of the kings of old' is that the factual knowledge which existed in that land had its origin in the truths known to the Ancient Church. Actual truths are meant by 'kings', as shown above, and the truths known to the Ancient Church by 'the kings of old'.
ttt[5] In the same prophet,
Asshur does not think what is right and his heart does not consider what is right, for his heart is to destroy, and to cut off nations not a few, for he says, Are not my princes kings? `Isaiah 10bbb7-8`.
'Asshur' stands for reasoning about Divine truths which gives rise to falsities, and so stands for perverted reason, `@@@1186`. Truths falsified in this way, that is, falsities, which are the product of reasoning and look altogether like truths, are meant when Asshur says 'Are not my princes kings?' As long as a person's mind is fixed on the historical sense of the letter he cannot see or consequently believe that 'Asshur' means reasoning, and that 'princes who are kings' means major falsities which are regarded as supreme truths. Still less can he believe this if he refuses to entertain the idea that there is something holier and more universal within the Divine Word than that which is seen in the literal sense. Yet in the internal sense 'Asshur' is used to mean in the Word nothing else than reason and reasoning, and 'kings' to mean actual truths, 'princes' the primary features of truth. Also, those in heaven have no knowledge as to what or who 'Asshur' may be, besides which angels put away from themselves the idea of a king or a prince; and when they detect this idea residing with man they transfer it to the Lord and then perceive that which goes forth from the Lord and which is the Lord's in heaven, namely His Divine Truth going forth from His Divine Good.
ttt[6] In the same prophet,
Asshur will fall by the sword, not of man (vir), and a sword, not of man (homo), will devour him. Also his rock will pass away by reason of terror, and his princes will be dismayed by the ensign. `Isaiah 31bbb8-9`.
This too refers to Egypt, by which the Church's factual knowledge once it has been perverted is meant. Reasoning based on known facts regarding Divine truths which leads to perversion and falsification is meant by 'Asshur', those perverted and falsified truths being 'his princes'. 'The sword by which Asshur will fall' is falsity engaged in conflict with truth and bringing about the devastation of it, `@@@2799`, `@@@4499`.
In the same prophet,
The strength of Pharaoh will become shame for you, and trust in the shadow of Egypt ignominy, when his princes will be in Zoan. `Isaiah 30bbb3-4`.
'Princes in Zoan' stands for truths that have been falsified, and so stands for falsities, as above.
ttt[7] In the same prophet,
The spoon-bill and the duck will possess it, and the owl and the raven will dwell in it; and he will stretch over it the line of emptiness, and the plumb-line of a waste place. Let them call its nobles who are not there a kingdom, and all its princes will be nothing. `Isaiah 34bbb11-12`.
'The spoon-bill', 'the duck', 'the owl', 'the raven' stand for varieties of falsity which arise when Divine truths in the Word are rendered valueless. The desolation and laying waste of truth is meant by 'the line of emptiness and the plumb-line of a waste', while the falsities, which are primary truths so far as the people described here are concerned, are meant by 'its princes'. In the same prophet,
I will render the princes of holiness profane, and I will give Jacob to utter destruction and Israel to reproaches. `Isaiah 43bbb28`.
'Rendering the princes of holiness profane' refers to holy truths. The annihilation of the truth known to the Church - the internal Church and the external - is meant by 'giving Jacob to utter destruction and Israel to reproaches', 'Jacob' being the external Church and 'Israel' the internal, see `@@@4286`.
ttt[8] In Jeremiah,
There will enter through the gates of this city kings and princes seated on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their princes. `Jeremiah 17bbb25`.
Anyone who understands the Word at this point according to its historical sense cannot know that anything deeper and holier lies hidden within these words than the idea that kings and princes will enter through the gates of the city in chariots and on horses, from which he gathers that the duration of the kingdom is meant. But one who is aware of what is meant by 'city' in the internal sense, and what is meant by 'kings', 'princes', 'the throne of David', and 'riding in chariots and on horses' sees deeper and holier matters in this description. For 'the city', which is Jerusalem, means the Lord's spiritual kingdom, `@@@2117`, `@@@3654`; 'kings' Divine Truths, as shown above; 'princes' the primary features of truth; 'the throne of David' the Lord's heaven, `@@@1888`; and 'riding in chariots and on horses' the existence in the Church of a spiritual understanding, `@@@2760`, `@@@2761`, `@@@3217`.
ttt[9] In the same prophet,
O sword against the Chaldeans and against the inhabitants of Babel, and against its princes and against its wise men! O sword against the liars! O sword against its horses and against its chariots! `Jeremiah 50bbb35-37`.
'Sword' stands for truth engaged in conflict with falsity, and for falsity in conflict with truth and laying it waste, `@@@2799`, `@@@4499`. 'The Chaldeans' stands for those who profane truths, and 'the inhabitants of Babel' for those who profane good, `@@@1182`, `@@@1283`, `@@@1295`, `@@@1304`, `@@@1307`, `@@@1308`, `@@@1321`, `@@@1322`, `@@@1326`, `@@@1327` (end). 'Princes' stands for falsities, which to such people are primary truths. 'Horses' stands for the Church's possession of understanding, and 'chariots' for its doctrinal teaching, the laying waste of these being meant by 'a sword against its horses and against its chariots'.
ttt[10] In the same prophet,
How in His anger the Lord covers the daughter of Zion with a cloud! The Lord has swallowed up - He has not spared - all the dwelling-places of Jacob. He has destroyed in His wrath the strongholds of the daughter of Judah; He has cast them down to the ground; He has profaned the kingdom and her princes. The gates have sunk into the ground; He has broken in pieces her bars; her king and princes are among the nations. `Lamentations 1bbb1`, `Lamentations 1bbbccc2`, `Lamentations 1bbbccc9`.
'The daughter of Zion and Judah' stands for the celestial Church, in this case for that Church when it has been destroyed. 'The kingdom' stands for the truths of doctrine there, `@@@2547`, `@@@4691`, 'king' for truth itself, and 'princes' for the primary features of this truth.
ttt[11] In the same prophet,
Our skins have been blackened like an oven because of the storms of famine; they have ravished women in Zion, virgins in the cities of Judah. Princes have been hung up by their hands. `Lamentations 5bbb10-12`.
'Princes hung up by their hands' stands for the fact that truths have been made profane, for being hung up represented the damnation brought about by profanation. And because being hung up represented that profanation the command was also given that when the people went whoring after Baalpeor and worshipped their gods, the princes were to be hung up before the sun, `Numbers 25bbb1-4`, since 'to go whoring after Baalpeor and to worship their gods' was to make worship profane.
In Ezekiel,
The king will mourn, and the prince will be wrapped in stupidity, and the hands of the people of the land will be all atremble; I will deal with them in their way. `Ezekiel 7bbb27`.
Here likewise 'the king' stands for truth in general, and 'the prince' for the primary features of it.
ttt[12] In the same prophet,
The prince who is in the midst of them will be carried on the shoulder under darkness and will go forth; they will dig through the wall to lead out through it; he will cover his face, so that with the eye he does not see the earth. `Ezekiel 12bbb12`.
Here it is quite evident that 'the prince' does not mean a prince but truth known to the Church. When the words 'will be carried on the shoulder under darkness' are used in reference to it, the meaning is that total power is used to bear away among falsities, 'darkness' meaning falsities. 'Covering the face' means that truth is completely out of sight; 'so that with the eye he does not see the earth' means that nothing of the Church is visible, 'earth' or 'land' meaning the Church, see `@@@661`, `@@@1066`, `@@@1067`, `@@@1262`, `@@@1413`, `@@@1607`, `@@@1733`, `@@@1850`, `@@@2117`, `@@@4535`. In Hosea,
The children of Israel will sit many days with no king and no prince, and no sacrifice, and no pillar, and no ephod, and no teraphim. `Hosea 3bbb4`.
ttt[13] And in David,
All glorious is the king's daughter within, in her clothing with gold interweavings; in embroidered robes she will be led to the king. Instead of your fathers will be your sons; you will set them as princes in the whole earth. `Psalms 45bbb13-14`, `Psalms 45bbbccc16`.
'The king's daughter' means the Lord's spiritual kingdom. It is called His spiritual kingdom by virtue of the Lord's Divine truth, which in this instance is described by means of 'clothing consisting of gold interweavings and of embroidered robes'. 'Sons' are the truths of that kingdom which are derived from the Lord's Divine, which are going to be 'the princes', that is, the primary features of it.
'The prince' who is described - he and his possession in the New Jerusalem and in the new land - in `Ezekiel 44bbb3`; `Ezekiel ccc45bbb7-8`, `Ezekiel 45bbbccc17`; `Ezekiel ccc46bbb8`, `Ezekiel 46bbbccc10`, `Ezekiel 46bbbccc12`, `Ezekiel 46bbbccc16`, `Ezekiel 46bbbccc18`; `Ezekiel ccc48bbb21`, means, in general, truth that is derived from the Lord's Divine. For 'the New Jerusalem' in these places, 'the New Temple', and 'the new land' are used to mean the Lord's kingdom in heaven and on earth, which kingdom is described here in Ezekiel by means of representatives such as figure elsewhere in the Word.
`nnn1. literally, principality or princely rule
`nnn2. literally, multiplying the principality or princely rule
ppp18806#pid#5045. 'Into Joseph's hand all the bound who were in the prison-house' means received from Him over all falsities, that is to say, the truth governing in a state of temptations was received from Him. This is clear from the meaning of 'giving into Joseph's hand' as placing under its power and control ('the hand' means power and control, `@@@5008`, thus that which is received from Him - for anything done by the use of His power is something done by Him - while 'Joseph' means the Lord in the internal sense, as has often been shown above); and from the meaning of 'the bound in the prison-house' as falsities, dealt with above in `@@@5037`, `@@@5038`. Thus 'the governor of the prison-house gave into Joseph's hand all the bound who were in the prison-house' means the truth governing in the state of temptations that was received from Him and had power over all falsities, that is, He Himself was the source of the truth by means of which He governed falsities in the state of temptations. Here and in what follows at the end of this present chapter the subject in the internal sense is the Lord and the government executed by Him in a state of temptations. That is, it describes how He overcame, by His own power, the hells which were steeped in evils and falsities, and which were constantly pouring out evils and falsities onto the human race. For details about the Lord overcoming them and bringing them into subjection to Himself by His own power, thereby also glorifying the Human within Him or making it Divine, see `@@@1616`, `@@@1749`, `@@@1755`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc1813`, `@@@1904`, `@@@1914`, `@@@1921`, `@@@1935`, `@@@2025`, `@@@2026`, `@@@2083`, `@@@2159`, `@@@2574`, `@@@2786`, `@@@2795`, `@@@3036`, `@@@3381`, `@@@4075`, `@@@4286`, `@@@5005`. This is clear from many places in the Word, including the following in John,
I lay down My life,`fff1` so that I may receive it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself; I have power to lay it down and I have power to receive it again. `John 10bbb17-18`.
The passion of the Cross was the last temptation, by which He fully glorified the Human within Him, that is, made it Divine, as is also evident from many places in the Word, such as `John 13bbb31-32`; `John ccc17bbb1`, `John 17bbbccc5`; `Luke 24bbb26`.
`nnn1. literally, soul
ppp18805#pid#5046. 'And everything they did there, he was the doer of it' means absolute power and control. This may be seen without explanation, for these words imply that all things were of His doing, thus that He had absolute power and control to carry them out or leave them undone.
ppp18804#pid#5047. 'The governor of the prison-house oversaw nothing whatever that was in his hand' means that He Himself governed truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'the governor of the prison-house' as truth governing in a state of temptations, dealt with above in `@@@5044`, and from the meaning of 'overseeing nothing whatever that was in his hand' as His acting of Himself, and so with absolute power and control, as above in `@@@5045`, `@@@5046`.
ppp18803#pid#5048. in that Jehovah was with him' means from the Divine that was within Him. This is clear from what appears above in `@@@5041`.
ppp18802#pid#5049. 'And whatever he did, Jehovah made it prosper' means that the Divine Providence began in Himself. This is clear from the meaning of 'causing to prosper' as providence, dealt with in `@@@4972`, `@@@4975`. The Divine nature of this providence is meant by 'Jehovah', and its beginning in Himself by 'whatever he did'. The reason why in the highest sense 'causing to prosper' means providence is that all prosperity witnessed in the outermost things forming the natural dimension owes its origin to the Lord's Divine Providence. The truth of this, and also that everything which people call fortune owes its origin to the same, will in the Lord's Divine mercy be demonstrated elsewhere from experiences in the spiritual world.
ppp18801#pid#5050. CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE GRAND MAN - continued
IN THIS SECTION THE CORRESPONDENCE OF THE LOINS AND THE ORGANS OF GENERATION WITH IT
Who exactly in the Grand Man or heaven belong to the province of the hands, the arms, and the feet has been shown from experience at the end of the previous chapter, in `@@@4931-4953`. Now this present section must state which particular communities in heaven or the Grand Man are the ones to which the loins, also the parts associated with the loins called the generative organs, correspond. In general it should be recognized that the loins and associated organs correspond to genuine conjugial love and consequently to those communities where angels live who possess that love. The inhabitants of those communities are the most heavenly ones and in their lives they enjoy greater peace and delight than any others do.
ppp18800#pid#5051. In a peaceful dream I once saw some trees planted in a wooden receptacle, one of which was tall, another shorter, and two were small. The shorter tree gave me very great delight, and all the while a very lovely feeling of peacefulness, beyond my ability to describe, was filling my mind. When I woke up from my sleep I talked to those among whom my dream had originated. They were angelic spirits, see `@@@1977`, `@@@1979`. Who told me what was meant by that sight - conjugial love. The tall tree meant a husband, the shorter his wife, and the two small ones their children. Those angelic spirits went on to say that the very lovely feeling of peacefulness which filled my mind served to indicate the loveliness of the peace enjoyed by those in the next life who have led lives of genuine conjugial love. They added that people like these are the ones who belong to the province of the thighs immediately above the knees, and that those whose state is yet more lovely belong to the province of the loins. I was also shown that this province communicates through the feet with the soles and heels. The existence of this communication is also evident from the large nerve in the thigh which sends out its branches not only through the loins to the generative parts, which are the organs of conjugial love, but also through the feet to the soles and heels. Those angelic spirits also disclosed to me at this time the meaning in the Word of the acetabulum and the nerve in the thigh which was put out of joint when Jacob wrestled with the angel, `Genesis 32bbb25`, `Genesis 32bbbccc31-32`, dealt with in `@@@4280`, `@@@4281`, `@@@4314-4317`.
ttt[2] After this I saw a large dog, like the one which very ancient authors call Cerberus. It had horrible, gaping jaws. I was told that a dog such as this means the guard which is set to prevent a person crossing over from heavenly conjugial love to a love of adultery, which is a hellish love. For heavenly conjugial love consists in one living, content in the Lord, together with one's partner whom one loves very tenderly, and with one's children. In the world this brings a person a deeper pleasure, and in the next life heavenly joy. But if people cross over from that love to its opposite, and this opposite love seems to them to hold heavenly delight within it, though in fact it is a hellish delight, a dog resembling Cerberus presents itself as if on guard to prevent any communication of opposite delights.
ppp18799#pid#5052. The heaven through which the Lord imparts conjugial love is the inmost one, whose inhabitants enjoy greater peace than all others. Peace in the heavens may be compared to spring in the world which makes everything delightful; for in origin peace is something utterly heavenly. The angels inhabiting that inmost heaven are the wisest of all, and because of their innocence they are seen by others as young children. They themselves also love young children far more than even their forebears and mothers do. They are present with infants in the womb, and through them the Lord takes care of the nourishment and proper development of infants in the womb. Thus angels from that heaven are placed in charge of those who are pregnant.
ppp18798#pid#5053. There are heavenly and celestial communities to which the organs and parts dedicated to generation correspond - every single one in both sexes. Those communities are distinct and separate from others, even as that province in a man or woman is rightly distinct and separate from all the rest. The reason those communities are heavenly and celestial ones is that conjugial love is the fundamental love of all loves, `@@@686`, `@@@2733`, `@@@2737`, `@@@2738`. It also serves an incomparable purpose and as a consequence affords a delight that surpasses all other delights, for marriages are the seed-beds of the entire human race, also the seed-beds of the Lord's heavenly kingdom since heaven consists of members of the human race.
ppp18797#pid#5054. People who have had a very tender love of young children, such as mothers with that love, are in the province of the womb and organs round about it; that is, they are in the province of the cervix and ovaries. The life of those in that province is absolutely sweet and delightful, and their heavenly joy is greater than that of all others.
ppp18796#pid#5055. But I have not been allowed to know the identity and essential nature of the communities that belong to specific organs of generation because those communities are far too internal for anyone in a lower sphere to discern. Those communities also correlate with hidden functions served by these organs, hidden and also unknown to science for the providential reason that things such as these, which in essence are utterly heavenly, must not suffer any damage from filthy thoughts. They must not be damaged by thoughts that accompany wantonness, whoredom, or adultery and that are aroused in most people by the mere mention of those organs. This being so, let me describe some things witnessed by me which took place further away.
ppp18795#pid#5056. A certain spirit from another planet was once present with me. (Spirits from other planets will in the Lord's Divine mercy be spoken about elsewhere.) He asked me earnestly to intercede on his behalf to enable him to enter heaven. He said he was not aware of having done what was evil, only of having reprimanded inhabitants of that planet; for on his planet there are people who reprimand and chastise others when they do not lead correct lives. (Reference will be made to these people too when the inhabitants of other planets are dealt with.) That spirit added that after he reprimanded people he instructed them; and as he said this his voice seemed to crack. He also had the ability to arouse feelings of pity. The only answer I could give him however was that I was unable to help him in any way. Entrance into heaven, I told him, rested with the Lord alone; but if he was worthy he could entertain the hope of gaining it. At that point however he was sent back to be among upright spirits who belonged to his own planet; but those spirits said that he could not remain in their company because he was not like them. Nevertheless because his intense desire made him demand that he should be let into heaven, he was sent to a community of upright spirits belonging to our own planet. But these too told him that he could not remain with them. In addition to this his colour seen in the light of heaven was black, though he himself said it was not black but a ruddy brown.
ttt[2] I was told that this is what people of this sort are like initially, before they are received among those who constitute the province of the seminal vesicles, for in these vesicles sperm (semen)`fff1` is gathered together along with the suitable fluid with which the sperm is combined. That combination places the sperm in the right condition, so that once it has been sent forth it is released from the fluid at the cervix and thus serves to bring about conception. This kind of substance also holds within it the endeavour and so to speak desire to fulfill the same purpose and so to cast aside the fluid that clothes it. Something similar to this was seen to happen to that spirit. He returned to me, but now he was dressed in humble clothing. He said he had a burning desire to enter heaven and recognized that now he was in a fit state to remain there. I was led to say to him that this was perhaps a sign that he would be received there shortly. At this point angels told him to cast aside his clothing, which in his desire to do so he cast aside so quickly that hardly anything could have been done more quickly. This represented the nature of the desires of those in the province to which the seminal vesicles correspond.
`nnn1. In Latin semen is the sperm or seed within the seminal fluid, not - as in English - both the sperm and the fluid.
ppp18794#pid#5057. I once saw a mortar, standing by which there was a man who had an instrument made of iron. In his delusion the man thought he was pounding human beings in the mortar, tormenting them dreadfully. He took great delight in what he was doing, and that delight was communicated to me to enable me to know the nature of it and how strong it was in people of his kind. It was a hellish delight, and angels told me that it was the kind that reigned among the descendants of Jacob. These never felt more delighted than when they could treat gentile nations in a cruel fashion, exposing those they had slain to be devoured by wild animals and by birds, cutting up with saws and axes those who were still alive, and making them pass through the brickkiln, `2 Samuel 12bbb31`, also striking little children and hurling them to the ground. No one has ever been commanded to behave in these ways, nor has anyone ever been permitted to do so other than the kind of people in whom the nerve in the thigh has been put out of joint, `@@@5051`. Such spirits live beneath the right heel, where the adulterers who are also cruel dwell.
ttt[2] In view of this it is astonishing that anyone should ever believe that that nation was chosen or elected in preference to any other one. Believing that they were so elected many people go on to convince themselves of the idea that one's life is of no consequence at all but that election and consequent acceptance into heaven is attributable to mercy alone, irrespective of the life one has led. Yet anyone of sound reason can see that to think in that way is to think contrary to the Divine. The Divine is mercy itself, and therefore if the attainment of heaven were attributable to mercy alone irrespective of the life one leads, all would be accepted, no matter how many these might be. To thrust anyone down into hell to suffer torment there, when it was possible for him to be received into heaven, would not be mercy but the opposite of mercy, and to elect one in preference to another would not be righteousness but the opposite of righteousness.
ttt[3] Consequently those who have believed and convinced themselves of the idea that some have been elected and the rest have not been elected, also of the idea that admittance into heaven is attributable solely to mercy regardless of the life they have led, have been for the most part the kind of people who have led evil lives. These are told, as I have also heard and seen on several occasions, that the Lord never refuses anyone entrance into heaven, and that if they like they can find this out from experience. They are therefore raised up into some community of heaven whose inhabitants have led their lives under the influence of an affection for good, that is, they have led charitable lives. But when those raised up arrive there they begin, being evil, to suffer pain and inner torment because their life is contrary to that of heaven. And when heavenly light shines on them they look in that light like devils that are almost wholly devoid of human appearance. Some have sunken faces; some are all teeth, looking like crates; and some, who are different again, look like monsters. Thus they are horrified at themselves and hurl themselves headfirst into hell; and the deeper they can go, the better it is for them.
ppp18793#pid#5058. There was another spirit who in the world had been one of the quite distinguished. I had been acquainted with him then, though not with what he was like inwardly. In the next life however, after his state of life underwent a number of changes, he was shown to be deceitful. Having been some while among deceitful ones in the next life and having suffered severely there, he wished to be parted from them. I heard him saying at this time that he wished to enter heaven, for he too had believed that acceptance there was attributable to mercy alone. But he was told that if he entered heaven he would not be able to remain there and that he would suffer torment like those in the world experiencing death-throes. But in spite of being told this he persisted with his desire. He was allowed into a community where some of the simple good dwelt, in front overhead. But once he entered that community he began, in keeping with the life he had led, to act cunningly and deceitfully. Soon after this the simple good there started to complain that he was taking away their perception of what was good and true and consequently their delight, and that he was destroying their state as he did so. At that point some light from a more internal heaven was let in. In that light he looked like a devil, with the upper part of his nose horribly disfigured from some dreadful wound; and he also began to suffer torment within himself. Having experienced that torment he thrust himself away from there into hell. From this it is evident that what leads to heaven is not election and acceptance attributable to mercy, but a person's life. Yet every aspect of a life consisting of goodness and every aspect of a faith composed of truth is, so far as those in the world who are recipients of mercy are concerned, attributable to mercy. To them being accepted into heaven is an act of mercy, and these are the ones who are called the elect, `@@@3755` (end), `@@@3900`.
ppp18792#pid#5059. When those who have lived in ways that are the opposite of conjugial love - that is, in adulterous ways - have drawn near me, they have introduced pain into my loins, the severity of which has depended on the nature of the adulterous life led by them. That influx also demonstrated that the loins corresponded to conjugial love. Furthermore their hell is situated beneath the area behind the loins, under the buttocks, where they live in filth and excrement. These are also the things that give them delight, for such filth and excrement correspond to the pleasure they gain in the spiritual world from such things. But in the Lord's Divine mercy more will be said about these spirits when the hells are described as a whole and individually.
ppp18791#pid#5060. Who exactly correspond to the testicles has in a similar way been made clear to me from those whose love is the opposite of conjugial love and who strike pain into the testicles. For when communities are at work they act into those parts and members of the body to which they correspond - heavenly communities acting into them by an influx that is gentle, sweet, and delightful, hellish communities who love the opposite of what is heavenly by an influx that is vicious and causes pain. Yet their influx is not perceptible to any except those whose interiors have been opened and who as a consequence are able to perceive their communication with the spiritual world. Those whose love is the opposite of conjugial love and who strike pain into the testicles are spirits who use love, friendship, and kind deeds to behave treacherously. When such spirits came near me they wished to talk to me in secret, being very much afraid that someone else might be present with us. For this is what those spirits were like during their lifetime, and being such then, they are no different in the next life. For everyone's life follows on with him.
ttt[2] From the region round Gehenna there once rose up something so to speak air-like and barely visible. It was a band of spirits who were like those just described. But after that, although there were quite a number of them, they looked to me like a single spirit, who was impeded by bandages which however he seemed to himself to remove. This was a sign meaning their desire to remove obstructions, for in the world of spirits representative images like this one serve to reveal people's thoughts and intentions, and as soon as those images are seen their meaning is recognized instantly. After this, one who looked like a small snowy-white spirit seemed to come out of that band of spirits and to make his way towards me. This was a representation of their thought and intention, which was a wish to assume a state of innocence so that no one could suspect them of being what they were in fact like. When he reached me he stooped down towards my loins, where he seemed to wind himself all round them. This represented their wish to present themselves as spirits filled with chaste conjugial love. After this he seemed to twist like a coil around my feet, which represented their wish to worm their way in by means of such things as are naturally delightful. At length the small spirit became practically invisible, which represented their wish to lie completely out of sight.
ttt[3] Angels told me that worming their way in like this is characteristic of those who deal treacherously in respect of conjugial love. That is to say, being intent on committing adultery with other men's wives they would worm their way in, when they were in the world, by talking about conjugial love in a chaste and wholesome manner, by fondling the children and praising the husband in every possible way. They did all this so as to be considered friendly, chaste, and above suspicion, when in fact they were deceitful adulterers. Such being their true nature therefore, this was revealed, for once the incidents described above had taken place, the small snowy-white spirit became visible again. But now he had a dusky and very black appearance, and also a misshapen one. He was cast out into his own hell, which too was deep down below the middle of the loins, where the inhabitants live among utterly disgusting excrement, and also among the robbers, described in `@@@4327`, who correlate with general and involuntary sensory activity. I have spoken subsequently to spirits of this kind, who have been amazed that anyone should have any conscientious objection to committing adultery, that is to say, that his conscience should forbid him to lie with another man's wife even if allowed to do so. Indeed when I have talked to them about conscience they have refused to believe that anyone possesses a conscience. I have been told that spirits like these come mainly from the Christian world, and only rarely do any come from other parts.
ppp18790#pid#5061. To end with let the following noteworthy incident be added. There were some spirits who lay shut up for a long time in a hell unlike any other, from which they could not break out. I wondered several times who exactly they might be. One evening they were let out, at which point a quite tumultuous grumbling sound was heard to be coming from them, which lasted for a long time. Having been given the opportunity to do so, I could hear them making jeering remarks about me, and I perceived that their desire and endeavour was to come up and destroy me. I asked the angels the reason for this. They replied that those spirits had hated me during their lifetime even though I had not done them any harm at all. I also learned that when spirits of this kind merely perceive the sphere of one whom they have hated they long for his destruction. But they were taken back to their own particular hell. From this it became clear that those who have hated one another in the world meet in the next life and set out to inflict many injuries on one another, as other examples of such hatred witnessed by me on a number of other occasions have also led me to know. For hatred is the opposite of love and charity, and is a turning away and so to speak spiritual antipathy. Consequently the moment such spirits in the next life perceive the sphere of one they have hated they go into a seeming frenzy. From this one may see what is implied by what the Lord has said in `Matthew 5bbb22-26`.
ppp18789#pid#5062. Correspondence with the Grand Man is continued at the end of the next chapter.
ppp18788#pid#5063. CHAPTER 40
The opening section of the previous chapter contained an explanation of what the Lord said about the judgement on the good and on the evil, in `Matthew 25bbb34-36`. There now follows what He said after that,
Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You? But the King answering will say to them, Truly I say to you, Insofar as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers you did it to Me. Then He will also say to those on the left, Depart from Me, O cursed ones, into eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave Me no food, I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me. Then they also will answer Him, saying, Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not minister to You? Then He will answer them, saying, Truly I say to you, Insofar as you did not do it to one of the least of these you did not do it to Me. And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. `Matthew 25bbb37-46`.
ppp18787#pid#5064. The preliminary section of the previous chapter, `@@@4954-4959`, contained an explanation of what is meant in the internal sense by giving food to the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, taking in a stranger, clothing the naked, visiting one sick or in prison. That section shows that what charity is essentially is implied and described by all these actions. By one who is hungry, thirsty, or a stranger is meant an affection for what is good and true; and by one who is naked, sick, or in prison is meant a recognition of what one's own selfhood is like, see `@@@4956`, `@@@4958`.
ppp18786#pid#5065. The same particular actions occur three times in the verses quoted above, but since, as has been stated, an explanation of such actions has appeared already, there is no need to deal with them individually, that is, to explain what each word means in the internal sense. All that needs to be stated here is the meaning of the reply given both by those on the right and by those on the left - that they had not seen Him hungry, thirsty, a stranger, naked, sick, or in prison. Then the meaning of 'the King' needs to be given, also the meanings of 'the righteous' and 'eternal life', and the meanings of 'him who is cursed' and 'eternal fire'.
ppp18785#pid#5066. The reply of those on the right was, Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?
This reply means that if they had seen the Lord Himself, all of them would have performed these acts of kindness to Him. Yet it would not have been love towards Him that would have led them to do so, only fear because He was about to come and judge the whole world. Nor would they have acted for His sake but their own, and so not because of anything present more internally in them, in their hearts, but for quite external reasons, and in outward conduct alone. They may be likened to a person who, when he sees his king whose favour he wishes to secure so that he may become great or rich, therefore conducts himself in a submissive manner before the king. Or they may be likened to those who engage in external holy worship in which so to speak they see the Lord and are submissive before Him. They do this because they believe that by engaging in such worship they will receive eternal life, even though they have no charity and do not do good to anyone except for selfish reasons, thus solely for their own benefit. Those on the right are like people who outwardly show great respect to their king yet scoff at what he commands because in their hearts they despise him. These and other examples like them are what are meant by the reply given by those on the right. And because the outward actions of the evil as well are similar, the reply given by those on the left was practically the same.
ppp18784#pid#5067. Since therefore the Lord is not concerned about external things, only about those that are internal, and a person bears witness to internal ones not through worship alone but through charity and acts that express it, the Lord replied,
Truly I say to you, Insofar as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers you did it to Me.
The word 'brothers' is used to describe those in whom the good of charity and life is present; for since good itself is present in them, the Lord resides with them. These are the ones who are meant, strictly speaking, by the neighbour. Yet the Lord does not present Himself even within these, for compared with Him they are worthless. But a person presents himself before the Lord by worshipping Him with his inner being.
ppp18783#pid#5068. The reason the Lord calls Himself 'the King' in the following words - 'When the Son of Man comes in His glory, He will sit on the throne of [His] glory.....Then the King will say to them' - is that the Lord's kingly rule is Divine Truth, on which judgement is based and in accordance with which it is executed. But the basis and execution of judgement in the case of the good is different from what it is with the evil. Because the good have accepted Divine Truth, the basis on which they are judged is good, and so mercy; but because the evil have not accepted Divine Truth, the basis of their judgement is truth, but not mercy, for the reason that they have cast mercy aside and as a consequence are constantly casting it aside in the next life. The acceptance of Divine Truth implies not only possessing faith but also expressing that faith in action, that is, making what doctrine teaches a matter of life. These are the reasons why the Lord calls Himself 'the King'. The Lord's kingly rule consists in Divine Truth, see `@@@1728`, `@@@2015`(end), `@@@3009`, `@@@3670`, `@@@4581`, `@@@4966`.
ppp18782#pid#5069. The expression 'the righteous', used of those on the right in the following statements - 'The righteous will answer Him, saying, etc.' and 'the righteous will go into eternal life' - means that the Lord's righteousness dwells with them. All in whom the good of charity is present are called 'the righteous'; not that of themselves they are righteous but that they are made such by the Lord, whose righteousness they take to themselves. Those who believe that of themselves they are righteous, or that they have been made righteous to such an extent that no evil at all is present in them any longer, are not among the righteous but among the unrighteous. For they attribute good to themselves and also make that good meritorious; and people like them cannot possibly possess true humility with which to worship the Lord. Therefore in the Word those people are called 'righteous and holy' who know and acknowledge that all good comes from the Lord and all evil from themselves, that is, they possess it from hell.
ppp18781#pid#5070. The eternal life which is imparted to the righteous is life flowing from good. Good has life within it because it comes from the Lord, who is life itself. Included within the life which comes from the Lord there is wisdom and intelligence; for wisdom consists in receiving good from the Lord and then making it the object of one's will, while intelligence consists in receiving truth from the Lord and then believing it. And those who receive such wisdom and intelligence have life. Also, because happiness is linked to that kind of life, eternal happiness too is meant by that life. The opposite is the case with those governed by evil. They do, it is true, seem - especially to themselves - to possess life; but it is the kind of life which in the Word is called death, and is in actual fact spiritual death; for they do not have any wise apprehension of what is good or any intelligent understanding of what is true. This may be seen by anyone who considers the matter carefully, for since it is good and the truth rooted in such good that hold life within them, no life can exist in evil or in the falsity springing from it, because these are by nature the reverse of good and truth and destructive of life. Consequently the people under consideration here have no other life than the kind which the insane have.
ppp18780#pid#5071. The reason why the expression 'cursed' is used of those on the left and why their punishment is called 'eternal fire' in the following statements -'Then He will also say to those on the left, Depart from Me, O cursed ones, into eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels' and 'these will go away into eternal punishment' - is that they have turned away from good and truth and have turned towards evil and falsity. 'Cursing' in the internal sense of the Word means a turning away, `@@@245`, `@@@379`, `@@@1427`, `@@@3570`, `@@@3584`. The eternal fire into which they were to depart is not material fire, nor is it a tormented conscience, but a craving for evil. For cravings like this in a person are spiritual fires which consume him during the life of the body and torment him in the next life. Because of these fires burning within them, the inhabitants of hell use dreadful methods to torture one another.
ttt[2] Eternal fire is clearly not material fire; and the reason it is not a tormented conscience is that none who are governed by evil have any conscience; and those who have had no conscience during their lifetime cannot have any in the next life. But the reason eternal fire is a craving is that the entire fire of life in a person is fuelled by his loves, a heavenly fire by the love of what is good and true, a hellish fire by the love of what is evil and false. Or what amounts to the same, a heavenly fire is fuelled by love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour, and a hellish fire by self-love and love of the world. Anyone can see, if he stops to think, that all the fire or heat burning within a person is fuelled by his loves. This also explains why love is called spiritual heat and why in the Word fire and heat have no other meaning, `@@@934` (end), `@@@1297`, `@@@1527`, `@@@1528`, `@@@1861`, `@@@2446`, `@@@4906`. The fire of life in the evil is also such that when they feel very strong cravings, a kind of fire is also burning in them, which inflames them with an intense and furious desire to torment others. But the fire of life in the good is such that when a higher level of affection exists with them, a kind of fire is alight in them too. But this fire inflames them with a loving and zealous desire to do good to others.
ppp18779#pid#5072. `Genesis 40bbb0`
1. And so it was after these words,`fff1` that they sinned - the cupbearer of the king of Egypt, and the baker - against their lord the king of Egypt.
2. And Pharaoh was incensed with his two courtier-ministers, with the chief of the cupbearers and with the chief of the bakers.
3. And he put them in the custody of the house of the chief of the attendants, at the prison-house, the place where Joseph was bound.
4. And the chief of the attendants set Joseph over them and he ministered to them; and they were in custody for days.`fff2`
5. And they both dreamed a dream, each his dream in one night, each according to the interpretation of his dream, the cupbearer and the baker to the king of Egypt, who were bound in the prison-house.
6. And Joseph came to them in the morning, and he saw them, and behold, they were troubled.
7. And he asked Pharaoh's courtier-ministers who were with him in the custody of his lord's house, saying, Why are your faces sad`fff3` today?
8. And they said to him, We have dreamed a dream and there is no interpreter for it. And Joseph said to them, Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell it to me, I beg you.
9. And the chief of the cupbearers told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, In my dream, and behold, a vine before me.
10. And on the vine three shoots, and it was as though budding; its blossom came up, and its clusters ripened into grapes.
11. And Pharaoh's cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and put the cup onto Pharaoh's palm.
12. And Joseph said to him, This is the interpretation of it: The three shoots are three days.
13. In yet three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and will restore you to your position, and you will put Pharaoh's cup into his hand, according to the former manner when you were his cupbearer.
14. But remember me when it is well with you, and show, I beg you, mercy to me, and make mention of me to Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house.
15. For I have indeed been taken by theft out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also I have not done anything for which they should put me in the pit.
16. And the chief of the bakers saw that he had interpreted what was good, and he said to Joseph, I also was in my dream, and behold, three baskets with holes in them were on my head.
17. And in the highest basket there was some of every kind of food for Pharaoh, the work of the baker, and the birds were eating them out of the basket, from upon my head.
18. And Joseph answered and said, This is the interpretation of it: The three baskets are three days.
19. In yet three days Pharaoh will lift up your head from upon you, and will hang you on wood; and the birds will eat your flesh from upon you.
20. And it happened on the third day, Pharaoh's birthday, that he made a feast for all his servants, and he lifted up the head of the chief of the cupbearers, and the head of the chief of the bakers, in the midst of his servants.
21. And he restored the chief of the cupbearers to his supervision over [Pharaoh's] drink, and he put the cup onto Pharaoh's palm.
22. And the chief of the bakers he hanged, as Joseph had interpreted to them.
23. And the chief of the cupbearers did not remember Joseph, and forgot him.
CONTENTS
The internal sense of this chapter continues to deal with the state of temptations, by means of which bodily things could be brought into a state of agreement. Rightly called bodily ones, those things are the powers of the senses, of which there are two kinds, some sensory powers being subordinate to the understanding part of the mind, others to the will part. Those subordinate to the understanding part are represented by the cupbearer of the king of Egypt, and those subordinate to the will part by the baker. The eventual retention of the former but casting away of the latter is represented by the fact that the cupbearer returned to the position he had held previously, whereas the baker was hanged. Everything else will become evident from the train of thought.
`nnn1. i.e. things, see `@@@5075`
`nnn2. i.e. for a considerable length of time
`nnn3. literally, evil
ppp18778#pid#5073. THE INTERNAL SENSE
Verses `Genesis 40bbbccc1-4` And so it was after these words,`fff1` that they sinned - the cupbearer of the king of Egypt, and the baker - against their lord the king of Egypt. And Pharaoh was incensed with his two courtier-ministers, with the chief of the cupbearers and with the chief of the bakers. And he put them into the custody of the house of the chief of the attendants, at the prison-house, the place where Joseph was bound. And the chief of the attendants set Joseph over them and he ministered to them; and they were in custody for days.`fff2`
'And so it was' means a new state and the things that followed. 'After these words' means after the things prior to this. 'That they sinned' means that order had become turned around. 'The cupbearer of the king of Egypt' means among the things of the body which are subject to the understanding part of the mind. 'And the baker' means among the things in the body which are subject to the will part. 'Against their lord the king of Egypt' means that these were contrary to the new state in the natural man. 'And Pharaoh was incensed' means that the new natural man turned away. 'With his two courtier-ministers' means from both kinds of sensory powers in the body. 'With the chief of the cupbearers and with the chief of the bakers' means in general from the sensory powers subordinate to the understanding part and to the will part. 'And he put them into the custody' means a casting aside. 'Of the house of the chief of the attendants' means the things that are first and foremost in explanations. 'At the prison-house' means among falsities. 'The place where Joseph was bound' means the state of the celestial of the natural now in relation to these things. 'And the chief of the attendants set Joseph over them' means that under the influence of the things first and foremost in explanations the celestial of the natural taught those bodily senses. 'And he ministered to them' means that it instructed them. 'And they were in custody for days' means that they lay in a state when they were cast aside for a long time.
`nnn1. i.e. things, see `@@@5075`
`nnn2. i.e. for a considerable length of time
ppp18777#pid#5074. 'And so it was' means a new state and the things that follow. This is clear from the fact that in the Word 'so it was' or 'it happened' implies a new state, see `@@@4979`, `@@@4999`. Furthermore in the original language this expression serves to mark off series of prior events from subsequent ones, `@@@4987`. This is why 'and so it was' means the things that follow.
ppp18776#pid#5075. 'After these words' means after the things prior to this. This is clear from the meaning of 'words' in the original language, in which the same expression also means things. This therefore is why 'after these words' here means after these things, and so after those that happened prior to this. The reason words`fff1` in the original language also means things is that in the internal sense 'words' means the truths of doctrine, on account of which all Divine Truth in general is called the Word; and in the highest sense the Lord Himself, the source of all Divine Truth, is the Word, `@@@1288`. A further reason is that no thing which comes into being anywhere in the world has any existence, that is, any reality, unless it has been created by Divine Good acting through Divine Truth. It explains why in Hebrew the same expression is used for things as for words. The truth that no thing anywhere in the world has any existence, that is, any reality, unless it has been created by Divine Good acting through Divine Truth, that is, through the Word, is evident in John,
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. `John 1bbb1`, `John 1bbbccc3`.
ttt[2] The interior meanings that words possess have their origin for the most part in the interior man, which dwells with spirits and angels. For as to his spirit, that is, as to his true self which lives after the death of his body, everyone lives in communion with angels and spirits, though the external man is not conscious of this. Living in communion with them he is also among those who use a universal language and so use that which is the origin of verbal expressions. It is for this reason that words have many spiritual meanings attached to them which to outward appearance seem to be out of keeping with them; but inwardly they are in keeping, as with the meaning of 'words' here as things. The same is true of very many other expressions, as when for instance a person's understanding is called his inner sight and is said to possess light, or as when his apprehension of and obedience to something is called hearing and listening, or as when his detection of something is called smelling, and so on.
ppp18775#pid#5076. That they sinned' means that order had become turned around. This is clear from the meaning of 'sinning' as acting contrary to Divine order, anything whatever contrary to that order being sin. Essentially, Divine order is Divine Truth grounded in Divine Good; and this order exists with everyone whose truth is grounded in good, that is, whose faith is grounded in charity, truth being the essence of faith and good the essence of charity. But everyone acts contrary to that order whose truth is not grounded in good, consequently whose truth or else falsity is grounded in evil. Nothing else than this is meant by sin. Here 'they sinned' - the cupbearer and the baker - means that the order in which the external senses existed in relation to interior things had become turned around, so that the former were not in accord or did not agree with the latter.
ppp18774#pid#5077. 'The cupbearer of the king of Egypt' means among the things of the body which are subject to the understanding Part of the mind. This is clear from the meaning of 'the cupbearer' as the external or bodily senses that are subordinate or subject to the understanding part of the internal man, dealt with in what follows below; and from the meaning of 'the king of Egypt' as the natural man, dealt with below in `@@@5079`. Since the cupbearer and the baker are the subject of the narrative that follows and these mean the external senses belonging to the body, something must first be said about these. It is well known that the external or bodily senses are five in number - sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch - and also that these constitute the entire life of the body. For without those senses the body has no life at all, for which reason also when deprived of them it dies and becomes a corpse. The actual bodily part of the human being therefore is nothing else than a receiver of sensory impressions and consequently of the life resulting from these. The part played by the senses is the principal one and that by the body the instrumental. The instrumental without its principal which it is fitted to serve cannot even be called the body that a person carries around while living in the world; but the instrumental together with its principal, when they act as one, can be called such. The two together therefore constitute the body.
ttt[2] A person's external senses are directly related to his internal ones, for they have been given to a person and placed within his body to serve his internal man while he is in the world and to exist subject to the sensory powers of that internal man. Consequently when a person's external senses begin to rule his internal ones he is done for. When this happens his internal sensory powers are regarded as no more than servants whose function is to reinforce whatever the external senses imperiously demand. When this is the state in which the external senses operate, order in their case has become turned around, a situation dealt with immediately above in `@@@5076`.
ttt[3] A person's external senses are, as stated, directly related to his internal ones, in general to the understanding and to the will. Consequently some external senses are subject or subordinate to the understanding part of the human mind, others are subject to the will part. One sensory power specifically subject to the understanding is sight; another subject to the understanding, and after that to the will also, is hearing. Smell, and more especially taste, are subject to both simultaneously, while the power subject to the will is touch. Much evidence could be introduced to show that the external senses are subject to the understanding and the will, and also to show how they are subject; but it would take up too much space to carry the explanation so far. Something of what is involved may be recognized from what has been shown at the ends of preceding chapters about the correspondence of those senses.
ttt[4] In addition it should be recognized that all truths that are called the truths of faith belong to the understanding part, and that all forms of good which are those of love and charity go with the will part. Consequently it is the function of the understanding to believe, acknowledge, know, and see truth - and good also. But the function of the will is to feel an affection for that truth and to love it; and whatever a person feels an affection for and loves is good. But how the understanding influences the will when truth passes into good, and how the will influences the understanding when it puts that good into effect, are matters for still deeper examination - In the Lord's Divine mercy those matters will be discussed at various points further on.
ttt[5] The reason 'the cupbearer' means the senses subject or subordinate to the understanding Part of the internal man is that everything which serves as drink, or which is consumed as such, for example, wine, milk, or water, is related to truth, which feeds the understanding and so belongs to the understanding. Also, because the external or bodily senses play a ministering role, 'a cupbearer' therefore means those senses or what is perceived by them. For in general 'drinking' has reference to truths which feed the understanding, see `@@@3069`, `@@@3071`, `@@@3168`, `@@@3772`, `@@@4017`, `@@@4018`; the specific meaning of 'wine' is truth deriving from good, or faith from charity, `@@@1071`, `@@@1798`, while 'water' means truth, `@@@680`, `@@@2702`, `@@@3058`, `@@@3424`, `@@@4976`. From all this one may now see what 'the cupbearer' means.
ppp18773#pid#5078. 'And the baker' means among the things in the body which are subject to the will part. This is clear from the meaning of 'the baker' as the external or bodily senses which are subordinate or subject to the will part of the internal man. The reason 'the baker' has this meaning is that everything which serves as food or is consumed as such, for example, bread, solid foods in general, and anything made by a baker, has reference to good and so to the will; for all good feeds the will, just as every truth feeds the understanding, as stated immediately above in `@@@5077`. By 'bread' is meant what is celestial, or goodness, see `@@@1798`, `@@@2165`, `@@@2177`, `@@@3478`, `@@@3735`, `@@@3813`, `@@@4211`, `@@@4217`, `@@@4735`, `@@@4976`.
ttt[2] The reason why here and in the rest of this chapter external sensory powers of both kinds are dealt with in the internal sense is that the previous chapter dealt with how the Lord glorified or made Divine the interior aspects of His Natural, and therefore the present chapter deals with how the Lord glorified or made Divine the exterior aspects of that Natural. The exterior aspects of the natural are rightly called bodily ones, being both kinds of sensory powers of perception together with their recipient members and organs; for these recipients together with those powers make up that which is referred to as the body, see above in `@@@5077`. The Lord made Divine all that constituted His body, both its sensory Powers and their recipient members and organs, which also explains why He rose from the grave with His body, and after the Resurrection told His disciples,
See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; handle Me, and see; for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see Me have. `Luke 24bbb39`.
ttt[3] Most people at the present day who belong to the Church believe that everyone is going to rise again on the last day and to do so at that time with his body. This supposition is so universal that scarcely anyone, because of what he is taught, believes anything different. But that supposition has gained strength because the natural man imagines that the body alone is the possessor of life. Consequently if he were not allowed to believe that this body is going to receive life once again he would refuse to believe in any resurrection at all. But the truth of the matter is that a person rises again immediately after death, at which point he seems to himself to be in his body just the same as when he was in the world, having a face and members, arms, hands, feet, breast, belly, and loins like the ones he had before. Indeed when he sees himself and touches himself he says he is exactly as he was in the world. However, that which he sees and touches is not his external which he carried round in the world but the internal which constituted the real person. That internal is what had life within it, but it had the external surrounding it, or outside every individual part of it, enabling it to exist in the world where it could act in the right way and carry out its functions.
ttt[4] The actual earthly body is of no further use to him. He is in another world where he possesses other functions and other strengths and powers for which the kind of body he has there is suited. He sees that body with his own eyes - not the eyes he had in the world but those he now has in that other world. They are the eyes of his internal man, the ones he had used previously to see with through the eyes of his body and behold worldly and earthly objects. He also touches and feels that body - not with the hands or sense of touch he had been given in the world but with the hands and sense of touch which he is given in that other world and which had lain behind his sense of touch in the world. Furthermore each of the senses in that other world is keener and more perfect because it belongs to the internal man released from the external. The internal dwells in a greater state of perfection, because it is this that supplies sensory awareness to the external, though when it acts into the external, as it does in the world, that power is blunted and reduced. What is more, the sensory perception of the internal is a perception of what is internal, that of the external a perception of what is external. This being so, people can see one another after death, and they exist grouped together in communities on the basis of what they are inwardly like. In order to become quite sure of this I have been allowed to touch actual spirits and to talk to them many times on this subject, see `@@@322`, `@@@1630`, `@@@4622`.
ttt[5] People after death - who are then called spirits or, if they have led good lives, angels - are utterly amazed at what the member of the Church believes about himself. For he believes that he will not see eternal life until the last day when the world is destroyed, and that at that time he will be reclothed with the dust that has been cast away; when yet one who belongs to the Church knows that he rises again after death. For who does not say, when someone dies, that his soul or spirit is in heaven, or in hell? Who does not say about his young children who have died that they are in heaven? Who does not comfort a person who is [incurably] sick or one who is condemned to death by saying that shortly he will enter the next life? And one who is in the throes of death and has been prepared for it does not believe anything different. Indeed such a conviction about a person's rising again after he has died is what leads many to claim that they have the power to release others from places of condemnation and to admit them into heaven, and to say masses for their souls. Is anyone unacquainted with what the Lord said to the robber, 'Today you will be with Me in paradise', `Luke 23bbb43`, or with what the Lord said about the rich man and Lazarus, that the former was carried off into hell, whereas the latter was taken by the angels into heaven, `Luke 16bbb22-23`? Or is anyone unacquainted with what the Lord taught about the resurrection when He said that God is not the God of the dead but of the living, `Luke 20bbb38`?
ttt[6] A person acquainted with all this thinks in these ways and speaks in these ways when his spirit guides his thought and speech. But when his thought and speech are guided by what doctrine teaches that person says something entirely different, namely that he will not rise again Until the last day. But in fact each person's last day is at hand when he dies, and this is his time of judgement too, as many also declare. As to what is meant by 'being encompassed by my skin' and 'out of my flesh seeing God' in `Job 19bbb25-26`, see `@@@3540` (end). These things were said so that people may know that no one rises again in the body that encompassed him in the world except the Lord alone. He did so because, while in the world, He glorified His body, that is, He made it Divine.
ppp18772#pid#5079. 'Against their lord the king of Egypt' means that these - the external or bodily senses, meant by 'the cupbearer and the baker' - were contrary to the new state in the natural man. This is clear from the meaning of 'the king of Egypt' as factual knowledge in general, dealt with in `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1186`, `@@@1462`, `@@@4749`, `@@@4964`, `@@@4966`; for, the king being the head of the nation, 'the king of Egypt' is similar in meaning to 'Egypt', the same as in other places where the king of any nation is referred to or named, `@@@4789`. Since factual knowledge in general is meant by 'the king of Egypt', so also is the natural man meant by him; for all factual knowledge is truth as it exists in the natural man, `@@@4967`. While the actual good there is meant by 'the lord', `@@@4973`. The reason a new state in the natural man is meant is that the previous chapter dealt with the interior aspects of the natural, which were made new, or - in the highest sense, in which the Lord is the subject - were glorified, whereas the present chapter deals with the exterior aspects of the natural which are to be brought into accord or agreement with those interior ones. These interior aspects of the natural which have been made new - or, what amounts to the same, a new state in the natural man - are what are meant by 'the lord the king of Egypt', while the exterior aspects which have not been brought into a state of order and are consequently contrary to it are meant by 'the cupbearer and the baker'.
ttt[2] There are interior aspects of the natural and there are exterior ones. The interior aspects of the natural are known facts and the affections for them, but the exterior aspects are both kinds of sensory perception spoken of above in `@@@5077`. When a person dies he leaves behind those exterior aspects of the natural; but the interior aspects of the natural he takes with him into the next life where they serve as the foundation on which spiritual and celestial things can be based; for when a person dies he loses nothing apart from his flesh and bones. He keeps his memory in which everything he has done, spoken, or thought is recorded, and he keeps every natural affection and desire, and so every interior aspect of the natural. He does not need its exterior aspects, for he does not see anything that is in the world, or hear anything that is in the world, or smell, taste, or touch anything that is in the world, only what is in the next life. Things in the next life, it is true, seem for the most part to be like those in the world, but they are not, for they hold what is living within them, such as things proper to the natural world do not hold within them. For every single thing in the next life owes the beginning and the continuance of its existence to the Sun there, which is the Lord, as a consequence of which it has that which is living within it. But every single thing in the natural world owes the beginning and the continuance of its existence to the sun there, which is material fire, as a consequence of which it does not have that which is living within it. What gives it the appearance of having life within it is that its origin lies solely in the spiritual world, that is, in the Lord through the spiritual world.
ppp18771#pid#5080. 'And Pharaoh was incensed' means that the new natural man turned away. This is clear from the representation of 'Pharaoh' or the king of Egypt as the new natural man or a new state in the natural man, dealt with immediately above in `@@@5079`, and from the meaning of 'being incensed' or being angry as turning away, dealt with in `@@@5034`; so that the meaning here is that the interior natural which had been made new turned away from the exterior natural, or the bodily senses, because the latter were not in agreement with it.
ppp18770#pid#5081. 'With his two courtier-ministers' means from both kinds of sensory powers in the body; that is to say, from these [the new natural man] turned away. This is clear from the meaning of 'courtier-ministers', who in this case are the cupbearer and the baker, as both kinds of sensory powers, dealt with above in `@@@5077`, `@@@5078`. In relation to the interior man, meant by 'lord the king', the bodily senses - sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch - are also ministers, courtiers so to speak. For they serve to provide the interior man with evidence gathered from experience in the visible world and in human society, thereby enabling it to become intelligent and wise. For the human being is born with not even any knowledge, let alone with any intelligence or wisdom. He is born with no more than the capacity to receive and be endowed with these. Such reception and endowment is effected through two different channels, an internal channel and an external one. By the internal channel that which is from the Divine flows in, by the external that which is from the world. The two meet within a person, in which case, so far as the person allows himself to receive light from the Divine, he enters into wisdom. The things that flow in by the external channel come through the bodily senses; yet they do not flow in of their own accord but are called forth by the internal man to serve as a base laid down for celestial and spiritual things flowing in from the Lord by the internal channel. From this it may be seen that the bodily senses are like courtier-ministers. In general everything exterior, in relation to what is interior, is a minister; the entire natural man in relation to the spiritual man is nothing else.
ttt[2] The word used in the original language means minister, courtier, bed-chamber servant, and eunuch. In the internal sense the good and truth of the natural man are meant, as is the case here. But specifically the good of the natural man is meant, as in Isaiah,
Do not let the son of the foreigner who clings to Jehovah say, Jehovah surely separates me from being with His people. Do not let the eunuch say, Behold, I am dry wood. For thus said Jehovah to the eunuchs who keep My sabbaths and choose that in which I delight, and are holding fast to My covenant, I will give those in My house and within My walls a place and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an eternal name which will not be cut off. `Isaiah 56bbb3-5`.
In this case 'the eunuch' stands for the good of the natural man, and 'the son of the foreigner for the truth of the natural man; for the Lord's Church is both external and internal. Those who belong to the external Church are natural; those who belong to the internal Church are spiritual. Those who are natural and yet are governed by good are 'the eunuchs', while those governed by truth are 'the sons of the foreigner'. Also, since the truly spiritual or internal ones are to be found solely within the Church, 'the sons of the foreigner' in addition means therefore those who are outside the Church - the gentiles - who are nevertheless governed by the truth as taught by their religion, `@@@2049`, `@@@2593`, `@@@2599`, `@@@2600`, `@@@2602`, `@@@2603`, `@@@2861`, `@@@2863`, `@@@7263`, while 'the eunuchs' means those governed by good.
ppp18769#pid#5082. 'With the chief of the cupbearers and with the chief of the bakers' means in general from the sensory powers subordinate to the understanding part and to the will part. This is clear from the meaning of 'the cupbearer' as the senses subordinate and subject to the understanding, dealt with above in `@@@5077`; from the meaning of 'the baker' as the senses subordinate and subject to the will, also dealt with above, in `@@@5078`; and from the meaning of 'the chief (or prince)' as that which is first and foremost, dealt with in `@@@1482`, `@@@2089`, `@@@5044`, in this case in general or commonly so throughout; for that which is first and foremost is also common throughout since it reigns throughout the rest of the whole. In relation to particular details, things that are first and foremost exist as what is general and overall, making everything one and removing any signs of incongruity.
ppp18768#pid#5083. 'And he put them into the custody' means a casting aside. This is clear from the meaning of 'putting into custody' as a casting aside, for anyone put into custody is cast aside.
ppp18767#pid#5084. 'Of the house of the chief of the attendants' means the things that are first and foremost in explanations. This is clear from the meaning of 'the chief of the attendants' as the things which are first and foremost in explanations, dealt with in `@@@4790`, `@@@4966`. The meaning here therefore is that both kinds of sensory impressions were cast aside by the things which are first and foremost in explanations, that is to say, by those which belong to the Word in the internal sense. Sensory impressions are said to be cast aside when the things that are first and foremost in explanations place no reliance on them; for they are indeed sensory impressions, and impressions received by the mind directly through the senses are illusions. The senses are the source of all the illusions that reign in a person, and they are the reason why few have any belief in the truths of faith and why the natural man is opposed to the spiritual man, that is, the external man to the internal. Consequently if the natural or external man starts to have dominion over the spiritual or internal man, no belief at all in matters of faith exists any longer, for illusions cast a shadow over them and evil desires smother them.
ttt[2] Few know what the illusions of the senses are and few believe that these cast a shadow over rational insights and most of all over spiritual matters of faith - a shadow so dark that it blots them out. This happens especially when at the same time what a person delights in is the result of desires bred by a selfish and worldly love. But let examples be used to shed some light on this matter, first some examples of illusions of the senses which are purely natural ones, that is, illusions about things within the natural creation, then some examples of such illusions in spiritual things.
I. It is an illusion of the senses - a purely natural one, or an illusion about the natural creation - to believe that the sun is borne round this globe once a day, and that the sky too and all the stars are borne round at the same time. People may be told that it is impossible and therefore inconceivable that so vast an ocean of fire as the sun, and not only the sun but also the countless stars, should revolve once a day without undergoing any changes of position in relation to one another. They may be told in addition that one can see from the planetary system that our own globe performs a daily movement and an annual one, by rotations on its axis and by revolutions. This can be recognized from the fact that the planets are globes like ours, some of which have moons around them and all of which, as observation shows, perform daily and annual movements like ours. But for all that they are told, the illusion the senses prevails with very many people - that things really are as the eye sees them.
ttt[3] II. It is an illusion of the senses - a purely natural one, or an illusion about the natural creation - that the atmosphere is a single entity, except that it becomes gradually and increasingly rarified until a vacuum exists where the atmosphere comes to an end. A person's external senses tell him nothing else than this when their evidence alone is relied on.
III. It is an illusion of the senses, a purely natural one, that the power which seeds have to grow into trees and flowers and to reproduce themselves was conferred on them when creation first began, and that that initial conferment is what causes everything to come into being and remain in being. People may be told that nothing can remain in being unless it is constantly being brought into being, in keeping with the law that continuance in being involves a constant coming into being, and with another law that anything that has no connection with something prior to itself ceases to have any existence. But though they are told all this, their bodily senses and their thought that is reliant on their senses, cannot take it in. Nor can they see that every single thing is kept in being, even as it was brought into being, through an influx from the spiritual world, that is, from the Divine coming through the spiritual world.
ttt[4] IV. This gives rise to another illusion of the senses, a purely natural one, that single entities exist called monads and atoms. For the natural man believes that anything comprehended by his external senses is a single entity or else nothing at all.
V. It is an illusion of the senses, a purely natural one, that everything is part of and begins in the natural creation, though there are indeed purer and more inward aspects of the natural creation that are beyond the range of human understanding. But if anyone says that a spiritual or celestial dimension exists within or above the natural creation, this idea is rejected; for the belief is that unless a thing is natural it has no existence.
VI. It is an illusion of the senses that only the body possesses life and that when it dies that life perishes. The senses have no conception at all of an internal man present within each part of the external man, nor any conception that this internal man resides in the inward dimension of the natural creation, in the spiritual world. Nor consequently, since they have no conception of it, do the senses believe that a person will live after death, apart from being clothed with the body once again, `@@@5078`, `@@@5079`.
ttt[5] VII. This gives rise to the further illusion of the senses that no human being can have a life after death any more than animals do, for the reason that the life of an animal is much the same as that of a human being, the only difference being that man is a more perfect kind of living creature. The senses - that is, the person who relies on his senses to think with and form conclusions - have no conception of the human being as one who is superior to animals or who possesses a life superior to theirs because of his ability to think not only about the causes of things but also about what is Divine. The human being also has the ability to be joined through faith and love to the Divine, as well as to receive an influx from Him and to make what flows in his own. Thus because of his response to such influx from the Divine it is possible for the human being to receive it, which is not at all the case with animals.
ttt[6] VIII. This gives rise to yet another illusion, which is that what is actually living in the human being - what is called the soul - is merely something air-like or flame-like which is dispersed when the person dies. Added to this is the illusion that the soul is situated either in the heart, or in the brain, or in some other part of him, from where it controls the body as if this were a machine. One who relies on his senses has no conception of an internal man present in every part of his external man, no conception that the eye sees not of its own accord, and that the ear hears not of its own accord, but under the direction of the internal man.
IX. It is an illusion of the senses that no other source of light is possible than the sun or else material fire, and that no other source of heat than these is possible. The senses have no conception of the existence of a light that holds intelligence within it, or of a heat that holds heavenly love within it, or that all angels are bathed in that light and heat.
X. It is an illusion of the senses when a person believes that he lives independently, that is, that an underived life is present within him; for this is what the situation seems to be to the senses. The senses have no conception at all that the Divine alone is one whose life is underived, thus that there is but one actual life, and that anything in the world that has life is merely a form receiving it, see `@@@1954`, `@@@2706`, `@@@2886-2889`, `@@@2893`, `@@@3001`, `@@@3318`, `@@@3337`, `@@@3338`, `@@@3484`, `@@@3742`, `@@@3743`, `@@@4151`, `@@@4249`, `@@@4318-4320`, `@@@4417`, `@@@4523`, `@@@4524`, `@@@4882`.
ttt[7] XI. The person who relies on his senses can be misled into a belief that adulterous relationships are allowable; for his senses lead him to think that marriages exist merely for the sake of order which the upbringing of children necessitates, and that provided this order is not destroyed it makes no difference who fathers the children. He can also be misled into thinking that the married state is no different from having sex with someone, except that it is allowable. That being so, he also believes that it would not be contrary to order for him to many several wives if the Christian world, basing its ideas on the Sacred Scriptures, did not forbid it. If told that a correspondence exists between the heavenly marriage and marriages on earth, and that no one can have anything of marriage within him unless spiritual good and truth are present there, also that a genuinely conjugial relationship cannot possibly exist between one man and several wives, and consequently that marriages are intrinsically holy, the person who relies on his senses rejects all this as worthless.
ttt[8] XII. It is an illusion of the senses that the Lord's kingdom, or heaven, is like an earthly kingdom, that joy and happiness there consist in one person holding a higher position than another and as a consequence possessing more glory than another. For the senses have no conception at all of what is implied by the idea that the least is the greatest and the last is the first. If such people are told that joy in heaven or among angels consists in serving the welfare of others without any thought of merit or reward, it strikes them as a sorrowful existence.
XIII. It is an illusion of the senses that good works earn merit and that to do good to someone even for a selfish reason is a good work.
XIV. It is also an illusion of the senses that a person is saved by faith alone, and that faith may exist with someone who has no charity, as well as that faith, not life, is what remains after death. One could go on with very many other illusions of the senses; for when a person is governed by his senses the rational degree within him, which is enlightened by the Divine, does not see anything. It dwells in thickest darkness, in which case every conclusion based on sensory evidence is thought to be a rational one.
ppp18766#pid#5085. 'At the prison-house' means among falsities. This is clear from the meaning of 'the prison-house' as the vastation of falsity, and consequently as falsity itself, dealt with in `@@@4958`, `@@@5037`, `@@@5038`.
ppp18765#pid#5086. The place where Joseph was bound' means the state of the celestial of the natural now in relation to these things. This is clear from the meaning of 'the place' as a state, dealt with in `@@@2625`, `@@@2877`, `@@@3356`, `@@@3387`, `@@@4321`, `@@@4882`; from the representation of 'Joseph' as the celestial of the spiritual from the rational, dealt with in `@@@4286`, `@@@4585`, `@@@4592`, `@@@4594`, `@@@4963`, at this point the celestial of the natural because it was now in the natural, from which temptations arise, `@@@5035`, `@@@5039`; and from the meaning of 'bound' as a state of temptations, dealt with in `@@@5037`. The subject in the previous chapter was the state of temptations undergone by the celestial of the spiritual within the natural, involving those things which belonged to the interior natural, whereas in this chapter it is the state of temptations involving things that belong to the exterior natural.
ppp18764#pid#5087. 'And the chief of the attendants set Joseph over them' means that under the influence of the things first and foremost in explanations the celestial of the natural taught those bodily senses. This is clear from the meaning of 'the chief of the attendants' as the things that are first and foremost in explanations, dealt with in `@@@4790`, `@@@4966`, `@@@5084`; from the representation of 'Joseph' as the celestial of the natural, dealt with immediately above in `@@@5086`; and from the meaning of 'being set over here as teaching, for one who is 'set over' things that are cast aside so that they may be examined and corrected performs the function of a teacher.
ppp18763#pid#5088. 'And he ministered to them' means that it instructed them. This is clear from the meaning of 'ministering to' as instructing. Here 'ministering to' clearly does not mean ministering as a servant, for the very reason that Joseph was set over those men. 'Ministering to' here means supplying what was suitable to them. And because the subject here is a new sensory or external part in the natural, 'being set over' means teaching and 'ministering to' means instructing. 'To be set over' is used in reference to good which is the essence of life, 'to minister to' in reference to truth which is the essence of doctrine, `@@@4976`.
ppp18762#pid#5089. 'And they were in custody for days' means that they lay in a state when they were cast aside for a long time. This is clear from the meaning of 'days' as states, dealt with in `@@@23`, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@893`, `@@@2788`, `@@@3462`, `@@@3785`, `@@@4850`; so that 'for days' here means lying in a particular state for a long time - in a state when they were cast aside, meant by 'custody', `@@@5083`. A more lengthy explanation of the details contained in the internal sense here is not possible because they are not the kind of matters about which any idea can be gained with the help of things in the world, such as details about the celestial-of-the-spiritual man, about this man's state within the natural when the interior natural is being made new, and after that when it has been made new and the exterior natural has been cast aside. But some idea of these matters and others like them can be gained from things in heaven, which is the kind of idea that does not pass into any notion gained from things in the world, except in the case of people who, in their thinking, can be led away from sensory impressions.
ttt[2] Unless a person's thought can be raised above sensory impressions so that these are beheld as existing so to speak beneath him, he cannot possibly discern any interior aspect of the Word, let alone things of heaven such as are totally removed from those of the world, since the senses take hold of them and stifle them. This explains why people who rely on their senses and have focused their attention on known facts rarely understand anything about the things of heaven; for they have immersed their thoughts in the kinds of things that belong to the world, that is, in terms and in definitions formed from these, and so in what the senses perceive, from which they can no longer be raised up and so preserved in a way of looking at things that is higher than the senses. Nor can their thought range freely any longer over the whole field of matters recorded in the memory, selecting those which agree and casting aside those which are contrary, and using those which are in any way appropriate. For their thought is locked up and immersed in terms, as has been stated, and consequently in sensory impressions, so that it cannot look round about. This is the reason why the learned possess less belief than the simple, and also indeed why they possess less discernment in heavenly matters. For the simple can view something from a position that is above mere terms and above known facts, and so above sensory evidence. This the learned cannot do; their viewpoint is based on terms and known facts because their mind is immersed in these. Thus they are bound so to speak in a dungeon or prison.
ppp18761#pid#5090. Verses `Genesis 40bbbccc5-8` And they both dreamed a dream, each his dream in one night, each according to the interpretation of his dream, the cupbearer and the baker to the king of Egypt, who were bound in the prison-house. And Joseph came to them in the morning, and he saw them, and behold, they were troubled. And he asked Pharaoh's courtier-ministers who were with him in the custody of his lord's house, saying, Why are your faces sad`fff1` today? And they said to him, We have dreamed a dream and there is no interpreter for it. And Joseph said to them, Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell it to me, I beg you.
'And they both dreamed a dream' means foresight regarding them. 'Each his dream in one night' means regarding what the outcome would be, which to them lay in obscurity. 'Each according to the interpretation of his dream' means which they held within them. 'The cupbearer and the baker' means regarding both kinds of sensory powers. 'To the king of Egypt' means which were subordinate to the interior natural. 'Who were bound in the prison-house' means which were among falsities. 'And Joseph came to them in the morning' means that which was revealed and made clear to the celestial of the natural.`fff2` 'And he saw them' means perception. 'And behold, they were troubled' means that they were passing through a sad state. 'And he asked Pharaoh's courtier-ministers' means those sensory powers. 'Who were with him in the custody of his lord's house' means which had been cast aside. 'Saying, Why are your faces sad today?' means, What affection gives rise to this sadness? 'And they said to him' means perception regarding these matters. 'We have dreamed a dream' means a foretelling. 'And there is no interpreter for it' means that no one knows what they hold within them. 'And Joseph said to them' means the celestial of the natural. 'Do not interpretations belong to God?' means that the Divine is within them. 'Tell it to me, I beg you' means that it might be known.
`nnn1. literally, evil
`nnn2. the celestial of the spiritual is possibly intended here; see `@@@5097`.
ppp18760#pid#5091. 'And they both dreamed a dream' means foresight regarding them. This is clear from the meaning of 'a dream' as foresight, dealt with in `@@@3698`,'they both' being both kinds of sensory powers meant by 'the cupbearer and the baker', whose dreams have reference to themselves, as is evident from what follows. The reason 'a dream', in the highest sense, means foresight is that dreams which come directly from the Lord by way of heaven foretell things to come. Such was the nature of Joseph's dreams, the cupbearer's dream and the baker's dream, Pharaoh's dream, Nebuchadnezzar's dream, and prophetical dreams in general. The things to come that are foretold in dreams have no other origin than the Lord's Divine foresight. From this one may also realize that every single thing is foreseen by Him.
ppp18759#pid#5092. 'Each his dream in one night' means regarding what the outcome would be, which to them lay in obscurity. This is clear from the meaning of 'a dream' as foresight and consequent foretelling - and because a foretelling is meant, so also is the outcome, it being the outcome that is foretold; and from the meaning of 'night' as obscurity. In the spiritual sense 'night' means a state of shade brought about through falsity that is the product of evil, `@@@1712`, `@@@2353`, and so also obscurity, that is to say, mental obscurity. The obscurity belonging to night in the world is natural obscurity, but the obscurity belonging to night in the next life is spiritual obscurity. Natural obscurity comes about because the sun of the world is absent and the light received from it is lost, whereas spiritual obscurity comes about because heaven's sun, which is the Lord, is absent and the light, that is, intelligence received from it, is lost. This latter loss does not arise because the sun of heaven sets as the sun of the world does, but because a person or a spirit is living amid falsity that is the product of evil. He himself moves away from that sun and brings obscurity to himself.
ttt[2] An idea simply of night and of the obscurity that comes with it is sufficient to enable one to see how the spiritual sense and the natural sense of something are related to each other. Furthermore there are three kinds of spiritual obscurity - the first being that which is due to falsity that is a product of evil; the second being that which is due to ignorance of the truth; and the third being the obscurity in which exterior things dwell, compared with interior ones, and so the obscurity in which ideas formed by the senses and present in the external man dwell, compared with the rational concepts present in the internal man. All three kinds of obscurity arise however because the light of heaven, or intelligence and wisdom flowing from the Lord, is not received. This light shines unceasingly, but falsity that is a product of evil either rejects, smothers, or else perverts it; ignorance of truth receives only a little; while ideas formed by the senses that are present in the external man reduce it to a dim light by making it a general or ordinary one.
ppp18758#pid#5093. 'Each according to the interpretation of his dream' means which - that is, the outcome - they held within them. This is clear from the meaning of 'the interpretation of a dream' as an explanation and therefore a knowledge of the outcome, thus the outcome which they held within them. For 'a dream' means the outcome, see immediately above in `@@@5092`.
ppp18757#pid#5094. 'The cupbearer and the baker' means regarding both kinds of sensory powers. This is clear from the meaning of 'the cupbearer' as the sensory powers subordinate to the understanding part of the mind, dealt with in `@@@5077`, and from the meaning of 'the baker' as the sensory powers subordinate to the will part, dealt with in `@@@5078`, which, as stated above in `@@@5083`, `@@@5089`, were cast aside by the interior natural. But it should be realized that the actual powers of the senses were not cast aside - that is to say, sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch, for the life of the body is dependent on these - but the insights or thoughts, as well as the affections and desires, that are dependent on them. Objects belonging to the world enter a person's external or natural memory by way of his senses on the one hand and by way of his rational thought on the other. These objects then divide themselves off from one another in that memory; those entering through rational thought place themselves in a more internal position, whereas those entering through the senses do so in a more external one, as a consequence of which the natural comes to have two parts - the interior part and the exterior - as has also been stated above.
ttt[2] The interior natural is what 'Pharaoh king of Egypt' represents, while the exterior natural is what 'the cupbearer and the baker' represents. The nature of the difference between the two becomes clear from the different ways they look at things, that is, from their thoughts and their conclusions based on those thoughts. The person who uses the interior natural to think with and to form conclusions is rational, and is so insofar as he has absorbed what comes to him through rational thought; but the person who uses the exterior natural to think with and form conclusions is governed by his senses, and is so insofar as he has absorbed what comes to him from sensory evidence. Such a person is called one governed by his senses, whereas the other is called one who is rational-natural. When a person dies he has the entire natural with him; and its form remains the same as that which it took in the world. He is also rational-minded to the extent he has absorbed ideas from rational thought, but sensory-minded to the extent he has absorbed ideas from his senses. The difference between the two is that, to the extent it has absorbed ideas from rational thought and made them its own, the natural looks down on the senses belonging to the exterior natural and controls them by disparaging and casting aside illusions formed by the senses. But to the extent that it has absorbed ideas formed by the bodily senses and made them its own the natural looks down on rational thought by disparaging this and casting it aside.
ttt[3] An example of the difference between the two may be seen in the ability of the rational-natural man to comprehend that no one's life is self-existent but that it comes to him through an influx of life from the Lord by way of heaven, and the inability of one governed by the senses to comprehend the same. For the latter says his senses tell him and he can plainly see that his life is self-existent and that it is pointless to contradict the evidence of the senses. Let another example be given. The rational-natural man comprehends the existence of a heaven and a hell; but one governed by his senses denies the existence of these because he has no conception of another world purer than the one he sees with his eyes. The rational-natural man comprehends the existence of spirits and angels who are not visible to him; but one governed by the senses cannot comprehend the same, for he imagines that what he cannot see or touch has no existence.
ttt[4] Here is another example. The rational-natural man comprehends that it is the mark of an intelligent being to have ends in view, and with foresight to be directing means towards some final end. When he looks at the natural creation from the point of view of the order of everything, he sees the natural creation as a complex system of means and realizes that an intelligent Supreme Being has given them direction, though to what final end he cannot see unless he becomes spiritual. But a person governed by his senses does not comprehend how anything distinct and separate from the natural creation can exist or how some Being superior to the natural order can do so. He has no notion of what exercising intelligence, exercising wisdom, having ends in view, or giving direction to means may be unless all these activities are being spoken of as natural ones; and when they are spoken of as such, his idea of them is like that of one who is designing a machine. These few examples show what is meant by the interior natural and the exterior natural, and by the powers of the senses being cast aside - not sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch in the body, but the conclusions reached by these about interior matters.
ppp18756#pid#5095. 'To the king of Egypt' means which were subordinate to the interior natural. This is clear from the representation of Pharaoh or 'the king of Egypt' in this chapter as a new state of the natural man, dealt with in `@@@5079`, `@@@5080`, consequently as the interior natural since this had been made new. As to what the interior natural is, and the exterior natural, see immediately above in `@@@5094`. The nature of the internal sense of the Word in the historical sections and in the prophetical parts must be stated briefly. When the historical sense mentions a number of persons - as when Joseph, Pharaoh, the chief of the attendants, the cupbearer, and the baker are mentioned here - various things are indeed meant by them in the internal sense, yet only as all these exist in one person. The reason for this is that names mean different spiritual things, as they do here: 'Joseph' represents the Lord as regards the celestial-spiritual from the rational and also within the natural, 'Pharaoh' represents Him as regards the new state of the natural man, that is, as regards the interior natural, 'the cupbearer and the baker' as regards the things that belong to the external natural. Such is the nature of the internal sense. The same is so in other places, for example when Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are mentioned; in the sense of the letter they are three different persons, but in the highest sense all three represent the Lord - 'Abraham' the Divine itself, 'Isaac' His Divine Intellectual,`fff1` and 'Jacob' His Divine Natural. The same may be seen in the Prophets where sometimes the text consists of mere names, either of persons or of kingdoms or of cities; yet all of them together present and describe a single entity in the internal sense. Anyone unaware of this may be easily misled by the sense of the letter into visualizing a variety of things, with the result that the idea of a single entity disappears.
`nnn1. previously the expression Divine Rational has been used to describe Isaac's representation; cp `@@@5998`.
ppp18755#pid#5096. 'Who were bound in the prison house' means which were among falsities. This is clear from the meaning of 'being bound in the prison-house' as being among falsities, dealt with in `@@@4958`, `@@@5037`, `@@@5038`, `@@@5085`. Those who are engrossed in falsities, more so those steeped in evils, are called 'the bound" and 'in prison', not because they are held in any physical bonds but because they are not in freedom; for people who are not in freedom are inwardly in bonds. Indeed once they subscribe to falsity they no longer have any freedom to choose or receive what is true; and those who subscribe heavily to it do not have any freedom even to see it, let alone acknowledge it and believe it, because they are quite convinced that what is false is true and what is true is false. That conviction is so powerful in them that it removes all freedom to think anything different, and is so strong that it holds their actual thought in bonds, in prison so to speak. This has been made clear to me from considerable experience among those in the next life who have become quite convinced of falsity by harbouring ideas that serve to prove to it. They are the kind of people who do not entertain any truths at all but turn or drive these away, doing so with a degree of ruthlessness which matches the intensity of their conviction. This is primarily so when such falsity is the product of evil, that is, when evil causes them to be convinced of it. These are the ones who are meant in the Lord's parable in Matthew,
Other seeds fell on the hard path, and the birds came and devoured them. `Matthew 13bbb4`.
'Seeds' means Divine truths, 'hard rock' conviction, and 'birds' false assumptions.
ttt[2] People like these are not even aware that they are in bonds or in prison, for they are full of affection for their falsity, loving it because of the evil which produces it. This leads them to think that they are in freedom, since everything they have an affection for or love seems to make them feel free. But those who have not really subscribed to falsity, that is, who have not become convinced of it, entertain truths easily. They see them, choose them, and are full of affection for them, after which they look down on falsities so to speak, and then see how those convinced of falsity have come to be in bonds. Having such freedom they are able in their contemplation and thought to roam so to speak through the whole of heaven in search of countless truths. But nobody can have this freedom except one who is governed by good; for it is by virtue of good that he is in heaven and by virtue of good that truths are seen there.
ppp18754#pid#5097. 'And Joseph came to them in the morning" means that which was revealed and made clear to the celestial of the spiritual. This is clear from the representation of 'Joseph' as the celestial of the spiritual, dealt with in `@@@4286`, `@@@4592`, `@@@4963`, and from the meaning of 'the morning' as a state of enlightenment, dealt with in `@@@3458`, so that what was revealed and made clear is meant. The reason 'the morning' has these meanings is that all the periods of a day, like all the seasons of a year, mean the various states that arise owing to variations of the light of heaven. Variations of the light of heaven are not like the daily and annual variations of light in the world; they are variations of intelligence and love. For the light of heaven is nothing else than Divine Intelligence flowing from the Lord, which also shines before the eyes as light, while the warmth accompanying that light is the Lord's Divine Love, which is also felt as a radiated warmth. It is that light which provides a person with understanding, and that warmth which provides him with both vital heat and a will desiring what is good. In heaven morning is a state of enlightenment, of enlightenment in matters involving goodness and truth; and this state arises when there is an acknowledgement, more so when there is a perception that good is indeed good and truth is indeed truth. Perception is a revelation that takes place internally, and therefore 'the morning' means something that has been revealed. And because that which has previously been obscure is now made clear, 'the morning' as a consequence also means that which has been made clear.
ttt[2] In addition to this, 'morning" in the highest sense means the Lord Himself, for the reason that the Lord is the sun from which all light in heaven flows; He is always a rising sun and so is always a morning one. He is rising always on everyone who receives truth that is the truth of faith and good that is the good of love; but He is setting on everyone who does not receive these. Not that the sun there ever sets, for as has been stated, it is always a rising one, but that anyone who does not receive that truth or good causes it so to speak to set on himself. This may be compared in some measure to the changes which the sun of the world undergoes so far as the inhabitants on earth are concerned. Here too the sun does not really set since it remains all the time in its own fixed position, from where it is constantly shedding light. Yet it does seem to set because the earth spins daily on its axis, and as it goes round it takes its inhabitants out of sight of the sun, see the first example given in `@@@5084`. Thus the sun does not actually go down but anyone inhabiting the earth is removed from its light. This comparison is used to illustrate a particular point; but the phenomenon referred to is in itself instructive because every detail of the natural creation is representative of the Lord's kingdom. The instruction held within that phenomenon is that a loss of the light of heaven, that is, of intelligence and wisdom, does not come about because the Lord, the Sun of intelligence and wisdom, sets on anyone. It comes about because the inhabitant of His kingdom takes himself away, that is, he allows hell to be his leader and so take him away.
ppp18753#pid#5098. 'And he saw them' means perception. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing' as understanding and perceiving, dealt with in `@@@2150`, `@@@3764`, `@@@4567`, `@@@4723`.
ppp18752#pid#5099. 'And behold, they were troubled' means that they were passing through a sad state. This is clear without explanation.
ppp18751#pid#5100. 'And he asked Pharaoh's courtier-ministers' means those sensory powers. This is clear from the meaning of 'Pharaoh's courtier-ministers' as both kinds of sensory powers, namely those subordinate to the understanding part and those subordinate to the will part, dealt with above in `@@@5081`.
ppp18750#pid#5101. 'Who were with him in the custody of his lord's [house]' means which had been cast aside. This is clear from the meaning of 'being put into custody', and so being in custody, as a state when one has been cast aside, also dealt with above, in `@@@5083`.
ppp18749#pid#5102. 'Saying, Why are your faces sad today?' means, What affection gives rise to this sadness? This is clear from the meaning of 'faces' as the things that are within, dealt with in `@@@358`, `@@@1999`, `@@@2434`, `@@@3527`, `@@@4066`, `@@@4796`, `@@@4797`, and so as the affections, for a person's interiors from which his thoughts spring - which are also things that are within - are his affections; and being aspects of his love, these affections are essentially his life. It is well known that the affections reveal themselves in the faces of those who are in a state of innocence; and when those affections reveal themselves, so too does a general impression of their thoughts, for people's thoughts are the forms their affections take. Regarded in itself therefore the face is nothing else than an image representing the things that are within.
ttt[2] No face is looked at by the angels in any other way, for angels do not see the material but the spiritual form that a person's face takes; that is, they see the form presented by his affections and the thoughts springing from those affections. These are the essential components of the human face, as anyone may recognize from the fact that when bereft of thought and affections the face is completely dead, and that the face is enlivened by them and owes its pleasing looks to them. The sadness expressing some affection, or an affection which gives rise to sadness, is meant by Joseph's words, Why are your faces sad today?
ppp18748#pid#5103. 'And they said to him' means perception regarding these matters. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in the historical narratives of the Word as perception, often dealt with already.
ppp18747#pid#5104. 'We have dreamed a dream' means a foretelling. This is clear from the meaning of 'a dream' as foresight and a consequent foretelling, dealt with above in `@@@5091`.
ppp18746#pid#5105. 'And there is no interpreter for it' means that no one knows what they hold within them. This is clear from the meaning of 'the interpretation' as the explanation of what something holds within it, dealt with above in `@@@5093`, and so of what those dreams held within them.
ppp18745#pid#5106. 'And Joseph said to them' means the celestial of the natural. This is clear from the representation of 'Joseph' as the celestial of the natural, dealt with above in `@@@5086`.
ppp18744#pid#5107. 'Do not interpretations belong to God?' means that the Divine is within them. This is clear from the meaning of 'the interpretation', when used in reference to dreams, as that which these hold within them, as just above in `@@@5105` - that which is Divine being meant by 'God'.
ppp18743#pid#5108. 'Tell it to me, I beg you' means that it might be known. This is clear from the meaning of 'tell me, I beg you' as an expression implying a plea that it might be made known - as is also evident from what follows.
ppp18742#pid#5109. Verses `Genesis 40bbbccc9-13` And the chief of the cupbearers told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, In my dream, and behold, a vine before me. And on the vine three shoots, and it was as though budding; its blossom came up, and its clusters ripened into grapes. And Pharaoh's cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and put the cup onto Pharaoh's palm. And Joseph said to him, This is the interpretation of it: The three shoots are three days. In yet three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and will restore you to your position, and you will put Pharaoh's cup into his hand, according to the former manner when you were his cupbearer.
'And the chief of the cupbearers told his dream to Joseph' means that the celestial of the spiritual discerned what the outcome would be for the sensory impressions subject to the understanding part of the mind, which until then had been cast aside. 'And said to him' means revelation resulting from perception. 'In my dream' means a foretelling. 'And behold, a vine before me' means the understanding part. 'And on the vine three shoots' means derivatives from this even to the final one. 'And it was as though budding' means an influx that allows rebirth to be effected. 'Its blossom came up' means the state next to regeneration. 'And its clusters ripened into grapes' means spiritual truth when joined to celestial good. 'And Pharaoh's cup was in my hand' means an influx of the interior natural into the exterior natural, and the beginning of reception. 'And I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup' means a reciprocal influx into good deeds that have a spiritual origin. 'And put the cup onto Pharaoh's palm' means that the interior natural made these its own. 'And Joseph said to him, This is the interpretation of it' means revelation resulting from perception received from the celestial within the natural as to what it held within it. 'The three shoots are three days' means continuous derivatives even to the final one. 'In yet three days' means that at that point a new state is arrived at. 'Pharaoh will lift up your head' means that which has been provided and therefore decided. 'And will restore you to your position' means that the impressions received through the senses subject to the understanding part were restored to order, to occupy the lowest position. 'And you will put Pharaoh's cup into his hand' means in order that they might consequently serve the interior natural. 'According to the former manner' means in keeping with the law of order. 'When you were his cupbearer' means as is the normal position for sensory impressions of this kind.
ppp18741#pid#5110. 'And the chief of the cupbearers told his dream to Joseph' means that the celestial of the spiritual discerned what the outcome would be for the sensory impressions subject to the understanding part of the mind, which until then were cast aside. This is clear from the representation of 'Joseph' as the celestial of the spiritual, dealt with in `@@@4286`, `@@@4585`, `@@@4592`, `@@@4594`, `@@@4963`; from the meaning of 'a dream' as foresight and consequently the outcome, dealt with above in `@@@5091`, `@@@5092`, `@@@5104`, and so as foresight or discernment of the outcome; and from the meaning of 'the chief of the cupbearers' as the powers of the senses in general that are subject to the understanding part, dealt with in `@@@5077`, `@@@5082`, a casting aside being meant by being in custody, `@@@5083`, `@@@5101`. All this shows that the internal sense of the words used here is as has been stated, in addition to which it is clear from what follows below that 'Joseph', representing the celestial of the spiritual, discerned what the outcome would be.
ttt[2] When the expression 'the celestial of the spiritual' is used, the Lord is meant by it. But it may also be used to refer to an abstract quality in Him, for He is the Celestial itself and the Spiritual itself, that is, He is Good itself and Truth itself. No one, it is true, can have any conception of an abstract quality separate from an actual person because what is natural enters into every individual idea present in his thought. But even so, if one holds in mind the idea that everything within the Lord is Divine and that the Divine transcends one's entire thought, altogether transcending even what angels can comprehend; and if as a consequence one removes from one's mind everything comprehensible, one is left with the idea of pure Being (Esse) and the Manifestation (Existere) of that Being. That is to say, one then has an idea of the Celestial itself and the Spiritual itself, which are Good itself and Truth itself.
ttt[3] However, the human being is such that he cannot form in his mind any idea at all of abstract realities unless he associates with them some natural imagery that has come to him from the world through his senses; for without any such imagery his thought becomes lost so to speak in an abyss and is dissipated. Therefore to prevent the idea of the Divine becoming lost in the case of a person immersed in bodily and worldly interests, and to prevent the defilement of this idea, and at the same time of everything celestial or spiritual from the Divine, by foul thoughts in the case of anyone with whom it remained, Jehovah has been pleased to make Himself known as He exists essentially and as He manifests Himself in heaven, namely as a Divine Man. For the whole of heaven combines together and presents itself in the human form, as may be seen from what has been shown at the ends of chapters dealing with the correspondence of all parts of the human being with the Grand Man, which is heaven. This Divine, that is, Jehovah's manifestation of Himself in heaven, is the Lord from eternity. It is also the appearance assumed by the Lord when He glorified, that is, made Divine, the Human within Him, as is also quite evident from the form in which He appeared before Peter, James, and John at His transfiguration, `Matthew 17bbb1-2`, and in which He appeared on a number of occasions to prophets. All this being so, anyone can think of the Divine itself as Man, and at the same time of the Lord in whom the entire Divine and perfect Trinity dwell; for within the Lord the Divine itself is the Father, the Divine that manifests itself in heaven is the Son, and the Divine proceeding from these is the Holy Spirit - from which it is clear that these three are one, as He Himself teaches.
ppp18740#pid#5111. 'And said to him' means revelation resulting from perception. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in the historical narratives of the Word as perception, dealt with in `@@@1791`, `@@@1815`, `@@@1819`, `@@@1822`, `@@@1898`, `@@@1919`, `@@@2080`, `@@@2619`, `@@@2862`, `@@@3395`, `@@@3509`, and so as revelation too, since revelation is internal perception and is the result of that perception.
ppp18739#pid#5112. 'in my dream' means a foretelling. This is clear from the meaning of 'a dream' as foresight, and from this a foretelling, dealt with above in `@@@5091`, `@@@5092`, `@@@5104`.
ppp18738#pid#5113. 'And behold, a vine before me' means the understanding part. This is clear from the meaning of 'a vine' as the understanding part of the mind as it exists in the spiritual Church, dealt with below. Because 'the cupbearer' means the sensory powers that are subject to the understanding part, and because the subject here is the flow of the understanding into the sensory powers subordinate to it, there appeared in the dream therefore a vine with shoots, blossom, clusters, and grapes, which are used to describe its flow into those powers and the rebirth of them. With regard to the understanding part as it exists in the spiritual Church, it should be recognized that when that Church is the subject in the Word, its understanding is in many instances dealt with too, for the reason that it is the understanding part which is regenerated and made the Church in the case of one belonging to that Church.
ttt[2] There are in general two Churches - the celestial and the spiritual. The celestial Church exists with the person in whom the will part of the mind can be regenerated or made the Church, whereas the spiritual Church exists with one in whom, as stated, solely the understanding part can be regenerated. The Most Ancient Church before the Flood was a celestial one because there existed with those who belonged to it some degree of wholeness in the will part, whereas the Ancient Church after the Flood was a spiritual one because among those who belonged to it no degree of wholeness existed in the will part, only in the understanding part. This explains why, when the spiritual Church is dealt with in the Word, its understanding is dealt with in many instances too. Regarding these Churches, see `@@@640`, `@@@641`, `@@@765`, `@@@863`, `@@@875`, `@@@895`, `@@@927`, `@@@928`, `@@@1023`, `@@@1043`, `@@@1044`, `@@@1555`, `@@@2124`, `@@@2256`, `@@@2669`, `@@@4328`, `@@@4493`. As regards its being the understanding part that is regenerated in the case of those who belong to the spiritual Church, this may also be recognized from the fact that the member of that Church does not have any good from which he may perceive truth, as those who belonged to the celestial Church had. Rather, he must first learn the truth of faith and absorb it into his understanding, and so come to recognize with the aid of truth what good is. Once truth enables him to recognize what good is, he can think about it, then desire it, and at length put it into practice, in which case he now has a new will formed by the Lord in the understanding part of his mind. The Lord then uses this to raise the spiritual man up to heaven, though evil still remains in the will that is properly his own, which at this point is miraculously set aside. This is accomplished by a higher power which withholds him from evil and maintains him in good.
ttt[3] In the case of the member of the celestial Church however the will part was regenerated. From earliest childhood he was absorbing the good of charity, and once he could see with perception what that good was, he was led on to perceive what love to the Lord was. Consequently all the truths of faith were seen by him in his understanding as if in a mirror. His understanding and will formed one complete mind; for those truths enabled him to perceive in his understanding that which existed as a desire in his will. This is what the wholeness of that first human being consisted in, by whom the celestial Church is meant.
ttt[4] As regards 'the vine' meaning the understanding part in the case of the spiritual Church, this is clear from many other places in the Word, as in Jeremiah,
What have you to do with the way to Egypt, to drink the waters of Shihor? Or what have you to do with the way to Assyria, to drink the waters of the River? Yet I have planted you as a wholly choice vine, a seed of truth. How therefore have you turned from Me into the degenerate branches of a strange vine? `Jeremiah 2bbb18`, `Jeremiah 2bbbccc21`.
This refers to Israel, which means the spiritual Church, `@@@3654`, `@@@4286`. 'Egypt' and 'the waters of Shihor' stand for factual knowledge which leads to perversion, `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1186`, `@@@1462`; 'Assyria' and 'the waters of the River' stand for reasoning based on this, that is, on factual knowledge, against the good of life and the truth of faith, `@@@119`, `@@@1186`. 'A choice vine' stands for the member of the spiritual Church, who is called 'a vine' because of his understanding, while 'the degenerate branches of a strange vine' stands for someone belonging to the perverted Church.
ttt[5] In Ezekiel,
A riddle and a parable about the house of Israel. A great eagle took some of the seed of the land and planted it in a seed field. It sprouted and became a spreading vine, low in height, so that its branches turned towards him and its roots were under him. So it became a vine which brought forth branches and sent out shoots towards the eagle. This vine directed its roots and sent its branches towards him in a good field by many waters. It was planted to produce a branch, that it might be a magnificent vine. `Ezekiel 17bbb1`, `Ezekiel 17bbbccc3`, `Ezekiel 17bbbccc5-8`.
An eagle' stands for rational thought, `@@@3901`,'the seed of the land' for truth known to the Church, `@@@1025`, `@@@1447`, `@@@1610`, `@@@1940`, `@@@2848`, `@@@3038`, `@@@3310`, `@@@3373`. Its becoming 'a spreading vine' and 'a magnificent vine' stands for becoming a spiritual Church, which is called 'a vine' because wine is obtained from it - 'wine' meaning spiritual good or the good of charity, the source of the truth of faith implanted in the understanding part.
ttt[6] In the same prophet,
Your mother was like a vine in your likeness, planted beside the waters, fruitful, and made full of branches by reason of many waters. Consequently it had strong rods as sceptres for those who had dominion, and its stature rose up among entangled boughs, so that it was seen in its height amid the multitude of its branches. `Ezekiel 19bbb10-11`.
This too refers to Israel, by whom the spiritual Church is meant, which Church is compared to 'a vine' for a similar reason to that mentioned immediately above. It is a description of its derivatives even to the final ones in the natural man, that is to say, even to factual knowledge based on sensory impressions, meant by 'entangled boughs', `@@@2831`.
ttt[7] In Hosea,
I will be as the dew of Israel. His branches will go out, and his beauty will be like the olive's, and his odour like that of Lebanon. Those dwelling in its shadow will turn back, they will quicken the grain and will blossom as the vine; the memory of it will be as the wine of Lebanon. O Ephraim, what have I to do any more with idols? `Hosea 14bbb5-8`.
'Israel' stands for the spiritual Church, the blossoming of which is compared to 'the vine', and the memory of it to 'the wine of Lebanon', because of the good of faith when that good has been implanted in the understanding part. 'Ephraim' means the understanding part as it exists in the spiritual Church, `@@@3969`.
ttt[8] In Zechariah,
The remnant of the people will be the seed of peace; the vine will give its fruit, and the land will give its increase, and the heavens will give their dew. `Zechariah 8bbb11-12`.
'The remnant of the people' stands for truths stored away by the Lord within the interior man, `@@@468`, `@@@530`, `@@@560`, `@@@561`, `@@@660`, `@@@798`, `@@@1050`, `@@@1738`, `@@@1906`, `@@@2284`. 'The seed of peace' stands for good there, 'the vine' for the understanding part.
ttt[9] In Malachi,
I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that he does not ruin for you the fruit of the land, nor will the vine in the field fail you. `Malachi 3bbb11-12`.
'The vine' stands for the understanding part. The expression 'a vine that does not fail' is used when the understanding part is not left bereft of the truths and goods of faith; on the other hand 'an empty vine' is used when falsities exist there together with derivative evils, as in Hosea,
Israel is an empty vine, it bears fruit like itself. `Hosea 10bbb1`.
ttt[10] In Moses,
He will bind his ass's colt to the vine, and the foal of his she-ass to a choice vine, after he has washed his clothing in wine, and his garment in the blood of grapes. `Genesis 49bbb11`.
This is the prophecy of Jacob, who by then was Israel, regarding his twelve sons, in this case regarding 'Judah', who represents the Lord, `@@@7881`. 'The vine' here stands for the understanding part as it exists in the spiritual Church, and 'a choice vine' for the understanding part as it exists in the celestial Church.
ttt[11] In David,
O Jehovah, You caused a vine to journey out of Egypt. You cast out the nations, and You planted it. You cleared the way in front of it and caused its roots to be rooted, so that it might fill the land. The mountains were covered with the shadow of it, and the cedars of God with its branches. You sent out its shoots even to the sea, and its little branches to the Euphrates. The boar out of the forest tramples on it, and the wild animal of the fields feeds on it. `Psalms 80bbb8-11`, `Psalms 80bbbccc13`.
'A vine out of Egypt' stands in the highest sense for the Lord, the glorification of His Human being described by it and its shoots. In the internal sense 'a vine' here means the spiritual Church and the member of that Church - what he is like when the understanding and will parts of him have been made new or regenerated by the Lord. 'The boar in the forest' means falsity, and 'the wild animal of the fields' evil, which destroy the Church and faith in the Lord.
ttt[12] In John,
The angel sent his sickle into the earth and harvested the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. The winepress was trodden outside the city, and the blood went out of the winepress up to the horses' bridles. `Revelation 14bbb19-20`.
'Harvesting the vine of the earth' stands for destroying the understanding part in the Church. And since 'the vine' means that understanding part it is also said that 'the blood went out of the winepress up to the horses' bridles'; for the powers of understanding are meant by 'horses', `@@@2761`, `@@@2762`, `@@@3217`. In Isaiah,
It will happen on that day, that every place in which there have been a thousand vines, worth a thousand [shekels] of silver, will be briers and brambles. `Isaiah 7bbb23`.
In the same prophet,
The inhabitants of the land will be scorched and hardly any men (homo) left. The new wine will mourn, and the vine will languish. `Isaiah 14bbb6-7`.
In the same prophet,
They beat themselves on their breasts for the fields of unmixed wine, for the fruitful vine; for over the land of My people the them, the prickle is coming up. `Isaiah 32bbb12-14`.
In these places the subject is the spiritual Church when laid waste as regards the good and truth of faith, and so as regards the understanding part, since, as stated above, the truth and the good of faith exist in the understanding part of the mind of the member of that Church. Anyone may see that in these places 'the vine' is not used to mean the vine, nor 'the land' to mean the land, but some feature of the Church.
ttt[13] In the genuine sense 'the vine' means good present in the understanding part, and 'the fig' good present in the natural part; or what amounts to the same, 'the vine' means good present in the interior man, and 'the fig' good present in the exterior man. This being so, when the vine is mentioned in the Word, so also on many occasions is the fig, as in the following places: In Jeremiah,
I will completely devour them. There will be no grapes on the vine or figs on the fig tree; and its leaf has come down. `Jeremiah 8bbb13`.
In the same prophet,
I will bring upon you a nation from afar, O house of Israel, which will devour your vine and your fig tree. `Jeremiah 5bbb17`.
In Hosea,
I will lay waste her vine and her fig tree. `Hosea 2bbb12`.
In Joel,
A nation has come up over the land. It has turned My vine into a waste, and My fig tree into froth. It has stripped it completely bare and cast it aside; its branches have been made white. The vine has withered and the fig tree languishes. `Joel 1bbb6-7`, `Joel 1bbbccc12`.
In the same prophet,
Fear not, you beasts of My fields, for the dwelling places of the wilderness have been made green; for the tree will bear its fruit, and the fig tree and the vine will give their full yield. `Joel 2bbb12`, `Joel 2bbbccc23`.
In David,
He smote their vines and their fig trees, and broke to pieces the trees of their borders. `Psalms 105bbb33`.
In Habakkuk,
The fig tree will not blossom; neither will there be any yield on the vines. `Habakkuk 3bbb17`.
In Micah,
Out of Zion will go forth teaching, and the Word of Jehovah from Jerusalem. They will sit every one under his vine and under his fig tree, unafraid. `Micah 4bbb1`, `Micah 4bbbccc4`.
In Zechariah,
On that day you will shout, each to his companion, under his vine and under his fig tree. `Zechariah 3bbb10`.
In the first Book of Kings,
In Solomon's time there was peace from all the border-crossings round about, and Judah and Israel dwelt with confidence, every one under his vine and under his fig tree. `1 Kings 4bbb24-25`.
The fig tree' means the good of the natural or exterior man, see `@@@217`.
ttt[14] 'The vine' may also mean an understanding part that has been made new or regenerated by means of good obtained from truth and of truth obtained from good. This is clear from the Lord's words addressed to the disciples after He instituted the Holy Supper, in Matthew,
I tell you that I shall not drink from now on of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom. `Matthew 26bbb29`.
The good obtained from truth and the truth obtained from good, by means of which the understanding is made new, that is, by which a person is made spiritual, is meant by 'the fruit of the vine', while making such one's own is meant by 'drinking'. For 'drinking' means making one's own, and is used in reference to truth, see `@@@3168`. The fact that this is fully accomplished only in the next life is meant by 'until that day when I drink it new with you. In My Father's kingdom'; for 'the fruit of the vine', it is quite plain, is not used to mean new wine or matured wine but something of a heavenly nature belonging to the Lord's kingdom.
ttt[15] Because the understanding part of the spiritual man's mind is made new and regenerated by means of truth which comes solely from the Lord, the Lord therefore compares Himself to 'the vine'. He then compares those who are secure in the truth which comes from Him and consequently is His to 'the branches', and the good produced by them to 'the fruit', in John,
I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away, but every one that does bear fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I him, he it is that bears much fruit; for apart from Me you cannot do anything. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. `John 15bbb1-5`, `John 15bbbccc12`.
ttt[16] Because in the highest sense 'the vine' means the Lord as regards Divine Truth, and from this it means, in the internal sense, a member of the spiritual Church, 'a vineyard' therefore means the spiritual Church itself, `@@@1069`, `@@@3220`.
ttt[17] Since 'the Nazirite' represented the celestial man - who is regenerated by means of the good of love and not, like the spiritual man, by means of the truth of faith, so that, as may be seen stated above, it is not in the understanding part but in the will part of the celestial man's mind that the regeneration takes place - the Nazirite was therefore forbidden to eat anything that came from the vine and so was forbidden to drink wine, `Numbers 6bbb3-4`; `Judges 13bbb14`. From this also it is evident that 'the vine', as has been shown, means the understanding part, which belongs to the spiritual man. For details about 'the Nazirite' representing the celestial man, see `@@@3301`. From this one may also see that nobody can possibly know why the Nazirite was forbidden anything that came from the vine, and many other things besides, unless he knows what 'the vine' means in the proper sense, and also unless he knows of the existence of a celestial Church and of a spiritual Church, and that the member of the celestial Church is regenerated in a different way from a member of the spiritual Church. The former is regenerated by means of seed implanted in the will part, the latter by seed implanted in the understanding part. These are the kinds of arcana stored away in the internal sense of the Word.
ppp18737#pid#5114. 'And on the vine three shoots' means derivatives from this even to the final one. This is clear from the meaning of 'the vine' as the understanding part, dealt with immediately above in `@@@5113`; from the meaning of 'three' as complete and continuous even to the end, dealt with in `@@@2788`, `@@@4495`; and from the meaning of 'shoots' as derivatives; for since 'the vine' means the understanding part, 'shoots' means nothing else than derivatives from this. Because 'three' means that which is continuous even to the end, that is, which goes from first to last, 'three shoots' means derivative degrees extending from the understanding part to the final level, which is that of the senses. The first in the sequence is the actual understanding part, and the last is the senses. In general the understanding part is the sight which the internal man possesses and which sees by the light of heaven radiating from the Lord; and everything it sees is spiritual or celestial. But the senses, in general, belong to the external man; and here the sensory power of sight is meant because this corresponds to and is subordinate to the understanding part. The sensory power of sight sees by the light of the world radiating from the sun; and everything it sees is worldly, bodily, or earthly.
ttt[2] In the human being there exist derivatives from the understanding part that dwells in the light of heaven; and they extend to the senses which dwell in the light of the world. Unless these derivatives existed the senses could not possess any life of a human quality. A person does not owe the life which his senses possess to what he sees by the light of the world, for the light of the world holds no life within it; he owes it to what he sees by the light of heaven, for this light does hold life within it. When the light of heaven falls on the perceptions a person has gained by the light of the world, it brings life to them and enables him to see objects in an intelligent manner, and thus as a human being. In this way a person possessing factual knowledge born from things which he has seen and heard in the world, and therefore from those which have entered in through the senses, comes to possess intelligence and wisdom, on which in turn he bases his public, private, and spiritual life.
ttt[3] As regards derivatives specifically, the nature of their existence in a person is such that no brief explanation of them is possible. They exist as degrees, like steps, from the understanding part down to the senses. But no one can have any conception of those degrees unless he knows how they are related to one another, that is to say, that they are quite distinct and separate from one another, so distinct that interior degrees can come into being and remain in being without exterior ones, but not exterior degrees without interior ones. For example, a person's spirit can remain in being without a material body, as it also actually does when death separates it from the body. For a person's spirit exists in an interior degree, his body in an exterior one. Similarly with a person's spirit after death. If he is one of the blessed his spirit exists in a final and outermost degree when in the first heaven; in a more interior degree when in the second; and in the inmost one when in the third. When it exists in the inmost it exists at the same time in the other degrees, though these are inactive with him, almost as the human body is inactive during sleep, but with this difference that interiorly angels are at such times fully awake. Therefore as many distinct and separate degrees exist in the human being as there are heavens, apart from the final one, which is the body and the bodily senses.
ttt[4] From all this regarding a person's spirit one may gain some idea of the way derivatives are related to one another from the first to the final one, that is, from the understanding part to the senses. A person's life, which he receives from the Lord's Divine, passes through these degrees from the inmost to the final one. At every degree there exists a derivative of that life which becomes increasingly general, until in the final degree it is the most general. Derivatives in the lower degrees are merely combinations - or to put it more appropriately, structured forms - of the individual and particular constituents of the higher degrees ranged consecutively, with the addition of the kinds of things drawn from purer nature, and after that from grosser nature, that can serve as containing vessels. Once these vessels are done away with, the individual and particular constituents of the higher degrees, which had received form in those vessels, move back to the degree immediately above. And because in the case of the human being there is a link with the Divine, and his inmost being is such that it can accept the Divine - and not only accept but also make Him its own, by acknowledging and having an affection for the Divine, thus by a reciprocal response to Him - and because he thereby has the Divine implanted within him, he can never die. Indeed what is eternal and infinite exists with him, not only through their flowing into him but also through his reception of them.
ttt[5] From this one may see how uninformed and senseless in their thinking regarding the human being those people are who compare him to animals and imagine that he will not be alive after death any more than they are. Such people do not take into consideration the fact that with animals there is no acceptance of the Divine or any acknowledgement or affection leading to a reciprocal response to the Divine by making Him their own, or any consequent joining to Him. Nor do those people take into consideration the fact that, as the animal state is like this, the recipient forms of life which these possess are inevitably dissipated; for with animals that which flows into them passes through their organic forms into the world, where it comes to an end and melts away, never to make any return there.
ppp18736#pid#5115. 'And it was as though budding' means an influx that allows rebirth to be effected. This is clear from the meaning of 'budding' - that is, bringing forth leaves, and also blossom later on - as the first stage of rebirth. The reason an influx is meant is that when a person is being born again spiritual life flows into him, even as a tree, when it starts to bud, is receiving its life through heat from the sun. The birth of a human being is compared in various places in the Word to members of the vegetable kingdom, especially trees. The reason for this comparison is that the entire vegetable kingdom, like the animal kingdom also, represents the kind of things that exist with the human being, and consequently the kind of things that exist in the Lord's kingdom. For the human being is heaven in its least form, as may be seen from what has been shown at the ends of chapters regarding correspondence of the human being with the Grand Man, which is heaven. This also explains why the ancients referred to man as the microcosm; and if more had been known about the heavenly state they would have called him a miniature heaven too. For the whole natural system is a theatre representative of the Lord's kingdom, see `@@@2758`, `@@@3483`, `@@@4939`.
ttt[2] But in particular it is a person who is being born anew, that is, being regenerated by the Lord, who is called heaven; for during that time Divine good and truth from the Lord, and consequently heaven, are implanted in him. Indeed, like a tree, a person who is being born again begins from a seed, which is why in the Word 'seed' means truth obtained from good. Also, like a tree, he brings forth leaves, then blossom, and finally fruit; for he brings forth the kind of things that belong to intelligence, which again in the Word are meant by 'leaves', then the kind of things that belong to wisdom, which are meant by 'blossoms', and finally the kind of things that are matters of life, namely forms of the good of love and charity expressed in action, which in the Word are meant by 'fruits'. Such is the representative likeness that exists between a fruitful tree and a person who is being regenerated, a likeness so great that one may learn from a tree about regeneration, provided that something is known first of all about spiritual good and truth. From this one may see that 'the vine' in the cupbearer's dream serves to describe fully in a representative fashion the process by which a person is born again so far as the sensory power subject to the understanding part is concerned. That process is described first by the three shoots, then by the buds that were formed, after that by the blossom, followed by the ripening of the clusters into grapes, and finally by his pressing them into Pharaoh's cup and his giving this to him.
ttt[3] Furthermore the dreams which come from the Lord by way of heaven are never anything else than scenes based on representatives. Anyone therefore who does not know what this or that in the natural world represents, more so one who is totally unaware of anything at all being representative there, inevitably supposes that those representatives are merely comparisons such as anybody may use in ordinary conversation. They are indeed comparisons; but they are the kind which are also correspondences and which therefore present themselves as visible objects in the world of spirits while the angels positioned more internally in heaven are talking about spiritual or celestial things belonging to the Lord's kingdom. Regarding dreams, see `@@@1122`, `@@@1975`, `@@@1977`, `@@@1979-1981`.
ppp18735#pid#5116. 'Its blossom came up' means the state next to regeneration. This is clear from the meaning of 'the blossom' which appears on the tree before the fruit as the state before regeneration. The budding and fruiting of a tree represents, as stated immediately above in `@@@5115`, the person's rebirth. Becoming covered with leaves represents the first state, with blossom the second, that is, the one immediately before regeneration, and fruiting the third, which is the actual state of one who has been regenerated. Consequently 'leaves' means the things that belong to intelligence, which are the truths of faith, `@@@885`, for these come first in a person's rebirth or regeneration. By 'blossoms' however are meant the things that belong to wisdom, which are the goods of faith, since these come immediately before rebirth or regeneration, while 'fruits' means the things that are matters of life, which are the works of charity, in that these come after rebirth and constitute the actual state of one who is regenerate.
ttt[2] These features of the vegetable kingdom owe their existence to the influx of the spiritual world into it; but people who attribute everything to natural forces and nothing to the Divine are in no way able to believe this. Those however who attribute everything to the Divine and nothing to natural forces have the ability to see that every single thing owes its existence to that influx. Not only that, each individual thing also has a correspondence, and because it has a correspondence it is a representative. In the end such people have the ability to see that the whole natural system is a theatre representative of the Lord's kingdom, thus that the Divine exists within each individual thing, so much so that the whole natural system is a representation of that which is eternal and infinite - eternal because the reproduction of species continues without end, infinite because the multiplication of seeds is unlimited. Such endeavours to reproduce and multiply could not possibly come to exist in each individual thing in the vegetable kingdom if the Divine were not flowing into it unceasingly. This influx is what provides the impulse to reproduce and to multiply; the impulse brings the power to make this a reality, and that power leads to the actual realization of it.
ttt[3] People who attribute everything to natural forces say that such impulses to reproduce and to multiply were introduced into fruits and seeds when things were first created, and because of the power which they have received from those impulses fruits and seeds ever since then are carried spontaneously into such activities. But those people do not take into consideration the fact that continuance in being is constant coming into being, or what is much the same, that reproduction is creation taking place constantly. Nor do they take into consideration the fact that an effect is the continuation of its cause, and that when a cause ceases to exist so does the effect, and consequently that without constant influx from its cause every effect perishes in an instant. Neither do they take into consideration the fact that anything that is not linked to the first being of all, consequently to the Divine, instantly ceases to have any existence; for to have any being, what is posterior must have what is prior existing unceasingly within it.
ttt[4] If those attributing everything to natural forces and little, scarcely anything, to the Divine were to take these facts into consideration they would also be able to acknowledge that every single thing in the natural system represents something akin to it in the spiritual world, and therefore something akin to it in the Lord's kingdom, where the closest representation of the Lord's Divine exists. This is why reference has been made to an influx coming from the spiritual world; but by this is meant an influx from the Lord's Divine coming by way of the spiritual world. The reason adherents to naturalism do not take such facts into consideration is that they are not willing to acknowledge them, since they are immersed in earthly and bodily interests and as a consequence in the life belonging to self-love and love of the world. As a result, so far as things belonging to the spiritual world, that is, to heaven are concerned, the complete reverse of true order exists with them; and to view such matters from within a state in which order is turned around is not possible, since higher things are then seen as lower ones, and lower things as higher ones. This also accounts for the fact that, when persons like these are seen in the next life in the light of heaven, they are seen with their heads pointing downwards and their feet upwards.
ttt[5] Who among these, when he sees blossom on a tree or on anything else that grows, thinks of it as an expression of gladness so to speak that fruit and seeds are now being brought forth? All that such persons see is that blossom comes first and remains until rudimentary forms of the fruit and seeds are formed within it, whereby sap is conveyed into them. If they knew anything about human rebirth or regeneration, or rather if they wanted to know, they would also see in that blossom, because of the similarity there, a representative of a person's state before regeneration. They would see that because of the good which his intelligence and wisdom desires he is in a similar way blooming, that is, he possesses an inner gladness and beauty, because now he is endeavouring to implant these - that is to say, forms of good desired by intelligence and wisdom - in his life; that is, he is endeavouring to bear fruit. Such persons cannot know about the nature of this state because knowledge of what that inner gladness and inner beauty so represented are does not exist at all with people who feel no gladness other than that which accompanies love of the world and no delight other than that connected with self-love. Worldly or selfish feelings of gladness or delight cause inner ones to be seen as the opposite of gladness and delight, so much so that those persons loathe them. In loathing them they also brush them aside as something worthless or as something that has no actual existence. As a consequence they refuse to accept them, and at the same time they refuse to accept that what is spiritual or celestial is really anything at all. This is how the absurd thinking of the present day which is believed to be wisdom comes about.
ppp18734#pid#5117. 'And its clusters ripened into grapes' means spiritual truth when joined to celestial good. This is clear from the meaning of 'ripening' as the advancement of rebirth or regeneration even to the point where truth is joined to good, and so the two are joined together; and from the meaning of 'clusters' as the truth of spiritual good, and 'grapes' as the good of celestial truth; in this instance both of these as they exist within the sensory awareness represented by 'the cupbearer' is meant. The joining together of them within that sensory awareness may be likened to the ripening of clusters into grapes, for in rebirth or regeneration every truth aims to become joined to good. At first truth is unreceptive of life and is not therefore fruitful. This stage is represented in the fruits of trees while they are ripening. In unripe fruit, called 'clusters' here, that state when truth is still predominant is represented, whereas in ripe fruit, called 'grapes' here, the state when good has predominance is represented. This predominance of good is also represented in the flavour and the sweetness that one finds in ripe grapes. But regarding the joining together of truth and good within the sensory awareness subject to the understanding part, nothing more can be said as these are arcana too deep for anyone to understand. First of all one needs to have a thorough knowledge of the state of the celestial-spiritual and of sensory awareness, and also of the state of the natural in which that joining together of truth and good takes place.
ttt[2] 'Grapes' means the good of the spiritual man, and so means charity. This may be seen from many places in the Word, as in Isaiah,
My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill.`fff1` He looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes. `Isaiah 5bbb1-2`, `Isaiah 5bbbccc4`.
'A vineyard' stands for the spiritual Church; 'he looked for it to yield grapes' for the good deeds of charity; 'but it yielded wild grapes' for the bad deeds of hatred and revenge.
ttt[3] In the same prophet,
Thus said Jehovah, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one says, Do not destroy it, for there is a blessing in it. `Isaiah 65bbb8`.
'The new wine in the cluster' stands for truth obtained from good within the natural.
ttt[4] In Jeremiah,
I will surely gather them, says Jehovah; there will be no grapes on the vine, and no figs on the fig tree. `Jeremiah 8bbb13`.
'No grapes on the vine' stands for the non-existence of any interior or rational good, 'no figs on the fig tree' for the non-existence of any exterior or natural good; for 'the vine' means the understanding part, as shown just above in `@@@5113`. When truth and good exist joined together there, 'the vine' means the rational, for the rational exists as a result of that joining together. As regards 'the fig' meaning the good of the natural or exterior man, see `@@@217`.
ttt[5] In Hosea,
Like grapes in the wilderness I found Israel, like the first fruit on the fig tree, in its beginning, I saw your fathers. `Hosea 9bbb10`.
'Grapes in the wilderness' stands for rational good not yet made spiritual; 'the first fruit on the fig tree' in a similar way for natural good. 'Israel' stands for the ancient spiritual Church when it first began, 'fathers' here and elsewhere being not the sons of Jacob but those people among whom the Ancient Church was first established.
ttt[6] In Micah,
There was no cluster to eat; my soul desired the first fruit. The holy man has perished from the earth, and there is none upright among men. `Micah 7bbb1-2`.
'Cluster to eat' stands for the good of charity in its first beginnings, 'the first fruit' for the truth of faith at the same stage also.
ttt[7] In Amos,
Behold, the days are coming, so that the ploughman catches up with the reaper, and the treader of grapes with him who sows seed. The mountains will drip new wine, and all the hills will flow down with it. And I will bring again the captivity of My people, in order that they may build the devastated cities, and may settle down and plant vineyards, and may drink their wine, and make gardens and eat their fruit. `Amos 9bbb13-14`.
This refers to the establishment of the spiritual Church, which is described in this manner. The joining of spiritual good to its truth is foretold by the statement that the ploughman will catch up with the reaper, and the joining of spiritual truth to its good by the statement that the treader of grapes will catch up with the one who sows seed. The good deeds of love and charity resulting from that joining together are meant by the statement that the mountains will drip new wine and the hills will flow down with it. 'Bringing again the captivity of the people stands for deliverance from falsities, 'building the devastated cities' for the correction of falsified teachings regarding the truth, 'settling down and planting vineyards' for a development of what constitutes the spiritual Church, 'drinking their wine' for making the truths of that Church one's own, which truths teach about charity, and 'making gardens and eating their fruit' for making one's own the forms of good derived from these. Anyone can see that building cities, planting vineyards, drinking wine, making gardens and eating their fruit are descriptions of merely natural activities, which but for the spiritual sense would hold nothing Divine within them.
ttt[8] In Moses,
He washes his clothing in wine, and his garment in the blood of grapes. `Genesis 49bbb11`.
This refers to the Lord. 'Wine' stands for spiritual good originating in Divine love, 'the blood of grapes' for celestial good originating in the same.
ttt[9] In the same author,
Butter from the herd, and milk from the flock, with the fat of lambs and of rams, the breed`fff2` of Bashan, and of goats, with kidney-fat of wheat; and of the blood of the grape you drink unmixed wine. `Deuteronomy 32bbb14`.
This refers to the Ancient Church whose good deeds of love and charity are described in this manner. Each particular product referred to means some specific kind of good. 'The blood of the grape' means spiritual-celestial good, the expression used for the Divine in heaven, coming forth from the Lord. Wine is also called 'the blood' of grapes because wine and blood mean holy truth coming forth from the Lord, though 'wine' is used in reference to the spiritual Church and 'blood' to the celestial Church. For the same reason wine has also been prescribed in the Holy Supper.
ttt[10] In the same author,
From the vine of Sodom comes their vine, and from the fields of Gomorrah; its grapes are grapes of poison, they have clusters of bitterness. `Deuteronomy 32bbb32`.
This refers to the Jewish Church. 'From the vine of Sodom comes their vine, and from the fields of Gomorrah' stands for the fact that the understanding part is occupied by falsities that are the product of hellish love. 'Its grapes are grapes of poison, they have clusters of bitterness' stands for the fact that the will part is in the same predicament; for as 'the grape' in the good sense means charity, it is therefore used in reference to the will part, though to the will present within the understanding part. The same is true in the contrary sense, for all truth belongs essentially to the understanding, and all good essentially to the will.
ttt[11] In John,
The angel said, Put in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the earth, for its grapes have ripened. `Revelation 14bbb18`.
'Gathering the clusters of the earth' stands for destroying all existence of charity.
ttt[12] In Matthew,
By their fruits you will know them. Do people gather grapes from thorns, and figs from thistles? `Matthew 7bbb16`.
And in Luke,
Every tree is known by its own fruit; for people do not collect figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble-bush. `Luke 6bbb44`.
The subject here being charity towards the neighbour, it is said that they will be recognized 'by their fruits', which are the good deeds of charity. Internal good deeds of charity are meant by 'grapes', external ones by 'figs'.
ttt[13] The law was laid down in the Jewish Church,
When you enter your companion's vineyard you shall eat grapes at your pleasure until you have had enough;`fff3` but you shall not put them into your vessel. `Deuteronomy 23bbb24`.
This law implies that when anyone is among others whose teachings and religion are different from his own, he is free to learn about and welcome their charitable deeds, but he is not free to adopt the same charitable practices and link them into his own truths. 'A vineyard', meaning the Church, describes a place where teaching or religion exists; 'grapes' means the good deeds of charity, 'vessel' the truth that the Church possesses.
`nnn1. literally, on a horn of a son of oil
`nnn2. literally, the sons
`nnn3. literally, eat grapes in accordance with your soul, to your satisfaction
ppp18733#pid#5118. 'And Pharaoh's cup was in my hand' means an influx of the interior natural into the exterior natural, and the beginning of reception. This is clear from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as the interior natural, dealt with above in `@@@5080`, `@@@5095`; from the representation of 'the cupbearer' as the exterior natural, dealt with in `@@@5077`, `@@@5082` - 'my hand' being the cupbearer's; from the meaning of 'cup' as that which contains, and also at the same time that which is contained in it, dealt with below in `@@@5120`. From these meanings and from the train of thought in the internal sense 'Pharaoh's cup was in my hand' means the influx of the interior natural into the exterior natural, and the beginning of reception there. What the interior natural and the exterior natural are has been stated already - the interior natural is that which communicates with the rational and into which the rational enters, while the exterior natural is that which communicates with the senses, that is, through the senses with the world, and so that which the world flows into.
ttt[2] As regards influx, this begins with the Lord and extends continuously through the rational into the interior natural and then through this into the exterior natural; but what flows through undergoes change and is converted according to the way it is received. With those who are not regenerate all good is converted there into evil, and all truth into falsity; but with those who are regenerate all good and truth presents itself there as in a mirror. For the natural is nothing else than a face so to speak that is representative of spiritual characteristics of the internal man; and the face becomes representative when exteriors correspond to interiors. From this one may gain some idea of what is meant by an influx of the interior natural into the exterior natural, and the beginning of reception there.
ppp18732#pid#5119. 'And I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup means a reciprocal influx into good deeds that have a spiritual origin. This is clear from the meaning of 'grapes' as the good deeds of charity, dealt with just above in `@@@5117`, and so as good deeds that have a spiritual origin, since every good deed of genuine charity originates there; and from the meaning of 'pressing into Pharaoh's cup' as a reciprocal influx. The expression 'reciprocal influx' does not mean that the exterior natural flows into the interior natural, for that is not possible. Exterior things cannot by any means flow into interior ones, or what amounts to the same, lower or posterior things into higher or prior ones. The reciprocal influx takes place when the rational calls forth things present in the interior natural, and also, by means of the interior natural, those present in the exterior natural. Not that it calls forth what actually exists there but what is deduced or so to speak extracted from what is there. This is what the reciprocal influx is.
ttt[2] It does seem as though things in the world pass by way of the senses into what is present within; but that is an illusion of the senses. The reality is that what exists within flows into what is outward, and that this influx is what enables discernment to take place. I have discussed these matters with spirits on several occasions and have been shown through actual experiences that the interior man sees and discerns within the exterior man what is taking place outside the exterior man, and that the life of the senses has no other origin; that is, neither the ability to perceive with the senses nor actual sensory perception has any other origin. But the nature and power of this illusion are such that it cannot by any means be banished from the natural man, nor even from the rational, unless the rational man can be made to stand aside from sensory impressions. All this has been mentioned to show what reciprocal influx is.
ppp18731#pid#5120. 'And put the cup onto Pharaoh's palm' means that the interior natural made these its own. This is clear from the meaning of 'putting the cup' to drink (and so the wine in the cup) as making one's own, for 'drinking' means making truth one's own, see `@@@3168`; and from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as the interior natural, dealt with in `@@@5080`, `@@@5095`, `@@@5118`. As is evident from what has gone before, the subject here is the regeneration of the sensory power meant by 'the cupbearer' which is subject to the understanding part of the interior man; consequently the subject is also the influx of truth and good and their reception in the exterior natural. But since these matters are quite beyond the understanding of those who do not have any distinct idea about the rational and about the natural, or any about influx, all further explanation is therefore abandoned.
ttt[2] But there is more to be said about 'a cup' mentioned very many times in the Word - about how in the genuine sense it has the same meaning as wine, namely spiritual truth or the truth of faith which is derived from the good of charity, and about how in the contrary sense it means falsity which produces evil, and also falsity which is a product of evil. The reason 'a cup' has the same meaning as 'wine' is that the cup is the container and the wine the content and therefore the two constitute a single entity, with the result that one is used to mean the other. This meaning of 'a cup' in the Word is evident from the following places:
ttt[3] In David,
O Jehovah, You will spread a table before me in the presence of enemies and will make my head fat with oil; my cup will overflow. `Psalms 23bbb5`.
'Spreading a table' and 'making the head fat with oil' stand for being endowed with the good of charity and love. 'My cup will overflow' stands for the fact that the natural will thereby be filled with spiritual truth and good. In the same author,
What shall I render to Jehovah? I will take the cup of salvation and call on the name of Jehovah. `Psalms 116bbb11`, `Psalms 116bbbccc17`.
'Taking the cup of salvation' stands for making the goods of faith one's own.
ttt[4] In Mark,
Whoever gives you drink from a cup of water in My name, because you are Christ's, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward. `Mark 9bbb41`.
'Giving drink from a cup of water in My name' stands for imparting the truths of faith from a small measure of charity.
ttt[5] In Matthew,
Then taking a cup, and giving thanks, He gave it to them, saying, Drink from this, all of you; for this is My blood - that of the New Testament. `Matthew 26bbb17`, `Matthew 26bbbccc28`; `Mark 14bbb27`, `Mark 14bbbccc24`; `Luke 22bbb20`.
The word 'cup' is used, not wine, because 'wine' has reference to the spiritual Church but 'blood' to the celestial Church. Both wine and blood however mean holy truth going forth from the Lord, though in the spiritual Church the holiness of faith springing from charity towards the neighbour is meant, whereas in the celestial Church the holiness of charity springing from love to the Lord is meant. The spiritual Church differs from the celestial in that the spiritual is moved by charity towards the neighbour, whereas the celestial is moved by love to the Lord. Furthermore the Holy Supper was established to represent and be a sign of the Lord's love towards the whole human race and man's reciprocal love towards Him.
ttt[6] Because 'a cup' meant that which served to contain and 'wine' that which was contained, 'the cup' consequently meaning the external aspect of man and 'wine' the internal aspect of him, the Lord therefore said,
Woe to you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the exterior of the cup and of the plate but the interiors are full of pillage and lack of restraint. Blind Pharisee! cleanse first the interior of the cup and of the plate and the exterior will be made clean also. `Matthew 23bbb25`, `Matthew 23bbbccc16`; `Luke 11bbb39`.
Here also 'cup' is used to mean in the internal sense the truth of faith. Cultivating the truth of faith without the good of faith is 'cleansing the exterior of the cup', the more so when the interiors are full of hypocrisy, deceit, hatred, revenge, and cruelty; for in this case the truth of faith exists solely in the external man and not at all in the internal, whereas cultivating and embracing the good of faith causes truths to be joined to good in the interior man. Furthermore when the truth of faith is cultivated without the good of faith, false ideas are accepted as truths; this is meant by 'cleansing first the interior of the cup, and the exterior will be made clean also'.
ttt[7] It is similar with matters recorded in Mark,
There are many other things which the Pharisees and Jews have received carefully, the washing`fff1` of cups and of pots, and of bronze vessels, and of beds. Forsaking the commandment of God you keep to human tradition, the washing' of pots and of cups; and many other similar things you do. You reject the commandment of God, so that you may keep to your tradition. `Mark 7bbb4`, `Mark 7bbbccc8-9`.
ttt[8] As regards 'a cup' meaning in the contrary sense falsity which produces evil and also falsity produced by evil, this is clear from the following places: In Jeremiah,
Thus said Jehovah, the God of Israel, to me, Take this cup of the wine of anger from My hand, and make all the nations to which I send you drink it, in order that they may drink and stagger, and go mad because of the sword which I am going to send among them. So I took the cup from Jehovah's hand, and made all the nations drink to whom Jehovah sent me. `Jeremiah 25bbb15-17`, `Jeremiah 25bbbccc28`.
'The cup of the wine of anger' stands for falsity that produces evil. The reason falsity producing evil is meant is that as wine can make people drunk and make them of unsound mind, so too can falsity. Spiritual drunkenness is nothing other than unsoundness of mind caused by reasonings regarding matters of belief when a person does not believe anything which he does not apprehend - which unsoundness of mind leads to falsities and to evils that are the product of falsities, `@@@1072`. Hence the statement 'in order that they may drink and stagger, and go mad because of the sword which I am going to send'. 'Sword' means falsity at war against truth, `@@@2799`, `@@@4499`.
ttt[9] In the Book of Lamentations,
Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom. dweller in the land of Uz; to you also the cup will pass, you will be made drunk and uncovered. `Lamentations 4bbb21`.
'Being made drunk by the cup' stands for being made unsound in mind by falsities. 'Being uncovered', or shamelessly laid bare, stands for resulting evil, `@@@213`, `@@@214`.
ttt[10] In Ezekiel,
You have walked in the way of your sister, therefore I will give her cup into your hand. Thus said the Lord Jehovih, You will drink your sister's cup, which is deep and wide; you will be laughed at and mocked, as an ample recipient. You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, with the cup of devastation and desolation. You will drink the cup of your sister Samaria, and crush it and crumple the pieces. `Ezekiel 27bbb31-34`.
This refers to Jerusalem, by which the spiritual aspect of the celestial Church is meant. 'The cup' in this case stands for falsity that is a product of evil; and because such falsity lays waste or destroys the Church, the expression 'the cup of devastation and desolation' is used.
In Isaiah,
Stir, stir, surge up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of Jehovah the cup of His anger; you have drunk the dregs of the cup of consternation. `Isaiah 51bbb17`.
In Habakkuk,
Drink, you also - that your foreskin may be revealed. The cup of Jehovah's right hand will come round to you, so that disgusting vomit may be upon your glory. `Habakkuk 2bbb16`.
In David,
A cup is in the hand of Jehovah; and He has mixed the wine, filled it with the mixed, and poured out from it. But they will suck out the dregs of it; all the wicked of the earth will drink from it. `Psalms 75bbb8`.
ttt[11] In these places 'a cup' also stands for the insanity caused by falsities and resulting evils. It is called 'the cup of Jehovah's anger' and also 'of His right hand' for the reason that the Jewish nation believed, as the common people believe, that evils, and the punishments of evils and falsities, had no other origin than Jehovah, though in fact they originate in man and in the hellish crew who are present with him. From the appearance, and from a belief based on it, such statements occur many times; but the internal sense teaches how one ought to understand them and what to believe. On these matters, see `@@@245`, `@@@592`, `@@@696`, `@@@1093`, `@@@1683`, `@@@1874`, `@@@1875`, `@@@2335`, `@@@2447`, `@@@3605`, `@@@3607`, `@@@3614`.
ttt[12] Since 'a cup', like 'wine', in the contrary sense means falsities that produce evils, and also falsities produced by evils, cup, as a consequence also means temptation, for temptation arises when falsity conflicts with truth and therefore evil with good. The word cup is used instead of and in reference to such temptation in Luke,
Jesus prayed, saying, If You are willing, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done. `Luke 22bbb42`; `Matthew 26bbb39`; `Mark 14bbb36`.
'Cup' here stands for temptation. Similarly in John,
Jesus said to Peter, Put your sword into its sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it? `John 18bbb11`.
And also in Mark,
Jesus said to James and John, You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized? They said, We are able. But Jesus said to them, The cup indeed that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized you will be baptized. `Mark 10bbb38-39`; `Matthew 20bbb21`, `Matthew 20bbbccc13`.
From this it is evident that 'cup' means temptation, for temptation comes about when evils use falsities to enter into conflict with goods and truths. 'Baptism' means regeneration which, being effected by means of spiritual conflicts, consequently means temptation also.
ttt[13] In the completely contrary sense 'cup' means falsity that is a product of evil among those who are profaners, that is, with whom inwardly the exact opposites of charity are present but who put on an outward show of holiness. The word is used in this sense in Jeremiah,
Babel was a golden cup in Jehovah's hand, making the whole earth drunken. All nations have drunk of her wine, therefore the nations are mad. `Jeremiah 51bbb7`.
'Babel' stands for people with whom there is holiness outwardly but unholiness inwardly, `@@@1182`, `@@@1326`. The falsity which they veil with holiness is meant by 'a golden cup'. 'Making the whole earth drunken' stands for the fact that they lead those who belong to the Church, meant by 'the earth', into erroneous and insane ways. The profanities which they conceal beneath outward holiness involve nothing else than this - their intention to become the greatest and the wealthiest of all, to be worshipped as gods, the possessors of heaven and earth, and so to have dominion over people's souls as well as their bodies. And the means Used by them is their outward display of respect for Divine and holy things. Consequently they look, so far as their external man is concerned, like angels; but so far as their internal man is concerned they are devils.
ttt[14] A similar description of Babel exists in John,
The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and covered`fff2` with gold and precious stones and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup, full of abominations and the uncleanness of her whoredom. `Revelation 17bbb4`.
In the same book,
It has fallen, Babylon the great has fallen and become a dwelling-place of demons; for she has given all nations drink from the wine of the fury of her whoredom; and the kings of the earth have committed whoredom with her. I heard a voice from heaven, saying, Render to her as she has rendered to you; in the cup which she mixed, mix double for her. `Revelation 18bbb2-4`, `Revelation 18bbbccc6`.
In the same book,
The great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. The remembrance of Babylon the great was established before God, to give her the cup of the fury of the anger of God. `Revelation 16bbb19`.
In the same book,
The third angel said with a loud voice, If anyone worships the beast and his Image, he will drink from the wine of God's anger, poured unmixed as it is in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone. `Revelation 14bbb9-10`.
`nnn1. literally, baptisms or dippings
`nnn2. literally, gilded
ppp18730#pid#5121. 'And Joseph said to him, This is the interpretation of it' means revelation resulting from the perception received by the celestial within the natural as to what it held within it. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in the historical narratives of the Word as perception, dealt with in `@@@1791`, `@@@1815`, `@@@1819`, `@@@1822`, `@@@1898`, `@@@1919`, `@@@2080`, `@@@2619`, `@@@2862`, `@@@3509`, `@@@3395`, in this case as revelation resulting from perception, since the subject is a dream and its interpretation, and all revelation is either the result of talking to angels through whom the Lord speaks or else the result of perception, dealt with below; from the representation of 'Joseph' as the celestial within the natural, dealt with above in `@@@5086`, `@@@5087`, `@@@5106`; and from the meaning of 'the interpretation' as what it held within it, also dealt with above, in `@@@5093`, `@@@5105`, `@@@5107`. From this it is evident that 'Joseph said to him, This is the interpretation of it' means revelation resulting from the perception received by the celestial within the natural as to what it held within it.
ttt[2] With regard to revelations resulting either from perception or from talking to angels through whom the Lord speaks, it should be recognized that people who are governed by good and from this by truth, especially those who are governed by good flowing from love to the Lord, receive revelation as a result of perception. But those who are not governed by good or from this by truth can indeed receive revelations, but not those that are the result of perception, only those which come to them through a voice which they hear speaking within themselves and so through angels from the Lord. This kind of revelation is external, whereas the other kind is internal. Revelation resulting from perception is the kind that angels, especially celestial ones, receive. It was also the kind received by members of the Most Ancient Church, and by some members of the Ancient Church too; but scarcely anyone receives such at the present day. Very many people however, including those who have not been governed by good, have received revelations from conversations [with angels] which did not involve any perception, the same as with those receiving revelations through visions or through dreams.
ttt[3] Most of the revelations received by the prophets in the Jewish Church were of this kind - they heard a voice, saw a vision, or dreamed a dream. But because they had no perception these were merely verbal or visual revelations which did not involve any perception about what was really meant by them. For genuine perception comes from the Lord through heaven; it fills the understanding with spiritual ideas and leads it, as may be perceived, to think along the lines of, and inwardly to recognize, the true nature of a thing. The source of that power of recognition is not known, but the understanding imagines that it begins within itself and springs from the interconnected ideas it has present within itself. But in fact that power is a dictate coming from the Lord by way of heaven into the interior parts of ones thought regarding the things that are above and beyond the natural and the senses, that is, the kinds of things that belong to the spiritual world or heaven. From all this one may see what revelation resulting from perception is. But the revelation resulting from perception which the Lord, who is represented here by 'Joseph', had - which revelation is the subject here in the internal sense - sprang from the Divine within Himself, and so originated in Himself.
ppp18729#pid#5122. 'The three shoots are three days' means continuous derivatives even to the final one. This is clear from the meaning of 'three' as a single period and the continuity of it from start to finish, dealt with in `@@@2788`, `@@@4495`; from the meaning of 'shoots' as derivatives, dealt with in `@@@5114`; and from the meaning of 'days' as states, dealt with in `@@@23`, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@893`, `@@@2788`, `@@@3462`, `@@@3785`, `@@@4850`. From all this it follows that 'the three shoots are three days' means the state in which the sensory power represented by 'the cupbearer' undergoes rebirth, from the first to the final degrees of it, its consecutive derivatives being meant by 'shoots'.
ttt[2] The states of rebirth which each sensory power and every aspect of the natural, as well as every aspect of the rational, pass through have from beginning to end their own progressive stages. When they attain any end they also begin at that point something else that is new; that is to say, they pass on from the end they had been striving to attain in a prior state to the realization of some further end, and so on after that. Eventually order is turned around, so that what has been last becomes first. This is what happens when a person is being regenerated, both in the case of his rational and in that of his natural. While his regeneration is taking place the phases that make up the first state are the stages of a movement from the truths of faith towards forms of the good of charity, when the truths of faith seemingly play the leading role while forms of the good of charity play a secondary one; for the truths of faith have the good of charity as their end in view. Phases like these continue until the person's regeneration is completed. Once this is completed charity then moves from the final place to the first in the line, and so becomes the point from which new states begin. These states develop in two directions - in an increasingly inward direction and also in a more outward one. Inwardly they move closer to love to the Lord, while outwardly they move closer first to the truths of faith, then to natural truths, and after that to truths as these are perceived by the senses. Then these three degrees of truths are brought into agreement one after another with forms of the good of charity and love present within the rational and so are brought into heavenly order.
ttt[3] These are the matters that are meant by progressive stages of development and by continuous derivatives even to the final one. Such stages and derivatives are unending in the case of a person who is being regenerated. They begin when he is a young child and continue through to the final phase of his life in the world; indeed they continue for ever after that, though his regeneration can never reach the point when he can by any means be called perfect. For there are countless, indeed a limitless number of things to be regenerated, both within his rational and within his natural. Everything there has limitless shoots, that is, stages of development and derivatives that progress in both inward and outward directions. A person has no immediate awareness at all of this, but the Lord is aware of every particular detail and is making provision for it moment by moment. If He were to stop doing this for a single instant every stage of development would be thrown into confusion. For one stage looks to the next in an unending sequence and produces chains of sequences which never cease. From this it is evident that Divine Foresight and Providence exist in every particular detail, and that if they did not, or did so in a merely overall way, the human race would perish.
ppp18728#pid#5123. 'In yet three days' means that at that point a new state is arrived at. This is clear from the meaning of 'three' as that which is continuous even to the end, and so also that which is complete, dealt with in `@@@2788`, `@@@4495`; and from the meaning of 'days' as states, dealt with above in `@@@5122`. From this it is evident that 'three days' means a complete state; consequently 'in three days', that is, after three days, means a new state, `@@@4901`, for once a state is completed a new one begins.
ppp18727#pid#5124. 'Pharaoh will lift up your head' means that which has been provided and therefore decided. This is clear from the meaning of 'lifting up the head' as reaching a decision, and in the highest sense as providing; for a decision taken by the Divine and the carrying of that decision into effect is Providence. 'Lifting up the head' was an expression commonly used by the Ancients when it was decided that those who were bound, that is, those in prison, should either be allowed to live or else be condemned to death. When they were allowed to live the expression 'lifting up the head' was used, as also in the second Book of Kings,
Evil-merodach king of Babel, in the year he became king, lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah from the prison-house; and he spoke to him that which was good, and set his throne above the throne of the kings who were with him in Babel. `2 Kings 25bbb17`, `2 Kings 25bbbccc28`.
Similarly in Jeremiah,
Evil-merodach king of Babel, in the [first] year of his reign, lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah and brought him from the prison-house. `Jeremiah 52bbb31`.
But when someone was condemned to death the expression 'lifting up the head from upon him' was used, as in verse `Genesis 40bbbccc19` further on which refers to the baker,
In yet three days Pharaoh will lift up your head from upon you.
ttt[2] This phrase expressing the decision that someone should live or be put to death originated with the Ancients, among whom representatives existed; it originated in their representation of those who were bound in prison or the pit. Because those in prison represented people undergoing vastation beneath the lower earth, `@@@4728`, `@@@4744`, `@@@5038`, 'lifting up the head' therefore meant their release from this condition. For when they are released they are raised or brought up from that vastation to heavenly communities, see `@@@2699`, `@@@2701`, `@@@2704`. Being brought or raised up implies advances made towards interior things, for the expression raised up or high is used to refer to things that are interior, `@@@2148`, `@@@4210`. And because advances made towards interior things are meant, an advance towards heaven is meant, since heaven exists within interior things. Such is the meaning of 'lifting up the head'. But 'lifting up the head from upon someone' meant his condemnation to death, for in this case those who were above the ones in the pit or undergoing vastation were raised up to heaven, while those in the pit were sent down into the nether regions. These things meant by this phrase expressing the decision whether one should live or be put to death are the reason for its usage in the Word. From this it is evident that 'lifting up the head' means that which has been decided; and as this is meant, that which has been provided is meant in the highest sense, since the Divine makes provision for that on which He has made a decision.
ppp18726#pid#5125. 'And will restore you to your position' means that the impressions received through the senses subject to the understanding part were restored to order, to occupy the lowest position. This is clear from the representation of 'the cupbearer', regarding whom these words are said, as the powers of the senses subject to the understanding part, dealt with in `@@@5077`, `@@@5082`, and therefore the impressions received through the senses in the external natural (for it is not the actual powers of the senses that are restored to order but the impressions which have come through the senses into the person's false notions); and from the meaning of 'restoring to a position' as restoring to order. And because sensory impressions, that is, images which have come in from the world by way of the external sensory organs, occupy the lowest position, where they minister to or serve more interior things, those impressions too are meant. In the case of regenerate persons sensory impressions do occupy the lowest position, but in the case of those who are not regenerate they occupy the first, see `@@@5077`, `@@@5081`, `@@@5084`, `@@@5089`, `@@@5094`.
ttt[2] A person can easily tell, if he pays the matter any attention, whether sensory impressions occupy the first or else the last and lowest position in him. If he says yes to everything his senses urge or desire and plays down all that his understanding tells him, then sensory impressions occupy the first position. When this is the case that person is carried along by natural desires and is ruled completely by his senses. The condition of a person like this is little different from that of animals, which are not endowed with reason; for animals are carried along by nothing else than their senses. Indeed that person's condition is worse than theirs if he misuses his power of understanding or reason to lend support to evils and falsities which the senses urge and tend towards. But if he does not say yes to these, but from within himself recognizes that they can mislead him into false beliefs and incite desires for evil in him, and he strives to discipline them - thereby bringing them into a position of subservience, that is, making them subject to the understanding part and the will part which belong to the interior man - sensory impressions are in that case restored to order, to occupy the last and lowest position. When sensory impressions occupy that position, happiness and bliss radiate from the interior man into the delights of the senses and make these delights a thousand times better than they were before. Having no understanding of this, one who is ruled by his senses has no belief in it either; and feeling no other delight than that of the senses, and so imagining that no higher kind of delight exists, he regards the happiness and bliss that can be inwardly present in the delights of the senses as worthless. For what a person has no knowledge of is not thought by him to have any real existence.
ppp18725#pid#5126. 'And you will put Pharaoh's cup into his hand' means in order that they might consequently serve the interior natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'putting the cup to drink' as making one's own, dealt with above in `@@@5120`, besides the obvious meaning of serving; and from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as the interior natural, dealt with in `@@@5080`, `@@@5095`, `@@@5118`. For there is an interior natural and there is an exterior natural, the exterior natural being made up of impressions which enter in directly from the world by way of the senses into the natural mind, that is to say, they enter the memory belonging to that mind and therefore enter the place where mental images are formed, see `@@@5118`.
ttt[2] So that people can know what the exterior natural and what the interior natural are like, which make up the exterior man, and from this can know what the rational is which makes up the interior man, a brief reference to them must be made here. From infancy to childhood a person relies solely on his senses, for during those years he is receiving, through his bodily senses, nothing but earthly, bodily, and worldly impressions, which during those years are also the raw material from which he forms his ideas and thoughts. Communication with the interior man has not yet been opened up, except insofar as he is able to take in and hold on to those impressions. The innocence which exists in him at this time is solely external, not internal, because true innocence resides within wisdom. But the Lord uses this - his external innocence - to bring order into what enters through the senses. If innocence did not come to him from the Lord in that first period no foundation would ever be laid down on which the intellectual or rational degree of the mind proper to a human being could be established.
ttt[3] From childhood to early youth communication is opened up with the interior natural, by the person's learning about what is decent, public-spirited, and honourable, both through what parents and teachers tell him and through his own efforts to find out about such matters. During early youth to later youth however communication is opened up between the natural and the rational, by his learning about what is true and what is good so far as his public life and private life are concerned, and above all about what is good and what is true so far as his spiritual life is concerned, all of which he learns about through listening to and reading the Word. Indeed insofar as he uses truths to immerse himself in good deeds, that is, insofar as he puts the truths he learns into practice, the rational is opened up; but insofar as he does not use truths to immerse himself in good deeds, or does not put truths into practice, the rational is not opened up. Nevertheless the things he has come to know remain within the natural; that is to say, they remain in his memory, left on the doorstep so to speak outside the house.
ttt[4] But insofar - during these years and the next period of life - as he impairs the things he knows, refuses to accept them, and acts contrary to them, that is, insofar as he believes falsities and practises evils instead, the rational is closed, as is the interior natural also. But in spite of that, the Lord's Divine Providence enables communication to remain open enough to give him the ability to understand the good or truth he knows about. But he does not make these his own unless he truly repents and for a long while after that wrestles with falsities and evils. With people however who allow themselves to be regenerated the opposite takes place; for gradually, that is, in consecutive stages, their rational is opened up, the interior natural then becoming ranged in order beneath it, and the exterior natural beneath that. This occurs especially in the period from late youth to adulthood; it also continues in progressive stages to the final period of those regenerating people's lives, and after that in heaven for ever. From all this one may know what constitutes a person's interior natural and what his exterior natural.
ppp18724#pid#5127. 'According to the former manner' means in keeping with the law of order. This is clear from the meaning of 'the former manner' as the law of order. The law of order demands that exterior things should be subject to interior ones, or what amounts to the same, lower things should be subject to higher ones, serving them like domestic servants. Indeed exterior or lower things are nothing else than such servants, whereas interior or higher things in relation to them are their lords. The reason 'after the former manner' has this meaning is that as the cupbearer, being a servant, had previously served Pharaoh as his lord, in keeping with the law of subordination, so too was it in keeping with the law of order that the sensory power represented by 'the cupbearer' should serve the interior natural represented by 'Pharaoh'.
ttt[2] The fact that the law of order requires lower or exterior things to serve higher or interior ones is totally unknown to a person governed by his senses. For anyone who relies solely on his senses has no knowledge of what is interior, nor thus of what is exterior in relation to this. He knows about his thought and speech, and about his will and action, and from this presumes that thought and will are interior, speech and action exterior. But he is not aware of the fact that thought based solely on sensory experience, and action based solely on natural impulses, belong to the external man, so that his thought and will are activities of his exterior man alone. He is particularly unaware of this when his thoughts are false thoughts and his desires evil desires. And since in the case of anyone like him communication with his interiors is closed he therefore has no idea of what interior thought is or what interior will is. If he is told that interior thought is based on truth and that interior will is based on doing what is good, he does not begin to understand it. He understands still less if he is told that the interior man is distinct and separate from the exterior - so distinct that the interior man can, from a higher position so to speak, see what is going on in the exterior man - and that the interior man has the ability and power to discipline the exterior, and the ability not to will or think what the exterior man sees as a result of his having false notions and longs for as a result of his having evil desires.
ttt[3] As long as his external man is in control and reigning he sees none of this. But when not in this state, when for example he suffers any pain or grief owing to misfortune or sickness, he can see and grasp it because the external man ceases at that time to be in control. For a person's ability or power to understand is always preserved by the Lord, but it is largely obscured in the case of those steeped in falsities and evils, and is always more apparent as falsities and evils become dormant. The Lord's Divine is constantly coming to a person and bringing him light, but when falsities and evils are present, that is, things contrary to truths and forms of good, the light of the Divine is then either cast aside, smothered, or perverted. Just enough is received, through chinks so to speak, to allow him to think and to speak by the use of ideas received through the senses, and also to think and to speak about spiritual matters with the help of expressions registered in the natural or bodily memory.
ppp18723#pid#5128. 'When you were his cupbearer' means as is the normal position for sensory impressions of this kind. This is clear from the meaning of 'cupbearer' as the powers of the senses, that is, those of them that are subject to the understanding part of the mind, dealt with in `@@@5077`, `@@@5082` - the normal position being meant by the expression 'when you were'. The need for sensory impressions to be subject and subordinate to rational ideas has been referred to already in what has gone before; but since the subjection and subordination of them is the subject here in the internal sense, something more must be said about the nature of this.
ttt[2] The person with whom the senses have been made subject is called a rational person, but a person with whom they have not is called one ruled by his senses. But whether a person is rational or whether he is one ruled by his senses is scarcely discernible by others; only the individual himself can know, if he examines himself inwardly, that is, if he examines what he wills and what he thinks. Others cannot know from a person's speech whether he is one ruled by his senses or whether he is a rational person, nor can they know it from his actions, because the life of his thought held within his speech and the life of his will held within his actions cannot be perceived by any of the physical senses. These hear merely the sound he utters, or they see the movement made by his body together with the affection that impels him to make it. One cannot tell whether this affection is artificial or genuine. In the next life however those who are governed by good perceive clearly both what is held within a person's speech and what is held within his actions, and so perceive the nature of the life within them and where that life has its origin. Yet even in the world several indications exist which enable one to deduce to some extent whether the senses are subject to the rational, or the rational to the senses; or what amounts to the same, whether a person is rational or ruled solely by his senses. Those indications are as follows: If one notices that a person who makes false assumptions is not ready to become more enlightened but casts truths altogether aside, dispenses with reason, and obstinately defends falsities, this is an indication that he is ruled by his senses and is not a rational person. His rational is closed, so that it does not let in the light of heaven.
ttt[3] Ruled even more by their senses are those who are quite convinced by what is false, for such a conviction closes the rational altogether. It is one thing to make false assumptions, another to be convinced by what is false. Those convinced by what is false do have some light shining within their natural, but this is like the light in winter. When it shines among them in the next life that light is as bright as snow; but as soon as the light of heaven falls on it, it becomes a dull light, the degree and nature of their conviction making it dark as night. The same is also evident in these people while they are living in the world, for during that time they are unable to see the faintest glimmer of truth. Indeed because of the dullness and benightedness due to the falsity of which they are convinced, they see no value at all in truths and laugh at them. To the simple those people sometimes give the impression that they are rational, for by means of that snowy-white wintry light they are able to employ clever reasonings to substantiate falsities and make them look like truths. This kind of conviction exists in many of the learned, more than in every other kind of person, for they have used syllogistic and philosophical reasonings, and finally much factual knowledge to become firmly convinced by falsities. Among the ancients such people were called serpents belonging to the tree of knowledge, `@@@195-197`, but today they may be called those who are ruled inwardly by their senses and are devoid of true rationality.
ttt[4] The main indication that shows whether someone is ruled wholly by his senses or whether he is a rational person exists in the life he leads. By this one does not mean the kind of life that is evident in his words and deeds but the kind that is held inwardly in these. For the source of the life within his words is his thought, and the source of the life within his deeds is his will, both having their origin in his intentions or end in view. The nature therefore of the intentions or end in view present within his words and deeds determines the nature of the life they hold within them, for without the life within them words are mere sounds, while deeds are mere motions. This kind of life is also what is meant when one speaks of life continuing after death. If a person is rational his words flow from right thinking and his deeds from right willing; that is, his words are a product of faith and his deeds a product of charity. But if a person is not rational he can, it is true, make a pretence of acting as one who is rational, and likewise of speaking as one who is such; but no life at all is coming from his rational. For a life of evil closes entirely the path to or communication with the rational, which causes him to be a merely natural person or one ruled by his senses.
ttt[5] There are two things which not only close that path of communication but also rob a person of the ability ever to become rational - deceit and profanation. Deceit is like a subtle poison which affects the inward parts, while profanation is that which mixes up falsities with truths and evils with forms of good. The two completely destroy the rational. Present with everyone there are forms of good and truth which have been stored away by the Lord since earliest childhood. In the Word these forms of good and truth are called remnants, regarding which see `@@@468`, `@@@530`, `@@@560`, `@@@561`, `@@@661`, `@@@1050`, `@@@1738`, `@@@1906`, `@@@2284`; and it is these remnants that deceit poisons and that profanation mixes up with falsities and evils. For what profanation is, see `@@@593`, `@@@1008`, `@@@1010`, `@@@1059`, `@@@1327`, `@@@1328`, `@@@2051`, `@@@2426`, `@@@3398`, `@@@3402`, `@@@3489`, `@@@3898`, `@@@4289`, `@@@4601`. All these indications show to some extent who a rational person is and who one ruled by his senses is.
ttt[6] When the senses have become subject to the rational, the sensory powers that serve to form a person's first mental images receive light which comes through heaven from the Lord; they are at the same time brought into a state of order that enables them to receive that light and agree with the rational. Once they exist in this condition sensory impressions are no longer a barrier that prevents truths from being either acknowledged or seen, for those that are not in keeping with truths are instantly set aside, while those which are in keeping are accepted. Those that are in keeping are now so to speak at the centre and those that are not are on the fringes. Those at the centre are so to speak raised up towards heaven, while those on the fringes are hanging downwards. Those at the centre receive light from the rational, and when they are manifested visually in the next life they look like small glittering stars which radiate light, gradually decreasing, out to the fringes. This is the kind of form that natural or sensory images are being brought into when the rational has dominion and the senses exist subject to it. This is what happens to a person while he is being regenerated, bringing him as a consequence into a state in which truths can be seen and acknowledged by him in abundance. But when the rational is subject to the senses the opposite happens, for in this case falsities are in the middle or at the centre and truths are on the fringes. The falsities at the centre dwell in a certain kind of light, which however is an inferior and deceptive one, like that emitted by a coal fire. Into this there is flowing light on every side from hell. This inferior light is that which is called darkness, for as soon as any light from heaven flows into it, it is converted into darkness.
ppp18722#pid#5129. Verses `Genesis 40bbbccc14-15` But remember me when it is well with you, and show, I beg you, mercy to me, and make mention of me to Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house. For I have indeed been taken away by theft out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also I have not done anything for which they should put me in the pit.
'But remember me' means the reception of faith. 'When it is well with you' means when a correspondence exists. 'And show, I beg you, mercy to me' means the reception of charity. 'And make mention of me to Pharaoh' means communication with the interior natural. 'And bring me out of this house' means a release from evils. 'For I have indeed been taken away by theft' means that evil caused celestial things to become alienated. 'Out of the land of the Hebrews' means from the Church. 'And here also I have not done anything' means innocence. 'For which they should put me in the pit' means a casting away among falsities.
ppp18721#pid#5130. 'But remember me' means the reception of faith. This is clear from the representation of 'Joseph', who says this about himself, as the Lord as regards the celestial within the natural, dealt with in `@@@5086`, `@@@5087`, `@@@5106`; and from the meaning of 'remember me' as the reception of faith, for remembering and being mindful of the Lord do not flow from anything other than faith. Consequently 'remember me' implies a desire to receive faith. As regards faith, anyone who receives and possesses faith is constantly mindful of the Lord. This is so even when he is thinking or talking about something other than Him, or else when he is carrying out his public, private, or family duties, though he is not directly conscious of his mindfulness of the Lord while he is carrying them out. Indeed that mindfulness of the Lord present in those who possess faith governs their whole being, but that which governs their whole being is not noticed by them except when they turn their thought specifically to that matter.
ttt[2] This may be illustrated by many aspects of human character. One who is governed by some love, whatever this may be, is thinking constantly about things connected with that love. This is so even when other matters occupy his mind, conversation, or action. This is quite evident in the next life from the spiritual spheres which surround everyone individually. From those spheres alone one can detect what the faith is and what the love is that are present in all who are there, even though they may be thinking or talking about something completely different, `@@@1048`, `@@@1053`, `@@@1316`, `@@@1504-1520`, `@@@2489`, `@@@4464`. For that which governs a person's whole being produces the sphere surrounding him and reveals to others what his life is. From this one may see what is meant by the statement that one ought to be thinking constantly about the Lord, salvation, and life after death. All who possess faith that is grounded in charity do so, as a consequence of which they do not entertain evil thoughts regarding their neighbour, and that which is just and fair is present in every aspect of their thought, speech, and action; for that which governs the person's whole being enters every particular aspect of it, both leading it and controlling it. Indeed the Lord holds the mind to those concerns that are charitable and are therefore matters of faith, and in so doing He fits every single thing in the mind into its proper place. The sphere of faith grounded in charity is the sphere which reigns in heaven, for the Lord flows in with love, and by means of love with charity, and as a consequence with truths which are the truths of faith. This explains why those in heaven are said to be in the Lord. The subject in what follows next is the rebirth of the sensory power subject to the understanding part represented by 'the cupbearer'; and as the rebirth of this is the subject, so also is the reception of faith. Indeed sensory awareness, like the rational, is born again by means of faith, but by faith into which charity is flowing. Unless charity flows into faith and imparts life to it, faith cannot possibly exist throughout a person's whole being, for it is what a person loves that reigns in him, not what he merely knows and retains in his memory.
ppp18720#pid#5131. 'When it is well with you' means when a correspondence exists. This is clear from the meaning - when the subject is the rebirth or regeneration of the exterior natural or sensory power - of 'being well with you' as a correspondence that exists, for until that power corresponds things are not well with it. What correspondence is may be seen at the ends of chapters. There is a correspondence of sensory impressions with natural ideas, a correspondence of natural ideas with spiritual realities, a correspondence of spiritual realities with celestial entities, and finally a correspondence of celestial entities with the Lord's Divine. Thus a sequence of correspondences exists extending from the Divine down to the last and lowest degree of the natural.
ttt[2] Since it is difficult for anyone to have any conception of the nature of correspondences if he has not previously given any thought to them, a brief statement must therefore be made about them. It is well known from philosophy that the end is prior to the cause, and the cause prior to the effect. To enable end, cause, and effect to follow one another and act as one, the effect must correspond to the cause, and the cause must correspond to the end. Nevertheless the end does not manifest itself as the cause, nor does the cause manifest itself as the effect. Rather, to enable the cause to exist the end must act on the level where the cause belongs, calling on assistant means to help it - the end - to bring the cause into existence; and to enable the effect to exist the cause likewise must act on the level where the effect belongs, by calling on assistant means to help it - the cause - to bring the effect into existence. These assistant means are ones that correspond; and because they correspond, the end can exist within the cause and bring the cause into operation, and the cause can exist within the effect and bring the effect into operation. Consequently the end uses the cause to bring the effect into operation. But it is different when no correspondence exists. In this case the end does not have a cause in which it may exist, let alone any effect in which it may do so. Instead the end undergoes change and variation within the cause, and finally within the effect, according to the form which the assistant means create.
ttt[3] All things without exception within the human being, indeed all things without exception in the natural creation, follow one another as end, cause, and effect. When these correspond to one another in this way they act as one, for in this case the end is the all in all of the cause, and through the cause is the all in all of the effect. Take for example heavenly love, when this is the end, the will is the cause, and action is the effect. If the three exist in correspondence with one another - that love flowing into the will, and the will into action - they then act as one, so much so through their correspondence with one another that the action is seen as the love. Or take for another example faith grounded in charity. When this is the end, thought is the cause, and conversation is the effect. If the three exist in correspondence with one another - if faith grounded in charity is flowing into a person's thought, and this into his conversation - they then act as one, so much so that through their correspondence with one another his conversation is seen as if it were the end. But to enable the cause to exist, which is will or thought, the end, which is love or faith, must call on assistant means within the rational mind which must correspond. For without the corresponding assistant means the end, which is love and faith, has nothing to receive it, even though it flows in from the Lord through heaven. From this it is evident that both the interior and the exterior aspects of the human being, that is, his rational concepts, natural ideas, and sensory impressions, must be brought into a state of correspondence so that the Divine can flow in and be received by a person, consequently so that he may be born again, prior to which all is not well with him. From all this one may see that 'when it is well with you' here means [when] a correspondence exists.
ppp18719#pid#5132. 'And show, I beg you, mercy to me' means the reception of charity. This is clear from the meaning of 'mercy' as love, dealt with in `@@@3063`, `@@@3073`, `@@@3120`, `@@@5042`, in this case love towards the neighbour, which is charity, since the reception of faith is spoken of above in `@@@5130`; for on the level of the senses, when these are born again, faith and charity must make one. The reason 'mercy' means charity is that all who have charity have mercy, that is, all who love their neighbour are merciful towards him. This also explains why the Word describes the practice of charity as acts of mercy, as in Matthew,
I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in, naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me, I was in prison and you came to me. `Matthew 25bbb35-36`.
And in other places the practice of charity is described as acts of mercy done to the poor, the afflicted, widows, and orphans.
ttt[2] Charity consists essentially in desiring the welfare of one's neighbour, in having an affection for what is good, and in acknowledging that since what is good is one's neighbour, those who are governed by good are consequently one's neighbour, but varyingly so, depending on the amount of good that governs the individual person. Therefore since charity consists in having an affection for what is good, it also consists in feelings of mercy for those in distress. The good of charity holds such feelings within it because it comes down from the Lord's love towards the whole human race, a love which is 'mercy' because the whole human race is in distress. Mercy sometimes seems to exist among the evil who have no charity. But this is a case of pain because of their own suffering; for it consists in a concern for friends whom they identify with themselves, and when those friends suffer, they suffer too. This kind of mercy is not the mercy that belongs to charity but that which goes with friendship based on self-interest, which regarded in itself is the opposite of mercy. That kind of person despises and hates everyone else apart from himself, and so everyone else apart from the friends whom he identifies with himself.
ppp18718#pid#5133. 'And make mention of me to Pharaoh' means communication with the interior natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'making mention to someone' as communicating, and from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as the interior natural, dealt with `@@@5080`, `@@@5095`. By communication with the interior natural one means a joining together with it that has been effected through correspondence. The interior natural is that which receives ideas of truth and good from the rational and stores these away for the use they may serve, and is consequently that which communicates directly with the rational. The exterior natural however is that which receives images, and from these the ideas of things coming from the world by way of the senses.
ttt[2] Unless these latter ideas receive light from ideas present in the interior natural they give rise to illusions, which are called the illusions of the senses. When subject to such illusions a person believes nothing apart from that which is in agreement with them or to which they lend support, as is the situation if no correspondence exists. Nor does any correspondence exist if that person is not endowed with charity, for charity is the means which brings about union because the good of charity contains life from the Lord. That life arranges truths into order, thereby giving charity an outward form, that is, an image in which it can present itself. This form is manifested visually in the next life and is the angelic form itself. All the angels consequently are forms of charity, the beauty of this charity being received from the truths of faith, and the life within the beauty being received from the good of charity.
ppp18717#pid#5134. 'And bring me out of this house' means a release from evils. This is clear from the meaning of 'bringing out' as a release, and from the meaning of 'house' as good, dealt with in `@@@710`, `@@@1708`, `@@@2048`, `@@@2233`, `@@@3128`, `@@@3652`, `@@@3720`, `@@@4982`, and therefore, in the contrary sense, as evil. From this it is evident that 'bring me out of this house' means a release from evils, a meaning that also follows the preceding train of thought, which is this: When faith is received within the exterior natural, which is the subject here, `@@@5130`, a correspondence is effected, `@@@5131`, and when charity is received, `@@@5132`, and a communication is thereby effected with the interior natural, `@@@5133`, the exterior natural is at that point released from the evils which had caused the celestial represented by 'Joseph', `@@@5086`, `@@@5087`, `@@@5106`, to become alienated - that alienation being meant by the words which follow next, stating that he was taken away by theft. Furthermore, when the natural is regenerated by means of charity and faith it is released from evils; for when it is regenerated the evils are set apart and cast away from the centre, where they were previously, to the fringes, which the light of truth from good does not reach. In man's case evils are set apart in this manner; yet they still remain, for they cannot be completely destroyed. But with the Lord, who made the natural within Himself Divine, evils and falsities were cast out and completely destroyed. For the Divine cannot have anything at all in common with evils and falsities, or be encompassed by them, as is the case with man; for the Divine is the Essential Being (Esse) of good and truth, and that Being exists an infinite distance away from everything evil and false.
ppp18716#pid#5135. 'For I have indeed been taken away by theft' means that evil caused celestial things to become alienated. This is clear from the representation of 'Joseph', who says this about himself, as the celestial within the natural, dealt with in `@@@5086`, `@@@5087`, `@@@5106`, and consequently the celestial things there; and from the meaning of 'being taken away by theft' as undergoing alienation caused by evil. For 'to commit theft' means to alienate, while 'theft' itself means the evil which causes alienation, as well as meaning evil which lays claim to the things existing there in the natural. 'Theft' means an alienation caused by evil that happens in the place which such evil takes possession of; for it expels everything good and true and fills up that place with evils and falsities. 'Theft' also means its laying claim to what belongs to others; for it takes to itself everything good and true in that place and makes such its own as well as attaching it to evils and falsities. But to enable anyone to know what is meant by 'theft' in the spiritual sense, a statement must be made about what happens to evils and falsities when they enter in and take possession of a place, and also when they lay claim to everything good and true there.
ttt[2] From infancy to childhood, and sometimes on into early youth, a person is absorbing forms of goodness and truth received from parents and teachers, for during those years he learns about those forms of goodness and truth and believes them with simplicity - his state of innocence enabling this to happen. It inserts those forms of goodness and truth into his memory; yet it lodges them only on the edge of it since the innocence of infancy and childhood is not an internal innocence which has an influence on the rational, only an external one which has an influence solely on the exterior natural, `@@@2306`, `@@@3183`, `@@@3494`, `@@@4563`, `@@@4797`. When however the person grows older, when he starts to think for himself and not, as previously, simply in the way his parents or teachers do, he brings back to mind and so to speak chews over what he has learned and believed before, and then he either endorses it, has doubts about it, or refuses to accept it. If he endorses it, this is an indication that he is governed by good, but if he refuses to accept it, that is an indication that he is governed by evil. If however he has doubts about what he has learned and believed before, it is an indication that he will move subsequently either into an affirmative attitude of mind or else into a negative one.
ttt[3] The truths that a person learns and believes in his earliest years when he is a young child but which later on he either endorses, has doubts about, or refuses to accept, are in particular these: There is God, and He is one; He created everything; He rewards those who do what is good and punishes those who do things that are bad; there is life after death, when the bad go to hell and the good go to heaven, and so there is a hell and a heaven; the life after death lasts for ever; also, people ought to pray every day and to do so in a humble way; they ought to keep the sabbath day holy, honour their parents, and not commit adultery, kill, or steal; and many other truths like these. Such truths are learned and absorbed by a person from earliest childhood; but if, when he starts to think for himself and to lead his own life, he endorses them, adding to them further truths of a more interior kind, and leads a life in conformity with them, all is well with him. But if he starts to disobey them, refusing at length to accept them, then even though outwardly he leads a life in conformity with them, because the law and society expect him to do so, he is governed by evil.
ttt[4] This evil is what is meant by 'theft', to the extent that thief-like it usurps the position held previously by good. With many people it is thief-like to the extent that it takes away the forms of goodness and truth previously there and uses them to lend support to evils and falsities. So far as is possible with these people the Lord removes the forms of goodness and truth absorbed in early childhood from where these are to a more internal position, where - within the interior natural - He stores them away for future use. These forms of goodness and truth that are stored away within the interior natural are meant in the Word by 'the remnant', dealt with in `@@@468`, `@@@530`, `@@@560`, `@@@561`, `@@@660`, `@@@661`, `@@@1050`, `@@@1738`, `@@@1906`, `@@@2284`. But if evil steals the forms of goodness and truth there and uses them to lend support to evils and falsities, especially if it does so by the use of deceit, it destroys those remnants; for in this case it mingles evil with good, and falsity with truth, to such an extent that one cannot be separated from the other; and then a person is done for.
ttt[5] The fact that 'theft' means the kinds of things mentioned above may be seen from the mere use of that word to refer to what constitutes a person's spiritual life. For the only riches in that life are cognitions of good and truth, and the only possessions and inheritances are the different forms of happiness in life which are gained from forms of good and from truths deriving from these. The stealing of such things, as stated above, is what 'theft' relates to in the spiritual sense, and therefore by the thefts mentioned in the Word nothing else is meant in the internal sense, as in Zechariah,
I lifted up my eyes and saw, and behold, a flying scroll. Then he said to me, This curse is going out over the face of the whole land, for everyone committing theft from now on, according to it, will be innocent, and everyone swearing falsely, according to it, will be innocent. I have cast it forth, that it may enter the house of the thief, and the house of him swearing falsely by My name, and may pass the night in his house and consume it, both its timbers and its stones. `Zechariah 5bbb1-4`.
Evil which takes away remnants of good is meant by 'one committing theft' and by 'the house of the thief', and falsity which takes away remnants of truth by 'one swearing falsely' and by 'the house of him swearing falsely'. 'The face of the whole land' stands for the whole Church, which is why the statement is made that the curse will consume the house, both its timbers and its stones - 'house' meaning the natural mind or a person so far as that mind is concerned, `@@@3128`, `@@@3538`, `@@@4973`, `@@@5023`, 'timbers' the forms of good present there, `@@@2784`, `@@@2812`, `@@@3720`, `@@@4943`, and 'stones' the truths, `@@@643`, `@@@1298`, `@@@3720`.
ttt[6] Profanation and a consequent removal of goodness and truth are meant in the spiritual sense by the action of Achan, who took some of 'the devoted things' - a mantle of Shinar, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold - and hid them in the earth in the middle of his tent, on account of which he was stoned and everything was burned, as described in Joshua,
Jehovah said to Joshua, Israel has sinned; they have transgressed My covenant which I commanded them, and have taken some of that which was devoted; they have committed theft, have lied, and have put it among their own vessels. `Joshua 7bbb11`, `Joshua 7bbbccc12`, `Joshua 7bbbccc25`.
'The devoted things' meant falsities and evils, which were not on any account to be mixed with anything holy. 'A mantle of Shinar, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold' in the spiritual sense are specific types of falsity. 'Hiding them in the earth in the middle of the tent' meant a mingling with things that are holy - for 'a tent' means that which is holy, see `@@@414`, `@@@1102`, `@@@1566`, `@@@2145`, `@@@2152`, `@@@3312`, `@@@4128`, `@@@4391`, `@@@4599`. Such was the meaning of the declaration that they had committed theft, lied, and put [what was devoted] among their own vessels; for 'vessels' means holy truths, `@@@3068`, `@@@3079`, `@@@3316`, `@@@3318`.
ttt[7] In Jeremiah,
I will bring the disaster`fff1` of Esau upon him, the time I will visit him. If grape-gatherers come to you, will they not leave grape-gleanings? if thieves in the night, will they not destroy a sufficiency? I will strip Esau bare, I will uncover his secret places, and he will not be able to be concealed. His seed has been laid waste, and his brothers, and his neighbours; and he is no more. `Jeremiah 49bbb8-10`.
'Esau' stands for the evil of self-love to which falsities have been allied, `@@@3322`. The destruction by this evil of the remnants of good and truth is meant by the statements that 'thieves in the night will destroy a sufficiency' and that 'his seed has been laid waste, also his brothers and his neighbours, and he is no more'. 'Seed' stands for truths which are those of faith grounded in charity, `@@@1025`, `@@@1447`, `@@@1610`, `@@@1940`, `@@@2848`, `@@@3038`, `@@@3310`, `@@@3373`; 'brothers' for forms of good which are those of charity, `@@@367`, `@@@2360`, `@@@2508`, `@@@2524`, `@@@3160`, `@@@3303`, `@@@3459`, `@@@3815`, `@@@4121`, `@@@4191`; 'neighbours' for the adjoining and related forms of truth and good which belong to it.
ttt[8] A similar reference to Esau occurs in Obadiah,
If thieves come to you, if those who overturn in the night - how you will have been cut off! - will they not steal that which is enough for themselves? If grape-gatherers come to you, will they not leave some clusters? Obad. verse `Genesis 40bbbccc5`.
'Grape-gatherers' stands for falsities which are not a product of evil. These falsities do not destroy the forms of goodness and truth - that is, the remnants - stored away by the Lord in a person's interior natural. But falsities that are the product of evils do destroy them, for they steal forms of truth and good and also use them, through misapplication of them, to lend support to evils and falsities.
ttt[9] In Joel,
A great and mighty people, like heroes they will run, like men of war they will scale the wall; and they will pass on, every one on his way. They will run about the city, they will run on the wall, they will climb into the houses, they will go in through the windows like a thief. `Joel 2bbb7`, `Joel 2bbbccc9`.
'A great and mighty people' stands for falsities fighting against truths, `@@@1259`, `@@@1260`; and because they fight in a mighty way, by destroying truths, they are spoken of as 'heroes' and 'like men of war'. 'The city' through which they are said to run about stands for matters of doctrine regarding truth, `@@@402`, `@@@2268`, `@@@2449`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc2712`, `@@@2943`, `@@@3216`; 'the houses which they will climb into' stands for the forms of good which they destroy, `@@@710`, `@@@1708`, `@@@2048`, `@@@2233`, `@@@3128`, `@@@3652`, `@@@3720`, `@@@4982`; 'the windows which they will go through' stands for intellectual concepts and for reasonings derived from these, `@@@655`, `@@@658`, `@@@3391`. This being so, those falsities are compared to a thief because they usurp the position held previously by truths and forms of good.
ttt[10] In David,
Since you hate discipline and cast away My words behind you, if you see a thief you run with him, and your part is with adulterers. You open your mouth towards evil, and with your tongue you frame deceit. `Psalms 50bbb17-19`.
This refers to someone wicked, 'running with a thief' standing for his use of falsity to alienate truth from himself.
ttt[11] In Revelation,
They did not repent of their murders, or of their enchantments, or of their whoredoms, or of their thefts. `Revelation 9bbb21`.
'Murders' stands for evils which destroy forms of good, 'enchantments' for falsities from these which destroy truths, 'whoredoms' for falsified truths, 'thefts' for forms of good that have consequently been alienated.
ttt[12] In John,
Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the sheepfold but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. I am the door; if anyone enters through Me he will be saved, and will go in, and will go out, and will find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy. `John 10bbb1-2`, `John 10bbbccc8-10`.
'A thief' in this instance also stands for the evil of merit-seeking, for anyone who takes away from the Lord that which is His and claims it as his own is called 'a thief'. This evil closes the path so as to prevent the flow of good and truth from the Lord, for which reason it is referred to as 'killing and destroying'. Much the same is meant in the Ten Commandments, at `Deuteronomy 5bbb19`, by You shall not steal, `@@@4174`. From all this one may see what is meant in the spiritual sense by the laws laid down in the Jewish Church regarding thefts, such as those at `Exodus 21bbb16`; `Exodus ccc22bbb1-4`; `Deuteronomy 24bbb7`; for all laws in that Church had their origin in the spiritual world, and they therefore correspond to the laws of order which exist in heaven.
`nnn1. Reading Exitium (disaster) - which Swedenborg has in his rough draft, and also in another place where he quotes this verse - for Exitum (departure)
ppp18715#pid#5136. 'Out of the land of the Hebrews' means from the Church; that is to say, evil caused celestial things to be alienated from it. This is clear from the meaning of 'the land of the Hebrews' as the Church, 'the land of the Hebrews' being in this case the land of Canaan, for this was the place from which Joseph was taken away. The reason why in the Word 'the land of Canaan' means the Church is that the Church had existed there since most ancient times, first the Most Ancient Church, which came before the Flood; then the Ancient Church, which came after the Flood; after that the second Ancient Church, which is called the Hebrew Church; and at length the Jewish Church. So that the Jewish Church might be established there Abram was commanded to move from Syria to that land, where he received the promise that the land would be given as an inheritance to his descendants. This explains why in the Word 'land' or 'earth' means the Church, and 'the whole land' - an expression found in various places - the universal Church, and why 'a new heaven and a new earth' means a new Church, internal and external.
ttt[2] The reason the Church existed there continuously since most ancient times was that the member of the Most Ancient Church, who was celestial, was the kind of person who saw within every single object in the world and on earth something representative of the Lord's kingdom. Worldly and earthly objects were the means that enabled him to think about heavenly realities. This was where all the representatives and meaningful signs known subsequently in the Ancient Church had their origin, for these had been gathered together by the people meant by 'Enoch', and preserved for the use of others descended from them, `@@@519`, `@@@521`, `@@@2896`. This was how it came about that each specific place, and also each specific mountain or river in the land of Canaan, where the most ancient people lived, came to be representative, as did all the surrounding kingdoms. Now because the Word could not be written unless representatives and meaningful signs were used, including those connected with places, those consecutive dispensations of the Church were to that end kept in existence in the land of Canaan. But after the Lord's Coming the Church was transferred elsewhere because representatives were now done away with. From all this it is evident that the land of Canaan, called the land of the Hebrews here, means the Church.
ttt[3] But see what has been presented already on these matters - in the following places:
The Most Ancient Church, the one before the Flood, existed in the land of Canaan, `@@@567`, `@@@3686`, `@@@4447`, `@@@4454`.
Part of the Ancient Church, the Church after the Flood, existed there, `@@@3686`, `@@@4447`.
The second Ancient Church, called the Hebrew Church, also existed there, `@@@4516`, `@@@4517`.
Abram was therefore commanded to go there, and the land was given to his descendants, `@@@3686`, `@@@4447`.
Consequently the land of Canaan represented the Lord's kingdom, `@@@1607`, `@@@3038`, `@@@3481`, `@@@3705`, `@@@4240`, `@@@4447`.
This explains why in the Word 'the land' means the Church, `@@@566`, `@@@662`, `@@@1066`, `@@@1067`, `@@@1262`, `@@@1413`, `@@@1607`, `@@@1733`, `@@@1850`, `@@@2117`, `@@@2118` (end), `@@@3355`, `@@@4447`, `@@@4535`.
ppp18714#pid#5137. 'And here also I have not done anything' means innocence. This becomes clear without explanation, for 'not doing anything evil' is a declaration of innocence.
ppp18713#pid#5138. 'For which they should put me in the pit' means a casting away among falsities. This is clear from the meaning of 'the pit' as falsity, dealt with in `@@@4728`, `@@@4744`, `@@@5038`. In what appears above evil was the subject, that is to say, the fact that evil caused celestial things to become alienated, `@@@5174`, `@@@5135`; but now falsity is the subject, for when the one is mentioned in the Word, so also is the other. That is to say, when evil is mentioned, so also is falsity, for the reason that when good is mentioned there, so also is truth, in order that a marriage may exist in every individual part of the Word. The heavenly marriage is a marriage of good and truth, but the hellish marriage is one of evil and falsity. For where evil exists, so also does falsity, falsity linking itself to evil like a wife to her husband; and where good exists, so also does truth, truth joining itself to good like a wife to her husband. Consequently one can see from a person's life the essential nature of his faith, for good, or else evil, is the inner essence of his life, and truth, or else falsity, is the inner essence of his faith. As regards a marriage existing in every individual part of the Word, see `@@@683`, `@@@793`, `@@@801`, `@@@2173`, `@@@2516`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc2712`, `@@@4138` (end).
ppp18712#pid#5139. Verses `Genesis 40bbbccc16-19` And the chief of the bakers saw that he had interpreted what was good, and he said to Joseph, I also was in my dream, and behold, three baskets with holes in them were on my head. And in the highest basket there was some of every kind of food for Pharaoh, the work of the baker, and the birds were eating them out of the basket, from upon my head. And Joseph answered and said, This is the interpretation of it: The three baskets are three days. In yet three days Pharaoh will lift up your head from upon you, and will hang you on wood; and the birds will eat your flesh from upon you.
'And the chief of the bakers saw' means the discernment of the sensory power subject to the will part of the mind. 'That he had interpreted what was good' means what was going to take place. 'And he said to Joseph' means the perception of the celestial within the natural. 'I also was in my dream' means a foretelling. 'And behold, three baskets' means consecutive degrees forming the will. 'With holes in them were on my head' means without a termination anywhere at all in the middle. 'And in the highest basket' means the inmost degree of the will. 'There was some of every kind of food for Pharaoh' means full of celestial good for nourishing the natural. 'The work of the baker' means according to every useful purpose served by that power of the senses. 'And the birds of the air were eating them out of the basket, from upon my head' means that falsity originating in evil would consume it. 'And Joseph answered and said' means revelation resulting from the perception received by the celestial within the natural. 'This is the interpretation of it' means what it held within it. 'The three baskets' means the consecutive degrees of the will. 'Are three days' means even to the final one. 'In yet three days' means that within the final one. 'Pharaoh will lift up your head from upon you' means a decision based on foresight. 'And will hang you on wood' means a casting aside and condemnation. 'And the birds will eat your flesh from upon you' means that falsity originating in evil will consume every one of those sensory impressions.
ppp18711#pid#5140. 'And the chief of the bakers saw' means the discernment of the sensory power subject to the will part of the mind. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing' as understanding and discerning, dealt with in `@@@2150`, `@@@2807`, `@@@3764`, `@@@4723`, and from the meaning of 'the chief of the bakers as in general the sensory power subject to the will part, and so its sensory perceptions, dealt with in `@@@5078`, `@@@5082`.
ppp18710#pid#5141. 'That he had interpreted what was good' means what was going to take place. This is clear from the meaning of 'interpreting' as what it held within itself, or what lay within it, dealt with above in `@@@5093`, `@@@5105`, `@@@5107`, `@@@5121`, and thus also what was going to take place. The discernment that what was good was going to take place was a sensory discernment which, compared with other kinds of discernment, is an obscure one. To be exact, there is the power of discernment exercised by the senses or the exterior natural; the power of discernment exercised by the interior natural; and the power of discernment exercised by the rational. When a person is led by affection to think on a more interior level and to divorce his mind from what his senses and his body tell him, his discernment is of the rational kind. For in his case lower ideas, that is, those conceived by his external man, become dormant, and that person is virtually in his spirit. But when, for reasons that arise in the world, his thought exists on a more exterior level his power of discernment is that exercised by the interior natural. The rational is, it is true, exerting an influence, but not with any living affection. When however a person is engrossed in mere pleasures and the delights engendered by a love of the world, and also by self-love, his power of discernment is that exercised by the senses. His life in this case is focused on external interests or the body, and he has no room for anything internal apart from what will prevent him from breaking out into shameful and unseemly kinds of behaviour. But the more external his discernment is, the more obscure it is; for in relation to interior things exterior ones are general. Countless details that are interior manifest themselves in that which is exterior as one simple whole.
ppp18709#pid#5142. 'And he said to Joseph' means the perception of the celestial within the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying', in the historical narratives of the Word, as perception, often dealt with already; and from the representation of 'Joseph' as the celestial within the natural, dealt with in `@@@5086`, `@@@5087`, `@@@5106`.
ppp18708#pid#5143. 'I also was in my dream' means a foretelling. This is clear from the meaning of 'a dream' as a foretelling regarding the outcome, dealt with in `@@@5092`, `@@@5104`, `@@@5112`.
ppp18707#pid#5144. 'And behold, three baskets' means consecutive degrees forming the will. This is clear from the meaning of 'three' as complete and continuous even to the end, dealt with in `@@@2788`, `@@@4495`, `@@@5114`, `@@@5122`, thus things that are consecutive; and from the meaning of 'baskets' as degrees forming the will. The reason 'baskets' means degrees forming the will is that they are vessels which serve to contain food, and 'food' means celestial and spiritual kinds of good, which are contained in the will. For all good belongs to the will, and all truth to the understanding. As soon as anything goes forth from the will it is perceived as good. Up to this point the subject has been the sensory power subject to the understanding, which has been represented by 'the cupbearer'; but now the subject is the sensory power subject to the will, which is represented by 'the baker', see `@@@5077`, `@@@5078`, `@@@5082`.
ttt[2] The consecutive or continuous degrees of the understanding were represented by the vine, its three shoots, blossom, clusters, and grapes; and then truth which belongs properly to the understanding was represented by 'the cup', `@@@5120`. But the consecutive degrees forming the will are represented by the three baskets on the baker's head, in the highest of which 'there was some of every kind of food for Pharaoh, the work of the baker'. By consecutive degrees of the will are meant degrees in consecutive order, beginning with the one inmostly present with a person and ending with the outermost degree where sensory awareness resides. Those degrees are like a flight of steps from the inmost parts to the outermost, `@@@5114`. Good from the Lord flows into the inmost degree, then through the rational degree into the interior natural, and from there into the exterior natural, or the sensory level. That good passes down a flight of steps so to speak, the nature of it being determined at each distinct and separate level by the way it is received. But more will be said later on about the nature of this influx and those consecutive degrees it passes through.
ttt[3] Elsewhere in the Word 'baskets' again means degrees of the will, in that forms of good are contained in these, as in Jeremiah,
Jehovah showed me, when behold, there were two baskets of figs, set before the temple of Jehovah; in one basket extremely good figs, like first-ripe figs, but in the other basket extremely bad figs, which could not be eaten because of their badness. `Jeremiah 24bbb1-3`.
In this case a different word is used in the original language for 'a basket',`fff1` which is used to describe the natural degree of the will. The figs in the first basket are forms of good in the natural, but those in the second are forms of evil there.
ttt[4] In Moses,
When you have come into the land which Jehovah your God will give you, you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the land, which you shall bring from your land, and you shall put it in a basket, and you shall go to the place which Jehovah has chosen. Then the priest shall take the basket from your hand, and place it before the altar of Jehovah your God. `Deuteronomy 26bbb1-4`.
Here yet another word for 'a basket' is used', which means a new will within the understanding part of the mind. 'The first of the fruit of the land' are the forms of good produced from that new will.
ttt[5] In the same author,
To consecrate Aaron and his sons, Moses was to take unleavened bread, unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil; he was to make them of fine wheat flour. And he was to put them in one basket, and to bring them near in the basket. Aaron, then his sons, were to eat the flesh of the ram, and the bread in the basket, at the door of the tent of meeting. `Exodus 29bbb2-3`, `Exodus 29bbbccc32`.
In this case the same word is used for 'a basket' as here [in the baker's dream]. It means the will part of the mind, which has within it forms of good that are meant by bread, cakes, oil, wafers, flour, and wheat. The expression 'the will part of the mind' describes that which serves as a container; for good from the Lord flows into those interior forms within an, as the proper vessels to contain it. If those forms have been set to receive it they are 'baskets' containing such good.
ttt[6] In the same author, when a Nazirite was being inaugurated,
He shall take a basket of unleavened [loaves] of fine flour, cakes mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, together with their minchah and their drink-offerings. He shall also offer a ram as a sacrifice of peace-offerings to Jehovah, in addition to the basket of unleavened things. And the priest shall take the cooked shoulder of the ram, and one unleavened cake from the basket, and one wafer from the unleavened, and he shall place them on the hand of the Nazirite, and [the priest] shall wave them as a wave-offering before Jehovah. `Numbers 6bbb15`, `Numbers 6bbbccc17`, `Numbers 6bbbccc19-20`.
Here also 'a basket' stands for the will part of the mind serving as a container. Cakes, wafers, oil, minchah, cooked shoulder of the ram serve to represent forms of celestial good; for a Nazirite represented the celestial man, `@@@3301`.
ttt[7] In those times things like these which were used in worship were carried in baskets; even the kid which Gideon brought to the angel under the oak tree was carried in one, `Judges 6bbb19`. The reason for this was that 'baskets' represented things serving as containers, while the things in those baskets represented the actual contents.
`nnn1. Swedenborg reflects these differences by the use of three different Latin words for basket.
ppp18706#pid#5145. 'With holes in them were on my head' means without a termination anywhere at all in the middle. This is clear from the meaning of 'with holes in' as that which is open from top to bottom, thus that which is not closed and therefore has no termination anywhere at all in the middle; and from the meaning of 'the head' as interior degrees, in particular those that constitute the will. For the head is the primary location where all substances and forms exist, and is therefore the place to which all sensations travel and register themselves, and the place from which all actions spring and are derived. The powers of the mind too - the power of understanding and that of the will - are plainly located there, which is why interior degrees are meant by 'the head'. 'The baskets' [in the baker's dream] represented those powers within 'the head'.
ttt[2] The subject at present is the sensory impressions subject to the will part of the mind, 'baskets on the head with holes in them' meaning that interior degrees existed without a termination anywhere at all in the middle. Therefore those sensory impressions, as follows from this, were cast aside and condemned. But some explanation must be given of what is meant by 'without a termination anywhere at all in the middle'. Interiorly the human being is divided into separate degrees, and each degree has its own termination that serves to separate it from the degree beneath it. This is so with every degree from the inmost one to the outermost. The interior rational constitutes the first degree, the degree in which celestial angels are, that is, where the inmost or third heaven is. The exterior rational makes up the second degree, the one in which spiritual angels are, that is, where the middle or second heaven is. The interior natural makes up the third degree, the one in which good spirits are, that is, where the last and lowest or first heaven is. And the exterior natural, the level of the senses, makes up the fourth degree, in which man is.
ttt[3] These degrees also exist within man, each degree completely distinct and separate. Consequently, if he leads a good life, he is interiorly a miniature heaven; that is, his interiors correspond to the three heavens. Also, if he has led a life of charity and love he can be taken after death all the way up to the third heaven. But if he is to be someone like this, each degree within him must be furnished with its own specific termination that makes it separate from the next one. When those degrees do have those terminations, making them distinct and separate from one another, each degree has a floor on which good flowing in from the Lord can rest and where it is received. Without such terminations acting as floors that good is not received but passes straight through, as if through a sieve or through 'a basket with holes in it', down to the sensory level. There, because it has not received any direction on the way, this good is turned into something foul, though it is seen as good by the recipients of it at that lowest level. That is to say, the good is turned into the kind of delight that belongs to a selfish and worldly love, and consequently into the kind of delight that belongs to hatred, revenge, cruelty, adultery, and avarice, or into sheer self-gratification and personal extravagance. This is what happens if the degrees of a person's will exist without a termination anywhere at all in the middle, that is, if 'they have holes in them'.
ttt[4] One can also actually know whether these terminations and therefore floors exist; people's abilities to perceive what is good and true point to the existence of them, as do their consciences. In the case of those who, like celestial angels, have the ability to perceive what is good and true, terminations exist in every degree, from the first to the last. Unless each degree has its own termination, no perceptive abilities such as these can exist. Regarding these abilities, see `@@@125`, `@@@202`, `@@@495`, `@@@503`, `@@@511`, `@@@536`, `@@@597`, `@@@607`, `@@@784`, `@@@865`, `@@@895`, `@@@1121`, `@@@1383`, `@@@1384`, `@@@1387`, `@@@1919`, `@@@1144`, `@@@2145`, `@@@2171`, `@@@2515`, `@@@2831`. In the case of those who, like spiritual angels, have conscience, terminations likewise exist, but only in the second degree or else in the third down to the last. For them the first degree is closed. One must say in the second degree or else in the third because conscience is twofold - interior and exterior. Interior conscience is one that concerns itself with what is spiritually good and true, exterior conscience one that concerns itself with what is just and fair. Conscience itself is an interior floor which provides inflowing Divine Good with a termination; but those who have no conscience do not have any interior floor to receive that influx. In their case good passes straight through to the exterior natural, or the natural level of the senses, where it is turned, as has been stated, into foul delights. These people sometimes feel pain like that of conscience, but this is not conscience. The pain is caused by the loss of what they delight in, such as the loss of position, gain, reputation, life, pleasures, or the friendship of others who are like themselves. They suffer pain because the terminations which they possess consist in those kinds of delights. From all this one may see what is meant in the spiritual sense by 'baskets with holes in them'.
ttt[5] Particularly so in the next life one can discern whether or not the degrees of a person's will have been furnished with terminations. In the case of one who has been furnished with them, a zeal exists for what is spiritually good and true or for what is just and fair. For such persons had done what was good for the sake of what was good or for the sake of what was true, and had practised what was just for the sake of what was just or for the sake of what was fair, not for the sake of gain, position, and the like. All whose interior degrees of the will have been furnished with terminations are raised up to heaven, for the inflowing Divine is able to lead them there. But all whose interior degrees of the will have not been furnished with terminations make their way to hell, for what is Divine passes straight through and is turned into that which is hell-like, as when the heat of the sun falls on foul excrement and a disgusting stench is given off by it. Consequently all who have had conscience are saved, but those who have had none are incapable of being saved.
ttt[6] Degrees of the will are said to have holes in them, or to have no terminations, when there is no affection for goodness and truth, or for justice and equity, and when these virtues are considered to be of little or no value at all compared with anything else, or are esteemed solely for the sake of acquiring gain or position. The affections are what supply terminations and serve to close off, which is also why they are called bonds or restraints - affections for what is good and true being internal bonds, and affections for what is evil and false external ones, `@@@3835`. Unless the affections for what is evil and false acted as bonds or restraints the person would be insane, `@@@4217`; for insanity is nothing else than the removal of such restraints, so that no terminations are present in such persons. Even so, though these people do not possess any internal restraints and are therefore inwardly insane, so far as their thoughts and affections are concerned, an eruption of these is held back by external restraints, which consist in affections for gain, position, or reputation for their own sake, and consequently in a fear of the law or of loss of life. This was represented in the Jewish Church by the law that in the house of one who had died every open vessel which had no covering [or] cord [to fasten it] was unclean, `Numbers 19bbb15`.
ttt[7] Much the same is also meant by 'works full of holes' in Isaiah,
Those that make linen out of silk [threads], and those that weave works full of holes, will blush. And its foundations will be broken to pieces - all those making pools of the soul`fff1` their wages. `Isaiah 19bbb9-10`.
And by 'holes' in Ezekiel,
The Spirit brought the prophet to the door of the court, where he looked, and behold, a hole in the wall. And He said to him, Son of man, bore a hole through the wall. He therefore bore a hole through the wall, and behold, a door. Then He said to him, Go in and see the abominations that they do here. When he went in and saw, behold, every likeness of creeping thing and of beast, an abomination; and all the idols of the house of Israel, portrayed on the wall round about, etc. `Ezekiel 8bbb7-10`.
`nnn1. What Swedenborg understands by this literal rendering of the Hebrew is not clear.
ppp18705#pid#5146. 'And in the highest basket' means the inmost degree of the will. This is clear from the meaning of 'a basket' as a degree of the will, dealt with above in `@@@5144`; and from the meaning of 'the highest' as the inmost part, dealt with in `@@@2148`, `@@@3084`, `@@@4599`. The reason 'the highest' means the inmost part is that while a person is an inhabitant of space, interior things are seen by him as higher and exterior ones as lower. But when spatial ideas are laid aside, as happens in heaven and also in a person's interior thought, the idea of height and depth is also laid aside; for height and depth belong to spatial ideas. Indeed in the inner heaven not even the idea of interior things and exterior ones exists because even that idea has a spatial element attached to it. Rather, the idea in that heaven is of a state of greater or lesser perfection; for interior things exist within a greater state of perfection than exterior ones because interior things are nearer to the Divine and exterior ones more remote from Him. This is the reason why that which is highest means that which is inmost.
ttt[2] Nevertheless no one can have a mental grasp of the relationship of what is interior to what is exterior unless he knows about degrees, regarding which see `@@@3691`, `@@@4154`, `@@@5114`, `@@@5145`. Man has no other notion of what is interior and consequently more perfect than the ever increasing purity of something the more one breaks it down. But greater purity and greater grossness can exist simultaneously in one and the same degree, owing not only to the expanding and condensing of it but also to the limitation of it and to the introduction of similar or else dissimilar elements into it. With an idea such as that regarding his interiors man cannot possibly do other than think that exterior things are attached in a continuous manner to interior ones, and so act entirely as one with them. But if a proper idea regarding degrees is formed one may grasp how interior and exterior things are distinct and separate from one another, so distinct that interior things can come into being and remain in being without exterior ones, whereas exterior things can never do so without interior ones. One may also grasp the nature of the correspondence of interior things within exterior ones, as well as the way in which the exterior things can represent interior ones. This explains why, other than hypothetically, the learned are unable to examine the question regarding the interaction of the soul and the body. Indeed it also explains why many of them believe that life belongs intrinsically to the body, and thus that when their body dies their interiors will die too since these are closely attached to the body. But in actual fact only the exterior degree dies; the interior degree survives and goes on living.
ppp18704#pid#5147. There was some of every kind of food for Pharaoh' means full of celestial good for nourishing the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'food' as celestial good, dealt with below; and from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as the interior natural, dealt with in `@@@5080`, `@@@5095`, and also the natural in general, since the interior natural and the exterior natural make one when they correspond. And because food exists to provide nourishment, 'every kind of food for Pharaoh' means full of celestial good for nourishing the natural. It is said that this food was in the highest basket, meaning that the inmost degree of the will was full of celestial good. For good from the Lord flows in by way of the inmost degree in a person; and from there it passes degree by degree, so to speak down a flight of steps, to what is more exterior. For in relation to other degrees the inmost one exists in the most perfect state, and can therefore receive good from the Lord directly, in a way the lower ones cannot. If these were to receive good from the Lord directly, they would either obscure it or pervert it, since they are less perfect in comparison with the inmost degree.
ttt[2] As regards the influx of celestial good from the Lord and the reception of it, it should be recognized that the will part of the human mind is the receiver of good and the understanding part is the receiver of truth. The understanding part cannot possibly receive truth so as to make this its own unless at the same time the will part receives good; and vice versa. For one flows as a result into the other and disposes that other to be receptive. All that constitutes the understanding may be compared to forms which are constantly varying, and all that constitutes the will may be compared to the harmonies resulting from those variations. Consequently truths may be compared to variations, and forms of good may be compared to the delights which those variations bring. And this being pre-eminently the case with truths and forms of good it is evident that one cannot exist without the other, as well as that one cannot be brought forth except by means of the other.
ttt[3] The reason 'food' means celestial good is that angels' food consists in nothing else than forms of the good of love and charity, and that these serve to enliven angels and to rejuvenate them. Especially when they are expressed in action or practice do those forms of good cause angels to feel rejuvenated, for they are the desires they have; for it is a well known fact that when a person's desires are expressed in action he feels rejuvenated and enlivened. Those desires also nourish a person's spirit when material food supplies nourishment to his body, as may be recognized from the fact that when no delight is taken in food it is not very nutritious, but when delight is taken in it, it is nutritious. The delight taken in food is what opens the meatus or channels which serve to convey it into the blood, whereas the opposite closes them. Among angels those delights are forms of the good of love and charity, and from this one may deduce that these are spiritual kinds of food which correspond to earthly ones. Also, just as forms of good are meant by different kinds of food, so truths are meant by 'drink'.
ttt[4] In the Word 'food' is mentioned in many places, yet someone unacquainted with the internal sense will inevitably suppose that in those places ordinary food is meant. In fact spiritual food is meant, as in Jeremiah,
All the people groan as they search for bread. They have given their desirable things for food to restore the soul. `Lamentations 1bbb11`.
In Isaiah,
Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters, and he who has no money, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. `Isaiah 55bbb1`.
In Joel,
The day of Jehovah is near, and as destruction from the thunderbolt-hurler will it come. [s not the food cut off before our eyes, gladness and joy from the house of our God? The grains have rotted under their clods, the storehouses have been laid waste, the granaries have been destroyed, because the grain has failed. `Joel 1bbb15-17`.
In David,
Our storehouses are full, yielding food and still more food; our flocks are thousands, and ten thousands in our streets. There is no outcry in our streets. Blessed are the people for whom it is thus. `Psalms 144bbb13-15`.
In the same author,
They all look to You, that You may give them their food in due season. You give to them - they gather it up; You open Your hand - they are satisfied with good. `Psalms 104bbb27-28`.
ttt[5] In these places celestial and spiritual food is meant in the internal sense when material food is referred to in the sense of the letter. From this one may see how the interior features of the Word and its exterior features correspond to one another, that is, how what belongs inwardly to its spirit and what belongs to its letter do so; so that while man understands those things according to the sense of the letter, the angels present with him understand the same things according to the spiritual sense. The Word has been written in such a way that it may serve not only the human race but heaven also, and for this reason all expressions are used to mean heavenly realities, and every matter described there is representative of these realities. This is so with the Word even to the tiniest jot.
ttt[6] Furthermore the Lord Himself explicitly teaches that good is meant in the spiritual sense by 'food': In John,
Do not labour for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. `John 6bbb27`.
In the same gospel,
My flesh is truly food, and My blood is truly drink. `John 6bbb55`.
'Flesh' means Divine Good, `@@@3813`, and 'blood' Divine Truth, `@@@4735`. And in the same gospel,
Jesus said to the disciples, I have food to eat of which you do not know. The disciples said to one another, Has anyone brought Him [anything] to eat? Jesus said to them, My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. `John 4bbb33-34`.
'Doing the will of the Father and finishing His work' means Divine Good when expressed in actions or practice, which in the genuine sense is 'food', as stated above.
ppp18703#pid#5148. 'The work of the baker' means according to every useful purpose served by that power of the senses. This is clear from the meaning of 'the work' as according to every useful purpose, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'the baker' as the sensory power subject to the will part, dealt with in `@@@5078`, `@@@5082`. The reason 'the work' means a useful purpose is that this expression is used in reference to the will part, that is, to the sensory part subject to the will part. Whatever is effected by means of this and may be called 'the work' must be a useful purpose. No work of charity is anything else, for the works of charity are works performed by the will, and these are the realization of useful purposes.
ppp18702#pid#5149. 'And the birds were eating them out of the basket, from upon my head' means that falsity originating in evil would consume it. This is clear from the meaning of 'the birds' as intellectual concepts and also thoughts, and consequently the things which flow from them - in the genuine sense truths of every kind, and in the contrary sense falsities - dealt with in `@@@40`, `@@@745`, `@@@776`, `@@@778`, `@@@866`, `@@@988`, `@@@7219`; from the meaning of eating' as consuming (in the original language the verb to eat also denotes to consume); and from the meaning of 'the basket' as the will part of the mind, dealt with in `@@@5144`, `@@@5146`, in this case evil coming from the will part since the basket has holes in it, `@@@5145`. From this it follows that 'the birds were eating them out of the basket, from upon his head' means that falsity originating in evil would consume it.
ttt[2] Falsity has two different origins, doctrine and evil. Falsity originating in doctrine does not consume any form of good, for a person can have such falsity in his mind and yet desire what is good, which is why people taught any kind of doctrine, including gentiles, can be saved. But falsity originating in evil is falsity which does consume good. Evil itself is opposed to good; yet it does not by itself consume any good but relies on falsity to do so. For falsity attacks the truths which are the defenders of good, those truths being so to speak the ramparts behind which good resides. Falsity is used to attack those ramparts, and once this has been done, good is given over to destruction.
ttt[3] Anyone unacquainted with the fact that 'birds' means intellectual concepts will inevitably suppose that when mentioned in the Word the expression 'birds' is either used to mean birds literally or else is used, as in everyday speech, in a figurative sense. Except from the internal sense no one can know that 'birds' means things belonging to the understanding, such as thoughts, ideas, reasonings, basic assumptions, and consequently truths or falsities, as in Luke,
The kingdom of God is like a grain of mustard seed, which someone took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a big tree so that the birds of the air dwelt in its branches. `Luke 13bbb19`.
'The birds of the air' here stands for truths.
ttt[4] In Ezekiel,
It will turn into a noble cedar, and under it will dwell every bird of every sort;`fff1` in the shade of its branches they will dwell. `Ezekiel 17bbb23`.
'Bird of every sort' stands for truths of every kind. In the same prophet,
Asshur was a cedar in Lebanon. In its branches all the birds of the air made their nests, and under its branches every beast of the field brought forth, and in its shadow dwelt all great nations. `Ezekiel 31bbb3`, `Ezekiel 31bbbccc6`.
'The birds of the air' stands in a similar way for truths.
ttt[5] In the same prophet,
Upon its ruin will dwell every bird of the air, and on its branches will be every wild animal of the field. `Ezekiel 31bbb13`.
'Bird of the air' stands for falsities. In Daniel,
Nebuchadnezzar saw in a dream. Behold, a tree in the midst of the earth; under it the beasts of the field had shade, and in its branches dwelt the birds of the air. `Daniel 4bbb10`, `Daniel 4bbbccc12`, `Daniel 4bbbccc14`, `Daniel 4bbbccc21`.
Here also 'the birds of the air' stands for falsities.
ttt[6] In Jeremiah,
I looked, and behold, there was no man; and every bird of the air had flown away. `Jeremiah 4bbb25`.
'No man' stands for no good, `@@@4287`, 'the birds of the air which had flown away' for the fact that truths had been dispersed. In the same prophet,
From bird of the air even to beast they have flown away, they have gone away. `Jeremiah 9bbb10`.
Here the meaning is the same. In Matthew,
A sower went out to sow; and some fell on the pathway, and the birds came and devoured it. `Matthew 13bbb3-4`.
Here 'the birds of the air' stands for reasonings, and also for falsities. The same meaning may be seen in many other places.
`nnn1. literally, of every wing
ppp18701#pid#5150. 'And Joseph answered and said' means revelation resulting from perception received by the celestial within the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'answering and saying' as revelation resulting from perception, dealt with above in `@@@5121`; and from the representation of 'Joseph' as the celestial within the natural, dealt with in `@@@5086`, `@@@5087`, `@@@5106`. The reason 'Joseph' here means the celestial within the natural is that the natural is the subject. With regard to the celestial and the spiritual, the celestial itself and the spiritual itself which flow into heaven from the Lord's Divine reside principally in the interior rational, for the forms there are more perfect ones and apt receivers. Even so, the celestial and the spiritual also flow from the Lord's Divine into the exterior rational, and into the natural too, doing so both indirectly and directly. They flow indirectly by way of the interior rational, and directly from the Lord's Divine itself. What flows in directly is that which brings order, and what flows in indirectly is that to which order is brought. This is what happens in the exterior rational, as also in the natural. From this one may recognize what the celestial within the natural is.
ttt[2] The celestial has its origin in Divine Good and the spiritual in Divine Truth - both having their origin in the Lord. When they exist in the rational they are called the celestial and spiritual within the rational, and when they exist in the natural they are called the celestial and spiritual within the natural. The rational and natural are used to mean the person himself insofar as he has been formed to receive the celestial and spiritual; but the rational is used to mean his internal and the natural his external. By reason of what flows into him, and depending on his reception of it, a person is called a celestial man or else a spiritual man - a celestial man if the Lord's Divine Good is received in the will part of his mind, a spiritual man if it is received in the understanding part.
ppp18700#pid#5151. 'This is the interpretation of it' means what it held within it. This is clear from the meaning of 'the interpretation' as what something holds within it, that is, what lies within, dealt with above in `@@@5093`, `@@@5105`, `@@@5107`.
ppp18699#pid#5152. 'The three baskets' means the consecutive degrees of the will. This is clear from the meaning of 'the three baskets' as consecutive degrees of the will, dealt with above in `@@@5144`.
ppp18698#pid#5153. 'Are three days' means even to the final one. This is clear from the meaning of 'three' as a single period and the continuation of it from beginning to end, and so even to the final phase, dealt with in `@@@2788`, `@@@4495`, `@@@5122`.
ppp18697#pid#5154. 'in yet three days' means that within the final one. This is clear from what has been stated just above in `@@@5152` about the meaning of 'three'.
ppp18696#pid#5155. 'Pharaoh will lift up your head from upon you' means a decision based on foresight. This is clear from the meaning of 'lifting up the head' as that which has been provided and therefore has been decided, or a decision based on providence, dealt with above in `@@@5124`; but here a decision based on foresight is meant because the prediction follows that he would be hanged on wood, by which a casting aside and condemnation are meant. The reason why a decision based on foresight, not on providence, is meant is that providence is used with reference to good but foresight with reference to evil. For all good flows in from the Lord and is therefore what is provided by Him; but all evil flows from hell, that is, from the human proprium which makes one with hell, and is therefore what is foreseen by Him. In its dealings with evil, providence is nothing else than the directing and steering of evil towards a milder evil, and so far as possible towards good; but evil itself is foreseen. Since therefore the subject at this point is the sensory power subject to the will part and the casting aside of this on account of evil, it is foresight that is meant.
ppp18695#pid#5156. 'And will hang you on wood' means a casting aside and condemnation. This is clear from the meaning of 'being hanged on wood' as a casting aside and condemnation; for hanging someone on wood was a curse, and a curse is being cast aside from the Divine and consequently is condemnation. The fact that hanging someone on wood was a curse is clear in Moses,
If a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he has been slain, so that you hang him on wood, his dead body shall not remain all night on the wood, but you must bury him the same day, for the one hanged is the curse of God. For you shall not defile the land which Jehovah your God is giving you for an inheritance. `Deuteronomy 21bbb22-23`.
'It shall not remain all night on the wood' meant casting aside for ever. For in the evening a new day began; therefore if those who had been hanged were not cast away before the evening, the failure to cast evil aside and consequently the failure to rid the land of that evil were represented. The land was defiled; hence the addition of the words 'You shall not defile the land which Jehovah your God is giving you for an inheritance'. They were left hanging until evening, but no later, see `Joshua 8bbb29`; `Joshua ccc10bbb16`. Among the Jewish nation two chief forms of punishment existed, stoning and hanging. The existence of stoning was due to falsity, that of hanging on wood to evil, for the reason that 'stone' means truth, `@@@643`, `@@@1298`, `@@@3720`, and in the contrary sense falsity, while 'wood' means good, `@@@2784`, `@@@2812`, `@@@3720`, and in the contrary sense evil. This is why frequent reference is made in the prophetical part of the Word to 'committing adultery with stone and wood', meaning the perversion of truth, which is falsity, and the adulteration of good, which is evil.
ppp18694#pid#5157. 'And the birds will eat your flesh from upon you' means that falsity originating in evil will consume every one of those sensory impressions. This is clear from the meaning of 'eating' as consuming, dealt with above in `@@@5149`; from the meaning of 'the birds' as falsity, also dealt with above in `@@@5149`; from the meaning of 'flesh' as good, dealt with in `@@@3812`, `@@@3813`, and therefore in the contrary sense as evil (for most things in the Word also have a contrary sense, which is discerned from their meaning in the genuine sense); and from the meaning of 'from upon you as from the sensory impressions subject to the will part, since those impressions are represented by 'the baker', `@@@5078`, `@@@5082`. The fact that these were evil and had therefore to be cast aside is clear from what has gone before.
ttt[2] The significance of all this - that the sensory impressions subject to the understanding part, which are represented by 'the cupbearer', were retained, whereas those subject to the will part, which are represented by 'the baker', were cast aside - is an arcanum that is completely unintelligible unless it has light shed on it. Let the following serve to shed some such light. By sensory impressions are meant those known facts and those delights which have been introduced through the five external or bodily senses into a person's memory and into his longings, and which together constitute the exterior natural, by virtue of which a person is called one governed by the senses. The facts are subject to the understanding part of his mind, whereas the delights are subject to the will part. Also, the facts link up with the truths which belong to the understanding, while the delights link up with the forms of good which belong to the will. The former are represented by 'the cupbearer' and were retained, but the latter are represented by 'the baker' and were cast aside.
ttt[3] The reason those known facts were retained is that in time they were able to accord with ideas in the understanding; but the reason the delights were cast aside is that they were by no means able to accord with what was in the will. For the will within the Lord, who is the subject in the highest internal sense, was from conception Divine and was the Divine Good itself; but the will received through His birth from His mother was evil and therefore had to be cast aside, and a new will had to be acquired in place of it. This new will was to be acquired from the Divine Will through the [Divine] Understanding, that is, from Divine Good through Divine Truth, and so was acquired by His own power. This is the arcanum which is described here in the internal sense.
ppp18693#pid#5158. Verses `Genesis 40bbbccc20-23` And it happened on the third day, Pharaoh's birthday, that he made a feast for all his servants, and he lifted up the head of the chief of the cupbearers, and the head of the chief of the bakers, in the midst of his servants. And he restored the chief of the cupbearers to his supervision over [Pharaoh's] drink, and he put the cup onto Pharaoh's palm. And the chief of the bakers he hanged, as Joseph had interpreted to them. And the chief of the cupbearers did not remember Joseph, and forgot him.
'And it happened on the third day' means in the final phase. 'Pharaoh's birthday' means when the natural was to be regenerated. 'That he made a feast for all his servants' means the introduction and joining to the exterior natural. 'And he lifted up the head' means according to what was of providence and what was of foresight. 'Of the chief of the cupbearers, and the head of the chief of the bakers' means the sensory powers subject to both parts, the understanding part and the will part. 'In the midst of his servants' means which were among the things present in the exterior natural. 'And he restored the chief of the cupbearers to his supervision over [Pharaoh's] drink' means that the sensory impressions belonging to the understanding part were accepted and made subordinate. 'And he put the cup onto Pharaoh's palm means and subservient to the interior natural. 'And the chief of the bakers he hanged' means that the sensory impressions belonging to the will part were cast aside. 'As Joseph had interpreted to them' means as foretold by the celestial within the natural. 'And the chief of the cupbearers did not remember Joseph' means that a complete joining to the celestial of the natural did not as yet exist. 'And forgot him' means removal.
ppp18692#pid#5159. 'And it happened on the third day' means in the final phase. This is clear from the meaning of 'the third day' as the final phase of a state; for 'day' means state, `@@@23`, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@893`, `@@@2788`, `@@@3462`, `@@@3785`, `@@@4850`, and 'third' that which is complete, and so comes last, `@@@1815`, `@@@2788`, `@@@4495`. By the final phase of a state is meant the point when the previous state comes to an end and the new one begins. In the case of the person who is being regenerated a new state begins when order is turned around. The change takes place when interior things are given dominion over exterior ones, and exterior things begin to serve interior ones - which involves both ideas in the understanding and desires in the will. People who are being regenerated are conscious of this change as an inner urge not to allow sensory delights and bodily or earthly pleasures to take control, and draw ideas present in the understanding over to their own side to support them. When this change takes place the previous state has reached its final phase and the new one is entering its first. This is what is meant by 'on the third day'.
ttt[2] In everyone, whether or not he is being regenerated, changes of state take place, and order is turned around. Yet such changes are different in the case of those who are being regenerated than in the case of those who are not being regenerated. With those who are not being regenerated those changes of state or order are due to physical causes or are attributable to causes associated with life in the community. Physical causes are those impulses which arise at one stage in life and subside at another, in addition to the giving of deliberate thought to physical health and a long life in the world. The causes connected with life in the community are the external, visible curbs a person has to place on his real desire, so that he may earn a reputation for being a wise person and a lover of what is righteous and good, when in fact the acquisition of position and material gain is his real reason for pursuing such. But in the case of people who are being regenerated, such changes of state or order are attributable to spiritual causes which spring from goodness and righteousness themselves; and when a person starts to have an affection for these he is at the end of the previous state and at the beginning of the new one.
ttt[3] But as few are capable of seeing the truth of all this, let an example serve to shed light on the matter. Anyone who does not allow himself to be regenerated loves things of the body for their own sake, not for any other reason; and he loves the world too for its own sake. His love does not reach any higher because at heart he refuses to accept anything higher or more interior. On the other hand one who is being regenerated also loves things of the body, and worldly things likewise. Yet he loves them for higher or more interior reasons. He loves things of the body because he wishes to have a healthy mind inside a healthy body. Also, he loves his own mind and its healthiness for an even more interior reason, namely that he may have a wise discernment of what is good and an intelligent understanding of what is true. He also loves worldly things as much as others do, yet for the reason that the world, worldly wealth, possessions, and positions of importance may serve him as the means to put what is good and true or what is just and fair into effect.
ttt[4] This example enables one to see what each one - the regenerate and the unregenerate - is really like, and to see that outwardly the two are apparently alike but that inwardly they are totally different. From this one may also recognize the identity and the essential nature of the causes which bring about the changes of state and turnings around of order that take place with people who are not being regenerated and those that take place with people who are being regenerated. One may also see that in the case of regenerate persons interior things have dominion over exterior ones, whereas in the case of unregenerate persons exterior ones have dominion over interior. The reasons or the ends that a person has in view are what have dominion, for those ends subordinate everything else in a person and make it subject to themselves. The person's whole life is conditioned entirely by his end in view, for that end is what he loves all the time.
ppp18691#pid#5160. 'On Pharaoh's birthday' means when the natural was to be regenerated. This is clear from the meaning of 'being born' as being regenerated, dealt with below; and from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as the interior natural, dealt with in `@@@5080`, `@@@5095`, in this case the natural in general because among regenerate persons the agreement of the interior natural with the exterior natural causes the two to act as one. The reason 'being born' means being regenerated is that in the internal sense spiritual matters are meant, and spiritual birth is regeneration, which is also called rebirth. When therefore birth is spoken of in the Word no other birth is understood in heaven than a birth effected through water and the spirit, that is, through faith and charity. For being born again or regenerated makes a person truly human and entirely different from animals, because in this case he becomes a son and heir of the Lord's kingdom. As regards the births which are mentioned in the Word meaning spiritual births, see `@@@1145`, `@@@1255`, `@@@3860`, `@@@3868`, `@@@4070`, `@@@4668`.
ppp18690#pid#5161. 'That he made a feast for all his servants' means the introduction and joining to the exterior natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'a feast' as the introduction to a joining together, dealt with in `@@@3832`, and also as a joining together through love and a making one's own, `@@@3596`; and from the meaning of 'servants' as the things which belong to the exterior natural. For when a person is being regenerated lower things are made subordinate and subject to higher ones, that is, exterior things are made so to interior ones. When this happens the exterior things become servants, and the interior become masters. This is the meaning 'servants' has in the Word, see `@@@2541`, `@@@3019`, `@@@3020`. But the kinds of people who become 'servants' are those who are loved by the Lord, for it is mutual love which joins them together and leads them to see their service to Him not as bondage but as whole-hearted allegiance, since good enters from within to produce that kind of delight there. In former times feasts were held for various reasons; and they meant an introduction into mutual love and so meant a joining together. Feasts were also held on birthdays; these represented the new birth or regeneration, which is a joining, through love, of a person's interiors to his exteriors, consequently a joining together in him of heaven and the world. For what is worldly or natural in a person is joined to what is spiritual and celestial.
ppp18689#pid#5162. 'And he lifted up the head' means [according to] what was of providence and what was of foresight. This is clear from the meaning of 'lifting up the head' as a decision attributable to providence and also to foresight, dealt with above in `@@@5124`, `@@@5155`. Providence is at work in the case of that power of sensory perception which is subject to the understanding part and is retained as something good, this being represented by 'the cupbearer'; but foresight is at work in the case of that sensory perception which is subject to the will part and is cast aside as something evil, this being represented by 'the baker'. That which is good is of providence while that which is evil is of foresight because everything good originates in the Lord but everything evil in hell or in the human proprium. As regards the human proprium being nothing but evil, see `@@@210`, `@@@215`, `@@@694`, `@@@874-876`, `@@@987`, `@@@1023`, `@@@1044`, `@@@1047`, `@@@1581`, `@@@3812` (end), `@@@4328`.
ppp18688#pid#5163. 'Of the chief of the cupbearers, and the head of the chief of the bakers' means regarding the sensory powers subject to both parts, the understanding part and the will part. This is clear from the representation of 'the cupbearer' as the sensory power subject to the understanding part, dealt with in `@@@5077`, `@@@5082`; and from the representation of 'the baker' as the sensory power subject to the will part, dealt with in `@@@5078`, `@@@5082`.
ppp18687#pid#5164. 'in the midst of his servants' means which were among the things present in the exterior natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'in the midst' as among those things; and from the meaning of 'servants' as the things within the exterior natural, dealt with just above in `@@@5161`. In the Word all things that occupy a lower position and are therefore subordinate and subject to higher ones are called 'servants'. This is so in the case of things present in the exterior natural - that is, the sensory impressions there - when considered in relation to the interior natural. The things present in this interior natural, when considered in relation to the rational, are also referred to as 'servants'. Consequently every single thing present in a person, inmost ones no less than outermost, are called such when considered in relation to the Divine, since the Divine is the highest of all.
ttt[2] The servants here in whose midst Pharaoh the king passed judgement on the cupbearer and the baker were chief courtiers and nobles. The reason why these, like other subjects belonging to any other rank of society, are called servants when considered in relation to the king is that, as is the case in any kingdom even today, kingship represents the Lord as regards Divine Truth, `@@@2015`, `@@@2069`, `@@@3009`, `@@@3670`, `@@@4581`, `@@@4966`, `@@@5068`. Considered in relation to Him all are equally servants, no matter what rank of society they belong to. Indeed in the Lord's kingdom, that is, in heaven, those who are the greatest there, that is, who are the inmost ones, are pre-eminently servants because their obedience is the greatest of all, and their humility is greater than that of any others. These are the ones who are meant by the least who will be the greatest, and the last who will be the first,
The first will be last, and the last will be first. `Matthew 19bbb30`; `Matthew ccc20bbb16`; `Mark 10bbb31`; `Luke 13bbb30`.
He who presents himself as least among you will be great. `Luke 9bbb48`.
They are also meant by the great who are ministers, and by the first who are servants,
Whoever would be great among you must be your minister; and anyone who would be first among you must be the servant of all. `Mark 10bbb44`; `Matthew 20bbb26-27`.
ttt[3] They are called 'servants' in relation to the Divine Truth which originates in the Lord and 'ministers' in relation to the Divine Good which originates in Him. The reason 'the last who are the first' are servants, and more so than any others, is that they know, acknowledge, and perceive that the whole of their life, and therefore the whole of the power which they possess, originates in the Lord, and none at all in themselves; and those who do not perceive this because their acknowledgement of it is not so great are 'servants' too, though more because that acknowledgement is one that is on their lips rather than in their hearts. Those however whose attitude is completely the reverse also call themselves servants in relation to the Divine; yet their real wish is to be masters. For they are annoyed and angry if the Divine does not show them favour or so to speak does not obey them, and at length they set themselves against the Divine, when they take away all power from Him and attribute everything to themselves. Very many like these exist within the Church; they do not accept the Lord, though they do say that they acknowledge a supreme being.
ppp18686#pid#5165. 'And he restored the chief of the cupbearers to his supervision over [Pharaoh's] drink' means that the sensory impressions belonging to the understanding part were accepted and made subordinate. This is clear from the representation of 'the chief of the cupbearers' as in general the sensory impressions subject to the understanding part, dealt with above; and from the meaning of 'restoring to his supervision over [Pharaoh's] drink' as restoring to order beneath the understanding part. 'Restoring to a position' means restoring to order so as to occupy the lowest position, see `@@@5125`; but here a restoration to supervision over the drink is spoken of because that supervision and the kinds of drink that were the objects of it, such as wine, new wine, strong drink, and water, have reference to things of the understanding, as also do giving to drink and actual drinking, `@@@3069`, `@@@3168`, `@@@3772`, `@@@4017`. From this it is evident that 'restoring the chief of the cupbearers to his supervision over [Pharaoh's] drink' means a restoration to order of the sensory impressions belonging to the understanding, and thus the acceptance and subordination of them.
ttt[2] Those sensory impressions are accepted and made subordinate when they minister to and serve interior things as the means both to the realization of these in actions and to the acquisition of insights into them. For within the sensory impressions present in his exterior natural a person can see interior things, in much the same way as he sees people's affections within their faces and even more interior affections within their eyes. Without an interior face or mirror such as this no one is able, while living in the body, to engage in any thought at all about things that are above the senses; for what he sees within the sensory impressions may be likened to someone's recognition of other people's affections and thoughts within their faces, without the payment of any attention by him to their actual faces. Or it may be likened to someone listening to another speaking; he pays no attention to the words the speaker uses, only to the meaning of what is uttered by him. The actual words that are used are a mirror in which the inner meaning can be seen. The same is so with the exterior natural; if this did not serve interior things as a mirror in which they see themselves as if in a looking-glass, a person could not engage in any thought at all. This being so, the mirror is formed first - in earliest childhood onwards. But these are matters about which people have no knowledge because what is going on inside a person is not evident unless one stops to reflect on. what takes place inwardly.
ttt[3] The nature of the exterior natural is plainly evident in the next life, for the faces of spirits and of angels are shaped by and in conformity with it. In the light of heaven interior things, especially intentions and ends in view, shine through those faces. If love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour have formed the interiors, then these cause a brightness to shine in the face, and the face itself is a visual form of love and charity. But if self-love and love of the world, and therefore all kinds of hatred, revenge, cruelty, and the like, have formed the interiors, these cause a devilish appearance to be manifested in the face, and the face itself is a visual form of hatred, revenge, and cruelty. From this one may see what the exterior natural is and the use it serves, also what it is like when made subject to interior things, and what it is like when these are made subject to itself.
ppp18685#pid#5166. 'And he put the cup onto Pharaoh's palm' means and subservient to the interior natural. This is clear from what has been stated above in `@@@5126`, Where similar words occur.
ppp18684#pid#5167. 'And the chief of the bakers he hanged' means that the sensory impressions belonging to the will part were cast aside. This too is clear from what has been explained above, in `@@@5156`, where again similar words occur.
ppp18683#pid#5168. 'As Joseph had interpreted to them' means as foretold by the celestial within the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'interpreting' as stating what the dream holds within itself or what lies within it, and also what was going to take place, dealt with in `@@@5093`, `@@@5105`, `@@@5107`, `@@@5141`, and so means a foretelling; and from the representation of 'Joseph' as the celestial within the natural, dealt with in `@@@5086`, `@@@5087`, `@@@5106`. As to what the words used here hold within them - namely the teaching that sensory impressions belonging to the understanding part were retained, whereas those belonging to the will part were cast aside - see above in `@@@5157`.
ttt[2] This chapter deals in the internal sense with the subordination of the exterior natural, which has to be made subordinate so that it may serve the interior natural as a mirror for it, see `@@@5165`. Indeed unless it is made subordinate, interior forms of truth and good, and consequently interior thoughts possessing what is spiritual and celestial within them, do not have any place where they can be represented, for these manifest themselves so to speak in their own face or so to speak in a mirror. Therefore when no such subordination exists a person cannot possess any interior thought, or indeed any faith, since no ability exists, neither a weak nor a strong one, to grasp such matters, and therefore no discernment exists of them either. Only one thing can make the natural subordinate and bring it into a state of correspondence, and this is good that has innocence within it, a good which in the Word is called charity. Sensory impressions and factual knowledge are merely the means into which that good may flow, to present itself in a visual form and make itself available for every useful purpose it can serve. But even if it consisted of actual truths of faith, factual knowledge that has no good within it would be nothing else than scales amid filth, which fall off.
ttt[3] But as regards the way in which good, relying on factual knowledge and the truths of faith as its means, causes exterior things to be restored to order and to be brought into correspondence with interior ones, this at the present day is less able to be understood than it was in former times. There are many reasons why this is so, the main one being that within the Church at the present day no charity exists any longer. For the final period of the Church has arrived and consequently no affection for knowing such things exists. This being so, a kind of aversion is instantly encountered when anything is mentioned which lies inside of or above sensory evidence, and consequently when anything from among such things as constitute angelic wisdom are expressed. Yet because such matters are contained in the internal sense - for what the internal sense contains is wholly suited to angels' wisdom - and because the internal sense of the Word is now being explained, those matters must be stated, however remote they may seem to be from sensory evidence.
ppp18682#pid#5169. 'And the chief of the cupbearers did not remember Joseph' means that a complete joining to the celestial of the natural did not as yet exist. This is clear from the meaning of 'remembering Joseph' as the reception of faith, dealt with above in `@@@5130` - and consequently as a joining together too (faith is the means by which the joining together is effected, and therefore 'not remembering' here means that a complete joining together did not as yet exist); from the representation of 'the chief of the cupbearers' as the sensory perception belonging to the understanding part, and from the representation of 'Joseph' as the celestial of the natural, both of which representations are dealt with above.
ppp18681#pid#5170. 'And forgot him' means removal. This is clear from the meaning of 'forgetting' - when 'not remembering' means the non-existence of any joining together - as removal; for insofar as no joining together exists, removal takes place. Anything that becomes forgotten is also removed; and the same is so with sensory impressions subject to the understanding part. Though they are retained they are not joined to the celestial of the natural, because they are not as yet wholly free from illusions. But as they come to be freed from these, so the joining together takes place. But these matters are dealt with in the next chapter, where the cupbearer remembers Joseph.
ppp18680#pid#5171. CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE GRAND MAN-continued
IN THIS SECTION THE CORRESPONDENCE OF THE INTERNAL ORGANS WITH IT
The particular provinces to which angelic communities belong can be ascertained in the next life from the positions they occupy in relation to the human body, as well as from the way they act and flow in. For angelic communities flow into and act upon that organ or member in which they are located. But their flowing in and action can be perceived only by those who are in the next life. It cannot be perceived by man unless his interiors have been opened all the way through to that life, and not even then if the Lord does not impart to him the ability to reflect on the sensations he feels and to do so with perception.
ppp18679#pid#5172. There are certain upright spirits who do not have to cogitate and who can therefore express quickly whatever ideas occur to them without having to think about them. They enjoy an interior kind of perception, which does not reveal itself in thought and reflection, as is the case with other spirits. For during the course of their lives they had taught themselves about the goodness of things but not so much about the truth of them. I have been shown that such spirits belong to the province of the Thymus Gland; for the thymus is a gland that is primarily of service to young children, at whose time of life that gland is soft. With the spirits who belong to that province a child-like softness is preserved into which a perception of what is good can flow; and from that perception a general impression of what is true is created. Those spirits can be in the midst of utter turmoils and yet they themselves are not in any turmoil, as may also be the case with that gland.
ppp18678#pid#5173. In the next life very many ways of harrying people are employed, and also very many methods that involve introducing them into a kind of spiralling. Harryings are represented in the body by the purifications of the blood, also the serum or lymph as well as the chyle, which too are accomplished by various refining processes, while introductions into spiralling are represented by the subsequent assignment of those refined fluids to particular services. It is very common in the next life for spirits to be brought, after they have been harried, into a state of tranquillity and delight, and then to be brought to those communities which they are to be introduced into and become attached to.
ttt[2] The idea that the refining processes and purifications of the blood, serum, and chyle, and also of the food in the stomach, correspond to such processes in the spiritual world is bound to seem strange to those who presume that natural things hold no more than what is natural within them, and even stranger to those who are quite convinced that this is so and accordingly deny that anything spiritual, active or reactive, does or can lie within natural things. Yet the reality is that every single thing in the natural world and its three kingdoms possesses something acting into it from the spiritual world. If this were not so, nothing whatever in the natural world could accomplish any cause and effect, and therefore nothing would be brought forth. That which natural things hold within them from the spiritual world is described as a force implanted since creation began; but in fact it is an endeavour, and when that endeavour ceases, action or motion ceases. All this demonstrates that the whole visible world is a theatre representative of the spiritual world.
ttt[3] The case is the same with the movement of the muscles and consequent action. Unless the movement of them held within it an endeavour originating in the person's thought and will, it would instantly cease; for laws well known to the learned world state that when the endeavour ceases so does the movement, and also that the person's entire direction of mind is present within the endeavour, as well as that nothing real other than the endeavour expresses itself within the movement. The force or endeavour within the action or movement is, it is plain, something spiritual within something natural; for thought and will are spiritual activities, whereas action and movement are natural ones. People whose thought does not extend beyond the natural world have no grasp of this at all; yet they are not able to deny it. Nevertheless what exists in the will, and from there in the thought, is the producer of the action, though it is not similar in form to the action which it produces. For the action merely represents what the mind wills and thinks.
ppp18677#pid#5174. It is well known that food in the stomach is subjected to many processes which harry it so that its essential nourishment - which goes on to perform some useful purpose, that is, which passes into the chyle and then into the blood - may be extracted from it, after which it undergoes further processing in the intestines. Harryings of this kind are represented by the initial harryings that spirits undergo - every one of which is determined by the lives they led in the world - so that evils may be separated and the forms of good which have some useful purpose to perform may be gathered together. So far as souls or spirits are concerned therefore, it may be said that a little while after their departure or release from the body they come first so to speak into the region of the stomach where they are harried and purified. After those with whom evils have gained predominance have been harried to no avail they are conveyed through the stomach into the intestines, right on to the end of them - to the colon and the rectum. From there they are excreted into the latrine, which is hell. But those with whom forms of good have gained predominance are converted, after several experiences involving harrying and purification, into chyle and pass on into the blood, some by a longer route, others by a shorter one. Some are subjected to harsh harrying experiences, others to mild ones, and some to scarcely any whatever. Those subjected to scarcely any are represented in the food-juices that are absorbed instantly through the veins into the bloodstream, even into the brain, and so on.
ppp18676#pid#5175. When a person dies and enters the next life, his life may be likened to food which is received in a gentle manner by the lips and is then passed down through the mouth, throat, and oesophagus into the stomach, the whole process being conditioned by his character which has been formed during his lifetime by the things he did. To begin with, the treatment that most spirits receive is mild, for they are kept in the company of angels and good spirits. This is represented by what happens to food, when at first it is touched gently by the lips and then tasted by the tongue to see what it is like. Food that is soft, containing that which is sweet, oily, and spirituous is received instantly through the veins and carried away into the bloodstream, whereas food that is hard, containing that which is bitter, disagreeable, and of little nutritive value, is harder to break down, being sent down through the oesophagus into the stomach where it is refined by various methods and violent actions. Food that is even harder, even less agreeable, and of even less value is forced down into the intestines and at length into the rectum where the first hell is situated, and is then finally expelled and becomes excrement. Analogous to all this is a person's life after death. At first he is confined to matters of an external nature; and because in matters of an external nature he has led a decent and respectable life, he is among angels and upright spirits. But once he ceases to be confined to them, what he had been like inwardly - what he had been like so far as his thoughts and affections were concerned, and at length so far as his ends in view were concerned - is revealed; and those ends determine the life that awaits him.
ppp18675#pid#5176. As long as spirits remain in that state in which they are like food in the stomach they are not within the Grand Man but are at the stage of being introduced into it. But once, representatively speaking, they are within the blood they are within the Grand Man.
ppp18674#pid#5177. Those who have worried much about the future, and more so those who have as a consequence become grasping and avaricious, appear in the region where the stomach is situated. Many have appeared to me there. The sphere of their life may be likened to a nauseating smell emitted from the stomach and also to an ache caused by indigestion. People like these remain in that region for a long time, for worries about the future, when these are compounded by the way such people act, seriously impair and slow down the inflow of spiritual life. This is because these people assign to themselves that which is the business of Divine Providence, and those who do this put a stop to that inflow and so cut themselves off from the life of goodness and truth.
ppp18673#pid#5178. Since worrying about the future produces feelings of anxiety in a person, and since such spirits appear in the region of the stomach, feelings of anxiety therefore have a greater effect on the stomach than on all other internal organs. I have also been allowed to recognize how those anxious feelings have increased or diminished as those spirits have become present or been removed. I have noticed that some anxious feelings exist more internally, others more externally, some higher up, others lower down, depending on the differences in origin, derivation, and direction taken by such kinds of worry. Here also lies the reason why, when such feelings of anxiety take hold of the mind, the area around the stomach is tense and sometimes pain is felt there, and also why feelings of anxiety seem to surge up from there. The same also explains why, when a person ceases to worry about the future or when everything is turning out right for him so that he no longer fears any misfortune, the area around the stomach is free and relaxed, and he has the feeling of delight.
ppp18672#pid#5179. On one occasion I experienced an anxious feeling in the pit of my stomach, which told me that spirits of that kind were present. I spoke to them, telling them that it would be better if they went away, because their sphere which created the feeling of anxiety was not compatible with the spheres of the spirits who were residing with me. At that time I talked to them about spheres, to the effect that many spiritual spheres surround a person but that people neither know nor wish to know about the existence of them, for the reason that they deny the existence of everything that is called spiritual, some denying the existence of everything that cannot be actually seen or touched. So I went on to say that certain spheres from the spiritual world surround a person, spheres that are in keeping with the life he leads, and that by means of these he exists in the company of spirits whose affection is similar to his own. Those spheres, I added, were also what gave rise to very many things, the existence of which is denied by the person who attributes everything to natural forces or else is ascribed by him to some rather more hidden natural cause such as chance. For experience leads some people to feel quite convinced that some hidden force is at work which they call chance, though they do not know the origin of that force. The fact that its origin exists in a spiritual sphere and that it is the last and lowest degree of Providence will in the Lord's Divine mercy be described elsewhere, when I shall draw on experience to bear witness to it.
ppp18671#pid#5180. There are genii and spirits who subject the head to a kind of sucking or drawing out, which they do in such a way that pain is felt at the point where that drawing or sucking out takes place. I have experienced a definite sensation of suction, altogether as if a membrane was being sucked out. I doubt whether anyone else could put up with the pain of it; but because I have become accustomed to the experience I have at length come to bear it without noticing the pain. The chief place subjected to suction was the top of my head, and from there it spread towards the region of my left ear and also towards that of my left eye, the spread towards the eye being caused by spirits and that towards the ear by genii. These genii and spirits belong to the province of the Cistema Chyli and its ducts, to which point chyle is drawn from everywhere around, even though other chyle is being sent forth at the same time from there. Besides those genii and spirits there were also others acting inside my head in almost the same manner, though not with so great a power of suction. I was told that these are the ones to whom the fine chyle corresponds - the fine chyle which is conveyed towards the brain and there mingled with new animal spirit`fff1` so as to be sent down to the heart. At first I had seen those acting on the outside in front, a little to the left; but subsequently I saw them in a higher position there, which made me realize that their region extended from the level of the septum of the nose upwards to the level of the left ear. Those who constitute this province are of two kinds, for some are quite constrained while others are impudent. The constrained are ones who have sought to know other people's thoughts to the end that they might gain those people's interest and become attached to them; for a person who knows another's thoughts knows his secret and inner feelings, and these link the two together. The end in view is company and friendship. These constrained spirits desire to know simply about the good things, finding out more about these and placing a good interpretation on all else. But the impudent ones have a longing to know - and strive in various ways to fish out - other people's thoughts, their end in view being to take advantage of those people or harm them. Now because that kind of longing and striving is present in them they fix another person's mind steadfastly on the matter which they themselves wish to know about, showing him affection and approval as they do so. By acting in this way they get out of him even his secret thoughts. They behave in the same way in the next life within the communities there, yet in a more expert manner. There too they do not allow another to stray from whatever idea he has in mind; indeed they foster it and thereby get it out of him. As a consequence these impudent spirits then have a hold so to speak on others and subject them to their own will; for they know what those others' evils are. These spirits however, being some of those who are wanderers, suffer frequent punishment.
`nnn1. See `@@@4227:3`.
ppp18670#pid#5181. From the spirallings also one can gain some idea about which particular province in the Grand Man, and correspondingly in the body, spirits and angels belong to. The spirallings of those who belong to the province of the Lymphatic System are thin and quick in action, like water flowing smoothly, so that scarcely any spiralling movement can be detected. Those who belong to the lymphatic system are eventually brought into places which, they have said, are the counterpart to the Mesentery. I have been told that here there are labyrinths so to speak, from which, like chyle in the body, they are then borne away to various places in the Grand Man to serve some useful purpose there.
ppp18669#pid#5182. There are spirallings into which spirits who are recent arrivals in the next life have to be introduced, for the purpose of enabling them to live in the company of other spirits and of enabling them both to speak and to think in unison with these. In the next life all must exist in accord and harmony with one another if they are to be a unified whole, even as all the individual parts of the human being, which are varied throughout the body, are nevertheless in harmony with one another and so make a unified whole. The same applies to the Grand Man, in which one person's thought and speech must accord with the thought and speech of all the others if they are to achieve the same end. It is absolutely essential that the thought and speech of each member in a community should accord with the rest, otherwise discord is detected, which sounds in the minds of the others like a harsh grating noise. Furthermore everything discordant is destructive of unity; it is an imperfection that must be cast out. This imperfection resulting from discord is represented by impurity residing with and present within the blood, from which it must be expelled. The expulsion of this impurity is effected by harrying processes, which are nothing else than various kinds of temptations, and after this by means of introductions into spirallings. The purpose of a first introduction into spirallings is to enable spirits to become adjusted to one another; the purpose of a second is that their thought may accord with their speech; the purpose of a third is that they may all agree with one another in thought and affection; and the purpose of a fourth is that they may agree in truth and good.
ppp18668#pid#5183. I have been allowed to watch the spirallings of those who belong to the province of the Liver, and to do so for a whole hour. These spirals were gentle ones, flowing round in varying ways in keeping with the operation of that organ; and they gave me a great feeling of delight. The operation of the spirits is diverse, but in general they proceed in a circular manner. The diversity of their operation is also represented in the functions performed by the liver, in that these too are diverse. For the liver draws in blood and separates it. It introduces the best blood into the veins, sends that of medium quality into a hepatic duct, and leaves that of poorest quality for the gall bladder. This is so in adult persons, but in embryos the liver receives blood from the mother's womb and purifies it. It passes the purer blood to the veins so that it may flow into the heart by a shorter route, and act as protectors in front of the heart.
ppp18667#pid#5184. Those who belong to the Pancreas act in a more incisive way - employing so to speak a sawing action which also sounds like such an action. The actual sound they make is audible to spirits, but not to man unless while in the body he is in the spirit. Their region lies between that of the spleen and that of the liver, more to the left. Those in the province of the Spleen are almost directly overhead; but when they operate they come down into that organ.
ppp18666#pid#5185. There are spirits who correlate with the Pancreatic Duct, the Hepatic Duct, and the Cystic Duct, and who consequently correlate with the bile present in them, which is excreted by the intestines. These groups of spirits are distinct and separate, yet they work together as demanded by the state of those in whom they operate. They are present in particular at chastisements and punishments, which they would like to be in charge of. The worst of them are so stubborn that they have no wish at all to desist unless they are frightened off by fears and threats; for they are afraid of being punished themselves, and so will promise to do anything. They are spirits who during their lifetime stuck rigidly to their own opinions, not so much because they led an evil life as because they were naturally perverse. When in their own natural state they have no real thought at all (a person has no real thought at all when he has vague thoughts about many things simultaneously but has no distinct idea about any one thing in particular). Their delights consist in the work of chastisement and doing good by carrying it out; but they do not refrain from foul deeds.
ppp18665#pid#5186. Those who constitute the province of the Gall Bladder are at the back. They are spirits who during their lifetime despised uprightness and to a certain extent godliness, and also spirits who sneered at these virtues.
ppp18664#pid#5187. A certain spirit once came to me, asking whether I knew a place where he could stay. I thought he was an upright spirit, and when I told him that he could perhaps stay where I was, harrier spirits who belonged to this province came along and harried him piteously. This grieved me, and I sought in vain to stop them. At this point I became aware of the fact that I was in the province of the gall bladder. The harrying spirits were some of those who despised uprightness and godliness. I was allowed to witness one kind of harrying there, which consisted in compelling a spirit to speak faster than he could think. This they accomplished by severing his own speech from his thought and then compelling him to speak what they were speaking, a painful experience. By means of this form of harrying the slow are introduced into thinking and speaking more quickly.
ppp18663#pid#5188. There are certain people in the world who, when they act, employ tricks and lies to accomplish evil deeds. I have been shown what those people are like and the ways in which they act - how, when persuading others, they use as their agents those who will do no one any harm, and also how they induce other persons to speak in a certain way while they themselves remain silent on the matter. In short they employ evil means to attain whatever end they have in view, means that involve the use of deceit, lies, and trickery. Such spirits have their counterpart in malignant growths, called Spurious Tubercles, which usually develop in the lungs or other membranes. When these are deep-rooted their malignancy becomes widespread, so that at length they wreck the entire membrane.
ttt[2] Spirits of this kind undergo severe punishment. Theirs is different from the punishments suffered by other spirits; it involves their being whirled around. They are whirled around from left to right, like an object which is flat at first but swells out as it spins round. Then this tubercle-like swelling seems to be pressed in and made hollow, at which point the speed is increased. Amazingly, this swelling out of them is shaped like and is an imitation of tubercular lumps or apostemes. I noticed that while they were spinning round those spirits tried to draw others, for the most part blameless ones, into their orbit and so path of destruction. Thus they did not care at all whom they dragged into that path of destruction, so long as it seemed to them that those dragged in were being destroyed.
ttt[3] I also noticed that those spirits had very keen sight. They took only an instant to scan everything thoroughly so to speak and so seize upon whatever would serve them as means favouring their own ends. Thus they are more sharp-witted than all others. They may also be called deadly ulcers, wherever these occur within the cavity of the chest, whether in the pleura, or in the pericardium, or in the mediastinum, or in the lungs. I was shown that following punishment spirits of this kind are cast away into a deep place at the rear, where they lie face and belly downwards. There only a little human life is left to them, and the sharp-sightedness which they possessed when they lived like wild animals has been taken away from them. Their hell is situated in a deep place beneath the right foot, a little towards the front.
ppp18662#pid#5189. Some spirits once came in front of me, though not before I had detected a sphere emanating from those who were evil. That sphere led me to suppose that those who were approaching were evil spirits, but in fact they were the enemies of such spirits. I gathered they were their enemies from the antagonistic and hostile feeling they showed towards them. As they came they positioned themselves overhead and addressed me, saying that they were men (homo). I replied that they were not men endowed with bodies like those which people in the world possess, who are accustomed to call themselves men because of the form their bodies take, but that they were nevertheless men because a person's spirit is in a true sense the man. I detected no objection to this, for they supported what I had said and went on to say that they were men who were all different from one another. Because it seemed impossible to me that a community of people who were all different from one another could exist in the next life, I therefore discussed the matter with them. I said that if a common cause were to make them a unified whole they could form a community, since they would all accordingly have the same end in view. They then said that they were by nature such that each individual spoke differently from all the rest and yet all thought alike. This they also demonstrated by examples, from which it could be seen that the perception of all was the same but that their utterances were diverse.
ttt[2] After this they spoke into my left ear, saying that they were good spirits and that this was their normal manner of speaking. I was told that these spirits arrive on the scene in large numbers, and that it is not known where they come from. I perceived that the sphere of the evil spirits was extremely hostile towards them, for evil spirits are subjected by them to harrying. Their community, which is a wandering one, was represented by a man and a woman in a room, dressed in a garment that was turned into a robe of bright blue. I perceived that they correlated with the Isthmus in the brain, which lies between the cerebrum and the cerebellum and through which fibres pass to spread out in various directions, acting in different ways wherever they go in external parts. In addition I perceived that they correlated with the Ganglia in the body into which nerves pass and from where they are distributed into numerous fibres, some of which go one way, others another, and in the outermost parts act in differing ways; yet they all have the same starting-point. Thus in the outermost parts they are seen to be different from one another; but so far as the end in view is concerned they are all alike. It is also a well known fact that a single force acting within the extremities can be made to vary in all kinds of ways, depending on the form those extremities take. Ends in view are also represented by the starting-points of fibres, like such starting-points in the brain, in which the fibres originate. The thoughts arising out of those ends are represented by the fibres leading from those starting-points, and the consequent actions by the nerves that are made up of the fibres.
ppp18661#pid#5190. Correspondence with the Grand Man is continued at the end of the next chapter.
ppp18660#pid#5191. `Genesis 41bbb0`fff1`
1. And it happened at the end of two years of days,`fff2` that Pharaoh was dreaming, and behold, he was standing next to the river.
2. And behold, out of the river seven cows were coming up, beautiful in appearance and fat-fleshed; and they fed in the sedge.
3. And behold, seven other cows were coming up after them out of the river, bad in appearance and thin-fleshed, and stood by the [other] cows on the bank of the river.
4. And the cows bad in appearance and thin-fleshed devoured the seven cows beautiful in appearance and fat. And Pharaoh awoke.
5. And he fell asleep and dreamed a second time, and behold, seven heads of grain were coming up on one stalk, fat and good.
6. And behold, seven heads, thin and scorched by an east wind, were sprouting after them.
7. And the thin heads swallowed up the seven fat and full heads. And Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream.
8. And it happened early in the morning, that his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called all the magi of Egypt, and all its wise men; and Pharaoh told them his dream, and there was no one to interpret them for Pharaoh.
9. And the chief of the cupbearers spoke to Pharaoh, saying, I remember my sins today.
10. Pharaoh was incensed with his servants, and put me into custody in the house of the chief of the attendants, me and the chief of the bakers.
11. And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each according to the interpretation of his own dream.
12. And a Hebrew boy was there with us, a servant to the chief of the attendants; and we told him, and he interpreted our dreams for us, to each according to his dream he gave the interpretation.
13. And it happened, that as he interpreted to us, so it came about. He restored me to my position, and he hanged him.
14. And Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they hurried him out of the pit; and he clipped [his hair and beard], and changed his clothes, and came to Pharaoh.
15. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it; and I have heard about you - it is said that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.
16. And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not mine; God will give an answer of peace, O Pharaoh.
17. And Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, In my dream, behold, I was standing on the bank of the river.
18. And behold, out of the river seven cows were coming up, fat-fleshed and beautiful in form; and they fed in the sedge.
19. And behold, seven other cows were coming up after them, weak and extremely bad in form and lean-fleshed; I have not seen any like them in all the land of Egypt for badness.
20. And the lean and bad cows devoured the first seven fat cows.
21. And they devoured them completely`fff3` and no one would have known that they had devoured them completely;`fff4` and their appearance was malign, as it had been in the beginning. And I awoke.
22. And I saw in my dream, and behold, seven heads of grain were coming up on one stalk, full and good.
23. And behold, seven heads, dried up, thin, and scorched by an east wind, were sprouting after them.
24. And the thin heads swallowed up the seven good heads. And I told it to the magi, and there was no one to point out the meaning to me.
25. And Joseph said to Pharaoh, Pharaoh's dream, it is one; what God is doing He has pointed out to Pharaoh.
26. The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads of grain are seven years; the dream, it is one.
27. And the seven thin and bad cows coming up after them are seven years; and the seven empty heads of grain, scorched by an east wind, will be seven years of famine.
28. This is the word which I have spoken to Pharaoh; what God is doing He has caused Pharaoh to see.
29. Behold, seven years are coming, [in which there will be] a great abundance of corn in all the land of Egypt.
30. And seven years of famine will arise after them, and all the abundance of corn in the land of Egypt will be thrust into oblivion, and the famine will consume the land.
31. And the abundance of corn in the land will not be known because of the famine from then on, for it will be extremely severe.
32. And as for the dream being presented`fff5` to Pharaoh twice, this is because the thing is established by God, and God is hastening to do it.
33. And now let Pharaoh see`fff6` a man with intelligence and wisdom, and set him over the land of Egypt.
34. Let Pharaoh do this, and let him place governors in charge over the land, and let him take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven years of abundance of corn.
35. And let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming, and let them store up grain under the hand of Pharaoh - food in the cities; and let them guard it.
36. And let the food be for a reserve for the land, for the seven years of famine which there will be in the land of Egypt, and the land will not be cut off in the famine.
37. And the thing was good in Pharaoh's eyes and in the eyes of all his servants.
38. And Pharaoh said to his servants, Shall we find a man like this, in whom is the spirit of God?
39. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, After God has caused you to know all this, no one has wisdom and intelligence like you.
40. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall kiss on your mouth; only in the throne will I be great, more than you.
41. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.
42. And Pharaoh took off his ring from upon his hand and put it onto Joseph's hand, and clothed him in robes of fine linen, and placed a chain of gold onto his neck.
43. And he made him ride in the second chariot that he had; and they cried out before him, Abrek! and he set him over all the land of Egypt.
44. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without you no man shall lift up his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt.
45. And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphenath Paneah, and gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera the priest of On, for a wife; and Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.
46. And Joseph was a son of thirty years when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt; and Joseph came out from before Pharaoh, and went through all the land of Egypt.
47. And in the seven years of abundance of corn the land yielded bunches.
48. And he gathered all the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up`fff7` the food in the cities; the food of the field of a city which was round about it he laid up`fff7` in the midst of it.
49. And Joseph stored up grain like the sand of the sea, very much, until he left off numbering, because it was beyond number.
50. And to Joseph were born two sons before the year of famine came, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera the priest of On, bore to him.
51. And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh - for God has made me forget all my labour and all my father's house.
52. And the name of the second he called Ephraim - for God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.
53. And the seven years of abundance of corn ended, which was in the land of Egypt.
54. And the seven years of famine began to come, even as Joseph had said; and the famine was in all lands, and in all the land of Egypt there was bread.
55. And all the land of Egypt suffered famine, and the people cried out to Pharaoh for bread. And Pharaoh said to all Egypt, Go to Joseph; do what he tells you.
56. And the famine was over all the face of the earth; and Joseph opened all the places in which [there was grain] and sold to Egypt. And the famine was becoming great in the land of Egypt.
57. And all the earth came to Egypt to buy [grain], to Joseph; for the famine became great in all the earth.
CONTENTS
In this chapter the subject in the internal sense is the second state of the celestial of the spiritual, which is 'Joseph'; that is to say, the subject is the raising up of this above the things belonging to the natural or external man, and so above all the factual knowledge there, which is 'Egypt'.
`nnn1. Volume Five of the Latin, which begins here, does not have any preliminary sections to chapters.
`nnn2. i.e. two full years
`nnn3. literally, they came to their viscera
`nnn4. literally, it was not known that they had come to their viscera
`nnn5. literally, repeated
`nnn6. i.e. select or look out. See `@@@5286`.
`nnn7. literally, gave
ppp18659#pid#5192. 'Pharaoh' is the natural in general which has now become inactive, leaving everything to the celestial of the spiritual, which is 'Joseph'. The seven years of the abundance of corn in the land of Egypt are the factual knowledge to which good from the celestial of the spiritual can be attached, while the seven years of famine are subsequent states when no good is present within factual knowledge except that coming from the Divine celestial of the spiritual, which is received from the Lord's Divine Human. A detailed explanation of this is given in what follows below.
ppp18658#pid#5193. THE INTERNAL SENSE
Verses `Genesis 41bbbccc1-4` And it happened at the end of two years of days,`fff1` that Pharaoh was dreaming, and behold, he was standing next to the river. And behold, out of the river seven cows were coming up, beautiful in appearance and fat-fleshed; and they fed in the sedge. And behold, seven other cows were coming up after them out of the river, bad in appearance and thin-fleshed, and stood by the [other] cows on the bank of the river. And the cows bad in appearance and thin-fleshed devoured the seven cows beautiful in appearance and fat. And Pharaoh awoke.
'And it happened at the end of two years of days' means after the state when the joining together took place. 'That Pharaoh was dreaming means provision made for the natural. 'And behold, he was standing next to the river' means from boundary to boundary. 'And behold, out of the river' means in the boundary. 'Seven cows were coming up' means the truths belonging to the natural. 'Beautiful in appearance means which are expressions of faith. 'And fat-fleshed' means which are embodiments of charity. 'And they fed in the sedge' means instruction. 'And behold, seven other cows were coming up after them out of the river' means falsities belonging to the natural which are also at the boundary. 'Bad in appearance' means which are not expressions of faith. 'And thin-fleshed' means which are not embodiments of charity. 'And stood by the [other] cows on the bank of the river' means at the boundaries where truths were present. 'And the cows bad in appearance and thin-fleshed devoured.....' means that falsities which were not expressions of faith and were not embodiments of charity would banish.....'The seven cows beautiful in appearance and fat' means the truths in the natural which are expressions of faith and embodiments of charity. 'And Pharaoh awoke' means a state of enlightenment.
`nnn1. i.e. two full years
ppp18657#pid#5194. 'And it happened at the end of two years of days' means after the state when the joining together took place, that is to say, when the powers of the senses belonging to the exterior natural and those belonging to the interior natural were joined together, both of which powers are dealt with in the previous chapter. This is clear from the meaning of 'two years of days', that is, a period of two years, as a state involving a joining together; for 'two' means a joining together, `@@@1686`, `@@@3519`, while 'years' means states, as does 'days'. For the meaning of years' as states, see `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@893`, and for that of 'days', `@@@27`, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@497`, `@@@2788`, `@@@3462`, `@@@3785`, `@@@4850`. The reason 'two' means a joining together is that every single thing in the spiritual world, and consequently in the natural world, has two forces associated with it - goodness and truth. Good is an active inflowing force, truth a passive, recipient one. Also, because everything has these two forces associated with it, and because nothing can ever be brought forth unless the two are made one by becoming so to speak married to each other, a joining together is therefore meant by them.
ttt[2] This type of marriage exists in every single thing within the natural order and its three kingdoms; without it nothing whatever can come into existence. For anything to come into existence within the natural order there needs to be heat and light, heat in the natural world corresponding to the good of love in the spiritual world, and light corresponding to the truth of faith. These two - heat and light - must act as one if anything is to be brought forth. If they do not act as one, as is the case in winter-time, nothing at all is brought forth. The same holds true on a spiritual level, as is quite evident with the human being, who has two mental powers - will and understanding. The will has been formed so that it may receive spiritual heat, that is, the good of love and charity, while the understanding has been formed so that it may receive spiritual light, that is, the truth of faith. Unless these two residing with a person make one nothing is brought forth, for the good of love devoid of the truth of faith cannot give definition and particular character to anything, while the truth of faith devoid of the good of love cannot bring anything into effect. So that the heavenly marriage may exist in a person therefore, or rather so that a person may be in the heavenly marriage, those two entities must make one in him. This explains why the ancients likened every single thing in the world, and every single thing within the human being, to a marriage, `@@@54`, `@@@55`, `@@@568`, `@@@718`, `@@@747`, `@@@917`, `@@@1432`, `@@@2173`, `@@@2516`, `@@@2731`, `@@@2739`, `@@@2758`, `@@@3132`, `@@@4434`, `@@@4875`, `@@@5138`. From all this one may see why it is that 'two' means a joining together.
ppp18656#pid#5195. 'That Pharaoh was dreaming' means provision`fff1` made for the natural. This is clear from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as the natural, dealt with in `@@@5079`, `@@@5080`, `@@@5095`, `@@@5160`, and from the meaning of 'dreaming' as a foretelling of things to come, and so in the highest sense as Foresight, dealt with in `@@@3698`, `@@@4682`, `@@@5091`, `@@@5092`, `@@@5104`. Now since Foresight or the foreseen is meant, Providence or provision is meant too, because Foresight and Providence cannot exist one without the other. For Providence has in view the state that is to last for ever; but unless it foresees what this state is, it cannot make any provision towards it. A provision for present needs without at the same time any foresight of future ones, and so no simultaneous provision for future needs within present ones, would imply a lack of any end in view, or of any order, or of consequently any wisdom and intelligence, and so it would not be something having a Divine origin. But when reference is made to what is good the term Providence is used, whereas Foresight is used in reference to what is not good, `@@@5155`. One cannot use the term Foresight when speaking of what is good because good resides within the Divine, comes forth from the Divine Himself, and exists in accord with the Divine. Rather, this term is used when one refers to what is not good or to what is evil since this comes forth from outside the Divine, from others opposed to the Divine. Thus because Providence is used when reference is made to what is good, the term is also used to refer to the joining of the natural to the celestial of the spiritual. This is the reason why 'dreaming' at this point means provision that had been made.
`nnn1. Reading provisum (what is provided) for praevisum (what is foreseen) cp `@@@5193`, `@@@5211`
ppp18655#pid#5196. 'And behold, he was standing next to the river' means from boundary to boundary. This is clear from the meaning of 'the river' - which in this case is the River of Egypt, or the Nile - as a boundary. The reason 'the river' means a boundary is that the major rivers, the Euphrates, the Jordan, and the Nile, and besides these the sea, were the final boundaries of the land of Canaan. Because the land of Canaan itself represented the Lord's kingdom, and all locations in that land therefore represented various features of that kingdom, the rivers accordingly represented its final limits or boundaries, see `@@@1866`, `@@@4116`, `@@@4240`. The Nile or River of Egypt represented sensory impressions subject to the understanding part of the mind and so represented factual knowledge gained from those impressions; for that factual knowledge is the final limit of spiritual things that belong to the Lord's kingdom. The reason why from boundary to boundary is meant is that, referring to Pharaoh, it says 'he was standing next to the river'; and 'Pharaoh' represents the natural in general, `@@@5160`. Viewing something from within through to its final outward limit is represented by 'standing next to the river', as happens in the spiritual world. And because in the present context such a view extends from boundary to boundary, that is what is therefore meant in the internal sense.
ppp18654#pid#5197. 'And behold, out of the river' means in the boundary. This is clear from the meaning of 'the river' as the boundary, dealt with immediately above in `@@@5196`. The reason 'out of the river' means in the boundary is that that was where the cows appeared.
ppp18653#pid#5198. 'Seven cows were coming up' means the truths belonging to the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'cows' as the truths belonging to the natural, dealt with below. The reason there were seven is that 'seven' means that which is holy, `@@@395`, `@@@433`, `@@@716`, and therefore this number contributes to any matter under consideration the idea of holiness, dealt with in `@@@881`. The matter under consideration here is likewise of a holy nature since it concerns a further rebirth of the natural through the joining of this to the celestial of the spiritual. As regards 'cows' or 'young cows' meaning the truths belonging to the natural, this becomes clear from the fact that 'bulls' and 'young bulls' mean forms of good belonging to the natural, `@@@2180`, `@@@2566`, `@@@2781`, `@@@2830`. For in the Word, when a male means good, its female means truth, and conversely when the male means truth its female means good, so that 'a cow' means some truth belonging to the natural, because 'a bull' means some form of good belonging to it.
ttt[2] All beasts without exception that are mentioned in the Word mean affections, evil and useless beasts meaning evil affections, gentle and useful ones meaning good affections, see `@@@45`, `@@@46`, `@@@142`, `@@@143`, `@@@246`, `@@@714`, `@@@715`, `@@@719`, `@@@776`, `@@@1823`, `@@@2179`, `@@@2180`, `@@@3218`, `@@@3519`. The reason why they have such a meaning lies in the representations that occur in the world of spirits, for whenever a discussion about affections is taking place in heaven, beasts corresponding to affections of the kind under discussion are represented in the world of spirits, as I have also been allowed quite often to see. On several occasions I have wondered about the origin of that phenomenon, but have been led to perceive that the lives led by beasts are nothing else than affections; for they respond instinctively, devoid of reason, to their innate affections and are led by these to fulfill their specific functions. No other physical forms are suited to these affections devoid of reason than the kinds in which they are seen on earth. This explains why, when the discussion in heaven is about affections alone, the ultimate forms that those affections take in the world of spirits are the same in appearance as the physical forms of such beasts; for those affections cannot be clothed with any other forms than ones such as correspond to them. I have also seen beasts, the like of which do not appear anywhere at all in the natural world. They were the forms taken by affections that are not known and by affections that are mingled together.
ttt[3] Here then is the reason why in the Word affections are meant by 'beasts', though which particular affections are meant cannot be seen from anywhere else than the internal sense. 'Bulls' means the good belonging to the natural, as may be seen in the paragraphs listed above; and as for the meaning of 'cows' as the truths belonging to the natural, this becomes clear from other places where they are referred to, such as `Isaiah 11bbb7`; `Hosea 4bbb16`; `Amos 4bbb1`, as well as from the reference in `Numbers 19bbb2-10` to the water of separation by which they were to be made clean and which was prepared from the red cow burned to ashes outside the camp, with which cedar wood was mixed, hyssop, and twice-dyed scarlet. When the meaning of this procedure is disclosed with the help of the internal sense, it shows that 'the red cow', meaning unclean truth within the natural, is made clean by 'burning', and also by the kinds of things meant by 'cedar wood, hyssop, and twice-dyed scarlet'. The water prepared by that process represented the means of purification.
ppp18652#pid#5199. 'Beautiful in appearance' means which are expressions of faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'beauty' and 'appearance'. Spiritual 'beauty' is essentially an affection for interior truth, while spiritual 'appearance' is essentially faith, so that 'beautiful in appearance' means an affection for the truth of faith, see `@@@553`, `@@@3080`, `@@@3821`, `@@@4985`. The reason spiritual beauty is an affection for interior truth is that truth is the outward form taken by good. The good which they receive in heaven from the Divine provides angels with the life they possess; but the outward form taken by that life is provided by the truths springing from that good. The truth of faith however does not provide the beauty but the affection itself present within the truths of faith springing from good. Beauty that is provided solely by the truth of faith is like the beauty of a face seen in a painting or a sculpture, but the beauty provided by an affection for truth springing from good is like the beauty of a real face full of life imparted to it by heavenly love; for as is the love - that is, as is the affection - which shines out of the form provided by the face, so is the beauty seen there. This being so, the outward appearance of the angels is indescribably beautiful. Their faces are radiant with the good of love passing through the truth of faith, which good and truth not only present themselves visually but can also be felt from the spheres that emanate from them.
ttt[2] The reason why this is the source of beauty is that heaven in its entirety is the Grand Man and has a correspondence with every single part of the human being. Everyone therefore who has the good of love and for that reason the truth of faith present in him has the form which heaven possesses present within him; and as a consequence of this there is also imparted to him the beauty which heaven possesses, heaven being a place where the Divine going forth from the Lord is the All in all. This also explains why those in hell, being the opposite of what is good and true, are horribly ugly, and in the light of heaven do not look like human beings but like monsters. The reason why spiritual appearance (aspectus) is faith is that in the internal sense 'looking at (aspicere) and seeing' means understanding, and in a sense more internal than this having faith is meant, see `@@@897`, `@@@2150`, `@@@2315`, `@@@2807`, `@@@3863`, `@@@3869`, `@@@4403-4421`.
ppp18651#pid#5200. 'And fat-fleshed' means which are embodiments of charity. This is clear from the meaning of 'fat' or 'fatness' as that which is celestial and which is used here to refer to good which flows from love and charity, dealt with in `@@@353`; and from the meaning of 'flesh' as the will part of the mind when made living by good received from the Lord, `@@@148`, `@@@149`, `@@@780`, `@@@999`, `@@@3812`, `@@@3813`, and thus also good which flows from love and charity. From this it follows that 'fat-fleshed' means matters of charity, while 'beautiful in appearance' means matters of faith. Thus the truths belonging to the natural, meant by 'the cows', are described here - what they are so far as form is concerned and what they are essentially. In form they are matters of faith, in essence they are matters of charity. The truth of this cannot be seen from the sense of the letter.
ppp18650#pid#5201. 'And they fed in the sedge' means instruction. This is clear from the meaning of 'feeding' as receiving instruction, dealt with below, and from the meaning of 'the sedge', or longer grass that grows near rivers, as facts known to the natural man. Since such factual knowledge is meant by 'grass or 'plant', as is plain from the Word, 'feeding in the sedge' therefore means receiving instruction in factual knowledge, and through this knowledge instruction regarding things that are true and good. For factual knowledge serves as a means. Indeed it is like a mirror in which an image of interior things reveals itself; and this image is like another mirror in which forms of the truth and the good of faith, and therefore things which belong to heaven and are called spiritual, reveal and represent themselves. But being an interior one, this image is seen by none but those who have faith that is rooted in charity. This is what is meant in the genuine sense by 'feeding in the sedge'.
ttt[2] The meaning of 'feeding' as receiving instruction is evident from those places in the Word where one reads the expression, such as in Isaiah,
Then He will give rain for your seed with which you sow the land, and bread of the produce of the land; and there will be fatness and wealthiness. On that day, they will feed your cattle in a broad grassland. `Isaiah 30bbb23`.
'Cattle' stands for those in whom goodness and truth are present, 'feeding in a broad grassland' for receiving abundant instruction.
ttt[3] In the same prophet,
I have given You as a covenant of the people - to restore the land; to share out the devastated inheritances; to say to the bound, Go out; to those who are in darkness, Reveal yourselves. They will feed along the ways, and on all slopes will their pasture be. `Isaiah 49bbb8-9`.
This refers to the Lord's Coming. 'Feeding along the ways' stands for receiving instruction in truths, 'the ways' being truths, `@@@627`, `@@@2333`. 'Pasture' stands for the actual instruction. In Jeremiah,
Woe to the shepherds destroying and scattering the flock of My pasture! Therefore said Jehovah God of Israel against the shepherds feeding My people..... `Jeremiah 23bbb1-2`.
'The shepherds' stands for those who give instruction, and 'the flock' for those who receive it, `@@@347`, `@@@3795`, so that 'feeding' means giving instruction.
ttt[4] It has become customary to refer to those who teach as 'pastors' or 'shepherds' and to those who learn as 'the flock'. For this reason the use of the expression 'feeding' has become commonly accepted when talking about preaching or about instruction given in doctrine or the Word. But when the expression is used in this way it is only a comparison and not, as when it occurs in the Word, one that holds any spiritual meaning within it. The reason 'feeding', when used in the Word, has a spiritual meaning is that when instruction and doctrine based on the Word are being talked about in heaven, that discussion is represented in a visual way in the world of spirits, where spiritual realities make their appearance within natural images. That representation consists of grasslands that are lush with grass, plants, and flowers, and where also there are flocks; and every variation of this scene occurs, as determined by the nature of the discussion that is taking place in heaven regarding instruction and doctrine.
ttt[5] In the same prophet,
I will bring back Israel to his habitation so that he may feed on Carmel and Bashan; and on mount Ephraim and in Gilead his soul will be satisfied. `Jeremiah 50bbb19`.
'Feeding on Carmel and Bashan' stands for receiving instruction in forms of the good of faith and charity. In the same prophet,
There has gone out from the daughter of Zion all her majesty; her princes have become like deer, they have not found pasture. `Lamentations 1bbb6`. In Ezekiel
I will feed them in a good pasture, and their fold will be on the mountains of the loftiness of Israel; and they will lie down in a good fold, and on fat pasture they will feed upon the mountains of Israel. `Ezekiel 34bbb14`.
ttt[6] In Hosea,
Now Jehovah will feed them like a sheep in a broad place. `Hosea 4bbb16`.
'Feeding in a broad place' stands for giving instruction in truths, for 'a broad place' means truth, see `@@@1613`, `@@@3473`, `@@@3434`, `@@@4482`.
In Micah,
You, Bethlehem Ephrath, from you will come forth for Me one who will be Ruler in Israel. He will stand and feed [His flock] in the strength of Jehovah. `Micah 5bbb2`, `Micah 5bbbccc4`.
In the same prophet,
Guide`fff1` your people with your staff, the flock of your inheritance which is dwelling alone. Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead as in the days of old. `Micah 7bbb14`.
In Zephaniah,
The remnant of Israel will feed and rest, with none making them afraid. `Zephaniah 3bbb17`.
ttt[7] In David,
Jehovah is my Shepherd; He will make me lie down in green pastures;`fff2` He will lead me away to still waters. `Psalms 23bbb1-2`.
In the same author,
He made us and not we ourselves, His people and the flock of His pasture; therefore we are His, His people and the flock of His pasture.`fff3` `Psalms 100bbb3`.
In the Book of Revelation,
The Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will feed them and will guide them to living springs of water. `Revelation 7bbb17`.
In John,
I am the door. If anyone enters through Me he will be saved, and will go in and out, and find pasture. `John 10bbb9`.
In the same gospel,
Jesus said to Peter, Feed My lambs; a second time, Feed My sheep; and a third time, Feed My sheep. `John 21bbb15-17`.
`nnn1. or Feed or Pasture
`nnn2. literally, pastures of the plant
`nnn3. The first and second halves of this sentence are in fact alternative ways of understanding the original Hebrew.
ppp18649#pid#5202. 'And behold, seven other cows were coming up after them out of the river' means falsities belonging to the natural which are also at the boundary. This is clear from the meaning of 'cows' as the truths belonging to the natural, dealt with just above in `@@@518`, so that in the contrary sense 'cows' means falsities (for most things in the Word have a contrary meaning that can be recognized from the genuine one, and therefore since truths of a natural kind are meant by 'cows' in the genuine sense, falsities of the same kind, thus falsities within the natural, are meant in the contrary sense); and from the meaning of 'the river' as the boundary, also dealt with above, in `@@@5196`, `@@@5197`. The presence of those falsities at the boundary is also evident from the use of the words 'came up out of the river', for coming or going up is used in reference to an advance made from what is exterior towards things that are interior, `@@@3084`, `@@@4579`, `@@@4969`.
ttt[2] The implications of this, since it forms the subject in what follows, must be stated here. The previous chapter dealt with the exterior natural, with the fact that some impressions were the kind that belonged to the understanding while others were the kind that belonged to the will. The former were accepted, but the latter were cast aside. Impressions such as belonged to the understanding were represented by 'the cupbearer', and those such as belonged to the will by 'the baker'. Also, because the kind belonging to the understanding were accepted, they were also made subordinate to the internal natural. These were the matters that were dealt with in the previous chapter, in which the first stage in the rebirth of the natural is described.
ttt[3] In the present chapter however the subject is the influx of the celestial of the spiritual into the impressions in the natural which were retained, that is to say, the impressions belonging to the understanding part there, which are meant now by 'the cows beautiful in appearance and fat-fleshed'. But as the natural cannot undergo any rebirth solely so far as ideas belonging to the understanding are concerned, desires belonging to the will must also be involved; for every individual part of the natural, to be anything at all, must include some element belonging to the understanding and at the same time another element belonging to the will. But because the will element that was present previously has been cast aside a new one must therefore enter in to replace it. This new element is received from the celestial of the spiritual which, together with its influx into the natural, is the subject in the present chapter. What the natural is like in this state is described in the internal sense - a state in which the truths there have been banished by falsities, so that the natural has been left exposed to the celestial of the spiritual. These are the considerations that are meant by the devouring of the good cows by the bad cows and the swallowing up of the full heads of grain by the empty ones, and after this by Joseph's making provision for all the land of Egypt. But in the Lord's Divine mercy more regarding these matters will be stated in what follows.
ttt[4] They are, what is more, the kind of considerations that scarcely fall within the area of light within the human understanding, for they are the arcana of regeneration which in themselves are countless but about which a person knows barely anything at all. The person with whom good is present is undergoing rebirth every moment, from earliest childhood to the final stage of his life in the world, and after that for ever. This is happening to him not only interiorly but also exteriorly; and this rebirth involves processes that are amazing. They are processes which for the most part constitute angelic wisdom, and that wisdom, as is well known, is indescribable, embracing such things as ear has not heard, nor eye seen, and such as have never entered man's thought.`fff1` The internal sense deals with such matters and so is suited to angelic wisdom; and when this sense passes into the sense of the letter it becomes suited to human wisdom, and in an unseen way it stirs the affections of those who, motivated by good, have the desire to know truths received from the Word.
`nnn1. This well-known saying occurs in `1 Corinthians 2bbb9`.
ppp18648#pid#5203. 'Bad in appearance' means which are not expressions of faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'beautiful in appearance' as things which are matters of faith, dealt with just above in `@@@5199`, and therefore 'bad in appearance' here means things which are not matters of faith.
ppp18647#pid#5204. 'And thin-fleshed' means which are not embodiments of charity. This is clear from the meaning of 'fat-fleshed' as things which are matters of charity, also dealt with above, in `@@@5200`, and therefore 'thin-fleshed' here means things which are not matters of charity, for the two are contraries.
ppp18646#pid#5205. 'And stood by the [other] cows on the bank of the river' means at the boundaries where the truths were present. This is clear from the meaning of 'standing by, on the bank of the river' as at the boundaries, 'the river' meaning a boundary, see `@@@5196`, `@@@5197`; and from the meaning of 'the cows' as the truths belonging to the natural, dealt with above in `@@@5198`. The implications of this - of falsities standing at the boundaries where truths were - will be evident from what appears further on, in particular at the point where the meaning in the internal sense of the seven years of famine in the land of Egypt comes up for explanation, those seven years being foretold and meant by the seven cows that were bad in appearance and thin-fleshed, and also by the seven heads of grain that were thin and scorched by an east wind.
ppp18645#pid#5206. 'And the cows bad in appearance and thin-fleshed devoured.....' means that falsities which were not expressions of faith and were not embodiments of charity would banish..... This is clear from the meaning of 'devouring' as consuming, dealt with in `@@@5149`, `@@@5157`, here as banishing because truths present in the natural, before they have received life through the celestial of the spiritual and so have been regenerated, have been so to speak banished by falsities; from the meaning of 'cows bad in appearance' as things which are not expressions of faith, dealt with just above in `@@@5203`; and from the meaning of 'thin-fleshed' as things which are not embodiments of charity, also dealt with above, in `@@@5204`.
ppp18644#pid#5207. 'The seven cows beautiful in appearance and fat' means the truths of the natural which are expressions of faith and embodiments of charity. This is clear from the meaning of 'cows' as the truths belonging to the natural, dealt with above in `@@@5198`; from the meaning of 'beautiful in appearance' as expressions of faith, dealt with in `@@@5199`; and from the meaning of 'fat' as embodiments of charity, dealt with in `@@@5200`. As regards this particular matter - that truths were banished from the natural by falsities at the boundaries - it should be recognized that this is what happens initially whenever regeneration takes place. For the truths which are implanted initially in a person are in themselves truths, yet they are not truths residing with that person until good has been linked to them. Once it has been so linked good causes those truths to be truths indeed, for good is the inward essence, while truths are the outward form of that essence. Initially therefore falsities stand close to truths; that is, where at the boundaries truths are present, so also are falsities.
ttt[2] But as good is joined to the truths, the falsities are put to flight. This is what actually happens in the next life. There the sphere of falsity attaches itself to the truths, depending on how much good passes into the truths. When little good enters in, the sphere of falsity is nearby; when more good enters in, the sphere of falsity moves further away; and when good is wholly linked to the truths the sphere of falsity is completely dispersed. When the sphere of falsity is close by, which is the case initially, as has been stated, the truths are so to speak banished. Actually they are for the time being concealed in a more interior place where they are filled with good and from where they are brought back in consecutive stages. These are the considerations that are meant by seven cows and seven heads of grain, and further on by seven years of abundance of corn and by seven years of famine. But anyone who does not know anything about regeneration or anything about a person's internal state fails to understand any of this.
ppp18643#pid#5208. 'And Pharaoh awoke' means a state of enlightenment. This is clear from the meaning of 'awakening' as receiving enlightenment, dealt with in `@@@3715`; and from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as the natural, dealt with previously, from which it is evident that 'Pharaoh awoke' means a state of enlightenment within the natural. The word enlightenment is used here to mean a general enlightenment coming from the celestial of the spiritual, and so from what is within. In that which is lower the enlightenment that comes or flows from what is within is a general one, but it becomes gradually less general, and at length becomes particular as truths from good are implanted there. For every truth from good is a shining light and a source of enlightenment. This now explains the statement made just above in `@@@5206`, that truths in the natural were banished. These truths are banished so that the natural may then be enlightened generally from what is within, after which truths in their own proper order are restored there within that general light, causing the enlightenment of the natural to be made a particular one.
ttt[2] A state of agreement between a person's spiritual and his natural, or between his internal and his external, is effected in this manner. For truths are acquired first, but then they are so to speak banished. They are not in fact banished but are hidden, at which point what is lower has a general light shed upon it from what is higher, or what is without receives that light from what is within; and in that light the truths are restored to their own proper order. As a consequence of this all the truths there become images of the general whole to which they belong, and they then exist in a state of agreement. In every single thing that comes into being not only in the spiritual world but also in the natural world, what is general comes first; then less general aspects are gradually inserted, and at length particular details. Unless this kind of insertion or filling in takes place, nothing holds together at all; for whatever is not part of a general whole and does not depend for its existence on that general whole ceases to be anything, see `@@@917`, `@@@3057`, `@@@4269`, `@@@4325` (end), `@@@4329` (middle), `@@@4345`, `@@@4383`.
ppp18642#pid#5209. Verses `Genesis 41bbbccc5-7` And he fell asleep and dreamed a second time, and behold, seven heads of grain were coming up on one stalk, fat and good. And behold, seven heads, thin and scorched by an east wind, were sprouting after them. And the thin heads swallowed up the seven fat and full heads. And Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream.
'And he fell asleep' means a state of obscurity. 'And dreamed a second time' means the provision that had been made. 'And behold, seven heads of grain were coming up on one stalk' means facts known to the natural, which facts existed linked together. 'Fat and good' means into which facts matters of faith and charity could be instilled. 'And behold, seven heads, thin' means facts that are useless. 'And scorched by an east wind' means full of evil desires. 'Were sprouting after them' means appearing next to them. 'And the thin heads swallowed up the seven fat and full heads' means that the facts which were useless banished the facts that were good. 'And Pharaoh awoke' means a general state of enlightenment. 'And behold, it was a dream' means in that obscurity.
ppp18641#pid#5210. 'And he fell asleep' means a state of obscurity. This is clear from the meaning of 'sleeping' as a state of obscurity. 'Sleep' has no other meaning than this in the spiritual sense, even as 'wakefulness' means nothing else than a state of brightness; for spiritual sleep is a time when truths remain in obscurity, spiritual wakefulness when truths exist in brightness. And to the extent that truths are in the one state or else the other, spirits are awake or asleep. From this it is evident that 'falling asleep' is a state of obscurity.
ppp18640#pid#5211. 'And he dreamed a second time' means the provision that had been made. This is clear from the meaning of 'dreaming' as provision that has been made, dealt with in `@@@5195`.
ppp18639#pid#5212. 'And behold, seven heads of grain were coming up on one stalk' means facts known to the natural, which facts existed linked together. This is clear from the meaning of 'heads' or 'tips' as facts known to the natural, dealt with below, and from the meaning of 'on one stalk' as existing linked together, for all present on one stalk are linked together by their common origin. The reason facts are meant by 'heads' or 'tips' is that 'grain' means the good of the natural, `@@@3580`; for facts are the containers of natural good, just as heads are of grain. In general all truths are vessels for containing good; and so too are facts since these are truths of the lowest order. Truths of the lowest order, that is, the truths belonging to the exterior natural, are called known facts because they reside in a person's natural or external memory. They are also called such because for the most part they are dependent on the light of the world and can for that reason be presented and represented to others by the use of words, that is, by the use of ideas put into words that draw on things such as belong to the world and the light of the world. The contents of the interior memory however are not called facts but truths since these are dependent on the light of heaven. Without the aid of that light they are unintelligible, and without the use of words, that is, of ideas put into words that draw on things such as belong to heaven and the light of heaven they are inexpressible. The facts meant here by 'heads' or 'tips' are ones that are known to the Church, regarding which see `@@@4749`, `@@@4844`, `@@@4964`, `@@@4965`.
ttt[2] The reason there were two dreams, one about seven cows, the other about seven heads of grain, was that in the internal sense both parts of the natural are dealt with, the interior natural and the exterior natural, the rebirth of the two being the subject in what follows. By 'the seven cows' are meant things in the interior natural which have been called the truths belonging to the natural, `@@@5198`; by 'the seven heads of grain' are meant the truths in the exterior natural, which are called facts.
ttt[3] Interior facts and exterior ones are meant by 'the tips of the river Euphrates even to the river of Egypt' in Isaiah,
So it will be on that day, that Jehovah will smite from the tip of the river even to the river of Egypt, and you will be gathered one to another, O children of Israel. So it will be on that day, that a great trumpet will be blown, and they will come - those who are perishing in the land of Asshur, and those who are outcasts in the land of Egypt - and they will bow themselves down to Jehovah on the holy mountain, in Jerusalem. `Isaiah 27bbb12-13`.
'Those perishing in the land of Asshur' stands for interior truths, and 'the outcasts in the land of Egypt' for exterior truths, which are facts.
ttt[4] Comparison with the blade, the tip or the ear, and the full grain also implies the rebirth of a person by means of factual knowledge, the truths of faith, and the good deeds of charity, in Mark,
Jesus said, The kingdom of God is like when someone casts seed onto the land. Then he sleeps and rises, by night and by day, but the seed sprouts and grows, he himself knowing not how; for the earth bears fruit of its own accord, first the blade, then the ear, after that the full grain in the ear. Once the fruit has been brought forth, he will immediately put in the sickle, because the harvest is established. `Mark 4bbb26-29`.
'The kingdom of God', which is compared to the blade, the ear, and the full grain, is heaven existing with a person through regeneration; for one who has been regenerated has the kingdom of God within him and he becomes an image of the kingdom of God, that is, of heaven. 'The blade' is factual knowledge, which comes first; 'the ear' is knowledge of what is true that develops out of that; and 'the full grain' is the good that develops out of this. In addition the laws laid down regarding gleanings, `Leviticus 19bbb9`; `Leviticus ccc23bbb22`; regarding the freedom to pluck the ears on a companion's standing grain, `Deuteronomy 23bbb25`; and also regarding the non-eating of bread or of dried ears or of green ones before they had brought a gift to God, `Leviticus 23bbb14`, represented such things as are meant by 'ears'.
ppp18638#pid#5213. 'Fat and good' means into which facts matters of faith and charity could be instilled. This is clear from the meaning of 'fat' when used in reference to known facts meant by 'heads of grain' (in that facts are able to receive the good of faith and can therefore have matters of faith instilled into them; for facts are vessels, and when 'fatness' is used in reference to them, the ability to receive such things as are matters of faith springing from charity is meant); and from the meaning of 'good' when used in reference to known facts meant by 'heads of grain' (in that facts are able to receive the good of charity and can therefore have matters of charity instilled into them). 'Fat' has regard to matters of faith and 'good' to matters of charity because these are their usual connotations throughout the Word. For whenever these two adjectives are applied to the same thing, one is connected with matters of faith, the other with matters of charity; and this is so on account of the marriage of truth and good present in every individual part of the Word, `@@@683`, `@@@793`, `@@@801`, `@@@2173`, `@@@2516`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc2712`, `@@@4137` (end), `@@@5138`. The fact that 'fat' means matters of faith and 'good' matters of charity is also evident from the previous parallel description regarding the cows, `@@@5199`, `@@@5200`.
ttt[2] The facts which are able to have matters of faith and charity instilled into them are very many. They include all facts known to the Church which are meant in the good sense by 'Egypt', dealt with in `@@@4749`, `@@@4844`, `@@@4964`, `@@@4965`, consequently all facts which are truths about correspondences, representatives, meaningful signs, influx, order, intelligence and wisdom, affections. Indeed they include all truths, both visible and invisible ones, that are descriptive of the interior and the exterior aspects of the natural world, because such truths correspond to spiritual truths.
ppp18637#pid#5214. 'And behold, seven heads, thin' means facts that are useless. This is clear from the meaning of heads' as facts, dealt with above in `@@@5212`, and from the meaning of 'thin' as ones that are useless. For thin is the opposite of full, and the expression full is used to refer to what has a use, or what amounts to the same, what is good; for everything good has a use to serve. Consequently 'thin' describes that which is useless. Useless facts are those which have no other end in view than personal glory and pleasure. Such ends are useless because they do not benefit one's neighbour.
ppp18636#pid#5215. 'And scorched by an east wind' means full of evil desires. This is clear from the meaning of 'being scorched by an east wind' as being consumed by the fire of evil desires. For an east wind' and the east' in the genuine sense mean love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour, lot, `@@@1250`, `@@@3249`, `@@@3708`, `@@@3762`, and therefore in the contrary sense self-love and love of the world, and so cravings and evil desires since these spring from those loves. The word 'fire' is used to refer to such desires for the reason dealt with in `@@@5071`, and therefore 'being scorched' is used also.
ttt[2] There are two sources of heat, as there are also two sources of light, the one source of heat being the sun of this world, the other source of heat being the sun of heaven, which is the Lord. It is a well known fact that the sun of this world pours out heat into its own world and onto everything there, but it is a less well known fact that the sun of heaven pours out heat into the whole of heaven. Yet this too may become an equally well known fact if one reflects merely on the heat which exists intrinsically in the human being but which has nothing in common with the heat of the world, that is, if one reflects on what is called vital heat. From this one could know that this heat is of a different nature from the world's heat. That is to say, the former is a living heat but the latter is not at all a living one; also the former, being a living one, fires a person interiorly, namely his will and understanding, imparting to him desires and loves, and affections too. This also explains why desires, loves and affections are spiritual forms of heat, and are also called such. The fact that they are forms of heat is quite evident, for heat is radiated from all parts of the bodies of live persons, even where it is intensely cold. More than that, when desires and affections, that is, when loves, increase, the body grows correspondingly warmer. This kind of heat is what is meant in the Word by 'heat', 'fire', and 'flame'; in the genuine sense celestial and spiritual love is meant, in the contrary sense bodily and earthly love. From this it becomes clear that here 'being scorched by an east wind' means being consumed by the fire of evil desires, and that when used in reference to known facts meant by 'heads' that are 'thin', facts full of evil desires are meant.
ttt[3] 'The east wind' means the blasts of evil desires and of derivative false notions, as is clear from places in the Word where that wind is mentioned, for example, in David,
He caused an east wind to blow`fff1` in the heavens, and by His power He brought forth the south wind; and He caused flesh to rain onto them like the dust, winged birds like the sand of the sea. `Psalms 78bbb26-27`.
'The flesh' which that wind brought meant cravings, and 'winged birds' resulting false notions, as is evident in `Numbers 11bbb31-35`, where it is said that the name of the place where the people were struck down for eating flesh was called 'the graves of craving, for there they buried the people who had the craving'.
ttt[4] In Ezekiel,
Behold, the vine that was planted, will it thrive? When the east wind strikes it, will it not wither completely? It will wither on the small spaces where it began to grow. `Ezekiel 17bbb10`.
And in the same prophet,
The vine has been plucked up in anger, it has been cast down onto the ground, and the east wind has dried its fruit. They have been plucked out and have withered, each rod of its strength; fire has consumed each one. For fire has gone out from a rod of its branches and has consumed its fruit, so that there is no rod of strength in it, a sceptre for dominion. `Ezekiel 19bbb12`, `Ezekiel 19bbbccc14`.
Here 'the east wind' stands for the blasts of evil desires. In Isaiah,
He gave thought to His rough wind, on the day of the east wind. `Isaiah 17bbb8`.
ttt[5] In Hosea,
An east wind will come, Jehovah's wind rising up from the desert, and his spring will become dry, and his fountain dried up. It will strip his treasury of every precious vessel. `Hosea 13bbb15`.
Here also 'an east wind' stands for blasts of evil desires. Similarly in Jeremiah,
Like an east wind I will scatter them before the enemy. `Jeremiah 18bbb17`.
ttt[6] In David,
By means of an east wind You will shatter the ships of Tarshish. `Psalms 48bbb7`.
In Isaiah,
You have forsaken Your people, the house of Jacob, because they have been filled from the east wind, and they are diviners like the Philistines. `Isaiah 2bbb6`.
In Hosea,
Ephraim feeds the wind, and pursues the east wind. All the day long he multiplies lies and devastation. `Hosea 11bbb1`.
'The wind' here stands for false notions, and 'the east wind' for evil desires. Something similar is also meant in the internal sense by 'an east wind' by means of which 'locusts were brought forth' and by means of which 'the locusts were cast into the sea',`fff2` `Exodus 10bbb13`, `Exodus 10bbbccc19`, and also by means of which 'the waters of the sea Suph' were divided, `Exodus 14bbb21`.
`nnn1. literally, set out
`nnn2. According to `Exodus 10bbb19` a west wind cast the locusts into the sea.
ppp18635#pid#5216. 'Were sprouting after them' means appearing next to them. This is clear from the meaning of 'sprouting' here as appearing, and from the meaning of 'after them' as next to or at the boundary, which is the same meaning as that in the reference to the bad or thin cows coming up 'after them', that is, after the beautiful and fat ones, `@@@5202`. The reason 'after them' means next to them is that 'after' describes a subsequent point of time; and in the spiritual world, consequently in the spiritual sense, no notion of time exists, but instead of this the kind of state that corresponds to it.
ppp18634#pid#5217. 'And the thin heads swallowed up the seven fat and full heads' means that the facts which were useless banished the facts that were good. This is clear from the meaning of 'the thin heads' as facts that are useless, dealt with above in `@@@5214`; from the meaning of 'fat and full heads' as facts into which matters of faith and charity could be instilled, dealt with in `@@@5213`, which are consequently facts that are good; and from the meaning of 'swallowing up' as banishing, which is similar to 'devouring', as said of the cows above in `@@@5206`. Regarding the banishment of good facts by useless ones, or the banishment of truths by falsities, see `@@@5207`.
ttt[2] The same applies in the spiritual world. Where falsities are present no truths can remain; and conversely, where truths are present no falsities can remain. The one group banishes the other, since they are complete opposites, for the reason that falsities originate in hell and truths in heaven. Sometimes it does seem as though falsities and truths are present together in the same subject; but the falsities in this case are not complete opposites of the truths there, but ones that are attached to those truths through the ways they are used. A subject in which truths and falsities that are complete opposites exist together is called lukewarm, while a subject in which falsities and truths have become mixed together is called profane.
ppp18633#pid#5218. 'And Pharaoh awoke' means a general state of enlightenment. This is clear from the explanation above in `@@@5208`, where the same words occur.
ppp18632#pid#5219. 'And behold, it was a dream' means in that obscurity. This is clear from the meaning of 'a dream' as a state that was obscure, dealt with in `@@@1838`, `@@@2514`, `@@@2528`, `@@@5210`. The word obscure is used because truths have been banished; indeed where there are no truths obscurity exists. The light of heaven flows solely into truths, that light being Divine Truth received from the Lord, the source of truths residing with angels and spirits, and with men too. They are subsidiary lights; but they derive their light from Divine Truth through the good present within those truths. For unless truths are rooted in good, that is, unless truths have good present within them, they cannot acquire any light from the Divine. They acquire it through good, for good is like a fire or flame, and truths are like lights radiating from it. In the next life there are also some truths that shine which are devoid of good; but the light shining from them is a wintry light which turns into thick darkness on the arrival of the light of heaven.
ttt[2] From all this one may now see what is meant here by obscurity, namely a natural state when facts that are good are banished by those that are useless. Such obscurity is one that can receive a general enlightenment, `@@@5208`, `@@@5218`. But obscurity caused by falsities can by no means receive any enlightenment, for falsities are so many masses of darkness which blot out the light of heaven and in so doing bring obscurity which cannot be lightened until those falsities have been removed.
ppp18631#pid#5220. Verse `Genesis 41bbbccc8` And it happened early in the morning, that his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called all the magi of Egypt, and all its wise men; and Pharaoh told them his dream, and there was no one to interpret them for Pharaoh.
'And it happened early in the morning' means in that new state. 'That his spirit was troubled' means a turmoil. 'And he sent and called all the magi of Egypt, and its wise men' means in consulting factual knowledge, interior as well as exterior. 'And Pharaoh told them the dream' means regarding things to come. 'And there was no one to interpret them for Pharaoh' means that no knowledge existed of what was going to happen.
ppp18630#pid#5221. 'And it happened early in the morning' means in that new state. This is clear from the meaning of 'it happened', or so it was, as that which implies something new, dealt with in `@@@4979`, `@@@4987`; and from the meaning of 'early' or 'the morning" as a state of enlightenment, dealt with in `@@@3458`, `@@@3723`, this state being the new one that is meant, about which see just above in `@@@5218`. The subject here is that state and the nature of it, namely one of turmoil owing to the obscurity that exists regarding the things that are taking place. But scarcely anyone can know anything about what that state is like unless he has come into a spiritual sphere and at the same time takes note of what is going on inside himself.
ttt[2] Unless he does so he cannot begin to know what is meant by receiving a general enlightenment or by receiving a particular enlightenment. He cannot even know what is meant by receiving enlightenment, let alone the idea that within a state of general enlightenment`fff1` turmoil exists initially and that there is no respite until truths rooted in good are restored in their proper order. Angels have a clear perception of all this, and so do good spirits, because they live in a spiritual sphere. To know about such matters and to think them over is a source of delight to them. But to someone in a natural sphere, more so to someone in a sphere of sensory-mindedness, and more so still to one who is completely sensory-minded and concerned only with ideas gained from bodily and earthly things, such matters are of no interest.
`nnn1. The first Latin edition reads within a general state of enlightenment, but Swedenborg's rough draft reads within a state of general enlightenment.
ppp18629#pid#5222. That his spirit was troubled' means a turmoil. This is clear from the meaning of 'being troubled in spirit' as being placed in a turmoil. 'Spirit' is used here, as it is several times elsewhere in the Word, to mean a person's interior affection and thought, which also constitute his spirit. The ancients called these his spirit, but specifically they used spirit to mean the interior man who would go on living after the body died. At the present day however, when people read about the spirit where it has that meaning, they understand by it solely the faculty of thought, without anything else subject to it apart from the body in which it resides.
ttt[2] The reason for this different understanding is that people no longer believe that the interior man is a person's true self. Rather, they believe that the interior man, which ordinary people call the soul or spirit, is merely the faculty of thought without anything else compatible with and subject to it. Consequently they believe that because that faculty has nothing subject to it in which to reside, it will be dissipated after death in the way something air-like or flame-like is dissipated. This is the kind of meaning spirit possesses at the present day, as when the expression 'troubled in spirit', 'saddened in spirit', 'joyful in spirit', or 'exultant in spirit' is used. But in reality it is the actual interior man that is called the spirit and that is troubled, saddened, joyful, or exultant. And this interior man existing within an entirely human form, though this is unseen by the eyes of the body - is where the faculty of thought resides.
ppp18628#pid#5223. 'And he sent and called all the magi of Egypt, and its wise men means in consulting factual knowledge, interior as well as exterior. This is clear from the meaning of 'the magi' in the good sense as interior factual knowledge, dealt with below, and from the meaning of 'wise men' as exterior factual knowledge, also dealt with below. The reason 'the magi and wise men of Egypt' means factual knowledge is that Egypt had been one of the kingdoms where the representative Ancient Church existed, `@@@1278`, `@@@2385`. But in Egypt the facts known to that Church were the particular objects of care and attention, being knowledge about correspondences, representatives, and meaningful signs. For that knowledge was used to explain what had been written in the books of the Church, and to explain the things that were done in their sacred worship, `@@@4749`, `@@@4964`, `@@@4966`. This was how it came about that 'Egypt' meant factual knowledge in general, `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1186`, `@@@1462`, as did 'Pharaoh' its king too. The leading people among them who were well-versed in and imparted that knowledge were called magi and wise men. The magi were those well-versed in mystical knowledge, the wise men those well-versed in non-mystical, so that the facts known to the magi were interior ones, while those known to the wise men were exterior. This explains why such factual knowledge is meant in the Word by those two kinds of men. But after they began to misuse the Church's interior factual knowledge and to turn it into magic, Egypt', and likewise 'the magi of Egypt and its wise men', began to mean factual knowledge that led to perversions.
ttt[2] The magi in those times had a knowledge of the kinds of things that belong to the spiritual world, and in their teaching about these they employed the correspondences and the representatives known to the Church. For this reason many of those magi also communicated with spirits and learned the arts of illusion which they used to perform miracles that involved magic. But those who were called the wise men had no interest in anything like this. Instead they provided the answers to hard questions and taught about the causes lying behind natural things. It was primarily in arts such as these that the wisdom of those times consisted, and the ability to practise them was called wisdom. This becomes clear from what is recorded about Solomon in the first Book of Kings,
Solomon's wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the sons of the east, and all the wisdom of the Egyptians, so much so that he was wiser than all people - than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol. He spoke three thousand proverbs, and his songs were one thousand and five. In addition he spoke about trees, from the cedars which are in Lebanon even to the hyssop which comes out of the wall. He also spoke about beasts, and about birds, and about creeping things, and about fish. Therefore they came from all peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth who had heard about his wisdom. `1 Kings 4bbb30-34`.
Also there is what is recorded about the queen of Sheba in the same book,
She came to test him with hard questions; and Solomon gave her an explanation for every matter she mentioned.`fff1` There was not a matter`fff2` hidden from the king for which he could not give her an explanation. `1 Kings 10bbb1` and following verses.
ttt[3] From this one may see what was described in those times as wisdom and who exactly those people were who were called wise men, not only in Egypt but also elsewhere - in Syria, Arabia, and Babel. But in the internal sense 'the wisdom of Egypt' means nothing else than knowledge about natural things, while 'that of the magi' means knowledge about spiritual realities, so that exterior factual knowledge is meant by 'the wise men', and interior factual knowledge by 'the magi', 'Egypt' meaning knowledge in general, `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1186`, `@@@1462`, `@@@4749`, `@@@4964`, `@@@4966`.
Egypt and its wise men had no other meaning in Isaiah,
The princes of Zoan are foolish, the counsel of the wise counsellors of Pharaoh has become brutish. How does one say to Pharaoh, I am a son of the wise, a son of the kings of old? Where are your wise men now? `Isaiah 19bbb11-12`.
ttt[4] The fact that the term 'magi' was applied to those who had a knowledge of spiritual realities, and who also for that reason received revelations, is clear from the magi who came from the east to Jerusalem, asking where the King of the Jews was to be born and saying that they had seen His star in the east and had come to worship Him, `Matthew 2bbb1-2`. The same is also clear from Daniel, who is called the chief of the magi in `Daniel 4bbb9`. And in another place,
The queen said to King Belshazzar, There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. And in the days of your father, light and intelligence and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him. Therefore King Nebuchadnezzar your father set him up as chief of the magi, diviners, Chaldeans, and determiners. `Daniel 5bbb11`.
And in yet another place,
Among them all none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; for when they were to stand before the king, every matter of wisdom [and] understanding which the king asked of them exceeded ten times [that of] all the magi, the diviners who were in his kingdom. `Daniel 1bbb19-20`.
ttt[5] It is well known that in the contrary sense 'magi'`fff3` is used to mean those who pervert spiritual realities and thereby practise magic, like those mentioned in `Exodus 7bbb9-12`; `Exodus ccc8bbb7`, `Exodus 8bbbccc19`; `Exodus ccc9bbb11`. For magic is nothing else than a perversion, being the perverted use of those kinds of things that constitute true order in the spiritual world, a perverted use that gives rise to magic. But at the present day such magic is called natural, for the reason that no recognition exists any longer of anything above or beyond the natural order. People refuse to accept the existence of anything spiritual unless one means by this an interior dimension of what is natural.
`nnn1. literally, all her words
`nnn2. literally, word
`nnn3. The same Latin noun magus describes a wise man or philosopher in a good sense, but a magician in a bad sense.
ppp18627#pid#5224. 'And Pharaoh told them the dream' means regarding things to come. This is clear from the meaning of 'the dream' as foresight, foretelling, and outcome, dealt with in `@@@5091`, `@@@5092`, `@@@5104`, and so things to come. What this implies in the internal sense is clear from the whole train of thought. The present verse deals with a new state in the natural when this dwells in obscurity because truths have been banished from it; at this particular point it deals with the turmoil involved in consulting factual knowledge regarding things to come. For when that kind of obscurity exists, thought about what the outcome is to be instantly arises. Because this is what generally happens in every state such as this when a person is being regenerated, that state is therefore described here in the internal sense.
ttt[2] But such states are not known about at the present day, because for one thing few are being regenerated and because for another those who are being regenerated do not stop to reflect on these matters. No one is interested at the present day in what goes on in a person interiorly, because external interests have a complete hold; that is, when external interests are the ends in view in people's lives, internal interests are of no importance at all to them. Regarding the obscurity referred to here they would say, Of what concern is that to me when there is nothing to be gained from it, and no honour in knowing it? Why give any thought to the state of the soul or state of the internal man, and why ask whether this is in obscurity when truths are banished or in clearness when truths are restored there? What advantage is there in knowing this? I doubt whether any internal man exists or whether any state of the soul exists apart from that of the body. Indeed I even doubt the existence of a soul that lives after death. Has anyone ever returned from the dead to show us? These are the kind of things that the member of the Church says to himself at the present day and the kind of thoughts he has when he hears or reads anything about the state of the internal man. From this one may see how it comes about that the things which go on inside a person are in obscurity and wholly unknown about at the present day.
ttt[3] Such obscurity of understanding never existed among the ancients. Their wisdom consisted in fostering more internal things and so in perfecting both powers of the mind, which are the understanding and the will, and so consisted, because they did this, in seeing to the needs of the soul. The fact that these were the kinds of things the ancients were concerned about is plain from their writings which are extant at the present day, and in addition to this from everyone's desire to hear Solomon,
Therefore they came from all peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all the kings of the earth who had heard about his wisdom. `1 Kings 4bbb34`.
This was the reason why the queen of Sheba came to him; and because of the blessing she received from Solomon's wisdom she said,
Blessed are your men, blessed are these your servants, who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom `1 Kings 10bbb8`.
Would anyone today say that he is blessed on that account?
ppp18626#pid#5225. 'And there was no one to interpret them for Pharaoh' means that no knowledge existed of what was going to happen. This is clear from the meaning of 'interpreting' as knowing what was going to happen, dealt with in `@@@5141`, and therefore 'no one to interpret' means no knowledge of it since 'no one' in the internal sense means the absence and so non-existence of some reality. For the idea of a person is converted in the internal sense into that of some reality. For example, the idea of a man, husband, woman, wife, son, daughter, boy, or virgin is converted into the idea of some truth or form of good. Or, as above in `@@@5223`, the idea of a magus and a wise man is converted into that of factual knowledge, interior and exterior. The reason for this is that in the spiritual world, that is, in heaven, angels' attention is fixed not on persons but on spiritual realities. For persons narrow an idea down and focus it on some finite thing, whereas spiritual realities do not involve any such narrowing down or focusing but spread to what is Infinite, and so to the Lord. This explains too why in heaven no one ever perceives a person mentioned in the Word; instead they perceive the reality represented by that person. Nor for the same reason does anyone in heaven perceive a people or nation, only its essential nature. Indeed in heaven they have no knowledge at all of any historical detail in the Word about any person, nation, or people; consequently they have no knowledge of who Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, or the people of Israel are, nor of who the Jewish people are. Instead they perceive what is represented by Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, the people of Israel, the Jewish people, and so on with everything else. This explains why angelic language has no limitations and is also a universal one compared with other languages.
ppp18625#pid#5226. Verses `Genesis 41bbbccc9-13` And the chief of the cupbearers spoke to Pharaoh, saying, I remember my sins today. Pharaoh was incensed with his servants, and put me into custody in the house of the chief of the attendants, me and the chief of the bakers. And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each according to the interpretation of his own dream. And a Hebrew boy was there with us, a servant to the chief of the attendants; and we told him, and he interpreted our dreams for us; to each according to his dream he gave the interpretation. And it happened, that as he interpreted to us, so it came about. He restored me to my position, and he hanged him.
'And the chief of the cupbearers spoke to Pharaoh' means thought formed by the sensory power subject to the understanding part of the mind. 'Saying' means the perception resulting from this. 'I remember my sins today' means regarding a state of separation. 'Pharaoh was incensed with his servants' means when the natural turned away. 'And put me into custody in the house of the chief of the attendants' means a casting aside from what exists first and foremost in explanations. 'Me and the chief of the bakers' means both kinds of sensory power. 'And we dreamed a dream in one night' means that which was foreseen in obscurity. 'I and he' means regarding both kinds of sensory power. 'We dreamed each according to the interpretation of his own dream' means what was to be the outcome of both. 'And a Hebrew boy was there with us' means that owing to temptation the guiltlessness of the Church had been cast away there. 'A servant of the chief of the attendants' means in which there was truth that served that which came first and foremost in explanations. 'And we told him' means resulting perception. 'And he interpreted our dreams for us' means what the things foreseen in obscurity held within them. 'To each according to his dream he gave the interpretation' means from [a knowledge of] the truth. 'And it happened, that as he interpreted to us, so it came about' means that so was the outcome. 'He restored me to my position' means that the sensory power belonging to the understanding part of the mind was accepted. 'And he hanged him' means that the sensory power belonging to the will part was cast aside.
ppp18624#pid#5227. 'And the chief of the cupbearers spoke to Pharaoh' means thought formed by the sensory power subject to the understanding part of the mind. This is clear from the meaning of 'speaking' as thinking, dealt with in `@@@2271`, `@@@2287`, `@@@2619`; and from the representation of 'the chief of the cupbearers' as the sensory power subject to the understanding part, dealt with in `@@@5077`, `@@@5082`. As to what thought formed by a power of the senses may be, see `@@@5141`.
ppp18623#pid#5228. 'Saying' means the perception resulting from this. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as perceiving, dealt with in `@@@1791`, `@@@1815`, `@@@1819`, `@@@1822`, `@@@1898`, `@@@1919`, `@@@2080`, `@@@2619`, `@@@2862`, `@@@3395`, `@@@3509`. No intelligible explanation of what is meant by perception resulting from thought can be given because no one at all at the present day knows what spiritual perception is; and what he knows nothing about makes no sense to a person, no matter how well it is described to him. For perception is nothing else than the speech or the thought of the angels who are present with a person. When that speech or thought passes into him it becomes the perception of whether something is true or untrue. This however happens to none but those in whom the good of love and charity is present, good being the channel through which it reaches him. With these people that perception is what engenders their thoughts; for the power of perception which they possess is the general source of their thought. In reality there is no such thing as perception resulting from thought; it is only an appearance. But nothing more can be said about this arcanum because, as has been stated, no one at all at the present day knows what perception is.
ppp18622#pid#5229. 'I remember my sins today' means regarding a state of separation. This is clear from the meaning of 'sins' as the faults that belong to an inversion of true order, dealt with in `@@@5076`, and from the meaning of 'remembering' as a joining together, dealt with in `@@@5169`, so that 'remembering one's sins' means becoming attached to those faults that belong to an inversion of order, and as a consequence becoming separated from the natural represented by 'Pharaoh'. For that which is attached to the faults present in inverted order is separated from what constitutes true order. The reason 'remembering' means a joining together is that in the next life the remembrance of a person links one up with him. For as soon as any spirit calls another spirit to mind, the latter becomes present with him, so fully that the two can converse with each other. This explains why angels and spirits are able to meet, see, and talk in person to everyone they have been acquainted with or heard about, if the Lord lets them call such persons to mind, `@@@1114`.
ppp18621#pid#5230. 'Pharaoh was incensed with his servants' means when the natural turned away. This is clear from the explanation given above, in `@@@5080`, `@@@5081`, where similar words occur.
ppp18620#pid#5231. 'And put me into custody in the house of the chief of the attendants' means a casting aside from what exists first and foremost in explanations. This too is clear from the explanation given above, in `@@@5083`, `@@@5084`, where similar words occur.
ppp18619#pid#5232. 'Me and the chief of the bakers' means both kinds of sensory power. This is clear from the representation of the chief of the cupbearers, to whom 'me' refers here, as the sensory power subject in general to the understanding part of the mind, dealt with in `@@@5077`, `@@@5082`, and from the representation of 'the chief of the bakers' as the sensory power in general subject to the will part, dealt with in `@@@5078`, `@@@5082`, so that 'me and the chief of the bakers' means both kinds of sensory power. The expression 'both kinds of sensory power' is used because in the human being there are two mental powers - the will and the understanding - which make up his life, and these have a connection with every single thing within him. The reason there are in the human being two mental powers which constitute his life is that there are two elements which compose life in heaven, namely goodness and truth. Goodness is connected with the will, truth with the understanding. From this one may see that there are two elements which compose the spiritual man and as a consequence constitute blessedness in the next life; these are charity and faith. For charity is essentially goodness, and faith essentially truth, so that charity is connected with the will and faith with the understanding Every single thing in the natural world too has a connection with these two, goodness and truth; it comes into being from these and is kept in being by them.
ttt[2] The fact that every single thing in the natural world has a connection with those two elements is perfectly plain from the existence of heat and light. Heat has a connection with good and light a connection with truth, and therefore spiritual heat is the good of love, while spiritual light is the truth of faith. Since every single thing in the entire natural creation has a connection with these two - with goodness and truth - and since good is represented in heat, and faith in light, anyone can judge for himself what a person is like if he possesses faith alone without any charity, or what amounts to the same, if he possesses an understanding of truth alone without any desire for good. Does he not resemble the situation in winter, when light shines and yet every single thing is dormant for lack of heat? That is what the state is like of the person who possesses faith alone and no good of love. His state is one of cold and darkness, of cold because he is averse to goodness, of darkness because he is on that account averse to truth. For anyone averse to goodness is also averse to truth, no matter how much it may seem to him that he is not; for the one aversion leads to the other. This is what that person's state comes to be like after death.
ppp18618#pid#5233. 'And we dreamed a dream in one night' means that which was foreseen in obscurity. This is clear from the meaning of 'a dream' as that which is foreseen, dealt with in `@@@3698`, `@@@5091`, and from the meaning of 'night' as a state of shade, dealt with in `@@@1712`, and so obscurity.
ppp18617#pid#5234. 'I and he' means regarding both kinds of sensory power. This is clear from the representation of the cupbearer, to whom 'I' refers here, as one kind of sensory power, and from the representation of the baker, to whom 'he' refers, as the other kind of sensory power, dealt with just above in `@@@5231`.
ppp18616#pid#5235. 'We dreamed each according to the interpretation of his own dream' means what was to be the outcome of both. This is clear from the meaning of 'interpretation' as what it held within it and what was to take place, dealt with in `@@@5093`, `@@@5105`, `@@@5107`, `@@@5141`, and so what the outcome was to be - [evident] from what was foreseen, meant by 'a dream', `@@@5233`.
ppp18615#pid#5236. 'And a Hebrew boy was there with us' means that owing to temptation the guiltlessness of the Church had been cast away there. This is clear from the meaning of 'a boy' as guiltlessness, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'Hebrew' as a person belonging to the Church, dealt with in `@@@5136`, thus some attribute of the Church. His having been cast away there owing to temptation is meant by the words 'was there', that is to say, in custody; for 'custody', in which Joseph had been placed, means a state of temptation, `@@@5036`, `@@@5037`, `@@@5039`, `@@@5044`, `@@@5045`, that state being the subject in Chapters `Exodus ccc39bbb0`, `Exodus ccc40bbb0`.
ttt[2] The reason 'a boy' [or older 'child']`fff1` means guiltlessness is that in the internal sense a young child means innocence. References are made in the Word to suckling, young child, and older child, by whom three degrees of innocence are meant, the first degree being meant by 'suckling', the second degree by 'young child', and the third by 'older child'. But because an older child is one who is beginning to lose his innocence, he therefore means the kind of innocence that is called guiltlessness. Because three degrees of innocence are meant by 'suckling', 'young child', and 'child', three degrees of love and charity are also meant by them, for the reason that celestial and spiritual love, which is love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour, can have no existence except within innocence. It should be recognized however that the innocence of sucklings, young children, and older ones is purely external and that no internal innocence exists with anyone until he has been born anew, that is, has so to speak become a suckling, young child, and older child once again. These are the states meant in the Word by these three, for the internal sense of the Word has only that which is spiritual as its meaning, and therefore has purely spiritual birth - called rebirth and also regeneration - as its meaning.
ttt[3] The fact that the innocence called guiltlessness is meant by 'a child' is clear in Luke,
Jesus said, Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it. `Luke 18bbb17`.
'Receiving the kingdom of God like a child' means receiving charity and faith because of one's innocence In Mark,
Jesus took a child, set him in the midst of them and took him up in His arms. He said to them, Whoever takes up one of such children in My name is taking up Me. `Mark 9bbb36-37`; `Luke 9bbb47-48`.
'A child' here is a representation of innocence; anyone who takes this up is taking up the Lord because He is the Source from which every trace of innocence is derived. Anyone may see that 'taking up a child in the Lord's name' does not mean taking up a child, so that something heavenly is represented by such an action.
ttt[4] In Matthew,
When the children in the temple cried out, Hosanna to the son of David, [the chief priests and scribes] were indignant. Therefore Jesus said to them, Have you not read that out of the mouth of young children and sucklings You have perfected praise? `Matthew 21bbb15-16`; `Psalms 8bbb2`.
The children's cry 'Hosanna to the son of David' was voiced so as to represent the truth that innocence alone acknowledges and accepts the Lord, that is, that those who have innocence within them do so. The words 'out of the mouth of young children and sucklings You have perfected praise' mean that there is no other path than innocence along which praise can go to the Lord. Along this path alone can any communication be established, any influx take place, or consequently any approach be made. This is why the Lord says, in the same gospel,
Unless you are converted and become as children you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. `Matthew 18bbb3`.
ttt[5] In the following places too 'a boy' [or 'a child'] means innocence: In Zechariah,
The streets of the city will be full of boys and girls playing in its streets. `Zechariah 8bbb5`.
This refers to a new Jerusalem, or the Lord's kingdom. In David.
Praise Jehovah, Young men and also virgins, old men and children. `Psalms 148bbb12`
In the same author,
Jehovah redeems`fff2` Your life from the pit. He satisfies your mouth with what is good, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.`fff3` `Psalms 103bbb4-5`.
In Joel,
Over My people they have cast lots, for they have given a boy for a harlot and have sold a girl for wine which they have drunk. `Joel 3bbb3`.
In Jeremiah,
I will scatter throughout you man and woman, and I will scatter throughout you old man and boy, and I will scatter throughout you young man and virgin. `Jeremiah 51bbb12`.
In Isaiah,
To us a boy is born, to us a son is given, upon whose shoulder is the government; and He will call His name, Wonderful, Counsellor, God, Hero, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace. `Isaiah 9bbb6`.
`nnn1. The Latin word puer used for a boy may also be used to mean simply a child, male or female, as in several places in the remainder of this paragraph.
`nnn2. The Latin means renews, but the Hebrew means redeems, which Swedenborg has in another place where he quotes this verse.
`nnn3. literally, so that you are renewed like the eagle with your childhood
ppp18614#pid#5237. 'A servant of the chief of the attendants' means in which there was truth that served that which came first and foremost in explanations. This is clear from the use of 'a servant' to refer to truth, dealt with in `@@@2567`, `@@@3409`; and from the meaning of 'the chief of the attendants' as things which come first and foremost in explanations, dealt with in `@@@4790`, `@@@4966`, `@@@5084`. And since truth is of service to explanations - to explanations of the Word - 'a servant of the chief of the attendants' here means truth that is of service.
ppp18613#pid#5238. 'And we told him' means resulting perception. This is clear from the meaning of 'telling' as perception, dealt with in `@@@3209`.
ppp18612#pid#5239. 'And he interpreted our dreams for us' means what the things foreseen in obscurity held within them. This is clear from the meaning of 'interpreting' as what was held within, dealt with in `@@@5093`, `@@@5105`, `@@@5107`; and from the meaning of 'dreams' as the things foreseen in obscurity, dealt with above in `@@@5233`.
ppp18611#pid#5240. 'To each according to his dream he gave the interpretation' means from [a knowledge of] the truth; 'and it happened, that as he interpreted to us so it came about' means that so was the outcome. As regards the meaning 'so was the outcome', this may be seen from the fact that the words used here mean the outcome of the matter, which from [a knowledge of] the truth was exactly as he had foretold.
ppp18610#pid#5241. 'He restored me to my position' means that the sensory power belonging to the understanding part of the mind was accepted. This is clear from the meaning of the cupbearer, meant by 'me' here, as the sensory power belonging to the understanding part, dealt with above; and from the meaning of 'restoring to one's position as restoring to order and making subordinate, dealt with in `@@@5125`, `@@@5165`, and so also as accepting.
ppp18609#pid#5242. 'And he hanged him' means that the sensory power belonging to the will part was cast aside. This is clear from the meaning of the baker, meant here by 'him', as the sensory power belonging to the will part, dealt with above; and from the meaning of 'hanging' as casting aside, dealt with in `@@@5156`, `@@@5167`. There is no need to explain these meanings any further because they have been explained already. They are details such as have been restated for the sake of the sequence of thought.
ppp18608#pid#5243. Verse `Genesis 41bbbccc14` And Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they hurried him out of the pit; and he clipped [his hair and beard], and changed his clothes, and came to Pharaoh.
'And Pharaoh sent' means the inclination of the new natural. 'And called Joseph' means to accept the celestial of the spiritual. 'And they hurried him out of the pit' means a hasty casting aside of such things as, belonging to a state of temptation, were a hindrance, and a consequent change that was made. 'And he clipped [his hair and beard]' means a casting aside and the change made so far as the coverings of the exterior natural were concerned. 'And changed his clothes' means the change made so far as the coverings of the interior natural were concerned, by the putting on of what was rightly suited to this. 'And came to 'Pharaoh' means a communication in this guise with the new natural.
ppp18607#pid#5244. 'And Pharaoh sent' means the inclination of the new natural. This is clear from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as the new natural man, dealt with in `@@@5079`, `@@@5080`. An inclination to accept the celestial of the spiritual is the meaning of the words 'sent and called Joseph'. Such an inclination is evident from what follows, in verses `Genesis 41bbbccc40-43`, where it is stated that Pharaoh set him over his house and over all the land of Egypt and said that all his people would kiss him on the mouth. The implications of this are that when the state is complete, that is, when everything has been made ready in the natural to accept an influx from what is interior or higher and to link itself to what flows into it, the natural too possesses that inclination, which is an affection disposed to accept [the celestial of the spiritual]. The one accordingly becomes compatible with the other when a person is being renewed by the Lord.
ppp18606#pid#5245. 'And called Joseph' means to accept the celestial of the spiritual. This is clear from the representation of 'Joseph' as the celestial of the spiritual, dealt with in `@@@4286`, `@@@4585`, `@@@4592`, `@@@4594`, `@@@4963` - an indication to accept it being meant by the word 'called', see immediately above in `@@@5244`.
ppp18605#pid#5246. 'And they hurried him out of the pit' means a hasty casting aside of such things as, belonging to a state of temptation, were a hindrance, and a consequent change that was made. This is clear from the meaning of 'the pit' as a state in which vastation and also temptation take place, dealt with in `@@@4728`, `@@@4744`, `@@@5038`; and from the meaning of 'hurrying him out of it' as a hasty casting aside of such things as belong to this - to a state of temptation. For as 'the pit' describes a state of temptation, 'hurrying someone out of it' describes the removal of such things as belong to that state, consequently the casting aside of them, as is evident from what follows next - he cast aside what belonged to the pit, that is, he clipped [his hair and beard] and changed his clothes.
ttt[2] In comparison with the state that follows it, a state in which temptation takes place is like conditions in a pit or prison - squalid and unclean. For when a person undergoes temptation unclean spirits are near him and round about him. They activate the evils and falsities residing with him; and they also confine him to these, increasing them to the point where he reaches despair. So it is that the person dwells at such times amid uncleanness and squalor; and when a visual presentation of that state is made in the next life (for there they can present visually the nature of any spiritual state) it is seen as a cloud issuing from filthy places. And one also smells the stench emanating from the same source. A sphere such as this is what surrounds someone undergoing temptation and also someone undergoing vastation, that is, one who is in the pit on the lower earth, dealt with in `@@@4728`.
ttt[3] But when the state involving temptation comes to an end the cloud is dispersed and the air is made clear. The reason this happens is that temptations are the means by which the evils and falsities residing with a person are exposed and removed, the cloud presenting itself while they are being exposed, the clear air when they are being removed. The change that takes place in that state is also meant by Joseph clipping [his hair and beard] and changing his clothes.
ttt[4] One may also compare the state in which temptation takes place to a person's condition when he falls among robbers. When he gets away his hair is dishevelled, his face is rough, and his clothes are torn. If he yields in temptation he remains in that state; but if he overcomes in temptation his condition is happy and peaceful once he has attended to his face, combed his hair, and changed his clothes. What is more, there are hellish spirits and genii who, behaving at such times like robbers, surround and attack him, and so subject him to temptations. From all this it is now evident that 'they hurried him out of the pit' means a hasty casting aside of such things as, belonging to a state of temptation, were a hindrance, and a consequent change that was made.
ppp18604#pid#5247. 'And he clipped [his hair and beard]' means a casting aside and the change made so far as the coverings of the exterior natural were concerned. This is clear from the meaning of 'clipping' - that is, clipping the head and beard - as casting aside the coverings of the exterior natural. For 'hair' which was clipped means the exterior natural, see `@@@3301`. Also, both hair on the head and that composing the beard correspond in the Grand Man to the exterior natural. This explains why in the light of heaven sensory-minded people - that is, those who have had no belief in anything apart from that which is natural, and have had no desire to understand how anything more internal or purer can exist apart from that which they can perceive with their senses - have a hairy appearance in the next life. They look so hairy that their faces are scarcely anything else than hairy beards. I have seen faces covered with hair like these on many occasions. But rationally-minded people, that is, spiritually-minded ones, with whom the natural has played a correctly subordinate role, are seen with tidy hair. Indeed from the state of people's hair in the next life one can tell what the natural with them is like. The reason spirits appear with hair on their heads is that in the next life spirits look exactly like people on earth. This too is why the Word sometimes includes a description of the hair of the angels people have seen.
ttt[2] From all this one may now see what is meant by 'clipping', as in Ezekiel,
The priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, shall put off their garments in which they have been ministering and lay them in the holy chambers, and they shall put on other garments, and they shall not sanctify the people in their own garments. And they shall not shave their head and shall not let their hair grow long; they shall surely clip their heads. `Ezekiel 44bbb15`, `Ezekiel 44bbbccc19-20`.
This refers to a new Temple and a new priesthood, that is, to a new Church. 'Putting on other garments' means holy truths; 'not shaving their head, and not letting their hair grow long, but surely clipping their heads' means not casting aside the natural but taking measures to make it conformable, and so to make it subordinate. Anyone who believes that the Word is indeed holy can see that these and all the other details mentioned by the prophet which describe a new land, a new city, and a new Temple and priesthood must not be taken literally. The statement, for example, that the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, will minister there, at which time they will put off their ministerial garments and put on new ones, and will also clip their heads, is not meant literally; rather, each and all the details given by the prophet have as their meaning such things as are aspects of a new Church.
ttt[3] The following rules were laid down for the high priest, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, in Moses,
The priest who is chief among his brothers, on whose head the anointing oil has been poured and who has been consecrated`fff1` to wear the garments, shall not shave his head or rend his garments. `Leviticus 21bbb10`.
The sons of Aaron shall not introduce any baldness on their head or shave the corner of their beard. They shall be holy to their God, and they shall not profane the name of their God. `Leviticus 21bbb5-6`.
You shall purify the Levites like this: Sprinkle over them the water of expiation, and they shall pass a razor over their flesh and wash their garments, and they shall be pure. `Numbers 8bbb7`.
These rules would never have been given unless they had held holy ideas within them. Can there be anything holy or anything of the Church in the actual rule forbidding the high priest to shave his head or rend his garments, or in the actual rule forbidding the sons of Levi to introduce any baldness on their head or shave the corner of their beard, or in that commanding the Levites to shave their flesh with a razor when they underwent purification? Rather, the possession of an external or natural man made subordinate to the internal or spiritual man, both of which have thereby been made subordinate to the Divine, is the holy idea within those rules; and it is also what angels perceive when man reads about them in the Word.
ttt[4] The same goes for what is said about a Nazirite who was holy to Jehovah. If someone next to him happened to die suddenly and so defile his consecrated head, the Nazirite was required to clip his head on the day of his cleansing; on the seventh day he had to clip it. On the day that the days of his Naziriteship were completed he had to clip his consecrated head at the door of the Tent of Meeting and to take the hair from his head and put it on the fire which was under the sacrifice of peace offerings, `Numbers 6bbb8`, `Numbers 6bbbccc9`, `Numbers 6bbbccc13`, `Numbers 6bbbccc18`. For the meaning of a Nazirite and what aspect of holiness he represented, see `@@@3301`. No one can possibly understand why anything holy existed within the Nazirite's hair unless he knows from correspondence what is meant by 'the hair' and from this what aspect of holiness a Nazirite's hair corresponded to. Nor can anyone likewise understand how the source of Samson's strength lay in his hair, which he told Delilah about in the following description,
No razor has come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite of God from my mother's womb. If I am shaved, my strength will depart from me, and I shall become weak and be like anyone else. And Delilah called a man who shaved off the seven locks of his hair; and his strength departed from him. After that, when the hair on his head began to grow, even as it had been shaved off, his strength returned to him. `Judges 16bbb17`, `Judges 16bbbccc19`, `Judges 16bbbccc22`.
Without any knowledge of correspondence who can see that the Lord's Divine Natural was represented by 'a Nazirite', or that 'Naziriteship' had no other meaning than this, or that Samson's strength was due to that representation?
ttt[5] Anyone who does not know, and more so one who does not believe that the Word has an internal sense, and that the sense of the letter serves to represent the real things contained in the internal sense, will recognize scarcely anything holy at all in these matters, when in fact the greatest holiness lies within them. Anyone who does not know, and more so one who does not believe that the Word has an internal sense that is intrinsically holy cannot know what the following texts enfold within them: In Jeremiah,
Truth has perished and has been cut off from their mouth. Cut off the hair of your Naziriteship and throw it away. `Jeremiah 7bbb28-29`.
In Isaiah,
On that day the Lord will shave by means of a razor hired at the crossing-places of the River - by means of the king of Asshur - the head and the hair of the feet; and it will consume the beard also. `Isaiah 7bbb20`.
In Micah,
Make yourself bald, and shave your head for the children of your delight; extend your baldness like an eagle, for they have departed from you. `Micah 1bbb16`.
Nor will anyone know the aspect of holiness contained in the reference to Elijah's being a man covered with hair, who wore a skin girdle around his loins, `2 Kings 1bbb8`. Nor will he know why the children who called Elisha baldhead were torn apart by the bears out of the forest, `2 Kings 2bbb23-24`.
ttt[6] Both Elijah and Elisha represented the Lord as to the Word, and so represented the Word itself, specifically the prophetical part, see Preface to `Genesis 18bbb0`, and `@@@2762`. Being covered with hair and having a skin girdle meant the literal sense, 'a man covered with hair' meaning that sense so far as truths were concerned, 'wearing a skin girdle around his loins' so far as forms of good were concerned. For the literal sense is the natural sense of the Word since it employs ideas formed from things that exist in the world, whereas the internal sense is the spiritual sense because it employs ideas formed from things existing in heaven. These two senses are related to each other in the way that the internal and the external are related in the human being. But because the internal can have no existence without the external, the external being the last and lowest degree of order within which the internal is held in being, the calling of Elisha 'baldhead' therefore meant the shameful accusation made against the Word that it lacked so to speak an external and so lacked a sense suited to man's capacity to understand it.
ttt[7] From all this one may see that every particular detail in the Word is holy. However, this holiness within the Word is discerned by no one unless he is acquainted with the internal sense; yet an inkling of it flows from heaven into someone who believes that the Word is holy. The internal sense known to the angels is the channel through which that influx comes; and even if the person has no understanding of that sense it nevertheless stimulates an affection in him, because the affection felt by the angels who know that sense is communicated to him. From this it is also evident that the Word was given to man so that he might have a means of communication with heaven and so that by flowing into him Divine Truth in heaven might stimulate affection in him.
`nnn1. literally, whose hand has been filled
ppp18603#pid#5248. 'And changed his clothes' means the change made so far as coverings of the interior natural were concerned, by the putting on of what was rightly suited to this. This is clear from the meaning of 'changing as removing and casting aside, and from the meaning of 'clothes' as the coverings of the interior natural, dealt with below. The putting on of what was rightly suited, meant by 'new clothes', follows on from this. Frequent reference is made in the Word to clothes, by which are meant lower or outward things which, being such, serve to cover higher or inward ones. 'Clothes' consequently means the external part of man and therefore what is natural, since this covers the internal and the spiritual part of him. In particular 'clothes' means truths that are matters of faith since these cover forms of good that are embodiments of charity. This meaning of 'clothes' has its origin in the clothes that spirits and angels are seen to be wearing. Spirits are seen dressed in clothes that have no brightness, whereas angels are seen dressed in clothes full of brightness and so to speak made of brightness. For the actual brightness that surrounds them looks like a robe, much like the Lord's garments when He was transfigured, which were 'as the light', `Matthew 17bbb2`, and 'glistening white', `Luke 9bbb29`. From the clothes they wear one can also tell what kinds of spirits and angels they are so far as truths of faith are concerned since these are represented by their clothes, though only truths of faith such as exist within the natural. The truths of faith such as exist within the rational are revealed in the face and in the beauty it possesses. The brightness of their garments has its origin in the good of love and charity, for that good shines through and is the producer of the brightness. From all this one may see what is represented in the spiritual world by clothes and as a consequence what is meant in the spiritual sense by 'clothes'.
ttt[2] But the clothes which Joseph changed - that is, cast aside - were those of the pit or prison-clothing, which mean the delusions and false ideas that are stirred up by evil genii and spirits in a state involving temptations. Consequently the expression 'he changed his clothes' means a casting aside and a change made in the coverings of the interior natural. And the clothes which he put on were ones such as were properly suitable, so that the putting on of what was rightly suited is meant. See what has been stated and shown already regarding clothes,
Celestial things are unclothed, but not so spiritual and natural ones, `@@@297`.
'Clothes' are truths, which are of a lower nature when they are compared with what they cover, `@@@1073`, `@@@2576`.
'Changing one's garments' was representative of the need to put on holy truths, and therefore 'changes of garments' had the same meaning, `@@@4545`.
'Rending one's clothes' was representative of mourning on account of the loss of truth, `@@@4763`.
What is meant by someone entering who was not wearing a wedding garment, `@@@2132`.
ppp18602#pid#5249. 'And came to Pharaoh' means a communication with the new natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'coming' in this instance as a communication through influx; and from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as the new natural, dealt with in `@@@5079`, `@@@5080`, `@@@5244`. What the words in this verse hold within them is evident from the explanations of them that have been given; for those words describe how Joseph was set free from the pit and came to Pharaoh. In the internal sense 'Joseph' represents the Lord so far as the celestial of the spiritual is concerned, while 'Pharaoh' represents the natural or external man. 'The pit' in which Joseph was confined represents a state of temptation endured by the Lord which involved the celestial of the spiritual, while his being called from the pit by Pharaoh means a state of release from temptations, and also a state of influx and communication after that with the new natural. From all this it is evident that the internal sense contains a description at this point of how the Lord made His Natural new and at length Divine.
ttt[2] These are the matters that celestial angels contemplate when such historical details are read by man. To contemplate such matters is also their greatest delight, for they live in the Lord's Divine sphere and so they are as it were in the Lord. They know the deepest joy when they are thinking about the Lord and about the salvation of the human race, which took place because the Lord made the Human within Himself Divine. Also, to enable angels to go on experiencing that most heavenly joy and at the same time wisdom, a full description of that Divine process has therefore been given in the internal sense of the Word. This sense includes at the same time the process by which man is regenerated, for man's regeneration is an image of the Lord's glorification, `@@@3138`, `@@@3212`, `@@@3296`, `@@@3490`, `@@@4402`. Many will perhaps be wondering what angels talk about to one another and consequently what people after death who become angels talk about. Let those who so wonder know that angels talk about the kinds of matters that are contained in the internal sense of the Word, that is to say, about the Lord's glorification, His kingdom, the Church, the regeneration of man by means of the good of love and the truth of faith. But when they do so they use profound ideas which for the most part are beyond description.
ppp18601#pid#5250. Verses `Genesis 41bbbccc15-16` And Pharaoh said to Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it; and I have heard about you - it is said that when you hear a dream you can interpret it. And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, it is not mine; God will give an answer of peace, O Pharaoh.
'And Pharaoh said to Joseph' means a perception expressed by the natural but belonging to the celestial of the spiritual. 'I have dreamed a dream' means a foretelling. 'And there is no one who can interpret it' means ignorance about what it held within it. 'And I have heard about you means the ability of the celestial of the spiritual. 'It is said that when you hear a dream you can interpret it' means to discern what it is that things foreseen hold within them. 'And Joseph answered Pharaoh' means awareness. 'Saying, it is not mine' means that it does not have a purely human origin. 'God will give an answer of peace, O Pharaoh' means that the Divine Human was the origin of it, through its being joined to it.
ppp18600#pid#5251. 'And Pharaoh said to Joseph' means a perception expressed by the natural but belonging to the celestial of the spiritual. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in the historical narratives of the Word as perceiving, often dealt with already; from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as the natural, dealt with in `@@@5079`, `@@@5080`, `@@@5095`, `@@@5160`; and from the representation of 'Joseph' as the celestial of the spiritual, dealt with in `@@@4286`, `@@@4592`, `@@@4594`, `@@@4963`, `@@@5086`, `@@@5087`, `@@@5106`, `@@@5249`. The reason why a perception expressed by the natural but belonging to the celestial of the spiritual is meant is that the Lord is represented by both 'Joseph' and 'Pharaoh'. 'Joseph' represents His celestial of the spiritual and 'Pharaoh' His natural, and therefore 'Pharaoh said to Joseph' means a perception which the Lord had, which originated in the celestial of the spiritual and was present in the natural. But nothing intelligible can be stated regarding the identity and essential nature of that perception unless some idea has been formed first of what spiritual perception and the celestial of the spiritual are, as well as some idea about the essential nature of the natural being distinct and separate from that of the spiritual. Some reference has indeed been made previously to these matters; but one needs to be reminded of them.
ppp18599#pid#5252. 'I have dreamed a dream' means a foretelling. This is clear from the meaning of 'a dream' as foresight and consequently a foretelling, dealt with in `@@@3698`, `@@@5091`, `@@@5092`, `@@@5104`, `@@@5233`. The fact that at this point 'a dream' means a foretelling is also evident from what follows, for in the dream the seven years of abundance of corn and the seven years of famine were foretold.
ppp18598#pid#5253. 'And there is no one who can interpret it' means ignorance about what it held within it. This is clear from the meaning of 'interpreting' as what something held within it, dealt with in `@@@5093`, `@@@5105`, `@@@5107`, `@@@5141` - ignorance about what it held within it therefore being meant by 'no one who can interpret it'. In the internal sense 'no one' does not mean no one or nobody, but simply absence or non-existence. Here therefore that which is 'not' is meant, thus something that is unknown to people or of which they are ignorant. The explanation for this is that one does not see in the internal sense any particular person, or indeed anything that has to do specifically with any person, see `@@@5225`; and by the expression 'no one' or nobody' no more than some general aspect of a person is implied.
ttt[2] There are in general three elements which depart from the literal sense of the Word when it becomes the internal sense; these are the temporal, the spatial, and the personal. The reason for this is that neither time nor space exists in the spiritual world. These two elements belong properly to the natural order, which also accounts for its being said that those who die depart from the realm of time, leaving temporal concerns behind them. And the reason why in the spiritual world they do not see anything that has to do specifically with some person is that any focusing, when they speak, on some particular person narrows down and limits the idea they have in mind; such a focusing prevents any broadening or removal of limits to their idea. Their use, when they speak, of broadened and unlimited ideas renders their language universal, a language that includes and enables them to express countless and also wondrous ideas. This is what the language used by angels is like, especially that used by celestial angels, which, compared with that employed by others, knows no limitations. This being so, the whole of their speech reaches into what is infinite and into what is eternal, consequently into the Divine of the Lord.
ppp18597#pid#5254. 'And I have heard about you' means the ability of the celestial of the spiritual; and 'it is said that when you hear a dream you can interpret it' means to discern what it is that things foreseen hold within them. This is clear from the meaning of 'hearing about you' as discerning and coming to now that its nature is such and therefore that it possessed that kind of ability; from the representation of 'Joseph', to whom these words are addressed, as the celestial of the spiritual, dealt with in `@@@4286`, `@@@4592`, `@@@4594`, `@@@4963`, `@@@5086`, `@@@5087`, `@@@5106`; from the meaning of 'hearing' as discerning, dealt with in `@@@5017`; from the meaning of 'a dream' as that which is foreseen, dealt with just above in `@@@5252`; and from the meaning of 'interpreting' as what it held within it, also dealt with above, in `@@@5253`. From all these meanings it is evident that 'I have heard about you - it is said that when you hear a dream you can interpret it' means the ability which the celestial of the spiritual possesses to discern what it is that things foreseen hold within them.
ppp18596#pid#5255. 'And Joseph answered Pharaoh' means awareness. This is clear from the meaning of 'giving an answer to something', when any question is posed regarding it, as imparting knowledge and thereby showing an awareness of the nature of the matter.
ppp18595#pid#5256. 'Saying, It is not mine' means that it does not have a purely human origin. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'it is not mine' or not belonging to himself - when these words refer to the Lord, who is represented by 'Joseph' - as that it does not have a purely human origin but a Divine one; for the Divine foresees and consequently knows what something holds within it. When He was in the world the Lord possessed foresight and providence; the two were indeed present in the human, but they had their origin in the Divine. After that time however, once He was glorified, they had their origin in the Divine alone, for the Human, having been glorified, is Divine. Regarded in itself the human is nothing else than a form that receives life from the Divine; but the Lord's glorified Human, or His Divine Human, is not a form that receives life from the Divine but is the actual inner Being (Esse) of that life and so the source from which it comes forth. This is the kind of idea about the Lord that angels have. But as for members of the Christian Church at the present day who enter the next life, almost all think of the Lord as they do of any other human being. Not only do they have an idea of Him separate from the Divine, though they do attribute Divinity to Him; they also have an idea of Him separate from Jehovah. In addition they have an idea of Him separate from the holy one that goes forth from Him. They talk, it is true, about one God, yet they think of three and in practice divide the Divine into three. For they distinguish the Divine into separate persons, calling each one God and attributing a distinct property to each. Consequently Christians are said in the next life to worship three Gods, for their thoughts are of three however much they may talk about one.
ttt[2] But those who are gentile converts to Christianity worship the Lord alone in the next life. They do so because they believed that it could have been none else than the supreme Deity who revealed Himself on earth as man and that this supreme Deity is a Divine Man. They also believed that if they did not have that idea of the supreme Deity they could not have any idea at all and so could not have any thought about God, nor consequently have any knowledge of Him, let alone love for Him.
ppp18594#pid#5257. 'God will give you an answer of peace, O Pharaoh' means that the Divine Human was the origin of it, through its being joined to it. This becomes clear from what has been stated immediately above in `@@@5156`, and from the meaning of 'peace of which God will give an answer' as the Lord's Divine Human as the origin of it. 'God', as is clear without explanation, means the Divine; while 'peace' in the highest sense means the Lord, see `@@@3780`, `@@@4681`. The reason it is the origin through its being joined to it - to the celestial of the spiritual, and through this to the natural - is that this joining together is the subject here.
ppp18593#pid#5258. Verses `Genesis 41bbbccc17-24` And Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, In my dream, behold, I was standing on the bank of the river. And behold, out of the river seven cows were coming up, fat-fleshed and beautiful in form; and they fed in the sedge. And behold, seven other cows were coming up after them, weak and extremely bad in form and lean-fleshed; I have not seen any like them in all the land of Egypt for badness. And the lean and bad cows devoured the first seven fat cows. And they devoured them completely,`fff1` and no one would have known that they had devoured them completely;`fff2` and their appearance was malign, as it had been in the beginning. And I awoke. And I saw in my dream, and behold, seven heads of grain were coming up on one stalk, full and good. And behold, seven heads, dried up, thin, and scorched by an east wind, were sprouting after them. And the thin heads swallowed up the seven good heads. And I told it to the magi, and there was no one to point out the meaning to me.
'And Pharaoh spoke to Joseph' means thought expressed by the natural but belonging to the celestial of the spiritual. 'In my dream' means what has been foreseen in a state of obscurity. 'Behold, I was standing on the bank of the river' means from boundary to boundary. 'And behold, out of the river' means at the boundary. 'Seven cows were coming up' means the truths belonging to the natural. 'Fat-fleshed' means which were embodiments of charity. 'And beautiful in form' means which were expressions of faith resulting from these. 'And they fed in the sedge' means instruction. 'And behold, seven other cows were coming up after them' means falsities present in the natural close by them. 'Weak and extremely bad in form' means empty and lacking in faith. 'And lean-fleshed' means lacking in charity too. I have not seen anything like them in all the land of Egypt for badness' means which were such that they could not by any means be joined to forms of truth and good. 'And the lean and bad cows devoured.....' means that falsities which were not expressions of faith and not embodiments of charity would banish.....'The first seven fat cows' means truths which were expressions of faith derived from charity. 'And they devoured them completely' means an interior banishing. 'And no one would have known that they had devoured them completely' means that the truths of good were no longer discernible. 'And their appearance was malign, as it had been at the beginning' means that no communication or joining together existed. 'And I awoke' means a state of enlightenment. 'And I saw in my dream' means still more foreseen in obscurity. 'And behold, seven heads of grain were coming up on one stalk' means facts known to the natural, which facts existed linked together. 'Full and good' means into which facts matters of faith and charity could be instilled. 'And behold, seven heads, dried up, thin, and scorched by an east wind' means facts that are useless and full of evil desires. 'Were sprouting after them' means appearing close by them. 'And the thin heads swallowed up the seven good heads' means that the facts which were useless banished the facts which were useful. 'And I told it to the magi' means a consultation with facts of an interior kind. 'And there was no one to point out the meaning to me' means that nothing at all was discerned from these.
`nnn1. literally, they came to their viscera
`nnn2. literally, it was not known that they had come to their viscera
ppp18592#pid#5259. 'And Pharaoh spoke to Joseph' means thought expressed by the natural but belonging to the celestial of the spiritual. This is clear from what has been stated above in `@@@5151`. Where the same words occur, except that there it says that Pharaoh said to Joseph, here that he spoke to him; for 'said' means perception, whereas 'spoke' means thought, `@@@2271`, `@@@2287`, `@@@2619`. The reason 'Pharaoh spoke to Joseph' means thought which is expressed by the natural but belongs to the celestial of the spiritual, and not the other way round, is that when thought is going on in what is exterior, the source of such thought does not lie there but in what is interior. Or what amounts to the same, when thought is going on in what is lower, nothing else than what is higher is the source of it. Even so, while the thought belonging to what is interior or higher is going on in what is exterior or lower, it does seem as though the exterior or lower is itself the source of the thought going on in it. But that is an illusion. It is like a person who sees some object in a mirror but does not know that the mirror is there. He supposes that the object exists where it appears to do so, but in reality it does not exist there.
ttt[2] Now because the celestial of the spiritual is interior or higher, and the natural is exterior or lower, 'Pharaoh spoke to Joseph' therefore means in the internal sense thought expressed by the natural but belonging to the celestial of the spiritual. In short, nothing in a lower position possesses anything self-derived whatsoever. Any ability it possesses comes from what is higher, which being so it plainly follows that the Highest one of all, that is, the Divine, is the source of everything. Consequently the source of a person's thought proceeding from his understanding and of his activity proceeding from his will is the Highest one or the Divine. If however a person thinks false ideas and acts in evil ways, this is due to the form he has stamped on his own character; but if he thinks right ideas and acts in ways that are good, it is due to the form he has received from the Lord. For it is well known that one and the same power and force produces differing movements which are determined by the ways in which the intermediate and outermost parts are structured, so that in the human being life from the Divine produces differing thoughts and actions, determined by the forms existing there.
ppp18591#pid#5260. The details that follow in this passage are practically the same as those explained already in this chapter, in `@@@5195-5217`, and therefore one can pass over them without any further explanation.
ppp18590#pid#5261. Verses `Genesis 41bbbccc25-27` And Joseph said to Pharaoh, Pharaoh's dream, it is one; what God is doing He has pointed out to Pharaoh. The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads of grain are seven years; the dream, it is one. And the seven thin and bad cows coming up after them are seven years; and the seven empty heads of grain, scorched by an east wind, will be seven years of famine.
'And Joseph said to Pharaoh' means a perception which the natural received from the celestial of the spiritual. 'Pharaoh's dream, it is one' means that a similar situation existed in both parts, which was foreseen. 'What God is doing He has pointed out to Pharaoh' means that the natural was allowed to discern what was provided. 'The seven good cows are seven years' means a state when truth within the interior natural is multiplied. 'And the seven good heads of grain are seven years' means a state when truth within the exterior natural is multiplied. 'The dream, it is one' means that both will be such through a joining together. 'And the seven thin and bad cows coming up after them are seven years' means a state when falsity attacking the interior natural is multiplied. 'And the seven empty heads of grain, scorched by an east wind' means a state when falsity attacking the exterior natural is multiplied. 'Will be seven years of famine' means a consequent absence and seeming deprivation of truth.
ppp18589#pid#5262. 'And Joseph said to Pharaoh' means a perception which the natural received from the celestial of the spiritual. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in the historical narratives of the Word as perceiving, from the representation of 'Joseph' as the celestial of the spiritual, and from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as the natural, which specific meaning and representations have often been dealt with already.
ppp18588#pid#5263. 'Pharaoh's dream, it is one' means that a similar situation existed in both parts, which was foreseen. This is clear from the meaning of' dream' as that which was foreseen, dealt with in `@@@3698`, `@@@5091`, `@@@5092`, `@@@5104`, `@@@5237`; from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as the natural, dealt with in `@@@5079`, `@@@5080`, `@@@5095`, `@@@5160`; and from the meaning of 'it is one here as a similar situation existing in both parts - in the interior natural and in the exterior natural. For the natural has two parts, see `@@@5118`, `@@@5126`. What Pharaoh dreamed about involving the cows was a foresight regarding the interior natural, and what he dreamed about involving the heads of grain was a foresight regarding the exterior natural; and since both parts of the natural must act as a single unit through their existing joined together, a similar situation in both parts is meant.
ppp18587#pid#5264. 'What God is doing He has pointed out to Pharaoh' means that the natural was allowed to discern what was provided. This is clear from the meaning of 'what God is doing' as what was provided, dealt with below; from the meaning of 'pointing out' as communicating and allowing one to discern, dealt with in `@@@3608`, `@@@4856`; and from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as the natural, dealt with above in `@@@5263`. From this it is evident that 'what God is doing He has pointed out to Pharaoh' means that the natural was allowed to discern what was provided.
ttt[2] The reason why 'what God is doing' means what has been provided is that everything done by God, that is, by the Lord, constitutes His Providence. Every act of Providence is Divine, for it holds what is eternal and infinite within it. It holds what is eternal because its view is not limited by any beginning or end, and it holds what is infinite because its view comprehends simultaneously the entire whole within any specific part, and every specific part within the entire whole. All this is called 'Providence'; and because every single one of the Lord's acts holds what is eternal and infinite within it, no other expression than Providence exists to describe it. This truth that every single one of the Lord's acts holds what is infinite and eternal within it will in the Lord's Divine mercy be illustrated elsewhere with the help of examples.
ppp18586#pid#5265. 'The seven good cows are seven years' means a state when truth within the interior natural is multiplied. This is clear from the meaning of 'the cows' in the good sense as the truths belonging to the interior natural, dealt with in `@@@5198`; and from the meaning of 'years' as states, dealt with in `@@@482`, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@893`. There were seven because 'seven' means that which is holy and therefore adds the idea of holiness to the matter under discussion, dealt with in `@@@395`, `@@@433`, `@@@716`, `@@@881`, as well as implying a whole period from start to finish, `@@@728`. This explains why in the dream seven cows and seven heads of grain were seen, and after that why there were seven years of abundance of corn and seven years of famine. It also explains why the seventh day was made holy, why in the representative Church the seventh year was a sabbatical year, and why after seven times seven years there was a Jubilee.
ttt[2] 'Seven' means things that are holy because of the meanings that numbers have in the world of spirits. Each number there holds some spiritual reality within it. Visual indications of numbers have appeared to me frequently, simple and compound ones, and also on one occasion a long sequence of them, when I have wondered what meanings they possessed. I have been told that they have their origin in conversations held by angels, and that it is customary from time to time to use numbers to express spiritual realities too. These numbers are not seen in heaven but in the world of spirits, where the visual presentation of such things takes place. The most ancients, who were celestial people and who talked to angels, knew all about this, which was why they used numbers to express an evaluation of the Church. The numbers used by them conveyed a general overall idea of matters for which words served to provide a detailed description. The meaning contained within every number did not however continue to be known among the descendants of these people; only the meanings of the simple numbers survived, that is to say, the meanings of two, three, six, seven, eight, twelve, and from these the meanings of twenty-four, seventy-two, and seventy-seven. In particular their descendants knew that 'seven' meant that which was most holy - that is to say, that in the highest sense 'seven' meant the Divine Himself, and in the representative sense the celestial element of love - and that the state of the celestial man was therefore meant by 'the seventh day', `@@@84-87`.
ttt[3] It is quite evident from the numbers used plentifully in the Word that numbers mean spiritual realities, such as the following ones in John,
Let him who has intelligence reckon the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, that is, its number is six hundred and sixty-six. `Revelation 13bbb18`.
And elsewhere in the same book,
The angel measured the wall of the holy Jerusalem, a hundred and forty-four cubits, which is the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. `Revelation 11bbb17`.
The number one hundred and forty-four is twelve squared and twice seventy-two.
ppp18585#pid#5266. 'And the seven heads of grain are seven years' means a state when truth within the exterior natural is multiplied. This is clear from the meaning of 'heads of grain' in the good sense as factual knowledge, dealt with in `@@@5212`, and therefore as the truths known to the exterior natural, for Such truths are called facts; and from the meaning of 'years' as states, dealt with immediately above in `@@@5265`, where the meaning of 'seven' may also be seen.
ppp18584#pid#5267. 'The dream, it is one' means that both will be such through a joining together. This is clear from what has been stated above in `@@@5263`.
ppp18583#pid#5268. 'And the seven thin and bad cows coming up after them are seven years' means a state when falsity attacking the interior natural is multiplied. This is clear from the meaning of 'cows' in the genuine sense as truths within the interior natural, dealt with in `@@@5198`, `@@@5265`, but in the contrary sense as falsities there, dealt with in `@@@5202`, so that the former are called 'good cows', but the latter 'thin and bad'; from the meaning of 'coming up' as an advance made towards things that are interior, dealt with in `@@@5202`; and from the meaning of 'years' as states, dealt with just above in `@@@5265`. Even as 'seven' means that which is holy, so in the contrary sense it means that which is unholy. For most things in the Word have a contrary meaning as well, the reason for this being that when the selfsame things as come into being in heaven pass downwards in the direction of hell, they are converted into things of an opposite nature and become in actual fact their opposites. Consequently things that are holy, meant by 'seven', are made in that place into those that are unholy.
ttt[2] Let references to the number seven found solely in the Book of Revelation serve to prove that 'seven' is used to mean both holy things and unholy ones. The following are places where holy things are meant,
John to the seven Churches: Grace and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before His throne. `Revelation 1bbb4`.
These things says He who has the seven spirits and the seven stars. `Revelation 3bbb1`.
From the throne there were coming seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God. `Revelation 4bbb5`.
I saw on the right hand of Him sitting on the throne a book written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. `Revelation 5bbb1`.
I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne, a Lamb standing as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. `Revelation 5bbb6`.
To the seven angels were given seven trumpets. `Revelation 8bbb1`.
In the days of the voice of the seventh angel the mystery of God was to be fulfilled. `Revelation 10bbb7`.
Out of the temple came the seven angels having the seven plagues, clothed in linen, white and splendid, and girded around their breasts with golden girdles. Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls. `Revelation 15bbb6-7`.
ttt[3] The fact that 'seven' in the contrary sense means things that are unholy is evident from the following places, also in the Book of Revelation,
Behold, a great fiery-red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven jewels. `Revelation 12bbb3`.
I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, which had seven heads and ten horns, and on its horns ten jewels, but on its heads a blasphemous name. `Revelation 13bbb1`.
I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names; and it had seven heads and ten horns. Here is the understanding of this - if anyone has the wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; and they are seven kings. The beast which was, and is not, he is the eighth king, and is of the seven, and is going away into perdition. `Revelation 17bbb3`, `Revelation 17bbbccc7`, `Revelation 17bbbccc9-11`.
ppp18582#pid#5269. 'And the seven empty heads of grain, scorched by an east wind' means a state when falsity attacking the exterior natural is multiplied. This is clear from the meaning of 'heads' as facts that are truths known to the exterior natural, dealt with above in `@@@5266`, and so in the contrary sense as falsities there, `@@@5202-5204`. For the meaning of 'empty' and 'scorched by an east wind' see above.
ppp18581#pid#5270. 'Will be seven years of famine' means a consequent absence and seeming deprivation of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'famine' as an absence of cognitions, dealt with in `@@@1460`, `@@@3364`, and so a deprivation of truth. For falsities banished truths to such an extent that the latter did not seem to exist any longer, which is the meaning of the descriptions in verses `Genesis 41bbbccc4`, `Genesis 41bbbccc7`, `Genesis 41bbbccc20-21`, `Genesis 41bbbccc24` - 'the lean and bad cows devoured the seven fat cows; they devoured them completely and no one would have known that they had devoured them', and also 'the thin heads swallowed up the seven good heads', `@@@5206`, `@@@5207`, `@@@5217`. The implication of all this - the idea that at first truth will be multiplied in both parts of the natural, but that subsequently there will be an absence of truth so great that it scarcely seems to exist - is an arcanum which can be known to none except him who is allowed to know the nature of human reformation and regeneration. Such being the subject in the internal sense of what follows after this, a brief statement about it needs to be made in advance here.
ttt[2] When a person is being reformed he begins by learning truths from the Word, or from what he is taught, and then storing those truths away in his memory. The person who is unable to be reformed imagines that once he has learned truths and stored them away in his memory there is nothing more to be done. But he is much mistaken. The truths he has taken in need to be introduced and joined to good; but they cannot be so introduced and joined to good as long as the evils of self-love and love of the world remain in the natural man. These two loves served initially in the introduction of such truths, but the latter cannot possibly become joined to them. Therefore so that a joining to good may be effected the truths that have been introduced and held there by those loves must first be banished, though they are not actually banished but are withdrawn to a more interior position, with the result that they do not seem to exist, which is why the expression 'a seeming deprivation of truth' is used. Once this has happened the natural receives light from within and the evils of self-love and love of the world give way; and to the extent that they do give way the truths are restored and joined to good. In the Word a state when a person is seemingly deprived of truths is called desolation. It is also compared to the evening in which a person dwells before he moves on into morning, which was why in the representative Church the day began in the evening, `@@@883`.
ppp18580#pid#5271. Verses `Genesis 41bbbccc28-32` This is the word which I have spoken to Pharaoh; what God is doing He has caused Pharaoh to see. Behold, seven years are coming, [in which there will be] a great abundance of corn in all the land of Egypt. And seven years of famine will arise after them, and all the abundance of corn in the land of Egypt will be thrust into oblivion, and the famine will consume the land. And the abundance of corn in the land will not be known because of the famine from then on, for it will be extremely severe. And as for the dream being presented`fff1` to Pharaoh twice, this is because the thing is established by God, and God is hastening to do it.
'This is the word which I have spoken to Pharaoh' means what the natural was led to think by the celestial of the spiritual. 'What God is doing' means regarding what was provided. 'He has caused Pharaoh to see' means discernment by the natural. 'Behold, seven years are coming' means a state of providence. 'A great abundance of corn in all the land of Egypt' means the multiplication of truth in both parts of the natural. 'And seven years of famine will arise after them' means subsequent states when there will be an absence of truth. 'And all the abundance of corn in the land of Egypt will be thrust into oblivion' means the removal of truth and the seeming deprivation of it in both parts of the natural. 'And the famine will consume the land' means even to the point of despair. 'And the abundance of corn in the land will not be known' means that no discernment at all regarding the truth present previously will exist there. 'Because of the famine from then on, for it will be extremely severe' means on account of such an absence [of truth]. 'And as for the dream being presented to Pharaoh twice' means because what was foreseen had regard to both parts of the natural. 'This is because the thing is established by God' means that it is Divine. 'And God is hastening to do it' means a total fulfillment.
`nnn1. literally, repeated
ppp18579#pid#5272. 'This is the word which I have spoken to Pharaoh' means what the natural was led to think by the celestial of the spiritual. This is clear from the meaning of 'the word' as the real thing, dealt with below; from the meaning of 'speaking' as thinking, dealt with in `@@@2271`, `@@@2287`, `@@@2619`, `@@@5259`; from the representation of 'Joseph', who is the speaker here, as the celestial of the spiritual, and from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as the natural, both of whom are dealt with above. From all this it is evident that 'this is the word which I have spoken to Pharaoh' means the real thing, or what the natural was led to think by the celestial of the spiritual; see also `@@@5262`. Regarding the term 'the word', this is used in the original language to express the idea of the real thing. This also explains why Divine revelation is called the Word, and why too in the highest sense the Lord Himself is called such. And when 'the Word' is used to refer to the Lord, as also when it is used to refer to revelation received from Him, Divine Truth - the source of every real thing that comes into being - is meant in the proximate sense.
ttt[2] This idea that all real things have been brought and are being brought into being by means of Divine Truth going forth from the Lord, thus by means of the Word, is an arcanum which has yet to be disclosed. People's belief and understanding of this is that all things have been created because God has spoken and issued His command, as a king does in his kingdom. But that is not what is meant by saying that all things have been made and created by the Word. Rather, the meaning is that Divine Truth which goes forth from Divine Good, that is, which goes forth from the Lord, is the originator of all things that have been brought and are being brought into being. Divine Truth going forth from Divine Good is the ultimate reality and the essential being within all creation; and this Divine Truth is what makes and creates all things. But scarcely anyone has any other idea of Divine Truth than this - a word or utterance issuing from a speaker's mouth and transmitted into the air. This idea about Divine Truth leads to the notion that 'the Word' means simply a command, so that all things that have been made exist solely because a command has been delivered, not because of some reality that has come forth from the Lord's Divine. But as has been stated, the Divine Truth going forth from the Lord is the ultimate reality and essential being from which all things derive their existence. Every form of what is good and true owes its existence to this. But in the Lord's Divine mercy more will be said later on regarding this arcanum.
ppp18578#pid#5273. 'What God is doing' means regarding what was provided. This is clear from the meaning of 'what God is doing' as what is provided, dealt with above in `@@@5264`.
ppp18577#pid#5274. 'He has caused Pharaoh to see' means discernment by the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing' as understanding and discerning, dealt with in `@@@2150`, `@@@2325`, `@@@2807`, `@@@3764`, `@@@4567`, `@@@4723`; and from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as the natural, dealt with previously.
ppp18576#pid#5275. 'Behold, seven years are coming' means a state of providence. This is clear from the meaning of 'years' as states, dealt with in `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@893`; and from the meaning of 'coming' as an act of providence. For 'coming' and being done, when used in reference to the Divine, or to that which God does, means what happens providentially and is therefore an act of providence; for providence is meant by that done by God, see above in `@@@5264`, `@@@5273`. Regarding the seven years of abundance of corn and the seven years of famine that are the subject in what follows, where 'years' means states, 'the years of abundance of corn' are states when truth is multiplied in the natural, and 'the years of famine' are states when there is an absence and deprivation of truth in the natural. In general the seven years of abundance of corn and the seven years of famine in the land of Egypt describe in the internal sense the state when a person is reformed and regenerated, and in the highest sense the state when the Lord's Human was glorified. To represent these things was why such events took place in the land of Egypt. The reason that land was the one where they took place is that in the internal sense 'the land of Egypt' and 'Pharaoh' mean the natural, the glorification of which within the Lord is the subject here.
ttt[2] It should be recognized that the events which took place at that time and have been recorded in the Word were representative in the highest sense of the Lord Himself and of the glorification of His Human, and in the representative sense of His kingdom, and consequently of the Church at a corporate level and also of the Church at an individual level. They were accordingly representative of a person's regeneration, for regeneration is the means by which a person becomes a Church at the individual level. The representation of such things by the events happening at that time was primarily for the sake of the Word - so that this could be written and thus be a Word that would contain the kinds of matters that would represent Divine, celestial, and spiritual realities in a continuous line of thought, and so would be of service not only to the member of the Church but also to the angels in heaven. From those representative descriptions angels perceive Divine realities and are thereby filled with holy feelings which are communicated to the person who reads the Word with affection; for he too receives a feeling of holiness. This is the reason why such events took place in the land of Egypt.
ppp18575#pid#5276. 'A great abundance of corn in all the land of Egypt' means the multiplication of truth in both parts of the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'an abundance of corn' as a multiplication of truth, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'the land of Egypt' as both parts of the natural. For knowledge is meant by 'Egypt', see `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1186`, `@@@1462`, `@@@4749`, `@@@4964`, `@@@4966`; and since knowledge is meant by that land, so also is the natural meant by it, for the reason that as the expression 'factual knowledge' is used to describe what is stored in the natural, 'the land of Egypt' therefore means the natural mind in which factual knowledge is stored. This being so, 'all the land of Egypt' means both parts of the natural - the interior natural and the exterior natural, regarding which, see `@@@5118`, `@@@5126`. The reason 'an abundance of corn' means a multiplication of truth is that the expression describes the opposite of 'famine', by which an absence of truth is meant. The word used in the original language to express an abundance of corn - an antonym to 'famine' - means in the internal sense a vast wealth and sufficiency of religious knowledge; for 'famine' means an absence of it. Religious knowledge consists in nothing else than the truths present in a person's natural man which have not yet been made his own by him. The multiplication of such truths is what is meant here. Religious knowledge does not come to be truths residing with a person until that knowledge finds acceptance in his understanding, which happens when he firmly embraces it; and what are then truths residing with him are not made his own until he lives in conformity with them. For nothing is made a person's own other than that which is made part of his life; thus because those truths form his life, his true self is invested in them.
ppp18574#pid#5277. 'And seven years of famine will arise after them' means subsequent states when there will be an absence of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'years' as states, dealt with in `@@@482`, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@893`; from the meaning of 'famine' as an absence of religious knowledge or cognitions. dealt with in `@@@1460`, `@@@9364`; and from the meaning of 'after them' as subsequent ones.
ppp18573#pid#5278. 'And all the abundance of corn in the land of Egypt will be thrust into oblivion' means the removal of truth and the seeming deprivation of it in both parts of the natural. This is clear from the meaning of forgetting or 'being thrust into oblivion' as a removal and the seeming deprivation that results from this; from the meaning of 'the abundance of corn' as the multiplication of truth, that is, truth that has been multiplied, dealt with just above in `@@@5276`; and from the meaning of 'the land of Egypt' as the natural mind or a person's natural, both parts of it in this case, as just above in `@@@5276`.
ttt[2] The reason forgetting or 'being thrust into oblivion' means a removal and seeming deprivation is that something akin to this happens to the memory and to thought that relies on it. The actual matters that a person is thinking about are immediately beneath his attention, while related matters spread out in order around them, extending to unrelated ones furthest away, which at that time are in oblivion. Matters of a contrary nature are separated from these, hanging downwards and revealing themselves underneath, where they serve to counterbalance what is above them. This ordered arrangement is effected by means of good flowing in. Such is the way in which the whole of a person's thought is ordered. The truth of this can be seen from people's thoughts in the next life. There in the light of heaven it is quite normal for people's thoughts to be presented sometimes in a visual manner, at which times the form in which those thoughts are arranged is demonstrated. From this it may be seen that 'forgetting' in the internal sense means nothing else than a removal and seeming deprivation.
ppp18572#pid#5279. 'And the famine will consume the land' means even to the point of despair. This is clear from the meaning of 'famine' as an absence of religious knowledge or cognitions and a consequent deprivation of truth, dealt with above in `@@@5277`, `@@@5278`; and from the meaning of 'the land', in this case the land of Egypt, as the natural mind, also dealt with above, in `@@@5276`, `@@@5278`. The reason even to the point of despair is meant is that the words 'the famine will consume the land' are used. Since 'the land' means the natural mind, and 'famine' the deprivation of truth, nothing else than despair is meant, for at that time, in a spiritual manner, a consuming takes place. The description here is of a state of desolation owing to a deprivation of truth, the final stage of that state being despair. The reason despair is the final stage of that state is that despair is the means by which the delight that belongs to self-love and love of the world is removed, and the delight connected with the love of what is good and true is instilled in place of it. The despair experienced by those who are to be regenerated has to do with the attainment of spiritual life and with being deprived of truth and good. For when such people are deprived of truth and good they are in despair about the attainment of spiritual life; consequently they have feelings of delight and bliss when they come out of their despair.
ppp18571#pid#5280. 'And the abundance of corn in the land will not be known' means that no discernment at all regarding the truth present previously will exist there. This is clear from the meaning of 'being known' as being discerned; from the meaning of 'the abundance of corn' as truth that has been multiplied, dealt with above; in `@@@5276`, `@@@5278`; and from the meaning of 'the land', in this case the land of Egypt, as the natural mind, also dealt with above, in `@@@5276`, `@@@5278`, `@@@5279`. From these meanings it is evident that 'the abundance of corn in the land will not be known means that no discernment at all regarding the truth present previously will exist in the natural.
ttt[2] This verse deals with the final state of desolation, when despair, which comes immediately before regeneration, is experienced; and this being the matter dealt with in this verse, something must be said about the nature of it. Everyone has to be reformed, and to be born anew or regenerated, so that he may enter heaven, No one, unless he is born again, can see the kingdom of God. `John 3bbb3`, `John 3bbbccc5-6`.
The human being is born into sin which has increased as it has come down in a long line of descent from ancestors, grandparents, and parents; it has become hereditary and so has been handed down to offspring. At birth a person is born into so many inherited evils which have gradually increased, as described, that he is nothing but sin; therefore unless he undergoes regeneration he remains wholly immersed in sin. But to be regenerated, he must first undergo reformation, which is effected by means of the truths of faith; for he must learn from the Word, and from teaching drawn from it, what good is. Items of knowledge regarding what is good that have been acquired from the Word - that is, from teaching drawn from there - are called the truths of faith; for all truths of faith well up out of good and flow in the direction of good, good being the end they have in view.
ttt[3] This state comes first and is called the state of reformation. Most people within the Church are introduced into it during the period from young childhood through to adolescence, though few are regenerated because most people within the Church learn the truths of faith - or religious knowledge about what is good - for the sake of reputation and position and for the sake of material gain. Since therefore the truths of faith have been introduced through his love of these things, a person cannot be born anew or be regenerated until that love has been removed. To enable such love to be removed that person is launched into a state of temptation, which takes place in the following way: His love of reputation, position, and material gain is activated by the hellish crew, for that crew's desire is to live immersed in the love of those things. But at the same time angels activate affections for what is true and good which were implanted in the state of innocence during early childhood and then stored away interiorly and preserved there for this particular purpose. As a result conflict between evil spirits and angels takes place, and this conflict taking place within a person is experienced by him as temptation. And because the action at this time involves truths and forms of good, the actual truths which were instilled initially are so to speak banished by the falsities infused by the evil spirits - so banished that they are not seen - dealt with above in `@@@5268-5270`. And as the person allows himself at this time to be regenerated, the Lord introduces through an internal route the light of truth radiated from good in the natural, in which light the truths are restored there in their proper order.
ttt[4] This is what happens to a person who is being regenerated, but few at the present day are permitted to enter that regenerative state. So far as they allow it to happen, all people, it is true, start to be reformed through the instruction they receive in the truths and forms of good that belong to spiritual life; but as soon as they reach adolescent years they allow the world to distract them. So they turn away into those parts where hellish spirits are, who gradually alienate these people from heaven; the spirits alienate them so completely that they scarcely believe any longer in the existence of heaven. Consequently those people cannot be launched into any spiritual temptation; for if they were they would go under instantly, in which case their latter state would be worse than their former one, `Matthew 12bbb45`. From all this one may see the nature of what the internal sense contains here, namely the state of reformation and the state of regeneration. This particular verse however describes the final state in temptation, which is a state of despair - this state being dealt with immediately above in `@@@5279`.
ppp18570#pid#5281. 'because of the famine from then on, for it will be extremely severe' means on account of such absence [of truth]. This is clear from the meaning of 'the famine' as an absence of religious knowledge or cognitions regarding what is good, and therefore an absence of truth, dealt with above in `@@@5277`, `@@@5278`, and despair finally on account of that absence [of truth], `@@@5279`; and from the meaning of 'extremely severe' as that which is vast. The final state of desolation, which is one of despair, and the increasing severity of it, dealt with above in `@@@5279`, is continued here.
ppp18569#pid#5282. 'And as for the dream being presented to Pharaoh twice means because what was foreseen had regard to both parts of the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'the dream' as foresight, dealt with in `@@@3698`, `@@@5091`, `@@@5092`, `@@@5104`; from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as the natural, dealt with in `@@@5079`, `@@@5080`, `@@@5095`, `@@@5160`; and from the meaning of 'presented twice' as that which has regard to both parts of the natural, that is to say, the interior part and the exterior part - for the natural has two parts, the interior and the exterior, see `@@@5118`, `@@@5126`. That which had regard to the interior natural was foreseen in the first dream, the one about the cows, `@@@5198`, `@@@5202`; that which had regard to the exterior natural was foreseen in the second dream, the one about the heads of grain, `@@@5212`. Therefore 'presented twice' has regard to both parts.
ppp18568#pid#5283. 'This is because the thing is established by God' means that it is Divine. This becomes clear without explanation, for when the expression 'the thing [or the word]' is used in connection with God, Divine Truth is meant. When this is said 'to be established by God' the meaning is a total fulfillment.
ppp18567#pid#5284. 'And God is hastening to do it' means a total fulfillment. This is clear from the meaning of 'doing', when used in reference to God, as providence, dealt with in `@@@5264`, and therefore also the fulfillment, for what is of Divine Providence is certainly fulfilled; and from the meaning of 'hastening to do' as a total fulfillment. 'Hastening' or hastiness does not in the internal sense describe swiftness but certainty, also completeness, and so it means a total fulfillment. For hastiness has a temporal connotation, but in the spiritual world there is no time. Instead of time there is state, so that hastiness, which has temporal associations, is connected in that world with the kind of state that corresponds to hastiness. The nature of that corresponding state is one in which many forces are at work simultaneously, and these are such as accomplish certain and complete fulfillment.
ppp18566#pid#5285. Verses `Genesis 41bbbccc33-36` And now let Pharaoh see`fff1` a man with intelligence and wisdom, and set him over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh do this, and let him place governors in charge over the land, and let him take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven years of abundance of corn. And let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming, and let them store up grain under the hand of Pharaoh - food in the cities; and let them guard it. And let the food be for a reserve for the land, for the seven years of famine which there will be in the land of Egypt, and the land will not be cut off in the famine.
'And now let Pharaoh see' means provision to be made by the natural. 'A man with intelligence and wisdom' means with regard to inflowing truth and good. 'And set him over the land of Egypt' means which will set in order all that is in the natural mind. 'Let Pharaoh do this' means a further provision. 'And let him place governors in charge over the land' means the ordering of general wholes within the natural. 'And let him take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt' means which are to be preserved and then stored away. 'In the seven years of abundance of corn' means which are instilled during the times when truths along with forms of good have been multiplied. 'And let them gather all the food' means all things that have a useful purpose. 'Of these good years that are coming' means which are to be taken in during those times. 'And let them store up grain' means at the same time every good of truth. 'Under the hand of Pharaoh' means for when there is need and the consequent power of disposal in the natural. 'Food in the cities' means such things present in the interior parts of the natural mind. 'And let them guard it' means to be stored away there. 'And let the food be for a reserve for the land' means that it should be kept there for every useful purpose served by the natural. 'For the seven years of famine' means as need arises when there is an absence [of truth]. 'Which there will be in the land of Egypt' means which will exist in the natural. 'And the land will not be cut off in the famine' means lest the person perishes.
`nnn1. i.e. select or look out
ppp18565#pid#5286. 'And now let Pharaoh see' means provision to be made by the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing' as making provision; for 'seeing' here implies an action, one that Pharaoh is to take. But when 'seeing' does not imply the taking of an action, it means understanding and discerning, as shown in `@@@2150`, `@@@2325`, `@@@2807`, `@@@3764`, `@@@3863`, `@@@4403-4421`, `@@@4567`, `@@@4723`, `@@@5114`. The situation so far as provision made by the natural is concerned is this: A person's natural - that is, his natural mind which is beneath his rational mind - cannot by itself see to any provision whatever that has to be made. It seems to do so by itself, but any provision it does make is seen to by what is interior. This sees within the exterior what provision needs to be made, almost as a person sees himself in a mirror in which his image seems to exist. This particular matter is presented in the internal sense by Joseph speaking in the way he does to Pharaoh - 'Joseph' representing the celestial of the spiritual, which is what is interior, and 'Pharaoh' the natural, which is what is exterior - and by its seeming to Pharaoh that Joseph was the very man with intelligence and wisdom, about whom Joseph was speaking.
ppp18564#pid#5287. 'A man with intelligence and wisdom' means with regard to inflowing truth and good. This is clear from the meaning of 'a man with intelligence' as truth, and of 'a man with wisdom' as accompanying good. It should be recognized that 'a man with intelligence and wisdom' is not used in the internal sense to mean any actual man such as this but to mean, without reference to any actual person, that which makes someone intelligent and wise - to mean truth and good therefore. In the next life, especially in the heavens, all thought and consequently all language consists of images that do not involve any actual persons, so that thought and language there are universal and, compared with other forms of them, are free of limitations. For insofar as thought and language limit themselves to specific persons, especially to their personal characteristics, and insofar as they limit themselves to names and also to words, that thought and language become less universal; for these then limit themselves to something specific and do not stray from it. Insofar however as they do not focus on such things but on realities quite apart from them, they no longer limit themselves to something specific but spread out beyond themselves, with the result that a superior and therefore more universal picture is obtained.
ttt[2] One may see the truth of this quite clearly in the way a person thinks. Insofar as his thought fixes its attention on the actual words a speaker uses, its attention is not fixed on their meaning. Also, insofar as his attention is fixed on particular ideas imprinted in his memory and remains concentrated on these, he has no perception of the essential nature of things. More than this, insofar as self-regard is present in everything he thinks he cramps his thought and denies himself an overall picture of anything. This explains why, insofar as anyone loves himself more than others, he is lacking in wisdom. From all this one may now see why in the internal sense matters which have no reference to actual persons are meant by those descriptions which in the sense of the letter do limit themselves to such persons. See also `@@@5225`.
Various places in the Word draw a distinction between wisdom, intelligence, and knowledge. Wisdom is used to mean that which that which springs from good, intelligence to mean that which springs from truth, and knowledge to mean to both of these as they exist in a person's natural, as in Moses,
I have filled Bezalel with the spirit of God, so far as wisdom, and intelligence, and knowledge, and all workmanship are concerned. `Exodus 31bbb2-3`; `Exodus ccc35bbb30-31`.
And in the same author,
Choose`fff1` wise, and intelligent, and knowledgeable men, according to your tribes, and I will make them your heads. `Deuteronomy 1bbb13`.
`nnn1. literally, Give yourselves
ppp18563#pid#5288. 'And set him over the land of Egypt' means which will set in order all that is in the natural mind. This is clear from the meaning of 'setting over something' as appointing one who will set in order, thus as setting in order; and from the meaning of 'the land of Egypt' as the natural mind, as above in `@@@5276`, `@@@5278`, `@@@5279`. The pronoun 'him' used here refers to a man with intelligence and wisdom, by whom truth and good are meant. From this it is evident that the words used here mean that truth and good will set in order all that exists in the natural it is indeed good and truth which set every single thing in order in the natural mind, for when good and truth flow in, they do so from within and in that way place every single thing in its proper position.
ttt[2] The person who does not know about the nature of the human power of thought, or who does not know about the human ability to look at things, see what they are, analyse them, form conclusions regarding them, and finally transmit them to the will and through the will into action, will see nothing wondrous in any of this. Such a person imagines that all this happens naturally he is totally unaware of the fact that every single thought flows in from the Lord by way of heaven, and that but for that inflow from the Lord a person cannot have any thought at all, and also that as that inflow is diminished, so is his thought. Nor therefore does that person know that good flowing in from the Lord by way of heaven sets all things in order, shaping them into an image of heaven, so far as the person allows this to happen. Nor consequently does he know that such inflowing thought possesses the heavenly form. The heavenly form is the form in which the communities of heaven exist set in their proper order, a form that accords with the one which good and truth going forth from the Lord produce.
ppp18562#pid#5289. 'Let Pharaoh do this' means a further provision. This is clear from the explanation given above in `@@@5286`.
ppp18561#pid#5290. 'And let him place governors in charge over the land' means the ordering of general wholes within the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'placing in charge' as setting in order; from the meaning of 'governors' as general wholes, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'the land' - in this case the land of Egypt - as the natural mind, as just above in `@@@5288`. The reason 'governors' means general wholes is that particular aspects are contained within and subordinated to those wholes, see `@@@917`, `@@@4269`, `@@@4325` (end), `@@@4329`, `@@@4345`, `@@@4383`, `@@@5208`, whereas 'princes' means things that come first and foremost, `@@@1482`, `@@@2089`, `@@@5044`.
ppp18560#pid#5291. 'And let him take up a fifth part of the land [of Egypt]' means which are to be preserved and then stored away. This is clear from the meaning of 'taking up a fifth part' as that which implies something similar to taking tenths. In the Word 'taking tenths' means preserving remnants, and preserving remnants is a gathering together and then storing away of forms of truth and good. For remnants are the forms of good and truth that the Lord has stored away in the interior man, see `@@@468`, `@@@530`, `@@@560`, `@@@561`, `@@@661`, `@@@1050`, `@@@1906`, `@@@2284`, `@@@5135`, and 'tenths' is used in the Word to mean remnants, `@@@576`, `@@@1738`, `@@@2280`, and so also is 'ten', `@@@1906`, `@@@2284`. And the number five, which is half of ten, is likewise used to mean the same. Half or twice any number when used in the Word holds the same meaning as the number itself. Twenty for example holds the same meaning as ten, four the same as two, six the same as three, twenty-four the same as twelve, and so on. A multiplication of a number also holds the same meaning. A hundred or a thousand for example holds the same as ten; seventy-two and also a hundred and forty-four hold the same as twelve. Therefore what it is that composite numbers hold within them may be seen from the simple numbers of which they are the products. What the more simple numbers hold within them may be seen in a similar way from their integers. Five for example may be seen from ten, two and a half from five, and so on. In general it should be recognized that multiples hold the same meaning as their factors, yet more completely, while quotients hold the same meaning as their dividends, yet less completely.
ttt[2] As regards the number five specifically, this has a dual meaning. First, it means that which is little and consequently something; second, it means remnants. It receives its meaning of that which is little from its relationship with other numbers meaning that which is much, namely a thousand and a hundred, and therefore ten also. For 'a thousand' and 'a hundred' mean that which is much, see `@@@2575`, `@@@2636`, and so therefore does 'ten', `@@@3107`, `@@@4638`, as a consequence of which 'five' means that which is little, and also something, `@@@649`, `@@@4638`. But 'five' means remnants when it has a connection with ten, 'ten' in this case meaning remnants, as stated above. For all numbers used in the Word have spiritual realities as their meaning, see `@@@575`, `@@@647`, `@@@648`, `@@@755`, `@@@813`, `@@@1963`, `@@@1988`, `@@@2075`, `@@@2252`, `@@@3252`, `@@@4264`, `@@@4495`, `@@@4670`, `@@@5265`.
ttt[3] Anyone who does not know that the Word has an internal sense which is not visible in the letter will be utterly astonished by the idea that spiritual realities too are meant by the numbers used in the Word. The specific reason for his astonishment is his inability to use numbers to give shape to any spiritual idea, when yet the spiritual ideas known to angels present themselves as numbers, see `@@@5265`. The identity of those ideas or spiritual realities to which numbers correspond can, it is true, be known; but the origin of such correspondence remains hidden, such as the origin of the correspondence of 'twelve' to all aspects of faith, the correspondence of 'seven' to things that are holy, as well as that of 'ten' and also 'five' to forms of good and truth stored up by the Lord within the interior man, and so on. Even so, it is enough if people know simply that such a correspondence does exist and that by virtue of that correspondence each number used in the Word denotes something present in the spiritual world, consequently that what is Divine has been inspired into them and so lies concealed within them.
ttt[4] Examples of this are seen in the following places where 'five' is mentioned, such as the Lord's parable in `Matthew 25bbb14` and following verses about the man who, before going away to a foreign country, placed his resources in the hands of his servants. To the first he gave five talents, to the second two, and to the third one. The servant who received five talents traded with them and earned five talents more. In a similar way the one who received two earned two more; but the servant who received one hid his master's money`fff1` in the earth. The person whose thought does not extend beyond the literal sense knows no other than this, that the numbers five, two, and one have been adopted merely to make up the story told in the parable and that they entail nothing more, when in fact those actual numbers hold some arcanum within them. The servant who received the five talents means those people who have accepted forms of good and truth from the Lord and so have received remnants. The one who received the two talents means those who at a more advanced stage in life have linked charity to faith, while the servant who received the one means someone who receives faith alone devoid of charity. Regarding this servant it is said that he hid his master's money`fff1` in the earth - the reason for this description being that the money`fff1` he is said to have received means in the internal sense truth which is the truth of faith, `@@@1551`, `@@@2954`; but faith that is devoid of charity cannot earn any interest, that is, it cannot be fruitful. These are the kinds of matters that numbers hold within them.
ttt[5] Much the same is contained in other parables, such as the parable in `Luke 19bbb12` and following verses regarding someone who journeyed to a far country to receive a kingdom. He gave his servants ten minas and told them to trade with these until he came back. When he returned the first said, 'Sir, your mina has earned ten minas'. He said to him, 'Well done, good servant; because you have been faithful over a very little, be over ten cities'. The second said, 'Sir, your mina has made five minas', and to him too he said, 'You also, be over five cities'. The third had kept his mina stored away in a handkerchief. But the master said, 'Take the mina from him and give it to him who has ten minas'. Here in a similar way 'ten' and 'five' mean remnants, 'ten' rather more, 'five' somewhat less. The one who kept his mina stored away in a handkerchief describes those who acquire the truths of faith but do not join them to the good deeds of charity, so that these truths do not gain interest or become fruitful at all.
ttt[6] The same meaning exists in other places where the Lord uses these numbers, such as the place where He refers to what one of those invited to a supper said,
I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going away to test them. `Luke 14bbb19`.
Also in the place where He refers to what the rich man said to Abraham,
I have five brothers; send [Lazarus] to speak to them, lest they come into this place of torment. `Luke 16bbb28`.
And in the place where He talks about ten virgins, five of whom were wise and five were foolish, `Matthew 25bbb1-13`. The following words spoken by the Lord in a similar way contain such numbers,
Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division; for from now on there will be in one house five divided; three against two, and two against three. `Luke 12bbb51-52`.
And the following details given in the historical narrative also contain such numbers - the Lord fed five thousand people with five loaves and two fishes; He commanded them to sit down in groups of a hundred and groups of fifty; and after they had eaten they collected twelve baskets of broken pieces, `Matthew 14bbb15-21`; `Mark 6bbb38` and following verses; `Luke 9bbb12-17`; `John 6bbb5-13`.
ttt[7] It is hardly credible that the numbers included in such details, since these belong to a historical narrative, have a spiritual meaning. That is, five thousand, the number of people, has a spiritual meaning; so does five, the number of loaves, as well as two, the number of fishes. A hundred, and likewise fifty, the numbers of people sitting down together, each have a spiritual meaning; and so lastly does twelve, the number of baskets containing broken pieces. Though it may seem incredible, every detail holds some arcanum. Every single thing occurred providentially, to the end that Divine realities might be represented by them.
ttt[8] In the following places too 'five' means things of a similar nature in the spiritual world, and it corresponds to such in both senses, the genuine sense and the contrary one: In Isaiah,
Gleanings will be left in it, as in the shaking of an olive tree,`fff2` two or three berries on the top of the [highest] branch, four or five on the branches of a fruitful tree. `Isaiah 17bbb6-7`.
In the same prophet,
On that day there will be five cities in the land of Egypt which speak in the lips of Canaan and swear to Jehovah Zebaoth. `Isaiah 19bbb18`.
In the same prophet,
One thousand at the rebuke of one, at the rebuke of five you are fleeing, until you remain like a flagstaff on top of a mountain, like a signal upon a hill. `Isaiah 30bbb17`.
In John,
The fifth angel sounded, at which point I saw a star that had fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key of the pit of the abyss. It was given the locusts which were coming out from there, that they should not kill the people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads, but that they should torment them five months. `Revelation 9bbb1`, `Revelation 9bbbccc3`, `Revelation 9bbbccc5`, `Revelation 9bbbccc10`.
In the same book,
Here is intelligence, if anyone has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sits; and there are seven kings. Five have fallen; and one is, the other has not yet come. And when he comes he must remain a short time. `Revelation 17bbb9-10`.
ttt[9] The number five holds a similar representative meaning in the following places,
The valuation for a man or for a woman was determined by their ages - between one month and five years, and between five years and twenty years. `Leviticus 27bbb1-9`.
If a field was redeemed, one-fifth was to be added. `Leviticus 27bbb19`.
If tithes were redeemed, again one fifth was to be added. `Leviticus 27bbb31`.
The firstborn who were in excess [of the Levites] were to be redeemed for five shekels [each]. `Numbers 3bbb46`-end.
The firstborn of an unclean beast was to be redeemed with the addition of one-fifth. `Leviticus 27bbb27`.
In the case of any wrongs that were done one-fifth was to be added as a penalty. `Leviticus 22bbb14`; `Leviticus ccc17bbb13`, `Leviticus 17bbbccc15`; `Numbers 5bbb6-8`.
Anyone who stole an ox or one of the flock, and who slaughtered it or sold it, had to restore five oxen for an ox, and four of the flock for one of the flock. `Exodus 11bbb1`.
ttt[10] The fact that the number five contains some heavenly arcanum, as does ten also, is evident from the cherubs referred to in the first Book of Kings,
In the sanctuary Solomon made two cherubs of olive wood, each ten cubits high. The wing of one cherub was five cubits, and the wing of the other cherub five cubits; ten cubits from the tips of the wings of one to the tips of the wings of the other. Thus a cherub was ten cubits; both cherubs were the same size and same shape. `1 Kings 6bbb23-25`.
The same fact is evident from the lavers around the temple, and also from the lampstands, described in the same book,
Five bases for the lavers were placed on the right side of the house,`fff3` and five on the left side of the house.`fff3` Also, five lampstands were placed on the right, and five on the left in front of the sanctuary. `1 Kings 7bbb39`, `1 Kings 7bbbccc49`.
The bronze sea was ten cubits from one brim to the other, and five cubits high, and thirty cubits in circumference. `1 Kings 7bbb13`.
All this was prescribed so that holy things might be meant spiritually not only by the numbers ten and five but also by thirty, for although geometrically this number giving the circumference is not right for the stated diameter, it nevertheless implies spiritually what is meant by the rim of a vessel.
ttt[11] All numbers mentioned in the Word mean things existing in the spiritual world, as is clearly evident from the numbers used in Ezekiel, where a new land, a new city, a new temple, and a detailed measuring of these by the angel are described; see Chapters `Ezekiel ccc40bbb0`-`Ezekiel ccc43bbb0`, `Ezekiel ccc45bbb0`-`49 [sic.]qqqEzekiel 48bbb0`. Numbers are used in these chapters to describe practically every sacred object, and therefore anyone unacquainted with what those numbers hold within them can know scarcely anything about the arcana present there. The number ten and the number five occur there in `Ezekiel 40bbb7`, `Ezekiel 40bbbccc11`, `Ezekiel 40bbbccc48`; `Ezekiel ccc41bbb2`, `Ezekiel 41bbbccc9`, `Ezekiel 41bbbccc11-12`; `Ezekiel ccc42bbb4`; `Ezekiel ccc45bbb11`, `Ezekiel 45bbbccc14`, in addition to the multiplications of such numbers, namely twenty-five, fifty, five hundred, and five thousand. As regards the new land, the new city, and the new temple mentioned in those chapters, these mean the Lord's kingdom in heaven, and therefore His Church on earth, as is clear from every detail mentioned there.
ttt[12] All the references above to 'five' have been gathered together for the reason that here and in what follows the subject is the land of Egypt, where, in the seven years of abundance, a fifth part of the corn was to be gathered and preserved for use in the succeeding years of famine. This demonstrates that 'the fifth part' means the forms of good and truth which a person has received from the Lord, who has stored them away and preserved them in that person for future use when there is a famine, that is, when there is an absence and deprivation of goodness and truth. For unless the Lord stored away in a person such forms of good and truth, there would be nothing to raise him up in a state of temptation and vastation and consequently to make it possible for him to be regenerated, so that he would be left without any means of salvation in the next life.
`nnn1. or silver
`nnn2. The Latin means fig tree, but the Hebrew means olive tree, which Swedenborg has in other places where he quotes this verse.
`nnn3. literally, beside the shoulder of the house towards the right/left
ppp18559#pid#5292. 'In the seven years of abundance of corn means which are instilled during the times when truths along with forms of good have been multiplied. This is clear from the meaning of 'years' as states, and from these as periods of time, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'abundance of corn' as the multiplication of truth, or truth that has been multiplied, dealt with above in `@@@5276`, `@@@5278`, `@@@5280`. Here therefore truths which, along with forms of good, have been multiplied are meant because truths are nothing unless they are accompanied by forms of good; nor are any truths stored away within the interior man - dealt with immediately above in `@@@5291` - other than those which have been joined to forms of good. The reason 'years' means not only states but also periods of time is that in the internal sense 'years' means entire states, that is, periods in their entirety from the start to the finish of a state. No expression other than periods of time exists to describe such states; nor have the inhabitants of [space and] time any other way of understanding them than as periods of time. For 'days' and 'years mean both states and periods of time, see `@@@23`, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@893`, `@@@2906`.
ppp18558#pid#5293. 'And let them gather all the food' means all things that have a useful purpose. This is clear from the meaning of 'gathering' as drawing together and preserving; and from the meaning of 'food' as things which have a useful purpose. In the internal sense 'food' means, strictly speaking, those things which nourish a person's soul, that is, which nourish him when his bodily life is ended. For when this is ended his soul or spirit is living, and he no longer needs material food as he did in the world; but he does need spiritual food, which consists in everything that has a useful purpose and everything leading to this. That which leads to what has a useful purpose is knowing what goodness and truth are; and that which has such a purpose is the desire to realize these in actions. These are the things with which angels are nourished and which are therefore called spiritual and celestial foods. A person's mind - the place within him where his will and understanding, that is, his intentions or ends in view, reside - is nourished by no other kind of food, even while he lives in the body. Material food does not extend as far as that; it extends only to his bodily parts, which are sustained by that material food to the end that the mind may be sustained by food for the mind while the body is sustained by food for the body, that is, to the end that there may be a healthy mind in a healthy body.
ttt[2] The reason 'food' in the spiritual sense means everything that has a useful purpose is that a person's entire knowledge, his entire understanding and wisdom, and so his entire will must have a useful purpose as its end in view. Consequently as is the nature of the purpose he has in view, so is the nature of his life. The truth that 'food' in the spiritual sense means everything with a useful purpose is evident from the following words spoken by the Lord,
Jesus said to the disciples, I have food to eat of which you do not know. The disciples said to one another, Has anyone brought Him anything to eat? Jesus said to them, My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work. `John 4bbb32-34`.
And elsewhere,
Do not labour for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On Him the Father - God - has set His seal. `John 6bbb27`.
ppp18557#pid#5294. 'Of these good years that are coming' means which are to be taken in during those times. This is clear from the meaning of 'years' as states and also periods of time, dealt with just above in `@@@5292`. 'The good years that are coming' therefore means the times when truths along with forms of good are multiplied, meant by 'the seven years of abundance of corn'.
ppp18556#pid#5295. 'And let them store up grain' means at the same time every good of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'storing up' as collecting at the same time and preserving; and from the meaning of 'grain' as natural good, dealt with in `@@@3580`, in this case the good of truth present in the natural. For the good of truth is truth present in will and action. The reason 'grain' means good is that in the spiritual sense 'the field' is the Church, and therefore everything connected with the field - such as seed, sower, harvest, standing crop, grain, and also the head or tip of the grain, besides specifically wheat, barley, and much else - describes something to do with the Church. And everything to do with the Church has a connection with goodness and truth.
ppp18555#pid#5296. 'Under the hand of Pharaoh' means for when there is need and the consequent power of disposal in the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'the hand' as power, dealt with in `@@@878`, `@@@3387`, `@@@4931-4937`, and therefore 'under the hand of' means at the disposal of when any need arises, since that which is within anyone's power is at his disposal; and from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as the natural, dealt with already.
ppp18554#pid#5297. 'Food in the cities' means such things present in the interior parts of the natural mind. This is clear from the meaning of 'food' as all things that have a useful purpose, dealt with just above in `@@@5293`; and from the meaning of 'cities' as the interior parts of the natural mind. In the universal sense 'cities' means matters of doctrine known to the Church, see `@@@402`, `@@@2268`, `@@@2449`, `@@@2451`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc2712`, `@@@2943`, `@@@3216`, `@@@4491`, `@@@4493`, but in a particular sense it means the interior parts of a person where matters of doctrine exist, or rather where truths joined to good exist. For the forms of truth and good existing with a person form a city so to speak, see `@@@3584`, which is why a person who has the Church within him is called 'the city of God'. The meaning that 'a city' has is similar to the meaning that 'a house' has. In a universal sense 'a house' means good; in a particular sense however it means a person, `@@@3128`, and in a specific sense it means his mind so far as goodness and truth are joined together there, `@@@3538`, `@@@4973`, `@@@5023`. Also a house with its rooms, surrounding buildings, and courtyards is a city in miniature.
ttt[2] The interior parts of the natural mind are meant by 'cities' in Isaiah,
On that day there will be five cities in the land of Egypt which speak in the lips of Canaan and swear to Jehovah Zebaoth. `Isaiah 19bbb18`.
Both forms of good and of truth present in the interior parts are meant by 'cities' in the Lord's parable in Luke,
He said to the one who used his mina to earn ten minas, Well done, good servant; because you have been faithful over a little, be over ten cities. And he said to the second who earned five minas, You also, be over five cities. `Luke 19bbb11` and following verses.
The recommendation here therefore that they should store up food in cities and should guard it means that truths joined to good were to be stored away in the interior parts of the natural mind. When these truths and forms of good have been stored away there they are called remnants. These remnants are where a person's actual spiritual life resides, and they are what a person is nourished by spiritually whenever need and desire, that is, whenever spiritual famine, arises.
ppp18553#pid#5298. 'And let them guard it' means to be stored away there. This is clear from the meaning of 'guarding' as storing away, that is to say, storing away in the interior parts of the natural mind, which are meant by 'cities', dealt with immediately above in `@@@5297`.
ppp18552#pid#5299.'Let the food be for a reserve for the land' means that it should be kept there for every useful purpose served in the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'food' as forms of good and truth, dealt with above in `@@@5293`; from the meaning of 'for a reserve' as what is stored away for every useful purpose, because it is so stored for use in the years of famine that follow; and from the meaning of 'the land', in this case the land of Egypt, as the natural mind, also dealt with above in `@@@5276`, `@@@5278`, `@@@5279`, `@@@5188`.
ppp18551#pid#5300. 'For the seven years of famine' means as need arises when there is an absence [of truth]. This is clear from the meaning of 'famine' as an absence of truth, dealt with above in `@@@5277`, `@@@5278`. The fact that the time when truth is absent is a time of need is self-evident; for in the internal sense 'years' are states, as has frequently been shown above, and therefore 'for those [seven] years' means for those states when need arises.
ppp18550#pid#5301. 'Which there will be in the land of Egypt' means which will exist in the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'the land of Egypt' as the natural mind, dealt with in `@@@5276`, `@@@5278`, `@@@5279`, `@@@5288`. The expression 'the natural' is used here and in other places, and by it the natural mind is meant. For the human being has two minds, the rational mind and the natural mind. The rational mind belongs to the internal man, whereas the natural mind belongs to the external man; and it is the natural mind or external man that is meant when simply 'the natural' is used. The mind is a person's true self, as will be seen in what is spoken about next.
ppp18549#pid#5302. 'And the land will not be cut off in the famine' means lest the person perishes - through an absence of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'being cut off' as perishing, and from the meaning of 'the land', in this case the land of Egypt, as the natural mind, dealt with immediately above in `@@@5301`; and because it is the natural mind, it is the person's true self, since a human being is a human being by virtue of his mind, it being the actual mind itself that constitutes a person, and the kind of mind he has that determines what kind of a person he is. By the mind is meant a person's understanding and will, consequently his essential life. People who are stupid imagine that a human being is a human being by virtue of his outward appearance, that is to say, because he possesses a human face. Others who are a little less stupid say that the human being is a human being because he has the ability to speak, while others again who are less stupid still say that the human being is a human being because he has the ability to think. But a human being is not a human being for any of these reasons but because he has the capacity to think what is true and to will what is good; and when he thinks what is true and wills what is good he has the capacity to behold what is Divine and, perceiving what it is, to accept it.
ttt[2] This is what distinguishes a human being from animals. Not merely his human appearance, or his ability to speak, or his ability to think make him a human being; for if he thinks what is false and wills what is evil, that makes him not only like but worse than an animal. For he then uses those abilities to destroy what is human within himself and to make a wild animal of himself. This is particularly evident from people of this kind in the next life, for when they are seen in the light of heaven, and also when angels see them, they look at that moment like monsters, and some of them like wild animals. The deceitful look like snakes, and others like something different again. But when they are taken away from the light of heaven and are returned to their own inferior light which they have in hell, they look to one another like human beings. But the implications of all this - of the fact that a person will perish in times when truth is absent if he has no forms of good and truth stored away by the Lord in the interior parts of his mind, meant by 'food kept as a reserve for the land, for the seven years of famine, so that the land is not cut off in the famine' - will be stated in the sections that follow next in the present chapter.
ppp18548#pid#5303. Verses `Genesis 41bbbccc37-40` And the thing was good in Pharaoh's eyes and in the eyes of all his servants. And Pharaoh said to his servants, Shall we find a man like this, in whom is the spirit of God? And Pharaoh said to Joseph, After God has caused you to know all this, no one has intelligence and wisdom like you. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall kiss you on the mouth; only in the throne will I be great, more than you.
'And the thing was good in Pharaoh's eyes' means that the natural was well-pleased. 'And in the eyes of all his servants' means that everything in the natural was well-pleased. 'And Pharaoh said to his servants' means the perception of the natural and of everything in it. 'Shall we find a man like this, in whom is the spirit of God?' means regarding an influx of truth containing good received from within, and so containing the celestial of the spiritual. 'And Pharaoh said to Joseph' means a perception present in the natural but received from the celestial of the spiritual. 'After God has caused you to know all this' means for the reason that Foresight and Providence belong to that celestial of the spiritual. 'No one has intelligence and wisdom like you' means that this alone is the source of truth and good. 'You shall be over my house' means that the natural mind shall be made subordinate and submissive to it. 'And all my people shall kiss you on the mouth' means that everything there shall obey it. 'Only in the throne will I be great, more than you' means that the natural will be seen as sovereign, because the celestial of the spiritual acts through the natural.
ppp18547#pid#5304. 'And the thing was good in Pharaoh's eyes means that the natural was well-pleased. This is clear from the meaning of 'the thing being good' as to be pleasing (the expression 'in the eyes of' being part of everyday language; for 'the eye' means interior sight, and so means understanding, perception, observation, and many other powers which that sight possesses, `@@@2701`, `@@@2789`, `@@@2829`, `@@@3198`, `@@@3102`, `@@@3820`, `@@@4083`, `@@@4086`, `@@@4339`, `@@@4403-4421`, `@@@4523-4534`, which explains why 'the thing was good in Pharaoh's eyes' means a well-pleased feeling); and from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as the natural, often dealt with already.
ppp18546#pid#5305. 'And in the eyes of all his servants' means that everything in the natural was well-pleased. This is clear from the meaning of 'the thing being good in the eyes of' as a well-pleased feeling, dealt with immediately above in `@@@5304`; and from the meaning of 'servants' as what was in the natural, especially in the exterior natural. The word 'servant' occurs in places throughout the Word. In the internal sense it means that which is of service to another; and in general it means everything that is lower when considered in relation to what is above it. For order requires what is lower to serve what is higher; and insofar as it actually does so it is called 'a servant'. In the present context however things within the natural are being called 'servants', the natural in general being represented by 'Pharaoh'. The general or common whole has to be served by its individual parts, in the same way as the common good is served in any kingdom by its individual subjects. As regards 'Pharaoh' representing the natural in general, see `@@@5160`.
ppp18545#pid#5306. 'And Pharaoh said to his servants' means the perception by the natural and of everything in it. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in the historical narratives of the Word as perceiving, dealt with in `@@@1791`, `@@@1815`, `@@@1819`, `@@@1822`, `@@@1898`, `@@@1919`, `@@@2080`, `@@@2061`, `@@@2238`, `@@@2619`, `@@@2862`, `@@@3395`, `@@@3509`; from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as the natural, dealt with in `@@@5079`, `@@@5080`, `@@@5095`, `@@@5160`; and from the meaning of 'his servants' as everything in the natural, dealt with immediately above in `@@@5305`.
ppp18544#pid#5307. 'Shall we find a man like this, in whom is the spirit of God?' means regarding an influx of truth containing good received from within, and so containing the celestial of the spiritual. This is clear from the meaning of 'a man' as truth, dealt with in `@@@3134`, `@@@3309`, `@@@3459`, and from the meaning of 'the spirit of God' as good received from within, thus from the Divine. The spirit of God is that which goes forth from the Divine, and so from absolute good; for the Divine is absolute Good. That which goes forth from this is truth containing good, and it is this truth that is meant in the Word by 'the spirit of God'. Actually the spirit does not go forth, only truth containing good, which is holy truth. The spirit is the instrument by means of which it is brought forth. This truth containing good is the celestial of the spiritual, represented by 'Joseph'.
ttt[2] Within the Church it is well known that in a spiritual sense 'Joseph' is the Lord, which also explains why the Lord is called the heavenly Joseph. But no one knows which aspect of the Lord is represented by 'Joseph'. For the Lord is represented by Abraham, also by Isaac, and by Jacob too. He is represented as well by Moses and Elijah, by Aaron, and also by David, in addition to many others in the Word. But each one nevertheless represents Him in a different way from any other. The aspect that Abraham represents is the Divine itself, 'Isaac' the Divine Rational, 'Jacob' the Divine Natural, 'Moses' the Law or historical part of the Word, 'Elijah' the prophetical part, 'Aaron' His priesthood, and 'David' His kingship. But what aspect is represented by 'Joseph' may be seen in `@@@3969`, `@@@4286`, `@@@4585`, `@@@4592`, `@@@4594`, `@@@4669`, `@@@4723`, `@@@4727`, `@@@4963`, `@@@5249` - that aspect which 'Joseph' represents being the celestial of the spiritual deriving from the rational. No other description than this can be used, for the celestial is good received from the Divine, the spiritual is truth received from that good, making it the truth of good received from His Divine Human. This was what the Lord was when He lived in the world. But once He had glorified Himself, He rose up above it; even His Human was made absolute Divine Good, or Jehovah.
ttt[3] Nothing more specific can be stated regarding this arcanum than the following: Joseph came to Egypt, where first of all he served in the house of Potiphar, the chief of the attendants, then was held in custody, and after that was made the governor over Egypt, so that the way might be represented in which the Lord by progressive stages made the Human within Himself Divine, and so that all this might be written about in a Word that would contain matters of a Divine nature in its internal sense. This sense was intended to serve angels primarily, whose wisdom - which is beyond understanding or description when compared with human wisdom - is concerned with such Divine matters. It was intended at the same time to serve men who prefer historical to any other descriptions, in which, as men turn such descriptions over in their minds, angels can perceive - through an influx from the Lord - the matters of a Divine nature.
ppp18543#pid#5308. 'And Pharaoh said to 'Joseph' means a perception Present in the natural but received from the celestial of the spiritual. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in the historical narratives of the Word as perception, dealt with just above in `@@@5306`; from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as the natural, and from the representation of 'Joseph' as the celestial of the spiritual, both of which have often been dealt with already.
ppp18542#pid#5309. 'After God has caused you to know all this' means for the reason that Foresight and Providence belong to that celestial of the spiritual. This is clear from the meaning of 'coming to know', when used in reference to God, as foresight and providence. For one cannot speak of God coming to know since He has an underived knowledge of all things, whereas man's capacity to know something is derived from Him. Therefore when used in reference to God, 'coming to know' means foresight and providence. Foresight is knowing from eternity to eternity, while providence is the performance of what is foreseen. The reason why foresight and providence belong to the celestial of the spiritual is that the Lord, who is the celestial of the spiritual represented by 'Joseph', is the subject at this point in the internal sense.
ppp18541#pid#5310. 'No one has intelligence and wisdom like you' means that this alone is the source of truth and good. This is clear from the meaning of 'one who has intelligence' as truth, and from the meaning of 'one who has wisdom' as good, both dealt with above in `@@@5287`. The reason why this alone, and no other, is meant by 'no one' is that no one, or nobody, in the internal sense describes an absence and so separation from all else, see `@@@5225`, `@@@5253`.
ppp18540#pid#5311. 'You shall be over my house' means that the natural mind shall be made subordinate and submissive to it. This is clear from the meaning of 'house' as the mind, dealt with in `@@@3538`, `@@@4973`, `@@@5023`, in this case the natural mind since the expression 'my house' is used by Pharaoh, who represents the natural. The need for it to be made subordinate and submissive [to the celestial of the spiritual] is meant by 'shall be over' it. The person who is set over someone's house is in practice the master there, and all who are in it are made subordinate and submissive to him, though the actual master, so far as appearances go, retains that name and status.
ppp18539#pid#5312. 'And all my people shall kiss you on the mouth' means that everything there shall obey it. This is clear from the meaning of 'kissing on the mouth' as accepting and carrying out what is commanded, and so being obedient; and from the meaning of 'all my people' as everything in the natural. 'People' means truths, see `@@@1259`, `@@@1260`, `@@@3581`, `@@@4619`, and so cognitions of good and truth, also factual knowledge, present in the natural, since these are truths as they exist within the natural, `@@@5276`.
ppp18538#pid#5313. 'Only in the throne will I be great, more than you' means that the natural will be seen as sovereign, because the celestial of the spiritual acts through the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'being great, more than another' as being greater, in this case so far as what is seen or appears to be so; and from the meaning of 'the throne' at this point as the natural. The natural is meant by 'the throne' when the celestial of the spiritual is meant by the one who is seated on it; for the natural is like a throne for the spiritual or in this case the celestial of the spiritual. Generally what is lower is like a throne for what is higher; for the higher exists and acts within the lower, indeed acts through the lower. What is done by it seems to be the work of the lower because, as stated, it acts through the lower. This is the meaning of what Pharaoh said to Joseph - Only in the throne will I be great, more than you.
ttt[2] 'Throne' is used frequently in the Word when reference is made to Divine Truth and judgement based on this. In these places 'throne' means in the internal sense that which is the essence of Divine kingship, and 'the one seated on it' is the Lord Himself acting as King or Judge. But the exact meaning of 'the throne', as with the meaning of quite a number of other things, is determined by the context. When the Lord's essential Divine Being and His Divine Human are meant by 'the one seated on the throne', Divine Truth going forth from Him is meant by 'the throne'. When however Divine Truth going forth from the Lord is meant by 'the one seated on the throne', the whole of heaven, which Divine Truth suffuses, is meant by 'the throne'. And when the Lord present with Divine Truth in the higher heavens is meant by 'the one seated on the throne', Divine Truth as this exists in the lowest heaven, and also as it exists in the Church, is meant by 'the throne'. Thus the context decides whatever specific meaning 'the throne' may have. The reason 'the throne' means that which belongs to Divine Truth is that in the Word 'king' means truth, and so too does 'kingdom'. For the meaning of 'king', see `@@@1672`, `@@@1728`, `@@@2015`, `@@@2069`, `@@@3009`, `@@@3670`, `@@@4581`, `@@@4966`, `@@@5044`, `@@@5068`; and for that of 'kingdom', `@@@1672`, `@@@2547`, `@@@4691`.
ttt[3] The specific meaning that 'throne' has at any point in the Word is evident from the train of thought in which it occurs, as in Matthew,
I say to you, You shall not swear at all, neither by heaven, for it is God's throne, nor by the earth, for it is His footstool, nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. `Matthew 5bbb34-35`.
And elsewhere in the same gospel,
He who swears by heaven swears by God's throne and by Him who sits on it. `Matthew 23bbb22`.
Here it is explicitly stated that heaven is 'God's throne'. 'The earth', which is called 'a footstool', means that which is beneath heaven, and so means the Church - the Church being meant by 'the earth', see `@@@566`, `@@@662`, `@@@1066`, `@@@1067`, `@@@1262`, `@@@1413`, `@@@1607`, `@@@1733`, `@@@1850`, `@@@2117`, `@@@2118`, `@@@2928`, `@@@3355`, `@@@4447`, `@@@4535`. A similar usage is seen in Isaiah,
Thus said Jehovah, The heavens are My throne and the earth My footstool. `Isaiah 66bbb1`.
And in David,
Jehovah has established His throne in the heavens. `Psalms 103bbb19`.
In Matthew,
When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. `Matthew 25bbb31`.
This refers to a last judgement, 'the one seated on the throne' being called 'the King', in verses `Genesis 41bbbccc34`, `Genesis 41bbbccc40` In the internal sense here 'the throne of glory' is the Divine Truth that flows from Divine Good in heaven, 'the one seated on the throne' being the Lord, who - inasmuch as He is a judge by virtue of Divine Truth - is called 'the King'.
ttt[4] In Luke,
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High; and the Lord will give Him the throne of David His father. `Luke 1bbb32`.
These words were spoken by the angel to Mary. It is clear to anyone that here 'the throne of David' is not the kingdom which David possessed; for it is not a kingdom on earth but one in heaven. Nor therefore is David meant by 'David' but the Lord's Divine kingship, while 'the throne' means Divine Truth that goes forth and constitutes His kingdom. In John,
I was in the spirit, and behold, a throne set in heaven, and one seated upon the throne. And the one seated was in appearance like a jasper stone and a sardis. There was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting. From the throne were coming forth lightnings and thunders and voices, and likewise seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God. In addition, before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. Then in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind. Whenever the four living creatures gave glory and honour and thanks to the one seated on the throne, who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders would fall down before the one seated on the throne and would worship the one who lives for ever and ever, and would cast their crowns before the throne. `Revelation 4bbb2`-end.
ttt[5] This description of the throne of the Lord's glory is used to depict Divine Truth which goes forth from Him. Representatives are used, but if someone has no knowledge of what is meant by these he will hardly be able to know anything at all about what the details of this prophecy hold within them and will suppose that all such details are devoid of any deeper Divine content. The person who knows no better cannot do other than conceive of the heavenly kingdom as one that is similar to a kingdom in the world. But in fact 'a throne set in heaven' means Divine Truth there, and so heaven as regards Divine Truth. 'One seated upon a throne' is used to mean the Lord; and the reason why in appearance He looked like 'a jasper stone and a sardis' is that those stones, like all precious stones in the Word, mean Divine Truth, `@@@114`, `@@@3858`, `@@@3862`, while stones in general mean the truths of faith, `@@@643`, `@@@1298`, `@@@3720`, `@@@3769`, `@@@3771`, `@@@3773`, `@@@3789`, `@@@3798`.
ttt[6] 'A rainbow around the throne' means truths made translucent by good, for in the next life colours are products of the light of heaven, and the light of heaven is Divine Truth. Regarding rainbows in the next life. see `@@@1042`, `@@@1043`, `@@@1053`, `@@@1623-1625`; and regarding colours there, `@@@1053`, `@@@1624`, `@@@3993`, `@@@4530`, `@@@4922`, `@@@4677`, `@@@4741`, `@@@4742`. By 'the thrones of the twenty-four elders around the throne' are meant all aspects of truth in their entirety, like the things meant by 'twelve'; for 'twelve' means all aspects of truth in their entirety, see `@@@577`, `@@@2089`, `@@@2129`, `@@@2130`, `@@@3272`, `@@@3858`, `@@@3913`. 'The lightnings, thunders, and voices which were coming forth from the throne' means the feelings of terror which Divine Truth produces in those who are not governed by good. 'The seven lamps of fire burning' are affections for truth which is rooted in good, which likewise usher in harmful consequences for those who are not governed by good and which are therefore called 'the seven spirits of God', who, as is evident from what comes later on,`fff1` did usher in harmful consequences.
ttt[7] 'The sea of glass before the throne' is every truth within the natural, thus the cognitions and the factual knowledge present there; for these are meant by 'the sea', see `@@@28`, `@@@2850`.'The four living creatures which were in the midst of the throne and around the throne, and which were full of eyes in front and behind' are ideas in the understanding which are received from the Divine in heaven. 'Four' means the joining of those ideas to desires present in the will; for truths belong to the understanding part and forms of good to the will part of the human mind. This explains why it is said that 'they were full of eyes in front and behind', for 'the eyes' means ideas in the understanding and therefore in a higher sense matters of belief, `@@@2701`, `@@@3820`, `@@@4403-4421`, `@@@4523-4534`. 'Four' means a joining together, as likewise does 'two', `@@@1686`, `@@@3519`, `@@@5194`. The holiness of Divine Truth going forth from the Lord is described in what follows at this point [in the Book of Revelation].
ttt[8] Because 'the twenty-four thrones' and 'the twenty-four elders' mean all aspects of truth, or all aspects of faith, in their entirety, and 'twelve' has a similar meaning, as has just been stated, one may consequently see what 'the twelve thrones on which the twelve apostles were seated' is used to mean in the internal sense, namely all aspects of truth, the grounds upon which, and the standard by which judgement takes place. Their thrones are referred to in Matthew as follows,
Jesus said to the disciples, Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in this generation, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. `Matthew 19bbb28`.
And in Luke,
I bestow on you, just as My Father bestowed on Me, a kingdom, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. `Luke 22bbb29-30`.
'The twelve apostles' means all aspects of truth, see `@@@2129`, `@@@2553`, `@@@3354`, `@@@3488`, `@@@3858`, as do 'the twelve sons of Jacob' and therefore 'the twelve tribes of Israel', `@@@3858`, `@@@3921`, `@@@3926`, `@@@3939`, `@@@4060`, `@@@4603`. The apostles have no power to judge anyone at all, `@@@2129`, `@@@2557`.
ttt[9] Similarly in John,
I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgement was given to them. `Revelation 20bbb4`.
Here also 'thrones' means all aspects of truth, which are the grounds upon which, and the standard by which judgement takes place. Much the same is also meant by 'the angels' with whom the Lord will come to the judgement, in `Matthew 25bbb31`. When 'angels' are mentioned in the Word some attribute of the Lord is meant, see `@@@1705`, `@@@1925`, `@@@2320`, `@@@2821`, `@@@3039`, `@@@4085`, in this case truths received from the Divine, which truths are called 'judgements' in the Word, `@@@2235`.
ttt[10] There are very many more places in which Jehovah or the Lord has a throne attributed to Him because thrones embody within themselves that which is representative of the kingdom. When in a higher heaven they are talking about Divine Truth and judgement, a throne is seen in the lowest heaven. This is the reason why a throne is, as has been stated, representative and therefore why a throne is mentioned so many times in the prophetical part of the Word. It is also the reason why in most ancient times a throne became the sign to distinguish the king and why as such a sign it now denotes the office of a monarch. Further examples of the attribution of a throne to the Lord occur in the following places: In Moses,
Moses built an altar, and called its name Jehovah Nissi. Moreover he said, Because the hand is upon the throne of Jah, Jehovah will have war against Amalek from generation to generation. `Exodus 17bbb15-16`.
No one can know what is meant by 'the hand upon the throne of Jah' or by 'Jehovah having war against Amalek from generation to generation except from the internal sense, and so unless he knows what is meant by 'the throne' and by 'Amalek'. In the Word 'Amalek' means falsities which assail truths, `@@@1679`, and 'the throne' the Divine Truth that is assailed.
ttt[11] In David,
O Jehovah, You have maintained my judgement and my cause; You sat upon the throne, a Judge of righteousness. Jehovah will remain there for ever; He has prepared His throne for judgement. `Psalms 9bbb4`, `Psalms 9bbbccc7`.
In the same author,
Your throne, O God, will be for ever and ever (in saeculum et aeternum); a sceptre of uprightness is the sceptre of Your kingdom. `Psalms 45bbb6`.
In the same author,
Cloud and thick darkness are round Him, righteousness and judgement are the foundation of His throne. `Psalms 97bbb2`.
In Jeremiah,
At that time they will call Jerusalem the throne of Jehovah, and all the nations will be gathered to it. `Jeremiah 3bbb17`.
ttt[12] 'Jerusalem" stands for the Lord's spiritual kingdom. This kingdom is again meant by the new Jerusalem in Ezekiel, and also by 'the holy Jerusalem coming down from heaven' in the Book of Revelation. The Lord's spiritual kingdom exists where that which is pre-eminent is Divine Truth holding Divine Good within it, whereas the Lord's celestial kingdom exists where that which is pre-eminent is Divine Good from which Divine Truth flows. From this one may see why Jerusalem is called 'the throne of Jehovah'. And in David,
In Jerusalem they sit - the thrones for judgement. `Psalms 122bbb5`.
But Zion is called 'the throne of Jehovah's glory' in Jeremiah,
Have you utterly rejected Judah, has your soul loathed Zion? Do not spurn [us], for Your name's sake; do not dishonour the throne of your glory. `Jeremiah 14bbb19`, `Jeremiah 14bbbccc21`.
'Zion' is used to mean the Lord's celestial kingdom.
ttt[13] The way in which the Lord when executing judgement is represented in heaven, where visual scenes like those described in various places in the Prophets come before people's eyes, may be seen in Daniel,
I saw, until thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days was seated. His clothing was white as snow, and the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was a flame of fire, its wheels burning fire. A river of fire issued and came forth before Him, a thousand thousands served Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The judgement sat down, and the books were opened. `Daniel 7bbb9-10`.
Sights like this occur constantly in heaven; all are representatives. They have their origin in what angels are discussing in the higher heavens, which discussion comes down from there and manifests itself in visual scenes. The angelic spirits to whom the Lord imparts perception know what is meant by such scenes. They know what is meant by 'the Ancient of Days', 'clothing white as snow', 'hair of the head like pure wool', 'a throne like a flame of fire', 'wheels that are a burning fire', and 'a river of fire going forth from Him'. 'A flame of fire' and 'a river of fire' in this case represent the Good of Divine Love, `@@@974`, `@@@4906`, `@@@5071`, `@@@5215`.
ttt[14] It is similar with what is said in Ezekiel,
Above the expanse that was above the heads of the cherubim, in appearance like a sapphire stone, there was the likeness of a throne, and above the likeness of a throne there was a likeness as the appearance of a man upon it. `Ezekiel 1bbb26`; `Ezekiel ccc10bbb1`.
Likewise with what is said in the first Book of Kings,
I saw - the prophet Micah said - Jehovah sitting on His throne, and the entire host of heaven standing beside Him, on His right hand and on His left. `1 Kings 22bbb19`.
Anyone who does not know what these particular descriptions represent, or what their consequent spiritual meanings are, cannot help supposing that the Lord has a throne in the way kings on earth do, and that things actually do exist as they are described by the prophets. But no such phenomena occur in the [higher] heavens; rather they are sights presented to those in the lowest heaven, within which - as within images - they see Divine arcana.
ttt[15] The Lord's kingship, by which one means the Divine Truth that goes forth from Him, was also represented by the throne that Solomon built, described in the first Book of Kings as follows,
Solomon made a large throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold. There were six steps to the throne, and a rounded top to the throne at the back of it; there were armrests`fff2` on either side at the place of the seat, and two lions standing beside the armrests,`fff2` and twelve lions standing there, above the six steps on either side. `1 Kings 10bbb18-20`.
It was a throne of glory that was represented by all this. 'Lions' are Divine Truths engaged in conflict and overcoming, 'twelve lions' being all those Truths in their entirety.
ttt[16] Since almost everything in the Word has a contrary meaning, 'a throne' has such too. Its contrary meaning is a kingdom of falsity, as in John,
To the angel of the Church which is in Pergamum, I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. `Revelation 1bbb12-13`.
In the same book,
The dragon gave the beast coming up out of the sea his power, and his throne, and great authority. `Revelation 13bbb2`.
In the same book,
The fifth angel poured out his bowl onto the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became darkened. `Revelation 16bbb10`.
In Isaiah,
You said in your heart, I will go up into the heavens, above the stars of God I will raise my throne. `Isaiah 14bbb13`.
This refers to Babel.
`nnn1. i.e. in Chapter `Revelation ccc8bbb0` of the Book of Revelation
`nnn2. literally, hands
ppp18537#pid#5314. Verses `Genesis 41bbbccc41-44` And Pharaoh said to Joseph, See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh took off his ring from upon his hand and put it onto Joseph's hand, and clothed him in robes of fine linen, and placed a chain of gold onto his neck. And he made him ride in the second chariot that he had; and they cried out before him, Abrek! and he set him over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without you no man shall lift up his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt.
'And Pharaoh said to Joseph' means a further perception present in the natural but received from the celestial of the spiritual. 'See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt' means dominion over both parts of the natural. 'And Pharaoh took off his ring from upon his hand' means a confirmation regarding the power which belonged at first to the natural. 'And put it onto Joseph's hand' means that it yielded all that power to the celestial of the spiritual. 'And clothed him in robes of fine linen' means an outward sign denoting the celestial of the spiritual, 'robes of fine linen' being truths going forth from the Divine. 'And placed a chain of gold onto his neck' means an outward sign denoting the joining of interior things to exterior ones, good being that which effects that joining together. 'And he made him ride in the second chariot' means an outward sign that the celestial of the spiritual was the source of all the teaching about goodness and truth. 'That he had' means which is imparted through the natural. 'And they cried out before him, Abrek!' means acknowledgement coming through faith, and homage. 'And he set him over all the land of Egypt' means that its authority was as described. 'And Pharaoh said to Joseph' means further perception still. 'I am Pharaoh' means that this made the natural what it was. 'And without you shall no man lift up his hand' means that all power in the spiritual was received from the celestial of the spiritual. 'Or his foot' means all power in the natural. 'In all the land of Egypt' means in both parts of the natural.
ppp18536#pid#5315. 'And Pharaoh said to Joseph' means a [further] perception present in the natural but received from the celestial of the spiritual. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in the historical narratives of the Word as perceiving, often dealt with already; and from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as the natural, and the representation of 'Joseph' as the celestial of the spiritual, both of which have also been dealt with already. The reason a perception present in the natural but received from the celestial of the spiritual is meant is that the natural receives all the perception it has from what is above it, which in this case is the celestial of the spiritual.
ppp18535#pid#5316. 'See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt' means dominion over both parts of the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'setting someone over' as dominion, and from the meaning of 'all the land of Egypt' as both parts of the natural, dealt with above in `@@@5276`. Described at greater length here is the dominion which Pharaoh transferred to Joseph over the land of Egypt. That is to say, Pharaoh divested himself of his own authority and placed the whole of Egypt under Joseph. These events happened by Divine Providence so that Joseph might come to represent the celestial of the spiritual which was the Lord's when He was in the world - the celestial of the spiritual being that by means of which the Lord exercised control over His natural and also His sensory awareness, so that step by step He could make both of these Divine. The end in view with what happened to Joseph was this: When that part of the Word in which Joseph was the subject came to be written it was to contain Divine matters, thus such matters as are most sacred in heaven and suited to the angels in heaven. For the angels there abide in the Lord because they live within the sphere of Divine Truth that goes forth from the Lord. Therefore the Divine matters in the internal sense of the Word which have to do with the Lord and the glorification of His Human stir so much affection in them that they feel all the blessedness that belongs to their wisdom and intelligence.
ppp18534#pid#5317. 'And Pharaoh took off his ring from upon his hand' means a confirmation regarding the power which belonged at first to the natural. This is clear from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as the natural, dealt with already; from the meaning of 'ring' as a confirmation, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'hand' as power, dealt with in `@@@878`, `@@@3091`, `@@@3387`, `@@@4931-4937`, `@@@5296`. From this it is evident that 'he took off the ring from upon his hand' means that the natural renounced the power which at first belonged to itself, and that 'he put it onto Joseph's hand', as stated next, means that it passed all that power over to the celestial of the spiritual. The fact that 'the ring upon the hand' means a confirmation regarding power is not easy to show from parallel places in the Word, because no references are made to rings worn on the hand, apart from the following in Luke, where the father of the son who had squandered everything said to his servants,
Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring upon his hand and shoes on his feet. `Luke 15bbb22`.
Here also, as before, 'a ring' means a confirmation regarding power in the house, such as a son possesses. The same meaning is evident even from the customs which have come down to us from ancient times, such as the customs followed at betrothals and weddings, also at inaugurations, when rings are placed upon the hand. By these rings too a confirmation regarding power is meant. In addition to this, signets, which were likewise worn on the hand, `Jeremiah 22bbb24`, mean consent and confirmation, see `@@@4874`.
ppp18533#pid#5318. 'And put it onto Joseph's hand' means that it yielded all that power to the celestial of the spiritual. This is clear from the meaning of 'putting a ring onto another's hand' as a confirmation that one yields to another the power belonging to oneself, `@@@5317`; and from the representation of 'Joseph' as the celestial of the spiritual, often dealt with already.
ppp18532#pid#5319. 'And clothed him in robes of fine linen' means an outward sign denoting the celestial of the spiritual, 'robes of fine linen' being truths going forth from the Divine. This is clear from the meaning of 'robes' as truths, dealt with in `@@@1073`, `@@@2576`, `@@@4545`, `@@@4763`, `@@@5248`. The reason 'robes of fine linen' means truths going forth from the Divine is that a robe made of fine linen was absolutely white and at the same time shining, and truth going forth from the Divine is represented by robes which have that kind of brightness and splendour. And the reason for this is that heaven derives its brightness and splendour from the light that flows from the Lord; and the light that flows from the Lord is Divine Truth itself, `@@@1053`, `@@@1521-1533`, `@@@1619-1632`, `@@@1776`, `@@@3195`, `@@@3222`, `@@@3339`, `@@@3485`, `@@@3636`, `@@@3643`, `@@@3862`, `@@@4415`, `@@@4419`, `@@@4526`, `@@@5219`. This explains why, when the Lord was transfigured before Peter, James, and John, His clothing appeared as the light, `Matthew 17bbb2`; glistening, intensely white like snow, as no fuller on earth could bleach them, `Mark 9bbb3`; and dazzling, `Luke 9bbb29`. It was Divine Truth itself going forth from the Lord's Divine Human that was represented in this manner. But they are exterior truths that are represented in heaven by the brightness of robes, whereas interior truths are represented by the brightness and splendour of the face. This is why 'being clothed in robes of fine linen' at this point means an outward sign denoting truth going forth from the celestial of the spiritual, for this was what the Lord's Divine consisted in at this time.
ttt[2] There are other places too in the Word where truth going forth from the Divine is meant by 'fine linen' and 'robes of fine linen', as in Ezekiel,
I clothed you with embroidered cloth, and shed you with badger, and swathed you in fine linen, and covered you in silk. Thus were you adorned with gold and silver, and your robes were fine linen, and silk, and embroidered cloth. `Ezekiel 16bbb10`, `Ezekiel 16bbbccc13`.
This refers to Jerusalem, which is used in these verses to mean the Ancient Church. The truths of this Church are described by robes made of embroidered cloth, fine linen, and silk, and by being adorned with gold and silver. 'Embroidered cloth' means truths existing as facts, 'fine linen' natural truths, and 'silk' spiritual truths.
ttt[3] In the same prophet,
Fine linen with embroidered work from Egypt was your sail, that it might be to you an ensign; violet and purple from the islands of Elishah was your covering. `Ezekiel 27bbb7`.
This refers to Tyre, which too is used to mean the Ancient Church, but so far as cognitions of good and truth are concerned. 'Fine linen with embroidered work from Egypt, which was its sail' means truth obtained from factual knowledge, which was the outward sign of that Church.
ttt[4] In John,
The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over Babylon, since no one buys their wares any more, wares of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and every vessel of ivory, and every vessel made of most precious wood, and bronze, and iron, and marble. `Revelation 18bbb11-12`.
All the specific commodities mentioned here mean the kinds of things that have to do with the Church and so truth and goodness. Here however they are used in the contrary sense because they are spoken of in reference to Babylon. Anyone may see that such commodities would never have been listed in the Word which has come down from heaven unless each one held something heavenly within it. What other reason can there be for a list of worldly wares when Babylon, meaning an unholy Church, is the subject? Similarly in the same book,
Woe, woe, the great city, you that were clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, covered`fff1` with gold, and precious stones, and pearls. `Revelation 18bbb16`.
ttt[5] The fact that each commodity means something Divine and heavenly is quite evident in the same book where it states what fine linen is, namely the righteous acts of the saints,
The time of the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. At that time she was given fine linen, clean and shining, to wear; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. `Revelation 19bbb7-8`.
'Fine linen' is 'the righteous acts of the saints' for the reason that all those with whom truth received from the Divine exists are clothed with the Lord's righteousness. For their robes which are bright and shining are products of the light which flows from the Lord. Therefore in heaven truth itself is represented by 'brightness', `@@@3301`, `@@@3997`, `@@@4007`; and people who are being raised to heaven from a state of vastation are seen to be clothed with brightness because they are at this point casting off the robe of their own righteousness and putting on that of the Lord's righteousness.
ttt[6] So that truth from the Divine might be represented in the Jewish Church, they were commanded to use cotton or fine linen in Aaron's vestments, and also in the curtains around the Ark, referred to in Moses as follows,
You shall make in chequered pattern for Aaron a tunic of cotton, and you shall make a turban of cotton. `Exodus 28bbb39`.
They made tunics of cotton, the work of a weaver, for Aaron and his sons. `Exodus 39bbb27`.
You shall make the Dwelling-place, ten curtains - fine-twined cotton, violet and purple and twice-dyed scarlet. `Exodus 26bbb1`; `Exodus ccc36bbb8`.
You shall make the court of the Dwelling-place. The hangings for the court shall be of fine-twined cotton. `Exodus 27bbb9`, `Exodus 27bbbccc18`; `Exodus ccc38bbb9`.
The screen for the gate of the court, the work of an embroiderer, violet and purple, and twice-dyed scarlet, and fine-twined cotton. `Exodus 38bbb18`.
Cotton is fine linen, which they were commanded to use because each object in the Ark and around the Ark, also every detail of Aaron's vestments, were representative of spiritual and celestial realities. From this one may see that a person has only a meagre understanding of the Word if he does not know what such things represent, and scarcely any understanding at all if he thinks that the Word possesses no holiness other than that which presents itself in the letter.
ttt[7] When angels with whom truth from the Divine is present are seen by anyone they are clothed so to speak in fine linen, that is, in shining brightness, as is evident in John where 'a white horse' is referred to,
The One seated on a white horse was clothed in a garment dyed with blood, and His name is called the Word. His armies in heaven were following Him on white horses; they were clothed in fine linen, white and clean. `Revelation 19bbb11`, `Revelation 19bbbccc13-14`.
These words show quite plainly that 'fine linen' is an outward sign denoting truth from the Divine, for 'the One seated on a white horse' is the Lord as to the Word; indeed those words state quite explicitly that He is the Word. The Word is truth itself received from the Divine, and 'a white horse' is the internal sense of the Word, see `@@@2760-2762`. Consequently truths received from the Divine are meant by 'white horses', for such truths constitute the whole of the internal sense of the Word. This was why His armies were seen 'on white horses' and why 'they were clothed in fine linen, white and clean'.
`nnn1. literally, gilded
ppp18531#pid#5320. 'And placed a chain of gold onto his neck' means an outward sign denoting the joining of interior things to exterior ones, good being that which effects that joining together. This is clear from the meaning of 'the neck' as a flowing in, also the communication of higher things with lower ones, or what amounts to the same, interior things with exterior ones, dealt with in `@@@3542`; and therefore 'a chain', because it goes around the neck, is a sign denoting the joining together of those things. 'A chain of gold' means a joining together by means of good; that is, good is the means which effects it, because 'gold' means good, `@@@113`, `@@@1551`, `@@@1552`. A sign denoting the joining of interior truth to exterior truth is meant by 'a chain onto the neck' in Ezekiel,
I adorned you with ornaments and put bracelets onto your hands and a chain onto your neck. `Ezekiel 16bbb11`.
ppp18530#pid#5321. 'And he made him ride in the second chariot' means an outward sign that the celestial of the spiritual was the source of all the teaching about goodness and truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'the chariot' as teaching which has reference to goodness and truth, dealt with below, so that 'making him ride in the chariot' is a sign denoting that the celestial of the spiritual was the source of that teaching. This particular matter is connected with what Pharaoh has stated previously, in verse `Genesis 41bbbccc40`,
You shall be over my house, and all my people shall kiss you on the mouth; only in the throne will I be great, more than you.
The reason why teaching that has reference to goodness and truth is meant by 'Joseph' is that 'Joseph' represents the Lord's Divine Spiritual, `@@@3971`, `@@@4669`, and so Divine Truth going forth from the Lord's Divine Human, `@@@4723`, `@@@4727`, the celestial of the spiritual being an extension of that Divine Truth. The reason why all the teaching about goodness and truth is derived from the celestial of the spiritual is that in a real sense the Lord is that teaching since every detail of it comes forth from Him and every detail of it has reference to Him. For all that teaching has reference to the good of love and the truth of faith; and since the Lord is the source of these, He is not merely present within them but in a real sense is both of them. From this it is clear that teaching which has reference to goodness and truth has reference to the Lord alone, and that such goes forth from His Divine Human.
ttt[2] No doctrine at all can possibly go forth from the Divine itself except through the Divine Human, that is, through the Word, which in the highest sense is Divine Truth coming from the Lord's Divine Human. That which goes forth directly from the Divine itself cannot be understood even by angels in the inmost heaven. The reason for this is that it is infinite and so surpasses all understanding, even that of angels. But that which goes forth from the Lord's Divine Human is capable of being understood, for such truth refers to God as Divine Man, of whom some idea can be formed from His Human. No matter what kind of idea has been formed about that Human, it is an acceptable one if only the good of innocence has been inspired into it and the good of charity is present within it. This is the meaning of the Lord's words in John,
Nobody has ever seen God; the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, He has made Him known. `John 1bbb18`.
In the same gospel,
You have never heard the Father's voice nor seen His shape. `John 5bbb37`.
And in Matthew,
No one knows the Father except the Son, and he to whom the Son wishes to reveal Him. `Matthew 11bbb27`.
ttt[3] Chariots are mentioned in very many places in the Word, yet scarcely anyone knows that matters of doctrine concerning goodness and truth, and also factual knowledge attached to those matters of doctrine, are meant by 'chariots'. The reason for such lack of knowledge is that nothing spiritual, only what is natural and historical, enters their thinking when 'a chariot' is mentioned, or similarly when the horses in front of a chariot are mentioned. But in the Word the powers of the understanding are meant by 'horses', `@@@2760-2762`, `@@@3117`, and therefore 'a chariot' means matters of doctrine and associated factual knowledge.
ttt[4] It has become clear to me from the chariots which I have seen so many times in the next life that 'chariots' means the matters of doctrine and also the factual knowledge which the Church possesses. There is also a place over on the right, around the lower earth, where chariots and horses, together with rows of stables, appear. In that place people who in the world were considered learned, and who thought that life was the end in view of learning, stroll and converse with one another. The origin of such chariots and horses seen by them lies with the angels in higher heavens; when these angels' conversation turns to intellectual concepts, and to matters of doctrine and to known facts, those chariots and horses are seen by the spirits around the lower earth.
ttt[5] The fact that such things are meant by 'chariots and horses' is perfectly plain from the occasion when Elijah was seen riding into heaven in a chariot of fire with horses of fire, and from what both he and Elisha were called - 'the chariot of Israel and its horsemen'. The two of them are spoken of in the second Book of Kings as follows,
Behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire came between them, and Elijah went up in a whirlwind into heaven; Elisha saw this and cried out, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen. `2 Kings 2bbb11-12`.
And in a reference to Elisha in the same book,
When Elisha was sick with the illness from which he died, Joash the king of Israel came down to him and wept before his face and said, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen. `2 Kings 13bbb14`.
The reason they were called this is that both of them - Elijah and Elisha - represented the Lord as to the Word, see Preface to `Genesis 18bbb0`, and `@@@2762`, `@@@5247` (end). The Word itself is primarily doctrinal teaching about what is good and true, for the Word is the source of all doctrinal teaching. It was for the same reason that Elisha's servant, whose eyes had been opened by Jehovah, saw around Elisha,
A mountain full of horses and chariots of fire. `2 Kings 6bbb17`.
ttt[6] The fact that 'chariot' means matters of doctrine and 'horse' intellectual concepts is also clear from other places in the Word, as in Ezekiel,
You will be filled at My table with horse and chariot, with mighty man and every man of war. Thus will I bring My glory to the nations. `Ezekiel 39bbb20`, `Ezekiel 39bbbccc11`; `Revelation 19bbb18`.
This refers to the Lord's Coming. Anyone can see that here 'horse and chariot' does not mean horse and chariot, for people are not going to be filled with these at the Lord's table but with such things as are meant spiritually by 'horse and chariot', which are intellectual concepts and matters of doctrine regarding what is good and true.
ttt[7] Much the same is meant by 'horses' and 'chariots' in the following places: In David,
The chariots of God are myriad on myriad,`fff1` thousands of peacemakers; the Lord is within them, Sinai is within the sanctuary. `Psalms 68bbb17`.
In the same author,
Jehovah covers Himself with light as with a garment; He stretches out the heavens like a curtain, laying the beams for His upper chambers`fff2` on the waters; He makes the clouds His chariots; He walks on the wings of the wind. `Psalms 104bbb2-3`.
In Isaiah,
The prophecy of the wilderness of the sea. Thus said the Lord to me, Set a watchman; let him announce what he sees. He therefore saw a chariot, a pair of horsemen, a chariot of asses, a chariot of camels, and he listened diligently, with great care. For a lion cried out on the watchtower, O Lord, I am standing continually during the daytime, and at my post I have been set every night. Now behold, a chariot of men, a pair of horsemen. And he said, Fallen, fallen has Babylon. `Isaiah 21bbb1`, `Isaiah 21bbbccc6-9`.
ttt[8] In the same prophet,
At that time they will bring all your brothers in all nations as an offering to Jehovah, on horses, and in chariots, and in covered waggons, and on mules, and on fast runners, to My holy mountain, Jerusalem. `Isaiah 66bbb20`.
In the same prophet,
Behold, Jehovah will come in fire, and His chariots will be like a whirlwind. `Isaiah 66bbb15`.
In Habakkuk,
Has Jehovah been displeased with the rivers? Has Your anger turned against the rivers, has Your wrath turned against the sea, that You ride on Your horses, Your chariots being salvation? `Habakkuk 3bbb8`.
In Zechariah,
I lifted up my eyes and saw, and behold, four chariots coming out from between two mountains; but the mountains were mountains of bronze. The horses coupled to the first chariot were reddish, the horses coupled to the second chariot were black, the horses coupled to the third chariot were white, and the horses coupled to the fourth chariot were mottled. `Zechariah 6bbb1-3`.
ttt[9] And in Jeremiah,
There will enter through the gates of this city kings and princes seated on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their princes, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And this city will be inhabited for ever. `Jeremiah 17bbb25`; `Jeremiah ccc12bbb4`.
'The city that will be inhabited for ever' is not Jerusalem but the Lord's Church meant by 'Jerusalem', `@@@402`, `@@@2117`, `@@@3654`. The kings who will enter through the gates of that city are not kings but truths known to the Church, `@@@1672`, `@@@1728`, `@@@2015`, `@@@2069`, `@@@3009`, `@@@3670`, `@@@4575`, `@@@4581`, `@@@4966`, `@@@5044`, `@@@5068`. Thus 'princes' are not princes but the first and foremost aspects of truth, `@@@1482`, `@@@2089`, `@@@5044`. Those 'seated on the throne of David' are Divine Truths which go forth from the Lord, `@@@5313`; and those 'riding in chariots and on horses' are consequently intellectual concepts and matters of doctrine. Chariots are also mentioned many times in historical descriptions in the Word; and since historical events are representative of, and the words used to describe them mean, the kinds of things that exist in the Lord's kingdom and in the Church, 'chariots' have a similar meaning there also.
ttt[10] Since most things in the Word also have a contrary meaning, so too does 'chariots'. In that contrary sense matters of doctrine maintaining what is evil and false, also factual knowledge used to lend support to these, are meant by 'chariots', as in the following places: In Isaiah,
Woe to those who go down into Egypt for help and rely on horses and trust in chariots because they are many, and on horsemen because they are extremely strong, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel. `Isaiah 31bbb1`.
In the same prophet,
By the hand of your`fff3` servants you have spoken ill of the Lord and have said, By the multitude of my chariots I have gone up [to] the height of the mountains, the sides of Lebanon, where I will cut down the tallness of its cedars, the choice of its fir trees. `Isaiah 37bbb24`.
This is a prophecy delivered in response to the haughty words spoken by the Rabshakeh, a leader serving the king of Assyria. In Jeremiah,
Behold, waters rising out of the north which will become a deluging stream, and they will deluge the land and all that fills it, the city and those who dwell in it. And every inhabitant of the land will wail at the sound of the beat of the hoofs of the horses his mighty ones, at the noise of his chariot, the rumble of its wheels. `Jeremiah 47bbb2-3`.
ttt[11] In Ezekiel,
By reason of the abundance of his horses their dust will cover you; by reason of the noise of horsemen, and wheels, and chariots, your walls will be shaken, when he comes into your gates, like the entry into a city that has been breached. By means of the hoofs of his horses he will trample all your streets. `Ezekiel 26bbb10-11`.
In Haggai,
I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations. I will also overthrow the chariots and those riding in them; the horses and their riders will come down. `Haggai 2bbb22`.
In Zechariah,
I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, I will cut off the battle bow. On the other hand He will speak peace to the nations. `Zechariah 9bbb10`.
In Jeremiah,
Egypt comes up like the river, like the rivers his waters are tossed about. For he said, I will go up, I will cover the earth, I will destroy the city and those who dwell in it. Go up, O horses; rage, O chariots. `Jeremiah 46bbb8-9`.
ttt[12] The horses and chariots with which the Egyptians pursued the children of Israel and with which Pharaoh entered the Sea Suph, when the wheels of the chariots were made to come off, and much else regarding the horses and chariots which forms the major part of the description - `Exodus 14bbb6-7`, `Exodus 14bbbccc9`, `Exodus 14bbbccc17`, `Exodus 14bbbccc23`, `Exodus 14bbbccc25-26`; `Exodus ccc15bbb4`, `Exodus 15bbbccc19` - mean intellectual concepts, matters of doctrine, and known facts which maintain what is false. They also mean therefore reasonings which pervert and destroy the truths known to the Church. The destruction and death of such reasonings is described there.
`nnn1. literally, two myriads
`nnn2. literally, His couches
`nnn3. The Latin means my, but the Hebrew means your.
ppp18529#pid#5322. 'That he had' means which - that is to say, doctrinal teaching about what is good and true - is imparted through the natural. This is clear from the train of thought in the internal sense, and also from the things explained above in `@@@5313`.
ppp18528#pid#5323. 'And they cried out before him, Abrek!' means acknowledgement coming through faith, and homage. This is clear from the meaning of 'crying out' as acknowledgement coming through faith, dealt with below, and from the meaning of 'Abrek!' as homage, because Abrek in the original language means 'bend your knees', and the bending of knees is homage. For every inward impulse of a person's will, thus of his love and affection, and consequently of his life, has corresponding outward actions and gestures. Those actions and gestures flow from the actual correspondence of exterior things with interior ones. Holy fear that leads to humility, and from this to homage, has corresponding actions or gestures, which are bending the knees, falling forward on the knees, and also prostration of the body flat on the ground. If in that state homage is a product of genuine humility, and if humility is the product of genuine holy fear, there is an absence of spirits, which leads to a falling downwards of the joints at the border or intermediate area where the spiritual is joined to the natural, and so where the knees are. For the parts below the knee correspond to natural things, while the parts above the knee correspond to spiritual ones. These are the reasons why bending the knees is a sign representative of homage. Among celestial people this action comes quite spontaneously, but in the case of spiritual people it is a deliberate act of their will.
ttt[2] In former times people bent their knees before kings when they rode by in a chariot. They bent them because kings represented the Lord's Divine Truth, while 'a chariot' meant His Word. This customary act of homage came into being when people knew what was represented by it, at which time kings did not think that such homage was paid to themselves but to their kingly authority, which was distinct from yet invested in their own persons. That authority invested in them was the law, and because this law had its origin in Divine Truth, it was the law invested in the person of the king, inasmuch as he was the guardian of the law, to which homage had to be paid. Thus a king did not attribute any royal authority to himself other than guardianship of the law. Insofar as he relinquished that guardianship he relinquished his royal authority; for he knew that homage arising from any other source than the law, that is, any other homage than that paid to the law itself, was idolatry. By royal authority is meant Divine Truth - see `@@@1672`, `@@@1728`, `@@@2015`, `@@@2069`, `@@@3009`, `@@@3670`, `@@@4581`, `@@@4966`, `@@@5044`, `@@@5068` - and therefore that authority is the law, which essentially is truth reigning in that kingdom, in accordance with which its inhabitants conduct their lives. From all this it may be seen that 'Abrek!' or 'bend your knees' means homage.
ttt[3] Since 'a cry' is in a similar way an action which corresponds to a living confession or an acknowledgement that is a product of faith, crying out was also the custom followed by the ancients when an outward sign of such confession or acknowledgement needed to be made. The expression 'crying out' is therefore used in various places in the Word when confession and acknowledgement that are the product of faith are referred to, as in the description involving John the Baptist in John,
He bore witness to Jesus and he cried out, saying, This was He of whom I spoke, He who, though coming after me, was before me, for He was before me. I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord. `John 1bbb15`, `John 1bbbccc23`.
In the same gospel,
They took branches of palm trees, and went to meet Jesus, and cried, Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel! `John 12bbb13`.
In Luke,
Jesus said to the Pharisees that if [the disciples] kept silent, the stones would cry out. `Luke 19bbb40`.
Because 'crying out' meant an acknowledgement that was the product of faith and consequently acceptance rising out of the acknowledgement, one therefore reads several times of the Lord's crying out, as in `John 7bbb28`, `John 7bbbccc37`; `John ccc12bbb44-45`. Also in Isaiah,
Jehovah will go forth as a Mighty Man, as a Man of Wars He will arouse zeal; He will shout aloud, and also will cry out. `Isaiah 42bbb13`.
In the contrary sense 'crying out' means lack of acknowledgement and so aversion, see `@@@5016`, `@@@5018`, `@@@5027`. This usage has reference to falsity, `@@@2240`.
ppp18527#pid#5324. 'And he set him over all the land of Egypt' means that its authority was as described. This is clear from the meaning of 'setting him over all the land of Egypt' as dominion over both parts of the natural, dealt with above in `@@@5316`, though here its dominion was such as has been described in what has gone immediately before this, thus that its authority was as described.
ppp18526#pid#5325. 'And Pharaoh said to Joseph' means further perception still. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying', from the representation of 'Pharaoh', and from the representation of 'Joseph' as perception present in the natural but received from the celestial of the spiritual, dealt with in `@@@5715`, here a further perception because the expression is used once again.
ppp18525#pid#5326. 'I am Pharaoh' means that this made the natural what it was. This is clear from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as the natural, dealt with in `@@@5079`, `@@@5080`, `@@@5095`, `@@@5160`. The fact that 'I am Pharaoh' means that this made the natural what it was is evident from all that immediately follows. For the declaration 'without you shall no man lift up his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt' means that the celestial of the spiritual was the origin of all the power in both parts of the natural. Also, because things present in the natural are meant by the words that follow, the expression 'I am Pharaoh' therefore comes first, the term natural being used to mean the natural which has the celestial of the spiritual as its origin. The implications of this are as follows: With someone who is being created anew, that is, being regenerated, the natural is entirely different from what it is with someone who is not being regenerated. In the case of someone who is not being regenerated, his natural is everything; it is the source of his thought, and it is the source of his desires. His rational is not the source of it, and his spiritual still less so, because these are closed and for the most part dead.
ttt[2] But in the case of someone who is being regenerated everything is made spiritual. The spiritual not only determines the thoughts and desires of the natural but also constitutes the natural in exactly the same way as a cause constitutes its effect; for nothing else acts within any effect except its cause. Thus the natural becomes like the spiritual, for the contents of the natural - such as any knowledge or cognition which springs from something in the natural world - do not act by themselves; they serve merely to support the spiritual so that it can act within and through the natural, and so act on the level of the natural. The same is so within an effect. An effect holds more things within itself than its cause does; yet the only purpose such things serve is to enable the cause to achieve the actual effect within the effect and to present itself in actual fact on the level of effect. From these few comments one may see what the natural is like in the case of a person who has been created anew, that is, regenerated - that regeneration, which made the natural what it was, being meant by 'I am Pharaoh'.
ppp18524#pid#5327. 'And without you shall no man lift up his hand' means that all power in the spiritual was received from the celestial of the spiritual. This is clear from the meaning of 'hand' as power, dealt with in `@@@878`, `@@@3387`, `@@@4931-4937`, `@@@5296`. Consequently 'no man lifting up his hand without you' means that they had no power at all except from this, thus that all power rested with this, that is to say, with the celestial of the spiritual. As regards power in the spiritual being meant by 'hand', this will be seen in the next paragraph.
ppp18523#pid#5328. 'Or his foot' means all power in the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'foot' as the natural, dealt with in `@@@2162`, `@@@3147`, `@@@3761`, `@@@3986`, `@@@4280`, `@@@4931-4952`. Here power within the natural is meant because 'lifting up the foot', like 'lifting up the hand', means power, though 'lifting up the hand' means power in the spiritual, whereas 'lifting up the foot' means power in the natural; for the parts within the body that are above the feet correspond to spiritual things. This is especially evident from the Grand Man or the three heavens.
ttt[2] Whenever the whole of heaven is displayed visually as one human being, the inmost or third heaven presents itself as the head, the middle or second heaven presents itself as the body, and the lowest or first as the feet. The reason the inmost or third heaven presents itself as the head is that it is celestial; the reason the middle or second heaven presents itself as the body is that it is spiritual; and the reason the lowest or first presents itself as the feet is that it is natural. By 'the neck' therefore, since this is an intermediate part, is meant the inflow and communication of celestial things with spiritual ones; and by 'the knees', since these are likewise intermediate, is meant the inflow and communication of spiritual things with natural ones. From this it is evident that 'lifting up the hand' means power within the spiritual, while 'lifting up the foot' means power within the natural, and therefore that the power meant by 'the hand' has regard to the spiritual, namely to truth grounded in good, `@@@3091`, `@@@3567`, `@@@4932`. By the spiritual is meant that within the natural which belongs to the light of heaven, and by the natural that within the natural which belongs to the light of the world; for everything belonging to the light of heaven is called spiritual, and everything belonging to the light of the world is called natural.
ppp18522#pid#5329. 'In all the land of Egypt' means in both parts of the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'all the land of Egypt' as both parts of the natural, dealt with above in `@@@5276`. Matters like those that are being presented now are what angels perceive when man reads,
Pharaoh took off his ring from upon his hand and put it onto Joseph's hand, and clothed him in robes of fine linen, and placed a chain of gold onto his neck. And he made him ride in the second chariot that he had; and they cried out before him, Abrek! and he set him over all the land of Egypt.
ttt[2] For angels cannot have any perception at all of actual historical details since these are the kind of things that belong to the world and not to heaven; things that belong to the world are not seen by them. Yet because everything in the world has a correspondence with something in heaven angels therefore have a perception of heavenly things when man's perception is of worldly ones. If this were not so no angel from heaven could ever be present with man; but so that an angel can be present with him the Word has been provided, in which angels perceive a Divine holiness that they can communicate to the person with whom they are present.
ppp18521#pid#5330. Verse `Genesis 41bbbccc45` And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphenath Paneah, and gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera the priest of On, for a wife; and Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.
'And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphenath Faneah' means the essential nature of the celestial of the spiritual at this point. 'And gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera the priest of On, for a wife' means the essential nature of the marriage of truth to good, and of good to truth. 'And Joseph went out over the land of Egypt' means when both parts of the natural were His.
ppp18520#pid#5331. 'And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphenath Paneah' means the essential nature of the celestial of the spiritual at this point. This is clear from the meaning of 'name' and 'calling the name' as the essential nature, dealt with in `@@@144`, `@@@145`, `@@@1754`, `@@@1896`, `@@@2009`, `@@@2628`, `@@@2724`, `@@@3006`, `@@@3237`, `@@@3421`. In the original language Zaphenath Paneah means the revealer of things that are hidden and the discloser of things to come. In the heavenly sense these names mean the Divine within him, for the revelation of things that are hidden and the disclosure of things to come belong to God alone. This essential characteristic is what is embodied in the name Joseph was given; and that characteristic is the essential nature of the celestial of the spiritual. For the celestial of the spiritual is the good of truth that has the Divine within it; that is, it is what flows directly from the Divine. This - the celestial of the spiritual that had the Divine within it - was the Lord's alone when He was in the world. It was the Human in which the Divine itself could be present and which could be cast aside when the Lord made the entire Human within Himself Divine.
ppp18519#pid#5332. 'And gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera the priest of On, for a wife' means the essential nature of the marriage of truth to good, and of good to truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'giving for a wife' as a marriage. The reason the marriage of good to truth, and of truth to good, is meant is that nothing else is understood in a spiritual sense by 'marriages', and therefore nothing else is understood by 'marriages' in the Word. 'The daughter of the priest of On' means the truth of good, since 'a daughter' is the affection for truth and 'a priest' is good; but 'Joseph' is the good of truth that has the Divine within it, which is the same as the celestial of the spiritual. From this it is evident that the marriage of truth to good, and of good to truth, is meant. What is actually meant is the essential nature of this marriage; but this cannot receive any further explanation because the essential nature of what was the Lord's when He was in the world is beyond all understanding, beyond even that of angels. Just a vague idea of it can be formed from the kinds of things that exist in heaven - from the Grand Man and from the celestial of the spiritual existing there as a result of the influx of the Lord's Divine. But that idea is like the darkest shade compared with the light itself; for it is a very general idea indeed, thus scarcely anything compared with the reality it describes.
ppp18518#pid#5333. 'And Joseph went out over the land of Egypt' means when both parts of the natural were His. This is clear from the meaning of 'going out' here as flowing into, and from the meaning of 'the land of Egypt' as the natural mind, often dealt with already, and so both parts of the natural. Since 'going out' means flowing into, and 'the land of Egypt' means both parts of the natural, these words and the ones that come just before mean the essential nature of the celestial of the spiritual, and the essential nature of the marriage of good to truth, and of truth to good, when the celestial of the spiritual flowed in and made both parts of the natural its own. For what is meant by making the natural its own, see just above in `@@@5326`.
ppp18517#pid#5334. Verses `Genesis 41bbbccc46-49` And Joseph was a son of thirty years when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt; and Joseph came out from before Pharaoh, and went through all the land of Egypt. And in the seven years of abundance of corn the land yielded bunches. And he gathered all the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up' the food in the cities; the food of the field of a city which was round about it he laid up`fff1` in the midst of it. And Joseph stored up grain like the sand of the sea, very much, until he left off numbering, because it was beyond number.
'And Joseph was a son of thirty years' means a state when the quantity of remnants was complete. 'When he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt' means the presence of the celestial of the spiritual in the natural. 'And Joseph came out from before Pharaoh' means when the natural in general belonged to it. 'And went through all the land of Egypt' means when it made each thing there subordinate and submissive. 'And in the seven years of abundance of corn the land yielded bunches' means initial states when series of truths were multiplied. 'And he gathered all the food of the seven years' means the preservation of truth linked to good, multiplied in the initial phases. 'Which were in the land of Egypt' means within the natural. 'And laid up food in the cities' means that it stored them in the interior parts. 'The food of the field of a city' means that these were proper to and suitable for those interior parts. 'Which was round about it he laid up in the midst of it' means what existed first in the exterior natural was stored away by it in the interior parts of the interior natural. 'And Joseph stored up grain like the sand of the sea, very much' means a multiplication of truth derived from good. 'Until he left off numbering, because it was beyond number' means such as holds the celestial from the Divine within it.
`nnn1. literally, gave
ppp18516#pid#5335. 'And Joseph was a son of thirty years' means a state when the quantity of remnants was complete. This is clear from the meaning of 'thirty' as a completed number of remnants, dealt with below, and from the meaning of 'years' as states, dealt with in `@@@482`, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@893`. In the Word the number thirty can mean some existence of conflict, or else it can mean a completed number of remnants. The reason why that number has this twofold meaning is that it is arrived at by multiplying five and six, or else by multiplying three and ten. When it is the product of five times six it means some existence of conflict, `@@@2276`, because 'five' means some, `@@@649`, `@@@4638`, `@@@5291`, and 'six' conflict, `@@@720`, `@@@737`, `@@@900`, `@@@1709`. But when thirty is the product of three times ten it means a completed number of remnants, because 'three' means that which is complete, `@@@2788`, `@@@4495`, and 'ten' means remnants, `@@@576`, `@@@1906`, `@@@2284`. A composite number implies much the same as the simple ones of which it is the product, `@@@5291`. Remnants are the truths joined to good which have been stored away by the Lord in a person's interior parts, see `@@@468`, `@@@530`, `@@@560`, `@@@561`, `@@@576`, `@@@660`, `@@@1050`, `@@@1738`, `@@@1906`, `@@@2284`, `@@@5135`.
ttt[2] A completed number of remnants is likewise meant by 'thirty' - as it is also by 'sixty', and by 'a hundred' too - in Mark,
The seed which fell into good ground yielded fruit growing up and increasing. One bore thirty-fold, and another sixty, and another a hundred. `Mark 4bbb8`, `Mark 4bbbccc10`.
Each of these numbers, being a multiple of ten, means a completed number of remnants. Also, because no one can be regenerated - that is, permitted to enter into spiritual temptations, by means of which regeneration is effected - until he has received a completed number of remnants, it was therefore laid down that no Levite should carry out any work in the tent of meeting until he was fully thirty years old. Their work or function is also called 'military service', being referred to in Moses as follows,
Take a census of the sons of Kohath from the midst of the sons of Levi - from sons thirty years of age and over, up to sons fifty years of age, everyone coming to perform military service, to do the work in the tent of meeting. `Numbers 4bbb2-3`.
Much the same is said regarding the sons of Gershon, and much the same regarding the sons of Merari, in verses `Genesis 41bbbccc22`, `Genesis 41bbbccc23`, `Genesis 41bbbccc29`, `Genesis 41bbbccc30`, and then in verses `Genesis 41bbbccc35`, `Genesis 41bbbccc39`, `Genesis 41bbbccc43`. Of that same chapter in Moses. And something similar is implied where it says that David began to reign when he was a son thirty years of age, `2 Samuel 5bbb4`.
ttt[3] From all this one may now see why the Lord did not make Himself known until He was thirty years of age, `Luke 3bbb23`. At that age a completed number of remnants existed with Him, though these remnants which the Lord possessed were ones that He Himself had acquired for Himself. They were also Divine ones and the means by which He united His Human Essence to His Divine Essence and made that Human Essence Divine, `@@@1906`. In Him therefore lies the reason why 'thirty years' means a state when the quantity of remnants is complete and why the priests the Levites began to perform their specific functions when they were thirty years old. And because he was to represent the Lord's kingship, David did not begin to reign until he was that same age. For every representative is derived from the Lord, and therefore every representative has reference to Him.
ppp18515#pid#5336. 'When he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt' means the presence of the celestial of the spiritual in the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'standing before someone' as the presence, and from the representation of 'Pharaoh king of Egypt' as a new state in the natural or a new natural man, dealt with in `@@@5079`, `@@@5080`, and so the natural which now had the celestial of the spiritual within it and which the celestial of the spiritual now made its own - which is also the meaning of the words that immediately follow, 'And Joseph came out from before Pharaoh'.
ppp18514#pid#5337. 'And Joseph came out from before Pharaoh' means when the natural in general belonged to it. This is clear from the meaning of 'coming out' as belonging to it, dealt with below; from the representation of 'Joseph' as the celestial of the spiritual, and of 'Pharaoh' as the natural, both dealt with above. As regards the meaning of 'coming out' as belonging to it, or being its own, this is evident from what is said before and after this. It is also evident from the spiritual sense of the expression, for in that sense 'coming out' or going forth is making oneself present before another in a form suited to this other. Thus one is still the same person; only the form in which one appears is different. The expression 'coming out' is used in this sense in reference to the Lord, in John,
Jesus said regarding Himself, From God I came out and now come. `John 8bbb42`.
The Father loves you because you have loved Me and have believed that I came out from God. I came out from the Father and have come into the world; again I am leaving the world and going to the Father. The disciples said, We believe that You came out from God. `John 16bbb27-28`, `John 16bbbccc30`.
They have received and know in truth that I came out from You.`fff1` `John 17bbb8`.
ttt[2] To show what is meant by 'coming out' or going forth let some examples be used. Truth is said to come out or go forth from good when truth is the form that good possesses, that is, when truth is good existing in a form intelligible to the understanding. The understanding too may be said to come out or go forth from the will when the understanding is the form that the will possesses, that is, when the will exists in a form discernible to a person's inner sight. Thought which is the activity of the understanding may in a similar way be said to come out or go forth when it is transformed into speech, and so may the will when this is transformed into action. Thought takes on a different form when it is transferred into speech; yet it is still thought which comes out or goes forth within such speech, for the words and sounds which are chosen are no more than adjuncts to thought which serve to present it in such a way that it can be discerned. The will in a similar way takes on a different form when it is transferred into action; yet it is still the will which is present in that different form. The gestures and movements which it adopts are no more than adjuncts to the will which serve to reveal this in a suitable way that enables it to be known. The external man may likewise be said to come out or go forth from the internal man, and to do so as that which manifests the substance, for the external man is nothing else than the form given to the internal man [or the substance], enabling it to function in a proper way in the world in which it exists. From all these examples one may see what is meant in the spiritual sense by 'coming out' or going forth, namely that when used in reference to the Lord, 'coming out' or going forth means the Divine existing within a human form, thus in a form suited to believers' perception. For these two [the Divine and the human form] exist as one.
`nnn1. The Latin means God but the Greek means You, which Swedenborg has in another place where he quotes this verse.
ppp18513#pid#5338. 'And went through all the land of Egypt' means when it made each thing there, in the natural, subordinate and submissive. This is clear from the meaning of 'all the land of Egypt' as both parts of the natural, dealt with in `@@@5276`, `@@@5278`, `@@@5280`, `@@@5288`, `@@@5301`. The fact that 'going through that land' means making each thing in the natural subordinate and submissive follows from what has gone before.
ppp18512#pid#5339. 'And in the seven years of abundance of corn the land yielded bunches' means initial states when series of truths were multiplied. This is clear from the meaning of 'seven years' as initial states (for seven years in which there was an abundance of corn came first, followed by seven years in which there was famine - 'years' meaning states, see `@@@482`, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@893`); from the meaning of 'an abundance of corn' as a multiplication of truth, dealt with in `@@@5276`, `@@@5280`, `@@@5292` ('the land yielded' meaning that this multiplication took place in the natural - 'the land' here being the natural, as immediately above in `@@@5338`); and from the meaning of 'bunches' as series.
The role which the series meant by 'bunches' play is this: With a person who is undergoing reformation general truths are introduced first, then the particular aspects of those general truths, and after that the specific details of these particular aspects. Particular aspects are ranged in order beneath general truths, and specific details beneath particular aspects, `@@@2384`, `@@@3057`, `@@@4269`, `@@@4325` (end), `@@@4329` (middle), `@@@4345`, `@@@4383`, `@@@5208`.
ttt[2] These arrays or ordered arrangements of truths are meant in the Word by bundles, which at this point are called handfuls or 'bunches'. They are nothing else than truths which have been multiplied and are then arrayed in or arranged into series. With people who are regenerate these series follow the same ordered patterns as those in which the communities in heaven exist; but in the case of those who are not regenerate and are incapable of becoming such they follow the patterns in which the communities in hell exist. Consequently a person who is governed by evil, and by falsity rooted in evil, is a miniature hell, whereas one who is governed by good, and by truth rooted in good, is a miniature heaven. But more, in the Lord's Divine mercy, will be stated elsewhere about these series.
ppp18511#pid#5340. 'And he gathered all the food of the seven years' means the preservation of truth linked to good, multiplied in the initial phases. This is clear from the meaning of 'gathering' here as preserving (for it says that he gathered it and laid it up in the cities, in the midst of them, which means that he stored it in the interior parts and thereby preserved it; for it was put to use in the years of famine); from the meaning of 'the food' as everything by which the internal man is nourished, namely good and truth, as may be recognized from the correspondence of earthly food which nourishes the external man with spiritual food which nourishes the internal man. Here therefore truth linked to good is meant, because this is what is preserved and stored away in a person's interior parts. 'Seven years' means the initial phases, when truths become multiplied, `@@@5339`. From all this it is evident that 'he gathered all the food of the seven years' means the preservation of truth linked to good, multiplied in the initial phases.
ttt[2] The expression 'the preservation of truth linked to good' is used, but because few are aware of what truth linked to good is, let alone of how and when truth becomes linked to good, let something therefore be said about this. Truth comes to be joined to good when a person finds joy in doing good to his neighbour for truth and goodness' own sake, and not for any selfish or worldly reason. When that affection moves a person the truths he hears or reads or thinks about become joined to good; and this can usually be seen in an affection for truth which has that end in view.
ppp18510#pid#5341. 'Which were in the land of Egypt' means within the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'the land of Egypt' as the natural mind, `@@@5276`, `@@@5278`, `@@@5280`, `@@@5288`, `@@@5301`, and so the natural itself.
ppp18509#pid#5342. 'And laid up food in the cities' means that it stored them - truths linked to good - in the interior parts. This is clear from the meaning here of 'laying up' as storing; from the meaning of 'food' as truth linked to good, dealt with just above in `@@@5340`; and from the meaning of 'the cities' as the interior parts of the natural mind, dealt with above in `@@@5297`. The idea that truths linked to good are stored in the interior parts of the natural mind, and are preserved there for use subsequently in life, in particular for use in temptations when a person is being regenerated, is an arcanum known to few at the present day. Therefore the nature of this arcanum must be stated. The seven years of abundance of corn mean the truths multiplied initially, and the storage of grain in the cities, in the midst of them, means that those truths linked to good were stored away in a person's interior parts. The seven years of famine and the sustainment provided by the bunches that had been gathered means the state of regeneration effected by means of the truths that had been linked to good and stored away in the interior parts.
ttt[2] The arcanum is this: During the time from earliest infancy through to early childhood a person is led by the Lord into heaven; indeed he is placed among celestial angels who serve to keep him in a state of innocence. This state which infants pass through until early childhood is a well-known one. At the beginning of childhood a gradual shedding of that state of innocence takes place; but even so, the person is kept in a state of charity through the charitable affection which he and his companions feel for one another. During this state, which with many people lasts through to adolescence, he is among spiritual angels. Because he begins at this time to think from what is within himself and to act in accordance with this, he cannot be kept any longer in charity, as he was previously; for now he calls on hereditary evils and allows them to lead him. Once this state has arrived the forms of the good of charity and innocence adopted by him previously are banished, to the extent that forms of evil are present in his thinking and are reinforced by his actions. Actually those forms of good are not banished but are withdrawn by the Lord to interior parts where they are stored away.
ttt[3] But because he does not as yet know any truths, those forms of the good of innocence and charity which he has adopted during those two states do not possess any qualities as yet; for truths give good its qualities, while good gives truths their essence. From this time of life onwards therefore he is being equipped with truths by means of the teaching he receives, and especially by means of his own thoughts about and consequent verification of those truths. Insofar as he is moved at this time by an affection for good, the Lord joins truths to good in him, `@@@5340`, and stores them away for [future] use. This is the state that is meant by the seven years of abundance of corn. These truths linked to good are the ones which in a proper sense are called remnants. In the measure therefore that a person allows himself to be regenerated, the remnants serve a useful purpose; for the Lord draws in the same measure on that store of remnants and returns them to the natural. As a result a correspondence of exterior things with interior ones, or natural things with spiritual ones, is brought about; and this happens in the state that is meant by 'the seven years of famine'. This is the arcanum.
ttt[4] At the present day the member of the Church thinks that no matter what anyone's life is like he can nevertheless by an act of mercy be accepted into heaven and enjoy eternal blessedness there; for the member of the Church imagines that it is simply a matter of being let in. But he is much mistaken, because no one can be let into heaven and find acceptance there unless he has acquired spiritual life, and no one can acquire spiritual life unless he is being regenerated, and no one can undergo regeneration except by means of goodness of life coupled to truth taught by doctrine. This is the way spiritual life is acquired by him. The fact that no one can enter heaven unless he has acquired spiritual life through regeneration is stated plainly by the Lord in John,
Truly, truly I say to you, Unless anyone is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. `John 9bbb9`.
And just after this,
Truly, truly I say to you, Unless a person has been born from water and the spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God. `John 3bbb5`.
'Water' is the truth taught by doctrine, `@@@2702`, `@@@3058`, `@@@3424`, `@@@4976`, and 'the spirit' is goodness of life. No one enters the kingdom simply through being baptized; rather, baptism is the sign denoting regeneration which the member of the Church should call to mind.
ppp18508#pid#5343. 'The food of the field of a city' means that these - the truths linked to good in the interior parts - were proper to and suitable for those interior parts. This is clear from the meaning of 'the food' as truths linked to good, dealt with in `@@@5340`, `@@@5342`. Truths proper to the interior parts and suitable for them are meant by 'the food of the field of a city' for the reason that the field belonged to the city and formed the area encircling it. In the internal sense the parts which form an encircling area mean what is suitable and proper. This is also why the statement 'which was round about it he laid up in the midst of it' comes next. The reason the parts forming an encircling area mean what is proper to and suitable for is that all truths joined to good exist arranged into series, and the nature of these series is such that truth joined to good is positioned in the middle or inmost part of each one; then truths that are proper to and suitable for that middle or inmost part are positioned around the same, continuing to the outermost part where the series disappears.
ttt[2] The actual series too are positioned in relation to one another in a similar kind of way. But such positionings vary in keeping with the changes of state that take place. It is quite normal in the next life for such arrangements of truths joined to good to present themselves in a visual manner; for in the light of heaven, which holds intelligence and wisdom within it, visual images can be used to present such things. The same cannot be done in the light of the world, nor can it be done in the light of heaven if a person's interior parts have not been opened, though he still has the ability to recognize them through rational insights and so see them by the use of reason in the light of heaven. These ordered arrangements of truths owe their origin to the ordered arrangements of the angelic communities in heaven; for in whatever way the angelic communities are arranged, so also with regenerate persons are the series of truths joined to good arranged, because these series of truths correspond to those angelic communities.
ppp18507#pid#5344. 'Which was round about it he laid up in the midst of it' means that what existed first in the exterior natural was stored away by it in the interior parts of the interior natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'round about' as things on the outside and so in the exterior natural; and from the meaning of 'the midst' as things on the inside, dealt with in `@@@1074`, `@@@2940`, `@@@2973`, and so in the interior natural. The reason 'in the midst of it (the city)' means in the interior parts of the interior natural is that 'a city' means the interior parts, `@@@5297`, `@@@5342`. The interior parts of the interior natural are those parts in it which are called spiritual ones, and the spiritual parts in it are those parts which belong to the light of heaven and are therefore able to shed light on the parts there which belong to the light of the world, which strictly speaking are called natural ones. It is in the spiritual parts of the interior natural that the truths linked to good have been stored away.
ttt[2] Those spiritual parts there are what correspond to the angelic communities in the second heaven, and a person is in communication with this heaven through his remnants. This heaven is the one that is opened when a person is being regenerated, and it is the one that is shut when a person does not allow himself to be regenerated. For remnants - that is, truths and forms of good stored away in interior parts - are nothing else than correspondences with the communities belonging to that heaven.
ppp18506#pid#5345. 'And Joseph stored up grain like the sand of the sea, very much' means a multiplication of truth derived from good. This is clear from the meaning here of 'storing up' as multiplying; from the meaning of 'grain' as truth present in will and action, dealt with in `@@@5295`, the multiplication of which, when likened to 'the sand of the sea', means that it is derived from good, in this case from the good of the celestial of the spiritual through the influx of this. For truth in the interior parts is multiplied from no other source than good. A multiplication of truth that does not spring from good is not a multiplication of truth, because it is not truth, no matter how much it looks in outward appearance like truth. It is like a lifeless statue; and because such truth is dead it comes nowhere near being truth. For if a person's truth is to be truth it must receive life from good, that is, through good from the Lord; and when it does receive life in that manner, that truth can be said in a spiritual sense to be multiplied. The fact that good is the only source which enables truth to be multiplied may be seen from the consideration that nothing can be multiplied except from something marriage-like. Truth cannot enter into marriage with anything else than good. If it does do so with anything else, that is not marriage but adultery. That which is a multiplication resulting from marriage is legitimate, and thus is truth; but that which is the result of adultery is not legitimate. It is spurious and thus is not truth.
ppp18505#pid#5346. 'Until he left off numbering, because it was beyond number' means such as holds the celestial from the Divine within it. This becomes clear from the fact that truth holding the celestial from the Divine within it is unbounded and beyond number. This kind of truth has existed with no one except the Lord, when He was in the world - the Lord being represented here by 'Joseph' and the glorification of His Natural being the subject here in the highest sense.
ppp18504#pid#5347. Verses `Genesis 41bbbccc50-52` And to Joseph were born two sons before the year of the famine came, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera the priest of On, bore to him. And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh - for God has made me forget all my labour and all my father's house. And the name of the second he called Ephraim - for God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.
'And to Joseph were born two sons' means the good and truth born from this. 'Before the year of famine came' means which were born through the natural. 'Whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera the priest of On, bore to him' means which were born from the marriage. 'And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh' means a new area of will within the natural, and the essential nature of it. 'For God has made me forget all my labour' means a removal after temptations have finished. 'And all my father's house' means the removal of hereditary evils. 'And the name of the second he called Ephraim' means a new area of understanding within the natural, and the essential nature of it. 'For God has made me fruitful' means leading to a multiplication of truth from good. 'In the land of my affliction' means where the temptations were undergone.
ppp18503#pid#5348. 'And to Joseph were born two sons' means the good and truth born from this, that is to say, from the influx of the celestial of the spiritual into the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'being born' as being reborn, and so the birth of truth derived from good or faith derived from charity, dealt with in `@@@4070`, `@@@4668`, `@@@5160` (for the generations described in the Word are spiritual ones, see `@@@1145`, `@@@1255`, `@@@1330`, `@@@3263`, `@@@3279`, `@@@3860`, `@@@3866`); and from the meaning of 'sons', who in this case are Manasseh and Ephraim, as good and truth, dealt with immediately below. For 'Manasseh' means the area of will belonging to the new natural, while 'Ephraim' means the area of understanding belonging to it. Or what amounts to the same, 'Manasseh' means the good present in the new natural, since good exists as an attribute of the will, while 'Ephraim' means the truth present there, since truth exists as an attribute of the understanding. One reads in other places about the birth of two sons. Good is meant by one, truth by the other, as for instance with Esau and Jacob. 'Esau' means good, see `@@@3302`, `@@@3322`, `@@@3494`, `@@@3504`, `@@@3576`, `@@@3599`, while 'Jacob' means truth, `@@@3305`, `@@@3509`, `@@@3525`, `@@@3546`, `@@@3576`. The like is meant by Judah's two sons by Tamar, Perez and Zerah, `@@@4927-4929`; and the same applies here in the case of Manasseh and Ephraim. The birth of these is dealt with here because the subject in what went immediately before this was the influx of the celestial of the spiritual into the natural and the consequent rebirth of it, which is effected solely by means of good and truth.
ppp18502#pid#5349. 'before the year of the famine came' means which were born through the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'before the year of the famine came' as while the state lasted when truth derived from good was multiplied. This state is meant by 'the years of abundance of corn', and so that which came before the state of desolation meant by 'the years of famine'. Because in the state that came first truth derived from good was multiplied in the natural, so that good and truth were born to the celestial of the spiritual through the natural, that which followed as a consequence is therefore meant by the words used here.
ppp18501#pid#5350. 'Whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera the priest of On, bore to him' means which were born from the marriage. This becomes clear from what has been stated above in `@@@5332`.
ppp18500#pid#5351. 'And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh' means a new area of will within the natural, and the essential nature of it. This is clear from the representation of 'Manasseh' in the Word as spiritual good within the natural, and so a new area of will there, dealt with below. This name also implies the essential nature of that good or new area of will. The fact that the name implies the essential nature of this may be recognized from the names given to other people. An explanation of the essential nature accompanies each name, like that given for Manasseh in the following words, For God has made me forget all my labour and all my father's house. These words describe the essential nature of what is meant by 'Manasseh'. What is more, when the phrase 'he called the name' is used, the meaning is that the actual name too contains that essential nature, since 'name' and 'calling the name' mean the essential nature, `@@@144`, `@@@145`, `@@@1754`, `@@@1896`, `@@@2009`, `@@@2724`, `@@@3006`, `@@@3421`.
ttt[2] The reason why the firstborn who was given the name Manasseh means spiritual good within the natural, or a new area of will there, is that good is in actual fact the firstborn in the Church. That is, with someone who is in the process of becoming a Church, truth is not the firstborn, though it appears to be so, see `@@@352`, `@@@367`, `@@@2435`, `@@@3325`, `@@@3494`, `@@@4925`, `@@@4926`, `@@@4928`, `@@@4930`. The same may also be recognized from the consideration that a person's will takes precedence over his understanding; for the desires in a person's will are the primary constituents of his life, while the ideas in his understanding are secondary to them; and he acts in accordance with the desires of his will. What goes forth from the will is called good in the case of those who through regeneration have received from the Lord a new will; but it is called evil in the case of those who have had no wish to receive such. What goes forth from the understanding however is called truth in the case of the regenerate but falsity in the case of the unregenerate. But because no knowledge of a person's will is possible except through his understanding - for the understanding is the outward form that the will possesses or the outward form taken by the will which enables it to be known - people therefore imagine that truth which goes forth from the understanding is the firstborn. But this is nothing else than the appearance, for the reason that has been stated.
ttt[3] This explains the controversy that existed in former times over whether the truth which is the essence of faith was the firstborn of the Church or whether good which is the essence of charity was such. Those who based their conclusions on the appearance said that truth was the firstborn, whereas those who did not base theirs on the appearance acknowledged that good was. This also explains why at the present day people make faith the primary and absolutely essential constituent of the Church, but charity the secondary and non-essential element. But by supposing that faith alone is what saves a person they have sunk into far deeper error than the ancients. (In the Church faith is used to mean all the truth of doctrine, while charity is used to mean all the good of life.) They do, it is true, call charity and the works of charity the fruits of faith. Yet does anyone believe that those fruits make any contribution to salvation when the belief exists that someone can be saved by faith in the final hour of his life, no matter what kind of life he led before then? More than this, does anyone believe that those fruits contribute in any way to salvation when people use doctrine to set faith apart from works that are the product of charity, saying that faith alone saves without good works, or that works which are matters of life contribute nothing to salvation? Dear, dear! What kind of faith is that, and what kind of Church is it when people cherish faith that is dead and reject faith that is living? For faith without charity is like a body without a soul. But a body without a soul is removed from sight and put away because it stinks, as everyone knows; and in the next life faith without charity is just like this. All who possessed faith so-called which was devoid of charity are in hell; but all who had charity are in heaven. For everyone's life remains with him, whereas doctrine does so only insofar as it draws on that life.
ttt[4] It is less easy to show from other places in the Word that 'Manasseh' means a new area of will within the natural - or what amounts to the same, spiritual good there - than it is to show that 'Ephraim' means a new area of understanding within the natural, or spiritual truth there. Even so, inferences can be drawn regarding the meaning of 'Manasseh' from what is said about 'Ephraim', because in the Word when two are mentioned together in the way these are, one means good, the other truth. Therefore Manasseh's meaning - spiritual good within the natural, which is the essence of the new will there - will be seen in what follows shortly where Ephraim is the subject.
ppp18499#pid#5352. 'For God has made me forget all my labour' means a removal after temptations have finished. This is clear from the meaning of 'forgetting' as removal, `@@@5170`, `@@@5278`; and from the meaning of 'labour' as conflicts, and so temptations. From these meanings one may see that 'God has made me forget all my labour' means a removal after temptations - a removal of the evils that caused distress. The fact that these things are meant is also evident from what is recorded about Joseph in the land of Canaan when among his brothers, and after that in Egypt. In the land of Canaan he was thrown into the pit and sold; in Egypt he served as a slave and was kept in prison for several years. Temptations were meant by those experiences, as has been shown already; and the fact that those experiences are what is meant by 'labour' is self-evident.
ppp18498#pid#5353. 'And all my father's house' means the removal of hereditary evils. This is clear from the meaning of 'father's house' here as hereditary evils. In the internal sense 'house' means a person, more particularly his mind, either his rational mind or his natural mind. But specifically the will part there is meant, consequently good or evil since either of these can exist as an attribute of the will, see `@@@710`, `@@@2233`, `@@@2234`, `@@@3128`, `@@@4973`, `@@@4982`, `@@@5023`. This being so, 'father's house' here means hereditary evils. The essential nature meant by 'Manasseh' is contained in these words and in those immediately before them. In the original language Manasseh means forgetfulness, and so in the internal sense a removal is meant. That is to say, a removal of evils, both those of one's own doing and those which are hereditary; for once those evils have been removed a new area of will arises. This new will comes into being through an inflow of good from the Lord. Such an inflow of good from the Lord takes place constantly with a person, but evils exist there - both those of his own doing and those which he has inherited - which hinder and stand in the way of the reception of it. But once these have been removed a new area of will comes into being. Its coming into being at this time is clearly evident with those who suffer misfortunes, tribulations, or illnesses. During these experiences self-love and love of the world from which all evils spring are removed, and then a person entertains thoughts about God and about the neighbour that are good, and also desires his neighbour's welfare. It is similar with temptations, which are spiritual forms of distress and therefore inward experiences of tribulation and of despair. These experiences serve primarily to remove evils, and after these have been removed heavenly good from the Lord enters in, from which a new area of will is formed in the natural, which in the representative sense is 'Manasseh'.
ppp18497#pid#5354. 'And the name of the second he called Ephraim' means a new area of understanding within the natural, and the essential nature of it. This is clear from the meaning of 'the name' and 'calling the name' as the essential nature, dealt with in `@@@144`, `@@@145`, `@@@1754`, `@@@1896`, `@@@2009`, `@@@2724`, `@@@3006`, `@@@3421`; and from the representation of 'Ephraim' as the area of understanding within the natural, dealt with below. What the new area of understanding and what the new area of will are, meant by 'Ephraim and Manasseh', must be stated first. It is indeed well known in the Church that a person must be born again, that is, be regenerated, so that he may enter the kingdom of God. This is well known because the Lord has declared it quite explicitly in `John 3bbb3`, `John 3bbbccc5`; yet What being born again implies is still known to only a few. And the reason for this is that few know what good and evil are. The reason people do not know what good and evil are is that they do not know what charity towards the neighbour is. If they did know what this was they would also know what good was, and from good what evil was; for everything is good that springs out of genuine charity towards the neighbour.
ttt[2] But with no one can this good have its origin in the person himself, for it is something utterly heavenly flowing into him from the Lord. This heavenly good is flowing in constantly, but evils and falsities stand in the way and prevent the reception of it. So that it may be received therefore it is necessary for the person to remove the evils and, so far as he possibly can do so, the falsities too, and thereby bring himself into a condition to receive that good flowing in. When, after evils have been removed, he accepts the inflow of good he acquires a new will and a new understanding. The new will enables him to feel a sense of delight in doing good to his neighbour without any selfish end in view, and the new understanding enables him to take delight in learning what goodness and truth are for their own sakes and for the sake of the life he should lead. Because this new understanding and new will are brought into being by what flows in from the Lord, the person who has been regenerated therefore acknowledges and believes that the goodness and truth for which he feels an affection do not originate in himself but in the Lord, and also that what does originate in himself or is properly his own is nothing but evil.
ttt[3] From all this one may see what is meant by being born again, and also what is meant by a new will and a new understanding. But regeneration, which brings the new will and the new understanding into being, does not take place in a single instant. Rather, it is taking place from earliest childhood through to the final phase of life, and after that for ever in the next life; and it is accomplished by Divine means that are countless and beyond description. In himself the human being is nothing but evil which is constantly radiating from him as if from a furnace and is constantly trying to smother good while it is still being born. The removal of that kind of evil and the firm implantation of good in its place cannot be effected except through the whole course of a person's life; nor can it be effected except by Divine means which are countless and beyond description. At the present time scarcely anything is known about these means, for the reason that people do not allow themselves to be regenerated. Nor do they believe that regeneration is anything, because they do not believe in a life after death. The process by which regeneration takes place, a process involving things beyond description, constitutes the major part of angelic wisdom; and that process is of such a nature that no angel can ever completely exhaust all there is to know about it. This is the reason why in the internal sense of the Word it is the chief matter that is dealt with.
ttt[4] It is evident from very many places in the Word that 'Ephraim' means a new understanding within the natural, above all in the prophet Hosea, who makes many references to Ephraim, the following among them,
I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hidden from Me, that you have altogether committed whoredom, O Ephraim; Israel has been defiled. Israel and Ephraim will collapse through their iniquity; Judah also will collapse with them. Ephraim will become a lonely place on the day of reproach.`fff1` And I will be like a moth to Ephraim, and like a worm to the house of Joseph. And Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah his wound; and Ephraim went to Assyria and sent to King Jareb, and he could not cure you. `Hosea 9bbb3`, `Hosea 9bbbccc5`, `Hosea 9bbbccc9`, `Hosea 9bbbccc11-13`.
After this in the same prophet,
When I healed Israel the iniquity of Ephraim was revealed, and the evils of Samaria; for they practised a lie, and a thief came, a band spread itself outside. And Ephraim was like a silly dove with no heart; they called on Egypt, they went away to Assyria. When they go I will stretch My net over them. `Hosea 7bbb1`, `Hosea 7bbbccc11-12` and following verses.
ttt[5] And further on in the same prophet,
Israel has been swallowed up, now they are going to be among the gentiles, like a vessel in which there is no desire. When they went up to Assyria [they were like] a wild ass alone by himself; Ephraim procures lovers`fff2` with a prostitute's hire. `Hosea 8bbb8-9`.
Israel will not dwell in Jehovah's land, but Ephraim will return to Egypt, and in Assyria they will eat what is unclean. `Hosea 9bbb3`.
Ephraim has encompassed Me with a lie, and the house of Israel with deceit; and Judah will have dominion still with God and with the saints of the Faithful One.`fff3` Ephraim feeds the wind, and pursues the east wind. All the day long he multiplies lies and devastation and they make a covenant with the Assyrian, and oil is carried down into Egypt. `Hosea 11bbb11`; `Hosea ccc12bbb1`.
ttt[6] Ephraim is referred to by this prophet in many other places besides these, such as `Hosea 4bbb16-18`; `Hosea ccc5bbb3`, `Hosea 5bbbccc5`, `Hosea 5bbbccc9`, `Hosea 5bbbccc11-13`; `Hosea ccc7bbb8-9`; `Hosea ccc9bbb8`, `Hosea 9bbbccc11`, `Hosea 9bbbccc13`, `Hosea 9bbbccc16`; `Hosea ccc10bbb6`, `Hosea 10bbbccc11`; `Hosea ccc11bbb3`, `Hosea 11bbbccc8-9`; `Hosea ccc12bbb8`, `Hosea 12bbbccc14`; `Hosea ccc13bbb1`, `Hosea 13bbbccc12`; `Hosea ccc14bbb8`. In all these places 'Ephraim' is used to mean the area of understanding within the Church, Israel' the spiritual area within it, and 'Judah' the celestial area. Also, since the area of understanding within the Church is meant by 'Ephraim', frequent reference is therefore made to Ephraim going away into Egypt or into Assyria. This is because 'Egypt' means factual knowledge and 'Assyria' reasonings based on this; and factual knowledge and reasonings are things associated with the understanding. For the meaning of Egypt' as factual knowledge, see `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1186`, `@@@1462`, `@@@2588`, `@@@3325`, `@@@4749`, `@@@4964`, `@@@4966`; and for that of 'Asshur' or 'Assyria' as reason or reasoning, `@@@119`, `@@@1186`.
ttt[7] The understanding area of the Church is meant in a similar way by 'Ephraim' in the following places: In Zechariah,
Exult greatly, O daughter of Zion! Make a noise, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king comes to you. I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and I will cut off the battle bow; on the other hand he will speak peace to the nations. And his dominion will be from sea to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth. I will bend Judah for Me, I will fill Ephraim with the bow; and I will rouse your sons, O Zion, together with your sons, O Javan. `Zechariah 9bbb9-10`, `Zechariah 9bbbccc13`.
This refers to the Lord's Coming, also to the Church among the gentiles. 'Cutting off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem' stands for the entire understanding which the Church possesses. 'Filling Ephraim with the bow' stands for imparting a new understanding. For 'the chariot' means doctrinal teaching, see `@@@5321`; 'the horse' means the power of understanding, `@@@2760-2762`, `@@@3217`, `@@@5321`; and 'the bow' too means doctrinal teaching, `@@@2685`, `@@@2686`, `@@@2709`. Doctrinal teaching is dependent on the power of understanding, for to the extent that a person understands it, he believes it; his understanding of doctrinal teaching determines what his faith is like.
ttt[8] For this reason the children of Ephraim are called 'archers' in David,
The children of Ephraim who were armed (they were archers) turned back on the day of battle. `Psalms 78bbb9`.
In Ezekiel,
Son of man, take a stick and write on it, For Judah and for the children of Israel, his companions. Then take another stick and write on it, Joseph's - the stick of Ephraim and of the whole house of Israel, his companions. After that join them together, one to the other into one stick for you, that both may be one in your`fff4` hand. Behold, I am about to take the stick of Joseph which is in the hands of Ephraim and of the tribes of Israel his companions, and I will add them who are on it to the stick of Judah, and will make them into one stick, that they may be one stick in My hand. `Ezekiel 37bbb16-17`, `Ezekiel 37bbbccc19`.
Here also 'Judah' is used to mean the celestial area within the Church, 'Israel' the spiritual area within it, and 'Ephraim' the understanding area. The idea that these will be made one through the good of charity is meant by the promise that one stick will be made out of two. For 'a stick' means good which is the good of charity and of works motivated by charity, see `@@@1110`, `@@@2784`, `@@@2812`, `@@@3720`, `@@@4943`.
ttt[9] In Jeremiah,
It is a day [when] the watchmen will cry from mount Ephraim, Arise, let us go up to Zion, to Jehovah our God. I will be a father to Israel, and Ephraim will be My firstborn. `Jeremiah 31bbb6`, `Jeremiah 31bbbccc9`.
In the same prophet,
I have surely heard Ephraim bewailing, You have chastised me and I was chastised, like an unruly calf. Direct me, that I may be directed. Is not Ephraim a precious son to Me? Is he not a delightful child? For after I have spoken against him I will surely remember him again. `Jeremiah 31bbb18`, `Jeremiah 31bbbccc20`.
In the same prophet,
I will bring back Israel to his own habitation so that he may feed on Carmel and Bashan; and on mount Ephraim and in Gilead his soul will be satisfied. `Jeremiah 50bbb19`
In Isaiah,
Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, to the falling flower and the glory of its beauty, which is on the head of a valley of fat ones confused by wine. `Isaiah 28bbb1`.
ttt[10] In all these places too 'Ephraim' means the area of understanding within the Church. The area of understanding within the Church is that understanding which members of the Church have about truth and goodness, that is, about matters of doctrine regarding faith and charity. Thus it is the notions, conceptions, or ideas which they possess about these matters. Truth forms the spiritual area of the Church, and good the celestial area. But one member's understanding of truth and goodness is different from another's, and therefore the nature of each member's understanding of truth determines the kind of truth known to him. And the same is so with each person's understanding of goodness.
ttt[11] What the Church's area of will, meant by 'Manasseh', is exactly can be recognized from the area of understanding, which is 'Ephraim'. The nature of the Church's will is similar to that of its understanding in that it varies from one member to another. 'Manasseh' means that area of will in Isaiah,
Through the wrath of Jehovah Zebaoth the earth has been darkened, and the people have become as fuel for the fire; a man will not spare his brother. A man will eat the flesh of his own arm; Manasseh [will consume] Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh, and together they are against Judah.
'A man will eat the flesh of his own arm, Manasseh [will consume] Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh' stands for the member of the Church when his will acts in opposition to the activity of his understanding, and his understanding acts in opposition to the activity of his will.
ttt[12] In David,
God has spoken by means of His holiness, I will exalt, I will divide up Shechem and portion out the valley of Succoth. Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine; and Ephraim is the strength of My head. `Psalms 60bbb6-7`.
In the same author,
Turn Your ear, O Shepherd of Israel, You who lead`fff5` Joseph like a flock; You who are seated upon the cherubim, shine forth. Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh stir up Your power. `Psalms 80bbb1-2`.
Here also 'Ephraim' stands for the area of understanding within the Church and 'Manasseh' for the area of will there. The same meaning is also evident from the blessing of Ephraim and Manasseh by Jacob before he died, and in addition from the fact that Jacob accepted Ephraim in place of Reuben, and Manasseh in place of Simeon, `Genesis 48bbb3`, `Genesis 48bbbccc5`. For Reuben had represented the Church's area of understanding, which is faith in the understanding, or doctrine, `@@@3861`, `@@@3866`. Also, Simeon had represented faith in action - or obedience and the will to put truth into practice - from which charity springs and through which charity expresses itself; thus he represented truth realized in action, which is good belonging to the new will, `@@@3869-3872`.
ttt[13] The reason why Jacob, who by then was Israel, blessed Ephraim more fully than Manasseh, by placing his right hand on the former and his left on the latter, `Genesis 48bbb13-20`, was the same as the one involved in Jacob's procurement for himself of Esau's birthright. It was also the same as what was involved in the birth of Perez and Zerah, Judah's sons by Tamar; though he was the firstborn, Zerah nevertheless came out after Perez, `Genesis 38bbb18-30`. The reason this happened was that the truth of faith, which belongs to the understanding, seems to occupy the first place while a person is being regenerated, and the good of charity, which belongs to the will, seems to occupy the second. But in actual fact good occupies the first place, as is plain to see once the person has been regenerated. On this subject, see `@@@3314`, `@@@3539`, `@@@3548`, `@@@3556`, `@@@3563`, `@@@3570`, `@@@3576`, `@@@3603`, `@@@3701`, `@@@4243`, `@@@4244`, `@@@4247`, `@@@4337`, `@@@4925`, `@@@4926`.
`nnn1. Reading correptionis (reproach), which Swedenborg has in another place, for correctionis (correction)
`nnn2. literally, loves
`nnn3. The Latin means Israel, but the Hebrew means the Faithful One.
`nnn4. The Latin means My, but the Hebrew means your.
`nnn5. The Latin means He who leads, but the Hebrew means You who lead.
ppp18496#pid#5355. 'For God has made me fruitful' means leading to a multiplication of truth from good. This is clear from the meaning of 'making fruitful' as a multiplication, that is to say, of truth from good, for fruitfulness is used in reference to good and multiplication to truth, `@@@43`, `@@@55`, `@@@913`, `@@@983`, `@@@1940`, `@@@2846`, `@@@2847`. In the original language the name Ephraim is derived from a word meaning fruitfulness, the essential nature of which is contained in the statement 'for God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction'. That essential nature is one in which truth from good in the natural has been multiplied after the temptations undergone there have come to an end. But a brief description of what a multiplication of truth from good is must be given. When good, that is, love towards the neighbour, is present in a person, so also is the love of truth. Consequently, insofar as that good is present he feels an affection for truth, since good exists within truth like the soul within its body.
ttt[2] In the measure therefore that good multiplies truth it reproduces itself; and if it is the good of genuine charity it reproduces itself endlessly within truth and through truth. For there is no limit either to good or to truth; the Infinite is present within every single form of truth or good because each one has its origin in the Infinite. Yet that endless quality cannot ever match up to the Infinite itself, for what is limited or finite cannot be compared with the Infinite. In the Church at the present day scarcely any multiplication of truth takes place. The reason for this is that at the present day the good of genuine charity is non-existent. The Church believes that it is enough if a person knows simply the tenets of the Church within which he is born and in various ways firmly assents to these. But one with whom the good of genuine charity exists and who consequently feels an affection for truth is not content with that but wishes to clarify from the Word what the truth is and to see it before firmly assenting to it. Also, it is good that enables him to see it, for the discernment of truth originates in good, the Lord being within that good and imparting such discernment. When the person receives truth from Him he increases it to an unlimited extent. This may be likened to a tiny seed which grows into a tree and produces more tiny seeds, which then grow into a garden, and so on beyond that.
ppp18495#pid#5356. 'In the land of my affliction' means where the temptations were undergone. This is clear from the meaning of 'the land', in this case the land of Egypt, as the natural, dealt with in `@@@5276`, `@@@5278`, `@@@5280`, `@@@5288`, `@@@5301`; and from the meaning of 'affliction' as temptation, dealt with in `@@@1846`. From these meanings it is evident that 'in the land of my affliction' means in the natural where the temptations were undergone and therefore the place where truth from good was multiplied. Since that fruitfulness, or multiplication of truth from good, is brought about primarily by means of temptations, such words have therefore been used here. The reason why fruitfulness is brought about primarily by means of temptations is that temptations take away self-love and love of the world, and so evils too; and once these have been taken away, an affection for goodness and truth from the Lord flows in, see just above in `@@@5354`.
ttt[2] Another thing temptations do is to provide a person with the kind of discernment he has about what is good and true; they provide it through the opposites that evil spirits introduce at such times. From his discernment of those opposites a person can make comparisons which enable him to see what the whole is like. For no one can know what good is unless he also knows what is not good; and he does not know what truth is unless he knows what is not true. Also, temptations serve to strengthen goods and truths; for in temptations a person battles against evils and falsities, and through being victorious in such he goes on to hold on more firmly to those goods and truths. In addition to this temptations also serve to subdue evils and falsities so completely that they do not dare to rise up again. Thus temptations serve to cast evils and falsities away to the fringes, where they hang downwards, in a limp condition. But forms of good together with truths are in the centre, and in the measure that the zeal of genuine affection is present they are raised upwards - up to heaven, towards the Lord who does the raising up.
ppp18494#pid#5357. Verses `Genesis 41bbbccc53-57` And the seven years of abundance of corn ended, which was in the land of Egypt. And the seven years of famine began to come, even as Joseph had said; and the famine was in all lands, and in all the land of Egypt there was bread. And all the land of Egypt suffered famine, and the people cried out to Pharaoh for bread. And Pharaoh said to all Egypt, Go to Joseph; do what he tells you. And the famine was over all the face of the earth; and Joseph opened all the places in which [there was grain] and sold to Egypt. And the famine was becoming great in the land of Egypt. And all the earth came to Egypt to buy [grain], to Joseph; for the famine became great in all the earth.
'And the seven years of abundance of corn ended' means those states during which truth was multiplied. 'Which was in the land of Egypt' means, within the natural. 'And the seven years of famine began to come' means the subsequent states of desolation. 'Even as Joseph had said' means as was foreseen by the celestial of the spiritual. 'And the famine was in all lands' means a desolation everywhere in the natural. 'And in all the land of Egypt there was bread' means the remnants of the truths from good that have been multiplied. 'And all the land of Egypt suffered famine' means desolation in both parts of the natural. 'And the people cried out to Pharaoh for bread' means the need of good which was felt by truth. 'And Pharaoh said to all Egypt' means a discernment. 'Go to Joseph' means that the celestial of the spiritual is the supplier of it. 'Do what he tells you' means provided that obedience exists. 'And the famine was over all the face of the earth' means when there was desolation even to the point of despair. 'And Joseph opened all the places in which [there was grain]' means a communication of remnants. 'And sold to Egypt' means a making over to. 'And the famine was becoming great in the land of Egypt' means an increasing severity. 'And all the earth came to Egypt' means that forms of truth and good were gathered into the facts known to the Church. 'To buy [grain]' means a making one's own. 'To Joseph' means where the celestial of the spiritual was. 'For the famine became great in all the earth' means that, apart from there, desolation existed everywhere in the natural.
ppp18493#pid#5358. 'And the seven years of abundance of corn ended' means after those states during which truth was multiplied. This is clear from the matters explained above in `@@@5276`, `@@@5292`, `@@@5339`, where similar words occur.
ppp18492#pid#5359. 'Which was in the land of Egypt' means within the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'the land of Egypt' as the natural, dealt with in `@@@5080`, `@@@5095`, `@@@5276`, `@@@5178`, `@@@5280`, `@@@5288`.
ppp18491#pid#5360. 'And the seven years of famine began to come means the subsequent states of desolation. This is clear from the meaning of 'years' as states, dealt with in `@@@482`, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@893`; and from the meaning of 'famine' as an absence of cognitions of truth and good, dealt with in `@@@1460`, `@@@3364`, and consequently a desolation. The reason 'famine' means that absence of them, or a desolation, is that celestial and spiritual food consists in nothing else than goodness and truth. These are the food with which angels and spirits are fed and which they long for when they are hungry and thirst for when they are thirsty, and to which also material kinds of food therefore correspond. Bread corresponds to celestial love, wine to spiritual love, as does everything else which is a form of 'bread', meaning food, or of 'wine', meaning drink. When therefore these kinds of nourishment are lacking a famine exists, which in the Word is called desolation and vastation, desolation being when there is a lack of truths, vastation when there is a lack of forms of good.
ttt[2] Such desolation and vastation are spoken about in many places in the Word, where they are described as a desolation of the earth, kingdoms, cities, nations, or peoples. The same condition is also referred to as an emptying out, a cutting off, a bringing to a close, a wilderness, or a void, while the actual state is called the great day of Jehovah, the day of His wrath and vengeance, the day of darkness and thick darkness, of cloud and obscurity, the day of visitation, also the day when the earth will be destroyed, and so the last day or judgement day. But because people have not understood the internal sense of the Word they have imagined up to now that this is a day when the earth will be destroyed, at which point the resurrection and the judgement will begin to take place. Such people do not know that 'day' in this case means a state, and 'the earth' the Church, so that 'the day when the earth will be destroyed' means a state when the Church will pass away. In the Word therefore, when this passing away is referred to, a new earth is also mentioned, by which a new Church is meant, regarding which new earth together with a new heaven, see `@@@1733`, `@@@1850`, `@@@2117`, `@@@2118` (end), `@@@3355` (end), `@@@4535`. That final state of a Church which comes before the state of a new Church is meant and described in the Word, strictly speaking, by vastation and desolation. But desolation and vastation are also used to describe the state which comes before a person's regeneration; and that is the state meant here by 'the seven years of famine'.
ppp18490#pid#5361. 'Even as Joseph had said' means as was foreseen by the celestial of the spiritual. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in the historical narratives of the Word as perceiving, often dealt with in previous explanations, and therefore - when used in reference to the Lord, who is 'Joseph' here - perceiving from within Himself, and so foreseeing, is meant; and from the representation of 'Joseph' as the celestial of the spiritual, dealt with in `@@@5249`, `@@@5307`, `@@@5331`, `@@@5332`.
ppp18489#pid#5362. 'And the famine was in all lands' means a desolation everywhere in the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'famine' as a desolation, dealt with above in `@@@5360`, and from the meaning of 'all lands' as everywhere in the natural. For 'land' or 'earth' is the natural mind, and so the natural itself, see `@@@5276`, `@@@5278`, `@@@5280`, `@@@5288`, `@@@5301`.
ppp18488#pid#5363. 'And in all the land of Egypt there was bread' means the remnants of the truths from good that have been multiplied. This is clear from the fact that 'bread in all the land of Egypt' is used to mean the grain which was gathered together in the seven years of abundance of corn and stored in the cities. This grain, as stated and shown in various places above, means the remnants stored away in the interior parts of the natural mind, and therefore 'bread in all the land of Egypt' means the remnants of the truths from good that have been multiplied. That remnants are meant here by 'bread in the land of Egypt' is in addition evident from the fact that the years of famine had already begun, years in which the land of Egypt suffered just as much as the rest of the earth did (except that it had grain laid aside, whereas the rest of the world did not), on account of which the statement 'And all the land of Egypt suffered famine' immediately follows.
ppp18487#pid#5364. 'And all the land of Egypt suffered famine' means a desolation in both parts of the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'famine' as a desolation, dealt with above in `@@@5360`, `@@@5362`; and from the meaning of 'all the land of Egypt' as both parts of the natural, dealt with in `@@@5276`.
ppp18486#pid#5365. 'And the people cried out to Pharaoh for bread' means the need of good which was felt by truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'crying out' as the expression of someone enduring pain and grief, and so of someone in need; from the meaning of 'people' as truth, dealt with in `@@@1259`, `@@@1260`, `@@@3295`, `@@@3581`; from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as the natural, dealt with in `@@@5079`, `@@@5080`, `@@@5095`, `@@@5160`; and from the meaning of 'bread' as the celestial element of love, and so good, dealt with in `@@@276`, `@@@680`, `@@@2165`, `@@@2177`, `@@@3464`, `@@@3478`, `@@@3735`, `@@@3813`, `@@@4211`, `@@@4217`, `@@@4735`, `@@@4976`. From these meanings it follows that 'the people cried out to Pharaoh for bread' means the need of good that was felt by truth in the natural. This meaning seems, it is true, to be remote from the historical sense of the letter. Nevertheless, since people acquainted with the internal sense understand 'crying out', 'the people', 'Pharaoh', and 'bread' in no other way than mentioned above, such is the meaning that emerges from those words.
ttt[2] What is implied by the need of good which was felt by truth must be stated. Truth has a need of good, and good has a need of truth; also, when truth has a need of good, truth is joined to good, and when good has a need of truth, good is joined to truth. The reciprocal joining together of good and truth - that is to say, the joining of truth to good, and of good to truth - is the heavenly marriage. During the initial phases when a person is being regenerated truth is multiplied, but good less so. And because at these times truth has no good to which it is joined, truth is therefore drawn into and deposited within the interior parts of the natural, so that it may be called forth from there in the measure that good is increased. In this state truth stands in need of good, and in the measure that good enters the natural a joining of truth to good is effected. Even so, this joining together does not lead to any fruitfulness. But once the person has been regenerated good increases, and as it does so it stands in need of truth and also acquires truth to itself and becomes joined to it. This is a joining of good to truth, and when this takes place truth is made fruitful by good, and good by truth.
ttt[3] This process is one about which people in the world are totally ignorant, whereas those in heaven have a very good knowledge of it. If people in the world however knew, and not only knew but also had a perception of what celestial love or love to the Lord was, and what spiritual love or charity towards the neighbour was, they would also know what good was; for all good is the object of those loves. Above all they would know that good had a desire for truth, and truth had a desire for good, and that this desire and the essential nature of it determine the extent to which the two are joined together. Such would be evident to them from the fact that whenever they are thinking about truth, good presents itself linked together with that truth; and when good is stimulated, truth presents itself linked together with that good. And whenever both present themselves together they are accompanied by affection, desire, delight. or sacred yearning, from which they would then know what the joining together was essentially like. But because no knowledge is acquired by them as a result of an inner awareness or perception of what good is, such matters do not begin to be recognized by them. For what people know nothing about is unintelligible to them even if it happens to them.
ttt[4] Also, because people are ignorant of what spiritual good is - that it is charity towards the neighbour - controversy therefore exists in the world, especially among the learned, over what the highest good may be. Scarcely anyone says`fff1` it is the feeling of delight, bliss, blessedness, and happiness which flows from mutual love that does not have any selfish or worldly end in view attached to it and which constitutes heaven itself. From this it is also evident that the world at the present day knows nothing at all about what spiritual good is. Still less does it know that good and truth form themselves into a marriage, or that heaven consists in this marriage, or that those in whom the marriage exists possess wisdom and intelligence, or that they enjoy feelings of bliss and happiness in endless, indescribable variety. The world knows nothing about even a single one of those variations; consequently it neither acknowledges nor believes that any such thing exists, when in fact it is heaven itself or heavenly joy itself, about which the Church has so much to say.
`nnn1. Reading dicit (says), which Swedenborg has in his rough draft, for dixit (has said)
ppp18485#pid#5366. 'And Pharaoh said to all Egypt' means a discernment. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in the historical narratives of the Word as perceiving, dealt with in `@@@1791`, `@@@1815`, `@@@1819`, `@@@1822`, `@@@1898`, `@@@1919`, `@@@2061`, `@@@2080`, `@@@2862`, `@@@3395`, `@@@3509`; from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as the natural in general, dealt with in `@@@5160`; and from the meaning of 'all Egypt' as both parts of the natural, dealt with in `@@@5276`, `@@@5364`. From these meanings it is evident that 'Pharaoh said to all Egypt' means a discernment in both parts of the natural in general and in particular.
ppp18484#pid#5367. 'Go to Joseph' means that the celestial of the spiritual is the supplier of it. This is clear from the representation of 'Joseph' as the celestial of the spiritual, often dealt with already. 'Going to him' means that this is the supplier of it, that is to say, of the good needed by truth, that need being meant by the people's cry to Pharaoh for bread, `@@@5365`.
ppp18483#pid#5368. 'Do what he tells you' means provided that obedience exists. This is clear from the meaning of 'doing what someone says' as being obedient. The meaning of this is that good becomes linked to truth in the natural provided that the natural conforms and is obedient. But something must also be said about such a conformity and obedience on the part of the natural. People absorbed solely in worldly interests, more so those absorbed in bodily interests, and more so still those absorbed in earthly ones cannot grasp what is meant by the need for the natural to conform and be obedient. They imagine that what is going on inside a person is the same throughout; thus they do not think of one part within him that commands and another part that obeys.
ttt[2] Yet within him there is an internal man that ought to command and an external man that ought to obey. The latter is obedient when it does not have the world but heaven, not self but the neighbour, as its end in view, consequently when bodily and worldly matters are thought of as means and not as an end. Such are thought of as means and not an end when that person loves his neighbour more than himself, and the things of heaven more than those of the world. When this is so the natural is obedient, the natural being the same as the external man.
ppp18482#pid#5369. 'And the famine was over all the face of the earth' means when there was desolation even to the point of despair. This is clear from the meaning of 'famine' as desolation, dealt with above in `@@@5360`, `@@@5361`, `@@@5364`; and from the meaning of 'the earth' as the natural. When a famine is said to be 'over all the face of the earth' despair is meant, because in that case the desolation exists everywhere. For the fullest and uttermost degree of desolation is despair, `@@@5279`, `@@@5280`.
ppp18481#pid#5370. 'And Joseph opened all the places in which [there was grain]' means a communication of remnants. This is clear from the meaning here of 'opening' as communicating. 'All the places in which' are the storehouses where grain was kept and by which remnants are meant, as stated several times above. For remnants are forms of good and truth stored away by the Lord in interior parts, see `@@@468`, `@@@530`, `@@@560`, `@@@561`, `@@@660`, `@@@661`, `@@@798`, `@@@1050`, `@@@1738`, `@@@1906`, `@@@2284`, `@@@5135`, `@@@5342`, `@@@5344`.
ppp18480#pid#5371. 'And sold to Egypt' means a making over to. This is clear from the meaning of 'selling' as making over to another as his own, for that which is sold becomes the property of the one who buys it. That 'selling' and 'buying' mean a making over to or a making one's own will be seen below in `@@@5374`.
ppp18479#pid#5372. 'And the famine was becoming great in the land of Egypt' means an increasing severity, that is to say, of the desolation. This is clear from the meaning of 'the famine' and 'the land of Egypt' as a desolation within the natural, the increasing severity of which is meant by its 'becoming great'.
ppp18478#pid#5373. 'And all the earth came to Egypt' means that forms of good and truth were gathered into the facts known to the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'the earth'. In the Word 'the earth' has various meanings, but in general it means the Church and also the things that constitute the Church, which are forms of good and truth. Also, because 'the earth' (or 'the land') means the Church it means the member of the Church as well since he is a Church on a particular level. And meaning a member of the Church, 'the earth' (or 'the land') means that which exists within him, namely his mind, which is why in various places above 'the land of Egypt' has meant the natural mind. Here however it is not the land of Egypt but the earth in general that is being referred to, and therefore those things that constitute the Church, which are forms of good and truth, are meant. For more about 'the earth' having various meanings, see `@@@620`, `@@@636`, `@@@2571`; but in general it means the Church, `@@@566`, `@@@662`, `@@@1067`, `@@@1262`, `@@@1413`, `@@@1607`, `@@@1733`, `@@@1850`, `@@@2117`, `@@@2118` (end), `@@@2928`, `@@@3755`, `@@@3404`, `@@@4447`, `@@@4535`.
ttt[2] As regards the phrase 'all the earth came to Egypt' meaning that forms of good and truth were gathered into the facts known to the Church, this is clear from the meaning of 'Egypt' in its proper sense as knowledge, and then as known facts, see `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1186`, `@@@1462`; and the facts meant by 'Egypt' in the good sense are the facts that are known to the Church, `@@@4749`, `@@@4964`, `@@@4966`. It is indeed evident from the meaning of the expressions that are used - from the meaning of 'the earth' or 'the land' when this is used not for simply the land of Egypt, and also from the meaning of 'Egypt' in its proper sense - that such is the internal meaning of 'all the earth came to Egypt'. And it is also evident from the fact that the verb 'came' in this phrase is plural. But in addition to this it is evident from the actual sequence of ideas present in the internal sense. For there now follows in that sequence of ideas the thought that the forms of truth and good constituting the remnants are gathered into known facts.
ttt[3] For the situation is this: When a person's natural is being regenerated every single form of good and truth is gathered into the known facts there. Any that are not present within these facts are not in the natural. This is because that part of the natural mind which is subject to the understanding part is made up solely of factual knowledge; and this knowledge present in the natural is the last and lowest degree of order. To come forth and manifest themselves in that sphere things that are prior must exist within ones that are last and lowest. More than this, prior things all extend into their last and lowest forms which serve them as their boundaries or final limits. Prior things come into being simultaneously on that lowest level, in the same way as causes do within their effects, or as higher objects do within lower ones that serve as vessels to contain them. The known facts present in the natural are such last and lowest things. This being so, the final limit that holds the spiritual world within it is man's natural, in which things existing in the spiritual world reveal themselves in the form of representations. If spiritual things did not reveal themselves within the natural in the form of representations, thus with the help of such things as exist in the world, no one could have any awareness of them at all. From these considerations one may see that when the natural is being regenerated every form of interior truth and good which has its origin in the spiritual world is gathered into known facts to enable it to manifest itself.
ppp18477#pid#5374. 'To buy [grain]' means a making one's own. This is clear from the meaning of 'buying' as acquiring to oneself and so making one's own. Spiritually, acquiring and making one's own is effected by means of good and truth, to which the acquisition and ownership that are achieved in the world by the payment of silver and gold correspond; for in the spiritual sense 'silver' is truth, and 'gold' is good. Consequently 'buying' means a making one's own, as it also does in the following places in the Word: In Isaiah,
Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters, and he who has no money, come, buy, and eat! And come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. `Isaiah 55bbb1`
Also in `Jeremiah 13bbb1-2`, `Jeremiah 13bbbccc11`. In Matthew,
The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man (homo) finds and hides, and in his joy he goes and sells whatever he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a trader seeking fine pearls, who, having found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it. `Matthew 13bbb44-46`.
And in the same gospel,
The wise virgins said to the foolish ones, Go to those who sell and buy oil for yourselves. While they were going to buy, the Bridegroom came. `Matthew 25bbb9-10`.
ttt[2] Because 'buying' meant a making one's own, a clear distinction is made in the Word between things bought with silver and those acquired in some other way. Slaves bought with silver were so to speak the buyer's own, and were like 'those born in the house, but in a lower degree. This also explains why the two are mentioned together in various places, as in the command in `Genesis 17bbb3`, 'He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your silver must be circumcised', or as in `Leviticus 22bbb11`, 'If a priest buys a person`fff1` - a buying with silver - [this person] and one who is born in his house shall eat of his bread'. From this one may see what is meant in the Word by 'the redeemed of Jehovah',`fff2` namely those who have acquired good and truth, thus those to whom things that are the Lord's have been made over as their own.
`nnn1. literally, soul
`nnn2. literally, the bought back ones of Jehovah
ppp18476#pid#5375. 'To Joseph' means where the celestial of the spiritual was. This is clear from the representation of 'Joseph' as the celestial of the spiritual, often dealt with already. The celestial of the spiritual is the good of truth from the Divine.
ppp18475#pid#5376. 'For the famine became great in all the earth' means that, apart from there, desolation existed everywhere in the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'famine' as a desolation, dealt with previously; and from the meaning of 'the earth' as the natural, also dealt with previously. The idea that everywhere apart from there is meant, that is to say, apart from within the known facts where the celestial of the spiritual was, follows from what has gone immediately before. What the desolation of the natural, or the deprivation of truth there, is like has been stated already; yet as this is dealt with further still in what follows, let the nature of it be mentioned once again. From earliest childhood the person born within the Church learns from the Word and from the teachings of the Church what the truth of faith is and what the good of charity is. But when he grows up he begins either to confirm for himself or else to refuse to accept the truths of faith he has learned; for now he looks at them for himself and in so doing either makes those truths his own or else casts them aside. For no truth can be made over to another person as his own unless he looks at it and accepts it for himself, that is, unless he knows for himself that it is true and does not rely simply on someone else. The truths therefore which he absorbed in childhood cannot enter any more deeply into his life than the outer gate, where they can either be let inside or else cast away outside.
ttt[2] With those who are being regenerated, that is, those who, as the Lord foresees, will allow themselves to be regenerated, those truths are multiplied exceedingly; for these people have an affection for knowing truths. But as they draw nearer to the point when their regeneration is actually carried out they are seemingly deprived of those truths. For those truths are withdrawn to a more interior position, and when this happens the person seems to experience desolation. Nevertheless those truths are returned in consecutive stages to the natural, where they are joined to good while the person is being regenerated. With those who are not being regenerated however, that is, those who, as the Lord foresees, will not allow themselves to be regenerated, truths are indeed usually multiplied, since these people possess an affection for knowing such truths for the sake of their own reputation, position, and gain. But as they advance in years and come to look at those truths for themselves, they either do not believe them, refuse to accept them, or else turn them into falsities. Thus in their case truths are not withdrawn to a more interior position but are cast away outside, though they remain in the memory to serve worldly ends, devoid of all life. In the Word this state is called desolation or vastation, though it differs from the state described first, in that the desolation belonging to that first state is only apparent, whereas the desolation belonging to the second state is total. For in the state described first the person is not deprived of truths, whereas in this latter state he is deprived of them altogether. The desolation belonging to the state described first is the subject in the internal sense of the present chapter and is again the subject in the next one; and that desolation is meant by a famine lasting for seven years.
ttt[3] This kind of desolation is referred to many times elsewhere in the Word, as in Isaiah,
Stir, stir, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of Jehovah the cup of His anger. Two things have come upon you; who condoles with you? Vastation and ruination, famine and sword, who is there that I may comfort you? Your sons fainted, they lay at the head of every street. Therefore listen, do this, O afflicted one, and drunk though not from wine. Behold, I have taken out of your hand the cup of trepidation, the dregs of the cup of My wrath; you shall no longer drink it. But I will put it in the hand of those who oppress you. `Isaiah 51bbb17`-end.
This is a description of the state of desolation experienced by a member of the Church who is becoming a Church, that is, who is being regenerated. That desolation is called 'vastation, ruination, famine, and sword', also 'the cup of Jehovah's anger and wrath', and 'the cup of trepidation'. The truths that a person is deprived of at such times are 'the sons who faint and lie at the head of every street'. For 'sons' are truths, see `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@533`, `@@@1147`, `@@@2623`, `@@@2803`, `@@@2813`, `@@@3373`, 'street' the place where the truths are, `@@@2336`; consequently 'lying at the head of every street' means that truths appear to exist in a dispersed condition. One can see that the desolation is only an apparent one and that regeneration is effected by means of it, as it also is by means of temptations; for it says that [Jerusalem] will no longer drink the cup but that [Jehovah] will put it in the hand of those who oppress her.
ttt[4] In Ezekiel,
Thus said the Lord Jehovih, Because they devastated you and swallowed you up from all around, so that you are an inheritance for the rest of the nations, therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord Jehovih. Thus said the Lord Jehovih to the mountains and hills, the streams and valleys, and the desolate wastes, and the deserted cities, which became plunder and a derision to the rest of the nations all around: I have spoken in My zeal and in My wrath, because you have endured the shame of the nations. Surely the nations that are around you will bear their own shame. But you, O mountains of Israel, will shoot forth`fff1` your branches and yield your fruit to My people Israel. For behold, I am with you, and will turn to you, so that you are tilled and sown. Also I will multiply man (homo) upon you, the entire house of Israel; and the cities will be inhabited, and the waste places will be built. I will resettle you`fff2` to be as you were in former times and I will do more good than in your early days. `Ezekiel 36bbb3-11`.
This too refers to the desolation that comes just before regeneration. That desolation is meant by 'the desolate wastes and the deserted cities, which became plunder and a derision', while such regeneration is meant by 'shooting forth a branch and yielding fruit', 'turning to them, so that they are tilled and sown', 'so that man is multiplied, cities inhabited, and waste places built', and 'resettling them to be as they were in former times, and doing more good to them than in their early days'.
ttt[5] What desolation is like is evident from those experiencing it in the next life. Those who experience desolation there are harried by evil spirits and genii; for these pour in evil desires and false ideas which are so strong that those people are almost submerged in them. As a consequence truths are not visible; but then as the time of desolation comes to an end those truths are lit up by light received from heaven, and the evil spirits and genii are driven away, each to his own hell, where they undergo punishments. Those punishments are what is meant by 'cities which became plunder and a derision to the rest of the nations all around' and by 'the nations that are around will bear their own shame'. Such punishments are also meant by 'the cup will be put in the hand of those who oppress you', in the passage quoted above from Isaiah, as well as in another place in the same prophet, where it says that 'the one who lays waste will be laid waste', `Isaiah 33bbb1`. And in Jeremiah,
I will visit those who lay waste, and I will consign them to everlasting desolations. `Jeremiah 25bbb12`.
In Isaiah,
Your destroyers will hasten your sons, and those who lay you waste will go away from you. Lift up your eyes round about and see; they all gather together, they come to you. Because of your waste places and your desolate places, and the land of your destruction, you will be too restricted for the inhabitants; those who swallow you up will have gone far away. `Isaiah 49bbb17-19`.
ttt[6] These verses too, indeed that whole chapter in Isaiah, refer to the desolation suffered by those who are being regenerated, and to the regeneration and fruitfulness that follow desolation, verse `Genesis 41bbbccc26` referring at length to the punishment of those who have been the oppressors. In the same prophet,
Woe to you who lay waste, though you have not been laid waste; when you finish laying waste, you will be laid waste. `Isaiah 33bbb1`.
This refers to the punishment of those who lay waste, as above. In the same prophet,
Let My outcasts dwell together in you; O Moab, be a refuge to them in the presence of the one who lays waste. For the oppressor has ceased, vastation has come to an end. `Isaiah 16bbb4`.
In the same prophet,
The day of Jehovah is near; like vastation from Shaddai it will come. `Isaiah 13bbb6`.
'Vastation from Shaddai' stands for vastation in temptations. For in ancient times God, when involved in temptations, was called Shaddai, see `@@@1992`, `@@@3667`, `@@@4572`.
ttt[7] In the same prophet,
At that time they will not thirst; in the waste places He will lead them; He will make water flow for them from the rock, and He will cleave the rock so that water flows out. `Isaiah 48bbb11`.
This has to do with the state that follows desolation. In the same prophet,
Jehovah will comfort Zion, He will comfort all her waste places, so much so that He will make her wilderness like Eden and her desert like the garden of Jehovah. Gladness and joy will be found in her, confession and the voice of song. `Isaiah 51bbb3`.
Here the meaning is similar, for as stated above, desolation occurs to the end that a person may be regenerated, that is, to the end that evils and falsities may first be separated from him and then truths may be joined to forms of good, and forms of good to truths. The regenerate person so far as good is concerned is the one who is being compared to Eden, and so far as truth is concerned to the garden of Jehovah. In David,
Jehovah caused me to come up out of the pit of devastation, out of the miry clay, and He set my feet upon a rock. `Psalms 40bbb2`.
ttt[8] The vastation and desolation suffered by a member of the Church, or by the Church residing with him, was represented by the captivity of the Jewish people in Babel, while the resurgence of the Church was represented by their return from that captivity, dealt with in various places in Jeremiah, especially in Chapter `Jeremiah ccc32bbb37`-end. Desolation is a captivity, for at that time a person is held so to speak in bonds, for which reason also 'the bound', 'those in prison', or 'those in the pit' mean those experiencing desolation, see `@@@4728`, `@@@4744`, `@@@5037`, `@@@5038`, `@@@5085`, `@@@5096`.
ttt[9] Reference to a state of desolation and vastation among those who are not being regenerated is also made in various places in the Word. It is a state passed through by those who utterly deny truths or else turn them into falsities; it is the state which the Church passes through around the time of its end, when there is no faith and no charity any longer. In Isaiah,
I will cause you to know what I am about to do to My vineyard, by taking away its hedge, so that it is destroyed,`fff3` and by breaking down its wall, so that it is trodden down. I will after that make it a desolation; it will not be pruned or heed, so that bramble and shrub will come up there; indeed I will command the clouds to rain no rain on it. `Isaiah 5bbb5-7`.
In the same prophet,
Say to this people, Hearing, hear - but do not understand; and seeing, see - but do not comprehend. Make the heart of this people fat and their ears heavy, and plaster over their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and their heart understands, and they turn again and be healed. Then I said, How long, O Lord? And He said, Until cities will have been devastated, so that they are without inhabitant, and houses, so that there is no one in them, and the land is reduced to a lonely place; He will remove man. And the wilderness will be multiplied in the midst of the land. Scarcely any longer will there be a tenth part in it; it will be however an uprooting. `Isaiah 6bbb9`-end.
ttt[10] In the same prophet,
A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the God of power. For the close has been determined, overflowing with righteousness; for the Lord Jehovih Zebaoth is bringing the whole earth to its close and to its determined end. `Isaiah 10bbb21-23`.
In the same prophet,
Jehovah is emptying the earth and making it void, and He will overturn the face of it. The earth will be utterly emptied. The inhabited earth will mourn, it will be turned upside down. The world will languish and will be turned upside down. A curse will devour the earth. The new wine will mourn, the vine will languish. What is left in the city will be a waste; the gate will be smashed to devastation. The earth has been utterly broken, the earth has been utterly split open, the earth has been made to quake violently; the earth staggers altogether like a drunken man. `Isaiah 24bbb4`-end.
In the same prophet,
The highways have been devastated, the wayfarer has ceased. The earth mourns, it languishes. Lebanon has become ashamed, it has withered away; Sharon has become like a wilderness. `Isaiah 33bbb8-9`.
In the same prophet,
I will desolate and at the same time swallow up; I will lay waste mountains and hills, and dry up every plant on them. `Isaiah 42bbb14-15`.
ttt[11] In Jeremiah,
I will utterly destroy all the nations round about, and make them into a desolation, and a derision and everlasting wastes. And I will cast away from them the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the sound of the mills, and the light of the lamp, so that the whole land will be a desolation and devastation. It will happen when seventy years have been fulfilled, that I will visit the king of Babei and this nation for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and I will make it everlasting desolations. `Jeremiah 25bbb9-12` and following verses.
In the same prophet,
A desolation, a reproach, a waste, and a curse will Bozrah be; and all its cities will be everlasting wastes. Edom will be a desolation, all who pass by it will be astonished and will hiss at all its plagues. `Jeremiah 49bbb13-18`.
In Ezekiel,
Thus said the Lord to the inhabitants of Jerusalem upon the land of Israel, They will eat their bread with anxiety, and drink their waters with astonishment, that her land may be devastated of the fullness that is in it, on account of the violence of all who dwell in it. The inhabited cities will be devastated, and the land desolated. `Ezekiel 12bbb19-20`.
ttt[12] In the same prophet,
When I make you a desolate city, like the cities that are not inhabited, when I shall cause the deep to come up against you, and many waters have covered you, I will cause you to go down with those going down to the pit, to the people of old, and I will cause you to dwell in the land of the lower ones, in the desolations`fff4` from eternity, with those going down to the pit. `Ezekiel 26bbb18-21`.
This refers to Tyre. In Joel,
A day of darkness and thick darkness, a day of cloud and gloom. Fire devours before him, and behind him a flame burns; like the garden of Eden is the land before him, but behind him there is a desert waste. `Joel 2bbb2-3`.
In Zephaniah,
The day of Jehovah is near. A day of wrath is that day, a day of anguish and repression, a day of vastation and devastation, a day of darkness and thick darkness, a day of cloud and clouding over. By the fire of Jehovah's zeal the whole land will be devoured, for He`fff5` will bring to a close, indeed to a hasty one, all the inhabitants of the earth. `Zephaniah 1bbb14`-end.
In Matthew,
When you see the abomination of desolation, foretold by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place, then let those who are in Judea flee into the mountains. `Matthew 14bbb15`, `Matthew 14bbbccc16`; `Mark 13bbb14`; `Daniel 9bbb27`; `Daniel ccc11bbb10-12`.
From all these quotations it is clear that 'a desolation apparent deprivation of truth in the case of those who are being regenerated, but a total deprivation in the case of those who are not being regenerated means
`nnn1. literally, give
`nnn2. literally, I will cause you to inhabit
`nnn3. literally, depastured
`nnn4. Reading in desolationibus for in desolationem
`nnn5. The Latin means I, but the Hebrew means He, which Swedenborg has in another place where he quotes this verse.
ppp18474#pid#5377. CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE GRAND MAN - continued. IN THIS SECTION, TOO, THE CORRESPONDENCE OF THE INTERNAL ORGANS WITH IT
The subject at the end of the previous chapter was the correspondence of certain internal organs of the body with the Grand Man, that is to say, the correspondence of the liver, pancreas, stomach, and certain other organs with it. In this present section the same subject moves on to the correspondence of the peritoneum, kidneys, ureters, bladder, and also the intestines with it. Whatever exists in the human being, both in the external man and in the internal man, has a correspondence with the Grand Man. Without that correspondence with the Grand Man - that is, with heaven, or what amounts to the same, with the spiritual world - nothing can ever come into being and remain in being. This is because it does not have a connection with anything prior to itself or consequently with Him who is the First, that is, with the Lord. Nothing that lacks such a connection, thus that is independent, can remain in being for even a single instant. For everything that remains in being does so entirely by virtue of its connection with and dependence on what brings it into being; for remaining in being consists in a constant coming into being.
ttt[2] From this it follows that not only all the individual parts of the human being correspond to the Grand Man but also every single thing in the universe. The sun has a correspondence, and so does the moon; for in heaven the Lord is the Sun, and the Moon too. The fire and heat of the sun, as well as its light, have a correspondence, for it is the Lord's love towards the whole human race that its fire and heat correspond to, and His Divine truth that its light corresponds to. The stars too have a correspondence, the communities of heaven and their dwelling-places being what the stars correspond to. Not that the heavenly communities dwell in the stars, but that they have been set in order in the same kind of way as the stars. Everything under the sun has a correspondence - every single thing beneath it in the animal kingdom and every single thing beneath it in the vegetable kingdom. And unless the spiritual world were flowing into them all, every one, they would instantly break down and fall to pieces.
ttt[3] Considerable experience too has made me aware of all this, for I have been shown what very many things in the animal kingdom, and still more in the vegetable kingdom, correspond to in the spiritual world, as well as the fact that without the inflow of the spiritual world into them they cannot by any means at all remain in being. For once what is prior has been taken away what is posterior of necessity perishes, and likewise once what is prior has been severed from what is posterior. Since correspondence is primarily the correspondence of the human being with heaven, and through heaven with the Lord, the specific nature of each person's correspondence therefore determines what he looks like in the next life in the light of heaven. This explains why angels have an indescribably bright and beautiful appearance, whereas those in hell have an unspeakably dark and ugly one.
ppp18473#pid#5378. Some spirits once came to me but remained silent. Then after a while they did speak, though not as a number of individuals but all of them together as a single person. I recognized from the way they spoke that they were the kind who wished to know everything and desired the explanation for everything, and who thereby became convinced that something was true. These spirits were modest, declaring that nothing done by them was their own idea but was inspired by others, even though it may have seemed to be their own idea. At this point they began to be troubled by some other spirits who, I was told, constituted the province of the kidneys, ureters, and bladder. They were modest in their response to these other spirits, who nevertheless continued to trouble and harass them; for that is what those connected with the kidneys are like. Consequently, since they were unable to prevail over them by their modest responses they resorted to behaviour in keeping with the disposition of the ones who troubled them. That is to say, they resorted to swelling themselves out and thereby striking terror. They therefore seemed to grow large, yet solely as a single person whose body swelled out just as Atlas seemed to tower up into the sky. A spear appeared in his hand; but for all the terror that he struck he had no desire at all to do harm. The spirits belonging to the kidneys fled from him, at which point a spirit was seen who pursued them as they fled, and then another was seen who set off from a forward position and flew between the feet of the enlarged one. The enlarged one also seemed to have wooden footwear which spread right out to those spirits belonging to the kidneys.
ttt[2] Angels told me that those modest spirits who so enlarged themselves are spirits who correlate with the Peritoneum. The peritoneum is a general membrane which envelops and holds within it all the internal organs of the abdomen, in the way that the pleura does all the internal organs in the chest. And because this membrane is so extensive and is a large one compared with other membranes, and is capable of swelling out as well, the spirits connected with the peritoneum are therefore allowed, when troubled by others, to display themselves visually as that enlarged man and at the same time to strike terror, especially into those who constitute the province of the kidneys, ureters, and bladder. For these interior organs or vessels lie within the folds of the peritoneum and are held in place by it. The wooden footwear represented the lowest natural substances such as are absorbed and carried away by the kidneys, ureters, and bladder; for by 'shoes' are meant the lowest natural things, see `@@@259`, `@@@4938-4952`. The declaration made by those spirits that nothing done by them was their own idea but was inspired by others also correlated them with the peritoneum, for something similar is true of the peritoneum.
ppp18472#pid#5379. I have also been shown by the use of representations what happens when those who constitute the colon trouble those in the province of the peritoneum. Those constituting the colon are puffed up, like the colon when it is distended by its own wind. When spirits in the colon wished to make an attack on the ones in the peritoneum, it seemed as though a wall was placed in their way; and whenever they tried to overturn the wall another one invariably rose up. This was how they were kept away from those in the peritoneum.
ppp18471#pid#5380. It is well known that there are secretions and excretions and that there is a sequence of these extending from the kidneys through to the bladder. The kidneys come first in the sequence, then the ureters in the middle, and the bladder at the end of it. Those constituting these provinces in the Grand Man exist in a similar way in a sequence. But although they all belong to the same genus, they nevertheless differ from one another so far as species within that genus are concerned. When they speak their voices sound rough, as though split in two. They also have the desire to get into the body; but this remains as no more than their attempt to do so. Their position in relation to the rest of the human body is as follows: Those who correlate with the kidneys are very close to the body on the left hand side beneath the elbow; those who correlate with the ureters are further away from the body on the left hand side; and those who correlate with the bladder are still further away. All these together form, at the front on the left hand side, a virtual parabola; for they distend themselves into a shape like this at the front on the left hand side and in so doing occupy quite an elongated area. This path is the general one that leads to the hells, while another one passes through the intestines; for both these paths terminate in the hells. Those in the hells correspond to the kinds of waste products that are excreted through the intestines and bladder, the falsities and evils present with them being nothing else in the spiritual sense than urine and excrement.
ppp18470#pid#5381. Those who constitute the province of the kidneys, ureters, and bladder in the Grand Man are by nature such that there is nothing they like more than to explore and examine closely other people's characters. They are also ones who wish to correct and punish, provided that such an action is at all justly warranted. The functions of the kidneys, ureters, and bladder are also like this, for they explore the blood attracted into them to discover any useless or harmful fluid there. This they separate from what is useful and then purify it; for they send it down to lower parts, harrying it both on the way down and by various methods when it gets there. Such are the functions of those who constitute the province incorporating those parts. But the spirits and communities of spirits to which actual urine, especially stinking urine, corresponds are hellish ones. For as soon as the urine has been separated from the blood, even though still in the tubules of the kidneys or else held in the bladder, it is nevertheless outside the body, since what has been separated no longer circulates around the body and does not therefore contribute in any way to the continuing existence of its parts.
ppp18469#pid#5382. I have learned from experience on many occasions that those who constitute the province of the kidneys and ureters are ready to explore and examine closely other people's characters to discover what their thoughts are and what their wishes are. They desire to find out the reasons why those people think and wish the way they do and to arouse a sense of guilt over any faults these may have, their primary purpose being to administer correction; and I have talked to such spirits about this desire and purpose of theirs. Many of their kind were judges when they lived in the world, at which time they felt glad at heart when they found the reason which, they believed, justly warranted the imposition of a fine, correction, or punishment. The work of such spirits is also felt in the region of one's back, where the kidneys, ureters, and bladder are situated. Those who belong to the bladder extend down towards Gehenna, where also some of them sit like a court of law.
ppp18468#pid#5383. The methods used by them to explore and examine closely the minds of others are very many; but let simply the following be mentioned here. They induce the other spirits to speak, which is effected in the next life by means of an influx that defies any intelligible description. If the speech so induced flows readily, they judge from this the character of those other spirits. They also induce a state of affection. But those who explore the minds of others in this way are some of the rather obtuse ones. Others however are different, being spirits who discern in an instant, even while they are approaching someone, his thoughts, desires, and actions, including any grief felt by him over something he has done. Those spirits seize on such, and if they think the feeling is justified they also condemn him. One of the marvels in the next life which scarcely anyone in the world can believe is that as soon as any spirit approaches another spirit, more so when he approaches someone in the world, he knows in an instant his thoughts and affections and what he has been doing. Thus he knows the whole of the other's present state, altogether as though he has been constantly in his presence. This kind of communication exists there, though there are differences in such forms of discernment Some spirits perceive another's interior thoughts and affections, others perceive solely his exterior ones. Yet if the latter wish to know others' interior thoughts and affections, they can employ various methods to explore them.
ppp18467#pid#5384. The methods used by those who constitute the province of the kidneys, ureters, and bladder in the Grand Man when they do their work of correction are also various. For the most part they take away pleasant and cheerful feelings and introduce unpleasant and sad ones. Through their desire to do this those spirits communicate with the hells; but through the justice of the cause which they seek to establish before they administer any correction they communicate with heaven and are for that reason kept in that province.
ppp18466#pid#5385. From all this one may see what is meant when it is stated in the Word that Jehovah tests and examines closely the kidneys and the heart, and also corrects the kidneys, as in Jeremiah,
Jehovah testing the kidneys and the heart. `Jeremiah 11bbb20`.
In the same prophet,
Jehovah testing the righteous, seeing the kidneys and the heart. `Jeremiah 20bbb12`.
In David,
You test the heart and the kidneys, a righteous God. `Psalms 7bbb9`.
In the same author,
O Jehovah, explore my kidneys and my heart. `Psalms 26bbb2`.
In the same author,
O Jehovah, You possess my kidneys. `Psalms 139bbb19`.
In John,
I am He who has examined closely the kidneys and the heart. `Revelation 2bbb23`.
Here 'the kidneys' means spiritual areas and 'the heart' celestial ones; that is, 'the kidneys' means areas of truth, while 'the heart' means areas of good. The reason for this is that the kidneys purify fluid whereas the heart purifies actual blood, and therefore 'testing, exploring, and examining closely the kidneys' means testing, exploring, and examining closely the amount and the essential nature of truth, that is, the amount and the essential nature of the faith present with a person. This meaning is also evident in Jeremiah,
Jehovah, You are near in their mouth but far away from their kidneys.
And in David,
Jehovah, behold, You desire truth in the kidneys. `Psalms 51bbb6`.
The fact that in addition the ability to correct is attributed to the kidneys is also plain in David,
In the night seasons my kidneys correct me. `Psalms 16bbb7`.
ppp18465#pid#5386. Elsewhere in the body there are other secretory and excretory organs. In the brain there are ventricles and mamillary processes which drain away viscid substances. In addition to this there are glands in all parts, such as those producing mucus and saliva in the head, and very many in the body. Also there are millions next to the skin through which sweat and more minute used matter are excreted. Those who in the spiritual world correspond to these are in general spirits who hold on tenaciously to their point of view and also spirits who take a conscientious stand on issues that are not vitally important. Some of these are seen midway overhead; their nature is such that they make meticulous enquiries into matters into which no such enquiries at all ought to be made. Consequently, because they burden the consciences of simple people they are called 'the conscientious ones'. Yet they have no knowledge of what true conscience is, because they make all issues into matters of conscience. For if a thing is subjected to minute questioning or to doubt and the mind is anxiously fixed on such, ideas supporting this attitude and weighing the mind down are never absent. When such spirits are present they also bring a feeling of anxiety that registers in the part of the abdomen located immediately beneath the diaphragm. They are also present with a person during temptations. I have talked to them and have noticed that their thoughts do not extend to any concern for matters that have greater purpose or that are vitally important. They were incapable of paying any attention to reasons offered to them because they persisted in holding on tenaciously to their own opinion.
ppp18464#pid#5387. But the actual ones who correspond to urine are those in the hells, for urine, as stated above, is outside the body because it has already been separated from the blood and essentially is nothing else than unclean used fluid that has been cast away. Let the following details be given regarding such spirits. I once felt a certain spirit to be initially inside my body so to speak; but soon after he was outside it on my right where, once he had established himself, he could not be seen. For he had the ability to make himself unseen. When asked something he made no reply whatsoever. Others told me that during his lifetime he had engaged in piracy, for in the next life one can detect plainly from the sphere emanating from the life of a person's affections and thoughts who and what kind of person he has been. This is possible because everyone's life remains with him.
ttt[2] This spirit varied his position, appearing at one point on the right, at another on the left. I perceived that he did this because of a fear that people would know who he was and that he would be compelled to make some kind of confession. Other spirits told me that those like this one are utterly afraid if there is the slightest danger; but when no danger at all exists they are full of courage. They also told me that such spirits are opposed to those to whom the function of expelling urine corresponds. They strive in whatever way they can to impair that function; and to remove any doubts I may have had, this was demonstrated to me by experience. When those who corresponded to the function of expelling urine departed only a little way off and that pirate was still present, the passing of urine was brought to a complete halt and was also filled with danger. But once they were called back the passing of urine was resumed, directed by their presence.
ttt[3] After this that spirit did confess that he had been a pirate. He said he had the ability to conceal himself skillfully, and by being cunning and painstaking to mislead his pursuers. Now, he added, he loved foul urinous places, much more than clean waters, and that the disgusting stench of urine gave him the greatest pleasure, so much so that he wanted a dwelling-place among pools, even among casks of stinking urine. I was also shown the kind of face he had. Really he had no face at all, but instead of a face something black and bearded.
ttt[4] After this some other pirates who were less painstaking than this one were summoned. These too hardly said a word, but - which was amazing - were gnashing their teeth. They likewise said they liked urine more than any other fluids, and foul waters more than any other kind. These however did not have for a face something bearded, like the first pirate, but a dreadful array of teeth, looking like a crate. For the beard and the teeth mean the lowest natural things. The absence of a face means that no rational life at all is present, for when no face is visible this is a sign that no correspondence exists of interior things with the Grand Man. In the next life correspondence determines what anyone looks like in the light of heaven, and therefore those in hell have horribly ugly appearances.
ppp18463#pid#5388. There was once present with and talking to me a certain spirit who during his lifetime had had no faith at all and had not believed in any life after death. He had also been one of the quite hard-working. He had been able to captivate people's minds by speaking favourably to them and flattering them. For this reason it was not immediately evident from his conversation what he was really like. Also, he could speak fluently, like a running river, even as a good spirit can. Yet from this it was soon realized that he did not like to speak about matters of faith and charity, for being unable in his thinking to follow talk about these he was hesitant. Then I noticed from the particular things he said that he employed flattery that was intended to deceive; for the use of flattery is varied, depending on what its end in view may be. If the end in view, when someone resorts to flattery, is friendship, or the desire for social connections, or something similar, and also if material gain is allowable, then he is not behaving too badly. But if his end in view is to extract secrets from another person and in so doing to compel him to engage in wicked practices, in general if the end in view is to cause harm, he is behaving badly. And that was the kind of end that spirit had in view. He too was opposed to those in the province of the kidneys and ureters, and he too said he liked the stench of urine more than all other odours. He also inflicted a feeling of cramp or a painful tightness in the pit of my stomach.
ppp18462#pid#5389. There are bands of spirits wandering about who return periodically to the same places. Evil spirits have a great dread of them because those bands torment them with a particular kind of torture. I have been told that they correspond to the fundus, or upper part of the bladder in general, and to the muscular ligaments leading from there which centre on the sphincter, where a twisting action is employed to release urine. These spirits attach themselves to that part of the back where the cauda equina is situated. Their method of working is effected by rapid movements to and fro which no one can resist. The method involves a tightening and relaxing action upwards, in the form of a cone pointing upwards. Evil spirits who are placed inside this cone, especially from above, are tortured pitiably by the twistings taking place in both directions.
ppp18461#pid#5390. There are other spirits again who correspond to filthy excretions, these being the kind who in the world were firmly set on taking vengeance. I have seen these in front of me, over to the left. Also corresponding to those filthy excretions are people who have debased spiritual ideas into filthy earthly ones. Spirits such as these have also approached me, bringing their foul thoughts with them. Those thoughts also led them to say things that were foul; and worse than that, they turned pure ideas towards unclean ones and converted them into the same. A large number of spirits like these have sprung from the lowest level of society; but they also came from other levels of people who in the world were among the higher-ranking. During their lifetimes the latter did not, it is true, express foul ideas in company, even though they thought them; they refrained from speaking what they thought, to avoid ill repute or loss of the friendships, material advantages, and important positions they enjoyed. Otherwise, when among others like themselves and at liberty to do so, they uttered the same kinds of things as those belonging to the lowest level of society. Indeed what they spoke was even fouler because they had an intellectual ability which they misused to defile even those holy ideas contained in the Word and religious teaching.
ppp18460#pid#5391. There are also kidneys which are called the Subsidiary Kidneys and also the Renal Capsules. The function of these is not so much to separate fluid as actual blood, sending the purer blood by a short route round to the heart, thus ensuring that neighbouring spermatic vessels do not take away all the purer blood. But their chief work is performed in embryos and also new-born babies. Chaste virgins are the ones who constitute that province in the Grand Man; easily given to anxious feelings and fearful of being disturbed, they lie quietly on the lower left side of the body. If I think about heaven or about a change in their state, they become anxious and sigh, as I have been allowed to detect plainly on several occasions. When my thoughts turned to young children those virgins felt a significant comfort and an inner joy, to which they openly bore witness. Also whenever my thought has dwelt on something unheavenly, they have again experienced anxious feelings. Those feelings stem primarily from the fact that those virgins have an innate disposition to keep their minds fixed on one particular concern and not get rid of those anxious feelings by turning to other matters. They belong to that province because by behaving in this way they can fix another's mind constantly on certain particular thoughts, as a consequence of which a succession of such matters as must be taken away from a person and from which he must be purified emerge and reveal themselves. In this way too interior things are made more evident to the angels, for once such things as cause obscurity and divert their attention are removed, clearer vision and influx result.
ppp18459#pid#5392. Who exactly constitute the province of the Intestines in the Grand Man will become clear to some extent from those who correlate with the stomach. For the intestines are a continuation of the stomach, and the functions performed by the stomach increase in them and are intensified right through to the end of the intestines - to the colon and rectum. The spirits in the latter are therefore close to the hells which are called the excrementitious ones. In the region of the stomach and intestines are those on the lower earth. Because these have brought with them from the world forms of uncleanness clinging to their thoughts and affections, they are therefore detained for a while in that region until such forms of uncleanness have been wiped away, that is, cast away to the side. Once these have been cast away to the side those people can be raised up to heaven. People on the lower earth are not yet in the Grand Man, for they are like food which has been sent down into the stomach but which, until it has been purged, is not introduced into the bloodstream and so into the body. People contaminated with even worse earthly defilements are below those in the region of the intestines; but the actual excrement passed by the intestines corresponds to the hells called the excrementitious hells.
ppp18458#pid#5393. It is well known that the colon`fff1` belonging to the intestines is extensive; and so also are those within that province. They extend, in a frontal direction on the left side, in a line that curves and leads to a hell. In that hell there are those who have been devoid of all pity, and having no conscience have been willing to destroy the human race. That is to say, they have been willing to kill and rob people, taking no account at all of whether or not their victims offer any resistance, or whether they are men or women. A vicious disposition of mind such as this exists with a large section of soldiers and their officers; not during battles but after these are over they viciously terrorize the conquered and defenceless, and in their fury murder and rob them. I have talked to angels about spirits of this kind. Their essential nature is the same as that of human beings when left to themselves - when no law exists and they are permitted to act just as they like. In those circumstances they are far more savage than the most savage among animals, which are less inclined to plunge into killing members of their own species, except in self-defence. These also satisfy their hunger with those creatures assigned to them as their food; but once their hunger is satisfied they cease to behave in such vicious ways. But the human being, when motivated by cruel and savage feelings, is different.
ttt[2] Angels have been horrified that the human race is like this. For as soon as men see lines of troops strewn and streams of blood flowing over the whole field, their hearts are full of joy and their spirits are elated; yet they feel no joy that their country has been set free, only that they are hailed as mighty ones and heroes. Yet such men call themselves Christians and even believe that they will go to heaven, where however nothing but peace, pity, and charity dwell. Such are in the hell of the colon and rectum. Those however in whom some humanity is present are seen in a frontal direction on the left side, in the line that curves, yet on the inside of a kind of wall. But even within these people much self-love is present. Some do have a concern for what is good, which is sometimes represented by tiny stars that are almost fiery yet not bright. Once a wall appeared before me that seemed to be made of plaster and to have carved figures. This wall, which was near my left elbow, became more extensive and at the same time taller, the colour of the upper part verging on blue. I was told that this was representative of some of the better ones among this kind of spirits.
`nnn1. In this paragraph Swedenborg appears to mean the colon descendens.
ppp18457#pid#5394. People who have been both cruel and adulterous like nothing more in the next life than filth and excrement. To them the stink of these is most sweet and pleasant, and they prefer such odours to all other delights. The reason why lies in their correspondence. Those hells lie partly beneath the buttocks, partly beneath the right foot, and partly in a frontal direction, deep down. These are the hells to which the path through the rectum leads. Once a certain spirit was brought there, from where he spoke to me. He said there was nothing else in sight but latrines. Those there talked to him and led him to various other latrines, which were very numerous there. After that he was taken to another place situated a little to the left, and while he was in that place he said that an absolutely dreadful stench was emanating from caverns there and that he could not move a foot without almost falling into a cavern. The stink of dead bodies was also emanating from the caverns. The reason for this was that cruel and deceitful spirits were there, to whom the stink of dead bodies is most delightful. But these spirits are to be dealt with later on when the hells, especially the excrementitious and dead-body hells, will be the subject.
ppp18456#pid#5395. There are some who live not for the sake of any useful service they may render to their country and its communities, only for themselves. They find no delight in the holding of offices, only in being honoured and respected, which is why they seek office. In addition they take delight in eating, drinking, games, and social intercourse, yet for no other reason than their own pleasure. In the next life these people cannot by any means remain in groups of good spirits, let alone among angels. For with good spirits and angels useful service is the source of their delight; and the services they perform determine the amount and the essential nature of the delight they receive. For the Lord's kingdom is nothing else than a kingdom of useful services. Since in an earthly kingdom the extent to which anyone is esteemed and honoured is determined by the useful purpose he serves, how much more must this be so in the case of the heavenly kingdom. Those who have lived solely for themselves and their own pleasure, without any useful purpose in view, are also beneath the buttocks; and in keeping with the types of pleasure they have sought and with their ends in view they spend their time in filth.
ppp18455#pid#5396. By way of addition let the following be recounted. There was a large crowd of spirits around me, which sounded like a disorderly lot going by. They were all grumbling, declaring that everything was now being destroyed; for no unity at all was apparent among those who constituted that crowd of spirits, which made them fear destruction. They also imagined that they faced total destruction, such as takes place when the situation is as it was with them. But I detected in the midst of them a soft, sweet angelic sound, which was a wholly well-ordered one.
Angelic choirs were present in the middle of them, while the actual crowd of spirits in all their disorder were on the outside. That angelic stream of sound lasted for a long time, and I was told that it served to represent the way in which the Lord regulates confused and disordered outward elements from a peaceful centre within them; He brings order into the disordered most outlying elements by withholding each one from the error peculiar to it.
ppp18454#pid#5397. `Genesis 42bbb0`
1. And Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt; and Jacob said to his sons, Why do you look at one another?
2. And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt; go down there, and buy for us from there, and let us live and not die.
3. And Joseph's ten brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.
4. And Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob did not send with his brothers, for he said, Perhaps harm may come to him.
5. And the sons of Israel came to buy in the midst of others who came; for the famine was in the land of Canaan.
6. And Joseph, he was the governor over the land, he was selling to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brothers came and bowed down to him, faces to the earth.
7. And Joseph saw his brothers, and recognized them; and he acted as a stranger to them, and spoke hard words to them, and said to them, Where have you come from? And they said, From the land of Canaan, to buy food.
8. And Joseph recognized his brothers, and they did not recognize him.
9. And Joseph remembered the dreams which he had dreamed involving them; and he said to them, You are spies; you have come to see the nakedness of the land.
10. And they said to him, No, my lord; and your servants come to buy food.
11. All we, the sons of one man are we. We are upright men; your servants are not spies.
12. And he said to them, No, but the nakedness of the land you have come to see.
13. And they said, Twelve are your servants, brothers are we, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is with our father today, and one is not.
14. And Joseph said to them, It is as I spoke to you, saying, You are spies.
15. In this manner you will be tested: As sure as Pharaoh lives,`fff1` you shall not go out of here unless your youngest brother comes here.
16. Send one of you and let him fetch your brother; and you will be in bonds, and your words will be tested, whether the truth is with you. And if not, as sure as Pharaoh lives,`fff1` you are spies.
17. And he shut them up in custody for three days.
18. And Joseph said to them on the third day, Do this and you will live, [for] I fear God:
19. If you are upright men, let one brother among you be in bonds in the house of your custody, and you, go, take corn for the famine of your houses.
20. And bring your youngest brother to me, and your words will be verified, and you will not die. And they did so.
21. And they said, a man to his brother, Assuredly we are guilty concerning our brother, whose anguish of soul we saw when he pleaded with us and we did not hear; therefore this anguish has come to us.
22. And Reuben answered them, saying, Did I not say to you, saying, Do not sin against the boy - and you did not listen? And also, his blood; behold, it is required.
23. And they did not know that Joseph was hearing, because the interpreter was between them.
24. And he turned away from them and wept; and he came back to them and spoke to them; and he took Simeon from them, and bound him before their eyes.
25. And Joseph gave the command to fill`fff2` their vessels with grain, and to restore their silver, each man's in his sack, and to give them provision for the way; and thus he did for them.
26. And they loaded their corn onto their asses, and went from there.
27. And one opened his sack to give fodder to his ass, in a lodging-place, and he saw his silver, and behold, it was in the mouth of his pouch.
28. And he said to his brothers, My silver has been restored, and also behold, it is in my pouch. And their heart went out of them, and they trembled [turning] a man to his brother, saying, What is this that God has done to us?
29. And they came to Jacob their father, to the land of Canaan; and they pointed out to him all that was happening to them, saying,
30. The man, the lord of the land, spoke hard words to us, and took us for men spying out the land.
31. And we said to him, We are upright men; we are not spies.
32. Twelve are we, brothers, the sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is today with our father in the land of Canaan.
33. And the man, the lord of the land, said to us, By this I shall know that you are upright men: Cause one brother among you to remain with me, and take [food for] the famine of your houses, and go.
34. And bring your youngest brother to me, and I shall know that you are not spies, that you are upright men; I will give you your brother, and you will wander through the land, trading.
35. And so it was, as they were emptying their sacks, that behold, each man's bundle of silver was in his sack; and they saw their bundles of silver, they and their father, and they were afraid.
36. And Jacob their father said to them, You have bereaved me [of my children]; Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and you take Benjamin. All these things will be upon me.
37. And Reuben said to his father - he said, Make my two sons die if I do not bring him back to you; give him into my hand, and I will bring him back to you.
38. And he said, My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he, he alone, is left. And should harm happen to him on the road on which you go, you will cause my grey hair to go down in sorrow to the grave.
CONTENTS
`fff3`The subject at the end of the previous chapter was the influx of the celestial of the spiritual into the known facts present in the natural and the joining of it to these. Now the subject is the influx of the celestial of the spiritual into the truths of faith there which are known to the Church and the joining of it to those truths. Dealt with first is the attempt to gain possession of these truths through the facts known to the Church, which are 'Egypt', and to do so without the intermediary, which is 'Benjamin', along with truth from the Divine, which is 'Joseph'. But this was a failure, and therefore they were returned to where they came from, together with a measure of the good of natural truth freely given.
`nnn1. literally, May Pharaoh live!
`nnn2. literally, And Joseph commanded, and they [his servants?] filled
`nnn3. NCBSP Editors Note: Swedenborg's numbering is slightly confused here; this paragraph is sometimes numbered as `@@@5396`[a], but it seems to fit here at the end of 5397.
ppp18453#pid#5398. THE INTERNAL SENSE
This chapter and the ones that follow it concerning Jacob's sons and Joseph deal in the internal sense with the regeneration of the natural so far as the truths and goods of the Church are concerned - such regeneration being effected not by means of factual knowledge but by an influx from the Divine. Those who belong to the Church at the present day know so little about regeneration as to know virtually nothing at all about it. They do not even know that regeneration is a process that takes place throughout the whole course of the life of someone who is being regenerated and continues in the next life. Nor do they know that the arcana of regeneration are so countless that hardly the smallest fraction can be known even by angels, or that those which angels do know are what constitute the intelligence and wisdom they possess. Those belonging to the Church at the present day know so little about regeneration because they talk so much about the forgiveness of sins and justification, believing that sins can be forgiven instantaneously. Some believe that sins are washed away like dirt from the body by the use of water, and that a person is justified or made righteous by means of faith alone, that is, by means of trust of only a moment's duration. The reason people within the Church believe the way they do is that they do not know what sin or evil is. If they did possess such knowledge they would know that no one's sins can by any means at all be washed away, but that these are separated or cast away to the sides to prevent them from rising up, when the Lord maintains the presence of good within that person. They would also know that this cannot be accomplished unless evil is being cast out all the time, which is done by means that are numerically without limit and for the most part beyond description.
ttt[2] In the next life people who have brought with them the notion that a person is made righteous by faith in an instant and completely cleansed from sins are dumbfounded when they learn that regeneration is effected by means that are numerically without limit and beyond description. They laugh at their own ignorance, which they also call madness, that is, at the ideas they held to in the world regarding instantaneous forgiveness of sins and justification. Sometimes they are told that the Lord forgives the sins of everyone who in his heart desires forgiveness; but this does not mean that they are separated from the devil's crew, to whom they are bound through the evils which go along with the life which they bring with them in its entirety. After this they learn from experience that being separated from the hells is being separated from one's sins, and that this cannot possibly be accomplished except by thousands of ways known to the Lord alone, a process which, if you can believe it, continues for ever one stage after another. For the human being is so full of evil that he cannot ever be released from even one sin. But solely by the Lord's mercy, if he will accept that mercy, he is withheld from sin and maintained in good.
ttt[3] The way therefore in which a person receives new life and is regenerated is contained in the sanctuary of the Word, that is, in its internal sense. The primary reason why the internal sense contains that information is that when the Word is being read by man, it causes the angels to be aware of the bliss that wisdom brings them and at the same time to take delight in serving as means. The subject in the highest sense of this chapter and those that follow it, where the narrative concerns Joseph's brothers, is the glorification of the Lord's natural, and in the representative sense the regeneration by the Lord of man's natural, in this chapter so far as the truths of the Church are concerned.
ppp18452#pid#5399. Verses `Genesis 42bbbccc1-5` And Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt; and Jacob said to his sons, Why do you look at one another? And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt; go down there, and buy for us from there, and let us live and not die. And Joseph's ten brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. And Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob did not send with his brothers, for he said, Perhaps harm may come to him. And the sons of Israel came to buy in the midst of others who came; for the famine was in the land of Canaan.
'And [Jacob] saw' means the things that constitute faith. 'Jacob' means the natural so far as truth known to the Church is concerned. 'That there was corn in Egypt' means the intention to acquire truths to itself through factual knowledge, which is 'Egypt'. 'And Jacob said to his sons' means perception regarding truths as a general whole. 'Why do You look at one another?' means, Why did they fix their attention on these? 'And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt' means that truths can be acquired through factual knowledge. 'Go down there, and buy for us from there' means making them its own through that knowledge. 'And let us live and not die' means spiritual life received from this. 'And Joseph's ten brothers] went down' means an aim and endeavour. 'Joseph's ten brothers' means such truths known to the Church as were in agreement with one another. 'To buy grain from Egypt' means to make the good of truth its own through factual knowledge. 'And Benjamin, Joseph's brother' means the spiritual of the celestial, which is the intermediary. 'Jacob did not send with his brothers' means without that intermediary. 'For he said, Perhaps harm may come to him' means that without the celestial of the spiritual, which is 'Joseph', that intermediary will perish. 'And the sons of Israel came to buy in the midst of others who came' means the wish to acquire spiritual truths, like all other truths, through factual knowledge. 'For the famine was in the land of Canaan' means that desolation existed so far as things of the Church in the natural were concerned.
ppp18451#pid#5400. 'And [Jacob] saw' means the things that constitute faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing' as those things that constitute faith, dealt with in `@@@897`, `@@@2325`, `@@@2807`, `@@@3863`, `@@@3869`, `@@@4403-4421`. When it has no link whatsoever with such things as exist in the world, sight - that is, spiritual sight - is nothing else than a perception of truth, that is, of such things as constitute faith. Therefore 'seeing' has no other meaning in the internal sense; for the internal sense emerges when everything of a worldly nature is set aside; for the internal sense concerns itself with the kinds of things that belong to heaven.
ttt[2] The light of heaven which enables one to see there is Divine Truth received from the Lord. This appears before angels' eyes as light a thousand times brighter than the light at midday in the world; and because it holds life within it, that light therefore brings sight to angels' understanding at the same time as it does so to their eyes, imparting a discernment of truth to them which is regulated by the amount and the nature of good present within them. Because this chapter deals in the internal sense with those things that constitute faith, that is, with the truths known to the Church, the verb 'saw' is used at the very beginning of the chapter, 'saw' meaning the things that constitute faith.
ppp18450#pid#5401. 'Jacob' means the natural so far as truth known to the Church is concerned. This is clear from the representation of 'Jacob' as the doctrine of truth in the natural, and in the highest sense as the Lord's natural as regards truth, dealt with in `@@@3305`, `@@@3509`, `@@@3525`, `@@@3546`, `@@@3599`, `@@@4009`, `@@@4538`.
ppp18449#pid#5402. 'That there was corn in Egypt' means the intention to acquire truths to itself through factual knowledge, which is 'Egypt'. This is clear from the meaning of 'corn' as the truths known to the Church, or the truths of faith - 'an abundance of corn' being a multiplication of truth, see `@@@5276`, `@@@5280`, `@@@5292`; and from the meaning of 'Egypt' as factual knowledge, dealt with in `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1186`, `@@@1462`, and, in the genuine sense, facts known to the Church, see `@@@4749`, `@@@4964`, `@@@4966`. As is evident from the words that come immediately after them, the ones used here imply an intention to acquire these truths to itself. The expression 'facts known to the Church', which 'Egypt' stands for here, is used to mean all the cognitions of truth and good before they become linked to the interior man, that is, through the interior man to heaven, and thus through heaven to the Lord. The teachings of the Church and its religious observances, in addition to its cognitions about why and how these represent spiritual realities and the like, all exist as nothing more than known facts until a person sees from the Word whether they are truths, and having done so makes them his own.
ttt[2] There are two ways of acquiring the truths of faith, one way being through religious teaching, the other through the Word. When religious teaching alone is the way by which a person acquires them, he pins his faith on those who have deduced such truths from the Word, and assures himself that they are indeed truths because others have said that they are. Thus he does not believe those truths on account of any faith of his own but on account of that possessed by others. When however he gathers those truths for himself from the Word and assures himself for that reason that they are truths, he believes them on account of their Divine origin and so on account of a faith received from the Divine. Initially everyone within the Church acquires the truths that constitute faith from religious teaching; indeed this is how he ought to acquire them because he is not as yet equipped with judgement of his own that will enable him to see those truths from the Word. At this time those truths are for him no different from factual knowledge. But once he does possess the judgement to see them on his own, and if he does not consult the Word to the end that he may see from there whether they are indeed truths, they remain with him as factual knowledge. If however he does consult the Word with an affection for and an intention to know truths, and having found them there acquires them from their own true source, he receives the truths of faith from the Divine and makes them his own. These and other matters like them are what the internal sense is dealing with here; for 'Egypt' is that factual knowledge, while 'Joseph' is truth received from the Divine and so truth obtained from the Word.
ppp18448#pid#5403. 'And Jacob said to his sons' means perception regarding truths as a general whole. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in the historical narratives of the Word as perception, dealt with in `@@@1791`, `@@@1815`, `@@@1819`, `@@@1822`, `@@@1898`, `@@@1919`, `@@@2080`, `@@@2619`, `@@@2862`, `@@@3395`, `@@@3509`; and from the meaning of 'sons' as the truths of faith, dealt with in `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@533`, `@@@1147`, `@@@2623`, `@@@3373`, `@@@4257`. Also, because they were Jacob's sons, truths as a general whole are meant; for 'the twelve sons of Jacob', like the twelve tribes, meant all aspects of faith, and so truths as a general whole, see `@@@2129`, `@@@2130`, `@@@3858`, `@@@3862`, `@@@3926`, `@@@3939`, `@@@4060`.
ppp18447#pid#5404. 'Why do you look at one another?' means, Why did they fix their attention on these? This becomes clear without explanation.
ppp18446#pid#5405. 'And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt' means that truths can be acquired through factual knowledge. This becomes clear from the explanation just above in `@@@5402`, where 'that there was corn in Egypt' means the intention to acquire truths to itself through factual knowledge, which is 'Egypt'. What is meant by factual knowledge, which is 'Egypt', may also be seen in the same place. 'Corn' here stands for a word in the original language which means a breaking, and also for a similar word meaning to buy or to sell, when it is said that Jacob's sons 'bought' corn in Egypt and that Joseph 'sold' it there. The reason for this is that in the Ancient Church bread was broken when it was given to another, by which action was meant the sharing of what was one's own and the passing of good from oneself to another to be his own. Thus it meant making love mutual. For when someone breaks bread and gives it to another he is sharing with him what is his own. Or when a loaf is broken and shared among many, the single loaf becomes one shared mutually by all, and all are consequently joined together through charity.
ttt[2] From this it is evident that the breaking of bread was a sign that meant mutual love. Because this had become an accepted and customary practice in the Ancient Church, the common availability of corn was therefore meant by such a breaking. 'Bread' means the good of love, see
`@@@276`, `@@@680`, `@@@1798`, `@@@2165`, `@@@2177`, `@@@3464`, `@@@3478`, `@@@3735`, `@@@3813`, `@@@4211`, `@@@4217`, `@@@4735`, `@@@4976`; and this explains why, when the Lord gave bread, He broke it, as in Matthew,
Jesus taking the five loaves and the two fish, looking up to heaven, said a blessing, and breaking it gave the bread to the disciples. `Matthew 14bbb19`; `Mark 6bbb41`; `Luke 9bbb16`.
In the same gospel,
Taking the seven loaves and the fish, giving thanks, Jesus broke and gave them to His disciples, and the disciples to the crowd. `Matthew 15bbb36`; `Mark 8bbb6`.
In the same gospel,
Taking bread, saying a blessing, Jesus broke and gave to the disciples and said, Take, eat, this is My body. `Matthew 26bbb26`; `Mark 14bbb22`; `Luke 22bbb19`.
In Luke,
It happened, when the Lord was at table with them, that taking bread He said a blessing, and breaking it gave it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized Him. The disciples told how the Lord was known to them in the breaking of bread. `Luke 24bbb30-31`, `Luke 24bbbccc35`.
In Isaiah,
This is the fast that I choose, to break your bread for the hungry. `Isaiah 58bbb6-7`.
ppp18445#pid#5406. 'Go down there, and buy for us from there' means making them its own through that knowledge. This is clear from the meaning of 'going down' as an expression used to describe movement towards things that are more external, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'buying' as making one's own, dealt with in `@@@4397`, `@@@5374`. The accomplishment of this through that knowledge, factual knowledge, is meant by 'from there', that is to say, from Egypt; for 'Egypt' means factual knowledge, as shown above. Various places in the Word contain the expression to go up or to go down when a movement from one place to another is described. The reason for this usage is not that one place was higher than another but that going up describes a movement towards things that are more internal or superior, while going down describes a movement towards things that are more external or inferior. That is, 'going up' refers to movement towards things that are spiritual and heavenly since these are more internal and are believed to be superior, whereas 'going down' refers to a movement towards natural and earthly things as these are more external and also to outward appearance inferior. This explains why not only here but also everywhere else in the Word one is said to go down from the land of Canaan to Egypt and to come up from Egypt to the land of Canaan. 'The land of Canaan' means that which is heavenly, and 'Egypt' that which is natural; for in the representative sense the land of Canaan is the heavenly kingdom, and consequently celestial and spiritual forms of good and truth, which also reside more internally in a person who is the Lord's kingdom, whereas 'Egypt' in the representative sense is the natural kingdom, and consequently the forms of good and truth which belong to the external Church and exist for the most part as factual knowledge. For the use of 'going up' to describe a movement towards things that are more internal, see `@@@4539`.
ppp18444#pid#5407. 'And let us live and not die' means spiritual life. This is clear from the meaning of 'living and not dying' as spiritual life, for nothing else than this is meant in the internal sense by 'living and not dying'. In the next life 'life' generally means heaven, but specifically it means eternal happiness, while 'death' generally means hell, but specifically eternal unhappiness there, as is also evident from many places in the Word. The reason why heaven generally and eternal happiness specifically are called 'life' is that wisdom, which essentially is good, and intelligence, which essentially is truth, are present in heaven, and the life of such wisdom and intelligence is received from the Lord, the Source of the whole of life. But because the contrary of this exists in hell - that is to say, evil exists instead of good, and falsity instead of truth, so that spiritual life has been snuffed out there - what exists there, compared with that existing in heaven, is death. For spiritual death consists in evil and falsity, and it exists with man as the desire for what is evil and a consequent thinking what is false. Evil genii and spirits refuse to listen when it is said that they have no life or that they are dead. For they say that they do have life since they have the power of will and the power of thought. But they are told that since life resides in what is good and true it cannot possibly do so in what is evil and false, because the two are contraries.
ppp18443#pid#5408. 'And [Joseph's ten brothers] went down' means an aim and endeavour - an aim and endeavour to acquire truths to itself, and to make these its own, through factual knowledge. This is evident from the meaning of 'going down' - going down to Egypt - as an aim and endeavour.
ppp18442#pid#5409. 'Joseph's ten brothers' means such truths known to the Church as were in agreement with one another. This is clear from the meaning of 'brothers' as truths known to the Church. These truths are called 'Joseph's brothers' ('Joseph' representing truth received from the Divine) by virtue of their agreement with one another; for that agreement causes them to exist joined together like one brother to another. 'The sons of Jacob' means all the truths of faith or the truths as a general whole that are known by the Church, `@@@5403`; and the expression 'Joseph's brothers' has a similar meaning, though this is because of their agreement with one another. Jacob's ten sons by Leah mean the truths known to the external Church, but Jacob's two sons by Rachel mean the truths known to the internal Church, as is evident from what has been shown regarding Leah and Rachel. That is to say, it has been shown that 'Leah' is the affection for exterior truth and 'Rachel' the affection for interior truth, both dealt with in `@@@3758`, `@@@3782`, `@@@3793`, `@@@3819`. Also, the internal Church and the external Church are 'brothers', see `@@@1221`. The Lord Himself therefore uses the word 'brothers' to describe truths and resulting forms of good which exist in agreement with one another by virtue of charity and faith, that is, to describe people who know truths and from these desire what is good: In Matthew,
The king will say to them, Truly I say to you, Insofar as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers you did it to Me. `Matthew 25bbb40`.
And elsewhere,
Jesus answered them, saying, Who is My mother, or My brothers? And looking round about He said, Behold My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God is My brother, and My sister, and My mother. `Mark 3bbb33-35`; `Matthew 12bbb49`; `Luke 8bbb21`.
ppp18441#pid#5410. 'To buy grain from Egypt' means to make the good of truth its own through factual knowledge. This is clear from the meaning of 'buying' as making one's own, dealt with in `@@@4397`, `@@@5374`, `@@@5406`; from the meaning of 'grain' as the good of truth, dealt with in `@@@5295`; and from the meaning of 'Egypt' as factual knowledge, dealt with above in `@@@5402`.
ppp18440#pid#5411. 'And Benjamin, Joseph's brother' means the spiritual of the celestial, which is the intermediary. This is clear from the representation of 'Benjamin' as the spiritual of the celestial, dealt with in `@@@4592`, where it may also be seen that the spiritual of the celestial is the intermediary. In general it should be recognized that what is internal cannot have any communication with what is external, or conversely what is external with what is internal, unless an intermediary exists. Consequently truth from the Divine, which is 'Joseph', cannot have any communication with the truths that exist as a general whole within the natural, which are 'the sons of Jacob', unless the intermediary that is represented by 'Benjamin' and is called the spiritual of the celestial is present. And to be the intermediary it must partake of both, of both the internal and the external. The reason an intermediary is needed is that the internal and the external are utterly distinct from each other, so distinct that they can be separated from each other, just as a person's external or lowest part, which is his body, can be separated when it dies from his internal part, which is his spirit. The external is dead when the intermediary is severed from it but living when the intermediary is in place; also, the amount and the nature of the life that the external possesses depends on the amount and nature of the life that the intermediary present within it possesses. Because Jacob's sons did not have Benjamin, who is the intermediary, with them, Joseph could not therefore reveal who he was to his brothers. He consequently spoke hard words to them, calling them spies and placing them in custody, as a consequence of which they did not recognize him as Joseph.
ttt[2] But the essential nature of this intermediary represented by 'Benjamin' and called the spiritual of the celestial defies any description that is intelligible. For not even any rough ideas exist about the celestial of the spiritual, which is 'Joseph', or about the truths of the Church existing merely as known facts, which are 'the sons of Jacob', and therefore no rough ideas exist either about the spiritual of the celestial, which is 'Benjamin'. But in the light of heaven the nature of this intermediary is seen as if in broad daylight. Its essential nature is revealed by the use of indescribable representatives seen in the light of heaven, which light at the same time holds perception within it. For the light of heaven is essentially intelligence flowing from the Divine which enables every single thing represented in the light of heaven to be perceived. The same is not so with the light of the world, for that light does not hold any intelligence at all within it; yet the understanding is formed by means of it - by means of the inflowing light of heaven into it, and at the same time by means of the inflowing of the power of perception which the light of heaven contains within itself. This being so, a person dwells in the light of heaven insofar as intelligence exists with him, while intelligence exists with him insofar as the truths of faith do so, and the truths of faith exist with him insofar as the good of love does so. Consequently a person dwells in the light of heaven insofar as the good of love exists with him.
ppp18439#pid#5412. 'Jacob did not send with his brothers' means without that intermediary. This becomes clear from what has been stated immediately above.
ppp18438#pid#5413. 'For he said, Perhaps harm may come to him' means that without the celestial of the spiritual, which is 'Joseph', that intermediary will perish. This is clear from the meaning of 'coming to harm' here as perishing. These words were spoken by Benjamin's father because he loved him and was afraid that he would perish among his brothers, as Joseph had done. But they have been quoted and incorporated into the Word because of the internal sense, which is that if the intermediary is present with external things alone without the internal it will perish, the intermediary being 'Benjamin', the external things 'the sons of Jacob', and the internal 'Joseph'. Indeed the intermediary perishes whenever it exists with external things alone without the internal, for the situation with the intermediary is this: It derives its being from what is internal and is therefore also kept in being from there; for it is brought into being when the internal beholds the external, when the affection and intention exists there to link that external to itself. Accordingly what is intermediate exists joined to the internal; and extending from the internal it is joined to the external, but not to the external without the internal. From this it is evident that if the intermediary is present with the external alone it will perish. What is more, it is a law common both to things in the spiritual world and to those in the natural world that anything prior can remain in being with what is prior to that, but not with what is posterior without what is prior to it. If it exists solely with what is posterior it will perish. The reason for this is that everything unconnected to something prior to itself is unconnected to Him who is the First, the Source of all that comes into being and is kept in being.
ppp18437#pid#5414. 'And the sons of Israel came to buy in the midst of others who came' means the wish to acquire spiritual truths, like all other truths, through factual knowledge. This is clear from the meaning of 'the sons of Israel' as spiritual truths (for 'sons' are truths, see above in `@@@5403`, and 'Israel' is the celestial-spiritual man coming out of the natural, `@@@4286`, `@@@4570`, `@@@4598`, so that 'the sons of Israel' are spiritual truths within the natural); from the meaning of 'buying' as being acquired; and from the meaning of 'in the midst of others who came' as like all other truths, that is to say, ones acquired through factual knowledge.
ppp18436#pid#5415. 'For the famine was in the land of Canaan' means that a desolation existed so far as things of the Church in the natural were concerned. This is clear from the meaning of 'the famine' as an absence of cognitions and consequently as a desolation, dealt with in `@@@3364`, `@@@5277`, `@@@5279`, `@@@5281`, `@@@5300`, `@@@5349`, `@@@5360`, `@@@5376`; and from the meaning of 'the land of Canaan' as the Church, dealt with in `@@@3686`, `@@@3705`, `@@@4447`. And as the Church is meant, what belongs to the Church is meant also. So it is that 'the famine was in the land of Canaan' means a desolation so far as things of the Church are concerned. The reason the desolation exists in the natural is that the words used here have reference to the sons of Jacob, by whom aspects of the external Church are meant, `@@@5409`, and consequently such things as belong to the Church within the natural.
ppp18435#pid#5416. Verses `Genesis 42bbbccc6-8` And Joseph, he was the governor over the land, he was selling to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brothers came and bowed down to him, faces to the earth. And Joseph saw his brothers, and recognized them; and he acted as a stranger to them, and spoke hard words to them, and said to them, Where have you come from? And they said, From the land of Canaan, to buy food. And Joseph recognized his brothers, and they did not recognize him.
'And Joseph, he was the governor over the land' means that the celestial of the spiritual, or truth from the Divine, reigned in the natural where factual knowledge resided. 'He was selling to all the people of the land' means that this was what effected every making over. 'And Joseph's brothers came' means general truths known to the Church which were without any intermediary. 'And bowed down to him, faces to the earth' means an expression of humility. 'And Joseph saw his brothers, and recognized them' means perception and recognition by the celestial of the spiritual. 'And he acted as a stranger to them' means that in the absence of the intermediary no joining together took place. 'And spoke hard words to them' means no agreement therefore existed either. 'And said to them, Where have you come from?' means an investigation. 'And they said, From the land of Canaan' means from the Church. 'To buy food' means to make the truth of good their own. 'And Joseph recognized his brothers' means that the truths of the Church were visible to the celestial of the spiritual in the light that this possessed. 'And they did not recognize him' means that truth from the Divine was not seen in natural light that was not yet brightened with heavenly light.
ppp18434#pid#5417. 'And Joseph, he was the governor over the land' means that the celestial of the spiritual, or truth from the Divine, reigned in the natural where factual knowledge resided. This is clear from the representation of 'Joseph' as the celestial of the spiritual, dealt with in `@@@4286`, `@@@4963`, `@@@5249`, `@@@5307`, `@@@5331`, `@@@5332` (as regards the celestial of the spiritual being truth from the Divine, this will be seen below); from the meaning of 'the governor' as the one who reigned; and from the meaning of 'the land', in this case the land of Egypt, as the natural mind, and so the natural, dealt with in `@@@5176`, `@@@5278`, `@@@5280`, `@@@5288`, `@@@5301`. Regarding the fact that the celestial of the spiritual reigned within the natural where factual knowledge resided, see `@@@5313`; and the fact that 'Egypt' in the internal sense means factual knowledge, see `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1186`, `@@@1462`, `@@@4749`, `@@@4964`, `@@@4966`. The reason why the celestial of the spiritual is truth from the Divine is that, until it had been fully glorified, the Lord's Internal Human - being the receptacle of His Divine - was the celestial of the spiritual. It has to be called this because no other terms or thought-forms exist to describe it. This receptacle or recipient of the Divine is the same as truth from the Divine; and 'Joseph' is that truth, see `@@@4723`, `@@@4727`.
ppp18433#pid#5418. 'He was selling to all the people of the land' means that this was what effected every making over. This is clear from the meaning of 'selling' as making over to another as his own, dealt with in `@@@5371`, `@@@5374`; and from the meaning of 'the people of the land' as truths known to the Church, dealt with in `@@@2928`, in this case truths in the natural, `@@@5409`.
ppp18432#pid#5419. 'And Joseph's brothers came' means the general truths known to the Church which were without any intermediary. This is clear from the meaning of 'Joseph's brothers' as general truths known to the Church, dealt with above in `@@@5409`. They lacked any intermediary because Benjamin who was the intermediary was not with them. As regards 'Benjamin' being that intermediary, see above in `@@@5411`, `@@@5413`.
ppp18431#pid#5420. 'And bowed down to him, faces to the earth' means an expression of humility. This is clear from the meaning of 'bowing down' as an expression of humility, dealt with in `@@@2153`, and of 'faces to the earth' as a reverent expression of humility, `@@@1999`. The phrase 'expression of humility' is not used here to mean that which arises out of acknowledgement or recognition and is therefore an inward humility. Rather, an outward humility is meant, because such a bowing down was the accepted way to behave in front of the governor of the land. No inward, only outward humility is meant because as yet no agreement existed, no agreement leading to a joining together. When such is the state of the natural it can indeed humble itself, doing so to the utmost; yet this is no more than an acquired habit. It is a posture devoid of genuine affection as the producer of it, and so is a bodily action lacking its own true soul. This kind of an expression of humility is meant here.
ppp18430#pid#5421. 'And Joseph saw his brothers, and recognized them' means perception and recognition by the celestial of the spiritual. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing' as perception, dealt with in `@@@2150`, `@@@3764`, `@@@4567`, `@@@4723`; from the representation of 'Joseph' as the celestial of the spiritual, dealt with above in `@@@5417`; from the meaning of 'his brothers' as general truths known to the Church, also dealt with above, in `@@@5419`; and from the meaning of 'recognizing' as recognition resulting from perception. Regarding this recognition on Joseph's side and the non-recognition on his brother's side, see below in `@@@5422`, `@@@5427`, `@@@5428`.
ppp18429#pid#5422. 'And he acted as a stranger to them' means that in the absence of the intermediary no joining together took place. This is clear from the meaning of 'acting as a stranger' here as the fact that no joining together takes place because the intermediary is absent. For one who is not joined reciprocally to others because no intermediary is present seems to be a stranger, which is how internal truth, or truth coming directly from the Divine, is seen by people who are interested solely in external truths. This now explains why Joseph at this point acted as a stranger to his brothers. Not that he was really alienated from them; rather, he loved them, for verse `Genesis 42bbbccc24` says that he turned away from them and wept. The alienation existed on their side, for the reason that they were not joined to him; and this was represented by his acting in the way he did. Let an exemplification of this be seen in those places in the Word which say that Jehovah or the Lord acts as a stranger towards people, sets Himself against them, casts them away, condemns them, sends them to hell, punishes them, and is delighted when such things are done. When these things are said of Him the meaning in the internal sense is that those people act as strangers towards Jehovah or the Lord, set themselves against Him, are subject to evils which cast these people away from His presence, condemn them, send them to hell, and punish them, and that Jehovah or the Lord is by no means at all the source from which such deeds spring. But the Word speaks as though He is since that is the appearance; for to the simple He does appear to do those very things.
ttt[2] Something similar is the case with internal truths. Looked at from the point of view of external truths that are not joined to them through an intermediary, those internal truths appear totally alien to them; indeed they are sometimes seen to be set in opposition to them. But there is no opposition on the part of the internal truths; rather it exists with the external ones. For when these have no intermediary to join them to internal truths they inevitably view the internal ones by the light of the world separated from the light of heaven, and consequently see them as strangers alienated from them. But more will be said about this further on.
ppp18428#pid#5423. 'And spoke hard words to them' means no agreement therefore existed either. This is clear from the same explanation offered above regarding his acting as a stranger, though 'acting as a stranger' has regard to affection, which is an activity of the will, whereas 'speaking hard words' has regard to thought, which is an activity of the understanding; for in the internal sense speaking' means engaging in thought, `@@@2271`, `@@@2287`, `@@@2619`. What is internal appears to what is external to be 'a stranger' when no affection is present, and it appears 'to speak hard words' when the two are not in agreement. Such agreement exists when the internal manifests itself within the external and produces a representation of itself within this, so that no agreement exists when the internal does not manifest itself within the external and does not therefore produce any representation of itself within it. And that leads to the hardness there.
ppp18427#pid#5424. 'And said to them, Where have you come from?' means an investigation. This is clear without explanation.
ppp18426#pid#5425. 'And they said, From the land of Canaan' means from the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'the land of Canaan' as the Church, dealt with in `@@@3705`, `@@@3686`, `@@@4447`.
ppp18425#pid#5426. 'To buy food' means to make the truth of good their own. This is clear from the meaning of 'buying' as making one's own, dealt with in `@@@4397`, `@@@5374`, `@@@5406`, `@@@5410`; and from the meaning of 'food' as the truth of good, dealt with in `@@@5293`, `@@@5340`, `@@@5342`.
ppp18424#pid#5427. 'And Joseph recognized his brothers' means that the truths of the Church were visible to the celestial of the spiritual in the light that this possessed. This is clear from the meaning of 'recognizing' as perceiving, seeing, and so being visible; from the representation of 'Joseph' as the celestial of the spiritual, dealt with already; and from the meaning of 'his brothers' as the general truths known to the Church, dealt with above in `@@@5409`, `@@@5419`. And Since 'Joseph recognized his brothers' means that those truths - the general truths known to the Church - were visible to the celestial of the spiritual, it follows that they were seen by the light in which the celestial of the spiritual dwells and so by the light which the celestial of the spiritual possesses. In this light, which is truth from the Divine, `@@@5417`, every single truth below - that is, within the natural - is visible. But the reverse is not possible if no intermediary is present, still less if no agreement between the two sides exists, no agreement enabling the two to be joined together. This becomes quite clear from the consideration that angels dwelling in the heavens, and so in the light of heaven, can see every single thing that happens in the world of spirits, which is immediately below the heavens, as well as every single thing that happens on the earth of the lower ones, and indeed that happens in the hells. But the reverse is not possible.
ttt[2] It is also the case that the angels of a higher heaven can see everything that is happening in the heaven beneath them, but the reverse is not so unless an intermediary exists. Intermediary spirits also serve as the means by which communication forward and back takes place. When therefore those who are in a lower position and have no intermediary, and more particularly those who are not in agreement with the ones above them, look at the light of heaven, they see absolutely nothing at all; everything there appears to them to dwell in total obscurity. But in fact those in the place where they look dwell in the brightest light. This may be illustrated by the following unique experience: A large city once appeared in front of me, where there were thousands of different, delightful and beautiful sights. I saw these because an intermediary had been provided; yet the spirits present with me could not see a single thing because they had no intermediary. I was told that even though they are present in that place those who are not in agreement with the ones above them discern nothing whatever of the things existing there.
ttt[3] The same is similarly true of a person's interior man or spirit, which is also called his soul. The interior man can see every single thing present and taking place in the exterior man; but the reverse is not possible unless the two are in agreement and an intermediary is present. To the exterior man therefore, when it is not in agreement with the interior man, the interior man does not appear to have any existence. It appears to be so completely non-existent that when anything is said about the interior man, it seems to the exterior man either to be so obscure that it is unwilling even to contemplate it or to be nothing it can believe in. But when agreement between the two does exist, the exterior man sees, with the help of the intermediary, what is going on in the interior man. For then the light which the interior man possesses enters into the light which the exterior or natural man possesses; that is, heavenly light passes into natural light and brightens it, and in this brighter light what is happening to the interior man is made visible. This is the origin of the intelligence and wisdom which the exterior man possesses. But if no intermediary is present, and especially if no agreement exists, the interior man sees and perceives what is going on in the exterior man and also to some extent guides it; the reverse however does not happen. More than that, if contrariety exists - that is to say, if the exterior man completely perverts or snuffs out what comes in by way of the interior man - the interior man is deprived of the light it receives from heaven, heaven is inaccessible to it, and a communication from hell with the exterior man is opened up. You may see more about these matters in what now follows below.
ppp18423#pid#5428. 'And they did not recognize him' means that truth from the Divine was not seen in natural light that was not yet brightened with heavenly light. This becomes clear from what has gone immediately before this, for since 'Joseph recognized his brothers' means that general truths known to the Church were seen by the celestial of the spiritual by the light this possessed, it follows that 'they did not recognize him' means that the celestial of the spiritual, which is truth from the Divine, was not seen by the general truths known to the Church while these were in natural light not yet brightened with heavenly light. This meaning may indeed be seen from what has been stated immediately above; but as it belongs among arcana let some examples be used to shed light on the matter. Take as an example the glory of heaven. Consider those who, when they think about the glory of heaven, see this in natural light that has not been brightened with heavenly light because no intermediary is present, especially if no agreement exists. Such people's idea of the glory of heaven cannot be anything different from the kind of idea they possess about the glory of the world when they read, for instance, about the revelations made to prophets, in particular those made to John and described in the Book of Revelation, in which everything is most magnificent. One may tell these people that the glory of heaven surpasses all worldly magnificence, so completely that one cannot begin to compare it with that glory. One may also tell them that even this is not really the glory of heaven, but that the glory of heaven consists in that which is of God shining out of every individual thing to be seen there, and in a perception of Divine realities and in the wisdom gained from that perception. One may tell these people too that this alone is the glory to those who are there, for they consider worldly magnificence, in comparison with such wisdom, to be nothing at all, and they attribute all wisdom to the Lord and none whatsoever to themselves. But if people behold the glory of heaven in natural light devoid of an intermediary, and especially if no agreement exists, that glory goes completely unrecognized.
ttt[2] Take angelic power as another example. Consider those who, when they think about angelic power, in particular that of the archangels who are mentioned in the Word, do so in natural light that has not been brightened with heavenly light because no intermediary is present, especially if because no agreement exists. Such people's idea of that power cannot be anything different from the idea they have of the power wielded by powerful rulers in the world. That is to say, they think that angels have thousands upon thousands of subordinates over whom they rule, and that high positions in heaven involve that kind of domination. One may tell these people that angelic power does indeed surpass all power wielded by powerful rulers in the world and is so great that just one of the subordinate angels can drive away millions of hellish spirits and send them down into their own hells, which is why in the Word angels are called 'powers' and 'dominions'. One may also tell those people that the least of the angels is the greatest; that is, the one who believes, wishes, and perceives that all power originates entirely within the Lord and never at all within himself is a very highly powerful ruler. And therefore those who are 'powers' in heaven utterly detest any power that derives from themselves. But neither is any of this recognized when beheld in natural light devoid of the intermediary, and more so if no agreement exists.
ttt[3] Take yet another example. Consider a person who looks at freedom from a natural idea devoid of an intermediary linking it to a spiritual one, and especially if no agreement exists between the two. He cannot see freedom as anything else than thinking and willing from what is within himself and being able to carry out without restriction whatever he so thinks and wills. More than that, to the end that he can have whatever he thinks and wills the natural man wishes to become very rich; and to the end that he can carry out whatever he thinks and wills he wishes to become very powerful. Once he has attained this he imagines that he is in perfect freedom and consequently possesses real happiness. If however one tells people like this that true freedom, called heavenly freedom, is not at all like that, but that it involves no willing from what is within oneself, only from the Lord, and does not involve any thinking from what is within oneself, only from heaven, and that feelings of pain and sorrow ensue if one is allowed to think from what is within oneself and to will from what is in oneself, nothing of this is recognized.
These examples may serve to some extent to show what is implied by truth from the Divine not being seen in natural light that has not yet been brightened with heavenly light, meant by Joseph's brothers not recognizing him.
ppp18422#pid#5429. Verses `Genesis 42bbbccc9-16` And Joseph remembered the dreams which he had dreamed involving them; and he said to them, You are spies; you have come to see the nakedness of the land. And they said to him, No, my lord; and your servants come to buy food. All we, the sons of one man are we. We are upright men; your servants are not spies. And he said to them, No, but the nakedness of the land you have come to see. And they said, Twelve are your servants, brothers are we, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is with our father today, and one is not. And Joseph said to them, It is as I spoke to you, saying, You are spies. In this manner you will be tested: As sure as Pharaoh lives,`fff1` you shall not go out of here unless your youngest brother comes here. Send one of you and let him fetch your brother; and you will be in bonds, and your words will be tested, whether the truth is with you. And if not, as sure as Pharaoh lives,`fff1` you are spies.
'And Joseph remembered the dreams which he had dreamed involving them' means that the celestial of the spiritual foresaw what was to happen to the general truths known to the Church in the natural. 'And he said to them' means the consequent perception. 'You are spies' means that they existed solely for the sake of gain. 'You have come to see the nakedness of the land' means that nothing would please them more than to know for themselves that they are not truths. 'And they said to him, No, sir, we are upright men'`fff2` means that truths are indeed present within them. 'And your servants come to buy food' means that they are present to enable the natural to make them its own by means of good. 'All we, the sons of one man are we' means that those truths all have the same origin. 'We are upright men' means that truths are accordingly present within them. 'Your servants are not spies' means that thus they are not there for the sake of gain. 'And he said to them, No, but the nakedness of the land you have come to see' means that they do not care whether they are truths. 'And they said, Twelve are your servants, brothers are we' means that all aspects of faith exist joined together in this manner. 'The sons of one man' means that they have the same origin. 'In the land of Canaan' means in the Church. 'And behold, the youngest is with our father today' means that they are also joined to spiritual good. 'And one is not' means that the Divine spiritual from which [the joining together begins] is not apparent. 'And Joseph said to them' means perception regarding that matter. 'It is as I spoke to you' means that the truth of the matter is as I thought. 'Saying, You are spies' means that they are interested in the truths known to the Church for the sake of gain. 'In this manner you will be tested' means it will be seen whether this is so. 'As sure as Pharaoh lives' means a certainty. 'You shall not go out of here unless your youngest brother comes here' means that truths with you cannot help being such unless these have been joined to spiritual good. 'Send one of you and let him fetch your brother' means provided that some kind of joining to that good exists. 'And you will be in bonds' means if all else is still separated. 'And your words will be tested, whether the truth is with you' means that in this way the fact of the matter will be established. 'And if not, as sure as Pharaoh lives, you are spies' means otherwise it is certain that truths exist with you solely for the sake of gain.
`nnn1. literally, May Pharaoh live!
`nnn2. Here and in `@@@5434` Swedenborg has Non domine, recti nos (No sir, we are upright men) instead of Non domine mi (No, my lord).
ppp18421#pid#5430. 'And Joseph remembered the dreams which he had dreamed involving them' means that the celestial of the spiritual foresaw what was to happen to the general truths known to the Church in the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'remembering' as what exists at present, for whenever one calls something to remembrance it is brought into the present ('remembering' is used in references to foresight, see `@@@3966`); from the representation of 'Joseph' as the celestial of the spiritual, often dealt with already; and from the meaning of 'dreams' as foresight, foretelling, and outcome, dealt with in `@@@3698`, `@@@5091`, `@@@5091`, `@@@5104`, here therefore a foresight of what was to happen to the general truths known to the Church in the natural, these truths being meant by 'the sons of Jacob', `@@@5409`, `@@@5419`. This explains the addition of the phrase 'which he had dreamed'.
ppp18420#pid#5431. 'And he said to them' means the consequent perception. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as perception, dealt with in `@@@1791`, `@@@1815`, `@@@1819`, `@@@1822`, `@@@1898`, `@@@1919`, `@@@2080`, `@@@2619`, `@@@2862`, `@@@3509`.
ppp18419#pid#5432. 'You are spies' means that they existed solely for the sake of gain. This is clear from the meaning of 'spies' here as being bent on material gain; indeed it is clear from the train of thought that nothing else is meant in the internal sense by 'spies'. For the internal sense here deals with the truths known to the Church which are to be made over to the natural as its own. But such a making over is not possible unless an influx takes place from the celestial of the spiritual through the intermediary, those truths known to the Church being 'the sons of Jacob', who are 'Joseph's brothers', the celestial of the spiritual being 'Joseph', and the intermediary being 'Benjamin'. The implications of all this have been stated in `@@@5402`. There it is shown that when the truths of faith which are known to the Church and are called its teachings are learned at the earliest stage of life, they are taken in and consigned to the memory as facts in the same way as any other factual knowledge. And they remain there as factual knowledge until the person begins to use his own ability to look at those truths and see for himself whether they really are truths, and - having seen that they are such - to act in conformity with them. That ability to look at such truths and this willingness to act in conformity with them cause them to be factual knowledge no longer. Now they are commandments to be obeyed in life, till at length they are his life; for they then pass into the life he leads and are made his own.
ttt[2] People who have reached adult years, and especially those who have arrived at old age, but have not used their own ability to look at the truths known to the Church, called its doctrinal teachings, to see for themselves whether these really are truths, or to form any subsequent wish to live in conformity with them, inevitably retain them in exactly the same way as they do all other factual knowledge. Those truths remain solely in their natural memory, and from there in their mouth. When they speak truths they do so not from their interior man or heart, only from their exterior man or mouth. When this is a person's state he cannot possibly believe that the truths known to the Church are truths, no matter how much it might seem to him that he does believe that they are. The reason why it seems to him that he does believe they are truths is that he trusts other people and their ideas and firmly embraces them. To embrace firmly other people's ideas, no matter whether they are truths or falsities, is very easy, for it involves no more than the use of one's intellect.
ttt[3] These truths known to the Church - that is, those people with whom they exist in the way explained immediately above - are meant by spies coming to see the nakedness of the land. For their belief in the teachings of their Church does not spring from any affection for truth but from an affection for securing important positions and personal gain. For this reason they themselves have scarcely any belief, and there is denial for the most part in their hearts. They regard the Church's teachings in the way a merchant does his wares, in that they seem to themselves to be well-taught and wise when from within themselves they see those teachings as untrue and yet they are able to convince the common people that they are true. It is quite evident from those in the next life that very many leaders of Churches are like this. Wherever they go in the next life they take with them the sphere emanating from their affections and consequent thoughts, and that sphere is clearly perceptible to others. From this sphere one can recognize quite plainly what kind of affection for truth and what kind of faith they have possessed. The same is not made plain in the world because no spiritual perception of such things exists there. This being so, those leaders of Churches do not reveal what they really think, for that would deprive them of what they seek to gain.
ttt[4] The fact that these are 'spies' becomes perfectly clear from the consideration that they are the kind of people who do nothing else than find fault with, so as to accuse and condemn, those who adhere to truths grounded in good. Whether they belong to the Papists so-called, or to the Reformed, or to the Quakers, or to the Socinians, or to the Jews, are not such people, once they have firmly embraced the teachings of their Church, nothing else than 'spies'? They deride and condemn absolute truths, if these are known anywhere; for truths are not embraced by them because they are truths, the reason for this being that they are not moved by any affection for truth for its own sake, let alone for their life's sake, only for the sake of personal gain. Also, when such people read the Word they examine it closely with the sole intention of confirming what is already known and taught, and for the sake of material gain. Many of them examine the Word closely 'to see the nakedness of the land', that is, to see there the truths known to the Church not as truths but merely as means that will serve them to convince others, for the sake of their own personal gain, that they are truths.
ttt[5] People however who are moved by an affection for truth for its own sake and for their life's sake, consequently for the sake of the Lord's kingdom, do indeed have faith in the teachings of the Church. But even so they examine the Word closely with no other end in view than to see the truth itself, as a result of which they develop a faith and a conscience that are their own. If anyone tells them that they ought to keep to the teachings of the Church in which they were born, they then think that they would have been told exactly the same if they had been born within Judaism, within Socinianism, Quakerism, or Christian Gentilism, or even outside the Church, and that everywhere they would say, This is where the Church is, this is where the Church is; truths exist here and nowhere else! This being what they think they decide to examine the Word closely, praying sincerely to the Lord for enlightenment as they do so. People like these do not upset anyone else within the Church, nor do they ever condemn others, for they recognize that the life led by everyone who is a Church is founded on the faith that is his own.
ppp18418#pid#5433. 'You have come to see the nakedness of the land' means that nothing would please them more than to know for themselves that they are not truths. This is clear from the meaning of 'coming to see' as wishing to know that a thing is so, and therefore as nothing would give greater pleasure than to know it; from the meaning of 'the nakedness' as a lack of truths, thus that they are not truths, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'the land' as the Church (see `@@@566`, `@@@662`, `@@@1067`, `@@@1262`, `@@@1733`, `@@@1850`, `@@@2117`, `@@@2118` (end), `@@@3355`, `@@@4447`, `@@@4535`). So that 'the nakedness of the land' here means a lack of truths known to the Church. The reason 'the nakedness' means a deprivation or lack of truths is that 'clothes' in general means truths, while each specific type of garment means some particular kind of truth, see `@@@2576`, `@@@3301`, `@@@4545`, `@@@4677`, `@@@4741`, `@@@4742`, `@@@4763`, `@@@5248`, `@@@5319`, and therefore 'the nakedness' means a lack of truths, as will also be seen from the places below that are quoted from the Word.
ttt[2] The implications of this may be seen from what has been stated immediately above in `@@@5472`, where it is said that people who do not learn truths for truth's own sake and for their life's sake, but for the sake of material gain, inevitably think that the truths known to the Church are not truths. The reason for this is that the affection for gain is an earthly affection, whereas the affection for truth is a spiritual one. One or the other must have dominion, for no one can serve two masters. Consequently where one affection exists the other does not, so that where the affection for truth is present the affection for gain is absent, and where the affection for gain is present the affection for truth is absent. This being so, if the affection for material gain has dominion, then inevitably nothing pleases the person more than to know that truths are not truths. Yet nothing else pleases him more than when others believe that truths are truths. If the internal man looks downwards, that is to say, towards earthly things and makes these everything, he cannot possibly look upwards and have anything there since earthly things completely swallow up and smother everything. The reason for this is that the angels from heaven who are present with a person cannot dwell among earthly things; they therefore depart, in which case spirits from hell draw near who, while they are present with a person, cannot dwell among heavenly things. As a consequence he then thinks that heavenly things are of no importance, while earthly ones are everything. And when that person thinks that earthly things are everything, he believes himself to be more learned and wiser than everybody else, in that he himself does not accept the truths known to the Church, and at the same time says that they exist for those who are simple. The affection that moves a person is therefore either an earthly affection or else a heavenly one, for he cannot have his being simultaneously with angels from heaven and with spirits from hell; for if he did he would be left hanging between heaven and hell. But when he is moved by an affection for truth for truth's own sake, that is, for the sake of the Lord's kingdom (where Divine Truth is present) and so for the Lord's sake, he is among angels. He does not in this case despise material gain insofar as it enables him to lead his life in the world. But such gain is not his end in view, only the useful purposes it serves which are seen by him as intermediate ends leading on to an ultimate heavenly one. This being so, his heart is by no means at all set on material gain.
ttt[3] The fact that 'the nakedness' means a lack of truths may also be seen from other places in the Word, as in John,
To the angel of the Church of the Laodiceans write, Because you say, I am rich and have become wealthy, so that I have need of nothing - when you do not know that you are wretched and miserable, and needy, and blind, and naked.... `Revelation 3bbb17`.
Here being 'naked' stands for suffering from a scarcity of truth. In the same place,
I counsel you to buy from Me gold purified in the fire, and white garments to clothe you, and do not let the shame of your nakedness be manifested. `Revelation 3bbb18`.
'Buying gold' stands for acquiring good and making this one's own, 'that you may become wealthy' for acquiring it to the end that celestial and spiritual good may be present; 'white garments' stands for spiritual truths, 'the shame of nakedness' for the lack of any goodness or truth. For 'buying' means acquiring and making one's own, see `@@@5374`; 'gold' celestial and spiritual good, `@@@1551`, `@@@1552`; 'garments' truths, `@@@1073`, `@@@2576`, `@@@4545`, `@@@4763`, `@@@5248`, `@@@5319`; while 'white' is attributed to truth because this comes from the light of heaven, `@@@3301`, `@@@3993`, `@@@4007`, `@@@5319`.
ttt[4] In the same book,
Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is he who is awake and keeps his garments, so that he may not walk naked. `Revelation 16bbb15`.
'He who keeps his garments' stands for the person who hangs on to truths. 'So that he may not walk naked' stands for so that he is not without truths. In Matthew,
The King will say to those at His right hand, I was naked and you clothed Me around, and to those at His left, I was naked and you did not clothe Me around. `Matthew 25bbb36`, `Matthew 25bbbccc43`.
'Naked' stands for the good who acknowledge that within themselves no good or truth at all exists, `@@@4958`.
ttt[5] In Isaiah,
Is not this the fast, to break your bread for the hungry, and that you may bring afflicted outcasts to your house, when you see the naked and cover him? `Isaiah 58bbb7`.
Here the meaning is similar. In Jeremiah,
Jerusalem sinned grievously, therefore she became a menstruous woman; all who honoured her despised her, for they saw her nakedness. `Lamentations 1bbb8`.
Here 'nakedness' stands for a lack of truths. In Ezekiel,
You reached full beauty, your breasts were formed and your hair had grown; but you were naked and bare. I spread My wing over you and covered your nakedness. You did not remember the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare. `Ezekiel 16bbb7-8`, `Ezekiel 16bbbccc22`.
ttt[6] This refers to Jerusalem, by which the Ancient Church is meant - what it was like when it was first established and what it came to be like after that. That is to say, initially it was lacking in truths, after which it was furnished with them, but finally it cast them aside. In the same prophet,
If a man is righteous, one who has executed judgement and righteousness, he gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing. `Ezekiel 18bbb5`, `Ezekiel 18bbbccc7`.
'Covering the naked with clothing' stands for furnishing with truths those who desire truths. In Hosea,
Lest I strip her naked, present her as she was on the day she was born, and make her like a wilderness, and set her like a land of dryness, and slay her with thirst. `Hosea 2bbb3`.
'Stripping her naked' stands for leaving her without truths. In Nahum,
I will show the nations your nakedness, and the kingdoms your shame. `Nahum 3bbb5`.
'Showing the nations its nakedness' stands for its ugliness. All ugliness is a result of the absence of truths, all beauty a result of the presence of them, `@@@4985`, `@@@5199`.
ppp18417#pid#5434. 'And they said to him, No, sir, we are upright men' means that truths are indeed present within them. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying to him, No, sir' as a denial that they existed for the sake of gain, meant by Joseph's words 'you are spies', `@@@5432`, and a denial that nothing would please them more than to know it for themselves that they are not truths, meant by Joseph's words 'you have come to see the nakedness of the land', `@@@5433`; and from the meaning of 'we are upright men' as that truths are indeed present within them, 'uprightness' meaning truth in the internal sense here, as also many times elsewhere in the Word. This meaning - that truths are indeed present within them - follows from the whole train of thought; for in the case of people who have acquired to themselves the truths known to the Church, doing so for the sake of their own material gain, those truths are not indeed truths to them, as shown above in `@@@5433`. But even so, truths can indeed be present within them, such truths known to the Church as a general whole being meant by 'the sons of Jacob'. The reason 'upright men' means truths quite apart from persons is that in the internal sense everything is withdrawn from ideas about persons; an idea in the literal sense describing a person becomes an idea describing some spiritual reality, see `@@@5225`, `@@@5287`. The reason for this is that otherwise the reader's thought and consequent speech are inevitably distracted and diverted from that spiritual reality and contemplation of it to details that have to do with the person. What is more, there is no other way in which the thought and consequent speech can become more universal, no other way in which just a number of ideas, let alone ideas that are countless and indescribable, can be taken in simultaneously, as is the case among angels. But although such spiritual images are withdrawn from ideas of persons they still have to do with persons; that is to say, they have to do with people in whom those spiritual realities are present. This is why 'upright men' means truths.
ppp18416#pid#5435. 'And your servants come to buy food' means that they are present to enable the natural to make them - these truths - its own by means of good. This is clear from the meaning of 'servants' as lower things and natural ones when considered in relation to others, dealt with in `@@@2541`, `@@@3019`, 30201 `@@@5161`, `@@@5164`, `@@@5305`, and consequently as truths too, `@@@3409`, since truths are subordinate to good and in the Word subordinates are called 'servants' (as is therefore the case here where, in relation to the celestial of the spiritual, truths in the natural are such); from the meaning of 'buying' as being made one's own, dealt with in `@@@4397`, `@@@5374`, `@@@5406`, `@@@5410`; and from the meaning of 'food' as celestial and spiritual good, dealt with in `@@@5147`, as well as truth linked to good, `@@@5340`, `@@@5342`, in this place truth that has to be linked to the natural by means of good and so made its own.
ttt[2] There is no other means than good by which truth can be made a person's own. But once it has been made his own by means of good, truth becomes good, for it now acts in unison with it. At the same time the two make so to speak one body, the soul of which is the good. The truths are present within that good like spiritual fibres forming the body. For this reason also the inmost forms going forth from good are meant by the fibres of the body, and truths by the sinews there, `@@@4303`, `@@@5189` (end).
ppp18415#pid#5436. 'All we, the sons of one man are we' means that those truths all have the same origin. This is clear from the meaning of 'the sons', who in this case are the sons of Jacob, as truths in general, often dealt with already. As regards 'of one man' meaning that they all have the same origin, this is evident without explanation.
ppp18414#pid#5437. 'We are upright men' means that truths are accordingly present within them. This is clear from the meaning of 'we are upright men' as the presence of truths within them, dealt with just above in `@@@5434`.
ppp18413#pid#5438. 'Your servants are not spies' means that they were not there for the sake of gain. This is clear from the meaning of 'spies' as the possession of truths known to the Church for the sake of gain, dealt with above in `@@@5432`, in this case a denial of this.
ppp18412#pid#5439. 'And he said to them, No, but the nakedness of the land you have come to see' means that they do not care whether they are truths. This is clear from the meaning of 'coming to see the nakedness of the land' as that nothing would please them more than to know for themselves that they are not truths, dealt with in `@@@5433`. Here something similar is meant - that they do not care whether they are truths.
ppp18411#pid#5440. 'And they said, Twelve are your servants, brothers are we' means that all aspects of faith existed joined together in this manner. This is clear from the meaning of 'twelve' as all, and when used as it is here in reference to the sons of Jacob, or to the tribes named after them, and also when used in reference to the apostles, all aspects of faith in their entirety are meant, dealt with in `@@@577`, `@@@2089`, `@@@2129`, `@@@2130`, `@@@2553`, `@@@3272`, `@@@3488`, `@@@3858`, `@@@3862`, `@@@3913`, `@@@3926`, `@@@3939`, `@@@4060`; and from the meaning of 'brothers' as their existing joined together through good, for when joined together through good truths assume a kind of brotherly relationship with one another. If in the absence of good they appear to be joined together, they are not in fact so joined; falsities resulting from evil always come in and set them apart. The reason this happens is that those truths do not then have the same origin from which they spring, nor do they have the same end to which they look. If they are to exist joined together they must do so from start to finish. Good from which they spring must be there right from the start, and good to which they look must be there through to the finish. Furthermore, that good must reign everywhere there if the truths are to exist joined together; for that which reigns everywhere effects the joining together. 'A brother' means the affection for good, and so good itself, see `@@@2524`, `@@@2360`, `@@@3303`, `@@@3459`, `@@@3803`, `@@@3815`, `@@@4121`.
ppp18410#pid#5441. 'The sons of one man' means that they have the same origin. This is clear from what has been stated just above in `@@@5436`, where similar words occur.
ppp18409#pid#5442. 'In the land of Canaan' means in the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'the land of Canaan' as the Lord's kingdom and the Church, dealt with in `@@@1413`, `@@@1437`, `@@@1607`, `@@@3038`, `@@@3481`, `@@@3686`, `@@@3705`, `@@@4447`.
ppp18408#pid#5443. 'And behold, the youngest is with our father today' means that they are also joined to spiritual good. This is clear from the representation of Benjamin, to whom 'the youngest' refers here, as the intermediary effecting a joining together, dealt with below; and from the representation of Jacob, who by now was Israel, to whom 'father' refers here, as spiritual good, dealt with in `@@@3654`, `@@@4598`. 'Benjamin' is the spiritual of the celestial, which is the intermediary, see `@@@4592`, `@@@5411`, `@@@5413`, `@@@5419`. That is to say, it is the intermediary that links the natural, or what is present in the natural, to the celestial of the spiritual, which is 'Joseph'. And since 'Benjamin' is the intermediary, while 'Israel' is spiritual good, the words 'behold, the youngest is with our father today' therefore mean a joining to spiritual good.
ppp18407#pid#5444. 'And one is not' means that the Divine spiritual from which [the joining together begins] is not apparent. This is clear from the representation of Joseph, to whom 'one' refers here, as the celestial of the spiritual, or what amounts to the same, the Divine spiritual, which is truth from the Divine, dealt with in `@@@3969`, `@@@4286`, `@@@4592`, `@@@4723`, `@@@4727`, `@@@4963`, `@@@5249`, `@@@5307`, `@@@5331`, `@@@5332`, `@@@5417` (and since the whole joining together of truth in the natural begins from the Divine spiritual, the expression 'the Divine spiritual from which' is used); and from the meaning of 'is not' as the fact that it is not apparent. For Joseph was present there but did not make it apparent to them who he was because the intermediary, which is 'Benjamin', was not with them.
ppp18406#pid#5445. 'And Joseph said to them' means perception regarding that matter, that is to say, those things spoken by his brothers. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in the historical narratives of the Word as perceiving, dealt with in `@@@1791`, `@@@1815`, `@@@1819`, `@@@1822`, `@@@1898`, `@@@1919`, `@@@2080`, `@@@2619`, `@@@3509`.
ppp18405#pid#5446. 'It is as I spoke to you' means that the truth of the matter is as I thought. This is clear from the meaning of 'speaking' as thinking, dealt with in `@@@2271`, `@@@2287`, `@@@2619`. This meaning - that the truth of the matter is as he thought - is evident without explanation.
ppp18404#pid#5447. 'Saying, You are spies' means that they are interested in the truths known to the Church for the sake of gain. This is clear from the meaning of 'spies' as people who are interested in the truths known to the Church solely for the sake of gain, dealt with in `@@@5432`, `@@@5438`.
ppp18403#pid#5448. 'In this manner you will be tested' means it will be seen whether this is so. This is clear without explanation.
ppp18402#pid#5449. 'As sure as Pharaoh lives' means a certainty. This is clear from the fact that 'as sure as Pharaoh lives' is a phrase that is employed to say something emphatically, thus to state a certainty. Joseph, it is true, knew they were not spies and that they had not come to see the nakedness of the land; nevertheless he used that phrase because of the certainty described in the internal sense - the certainty that unless they are joined by means of good to the interior man, the truths known to the Church, with whomsoever they are present, possess no other end in view than material gain. But once they have become joined through good to the interior man they have what is really good and true, and so the Church, the Lord's kingdom, and the Lord Himself as their end in view. And when people have these as their end in view, material gain also comes their way, insofar as they have need of it, in keeping with the Lord's words in Matthew,
Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. `Matthew 6bbb33`.
ppp18401#pid#5450. 'You shall not go out of here unless your youngest brother comes here' means that truths with you cannot help being such unless they have been joined to spiritual good. This cannot be explained very easily according to the meanings of the individual words that are used; it is however the meaning that springs from them, for here 'your youngest brother' means existing joined to spiritual good, see `@@@5443`.
ppp18400#pid#5451. 'Send one of you and let him fetch your brother' means provided that some kind of joining to that good exists. This is clear from the meaning of 'your brother' - the youngest one - as a joining to spiritual good, as immediately above in `@@@5450`; and from the meaning of 'send one and let him fetch him' as provided that some kind of joining to this exists. For a matter of doubt is being expressed.
ppp18399#pid#5452. 'And you will be in bonds' means if all else is separated. This is clear from the meaning of 'being in bonds' here as being separated. For one who is held in bonds is separated, separated from spiritual good meant by their father Israel.
ppp18398#pid#5453. 'And your words will be tested, whether the truth is with you' means that in this way the truth of the matter will be established. This is clear from the meaning of 'words being tested' and of 'whether it is the truth' as its being a certainty that the truth will in that case come out, that is to say, it will be seen whether what they said was the truth. This certainty is concerned with what they stated and the things contained in the internal sense of their statements, dealt with above in `@@@5434-5444`.
ppp18397#pid#5454. 'And if not, as sure as Pharaoh lives, you are spies' means that otherwise it is a certainty that truths exist with you solely for the sake of gain. This is clear from the meaning of 'as sure as Pharaoh lives' as a certainty, dealt with in `@@@5449`, and from the meaning of 'spies' as ones who are interested in the truths known to the Church solely for the sake of material gain, dealt with in `@@@5432`, `@@@5438`, `@@@5447`. No fuller explanation of these words and those immediately before them is attempted here as a general explanation has appeared already in what went before, apart from which they are the kinds of matters that cannot possibly present themselves at all clearly to the understanding. For general ideas must exist first in the understanding, and only then can the particular details such as are contained in what went previously be added. If general ideas are not received first, particular details are by no means allowed in. Indeed they are a source of boredom since no affection for such details exists unless the general ideas have entered in with affection prior to that.
ppp18396#pid#5455. Verses `Genesis 42bbbccc17-20`. And he shut them up in custody for three days. And Joseph said to them on the third day, Do this and you will live, [for] I fear God: If you are upright men, let one brother among you be in bonds in the house of your custody, and you, go, take corn for the famine of your houses. And bring your youngest brother to me, and your words will be verified, and you will not die. And they did so.
'And he shut them up in custody' means a separation of them from himself. 'For three days' means that which is complete. 'And Joseph said to them on the third day' means a perception of the celestial of the spiritual regarding those truths separated from itself, when completion is reached. 'Do this and you will live, [for] I fear God' means that so it will be if they have life from the Divine. 'If you are upright men' means if truths are indeed present within them. 'One brother among you is to be in bonds in the house of your custody' means that faith in the will must be separated. 'And you, go, take corn for the famine of your houses' means that in the meantime they will be left in freedom to consider their own interests. 'And bring your youngest brother to me means until the intermediary is present. 'And your words will be verified' means that in this case those truths will be exactly as they have been declared to be. 'And you will not die' means that the truths will thereby possess life. 'And they did so' means the end of this state.
ppp18395#pid#5456. 'And he shut them up in custody' means a separation of them from himself. This is clear from the meaning of 'putting (or shutting up) in custody' as a casting aside, and so a separation, dealt with in `@@@5083`, `@@@5101`.
ppp18394#pid#5457. 'For three days' means that which is complete. This is clear from the meaning of 'three days' as from beginning to end, and so that which is complete, dealt with in `@@@2788`, `@@@4495`. It is a new state that is now under description here. The entire state is meant by 'three days', its last phase, and so a new one, being meant by 'on the third day', dealt with in the next paragraph.
ppp18393#pid#5458. 'And Joseph said to them on the third day' means the perception of the celestial of the spiritual regarding those truths separated from itself, when completion is reached. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as perception, dealt with in `@@@1791`, `@@@1815`, `@@@1819`, `@@@1822`, `@@@1898`, `@@@1919`, `@@@2619`, `@@@3509`; from the representation of 'the sons of Jacob' as the truths known to the Church in general, dealt with already, here those truths when separated from the celestial of the spiritual, `@@@5436`; from the representation of 'Joseph' as the celestial of the spiritual, also dealt with already; and from the meaning of 'on the third day' as the last phase when another state begins, dealt with in `@@@5159`, `@@@5457`, and so when completion is reached. From all this it is evident that 'Joseph said to them on the third day' means the perception of the celestial of the spiritual regarding those truths separated from itself, when completion is reached.
ppp18392#pid#5459. 'Do this and you will live, [for] I fear God' means that so it will be if they have life from the Divine. This is clear from the meaning of 'do this' as so it will be; from the meaning of 'you will live' as that they - the truths meant here by 'the sons of Jacob - will have life; and from the meaning of 'I fear God' as from the Divine. For 'Joseph' represents the Lord as regards truth from the Divine, which is the same as the celestial of the spiritual, and therefore 'I' here, in the highest sense, means truth from the Divine, while 'God' is the Divine itself that is present within the celestial of the spiritual or that is present within truth. In the highest sense, when it is used in reference to the Lord, 'fearing' does not mean fear but love. Also. 'the fear of God' mentioned in various places in the Word means a love that is felt for God, the exact nature of that love being determined by wherever it exists. Among those whose worship is external, devoid of anything internal, that love becomes fear; and among those whose worship is spiritual it becomes holy fear. But among those whose worship is celestial it becomes love that holds the feeling of sacred awe. Within the Lord however it was not fear at all but pure love. From this it may be seen that 'I fear God', when this has reference to the Lord, means Divine Love, and so the Divine.
ppp18391#pid#5460. 'If you are upright men' means if truths are indeed present within them. This is clear from the meaning of 'being upright men' as truths present within them, dealt with above in `@@@5434`, `@@@5437`.
ppp18390#pid#5461. 'One brother among you is to be in bonds in the house of your custody' means that faith in the will must be separated. This is clear from the representation of Simeon - who is the 'one brother who is to be in bonds', named in verse `Genesis 42bbbccc24` - as faith in the will, dealt with in `@@@3869-3872`, `@@@4497`, `@@@4502`, `@@@4503`; and from the meaning of 'being in bonds in the house of custody' as being separated, dealt with in `@@@5083`, `@@@5101`, `@@@5452`, `@@@5456`. The implications of this are that when faith in the will - that is, when the will which desires to put the truth of faith into practice - is separated from people with whom the truths known to the Church are present, the link with the Divine is in that case so slender that it is little more than an awareness.
ttt[2] In the case of someone who has been regenerated the Divine flows from the Lord into good, and from this into truth; or what amounts to the same, it flows into his will, and from there into his understanding. To the extent therefore that someone with whom the truths of faith are present receives good from the Lord, the Lord forms for him a new will within the understanding part of his mind (why in the understanding part, see `@@@927`, `@@@1023`, `@@@1043`, `@@@1044`, `@@@2256`, `@@@4328`, `@@@4493`, `@@@5113`), and the Lord enters in there and creates an affection to do good, that is, to exercise charity towards the neighbour. From this one may see what is meant by the explanation that faith in the will must be separated, which faith is represented by 'Simeon', before the intermediary, which is 'Benjamin', comes to be present.
ppp18389#pid#5462. 'And you, go, take corn for the famine of your houses' means that in the meantime they will be left in freedom to consider their own interests. This is clear from the meaning of 'you, go', after they had been held in bonds and one was then kept back in place of them, as their being left in freedom in the meantime; from the meaning of 'corn' as truth, dealt with in `@@@5276`, `@@@5280`, `@@@5292`; from the meaning of 'the famine' as an absence of cognitions and a desolation, dealt with in `@@@5360`, `@@@5376`; and from the meaning of 'your houses' as the dwelling-places where specifically truths of every kind reside, namely the natural mind. For 'a house' is the natural mind, see `@@@4973`, `@@@5023`, and the truths represented by 'the sons of Jacob' here, are those known to the external Church, and so are truths in the natural, `@@@5401`, `@@@5415`, `@@@5428`. From all these meanings taken together one may see that 'take corn for the famine of your houses' means so as to consider their own interests amid the desolation of truth in which they find themselves.
ppp18388#pid#5463. 'And bring your youngest brother to me' means until the intermediary is present. This is clear from the representation of 'Benjamin' as the intermediary, that is to say, between the celestial of the spiritual and the natural, dealt with above in `@@@5411`, `@@@5443`.
ppp18387#pid#5464. 'And your words will be verified' means that in this case those truths will be exactly as they have been declared to be. This becomes clear without explanation. For what the brothers, and consequently what the truths known to the Church represented by those brothers, declared themselves to be, see above in `@@@5434-5456`. The implications of all this are as follows: People who are interested in the truths known to the Church solely for the sake of material gain can declare, just as well as others do, what the situation is with regard to truths. They can just as well declare, for example, that truths do not become a person's own unless they have been joined to the interior man, and indeed that they cannot be so joined except by means of good, and also that truths do not possess any life until this is done. At times they see these matters and others like them just as well as anyone else does, and sometimes their discernment of them seems even better. Yet this is so only when they talk to other people about such matters. When they talk to themselves about them, thus to their interior man - when, that is, they think about those matters - those who are interested in the truths known to the Church merely for the sake of their own gain contemplate ideas contrary to those truths. But even though they contemplate such contrary ideas and refuse in their hearts to accept those truths, they are still able to convince others that a thing is true, and indeed to do so in the same way as those who really are interested in truths.
ttt[2] The desire to earn material gain, position, and reputation for their own sakes adopts every means that can be employed to convince another; it adopts nothing more readily than such things as are essentially true since these have the power hidden within them to attract people's minds. Everyone - no matter who, provided that he is not mentally deficient - is endowed with such an ability, that is to say, the ability to understand whether things are true. He has been endowed with it to enable him to be reformed and regenerated through the understanding part of his mind. But although, once he has departed into wicked ways and has cast aside altogether what constitutes the faith of the Church, he still possesses the same ability to understand truths, he no longer has any wish to understand them and loathes them the moment he hears them.
ppp18386#pid#5465. 'And you will not die' means that the truths will thereby possess life, that is to say, when the truths will be as they have been declared to be. This is clear from the meaning of 'you will not die' as that you may live, thus that the truths represented by those men will possess life.
ppp18385#pid#5466. 'And they did so' means the end of this state. This is clear from the meaning of 'doing', or something that has been done, as the end of one state that comes first and by implication the beginning of another that follows, dealt with in `@@@4979`, `@@@4987`, `@@@4999`, `@@@5074`. A lengthier explanation of these matters is avoided here for the same reason as mentioned above in `@@@5454`. It should nevertheless be recognized that they contain arcana beyond description, which in heaven shine from every individual word, though not a trace of them is visible to man. The holiness which one can sometimes discern with a person reading the Word holds a large number of such arcana within it, for the holiness which fills a person possesses countless facets concealed within it which he does not see.
ppp18384#pid#5467. Verses `Genesis 42bbbccc21-24` And they said, a man to his brother, Assuredly we are guilty concerning our brother, whose anguish of soul we saw when he pleaded with us and we did not hear; therefore this anguish has come upon us. And Reuben answered them, saying, Did I not say to you, saying, Do not sin against the boy - and you did not listen? And also, his blood; behold, it is required. And they did not know that Joseph was hearing, because the interpreter was between them. And he turned away from them and wept; and he came back to them and spoke to them; and he took Simeon from them, and bound him before their eyes.
'And they said, a man to his brother' means a perception as to the reason why. 'Assuredly we are guilty concerning our brother' means that they were blameworthy because they had alienated the internal by their non-acceptance of good. 'Whose anguish of soul we saw' means the state of the internal in regard to good, once it was alienated. 'When he pleaded with us and we did not hear' means its constant entreaty without ever gaining acceptance. 'And Reuben answered them, saying' means that a perception nevertheless existed, springing from faith in doctrine and in the understanding. 'Did I not say to you, saying' means the degree of perception from there. 'Do not sin against the boy' means lest they become separated [the external from the internal]. 'And you did not listen' means non-acceptance. 'And also, his blood; behold, it is required' means the subsequent remorse of conscience. 'And they did not know that Joseph was hearing' means that the natural light in which those truths dwell does not engender any belief that spiritual light renders all things visible. 'Because the interpreter was between them' means that at this time spiritual things are understood in a completely different manner. 'And he turned away from them' means somewhat of a withdrawal. 'And wept' means mercy. 'And he came back to them and spoke to them' means an influx. 'And he took Simeon from them' means faith in the will. 'And bound him' means a separation. 'Before their eyes' means a discernment.
ppp18383#pid#5468. 'And they said, a man to his brother' means a perception as to the reason why. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in the historical narratives of the Word as perception, dealt with in `@@@1791`, `@@@1815`, `@@@1819`, `@@@1822`, `@@@1898`, `@@@1919`, `@@@2080`, `@@@2619`, `@@@3509`; and from the meaning of 'a man to his brother' as mutually, dealt with in `@@@4725`. The reason 'they said, a man to his brother' means a perception as to the reason why - why Joseph spoke hard words to them, calling them spies, and why he held them in custody for three days - is that what immediately follows contains their discussion with one another as to the reason why. Consequently a perception as to this is meant.
ppp18382#pid#5469. 'Assuredly we are guilty concerning our brother' means that they were blameworthy because they had alienated the internal by their non-acceptance of good. This is clear from the meaning of 'being guilty' as being blameworthy and subject to the imputation [of sin] because good and truth have been cast aside, dealt with in `@@@3400`; and from the representation of Joseph, 'their brother' concerning whom they were guilty, as the internal which they had cast aside or alienated. For Joseph and Benjamin represent the internal aspect of the Church, while the remaining ten sons of Jacob represent its external aspect - 'Rachel', from whom Joseph and Benjamin were born, being the affection for interior truth, and 'Leah' the affection for exterior truth, `@@@3758`, `@@@3782`, `@@@3793`, `@@@3819`.
ttt[2] In this chapter 'Joseph' represents the celestial of the spiritual or truth from the Divine, which is the internal; 'Benjamin' represents the spiritual of the celestial, which is the intermediary going forth from the internal; and the remaining 'ten sons of Jacob' represent the truths known to the external Church and so truths that are present in the natural, as stated many times above. This chapter also deals with the joining of the internal aspect of the Church to its external aspect, corporately and in every specific part; for each person individually must be a Church if he is to form part of the Church as a corporate whole. But in the highest sense the chapter deals with the way in which the Lord united the Internal to the External within His Human so as to make this Divine.
ppp18381#pid#5470. 'Whose anguish of soul we saw' means the state of the internal in regard to good,`fff1` once it was alienated. This is clear from the meaning of 'anguish of soul' as the state which the soul passes through when it is alienated from the external. The nature of this state is as follows: The Lord comes to a person constantly, bringing good to him, and also truth within that good; but the person either accepts this or does not accept it. If he accepts it, all is well with him; but if he does not, all is ill. If, while not accepting it, he feels worried, described here as 'anguish of soul', the hope exists that he can be reformed; but if he has no such feeling, the hope disappears. For with every person two spirits from hell are present and two angels from heaven. These are present because a person is born in sins and cannot by any means live unless he is on one hand in communication with hell and on the other in communication with heaven. His entire life depends on having these on either hand. When a person is growing up he begins to be his own master, that is, it seems to him that his will and actions spring from his own power of judgement, and in matters of faith his thought and deductions are the result of his own power of understanding. If during this time he inclines to evils, the two spirits from hell draw closer to him and the two angels from heaven move a small distance away. But if he inclines to good the two angels from heaven draw nearer and the two spirits from hell are withdrawn.
ttt[2] If therefore a person when he inclines to evils - as most people do in adolescence - feels at all disturbed when he reflects on an evil deed he has committed, this is a sign that he will nevertheless accept what flows into him from heaven through the angels. It is also a sign that subsequently he will allow himself to be reformed. But if he does not feel in any way disturbed when he reflects on an evil deed he has committed, this is a sign that he no longer wishes to accept what flows into him from heaven through the angels; and it is a sign too that subsequently he will not allow himself to be reformed. Here therefore, where the subject is the truths known to the external Church, which are represented by 'the ten sons of Jacob', reference is made to 'the anguish of soul' which Joseph experienced once he was alienated from his brothers, and then to the fact that Reuben had warned them against doing what they did. By this is meant the consideration that once that state was under way reformation was to follow; that is, the internal came to be joined to the external, that joining together being the subject in what follows. For with people who feel disturbed during this state, an internal recognition of evil is present; and when the Lord calls that recognition to mind, it becomes confession and finally penitence.
`nnn1. Reading in bono (in regard to good) for interea (in the meantime); cp above in `@@@5467`, where in his rough draft Swedenborg amends interea to in bono.
ppp18380#pid#5471. 'When he pleaded with us and we did not hear him' means its constant entreaty without ever gaining acceptance. This is clear from the meaning of 'pleading' as an entreaty; for a plea not to be alienated, when the subject is the inflow of good from the Divine, is an entreaty to be accepted. Good which flows in from the Lord is constantly at hand and so to speak entreating; but it is up to the individual to accept it. This explains why a plea not to become alienated means a constant entreaty, from which it follows that 'not hearing' means non-acceptance. The sense of the letter refers to a number of persons - to the ten sons of Jacob and to Joseph; but the internal sense makes them all refer to the one same subject. The truths known to the external Church or truths present within the natural, which are represented by 'the ten sons of Jacob', are the truths present within a person's external man, while the celestial of the spiritual, which is represented by 'Joseph', is truth from the Divine present in his internal man. The situation is the same here as it is with historical descriptions in other places in the Word; different spiritual realities are meant by the persons in those descriptions, and those realities all have regard to the one same subject.
ppp18379#pid#5472. 'And Reuben answered them, saying' means that a perception nevertheless existed, springing from faith in doctrine and in the understanding. This is clear from the meaning of 'answering' or 'saying to his brothers' as perception, for 'saying' is perception, see above in `@@@5468`; and from the representation of 'Reuben' as faith in doctrine and in the understanding, which is the truth of doctrine by means of which one can arrive at the good of life, dealt with in `@@@3861`, `@@@3866`. Since the subject here is the entreaty made by good, or the Divine within good, to be accepted, reference is made to faith - to the kinds of things taught by this regarding the acceptance of good. For if a person departing from good feels at all disturbed, this is not due to an inner voice speaking to him but to the faith acquired by him since early childhood. This is what speaks to him at such times and gives rise to the disturbance felt by him. This explains why Reuben, who represents that faith, is the speaker here. The expression faith in doctrine and in the understanding is used to distinguish that faith from faith in life and in the will, which 'Simeon' represents.
ppp18378#pid#5473. 'Did I not say to you, saying' means the degree of perception from there. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in the historical narratives of the Word as perception, dealt with in `@@@1791`, `@@@1815`, `@@@1819`, `@@@1822`, `@@@1898`, `@@@1919`, `@@@2080`, `@@@2619`, `@@@3509`. And since the verb 'say' is used twice here, as well as immediately before this, it is the degree of perception that is meant.
ppp18377#pid#5474. 'Do not sin against the boy' means lest they become separated - the external from the internal. This is clear from the meaning of 'sinning' as a separation, dealt with in `@@@5229`, for all sin leads to separation; and from the representation of Joseph, to whom 'the boy' refers here, as the internal, as above in `@@@5469`.
ppp18376#pid#5475. 'And you did not listen' means non-acceptance. This is clear from the meaning of hearing or 'listening' as obeying, dealt with in `@@@2542`, `@@@3869`, `@@@4652-4660`, `@@@5017`. And Since obeying is meant, so also is accepting, as above in `@@@5471`; for anyone who obeys what faith tells him is acceptive. Here non-acceptance is meant because the words used are 'you did not listen'.
ppp18375#pid#5476. 'And also, his blood; behold, it is required' means the subsequent remorse of conscience. This is clear from the meaning of 'blood' as violence done to good or charity, dealt with in `@@@374`, `@@@1005`. When this violence or blood 'is required' it gives rise to a disturbance within that is called the remorse of conscience. But this is the case only with those who have become disturbed once they have sinned, see `@@@5470`.
ppp18374#pid#5477. 'And they did not know that Joseph was hearing' means that the natural light in which those truths dwell does not engender any belief that spiritual light renders all things visible. This is clear from the representation of 'the sons of Jacob who did not know' as the truths which the external Church possesses, and so are present in the natural, often dealt with already - from which comes the meaning that the natural light in which those truths dwell does not engender any belief; and from the representation of 'Joseph' as the celestial of the spiritual, which dwells in spiritual light. But this spiritual light renders truths in the natural visible, and this is meant by 'Joseph was hearing'; for 'hearing' means both obeying and discerning, `@@@5017`. Thus spiritual light renders truths in the natural visible; but natural light cannot do the same for truths in the spiritual.
ttt[2] The situation with natural light and spiritual light is as follows. Natural light flows from the sun in the world, and spiritual light flows from the Sun in heaven, which is the Lord. All the truths of faith that a person has learned since early childhood come to be understood by him with the help of the kinds of objects, and the ideas formed from these, that originate in the light of the world. Thus every single thing is seen in a natural way; for as long as he lives in the world all the ideas constituting a person's thought are based on the kinds of things that exist in the world. If therefore these things are taken away from him his thought is totally destroyed. One who has not been regenerated has no knowledge at all of the existence of spiritual light, not even of the existence in heaven of a light that has nothing in common with the light of the world. Still less does that person know that spiritual light is what lights up ideas and objects that originate in the light of the world and is what enables a person to think, draw conclusions, and reflect on them. The reason such spiritual light enables him to do this is that that light is wisdom itself which goes forth from the Lord; and that wisdom manifests itself as the light which the angels in heaven see before them. That light renders visible every single thing beneath it, that is, every single thing present with a person which is a product of natural light. But the reverse does not happen unless the person has been regenerated, in which case the things that belong to heaven, that is, forms of goodness and truth, are lit up by spiritual light and become visible in the natural as if in a representative mirror.
ttt[3] From this it is evident that the Lord, who is Light itself, sees every single thing present in a person's thought and will, and present indeed in the whole natural creation; nothing at all escapes His notice. From all this one may now recognize what is involved here - that natural light in which those truths dwell does not engender any belief that spiritual light renders all things visible, meant by the words 'they did not know that Joseph was hearing'. Much the same is implied by the statement above in verse `Genesis 42bbbccc8`, 'Joseph recognized his brothers and they did not recognize him'. For these words mean that the truths of the Church were seen by the celestial of the spiritual by the light it possessed, and that truth from the Divine was not seen in natural light that was not yet brightened with heavenly light; see `@@@5427`, `@@@5428`.
ppp18373#pid#5478. 'Because the interpreter was between them' means that at this time spiritual things are understood in a completely different manner. This is clear from the meaning of 'the interpreter was between them' as the fact that spiritual things are understood in a different manner. For an interpreter translates the language of one person into the language of another, and so enables the perceptions in the one person's mind to be understood by another person. This explains why 'the interpreter was between them' means that at that time spiritual things are understood in a completely different manner, that is, by those in possession of truths known to the Church which have not yet been joined through good to the internal man. The fact that the truths known to the Church are understood by those governed by good - that is among those with whom such truths have been joined to good - in a manner completely different from that in which those who are not governed by good understand them does indeed seem to be a paradox; but for all that, it is the truth. For truths are understood in a spiritual manner by those who are governed by good because such people dwell in spiritual light, whereas truths are understood in a natural manner by those who are not governed by good because they dwell in natural light. Consequently those who are governed by good are constantly linking truths to the truths they already have, whereas those who are not governed by good link very many illusions as well as falsities to the truths they have. The reason for this is that the truths present with people governed by good reach into heaven, whereas the truths present with those who are not governed by good do not reach into heaven. Consequently the truths present with those governed by good are filled out, whereas the ones present with those who are not governed by good are virtually empty. That fullness or emptiness is not seen by man as long as he lives in the world; but the angels see it. If man knew how much of heaven existed within truths that have been joined to good he would have a completely different conception of faith.
ppp18372#pid#5479. 'And he turned away from them' means somewhat of a withdrawal. This is clear from the meaning of 'turning away from them', when it has reference to the inflow of good from the Divine or the Lord, as somewhat of a withdrawal. For the Lord never turns away from anyone, but He does regulate the inflow of good as a man's or angel's state requires. This regulating is what is meant by a withdrawal.
ppp18371#pid#5480. 'And wept' means mercy. This is clear from the meaning of 'weeping', when used in reference to the Lord, who is represented here by 'Joseph', as showing mercy. It is well known that weeping is an expression of grief and love; it is consequently an expression of mercy since mercy is love that is grieving. Divine love therefore is called mercy because left by itself the human race is in hell; and when a person recognizes within himself that this is the case he prays for mercy. Since in the internal sense 'weeping' also implies mercy, there are many occasions in the Word when Jehovah or the Lord is spoken of as weeping, as in Isaiah,
I shall weep with weeping over Jazer, the vine of Sibmah. I will seek you with My tears, O Heshbon and Elealeh. `Isaiah 16bbb9`.
And in Jeremiah,
I know, says Jehovah, the indignation of Moab, that he is not right. Therefore I will howl over Moab and will cry out because of the whole of Moab. Above the weeping of Jazer I will weep because of you, O vine of Sibmah. `Jeremiah 48bbb30-32`.
'Moab' stands for those who are governed by natural good and allow themselves to be led astray; and once led astray they adulterate what is good, `@@@2468`. 'Howling, crying out, and weeping over Moab' stands for feelings of mercy and grief. Similarly in Luke,
As He drew near, Jesus saw the city and wept over it. `Luke 19bbb41`.
The Jerusalem over which Jesus wept, that is, for which He had feelings of mercy and grief, was not only the actual city of Jerusalem but also the Church, whose last day, when there will no longer be any charity or consequently any faith, is meant in the internal sense. His feelings of mercy and grief led Him to weep. As regards 'Jerusalem' being the Church, see `@@@2117`, `@@@3654`.
ppp18370#pid#5481. 'And he came back to them and spoke to them' means an influx. This is clear from the meaning of 'coming back to them and speaking to them', after he had turned away from them, as an influx; for the celestial of the spiritual or truth from the Divine, which is represented by 'Joseph', flows into the truths present in the natural. This is expressed in the sense of the letter by 'his coming back to them and speaking to them'. 'Speaking' also means flowing in, see `@@@2951`.
ppp18369#pid#5482. 'And he took Simeon from them' means faith in the will. This is clear from the representation of 'Simeon' as faith in the will, dealt with in `@@@3869-3872`, `@@@4497`, `@@@4502`, `@@@4507`. The reason faith in the will was separated from them is that the intermediary, represented by 'Benjamin', was not yet present. For the inflow of truth from the Divine, represented by 'Joseph', goes through the intermediary into the good of faith, and then through this into the truth of faith; or what amounts to the same, it passes into the desire for truth, and then through this into the understanding of truth. Or what also amounts to the same, it passes into charity towards the neighbour, and then through this into faith. There is no other path along which it can flow in the case of one who has been regenerated; nor is there any other path along which it can do so in the case of angels.
ttt[2] This may be compared to the sun flowing into objects on earth. When it reproduces these from their seed and renews them, it flows in with heat, as it does in springtime and summertime, and also with light, and so reproduces them. Absolutely nothing at all is reproduced by light alone, as is evident from those objects in wintertime. Spiritual heat is the good of love, and spiritual light is the truth of faith. Also, spiritual heat present in objects in the animal kingdom gives them their vital heat, while spiritual light gives them life, which springs from that vital heat.
ppp18368#pid#5483. 'And bound him' means a separation. This is clear from the meaning of 'binding' as a separation, dealt with in `@@@5083`, `@@@5101`, `@@@5452`, `@@@5456`.
ppp18367#pid#5484. 'before their eyes' means a discernment. This is clear from the meaning of 'the eyes' as understanding and discernment, dealt with in `@@@2701`, `@@@4083`, `@@@4403-4421`, `@@@4523-4534`.
ppp18366#pid#5485. Verses `Genesis 42bbbccc25-28` And Joseph gave the command to fill`fff1` their vessels with grain, and to restore their silver, each man's in his sack, and to give them provision for the way; and thus he did for them. And they loaded their corn onto their asses, and went from there. And one opened his sack to give fodder to his ass, in a lodging-place, and he saw his silver, and behold, it was in the mouth of his pouch. And he said to his brothers, My silver has been restored, and also behold, it is in my pouch. And their heart went out of them, and they trembled [turning] a man to his brother, saying, What is this that God has done to us?
'And Joseph gave the command' means an influx from the celestial of the spiritual. 'To fill their vessels with grain' means that factual knowledge was endowed with good produced from truth. 'And to restore their silver' means without the expending of any power of their own. 'Each man's in his own sack' means wherever a receptacle exists in the natural. 'And to give them provision for the way' means and that support should be supplied to the truths they had. 'And thus he did [for them]' means a putting into effect. 'And they loaded their corn onto their asses' means the truths gathered into factual knowledge. 'And went from there' means subsequent life. 'And one opened his sack' means a perusal. 'To give fodder to his ass, in a lodging-place' means when they stopped to reflect on the facts present in the exterior natural. 'And he saw his silver' means a discernment that no power of their own had been expended. 'And it was in the mouth of his pouch' means that this was returned as a gift and was put back in the opening of the exterior natural. 'And he said to his brothers' means a perception shared by all. 'My silver has been restored' means that nothing of their own resources was taken from them. 'And also behold, it is in my pouch' means its presence in the exterior natural. 'And their heart went out of them' means fear. 'And they trembled [turning] a man to his brother' means the dread shared by them all. 'Saying, What is this that God has done to us?' means owing to so great an act of providence.
`nnn1. literally, And Joseph commanded, and they [his servants?] filled
ppp18365#pid#5486. 'And Joseph gave the command' means an influx from the celestial of the spiritual. This is clear from the meaning of 'giving the command', when used in reference to the celestial of the spiritual, or the internal, in relation to the external, as an influx, for the internal has no other way of 'giving the command' than by flowing into something and disposing it to serve some purpose; and from the representation of 'Joseph' as the celestial of the spiritual, often dealt with already.
ppp18364#pid#5487. 'To fill their vessels with grain' means that factual knowledge was endowed with good produced from truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'filling', because this was done freely, as being endowed with; from the meaning of 'vessels' as factual knowledge, dealt with in `@@@3068`, `@@@3079`; and from the meaning of 'grain' as good produced from truth, which is the good of truth, dealt with in `@@@5295`.
ppp18363#pid#5488. 'And to restore their silver' means without the expending of any power of their own. This is clear from the meaning of 'buying with silver' as acquiring to oneself by the use of what is one's own, so that here 'restoring their silver' means giving freely to them, or without their expending of any power of their own. The same is also meant in Isaiah,
Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters, and he who has no silver, come, buy and eat. And come, buy wine and milk without silver and without price. `Isaiah 55bbb1`.
ppp18362#pid#5489. 'Each man's in his own sack' means wherever a receptacle exists in the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'a sack' as a receptacle, dealt with below; and this exists in the natural because truths and factual knowledge in the natural are the subject. The reason 'a sack' has the specific meaning here of factual knowledge is that just as a sack is a receptacle for grain, so is factual knowledge a receptacle for good, in this case for good that is the product of truth, as above in `@@@5487`. Few people know that factual knowledge is a receptacle for good because few stop to reflect on such matters. Yet they can know it from the following considerations: When facts enter the memory some affection is always instrumental in their introduction there. Facts that are not introduced by means of some affection do not remain but slip away. The reason for this is that life is present within an affection but not within factual knowledge except through an affection. From this it is evident that linked to factual knowledge there are always those kinds of impulses that belong to an affection, or what amounts to the same, that are the expressions of some love or other. Consequently it has some form of good linked to it, for every expression of love is called a form of good, whether it is real good or what is mistakenly thought to be such. Factual knowledge together with such forms of good therefore constitute a kind of marriage. This being so, when that good is stimulated, so instantly is the factual knowledge to which it is linked; and conversely, when facts are called to mind, the good to which they are linked comes forth. Anyone can learn of this, if he so pleases, from what goes on within himself.
ttt[2] From this one may now conclude that, among unregenerate persons who have cast aside the good of charity, facts existing as truths known to the Church have the kinds of impulses expressing self-love and love of the world attached to them. Thus attached to those facts there are forms of evil which, because of the delight these hold within them, are called forms of good by those unregenerate persons, who also employ wrong interpretations to present them as such. Those facts take on an attractive appearance, when self-love and love of the world reign throughout, assuming it in the degree in which these are reigning. But among regenerate persons facts existing as truths known to the Church have the kinds of impulses that belong to love towards the neighbour and love to God, thus forms of genuine good, attached to them. These forms of good are placed by the Lord within the truths known to the Church that are present with all undergoing regeneration. Therefore when the Lord inspires these people with a zeal for what is good, those truths come forth at the same time in their own proper order; and when He inspires a zeal for truth, that good is present and sets it ablaze. From all this one may see the situation so far as factual knowledge and truths are concerned - that they are the receptacles for good.
ppp18361#pid#5490. 'And to give them provision for the way' means and that support should be supplied to the truths they had. This is clear from the meaning of 'giving provision' as support, and from the meaning of 'the way' as truth, dealt with in `@@@627`, `@@@2333`. In this case however 'on the way' means as long as they were passing through that state, for 'being on the way' means a state when truth exists joined to good, `@@@3123`. The support received from truth and good is also meant by 'provision' in David,
He caused manna to rain down onto them for food, and gave them the grain of heaven. Man ate the bread of the mighty; He sent them provision to satiety. `Psalms 78bbb24-25`.
ppp18360#pid#5491. 'And thus he did [for them]' means a putting into effect. This is clear without explanation.
ppp18359#pid#5492. 'And they loaded their corn onto their asses' means the truths gathered into factual knowledge. This is clear from the meaning of corn' as truth, dealt with in `@@@5276`, `@@@5280`, `@@@5292`, `@@@5402`; and from the meaning of 'ass' as factual knowledge, dealt with in `@@@2781`. From these meanings it follows that 'they loaded their corn onto their asses' means that truths were gathered into factual knowledge. Such a meaning of these words will seem strange to someone who fixes his mind on the historical sense of the letter. It will seem even stranger to him if he does not believe in the existence of any internal sense other than the one which lies in close proximity to and shines out of the letter. For that person will say to himself, How can 'loading corn onto their asses' mean truths gathered into factual knowledge? But let him know that in the Word the sense of the letter passes into a sense of a spiritual kind when it passes from man to the angels, that is, into heaven. Indeed it passes into a sense stranger still when it passes into the third heaven, where every single detail in the Word passes into affections belonging to love and charity, which the internal sense serves as the foundation for it to rest upon.
ttt[2] The fact that the historical descriptions in the Word move away into another sense when they are raised into heaven may become clear to anyone who uses his reason to draw conclusions and who knows something about the natural and the spiritual. He can see that 'loading corn onto their asses' is a purely natural action and has absolutely nothing spiritual about it. He can also see that angels in heaven, that is, in a spiritual world, cannot grasp those words in any but a spiritual manner and that they do grasp them in a spiritual manner when corresponding entities are understood in place of them, that is to say, when they understand truth known to the Church in place of 'corn' and facts present in the natural in place of 'asses'. It has been shown previously that in the Word 'asses' means objects of service and so known facts, for in relation to spiritual ideas and also to rational concepts such facts are objects of service, see `@@@2781`. From all this one may also see what the thought and speech of angels are like compared with men's thought and speech. That is to say, one may see that angels' thought and speech are spiritual whereas men's are natural, and that when angels' thought and speech move downwards they pass into men's, and that men's are converted into angels' when they move upwards. If this were not so there would not be any communication at all between mankind and the angels, that is, between the world and heaven.
ppp18358#pid#5493. 'And went from there' means subsequent life. This is clear from the meaning of 'going' as living, dealt with in `@@@3335`, `@@@3690`, `@@@4882`. The way in which 'going' in the spiritual sense means living is similar to that involved in the matters discussed immediately above in `@@@5492`.
ppp18357#pid#5494. 'And one opened his sack' means a perusal. This is clear from the meaning of 'sack' as a receptacle within the natural, dealt with above in `@@@5489`; this was endowed with good that was a product of truth, `@@@5487`. 'Opening it', it is evident from the train of thought, means perusing it, for the words that follow 'to give fodder to his ass, in a lodging-place' mean when they stopped to reflect on the facts present in the exterior natural.
ppp18356#pid#5495. 'To give fodder to his ass, in a lodging-place' means when they stopped to reflect on the facts present in the exterior natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'giving fodder to his ass' as stopping to reflect on facts (for fodder is the food, made up of straw and chaff, that asses are fed with, and therefore all reflection on facts is meant by it since reflection primarily is what nourishes these; as regards 'an ass' meaning factual knowledge, see just above in `@@@5492`); and from the meaning of a lodging-place' as the exterior natural. The meaning of 'a lodging-place' here as the exterior natural cannot, it is true, be substantiated from other places in the Word; even so it is evident from the consideration that facts are in their proper lodging-place so to speak when they are present in the exterior natural. For the natural has two parts, the exterior natural and the interior natural, see `@@@5118`. When facts exist in the exterior natural they have a direct communication with the external senses of the body, where they install themselves and so to speak rest. Therefore the exterior natural provides a lodging-place for facts, that is, a place for them to rest or spend the night.
ppp18355#pid#5496. 'And he saw his silver' means a discernment that no power of their own had been expended. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing' as understanding and discerning, dealt with in `@@@2150`, `@@@2325`, `@@@2807`, `@@@3764`, `@@@3863`, `@@@4403-4421`, `@@@4567`, `@@@4723`, `@@@5400`; and from the meaning of 'silver that was restored' as without the expending of any power of their own, dealt with in `@@@5488`.
ppp18354#pid#5497. 'And it was in the mouth of his pouch' means that it was returned as a gift and was put back in the opening of the exterior natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'the mouth of the pouch' as the opening of the exterior natural. Its having been put back there is implied from its very presence there, while its return as a gift follows from what was stated immediately before this, that no power of their own had been expended. Because 'the pouch' was in the preliminary part where the sack opened, nothing else is meant by 'the pouch' than the preliminary part of the receptacle, which is the exterior natural since this too is a preliminary part - 'a sack' being a receptacle, see `@@@5489`, `@@@5494`. So that anyone may know what the exterior natural and the interior natural are, let a further brief statement be made about them.
ttt[2] One who is still a child cannot begin to think from anything higher than the exterior natural, for he composes his ideas out of sensory impressions. But as he grows up, employing sensory impressions to work out the reasons for things, he begins to think from the interior natural. For he begins to employ his sensory impressions to formulate ideas about truths which essentially are higher than sensory impressions; yet such ideas are still on a level with things in the natural world. But as he grows into a young adult, if he develops his power of reason, he employs what is in his interior natural to work out the reasons for things, which are truths of a yet higher nature. These are extracted so to speak from what is present in the interior natural. (The learned world calls the ideas composing thought which originate in this way intellectual and immaterial ideas, whereas ideas formed from factual knowledge present in both parts of the natural, insofar as these originate in the world and come through the senses, they call material ideas.) This is the manner in which a person rises with his understanding from the world up to heaven. Yet he does not go on into heaven with that understanding unless he accepts good from the Lord which is constantly present and flowing into him. If he does accept that good he is also endowed with truths, for in good all truths are welcome guests. And as he is endowed with truths, so he is endowed with understanding enabling him to have his being in heaven.
ppp18353#pid#5498. 'And he said to his brothers' means a perception shared by all. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in the historical narratives of the Word as perception, often dealt with already, and from the meaning of 'to his brothers' as shared by all, for what is said to all becomes something shared by all.
ppp18352#pid#5499. 'My silver has been restored' means that nothing of their own resources was taken from them. This is clear from the meaning of 'restoring silver' as without the expending of any power of their own, or what amounts to the same, nothing of their own resources was taken from them, dealt with above in `@@@5488`, `@@@5496`.
ppp18351#pid#5500. 'And also behold, it is in my pouch' means its presence in the exterior natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'the pouch' as the exterior natural, dealt with just above in `@@@5497`.
ppp18350#pid#5501. 'And their heart went out of them' means fear. This is clear from the meaning of 'the heart going out' as fear. The reason 'the heart going out' means fear is that in fear one's heart begins to throb.
ppp18349#pid#5502. 'And they trembled [turning] a man to his brother' means the dread shared by them all. This is clear from the meaning of 'trembling' as dread, and from the meaning of 'a man to his brother' as shared by all, as just above in `@@@5498`. The reason why fear is expressed by these two phrases, by 'their heart went out' and 'they trembled', is that one has reference to the will and the other to the understanding. For it is quite usual in the Word, especially in the prophetical part, for the same matter to be described twice, though with a change of words. Anyone unacquainted with the hidden reason for this may imagine that it is pointless repetition; but that is not the case. One expression has reference to good, the other to truth; and because good belongs in the will and truth in the understanding, one has reference at the same time to the will and the other to the understanding. The reason for this is that in the Word everything is holy, and this holiness comes from the heavenly marriage, which is the marriage of goodness and truth. This being so, heaven is present within the Word, and so too is the Lord, the All in all of heaven - present so fully that He is the Word. The Lord's two names Jesus Christ entail the same, the name Jesus entailing Divine Good and the name Christ Divine Truth, see `@@@3004`, `@@@3005`, `@@@3008`, `@@@3009`. From this it is also evident that the Lord is present in every part of the Word, present so fully that He is the Word itself. Regarding the marriage of goodness and truth, which is the heavenly marriage, in every detail of the Word, see `@@@683`, `@@@793`, `@@@801`, `@@@2516`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc2712`, `@@@5138`. From this a further conclusion may be reached, that to live in expectation of heaven a person must have within him not only truth that is the truth of faith but also good that is the good of charity. Otherwise no heaven is present within him.
ppp18348#pid#5503. 'Saying, What is this that God has done to us?' means owing to so great an act of providence. This is clear from the meaning of 'God doing' as providence, for no other expression than providence can be used to describe everything done by God. The reason for this is that everything done by God or the Lord has an eternal quality and an infinite one; and the word 'providence' has the same implication. The amazement of the brothers is the reason for the meaning here - owing to so great an act of providence.
ppp18347#pid#5504. Verses `Genesis 42bbbccc29-34` And they came to Jacob their father, to the land of Canaan; and they pointed out to him all that was happening to them, saying, The man, the lord of the land, spoke hard words to us, and took us for men spying out the land. And we said to him, We are upright men; we are not spies. Twelve are we, brothers, the sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is today with our father in the land of Canaan. And the man, the lord of the land, said to us, By this I shall know that you are upright men: Cause one brother among you to remain with me, and take [food for] the famine of your houses, and go. And bring your youngest brother to me, and I shall know that you are not spies, that you are upright men; I will give you your brother, and you will wander through the land, trading.
'And they came' means a subsequent state of reformation. 'To Jacob their father' means the good of natural truth. 'To the land of Canaan' means which is that of the Church. 'And they pointed out to him all that was happening to them' means reflection made by the good of that truth on what was provided up to then. 'Saying' means perception. 'The man, the lord of the land, spoke' means the celestial of the spiritual ruling in the natural. 'Hard words to us' means that no joining together with this took place because no agreement existed. 'And took us for men spying out the land' means that it saw the truths known to the Church as ones existing for the sake of gain. 'And we said to him, We are upright men; we are not spies' means a denial that they were interested in the truths known to the Church for the sake of gain. 'Twelve are we, brothers' means all truths in their entirety. 'The sons of our father' means having the same origin. 'One is not' means that the Divine spiritual from which their joining together begins is not apparent. 'And the youngest is today with our father in the land of Canaan' means that from itself [the celestial of the spiritual] had a link with spiritual good. 'And the man, the lord of the land, said to us' means a discernment regarding the celestial of the spiritual ruling in the natural. 'By this I shall know that you are upright men' means its willingness, provided that they were not interested in truths for the sake of gain. 'Cause one brother among you to remain with me' means that faith in the will was to be separated from them. 'And take [food for] the famine of your houses' means that in the meantime they should provide for their own needs in that desolation. 'And go' means so that they may thereby live. 'And bring your youngest brother to me' means that if the intermediary were there the joining together would take place. 'And I shall know that you are not spies' means that they are no longer truths existing for the sake of gain. 'That you are upright men means that agreement accordingly exists. 'I will give you your brother' means that truths will thereby be made forms of good. 'And you will wander through the land, trading' means that truths from good will thereby be made fruitful and will all afford some useful purpose and lead to some form of gain.
ppp18346#pid#5505. 'And they came' means a subsequent state of reformation. This is clear from the meaning here of 'coming', coming to Jacob their father, as a subsequent state of reformation. 'Jacob their father' represents the good of truth in the natural, and 'coming' to this good means being reformed thus far. For the subject in the internal sense is how the truths known to the Church, which are represented by 'the sons of Jacob', were implanted in the natural and after that became joined to the celestial of the spiritual, or what amounts to the same, how truths in the external man became joined to truths from the Divine in the internal man. From all this it is evident that here 'they came' means a subsequent state of reformation.
ppp18345#pid#5506. To Jacob their father' means the good of natural truth. This is clear from the representation of 'Jacob' as the good of natural truth, dealt with in `@@@3659`, `@@@3669`, `@@@3677`, `@@@3775`, `@@@4234`, `@@@4273`, `@@@4538`, and also from the meaning of 'father' as good, `@@@3703`. 'Coming' to this good is being reformed thus far. Afterwards, as the intermediary represented by 'Benjamin' appeared on the scene, that good enabled the joining to the internal represented by 'Joseph' to be effected.
ppp18344#pid#5507. 'To the land of Canaan' means which is that of the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'the land of Canaan' as the Church, dealt with in `@@@3705`, `@@@4447`. This good of truth represented by 'Jacob' is the good of the external Church, whereas in relation to this what is represented by 'Israel' is the good of the internal Church.
ppp18343#pid#5508. 'And they pointed out to him all that was happening to them means reflection by the good of that truth on what was provided up to then. This is clear from the meaning of 'pointing out' as thought and reflection, dealt with in `@@@2861`, for what is pointed out to someone is thought based on reflection; and from the meaning of 'all that was happening to them' as what was providential or provided, dealt with below. The reason why it is the good of truth that reflects is that the one to whom 'they pointed out' was Jacob their father, who represents the good of truth, `@@@5506`. The reflection did not originate in the truths represented by 'the sons of Jacob', as the sense of the letter implies, for the reason that all reflection and thought based on it which take place in what is lower or more external begin in what is higher or more internal, though they appear to begin in what is lower or more external. And because the good of truth, which 'Jacob' represents, is more internal, reflection by the good of truth is therefore meant.
ttt[2] The reason 'what is happening' means what is providential or has been provided is that every happening or contingency which is otherwise described as fortuitous and attributed to chance or luck is something providential. Divine Providence does its work out of sight and in ways beyond comprehension, for the reason that a person may be able in freedom to attribute that work either to providence or else to chance. For if providence performed its acts in seen and comprehensible ways the dangerous condition would then exist in which a person would first believe, because of what he has seen and comprehended, that those acts were providential, but after that would move away into a contrary belief. In that case truth and falsity would then be joined together in his interior man and the truth would be rendered profane - a condition that holds eternal damnation within it. The retention therefore of a person such as this in a state of disbelief is preferable to his having faith at one point and then departing from it.
ttt[3] This condition is meant in Isaiah,
Say to this people, Hearing, hear - but do not understand; and seeing, see - but do not comprehend. Make the heart of this people fat and their ears heavy, and plaster over their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and their heart understands, and they turn again and are healed. `Isaiah 6bbb9-10`; `John 12bbb40`.
This also explains why miracles do not take place at the present day. For as with everything else that is seen and comprehensible, miracles would compel a person to believe; and anything that compels takes freedom away. But the whole of a person's reformation and regeneration takes place while he is in freedom; nothing implanted in him if he is not in freedom remains fixed in him. Things are implanted in freedom if an affection for goodness and truth are present in the person, `@@@1937`, `@@@1947`, `@@@2744`, `@@@2870-2893`, `@@@3145`, `@@@3146`, `@@@3158`, `@@@4401`.
ttt[4] The reason why great miracles occurred among the descendants of Jacob was that they were compelled by those miracles to fulfill in their outward form the religious laws they were given; for no more than this was required of those limited to representatives of the Church. With those people things of an external nature were separated from internal ones, which was why they could not undergo any interior reformation. They completely rejected things of an internal nature and were therefore unable to render truths profane, `@@@3398`, `@@@3399`, `@@@3479`, `@@@4680`. Such people could be subjected to compulsion without any danger of their profaning what was holy.
ttt[5] People of today ought to believe what they do not see, as is also clear from the Lord's words to Thomas, in John,
Because you have seen Me, Thomas, you have believed; blessed are those who do not see and yet believe. `John 20bbb29`.
The truth that contingencies which are otherwise attributed to chance or luck are due to Divine Providence is indeed accepted by the Church; yet there is no real belief in it. Who does not say that God has saved him, who does not give thanks to God when, seemingly by good fortune, he gets out of some great danger? Also, when he is promoted to important positions or comes into wealth, does he not also call this a blessing received from God? Thus the member of the Church accepts that all contingencies are attributable to providence, even though he does not really believe this. But more on these matters will in the Lord's Divine mercy be presented elsewhere.
ppp18342#pid#5509. 'Saying' means perception. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in the historical narratives of the Word as perceiving, often dealt with already.
ppp18341#pid#5510. 'The man, the lord of the land, spoke' means the celestial of the spiritual ruling in the natural. This is clear from the representation of Joseph, to whom 'the man, the lord of the land' refers here, as the celestial of the spiritual ('the man' is used to refer to the spiritual, and 'the lord' to the celestial; for in the internal sense 'the man' is truth and 'the lord' good, truth from the Divine being what is called spiritual, and good from the Divine being what is called celestial); and from the meaning of 'the land', in this case the land of Egypt, as the natural mind, dealt with in `@@@5276`, `@@@5178`, `@@@5280`, `@@@5288`, `@@@5301`. The idea that the celestial of the spiritual, represented by 'Joseph', ruled in both parts of the natural is contained in the internal sense of the previous chapter; and to represent its rule Joseph was set in authority over the land of Egypt.
ttt[2] There are within the natural these two: known facts and the truths known to the Church. The placing of facts into their proper order by the celestial of the spiritual, which is truth from the Divine, has been dealt with already. Now the truths known to the Church, which are represented by 'the ten sons of Jacob', are the subject. Facts must be placed in order within the natural before the truths known to the Church are placed in order there, for the reason that those facts are needed for the grasping of these truths. For nothing can enter a person's understanding without ideas formed from such factual knowledge as has been acquired by him since early childhood. For man is totally ignorant of this, that every truth known to the Church that is called a truth of faith is founded on the facts he knows, or that he comes to grasp that truth, retain it in his memory, and recall it from there with the help of ideas formulated from the facts he knows.
ttt[3] It is quite normal in the next life to demonstrate in a visual way to those who desire it what those ideas are like; for things like this can be presented clearly in visual ways in the light of heaven. At the same time that visual presentation demonstrates in what darkness or else in what kind of beaming light they have kept the truth taught by the Church. With some people that truth is shown to be lying among falsities, with some among absurd, even scandalous ideas, with others among illusions of the senses, with others again among apparent truths, and so on. If a person has been governed by good, that is, if he has led a charitable life, truths are lit up by good, as if by fire sent down from heaven, and the illusions of the senses holding those truths within them are made beautifully radiant. And when they have innocence introduced into them by the Lord they actually look like truths.
ppp18340#pid#5511. 'Hard words to us' means that no joining together with this took place because no agreement existed. This is clear from the meaning of 'speaking hard words', when used to refer to the internal in relation to the external separated from it, as no joining together because no agreement existed, dealt with above in `@@@5422`, `@@@5423`. For if no agreement of the external with the internal exists, everything in the internal and coming from the internal seems 'hard' to the external, because the two are not joined together. Take for example a situation in which the internal, that is, someone living in his internal, declares that nothing at all of a person's thought begins in himself, but that his thought comes to him either from heaven (that is, from the Lord by way of heaven) or else from hell: he declares that any thought he has of good comes from the Lord by way of heaven, while any thought of evil comes from hell. Such an idea seems to be a thoroughly 'hard' one to anyone who wants what he thinks to come from himself and who believes that if that 'hard' idea is true, he is nothing. Yet that idea is absolutely true, and all in heaven perceive it to be so.
ttt[2] It is similarly the case when the internal, or those living in their internal, declare that the joy experienced by the angels originates in love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour, that is to say, when they are actually engaged in performing deeds of love and charity, and that those deeds hold within them so much joy and happiness that these are beyond description. This will come as a 'hard' idea to those whose joy springs solely from self-love and love of the world and who take no interest in their neighbour other than for their own selfish reasons. Yet heaven and heavenly joy start to exist in a person when self-regard vanishes from the useful deeds he performs.
ttt[3] Take as yet another example the situation in which the internal declares that a person's soul is nothing else than the internal man and that after death the internal man appears to be exactly the same person as lived in the world, having a similar face, similar body, similar sensory powers, and a similar power of thought. People who have entertained the idea that the soul exists only on the level where thought does and is for that reason something ethereal lacking any outward form, and that the soul is to be reclothed with its body, imagine that what is declared by the internal about the soul is very far from the truth. Indeed those who believe that there is nothing more than the body to a human being will find the idea 'hard' when they hear that the soul is the real person and that the body which is buried serves no use at all in the next life. I know this is true because I have in the Lord's Divine mercy gone among such people, not among just some but among many, not just once but often, and I have talked to them on this matter. The same may also be said about countless other matters.
ppp18339#pid#5512. 'And took us for men spying out the land' means that it saw the truths known to the Church as ones existing there for the sake of gain. This is clear from the representation of the sons of Jacob, to whom 'us' refers here, as the truths known to the Church that were present in the natural, dealt with in `@@@5403`, `@@@5419`, `@@@5427`, `@@@5458`; and from the meaning of 'spies' or 'men spying out the land' as people interested in the truths known to the Church solely for the sake of gain, dealt with in `@@@5432`.
ppp18338#pid#5513. 'And we said to him, We are upright men; we are not spies' means a denial that they were interested in truths for the sake of gain. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying to him' as a reply, in this case a denial; from the meaning of 'we are upright men' as having an interest in truths which are indeed truths, dealt with in `@@@5434`, `@@@5437`, `@@@5460`; and from the meaning of 'spies' as those interested in the truths known to the Church for the sake of gain. Here it is denied that gain was the reason for their interest in them.
ppp18337#pid#5514. Twelve are we, brothers' means all truths in their entirety. This is clear from the meaning of 'twelve' as all, and - when used, as it is here, in reference to the sons of Jacob, or else to the tribes named after them, as well as to the twelve apostles - as all aspects of faith in their entirety, dealt with in `@@@577`, `@@@2089`, `@@@2129`, `@@@2130`, `@@@2553`, `@@@3272`, `@@@3488`, `@@@3858`, `@@@3862`, `@@@3913`, `@@@3926`, `@@@3939`, `@@@4060`.
ppp18336#pid#5515. 'The sons of our father' means having the same origin. This is clear from the meaning of 'the sons' as truths, dealt with in `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@533`, `@@@1147`, `@@@2623`, `@@@3373`, and from the meaning of 'father' as good, dealt with in `@@@2803`, `@@@3703`, `@@@3704`. Consequently 'the sons of our father' means truths springing from good, thus truths having the same origin; they are all truths originating in one and the same good.
ppp18335#pid#5516. 'One is not' means that the Divine spiritual from which their joining together begins is not apparent. This is clear from what has been stated above in `@@@5444`, where the same words occur.
ppp18334#pid#5517. 'And the youngest is today with our father' means that from itself [the celestial of the spiritual] had a link with spiritual good. This too is clear from the explanation above in `@@@5443`, where the same words occur. The expression from itself is used because the intermediary represented by 'Benjamin' goes forth from the celestial of the spiritual, which is 'Joseph'.
ppp18333#pid#5518. 'And the man, the lord of the land, said to us' means discernment regarding the celestial of the spiritual ruling in the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in the historical narratives of the Word as discerning, often dealt with already; and from the meaning of 'the man, the lord of the land' as the celestial of the spiritual ruling in the natural, dealt with above in `@@@5510`.
ppp18332#pid#5519. 'By this I shall know that you are upright men' means its willingness, provided that they were not interested in truths for the sake of gain. This is clear from the meaning of 'knowing' here as being willing, for the train of thought leads on to this; and from the meaning of 'that you are upright men', and so not spies, as people whose interest in truths was not for the sake of gain, dealt with in `@@@5432`, `@@@5512`.
ppp18331#pid#5520. 'Cause one brother among you to remain with me' means that faith in the will was to be separated. This is clear from the representation of Simeon, to whom 'one brother' refers here, as faith in the will, dealt with in `@@@5482`; and from the meaning of 'causing to remain' as being separated. The implications of all this have been stated already.
ppp18330#pid#5521. 'And take [food for] the famine of your houses' means that in the meantime they should provide for their own needs in that desolation. This is clear from what has been stated above in `@@@5462`, where similar words occur. In that desolation is meant because 'a famine' means a desolation.
ppp18329#pid#5522. 'And go' means so that they may thereby live. This is clear from the meaning of 'going' as living, dealt with in `@@@3335`, `@@@3690`, `@@@4882`, `@@@5493`.
ppp18328#pid#5523. 'And bring your youngest brother to me' means that if the intermediary were there the joining together would take place. This is clear from the representation of Benjamin, to whom 'youngest brother' refers here, as the intermediary, dealt with in `@@@5411`, `@@@5413`, `@@@5443`; and from the meaning of 'bringing him to me' as a consequent joining together. For the intermediary effects the joining of the internal represented by 'Joseph' to the externals represented by 'the sons of Jacob', as shown above in `@@@5411`, `@@@5413`, `@@@5427`, `@@@5428`.
ppp18327#pid#5524. 'And I shall know that you are not spies' means that they are no longer truths existing for the sake of gain. This is clear from the meaning of 'spies' as those interested in the truths known to the Church for the sake of gain, in this case those who no longer have such an interest, that is to say, if the joining together is effected through the intermediary.
ppp18326#pid#5525. That you are upright men' means that agreement accordingly exists. This is clear from the meaning of 'you are upright men' as the fact that truths are present within them, for 'uprightness' consists in the truth, `@@@5434`, `@@@5437`. And because, once agreement exists, gain ceases to be the reason for their interest in truths, that agreement is meant as well by you are upright men'.
ppp18325#pid#5526. 'I will give you your brother' means that truths will thereby be made forms of good. This becomes clear from the representation of Simeon, who is 'the brother' here whom he would give them, as faith in the will, dealt with in `@@@5482`; and from the representation of the ten sons of Jacob, who are the ones here to whom he would be given, as the truths known to the Church present within the natural, dealt with in `@@@5403`, `@@@5419`, `@@@5427`, `@@@5428`, `@@@5512`. The reason 'I will give you your brother' means that truths will thereby be made forms of good is that when faith in the will is 'given', truths are made forms of good.
ttt[2] For as soon as the truth of faith, which is a matter of doctrine, enters the will it is made the truth of life and truth put into practice, in which case it is called good and also becomes spiritual good; and the Lord uses this good to form a new will in the person. The will causes truth to exist as a form of good for the reason that essentially the will is nothing else than love (for whatever a person loves he wills, and whatever he does not love he does not will), and also for the reason that everything which is a product of love or flows from love is perceived by a person as a form of good since he takes delight in it. From this it follows that everything which is a product of the will or flows from the will is a form of good.
ppp18324#pid#5527. 'And you will wander through the land, trading' means that truths from good will thereby be made fruitful and will all afford some useful purpose and lead to some form of gain. This is clear from the meaning of 'trading' as acquiring for oneself cognitions of good and truth, and so truths known to the Church, and communicating the same, dealt with in `@@@4453`; and those who possess such truths are called 'traders', `@@@2967`. Consequently 'going through the land, trading' is gathering such truths, wherever they are. From this it follows that 'going through the land, trading' also means the fruitfulness of truths from good. For once the joining together through the intermediary, which is 'Benjamin', has been accomplished, that is to say, once the external man, which is 'the ten sons of Jacob', has been joined to the internal, which is 'Joseph' - which joining together is dealt with here - or what amounts to the same, once a person has been regenerated, good is constantly making truths fruitful.
ttt[2] For someone who is governed by good possesses the ability to see particular truths that derive from general ones, and to see them in a continuing sequence. This is more especially the case at a later stage in the next life when worldly and bodily matters cease to cast a shadow over them. I have been allowed to know from considerable experience that good brings this ability with it. Such experience has included spirits who had possessed not so much of that ability when they lived as people in the world but who had nevertheless led charitable lives. I have seen those spirits raised up into heavenly communities, where they have then possessed intelligence and wisdom akin to that of the angels there; indeed these knew no other than that such intelligence and wisdom existed within those spirits. For the good which had governed the lives they had led gave them the ability to receive everything that flowed into them from the angelic communities in which they were present. This kind of ability exists within good and so therefore does that kind of fruitfulness. But the truths which with them are made fruitful by good do not remain as truths; these people make them matters of life, in which case they come to be assigned to some useful purpose. Therefore 'wandering through the land, trading' also means that all truths will afford some useful purpose and lead to some form of gain.
ppp18323#pid#5528. Verses `Genesis 42bbbccc35-38` And so it was, as they were emptying their sacks, that behold, each man's bundle of silver was in his sack; and they saw their bundles of silver, they and their father, and they were afraid. And Jacob their father said to them, You have bereaved me [of my children]; Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and you take Benjamin. All these things will be upon me. And Reuben said to his father - he said, Make my two sons die if I do not bring him back to you; give him into my hand, and I will bring him back to you. And he said, My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he, he alone, is left. And should harm happen to him on the road on which you go, you will cause my grey hair to go down in sorrow to the grave.
'And so it was, as they were emptying their sacks' means the use performed by truths in the natural. 'That behold, each man's bundle of silver' means truths in ordered groups freely given. 'Was in his sack' means in each one's receptacle. 'And they saw their bundles of silver means a discernment that this was so. 'They and their father' means by the truths and the good of truth in the natural. 'And they were afraid' means a holy influence. 'And Jacob their father said to them' means a perception that came to them from the good of truth. 'You have bereaved me [of my children]' means that thus no Church existed any longer. 'Joseph is not' means that the internal does not exist: 'And Simeon is not' means that faith in the will does not exist either. 'And you take Benjamin' means if the intermediary also is taken away. 'All these things will be upon me' means that, when this is so, that which constitutes the Church will have been destroyed. 'And Reuben said to his father' means matters of faith present in the understanding were discerned by the good of truth. 'He said, Make my two sons die' means that neither of the two kinds of faith will survive. 'If I do not bring him back to you' means if no joining of the intermediary takes place. 'Give him into my hand' means insofar as it was in its power. 'And I will bring him to you' means that it will be restored. 'And he said, My son shall not go down with you' means that it will not move down towards inferior things. 'For his brother is dead' means because the internal is not present. 'And he, he alone, is left' means that this one now exists in place of the internal. 'And should harm happen to him on the road on which you go' means that, when in the company of truths alone in the natural that have been separated from the internal, it will perish. 'You will cause my grey hair to go down' means that this will accordingly be the final phase of the Church. 'In sorrow to the grave' means without hope of a restoration to life.
ppp18322#pid#5529. 'And so it was, as they were emptying their sacks' means the use performed by truths in the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'emptying' - emptying out the corn they had brought back from Egypt - as the use performed by truths (for 'corn' means truth, `@@@5276`, `@@@5280`, `@@@5292`, `@@@5402`); and from the meaning of 'sacks' as receptacles within the natural, dealt with in `@@@5489`, `@@@5494`, and so the natural itself. Regarding the receptacles in the natural, see below in `@@@5531`.
ppp18321#pid#5530. 'That behold, each man's bundle of silver' means truths in ordered groups freely given. This is clear from the meaning of 'bundle' as an ordered group, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'silver' as truth, dealt with in `@@@1551`, `@@@2954` - 'each man's in his sack' meaning that the ordered groups were freely given. The reason why 'bundle' means an ordered group is that the truths present with a person are arranged and ordered into sequences. The truths most in harmony with his loves lie in the middle; ones less in harmony with his loves lie immediately around those in the middle, while truths that are not at all in harmony with his loves lie pushed back to the peripheries. And lying outside that whole sequence are those which are contrary to his loves. The truths in the middle are therefore called kindred ones since love is the creator of kinship; those that are more remote are called associated ones, extending to and ending with associates that are on the fringes. All the truths present with a person are arranged into sequences like this and are meant by 'bundles'.
ttt[2] From this one may see quite clearly what the situation is with those governed by self-love and love of the world and what it is with those governed by love to God and towards their neighbour. With people governed by self-love and love of the world the kinds of truths that lend support to these loves are in the middle, while those giving them little support are on the peripheries, and those contrary to them, such as truths to do with loving God and loving their neighbour, are cast to the outside. Such is the state of those in hell. This also explains why sometimes a band of light is seen around them; but inside this band where they themselves are, there exists a dark, gruesome, and horrible centre. With angels however there is a radiance at the centre, fuelled by the good of celestial and spiritual love, with a band of light or shining whiteness clothing it round about. Those who appear like this are likenesses of the Lord, for when He Himself revealed His Divinity to Peter, James, and John, He shone with His face like the sun, and His garments became like the light, `Matthew 17bbb2`. The fact that angels, who are likenesses of Him, are seen in a radiance with a surrounding whiteness is evident from the angel who came down from heaven and rolled the stone away from the door of the tomb,
His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. `Matthew 28bbb3`.
ppp18320#pid#5531. 'Was in his sack' means in each one's receptacle. This is clear from the meaning of 'a sack' as a receptacle, dealt with in `@@@5489`, `@@@5494`, `@@@5529`. What is meant by a receptacle here must also be stated briefly. A person's natural is divided into receptacles. Each receptacle comprises a general whole within which there are, in ordered groups, less general or relatively particular parts, and specific parts within these. Each general whole, together with its particular and its specific parts, includes within itself its own receptacle which can activate itself, that is, can achieve variations in form and effect changes of state within itself. The receptacles present with a person who has been regenerated are as many in number as the general truths present with him, and each receptacle corresponds to some community in heaven. This ordered condition exists with the person in whom the good of love and consequently the truth of faith are present. From all this one may gain some idea of what is meant by each one's receptacle when this phrase is used to refer to general truths in the natural which are represented by 'the ten sons of Jacob'.
ppp18319#pid#5532. 'And they saw their bundles of silver' means a discernment that this was so - that ordered groups of truths had been freely given. This is clear from the explanation just above in `@@@5530`.
ppp18318#pid#5533. 'They and their father' means by the truths and the good of truth in the natural. This is clear from the representation of the sons of Jacob, to whom 'they' refers here, as the truths in the natural, dealt with in `@@@5403`, `@@@5419`, `@@@5427`, `@@@5458`, `@@@5512`; and from the representation of Jacob, to whom 'their father' refers here, as the good of truth which is also in the natural, dealt with in `@@@3659`, `@@@3669`, `@@@3677`, `@@@3775`, `@@@4234`, `@@@4273`, `@@@4538`. An explanation of what a discernment by truths and the good of truth in the natural is can indeed be given; but when that explanation passes into the understanding the matter will seem to be extremely obscure. Yet it will be seen in so to speak the clear light of day by spirits when it passes into their understanding. Such matters are for them some of the less hard to understand. This also makes clear to some extent the nature of the difference between a person's intelligence while he is in the world and the inferior light shining here and when he is in heaven and the superior light shining there.
ppp18317#pid#5534. 'And they were afraid' means a holy influence. This is clear from the meaning of 'being afraid', when happenings such as those that are attributable to Divine Providence take place, like the one here involving the free gift of truths, meant by 'each man's bundle of silver was in his sack'. The holy influence at work at this time leads to a certain kind of fear that is coupled to a feeling for what is holy and to be reverenced.
ppp18316#pid#5535. 'And Jacob their father said to them' means a perception that came to them from the good of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in the historical narratives of the Word as perception, often dealt with already; and from the representation of 'Jacob' as the good of truth, dealt with just above in `@@@5533`.
ppp18315#pid#5536. 'You have bereaved me [of my children]' means that thus no Church existed any longer. This is clear from the representation of Jacob, the one who says this about himself, as the good of truth, dealt with in `@@@3659`, `@@@3669`, `@@@3677`, `@@@3775`, `@@@4234`, `@@@4273`, `@@@4538` (and as the good of truth is represented, so also is the Church because good is the essential element of the Church. It therefore amounts to the same whether you say the good of truth or the Church, for the person who has the good of truth present with him has the Church present with him. 'Jacob' represents the Church, see `@@@4286`, `@@@4520`, and that being so his sons represent the truths known to the Church, `@@@5403`, `@@@5419`, `@@@5427`, `@@@5458`, `@@@5512`); and from the meaning of 'bereaving' as depriving the Church of its truths and forms of good, such as those here which are represented by Joseph, Benjamin, and Simeon, to whom reference is made directly after the words 'you have bereaved me'.
ttt[2] 'Bereaving' is depriving the Church of its truths for the reason that the Church is likened to a marriage. Good is likened to the husband and truth to the wife, while the truths born from that marriage are likened to 'the sons' and the forms of good to 'the daughters', and so on. When therefore a state of bereavement or an action causing this is mentioned, the meaning is that the Church has been deprived of its truths and as a consequence ceases to be a Church. The expressions 'bereft' and 'bereavement' are also used in various other places in the Word, as in
Ezekiel,
I will send famine and evil wild animals upon you, and I will make you bereft. `Ezekiel 5bbb17`.
In the same prophet,
When I cause evil wild animals to pass through the land and they leave it bereft so that it becomes a desolation, with the result that no one passes through on account of the wild animals. `Ezekiel 14bbb15`.
In Leviticus,
I will send into you the wild animals of the field, which will leave you bereft and will cut off your beasts,`fff1` and make you few in number, so that your roads are laid waste. `Leviticus 26bbb22`.
ttt[3] In these quotations 'famine' stands for an absence of cognitions of good and truth and the consequent desolation, 'evil wild animals' for falsities derived from evils, and 'the land' for the Church. 'Sending famine and evil wild animals, and leaving the land bereft' stands for destroying the Church by means of falsities derived from evils and so depriving it completely of truths. In Jeremiah,
I will winnow them with a winnowing-fork in the gates of the land; I will bereave, I will destroy My people. `Jeremiah 15bbb7`.
Here also 'bereaving' stands for depriving of truths. In the same prophet,
Give their children over to the famine, and cause them to be wiped out by the power of the sword,`fff2` so that their wives become bereaved [of children] and widows. `Jeremiah 18bbb11`.
'So that their wives become bereaved and widows' stands for their being left without truths or good.
ttt[4] In Hosea,
As for the Ephraimites, their glory will fly away like a bird, away from birth, and from the belly, and from conception. Even if they bring up their sons, I will make them bereft of human beings. `Hosea 9bbb11-12`.
Here the meaning is similar. In Ezekiel,
I will cause human beings to walk upon you, even My people; and those human beings will by inheritance take possession of you and you will be an inheritance to them; no more will you bereave them [of their children]. Thus said the Lord Jehovih, Because they say to you, You have been one devouring human beings and one bereaving your peoples [of children]. `Ezekiel 36bbb12-13`.
Here also 'bereaving' stands for depriving of truths.
ttt[5] In Isaiah,
Now hear this, you lover of pleasures, sitting securely, saying in her`fff3` heart, I am, and there is no one else like me; a widow I shall not sit, nor shall I know bereavement [of children]. But these two things will come to you in a moment in one day-bereavement and widowhood. `Isaiah 47bbb8-9`.
This refers to the daughter of Babel and to Chaldea, that is, to those who are outwardly holy but inwardly unholy and who call themselves the Church by virtue of that outward holiness. 'Bereavement and widowhood' stands for a deprivation of truth and good. In the same prophet,
Lift up your eyes round about, and see; they all gather together, they come to you. The children of your bereavements will say again in your ears, The place is too narrow for me; yield me a place to dwell in. But you will say in your heart, Who has begotten these for me, when yet I am bereft [of children] and alone, an exile and one who has been displaced? Who therefore has brought these up? I was left, alone. These, where were they? `Isaiah 49bbb18`, `Isaiah 49bbbccc20-21`.
This refers to Zion, which is the celestial Church, and to its fruitfulness after it had been laid waste. 'The sons of bereavements' stands for the truths of which it was deprived when laid waste, but which were restored and underwent enormous increase.
`nnn1. i.e. cattle
`nnn2. literally, cause them to flow down by means of the hand of the sword
`nnn3. The Latin means your but the Hebrew means her, which Swedenborg has in another place where he quotes this verse.
ppp18314#pid#5537. 'Joseph is not' means that the internal does not exist. This is clear from the representation of 'Joseph'; since he represents the celestial of the spiritual, his representation is the internal aspect of the Church, dealt with in `@@@5469`.
ppp18313#pid#5538. 'And Simeon is not' means that faith in the will does not exist either. This is clear from the representation of 'Simeon' as faith in the will, dealt with in `@@@3869-3872`, `@@@4497`, `@@@4502`, `@@@4503`, `@@@5482`.
ppp18312#pid#5539. 'And you take Benjamin' means if the intermediary also is taken away. This is clear from the representation of 'Benjamin' as the intermediary, dealt with in `@@@5411`, `@@@5413`, `@@@5443`.
ppp18311#pid#5540. 'All these things will be upon me' means that, when this is so, that which constitutes the Church will have been destroyed. This is clear from the representation of Jacob, who says this about himself, as the Church, dealt with in `@@@5536`. When neither the internal represented by 'Joseph' nor faith in the will represented by 'Simeon' exist within the Church, and if the intermediary, represented by 'Benjamin', that effects the joining together is taken away, that which constitutes the Church has been destroyed. These are the factors meant by 'all these things will be upon me'.
ppp18310#pid#5541. 'And Reuben said to his father' means matters of faith in the understanding were discerned by the good of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in the historical narratives of the Word as discerning, often dealt with already; from the representation of 'Reuben' as faith in doctrine and in the understanding, dealt with in `@@@3861`, `@@@3866`, `@@@5472`, and therefore matters belonging to that faith; and from the representation of Jacob, 'his father' whom Reuben addresses here, as the good of truth, dealt with in `@@@3659`, `@@@3669`, `@@@3677`, `@@@3775`, `@@@4234`, `@@@4273`, `@@@4538`, `@@@5533`. From all this it is evident that 'Reuben said to his father' means matters of faith present in the understanding were discerned by the good of truth. The reason Reuben is the speaker here is that the subject is the Church in which faith present in doctrine and in the understanding seemingly takes the lead and teaches. Here it teaches what must be done if the destruction of what constitutes the Church is to be averted.
ppp18309#pid#5542. 'He said, Make my two sons die' means that neither of the two kinds of faith will survive. This is clear from the meaning of Reuben's 'two sons' as both kinds of faith. For 'Reuben' represents faith in doctrine and in the understanding, while his 'sons' are the two kinds of teaching existing within the Church - teaching about what is true and teaching about what is good, that is, teaching about faith and teaching about charity. The thought that neither of these two kinds of faith or the Church will survive unless a joining of the intermediary represented by 'Benjamin' takes place is meant by 'make my two sons die if I do not bring back Benjamin to you'. In saying this Reuben certifies that the Church would be at an end unless the intermediary were present. But for the internal sense contained in those words Reuben would never have told his father to make his two sons die if he did not bring back Benjamin; for in telling him this Reuben would have been suggesting that he should subsequently wipe out an entire family. Such a course of action, being contrary to all that is right, would have been utterly wicked. But what the internal sense teaches explains why he spoke in the way he did.
ppp18308#pid#5543. 'If I do not bring him back to you' means if no joining of the intermediary takes place. This is clear from the representation of Benjamin, to whom the one he would bring back refers here, as the intermediary, dealt with in `@@@5411`, `@@@5413`, `@@@5443`, `@@@5539`; and from the meaning of 'bringing back' as being joined.
ppp18307#pid#5544. 'Give him into my hand' means insofar as it was in its power. This is clear from the meaning of 'hand' as power, dealt with in `@@@878`, `@@@3387`, `@@@4931-4937`, `@@@5327`, `@@@5328`. Correctly understood 'giving him into his hand' means entrusting him [Benjamin] to himself [Reuben]. But since faith in the understanding, represented by 'Reuben', possesses little power in which trust can be placed - for the truth of faith receives its power from the good of charity, `@@@3563` - 'give him into my hand' therefore means insofar as it was in its power.
ppp18306#pid#5545. 'And I will bring him back to you' means that it will be restored. This is clear without explanation.
ppp18305#pid#5546. 'And he said, My son shall not go down with you' means that it will not move down towards inferior things. This is clear from the meaning of 'going down' as an expression used of movement towards inferior things, dealt with in `@@@5406`, in this case towards truths existing as factual knowledge in the exterior natural, `@@@5492`, `@@@5495`, `@@@5497`, `@@@5500`. Which are represented by 'the sons of Jacob'.
ppp18304#pid#5547. 'For his brother is dead' means because the internal is not present. This is clear from the representation of Joseph, to whom 'brother' refers here, as the celestial of the spiritual, or truth from the Divine, and therefore the internal aspect of the Church, dealt with in `@@@5469`; and from the meaning of 'being dead' here as not being present. For though not present there he was still among the living.
ppp18303#pid#5548. 'And he, he alone, is left' means that this one now exists in place of the internal. This becomes clear from the consideration that because the internal, represented by 'Joseph', was not present and he alone [Benjamin] was born from the same mother, he was now one and the same as Joseph. For 'Joseph' and 'Benjamin' both represent the internal, while 'the remaining ten sons of Jacob' represent the external, `@@@5469`.
ppp18302#pid#5549. 'And should harm happen to him on the road on which you go' means that, when in the company of truths alone in the natural that have been separated from the internal, it will perish. This is clear from the explanation above in `@@@5413`, where similar words occur.
ppp18301#pid#5550. 'You will cause my grey hair to go down' means that this will accordingly be the final phase of the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'grey hair', when the Church is the subject, as its final phase. A final phase is also meant by 'grey hair' in Isaiah,
Hearken to Me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel who have been carried from the womb, borne from the belly. Even to [your] old age I am the same, and even to grey hair I will carry [you]. `Isaiah 46bbb3-4`.
'The house of Jacob' stands for the external Church, 'the house of Israel' for the internal Church. 'From the womb and the belly' stands for since it began. 'To old age and to grey hair' stands for the final phase of it. And in David,
Planted in the house of Jehovah, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still have produce when in grey hair. `Psalms 92bbb13-14`.
'When in grey hair' stands for when in the final phase.
ppp18300#pid#5551. 'In sorrow to the grave' means without hope of a restoration to life. This is clear from the meaning of 'sorrow' here as without hope, for sorrow comes when no hope exists any longer; and from the meaning of 'the grave' as resurrection and regeneration, dealt with in `@@@2916`, `@@@2917`, `@@@3256`, `@@@4621`, and so a restoration - a restoration of the Church - to life. For if neither the internal represented by 'Joseph' is present within the Church, nor the intermediary represented by 'Benjamin', nor faith in the will, which is charity, represented by 'Simeon', no hope of its restoration to life exists any longer.
ttt[2] It does indeed seem strange that 'the grave' means a restoration to life; but that strangeness is due to man's idea about the grave. He makes no distinction between the grave and death, nor even between the grave and the corpse lying in it. But angels in heaven cannot have any such idea about the grave; theirs is an entirely different one from man's, namely the idea of resurrection and restoration to life. For when a person's corpse is committed to the grave he himself is raised into the next life. When thinking about the grave therefore the angels have no idea of death, only of life and consequently of a restoration to life.
ppp18299#pid#5552. CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE GRAND MAN - continued
IN THIS SECTION THE CORRESPONDENCE OF THE SKIN, HAIR, AND BONES WITH IT
Correspondence is by nature such that the parts in the human being which possess the greatest amount of life correspond to those communities in heaven which possess the greatest amount of life and consequently the greatest amount of happiness there, such as those communities to which a person's external and internal sensory powers correspond, and which have a link with his understanding and his will. But parts in the human being which possess less life correspond to the kinds of communities where less life is present, such as the layers of the skin which cover the whole body, also the cartilages and the bones which hold together and support everything within the body, as well as the hairs that grow out of the skin. The identity and nature of those communities to which all these parts of the body correspond must also be stated.
ppp18298#pid#5553. The communities to which the layers of the skin correspond are at the entrance to heaven. They are able to perceive what spirits are like who arrive at the outer threshold of heaven, who are then either turned away or taken inside. So those communities may be called the entrances to or places on the threshold of heaven.
ppp18297#pid#5554. Very many communities exist which constitute the outer coverings of the body, all differing from one another from the face down to the soles of the feet; for differences exist wherever you choose to look. I have had many conversations with these communities. So far as their spiritual life was concerned they were the kind of people who had allowed themselves to be convinced by others that this or that was the truth; and once they had heard proofs drawn from the sense of the letter of the Word they fully believed it and stuck firmly to the opinion they had received. They also based the life they led, though this was not an evil one, on the same convictions. But other spirits who do not possess a similar frame of mind to theirs find it difficult to have any dealings with them because of their rigid adherence to the ideas they have accepted and because of their refusal to be led away from these by reasonable thinking. Very many spirits like that come from this 'planet, for our own globe is taken up with things of an external nature and responds to internal ones in the way that the skin usually does.
ppp18296#pid#5555. There are spirits who during their lifetime knew no more than the general outlines of faith, such as the requirement to love their neighbour, and in obedience to this general basic command did good no less to the wicked than to the upright, without discriminating between those two kinds of people; for they said that everyone was their neighbour. When spirits like these lived in the world they allowed themselves to be led astray greatly by deceitful, hypocritical, and fraudulent persons. Much the same happens to them in the next life, where they do not bother to listen to what anyone else tells them because they are ruled by their senses and do not go in for rational ideas. These spirits constitute the skin - the outer part where there is not so much feeling. I have talked to those who constitute the skin which covers the skull. These differ considerably, as does the skin on various parts of the body, such as that on different areas of the skull to the back of it, to the front of it, and on the temples, or that on the face, and over the chest, abdomen, loins, feet, arms, hands, and fingers.
ppp18295#pid#5556. I have also been allowed to know who those spirits are that constitute the scaly area of the skin. This area of the skin, more than any other casings of the body, possesses the least amount of feeling, since it is thickly covered with scales which are rather like soft gristle. The communities constituting that scale-like skin are ones who engage in reasoning about everything, about whether such-and-such a thing is true or not, yet go no further than just reasoning. When I spoke to them I was allowed to perceive that they had no understanding at all of what was true or untrue; and the more they go on reasoning the less they understand. Even so, they seem to themselves to be wiser than others, for they identify wisdom with an ability to reason. They are totally unaware of the fact that the chief characteristic of wisdom is perceiving, without the use of reasoning, that a thing is true or untrue. Many of these spirits belong to those who in the world became like this because of the confusion into which goodness and truth had been thrown by philosophical arguments, as a result of which they possess less common sense than anybody else.
ppp18294#pid#5557. There are also spirits who serve as mouthpieces for others, while they themselves understand scarcely anything of what they utter. They have confessed that this is so, yet they go on acting as those mouthpieces. This is what those people come to be like who during their lifetime simply babbled on without giving any thought to what they were saying and who loved to speak on every subject. I have been told that they exist in groups and that some of them correlate with the membranes that cover the internal organs of the body, others with those layers of skin where little feeling exists. For they are wholly passive forces which do not act of themselves but are moved by others.
ppp18293#pid#5558. There are spirits who, when they wish to know something, declare an idea to be true; and they declare this one after another in their community. As they do so they watch to see whether that declaration flows freely, unimpeded by any spiritual resistance to it. For when the idea is not true they usually notice some resistance coming from within. If no resistance to it is detected by them they suppose that the idea is true, and they have no other way of knowing it. Spirits like this are the ones who constitute the glands associated with the skin; yet there are two kinds of these spirits. The first kind affirm that the idea is true because the declaration they make appears, as stated, to flow freely, from which they assume, because there is no resistance to it, that it accords with the heavenly form and consequently with the truth. So it is affirmed by them. The second kind of those spirits boldly affirm, without knowing it to be so, that an idea is true.
ppp18292#pid#5559. I have been shown in a representative manner the pattern produced by the interweavings present in different parts of the skin. With those spirits among whom those outermost coverings of skin corresponded to inner realities - that is, material things acted in agreement with spiritual ones - a beautiful pattern existed that was formed from coils wonderfully linked together like lacework that defies description. They were azure-coloured. After that forms still more continuous, neat and attractive were represented, which is how the skin of a person who has been regenerated is seen. But among those who have been deceitful persons those outermost coverings look like clumps consisting solely of snakes, while magicians look like foul entrails.
ppp18291#pid#5560. The communities of spirits to which the cartilages and bones correspond are very many. But they are the kind that have very little spiritual life within them, even as very little life is present in the bones when compared with the softer parts which they encompass, such as the skull and bones belonging to the head when compared with both parts of the brain, the medulla oblongata, and the substances within these that belong to the senses, or, for instance, the vertebrae and ribs when compared with the heart and lungs; and so on.
ppp18290#pid#5561. I have been shown how small is the amount of spiritual life present in those spirits who correlate with the bones. Used as mouthpieces by other spirits, they know little about the things they declare. Even so they do declare things, taking delight solely in the act of so declaring them. Reduced to a state like this are those people who led an evil life and yet had certain remnants of goodness stored away within them. These remnants, after vastations lasting for ages and ages, are what produce that small amount of spiritual life. For what remnants are, see `@@@468`, `@@@530`, `@@@560`, `@@@561`, `@@@660`, `@@@1050`, `@@@1738`, `@@@1906`, `@@@2284`, `@@@5135`, `@@@5342`, `@@@5344`. As has been stated, these spirits possess only a small amount of spiritual life, by which life is meant the life that angels in heaven possess. While in the world a person is introduced to it by means of matters of faith and charity. An actual affection for the good of charity, an affection also for the truth of faith, is what constitutes spiritual life. Without that affection a person's life is a natural, worldly, bodily, and earthly one, which is not spiritual life if it does not hold such an affection within itself but a life such as animals in general possess.
ppp18289#pid#5562. Those who are released from vastations and correlate with the purposes served by the bones do not have any clear and precise ideas, only general and most imprecise ones. They are like those who are called the distracted, not fully in their bodies so to speak. They are sluggish, dim witted, and stupid; they are slow at grasping anything at all. What is more, they frequently lack any feelings of uneasiness because anxious cares do not get through to them but become lost in their overall dull-wittedness.
ppp18288#pid#5563. Occasionally pains are felt in the skull, sometimes in one part, at other times in another, when what seem like nodules which are separate from all other bones and so are the source of the pains are detected there. Experience has taught me that things of this nature are caused by falsities originating in evil desires. And what is a marvel, the genera and species of falsities have their own particular locations in the skull, as considerable experience has also enabled me to know. In the case of people undergoing reformation such nodules, which are pieces of hardness, are broken down and made soft; and this is done in a variety of ways. In general it is done by means of instruction in what is good and true, by means of incisive inroads made by truths, an activity accompanied by pain inwardly, and also by means of actual tearings apart, an activity accompanied by pain outwardly. For falsities originating in evil desires are of such a nature as to cause hardness; they are the opposite of truths. In the case of truths, because they take shape in accord with the shape heaven takes, they flow so to speak spontaneously, freely, gently, and softly. But the shape taken by falsities is the opposite because they incline in the opposite direction from heaven. As a consequence that flow associated with the form taken by heaven is blocked and hardnesses develop. For this reason those in whom deadly hatred and desires for revenge accompanying such hatred have existed, and in whom falsities originating in such desires have been present, possess skulls that are completely hardened. Some have skulls like ivory, which no rays of light, which are truths, can penetrate but are altogether turned back.
ppp18287#pid#5564. There are spirits, low in stature, who boom when they speak; sometimes they do this all together, like a column of troops. They are born with this method of speaking. They do not come from this planet but from some other one which in the Lord's Divine mercy will be described when the inhabitants of various planets are the subject. I have been told that these spirits correlate with the shield-shaped cartilage which is situated in front of the cavity of the chest and which serves as a support for the front of the ribs and also for various voice muscles.
ppp18286#pid#5565. There are spirits too who correlate with the bones that are much harder, such as the teeth; but I have not been allowed to know very much about these. All I have been allowed to know is that when these spirits, with whom scarcely any spiritual life at all remains, are brought into view in the light of heaven, they do not appear to possess a face, only teeth instead of a face. This is because the face represents a person's interiors, thus his spiritual and celestial endowments, which are matters of faith and charity. Spirits therefore who during their lifetime did not acquire any such spiritual life have the kind of appearance that has just been described.
ppp18285#pid#5566. As a certain spirit came towards me I saw what looked like a black cloud that had stars around it which were wavering. Falsities are meant when stars that are wavering appear in the next life, but truths when those that are firmly fixed appear there. I noticed that this was a spirit who wanted to get near me; and when he did so he struck fear into me, an ability that certain spirits, especially robbers, possess. It was that fear which led me to deduce that he was a robber. While he was near me he sought to do all he could with the aid of magical devices to disturb me, but without success. He stretched out his hand to exercise the power he imagined himself to possess, but that action achieved absolutely nothing. After that I was shown what his face was like. He had no face but instead something very black, where a mouth appeared, opened wide in a dreadful and fierce manner to produce gaping jaws in which a row of teeth stood out. In short it was like a mad dog with its jaws opened wide, so wide that it had jaws but no face.
ppp18284#pid#5567. A certain spirit once positioned himself by my left side, at which point I did not know where he came from or what kind of spirit he was; he also acted in an obscure manner. In addition he wished to get right inside me; but he was thrust away. He emitted a general sphere of ideas constituting thought, a sphere such as cannot be described; I do not remember ever detecting any sphere like it before then. He had not given his allegiance to any basic convictions but was in general opposed to everyone, whom he had been able to refute and disparage by the use of adroit and clever arguments without even knowing what the truth might be. I was astonished that he was gifted with such cleverness, that is to say, with the ability to refute others by the use of clever arguments while having no actual knowledge of the truth. After this he went away, but he soon returned with an earthen ware flask in his hand, from which he wanted to give me something to drink. The flask contained some brew produced from false notions that would take away the understanding from those who drank it. This representation took place because he had deprived those who had been his adherents in the world of their understanding of truth and good; yet they remained his adherents. This spirit too, when seen in the light of heaven, did not seem to have a face, only teeth, for the reason that he had been able to deride other people's ideas even though he himself had no knowledge at all of the truth. I was told who he was. During his lifetime he existed among the famous and was recognized by some as such.
ppp18283#pid#5568. Sometimes spirits have been present with me who ground their teeth. They came from hells in which the inhabitants had not only led an evil life but also firmly rejected the Divine and traced everything back to natural forces. Those spirits grind their teeth when they speak, which is hideous to listen to.
ppp18282#pid#5569. Just as there is a correspondence of the bones and skin, so there is also a correspondence of the hairs on the body; for hairs come up out of roots in the skin. Whatever is part of the correspondence with the Grand Man exists with spirits and angels; for each one is related to the Grand Man as an image of the same. Angels therefore have hair, neatly and tidily arranged; their hair represents their natural life and the correspondence of this with their spiritual life. For 'the hair' or 'hairs' means the strands of one's natural life, see `@@@3301`, while 'cutting one's hair' means attending to natural things so as to make them tidy and so attractive, `@@@5247`.
ppp18281#pid#5570. Many spirits exist, especially female ones, who have imagined that having an attractive appearance was all that mattered and who have thought about nothing deeper than this. They have given scarcely any thought to eternal life. This is excusable in females up to the time of young womanhood, when the burning desire which usually comes before marriage has died down. But if, when they become more mature adults and are able to understand something better, they continue in those ways, they acquire a character that remains with them after death. Such women are seen in the next life, possessing long hair which falls over their faces and which, in their imagination that such makes them elegant, they are also combing. (For 'combing one's hair' means making natural things look attractive, `@@@5247`.) From this other spirits recognize what those women are like; for spirits can know from their hair - from its colour, length, arrangement - what those women have been like so far as their natural life in the world is concerned.
ppp18280#pid#5571. There are spirits who have believed that natural forces accounted for everything and who were thoroughly convinced of this. They have also led a carefree life on the basis of this belief, without recognizing any life after death or thus the existence of hell and of heaven. Being wholly naturally-minded, when such spirits are seen in the light of heaven they do not seem to have a face at all but instead something bearded, very hairy, and uncut. For, as stated above, the face represents the spiritual and celestial endowments existing with a person interiorly, whereas the hair on the head represents natural ones.
ppp18279#pid#5572. At the present day there are very many people in the Christian world who attribute everything to natural forces and scarcely anything to the Divine. But more of these people exist in one nation than in another. Let me therefore record a conversation I had with certain members of that nation in which there are very many who think like that.
ppp18278#pid#5573. A certain spirit was once present, but was invisible over my head. I was led to perceive his presence from a stench of burnt horn or bone and from stinking teeth. After that a large crowd looking like a cloud appeared on the scene, coming up from below towards a higher position behind my back. These too were invisible; and they came to a halt above my head. I assumed that their invisibility was due to their own cleverness. I was told however that where the spiritual sphere obtained they were not visible, but where the natural sphere did so they were visible. They were therefore called 'the invisible natural ones'. Regarding those spirits let me record first the disclosure that they endeavoured in a most zealous, cunning, and skillful manner to prevent any exposure at all of themselves. Having this end in view they also knew how to take away from other people the ideas they possessed and to replace these with different ones with which they prevented their own disclosure. Their endeavour to do this lasted for quite a long time. From all this I was led to see that during their lifetime those spirits had been the kind of people who did not want any of their actions or thought to be exposed, which they achieved by assuming a different countenance and a different manner of speaking. Nevertheless they had not employed any kind of pretence so as to lie and deceive.
ttt[2] I perceived that the spirits present with me had been traders during their lifetime; yet they were the kind whose delight in life lay in trading itself and not so much in riches, so that trading itself was so to speak the driving force (anima) within them. I therefore spoke to them about this, and was led to say that trading in no way prevented them from entering heaven and that in heaven there were rich people no less than poor ones. But they objected to this, saying it had been their opinion that if they were going to be saved, they would need to give up trading, donate all their possessions to the poor, and reduce themselves to a pitiable condition. I was led to answer that what they said was not true and that those among them who were in heaven because they had been good Christians and yet had been wealthy, some extremely wealthy, thought otherwise. These people had had as their end in view the common good and love towards their neighbour; and they had engaged in commerce solely for the sake of service in the world and had not, what is more, set their heart on wealth. But the reason why those to whom I was speaking were on a lower level was that they were wholly naturally-minded and therefore had no belief in a life after death, or in hell, or in heaven; indeed they had no belief in the spirit. I also told them that by the use of all kinds of ingenuity they had heartlessly robbed others of their goods and without feeling any pity could for their own gain watch entire households perish, and that they consequently derided everyone who talked to them about the spiritual life.
ttt[3] I have also been shown the kind of belief those spirits had had regarding life after death, and regarding heaven and hell. A certain person appeared who was carried up to heaven, going up from the left over to the right. I was told that this was someone who had recently died and was being taken off immediately by angels into heaven. There followed a discussion concerning that person, but although those spirits too saw this take place, they possessed a sphere of disbelief which was an extremely powerful one and which they diffused around themselves. It was so powerful that they were willing to convince themselves and others not to believe what they had seen. Because their disbelief was so strong I was led to tell them that if in the world they had by chance witnessed the restoration to life of someone lying dead on a catafalque they would first of all have said that they refused to believe it unless they had seen many dead persons restored to life, and that if they had seen this they would have attributed such to natural causes. After this, when those spirits had been left to think for a while, they said that at first they would have believed that what they had seen was some trick. But once, they added, it proved to be no trick they would have believed that the soul of the dead person had some secret communication with the one restoring him to life, and at length that this was some secret which they could not comprehend; for the natural world contains very many incomprehensible secrets. So they could not have been led to believe that such a happening was attributable to some force outside the natural order. This revealed the kind of faith that had been theirs, that is to say, a faith which could not possibly lead them to believe in a life after death, or in hell, or in heaven. Thus it revealed that they were naturally-minded. When spirits like these are seen in the light of heaven they too seem to have no face, only a thick growth of hair in place of it.
ppp18277#pid#5574. `Genesis 43bbb0`
1. And the famine grew more serious in the land.
2. And it happened, when they had finished eating the corn which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, Turn back, buy a little food for us.
3. And Judah said to him - he said, The man issued a solemn warning to us, saying, You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.
4. If you are willing to send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you.
5. And if you are not willing to send him, we will not go down; for the man said to us, You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.
6. And Israel said, Why did you treat me so badly as to tell the man that you had still [another] brother?
7. And they said, The man questioned us closely about ourselves and our generation, saying, Is your father still alive? Have you a brother? And we told him according to the tenor`fff1` of these words. Could we possibly have known that he would say, Cause your brother to come down?
8. And Judah said to Israel his father, Send the boy with me, and we will rise up and go, and we will live and not die - even we, even you, even our young children.
9. I myself will be surety for him; from my hand you will require him. If I do not bring him to you and set him before you, then I shall be sinning against you every day.
10. For if perhaps we had not delayed we would by now have returned these two times.`fff2`
11. And Israel their father said to them, If this therefore has to be, do it. Take some of the much-sung-about produce`fff3` of the land in your vessels, and cause a gift to go down to the man - a little resin and a little honey, wax and stacte, pistachio nuts and almonds.
12. And take a double amount of silver in your hands. And the silver that was put back in the mouth of your pouches you are to take back in your hand; perhaps it was a mistake.
13. And take your brother; and rise up, return to the man.
14. And may God Shaddai grant you mercy before the man, and may he release`fff4` to you your other brother and Benjamin; and I, even as I have been bereaved, I shall be bereaved.
15. And the men took this gift, and took the double amount of silver in their hand, and Benjamin; and they rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.
16. And Joseph saw Benjamin with them, and he said to the one who was over his house, Bring the men to the house, and slaughter and prepare [an animal]; for the men will eat with me at midday.
17. And the man did as Joseph said, and the man brought the men to Joseph's house.
18. And the men were afraid because they were brought to Joseph's house; and they said, Over the matter of the silver put back in our pouches at the beginning are we brought to [this place], so that he may come down on us and fall on us,`fff5` and take us as slaves, and our asses.
19. And they came near the man who was over Joseph's house, and they spoke to him [at]`fff6` the door (ostium) of the house.
20. And they said, On my honour,`fff7` my lord, we certainly came down at the beginning to buy food.
21. And it happened, when we came to the lodging-place and opened our pouches, that behold, each man's silver was in the mouth of his pouch, our silver in its full weight; and we are bringing it back in our hand.
22. And we are causing other silver to come down in our hand to buy food; we do not know who put our silver in our pouches.
23. And he said, Peace to you, do not be afraid; your God and the God of your father has given you the concealed gift in your pouches; your silver came to me. And he brought Simeon out to them.
24. And the man brought the men to Joseph's house and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave fodder to their asses.
25. And they made ready the gift, until Joseph's coming at midday, for they heard that they would eat bread there.
26. And Joseph came to the house, and they brought him the gift that was in their hand, to the house, and bowed down to him to the earth.
27. And he questioned them about their peace,`fff8` and said, Does your father, the old man of whom you spoke, have peace? Is he still alive?
28. And they said, Your servant our father has peace; he is still alive. And they bowed, and bowed down.
29. And he lifted up his eyes and saw Benjamin his brother, his mother's son, and said, Is this your youngest brother, whom you said [something about) to me? And he said, God be gracious to you, my son.
30. And Joseph hastened, because feelings of compassion were being roused in him towards his brother, and he sought [somewhere] to weep; and he went to his bedchamber and wept there.
31. And he washed his face and went out; and he contained himself and said, Set on bread.
32. And they set for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians eating with him by themselves; for the Egyptians cannot eat bread with the Hebrews, since that is an abomination to the Egyptians.
33. And they sat in front of him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth; and the men were astonished [and looked] each at his companion.
34. And he took portions from before his face to them, and he multiplied Benjamin's portion above the portions of all theirs - five measures more. And they drank, and drank plentifully with him.
CONTENTS
The description of the joining of the truths known to the Church and present in the natural, which are 'the ten sons of Jacob', to the celestial of the spiritual or truth from the Divine, which is 'Joseph', through the intermediary, which is 'Benjamin', is continued. But this chapter confines itself in the internal sense to the general influx which comes before the joining together.
`nnn1. literally, mouth
`nnn2. i.e. they would by now have returned home a second time
`nnn3. much-sung-about produce translates the single Latin word decantatio, which Swedenborg uses to represent the Hebrew zimrath, a word meaning products celebrated and praised in song.
`nnn4. literally, send
`nnn5. literally, roll down onto us and throw himself onto us
`nnn6. See `@@@5653`.
`nnn7. The Latin In me here represents the Hebrew Bi, which is usually regarded as an expression of entreaty rather than validity, cp Chapter `Genesis ccc44bbb18`.
`nnn8. i.e. their welfare
ppp18276#pid#5575. THE INTERNAL SENSE
Verses `Genesis 43bbbccc1-5` And the famine grew more serious in the land. And it happened, when they had finished eating the corn which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, Turn back, buy a little food for us. And Judah said to him - he said, The man issued a solemn warning to us, saying, You will not see my face unless your brother is with you. If you are willing to send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you. And if you are not willing to send him, we will not go down; for the man said to us, You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.
'And the famine grew more serious' means the desolation resulting from the dearth of spiritual things. 'In the land' means in the case of the integral parts of the Church. 'And it happened' means a new situation. 'When they had finished eating the corn' means when there was a deficiency of truths. 'Which they had brought from Egypt' means which had been obtained from factual knowledge. 'That their father said to them' means a perception received from the things that constituted the Church. 'Turn back, buy a little food for us' means that, so as to have life, they should acquire the good of spiritual truth. 'And Judah said to him' means the good which existed in the Church. 'He said, The man issued a solemn warning to us' means the turning away from them of the spiritual from the internal. 'Saying, You will not see my face' means that no compassion will show itself. 'Unless your brother is with you means unless the intermediary is with you. 'If you are willing to send our brother with us' means if the Church desires a linking to take place, the intermediary must be there. 'We will go down and buy food for you' means that in this case the good of truth will be acquired. 'And if you are not willing to send him' means if that is not so. 'We will not go down' means that it cannot be acquired. 'For the man said to us' means a perception regarding the spiritual. 'You will not see my face' means that no compassion will show itself. 'Unless your brother is with you' means unless the intermediary is with you.
ppp18275#pid#5576. 'And the famine grew more serious' means the desolation resulting from the dearth of spiritual things. This is clear from the meaning of 'the famine' as an absence of cognitions of goodness and truth, dealt with in `@@@3364`, `@@@5277`, `@@@5279`, `@@@5181`, `@@@5300`, and the consequent desolation, `@@@5360`, `@@@5376`, `@@@5415`. And because desolation can arise from a shortage and consequent dearth of spiritual realities, 'the famine' has this meaning too. A famine in the spiritual world or heaven is not a hunger for [bodily] food, for angels do not feed on material food, which is the food for that body which a person carries around in the world. Rather it is a hunger for the kind of food that nourishes their minds, and this, which is called spiritual food, consists in understanding what is true and in having a wise discernment of what is good. And what is amazing, angels are nourished with this food.
ttt[2] This has been made clear to me by the fact that after young children, who have died as young children, have been furnished in heaven with truths that are the constituents of intelligence and with forms of good that are the essence of wisdom, they no longer look like young children but adults, increasingly so as goodness and truth increase with them. The nourishment of angels by spiritual food has also been made clear to me by the fact that they have a constant desire for those things that are the constituents of intelligence and wisdom. At their eveningtime, that is, when they pass through a state in which they lack what they desire, that state compared with other states holds no happiness for them. In that state there is nothing that they hunger and long for more than a new dawning of morning light upon them and their return to the life filled with happiness that comes with intelligence and wisdom.
ttt[3] It may also be seen by anyone who stops to reflect on the matter that understanding what is true and desiring what is good constitute spiritual food. If someone who is enjoying material food that serves to nourish the body is at the same time in a cheerful state of mind and is engaged in conversation about the kinds of things that accord with that state of mind, the material food for the body becomes all the more nourishing. This is an indication of the existence of a correspondence between spiritual food, which feeds the soul, and material food, which feeds the body. The same is clear in addition from the experience of someone who has the desire to furnish his mind with ideas that constitute knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom. If he is denied these he begins to feel sad and distressed, and like somebody in time of famine he has the desire to return to his spiritual food and so to the nourishment of his soul.
ttt[4] It may also be seen from the Word that spiritual food is what nourishes the soul in the way material food nourishes the body, as in Moses,
Man does not live by bread only, but man lives by every utterance of the mouth of Jehovah. `Deuteronomy 8bbb3`; `Matthew 4bbb4`.
In general 'utterance of the mouth of Jehovah' is the Divine Truth which goes forth from the Lord, and so is every truth contained in wisdom; specifically it is the Word, the foundation and source of ideas constituting wisdom. And in John,
Do not labour for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. `John 6bbb17`.
This 'food' is clearly the truth that is contained in wisdom and that goes forth from the Lord.
ttt[5] From this one may also recognize what is meant by these words of the Lord recorded in the same chapter,
My flesh is truly food, and My blood truly is drink. `John 6bbb55`.
That is to say, 'the Lord's flesh' is Divine Good, `@@@3813`, and 'His blood' Divine Truth, `@@@4735`. For now that the Lord has made His Human completely Divine, His 'flesh' is nothing else than Divine Good, and His 'blood' nothing else than Divine Truth. One has to understand that in the Divine there is nothing material; therefore in the highest sense, that is, where it has reference to the Lord, 'food' is the Good of Divine Love directed towards the salvation of the human race. This food is also the kind that is meant by the Lord's words in John,
Jesus said to the disciples, I have food to eat of which you do not know. My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. `John 4bbb32`, `John 4bbbccc34`.
'Doing the will of Him who sent Me, and finishing His work' is saving the human race; and the Divine attribute which motivates this is Divine Love.
From all this one may now see what is meant in the spiritual sense by 'the famine'.
ppp18274#pid#5577. 'In the land' means in the case of the integral parts of the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'the land' in the Word as the Church, and therefore here the integral parts of the Church; for whatever serves to mean the Church also means its integral parts since it is made up of these. The reason why in the Word 'the land' means the Church is that the land of Canaan was the one in which the Church had existed since most ancient times. Consequently when the expression 'the land' appears in the Word it is used to mean the land of Canaan; and when this particular land is meant one understands the Church. For when the expression 'the land' appears there, people in the spiritual world do not concern themselves with the idea of a land, only with the idea of the nation inhabiting it; yet not with an idea of that nation but with an idea of the essential nature of it. Consequently they concern themselves with an idea of the Church when 'the land', used to mean the land of Canaan, appears there.
ttt[2] From this one may see how deluded those people are who believe - on the basis of prophetical utterances in the Old Testament, and in John in the New - that on the day when the last judgement takes place a new earth or land and a new heaven or sky are going to be created, when in fact nothing else than a new external Church is meant by 'a new earth' and a new internal Church by 'a new heaven'. These deluded people also believe that something other than the Church is meant when the expression 'the whole earth' is used in the Word. This shows how little understanding of the Word exists with those who imagine that the Word does not contain any meaning more holy than that shining out of the letter alone.
Regarding the existence of the Church in the land of Canaan since most ancient times, `@@@3686`, `@@@4447`, `@@@4454`, `@@@4516`, `@@@4517`, `@@@5136`.
Regarding 'the land' in the Word meaning the Church, `@@@662`, `@@@1066`, `@@@1067`, `@@@1262`, `@@@1413`, `@@@1607`, `@@@1928`, `@@@4447`.
Regarding 'a new heaven and a new earth' meaning a new Church, internal and external, `@@@1733`, `@@@1850`, `@@@2117`, `@@@2118` (end), `@@@3355` (end), `@@@4535`.
ppp18273#pid#5578. 'And it happened' means a new situation. This is clear from the meaning of 'so it was' or 'it happened' as that which implies a new state, dealt with in `@@@4979`, `@@@4987`, `@@@4999`, `@@@5074`, `@@@5466`. In the original language used in ancient times the meaning was not indicated with the aid of punctuation marks; rather the text continued without any breaks in the same way as speech does in heaven. Instead of punctuation marks the conjunction 'and' was used, also the verb 'so it was' or 'it happened'. This explains why these expressions occur so many times and why 'so it was' or 'it happened' means a new situation.
ppp18272#pid#5579. 'When they had finished eating the corn' means when there deficiency of truths. This is clear from the meaning of 'the corn' as truth, dealt with in `@@@5276`, `@@@5280`, `@@@5292`, `@@@5402` - the fact that there was a deficiency of such truth being meant by 'they had finished eating it'. The situation in the spiritual world is that those there satisfy their hunger with truths and forms of good; for they constitute the food for those there, `@@@5576`. But once that food has served its purpose those people enter a further state of dearth. It is like the nourishing of a person with material food, in that once this food has served its purpose that person feels hungry again. This kind of hunger, which is a dearth of spiritual things, is eveningtime for those in the spiritual world, or the darkest part of their day; but this is followed by twilight and morning. Those there pass through alternating phases Like these. They enter that eveningtime or state of spiritual hunger to the end that they may long for and have a desire for truths and forms of good, which are more nutritious when they are hungry for them, even as material food is for someone who is famished. From this one may see what is meant by a dearth of spiritual things when there was a deficiency of truths.
ppp18271#pid#5580. 'Which they had brought from Egypt' means which had been obtained from factual knowledge. This is clear from the meaning of 'Egypt' as factual knowledge, dealt with in `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1186`, `@@@1462`, from this knowledge being meant by 'they had brought from there'. In the good sense 'Egypt' means the facts which the Church possesses, that is to say, which serve the Church in the outward form it takes, `@@@4749`, `@@@4964`, `@@@4966`. Facts of this kind, like the porch leading into a house, serve to introduce a person into the truths which the Church possesses.
ttt[2] For the impression of those facts on a person's senses takes place first, and this opens the way into the more internal parts of the mind. Indeed it is well known that the area of external sensory perception is opened up first in a person, then that of the more internal sensory perceptions, and finally that where intellectual concepts reside; and that once the area where those concepts reside has been opened up, such concepts there are represented, to enable them to be understood, within those sensory impressions. The reason for this is that intellectual concepts spring up out of sensory impressions by a process of extraction from them; for intellectual concepts are deductions which, once they have been made, are separated from and rise far above sensory impressions. The presence of spiritual influences coming from the Lord by way of heaven is what accomplishes all this. From these things one may see what is implied by truths obtained from factual knowledge.
ppp18270#pid#5581. 'That their father said to them' means a perception received from the things that constituted the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in the historical narratives of the Word as perception, often dealt with already, and from the representation of Israel, to whom 'father' refers here, as the Church. For 'Israel' is the internal spiritual Church, and 'Jacob' the external Church, see `@@@4286`, `@@@4292`, `@@@4570`. The word 'father' is used because in the Word 'father' as well as 'mother' means the Church; but 'mother' means the Church so far as truth is concerned, and 'father' the Church so far as good is concerned. The reason for this is that the Church is a spiritual marriage formed from good as the father and truth as the mother.
ppp18269#pid#5582. 'Turn back, buy a little food for us' means that, so as to have life, they should acquire the good of spiritual truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'buying' as acquiring and making one's own, dealt with in `@@@4397`, `@@@5374`, `@@@5397`, `@@@5406`, `@@@5410`, `@@@5426`; and from the meaning of 'food' as the good of truth, dealt with in `@@@5340`, `@@@5342`. Here the good of spiritual truth is meant, because this kind of good is the subject in what follows. That the purpose was for them to have life follows from this.
ppp18268#pid#5583. 'And Judah said to him' means the good which existed in the Church. This is clear from the representation of 'Judah' as the good existing in the Church, dealt with in `@@@3654`. The fact that now Judah speaks about Benjamin, whereas previously, in verses `Genesis 42bbb36`, `Genesis 42bbbccc37` of the previous chapter, Reuben was the one to do so, is an arcanum which only the internal sense can bring to light. The same applies to the fact that when Reuben spoke about Benjamin, Jacob is referred to in Verse `Genesis 42bbbccc36` of the previous chapter as Jacob, whereas now, when Judah is speaking about Benjamin, Jacob is referred to in verses `Genesis 43bbbccc6`, `Genesis 43bbbccc8`, `Genesis 43bbbccc11` as Israel. No one can deny that some such arcanum lies within this, but what that arcanum is cannot possibly be known simply from the story told in the sense of the letter, as is also the case in other places where Jacob is sometimes referred to as Jacob, and at other times as Israel, `@@@4286`. The actual arcanum embodied in all this will in the Lord's Divine mercy be stated in what follows. The reason Judah is the speaker now is that the subject is the good of spiritual truth which needs to be acquired, `@@@5582`. Therefore here Judah, who represents the good existing with the Church, is the one to speak to Israel, who represents the good of spiritual truth. He also offers himself as a surety for Benjamin, who represents the intermediary; for the intermediary must be joined by means of good to what has to be acquired.
ppp18267#pid#5584. 'He said, The man issued a solemn warning to us' means the turning away from them of the spiritual from the internal. This is clear from the meaning of 'issuing a solemn warning' as the turning away of [the spiritual from the natural], for Joseph had warned them that they would not see his face unless their brother was with them (this warning is the threat of a turning away, for 'not seeing his face' means that no compassion will show itself, dealt with in the next paragraph); and from the representation of 'Joseph' as the Divine Spiritual, or what amounts to the same, truth from the Divine, dealt with in `@@@3969`, which at this point is the spiritual or truth flowing in from the internal since the expression 'the man' is used.
ppp18266#pid#5585. 'Saying, You will not see my face' means that no compassion will show itself. This is clear from the meaning of 'face', when used in reference to a person, as his interiors, that is to say, his affections and consequent thoughts, dealt with in `@@@358`, `@@@1999`, `@@@2434`, `@@@3527`, `@@@3573`, `@@@4066`, `@@@4796`, `@@@4797`, `@@@5102`. But when used in reference to the Lord, for the Lord is represented in the highest sense by 'Joseph', 'face' means mercy and compassion, and therefore 'not seeing his face' means a lack of mercy or absence of compassion. Not that the Lord lacks any compassion, for He is pure mercy; but when the intermediary that effects the joining to Him is not present it does seem to a person as though there is no compassion in the Lord. The reason for this is that if no intermediary effecting the joining together is present, no acceptance of good takes place. And if there is no acceptance of good, evil is present instead. If at this time the person calls out to the Lord because evil prompts him to do so, thus for selfish reasons in defiance of anyone else's needs, he is not heard, in which case it seems as though no compassion shows itself.
ttt[2] As regards 'Jehovah's (or the Lord's) face' meaning mercy, this is evident from the Word; for understood properly 'Jehovah's (or the Lord's) face' is Divine love itself, and being Divine love it is the face of mercy since mercy is the expression of love towards the human race set in such miseries. The truth that 'Jehovah's (or the Lord's) face' is Divine Love may be seen from the Lord's face when He was transfigured in the presence of Peter, James, and John; that is, when He displayed His Divinity to them,
His face shone like the sun. `Matthew 17bbb2`.
It has been shown already that 'the sun' is Divine Love, see `@@@30-38`, `@@@1521`, `@@@1529-1531`, `@@@2441`, `@@@2495`, `@@@3636`, `@@@3643`, `@@@4060`, `@@@4321` (end), `@@@4696`. The Lord's actual Divinity had never previously appeared in any face; but His Divine Human had so appeared, through which, seemingly within which, Divine Love - which in relation to the human race is Divine Mercy - showed itself. This Divine Mercy within the Divine Human is called 'the angel of His face' in Isaiah,
I will cause the mercies of Jehovah to be remembered. He has rewarded`fff1` them according to His mercies, and according to the abundance of His mercies; and He became their Saviour. And the angel of His face saved them; in His love and in His pity He redeemed them. `Isaiah 63bbb7-9`.
The expression 'the angel' is used because 'angels' in the Word means in the internal sense some attribute of the Lord, `@@@1925`, `@@@2821`, `@@@4085`, in this case His mercy, which is why the phrase 'the angel of His face' is used.
ttt[3] 'Jehovah's (or the Lord's) face' is not only mercy but also peace and goodness since these are attributes of mercy, as may also be seen from the following places: In the Blessing,
Jehovah make His face shine upon you and be merciful to you. Jehovah lift up His face upon you and give you peace. `Numbers 6bbb25-26`.
Here it is quite evident that 'making His face shine' means showing mercy, and 'lifting up His face' means granting His peace. In David,
God be merciful to us and bless us, and make His face shine upon us. `Psalms 67bbb1`.
Here also 'face' stands for mercy. In the same author,
Turn us back, O God, and make Your face shine, that we may be saved. `Psalms 80bbb3`, `Psalms 80bbbccc7`, `Psalms 80bbbccc19`.
Here the meaning is similar. In the same author,
Deliver me from the hand of my enemies and my pursuers. Make Your face shine upon Your servant. `Psalms 31bbb15-16`.
Likewise in `Psalms 119bbb134-135`. In Daniel,
Hear, our God, the prayer of Your servant, and his supplications, and make Your face shine upon Your sanctuary that has been made desolate. `Daniel 9bbb17`.
Here also 'making His face shine' stands for showing mercy.
ttt[4] In David,
Many are saying, Who will cause us to see good? Lift up the light of Your face upon us. `Psalms 4bbb6-7`.
'Lifting up the light of His face' stands for His imparting good because of His mercy. In Hosea,
Let them seek My face; when they are in distress, in the morning let them seek Me. `Hosea 5bbb15`.
In David,
Seek My face! Your face, O Jehovah, will I seek. `Psalms 27bbb8-9`.
In the same author,
Seek Jehovah and His strength; seek His face continually. `Psalms 105bbb4`.
'Seeking Jehovah's face' stands for seeking His mercy. In the same author,
I, in righteousness, shall see Your face. `Psalms 17bbb15`.
And in Matthew,
See that you do not despise any of these tiny ones; for I say to you that their angels in heaven always see the face of My Father who is in heaven. `Matthew 18bbb10`.
'Seeing God's face' stands for the enjoyment of peace and good because of His mercy.
ttt[5] But the contrary of this is the hiding or concealment and also the turning away of the face, by which showing no compassion is meant, as in Isaiah,
In an overflowing of My anger I hid My face from you for a moment; but with eternal mercy I will have mercy on you. `Isaiah 54bbb8`.
'An overflowing of anger' stands for temptation in which, because the Lord does not seem to show mercy, the words 'I hid My face from you for a moment' are used. In Ezekiel,
I will turn My face away from them. `Ezekiel 7bbb22`.
In David,
How long, O Jehovah, will You forget me [as if] for ever? How long will You hide Your face from me? `Psalms 13bbb1`
In the same author,
Do not hide Your face from me; do not cast aside Your servant in anger. `Psalms 17bbb8`, `Psalms 17bbbccc9`.
In the same author,
Why, O Jehovah, do You abandon my soul? Why do You hide Your face from me? `Psalms 88bbb14`.
In the same author,
Make haste, answer me, O Jehovah. MY spirit is consumed. Do not hide Your face from me, lest I become like those going down into the pit. Cause me to hear Your mercy in the morning. `Psalms 143bbb7-8`.
And in Moses,
My anger will flare up against this people on that day, so that I forsake them, and I will hide My face from them, and they will be devoured. I will certainly hide My face on that day, because of all the evil which they have done. `Deuteronomy 31bbb17-18`.
'Anger flaring up' stands for turning oneself away, `@@@5034`, and 'hiding one's face' for not showing any compassion.
ttt[6] These actions are attributed to Jehovah or the Lord, for the reason that although He is never angry and never turns away or hides His face He is said to do so because that is how it seems to someone under the influence of evil. For the person under the influence of evil turns himself away and hides the Lord's face from himself; that is, he removes His mercy from himself. The fact that it is the evils present with a person that do this is also clear from the Word, as in Micah,
Jehovah will hide His face from them at that time, inasmuch as they have rendered their deeds evil. `Micah 3bbb4`.
In Ezekiel,
Because they transgressed against Me, therefore I hid My face from them. According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions I have dealt with them and have hidden My face from them. `Ezekiel 39bbb23-24`.
In particular in Isaiah,
Your iniquities are what separate you from your God, and your sins what cause. His face to hide from you. `Isaiah 59bbb2`.
From these and many other places one may see the internal sense, which shows itself in various places and is discovered by one who is looking for it.
`nnn1. Reading retribuit (has rewarded), which Swedenborg has in his rough draft and also in `@@@221`, for retribuet (will reward)
ppp18265#pid#5586. 'Unless your brother is with you' means unless the intermediary is with you. This is clear from the representation of 'Benjamin' as the intermediary, dealt with in `@@@5411`, `@@@5413`, `@@@5443`. The intermediary represented by 'Benjamin' serves as the link between the internal and the external, that is, between the spiritual man and the natural man; also, it is the truth of good that goes forth from truth from the Divine, represented by 'Joseph'. This truth of good is called the spiritual of the celestial - 'Benjamin' being the spiritual of the celestial, see `@@@3969`, `@@@4592`. A person's internal and external are completely distinct and separate from each other; for his internal dwells in the light of heaven, his external in the light of the world. And being completely distinct and separate they cannot be joined together except through the intermediary which derives its existence from both of them.
ppp18264#pid#5587. 'If you are willing to send our brother with us' means if the Church desires a linking together to take place, the intermediary must be there. This is clear from the representation of 'Israel', who was to be the sender, as the Church, dealt with in `@@@4286` - 'if you are willing to send' consequently meaning if the Church so desires; and from the representation of Benjamin, to whom 'brother' refers here, as the intermediary, dealt with immediately above in `@@@5586`. From this it is evident that 'if you are willing to send our brother with us' means if the Church desires a linking together to take place between its external and its internal, the intermediary must be there.
ppp18263#pid#5588. 'We will go down and buy food for you' means that in this case the good of truth will be acquired. This is clear from the meaning of 'buying' as acquiring and making one's own; and from the meaning of 'food' as the good of truth, both of which meanings are dealt with above in `@@@5582`.
ppp18262#pid#5589. 'If you are not willing to send him' means if it does not act in that way, that is to say, if the Church does not desire the linking together. This is evident from what has been stated just above in `@@@5587`.
ppp18261#pid#5590. 'We will not go down' means that it cannot be acquired. This is clear from what has been stated just above in `@@@5588`.
ppp18260#pid#5591. 'For the man said to us' means a perception regarding the spiritual. This is clear from the meaning of 'the man' as the spiritual from the internal, dealt with above in `@@@5584`; and from the meaning of 'saying' in the historical narratives of the Word as perception, often dealt with already.
ppp18259#pid#5592. 'You will not see my face' means that no compassion will show itself. This is clear from the explanation above in `@@@5585`, where the same words occur.
ppp18258#pid#5593. 'Unless your brother is with you' means unless the intermediary is with you. This is clear from what has been stated above in `@@@5586`, `@@@5587`, about Benjamin, to whom 'brother' refers here, being the intermediary.
ppp18257#pid#5594. Verses `Genesis 43bbbccc6-10` And Israel said, Why did you treat me so badly as to tell the man that you had still [another] brother? And they said, The man questioned us closely about ourselves and our generation, saying, Is your father still alive? Have you a brother? And we told him according to the tenor`fff1` of these words. Could we possibly have known that he would say, Cause your brother to come down? And Judah said to Israel his father, Send the boy with me, and we will rise up and go, and we will live and not die - even we, even you, even our young children. I myself will be surety for him; from my hand you will require him. If I do not bring him to you and set him before you, then I shall be sinning against you every day. For if perhaps we had not delayed we would by now have returned these two times.`fff2`
'And Israel said' means a perception received from spiritual good. 'Why did you treat me so badly as to tell the man that you had still [another] brother?' means that they separated the truth of good from spiritual good, so as to join it to the spiritual from the internal. 'And they said, The man questioned us closely about ourselves' means the clear perception this had regarding what existed within the natural. 'And our generation' means regarding the truths of faith there. 'Saying, Is your father still alive?' means and regarding spiritual good from which those truths sprang. 'Have you a brother?' means regarding interior truth. 'And we told him according to the tenor of these words' means its accordant discernment of these matters. 'Could we possibly have known that he would say, Cause your brother to come down?' means that we did not believe that he would want the truth of good to be joined to him. 'And Judah said to Israel his father' means a perception received from the good of the Church regarding these matters. 'Send the boy with me' means so that he would be attached to him. 'And we will rise up and go, and we will live and not die' means spiritual life entered into by degrees. 'Even we' means the external aspect of the Church. 'Even you' means the internal aspect of it. 'Even our young children' means aspects even more internal. 'And I will be surety for him' means that in the meantime [the truth of good] will be attached to it [the good of the Church]. 'From my hand you will require him' means that [the truth of good] will not be snatched away, insofar as it lies within its power to prevent it. 'If I do not bring him to you and set him before you' means the complete restoration of it to the Church. 'Then I shall be sinning against you every day' means that the good of the Church will not exist any longer. 'For if perhaps we had not delayed' means lingering in a state of indecision. 'We would by now have returned these two times' means that spiritual life, exterior and interior, [would have been restored].
`nnn1. literally, mouth
`nnn2. i.e. they would by now have returned home a second time
ppp18256#pid#5595. 'And Israel said' means a perception received from spiritual good. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as perceiving, dealt with already; and from the representation of 'Israel' as spiritual good, dealt with in `@@@3654`, `@@@4598`. And as 'Israel' represents spiritual good, he also represents the internal Church, `@@@3305`, `@@@4286`; for that Church is a Church by virtue of its spiritual good. Spiritual good is truth made into good; for truth is made into good when a person leads a life in keeping with that truth. When he does this, truth passes into his will and from there into action and becomes part of his life; and when truth becomes part of his life it is no longer called truth but good. But the will which transforms truth into good is the new will formed in the understanding part of his mind; and that good is called spiritual good. Spiritual good differs from celestial good in that celestial good is implanted in the will part of a person's mind. But this matter has been dealt with quite a number of times before.
ttt[2] The reason why Jacob is not called Jacob now, as he is in Verse `Genesis 42bbb36` of the previous chapter, but Israel is that good is the subject here, whereas truth was the subject in the previous chapter. In the previous chapter the speaker was therefore Reuben, who represents the truth of doctrine taught by the Church, `@@@3861`, `@@@3866`, `@@@4731`, `@@@4734`, `@@@4761`, `@@@5542`; but in the present chapter the speaker is Judah, by whom the good of the Church is represented, `@@@3654`, `@@@5583`. Good becomes the subject now because this time the joining together is effected of the internal, which is 'Joseph', and the external, which is 'the ten sons of Jacob', through the intermediary, which is 'Benjamin'. That joining of the internal to the external is effected through good.
ppp18255#pid#5596. 'Why did you treat me so badly as to tell the man that you had still [another] brother?' means that they separated the truth of good from spiritual good, so as to join it to the spiritual from the internal. This is clear from the meaning of 'treating badly' as separating, for it is their separation of Benjamin from him that Israel calls 'treating badly'; and from the meaning of 'telling' or 'pointing out' as imparting knowledge about what another thinks and reflects on, `@@@2862`, `@@@5508`, consequently communicating, `@@@4856`, and therefore joining together too (for when what is imparted passes into another's will, that communication leads to a joining together, as when Joseph heard that Benjamin was still alive and present with his father, he wanted Benjamin to come to him, and then, when alone with him, wanted to be joined to him, as is evident from the historical details that come after this); from the representation of Joseph as the Divine Spiritual, who, when he is called 'the man', means the spiritual from the internal, dealt with in `@@@5584`; and from the representation of Benjamin - to whom their brother, whose existence they had told him about, refers here - as the truth of good, dealt with in `@@@5586`. From all this it is evident that 'why did you treat me so badly as to tell the man that you had still [another] brother?' means that they separated the truth of good from spiritual good, so as to join it to the spiritual from the internal.
ppp18254#pid#5597. 'And they said, The man questioned us closely about ourselves' means the clear perception this had regarding what existed within the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'questioning' as perceiving another's thought, dealt with below; and from the representation of the ten sons of Jacob, to whom 'us' refers here, as the truths known to the Church which were present in the natural, dealt with in `@@@5403`, `@@@5419`, `@@@5427`, `@@@5458`, `@@@5512`. The reason 'questioning' means perceiving another's thought is that in heaven all thoughts are communicated, so clearly that no one needs to ask another what he thinks. This is why 'questioning' means perceiving another's thought; for things as they exist on earth become in the internal sense things as they exist in heaven.
ppp18253#pid#5598. 'And our generation' means regarding the truths of faith there. This is clear from the meaning of 'generation' as the birth of truth from good or faith from charity, dealt with in `@@@1145`, `@@@1255`, `@@@4070`, `@@@4668`. The reason 'generation' has this meaning in the internal sense is that in heaven no other kind of birth is meant than what is called regeneration, which is effected by means of the truth of faith and the good of charity. By this kind of generation or birth the children of men become the children of the Lord; these are they who are called 'the born of God' in `John 1bbb13`. The variations that exist in the offspring of good from truth and truth from good within that kind of generation are what determine the brotherly or blood relationships and the relationships by marriage that exist in heaven.
ttt[2] In heaven unending variations exist; but those variations are effected by the Lord in such a way that they resemble families in which there are brothers, sisters, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, grandsons, granddaughters, and so on. In general however all are organized into the kind of form that makes one united whole. They are like the variations within the human body, in which no one member is exactly the same as any other; indeed no one part within any member is the same as any other part. Even so, all those varying parts are organized into the kind of form in which they act as a single whole, and each fits in directly or remotely with the activity of another. Seeing a form such as this in the human being, one may deduce what the form must be like in heaven, with which there is a correspondence - a most perfect one - of everything in the human being.
ppp18252#pid#5599. 'Saying, Is your father still alive?' means and regarding spiritual good from which these sprang. This is clear from the representation of Israel, to whom 'father' refers here, as spiritual good, dealt with in `@@@3654`, `@@@4598`, `@@@5595`. Since the truths of faith descend from that good as their father, `@@@5598`, the expression from which they sprang is used here.
ppp18251#pid#5600. 'Have you a brother?' means regarding interior truth. This is clear from the representation of 'Benjamin' as the spiritual of the celestial, or what amounts to the same, the truth of good, which is interior truth. For 'Benjamin' is truth that has good within it, or the spiritual of the celestial, see `@@@3969`, `@@@4592`. This interior truth is what acts as the intermediary between truth from the Divine and truth within the natural.
ppp18250#pid#5601. 'And we told him according to the tenor of his words' means its accordant discernment of these matters. This is clear from the meaning of 'telling' or 'pointing out' as discerning, dealt with in `@@@3608`, for in the spiritual world or heaven those there have no need to tell what they are thinking since all thoughts are communicated, `@@@5597`, which is why 'telling' in the spiritual sense means discerning; and from the meaning of 'according to the tenor of his words' as in an accordant manner, for they are matters that he wished to discern.
ppp18249#pid#5602. 'Could We possibly have known that he would say, Cause your brother to come down?' means that we did not believe that he would want the truth of good to be joined to him. This is clear from the meaning of 'could it possibly be known that he would say?' as not believing; and from the representation of Benjamin, to whom 'brother' refers here, as the truth of good, dealt with just above in `@@@5600`. The joining of this truth of good to the spiritual from the internal is meant by the command that they should cause him to come down, as is evident from what has been stated above in `@@@5596`.
ppp18248#pid#5603. 'And Judah said to Israel his father' means a perception received from the good of the Church regarding these matters. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in the historical narratives of the Word as perceiving, often dealt with already; from the representation of 'Judah' as the good of the Church, dealt with above in `@@@5583`; and from the representation of 'Israel' as the internal spiritual Church, dealt with in `@@@3305`, `@@@4286`. From this it is evident that 'Judah said to Israel his father' means a perception the Church had which it received from its own good.
ppp18247#pid#5604. 'Send the boy with me' means that he would be attached to him, that is to say, to the good of the Church represented by 'Judah'. This is clear from the meaning of 'sending with him' as being attached to him and not to the rest, for in what follows it is stated, 'I will be surety for him; from my hand you will require him'; and from the representation of Benjamin, to whom 'the boy' refers here, as interior truth, dealt with just above in `@@@5600`. The expression 'the boy' is used because in the Word that which is more internal, when compared with what is external, is called a boy or child, for the reason that more innocence is present in what is more internal than in what is more external, innocence being meant in the Word by 'a young child' and also by 'a boy (or child)', `@@@5236`.
ppp18246#pid#5605. 'And we will rise up and go, and we will live and not die' means spiritual life entered into by degrees. This is clear from the meaning of 'rising up' as a raising up to higher or more internal things, and therefore to those that constitute spiritual life, dealt with in `@@@2401`, `@@@2785`, `@@@2912`, `@@@2927`, `@@@3171`, `@@@4103`, `@@@4881`; from the meaning of 'going' as living, dealt with in `@@@3335`, `@@@3690`, `@@@4882`, `@@@5493` (and since 'and we will live' follows, 'going' means the earliest stage of spiritual life); from the meaning of 'living' as spiritual life, for no other kind of life is meant in the internal sense of the Word; and from the meaning of 'not dying' as standing condemned no longer, that is, standing outside a state of condemnation, for no other kind of death is meant in the internal sense of the Word than spiritual death, which is condemnation. From all this it is evident that 'we will rise up and go, and we will live and not die' means life entered into by degrees. That is to say, an introductory phase leading into life is meant by 'rising up', the earliest stage of that life by 'going', that life fully under way by 'living', and guidance away from everything alien to that life by 'not dying'.
ttt[2] The idea that living is meant in the internal sense by 'going' will seem strange to one who does not know anything about spiritual life. But much the same is involved here as with the expression 'travelling on', namely an ordered life and a further stage of life, `@@@1293`, `@@@4375`, `@@@4554`, `@@@4585`; receiving instruction and leading a life in keeping with it, `@@@1463`, `@@@2025`, `@@@3672`. The reason why 'going', 'travelling on', and 'sojourning' have these meanings can, it is true, be stated; yet it is the kind of reason that makes little sense to those who have no knowledge of the exact nature of people's movements in the next life. Moving about and advancements made by people there are nothing else, since they have no other origin, than changes in their states of life. Such changes present themselves in outward actions as nothing other than advances from one place to another. The truth of this has been proved to me from many an experience I have had in the next life. In my spirit I have walked with and among those there, and have moved through their many dwelling-places; and I have done so even though my body remained all the time in the same place. I have talked to them about how this could be so and have learned that changes in their states of life are what constitute the advances people make in the spiritual world.
ttt[3] The same has also been proved to me by the fact that spirits are able, through changes of state that are effected, to be somewhere high up and then in an instant somewhere deep down, or to be far away in the west and then in an instant in the east, and so on. But, as stated, this is bound to seem strange to someone who does not know anything about life in the spiritual world. For in that world no intervals of space or of time exist, but states of life instead of these. Such states produce externally a visible scene with all the appearance of life involving advances and movement. The scene that appears is so vivid and real that it is an appearance of life itself; that is to say, the appearance is that life exists inherently within us, and so is essentially our own, when in actual fact life flows into us from the Lord, the source from which all life involves much the same, namely and the expression 'sojourning springs, see `@@@2021`, `@@@2658`, `@@@2706`, `@@@2886-2888`, `@@@3001`, `@@@3318`, `@@@3337`, `@@@3338`, `@@@3484`, `@@@3619`, `@@@3741-3743`, `@@@4151`, `@@@4249`, `@@@4318-4320`, `@@@4417`, `@@@4523`, `@@@4524`, `@@@4882`. Because 'going' and 'moving' mean living, the ancients had the saying, In God we move, and live, and have our being. By 'moving' they meant the external degree of life, by 'living' the internal degree, and by 'having one's being' the inmost degree.
ppp18245#pid#5606. 'Even we' means the external aspect of the Church. This is clear from the representation of the ten sons of Jacob, to whom 'we' refers here, as the external aspect of the Church, dealt with in `@@@5469`.
ppp18244#pid#5607. 'Even you' means the internal aspect of the Church. This is clear from the representation of Israel, to whom 'you' refers here, as the internal aspect of the Church, dealt with in `@@@4286`, `@@@4292`, `@@@4570`.
ppp18243#pid#5608. 'Even our young children' means aspects even more internal. This is clear from the meaning of 'young children' as things that are more internal, `@@@5604`. The reason more internal things are meant by 'young children' and also by 'boys (or older children)' is that innocence is meant by both these, and innocence is something inmost. The situation in heaven is that the inmost or third heaven consists of those in whom innocence dwells because they are moved by love to the Lord. For the Lord is Innocence itself, so that those who are there because they are moved by love to Him have innocence dwelling within them. And although they are the wisest ones of all in heaven, they look to others there like young children. For this reason, as well as for the reason that innocence dwells in young children, innocence is meant in the Word by 'young children'.
ttt[2] Since innocence is the inmost virtue of heaven, innocence must exist inwardly with all who are in heaven. It is like entities of a consecutive nature in relation to those that come into being simultaneously, that is, entities existing separated from one another in distinct degrees in relation to ones that come into being from these. For everything that comes into being simultaneously has its origin in entities of a consecutive nature. When simultaneous things take rise from consecutive ones they position themselves in the same order as that in which they existed initially, separated into distinct degrees. Take, by way of illustration, end, cause, and effect. These exist consecutively, distinct and separate from one another. When they come into being simultaneously they position themselves in the same order; that is to say, the end takes up the inmost position, the cause the position after this, and the effect the one that comes last. The effect comes into being simultaneously with the others; for unless the cause is present within the effect, and the end within the cause, no effect exists. If you remove the cause from the effect you destroy the effect, and all the more so if you remove the end from the cause. The end enables the cause to be a cause, and the cause enables the effect to be an effect.
ttt[3] The same is so in the spiritual world; just as end, cause, and effect are distinct and separate from one another, so in the spiritual world are love to the Lord, charity towards the neighbour, and the deeds of charity. When these three are made one, that is, when they come forth simultaneously, the first has to be within the second, and the second within the third. Likewise within the deeds of charity: unless charity flowing from affection or the heart is present inwardly in those deeds, they are not the deeds of charity; and unless love to the Lord is present inwardly in charity it is not charity. If therefore you take away the inward substance, the outward form perishes; for the outward form is brought into being and kept in being by the loves existing in order within it. The same is so with innocence. It makes one with love to the Lord. Unless innocence is present inwardly in charity it is not charity. Consequently unless charity that has innocence within it is present inwardly in the deeds of charity, they are not the deeds of charity. This being so, innocence must be present inwardly with all who are in heaven.
ttt[4] The truth of this, as well as the fact that innocence is meant by 'young children', is clear in Mark,
Jesus said to the disciples, Let the young children come to Me and do not hinder them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Truly I say to you, Whoever has not received the kingdom of God like a young child will not enter into it. Taking them up therefore in His arms, He laid His hand upon them, and blessed them. `Mark 10bbb14-16`; `Luke 18bbb15-17`; `Matthew 18bbb3`
Here 'the young children' clearly means innocence, for the reason that innocence resides with young children, and for the reason that in heaven forms of innocence are seen as young children. No one can enter heaven unless he possesses some measure of innocence, see `@@@4797`.
ttt[5] What is more, young children allow themselves to be governed by angels who are filled with innocence; children do not act independently, the way adults govern personal behaviour by the exercise of their own judgement and will. The fact that young children allow themselves to be governed by angels is clear from the Lord's words in Matthew,
See that you do not despise any one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always see the face of My Father. `Matthew 18bbb10`.
No one can see God's face except by virtue of having innocence.
ttt[6] Innocence is meant by 'young children' in the following places as well:
In Matthew,
Out of the mouth of young children and sucklings You have perfected praise. `Matthew 21bbb16`; `Psalms 8bbb1`.
In the same gospel,
You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to young children. `Matthew 11bbb25`; `Luke 10bbb21`.
The innocence meant by 'young children' is true wisdom; for genuine innocence dwells within wisdom, `@@@2305`, `@@@2306`, `@@@4797`. This explains why it is said that 'out of the mouth of young children and sucklings You have perfected praise', and also that such matters 'have been revealed to young children'.
ttt[7] In Isaiah,
The young cow and the bear will feed; their young will lie down together. And a suckling will play over the viper's hole. `Isaiah 11bbb7-8`.
This refers to the Lord's kingdom, specifically to the state of peace and innocence there. 'Suckling' stands for innocence. The impossibility that any evil can befall those in whom innocence is present is meant by 'the suckling will play over the viper's hole' - 'vipers' being utterly deceitful persons. This chapter in Isaiah refers quite explicitly to the Lord. In Joel,
Blow the trumpet in Zion; gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the young children and those sucking at the breast. `Joel 2bbb15-16`.
The elders' stands for the wise ones, 'the young children and those sucking at the breast' for the innocent ones.
ttt[8] In the following places too 'young children' is used to mean innocence, but here innocence that has been destroyed: In Jeremiah,
Why are you committing great evil against your own souls, to cut off from you man and woman, young child and suckling from the midst of Judah, so that I leave you no remnant? `Jeremiah 44bbb7`.
In the same prophet,
Lift up to Him your hands for the soul of your young children who faint through famine at the head of every street. `Lamentations 2bbb19`.
In Ezekiel,
Go through Jerusalem and strike; do not let your eye spare, and show no pity. [Utterly slay] old man, young man, virgin, and young child. `Ezekiel 9bbb5-6`
In Micah,
The women of My people you cast out from each one's pleasant house; from her young children you take away My honour for ever. `Micah 2bbb9`.
ttt[9] As regards the innocence present in young children, this is solely external, not internal; and because it is not internal it cannot be linked to any wisdom and exist together with it. But the innocence in angels, especially in those of the third heaven, is internal, and so exists joined to wisdom, `@@@2305`, `@@@2306`, `@@@3494`, `@@@4563`, `@@@4797`. Furthermore the human being has been created in such a way that when he grows old and becomes like a young child, the innocence of wisdom links itself to the innocence of ignorance that had been his when he was a young child, and in this condition, as a true young child, he passes over into the next life.
ppp18242#pid#5609. 'And I will be surety for him' means that in the meantime [the truth of good] will be attached to it [the good of the Church]. This is clear from the meaning of 'being surety for someone' as being responsible for him, as is also evident from what immediately follows, especially from what Judah told Joseph regarding his being surety, `Genesis 44bbb32-33`. And because 'being surety' is being responsible for that person, even while on the way the truth of good exists attached to it [the good of the Church].
ppp18241#pid#5610. 'From my hand you will require him' means that [the truth of good] will not be snatched away, insofar as it is within its power to prevent it. This is clear from the meaning of 'hand' as power, dealt with in `@@@878`, `@@@3387`, `@@@4931-4937`, `@@@5327`, `@@@5328`, `@@@5544` (insofar as it is within its power is meant because the surety or pledge does not extend beyond [the good of the Church]; the explanation of the truth and the nature of this matter is contained in the internal sense); and from the meaning of 'requiring from him' as not being snatched away, for the one 'required' from another must be attached to that other and remain inseparable from him.
ppp18240#pid#5611. 'If I do not bring him to you and set him before you' means the complete restoration of it to the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'bringing him and setting him before him' as completely restoring; and from the representation of 'Israel', to whom Benjamin would be restored, as the Church, dealt with in `@@@3305`, `@@@4286`, `@@@5595`.
ppp18239#pid#5612. 'Then I shall be sinning against you every day' means the good of the Church will not exist any longer. This is clear from the representation of Judah, who says this about himself, as the good of the Church, dealt with in `@@@5583`, `@@@5603`; from the meaning of 'sinning' as a separation, dealt with in `@@@5229`, `@@@5474`, thus the fact that it will not exist since that which is separated from someone does not exist with him any more; and from the meaning of 'every day' as for ever, thus not any longer. These words were spoken by Judah because the good of the Church has no existence without the intermediary, which is represented by 'Benjamin', between the internal and the external. For when either the good or the truth of the Church flows from the internal into the external it does so through the intermediary; consequently the existence of the intermediary is just as vital as the existence of the good of the Church, which is why Judah goes as surety for Benjamin. The non-existence of the good of the Church unless the intermediary is present is meant by these words spoken by Judah, while the non-existence of the truth of the Church is meant by those uttered by Reuben, `@@@5542`.
ppp18238#pid#5613. 'For if perhaps we had not delayed' means lingering in a state of indecision. This is clear from the meaning of 'delaying' as a state of indecision. For just as 'going', 'advancing , 'travelling', and 'sojourning' mean a state of life, `@@@5605`, so 'delaying' means a state of indecision; for when a state of life passes into a state of indecision, the external enters a state involving delay. Visual evidence of this presents itself in the person concerned; when his mind is at all undecided he stops in his tracks and ponders what to do. The reason for this is that indecision brings about a state of life in which a person is hesitant and vacillates between two different courses of action, and as a consequence produces a faltering step as the outward effect of that hesitancy. From this it is evident that 'if perhaps we had not delayed' means lingering in a state of indecision.
ppp18237#pid#5614. 'We would by now have returned these two times' means that spiritual life, exterior and interior, [would have been restored]. This is clear from the meaning of 'going' as living, dealt with above in `@@@5605`, and therefore 'going back' is a subsequent phase of living (for they went to Egypt to acquire grain for themselves, and 'grain' means the good of truth that is the product of spiritual life); and from the meaning of 'these two times', since this has reference to life, as exterior life and interior life. The corn which they received the first time meant exterior life, which is life in the natural, for the reason, dealt with in the previous chapter, that they did not have the intermediary with them. But the grain which they receive this time means interior life, for now they did have Benjamin, who is the intermediary, with them, this being the subject in the present chapter and the next one. All this explains why 'we would by now have returned these two times' means spiritual life, exterior and interior.
ttt[2] It is bound to seem strange that these things are meant, especially to someone who has no knowledge of what is spiritual; for it seems as though 'returning these two times' does not have the vaguest connection with what is actually meant, namely spiritual life. But this really is the inner meaning of these words. Indeed - if you are willing to believe it - that spiritual meaning is what the interior thought of a person moved by good comprehends, for that interior thought exists on the same level as the internal sense, though the person himself is totally ignorant of this while he lives in the body. For the internal or spiritual sense, which exists on the level of his interior thought, comes down without him knowing it into material ideas formed by his senses. These ideas rely for their formation on time and space and on the kinds of things that exist in the world, so that it is not evident to him that his interior thought is of such a nature. His interior thought is by nature the same as that of the angels, for his spirit dwells in communion with them.
ttt[3] The fact that the thought of a person moved by good accords with the internal sense may be recognized from the consideration that when he enters heaven after death he knows that internal sense without ever at all having to learn about it, which would by no means be possible if in the world his interior thought had not existed on the same level as that sense. It exists on the same level because of the correspondence between spiritual things and natural ones, the nature of which is such that not even the smallest thing is without correspondence. Therefore since the interior or rational mind of a person moved by good is in the spiritual world and his exterior or natural mind is in the natural world, both of these parts of his mind inevitably engage in thought. But his interior mind thinks on a spiritual level, his exterior mind on a natural level; also what is spiritual comes down into what is natural, and then through correspondence the two act as one.
ttt[4] A person's interior mind, in which the ideas constituting the thought there are called intellectual concepts and are referred to as immaterial ideas, does not rely, when it is engaged in thought, on verbal expressions belonging to any language. Consequently it does not rely on any natural forms. This may be recognized by anyone who is able to stop and reflect on these matters; for he can in an instant see in his mind what he can hardly express verbally in an hour, by the use of general observations which include very many details. The ideas constituting his thought are spiritual ones and are no different in nature, when the Word is read, from the spiritual sense. Even so, that person is quite unaware of this, for the reason already stated that those spiritual ideas flow into the natural and present themselves within natural ideas. Thus those spiritual ideas are in apparent, so completely that unless a person has received instruction in the matter he imagines that the spiritual does not exist unless it is like the natural, indeed that he does not think within his spirit in any different way from that in which he speaks in the body. Such is the way that the natural conceals the spiritual.
ppp18236#pid#5615. Verses `Genesis 43bbbccc11-14` And Israel their father said to them, If this therefore has to be, do it. Take some of the much-sung-about produce`fff1` of the land in your vessels, and cause a gift to go down to the man - a little resin and a little honey, wax and stacte, pistachio nuts and almonds. And take a double amount of silver in your hands. And the silver that was put back in the mouth of your pouches you are to take back in your hand; perhaps it was a mistake. And take your brother; and rise up, return to the man. And may God Shaddai grant you mercy before the man, and may he release`fff2` to you your other brother and Benjamin; and I, even as I have been bereaved, I shall be bereaved.
'And Israel their father said to them' means a perception received from spiritual good. 'If this therefore has to be, do it' means if it cannot be done in any other way, let it be done in that way. 'Take some of the much-sung-about Produce of the land in your vessels' means the choicer things of the Church among the truths of faith. 'And cause a gift to go down to the man' means to obtain favour. 'A little resin and a little honey' means the truths of exterior natural good, and the delight that goes with these. 'Wax and stacte' means the truths of interior natural good. 'Pistachio nuts and almonds' means forms of the good of life that agree with those truths. 'And take a double amount of silver in your hands' means truth received by the powers. 'And the silver that was put back in the mouth of your pouches you are to take back in your hand' means that through the truth freely given and present in the exterior natural they were to make themselves submissive as far as was possible. 'Perhaps it was a mistake' means lest he becomes unfriendly. 'And take your brother' means that by that self-submission they would receive the good of faith. 'And rise up, return to the man' means the life received from spiritual truth. 'And may God Shaddai' means the comfort that follows hardships. 'Grant you mercy before the man' means so that spiritual truth may accept you favourably. 'And may he release to you your other brother' means so that it may grant the good of faith. 'And Benjamin' means so that interior truth may be granted also. 'And I, even as I have been bereaved, I shall be bereaved' means that before these things take place the Church must be so to speak deprived of its own truths.
`nnn1. much-sung-about Produce translates the single Latin word decantatio, which Swedenborg uses to represent the Hebrew zimrath, a word meaning products celebrated and praised in song.
`nnn2. literally, send
ppp18235#pid#5616. 'Israel their father said to them' means a perception received from spiritual good. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in the historical narratives of the Word as perception; and from the representation of 'Israel' as spiritual good, both of which matters are dealt with above in `@@@5595`. The word 'father' is used because the truths that his sons represent spring from that good as their father.
ppp18234#pid#5617. 'If this therefore has to be, do it' means if it cannot be done in any other way, let it be done in that way. This becomes clear without explanation.
ppp18233#pid#5618. 'Take some of the much-sung-about produce of the land in your vessels' means the choicer things of the Church among the truths of faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'the much-sung-about produce' as choice things, dealt with below; from the meaning of 'the land' as the Church, dealt with above in `@@@5577`; and from the meaning of 'vessels' as the truths of faith, dealt with in `@@@3068`, `@@@3079`, `@@@3316`, `@@@3318`. The expression 'the much-sung-about' (decantatio) is used because in the original language it is derived from a word meaning 'singing' (cantatio), and therefore 'the much-sung-about produce of the land' means products that are highly commended and praised; and that is why choicer things are meant in the internal sense.
ppp18232#pid#5619. 'And cause a gift to go down to the man' means to obtain favour. This is clear from the meaning of 'taking a gift to the man' - 'the man' being Joseph, who is called the lord of the land - as to obtain favour. It was customary in the representative Ancient Church, and so in the Jewish Church, when people went to the judges, and at a later time to the kings or priests, to present them with a gift; indeed the people were commanded to do this. The reason for the custom was that the gifts people presented to those men represented the kinds of things mankind possessed that ought to be offered to the Lord when any approach is made to Him. Such gifts are ones that a person offers in freedom and therefore ones that come truly from himself. For his freedom resides in what comes from his heart; and what comes from his heart comes from his will. Also what comes from his will comes from a desire arising out of his love; and a desire arising out of his love constitutes his freedom, thus what is truly his own, `@@@1947`, `@@@2870-2893`, `@@@3158`. Such should be the origin of any gift made by man to the Lord when making any approach to Him. This kind of gift was represented by the gifts mentioned above, for 'kings' represented the Lord as regards Divine Truth, `@@@1672`, `@@@2015`, `@@@2069`, `@@@3009`, `@@@3670`, `@@@4581`, `@@@4966`, `@@@5044`, while 'priests' represented Him as regards Divine Good, `@@@1728`, `@@@2015`(end), `@@@3670`. Those gifts also served as introductions, see `@@@4262`, which were made to obtain favour.
ppp18231#pid#5620. 'A little resin and a little honey' means the truths of exterior natural good, and the delight that goes with these. This is clear from the meaning of 'resin' as the truth of good, which is truth derived from good, dealt with in `@@@4748`. The reason 'resin' has this meaning is that it belongs among unguent like substances and also among aromatic ones. Aromatic substances mean those kinds of entities that belong to truth derived from good, the more so when those substances also resemble unguents and consequently have oil among their ingredients; for 'oil' means good, `@@@886`, `@@@3728`, `@@@4582`. Since this resin was aromatic, see `Genesis 37bbb25`, the same word in the original language also means balm; it was also, it is clear, unguent-like or thick with oil. From this one may now see that 'resin' means the truth of good present in the natural, in this case in the exterior natural since 'resin' is mentioned first, then 'honey', meaning the delight there, is added. 'Honey' means delight because it is sweet and everything sweet in the natural world corresponds to some delight or pleasure in the spiritual world. The reason for the use of the expression 'the delight that goes with this' - that is to say, with truth derived from good present in the exterior natural - is that every truth, and more so every truth of good, possesses its own delight. But that delight springs from an affection for such truths and consequently for the use they serve.
ttt[2] The fact that 'honey' means delight may be seen also from other places in the Word, as in Isaiah,
A virgin will conceive and bear a son, and will call His name Immanuel (God with us). Butter and honey will He eat that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good. `Isaiah 7bbb14-15`.
This refers to the Lord. 'Butter' stands for what is celestial, 'honey' for what is derived from the celestial.
ttt[3] In the same prophet,
It will be, because of the abundance of the milk which they give, that he will eat butter; both butter and honey will everyone eat that is left in the midst of the land. `Isaiah 7bbb22`.
This refers to the Lord's kingdom. 'Milk' stands for spiritual good, 'butter' for celestial good, and 'honey' for what is derived from these, namely happiness, pleasure, and delight.
ttt[4] In Ezekiel,
Thus were you adorned with gold and silver, and your robes were fine linen, and silk, and embroidered cloth. You ate fine flour, and honey, and oil; therefore you became extremely beautiful, and attained to a kingdom. With fine flour, oil, and honey I fed you; but you set this before them as a pacifying odour. `Ezekiel 16bbb13`, `Ezekiel 16bbbccc19`.
This refers to Jerusalem, by which the spiritual Church is meant; it describes what that Church was like among the Ancients, and what it came to be like after that. Its adornment with gold and silver is the furnishment of it with celestial and spiritual good and truth. Its robes of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth stand for truths present in the rational and in both parts of the natural. 'Fine flour' stands for what is spiritual, 'honey' for the pleasure accompanying this, and 'oil' for the good that goes with it. The fact that all these, each one, mean things of a heavenly nature may be recognized by anyone.
ttt[5] In the same prophet,
Judah and the land of Israel were your traders in wheat of minnith and pannag, and honey, and oil, and balm. `Ezekiel 27bbb17`.
This refers to Tyre, by which is meant the spiritual Church, what it was like initially and what it came to be like subsequently so far as cognitions of good and truth were concerned, `@@@1201`. Also, 'honey' in this quotation stands for the pleasure and delight gained from affections for knowing and learning about celestial and spiritual forms of goodness and truth.
ttt[6] In Moses,
He causes`fff1` him to ride over the heights of the land and He feeds [him] with the produce of the fields; he causes him to suck honey out of the crag, and oil out of the stony rock. `Deuteronomy 32bbb13`.
This too refers to the spiritual Ancient Church. 'Sucking honey from the crag' stands for the delight taken in factual knowledge that holds truths within it.
ttt[7] In David,
I feed them with the fat of wheat, and with honey out of the rock I satisfy them. `Psalms 81bbb16`.
'Satisfying with honey out of the rock' stands for the delight gained from the truths of faith.
ttt[8] In Deuteronomy,
Jehovah is bringing you to a good land, a land of rivers of water, springs, and depths gushing out of valleys and mountains; a land of wheat and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of olive oil and honey. `Deuteronomy 8bbb7-8`.
This refers to the land of Canaan, in the internal sense to the Lord's kingdom in heaven. 'A land of olive oil and honey' stands for spiritual good and the pleasure that goes with it.
ttt[9] For the same reason the land of Canaan is called 'a land flowing with milk and honey', `Numbers 13bbb27`; `Numbers ccc14bbb7-8`; `Deuteronomy 26bbb9`, `Deuteronomy 26bbbccc15`; `Deuteronomy ccc27bbb3`; `Jeremiah 11bbb5`; `Jeremiah ccc32bbb22`; `Ezekiel 20bbb6`. In these places 'the land of Canaan' is used, as has been stated, to mean in the internal sense the Lord's kingdom. 'Flowing with milk' stands for an abundance of celestial-spiritual things, while 'honey' stands for an abundance of forms of happiness and delight received from these.
ttt[10] In David,
The judgements of Jehovah are truth; they are righteous altogether - more desirable than gold, and much fine gold; and sweeter than honey and what drops from honeycombs. `Psalms 19bbb9-10`.
'The judgements of Jehovah' stands for Divine truth, 'sweeter than honey and what drops from honeycombs' for the delights received from good and the pleasures received from truth. In the same author,
Sweet are Your words to my taste,`fff2` more than honey to my mouth. `Psalms 119bbb103`.
Here the meaning is similar.
ttt[11] The manna which the descendants of Jacob received in the wilderness as their bread is described in Moses as follows,
The manna was like coriander seed, white, and its taste was like wafers made with honey. `Exodus 16bbb31`.
Because 'the manna' meant the Divine truth which came down from the Lord by way of heaven, it is the Lord's own Divine Human, as He Himself teaches in `John 6bbb51`, `John 6bbbccc58`. For the Lord's Divine Human is the source from which every truth that is Divine springs; indeed it is what every truth that is Divine has reference to. This being so, the manna, the taste of which gave delight and pleasure, is described as being 'like wafers made with honey' - 'taste' being the delight which good provides and the pleasure that truth affords, see `@@@3502`.
ttt[12] Because John the Baptist represented the Lord as to the Word, which is Divine Truth on the earth - in the same way as Elijah had represented Him, `@@@2762`, `@@@5247`(end), making him the Elijah who was to come ahead of the Lord, `Malachi 4bbb5`; `Matthew 17bbb10-12`; `Mark 9bbb11-13`; `Luke 1bbb17` - his clothing and food were therefore meaningful signs. They are described in Matthew as follows,
John had a garment of camel hair and a skin girdle around his waist; his food was locusts and wild honey. `Matthew 3bbb4`; `Mark 1bbb6`.
'A garment of camel hair' was a sign of what the literal sense of the Word is like so far as truth there is concerned. That sense - the natural sense - serves as a garment for the internal sense; for 'hair' and also 'camels' mean what is natural. Food consisting of 'locusts and wild honey' was a sign of what the literal sense is like so far as good there is concerned, the delight belonging to that good being meant by 'wild honey'.
ttt[13] In addition the delight afforded by Divine truth as this exists in the external sense is described by 'honey', in Ezekiel,
He said to me, Son of man, feed your stomach and fill your inward parts with this scroll that I am giving you. And when I ate it, it was in my mouth like honey as regards sweetness. `Ezekiel 3bbb3`.
And in John,
The angel said to me, Take the little book and eat it up; it will indeed make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey. I therefore took the little book out of the angel's hand and ate it up, and it was in my mouth like sweet honey. But when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter. Then he said to me, You must prophesy again over many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and many kings. `Revelation 10bbb9-11`.
'The scroll' in Ezekiel, and 'the little book' in John, stand for Divine truth. The delight this appears to possess in the outward form it takes is meant by the taste being sweet as honey; for Divine truth, like the Word, is full of delight in the outward form it takes, which is the literal sense, because this allows everyone to interpret and explain it in whatever way it suits him. But the internal sense does not allow him to do so, and this is meant by its bitter taste; for the internal sense discloses what man is like inwardly. The external sense is full of delight for the reason just stated, that a person can explain things there in whatever way it suits him. The truths contained in the external sense are all general ones and remain such until particular truths are added to qualify them, and specific ones to qualify these. The external sense is also full of delight because it is natural, concealing what is spiritual within itself. It needs to be full of delight too if a person is to accept it, that is, to be taken into it and not left standing on the threshold.
ttt[14] The honeycomb and the broiled fish which after His resurrection the Lord ate in the presence of the disciples was also a sign of the external sense of the Word, 'the fish' meaning the truth associated with that sense and 'the honeycomb' the pleasure attached to it, described in Luke as follows,
Jesus said, Do you have any food at all here? They gave Him part of a broiled fish and some honeycomb, which He took and ate in their presence. `Luke 24bbb41-43`.
And because the fish and the honeycomb had that meaning the Lord therefore tells them,
These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses, and the Prophets, and the Psalms concerning Me. `Luke 24bbb44`.
The appearance is that nothing of the sort is meant, for it seems to have been purely by chance that they had part of a broiled fish and a honeycomb. But in fact their possession of these was providential - as is not only this but every other smallest fact mentioned in the Word. Because matters such as have been described were indeed meant, the Lord therefore referred to the Word, declaring that the things written in it had reference to Himself. But the things which have been written in the Old Testament Word regarding the Lord are but few in the sense of the letter, whereas everything contained in the internal sense has to do with Him; and it is from this that the Word gets its holiness. Everything contained in the internal sense is what is meant in the statement that 'all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses, and the Prophets, and the Psalms concerning Him'.
ttt[15] From all this one may now see that 'honey' means the delight that is received from goodness and truth, that is, from the affection for these, and that specifically external delight and so that belonging to the exterior natural is meant. Because this delight is the kind that is gained from the world through the senses, and so contains within it much that springs from love of the world, people were forbidden to use honey in their minchahs. This is expressed in Leviticus as follows,
Every minchah which you bring to Jehovah shall be made without yeast; for no yeast nor any honey shall be used along with the fire-offering you burn to Jehovah. `Leviticus 2bbb11`.
'Honey' stands for the kind of external delight which, containing something of love of the world within it, was similar to yeast and therefore forbidden. What yeast or made with yeast implies, see `@@@1342`.
`nnn1. The Latin means You cause, but the Hebrew means He causes, which Swedenborg has in other places where he quotes this verse.
`nnn2. literally, palate
ppp18230#pid#5621. 'Wax and stacte' means the truths of interior natural good. This is clear from the meaning of 'wax', in this case aromatic wax, as the truth of good, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'stacte' too as truth derived from good, dealt with in `@@@4748`. The truths of interior natural good are meant because these spices are purer substances than resin or honey, and for that reason the mention of them comes second. For in the Word order determines the way in which such substances are listed. 'Wax' is not used here to mean ordinary wax but an aromatic kind, such as storax. This kind of wax is what the word in the original language is used to describe; and the same word is used for spice. From this one may see why this aromatic wax means the truth of good; for all spices, because they are sweet smelling, mean in the internal sense truths that are derived from good.
ttt[2] This may be recognized from the consideration that in heaven truths derived from good are perceived with the same pleasure as sweet scents in the world. Also, when angels' perceptions are converted into odours, which in the Lord's good pleasure happens frequently, they are therefore detected as fragrances coming from spices and from flowers. This is why frankincense and incense were prepared from odiferous substances and put to a sacred use, and also why aromatic substances were mixed with oil for anointing. Anyone who does not know that the cause behind those practices lay among the perceptions enjoyed by those in heaven may suppose that they were practices enjoined solely to make external worship pleasant and that they held nothing of heaven and nothing holy at all within them, consequently that such religious practices held nothing Divine within them. See what has been shown already on these matters:
Frankincense and incense, as well as the fragrant substances in oil for anointing, were representative of spiritual and celestial things, `@@@4748`.
Spheres of faith and love are converted into pleasant odours; and therefore pleasant and sweet-smelling odours, also aromatic ones, mean the truths of faith which are derived from the good of love, `@@@1514`, `@@@1517-1519`, `@@@4618`.
ppp18229#pid#5622. 'Pistachio nuts and almonds' means forms of the good of life that agree with those truths. This is clear from the meaning of 'pistachio nuts' as forms of the good of life that agree with the truths of exterior natural good, meant by 'resin', dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'almonds' as forms of the good of life that agree with the truths of interior natural good, meant by 'aromatic wax and stacte'. Those nuts have that meaning because they are fruits, and 'fruits' in the Word means deeds - fruits produced by useful trees meaning good deeds, or what amounts to the same, forms of the good of life, since these, so far as the use they serve is concerned, are good deeds. The reason 'pistachio nuts' means forms of the good of life that agree with the truths of exterior natural good is that they are the fruit borne by an inferior kind of tree, and things of an exterior nature are meant by objects of an inferior kind, for the reason that essentially exterior things are not so specific as interior ones since they are the general appearances produced by large numbers of inner components.
ttt[2] The reason 'almonds' means forms of the good of life that agree with the truths of interior natural good is that the almond is a superior kind of tree. In the spiritual sense the tree itself means a perception of interior truth derived from good, its blossom means interior truth derived from good, while its fruit means the good of life resulting from that truth. The word 'almond' is used with this meaning in Jeremiah,
The word of Jehovah came [to me], saying, What do you see, Jeremiah? And I said, A rod of almond do I see. Then Jehovah said to me, You have seen well,`fff1` for I am watching over My word to perform it. `Jeremiah 1bbb11-12`.
'A rod' stands for power, 'almond' for a perception of interior truth; and because this rod is said to be Jehovah's it stands for a watching over that truth -'word' standing for truth.
ttt[3] The almonds which blossomed on Aaron's rod for the tribe of Levi also mean the good deeds of charity or forms of the good of life. They are described in Moses as follows,
It happened the next day, when Moses went into the tent of meeting, that behold, Aaron's rod for the house`fff2` of Levi had blossomed, and had produced buds,`fff3` so that it flowered and produced almonds. `Numbers 17bbb8`.
This was the sign that that tribe had been chosen for the priesthood; for charity was meant by that tribe, `@@@3875`, `@@@3877`, `@@@4497`, `@@@4502`, `@@@4503`, and charity is the essential characteristic of the spiritual Church.
`nnn1. literally, Well have you done in seeing
`nnn2. The Latin means tribe but the Hebrew means house.
`nnn3. literally, flower
ppp18228#pid#5623. 'And take a double amount of silver in your hands' means truth received by the powers. This is clear from the meaning of 'silver' as truth, dealt with in `@@@1551`, `@@@2954`; from the meaning of 'a double amount' as in succession, a second time, dealt with in `@@@1335`, that is to say, it was truth which had been given to them freely, and was to be given once again; and from the meaning of 'hands' as powers, dealt with in `@@@878`, `@@@3387`, `@@@4931-4937`, `@@@5327`, `@@@5328`. Truth present in the powers is truth within, thus subject to, people's abilities to accept it. But people's abilities or powers to accept truth are utterly dependent on good. They are linked by the Lord to good. For when the Lord enters with good He also enters with that kind of ability. Consequently the reception of truth by a person's powers is dependent on what forms of good are present. The fact that people's abilities to accept truth are determined by the good that is present becomes clear from much experience in the next life.
ttt[2] Those there who are moved by good have not only the ability to perceive truth but also the ability to accept it; yet this is conditioned by the amount and the kind of good that moves them. Those on the other hand who are moved by evil do not have any ability to accept truth. That ability of the former and this inability of the latter to accept truth are the outcome of each one's pleasure and consequent desire. The pleasure of those moved by good consists in the accomplishing of what is good by means of truth; for the specific nature of their good is derived from truths, and therefore they also have a desire for those truths. But the pleasure of those moved by evil consists in evil and the justification of it by the use of falsities, which they also consequently have a desire for; and in their desire for falsities they turn away from truths. Consequently, having no ability to accept truths, those moved by evil therefore cast these aside, or smother them, or pervert them as soon as they reach their ears or enter their heads. Furthermore every individual person of sound mind has the ability to accept truths; but those who turn to evil annihilate that ability, whereas those who turn to good enhance it.
ppp18227#pid#5624. 'And the silver that was put back in the mouth of your pouches you are to take back in your hand' means that through the truth freely given and present in the exterior natural they were to make themselves submissive as far as was possible. This is clear from the meaning of 'the silver that was put back' as truth freely given, dealt with in `@@@5530`; from the meaning of 'in the mouth of a sack' as in the opening of the exterior natural, dealt with in `@@@5497`; and from the meaning of 'in the hand' as within one's power, dealt with immediately above in `@@@5623`, thus as far as possible. Making themselves submissive through that truth is meant by the instruction that 'they were to put back' the silver; for when people in the spiritual world 'take back' truth to the Lord from whom they have received it freely they are making themselves submissive through it. But in what way they made themselves submissive through such truth is evident from the conversation, included in verses `Genesis 43bbbccc18-24`, which they had with the man who was over Joseph's house.
ppp18226#pid#5625. 'Perhaps it was a mistake' means lest he becomes unfriendly. This is clear from the meaning of 'a mistake' as an unfriendly act, for an error of that kind is meant here. The mistake could have been that they had forgotten to hand over their silver and so had brought it back, each man's in his own sack; it could have been this that had caused the unfriendliness towards them. Indeed they themselves believed this to be so, for when in their fear they were brought to Joseph's house they said,
Over the matter of the silver put back in our pouches at the beginning are we brought to this place, so that he may come down on us and fall on us, and take us as slaves, and our asses. Verse `Genesis 43bbbccc18`.
Furthermore 'sin' means separation and an unfriendly turning away, `@@@5229`, `@@@5474`; so too does 'a mistake' if this entails some sin, though a minor one. This is why the expression 'lest he becomes unfriendly' is used.
ppp18225#pid#5626. 'And take your brother' means that by that self-submission they would receive the good of faith. This is clear from the representation of Simeon,`fff1` to whom 'brother' whom they were to take refers here, as faith in the will, dealt with in `@@@3869-3872`, `@@@4497`, `@@@4502`, `@@@4503`, `@@@5482`, and so the good of faith since the truth of faith becomes the good of faith when it passes over into the will. For when this happens that truth passes over into the person's life, and when it is there it is not seen as something to be known but as something to be done. That truth then changes its essential nature and becomes truth realized in action, as a consequence of which it is no longer called truth but good.
`nnn1. The brother referred to at this point was in fact Benjamin, whose spiritual representation is indicated in `@@@5600`
ppp18224#pid#5627. 'And rise up, return to the man' means the life received from spiritual truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'rising up' as a raising up to interior and therefore to spiritual things, dealt with in `@@@2401`, `@@@2785`, `@@@2912`, `@@@2927`, `@@@3171`, `@@@4107`, `@@@4881`; from the meaning of 'returning' as the life received from, dealt with above in `@@@5614`; and from the representation of Joseph, who is called 'the man', as spiritual truth, dealt with in `@@@5584`.
ppp18223#pid#5628. 'And may God Shaddai' means the comfort that follows hardships. This is clear from the meaning of 'Shaddai' as temptation, also the comfort that follows temptation, dealt with in `@@@1992`, `@@@4572`, here therefore the comfort which followed all the hardships they experienced in Egypt. The meaning here - the comfort that follows severe sufferings - is also evident from the words 'grant you mercy before the man' which immediately follow. The reason why 'Shaddai' means temptation, also the comfort that follows temptation, is that the ancients gave the one and only God various illustrious names which were descriptive of the various things that came from Him; and because they believed that even temptations came from Him they called Him 'God Shaddai'. They did not understand some other God by this name but the one and only God so far as temptations were concerned. When however the Ancient Church went downhill they began to worship as many gods as there were names of the one and only God; indeed they increased the number of them with many more which they themselves invented. This trend continued until at length each family had its own god whom that family kept quite distinct and separate from all other gods worshipped by other families.
ttt[2] The family of Terah, which Abraham came from, worshipped Shaddai as its particular god, see `@@@1356`, `@@@1992`, `@@@2559`, `@@@3667`. Consequently not only Abraham but Jacob too recognized Shaddai as their god; and they did so in the land of Canaan. But to avoid any compulsion of them to forsake the form of religion they had - for no one is compelled to forsake what for him is holy - they were allowed to keep to it. However, because the ancients had meant Jehovah Himself or the Lord by the name Shaddai, which they used when they underwent temptations, Jehovah or the Lord took this name in His dealings with Abraham, as is evident from `Genesis 17bbb1`, and-also in His dealings with Jacob, `Genesis 35bbb11`.
ttt[3] The reason why not only temptation but also comfort is meant by 'Shaddai' is that comfort follows all spiritual temptations, as I have been allowed to know from experience in the next life. When anyone there is subjected to hardships at the hands of evil spirits, who attack him, incite him to evil practices, and persuade him to accept falsities, he is subsequently received by angels, once the evil spirits have been turned away, and he is brought into a state of consolation by means of some delight in keeping with his character.
ppp18222#pid#5629. 'Grant you mercy before the man' means so that spiritual truth may accept you favourably. This is clear from the meaning of 'granting mercy' as accepting favourably, and from the representation of Joseph, when he is called 'the man', as spiritual truth, as above in `@@@5627`.
ppp18221#pid#5630. 'And may he release to you your other brother' means so that it may grant the good of faith. This is clear from the representation of Simeon, to whom 'other brother' refers here, as the good of faith, as above in `@@@5626`. The reason 'releasing' or 'sending' means granting is that the expression 'sending' applies to the person but 'granting' to the spiritual reality meant by that person.
ppp18220#pid#5631. 'And Benjamin' means so that interior truth may be granted also. This is clear from the representation of 'Benjamin' as interior truth, dealt with above in `@@@5600`.
ppp18219#pid#5632. 'And I, even as I have been bereaved, I shall be bereaved' means that before these things take place the Church must be deprived of its own truths. This is clear from the representation of Israel, who says this regarding himself, as the Church, dealt with in `@@@3305`, `@@@4286`; and from the meaning of 'being bereaved' as being deprived of the truths which belong to the Church, dealt with in `@@@5536`. The fact that such a deprivation must occur before these things take place is a self-evident one. For if the good of faith represented by 'Simeon', `@@@5630`, does not exist, and if interior truth, which is the intermediary, represented by 'Benjamin' does not exist, no truth belonging to the Church exists other than the kind of truth which is solely on the lips and not in the heart.
ppp18218#pid#5633. Verses `Genesis 43bbbccc15-17` And the men took this gift, and took the double amount of silver in their hand, and Benjamin; and they rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph. And Joseph saw Benjamin with them, and he said to the one who was over his house, Bring the men to the house, and slaughter and prepare [an animal]; for the men will eat with me at midday. And the man did as Joseph said, and the man brought the men to Joseph's house.
'And the men took [this] gift' means that the truths had with them the means to obtain favour. 'And took the double amount of silver in their hand' means also truth received by the power. 'And Benjamin' means the intermediary also. 'And they rose up, and went down to Egypt' means a raising up so as to acquire life from the interior areas of factual knowledge. 'And stood before Joseph' means the presence there of the celestial of the spiritual. 'And Joseph saw Benjamin with them' means the discernment by the celestial of the spiritual that the spiritual intermediary was present with the truths. 'And he said to the one who was over his house' means that which belongs to the external Church. 'Bring the men to the house' means that the truths in the natural were to be introduced into it. 'And slaughter and prepare [an animal]' means through the forms of good belonging to the exterior natural. 'For the men will eat with me at midday' means that they will be joined together when accompanied by the intermediary. 'And the man did as Joseph said' means a putting into effect. 'And the man brought the men to Joseph's house' means the first introduction into good coming from the celestial of the spiritual.
ppp18217#pid#5634. 'And the men took this gift' means that the truths had with them the means to obtain favour. This is clear from the meaning of 'the men' as the truths, dealt with in `@@@3134`; and from the meaning of 'the gift' presented by people when they went to kings and priests, as to obtain favour, dealt with in `@@@5619`.
ppp18216#pid#5635. 'And took the double amount of silver in their hand' means also truth received by the power. This is clear from what has been stated above in `@@@5623`, where the same words occur, and where one may also see what is meant by truth received by the power.
ppp18215#pid#5636. 'And Benjamin' means the intermediary also. This is clear from the representation of 'Benjamin' as the intermediary, dealt with in `@@@5411`, `@@@5413`, `@@@5443`.
ppp18214#pid#5637. 'And they rose up, and went down to Egypt' means a raising up so as to acquire life from the interior areas of factual knowledge. This is clear from the meaning of 'rising up' as a raising up to the things that belong to spiritual life, dealt with in `@@@2401`, `@@@2785`, `@@@2912`, `@@@2927`, `@@@3171`, `@@@4103`, `@@@4881`; from the meaning of 'going down' as to acquire life, for 'going down' here implies much the same as the words used previously in verse `Genesis 43bbbccc8` - 'Send the boy with me, and we will rise up and go, and we will live and not die' - which mean spiritual life entered into by degrees, dealt with in `@@@5605`; and from the meaning of 'Egypt' as factual knowledge, dealt with in `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1186`, `@@@1462`, `@@@4749`, `@@@4964`, `@@@4966`, in this case the interior areas of such knowledge since the celestial of the spiritual represented by 'Joseph' is there, which is why the statement 'and stood before Joseph' follows directly after.
ttt[2] The interior areas of factual knowledge are facts existing in the natural which are spiritual ones; and they are spiritual ones there when such facts in the natural have been illuminated by the light of heaven. They have been so illuminated by the light of heaven when a person has a real belief in teachings that are based on the Word; and he has a real belief in these when the good of charity is present in him. For then the good of charity, like a flame, sheds light on the truths and so on the facts he knows. This is how they get the spiritual light they possess. From this one may see what is meant by the interior areas of factual knowledge.
ppp18213#pid#5638. 'And stood before Joseph' means the presence there of the celestial of the spiritual. This is clear from the meaning of 'standing before someone as the presence; and from the representation of 'Joseph' as the celestial of the spiritual, often dealt with already. The presence of the celestial of the spiritual in both parts of the natural was represented by Joseph's being made the lord over the whole of Egypt. That is, his lordship over it meant the presence of the celestial of the spiritual within the interior areas of factual knowledge; and this knowledge exists within the natural. Regarding the lordship of the celestial over both parts of the natural, see `@@@5316`, `@@@5324`, `@@@5326-5328`, `@@@5333`, `@@@5337`, `@@@5373`, the truths represented by 'the ten sons of Jacob' being truths within the natural.
ppp18212#pid#5639. 'And Joseph saw Benjamin with them' means the discernment by the celestial of the spiritual that the spiritual intermediary was present with the truths. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing' as understanding and discerning, dealt with in `@@@2150`, `@@@2807`, `@@@3764`, `@@@4567`, `@@@4723`, `@@@5400`; from the representation of the ten sons of Jacob - to whom 'with them', that is, the ones whom Joseph saw Benjamin with, refers - as the truths within the natural, dealt with in `@@@5403`, `@@@5419`, `@@@5427`, `@@@5458`, `@@@5512`; and from the representation of 'Benjamin' as the intermediary, dealt with in `@@@5411`, `@@@5413`, `@@@5443`. The reason the expression 'spiritual intermediary' is used here is that the truths which are represented by 'the ten sons of Jacob' had now to be joined to truth from the Divine, which was 'Joseph'; but that joining together does not take place except through an intermediary that is a spiritual one. Therefore immediately after that intermediary had been recognized, Joseph told the man over his house, 'Bring the men to the house, and slaughter and prepare [an animal]; for the men will eat with me at midday', meaning that they would be brought in and joined to him because they were accompanied by the intermediary.
ttt[2] A further brief statement needs to be made about what the spiritual compared with the natural is since the majority living in the Christian world do not know what the spiritual is. They are so ignorant of what it is that when they hear the term they are at a loss, saying to themselves, What the spiritual is, no one knows. Essentially the spiritual existing with a person is his actual affection for what is good and true, loved for its own sake and not for any selfish reason, as well as an affection for what is right and fair, likewise loved for its own sake and not for any selfish reason. When a person has inward feelings of delight and pleasure, and more so if feelings of blessedness and bliss flow from them, they constitute the spiritual present with him, which does not come to him from the natural world but from the spiritual world or heaven, that is, from the Lord by way of heaven. This then is the spiritual which, when it reigns in a person, influences and so to speak gives colour to everything he thinks, wills, or does, and which causes his thoughts and acts of will to partake of what is spiritual, till at length these too become spiritual qualities present with him when he passes from the natural world into the spiritual world. In short, the spiritual consists in an affection stirred by charity and faith, that is, an affection for what is good and true, and in the delight and pleasure, and even more so in the blessedness and bliss that flow from them, which are feelings residing with a person inwardly and making him someone truly Christian.
ttt[3] The majority in the Christian world are ignorant of what the spiritual is for the reason that they make faith, not charity, the essential virtue in the Church. Consequently, since the few who do bother about faith give little if any thought at all to charity or know what charity is, and since therefore they have no knowledge or any perception of the affection characteristic of charity, an affection that is not present in them, they cannot possibly know what the spiritual is. This is especially so at the present day when scarcely any charity exists with anyone, for now is the final period of the Church. But it should be recognized that in a general sense the spiritual means an affection both for what is good and for what is true, which is why heaven is called the spiritual world and the internal sense of the Word is called the spiritual sense. But more specifically what is essentially an affection for good is called the celestial, while that which is essentially an affection for truth is called the spiritual.
ppp18211#pid#5640. 'And he said to the one who was over his house' means that which belongs to the external Church. This is clear from the representation of 'the one who was over the house' as the external Church, when 'the one who is in the house' is the internal Church, dealt with in `@@@1795`. And since no attention is paid in the internal sense to the person, only to the spiritual reality, `@@@5225`, `@@@5287`, `@@@5434`, 'the one who was over the house' means that which belongs to the external Church.
ppp18210#pid#5641. 'Bring the men to the house' means that the truths in the natural were to be introduced into it. This is clear from the meaning of 'the sons of Jacob' as the truths known to the Church that were present in the natural, dealt with in `@@@5403`, `@@@5419`, `@@@5427`, `@@@5428`, `@@@5512` - their introduction into the external Church being meant by 'bring them to the house'.
ppp18209#pid#5642. 'And slaughter and prepare [an animal]' means through the forms of good belonging to the exterior natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'slaughtering' - implying that which was slaughtered, namely an ox, young bull, he-goat or other member of the flock - as forms of good belonging to the natural. 'An ox' and 'a young bull' mean forms of good belonging to the natural, see `@@@2180`, `@@@2566`, `@@@2781`, `@@@2830`, in this case forms of good belonging to the exterior natural because they are the means by which the truths are first introduced to effect a joining together. For 'he brought the men to Joseph's house' means the first introduction into good coming from the celestial of the spiritual, see below in `@@@5645`. Because 'a young bull and an ox' meant forms of good in the natural, every activity involving these meant that good too; for the one entailed the other.
ppp18208#pid#5643. 'For the men will eat with me at midday' means that they will be joined together when accompanied by the intermediary. This is clear from the meaning of 'eating' as being communicated, being joined together, and being made one's own, dealt with in `@@@2187`, `@@@2343`, `@@@3168`, `@@@3513` (end), `@@@3596`, `@@@3832`. And because they were accompanied by the spiritual intermediary represented by 'Benjamin', `@@@5639`, the expression 'at midday' is used; for 'midday' means a state of light, and so a spiritual state which the intermediary is instrumental in bringing about, `@@@1458`, `@@@3708`.
ppp18207#pid#5644. 'And the man did as Joseph said' means a putting into effect. This is clear without explanation.
ppp18206#pid#5645. 'And the man brought the men to Joseph's house' means the first introduction into good coming from the celestial of the spiritual. This is clear from the meaning of 'bringing to' as an introduction, as above in `@@@5641`; from the meaning of 'the sons of Jacob' as truths known to the Church that are present within the natural, dealt with in `@@@5403`, `@@@5419`, `@@@5427`, `@@@5428`, `@@@5512`; from the meaning of 'the house' as good, dealt with in `@@@3652`, `@@@3720`, `@@@4982`, on account of which 'the house' is also the Church, `@@@3720`, for the Church is the Church by virtue of good; and from the representation of 'Joseph' as the celestial of the spiritual, often dealt with already. From all this it is evident that 'the man brought the men to Joseph's house' means that truths in the natural were introduced into good coming from the celestial of the spiritual. The reason why a first introduction is meant is that at this point they merely ate with Joseph but did not recognize who he was. By this is meant a general joining together, which is a first introduction; for at this point there is a general inflow of truth from the Divine, but it is not recognized. When however a discernment of that inflowing truth does exist a second joining together is effected, and this is meant by Joseph revealing who he was to his brothers, dealt with further on in Chapter `Genesis ccc45bbb0`.
ppp18205#pid#5646. Verses `Genesis 43bbbccc18-23` And the men were afraid because they were brought to Joseph's house; and they said, Over the matter of the silver put back in our pouches at the beginning are we brought to [this place], so that he may come down on us and fall on us,`fff1` and take us as slaves, and our asses. And they came near the man who was over Joseph's house, and they spoke to him [at]`fff2` the door (ostium) of the house. And they said, On my honour,`fff3` my lord, we certainly came down at the beginning to buy food. And it happened, when we came to the lodging-place and opened our pouches, that behold, each man's silver was in the mouth of his pouch, our silver in its full weight; and we are bringing it back in our hand. And we are causing other silver to come down in our hand to buy food; we do not know who put our silver in our pouches. And he said, Peace to you, do not be afraid; your God and the God of your father has given you the concealed gift in your pouches; your silver came to me. And he brought Simeon out to them.
'And the men were afraid' means a drawing back. 'Because they were brought to Joseph's house' means that the truths belonging to the natural were to be linked and made subservient to the internal. 'And they said, Over the matter of the silver put back in our pouches at the beginning are we brought to [this place]' means that because truth in the exterior natural appears to be something freely given, they were being made subservient. 'So that he may come down on us and fall on us' means that for this reason they were subjected to its absolute power and control. 'And take us as slaves, and our asses' means even to the point where whatever exists in either part of the natural is of no worth. 'And they came near the man who was over Joseph's house' means the teachings of the Church. 'And they spoke to him [at] the door of the house' means a consultation of these regarding the introduction. 'And they said, On my honour, my lord' means an attestation. 'We certainly came down at the beginning to buy food' means a mind set on acquiring good for truths. 'And it happened, when we came to the lodging-place and opened our pouches' means an inspection of the exterior natural. 'That behold, each man's silver was in the mouth of his pouch' means that it was observed that the truths had been so to speak freely given. 'Our silver in its full weight' means truths commensurate with each one's state. 'And we are bringing it back in our hand' means the submission as far as possible of what had been freely given. 'And we are causing other silver to come down in our hand to buy food' means that the mind is set on acquiring good through truth from some other source. 'We do not know who put our silver in our pouches' means an absence of faith owing to ignorance of where the truth present in the exterior natural came from. 'And he said, Peace to you, do not be afraid' means that all is well, they should not despair. 'Your God and the God of your father' means the Lord's Divine Human. 'Has given you the concealed gift in your pouches' means that it came from Him without the exercise of any prudence by them. 'Your silver came to me' means that it will seem as though truth has been acquired by them. 'And he brought Simeon out to them' means that he linked to those truths the will to practise them.
`nnn1. literally, roll down onto us and throw himself onto us
`nnn2. See `@@@5653`.
`nnn3. The Latin In me here represents the Hebrew Bi, which is usually regarded as an expression of entreaty rather than validity, cp Chapter `Genesis ccc44bbb18`.
ppp18204#pid#5647. 'And the men were afraid' means a drawing back. This is clear from the meaning here of 'being afraid' as a drawing back, a drawing back from being joined to the internal. Fear arises from various causes, such as those dangerous situations when people can lose their lives, the gains they have made, and also both their positions and reputations, as well as the fear that they may be led into some kind of slavery, resulting in the loss of freedom together with the delight life holds within itself. This matter is dealt with below, for the men's fear was that they would become linked to the internal, which would cause them to lose their own identity, and with their own identity their freedom, and with their freedom the delight life holds within itself since that delight depends on the existence of freedom. This is the reason why 'the men were afraid' means a drawing back, a drawing back lest they should become linked [to the internal].
ttt[2] Let a brief preliminary statement be made here about the nature of that joining together, that is to say, of the external or natural man to the internal or spiritual man. The external or natural man reigns from the earliest period in life, unaware of the existence of the internal or spiritual man. That being so, when a person undergoes reformation and from being a natural or external man starts to become a spiritual or internal one, the natural rebels initially. For that person receives teaching to the effect that the natural man must be made subservient; that is, all his strong evil desires and the accompanying ideas that lend support to these must be rooted out. Consequently when left to himself the natural man thinks that in that case he may be completely destroyed, since he knows nothing other than that the natural is all there is, being totally ignorant of the fact that things beyond measure or description reside within the spiritual. When the natural man thinks like this he draws back, having no wish to be made subservient to the spiritual. This then is what is meant here by 'fear'.
ppp18203#pid#5648. 'Because they were brought to Joseph's house' means that the truths belonging to the natural were to be linked and made subservient to the internal. This is clear from the meaning of 'being brought to Joseph's house' as being joined and made subservient to the internal. For 'Joseph' represents the internal since he represents truth from the Divine, which is the celestial of the spiritual, dealt with in `@@@5307`, `@@@5331`, `@@@5332`, `@@@5417`, `@@@5469`; 'the house' means both a person's internal and his external, `@@@3128`, `@@@3538`, `@@@4973`, `@@@5023`, in this case the internal because the expression 'Joseph's house' is used; and 'being brought to' - to the internal - means becoming linked to it. And as becoming linked to it is meant, being made subservient to it is meant as well, the reason being that when the natural becomes linked to the internal it is made subservient to it. For the dominion which has belonged previously to the natural man comes to belong subsequently to the spiritual. This dominion will in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed later on.
ttt[2] Let a brief statement be made about what the situation is with the internal sense. The internal sense of the Word exists primarily for the benefit of those in the next life. When present with someone [on earth] who is reading the Word those in the next life perceive it according to its internal sense, not its external sense. For they do not understand any expressions used by man, only the sense lying behind those expressions; nor to understand that sense do they employ the natural thoughts that are men's, only their own thoughts, which are spiritual ones. The transformation of the natural sense residing with man into that spiritual sense takes place instantaneously, like a person's immediate conversion of someone else's language into his own which is a different one. It is in that kind of way that the natural sense proper to man's thought is converted into the spiritual sense; for spiritual language or speech belongs properly to angels, but natural language properly to man. The reason for the immediate transformation of the one sort of language into the other is that a correspondence exists between every single thing in the natural world and every single thing in the spiritual world.
ttt[3] Now because the internal sense of the Word exists primarily for the benefit of those in the spiritual world, the kinds of details contained here in the internal sense that have been mentioned are ones that exist for their benefit and give them pleasure and delight. But the more internal those details are the further removed they are from the range of understanding present in men, for whom none but matters of a worldly and bodily nature bring pleasure and delight. When this is the situation they consider the spiritual matters contained in the internal sense as of little value; indeed they loathe them. Let anyone examine himself to see whether or not the ideas contained in the internal sense of the narrative that follows below are to him worthless and loathsome. Yet such ideas are what give angelic communities utmost delight. From this anyone who stops to reflect may also see the kind of difference there is between men's delights and angels' delights, as well as what it is that angels consider wisdom to consist in and what it is that men consider it to consist in. That is to say, angels consider wisdom to consist in the kinds of things that man regards as being worthless and that he is averse to, while man considers wisdom to consist in the kinds of things in which angels have no interest at all; indeed many people consider it to consist in the kinds of things which angels cast aside and have nothing to do with.
ppp18202#pid#5649. 'And they said, Over the matter of the silver put back in our pouches [at the beginning] are we brought to [this place]' means that because truth in the exterior natural appears to be something freely given, they were being made subservient. This is clear from the meaning of 'the silver put back' as truth freely given, dealt with in `@@@5530`, `@@@5624`; from the meaning of 'the pouch' as the opening to the exterior natural, dealt with in `@@@5497`; and from the meaning of 'brought to' as being linked and made subservient to, dealt with immediately above in `@@@5648`.
ttt[2] The implications of all this are as follows: Because it had been perceived that the facts present in the exterior man which held truths within them had been freely given and were therefore being led on to become joined to the internal, which would make them subservient to it, it was consequently perceived that, as stated just above, they would be deprived of their freedom and so of all the delight that life holds within itself. But man has no conception of such a thing, that is to say, of its being perceived that facts holding truths within them can be given freely and that this happens in the natural, in either the exterior part or the interior part of it. The reason he has no conception of this is that he does not enjoy any kind of perception like that, for he does not have the vaguest idea about what is given to him freely, let alone about what is stored away in the exterior natural and what in the interior natural. The common reason why he does not have any perception of this is that his heart is set on worldly and earthly things, not on celestial and spiritual ones, and therefore he has no belief in any influence coming from the Lord by way of heaven and so no belief whatever in the gift of any such things to him. Yet in actual fact all the truth which he arrives at by the use of reason based on factual knowledge and which he imagines he arrives at by his own power of understanding is something that is given to him. And man has even less ability to perceive whether that truth is stored away in the exterior natural or in the interior natural, because he is ignorant of the fact that the natural has two parts, namely an exterior part which leans towards the external senses and an interior part which leans away from these and turns towards the rational.
ttt[3] Since man has no knowledge of any of these matters he cannot have any perception at all regarding such ideas; for acquaintance with a reality must come first if there is to be any perception about it. But angelic communities are properly acquainted with and have a right perception of those matters. They are acquainted with and perceive not only what is given them freely but also in what place this exists, as the following experience makes clear: When any spirit who is moved by good, and therefore has the ability to do so, enters some angelic community, he enters at the same time into all the knowledge and intelligence belonging to this community, which he had not possessed before. At such a time he is not aware of anything different from this - that he was already in possession of such knowledge and understanding, and through his own deliberation. But when he stops to reflect he realizes that it is something freely given him by the Lord through that angelic community. He also knows, from the angelic community where he is, whether that truth exists in the exterior natural or in the interior natural; for there are angelic communities situated in the exterior natural, and there are those situated in the interior natural. But their natural is not like man's natural; rather it is a natural that is spiritual - one that has been made spiritual by having become joined and made subservient to the spiritual.
ttt[4] From all this one may see that the matters mentioned here in the internal sense describe what actually happens in the next life. That is to say, those there are quite aware of what is freely given them and also of where it is stored away, even though man at the present day knows nothing at all about such matters. In ancient times however those who belonged to the Church did know about them; their factual knowledge told them about such matters, and so did their religious teachings. They were people of a more internal frame of mind; but since those times people have become progressively more externally minded, so much so that at the present day they live in the body, thus in what is the most external. A sign of this is seen in the fact that people do not even know what the spiritual is or what the internal is; and they do not believe even in the existence of such realities. Indeed people have moved so far away from things on a more internal level to what is most external within the body that they do not even believe in the reality of a life after death, or in the existence of heaven or hell. Indeed because of their departure from things of a more internal level into what is most external they have become so stupid. So far as spiritual realities are concerned, as to believe that man's life is similar to that of beasts, so that in death man is no different from them. And what is so surprising, the learned believe these kinds of things more than the simple; and anyone whose belief is different from theirs is thought by them to be a simpleton.
ppp18201#pid#5650. 'So that he may come down on us and fall on us' means that for this reason they were subjected to its absolute power and control. This is clear from the meaning of 'coming down on someone' as considering him blameworthy; and from the meaning of 'falling on someone' as making him subject to one's own power and control, which in this case is absolute since the statement 'take us as slaves, and our asses' follows after this. The implications of all this are as follows: Before the natural man is joined to the spiritual, or the external man to the internal, he is left to consider whether he wants the strong desires that spring from self-love and love of the world, also such ideas as he has used to defend those desires, to be done away with, and whether he wants to surrender dominion to the spiritual or internal man. He is left to consider this so that he may choose in freedom what he pleases. When the natural man without the spiritual contemplates this possibility he rejects it; for he loves his strong evil desires for the reason that he loves himself and the world. Such a contemplation fills him with anxiety and he imagines that if those desires are done away with his life would be finished; for he locates everything in the natural or external man. Alternatively he imagines that after they have been done away with he will be left with no power of his own and that all his thought, will, and action will come to him through heaven, so that he will no longer have any responsibility for these. Once the natural man has been left to himself in this condition, he draws back and becomes resistant. But when some light flows from the Lord through heaven into his natural he starts to think differently. That is to say, he now refers the spiritual man to have dominion, for then he is able to think what is true and to will what is good and so is able to enter heaven, which is not possible if the natural man has dominion. And when he considers that all the angels in the whole of heaven are like this and as a consequence experience joy defying description, he goes to war with the natural man and at length wishes to make the same subject to the spiritual. This is the condition into which someone who is to be regenerated is brought, so that he can in freedom turn where he wills; and insofar as he does in freedom turn in that direction he is being regenerated. All these matters are the things under consideration here in the internal sense.
ppp18200#pid#5651. 'And take us as slaves, and our asses' means even to the point where whatever exists in either part of the natural is of no worth. This is clear from the representation of the ten sons of Jacob - who say this about themselves - as the truths in the natural, dealt with in `@@@5403`, `@@@5419`, `@@@5427`, `@@@5458`, `@@@5512`; from the meaning of 'slaves' or 'servants' as things which are of little value, `@@@2541`, in this case those that are of no worth, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'asses' as what was present in the natural, namely factual knowledge, dealt with in `@@@5922`, in this case facts present in the exterior natural since the truths meant by 'the sons of Jacob' reside in the interior natural.ttt[2] The implications of this, that whatever exists in either part of the natural is of no worth, are as follows: If a person is to become spiritual his natural must come to be of no worth, that is, it must cease to have any power that is essentially its own; for to the extent that the natural has any power of its own the spiritual lacks it. Since earliest childhood the natural has been acquiring no other ambitions than those that spring from selfish and worldly desires, thus ones that are the opposite of charity. These evil ambitions make it impossible for good to flow in from the Lord by way of the internal man; for whatever flows in is turned within the natural into what is evil, the natural being the final level into which what is inflowing goes. Consequently unless the natural, that is, the evil and falsity that have been giving shape to the natural, comes to be of no worth, no good can possibly flow in from the Lord by way of heaven. It finds no dwelling-place there and is dissipated, for it cannot stay in what is evil and false. For this reason the internal remains closed to the extent that the natural fails to become of no worth. This is something known within the Church from the teaching that one should put off the old man in order that one may put on the new.`fff1`ttt[3] Regeneration consists in nothing else than the natural being made subservient and the spiritual becoming its lord; and the natural is made subservient when it is made to correspond to the spiritual. Once the natural is made to correspond it is no longer reactionary but acts as it is commanded, answering the beck and call of the spiritual, almost as the actions of the body are answers to the beck and call of the will, or as speech and facial expressions conform to the thought flowing into them. From this it is evident that for a person to become spiritual, his natural must come to be, so far as his power of will is concerned, of no worth whatsoever.ttt[4] But it should be realized that it is the old natural that must come to be of no worth, since it is shaped by evils and falsities. Once it has been made of no worth the person is endowed with a new natural, called the spiritual natural. This is called spiritual because the spiritual is what acts by means of it and also makes itself known through it, in the way a cause does through its effect - the cause, as is well known, being the entire reason for the effect. Consequently the new natural, so far as the activities of thought, will, and putting into effect are concerned, is nothing else than the representative of the spiritual. When this new natural comes into being a person receives good from the Lord; when he receives that good truths are conferred on him; when those truths are conferred on him his intelligence and wisdom are made more perfect; and when his intelligence and wisdom are made more perfect he is blessed with happiness that lasts for ever.
`nnn1. A Pauline teaching; see for example `Ephesians 4bbb22-24`; `Colossians 3bbb9-10`.
ppp18199#pid#5652. 'And they came near the man who was over Joseph's house means the teachings of the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'the man over Joseph's house' as that which belongs to the external Church, dealt with above in `@@@5640`, thus religious teaching since this belongs to the Church. In addition 'the man' means truth, and so religious teaching, `@@@3134`, while 'the house' means the Church, `@@@1795`; and since 'Joseph' is the internal, `@@@5469`, 'Joseph's house' is the internal Church. Teaching drawn from the Word is what is set over that house, serving and ministering to it.
ppp18198#pid#5653. 'And they spoke to him [at] the door of the house' means a consultation of these regarding the introduction. This is clear from the meaning of 'speaking to him', to the man over Joseph's house, as a consultation of these - of these teachings of the Church; and from the meaning of 'the door of the house' as the introduction, dealt with in `@@@2356`, `@@@2385`, in this case the introduction of the natural or external man to the spiritual or internal man, which is the subject here. This being the meaning the original language does not say 'at the door of the house', only 'the door of the house'.
ppp18197#pid#5654. 'And they said, On my honour, my lord' means an attestation. This is clear from the stock phrase itself that is used here as the making of an attestation, which was that what they said about the silver found in each man's sack was the truth.
ppp18196#pid#5655. 'We certainly came down at the beginning to buy food' means a mind set on acquiring good for truths. This is clear from the meaning of 'coming down' as a mind set on something, that is, an intention; for a person who goes down or betakes himself to any place does so from a set purpose, the purpose being in this case to acquire good for truths, meant by 'buying food'. For 'buying' means acquiring and making one's own, `@@@5374`, `@@@5397`, `@@@5406`, `@@@5414`, `@@@5426`, while 'food' means the good of truth, `@@@5340`, `@@@5342`, in this case good for truths which are represented by 'the sons of Jacob' who spoke these words regarding themselves.
ppp18195#pid#5656. 'And it happened, when we came to the lodging-place and opened our pouches' means an inspection of the exterior natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'the lodging-place' as the exterior natural in general, dealt with in `@@@5495`; from the meaning of 'opening' as an inspection, for when someone opens something he does so to inspect it; and from the meaning of 'a pouch' as the exterior natural more specifically, dealt with in `@@@5497`.
ppp18194#pid#5657. 'That behold, each man's silver was in the mouth of his pouch' means that it was observed that the truths had been so to speak freely given. This is clear from the meaning of 'each man's silver in his sack' as truths freely given, dealt with in `@@@5530`, `@@@5624`, 'each man's silver in the mouth of his pouch' meaning much the same. The difference is that the latter statement means that the truths which were freely given were placed in the opening of the exterior natural; for 'the mouth of the pouch' means the opening of the exterior natural, `@@@5497`. The reason why so to speak freely is meant at this point is that they dwell in a state of uncertainty, unsure whether they want to be joined to the internal, for fear that they will cease to be of any worth. And when anyone dwells in a state of uncertainty he feels unsure about the truths that serve to corroborate.
ppp18193#pid#5658. 'Our silver in its full weight' means truths commensurate with each one's state. This is clear from the meaning of 'silver' as truth, dealt with in `@@@1551`, `@@@2954`; and from the meaning of 'weight' as the state of something as regards good, dealt with in `@@@3104`, so that truths commensurate with each one's state means commensurate with the good they are able to receive. Many places in the Word make reference to weights or to measures, but no weight nor any measure is meant in the internal sense. Rather states so far as the good involved in some reality is concerned are meant by 'weights', while states so far as the truth involved in it is concerned are meant by 'measures'. The same applies to the properties of gravity and spatial magnitude; gravity in the natural world corresponds to good in the spiritual world, and spatial magnitude to truth. The reason for this is that in heaven, where correspondences originate, neither the property of gravity nor that of spatial magnitude exists because space has no existence there. Objects possessing these properties do, it is true, seem to exist among spirits, but those objects are appearances that have their origins in the states of goodness and truth in the heaven above those spirits.
ttt[2] It was very well known in ancient times that 'silver' meant truth; therefore the ancients divided up periods of time ranging from the earliest to the latest world epochs into the golden ages, the silver ones, the copper ones, and the iron ones, to which they also added the clay ones. They applied the expression 'golden ages' to those periods when innocence and perfection existed, when everyone was moved by good to do what was good and by righteousness to do what was right. They used 'silver ages' however to describe those times when innocence did not exist any longer, though there was still some sort of perfection, which did not consist in being moved by good to do what was good but in being moved by truth to do what was true. 'Copper ages' and 'iron ages' were the names they gave to the times that were even more inferior than the silver ones.
ttt[3] What led those people to give periods of time these names was not comparison but correspondence. For the ancients knew that 'silver' corresponded to truth and 'gold' to good; they knew this from being in communication with spirits and angels. For when a discussion takes place in a higher heaven about what is good, this reveals itself among those underneath them in the first or lowest heaven as what is golden; and when a discussion takes place about what is true this reveals itself there as what is silvery. Sometimes not only the walls of the rooms where they live are gleaming with gold and silver but also the very air within them. Also, in the homes of those angels belonging to the first or lowest heaven who are moved by good to live among what is good, tables made of gold, lampstands made of gold, and many other objects are seen; but in the homes of those who are moved by truth to live among what is true, similar objects made of silver are seen. But who at the present day knows that correspondence was what led the ancients to call ages golden ones and silver ones? Indeed who at the present day knows anything at all about correspondence? Anyone who does not know this about the ancients, and more so anyone who thinks pleasure and wisdom lie in contesting whether such an idea is true or untrue, cannot begin to know the countless facets there are to correspondence.
ppp18192#pid#5659. 'And we are bringing it back in our hand' means the submission as far as possible of what had been freely given. This is clear from the meaning of 'bringing back' here as submitting, and from the meaning of 'in our hand' as far as possible, dealt with above in `@@@5624`. The fact that it had been given freely is meant by 'the silver in the mouth of each man's pouch' which they were returning, `@@@5657`.
ppp18191#pid#5660. 'And we are causing other silver to come down in our hand to buy food' means that the mind is set on acquiring good through truth from some other source. This is clear from the meaning of 'silver' as truth, dealt with just above in `@@@5657`, and as 'silver' means truth, some other truth and therefore truth from some other source is meant by 'other silver' (for no other truth that is genuine truth exists apart from that received from the Lord, who gives it freely, so that there is no other source than He from which real truth is derived); and from the meaning of 'causing to come down' as a mind set on acquiring - on acquiring the good of truth, which is meant by the grain they bought. The story told in the sense of the letter implies that the other silver came to Joseph, for the purchase of food from him and so from no other source. But the internal sense is not subject to any limitation set by the story told in the sense of the letter indeed it is not concerned with that sense, only with the real matter under discussion here, which is this: If they were to make themselves subservient like slaves owing to the fact that some truths were freely given within the exterior natural, they would from some other source acquire good through truth. This idea also forms the train of thought in the internal sense, for immediately after this the words 'we do not know who put the silver in our pouches' are used, meaning their lack of belief because they did not know where truth present in the exterior natural came from.
ttt[2] Something like this happens in the next life in the case of spirits who are being introduced by means of truths into good, especially into this - that everything good and true flows in from the Lord. When they learn that everything they think or will flows into them, so that they themselves cannot be the source of their thinking and willing, they fight all they can against the idea. For they believe that, if this idea is true, they cannot have any life within themselves that is entirely their own and that all delight is therefore destroyed, for they make the existence of separate selfhood vital to delight. Furthermore those spirits think that if they do not have any power entirely their own to do what is good and to believe what is true, they must let their hands hang down, not do or think anything on their own initiative, and wait for influx. They are allowed to go on thinking in this kind of way until they reach the point when they almost decide that they do not want to receive what is good and true from such influx but from some other source which does not involve their being deprived in this manner of their selfhood. Sometimes they are even allowed to make enquiries about where they may find that kind of goodness and truth. But when after this they do not find such goodness and truth anywhere, those who are being regenerated come back and freely choose to let the Lord lead their will and thought. They are also told at the same time that they are going to receive a heavenly selfhood such as the angels possess, and along with this the gift of everlasting bliss and happiness.
ttt[3] As regards this heavenly selfhood, it is a product of the new will conferred by the Lord. It is different from the selfhood properly man's own, in that those who have received that heavenly selfhood no longer see only themselves in every single thing they do or in every single thing they learn about and convey to others. Instead they see their neighbour, the general public, the Church, the Lord's kingdom, and so the Lord Himself. The ends they have in life are what undergo change; for ends which have lower things - namely self and the world - in view are removed and higher ones introduced to replace them. Ends in life are nothing else than the actual life in a person, for a person's ends in view are the things that his will desires. They are also the actual loves present in him, for what a person loves is what his will desires and what constitute his end in view. The person who is given a heavenly selfhood enjoys too a state of serenity and peace, for he trusts in the Lord and believes that no evil at all can come to touch him, knowing too that no strong evil desires can molest him. More than that, those who have received a heavenly selfhood enjoy true freedom; for being led by the Lord constitutes freedom since one is then led within the sphere of good, from good, and to good. From this it becomes clear that they enjoy bliss and happiness, for nothing exists to disturb them - no self-love at all, consequently no enmity, hatred, or vengeance at all; nor any love of the world at all, consequently no deceitfulness, fear, or unease at all.
ppp18190#pid#5661. 'We do not know who put the silver in our pouches' means an absence of faith owing to ignorance of where truth present in the exterior natural came from. This is clear from the meaning of 'not knowing' in the spiritual sense as not believing, or an absence of faith; from the meaning of 'who put' as ignorance of where it came from; from the meaning of 'silver' as truth, dealt with in `@@@5658`; and from the meaning of 'a pouch' as the exterior natural, dealt with in `@@@5497`.
ppp18189#pid#5662. 'And he said, Peace to you, do not be afraid' means that all is well, they should not despair. This is clear from the meaning of 'peace' as what is well, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'do not be afraid' as they should not despair. The subject in the internal sense is a change of state. No longer were they by their own power acquiring truths; now they were acquiring good by means of truths, which however were truths given them by the Lord. But because they imagined that they would then be losing their selfhood, and so would be losing their freedom and consequently their entire delight in life, they were plunged into despair, as is evident from what has gone before. So it is that here 'do not be afraid' means that they should not despair; for fear arises from various different causes, `@@@5647`, and therefore has various different meanings.
ttt[2] The reason 'peace' means all is well is that peace is what is central and consequently what reigns universally within every single thing in heaven. For the peace that reigns in heaven is like spring on earth, or like the dawn. What moves a person's feelings when spring or dawn arrives is not the discernible changes that take place then but the loveliness reigning universally, which pervades every individual thing he perceives and fills not only that perception but also each individual object with loveliness. Scarcely anyone at the present day knows what peace is when it is mentioned in the Word, as, besides other places, in the Blessing,
Jehovah lift up His face upon you and give you peace. `Numbers 6bbb26`.
Almost everyone believes that peace consists in being kept safe from enemies and in serenity reigning at home and among companions. That kind of peace is not however what is meant here but another kind that is immensely superior, namely heavenly peace, described immediately above. No one can be granted this peace unless he is led by the Lord and abides in the Lord, that is, unless he is in heaven where the Lord is the All in all. For heavenly peace enters in when the desires that spring from self-love and love of the world are removed; for those desires take peace away, molesting a person inwardly and causing him at length to consider rest to consist in unrest and peace in molestations, because he considers delight to consist in evil desires. All the time a person is subject to these desires he cannot by any means know what peace is; indeed during all that time he believes that such peace is of no worth. And should anyone say that one experiences this peace when the delights that spring from self-love and love of the world are removed he laughs at the idea, for the reason that he considers peace to consist in the delight taken in evil, which is the opposite of peace.
ttt[3] Such being the nature of peace, that is to say, it is what is central to every form of happiness and bliss and is therefore what reigns universally within every individual thing, the ancients therefore used the common saying 'Peace to you', meaning May all be well; or else they would ask people 'Did they have peace?' meaning Was all well with them? See what has been stated and shown already regarding peace,
Peace in heaven is like spring and the dawn on earth, `@@@1726`, `@@@2780`.
In the highest sense 'peace' is the Lord; in the representative sense it is His kingdom, also the Lord's Divine affecting inmostly what is good, `@@@3780`, `@@@4681`.
All unrest is due to evil and falsity, whereas peace is due to goodness and truth, `@@@3170`.
ppp18188#pid#5663. 'Your God and the God of your father' means the Lord's Divine Human. This becomes clear from the fact that where the name God or the name Jehovah is used in the Word, the Lord and no one else is meant, `@@@1343`, `@@@1736`, `@@@2921`, `@@@3035`. And when the words 'your God and the God of your father' are used - that is, the God of Israel and Jacob and of his sons - the Lord's Divine Human is meant, in particular His Divine Natural, `@@@3305`, `@@@4286`, `@@@4570`; for 'Israel' represented the Lord's interior Natural, 'Jacob' His exterior Natural, and 'his sons' the truths present in that Natural.
ttt[2] The truth that the Lord was meant by God and Jehovah in the Word was unknown to the Jewish Church; and the Christian Church at the present day does not know it, the reason for its ignorance of this truth being that it has distinguished the Divine into three separate persons. But the Ancient Church which existed after the Flood, and especially the Most Ancient Church which existed before the Flood, did not understand by Jehovah and God anyone else than the Lord, in particular His Divine Human. They did know about the Divine Himself who dwells within the Lord, and whom the Lord calls His Father; but they could not engage in any thought about the Divine Himself who dwells within the Lord, only about His Divine Human, and consequently could not be joined to any other that is Divine. For that linking together is effected through thought which is the activity of the understanding and through affection which is the activity of the will, thus through faith and love. When anyone thinks about the Divine Himself his thought becomes lost so to speak in boundless space and so is dissipated. As a consequence no joining together can result. But it is different when anyone thinks about the Divine Himself as the Divine Human. Those people living in former times also knew that unless they were joined to the Divine they could not be saved.
ttt[3] It was therefore a Divine Human that the Ancient Churches worshipped, and it was Jehovah in this Divine Human that revealed Himself among them. That Divine Human was also the Divine Himself in heaven, for heaven consists of a single human being called the Grand Man, dealt with at the ends of chapters up to this point. The Divine in heaven is essentially the Divine Himself; but He exists in heaven as a Divine Man. This Man is the one the Lord took upon Himself, made Divine within Himself, and made one with the Divine Himself, even as He had from eternity been made one with Him; for He has from eternity been one. He acted in that way because the human race could not otherwise be saved. The channel formed by heaven, and so by the Divine Human there, by means of which the Divine Himself came into people's minds was no longer adequate; therefore the Divine Himself was willing to make the Divine Human one with Himself through the Human He actually took upon Himself in the world. This Divine Human and that Divine Himself are the Lord.
ppp18187#pid#5664. 'Has given you the concealed gift in your pouches' means that it came from Him without the exercise of any prudence by them. This is clear from the meaning of 'the concealed gift' as truth and good conferred by the Lord without man's knowledge; and from the meaning of 'the silver put back in their sacks (or in their pouches)' as without expending any power of their own, dealt with in `@@@5488`, `@@@5496`, `@@@5499`. From this it is evident that 'has given you the concealed gift in your pouches' means that from Him - that is to say, from the Lord's Divine Human - came truth and good in the natural, without the expenditure of any power of their own. And because the gift comes without the expenditure of any power of their own, it comes without the exercise of any prudence by them. The expression prudence is used for the reason that prudence is the virtue [in man] that answers to providence [in God]; and what is attributable to Divine Providence is not attributable to human prudence.
5664[a] 'Your silver came to me' means that it will seem as though truth has been acquired by them. This is clear from the meaning of 'silver' as truth, dealt with in `@@@1551`, `@@@2954`. The coming of their silver to him implies that payment had been made by them, thus that they had made an acquisition for themselves; for' buying' means acquiring, `@@@5655`. This explains why 'your silver has come to me' means that truth has been acquired by them. Yet because the truth which constitutes faith is never an acquisition that a person makes but is a gift instilled and conferred by the Lord, though it seems to be an acquisition made by that person, the expression it will seem as though truth has been acquired by them is used.
ttt[2] The fact that truth is instilled and conferred by the Lord is also well known in the Church, for the Church teaches that faith does not originate in man but comes from God, so that not only confidence but also the truths that constitute faith come from Him. Yet the appearance is that truths of faith are acquired by the person himself. The fact that they flow into him is something he is totally unaware of because he has no perception of their doing so. The reason he has no such perception is that his interiors are closed, so that he is unable to have any communication with spirits and angels that is perceptible by him. When a person's interiors are closed he cannot know anything whatever about what is flowing into him.
ttt[3] But it should be recognized that it is one thing to know the truths of faith, another thing to believe them. Those who merely know the truths of faith consign them to their memory in the way they do anything else that is an item of knowledge. A person can acquire those truths without any such inflow into himself; but they do not possess any life, as is evident from the fact that a wicked person, even a very wicked one, can know the truths of faith just as well as an upright and God-fearing person. But in the case of the wicked, as stated, truths possess no life; for when a wicked person brings them forth he sees in each one either his own glory or personal gain. Consequently it is self-love and love of the world that fill those truths and give them what seems like life. But this life is akin to that in hell, which life is called spiritual death. Consequently, when such a person brings forth those truths he does so from his memory, not from his heart. But someone who has a belief in the truths of faith is bringing them forth from his heart when they pass through his lips; for in his case the truths of faith have so taken root in him that they strike root in the external memory and then, like fruitful trees, grow up into interior or higher levels of the mind, where tree-like they adorn themselves with leaves and at length blossom, to the end that they may bear fruit.
ttt[4] This is what someone with belief is like. He too has nothing else in mind, when employing the truths of faith, than the performance of useful services or the exercise of charity, which is his 'fruit'. These are not the kind that anyone can acquire by himself. Not even the smallest can be so acquired by him; rather, the Lord gives such to him freely, doing so every single moment of his life. Indeed, if he will but believe it, countless gifts are imparted every single moment. But man's nature is such that he has no perception of the things that flow into him; for if he did have that kind of perception he would fight against the idea, as stated above, for he would then think that if the idea was true he would lose his selfhood, and with this his freedom, and with his freedom his delight, and so would be left with nothing. And without that perception a person knows no other than that such things originate in himself. This then is the meaning of the explanation 'it will seem as though truth has been acquired by them'. What is more, if a person is to have a heavenly selfhood and heavenly freedom conferred on him, he must do what is good as though he himself were the source of it and think what is true as though he were the source of that. But when he stops to reflect he must acknowledge that such goodness and truth have their origin in the Lord, see `@@@2882`, `@@@2883`, `@@@2891`.
ppp18186#pid#5665. 'And he brought Simeon out to them' means that he linked to those truths the will to practise them. This is clear from the representation of 'Simeon' as faith in the will, or a will that desires to put the truth of faith into practice, dealt with in `@@@3869-3872`, `@@@4497`, `@@@4502`, `@@@4503`, `@@@5482`; and from the representation of the sons of Jacob, the ones here to whom he brought out Simeon, as truths known to the Church which were present in the natural, dealt with in `@@@5403`, `@@@5419`, `@@@5427`, `@@@5458`, `@@@5512`. From this it is evident that 'he brought Simeon out to them' means that he linked to those truths the will to practise them.
ppp18185#pid#5666. Verses `Genesis 43bbbccc24-28` And the man brought the men to Joseph's house and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave fodder to their asses. And they made ready the gift, until Joseph's coming at midday, for they heard that they would eat bread there. And Joseph came to the house, and they brought him the gift that was in their hand, to the house, and bowed down to him to the earth. And he questioned them about their peace,`fff1` and said, Does your father, the old man of whom you spoke, have peace? Is he still alive? And they said, Your servant our father has peace; he is still alive. And they bowed, and bowed down.
'And the man brought the men to Joseph's house' means an introductory stage to the joining to the internal. 'And gave them water' means a general influx of truth from the internal. 'And they washed their feet' means a consequent purification of the natural. 'And he gave fodder to their asses' means instruction regarding good. 'And they made ready the gift' means an instillation. 'Until Joseph's coming at midday' means up to when the internal would be present with light. 'For they heard that they would eat bread there' means a discernment that good was to be linked to the truths. 'And Joseph came to the house' means the presence of the internal. 'And they brought him the gift that was in their hand, to the house' means an instillation as far as this was possible. 'And bowed down to the earth' means an expression of humility. 'And he questioned them about their peace' means a perception that all is well. 'And he said, Does your father, the old man of whom you spoke, have peace?' means with spiritual good too. 'Is he still alive?' means that this has life. 'And they said, Your servant our father has peace' means a perception gained from there by the natural that all is well with the good from which it springs. 'He is still alive means and that it has life. 'And they bowed, and bowed down' means an expression of humility, exterior and interior.
`nnn1. i.e. their welfare
ppp18184#pid#5667. 'And the man brought the men to Joseph's house' means an introductory stage to the joining to the internal. This is clear from the meaning of 'bringing the men to Joseph's house' as the linking of the truths belonging to the natural to the internal, dealt with above in `@@@5648`. It is quite clear from the details that follow that an introductory stage to that joining together is meant - from their eating there, and from Joseph's not revealing to them who he really was, which details mean the general influx which is dealt with in what now follows and which is the introductory stage.
ppp18183#pid#5668. 'And gave them water' means a general influx of truth from the internal. This is clear from the meaning of 'water' as truth, `@@@2702`, `@@@3058`, `@@@3414`, `@@@4976`, in this case truth in general. This is why 'giving water' means a general influx of truth; and the reason it comes from the internal is that this took place in Joseph's house, `@@@5667`. A general influx of truth is enlightenment that makes it possible for truth to be discerned and understood. This enlightenment is provided by the light of heaven which flows from the Lord, a light which is nothing else than Divine Truth, `@@@2776`, `@@@3138`, `@@@3167`, `@@@3195`, `@@@3222`, `@@@3339`, `@@@3485`, `@@@3636`, `@@@3643`, `@@@3993`, `@@@4302`, `@@@4413`, `@@@4415`, `@@@5400`.
ppp18182#pid#5669. 'And they washed their feet' means a consequent purification of the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'washing one's feet' as the purification of the natural, dealt with in `@@@3147`.
ppp18181#pid#5670. 'And he gave fodder to their asses' means instruction regarding good. This is clear from the meaning of 'giving fodder' as providing instruction in good; for 'fodder' means the good that goes with known facts that are factual truths, `@@@3114`; and 'giving fodder', which is feeding, means providing instruction in that good, for the reason that 'feeding' means providing instruction, see `@@@5201`, while 'asses' means factual knowledge, `@@@5492`. From this it is evident that 'giving fodder to asses' means instruction regarding the good that goes with known facts. The good that goes with known facts is the delight gained from factual truths. Factual truths are very general truths which are seen in natural light received from the light of the world. But if they are to be seen as truths, a general influx from the internal must take place, `@@@5668`; and this is an enlightenment received from the light of heaven.
ppp18180#pid#5671. 'And they made ready the gift' means an instillation. This is clear from the meaning of 'the gift' as the obtaining of favour, dealt with in `@@@5619`, so that 'making ready the gift' is an instilling.
ppp18179#pid#5672. 'Until Joseph's coming at midday' means up to when the internal would be present with light. This is clear from the meaning of 'until his coming' as up to when it was present; from the representation of 'Joseph' as the internal, dealt with in `@@@5648`; and from the meaning of 'midday' as a state of light, `@@@1458`, `@@@3195`, `@@@3708`.`fff1` The reason 'midday' means a state of light is that the times of day, such as morning, midday, and evening, correspond to states of light in the next life; and states of light there are states of intelligence and wisdom, for the reason that the light of heaven holds intelligence and wisdom within it. The changing states of light there are like those times of day on earth - morning, midday, and evening. The states of shade akin to evening do not however have anything to do with the sun there, which is the Lord who is constantly shedding His light, but with the selfhood that is essentially the angels' own. For insofar as this selfhood takes over in their lives they pass into a state of shade or evening; but insofar as this selfhood gives way to the heavenly selfhood they move into a state of light. From this one may see where the correspondence of midday to a state of light has its origin.
`nnn1. The Latin word used here may mean midday, or it may mean the south.
ppp18178#pid#5673. 'For they heard that they would eat bread there' means a discernment that good was to be linked to the truths. This is clear from the meaning of 'hearing as discerning, dealt with in `@@@5017`; from the meaning of 'eating' as being made one's own and being joined together, dealt with in `@@@2187`, `@@@3168`, `@@@3513` (end), `@@@3596`, `@@@3832`, `@@@5643`; and from the meaning of 'bread' as the good of love, dealt with in `@@@2165`, `@@@2177`, `@@@2187`, `@@@3464`, `@@@3478`, `@@@3735`, `@@@3813`, `@@@4211`, `@@@4217`, `@@@4735`.
ppp18177#pid#5674. 'And Joseph came to the house' means the presence of the internal. This is clear from the meaning of 'coming to the house' as being present or the presence of, as above in `@@@5672`; and from the representation of 'Joseph' as the internal, dealt with in `@@@5648`.
ppp18176#pid#5675. 'And they brought him the gift that was in their hand, to the house' means an instillation as far as this was possible. This is clear from the meaning of 'the gift' that was given to kings and priests as the obtaining of favour, and so also an instillation, dealt with just above in `@@@5671`; and from the meaning of 'that was in their hand' as far as possible, also dealt with above, in `@@@5624`, `@@@5659`.
ppp18175#pid#5676. 'And bowed down to the earth' means an expression of humility. This is clear from the meaning of 'bowing down to the earth' as expressing humility, dealt with in `@@@2153`. See also below, in `@@@5682`.
ppp18174#pid#5677. 'And he questioned them about their peace' means a perception that all is well. This is clear from the meaning of 'questioning' as perceiving another's thought, dealt with in `@@@5597`; and from the meaning of 'peace' as all being well, dealt with in `@@@5662`.
ppp18173#pid#5678. 'And he said, Does your father, the old man of whom you spoke. have peace?' means with spiritual good too. This is clear from the meaning of 'peace' as all being well, as above in `@@@5677`; and from the representation of Israel, to whom 'father' refers here, as spiritual good, dealt with in `@@@3654`, `@@@4286`, `@@@4598`.
ppp18172#pid#5679. 'is he still alive?' means that this has life. This is clear from the meaning of 'being alive' as spiritual life, dealt with in `@@@5407`.
ppp18171#pid#5680. 'And they said, Your servant our father has peace' means a perception gained from there by the natural that all is well with the good from which it springs. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as perceiving, dealt with in `@@@1898`, `@@@1919`, `@@@2080`, `@@@2619`, `@@@2862`, `@@@3395`, `@@@3509`; from the meaning of 'peace' as all being well, dealt with in `@@@5662`, `@@@5677`; and from the representation of 'Israel' as spiritual good, dealt with just above in `@@@5678`. This good is called their 'father' because the truths and forms of good present in the natural, which are represented by Israel's ten sons, spring from it as their father. And as the truths and forms of good in the natural are represented by those sons, the natural is also meant by them; for the natural is the container, while the truths and forms of good there are its contents which make one with it. From all this it is evident that 'they said, Your servant our father has peace' means a perception gained from there by the natural that all is well with the good from which it springs.
ttt[2] The perception is said to be gained from there - from the internal represented by 'Joseph', `@@@5648` - because every perception gained by the natural comes from the spiritual; and because it comes from the spiritual it comes from the internal, that is, from the Lord through the internal. The natural cannot possibly have any perception, nor even any life present within thought and affection, other than that which comes from the spiritual. For all things within the natural that are essentially its own are dead; but they receive life through what flows in from the spiritual world, that is, from the Lord by way Of the spiritual world. In the spiritual world everything receives life from the light flowing from the Lord, for that light holds wisdom and intelligence within. The meaning here - that the perception is gained from there, from the internal, in the natural - also follows from what has gone before in `@@@5677`.
ppp18170#pid#5681. 'He is still alive' means and that it has life. This is clear from what was suggested just above in `@@@5679` - that one should compare what is mentioned in `@@@5407`.
ppp18169#pid#5682. 'And they bowed, and bowed down' means an expression of humility, exterior and interior. This is clear from the meaning of 'bowing' as an expression of exterior humility, and from the meaning of 'bowing down' as an expression of interior humility. For bowing is something less than bowing down and is therefore an expression of exterior humility, whereas bowing down is something more and is therefore an expression of interior humility. In addition to this, 'bowing' is the humility expressed by truth, that is, by those motivated by truth, and so is the humility of those who are spiritual; but 'bowing down' is the humility expressed by good, that is, by those motivated by good, and so is the humility of those who are celestial. Thus 'bowing also means the expression of exterior humility, and 'bowing down' the expression of interior humility; for those motivated by good are people who are more interior than those motivated by truth. The explanation of the major part of the contents of the internal sense in this section has been confined simply to the meanings of the words that are used, for the reason that they are matters such as have appeared in explanations prior to this.
ppp18168#pid#5683. Verses `Genesis 43bbbccc29-34` And he lifted up his eyes and saw Benjamin his brother, his mother's son, and said, Is this your youngest brother, whom you said [something about] to me? And he said, God be gracious to you, my son. And Joseph hastened, because feelings of compassion were being roused in him towards his brother, and he sought [somewhere] to weep; and he went to his bedchamber and wept there. And he washed his face and went out; and he contained himself and said, Set on bread. And they set for him by himself, and for them by themselves and for the Egyptians eating with him by themselves; for the Egyptians cannot eat bread with the Hebrews, since that is an abomination to the Egyptians. And they sat in front of him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth; and the men were astonished [and looked] each at his companion. And he took portions from before his face to them, and he multiplied Benjamin's portion above the portions of all theirs - five measures more. And they drank, and drank plentifully with him.
'And he lifted up his eyes' means reflection. 'And saw Benjamin' means a discernment of the intermediary. 'His brother, his mother's son' means the internal born from the natural as its mother. 'And said' means perception. 'Is this your youngest brother, whom you said [something about] to me?' means born after all of them, as they well knew. 'And he said, God be gracious to you, my son means that the Divine was also present with the spiritual of the celestial, which is the intermediary, because it goes forth from the celestial of the spiritual, which is truth from the Divine. 'And Joseph hastened' means from what is inmost. 'Because feelings of compassion were being roused in him' means mercy springing out of love. 'Towards his brother' means towards the internal going forth from himself. 'And he sought [somewhere] to weep' means an expression of mercy springing out of love. 'And he went to his bedchamber and wept there' means within itself, in an unseen manner. 'And he washed his face' means that it took steps to ensure this. 'And went out' means by means of a removal. 'And he contained himself' means a concealment. 'And said, Set on bread' means a perception of a joining, through the intermediary, to the truths in the natural. 'And they set for him by himself, and for them by themselves' means the outward appearance that the internal was seemingly separated from them. 'And for the Egyptians eating with him by themselves' means the separation of factual knowledge existing in an inverted state of order. 'For the Egyptians cannot eat bread with the Hebrews' means that these could not by any means be joined to the truth and good of the Church. 'Since that is an abomination to the Egyptians' means that they are in a contrary position. 'And they took their seats in front of him' means that they were ranged in order, as determined by his presence. 'The firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth' means in conformity with the order truths take beneath good. 'And the men were astonished [and looked] each at his companion' means a change of state that took place in each one among them. 'And he took portions from before his face to them' means forms of good applied with mercy to each one. 'And he multiplied Benjamin's portion above the portions of all theirs' means the good imparted to the intermediary exceeded the forms of good imparted to the truths in the natural. 'Five measures more' means that it was much increased. 'And they drank' means the application of the truths beneath good. 'And drank plentifully' means in abundance.
ppp18167#pid#5684. 'And he lifted up his eyes' means reflection. This is clear from the meaning of 'lifting up the eyes' as thought and attention, dealt with in `@@@2789`, `@@@2829`, `@@@4339`, and also observation, `@@@4086`, and so reflection; for reflecting is turning one's attention, which is the sight of one's understanding, to observe whether something is true, and having done this to observe that it is indeed so.
ppp18166#pid#5685. 'And saw Benjamin' means a discernment of the intermediary. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing' as understanding and discerning, dealt with in `@@@2150`, `@@@2325`, `@@@3764`, `@@@3863`, `@@@4403-4421`, `@@@4567`, `@@@4723`, `@@@5400`; and from the representation of 'Benjamin' as the intermediary, dealt with in `@@@5411`, `@@@5413`, `@@@5443`, `@@@5639`.
ppp18165#pid#5686. 'His brother, his mother's son' means the internal born from the natural as its mother. This is clear from the representation of Benjamin, to whom 'brother' and 'mother's son' refer here, as the internal, dealt with in `@@@5469`. And since this is the intermediary it comes into being from the celestial of the spiritual, represented by 'Joseph', as its father, and from the natural as its mother; for it must have its beginning in both these if it is to serve as an intermediary. So this is what is meant by the internal born from the natural as its mother. Also because the celestial of the spiritual, which is 'Joseph', had come into being in a similar way from the natural as its mother, but from the Divine as its father, 'Benjamin' is therefore called, as he was in actual fact by birth, 'his brother, his mother's son'; and in what immediately follows he is also addressed as 'son'. The name 'brother' is used by the Lord, who is meant here in the highest sense by 'Joseph', to refer to everyone who has any good of charity which he has received from the Lord. He is also referred to as 'his mother's son', but in this case 'mother' is used to mean the Church.
ppp18164#pid#5687. 'And said' means perception. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in the historical narratives of the Word as perception, often dealt with already. The reason 'saying' means perceiving is that in heaven, quite differently from what happens in the world, the actual thoughts that give rise to an utterance are perceived. And this is the reason why perceiving in the spiritual sense is 'speaking' or 'saying' in the literal sense, or what amounts to the same, the natural sense.
ppp18163#pid#5688. 'Is this your youngest brother, whom you said [something about] to me?' means born after all of them, as they well knew. This is clear from the meaning of 'youngest brother' as the one born after all of them, dealt with in what follows; and from the meaning of 'whom you said to me' as that which was perceived by them. For 'saying' means that which has been perceived, see immediately above in `@@@5687`, and so means what is well known. The reason Benjamin is called here, as he in fact was, their 'youngest brother' - that is, the one born after all of them, or the youngest by birth - is that in the spiritual sense the intermediary, which 'Benjamin' represents, is likewise the one that comes last. The intermediary in a person is born last of all; for when a person is undergoing spiritual birth - that is, when he is being born again - his rational, which is his inner man, is regenerated first by the Lord, then the natural after that, the rational being the means by which the Lord regenerates the natural, `@@@3286`, `@@@3288`, `@@@3321`, `@@@3493`, `@@@4612`. Now since the intermediary must be derived from both these - both from the spiritual rational or rational that has been made new, and from the natural - and since the intermediary cannot be derived from the natural unless this too has been made new, the intermediary is inevitably born at a later stage, and then only insofar as the natural is regenerated.
ttt[2] Everything recorded in the Word regarding the sons of Jacob happened for a providential reason, which was that the Word might be written dealing with them and their descendants. This Word was to contain heavenly realities, and in the highest sense Divine ones, which those sons in actual fact represented. This was no less so in the case of Benjamin who, being the one born last of all, represented the intermediary between the internal and the external, that is, between the celestial of the spiritual which was the Lord's when He was in the world and the natural which was also the Lord's and which He was to make Divine.
ttt[3] Everything recorded about Joseph and his brothers represents in the highest sense the glorification of the Lord's Human, that is, the way in which the Lord made the Human within Himself Divine. The reason this is what is represented in the inmost sense is so that in its inmost sense the Word may be completely holy. A further reason is that every detail recorded may contain within itself what can pass into angelic wisdom; for it is well known that angelic wisdom so surpasses man's wisdom that man can hardly begin to comprehend any of it. The actual happiness of the angels resides in the fact that every detail has to do with the Lord; for they abide in Him. Furthermore the glorification of the Lord's Human is the pattern for a person's regeneration, which is why a person's regeneration is also presented in the internal sense at the same time as the subject of the Lord's glorification is dealt with. A person's regeneration and the countless arcana associated with it also passes into angelic wisdom and brings the angels happiness insofar as they apply those arcana to useful services, which look to a person's reformation.
ppp18162#pid#5689. 'And he said, God be gracious to you, my son' means that the Divine was also present with the spiritual of the celestial, which is the intermediary, because it goes forth from the celestial of the spiritual, which is truth from the Divine. This is clear from the meaning of 'God be gracious - when this is said by the celestial of the spiritual, which is 'Joseph', to the spiritual of the celestial, which is 'Benjamin', and when the latter is also addressed by the former as 'son' - as the Divine presence also with the spiritual of the celestial, which is the intermediary, because this goes forth from the celestial of the spiritual, which is truth from the Divine. For 'Benjamin' is the spiritual of the celestial, see `@@@3969`, `@@@4592`; he is the intermediary too, `@@@5411`, `@@@5413`, `@@@5443`, `@@@5639`.
ttt[2] Since, as stated above, the Lord's inner man was the celestial of the spiritual, and this was truth from the Divine or the clothing next to the Divine Himself within the Lord, and since the spiritual of the celestial, which is the intermediary, went forth from that, it follows that the Divine was also present with this intermediary. What goes forth from something acquires its essential being from that from which it goes forth; but it is clothed with coverings such as serve to enable communication to take place and thereby enable a useful purpose to be realized in a lower sphere. The coverings that clothe it are derived in part from such things as exist in that lower sphere, to the end that the internal from which it goes forth can operate in the lower sphere through the kinds of things present there.
ttt[3] What provides its essential being is so to speak its father, since that essential being is its soul; and what provides its clothing is its mother, for that clothing is the body belonging to this soul. This is why, as stated above, the intermediary must be derived from both if it is to be an intermediary - from the internal as its father and from the external as its mother.
ppp18161#pid#5690. 'And Joseph hastened' means from what is inmost. This is clear from the meaning of hastening' here as that which bursts forth from what is inmost, for the statement follows 'because feelings of compassion were being roused in him', by which mercy springing out of love is meant. When mercy bursts forth it does so from what is inmost; and it does so as fast as the blink of an eye or flash of an idea. This is why 'hastening' here means nothing else than from what is inmost.
ppp18160#pid#5691. 'Because feelings of compassion were being roused in him' means mercy springing out of love. This is clear from the meaning of 'feelings of compassion being roused' as mercy springing out of love. The word 'mercy' is used because Benjamin had not yet recognized who Joseph really was, and the expression 'out of love' because as the intermediary Benjamin went forth from him. In the original language 'feelings of compassion' is expressed by a word which describes inmost or tenderest love.
ppp18159#pid#5692. 'Towards his brother' means towards the internal going forth from himself. This is clear from the representation of Benjamin, to whom 'brother' refers here, as the intermediary, and so also the internal, dealt with in `@@@5469`; and because he goes forth, as the intermediary and the internal, from the celestial of the spiritual, which is 'Joseph', the words of explanation are 'towards the internal going forth from himself'. Anyone who receives anything of a Divine nature from the Lord, whom 'Joseph' represents here in the highest sense - for example, someone who receives any good of charity from Him - is called 'brother' by the Lord as well as 'son'.
ppp18158#pid#5693. 'And he sought [somewhere] to weep' means an expression of mercy springing out of love. This is clear from the meaning of 'weeping' as an expression of mercy springing out of love, dealt with in `@@@3801`, `@@@5480`.
ppp18157#pid#5694. 'And he went to his bedchamber and wept there' means within itself, in an unseen manner. This is clear from the meaning of 'going to one's bedchamber' as within oneself, in an unseen manner. To say someone was 'entering his bedchamber' and also 'shutting the door' was a commonplace expression which the ancients used when they meant an action that should remain unseen. The expression had its origin in the meaningful signs which existed in the Ancient Church. For they would speak of 'the house', which they used in a spiritual sense to mean a person, `@@@3128`, and of its 'chambers' and 'bedchambers to mean the person's interiors. This is the reason why 'going to (or entering) one's bedchamber' meant within oneself, consequently so that one could not be seen. And since 'entering one's bedchamber' had this particular meaning, the expression is used in various places in the Word; as in Isaiah,
Go away, my people, enter your bedchambers, and shut your door behind you. Hide yourself, so to speak, for a little moment, until the anger passes over. `Isaiah 26bbb20`.
Quite clearly 'entering bedchambers' does not in this case mean entering bedchambers but keeping out of sight and within oneself.
ttt[2] In Ezekiel,
He said to me, Have you not seen, son of man, what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark, each in the chambers of his own idol? For they say, Jehovah does not see us. `Ezekiel 8bbb12`.
'Doing in the dark, each in the chambers of his own idol' stands for within themselves inwardly, in their thoughts. The interior aspects of their thought and affection were being represented to the prophet by means of 'chambers', and they were called 'the chambers of an idol'.
ttt[3] In Moses,
Outside the sword will bereave - and out of the chambers terror - both young man and virgin, suckling together with a man in old age. `Deuteronomy 32bbb15`.
'The sword' stands for the vastation of truth and the punishment of falsity, `@@@2799`. 'Out of the chambers terror' stands for a person's interiors; for here too it is self-evident that one should not take 'the chambers' to mean chambers.
ttt[4] In David,
He waters the mountains from His chambers. `Psalms 104bbb13`.
In the spiritual sense 'watering the mountains' is blessing those in whom love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour are present. For 'a mountain' means the celestial element of love, see `@@@795`, `@@@1430`, `@@@4210`, and therefore 'from His chambers' means from the interior parts of heaven. In Luke,
Whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light; and what you have spoken in the ear in bedchambers will be proclaimed on the housetops. `Luke 12bbb3`.
Here also 'bedchambers' stands for a person's interiors - what he has thought, what he has intended, and what he has mulled over. In Matthew,
When you pray, enter your bedchamber, and shut your door, and pray in secret. `Matthew 6bbb6`.
'Entering one's bedchamber and praying' stands for acting in an unseen manner; for these words had their origin in things of a representative nature.
ppp18156#pid#5695. 'And he washed his face' means that it took steps to ensure this. This is clear from the meaning of 'washing his face' here as taking steps to ensure that it remained unseen; for Joseph's face was washed, and so steps were taken by him to ensure that his tears remained unseen. The full implications of this will in the Lord's Divine mercy be stated further on; but let something be said at this point about the correspondence of a person's face with his interiors. His face is what is external serving to represent his interiors. For the face has been designed in such a way that a person's interiors may be seen there as if in a mirror that reflects things in a representative fashion; it has been so designed that another may know its owner's attitude of mind towards himself, so that the owner reveals his sentiments when he speaks not only through his speech but also through his face. This was the kind of face possessed by the most ancient people who belonged to the celestial Church, and it is the kind that all angels have. Angels have no wish to conceal from others anything they think, for they think solely of their neighbour's well-being. Nor do they have any thought hidden away which desires their neighbour's well-being for some selfish reason of their own.
ttt[2] But those in hell, as long as they are not seen in the light of heaven, have a face other than the one that corresponds to their interiors. The reason for this is that during their lifetime they bore witness by means of their face to charity towards the neighbour solely for the sake of their own position and gain; they did not desire their neighbour's well being except insofar as it was identical with their own. Consequently the expression on their face is at variance with their interiors. Sometimes that variance is so great that feelings of enmity, hatred, and revenge, and the desire to murder are inwardly present, yet their face is set in such a way that love towards their neighbour is beaming from it. From this one may see how far people's interiors disagree at the present day with their exteriors, and why they resort to those kinds of practices to serve their own interests.
ppp18155#pid#5696. 'And went out' means by means of a removal. This is clear from the meaning here of 'going out' as a removal; for one who removes himself goes out or departs from another. The matter contained in the internal sense is as follows: 'Joseph' in the highest sense represents the Lord; 'the ten sons of Israel' represents the truths and the forms of good present in the natural in the case of those who are being regenerated; while 'Benjamin' is the intermediary. Mercy springing out of love is shown towards the intermediary because this is the means by which what is below, that is, in the natural, is regenerated. But the Lord's love and mercy remain unseen until the joining together has been effected by means of the intermediary. Steps are also taken to prevent their being seen; for if they did come to be seen no regeneration would be possible. Those steps involve removal and concealment. Not that the Lord ever removes or conceals His mercy; but when the evils present in one who is being regenerated are brought to the fore it appears to that person as though the Lord has been removed and is concealed from him; for those evils stand in the way and are responsible for that appearance. One may compare what they do to dark clouds which stand between him and the sun, causing this to be absent and concealed from him. It is that kind of concealment and removal that is meant here.
ppp18154#pid#5697. 'And he contained himself' means a concealment. This is clear from the meaning of 'containing himself' as concealing; for a person who contains himself conceals his inward desires. For what concealment is used to mean here, see immediately above in `@@@5696`.
ppp18153#pid#5698. 'And said, Set on bread' means a perception of a joining, through the intermediary, to the truths in the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as perceiving, often dealt with already; and from the meaning of 'setting on bread' as a joining, through the intermediary, to the truths in the natural. 'Setting on bread' is used to mean an actual meal; and meals and feasts mean a joining together, in particular the introductory stage to a joining together, `@@@3596`, `@@@3832`, `@@@5161`. A joining, through the intermediary, to the truths in the natural follows from the train of thought - 'Benjamin' being the intermediary, and 'the ten sons of Jacob' the truths in the natural, as shown already. And since the intermediary is the one through whom the joining together is effected, Joseph gave the command, on seeing Benjamin, that they should eat with him,
And Joseph saw Benjamin with them, and he said to the one who was over his house, Bring the men to the house, and slaughter and prepare [an animal]; for the men will eat with me at midday. Verse `Genesis 43bbbccc16`.
ppp18152#pid#5699. 'And they set for him by himself, and for them by themselves' means the outward appearance that the internal was seemingly separated from them. This is clear from the meaning of 'setting for him by himself, and for them by themselves' as a separation; and since 'Joseph' represents the internal, and 'the ten sons of Israel' the external, `@@@5469`, the words used here mean a separation of the internal from the external, which was only an apparent separation, for he gave them food from his own table, sending portions to each of them.
ppp18151#pid#5700. 'And for the Egyptians eating with him by themselves' means the separation of factual knowledge existing in an inverted state of order. This is clear from the representation of 'the Egyptians' as factual knowledge present in an inverted state of order, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'eating with him by themselves' as a separation, dealt with immediately above in `@@@5699`. 'The Egyptians eating with him' means Egyptians who were eating at Joseph's house; yet it is evident that they did not do so with Joseph since it says that they ate 'by themselves'. In the good sense facts known to the Church are meant by 'Egypt' or 'the Egyptians', see `@@@1462`, `@@@4749`, `@@@4964`, `@@@4966`; but in the contrary sense facts existing in an inverted state of order, and so ideas contrary to the truths known to the Church are meant by them, `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1186`. And many places in the Word contain some reference to Egypt in this contrary sense. The reason why 'Egypt' means those facts existing in an inverted state of order is that the facts known to the Ancient Church which were the representatives and meaningful signs of celestial and spiritual realities, and which were fostered among those people more than others, were converted by them into magic. Consequently the facts known to the representative Church were brought by them into a completely inverted state of order.
ttt[2] Facts are said to exist in an inverted state of order when people intent on doing what is evil violate heavenly order; for heavenly order intends that good should be done to everyone. The result of this therefore is that once people cause heavenly order to become inverted in this way they ultimately reject what is of God, what is of heaven, and consequently what constitutes charity and faith. People who have come to be like this know how to use factual knowledge to engage in keen and skillful reasoning; for their use of reason relies on sensory evidence, and reasoning reliant on sensory evidence relies on considerations of an external nature - on bodily and worldly matters which instantly absorb a person's thoughts and feelings. Unless such factual knowledge has had the light of heaven shed upon it and has thereby been brought into a completely different state of order, it sets the person in obscurity. This obscurity is so pronounced, so far as heavenly matters are concerned, that he not only fails to understand them but also utterly refuses to accept them, and at length casts them aside and, so far as he is allowed to do so, says blasphemous things about them. When factual knowledge exists in a proper state of order it has been arranged by the Lord into the same form as heaven takes. But when it exists in an inverted state of order it has been arranged into the form hell takes, a form in which the worst falsities are in the centre, supporting ideas come next, and truths on the outside. And as those truths are on the outside they cannot have any communication with heaven where truths are predominant. For this reason the interiors are closed, since it is through those interiors that the way to heaven lies open.
ppp18150#pid#5701. 'For the Egyptians cannot eat bread with the Hebrews' means that these could not by any means be joined to the truth and good of the Church. This is clear from the representation of 'the Egyptians' as those with whom an inverted state of order, and so evil and falsity, exists, dealt with immediately above in `@@@5700`; from the meaning of 'eating bread' as being joined together, also dealt with above, in `@@@5698`; and from the representation of 'the Hebrews' as those with whom genuine order, and so the truth and good of the Church, exists - 'the land of the Hebrews' meaning the Church, see `@@@5136`, `@@@5236`, for the reason that the Hebrew Church was the second Ancient Church, `@@@1238`, `@@@1241`, `@@@1343`. The expression 'eating bread' is used, and the command 'set on bread' mentioned just above, because 'bread' means all food in general, `@@@2165`, and so means a meal. The reason 'bread' means all food and an actual meal is that in the spiritual sense 'bread' is heavenly love; and heavenly love includes every aspect of good and truth, and so everything constituting spiritual food. For the meaning of 'bread' as heavenly food, see `@@@276`, `@@@680`, `@@@2165`, `@@@2177`, `@@@2187`, `@@@3464`, `@@@3478`, `@@@3735`, `@@@4211`, `@@@4217`, `@@@4735`, `@@@4976`.
ppp18149#pid#5702. 'Since that is an abomination to the Egyptians' means that they are in a contrary position. This is clear from the representation of 'the Egyptians' as those with whom order has been inverted, `@@@5700`; and from the representation of 'the Hebrews', to eat with whom was an abomination to the Egyptians, as those with whom genuine order exists, `@@@5701`. Thus the two are set in contrary positions, and this gives rise to strong dislike and at length to what is an abomination. Regarding this abomination, it should be recognized that people with whom an inverted state of order, that is, evil and consequent falsity, exists, thereby come at length to acquire a strong dislike for the goodness and truth of the Church the moment they hear it referred to. This is even more true when they hear reference made to the interior aspects of that goodness and truth; they find these so abominable that so to speak they feel nauseated and wish to vomit. This is what I have been told and shown to be so when I have wondered why the Christian world does not accept the interior teachings of the Word. Spirits from the Christian world have appeared on the scene and have been compelled to hear about the interior teachings of the Word; they were then so nauseated by these that they said they felt within themselves the great need to vomit. I have also been told that this is what the Christian world is like virtually everywhere at the present day. The reason it is like this is that it has no affection for truth for its own sake, still less any affection for good motivated by good. Anything they think or say that is based on the Word or their religious teachings is due to habit followed since early childhood and to religious custom, and so is something external devoid of anything internal.
ttt[2] The fact that all aspects of the Hebrew Church, the one established at a later time among the descendants of Jacob, were an abomination to the Egyptians is evident not only from their refusal even to eat with them but also from the fact that sacrifices, in which the Hebrew Church made its main worship consist, were an abomination to them, as is evident in Moses,
Pharaoh said, Go away, sacrifice within the land. But Moses said, It is incorrect to do so, for we shall be sacrificing to Jehovah our God what is an abomination to the Egyptians; behold, if we sacrifice what is an abomination to the Egyptians in their eyes, will they not stone us? `Exodus 8bbb25-26`.
Also, feeding cattle and being a shepherd was an abomination to them, as is evident again in Moses,
Every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians. `Genesis 46bbb34`.
Thus every aspect of that Church was an abomination to the Egyptians. The reason was that initially even the Egyptians had been among those who constituted the representative Ancient Church, `@@@1238`, `@@@2385`. But after that they rejected the God of the Ancient Church, who was Jehovah or the Lord, and served idols, in particular calves. Also the actual representatives and meaningful signs of the celestial and spiritual realities of the Ancient Church, which they came to know while part of that Church, were turned by them into magical practices. This being so, order with them became inverted, as a consequence of which everything constituting the Church was an abomination.
ppp18148#pid#5703. 'And they took their seats in front of him' means that they were ranged in order, as determined by his presence. This is clear from the meaning of 'taking one's seat' here as being ranged in order, for they were placed in order by Joseph, as is evident from what immediately follows - they were astonished that the firstborn took his seat according to his birthright, while the youngest took his according to his youth; and from the meaning of 'in front of him' as determined by his presence.
ttt[2] The truth of the matter is that in the highest sense 'Joseph' represents the Lord, 'the sons of Israel' the forms of good and the truths in the natural. When the Lord is present His very presence arranges everything into order. The Lord is order itself, and therefore wherever He is present order exists, and wherever order exists He is present. That order is described in what follows next, the aim of that order being to see that truths are properly arranged beneath good.
ppp18147#pid#5704. 'The firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth' means in conformity with the order truths take beneath good. This is clear from the meaning of 'taking seats according to birthright, and according to youth' as in conformity with the order truths take beneath good. The sons of Israel represent the truths known to the Church existing in their proper order, see the explanation at Chapters `Genesis ccc29bbb0`, `Genesis ccc30bbb0` of Genesis, and therefore taking their seats according to their order of birth means in conformity with the order truths take. But the truths known to the Church, which 'the sons of Israel' represent, do not come to be arranged into any kind of proper order except through Christian good, that is, through the good of charity towards the neighbour and of love to the Lord. For good has the Lord within it, and therefore has heaven within it. Good consequently has life within it, making it a force that is active and filled with life. But truth devoid of good cannot possibly have any life within it. Good arranges truths into order in keeping with itself, as is quite evident from every kind of love, including self-love and love of the world, and so such love as gives rise to vengeance, hatred, and other evils like these. People governed by those loves call evil good because they take delight in evil. This so-called good of theirs imposes a certain kind of order on those falsities which to them are truths - a kind of order that enables these falsities to lend support to it, till at length all those falsities, which they call truths, are arranged into an order that becomes a sequence of false beliefs. But this order is the kind of order that exists in hell, whereas the order in which truths are ranged beneath the good of heavenly love is the kind that exists in heaven. This also explains why a person with whom the latter kind of order resides, that is, a person who has been regenerated, is called a miniature heaven and also is heaven in the smallest form of all that it can take; for his interiors correspond to the heavens.
ttt[2] The fact that good is what brings order to truths is evident from order as it exists in the heavens. All the communities there are ranged in conformity with the order in which truths that are received from the Lord exist beneath good. For [in His own Being] the Lord is nothing else than Divine Good, while Divine Truth, which does not exist within Him, goes forth from Him. And it is in conformity with this Divine Truth ranged beneath Divine Good that all the communities of heaven have been arranged into order. As regards the Lord's being nothing else than Divine Love whereas Divine Truth does not exist within Him but goes forth from Him, this can be illustrated by a comparison made with the sun of this world. The sun is nothing else than fire, while its light does not exist within it but goes forth from it. What is more, objects in the world dependent on light, such as plants, are subject to the order imparted to them by the heat that goes forth from the fire of the sun and exists within the light of the sun, as is evident in springtime and summertime. For since the Whole natural order is a theatre representative of the Lord's kingdom, so is this whole situation involving the sun representative. The sun represents the Lord; its fire represents His Divine Love; the heat from it represents the good that flows from this Love, and its light the truths that constitute faith. And since they have these representations, 'the sun' is also used in the spiritual sense of the Word to mean the Lord, `@@@1053`, `@@@1521`, `@@@1529-1531`, `@@@3636`, `@@@3643`, `@@@4321` (end), `@@@5097`, `@@@5377`, 'fire' to mean love, `@@@934`, `@@@4906`, `@@@5071`, `@@@5215`, so that the sun's fire in a representative sense is Divine Love, while the heat from that fire is good flowing from Divine love. As regards 'light' meaning truth, see `@@@2776`, `@@@3138`, `@@@3190`, `@@@3195`, `@@@3222`, `@@@3339`, `@@@3636`, `@@@3643`, `@@@3862`, `@@@3993`, `@@@4302`, `@@@4409`, `@@@4413`, `@@@4415`, `@@@4526`, `@@@5219`, `@@@5400`.
ppp18146#pid#5705. 'And the men were astonished [and looked] each at his companion' means a change of state that took place in each one among them. This is clear from the meaning of 'being astonished' as an unexpected and sudden change in the state of their thoughts (and since this change causes astonishment, the same is meant in the internal sense); and from the meaning of 'each at his companion' as in each one among them. For the subject is the order of the truths beneath good, determined by the presence of the internal, `@@@5703`, `@@@5704`, which order, being a new one, leads to a change of state in each one among them, meant by 'the men were astonished [and looked] each at his companion'.
ppp18145#pid#5706. 'And he took portions from before his face to them' means forms of good applied with mercy to each one. This is clear from the meaning of 'portions - portions of food - as forms of good (for forms of good are meant by all 'foods', while 'drink' means truths of every kind) - to be exact, an application of those forms of good to each one, as is evident from what follows and is meant by 'he took to them'; and from the meaning of 'face', when used in reference to the Lord, who is represented by 'Joseph', as mercy, dealt with in `@@@222`, `@@@223`, `@@@5585`.
ppp18144#pid#5707. 'And he multiplied Benjamin's portion above the portions of all theirs' means that the good imparted to the intermediary exceeded the forms of good imparted to the truths in the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'portions' as forms of good, dealt with immediately above in `@@@5706`; from the representation of 'Benjamin' as the intermediary, dealt with in `@@@5411`, `@@@5413`, `@@@5427`, `@@@5428`, `@@@5447`, `@@@5586`, `@@@5612`; and from the representation of the ten sons of Jacob, above whose portions he multiplied Benjamin's portion, as the truths present in the natural, dealt with in `@@@5403`, `@@@5419`, `@@@5427`, `@@@5458`, `@@@5512`. From all this it is evident that 'he multiplied Benjamin's portion above the portions of all theirs' means the good imparted to the intermediary exceeded the forms of good imparted to the truths in the natural.
ttt[2] The reason Why the good imparted to the intermediary exceeded the forms of good imparted to the truths in the natural is that the intermediary is interior, and what is interior possesses forms of good in greater abundance than what is exterior. Few know what is implied by this - by what is interior possessing forms of good and truth in greater abundance than parts that are more external do. The reason for this is that up to now few, if any, have known that what is interior is distinct and separate from what is exterior, so distinct that the two can be separated from each other; and that once they have been separated the interior goes on living but the exterior dies. But as long as they exist joined together what is exterior receives life from what is interior. If people knew this first they could then know what the interior is like compared with the exterior - that what is interior possesses thousands of things which are seen in the exterior only as a simple whole. For what is interior exists in a purer sphere, what is exterior in a grosser one; and what exists in a purer sphere is capable of receiving individually thousands of things more than that which exists in a grosser sphere can. This is the reason why, when a person who has led a good life enters heaven after death, he is able to receive thousands and thousands more of those things that constitute intelligence and wisdom, and also happiness, than when he had been living in the world. For in heaven he lives in a purer sphere and in the interior parts of his being, having cast off the grosser parts belonging to the body. From all this one may now see what is implied by the statement that the good imparted to the intermediary exceeded the forms of good imparted to the truths in the natural, meant by 'he multiplied Benjamin's portion above the portions of all theirs'.
ppp18143#pid#5708. 'Five measures more' means that it was much increased. This is clear from the meaning of 'five' as much, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'measures' as states of truth received from good, dealt with in `@@@3104`. As regards 'five', this is a number which can mean little, or else something, or even much. Whatever its specific meaning, this stems from its relationship with the number of which it is a factor, `@@@5291`. When it is a factor of ten, much the same as ten, but in a smaller degree, is implied, five being half the number ten. For just as compound numbers have a similar meaning to the simple ones of which they are the product, `@@@5291`, `@@@5335`, so do divisors have a similar meaning to the compound numbers they divide, as with the relationship of five to ten, also to twenty, as well as to a hundred, a thousand, and so on. 'Ten' means what is full and complete, see `@@@3107`, `@@@4638`. 'Five measures more' were given to Benjamin than to the rest of his brothers on account of what was meant by this in the spiritual sense. Ten measures could not be given because that amount would have been far too much. The ancients knew from what had been handed down to them from the Most Ancient Church the meanings that certain numbers carried; they therefore used those numbers whenever something cropped up, the meaning of which could be conveyed by those numbers, as is the case with five here. At other times they employed many other numbers, such as three to mean what was complete from start to finish, seven to mean what was holy, or twelve to mean all things in their entirety.
ppp18142#pid#5709. 'And they drank' means the application of the truths beneath good. This is clear from the meaning of 'drinking' as the communication of truth and making it one's own, dealt with in `@@@3168`, `@@@3772`, `@@@4017`, `@@@4018`, and therefore an application of it also. The reason beneath good is meant is that whenever there is any application of truth, this takes place beneath good, see above in `@@@5704`.
ppp18141#pid#5710. 'And drank plentifully' means in abundance. This is clear from the meaning of 'drinking' as applying truths beneath good, dealt with immediately above in `@@@5709`; therefore 'drinking plentifully' means an application of truths in abundance.
From the explanations given in this chapter it is evident that the subject has been an introductory stage to the joining of the natural to the celestial of the spiritual. But the subject in the next chapter is the first stage when they are actually joined together, that first stage being represented by Joseph's revelation of himself to his brothers, and the second stage by his going to meet his father and his brothers and bringing them down into Egypt.
ppp18140#pid#5711. CORRESPONDENCE - continued
IN THIS SECTION THE CORRESPONDENCE OF SICKNESSES WITH THE SPIRITUAL WORLD
Since the subject is to be the correspondence of sicknesses, it should be recognized that all human sicknesses too have a correspondence with the spiritual world. For nothing at all comes into being in the natural creation that does not have a correspondence with the spiritual world; it has no cause from which it may be brought into being and from which it may be kept in being. Things existing in the natural world are nothing else than effects; their causes exist in the spiritual world, while the causes behind those causes, which are the ends, exist more internally in heaven. No effect can remain in being unless its cause is present within it constantly; for the instant a cause ceases to exist, so does its effect. Essentially an effect is nothing else than its cause; but a cause so clothes itself outwardly with an effect that it is enabled to act as a cause in a lower sphere than its own. And similar to the relationship between an effect and its cause is the relationship between a cause and its end. Unless a cause likewise comes into being from its own cause, which is the end, it is not a cause; for without an end a cause is devoid of order, and where there is no order nothing is brought into being. From this it is now evident that the essence of an effect is its cause, while the essence of a cause is its end, and that an end which has good in view exists in heaven and comes forth from the Lord. Consequently an effect is not an effect unless there is a cause within it, constantly there, and a cause is not a cause unless there is an end within it, constantly so. Nor is an end an end that has good in view unless the Divine which goes forth from the Lord is present within it. From this it is also evident that even as every single thing in the world has been brought into being from the Divine, so it is kept in being from the Divine.
ppp18139#pid#5712. All this has been stated so that people may know that even sicknesses have a correspondence with the spiritual world. They do not have a correspondence with heaven, which is the Grand Man, but with those in a contrary place, thus with those in hell. The expression spiritual world is used in an all-embracing sense to mean both heaven and hell; for when a person dies he passes from the natural world into the spiritual world. The reason sicknesses have a correspondence with those in hell is that sicknesses correspond to the evil desires and cravings of the lower mind (animus), and these desires and cravings are the origins of those sicknesses, the origins of sicknesses in general being various kinds of intemperance and self-gratification, wholly physical pleasures, as well as feelings of envy, hatred, revenge, lust, and the like, which destroy a person's interiors. Once these are destroyed his exteriors suffer and subject him to sickness and so to death. The fact that human death is the result of evils or due to sin is well known in the Church; so too are sicknesses, for these are bringers of death. From all this it may be seen that sicknesses too have a correspondence with the spiritual world, with the forms of uncleanness there; for essentially sicknesses are forms of uncleanness. As stated above, they have their origin in uncleanness.
ppp18138#pid#5713. All who are in hell are the causers of sicknesses, though varying ones, for the reason that all the hells are steeped in desires and cravings for what is evil. That being so, they are antagonistic to the things of heaven, and for this reason they exert an opposite influence on man. Heaven, which is the Grand Man, preserves the interconnection of all things and keeps them safe from harm; hell, having opposite intentions, is destructive of all things and sets them at variance with one another. This being so, if those in hell are brought into contact with man they bring sicknesses and at length death. But they are not allowed to enter the actual solid parts of a person's body, nor the parts making up his internal organs or his other organs and limbs; they do not enter anything else than his evil desires and false ideas. Only when he falls sick do they enter any further, into the kinds of uncleanness that are the essence of sicknesses. For as has been stated, nothing ever comes into being with man unless a cause also exists in the spiritual world. If the natural part of a person's being were separated from the spiritual part it would be separated from the entire cause from which it has its being and so from all that brings it life. Even so, this does not make it impossible for a person to be healed by natural remedies, for the Lord's providence works in co-operation with means such as these. I have been enabled through much experience to know the truth of this, on so many occasions and during such lengthy periods that I have not been left in any doubt at all. For evil spirits from such places have been brought in contact with me often and for lengthy periods; and according to their presence they introduced feelings of pain and also sicknesses. I was shown where those spirits were and what they were like, and I was also told where they came from.
ppp18137#pid#5714. There was a spirit who during his lifetime had been very much an adulterer. His greatest delight had lain in committing adultery with many women, whom he instantly cast aside and detested after committing it; and he had continued in such ways even in old age. In addition he had been given to sensual pleasures and was unwilling to treat anyone well or render any service other than for his own sake, especially for his adultery. This spirit was with me for several days; I saw him beneath my feet. And since the sphere emanating from his life was communicated to me, he caused wherever he went a painful feeling in my periostea and nerves, that is, in those in the toes of my left foot. Then, when he was allowed to leave those parts where he was, he caused painful feelings in particular in the periostea of my hips, also in the periostea in my chest below my diaphragm, as well as in my teeth, right inside them. While his sphere was at work it also caused severe stomach-ache
ppp18136#pid#5715. A large four-sided opening appeared, falling away at an angle down to a considerable depth. At the bottom I saw a round opening which then lay open but was soon closed. A vexatious heat rose up from there, being a collection emanating from various hells. It arose out of various kinds of evil desires, such as pride, lack of sexual restraint, adultery, hatred, revenge, quarreling and fighting. These desires present in those hells were the origin of the heat that was rising up. When it acted on my body it instantly caused a sickness like that of a burning fever; but once that heat ceased to come into me, this form of sickness instantly departed. When a person falls sick in this way he has contracted his sickness from the life that is his; in his case an unclean sphere corresponding to the sickness attaches itself and is present as the cause from which the sickness springs. To enable me to know for certain that this is the case spirits from many hells have been present with me. Through them the sphere created out of emanations from them has been communicated to me; and as that sphere has been allowed to act on the solid parts of my body, I have been seized by an ache, pain, and indeed the corresponding sickness. But these feelings departed the instant those spirits were driven away. And to leave me in no doubt the experience has been repeated a thousand times.
ppp18135#pid#5716. There are also spirits, not far away from those just described, who can bring on filthy chills such as are accompanied by feverish shivering, as again I have been allowed to know about through experiences I have had. The same spirits are also responsible for influences that lead to disturbance of the mind; and they can cause fainting-fits too. The spirits from that place are very wicked ones.
ppp18134#pid#5717. There are spirits who not only correlate with the very sticky substances in the brain, which are its waste products, but who also know how to infect those substances with what are like poisons. On arrival spirits of this kind charge inside the skull and continue without stopping right on into the spinal cord. This is not something that people whose interiors have not been opened are able to feel; but I have been allowed to feel them entering in, and to feel their endeavour to destroy, which however was to no avail because the Lord was protecting me. Their intention was to remove my entire power of understanding from me; I felt their activity clearly as well as the resulting pain, which however soon ceased. When I spoke to those spirits subsequently they were compelled to confess where they were from. They said they lived in dark forests where they do not dare to do anything at all to their companions, for if they do do anything their companions are allowed to treat them cruelly. Thus they are kept in bonds; and they are ugly, having faces that look like wild beasts, and they are covered with hair.
ttt[2] I have been told that those in former times who slew entire armies, such as one reads about in the Word, were like them. They charged into the cells of each man's brain and introduced terror there, together with a kind of madness that caused one man to slay another. At the present day such spirits are kept locked up in their own hell and are not let out. They also correlate with malignant swellings of the head inside the skull. I have described those spirits as ones that charge inside the skull and continue without stopping right on into the spinal cord; but it should be realized that this charging in by them is an appearance. They are actually conveyed along a route outside the body which corresponds to those areas inside it; but it feels as though the force of them were inside. Correspondence is the explanation for this, for it enables the operation they are carrying out to be concentrated on the person at whom it is directed.
ppp18133#pid#5718. A certain type of spirits exists who wish to dominate and have sole control over all others; and to achieve this end they stir up all kinds of enmity, hatred, and conflict among those other spirits. I have seen the conflicts stirred up by them and have been astonished. I have asked who these spirits were and have been told that they are a particular kind who stir such troubles up because their intention is to have sole dominion, acting according to the principle Divide and Rule. I was also allowed to talk to them, when immediately they said they were going to govern everyone. I was led to reply that they were madmen if they sought to gain dominion for themselves by creating those kinds of disturbances. These spirits spoke to me from a position above, a fair way up at the centre above my forehead. Their words flowed from them like a stream, for during their lifetime they had been clever speakers. I was informed that these spirits are ones that correlate with the crude mucus secreted in the brain, from which by their very presence they remove vitality and into which they introduce a sluggishness that leads to obstructions - which are the major causes of many forms of sickness - and to slowness of thought also.
ttt[2] I noticed that these spirits were devoid of any conscience and that they thought that human prudence and wisdom lay in stirring up all kinds of enmity, hatred, and internal conflicts for the purpose of gaining dominion over others. I was led to ask them whether they knew that they were now in the next life where they were going to live for ever and where spiritual laws existed that completely forbade such actions. I also told them that while in the world they may have been considered and thought to be wise ones among the stupid, but in fact they had been the insane among the wise - which they did not like to be told. I went on to say that they ought to know that heaven consists in mutual love, or the love of one person towards another, which love gives rise to order in heaven and which love governs so many millions as a single whole. But the contrary of this, I said, existed with them since they filled others with nothing else than feelings of hatred, revenge, and cruelty towards their companions. They replied that they could not be anything other than what they were, to which I responded that from this they could know that each person's life remained with him.
ppp18132#pid#5719. There are spirits who despise and ridicule what appears in the letter of the Word, and more so what is contained in the higher sense there, and also consequently the religious teachings that are drawn from the Word. When at the same time such spirits do not have any love towards their neighbour, only self-love, they correlate with corruptions of the blood which pass into all the veins and arteries and contaminate the whole of the blood. To prevent by their presence the introduction of anything like this into a person, those spirits are kept apart from others, in their own hell, where they communicate with none but others like themselves; for such spirits cast themselves into the whole sphere emanating from that hell.
ppp18131#pid#5720. There have been times when hypocrites were present with me. That is to say, spirits have been present who spoke with reverence about Divine matters, and with affection and love about society and their neighbour, declaring a belief in what was right and fair. Yet in their heart they rejected all this and scorned it. When they were allowed to flow into those parts of my body to which they corresponded in a contrary sense, they introduced pain into my teeth; and when they were very close they introduced pain so severe that I could not bear it. But in the measure that they were moved away the pain left off. This has been demonstrated to me repeatedly, to remove all shadow of doubt. Those spirits included someone whom I had known during his lifetime, and therefore I spoke to him. Again, as was his presence, so was the pain I felt in my teeth and gums. When he was being raised up towards the left the pain moved into my left jawbone and the bone forming my left temple, and from these into my cheekbones.
ppp18130#pid#5721. The most ungovernable spirits of all are those who in their life in the world appeared to be more just than others, and who were at the same time appointed to high offices, for both of which reasons they had authority and great influence. Yet they did not have any real belief and led a wholly selfish life, being fired by the utter hatred of, and desire for revenge on all who failed to show them any favour or pay them any respect, and even more so on those who opposed them in any way. If they discovered in the latter any imperfection they made a great evil of it and denigrated those persons, even though they may have been some of the finest citizens.
ttt[2] In the next life spirits like these speak as they did in the world, that is to say, with authority and great influence, and seemingly from an awareness of what is just, as a consequence of which many think that people should trust what they say more than what others say. But they are very wicked spirits. When they come into contact with a person they introduce intense pain through a feeling of fatigue which they instill and increase all the time to a point when it is totally unbearable, a fatigue which renders the mind and consequently the body so weak that the person can hardly get out of bed. This has been demonstrated to me by the experience that when those spirits were present weakness like that overcame me; yet the weakness left me to the extent they were moved away from me.
ttt[3] They employ many a device to infuse that feeling of fatigue and consequent weakness; in particular they introduce the general sphere that is a product of insults and slanders they hurl at one another and at family and friends. When they engage within their own chambers in reasoning about Divine worship, faith, and eternal life, they sweep these completely aside, doing so, it seems, with a wisdom that is greater than anyone else's. In the next life they are quite prepared to be called devils provided that they are allowed to reign over hells, and by reigning over these, so they believe, to act in opposition to the Divine. Inwardly they are foul, for they surpass all others in self-love, consequently in hatred and revenge, and in cruelty to all who do not pay them any respect.
ttt[4] They undergo severe punishment, which I have also heard taking place, until they leave off misleading others by their outward pretence of being just. When that pretence is removed from them they speak in a different tone of voice. After this they are cast away from the world of spirits, to the left hand side, where they are sent to a hell very deep down. That hell is positioned on the left, a fair distance away.
ppp18129#pid#5722. There are others who during their lifetime were utterly foul; that foulness was such that it must be passed over in silence here. By their presence and influx into the solid parts of the body they introduce a fatigued feeling of weariness with life and such sluggishness in one's members and limbs that one cannot get out of bed. They are most ungovernable; they are not deterred by punishments the way other devils are. They appear next to one's head, where they seem to be lying down. When they are driven away this is not achieved all of a sudden but slowly; they are rolled away gradually into the nether regions. When they reach a position deep down they suffer such great torment there that they are compelled to desist from plaguing others. So great is their delight in doing evil that nothing gives them greater delight.
ppp18128#pid#5723. Spirits have been present with me who brought on a stomachache so bad that I felt I could scarcely live; it was such as would have caused other people to faint. But those spirits were removed and the ache immediately ceased. I was told that they were the kind of spirits who during their lifetime had had no interest in anything at all, not even in their own home, only in sensual pleasure. They had led disgracefully lazy and inactive lives, showing no concern whatsoever for others. They had also cast all belief aside with contempt. In short, they were simply animals, not human beings. Among people who are sick the sphere emanating from those spirits introduces sluggishness into their members and limbs.
ppp18127#pid#5724. In the brain there are viscous substances that have something spirituous or life-giving mixed into them. Once those substances have been expelled from the blood in the brain, they first of all move in among the meninges, then among the fibres; some of them move into the large ventricles in the brain, and so on. The spirits who are related by correspondence to those viscous substances that have something spirituous or life-giving in them are seen almost directly above the middle of the head, a fair distance away. They are the kind who, from habit acquired during their lifetime, raise conscientious objections, introducing them where conscience has no part to play, and thereby over-burdening the consciences of simple persons. They are unaware of what ought to be a matter of conscience; for they bring conscience into everything that happens to them. These spirits also introduce a feeling of anxiety that is located in the abdomen underneath the diaphragm. They are present too in temptations, introducing feelings of anxiety that are sometimes unbearable. Those among them who correspond to phlegm that is not so life-giving keep a person's thought fixed on such anxious feelings. I have also been with them in their discussions so that I might know what those spirits were like. They try by various methods to over-burden a person's conscience. To do this had been the delight of their lives, and I was led to observe that they could not pay attention to reasons presented to them, and that they were unable to take the overall view of things from which they might then look at specific details.
ppp18126#pid#5725. Experience has enabled me to learn what is implied in the spiritual sense by a deluge or flood. Understood in this spiritual sense a deluge is two-sided, being on the one hand a deluge of evil desires, on the other a deluge of falsities. The deluge of evil desires affects the will part of the mind and the right side of the brain, whereas that of falsities affects the understanding part, with which the left side of the brain is connected. When a person who has led a good life is taken back into his own selfhood, and so into the sphere that emanates from the life properly his own, it seems like a deluge. Caught in this deluge he is annoyed and angry, has unpeaceful thoughts and wildly evil desires. It is one thing when the left side of the brain, where falsities exist, is under deluge, another when the right, where evils reside, is under it.
ttt[2] But when a person is kept within the sphere emanating from the life he has received through regeneration from the Lord he is completely outside such a deluge. He is so to speak in a calm and sunny, cheerful and happy place, and so is far removed from annoyance, anger, unpeacefulness, evil desires, and the like. The latter state is for spirits morning or spring, the former state their evening or autumn. I was led to perceive myself outside such a deluge; this lasted quite a long time, during which I saw other spirits caught in it. But after that I too become submerged in it, when I experienced what felt like a deluge. This is the kind in which people undergoing temptations are caught. From this I learned what is meant in the Word by the Flood, namely that the final descendants of the most ancient people who belonged to the Lord's celestial Church were completely submerged in evils and falsities, so that they perished.
ppp18125#pid#5726. Since death is due entirely to sin, and sin consists in everything contrary to Divine order, evil therefore closes the tiniest and completely invisible blood vessels out of which the immediately larger, yet also invisible, vessels are constructed. For the tiniest and completely invisible vessels extend into a person's interiors. This is where the first and innermost obstruction develops and where the first and innermost impairment enters the blood. As this impairment grows it causes sickness, and at length death. But if it were the case that the person was leading a good life his interiors would lie open into heaven, and through heaven towards the Lord, and so too would his tiniest invisible vascula (the mere traces of first threads may by virtue of correspondence be called vascula). If this were so man would not know any sickness and would grow weak only as he approached extreme old age, until he became a young child again, but now a young child with wisdom. And when his body was no longer able to serve his internal man, which is his spirit, he would pass, without knowing any sickness, from his earthly body into a body such as angels possess, and so would pass from the world directly into heaven.
ppp18124#pid#5727. This brings the subject of correspondence to an end. At the ends of chapters after this the subjects discussed will in the Lord's Divine mercy be Spirits and Angels present with Man; then Influx, and the Interaction of the Soul and the Body; and after that the Inhabitants of other Planets.
ppp18123#pid#5728. `Genesis 44bbb0`
1. And he commanded the one who was over his house, saying, Fill the men's pouches with food, as much as they can carry; and put each one's silver in the mouth of his pouch.
2. And you are to put my cup, the cup made of silver, in the mouth of the pouch of the youngest, and his silver for grain; and he did according to Joseph's word which he spoke.
3. Morning dawned, and the men were sent away, they and their asses.
4. They went out of the city, not far distant. And Joseph said to the one who was over his house, Rise up, pursue the men and overtake them; and you are to say to them, Why are you repaying evil for good?
5. Is not this what my lord drinks from; and does he not certainly practise divination in this? You have done evil in what you have done.
6. And he overtook them, and spoke those words to them.
7. And they said to him, Why does my lord speak words such as these? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing as this.
8. Behold, the silver which we found in the mouth of our pouches we brought back to you from the land of Canaan; and how could we steal from your lord's house silver or gold?
9. With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die; and we also will be slaves to my lord.
10. And he said, Now also, according to your words, so let it be: He with whom it is found will be my slave, and you will be innocent.
11. And they hurried and caused to come down, each one his pouch to the earth; and they opened each one his pouch.
12. And he searched; he began with the oldest and finished with the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin's pouch.
13. And they rent their clothes; and each one loaded his ass, and they returned to the city.
14. And Judah and his brothers entered Joseph's house, and he, he was still there; and they fell before him to the earth.
15. And Joseph said to them, What deed is this that you have done? Did you not know that a man such as I certainly practises divination?
16. And Judah said, What shall we say to my lord, what shall we speak? And how shall we be acquitted? God has found out the iniquity of your servants; behold, we are my lord's slaves, even ourselves, even he in whose hand the cup was found.
17. And [Joseph] said, Far be it from me to do this; the man in whose hand the cup was found, he will be my slave, and you, go up in peace to your father.
18. And Judah approached him and said, By me,`fff1` my lord, let your servant, I beg you, speak a word in my lord's ears, and do not let your anger burn against your servant, for as you are, so is Pharaoh.
19. My lord questioned his servants, saying, Have you a father, or a brother?
20. And we said to my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, the youngest one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left to his mother, and his father loves him.
21. And you said to your servants, Cause him to come down to me, and I will set my eye on him.
22. And we said to my lord, The boy cannot leave his father; and should he leave his father, [his father] will die.
23. And you said to your servants, If your youngest brother does not come down with you, you will not see my face again.
24. And so it was, when we went up to your servant my father, that we told him my lord's words.
25. And our father said, Return, buy us a little food.
26. And we said, We cannot go down; if our youngest brother is with us we will go down, for we cannot see the man's face if our youngest brother is not with us.
27. And your servant my father said to us, You know that my wife bore me two sons.
28. And one went out from me, and I said, He has surely been torn to pieces; and I have not seen him since.
29. And you are taking this one also from before my face, and should harm befall him, you will cause my grey hair to go down in evil to the grave.
30. And now, when I come to your servant my father and the boy is not with us, and his soul being bound up with his soul,
31. It will be, when he sees that the boy is not there, that he will die, and your servants will cause the grey hair of your servant our father to go down in sorrow to the grave.
32. For your servant became surety for the boy to my father, saying, If I do not bring him back to you I shall be sinning against my father all my days.
33. And now, I beg you, let your servant stay instead of the boy, a slave to my lord; and let the boy go up with his brothers.
34. For how am I to go up to my father, and the boy is not with me? Perhaps I shall see the evil which will come upon my father.
CONTENTS
This chapter deals in the internal sense with the intermediary between the internal celestial man and the external natural man. First comes a description which shows that from itself the internal celestial man filled the intermediary with spiritual truth. The intermediary is 'Benjamin', while the spiritual truth present there is 'Joseph's silver cup'; the internal celestial man is 'Joseph', and the external natural man is 'the ten sons of Jacob'.
`nnn1. The Latin per me represents the Hebrew Bi, which usually expresses entreaty, as here. But cp Chapter `Genesis ccc43bbb20`.
ppp18122#pid#5729. After this the subject is the temptation undergone by the external natural man, which persists until there is a willing submission to the internal celestial man. That temptation is described by the accusation laid against the ten and their return in despair to Joseph, while the willingness to submit is described by the offer made by them all to become slaves, and by Judah's offer of himself in place of them. The joining together of the external man and the internal is not effected without that temptation and willing submission.
ppp18121#pid#5730. The subject in the historical representative sense is at this point the fact that Jacob's descendants were cast aside; yet they insisted resolutely on being representative people. The casting aside of them is meant by Joseph's wish to send them away and keep Benjamin only; their resolute insistence is implied by the confession and entreaty which they made.
ppp18120#pid#5731. THE INTERNAL SENSE
Verses `Genesis 44bbbccc1-2` And he commanded the one who was over his house, saying, Fill the men's pouches with food, as much as they can carry; and put each one's silver in the mouth of his pouch. And you are to put my cup, the cup made of silver, in the mouth of the pouch of the youngest, and his silver for grain; and he did according to Joseph's word which he spoke.
'And he commanded the one who was over his house, saying' means an influx from itself. 'Fill the men's pouches with food' means into the natural, bringing the good of truth. 'As much as they can carry' means to the point of sufficiency. 'And put each one's silver in the mouth of his pouch' means bringing in addition truth received anew in the exterior natural. 'And you are to put my cup, the cup made of silver, in the mouth of the pouch of the youngest' means interior truth granted to the intermediary. 'And his silver for grain' means the truth of good. 'And he did according to Joseph's word which he spoke' means that it was done as commanded.
ppp18119#pid#5732. 'And he commanded the one who was over his house, saying' means an influx from itself. This is clear from the meaning of 'commanding as an influx, dealt with in `@@@5486`, and from the meaning of 'the one who was over his house' as the one who was to serve as communicator. The fact that the influx came from itself - from the internal celestial man, which 'Joseph' represents - is self-evident. The reason why 'commanding' means influx is that no one in heaven is given commands or orders. On the contrary one shares his thoughts and the other freely acts in accordance with them. The communication of thought, together with a desire to see something put into effect, is influx; and on the part of the receiver it is perception, which is why 'commanding' also means perception, `@@@3661`, `@@@3682`.
ttt[2] Furthermore those in heaven not only think but also talk to one another - about those things that are matters of wisdom. Yet there is not in what they say any trace of an order given to another; for no one wishes to be the master and consequently regard another as his slave. Rather, each wishes to minister and be of service to another. From this one may see what form of government exists in heaven, the form described by the Lord in Matthew,
It shall not be so among you, but whoever has the wish to become great among you must be your minister, and whoever has the wish to be first must be your servant. `Matthew 20bbb26-27`.
And in the same gospel,
He who is the greatest of you shall be your minister; whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
This is how a person who has heartfelt love of his neighbour behaves - a person who feels delight and bliss in doing good to others for no selfish reason, that is, one who has charity towards the neighbour.
ppp18118#pid#5733. 'Fill the men's pouches with food' means into the natural, bringing the good of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'pouch' as the exterior natural, dealt with in `@@@5497`, and from the meaning of 'food' as the good of truth, dealt with in `@@@5340`, `@@@5342`, `@@@5410`, `@@@5426`, `@@@5487`, `@@@5582`, `@@@5588`, `@@@5655`. From these meanings it is evident that 'he commanded the one who was over his house, Fill the men's pouches with food' means an influx from itself into the natural, bringing the good of truth. Since the expressions 'the good of truth' and 'the truth of good' occur rather often, the difference between the two should be stated. Anyone unacquainted with what the celestial Church is when compared with the spiritual Church cannot possibly know the difference. The truth of good is a characteristic of the celestial Church, the good of truth a characteristic of the spiritual Church. With members of the celestial Church good was implanted in the will part of the mind, the proper place for good to be seated. From that good - that is, through that good received from the Lord - they had a perception of truth; that is why the truth of good resided with them. But with members of the spiritual Church good is implanted in the understanding part of the mind, by means of truth; for all truth belongs in the understanding. They are led by means of truth towards good, for good consists for these people in putting truth into practice, which is why the good of truth resides with them. This is the situation, properly speaking, with those two Churches; but the truth of good is also attributed to those who belong to the spiritual Church, even though they are not properly speaking in possession of it, for reasons which will be discussed elsewhere.
ppp18117#pid#5734. 'As much as they can carry' means to the point of sufficiency. This becomes clear without explanation.
ppp18116#pid#5735. 'And put each one's silver in the mouth of his pouch' means bringing in addition truth received anew in the exterior natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'silver' as truth, dealt with in `@@@1551`, `@@@2954`, `@@@5658`; and from the meaning of 'the mouth of the pouch' as the opening of the exterior natural, dealt with in `@@@5497`. For what the exterior natural and the interior natural are, see `@@@4570`, `@@@5118`, `@@@5126`, `@@@5497`, `@@@5649`. The reason why truth received anew is meant is that the silver had been put back in the mouths of their pouches on a previous occasion as well, `Genesis 42bbb25`, `Genesis 42bbbccc27-28`, `Genesis 42bbbccc35`.
ppp18115#pid#5736. 'And you are to put my cup, the cup made of silver, in the mouth of the pouch of the youngest' means interior truth granted to the intermediary. This is clear from the meaning of 'the cup made of silver' as the truth of faith which flows from the good of charity, dealt with in `@@@5120` - which 'cup', since it is said to be 'mine', that is, Joseph's, means interior truth (since 'Benjamin' represents the intermediary - including its truth - he represents interior truth, `@@@5600`, `@@@5631`, thus spiritual truth, `@@@5639`); from the meaning of 'the mouth of the pouch', when used in reference to Benjamin, the intermediary, as the place where it is joined on to the natural (for to be an intermediary the intermediary must communicate with the external and with the internal, `@@@5411`, `@@@5413`, `@@@5586`, the exterior of it being the natural here); and from the representation of Benjamin, to whom 'the youngest' refers here, as the intermediary, dealt with in `@@@5411`, `@@@5413`, `@@@5443`, `@@@5688`. All this shows what is meant by Joseph's putting his cup made of silver in Benjamin's pouch.
ppp18114#pid#5737. 'And his silver for grain' means the truth of good. This is clear from the meaning of 'silver' as truth, dealt with in `@@@1551`, `@@@2954`, `@@@5658`, and from the meaning of 'grain' as good, dealt with in `@@@5295`, `@@@5410`. For interior or spiritual truth, which goes forth from the internal celestial represented by 'Joseph', is the truth of good. For what the truth of good is, see just above in `@@@5733`.
ppp18113#pid#5738. 'And he did according to Joseph's word which he spoke' means that it was done as commanded. This is clear without explanation.
ppp18112#pid#5739. Verses `Genesis 44bbbccc3-5` Morning dawned, and the men were sent away, they and their asses. They went out of the city, not far distant. And Joseph said to the one who was over his house, Rise up, pursue the men and overtake them; and you are to say to them, Why are you repaying evil for good? Is not this what my lord drinks from; and does he not certainly practise divination in this? You have done evil in what you have done.
'Morning dawned' means a state of enlightenment at this point. 'And the men were sent away, they and their asses' means that the external natural man was to some extent removed, together with its truths and factual knowledge. 'They went out of the city, not far distant' means the extent of that removal. 'And Joseph said to the one who was over his house' means perception and influx received anew. 'Rise up, pursue the men' means that it ought now to link them to itself. 'And overtake them' means an indirect link with them. 'And you are to say to them, Why are you repaying evil for good?' means, Why the turning away? 'Is not this what my lord drinks from?' means that present with them there was interior truth received from the celestial. 'And does he not certainly practise divination in this?' means that the celestial knows, from the Divine that resides within it, things that lie concealed. 'You have done evil in what you have done' means that it is contrary to Divine law to claim that truth as their own.
ppp18111#pid#5740. 'Morning dawned' means a state of enlightenment at this point. This is clear from the meaning of 'morning' and 'dawning' as a state of enlightenment. In the highest sense 'morning' means the Lord, see `@@@2405`, `@@@2780`, and therefore when the expression 'morning dawned' is used, a state of enlightenment is meant, since the Lord is the source of all enlightenment. 'Rising up in the morning' likewise means a state of enlightenment, see `@@@3458`, `@@@3723`.
ppp18110#pid#5741. 'And the men were sent away, they and their asses' means the external natural man was to some extent removed, together with its truths and factual knowledge. This is clear from the representation of Jacob's ten sons, to whom 'the men' refers here, as truths known to the Church which are present in the natural, dealt with in `@@@5403`, `@@@5419`, `@@@5427`, `@@@5458`, `@@@5512`, and therefore the external natural man, `@@@5680`; from the meaning of 'asses' as factual knowledge, dealt with in `@@@5492`; and from the meaning of 'sent away and 'not far distant' as the fact that it - the external natural man - was to some extent removed. From all this it is evident that 'the men were sent away, they and their asses, not far distant' means that the external man was to some extent removed, together with its truths and factual knowledge - removed from the internal celestial, which is represented by 'Joseph'.
ttt[2] As to the meaning of 'asses', it should be realized that something different is meant by them when they served as animals that were ridden on; for judges, kings, and their sons used to ride on asses, she-asses, and also mules. At such times 'asses' were a sign of rational truth and good, and also of natural truth and good, see `@@@2781`. This explains why, when as judge and king the Lord entered Jerusalem, He rode on a she-ass with her colt, this being a sign indicating His offices of judge and king. But 'asses' had another meaning when they served as beasts of burden, as they did here. In this case they were a sign of factual knowledge. Factual knowledge is just like such a beast of burden. Anyone who, when he thinks about what constitutes a person interiorly, looks no further than factual knowledge contained in a person's memory, presumes that there is no more to a human being than such knowledge. He does not know that factual knowledge constitutes the lowest level of the human personality and is such that most of it becomes hidden from view when the body dies, `@@@2475-2477`, `@@@2479`, `@@@2480`. But What the knowledge contains within itself remains, namely truth and goodness, together with affections for them, or in the case of evil people, falsity and evil, together with affections for these. Factual knowledge is so to speak the body for those things. As long as a person is living in the world, these things - truth and goodness, or else falsity and evil - are held within his factual knowledge since it is their container. And because factual knowledge contains and thus so to speak carries interior things with it, that is therefore meant by asses that serve to carry burdens.
ppp18109#pid#5742. They went out of the city, not far distant' means the extent of that removal. This becomes clear from what comes before this.
ppp18108#pid#5743. 'And Joseph said to the one who was over his house' means perception and influx received anew. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying', in the historical narratives of the Word, as perceiving, dealt with often. And since it is perception on the part of the one who hears and receives, it is influx on the part of the one who speaks; for the two activities answer to each other. 'He commanded the one who was over his house' means an influx from itself, see above in `@@@5732`.
ppp18107#pid#5744. 'Rise up, pursue the men' means that it ought now to link them to itself. This is clear from the meaning of 'pursuing the men and overtaking them' as a linking; for 'pursuing' describes an intention to become linked, and 'overtaking' the actual linking. The subject from here onwards in the present chapter is the return of the sons of Jacob, while the next chapter deals with Joseph's revelation of who he was, by which the joining of the celestial of the spiritual to the truths in the natural is meant. From this it is evident that 'pursuing the men' means that it ought now to link them to itself.
ppp18106#pid#5745. 'And overtake them' means an indirect link with them. This is clear from the meaning of 'overtaking them', that is to say, by the one who was over Joseph's house, as an indirect linking.
ppp18105#pid#5746. 'And you are to say to them, Why are you repaying evil for good?' means, Why the turning away? This is clear from the meaning of 'repaying evil for good' as turning oneself away. Evil is nothing other than a turning away from good, for a person governed by evil spurns good, that is to say, spiritual good, which is the good of charity and faith. The fact that evil is a turning away is quite evident from evil people in the next life; they are seen in the light of heaven with feet pointing upwards and heads downwards, see `@@@3641`. Thus they are completely upside down and are consequently turned away.
ppp18104#pid#5747. 'Is not this what my lord drinks from?' means that present with them there was interior truth received from the celestial. This is clear from the meaning of the cup, implied by 'what my lord drinks from', as interior truth, dealt with in `@@@5736`; and from the representation of Joseph, to whom 'my lord' refers here, as the celestial of the spiritual, dealt with in `@@@5307`, `@@@5331`, `@@@5332`, but here as the celestial, because reference is being made to interior truth and interior truth is spiritual yet comes forth from the celestial. The reception of it is meant by the cup's having been planted at Joseph's command in the mouth of Benjamin's pouch.
ttt[2] The men are accused of having supposedly taken the cup. The reason why they were accused of having taken it, when in fact the cup had been planted there, is evident from the inner meaning, which is this: Truth imparted by the Lord is not accepted initially as a gift; for prior to regeneration a person supposes that he himself acquires the truth he knows, and as long as he makes this supposition he is guilty of spiritual theft. Claiming good and truth as his own and attributing them to his own righteousness and merit is taking away from the Lord what is His, see `@@@2609`, `@@@4174`, `@@@5135`. In order that this theft might be represented Joseph acted in the way he did; even so, the men were accused of theft so that a joining together might be effected. Before he has been regenerated a person's belief about how he acquires truth cannot be any different. He may, it is true, say with his lips, because of what he has been taught, that the truth of faith and the good of charity come entirely from the Lord; nevertheless he does not believe it until faith has become implanted in good. Only then does he begin to acknowledge it in his heart.
ttt[3] Professing something because one has been taught it is altogether different from professing it because one believes it. Many people - even those who are not governed by good - can profess something because they have been taught it; for to them the teaching they receive is no more than factual knowledge. But only those who are governed by spiritual good, that is, by charity towards the neighbour, can profess something because they believe it. Further evidence that the men were accused of theft so that a joining together might be effected lies in the fact that by that means Joseph brought them back to himself and kept them thinking for some time about that deed, after which he revealed who he was, that is, he joined himself to them.
ppp18103#pid#5748. 'And does he not certainly practise divination in this?' means that the celestial knows, from the Divine that resides within it, things that lie concealed. This is clear from the meaning of 'divining' as knowing things that lie concealed. The reason they are known from the Divine is that the celestial of the spiritual, which 'Joseph' represents, is truth from the Divine, or truth that has the Divine within it, see `@@@5704`.
ppp18102#pid#5749. 'You have done evil in what you have done' means that it is contrary to Divine law to claim that truth as their own. This is clear from the meaning of a theft, implied here by 'the evil which they had done', as claiming as one's own what is the Lord's, namely the truth meant by 'Joseph's cup made of silver', dealt with in `@@@5747`. The fact that making such a claim is contrary to Divine law is self-evident; see `@@@2609`. A person ought not to claim as his own anything that comes from the Lord, thus not anything that is true or good, so that he may dwell in the sphere of truth; and to the extent that he dwells in the sphere of truth he dwells in the light that the angels in heaven dwell in. Also to the extent that he dwells in that light intelligence and wisdom are present in him; and to the extent that intelligence and wisdom are present in him happiness is his. For this reason a person ought to have faith in his heart and acknowledge that nothing true or good at all originates in himself but that he receives everything good and true from the Lord; and this he ought to acknowledge because it is so.
ppp18101#pid#5750. Verses `Genesis 44bbbccc6-10` And he overtook them, and spoke those words to them. And they said to him, Why does my lord speak words such as these? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing as this. Behold, the silver which we found in the mouth of our pouches we brought back to you from the land of Canaan; and how could we steal from your lord's house silver or gold? With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die; and we also will be slaves to my lord. And he said, Now also, according to your words, so let it be: He with whom it is found will be my slave, and you will be innocent.
'And he overtook them' means an indirect link with them. 'And spoke those words to them' means the influx of this thing. 'And they said to him' means a discernment. 'Why does my lord speak words such as these?' means reflection as to why such a thing flows in. 'Far be it from your servants to do such a thing as this' means when this thing is not the intention of their will. 'behold, the silver which we found in the mouth of our pouches' means when truth freely given. 'We brought back to you from the land of Canaan' means has been submitted, as the result of religious belief. 'And how could we steal from your lord's house silver or gold?' means, Why should we lay claim to truth or good that comes from the Divine celestial? 'With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die' means that the one who does such a thing stands condemned. 'And we also will be slaves to my lord' means that they will be adjuncts forever, without freedom of their own. 'And he said, Now also, according to your words' means indeed so, as justice demands. 'So let it be' means a less severe sentence. 'He with whom it is found will be my slave' means that the one with whom that thing is present will forever be without his own freedom. 'And you will be innocent' means that each of the rest will be his own master since they are not involved in the blame.
ppp18100#pid#5751. 'And he overtook them' means an indirect link with them, as above in `@@@5745`.
ppp18099#pid#5752. 'And spoke those words to them' means the influx of this thing. This is clear from the meaning of 'speaking' as an influx, dealt with in `@@@2951`, `@@@3037`, `@@@5481`, and from the meaning of 'words' as things, for in the original language the expression 'word' is also used to mean 'thing'.
ppp18098#pid#5753. 'And they said to him' means a discernment. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in the historical narratives of the Word as perception.
ppp18097#pid#5754. 'Why does my lord speak such words as these?' means reflection as to why such a thing flows in. This is clear from the meaning of 'speaking' as flowing in, and from the meaning of 'such words as these' as that thing or such a thing, dealt with just above in `@@@5752`. 'Why', a word used when asking oneself a question, implies reflection.
ppp18096#pid#5755. 'Far be it from your servants to do a thing such as this' means when this thing - laying claim to truth as their own - is not the intention of their will. This is clear from the meaning of 'doing' as the intention of the will, for all deeds are acts of the will. A deed is in itself something natural, whereas the will is something spiritual from which the deed springs. 'Far be it from your servants' means it is not so - not intended by the will.
ppp18095#pid#5756. 'Behold, the silver which we found in the mouth of our pouches' means when truth freely given. This is clear from the meaning of 'silver' as truth, dealt with in `@@@1551`, `@@@2954`, `@@@5658`; from the meaning of 'we found' as that which has been freely given, since the silver for each man's grain had been returned to them, and so had been freely given, see `@@@5530`, `@@@5624`; and from the meaning of 'the mouth of their pouches' as the opening of the exterior natural, dealt with in `@@@5497`.
ppp18094#pid#5757. 'We brought back to you from the land of Canaan' means has been submitted, as the result of religious belief. This is clear from the meaning of 'bringing back' as submitting, dealt with in `@@@5624`, and from the meaning of 'the land of Canaan' as their religious belief. 'The land of Canaan' has various meanings, and this is because it is the kind of thing that includes very many meanings. It means the Lord's kingdom and it means the Church, as a consequence of which it also means the member of the Church, for he is a Church. Having these meanings that land also means the celestial element of the Church, which is the good of love, and the spiritual element of it too, which is the truth of faith; and so on. Here therefore a religious belief which the Church possesses is meant; for the Church's religious belief is what causes a person to think that he should not lay claim to truth and good as his own. From this one may see why a single expression sometimes has many meanings; for when many meanings are included within an overall one, an expression can then convey a particular meaning as the train of thought in the internal sense may demand. As regards 'the land of Canaan' meaning the Lord's kingdom, see `@@@1413`, `@@@1437`, `@@@1607`, `@@@3038`, `@@@3481`, `@@@3705`; and as regards its meaning the Church, `@@@3686`, `@@@3705`, `@@@4447`. All the other meanings which that expression possesses flow from these two.
ppp18093#pid#5758. 'And how could we steal from your lord's house silver or gold? means, Why should we lay claim to truth or good that comes from the Divine celestial? This is clear from the meaning of 'stealing' in the spiritual sense as laying claim to what is the Lord's, dealt with above in `@@@5749`; from the meaning of 'silver' as truth, dealt with in `@@@1551`, `@@@2954`, `@@@5658`; and from the meaning of 'gold' as good, dealt with in `@@@113`, `@@@1551`, `@@@1552`, `@@@5658`. The whole of this chapter has as its subject spiritual theft, which consists in laying claim to good and truth that come from the Lord. This is a matter of consequence so great that after death a person cannot be admitted into heaven until he acknowledges in his heart that nothing good or true originates in himself, only in the Lord, and that whatever does originate in himself is nothing but evil. The truth of this is proved to a person after death by means of many experiences. The angels in heaven perceive quite clearly that everything good and true comes from the Lord, in addition they perceive that the Lord is the one who withholds them from evil and maintains in them what is good and therefore what is true, which He does with great force.
ttt[2] I too have been allowed to perceive the same things quite plainly for many years now, and also to perceive that to the extent that I have been left to my proprium or on my own I have been swamped by evils, but to the extent that I have been withheld from this by the Lord I have been raised from evil to good. Laying claim therefore to truth or good as one's own is the opposite of the attitude of mind that reigns universally in heaven. It is also the opposite of the acknowledgement that all salvation is due to mercy, that is, that a person left to himself is in hell, but the Lord in His mercy pulls him out of there. Nor can a person have humility or consequently accept the Lord's mercy - for mercy can enter only where there is humility, that is, into a humble heart - unless he acknowledges that left to himself he produces nothing but evil and that the Lord is the source of all good. Moreover he otherwise thinks that the deeds he performs earn him merit and eventually righteousness; for to claim as one's own truth and good which come from the Lord is self-righteousness, from which many evils well up. Thinking in that way a person sees himself in every specific deed he performs for his neighbour; and when he does this he loves himself more than everyone else, whom he thus holds in contempt which, though he may not express it verbally, is nevertheless present in his heart.
ppp18092#pid#5759. 'With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die' means that the one who does such a thing stands condemned. This is clear from the meaning of 'dying' as becoming damned, for spiritual death is nothing other than the state of damnation. The fact that those who lay claim to truth and good belonging to the Lord cannot be in heaven but are outside heaven is evident from what has been stated immediately above in `@@@5758`; and those who are outside heaven stand condemned. Such a law however is one of judgement based on truth. But when judgement is made on the basis of good as well as truth, those who do what is true and good, yet out of ignorance or simplicity attribute this to themselves, do not stand condemned. In the next life a method of vastation exists which is used to release them from this error. And quite apart from this [they do not stand condemned] because each person ought to do what is good and true seemingly of his own accord, while still believing that it comes from the Lord, see `@@@2882`, `@@@2883`, `@@@2891`. Acting in this way he casts aside that false notion as he matures and grows in intelligence and faith, until at length he acknowledges in his heart that his entire endeavour to do what is good and think what is true has had and continues to have its origin in the Lord. This also explains why the one sent by Joseph does indeed uphold the judgement, yet soon sets it aside. That is to say, he upholds but soon sets aside the judgement that the one with whom the cup was found should be put to death, for he says, implying a less severe sentence,
Now also, according to your words, so let it be: He with whom it is found will be my slave, and you will be blameless.
But the situation is different when people behave in the same way not out of ignorance or simplicity but because of tenets which they have reinforced with their beliefs and by their life. Yet even then, because they do what is good, the Lord in His mercy preserves with them some degree of ignorance and simplicity.
ppp18091#pid#5760. 'And we also will be slaves to my lord' means that they will be adjuncts forever, without freedom of their own. This is clear from the meaning of 'we also' as adjuncts, and from the meaning of 'being slaves' as being without freedom of their own. For one who is a slave has no freedom of his own; he is subject to his master's personal freedom. What having no freedom of one's own implies will in the Lord's Divine mercy be stated further on.
ppp18090#pid#5761. 'And he said, Now also, according to Your words' means indeed so, as justice demands. This is clear from the explanations just above in `@@@5758`, `@@@5759`. As justice demands - that the one who does this must die - is meant by 'now also, according to Your words'; but then a less severe sentence follows.
ppp18089#pid#5762. 'So let it be' means a less severe sentence. This is clear from what immediately follows, where the less severe sentence is declared.
ppp18088#pid#5763. 'He with whom it is found will be my slave' means that the one with whom that thing is present will forever be without his freedom. This is clear from the meaning of 'slave' as being without one's freedom, as above in `@@@5760`. The implications of this are as follows: Joseph's cup made of silver, placed on Joseph's orders with Benjamin, means interior truth, `@@@5736`, `@@@5747`. Anyone in possession of interior truth knows that everything true and good comes from the Lord, also that all freedom of one's own or originating in a person himself is hellish freedom. For when a person is motivated by his own freedom to do or think something, he does and thinks nothing but evil. He is consequently the devil's slave, hell being the origin of all evil that flows in. He also has a feeling of delight in that freedom, because it fits in with the evil in which he is steeped and into which he was born. Consequently he needs to rid himself of the freedom which is his own and take on heavenly freedom instead, which consists in willing what is good and therefore doing what is good, and in desiring what is true and therefore thinking what is true. When a person receives this freedom he is the Lord's slave or servant, in which case he enjoys true freedom and is not in the slavery in which he had been previously and which seemed like freedom. This is what is meant by being forever without his own freedom. What the essence and origin of freedom are, see `@@@2870`, `@@@2893`; true freedom consists in being led by the Lord, `@@@2890`.
ppp18087#pid#5764. 'And you will be innocent' means that each of the rest will be his own master since they are not involved in the blame. This is clear from the meaning of' him who is innocent', when compared to a slave, as one who is his own master since, it follows, he is not involved in the blame. Among gentiles in former times it was customary, when one person sinned, to consider his companions too to be blameworthy; indeed it was customary to punish an entire household for a crime committed by an individual member. But such a law is derived from hell, for in that place all companions band together, intent on evil. Indeed the communities there have been established in such a way that they act as a united whole against what is good; thus they are held in association with one another even though each individual harbours deadly hatred against another. Their unity and friendship are those of thieves. As a consequence, since companions in hell band together intent on evil, when they do perform evil all of them are punished. But to mete out that kind of punishment in the world as well is utterly contrary to Divine order, for in the world good people live in association with evil ones since one person does not know what another is like interiorly, and for most of the time is. not concerned to know. The Divine law for people in the world therefore is that each should pay for his own iniquity, referred to in Moses as follows,
Fathers shall not die because of sons, and sons shall not die because of fathers; they shall be put to death, each for his own sin. `Deuteronomy 24bbb16`.
And in Ezekiel,
The soul that has sinned shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, nor shall the father bear the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself. `Ezekiel 18bbb20`.
From all this one may see the implication of the following: Jacob's sons said, 'With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be slaves to my lord'; but the one sent by Joseph amended that judgement, saying, 'He with whom it is found will be my slave, and you will be innocent'. Something similar occurs in what follows below, where Judah speaks to Joseph, in verses `Genesis 44bbbccc16-17`, 'Behold, we are my lord's slaves, even ourselves, even he in whose hand the cup was found'. And Joseph said, 'Far be it from me to do this; the man in whose hand the cup was found, he will be my slave, and you, go up in peace to your father'.
ppp18086#pid#5765. Verses `Genesis 44bbbccc11-12` And they hurried and caused to come down, each one his pouch to the earth; and they opened, each one his pouch. And he searched; he began with the oldest and finished with the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin's pouch.
'And they hurried' means an unwillingness to wait. 'And caused to comedown, each one his pouch to the earth' means that they brought the contents of the natural down to the level of sensory impressions. 'And they opened, each one his pouch' means so that they might thereby make the matter clear to themselves. 'And he searched' means an investigation.' He began with the oldest and finished with the youngest' means order. 'And the cup was found in Benjamin's pouch' means that interior truth from the celestial existed with the intermediary.
ppp18085#pid#5766. 'And they hurried' means an unwillingness to wait. This is clear from the meaning of 'hurrying, when they are eager to prove their innocence, as an unwillingness to wait.
ppp18084#pid#5767. 'And caused to come down, each one his pouch to the earth' means that they brought the contents of the natural down to the level of sensory impressions This is clear from the meaning of 'causing to come down' - when these words are anticipating those that immediately follow them - as bringing to; from the meaning of 'pouch' as the exterior natural, dealt with in `@@@5497`; and from the meaning of 'the earth', when it says that they caused their pouches to come down to it, as the ultimate or lowest, thus the sensory level. For this level is the lowest or ultimate one since the senses are positioned at the doorway to the world outside. Bringing down to sensory impressions implies a thorough verification that a thing is so, for in this case even sensory evidence testifies to the inference that is being drawn.
ppp18083#pid#5768. 'And they opened, each one his pouch' means so that they might thereby make the matter clear to themselves. This is clear from the meaning of 'opening a pouch' as opening up the contents of the natural, thus making the matter clear.
ppp18082#pid#5769. 'And he searched' means an investigation. This is clear without explanation.
ppp18081#pid#5770. 'And he began with the oldest and finished with the youngest' means order. This is clear from what has been stated in `@@@5704`.
ppp18080#pid#5771. 'And the cup was found in Benjamin's pouch' means that interior truth from the celestial existed with the intermediary. This is clear from the meaning of 'the cup' as interior truth, dealt with in `@@@5736`; and from the representation of 'Benjamin' as the intermediary, dealt with in `@@@5411`, `@@@5413`, `@@@5443`; and the existence with the intermediary of that truth from the celestial is meant by the cup's being placed, on Joseph's orders, in Benjamin's pouch.
What is implied by the matters referred to in this and the preceding paragraphs in this section is evident from what was stated previously.
ppp18079#pid#5772. Verses `Genesis 44bbbccc13-17` And they rent their clothes; and each one loaded his ass, and they returned to the city. And Judah and his brothers entered Joseph's house, and he, he was still there; and they fell before him to the earth. And Joseph said to them, What deed is this that you have done? Did you not know that a man such as I certainly practises divination? And Judah said, What shall we say to my lord, what shall we speak? And how shall we be acquitted? God has found out the iniquity of your servants; behold, we are my lord's slaves, even ourselves, even he in whose hand the cup was found. And [Joseph] said, Far be it from me to do this; the man in whose hand the cup was found, he will be my slave, and you, go up in peace to your father.
'And they rent their clothes' means mourning. 'And each one loaded his ass, and they returned to the city' means that truths were brought back up from sensory impressions to known facts. 'And Judah and his brothers entered' means the good of the Church and the accompanying truths. 'Joseph's house' means a communication with the internal. 'And he, he was still there' means foresight. 'And they fell before him to the earth' means an expression of humility. 'And Joseph said to them' means their perception at this point. 'What deed is this that you have done?' means that to lay claim to what is not one's own is a gross evil. 'Did you not know that a man such as I certainly practises divination?' means that that evil cannot be hidden from him who sees things that are to come and lie concealed. 'And Judah said' means a perception imparted to the good of the Church in the natural. 'What shall we say to my lord, what shall we speak?' means a wavering. 'And how shall we be acquitted?' means that we are guilty. 'God has found out the iniquity of your servants' means a confession. 'Behold, we are my lord's slaves' means that they are to be deprived for ever of their own freedom. 'Even ourselves' means both the adjuncts . . . 'Even he in whose hand the cup was found' means, and also the one with whom interior truth from the Divine celestial exists. 'And [Joseph] said, Far be it from me to do this' means that this must on no account be done. 'The man in whose hand the cup was found' means the one with whom interior truth received from the Divine exists. 'He will be my slave' means that he will be in subjection forever. 'And you, go up in peace to your father' means that the adjuncts, among whom that interior truth does not exist, are to return to their previous state.
ppp18078#pid#5773. 'And they rent their clothes' means mourning. This is clear from the meaning of 'rending one's clothes' as mourning over lost truth, dealt with in `@@@4763`, in this case over truths of their own which they could no longer lay claim to, since they offered to become slaves both in front of the one who was over Joseph's house, verse `Genesis 44bbbccc9`, and in front of Joseph himself, verse `Genesis 44bbbccc16`, which meant that they had no freedom of their own, and accordingly no truths of their own.
ttt[2] As regards mourning over truths of their own, which mourning is meant by them rending their clothes and offering to become slaves, it should be recognized that with people who are being regenerated a reversal takes place. That is to say, first they are led by means of truth to good, but after that they are led from good to truth. When this reversal takes place, or when the state is altered and becomes the reverse of what existed previously, there is mourning. For they are subjected to temptations, by means of which things properly their own are weakened and broken down, and good is introduced. Together with that good a new will is introduced, and with this a new freedom, and so something new of their own. This is represented by the return of Joseph's brothers in despair to Joseph and their offer to become slaves; by the retention of them for quite a long time in that state; and by Joseph's not revealing to them who he really was until that temptation was over. For once temptation is completed the Lord sheds light and brings comfort with it.
ppp18077#pid#5774. 'And each one loaded his ass, and they returned to the city' means that truths were brought back up from sensory impressions to known facts. This is clear from the meaning of an ass' as factual knowledge, dealt with in `@@@5492`, and of 'loading' it as bringing back up from sensory impressions since 'causing one's pouch to come down to the earth' means bringing the contents of the natural down to the level of sensory impressions, `@@@5767` (raising 'the pouch' up from these is what 'loading' implies here); and from the meaning of 'the city' as truth present in doctrine, dealt with in `@@@402`, `@@@2449`, `@@@2947`, `@@@3216`.
ttt[2] A brief explanation must be given of what bringing truths back up from sensory impressions to known facts is. Sensory impressions are one thing, known facts another, and truths yet another; they are consecutive to one another, for sensory impressions give rise to factual knowledge, and factual knowledge leads on to truths. Images that come in through the senses are stored in a person's memory; then he uses those images either to deduce a fact or to gain a perception of some fact he is learning about. After that he uses these facts either to deduce certain truths or to gain a perception of some truth he is learning about. This is the way everyone develops onwards from childhood. While he is a child a person's thought and grasp of things relies on sensory impressions; as he grows older his thought and grasp of things relies on factual knowledge, and after that on truths. This is the path leading to the power of judgement a person enters into as he matures.
ttt[3] From this one may see that sensory impressions, known facts, and truths are distinct and separate. Indeed the three remain so distinct that sometimes a person's attention is fixed on sensory impressions, as happens when he gives thought only to what impinges on his senses; sometimes his attention is fixed on facts, as happens when he rises above sensory impressions and thinks more deeply; and at other times his attention is fixed on truths which have been inferred from facts, as happens when he thinks more deeply still. Anyone who stops to reflect can know these things from what is present within himself. In addition a person can bring truths down into known facts and see those truths within them, even as he can bring facts down into sensory impressions and consider them within these. And he can do the opposite. From all this one may see what is meant by bringing the contents of the natural down to the level of sensory impressions, and bringing truths back up from sensory impressions to known facts.
ppp18076#pid#5775. 'And Judah and his brothers entered' means the good of the Church and the accompanying truths. This is clear from the representation of 'Judah' as the good of the Church, dealt with in `@@@5583`, `@@@5603`; and from the representation of 'his brothers' as truths present in the natural. The reason Judah, and not Reuben the firstborn or any of the others, went in and spoke to Joseph is that primarily 'Judah' represented good, and good is what communicates with the celestial from the Divine, not truths. For truths do not have any communication with the Divine except through good. This is the reason why no one but Judah spoke.
ppp18075#pid#5776. 'Joseph's house' means a communication with the internal. This is clear from the meaning of 'going into the house' as a communication, and from the representation of 'Joseph' as the internal, dealt with in `@@@5469`. 'Going into the house' means a communication for the reason that 'the house' means the actual person, `@@@3128`, `@@@5023`, thus that which makes the person, namely his mind together with the good and truth present there, `@@@3538`, `@@@4973`, `@@@5023`. When therefore the expression 'going into the house' is used, entering his mind, thus having a communication with it, is meant.
ppp18074#pid#5777. 'And he, he was still there' means foresight. This becomes clear from the fact that their return was foreseen by Joseph and that he therefore remained in the house, to the end that he might make known who he really was to Benjamin and consequently to the rest of them - the meaning in the internal sense being that a joining of truths in the natural to the Divine celestial was to take place. The expression foresight is used because in the highest sense the subject is the Lord; and He it is who in that sense is 'Joseph'.
ppp18073#pid#5778. 'And they fell before him to the earth' means an expression of humility. This is clear without explanation.
ppp18072#pid#5779. 'And Joseph said to them' means their perception at this point. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as perception. The reason why it means their perception is that Joseph, the one who is the speaker, represents the internal, and it is from the internal, that is, from the Lord by way of the internal, that all perception comes. No perception comes from anywhere else, not even sensation. The appearance is that sensation as well as discernment come about as a result of influx from the external; but this is a mistaken idea. For it is the internal that experiences sensation, through the external. The senses located in the body are no more than organs or instruments to serve the internal man, enabling it to receive sensory impressions of things in the world. The internal therefore flows into the external in order to receive sensory impressions, to the end that it may thereby discern things and become more perfect. But the external cannot flow into the internal.
ppp18071#pid#5780. 'What deed is this that you have done?' means that to lay claim to what is not one's own is a gross evil. This is clear from the meaning of 'theft', of which they were accused, as laying claim to truth or good that is the Lord's. This is 'the deed' that is meant in the internal sense. For the nature of this evil, see above in `@@@5749`, `@@@5758`.
ppp18070#pid#5781. 'Did you not know that a man such as I certainly practises divination?' means that that evil cannot be hidden from him who sees things that are to come and lie concealed. This is clear from the meaning of 'practising divination' as knowing, from the Divine residing within Him, things that lie concealed, dealt with in `@@@5748`, also that are to come, since it has reference to the Lord, who in the highest sense is 'Joseph'. The fact that that evil cannot be hidden is evident from the actual words used.
ppp18069#pid#5782. 'And Judah said' means a perception imparted to the good of the Church in the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in the historical narratives of the Word as perception, dealt with often (it is an imparted perception because all perception comes from the internal, that is, it flows in from the Lord by way of the internal, `@@@5779`); and from the representation of 'Judah' as the good of the Church, dealt with in `@@@5583`, `@@@5603`, `@@@5775`. Regarding Judah's representation, it should be recognized that in the highest sense he represents the Lord as regards His Divine Love, and in the internal sense His celestial kingdom, see `@@@3654`, `@@@3881`, and so the celestial kind of love there. Here therefore the good of love present with the Church in the natural is meant because now it exists among those who represent things in the natural which are to be joined to the internal.
ppp18068#pid#5783. 'What shall we say to my lord, what shall we speak?' means a wavering. This is clear from the feeling expressed in these words, which is that of wavering.
ppp18067#pid#5784. 'And how shall we be acquitted?' means that we are guilty. This is clear from the meaning of 'how shall we be acquitted?' (that is, they cannot be acquitted) as ones who are guilty; for he who cannot be acquitted is guilty. It is evident that they considered themselves guilty from the fact that they offered themselves to Joseph as slaves.
ppp18066#pid#5785. 'God has found out the iniquity of your servants' means a confession, a confession that they had acted iniquitously, in this case by selling Joseph, by which is meant in the internal sense that they had alienated themselves from truth and goodness, and so had separated themselves from the internal. This is clear without explanation.
ppp18065#pid#5786. 'behold, we are my lord's slaves' means that they are to be deprived for ever of their own freedom. This is clear from the meaning of slaves' as being without any freedom of their own, dealt with in `@@@5760`, `@@@5763`. What is meant by being deprived of the freedom of one's own has also been stated in the paragraphs that have just been mentioned; however, since it is an extremely important matter, let it be restated. A person has both an external man and an internal man. The external man is the means through which the internal man acts; for the external man is merely the organ or instrument of the internal. This being so, the external man must be made wholly subservient and subject to the internal; and when the external man is subject to the internal, heaven acts on the external man by means of the internal man and makes the external man conform to things such as are of heaven.
ttt[2] The opposite occurs when the external man is not the servant but the master. The external man is the master when a person has the pleasure of the body and the senses as his end in view, especially when the objects of his selfish and worldly love and not the things of heaven are his end - to have as his end in view being to love one and not the other. For when a person has those objects as his end he no longer believes that there is any such thing as an internal man or that within himself there is anything that will be living when his body dies. In his case the internal, since it does not hold the position of the master, is merely the servant of the external, employed to enable thought and reasoning against what is good and true to take place; for in this person's case no other kind of influx by way of the internal is available. This is also the reason why people like this utterly despise, indeed recoil from the things of heaven. From all this it is plain that the external man, which is the same as the natural man, ought to be wholly subject to the internal or spiritual man, and consequently should exist without any freedom of its own.
ttt[3] Freedom of one's own consists in giving oneself up to every kind of base pleasure, despising others in comparison with oneself, and making them subject like slaves to oneself. Or else it consists in persecuting others, hating them, being delighted when bad things happen to them - especially things done to them by one's own designs or by the use of deceit - and wishing to see them dead. These are the kinds of things that come from indulging one's own freedom. From this one may see what a person is like when he exercises this type of freedom, namely a devil in human form. But when he loses this freedom he receives a heavenly freedom from the Lord, the nature of which is completely unknown to those exercising the freedom of their own. They imagine that if the freedom of their own were taken away from them no life at all would remain. But in actual fact this is when true life has its beginning and when true delight, blessing, happiness, and wisdom arrive, because this freedom comes from the Lord.
ppp18064#pid#5787. 'Even ourselves' means both the adjuncts . . . This is clear from the meaning of 'even ourselves' as adjuncts, as above in `@@@5760`.
ppp18063#pid#5788. 'Even he in whose hand the cup was found' means, and also [the one with whom] interior truth from the Divine celestial exists. This is clear from the meaning of 'in whose hand' as the one with whom; from the meaning of 'the cup' as interior truth, dealt with in `@@@5736`; and from the representation of 'Joseph' as the Divine celestial.
ppp18062#pid#5789. 'And [Joseph] said, Far be it from me to do this' means that this must on no account be done. This is clear without explanation.
ppp18061#pid#5790. The man in whose hand the cup was found' means the one with whom interior truth received from the Divine exists. This is clear from what has been stated just above in `@@@5788`.
ppp18060#pid#5791. 'He will be my slave' means that he will be in subjection forever. This is clear from the meaning of 'slave' as existing for ever without any freedom of one's own, dealt with just above in `@@@5786`, and so being in subjection forever.
ppp18059#pid#5792. 'And you, go up in peace to your father' means that the adjuncts, among whom the interior truth does not exist, are to return to their previous state. This is clear from the representation of the ten sons of Jacob as adjuncts among whom the cup, that is, the interior truth meant by 'the cup', was not found, `@@@5776`, `@@@5788`, `@@@5790`; and from the meaning of 'going up in peace to your father' as returning to a previous state. For when they are not accepted by the internal, which is 'Joseph', their previous state awaits them.
ppp18058#pid#5793. Verses `Genesis 44bbbccc18-31` And Judah approached him and said, By me,`fff1` my lord, let your servant, I beg you, speak a word in my lord's ears, and do not let your anger burn against your servant, for as you are, so is Pharaoh. My lord questioned his servants, saying, Have you a father, or a brother? And we said to my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, the youngest one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left to his mother, and his father loves him. And you said to your servants, Cause him to come down to me, and I will set my eye on him. And we said to my lord, The boy cannot leave his father; and should he leave his father, [his father] will die. And you said to your servants, If your youngest brother does not come down with you, you will not see my face again. And so it was, when we went up to your servant my father, that we told him my lord's words. And our father said, Return, buy us a little food. And we said, We cannot go down; if our youngest brother is with us we will go down, for we cannot see the man's face if our youngest brother is not with us. And your servant my father said to us, You know that my wife bore me two sons. And one went out from me, and I said, He has surely been torn to pieces; and I have not seen him since. And you are taking this one also from before my face, and should harm befall him, you will cause my grey hair to go down in evil to the grave. And now, when I come to your servant my father and the boy is not with us, and his soul being bound up with his soul, it will be, when he sees that the boy is not there, that he will die, and your servants will cause the grey hair of your servant our father to go down in sorrow to the grave.
'And Judah approached him' means a communication of the external man with the internal through good. 'And said' means perception. 'By me, my lord' means a pleading. 'Let your servant, I beg you, speak a word in my lord's ears' means to be received and heard. 'And do not let your anger burn against your servant' means lest he turn away. 'For as you are, so is Pharaoh' means that he has control over the natural. 'My lord questioned his servants, saying' means perception of their thought. 'Have you a father, or a brother?' means the good that is the source, and the truth that is the means. 'And we said to my lord' means a reciprocated perception. 'We have a father, an old man' means that spiritual good is their source. 'And a child of his old age, the youngest one' means truth that is new, springing from that good. 'And his brother is dead' means that internal good does not exist. 'And he alone is left to his mother' means that this is the only truth the Church possesses. 'And his father loves him' means that this truth exists joined to spiritual good from the natural. 'And you said to your servants' means an imparted perception. 'Cause him to come down to me' means that this truth which is new must be made subject to internal good. 'And I will set my eye on him' means a flowing in at this point of truth from good. 'And we said to my lord' means a reciprocated perception. 'The boy cannot leave his father' means that that truth cannot be separated from spiritual good. 'And should he leave his father, [his father] will die' means that, if separated, the Church would perish. 'And you said to your servants' means a perception regarding this matter. 'If your youngest brother does not come down with you' means if it is not made subject to internal good. 'You will not see my face again' means that in that case no mercy is at hand and there is no joining to truths in the natural. 'And so it was, when we went up to your servant my father' means a raising up to spiritual good. 'That we told him my lord's words' means an awareness of this matter. 'And our father said' means perception received from spiritual good. 'Return, buy us a little food' means that the good of truth should be made their own. 'And we said, We cannot go down' means an objection. 'If our youngest brother is with us we will go down' means unless the intermediary that accomplishes the joining together is with them. 'For we cannot see the man's face' means since no mercy is at hand and there is no joining together. 'If our youngest brother is not with us' means except through the intermediary. 'And your servant my father said to us' means perception received from spiritual good. 'You know that my wife bore me two sons' means if spiritual good is what the Church possesses, internal good and truth will exist. 'And one went out from me means an apparent departure of internal good. 'And I said, He has surely been torn to pieces' means a perception that it was destroyed by evils and falsities. 'And I have not seen him since' means because it has disappeared. 'And you are taking this one also from before my face' means if the new truth likewise departs. 'And should harm befall him' means caused by evils and falsities. 'You will cause my grey hair to go down in evil to the grave means that spiritual good and so the internal aspect of the Church is going to perish. 'And now, when I come to your servant my father' means the good of the Church corresponding to the spiritual good which is that of the internal Church. 'And the boy is not with us' means if the new truth is not with them. 'And his soul being bound up with his soul' means when more closely joined together. 'It will be, when he sees that the boy is not there, that he will die' means that spiritual good will perish. 'And your servants will cause the grey hair of your servant our father to go down in sorrow to the grave' means that the Church will be done for.
`nnn1. The Latin per me represents the Hebrew Bi, which usually expresses entreaty, as here. But cp Chapter `Ezekiel ccc43bbb20`.
ppp18057#pid#5794. 'And Judah approached him' means a communication of the external man with the internal through good. This is clear from the meaning of 'approaching to talk to someone' as communication; and from the representation of 'Judah' as the good of the Church in the natural, dealt with in `@@@5782`. The reason why a communication of the external man with the internal is meant is that 'Judah' represents the good of the Church in the natural or external man, while 'Joseph' represents good in the internal man. The reason why it is through good is that such a communication takes place only through good, not through truth unless the truth has good within it.
ppp18056#pid#5795. 'And said' means perception. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as perception, dealt with quite often.
ppp18055#pid#5796. 'By me, my lord' means a pleading. This is evident from what follows.
ppp18054#pid#5797. 'Let your servant, I beg you, speak a word in my lord's ears means a pleading to be received and heard. This is clear from the meaning of 'speaking a word' as an influx, dealt with in `@@@2951`, `@@@5481`, and as it is an influx reception on the part of the other is meant, `@@@5743`; and from the meaning of 'ears' as obedience, dealt with in `@@@4551`, `@@@4653`, in this case a sympathetic listening or hearing, since an inferior is speaking to one superior to himself. From this it is evident that 'let your servant, I beg you, speak a word in my lord's ears' means a pleading to be received and heard.
ppp18053#pid#5798. 'And do not let your anger burn against your servant' means lest he turn away. This is clear from the meaning of 'anger' as a turning away or aversion, dealt with in `@@@5034`; for one who is angry turns away. He does not think as the other person does; rather, in the state he is in, his thought is contrary to the other's. This meaning of 'anger' as a turning away is evident from many places in the Word, especially from those where anger or wrath, meaning a turning away, is attributed to Jehovah or the Lord. Not that Jehovah or the Lord ever turns away but that man does so; and when man turns away it appears to him as if the Lord does so since he is not heard. The Word speaks in keeping with the appearance. In addition, since 'anger' is a turning away, it is also a hostility towards what is good and true on the part of those who have turned away. On the part however of those who have not turned away 'anger' is not hostility but repugnance, because it is an aversion to what is evil and false.
ttt[2] As regards 'anger' meaning hostility, this has been shown in `@@@3614`. It also means a turning away, and punishment too, when people are hostile towards what is good and true, as is evident from the following places: In Isaiah,
Woe to those decreeing decrees of iniquity. They will fall beneath the bound and beneath the slain; but in all this His anger will not be turned back. Woe to Asshur, the rod of My anger. Against a hypocritical nation I will send him, and against the people of [My] wrath I will command him. He does not think what is right and his heart does not consider what is right. `Isaiah 10bbb1`, `Isaiah 10bbbccc4-7`.
'Anger' and 'wrath' stand for a turning away and hostility on man's side, a condition in which punishment and not being heard seem to him like anger. And as these exist on man's side, the words 'woe to those decreeing decrees of iniquity', 'he does not think what is right and his heart does not consider what is right' are used.
ttt[3] In the same prophet,
Jehovah together with the vessels of His anger [comes] to destroy the whole land. Behold, the day of Jehovah`fff1` comes - cruel, with indignation, wrath, and anger - to make the earth a ruin, so that He may destroy its sinners from it. I will make heaven quake, and the earth will quake out of its place, at the wrath of Jehovah
Zebaoth and in the day of His fierce anger. `Isaiah 13bbb5`, `Isaiah 13bbbccc9`, `Isaiah 13bbbccc13`.
'Heaven' and 'the earth' here stand for the Church, which had turned away from truth and goodness. Because it had done this a description of the laying waste and destruction of it owing to the indignation, anger, and wrath of Jehovah appears here, though the truth of the matter is the complete opposite. That is to say, the person ruled by evil is the one who is filled with indignation, anger, and wrath, in addition to which he sets himself against what is good and true. The attribution to Jehovah of punishment which comes as a result of evil is due to the appearance. Various places elsewhere in the Word call the final period of the Church and its destruction 'the day of Jehovah's anger'.
ttt[4] In the same prophet,
Jehovah has broken the rod of the wicked, the stick of those who have dominion. He will strike the peoples in a rage, with an incurable stroke, He who with anger rules the nations. `Isaiah 14bbb5-6`.
Much the same applies here. It is like a criminal punished by the law; he attributes the evil of a punishment to the king or judge, not to himself. In the same prophet,
Jacob and Israel, because these were unwilling to walk in Jehovah's ways and did not hear His law, He poured out upon him the wrath of His anger, and the violence of battle. `Isaiah 42bbb24-25`.
In Jeremiah,
I Myself will fight against you with outstretched hand and strong arm, and in anger, and in wrath, and in great indignation. Lest My fury go forth like fire, and burn and fail to be quenched because of the wickedness of your works.
Here 'fury', 'anger', and 'great indignation' are nothing other than the evils of a punishment because of a turning away from and a hostility towards what is good and true.
ttt[5] It is in origin a Divine law that all evil carries punishment with it; and surprising though it may be, in, the next life evil and punishment are inseparable. For as soon as a hellish spirit does anything exceptionally bad other spirits, ones who administer punishments, become present and punish him without their having been alerted by anyone else. The fact that the evil of a punishment is caused by turning away is self-evident, for the expression 'because of the wickedness of your works' is used. In David,
He let loose on them the wrath of His anger, indignation, and rage, and distress, and a mission of evil angels. He opened a way for His anger, He did not spare their soul from death. `Psalms 78bbb49-50`.
See also `Isaiah 30bbb27`, `Isaiah 30bbbccc30`; `Isaiah 34bbb2`; `Isaiah ccc47bbb3`, `Isaiah 47bbbccc6`; `Isaiah ccc54bbb8`; `Isaiah ccc57bbb17`; `Isaiah ccc63bbb6`; `Isaiah ccc66bbb15`; `Jeremiah 4bbb8`; `Jeremiah ccc7bbb20`; `Jeremiah ccc15bbb14`; `Jeremiah ccc33bbb5`; `Ezekiel 5bbb13`, `Ezekiel 5bbbccc17`; `Deuteronomy 9bbb11-19`; `Deuteronomy ccc29bbb20-24`; `Revelation 14bbb9-10`; `Revelation ccc15bbb7`. In these places too 'wrath', 'anger', 'indignation', and 'rage' stand for a turning away, hostility, and consequent punishment.
ttt[6] The reason why punishment due to a turning away and hostility is attributed to Jehovah or the Lord and is called anger, wrath, and rage residing with Him is that the nation descended from Jacob had to be confined solely to the external representatives of the Church. They could not be confined to these except through fear and dread of Jehovah and unless they had believed that in His anger and wrath He would do evil to them. People who are concerned solely with external things and nothing internal cannot be led in any other way to perform external observances, since no sense of obligation is present with them interiorly. This is also the situation with simple persons in the Church. The only idea they can grasp, based on the appearance, is that God is angry when someone does what is evil. Yet anyone may see, if he stops to reflect, that no anger at all, still less any rage, resides with Jehovah or the Lord, since He is mercy itself, is goodness itself, and is infinitely beyond wishing evil on anyone. Neither does a person possessing charity towards the neighbour do evil to anyone; and as this is true of every angel, how much more must it be true of the Lord Himself? But the situation in the next life is as follows: Because of the newcomers there the Lord is constantly reordering heaven and its communities, imparting bliss and happiness to them.
ttt[7] But when that bliss and happiness passes into the communities opposite (for in the next life all the communities of heaven have communities opposite them in hell, which is what provides equilibrium) and those communities feel a change taking place from heaven's presence, they are filled with anger and wrath. They rush into doing evil and at the same time bring on themselves the evils of their punishment. Furthermore, when evil spirits or genii come near the light of heaven they start to experience pain and torment, `@@@4225`, `@@@4226`. This they attribute to heaven, and consequently to the Lord; but in actual fact they bring the torment on themselves since evil suffers torment whenever it comes near good. From all this it is evident that the Lord is the source of nothing but good and that all evil originates in those people themselves who turn away, stand in opposition, and attack. This arcanum enables one to see what the situation really is.
`nnn1. The Latin means Jehovah but the Hebrew means the day of Jehovah, which Swedenborg has in other places where he quotes this verse.
ppp18052#pid#5799. 'For as you are, so is Pharaoh' means that he has control over the natural. This is clear from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as the natural in general, dealt with in `@@@5160`; and from the representation of 'Joseph' as the internal, dealt with previously. The control exercised by the internal over the natural is represented by Joseph's being placed in charge over all the land of Egypt as well as over the whole of Pharaoh's house, `Genesis 41bbb40-41`.
ppp18051#pid#5800. 'My lord questioned his servants, saying' means perception of their thought. This is clear from the meaning of 'questioning' as perceiving another's thought, dealt with in `@@@5597`. The reason 'questioning' has this meaning is that in the spiritual world or heaven no one needs to ask another what he thinks about the kinds of things for which he - that other person - has an affection, because in that world one person can perceive the thought that flows from another's affection. Furthermore the internal represented by 'Joseph' does not question the external, which 'Jacob's sons' represent, since the external receives its entire existence from the internal. From this too it is evident that 'questioning' means the perception of their thought. Also, the Word refers in various places to Jehovah questioning a person, when in fact He knows every single thought in that person. But such references are made to Him because people cannot help believing that their thoughts, being inside them, cannot be known to anyone. This appearance and consequent belief explain why questioning takes place.
ppp18050#pid#5801. 'Have you a father, or a brother?' means the good that is the source, and the truth that is the means. This is clear from the representation of Israel, to whom 'a father' refers here, as spiritual good or the good of truth, dealt with in `@@@3654`, `@@@4598`, good that is the source being meant because spiritual good is the source from which truths in the natural derive; and from the representation of Benjamin, to whom 'a brother' refers here, as truth, truth that is the means being meant because truth is the means by which the truths of the Church present in the natural, represented by 'Jacob's sons', are joined to spiritual good, represented by 'Israel'. And since the joining together is effected by means of that truth, much is said about how their father loved Benjamin, who represents that truth, and about how Judah together with the rest could not return to their father unless Benjamin was with them. For more about that truth, see below in `@@@5835`.`fff1`
`nnn1. `@@@5804` in Swedenborg's rough draft
ppp18049#pid#5802. 'And we said to my lord' means a reciprocated perception. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as perception, dealt with often. The fact that a reciprocated perception is meant is self-evident.
ppp18048#pid#5803. 'We have a father, an old man' means that spiritual good is their source. This is clear from the representation of Israel, to whom 'a father refers here, as spiritual good, which is the source, dealt with just above in `@@@5801`. As regards Israel's representation, see `@@@4286`, `@@@4292`, `@@@4570`, where it is shown that he represents the spiritual Church, in particular the internal aspect of it, which is the good of truth or spiritual good from the natural. What spiritual good or the good of truth is, see `@@@5526`, `@@@5773`.
ppp18047#pid#5804. 'And a child of his old age, the youngest one' means truth that is new, springing from that good. This is clear from the representation of Benjamin, to whom 'a child, the youngest one' refers here, as truth, dealt with above in `@@@5801`, in addition to which 'child' or 'son' means truth, see `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@1147`, `@@@1623`, `@@@3373`; and from the meaning of 'old age' as newness of life, dealt with in `@@@3492`, `@@@4620`, `@@@4676`. From this it is evident that 'a child of his old age, the youngest one' means truth that is new. The implications of this are as follows: A person who is being regenerated and becoming spiritual is led initially by means of truth to good; for a person does not know what spiritual good is, or what amounts to the same, what Christian good is, except through truth, that is, through teaching drawn from the Word. This is the way he is introduced into good. After that, once he has been introduced into it, he is led no longer by means of truth to good, but by means of good to truth; for at this point good not only enables him to see the truths he knew previously but also brings forth new ones he did not and could not know previously. Good holds the desire for truths within itself because it is so to speak nourished by them; indeed they make it more perfect. These truths - the new ones - are very different from the truths he knew before; for the truths he knew before possessed little life in them. But those which he receives afterwards possess life coming from good.
ttt[2] Once a person has by means of truth arrived at good he is 'Israel', and the truth which he now receives from good, that is, from the Lord through good, is the new truth that 'Benjamin' represented all the time he was with his father. By means of this truth good in the natural bears fruit, bringing forth countless truths that hold good within them. This is the way the regeneration of the natural proceeds, becoming by its fruitfulness first of all like a tree with good fruit on it and then gradually like a garden. All this shows what is meant by new truth springing from spiritual good.
ppp18046#pid#5805. 'And his brother is dead' means that internal good does not exist. This is clear from the representation of 'Joseph' as the celestial of the spiritual, dealt with in `@@@4592`, `@@@4963`, `@@@5249`, `@@@5307`, `@@@5331`, `@@@5332`, thus internal good since this is the same as the celestial of the spiritual; and from the meaning of 'being dead' as existing no more, dealt with in `@@@494`. There is this difference between the representation of 'Joseph' as internal good and the representation of 'Israel' as spiritual good: 'Joseph' is internal good springing from the rational, whereas 'Israel' is internal good springing from the natural, see `@@@4286`. This difference is like that between celestial good, or the good which is that of the celestial Church, and spiritual good, or the good which is that of the spiritual Church. These two kinds of good have been dealt with quite often in what has gone before. It is the first kind of internal good - celestial good - that is said to be non-existent there, which is meant by 'his brother is dead'.
ppp18045#pid#5806. 'And he alone is left to his mother' means that this is the only truth the Church possesses. This is clear from the representation of Benjamin, to whom 'the only one left' refers here, as new truth, dealt with just above in `@@@5804`; and from the meaning of 'mother' as the Church, dealt with in `@@@289`, `@@@2691`, `@@@2717`, `@@@5581`. With regard to the fact that this truth - represented here by 'Benjamin', and described above in `@@@5804` - is the only truth the Church possesses, the situation is this: Such truth is truth springing from spiritual good, which is 'Israel'; and it is what 'Benjamin' represents when he is with his father, whereas truth even more interior is represented by him when he is with Joseph. The truth which Benjamin represents when he is with his father and which is called new truth is the only truth that enables a person to be a Church, for this new truth or those truths [spoken of in `@@@5804`] hold life received from good within them. That is, the person with whom the truths of faith exist rooted in good is a Church, not so the person with whom the truths of faith but no good of charity exist. With the latter person the truths are dead, even though they may have been the same truths. From all this one may see what the situation is with regard to the fact that this truth is the only truth the Church possesses.
ppp18044#pid#5807. 'And his father loves him' means that this truth exists joined to spiritual good from the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'love' as a joining together, dealt with below; from the representation of Israel, who here is the one who 'loves him', as spiritual good from the natural, dealt with in `@@@4286`, `@@@4598`; and from the representation of Benjamin, who is the one whom 'his father loves', as new truth, dealt with above in `@@@5804`, `@@@5806`. The existence of this truth joined to that good is what is meant by 'his father loves him'; and to this truth that good cannot fail to be joined since such truth has its origin in that good. This truth and good exist joined together like father and son, and also like the mental powers of will and understanding since all good has a place in the will and all truth in the understanding. When the will wills what is good this good is implanted in the understanding, where it is given a specific form fashioned according to the essential nature of that good. This form is truth; and as this new truth is born in that manner one can see that it cannot fail to be joined to that good.
ttt[2] As regards love, that it is a joining together, it should be recognized that love is a spiritual joining since it is a joining together of two people's minds, that is, of their thought and will. From this it is evident that regarded essentially love is something purely spiritual, the natural counterpart of which is the delight that comes with companionship and that kind of togetherness. Essentially love is the harmony that results from changes of state and from variations in the forms or substances from which the human mind is built. If that harmony originates in the heavenly form it is heavenly love. From this one may see that love cannot have its origin in anything other than genuine Divine love, which is received from the Lord. This means that love is the Divine flowing into forms and so arranging them that their changes of state and variations may exist in the harmony of heaven.
ttt[3] But loves contrary to this - self-love and love of the world - are not joinings together but separations. They do, it is true, appear to be joinings together; but this is due to one person considering another to be one with him as long as he co-operates with him in making gain, acquiring important positions, or in taking revenge on and persecuting those who oppose him. But as soon as one ceases to show the other person favour, they separate. Heavenly love is different. This is totally averse to doing good to another for selfish reasons; rather it does it for the sake of the good which resides with that other person and which he receives from the Lord, consequently for the sake of the Lord Himself, the Source of that good.
ppp18043#pid#5808. 'And you said to your servants' means an imparted perception. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in the historical narratives of the Word as perception; and because Joseph's words had been addressed to them, it is an imparted perception.
ppp18042#pid#5809. 'Cause him to come down to me means that this truth which is new must be made subject to internal good. This is clear from the meaning of 'causing to come down' as being made subject, for coming to the internal to be joined to it is being made subject to it since everything lower or exterior must be set beneath and made subject to what is higher or interior if a joining together is to be effected; from the representation of Benjamin, who is the one they were to cause to come down, as new truth, dealt with above in `@@@5804`, `@@@5806`; and from the representation of Joseph, who is the one he was to come down to, as internal good, dealt with previously.
ppp18041#pid#5810. 'And I will set my eye on him' means a flowing in at this point of truth from good. This is clear from the meaning of 'setting one's eye on someone' as communicating the truth of faith. For 'the eye' corresponds to the sight of the understanding and to the truths of faith, see `@@@4403-4421`, `@@@4523-4534`; and since 'setting one's eye on someone means communication, a flowing in is meant too. Internal good, which 'Joseph' represents, does not communicate with the truth represented by 'Benjamin' except by means of a flowing in, because that truth is lower.
ppp18040#pid#5811. 'And we said to my lord' means a reciprocated perception, as above in `@@@5802`.
ppp18039#pid#5812. 'The boy cannot leave his father' means that that truth cannot be separated from spiritual good. This is clear from the meaning of 'leaving' as being separated; from the representation of 'Israel' as spiritual good from the natural, dealt with in `@@@4286`, `@@@4598`, `@@@5807`; and from the representation of 'Benjamin' as new truth, dealt with in `@@@5804`, `@@@5806`. This truth is called 'the boy' because it is born last; for this truth is not born until a person has become regenerate. At this point he receives newness of life through this new truth joined to good, which also is why this truth is meant by 'a child of his old age, the youngest one', `@@@5804`.
ppp18038#pid#5813. 'And should he leave his father, [his father] will die' means that, if separated, the Church would perish. This is clear from the meaning of 'leaving' as being separated, as immediately above in `@@@5812`; and from the meaning of 'dying' as existing no more, dealt with in `@@@494`, and so perishing. Since this truth joined to spiritual good constitutes the Church, `@@@5806`, the Church would therefore perish if such truth were separated from this good. Furthermore Israel, to whom 'father' refers here, represents the Church, `@@@4286`, though not if this truth is not there.
ppp18037#pid#5814. 'And you said to your servants' means a perception regarding this matter, as above in `@@@5808`.
ppp18036#pid#5815. 'If your youngest does not come down with you' means if it is not subject to internal good. This is clear from what was stated above in `@@@5809`.
ppp18035#pid#5816. 'You will not see my face again' means that in this case no mercy will be at hand and there is no joining to truths in the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'face', when it has reference to the Lord, as mercy, dealt with in `@@@222`, `@@@223`, `@@@5585`, which being so 'not seeing his face' means that no mercy is at hand, `@@@5585`, `@@@5592`. And when no mercy is at hand, neither is there any joining together, since no love, which is a spiritual joining together, is present. Divine love is called mercy (misericordia) as it relates to the human race in so much misery (miseriae). The reason why there is no joining to truths in the natural is that Jacob's sons, to whom the words used here were addressed, represent the truths in the natural, `@@@5403`, `@@@5419`, `@@@5427`, `@@@5458`, `@@@5512`.
ttt[2] With regard to no mercy being at hand and to there being no joining to truths in the natural Unless the truth represented by 'Benjamin' was made subject to the internal good represented by 'Joseph', the situation is this: The truth which enables a person to be a Church is that truth which springs from good; for when a person is governed by good, it is from good that he sees truths, perceives them, and so believes that they are indeed truths, which no one can possibly do unless he is governed by good. That good is like a little flame which sheds light and provides illumination, and so enables a person to see, perceive, and believe truths. For an affection for truth springing from good directs the internal sight towards those truths and away from matters of a worldly and bodily nature which envelop them in darkness. This is the kind of truth that 'Benjamin' represents here - the one and only truth the Church possesses, see `@@@5806`, which is to say the one and only truth that enables a person to be a Church. But this truth must be entirely subject to the internal good represented by 'Joseph'; for the Lord flows in by way of internal good and imparts life to the truths below, thus also to this truth that springs from spiritual good from the natural, represented by 'Israel', `@@@4286`, `@@@4598`.
ttt[3] From all this it is also evident that it is by means of this truth that the joining together with the truths below it is effected. For if this truth did not exist subject to internal good, enabling it to receive an influx of good into itself, mercy which flows in constantly from the Lord by way of internal good would not be received since no intermediary would be present. And if that mercy were not received, neither would there be any joining together. These are the considerations meant by 'if your youngest brother does not come down with you, you will not see my face again'.
ppp18034#pid#5817. 'And so it was, when we went up to your servant my father' means a raising up to spiritual good. This is clear from the meaning of 'going up' as a raising up, dealt with below; and from the representation of Israel, to whom 'father' refers here, as spiritual good from the natural, dealt with in `@@@4286`, `@@@4598`. A raising up of the kind meant here by 'going up is a movement towards more internal things; here it is a raising up from the truths in the natural, which are represented by 'Jacob's ten sons', to spiritual good from the natural, represented by 'Israel'. For there is an exterior natural and there is an interior natural, `@@@5497`, `@@@5649`. The interior natural holds spiritual good, which is 'Israel', while the exterior natural holds the truths known to the Church, which are 'Jacob's sons', and therefore 'going up to their father' means a raising up of these to spiritual good.
ppp18033#pid#5818. 'That we told him my lord's words' means an awareness of this matter. This is clear without explanation.
ppp18032#pid#5819. 'And our father said' means perception received from spiritual good. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in the historical narratives of the Word as perception, dealt with often, and from the representation of Israel, to whom 'father' refers here, as spiritual good, dealt with in `@@@3654`, `@@@4186`, `@@@4598`.
ppp18031#pid#5820. 'Return, buy us a little food' means that the good of truth should be made their own. This is clear from the meaning of 'buying' as making one's own, dealt with in `@@@5397`, `@@@5406`, `@@@5410`, `@@@5426`; and from the meaning of 'food' as the good of truth, dealt with in `@@@5410`, `@@@5426`, `@@@5487`, `@@@5582`, `@@@5588`, `@@@5655`. In general spiritual food includes all good, but specifically it is good acquired by means of truth, that is, truth existing in will and action. For by virtue of being willed and acted out that truth becomes good and is called the good of truth. Unless truth becomes good in this manner it is of no use whatever to a person in the next life; for when he enters that life it goes away from him because it does not fit in with what he wills or consequently with what he loves and takes delight in. In the world a person may have learned the truths of faith not so that he may will them and act them out, and in so doing may make them forms of good, but merely so that he may know and teach them with a view to acquiring position and gain. Even though as a result of this he may be reputed in the world to be very learned, those truths are taken away from him in the next life, and he is left with what he really wills, that is, with the life really his own. What he had been like so far as that life was concerned he continues to be; and, surprising though it may be, he turns away from all the truths of faith and refuses to accept them, no matter how firmly he had embraced them previously. The conversion of truths therefore into forms of good through willing them and acting them out, that is, through living according to them, is what making the good of truth their own implies, meant by 'buy us a little food'.
ppp18030#pid#5821. 'And we said, We cannot go down' means an objection. This is clear without explanation.
ppp18029#pid#5822. 'If our youngest brother is with us we will go down' means unless the intermediary that accomplishes the joining together is with them. This is clear from the representation of Benjamin, to whom youngest brother' refers here, as the intermediary that accomplishes the joining together, dealt with in `@@@5411`, `@@@5413`, `@@@5443`, `@@@5639`, `@@@5688`. The implications of this - that 'Benjamin' represents the intermediary between the celestial of the spiritual or internal good, which is 'Joseph', and the truths in the natural, which are 'the ten sons of Jacob', as well as representing new truth, see above in `@@@5804`, `@@@5806`, `@@@5809` - are as follows: To be an intermediary, the intermediary must be derived both from the internal and from the external; otherwise it is not an intermediary that accomplishes a joining together.
ttt[2] The intermediary, which 'Benjamin' represents, derives from the external or natural its existence there as new truth; for the new truth represented by him exists in the natural because it springs from spiritual good from the natural, which his father as Israel represents, `@@@5686`, `@@@5689`. But that intermediary derives from the internal the quality that 'Joseph' represents, by means of influx. This is how it is derived from both and is the reason why 'Benjamin' represents the intermediary that accomplishes the joining together, as well as representing new truth. He represents new truth when he is present with his father, the intermediary accomplishing the joining together when he is with Joseph. This is an arcanum for which no clearer explanation is possible; nor can it be understood except by those who are aware of the fact that a person has an internal and an external that are distinct and separate from each other, and who at the same time have an affection for knowing truths. The understanding part of these people's minds is lit by the light of heaven, enabling them to see what others do not see, including this arcanum.
ppp18028#pid#5823. 'For we cannot see the man's face' means since no mercy is at hand and there is no joining together. This is clear from what is stated above in `@@@5816`, where the same words occur.
ppp18027#pid#5824. 'If our youngest brother is not with us' means except through the intermediary. This is clear from the representation of 'Benjamin' as the intermediary, dealt with just above in `@@@5822`.
ppp18026#pid#5825. 'And your servant my father said to us' means perception received from spiritual good. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as perception, dealt with often; and from the representation of Israel, to whom 'father' refers here, as spiritual good from the natural, dealt with in `@@@3654`, `@@@4598`, `@@@5801`, `@@@5803`, `@@@5807`.
ppp18025#pid#5826. 'You know that my wife bore me two sons' means if spiritual good is what the Church possesses, internal good and truth will exist. This is clear from the representation of Israel, who says these things about himself, as spiritual good from the natural, dealt with immediately above in `@@@5825`; from the representation of Rachel, to whom the wife who had borne him two sons refers here, as the affection for interior truth, dealt with in `@@@3758`, `@@@3782`, `@@@3793`, `@@@3819`; and from the representation of Joseph and Benjamin,' the two sons she had borne, as internal good and truth, 'Joseph' being internal good and 'Benjamin' internal truth.
ttt[2] What is meant by internal good and truth existing if spiritual good is what the Church possesses is this: Spiritual good, which 'Israel' represents, is the good of truth, that is, truth existing in will and action. This truth or good of truth causes a person to be a Church. When truth has been implanted in his will - something he perceives to have happened from the fact that he feels an affection for truth because his intention is to live according to it - internal good and truth are present in him. When that internal good and truth are present in a person he has the Lord's kingdom within him and he is consequently the Church; and together with those who are very similar to him he constitutes the Church at large. From this it may be recognized that for the Church to be the Church spiritual good, which is the good of truth, must exist and not simply truth by itself. At the present day it is by virtue of truth alone that a Church is called the Church, and it is what marks off one Church from another. Let anyone ask himself whether truth is anything unless it has life in view. What are religious teachings without that end in view? What for example are the Ten Commandments if separated from a life led according to them? For if someone knows them and the full extent of their meaning and yet leads a life contrary to them, what use are they? Surely none at all; indeed do they not serve to condemn some people? The same is so with other religious teachings that are derived from the Word. These too, being spiritual laws, are commandments for leading a Christian life; they likewise have no use at all unless they are made a person's guide to life. Let anyone weigh up what resides with himself and discover whether he has anything there which really is anything other than what enters into the life he leads, or whether life which really is his life resides anywhere else in a person than in his will.
ttt[3] This is the reason why the Lord has declared in the Old Testament and confirmed in the New that all the Law and all the Prophets are founded on love to God and love towards the neighbour, thus on life. They are not founded on faith apart from life, nor thus in any way at all on faith alone, nor consequently on confidence; for without charity towards the neighbour such confidence is impossible. If it seems to exist with the wicked at times when their lives are in danger or death is at hand it is a spurious or false confidence; for among such people in the next life not a trace of this confidence can be seen, however ardently they may have appeared when near to death to profess that they possessed it. But faith, no matter whether you call it confidence or else trust, does nothing for the wicked, as the Lord Himself teaches in John,
As many as received Him, to them He gave power to be sons of God, to those believing in His name, who were born, not of blood,`fff1` nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. `John 1bbb12-13`.
ttt[4] Those born of blood' stands for those who do violence to charity, `@@@374`, `@@@1005`, also those who render truth profane, `@@@4735`. 'Those born of the will of the flesh' stands for those governed by evils that spring from self-love and love of the world, `@@@3813`. 'Those born of the will of man' stands for those governed by utterly false notions; for 'man' (vir) means truth and in the contrary sense falsity. 'Those born of God' stands for those who have been regenerated by the Lord and are consequently governed by good. The latter are the ones who receive the Lord; they are the ones who believe in His name; and they, not the former, are the ones to whom He gives power to be sons of God. From all this it is quite evident what contribution faith alone makes to salvation.
ttt[5] To take the matter further, if a person is to undergo regeneration and become a Church he must be led by means of truth into good, which happens when truth becomes truth existing in will and action. This truth is good and is called the good of truth. It constantly brings forth new truths, since then for the first time it is fruitful. The truth that is brought forth or made fruitful from it is what is called internal truth; and the good from which it springs is called internal good. For nothing becomes internal until it has been implanted in the will, the will being the inmost part of a person. As long as good and truth remain outside the will and solely in the understanding they are outside the person; for the understanding is outside, the will inside.
`nnn1. literally, bloods
ppp18024#pid#5827. 'And one went out from me' means an apparent departure of internal good. This is clear from the meaning of 'going out' or going away as a departure, and from the representation of 'Joseph' as internal good, dealt with already. The fact that the departure was only an apparent one is self-evident, since Joseph was still alive. The implications of this are as follows: From start to finish the details recorded regarding Joseph represent in their order the glorification of the Lord's Human. They consequently represent in the lower sense a person's regeneration since this is an image or model of the Lord's glorification, `@@@3178`, `@@@3212`, `@@@3296`, `@@@3490`, `@@@4402`, `@@@5688`.
ttt[2] So far as a person's regeneration is concerned, in the first state, when he is being brought by means of truth into good, truth is plainly visible because it exists in the light of the world and is not far removed from the ideas formed by the bodily senses. This is not the case with good, for good exists in the light of heaven, far from ideas formed by the bodily senses since it resides inwardly in the person's spirit. Consequently the truth of faith is clearly visible but good is not, even though good is constantly present, both flowing into truths and bringing them to life. If that were not so the person could not be regenerated. But once the state is completed, good reveals itself, doing so through love towards the neighbour, and through affection for truth as a guide to life. These things also what are represented by Joseph's being taken away from and not seen by his father, and after that revealing himself to his father. This is how an apparent departure of internal good, meant by 'one went out from me', is to be understood.
ppp18023#pid#5828. 'And I said, He has surely been torn to pieces' means a perception that it was destroyed by evils and falsities. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as perception, dealt with often; and from the meaning of 'being torn to pieces as being destroyed by evils and internal good represented by 'Joseph' was destroyed, `@@@5805`. 'Being torn to pieces' has this meaning because no other kind of tearing to pieces takes place in the spiritual world than that of good by evils and falsities. It is the same with death and anything having to do with death, by which is meant in the spiritual sense not natural death but spiritual death, which is damnation. No other kind of death occurs in the spiritual world. So too with 'a tearing to pieces'. This does not mean in the spiritual sense the kind of tearing to pieces that wild animals engage in, but the tearing to pieces of good by evils and falsities. Also, in the spiritual sense, 'wild animals that tear to pieces' means evil desires and derivative false ideas; and such ideas are also represented in the next life by wild animals.
ttt[2] The good which constantly comes from the Lord to a person is destroyed by nothing other than evils and derivative falsities, and by falsities and consequent evils. For as soon as that constantly inflowing good, coming by way of the internal man, reaches the external or natural man it encounters evil and falsity, which - acting like wild animals - employ various methods to tear apart and annihilate that good. For that reason the inflow of good by way of the internal man is blocked and halted, and the interior mind through which the inflow comes is consequently closed. Only as much of what is spiritual is allowed through as will enable the natural man to reason and speak, though he does so in terms that are solely earthly, bodily, and worldly, either in opposition to what is good and true, or else in keeping with such but in a false or deceitful way.
ttt[3] It is a universal law that an inflow adjusts itself to the outflow, and if the outflow is blocked, so is the inflow. Through the internal man there is an inflow of good and truth from the Lord, and through the external there should be an outflow, an outflow into life, that is, in the exercise of charity. As long as that outflow is taking place the inflow from heaven, that is, from the Lord by way of heaven, is continuous. If however no outflow takes place but something stands in the way in the external or natural man, namely evil and falsity which tear the inflowing good to pieces and annihilate it, it follows from the universal law mentioned above that the inflow adjusts itself to the outflow. All this being so, the inflow of good holds itself back and accordingly closes the internal through which the inflow comes; and that closing of it leads to stupidity in spiritual matters, which is so great that the person who is like this neither knows nor wishes to know anything at all about eternal life. At length he becomes so senseless that he raises falsity as an obstacle to truth, calling falsities truths and truths falsities, and raises evil as an obstacle to good, regarding evils as forms of good and forms of good as evils. In this way he tears good completely to pieces.
ttt[4] The word 'torn' occurs in various places in the Word, the proper meaning of which is falsities that arise from evils, while that which is destroyed by evils is called 'a carcass'. When however the expression 'torn' is used by itself, both ideas are meant since the one includes the meaning carried by the other. It is different when the one is referred to together with the other, because in that case a distinction is being made. Since what had been torn meant in the spiritual sense what had been destroyed by falsities arising from evils, people were forbidden in the representative Church to eat anything torn. They would never have been forbidden to eat it if that spiritual evil had not been meant in heaven. Apart from this, what evil could have lain in eating flesh torn by a wild animal?
ttt[5] Regarding their not eating anything torn the following is stated in Moses,
The fat of a carcass and the fat of that which has been torn may be put to any use, provided that you do not eat it at all. `Leviticus 7bbb24`.
In the same author,
He shall not eat a carcass or that which has been torn, to be defiled by it. I am Jehovah. `Leviticus 12bbb8`.
In the same author,
You shall be men who are sanctified to Me; therefore you shall not eat flesh torn in the field, you shall throw it to the dogs. `Exodus 21bbb31`.
In Ezekiel,
Ah Lord Jehovih! The prophet says, Behold, my soul has not been polluted, and from my youth even till now I have not eaten any carcass or that which has been torn, so that abominable flesh has not come into my mouth. `Ezekiel 4bbb14`.
From these quotations it is evident that it was an abomination to eat what had been torn, not because it had been torn but because a tearing to pieces of good by falsities arising from evils was meant, 'a carcass' on the other hand being the death of good caused by evils.
ttt[6] A tearing to pieces of good by falsities and evils is also meant in the internal sense of the following places in David,
The wicked is like a lion, he desires to tear, and like a young lion who sits in hiding-places. `Psalms 17bbb12`.
Elsewhere,
They opened their mouth against me - a lion tearing and roaring. `Psalms 22bbb13`.
And in yet another place,
Lest like a lion they seize my soul, tearing it to pieces and there is none to deliver. `Psalms 7bbb1`.
'A lion' stands for those who lay waste the Church. Above, where Joseph was the subject - at the point where he was sold by his brothers, and his tunic, which had been dipped in blood, was sent to his father - his father too said at that time,
My son's tunic! An evil wild animal has devoured him; Joseph has been torn to pieces. `Genesis 37bbb33`.
'His having been torn to pieces' means being scattered by falsities arising from evils, see `@@@4777`.
ppp18022#pid#5829. 'And I have not seen him since' means because it has disappeared. This is clear without explanation.
ppp18021#pid#5830. 'And you are taking this one also from before my face' means if the new truth likewise departs. This is clear from the representation of Benjamin, the one about whom this is said, as new truth, dealt with in `@@@5804`, `@@@5806`, `@@@5809`, `@@@5822`; and from the meaning of 'taking him from before my face' as alienating from spiritual good and so the departure of that truth. Since that truth springs from spiritual good, which is 'Israel', the good would be done for if that truth were to depart from it. For good receives its particular character from truths, while truths receive their essential being from good. This being so they share the same life together.
ppp18020#pid#5831. 'And should harm befall him' means caused by evils and falsities. This is clear from the meaning of 'someone coming to harm' as injury caused by evils and falsities. No other harm is meant in the spiritual sense, for in the spiritual world all harm is caused in this way, that is to say, by evils and falsities.
ppp18019#pid#5832. 'You will cause my grey hair to go down in evil to the grave' means that spiritual good and so the internal aspect of the Church is going to perish. This is clear from the representation of 'Israel' as spiritual good, dealt with in `@@@5807`, `@@@5812`, `@@@5813`, `@@@5817`, `@@@5819`, `@@@5825`, and as the internal aspect of the spiritual Church, `@@@4286`; from the meaning of 'grey hair' as the final phase of the Church, [dealt with in `@@@5550`;] and from the meaning of 'going down in evil to the grave' as perishing, dealt with in `@@@4785`. Going down in good to the grave describes rising again and being regenerated, `@@@2916`, `@@@2917`, `@@@5551`, and therefore 'going down in evil to the grave' is the opposite, namely perishing. As regards a perishing of the internal aspect of the Church if the truth represented by 'Benjamin' perishes, the situation is this: For good to be good it must have its own truths, and for truths to be truths they must have their own good. Without truths good is not good, even as truths without good are not truths; together they constitute a marriage, which is called the heavenly marriage. Consequently if one departs the other perishes; and one can depart from the other by being torn to pieces by evils and falsities.
ppp18018#pid#5833. 'And now, when I come to your servant my father' means the good of the Church corresponding to the spiritual good which is that of the internal Church. This is clear from the representation of Judah, who says this about himself, as the good of the Church, dealt with in `@@@5583`, `@@@5603`, `@@@5782`, and from the representation of Israel, who is his 'father' here, as spiritual good, dealt with in `@@@5807`, `@@@5812`, `@@@5813`, `@@@5817`, `@@@5819`, `@@@5825`. The good of the Church that 'Judah' represents is the good of the external Church, whereas the spiritual good that 'Israel' represents is the good of the internal Church, `@@@4286`. For every Church of the Lord's is both internal and external, and features of the external Church correspond to features of the internal Church, so that the good of the Church which is 'Judah' corresponds to spiritual good which is 'Israel'.
ppp18017#pid#5834. 'And the boy is not with us' means if the new truth is not with them. This is clear from the representation of Benjamin, to whom 'the boy' refers here, as new truth, dealt with in `@@@5804`, `@@@5806`, `@@@5822`.
ppp18016#pid#5835. 'And his soul being bound up with his soul' means when more closely joined together. This is clear from the meaning of 'soul' as life, so that 'the soul of the one bound up with the soul of the other' means the life of the one in that of the other. Consequently a closer joining together is meant, that is to say, of spiritual good, which is 'Israel', to the truth springing from that good, which is 'Benjamin'. The implications of good being joined as closely to truth as the soul of the one is bound up with that of the other are as follows: A person's mind, which is the real person and is where his life resides, has two powers, one of which is assigned to the truths of faith, the other to the good of charity. The mental power assigned to the truths of faith is called the understanding, while the one assigned to the good of charity is called the will. To enable a person to be truly human these two powers must make a unified whole.
ttt[2] But at the present day those two mental powers have become completely set apart from each other, as may be recognized from the fact that a person can understand something as being true and yet be unable to will it. For a person can see in his understanding that all the Ten Commandments are truths and to some extent that the contents of religious teachings drawn from the Word are truths; indeed he can also confirm that they are truths by the use of his understanding and in addition through the preaching he hears. yet the intentions of his will are at variance with those truths, and so as a consequence are his actions. From this it is evident that those two mental powers present in a person have become set apart from each other. Yet they ought not to be set apart, as may be recognized from the consideration that should they be set apart when he enters the next life`fff1` the truth in his understanding will raise him up towards heaven, while the evil intentions in his will will draw him down towards hell, thus leaving him suspended between the two. Even so, the intentions in his will, which constitute his actual life, will carry him downwards, thus taking him inevitably into hell. Therefore to prevent this from happening, those two mental powers have to be joined together. This is effected by the Lord through regeneration - through the implantation of the truth of faith within the good of charity. For in this way a person is provided through the truth of faith with a new understanding, and through the good of charity with a new will; and this gives him two mental Powers which make one complete mind.
`nnn1. The words should they be set apart when he enters the next life represent what appears in Swedenborg's rough draft but is omitted from the printed edition.
ppp18015#pid#5836. 'It will be, when he sees that the boy is not there, that he will die' means that spiritual good will perish, that is, if the truth which is 'Benjamin' were to depart. This is clear from the representation of 'Israel' as spiritual good, dealt with previously, and from the meaning of 'dying' as ceasing to be what it once was, `@@@494`, and so perishing. As regards the perishing of good if its truth were to depart, see above in `@@@5830`, `@@@5832`, `@@@5837`.
ppp18014#pid#5837. 'And your servants will cause the grey hair of your servant our father to go down in sorrow to the grave' means that the Church will be done for. This is clear from the explanation above in `@@@5832`, where similar words occur. The reason why Israel, to whom 'father' refers, here means the Church is that spiritual good, which he represents, makes the Church with a person, so much so that whether you say spiritual good or the Church it amounts to the same thing; for the two are inseparable. This is why in the Word, especially the prophetical part, 'Israel' is the spiritual Church.
ppp18013#pid#5838. Verses `Genesis 44bbbccc32-34` For your servant became surety for the boy to my father, saying, If I do not bring him back to you I shall be sinning against my father all my days. And now, I beg you, let your servant stay instead of the boy, a slave to my lord; and let the boy go up with his brothers. For how am I to go up to my father, and the boy is not with me? Perhaps I shall see the evil which will come upon my father.
'For your servant became surety for the boy to my father, saying' means an attachment to itself. 'If I do not bring him back to you' means unless it is joined to spiritual good. 'I shall be sinning against my father all my days' means a turning away, as a result of which the good of the Church ceases to exist. 'And now, I beg you, let your servant stay instead of the boy, a slave to my lord' means submission. 'And let the boy go up with his brothers' means in order that interior truth may be joined to spiritual good. 'For how am I to go up to my father, and the boy is not with me?' means that spiritual good from the natural would be without interior truth. 'Perhaps I shall see the evil which will come upon my father' means a perception that it will perish.
ppp18012#pid#5839. 'For your servant became surety for the boy to my father, saying' means an attachment. This is clear from the meaning of 'being surety' as attaching to itself, as previously in `@@@5609`. For during the intervening period when the truth that 'Benjamin' represents is not present with spiritual good, meant by 'father', it can be present with the good of the external Church, which 'Judah' represents. For this good and spiritual good act as one through correspondence.
ppp18011#pid#5840. 'If I do not bring him back to you' means unless it is joined to spiritual good. This is clear from the meaning of 'bringing back' as becoming joined together once again, and from the representation of 'Israel' as spiritual good, often dealt with already.
ppp18010#pid#5841. 'I shall be sinning against my father all my days' means a turning away, as a result of which the good of the Church ceases to exist. This is clear from the meaning of 'sinning' as a separation, dealt with in `@@@5229`, `@@@5474`, and so a turning away. And if the good of the external Church, which 'Judah' represents, turns away from the good of the internal Church, which 'Israel' represents, the good of the Church is made to go out of existence. The actual joining together causes the good from which the Church receives its being to exist. With those two kinds of good - the good of the internal Church and the good of the external Church - the situation is this: By means of influx the good of the internal Church, which is internal good, brings the good of the external Church, which is external good, into being. This being so, internal good raises external good up to itself so that such external good may look to it, and thereby look up towards the Lord. This is the situation when they exist joined together. But if they are separated external good turns away and looks downwards, and by doing that is destroyed. This turning away is what is meant by 'I shall be sinning against my father all my days'.
ppp18009#pid#5842. 'And now, I beg you, let your servant stay instead of the boy, a slave to my lord' means submission. This is clear from the fact that offering oneself as a slave instead of another is giving up all freedom of one's own and submitting oneself completely to another. The words used here mean the submission of the natural or external man under the internal; for when the good in the external man submits, even the truths there do so since truths go with good.
ppp18008#pid#5843. 'And let the boy go up with his brothers' means in order that interior truth may be joined to spiritual good. This is clear from the representation of 'Benjamin' as new truth, dealt with in `@@@5804`, `@@@5806`, `@@@5809`, `@@@5822`, and so interior truth; and from the meaning of 'going up with his brothers' as becoming joined once again to his father, that is, to spiritual good, which 'Israel' represents. Interior truth, which 'Benjamin' represents here, is new truth, because this is interior when considered in relation to the truths below it. For truth which goes forth from good is interior truth, this truth being meant because it springs from spiritual good, which is 'Israel'. When the good of charity springs from the will, and so from affection, it is internal good or the good of the internal Church; but when the good of charity springs not from affection but from obedience, not from the will but from religious teaching, it is external good or the good of the external Church. The same applies to the truths that spring from good.
ppp18007#pid#5844. 'For how am I to go up to my father, and the boy is not with me?' means that spiritual good from the natural would be without interior truth. This is clear from the representation of Israel, to whom 'father' refers here, as spiritual good from the natural, dealt with previously; and from the representation of Benjamin, to whom 'the boy' refers here, as interior truth, dealt with immediately above in `@@@5843`.
ppp18006#pid#5845. 'Perhaps I shall see the evil which will come upon my father' means a perception that it will perish. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing' as understanding, dealt with in `@@@2807`, `@@@3863`, `@@@4403`, `@@@4421`, and consequently perceiving, `@@@3764`, `@@@4567`, `@@@5400`. The idea that it will perish is meant by 'the evil which will come upon him'. Much the same is meant by 'causing grey hair to go down in evil to the grave', `@@@5832`, and also by the statement that if their father did not see him with his brothers he would die, `@@@5836`. This is the evil that is meant. Regarding spiritual good represented by 'Israel', that it would perish if the truth represented by 'Benjamin' were to depart, see above in `@@@5832`.
ppp18005#pid#5846. THE PRESENCE OF SPIRITS AND ANGELS
THE SPIRITS AND ANGELS PRESENT WITH A PERSON
Considered generally the inflow from the spiritual world into a person is as follows: There is nothing that a person thinks or wills that can originate within himself. Rather, everything flows into him; goodness and truth flow in from the Lord by way of heaven, thus through the angels present with the person, evil and falsity from hell, thus through the evil spirits present with him. And what flows in enters his thought and will. I realize that this will appear to be utter nonsense because it is contrary to the appearance; but actual experience will settle the truth of the matter.
ppp18004#pid#5847. No man, spirit, or angel possesses any life that originates within himself. That being so, there is nothing he thinks or wills that can originate in himself; for a person's life consists in his thinking and willing, and his words and actions are the life that springs from them. There is only one life, the Lord's. It flows into everyone but is received in varying ways, its reception being determined by the character a person has given his soul through the life he leads. With people who are evil therefore, forms of good and truths are turned into evils and falsities; with those who are good, forms of good are accepted as forms of good and truths as truths. This may be compared to light flowing from the sun into different objects which modify and variegate the light in many ways, depending on the form their constituent parts take, and in this way the light is converted into colours that may be either dull or bright. While a person lives in the world he is providing an outward form for the most pure substances that constitute his interiors, so that one may speak of him bringing form to his own soul, that is, fashioning its character. This form determines how the Lord's life, flowing from His love towards the entire human race, is received. For more about these matters - that there is only one life, and that men, spirits, and angels are recipients of life - see `@@@1954`, `@@@2021`, `@@@2706`, `@@@2886-2889`, `@@@2893`, `@@@3001`, `@@@3318`, `@@@3337`, `@@@3338`, `@@@3484`, `@@@3741-3743`, `@@@4151`, `@@@4249`, `@@@4318-4320`, `@@@4417`, `@@@4524`, `@@@4882`.
ppp18003#pid#5848. To enable the Lord's life to flow in and be received by people in accordance with all His law, angels and spirits are present with them constantly - angels from heaven and spirits from hell. And I have been informed that there are with every person two spirits and two angels. The spirits from hell are there because alone by himself a person is constantly immersed in evil, owing to the delight engendered by his selfish and worldly love; and to the extent a person is immersed in evil or subject to that delight, angels from heaven cannot be present with him.
ppp18002#pid#5849. The two spirits who are linked to a person provide a communication with hell, while the two angels provide a communication with heaven. Without the communication with heaven and hell a person could not go on living for even a moment. If the two lines of communication were taken away the person would fall down lifeless as a log, for if they were removed his connection with the Primary Source of Being, which is the Lord, would be taken away. I have also had this demonstrated to me by experience. The spirits with me began to be taken a little distance away; and then as they departed I began almost to expire, and I would have expired if they had not been sent back. But I realize few believe that any spirit is present with them, or indeed that spirits exist at all. The chief reason for this is that at the present day there is no faith because there is no charity, and therefore no one believes in the existence of hell, or indeed of heaven either, or consequently in life after death. A further reason for that lack of belief is that they do not see spirits with their eyes; for they say, 'If I could see them I would believe in them; what I can see exists, but whether what I cannot see exists I do not know'. Yet they do know or are capable of knowing that the human eye is so deficient and limited that it cannot see even the more observable details of the natural creation, as is made evident from optical devices which make such details visible. So how is the eye going to be able to see things that exist within an even purer creation where spirits and angels are? These cannot be seen by a person except with the eye of his internal man; for that eye is suited to beholding such things. But the sight of this eye is not opened for a person while he is in the world, for a number of reasons. All this shows how far removed belief is at the present day from the belief of old. The belief of old was that each individual person had his own angel residing with him.
ppp18001#pid#5850. The truth of the matter is this: Beginning in the Lord and coming by way of the spiritual world into persons and things in the natural world there is both general influx and particular influx. General influx passes into whatever exists in a state of order, particular influx into whatever does not exist in a state of order. Animals of every kind live in the order of their own nature and therefore receive general influx. The fact that they live in the order of their own nature is clear from their knowing at birth all they need to know, so that they do not have to receive any training to acquire it. But human beings do not live in a state of order or in accordance with any laws of order. Therefore they have the particular influx into them; that is, they have with them angels and spirits through whom that influx comes. If human beings did not have the angels and spirits with them they would plunge into every kind of wickedness and hurl themselves instantly into the deepest hell. By means of those spirits and angels a person is kept under the Lord's guidance and control. If human beings lived in the state of order in which they were created they would love their neighbour as themselves; indeed they would love him more than themselves, as the angels do. But the human being loves only himself and the world, and hates his neighbour, except so far as he - his neighbour - indulges him, letting him take control and giving him the world. Since therefore the way people live is totally contrary to heavenly order the Lord rules them by means of separate spirits and angels for each one.
ppp18000#pid#5851. The same spirits do not remain with a person permanently but are changed according to how the person's states undergo change - the states of his affection, that is, of his love and the ends he has in view. The spirits present at one time are removed and others take their place. In general what kinds of spirits are present with a person is determined by the character of the person himself. If he is avaricious, they are avaricious spirits; if he is haughty, they are haughty spirits; if he is vengeful, they are spirits with that kind of nature; or if he is given to deceit, they are spirits given to the same thing. A person attracts to himself spirits from hell who match his way of life. The hells are marked off from one another by the most precise distinctions, determined by the different evils that are the objects of their desires and by all the variations each evil can take. As a consequence spirits of a nature similar to his own are inevitably called forth and become attached to a person subject to evil.
ppp17999#pid#5852. The evil spirits present with a person do indeed belong in the hells, yet when they are present with him they are not in hell but have been summoned from there. The place where they are while present with him lies midway between heaven and hell and is called the world of spirits, which has often been mentioned before now. In that world called the world of spirits there are good spirits as well, and these too are present with a person. Into that world people also come immediately after death, and having stayed there for a while they are then either banished to the lower earth, or sent down to hell, or raised up to heaven, the life that people have led being the determining factor in every case. That world serves as the upper boundary of the hells, which are closed or opened there at the Lord's good pleasure; and that world also serves as the lower boundary of heaven. It is therefore an intervening region that marks off heaven from hell. From all this one can see what the world of spirits is. While the evil spirits present with a person are in that world they are not subject to any hellish torment but enjoy the delights typical of self-love and love of the world, as well as the delights gained from all the pleasures for which the person himself has a liking; for they are present in the whole of the person's thought and the whole of his affection. But when they are sent back to their own hell they return to the state that was theirs previously.
ppp17998#pid#5853. The spirits who come to a person enter into his whole memory and all the knowledge he has in his memory. By doing this they take on his whole personality, so completely that they are unaware it is not their own. This is the great advantage spirits have over man. As a result, everything a person thinks they think, and everything he wills they will; and conversely, everything the spirits think the person thinks, and everything they will he wills. For by being linked together the two act as one. Yet the spirits on one hand and men on the other suppose that whatever they think or will is something inside themselves and has its origin there. That is what spirits suppose, and it is what men suppose; but they are mistaken.
ppp17997#pid#5854. The Lord sees to it that spirits should flow into a person's thoughts and desires, but that angels should flow into the ends he has in view and so through those ends into whatever ensues from them. The angels also flow by means of good spirits into the various good deeds he does in life and the truths he believes, and they use these to lead him away as far as possible from evils and falsities. This inflowing takes place silently, without the person knowing it; but even though it is hidden it works effectively. Above all the angels turn aside ends that are evil and introduce ones that are good. If this is not possible they withdraw; and the less possible it is, the further they withdraw and the more remote the position is from which they inflow, with the result that the evil spirits draw closer. For the angels cannot be present within evil ends, that is, within self-love and love of the world; even so, they remain present, but remotely so.
ttt[2] The Lord could by means of angels use almighty force to lead a person to have good ends in view; but that would be to take the person's life away from him, since his life consists of loves entirely contrary to those ends. It is therefore an inviolable law of God that a person should be left in freedom, and that goodness and truth, or charity and faith, should be implanted when he is in freedom, and by no means under compulsion. For what is received in a state of compulsion does not remain but disperses. Compelling a person to do something is not the same as instilling it into his will, for under compulsion the person must do someone else's will; when therefore his own will, that is, his own freedom, is restored to him, whatever was instilled under compulsion is rooted out. For this reason the Lord governs people by means of their freedom and restrains them as far as possible from the freedom of thinking and willing what is evil. For unless restrained by the Lord they would be constantly hurling themselves into the deepest hell. It has just been stated that the Lord could by means of angels use almighty force to lead a person to have good ends in view; for even if a person is surrounded by tens of thousands of evil spirits, they can be driven away in an instant, and it takes only one angel to do it. But then the person would go through such torment and hell that he could not possibly stand it, for his life would be wrenched from him. For a person's life consists of evil desires and false notions opposed to goodness and truth. Unless evil spirits were used to sustain and thereby correct that life, or at least to guide it, he could not survive one minute. For nothing else takes hold of him but love of self and of gain, and of reputation for selfish and gainful reasons, thus of whatever is contrary to order. So if he were not brought gently and gradually back to a state of order by having his freedom guided he would perish instantly.
ppp17996#pid#5855. Before the way was opened that enabled me to talk to spirits I had been of the opinion that no one except God alone - no spirit or any angel - could possibly know and perceive my thoughts since they were within me. Then one day something happened; I noticed that a certain spirit knew what I was thinking, for he spoke a few words to me about the things I was thinking, and he used a certain sign to indicate his presence. I was dumbfounded by this, above all by the fact that he knew my thoughts. The experience proved to me how difficult it is for a person to believe that a spirit can know what he is thinking, when in fact a spirit can know not only the thoughts of which a person himself is aware but also the smallest details of the thoughts and affections of which a person is not aware. Indeed the spirit can know things the person can never be aware of during his lifetime. This is something I know about from experience which has gone on for a number of years.
ppp17995#pid#5856. Communities communicate with other communities by means of spirits whom they send out and speak through. These spirits are called subordinates. I was unable to know of the presence of a community with me until they sent a spirit out; but once he had been sent communication was opened up instantly. This is a very familiar feature of the next life and happens frequently. From this one may see that the spirits and angels present with a person are there to provide contact with communities in hell and with communities in heaven.
ppp17994#pid#5857. I have spoken on several occasions to spirits about their ability, far superior to any that man has, to take to themselves everything in a person's memory the moment he arrives. I have said that even though they have had no previous knowledge at all of the branches of knowledge, the languages, or the particular matters that a person learns about and absorbs from infancy to old age, they nevertheless take possession of them all in an instant. Thus among the learned they are learned; among the clever they are clever; and among the judicious they are judicious. These things said by me have inflated those spirits with pride, for they were not good spirits. For that reason I was led to tell them also that when among the untaught they were untaught; when among the stupid they were stupid; and when among the senseless and foolish they were senseless and foolish. This is because they take to themselves everything existing interiorly in the person with whom they are present, including every one of his illusions, misconceptions, and false ideas, consequently his senseless and foolish notions. But evil spirits cannot get near young children because young children do not as yet have anything in their memory which those spirits can take to themselves. For this reason those present with young children are good spirits and angels.
ppp17993#pid#5858. Much experience has taught me that anything spirits think or say by drawing on a person's memory they regard as their own, existing within themselves. If told that their idea is not true they are highly indignant; for that kind of sensory illusion holds sway among them. I have asked them - to convince them that their idea is not true - how it is that they can talk to me in my own mother tongue, having had absolutely no knowledge at all of it during their lifetime. How do they know the other languages that I have mastered without learning a single one for themselves? Do they really think those languages are theirs? I have read even the Hebrew language to them which they, including young children, understood to the same extent as I understood it, but not beyond. They have also been shown that all the knowledge present with me is present with them. This has convinced them that when they come to a person they enter into possession of everything he knows, and that in believing it is their own they are holding to a false idea. They do have knowledge that is their own, but they are not allowed to draw on it, to the end that they may serve a person through the knowledge he has; and there are many other reasons for this as well, dealt with in `@@@2476`, `@@@2477`, `@@@2479`. Indeed very great confusion would result if spirits were to flow in with what came from their own memory, `@@@2478`.
ppp17992#pid#5859. Some spirits moving upwards once came to me, saying that they had been with me right from the start; they knew nothing different. But because I showed them the opposite was so, they at length confessed they had arrived only just then; and because they instantly took to themselves everything in my memory, they could not have known anything different. This also proved to them that the moment spirits arrive they take to themselves all the knowledge a person has, as if it were their own; and also that when many spirits are present each one takes it to himself and imagines it to be his own. This ability is one that a person comes to possess immediately after death. This also explains why within a heavenly community into which they come good spirits take to themselves and come to possess the entire wisdom that everyone possesses in that community. This is what the sharing that takes place among them is like even though during their lifetime they had no knowledge at all of the kinds of matters they talk about in that heavenly community. This happens to them if in the world they had led charitable lives filled with goodness. This goodness holds within itself the ability to embrace the whole of wisdom as its own, for real goodness has wisdom concealed within it. Consequently they have a kind of innate knowledge of things which during their lifetime were beyond understanding, indeed beyond description.
ppp17991#pid#5860. The spirits present with a person also adopt his false opinions, whatever they may be like, as much experience has served to prove to me. Thus they adopt not only false opinions that have to do with public duties and private behaviour but also those that have to do with spiritual matters of faith. From this it may be seen that the spirits present with people who cling to heresies, to misconceptions and illusions so far as truths of faith are concerned, and to falsities, cling to the same things; there is not the slightest difference between the two. The purpose of this is that a person may be left in freedom and not be disturbed by anything of the spirit's own.
ppp17990#pid#5861. From all this it is evident that while a person lives in the world he is so far as his interiors, thus his spirit, are concerned in contact with other spirits. It is evident too that he is linked to them in such a way that he cannot think anything, or will it, unless he does so together with them, so that interiorly he is in communication with the spiritual world; and that he cannot be led by the Lord in any other way. When a person enters the next life he takes with him his lack of belief that any spirit at all is present with him, let alone one from hell. He is therefore shown, if he so wishes, the community of spirits with which he has been in contact and from which the spirits present with him had been sent out. Also, after several states which he must pass through first, he finally returns to the same community, because that community had acted in unison with the love in him which has gained control. Several times I have seen people being shown their own communities.
ppp17989#pid#5862. The spirits present with a person do not know that they are present with him. Only an angel from the Lord knows that he is present, for angels are linked to a person's soul or spirit, but not to his body. When thoughts are realized in the body as speech, and wishes as actions, general influx serves as the orderly means by which they are channeled into speech or action; and this influx is governed by correspondences with the Grand Man. The spirits present with a person therefore have no part in any of this; so they do not use the person's tongue to speak, for that would amount to possession. Nor do they use his eyes to see things in the world, or his ears to hear things there. With me it is different, for the Lord has opened my interiors to enable me to see things in the next life. From this spirits have known that I was a person still in his body, and they have been given the ability to use my eyes to see things in the world and [my ears] to hear those talking to me in whose company I was present.
ppp17988#pid#5863. If evil spirits were to perceive their own presence with a person and their own separateness as spirits from him, and if they were able to exert a direct influence on the functions of the person's body, they would try in a thousand ways to destroy him, since they harbour a murderous hatred of him. Knowing that I was a person still in my body they were constantly trying to destroy me, not only in body but above all in soul; for the destruction of man, or of any spirit, is the greatest pleasure in life for all in hell. But the Lord constantly kept me safe from destruction. This shows how dangerous it is for a person to be in direct contact with spirits unless he is governed by the good of faith.
ppp17987#pid#5864. Having heard that spirits are present with a person, evil spirits have imagined that they could therefore meet those spirits, and with them that person. They have also looked for them for a long time, but without success, their intention being to destroy them. For just as the delight and bliss of heaven consist in doing what is good to a person and contributing to his eternal salvation, so conversely does the delight of hell consist in doing ill to a person and bringing about his eternal ruin, so that heaven and hell have contrary motivations.
ppp17986#pid#5865. There was once a spirit, not an evil one, who was allowed to pass over to a certain person and to talk to me from there. Having arrived the spirit said that he could see what looked like a black inanimate object or black lifeless mass; it was that person's bodily life which the spirit was allowed to see. Then it was said that when one is allowed to see the bodily life of a person in possession of the good of faith, it does not look like a black object but a wooden one, the colour of wood. I learned much the same by another experience. A certain evil spirit was let into the bodily state by forming his thoughts from the impressions of the bodily senses, thus from his external memory. At this time I saw him too as a black lifeless mass. When restored to his normal state he said that he had thought he was living a bodily life. Spirits are not under any other circumstances allowed to see the bodily aspects of a person, for a person's bodily aspects belong to the world and worldly light, and when spirits see things belonging to worldly light they look like utter darkness.
ppp17985#pid#5866. 'The angels and spirits present with a person' is continued at the end of the next chapter.
ppp17984#pid#5867. `Genesis 45bbb0`
1. And Joseph could not contain himself before all those standing with him; and he cried out, Make every man go out from me. And no one stood with him while Joseph made himself known to his brothers.
2. And he gave forth his voice in weeping; and the Egyptians heard, and the house of Pharaoh heard.
3. And Joseph said to his brothers, I am Joseph. Is my father still alive? And his brothers could not answer him, for they were filled with dismay at his presence.
4. And Joseph said to his brothers, Draw near to me, I beg you. And they drew near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt
5. And now, do not be grieved, and do not have any anger in your eyes, that you sold me here; for God sent me before you for the bestowal of life.
6. For this [is the situation] - there have been two years of famine in the midst of the land, and there are still five years, in which there will be no ploughing and harvest.
7. And God sent me before you to establish for you a remnant on the earth, and for the bestowal of life on you for a great escape.
8. And now, you did not send me here, but God; and He has established me as father to Pharaoh, and as lord for all his house; and I have dominion in all the land of Egypt.
9. Make haste and go up to my father, and say to him, Thus said your son Joseph: God has established me as lord for all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay.
10. And you shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your sons, and the sons of your sons, and your flocks, and your herds, and everything that belongs to you.
11. And I will sustain you there, for there are still five years of famine, lest perhaps you are wiped out, you and your household, and all that belongs to you.
12. And behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that with my mouth I am speaking to you.
13. And you must tell my father about all my glory in Egypt, and all that you see; and you must make haste, and cause my father to come down here.
14. And he fell on the neck`fff1` of Benjamin his brother, and wept; and Benjamin wept on his neck.`fff1`
15. And he kissed all his brothers, and wept on them; and after that his brothers talked to him.
16. And a voice was heard in Pharaoh's house, saying, Joseph's brothers have come. And it was good in Pharaoh's eyes, and in the eyes of his servants.
17. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, Say to your brothers, Do this: Load your animals, and go, get you to the land of Canaan.
18. And take your father and your households, and come to me; and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and you will eat the fat of the land.
19. And now carry out this command: Take for yourselves from the land of Egypt carts for your young children and your wives, and bring your father, and come.
20. And do not let your eye be sparing over your household utensils, for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours.
21. And the sons of Israel did so, and Joseph gave them carts, according to Pharaoh's command;`fff2` and he gave them provision for the way.
22. And to them all he gave each one changes of garments; and to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of garments.
23. And to his father he sent as follows: Ten asses carrying some of the good of Egypt, and ten she-asses carrying grain and bread, and food for his father for the way.
24. And he sent his brothers away, and they went; and he said to them, Do not quarrel on the way.
25. And they went up out of Egypt and came to the land of Canaan, to Jacob their father.
26. And they told him, saying, Joseph is still alive, and he has dominion in all the land of Egypt. And his heart failed, for he did not believe them.
27. And they spoke to him all Joseph's words which he had spoken to them; and he saw the carts which Joseph had sent to carry him, and the spirit of Jacob their father revived.
28. And Israel said, Enough,`fff3` Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.
CONTENTS
The previous chapter dealt with the internal man, which is 'Joseph' - with the initial steps taken by the internal man to become joined to the external natural man, which is 'Jacob's ten sons', through the intermediary, which is 'Benjamin'. The present chapter too deals with the internal man - with the actual joining of it to the external natural man. But since the two are not joined together except through spiritual good from the natural, which is 'Israel', the internal man prepares to link this good to itself first.
`nnn1. literally, necks
`nnn2. literally, mouth
`nnn3. literally, much
ppp17983#pid#5868. THE INTERNAL SENSE
Verses `Genesis 45bbbccc1-2` And Joseph could not contain himself before all those standing with him; and he cried out, Make every man go out from me. And no one stood with him while Joseph made himself known to his brothers. And he gave forth his voice in weeping; and the Egyptians heard, and the house of Pharaoh heard.
'And Joseph could not contain himself before all those standing with him' means that now everything had been prepared by the internal celestial for the joining together. 'And he cried out' means near to effect. 'Make every man go out from me' means that incompatible and contradictory factual knowledge was to be cast away from the centre. 'And no one stood with him while Joseph made himself known to his brothers means that no such factual knowledge was present when the internal celestial joined itself through the intermediary to the truths in the natural. 'And he gave forth his voice in weeping' means mercy and joy. 'And the Egyptians heard' means right through to last and lowest [mental images]. 'And the house of Pharaoh heard' means throughout the whole natural.
ppp17982#pid#5869. 'And Joseph could not contain himself before all those standing with him' means that now everything had been prepared by the internal celestial for the joining together. This is clear from the representation of 'Joseph' as internal good, dealt with in `@@@5805`, `@@@5826`, `@@@5827`, thus the internal celestial, for the expression 'the celestial' is used to mean good that emanates from the Lord; and from the meaning of 'not being able to contain himself' as the fact that everything had been prepared for the joining together. For when someone prepares himself most eagerly to achieve some end or effect, by seeking out and organizing the means to achieve it, he can no longer contain himself once all the preparations are complete. This is the meaning of the words under consideration here. For the chapter before this dealt with the initial steps that were taken to achieve the joining together, whereas the present chapter deals with the actual joining together, see `@@@5867`. 'All those standing with him' means the kinds of things which prevent the joining together and which were therefore cast away, as stated in what follows.
ppp17981#pid#5870. 'And he cried out' means near to effect. This is clear from the meaning of 'crying out', when preceded by the words 'he could not contain himself', as near to effect.
ppp17980#pid#5871. 'Make every man go out from me' means that incompatible and contradictory factual knowledge was to be cast away from the centre. This is clear from the meaning of 'every man from him' as factual knowledge, for the men were Egyptians, and by 'Egyptians' is meant factual knowledge, see `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1186`, `@@@1462`, `@@@5700`, `@@@5702`; and since it was cast aside it follows that it was incompatible and contradictory. For the situation is this: When the truths present in the external or natural man become joined to the good present in the internal man - that is, when the truths of faith are joined to the good of charity - all factual knowledge which is incompatible, and especially that which is contradictory, is cast away from the centre to the sides, thus from the light in the centre to the shadowy parts at the sides. When this happens that knowledge is in part disregarded and in part treated as valueless. But from the remaining factual knowledge which is compatible and harmonious, a kind of extraction - or if one can use the expression, a kind of distillation - takes place, from which the inner meaning of things is obtained, a meaning that no one perceives while in the body except through some joyful feeling, like that experienced at daybreak. Such is the way in which the joining of the truth of faith to the good of charity is effected.
ppp17979#pid#5872. 'And no one stood with him while Joseph made himself known to his brothers' means that no such factual knowledge was present when the internal celestial joined itself through the intermediary to the truths in the natural. This becomes clear from the explanation immediately above in `@@@5871`, thus without any further exposition.
ppp17978#pid#5873. 'And he gave forth his voice in weeping' means mercy and joy. This is clear from the meaning of 'weeping' as an expression of mercy, dealt with in `@@@5480`; also, just as an expression of sadness is an expression of love, `@@@3801`, so is joy.
ppp17977#pid#5874. 'And the Egyptians heard' means right through to last and lowest [mental images]. This is clear from the meaning of 'hearing' - hearing the voice given forth in weeping - as a perception of mercy and joy; and from the representation of 'the Egyptians' as factual knowledge, dealt with in `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1186`, `@@@1462`, thus the last and lowest [mental images], for the facts a person knows form the lowest level [of his mind]. It is not evident to a person that such facts form this lowest level, that is, the lowest level of his memory and conscious thought, for they seem to him to compose the whole of his intelligence and wisdom. But they do not. Facts are merely vessels in which matters of intelligence and wisdom are stored; and indeed they are last and lowest vessels, for they link with sensory impressions received through the body. The fact that they are last and lowest is evident to anyone who stops to reflect on the way he thinks. When he investigates some truth the facts he knows are at that time present yet not apparent; for his thought at that time draws out ideas contained within those facts. He draws those ideas out of great numbers of known facts scattered in this direction and that, as well as ones deeply hidden, and by doing this arrives at some conclusion. And the deeper his thought goes, the further away he gets from those facts. This may be seen quite plainly from the consideration that when a person enters the next life and becomes a spirit he does indeed take his factual knowledge with him, but is not allowed to use it, for a number of reasons, `@@@2476`, `@@@2477`, `@@@2479`; yet his thought and utterances about what is true and good are far clearer and more perfect than when he was in the world. From all this one can see that factual knowledge serves a person in the formation of his understanding; but once this has been formed his factual knowledge forms the last and lowest level, and he no longer thinks on this level but on a level above it.
ppp17976#pid#5875. 'And the house of Pharaoh heard' means throughout the whole natural. This is clear from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as the natural in general, dealt with in `@@@5160`, `@@@5799`; thus 'his house' is the whole natural.
ppp17975#pid#5876. Verses `Genesis 45bbbccc3-5` And Joseph said to his brothers, I am Joseph. Is my father still alive? And his brothers could not answer him, for they were filled with dismay at his presence. And Joseph said to his brothers, Draw near to me, I beg you. And they drew near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. And now, do not be grieved, and do not have any anger in your eyes, that you sold me here; for God sent me before you for the bestowal of life.
'And Joseph said to his brothers' means that the internal celestial imparted a power of perception to the truths in the natural. 'I am Joseph' means a revelation. 'Is my father still alive?' means the presence of spiritual good from the natural. 'And his brothers could not answer him' means that the truths in the natural were not yet in a state of being able to talk. 'For they were filled with dismay at his presence' means turmoil among them. 'And Joseph said to his brothers' means the perception by a new natural. 'Draw near to me, I beg you' means a more internal communication. 'And they drew near' means the effect. 'And he said, I am Joseph your brother' means a revelation made by means of influx. 'Whom you sold into Egypt' means the internal which they had alienated. 'And now, do not be grieved' means anxiety in the heart or will. 'And do not have any anger in your eyes' means sadness in the spirit or understanding. 'That you sold me here' means that they had alienated [it by banishing it] to the lowest parts. 'For God sent me before you for the bestowal of life' means the spiritual life they received as ordained by Providence.
ppp17974#pid#5877. 'And Joseph said to his brothers' means that the internal celestial imparted a power of perception to the truths in the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in the historical narratives of the Word as perception, dealt with in `@@@1898`, `@@@1919`, `@@@2080`, `@@@2619`, `@@@2862`, `@@@3395`, `@@@3509`, `@@@5687`, `@@@5743`, in this case an imparting of a power of perception, dealt with below; from the representation of 'Joseph' as the internal celestial, dealt with just above in `@@@5869`; and from the representation of the ten sons of Jacob, to whom 'brothers' refers here, as the truths in the natural, dealt within `@@@5403`, `@@@5419`, `@@@5458`, `@@@5512`. The internal sense is therefore this, that the internal celestial imparted a power of perception to the truths in the natural. The reason why 'saying' here means imparting a power of perception is that the subject in what follows below is the joining of the internal celestial, which is 'Joseph', to the truths in the natural, which are 'the sons of Jacob'. And when that joining together takes place an ability to perceive is imparted - through the affection for truth and thus for good.
ppp17973#pid#5878. 'I am Joseph' means a revelation. This is clear without explanation.
ppp17972#pid#5879. 'Is my father still alive?' means the presence of spiritual good from the natural. This is clear from the representation of Israel, to whom 'father' refers here, as spiritual good from the natural, dealt with in `@@@5801`, `@@@5803`, `@@@5806`, `@@@5812`, `@@@5817`, `@@@5819`, `@@@5826`, `@@@5833` (its derivation from the natural being dealt with in `@@@4286`); and from the meaning of 'is he still alive?' as the presence of that good. For when he revealed who he was Joseph thought first about his father, whom he knew to be alive. His father was therefore present in his thought at the beginning, and also constantly after that when he talks to his brothers. The reason for this is that the internal celestial, which is 'Joseph', cannot become joined to the truths in the natural, which are 'the sons of Jacob', except through spiritual good from the natural, which is 'Israel'. And once that joining together has taken place they are no longer the sons of Jacob but the sons of Israel; for 'the sons of Israel' are spiritual truths within the natural.
ppp17971#pid#5880. 'And his brothers could not answer him' means that the truths in the natural were not yet in a state of being able to talk. This is clear from the representation of the sons of Jacob, to whom 'Joseph's brothers' refers here, as the truths within the natural, dealt with above in `@@@5877`; and from the meaning of 'not being able to answer' as not yet being in a state of being able to talk - to talk to the internal on the basis of truths. The situation in all this is as follows: When the internal is joined to the external, or good is joined to truth, there is at first a communication with the external on the part of the internal, but there is no communication as yet in the opposite direction. When there is, the two exist joined together. This explains verse `Genesis 45bbbccc15`, which says it was after Joseph had wept on Benjamin's neck and had kissed all his brothers that the brothers began to talk to him, meaning that after the joining together had been effected a communication in both directions was established as a result of acceptance.
ppp17970#pid#5881. 'For they were filled with dismay at his presence' means turmoil among them. This is clear from the meaning of 'being filled with dismay' as turmoil; dismay is nothing other than this. Turmoil is used to mean the rearrangement and reordering of truths within the natural, a reordering about which the following ought to be known: The order in which the factual knowledge and the truths in the human memory are arranged is not known by men; but angels know it, if the Lord so pleases. It is an amazing order - facts and truths are grouped together in bundles, as also are the actual bundles; and all this in keeping with the interconnection of things of which the person has gained a mental grasp. The way they are grouped together is more amazing than anyone can ever imagine. In the next life visual presentations of them sometimes appear; for in the light of heaven, which is a spiritual light, things such as these can be displayed for the eye to see in a way utterly impossible in the light of the world. The arrangement of the facts and truths into those bundle-like forms depends entirely on the person's loves. Self-love and love of the world leads to their being arranged into hellish forms, whereas love towards the neighbour and love to God leads to their being arranged into heavenly ones. Consequently when a person is being regenerated and the good of the internal man is becoming joined to the truths of the external man, turmoil develops among the truths; for they are being rearranged into a different order. This turmoil is what is being described here and is meant by their being filled with dismay. The dismay which comes to be felt at this time reveals itself through anxiety arising out of the change in the state immediately before; that is to say, it arises out of being deprived of the delight which had been present in that state. The same turmoil also reveals itself through anxiety over the life they had previously led, in that they had relegated internal good and the internal itself to the lowest parts of their minds - an anxiety dealt with in what follows.
ppp17969#pid#5882. 'And Joseph said to his brothers' means the perception of a new natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as perception, dealt with above in `@@@5877`; and from the representation of 'Jacob's sons' as the truths in the natural, also dealt with above in `@@@5877`, in this case the natural itself since those who represent the truths in the natural also represent the natural itself, just as Pharaoh, representing factual knowledge in general because he was the king of Egypt, also represents the natural itself in general, `@@@5160`, `@@@5799`. The truths there and the natural (or the natural man) itself act as one, for the truths are the contents and the natural their container; and because they act as one the container is meant at one point in the internal sense, the content at another, depending on what the train of thought is.
ttt[2] The reason why 'the sons of Jacob' here represent a new natural is that the internal sense at this point describes the accomplishment of the joining together which in general terms is effected as the overall explanation [given in `@@@5867`] indicates, which is this: When the joining together of the internal and the external, or of good and truth, takes place, there is first imparted a power of perception that the person is moved by an affection for truth and thus for good; at that time he goes through turmoil, after which a more internal communication is established through influx, and so on. From all this it is evident that the natural, which 'the sons of Jacob' represent here, is a new natural, for its previous state has undergone change, `@@@5881`.
ppp17968#pid#5883. 'Draw near to me, I beg you' means a more internal communication. This is clear from the meaning of 'drawing near' as communicating in closer proximity, which, in the context of the external in relation to the internal, is communicating on a more internal level. People have no knowledge of the fact that communication with the natural or external man is both interior and exterior. And the reason why they do not know it is that they have not formed any idea for themselves about the internal man or about the life of the internal, that its life is distinct and separate from that of the external man. The only idea anyone has of the internal man is that it exists inwardly but is in no way distinct and separate from the external man, when in actual fact the two are so distinct that the internal can be separated from the external and lead a life that is the same only purer.
ttt[2] This is also what actually happens when a person dies. The internal is separated from the external, and the internal, which is alive after that separation, is what is then called a spirit. Yet it is the same person that lived in the body; and to himself, and to others in the next life, he looks like a person in the world, fully formed from head to toe. He is also equipped with the same powers that a person in the world has - of sensation when he is touched, of smelling, seeing, hearing, speaking, and thinking. He is equipped with them so completely that when he does not stop to reflect on the fact that he is in the next life, he imagines he is in his body in the world, as I have frequently heard spirits say. From all this one may see what a person's internal and external are. If some idea is gained of them from what has been said, a somewhat clearer picture will emerge of what has been stated about the internal man and the external man so often in explanations, also of what the phrase 'a more internal communication' describes, meant here by 'draw near to me, I beg you'.
ppp17967#pid#5884. 'And they drew near' means the effect, that is to say, the interior communication was accomplished. This is clear without explanation.
ppp17966#pid#5885. 'And he said, I am Joseph your brother' means a revelation made by means of influx. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying, I am Joseph your brother' as a revelation, as above in `@@@5878`. Influx is, it follows, the means by which that revelation is made because the internal does not act on the external in any other way, especially now since a more internal communication has been established, `@@@5883`. The revelation made by means of influx is, in the case of good, a discernment of good produced by an affection for truth, which is charity; but in the case of truth it is an acknowledgement of truth, which is faith.
ppp17965#pid#5886. 'Whom you sold into Egypt' means the internal which they had alienated. This is clear from the representation of Joseph, the one whom they had 'sold', as the internal, dealt with in `@@@5805`, `@@@5826`, `@@@5827`; from the meaning of 'selling' as alienating, dealt with in `@@@4752`, `@@@4758`, while 'Egypt' here means the lowest parts, as it does below in `@@@5889`. For placing some subject among the facts one knows without any acknowledgement of it is casting it to the sides, thus to the last or lowest parts of the mind. This is also how it is at the present day with the subject of the internal in the human being. The subject exists, it is true, among known facts because religious teaching provides knowledge of the existence of the internal man. Yet it is cast away to the lowest parts of the mind because there is no acknowledgement of it or belief in its existence, as a result of which it is alienated, not, it is true, from the memory but from faith. In the internal sense 'selling' is alienating matters of faith and charity, consequently the things that make a person a member of the internal Church, as may be recognized from the fact that in the spiritual world no buying or selling like that on earth takes place. Instead there is the making one's own of goodness and truth, meant by 'buying', and the alienation of them, meant by 'selling'. 'Buying' also means a communication of cognitions of goodness and truth, for the reason that 'trade' means the acquisition and communication of such cognitions, `@@@2967`, `@@@4453`; but in this case selling is said to be done 'not by silver'.
ttt[2] The meaning of 'selling' as alienating is also evident from the following places in the Word: In Isaiah,
Thus said Jehovah, Where is your mother's bill of divorce, whom I have put away? Or who of My usurers is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, because of your sins you have been sold, and because of your transgressions your mother has been put away. `Isaiah 50bbb1`.
'Mother' stands for the Church, 'selling' for alienating. In Ezekiel,
The time has come, the day has arrived. Do not let the buyer rejoice, and do not let the seller mourn, because wrath is on the whole multitude of it. For the seller will not return to the thing that has been sold, though his life may still be among the living ones. `Ezekiel 7bbb12-13`.
This refers to the land of Israel, which is the spiritual Church. 'The seller stands for one who has alienated truths and subtly introduced falsities.
ttt[3] In Joel,
You have sold the sons of Judah and the sons of Jerusalem to the sons of the Greeks, so that you might remove them far away from their borders. Behold, I will raise them up out of the place to which you have sold them. And I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hands of the sons of Judah, who will sell them to the Sabeans,`fff1` a people far off. `Joel 3bbb6-8`.
In this reference to Tyre and Sidon 'selling' again stands for alienating. In Moses,
Their rock sold them, and Jehovah shut them up. `Deuteronomy 32bbb30`.
'Selling' plainly stands for alienating. In the highest sense 'rock' is the Lord as regards truth, and in the representative sense faith, while 'Jehovah' is the Lord as regards good.
ttt[4] Since 'buying' in the spiritual sense is acquiring to oneself and 'selling' is alienating, the Lord compares the kingdom of heaven to one selling and buying, in Matthew,
The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man (homo) finds and hides, and in his joy he goes and sells whatever he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a trader seeking fine pearls, who, when he has found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it. `Matthew 13bbb44-46`.
'The kingdom of heaven' stands for the good and truth present with a person, and so for heaven present with him. 'Field' stands for good and 'pearl' for truth, while 'buying' stands for acquiring these and making them one's own. 'Selling all that one has' stands for alienating that which previously was properly one's own, thus alienating evil desires and false ideas, for these are properly one's own.
ttt[5] In Luke,
Jesus said to the young ruler, You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, then you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me. `Luke 18bbb22`.
In the internal sense these words mean that everything completely a person's own, which consists of nothing but evil desires and false ideas, ought to be alienated from him, for such desires and ideas are meant by 'all that he has', and then he will receive from the Lord good desires and true ideas, which are 'treasure in heaven'.
ttt[6] This is similar to what is said elsewhere in the same gospel,
Sell your resources and give alms; make for yourselves money bags that do not grow old, a treasure that does not fail in heaven. `Luke 12bbb33`.
Anyone can see that this verse holds a meaning other than the literal one. For at the present day 'selling one's resources' would be making oneself a beggar, and depriving oneself of any further opportunity to exercise charity, quite apart from the fact that one would inevitably regard such a course of action as being meritorious. Also it is an invariable truth that there are rich people in heaven as well as poor ones. The meaning other than the literal one contained in this verse is what was stated just above.
ttt[7] Since 'selling' meant alienating what belonged to the Church the following law was therefore laid down,
If a man was not pleased with a wife he had taken from among women captives, she was to be set apart from him. She should certainly not however be sold for silver; no gain was to be made out of her, because he had caused her distress. `Deuteronomy 21bbb14`.
'A wife taken from among women captives' stands for truth that is foreign, not from a genuine stock, yet can be linked in some way to the good of the Church present in a person. If however that truth proves to, be in many respects incompatible it can be separated; but it cannot be alienated since it has been joined in some way to that good. This is the spiritual meaning of that law.
ttt[8] There was also this law,
If there is found a man who has stolen a soul from his brothers, from the children of Israel, and has made profit on him, and has sold him, that thief shall be killed, so that you remove evil from the midst of you. `Deuteronomy 24bbb7`.
'Those who steal the children of Israel' stands for those who acquire the truths of the Church, not with the intention of living according to them and thus teaching them from their hearts, but with the intention of using those truths for personal profit. The damnation of such a person is meant by 'he shall be killed'.
`nnn1. literally, the Sebaites
ppp17964#pid#5887. 'And now, do not be grieved' means anxiety in the heart or will. This is clear from the meaning of 'grief' as anxiety, existing indeed in the heart or will. For the words that immediately follow 'do not have any anger in your eyes' mean sadness in the spirit or understanding. The expressions 'in the heart or will' and 'in the spirit or understanding' are used because 'the heart' has reference through correspondence to desires in the will, for it has reference to what is celestial, which is the good of love. But 'the spirit', which is associated with the lungs, has reference to ideas in the understanding, for it has reference to what is spiritual, which is the truth of faith, see `@@@3635`, `@@@3883-3896`.
ppp17963#pid#5888. 'And do not have any anger in your eyes' means sadness in the spirit or understanding. This is clear from the meaning of 'anger' here as sadness, for the words used here are a kind of repetition expressing much the same as those they follow - 'do not be grieved' - by which anxiety in the heart or will is meant (for when an apparent repetition occurs in the Word, one expression has reference to the will, the other to the understanding; or what amounts to the same, one has reference to the good of love, the other to the truth of faith. The reason for this is the heavenly marriage, which is one of goodness and truth, present in every detail of the Word, dealt with in `@@@683`, `@@@793`, `@@@801`, `@@@2173`, `@@@2516`, `@@@Arcana Coelestia ccc2712`, `@@@5502`); and from the meaning of 'eyes' as the understanding, dealt with in `@@@2701`, `@@@4403-4421`, `@@@4523-4534`.
ppp17962#pid#5889. 'That you sold me here' means that they had alienated [it by banishing it] to the lowest parts. This is clear from the explanation above in `@@@5886`.
ppp17961#pid#5890. 'For God sent me before you for the bestowal of life' means the spiritual life they received as ordained by Providence. This is clear from the meaning of 'the bestowal of life' as spiritual life, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'God sent me before you' as ordained by Providence. This meaning - ordained by Providence - becomes clear from Joseph's dreams. In them it was foretold that his brothers, and his father too, would bow down to him, which would never have been foreseen unless it had been ordained providentially. The meaning of 'the bestowal of life' and 'to bestow life' as spiritual life, or new life received through regeneration becomes clear from the single consideration that the spiritual meaning of the Word cannot be anything else. There is natural life and there is spiritual life, natural life being meant in the literal sense of the Word, but spiritual life in its internal sense. What is more, there are many places where even in the sense of the letter 'bestowing life' and simply 'life' are used to mean spiritual life, as in Ezekiel,
When I say to the wicked, You will surely die, and you do not warn him or speak to dissuade the wicked from his evil way so that life may be bestowed on him. `Ezekiel 3bbb18`.
In the same prophet,
You have desecrated Me among My people for handfuls of barley and for crusts of bread, to kill souls that ought not to die and to bestow life on souls that ought not to live. You strengthen the hands of the wicked so that he does not turn back from his evil way for life to be bestowed on him. `Ezekiel 13bbb19`, `Ezekiel 13bbbccc22`.
In Hosea,
Jehovah will bestow life on us after two days, and on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live before Him. `Hosea 6bbb1`.
In David,
Unless I believed I would see goodness in the land of life. `Psalms 27bbb13`.
In John,
To him who conquers I will grant to eat from the tree of life which is in the middle of the paradise of God. `Revelation 2bbb7`.
In John the Evangelist,
As the Father raises up the dead and bestows life [on them], so also the Son bestows life on whom He will. `John 5bbb21`.
In the same gospel,
It is the Spirit who bestows life; the flesh does not profit anything. The words which I speak, they are spirit and they are life. `John 6bbb63`.
In these places 'bestowing life' and 'life' plainly stand for spiritual life, which is life in heaven, a life which is also simply called 'life', as in Matthew,
Narrow and strait is the road that leads to life, and those who find it are few. `Matthew 7bbb14`.
And in other places 'entering into life' stands for entering heaven, `Matthew 18bbb8-9`; `Matthew ccc19bbb17`; `Mark 9bbb43`, `Mark 9bbbccc45`, `Mark 9bbbccc47`; `John 5bbb24`.
ppp17960#pid#5891. Verses `Genesis 45bbbccc6-8` For this [is the situation] - there have been two years of famine in the midst of the land, and there are still five years, in which there will be no ploughing and harvest. And God sent me before you to establish for you a remnant on the earth, and for the bestowal of life on you for a great escape. And now, you did not send me here, but God; add He has established me as father to Pharaoh, and as Lord for all his house; and I have dominion in all the land of Egypt.
'For this' means that this is the situation 'There have been two years of famine in the midst of the land' means a state when there is a lack of good in the natural mind. 'And there are still five years' means the duration of that state until remnants shine forth. 'In which there will be no ploughing and harvest' means that in the meanwhile no good will be seen nor any truth derived from good. 'And God sent me before you' means as ordained by Divine Providence. 'To establish for you a remnant on the earth' means the middle and inmost part of the Church. 'And for the bestowal of life on you' means the spiritual life from there that is bestowed on the truths in the natural. 'For a great escape' means deliverance from damnation. 'And now, you did not send me here' means that they had not handed him over to factual knowledge in the natural. 'But God' means that the Divine had done so. 'And He has established me as father to Pharaoh' means that now the natural was dependent on him 'And as lord for all his house' means that everything in the natural was dependent on him. 'And I have dominion in all the land of Egypt' means that he sets in order the factual knowledge there.
ppp17959#pid#5892. 'For this' means that this is the situation. This becomes clear without explanation, for the phrase is used to refer to the circumstances that come before and after a given situation.
ppp17958#pid#5893. 'There have been two years of famine in the midst of the land' means states`fff1` when there is a lack of good in the natural mind. This is clear from the meaning of 'years' as states, dealt with in `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@893`; from the meaning of 'famine' as a lack of good (for 'bread' in the spiritual sense is the good of love, and 'food' is the good of truth, so that 'famine' or 'hunger' is a lack of good, while 'thirst' is a lack of truth); and from the meaning of 'in the midst of the land' - the land of Egypt - as the natural mind, dealt with in `@@@5276`, `@@@5278`, `@@@5280`, `@@@5288`, `@@@5301`. The expression 'in the midst' is used because the midst or middle is the inmost part, `@@@1074`, `@@@2940`, `@@@2973`. Where good resides. 'Two years' are states when good and truth exist joined together, since 'two' means a joining together, `@@@5194`; but in the present use of the expression a joining together that has not yet been effected is meant since they are 'two years of famine'.
ttt[2] The implications of this are as follows: Truths must be present in the natural mind if good is to do its work, and those truths must be brought into it through an affection belonging to genuine love. Everything without exception in a person's memory has been brought into it through some love, and having become joined to that love remains in the memory. This also applies to the truths of faith; if they have been brought in through a love of truth, those truths become joined to and remain there with that love. Once they have become joined to it the following is then the situation: If the affection is evoked again, the truths that have been joined to it reappear at the same time; and if the truths are evoked again, the affection to which they have been joined reappears at the same time. This being so, when a person is being regenerated - which happens in adult life because he is unable before this to think for himself about the truths of faith - he is governed by angels sent by the Lord. They govern him by maintaining in him the truths which he has become convinced are truths, and by maintaining in him through those truths the affection to which they have been joined. And because that affection - an affection for truth - has its origin in good, he is then led step by step towards good.
ttt[3] A considerable amount of experience has proved the truth of this to me. For I have noticed that when evil spirits have thrust evils and falsities at me, the angels from the Lord present at the time have maintained in me the truths implanted in me previously and have thereby withheld me from those evils and falsities. From this it has also been evident that the truths of faith which, through an affection for truth, have become rooted in me serve as a level into which angels can operate, so that people who do not have this level laid down in them cannot be led by angels but allow themselves to be led by hell. For without it the operation of the angels cannot become established anywhere and so passes away from them. That level for angels to operate into cannot however be acquired unless the truths of faith have been put into service and thus have been implanted in the person's will and through this in his life. It is also worth mentioning that when the operation of the angels into the truths of faith present with a person takes place, it is rarely plain to see, that is to say, so plain that thought about the truth operated into is aroused. Rather, a general notion of things in keeping with that truth, and the affection that goes with it, is produced. For that operation by the angels is effected by means of an imperceptible inflowing which, when a visual presentation of it is made, looks like an inflowing beam of light. That light is made up of countless truths present within good which focus on one particular truth known by a person and which, while they sustain the truth in him, also sustain the love that belongs to that truth. This is the way the angels raise a person's mind above falsities and protect it from evils. Yet the person is totally unaware of any of this.
`nnn1. a state is probably intended here, cp `@@@5891`
ppp17957#pid#5894. 'And there are still five years' means the duration of that state until remnants shine forth. This is clear from the meaning of 'five' as remnants, dealt with in `@@@5291`; and from the meaning of 'years' as states, as immediately above in `@@@5893`, duration being meant by still that number of years. From these meanings it is evident that the words used here mean the duration of that state until remnants shine forth. Remnants are the truths and forms of good stored away by the Lord in a person's interior man, see `@@@468`, `@@@530`, `@@@560`, `@@@561`, `@@@660`, `@@@1050`, `@@@1738`, `@@@1906`, `@@@2284`, `@@@5135`, `@@@5342`. At this point the remnants are recognitions of and affections for truth before good reveals itself. They shine forth together with that good; but until then they are taken out of store in the measure that they can contribute to some useful purpose in life. Such is the nature of the Lord's providential care, indeed His constant care, though a person may know nothing at all about it and does not even have a wish to know. For he refuses to recognize the existence of providence in every detail of life, when in fact it exists in the smallest details of all from the earliest stage of a person's life through to the last, and for evermore after that. The streams of providence coming together at any one point in each person's life are more than any conceivable number. This I know from heaven.
ppp17956#pid#5895. 'In which there will be no ploughing and harvest' means that in the meanwhile no good will be seen nor any truth derived from good. This is clear from the meaning of 'ploughing' as the preparation made by good for the reception of truths, dealt with in what follows below; and from the meaning of 'harvest' as truths derived from good, for a harvest is grain that has ripened by the time it is gathered in, so that 'harvest' means truth derived from good. Before this truth is produced truths are indeed to be seen, but they are truths that lead to good, not truths derived from good. When truth guides a person in his actions his truths are truths leading to good; but when good guides him in them his truths are truths derived from good. The reason why 'ploughing' is said to mean good is that 'the field' which is ploughed means the Church as regards good, `@@@2971`, and so the good which constitutes the Church, `@@@3310`, `@@@3317`, `@@@4982`. Consequently 'ploughing' is the preparation made by good for the reception of truths; and 'the oxen' too that were used in ploughing means forms of good within the natural, `@@@2180`, `@@@2566`, `@@@2781`.
ttt[2] Because 'ploughing' had this meaning people in the representative Church were forbidden 'to plough with an ox and an ass together', `Deuteronomy 22bbb10`. They would never have been forbidden to do this if there had not been some cause of a more internal nature, thus a cause existing in the spiritual world. Without it what would have been wrong with the two ploughing together? And what value would such a law have in the Word? That cause of a more internal nature, a cause existing in the spiritual world, is that 'ploughing with an ox' means good within the natural, and 'ploughing with an ass' means the truth there, 'an ass' being truth contained in factual knowledge, thus truth within the natural, see `@@@5492`, `@@@5741`. The more internal or spiritual cause behind the existence of this prohibition was that the angels could not have a separate idea of good and truth. The two must be joined together and make one. For this reason the angels were unwilling to see any kind of ploughing done by an ox and an ass. Celestial angels refuse even to think about truth separate from good, for all truth with them exists within good, so that also for them truth is good. It was for the same reason that people were also forbidden to wear a garment made from a mixture of wool and linen, `Deuteronomy 22bbb11`; for 'wool' meant good, and 'linen' truth.
ttt[3] The fact that 'ploughing', also 'harrowing', 'sowing', and 'reaping', mean the kinds of activities that are connected with good and the truth that goes with it is clear in Hosea,
I will make Ephraim ride, Judah will plough, Jacob will harrow for him. Sow for yourselves in keeping with righteousness, reap in keeping with godliness, break up 'your fallow ground; and it is time to seek Jehovah, until He comes and teaches righteousness. `Hosea 10bbb11-12`.
'Riding' is used in reference to Ephraim because 'riding' means having the use of an understanding, 'Ephraim' being the Church's gift of understanding. But 'ploughing' is used in reference to Judah because 'Judah' is the good which exists in the Church.
ttt[4] In Amos,
Will horses run upon the rock? Will one plough with oxen? in that you have turned judgement into poison and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood. `Amos 6bbb11-12`.
'Will horses run upon the rock?' stands for Will there be any understanding of the truth of faith? For 'rock' in the spiritual sense is faith, Preface to `Genesis 22bbb0`, while 'horses' means the powers of understanding, `@@@2761`, `@@@2762`, `@@@3217`, `@@@5321`. 'Will one plough with oxen?' stands for Will there be any doing of good? For 'oxen' means good in the natural, see `@@@2180`, `@@@2566`, `@@@2781`. The fact that no doing of it was possible is meant by the words that follow - 'because you have turned judgement into poison'.
ttt[5] In Luke,
Jesus said, No one putting his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. `Luke 9bbb62`.
These words have the same meaning as those spoken by the Lord in Matthew,
Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house; and let him who is in the field not turn back to take his clothes. `Matthew 24bbb17-18`.
The meaning of these words is that a person governed by good should not depart from it and resort to matters of doctrine concerning faith; see `@@@3652`, where those words spoken by the Lord have been explained. Thus 'one who puts his hand to the plough' is a person governed by good; but 'looking back' means someone who then looks to matters of doctrine concerning faith and in so doing forsakes good. This explains why Elijah was displeased with Elisha who, ploughing in the field when he received his call, asked whether he might first kiss his father and mother; for Elijah said,
Go away; go back again; for what have I done to you? `1 Kings 19bbb19-21`.
In the contrary sense 'ploughing' means evil that destroys good, and so means a laying waste, as in Jeremiah,
Zion will be ploughed [like] a field, and Jerusalem will be heaps, and the mountain of the house [will be turned] into the heights of the forest. `Jeremiah 26bbb18`; `Micah 3bbb12`.
ppp17955#pid#5896. 'And God sent me before you' means as ordained by Divine Providence. This is clear from the meaning of 'God sent me before you' as Divine Providence, as above in `@@@5890`.
ppp17954#pid#5897. 'To establish for you a remnant on the earth' means the middle and inmost part of the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'a remnant' as forms of good coupled with truths and inwardly stored away by the Lord in a person, dealt with in `@@@468`, `@@@530`, `@@@560`, `@@@561`, `@@@660`, `@@@1050`, `@@@1906`, `@@@2284`, `@@@5135`, `@@@5342`; in this case the middle and inmost part of the Church is meant. The description 'middle and inmost part' is used because what is inmost in a person occupies the middle of the natural, where inmost things and relatively internal ones coexist. In general, where there is a series of things following one another consecutively, and another series in which they spread out and coexist, as they do in the natural, the inmost of that series are one and the same as those in the middle or centre of the second series. Such is the way that inmost things arrange themselves within more external ones. 'To establish for you a remnant on the earth 'implies that an inmost part of the Church will exist among the sons of Jacob. Not that they themselves were to be in that inmost part but that a representative of the Church, to all outward appearance a real Church, was to be established among them, where also the Word was to exist. These are the things that are meant by 'a remnant' when the expression refers to the Church understood separately from the nation.
ttt[2] Reference is made in various places in the Word to 'the remnant', and also to 'the ones who are left'; but so far these two expressions have been taken in a purely literal way to mean a remnant or those that are left of a people or nation. The fact that forms of good and truth stored away by the Lord in the interior man are meant in the spiritual sense has remained totally unknown till now. Examples of this meaning occur in the following places:
In Isaiah,
On that day the branch of Jehovah will be honour and glory, and the fruit of the land will be magnificence and an adornment for the escape of Israel. And it will happen, that he who remains in Zion, and he who is left in Jerusalem, will be called holy, everyone who has been written for life in Jerusalem. `Isaiah 4bbb2-3`.
Those who remained in Zion and those who were left in Jerusalem were never made holy, nor were they 'written for life' any more than anyone else. Plainly therefore 'those who remained' and 'those who were left' mean things that are holy and that have been 'written for life'; and these things are forms of good joined to truths that have been stored away by the Lord in the interior man.
ttt[3] In the same prophet,
On that day, the remnant of Israel and those of the house of Jacob that escaped will no more lean on him that smote them; but they will lean on Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the God of power. `Isaiah 10bbb20-22`.
'The remnant' is not used to mean the remnant of any people or nation, as may be recognized from the fact that in the Word, especially the prophetical part, 'Israel' has not been used to mean Israel, or 'Jacob' to mean Jacob; both are used to mean the Church and what constitutes the Church. This being so, 'the remnant' is not used to mean a remnant of Israel and Jacob but the truths and forms of good that constitute the Church. When the expressions 'remnant of the people' and 'those left of the nation' are used they do not mean a remnant of any people or those that are left of any nation, for 'people' in the internal sense means truths, `@@@1259`, `@@@1260`, `@@@3295`, `@@@3581`, and 'nation' forms of good, `@@@1259`, `@@@1260`, `@@@1416`. The reason why this has remained unknown and seems strange - that 'a remnant' means truths and forms of good - is that the literal sense, especially where it takes the form of history, draws the mind away and powerfully withholds it from contemplating such ideas.
ttt[4] In the same prophet,
Then there will be a highway for the remnant of the people, which will be left from Asshur, as there was for Israel through the sea when they came up out of the land of Egypt.
In a similar way 'those left from Asshur' are people who have not been corrupted by means of perverted reasonings; for 'Asshur' means such reasonings, see `@@@1186`. In the same prophet,
On that day Jehovah Zebaoth will be a crown of adornment and a tiara of beauty for the remnant of His people. `Isaiah 18bbb5`.
In the same prophet,
Moreover, those that are left of the house of Judah and who escape will take root downwards and bear fruit upwards. For out of Jerusalem will go a remnant, and those who escape from Mount Zion. `Isaiah 37bbb31-32`.
In the same prophet,
He will eat butter and honey, everyone that is left in the midst of the land. `Isaiah 7bbb22`.
In Jeremiah,
I will gather the remnant of My flock from all lands where I have scattered them, and I will bring them back to their fold to give birth and to multiply. `Jeremiah 23bbb3`.
In the same prophet,
The people which were left from the sword found grace in the wilderness, when He went to give rest to him, to Israel. `Jeremiah 31bbb2`.
'The people which were left from the sword in the wilderness' were those who were called the young children - those who were led into the land of Canaan after all the rest had died. These 'young children' were those who were left', by whom were meant forms of good embodying innocence; and the leading of those people into Canaan represented incorporation into the Lord's kingdom.
ttt[5] In Ezekiel,
I will cause some to be left, in that you will have some who will have escaped the sword among the nations when you are dispersed in the earth Then those of that escape will remember Me among the nations where they will be captives. `Ezekiel 6bbb8-9`.
The reason why the forms of good and the truths stored away by the Lord in a person interiorly were represented by the ones who were left or were a remnant among the nations where they were dispersed and made captives is that a person is constantly among evils and falsities, held in, captivity by them; for evils and falsities are what is meant by 'the nations'. When separated from the internal man the external man is altogether among them, and unless the Lord gathered forms of good and truth together, which are instilled into a person at various stages during the course of his life, he could not possibly be saved. Without remnants salvation comes to none.
ttt[6] In Joel,
It will happen, that everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will escape. For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be an escape, as Jehovah has said, and among those that are left whom Jehovah is calling. `Joel 2bbb32`.
In Micah,
The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forest. `Micah 5bbb8`.
In Zephaniah,
The remnant of Israel will not do iniquity or speak any lie; nor will a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth. They will feed and rest, with none making them afraid. `Zephaniah 3bbb13`.
These words describe the character of the remnant, a character which the people who were called Israel never possessed, as is well known. From this also it is evident that 'the remnant' has some other meaning, and this, it is plain, is forms of good and truth since these are what 'do not do iniquity, do not speak any lie, and no deceitful tongue is found in their mouth'.
ttt[7] In Zechariah,
The streets of the city will be full of boys and girls playing in its streets. This will be a marvel in the eyes of the remnant of My people. Now I will not be as in former days to the remnant of this people. For this will be the seed of peace; the vine will give its fruit, and the land will give its increase, and the heavens will give their dew. I will make the remnant of this people the heirs of all those things. `Zechariah 8bbb5-6`, `Zechariah 8bbbccc11-12`.
'The remnant' here is called 'the seed of peace' and they are ones in possession of truths derived from good, the fruitfulness of which truths is described by the statement that the vine will give its fruit, the land its increase, and the heavens their dew.
ttt[8] The remnants that are meant in the spiritual sense become so sealed off through evil living and false convictions that they cease to be seen any longer. And they are destroyed when from affection truth has first been accepted and then from affection afterwards denied; for when this happens truth and falsity become mixed together, and this is called profanation. Such remnants are referred to in the Word in the following places: In Isaiah,
He will remove man (homo); and the wilderness will be multiplied in the midst of the land. Scarcely any longer will there be a tenth part in it; it will be however an uprooting. `Isaiah 6bbb12-13`.
'Ten' means remnants, see `@@@576`, `@@@1906`, `@@@2284`. In the same prophet,
I will kill your root with famine, and it will kill the ones of you who are left. `Isaiah 14bbb30`.
'This refers to the Philistines, meaning those who have a knowledge of cognitions but do not live in accordance with them, `@@@1197`, `@@@1198`, `@@@3412`, `@@@3413`. The ones who are left are called a 'root' because forms of good and truth which make man truly human spring from remnants as their root. Therefore 'He will remove man', as stated in the quotation from Isaiah immediately above, means a destroying of remnants.
ttt[9] In Jeremiah,
The young men will die by the sword; their sons and their daughters will die by famine, and they will not have any remnant. `Jeremiah 11bbb22-23`.
This has to do with the men of Anathoth. In the same prophet,
I will take the remnant of Judah, who have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt, to sojourn there, so that all are consumed; and none will escape, nor will any of the remnant of Judah be left, who have gone to dwell in the land of Egypt. `Jeremiah 44bbb12`, `Jeremiah 44bbbccc14`, `Jeremiah 44bbbccc28`.
The reason why people from Judah could not sojourn in Egypt or reside there, and why they were so strictly forbidden to do so, was that the tribe of Judah represented the Lord's celestial Church, and celestial people have no desire at all to know facts meant by 'Egypt'. For everything they know grows out of celestial good present with them and that good would perish if they were to resort to factual knowledge. Indeed since celestial good is present with members of the Lord's celestial kingdom, and celestial truth is charity whereas spiritual truth is faith, they refuse even to speak of faith, for fear that they may come down from good and look back, see, `@@@202`, `@@@337`, `@@@2715`, `@@@3246`, `@@@4448`. These matters are also what is meant by the prohibition,
He who is on the housetop must not go down to take anything out of his house, and he who is in the field must not turn back to take his clothes. `Matthew 24bbb17`, `Matthew 24bbbccc18`.
See just above in `@@@5895`. Those same matters are likewise meant by the words in `Luke 17bbb32`, 'Remember Lot's wife' - she looked back and became a pillar of salt. About looking and turning back, see `@@@2454`, `@@@3652`.
ttt[10] The utter destruction of nations with not a single person left represented the condition among them when iniquity was so complete that no goodness or truth at all, nor thus any remnant, was surviving, as in Moses,
They struck down Og the king of Bashan, and all his sons, and all his people, until they did not leave him any remainder. `Numbers 21bbb35`; `Deuteronomy 3bbb3`.
ttt[11] In the same author,
They took all Sihon's cities, and utterly destroyed every inhabited city, and the women, and the young children; they did not leave any remainder. `Deuteronomy 2bbb34`.
And there are other places where one reads about the utter destruction of nations.
The situation with remnants - or forms of good and truth stored away by the Lord in a person interiorly - is this: Goodness and truth are implanted in a person when he seeks them with affection and so in freedom. When this happens angels from heaven draw nearer and link themselves to that person. Their link with him is what causes the forms of good coupled with truths to come to exist in the person interiorly. But when external interests occupy the person's attention, as when he is engaged in worldly and bodily pursuits, the angels depart; and once they have departed not a trace of those forms of good and truth is apparent. Nevertheless because such a link has been effected once, this person now has the capability of being linked to angels and so to the goodness and truth residing with them. But this linking does not take place any more often or fully than the Lord pleases, who controls the situation as is entirely best for that person's life.
ppp17953#pid#5898. 'And for the bestowal of life on you' means the spiritual life from there that is bestowed on the truths in the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'bestowing life' as spiritual life, dealt with above in `@@@5890`. For spiritual life is gained entirely from remnants, which is why the words 'the spiritual life from there' are used. And because they are the source from which that life is obtained, the reference to 'a remnant' is followed immediately by the words 'for the bestowal of life on you', that is to say, on the truths in the natural, which are represented by Jacob's sons, `@@@5403`, `@@@5419`, `@@@5427`, `@@@5458`, `@@@5512`.
ppp17952#pid#5899. 'For a great escape' means deliverance from damnation. This is clear from the meaning of 'an escape' as deliverance from damnation, a deliverance accomplished by means of remnants, that is, by means of the forms of good and truth present with a person, stored away by the Lord in him. People who accept those forms of good and truth, that is, who allow them to be implanted in themselves interiorly, escape damnation and are among 'those who are left'. This explains why in various places in the Word where reference is made to 'those who are left', or to 'a remnant', 'an escape' is mentioned, as it is here by Joseph and also elsewhere, such as in Isaiah,
On that day the fruit of the land will be magnificence and an adornment for the escape of Israel. And it will happen, that he who remains in Zion, and he who is left in Jerusalem, will be called holy. `Isaiah 4bbb2-3`.
In the same prophet,
On that day, the remnant of Israel, and those of the house of Jacob that escaped,`fff1` will no more lean on him that smote them. `Isaiah 10bbb20-22`.
In the same prophet,
Moreover, those that are left of the house of Judah and who escape`fff2` will take root downwards and bear fruit upwards. For out of Jerusalem will go a remnant, and those who escape`fff3` from mount Zion. `Isaiah 37bbb31-32`.
In Ezekiel,
I will cause some to be left, in that you will have some who will have escaped from the sword among the nations when you are dispersed in the earth. Then those of you that escape will remember Me. `Ezekiel 6bbb8-9`.
In Joel,
It will happen, that everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will escape. For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be an escape, as Jehovah has said, and among those that are left whom Jehovah is calling. `Joel 2bbb32`.
In Jeremiah,
None will escape, nor will any of the remnant of Judah be left. `Jeremiah 44bbb12`, `Jeremiah 44bbbccc14`.
All these places show what is meant by 'escaping', which is this: The people to escape are those who have remnants, and 'escaping' means being delivered from damnation.
`nnn1. literally, and the escape of the house of Jacob
`nnn2. literally, the escape that is left of the house of Judah
`nnn3. literally, and the escape
ppp17951#pid#5900. 'And now, you did not send me here' means that they had not handed him over to the factual knowledge in the natural. This is clear from the meaning of Egypt, the 'here' to which he had been sent, as factual knowledge within the natural, dealt with in `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1186`, `@@@1462`, `@@@4749`, `@@@4964`, `@@@4966`, `@@@5700`. The meaning of the words 'you did not send me', which is that they had not handed him over, is self-evident.
ppp17950#pid#5901. 'but God' means that the Divine had done so. This is clear without explanation. What is involved in all this has been explained at the point where Joseph's being sold into Egypt is dealt with, in which country he first served in Potiphar's house. That explanation shows that because in a supreme sense Joseph represented the Lord and in a lower sense those who are being regenerated by the Lord, factual knowledge is what has to be acquired first. For that knowledge is the source from which truths have to be deduced and within which those truths have then to be encapsulated. After that, progress can be made to ideas of a more internal nature. These are the things that 'Joseph' represented, which was why it was the Divine who sent him to that country.
ppp17949#pid#5902. 'And He has established me as father to Pharaoh' means that now the natural was dependent on him. This is clear from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as the natural in general, dealt with in `@@@5160`, `@@@5799`. Dependence on him is meant by the words 'established as father', for sons are dependent on their father. In the proper sense 'father' means good, `@@@2803`, `@@@3703`, `@@@3704`, `@@@5581`; and since everything both in the internal man and in the external is dependent on good, God's establishing him as father to Pharaoh accordingly means that the natural was dependent on him, on good. For 'Joseph' represents the internal celestial, which is internal good, `@@@5805`, `@@@5826`, `@@@5827`, `@@@5869`, `@@@5877`. This good flows in and brings order to all things in the natural, and at length causes the natural to be dependent on it.
ppp17948#pid#5903. 'And as lord for all his house' means that everything in the natural was dependent on him. This is clear from the meaning of 'all Pharaoh's house' as everything in the natural. The dependence on him of everything there is meant by the statement that he was established as lord over that house, 'lord' too being used in the Word to refer to good.
ppp17947#pid#5904. 'And I have dominion in all the land of Egypt' means that he sets in order the factual knowledge there. This is clear from the meaning of 'having dominion' as setting in order; and from the meaning of 'the land of Egypt' as the natural mind, dealt with in `@@@5276`, `@@@5278`, `@@@5180`, `@@@5288`, `@@@5301`, thus all the known facts there since they belong to that mind. These facts are what constitute the understanding side of that mind, whereas the good which flows in from the internal and sets in order the facts there is what composes in effect the will side of it.
ppp17946#pid#5905. Verses `Genesis 45bbbccc9-13` Make haste and go up to my father, and say to him, Thus said your son Joseph: God has established me as lord for all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay. And you shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near to me, you and your sons, and the sons of your sons, and your flocks, and your herds, and everything that belongs to you. And I will sustain you there, for there are still five years of famine, lest perhaps you are wiped out, you and your household, and all that belongs to you. And behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that with my mouth I am speaking to you. And you must tell my father about all my glory in Egypt, and all that you see; and you must make haste, and cause my father to come down here.
'Make haste and go up to my father' means to spiritual good. 'And say to him, Thus said your son Joseph' means the perception this good had regarding the internal celestial. 'God has established me as lord for all Egypt' means that it sets in order every single thing in the natural. 'Come down to me, do not delay' means a sure joining together. 'And you shall dwell in the land of Goshen' means the middle of the natural. 'And you shall be near to me' means an everlasting joining together. 'You and your sons, and the sons of your sons' means spiritual good, and all derivatives from it, and further derivatives from these. 'And your flocks, and your herds' means natural good, interior and exterior. 'And everything that belongs to you' means whatever is dependent on that good. 'And I will sustain you there' means a constant influx of spiritual life from the internal celestial. 'For there are still five years of famine' means the duration of the lack of good. 'Lest perhaps you are wiped out' means lest it perishes. 'You and your household, and all that belongs to you' means spiritual good and everything belonging to it. 'And behold, your eyes see' means attesting as a result of perception. 'And the eyes of my brother Benjamin' means especially as a result of perception by the intermediary. 'That with my mouth I am speaking to you' means a revelation. 'And you must tell my father about all my glory in Egypt' means a communication of the spiritual heaven in the natural with spiritual good. 'And all that you see' means whatever is recognized and perceived there. 'And you must make haste, and cause my father to come down here' means a closer joining together.
ppp17945#pid#5906. 'Make haste and go up to my father' means to spiritual good. This is clear from the representation of Israel, to whom 'father' refers here, as spiritual good from the natural, dealt with in `@@@5801`, `@@@5803`, `@@@5806`, `@@@5812`, `@@@5817`, `@@@5819`, `@@@5826`, `@@@5833`. The reason why spiritual good is the father of the internal celestial - even though spiritual good, because it comes from the natural, is external when considered in relation to the internal celestial - is that a person must be external before his internal man can develop. For progress is made in order, from exterior things to interior ones, for example, from factual knowledge to intellectual concepts, after which the exterior things must serve as the foundation on which the interior ones rest. This progression, or birth of one from another, is the reason for calling the external 'the father' of the internal, consequently the reason why spiritual good from the natural, which is 'Israel', should be the father of the internal celestial, which is 'Joseph'.
ppp17944#pid#5907. 'And say to him, Thus said your son Joseph' means the perception this good had regarding the internal celestial. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in the historical narratives of the Word as perception, dealt with often; and from the representation of 'Joseph' as the internal celestial, dealt with in `@@@5869`, `@@@5877`. The reason for the meaning here - the perception that spiritual good, which is 'Israel', had regarding the internal celestial, which is 'Joseph' - is that the words 'said your son Joseph' describe in the internal sense an ability to perceive that is the product of an influx from the internal celestial into spiritual good.
ppp17943#pid#5908. 'God has established me as lord for all Egypt' means that it sets in order every single thing in the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'being established as lord' as setting in order, as above in `@@@5903`, `@@@5904`; and from the meaning of 'all Egypt' as factual knowledge in the natural, and so every single thing there. For factual knowledge is what the natural consists of; and 'Egypt', as shown many times already, means factual knowledge.
ppp17942#pid#5909. 'Come down to me, do not delay' means a sure joining together. This is clear from the meaning of 'coming down to me' as a joining together; and from the meaning of 'do not delay' as that which is sure.
ppp17941#pid#5910. 'And you shall dwell in the land of Goshen' means the middle of the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'dwelling' as living, dealt with in `@@@1293`, `@@@3384`, `@@@3613`, `@@@4451`; and from the meaning of 'the land of Goshen' as the middle or inmost part. Because that land was situated in Egypt and 'Egypt' means the factual knowledge present in the natural, 'Goshen' means the middle or inmost part of the natural. Goshen was the best region in the land of Egypt; and what is the best - the best in the natural where factual knowledge exists - is situated in the middle or centre. For the actual good there acts like a kind of sun, shedding light from itself on the truths to the sides of it.
ppp17940#pid#5911. 'And you shall be near me' means an everlasting joining together. This is clear from the meaning of 'being near' as an everlasting joining together; for 'coming to Joseph' means a joining together, `@@@5909`, and therefore 'being near him', constantly near him, is an everlasting joining together.
ppp17939#pid#5912. 'You and your sons, and the sons of your sons' means spiritual good, and all derivatives from it, and further derivatives from these. This is clear from the representation of Israel, to whom 'you' refers here, as spiritual good, dealt with above in `@@@5906`; from the meaning of 'his sons' as derivatives from that good, that is, the truths in the natural which are represented by 'his sons'; and from the meaning of 'the sons of his sons' as derivatives from these, that is to say, further truths so born and derived. For when good occupies the first place and has dominion, it is constantly bringing forth truths. It then multiplies these around itself and also around each truth, making each truth like a star, the middle of which is shining brightly. But that good does not merely multiply the truths around itself; it also brings forth from those truths further truths by means of successive derivations, which are 'the sons of sons' or grandsons, and so on after them. Joseph did not invite his brothers to join him except through their father; for he said that his father was to come with his sons and sons' sons. The reason for this is that the joining of the internal celestial to the truths in the natural has no existence except through the intermediary.
ppp17938#pid#5913. 'And your flocks, and your herds' means natural good, interior and exterior. This is clear from the meaning of 'flock' as interior good, dealt with in `@@@2566`, in this case interior natural good since the flocks belonged to Israel, who represents spiritual good from the natural, `@@@5906`; and from the meaning of 'herd' as exterior natural good. The reason why 'herd' means exterior good and 'flocks' interior good is that the animals which constituted a herd, such as oxen and young bulls, were signs, when used in sacrifices, of external forms of the good of charity and also of the forms of good present in the external man. But the animals constituting flocks, such as lambs, sheep, she-goats, were signs of internal forms of the good of charity and also of the forms of good present in the internal man. Consequently people in whom these forms of good are present are referred to in the Word by the single term 'flock', and the one who leads them by the term 'pastor' or 'shepherd'.
ppp17937#pid#5914. 'And everything that belongs to you' means whatever is dependent on that good. This is clear from the meaning of 'everything that belongs to you' as that which is dependent on that good. For the forms of good and truth present in the natural are dependent on spiritual good as their father; and being dependent on this they belong to it.
ppp17936#pid#5915. 'And I will sustain you there' means a constant influx of spiritual life from the internal celestial. This is clear from the meaning of 'sustaining', when spoken by Joseph, who represents the internal celestial, as an influx of spiritual life from the internal celestial. In the internal sense 'sustainment' is nothing else than the influx of goodness and truth from the Lord by way of heaven. This is how angels are sustained, and it is how a person's soul, that is, his internal man, is sustained. This sustainment is what the sustaining of the external man by means of food and drink corresponds to; and for this reason good is meant by 'food' and truth by 'drink'. The nature of this correspondence is also such that when a person is eating food the angels present with him think of goodness and truth; and, what is amazing, their ideas vary according to the different kinds of food that he eats. When therefore in the Holy Supper a person receives bread and wine the angels present with him think about the good of love and the good of faith, `@@@3464`, `@@@3735`, for the reason that 'bread' corresponds to the good of love and 'wine' to the good of faith. And because they correspond to them they also carry the same meanings in the Word.
ttt[2] The fact that a person's soul, that is, his internal man, is sustained by spiritual food and drink, which are goodness and truth, is clear from the Lord's words in Moses,
Man does not live by bread only, but man lives by every utterance of the mouth of Jehovah. `Deuteronomy 8bbb3`; `Matthew 4bbb4`.
'Utterance of the mouth of Jehovah' is goodness and truth that go forth from Him. In John,
Do not labour for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. `John 6bbb27`.
In the same gospel,
The disciples asked Jesus, saying, Master, eat. He said to them, I have food to eat of which you do not know. `John 4bbb31-32`.
And regarding drink, in the same gospel,
Jesus said, If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow out from within him.`fff1` `John 7bbb37-38`.
`nnn1. literally, out of his abdomen
ppp17935#pid#5916. 'For there are still five years of famine' means the duration of the lack of good. This is clear from what has been stated and explained above about 'a famine' and about 'five', in `@@@5893`, `@@@5894`.
ppp17934#pid#5917. 'Lest perhaps you are wiped out' means lest it perishes. This is clear without explanation.
ppp17933#pid#5918. 'You and your household, and all that belongs to you' means spiritual good and everything belonging to it. This is clear from the representation of Israel, to whom 'you refers here, as spiritual good, dealt with already. The fact that 'your household, and all that belongs to you' means everything belonging to it is self-evident.
ppp17932#pid#5919. 'And behold, your eyes see' means attesting as a result of perception. This is clear from the meaning of 'eyes' and 'seeing' as perception, dealt with in `@@@2150`, `@@@3764`, `@@@4567`, `@@@4723`, `@@@5400`. The fact that attesting is meant is self-evident.
ppp17931#pid#5920. 'And the eyes of my brother Benjamin' means especially as a result of perception by the intermediary. This is clear from the meaning of 'the eyes' and 'seeing' as understanding and consequently perceiving, as above in `@@@5919`; and from the representation of 'Benjamin' as the intermediary, dealt with in `@@@5411`, `@@@5413`, `@@@5443`, `@@@5639`, `@@@5688`, `@@@5822`. The implications of this are as follows: Because 'Benjamin' represented the intermediary - and this intermediary was interior truth, `@@@5600`, `@@@5631`, directly dependent on internal good, represented by 'Joseph' - it possessed a clearer and sharper perception than that possessed by the truths beneath it, that is, by the external truths which his ten brothers represented. For the closer truth and good are to the internal, the more perfect is their power of perception; they are nearer the centre of the light in heaven and so are closer to the Lord. For the flow of Divine Good and Truth from the Lord passes through continuous degrees that serve as mediators to one another and are so positioned one after another. As a consequence people who dwell in the first or initial degrees receive the flow with clearer perception, because they are nearer the source, than those who dwell in the middle or outermost degrees. Like light goodness and truth become progressively dimmer at distances away from their source; for the increasingly imperfect things that exist in consecutive degrees make them duller. From all this one may see how to understand the idea of attesting especially as a result of perception by the intermediary; for the intermediary is more internal, while the truths represented by 'Jacob's sons' are more external.
ppp17930#pid#5921. 'That with my mouth I am speaking to you' means a revelation. This is clear from the consideration that the first thing attesting to it was the fact that they saw with their own eyes, the second that Benjamin saw with his eyes, and now the third that with his own mouth he was speaking to them. By the use of such evidence he removed all doubt that he was Joseph; he had therefore fully revealed who he was, which is why the words under explanation here imply a revelation.
ppp17929#pid#5922. 'And you must tell my father about all my glory in Egypt' means a communication of the spiritual heaven in the natural with spiritual good. This is clear from the meaning of 'telling' as communicating; from the meaning of 'glory' as the spiritual heaven, dealt with below; from the meaning of 'Egypt' as factual knowledge within the natural, thus the natural itself, as above in `@@@5908`; and from the representation of Israel, to whom 'father', the recipient of the communication, refers here, as spiritual good, dealt with above in `@@@5906`. From all this it is evident that 'you must tell my father about all my glory in Egypt' means a communication of the spiritual heaven in the natural with spiritual good.
ttt[2] With regard to 'glory' meaning the spiritual heaven, the situation is this: There are two kingdoms that form heaven - the celestial kingdom and the spiritual kingdom. The celestial kingdom is the inmost or third heaven, and the spiritual kingdom is the middle or second heaven. Good as it exists among celestial angels is called celestial good, and good as it exists among spiritual angels is called spiritual good. Celestial good is the good of love to the Lord, while spiritual good is the good of love towards the neighbour. As for what joins the two kingdoms together, the good of charity towards the neighbour does so. For with members of the celestial kingdom love to the Lord is what is internal and charity towards the neighbour what is external; but with members of the spiritual kingdom charity towards the neighbour is what is internal and faith deriving from it what is external. From this one may see that what joins the two kingdoms is charity towards the neighbour; for charity is that in which the celestial kingdom ends and the spiritual kingdom begins. What comes last in the one comes first in the other, and is thus where they receive each other.
ttt[3] Now let what 'glory' is be stated. In the highest sense 'glory' is the Lord in respect to Divine Truth; thus it is Divine Truth that goes forth from the Lord. But in the representative sense 'glory' is the good of love towards the neighbour or charity, which is the external good of the Lord's celestial kingdom and the internal good of His spiritual kingdom; for in the genuine sense this good is Divine Truth in heaven. Now since reference is made at this point in the story to Israel, who is spiritual good or charity which makes the spiritual kingdom in heaven and the spiritual Church on earth, Joseph's 'glory' here which they were to tell Israel about means the spiritual heaven. The spiritual heaven is called 'glory' because things there are seen in light, brilliance, and radiance.
ttt[4] Glory is attributed to Divine Truth that comes forth from the Lord's Divine Human, and it is ascribed to the Lord as King; for in the internal sense kingship means Divine Truth, `@@@1728`, `@@@2015`, `@@@2069`, `@@@3009`, `@@@3670`, `@@@4581`, `@@@4966`, `@@@5044`, `@@@5068`. This is clear in John,
What is more, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the Only Begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. `John 1bbb14`.
'The Word' is Divine Truth. Since it goes forth from the Lord it is the Lord Himself, and for that reason 'glory' is attributed to Divine Truth.
ttt[5] In Luke, when Jesus was transfigured on the mountain,
Behold, two men talked to Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who were seen in glory. `Luke 9bbb30-31`.
There the Lord showed Peter, James, and John what His Divine Human was like and what it looked like in Divine light. The form in which they saw Him at that time demonstrated what the Word is like in its internal sense, and so what Divine Truth in heaven is like; for the Word is Divine Truth provided for the Church's use. This also explains why at the same time the scene presented Moses and Elijah talking to Him; for 'Moses' represents the Law, by which one means the books by him together with the historical ones, while 'Elijah' represents the Prophets or prophetical part of the Word. For more about Moses' representation of the Law, see Preface to `Genesis 18bbb0`, and also `@@@4859` (end); and for more about Elijah's representation of the prophetical part of the Word, see the same Preface, and also `@@@2762`, `@@@5247` (end).
ttt[6] In Matthew,
They will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and glory. `Matthew 24bbb30`.
The literal sense of the Word is meant by 'the clouds', while the internal sense, consequently Divine Truth as this exists in heaven, is meant by 'glory'; see Preface to `Genesis 18bbb0`. 'Glory' also means the intelligence and wisdom that flow from Divine Truth, `@@@4809`. So far as its external sense is concerned the Word exists 'in a cloud', for the reason that people's minds dwell in darkness. Therefore if the Word did not dwell 'in a cloud' scarcely anyone would understand it, and also the sacred contents of the internal sense would be rendered profane by wicked people in the world. This is why the Lord says in Isaiah,
Jehovah will create over every habitation of Mount Zion, and over her assemblies, a cloud by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory there will be a covering. And there will be a tabernacle for shade by day. `Isaiah 4bbb5-6`.
ttt[7] It was for the same reason that over the tabernacle a cloud was seen by day and a fire by night. The tabernacle represented the Lord's Divine Human, consequently Divine Truth which goes forth from Him, and so the Word, which is Divine Truth for the Church, see `@@@3210`, `@@@3439`. The same is meant by the following in Moses,
The cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of Jehovah filled the dwelling-place. `Exodus 40bbb34`.
In the same author,
The glory of Jehovah appeared in the tent of meeting before all the children of Israel. `Numbers 14bbb10`.
And in another place,
The cloud covered the tent, and the glory of Jehovah appeared. `Numbers 16bbb42`.
ttt[8] A cloud and glory appeared in a similar way over Mount Sinai, which are spoken of in Moses as follows,
When Moses went up into the mountain the cloud covered the mountain. And the glory of Jehovah dwelt over Mount Sinai and covered it six days. `Exodus 24bbb15-16`.
The same representations occurred then because the Law, which is Divine Truth, was delivered from that mountain. The reason why the cloud was seen and the glory of Jehovah when Moses went up into the mountain was that in this he represented the Law, that is, the historical section of the Word. This explains why on several occasions the expression 'Moses and the Prophets' or else 'the Law and the Prophets' is used. 'The Law' is in this case used to mean the books by him together with all the other historical books, but not the Prophets because that part of the Word was represented by Elijah and Elisha. For as is well known, the Word has a historical section and a prophetical part, and therefore when the Word is called 'the Law and the Prophets', 'the Law' is used to mean the historical section and 'the Prophets' the prophetical part.
ttt[9] Divine Truth was also represented by a brightness, like a rainbow in the cloud, that surrounded the cherubs and was up above them - in Ezekiel, where those things are described as follows,
I saw the appearance of fire, like a brightness round about, like the appearance of a rainbow which is in the cloud on a day of rain. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of Jehovah. `Ezekiel 1bbb26-28`.
Divine Truth is also called the glory of Jehovah, and the glory of the God of Israel in `Ezekiel 8bbb4`; `Ezekiel ccc10bbb18-19`; `Ezekiel ccc11bbb21`, `Ezekiel 11bbbccc23`. It is called 'the glory of Jehovah' in reference to the inmost heaven, and 'the glory of the God of Israel' in reference to the middle or spiritual heaven. The reason why in heaven Divine Truth appears in glory is that truth itself in the spiritual heaven appears before one's eyes as a shining cloud, which I too have been allowed to see several times, while the good held within that truth appears there as a fieriness. The cloud which is given diverse colourings by the fire presents amazing sights, which are 'glory' in the external sense. But the glory in the internal sense is intelligence and wisdom, which are also what those sights represent.
ttt[10] The fact that Divine Truth, the source of all wisdom and intelligence, is 'the glory', as is the diversely coloured cloud appearing before one's external sight, is also clear from the following places: In Moses,
Jehovah said, I am the Living One, and the whole earth will be filled with the glory of Jehovah. `Numbers 14bbb21`.
This was said by Jehovah when the Israelite people were rejected by Him. He said that only their young children would enter the land of Canaan, at which time the whole earth would be filled with the glory of Jehovah. The meaning of this was that the glory of Jehovah would be present in the representatives of the Church existing among them, and in the Word which referred for the most part to them, and that all heaven and consequently the holy things of the Church would be filled with this glory.
ttt[11] In Isaiah,
The seraphim kept calling out, Holy, holy, holy is Jehovah Zebaoth; the whole earth is full of His glory. `Isaiah 6bbb3`.
In the same prophet,
The glory of Jehovah will be revealed, and all flesh will see it together. `Isaiah 40bbb5`.
In the same prophet,
Therefore in the Urim give glory to Jehovah, in the isles of the sea to the name of Jehovah, the God of Israel. `Isaiah 24bbb15`.
'The Urim' stands for the light that is received from Divine Truth going; forth from the Lord. 'The isles of the sea' stands for those who are further away from the truth, `@@@1158`.
ttt[12] In the same prophet,
The glory of Lebanon has been given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They will see the glory of Jehovah, the majesty of our God. `Isaiah 35bbb2`.
'Lebanon' stands for the spiritual Church, Carmel and Sharon' for the celestial Church. 'The glory of Jehovah' is attributed to the latter when celestial truth, which is charity, is meant, and 'the majesty of the God of Israel' to the former when spiritual good, which also is charity, is meant.
ttt[13] In the same prophet,
Arise, shine, for Your light has come, and the glory of Jehovah has risen upon You. For behold, darkness is covering the earth, and thick darkness the peoples. But Jehovah will arise upon You, and His glory will be seen over You. `Isaiah 60bbb1-2`.
This refers to the Lord, who is called the Light, as in `John 1bbb4`, `John 1bbbccc9`. It also says that 'the glory of Jehovah will arise upon Him', meaning that Divine Truth belongs to Him. Similarly in the same prophet,
For My own sake, for My own sake, I will do it; for how should it be profaned? My glory I do not give to another. `Isaiah 48bbb11`.
This too refers to the Lord, 'glory' in the highest sense standing for the Divine Human, and so also for Divine Truth since this comes forth from it. 'Not giving glory to another' is imparting it solely to the Divine Human, which is one with Himself.
ttt[14] In John,
The holy city Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven, having the glory of God, and its light was like a most precious stone. `Revelation 21bbb10-11`.
'The holy city Jerusalem' is the Lord's spiritual kingdom in heaven and His spiritual Church on earth, to both of which glory is attributed. Its light is truth radiating from the Divine.
ttt[15] Since Divine Truth is what kingship in the Word represents - even as the Lord in respect to His Divine Truth was represented by kings, see the places listed just above - glory was therefore ascribed to Him as King, as in David,
Lift up your heads, O gates, and be lifted , O ancient doors,`fff1` so that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? Jehovah strong and mighty, Jehovah mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O gates, lift up. O ancient doors,`fff1` that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? Jehovah Zebaoth, He is the King of glory. `Psalms 24bbb7-10`.
In Isaiah,
Jehovah Zebaoth will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before His elders, glory. `Isaiah 24bbb23`.
'Glory' stands for Divine Truth. Jehovah is called 'Jehovah Zebaoth' - that is, Jehovah of Hosts or of Armies - when the subject is Divine truth; for truths are meant by 'armies', `@@@3448`.
ttt[16] Also, because Divine Truth was represented by kingship, the throne on which kings sat when they made judgements was called a throne of glory, `Isaiah 22bbb23`; `Jeremiah 14bbb21`; `Jeremiah ccc17bbb12`.
And in Matthew,
The Son of Man will sit on the throne of His glory. `Matthew 19bbb28`.
In the same gospel,
When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. And the King will say to them . . . `Matthew 25bbb31`, `Matthew 25bbbccc34`, `Matthew 25bbbccc40`.
The throne was called 'a throne of glory' for the further reason that truth was the basis on which judgements were made. In the same gospel,
The Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father together with His angels, and at that time He will repay everyone according to his deeds. `Matthew 16bbb27`.
ttt[17] From all this one may now see what is meant by 'the glory' in the Lord's Prayer,
Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever. `Matthew 6bbb13`.
The Lord's spiritual kingdom in heaven and His spiritual Church on earth is in addition referred to by another word for 'glory' (decus) in `Isaiah 60bbb7`; `Isaiah ccc63bbb15`; `Isaiah ccc64bbb11`; `Daniel 8bbb9-11`; `Daniel ccc11bbb16`, `Daniel 11bbbccc41`, `Daniel 11bbbccc45`.
Joseph too therefore speaks of his glory, for Joseph himself in the highest sense represents the Lord's Divine Spiritual or His Divine Truth, and in the internal sense His spiritual kingdom, also the good of faith, see `@@@3969`, `@@@4669`, `@@@4723`, `@@@4727`.
`nnn1. literally, doors of the world
ppp17928#pid#5923. 'And all that you see' means whatever is recognized and perceived there. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing' as understanding, and from this perceiving and recognizing, dealt with in `@@@2150`, `@@@2325`, `@@@2807`, `@@@3764`, `@@@3863`, `@@@4407-4421`, `@@@4567`, `@@@4723`, `@@@5400`.
ppp17927#pid#5924. 'And you must make haste, and cause my father to come down here means a closer joining together. This is clear from what is said above in `@@@5909`; and since the same request is restated here with love and emotion, a closer joining together is meant.
ppp17926#pid#5925. Verses `Genesis 45bbbccc14-15` And he fell on the neck`fff1` of Benjamin his brother, and wept; and Benjamin wept on his neck.`fff1` And he kissed all his brothers, and wept on them; and after that his brothers talked to him.
'And he fell on the neck of Benjamin' means an inmost joining to the intermediary. 'And wept' means an expression of mercy. 'And Benjamin wept on his neck' means an acceptance and reciprocal response. 'And he kissed all his brothers' means a linking together through grace. 'And wept on them' means an expression of affection. 'And after that his brothers talked to him' means a reciprocal communication because there was acceptance.
`nnn1. literally, necks
ppp17925#pid#5926. 'And he fell on the neck of Benjamin' means an inmost joining to the intermediary. This is clear from the meaning of 'the neck' as an influx, communication, and joining together, dealt with in `@@@3542`, `@@@3695`, `@@@3725` (strictly speaking it is a joining together of celestial things and spiritual ones, `@@@5320`, `@@@5328`, thus a joining of the internal celestial, which is 'Joseph', to the spiritual of the celestial, which is 'Benjamin'; consequently 'falling on the neck' means joining very closely to oneself, which is therefore an inmost joining together); and from the representation of 'Benjamin' as the intermediary, dealt with in `@@@5411`, `@@@5413`, `@@@5443`, `@@@5679`, `@@@5686`, `@@@5688`, `@@@5689`.
ppp17924#pid#5927. 'And wept' means an expression of mercy. This is clear from the meaning of 'weeping' as that which is the result of mercy, thus is an expression of it, dealt with in `@@@5480`, `@@@5873`.
ppp17923#pid#5928. 'And Benjamin wept on his neck' means an acceptance and reciprocal response. This is clear from the fact that it is an action repeated in return, and is therefore an acceptance and reciprocal response. As regards the joining of good to truths, and the responsive joining of truths to good, it should be recognized that when good flows into truths and joins them to itself it does so by pouring good into them from itself and thereby attaching them to itself, and then the two are joined together. Now because when this happens the truths receive life they appear after that to act independently when they act in response, or react to the good. Nevertheless the truths do not act independently but are moved by the good flowing into the good which was added from itself to the truths. It is like the blood vessels in a living body. The truths are like those vessels without blood in, them, whereas the good is like the blood itself. When the blood pours itself into the vessels which previously were empty it activates them. The vessels respond, because from the blood they receive motion and so to speak life. From all this one may see what is implied by the joining of good to truths, and the responsive joining of truths to good.
ppp17922#pid#5929. 'And he kissed all his brothers' means a linking together through grace. This is clear from the meaning of 'kissing' as a joining together through affection, dealt with in `@@@3573`, `@@@3574`, `@@@4753`, in this case a linking together through grace because the truths of the Church within the natural, represented by 'the sons of Jacob', are more remote from internal good, which is 'Joseph'. And although truths that are more remote are, it is true, joined through the intermediary to internal good, yet for a long time they retain features such as are not in agreement with internal good. This is why 'kissing his brothers' means a linking together through grace.
ttt[2] The expression 'through grace' is used, and not 'through mercy', because truths that are more remote and not in full agreement are not equipped with the kind of humility that enables people to plead for mercy. Indeed they are unable in their hearts even to use the word mercy, only the word grace. The reason for this is that the discordant features that cling to those truths arise from self-love, and one who loves only himself cannot at heart possibly humble himself. Rather, he exalts himself, for in every single thing he regards only himself and has little concern for anything outside himself.
ppp17921#pid#5930. 'And wept on them' means an expression of affection. This is clear from the meaning of 'weeping' as an expression of mercy, dealt with just above in `@@@5927`, `@@@5928`. In this case an expression of affection is meant, for the same reason as that given immediately above in `@@@5929`.
ppp17920#pid#5931. 'And after that his brothers talked to him' means a reciprocal communication because there was acceptance. This is clear from the explanation above in `@@@5880`. What this means - a reciprocal communication because there was acceptance - may be seen from what is said above in `@@@5928`.
ppp17919#pid#5932. Verses `Genesis 45bbbccc16-20` And a voice was heard in Pharaoh's house, saying, Joseph's brothers have come. And it was good in Pharaoh's eyes, and in the eyes of his servants. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, Say to your brothers, Do this: Load your animals, and go, get you to the land of Canaan. And take your father and your households, and come to me; and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and you will eat the fat of the land. And now carry out this command: Take for yourselves from the land of Egypt carts for your young children and your wives, and bring your father, and come. And do not let your eye be sparing over your household utensils, for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours.
'And a voice was heard in Pharaoh's house' means that it filled the entire natural. 'Saying, Joseph's brothers have come' means a perception that the truths of the Church within the natural were present. 'And it was good in Pharaoh's eyes' means joy everywhere there. 'And in the eyes of his servants' means including what occupied the lowest position there. 'And Pharaoh said to Joseph' means a perception received by the natural from the internal celestial. 'Say to your brothers' means regarding the truths of the Church within the natural. 'Do this: Load your animals' means that they were to fill every truth with good. 'And go, get you to the land of Canaan' means their dwelling-place. 'And take your father and your households, and come to me' means the drawing of spiritual good and of the truths of the Church nearer to factual knowledge in the natural. 'And I will give you the good of the land of Egypt' means the possession of factual knowledge. 'And you will eat the fat of the land' means making the good there their own. 'And now carry out this command' means an act of will. 'Take for yourselves from the land of Egypt carts' means matters of doctrine belonging to factual knowledge. 'For your young children and your wives' means for those who as yet have no knowledge. 'And bring your father, and come' means their service and their drawing nearer. 'And do not let your eye be sparing over your household utensils' means let no concern be shown for anything that serves instrumentally. 'For the good of all the land of Egypt is yours' means that which in the natural mind is of primary importance to them.
ppp17918#pid#5933. 'And a voice was heard in Pharaoh's house' means that it filled the entire natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'a voice that is heard' somewhere else far away, used in reference to an inflowing, as being filled, for just as a voice that is heard fills somewhere, so does anything inflowing; and from the meaning of 'Pharaoh's house' as the entire natural, for 'Pharaoh' represents the natural in general `@@@5160`, `@@@5799`.
ppp17917#pid#5934. 'Saying, Joseph's brothers have come' means [a perception] that the truths of the Church within the natural were present. This is clear from the meaning of 'having come as being present; and from the representation of the sons of Jacob or 'Joseph's brothers' as the truths of the Church within the natural, dealt with in `@@@5403`, `@@@5419`, `@@@5458`, `@@@5512`. Existing within the natural there is factual knowledge of various kinds. There is factual knowledge which has to do with earthly, bodily, and worldly matters; this occupies the lowest position since it consists of impressions received directly from the external or bodily senses. There is also factual knowledge which has to do with one's country, its system of government, and laws and statutes, which occupies a slightly more internal position. There is factual knowledge which has to do with matters of right conduct, which occupies a position still more internal. And there is knowledge which has to do with spiritual life occupying positions interior to them all; this consists of the truths known to the Church. To the extent that these truths exist with a person solely as a result of religious teaching they are no more than factual knowledge; but once they stem from the good of love in him they go onto a level above factual knowledge, for they now dwell in spiritual light, from which they can look at factual knowledge arrayed in proper order beneath them. By means of such rising degrees of factual knowledge a person attains intelligence; for factual knowledge at each level opens the mind so that light from the spiritual world may flow in. From all this one may now see what is meant by the truths of the Church within the natural being present.
ppp17916#pid#5935. 'And it was good in Pharaoh's eyes means joy everywhere there - in the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'being good in someone's eyes' as being a thing of joy to him; and from the representation of' Pharaoh' as the natural in general, dealt with just above in `@@@5933`.
ppp17915#pid#5936. 'And in the eyes of his servants' means including what occupied the lowest position. This is clear from the meaning of 'servants' as lower things, dealt with in `@@@2541`, `@@@5161`, `@@@5164`, `@@@5305`, and so also lowest ones. Which kind of factual knowledge occupies the lowest position in the natural, and which kind occupies a position not quite so low, see just above in `@@@5934`.
ppp17914#pid#5937. 'And Pharaoh said to Joseph' means a perception received by the natural from the internal celestial. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in the historical narratives of the Word as perception, dealt with often; from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as the natural in general, dealt with in `@@@5160`, `@@@5799`; and from the representation of 'Joseph' as the internal celestial, dealt with in `@@@5869`, `@@@5877`. Since the celestial, which 'Joseph' represents, is internal while the natural, which 'Pharaoh' represents, is external, the perception is therefore received by the natural from the internal celestial. For all perception comes from within; no perception ever exists within that comes from without; for wherever an influx comes from, perception is from the same source.
ttt[2] Let a brief statement appear here about what perception, referred to so many times, is. Everyone possesses the ability to perceive whether something is true or not. The ability he has within himself, within his mind, to draw conclusions is what enables him to perceive it; yet this ability cannot possibly exist in him without influx from the spiritual world. It is a gift that one person possesses in greater measure than another. Those who possess it in smaller measure are people who draw few conclusions within themselves or their minds and so have little perception; and if they say a thing is true they do so because others in whom they put their trust have said it is. Those however who possess the gift in greater measure are people who do not rely on others but see for themselves that it is true. But this kind of perception that everyone has involves worldly matters; nobody at the present day has any perception in spiritual ones. The reason for this is that what flows in from the spiritual source to produce that perception is blotted out and virtually annihilated by the delights of worldly and selfish love. As a consequence people have no interest in spiritual things except where duty or custom require it. Take away the fear that duty engenders, and the delight that custom affords, and people would scorn, turn away from, and indeed deny the existence of spiritual things.
ttt[3] To have perception in spiritual things a person must have an affection for truth stirred by good and must have an unceasing desire to know truths. This leads to an enlightenment of the understanding part of his mind; and once it has been enlightened he is able within himself to see a thing with perception. But if a person is not stirred by an affection for truth, then he knows what he knows to be true from the teaching of the Church on which he pins his faith, something he also knows because priest, presbyter, or monk has declared it to be. From all this one may see what perception is and that it exists in worldly matters but not in spiritual ones. This is further evident from the consideration that everyone adheres to the system of religious belief into which he was born; this includes those who were born Jews and those outside the Church, even though they live in places where the Church is situated. The same goes for the adherents to any heresy. If utter truths were stated and also proved to them they would still be totally incapable of perceiving that they were truths; they would be seen by them as falsities.
ppp17913#pid#5938. 'Say to your brothers' means regarding the truths of the Church within the natural, that is to say, a perception regarding them. This is clear from the representation of 'Joseph's brothers' as the truths of the Church within the natural, dealt with in `@@@5403`, `@@@5419`, `@@@5458`, `@@@5512`. Here Pharaoh invites the sons of Jacob to come to Egypt together with their young children and wives, and to bring their father with them, for Pharaoh says,
Say to your brothers, Do this, and take your father, and take for yourselves from the land of Egypt carts for your young children and your wives, and bring your father, and come. But just above Joseph invites his father, not his brothers except as his father's sons, for he says,
Go up to my father, and say to him, Come down to me, do not delay. And you shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your sons, and the sons of your sons, and everything that belongs to you. Make haste, and cause my father to come down here.
The reason Pharaoh invited the sons of Jacob while Joseph invited his father is not evident except from the internal sense, which is this: The natural in general, which is represented by 'Pharaoh', has a direct communication with the truths of the Church within the natural, which are represented by 'the sons of Jacob'. Hence Pharaoh speaks about them. But the internal celestial, which is represented by 'Joseph', does not have a direct communication with the truths of the Church within the natural, which are 'the sons of Jacob'. The communication in this case is through spiritual good, which is 'Israel' their father. Hence Joseph speaks about their father.
ppp17912#pid#5939. 'Do this: Load your animals' means that they were to fill every truth with good. This is clear from the meaning of 'loading animals' as infilling truths; and from the meaning of 'the grain' with which the animals were to be loaded as the good of truth, dealt with in `@@@5295`, `@@@5410`. The reason 'the animals' here are truths is that they were asses, `Genesis 42bbb26`, `Genesis 42bbbccc17`; `Genesis ccc43bbb18`, `Genesis 43bbbccc24`; `Genesis ccc44bbb3`, by which factual knowledge is meant, `@@@5741`. And since factual knowledge is meant by 'asses', and at this point the joining to internal good has been effected through the intermediary, truths contained in factual knowledge is meant, which is why 'animals is used here instead of asses.
ppp17911#pid#5940. 'And go, get you to the land of Canaan' means their dwelling-place, that is to say, that of the truths of the Church within the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'the land of Canaan' as the dwelling-place of those who belonged to the Church, dealt with in `@@@3705`, `@@@3686`, `@@@4447`, `@@@4454`, `@@@4517`, `@@@5136`, and so the dwelling-place of the truths of the Church together with good, for truths together with good constitute the Church.
ppp17910#pid#5941. 'And take your father and your households, and come to me' means the drawing of spiritual good and of the truths of the Church nearer to factual knowledge in the natural. This is clear from the representation of Israel, to whom 'father' refers here, as spiritual good, as in `@@@5801`, `@@@5803`, `@@@5806`, `@@@5812`, `@@@5817`, `@@@5819`, `@@@5826`, `@@@5837`; from the representation of 'his sons' as the truths of the Church within the natural, dealt with in `@@@5414`, `@@@5879`, all of which are 'their households'; from the meaning of 'coming' as drawing nearer; and from the representation of Pharaoh, to whom 'me', the one they were to come to, refers here, as factual knowledge in general within the natural. From all this it is evident that 'take your father and your households, and come to me' means the drawing of spiritual good and of the truths of the Church nearer to factual knowledge in the natural.
ppp17909#pid#5942. 'And I will give you the good of the land of Egypt' means the possession of factual knowledge. This is clear from the meaning of 'the land of Egypt' as factual knowledge, dealt with in `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1186`, `@@@1462`, `@@@4749`, `@@@4964`, `@@@4966`, `@@@5700`; and from the meaning of 'giving the good of that land' as possession, for in giving the possession of a thing one gives the good of it, and in giving the good one gives the possession.
ppp17908#pid#5943. 'And you will eat the fat of the land' means making the good there their own. This is clear from the meaning of 'eating' as being communicated, joined together, and made one's own, dealt with in `@@@2187`, `@@@2343`, `@@@3168`, `@@@3517` (end), `@@@3832`, `@@@4745`; and from the meaning of 'the fat of the land' - of Egypt - as the good within the natural. The meaning of 'fat' as that which is celestial or good is clear from many places in the Word, not only the fat found in an animal's body but also fat obtained from other sources, such as butter and oil; and other products with any fat in them - such as milk, honeys, or resins - also mean good in the measure that they have it in them.
ttt[2] 'Fat' was representative of celestial good, thus of love received from the Lord, as is clear from the burnt offerings and sacrifices in these all the fat had to be burned on the altar, thereby providing 'an odour of rest to Jehovah'; and the children of Israel were forbidden because of this to eat fat. From these regulations, as from all the rest, it may be plain to see that the observances established among the Israelites were representative of celestial and spiritual realities and thus held what was holy within them. If this had not been so there would have been no Divine purpose at all behind the requirements to sacrifice all the fat of an animal, making this 'an odour of rest to Jehovah', or behind the Prohibition that forbade the eating of fat, and also of blood. It would surely be a stupid way of thinking about the Divine if one were to believe that He could take pleasure in fat or that Jehovah should make a requirement that did not conceal something deeper. Furthermore a person would be far too earthly - and bodily-minded if he had no interest at all in knowing the real meaning of such requirements; it would be a sign that he had no desire to know anything about the Word and eternal life.
ttt[3] Regarding 'the fat' the following is stated in Moses,
You shall take all the fat covering the entrails, and the omentum over the liver, and the fat on the kidneys; and you shall burn them on the altar. `Exodus 29bbb13`, `Exodus 29bbbccc22`.
See also `Leviticus 3bbb4-5`, `Leviticus 3bbbccc9-10`, `Leviticus 3bbbccc14-15`; `Leviticus ccc4bbb8-9`, `Leviticus 4bbbccc19`, `Leviticus 4bbbccc26`, `Leviticus 4bbbccc31`, `Leviticus 4bbbccc35`; `Leviticus ccc7bbb3-4`. They were also required to sacrifice the fat on the breast, `Leviticus 7bbb30-31`. The phrase 'an odour of rest to Jehovah' occurs in the following places,
This is the bread of Jehovah's fire-offering for an odour of rest. `Leviticus 3bbb16`. The priest shall sprinkle the blood on the altar of Jehovah, and shall offer the fat for an odour of rest to Jehovah. `Leviticus 17bbb6`.
And elsewhere,
The fat of the firstborn of an ox and of a sheep must be burned on the altar as an odour of rest to Jehovah. `Numbers 18bbb17`.
'An odour of rest' means the pleasure gained from the good of love.
ttt[4] As regards the non-eating of fat by the children of Israel, Let all the fat be for Jehovah. Therefore this is a perpetual statute throughout your generations, in all your dwelling-places: You shall not eat any fat or any blood. `Leviticus 3bbb16-17`.
And elsewhere,
Speak to the children of Israel, saying, You shall not eat any fat, neither of ox, nor sheep, nor she-goat. Everyone who eats the fat from a beast, from one offered as a fire-offering to Jehovah, that soul eating it will be cut off from his peoples. Nor shall you eat any blood `Leviticus 7bbb23-26`.
ttt[5] Burnt offerings and sacrifices were the main form taken by Divine worship among those people, `@@@923`, `@@@2180`. For this reason worship is meant by 'burnt offerings and sacrifices' in general, while the essential nature of worship is meant by what was offered in sacrifice and by the whole procedure followed then. 'The fat and the burning of it' meant the very Divine celestial itself, namely the good of love received from the Lord, as may also be seen in the following places:
In Isaiah,
Jacob, you have not bought Me [sweet] cane with silver, and you have not satisfied Me with the fat of your sacrifices; you have wearied Me so much with your sins.`fff1` `Isaiah 43bbb24`.
'You have not bought [sweet] cane with silver' stands for, You have not acquired the truths of faith for yourself; and 'you have not satisfied Me with the fat of sacrifices' stands for, Nor [have you offered] the good of love.
ttt[6] In David,
I will offer You burnt offerings of fat ones, with the incense of rams. `Psalms 66bbb15`.
'Burnt offerings of fat ones' stands for worship fired by love. In Moses,
When it will be said, Where are their gods, the rock in which they trusted, who ate the fat of their sacrifices, [who] drank the wine of their drink-offering? `Deuteronomy 32bbb37-38`.
This would have been said by gentiles who imagined that the gods were fed especially by such offerings. They were totally unaware of the fact that 'the fat of sacrifices' was what was celestial, or the good of love, within worship, and that 'the wine of a drink-offering' was the truth of faith derived from that good. These offerings, when they were made, stirred the affections of the angels and were therefore prescribed so that through representatives and correspondences heaven might be near to man.
ttt[7] In David,
Jehovah will remember all your offerings, and will make your burnt offering fat. `Psalms 20bbb3`.
'Making a burnt offering fat' stands for making worship good. In Isaiah,
Jehovah Zebaoth will make for all peoples on this mountain a feast of fat things, a feast of lees,`fff2` of fat things full of marrow, of sedimentary lees.`fff3` He will swallow up death for ever, and the Lord Jehovah will wipe away tears from upon all faces. `Isaiah 25bbb6`, `Isaiah 25bbbccc8`.
'A feast' stands for heaven and being joined to angels there through love and charity, `@@@3596`, `@@@3832`, `@@@5161`, 'fat things' being forms of the good of love and charity. In the same prophet,
Why do you spend money on that which is not bread, and your labour on that which does not satisfy? Attend diligently to Me and eat what is good, that your soul may delight itself in fatness. `Isaiah 55bbb2`.
ttt[8] In Jeremiah,
I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and will give them gladness instead of their sorrow. And I will fill the soul of the priests with fat, and My people will be satisfied with My goodness. `Jeremiah 31bbb13-14`.
'Fat' plainly stands for what is good, for it is said that 'the soul will be satisfied' with it and it is referred to as 'Jehovah's goodness', meaning nothing else than what is celestial, which is received from Him. In David,
My soul will be satisfied as with fatness and fat, and my mouth will praise You with joyful lips.`fff4` `Psalms 63bbb5`.
Here the meaning is similar. In the same author,
You have crowned the year of Your goodness, and Your tracks drip with fatness. `Psalms 65bbb11`
In the same author,
The sons of man put their trust in the shadow of Your wings. They will be filled with the fat of Your house, and You give them drink from the river of Your delights. `Psalms 36bbb7-8`.
In Isaiah,
Then Jehovah will give rain for your seed with which you will sow the land, and bread of the produce of the earth; and there will be fatness and wealthiness. `Isaiah 30bbb23`.
ttt[9] In John,
All things fat and splendid have gone away, and you will find them no more. `Revelation 18bbb14`.
This refers to Babylon. 'All things fat and splendid have gone away' stands for the departure of all forms of the good of love and truth of faith. In Moses,
He caused him to suck honey out of the crag and oil out of the stony rock - butter from the herd, and milk from the flock, with the fat of lambs and of rams, the breed`fff5` of Bashan, and of goats, with the kidney-fat of wheat; and of the blood of the grape you drink unmixed wine. `Deuteronomy 32bbb13-14`.
This refers to the spiritual Ancient Church, whose various kinds of good - meant by 'honey', 'oil', 'butter', 'milk', and 'fat' - are enumerated.
ttt[10] Because 'fat' meant good, the word was also applied to the kinds of things that had no fat in them but nevertheless had good as their meaning, so that 'fat' and 'good' were so to speak one and the same. An example of this is the fat of wheat in the verses quoted immediately above, and similarly in David,
I would feed them with the fat of wheat. `Psalms 81bbb16`.
And elsewhere,
He is the one who makes peace your border, and with the fat of wheat He satisfies you. `Psalms 147bbb14`.
Also in Moses,
Because all the fat of the pure oil, and all the fat of the new wine and of the grain, which were the first fruits, were Jehovah's, they were given to Aaron. `Numbers 18bbb12`.
`nnn1. literally, so much have you made Me serve through your sins
`nnn2. i.e. sweet wines
`nnn3. i.e. well-refined, very mature wines
`nnn4. literally, lips of songs
`nnn5. literally, sons
ppp17907#pid#5944. 'And now carry out this command' means an act of will. This is clear without explanation.
ppp17906#pid#5945. 'Take for yourselves from the land of Egypt carts' means matters of doctrine belonging to factual knowledge. This is clear from the meaning of 'the land of Egypt' as factual knowledge, dealt with already; and from the meaning of 'carts' as matters of doctrine. Chariots and horses are mentioned in various places in the Word where Egypt is the subject. There 'chariots' is used to mean matters of doctrine, sometimes false, at other times true ones, while 'horses' is used to mean intellectual concepts, likewise true or false ones. (For the meaning of 'chariots' as matters of doctrine, see `@@@5721`.) It is similar with 'carts' there, but matters of doctrine belonging to factual knowledge are meant by them. Matters of doctrine belonging to factual knowledge are religious teachings drawn from the literal sense of the Word, which serve especially those people who are being introduced for the first time to interior truths that the Church possesses, such as the teaching that good should be done above all to widows, to orphans, and to the poor in the streets. Other such religious teachings are contained in the ten commandments. These and many other teachings are matters of doctrine belonging to factual knowledge and are meant by 'carts belonging to Egypt'. Because such matters of doctrine are the first to be learned by a person they also serve him subsequently as a groundwork; for when progress is made towards more internal teachings those learned first become the last and lowest. Moreover celestial and spiritual realities actually terminate in them, for they stand and rest so to speak on the matters of doctrine learned first. Indeed the spiritual world has so to speak its feet and the soles of its feet planted on the natural world; and so far as his spiritual life is concerned a person has his feet planted on matters of doctrine that belong to factual knowledge. The internal sense of the Word rests in a similar way on its literal sense. The particular word for 'carts', by which those matters of doctrine are meant, occurs in only a few places in the Word. It is used in the original language where it is said that the Ark was placed on one, `1 Samuel 6bbb7`; `2 Samuel 6bbb3`; and also when the tabernacle was consecrated, `Numbers 7bbb3`. The reason for the use of the word is that 'the Ark' represented heaven, `@@@3478`, which stands and rests, as has been stated, on matters of doctrine belonging to factual knowledge.
ppp17905#pid#5946. 'For your young children and your wives' means for those who as yet have no knowledge - no knowledge of the more internal teachings of the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'young children' as those who do not as yet have any knowledge of those things; and from the meaning of 'wives' as affections for truth. For when 'men' means truths, as 'the sons of Jacob' do here, 'their wives' means affections for truth; and conversely, when 'men' means forms of good, 'their wives' means truths, though in the latter case the men are called 'husbands', `@@@3236`, `@@@4510`, `@@@4823`. Affections for truth, meant by 'wives' here, have no knowledge of the interior teachings of the Church except through the truths, which are their 'men'. Without truths affections are like the will without the understanding. To see and have knowledge of anything the will must use the understanding, where its sight or eye exists.
ppp17904#pid#5947. 'And bring your father, and come' means their service and their drawing nearer. This is clear from the meaning of 'bringing their father' as service, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'coming' as drawing nearer, as above in `@@@5941`. What is implied by the service meant by 'bringing their father' is this: Lower things ought to serve more internal ones. Lower things are the truths known to the Church in the natural, which are represented by 'the sons of Jacob', whereas what is more internal is spiritual good, represented by 'Israel their father'; and since this good is more internal, or what amounts to the same, is higher, it ought to be served by those things that are more external or lower. For lower things are fashioned to be nothing other than servants. Indeed they are fashioned in such a way that what is more internal may live and act within them and by means of them, so much so in fact that if what is more internal is taken away from them they are nothing but vessels devoid of life and activity, and so are completely dead. It is like the relationship of the body to its spirit, in that when the spirit departs from it the body immediately drops down dead. It is in addition like the relationship of the external man to the internal, and like that of the internal man to the Lord. The internal man has been fashioned to receive life from the Lord and is nothing else than an organ for the Lord's life. Consequently it has been fashioned to be of service to the Lord, for every useful purpose that love to Him and charity towards the neighbour demand, first in the natural world and after that in the spiritual world.
ppp17903#pid#5948. 'And do not let your eye be sparing over your household utensils' means let no concern be shown for anything that serves instrumentally. This is clear from the meaning of 'household utensils' or vessels as things that serve instrumentally; and a showing of no concern for these is meant by 'do not let your eye be sparing'. There are essentials and there are instruments. To act and produce any effect an essential must be served by an instrument through which it can act; and according to the way the instrument has been fashioned, so the essential acts. For example, the body serves as the instrument of its spirit; the external man serves as the instrument of the internal man; factual knowledge serves as the instrument of truth; truth serves as the instrument of good, `@@@3068`, `@@@3079`; and so on.
ttt[2] In the Word instruments are called vessels, in the present context 'household utensils' because it is speaking about the moving of those people from one place to another and so about the contents of their houses. But essentials are called 'things' in the Word, and are what act by means of instruments. Thus because interior things act by means of exterior ones the former are essentials, in relation to the latter. When saying that no concern should be shown for anything that serves instrumentally one means that not these but the essentials should be kept as the end in view. For to the extent that the instruments are kept as the end in view the essentials withdraw and disappear from sight. If for example factual knowledge is kept in view without any concern for truths, the truths at length disappear so far from sight that one cannot tell whether they are truths. Or if truths are kept in view without any concern for good, the good at length disappears so far from sight that it no longer exists. It is the same with people who keep earthly, bodily, or worldly things in view, so that their only concern is for them and not at all for heavenly ones. The heavenly things disappear from sight till at length scarcely anything heavenly is recognized. These and other similar considerations are what are meant by 'do not let your eye be sparing over your household utensils'.
ttt[3] But it should be remembered that 'the essential and the instrument' describes a relationship. That is to say, the expression 'essential' is used of one thing because of its action through another serving as its instrument or organ. When however something else acts through the instrumentality of that which was the essential, this now becomes an instrument; and so on. Furthermore there is nothing in the whole of creation that is an ultimate essential; such exists solely in the Supreme Being, that is, in the Lord. Since His is the ultimate Being or Essential (Esse seu Essentiale) He is called Jehovah, a name formed from Being; and all else is merely an instrument. From all this it now follows that because, as has been stated, one should keep Essentials, not instruments, as one's end in view, the Lord alone should be kept in view.
ppp17902#pid#5949. 'For the good of all the land of Egypt is yours' means that which in the natural mind is of primary importance to them. This is clear from the meaning of 'the land of Egypt' as the natural mind, dealt with in `@@@5276`, `@@@5278`, `@@@5280`, `@@@5288`, `@@@5301`, 'the good' of all that land meaning that which is of primary importance. These words are also used to mean that if they show no concern for instruments, only for essentials, they will have instruments in abundance. For example, if concern is shown for truths they will have in abundance factual knowledge, which is 'the good of the land of Egypt'; and in a similar way, if concern is shown for good, they will have truths in abundance. Concern does indeed need to be shown for factual knowledge, and for truths also; but they must look to good as their end in view. If a person has his eye on good as that end, he catches sight of what comes out of it, that is, he has a perception of the things that originate in it - a perception that by no means exists unless good is kept as the end in view, that is, unless this end reigns without exception in every single thing.
ttt[2] It is like body and soul. A person should be thoroughly concerned about his body, that it should be fed, clothed, and enjoy worldly pleasures. Yet his concern for all these things should be not for his body's sake but for his soul's; that is to say, his concern should be that his soul may act in a harmonious and proper fashion within a healthy body, so that the body as its organ may respond in perfect obedience to it. Thus the soul must be the end. Yet the soul must not be the final end, only an intermediate one. For a person must be concerned about his soul not for its own sake but for the services it must perform in both worlds. When a person has those services as his end in view he has the Lord as his end; for the Lord fits him for those services and oversees them.
ttt[3] Since few know what having something as one's end in view entails, this too must be stated. Having something as one's end in view is loving it above all else; for what a person loves he has as his end. What a person has as his end is easily recognizable, since it reigns in every part of him. Thus it is present constantly, even when it seems to him that he is giving no thought at all to it; for it resides within and composes his inner life, and thus secretly governs every single part of him. Take for example someone who at heart honours his parents. That honour is present in every single deed done when in their presence and in what he thinks about them when absent from them. It is also noticeable in his gestures and speech. So also with someone who at heart fears and honours God. That fear and honour of Him is present with each of his thoughts, words, and actions because it is contained within them. It is there even when it does not seem to be present, as when he is occupied with affairs quite remote from such fear and honour of Him; for it reigns everywhere, thus in every individual aspect of him. That which reigns in a person is clearly discernible in the next life, for the sphere of his entire life that emanates from him originates in it.
ttt[4] From this one may now see how one is to understand the idea that a person should always have God before his eyes. It does not mean that he has to be thinking about Him all the time but that a fear or love of Him should reign everywhere in him; then in every individual aspect of himself he has God before his eyes. When this is so, that person does not think, speak, or do what is contrary and unpleasing to Him; or if he does, then what reigns everywhere in him and lies concealed within him comes out and warns him.
ppp17901#pid#5950. Verses `Genesis 45bbbccc21-23` And the sons of Israel did so, and Joseph gave them carts, according to Pharaoh's command;`fff1` and he gave them provision for the way. And to them all he gave each one changes of garments; and to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of garments. And to his father he sent as follows: Ten asses carrying some of the good of Egypt, and ten she-asses carrying grain and bread, and food for his father for the way.
'And the sons of Israel did so' means a putting into effect by the spiritual truths within the natural. 'And he gave them carts, according to Pharaoh's command' means that from the internal they received matters of doctrine as seemed pleasing to them. 'And he gave them provision for the way' means the support received from good and truth meanwhile. 'And to them all he gave each one changes of garments' means truths brought in touch with good. 'And to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver' means that to the intermediary a complete amount of truth from good was imparted. 'And five changes of garments' means much truth from the natural. 'And to his father he sent as follows' means what was freely given to spiritual good. 'Ten asses carrying some of the good of Egypt' means superior factual knowledge together with much of a subservient kind. 'And ten she-asses carrying grain and bread' means the truth of good and the good of truth, also together with much of a subservient kind. 'And food for his father for the way' means interior truth for spiritual good meanwhile.
`nnn1. literally, mouth
ppp17900#pid#5951. 'And the sons of Israel did so' means a putting into effect by the spiritual truths within the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'they did' as a putting into effect; and from the representation of 'the sons of Israel' as the spiritual truths within the natural, dealt with in `@@@5414`, `@@@5879`. What spiritual truths within the natural are must be stated: The truths of faith if separate from man, spirit, or angel are not in fact the truths of faith, for they are not attached to a recipient in whom they become such truths. But when they are attached to man, spirit, or angel as their recipient they then become the truths of faith, yet varyingly so according to each individual's state of life. With those who are just beginning to learn them they are no more than factual knowledge. If after that those people truly revere them they go on from being factual knowledge to become the truths of the Church. When however they have an affection for those truths and lead lives in keeping with them, they become spiritual truths; for the good of love and charity, which has its origin solely in the spiritual world, then enters in and brings life to them. For having an affection for them and leading a life in keeping with them stem from that good.
ttt[2] What truths, called the truths of faith, are like with those who lead lives in keeping with them, and with those who do not, has been shown to me. With people who do not lead lives in keeping with them those truths have manifested themselves as white threads; and with people who knew those truths yet did nothing good at all they were fragile ones. But with people who do lead lives in keeping with them those truths have manifested themselves as fibres extending from the brain, which were filled with spirituous fluid and were soft. Thus these latter truths had life in them, the former did not. From all this one may recognize that the nature of the truths present with people depends on the individual's state of life. The truths which 'the sons of Jacob' represent are not as yet spiritual truths because they have not as yet been made matters of life. But the truths represented by those men as 'the sons of Israel' are spiritual ones because, having been made matters of life, the good of love and charity has entered them. Such truths are meant here because now the subject is the initial stage in the joining of the truths within the natural, which are 'the sons of Jacob', to internal good, which is 'Joseph', through the intermediary, which is 'Benjamin', and also through spiritual good, which is 'Israel'.
ppp17899#pid#5952. 'And he gave them carts, according to Pharaoh's command' means that from the internal they received matters of doctrine, as seemed pleasing to them. This is clear from the representation of Joseph, the one who 'gave' the carts, as internal good, dealt with already; from the meaning of 'carts' as matters of doctrine, dealt with above in `@@@5945`; and from the meaning of 'according to Pharaoh's command' as what seemed pleasing to them - to spiritual truths, which are 'the sons of Israel' - for those truths are within the natural, which is represented by 'Pharaoh', `@@@5160`, `@@@5799`, and 'the carts', meaning matters of doctrine, were placed at their disposal. The expression 'as seemed pleasing to them' is used because the matters of doctrine that are meant by the Egyptian 'carts' are obtained from the literal sense of the Word, `@@@5945`. Which without the internal sense can be applied to any kind of good. For the Lord does not openly teach anyone truths but leads him by means of good to think what the truth is, and also imparts to the person, though he is not aware of it, a discernment and consequent adoption of a thing as being true because the Word declares it to be so, and because it squares with the Word. Thus the Lord adapts truths to accord with the individual's acceptance of good. And since all this is done by Him in accordance with each person's affection, thus in his freedom, the expression 'as seemed pleasing to them' is used.
ppp17898#pid#5953. 'And he gave them provision for the way' means the support received from good and truth meanwhile. This is clear from the meaning of 'provision' as the support received from good and truth, dealt with in `@@@5490`.
ppp17897#pid#5954. 'And to them all he gave each one changes of garments' means truths brought in touch with good. This is clear from the meaning of 'garments' as truths, dealt with below, so that 'changes of garments' are truths that are new, and truths are made new when they are brought in touch with good, for then they receive life. The subject is the joining of the natural man to the spiritual, or the external man to the internal. When the joining together is effected the truths undergo change and are made new since they receive life from the good that flows into them, see just above in `@@@5951`. 'Changing one's garments' was representative of the need to put on holy truths, and this is also the origin of 'changes of garments', see `@@@4545`.
ttt[2] The reason why in the Word truths are meant by 'garments' is that truths clothe good in almost the same way as blood vessels contain blood or fibres contain spirit. 'A garment' also has truth as its meaning because spirits, and angels too, are seen wearing garments; and each spirit or angel is attired in a way that accords with the truths that reside with him. Those seen wearing white garments are spirits or angels whose truths of faith act as paths to good, whereas those seen wearing brightly shining garments are ones whose truths of faith radiate from good. For it is good radiated through truth that produces the shining brightness, see `@@@5248`.
ttt[3] The wearing of garments by spirits and angels is also evident from the Word where mention is made of angels that have been seen, as in Matthew,
The appearance of the angel sitting at the Lord's tomb was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. `Matthew 28bbb3`.
In John,
On the thrones I saw twenty-four elders seated, clad in white garments. `Revelation 4bbb4`.
In the same book,
He who sat on the white horse was clothed in a garment dyed with blood, and His name is called the Word of God. His armies in heaven were following Him on white horses, clothed in linen, white and clean. `Revelation 19bbb11`, `Revelation 19bbbccc13-14`.
'Garments white as snow' and 'white linen' mean holy truths, for whiteness' and 'brightness' have reference to truths, `@@@3301`, `@@@3993`, `@@@4007`, `@@@5319`, for the reason that they are very nearly as bright as light, and the light which radiates from the Lord is Divine Truth. This explains why, when the Lord was transfigured, His garments looked like the light, as described in Matthew,
When Jesus was transfigured His face shone like the sun, and His garments became like the light. `Matthew 17bbb2`.
It is well known in the Church that 'the light' is Divine Truth; but its comparison to a garment is clear in David,
Jehovah covers Himself with light, as if with a garment. `Psalms 104bbb2`.
ttt[4] The fact that 'garments' are truths is evident from many places in the Word, as in Matthew,
When the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man (homo) who was not wearing a wedding garment. And he said to him, Friend, how did you come in here not having a wedding garment? Therefore he was cast out into outer darkness. `Matthew 22bbb11-13`.
Who exactly are meant by the one 'not wearing a wedding garment', see `@@@2132`. In Isaiah,
Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion, put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; for no more may there come in to you the uncircumcised and the unclean. `Isaiah 52bbb1`.
'Beautiful garments' stands for truths that spring from good.
ttt[5] In Ezekiel,
I clothed you with embroidered cloth, and shed you with badger, and I swathed you in fine linen and covered you with silk. Your garments were fine linen, and silk, and embroidered cloth You ate fine flour, honey, and oil. `Ezekiel 16bbb10`, `Ezekiel 16bbbccc13`.
This refers to Jerusalem, by which is meant at this point the spiritual Ancient Church, which was established by the Lord after the celestial Most Ancient Church breathed its last. The truths bestowed on that Church are described as 'garments'. 'Embroidered cloth' is factual knowledge. When such knowledge is genuine it also manifests itself in the next life as embroidered cloth and as lace, as I have also been allowed to see. 'Fine linen' and 'silk' are truths springing from good; but in heaven those fabrics are utterly bright and transparent because they are in the light there.
ttt[6] In the same prophet,
Fine linen with embroidered work from Egypt was your sail, and violet and purple from the islands of Elishah was your covering. `Ezekiel 27bbb7`.
This refers to Tyre, by which the cognitions of truth and good are represented, `@@@1201`. When genuine ones, these are 'fine linen with embroidered work from Egypt'. Resulting good, which is the good of truth, is meant by 'violet' and 'purple'.
ttt[7] In David,
All glorious is the king's daughter, in her clothing with gold interweavings; in embroidered robes she will be led to the king. `Psalms 45bbb13-14`.
'The king's daughter' stands for the affection for truth. 'Her clothing with gold interweavings' stands for truths that have good within them. 'Embroidered robes' stands for the lowest truths. In John,
You have a few names in Sardis, who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with Me in white ones, for they are worthy. He who conquers will be clad in white garments. `Revelation 3bbb4-5`.
'Not soiling one's garments' stands for not defiling truths with falsities.
ttt[8] In the same book,
Blessed is he who is awake and keeps his garments, so that he may not walk naked, and men see his shame. `Revelation 16bbb15`.
'Garments' in a similar way stands for truths. Truths of faith drawn from the Word are what are meant, strictly speaking, by 'garments'. Anyone who has not acquired those truths from there - or who has not, as gentiles do, acquired truths or something like them from the religion to which he belongs - and applied them to life, is not in touch with good, no matter how much he may think that he is. For having no truths from the Word or from what his religion teaches he allows himself to be led by reasonings received as much from evil spirits as from good ones, and cannot thus be given protection by the angels. This is what is meant by being awake and keeping one's garments, so that one may not walk naked and men see one's shame.
ttt[9] In Zechariah,
Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and so stood before the angel, who said to those standing before him, Remove the filthy garments from upon`fff1` him. But he said to him, See, I have caused your iniquity to pass away from you, by putting on you a change of garments. `Zechariah 3bbb3-4`.
'Filthy garments' stands for truths defiled by falsities deriving from evil. Once these were removed therefore and others were put on, the words 'See, I have caused your iniquity to pass away from you' are used. But anyone can recognize that iniquity does not pass away through a changing of garments, from which anyone may also deduce that a changing of garments was a representative act, as was also the washing of garments, which was commanded when people were purified, for example when they drew near Mount Sinai, `Exodus 19bbb14`, or when they were cleansed from impurities, `Leviticus 11bbb25`, `Leviticus 11bbbccc40`; `Leviticus ccc14bbb8-9`; `Numbers 8bbb6-7`; `Numbers ccc19bbb21`; `Numbers ccc31bbb19-24`.
ttt[10] Cleansings from impurities are effected by means of the truths of faith since they teach what good is, what charity is, what the neighbour is, and what faith is. They also teach the existence of the Lord, heaven, and eternal life. Without truths to teach them people have no knowledge of these things or even of their existence. Who left to himself knows other than this, that the good which goes with self-love and love of the world is the only kind of good in a person? For both constitute the delight of his life. Can anyone know except from the truths of faith about the existence of another kind of good that can be imparted to a person, namely the good of love to God or the good of charity towards the neighbour? Can anyone know that those kinds of good have heavenly life within them, or that those kinds of good flow in from the Lord by way of heaven in the measure that the person ceases to love himself more than others and the world more than heaven? From all this it becomes clear that the purification which was represented by the washing of garments is effected by means of the truths of faith.
`nnn1. The Latin means before but the Hebrew means upon, which Swedenborg has in another place where he quotes this verse.
ppp17896#pid#5955. 'And to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver' means that to the intermediary a complete amount of truth from good was imparted. This is clear from the representation of 'Benjamin' as the intermediary, dealt with in `@@@5600`, `@@@5631`, `@@@5639`, `@@@5688`, `@@@5822`; from the representation of Joseph, the one who 'gave', as internal good, dealt with in `@@@5826`, `@@@5827`, `@@@5869`, `@@@5877`; from the meaning of 'three hundred' as a complete amount, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'silver' as truth, dealt with in `@@@1551`, `@@@2954`, `@@@5658`. From all this it is evident that 'to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver' means that he imparted to the intermediary a complete amount of truth from good; for the intermediary, represented by 'Benjamin', is interior truth, through an influx into it from the internal celestial, `@@@5600`, `@@@5631`. The reason why 'three hundred' means a complete amount is that this number is the product of three multiplied by a hundred - 'three' meaning what is complete, `@@@2788`, `@@@4495`, and 'a hundred' meaning much, `@@@4400`. For the meaning held by compound numbers is clear from the simple numbers that are their factors.
ttt[2] 'Three hundred' holds a similar meaning when mentioned elsewhere in the Word, as in `Genesis 6bbb15`, where it says that Noah's ark was three hundred cubits long, also in the reference to the three hundred men whom Gideon used to strike a blow at Midian, spoken of in Judges as follows,
The number of those who lapped in their hand to their mouth was three hundred men. Jehovah said to Gideon, By the three hundred men who were lapping I will give Midian into your hand. Gideon divided the three hundred men into three lines of battle, and he put a trumpet into the hand of each one of them, and empty water-pots, and torches in the middle of the water-pots. When they sounded the blast on the three hundred trumpets, Jehovah set the sword of [each] man against his companion and against the whole camp. `Judges 7bbb6-8`, `Judges 7bbbccc16`, `Judges 7bbbccc22`.
By 'the three hundred men' in this description too a complete amount is meant, and the same is meant by 'three lines of battle' into which the three hundred were divided. And by 'a hundred', the number in each line of battle, is meant much or enough, consequently that there were enough men to stand against Midian. Besides, every detail in this description was representative - the selection of those who lapped the water in their hand; the trumpet given to each man; and the water-pots with the torches inside them. This was so because 'Midian', whom they were opposing, represented truth that was not truth because there was no goodness of life in it. But such details will in the Lord's Divine mercy be explained elsewhere. The fact that numbers too were representative is evident from many other places, for example the number seven in Joshua, when they were going to capture Jericho. The command was given for seven priests to carry seven trumpets of rejoicing in front of the Ark; and on the seventh day they were to go round the city seven times, `Joshua 6bbb4`.
ppp17895#pid#5956. 'And five changes of garments' means much truth from the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'five' as much, dealt with in `@@@5708`; and from the meaning of 'changes of garments' as truths brought in touch with good. The reason this truth is from the natural is that 'garments' are spoken of in reference to the natural. The reason why truth from the natural was the intermediary, which was represented by 'Benjamin', is that to be an intermediary it must derive from the internal and from the external, `@@@5822`. Its derivation from the internal is described by the imparting to the intermediary of a complete amount of truth from good, which is meant by 'three hundred pieces of silver', dealt with immediately above in `@@@5955`. The derivation of the intermediary from the external is described by much truth received from the natural, meant by 'five changes of garments'.
ppp17894#pid#5957. 'And to his father he sent as follows' means what was freely given to spiritual good. This is clear from the representation of Israel, to whom 'father' refers here, as spiritual good from the natural, as in `@@@5801`, `@@@5803`, `@@@5806`, `@@@5812`, `@@@5817`, `@@@5819`, `@@@5826`, `@@@5833`; and from the meaning of 'sending' as freely giving. For everything that flows from the Lord by way of the internal into the external or natural - even into spiritual good, which is 'Israel', since it derives from the natural - is freely given. The Lord does, it is true, demand humility, worship, thanksgiving, and much else from a person, which seem like repayment, so that His gifts do not seem to be free. But the Lord does not demand those things for His own sake, for the Divine derives no glory at all from a person's humility, worship, or thanksgiving. It is utterly inconceivable that any self-love should exist within the Divine, causing Him to require such actions for His own sake. Rather, they are required for man's own sake, for if someone possesses humility he is able to accept good from the Lord, since in that case he has been parted from self-love and its evils which stand in the way of his accepting it. Therefore the Lord desires a state of humility in a person for that person's sake, because the Lord can flow in with heavenly good when that state exists in him. The same applies to worship and thanksgiving.
ppp17893#pid#5958. 'Ten asses carrying some of the good of Egypt' means [superior] factual knowledge together with much of a subservient kind. This is clear from the meaning of 'ten' as much, dealt with in `@@@3107`, `@@@4638`, `@@@5708`; from the meaning of 'asses as factual knowledge, dealt with in `@@@5741`, in this case the lowest level of it, dealt with in `@@@5934`. Which is subservient since it carries the more internal levels; and from the meaning of 'the good of Egypt' as factual knowledge, as above in `@@@5942`, `@@@5949`, but factual knowledge which the Church possesses since this is what is meant, strictly speaking, by 'Egypt', `@@@4749`, `@@@4964`, `@@@4966`. The reason this kind is meant by 'the good of Egypt' is that it is sent from Joseph to Israel, that is, from the internal celestial to spiritual good.
ppp17892#pid#5959. 'And ten she-asses carrying grain and bread' means the truth of good and the good of truth, also together with much of a subservient kind. This is clear from the meaning of 'ten' as much, as above in `@@@5958`; from the meaning of 'she-asses' as that which is of a subservient kind, as also immediately above in `@@@5958`; from the meaning of 'grain' as the good of truth, dealt with in `@@@5295`, `@@@5410`, in this case the truth of good since it comes from the internal celestial, which is 'Joseph'; and from the meaning of' bread' as the good of that truth, dealt with in `@@@276`, `@@@680`, `@@@1165`, `@@@2177`, `@@@3478`, `@@@3775`, `@@@4111`, `@@@4117`, `@@@4735`, `@@@4976`. As regards 'grain' - that here it means the truth of good but elsewhere the good of truth - the situation is this: The meaning is different when an influx from the internal celestial is the subject from when an influx from the internal spiritual is the subject. What flows in from the internal celestial is nothing other than good, which does, it is true, hold truth within it, though that truth is good. But what flows in from the internal spiritual is nothing other than truth, which is called the good of truth once it has been made a matter of life. In this lies the reason why at one point 'grain' means the good of truth, and at another the truth of good - here the truth of good because it flows from the internal celestial, which is 'Joseph'. The reason the female asses carried 'grain and bread' but the male asses 'the good of Egypt' is that the males mean subservient factual knowledge insofar as this has reference to truth, while the females mean the same insofar as it has reference to good. Therefore the burdens carried by the male asses were of a kind appropriate to male asses, and the burdens carried by the female asses of a kind appropriate to female ones. Otherwise there would have been no need to mention that they were 'asses' and 'she-asses', or to say what the former carried and what the latter.
ppp17891#pid#5960. 'And food for his father for the way' means interior truth for spiritual good meanwhile. This is clear from the meaning of 'food' as interior truth, for this is provided from the truth of good and the good of truth, which are meant by 'grain and bread', as immediately above in `@@@5959`, and interior truth is the food to nourish spiritual good; from the representation of Israel, to whom 'father' refers here, as spiritual good, dealt with above in `@@@5957`; and from the meaning of 'for the way' as meanwhile, which is to say, before he arrived, that is, before a complete joining together was effected.
ppp17890#pid#5961. Verses `Genesis 45bbbccc24-28` And he sent his brothers away, and they went; and he said to them, Do not quarrel on the way. And they went up out of Egypt and came to the land of Canaan, to Jacob their father. And they told him, saying, Joseph is still alive, and he has dominion in all the land of Egypt. And his heart failed, for he did not believe them. And they spoke to him all Joseph's words which he had spoken to them; and he saw the carts which Joseph had sent to carry him, and the spirit of Jacob their father revived. And Israel said, Enough;`fff1` Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.
'And he sent his brothers away, and they went' means a concealment from view. 'And he said to them, Do not quarrel on the way' means the perception imparted to them that they should be at peace. 'And they went up out of Egypt' means a departure from the factual knowledge which the Church possesses. 'And came to the land of Canaan, to Jacob their father' means the dwelling-place where natural but not spiritual good resides. 'And they told him, saying' means influx and discernment. 'Joseph is still alive' means that the internal has not been cast away. 'And he has dominion in all the land of Egypt' means that the natural mind is under its power and control. 'And his heart failed, for he did not believe them' means a lack of natural life, and a consequent lack of understanding. 'And they spoke to him all Joseph's words which he had spoken to them' means an influx from the celestial of the spiritual. 'And he saw the carts which Joseph had sent to carry him' means matters of doctrine received from this which might prove convincing. 'And the spirit of Jacob their father revived' means newness of life. 'And Israel said' means spiritual good now. 'Enough; Joseph my son is still alive' means joy that the internal had not perished. 'I will go and see him before I die' means the desire to be joined before what is new comes in.
`nnn1. literally, much
ppp17889#pid#5962. 'And he sent his brothers away, and they went' means a concealment from view. This is clear from the meaning of 'sending away as removing them from himself, consequently his ceasing for that reason to be present with them any longer; and from the meaning of 'going' or going away as living, also living further away from, and abandoning too, dealt with in `@@@3335`, `@@@3416`, `@@@3690`, `@@@4882`, `@@@5493`, `@@@5696`, thus becoming concealed from view. The fact that a removal from the internal celestial and so a concealment of it is referred to now is clear from what follows in the internal sense.
ttt[2] Anyone who does not know the nature of the state of life experienced by spirits and angels in heaven cannot know why a concealment of truth and good is referred to now, when immediately before this they had had the light of truth and good shining on them. The heavenly state is such that spirits and angels pass through morning, midday, and evening, also twilight and morning again, and so on. For them it is morning when the Lord is present, blessing them with evident happiness; and at this time they enjoy a perception of good. Midday has come when they dwell in the light of truths; and it is evening when they are removed from them, in which case the Lord seems to them to be more remote and to be concealed from them. All in heaven undergo and pass through these alternating states; without them they cannot be led to ever greater perfection. For those alternating states establish contrasts for them, and from those contrasts they gain more perfect perception, for from those contrasts they know what does not constitute happiness since they know from them what is not good and what is not true.
ttt[3] It is astonishing, and rightly so, that one state never is or ever will be exactly like another, also that one spirit or angel does not pass through changes of state that are the same as those of another, for the reason that with respect to good and truth one spirit or angel is not exactly like another, even as no one person's face is identical to another's. Even so the Lord makes a unified whole out of those varying individuals. It is a general rule that every whole which has any specific character is made up of varying parts which are brought, as if through agreement and harmony with one another, into such a state of unanimity that they all present themselves as a unified whole. In heaven the unified whole which results or rather the process of being unified is effected by means of love and charity; see also `@@@3241`, `@@@3267`, `@@@3744`, `@@@3745`, `@@@3986`, `@@@4005`, `@@@4149`, `@@@5598`. In the Word the concealment meant by 'Joseph sent away his brothers, and they went' is called evening, which among the angels has come when they do not perceive that the Lord is present. For heaven possesses a constant perception of the Lord's presence; but when angels pass through a state in which they lack that perception they do not, as before, feel an affection for good or see truth. This causes them distress, but shortly after that, twilight comes, and so morning.
ppp17888#pid#5963. 'And he said to them, Do not quarrel on the way' means the perception imparted to them that they should be at peace. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying to them' as a perception imparted by the internal, which is 'Joseph', dealt with often; and from the meaning of 'not quarreling on the way' as that they should be at peace. For quarreling with others is an absence of peace because there is disturbance of mind. The varying states in the next life, which are referred to immediately above in `@@@5962`, are determined by the perception of goodness and truth among those there, and so by their perception of the Lord's presence. That perception determines the degree of peace they enjoy, for those who have a perception of the Lord's presence also have a perception that every single thing that happens to them is conducive to their own welfare and that no evil influences can reach them. This is what gives them the peace they enjoy. Without such faith or trust in the Lord no one can ever attain that peace, nor accordingly the bliss which joy brings since that bliss resides within such peace.
ppp17887#pid#5964. 'And they went up out of Egypt' means a departure from the factual knowledge which the Church possesses. This is clear from the meaning of 'going up' out of there as departing (one speaks of 'going up' from Egypt to the land of Canaan, but of 'going down' from that land to Egypt, for a reason given several times already; at this point 'going up' means going away); and from the meaning of 'Egypt' in the proper sense as factual knowledge which the Church possesses, dealt with in `@@@4749`, `@@@4964`, `@@@4966`. The reason such factual knowledge is meant here is that it is what they had in Egypt while they were with Joseph, `@@@5958`. The subject now to the final verse of this chapter is a removal from factual knowledge about what is good and true and so from that which the Church possesses, which removal is meant above in `@@@5962` by a concealment and here by a departure. In the Word this state is meant by 'evening'. When passing through that state people depart from celestial and spiritual realities and move towards the kinds of things that do not have what is spiritual or celestial in them. But that concealment or departure does not come about because the Lord conceals Himself or departs but because the people themselves do so. For they cannot be held back any longer, because it does not suit them, from their self-reliance. That state therefore comes about when they are left to themselves or become self-reliant. And as far as self-reliance takes over or they become steeped in it, so far do they depart from the things of heaven, and so far does good cease to be perceptible to them or truth to be visible. From all this it is evident that the Lord does not conceal Himself, but that man, spirit, or angel conceals himself.
ppp17886#pid#5965. 'And came to the land of Canaan, to Jacob their father' means the dwelling-place where natural but not spiritual good resides. This is clear from the meaning of 'the land of Canaan' as the Church, dealt with in `@@@3705`, `@@@3686`, `@@@4447`, `@@@4517`, `@@@5136`, and so the dwelling-place of those who were to represent the Church, who were the descendants of Jacob, as is well known; and from the representation of 'Jacob' as natural good, dealt with in `@@@3305`, `@@@3659`, `@@@3775`, `@@@4009`, `@@@4073`, `@@@4234`, `@@@4538`, but not spiritual good since this is represented by 'Israel'. For the representation of 'Jacob' as the external aspect of the Church and of 'Israel' as the internal, see `@@@4186`, `@@@4570`. Whether you say natural good or the external aspect of the Church, and spiritual good or the internal aspect of the Church, it all amounts to the same since natural good constitutes the external aspect of the Church, and spiritual good the internal aspect of the Church.
ttt[2] The expression 'spiritual' is used to describe that which is in the light of heaven, for what is in that light has the affection for good and the perception of truth within itself. Such affection and perception make use of that light because that light comes from the Lord. People therefore who have spiritual good and truth within themselves are in the internal part of the Church, for their heads are up in heaven. But the expression 'natural' is used to describe that which is in the light of the world, for what is in this light does not have the affection for good or the perception of truth within itself, only outside itself. For the light of heaven flows down and shines round about it, thus outside it but not within it, with the result that the person can know that good is good or truth is truth because it is said to be good or truth but not because he perceives for himself that it is such. People therefore who have only natural good within themselves are in the external part of the Church, for their heads are not in heaven. Instead what light their heads receive from heaven comes from without. Jacob is called Jacob, not Israel, at this point for the reason that they are engrossed in external interests, as is plain from what has been stated above.
ppp17885#pid#5966. 'And they told him, saying' means influx and discernment. This is clear from the meaning of 'telling' as being communicated and being joined together, dealt with in `@@@4856`, `@@@5596`, and so also influx since what is told by one passes into the thought of another; and from the meaning of 'saying' in historical narratives of the Word as perception, dealt with often, and so also discernment.
ppp17884#pid#5967. 'Joseph is still alive' means that the internal has not been cast away. This is clear from the representation of 'Joseph' as internal good, dealt with in `@@@5805`, `@@@5826`, `@@@5827`, `@@@5869`, `@@@5877`; and from the meaning of 'being alive' as still in being and so not cast away. The reason 'being alive' means not having been cast away is that the sons of Jacob had at first cast away the internal, which is represented by 'Joseph' and their father had believed that evils and falsities had destroyed him, `@@@5828`. Consequently 'being alive' at this point means that this was not true.
ppp17883#pid#5968. 'And he has dominion in all the land of Egypt' means that the natural mind is under its power and control. This is clear from the meaning of 'having dominion' as being under its power and control; and from the meaning of 'the land of Egypt' as the natural mind, dealt with in `@@@5276`, `@@@5278`, `@@@5280`, `@@@5301`.
ppp17882#pid#5969. 'And his heart failed, for he did not believe them' means a lack of natural life and consequent lack of understanding. This is clear from the meaning of 'his heart failed' as a lack of life, and because these words have reference to 'Jacob', who represents natural good, `@@@5965`, it is a lack of natural life; and from the meaning of 'not believing' as a lack of understanding. The word consequent is used because the life that belongs to the will always precedes and that of the understanding follows; and the reason for this is that life resides solely in the will, not in the understanding except as life received from the will. This is clear from good which exists in the will and truth which exists in the understanding, in that good has life within it but not truth except as it receives it from that good. It is quite plain that what has life is always prior and what receives life from it is posterior. This explains the use of the expression 'a lack of natural life and consequent lack of understanding', meant by 'his heart failed, for he did not believe them'.
ppp17881#pid#5970. 'And they spoke to him all Joseph's words which he had spoken to them' means an influx from the celestial of the spiritual. This is clear from the meaning of 'speaking' as an influx, dealt with in `@@@2951`, `@@@5481`, `@@@5797`; and from the representation of 'Joseph' as the celestial of the spiritual, dealt with in `@@@4286`, `@@@4592`, `@@@4963`, `@@@5307`, `@@@5331`, `@@@5332`, `@@@5417`.
ppp17880#pid#5971. 'And he saw the carts which Joseph had sent to carry him' means matters of doctrine received from this which might prove convincing. This is clear from the meaning of 'the carts' as matters of doctrine, dealt with in `@@@5945`, `@@@5952`; from the meaning of 'which Joseph sent' as which come from the internal celestial; and from the meaning of 'to carry him' as which might prove convincing, for carrying him to Joseph so that he may see him means to convince. And once he had seen the carts he was indeed convinced, as is clear from the words which immediately follow,
The spirit of Jacob their father revived, and Israel said, Enough; Joseph my son is still alive.
ppp17879#pid#5972. 'And the spirit of Jacob their father revived' means newness of life. This is clear from the meaning of 'the spirit revived' as newness of life; and from the representation of 'Jacob' as natural good, dealt with in `@@@5965`. Hence 'the spirit of Jacob revived' means newness of life imparted to natural good. Newness of life occurs when what is spiritual flows in from the internal and acts from within on what is in the natural. Natural good is thereby made spiritual, having been linked to spiritual good, which 'Israel' represents. This also explains why Jacob is now called Israel, for the words used are, 'the spirit of Jacob revived, and Israel said'.
ppp17878#pid#5973. 'And Israel said' means spiritual good now. This is clear from the representation of 'Israel' as spiritual good, as in `@@@5801`, `@@@5803`, `@@@5806`, `@@@5817`, `@@@5819`, `@@@5826`, `@@@5832`, `@@@5833`. For what spiritual good is, represented by 'Israel', and what natural good is, represented by 'Jacob', see above in `@@@5965`. Anyone unacquainted with the internal sense of the Word cannot possibly know why Jacob is called Jacob at one point and Israel at another; for within a single chapter, even within a single verse, one name may be used, then the other. This shows quite plainly that the Word has an internal sense, as it does at this point where one reads,
The spirit of Jacob their father revived, and Israel said . . .
Similar examples appear elsewhere, such as the following,
Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob did not send with his brothers. And the sons of Israel came to buy in the midst of others who came. `Genesis 42bbb4-5`.
And Israel set out. God said to Israel in visions in the night, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Behold, here I am. `Genesis 46bbb1-2`.
Jacob rose up from Beersheba; and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father. `Genesis 46bbb5`.
All the souls of the house of Jacob as he came into Egypt were seventy. Joseph harnessed his chariot, and went up to meet Israel. And Israel said to Joseph . . . `Genesis 46bbb26`, `Genesis 46bbbccc29-30`.
Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen. Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. And Israel's days drew near when he must die. `Genesis 47bbb27-29`.
And someone told Jacob and said, Behold, your son Joseph has come to you; and Israel strengthened himself and sat up on his bed. And Jacob said to Joseph... `Genesis 48bbb2-3`.
Jacob called his sons, and said, Assemble together and hear, O sons of Jacob; hear Israel your father. `Genesis 49bbb1-2`.
Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce, and their wrath, for it is hard.`fff1` I will divide them in Jacob, and will scatter them in Israel. `Genesis 49bbb7`.
The arms of his hands will be made strong by the hands of the powerful Jacob; from there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel. `Genesis 49bbb24`.
The same use of the two names also occurs frequently in the Prophets.
`nnn1. i.e. cruel
ppp17877#pid#5974. 'Enough; Joseph my son is still alive' means joy that the internal had not perished. This is clear from the representation of 'Joseph' as the internal celestial, and from the meaning of 'being alive' as not having perished or been cast away, as above in `@@@5967`. That joy is meant is self-evident.
ppp17876#pid#5975. 'I will go and see him before I die' means the desire to be joined before what is new comes in. This is clear from the meaning of 'going and seeing' as being joined together (the reason 'seeing' is being joined together is that in the spiritual world inward seeing joins people together. Inward seeing is thought, and when in a community there many act as one, and also in organized groups, what one person thinks is also what another thinks, so that thought links them together. In addition, when someone thinks about another person, that person becomes present with him, so that again thought joins them together. Here is the reason why 'going and seeing' means a joining together; and the desire for such a joining together flows from the joy referred to immediately above in `@@@5974`); and from the meaning of 'before I die' as before what is new, that is to say, a new phase in representation comes in. For in the Word representatives succeed one another in the following way: When one person dies, then either the same representation is continued through another person or else a different representation, thus what is new comes in, a subject dealt with in `@@@3253`, `@@@3259`, `@@@3276`. When for example Abraham died, there followed a representative through Isaac; when he died, a representative through Jacob; and when he too died, a representative through his descendants. This new situation is what is meant here.
ppp17875#pid#5976. THE SPIRITS AND ANGELS PRESENT WITH A PERSON - continued
It was shown in the section at the end of the previous chapter [in `@@@5849`] that two spirits from hell and two angels from heaven are present with each person; that they provide communication both with hell and with heaven and also enable a person to be in freedom.
ppp17874#pid#5977. The reason for two is that there are two kinds of spirits in hell and two kinds of angels in heaven, who correspond to the two mental powers in a person of will and understanding. The first kind of spirits are called simply spirits, and they act on the thoughts in a person's understanding; the second kind are called genii, and these act on the desires in a person's will. The two kinds are utterly distinct and separate. Those called simply spirits instill falsities, for they argue against the truth and experience the delight of their life when they can make truth look like falsity, and falsity look like truth. But those called genii instill evils; they act on a person's affections and cravings, scenting in an instant what is the object of the person's desire. If the desire is good they bend it with very great skill into what is evil, and they experience the delight of their life when they can make a person perceive good as evil, and evil as good. They have been allowed to act on my own desires so that I might know what such genii are like and how they operate; and I must confess that unless the Lord had employed angels to protect me, those genii would have turned my desires into cravings for evil, which they would have carried out so secretly and silently that I would have known scarcely anything about it. The ones who are called genii have nothing whatever in common with those called spirits. Genii have no interest at all in what a person thinks, only in what he loves, whereas spirits have no interest at all in what a person loves, only in what he thinks. Genii take delight in keeping quiet, but spirits in talking. The two kinds are also completely separate from each other. The genii are in hells deep down behind the back, out of spirits' sight; and when anyone looks down there they look like shadows flitting around. But the spirits are in hells located to the sides and in front. Here then is the reason why two spirits from hell are present with a person.
ppp17873#pid#5978. The reason two angels are present with each person is that there are also two kinds of angels; one kind acts on the desires in a person's will, the other on the thoughts in his understanding. Those acting on the desires in a person s will act on his loves and ends in view, consequently on his good intentions, whereas those acting on the thoughts in his understanding act on his faith and principal convictions, consequently on the true ideas he has. Those two kinds also are utterly distinct and separate. Those who act on the desires of a person's will are called celestial, while those who act on the thoughts in his understanding are called spiritual. The genii stand opposed to the celestial angels, the spirits to the spiritual ones. Much experience has led me to know these things; for I am constantly in the company of and talking to those from both sides.
ppp17872#pid#5979. Anyone who is a believer thinks that none but angels from heaven are present with him and that spirits who are devils have been totally removed from him. But I can positively declare that in the case of someone in whom the yearnings and delights belonging to self-love and love of the world exist and are his end in view, those spirits are present and so close to him that they are in him, controlling both his thoughts and his affections. Angels from heaven cannot possibly be present within a sphere emanating from such thoughts and affections, only outside it. This being so, the angels depart as hellish spirits come nearer. Yet the angels from heaven never depart completely from a person, for if they did he would be done for. Left without his contact with heaven through the angels he could not live.
ttt[2] The truth that spirits from hell and angels from heaven are present with a person is also in some measure contained in the faith taught by Christian Churches. For their teachings state that all good comes from God, and that evil comes from the devil; and preachers reinforce it by their pulpit prayer that God may control their thoughts and words, and by their assertion that with the righteous all things, even the least of their endeavours, begin in God. Those preachers also say that when a person leads a good life he allows himself to be led by God, and in addition that angels are sent from God to help him; or they will say, when someone has performed an extremely evil deed, that he has allowed himself to be led by the devil and that any evil like that comes from hell. They would also have said that spirits from hell were flowing into the interior evils belonging to the person's thought and will, if they had recognized those evils to be just as great.
ppp17871#pid#5980. Angels watch carefully and unceasingly to see what the evil spirits and genii present with a person are intent on and trying to do; and so far as the person allows them, they turn evils into good, or into something approaching good, or into something which leads in that direction.
ppp17870#pid#5981. Among hellish spirits and genii foul and disgusting sights sometimes occur, which are in effect the kinds of thoughts an evil person has and utters. In order that such sights may not drive the angels completely away, they are perceived by the angels as things less awful than they really are. To enable me to know how the angels perceived such things I was given angelic perception when foul sights appeared. It was such that I had no feeling at all of horror, for what I saw had been turned into something less awful. I cannot describe it, only compare it to a sharp-cornered and prickly object that has had the corners and points removed from it. This is the kind of way that foul and disgusting things among hellish spirits and genii are made much less so among angels.
ppp17869#pid#5982. To enable man to be in freedom, the Lord places him in a position in which he is poised between evil and good, and between falsity and truth. He accomplishes this by means of evil spirits positioned on one side and angels on the other. For if he is to be saved a person must be in freedom, and in freedom be led away from evil and towards good. Whatever is not done by him in freedom does not remain because he does not make it his own. That freedom comes as a result of his being held poised between the two sides.
ppp17868#pid#5983. A person's communication with hell and with heaven through two spirits and two angels may be recognized from the consideration that in the next life no one community can have any communication with another community or any person except through spirits who are sent out from it. These emissary spirits are called 'subordinates', for communities speak through them as their subordinates. Sending out subordinates to other communities with whom they thereby come in contact is one of the common features of the next life. I have been made very aware of it through the fact that such subordinates have been sent to me a thousand times over, and that without them their communities could not have known anything at all about me or have communicated anything to me about themselves. From this it may be seen that the spirits and genii present with people are nothing else than subordinates through whom they come in contact with hell, while the celestial and spiritual angels are subordinates through whom they come in contact with heaven.
ppp17867#pid#5984. When spirits who are in the world of spirits wish to get in touch with a number of communities they usually send out subordinates, one to each individual community. I have noticed that evil spirits have sent out many round about, stationing them like a spider laying out its web, with those who do the sending out at the centre. And I have been astonished to see that they know how to do it as if by a kind of instinct; for those who knew nothing at all during their lifetime about such things do it in an instant in the next life. From this too one may see that contact is established through emissary spirits.
ppp17866#pid#5985. A subordinate is one through whom the thoughts and utterances of many are focused and is accordingly the means by which many present themselves as a single unit. Also, since none of the subordinate's thoughts or speech originate in himself but come from others, and their thoughts and speech find vivid expression in him, those others who enter him suppose that their subordinate is a kind of nonentity with hardly any life of his own, a mere receiver of their own thought and speech. And for his part the subordinate imagines that what he thinks and utters originates not in others, but solely in himself. Thus both parties are deluded. I have often been allowed to tell a subordinate that nothing he thinks or speaks originates in himself but comes from others. I have also said that those others imagine that a subordinate is incapable of independent thought or speech, so that it seems to them as though he has no life at all of his own. Having heard what I said one who was a subordinate was highly indignant. But in order that he might be convinced I was allowed to talk to the spirits who were entering him. They confessed and said that nothing at all of what a subordinate thinks or speaks comes from himself, which being so they see him as a thing with hardly any life of its own. It also happened on one occasion that someone who said a subordinate was a nonentity became a subordinate himself, at which point the rest declared that he was a nonentity, which made him extremely angry. Even so the experience taught him the truth of the matter.
ppp17865#pid#5986. It is worth my mentioning that it has happened many times and thereby been proved to me that no one person's thought, speech, will, or action - either in heaven or in hell - originates in the person himself but comes from others, so that ultimately every individual is dependent on the all-embracing inflow of life from the Lord. When I have heard others saying that nothing of a subordinate's thought or speech originated in himself, yet the subordinate imagined that it did come solely from himself, I have been allowed on many occasions to talk to those entering the subordinate. Whenever they would argue that their own thought and speech originated in themselves unlike a subordinate's - and because they really thought this was so - I have also been allowed to tell them that their idea is false. I have told them that they, exactly like a subordinate, derived their thought and speech from others. To prove the point I was allowed to talk to the spirits entering them; and when these spirits professed much the same, I was allowed to talk in turn to the ones entering them, and so on in unbroken sequence. This proved that each individual's thought and speech came from others. The experience made the spirits highly indignant, for each of them wants his thought and speech to originate in himself. But because the experience served to teach them the truth of the matter, they were told that the whole of their thought, and of their will too, is something that comes into them, for the reason that there is but one life alone, which is the source of the life those mental powers possess. That life flows in from the Lord, employing an amazing form, the heavenly form; it flows not only into all people universally but also into each individual specifically. Variation occurs in every case, determined by the form each subordinate recipient possesses, in the measure that the form agrees or does not agree with the heavenly one. From all this one may also see what the situation is with man, who will be dealt with in what follows where influx is the subject.
ppp17864#pid#5987. The greater the number of spirits focusing on a single subordinate, the stronger the subordinate's power of thought and speech; and that power increases as the number of spirits in accord with one another concentrating on him grows. This too has been demonstrated to me, by the removal of some of the spirits flowing in, for then the subordinate's power of thought and speech was diminished.
ppp17863#pid#5988. Some subordinates were once present with me close to my head. They talked as if they were asleep, yet they spoke perfectly well, as those do who are not asleep. I noticed that evil spirits were entering with obnoxious deceits into those subordinates, yet what went in was immediately dispersed. And because they knew that these same people had been their subordinates prior to that, they complained that they were no longer so. The reason they were no longer so was that good spirits could now act on them when they were asleep, so that this influx of the good spirits caused the obnoxious deceits of the evil ones to be dispelled. Even so the evil spirits were compelled to flow into these and no other subordinates. From this it is evident that subordinates vary in kind and nature and these variations exist as the Lord disposes.
ppp17862#pid#5989. Very deceitful spirits who dwell overhead once chose for themselves certain subordinates and sent them to me so that they could enter me with their deceits; but they had made a big mistake. One, having been made their subordinate, bent back and pulled himself in, making himself like a roll, so as to repel their entry into him; and by doing this he extricated himself from their control. Then they chose another, but they could not force him to speak either. He was more deceitful than they, a fact he demonstrated when he appeared to roll himself up into a spiral shape. In this way he deceived them. Furthermore evil spirits do not always send out subordinates from their own number; instead they take note of exactly who the spirits are whom they see among others, and also where the simple and compliant ones are located, whom they then make their subordinates. They do this by channeling their own thoughts into the one they choose and by instilling their own affections and false convictions, as a result of which he is no longer in control of himself but serves them as their subordinate, sometimes without his being aware of it.
ppp17861#pid#5990. At the present day there are very many spirits who wish to enter not only a person's thoughts and affections but also his speech and actions, thus the bodily counterparts of his thoughts and affections as well. Those bodily counterparts however are not subject to particular influx from spirits and angels but are controlled by general influx. That is to say, when thoughts pass into and are channeled into speech and when the desires of the will pass into and are channeled into actions, their channeling and passage into the body takes place according to order, and is not controlled by means of any spirits in particular. For to enter a person's bodily aspects is to possess him. Spirits who have the desire and intention to do this include those who during their lifetime were adulterers, that is, who took delight in acts of adultery and convinced themselves that such acts were permissible. Also included are those who were cruel people. The reason why both the adulterous and the cruel have that desire and intention to possess a person is that they more than all others are governed by the body and the senses. They have cast aside all thought about heaven, by attributing everything to natural forces and nothing to the Divine. Thus they have shut interior things off from themselves and opened up external ones, for which alone they had any love while in the world and to which they therefore desire to return in the next life through a person by taking possession of him.
ttt[2] But the Lord makes provision which prevents such spirits from entering the world of spirits; they are confined to their own hells, shut well away. This explains why there are no cases of external possession at the present day; but there are nevertheless internal cases of it, also brought about by the hellish and devilish crew. For evil persons think the kinds of things that are filthy, also those which involve cruelty to others, as well as those that are contrary and harmful to Divine ones. Unless such thoughts were curbed by fear of the loss of position, material gain, reputation on account of such position and gain, fear of punishment by the law, or loss of life, they would break out into the open and such persons would plunge, more than those who are possessed, into the ruination of others and into blasphemous utterances made against matters of faith. But those external restraints make such people seem not to be possessed; they are however subject inwardly to such possession, even though they may not be outwardly. This is plainly evident from people like them in the next life, where external restraints are removed. There they are devils, constantly delighting in and desiring the ruination of others and the destruction of anything that is a matter of faith.
ppp17860#pid#5991. I once saw some spirits who must be called bodily or physical ones. They rose up from a deep place on the side of the sole of my right foot. It looked to the eyes of my spirit as though they inhabited thoroughly physical bodies. When I asked who spirits like these might be I was told that they were those who in the world had been clever and very knowledgeable; but they had used their knowledge entirely to reinforce themselves in their opposition to the Divine, and so to the things of the Church. And since they had become fully convinced that everything could be attributed to natural forces, they had shut themselves off more than others from interior things, thus from things of the spirit. This is why they had a thoroughly physical appearance. Among them was one whom I had known when he lived in the world. At that time he had been one of those quite renowned for their clever abilities and their learning. But that cleverness and learning, which are the means to enable a person to think clearly about Divine matters, were for that man the means to think in opposition to them and to convince himself that they were valueless. For a person well endowed with cleverness and learning has more resources for proving his ideas than others have. Consequently the one I had known was interiorly possessed, though in outward appearance he seemed to be a decent and properly-behaved person.
ppp17859#pid#5992. The angels through whom the Lord leads and also protects a person are near his head. Their function is to impart charity and faith, to notice the direction in which the person's delights turn, and to modify and bend those delights towards what is good, so far as they can do so in the person's freedom. The angels are forbidden to act in any violent manner and thereby crush a person's evil desires and false assumptions; they must act gently. Their function is also to control evil spirits who come from hell, which is done in countless ways, of which let only the following be mentioned here: When evil spirits infuse evils and falsities the angels instill truths and goods, which - even if they are not accepted - serve to temper what the former infuse. Spirits from hell are constantly on the attack, and angels provide protection; and this is a proper state of order.
ttt[2] In particular the angels moderate affections, since they constitute a person's life and also his freedom. The angels also notice any influence on a person from hells which are now open but were not previously so, which happens when a person goes off into some new evil. To the extent that the person allows, the angels close those hells; they also remove any spirits who may be trying to come out from there. They also dispel any strange and new influences which can produce evil effects.
ttt[3] In particular the angels call forth the forms of good and truth residing with a person and set them opposite the evils and falsities activated by the evil spirits. As a result the person is in the middle and is not conscious of the evil or of the good; and being in the middle he is in freedom to turn towards one or towards the other. Angels from the Lord employ means like these to lead and protect a person, doing so every instant and fraction of an instant. For if the angels were to let up merely for a single moment the person would be plunged into evil from which after that he cannot possibly be brought out. The angels are motivated to do all this by a love they receive from the Lord, for nothing gives them greater delight and happiness than to remove evils from a person and lead him to heaven. This is their joy, see `Luke 15bbb7`. Scarcely anyone believes the Lord has that kind of concern for a person, a constant concern lasting from the very beginning of a person's existence to the final moment of his life, and for evermore after that.
ppp17858#pid#5993. From all that has now been said it may be seen that to be in touch with the spiritual world a person must have two spirits from hell and two angels from heaven linked to him, and that without them he would not have any life at all. For the human being cannot by any means receive his life from general influx, like living creatures devoid of reason, which are dealt with in `@@@5850`, because his entire life is contrary to order. That being his state, if he were moved by general influx alone he would be moved inevitably by hell, not by heaven. And if not moved by heaven he would not have any interior life, nor thus any thought or will at all such as a human being possesses, not even any such as an animal possesses. For the human being is born without any use of reason and cannot be led into it except through influx from heaven.
ttt[2] From what has been brought forward here it is also clear that a person cannot live without communication with the hells through spirits from there, for his entire life which he derives by heredity from his parents, and all that he adds of what is his own, consists of self-love and love of the world, not of love of the neighbour, still less of love of God. And because a person's entire life from what is properly his own consists of self-love and love of the world, it accordingly consists of contempt for others in comparison with self and of hatred felt for and revenge taken on all who do not show him favour. It therefore consists too of cruelty, for anyone harbouring hatred of others wishes to kill them, and is supremely delighted by the ruination of them. Unless spirits like this, who cannot come from anywhere but hell, were attached to those evils, and unless a person were led by those spirits in ways that accord with the delights of his life, he could not possibly be diverted towards heaven, for initially those actual delights of his are used to divert him. They are also used to place him in a state of freedom, thus finally to give him the power of choice.
ppp17857#pid#5994. `Genesis 46bbb0`
1. And Israel travelled on and all that he had; and he came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.
2. And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Behold, here I am.
3. And He said, I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid of going down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there.
4. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will certainly cause you to come up also; and Joseph will put his hand on your eyes.
5. And Jacob rose up from Beersheba, and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, and their young children, and their wives, in the carts which Pharaoh sent to carry him.
6. And they took their livestock, and the acquisitions they had made in the land of Canaan, and came to Egypt - Jacob and all his seed with him.
7. His sons and his sons' sons with him, his daughters and his sons' daughters, and all his seed he brought with him to Egypt.
8. And these are the names of the sons of Israel who were coming to Egypt - of Jacob and his sons: Jacob's firstborn was Reuben.
9. And the sons of Reuben were Enoch,`fff1` and Pallu, and Hezron, and Carmi.
10. And the sons of Simeon were Jemuel and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman.
11. And the sons of Levi were Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari.
12. And the sons of Judah were Er and Onan, and Shelah, and Perez, and Zerah; and Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.
13. And the sons of Issachar were Tola, and Puvah, and Job, and Shimron.
14. And the sons of Zebulun were Sered, and Elon, and Jahleel.
15. These are the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram, and Dinah his daughter. All the souls of his sons and his daughters were thirty-three.
16. And the sons of Gad were Ziphion and Haggi, Shuni and Ezbon, Eri and Arodi, and Areli.
17. And the sons of Asher were Jimnah, and Jishvah, and Jishvi, and Beriah, and Serah their sister. And the sons of Beriah were Heber and Malchiel.
18. These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter; and these she bore to Jacob. They were sixteen souls.
19. The sons of Rachel, Jacob's wife, were Joseph and Benjamin.
20. And born to Joseph in the land of Egypt were those whom Asenath the daughter of Potiphera the priest of On bore to him, Manasseh and Ephraim.
21. And the sons of Benjamin were Bela and Becher, and Ashbel, Gera and Naaman, Ehi and Rosh, Muppim and Huppim, and Ard.
22. These are the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob. All the souls were fourteen.
23. And the sons of Dan were Hushim.
24. And the sons of Naphtali were Jahzeel, and Guni, and Jezer, and Shillem.
25. And these are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter; and these she bore to Jacob. All the souls were seven.
26. Every soul coming, that belonged to Jacob, to Egypt - those who had come out of his thigh, not counting Jacob's sons' wives - all the souls were sixty-six.
27. And Joseph's sons, who were born to him in Egypt, were two souls; all the souls belonging to the house of Jacob who was coming to Egypt were seventy.
28. And he sent Judah before him to Joseph, to show [the way] before him to Goshen; and they came to the land of Goshen.
29. And Joseph harnessed his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen; and he was seen towards him,`fff2` and he fell on his neck,`fff3` and wept on his neck`fff3` a long while.
30. And Israel said to Joseph, Now let me die,`fff4` after I have seen your face, that you are still alive.
31. And Joseph said to his brothers and to his father's house, I will go up and tell Pharaoh, and say to him, My brothers and my father's house, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me.
32. And the men are Shepherds of the flock, for they are keepers`fff5` of livestock; and their flocks and their herds, and all they have, they have made to come.
33. And it may be that Pharaoh may call you and say, What are your works?`fff6`
34. And you are to say, Your servants have been keepers`fff5` of livestock from our`fff7` boyhoods and right up to now, both we and our fathers - so that you may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd of the flock is an abomination to the Egyptians.
CONTENTS
This chapter deals in the internal sense with the joining of the internal celestial, which is 'Joseph', to spiritual good from the natural, which is 'Israel'. Then there is a listing in their proper order of the Church's truths and forms of good to which the internal celestial will afterwards come to be joined, those truths and forms of good being 'Israel's sons and grandsons who came to Egypt'.
`nnn1. In most English versions this name appears as Hanoch, but in the Latin, as in the original Hebrew, the spelling is the same as that of the one mentioned in `Genesis 4bbb17-18`; `Genesis ccc5bbb18-24`. Cp. `Genesis 25bbb4`.
`nnn2. i.e. Joseph presented himself to his father
`nnn3. literally, necks
`nnn4. literally, Let me die this once
`nnn5. literally, men
`nnn6. i.e. What is your occupation?
`nnn7. The Latin means their, but the Hebrew means our.
ppp17856#pid#5995. THE INTERNAL SENSE
Verse `Genesis 46bbbccc1` And Israel travelled on and all that he had, and he came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.
'And Israel travelled on and all that he had' means the beginning of the joining together. 'And he came to Beersheba' means charity and faith. 'And offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac' means worship springing from them, and an inflowing from the Divine intellectual.
ppp17855#pid#5996. 'And Israel travelled on and all that he had' means the beginning of the joining together. This is clear from the meaning of 'travelling on' as a stage further and a continuation, dealt with in `@@@4375`, `@@@4882`, `@@@5493`, in this case a continuation of and further stage in the glorification of the Lord, who in the highest sense is 'Israel' and 'Joseph', whereas a continuation and further stage of a person's regeneration is meant in the internal sense. And since this chapter now reaches a further stage in and continues the subject of the joining of the natural man to the spiritual, or the external man to the internal, 'Israel travelled on and all that he had' means the beginning of the joining together.
ppp17854#pid#5997. 'And he came to Beersheba' means charity and faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'Beersheba' as the doctrine of charity and faith, dealt with in `@@@2858`, `@@@2859`, `@@@3466`; but here charity and faith themselves are meant, not doctrine concerning them, since reference is being made to spiritual good, represented by 'Israel'. Spiritual good is something more than doctrine about it, for such doctrine owes its existence to that good. Therefore when anyone arrives at spiritual good he no longer has any need of teachings received from others because he has attained the end he sought to reach. He is no longer concerned with the means, and those teachings are nothing other than the means by which he arrives at good, his end in view. This now explains why 'Beersheba' means charity and faith.
ppp17853#pid#5998. 'And offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac' means worship springing from them, and an inflowing from the Divine Intellectual. This is clear from the meaning of 'offering sacrifices' as worship, dealt with in `@@@922`, `@@@923`, `@@@1180`; and from the representation of 'Isaac' in the highest sense as the Lord's Divine Rational or Intellectual, dealt with in `@@@1893`, `@@@2066`, `@@@2072`, `@@@2083`, `@@@2630`, `@@@3012`, `@@@3194`, `@@@3210`. It follows that there is an inflowing from this into the worship, for what is described here is worship springing from charity and faith, meant by 'Beersheba', `@@@5997`, where he offered the sacrifices. Jacob's offering of sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac shows what the fathers of the Jewish and Israelite nation were like; it shows that each worshipped his own God. Isaac's God was different from his, as is evident from the fact that he offered sacrifices to Isaac's, and the fact that he was told in the visions of the night, 'I am God, the God of your father'. It is also evident from the fact that he had sworn by that same God, as described in `Genesis 31bbb53`,
May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor judge`fff1` between us, the God of their father. At that time Jacob swore by the Dread of his father Isaac.
It is also clear that Jacob did not initially acknowledge Jehovah, for he said,
If God will be with me, and guard me on this road on which I am walking, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, and I come back in peace to my father's house, then Jehovah will be my God. `Genesis 28bbb20-21`.
Thus he acknowledged Jehovah conditionally.
ttt[2] It was the custom among them to acknowledge their fathers' gods, but their own one specifically. They derived the custom from their fathers in Syria; for Terah, Abram's father, and even Abram himself when he was there, worshipped gods other than Jehovah, see `@@@1356`, `@@@1992`, `@@@3667`. Their descendants, who were called Jacob and Israel, were consequently of such a nature that in their hearts they worshipped the gods of the gentiles. Jehovah they worshipped solely with their lips, and in name only. The reason they were like this was that nothing but externals devoid of anything internal interested them; and people like that cannot help thinking that worship consists in nothing more than declaring God's name and saying that He is their God, and in doing so as long as He confers benefits on them. They have no idea that worship consists in a life of charity and faith.
`nnn1. The verb rendered may judge here is plural.
ppp17852#pid#5999. Verses `Genesis 46bbbccc2-4` And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Behold, here I am. And He said, I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid of going down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will certainly cause you to come up also; and Joseph will put his hand on your eyes.
'And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night' means obscure revelation. 'And said, Jacob, Jacob' means made to natural truth. 'And he said, Behold, here I am' means discernment. 'And He said, I am God, the God of your father' means the Divine Intellectual, the source of what flowed in. 'Do not be afraid of going down to Egypt' means that natural truth and all that accompanies it must be introduced into the facts known to the Church. 'For I will make you into a great nation' means that truths will be made into good. 'I will go down with you to Egypt' means the Lord's presence in that state. 'And I will certainly cause you to come up also' means a raising up after that. 'And Joseph will put his hand on your eyes' means that the internal celestial will impart life to it.
ppp17851#pid#6000. 'And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night' means obscure revelation. This is clear from the meaning of 'God spoke in visions' as revelation. For revelations were made either by means of dreams, or by night visions, or by daytime visions, or by utterances made within a person, or by utterances made outside him by angels who had become visible, as well as by utterances made outside by angels who had not become visible. Various kinds of revelation are meant in the Word by all these. 'A vision of the night' means revelation that is obscure, since 'night' means obscurity, `@@@1712`, `@@@2514`, and in the spiritual sense obscurity implies that truth is not visible. In the Word 'night' also means falsity due to evil; for people who because of evil are subject to falsity dwell in the obscurity of night, which is why all in hell are said to be in night. Those in hell do, it is true, have an inferior kind of light, for they see one another; but that light is like the light emitted by a coal fire, which is turned into darkness and pitch darkness when heavenly light flows in. This is why the inhabitants of hell are said to be in night and are called angels of the night and darkness, whereas the inhabitants of heaven are called angels of the day and light.
ttt[2] The meaning of 'the night' as obscurity and also falsity may be seen in addition from the following places in the Word: In John,
Jesus said, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day he does not stumble. But if anyone walks in the night he stumbles, because the light is not in him. `John 11bbb9-10`.
'Twelve hours' stands for all states of truth. 'Walking in the day' stands for living in the truth, and 'walking in the night' for living in falsity.
ttt[3] In the same gospel,
I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; night is coming when nobody will be able to work. `John 9bbb4`.
'Day' stands for truth coming from good, and 'night' for falsity coming from evil. The first period of the Church is what is meant by 'day', for at this time truth is entertained by people because they are governed by good. But the final period of the Church is what is meant by 'night', for at that time no truth at all is entertained by its members, because they are not governed by good; and when someone is not governed by good, that is, by charity towards the neighbour, then even if told perfect truths he does not entertain them. In this situation there is no perception at all of what truth is, because the light of truth falls on matters of a bodily and worldly nature, to which alone such people give their attention and which alone they love and consider to have any reality. It does not fall on things of a heavenly nature because they are considered to be of little or no value at all compared with other things. Consequently the light of truth is swallowed up by and snuffed out in what is a mass of thick darkness, like sunlight falling on an object that is black. This is what is meant by 'night is coming when nobody will be able to work'; and the situation is like this at the present day.
ttt[4] In Matthew,
While the bridegroom was tarrying all the virgins were drowsy and went to sleep. But at midnight there was a shout, Behold, the bridegroom is coming. `Matthew 25bbb5-7`.
'Midnight' too stands for the final period of the old Church when no faith at all exists because no charity at all does so, and also for the first period of the new Church. In Luke,
I tell you, in that night there will be two upon one bed; one will be taken, the other left. `Luke 17bbb34`.
'Night' in the same way here stands for the final period of the old Church, and the first of the new.
ttt[5] In Matthew,
Jesus said to the disciples, All of you will be made to stumble [by sinning] against Me this night. And to Peter, This night, before the cock crows, you will deny Me three times. `Matthew 26bbb31`, `Matthew 26bbbccc34`.
The Lord allowed Himself to be arrested at night, and this was a sign that Divine Truth dwelt for them in the obscurity of night and that falsity springing from evil existed in place of it. Peter's denial of the Lord three times that night also represented the final period of the Church when the truth of faith is indeed taught, but no one believes it. This final period is 'night' because at this time people utterly deny the Lord in their hearts. For like the twelve tribes of Israel, the twelve apostles represented all the aspects of faith, `@@@577`, `@@@2089`, `@@@2129` (end), `@@@2130` (end), `@@@3272`, `@@@3354`, `@@@3488`, `@@@3858`, `@@@3913`, `@@@3926`, `@@@3939`, `@@@4060`; and Peter represented the faith of the Church, see Preface to `Genesis 18bbb0`, also Preface to `Genesis 22bbb0`, as well as `@@@3750`, `@@@4738`. So it was that the Lord said to Peter that he would deny Him three times that night, and to the disciples, 'All of you will be made to stumble [by sinning] against Me this night'.
ttt[6] In Isaiah,
One was calling to me from Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night? The watchman said, Morning comes, and also the night.
This refers to the Coming of the Lord, which is 'morning'. That Coming took place when spiritual truth existed no longer on earth, which is 'the night'.
ttt[7] In Zechariah,
There will be one day, which is known to Jehovah, not day nor night, because around evening time there will be light. It will happen, that on that day living waters will go out from Jerusalem. And Jehovah will be King over all the earth; on that day there will be one Jehovah, and His name one. `Zechariah 14bbb7-9`.
This too refers to the Lord, and also to a new Church. The prophecy that Jehovah, who will be King, will be one and that His name will be one refers to the Lord's Divine Human, which will be one with the Divine Himself, called the Father. Prior to the Lord's Coming the Divine Human was Jehovah in the heavens; for it was by His passing through the heavens that He presented Himself as a Divine Person before the eyes of many on earth. In those times the Divine Human was not so much one with the Divine Himself, called the Father, as when the Lord had made the Divine Human within Himself completely one with the Father. Prior to His Coming the two were seemingly distinct and separate, as is evident from `Genesis 19bbb24`, where it says that Jehovah rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from`fff1` Jehovah out of heaven, `@@@2447`. A day when it will be 'not day nor night' is the time when the Lord was born, for then it was 'evening', that is, when representatives in the Church came to an end. 'Light around evening time' is Divine Truth which is to appear then.
ttt[8] In Isaiah,
Surely at night Ar has been laid waste, Moab has been cut off; surely at night Kir of Moab has been laid waste. `Isaiah 15bbb1`.
'Moab' stands for natural good, and in the contrary sense for adulterated good, `@@@2468`; in this text a laying waste of that good is referred to. Acts of laying waste are said to happen at night because they are occasions when truth is rendered obscure and falsity enters in. In Jeremiah,
The great city will weep bitterly in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks. `Lamentations 1bbb2`.
This refers to a desolation of truth, 'night' standing for falsity.
ttt[9] In David,
You will not be afraid of the terror of the night, of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the death that lays waste at noonday. `Psalms 91bbb5-6`.
'The terror of the night' stands for falsities arising from evil that come from hell. 'The arrow that flies by day' stands for falsity that is taught openly and is destructive of good. 'The death that lays waste at noonday' is evil that is openly practised in life and is destructive of good. In John,
The gates of the holy Jerusalem will not be shut by day, for there is no night there. `Revelation 21bbb25`.
There will be no night there, nor do they need a lamp or light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. `Revelation 22bbb5`.
'There will be no night there' stands for no falsity there. In Daniel,
Daniel said, I saw in my vision when it was night. After this also I saw in visions of the night. `Daniel 7bbb2`, `Daniel 7bbbccc7`.
'Visions of the night' also stands for obscure revelation; for that chapter in Daniel describes four beasts and their horns, and gives many details belonging to revelation that was obscure. Something similar is involved with the different coloured horses that Zechariah saw at night, `Zechariah 1bbb8` and following verses.
`nnn1. Two Latin words meaning from and with are in fact used here; they represent a double preposition in the Hebrew.
ppp17850#pid#6001. 'And said, Jacob, Jacob' means made to natural truth. This is clear from the representation of 'Jacob' as natural truth, dealt with in `@@@3305`, `@@@3509`, `@@@3525`, `@@@3546`, `@@@3599`, `@@@3775`, `@@@4009`, `@@@4234`, `@@@4520`, `@@@4578`. The reason why the name 'Jacob' and not Israel is used is that natural truth and all that accompanies it must be introduced into the facts known to the Church, meant by Jacob's going down into Egypt together with his sons, see below in `@@@6004`.
ppp17849#pid#6002. 'And he said, Behold, here I am' means discernment. This is clear without explanation.
ppp17848#pid#6003. 'And He said, I am God, the God of your father' means the Divine Intellectual, the source of what flowed in. This is clear from the representation of Isaac, to whom his 'father' refers here, as the Lord's Divine Rational or Intellectual, as above in `@@@5998`, for the words 'God, the God of your father' are used. The reason why this is the source of what flows in is that all truth is seen by the understanding or intellect, including natural truth, which is represented by 'Jacob', `@@@6001`. For what the Divine Rational or Intellectual represented by 'Isaac' is, see `@@@1893`, `@@@2066`, `@@@2072`, `@@@2083`, `@@@2630`, `@@@3012`, `@@@3194`, `@@@3210`. In the original language the singular form of the name for God is used first, then the plural form; that is to say, El is used first, then Elohim. The reason for this is that the first use of the name 'God' means that God is one and alone, while the second use means that He has many attributes; and this is why Elohim, the plural form of the name, is used, as it is practically everywhere else in the Word. Because of His many attributes and because the Ancient Church gave a name to each of them, the descendants of that Church, among whom the knowledge of such matters had become lost, consequently thought that there were many gods, one of which each family then chose to be its own particular deity. Abram chose Shaddai, `@@@1992`, `@@@3667`, `@@@5628`, and Isaac chose the God called Pachad or Dread. And since each family's God was one of God's attributes, the Lord therefore said to Abram, 'I am God Shaddai', `Genesis 17bbb1`, and to Jacob here, 'I am the God of your father'.
ppp17847#pid#6004. 'Do not be afraid of going down to Egypt' means that natural truth and all that accompanies it must be introduced into the facts known to the Church. This is clear from the representation of Jacob, the one who is told that he should 'go down to Egypt', as natural truth, dealt with just above in `@@@6001`; from the meaning of 'going down' as being introduced into, for in order that the introduction might be represented Jacob went down into Egypt together with all who were his; and from the meaning of 'Egypt' as the facts known to the Church, dealt with in `@@@1462`, `@@@4749`, `@@@4964`, `@@@4966`.
ttt[2] What an introduction of truth into the facts known to the Church implies is this: The Church's factual knowledge at that time consisted of representatives and meaningful signs contained in ritual observances, for all the ritual observances of the Church sprang from those representatives and signs, as also did the factual knowledge which helped members of the Church to understand teachings about charity. From that factual knowledge they knew who were really meant by the poor, the needy, the wretched, the afflicted, the oppressed, widows, orphans, strangers, those bound in prison, the naked, the sick, the hungry, the thirsty, the lame, the blind, the deaf, the maimed, and many others whom they identified as distinct kinds of the neighbour. By making such distinctions they taught how charity should be exercised. This was what their factual knowledge at that time was like. But at the present day that knowledge has been completely wiped out, as is evident from the consideration that where these deprived persons are mentioned in the Word scarcely anyone knows more than that those who are literally so deprived are meant, for example that those who are literally widows are meant when 'widows' are mentioned, those literally strangers when 'strangers' are mentioned, those literally in prison when they are mentioned, and so on. The kind of knowledge spoken of here flourished in Egypt, which is why 'Egypt' means factual knowledge. The need for natural truth, which is 'Jacob', to be introduced into such knowledge is represented by Jacob's going down into Egypt with all that was his.
ttt[3] Truths are said to be introduced into factual knowledge when they are gathered together into it so as to exist within it. This is done to the end that when some fact comes to mind the truths that have been gathered into it may be recollected at the same time. When for example someone thinks of a stranger, then because 'a stranger' means people who are to receive instruction, all the ways of exercising charity towards such people instantly spring to mind, which is to say that truths spring to mind. The same thing happens when he thinks of any of the other kinds of deprived persons. Once known facts have been filled with those truths any thought based on those facts expands and spreads far and wide, reaching indeed into many communities in heaven simultaneously. For since such factual knowledge consists of so many truths contained within itself, it opens out in that way without the person's being aware of it. But they must be truths that are held within it. It is also an essential feature of Divine order that interior things should gather themselves into exterior ones, or what amounts to the same, prior things into posterior ones, so that finally everything prior should be gathered into what is last and lowest and coexist with it. This is what happens in the entire natural creation. If this were not true, no one could be fully regenerated; for such a gathering of truths within known facts enables interior things and exterior ones, which would otherwise be at variance, to exist in agreement and act as one. If they are at variance the person cannot be governed by good because he lacks sincerity. Besides, factual knowledge dwells in virtually the same inferior light as a person's physical sight. This inferior light is such that, unless it is brightened from within by the light received from truths, it leads to falsities, especially those that are a product of the illusions of the senses, and to evils that are a product of falsities. The truth of this will be seen from my experience presented at the ends of chapters under Influx.
ppp17846#pid#6005. 'For I will make you into a great nation' means that truths will be made into good. This is clear from the representation of Jacob, about whom these words were spoken, as natural truth, dealt with above in `@@@6001`; and from the meaning of 'a nation as good, dealt with in `@@@1259`, `@@@1260`, `@@@1416`, `@@@1849` In the Word nations and peoples are referred to frequently but in every place with this difference, that forms of good or of evil are meant by 'nations' and truths or falsities by 'peoples'.
ppp17845#pid#6006. 'I will go down with you to Egypt' means the Lord's presence in that state. This is clear from the meaning of 'going down with you' as the Lord's presence, for it is the Lord who is meant by God who spoke in visions of the night to Jacob.
ppp17844#pid#6007. 'And I will certainly cause you to come up also' means a raising up after that. This is clear from the meaning of 'going up' as a raising up, dealt with in `@@@3084`, `@@@4539`, `@@@5406`, `@@@5817`. The raising up meant here is an advance from factual knowledge to more internal ideas. For after such knowledge has been filled with truths in the way stated above in `@@@6004`, a person is raised up from it towards more internal ideas; and once that is done the factual knowledge serves him as the groundwork for his contemplations. Being raised up towards more internal ideas is thinking on a more internal level, and at length as spirits and angels do. The more internal the level to which thought rises, the more perfect it becomes because it is closer to the inflow of truth and goodness from the Lord. For thought can exist on more internal or more external levels, `@@@5127`, `@@@5141`.
ppp17843#pid#6008. 'And Joseph will put his hand on your eyes means that the internal celestial will impart life to it. This is clear from the representation of 'Joseph' as the internal celestial, dealt with in `@@@5869`, `@@@5877`; and from the meaning of 'putting a hand on the eyes' as imparting life. For 'putting a hand on the eyes' is used to mean that the external or bodily senses will be closed and the internal senses opened, thus that a raising up will be effected and life will thereby be imparted. A hand was placed on people's eyes when they were dying because 'death' meant an awakening into life, `@@@3498`, `@@@3505`, `@@@4618`, `@@@4621`. For when a person dies he does not really die; he merely lays aside the body that has served him for his use in the world and passes into the next life in a body which serves him for his use there.
ppp17842#pid#6009. Verses `Genesis 46bbbccc5-7` And Jacob rose up from Beersheba, and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, and their young children, and their wives, in the carts which Pharaoh sent to carry him. And they took their livestock, and the acquisitions they had made in the land of Canaan, and came to Egypt - Jacob and all his seed with him. His sons and his sons' sons with him, his daughters and his sons' daughters, and all his seed he brought with him to Egypt.
'And Jacob rose up' means an enlightening of natural truth. 'From Beersheba' means from the doctrine of charity and faith. 'And the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father' means that truths which were spiritual ones caused natural truth to move ahead. 'And their young children' means accompanied by aspects of innocence. 'And their wives' means aspects of charity too. 'In the carts which Pharaoh sent to carry him' means the matters of doctrine obtained from the Church's factual knowledge. 'And they took their livestock' means forms of the good of truth. 'And the acquisitions they had made in the land of Canaan' means truths acquired from other truths which the Church already possessed. 'And came to Egypt' means the introduction into the Church's factual knowledge. 'Jacob and all his seed with him' means of natural truth and all matters of faith belonging to that truth. 'His sons and his sons' sons with him' means truths in their own order. 'His daughters and his sons daughters' means forms of good in their own order. 'And all his seed' means every integral part of faith and charity. 'He brought with him to Egypt' means that they were gathered together into the Church's factual knowledge.
ppp17841#pid#6010. 'And Jacob rose up' means an enlightening of natural truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'rising up' as a raising up into a state of light, thus an enlightening, dealt with in `@@@4881`; and from the representation of 'Jacob' as natural truth, dealt with above in `@@@6001`.
ppp17840#pid#6011. 'From Beersheba' means from the doctrine of faith and charity. This is clear from the meaning of 'Beersheba' as the doctrine of faith and charity, dealt with in `@@@2858`, `@@@2859`, `@@@3466`.
ppp17839#pid#6012. 'And the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father' means that truths which were spiritual ones caused natural truth to move ahead. This is clear from the representation of 'the sons of Israel' as spiritual truths, dealt with in `@@@5414`, `@@@5879`; and from the representation of 'Jacob' as natural truth, dealt with in `@@@3305`, `@@@3509`, `@@@3525`, `@@@3546`, `@@@3599`, `@@@3775`, `@@@4009`, `@@@4234`, `@@@4520`, `@@@4538`. The reason 'they carried' means that they caused it to move ahead is that the expression is used of spiritual truths in relation to natural truth. Nor can anything else than what is spiritual cause natural truth to move ahead, for what is spiritual is the source of its life and power of action. This now explains why Jacob's sons here are called 'the sons of Israel' but Jacob himself 'Jacob'.
ppp17838#pid#6013. 'And their young children' means accompanied by aspects of innocence. This is clear from the meaning of 'young children' as innocence, dealt with in `@@@3183`, `@@@5608`. Natural truth is said to be accompanied by aspects of innocence, and also those of charity, for the reason that if it lacks innocence and charity spiritual truths cannot cause it to move ahead. For to be genuine, truth must derive its essence and life from charity, and charity must derive its essence and life from innocence. Indeed these inner virtues which give truth its life follow one another in this order: What is inmost is innocence; below this comes charity; and what is lowest is a charitable deed motivated by or done in conformity with truth. The reason why they follow one another in this way is that they follow one another in heaven in that order. The inmost or third heaven is the heaven of innocence; the middle or second heaven is the heaven of charity that has innocence from the inmost heaven within it; and the lowest or first heaven is the heaven of truth that has charity from the second heaven within it, and innocence from the third within that charity.
ttt[2] These virtues ought to exist in the same order in man, for interiorly the human being is so created that he conforms to an image of the three heavens. This also is why a person who has been regenerated is an individual heaven or the smallest form heaven can take. But exteriorly, especially so far as his body is concerned, he is so created that he conforms to an image of the world, which was why the ancients called him the microcosm. The ear has been made to conform to the whole nature of air and sound; the eye to conform to the whole nature of the ether and light; the tongue to every perception of particles dissolved and suspended in fluids; the nostrils to the perception of particles suspended in the atmosphere; touch to the perception of cold and heat, and also of weights; and so on. Just as a person's external senses conform to an entire image of the natural world, so his internal senses, which are those of his understanding and will, have been so created that they conform to an entire image of heaven. They have been created like this so that the human being as an individual, like heaven as a general whole, may be a recipient of Divine Good from the Lord.
ppp17837#pid#6014. 'And their wives' means aspects of charity too. This is clear from the meaning of 'wives' (mulier) as forms of good when their husbands (vir) are truths, dealt with in `@@@4823`, consequently aspects of charity since all forms of spiritual good have to do with charity towards the neighbour, and all forms of celestial good are aspects of love to the Lord.
ppp17836#pid#6015. 'In the carts which Pharaoh sent to carry him' means the matters of doctrine obtained from the Church's factual knowledge. This is clear from the meaning of 'the carts' as matters of doctrine, dealt with in `@@@5945`; and from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as the Church's factual knowledge in general. For 'Egypt' means the Church's factual knowledge, `@@@1462`, `@@@4749`, `@@@4964`, `@@@4966`, and therefore the king of that land means such knowledge in general, as he does elsewhere in the Word, though in the majority of places perverted factual knowledge is meant by Egypt and so also by Pharaoh. The representation of 'Pharaoh' as factual knowledge in general is evident in Isaiah,
The princes of Zoan are foolish, the wise counsellors of Pharaoh; counsel has become brutish. How do you say to Pharaoh, I am a son of the wise, a son of the kings of old? `Isaiah 19bbb11`.
Here 'Pharaoh' stands for the Church's factual knowledge in general, which was why he was called 'a son of the wise' and 'a son of the kings of old'. 'The wise' and 'the kings of old' stand for the truths that the Ancient Church possessed. But that factual knowledge made nonsensical is meant, for it says 'The princes of Zoan have become foolish; counsel has become brutish'.
ttt[2] In the same prophet,
They depart to go down to Egypt but have not asked at My mouth, to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt. Therefore the strength of Pharaoh will become shame for you, and trust in the shadow of Egypt ignominy. `Isaiah 30bbb2-3`.
'Strengthening themselves in the strength of Egypt, and trusting in the shadow of Egypt' stands for relying in matters of faith on factual knowledge and having no belief in any spiritual truth unless it is what factual knowledge and sensory evidence so declare. But that is a perversion of order. The truths of faith must occupy first place, and supporting factual knowledge must take second place; for if the latter occupy first place, no belief in any truth whatever exists.
ttt[3] In Jeremiah,
Jehovah Zebaoth, the God of Israel, said, Behold, I am making a visitation upon Amen in No, and upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt, and upon its gods, and upon its kings - especially upon Pharaoh and those trusting in him. `Jeremiah 46bbb25`.
Here also 'Pharaoh' stands for factual knowledge in general. 'Those trusting in him' stands for people who rely on factual knowledge but do not rely on the Word, that is, on the Lord in the Word. Such a reliance leads to a complete perversion in the things people are taught to believe, which in turn leads to falsity and also to the refusal to accept that what is Divine and heavenly is anything at all. These people in particular are all too ready to say, Let me see these things with my own eyes; or, Produce the facts to prove the truth of it, and then I will believe it. But even if they did see them or such proof was produced they would not believe, because an unaccepting attitude of mind governs everything.
ttt[4] In the same prophet,
Against Pharaoh.`fff1` Behold, waters rising out of the north which will become a deluging stream, and they will deluge the land and all that fills it, the city and those who dwell in it, so that men cry out and every inhabitant of the land wails because of the sound of the beat of the hoofs of the horses his mighty ones and the noise of his chariot, the rumble of its wheels. `Jeremiah 47bbb1-3`.
It is plain from every detail stated here regarding Pharaoh that 'Pharaoh' is factual knowledge in general, existing in this instance in a perverted state of order, which destroys the truths of faith. 'A deluging stream' is factual knowledge destroying an understanding of truth, and so is knowledge that lays waste. 'They will deluge the land and all that fills it' is the entire Church. 'The city and those who dwell in it' is the truth the Church possesses, and the good this truth leads to. 'The beat of the hoofs of the horses' is the lowest kind of factual knowledge gained directly from sensory impressions. 'The noise of his chariot' is false teaching derived from that knowledge. 'The rumble of its wheels' is sensory impressions and the false notions going with them that advance themselves.
ttt[5] In Ezekiel,
The Lord Jehovih said, Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great monster who is lying in the midst of his rivers, who has said, The river is mine and I have made myself. Therefore I will put hooks in your jaws, and cause the fish of your rivers to stick to your scales. `Ezekiel 29bbb2-4`.
Here also 'Pharaoh' stands for factual knowledge in general, which in a similar way is evident from each detail that is stated regarding him.
ttt[6] In the same prophet,
Raise a lamentation over Pharaoh king of Egypt. You are like monsters in the seas, and you have come forth with your rivers, and have troubled the waters with your feet; you have stirred up their rivers. When I have blotted you out, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars, I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light. All the bright lights [in the heavens] I will darken over you, and I will put darkness over your land. `Ezekiel 32bbb1`, `Ezekiel 32bbbccc3`, `Ezekiel 32bbbccc7-8`.
The details of this description, like many more in the Prophets, cannot be understood by anyone, it is evident, without the internal sense. No one can understand what is meant when it says that Pharaoh is like monsters in the seas, has come forth with`fff2` his rivers, and has troubled the waters with his feet. Nor can anyone know what is meant when it says that the heavens will be covered above him, the stars will be darkened, and all the bright lights will be darkened; also that the sun will be covered with a cloud, the moon will not give its light, and darkness will be put over his land. But the internal sense shows what all these details mean; it shows that factual knowledge perverts the truths of the Church if a person uses it to enter the mysteries of faith without believing anything unless factual knowledge, indeed sensory evidence, causes him to see it. This is the internal sense of this description, as the explanation of each separate detail shows.
ttt[7] Pharaoh is called 'king of Egypt' by virtue of the truth factual knowledge holds within it. For factual knowledge is truth as it exists in the natural, and 'king' is truth, see `@@@1672`, `@@@1728`, `@@@2015`, `@@@2069`, `@@@3009`, `@@@3670`, `@@@4575`, `@@@4581`, `@@@4966`, `@@@5044`; also, much the same is meant by the king of a people as by the people themselves, `@@@4789`, so that much the same is meant by 'Pharaoh' as by 'Egypt', but the same thing in general. ('Egypt' has been shown many times to mean factual knowledge.) Pharaoh is compared to 'monsters in the seas' because 'a monster' or 'a sea monster' means general sources of facts, `@@@42`, While 'seas' means gatherings together of them, `@@@28`. Then it is said that he has come forth with his rivers because ideas displaying intelligence are meant by 'rivers', `@@@108`, `@@@109`, `@@@2702`, `@@@3051`, but here ideas displaying insanity since they flow from sensory impressions and factual knowledge, `@@@5196`. After this it is said that he troubled the waters with his feet and stirred up their rivers because 'waters' means spiritual truths, `@@@680`, `@@@739`, `@@@2702`, `@@@3058`, `@@@3424`, `@@@4976`, `@@@5668`, and 'feet' things belonging to the natural, `@@@2162`, `@@@3147`, `@@@3761`, `@@@3986`, `@@@4280`, `@@@4938-4952`, so that 'troubling the waters with one's feet' is defiling and perverting the truths of faith by means of factual knowledge which the natural possesses. And 'stirring up their rivers' is doing the same to intelligence.
ttt[8] Finally it is said that when he is blotted out the heavens will be covered, because 'the heavens' means a person's interiors, since these are his heavens. They are 'closed' when factual knowledge holds sway over the truths of faith, that is, when the natural holds sway over the spiritual. When this is the situation the cognitions or knowledge of truth and good perish, meant by 'I will darken the stars of the heavens, and all the bright lights'; for 'the stars' are those cognitions, see `@@@2495`, `@@@2849`, `@@@4697`, and 'the lights' are forms of good and truth, `@@@30-38`. The inability of the good of love to flow in any longer at that time is meant by 'I will cover the sun with a cloud', and the inability of the good of faith to flow in by 'the moon will not give its light' - 'the sun' being the good of love, and 'the moon the good of faith, see `@@@1519`, `@@@1530`, `@@@2120`, `@@@2495`, `@@@3636`, `@@@3643`, `@@@4060`, `@@@4696`. The occupation therefore of the natural mind by falsities alone is meant by 'I will put darkness over your land' - 'darkness' being falsities, `@@@1839`, `@@@1860`, `@@@4418`, `@@@4531`, and 'Pharaoh's land' or 'the land of Egypt' being the natural mind, `@@@5276`, `@@@5278`, `@@@5280`, `@@@5288`, `@@@5701`. From all this one may now see what the meaning is within the details of this prophecy. Since 'Pharaoh' means factual knowledge in general he also means the natural in general, `@@@5799`.
`nnn1. These verses in `Jeremiah 47bbb0` refer to the Philistines, though Pharaoh is mentioned in verse `Jeremiah 47bbbccc1`. Chapter `Jeremiah 46bbb0` deals specifically with Egypt and Pharaoh.
`nnn2. Reading cum (with) for ex (from)
ppp17835#pid#6016. 'And took their livestock' means forms of the good of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'livestock' as the good of truth. For 'livestock' is used to mean both flocks and herds, and also horses, camels, mules, and asses; and since 'flocks' in the internal sense are interior forms of good and 'herds' exterior ones, while 'horses, camels, mules, and asses are powers of the understanding, all of which are associated with truths, 'livestock' means the good of truth.
ppp17834#pid#6017. 'And the acquisitions they had made in the land of Canaan' means truths acquired from other truths which the Church already possessed. This is clear from the meaning of 'the acquisitions' as truth that has been acquired, dealt with in `@@@4105`, and also good that has been acquired, `@@@4391`, `@@@4487`; and from the meaning of 'the land of Canaan' as the Church, dealt with in `@@@3686`, `@@@3705`, `@@@4447`, `@@@4517`, `@@@5136`. It follows that the acquisition was made from truths which the Church already possessed, for the reason that when truths are stimulated by good to multiply themselves, they multiply from truths that are already present.
ppp17833#pid#6018. 'And came to Egypt' means the introduction into the Church's factual knowledge. This is clear from the meaning of 'coming (or going down) into Egypt' as the introduction of truth into the Church's factual knowledge, dealt with in `@@@6004`.
ppp17832#pid#6019. 'Jacob and all his seed with him' means of natural truth and of all matters of faith belonging to that truth; that is, the introduction of them into the Church's factual knowledge. This is clear from the representation of 'Jacob' as natural truth, dealt with in `@@@3305`, `@@@3509`, `@@@3525`, `@@@3546`, `@@@3599`, `@@@3775`, `@@@4009`, `@@@4234`, `@@@4520`, `@@@4538`; and from the meaning of 'seed' as faith springing from charity, dealt with in `@@@255`, `@@@1025`, `@@@1447`, `@@@1610`, `@@@1940`, `@@@2848`, `@@@3310`, so that 'all his seed with him' means all matters of faith belonging to natural truth.
ppp17831#pid#6020. 'His sons and his sons' sons with him' means truths in their own order. This is clear from the meaning of 'sons' as truths, dealt with in `@@@489`, `@@@491`, `@@@533`, `@@@1147`, `@@@2623`, `@@@3373`. Truths are also meant by 'the sons of sons', but truths which spring in their own order from those meant by 'sons'.
ppp17830#pid#6021. 'His daughters and his sons' daughters' means forms of good in their own order. This is clear from the meaning of 'daughters' as forms of good, dealt with in `@@@489-491`, `@@@2362`, `@@@3963`. Forms of good are also meant by 'the daughters of sons', but such forms as spring from those truths, thus in their own order, in the same way as the sons referred to immediately above.
ppp17829#pid#6022. 'And all his seed' means every integral part of faith and charity. This is clear from the meaning of 'seed' as faith springing from charity, as above in `@@@6019`, thus both faith and charity, for where one exists so does the other.
ppp17828#pid#6023. 'He brought with him to Egypt' means that they were gathered into the Church's factual knowledge. This is clear from the meaning of 'coming (or going down) into Egypt' as introducing and gathering truths into the Church's factual knowledge, dealt with above in `@@@6004`, `@@@6018`; and the same thing is meant by 'bringing with him to Egypt', see `@@@5373`, `@@@6004`. They are introduced and gathered into it when factual knowledge is ruled by truths, and it is ruled by truths when truth is acknowledged because it is what the Lord has said in the Word; after that, factual knowledge which endorses it can be accepted, and that which refutes it can be banished. In this way truth becomes master of the facts that endorse it, while those that do not are cast aside. When this is the situation a person is not carried away into falsities when he bases his thought on factual knowledge, as happens when truths are not contained in that knowledge. For in themselves facts are not truths; they are such only by virtue of the truths they hold within them. And according to the nature of the truths they hold within them, so is the nature of the truth in general which presents itself as factual knowledge. For factual knowledge is merely a vessel, `@@@1469`, `@@@1496`, which can receive either truths or falsities, and in vastly differing ways.
ttt[2] Take for example the Church's knowledge that the neighbour is every person. A vast quantity of truths can be introduced and gathered into this known fact, such as the truth that every person is indeed the neighbour, but that any one individual is so in a different way from another; also that in a supreme sense the neighbour is someone who is governed by good, but again in a different way from others, according to the essential nature of that good. Then there is the truth that neighbourship has its origin in the Lord Himself, so that the nearer people are to Him, that is, the more they are governed by good, the more they are the neighbour; and the further away they are from Him, the less they are the neighbour. Besides these there is the truth that a community is the neighbour more than an individual person, and one's country as a whole more than a community, though one's country comes before other kingdoms; and that the Church is more the neighbour than one's country, and the Lord's kingdom even more than that. Then there is the further truth that the neighbour is loved when a person discharges his duties correctly for the good of other people, or of his country, or of the Church, and so on. From this one can see how numerous are the truths that can be gathered into that one fact known to the Church. Indeed they are so numerous that it is difficult to divide them into separate categories, assigning specific truths to each category in such a way that one can distinguish and recognize it. This was something that people in the Ancient Churches were keen to do.
ttt[3] The same known fact can also be filled with a vast quantity of falsities, as may also be recognized when people turn those truths upside down by saying that everyone is neighbour to himself, and that each person should trace the origin of the neighbour back to himself; and by saying that therefore he is especially your neighbour who shows you the greatest favour, identifies himself with you, and thereby presents himself in you as a reflection of you. Indeed people say that your country is not your neighbour either, apart from what you can get out of it for yourself. And there are countless other truths turned upside down by them besides these. Yet the known fact is still the same, which is that every person is the neighbour; but it is filled by one person with truths, by another with falsities. The same is so with all other factual knowledge.
ppp17827#pid#6024. Verses `Genesis 46bbbccc8-27` And these are the names of the sons of Israel who were coming to Egypt - of Jacob and his sons: Jacob's firstborn was Reuben. And the sons of Reuben were Enoch,`fff1` and Pallu, and Hezron, and Carmi. And the sons of Simeon were Jemuel and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman. And the sons of Levi were Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari. And the sons of Judah were Er and Onan, and Shelah, and Perez, and Zerah; and Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. And the sons of Issachar were Tola and Puvah, and Job and Shimron. And the sons of Zebulun were Sered, and Elon, and Jahleel. These were the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram, and Dinah his daughter. All the souls of his sons and his daughters were thirty-three. And the sons of Gad were Ziphion, and Haggi, Shuni and Ezbon, Eri and Arodi, and Areli. And the sons of Asher were Jimnah, and Jishvah, and Jishvi, and Beriah, and Serah their sister. And the sons of Beriah were Heber and Malchiel. These were the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter; and these she bore to Jacob. They were sixteen souls. The sons of Rachel, Jacob's wife, were Joseph and Benjamin. And born to Joseph in the land of Egypt were those whom Asenath the daughter of Potiphera the priest of On bore to him, Manasseh and Ephraim. And the sons of Benjamin were Bela and Becher, and Ashbel, Gera and Naaman, Ehi and Rosh, Muppim and Huppim, and Ard. These were the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob; all the souls were fourteen. And the sons of Dan were Hushim. And the sons of Naphtali were Jahzeel, and Cuni, and Jezer and Shillem. These were the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter; and these she bore to Jacob. All the souls were seven. Every soul coming with Jacob to Egypt - those who came out of his thigh, not counting Jacob's sons' wives - all the souls were sixty-six. And Joseph's sons who were born to him in Egypt were two souls; all the souls belonging to the house of Jacob who was coming to Egypt were seventy.
ttt[2] 'And these are the names of the sons of Israel who were coming to Egypt' means the essential nature of the truths from the spiritual in their order, which were gathered into the Church's factual knowledge. 'Jacob and his sons' means the truth of the natural in general and the truths of the natural in particular. 'Jacob's firstborn was Reuben' means faith in the understanding, which seemingly occupies first place. 'And the sons of Reuben were Enoch, and Pallu, and Hezron, and Carmi' means teachings regarding faith in general. 'And the sons of Simeon were Jemuel and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar' means faith in the will, and teachings regarding it in general. 'And Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman' means a teaching that did not spring from a genuine source. 'And the sons of Levi were Gershon and Kohath and Merari' means spiritual love, and teachings regarding it in general.
ttt[3] 'And the sons of Judah were Er and Onan and Shelah, and Perez and Zerah' means celestial love, and teachings regarding it. 'And Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan' means that falsity and evil were wiped out. 'And the sons of Perez were Hezron, and Hamul' means the truths of that good, which are forms of the good of charity. 'And the sons of Issachar were Tola, and Puvah, and Job, and Shimron' means heavenly conjugial love, and teachings regarding it. 'And the sons of Zebulun were Sered, and Elon and Jahleel' means the heavenly marriage, and teachings regarding it. 'These were the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram' means that those things sprang from a spiritual affection in the natural through cognitions of goodness and truth. 'And Dinah his daughter' means the Church. 'Every soul of his sons and his daughters were thirty-three' means the state in which spiritual life existed, and the essential nature of it.
ttt[4] 'And the sons of Gad were Ziphion and Haggi, Shuni and Ezbon, Eri and Arodi and Areli' means the good of faith and the deeds that are a product of it, and teachings regarding them. 'And the sons of Asher were Jimnah and Jishvah, and Jishvi, and Beriah, and Serah their sister. And the sons of Beriah were Heber and Malchiel' means the happiness of eternal life and the delight supplied by affections, and teachings regarding them. 'These were the sons of Zilpah' means that these things belong to the external Church. 'Whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter' means received from the affection for external good. 'And these she bore to Jacob' means that they were begotten by the natural. 'They were sixteen souls' means their state and essential nature.
ttt[5] 'The sons of Rachel, Jacob's wife' means things that are born from a heavenly affection. 'Joseph and Benjamin' means the internal aspect of the Church, 'Joseph' its good, 'Benjamin' truth from that good. 'And born to Joseph in the land of Egypt' means internal celestial and spiritual entities within the natural. 'Were those whom Asenath the daughter of Potiphera the priest of On bore to him' means born from the marriage of good wedded to truth and truth to good. 'Manasseh and Ephraim' means a new area of will and a new associated area of understanding, which the Church possesses. 'And the sons of Benjamin were Bela and Becher and Ashbel, Gera and Naaman, Ehi and Rosh, Muppim and Huppim and Ard' means the spiritual internal, and teachings regarding it. 'These were the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob' means that those things were born from a celestial affection. 'All the souls were fourteen' means their state and essential nature. 'And the sons of Dan were Hushim' means the holiness of faith and the good of life, and teaching regarding them. 'And the sons of Naphtali were Jahzeel, and Guni, and Jezer, and Shillem' means temptations in which victory was won, and teachings regarding them. 'These were the sons of Bilhah' means that they belong to the internal Church. 'Whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter' means received from the affection for internal good. 'All the souls were seven' means their state and essential nature.
ttt[6] 'Every soul coming with Jacob to Egypt' means all the truths and forms of good that were introduced into the Church's factual knowledge. 'Who came out of his thigh' means which were born of the marriage. 'Not counting Jacob's sons' wives' means quite apart from the affections for things not born of the marriage. 'All the souls were sixty-six' means their state and essential nature. 'And the sons of Joseph who were born to him in Egypt' means celestial and spiritual entities within the natural. 'Were two souls' means the resulting new areas of will and understanding, which the Church possesses. 'All the souls belonging to the house of Jacob who was coming to Egypt were seventy' means the entire number in their proper order.
`nnn1. In most English versions this name appears as Hanoch, but in the Latin, as in the original Hebrew, the spelling is the same as that of the one mentioned in `Genesis 4bbb17-18`; `Genesis ccc5bbb18-24`. Cp `Genesis 25bbb4`.
ppp17826#pid#6025. Further explanation of these verses can be dispensed with since they are mere names. What those names mean may be seen from the general explanation given immediately above in `@@@6024`; and what Jacob's actual sons mean may be seen in the explanation where their births are dealt with. But the following observation is worth making, that no son was born to Jacob's sons in Egypt when they came there, though they were still young men; all their sons were born in the land of Canaan. They themselves, apart from Benjamin, were born in Paddan Aram; and this was for a particular reason that the Lord in His Divine Providence had in view, which was that aspects of the Church might be represented by them from when they were born. Their being born in Paddan Aram represented the fact that a member of the Church must be born anew or regenerated through knowledge or cognitions of goodness and truth, for Paddan Aram means that knowledge, `@@@3664`, `@@@3680`, `@@@4107`, while their actual birth represented the new birth effected through faith and charity, `@@@4668`, `@@@5160`, `@@@5598`, and so at the initial stage through knowledge of them. But the birth of all Jacob's sons' sons in the land of Canaan represented the fact that the kinds of things that constitute the Church spring from that knowledge, for 'the land of Canaan' is the Church, `@@@3705`, `@@@3686`, `@@@4447`, `@@@4454`, `@@@4517`, `@@@5136`, `@@@5757`. The birth of Joseph's sons took place in Egypt however so as to represent the dominion of the internal man within the external, especially the dominion of the celestial of the spiritual within the natural. 'Manasseh' is the new area of will within the natural, and 'Ephraim' the new area of understanding there, which the Church possesses.
ppp17825#pid#6026. Verses `Genesis 46bbbccc28-30` And he sent Judah before him to Joseph, to show [the way] before him to Goshen; and they came to the land of Goshen. And Joseph harnessed his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen; and he was seen towards him,`fff1` and fell on his neck,`fff2` and wept on his neck' a long while. And Israel said to Joseph, Now let me die,`fff3` after I have seen your face, that you are still alive.
'And he sent Judah before him to Joseph' means a communication of the good of the Church with the internal celestial. 'To show [the way] before him to Goshen means regarding the middle of the natural. 'And they came to the land of Goshen' means the situation in life there. 'And Joseph harnessed his chariot' means doctrinal teaching from the internal. 'And went up to meet Israel his father' means an inflowing. 'To Goshen' means in the middle of the natural. 'And was seen towards him' means perception. 'And fell on his neck' means a joining together. 'And wept on his neck a long while' means mercy. 'And Israel said to Joseph' means the perception by spiritual good. 'Now let me die' means new life. 'After I have seen your face' means after the mercy has been discerned. 'That you are still alive' means a perception of the subsequent life in himself.
`nnn1. i.e. Joseph presented himself to his father
`nnn2. literally, necks
`nnn3. literally, Let me die this once
ppp17824#pid#6027. 'And he sent Judah before him to Joseph' means a communication of the good of the Church with the internal celestial. This is clear from the representation of 'Judah' as the good of the Church, dealt with in `@@@5583`, `@@@5603`, `@@@5782`, `@@@5794`, `@@@5837`; and from the representation of' Joseph' as the internal celestial, dealt with in `@@@5869`, `@@@5877`. And 'sending before him', it is self-evident, means communicating. The reason why Judah and not anyone else was sent was so that a direct communication of good with good might be denoted, that is, a direct communication of external good, which 'Judah' represents, with internal good, which 'Joseph' represents. For good that is the good of love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour flows in from Him by way of the internal into the external, the amount of good in the external determining how much is received there. But if merely the truth of faith and no good is present in a person's external, the inflow of good from the Lord by way of the internal cannot be received in the external. For no direct communication with truth can exist there, only an indirect one through good. This is why Judah and not anyone else was sent from Jacob to Joseph.
ppp17823#pid#6028. 'To show [the way] before him to Goshen' means regarding the middle of the natural, that is to say, a communication regarding it. This is clear from the meaning of 'Goshen' as the middle, that is, the inmost part of the natural, dealt with in `@@@5910`. By the middle or inmost part of the natural is meant the best part there; for the best good exists in the middle, that is, in the centre or inmost part. Then surrounding it in every direction lie other grades of good, which follow a heavenly pattern and are positioned near to or further away from the best part in the middle in keeping with their degree of goodness. This is how different degrees of good are arranged into order with a regenerate person. But with the evil the grossest evils exist in the middle and all good is banished to the outermost parts, where it is constantly being pushed right outside. This pattern exists with evil persons in particular and in the hells in general, and is accordingly the hellish pattern. From what has now been said about the existence of the best part in the middle and other grades of good in order outside it one may see what is meant by a communication of the good of the Church with the internal celestial regarding the middle of the natural.
ppp17821#pid#6030. 'And went up to meet Israel his father' means an inflowing - from the internal celestial into spiritual good from the natural. This is clear from the representation of Joseph, the one who 'went up', as the internal celestial, dealt with in `@@@5869`, `@@@5877`; and from the representation of 'Israel' as spiritual good, dealt with in `@@@5801`, `@@@5803`, `@@@5806`, `@@@5812`, `@@@5817`, `@@@5819`, `@@@5826`, `@@@5833`. From this it follows that an inflowing is meant by 'going up to meet him', for 'going up to meet' here implies setting out and coming towards him.
ppp17820#pid#6031. 'To Goshen' means the middle of the natural. This is clear from what has been stated about Goshen just above in `@@@6028`.
ppp17819#pid#6032. 'And was seen towards him' means perception. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing' as understanding and discerning, dealt with in `@@@2150`, `@@@3764`, `@@@4567`, `@@@4723`, `@@@5400`, and as having faith, `@@@1315`, `@@@1807`, `@@@3863`, `@@@3869`, `@@@4403-4421`, `@@@5400`. As regards the meaning of 'seeing' as understanding and therefore perceiving, and also as having faith, it should be recognized that a person has two components constituting his life - SPIRITUAL LIGHT and SPIRITUAL HEAT. Spiritual light constitutes the life of his understanding, and spiritual heat the life of his will. By virtue of its very own origin spiritual light is Divine Truth flowing from the Lord's Divine Good and is therefore the truth of faith flowing from the good of charity, while spiritual heat by virtue of its very own origin is the Divine Good of the Lord's Divine Love and is therefore the good of celestial love or love to the Lord and the good of spiritual love or love towards the neighbour. As has been stated, these two constitute the entire life in a person.
ttt[2] As regards spiritual light, this is related to a person's understanding in the way that natural light is related to his external sight. That is to say, so that the eye can function, light must exist which enables it to do so. When it exists the eye beholds in that light everything all round outside itself. The same is true of the intellectual power of the mind, which is a person's inner eye. So that this eye can function the light of heaven flowing from the Lord must exist, enabling it to do so. And when this eye functions with the aid of that light it too beholds things all round outside itself. But the objects it sees are spiritual ones - facts and truths. When however it does not have the aid of that light, a person's intellectual power of the mind or inner eye is like his external or physical eye when this is in darkness and cannot see anything. That is, it does not from factual knowledge behold any truth, or from truth behold any good. The light which enables the intellectual power of the mind to function is light indeed, a kind of light which is a thousand times brighter than midday light in the world, as I can testify since I have beheld it. In that light all the angels in heaven see things all round outside themselves, and in that same light they also behold and perceive the truths of faith and the essential nature of them. This now explains why in the spiritual sense 'seeing' means not only the understanding but also any of its activities, such as cogitation, reflection, observation, circumspection, and many others, as well as meaning not only faith but also anything constituting faith, such as truth, teaching drawn from the Word, and the like.
ttt[3] As regards spiritual heat however, this is related to a person's will in the way natural heat is related to his body, in that the one imparts life to the other. But by virtue of its very origin - an origin that can be traced back to the Lord - spiritual heat is nothing other than Divine Love towards the entire human race and the reciprocation of that love by man, to Him and also towards the neighbour. And that heat is heat indeed; it blesses angels' bodies with warmth and at the same time blesses their inmost beings with love. This is the reason why 'heat', 'flame', and 'fire', when used in the genuine sense in the Word, mean things connected with love, such as affections for goodness and truth, and also goodness itself.
ppp17818#pid#6033. 'And fell on his neck' means a joining together. This is clear from the meaning of 'falling on the neck' as a close and intimate joining together, dealt with in `@@@5926`. The reason 'falling on the neck' means a joining together is that the neck joins together the head and the body; and since 'the head' means interior things, and 'the body' exterior ones, 'the neck' means a joining together of interior and exterior things, see `@@@3542`, `@@@5320`, `@@@5328`. From this arises a communication of interior things with exterior ones, as well as of celestial things with spiritual ones, see those same paragraphs. A communication such as this resulting from a joining together is meant in addition by the same words, for 'Joseph' is the internal, and 'Israel' considered in relation to it is the external.
ppp17817#pid#6034. 'And wept on his neck a long while' means mercy. This is clear from the meaning of 'weeping' as mercy, dealt with in `@@@5480`, `@@@5873`, `@@@5927`. The expression 'on his neck for a long while' is used because the beginning as well as the continuance of the joining together consists in mercy, the mercy of the Lord, who in the highest sense is 'Joseph'.
ppp17816#pid#6035. 'And Israel said to Joseph' means the perception by spiritual good - a perception received from the internal celestial. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in the historical narratives of the Word as perception; from the representation of 'Israel', upon whose neck Joseph wept, as spiritual good; and from the representation of 'Joseph' as the internal celestial, which have all been dealt with often before.
ppp17815#pid#6036. 'Now let me die' means new life. This is clear from the meaning of 'dying' as resurrection into life, thus new life, dealt with in `@@@3326`, `@@@3498`, `@@@3505`, `@@@4618`, `@@@4621`, `@@@6008`. The reason why 'dying' means a new phase of life has also been shown in those paragraphs, and it is this: Because a person instantly begins a new phase of his life when he dies, he is awakened into life as soon as he has cast aside the material body which had served him for use in the world. New life is meant here by 'dying' because that life comes through an inflowing from the internal, an inflowing that is meant by Joseph's going up to meet his father, `@@@6030`, and through the joining together meant by Joseph's falling on Israel's neck, `@@@6033`.
ppp17814#pid#6037. 'After I have seen your face' means after the mercy has been discerned. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing' as discerning, dealt with above in `@@@6032`; and from the meaning of 'face', when used in reference to the Lord, as mercy, dealt with in `@@@222`, `@@@223`, `@@@5585`, `@@@5816`.
ppp17813#pid#6038. 'That you are still alive' means a perception of the subsequent life in himself. This is clear from the meaning of 'being alive' in the internal sense as spiritual life, `@@@5890`. A perception that this life was present within himself follows from what has gone before (new life came to him from the inflowing and the joining together, `@@@6036`) and from the feeling of joy at seeing him, which feeling gave him the perception of the presence of life within himself.
ppp17812#pid#6039. Verses `Genesis 46bbbccc31-34` And Joseph said to his brothers and to his father's house, I will go up and tell Pharaoh, and say to him, My brothers and my father's house, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. And the men are shepherds of the flock, for they are keepers`fff1` of livestock, and their flocks and their herds, and all that they have, they have made to come. And it may be, that Pharaoh may call you and say, What are your works?`fff2` And you are to say, Your servants have been keepers`fff1` of livestock from our`fff3` boyhoods and right up to now, both we and our fathers - so that you may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd of the flock is an abomination to the Egyptians.
'And Joseph said to his brothers' means a perception by the truths in the natural. 'And to his father's house' means by the forms of good there. 'I will go up and tell Pharaoh' means a communication with the natural, where the Church's factual knowledge resides. 'And say to him, My brothers and my father's house, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me' means that the truths and forms of good which the Church possesses are to be introduced [into that knowledge]. 'And the men are shepherds of the flock' means that they lead to good. 'For they are keepers of livestock' means that they possess good deriving from truths. 'And their flocks and their herds, and all that they have, they have made to come' means that interior good and exterior good, and whatever is dependent on them, are present. 'And it may be, that Pharaoh may call you' means if the natural in which the Church's factual knowledge resides wishes to be joined to you. 'And says, What are your works?' means and to know your forms of good. 'And you are to say, Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our boyhoods and right up to now' means that the truths which lead to good have been present from the beginning and are present still. 'Both we and our fathers' means that this was so from when the earliest forms of good existed. 'So that you may dwell in the land of Goshen' means that your position will for that reason be in the middle of the natural where the Church's factual knowledge resides. 'For every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians' means thereby a separation from perverted factual knowledge which is opposed to the Church's factual knowledge.
`nnn1. literally, men
`nnn2. i.e.. What is your occupation?
`nnn3. The Latin means their, but the Hebrew means our.
ppp17811#pid#6040. 'And Joseph said to his brothers' means a perception by the truths in the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as perception, dealt with often; from the representation of 'the sons of Israel' as spiritual truths within the natural, dealt with in `@@@5414`, `@@@5879`; and from the representation of 'Joseph' as the internal celestial, dealt with in `@@@5869`, `@@@5877`. From this it is evident that 'Joseph said to his brothers' means a perception by the truths in the natural which was received from the internal celestial. The reason 'Joseph said' does not mean a perception by him is that Joseph is the internal and all perception flows by way of the internal into the external or natural. By itself the natural does not perceive anything whatever but receives its perceptions from what is prior to itself. Yet what is prior does not perceive by itself but from what is yet prior to it, so that finally perception is received from the Lord, who has uncreated Being. Such is the nature of influx and consequently of perception. The situation with influx is like coming into being and remaining in being. Nothing comes into being by itself but from what is prior to itself, so that finally everything comes from Him who is First, that is, whose Being (Esse) and Manifestation (Existere) are uncreated. Everything is also kept in being by Him who is First, for the same applies to remaining in being as to coming into being, since remaining in being is constant coming into being.
ttt[2] The reason why the expression 'a perception by the truths in the natural' is used and not a perception by people in possession of those truths is that spiritual language employs that kind of expression. For such a usage draws the ideas composing one's thought away from persons and fixes them on spiritual realities; and those realities, which are truths and forms of good, are what possess life in a person and cause him to have life. For those realities are derived from the Lord, the Source of life in its entirety. That kind of usage also leads one's mind away from ascribing truths and forms of good to a person. Such spiritual language also enables one to form an overall idea that extends further and wider than when the idea of a person is tied up with it. If for example one speaks of perception by people in possession of truths in the natural one's ideas become fixed at the same time on people like that - a common occurrence - and so one's ideas are drawn away from the overall idea, with the result that the light of truth is diminished. Furthermore, in the next life thought about persons disturbs such persons, for in that life all thought is communicated. These are the reasons why impersonal expressions like the one here - 'a perception by the truths in the natural' are used.
ppp17810#pid#6041. 'And to his father's house' means by the forms of good there, that is to say, a perception by them. This is clear from the meaning of 'house' as good, dealt with in `@@@3128`, `@@@3652`, `@@@3720`, `@@@4982`; and from the meaning of 'father' likewise as good, dealt with in `@@@2803`, `@@@3703`, `@@@3704`, `@@@5581`, `@@@5902`.
ppp17809#pid#6042. 'I will go up and tell Pharaoh' means a communication with the natural where the Church's factual knowledge resides. This is clear from the meaning of 'telling' or 'pointing out' as a communication, dealt with in `@@@4856`; and from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as the natural where the Church's factual knowledge resides, dealt with in `@@@5799`, `@@@6015`.
ppp17808#pid#6043. 'And say to him, My brothers and my father's house, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me' means that the truths and forms of good which the Church possesses are to be introduced [into that knowledge]. This is clear from the representation of the sons of Israel, to whom his 'brothers' refers here, as spiritual truths within the natural, dealt with just above in `@@@6040`; from the meaning of 'father's house' as the forms of good there, also dealt with just above, in `@@@6041`; from the meaning of 'the land of Canaan' as the Church, dealt with in `@@@3686`, `@@@3705`, `@@@4447`, `@@@4517`, `@@@5136`; and from the meaning of 'coming' to Joseph, or to Egypt where Joseph was, as being introduced into the Church's factual knowledge, dealt with above in `@@@6004`, `@@@6018`. Regarding the introduction of the truths the Church possesses into the factual knowledge present in the natural, see above in `@@@6023`, and regarding the joining together of them, below in `@@@6047`.
ppp17807#pid#6044. 'And the men are shepherds of the flock' means that they lead to good. This is clear from the meaning of 'shepherds of the flock' as those who lead to good, dealt with in `@@@343`, `@@@3795`, `@@@5201`; for a shepherd or pastor is one who teaches and leads, and the flock one who is taught or led; but in the internal sense truths that lead to good are meant since the sons of Israel, to whom 'the men are shepherds of the flock' refers here, represent spiritual truths, `@@@6040`, and also since truths present with those who teach are what do the leading. It has been shown previously that truths, which are the essence of faith, lead to good, which is the essence of charity. This is also evident from the consideration that every single thing is related to an end and has that end in view, and that things which do not have an end in view cannot remain in being. For the Lord has never created anything for any other reason than its end in view. So true is this that one may speak of the end as the all in all created things. And created things exist within this state of order: Even as the end looks from Him who is the First through means to what is last, so the end within what is last looks to the end in Him who is the First. This is the way things link together. By virtue of its very own origin the end itself is nothing else than the Divine Good of Divine Love, thus the Lord Himself, which also is why in the Word He is called the First and the Last, the Alpha and the Omega, `Isaiah 41bbb4`; `Isaiah ccc44bbb6`; `Isaiah ccc48bbb12`; `Revelation 1bbb8`, `Revelation 1bbbccc11`, `Revelation 1bbbccc17`; `Revelation ccc2bbb8`; `Revelation ccc21bbb6`; `Revelation ccc22bbb13`.
ttt[2] This being so, every single aspect of the life a person has looks to an end and has that end in view. Anyone who is at all rational can see that the factual knowledge a person has looks to truths as its end in view, and that truths look to forms of good as their end in view, and that forms of good look to the Lord as their last and first ends in view, their last when motivated by truths, their first when motivated by good. This is how it is with the truths the Church possesses, in that they lead to good, meant by 'the men are shepherds of the flock' and by 'they are keepers of livestock', as in what follows below.
ppp17806#pid#6045. 'For they are keepers of livestock' means that they possess good deriving from truths. This is clear from the meaning of 'livestock' as the good of truth, which is good deriving from truths, dealt with in `@@@6016`. The description here has reference to the sons of Israel, by whom spiritual truths within the natural are represented, `@@@5414`, `@@@5879`, and so has reference to truths, here to the fact that they lead to good, regarding which see immediately above in `@@@6044`.
ppp17805#pid#6046. 'And their flocks and their herds, and all that they have, they have made to come' means that interior good and exterior good, and whatever is dependent on them, are present. This is clear from the meaning of 'flock' as interior good, and from the meaning of 'herd' as exterior good, both dealt with in `@@@5913`; from the meaning of 'all that they have' as whatever is dependent on them, as in `@@@5914`; and from the meaning of 'they have made to come' as being present.
ppp17804#pid#6047. 'And it may be, that Pharaoh may call you' means if the natural in which the Church's factual knowledge resides wishes to be joined to you. This is clear from the meaning of 'calling to oneself' as wishing to be joined to, for the call to them, made with affection, to live in his land and become a single nation together with his subjects is the expression of a wish to be joined to them; and from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as the natural in which the Church's factual knowledge resides, as above in `@@@6042`. Pharaoh's call to them means the response made to the introduction and joining together, that is to say, the joining of the Church's factual knowledge to truths and forms of good in the natural. For every joining together requires such a response and therefore agreement on both sides.
ttt[2] The subject here is the joining together of the Church's truths and its factual knowledge; but one needs to know in what way they should become joined. The joining together must not start with factual knowledge which is then used to look into the truths of faith; for a person's factual knowledge comes from sensory impressions, thus from the world, the source of countless illusions. It must start with the truths of faith; that is to say, one should proceed in the following way. First of all one should get to know what the Church teaches; then one should discover from the Word whether such teaching is the truth. For things are true not because they are what leaders of the Church have so declared and their followers uphold. If that were so one would have to say that the teachings of any Church or religion were the truth simply because they are those of a person's native soil and are those into which he was born. Thus not only the teachings of Papists or Quakers would be true but also those of Jews and of Mohammedans too since their Church leaders have so declared and their followers uphold it. From all this it is evident that one should search the Word and there see whether what the Church teaches is the truth. When an affection for truth motivates the search a person receives light from the Lord so that he may discern, though unaware of the source of his enlightenment, what the truth is and may be assured of it in the measure that he is governed by good. But if the truths discerned by him are at variance with the teachings of the Church, let him beware of creating a disturbance in the Church.
ttt[3] Once he has become assured and so affirms from the Word that the Church's teachings are truths of faith, let him then employ any fact he knows, whatever the name or nature of it, to corroborate them. For now that he is thoroughly affirmative in his attitude towards the truth he welcomes facts that accord with them and casts away those which because of the misconceptions present within them do not accord. The facts are used in support of his faith. No one therefore should be forbidden to search the Scriptures if motivated by a desire to know whether the teachings of the Church in which he was born are true; for in no other way can he ever become enlightened. Nor should he be forbidden after that to use factual knowledge to support his beliefs; but let him not do so before that. This and no other is the way in which the truths of faith should be joined to factual knowledge - not only the facts known to the Church but also any other kinds of facts. But very few at the present day proceed in this way, for the majority of people who read the Word are not motivated by a desire for truth when they read it but by a desire to endorse the teachings of the Church in which they were born, no matter what those teachings may be like.
ttt[4] The Word contains a description of the Lord's kingdom in which the spiritual domain, the domain of reason, and the domain of factual knowledge exist joined together; but in that description names that serve to mean those domains are used - Israel, Asshur, and Egypt. 'Israel' describes the spiritual domain, 'Asshur' the domain of reason, and 'Egypt' that of factual knowledge, in the following words in Isaiah,
On that day there will be an altar to Jehovah in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to Jehovah at its border; and it will be for a sign and a witness to Jehovah Zebaoth in the land of Egypt, for they will cry out to Jehovah because of the oppressors, and He will send a saviour and prince to them, and he will deliver them. And Jehovah will make Himself known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know Jehovah on that day and will offer sacrifice and minchah, and will make a vow to Jehovah and perform it. On that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Asshur, and Asshur will come into Egypt, and Egypt into Asshur, and Egypt will serve Asshur.`fff1` On that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Asshur, a blessing in the midst of the earth, whom Jehovah Zebaoth will bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt My people, and Asshur the work of My hands, and Israel My heritage. `Isaiah 19bbb18-25`.
ttt[5] Anyone may see that in this quotation the country Egypt is not meant, or Asshur, or even Israel, but that some other thing is meant by each of them. 'Israel' is used to mean the spiritual domain of the Church, see `@@@3654`, `@@@5801`, `@@@5803`, `@@@5806`, `@@@5812`, `@@@5817`, `@@@5819`, `@@@5826`, `@@@5837`; 'Asshur' to mean the domain of reason, `@@@119`, `@@@1186`; and 'Egypt' to mean the domain of factual knowledge, `@@@1164`, `@@@1165`, `@@@1186`, `@@@1462`, `@@@4749`, `@@@4964`, `@@@4966`, `@@@5700`, `@@@6004`, `@@@6015`. The existence of the three joined together in the member of the Church is described in the prophet by the words 'there will be a highway from Egypt to Asshur, and Asshur will come into Egypt, and Egypt into Asshur, and Egypt will serve Asshur. On that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Asshur, a blessing in the midst of the earth'. For to be a member of the Church a person must of necessity be a spiritual person, and also a rational one whom factual knowledge will serve. From all this it may now be evident that factual knowledge should not on any account be cast aside from the truths of faith but should be joined to them. But one should go the primary way, that is, the way that begins with faith, not the secondary way, that is, the one that begins with factual knowledge. See also what has been shown in `@@@128-130`, `@@@195`, `@@@196`, `@@@232`, `@@@233`, `@@@1226`, `@@@1911`, `@@@2568`, `@@@2588`, `@@@4156`, `@@@4760`, `@@@5510`, `@@@5700`.
`nnn1. The Hebrew of this text in Isaiah may be read in two different ways - serve Asshur or serve with Asshur. Most English versions of Isaiah prefer the second of these .
ppp17803#pid#6048. 'And says, What are your works?' means and to know your forms of good. This is clear from meaning of 'works' as forms of good. The reason why 'works' means forms of good is that works originate in the will, and what originates in the will is a form of good or a form of evil, whereas what originates in the understanding, such as spoken words, is a form of truth or a form of falsity. The 'works' done by Jacob's sons, and also by their forefathers, consisted in tending livestock, thus in acting as shepherds; and by these 'works' too forms of good are meant, in particular forms of the good of truth. This meaning has its origin in correspondences, for lambs, sheep, kids, and she-goats, which are members of the flock, correspond to forms of the good of charity; and so do young bulls and oxen, which are members of the herd. The fact that these animals have this correspondence is clear from the consideration that when angels, moved by a heavenly affection, talk to one another about forms of the good of charity, flocks and herds are seen in some places in the world of spirits and also in the first or lowest heaven. Flocks are seen when they talk about interior forms of the good of charity, but herds when they talk about exterior forms, see `@@@3218-3220`. This explains why in the Word such deeds are meant by 'flocks and herds'.
ttt[2] In general it should be recognized that every spiritual meaning contained in the Word has its origin in representatives in the next life, and those representatives in correspondences. The reason for this is that the natural world derives its existence from the spiritual world in the way an effect does from its cause, to the end that the spiritual world may flow into the natural world and act as the causes behind things there. In this way everything there is maintained in its proper path and order. For the whole natural creation is a theatre representative of the Lord's kingdom, that is, of the spiritual and celestial realities there, see `@@@2758`, `@@@2987-3002`, `@@@4939`, `@@@5116`.
ppp17802#pid#6049. 'And you are to say, Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our boyhoods and right up to now' means that the truths which lead to good have been present from the beginning and are present still. This is clear from the meaning of 'keepers of livestock' as truths that lead to good, dealt with in `@@@6016`, `@@@6045`; and from the meaning of 'from our boyhoods and right up to now' as from the beginning and remaining so still. Regarding the meaning of 'livestock' as truths that lead to good, it should be recognized that livestock includes all draught animals, large and small - both those in the flock and those in the herd, and in addition camels, horses, mules, and asses. The latter mean things connected with truths, whereas the former - members of the herd and of the flock - mean things connected with good. This then is why all these draught-animals in general, which are 'livestock', mean truths that lead to good. In the original language 'livestock' is derived from a word which also means acquisition, and 'acquisition' in the spiritual sense also means truth that leads to good, for the reason that good is acquired by means of truth. But the smaller animals mean interior forms of good since they are members of the flock, such as lambs, sheep, kids, she-goats, and rams.
ttt[2] 'Livestock' also means truths that lead to good in other places in the Word, as in Isaiah,
Then He will give rain for your seed with which you will sow the land, and bread the produce [of the land]; and there will be fatness and wealthiness. On that day they will feed your livestock in a broad grassland. `Isaiah 30bbb23`.
'Feeding' stands for receiving instruction in truths and forms of good, `@@@5201`, while 'a broad grassland' stands for the doctrine of truth, the expression 'broad' being used because 'breadth' means truth, `@@@3433`, `@@@3434`, `@@@4482`. From this it is evident that 'livestock' means truths that lead to good. In Ezekiel,
To bring back your hand upon the inhabited waste places and upon the people that were gathered out of the nations, that are working with livestock and a possession - dwellers upon the navel of the earth. `Ezekiel 38bbb11-12`.
'Livestock' in a similar way stands for truths leading to good, 'a possession 'for good.
ppp17801#pid#6050. 'Both we and our fathers' means that this was so from when the earliest forms of good existed. This is clear from the meaning of 'fathers' as forms of good, dealt with in `@@@2803`, `@@@3703`, `@@@3704`, `@@@5581`, `@@@5902`. Consequently the fact that they were keepers of livestock as their fathers had been means from when the earliest forms of good existed. There are in addition many other places in the Word where 'fathers' is not used in the internal sense to mean Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but members of the Ancient Church, who were governed by good.
ppp17800#pid#6051. 'So that you may dwell in the land of Goshen' means your place will for that reason be in the middle of the natural where the Church's factual knowledge resides. This is clear from the meaning of 'dwelling' as life and so the place where it is situated, `@@@1293`, `@@@3384`, `@@@4451`; and from the meaning of 'Goshen' as the middle or inmost part of the natural, dealt with in `@@@5910`, `@@@6028`. The residence there of the Church's factual knowledge, which is meant by 'Egypt', is self-evident; for Goshen was the best land in Egypt.
ppp17799#pid#6052. 'For every shepherd of the flock is an abomination to the Egyptians' means thereby a separation from perverted factual knowledge which is opposed to the Church's factual knowledge. This is clear from the meaning of 'an abomination to the Egyptians' as a separation of factual knowledge, for things that are an abomination are separated, and the reason why something is an abomination is that it is contrary and so opposed to ideas that have been adopted and to loves that are present (here it is opposed to perverted factual knowledge, meant by 'the Egyptians', since it says 'every shepherd of the flock is an abomination to them'); and from the meaning of 'a shepherd of the flock' as one who leads to good, dealt with in `@@@6044`. Factual knowledge that supports good is what perverted factual knowledge is opposed to. And perverted factual knowledge is what destroys the truth of faith and the good of charity, as well as being what turns order upside down, as magical practices in Egypt did. For there are many things in accord with order that were misused by the magicians of Egypt, such as correspondences and representatives, which existed as factual knowledge more highly developed among them than any other people. This knowledge conforms to order even when the evil make use of it; and when they make use of it to control other people and do harm to other people, that knowledge is perverted because it involves magic. As regards the separation of factual knowledge under consideration here, it is effected by a rearranging; when good accompanied by truths comes to be in the middle or inmost part meant by 'Goshen', perverted factual knowledge that is opposed to it is cast out.
ttt[2] Up to now the subject has been the joining of truths to factual knowledge. Regarding this joining together one should go on to recognize that a joining of the internal or spiritual man to the external or natural man cannot be effected at all unless truths are introduced into factual knowledge. For factual knowledge together with the delights that belong to natural affections constitutes the external or natural man, and therefore unless a joining to factual knowledge is effected, none at all is effected. But if a person is to become regenerated his internal and external must exist joined together. If they do not, then all good flowing in from the Lord by way of the internal man into the external or natural man is either perverted, smothered, or cast aside, in which case there is also a closing of the internal. The method by which that joining together is effected is what the present chapter has described, the execution of which method involves the introduction of truths into factual knowledge.
ppp17798#pid#6053. INFLUX AND THE INTERACTION OF THE SOUL WITH THE BODY
No one can have any knowledge at all or even be able to think about the influx of the soul into the body, or about the interaction of them, unless he knows what the soul is and also something about the nature of the soul. If nothing is known about what the soul is, nothing at all can be said about its inflow and interaction; for how can anyone think about two parts communicating with each other when there is complete lack of knowledge about the nature of one of them? The lack of knowledge, particularly in the learned world, about the whole nature of the soul may be seen from the fact that some people think it is something ethereal, others something flame-like or fiery, others something existing purely on the level of thought, others a general life-force, and others some natural force. Still greater lack of knowledge about what the soul may be is demonstrated by the varying places in the body to which people assign it. Some assign it to the heart, others to the brain - some to its fibres, others to the corpora striata, others to its ventricles, and others to its tiny glands. Others assign it to every part of the body, but these people's conception is of a vitality like that common to everything that has life in it. From this it is evident that people know nothing at all about the soul. This is the reason why the ideas they have peddled around regarding the soul are all guesswork. And since for this reason they cannot have any idea of what the soul is, very many cannot do other than suppose that it is no more than vitality that is dissipated when the body dies. This now explains why the learned have less belief than the simple in a life after death; and because they have no belief in it they cannot have any belief in anything belonging to that life, that is, in the celestial and spiritual realities constituting faith and love. This is also evident from the Lord's words in Matthew,
You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to young children. `Matthew 11bbb15`.
And again,
Those who see do not see, and those who hear do not hear, nor do they understand. `Matthew 13bbb13`.
For the simple do not think at all about the soul in the way that the learned do but believe that they will be alive after death. Concealed within their simple faith, though they are not conscious of it, is the belief that they will live there as people, seeing the angels, talking to them, and being filled with joy.
ppp17797#pid#6054. As regards the soul, which - it is said - goes on living after death, it is nothing else than the actual person living in the body. That is, the soul is the person's inner self acting in the world by means of the body and imparting life to the body. When his inner self is released from the body the person is called a spirit and then appears in a completely human form. Yet he cannot be seen at all by the eyes of the body, only by those of the spirit, to which he has the same appearance as Someone in the world. He has the senses - touch, smell, hearing, and sight - which are far keener than when he was in the world. He has appetites, longings, desires, affections, and loves that are like those he had in the world yet far superior. He also engages in thought as he did in the world, but in a more perfect way, and he holds conversations with others. In short his life there is as it was in the world, so much so that if he does not stop to reflect on the fact that he is in the next life, he knows no other than that he is in the world, as I have frequently heard spirits say. For life after death is a continuation of life in the world. This then is a person's soul which is alive after death.
ttt[2] But in order that people may not lose all idea of what the word 'soul' means because of the guessing and speculation about what the soul may be, it is better to speak of a person's spirit or, if you prefer, his inner self. For his spirit, seen there, appears just like a person possessing all the members and organs that a person has; indeed it is the actual person In a body. The truth of this may also be recognized from the angels seen by people and described in the Word; all appeared in human form. Every angel in heaven possesses the human form, for the Lord, who was seen so many times after His resurrection as a person, has that form. The reason why an angel as well as a person's spirit is human in outward form is that the whole of heaven receives from the Lord the disposition to combine into a human form, which is why the whole of heaven has been called the Grand Man. (The subject of the Grand Man and the correspondence with it of all the parts of a human being have been dealt with at the ends of many chapters.) Also because the Lord lives within each inhabitant of heaven, and through what flows in from the Lord the whole of heaven exerts an influence on each inhabitant, every angel is an image of heaven, that is, he possesses a form most perfectly human. So too does a person after death.
ttt[3] However many the spirits I have seen, thousands upon thousands, they have all looked to me exactly like men and women. Some have declared that they are people just as they were in the world, and have added that during their lifetime they had not believed anything of the sort. Many have felt sad that the human race lives in such ignorance regarding their state after death and that they think about the soul in such a senseless and futile way, and that most of those who have thought more seriously about the soul have visualized it as something like a thin column of air, which has inevitably led to the crazy error that the soul is dissipated after death.
ppp17796#pid#6055. Anyone who has no knowledge of the more internal aspects of the human being cannot know about the inflowing of the soul into the body or its interaction with it; for that interaction and inflowing takes place through those more internal aspects. To know about these more internal aspects of the human being one should know about the existence of the internal man and of the external man, and that the internal man exists in the spiritual world and the external in the natural world, so that the former dwells in the light of heaven, the latter in the light of the world. One also needs to know that the internal man is so distinct and separate from the external that, being prior and more internal, it can remain in being without the external, but that the external man, being posterior and more external, cannot remain in being without the internal. In addition one should know that the internal man is the one who is called intellectual or rational, using those terms in their proper sense, since that man dwells in the light of heaven, a light which holds reason and understanding within it. But the external man is one who must be called, strictly speaking, a knowledge-receiver since known facts reside in him, which knowledge derives its light for the most part from things belonging to the inferior light of the world that is brightened and so made living by means of the light of heaven.
ppp17795#pid#6056. It has just been said that being prior the internal man can remain in being without the external, but not the external man, being posterior, without the internal. For it is a universal law that nothing can remain in being by itself, only from and through another, consequently that nothing can be maintained within the form it possesses except from and through another, as every single thing in the natural order goes to prove. The same is true of the human being. So far as his external man is concerned, he cannot remain in being except from and through the internal. But the internal man cannot remain in being except from and through heaven; nor yet can heaven do so from itself, only from and through the Lord, who alone is Self-existent. What makes all coming into and remaining in being is influx, for influx is the means by which all things are kept in being. But it will be shown in a later section that through influx the Lord keeps every single thing in being, not only indirectly through the spiritual world but also directly both in intermediate causes and in ultimate effects.
ppp17794#pid#6057. Before anything can be said about the influx and operation of the soul into the body, a proper knowledge is required of the truth that the internal man has been created so as to conform to an image of heaven, and the external man to an image of the world, so much so that the internal man is the smallest form heaven can take, and the external man is the smallest the world can take and is thus the microcosm. The fact that the external man is an image of the world can be seen from his external or physical senses. The ear has been made to conform to the whole nature of the modification of air, and the lungs to the whole nature of air-pressure. So too with the surface-areas of the body, which are held in shape by the pressure of air all around them. The eye has been made to conform to the whole nature of the ether and light; the tongue to the perception of particles dissolved and suspended in fluids, and at the same time along with the lungs, trachea, larynx, glottis, jaws, and lips to conform to the power of using air in varying ways to produce articulated sounds or words, and musical sounds too. The nostrils have been made to conform to the perception of particles suspended in the atmosphere, and touch, a sense which is distributed over the whole of the body, to the perception of changes in the condition of the air, that is to say, whether it is cold or hot, as well as the perception of the nature of fluids and the weights of objects. (The internal organs, which the air surrounding the body cannot enter, are held together and kept in shape by a purer kind of air, called ether.) This is not to mention all the deeply hidden aspects of the natural world that have been inscribed on and apply themselves to the body, such as all the secrets of mechanics, physics, chemistry, and optics. All this goes to prove that the entire natural order was drawn on so that the external side of the human being might be created in conformity with it, which was why the ancients named the human being the microcosm.
ttt[2] Now just as the external man has been created so as to conform to an image of everything in the world, so the internal man has been created so as to conform to an image of everything in heaven, that is, an image of the celestial and spiritual qualities that come from the Lord, from which heaven is formed and in which it consists. The celestial qualities there are all the aspects of love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour, and the spiritual qualities are all the aspects of faith. They are intrinsically so great and of such a nature that no tongue can possibly declare even a millionth of them. The truth that the internal man has been made so as to conform to an image of all those qualities is plain to see in the angels. When they appear before a person's internal sight, as they have appeared before mine, their presence alone stirs feelings to the depths of his being. For love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour pour out of them and into the onlooker; and what is radiated by that love and charity, namely rays of faith, shines out of them and stirs one's affections. This has served to show, as well as other proofs, that because the internal man has been created to be an angel, the internal man is the smallest form heaven can take.
ttt[3] From all this it now becomes clear that within the human being the spiritual world has been joined to the natural world. As a result, in the case of the human being, the spiritual world flows into the natural world in so vital a way that a person can discern it if he merely stops to pay attention to it. This also shows what the interaction of the soul with the body is, that strictly speaking it is a communication of the spiritual realities of heaven with the natural things of the world, a communication which is effected by one flowing into the other, yet depends on the way the two have been joined together. This communication effected through an inflowing which depends on the way the two have been joined together is unknown at the present day, for the reason that every single thing is attributed to natural forces and there is no knowledge of what is spiritual, which at the present day is so remote that when people give it any thought it seems to be non-existent.
ppp17793#pid#6058. But the nature of the inflowing is such that it begins in the Lord's Divine Being and passes into every angel, every spirit, and every man, and in this way the Lord governs everyone not only in an overall sense but also in the smallest details. He does so both directly from Himself and indirectly through the spiritual world. So that the existence of this inflowing may be known much has been stated already regarding the correspondence of the parts of the human being with the Grand Man, that is, with heaven, and at the same time regarding the representation of spiritual realities with natural things. These matters were dealt with at the ends of Chapters `Genesis ccc23bbb0`-`Genesis ccc43bbb0`. After that the subject, the angels and spirits present with a person, was dealt with at the ends of Chapters `Genesis ccc44bbb0`, `Genesis ccc45bbb0`. It now follows that the specific matters of influx and the interaction of the soul and the body should be dealt with. But they are matters that need to have the light of experience thrown on them, otherwise a subject about which people are so ignorant and which they place in the dark by conjecturing about it cannot be brought out into the light. Experiences that throw light on these matters will be related at the ends of several chapters following this. What has been stated so far may serve instead of an introduction to those experiences.
ppp17792#pid#6059. `Genesis 47bbb0`
1. And Joseph came and told Pharaoh, and said, My father and my brothers, and their flocks and their herds, and all that they have, have come from the land of Canaan, and behold, they are in the land of Goshen.
2. And from his brothers' party he took five men, and placed them before Pharaoh.
3. And Pharaoh said to his brothers, What are your works?`fff1` And they said to Pharaoh, Shepherds of the flock are your servants, both we and our fathers.
4. And they said to Pharaoh, We have come to sojourn in the land, for there is no pasture for the flock which belongs to your servants, for the famine is serious in the land of Canaan; and now let your servants, we beg you, dwell in the land of Goshen.
5. And Pharaoh said to Joseph - he said, Your fathers and your brothers have come to you.
6. The land of Egypt is before you; in the best of the land cause your father and your brothers to dwell; let them dwell in the land of Goshen. And if you know that there are among them men of energy, then set them as the chief men over the livestock belonging to me.
7. And Joseph caused Jacob his father to come and placed him before Pharaoh; and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.
8. And Pharaoh said to Jacob, How many are the days of the years of your life?
9. And Jacob said to Pharaoh, The days of the years of my sojournings are a hundred and thirty years; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers, in the days of their sojournings.
10. And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh.
11. And Joseph caused his father and his brothers to dwell, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded.
12. And Joseph sustained his father, and his brothers, and all his father's household with bread, according to the mouth of a young child.`fff2`
13. And there was no bread in all the land, for the famine was extremely serious; and the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished from the presence of the famine.
14. And Joseph gathered up all the silver found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, for the corn which they were buying; and Joseph caused the silver to come to Pharaoh's house.
15. And when the silver was used up in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all Egypt came to Joseph, saying, Give us bread; and why should we die near by you because the silver is lacking?
16. And Joseph said, Give your livestock, and I will give you [bread] in exchange for your livestock, if the silver is lacking.
17. And they caused their livestock to come to Joseph, and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for horses, and for livestock of the flock, and for livestock of the herd, and for asses; and he provided them with bread in exchange for all their live stock that year.
18. And that year ended, and they came to him in the second year, and said to him, We will not hide from [my] lord, that since the silver has been used up and the livestock of the beasts has passed to [my] lord, nothing is left before [my] lord apart from our bodies and our ground.
19. Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our ground? Buy us and our ground for bread, and we will live, and our ground, as Pharaoh's slaves; and give us seed so that we may live and not die, and the ground may not become a waste.
20. And Joseph bought all the ground of Egypt for Pharaoh, for the Egyptians sold, each one his field, because the famine overwhelmed them; and the land was Pharaoh's.
21. And the people, he transferred them to the cities from one end of the border of Egypt to the other end of it.
22. Only the ground of the priests he did not buy, for the priests had a fixed portion from Pharaoh and ate their fixed portion which Pharaoh had given them; therefore they did not sell their ground.
23. And Joseph said to the people, Behold, I have bought you today, and your ground, for Pharaoh; look, here is seed for you, and you may sow the ground.
24. And so it will be at in gatherings,`fff3` that you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four portions shall be yours, for seed of the field, and for your food, and for those in your households, and children.
25. And they said, You have bestowed life on us; let us find favour in the eyes of [my] lord, and we shall be Pharaoh's slaves.
26. And Joseph made it a statute even to this day regarding the ground of Egypt, that a fifth went to Pharaoh. Only the ground of the priests, theirs alone, did not belong to Pharaoh.
27. And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen; and they had a possession in it, and were fruitful, and multiplied exceedingly.
28. And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years; and the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were a hundred and forty-seven years.
29. And Israel's days drew near when he must die; and he called his son Joseph, and said to him, If now I have found favour in your eyes, put now your hand under my thigh, and show me mercy and truth;`fff4` do not, I beg you, bury me in Egypt.
30. And let me lie with my fathers, and you are to carry me out of Egypt, and to bury me in their sepulchre And he said, I will do according to your word.
31. And he said, Swear to me. And he swore to him. And Israel bowed himself over the head of the bed.
CONTENTS
After the joining of spiritual good from the natural, which is 'Israel', to the internal celestial, which is 'Joseph', has been effected, which was the subject in the previous chapter, the present chapter deals in the internal sense with the introduction of the Church's truths within the natural into factual knowledge. The Church's truths in the natural are 'the sons of Jacob'; truth itself as a whole there is 'Jacob'; and the factual knowledge into which those truths are introduced is 'Pharaoh'.
`nnn1. i.e. What is your occupation?
`nnn2. i.e. according to the number of young mouths they had to feed
`nnn3. literally, comings forth
`nnn4. literally, make with me mercy and truth
ppp17791#pid#6060. After that the subject is the order into which known facts have been arranged by the internal celestial, which is 'Joseph'. Factual knowledge with truth in it comes first, then the truths of good and the goods of truth, and lastly the entire natural in respect of factual knowledge, subject to the general whole to which they belong.
ppp17790#pid#6061. Finally the subject is the regeneration of spiritual good from the natural, which is 'Israel'.
ppp17789#pid#6062. THE INTERNAL SENSE
Verse `Genesis 47bbbccc1` And Joseph came and told Pharaoh, and said, My father and my brothers, and their flocks and their herds, and all that they have, have come from the land of Canaan, and behold, they are in the land of Goshen.
'And Joseph came and told Pharaoh, and said' means the presence of the internal celestial within the natural where factual knowledge resides, and the consequent influx and perception. 'My father and my brothers' means spiritual good within the natural and the truths of the Church there. 'Their flocks and their herds' means forms of the good of truth, interior and exterior ones. 'And all that they have' means whatever is dependent on them. 'Have come from the land of Canaan' means that they originate in the Church. 'And behold, they are in the land of Goshen' means that they are in the middle of the natural where factual knowledge resides.
ppp17788#pid#6063. 'And Joseph came and told Pharaoh, and said' means the presence of the internal celestial within the natural where factual knowledge resides, and the consequent influx and perception. This is clear from the meaning of 'coming to someone' as presence, as in `@@@5934`; from the representation of 'Joseph' as the internal celestial, dealt with in `@@@5869`, `@@@5877`; from the meaning of 'telling as an influx, dealt with in `@@@5966`; from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as the natural and therefore factual knowledge in general, dealt with in `@@@5799`, `@@@6015`; and from the meaning of 'saying' in historical narratives of the Word as perception, dealt with in `@@@1791`, `@@@1815`, `@@@1819`, `@@@1822`, `@@@1898`, `@@@1919`, `@@@2080`, `@@@2619`, `@@@2862`, `@@@3509`, `@@@5687`. From all this it is evident that 'Joseph came and told Pharaoh, and said' means the presence of the internal celestial within the natural where factual knowledge resides, and the consequent influx and perception.
ttt[2] Reference has been made many times before this to the flowing of the internal into the natural or external, and to perception in the natural. It has been shown that the natural is kept in being and receives its life from an influx from the internal, that is, from the Lord through the internal. For without the influx from that source the natural does not have any life, since it exists on the natural level of creation and derives all that it is from there, and the natural level of creation is totally devoid of life. This being so, if a person's natural is to have life there must be an influx from the Lord. It must come not only directly from Him but also indirectly through the spiritual world, consequently into a person's internal, since this exists in the spiritual world, and from there into the natural so that it may have life. The human natural has been formed so that it may receive life thereby. This then is what is meant by a flowing of the internal celestial into the natural where factual knowledge resides. As a result of this influx from the internal, perception takes place in the external or natural, which 'Pharaoh' represents; for influx and perception answer to each other, `@@@5743`.
ppp17787#pid#6064. 'My father and my brothers' means spiritual good within the natural and the truths of the Church there. This is clear from the representation of Israel, to whom 'father' refers here, as spiritual good within the natural, as in `@@@5801`, `@@@5803`, `@@@5806`, `@@@5812` from the representation of 'the sons of Israel' as the truths of the Church within the natural, dealt with in `@@@5414`, `@@@5879`, `@@@5951`. The influx and perception spoken of immediately above in `@@@6063` have regard to these - to spiritual good and to the truths of the Church within the natural.
ppp17786#pid#6065. 'Their flocks and their herds' means forms of the good of truth, interior and exterior ones. This is clear from the meaning of 'flocks' as interior forms of good, and of 'herds' as exterior forms of good, both dealt with in `@@@5913`, `@@@6048`. The reason forms of the good of truth are what is meant is that spiritual good, which is represented by 'Israel', is the good of truth, `@@@4598`. Forms of good as they exist in heaven or with man have two different origins; that is to say, they originate in the will or in the understanding. Good that originated in the will existed among the most ancient people who belonged to the celestial Church, whereas good that originated in the understanding existed among the ancients who belonged to the spiritual Church. The first kind of good exists with those in the inmost or third heaven, the second kind with those in the middle or second heaven. What the difference is between them, and the nature of that difference, has been stated many times in explanations. Good that has its origin in the will is good from which truth is derived, whereas good that has its origin in the understanding is good which is a product of truth, that is, it is the good of truth. Essentially this good is nothing else than truth put into practice.
ppp17785#pid#6066. 'And all that they have' means whatever is dependent on them, as above in `@@@6046`.
ppp17784#pid#6067. 'Have come from the land of Canaan' means that they originate in the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'coming from some land or other' as originating there; and from the meaning of 'the land of Canaan' as the Lord's kingdom in heaven and the Lord's kingdom on earth, which is the Church, dealt with in `@@@1607`, `@@@3038`, `@@@3481`, `@@@3686`, `@@@3705`, `@@@4447`, `@@@4454`, `@@@5136`.
ppp17783#pid#6068. 'And behold, they are in the land of Goshen' means that they are in the middle of the natural where factual knowledge resides. This is clear from the meaning of 'Goshen' as the middle or inmost part of the natural, dealt with in `@@@5910`, `@@@6028`, `@@@6031`. What is meant by their being in the middle of the natural is this: Once the Church's forms of good and its truths - that is, those which it has received from the Lord's Word - have been acknowledged and with faith accepted in the natural, they occupy the middle there. For things that are immediate objects of attention are in the middle, and those that are not immediate objects of attention are to the sides; consequently the ones in the middle are seen clearly, those to the sides vaguely.
ttt[2] It is the same as it is with the sight of the eye. The objects on which the eye is directly focused are in the middle, that is, in the centre and are seen clearly; but those on which it is not directly focused are to the sides, away from the middle, and are seen vaguely. For the inner eye, which is the intellectual power of the mind and which depends for its vision on the light of heaven, sees things outside itself in the natural, which are known facts, just as the physical eye sees objects or a whole range of objects outside itself. Inward sight is directed towards the things that give the greatest delight and are close to the heart, and it fixes its attention directly on them, in the same way as outward sight focuses on things similarly delightful in whole ranges of objects. Inward sight accordingly focuses on those known facts that are in close agreement with the truth and good that govern a person. These facts are then, for that person, in the middle. The reason why inward sight sees factual knowledge is that such sight is spiritual and therefore directs its attention towards spiritual matters, thus towards known facts, for these are the appropriate objects of spiritual attention.
ppp17782#pid#6069. Verses `Genesis 47bbbccc2-6` And from his brothers' party he took five men, and placed them before Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said to his brothers, What are your works?`fff1` And they said to Pharaoh, Shepherds of the flock are your servants, both we and our fathers. And they said to Pharaoh, We have come to sojourn in the land, for there is no pasture for the flock which belongs to your servants, for the famine is serious in the land of Canaan; and now let your servants, we beg you, dwell in the land of Goshen. And Pharaoh said to Joseph - he said, Your father and your brothers have come to you. The land of Egypt is before you; in the best of the land cause your father and your brothers to dwell; let them dwell in the land of Goshen. And if you know that there are among them men with energy, then set them as the chief men over the livestock belonging to me.
'And from his brothers' party he took five men' means some of the truths of the Church. 'And placed them before Pharaoh' means an introduction into factual knowledge. 'And Pharaoh said to his brothers' means perception regarding the truths of the Church within the natural. 'What are your works?' means regarding duties and useful services. 'And they said to Pharaoh, Shepherds of the flock are your servants' means that they lead to good. 'Both we and our fathers' means that this was so since the time of the ancients. 'And they said to Pharaoh' means a continuation of the perception. 'We have come to sojourn in the land' means a seeking to live in factual knowledge. 'For there is no pasture for the flock which belongs to your servants' means that factual knowledge holding forms of the good of truth is wanting. 'For the famine is serious in the land of Canaan' means that there is a lack of such forms in the Church. 'And now let your servants, we beg you, dwell in the land of Goshen' means so that they may live in the middle of them. 'And Pharaoh said to Joseph - he said' means perception in the natural where factual knowledge resides. 'Your father and your brothers have come to you' means regarding the influx of the internal celestial into spiritual good from the natural and into the truths of the Church there. 'The land of Egypt is before you means that factual knowledge in the natural mind is subject to the guidance of the internal celestial. 'In the best of the land cause your father and your brothers to dwell' means that they may live in the inmost part of it. 'Let them dwell in the land of Goshen' means where the middle is. 'And if you know that there are among them men with energy' means the more outstanding contents of doctrine. 'Then set them as the chief men over the livestock belonging to me' means that they are the first and foremost among known facts.
`nnn1. i.e. What is your occupation?
ppp17781#pid#6070. 'And from his brothers' party he took five men' means some of the truths of the Church. This is clear from the representation of Jacob's sons, to whom 'brothers' refers here, as the truths of the Church, dealt with in `@@@5403`, `@@@5419`, `@@@5427`, `@@@5458`, `@@@5512`; and from the meaning of 'five' as some, dealt with in `@@@4638`, `@@@5291`.
ppp17780#pid#6071. 'And placed them before Pharaoh' means an introduction into factual knowledge. This is clear from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as factual knowledge in general, dealt with in `@@@5799`, `@@@6015`. An introduction is meant by 'placing before him', for the intention behind his presentation of them was so that he might introduce them, that is, the truths of the Church, since these are meant by 'the sons of Jacob'. Regarding the need for the truths known to the Church to be introduced into the Church's factual knowledge, see `@@@6004`, `@@@6023`, `@@@6052`; but as this is a subject that is not known about at the present day, let some more light be shed on it.
ttt[2] The facts known to the Church are at the present day the things stated in the literal sense of the Word. Unless truths from the internal sense are introduced into those facts the mind can be misled into all kinds of heresy; but once truths have been introduced into them the mind cannot be misled into heresies. For example the person who has learned from the literal sense of the Word statements that God can be angry, punish, lead into temptations, cast into hell, and do evil can be misled into false ideas about God. He may be led to think that Goodness itself, which is what God is, can be the source even of evil, thus the opposite of what He is, when in fact good comes from good, and evil from evil. But this fact [which he knows from the literal sense] takes on a different appearance if interior truths are introduced into it, such as the truth that evil in a person is what creates anger in him, leads into temptations, punishes, casts into hell, and constantly brings forth further evils. There is also the truth that the situation with these woes is like the laws that countries have; the laws come from the monarch, but the miseries that come with punishment are not attributable to the monarch but to those who commit evils.
ttt[3] Then there is the truth that the hells are the source of all evil and are allowed to be the source of it because on man's account it cannot be otherwise. For he is sunk in evil and his life arises out of it, and therefore unless he is left in evil he cannot be in freedom, or thus be reformed. Even so, nothing but good comes from God, for to the extent a person allows, God turns that evil towards what is good.
ttt[4] There is too the truth that the very general outlines of belief must come first, after which they must be filled out with individual truths. This is so with the general piece of knowledge that all things which happen come without exception from God, including the miseries that punishment brings. In what way those miseries come from Him has to be learned subsequently, as also do the nature and source of what happens by permission.
ttt[5] There is likewise the truth that all worship of God inevitably has its beginning in holy fear, which holds within it the belief that God rewards good people and punishes the bad. Simple people and young children must believe this because they have no understanding as yet of permission; and their belief is in keeping with the Lord's words,
Rather, fear Him who is able to destroy both body and soul in Gehenna. `Matthew 10bbb28`.
So although to begin with it is out of fear that they do not dare to do evil, love accompanied by good is gradually introduced, and then they start to know and perceive that nothing but good comes from God, and that evil comes from themselves; then at length that all evil comes from hell.
ttt[6] Furthermore those in heaven perceive that nothing but good comes from God; but those in hell say that everything evil comes from God because He permits it and does not take it away. But in reply to this those of them who are in the world of spirits are told that if evil were taken away from them they would not possess any life; and neither would anyone in the world who is engrossed in evil. They are also told that the evil within them punishes itself in accordance with the law, and that the miseries that punishment brings eventually causes them to refrain from the doing of evils, also that the punishment of evil persons is the protection of the good.
ttt[7] Added to all this is the consideration that people engrossed in evil, also those whose worship is external devoid of anything internal, as that of the Jews was, must live altogether in fear of God and in a belief that He is the one who punishes; for their fear of God can lead them to do what is good, but love never can. When these and many other truths are introduced into that known fact [drawn from the literal sense of the Word] it takes on a completely different appearance. It becomes like a transparent vase containing truths which shine through and make the vase look like nothing else than a single and general body of truth.
ppp17779#pid#6072. 'And Pharaoh said to his brothers' means perception regarding the truths of the Church within the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as perception, dealt with above in `@@@6063`; from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as the natural, and factual knowledge in general, also dealt with above in `@@@6063`; and from the representation of the sons of Jacob, to whom 'brothers' refers here, as the truths of the Church within the natural, dealt with above in `@@@6064`. From all this it is evident that 'Pharaoh said to his brothers' means the perception of the natural regarding the truths of the Church there.
ppp17778#pid#6073. 'What are your works?' means regarding duties and services. This is clear from the meaning of 'works' as forms of good, dealt with in `@@@6048`, thus useful services and duties, for these are forms of good. Every good that is called a good of charity consists in nothing other than useful service, and useful services are nothing other than works done for one's neighbour, country, Church, and the Lord's kingdom. Regarded essentially charity does not actually become charity until it passes into action and becomes a work; for loving someone but not doing anything good for him when the possibility exists is not really loving him. Doing good for him when the possibility exists, and doing it with all one's heart, is loving him; for then the actual deed or work contains all that constitutes charity towards him. For works embrace every aspect of charity and faith present with a person and are called forms of spiritual good, made such through the exercise of charity, that is, through useful services.
ttt[2] Because the angels in heaven are governed by good received from the Lord, they have no greater desire than to perform useful services. These are the very delights of their life, and in the measure that they perform useful services they enjoy blessing and happiness, `@@@453`, `@@@696`, `@@@997`, `@@@3645`.
This is also the Lord's teaching in Matthew,
The Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father together with His angels, and at that time He will repay everyone according to his works. `Matthew 16bbb17`.
'Works' is not used here to mean works such as they are in outward appearance but such as they appear inwardly - that is to say, what kind of charity they hold within them. Angels do not look on works in any other way.
ttt[3] Furthermore, since works are a combination of every aspect of charity and faith present with a person, and since life causes charity to be charity and faith to be faith, and so to be good, John was loved more than the other disciples by the Lord and leaned on His breast at the Last Supper, `John 21bbb20`. For that disciple represented the good deeds or works of charity, see the Prefaces to `Genesis 18bbb0`, `Genesis ccc22bbb0`. For the same reason the Lord said to him Follow Me; He did not say it to Peter,`fff1` who represented faith, see those same Prefaces, and this led faith, which is Peter, to be indignant and say,
Lord, but what about this man? Jesus said to Him, If I will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You, follow Me. `John 21bbb19`, `John 21bbbccc11-23`.
This was also a prediction that faith would come to despise works, even though the Lord associates Himself with them, as may also be seen quite clearly from the Lord's words addressed to the sheep and the goats at `Matthew 25bbb0`, where nothing else than works are listed in Verses `Matthew 25bbb34-46`. The fact that faith would disown the Lord is evident from the representation by Peter in his denial of Him three times, [`Matthew 26bbb34`.] His denial 'at night' means the final period of the Church when no charity would exist any longer, `@@@6000`; his denial 'three times' means that at that point the final period would be complete, `@@@1825`, `@@@2788`, `@@@4495`, `@@@5159`; and 'before the cock crowed' means before a new phase of the Church had arrived, for twilight and morning which follow night mean the first phase of a Church, `@@@2405`, `@@@5962`.
`nnn1. The words "Follow Me" at `John 21bbb22` were clearly addressed to Peter. What Swedenborg intended to say is not clear to the translator.
ppp17777#pid#6074. 'And they said to Pharaoh, Shepherds of the flock are your servants' means that they lead to good. This is clear from the meaning of 'shepherds of the flock' as those who lead to good, dealt with in `@@@6044`, here truths that lead to good since the truths of the Church are represented by 'the sons of Jacob'.
ppp17776#pid#6075. 'Both we and our fathers' means that this was so since the time of the ancients. This is clear from the meaning of 'fathers' as those who belonged to the ancient Churches, dealt with in `@@@6050`. In the Word there are many places referring to the Jews and Israelites in which their fathers are spoken of in a praiseworthy manner. People who confine themselves to the sense of the letter do not take 'fathers in those places to mean anybody other than Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and also the sons of Jacob. But in the internal sense 'fathers', in a good sense, is used to mean not them but those who belonged to the Most Ancient Church which existed before the Flood and those who belonged to the Ancient Church which existed after the Flood. Members of both were called 'fathers' because the Church came down from them and things of the Church were derived from them.
ttt[2] 'Fathers' is used in Moses to mean those belonging to the Ancient Churches,
Your fathers Jehovah delighted to love, and He chose their seed after them. `Deuteronomy 10bbb15`.
And in the same author,
Remember the days of old, understand the Years of generation after generation. When the Most High gave to the nations an inheritance, when He separated the sons of man, He fixed the boundaries of the peoples, according to the number of the sons of Israel. But when Jeshurun became fat he forsook God. They sacrifice to demons, to gods [whom they do not know, to new ones] that have come from near by and that your fathers did not fear.`fff1` `Deuteronomy 32bbb7-8`, `Deuteronomy 32bbbccc15`, `Deuteronomy 32bbbccc17`.
These words appear in the prophetical Song of Moses, in which verses `Deuteronomy 32bbbccc7-15` refer to the Ancient Church and Verses `Deuteronomy 32bbbccc15-44` to the descendants of Jacob. The state of the Most Ancient Church which existed before the Flood is meant by 'the days of old', and the state of the Ancient Church which existed after the Flood by 'the years of generation after generation'. Their state of good is meant by 'an inheritance which the Most High gave to the nations', and their state of truth by 'the Most High separated the sons of man, He fixed the boundaries of the peoples, according to the number of the sons of Israel', which 'number', being 'twelve', means all the truths of faith in their entirety, see `@@@577`, `@@@2089`, `@@@2129` (end), `@@@2130` (end), `@@@3272`, `@@@3858`, `@@@3913`. From this it is evident that 'fathers' means those who belonged to the ancient Churches. A similar meaning exists in the following places:
In Isaiah,
Our holy house, and our splendour, where our fathers praised You, has been made into a blaze of fire. `Isaiah 64bbb11`.
In Jeremiah,
Did not your father eat and drink, yet execute judgement and righteousness? Then all went well for him. `Jeremiah 22bbb15`.
In the same prophet,
They have sinned against Jehovah, the habitation of righteousness and the hope of their fathers. `Jeremiah 50bbb7`.
In David,
O God, we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us the work You worked in their days, in the days of old. `Psalms 44bbb1`.
'Fathers' is used in the same way in `Daniel 11bbb14`, `Daniel 11bbbccc37-38`. The fact that those who belonged to the ancient Churches are meant in these places by 'fathers' is not apparent in the sense of the letter; it is seen only from the internal sense in which the Church, its forms of good, and its truths are the subject. Furthermore the Church itself - being the heavenly marriage, that is, the marriage of goodness and truth - is called 'father' in the Word in respect to goodness and 'mother' in respect to truth, `@@@3707`, `@@@5581`.
`nnn1. The Latin means know but the Hebrew means fear.
ppp17775#pid#6076. 'And they said to Pharaoh' means a continuation of the perception. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as perception, dealt with above in `@@@6063`; and from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as the natural in general, dealt with previously. The reason a continuation of the perception by the natural is meant is that the phrase 'they said to Pharaoh' was used just previously, `@@@6074`, and now occurs again.
ppp17774#pid#6077. 'We have come to sojourn in the land' means a seeking to live in factual knowledge. This is clear from the meaning of 'sojourning' as receiving instruction, and also living, dealt with in `@@@1467`, `@@@2025`, so that 'coming to sojourn' means a seeking to live; and from the meaning of 'the land', in this case the land of Egypt, as the place where factual knowledge exists, and so as factual knowledge itself (it has been shown quite a number of times that 'Egypt' means factual knowledge). As to the idea that the life of truth exists within factual knowledge or that truths seek to live in factual knowledge, it should be recognized that all things in the spiritual world, and consequently all those in the natural world, seek something beyond themselves in which they can exist, acting as the cause within the effect, to the end that they may be producing something constantly. That something beyond them is so to speak the body, and what seeks to exist within it is so to speak the soul. This endeavour comes to an end only in the lowest aspects of the natural order in which inert substances occur. In the natural world this can be seen in specific examples; and it can also be seen in the spiritual world, in that there good seeks to live in truths, truths seek to live in factual knowledge, factual knowledge to live in sensory impressions, and sensory impressions in the world.
ttt[2] As regards the specific matter of the presence of truths within factual knowledge, it should be recognized that interior truths can indeed be introduced into factual knowledge; but those truths do not have life until good exists within them. Good has life in it, but truths receive theirs from good; thus factual knowledge receives its life from good through truths. Good is in that case a kind of soul for truths, and through truths for factual knowledge, which is a kind of body. In short, charity towards the neighbour gives faith its life and soul, and through faith gives them to factual knowledge belonging to the natural mind.
ttt[3] At the present day there are few who know that truths are distinct and separate from factual knowledge. The reason for this is that truths of faith which are rooted in charity exist with only few, and truths of faith that have no charity in them are no more than factual knowledge since they exist in the memory, no different from anything else there. But when truths of faith are rooted in charity, that is, have charity within them, they make themselves clearly distinct and separate from factual knowledge. Sometimes they lift themselves above it, in which case they look down on factual knowledge below them. This may be seen primarily from a person's state after death. In that state he can think and speak in a rational manner about the truths and goods of faith, and in a far more clear-sighted way than during his lifetime; yet he cannot draw out any factual knowledge from his memory. That knowledge exists with him as things that lie forgotten and removed from sight, even though he retains it all, see `@@@2475-2477`, `@@@2479`, `@@@2480-2486`. From this it may be seen that the truths of faith, which are essentially spiritual, are distinct and separate from factual knowledge, which is essentially natural, and that the truths of faith are lifted up from factual knowledge towards heaven by means of an affection for the good of charity.
ppp17773#pid#6078. 'For there is no pasture for the flock which belongs to your servants' means that factual knowledge holding forms of the good of truth is wanting. This is clear from the meaning of 'pasture for the flock' as factual knowledge holding forms of the good of truth, so that 'no pasture' means factual knowledge that does not hold any forms of the good of truth. In the internal sense 'pasture' is that which supports spiritual life; in particular it is truth contained in factual knowledge, for the human soul desires such truth just as the body desires food. Nourishment is derived from it, and for that reason 'feeding' means receiving instruction, `@@@5201`. That factual knowledge and truths sustain the human soul is quite evident from a person's desire for knowledge, as well as from the correspondence of food with factual knowledge, `@@@1480`, `@@@3114`, `@@@4792`, `@@@5147`, `@@@5193`, `@@@5340`, `@@@5342`, `@@@5576`, `@@@5579`, `@@@5915`. This correspondence also manifests itself when a person is eating food. If he eats it while talking and listening the vessels that receive the chyle are opened, and he is nourished more fully than if he is alone. Spiritual truths and instruction in them would have the same kind of effect on people if they were to have an affection for what is good. The fact that truths nourish spiritual life is revealed primarily among good spirits and among angels in heaven. Those spirits and angels have a constant desire to acquire knowledge and wisdom; and when they lack this spiritual food they feel desolate, listless, and famished. Nor are they refreshed and raised into the bliss of their life until their desires are satisfied. But if that factual knowledge is to yield the soul wholesome nourishment, that knowledge must contain life received from forms of the good of truth. If it does not contain life received from them factual knowledge still sustains a person's inner life, but his natural life, not his spiritual life.
ttt[2] The meaning of 'pasture' in the internal sense as that which sustains a person's spiritual life is also evident from other places in the Word, as in Isaiah,
I have given you as a covenant to the people, to restore the land; to say to the bound, Go out, to those who are in darkness, Reveal yourselves. They will feed along the ways, and on all slopes will their pasture be. `Isaiah 49bbb8-9`.
'Feeding along the ways' stands for receiving instruction in truths, 'the ways' being truths, see `@@@627`, `@@@2333`, and 'feeding' receiving instruction, `@@@5201`. 'On all slopes will their pasture be' stands for being sustained with good, for 'slopes', like 'mountains' are forms of the good of love, `@@@795`, `@@@796`, `@@@1430`, `@@@2722`, `@@@4210`.
ttt[3] In Jeremiah,
Woe to the shepherds destroying and scattering the flock of My pasture. `Jeremiah 23bbb1`.
'Pasture' stands for the kinds of things that sustain spiritual life. In the same prophet,
The princes of Zion have become like deer, they have not found pasture. `Lamentations 1bbb6`.
'They have not found pasture' stands for no truth of good.
ttt[4] In Ezekiel,
I, even I will look for My sheep. I will feed them in a good pasture, and their fold will be on the mountains of the loftiness of Israel; there`fff1` they will lie down in a good fold, and on fat pasture they will feed upon the mountains of Israel. `Ezekiel 34bbb11`, `Ezekiel 34bbbccc14`.
'A good and fat pasture upon the mountains of Israel' stands for forms of the good of truth. In the same prophet,
Is it a small thing to you? You feed off the good pasture but tread down with your feet the rest of your pastures. `Ezekiel 34bbb18`.
Here the meaning is similar. In Hosea,
I knew you in the wilderness, in the land of drought. When [they had] their pasture, they were filled; they were filled and their heart was exalted. `Hosea 13bbb5-6`.
In Joel,
The beasts groan, the herds of cattle are perplexed because they have no pasture, even the flocks of sheep`fff2` are made desolate. `Joel 1bbb18`.
In David,
Jehovah is my Shepherd; He will make me lie down in green pasture;`fff3` He will lead me away to still waters; He will restore My soul. `Psalms 23bbb1-3`.
In the same author,
Jehovah made us and not we ourselves, His people and the flock of His pasture; therefore we are His, His people, and the flock of His pasture.`fff4` `Psalms 100bbb3`.
ttt[5] 'Pasture' in these quotations stands for the truths in which a person receives instruction, here the kinds of things which have regard to spiritual life. For the nature of spiritual life is such that if it lacks that pasture it languishes and so to speak fades away, like the body when it lacks food. The fact that 'pasture' is the goodness and truth that refresh and sustain a person's soul or spirit is plain from the Lord's words in John,
I am the door. If anyone enters through Me he will be saved, and will go in and out, and find pasture. `John 10bbb9`.
'Pasture' stands for the forms of good and the truths which those people have who acknowledge the Lord and seek life from Him alone.
`nnn1. Reading there (ibi) for thus (ita)
`nnn2. literally, small cattle or livestock
`nnn3. literally, pasture of the plant
`nnn4. The first and second halves of this sentence are in fact alternative ways of understanding the original Hebrew.
ppp17772#pid#6079. 'For the famine is serious in the land of Canaan' means that there is a lack of such forms in the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'the famine' as a lack of good, dealt with in `@@@5893`; and from the meaning of 'the land of Canaan' as the Church, also dealt with above, in `@@@6067`.
ppp17771#pid#6080. 'And now let your servants, we beg you, dwell in the land of Goshen' means so that they may live in the middle of them. This is clear from the meaning of 'dwelling' as living, dealt with in `@@@1293`, `@@@3384`, `@@@3613`, `@@@4451`, `@@@6051`; and from the meaning of 'the land of Goshen' as the middle or inmost part of the natural, dealt with in `@@@5910`, `@@@6028`, `@@@6031`, `@@@6068`.
ppp17770#pid#6081. 'And Pharaoh said to Joseph - he said' means perception in the natural where factual knowledge resides. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as perception, dealt with often; from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as the natural where factual knowledge resides, dealt with in `@@@5799`, `@@@6015`, `@@@6063`; and from the representation of 'Joseph' as the internal, the source of perception in the natural, dealt with in `@@@5469`.
ppp17769#pid#6082. 'Your father and your brothers have come to you' means regarding the influx of the internal celestial into spiritual good from the natural and into the truths of the Church there. This is clear from the representation of Israel, to whom 'father' refers here, as spiritual good from the natural, dealt with in `@@@5801`, `@@@5807`, `@@@5806`, `@@@5812`, `@@@5817`, `@@@5819`, `@@@5826`, `@@@5833`; and from the representation of his sons, to whom 'brothers' refers here, as the truths of the Church in the natural, dealt with in `@@@5414`, `@@@5879`, `@@@5951`. The reason it is an influx of the internal celestial is that the words were addressed to Joseph, who represents the internal celestial, `@@@5869`, `@@@5877`, and an influx into the natural or external comes from the internal.
ppp17768#pid#6083. 'The land of Egypt is before you' means that factual knowledge in the natural mind is subject to the guidance of the internal celestial. This is clear from the meaning of 'the land of Egypt' as the natural mind where factual knowledge resides, dealt with in `@@@5276`, `@@@5278`, `@@@5280`, `@@@5288`, `@@@5301`; and from the meaning of 'before you' as being subject to the guidance of the internal celestial, which is 'Joseph', `@@@5869`, `@@@5877`.
ppp17767#pid#6084. 'In the best of the land cause your father and your brothers to dwell' means that they may live in the inmost part of it, that is to say, of factual knowledge. This is clear from the meaning of 'the best of the land' as the inmost part of the natural mind where factual knowledge resides, dealt with below, for 'the land of Egypt' is the natural mind, as immediately above in `@@@6083`; from the meaning of 'dwelling' as living, dealt with in `@@@1293`, `@@@3384`, `@@@3613`, `@@@4451`, `@@@6051`; and from the representation of Israel and his sons, to whom 'father' and 'brothers' who are to live there refer here, as spiritual good from the natural and the truths of the Church there, dealt with above in `@@@6082`.
ttt[2] 'The best' means the inmost part since the best is that which is kept immediately beneath one's gaze. The eye is always directed towards that for which it feels the greatest affection and delight; and that which is kept immediately beneath its gaze is also the inmost part because it is in the centre and as a consequence exists before the eyes in greatest light. All else lies round about in peripheral positions and as a consequence is less clear, till at the edges it is obscure because it arouses less delight and affection. This is the situation with factual knowledge beheld by inward sight. The objects of that sight are nothing else than known facts and truths. The delight and goodness present in those objects are what direct that sight towards them. It should be recognized however that truths and factual knowledge agreeing with those truths come directly under its gaze, that is, they reside in the inmost part, if people take a delight in and feel an affection for spiritual and celestial truths since they are for those people 'the best'. But falsities and factual knowledge agreeing with those falsities come directly under the gaze of inner sight, that is, they reside in the inmost part, if people feel an affection for and take delight in the evils that belong to self-love and love of the world. See also what has been stated in `@@@6068`.
ppp17766#pid#6085. 'Let them dwell in the land of Goshen' means where the middle is. This is clear from the meaning of 'dwelling' as living, as immediately above in `@@@6084`; and from the meaning of 'the land of Goshen' as the middle or inmost part of the natural, dealt with in `@@@5910`, `@@@6028`, `@@@6031`, `@@@6068`.
ppp17765#pid#6086. 'And if you know that there are among them men with energy' means the more outstanding contents of doctrine. This is clear from the meaning of 'men with energy' a, the more outstanding contents of doctrine. For 'man' means one who has intelligence and also means truth, `@@@158`, `@@@265`, `@@@749`, `@@@1007`, `@@@3174`, `@@@4823`, and as a consequence means doctrine, while 'energetic' means what is outstanding In the original language 'energy' is expressed by a word that also means strength and power, which in the internal sense means those things that prevail and so are more outstanding.
ppp17764#pid#6087. 'Then set them as the chief men over the livestock belonging to me' means that they are the first and foremost among known facts. This is clear from the meaning of 'chief men' or princes as features that are first and foremost, dealt with in `@@@1482`, `@@@2089`, `@@@5044`; and from the meaning of 'the livestock' as truths from which good springs, dealt with in `@@@6016`, `@@@6045`, `@@@6048`, at this point factual knowledge that has those truths within it, since the expression used is 'over the livestock belonging to me', that is, to Pharaoh, who does not represent truths that have good within them but factual knowledge that has truths within it.
ppp17763#pid#6088. Verses `Genesis 47bbbccc7-10` And Joseph caused Jacob his father to come and placed him before Pharaoh; and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said to Jacob, How many are the days of the years of your life? And Jacob said to Pharaoh, The days of the years of my sojournings are a hundred and thirty years; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers, in the days of their sojournings. And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh.
'And Joseph caused Jacob his father to come means the presence of general truth from the internal. 'And placed him before Pharaoh' means an introduction into factual knowledge as a general whole. 'And Jacob blessed Pharaoh' means a heartfelt desire for a joining together and resulting fruitfulness. 'And Pharaoh said to Jacob' means perception in the natural where factual knowledge resides, regarding the Church's truth in general. 'How many are the days of the years of your life?' means regarding the state of life of the natural from the spiritual. 'And Jacob said to Pharaoh' means the reply. 'The days of the years of my hundred and thirty years' means its state and essential nature. '[Few] and evil have been the days of the years of my life' means that the state of life of the natural has been full of temptations. 'And they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers' means that it did not come means up to the state of life of those that went before. 'In the days of their sojournings' means so far as their state of life was concerned. 'And Jacob blessed Pharaoh' means, as before, a heartfelt desire for a joining together and resulting fruitfulness. 'And went out from before Pharaoh' means a temporary separation.
ppp17762#pid#6089. 'And Joseph caused Jacob his father to come' means the presence of general truth coming from the internal. This is clear from the meaning of 'causing to come., or bringing to, as causing to be present, and 'coming to someone' as presence, `@@@5934`, `@@@6063`; and from the representation of 'Jacob' as the doctrine of natural truth, and also natural truth itself, dealt with in `@@@3305`, `@@@3509`, `@@@3525`, `@@@3546`, `@@@4538`, at this point truth in general since his sons represent particular truths. The reason why it comes from the internal is that 'Joseph' is the internal, from which truth in the natural comes. General truth is called 'Joseph's father' because a person first of all is introduced into general truth. After that it is enriched with particular truths, and in the end there comes an insight into those truths from the internal, which is reason and understanding. This is plain to see in a person, for the power of judgement develops in him from young childhood onwards. Something similar happens with spiritual truths and forms of good when a person is being born anew or regenerated. But after the internal has come into being from general truth in the natural the state is turned around; the internal no longer acknowledges truth in the natural as its father but as a servant. That it is then a servant is made clear by Joseph's dream regarding his father, in which he says that the sun and moon, and the eleven stars were bowing down to him, which led his father to say,
What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall we indeed come - I and your mother, and your brothers - to bow down to you to the earth? `Genesis 37bbb9-10`.
This explains why, in Joseph's presence, the other sons call his father so many times his servant, `Genesis 43bbb28`; `Genesis ccc44bbb24`, `Genesis 44bbbccc27`, `Genesis 44bbbccc30-31`, besides which Joseph was lord in the whole land of Egypt, thus even over his father.
ppp17761#pid#6090. 'And placed him before Pharaoh' means an introduction into factual knowledge as a general whole. This is clear from the explanation above in `@@@6071`.
ppp17760#pid#6091. 'And Jacob blessed Pharaoh' means a heartfelt desire for a joining together and resulting fruitfulness. This is clear from the meaning of 'blessing' here as a heartfelt desire for a joining together - for a joining of truth to factual knowledge in the natural since that is the subject here. 'Blessing has many meanings; in the spiritual sense it includes all things that are good and also those that are blissful. It therefore means being endowed with the good of love and charity, `@@@3185`, `@@@4981`, also a joining together or conjunction, `@@@3504`, `@@@3514`, `@@@3530`, `@@@3565`, `@@@3584`, as well as fruitfulness by virtue of the affection for truth, `@@@2846`, and a heartfelt desire for someone's happiness, `@@@3185`. Here therefore a heartfelt desire for that which is the subject here is meant, namely a desire for a joining together and thus fruitfulness. Fruitfulness follows as a result of the joining together, because once the joining together has been effected good grows and truth multiplies; for the marriage of goodness and truth is then the producer of that fruitfulness. It cannot come about prior to that except as a result so to speak of fornication, the good from which union is spurious, as is the truth. Good from that union is full of self-regard, and truth likewise has the same flavour.
ppp17759#pid#6092. 'And Pharaoh said to Jacob' means perception in the natural, where factual knowledge resides, regarding the Church's truth in general. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as perception, dealt with above in `@@@6063`; from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as the natural, where factual knowledge resides, dealt with in `@@@5799`, `@@@6015`; and from the representation of 'Jacob' as the Church's truth in general, dealt with above in `@@@6089`.
ppp17758#pid#6093. 'How many are the days of the years of your life?' means regarding the state of life of the natural from the spiritual. This is clear from the meaning of 'the days', also 'the years', as states, dealt with in `@@@23`, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@893`, `@@@2788`, `@@@3462`, `@@@3785`, `@@@4850`; and from the meaning of 'life' as spiritual life, dealt with in `@@@5407`, `@@@5890`, in this case spiritual life in the natural, which is the natural from the spiritual.
ppp17757#pid#6094. 'And Jacob said to Pharaoh' means the reply. This is clear without explanation.
ppp17756#pid#6095. 'The days of the years of my sojournings' means regarding the succeeding stages of life. This is clear from the meaning of 'the days' and 'the years' as states, dealt with just above in `@@@6093`; and from the meaning of 'sojournings' as life and instruction, dealt with in `@@@1463`, `@@@2025`, `@@@3672`, thus the succeeding states of life.
ppp17755#pid#6096. 'A hundred and thirty years' means its state and essential nature. This is clear from the fact that all numbers in the Word mean spiritual realities, see `@@@575`, `@@@647`, `@@@648`, `@@@755`, `@@@813`, `@@@1963`, `@@@2075`, `@@@2252`, `@@@3252`, `@@@4264`, `@@@4495`, `@@@4670`, `@@@5265`, thus the state and essential nature of the reality under consideration. The specific number used here therefore means the state and essential nature of Jacob's life up to that point, that is, the state and essential nature of the spiritual life which the natural from the spiritual possessed at that point.
ppp17754#pid#6097. '[Few] and evil have been the days of the years of my life' means that the state of life of the natural has been full of temptations. This is clear from the meaning of 'the days' and 'the years' as states, as above in `@@@6093`, `@@@6095`; and from the meaning of 'Jacob's life' as spiritual life in the natural, also as above in `@@@6093`. Temptations in that state are meant by the statement that the days had been 'evil'. All temptations appear to be evil because they are inner feelings of anxiety and distress, and of seeming damnation. For at such times a person is thrown into a state involving his own evils, as a consequence of which he is in the midst of evil spirits who make accusations and thereby torment his conscience. But the angels still protect him, that is, the Lord does so through the angels. The Lord preserves in him a sense of hope and trust, which are fighting strengths from within that enable him to offer resistance. The natural is particularly subjected to temptations when it is to receive the spiritual, for in it reside evils of life and falsities of doctrine. That is the reason why Jacob says what he does about himself, for here he represents the natural in respect of truth.
ppp17753#pid#6098. 'And they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers' means that it did not come up to their state of life.`fff1` This is clear from the meaning of 'attaining to' here as coming up to, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'the days' and 'the years of life' as states of spiritual life, as above in `@@@6093`, `@@@6095`, `@@@6097`. The reason 'attaining to' here means coming up to is that his fathers Isaac and Abraham represented higher, that is, more internal, things than he. 'Abraham' in the highest sense represented the Lord's Divine itself, 'Isaac' the Lord's Divine Rational, and 'Jacob' His Divine Natural. For the representation of 'Abraham' as the Lord's Divine itself, see `@@@1965`, `@@@1989`, `@@@2011`, `@@@7245`, `@@@7251`, `@@@3305` (end), `@@@3439`, `@@@3703`, `@@@4615`; for the representation of 'Isaac' as the Divine Rational, `@@@1893`, `@@@2066`, `@@@2072`, `@@@2083`, `@@@2630`, `@@@2774`, `@@@3012`, `@@@3194`, `@@@3210`, `@@@4615`; and for the representation of 'Jacob' as the Divine Natural in respect of truth and in respect of good, `@@@3305`, `@@@3509`, `@@@3525`, `@@@3546`, `@@@3576`, `@@@3599`, `@@@4286`, `@@@4538`, `@@@4570`, `@@@4615`. That being so, 'Abraham' also represents the celestial degree with man, 'Isaac' the spiritual degree, and 'Jacob' the natural, for the reason that the regeneration of man is an image of the Glorification of the Lord, `@@@3138`, `@@@3212`, `@@@3296`, `@@@3490`, `@@@4402`, `@@@5688`. From all this one may now see that 'they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers' means that it did not come up to their state of life.
`nnn1. cf what appears in `@@@6088`.
ppp17752#pid#6099. 'And Jacob blessed Pharaoh' means a heartfelt desire for a joining together and resulting fruitfulness, as above in `@@@6091`.
ppp17751#pid#6100. 'And went out from before Pharaoh' means a temporary separation. This is clear from the meaning of 'going out' as becoming separated, in this case separated for a time from the natural, where factual knowledge represented by 'Pharaoh' resides. The situation with the meaning of 'going out' as becoming separated is this: Previous sections have dealt with the joining of spiritual good from the natural, which is 'Israel', and also of the Church's truths in the natural, which are 'his sons', to the internal celestial, which is 'Joseph'. But the actual joining to the natural has not yet been effected, only an introduction into it. What will now follow below, at verses `Genesis 47bbbccc17-27`, deals with that actual joining together - see Contents, `@@@6059`, `@@@6060`. Thus it is that 'Jacob went out from before Pharaoh' means a temporary separation.
ppp17750#pid#6101. Verses `Genesis 47bbbccc11-12` And Joseph caused his father and his brothers to dwell, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Ramases, as Pharaoh had commanded. And Joseph sustained his father, and his brothers, and all his father's household with bread, according to the mouth of a young child.`fff1`
'And Joseph caused his father and his brothers to dwell' means the life which spiritual good and the Church's truths received from the internal celestial. 'And gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land' means in the inmost part of the natural mind where factual knowledge resides. 'In the land of Rameses' means the inmost part of the mind and the essential nature of it. 'As Pharaoh had commanded' means with the acquiescence of the natural, where factual knowledge resides. 'And Joseph sustained his father, and his brothers, and all his father's household with bread' means that from the internal celestial there was a constant influx of good into spiritual good and the Church's truths in the natural, which gave them their life. 'According to the mouth of a young child' means each one in keeping with the essential nature of the good of innocence.
`nnn1. i.e. according to the number of young mouths they had to feed
ppp17749#pid#6102. 'And Joseph caused his father and his brothers to dwell' means the life which spiritual good and the Church's truths received from the internal celestial. This is clear from the meaning of 'dwelling' as life, dealt with in `@@@1293`, `@@@3384`, `@@@3613`, `@@@4451`, `@@@6051`; from the representation of Israel, to whom 'father' refers here, as spiritual good from the natural, dealt with in `@@@5801`, `@@@5803`, `@@@5806`, `@@@5812`, `@@@5817`, `@@@5819`, `@@@5826`, `@@@5833`; from the representation of his sons, to whom 'brothers' refers here, as the Church's truths in the natural, dealt with in `@@@5414`, `@@@5879`, `@@@5951`; and from the representation of 'Joseph' as the internal celestial, dealt with in `@@@5869`, `@@@5877`. From all this it is evident that 'Joseph caused his father and his brothers to dwell' means the life which spiritual good and the Church's truths received from the internal celestial.
ppp17748#pid#6103. 'And gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land' means in the inmost part of the natural mind where factual knowledge resides. This is clear from the meaning of 'a possession' as the position spiritual life occupies, dealt with in `@@@2658`; from the meaning of 'the land of Egypt' as the natural mind where factual knowledge resides, dealt with in `@@@5276`, `@@@5278`, `@@@5280`, `@@@5288`, `@@@5301`; and from the meaning of 'the best of the land' as the inmost part, dealt with above in `@@@6084`. From this it is evident that 'gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land' means the position occupied by spiritual life in the inmost part of the natural mind where factual knowledge resides.
ppp17747#pid#6104. 'In the land of Rameses' means the inmost part of the mind and the essential nature of it. This is clear from the consideration that all names in the Word, both of persons and of places, mean spiritual entities, `@@@1888`, `@@@3412`, `@@@4298`, `@@@4442`, `@@@5095`, `@@@5215`. And since 'the land of Goshen' is the inmost part of the natural mind, `@@@5910`, `@@@6018`, `@@@6031`, `@@@6068`, 'Rameses', which was the best region in the land of Goshen, is the inmost part of the spiritual within the natural mind. But the essential nature of this inmost part can hardly be comprehended by man since it contains countless and also indescribable features which can be seen only in the light of heaven, and so only by angels. The same applies to the essential nature meant by all other names both of places and of persons that occur in the Word.
ppp17746#pid#6105. 'As Pharaoh had commanded' means with the acquiescence of the natural, where factual knowledge resides. This is clear from the meaning of 'commanding' as influx, dealt with in `@@@5486`, `@@@5732`; but in this case acquiescence is meant, for the natural, which 'Pharaoh' represents, owes its whole existence to the internal flowing into it. Consequently what the natural commands does indeed appear to be a direction coming from there, but in fact it comes from the internal; thus it is an acquiescence. The relationship of a person's natural to his internal is virtually the same as that of a person's speech to his thought. It seems as though a person's speech gives a command or issues a direction; but in fact thought does so.
ppp17745#pid#6106. 'And Joseph sustained his father, and his brothers, and all his father's household with bread' means that from the internal celestial there was a constant influx of good into spiritual good and the Church's truths in the natural, which gave them their life. This is clear from the meaning of 'sustaining with bread' as an influx of good, for 'sustaining' here is a constant inflowing, which gives a person spiritual life, while 'bread' is the good of love, `@@@276`, `@@@680`, `@@@2165`, `@@@2177`, `@@@3464`, `@@@3478`, `@@@3735`, `@@@3813`, `@@@4211`, `@@@4217`, `@@@4735`, `@@@4976`, `@@@5915`; from the representation of 'Joseph' as the internal celestial, dealt with in `@@@5869`, `@@@5877`; from the representation of Israel, to whom 'father' refers here, as spiritual good from the natural, and from the representation of his sons, to whom 'brothers' refers here, as the Church's truths in the natural, both dealt with in `@@@6101`; and from the meaning of 'all his father's household' as everything in its entirety which belongs to spiritual good and is derived from that good. From all this it is evident that 'Joseph sustained his father, and his brothers, and all his father's household with bread' means that there was a constant influx of the good of love from the internal celestial into spiritual good and the Church's truths in the natural, and into everything belonging to spiritual good and derived from it.
ppp17744#pid#6107. 'According to the mouth of a young child' means each one in keeping with the essential nature of the good of innocence. This is clear from the meaning of 'according to the mouth' as each one and in keeping with the essential nature; and from the meaning of 'a young child' as the good of innocence, dealt with in `@@@430`, `@@@2126`, `@@@3183`, `@@@5608`. What the description 'influx from the internal celestial into spiritual good and the Church's truths within the natural in keeping with the essential nature of the good of innocence' really means is this: Innocence is what gives all the good of charity and love its essential nature from deep within. For the Lord flows by means of innocence into charity; and the amount of innocence present determines the amount of charity received, since innocence is the very essence of charity, `@@@2780`, `@@@3111`, `@@@3183`, `@@@3994`, `@@@4797`, `@@@6013`.
ttt[2] What innocence is like is mirrored by young children. That is to say, one can see what it is like in the way they love their parents and trust only them, also in their lack of all concern except to please their parents, so that food and clothing are to them not only something they need but also a source of delight. Because they love their parents they do with affection and delight whatever their parents approve of, thus not only what their parents command but also what they think they wish to command. In addition they have no regard for themselves, besides having many other characteristics. But it should be recognized that the innocence of young children is not really innocence, only a semblance of it. Real innocence resides solely in wisdom, see `@@@2305`, `@@@2306`, `@@@3494`, `@@@4797`; and wisdom consists in behaving towards the Lord in the ways, as have just been described, that young children do towards their parents, yet with the good of love and faith as the motivation.
ppp17743#pid#6108. Verses `Genesis 47bbbccc13-26` And there was no bread in all the land, for the famine was extremely serious; and the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished from the presence of the famine. And Joseph gathered up all the silver found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, for the corn which they were buying; and Joseph caused the silver to come to Pharaoh's house. And when the silver was used up in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all Egypt came to Joseph, saying, Give us bread; and why should we die near by you because the silver is lacking? And Joseph said, Give your livestock, and I will give you [bread] in exchange for your livestock, if the silver is lacking. And they caused their livestock to come to Joseph, and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for horses, and for livestock of the flock, and for livestock of the herd, and for asses; and he provided them with bread in exchange for all their livestock that year. And that year ended, and they came to him in the second year, and said to him, We will not hide from [my] lord, that since the silver has been used up and the livestock of the beasts has passed to [my] lord, nothing is left before [my] lord apart from our bodies and our ground. Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our ground? Buy us and our ground for bread, and we will live, and our ground, as Pharaoh's slaves; and give us seed so that we may live and not die, and the ground may not become a waste. And Joseph bought all the ground of Egypt for Pharaoh, for the Egyptians sold, each one his field, because the famine overwhelmed them; and the land was Pharaoh's. And the people, he transferred them to the cities from one end of the border of Egypt to the other end of it. Only the ground of the priests he did not buy, for the priests had a fixed portion from Pharaoh and ate their fixed portion which Pharaoh had given them; therefore they did not sell their ground. And Joseph said to the people, Behold, I have bought you today, and your ground, for Pharaoh; look, here is seed for you, and you may sow the ground. And so it will be at ingatherings,`fff1` that you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four portions shall be yours, for seed of the field, and for your food, and for those in your households, and for food for your young children. And they said, You have bestowed life on us; let us find favour in the eyes of [my] lord, and we will be Pharaoh's slaves. And Joseph made it a statute even to this day regarding the ground of Egypt, that a fifth went to Pharaoh. Only the ground of the priests, theirs alone, did not belong to Pharaoh.
'And there was no bread in all the land' means that good was not apparent any longer. 'For the famine was extremely serious' means desolation. 'And the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished from the presence of the famine' means that this was so in the natural [where factual knowledge resides], and within the Church. 'And Joseph gathered up all the silver' means all factual knowledge that held truth in it and was appropriate. 'Found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan' means that was present in the natural and in the Church. 'For the corn which they were buying' means that they were to be sustained by this. 'And Joseph caused the silver to come to Pharaoh's house' means that factual knowledge was brought into association with the general whole within the natural. 'And when the silver was used up in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan' means that factual knowledge that held truth in it and was appropriate could be seen no longer in the natural or within the Church on account of the desolation. 'And all Egypt came to Joseph' means a turning to the internal. 'Saying, Give us bread' means a plea for the sustainment of spiritual life. 'And why should we die near by you because the silver is lacking?' means that otherwise spiritual death takes place because of the lack of truth. 'And Joseph said' means the internal from which the response came. 'Give your livestock, and I will give you [bread] in exchange for your livestock' means that they were to offer forms of the good of truth and would be sustained. 'If the silver is lacking' means if truth could no longer be seen by them. 'And they caused their livestock to come to Joseph' means that forms of the good of truth were offered. 'And Joseph gave them bread' means the sustainment of spiritual life. 'In exchange for horses' means factual knowledge supplied from the understanding. 'And for livestock of the flock and for livestock of the herd' means forms of the good of truth, interior and exterior ones. 'And for asses' means things of a subservient nature. 'And he provided them with bread in exchange for all their livestock' means the sustainment by means of an influx of good from the internal. 'That year' means the period covered by that state. 'And that year ended' means the desolation that followed the period covered by this state. 'And they came to him in the second year' means the beginning of the next state. 'And said to him, We will not hide from [my] lord' means a perception that it is well known to the internal. 'Since the silver has been used up' means that truth can be seen no longer because of the desolation. 'And the livestock of the beasts has passed to [my] lord' means similarly the good of truth. 'Nothing is left before [my] lord apart from our bodies and our ground' means that the receptacles of goodness and truth have been made completely desolate. 'Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our ground?' means that if they have been made desolate there is no longer any spiritual life beneath the internal. 'Buy us and our ground for bread' means it should make both its own so that they may be sustained with good. 'And we will live, and our ground, as Pharaoh's slaves' means total submission. 'And give us seed' means an influx, as a result of this, of the good of charity and the truth of faith. 'So that we may live and not die' means spiritual life from them, and the fear no longer of damnation. 'And the ground may not become a waste' means that the mind must be cultivated with the facts known to the Church. 'And Joseph bought all the ground of Egypt for Pharaoh' means that the internal made the entire natural mind where factual knowledge resides its own and placed it under its overall control. 'And the Egyptians sold, each one his field' means a renunciation and surrender of everything of service to the Church. 'Because the famine overwhelmed them' means because the desolation reached the point of despair. 'And the land was Pharaoh's' means that all things were made subject to the natural, which was under the control of the internal. 'And the people, he transferred them to the cities' means that facts holding truths within them were assigned to different areas of doctrine. 'From one end of the border of Egypt to the other end of it' means a spread throughout the whole natural where factual knowledge resides. 'Only the ground of the priests he did not buy' means that the internal obtained for itself from the natural every capacity to receive good, because every such capacity came from itself. 'For the priests had a fixed portion from Pharaoh' means that this had (therefore] been decreed by the natural, which was under the control of the internal. 'And ate their fixed portion which Pharaoh had given them' means that they did not make any forms of good their own beyond what had been decreed. 'Therefore they did not sell their ground' means that for this reason they had no need to renounce those things or surrender them. 'And Joseph said to the people' means an influx of the internal into the facts that have truths within them. 'Behold, I have bought you today, and your ground, for Pharaoh' means that it had obtained those things for itself and had made them subject to the general whole in the natural, which was under the control of the internal. 'Look, here is seed for you, and you may sow the ground' means the good of charity and the truth of faith that are to be implanted. 'And so it will be at ingatherings' means the fruits from this. 'That you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh' means that remnants are to be assigned to the general whole, which is under the control of the internal. 'And four portions shall be yours' means those things which have not yet become remnants. 'For seed of the field' means for mental nourishment. 'And for your food, and for those in your households' means so that the good of truth may therefore be present within every single part. 'And for food for your young children' means in those things that are forms of innocence. 'And they said, You have bestowed life on us' means spiritual life, in no other way and from no other source. 'Let us find favour in the eyes of [my] lord' means a willingness to be made subject in this way, and self-abasement. 'And we will be Pharaoh's slaves' means that they should renounce what is properly their own and become submissive to the natural, which is under the control of the internal. 'And Joseph made it a statute' means a conclusion based on consent. 'Even to this day' means lasting for ever. 'Regarding the ground of Egypt, that a fifth went to Pharaoh' means remnants, as previously. 'Only the ground of the priests, theirs alone, did not belong to Pharaoh' means every capacity to receive good came directly from the internal.
`nnn1. literally, comings forth
ppp17742#pid#6109. 'And there was no bread in all the land' means that good was not apparent any longer. This is clear from the meaning of 'bread' as the good of love and charity, dealt with just above in `@@@6106`; and from the meaning of 'none in all the land' as the fact that none was apparent any longer. The subject in what follows below is the internal celestial, how it brought everything in the natural into order beneath the general whole, to the end that factual knowledge might become joined to the Church's truths, and through those truths to spiritual good, and through this good to the internal celestial. But since factual knowledge cannot be brought into order beneath the general whole except through stages when good is laid waste and truth is made desolate, and then by stages of sustainment, both the latter and the former stages are dealt with in the internal sense of what follows next. These things rarely happen to a person while he lives in the world, for a number of reasons; but in the next life they happen to all who are being regenerated. And since they do not happen to a person while he is in the world it is not surprising if they appear to him as things unknown and strike him as deep secrets about which no one has heard before.
ppp17741#pid#6110. 'For the famine was extremely serious' means desolation. This is clear from the meaning of 'famine' as an absence of good and of cognitions, dealt with in `@@@1460`, `@@@3364`, `@@@5277`, `@@@5279`, `@@@5281`, `@@@5300`, `@@@5579`, `@@@5893`, so that 'the famine was extremely serious' is desolation, `@@@5360`, `@@@5376`, `@@@5415`, `@@@5576`. As regards desolation, it should be recognized that truths and forms of good, together with cognitions of them, compose the spiritual life of those who are in heaven. They are the celestial and spiritual foods that nourish them; and these foods are given them every day by the Lord. When it is morning with them forms of good are supplied, and when it is midday truths are supplied; but when evening comes they lack them, and continue to lack them until it is twilight and then morning again. Their yearning when they lack them remains so strong that their desire for them is greater than starving people's desire for food on earth. This state is meant by 'the famine' and it is a kind of desolation, though not the kind experienced by those on the lower earth, `@@@698`, `@@@699`, `@@@1106-1113`.
ttt[2] Scarcely anyone in the world can believe that the angelic heaven can have so great a yearning for truths and forms of good, and for cognitions of them. For people whose minds are set on nothing else than gain and glory, and who are given up to worldly pleasures, will be amazed to learn that those things constitute angelic life. 'What use they will say 'are cognitions of goodness and truth to me? What life can they give me? The things that bring me life and my life's delight are wealth, position, and worldly pleasures!' But let those who speak like this know that the life these things bring is that of the body, not that of the soul, and that the former kind of life perishes along with the body, whereas the latter kind remains for ever. Let them also know that people are ill-advised if while in the world they do not give any thought to spiritual life.
ttt[3] Further as regards desolation, it exists on account of the yearning; for forms of good and truth are accepted in the measure that they are yearned for, and when the desires created by the yearning are fulfilled they produce feelings of happiness and bliss. In the next life therefore those who pass through desolation are refreshed immediately afterwards and realize their desires; everyone there is made more perfect by means of such alternating experiences. It is a fact worthy of note that the changing times of day in the natural world - morning, midday, evening, night, and morning again - are wholly representative of the changes that take place in the spiritual world, yet with one difference. The changes that occur in the spiritual world have an effect on the understanding and the will, establishing in them the basic elements of life, whereas the changes that occur in the world have an effect on and sustain things of the body.
ttt[4] What is even more noteworthy is the fact that it is not the Lord who brings on the shades of evening and the darkness of night but those characteristics of angels, spirits, or men that are entirely their own. For the Lord as the Sun shines and flows in constantly; but because the evils and falsities that spring from what is his own are present in a man, spirit, or angel, they turn and direct him away from the Lord. In so doing they bring him into the shades of evening, and lead the wicked into the darkness of night. It is similar to the way things are with the sun in our world. It shines and flows in constantly, but the earth by rotating on its axis turns away from the sun and brings itself into shade and darkness.
ttt[5] These features of the natural world come about because the natural world comes into being from the spiritual world and is also kept in being from there, as a consequence of which the entire natural system is a theatre representative of the Lord's kingdom, `@@@3483`, `@@@4939`. The purpose served by the changes that take place in the spiritual world is that all who are in heaven may constantly become more perfect. Such changes exist in the natural world for the same reason, for if they did not occur everything there would perish because of drought.
ttt[6] It should be recognized however that in heaven there is no night, only evening, which is followed by the twilight that comes before morning; but in hell there is night. Changes take place there also, but they are of a contrary nature to those in heaven. In hell morning is the heat of evil desires, midday is the itch of false ideas, evening is anxiety, and night is torment. But through all these changes night predominates; merely variations of shade and darkness are what bring about those changes. In addition to this it should be recognized that in the spiritual world the changes which take place are not the same with one person as they are with another, also that the changes there do not divide into regular periods of time because they are variations of state that produce those changes. For instead of the periods of time that occur in the natural world there are states in the spiritual world, `@@@1274`, `@@@1382`, `@@@2625`, `@@@2788`, `@@@2837`, `@@@3254`, `@@@3356`, `@@@4814`, `@@@4916`, `@@@4882`, `@@@4901`.
ppp17740#pid#6111. 'And the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished from the presence of the famine' means that this was so in the natural where factual knowledge resides, and within the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'the land of Egypt' as the natural mind where factual knowledge resides, dealt with in `@@@5276`, `@@@5278`, `@@@5280`, `@@@5288`, `@@@5701`; from the meaning of 'the land of Canaan' as the Church, dealt with above in `@@@6067`; and from the meaning of 'the famine' as desolation, as immediately above in `@@@6110`. From these meanings it is evident that 'the land of Egypt languished, and the land of Canaan, from the presence of the famine' means that there is desolation in the natural where factual knowledge resides, and within the Church.
ppp17739#pid#6112. 'And Joseph gathered up all the silver' means all factual knowledge that held truth in it and was appropriate. This is clear from the meaning of 'gathering up' as bringing together into a single whole; from the representation of 'Joseph' as the internal celestial, often dealt with already; and from the meaning of 'silver' as truth, dealt with in '`@@@551`, `@@@2954`, `@@@5658`, but in this case factual knowledge that holds truth in it and is appropriate, for this silver existed, as stated in the words that immediately follow, in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan. All this shows that 'Joseph gathered up all the silver' means that the internal celestial brought together into a single whole all factual knowledge that held truth in it and that was appropriate. Factual knowledge is said to hold truth in it and to be appropriate when there are no illusions to darken it, for as long as these cannot be dispelled, factual knowledge is rendered inappropriate. The same is true of factual knowledge which has not become perverted through applications of it to falsities and to evils by others or by oneself, for once imprinted on factual knowledge such falsities and evils remain. Factual knowledge therefore which does not languish under these defects is factual knowledge that holds truth in it and is appropriate.
ppp17738#pid#6113. 'Found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan' means that was present in the natural and in the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'the land of Egypt' as the natural where factual knowledge resides, dealt with above in `@@@6111`; and from the meaning of 'the land of Canaan' as the Church, also dealt with above, in `@@@6067`. The word Church is used here to mean that which constitutes the Church in a person, for a person is a Church when goodness and truth are present in him; and groups of such people make up the Church in general.
ppp17737#pid#6114. 'For the corn which they were buying' means that they were to be sustained by this. This is clear from the meaning of 'corn' as truth that the Church possesses, dealt with in `@@@5402`; and from the meaning of 'buying' as making one's own, dealt with in `@@@4797`, `@@@5374`, `@@@5397`, `@@@5406`, `@@@5410`, `@@@5426`, and therefore being sustained. For spiritual food, meant by 'corn', is what is referred to here, and when this food is made a person's own it sustains his spiritual life.
ppp17736#pid#6115. 'And Joseph caused the silver to come to Pharaoh's house' means that all that factual knowledge was brought into association with the general whole within the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'causing to come' as bringing into association with and introducing into; from the meaning of 'silver' as factual knowledge that holds truth in it and is appropriate, dealt with in `@@@6112`; and from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as the natural in general, dealt with in `@@@5160`, `@@@5799`, `@@@6015`, and therefore 'Pharaoh's house' is the general whole within the natural since this includes everything there in its entirety.
ttt[2] Regarding this matter of bringing known facts that hold truths in them and that are appropriate into association with a general whole, it should be recognized that all known facts, and truths as well, if they are to be anything, must without exception be brought into association with a general whole. They must be placed with and contained within the general whole and be made subject to it; otherwise they are instantly scattered to the winds. Indeed, if known facts and truths are to be anything, they must be brought into a form in which they have a mutual relationship with one another, and this cannot be done if they do not exist in association with one another subject to a general whole. This therefore is what preserves them in the form they receive and gives each fact or truth there its specific character. That general whole too, together with others like it, must be brought into association with one another subject to a more general whole, and these in turn must be subject to the most general of all. If they are not, even the general wholes, and the more general ones too, are scattered to the winds.
ttt[3] The most general and all-embracing whole, the source from which everything is held in place, is the Lord Himself; and what holds everything in place is Divine Truth going forth from Him. The more general wholes are general communities in the spiritual world into which Divine Truth flows, which makes them distinct and separate from one another on a general level; and the general wholes are less general communities subject to a more general one. The more general communities are those to which the members, organs, and viscera in a person correspond; through the amazing way that they are linked together they exist in a kind of form in which they have regard to one another and thus hold one another in place, and also present themselves as a single whole. In the human being the most general and all-embracing whole, holding every single thing in place, is the soul. It is also Divine Truth going forth from the Lord, for Divine Truth flows constantly into the soul and makes it what it is.
ttt[4] Divine Truth going forth from the Lord is what is called the Word, through which all things were created, `John 1bbb1-3`, that is, through which all things came into being, and therefore through which all things are kept in being. The truth that all things in the entire natural world exist subject to a general whole, each specific thing to its own general whole, and that otherwise they cannot remain in being, anyone will plainly discover who is willing to turn his attention to those things in the natural creation.
ppp17735#pid#6116. 'And when the silver had been used up in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan' means that factual knowledge that held truth in it and was appropriate could be seen no longer in the natural or within the Church on account of the desolation. This is clear from the meaning of 'being used up' as being seen no longer; from the meaning of 'silver' as factual knowledge that holds truth in it and is appropriate, dealt with above in `@@@6112`; from the meaning of 'the land of Egypt' as the natural where factual knowledge resides, dealt with above in `@@@6111`; and from the meaning of 'the land of Canaan' as the Church, also dealt with above, in `@@@6067`. The fact that it was on account of the desolation is evident from what has gone before, see `@@@6110`.
ppp17734#pid#6117. 'And all Egypt came to Joseph' means a turning to the internal. This is clear from the meaning of 'coming to him' as turning to; from the meaning of 'Egypt' as factual knowledge, dealt with already; and from the representation of 'Joseph' as the internal, also dealt with already. The consideration that all factual knowledge in the natural was subject to the control of the internal is meant by Joseph's being master over the whole land of Egypt. But the joining of the Church's truths to known facts in the natural is what the internal sense is describing here.
ppp17733#pid#6118. 'Saying, Give us bread' means a plea for the sustainment of spiritual life. This is clear from the meaning of 'giving', when it has reference to 'bread', as sustaining; and from the meaning of 'bread' as spiritual life. In a specific sense 'bread' means the good of love and charity; but in a general sense it means spiritual life, for in this case bread is used to mean all food, as shown in `@@@2165`. When used to mean all food in general, it is spiritual life; for in the spiritual sense food in general is all the good of love and all the truth of faith. These two are what compose spiritual life.
ppp17732#pid#6119. 'And why should we die near by you because the silver is lacking?' means that otherwise spiritual death takes place because of the lack of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'dying' as spiritual death, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'the silver lacking' as a lack of truth - 'silver' being factual knowledge that holds truth in it and is appropriate, see `@@@6112`. What is implied by the notion that spiritual death takes place when there is a lack of truth is that spiritual life consists in deeds carried out in accordance with truths, consequently in useful services. For people endowed with spiritual life possess a yearning and desire for truths with life in view - that is, their end in view is to lead a life according to those truths - thus with useful services in view. Therefore the extent to which they can absorb truths, in accordance with which useful services are to be rendered, determines how much spiritual life they possess, because it determines how much of the light of intelligence and wisdom they possess. When truths are lacking therefore, as happens when a state of shade arrives - a state meant in the Word by 'evening', `@@@6110` - spiritual life languishes. It languishes because things such as belong to the state of shade, that is, to spiritual death, enter in. When this happens people cannot be kept in the light in which they were before but are returned in part to a state of selfhood. As a consequence there emerges from the shade an image of spiritual death, that is, of damnation.
ttt[2] It is clear from very many places in the Word that 'death' means spiritual death, or damnation; but let simply the following be quoted here: In Isaiah,
With righteousness He will judge the poor, and will reprove with uprightness the wretched of the earth. On the other hand He will smite the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath`fff1` of His lips He will make the wicked die. `Isaiah 11bbb4`.
This refers to the Lord. 'The rod of His mouth' and 'the breath of His lips stand for Divine Truth, the source of judgement. 'Dying' stands for suffering damnation. In the same prophet, He Will swallow up death for ever, and the Lord Jehovih will wipe away tears from upon all faces. `Isaiah 15bbb8`.
In the same prophet,
The dead will not live, the Rephaim will not rise. To that end You have visited them, You have wiped them out. `Isaiah 16bbb14`.
In the same prophet,
Your dead will live, my corpse will rise again. `Isaiah 26bbb19`.
In the same prophet,
You have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell we have shaped a vision. Your covenant with death will be annulled, and your vision with hell will not stand. `Isaiah 28bbb15`, `Isaiah 28bbbccc18`.
ttt[3] In Jeremiah,
You look for light, but He will turn it into the shadow of death, He will place it in thick darkness. `Jeremiah 13bbb16`.
In Ezekiel,
You have desecrated Me among My people for handfuls of barley and for crusts of bread, to slay souls that ought not to die and to bestow life on souls that ought not to live. `Ezekiel 13bbb19`, `Ezekiel 13bbbccc22`.
In Hosea,
Out of the hand of hell I will redeem them, from death I will deliver them. I will be your plagues, O death; I will be your destruction, O hell! `Hosea 13bbb14`.
In David,
You lift me up from the gates of death. `Psalms 9bbb13`.
In the same author,
Lighten my eyes, lest perhaps I sleep [the sleep of] death. `Psalms 13bbb3`.
In the same author,
The cords of death encompassed me, and the cords of hell. `Psalms 18bbb4-5`.
In the same author,
Like sheep they will be placed in hell, death will feed them. `Psalms 49bbb14`.
In John,
I have the keys of hell and of death. `Revelation 1bbb18`.
In the same book,
He who overcomes will not suffer harm in the second death. `Revelation 1bbb11`.
ttt[4] In the same book,
I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive; but you are dead. Be watchful, and strengthen what remains, which is at the point of death. `Revelation 3bbb1-2`.
In Matthew,
The people sitting in darkness have seen a great light; and for those sitting in the region and shadow of death, the light has arisen. `Matthew 4bbb16`.
In John,
He who hears My word and believes Him who sent Me will have eternal life, and will not come into judgement, but has passed from death to life. `John 5bbb24`.
In the same gospel,
I am going away and you will seek Me, but you will die in your sin. I have said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am, you will die in your sins. If anyone keeps My word he will not ever see death. `John 8bbb21`, `John 8bbbccc14`, `John 8bbbccc51-52`.
Because 'death' meant damnation those who belonged to the representative Church were forbidden to touch the dead. If they did touch them they were unclean and had to be cleansed, `Ezekiel 44bbb25`; `Leviticus 15bbb31`; `Leviticus ccc21bbb2-3`; `Leviticus ccc22bbb8`; `Numbers 6bbb6-12`; `Numbers ccc19bbb11`-end.
`nnn1. or the spirit
ppp17731#pid#6120. 'And Joseph said' means the internal from which the response came. This is clear from the representation of 'Joseph' as the internal, dealt with already. The fact that it is a response is self-evident.
ppp17730#pid#6121. 'Give your livestock, and I will give you [bread] in exchange for your livestock' means that they were to offer forms of the good of truth and would be sustained. This is clear from the meaning of 'livestock' as forms of the good of truth, dealt with in `@@@6016`, `@@@6045`; and from the meaning of 'giving in exchange for them' - giving them bread - as the sustaining of spiritual life, dealt with above in `@@@6118`.
ppp17729#pid#6122. 'If the silver is lacking' means if truth could no longer be seen by them. This is clear from the meaning of 'the silver lacking' as a lack of truth, thus that truth is no longer to be seen, dealt with above in `@@@6116`, `@@@6119`. Truth is said not to be seen because in a state of desolation truth seems to have fled. But it is in fact present, for all truth and good that the Lord ever grants man, spirit, or angel remains. None is ever taken away from them, but in a state of desolation they become so obscured by the person's selfhood that they cannot be seen. Once a state of light returns however, they are made present and to be seen. This shows what is meant by truth's inability to be seen.
ppp17728#pid#6123. 'And they caused their livestock to come to Joseph' means that forms of the good of truth were offered. This is clear from the meaning of 'causing to come' as being offered; and from the meaning of 'livestock' as forms of the good of truth, dealt with in `@@@6016`, `@@@6045`.
ppp17727#pid#6124. 'And Joseph gave them bread' means the sustainment of spiritual life. This is clear from the meaning of 'giving bread' as the sustainment of spiritual life, dealt with above in `@@@6118`.
ppp17726#pid#6125. 'In exchange for horses' means factual knowledge supplied from the understanding. This is clear from the meaning of 'horses' as ideas forming the understanding, dealt with in `@@@2760-2762`, `@@@3217`, `@@@5321`; and since they are spoken of in connection with Egypt, which means factual knowledge, 'horses' here are factual knowledge supplied from the understanding. But what factual knowledge supplied from the understanding is must be stated. There is an understanding part and there is a will part in the human mind, and these are situated not only in his internal man but also in his external. The human understanding is developing and growing from early childhood through to manhood, and it consists in a discernment of things gained from experience and formal knowledge, also a discernment of causes from effects as well as of consequences from a chain of causes. Thus the understanding part consists in a comprehension and perception of such things as are part of everyday life, public and private. An inflowing of light from heaven brings it into existence, and for that reason everyone's understanding is capable of being made more perfect. Understanding is given to everyone in accordance with his effort to make use of what he knows, in accordance with the life he leads, and in accordance with his individual character; no one lacks it provided he is of sound mind. A person is given it to the end that he may have freedom of choice, that is, have the freedom to choose good or evil. Unless he possesses an understanding like the one just described, he has no power of his own to make that choice; thus nothing could possibly be made his own.
ttt[2] In addition to this it should be recognized that the understanding part of a person's mind is that which receives what is spiritual, so that it is the recipient of spiritual truth and good. For no good at all, that is, no charity, nor any truth at all, that is, any faith, can be instilled into anyone if he does not have that understanding part; but they are instilled in the measure that he does have it. This also explains why a person is not regenerated by the Lord until adult life when he does possess an understanding. Till then the good of love and the truth of faith fall like seed into utterly infertile soil. But once a person has been regenerated his understanding serves the function of enabling him to see and perceive what good is and from this what truth is. For the understanding converts things belonging to the superior light of heaven into those belonging to the inferior light of the natural world, as a consequence of which the former are then seen within the latter in the same way as a person's inner affections are seen in his face when it lacks all pretence. And because the understanding serves that function, many places in the Word where the spiritual side of the Church is referred to refer also to its power of understanding, a matter which will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with elsewhere.
ttt[3] From all this one may now see what is meant by factual knowledge supplied from the understanding, namely known facts which lend support to the things a person grasps and perceives with his understanding, whether those things are bad or good. Such facts are what are meant in the Word by 'horses from Egypt', as in Isaiah,
Woe to those who go down into Egypt for help, and rely on horses and trust in chariots because they are many, and on horsemen because they are extremely strong, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel and do not seek Jehovah. For Egypt is man (homo), not God; and his horses are flesh, not spirit. `Isaiah 31bbb1`, `Isaiah 31bbbccc3`.
'Horses from Egypt' stands for factual knowledge supplied from a perverted understanding.
ttt[4] In Ezekiel,
He rebelled against him by sending his ambassadors to Egypt, that ha might give him horses and many people. Will he prosper? Will he who does this be rescued? `Ezekiel 17bbb15`.
'Horses from Egypt' again stands for factual knowledge supplied from a perverted understanding, which knowledge is resorted to in matters of faith, though there is no belief in the Word, that is, in the Lord, apart from what that knowledge provides. Thus no belief ever comes to exist, for within a perverted understanding a negative attitude reigns.
ttt[5] The destruction which such factual knowledge underwent is represented by the drowning of Pharaoh's horses and chariots in the Sea Suph; and since that knowledge is meant by 'horses' and false matters of doctrine by 'chariots', his horses and chariots are mentioned so many times in the description of that event, see `Exodus 14bbb17-18`, `Exodus 14bbbccc27`, `Exodus 14bbbccc26`, `Exodus 14bbbccc28`. And the Song of Moses and Miriam consequently contains these words,
Pharaoh's horse went, also his chariot, also his horsemen, into the sea; but Jehovah made the waters of the sea come back over them. Sing to Jehovah, for He has highly exalted Himself; He has thrown the horse and its rider into the sea. `Exodus 15bbb19`, `Exodus 15bbbccc21`.
ttt[6] Similar factual knowledge is also meant by the things required before-hand for a king over Israel, in Moses,
If they desire a king, from among their brothers shall a king be set over them. Only let him not multiply horses for himself nor lead the people back into Egypt in order to multiply horses. `Deuteronomy 17bbb15-16`.
'A king' represented the Lord as regards Divine Truth, `@@@1672`, `@@@1728`, `@@@2015`, `@@@2069`, `@@@3009`, `@@@3670`, `@@@4575`, `@@@4581`, `@@@4789`, `@@@4966`, `@@@5044`, `@@@5068`, thus as regards intelligence since this comes, when it is genuine, from Divine Truth. The need for intelligence to be acquired through the Word, which is Divine Truth, and not through factual knowledge taken from one's own understanding is meant by the injunction that the king should not multiply horses or lead the people back into Egypt in order to multiply horses.
ppp17725#pid#6126. 'And for the livestock of the flock and for the livestock of the herd' means forms of the good of truth, interior and exterior ones. This is clear from the meaning of 'the flock' as interior forms of good, and from the meaning of 'the herd' as exterior forms, both dealt with in `@@@5913`. And since forms of the good of truth are meant, the expression 'the livestock of the flock and the livestock of the herd' is used, 'livestock' being the good of truth, `@@@6016`, `@@@6045`, `@@@6049`.
ppp17724#pid#6127. 'And for asses' means things of a subservient nature. This is clear from the meaning of 'asses' as things of a subservient nature, dealt with in `@@@5958`, `@@@5959`.
ppp17723#pid#6128. 'And he provided them with bread in exchange for [all] their livestock' means the sustainment by means of an influx of good from the internal. This is clear from the meaning of 'providing with bread', or giving them bread, as the sustainment of spiritual life, dealt with above in `@@@6118`; from the meaning of 'livestock' as the good of truth, dealt with just above in `@@@6126`; and from the representation of 'Joseph' who provided them with it, as the internal, dealt with already. From this it follows that what is supplied comes through an influx of good from the internal, for the reason that the entire sustainment of spiritual life in the natural is effected by an influx from the internal, that is, from the Lord through the internal.
ttt[2] Since the word 'influx' is used so frequently, and yet few perhaps know what it means, something therefore needs to be said about it. What influx is may become evident by comparing it with the kinds of things in the natural world that inflow. It may become evident for example from the flow of heat from the sun into all earthly objects, which gives rise to plant-life, and from the flow of light into the same objects, which assists plant-life and thereby in addition produces different colours and beautiful sights. What influx is evident in a similar way from the flow of heat into the surface-area of our bodies, and also of light into the eye. It is likewise evident from the flow of sound into the ear; and so on. These comparisons enable one to understand what the influx of life from the Lord is; the Lord is the Sun of heaven, the Source of [spiritual] heat, which is love, and of spiritual light, which is faith. One can also plainly feel the actual inflow, for heavenly heat, which is love, produces the vital heat that exists in a person, while heavenly light, which is faith, produces the light of understanding that exists in him. Yet such heat and light vary according to the different ways they are received.
ppp17722#pid#6129. 'That year' means the period covered by that state. This is clear from the meaning of 'year' as a whole period from start to finish, dealt within `@@@2906`.
ppp17721#pid#6130. 'And that year ended' means the desolation that followed the period covered by this state. This is clear from the meaning of 'that year ended' as that which followed the period covered by this state - 'year being the period covered by an entire state, see immediately above in `@@@6129`. The fact that desolation followed that period is evident from the details that come next.
ppp17720#pid#6131. 'And they came to him in the second year' means the beginning of the next state. This is clear from what comes before this, thus without any further explanation.
ppp17719#pid#6132. 'And said to him, We will not hide from [my] lord' means that it is well known to the internal. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as perception, dealt with above in `@@@6063`; from the representation of Joseph, to whom 'lord' refers here, as the internal, dealt with already; and from the meaning of 'not concealing from him' as being well known. The reason why 'not concealing' in the internal sense means being well known is that everything that exists and happens in the natural is well known to the internal; for the natural derives all that it is from the internal, from which therefore nothing can be hidden. Yet even so, the external sense, especially where it is historical, uses the kind of words that appear here. It is like when the Lord speaks to a person He first asks him about what is going on even though it is fully known to Him, as when the angel of Jehovah spoke to Hagar, `Genesis 16bbb7-8`; to Abraham, `Genesis 18bbb9`; and to Moses, `Exodus 4bbb2`. Nor can the external otherwise be content, for unless it declares something it does not think it can be known.
ppp17718#pid#6133. 'Since the silver has been used up' means that truth can be seen no longer because of the desolation. This is clear from what is stated above in `@@@6116`, where similar words occur.
ppp17717#pid#6134. 'And the livestock of the beasts has passed to [my] lord' means similarly the good of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'the livestock of the beasts', that is, the livestock of the flock and of the herd, as the good of truth, interior and exterior, dealt with above in `@@@6126`. The fact that the good of truth similarly can be seen no longer because of the desolation is evident from what has been stated about 'the silver' immediately above in `@@@6133`.
ppp17716#pid#6135. 'Nothing is left before [my] lord apart from our bodies and our ground' means that the receptacles of goodness and truth have been made completely desolate. This is clear from the meaning of body' as the receptacle of good, dealt with below; and from the meaning of ground' as the receptacle of truth. The reason why 'ground' is the receptacle of truth is that it receives seeds, and seeds sown in it mean in a specific sense matters of faith derived from charity, thus of truth derived from good, `@@@1025`, `@@@1447`, `@@@1610`, `@@@1940`, `@@@2848`, `@@@3038`, `@@@3310`, `@@@3373`; consequently 'the ground' means the receptacle of truth. See also what has been stated and shown previously regarding the ground in `@@@566`, `@@@1068`, `@@@3671`. The fact that such receptacles have been made desolate is meant by 'nothing is left before [my] lord apart from'.
ttt[2] In the genuine sense 'body' means the good of love and 'ground' the truth of faith. When truths and forms of the good of truth, meant by 'the silver' and 'the livestock', can be seen no longer on account of the desolation, 'body' means merely the receptacle for good and 'ground' the receptacle for truth. The reason why 'body' in the genuine sense means the good of love is that the body or the entire person meant by the body is a receptacle of life from the Lord, thus a receptacle of good; for the good of love composes the actual life in a person. The vital heat that consists in love is vital heat itself; and unless that heat exists in a person, the person is something dead. This then is the reason why in the internal sense 'body' means the good of love. Even if a person does not have heavenly love present in him but hellish love, the inmost centre of his life still owes its existence to heavenly love. For this love flows in constantly from the Lord and provides him with vital heat in its primary and original form; but as it comes to that person it is perverted by him, and this gives rise to hellish love, from which an unclean heat is radiated.
ttt[3] I have been able to see quite clearly from the angels that 'body' in the genuine sense is the good of love. When they are present, love floods out of them, so much so that you think they are nothing but love; it floods out of their entire bodies. Also their bodies have a dazzling appearance, full of light shining from them; for the good of love is like a flame sending out from itself light, which is the truth of faith derived from that good. If this therefore is what the angels of heaven are like, what of the Lord Himself? He is the Source of every spark of love among the angels, and His Divine Love is seen as the Sun from which the whole of heaven receives its light, and from which all who are there derive their heavenly heat, that is, their love and so their life. The Lord's Divine Human is what appears in that way and is the Source of all those things. From this one may now see what is meant by the Lord's body - Divine Love, the same as is meant by His flesh, dealt with in `@@@3813`. Also, the Lord's very body - having been glorified, that is, made Divine - is nothing else than such Love; so what else can one feel the Divine, which is the Infinite, to be?
ttt[4] From all this one may recognize that nothing else is meant by 'body' in the Holy Supper than the Lord's Divine Love towards the entire human race, described in the Gospels as follows,
Jesus, taking the bread and saying a blessing, broke and gave to the disciples and said, Take, eat, this is My body. `Matthew 26bbb26`; `Mark 14bbb22`; `Luke 22bbb19`.
He said, referring to the bread, 'this is My body' because 'bread' too means Divine Love, `@@@276`, `@@@680`, `@@@2165`, `@@@2177`, `@@@3464`, `@@@3478`, `@@@3735`, `@@@4735`, `@@@5915`.
ttt[5] Divine Love is again meant by the Lord's body in John,
Jesus said, Destroy [this] temple and in three days I will raise it up again. But He was speaking of the temple of His body. `John 2bbb19`, `John 2bbbccc21`.
'The temple of His body' is Divine Truth derived from Divine Good, for 'the temple' is the Lord's Divine Truth, see `@@@3720`. And since 'body' in the highest sense is the Divine Good of the Lord's Divine Love, all in heaven are said to be in the Lord's body.
ttt[6] That the Lord's body is Divine Good is also clear from the following words in Daniel,
I lifted up my eyes and saw, and behold, a man clothed in linen whose loins were girded with gold of Uphaz, and his body was like tarshish,`fff1` and his face was like the appearance of lightning, and his eyes were like fiery torches, and his arms and his feet like the shine of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude. `Daniel 10bbb5-6`.
'The gold of Uphaz' with which the man's loins were girded, 'the appearance of lightning' that his face had, 'the fiery torches' descriptive of his eyes, and 'the shine of bronze' descriptive of his arms and feet mean aspects of the good of love. 'Gold is the good of love, see `@@@113`, `@@@1551`, `@@@1552`, `@@@5658`, as also is 'fire', `@@@934`, `@@@4906`, `@@@5215`; and since 'fire' has that meaning, so does 'lightning'. 'Bronze' is the good of love and charity in the natural, `@@@425`, `@@@1551`; 'tarshish' which the rest of his body looked like, that is to say, which his trunk between head and loins looked like, means the good of charity and faith; for tarshish is a sparkling and precious stone.
`nnn1. A Hebrew word for a particular kind of precious stone, possibly a beryl.
ppp17715#pid#6136. 'Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our ground?' means that if they have been made desolate, there is no longer any spiritual life beneath the internal. This is clear from the meaning of 'before your eyes' as beneath the internal, for 'Joseph', to whom these words are addressed, represents the internal; and from the meaning of 'both we and our ground' as the receptacles of goodness and truth, as immediately above in `@@@6135`, and so the receptacles of spiritual life. Those receptacles are said 'to die' when they do not have any spiritual life at all within them; for 'to die' means desolation, that is, the deprivation of goodness and truth, the components of spiritual life.
ppp17714#pid#6137. 'Buy us and our ground for bread' means that it should make both its own so that they may be sustained with good. This is clear from the meaning of 'buying' as making one's own, `@@@4397`, `@@@5374`, `@@@5397`, `@@@5406`, `@@@5410`, `@@@5426`; from the meaning of 'us and our ground' as the receptacles of goodness and truth, as above in `@@@6135`, `@@@6136`, thus both these, and from the meaning of 'for bread' as sustainment by good. The reason 'bread' is the good both of love and of faith is that the word 'bread' is also used to mean all food in general, `@@@6118`.
ppp17713#pid#6138. 'And we will live, and our ground, as Pharaoh's slaves' means total submission. This is clear from the meaning of 'us and our ground' as the receptacles of goodness and truth, as immediately above in `@@@6135-6137`; and from the meaning of 'slaves' as existing without any freedom of one's own, dealt with in `@@@5760`, `@@@5763`, thus total submission. By receptacles are meant human forms themselves. For human beings are nothing else than forms receiving life from the Lord; yet the nature of those forms is such, owing to people's heredity and their own actions, that they refuse spiritual life coming from the Lord. But once those receptacles have been renounced so completely that they no longer claim any freedom of their own, there is total submission. The person who is being regenerated is brought at length, through the repeated experiences of desolation and sustainment, to a point at which he no longer wishes to be his own man but the Lord's. And once he has become the Lord's he passes into a state in which, if left to himself, he is dejected and gripped by anxiety. But when he is brought out of that state he returns to the bliss and happiness that are his, to the kind of state all the angels experience.
ttt[2] The Lord desires any person's total submission so that He can make him blissful and happy. That is, He does not want him to be partly his own man and partly the Lord's, for then there are two masters whom a person cannot serve simultaneously, `Matthew 6bbb24`. Total submission is again meant by the Lord's words in Matthew,
Whoever loves father or mother above Me is not worthy of Me; and whoever loves son or daughter above Me is not worthy of Me. `Matthew 10bbb37`.
'Father or mother' in general means those aspects of a person essentially his own by virtue of his heredity, and 'son or daughter' those essentially his own by virtue of his own actions. What is essentially a person's own is also meant by his 'soul' in John,
He who loves his soul will lose it, and he who hates his soul in this world will keep it into eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. `John 11bbb25-26`.
Total submission is also meant by the Lord's words in Matthew,
Another disciple said, Lord, let me first go away and bury my father. But Jesus said to him, Follow Me, and leave the dead to bury their dead. `Matthew 8bbb21-22`.
ttt[3] The need for total submission is perfectly clear from the Church's first commandment,
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. `Mark 12bbb30`.
Thus since love to the Lord does not come from man but from the Lord Himself, all his heart, all his soul, all his mind, and all his strength, which are recipients, must be the Lord's; they must therefore be submitted totally to Him. Such a submission is what is meant by 'we will live, and our ground, as Pharaoh's slaves'; for 'Pharaoh' represents the natural in general, which is subject to the control of the internal celestial, in the highest sense to the control of the Lord, who is 'Joseph' in that highest sense.
ppp17712#pid#6139. 'And give us seed' means an influx, as a result of this, of the good of charity and the truth of faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'seed' as the good of charity and the truth of faith, dealt with in `@@@1025`, `@@@1447`, `@@@1610`, `@@@1940`, `@@@2848`, `@@@3078`, `@@@3310`, `@@@3373`. It is self-evident that 'giving' them means an influx, for they enter a person by flowing in from the Lord.
ppp17711#pid#6140. 'So that we may live and not die' means spiritual life received from them, and the fear no longer of damnation. This is clear from the meaning of 'living' as spiritual life, dealt with in `@@@5890`; and from the meaning of 'dying' as damnation, dealt with in `@@@6119`, in this case the fear of damnation because their state is one of desolation. When a person is being regenerated damnation is not present, but the fear of damnation is.
ppp17710#pid#6141. 'And the ground may not become a waste' means that the mind must be cultivated with facts known to the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'the ground' as the receptacle of truth, as above in `@@@6135-6137`, the actual receptacle being the mind, in this instance the natural mind since it is the ground of Egypt; and from the meaning of 'being laid waste' as a situation in which there is no truth to be seen, at this point no facts known to the Church, for 'the Egyptians' means the facts known to the Church, `@@@4749`, `@@@4964`, `@@@4966`, `@@@6004`, which are also the truths present in the natural. 'The land of Egypt' means the natural mind where factual knowledge resides, see `@@@5276`, `@@@5278`, `@@@5280`, `@@@5288`, `@@@5701`, and therefore 'the ground of Egypt' means that mind specifically. This now explains why 'the ground may not become a waste' means that the mind must be cultivated with facts [known to the Church].
ppp17709#pid#6142. 'And Joseph bought all the ground of Egypt for Pharaoh' means that [the internal] made the entire natural mind where factual knowledge resides its own and placed it under its overall control. This is clear from the representation of 'Joseph' as the internal, dealt with often; from the meaning of 'buying' as making one's own, dealt with in `@@@4397`, `@@@5374`, `@@@5797`, `@@@5406`, `@@@5410`, `@@@5426`; from the meaning of 'the ground of Egypt' as the natural mind where factual knowledge resides, dealt with immediately above in `@@@6141`; and from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as the natural in general, dealt with in `@@@5160`, `@@@5799`, `@@@6015`. Thus the acquisition of that ground for Pharaoh means placing under an overall control in the natural.
ppp17708#pid#6143. 'And the Egyptians sold, each one his field' means a renunciation and surrender of everything of service to the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'selling' as alienating so that it no longer belongs to that person, dealt with in `@@@4098`, `@@@4751`, `@@@4758`, `@@@5886`, thus renouncing and surrendering; and from the meaning of 'field' as doctrine taught by the Church, and in a general sense the Church itself, dealt with in `@@@368`, `@@@2971`, `@@@3310`, `@@@3766`. From this it is evident that 'the Egyptians sold, each one his field' means a renunciation and surrender of everything of service to the Church.
ppp17707#pid#6144. 'Because the famine overwhelmed them' means because the desolation reached the point of despair. This is clear from the meaning of 'the famine' as desolation so far as things of the Church are concerned, dealt with in `@@@5415`, `@@@5576`. When it is said to 'overwhelm' them, it is despair, as in `@@@5279`, for the final stage of desolation is despair. Despair is the final stage of desolation and temptation, `@@@5279`, `@@@5280`, for a number of reasons, of which let only the following be advanced here: Through despair people are led in an effective and perceptible way to acknowledge that nothing true or good comes from themselves, and to acknowledge that what is their own has caused them to be damned but that with the Lord's aid they are delivered from damnation, with salvation entering in through what is true and good. Despair also exists to the end that life's bliss which the Lord imparts may be felt; for when people come out of that state of despair they are like those who have been condemned to death but then freed from prison. Periods of desolation and temptation also serve as the means by which people gain an insight into states contrary to heavenly life and from them are given a perception and insight into the bliss and happiness of heavenly life. For a perception and insight into bliss and happiness come in no other way than from a contrast with their opposites. Therefore so that they can have the one fully demonstrated as against the other, periods of desolation and temptation are protracted to the utmost, that is, to the point of despair.
ppp17706#pid#6145. 'And the land was Pharaoh's' means that all things were made subject to the natural, which was under the control of the internal. This is clear from the meaning of 'the land was his' as the making its own of all things, meant by 'the land', and the subjection of them to itself; and from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as the natural in general, dealt with in `@@@5160`, `@@@5799`, `@@@6015`, into which factual knowledge, meant by 'Egypt', was gathered, `@@@6115`. The reason this was under the control of the internal is that the entire natural, both in general and in every part, was under it. Being under the control of the internal is meant by Joseph's being lord over all the land of Egypt, and also by his having been placed in charge over Pharaoh's house, `Genesis 41bbb40-43`; also Chapter `Genesis ccc45bbb0` where it says,
Joseph said to his brothers, God has established me as father to Pharaoh, and lord for all his house; and I have dominion in all the land of Egypt. `Genesis 45bbb8`.
This now explains why it is said of the natural that it was under the control of the internal.
ppp17705#pid#6146. 'And the people, he transferred them to the cities' means that facts holding truths within them were assigned to different areas of doctrine. This is clear from the meaning of 'the people' as truths, dealt with in `@@@1259`, `@@@1160`, `@@@3295`, `@@@3581`, at this point facts holding truths within them since the people of Egypt are referred to; and from the meaning of 'the cities' as areas of doctrine, dealt with in `@@@402`, `@@@2449`, `@@@3216`, `@@@4492`, `@@@4497`. Consequently 'transferring the people to the cities' means assigning facts that hold truths within them to different areas of doctrine. This follows from what has gone before - from the description that truths were assigned to a general whole within the natural, `@@@6715`. For matters of doctrine are general wholes to which truths are assigned. The teaching of the Church divides up under its own headings, and each heading forms a general whole in the Church. From this one may also see that the transfer of the people by Joseph to the cities was carried out so that the relating of truths to general wholes, and so to different areas of doctrine, might be represented.
ppp17704#pid#6147. 'From one end of the border of Egypt to the other end of it' means a spread throughout the whole natural where factual knowledge resides. This is clear from the meaning of 'from one end of the border to the other end of it' as a spread throughout the whole; and from the meaning of 'Egypt' as factual knowledge in the natural, often dealt with already, consequently the natural where factual knowledge resides. For the natural is the container, factual knowledge its contents; therefore 'Egypt' means both container and contents, that is, both the natural and factual knowledge. For the same reason 'Pharaoh king of Egypt' means the natural in general, `@@@5160`, `@@@5799`, and also factual knowledge in general, `@@@6015`, while 'the land of Egypt' means the natural mind, `@@@5276`, `@@@5278`, `@@@5280`, `@@@5288`, `@@@5301`.
ppp17703#pid#6148. 'Only the ground of the priests he did not buy' means that the internal obtained for itself from the natural every capacity to receive good, because every such capacity came from itself. This is clear from the representation of 'Joseph', about whom these things are said, as the internal, dealt with already; from the meaning of 'the ground' as the receptacle of truth, dealt with above in `@@@6135-6137`, at this point the capacity to receive good, for the capacity of something is its inherent ability to receive, which causes a receptacle to be a receptacle (that capacity comes from good, that is, from the Lord through good, for if the good of love did not flow in from the Lord no one would ever have the capacity to receive truth or good. That inflow of the good of love from the Lord causes everything present inwardly in a person to be of a receptive nature. The truth that the capacity to receive good comes from the natural is meant by the fact that the ground lay in Egypt, since 'Egypt' means the natural in respect of factual knowledge, `@@@6142`); from the meaning of 'the priests' as good, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'not buying' as not taking those capacities to itself - not in the way that it made truths and forms of the good of truth, together with their receptacles, its own, which came about through periods of desolation and sustainment - for the reason that those capacities came from itself, from the internal. All these meanings serve to show that 'only the ground of the priests he did not buy' means that the internal obtained for itself from the natural every capacity to receive good, because every such capacity came from itself.
ttt[2] The implications of all this are that a person's capacities to receive truth and good come directly from the Lord; he obtains them without any help at all from himself. A person's capacity to receive goodness and truth is maintained in him unceasingly; and from that capacity he possesses understanding and will. But a person does not receive them if he turns to evil. The capacity to receive does, it is true, remain, but its access to thought and sensitivity is blocked, on account of which his capacity to see what is true and have a sensitive awareness of what is good perishes. And it perishes to the extent that he turns to evil and in faith and life becomes firmly settled in it. The fact that a person contributes nothing whatever to his capacity to receive truth and good is well known from the Church's teaching that nothing at all of the truth of faith and nothing at all of the good of charity comes from man but from the Lord. Yet a person can destroy that capacity residing with him. From all this one may now see how one should understand the idea that the internal obtained for itself from the natural every capacity to receive good, because every such capacity came from itself. The expression 'from the natural' is used because the inflow of good from the Lord is effected by the Lord through the internal into the natural; and once the capacity to receive has been obtained from there, the inflow takes place, for now there is reception, see `@@@5828`.
ttt[3] So far as the meaning of 'the priests' as forms of good is concerned, it should be recognized that there are two realities which go forth from the Lord - goodness and truth. Divine Good was represented by priests, and Divine Truth by kings; and this is why 'the priests' means forms of good and 'the kings' truths. Regarding the attribution of Priesthood and Kingship to the Lord, see `@@@1728`, `@@@2015` (end), `@@@3670`. In the representative Ancient Church those two offices of priest and king existed jointly in one personage, the reason for this being that goodness and truth which go forth from the Lord are united; and they are also joined together in heaven among the angels.
ttt[4] A personage in the Ancient Church in whom the two offices existed joined together was called Melchizedek, a name meaning king of righteousness. This may be seen from the following statement about Melchizedek who came to Abraham,`fff1`
Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; and he was a priest to God Most High. And he blessed Abraham. `Genesis 14bbb18-19`.
His representation of the Lord in both offices is evident from the fact that he was a king and at the same time a priest, and from the fact that he was allowed to bless Abraham and offer him bread and wine, which even at that time were the symbols of the good of love and the truth of faith. His representation of the Lord in both offices is further evident in David,
Jehovah has sworn and will not repent, You are a priest for ever after the manner of Melchizedek. `Psalms 110bbb4`.
These words were spoken in reference to the Lord. 'After the manner of Melchizedek' means that He is both King and Priest, that is, in the highest sense that Divine Good and Divine Truth go forth together from Him.
ttt[5] Because a representative Church was going to be established also among the descendants of Jacob, they too were to have a single personage to represent jointly Divine Good and Divine Truth, which go forth from the Lord united. But on account of the wars and the idolatry of that people the two were in fact divided right from the start; those who ruled over the attended to sacred duties were referred to as the priests, who belonged to the seed of Aaron and were the Levites. At a later time the two functions were joined together in a single person, as they were in Eli and Samuel. Yet because the nature of the people was such that the representative Church could not be established among them, only a representative of the Church, on account of the practice of idolatry prevalent among them, the two functions were allowed to be separated. The Lord was then represented in respect of Divine Truth by kings and in respect of Divine Good by priests. The separation took place because the people desired it, not because the Lord took any pleasure in it, as is clear from the Word of Jehovah to Samuel,
Obey the voice of the people in all that they have said to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them; and show them the right of the king. `1 Samuel 8bbb7`-end; `1 Samuel ccc12bbb19-20`.
ttt[6] The reason why the two functions were not meant to be separated was that Divine Truth separated from Divine Good condemns all people, whereas Divine Truth united to Divine Good saves them. Judged by Divine Truth a person is condemned to hell, but Divine Good brings him out of there and raises him into heaven. Salvation comes of mercy and so sprigs from Divine Good; but damnation exists when a person rejects mercy and so casts Divine Good away from himself, as a consequence of which he is left to be judged by Truth. As regards 'kings' representing Divine Truth, see `@@@1672`, `@@@1728`, `@@@2015`, `@@@2069`, `@@@3009`, `@@@3670`, `@@@4575`, `@@@4581`, `@@@4966`, `@@@5044`, `@@@5068`.
ttt[7] 'The priests' represented the Lord in respect of Divine Good, and for that reason good is meant by them. This becomes clear from the internal sense of all that was prescribed regarding the priesthood when Aaron was chosen, and after him the Levites, such as these prescriptions:
The High Priest alone should enter the Holy of holies and minister there. [`Leviticus 16bbb0`.]
Things holy to Jehovah were to be for the priest. `Leviticus 23bbb20`; `Leviticus ccc27bbb21`.
They were not to have any portion or inheritance in the land, but Jehovah would be their portion and inheritance. `Numbers 18bbb20`; `Deuteronomy 10bbb9`; `Deuteronomy ccc18bbb1`.
The Levites were given to Jehovah instead of the firstborn, and they were given by Jehovah to Aaron. `Numbers 3bbb9`, `Numbers 3bbbccc12-13`, `Numbers 3bbb40`-end; `Numbers ccc8bbb16-19`.
The high priest and the Levites were to be in the middle of the camp when they pitched it and when they were journeying. `Numbers 1bbb50-54`; `Numbers ccc2bbb17`; `Numbers ccc3bbb23-38`; `Numbers ccc4bbb1`-end.
No one from the seed of Aaron who had a blemish in himself was to approach to offer burnt offerings or sacrifices. `Leviticus 21bbb17-20`.
And there are many other prescriptions besides these, such as those in `Leviticus 21bbb9-13`, and elsewhere.
ttt[8] In the highest sense all these prescriptions relating to the priests represented the Lord's Divine Good and therefore in the relative sense the good of love and charity. Aaron's vestments however, called 'vestments of holiness', represented Divine Truth from Divine Good. These matters will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with in the explanations of what appears in Exodus.
ttt[9] Since truth is meant by 'kings' and good by 'priests', 'kings and priests' are mentioned together many times in the Word, as in John, Jesus Christ has made us kings and priests to His God and Father. `Revelation 1bbb6`; `Revelation ccc5bbb10`.
By virtue of the truth of faith we are said to have been made 'kings', and by virtue of the good of charity to have been made 'priests', so that the truth and good residing with those who abide in the Lord have been joined together, in the way they are in heaven, as stated above. This is what is meant by 'being made kings and priests'.
ttt[10] In Jeremiah,
It will happen on that day, that the heart of the king and of the princes will perish, and the priests will be dumbfounded and the prophets left wondering. `Jeremiah 4bbb9`.
In the same prophet,
The house of Israel is ashamed, they, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets. `Jeremiah 2bbb26`.
In the same prophet,
The kings of Judah, the princes, the priests, and the prophets, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. `Jeremiah 8bbb1`.
In these places 'kings stands for truths, 'princes' for first and foremost truths, `@@@1482`, `@@@1089`, `@@@5044`, 'priests' for forms of good, and 'prophets' for those who teach, `@@@2534`.
ttt[11] Quite apart from this it should be recognized that Joseph did not buy the ground of the priests. The fact that this was representative of the consideration that the whole of a person's capacity to receive truth and good comes from the Lord is evident from a similar law in Moses regarding the fields belonging to the Levites,
The field of the country surrounding the cities of the Levites shall not be sold, for it is their eternal possession. `Leviticus 25bbb34`.
The meaning here in the internal sense is that no one ought to lay any claim to the good of the Church, which is the good of love and charity, because that good is from the Lord alone.
`nnn1. At this time the patriarch's name was still Abram.
ppp17702#pid#6149. 'For the priests had a fixed portion from Pharaoh' means that this had therefore been decreed by the natural, which was under the control of the internal. This is clear from the meaning of a 'fixed portion' as that which has been decreed, and from the representation of 'Pharaoh" as the natural in general, dealt with in `@@@5160`, `@@@5799`, `@@@6015`. And since that decree made in the natural originated in the internal, the description 'under the control of the internal' is added, which control was also represented by Joseph's being lord over the whole of Egypt, and over Pharaoh's house too, see `@@@6145`.
ppp17701#pid#6150. 'And ate their fixed portion which Pharaoh had given them' means that they did not make any forms of good their own beyond what had been decreed. This is clear from the meaning of 'eating' as making one's own, dealt with in `@@@3168`, `@@@3513` (end), `@@@3596`, `@@@3872`, `@@@4745`; and from the meaning of 'fixed portion' as that which has been decreed, as immediately above in `@@@6149`, so that 'eating a fixed portion' means not making any forms of good one's own beyond what has been decreed. This decree was made by the natural, represented by 'Pharaoh'. that is, in the natural under the control of the internal, see also immediately above in `@@@6149`.
ppp17700#pid#6151. 'Therefore they did not sell their ground' means that for this reason they had no need to renounce those things or surrender them. This is clear from the meaning of 'selling' as renouncing, dealt with above in `@@@6143`, and so surrendering, since that which is renounced is surrendered to another; and from the meaning of 'ground' - that of the priests of Egypt - as the capacity to receive good in the natural, also dealt with above, in `@@@6148`. That for this reason they had no need to - to renounce and surrender those things - is meant by 'therefore they did not'.
ppp17699#pid#6152. 'And Joseph said to the people' means an influx of the internal into facts that have truths within them. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as perception, dealt with in `@@@6063`, and since it refers to the internal, which is 'Joseph', an influx is meant (for what is perceived in the eternal flows in from the internal); from the representation of 'Joseph' as the internal, as has often been stated already; and from the meaning of 'the people' as facts that have truths within them, dealt with in `@@@6146`.
ppp17698#pid#6153. 'Behold, I have bought you today, and your ground, for Pharaoh's house means that it had obtained those things for itself and had made them subject to the general whole within the natural, which was under the control of the internal. This is clear from the meaning of 'buying' as making one's own and acquiring, dealt with in `@@@4797`, `@@@5374`, `@@@5397`, `@@@5406`, `@@@5410`, `@@@5426`; and from the meaning of 'ground' as the receptacles of truth, dealt with in `@@@6135-6137`; and the subjection of those receptacles to the general whole in the natural is meant by 'his buying them for Pharaoh' who represents the natural in general, dealt with in `@@@5160`, `@@@5799`, `@@@6015`. The use of the expression 'under the control of the internal' is in keeping with the explanation above in `@@@6145`.
ppp17697#pid#6154. 'Look, here is seed for you, and you may sow the ground' means the good of charity and the truth of faith that are to be implanted. This is clear from the meaning of 'seed' as truth derived from good, or faith from charity, thus both of them, dealt with in `@@@1025`, `@@@1447`, `@@@1610`, `@@@1940`, `@@@2848`, `@@@3038`, `@@@3310`, `@@@3373`, `@@@3671`; from the meaning of 'sowing' as implanting; and from the meaning of 'ground' as receptacles, dealt with in `@@@6135-6137`. But once the truth and good have been implanted, 'the ground' no longer means a receptacle of them but that which actually constitutes the Church, as with 'the field', `@@@566`.
ppp17696#pid#6155. 'And so it will be at ingatherings' means the fruits from this. This is clear from the meaning of 'ingatherings' as the fruits, for the harvest which comes forth from the field is the fruits of that field.
ppp17695#pid#6156. 'That you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh' means that remnants are to be assigned to the general whole, which is under the control of the internal. This is clear from the meaning of 'five' or 'a fifth' as remnants, dealt with in `@@@5291`, `@@@5894`; and from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as the general whole within the natural, as above in `@@@6153`, the expression 'under the control of the internal' being used for the reason dealt with above in `@@@6145`. For what remnants are, see `@@@1050`, `@@@1738`, `@@@1906`, `@@@2284`, `@@@5135`, `@@@5897`, `@@@5898`, where it is shown that they are goods and truths stored away by the Lord in the interior man. They are brought out into the exterior or natural man when a person is in a state of goodness; but they are withdrawn and stored away again the moment he passes into a state of evil. They are withdrawn and stored away again to prevent them from being mixed up with evils and thereby destroyed.
ttt[2] During the time that a person is unable to be regenerated his remnants are held in safe keeping within him interiorly; but when he is being regenerated they are brought from his interiors - as many as are appropriate to the stage reached in his regeneration - into his exteriors, for the reason that through regeneration his interiors become joined to his exteriors and act in unison with them. Those remnants are assigned first to general wholes, then gradually to specific parts. From this one may see, since the subject here in the internal sense is the regeneration of the natural, what is meant by the assignment of those remnants to the general whole in the natural.
ppp17694#pid#6157. 'And four portions shall be yours' means those things which have not yet become remnants. This is clear from the meaning of 'four portions' - when this describes what is left over from 'a fifth', which means, `@@@6156` - as things which are not yet remnants. 'Four' has a similar meaning to two, namely pairs and things joined together, `@@@1686`, as goodness and truth are a pair and joined together. When these have not yet become remnants is what is meant here by 'four portions'. For forms of good and truths do not become remnants until they are made over to a person; and they are made over to him when they are accepted by him with affection and in freedom.
ppp17693#pid#6158. 'For seed of the field' means for mental nourishment. This is clear from the meaning of 'seed' as truth and good, and so faith and charity, dealt with above in `@@@6154`; and from the meaning of 'the field' in a general sense as the Church, dealt with in `@@@2971`, `@@@3766`, and in a particular sense as the Church with the individual person, thus a person who has the Church within him, that is, who is receptive of truth and good. When that person is called 'the field', his mind is what is meant; for a human being is not a human being by virtue of the outward form he takes but by virtue of his mind, that is, of his understanding and will which constitute his mind, and also by virtue of the truth of faith and the good of charity which constitute a yet more interior mind. Since the latter, the mind, is in a genuine sense the human being, he is nourished and sustained by truth and good. And because truth and good are meant by 'seed', nourishment is also meant by it. This is also evident from the words that immediately follow - 'for your food, and for those in your households, and for food for your young children'. From all this one may now see that 'seed of the field' means mental nourishment.
ppp17692#pid#6159. 'And for your food, and for those in your households' means so that the good of truth may therefore be present in every single part. This is clear from the meaning of 'food' as the good of truth, dealt with in `@@@5410`, `@@@5426`, `@@@5487`, `@@@5582`, `@@@5588`, `@@@5655`, and from the meaning of 'those who are in households' as every single instance of good derived from truth, so that 'for food for those in your households' is the good of truth in every single part. What is really meant by this - by the statement that the good of truth may be present in every single part - is this: As a person undergoes regeneration, good instills itself into every single part of him, for it then comes about that an affection for good reigns throughout the whole of him. And what reigns throughout the whole reigns in each individual or every single part. This may be recognized from the dominant affection in any person. That affection, whatever it may be, is present in every individual part of his will, and also in every individual part of his thought. Even though it does not seem to be present always in his thought, it is nevertheless there. It does not seem to be there because at such moments it is covered over by other affections that circumstances introduce; but as those affections are stripped away, so the dominant affection comes into view.
ttt[2] There is no better way to demonstrate this than by reference to spirits and angels. Spirits who are evil, that is, ones in whom evil has dominion, are evil in every single part. They are such even when they utter what is true or perform a good action, for in doing so they have nothing else in mind than to deceive others into thinking that they are in fact good spirits, and so to mislead them by an outward appearance of goodness. When they are doing this it can be clearly detected simply from the sound of their voice, and one can also detect it in the sphere emanating from them. Angels in heaven, in whom good has dominion, that is, reigns throughout, are good in every single part. That is, good from the Lord shines out of every single aspect of them. Even if they do something evil to outward appearance, their end or intention nevertheless is that good may be the outcome. From all this it may be seen that where good reigns throughout the whole, it does so in every single part; and the same holds true where evil reigns. For a reigning throughout the whole first begins when every single part is good or evil; and the essential nature and the number of those parts determines the nature of the whole. For what is called the whole is such by virtue of its existence in each separate part .
ppp17691#pid#6160. 'And for food for your young children' means in those things that are forms of innocence. This is clear from the meaning of 'food' as the good of truth, as immediately above in `@@@6159`; and from the meaning of 'young children' as innocence, dealt with in `@@@430`, `@@@3183`, `@@@5608`.
ppp17690#pid#6161. 'And they said, You have bestowed life on us' means spiritual life, in no other way and from no other source. This is clear from the meaning of 'bestowing life' as spiritual life, dealt with in `@@@5890`. Since the bestowal of life on, or the regeneration of the natural has been the subject in what has gone before, and since the entire process has been described there - and it takes place in that and no other way - the words of explanation 'in no other way and from no other source' are added.
ppp17689#pid#6162. 'Let us find favour in the eyes of [my] lord' means a willingness to be made subject in this way, and self-abasement. This becomes clear from the fact that these words, coming as they do after the renunciation by those people of all they possess, are words expressing a willingness to be made subject in this way, and thus that they are words expressing self-abasement. The presence of these meanings within those words is clear from the state in which the people found themselves at that time, a state that is also evident from the train of thought in what comes before and after this.
ppp17688#pid#6163. 'And we will be Pharaoh's slaves' means that they should renounce their own and become submissive to the natural, which is under the control of the internal. This is clear from the meaning of 'slaves' as being without any freedom of their own, dealt with in `@@@5760`, `@@@5767`, thus a renunciation of what is properly their own; and from the meaning of 'being Pharaoh's' as becoming submissive to the natural which is under the control of the internal, dealt with in `@@@6145`.
ppp17687#pid#6164. 'And Joseph made it a statute' means a conclusion based on consent. This is clear from the meaning of 'making it a statute' as a conclusion based on consent; for what is made a statute comes into being with the consent of both parties and is regarded as one of those which have been mutually agreed on and so have imposed an obligation.
ppp17686#pid#6165. 'Even to this day' means lasting for ever. This is clear from the meaning of 'even to this day' as lasting for ever, dealt with in `@@@2838`, `@@@4304`.
ppp17685#pid#6166. 'Regarding the ground of Egypt, that a fifth went to Pharaoh' means remnants, as previously in `@@@6156`.
ppp17684#pid#6167. 'Only the ground of the priests, theirs alone, did not belong to Pharaoh' means that every capacity to receive good came directly from the internal, as also previously, in `@@@6148`.
These matters which have now been stated regarding the joining of the natural to the internal, and so regarding the regeneration of the natural, effected through means that involve repeated phases of desolation and bestowal of life, will inevitably strike the member of the Church at the present day as things unheard of before. Even so, this is the truth of the matter and is something quite well known even by simple spirits in the next life. This being so, when a person reads the Word, those in the next life - being ones who understand the internal sense of the Word - not only have a perception of all those matters but in addition see countless arcana within them, arcana such as no human language can describe. In comparison with them the matters that have been introduced here are a mere few.
ppp17683#pid#6168. Verses `Genesis 47bbbccc27-31` And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen; and they had a possession in it, and were fruitful, and multiplied exceedingly. And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years; and the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were a hundred and forty-seven years. And Israel's days drew near when he must die; and he called his son Joseph, and said to him, If now I have found favour in your eyes, put now your hand under my thigh, and show me mercy and truth;`fff1` do not, I beg you, bury me in Egypt. And let me lie with my fathers, and you are to carry me out of Egypt, and to bury me in their sepulchre. And he said, I will do according to your word. And he said, Swear to me. And he swore to him. And Israel bowed himself over the head of the bed.
'And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt' means that spiritual good lived among the facts known to the Church. 'In the land of Goshen' means in the middle of them. 'And they had a possession in it' means given and set in order thus by the internal. 'And were fruitful, and multiplied exceedingly' means resulting forms of the good of charity and resulting truths of faith. 'And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt' means the truth of the natural existing among known facts. 'Seventeen years means the state there. 'And the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were a hundred and forty-seven years means the state in general and its essential nature. 'And Israel's days drew near when he must die' means the state immediately before regeneration. 'And he called his son Joseph' means the presence of the internal. 'And said to him, If now I have found favour in your eyes' means a desire. 'Put now your hand under my thigh' means a sacred bond. 'And show me mercy and truth' means humility. 'Do not, I beg you, bury me in Egypt' means regeneration not among known facts. 'And let me lie with my fathers' means life such as the ancients possessed. 'And you are to carry me out of Egypt' means so that there may be a raising up from factual knowledge. 'And to bury me in their sepulchre' means that kind of regeneration. 'And he said, I will do according to your word' means that it will indeed be done, for which the Divine has provided. 'And he said, Swear to me' means so that no change can be made. 'And he swore to him' means that no change can be made. 'And Israel bowed himself over the head of the bed' means that it turned towards things of the interior natural.
`nnn1. literally, make with me mercy and truth
ppp17682#pid#6169. 'And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt' means that spiritual good lived among the facts known to the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'dwelling' as living, dealt with in `@@@1293`, `@@@3384`, `@@@3617`, `@@@4451`; from the representation of 'Israel' as spiritual good, dealt with in `@@@5801`, `@@@5803`, `@@@5806`, `@@@5812`, `@@@5817`, `@@@5819`, `@@@5826`, `@@@5833`; and from the meaning of 'the land of Egypt' as the natural mind, where factual knowledge resides, dealt with in `@@@5276`, `@@@5278`, `@@@5280`, `@@@5288`, `@@@5301` - 'Egypt' meaning the facts known to the Church, see `@@@4749`, `@@@4964`, `@@@4966`, `@@@6004`.
ppp17681#pid#6170. 'In the land of Goshen' means in the middle of them. This is clear from the meaning of 'the land of Goshen' as the middle or inmost part of the natural, dealt with in `@@@5910`, `@@@6028`, `@@@6031`, `@@@6068`, thus in the middle of the known facts, for Goshen was the best part of the land in Egypt.
ppp17680#pid#6171. 'And they had a possession in it' means given and set in order thus by the internal. This is clear from the meaning of 'a possession' as the position spiritual life occupies, dealt with in `@@@6103`; and since Joseph was the one who gave them that possession, verse `Genesis 47bbbccc11`, the giving and setting in order of that position by the internal is meant. It follows from the whole train of thought that this is what is meant.
ppp17679#pid#6172. 'And were fruitful, and multiplied exceedingly' means resulting forms of the good of charity and resulting truths of faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'being fruitful' as bringing forth forms of the good of charity, and from the meaning of 'multiplying' as bringing forth truths of faith, dealt with in `@@@43`, `@@@55`, `@@@913`, `@@@983`, `@@@2846`, `@@@2847`. For the expression 'to be fruitful' is derived from the word 'fruits', by which the works of charity are meant in the internal sense, while the expression 'to be multiplied' is derived from the word 'multitude', which in the internal sense is used to refer to the truths of faith, since 'much' (multum) refers in the Word to truths, but 'great' to forms of good.
ppp17678#pid#6173. 'And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt' means the truth of the natural existing among known facts. This is clear from the meaning of 'living' as spiritual life, dealt with in `@@@5890`; from the representation of 'Jacob' as the truth of the natural, dealt with in `@@@3305`, `@@@3509`, `@@@3525`, `@@@3546`, `@@@3599`, `@@@3775`, `@@@4009`, `@@@4234`, `@@@4520`, `@@@4538`; and from the meaning of 'the land of Egypt' as the facts known to the Church, as just above in `@@@6169`.
ppp17677#pid#6174. 'Seventeen years' means the state there. This is clear from the meaning of 'seventeen' as from beginning to end, or from the beginning to something new, dealt with in `@@@755`, `@@@4670` (end); and from the meaning of 'years' as states, dealt with in `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@893`, so that here 'seventeen years in which Jacob lived in Egypt' means the beginning of the state of spiritual life in the natural among known facts even to the end of that state. For all numbers in the Word serve to denote spiritual realities, see `@@@575`, `@@@647`, `@@@648`, `@@@755`, `@@@817`, `@@@1963`, `@@@1988`, `@@@2075`, `@@@2252`, `@@@3252`, `@@@4264`, `@@@4495`, `@@@4670`, `@@@5265`.
ppp17676#pid#6175. 'And the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were a hundred and forty-seven years means the state in general and its essential nature. This becomes clear if the meaning of the numbers seven, forty, and a hundred is brought out.`fff1` For what seven means, see `@@@395`, `@@@433`, `@@@716`, `@@@728`, `@@@881`, `@@@5165`, `@@@5268`; for what forty means, `@@@730`, `@@@862`, `@@@2272`, `@@@2273`; and for what a hundred means, `@@@1988`, `@@@1636`, `@@@4400`. But no easy explanation of the sum of these numbers is possible, for they contain far more than anyone can calculate or explain intelligibly. In general these numbers contain the entire state of the reality represented by 'Jacob' and its essential nature. The angels can see these things in their entirety simply from that number; they can do so because with the angels all numbers in the Word pass into ideas about spiritual realities. This has also been made evident to me by the fact that on several occasions a long sequence of numbers has appeared in front of me, and whenever they have appeared the angels have told me that the numbers held, in sequence, the realities which they were talking about to one another. This in addition explains why the most ancient people who belonged to the celestial Church also had a way of calculating that consisted of numbers employed to express heavenly things which could barely be understood by the use of ideas in the natural mind. But after those people's times such evaluations perished, along with the perception of heavenly things. All that remained was a knowledge of the general meaning of the simple numbers, such as three, six, seven, and twelve, but not much knowledge of the meaning of compound numbers. At the present day however even the idea that numbers in the Word mean something more than their numerical values is quite unknown, and therefore the idea will probably be treated as one of those that are unbelievable.
`nnn1. The Hebrew way of expressing the number, which is rendered literally in the Latin, is seven years and forty and a hundred years.
ppp17675#pid#6176. 'And Israel's days drew near when he must die' means the state immediately before regeneration. This is clear from the meaning of 'drawing near' as being near, thus immediately before; from the meaning of 'days as states, dealt with in `@@@23`, `@@@487`, `@@@488`, `@@@493`, `@@@893`, `@@@2788`, `@@@7462`, `@@@3785`, `@@@4850`; from the representation of 'Israel' as spiritual good, dealt with above in `@@@6169`; and from the meaning of 'dying' as rising again and being roused into spiritual life, dealt with in `@@@3326`, `@@@3498`, `@@@3505`, `@@@4618`, `@@@4621`, `@@@6036`, thus being regenerated. For one who is being regenerated rises from spiritual death and is roused into new life.
ppp17674#pid#6177. 'And he called his son Joseph' means the presence of the internal. This is clear from the meaning of 'calling to himself' as causing to be present with oneself, thus the presence; and from the representation of 'Joseph' as the internal, as many times before, `@@@6089`, `@@@6117`, `@@@6120`, `@@@6128`, `@@@6136`, `@@@6145`, `@@@6149`, `@@@6152`, `@@@6153`, `@@@6156`, `@@@6163`, `@@@6167`.
ppp17673#pid#6178. 'And he said to him, If now I have found favour in your eyes' means a desire. This is clear from the emotion that stirred Jacob when he addressed these words to Joseph. That emotion is contained in this stock phrase, for 'If now I have found favour in your eyes' is purely a stock phrase that serves to express emotion, thus the desire of the will, as also above in `@@@6162`.
ppp17672#pid#6179. 'Put now your hand under my thigh' means a sacred bond. This is clear from the meaning of 'putting a hand under the thigh' as a bond established through what is connected with conjugial love, by all one's power, for 'hand' means power, `@@@878`, `@@@3091`, `@@@4931-4937`, `@@@5728`, `@@@5544`, and 'thigh' what is connected with conjugial love, dealt with in `@@@3021`, `@@@4277`, `@@@4280`, `@@@4575`, `@@@5050`, `@@@5062`. The conjugial relationship in the supreme sense is the union within the Lord of the Divine and the Divine Human. From this it is the union of Divine Good and Divine Truth in heaven, for what goes forth from the Lord is Divine Truth from Divine Good. This is why heaven is heaven and is called a marriage, for the existence there of goodness and truth joined together, which go forth from the Lord, is what makes heaven. Also, since the Lord is the good there, and heaven is the truth from it, the Lord is in the Word called 'the bridegroom', while heaven and also the Church is called 'the bride'. For goodness and truth constitute a marriage, and the existence of the two joined together is meant by the conjugial relationship. From this one may see how sacred it to be bound by what is of a conjugial nature, meant by 'putting a hand under the thigh'. From that marriage, the marriage of goodness and truth, genuine conjugial love comes down, regarding which love and its holiness, see `@@@2727-2759`.
ppp17671#pid#6180. 'And show me mercy and truth' means humility. This is clear from the meaning of 'showing mercy' as the good of love, and from the meaning of 'showing truth' as the truth of faith, both of which meanings are dealt with below. When these words are spoken they are words of entreaty, thus of humility. The reason why 'showing mercy' means the good of love is that all mercy is an expression of love, for one who has love or charity also has mercy; and his love and charity become mercy when his neighbour is poor or in misery and he comes to that neighbour's aid while he is in that condition. This is why 'mercy' means the good of love. 'Showing truth' means the truth of faith for the reason that all truth is the province of faith, which explains why in the original language the word for truth also means faith.
ttt[2] Since the good of love and the truth of faith exist completely joined together and one does not exist without the other, 'mercy and truth' was a phrase in common use among the ancients, for they knew well that the good of love was inseparable from the truth of faith. Since they are inseparable the two are mentioned jointly many times in the Word, as in Exodus,
Jehovah great in mercy and truth. `Exodus 34bbb6`.
In the second Book of Samuel,
David said to the men of Jabesh, May Jehovah show you mercy and truth. `2 Samuel 2bbb5-6`.
In the same book,
David said to Ittai the Gittite, Return and take your brethren back with you with mercy and truth. `2 Samuel 15bbb20`.
In Hosea,
Jehovah's controversy with the inhabitants of the land because there is no truth and no mercy, and no knowledge of God`fff1` in the land. `Hosea 4bbb1`.
In David,
All the ways of Jehovah are mercy and truth to those keeping His covenant. `Psalms 25bbb10`.
In the same author,
O Jehovah, You will not hold back from me Your mercies; let Your mercy and Your truth continually keep me safe. `Psalms 40bbb11`.
In the same author,
I will sing the eternal mercies of Jehovah, to generation after generation [I will make known] Your truth with my mouth. For I have said, For ever will mercy be built, in the very heavens You will make firm Your truth. Righteousness and judgement are the support of Your throne, mercy and truth stand before Your face. `Psalms 89bbb1-2`, `Psalms 89bbbccc14`.
Also other places in David besides these - `Psalms 26bbb3`; `Psalms ccc76bbb5`; `Psalms ccc57bbb3`, `Psalms 57bbbccc10`; `Psalms ccc61bbb7`; `Psalms ccc85bbb10`; `Psalms ccc86bbb15`; `Psalms ccc89bbb24`, `Psalms 89bbbccc33`; `Psalms ccc92bbb2`.
`nnn1. The Latin means Jehovah but the Hebrew means God, which Swedenborg has in another place where he quotes this verse.
ppp17670#pid#6181. 'Do not, I beg you, bury me in Egypt' means regeneration not among known facts. This is clear from the meaning of 'being buried' as resurrection and regeneration, dealt with in `@@@2916`, `@@@2917`, `@@@4621`, `@@@5551`; and from the meaning of 'Egypt' as factual knowledge, often dealt with already. For what is meant by regeneration not among known facts, see just below in `@@@6187`.
ppp17669#pid#6182. 'And let me lie with my fathers' means life such as the ancients possessed. This is clear from the meaning of 'lying' as life, for here lying implies being buried with them, and since being buried is resurrection and regeneration, 'lying with them' is life (for resurrection is an entering into life, and so similarly is regeneration); and from the meaning of 'fathers' as those who belonged to the Ancient Church and the Most Ancient, dealt with in `@@@6075`, thus the ancients.
ppp17668#pid#6183. 'And you are to carry me out of Egypt' means so that there may be a raising up from factual knowledge. This is clear from the meaning of 'carrying me' as a raising up (for when people pass from Egypt to the land of Canaan they are said 'to go up , which means a raising up, `@@@3084`, `@@@4539`, `@@@4969`, `@@@5406`, `@@@5817`, `@@@6007`; and the same is meant by 'carrying someone there out of Egypt'); and from the meaning of 'Egypt' as factual knowledge, dealt with already. A brief statement must be made to explain what a raising up from factual knowledge is. The regeneration of the natural is effected by an instilling of spiritual life from the Lord through the internal man into the known facts residing in the natural (this instilling has been the subject in the present chapter). But once a person has been regenerated thus far, and if he is the kind whose regeneration can go further, he is raised up from the exterior to the interior natural, which is subject to the direct control of the internal man. But if he is not that kind of person, his spiritual life exists in the exterior natural. The raising up is effected by a withdrawal from sensory impressions and factual knowledge and so by a raising up above them, and then the person comes into a state of interior thought and affection; thus interiorly he is raised into heaven. People who attain this state are in the internal Church, whereas those who attain only the first state are in the external Church. The latter are represented by 'Jacob', the former by 'Israel'. It was therefore so that Jacob might be Israel, and so that spiritual good present in the interior natural - thus the internal spiritual Church - may thereby be represented by him as Israel, that these words were uttered by Jacob.
ppp17667#pid#6184. 'And to bury me in their sepulchre' means that kind of regeneration. This is clear from the meaning of 'being buried' as regeneration, dealt with above in `@@@6181`, so that 'being buried in their sepulchre' - that is, in the same sepulchre - means that kind of regeneration.
ppp17666#pid#6185. 'And he said, I will do according to your word' means that it will indeed be done, [for which the Divine has provided.] This is clear from the meaning of 'doing according to someone's word' as it will indeed be done. The reason for the addition of the phrase 'for which the Divine has provided' is that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob represented three entities which however made one. In the highest sense Abraham represented within the Lord the Divine Itself, 'Isaac' the Divine Rational, and 'Jacob' the Divine Natural, `@@@3305` (end), `@@@4615`, `@@@6098`. But in the relative sense that applies to man they represent what is inmost, which is celestial good; what is relatively internal, which is spiritual good; and what is relatively external, which is natural good. These are what is meant by the three in one sepulchre, for 'a sepulchre' means resurrection into life and regeneration, `@@@2916`, `@@@2917`, `@@@4621`, `@@@5551`.
ppp17665#pid#6186. 'And he said, Swear to me' means so that no change can be made. This is clear from the meaning of 'swearing' as an unchangeable confirmation, dealt with in `@@@2842`.
ppp17664#pid#6187. 'And he swore to him' means that no change can be made. This is clear from the meaning of 'swearing' as that which is unchangeable, as immediately above in `@@@6186`.
ppp17663#pid#6188. 'And Israel bowed himself over the head of the bed' means that it turned towards things of the interior natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'bowing oneself' here as turning oneself; and from the meaning of 'the bed' as the natural, dealt with below. Thus 'the head of the bed' is that within the natural which is higher, that is, more internal; for wherever 'the head' is mentioned in the Word, what is more internal is meant. This is in relation to the body, which is more external. In saying that it turned towards things of the interior natural one means that natural truth, which is 'Jacob', was to be raised up to spiritual good, which is 'Israel', in accordance with what was stated and explained above in `@@@6183`.
ttt[2] The reason 'the bed' means the natural is that the natural exists beneath the rational and serves it as a kind of bed. For the rational reclines so to speak on the natural, and since the natural is accordingly what is spread beneath, it is therefore called 'the bed', as also in Amos,
"As the shepherd rescues from the mouth of the lion two legs or a piece of an ear, so will the children of Israel dwelling in Samaria be rescued, on the corner of a bed and on the end of a couch." `Amos 3bbb12`.
'On the corner of a bed' stands for within the lowest part of the natural, 'on the end of a couch' for within sensory awareness. For the people of Israel, whose capital city was Samaria, represented the Lord's spiritual kingdom. One speaks of that kingdom being, as is said of father Israel here, 'over the head of the bed', because spiritual good, which is represented by 'father Israel', is 'the head of the bed'. But when people turn away from that good to what belongs to the lowest part of the natural and to what belongs to sensory awareness, one speaks of them being 'on the corner of a bed and on the end of a couch'. The same prophet speaks of "Those who lie on beds of ivory, and stretch out on their couches, but feel no grief over the ruin of Joseph". `Amos 6bbb4`, `Amos 6bbbccc6`.
'Beds of ivory' are the pleasures of the lowest part of the natural that are pursued by haughty people. 'Feeling no grief over the ruin of Joseph' stands for feeling no concern at all that good from the internal has been reduced to nothing. In David,
If I come into the tent of my house, if I go up onto the couch of my bed . . . `Psalms 132bbb3`.
'The tent of my house' stands for the holiness of love, `@@@414`, `@@@1102`, `@@@2145`, `@@@2152`, `@@@3312`, `@@@4128`, `@@@4391`, `@@@4599`. 'Going up onto the couch of a bed' stands for up onto the natural, to truth that derives from the good of love. 'Coming into the tent of one's house and going up onto the couch of one's bed' is a prophetical saying which, as anyone may see, nobody can understand without the internal sense.
ppp17662#pid#6189. INFLUX AND THE INTERACTION OF SOUL AND BODY - continued
The sections at the ends of Chapters `Genesis ccc44bbb0`, `Genesis ccc45bbb0` showed that two angels from heaven and two spirits from hell are present with a person and that their presence gives him a communication with both places, as well as giving him the freedom to turn to one or else the other. But the fact that the inflow of every single thing into him - evil from hell and good from heaven, that is, from the Lord through heaven - is dependent on his freedom is unknown to mankind, who therefore will hardly be ready to believe it.
ppp17661#pid#6190. Since influx is the subject under discussion and the word is used so frequently, a preliminary statement must be made as to what influx is. There is no better way to show what is meant by spiritual influx than by comparison with natural kinds of influx that take place and reveal themselves in the world. There is for example the flow of heat from the sun into all earthly objects and all its variations that are determined by the seasons of the year and climates of the earth. Then there is the flow of light into those same objects and all its variations that are determined by the times of day as well as seasons of the year, further varied also by climates. It can be seen from the fact that the flow of heat from the sun into all earthly objects gives rise to plant-life, and that the flow of light into the same objects assists that plant-life and also produces different colours and beautiful sights. What influx is may be recognized in a similar way from the flow of that same heat into the surface-area of our bodies, and also of light into the eye. Likewise from the flow of sound into the ear, and from other inflowings like it, one may understand what the influx of life from the Lord is. He is the Sun of heaven and the Source of heaven's heat, which is the good of love, and the Source of heaven's light, which is the truth of faith. One can also plainly feel the inflow of them, for heavenly heat, which is love, produces the vital heat that exists in a person, while heavenly light, which is faith, produces his power of understanding, since the truth of faith, which goes forth from the Lord, gives his understanding light. But there is much variation to both these kinds of influx, for the exact nature of them is determined by the ways people receive them.
ppp17660#pid#6191. Experience enabling me to know that the Lord governs a person by means of angels and spirits has been so conclusive that I have been left with not the slightest shadow of doubt. For many years now all my thoughts and all my affections, down to the last detail, have flowed in by means of spirits and angels. This I have been allowed to perceive so plainly that nothing could be plainer; for I have perceived, seen, and heard who exactly the spirits or angels were, what they were like, and where they came from. And whenever anything inimical has come into my thought or will I have spoken to and rebuked those who were responsible. I have also noticed that their power to introduce any such thing was curbed by the angels, observed how this was done, and also seen that they were often driven away by the angels. When they had been driven away, I noticed that in their place new spirits were present, from whom influx again took place. I was also allowed to discern where those spirits were from, that is, of which communities they were emissaries.
ttt[2] Besides this I have often been given the opportunity to talk to those actual communities. Although every one of my thoughts and affections, down to the last detail, was flowing in through spirits or angels, my thinking was nevertheless as it had been before, and my desires as they had been before. I mixed with other people as I had done before, without anyone noticing any difference in my life from what it had been before. I realize that scarcely anyone will believe what I am saying; but all the same it is the absolute truth.
ppp17659#pid#6192. I have been shown by live demonstration the manner in which spirits flow in with a person. When they come to him they adopt everything his memory contains, thus everything he has learned and retained since early childhood. Then the spirits suppose that what they have adopted is their own and thus play the part so to speak of the person in the person; but they are not allowed to go beyond the interior parts forming the person's thought and will. They are not allowed to enter the exterior parts of actions and speech; for these are brought into play by means of a general influx from the Lord, without the intervention of specific spirits or angels. But although the spirits play the part of the person in the person so far as what forms his thought and will is concerned, they are not actually aware of their presence with him. The reason for this is that they take possession of all that his memory contains and imagine that it does not belong to another but is their own. A further reason is that they are thus prevented from doing the person harm, for if the spirits from hell who are present with a person did not imagine the contents of his memory were their own they would try by every method to destroy the person, body and soul, since that is hell's essential delight.
ppp17658#pid#6193. Since spirits take possession in that way of all that forms a person's thought and will, and angels take possession of what is even more interior, so that he is joined very closely to them, the person cannot avoid the perception and sensation that he himself is the one who thinks and wills. For the nature of all communication in the next life is this: In a community in which people are alike, each thinks that what is another's is his own. When therefore people who are good go into a heavenly community they instantly enter into all the intelligence and wisdom of that community, entering into it so fully that they know no other than that such things exist within themselves. This is also how it is with man and a spirit present with him. The things that flow in from spirits from hell are evil and false, but those which flow in from angels from heaven are good and true; and through these opposite kinds of influx a person is held in the middle, thus in freedom.
ttt[2] Because what flows in from angels comes through the more interior parts of a person, it is less easily recognized by outward sensation than that which flows in from evil spirits. Also, the angels are by nature such that they will not hear of goodness and truth flowing in from themselves, only of its coming from the Lord. They are indignant at the thought of anything different; for they have a very clear perception that that is the truth of the matter, and there is nothing they like more than for their desires and thoughts to begin not in themselves but in the Lord. Evil spirits on the other hand are angry if they are told that their thoughts and desires do not begin in themselves, because that idea is contrary to what their loves lead them to be delighted with. And they are all the more angry when they are told that life does not exist independently in them but flows into them. This is demonstrated to those spirits through actual experience; and such demonstration takes place many times, when they do indeed confess that such is the truth, since they cannot speak contrary to experience. But after a while they deny it and have no wish to have it proved any more from experience.
ppp17657#pid#6194. Sometimes it has happened that I have been thinking to myself or else talking to others without reflecting that spirits were present who prompted what I thought or said. But immediately afterwards the spirits spoke to me, telling me what their state was at the time, namely one in which they knew no other than that it was they who did the thinking. They told me indeed that those closest to me were fully convinced that they themselves did the thinking, but that those further away were not so convinced and those still further away even less so. I was also shown which particular communities flowed into the spirits as their subordinates.
ppp17656#pid#6195. Some spirits were once present with me for a long time, neither particularly good nor particularly evil ones, a little way above my head. They had the ability to flow deeply into people's affections; and because this was what they wanted to do, they also entered mine after a while and tied themselves to me in such a way that it seemed as though they could hardly be separated. I talked to them about what was going on, saying that they ought to separate themselves from me. But they could not do it. When they tried to do so and did succeed to some small extent, they then caused my thinking to be so dull that I could not think except in a confused and disjointed manner; and I felt pain in my head like that experienced by people who are fainting. This showed me how people's loves serve to join them together and that all in the next life are joined together through them. This is the reason why spirits who enter the actual affections of another take possession of him, just as happens in the world when one person indulges another person's love. But truths do not join people together, only affections for truth do so.
ttt[2] From this it has become clear to me how a person is joined either to heaven or to hell, namely through his loves. He is joined to hell through his self-love and love of the world, but to heaven through his love of the neighbour and love of God. In addition it has been clear to me that a person tied to hell cannot possibly be released except by Divine means employed by the Lord, as has also been shown to me from those who have been tied to me by merely slender affections. I was not released from them except through intermediate kinds of love, by means of which they were gradually joined to others. As the spirits were separated they seemed to be placed further away from me, in front and to the left. I noticed that the separation took place through changes in the state of my affections; for as my affections changed, so those spirits departed from me. This also revealed to me where the appearances of distance in the next life originate.
ppp17655#pid#6196. All kinds of experiences have enabled me to know that a person's loves determine how closely spirits are associated with him. As soon as I have begun to love something intently, spirits with a similar love were present, and they were not removed until that love died down.
ppp17654#pid#6197. As often as anything which I have not known the source of has entered my thinking or the desires of my will and I have wished to know the source, it has been shown me. That is to say, I have been shown which communities it came from, and sometimes which spirits were their agents through whom it came. Those spirits have also talked to me at such times and have confessed that they were thinking about that particular matter and that they also knew it was coming to me and seemed to me to exist within me. Deceitful ones, who are visible directly overhead, have come to me, sometimes in such a clever way that I did not know where the influx came from, and I could hardly discern what flowed in as anything else than something that existed in and originated with me, as is ordinarily so with others. But as I knew quite definitely that it originated somewhere else, the Lord granted me a perception which was so keen that I discerned every detail of what flowed in from those deceitful spirits. I also discerned exactly where they were and exactly who they were. When they realized this they were highly indignant, especially at the idea that I could reflect on the fact that my thought had originated with them. That reflection came to me by way of the angels.
ttt[2] In particular the deceitful spirits instilled ideas such as were opposed to the Lord, and on these occasions I was also led to reflect that no one in hell acknowledges the Lord, and that they speak as insolently against Him as they are allowed to, though they do not mind hearing mention made of the Father, the creator of all things. This experience, which is a very clear sign, makes it quite plain that the Lord is the One who reigns over the whole of heaven, as He Himself teaches in Matthew,
All power in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. `Matthew 28bbb18`.
It also shows that those spirits are opposed to the Lord because they are opposed to heaven, in which the Lord is the All in all.
ppp17653#pid#6198. Some spirits were once present with me who imagined that it was they who had life and that the life I had came to me solely from them, so that they were in effect myself. But when they were told that they were spirits who existed separately from me, and that interiorly I too was a spirit they could not believe it. To enable them to know it, they were separated and in that way shown that they were spirits with a separate existence. But they still refused to believe it and stubbornly stuck to their own ideas. They went away for a while, and when they came back their conviction was still the same. This experience too shows that spirits know nothing different from this, that what exists with man is essentially theirs. But spirits like these who cling tenaciously to such beliefs are not afforded easy access to men because it is hard for them to be separated from men. A similar conviction has, it is true, been instilled into all other spirits to the end that they may be of service to men, but in them it is somewhat different.
ppp17652#pid#6199. Another spirit too imagined that he was myself. He was so sure of it that he believed, when he talked to me in my native tongue, that he was using his own; for he said that that language was his. But he was shown that the language proper to spirits is entirely different and that it is the universal language of all languages. He was shown that ideas flow from that language into my own native tongue, so that spirits do not speak independently but within me, and that this serves to show that they not only enter what is man s but also suppose it to be their own.
ppp17651#pid#6200. Because I have been living - constantly, for nine years now`fff1` - in company with spirits and angels, I have been able to take careful note of the nature of influx. When I have been thinking, the material ideas in my thought have presented themselves so to speak in the middle of a wave-like motion. I have noticed that the wave was made up of nothing other than such ideas as had become attached to the particular matter in my memory that I was thinking about, and that a person's entire thought is seen by spirits in this way. But nothing else enters that person's awareness then apart from what is in the middle which has presented itself as a material idea. I have likened that wave round about to spiritual wings which serve to raise the particular matter the person is thinking about up out of his memory. And in this way the person becomes aware of that matter. The surrounding material in which the wave-like motion takes place contained countless things that harmonized with the matter I was thinking about. This was made clear to me by the fact that from those things spirits living in a more perfect sphere knew everything I had ever learned on that particular subject. It accordingly showed me that spirits take in and absorb everything a Person knows, while genii, who are interested solely in his desires and affections, do the same to all aspects of his loves.
ttt[2] Let the following example illustrate the point. Whenever I have thought about a person I knew, an image of that person, like that which comes to anyone s mind when his name is mentioned, presented itself in the middle. But round about the image of him - looking like the wings of a bird that are moving up and down - there was everything I had known and thought since childhood regarding that person. Consequently the entire character of that person as it existed in my thought and affection presented itself to spirits in an instant. The like has also happened whenever I have thought about any city. From the sphere round about moving like a wave spirits knew in an instant everything I had ever seen in it or known about it. The same thing has applied to my scientific knowledge.
`nnn1. These words occur in Volume Five of the Latin, published in `@@@1753`.
ppp17650#pid#6201. This was how my thought was seen by spirits when I had been raised a little way above the level of the senses. But when my thought took place on the latter level no such wave-like motion was seen; instead something entirely material appeared there, not unlike an object seen with the physical eyes. This is called thinking on the sensory level; but when thought takes place on a more internal level it is referred to as being raised above the level of the senses. The ancients were well acquainted with the idea that a person can be raised above the sensory level, and therefore some of them also wrote about that condition. People whose thought takes place on the lower level are called sensory-minded, and spirits of a similar nature are attached to them. These spirits take hold of little more from a person than what enters his own awareness too; for they are more unrefined than all other spirits. I have also noticed that when a person is on the sensory level and has not been raised above it his thought is confined to what is of a bodily and worldly nature. He has no wish to know about things that belong to eternal life; indeed he refuses to listen to anything about it.
ttt[2] To enable me to know the nature of all this I have been brought down frequently to that sensory level, when the things described have occurred instantly. At the same time spirits in that more unrefined sphere have poured in foul and offensive ideas. But as soon as I was raised above the sensory level such ideas were dispelled. The life of the majority of people who surrender themselves to physical pleasures is on that sensory level, and so is the life of those who have utterly refused to contemplate the existence of anything beyond what they can see and hear, in particular those who have refused to think about eternal life. For that reason people of this kind revile such higher things and are nauseated when they hear them mentioned. At the present day large numbers of spirits like this exist in the next life, for bands of them enter it from the world. Also when they flow into a person they prompt him to indulge his natural inclination to lead a selfish and worldly life, not a life for others except insofar as they countenance him and his selfish desires. To be raised up above these spirits a person must entertain thoughts of eternal life.
ppp17649#pid#6202. I have also noticed another kind of influx which does not take place through the spirits present with a person but through others who are sent out from some community in hell to the sphere emanating from that person's life. They talk among themselves about the kinds of things that are unacceptable to the person, which results generally in a flowing into him of what is in many different ways troublesome, unpleasant, dejecting, and worrying. Such spirits have often been present with me, when I have experienced in the province of my stomach those who poured in feelings of anxiety - not that I knew where the feelings came from. Yet on every occasion I found out who they were, and then I heard them talking to one another about the kinds of things that were unacceptable to my affections. Avaricious spirits in the same region have sometimes been visible, though in a slightly higher position; they have poured in the kind of anxiety that results from concern for the future. I have also been allowed to rebuke those spirits and to tell them that they correlate with undigested food in the stomach which produces bad breath and so is nauseating. I have also seen them being driven away; and once they were driven away, anxiety completely disappeared. I have had this experience a number of times so that I could be quite certain that those spirits were the source of the trouble.
ttt[2] This is the kind of influx that takes place among those who for no good reason are anxious and depressed, and also among those who are undergoing spiritual temptation. During temptation however there is not only a general influx of such spirits but also a particular stirring up by spirits from hell of the evils the person has put into practice. Those spirits also pervert and put a wrong interpretation on the forms of good that the angels use to fight with in temptation. A state such as this is what the person who is being regenerated enters by being let down into what is wholly his own. And this happens when he immerses himself too much in worldly and bodily interests and needs to be raised towards spiritual ones.
ppp17648#pid#6203. The influx of evil from hell arises in the following way: When a person plunges himself into some evil - first because he gives in to it, then because he deliberately intends it, and finally because he loves and delights in it - the hell where that kind of evil reigns is opened; for evils and all their variations give rise to each distinction that marks off one hell from all the others. After it has been opened an influx from that hell also takes place.`fff1` If a person embarks on evil in that way it clings to him, for the hell whose sphere now surrounds him finds in him the same delight as is their own when immersed in their own kind of evil. This being so, that hell does not give up but stubbornly persists in causing the person to think about that evil - first of all now and again, then as often as anything related comes along, till at length it becomes what governs him all the time. When this happens he looks around for ideas such as will support the notion that the thing is not an evil, until he becomes thoroughly convinced it is not. At this point he strives so far as he can to get rid of external restraints and to make it allowable and smart, and at length even attractive and honourable, to engage in adulterous practices, theft involving trickery and deceit, various forms of arrogance and boasting, contempt for others, insults, persecution carried on under a cloak of righteousness, and other things like these. They are like blatant thefts which a person cannot refrain from committing once he has deliberately engaged in two or three; for they cling constantly to his thinking.
`nnn1. Reading fit (takes place) for sit (may be)
ppp17647#pid#6204. In addition to this it should be recognized that evil entering a person's thought does not do him harm; for spirits from hell are constantly pouring in evil, but angels are constantly driving it away. But when it enters the will it does do harm, for it leads on to actions as often as external restraints do not hinder it. Evil enters the will when it is retained in one's thought, is approved of, and especially when it is acted upon and therefore delighted in.
ppp17646#pid#6205. I have often noticed that evil spirits invest themselves in particular with a person's false notions and evil desires, and that when they do they control him in a despotic way. For one who gets inside a person's evil desires and false notions makes him subject to himself and turns him into his slave. But an influx coming through angels adjusts itself to the person's affections, which they guide gently, turning those affections towards what is good without breaking them. The actual influx of them is silent, barely perceptible, for it is an influx into the person's interiors, always operating through his freedom.
ppp17645#pid#6206. To take the subject further, it should be recognized that all evil flows in from hell and all good from the Lord by way of heaven. The reason however why evil becomes a person's own is that he believes and convinces himself that he thinks and practises it all by himself. In this way he makes it his own. But if he believed what is really so, it would not be evil but good from the Lord that became his own. For if he believed what is really so he would think, the instant evil flowed in, that it came from the evil spirits present with him; and since that was what he thought the angels could ward that evil off and repel it. For influx from angels takes place into what a person knows and believes, not what he does not know or believe; there is nowhere else for it to become firmly established than in something the person knows or believes.
ttt[2] When a person in that way makes some evil his own he acquires the sphere that is a product of that evil. This sphere is what the spirits from hell who have a sphere of like evil around them associate themselves with, for like is linked to like. The spiritual sphere existing with man or spirit is an emanation from the life which belongs to his loves, from which his character is recognized from afar. Their spheres are what determine the ways in which all are joined to one another in the next life, and the ways in which communities are joined too. They also determine the separations that take place, for contrary spheres conflict with and repel one another. Consequently the spheres produced by the loves of what is evil are all in hell, while the spheres produced by the loves of what is good are all in heaven, that is, those dwelling in such spheres are there.
ppp17644#pid#6207. The influx from angels takes place primarily into a person's conscience, in which there is a base laid down for them to operate into. This base exists within the interior parts of the person. Conscience is twofold - interior and exterior. Interior conscience is a conscience concerned with what is spiritually good and true, exterior conscience with what is just and fair. The latter kind of conscience exists with many at the present day, but interior conscience with few. Even so, those endowed with exterior conscience are saved in the next life, since they are the kind of people who, if they act contrary to what is good and true or contrary to what is just and fair, feel distressed and tormented within. They feel this way not because of any consequent loss of position, gain, or reputation but because they have acted contrary to what is good and true or just and fair. But where neither kind of conscience exists there is something very inferior to them which on occasions simulates conscience. That is to say, a simulation of conscience exists when people are moved to practise what is true and good, fair and just, not by a love of it but for selfish reasons, for position and personal gain. These people too feel distressed and tormented when things unacceptable to them occur; but this kind of conscience is no conscience at all because it goes with self-love and love of the world and has nothing in it of the love of God and of one's neighbour. Nor is it therefore to be seen in the next life.
ttt[2] People like this are also able to serve in quite high-ranking offices, just as those endowed with genuine conscience do, for to outward appearance they do the same kinds of things; but they do them for the sake of their own position and reputation. Therefore the more they fear the loss of the latter, the better they discharge their public duties in favour of neighbour and country. But people who do not fear their loss are utterly dispensable members of the state. Those with this false conscience do not even know what conscience is, and when they hear from others what it is they laugh at the idea and think it is the product of simplicity or sickness of mind. These matters have been stated so that people may know the nature of this influx, that is to say, that conscience is the base that has been laid down for the angels to flow into - in particular into the affections there for what is good and true, and for what is just and fair - and thereby bind and hold the person, though without taking away his freedom.
ppp17643#pid#6208. There are quite a number of people who are endowed by heredity with natural good, as a result of which they delight in doing good to others. But since they have not adopted from the Word, from the teaching of the Church, or from the religion they belong to, any principles about the doing of good on account of those teachings, they have also been unable to have any conscience conferred on them; for conscience is not the product of natural or hereditary good but of teaching regarding what is true and good and of a life based on that teaching. When people like these come into the next life they are amazed that they are not received into heaven. They say they have led a good life, but they are told that a good life which is the outcome of natural or hereditary disposition is not a good life; it comes instead out of teaching regarding what is good and true and out of a life based on that teaching. Through such teaching and life, they are told, people have principles stamped on their character regarding what is true and good and receive a conscience, which is the base laid down for heaven to flow into. So that those who are told these things may know they are true, they are sent to different communities, where they allow themselves to be misled into all kinds of evil solely through reasonings and consequent false persuasions that things which are evil are good, and those which are good are evil. They are thus swayed by those arguments wherever they go and are borne around like straws in the wind. For they have no principles, no base laid down into which the angels can operate and guide them away from the wicked.
ppp17642#pid#6209. An influx from angels that takes place with a person is not discerned as an influx from spirits is, for what flows in from angels is not material but spiritual. It seems to be altogether like a stream of air, flowing from interior angels as something filled with light, and from angels even more interior as something flaming. More will be said about these matters in the Lord's Divine mercy at the ends of chapters following this.
ppp17641#pid#6210. On some occasions I have happened to be deep in thought about worldly matters and the kinds of things that concern most people - possessions, the acquisition of riches, pleasures, and the like. At these times I noticed that I was slipping back into sensory-mindedness, and that to the extent that my thought was immersed in those worldly interests I was more removed from companionship with the angels. This also proved to me that people who are deeply engrossed in such concerns cannot have any real contact with them in the next life. For when such thoughts occupy the whole mind they bear its lower part downwards, like weights pulling it down. When such worldly interests are a person's final concern they remove him from heaven, to which he cannot be raised except by means of the good of love and faith. This has been made additionally clear to me by the following experience. I was once taken through the dwelling-places of heaven, at which time my ideas were spiritual ones. Then I suddenly slipped into thinking about worldly matters, and all those spiritual ideas were scattered and became as nothing.
ppp17640#pid#6211. I have sometimes wondered why speech and action are not governed by means of particular spirits in the way thought and will are governed by means of them. But I have been told that speech follows from thought and action from the will, and that this flows from true order, thus through general influx. Nevertheless spirits are assigned to each part of the body associated with the power of speech, and to each part associated with action, though these spirits are not directly aware of it. General influx is the unceasing endeavour by the Lord, acting through the whole of heaven, to enter every detail of a person's life.
ppp17639#pid#6212. It is well known from the Word that the prophets received influx from the world of spirits and from heaven. It came to them partly through dreams, partly through visions, and partly through utterances. With some prophets it also entered into their own speech and gestures, thus things of the body; and when this happened neither their utterances nor their actions were their own but were those of the spirits who occupied their bodies at the time. Some behaved as though they were insane, as when Saul lay down naked,`fff1` some inflicted wounds on themselves,`fff2` and others wore horns;`fff3` and there are many other examples of the same thing.
ttt[2] Having the desire to know how spirits led them to do those things, I was shown through actual experience. So that I might know, I was possessed for a whole night by spirits who occupied my bodily powers so fully that I could not feel it was my own body except in a very vague way. When those spirits came they looked like tiny clouds massed together in varying shapes, for the most part pointed ones; the tiny clouds were black. In the morning I saw a carriage with a pair of horses, and a man riding in it; then I saw a horse with someone sitting on it, who was thrown from the horse backwards and lay on the ground while the horse kicked up its heels. After that I saw someone else sitting on the horse. The horses were well-bred.
ttt[3] After all this the angels told me the meaning of the things I had seen. The carriage with a man in it meant the spiritual sense contained in the prophecies which they were uttering, and those they were representing by the things I had seen. The horse that threw off the person sitting on it and that kicked up its heels meant that the Jewish and Israelite people among whom the prophecies existed were interested solely in things of an external nature, so that genuine understanding threw them off its back and so to speak kicked up its heels to move them away. The second person sitting on the horse meant the understanding which those people have who are interested in the internal sense of the prophetical part of the Word.
ttt[4] This state which lasted through the night until morning taught me the way the prophets through whom spirits spoke and acted were possessed. The spirits occupied the prophets' bodies so thoroughly that the prophets were left with hardly anything more than an awareness of their existence. There were particular spirits assigned to this function who had no wish to obsess men, only to enter a person's bodily affections, and having entered them they entered all things of his body. The spirits normally present with me said that I had not been with them while I remained in that state.
ttt[5] The spirits who possessed my body, in the way the bodies of prophets had been possessed in former times, afterwards talked to me. They said, besides much else, that at the time they knew nothing else than that their life was as it had been in the body. They went on to say that the prophets were recipients of further kinds of influx, ones that involved the prophets in the use of their own power of decision and thought. Spirits then simply talked to them, mainly within them; it was not a flowing into their thought and will, only speech which entered their hearing.
`nnn1. `1 Samuel 19bbb24`
`nnn2. e.g. `1 Kings 18bbb28`; `Jeremiah 16bbb6`; `Jeremiah ccc41bbb5`
`nnn3. `1 Kings 22bbb11`
ppp17638#pid#6213. By means of its own spirits hell is constantly instilling evil and falsity as well as perverting and wiping out truths and forms of good, whereas the Lord by means of angels is constantly warding off, taking away, lessening, and moderating those influences. Many years of almost unceasing experience have made this so familiar to me that I cannot even think about doubting it. But if the angels are to be able to ward off influences coming from hell, the truths of faith, joined to the good of life, into which they can flow must exist with the person. Those truths must serve as a base laid down for angels to operate into. But if the person does not possess truths joined to good he is brought away from hell, and then by means of angels the Lord governs him externally through what are called external restraints. These restraints involve the person's own prudence, which he exercises so that he may be seen, so far as outward appearances go, to be one who loves his neighbour and country, even though he is motivated by thoughts of his own position, his own gain, reputation on account of these, and by fear of legal penalties, including death. These are the external restraints